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Pune’s bowlers have been the reason for their 3-0 head-to-head against Mumbai. They have only allowed one half-century to the most prolific middle-order in the tournament

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu20-May-2017

Match facts

Final, Mumbai Indians v Rising Pune Supergiant
Hyderabad, May 21, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)2:45

Agarkar: Mumbai have gained from lesser-known players

Form guide

• Rising Pune Supergiant: beat Mumbai by 20 runs; beat Kings XI by 9 wickets; lost to Daredevils by 7 runs.

• Mumbai Indians: beat KKR by six wickets; lost to Rising Pune by 20 runs; beat KKR by 9 runs.

Head-to-head

Overall: It’s 4-1 to Rising Pune Supergiant. Mumbai Indians’ most recent win against their opponents in the final came last year.This season: Rising Pune won home and away in the league stage, and then shocked Mumbai again at the Wankhede in the first qualifier.

Big picture

It’s groundhog day in the IPL, and Mumbai have gone to great lengths to make it happen. Now all they have to do is figure out a way to end the loop and get the girl. But if not that, then at least the trophy.Twice in the league, and again in the first qualifier earlier this week, Rohit Sharma and his men have come up against Rising Pune, done everything they can, only to wake up and see its still February 2. Bill Murray’s character – spoiler alert – eventually escaped his fate by accepting his curse. While that makes rom-com fans go “aww”, those that frequent the Wankhede would go “&^%$*”. Mumbai are two-time champions. Rising Pune won’t even exist in the IPL after Sunday. They want a win before this rivalry ends.Krunal Pandya was seen receiving treatment to his groin during the second qualifier but Rohit has said he should be okay to play. Mitchell McClenaghan, who did not play that game, will be assessed on the morning of the final in Hyderabad.

The likely XIs

Mumbai Indians 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Karn Sharma, 9 Mitchell Johnson/Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Jasprit BumrahRising Pune Supergiant 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Dan Christian, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Adam Zampa

Strategy punt

There are statistics to suggest the legspinner Karn Sharma, Mumbai’s unexpected trump card, and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, should be saved for the Rising Pune middle order. They have been hit for 20 runs off nine balls by Rahul Tripathi and 25 runs off 13 balls by Steven Smith. But they have managed five dots in nine balls to MS Dhoni and 11 dots in 22 balls to Manoj Tiwary, at an economy rate of six or less.

Stats that matter

• Rising Pune have kept a lid on Mumbai’s power players. Rohit and Kieron Pollard average 20.66 and 14.33 against them this season.
• In three matches, Rising Pune have only allowed Mumbai to hit 23 sixes and 35 fours. In comparison, Mumbai thrashed 29 sixes against Kings XI after only two meetings, and 47 fours after three rounds against Knight Riders.
• One of Rising Pune’s biggest strengths is their ability to strangle teams in the middle overs. They have taken the most wickets – 41 – established the lowest run-rate – 7.16 – and accumulated the most dots – 321 – between overs seven and 15 this IPL.
• Mumbai, with 10, have the record for the most fifty-plus scores from the middle order in 2017. But only one of them has come against Rising Pune. Rohit’s batsmen from No. 3 to No. 7 average only 13.86 and strike at 113 against Smith’s bowlers.
• Dhoni, who will be playing his seventh final in ten IPLs, averages 64.66 and strikes at 161.66 against Mumbai in IPL playoff and knockout matches.
• Among those who have bowled at least six overs against Mumbai in this IPL, offspinner Washington Sundar’s economy-rate of 5.25 is the second best, behind Rashid Khan’s 5.12.
• Ajinkya Rahane has struggled all season, but he has contributed two of the four fifties Rising Pune have against Mumbai. No other team has managed more than two 50-plus scores against Mumbai.
• These statistics indicate how Rising Pune have kept the head-to-head in their favour so far, but Mumbai are big-match specialists. Lendl Simmons had three successive fifties in IPL play-off and knockout games before this year.
• Jasprit Bumrah has bowled more deliveries (152) in the last five overs than anyone else, and was resplendent when he bowled the first Super Over of his career earlier this season. He will go into the final on the high of recording his best figures in T20s – 3-1-7-3 – in the second qualifier against KKR on Friday.
• Pollard has faced 273 balls in the 2017 season – his second-highest tally in 10 IPLs. Nine more and he’ll eclipse his personal best. But here’s the kicker: Mumbai have won the title in two out of three previous seasons that he has batted more than 200 balls.
• In 12 innings this season, Krunal has conceded runs at only 6.72 per over. Here are the strike-rates of batsmen who have faced at least 10 balls from him. Tiwary (83), Manish Pandey (117), AB de Villiers (118), Hashim Amla (133), Rahane (135) and Suryakumar Yadav (161).

