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Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has flown home to Jamaica to be with his seriously ill mother

Peter English17-Nov-2009Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has flown home to Jamaica to be with his seriously ill mother, leaving him in doubt for next week’s first Test. Gayle departed Allan Border Field before the start of the tour game against Queensland to begin the journey back to visit her in hospital in Kingston.Team-mate Ramnaresh Sarwan said it was disappointing to lose Gayle and the squad would have to wait to learn whether he will be able to turn out at the Gabba. “He’s got something very important to go back to, his mum is not well,” Sarwan said. “We’re hoping for him to come back for the first Test, if not the second. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”Gayle’s absence means Denesh Ramdin, the wicketkeeper, is leading the side in the four-day tour match in Brisbane. The 15-man squad is already short of experience and will rely on Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Sarwan to lift it in the lead-up to the Test on November 26.”The thoughts of the management and players in the team as well as the WICB are with Chris and his family at this time,” Joel Garner, the team manager, said. “We also want to wish his mother a speedy recovery.”While the squad hopes Gayle will return quickly, the move is a further blow to the tourists, who have come together following a strike between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board. Gayle, who has played 82 Tests, has also been criticised for his attitude since being re-appointed captain following the player strike. When the team arrived last week he spoke of unifying the side and challenging Australia in the three-game series.

England opener shrugs off disappointment and aims to return to ‘fearless’ brand of cricket

Andrew Miller20-Nov-2024Danni Wyatt-Hodge says that England are ready to park the criticism that followed their early exit from the T20 World Cup, and renew their focus on the “fearless” brand of cricket that went missing at the crucial moments of their decisive group-stage defeat to West Indies in Dubai last month.Speaking in the lead-up to Sunday’s first T20I against World Cup runners-up South Africa in East London, Wyatt-Hodge insisted that England had not “become a bad side in eight overs”, after an error-strewn performance in the field had allowed West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph to romp to fast-paced fifties, en route to a place in the semi-finals at England’s expense.England’s poor performance drew an unprecedented reaction in the media, not least from the former World Cup winner Alex Hartley, who called into question the players’ fitness levels – a point that was flatly rejected last week by their head coach, Jon Lewis. However, Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that heightened scrutiny was an inevitable consequence of the growth of the women’s game.”That’s part of the game now isn’t it?” she said. “We put ourselves out there, people can say what they want, but all that matters is in our circle, and we’re all working really hard every day in training and games. We want to keep improving individually and as a team. And people are entitled to say what they want out of this group. That’s fine. We know what’s going on, so that’s all that matters.”We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last few years, and we played some great cricket throughout the World Cup as well,” she added. “And we’re all here now in South Africa, and we’re really excited to get going. We just want to focus on playing that fearless brand of cricket that we’ve played over the last couple of years, and just enjoy it.”South Africa pulled off the shock of the tournament to beat defending champions Australia in their semi-final, before losing to New Zealand in their second consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup final. Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that they would pose another stiff challenge to her team, even though they have chosen to rest two senior players, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, at this early juncture of their multi-format series.England “did not become a bad side in eight overs” against West Indies, says Wyatt-Hodge•ICC/Getty Images

“They’ve got a few youngsters in their squad, so we’re not going to be familiar with some of their bowlers,” Wyatt-Hodge said, with Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase among the unfamiliar names.”We’re going to sit down and have a look at what they do, but they’ve got some outstanding players on their team, like Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt. They’re a very challenging team to play against, but it’s always really good fun to come out here and play against them in their conditions. We’re really buzzing to get going.”One potential trump card for England could be the recall of Lauren Filer, their fastest bowler, who was overlooked for the conditions at the World Cup, but who can expect to relish the harder surfaces of South Africa over the coming weeks.”Filer’s bowling has really improved over the last year or so,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “She’s very scary to face in the nets, and especially out here, the pitches are quite quick and bouncy. So she’s going to be a handful to face out here. She’s been working really hard, and if she gets a chance, I’m sure she’s raring to go.”The timing of the series, and the multi-format nature, means that England are sure to have one eye on their Ashes tour of Australia in January. But Wyatt-Hodge recognised the significance of the tour in its own right, especially given the need to bounce back from their recent disappointments.Related

