No name yet in IPL doping scandal
The player who tested positive for a banned substance during random testing at the Indian Premier League will not be named until investigations are completed, an official said on Monday.
"We have got a letter from a Swiss agency mandated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which said one sample had tested positive," IPL commissioner Lalit Modi told local media.
"We will now investigate further on who the player is, and if he has been granted exemption on that particular drug.
"We should be able to reveal the name in a day or two."
Modi declined to hint at the possible offender, but local media speculated he was a Test-playing fast bowler from South Asia.
The randon tests on 14 players were carried out by the WADA-accredited Swiss agency during the latter half of the IPL, a lucrative Twenty20 tournament that ran from April 18-June 1 and featured the world's top players.
Modi, a vice president with the Indian cricket board, said investigations will proceed under set procedures.
"As of now we are at the first stage where one sample has tested positive," he said.
"The issue is now with the IPL's medical committee. The identity of the player will matter only after we check on the pre-declared drugs."
The nature of the substance has not been disclosed.
World cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council, said it was aware of the developments.
"The ICC is aware of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) from the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL)," said a statement released from the ICC headquarters in Dubai.
"When an AAF arises, the WADA accredited laboratory that has tested the sample sends a report to the commissioning body (IPL) and copies in WADA and the International Federation, in this case the ICC.
"As with any AAF that arises during a testing programme organised by one of the ICC's members, it is the responsibility of that member, in this case the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to deal with the process in a timely and fair manner.
"The ICC is proud of its status as a WADA signatory and will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure the correct action is taken by the BCCI.
"The ICC retains a right of appeal if any penalty that may be imposed is inconsistent with the WADA Code."
World cricket has been hit by a series of drug scandals in the last five years.
Australian spin great Shane Warne was sent home from the 2003 World Cup in South Africa and later banned for one year when he tested positive for banned diuretics.
The Pakistani pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif were withdrawn from the Champions Trophy in India in 2006 after they both tested positive for nandrolone in an internal test carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Both were let off by the PCB after they appealed.
Asif was also detained at Dubai airport for three weeks for possessing opium while returning from the IPL in June. But Dubai public prosecutors dropped the case citing "insignificance" and deported him to Pakistan.
Flintoff turns up heat
Andrew Flintoff and Sajid Mahmood did their England prospects no harm as Lancashire ripped through Hampshire to give themselves a chance of closing the gap on Nottinghamshire at the top of the LV County Championship.
The fast-bowling duo claimed two wickets apiece - with Glen Chapple also bagging a brace - as the home side slumped to 81 for seven in their second innings by tea on day three at the Rose Bowl.
It had all looked rosy for Hampshire before lunch when they took Lancashire's final five first-innings wickets for the addition of just 66 runs, the visitors finishing 295 all out.
But, looking to build a winning lead, the home side's advantage was just 113 with three wickets in hand.
There was more good news for Lancashire as Nottinghamshire crashed to 193 for six in their rain-affected match against Surrey .
The visitors' tail wagged this morning, with Chris Jordan (57) and Saqlain Mushtaq (50) taking Surrey's first-innings score to 403.
Notts lost wickets at regular intervals after lunch, with Will Jefferson (42) Samit Patel (40) making the biggest contribution with the bat.
Kent's Canterbury clash with Yorkshire was fascinatingly poised after the visitors reached tea on 75 for three in their second innings, an overall lead of 18 runs.
Kent were all out in their first innings for 467 in reply to Yorkshire's 410 all out, with Rob Key making 157 before being dismissed by Adil Rashid.
In the visitors' second innings, Andrew Gale (36) and Anthony McGrath (25) both got starts but failed to kick on.
Somerset cranked up the pressure on Durham in their rain-affected clash at the Riverside by reducing the home side to 181 for six.
The visitors declared their first innings on 352 for eight and all their bowlers then contributed as Durham slumped from 114 for two.
Openers Mark Stoneman (53) and Michael Di Venuto (40) were the only batsmen to impress.
In Division Two, Middlesex were on course to close the gap on leaders Warwickshire after skittling Gloucestershire for just 189.
Daniel Evans starred with five for 54, handing the visitors a first-innings lead of 111 at Bristol after they declared on 300 for seven. Middlesex's Eoin Morgan ended unbeaten on 137.
Varun Chopra (59), Jason Gallian (73) and Mark Pettini (52 not out) all made half-centuries as Essex built a lead of 131 over Glamorgan with six first-innings wickets still in hand.
Chopra fell this morning, with Gallian removed shortly after lunch as the visitors reached 263 for four at tea in Cardiff.
Graham Wagg was Derbyshire's hero as Leicestershire crashed to 189 all out after lunch at Derby.
The Foxes had been on 175 for six, responding to their opponents' first-innings 208.
But their final four wickets fell cheaply and Derbyshire were 47 for one in their second innings, an overall lead of 66 runs.
On the final day at New Road, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire were set for a draw after the home side reached 204 for four in their second innings, a lead of 73 runs with one session remaining.
Vikram Solanki starred with 114 for the home side.
MCC criticises England result change
The MCC has heavily criticised the ICC's decision to alter England's win in the forfeited Test against Pakistan at The Oval in 2006 into a draw, and will lobby for another reversal.
The Test had originally been awarded to England after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day, following accusations of ball-tampering.
The MCC is the body responsible for the Laws of Cricket, and secretary Keith Bradshaw felt the ICC's decision contravened the spirit of the game and its laws.
It is also reported that the MCC's cricket committee is opposed to any alteration to Law 21, which states that the result should not be changed.
"Cricket is the worse for this decision and it was opposed unanimously by the ICC's cricket committee, on which I sit," Bradshaw told The Times.
Michael Holding, the former West Indian fast bowler, resigned from the ICC cricket committee following the verdict.
The ICC ruling was termed as "unprecedented and dangerous" by Robert Griffiths, QC, who represented umpire Darrell Hair at his tribunal hearing against the ICC.
"It had no power to do so under the Laws of Cricket and the decision is a nullity," Griffiths, along with fellow barrister Stephen Whale wrote in The Times.
"But it is deeply troubling that the ICC should take this unprecedented and dangerous step.
"It is historical revisionism of the worst kind.
