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India look to become No. 1 for the first time, Sri Lanka look to justify their No. 2 ranking, an old-world ground is the setting

The Preview by Sidharth Monga01-Dec-2009

Match facts

December 2-6, 2009
Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT)

Big Picture

It doesn’t look too nice for Sri Lanka in a must-win game•AFP

Test cricket returns to a stadium originally designed to be the Lord’s of India, which retained the exclusivity of Lord’s but lost touch with the common man somewhere down the line. It houses the Ranji Trophy in its foyer and is built for storytelling, from the one when Abbas Ali Baig was kissed by a fan during an innings to the legendary Vijay Hazare-Vijay Merchant “rivalry” back in the day, and many in between.The world has changed and the Brabourne Stadium has lost its prime position in the Mumbai hierarchy but what it hasn’t lost is its sense of occasion. Should it be a mere coincidence, then, that India go in to the match with a chance of becoming the No.1 Test team for the first time ever, at a ground where more than 50 years ago they came agonisingly close to their first Test win when the umpire removed the bails with 90 seconds left on the clock and India six short of the target set by West Indies?Sri Lanka have never played here, nor have they ever won in India. They are the second-ranked team in the world. Sri Lanka are struggling, Muttiah Muralitharan is struggling, their first-choice pace bowlers are down with injuries. Take out Bangladesh, and 12 of Sri Lanka’s last 14 Test wins have come at home. Sri Lanka need to win this one, and justify their No. 2 ranking.

Form guide (last 5 Tests, most recent first)

India WDDDW
Sri Lanka LDWWD

Watch out for

Muttiah Muralitharan’s slump is unreal, and yet cruelly true. Age is catching up; the shoulder and fingers must be sore; the SG ball doesn’t come out just right; the Indian batsmen play him better than any other have; the pitches are affording slow turn. Yet Murali has to find a way. It can’t all end in a whimper.Murali Vijay is getting used to being the spare opener. Playing a Test when Gautam Gambhir feels like shouldering a bowler or when his sister is getting married or when other such equally fortuitous circumstances provide Vijay a chance. He scored 33 and 41 on Test debut last year, in the last match of the series against Australia, and ensured a recall when the need be. He will want to do better.Of the four big Sri Lankan batsmen who landed in India without centuries to their name here, Kumar Sangakkara still remains. As a captain he will want to leave a big imprint with the bat in a must-win match.

Team news

Vijay is almost certain to take Gambhir’s place in what should be the only change to the India XI that won in Kanpur. Sreesanth did have a minor injury scare, but is likely to play. “He hurt his finger a bit but it’s not too serious. He would play tomorrow,” said MS Dhoni.India : (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 MS Dhoni (capt/wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Sreesanth, 11 Pragyan Ojha.Muttiah Muralitharan will play one last Test in India•AFP

Nuwan Kulasekara is fully fit and is likely to reinforce an attack that looked listless in Kanpur. He should take Ajantha Mendis’ place in the final XI. There should be a debate between Chanaka Welegedara and Dilhara Fernando, but the left-arm variety could be given the nod.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Chanaka Welegedara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Rangana Herath.

Pitch and conditions

Normally a pitch hosting a Test for the first time in 36 years would be a big unknown, but this one seems to have come as a pleasant change for both captains. Both expect nice bounce, help for fast bowlers in the earlier stages, and spin in the latter. “There will be a bit of bounce for the fast bowlers and as the game progresses you will see the spinners coming into action,” Dhoni said. “They will get a bit of turn with bounce and that is what the spinners love the most. The first session will be crucial and that is when the seamers will get a bit of help, and also in the evening because of this time of the year the fast bowlers – if they maintain the ball – they will be able to swing it.”

Stats and Trivia

• Eleven out of 17 Tests at the Brabourne have been drawn, but four out of the last six have yielded results.
• c Jayawardene b Murali is one short of 100 dismissals in all international cricket, by far a record for a bowler-fielder combination.
• Leading into his Test comeback, Sreesanth had bowled 112 overs for eight first-class wickets at 45.75. In his first innings back in Test cricket, he took 22 overs to finish a match-winning five-for.
• Rahul Dravid is only 218 runs behind Ricky Ponting, but has scored 28 centuries as opposed to Ponting’s 38. Mahela Jayawardene has scored only one century fewer than Dravid, but has done it over 9079 runs, as opposed to Dravid’s 11,182.

