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Chris Hartley, the Queensland wicketkeeper, has been named the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year following an outstanding season with bat and gloves. Hartley accepted the award at the MCG on Monday before turning his attention to Wednesday’s Shield final against Victoria.Hartley collected 17 votes during the season to pip Damien Wright (16), the Victoria bowler, and New South Wales’ Phillip Hughes (14) for the top prize. The Bulls have relied on Hartley throughout their campaign and his 774 runs are a record for a Queensland wicketkeeper in a season. He also took 41 catches to be behind only Luke Ronchi on the list of dismissals.Victoria’s Brad Hodge was the FR Cup Player of the Series while David Warner and Kieron Pollard shared the Twenty20 prize. South Australia had another trophy-free campaign on the field but they were recognised with the Benaud Spirit of Cricket honour for their hard but fair play. New South Wales collected the women’s version of the award.South Australia’s Dan Christian, who made his Twenty20 international debut last month, was the Lord’s Taverners Indigenous Cricketer of the Year and Steve Davis won the Cricket Australia Umpire award. Sarah Elliott, Victoria’s middle-order batsman, was the WNCL Player of the Series while Alex Blackwell, the Australia captain, was recognised for her exploits in the Twenty20 tournament. The Australian Cricketers’ Association teams were also named at the function.ACA four-day team of the year Ed Cowan (Tas), Phillip Hughes (NSW), Michael Klinger (SA), George Bailey (Tas, capt), Usman Khawaja (NSW), Steven Smith (NSW), Chris Hartley (Qld), John Hastings (Vic), Ben Cutting (Qld), Trent Copeland (NSW), Peter George (SA), David Hussey (Vic, 12th man).
ACA one-day team Michael Klinger (SA), Phil Jaques (NSW), Brad Hodge (Vic), George Bailey (Tas, capt), Lee Carseldine (Qld), Travis Birt (Tas), Matthew Wade (Vic), John Hastings (Vic), Xavier Doherty (Tas), Ben Cutting (Qld), Nathan Rimmington (Qld), Daniel Christian (SA, 12th man).
ACA Twenty20 team Shaun Marsh (WA), David Warner (NSW), Brad Hodge (Vic, capt), Tim Paine (Tas), Kieron Pollard (SA), James Hopes (Qld), Chris Simpson (Qld), Daniel Christian (SA), Aaron Heal (WA), John Hastings (Vic), Shaun Tait (SA), Brad Knowles (WA, 12th man).

Big Picture

It is perhaps fitting that the Under-19 World Cup final should feature Australia and Pakistan. One country conceived the idea of a global youth tournament, the other pioneered the trend of thrusting teenagers into the international arena. To cap it all, the teams meet in a final 22 years after facing off in the inaugural edition of the tournament, in 1988.

A tournament that now competes with first-class cricket in determining the worthiness of players at the international level, the Under-19 World Cup has been dominated by Pakistan over the years; tomorrow’s final is their third in the last four tournaments and their fourth overall.A bigger pool of players exposed to first-class and List A cricket (eight against four), an unbeaten run in the competition and greater familiarity playing in Lincoln, the venue for the summit clash, gives Pakistan a significant advantage. Not that they’ve had it easy; their previous three wins were close-run – two of them going to the last over – with each wrought from a position of weakness. This ability has been less consistent in Australia’s performances.Unlike the senior World Cup, which is a long, drawn-out tournament, the finalists of the Under-19 version have had fewer hurdles to scale. They haven’t had a common opposition, though Australia have had it easier, facing USA and Ireland in their first round. A greater potential for surprise, given the fewer steps to the trophy, makes the contest between the finalists more desirable than the one-sided offering their senior counterparts have managed to conjure.

Form guide

Australia were upstaged in the last over by South Africa in the league phase, beat New Zealand comfortably and just managed to hold their breath against Sri Lanka in the semi-final, chasing 206. Since the start of 2009, they’ve been beaten in the two 50-over series they’ve been involved in, squandering leads in both instances to go down 1-2 to India and 2-3 to Sri Lanka. Though a much-improved outfit in this competition, measuring up to Pakistan’s experience, form and stubbornness will be difficult.Pakistan were among the frontrunners coming into this competition and have lived up to their reputation. They beat Zimbabwe 5-1 in a limited-overs series before being edged out by Sri Lanka in a tri-nation tournament. They began their World Cup campaign with an easy win over West Indies and a mauling of Papua New Guinea. But they have since been challenged. A late surge by wicketkeeper Mohammad Waqas snatched a penultimate ball win against Bangladesh, Hammad Azam’s composure at the death handed them the much-cherished thrill of overcoming India and an inspired fightback, again by Hammad, helped them chase 212 against West Indies in the semi-final.

