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Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has claimed he played no role in the spot-fixing case in which his former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield has been convicted

Umar Farooq in Lahore18-Feb-2012Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has claimed he played no role in the spot-fixing case in which his former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield has been convicted and sentenced to four months in jail. During Westfield’s sentencing, Kaneria was named in court as the go-between between Westfield and the bookmakers on whose orders Westfield deliberately conceded a fixed number of runs in an over in a Pro40 match in 2009. However, Kaneria, who is captaining Sind in the Pentangular Cup final, has said he is completely innocent.”I am completely innocent from day one. All allegations against me are false,” a nervous-looking Kaneria said repeatedly, after the opening day’s play of the final, in Lahore. “The Essex police cleared me and I have clearance certificates from both the ECB and ICC, so I am not feeling any pressure. I am just enjoying my cricket.”Kaneria later issued a statement that pinned the blame entirely on Westfield, claiming that Westfield had presented himself as “naive and vulnerable” and open to the malign influence of a third party to try to escape a prison sentence.”Westfield is a convicted fraudster and admitted liar,” the statement said. “In trying to reduce his own guilt he has tarnished my name. It was quite clear that Westfield would say anything to avoid a custodial sentence. In court he attempted to portray himself as a naive and vulnerable person who was easily lead astray.”Kaneria and Westfield were both questioned by Essex police in March 2010, regarding a Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009. While Westfield was charged with conspiracy to defraud, Kaneria was released on the grounds of insufficient evidence.Westfield pleaded guilty to spot-fixing charges in January 2012 and was convicted. During his sentencing, Kaneria was named as the middleman in the spot-fixing plot.Kaneria now faces the possibility of a disciplinary tribunal in England. Essex police will hand over the evidence to the ECB, which will decide whether to hold its own investigation. The maximum penalty, if Kaneria is found guilty, is a lifetime ban from all cricket worldwide.When asked if he was ready to face an inquiry in England, Kaneria repeated that all allegations against him are false.The PCB’s integrity committee has offered its full cooperation to the ECB, should the England board decide to hold an inquiry. Farogh Naseem, Kaneria’s lawyer, played down suggestions that his client had new evidence to answer, saying Kaneria had been cleared by the Essex police and the ICC. “It is Westfield’s words against Kaneria and a lot will depend on what evidences he puts before the court against my client,” Naseem said.Kaneria has not been cleared to play for Pakistan since the 2010 Trent Bridge Test against England. He has continued to play domestic cricket in Pakistan. He has persistently pleaded his innocence since the initial arrest and he was selected for a Test series against South Africa in late 2010 before being withdrawn by the PCB because he was not able to obtain the required documentation from Essex police.Last year he also filed a petition in the Sindh High Court against the PCB’s refusal to clear him. The PCB’s integrity committee can now obtain the police investigation records against Kaneria.

It’s fair to say there’s been a hint of underachievement in Dilhara Fernando’s career, but the England tour will give him the opportunity to dispel doubts that he is a wild card that could win or lose a match in one spell

