Harbhajan Singh, embroiled in more than one controversy during India’s tour of Australia, has, in separate newspaper interviews, criticised the Australian team for being “arrogant” and has also come out strongly against Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.This trip, he told the , was the most challenging of his career. “It was as if the series was Harbhajan Singh versus Australia.”Harbhajan was charged with – and subsequently cleared – making a racist remark at Andrew Symonds and said he was upset when Hayden and Gilchrist both supported Symonds.He was quoted by the Delhi-based tabloid calling Hayden “a big liar”, though he later denied those comments. The paper also quoted him as saying Gilchrist was “not a saint”.He was, however, all praise for Brett Lee, saying he was different from his team-mates. “Lee never spoke in the same manner as the rest of his team-mates. He never uttered any nonsense to us and kept visiting our dressing-room even after Sydney,” he said.”I had always wanted to do well against Australia. We were all proud of ourselves that we did well in Australia. They are a dominating team but I have had a good record against them. I had to match their aggression and that is what I did.”According to Harbhajan, it wasn’t just the Australian players, but also the public and the press, who were against the Indian team. “I can understand the public wanting to support their team but I made them realise that I also played cricket the tough way. I was not in Australia to make friends. I was there to play for my country and win. And win we did.”
Bangladesh have named their Under-15 team that will participate in the upcoming International U-15 Challenge Competition in the West Indies.Iktedar Nazeef Ahmed will captain the 14-member squad, with wicketkeeper-batsman Litton Kumer Das as his deputy.Eight teams will contest in the tournament, which runs from April 19 to May 4. Besides hosts West Indies and Bangladesh, the other teams involved are Pakistan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Holland, Bangladesh and an ICC Americas team, comprising players from Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands and The Bahamas competing.Matches will be played in Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Guyana, Barbados and St Kitts, and the tournament is the first of its kind since the 2000 U-15 World Cricket Challenge in England that was won by the West Indies.The tournament has a knockout phase before the league competition begins on April 26.Bangladesh U-15 squad: Iktedar Nazeef Ahmed (capt), Litton Kumer Das (wk), Mohammad Anisur Rahman, Mehedi Hasan Anik (wk), Ahamedul Kabir, Khaza Khairuddin, Rakin Ahmed, Ratnak Saha, Shihabuddin Ahmed Arpon, Shahariar Islam, Mohammad Didar Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mohammad Jashimuddin, Mohammad Asif Hasan.
West Indies had few problems in securing their place in the CLICO International U-15 Championship final with a rousing eight-wicket win over Malaysia, the surprise semi-finalists who entered the tournament at the last minute following Zimbabwe’s withdrawal .Malaysia won the toss and batted, making a solid if rather ponderous start as Zubair Asyraf (39) and Keithan Goonasagaran (33) guided them to 82 for 1. But the innings unraveled against two left-arm spinners, Man-of-the-Match Kaverm Hodge (10-3-23-2) and Derone Davis (9.5-2-33-4), and they were bowled out for 160 with one ball remaining.West Indies’ batting has been one of the features of the competition and they raced to victory in 24.5 overs. Ramon Senior led the charge with an unbeaten 69 while the prolific Kraigg Brathwaite chipped in with 52, his fifth score over fifty in seven outings.In the other match, a repeat of the knockout semi-final, Pakistan, who were made to struggle on that occasion, cruised to a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh. Winning the toss, Bangladesh lost three early wickets to Syed Kumail Abbas, slipping to 13 for 3, and despite a gutsy 66 from Didar Hossain the innings never got going and they were bowled out for 126.Pakistan’s openers, Mohammad Babar (64) and Mohammad Naeem (36) put on 82 and, although they suffered a slight wobble, they eased home with more than 19 overs in hand.West Indies and Pakistan met last week in the Knockout tournament final. On that occasion Pakistan won a tense match by two runs.
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, the suspended IPL franchises, are likely to wait for the proceedings of Sunday’s IPL governing council meeting before finalising their future courses of action.The management of both Super Kings and Royals have been regularly meeting their respective legal teams over whether or not to file a review petition against the Justice Lodha panel’s ruling, which bars them from being a part of the IPL’s next two editions.A Royals insider revealed that they would prefer to wait for the BCCI’s immediate reaction to Tuesday’s verdict before deciding whether to challenge it or not. He also hoped that following Sunday’s governing council meeting, the BCCI would convene a meeting with both the franchise representatives to brief them on how they intend to tackle the impasse.Even the Super Kings management is unlikely to make up their mind before Sunday’s meeting, especially since the India Cements Ltd supremo N Srinivasan is to return to his hometown Chennai from Europe only on Saturday.Justice RM Lodha on Thursday clarified that the BCCI still had the right to terminate franchise agreements of both the franchises, even though the panel’s punishment was meted out on behalf of the BCCI to the two team owners. Legal experts believe terminating both the franchises is the most viable option for the BCCI.Still, the BCCI is unlikely to take a drastic decision in Sunday’s meeting. According to a governing council member, Sunday’s meeting will be more about “taking stock” than “taking hurried decisions”. He revealed that from the discussions he had been having with the BCCI hierarchy, he feels the board is in no mood to act without carefully considering all the legal implications of each of their possible actions.IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, on the other hand, told various media outlets that the BCCI running both the franchises for two years by forming an independent group of former cricketers was an option under consideration. However, multiple BCCI officials ESPNcricinfo spoke to laughed the concept off, saying it was “impractical” and could lead to “numerous conflict of interest” issues.
