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BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has said Cricket South Africa breached the protocol of finalising a series for India’s tour of South Africa when they issued an itinerary without BCCI approval

Amol Karhadkar03-Oct-2013Cricket South Africa created the current impasse with the BCCI by going against protocol in announcing unilaterally the schedule for India’s tour, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has said. The BCCI is “waiting”, Patel said, without specifying what it was waiting for.The schedule was announced by CSA in early July, prompting a swift and sharp response by the BCCI that left relations between the two in a state of limbo. A CSA spoksesman said the board was not going to respond to Patel’s comments.”Things are going [on] since long. Certain things have to be put in right perspective. Let me inform you that BCCI in normal circumstances would have done anything [for the tour to proceed]. But the protocol of finalising any series is joint declaration. But that declaration was originally done without the BCCI’s approval. So we are waiting,” Patel said in Mumbai.Patel did not elaborate on what the BCCI was waiting for, since a meeting between him and CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat on the sidelines of the ICC board meeting in Dubai failed to break the deadlock. ESPNcricinfo understands Patel had promised CSA that they would hear from the BCCI after the AGM on September 29. However, despite N Srinivasan’s election as BCCI president, the board’s top brass has decided to wait on finalising the tour itinerary until the Supreme Court allows Srinivasan to discharge duties as the BCCI chief. The court is going to hear the matter next on October 7.With the uncertainty over the South Africa tour increasing, Patel said the BCCI was confident of having an alternate plan in case it was cancelled. “[A] number of countries are ready to play with India. There is no problem at all,” he said. He said there was no plan to host a tri-series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka “at the moment” but the board had already demonstrated its ability to organise series at short notice – as was evident from the West Indies series.”There were a couple of reasons [for organising the West Indies series] because BCCI is also committed to its local fans. Somehow, for the season 2013-14, the home series are only 24 days, if I am not wrong,” Patel said. “So obviously we were worried about how to do the home series and we are quite happy that the West Indies series has been finalised.”Patel also set aside Mumbai Cricket Association’s objection to the decision to resume international cricket at the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. CCI has a special voting right as per the BCCI constitution and the AGM decided to treat it as a separate unit, unlike in the past when the MCA used to decide whether to allot matches to the Brabourne Stadium or not.”Considering the historical background of CCI as well as all the help [they have provided] as and when required… When the venue questions have arisen, CCI is always there to support and giving some match [to them] won’t be out of turn or something like that,” Patel said. “We considered that some matches will be allocated. MCA’s rotation and everything remains the same. It has got nothing to do with it. This will be an additional allotment, if at all.”During the last Test hosted at Braboune in December 2009, MCA and CCI were involved in a dispute over payment of rent. However, international cricket returned to the historic venue during the Women’s World Cup earlier this year.

A round-up of the action in the final round of matches in the Castle Logan Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2012It was a bittersweet ending to the Castle Logan Cup for the Matabeleland Tuskers, who won the title despite a three-day 154-run loss to Mid West Rhinos at the Kwekwe Sports Club in the final round of matches. The Tuskers had entered the match having built up a big enough lead in the points table to secure the title, even if they lost.The Tuskers chose to field and their bowlers did the job required of them, rolling Rhinos for 116. Bradley Staddon, Richard Jones and Njabulo Ncube picked up all of the ten wickets among them. Rhinos’ Richard Muzhange, though, led a fine fightback. He took five wickets as the Rhinos bowlers combined to bowl Tuskers out for 115. Neither batsman on either side got to a fifty in the first innings.The Rhinos batsmen were relatively better in the second innings: most got starts but couldn’t go on to make big scores, but the consistent contributions through the line-up meant Rhinos set Tuskers a competitive victory target of 298. Captain Gary Ballance top scored with 62. The Tuskers batsmen continued to struggle, and were demolished the second time around by the offspin of Simon Mugava: he took 6 for 41 in 13 overs, as the Tuskers were bowled out for 143.At the Masvingo Sports Club the Southern Rocks held on for a draw in a match dominated by the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers chose to bat and piled up 412 for 9 before declaring. Their innings was built around hundreds from captain Timycen Maruma and Donald Tiripano. Opener Daryl Mitchell fell six short of a ton.The bowlers too put up a team showing, sharing the wickets around as Rocks succumbed for 145 in a little over 50 overs. The Rocks were made to follow-on, and showed solid resolve in their second innings, batting out 62 overs for 114 runs. They went to stumps on the final day with four wickets in hand.

