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The chances of the Ashes series being shown on Australian free-to-air TV are still in the balance after new information came to light about the negotiations that took place between the ECB and Australian broadcasters.A senate committee has been told that the ECB didn’t hold talks with the free-to-air broadcasters, ABC, Channel 9 and 10, and only had preliminary discussions with Channel 7. Last week the committee was told that the free-to-air channels had plenty of opportunity to buy rights to the series in 2001 but knocked back proposals from the ECB, through the media company Octogan CSI.But the latest twist comes as the Labor senator Stephen Conroy said there was written evidence that the free-to-air channels had not be involved with any discussions, as reported by the AAP news agency. “The tenor of information that I’ve been given…is that ABC, Channels 9 and 10 have no record whatsoever of any negotiations with Octagon,” Conroy told the committee. “Channel 7, I believe, had what they would believe to be a preliminary discussion with Octagon.”However, none of the committee members had seen this new information before the meeting in Canberra, and it has yet to be released to the public because of fears that it contains commercially sensitive information. And the committee chairman, the Liberal senator Alan Eggleston, sounded a note of caution about making too many claims before the information has been viewed. He said: “Given none of us have seen the material it is somewhat speculative.”The free-to-air broadcasters have claimed that the Ashes are not an attractive prospect because competition from other sporting events and the fact that the matches would be played during the Australia night-time would mean limited audiences. When Australia last toured England in 2001, Channel 7 had the rights but some of their coverage was delayed.The rights to the upcoming Ashes series, which begins in July, are currently held by Fox Sports while ABC have started discussions to try to bring some coverage to free-to-air TV.

Steve Waugh walks out to bat in his last Test at the Gabba © Getty Images

John Buchanan, more motivator and team psychologist than traditional coach, once perceptively suggested that to be at his best, Steve Waugh needed a siege. If it wasn’t there, he would create it. It would be outrageous to suggest that he plotted the mix-up which led to Damien Martyn’s run-out and a national debate on the propriety of it, but, India beware, it has invested Waugh’s farewell series with even greater purpose. He has been stung by what he considers an attack on his integrity by the media, and he is determined to reply in the only way he knows: by scoring runs.He came out to speak to the media at the Adelaide Oval today, even though he wasn’t scheduled to. Here’s an excerpt from the press conference:There was a feeling that your bowlers didn’t bounce Sourav Ganguly at the Gabba as much as expected – there weren’t enough balls aimed at his body …
We never said it was part of our strategy. On that particular day, we didn’t feel that was the right way to bowl. Your strategy revolves around the bowlers you’ve got. We had no Brett Lee, no Brad Williams – the bowlers who could generate a bit of pace. We had swing bowlers, the bowlers who bowl good line and length, bowl in the corridor, and the conditions were good for swing bowling. Another day, in other conditions, we might see us bowling differently.So did you miss Brad Williams’s aggression?
It’s a possibility. It’s hard to say, really. We picked the right bowlers for the conditions at Brisbane. But it will be a different pitch here, and different conditions. So that’s something for the selectors to consider. I will have my input, of course.Were you surprised by the way the Indians adapted to the conditions?
No. I have always said that India are a very good side. They have got world-class batsmen, as good as any batting side in the world. And they have got three bowlers who can swing the ball, and they have got two quality spinners. We expected them to do well. But we had the toughest conditions in the first couple of days. When India batted, the conditions had settled down.Are you surprised to be under so much scrutiny in this series?
The scrutiny was always going to be there. I knew from the beginning that it was my last series. I knew I had made the right decision. I am going to be positive about the rest of the series. This series is about Australia and India, it’s not about me.But are you feeling more pressure than usual?
I’d say preparations for the Brisbane game weren’t ideal. Not only for me, but for the whole team. There were too many commitments in the last couple of days before that match – that always happens before the first Test of a series, but maybe it was a bit more this time. I didn’t really get time to settle down and think about the match.There have been suggestions that it might not have been such a good idea to announce your retirement at the beginning of a long series …
I think it was the right thing to do. The situation is pretty clear now. We know where we are going. Even if I hadn’t announced it, it would have been quite clear that it was going to be my last series in Australia. I am 100% happy and confident that I made the right decision for the right reasons, so I am going to be positive and enjoy every match. There was always going to be some conjecture, not that I had to agree with it. I am convinced the decision was made at the right time. There has been a lot of conjecture about when I was going to retire, whether my form was good enough. From that point of view it was right that I made the decision and announced it.Will your preparation for the next Test be any different?
I will be a bit more relaxed. I am focussed and I am going to go out and do what I always do. There were a couple of times when we lost our intensity at Brisbane. From the team point of view, that’s important. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and do better.When you are batting now, is there any awareness that this is your last Test match at this ground?
In the first innings things were obviously a bit tense. But the hardest part is actually waiting and then walking out to bat. Once you take strike, it’s the same. It’s another Test innings and every Test innings is tough. I like to be aggressive and positive, and that’s how I will play in the rest of the series. I know I have three matches to go and I am going to enjoy the experience. It’s always hard when you fail in the first innings. The pressure then builds up. I got some runs in the second innings, and that makes you feel good. I could have been out when I was on 8, and that would have built up the pressure. That’s Test-match cricket. I am sure Sachin Tendulkar will feel the pressure in the second Test, as will Adam Gilchrist. No matter how many matches you have played, no matter who you are or how good you are, you always feel the pressure if you haven’t made runs in your last Test.Now that there will be no cricket for you, how will you channel your competitiveness?
I have three kids at home. They are a lot of challenges out there. After the series is over, I will just sit back for a couple of weeks and relax. And then I might get bored and look for something to do. I enjoy writing, so I will do a bit of that. Commentating is an option. Coaching, I don’t know. I would like to stay in touch with cricket. There are teams like Kenya, who need help … who knows?A few months ago you said that you would like one last shot at winning a series in India. Was that a consideration while making up your mind?
I didn’t actually say that. I had said that winning a series in India remains a challenge. And the team going out there in September has a good chance of achieving a victory, and possibly I would be part of that team. But it didn’t work out that way. It was a good time for me to go now. I have always thought that it’s great to play your first Test abroad and the last at home. I will be going out at my home ground. It couldn’t have been better.