"Law 21 (10) is unequivocal: once the umpires have agreed with the scorers the correctness of the scores, the result cannot be changed.
"The reasoning is vacuous. It was, officially, "based on the view that in light of the unique set of circumstances, the original result was felt to be inappropriate".
"This is even though ICC board member witnesses admitted under oath at Hair's tribunal that the umpires' decisions were in accordance with the Laws."
The initial result had lasting off-field ramifications.
Hair went on to be suspended from the ICC elite panel, and though that decision was overturned last year when he took his employers to the High Court in London, the initial decision formed the basis of Pakistan's appeal for a change to the result.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
ECB propose £1.3bn Twenty20 league
Plans for a nine-team English Twenty20 Premier League starting in 2010 and worth up to £1.3 billion have been proposed by two members of the ECB management board, according to media reports.
A document drawn up by Surrey chairman David Stewart and MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw, with assistance from the Hampshire and Lancashire clubs, was leaked to the press before play in England's test with South Africa at Lord's on Friday.
The plans are for an annual competition in June featuring leading overseas players staged by clubs at the nine Test grounds. A player auction would be held to stock each team and there would be a salary cap of about £1.5 million.
The proposals for a 25-day, 57-match EPL financed by private backers and owned by a company called New T20 Ltd could be on the agenda for consideration at a meeting of the England and Wales Cricket Board executive on Tuesday.
ECB chairman Giles Clarke told the BBC on Friday he had not been involved in the proposal.
"It's an idea between two individuals on the ECB board," he said. "We may discuss it."
"There has been a lot of debate and discussion over what is the most optimal format for the summer -- what will generate the most money, what spectators want to watch, how it will help the England cricket team," he added.
The Times reported the document, 'Consideration of an optimal Twenty20 tournament based in England', had calculated deals over 10 years would be worth about £85 million annually in broadcasting, match-day and commercial revenues.
Rights to each team -- linked to a city, ground, region or county -- would be sold for an average near £50 million.
The proposal has triggered concern among the smaller counties who are worried they could miss out on the financial rewards flowing from a lucrative new tournament.
"We would be completely against this," Derbyshire chief executive Tom Sears was quoted as saying in the Daily Mail.
"We have been told by the ECB that they are looking at an EPL with 18 first-class teams included.
"Then I hear that two of the ECB management board have signed this document, which is really worrying. It would completely change the landscape. We would see the rich getting richer and the have-nots falling further behind."
However, the ECB's Clarke said he was not interested in any reduction in the counties.
"I'm firmly in favour of 18 counties playing at their county grounds," he said.
"I'm not remotely interested in the reduction of counties."
Shane Warne bowled out of world's richest poker tournament
He might have won many titles for his bowling skills on the cricket field, but when it came to world's richest poker tournament, Shane Warne has had to taste defeat.
The spin-king was bowled over on July 11 by an opponent holding all the aces in the match, which was held in Las Vegas.
He was knocked out of the tournament when a pair of 10s failed to measure up, but he was far from disgraced.
After three days of the World Series, he busted out only 70 places from the prize pool, finishing 740th of about 7000.
"Warnie is very disappointed but did extremely well in his first tournament," the Herald Sun quoted a spokesman, as saying.
Warne left immediately for London.
In his final hand Warne faced a three-way showdown after being forced all-in.
He held the 10s while his rivals had a jack and nine and an ace and king.
The board ran ace, queen, three, four and eight, the ace enough to knock Warne out.
Sri Lanka yet to resolve England cricket tour crisis
Sri Lankan cricket`s governing body has yet to resolve the crisis over next year`s England tour that clashes with a more financially lucrative tournament in India, officials said Saturday.
A source at Sri Lanka Cricket dismissed local media reports indicating the board had agreed to allow players to take part in the Indian Premier League despite the clash with the England tour scheduled for April and May.
"The issue is yet to be finalised and very much at a discussion stage," the source said, asking to remain anonymous. He said they were awaiting a response from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Some 13 Sri Lankan cricketers, including star players Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara, have signed three-year contracts to play in the IPL.
The players argued they received permission to play in the IPL before the ECB came up with the idea of replacing Zimbabwe with Sri Lanka for the early part of the summer 2009. Sri Lankan players earlier this week asked President Mahinda Rajapakse to persuade Sri Lanka Cricket to re-schedule the England tour.
The ECB has already released the itinerary for Sri Lanka`s tour between April 21 and May 30, which will include three Test matches and three one-day internationals.
The next season`s IPL is due to take place between April 10 to May 29.
Sri Lanka`s apparent readiness to consider putting the IPL over the tour of England has drawn a tough reaction from the International Cricket Council.
Panesar exposes South African spin fallibility
Monty Panesar exposed South Africa`s historic fallibility against spin bowling on the third day of the first Test at Lord`s on Saturday.
Left-armer Panesar captured four for 74 as South Africa capitulated for 247 in reply to England`s first innings 593 for eight declared.
At the close South Africa were 13 without loss in their second innings after being asked to follow on.
Only Ashwell Prince offered extended resistance with a patient 101 compiled in six minutes short of five hours.
Earlier, Hashim Amla also fell to the pace attack and at lunch South Africa, replying to England`s 593 for eight declared, were in trouble at 78 for three.
Smith was dismissed for eight from the 12th delivery of the morning when a James Anderson delivery caught the outside edge and flew to gully for Ian Bell to take a comfortable head high catch.
Anderson, opening the attack from the Pavilion End, knocked Amla`s helmet off but his initial spell was otherwise too wayward against batsmen happy to let the ball alone.
Stuart Broad replaced Ryan Sidebottom at the Nursery End and claimed Amla`s wicket, caught behind by Tim Ambrose for six.
Kallis squeezed a full-pitched delivery from Broad to the third man boundary for four but added only three more before Sidebottom, who had switched ends, forced an outside edge and Andrew Strauss took the catch low to his right at first slip.
Neil McKenzie continued to bat sensibly at the other end, refusing to be drawn outside his off-stump.
He used his feet to drill Monty Panesar for four through mid-off when the left-arm spinner came on late in the session and at the interval he had scored 35.