• Danni Wyatt-Hodge joins Surrey for new professional era

• England seek World Cup redemption in South Africa

• England Women appoint Courtney Winfield-Hill as assistant coach

• Alice Capsey called up to England T20 squad for South Africa tour

• Paige Scholfield ruled out of England's SA tour with ankle injury

“This is a massive series for us, leading up to the Ashes as well. We want to go out there and show off our skills, and show everyone how good we are.”We’ve had a few meetings, there’s always ways we can be better,” she added. “Personally, I’ve got things on the work on, like many of the other girls, so we want to keep pushing ourselves to be better and better.Even though I’m 33, I still feel like one of the youngsters, I feel about 23. I just want to have fun, but also, when I’m on it, I’m on it and I’m focused. I just want to keep working hard, and hopefully the youngsters see the likes of me, Heather [Knight], Amy [Jones], Nat [Sciver-Brunt] wanting to keep improving and working hard. We want to inspire them as well, to do what we’re doing.”The tour will conclude with a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein, starting on December 15, and though Wyatt-Hodge insisted “I just play what’s in front of me,” she admitted the prospect of adding a third Test cap to her tally was an enticing one.”We don’t really play that much of it, so every time I’m picked in a Test squad, it’s a really special feeling,” she said. “To make my Test debut in the Ashes Test couple of years ago was one of the best days I’ve had in my cricketing career. It hits different, a Test match does. We all really enjoy the challenge. It’s just so different, so having a Test match here against South Africa is going to be great prep going into the Ashes.”

Changes at the top as Ireland return to 50-over format for first time since failed World Cup bid

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2023Paul Stirling will captain Ireland in their three-match ODI series against England in September, their first 50-over series since their disappointing display at the World Cup qualifying event in Zimbabwe in June and July.Stirling will open the batting alongside Andrew Balbirnie, his predecessor as captain, while Curtis Campher has been confirmed as the new No.3, as Ireland take on the world champions England in three ODIs at Headingley, Trent Bridge and Bristol between September 20 and 26.The squad includes a prospective new cap in Theo van Woerkom, a New Zealand-born left-arm spinner who has featured for Northern Knights in Ireland’s provincial competition.Ireland came into the World Cup qualifying tournament with high hopes of making it through to the main event for the first time since 2015. However, they eventually finished seventh after missing out on the Super Sixes’ phase of the competition.Since then, they have successfully reached the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA next year, and were most recently in action against India last week, losing the three-match series 2-0, with one abandonment.”While the squad has an overall familiar shape, there are several important changes we are going to look at,” Andrew White, Ireland men’s national selector, said. “The key changes are at the top of the order where Andrew Balbirnie will open with Paul Stirling. The pair have a great understanding and we believe they can develop into a longer term opening option in the 50-over game.”Along with this, Curtis Campher will make the move to number 3, where we believe he has the technique and aptitude to succeed in the role – he plays pace as well as anyone in the squad, and whilst he has been a mainstay of our middle order for a few years now, we believe he has the capability to batter higher up the order and have a really positive impact.”We see this series as important in the development and evolution of our one-day squad and the players are certainly looking forward to locking horns with England for the first time in ODIs since 2020.”Ireland squad: Paul Stirling (capt), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Theo van Woerkom, Craig Young.

Victory for home side ensures they leapfrog visitors in final Charlotte Edwards Cup standings