Players to watch

Hammad, an allrounder, has had the biggest impact on Pakistan’s success. An integral part of the middle order, he’s made it his responsibility to finish off games, shepherding Pakistan to three consecutive wins with his penchant for the big hits at the death and the maturity to wield restraint after an early collapse, as in the semi-final. Among those without first-class experience, Babar Azam has been a find. He is currently the third-highest run-getter in the tournament, but in conditions that have favoured fast bowlers of late, the swing of Sarmad Bhatti and Fayyaz Butt could prove hard to tackle.Australia’s fast-bowling trio of Josh Hazlewood, Alister McDermott and Nick Buchanan have grabbed 24 wickets between them at 16.22, forming the backbone of their team’s attack. Captain Mitchell Marsh has starred in the knockout phase with half-centuries against New Zealand and Sri Lanka and remains a much sought-after scalp in the Australian top order.

Quotes

“There’s no other country in the world that can match the talent that Pakistan has at U-19 level, just look at the last four U-19 World Cups.”
“I have really enjoyed the tournament and I’m very happy with my form because I haven’t been dismissed yet in this tournament.”
“With the sort of experience in our side, it was always a goal to be in the tournament at this end. Like any other team, we have come here to win the tournament and not just to fill up the numbers. We’ve got the side that is capable to win this tournament.”
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Cricket South Africa is set for a structural overhaul at a meeting on February 19, the board’s chief executive Gerald Majola has said. Majola was speaking at a press conference on Wednesday following the resignation of coach Mickey Arthur and the sacking of the selection panel.The interim selection committee, which will replace the one led by Mike Procter, comprises Majola, high performance manager Corrie van Zyl, who has also been appointed as interim coach, and former captain Kepler Wessels, who will also be the team’s batting consultant.”Cricket South Africa is looking at the entire structure the team operates under and there are still consultations going on,” Majola said. “Some of these are about selection too and the whole process by which the team is selected.”In the last few years, the coach has been able to appoint his own staff, but after speaking to the players, the board felt changes were necessary. Mickey did not believe that if these changes were made, he’d be able to choose his own people, so he moved on.” Arthur, who resigned as South Africa coach on Tuesday, said he made the decision because his vision for the national team differed with that of CSA.”It was clear that the vision I had and Cricket South Africa’s vision are different. I am disappointed, because when I started there I said I wanted to get South Africa to No. 1 in both forms of the game, I wanted to be the first South African coach to win in England, and the first to win in Australia,” Arthur said. “The only thing I didn’t achieve was an ICC trophy.””We believe as a board that Mickey has been very successful,” Majola said. “His resignation came through the normal stock-taking process which followed the England home series and against the backdrop of the disappointing results of 2009. As this process unfolded and remedies were sought, Mickey expressed the very honest and humble view that he did not believe that at this stage he could continue as coach of the Proteas.Mickey Arthur: “The only thing I didn’t achieve was an ICC trophy”•AFP

“In the circumstances, he tendered his resignation and it is with much regret that the CSA Board accepted it. We have accepted Mickey’s view that a change at the coaching helm is needed, and we have made this as seamless as possible by bringing in on a caretaker basis the considerable expertise of Corrie van Zyl, who is doing outstanding work as CSA’s High Performance Coach.”Arthur said he was going to bide his time before taking on another assignment. “I’m not going to be jumping into anything too soon and I might dabble into a few other things and see where that takes me. I think I will consider anything that comes down the line. I will sit and wait for the right opportunity and the best opportunity where I can make an impact.”Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, said of Arthur: “The two of us have had a great partnership over five years, we had a good relationship, Mickey was integral in bringing a lot of calm to the team. Yesterday was a very tough day for us.””I think its natural for the players to have some emotion now, Mickey has been part of our life for five years. The players will try and be as professional as possible. We know this [India] is an important tour.”Arthur’s resignation came four days before South Africa are scheduled to depart for India and Van Zyl will now be in charge of the team for that assignment. “It’s not the ideal situation to take over now, but I have worked with Mickey before,” van Zyl said. “I had been focusing on the high performance centre till Monday, but I will meet with the captain in Cape Town tomorrow to prepare for India.”

