Rawalpindi’s Naveed Ashraf was only himself to blame as he missed what was a perfect opportunity for him to score a century in the Quaid Trophy Grade-I match against Lahore Whites Wednesday at Rawalpindi Stadium.Just when he looked set to reach the three figure mark, he played one reckless shot and was caught and bowled by off-spinner Muhammad Asif for 95 as Rawalpindi finished the second day at 258 for seven replying to Lahore’s 373.Lahore Whites had resumed their first innings at the overnight score of 315 for eight and added some quick runs through Mohammad Asif who hit an unbeaten 42 and Wasim Khan chipping in with 23.Paceman Yasir Arafat picked up one to add to his overnight three while Naeem Akhtar took the other wicket dismissing Wasim Khan.Rawalpindi made a poor start and lost opener Arif Butt and Shahid Javed with just one run on the board. But then Babar Naeem, playing responsibly, scored a patient 96-ball 42 to put things in order somewhat.Naveed along with Shiraz Khalid, who stroked a half century, put on 136 runs for the fifth wicket to make up for the early Rawalpindi hiccups. However, two quick blows late in the day by off-spinner Tariq Mahmood who sent back Shiraz and then Yasir Arafat left Rawalpindi needing another 115 runs to match Lahore’s first innings score.
In the Central Zone Under-22 Tournament played at Field Club Ground,Udaipur, host Rajasthan were held to a draw by Uttar Pradesh onMonday. UP could take home only three points as Rajasthan took fivepoints thanks to the first innings lead.Rajasthan won the toss on Saturday and decided to bat first and didwell to finish at 317 in 131 overs. A Jain with 76 (13 fours) and VSaxena with 81 (9 fours, 1 six) were the batting heroes. Anup Dave 46and L Jain with 40 batted well down in the order and helped Rajasthanbeef up there total. A Solanki with 5/72 was easily the pick of the UPbowlers. UP opening batsman A Kapoor Made a brilliant unbeaten 119 andcarried his batting through the innings. P Singh with 44 (6 fours and1 six) gave Kapoor admirable support. Kapoor in his defiant knockstruck 17 boundaries but ran out of partners as most of the UP batsmenfailed to apply themselves. UP were all out for 286 in 112.3 oversgiving Rajasthan the crucial first innings lead. L Jain with 3/54 wasthe best of the bowling. Rajasthan started their second innings with alead of 31 runs and were 73/1 at the close of play on Monday. V Saxenaremained unbeaten on 41. Perhaps it was the sluggish batting by bothsides that took away the competitive edge.
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram is safe after being involved in a road-rage shooting incident in Karachi. He was on his way to the National Stadium for a fast-bowling camp when the attack occurred.Akram told , a Pakistan television channel, that was he was “in shock” and that he had noted the car number and given it to the police.”Wasim was driving himself, and the car next to him tried to jam his car to one side and opened fire. He did not get hit, he is now at the National Stadium, dealing with police formalities,” Arsalan Hyder, Akram’s manager, told ESPNcricinfo.Deputy Inspector General of Karachi East, Munir Sheikh, said it was a case of road rage. “According to preliminary investigation, the incident appears to be a case of road rage. But we cannot say clearly what the motive behind the attack on Wasim Akram was,” Sheikh told reporters outside the National Stadium. “We have identified the car from CCTV footage and will have the suspect in custody in a couple of hours.”
Leeds United’s hopes of keeping hold of midfielder Kalvin Phillips, and the identity of his next club if he does move on, will hinge on whether or not they avoid relegation, according to journalist Phil Hay.
The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up in the air
The 26-year-old has suffered a frustrating season for the Whites, not playing a single minute since December because of a serious hamstring injury.
Talk has intensified over Phillips’ future in recent months, with a host of clubs linked with signing him amid Leeds’ Premier League relegation battle. Aston Villa and West Ham have been two particularly prominent suitors of late.