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2022England slow left-armer Sophie Ecclestone collected 5 for 15, her maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, as Thunder ended their Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign with a five-wicket victory over Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.The victory was completed with 28 balls to spare and ensures that Thunder do not finish bottom of their group, that unwanted honour being taken by Lightning, whose total of 103 was comfortably overhauled.But Lightning’s innings had got off to a superb start when the visitors took 27 runs off the first ten balls of the innings, 16 of them conceded by Kate Cross’s opening over. However, that early momentum was lost when Marie Kelly attempted one cross-batted swipe too many at Alex Hartley’s left-arm spin and was bowled for 17.In the third over, Ecclestone had Ella Claridge caught by Phoebe Graham at mid-on for nought and Bethany Harmer pouched at backward square leg for 7. That left Lightning on 29 off 3 after three overs and only 15 runs were scored off the remaining 18 balls of the Powerplay.Thunder struck the next blow when Sarah Bryce was neatly caught and bowled by Hannah Jones for 13 and when Bethan Ellis’s top-edged sweep off Emma Lamb was nonchalantly plucked out of the air by Graham at backward square leg on the 45, Lightning were 54 for 5 after nine overs.Kathryn Bryce and Piepa Cleary tried to stabilise the innings but their attempt foundered when non-striker Bryce called Cleary for a single but was run out for 13 by Graham’s sharp throw. Lightning’s task now was to balance steady accumulation with the priority of batting out their remaining eight overs but Cleary and Lucy Higham’s careful progress was derailed in the 16th over with the score on 86, when another bullet throw by Graham ran out Higham for 16.Ecclestone then cleaned up Sophie Munro, Grace Ballinger and Josie Groves, the last of her victims smartly stumped by Ellie Threlkeld first ball, to leave Lightning all out for 103 with two of their overs unused.Thunder’s pursuit began even more poorly than Lightning’s had. Georgie Boyce was lbw to Kelly for 1 and Cross caught at mid-off with Ballinger the successful bowler for 9, both wickets falling in the first three overs, and when Ecclestone was leg before to Kathryn Bryce for two, the home side were 25 for 3 after 4.5 overs.That, though was where the good news appeared to end for Lightning. Lamb moved carefully onto the attack and had made 42 off 35 balls when she was leg before to Kathryn Bryce. That was at the halfway stage of the Thunder innings and the home side were still well placed on 75 for 4, especially so since Kelly had been removed from the attack for bowling two beamers above waist height.Danielle Collins was leg before to Josie Groves for 12 in the next over but by that stage Thunder needed 23 runs off nine overs with five wickets in hand. That job was completed with litte fuss by Threlkeld and Daisy Mullan, skipper Threlkeld finishing unbeaten on 12. Kathryn Bryce, with 2 for 24, was the most successful Lightning bowler.

He was suspended from bowling on February 19 last year after being reported eight days earlier by on-field umpires

Peter Della Penna11-Feb-2021Left-arm spinning allrounder Nisarg Patel has been cleared by the ICC to bowl again in international cricket, almost a year to the day after his action had been first reported by match officials.Nisarg, 32, was suspended from bowling on February 19 last year after being reported eight days earlier by on-field umpires in an ODI loss to Oman in Nepal during USA’s Cricket World Cup League Two tri-series tour.Related

• Nepal to host Netherlands and Malaysia for T20I tri-series in April

• Nisarg's action found illegal after reassessment

• Nisarg banned from bowling due to suspect action

Nisarg’s bowling action was reassessed later in 2020, but the ICC ruled in November 2020 that his action still exceeded the permitted 15 degrees and he was asked to continue further modifications to his action. A subsequent ICC review has now deemed his remodelled action as legal.Nisarg did not miss any bowling opportunities for USA for the duration of time that his action was suspended by the ICC. USA has not played any international cricket since the ODI tour of Nepal in February 2020 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. They are due to play Nepal and hosts Oman in an ODI tri-series next month.USA Cricket had named Nisarg as one of 44 players in a training camp that was due to be held this month in Texas ahead of naming a 14-man touring squad to go to Oman in March. However, Oman government officials announced in late January that all international sporting events in the country were banned indefinitely due to a rise in Covid-19-positive cases.According to multiple sources, USA’s players were notified earlier this week in an email by USA Cricket operations manager Richard Done that the Texas squad camp has been cancelled in anticipation that the ODI series in Oman will be postponed by the ICC based on the Omani government’s international sports ban. The ICC has yet to make a formal announcement regarding the status of the ODI tri-series in Oman.