Bangladesh Test player Mohammad Ashraful came good today at the ICC Under-19 World Cup when producing his best innings in his side’s Plate Championship win over Kenya.Bangladesh took only 37.4 overs to knock off the 176 runs required for victory and the little Ashraful scored an unbeaten 76 off 108 balls at Melville Park in Auckland with six fours and three sixes in his innings.Nafees Iqbal scored 41 not out off 83 with the only wicket to fall being that of Gazi Salauddin for 29 scored from 35 balls.Kenya relied largely on Rajesh Premji who scored 47 off 84 balls with best support coming from Maurice Ouma who scored 30 off 62 balls.Shafaq Al Zabir took three for 28 from his 10 overs and Ashiqur Rahman two for 26 off nine overs.

The 2nd vital encounter of the Singapore Challenge between Pakistan and South Africa commenced with Pakistan batting first and piling up a moderate total of 227 for 9.They got a good opening stand of 57 runs when Shahid Afridi was out in his usual style of offering a flying catch after scoring 25 useful runs. Though the run rate was good, the wickets were constantly falling, with 87 runs on the board 4 batsmen were back to the pavilion.In 25 overs, Pakistan was 110 for 4. Ijaz Ahmed and Abdur Razzaq, however, brought much needed stability to the Pakistan’s innings, raising the score to 185 when Ijaz was out after playing a splendid knock of 56. His partner in building up the Pakistan’s innings Abdur Razzaq also departed after scoring highly valuable 47 runs. Pakistan was now 200 for 6. The remaining batsmen having contributed only 27 runs, Pakistan’s innings ended at 227 for 9.It was generally thought that Pakistan was short of 20-30 runs for a victory but it was not so, because in the end Pakistan defeated South Africa by 28 runs.Facing an apparently moderate target of 228 runs, South Africa started the innings with immense confidence, scoring 53 for no loss in the first 10 overs. The openers Gary Kirsten and Andrew Hall gave their team a solid start of 61 runs when Hall was out after scoring a useful 26. South Africa was 97 for 3 when Gary Kirsten was run out after playing an enterprising innings of 54. Lance Klusener and Daryll Cullinan following cheaply, South Africa came down to 129 for 5.It was a game of fluctuating fortunes with hopes and aspirations shifting from one side to the other with every fall of a wicket or addition to the score.Neil McKenzie was already at the crease when wicket-keeper Pothas joined him. Both of them proved better than the best batsmen. From a match evenly poised, they elevated it in favour of their team by resorting to a fast run spree. Scoring runs on every ball they were chasing the target valiantly. It was a tough battle between bat and the ball with the South African batsmen dominating the game. At 190 in 45 overs and 5 wickets in hand the Proteas enjoyed a definite advantage.The situation changed all of sudden when Pothas was out after scoring highly valuable 24 runs. There was no looking back for the Pakistani bowlers now. They mounted so much of pressure on the Proteas that the whole team crumbled for 199 runs.The atmosphere was shrouded in suspense during the last 5 overs of the game. The spectators were anxiously waiting for the inevitable which, came when McKenzie was clean bowled by Abdur Razzaq for a marvelous 41.Pakistan defeated South Africa by 28 runs to sail into the finals of Singapore Challenge. Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood shared 3 wickets each while Razzaq was declared Man of the Match for his excellent all round performance.

