Tag Futebol

Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate to compete in South Africa’s domestic T20 league

Colin Benjamin07-Nov-2016Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate to compete in South Africa’s domestic T20 league, after the West Indies Cricket Board made the unprecedented move of levying 20% of the contract fee on any Caribbean player wishing to participate in an overseas T20 tournament.Pollard, who signed a two-year contract last season with Cape Cobras, was informed of the WICB decision on November 3 by the board’s chief executive officer Michael Muirhead in an emailed letter. He is currently still in Trinidad, with the tournament due to get underway on November 11.Muirhead called the move a “policy” decision, taken by the WICB board of directors. He also said that the WICB had notified all the ICC Full Member boards of this decision.”The WICB will levy a charge for the granting of an NOC for West Indian cricketers seeking a release to participate in Leagues outside the jurisdiction of the West Indies,” Muirhead informed Pollard in the email, which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo. “This will be an amount equivalent to 20% of the player fee (as defined in the player contract) that is actually paid to the relevant player.”Pollard was told he would not be granted the NOC until the WICB had received “acceptance of our position” from the various boards which feature Caribbean players in their domestic T20 tournaments.It is understood that the Bangladesh Cricket Board is considering a 10% payment, but might ask the BPL franchises to carry out such a payment. Cricket South Africa has rejected the WICB proposal while there has been no response as yet from the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia.The Federation of International Players’ Association (FICA) has described the WICB decision as “restraint of trade” and warned that it could attract legal challenges.Muirhead argued that a release fee was necessary given how many Caribbean players are now seeking to maximise their earnings in the various T20 tournaments around the world.”WICB however, having invested in developing a player’s talent, is not able to realise a return on its investment if the player is not available to play in local tournament, which would allow lesser experienced players the opportunity to face a more experienced and skilled opposition, thereby improving on the standard and competitiveness of the domestic tournaments,” he wrote.However, the move comes as little surprise to seasoned observers of the current WICB administration. The board has consistently said that senior players who earn big money in the T20 leagues need to compromise and give back something to the regional cricket. Otherwise, as Muirhead noted to Pollard, it “disadvantages” the West Indies team.”In the end, it compromises the standard of the WICB’s international team and that team’s performance internationally. The primacy of international cricket is threatened.”Muirhead stated in his email that the WICB move could not be called as restraint of trade. “While we do not wish to act in restraint of trade, we must seek a balance to ensure that there is fair and adequate compensation for the investment made in the players,” he wrote. “What WICB seeks is some compensation to recognise the investment made into players, an investment from which another Full Member is benefitting.”Although Pollard is the only player officially contacted by WICB so far, many other Caribbean players are predicting a similar email in their inbox at some point in the near future.Muirhead said the board could put the fees collected for an NOC from various players into a pot which then could be redistributed as contracts to players who only play T20. Pollard, along with the former West Indies captain Darren Sammy, are some of the prominent voices who have asked WICB to offer them T20 contracts.”It is our expectation too, that the accumulation of these fees will facilitate the offer of contracts to players participating only in the short format of the game,” Muirhead said.Pollard, however, is not even a contracted WICB player, having been controversially dropped for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, scheduled for later this month. And for that reason, Tony Irish, the FICA chairman, believes that the move is unjustified.”We have made it very clear to all the boards that any restrictions placed on players are likely to constitute restraint of trade and there challengeable legally,” he said. “In the case of Kieron, he is not even contracted by the WICB. Therefore their attempt to levy 20% in exchange for the NOC effectively imposes a restriction on freedom of movement.”Irish called the decision arbitrary, considering the WICB had not even discussed the move with players and the other boards. He added that he will be speaking directly to the WICB on Tuesday about a decision that looks set to prevent Pollard from fulfilling his second year of the contract with the Cobras.”It is not a good situation. I will be taking it directly as a FICA issue with the WICB and making them aware of the implications.”Insignia Sports, who manage Pollard along with other leading West Indies players including Sammy, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, has also said it will be challenging the WICB move.”It is a blatant restraint of trade on a player who has not been selected by WICB for the upcoming tri-series, does not have a contractual tie to the WICB permitting such a restriction,” said Eddie Tolchard, one of the partners at Insignia Sports. “Applying an unreasonable and unjustifiable fee and requesting CSA pay it in order to provide a NOC is a restraint of trade.”Additional reporting by Nagraj Gollapudi

SLC’s chairman of selectors Kapila Wijegunawardene is confident that offspinner Tharindu Kaushal can work on his action for the doorsa and bring it inside the ICC’s 15-degree limit