Sa'adi Thawfeeq22-May-2011It’s fair to say there’s been a hint of underachievement in Dilhara Fernando’s career, but from being just another fast bowler he’s suddenly been elevated to the role of spearheading his country’s bowling attack on their current tour of England following the retirements of Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga from Test cricket.Fernando’s career record doesn’t match the effort and determination he puts into every delivery he bowls. He emerged, raw but exciting, a decade ago but is still not guaranteed a regular place in the Sri Lanka Test, one-day or twenty20 international teams. He’s played only 35 Tests (90 wickets), 141 ODIs (180 wickets) and 16 T20Is (17 wickets). Now, older, wiser and more controlled, it is to him that Sri Lanka’s inexperienced attack will turn to for guidance this summer.It is a role he relishes, not because he is the senior-most bowler in a five-pronged pace attack, but because it gives him the opportunity to play in a full series – a chance he has been often denied.”I am extremely happy to be made the spearhead of the fast bowling attack. In the past few years I have not played consistently. If you analyse my matches properly I have played on an average one match per series,” Fernando said shortly after bowling his country to a come-from-behind win over England Lions in Derby.Fernando grabbed three wickets in six balls in the course of an 11-over spell in the second innings. Two notable scalps included Eoin Morgan, the first-innings century-maker who was named in England’s squad for the first Test, and Ravi Bopara, another contender for an England place going into the game.”In the past two to three years I have not played matches continuously. If I play one match today the next match I get to play is in another one-and-a-half to two months. I didn’t play a single match in the 2011 World Cup and in the past four months I have not played a single match. In the past 12 months I have played in only seven ODIs and in those matches I have taken 11 wickets.”I still get to play only a one-off match or if someone is injured or rested. Now that I have got the opportunity I am determined to go all out and prove a point. I don’t think I will ever get another opportunity like this to prove myself. I will put 100 percent effort into every delivery I bowl. I don’t know what the end result will be but I will give it my best shot.”Fernando is the only fast bowler in the squad experienced in English conditions. He toured England in 2002 and in 2009 played for Worcestershire in the English County Championship.”I bowled very well in English conditions and wickets. I am hoping to use that experience to the maximum on this tour. I hope the conditions will help the fast bowlers. (Chanaka) Welagedera, (Suranga) Lakmal and (Nuwan) Pradeep have been picked because they have performed well. I am sure they will become better bowlers than me in the future.”A lot of people have the wrong impression of me. They think that I am an average bowler, uncertain whether I would deliver, if I do I am good, otherwise I am just average. They think that I cannot bowl, that I am not accurate and I am not consistent. I am waiting for an opportunity to disprove them,” said Fernando. “I don’t know whether that opportunity is the England tour but if not I am determined to wait until the opportunity comes along to prove my critics wrong. Until I do that I will not quit from cricket.”These wrong opinions of me have surfaced because I have not been given an opportunity to play consistently. If I had done so it would have been a different story. My main focus on the England tour is to dispel the doubts that critics have against my bowling. I want to change their opinion about me and finish my career on a high note,” he said.Until 2008 Fernando’s career had been plagued by injuries, which also contributed to his perceived inconsistency. He recovered from two stress fracture injuries to his back only to injure his ankle – which required surgery in 2008. “I took some time to recover from the injury. I felt pain when I bowled but now the pain has decreased and almost disappeared and I am fit and back to normal. I am capable of bowling at around 145 to 150 kph now.”Another major problem that Fernando has overcome is bowling no-balls, for which he is grateful to former fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake. “I am indebted to Anusha Samaranayake for helping me eradicate that frustrating problem,” he said. “He worked a lot on my bowling, trying to reduce the number of no-balls that I was bowling. If you analyse my bowling now there is a considerable improvement on the no-balls I bowl.”There have been many occasions when I had got annoyed with myself for bowling a no-ball especially if it has been a wicket-taking ball. I am angry with myself for putting so much effort into my bowling to get a wicket and eventually to see it being ruled as a no- ball. There have been several instances like that in all forms of cricket.”The fact that he has been dubbed ‘No-ball Fernando’ by some of his critics does not bother him. “I am strong enough to absorb such remarks cast at me as long as it not against my family.”Voicing his opinion on the upcoming three-Test series against England, Fernando said that he had prepared for it quite assiduously. “I have watched videos of England batsmen while I was in India for the IPL [for Mumbai Indians] and learnt a lot of their weak points from Indian cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar.”We have selected the best available team and everything depends on how well we perform. The only thing you can guarantee is your ability and effort that you put in,” he said. “If we can do it consistently we can obtain results in our favour. A lot of people have told me that I have not lived up to my potential, that is a motivation to spur me on.”

As opening matches of campaigns go, Bangalore have one of the toughest, against Kolkata Knight Riders at a fiercely partisan Eden Gardens

The Preview by George Binoy13-Mar-2010

Match facts

Sunday, March 14
Start time 1600 (1030GMT)