Quotes

“We are not thinking about the ranking because you don’t really want to be under pressure, you just want to play your natural game. We know if we keep winning the ratings will take care of themselves.”

“Still a great opportunity. It’s a case of regrouping and keep doing our basics right. I think we have the make-up of the side to beat any side in the world, and this is another opportunity for us to do that.”

Jacques Kallis is rated as only 50-50 to make the first Test against England at Centurion Park as he continues a slow recovery from the fractured rib that ruled him out of the one-day series.

Andrew McGlashan in East London07-Dec-2009Jacques Kallis is rated as only 50-50 to make the first Test against England at Centurion Park as he continues a slow recovery from the fractured rib that ruled him out of the one-day series. However, on a more positive note for the home side, Dale Steyn is progressing well after his hamstring strain which he picked up in the third ODI at Port Elizabeth.Mike Procter, the convenor of selectors, is confident that Steyn will be ready to lead the attack in nine days but admitted the outlook isn’t so positive for Kallis raising further questions as to how South Africa will balance their side for the opening encounter.”Dale should be okay, but with Jacques we aren’t quite sure yet. Things are progressing well, but on the conservative side I would say 50-50 is a fair call,” Procter told Cricinfo. “It’s a nasty injury he picked up.”When Kallis was initially ruled out of the one-dayers it was suggested that he would be considered as a specialist batsman if the injury hadn’t cleared up in time for the first Test. However, Procter said that wouldn’t be considered with the risks of aggravating the problem too great.”With a cracked rib it’s either right or it isn’t, there isn’t really anything in between like with a side strain where you may be able to get away with it by not bowling,” he said. “It affects his batting as well and I think he has to be a 100% fit. We wouldn’t want to jeopardise his chances by doing further damage to him with three more Tests in the series.”Kallis and Steyn will be assessed when the South Africans join up in Potchefstroom for a three-day training camp on Friday and if Kallis is ruled out a decision will need to be taken over how to cover for both his batting and bowling. In the one-dayers they went along the extra bowler route which worked at Cape Town when AB de Villiers blazed a hundred, but failed spectacularly at Port Elizabeth when they were blown away for 119 – a collapse that cost them the series.So early in a four-match contest it seems highly unlikely that South Africa would gamble on weakening the batting even though they have included Ryan McLaren as a potential all-round option. Both he and Mark Boucher were batting one place too high in the one-day series which means Alviro Petersen is shaping up as a Test debutant. Petersen was impressive in coloured clothes as he notched three half centuries but would have huge shoes to fill.”Jacques is a massive player and it will be great to have him there,” he told the . “If I am required to play I’ll make sure I’m as ready as possible.”While South Africa’s headaches will revolve around replacing Kallis, at least it is appearing as though they won’t have to concern themselves with also covering for their strike bowler. “He [Steyn] is coming along nicely,” Procter said. “He and Jacques are both crucial to us, but Dale isn’t looking like too much of a concern.”Steyn’s recovery would mean even less chance of Friedel de Wet, the Lions quick bowler, making a debut. De Wet was the most surprising name in South Africa’s 15-man squad, but with Wayne Parnell and Morne Morkel vying to support Steyn and Makhaya Ntini in the pace ranks he will have to wait a while. However, he showed impressive form in the most recent round of Supersport games with match figures of 6 for 76 against the Titans.”In camps like this what we try and do is get guys in who haven’t been around before to come so if they are called up it’s not like going in totally cold,” Procter said. “It’s a good chance to allow Graeme Smith and Mickey [Arthur] a chance to have a look at them.”He had a good season last year and I’ve seen him bowl recently on some pretty flat tracks at East London and at Johannesburg so he’s a player worth looking at and we’ll see what comes out of it.”