A computer programme will help select North and South teams to take part in a new county one-day competition to be staged in the UAE next spring.

George Dobell09-May-2016A year to the day since he was unveiled as the new managing director of England cricket, Andrew Strauss has announced a new competition aimed at making England more competitive at the next World Cup.The most eye-catching aspect of the competition is the use of the Professional Cricketers’ Association ranking system – effectively a computerised formula – to help select two sides (the North and the South) which will contest a three-match series in the UAE next spring.A maximum of five England-qualified players for each side – the top four players from each division and the top spinner if not one of those four – will be chosen using the PCA’s Most Valuable player rankings from this year’s Royal London Cup, the domestic 50-over competition, with the rest chosen by the England selectors. The spinner will only qualify through their bowling exploits, so batting allrounders who bowl a little spin are unlikely to qualify.The three-match series will take place in Abu Dhabi next March and is currently viewed as a three-year plan aimed at improving England’s chances in the 2019 World Cup.Had the rules been in place in 2015 the players to qualify from the South would have been Steven Davies, Benny Howell, Liam Dawson, Ravi Bopara and, as the spinner, Jack Taylor. From the North, Wes Durston, Samit Patel, Scott Borthwick and Alex Hales would have qualified. Riki Wessels finished ahead of Hales but was not, at the time, England qualified. Stephen Parry would have qualified as the spinner.Twenty-six players will be chosen for the two squads in total, with no age limits applied. Nobody who has retired from ODI cricket will be selected, ruling out the likes of Marcus Trescothick, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood or Jonathan Trott, while it is also unlikely that members of England’s ODI squad – who will have just finished a series in the Caribbean in March – will be considered for selection.No sponsorship or broadcast arrangements have yet been made for the games, though there is plenty of time to resolve both issues.There is no obvious downside to the idea. While it might, potentially, encourage selfish cricket for players on the brink of the top four – and it does raise the vaguely amusing but highly improbable prospect of Kevin Pietersen qualifying in the unlikely event he decided to return to county cricket – the tournament might be considered another small step towards giving England the best chance in 2019.Might it have been played in England? Ideally, of course. But the schedule, for 2016 at least, precludes that. Not only is there limited space, but the 50-over final does not take place until the brink of autumn. Possibly in 2017, when most 50-over cricket is played in a block and the final is scheduled for mid-summer, that could change, but the UAE – with its excellent facilities and reliable climate – remains the more likely host for now. “Nothing is off the table,” Strauss said.But perhaps the most relevant point is that Strauss has chosen to use this idea to promote ODI cricket. He might have used it to improve the T20 or Test sides, but he came into the job after England had endured another wretched World Cup campaign and promising to give new impetus to List A cricket – the format that seems to have slipped down the pecking order at domestic level – and has stuck to that commitment. The ECB see the 2019 World Cup, which they host, as a once in a generation opportunity to inspire new interest in the game and know how important a part a successful England team could play in that.This North v South series is not the full answer to England’s ODI issues. But anything that encourages greater relevance and intensity in the domestic game is to be encouraged and if this scheme “accelerates the progress of one or two players” as Strauss puts it, then all well and good. And, taken in conjunction with other alterations – the move to something approaching a block format in 2017, the emphasis on improved pitches – it should help.The MVP rankings were launched in 2007 and the PCA has worked with the ECB’s high performance centre at Loughborough to enhance them for this new venture. The system moves beyond basic averages, with batsmen gaining points for strike-rate and a percentage of the team’s score while bowlers are rewarded higher for which batsmen they dismiss. The quality of opposition is taken into account as well as overall conditions.”This is a good opportunity for England, domestic players and the game,” Strauss said. “Finding the best players outside the current England set-up, playing them against each other in overseas conditions and placing them in an England environment will help us see if they’re ready for international cricket.”As a player you always like to see how you rank – it gives you recognition and here it comes with the added bonus of getting further into the England reckoning as we look ahead to the World Cup here in 2019.”And for fans it also gives an added element to the Royal London Cup, putting the spotlight on the players to follow in the 50-over game. This is a shot in the arm for the domestic game.”