A new-look Pakistan, led by a new-look Shahid Afridi, bowed out of the Asia Cup with little to boast about but with their reputations enhanced, while Bangladesh ended their campaign by reaffirming the gulf between them and the top-flight teams

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar21-Jun-2010Pakistan 385 for 7 (Afridi 124, Farhat 66) beat Bangladesh 246 for 5 (Siddique 97) by 139 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShahid Afridi broke the record for most sixes in ODIs on his way to a century•Associated Press

A new-look Pakistan, led by a new-look Shahid Afridi, bowed out of the Asia Cup with little to boast about but with their reputations enhanced, while Bangladesh ended their campaign by reaffirming the gulf between them and the top-flight teams. Afridi unleashed the kind of fury he is famous for to launch Pakistan to their highest ODI score, and subsequently their first victory in 2010. Bangladesh, however, belied a complete lack of purpose in both innings, as the match meandered to the kind of denouement that has administrators concerned about the future of ODI cricket.Bangladesh’s spirit was snuffed in the first half when they were caught out without a plan by the Afridi redux – as aggressive as the marauder of old, but inventive and measured as well. These are early days yet, but captaincy is bringing out the best in Afridi. He has retained the willingness to attack but, entrusted with the responsibility of shepherding a young team, has weeded out the risks. Without having to heave across the line, at least until he gets set, Afridi once again showed he has the range to score at enviable pace.Having collared Sri Lanka’s attack in more trying conditions, Afridi barely broke a sweat today. With Umar Akmal already in the groove when he entered in the 29th over, Afridi worked the spinners around for a couple of overs. He flexed his muscles in the 32nd, lofting Suhrawadi Shuvo over long on for six and cashing in on the over-compensation by pulling for four. There were two strokes of luck soon after: an inside edge missed the stumps, and a skier was dropped by Mashrafe Mortaza. After that, however, Afridi unleashed and Pakistan accelerated at a ridiculous rate.

Smart Stats

• Shahid Afridi scored the sixth fastest ODI century in terms of balls faced. He has three of the top six

• Afridi has now hit the most sixes in ODIs, going past Jayasuriya. He now has 272

• Pakistan’s 385 was their highest ODI total, going past the 371 against Sri Lanka in 1996-97

• Pakistan scored 129 runs from overs 41 to 50, the eighth highest on the list of most runs in the last ten overs in ODIs since 2000

• Shafiul Islam, who leaked 95 runs, is sixth on the list of bowlers with the worst economy-rates in a ten-over spell

An extra-cover drive, a tickle and a whiplashed cut off Mortaza gave Bangladesh a trailer of what was to follow. After reaching his fifty in the 41st over, Afridi plundered 39 off 10 balls, with eight fours and a six, off Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasab and Shafiul Islam. The two batsmen had been tied on 41 at the end of the 39th over; five overs later, Umar had reached a steady fifty, while his captain was three short of a hundred. Umar departed in the 45th over, just before the batting Powerplay.In the 46th, Afridi helped Razzak to fine leg to reach 100, off 53 balls, and in the same over he cut for four more before finishing with a loft over long on for his 271st six – the most by any batsman in ODI history. He smashed another length offering from Shafiul for No. 272 and stole one more four before his one-handed pull landed in the hands of square leg. Abdul Razzaq hustled 21 off nine balls, leaving the hapless Shafiul nursing figures of 3 for 95. The last ball of the innings was smeared over long off for six – Bangladesh had bled 120 runs in the last nine overs, and Pakistan had reached their highest ODI total, eclipsing a 13 year-old record, that was set up by – take a guess.Before Afridi’s assault, Pakistan’s openers laid the foundation in more sober fashion. After spanking his second ball for a six over extra cover, Shahzaib Hasan served notice of both his strengths and intentions by repeatedly driving Mashrafe Mortaza on the up. Shahzaib rushed to his maiden ODI fifty before he fell trying to heave Abdur Razzak across the line in the 13th over, having dominated the opening stand of 81 in 12.3 overs.With Shahzaib scoring freely, Imran Farhat had the breathing space to play out the seamers before settling in against spin. Having brought up his seventh ODI fifty, he succumbed to his own cheekiness, missing a late cut off Shakib. Bangladesh’s spinners rallied in the period of play following the 25-over mark, culminating in Asad Shafiq’s stumping in the 29th over. That was the Bangladesh captain’s 100th ODI wicket, and it gave his side an outside chance to seize the initiative, but his opposite number upset his plans.Bangladesh’s batsmen, reeling from the carnage, focused on batting out fifty overs instead of taking a shot at the target. Their approach ensured there was no interest left in the second half of the contest. Imrul Kayes was the biggest culprit, dawdling around without any intent to score, while Tamim Iqbal showed characteristic spunk in taking on Mohammad Asif. He had driven, flicked and pulled him for fours before Asif struck with a slow and short off-cutter. With Tamim’s dismissal, Bangladesh’s hopes of making anything out of the game receded. In an inexplicable display that underlined the rift between Bangladesh and the rest, Kayes and Junaid Siddique settled in to accumulate. Despite cutting out all risks against a spirited but tired attack, neither of them could reach three-figures. Siddique eventually unfurled a few shots for the gallery, but no one was applauding.