West Ham United host in-form Aston Villa this afternoon with the Hammers looking to consolidate their place in the top-six after Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United yesterday.

David Moyes’ side have won just once in their last six matches across all competitions and will be looking to kick-start a strong end to the season with victory over Steven Gerrard’s Villa, who have won their last three league games.

But who will the Scotsman pick for the clash in East London? Here is how Football FanCast thinks West Ham will lineup.

Fabianski, Johnson, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Lanzini, Fornals, Antonio, Benrahma (4-4-3).

The first change from the Irons’ 1-0 defeat at Sevilla in the Europa League on Thursday night comes in between the sticks as cup ‘keeper Alphonse Areola drops out in the place of first-choice Lukas Fabiański.

For the most part, the Polish goalkeeper has had a decent campaign, keeping seven clean sheets in the Premier League. However, there was an incident that left David Moyes “furious” earlier this season when the 36-year-old didn’t get contact on a kick against Manchester City.

There are no changes at the back with right-back Vladimir Coufal still sidelined with a groin injury which sees 22-year-old Ben Johnson keep his place.

In the midfield, there are no changes with the switch to a 4-3-3 adding stability in the middle of the park but also more opportunity to counter on the break, through the attacking talents of Manuel Lanzini.

The Hammers’ only striker in Michail Antonio expectedly keeps his place, as does Pablo Fornals on the left flank. However, after another quiet display in claret and blue, Nikola Vlasic drops out for Said Benrahma.

Vlasic has only managed to find the back of the net once in 32 appearances since his £25m move from CSKA Moscow last summer and the £69k-per-week winger is yet to prove his worth.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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There is certainly talent there, with former CSKA Moscow manager Viktor Goncharenko labelling the 24-year-old as “magnificent” after scoring the sole goal in a famous Champions League win over Real Madrid in 2018.

As for Benrahma, the Algerian is yet to score since returning from the African Cup of Nations but has majorly improved in front of goal this term with eight goals and four assists in 35 appearances compared to three goals and seven assists in 36 appearances last season.

Every remaining game the East London outfit play this season is crucial if they’re serious about re-qualifying for European competition next season, with this afternoon’s game against Aston Villa no exception.

In other news: West Ham could swoop for “fantastic” 177-goal star who would be a massive bargain