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has reacted with “disappointment” to the West Indies Players’ Association’s (WIPA) public call for a longer first-class season

Cricinfo staff27-Dec-2009In a fresh episode of disagreement, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has reacted with “disappointment” to the West Indies Players’ Association’s (WIPA) public call for a longer first-class season and claims that there had been no consultation with the board on the schedule. The WICB, instead, has decided to cut back on the number of matches in the upcoming season as a result of limited financial resources.The two parties had been involved in a bitter contracts dispute that led to senior players boycotting the Test series against Bangladesh, before reaching a compromise that paved the way for the selection of a full-strength squad for the tour of Australia.Last week, Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA president, had reiterated the proposal made in the WIPA’s 15-Point Development Plan for West Indies cricket. “West Indies first-class season should be made up of two rounds of matches with a minimum of 12 four-day games per year played alongside the international series. One round is insufficient in this modern era of cricket. We have seen that in recent years,” Ramnarine was quoted in the WIPA’s official website.Reacting to the statement, WICB’s CEO Ernest Hilaire said the WIPA was undermining the compromise reached between the two parties and creating ground for yet another public dispute. “My instinctive reaction to the release was one of disappointment with the President of WIPA,” Hilaire said in a statement. “After the recent dispute with WIPA, it was publicly expressed by the WICB that it would be seeking to establish a relationship based on mutual trust, respect and co-operation. As CEO, I expressed a desire for maturing our relationship by moving from a situation where every disagreement or difference becomes a public spat.It is unfortunate that behaviour patterns cannot change so easily and as WIPA has not gotten its way on this matter, it seeks public announcement of its position and creates the context for a public fight. It is ironic that WIPA is calling for a meeting and doing so not through the established and respected procedures but through the public medium.”The “fundamental issue”, Hilaire said, was the threat of a deadlock in the event of disagreement by either party. “The situation is that WIPA requested a minimum of 12 rounds as stated in the WIPA release and WICB expressed that in accordance with its strategic objectives it was not possible to host 12 rounds in 2010,” he said. “Once WIPA establishes its minimum requirements which remain in variance to the WICB position, who has the final call? If it is WIPA to make the final call, then consultation or agreement with WIPA in reality becomes a veto by WIPA on any proposal made by WICB.”The 2010 domestic season will feature seven rounds of matches including day-night fixtures. Though the first-class season last year was expanded to 14 rounds and the fees for players and officials increased despite the absence of a sponsor, Hilaire said a similar format for the upcoming year was unsustainable. “It begs the question – how can this be sustainable especially with the cricket development agenda increasing? As I said earlier, in an ideal situation there should be an expanded round and hopefully that can be achieved sooner rather than later.”Some of the savings from organising the next domestic season, Hilaire said, would be invested in other projects such as the A team programme, developmental tours and the High Performance Centre. “This can only be achieved if we use our limited resources efficiently and effectively and hopefully an active “A” Team programme will be more efficient and effective use,” he said. “The net effect is that the best regional players will not have any decrease in first-class cricket but rather increase and at a higher level. Further, they will be exposed internationally and learn to play under different conditions even before reaching Test level.”Hilaire acknowledged there would be objections to WICB’s plans but urged dialogue with the WIPA in an attempt to proceed with the understanding reached after the contracts dispute. “I am conscious that there will be objections to the changes in the four-day tournament,” he said.”I was warned that it reduces earnings for players and officials since they are paid per match, that territories would lose their home advantage and that decision making was proceeding too quickly. However, I am also conscious of the policy directions of the Board which requires that we do not remain in our comfort zones. The cricketing world has moved so far ahead of us that we need to take a giant leap forward, trying new and better ways of doing things. It is always easy to do new things but more difficult to determine that they are better. We need to be brave and trust our innate capacities to be creative and innovative. We will fail sometimes but that is a lot better than never trying.”I am anxious to engage WIPA in dialogue and discourse on the various issues facing West Indies cricket not in an antagonistic and hostile manner but with respect and regard for each other’s role. We have reached the point where it cannot be business as usual. We have to move forward and there must be no reverse gear.”

