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BCCI president says India have no choice if Test cricket needs to attract crowds

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Oct-2019India are getting closer to playing day-night Test cricket. According to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, Indian captain Virat Kohli has told him he is “agreeable” to day-night Tests although there is no definitive date as to when it would happen.Ganguly said India had no choice and playing day-night Tests was the “way forward” if Test cricket needed to attract crowds. That is what he told Kohli during their meeting in Mumbai on Thursday at the BCCI headquarters. It was the first meeting between Ganguly and Kohli after the former captain took charge as BCCI president on October 23.”We all are thinking about this. We will do something about this,” Ganguly said on Friday at the Eden Gardens at an event organised by Cricket Association of Bengal to felicitate him on him taking charge at BCCI. “I am a big believer in day-night Tests. Kohli is agreeable to it. I see a lot of reports in newspapers that he is not, but that is not true. The game needs to go forward and that is the way forward. People should finish work and come to watch champions play. I don’t know when that will happen, but it will.”India, No.1 on the ICC’s Test rankings, and Bangladesh are the only teams (outside of newly promoted Ireland and Afghanistan) to never have played a pink ball Test cricket since Australia and New Zealand featured in the first one in 2016.Now, with the World Test Championship under way, the onus is on the host board to organise day-night Tests, but the BCCI had expressed its reluctance, mainly because India wanted to protect its points and Indian players had not played enough first-class cricket under lights.Sourav Ganguly holding his first press conference after being appointed the BCCI president•AFP

Ganguly has been pushing for India to play with the pink ball even when he was head of the BCCI’s technical committee. In the past, he had recommended that the BCCI continue to invest in playing Duleep Trophy under lights, an experiment first used in 2016. This season the board had initially planned for the Duleep final to be a day-night affair only to change its mind at the last minute.When day-night Tests were launched, the ICC had said that it was a way to let fans come back to the ground after work and have a nice time. The first one in Adelaide was packed on all three days.Earlier this week Kohli had suggested BCCI could limit Test cricket to five of the big venues in India, saying one of the advantages of doing that would be attracting large crowds. His comments came after the final two Tests of the South Africa series were played to sparse crowds in Pune and Ranchi. Ganguly thinks day-night Tests could be a good option to sort that problem too.”Cricket needs a change,” he said. “Who had thought that T20 cricket will be such a rage when it was first played? Even we (senior players) were asked to rest when the format was first played. See lifestyles have changed. No one can afford to bunk schools or offices these days to watch cricket. They need to be brought to the ground after day’s work.”India’s upcoming Test calendar includes a two-match series against Bangladesh in November and a three-match series in New Zealand next February and March

Victoria finished higher than New South Wales on the table by a net run rate difference of 0.02 and thus progressed to face Western Australia

Alex Malcolm04-Oct-2018Victoria have progressed to the semi-finals of the JLT Cup after persistent rain in Sydney washed out the qualifying final against New South Wales at Drummoyne Oval.Victoria finished higher than New South Wales on the table by a net run rate difference of 0.02 and thus progress to face Western Australia in Sunday’s semi-final at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.Experienced Victorian batsman Cameron White faces a race to be fit for the semi-final after suffering a low-grade groin strain that would have kept him out of the clash with the Blues had rain not ruined proceedings.The wash-out has also delayed the return of Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood from a back injury. Hazlewood played one game in New South Wales Premier cricket for his grade club St George a fortnight ago where he bowled eight overs in a 50-over match. He was held out of Monday’s JLT Cup clash against Queensland with the aim of playing in the qualifying final against Victoria.New South Wales do not play again until the four-day Sheffield Shield competition begins on October 16.

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels have been picked in West Indies’ ODI squad for the series in England. Gayle last played an ODI in March 2015, and Samuels in October 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-20170:53

Quick Facts – Gayle makes ODI comeback

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels are set to play ODI cricket for West Indies after a prolonged absence due to an impasse with the board. Gayle last played an ODI in March 2015, and Samuels in October 2016; both players were selected in West Indies’ squad for the ODI series in England.

The West Indies ODI squad

Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder (capt), Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Kesrick Williams
In: Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor
Out: Roston Chase

Gayle’s call-up follows a relaxation in Cricket West Indies’ criteria in order to be eligible for selection. Previously, in order to play a particular international format for West Indies, players needed to be available for the corresponding domestic tournament. CWI climbed down from that policy in July and offered an amnesty to its players.Darren Bravo was suspended in November 2016 and sent home from the tour of Zimbabwe following a Twitter condemnation of board president, Dave Cameron. Subsequently, both parties released statements of apology but he is yet to return for West Indies. Dwayne Bravo has spent all of 2017 till date recovering from a hamstring injury – for which he needed surgery – that he picked up during the Big Bash League in December last year.”With regards to the selection of the ODI squad, the panel welcomes back Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who will both add value to our batting and help with the nurturing of the young batsmen in the team,” chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said. “Both Sunil Narine and Darren Bravo have declined to be considered for ODIs in England. Narine has however confirmed his desire to play 50-over cricket again but has asked to play in our Regional Super50 before he is considered and Darren said he was not available for selection. Dwayne Bravo said he is still not 100% fit, but is looking at a possible return to international cricket next year.”Roston Chase was excluded from the squad that played the ODIs against India in June and July – West Indies’ previous 50-over assignment. Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who last played an ODI in June 2016, was also picked in the squad, having played the one-off T20 international against India.West Indies begin the ODI leg of their tour after the third Test against England at Lord’s from September 7. They play an ODI against Ireland in Stormont on September 13, followed by five matches against England between September 19 and 29.