Ashwell Prince (20 not out) also looked in good touch with two fours off a Broad over from the Pavilion End as captain Michael Vaughan continued to rotate his bowlers.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
New ICC chief hints at separate international calendar for IPL
Considering the huge amount of money cricketers earned in the first session of Indian Premier League (IPL) in March-April, against what they get from international cricket, new ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has raised concerns over the future of international cricket, and hinted at the need for a separate window for the IPL in the international calendar.
He reportedly told this to reporters at Lord's last evening.
Lorgat's comments assume significance in the wake of Sri Lanka Cricket allowing its players to participate in the IPL next year though it coincided with a tour of England.
SLC had agreed to the series (against England) earlier this week as a replacement for Zimbabwe, but gave in after their players lobbied hard - involving the country's president - for the right to play in the IPL.
"If we don't manage this situation we could be threatening the lifeblood of all member countries. International cricket generates revenue that is essential to our survival. My folks always told me to be careful because money is the root of all evil. The root of this issue is the sums of money involved - it is far more attractive financially to play in the IPL," cricinfo quoted Lorgat as saying.
He added: "There is no doubt that there are inherent conflicts in the situation. Each country would rather look after its own interests and then you also have to get together to look after the global interests. I would hope that the ICC has people with the integrity to look after the game globally."
PCB officials, selectors to meet over Akhtar issue
Senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials will meet with national selectors in Lahore Monday to decide whether controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar can be considered for the Champions Trophy in September.
The selectors had included Shoaib's name in the 30-man list for the Champions Trophy but the PCB raised an objection that Shoaib cannot be considered for Pakistan duty until he pays Rs.7 million fine.
The PCB postponed the announcement of its preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy and announced that it will now be named on July 15.
Shoaib and Mohammad Asif were included by the national selectors in the preliminary squad and the list was due to be released by the PCB Friday, the deadline set by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Shoaib was banned for five years by the board in March for various acts of indiscipline. He appealed against the ban to an appellate tribunal which reduced it to 18 months but imposed a fine of Rs. 7 million on him.
The bowler then filed a petition to the Lahore High Court against the ban and fine last month.
The court suspended the ban but refused to clear the fine until the case is taken up for regular hearing in September.
'We included Shoaib's name in the probables list because we respect the court decision,' chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said Friday. 'Now we will be meeting senior PCB officials in Lahore on Monday to resolve the issue,' he added.
Salahuddin said that Shoaib is a match-winning bowler but was quick to add that he would only be selected in the Champions Trophy squad if he is eligible for national duty and is fully fit.
Sri Lankans agree pay rise
Sri Lanka Cricket has agreed to raise players' fees and perks as part of a deal to settle a long-running dispute over contracts.
SLC officials and player representatives thrashed out a deal over the last two days that ended four months of negotiations, amid growing resentment by the country's top cricketers.
"The meetings ended amicably and they agreed to our request related to the annual fees, match payments and player welfare," said Graeme Labrooy, the secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricketers' Association.
The deal, which will be signed next Wednesday, raises the Test match fee from 3,500 dollars to 5,000 dollars, while the fee for one-dayers and Twenty20s will increase from 1,800 dollars to 3,000 dollars.
Under the new contracts, there is a freeze on annual retainers for senior team members, but substantial increases for junior players on the national squad and the A team.
"Sri Lanka Cricket was keen to give an increase to junior players and also encourage non-contracted players by making the match fees the same for all," Labrooy said.
Cricketers will be allowed to write articles and have media contracts, which will be regulated by an existing Code of Conduct for all players.
Annual player contracts were due to be finalised by March 31, but the national players have not been paid since the tour of Australia in February.
"Sri Lanka Cricket agreed to back-date the players' contract payments from March 1, 2008. The contract runs till February 2009," Labrooy said.
"The players will sign their contracts next week."
The settlement comes soon after SLC agreed to the players' request to seek a rescheduling of the tour of England next April as it clashes with a lucrative Indian Twenty20 competition.
Bell anchors massive England total
Ian Bell scored 199 to anchor a massive England total of 593-8 declared on the second day of the first Test against South Africa at Lord's.
Bell found an ideal lieutenant in the increasingly impressive Stuart Broad, who stroked 76 at number eight, as England reached a seemimgly impregnable total before Michael Vaughan declared.
South Africa were 7-0 in reply before rain and bad light brought a premature end to the day's play.
Although Bell's abundant talent has never been questioned his reaction to pressure has after a series of soft dismissals when seemingly well set.
His response at Lord's was to help Kevin Pietersen (152) revive England from a shaky 117-3 with a fourth-wicket partnership of 286, a record against South Africa.
After Paul Collingwood (7) and Tim Ambrose (4) had fallen cheaply either side of lunch, Bell and Broad added 152 for the seventh wicket, another England record against the South Africans.
They were assisted by some more inaccurate bowling from the South African pace attack, sloppy ground fielding and stolidly unimaginative captaincy from the world's most experienced leader
Graeme Smith who rotated his bowlers mechanically and rarely altered the field.
South Africa also did themselves no favours when Dale Steyn peppered tail-ender Ryan Sidebottom with some short-pitched deliveries after a rain break in the final session.
Pietersen, 104 not out overnight, survived a caught-and-bowled chance to Jacques Kallis after scoring 133 to reach his fifth Test score over 150.
He was finally dismissed after hitting 20 fours and a six, caught behind by Mark Boucher from an attempted hook off Morne Morkel.
Collingwood, to his dismay, was given out caught at short-leg by Hashim Amla off slow left-armer Paul Harris and Ambrose's wretched international form continued when he edged Morkel to Smith at first slip.
Smith persisted with Harris's guileless spin, allowing Broad to play himself in, while Bell unveiled a series of exquisite strokes.
He glided Morkel to the boundary and backward point and played two immaculate backfoot strokes for four off Harris and Kallis. An on-drive of textbook perfection against Kallis brought up his 150 and the 50 partnership.
Smith took himself out of the solitary slip position in a totally defensive field setting to Makhaya Ntini's bowing. Bell responded by cutting a boundary and feathering the next ball past Boucher to the boundary.
Left-hander Broad again looked a batsman of true Test pedigree, dealing competently with short-pitched deliveries at his body and driving fluently.
He reached his second Test fifty from 85 deliveries and a maiden century was a distinct possibility when he was bowled hitting across the line against Harris. His innings took only 124 balls and included 10 fours.