The director of cricket is a new role created by the ZC board in August when a decision was taken to restructure its management

Firdose Moonda30-Oct-2019Hamilton Masakadza, the former Zimbabwe captain and opening batsman, has been appointed the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) director of cricket. Masakadza, who is Zimbabwe’s fourth-highest run-scorer in both Tests and ODIs, retired from international cricket last month and will begin in the new position on Friday.The director of cricket is a new role created by the ZC board in August when a decision was taken to restructure its management. Masakadza will be responsible for defining policy, strategy and programmes of best practice through all Zimbabwe’s teams. He will also be accountable for the recruitment, management and interaction of senior cricket technical staff and is tasked with ensuring that coaches and captains are providing effective leadership to the national teams.”This is a key appointment that clearly indicates our desire to strengthen our cricket across all levels while also improving the game administratively,” ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said. “I have no doubt that his incredible passion for Zimbabwe cricket, massive knowledge of our game and the wealth of experience that he gained from playing at the highest level will help transform ZC and see him becoming a respected leader in the sport.”Masakadza has his work cut out for him. Zimbabwe’s recent results include a T20I loss to 22nd-ranked Singapore in a tri-series and finishing at the bottom of the points table in another tri-series, in Dhaka, which included Bangladesh and Afghanistan.Those matches were played while Zimbabwe was suspended by the ICC for government interference in the board. They have since been reinstated as a Full Member, a decision that came too late for them to participate in the ongoing men’s T20 World Cup qualifier. Instead, Zimbabwe’s focus is on the ODI Super League, which will determine qualification for the 2023 World Cup.Zimbabwe do not have any more international fixtures this year but are due to host Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands and India next year and are scheduled to travel to Bangladesh, Australia and Sri Lanka.

He wants to emulate his father Abdul Qadir by playing international cricket. Not for Pakistan, the land of his birth, but for Australia

Daniel Brettig26-Sep-2018Though legspinners are famously furtive about revealing their intentions, there is no such secrecy about Usman Qadir’s desire to emulate his father Abdul Qadir by playing international cricket. Not for Pakistan, the land of his birth, but for Australia, the country he has found increasingly receptive to his maturing repertoire of legbreaks, googlies and topspinners.On Wednesday, Usman made his state debut for Western Australia, and made an instant impression by fooling Cameron White in his very first over before going on to returning the notable figures of 3 for 50 in Warriors’ thumping of Victoria at the Junction Oval. It was fitting that Qadir perform so well in Melbourne, given that two decades ago it was for the city’s Carlton Cricket Club that Abdul Qadir claimed a record-equalling 76 wickets in club cricket, beginning a relationship with Australia that has led to his son’s WA sojourn.Having seen the pathway opened up by another legspinner of Pakistani origin – Fawad Ahmed in 2013 – Usman has identified his qualification for a distinguished talent visa and its attendant fast-tracking of Australian citizenship as means by which to be able to play for his adopted country in time for the 2020 World Twenty20 tournament, hosted by Australia. His application would need to be sponsored by Cricket Australia, and his performances would need to have demonstrated exceptional skill that will be of material benefit to Australian cricket.”When I saw Fawad, the government changed the law for him, I am going to apply for a distinguished talent visa and before that I’ve got permanent residency and hopefully I will get citizenship as well in two years’ time,” he said. “My goal is to play for Australia in the 2020 World Twenty20. Hopefully, definitely [I will be eligible].”It’s been six years since Usman, 25, first loomed as a possible Australian representative. Having played for Pakistan at the 2012 Under-19s World Cup in northern Australia, he was encouraged by then South Australia coach Darren Berry to play club cricket for Adelaide, where he performed well and seemed on course to graduate to higher honours.”All the credit goes to him because he’s a great guy, he supported me as well, but at that time they said you can get the nationality next year and you can get the contract as well, and that’s when I said to my dad,” Usman said after the game. “But that time I was very small, I couldn’t have a mature mind, so my dad said ‘you have to come back and play for Pakistan’, so that’s why I flew back to Pakistan.Usman Qadir is congratulated on his Western Australia debut•Getty Images