Luke Feldman’s first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket delivered a 169-run win for Queensland over a disappointing New South Wales, who lost six wickets in less than 16 overs on the final morning

Cricinfo staff01-Feb-2010
ScorecardLuke Feldman picked up 5 for 32•Getty Images

Luke Feldman’s first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket delivered a 169-run win for Queensland over a disappointing New South Wales, who lost six wickets in less than 16 overs on the final morning. The Blues started the day at 4 for 148 and needed another 197 for victory, but Feldman sent them spiralling to defeat in just over an hour.Simon Katich was unbeaten on 38 overnight and finished still at the crease on 55 as wickets tumbled around him. Grant Lambert departed from the tenth delivery of the day when he was bowled by Feldman, who went on to claim 4 for 2 in the space of 17 balls.Feldman was in his second Sheffield Shield match and his third first-class game and having grabbed four wickets in the first innings he ended up with match figures of 9 for 81. After Lambert’s departure, David Warner was caught at point without scoring, Moises Henriques was caught in the gully for 2 and Daniel Smith was caught behind for a duck.Ben Cutting confirmed the win with the final dismissal. The victory strengthened Queensland’s grip on second spot on the Sheffield Shield table, while New South Wales remain on the bottom.

Jamie Siddons was highly critical of his side’s hare-brained batting on the fourth evening

Andrew Fernando18-Feb-2010Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, was critical of his team’s performance after the top order collapsed once again, on the fourth evening in Hamilton to leave the hosts in sight of victory. “The game got away from us in the 25 or so overs of terrible batting. Our aim was to get through today and regroup for tomorrow. I’m not sure what went wrong, whether the boys felt the pressure of the big occasion or if they thought they could go out and actually get the runs but it was certainly not in the plan, the way Tamim played,” Siddons said.He was however quick to defend the Bangladesh opener’s aggressive approach. “That’s just the way he plays. He bats in the same way as a Sehwag. We all loved it when he got 68 in the first innings and 150 odd against India. But the other boys have to realise that just like it’s not all about [Mohammad] Ashraful, it’s not all about Tamim. They have to stand up and perform.”Siddons hinted that the Bangladesh cricket establishment’s patience for Ashraful may have reached its end. “[He] had a terrible tour and he kept making the same bad decisions. We might have to reassess Ashraful when we get back,” Siddons said.Siddons also tried to remain upbeat about the looming final day of the match. “We have three guys there who are all capable of making Test centuries and we need at least two of those guys to make big scores for us to have a chance.”We have to keep picking ourselves up after games like this. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is a young team and that’s part of the reason we keep failing under pressure. I think our opponents know that and believe that they have what it takes to get the better of us,” Siddons said.Tim McIntosh, who top-scored with 89 for the hosts, felt that the disappointment of missing a hundred was compensated by the fact that his knock had put his side on course for a win. “It was a bit disappointing not to get to three figures but I am happy to have contributed,” McIntosh said.McIntosh had a strange day, being involved in three run outs, the last of which claimed his own wicket. “You think it might come back to you when you have been involved in all three. But I think it’s just part of the game and it’s unfortunate that it seemed to happen today. I don’t know if you can directly blame anyone for it. They were all pretty good calls and they were all good, direct hit throws as well.” McIntosh said.

New Zealand watched their top order fail to leave them facing a massive task to save the Test

The Bulletin by Peter English20-Mar-2010New Zealand 108 for 4 (Vettori 42*) trail Australia 459 for 5 dec (Clarke 168, North 112*, Katich 79) by 351 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Doug Bollinger started New Zealand’s batting problems by handing BJ Watling a first-ball duck•Getty Images