Rohit Sharma spoke highly of incoming India head coach Anil Kumble, describing the former India captain as an “inspiring” figure from whom he had learnt a lot

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2016India batsman Rohit Sharma has spoken highly of the side’s new head coach Anil Kumble, describing the former India captain as an “inspiring” figure from whom he had learnt a lot.Rohit played alongside Kumble towards the end of the legspinner’s India career. The two renewed their professional relationship when Kumble served as Mumbai Indians’ team mentor from 2013 to 2015, a period during which the team won two IPL titles and a Champions League T20 title. Kumble’s first assignment as India coach is the four-Test series in the West Indies in July and August.”I have two [three] years of experience [with him] at Mumbai Indians and I know the kind of things we spoke about. I was the captain and he was the coach and mentor of the team. I got to learn a lot from him,” Rohit said at an event in Mumbai. “I was fortunate enough to play with him during the last months before he retired. I remember in 2008, I was part of the Test squad to Sri Lanka and he was the captain. And he always had this attitude of never giving up, which as a young player is so inspiring.”You have to keep fighting no matter what. If the game is slipping away from your hands, don’t give up till the last ball is bowled. That’s how he played his cricket. You get the feeling that he was someone who wouldn’t let go too easily. That’s the kind of message that he wanted to send across. That’s the kind of message we also want as young players. He’s very inspiring.”Rohit was also full of praise for Ravi Shastri, whose 18-month tenure as India team director came to an end after the World T20 earlier this year. Shastri had been appointed to the role in August 2014, after India’s dismal loss in the Test series in England. During Shastri’s tenure, India made it to the semi-finals of successive global events – the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20 – and briefly occupied the No. 1 Test ranking earlier this year. Shastri had applied for the position of head coach in June, but his application was ultimately unsuccessful as Kumble was chosen.”[Shastri] took up the responsibility when we were in a shambles,” Rohit said. “As soon as he came, he created a positive atmosphere around us.”Rohit added that Shastri had been “a big influence on Indian cricket for the past 18 months.”

Bad light forced the umpires to call off a match shortened by rain to 11 overs a side before a positive result was possible at Grace Road, ruining anticipation of a clash between two Pakistan team-mates – Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal

ECB/PA12-Jun-2015
ScorecardRain wrecked the clash between Umar Akmal (pictured) and Shahid Afridi•Getty Images

Bad light forced the umpires to call off a match shortened by rain to 11 overs a side before a positive result was possible at Grace Road, ruining anticipation of a clash between two Pakistan team-mates – Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal.Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove won a delayed toss, but only 1.1 overs were possible before heavy rain caused a further hour’s delay.When play resumed, in drizzle and increasing gloom, umpires Jeff Evans and Nick Cooke decided there was sufficient time for an 11-over match.Richard Levi and Josh Cobb put together an opening partnership of 31 for the Steelbacks, but Foxes’ left-arm fast bowler Atif Sheik dismissed both with successive balls, hitting towards midwicket where Tom Wells took two excellent catches, running across the soaking outfield and sliding to hold the ball on the full.Ben Duckett picked up the pace for the Steelbacks, hitting two straight sixes in going to 39 off 23 balls, with Wells particularly expensive, conceding 28 runs from his two overs. Clint McKay, bowling a series of slower balls of varying lengths, conceded just a single from the final over.With the light worsening rapidly, Leicestershire lost a wicket to the first ball of their innings, Ned Eckersley flashing at a Rory Kleinveldt delivery and edging to Alex Wakely at first slip.Kevin O’Brien was bowled by Mohammad Azharullah, but after just 3.1 overs, the umpires decided the light was too bad to continue.

The 2013 Women’s World Cup trophy replica, brought to Mumbai for a promotional launch of the event, has been detained by the customs officials at the Mumbai airport

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2012The 2013 Women’s World Cup trophy replica, brought to Mumbai for a promotional launch of the event, has been detained by the customs officials at the Mumbai airport. The tournament will be held in the city early next year. The trophy arrived via baggage from Dubai, and according to customs rules trophies can only be brought into the country through cargo.”The trophy should be brought through cargo. In the past we have notified that it shouldn’t be part of the baggage. Prior permissions are required to bring them as part of baggage. As per the regulation, the authorities will have to pay a duty on it,” Airports customs official PM Saleem told .Saleem also mentioned that he had received a letter from the BCCI requesting for an exemption from taxes. However, without documents signifying the approval of the central government in this regard, the trophy will not be released, it is understood.An ICC spokesperson, however, mentioned that the ICC possessed all the necessary paperwork to avoid this.”Despite having all the appropriate paperwork, Mumbai Customs decided to confiscate the trophy. This is the third time. The first time was when they confiscated the 2011 ICC World Cup marketing trophy, then the World T20 marketing trophy and now the ICC Women’s World Cup marketing trophy. All the trophies are replicas,” he said.In 2011, the trophy awarded to the Indian team after they won the World Cup had been the original trophy that had arrived in the country much earlier: the replica had been taken back to Dubai following a similar customs roadblock.