Bermuda’s Under-19 players could have a chance to put themselves in the frame for pro contracts when they compete at the youth World Cup in Malaysia next month.Bermuda cricket development director Arnold Manders said the youngsters, who travel to India at the end of this month for a pre-tournament tour, would be in the international spotlight at the showpiece tournament in February. And he said the game against England could be a chance for the likes of Rodney Trott, Malachi Jones and Stefan Kelly to impress county coaches from the English professional leagues.He said the U-19s have been training like a professional team with five sessions each week in the gym and in the nets. They have also travelled to Trinidad for a training camp and taken part in a leadership and training day at Warwick Camp.The 15-man squad, officially announced yesterday, will travel to the Royal Cricket Academy in India on January 31 to take part in a further training camp and to play three warm-up matches against local opposition.They will play two more practice matches against fellow qualifiers Nepal and Namibia before the tournament begins with the opening match of the World Cup against Bangladesh on February 18.Manders said the target was to reach the Super Eight stage of the competition – meaning they will have to finish in the top two in a group that also includes Ireland and England. “If we don’t do that we at least want to reach the final of the plate competition and be the top Associate team.”He added that there was an extra incentive for players to excel with talent scouts likely to be watching the tournament, looking for the next generation of professionals. “It will be an opportunity for them, if they can do well – particularly against England. You could see some names going off to the county teams, I don’t know.”Manders said the commitment and desire from the squad had been first class with the players themselves requesting an extra weekly training session in the Olympic Gym. “They have been to Toronto and Trinidad. They are going to Malaysia and India. They have had opportunities to speak to some of the greats of Test cricket. This is a programme they want to be involved with.”They are prepared to put in the work because they see the light at the end of the tunnel. They have had more exposure than most teams and I think more than most of the senior team did when they were youngsters.”Manders said the Under-19 programme would continue to thrive beyond the World Cup with the Sir Garfield Sobers Tournament and possible involvement in the senior first division. He said the set-up would serve as a model for national programmes at other age groups.”We think we have a good model with the U-19s and we are going to try and roll that down to U-13s and U-15s. We are also trying to set up an U-10 development squad. We have the right template there with the director, the manager and the coaches. It’s just a matter of finding the right people.” He said the aim was to provide a steady supply line to the senior team and increase the pool of talented players available for selection.Of the 15 selected for Malaysia, Manders added: “The coaching staff is very pleased with the team selected for the U-19 World Cup. It has a very balanced bowling attack led by senior World Cup players Malachi Jones and Stefan Kelly, three offspinners in captain Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker and Chris Douglas, one legspinner in Tre Govia and an abundance of medium pacers in Jordan DeSilva, Kyle Hodsoll, Gregory Maybury and Lamar Richardson.”In the batting department, the team will rely heavily on the senior experience of captain Rodney Trott and vice captain Malachi Jones along with Chris Douglas, Terryn Fray, Young player of the Year Deunte Darrell, Stefan Kelly, Dennico Hollis and Lamar Richardson.”This article first appeared in the Bermuda Sun

Fleming: one eye on the opposition, and one his own team © Getty Images

Stephen Fleming, New Zealand’s captain, believes Michael Vaughan’s return to the helm will make England a stronger team as they prepare for the ODI tri-series in Australia.”It’s just how they start and what sort of confidence they get,” Fleming told reporters. “They get their skipper back who’ll make a pretty big difference and they’ve got players, the Pietersens and the Flintoffs, who can certainly turn a one-day game on their own.”Vaughan, 32, returns from an 18-month lay off due a knee injury. Although he has recovered from knee surgery, he is yet to prove his effectiveness in the field and with running between wickets. And despite a 5-0 beating in the Ashes, Fleming felt England could still be dangerous.New Zealand, the third team in the series, would benefit from the competition ahead of the World Cup, Fleming said – “beating Australia in its own backyard is very tough,” – but added that they were not invincible. The absence of Shane Watson, injured, and a quality spinner were two key factors, though Australia were “pretty well-rounded and it’s a side that’s performed under pressure, so there’s not too many chinks in their armour.”New Zealand have their own problems going into the series, particularly their poorly performing batting lineup, having suffered their worst-ever ODI defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka on Saturday.The tri-series opens with an Australia-England clash on 12 January at Melbourne.

Preparations for the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka are well underway, with most countries squads announced and pre-tournament itineraries in place. But with less than four weeks to go before the teams arrive in Colombo, the USA once again appears to be in a state of confusion.At present, all ICC funding to the USA Cricket Association is suspended after serious governance issues arose in 2005. Although the ICC agreed to make an exception for the $10,000 grant available to all countries to enable them to prepare for the U-19 event, this was conditional on the USACA producing audited accounts for the year ending December 31, 2004. These were due at the end of September but have not yet been sent to the ICC, not has the budget for how the $10,000 will be spent, which was the other stipulation of the funding.And while many stakeholders inside the USA remain unclear about who is running the USACA after the farcical EGM in Dallas last month, it seems that the ICC is also being left in the dark. Given that funding is suspended, it is surprising that the ICC has not received any correspondence from the USACA since October 5 when it was advised that there was an interim agreement which expired on November 7.It is understood that lawyers acting for the USACA and Council of League Presidents, who had been battling for control of the game, did notify the ICC in December that more information would be provided shortly, but nothing has been heard since.”It is not until we have this current information that the ICC Executive Board could re-consider its position in respect of recognistion of, dealings with, and funding and support to USACA,” a spokesman told Cricinfo.The USACA has not made any official statement as to its current position with regards to the CLP dispute, and its website makes no reference to the row nor to the Dallas meeting.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Taufeeq Umar made a confident start in the warm-up game at Dharamsala© Getty Images