Bell was eventually out hitting a catch back to Harris, who rolled on the ground in gratitude. He had batted for 496 minutes and hit 20 fours and a six from 336 balls before becoming the first Englishman to perish one short of a double-century.
Flintoff winning fitness battle
Andrew Flintoff looked good in the field as his Lancashire side forced Hampshire to just 248-9 in their LV County Championship match.
Flintoff was overshadowed by team-mates Glen Chapple and Sajid Mahmood on the first morning of their match, but his performance in the field should be enough to earn him an England recall for the second Test against South Africa.
The iconic all-rounder is a certainty in Peter Moores' first-choice XI when fit and after bowling 14 overs for a return of one for 29, as well as picking up two catches at the Rose Bowl, he seems to be well on the way.
Chapple's three for 33 was the performance of the day, though, as he kicked off a troublesome day for the batsmen by removing Michael Carberry before a run had been scored.
Mahmood was pricier but still claimed two for 51 as only Nic Pothas (62) and Michael Brown (49) really got to grips with conditions.
At Canterbury, Jacques Rudolph and Anthony McGrath both hit centuries against Kent to help focus Yorkshire's minds on on-field matters, following the news that they are to appeal their expulsion from the Twenty20 Cup.
The pair shared a stand of 217, the latter eventually out for a 226-ball 144 which included 16 fours and a pair of maximums.
Rudolph was unbeaten on 121 at stumps as he watched Yasir Arafat pick up two late wickets to make it 359 for five.
Leaders Nottinghamshire claimed two early wickets against strugglers Surrey but were denied any further progress by the rain, with just 30 overs possible at Trent Bridge.
Darren Pattinson was against the home side's danger man with the ball, removing Stewart Walters for a duck before returning to have Scott Newman (18) caught behind by skipper Chris Read.
That left Surrey teetering on 25 for two but Mark Ramprakash and Jon Batty (both 19 not out) came together to ensure there were no further dismissals, despite further interference from the rain.
They will resume on 59 for two, with Ramprakash desperately seeking the runs which would bring up his 100th first-class hundred.
No play was possible in the match between Durham and Somerset at the Riverside.
In Division Two, Glamorgan's match with Essex was also a washout, while just 4.2 overs were possible on the second day between Worcestershire and Northamptonshire at New Road.
No wickets fell, but 19 runs were added by the visitors, who went to stumps on 153 for six - a first-innings lead of seven.
Fans at Derby saw 30.1 overs, which visiting Leicestershire just about edged with the late wicket of Chris Rogers for 52.
His dismissal left Derbyshire on 113 for three, with West Indian batsman Wavell Hinds bearing much of the burden when he resumes on 33.
The first two sessions at Bristol yielded no play at all but the players eventually got out at 4pm, with Gloucestershire striking early to reduce Middlesex to a disappointing 73 for four.
Former England seamer Jon Lewis took two for 12 to start the rot, with Steve Kirby collecting the wicket of Twenty20 hero Dawid Malan and Anthony Ireland weighing in with the vital scalp of Owais Shah for 15.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
England cricket team sets a world record
England set a world record Wednesday after it named an unchanged team for the sixth Test in a row to meet South Africa in the first of the four Test series at Lord's Thursday.
The previous record was also England's when they fielded an unchanged side through a five-Test series in Australia in 1884-85
'Everyone's fit and we'll be playing the same team that played at Trent Bridge,'' captain Michael Vaughan was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.
Vaughan missed the final part of his county Yorkshire's four-day match against Durham after stiffness and pain in his his troubled right knee, which has undergone four operations.
He said Wednesday the joint had been injected with a lubricant and he would be fully fit for Thursday's first Test.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has not played test cricket since the final Ashes Test in Australia early last year because of injury, practised with the England team at the indoor nets at Lord's because of steady rain.
'We want him back in the England team,'' Vaughan said. 'He's here today practising just to get his foot in, we know he's not far away. How we get him in the team, we will have to decide on that once he's become available and had enough cricket.''
Vaughan said Flintoff could be available for the second Test starting at Headingley in Leeds July 18. 'He feels in decent spirits, he says he's getting better,'' he added.
Turning to South Africa, Vaughan said they had enjoyed a wonderful past 12 months. 'They are a very settled team, they have got a good blend of experience and youth,'' he said.
'I always think that a South African series is nearly up there with the Ashes. It's always a really big series for the guys to play in. Always hard-fought contests, very, very tough, what Test match cricket is about, he said.
Pakistan unsure about Shoaib, Asif for Champions Trophy
Pakistani cricket selectors are still awaiting a 'go-ahead' for the inclusion of their pace spearheads Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif in the 30-man probables list for this September's Champions Trophy.
All competing nations have to submit their provisional squads to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by July 11 for the Champions Trophy, which is to be held in Pakistan.
Several of the eight competing nations have already announced their preliminary squads but Pakistan have delayed naming their probables list because question marks are still hanging over the availability of Shoaib and Asif.
Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed told IANS Wednesday that the 'selection committee is awaiting a go-ahead on the availability of the two fast bowlers'.
Salahuddin said the selectors can only pick players who are eligible for national duty.
Pakistan are aware that they will have to recall the pace duo to have any realistic chance of winning the Champions Trophy following an embarrassing exit from the Asia Cup held on home soil. Pakistan failed to qualify for the final of the six-nation event and it was their impotent bowling that was responsible for their poor showing in the tournament.
But both Shoaib and Asif face a few problems in the way of their international return.
Shoaib has been out of the Pakistan squad since after featuring in the tour of India last year because of disciplinary reasons. He was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board April 1 but recently the Lahore High Court (LHC) temporarily suspended the ban, which means the Rawalpindi Express is available for national duty.
But PCB officials and the national selectors are unsure about Shoaib's fitness and want an assessment over it before naming him in the provisional squad.
Shoaib himself has said that he would be fully fit for the Champions Trophy and has announced plans to begin training in England soon to get back into shape for the elite eight-nation tournament.
Asif's case is even more complicated. The lanky pacer is facing a PCB ban after he was caught in Dubai with a banned substance last month. He was detained in Dubai before being deported to Pakistan after almost 19 days in detention. A three-man PCB committee is to probe the case but is yet to begin proceedings.