Head coach Gary Stead says the players were “very disappointed” to have been denied a chance to play Afghanistan

Ekanth13-Sep-20245:26

Stead: This Test would have been useful for SL series

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has said that being denied the opportunity to get some game-time after a six-month gap in Test cricket is the “most disappointing part” after their one-off Test against Afghanistan was called off without a ball bowled.New Zealand had this match to familiarise themselves with the subcontinent conditions, with the series against Sri Lanka and India coming up. But persistent rain and outfield issues in Greater Noida reduced the first-ever Test between the two teams to a no-show.”The most disappointing part for us is that we lost the opportunity to be match-hardened and match-ready when we go into our Test match [against Sri Lanka] next week,” Stead said at the post-match press conference. “The guys are really disappointed. It was an opportunity to play Afghanistan. It doesn’t come around that often.Related

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“They have some unique bowlers – it’s always good to get your head around how you face them. The way they play is a little bit different to other countries. It’s always learning what you can do when you get in those match situations.”The one-off Test was not part of the World Test Championship. However, Stead said the team was left “frustrated”, as the format is “very, very dear to the team’s hearts”.”Even though it was fine for those two days, there were thunderstorms the nights before and the ground was just too soft and the umpires deemed that unfit to play on,” he said. “So that is sort of out of the players’ hands in a way as well.”But we were frustrated. We have come here to play cricket and play a Test match and as Jonathan [Trott, Afghanistan head coach] said, Test cricket, certainly to our group of players that is here, that’s very, very dear to their hearts and every Test you get to play in is a big one.”So regardless of whether it has World Test Championship points or not, that opportunity to get out there for five days, it looked a great surface. The whole block looked fantastic, so it would have been a great match of Test cricket.”New Zealand are not slated to play another Test against Afghanistan in the current Future Tours Programme cycle. Stead welcomed the prospect of playing more Tests against Afghanistan, heaping praise on their recent achievements in white-ball cricket, including a win against New Zealand in the group stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup.Persistent rain and outfield issues in Greater Noida led to the one-off Test being called off•AFP/Getty Images

“I don’t make the decisions around the Future Tours Programme and big tours,” Stead said. “But I said it right from the start of coming here, Afghanistan have knocked just about every top team in the world over now. So they’re certainly a force and becoming more and more of a force in world cricket. That’s something for the Afghanistan and New Zealand boards to get their heads around.”It was our first Test match against Afghanistan and we were really excited about that. They’ve been great competitors of ours over the last few World Cups. We’ve had some great games of cricket.”Stead said New Zealand were “desperate” to make the World Test Championship final. Five of their remaining eight Tests in the cycle will be in Asia, but he is confident of the side adapting to the conditions.”The World Test Championship is alive and well, and we’re currently in third place, and we want to make the finals again,” he said. “We’ve been there once in the past, and we are desperate to get there again. So every test match we play will be an important one.”The conditions that we face in Galle will be, I’m sure, different to Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai when we come back here again. So it’s still about adapting to the different surfaces where I’m learning from those. But also banking the knowledge you have created in the past even though it’s been a couple of [sessions of] trainings out there, we’d still bank on what we’ve learnt on those sort of pitches.”