ScorecardSaleh Ahmed Shawon, the left-arm spinner, returned incredible figures of 6 for 10 off 7.4 overs to set up Bangladesh Under-19s’ win over Afghanistan Under-19s in a tri-series fixture at the Jadavpur University grounds in Kolkata on Sunday.Afghanistan, who opted to bat, were bundled out for 85 in 30.4 overs, with Hazratullah, the opener, top scoring with 32. There was little cheer for them apart from his 37-run opening stand with Ihsanullah (14). The rest of the batsmen couldn’t get into double figures as Shawon bettered his previous Under-19 best of 5 for 25 against South Africa in Chittagong earlier this year.Bangladesh lost Joyraz Sheik with just two runs on the board, but the second-wicket pair of Mohammed Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain Shanto added 43 runs to wipe out a major portion of the target. But Afghanistan came storming back to pick up four quick wickets for just 15 runs, with Zia-ur-Rehman, the left-arm spinner, scalping two.Saeed Sarkar then held his nerve to hit the winning runs as Bangladesh recorded their first win the tournament.The second round of the league phase begins on Tuesday, with India locking horns with Bangladesh at the same venue.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt was a frustrating day for fans and players•Getty Images
A draw in the third Test between Australia and West Indies at the SCG appears almost inevitable after the third day’s play was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Persistent rain made it impossible for the players to take the field at all, making it just the third time in the past 20 years that a full day’s play had been lost in a Test in Australia.Only 68 balls had been bowled on the second day due to the wet weather, and rain also affected the first day’s play. The forecast for the fourth day is for a shower or two, but there is unlikely to be enough rain to significantly affect the chances of play. West Indies will resume in their first innings at 7 for 248, having not yet faced a full day’s allotment of overs.
Just as South Africa’s situation had reached a do-or-die stage, they did.Their bowlers pulled England back, from what could have become a 350-plus score, to take four for 22 in the dying stages of the innings and restrict them to 318. Then Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla set South Africa up for the highest successful chase at SuperSport Park, the only ground to have witnessed the team’s success so far this summer. It was the performance of a team that was not willing to be defeated and it could be the start of a turnaround that will salvage South Africa’s season.”We were pretty desperate to get a result in this game. It’s hopefully the signs of really good things to come,” AB de Villiers said.Two run-outs, good catches like JP Duminy’s grab at leg-gully to dismiss Jos Buttler, and a fine fielding performance told de Villiers his team had recommitted to the cause. “You can always rate the morale of the side in the way they field out there and we showed a lot of hunger in the field, there were a lot of bodies being thrown around to stop the ball and great attitude,” he said.There was also a better balance to the South Africa XI after they dropped the seventh specialist batsman, replacing Rilee Rossouw with an allrounder, David Wiese. Although Wiese was expensive and the experiment to use him as a pinch-hitter at No.3 failed, he gave South Africa a level of security, knowing they had a fifth frontline bowler. De Villiers did not go as far as saying Wiese corrected any imbalances and insisted he just “brings a lot to the party with bat and ball in hand.” Wiese’s presence meant Duminy did not have to bowl at all and Farhaan Behardien was only used when Imran Tahir became a liability.England have targeted Tahir, who has only two wickets in the series, but de Villiers is keeping the faith in his No.1 spinner. “He is one of the best bowlers in the word. He is still one of my go-to guys and he has got a lot of x-factor about him,” de Villiers said. “He will play a role somewhere in this series and win a game for us and have an impact like we know he can.”Similarly, England continued to back the team that put them 2-0 up, which meant leaving Stuart Broad on the sidelines. Eoin Morgan did not think it was time to panic about including Broad for experience’s sake just yet but will consider him for the next match as England aim to seal the series. “Today we didn’t hit our straps. We have two spinners, variation with the two left-armers and Stokes and Jordan for a bit of pace,” he said. “I’ve considered tweaking the attack every game so we will consider it again.The fourth match, or South Africa’s second final, is the pink match in aid of breast cancer at the Wanderers. The hosts have never lost in pink and if history repeats itself, that could set the series up for a grand showdown in Cape Town on Sunday. But England still hold all the aces.Their strength is their batting line-up which Morgan said was only getting more confident as they keep piling on runs. “Our batting unit seemed to grow every game that they play and that’s hugely encouraging. We haven’t had any hiccups yet,” he said. “Joe Root showed his class, scoring another hundred, and his experience now is that of a leader within the group and that’s great to see.”South Africa will feel they have something similar in de Kock, especially when both he and Amla get going. “If you get good solid starts, it’s easier for the batting line-up to understand the rhythm of the game and get your pace right. It just frees the middle order up a lot,” de Villiers explained. Now the hosts have to hope their advantage has not come too late.