Recovering Shaun Tait back in the fold
Fast bowler Shaun Tait may return to cricket later this year after he was named in Australia's 30-man preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Tait, 25, announced in January that he was standing down from the game due to emotional and physical exhaustion, and he has not represented his country since.
But the paceman, who starred in Australia's Cricket World Cup-winning campaign last year, was included in the large squad, which will be halved in August ahead of the tournament in September.
"Shaun Tait has been included as he continues his extensive rehabilitation program to resume playing cricket," Australia's chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, said.
"Shaun had a significant impact in our World Cup victory and at his best is a formidable weapon in one-day cricket."
Australia's squad also included six uncapped players, namely Tasmania quartet George Bailey, Xavier Doherty, Brett Geeves and Tim Paine, Queensland all-rounder Ryan Harris and New South Wales paceman Doug Bollinger.
The tournament is scheduled to be played in Pakistan, but the International Cricket Council may yet moving the event should there be any threat of more violence in the country.
South Africa and Sri Lanka have been mooted as alternative venues.
Australia have been drawn in a pool comprising India, Pakistan and West Indies, and they are scheduled to play their first match, against India, in Lahore on September 13.
The final is scheduled to be played in Lahore on September 28.
Strauss hopes to return Proteas' fire
Andrew Strauss hopes England can use the pace and hostility of South Africa's attack to their advantage as they attempt to end their dismal Lord's record in the opening npower Test.
Attention has understandably been drawn to South Africa's array of fast bowling talent - headed by Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel - preparing to face England on Thursday.
Their ability to bowl in excess of 95mph, and Steyn's knack of intimidating batsmen with a slippery bouncer, has established the Proteas, currently ranked second in the world Test rankings, as favourites for the four-match series.
But Middlesex left-hander Strauss, who was born in Johannesburg but has since enjoyed considerable success against the country of his birth and averages 72 in five Tests against them, believes South Africa's strength could also be their weakness.
"The pace on the ball provides scoring opportunities as well," claimed Strauss, who hit three centuries during England's victory in South Africa three years ago.
"If they bowl well it's going to be hard work but if they're slightly off line there may well be more opportunities to score than, say, (against) the New Zealand bowlers who were very disciplined but with not quite so much pace.
"All it boils down to in the end is how well they're going to bowl and how clear you are in your gameplan about how you're going to counteract that."
How successful England are in achieving that will go a long way towards deciding the series as they chase their first Test victory at Lord's for seven matches - when they beat Bangladesh at the start of the 2005 summer.
It is going to be a very different challenge to that provided by New Zealand in recent months and Strauss admitted: "The New Zealand series tested us in very different ways.
"That attritional type of cricket in some ways is harder to play because you're fighting with yourself a lot of the time, whereas against South Africa you're pitting yourself against the opposition a little bit more. They're trying to get you out, you're trying not to give an inch in your own right.
"I think the opening batsmen have got a crucial role to play against their bowling attack. Both Alastair Cook and I are aware of that and the fact we need to do well to help out the team, and if we do that it will provide a good platform for the others to go out and play their shots."
Strauss can at least enter the opening Test knowing what he is about to face, having volunteered to play for Middlesex against the tourists at Uxbridge this week - scoring 29 in a rain-affected match against South Africa's expected Test line-up.
Ominously, it took Morkel only six balls before he claimed Strauss' scalp but the England opener insists the experience provided him with useful practice before this week's key battle.
"From my point of view it was fantastic to be able to face them before the Test series and start formulating game plans and how you're going to play the individual bowlers," he added.
"I was keen to play in that game. I thought there was a lot more benefits to playing than possible negatives so it just seemed like the right thing to do and I'm pleased I did it."
PCB fear Trophy re-location
The Pakistan Cricket Board fear they could lose the right to stage the Champions Trophy following recent bombings in Karachi and Islamabad.
The tournament is scheduled to be held in the nation from September 11, but several players from Australia and New Zealand have revealed plans to boycott the tournament because of security concerns.
PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf (pictured) appears confident the event will pass without incident, telling The Dawn: "If terrorists think they can target cricket or stadiums in the country, they are wrong."
However, an unnamed official told The News the PCB believe the tournament could be shifted and are mentally gearing up to "swallow the bitter pill".
He said: "It would be a huge setback for Pakistan cricket and I'm sure the ICC is aware of it.
"We didn't leave a stone unturned.
"We promised foolproof security, involved the government at the highest level, used diplomacy, upgraded our facilities.
"If they still take away the Champions Trophy from here then it would be very unfair."
Sri Lanka are possible alternative hosts for the tournament, but South Africa too would be prepared to hold the event.
"If requested by the ICC, and we agree on the terms and conditions of hosting the tournament, we will," Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"ICC host agreements are very onerous, so you don't want to accept certain terms if you don't have time to do everything they ask for. We have to sit down with them and go through everything, and negotiate new terms."
The ICC are expected to make a decision after they receive an independent security report next week.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
ODIs in for shakeup, ICC plans to tinker with 50-over format
Afraid that one-day cricket might have ceded at least part of its charm to the game`s slam-bang Twenty20 avatar, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is all set to tinker with the 50-over format.
ICC general manager of cricket Dave Richardson says he is not sure if the crowd, which lapped up Twenty20, has the same appetite for ODIs and he reckons the 50-over game may have to pave way for 40-over matches or even two innings of 20 overs each.
"The goal is to preserve all three formats. We have to preserve Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game. But are people willing to watch a 50-over game when T20 promises more action in less time? that is the challenge," Richardson said.
"So we are looking at two fresh options. We still feel broadcasters need content for seven hours...We need to get balance right and tinker with the 50-over format," he said.
Richardson said the 50-over game has evolved over the years and there are new proposals on the table to experiment with the format. "The general feeling amongst cricketers is that the 50-over edition is not sacrosanct like Test cricket. It started off with 60 overs and then dropped to 55 and 50. Some countries are experimenting with 40 and 45 overs. The new proposals are firmly on the agenda. We will not promise anything, but it will be looked at quite seriously," he said.
Richardson, the former South African wicketkeeper, was of the belief that there are simply just too many one-day tournaments, which defy logic.