Each side topped their regional qualifiers with six wins from six. The top of Group B is now at stake

Andrew Miller05-Jun-20244:18

Finch: Scotland will be confident after impressing against England

Match details

Namibia vs Scotland
Bridgetown, 8pm local

Big picture: Opportunity knocks after washout

The magic number would appear to be 109, to judge by the two very contrasting clashes that have so far taken place in Group B of the T20 World Cup 2024.In Barbados on Sunday evening, Namibia grunted and ground their way to two precious points thanks to David Wiese’s heroics in the Super Over, having only just managed to match Oman’s all-out total of 109 off the very last ball of their original 20 overs.And then two days later, on the same surface at Bridgetown (albeit a less slow and sticky version to judge by the fluency of Scotland’s openers) George Munsey and Michael Jones dispatched England’s bowlers for 90 runs in ten overs either side of a two-hour rain delay … which, by the time DLS had worked its magic, meant England would have needed a target of, yes, 109 had the weather not closed back in to ruin the afternoon’s entertainment.And so it’s back to Bridgetown we go for two teams that have been on a significant roll since the end of their respective campaigns at the last T20 World Cup in 2022. Last year, both Namibia and Scotland topped their regional qualifiers, in Africa and Europe respectively, with six wins out of six, against such less-vaunted opponents as Italy and Tanzania. Now, however, they go head-to-head with rather more than trans-continental bragging rights to play for.England’s habitual discomfort against European opponents has seen to that. Irrespective of whether Tuesday’s washout was an opportunity won or lost for Scotland, the fact that Group B’s top seeds fell short of their anticipated two points means the door is ajar for a notable upset, particularly if Australia can inflict further damage on England’s standing in Saturday’s heavyweight clash.David Wiese and Ruben Trumpelmann are key performers for Namibia•ICC/Getty Images

In the meantime, all that matters is victory here and now. If Scotland can grab the extra point that eluded them last time out, then maintain their 100% record in T20Is against Oman when they meet in Antigua in Sunday, then they will go into their final group game against Australia next week with qualification in their own hands. It’s a lot of “ifs” at this stage, of course. But one fewer than they needed at the start of their campaign.As for Namibia, a three-point gap at the top of Group B beckons if they can make it two wins from two – and if they need any extra incentive, they need only rewind to their last T20 World Cup campaign two years ago, when qualification for the main event beckoned after their impressive victory over Sri Lanka in their opening fixture, only for the Netherlands and UAE to rip their dream away. They’ll be doubly keen to ensure this latest strong start doesn’t go to waste.

Form guide

Namibia TWWLL
Scotland LWLWW

In the spotlight: Munsey and Trumpelmann

In an innings of two halves on Tuesday, Jones made the running for Scotland prior to the rain-break, including with what looked set to be the moment of the day – a violent pick-up off Chris Jordan that smashed a solar panel on the roof at midwicket. But then, in the 22-ball resumption, it was all about George Munsey, who clobbered 23 from his remaining 12 balls, including a stunning switch-hit six that a left-handed KP could scarcely have timed any better. Namibia, however, know from recent experience that that shot is a Munsey trademark – at Kirtipur in February 2023, he unfurled a similar stroke for four to bring up his maiden ODI hundred, and seal a stunning ten-wicket win with a massive 167 balls to spare. In 2017, he scored his only first-class hundred against the same opponents, in the Intercontinental Cup in Ayr.Left-hander George Munsey hit Adil Rashid for a right-handed six earlier in the tournament•Getty Images

Munsey, however, will remember all too well what happened the last time he encountered the left-arm swing of Ruben Trumpelmannat a T20 World Cup. Facing up to the first ball of the match, in Abu Dhabi in 2021, Munsey climbed into a cut but misjudged the width, and hacked the ball onto his own stumps. Three balls later, Scotland were 2 for 3, as Calum McLeod and Richie Berrington were blasted from the crease with an aplomb to rival Mitchell Starc. And auspiciously for Namibia, Trumpelmann has started this latest tournament with similar devastation. Two balls versus Oman, two wickets in the bag, as both Kashyap Prajapati and Aqib Ilyas fell to savage, stump-seeking lbws.

