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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

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Pallekele

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran31-Oct-2012

Match facts

November 1, 2012
Start time 0900 local (1430 GMT)Weather remains the big concern ahead of another game in Pallekele•Associated Press

Big picture

Cricket fans in Sri Lanka must be fed up with the weather. Over the last few months, it has become a habit to keep one eye on the sky. When Pakistan arrived late May, the first two T20s in Hambantota went smoothly without a cloud around. It was hardly a sign of things to come as the teams made their way away from the dry zone for the rest of the series. The groundstaff were on their toes through the ODIs and Tests against Pakistan, the SLPL and the World Twenty20. In fact, the SLPL final itself had a farcical end because of the elements.Questions were raised as to why administrators in their wisdom would think of organising series during the monsoon. But the current congested cricket calendar doesn’t offer much choice. With leagues like the SLPL being shoehorned whenever there is a gap, the weather patterns for those specific weeks seem irrelevant. All one can do is hope for the best.The pattern didn’t change when New Zealand arrived in Pallekele for the one-off Twenty20. Everyone saw it coming – soon after the World Twenty20, rains swept the country. The game got off to a delayed start and only 14 overs were possible in the first innings, as New Zealand limped to 74 for 7. Sri Lanka could only play two overs before the weather had the final say. The forecast isn’t encouraging for Thursday’s first ODI either, at the same venue.The tour, for all practical purposes, is yet to begin. New Zealand shouldn’t read too much into their showing on Tuesday, despite their familiarity with the venue during the World Twenty20. They were put into bat on a damp pitch which hadn’t been exposed to prolonged sunshine in the lead-up. Any batting side would have been challenged in conditions like that. The pitch was under the covers through the eve of the match and another seaming pitch is expected.Sri Lanka have had a mixed year as far as ODIs are concerned. Despite the highs of reaching the CB Series final in Australia, and beating a strong Pakistan 3-1 at home, the losses have outnumbered the wins (16 to 11). They fell well short of expectations when India visited for a short series and one of the main factors then was the way the Indians got on top of their best bowler, Lasith Malinga. The upcoming five matches are the only remaining ODIs the team will play this year before heading to Australia. It’s a chance to improve their record, if the weather permits.Another aspect to look forward to, from the point of view of ODIs in general, is the new rules introduced by the ICC recently. Bowlers will be allowed two bouncers an over and the Powerplay overs have been culled by five. Besides the mandatory ten Powerplay overs at the start of the innings, the remaining five should be taken by the batting side before the 40th over, with a maximum of three fielders allowed during the batting Powerplay.

Form guide

(Completed matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka : LLLWL
New Zealand: LLWLL

Player to watch

Jeevan Mendis has proven to be a useful allrounder in Sri Lanka’s limited-overs plans over the last few months. The home series against India in July was his most productive with the bat, with scores of 45* and 72 in the lower middle-order. He has played an effective supporting role to the specialists with his clean hitting in the death overs and legspinners.Nathan McCullum has just tasted victory in the Champions League and his confidence is high after playing a leading role in Sydney Sixers’ crushing win against Lions. McCullum is no stranger to opening with the new ball. His captain Brad Haddin sensed that spin was the way to go, and McCullum responded with 3 for 24 to wreck the top order. If he can be as effective against the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, it could give New Zealand early momentum.

Teams news

The fast bowler Adam Milne has been ruled out of the game because of a stomach bug.New Zealand (likely) 1 Rob Nicol, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Brendon McCullum, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Kane Williamson, 6 James Franklin, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Ronnie HiraSri Lanka will be boosted by the return of the regular captain Mahela Jayawardene and Malinga, who were rested from the T20. Given the seaming conditions, Sri Lanka may play just one specialist spinner, among Rangana Herath and Akila Dananjaya.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Dinesh Chandimal/Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Rangana Herath/Akila Dananjaya, 11 Lasith Malinga