"I suppose you could say there were too many meaningless ODIs. They were generating revenue, but were of no consequence. Apart from World Cup it did not make a difference. The rankings upped a little bit, but not enough. There is a proposal to create some context for those ODI series," he said.
On Twenty20, Richardson said greed should not be allowed to kill the golden goose.
"The ICC believes that T20 is the saviour of domestic games and will leave it at the domestic level. The policy is that t20 should bloom in the domestic league and be played at a limited scale internationally. We do not want to kill the golden goose," he said.
Richardson revealed ICC, in its recent executive board meeting, discussed future landscape of cricket where the rising popularity of Twenty20 and private ownership of teams were debated.
"Domestic leagues playing Twenty20 cricket for the first time have become revenue generators and have invited worldwide interest. I mean IPL in particular. For the first time ever we have people wanting to watch, sponsor, broadcast and advertise a domestic league! that changed the current cricket landscape," he said.
Asked if franchisee-owned model posed any threat to the cricket boards, Richardson said, "no. The boards are still in control...To preserve international cricket there is no need to ban domestic leagues. We just want to ensure that the ICC`s international events and bilateral tours are well promoted and worth watching.
ICC to invest $300 million to make cricket a global sport
In an attempt to make cricket a global sport, the International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday decided to pump in $300 million.
'We can confirm that we are making the biggest-ever investment in the game from top to bottom over the next seven years. From 2009, the ICC will pump almost $300 million into our 94 Associate and Affiliate Members that make up the developing cricket world,' said ICC's new chief executive Haroon Lorgat.
'That's at least $40 million per annum, compared to $18 million in 2008, a 120 per cent increase. We believe this is the biggest investment in global development by any sport outside football,' he added.
Lorgat also said that the 10 Full Members will also benefit from substantial increases in funding from the ICC over the coming years.
Lorgat, who took over as ICC CEO Friday succeeding Malcolm Speed, said the investment was important as cricket is getting popular world over.
'This fresh cash injection highlights we are a not-for-profit organisation. All the revenue we generate from our events, broadcast and commercial agreements is ploughed back into the game. It is also an indication of how strong this great game is at present. Participation is at an all-time high in all our members at all levels,' he said.
The ICC now has 104 Members, including 34 Associates and 60 Affiliates as well as the 10 Full Members. Turkey, Estonia and Bulgaria are the latest to join the ICC family having been granted Affiliate Member status at ICC Annual Conference in Dubai last week.
Sri Lanka not paying up
A PROTRACTED contract dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket and its players has reached boiling point just weeks before India are due to tour there.
Sri Lanka players, who returned home from Karachi after winning the Asia Cup, have not been paid since February and have requested an emergency board meeting.
“We did not even see a first draft of the new contract until seven weeks after our last contract lapsed,” an unnamed Sri Lanka player told Reuters.
“We have waited patiently for weeks, we have even played on despite being unpaid, but we are now fed-up and need this resolved fast.”
Senior cricketers agreed to a freeze in their central contract fees this year, but demanded junior members of the national squad and the A team get substantial wage increases.
Last year, junior players received $A15,740 a year as a retainer, the lowest annual contract fees of all Test playing nations.
The board, headed by World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, have been accused of dragging their feet during discussions with the Sri Lanka Cricketers' Association.
Ranatunga has refused any increment on match fees, also believed to be the lowest among Test nations, proposing instead that players be fined if they lose a Test match.
Other stumbling blocks include player image rights clauses, a demand that cricketers cancel lucrative media contracts and a proposed change in contract dates due to negotiation delays.
Sri Lanka Cricket's chief executive Duleep Mendis insisted that there was no cause for alarm with the India Test series due to start on July 23.
Bracken on top of the world
Australia'S cricketers return home from their successful Caribbean crusade boasting the world's top-ranked one-day international bowler ... and it's not Brett Lee.
Nathan Bracken has snuck under the guard to take over from New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori as the top ODI bowler in world cricket.
Bracken may not get the headlines of Lee or the rest of the world's bowling king-pins but it is hard to argue with his new No.1 ranking.
The left-armer heads the list of ODI wicket-takers in 2008 (29 at 17.41) and returned from knee surgery to be Australia's leading bowler in their 5-0 demolition of West Indies.
"A clean sweep of the series was the key objective, but to hit the top of the ODI bowler rankings in the process was a real bonus," Bracken said.
"I'm feeling good. I was able to spend a lot of time with the family over the past couple of months and was really keen to get stuck into some hard work."
Fellow Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who took 5-29 in the final one-dayer, also moved up the ODI bowling rankings to a career-high seventh spot.
Meanwhile, Test skipper Ricky Ponting is recuperating after surgery for a tendon injury in his right wrist.
Ponting is unlikely to be on deck for Australia's ODI series against Bangladesh in Darwin next month but is hoping to be fit for September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Australia have several other injury worries, including Matthew Hayden (ankle tendon) and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (broken finger), but Ponting insists Shane Watson, David Hussey and Luke Ronchi will continue to pick up the slack.
"We haven't got the old, wise heads to call on all the time but the blokes we're bringing in are certainly getting the job done," Ponting said.
"And that's exciting for Australia."
Bracken on top of the world
Australia'S cricketers return home from their successful Caribbean crusade boasting the world's top-ranked one-day international bowler ... and it's not Brett Lee.
Nathan Bracken has snuck under the guard to take over from New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori as the top ODI bowler in world cricket.
Bracken may not get the headlines of Lee or the rest of the world's bowling king-pins but it is hard to argue with his new No.1 ranking.
The left-armer heads the list of ODI wicket-takers in 2008 (29 at 17.41) and returned from knee surgery to be Australia's leading bowler in their 5-0 demolition of West Indies.
"A clean sweep of the series was the key objective, but to hit the top of the ODI bowler rankings in the process was a real bonus," Bracken said.
"I'm feeling good. I was able to spend a lot of time with the family over the past couple of months and was really keen to get stuck into some hard work."
Fellow Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who took 5-29 in the final one-dayer, also moved up the ODI bowling rankings to a career-high seventh spot.
Meanwhile, Test skipper Ricky Ponting is recuperating after surgery for a tendon injury in his right wrist.
Ponting is unlikely to be on deck for Australia's ODI series against Bangladesh in Darwin next month but is hoping to be fit for September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Australia have several other injury worries, including Matthew Hayden (ankle tendon) and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (broken finger), but Ponting insists Shane Watson, David Hussey and Luke Ronchi will continue to pick up the slack.