Pitch and conditions:

The good news is that the weather in Barbados seems significantly better than it has been for the first week of the tournament. Only a small chance of rain is anticipated for each day until Sunday.

Team news

Namibia endured a scare in their opener against Oman but came through in the end. An unchanged team could be in the offing.Namibia (probable): 1 Michael van Lingen, 2 Nikolaas Davin, 3 Jan Frylinck, 4 Gerhard Erasmus (capt), 5 JJ Smit, 6 David Wiese, 7 Zane Green (wk), 8 Malan Kruger, 9 Ruben Trumpelmann, 10 Bernard Scholtz, 11 Tangeni LungameniPrecisely two Scotland players got to sample the atmosphere of a Caribbean World Cup on Tuesday, but the confidence that Munsey and Jones will have telegraphed through their unbroken stand should not be underestimated. There’s no reason to think there’ll be any tweaks to the line-up that was trusted for their opening outing.Scotland (probable): 1 George Munsey, 2 Michael Jones, 3 Brandon McMullen, 4 Richie Berrington (capt), 5 Matt Cross (wk), 6 Michael Leask, 7 Chris Greaves, 8 Mark Watt, 9 Brad Wheal, 10 Chris Sole, 11 Brad Currie

Stats that matter

• Namibia are playing in their third consecutive T20 World Cup, after qualifying for the 2021 and 2022 events. They have won five of their 12 matches to date, including the recent Super Over victory against Oman.
• Namibia have beaten Scotland in each of their three previous T20Is, including their only previous clash at a World Cup – a four-wicket win at Abu Dhabi in 2021.
• Since then, however, Scotland have won five of the six ODIs that the two teams have ever contested – including the aforementioned Munsey masterclass in February 2023.

Quotes

“Every game at a World Cup is a big game regardless of who the opposition is, so nothing changes in terms of process and preparation. We might not have as big a crowd watching us, but we still know it’s just as big a game and we need to win to really compete here.”
Brad Wheal, Scotland’s seamer, is braced for an important showdown.“The associates are ready. They want to play. They’re raring to go.”

Sri Lanka two wickets down after being made to follow-on, but Mendis and Mathews steady

Madushka Balasuriya19-Mar-2023New Zealand’s bowlers propelled their side to the brink of a 2-0 series whitewash over Sri Lanka, picking up ten wickets on the third day, forcing a follow-on and leaving the visitors still 303 runs behind with eight wickets and two days of cricket still to go.At the crease for the visitors were Kusal Mendis, unbeaten on 50, and Angelo Mathews on 1 – the pair that had so memorably saved a Test at the same ground back in 2018. Back then they had batted out the entirety of the fourth day before rain intervened on the fifth to help secure the draw, and Sri Lanka will certainly be hoping history repeats itself – with rain forecast over the coming days.But even the help of the weather gods might not be enough if Sri Lanka repeat their poor batting display from the third day.While credit must go to New Zealand’s bowlers for sticking to their plans diligently and maximising the conditions on offer, Sri Lanka’s batters were undoubtedly guilty of far too often failing to put a price on their wickets.While the nightwatcher Prabath Jayasuriya received a delivery he was far too ill-equipped to deal with, one that pitched on a length and seamed away taking his edge in the process, Mathews could have no such excuse, edging a similar – but wider – delivery when fending outside off. This left Sri Lanka four down for 34 with barely an hour played in the morning.But that setback would be followed by a solid period of consolidation between Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal, with the Sri Lakna captain, in particular, looking in good touch. He was patient with deliveries outside off, but not averse to punishing any that were overpitched. Together the pair would put on 80 for the fifth wicket, and the hope heading into lunch was that they could continue to make steady progress having already got in.What followed though was Sri Lanka’s most inexcusable period of the entire series, losing their final six wickets for just 55 runs in the period between lunch and tea.Michael Bracewell picked three wickets in the first innings•Getty Images