Big Picture

Eoin Morgan has been in sparkling touch for England•Getty Images

Royal Challengers Bangalore are one of the most improved teams in the IPL. They were called, unkindly but perhaps not undeservedly, a ‘Test team’ in 2008. The results didn’t prove otherwise. They made big-buck signings for 2009 and turned around a miserable start to the season to reach the finals. They weren’t big spenders in 2010 but made smart buys and are among the favourites to reach the semi-finals this year. At full strength, Bangalore’s batting line-up has innovative batsmen capable of scoring in unusual areas, as well as seasoned players capable of tailoring their approach to varying demands. The energetic and evolved Indian contingent gives the line-up balance.Anil Kumble wrote in his newspaper column that while things unfold quickly in the IPL, they also happen slowly. He meant that while each match unfolds at rapid pace, a team’s campaign progresses slowly over several weeks so it would take consistency to maintain the intensity and momentum necessary to reach the semi-finals. As opening matches of campaigns go, Bangalore have one of the most intimidating, against Kolkata Knight Riders at a fiercely partisan Eden Gardens.Kolkata are returning home triumphant after beating Deccan Chargers in the first game of the season in Mumbai. They started disastrously with both bat and ball but recovered to pull off a win that will help the ghosts of IPLs past seem less scary and more distant. And they are returning to the one venue in India where the loudest cheer hasn’t been for Sachin Tendulkar. When Ganguly leads his Knight Riders on the field for the first time at Eden in 2010, he will be boosted by his 12th man – the tens of thousands of faithful roaring for their reinstated captain and his charges. It’s the perfect stage for Kolkata to string together a second consecutive win.

Team talk

On Friday, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher were in Port Elizabeth, leading the Warriors to victory in the Pro20 final. Several hours later, they were on a plane heading for India, due to arrive in Kolkata on Saturday night. Jet-lag and fatigue levels permitting, they could be part of Bangalore’s starting XI but it’s 50-50 at the moment. Their arrivals complete the South African contingent, which also includes Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe, and Dillon du Preez. Apart from the Proteas, the only overseas player with Bangalore at the moment is Eoin Morgan, who is a certainty in the middle order. Kevin Pietersen will arrive after the Bangladesh Tests, Ross Taylor and Steven Smith after the Trans-Tasman Trophy, and Cameron White after the Sheffield Shield final.Foreign ammunition aside, Bangalore have proven Indian performers in their ranks. Kumble and Rahul Dravid will be the corner stones of the bowling and batting, while the likes of Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa and Praveen Kumar can also pull their weight.Bangalore: (likely) 1 Jacques Kallis, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Manish Pandey, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Anil Kumble (capt), 11 R Vinay Kumar.Kolkata did not practise on Saturday, opting for much-needed rest on the day between two matches and travel. They didn’t play Ajit Agarkar because of a calf strain and, if he doesn’t recover, they could field the same XI once again. Kolkata will strive for another win with a less-than-full-strength squad, knowing that reinforcements will be on the way shortly. Shane Bond has finished his New Zealand duties for the summer and will arrive in time for the third game. Chris Gayle, who tweeted his delight at Kolkata’s win, has only one more ODI against Zimbabwe, and David Hussey will get here along with White after the Sheffield Shield final. They’ll have to wait until the end of March for Brendon McCullum.Kolkata(likely) : 1 Manoj Tiwary, 2 Brad Hodge, 3 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 4 Cheteshwar Pujara, 5 Owais Shah, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Laxmi Ratan Shukla, 9 Murali Kartik, 10 Charl Langeveldt, 11 Ishant Sharma.

Previously…

In 2008, Bangalore were annihilated by McCullum in the opening game of the IPL and went down by 140 runs. In the second game at Eden Gardens, Kolkata prevailed once again, by five wickets. Bangalore won both matches against Kolkata in 2009, by five and six wickets, in the final over.

In the spotlight

Eoin Morgan: Reverse-sweeps and pulls, shots powered with exaggerated bottom hand, enterprise, and a cool head under red hair. Bangalore acquired all of these qualities when they picked up Morgan for $220,000 in the auction. Like Owais Shah who launched his IPL career successfully on Friday, Morgan has a few weeks to prove he deserves a place in the XI even after Pietersen, White and Taylor arrive.Charl Langeveldt v his countrymen: Bangalore have five South Africans in their squad. Six if you count Ray Jennings too. Langeveldt will be able to provide Kolkata with insight into their modus operandi. And vice versa. Langeveldt accounted for the sole South African in Deccan’s line-up, dismissing Gibbs. How many can he take out tomorrow?