“I got named in the Pakistan team and my father was the chief selector at that time and he took my name off because he said ‘everybody is going to say to me that your son is not performing well’, but at that time I got the hat-trick and got seven wickets, and the chairman put my name in the team and he said, ‘no, everybody is going to say that you take your son in the team’.”After that I quit cricket for one-and-a-half-years, and I keep telling him I don’t want to play for Pakistan, I want to go to play in Australia and make my future. He kept telling me, ‘no, you have to play for Pakistan’ but last year he said to me ‘if you want to go you are grown up, you can do whatever you want to do, I’m with you and I’ll support you’.”So it was that two years ago, Usman returned to Australia with the intent to build a new cricket career. At the time, his father suggested that it was fair enough to make the move, having exhausted his options in Pakistan. “I, as a father and a former cricketer, have lost trust in our system to give a fair chance to our players to prove themselves,” Abdul Qadir said in 2016. “I don’t want to see my other son to go down and suffer due to this system which doesn’t respect their legends.”I never went to any selector on behalf of my son and never will. My other sons were also capable enough to represent Pakistan but they didn’t grow, but Usman is very much capable and I know he has potential for top-level cricket. I have allowed Usman to decide about his future. I did hold him back from migrating to Australia in 2013, and asked him to stay in Pakistan. But now after him being ignored for more than three years, I don’t think it’s fair for me to stop him anymore.”Last summer he played for Hawkesbury in Sydney club cricket, scooping 36 wickets in a mere six matches and catching the attention of WA’s then coach Justin Langer in a net session. Langer, of course, is now Australia coach, so it is the commission of his successor Adam Voges to manage Usman’s path. For now, that includes 50-over matches and a Big Bash League contract with the Perth Scorchers; a Sheffield Shield call-up looms next.”There is politics, they’re making their own decisions, they have likes and dislikes and that’s why I don’t like that,” Usman said of his experience in Pakistan. “If I’m performing well you can see, and I did not get any chances to play good cricket. I said to myself that I didn’t want to play in Pakistan anymore, so I moved here.”If I’m performing well, hopefully they give me an opportunity to play four days (Sheffield Shield) as well. I’m living at the moment in Sydney, hopefully I’m going to move to Perth to play in club cricket and performing well there hopefully they give me a chance to perform in four days as well.”

Nottinghamshire’s seam bowler, Luke Fletcher, was taken to hospital after he was struck on the head in a serious-looking incident at Edgbaston, with the T20 Blast match against Birmingham Bears suspended while he received treatment

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2017
ScorecardLuke Fletcher was struck on the head while delivering his first ball of the night•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire seam bowler Luke Fletcher was struck on the head in a horrific incident at Edgbaston, with the NatWest T20 Blast match against Birmingham Bears suspended for half-an-hour while he received treatment.The fast-bowler was taken to hospital in an ambulance after he suffered the injury in the fourth over of Birmingham’s reply to Nottinghamshire’s 158 for six. Play eventually resumed with Birmingham stealing a six-wicket victory with a single on the final ball when Notts missed a run-out chance – although concern over Fletcher oversahadowed the chase.Fletcher’s first ball of the night, at the start of the fourth over with the score 30 for 0, was driven ferociously straight back by Sam Hain and struck him on the head in his follow-through.The umpire signalled instantly for medical assistance, and it was clear from the reaction of the players that they felt the incident was potentially very serious. Fletcher was concussed, but he did not lose consciousness and he was able to walk from the field aided by a physio with a towel over his head.He was attended to by paramedics in the dressing-room, and was taken to a Nottingham hospital for further examination. His team-mate, Jake Ball, later tweeted a picture of Fletcher, wearing an oxygen mask but with his thumbs up, adding: “Horrible injury to @fletcherluke but looks like he’s doing well off to hospital #legend” One of the most popular players in county cricket, Fletcher was given the warmest of ovations from the 9,000 crowd and, typically, waved in acknowledgement. But with the players visibly concerned, the decision was taken to temporarily halt the game.He later tweeted from hospital that it was time for some paracetamol.Notts Outlaws head coach Peter Moores said after the match: “Luke has obviously got concussion but the reports we’re hearing back are that they think he’s going to be fine and hopefully he will go home either tonight or tomorrow morning. It sounds good news at the moment and we’re looking forward to catching up with him when he’s back and hopefully OK.”Warwickshire were very understanding and, more importantly, efficient. They had a doctor on site straight away and the paramedics here. Credit too to James Pipe, our physio, he is meticulous in all trauma-related stuff as is Warwickshire’s physio, and they worked together straight away.”It’s nice to see that at any sporting venue, that everything is in place should something like that happen.”The increased threat to bowlers and umpires during a Twenty20 age in which power hitting has become the norm has led to some umpires considering protective headgear to guard against injury.After half an hour, it was agreed to resume and the Notts players were warmly applauded back on to the field. They fought brilliantly to defend their below-par total and almost succeeded before ultimately dropping their second game in 24 hours to begin this year’s campaign, but most thoughts were with Fletcher who lifted spirits with his thumbs-up signal to a camera from the back of the ambulance.Put in, Notts had been troubled by the spin of Jeetan Patel (4-0-22-4) but recovered from 28 for three to total 158 thanks principally to Samit Patel’s classy 55 and Steven Mullaney’s 46.The Bears’ ploy to open the bowling with Patel paid off as he took three wickets in his first 11 balls; Michael Lumb brilliantly caught by William Porterfield at mid-wicket, and Alex Hales and Rikki Wessels, pouched at cow corner by Hain.Patel then underpinned a recovery, adding 51 in 45 balls with Dan Christian (20, 27 balls) and 68 in 39 balls with Mullaney.Birmingham started strongly as Ian Bell and Hain took 30 from three overs before the game was halted in light of Fletcher’s injury. After the resumption, Hain soon sliced Harry Gurney to point and Porterfield ran himself out before Bell (47, 38 balls, five fours) lifted a reverse-sweep at Patel to Lumb at short third man.Birmingham required 40 from the last five overs and Grant Elliott and Rikki Clarke took 15 off the first of them. Elliott’s 38 (22 balls, four fours, one six) saw his side to the brink of a victory but Notts dug deep.Five runs from the last over, bowled by Christian, came down to one from the last ball, from which Colin De Grandhomme and Clarke scrambled the relevant single. But Notts should have claimed a tie as a relay from extra cover was fumbled by Michael Lumb standing over the non-striker’s stumps.