A late flurry of wickets cost West Indies Women the first ODI as they went down by one run against New Zealand Women at the Sabina Park in Kingston

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2013
ScorecardDeandra Dottin’s half-century brought West Indies close to a win in the first ODI•West Indies Cricket Board

A late flurry of wickets cost West Indies Women the first ODI as they went down by one run against New Zealand Women at the Sabina Park in Kingston.Poised for a win at 212 for 6, with 14 needed off 30 balls, West Indies lost their last four wickets for 12 runs to be dismissed for 224. The first of those four wickets was that of captain Merissa Aguilleira, who had scored a solid 43 and looked good to guide her side to victory. Her wicket was followed by the dismissals of Anisa Mohammad, out lbw to Nicola Browne, and Tremayne Smartt, stumped off Suzie Bates’ bowling. In the final over, with West Indies on the brink of a win, Browne effected a run-out to dismiss Shaquana Quintyne.West Indies had set up their chase well, guided by Deandra Dottin’s 66-ball 65. Dottin added crucial partnerships – first a 49-run fourth-wicket stand with Stafanie Taylor and a 74-run stand with Aguilleira that put West Indies in a comfortable position. Dottin’s innings included seven fours and a six but crucial wickets from Lea Tahuhu and Morna Nielsen gave New Zealand a chance to storm back into the game.Earlier, New Zealand could only score 225 in spite of having been in a strong position of 210 for 2. Having chosen to bat, Bates and Natalie Dodd shared a 65-run opening stand. Once Dodd fell, Bates added 95 runs for the second wicket with Amy Satterthwaite and put on fifty runs with Sophie Devine, while bringing up her fifth ODI hundred. Bates’ 110 came off 133 balls and included nine fours. New Zealand, however, lost their last six wickets for just 15 runs. Stafanie Taylor bagged four of the last six wickets, dismissing wicketkeeper Rachel Priest, Katie Perkins, Browne and Nielsen. Taylor finished with figures of 4 for 19 off seven overs.

Owais Shah made an unbeaten hundred as Essex fought back with bat and ball on day two against Hampshire

Ivo Tennant at West End05-Sep-2012
ScorecardOwais Shah was in fine form as Essex turned a first-innings deficit into a sizeable lead•PA Photos