Prime numbers

• Kolkata were found to be three overs behind the over-rate at the end of their opening match. That indiscretion cost their captain Ganguly a cool $20,000. A small price to pay for victory, perhaps, but he’d rather put that cash to better uses.
• Jacques Kallis was Bangalore’s best batsman last season, with 361 runs at a strike-rate of 109.
• Kumble was the second highest wicket-taker of the 2009 tournament with 21 scalps at an economy of 5.86 an over.
• Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten 65 against Deccan was his best performance in a Twenty20 match.

Chatter

“You might go in between the first or fifth over, but again you might go in the 16th over. You can never really say what can be the role of a batsman in this format.”
Rahul Dravid on the challenges of batting in Twenty20s.

Brad Haddin remains unconvinced of the umpire review system’s merits

Brydon Coverdale in Perth 14-Dec-2009Brad Haddin remains unconvinced of the umpire review system’s merits and would prefer the on-field officials to either have sole control or hand over all decisions to technology to eliminate “grey areas”. As the man standing behind the stumps, Haddin has the best view in the Australian team but has not yet been persuaded by what he has seen.Nor is he keen to take the responsibility of using his vantage point to advise the captain Ricky Ponting, who wasted both of Australia’s reviews early in West Indies’ second innings in Adelaide on unsuccessful caught-behind decisions, which are difficult to prove on replay. Ponting remains optimistic that the system can improve the game, West Indies’ captain Chris Gayle is against it, and Haddin has yet to be sold on the idea.”I wasn’t a great fan of it to start with, I think it’s designed to take the real howlers out of the game,” Haddin said. “Personally I am happy with either all the power the umpire has or giving everything to technology and referring all decisions. It’s still a bit of a grey area at the moment and we’ll have to see how it goes over the coming months.”As a keeper you do have the best view but I don’t want that pressure of getting the wrong or right one. It’s a funny one because we thought we had a couple of obvious ones in Adelaide that got turned down, but the bottom line is we are still taking 20 wickets a Test match without the referral system. I am not a great believer in it.”Ponting asked the umpires for their thoughts on the review system after Adelaide and in the nets at the WACA on Monday he and Billy Bowden had a long discussion. Bowden was flown to Perth to officiate in the third Test after Mark Benson went home to England following the first day in Adelaide. Benson said his decision to withdraw from the Test was entirely due to health reasons and denied reports that it was due to his dissatisfaction with the review system.