Leicestershire have reported an increased turnover for 2015 and a small profit – compared with a loss of £225,000 last year – but the auditors of the club’s accounts have warned of a level of debt that could threaten their future viability.Last season saw Leicestershire win their first Championship game since 2012 amid renewed optimism at the arrival of Wasim Khan as chief executive. While income increased by more than £600,000 (largely down to a bigger ECB grant) and the club recorded a surplus of £4315, the club’s “net liability” stood at almost £350,000.In Leicestershire’s annual report, independent auditors Grant Thornton UK have noted the club’s reliance on a bank overdraft arrangement with “no specific renewal date”, the withdrawal of which could threaten their ability to continue as a business.”These conditions, along with the other matters explained in note 1 to the financial statements, indicate the existence of a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt about the Club’s ability to continue as a going concern,” said the report.Leicestershire’s accounts for 2014, when the club’s debts were around £300,000, contained a similar note. The lifting of a covenant on Grace Road in the same year does, however, give the county greater security, with the ground valued at £3.65m, and Khan was confident that progress is being made.”Leicestershire County Cricket Club has had an excellent financial year,” Khan said. “While accepting that it is a challenge when ECB funding makes up a significant amount of our revenue streams, these challenges are widely faced around the county circuit.”The lifting of the covenant on the ground has given us financial security and, comparatively, our liabilities are pretty low. We have no medium to long term debt that needs servicing and the bank overdraft facility, which is part of our net current liabilities, is used purely for operational purposes as and when required.”Our accounts show a significant turnaround from a deficit of £225,153 in 2014 to a surplus of £4315 in 2015 and our current cash flow is as strong as it has been in five years. Notice of a Special General Meeting has been given purely in relation to the club rules. It is not related to the publication of our financial performance in the last year.”Khan recently referred to Leicestershire’s precarious position during the process to secure planning permission for floodlights at Grace Road, saying if the club could not run as a sustainable business “we might not be here in five years’ time”.Earlier this month, Leicestershire secured approval for floodlights, which will enable them to play NatWest T20 Blast fixtures in the evening. The development’s significance is reflected by the fact match receipts actually fell in 2015 – largely due to income from an India tour game the year before – at a time when T20 on Friday nights has become in increasingly important revenue stream for counties.Another boost to the club’s financial position came on Friday, with the announcement of a five-year naming rights agreement for Grace Road with local company Fischer Future Heat – the first time in the ground’s 137-year history that it will carry the name of a sponsor.”The club had an excellent commercial year in 2015 and further major developments have been announced,” Khan said. “Planning permission has been gained for the installation of floodlights, which will allow us to start NatWest T20 Blast fixtures at a later time and help us to build on encouraging figures for 2015. A 48% increase in our NatWest T20 Blast attendances was bettered only by Yorkshire.”Leicestershire County Cricket Club also signed a five-year deal with Fischer Future Heat, who became our first ever official ground naming rights partner on Friday. Elton John is also set to perform at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road on June 11 and that will have a hugely positive impact on the city of Leicester as well as the club.”The club’s annual report has been sent to members and a Special General Meeting has been called alongside the Annual General Meeting for February 24.
I regret, that despite complying with every request made to me by the UCB since September 2001, including:(1) submitting to and passing a UCB -sanctioned fitness test with a view to securing a contract;(2) committing myself to play five-day and one-day cricket for South Africa until the end of the World Cup;(3) representing and captaining South Africa A;the UCB has refused to offer me a contract and has further failed to provide any reasons for this refusal.I furthermore wish to confirm that I received no indication whatsoever as to what match fees, if any, would be paid to me for my participation in the Newlands Test match.All I required was to be treated in a manner equal to the other senior players.I wish to thank all of you who have supported me and have been just as excited as I was with my recall.In conclusion, I would like to wish the South African team every success for the upcoming Test match.DJ CullinanMarch 5, 2002
Glasgow Rangers failed to build upon their excellent UEFA Europa League win after they were held to a 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership at lunchtime.
Joe Aribo had to rescue a point for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in the end, after Dundee United took a shock lead in the first half with a header from Ross Graham from a corner kick.
There were some underwhelming performances from the Ibrox faithful on the day, and The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst players (to have played at least 45 minutes) were:
Scott Arfield – 6.7
Admittedly joint with Allan McGregor in terms of rating (6.7), Arfield ranks in third here as the goalkeeper could not do much to stop the goal from Graham.
Arfield lost out on four of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on target, interception or tackle, while also losing possession nine times.
Filip Helander – 6.5
Graham was Helander’s man, and the Sweden international lost him on the corner, so it is no surprise to see him get a low rating of 6.5.
Helander was unsuccessful in two of his duels, and also never managed a clearance or tackle, while he lost the ball on seven different occasions.
Alfredo Morelos – 5.9
Morelos was given the worst Teddy Bears rating by far, a mere 5.9.
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The Colombia international lost seven duels, and missed with all five of his shots on goal, while he also lost the ball nine times.
In other news, find out whose performance was slammed by The 4th Official here!