Group B

December 11, 2009 is a day Zulfiqar Babar will never forget. Having taken five Islamabad wickets on the second day, Babar carried on his march and recorded a ten-wicket haul at the Multan Cricket Ground. His stunning achievement outdid the previous individual bowling record for Multan, the 9 for 93 taken by Mushtaq Ahmed against Peshawar in 1990-91. In Pakistan’s overall best bowling performances in first-class cricket, Babar’s achievement ranks third behind Naeem Akhtar’s 10 for 28 for Rawalpindi Blues against Peshawar in 1995-96 and Shahid Mahmood’s 10 for 58 for Karachi Whites against Khairpur in 1969-70.Islamabad came into the third day on 229 for 5 and finished with 418, a total impossible without the efforts of Ashar Zaidi. As Babar applied remarkable pressure from one end, Zaidi took toll of the lack of menace from the other six bowlers and batted himself to an unbeaten 130 from 173 balls. Along the way he found assistance from Imad Wasim (28), his captain Rauf Akbar (39) and the No. 10 Fakhar Hussain (25). Babar was simply relentless, plugging away 39.4 overs – the next best was 19 overs from any bowler – for a record 10 for 143. It surpassed his previous best of 7 for 97, against Sialkot earlier this season, by some distance. Babar now has 66 first-class wickets this season at 15.43. In the 36 overs remaining, Multan reached 100 for 2.Five wickets from Sadaf Hussain allowed Rawalpindi claim an 11-run lead over Abbottabad, and an unbeaten half-century from the opener Naved Malik extended that to 90 by stumps on the third day in Islamabad. Abbottabad had made a poor start to their first innings on the second evening, and Sadaf ensured they would struggle today. Partnerships were the key to trying an attaining a lead but Abbottabad struggled to find any; they owed much to Khalid Usman’s unbeaten 52 down the order. Junaid Khan took the new ball and nipped out two quick wickets but Malik’s brisk innings carried Rawalpindi to 79 for 3, setting up an intriguing final day.Lahore Ravi set themselves a target of 229 on the final day after dismissing Peshawar for 199 in Lahore. Peshawar’s bowlers kept the pressure on Lahore Ravi and didn’t allow any large partnerships to form, but by the 82 runs that the last five wickets managed proved crucial. Peshawar’s aim was to set up a formidable total but that was put back by the efforts of the medium-pacer Mohammad Irshad, who with six wickets sliced down the top and middle order. From 100 for 1, Peshawar slumped to 105 six. That stunning capitulation, after the opener Adil Amin hit 60 from 55 balls, was followed by Azam Jan (54) attempting to get a recovery going. It never quite happened, and a wicket just before stumps brought a close to the innings.Forced to follow-on as the third day began at the Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad did better than their first innings and batted to 291 for 7 by stumps. A deficit of 283 was negated and a lead of eight was achieved, but Sialkot were eying a win on the final day. There was only one half-century in the innings, that of Sharjeel Khan (60), and that told for Hyderabad. Eight bowlers were used to try and wrap up the win on day three, but only Faisal Rasheed with 4 for 61 made much impact.Centuries from Ali Asad and Khalid Latif – in fine form – ensured Karachi Blues remained utterly dominant at the National Stadium against Quetta. Karachi resumed the day wit a lead of 234 and were carried by Asad and Latif’s 225-run stand for the third wicket. A declaration at 324 for 3 left Quetta needing a monumental 495 to win and they closed on 93 for 2.