It was Chandimal that would trigger the capitulation. Having swept Michael Bracewell, who was finding some extra turn and bounce for his offbreaks, for four, Chandimal would charge him just a delivery later only to have the ball turn through bat and pad and offer Tom Blundell a straightforward stumping. A brain fade at the most ill-advised moment.This was followed by Dhananjaya de Silva coming down the track and chipping an easy catch straight to short midwicket – put in place for precisely such a stroke – shortly after.At 116 for 6, this would see Nishan Madushka, the debutant, enter. He would string together a 40-run stand with Karunaratne at the other end, who was continuing unfazed despite the chaos around him. In this period, Madushka even produced some stellar stroke play, especially when driving through the offside. But eventually he too would fall, courtesy of the extra bounce the pitch was more consistently producing, edging through to second slip.After Kasun Rajitha was run out, Karunaratne’s patience would finally wear thin, uncharacteristically looking to beat the man in the deep, and holing out at long-off for a 188-ball 89. Last man Asitha Fernando would not last much longer either, as Sri Lanka were bowled out 164, with Matt Henry and Bracewell taking three wickets apiece.With a 416-run lead, Tim Southee then had little hesitation in enforcing the follow-on, and back out came Karunaratne for his second essay a little over 10 minutes after he had been dismissed.Sri Lanka’s second effort with the bat definitely fared better, but two wickets lost against the run of play may still come to haunt them.Oshada Fernando, who’s had a tour to forget, ended up flicking one off his hips straight to square leg, but the wicket that will hurt the most is that of Karunaratne’s.Having struck at a rate of 47.34 in the first innings, Karunaratne’s second outing ticked along at 61.44, showing a more proactive streak and an inclination to take on the New Zealand bowlers. Alongside a similarly positive Mendis, the pair frequently took on a splattering of short stuff served up by the seamers on an increasingly bouncy track.It would be the relative comfort with which they handle pulling and cutting however that will likely grate Karunaratne as he looks back on his dismissal this evening, as it was an umpteenth short ball that he wound up top edging to deep midwicket. It having come after reaching his second fifty of the day would only have been salt in the wounds.Mercifully for Sri Lanka, they would lose no further wickets, with Mathews especially happy to shut up shop during his 40-ball knock for just a solitary run, but the visitors will know they’ll need to do much better if they’re to survive the next two sessions, let alone the next two days.

They will also play West Indies for a bilateral series in December before the global event

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2021Warriors batter George van Heerden will lead the South Africa Under-19 side in the World Cup early next year in the Caribbean. They will also take part in a pre-World Cup bilateral tour against West Indies in December to prepare for the global event.The squad of 15 also features Titans batter Dewald Brevis, who had impressed recently in the CSA Provincial T20 Knockout competition, and Western Province’s Asakhe Tsaka, who finished with an economy rate of 6.42 in the tournament.van Heerden recently led the Under-19 squad in the CSA Provincial T20 Cup when they took on Easterns, North West and Dolphins.”The process of putting this group of players together is only the pinnacle of the work that started as far back as three years ago when some of these players were exposed to the CSA Talent Acceleration Programme (TAP) for the first time,” South Africa Under-19s convenor of selectors, Patrick Moroney said.”All these players played in the CSA Cubs week hosted in January earlier this year. Covid has played a big part in things being different, especially taking into account the schools cricket programme where schools play each other on a week-to-week basis that could not take place because of Covid. But taking all into account I believe that we have managed to select a team that will be competitive at the World Cup in the West Indies.”Head coach Shukri Conrad said: “We have a lot of exciting players in our group, and I am certain they will be well-led by George van Heerden.”I want us to have the courage of our convictions. Have the courage to play the way we have practised, to follow the philosophy that we have set out and, hopefully, we can adapt, depending on what conditions are prevalent in the West Indies, both on the tour and the World Cup.”The World Cup is the priority, but we also have a series to the West Indies that we’d like to win. It is also great preparation for the boys. I would like to see our boys continue the work; we still have a little bit of work to do before we get there and once there, to go out and have the courage to play the way we want to play.”Ultimately, I believe if we do that enough, then we will be victorious. We are certainly not going there as a side who wants to just compete, or a side just thrilled to be there, we want to not only give a good account of ourselves but also get into the play-off stages and win tournaments.”That’s a long way away, but if we follow the building blocks, we will be alright.”Squad for World Cup: George van Heerden (capt), Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Dewald Brevis, Michael Copeland, Ethan Cunningham, Valentine Kitime, Kwena Maphaka, Gerhard Maree, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Andile Simelane, Jade Smith, Kaden Solomons, Joshua Stephenson, Asakhe Tshaka. Travelling reserves:
Hardus Coetzer, Ronan Hermann, Caleb Seleka.Squad for West Indies bilateral tour: George van Heerden (capt), Liam Alder, Matthew Boast, Dewald Brevis, Michael Copeland, Ethan Cunningham, Valentine Kitime, Kwena Maphaka, Gerhard Maree, Aphiwe Mnyanda, Andile Simelane, Jade Smith, Kaden Solomons, Joshua Stephenson, Asakhe Tshaka.