A commonplace remark was made after Andrew Strauss announced his retirement last week. It was that Owais Shah, when a young cricketer making his way alongside Strauss with Middlesex, was the better prospect.If coaches and colleagues speculated which of the two might play in 100 Test matches, they settled on the right-hander with an array of shots not seen since Mark Ramprakash was attracting similar notices.Strauss has had the stellar career, but at least Shah is still playing. His has been a mixed and wet summer, but that has been the case with so many batsmen. A century against Glamorgan, one half-century and a string of twenties and thirties until he came out to bat here with Essex still in arrears as a result of insufficient runs in their first innings. A second, unbeaten century was the upshot, one brimming with fluent drives in easier conditions than on the first day.How Essex required this contribution, even if they had done markedly well to restrict Hampshire to a first-innings lead of only 49, taking their remaining six wickets in the morning for just 64 runs. When Tom Westley was held at second slip, playing away from his body at David Balcombe, Shah’s side were in need of a long partnership. He and Jaik Mickleburgh provided one.They put on 193 in 60 overs for the second wicket. Why Shah has not achieved more is a judgement best left to the likes of Graham Gooch and Keith Fletcher. Suffice to say he is still a delight to watch. Having reached a half-century off 72 balls with ten fours, he struck Liam Dawson, who in the absence of Danny Briggs was given a supportive spin role to the medium pacers, straight for six and then, next ball, drove him along the ground to the long-on boundary. There were some low-slung pulls and the running between the wickets was eager.His century came up with his 18th four, driven past mid-off. Sean Ervine was the hapless bowler. At this point Shah had double Mickleburgh’s tally – 100 to 52 – but that was just as well. The situation required one of the batsmen to accumulate, or, if nothing else, simply to stay in. Too many Essex wickets have fallen too cheaply in this match and plenty more runs will be required on the third day. Mickleburgh was finally caught at slip off Simon Katich’s underused unorthodox left-arm spin, having made 73 off 206 balls with ten fours.What to make of the pitch? As with most cut by Nigel Gray this season, it has played better after the first three or four sessions. At the outset, grass is left on for the benefit of the side winning the toss.Reece Topley, bowling from the pavilion end, took three wickets in quick succession upon resumption in the morning, having James Vince caught behind, Bilal Shafayat at gully without addition and Michael Bates leg-before aiming to mid-on.David Balcombe was leg-before to Maurice – pronounced with felicitation by John White, the tannoy announcer – Chambers; Ervine, having made 43, was held at deep square leg and Hampshire, all in all, had batted only a little less indifferently than Essex, at a time when they have to extend their splendid form in one-day cricket into the first-class game if they are to be promoted.

The Warriors lower-order batsmen kept swinging their first balls for boundaries to make sure the comeback from Ashwell Prince and Johan Botha was not wasted

The Report by Sidharth Monga23-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outAshwell Prince showed there was enough room for correct batsmen playing correct shots in Twenty20•Associated Press