Umpiring great retired in 1996 after officiating in 66 Test matches

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2025Harold “Dickie” Bird, one of the most beloved umpires in cricket’s history, has died at the age of 92.Bird, who officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, including three World Cup finals, was synonymous with his home county Yorkshire, for who he began his career as a top-order batter in 1956, and later went on to serve as Yorkshire president in 2014.He averaged 20.71 in 93 first-class matches, making two centuries including a best of 181 not out against Glamorgan in 1959. But when, after moving to Leicestershire in 1960, his career was cut short by injury four years later, his switch to umpiring would set him on the path to becoming a household name.Bird’s idiosyncrasies would become part of his appeal, including his famously anxious attitude to timekeeping. Having made his umpiring debut in May 1970, he travelled to London for his second match – Surrey versus Yorkshire at The Oval – arrived at 6am for an 11am start, and was caught by a policeman attempting to scale the wall of the still-locked ground.As an umpire, he was famously reluctant to raise his finger for lbw appeals – several of his decisions would have been quickly over-turned in the age of DRS. In mitigation, he was at least consistent in offering the benefit of the doubt to batters … with one possible exception. On the morning of his final Test, England versus India at Lord’s, he arrived in the middle with tears in his eyes after a guard of honour from the players. And duly gave Mike Atherton out lbw in the first over of the match.Other memorable moments included his decision, during the West Indies Test at Old Trafford in 1995, to call a halt to play for an excess of sunlight, which had been reflecting off a greenhouse behind the bowler’s arm. In that same fixture, as related by Atherton in his autobiography, Bird dropped the pocket-ful of marbles that he used to count the deliveries in an over.”Play was halted momentarily while Dickie scrambled around on his hands and knees looking for his counters,” Atherton wrote. “‘I’ve lost me marbles! I’ve lost me marbles! He cried. Most of us thought he had lost his marbles a long time ago.”He was frequently the victim of practical jokes – particularly at the hands of Ian Botham and Allan Lamb. On one occasion, Lamb arrived at the middle with his 1980s brick-style mobile phone still in his pocket. Bird duly stashed it in his coat, whereupon Botham rang the device from the dressing-room, telling a startled Bird to pass on a message for his team-mate to get a move on.Bird himself had believed his likeliest route to sporting success was football, although as he related in his autobiography, a cartilage operation on his knee at the age of 15 put paid to that ambition. Instead, he became a fixture in Barnsley’s 1st XI cricket team, where his team-mates included Michael Parkinson – who would later become a world-renowned chat-show host – and later, Geoffrey Boycott.”I have known Dickie nearly 70 years as a friend,” Boycott wrote in his tribute to Bird. “When I was 15 I was taken to Barnsley Cricket Club by my Uncle Algy. I was in awe of him because every week Dickie was the star batsman.”Boycott added that Bird was a “very good technical batsman” but added that “nerves got the better of him” during his Yorkshire career. As an umpire, however, he described him as “absolutely brilliant”.”Players all over the world respected and admired him for his firmness, fairness, and he did it with a sense of humour. He was loved by so many and became a legend.”In 2009, Bird was honoured with a bronze statue on Barnsley’s Church Lane, set in his familiar umpiring pose with one finger raised. The council was soon obliged to place it on a higher plinth than had been intended, due to the public’s temptation to hang objects on said finger.He was appointed an MBE in 1986 and an OBE in 2012 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cricket, having stood in his last first-class match in 1998, Yorkshire versus Warwickshire at Headingley.In a statement, Yorkshire confirmed that he had died peacefully at home”He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy — and a legion of admirers across generations,” Yorkshire added.”The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie’s family and friends during this time. He will be truly missed by all at the Club having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here and will be remembered as one the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.”

Pace bowler feels he has a point to prove upon returning to India

Vithushan Ehantharajah23-Jan-20246:02

Will Bazball work in India?

The coloured clothing has been shelved for creams, but remnants of blue feeling remain among those England players returning to India after a chastening 2023 ODI World Cup.Five of the current Test squad spent October and November traipsing across this country on a trip that began with great expectations of a successful title defence and ended with calls for a generational reset. Some of the signage – official and otherwise – remains scattered throughout Hyderabad as ghosts of that failure, even though England’s varied schedule did not include the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium. Even while the formats accelerate on their divergent paths, success in India will offer some redemption for those few, if not full closure on a tournament that cut them deep.That certainly provides some of the fuel for Mark Wood’s motivation over the next eight weeks. Wood played seven of England’s nine group matches, taking six wickets at an average of 58.16. His economy rate of 6.46 was the second-highest among the English seamers, after Sam Curran’s 8.07 from his three appearances. Wood’s last match in the tournament was the defeat to Australia in Ahmedabad which finally killed off the 2019 winners.Related

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It was only after the tournament was over and the players returned home that the scale of their failure truly sunk in. And after much introspection, Wood wants to make amends with the red ball.”I think it hurt everybody,” said Wood, who missed the December tour to the Caribbean. “I’ve texted Woakesy, Jos and other lads in that group. We came here with big expectations and we didn’t live up to it. Nowhere near up to it. It just didn’t go well. We wanted that chance to create something as a group and we fell well short.”I was really upset with it, after the first week I got home. When you go from game to game, you’re disappointed but then you’re like ‘right, it’s the next game, then the next game’. For about a week once I got home it was, ‘why did I do that’ or ‘why was this happening’, ‘what did we do that for’. It really hurt for a while, but that’s why that was the hunger to come back into this environment. I’m ready to try to prove that was just a one-off.”I feel like I’ve got a point to prove a little bit here. Very disappointed with that whole campaign, personally and as a team. Conditions might not be favourable for me, but I’ll be trying to put a better show than I did at the World Cup.”Mark Wood is out to prove a point in Hyderabad•Getty Images