Middlesex seamer tears knee cartilage during practice, faces lengthy lay-off

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2021Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a knee cartilage tear while training on Tuesday ahead of his side’s LV= County Championship clash with Gloucestershire at Lord’s.Roland-Jones, who has endured a horrific run of misfortune since breaking into the England Test squad in the 2017 home summer, is set to undergo surgery on Thursday, where the full extent of the injury will be ascertained.Peter Waxman, Middlesex’s Head of Science and Medicine, said: “Toby twisted his right knee in warm-ups on Tuesday sustaining a cartilage tear, which is due to be surgically repaired today.”He is having keyhole surgery to ascertain the full extent of the injury and to repair the damage. His precise recovery time will be dictated by the exact nature of the injury and the procedure that is performed. He is expected to be unfit to play for a lengthy period of time.”Related

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It is a grievous set-back for Roland-Jones, 33, who had started the season well for Middlesex, claiming 13 wickets at 18.23 in three fixtures, having fought back from a series of injuries, including a stress fracture of the back that ruled him out of the 2018 season and a shoulder injury that kept him out of last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo prior to the start of the season, Roland-Jones outlined the efforts he had made to get himself back to full fitness for the the 2021 season, with Stuart Law, Middlesex’s head coach, acknowledging that his bowler had been looking “super-fit” having “changed his body shape”.”Given the disappointment of those recent seasons, my focus this year has been on a long-term goal,” Roland-Jones said, “making changes from a physical standpoint as well as a bowling standpoint, to set things up for one, two, three summers, rather than hoping to get through three games back-to-back.””This is horrible news for Toby,” Law added. “He is having no luck with injury at all. It is really unfortunate to lose a player of Toby’s ability and presence both on and off the field. We hope the post-surgery news is positive but his absence does create opportunities for other players to shine. We all wish him a speedy recovery.”

The CoA is divided over the inquiry committee’s report, which doesn’t find the BCCI CEO guilty of sexual harrassment