Hay has now addressed where the England midfielder’s future is likely to lie, depending on what happens at Elland Road over the next two months.
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The Latest: Hay on Kalvin Phillips
Writing in a Monday morning mailbag for The Athletic, the journalist admitted with regards to Phillips’ future that everything could depend on whether or not Leeds go down in May. He stated:
“If Leeds go down, all bets would be off. Players such as Phillips would need to find themselves Premier League clubs and would have to be open to whatever offers were on the table.
“But if Leeds stay up, and they’ve given themselves a huge chance of that by winning the last two games, I’d find it odd to see him go to Villa or West Ham United — two of the clubs linked with him recently.
“Phillips turns 27 this year and because of his age, doesn’t have an endless line of future big moves in him. Given his development and his progress at international level with England, the target for him, if he was to leave, would surely be relatively-secure Champions League football most seasons. Anything less would feel like him selling himself short. But we all know Villa have been on his case for a while.”
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The Verdict: Perfect incentive to stay up
If ever Jesse Marsch and his players needed an incentive to stay up, it is this, with Phillips arguably the most important player in the current Leeds squad.
He has matured into a truly formidable midfielder – one who is England’s reigning Player of the Year – dominating midfield battles and averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season.
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Losing Phillips would be an almighty blow but it would be impossible to begrudge him a move if Leeds are back playing in the Championship, with the boyhood Whites fan already doing a stint in that division when he could have played at a higher level.
In other news, Leeds could make a loan signing this summer. Find out who the player in question is here.
India have had a win in their battle over the umpiring in Sydney, with Steve Bucknor sacked from officiating in next week’s Perth Test and replaced by Billy Bowden. The BCCI later confirmed that they will continue the tour as planned after appealing Harbhajan Singh’s three-Test suspension although Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, conceded the appeal might not be heard before Perth. If the matter is not resolved by then India can pick Harbhajan at the WACA.”What we’ve seen over the last week is a lot of criticism of umpiring decisions, a lot of ill feeling,” Speed said at the MCG. “It’s not unlike the situation the cricket world faced at The Oval in 2006. What we need to do is to alleviate some of the tension that is focused on this match and one way of doing that is to bring in a new umpiring team.”Speed clarified, though, that this will not be the end of the road for Bucknor as an international umpire. “I expect that Steve will continue as an ICC Elite Panel umpire. He is coming to the end of his career. What we are seeking to do is take some tension out of the situation. Steve accepts that in the interests of the game and this Test match it is better that another umpire substitute for him … where the presence of one umpire becomes an issue that causes further aggravation we need to be sufficiently flexible.”Bucknor, meanwhile, remained in his Sydney hotel, waiting for the ICC to arrange a flight home for him while refusing to take any calls.Ratnakar Shetty, the chief administrative officer of the BCCI, said the board was satisfied with the ICC’s decision. “We had expected this and as far as processes go this is a satisfactory decision,” Shetty said. “So much happened during the Test and hence we filed an appeal complaining against umpire Bucknor.”Neither of the on-field officials from Sydney will stand in Perth, with Mark Benson originally scheduled to be replaced by Asad Rauf, an appointment that remains. The ICC’s chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle will fly to Australia to act as a mediator between Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting in an effort to restore the relationship between the sides. Mike Procter will remain as the match referee and will hear the offensive-language case against Brad Hogg, which is likely to be held in Perth.”His [Madugalle’s] only function in the Test will be to work with both of the captains, in effect as a mediator or a facilitator to make sure that the ill feeling that has evolved between the teams dissipates,” Speed said. “And that this Test and the following Test are played well and truly within the spirit of the game.”Harbhajan may be eligible to play in Perth after Speed indicated the appeal process might not be resolved quickly. “An appointment of a very senior judge will be made in the next 24 hours,” Speed said, “but I’m not able to announce that at this stage.”He said the appeal would include re-telling of the evidence that Procter heard at the SCG on Sunday night. “That involves some ten players and officials,” he said. “Some of them are in Canberra, some of them have gone home. They’ll be gathering in Perth ahead of the Test some time next week. I simply don’t know whether it will be able to happen before that Test.”Speed not only felt the remaining two Tests would occur, but was confident the tour game in Canberra, which is due to start on Thursday, would be completed. “Compensation if those Tests were not to be played is a matter of contract between Cricket Australia and the Indian board,” he said. “It would be a fairly complicated contractual dispute if that were to happen, but I don’t believe it will happen.”