The Warriors lower-order batsmen kept swinging their first balls for boundaries to make sure the comeback from Ashwell Prince and Johan Botha was not wasted. Royal Challengers Bangalore had the game won, then lost, then won, then lost, then won, until they finally lost it last ball. Prince and Botha came together with 91 required off 8.1 overs, but by the time Prince fell for 74 off 55 they were left needing 18 off 10. Craig Thyssen then squeezed a yorker out for four before edging the next, Nicky Boje came out to pull the first he faced for a six only to watch Botha play two dots before getting out in the final over. With six required off two, it was Wayne Parnell’s turn to pull a slower bouncer away for four before hitting the final ball to the left of long-on for the match-winning couple.Like the famous World Cup tie between India and England at the same venue, this match kept turning this way and that so frequently it left you dizzy. Trusting a flat track and short boundaries, the batsmen remained brave, even when it was tense. Especially when it was tense. All five of Bangalore’s set batsmen, whose attractive efforts ranged between 34 and 23, were caught at the boundary, leaving them an in-between total by Chinnaswamy Stadium standards. The main beneficiary of that hitting was Rusty Theron who ended up with four wickets.Warriors came out swinging too: JJ Smuts lofted S Aravind, the near last-over hero, for a six off the first ball he bowled, Prince swung Chris Gayle for two sixes in his second. Led by Daniel Vettori, the man with the best T20I economy rate among bowlers with at least 50 overs to their name, Bangalore inched back into the match. Vettori accounted for Colin Ingram and Justin Kreusch, but his side’s fielding was to soon let him down.Prince should have been out for 28 off 28 when Viratn Kohli dropped a sitter at midwicket. Botha should have been out for 14 when his top edge lobbed over Mayank Agarwal, who was a couple of yards inside the boundary, at fine leg. That shouldn’t take the shine off the efforts of the two. A long-form specialist at international level, Prince showed there was enough room for correct batsmen playing correct shots in Twenty20. He kept the fight up even as wickets fell at the other end, and stayed long enough to bring up his highest Twenty20 score.And if he did lose faith with the wickets falling, Botha would have reinforced it with a smacking off-drive for four off the first ball he faced. The two then started peppering all boundaries, and a game of tactics ensued. Vettori kept attacking through himself, Dirk Nannes and Chris Gayle, leaving the final two overs for the Indian bowlers who had gone for plenty earlier. Neither Prince nor Botha took a backward step. Prince saw Vettori off with a six off the last ball he bowled, and Botha bid Gayle farewell with two sixes in his last.Then began two crazy overs for two Karnataka youngsters. Abhimanyu Mithun ran in with 18 to defend in the last two, with 72 having come off the previous 6.1. Prince top-edged a slog to send Bangalore into ecstasy. Mithun followed it up a decent full and wide ball, which Thyssen squirted past point. Mithun came back next ball with a short-of-a-length delivery that took the edge. Six off five with two wickets so far. In came Boje, got a short ball, pulled it over wide long-on for six.Time for another Bangalorean then to try to redeem himself. With just six to defend, Aravind responded boldly. He went round the stumps, called the keeper up, and beat Botha with back-to-back slower deliveries. Then the man with 42 off 23 made the mistake, holing out to long-on. Boje managed only a single next ball, and Royal Challengers were about to make the final mistake. For the first time in the over Aravind sent the keeper back. Parnell was almost expecting a short ball, when he sat back and waited for the slower bouncer to arrive. He pulled it in the air, it bounced inches inside the midwicket boundary. Botha thought it was a six, and charged onto the field.He had to go back and watch a mis-hit to long-on off the last ball before he could finally celebrate. Bangalore had lost the inaugural match of a league season again, taking the count to two in IPL and two in Champions league.

Split-innings one-day matches will be taken to Townsville, Bunbury and Burnie after Australia’s domestic fixture list was released

Cricinfo staff25-Aug-2010Split-innings one-day matches will be taken to Townsville, Bunbury and Burnie after Australia’s domestic fixture list was released on Wednesday. The season begins with the first match of the new National One-Day Cup between Queensland and Tasmania at the Gabba on October 6, and it will be followed by the opening Sheffield Shield fixture two days later.Brought in to attract new spectators, the split-innings 45-over format will not be limited to the traditional home grounds. The Bulls will play against South Australia in Townsville in October while Tasmania will face New South Wales in Burnie in December and Western Australia will host the Tigers in Bunbury in February.”We are excited by the new concepts set to be trialled in interstate cricket this summer and look forward to public comment the split-innings format is set to create,” Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said.The extended Twenty20 Big Bash, which includes 20 games, will start on December 30 and conclude on February 5. Victoria begin their Sheffield Shield defence at the MCG on October 25 and the final of the tournament is scheduled for March 17-21.To see the fixture list go here.