Stats and trivia

Former England allrounder and county veteran Dominic Cork has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2011Former England allrounder and county veteran Dominic Cork has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect. Cork, 40, had left Hampshire at the end of the 2011 season, and his retirement brings to an end a 21-year professional career.Always one for the big stage, Cork chose to make the announcement himself live on Sky Sports News. “I’m going to retire from all cricket from now,” he said. “It’s quite an emotional day for me, it’s a hard decision but it’s the right decision for me. I’m 40 now, I’m not getting any younger and it’s hard work, but I’ve had a great career.”It seemed retirement might be looming when Hampshire decided not to renew Cork’s contract for the 2012 campaign, but there had been talk that more than one second division county was interested in signing him. Ultimately, Cork decided that the time was right for him to go, however, and suggested that his decision was partly motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family, particularly following the recent death of his father.”There were offers out there, I considered them long and hard and looked at where I wanted to be in my life. Losing my father a month ago, who was one of my biggest inspirations, makes you think about your life and take stock. I want to get back to family life – cricket can make you a selfish person, and it’s time to give it back to people.”Cork finishes with 10,114 runs and 989 wickets in first-class cricket, while he also enjoyed some notable successes in limited-overs cricket during his three-year stay at the Rose Bowl, winning the domestic 50-over competition in 2009 and the Friends Provident Twenty20 in 2010. Cork played 32 ODIs and 37 Tests for England between 1992 and 2002 and on the biggest stage in England, at Lord’s, Cork took his best Test bowling figures of 7 for 43 in 1995, and played his most famous innings, in 2000, on both occasions against West Indies.He had been Hampshire’s captain since midway through the 2010 season, having begun his first-class career in 1990 and had a long stint with Derbyshire, where he was also captain, before joining Lancashire, until the move to Hampshire in 2009.

Scotland Yard says it has passed on to prosecutors an initial file of evidence on claims that the Pakistan cricketers accepted cash bribes to take part in spot-fixing

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2010Scotland Yard has said it has passed on to prosecutors an initial file of evidence on claims that Pakistan cricketers were involved in spot-fixing.It said evidence that there was a conspiracy to defraud bookmakers will be considered by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).”The Metropolitan Police Service has today delivered an initial file of evidence relating to conspiracy to defraud bookmakers to the Crown Prosecution Service,” a Scotland Yard spokesman said. “The file will now be subject to CPS consideration. This is an initial file and the Met investigation continues.”Four Pakistan players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz – have been questioned by the police, and the first three have been suspended by the ICC pending the investigation. Those three have returned to Pakistan following an agreement with Scotland Yard that they would return at any time for further questioning.Butt, Asif and Amir have also replied to notices issued to them by the ICC after it felt they had a case to answer.Scotland Yard’s announcement comes a day after ICC president Sharad Pawar said the police investigation was “likely to end soon”.

Celtic returned to form in midweek by reminding supporters of their credentials.

Neil Lennon’s side battered Kilmarnock 4-0 but there was one disappointing aspect.

On the chalkboard

Ryan Christie had a vibrant opening 15 minutes against Killie but beyond that, his impact on the game was minimal. As has been the case in his last seven matches, he failed to provide a goal or register a single assist.

It has been a torrid time for the winger who since being linked with the likes of Arsenal and Leeds, has desperately dropped off in terms of his performances.

He has netted just once in his previous 19 outings and even Lennon is beginning to grow tired of his abject displays.

He started on the bench against both Hamilton and St Mirren but returned to the starting line-up on Tuesday night.

Though, Christie was poor once more and was described as “non-existent” by Frank McAvennie in the following days.

It’s hard to argue with that point either. He completed just a solitary key pass which in a 4-0 rout, is pretty underwhelming. The Scotland international failed to attempt a single dribble and completed only 77% of his passes.

McAvennie added: “He is such an amazing player but if somebody touches him he falls down. Just take a tackle, stay on your feet. It is not going to damage you.”

If anything summed up Christie, it would be that assessment.

On his day, he has a wand of a left foot. His goal in the Scottish Cup final can testify for that. Though, when he’s poor, there is little helping him. Christie’s form has dropped off meteorically and when the Bhoys play Motherwell on Saturday, he must be back on the bench.

The man to prosper from the £8k-per-week winger’s omission could be Mo Elyounoussi. The Norwegian was among the subs in midweek but simply has to come back into the fray.

After all, he is Celtic’s second top scorer this term on 13 goals. Elyounoussi has fewer assists than Christie but the latter has only created one goal for his teammates in his last ten appearances.

Lennon certainly has his favourites at Parkhead and Christie is one of them. However, if he wants to stay in the job, he must get ruthless with his team selection.

AND in other news, Celtic could fix a big problem by hiring manager who left Rodgers “really impressed”…