Group A

Zohaib Shera’s hat-trick in National Bank of Pakistan’s second innings continued Karachi Whites’ dominance on the third day in Karachi. The day began with Afsar Nawaz batting on to an unbeaten 121 and Babar Rehman falling two short of his century as Karachi Whites finished on a massive 486. Then came a manic burst with the new ball from Shera who, after Babar Rehman snared an early wicket, rocked NBP with the wickets of Nasir Jamshed, Imran Javed and Naumanullah with the score on 9. From the depths of 9 for 4, NBP were resuscitated back into a semblance of respectability thanks to an unbeaten 178-ball 70 from Mansoor Amjad and 49 from Amin-ur-Rehman. At stumps NBP were 184 for 8, with Karachi Whites two wickets from their third victory.Pakistan Customs eked out a 25-run lead over Water and Power Development Authority on day three in Islamabad, thereby negating the pressure of defeat and setting up what seems a draw on the final day. A 253-run stand between Bilal Khilji (150) and Ali Azmat (128*) allowed WAPDA declare at 391 for 6, a lead of 271, and press for a win. However, Customs did not fold as meekly as they had in their first innings. The openers Jibran Khan (61 from 63 balls) and Zeeshan Ali (68) put on 83, after which Hassan Adnan scored an unbeaten 53 to ease the nerves before stumps.Azhar Ali’s unbeaten 153 was the story of the day in Rawalpindi. From an overnight 75 he batted on to an 11th first-class century and got Khan Research Laboratories to 352 for 5 declared, a lead of 215. Following that, Sui Southern Gas Corporation made it to 96 for 2 in 28.1 overs before stumps. Still 119 runs adrift of safety, SSGC face a day of hard work.Zohaib Khan, the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited opener, batted the entire third day at the Jinnah Stadium. From an overnight, he stonewalled his way to 98 not out in the 79 overs of play and at stumps ZTBL were 241 for 8; 203 runs had been added to the total. The captain Imran Nazir walked out with Zohaib in the morning and was the first wicket to fall, after hitting 73 from 77 balls with five fours and four sixes. That was as quick as the scoring got, and the next highest score after Zohaib’s was 16 from 74 balls from Shakeel Ansar. ZTBL lead by nine with a day to play.Pakistan International Airlines secured a first-innings lead of 126 over Lahore Shalimar, scoring 303, and by the time stumps rolled around at the Gaddafi Stadium that had slipped to 50. Kamran Sajid (57) and Shehzar Mohammad (70) did most of the scoring for PIA as young fast bowler Mohammad Naved snared five wickets. No large stands were formed by Lahore Shalimar’s batsmen and they finished the day on 76 for 3.

ScorecardEngland Masters cruised into Saturday’s final of the inaugural Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup with a commanding five- wicket win over Sri Lanka Masters in the fifth match of the competition.Graeme Hick continued his good form, scoring an unbeaten 66, his second successive half-century as England, chasing 168 for victory, won with four balls to spare.Hick and allrounder Dominic Cork shared a match-winning unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership of 82 in 8.3 overs. They came together in the 11th over when Paul Nixon and Mark Alleyne fell within three balls to Ruwan Kalpage.Hick’s 38-ball innings included six fours and three sixes and one memorable shot was one that raced to the extra- cover boundary. Cork, who made 27 at better than a run a ball was the perfect foil, turning over the strike where ever possible. A feature of Hick’s batting was his hitting down the ground including a straight six off Hermantha Wickramarante.Graham Thorpe, with 32, and Neil Fairbrother (20) put on 57 in 6.3 overs for the first-wicket but both fell in consecutive balls to Eric Upashanta who claimed 3 for 26 from four overs.Sri Lanka Masters had scored 167 for 9 from their 20 overs after being put into bat. Kalpage and Marvan Atapattu were joint top-scorers with 42 each. Towards the end Kalpage, with three sixes and one four from 24 deliveries, and Indika de Saram, with a quick-fire 32 including two massive sixes and one four from 25 balls, gave Sri Lanka Masters what looked like a winning total then.England were forced to do without their captain Darren Gough after he picked up a wicket in the second over of the match. He took no further part after suffering from a strained calf muscle.

Match facts

November 26-30, 2009
Start time 10am (00.00 GMT)Shivnarine Chanderpaul needs to be at his immovable best for West Indies to seriously challenge Australia•Getty Images

Big Picture

Both teams have something to prove. This is Australia’s first Test since their Ashes defeat in August and they are desperate to eliminate some of the pain by sweeping past West Indies, just as they did the last two times they toured. However, the local personnel is considerably different to the great days of Warne, McGrath and Co, so this assignment won’t be as easy as in years past.The Australians believe the only thing that went wrong in England was losing the big moments. The only time that didn’t happen in their past four series was in South Africa earlier in the year, with the superb victory seeming more like a fluke than the norm when it is wedged with the three other defeats.West Indies have even more concerns after finding peace following a damaging player strike, during which the side lost at home to Bangladesh. The embarrassment is driving their ambition for this contest, but the reality is that if they win one of the games the trip will be considered a major success. In their past 39 Tests they have been victorious on only three occasions and despite Australia’s transition tangles, it would take a major upset for them to improve on that record.”If you look at Australian teams of six or seven years ago, we were expected to win every series we played,” Ricky Ponting said. “In this one we’re just expected to win because of this so-called weak West Indies team. We will just do everything we can to play the best cricket we can.”