Western Australia, the three-time reigning champions, haven’t lost a game this season so far

AAP16-Nov-2024Stumps Lower-order resistance helped Victoria claim a 206-run first-innings lead in their Sheffield Shield clash with three-time reigning champions Western Australia.After being skittled for 167, WA appeared to be containing Victoria at the Junction Oval when the hosts were 207 for 6 on Saturday. But No. 9 Xavier Crone hit an unbeaten 62 from 65 balls, smashing three sixes to help Victoria reach 373.Fellow lower-order batters Fergus O’Neill (44) and Sam Elliott (26) also chipped in to make WA’s bowlers toil in hot conditions for most of the day.Opening bowlers Joel Paris (3 for 44) and Cameron Gannon (3 for 59) as well as spinner Corey Rocchiccioli (3 for 115) took all but one of WA’s wickets.WA had to bat for the last hour before stumps on Saturday, reaching 33 for 1 with Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin at the crease. Opener Cameron Bancroft, who has endured an unfortunate form slump after dominating the Shield for the past two seasons, struggled again. After recently being overlooked for a call-up to the Test team for the first time since the 2019 Ashes, Bancroft fell to O’Neill for 11. In the first innings on Friday, Bancroft could only manage 12, also losing his wicket to O’Neill.Victoria have set themselves up nicely to become the first team to beat WA in the Shield this season. WA are aiming to claim a fourth straight title, and were undefeated after three matches before they headed to Melbourne.

Welsh Fire fall short in chase as defending champions leap from bottom of table to third

ECB Reporters Network14-Aug-2023Trent Rockets climbed off the bottom of the table with a nail-biting win over Welsh Fire, as bowler John Turner held his nerve with 14 required from the final five balls.He finished with superb figures of 1 for 22, while Rockets were able to set a competitive total thanks to New Zealander Colin Munro who smashed 66 off 35 balls after his team had been reduced to 40 for 4 early on. In the end they reached 152 for 6.The defeat is a blow to Fire’s hopes of a top three finish, as they let Rockets off the hook with the ball and never really got going with the bat. It came down to the last ball with Roelof van der Merwe needing to hit a six to win, but he could only manage a single as Fire finished on 148 for 6, Joe Clarke top scoring with 54 off 34.This was billed as Trent Rockets international top order batting against the equally international class of the Welsh Fire bowling attack, and the home side opted to bowl first to unleash that threat.It went the way of the bowlers early on, England’s David Willey dismissing both openers. Alex Hales got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Clarke, who took a fine diving catch, while Dawid Malan was out lbw trying to guide the ball down to fine leg, a review showing it would have clipped leg stump.Joe Root started in typically busy fashion and also unfurled the ramp shot he has used so often this summer, but it was to get him out from a Jake Ball slower ball as the lack of pace saw the ball just spoon up to Clarke.When van der Merwe got his first ball to turn and dismiss Tom Kohler-Cadmore, playing down the wrong line, the Rockets were in serious trouble at 40 for 4 after 41 balls.Samit Patel hit van der Merwe for a 94-metre six, but then perished next ball trying to repeat the shot, this time top edging into the covers to be caught by Stephen Eskinazi.Munro should have been run out after a brilliant piece of boundary fielding by Harris Rauf, but Shaheen Shah Afridi tried to throw the stumps down when a simple throw through to keeper Clarke would have been enough.Munro then hit van der Merwe for two big sixes, with another six off Rauf taking him to his half-century off 27 balls. Despite that Pakistan ace Rauf conceded only 19 off his 20 balls, while Munro finished on 66 off 35 as he steered his side to a competitive total.Stephen Eskinazi was dropped by Daniel Sams off Turner on 5, however the bowler was not to be denied when he hit the off stump of Jonny Bairstow, the England man’s second low score in a row since returning for Welsh Fire as he departed for 3.Fire fell behind the required rate early on, struggling particularly against the swing of Luke Wood. The acceleration needed to come, but Eskinazi perished trying to hit Sams over the top, caught by Joe Root coming in from long-on.Luke Wells was dropped by Munro at deep square off Lewis Gregory on 3, but departed for 8 after Sams made no mistake on another skied effort off Ish Sodhi.Clarke and Tom Abell did not find things easy, but managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over without ever getting ahead of the rate, with Fire needing 34 from the final 15 balls. The first five of those went for no runs, with Abell run out and Clarke given out off the fifth. However it turned out to be a no-ball and a free hit, which Clarke hit for six to keep Fire alive needing 26 off the final 10.Glen Phillips hit 12 of those off Sams before being caught at long-off, leaving Clarke and David Willey 14 to get from the final set. But Rockets, and Turner, held their nerve.