"We haven't got the old, wise heads to call on all the time but the blokes we're bringing in are certainly getting the job done," Ponting said.
"And that's exciting for Australia."
Flintoff casts shadow over England
England may well set a new record by fielding the same side for the sixth successive Test when they face South Africa in their series opener at Lord's.
But with Andrew Flintoff set to return for the second match at Headingley their unchanged streak may be nearing its end.
And South Africa coach Mickey Arthur believes the star all-rounder's looming presence is something his side can utilise to their advantage.
Flintoff hasn't played a Test for over a year because of a combination of ankle and side injuries.
However, the pace bowler is nearing full fitness and, significantly, England - whose captain Michael Vaughan comes into this game under an injury cloud after a recurrence of a longstanding knee problem - have named a squad for the first of this four-match series only.
Initial indications were that an England pace bowler would be under the spotlight at Lord's.
But against South Africa's strong batting line-up, England may want to move to a five-man attack as soon as possible.
They could do that by dropping a batsman, and middle-order duo Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood head to Lord's under pressure after managing a mere 77 runs in their combined last six innings during the series win over New Zealand.
“The ‘Freddie’ Flintoff factor lingers over England - because he's too good a player not to be picked,” said Arthur.
“If you've got a class performer, a fantastic cricketer like him available to you, I think you'd be silly not to select him.
“He's got to come back. Somebody will be unlucky.
“Within the whole pressure cooker of Test cricket, there might be one or two little personal contests going on in the England side.”
Turning to middle-order duo Bell and Collingwood, Arthur added: “I think it is obvious that at five and six, those two players will be under pressure.
“If we can get into five and six when the ball is pretty new, that will be pretty good - and I think there will be one bowler bowling with a cloud over him, knowing that Flintoff is probably going to be fit for the second Test.”
Much of the pre-series talk has focused on Kevin Pietersen, who turned his back on his native South Africa to play for England because he felt a racial quota system in domestic cricket was hampering his progress.
Pietersen's very public criticisms of the South African set-up have angered many within the Proteas' set-up, notably captain Graeme Smith, who was described as a “muppet” in the England star's autobiography.
South Africa boast a potent pace attack, led by the in-form Dale Steyn, but Arthur insisted they would not be targeting Pietersen just for the sake of settling old scores.
“We're not going to get involved in any sideshows,” he said.
“Graeme is pretty adamant he's not going to get involved, and I don't think any of our players will either. In fact, there is a lot of respect for Kevin in our dressing room.”
As well as Steyn, South Africa also have another genuinely fast bowler in Morne Morkel.
England, in the absence of Flintoff and the dropped Stephen Harmison have no similar firepower.
Tests are often won by the side with the better fast bowlers and Arthur said: “When I was doing my planning for the series, what I thought England lack is an out-and-out ‘quick’ - someone like a guy like Flintoff or Harmison.
“I know any captain wants an out-and-out quick in their set-up. I thought the England attack were very steady, could do a really good job as a unit, but might have lacked genuine pace.”
However, England seamer Stuart Broad said ‘better’ was not always a matter of ‘quicker’.
And with England having won their last two series, both against New Zealand, Broad reckoned they did not need a drastic change of plan.
“We've got two world class swing-bowlers (Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson) with the new ball so obviously we'll be hoping it swings.
“I think we all bowl above 85mph which is useful, but we look to do things with the ball.”
Broad added: “The key for us, which we've talked about, is not to try and match pace and bounce and not be something we're not.”
South Africa, who've yet to win a Test series in England since the end of their apartheid-enforced isolation despite twice coming close, have often been labelled “chokers”, a team that snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.
Defeating England over the course of this four-match campaign would go some way to ridding themselves of that unwanted tag and Arthur said: “England are a very good team who are incredibly hard to beat at home.
“We haven't won a series here since unity. A series win in England is huge for us, right up there on our priority list.”
Sri Lanka agree to tour England
Sri Lanka will take Zimbabwe's place on a tour of England in 2009.
Zimbabwe's visit was cancelled after the England and Wales Cricket Board cut cricketing ties with them because of the political unrest in the country.
The ECB has moved quickly to fill the void for two Test matches and three one-day internationals during April and May 2009.
"We are delighted that Sri Lanka will tour in the early part of next summer," said ECB chief executive David Collier.
"The strong and close relationship that we built up during our recent winter tours to Sri Lanka allowed the ECB, at short notice, to be able to approach Sri Lanka and confirm their availability for the international matches in the early part of next summer."
21-23 April v Leicestershire, Leicester
25-27 April v Essex, Chelmsford
29 April-3 May v England Lions, Derby
7-11 May First Test, Lord's
15-19 May Second Test, Chester-le-Street
21 May v Somerset, Taunton
24 May First one-day international, Bristol
27 May Second one-day international, Edgbaston
30 May Third one-day international, Headingley
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Aussies back on top after 5-0 sweep
Australia will head into September's Champions Trophy with their position as undisputed one-day world champions well intact after their series sweep of a woeful West Indies.
While the venue for tournament remains in doubt following a weekend bombing in Pakistan, there should be no such indecision about the favourites for the Trophy.
Australia's new-look one-day side was quick to dispel thoughts of any downturn in performance following the retirements of Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Brad Hogg since last year's World Cup triumph.
South Africa had edged their way in front on top of the one-day rankings after Australia's 2-0 loss to India in the final of the summer tri-series but, with a 5-0 result in the Caribbean, Australia have again jumped well ahead of the pack.
Ponting may have reluctantly admitted his new-look Test team could no longer expect to dominate opposition the way it had following a hard fought 2-0 Test series win against the West Indies, but there was no such concession from either the captain or stand-in skipper Michael Clarke during Australia's one-day tour finale - and with good reason.
The Windies whitewash came with imposing opener Matthew Hayden (Achilles injury) missing the entire series and both keeper Brad Haddin (broken finger) and Ponting (wrist) flying home early.
It also featured a string of leading performances by the newest additions to the team, as well as the returning Shane Watson.
Shaun Marsh top-scored with 81 on debut, while fellow newcomers David Hussey and Luke Ronchi scored two of the four fastest 50s in Australian one-history on their first ODI tour.