A final day washout at Pietermartizburg prevented an exciting final day between the Dolphins and the Cobras. Despite conceding a first innings lead of 125, the Cobras had fought back by the end of day three, reducing the Dolphins to 83 for 6. Charl Willoughby was the chief destroyer, taking 5 for 16 off 12 impressive overs. The Cobras’ hopes were revived by an eighth-wicket stand of 111 between Vernon Philander (63) and Rory Kleinveldt (62) after the top order had fallen to 131 for 7. The Dolphins’ 392 was built around Hashim Amla’s 117, which included 13 boundaries, while Darren Smit fell seven short of his ton. However, it was the weather that had the final say.The pitch was the only winner at Bloemfontein as batsmen from the Eagles and the Titans filled their boots. Martin van Jaarsveld set the tone with his 159-ball 102, which was joined by Gulam Bodi’s unbeaten 160 as the Titans passed 500. In reply Dean Elgar, who captained South Africa at the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka last year, marched to a career-best 226, spanning 512 balls and more than 11 hours in the middle. He added 124 with Boeta Dippenaar (54) and 123 with Morne van Wyk (46) as the Eagles fell just 39 short of matching the Titans. There was little time remaining in the match and the second innings merely went through the motions.The meeting between the Warriors and the Lions at East London was disrupted enough by rain and bad light that time ran out to force a result, although the bowlers had enjoyed enough success to keep the match interesting. Tyron Henderson grabbed 4 for 46 as the Warriors reached 296 with half-centuries for Colin Ingram (64) and Justin Kreush (57). Neil McKenzie led the response with 94, but Mario Olivier’s 5 for 67 secured a 36-run lead. This was extended 234 on the final day as Arno Jacobs made an unbeaten 85 but a result was never on the cards.
Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, said that he was determined to revive his faltering fortunes in Pakistan. “It was the worst year as far as my cricketing career is concerned. I’m really happy that 2005 has passed,” Ganguly told the Mumbai-based newspaper.Sacked as captain and dropped from the one-day side after a spat with Greg Chappell, the coach, his was a controversial selection for the upcoming tour of Pakistan. He said he was ready for the challenge despite being written off by former players both in India and Pakistan. “It is their opinion,” he said. “I’ve nothing to do with what they think or believe. I know that I’ve to score runs. If I can do so, that will be the best for me. And I don’t want to be distracted at this moment. I just want to avoid controversies. The bottomline is, I have to make runs, lots of runs.”Ganguly was brought back for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka before being dumped again for the third Test, a move that created a public outcry across India. When Ganguly was picked in the 16-man squad for the Pakistan tour, local media speculated that Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, had forced the selectors to include him in a bid to cool tempers.Ganguly, India’s most successful Test captain with 21 wins, led India to victory in both the Test and one-day series on the last tour of Pakistan in March-April 2004. Pakistan, which toured India earlier this year, drew the Test series 1-1 and won the one-dayers 4-2. The selectors said Ganguly, who has scored 5,150 runs in 86 Tests, was picked for the Pakistan tour because of his experience.He said India had a good chance to succeed again on Pakistani soil. “Why not? If we are to beat them, we have to bat well first. That’s the basic thing. And there’s no reason why we can’t do that,” he said. Ganguly, who made his Test debut in 1996, said his new year resolution was to ‘toil hard and come out successful’. “In 1996, it was tough to break into the team. Now it’s tougher. But I am ready to accept it. That’s the challenge of 2006,” he said.Ganguly and three other players, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble and Parthiv Patel, have delayed their departure for Pakistan after being asked by the selectors to play their respective Ranji Trophy games starting Tuesday. The rest of the squad, led by Rahul Dravid, is scheduled to leave on Thursday for Lahore where they will play a three-day practice match from Saturday.India will play three Tests and five one-day internationals in Pakistan.