For Wood, this is his first full step into the unknown. None of his 31 Test caps have come to India, though he was on deck for the back end of the 2021 series. He played three ODIs and four T20Is on that tour. Other ventures to these parts came on Indian Premier League duty for Chennai Super Kings and, now, Lucknow Super Giants.Much like the Ashes last summer, when he took 14 wickets, short, sharp bursts will be the way to go. The difference, of course, will be conditions, especially on what the tourists expect to be turning tracks, starting with Hyderabad on Thursday.”If I can get reverse swing that will bring me into it a bit,” said Wood. “The two bouncers an over with a certain amount of guys back in one-day cricket limits you. The situation of the game, we were chasing the game at times when we didn’t have enough runs. It could be similar here. In general, it’s a different format, but I still feel like I didn’t bowl well then and didn’t live up to the standards that I want to set for myself. I’m going to have to change things here.”There are cues to take from the opposition – “you look at what their bowlers have done well, Bumrah and Siraj, trying to get some learning off them” – along with familiarity with how Ben Stokes has used him. “I think Stokesy will use me as someone to try to make something happen, make an impact. That was my role in Pakistan. I don’t see it being any different here. Whenever he needs me, or whatever game he needs me, whatever situation, I’ll be there to charge in for him.”Constant management of his left ankle means he will not play all five, even with the bigger gaps between the second and third, and fourth and fifth Tests. Nor will Stokes want him to, given the debilitating effect such a workload would have on his pace.Indeed, a new role as the sole quick could be in the offing. With spin set to play such a prominent part in the five-match series, the onus will be on the quicker bowlers to add variety. If England do decide to go with three full-time spinners, supplemented by Joe Root’s off spin, Wood believes he has the requisite skills and robustness to be the lone ranger.”I think with my track record, being the one seamer there would be question marks over me. But if it does happen it’s another thing I can hopefully prove to people I can do. My injury record has been better the last few years. If that is the case, it will be a chance for me to show people that I’m up to it.”As for hopes for the series, Wood was pragmatic; that India are strong favourites should be seen as an opportunity to dream big.”It’s a free hit, to be honest. Not many teams come here and win. If we give it a good go, we could go down in flames. But if we give it a go, it’s no different to any other time.”

The game is a must-win fixture for both teams, sitting fifth and sixth on the points table

Matt Roller11-Aug-2021Northern Superchargers men’s fixture against Manchester Originals is set to go ahead as scheduled on Thursday night, despite two players testing positive for Covid-19.All players in the Hundred are required to take regular lateral flow tests before training and matchdays, and two unnamed Superchargers players returned positive results on Monday, as ESPNcricinfo revealed.Related

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The results were subsequently confirmed by PCR tests and the affected players have been self-isolating away from the rest of the squad.The players are not expected to be named until Thursday’s toss. The fixture is a must-win for both sides: with two group games remaining, Originals are fifth and Superchargers are sixth, with the top three qualifying for next week’s knockout stages.If the fixture had been cancelled, the final group table would have been decided on points-per-game, which would have dealt a severe blow to both teams’ knockout hopes.”Two Northern Superchargers men’s players have tested positive for COVID-19 and will be unavailable for tomorrow night’s fixture against Manchester Originals at Emerald Headingley,” a statement confirmed.”After returning positive tests, they have been isolating as per the government guidance. No other members of the squad have been impacted and the group continue to undertake daily tests as per the competition’s guidelines.”A spokesperson also confirmed that the players would be ruled out of Northern Superchargers’ final group fixture, against Birmingham Phoenix on August 17.The players are the first to test positive in the Hundred. Four members of coaching staff – three at Trent Rockets, including Andy Flower, and Shane Warne at London Spirit – have previously been forced to self-isolate after positive tests.

Smoke from the severe bushfires in New South Wales has impacted Australia’s capital