Sa'adi Thawfeeq03-Oct-2015Sri Lanka’s chairman of selectors Kapila Wijegunawardene is confident that offspinner Tharindu Kaushal can work on his action for the doorsa and bring it inside the ICC’s 15-degree limit. After being reported for a suspect action during the home series against India and tested in Chennai, Kaushal was cleared to bowl the offbreak but his doosra was banned from international cricket.”Where Kaushal is concerned, we had a very close scrutiny of him and it was only after we were convinced that he was within the rules that we picked him to play in the side,” Wijegunawardene said. “However this citation came and he was tested, after which we were notified that his doosra was exceeding the stipulated parameter of 15 degrees marginally, but his offspin was cleared with flying colours with his extension being only five degrees.”On the doosra, 50% of the deliveries in which he was tested was within the stipulated parameter and only the balance marginally exceeded 15 degrees,” Wijegunawardene said. “What we now need to understand is at which point he is able to bowl this particular delivery and support him towards staying within the rules. Not being able to bowl the doosra does impact his armoury of deliveries. However, if you closely analyse the wickets that he has taken during his short career, he has no more than three-four wickets with the doosra with a large majority of the wickets being with offspin.”From the side of Sri Lanka Cricket, everybody is very eager and committed to support him towards getting this delivery cleared. Going forward we hope to work proactively with the ICC and it is not the first time we are facing a situation like this. I am confident that he will overcome this slight impediment.””This boy’s got a special talent where he has ultra supple wrist similar to Muralitharan. If he succeeds in bowling this delivery within the stipulated regulations it will be a huge plus factor and also good for the game.”Kaushal, 22, had been randomly tested in Canberra by the ICC at the conclusion of the 2012 Under-19 World Cup and there had been nothing amiss with his action, including the doosra. He made his debut in December 2014 and has played six Tests – taking 24 wickets at an average of 42.

Stuart Broad, looking sharp and contented again, ripped out New Zealand’s tail to finish with six wickets and secure a first-innings lead of 211 for England

The Report by David Hopps15-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsStuart Broad cleaned up New Zealand with six wickets•Getty Images

Stuart Broad, looking sharp and contented again, ripped out New Zealand’s tail to finish with six wickets and secure a first-innings lead of 211 for England. Alastair Cook faced a tricky decision at tea about whether to enforce the follow-on. Understandably, he opted to put New Zealand in again; an unsettled weather forecast, particularly on the final day, must have been a decisive factor.For his own sanity, it is to be hoped that Cook did not follow-up by studying when England last enforced the follow-on in an overseas Test: Durban in 1999, with Gary Kirsten marking the end of the old millennium by making an unbeaten 275 out of 572 for 7. England tried nine bowlers, including Nasser Hussain, a repentant captain.In seeking to avoid unsettled weather, Cook instead had to oversee an unsettled England pace attack, which was underpowered second time around, with James Anderson, ankle strapped, grumbling wearily about the footholds and labouring with a sore back.England’s only wicket in 33 overs fell to Monty Panesar, a scintillating catch around the corner by Ian Bell to dismiss Hamish Rutherford, and cheering as well for the new vice-captain, Matt Prior, who held up the game to press for the position. Panesar, for all his economy, will hope to find more turn as the match progresses.Broad finished with 6 for 51, his third-best figures in his Test career. His pace was around 135kph, but his control was immaculate and there was a zing in everything he did. This was Broad Total, exploring the cavities in New Zealand’s line-up and freshening the air with optimism. He was a walking advertisement for the benefits of England’s rotation policy and they will be desperate that his mood persists through back-to-back Ashes series.Brendon McCullum was the key wicket for England, dismissed for 69 from 94 balls as he forced Steven Finn off the back foot and offered a comfortable catch to Jonathan Trott at second slip. In a Test distinguished by fine counter-attacking cricket by two excellent wicketkeeper-batsmen, McCullum played just as pugnaciously as Prior had for England on the second day.

Smart stats

• Stuart Broad’s 6 for 51 is eighth on the list of best bowling performances by England bowlers in New Zealand since 1970. It is however the best bowling performance by an England bowler in Wellington in the same period.

• Broad’s 6 for 51 is his third-best bowling performance overall and his best in away Tests. In 25 away matches he has picked up 68 wickets at 35.70.

• The 100-run stand between Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling is the eighth-highest sixth-wicket stand for New Zealand against England. It is also New Zealand’s second-highest sixth-wicket stand against England in Wellington.

• In Tests played in New Zealand since 1970, England have gained a 200-plus lead on five occasions. It is the third such occasion in Wellington. Click here for the list of matches when England have batted first and here for a list of matches when they have bowled first.

• Watling’s 60 is his fifth fifty-plus score in Tests and his third such score in home matches. He now averages 32.66 with one century and four fifties.

• McCullum’s 69 is his eighth half-century against England in 11 Tests. He has also been dismissed twice in the nineties against England (both at Lord’s).