After being overwhelmed by Michael Clarke and Marcus North in the field, New Zealand watched their top order fail to leave them facing a massive task to save the Test. Clarke’s outstanding 168, his highest score, and a career-saving century from North allowed Australia to declare at 459 for 5 and the hosts limped to 108 for 4 at stumps on the second day.Doug Bollinger struck in the first over of New Zealand’s reply and they were 43 for 4 when the left-armer removed Ross Taylor, the side’s main batsman. Daniel Vettori, the No.6, scrambled an entertaining 42 to stop the damage in combination with the more subdued Martin Guptill, who had 19.New Zealand were relieved the declaration came so soon – it arrived less than an hour after lunch – but their cheer was brief. BJ Watling was lbw first ball to Bollinger, who got one to swing back, and Peter Ingram (5) was run out by Mitchell Johnson’s stunning kick on to the stumps in his follow-through. Tim McIntosh wanted a quick single but it was a horrible call and Johnson saved himself some crucial time by not bothering to bend over for the pick-up. Everything was going Australia’s way.McIntosh lasted to tea but soon became Ryan Harris’ first wicket on debut – replays showed a tight no-ball – when he followed some short deliveries with a full one that was squirted to Michael Hussey in the gully. Twelve runs later Taylor was forced into an edge to Clarke, who dived to his right to collect another memorable moment from an unforgettable game.At the time Bollinger had 2 for 3 off 5.1, including four maidens, and he finished with 2 for 21. The pitch was still good for batting, but Australia’s bowlers were enjoying operating against an un-fancied line-up. It was such hard work for the top order that there were nine maidens in the first 14 overs.Australia rarely stalled in their innings. Clarke was classy again while North made sure of the No.6 spot with an unbeaten 112 as the visitors dominated through a 253-run partnership. Clarke followed up his aggressive play on the first afternoon with another bright performance and was putting the team situation ahead of his ambitions for a double-century when he was stumped off Vettori.North brought up his fourth hundred in 14 Tests – and his first significant contribution of the season – with a top edged pull off Chris Martin and celebrated the change of fortune by jumping, punching the air and kissing his helmet badge. Clarke had helped North relax on both days and was the leading man, scoring 151 to North’s 93 in the fifth-wicket record for Australia against New Zealand.After lunch Clarke charged at Vettori to loft over mid-off and overhaul his previous highest score, the 166 he gained against Pakistan in Hobart in January. Clarke went at Vettori again and was beaten down the legside by a late-drifting slower delivery to give the bowler his first breakthrough. During the 253-ball innings Clarke collected 22 fours and two sixes in an impressive display, especially when considering the break-up of his engagement and subsequent publicity over the past fortnight.He was responsible for Australia’s strong first-day position and he wasted no time in making it even better after they resumed at 316 for 4. North tended to avoid the flourishes of Clarke and added 32 for the opening session before becoming more aggressive after lunch.Starting with a crisp off drive in the first over of the morning, he brought up the 200-run partnership with a back-foot push off Vettori. North slog-swept a fierce six off Vettori to move to 90 and struck him for another two boundaries after his century. He accumulated 11 fours and two sixes during five hours at the crease.New Zealand were so disciplined for the opening two sessions on day one, but were unable to recapture the line. Martin and Tim Southee could not contain while Vettori and Daryl Tuffey were able to slow things down at times. What they really missed was a fast bowler like Shane Bond who could ruffle the batsmen and take wickets. Brent Arnel, the debutant, was the most successful with 2 for 89, but the best moment for the attack came when Ponting called his batsmen in.