Glenn McGrath has lifted his sights to 600 Test wickets as he prepares to become the first Australia bowler to play a Test aged 35 since Ray Lindwall. The quirky record is a huge compliment to McGrath’s ironman durability and his ability to recover from injuries, such as the ankle problem that almost ended his career last year.While his pace partners were waiting to see who would join him in the first Test at Christchurch on Thursday, McGrath was resetting his goals. "I’ve always focused on 500 wickets but with the way I feel now, I’ve probably moved that up another 100,” McGrath told the Courier-Mail. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt as good as I have the last three months. I don’t even feel the ankle any more and my confidence has never been higher.”McGrath currently has 481 wickets and the newspaper reported Sir Richard Hadlee saying he was a chance of passing 500 during the three-Test series. Hadlee played until he was 39, taking 431 Test wickets, and Courtney Walsh (519) and Curtly Ambrose (405) bowled well into middle-age.Australia have to look back to Lindwall (228) and Keith Miller (170) for such longevity. Lindwall’s final Test was against India at Eden Gardens in January 1960.
The Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has urged the Indian board to order an inquiry against Kiran More and Pranab Roy, the two selectors who accused Abhijit Kale of offering a bribe for a place in the national team. Balasaheb Thorve, the MCA chairman, insisted that the board should look into both sides of the story.”Merely conducting an inquiry against Kale would not suffice as it is also necessary to find out whether there was any substance in the allegations made by the selectors that Kale had offered them a bribe,” Thorve said, according to the Press Trust of India. “I am writing a letter to the BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya that just like the inquiry against Kale, there should also be an inquiry against those who have made the allegation or else it will be a one-sided affair.”The allegations were of a very serious nature and have put cricket, known as gentlemen’s game, in very bad light. Hence, it is imperative that both the parties should be probed.”The BCCI had ordered an inquiry against Kale and suspended him from playing all matches conducted by the board after the bribery issue had come to light. Meanwhile, the MCA also set up a three-member panel to investigate the affair.Earlier reports suggested that Kale would appear before the panel today (November 22), but Avinash Ghatpande, the MCA joint secretary, clarified that no particular date had been allotted. “We have not given him any deadline. The inquiry will begin as soon as he comes to Pune,” he said. “I tried to contact him on Saturday but he could not be reached. I have left a message at his residence that the MCA Managing Committee wants to probe the whole matter.”
Standard Bank Cup log leaders KwaZulu-Natal squeaked to a one-wicket victory off the last ball of the match against North West in Potchefstroom on Friday while Free State picked up a bonus point in beating Easterns by 53 runs and Western Province firmed their claim for a semifinal berth with a 24-run victory over Griquas at Newlands.In Potchestroom the Dolphins chased down a challenging target of 262 set for the by the Dragons. The home team’s total of 261 for six was built around Arno Jacobs’ 112 with Graham Grace continuing his good form with the bat with a contribution of 44.The Dolphins batted all the way down the order with Jon Kent top-scoring with 59, but it was left to Andrew Tweedie and Jon Bastow to scramble eight of the last over for victory.At Goodyear Park the Eagles proved just too strong for Easterns. Cliffie Deacon’s 112 enabled Free State to compile 254 for seven before Easterns were bowled out for 201.And at Newlands Graeme Smith’s 70 gave substance to a moderate WP batting display, lifting the home team to 195 for nine. In reply Griquas crumbled against Claude Henderson’s left-arm spin and Smith’s gentle off breaks, collapsing to 171 all out. Henderson finished with four for 29 while Smith took three for 36.