Ravi Sawani, the former general manager of the ACSU), has questioned the remarks made by the former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who termed the approach of the anti-corruption watchdog “casual”.

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Jun-20162:58

Bal: ICC’s biggest challenge is creating an environment of trust

‘Origin of leak not from ICC’

: The ICC commended Brendon McCullum two years ago – and continues to do so today – for his brave, courageous and principled stand against corruption in cricket. The ICC also understood and shared his dismay at the leak of his confidential statement, which prompted a thorough and detailed investigation by the ICC. While the probe proved that the origin of the leak was not from within the ICC, it failed to establish beyond doubt the actual source. Nevertheless, the ICC has already put strong measures in place to ensure this type of incident is never repeated.
In 2014 (and unrelated to the leak of confidential information), a comprehensive review of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit was carried out to review its processes, functions and resources. The review was conducted by the ICC’s Integrity Working Party (IWP), which included independent corruption experts. All the recommendations of the IWP were reviewed and adopted by the ICC Board during the 2015 ICC Annual Conference in Barbados.
Every event or incident provides an organisation with opportunities to review its structures and measure its operations against best practice. This is exactly what the ICC has done in this particular case – it believes the outcome has been processes, procedures and resources which have been further bolstered and strengthened.
The ICC reconfirms that it is doing absolutely everything in its power to fight the threat of corruption in the sport and will continue to do so. It also reaffirms its commitment to gain and retain the complete trust of cricketers, and to work in close cooperation with all stakeholders in cricket.