A round-up of the third day’s matches from the RBS Twenty20 Cup

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010Group A
Lahore Lions cruised to victory against Peshawar Panthers at the National Stadium, winning by seven wickets after a strong bowling performance. Fast bowlers Aizaz Cheema and Imran Ali were the stars, taking four wickets each to limit Peshawar to 117. Peshawar had been tottering at 49 for 5 at one stage, but Sajjad Ahmed chipped in with 30 and Mohammad Idrees contributed 30 to take them past 100 and a score of some respectability. However, Lahore opener Nasir Jamshed raced away in the reply and helped add 58 for the opening wicket in almost no time. Salman Butt then guided his team with an unbeaten 47 to seal victory with more than seven openers to spare.Group B
Rawalpindi Rams began their tournament on a winning note, beating Karachi Zebras by 11 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi. Tahir Mughal top scored with 58, striking five fours and three sixes amid support from Umar Amin (37) to take Rawalpindi to 174. Offspinner Haaris Ayaz bagged three for 20, but, despite an encouraging response from the top order, Karachi fell short, finishing on 163 for 6. Opener Khurram Manzoor stroked 53 and was assisted by Babar Rahman (26) and Faisal Iqbal (22) but two-wicket bursts from Raza Hasan and Hammad Azam kept Karachi in check and prevented them from scaling a competitive score.Group D
Hyderabad Hawks slipped to their second consecutive defeat in the RBS Twenty20 Cup, losing to Lahore Eagles by 46 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi. Opener Imran Farhat, who is a part-time legspinner at the international level, was the star, taking five wickets to seal a comprehensive victory for Lahore. Lal Kumar was Hyderabad’s top scorer with 38, but in a chase of 159, there was little support from the others. The trouble began early with the first three wickets falling for 28, and despite a 54-run stand for the fourth wicket between Kumar and Aqeel Anjum (25), Farhat’s leg-spin proved too much to handle. Lahore’s batting effort had been boosted by a late surge from Jahangir Mirza, who made 38 in 24, and useful contributions from the top and middle orders, including a 29-ball 32 from Aamer Sajjad.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the former India captain and a member of the IPL governing council, has said the council failed in its role to monitor the league’s administration

Cricinfo staff22-Apr-2010In the first instance of introspection over the IPL mess, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the former India captain and a member of the league’s governing council, has said the body failed in its role to monitor the IPL’s administration and be more questioning of decisions taken. Pataudi also said he believed Modi could have a chance of staying on in his current role if he attends Monday’s meeting.There are reports that Modi – who was questioned for six-odd hours by federal tax officials on Thursday – is planning to move Bombay High Court on Friday for a postponement of that meeting, though he told Cricinfo such reports were “rubbish”. Modi had, in a letter to BCCI president Shashank Manohar, questioned the validity of Monday’s meeting saying he is the only one who can convene an IPL meeting. Manohar has since rejected that notion.Pataudi, though, said he believed Modi’s best bet was to attend the meeting and plead for more time if he needed it to answer the allegations directed at him. “If he doesn’t come to the meeting, I suspect the BCCI will take a very strict view,” he said on .” The BCCI will have no choice but to be harsh with Modi. Lalit is playing very hard to get. I am not sure what Modi is up to.” He added there’s unlikely to be a need for a formal vote against Modi; it would, he said, be sorted through consensus.

Aviation minister dragged into row

The intricate mesh of politics, business and sport that is the IPL controversy stood out in sharper focus on Thursday with the release of an email concerning franchise valuation details with a mail chain that included the office of India’s aviation minister, his daughter – an IPL employee – and Shashi Tharoor, who resigned from the cabinet over his links to the Kochi franchise. The mail was sent from the minister’s office to Tharoor on March 19, two days before the second bidding for the new franchises.
The mail is considered significant since two days ago the minister, Praful Patel, had said he had no links with the IPL. Patel is a member of the party headed by Sharad Pawar, the ICC’s president-elect. “Shashi Tharoor called me because he was putting together a team,” Patel explained. “He wanted me to speak to Lalit Modi and help him out. This has got nothing to do with IPL. This is a needless controversy.”