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2019The air quality in Canberra will be assessed for safety ahead of tonight’s BBL match between the Sydney Thunder and the Adelaide Strikers at Manuka Oval with Australia’s capital shrouded in haze from the extensive New South Wales bushfires.Conditions will be discussed an hour before play is due to begin at 5.10pm local time with a further inspection when the bat flip takes place at 5.25pm. If visibility or the air quality are too poor then the game could be called off. In such a scenario the points would be shared as in a rained-off game.”The safety of players, fans and staff remains our number one priority. In accordance with relevant guidelines, air quality will be regularly assessed throughout the day today,” the Thunder said in a statement.”The safety of players, fans and staff remains our number one priority. In accordance with relevant guidelines, air quality will be regularly assessed throughout the day today,” the Thunder said in a statement. In the event that visibility and/or air quality is deemed unsuitable for play decisions regarding the match will be made in accordance with BBL Playing Conditions.”Earlier this month the Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Queensland at the SCG was completed in extensive smoke haze which raised questions about player and spectator safety.Cricket Australia does not currently have an air quality policy.On Friday, Cricket New South Wales said that clubs should consider cancelling matches this weekend due to a combination of the smoke haze and heat.”Either one of these weather events, that is, extreme heat or poor air quality, is reason enough for caution when considering safety and whether or not to play on Saturday. The combination of both events in many areas of NSW is extremely concerning,’ Lee German, the NSW CEO said,”We love cricket. We want to see people playing and enjoying their cricket, but our concern for player and official safety always come first. All at Cricket NSW once again send our thoughts to all those currently facing the devastating bushfires across NSW and reassure our cricket communities we will continue to be here to work with you throughout this summer and beyond.”

ESPNcricinfo’s live updates and analysis on Pakistan v South Africa

Liam Brickhill23-Jun-2019

Courtney Walsh is trying to inculcate the values of consistency, bowling in pairs and putting more thought into the game in Bangladesh’s young fast bowlers, in his first camp as their bowling coach

Mohammad Isam25-Jul-2017Courtney Walsh’s first bowling camp as Bangladesh’s bowling coach may have been affected by rain, but he is still trying to do his best with the national team’s fast bowlers. Walsh is using the time inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s dressing room to impress upon the youngsters the values of consistency, bowling in pairs, and generally thinking more about their game.Walsh joined Bangladesh in September last year. But he hasn’t had the time to have a prolonged training camp, with series against Afghanistan and England at home, followed by tours of New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, Ireland and England keeping the team busy till June. Over the past week, Walsh has been working with Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shafiul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and a few others, helping them fix errors.”We have been trying to fine-tune and correct some of those mistakes, to improve in certain areas,” he said. “Progress has been made, but unfortunately we have been having some bad weather, so not as much progress has been made as I would have liked. But we are not wasting the days. Whenever we can, we are going outdoors. We are having meetings inside, just discussing cricket and trying to get the cricket brain sharp.”I want to see more consistency, control, variation, and to put more thought into what they are doing. They are young and exciting, but they have to be a little bit more consistent and keep the pace up. Once they get on to the park, they have to do it. We can’t do it for them. I have been telling them that ‘you are in control of your own destiny, just go out there and get the job done. Try to improve and learn all the time’. If they can achieve the first part – control and consistency – before competition starts, I will be very happy.”Mustafizur, in particular, has been in focus. The left-arm pacer hasn’t been able to bring his range of skills to the fore since recovering from shoulder surgery last year. “I noticed he was falling away a little bit in England. We have been trying to get him to be more upright and balanced so that he can pull through. We are also trying to get his pace back to where it used to be, and get him a little bit closer to the stumps.”He knows what needs to be done as well. I have to give him credit, because he is eager to get out there and practice perfectly. He wants to be the best there is, and he is a special talent. This weather has frustrated him as well, because we were making progress. He has what it takes to correct what’s happening, and I am sure he will come out better.”Walsh clarified that changes don’t necessarily mean changes in his bowling action. “I wouldn’t say he will have a new bowling action, but we are trying to get him more balanced at the crease, and get him a bit closer to the stumps. I will not be trying to change his action unless I think that’s required.”Because of the operation, he was falling away a little bit. He has recognised it. Last couple of days, he has been close to what he used to be. He is heading in the right direction. There won’t be any massive changes.”Walsh has also been trying to get Mustafizur and Taskin Ahmed to complement each other’s skills. “Fast bowlers hunt in pairs and pass information and communicate. I think we had eight of them in the room; they got the message. Fizz and Taskin can complement each other. A fast bowler mentioned that he likes to bowl and help his partner, which is good.”So we are thinking about that now. It is good for fast bowlers to start thinking this way now as youngsters. What used to happen was that instead of complementing each other, they used to compete. What helped myself and Curtly Ambrose was that we helped each other. We tried to outthink batsmen.”