Allrounder Watson, meanwhile, claimed the man-of-the-series award and, after an injury-hampered career, will likely head into the Champions Trophy brimming with confidence as Hayden's opening partner.
Clarke, who took over the reins of the one-day team for the first time in games four and five with Ponting injured, stressed during the series the importance of bringing new players into a winning environment.
“It's about showing the new guys that ... we want to win every game,” Clarke said.
“That's what I'm accustomed to. It becomes a habit you try to get in to. You want to win.
“And I guess the greatest strength of the Australian cricket team is when you lose, you feel it like you would not believe.
“Whether it's a one-day game, a Twenty20 game, whatever game it is, you really feel it.
“And that's because we have a great habit of winning 90 per cent of the games we play.
“In my mind, we're still - and hopefully will be for sometime yet - the No.1 team in the world.”
After wrapping up the tour with a record 169-run win in St Kitts on Sunday, the team departed the Caribbean with players to have the next six weeks off before returning to camp next month ahead of the three-match one-day series against Bangladesh in Darwin.
Haddin is expected to be fit for the winter series, with Hayden also eyeing the games as his international return.
Ponting, though, could yet bypass the series in order to be fully fit for the Champions Trophy, having undergone surgery on his wrist this week.
Mystery man puts cricket in a spin
World cricket has a new Muttiah Muralidaran, a freakish Sri Lanka mystery spinner taking the game to places it has never been.
Part-time Sri Lankan army trooper Ajantha Mendis threatens to turn cricket on its head with his mesmeric brand of spin, which defies convention and includes off breaks, leg breaks, googlies and top-spinners.
The 23-year-old Mendis, who took an amazing 6-13 against India in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, is basically two spinners rolled into one. He has no stock delivery and turns the ball both ways.
Although still officially classified as a slow-medium bowler, he can spin the ball at right angles either way and is even harder to pick than Muralidaran.
Mendis has also has invented a new delivery - the "carrom" or "flicker" ball - that he releases with a snap of his strong middle finger and could result in an off break, a leg break, a googly or even a zooter.
He claims his mystery ball spins randomly depending on the time of release, and some of the world's top batsmen admit they are clueless.
India skipper MS Dhoni conceded his batsmen, some of the world's best players of spin, had been completely deceived during Mendis's spell.
"I think he was too hot to handle. We were playing him for the first time and he was lethal. In fact, none of us could pick him," Dhoni said.
"We never had any reply to his bowling."
Mendis, who has 20 wickets at an average of 10.25 from his eight one-day internationals, was named man of the tournament in the Asia Cup for his 17 wickets at 8.5. In the final he was introduced into the attack before Murali, who took a subdued 1-26.
English storm over ineligible player
ENGLISH cricket has been mired in controversy after a Twenty20 Cup quarter-final between Durham and Yorkshire was called off because of an ineligible player.
The England and Wales Cricket Board acted after determining that Yorkshire had failed to register Azeem Rafiq as a first-class player for an earlier decisive group match against Nottinghamshire.
Fans were furious as the match was called off just minutes before it was due to begin and they were left to make their way home following a pointless journey.
The ECB's disciplinary commission will meet on Friday (EST) to determine what action should be taken against Yorkshire.
Chief executive David Collier insisted the ECB said they could not have taken any other course of action other than postpone the match.
"I don't think we could have done any more than what we've been doing today,'' he said.
"It has been a mad rush. The worst would have been to just ignore it and act as though nothing had happened and let the game go ahead with the knowledge that the game may well have to be replayed.''
Rafiq, 17, has captained England Under-15s - yet there are also question marks against his British nationality.
Yorkshire's director of cricket Martyn Moxon suggested the ECB knew of the issue within days of their June 27 match against Notts, when the mix-up occurred.
"I can only apologise to everybody concerned - the players from both teams are absolutely devastated with what's gone on today,'' Moxon told the BBC.
Rafiq is understood to have been eligible to play for Yorkshire at every level below the first team - but he bowled two overs against Notts.
Champions Trophy in real trouble as blasts rattle ICC
Prospects of Pakistan holding the Champions Trophy are bleak after the blasts in Islamabad sparked fresh security fears among Australian cricketers and the International Cricket Council (ICC) making it clear that it would not compromise with the security of the players.
'The ICC will not compromise the safety and security of any individual at one of its tournaments and if it is not appropriate to play in any country then we will not do so,' ICC chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
Lorgat said that a security process had been agreed for the Champions Trophy.
'The process involved an exchange of information between the competing teams, the ICC and the security consultants.'
Security consultants are preparing a report for the ICC and they are expected to announce by the middle of July whether Pakistan is safe to host the eight-team tournament. The ICC has previously stated Sri Lanka would be the back-up venue for the trophy.
India, however, suggested the postponement of the Champions Trophy, instead of shifting it from Pakistan.
'Our security consultants have been working with the Pakistan authorities during the Asia Cup, assessing security, and will report back as soon as possible with their views,' he added.
Australia, England and New Zealand players have already expressed their apprehension about touring Pakistan on grounds of security. The blast have only strengthened their case.
According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, senior Australian cricketers have informed their team mates that they are not going to take part in the Champions Trophy even if Cricket Australia (CA) gives a green signal. The report said that the bomb blast near the Red Mosque in the Pakistani capital will prove a major deterrent to already nervous Australian players.
Islamabad is not scheduled to host any matches of the tournament, but the bomb blast yet again proved that the nation remains in a volatile state.
The daily said that CA's security adviser, Reg Dickason, returned from Pakistan last week after an inspection. The contents of Dickason's report have not been revealed, but it is understood security personnel are concerned that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) cannot guarantee cleared roads between team hotels and stadia throughout the tournament.
The Champions Trophy is due to start September 11 with matches to be held in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. Eight teams -- Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and the West Indies -- will participate in the tournament.
Tim May, chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) feels situation in Pakistan is still very much in turmoil since they abandoned their Pakistan tour in March.
'FICA is very concerned about the inherent risks of holding such an event in Pakistan in such a landscape of unrest and volatility and opposition to western countries,' May said.
Champions Trophy will be the first major competition in Pakistan since co-hosting the World Cup in 1996.