Cricket Discipline Commission panel expected to hear cases in September or October

David Hopps15-Jun-2022Yorkshire have received long-awaited notice that they will be charged, along with seven individuals, following an ECB investigation into racism and other allegations surrounding the club.The ECB has not named those under investigation at this stage. However, the evidence provided by Azeem Rafiq, the former Yorkshire player, to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee last November, and the results of Yorkshire’s independent investigation, is already well known.Yorkshire will be accused of failing to address a culture within the club that was hostile to minority-ethnic cricketers and of failing to respond to complaints about racism or discrimination in a proper manner.Although none of the current management team or players are associated with the period under review, the club remains responsible for historic actions. But a new regime that is committed to change is hardly likely to try to defend the actions of its predecessors and could well plead guilty, point to its commitment to change and just take the hit.As the hearings are likely to be concluded after the end of the season, and there remains no clarity on potential points deductions, that possibility is likely to hang over Yorkshire for the entire summer.However, individual administrators will not be charged because the Cricket Discipline Commission, which is in charge of disciplinary hearings in the domestic game, has no power to sit in judgment on administrators, who appear to escape the sort of individual scrutiny given to players, coaches, match referees, agents, members, ECB committee members, and any others who have agreed in writing to be bound by the rules.The ECB has yet to remark whether it regards that as a glaring oversight that it intends to remedy.The charges arise from alleged breaches of ECB Directive 3.3 which states: “No Participant may conduct themself in a manner or do any act or omission at any time which is improper or which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the ECB, the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute.”Related

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The cases are expected to be heard by a CDC independent panel in September or October this year, although this has been one of the most complex and potentially problematic cases ever considered by the commission and legal representations on behalf of some of those accused could yet push back the hearing into next year. Hearings could last for more than a week and will involve cross-examination of those who have provided witness statements.An ECB statement said “The ECB’s investigation has been thorough and complex, with the allegations covering a significant period of time and a number of witnesses and other individuals coming forward to share their own experiences and allegations. The ECB is grateful to all those who have taken the time to speak with the investigating team.”In matters of this nature, our normal practice is not to identify individuals charged at this stage. This decision is taken on a case-by-case basis. It is however standard practice for the CDC disciplinary panel to publish its decisions and written reasons in full following the hearing.”Only one player who has faced racism allegations, Gary Ballance, remains on Yorkshire’s books, although he has not played all season and remains on open-ended leave because of mental health issues, his return seemingly more unlikely with every passing month.Ballance has apologised for using the term “P**i” in conversations with Azeem Rafiq, whose whistle-blowing last year laid bare the full extent of Yorkshire’s ills, but he has insisted the context was not racist and was intended as “banter”. Others have also vigorously denied culpability.Two former coaches, Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah, are among those currently pursuing claims for wrongful dismissals following the mass removal of 16 members of the Yorkshire staff. Earlier this month, they were among six members of the coaching staff who won the right for their case to be heard at a full employment tribunal in Leeds in the autumn. Judicial mediation will now take place before an employment judge in an effort to broker an agreement ahead of any tribunal hearing.Former players who have faced allegations include three former England players, Michael Vaughan, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan. Vaughan and Bresnan have repeatedly denied making racist remarks to Rafiq, and Bresnan called time on his career at Warwickshire before the start of this season. Hoggard phoned Rafiq to apologise for how his remarks had been interpreted and Rafiq said that that his apology had been accepted.Yorkshire’s new regime have made it clear that their ability to respond could be limited by the refusal of those in charge at the time to provide information. As co-operation is unlikely – even somewhat unwelcome for a new Board that is committed to promoting diversity – they may have little option but to subtly distance themselves from the outcome.They responded: “For clarity, YCCC notes that the allegations relate to charges as far back as 2004 up until 2021 and the Club will need the cooperation of those in position during this time in order to fully consider and respond to the matters raised.”Unless and until that cooperation by those with first-hand knowledge and responsibility during the relevant period is forthcoming, the Club is not able to comment on the investigation, evidence, report or charges but will, of course, continue to fully cooperate with the CDC throughout this process.”Rafiq welcomed the ECB’s announcement, saying he hoped “we can move to the hearing quickly”. “This has been another gruelling but unfortunately necessary process,” Rafiq said. “It has been a long two years since I went public about my experiences, but I hope this all means that no young player ever goes through such pain and alienation again. My preference would be for this hearing to take place publicly, but I am hopeful that we are at least nearing a point where there will be some sense of closure for my family and me.”