Basin Reserve was full for a Test, the first time that had happened in New Zealand for several years. It helps when the capacity is only around 11,000 and there are several thousand England supporters in town to help persuade the locals that there is a game on worth watching.Packed to the brim, the ground had a more intimate atmosphere than ever. The strong second-day breeze had also lessened, adding to the convivial feel as spectators strolled around. But New Zealand supporters only had to glance at the scoreboard for this sense of well-being to depart. England are well placed to go 1-0 up in the series unless Cyclone Sandra – or perhaps Hurricane Brendon – has a say in things.New Zealand, 66 for 3 overnight, needed another 200 to avoid the follow-on. They had produced much to admire on the second day, only to find themselves well behind the game by the close. They were even further behind the game at 89 for 5 when Kane Williamson and Dean Brownlie fell in the first half hour.Broad was given an immediate opportunity after his wickets of Rutherford and Ross Taylor had allowed England to finish the second day on a high. Williamson looked well drilled, at 22 a decent batsman in the making, but fell to a sharp reaction catch in his follow-through by Broad, who clung on around chest high and looked delighted at the realisation that the ball was nestling in his hand.Three balls later, Brownlie followed. He is a fine back-foot player, but there is a length to bowl to Brownlie, as South Africa can also testify after New Zealand’s recent tour, a length when he routinely plays back when he would be better forward. Anderson found it, and found some reverse inswing to defeat his defensive shot. Asad Rauf’s lbw decision was marginal because the ball had struck Brownlie just above the roll, and the batsman opted for a review, only for DRS to conclude that the ball would have clipped the top of middle.It would have been 95 for 6 if Cook had not been such a conservative captain. Evidence of this match suggests that McCullum, his opposite number, would have posted a third slip to Anderson but Cook did not. Watling edged at inviting height, and the ball scooted away to the third man boundary.McCullum’s solution soon became evident. Beaten on the outside edge by Broad, he crashed his next ball for four and then hooked him for six. The pressure built by Panesar at one end was released by Finn at the other. McCullum took advantage and reverse-swept Joe Root to reach his fifty shortly before lunch.Anderson ‘s strenuous efforts after lunch went unrewarded. England lost a review for an lbw appeal in the first over after lunch when McCullum was on 58. They chose not to review when Anderson came close again the following over and then had Watling, on 21, dropped low at second slip by Trott. When McCullum fell, New Zealand still needed 77 to avoid the follow-on with four wickets remaining. Tim Southee soon followed, unwisely hooking Finn with two fielders back for the shot.Watling had been very much the junior partner in a stand of 100 in 31 overs with McCullum. While McCullum bristled against the quicks, Watling’s passive resistance against Panesar provided a monotonous undercard. Only when McCullum was dismissed did he grow in ambition, reaching 60 before he edged Broad to the wicketkeeper.Neil Wagner became Broad’s fifth victim, caught at the wicket for nought. New Zealand’s last pair were 12 short of the follow-on mark when Broad’s bouncer befuddled Trent Boult, whose fend confused Panesar at mid-on even more. Broad, unusually when things go wrong, saw fit to smile and defeated Boult’s haymaker with his next delivery to end the innings.

A supremely calm MS Dhoni guided India to victory, with two balls to spare, over a sluggish Australia in the ODI at Adelaide Oval

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2012
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIndia’s chase was anchored by Gautam Gambhir’s fluent 92•AFP

A supremely calm MS Dhoni guided India to victory, with two balls to spare, over a sluggish Australia in the ODI at Adelaide Oval.Dhoni’s composure was best measured by how he paced his innings. It bordered on the statuesque early, before he raised tempo with swift running between the wickets. He saved his one stroke to the boundary – a towering six over long on – for when he most needed it: the third ball of the final over delivered by Clint McKay, which began with 13 still required.The next ball was a high full toss that Dhoni swung to deep midwicket, but the no-ball – called for height – gifted India a third run in addition to the two scampered between the wickets. The next delivery was helped around to backward square leg, and the final three runs were collected to take India alongside Australia on two wins from three matches.India’s chase was anchored by Gautam Gambhir’s fluent 92, before Dhoni and Suresh Raina took the visitors close with a stand of 61. Raina perished in the 47th over and Ravindra Jadeja followed in the 49th, but Dhoni remained to collar the remaining runs. Test match difficulties notwithstanding, he remains the master technician in limited-overs matches.Australia’s fielding display was its least attentive of the Michael Clarke era. Only one catch of note went down but outfield fumbles were legion, and both Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja could have been run-out in the closing stages had in-fielders held their nerve.Of even greater concern was an apparent hamstring twinge for Michael Clarke, who was running gingerly from the innings’ midpoint and hobbling noticeably by the end, having left the field briefly for treatment. Clarke may now be due a spell of rest after an unbroken sequence of Tests and ODIs dating back to his first tour as captain – to Bangladesh in April 2011.Until the final over, McKay provided the most lasting threat for the home attack, maintaining a disciplined line and changing his pace, while Xavier Doherty bowled some particularly nagging deliveries at the death to make India work for the points.Looking very much at home in international company, the debutant Peter Forrest had built Australia’s total alongside David Hussey after the innings was in danger of stalling at 3 for 81. Clarke’s fluent 38 had ended when he sallied forth to attack Umesh Yadav and dragged a slower ball wretchedly onto the stumps.Forrest was strong square of the wicket and down the ground, while Hussey’s innings was another reminder of his usefulness in most limited-overs contests. Following their departure, allrounder Daniel Christian put together a handy closing contribution at the home ground of his adopted state. Few boundaries were collected in the closing overs, reflecting some diligent bowling but also the slowing of an otherwise friendly batting surface.Yadav and Zaheer Khan were the most effective of India’s bowlers, attacking the stumps while also keeping the runs down, as the tourists sought a manageable target after the selectors chose to rest Sachin Tendulkar.