A round-up of matches from the eighth weekend in Kenya’s East African Cup and East Africa Elite League

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2011

East Africa Premier League

Rift Valley Rhinos reignited the Twenty20 competition with a surprise five-wicket win over leaders Rwenzori Warriors in Kampala. The result cuts the Warriors lead to four points whereas two rounds ago they were a seemingly unassailable eight points ahead. Warriors never got going after winning the toss and batting, and only Roger Mukasa (32) hung around for any time as they were bowled out for 93. The Rhinos were wobbling on 58 for 5 before Ramesh Mepani (29* off 31 balls) calmly saw them home with two overs in hand.Nile Knights, unbeaten in five T20 games, took the chance to close the gap with a comfortable 33-run victory over Nairobi Buffaloes. The Knights made 140 for 9 – Collins Obuya picked up late wickets to return figures of 4 for 20 – and the Buffaloes lost too many early wickets to mount a serious challenge.Kongonis enjoyed a straightforward five-wicket win against winless Coast Pekee in Mombasa with 23 balls to spare.

East African Cup

All three matches were rained off leaving the table unchanged.

The Chennai police have registered a case against Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, and six others on allegations of criminal conspiracy and cheating

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010The Chennai police have registered a case against Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, and six others on allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating and falsification of accounts, according to a report in the . The case is based on a complaint filed by the BCCI on Wednesday.Four of the six others named in the case are from the World Sport Group: its chairman Seamus O’Brian, its chief operating officer, Andrew Georgio, and the president and vice-president of its South Asia operations, Venu Nair and Haris Krishnamachari. The other two are Ajay Varma, representative of software and security firm Visual Impact and Kunal Dasgupta, the former head of Multi-Screen Media, the broadcast rights holder for the IPL.The case has been registered under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 477 A (falsification of accounts) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.This is the first step of a police investigation under Indian law; the allegations will now be probed by police and legal experts, who will press charges if they find evidence and eventually take the case to court.The move to file charges is a continuation of the decisions taken at a special general meeting of the board in June this year. “It has taken the BCCI a while to press the criminal charges because we were getting legal opinions and all the paperwork ready,” A BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. “The case grew in recent months when we came across the contract around the virtual security van”.The allegations revolve around three issues – the facilitation fee payment to WSG for the India media rights to the IPL, the sale of mid-over ads and the hiring of security vans for the tournament. The board has argued that the fee paid to WSG was an “improper payment” and the matter is currently under arbitration in Singapore.A WSG spokesperson said they had not seen the complaint and therefore had no comment.The rights to sell mid-over ads was given to Pioneer Diagsys, an ad-sales agency run by Dasgupta, without a contract and the BCCI claim that since Modi did not issue a tender for the contract, he has cost the board moneyThe board also claimed that Visual Impact, the company Modi contracted to provide security vans does not exist, and that the money paid to them was misappropriated.

The good news for New South Wales was Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Phil Jaques and Usman Khawaja all made solid starts, but the situation wasn’t as cheery for Phillip Hughes, who failed in his last hit-out before the first Test team is named

Cricinfo staff17-Nov-2009
ScorecardMichael Clarke found some form after his long lay-off with an unbeaten 92 at the SCG•Getty Images

The good news for New South Wales was Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Phil Jaques and Usman Khawaja all made solid starts, but the situation wasn’t as cheery for Phillip Hughes, who failed in his last hit-out before the first Test team is named. Tasmania kept running into the Blues on the opening day at the SCG and were rewarded in the first two sessions before Clarke and Khawaja took the hosts to 3 for 290 at stumps.With the squad to face West Indies being announced on Thursday, Clarke and Katich both had useful stays but Hughes’ final chance to increase his chances of being at the Gabba went when he played-on to Luke Butterworth on 12. How Clarke pulls up after the innings will also be important for the national team as he trials his back following a two-month lay-off.Clarke, the Test vice-captain, nearly ran-out Katich early in his innings but recovered his poise to post a valuable half-century and lift his side through a delicate period. He finished with an unbeaten 92, a much better return than his 8 in the one-dayer on Sunday, while Khawaja was not out on 51. Khawaja is rated so highly by his state that he is playing ahead of David Warner, who breezed to 92 off 79 balls for New South Wales’ 2nd XI in Perth.Like Hughes, Jaques (66) is also hoping for a return to Australian colours in the future and he had a couple of chances before falling to a top edge off Butterworth, which was taken by a juggling Jon Wells at square leg. Katich, the Test opener, was back at No. 3 for his state and chipped in with 62 before falling to a catch behind off Jason Krejza to the final ball before tea.