“He’s someone I have a lot of time for – someone that I believe has a lot of talent,” Bravo says of Khan

Barny Read02-Feb-2021Ali Khan paid homage to long-term mentor Dwayne Bravo, who was equally chuffed with the USA seamer’s latest T10 League heroics that saw Khan take three wickets in just five balls. But Khan would be be denied the chance of a hat-trick, thanks to a deep finger cut on his bowling hand that put the leading wicket-taker in doubt for the remainder of the competition.Khan was unable to finish his over thanks to the cut that came from his diving catch that removed dangerman Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but had already done enough to claim Man-of-the-Match honours with his figures of 3 for 0 in 0.5 overs that restricted the Pune Devils to just 57 for 7 from their ten overs.Even with his fourth finger busted open, the 30-year-old removed Alex Davies with his first ball before bowling two dots that preceded the wickets of Nasir Hossain and Karan KC in immediate succession. After his 2 for 4 against the Gladiators the previous day, it secured a second Man-of-the-Match award in less than 24 hours for the Delhi Bulls quick. Khan said the support of Bravo has been a key factor in his excellent form with the ball.Related

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“It’s a really nice setup. DJ Bravo is a really good captain, a leader both on and off the field and gives you a lot of confidence,” Khan said. “Especially in T10, [because] you can go for a lot of runs. He’s always the kind of leader who comes back and backs you and keeps you confident and gets you ready for the next ball.”Bravo has played an important role in Khan’s ascent as a cricketer. It was the West Indies all-rounder who had plucked Khan from a US Open T20 tournament in 2017, and has since taken the pacer with him to the Global T20 in Canada as well as the Caribbean Premier League.That led to Khan being selected for the first time at the last edition of the Indian Premier League, and these milestones in Khan’s career – as well as performances such as those over the past two days – give Bravo an enormous sense of pride.”He’s someone I have a lot of time for – someone that I believe has a lot of talent and to see the way he bowled today with a lot of pace and aggression to pick up wickets, he’s very good for our team,” Bravo said.”He’s someone who’s special to me, because I saw him in the US playing and I invited him to play for my team in Trinidad and since then, he’s done very well. Every time he does good, I feel good.”Khan now has seven wickets from just less than eight overs in the Abu Dhabi T10, with strike rate of just 6.7 and would be a big miss for the Bulls should he not return for the remainder of the tournament. He was also denied a historic IPL debut with the Kolkata Knight Riders, as a side strain ultimately ended his time with the franchise and resulted in his release when the retention lists were drawn up last month.Khan will be hoping that his T10 exploits don’t end in the same disappointment, and fortunately for both the player and his Super League leading team, they are guaranteed a spot in Friday’s set of knockouts with a game to go. It means they may have just enough time to get Khan sewn up and back into their attack by the weekend.”We’re going to get stitches now, so let’s see how it feels by tomorrow,” Khan said. “If it needs to be rested because we’re in a good position, we have that luxury of having getting a rest. So we’ll see how it comes out in the next couple of days and if I can be ready for the playoffs.”