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2018Rahul Johri is set to continue in his position as chief executive officer of the BCCI with the Committee of Administrators unable to reach a consensus on what action should be taken against him, after the panel investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Johri did not find him guilty of those charges. The day’s developments have evoked strong reactions from several people who testified before the panel, including the BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry.ESPNcricinfo understands that Johri has already resumed charge and even sent a note to the CoA of his rejoining work.The summarised report reveals a sharp difference between those who formed the majority opinion – Justice (retd) Rakesh Sharma of Allahabad High Court and Barkha Singh, a former head of the Delhi Commission for Women – and the third member, women’s rights lawyer Veena Gowda. Sharma called the allegations “false, baseless” and Singh called it “motivated and fabricated”; both recommended Johri continue in his position.Gowda, referring to one of the charges against Johri, relating to an incident in Birmingham, called his conduct “unprofessional and inappropriate, which would adversely affect its [BCCI’s] reputation” and said it was “essential that… [Johri] undergo some form of gender sensitivity counselling/training.”The two members of the CoA – Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji – have also differed sharply over the interpretation of the panel’s findings.Rai, in his note to the report, referred to the opinion of Sharma and Singh that Johri may be permitted to function as the CEO as before. He also wrote that he inferred from Gowda’s opinion that, “going forward, Johri needs to be counselled as aforesaid but there is no recommendation to take any other action against him.”Edulji’s note made it clear that she did not agree with the conclusions of Sharma and Singh. She felt “the fact that Ms. Gowda has recommended that Mr. Johri should undergo gender sensitization counselling/ training is sufficient for her to arrive at the conclusion that he is not fit to be the CEO of BCCI”. She also said it was her view that the report was “actually a split 2:1 verdict” and so Johri should be asked to resign.”Since there is no consensus between the two members of the Committee of Administrators regarding what action should be taken against Mr. Rahul Johri, the Chairman [Vinod Rai] stated that the natural consequence would be that Mr. Johri continues as the CEO of BCCI and is entitled resume office,” a CoA release said. “Ms. Edulji disagreed with this.”However, the Chairman reiterated that Mr. Rahul Johri should continue as the CEO of BCCI and resume his duties, as a natural consequence.”The final verdict did not go down well with the BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, who was among those who had deposed before the inquiry committee.”This is clearly not a clean chit as is being propagated by a section of officials,” Chaudhry said in a statement. “Ms. Veena Gowda, a member of the Inquiry Committee has observed that the Conduct of Mr. Rahul Johri at Birmingham, as a CEO of an institution such as BCCI is unprofessional and inappropriate which would adversely affect its reputation and the same has to be looked at by the concerned authorities.”This is extremely shocking to say the least and this cannot be willed away by someone just because one may be in a position of authority. What makes it even more serious is that the time period referred to is one where the Hon’ble Supreme Court was monitoring the administration of the BCCI through the CoA. We cannot lose sight of the fact one member of the CoA i.e. 50% of the CoA appointed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court believes this to be serious enough to make the position of the CEO untenable in an organisation such as the BCCI.”It is understood that one of the two women who levelled the allegations against Johri is a friend of the former Mumbai cricketer Shishir Hattangadi, who testified before the committee. Hattangadi said he could not understand the “dichotomy” of opinions in the report.”One of them is trying to paint Johri as the Pope, the other one is saying he needs counselling. Who am I supposed to believe?” Hattangadi told ESPNcricinfo. “Do we have to now judge the wisdom of these three people (in the committee) because they are completely contrary to each other? …”The person who was asking the most questions was Veena Gowda. She was the most authoritative and the most proactive in the probe, the most pertinent questions were asked by her. And she was the conductor of the whole procedure. So as an observer her word for me would hold weight, because of the way she was so clear… and that is why I came out and made a statement [that] I am happy with the probe.”That is what has surprised me in this whole probe – if they had said not enough evidence, not enough documentation, it is fine, that is your opinion, but here, one is giving a clear indication that something is amiss, and the other two are saying the opposite.”Among others who testified before the committee was Neeraj Kumar, former commissioner of Delhi Police. Asked today for his reaction to the decision, Kumar told ESPNcricinfo: “It’s odd that on one side a member of the committee is advising counselling (for Johri) and on the other side, the person who deserves to be counselled is being asked to resume his duties.”Aditya Verma, the Cricket Association of Bihar chief who also testified before the committee, said he would raise before the Supreme Court “the conduct of Rahul Johri and Vinod Rai when it comes to women employees”. The Supreme Court will next week resume hearing the case of the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations to the BCCI; Verma is a party to the case.

The allrounder will also miss the Mzansi Super League to undergo a procedure on his right shoulder, after he aggravated a pre-existing injury

Liam Brickhill16-Oct-2018JP Duminy will miss both South Africa’s upcoming limited-overs tour of Australia and the Mzansi Super League to undergo surgery for an injury to his right shoulder.Duminy had been announced as the marquee South African player for the Cape Town Blitz in the MSL, but he will now be replaced by Quinton de Kock. Duminy’s time out for surgery means that South Africa will be without two of their most experienced players on their trip to Australia. Earlier this week, it was announced that Hashim Amla would also not be touring as he is given time to fully recover from a finger tendon injury picked up during the Caribbean Premier League.”JP aggravated a pre-existing shoulder injury during the recently-concluded series against Zimbabwe,” South Africa team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee said. “The injury will require surgical management, thus ruling him out of the immediate tour of Australia and the upcoming MSL. At the moment, we can’t say how long he will be out for, that is dependent on the results from the surgery.”South Africa’s squad for the Australia tour, consisting of three one-day internationals and a solitary T20 international, will be announced later this week. The tour begins with a warm-up game against a Prime Minister’s XI on October 31, while the MSL kicks off on 16 November and runs until 16 December.