Ravi Sawani, the former general manager of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), has questioned the remarks made by the former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who termed the approach of the anti-corruption watchdog “casual”.Delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture at Lord’s on Monday, McCullum, who gave match-fixing evidence against his former team-mate Chris Cairns at Southwark Crown Court in London last year, said he felt the ACSU’s evidence-gathering had to be “much more thorough, more professional”.In his testimony during Cairns’ perjury trial, McCullum had said that, on the eve of New Zealand’s first match of the 2011 World Cup, he and Daniel Vettori, then captain, had gone to the hotel room of the ACSU representative John Rhodes to report the approaches that Cairns had allegedly made in 2008, when McCullum was playing the inaugural season of the IPL in India. McCullum recollected Rhodes taking notes but not recording their conversation.According to McCullum, Rhodes said his notes would “probably end up” at the bottom of the file. “When I made my first statement to the ICC, my impression was that it would be put in the bottom draw and never see the light of day again. No attempt was made to elicit a full and comprehensive statement from me on that occasion,” McCullum told the audience at the lecture.Cairns, who retired from international cricket in 2006, had been part of the un-sanctioned Indian Cricket League in 2008, the tournament which gave rise to the allegations of which he was subsequently acquitted. However, Sawani said the ACSU could not have used McCullum’s statement against Cairns since the ICL did not fall under the ICC umbrella.”We could not have used any part of what McCullum had told us against Chris Cairns in any manner because Chris Cairns was not under the ICC jurisdiction at that moment,” Sawani told ESPNcricinfo.”He [Cairns] was accused of doing something when he was part of the ICL operations. As per the ACSU code Cairns had not done anything in any ICC-controlled match so there was no necessity for us to prosecute Chris Cairns. Also, because we had taken a decision not to prosecute McCullum for the delay in reporting an approach, there was no requirement for recording McCullum’s statement in a detailed manner.”After speaking to Rhodes, McCullum made detailed statements to the ACSU and the Metropolitan Police in London in 2014. The Metropolitan Police, McCullum said, was “streets ahead in terms of professionalism” compared to the ACSU. Sawani, however, disagreed with McCullum.”The Met Police recorded his statement to criminally prosecute Chris Cairns and his lawyer [who was also acquitted] for certain offences as per the English law and obviously they went into great details as to what happened and exactly what was the cause of the statement that he had made and what happened thereafter,” Sawani said. “It had to be evidence recorded as per the procedure prescribed in English criminal law and then used during criminal proceedings.”According to Sawani, the ACSU took a well-deliberated decision not to punish McCullum for his failure to report the approach three years after Cairns allegedly made it.”I took that decision that no action need be taken against Brendon McCullum,” Sawani said. “McCullum was stating something three years late about an incident. No action was taken even though technically it was an offence. The player himself had come forward to report an approach about which we were not aware and it would have been stupid on our part to punish him for that.”Later in 2014, McCullum’s second statement to the ICC was leaked in the . McCullum said he still did not know how his statement had found its way into the paper, and if anyone had been held accountable.”To report an approach and to give evidence requires considerable courage – players deserve much better,” McCullum said. “How can the game’s governing body expect players to co-operate with it when it is then responsible for leaking confidential statements to the media?”However, Sawani denied that anyone within the ACSU would have divulged any details to an outsider, adding that there were others present in the room each time McCullum recorded a statement.”McCullum himself admitted this,” Sawani said, “when he said ‘I had told other people about Cairns’ approaches – one of them was my captain and friend, Dan Vettori’. There were many possibilities. The truth is out there somewhere and only Ed Hawkins [Daily Mail reporter] can say from where he sourced extracts of that statement.”

Bangladesh fast bowler Shahadat Hossain has been ruled out for six months after twisting his right knee during the lunch break on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur06-May-2015Bangladesh fast bowler Shahadat Hossain has been ruled out* for six months after twisting his right knee during the lunch break on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan. Shahadat has suffered damage to the ligament and meniscus cartilage on the knee and will require surgery.He had been off the field for a large part of the first session after falling over in his follow through and hurting the same knee while bowling the first delivery of the match. He bowled another ball before limping off. He returned to the field in the 17th over and later took a catch at deep midwicket to dismiss Sami Aslam.He would have been allowed to bowl in the second session, but fell over while bowling some practice deliveries during the lunch break and had to be stretchered off. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Bangladesh team management had asked Shahadat not to bowl during the interval.Mushfiqur Rahim used Soumya Sarkar to complete Shahadat’s opening over and Sarkar bowled 11.4 overs in the day. Bangladesh now have only one fast bowler and three spinners to try and take 20 Pakistan wickets. Shahadat was chosen for this match only because of an injury to Rubel Hossain, who was part of the XI for the Khulna Test.There is little chance of Shahadat batting in the Test.May 6, 2015 14:30 GMT: The piece has been updated with news of Shahadat Hossain being ruled out