Form guide (last five Tests, most recent first)

Australia – LWDLD
West Indies – LLLLD

Watch out for

Ricky Ponting – Hell hath no fury like an Australian captain scorned in England. Twice. Now he’s home Ponting will be looking to bury every opponent in the lead-up to next year’s Ashes series. At 34, he is entering the sunset of his career but will want to depart in a blaze of success following his latest setback.Shivnarine Chanderpaul tormented Australia in the Caribbean last year, batting for nearly 26 hours in the three-Test series, including a not-out run of more than 18 hours across two Tests. If he remains so hard to remove the chances of West Indies springing a surprise will increase significantly. The tourists need him at his most tenacious.

Team news

A predictable squad has led to a predictable XI. Doug Bollinger has been confirmed as the 12th man because only an injury will be able to split up the golden boys of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus. Nathan Hauritz will play while Shane Watson, the opening allrounder, hopes to deliver around 10 overs a day.Australia 1 Simon Katich, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Peter Siddle, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus.Chris Gayle is a definite and now the big fear for the visitors is Ramnaresh Sarwan’s back. If Sarwan is out either Narsingh Deonarine or Travis Dowlin will bat at No. 3, while Gayle is down to partner Adrian Barath, the 19-year-old debutant. The tourists want to pick four fast men, including Dwayne Bravo, and a spinner, but the balance depends on Sarwan, with a decision due to be made on Thursday morning.West Indies (possible) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Adrian Barath, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Brendan Nash, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Sulieman Benn, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Kemar Roach.

Pitch and conditions

Expect a tinge of green on the first morning and the usual tricky seam early in the match before it flattens out in a batsman’s beauty. It hasn’t rained much over the past week so neither side will be tempted to choose an all-pace attack, and some turn is also expected for later in the game. The weather is predicted to be typical November: humid, maximum temperatures around 30 degrees and the chance of a storm every few days.

Stats and Trivia

• Ricky Ponting averages 62.77 against West Indies in 18 Tests and his 1695 runs put him fourth on Australia’s list behind Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Mark Waugh. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the best of the current West Indians against Australia, with 1210 in 15 matches at 48.40
• The last time Australia lost a Test at the Gabba was against West Indies in 1988-89
• Jerome Taylor will be the most experienced of the specialist fast bowlers with 28 Tests, two more than Mitchell Johnson
• West Indies have lost their past eight Tests in Australia
• Nathan Hauritz has 10 wickets at 64.10 in 10 first-class games at the Gabba

Quotes

“This is the start of 10 Test matches that we want to do everything we possibly can to improve our Test ranking from No. 4 back up to close to where it should be.”
“It’s going to be the first time I’ll open the batting with Barath. He’s been around in first-class and he’s certainly got a few hundreds underneath his belt. He’s a pretty decent player. We’re not looking to expect too much from Barath at this point in time, but we at the same time we will look to give the team a good start.”
“We have had a good look at the Australian bowling attack and we felt it’s not as experienced as previous attacks. Maybe we can put them under some pressure.”

Sussex have announced the development of new floodlights after the embarrassment of last season when they failed and forced a premature end to a Twenty20 Cup match against Kent .Brighton and Hove Council gave permission for the erection of two new pylons – one behind the members pavilion and a second just north of the main scoreboard – to add to the existing eight, which will also be revamped.Chief executive Dave Brooks said: “The original lights erected in 1998 were unable to offer the light required to meet ECB guidelines. They had become obsolete and rather unreliable. After our issues in 2009, I am delighted that the Council have accepted this application and the understanding and input from local residents has been a real help in achieving this.”The new lights will run by a different system to the troublesome generator of last year, when floodlight failure meant a Twenty20 match had to be shortened. Visitors Kent were 66 without loss from 11 overs chasing a modest 131 when bad light stopped play. Unable to continue, Sussex – eventual winners of the tournament – won by two runs through Duckworth/Lewis.Brooks is understandably be keen to avoid any further mishaps next season. “With funding partly supplied by the ECB, I am looking forward to this significant improvement in the staging of floodlit cricket at Hove from 2010.”