The entire controversy has raised questions over the lack of monitoring by the BCCI and the IPL’s governing council, which also includes Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri. It’s a point Pataudi conceded too. “The IPL governing council should have been aware, they felt things were okay,” he said on . “It has been a failure … we should have been aware of what was happening. The fact that we didn’t question anything is because we were carried away with how well everything was going.”Asked why he did not act, Pataudi said: “I saw the crowds, the IPL was very popular … the dirt that has been attached to it is sad… but as long as the product was good, I was happy. But we should have been more aware and more understanding. So if you say this governing council should be sacked, I’d say it’s a valid question.”A major issue to have emerged in the past few days has been the cases of conflict of interest in the IPL. It’s a point Modi made in his mail to Manohar about Monday’s meeting – his point was that it had been called by N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary who is also the owner of the IPL’s Chennai franchise.That link, Pataudi said, essentially justified Modi’s relatives having stakes in IPL teams – but with one rider. What mattered, he said, was whether Modi, like Srinivasan, had taken the BCCI into confidence on the matter. “Let’s put it this way, there are certain issues which were settled even before the first IPL met, the governing council met. And that was that the board gave permission for a BCCI office-bearer to own a team,” he said.”If a BCCI office-bearer can own a team then I think why cannot Mr Modi’s relations also? Question is, did he ask permission of the BCCI? That I don’t know.”Another contentious issue has been the allegation that a “facilitation fee” was paid during the renegotiation of the TV rights in 2009. Pataudi said it was not discussed at any meeting where he was present. Asked whether, on this issue, the governing council was looking the other way or whether it didn’t get what was going on, Pataudi said it was “a bit of both”. It wasn’t aware, he said, and was looking away in the sense that everything was going well and it didn’t need to look any further.Pataudi explained his perspective on why the knives are now out for Modi. “Many don’t like Lalit Modi’s style of functioning. He should have done it in a different way.” Modi’s biggest failure, he said, was that he had been doing it all alone. “He doesn’t want anyone else involved… that is his biggest strength and his biggest weakness. His style puts people off.”

Cricinfo previews the Super Eights game between England and South Africa

The Preview by Andrew Miller07-May-2010

Match Facts

Saturday, May 8, Bridgetown

Start time 1330 (1730 GMT)Morne Morkel’s aggressive approach has paid dividends on a receptive Barbados surface•AFP

The Big Picture

For contrasting reasons, England and South Africa endured stuttering starts to their World Twenty20 campaigns, but right at this moment the pair are sitting pretty at the top of Group E with one convincing Super Eights victory apiece. All of which means that Saturday’s showdown in Barbados will push the victor to the very brink of the semi-finals.England might feel they have a slight psychological edge, having secured a morale-boosting five-wicket victory over South Africa in last week’s warm-up fixture on this same ground, but two factors ought to dent their optimism a touch – firstly, England had to recover from a shaky 9 for 3 in order to chase down a middling target of 127; and secondly, that collapse was instigated by neither Dale Steyn nor Morne Morkel, two quick bowlers who looked in awesome touch in South Africa’s subsequent victories over Afghanistan and New Zealand.When the teams last met competitively in this format, in South Africa before Christmas, the series was shared 1-1 – although that scoreline masked the sheer brutality of South Africa’s victory in the second match at Centurion, when Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith smashed a massive opening stand of 170 in 13 overs, en route to an insurmountable final total of 241 for 6.With Albie Morkel finding his range against New Zealand with a six-laden 40 not out from 18 balls, South Africa’s range of power-hitters remains formidable, but England have unearthed a few top-notch tonkers of their own. Eoin Morgan’s repertoire is already well known to Smith’s men, but the decisive joust may well come at the top of the order. Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter have shown prowess against less accomplished attacks, but how will they fare against the world’s top-rated pace attack?

Form guide (most recent first)

England: WNLLW
South Africa: WWLWL

Watch out for…

On a lively surface against Afghanistan, Morne Morkel was thuggishly effective, banging away on a splice-jangling length to rout the rookies with figures of 4 for 20. And while England’s experienced batsmen will not be caught quite so unawares as that, it nevertheless remains to be seen how they seek to combat Morkel’s fearsome combination of height, pace and bounce. In their win against Pakistan, England’s own seamers used the short ball as a default setting, the notion being that cross-batted strokes are trickier to control than straight-batted lofts and drives from fuller-length deliveries. Expect a fair few deliveries to rattle the rib-cage on Saturday.Given the current make-up of England’s top-order, Kevin Pietersen’s South African connections no longer set him apart from his colleagues, but whenever these two teams collide, he is invariably pitched into the spotlight. And, following a disappointing winter tour of his homeland, it’s fair to suggest he’ll be ultra-motivated to make amends in this match. He made a first-ball duck in the warm-up, but goes into this game with some much-needed form, having rattled along to 73 not out from 52 balls against Pakistan. And what is more, with the birth of his son drawing ever nearer, every next innings could be his last of the campaign.