It wasn’t the best of starts but the Pakistanis will be content that they managed to get started at all. The opening day of the their Indian odyssey had a number of elements: bad light, 2.4 overs of play, steady rain, pleasant sunshine, a sneak preview of left-handed flourish, a steady procession of soft dismissals before Asim Kamal led the revival with a typically doughty 43. The BP XI fought back whenever the scales appeared to be tilting and kept the Pakistanis down to 165 for 5 when stumps were drawn.Its hard to imagine that any of the six previous Pakistan teams to have visited India for a full tour can have begun in such a picturesque setting. Overlooked by the snowcapped Dauladhari range, the HPCA Stadium at Dharamsala provided a perfect backdrop for the Pakistani batsmen to gain maximum momentum against a bowling attack that lost its only specialist spinner, Ramesh Powar, after he delivered four overs. Yet, four of their top five batsmen gave it away after groping their way into the groove and Younis Khan, the fifth, fell to a casual poke off the second ball he faced.Half the day was swallowed up by bad light and incessant showers. Inzamam, on his 35th birthday, chose to bat and his openers – Taufeeq Umar and Salman Butt – were hardly troubled in the initial exchanges. Rudra Pratap Singh, the left-arm seamer, occasionally swung it away a shade and beat the bat while the other Singh – Gagandeep – was more intent on pegging away at the stumps. Both Taufeeq and Salman cashed in on the loose offerings as full balls down the pads were flicked away with Saeed Anwar-like flourish.Powar was introduced in the 10th over and his generous flight, with the ball almost labouring to get to the other end, induced the batsmen into taking chances. Butt unleashed a ferocious straight loft to the second ball he faced with the ball rapping Powar flush on the fingers. Powar managed to finish the over but couldn’t bowl for the rest of the day.Butt, though, wasn’t as lucky four balls later when Taufeeq was caught ball-watching and made no attempt to respond to his call for a second run. Butt was stranded in mid-pitch and soon started his walk back after Gangandeep’s throw found the stumps. Younis might have expressed a desire to play his cricket like Imran Khan, a man who has backed him for the captaincy, but his second-ball duck wasn’t the ideal beginning to a crucial tour. Younis wafted at one wide of off stump and the edge was taken brilliantly by an acrobatic Niraj Patel at second slip (55 for 2).

Gagandeep Singh kept pegging away and was rewarded with the wicket of Younis Khan© Getty Images

Yousuf Youhana’s 18-ball stay had sparks of magic, moments of laziness and finally ended in a stroke that bordered on the reckless. Attempting an extravagant drive through extra cover, he misread the line from Shib Shankar Paul and inside-edged an easy catch to the wicketkeeper. Inzamam and Kamal didn’t venture into any extravagant shotmaking and efficiently scored off the long-hops and wide balls. Powar’s absence meant that the medium pacers were further burdened and more loose deliveries appeared as the day wore on.Inzamam fell right at the end of the day, lbw trying to sweep the part-time spinner Venugopal Rao, as another position of strength was frittered away with an air of over-confidence. Kamal too was extremely lucky to be there at the end after surviving an extremely close appeal to a reverse-swinging Gagandeep yorker. However, Kamal, who has found himself regularly overlooked despite playing a few crucial knocks, ensured that he gritted it out till the end and will hope that the skies stay clear for him to compile a big knock tomorrow.Siddhartha Vaidyanathan is on the staff of Cricinfo

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has signed a two-year three-million rupee contract with Trendy Connections (Pvt) Ltd to be the official clothing sponsor for the national team. Trendy takes over from AJ Sports.Trendy have developed a new range of ultra-lite, sweat-free clothing for the team, which will be used for the first time during the England tour of Sri Lanka.Apart from the traditional one-day clothing, Trendy have developed a full range of official practice and casual wear for the team.The new range of replica kit will be available for purchase by Sri Lanka fans shortly and will be exclusively marketed online through Wisden CricInfo and the new SLC official website.Trendy will supply clothing free of charge to the junior and senior national teams. The contract also includes a sum of Rs. 500,000 or 30 percent of the sales (whichever is higher) to SLC each year on replica sales.