Nathan Hauritz expects Australia to rely on four fast bowlers during their Tests this summer, potentially limiting his opportunities following an encouraging series in England. Hauritz captured 10 wickets with his offspin in the first three Ashes games before being squeezed out when the selectors preferred pace at Leeds and The Oval.While the move was a huge success at Headingley it backfired in south London, where the hosts won on a big-turning pitch. Hauritz believes the ploy will continue in the home series against West Indies and Pakistan. “I think four quicks is Australia’s preferred strategy, they think that their strength is quick bowlers at the moment,” Hauritz said in the Daily Telegraph. “I think that’s the way they will look at going this summer.”Hauritz was surprised and disappointed to be left out at The Oval but knows he is a better bowler following his England experience. “To play three Ashes Tests was fantastic, I think after playing those Tests my game just continues to improve,” Hauritz said. “I have a lot more confidence now and I believe in myself a lot more.”While Hauritz is hoping for more Test action, Jason Krejza, the Tasmania offspinner, is aiming for a full Sheffield Shield season with the Tigers. Krejza started the campaign well with 4 for 70 in his side’s loss to South Australia on Friday.”I spent a lot of my pre-season on my pace and to try to keep the runs down, to dry the scoring up,” Krejza said in the Australian. “Everything was good. I changed my pace small amounts, which was something I’ve been working on.”Krejza was picked on the tour of India last year, taking 12 wickets on Test debut, but he quickly dropped out of favour following South Africa’s record win in Perth. A recall is “still pretty far away” and he is trying to stay relaxed. “Cricket’s a game and the more you worry about it the more nightmares you have about it,” he said. “I’m just trying to take wickets for Tassie and win games for Tassie, and I’m not looking too much further ahead than that.”

Cricket South Africa has recorded a turnaround of R80 million (approximately US$10.3 million) after budgeting for a R75.9 million (approximately US$9.75 million) loss. Professor Hentie van Wyk, the CSA treasurer, attributed the board’s R5.3 million (around US$682,500) operating profit to stronger negotiations, bigger broadcast deals, increased sponsorships and the South African board’s successful hosting of international tournaments.The results were announced at the board’s Annual General Meeting in Johannesburg on Saturday in the presence of the South African team, which enjoyed a successful season, winning five out of eight Tests and 11 out of 14 ODIs, including two series wins over Australia both home and away. South Africa are currently No.1 in both Tests and ODIs in the ICC rankings.”This favourable variance to budget is mainly due to interest received on increased cash balances, fee income related to the Champions League, IPL related income, increased sponsorship and international broadcast revenue,” van Wyk said of the financial returns. “In many aspects, our positive financial results reflect the benefits to cricket of improved structures, expertise and management at all levels.”Cricket continues to use a four-year profitability, and cash flow, cycle view to underpin cricket’s long term stability and smooth funding. The current cycle began 2006-7 and ends 2009-10. Fruits of this approach are already being seen in the form of being able to fund larger increases in Amateur monthly funding and also doubling the Amateur Provincial Competition in 2009-10. “van Wyk added that CSA expected greater revenues by the end of the 2009-10 season mainly due to the sale of television rights. “It is critical that all new cricket funding is able to be maintained in future years and the four year view supports this approach,” he said. “Due to international TV rights being sold, last year, for significantly larger amounts, the next four year cycle will show an increasing revenue trend.”

Former opener Saeed Anwar is expected to be hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a batting coach for the national team. A statement released by the PCB said Anwar had been approached by chairman Ijaz Butt and that he had emerged as a prime candidate.”Chairman PCB today had a discussion with Saeed Anwar regarding utilisation of his services for cricket. The chairman and Saeed Anwar will meet in the coming week to discuss the plan in detail,” the statement said.Anwar, 40, reportedly offered to assist Pakistan, who have been struggling at the top of the innings recently. Butt hoped Anwar’s expertise would help the team. “I am thankful for Saeed’s encouraging response and his offer to assist PCB and Pakistan players. I am sure Saeed will be able to contribute a lot to Pakistan cricket,” Butt said.As an international player Anwar made his one-day international on New Year’s Day 1989, and entered Test cricket two years later. In 55 Tests he scored 4052 runs at 45.52, including 11 hundreds, but he achieved global fame through his exploits in ODIs.The PCB, in the interim, have appointed Javed Miandad as the batting adviser to the national team in preparation for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Pakistan collapsed thrice in the first two Tests to lose the series against Sri Lanka and Miandad’s guidance, the board believes, will help the team address the problem. “We have requested Miandad help our team’s batting before next month’s Champions Trophy in South Africa and take care of (the team’s) problems,” Butt said at a press conference. “We had batting failures and I will be meeting each and every player here on Friday.”Miandad was a former coach of the Pakistan team and is currently the director general of the PCB and a member of the PCB Governing Board.