Team news

England have resisted the temptation to tinker with their line-up since the surprising decision to select Ryan Sidebottom ahead of James Anderson, and the probability is that they’ll stick to the same again, much to Anderson’s chagrin. He was the forgotten hero in England’s last win over South Africa in this format, at Johannesburg in November, when he clawed his side into the ascendancy on the Duckworth-Lewis charts with a tight final over in a one-run win, but right now he’s out of favour.England (probable) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Stuart Broad, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Michael Yardy, 11 Ryan Sidebottom.Bosman has form against England following his remarkable 94 in Centurion, but he has struggled in the Caribbean and against New Zealand he made way at the top of the order for the old guard of Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, with Herschelle Gibbs slotting in at No. 3. Charl Langeveldt’s canny swingers have been an asset since he was drafted into the side as well, and he’s likely to hold his place against familiar opponents.South Africa (probable) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Jacques Kallis, 3 Herschelle Gibbs, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Albie Morkel, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Johan Botha, 9
Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

Pitch and conditions

It’s a springy surface and bowlers have enjoyed themselves so far in the tournament, although the ability to put bat through ball hasn’t exactly cooled the ardour of the likes of Pietersen, Morkel and even Afghanistan’s Hamid Hassan. The weather is set fair – fairer, certainly, than anything England encountered in Guyana – and the likely scenario is that the side who wins the toss will bat first.

Stats and trivia

• The teams have met in four previous Twenty20 internationals (with one abandonment). England’s only win came in Johannesburg, while they were comfortably beaten in each of their previous two World Twenty20 encounters.
• England have purged their Twenty20 line-up to such an extent that only four of the men who took the field at Centurion in November are likely to line up in Saturday’s match. Whither Joe Denly, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Adil Rashid, Matt Prior and Sajid Mahmood?
  

  Quotes

  “I’ve played in the team for five or six years and to have a batting line-up like we have now is incredible. For every bloke from one down to nine or ten to be able to hit sixes is brilliant.”
  
  Kevin Pietersen is pleased, publicly at least, not to be the only go-to man in the England batting line-up
  
  
  
  “We’ve been searching for the right combination and we certainly started a little rusty in this tournament.”
  
  Graeme Smith believes the best is yet to come from South Africa.

Younis Khan, the former Pakistan captain who has been banned indifinitely by the PCB, denied having created any problems within the team and hoped to make a comeback to the national fold

Cricinfo staff24-May-2010Younis Khan, the former Pakistan captain who has been banned indefinitely by the PCB, denied having created any problems within the team and hoped to make a comeback to the national fold.”I was banned without being given a chance to clarify my position and I want justice because I want to play for my country again,” Younis told the parliamentary committee investigating Pakistan’s performance during the disastrous tour of Australia.Younis stepped down as captain and player ahead of the tour to New Zealand, which preceded the Australia series, over differences with his team-mates. He missed the Australia Tests, and did not make an impact during the ODIs under Mohammad Yousuf’s leadership. Following the tour, PCB came down strongly on seven national players, including Younis who was banned for creating infighting within the team – an accusation he staunchly refused.”I pointed out problems within the team to the PCB and they banned me. [Shoaib] Malik thought that I contrived to replace him as captain, which wasn’t true. My career has been derailed because of this ban and although I am getting offers to play in England and South Africa, I want to play for my country, for my people,” Younis said.Six of the seven punished cricketers, barring Yousuf who has since announced his retirement, have lodged formal appeals against PCB’s punishment. The appeals are now being evaluated by an independent arbitrator, Irfan Qadir, a retired high court judge. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, assured the committee that the PCB would review their sanctions based on the findings of the arbitrator.Butt also came out in support of Younis, appreciating his commitment to the national side. “Younis is a patriot and has always played for the country and I am sad that his career was derailed by same baseless allegations of match-fixing by a parliamentary committee member,” Butt said. Younis’ appeal is set to be heard on May 29.