Australian cricket newes

Australia report bookie approach to ICC

Alex Brown

August 18, 2009

The Australian team management has filed a report with the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit after a player was approached by a man suspected of links to illegal bookmaking. Cricinfo has learned the approach was made in the bar of the team's London hotel, the Royal Kensington Garden, following Australia's Ashes defeat at Lord's in July.

The player alerted senior officials immediately and, following ICC protocol, team manager Steve Bernard filed a report with the ACSU. The matter is currently under investigation. The player is not suspected of wrongdoing, and has been praised by a senior ICC official for his prompt reporting of the approach in line with the ACSU's player education programme.

Sources within the ICC and the Australian team, when contacted by Cricinfo, described the approach as "concerning" and part of a worrying resurgence in the presence of illegal bookmakers around major events. Sir Paul Condon, the chairman of the ACSU, told ICC meetings in Dubai and London over the past year that Twenty20 cricket posed the greatest corruption threat to the game since the dark days of Sharjah in the 1990s; a notion supported by recent media and anecdotal reports.

Cricinfo understands the ACSU is investigating additional approaches made to players by illegal bookmakers, or conduits acting on their behalf, during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in England earlier this summer. One source said the ACSU was "well advanced" in several lines of inquiry, at least one of which also involved approaches made to players at a team hotel.

Senior officials are concerned that illegal bookmakers, emboldened by the new betting possibilities opened up by the Twenty20 game, are becoming increasingly prevalent around match venues and team hotels. After the inception of the ACSU in 2000 - in direct response to the match-fixing scandals involving international captains Hansie Cronje, Mohammed Azharuddin and Salim Malik - barriers were established to block bookmakers and their intermediaries from direct contact with players. But the approach to an Australian player during an Ashes series, coupled with those allegedly made to other international cricketers at the World Twenty20, have raised concerns that a new wave of corrupting influences is attempting to infiltrate the game.

A report in the Sunday Telegraph earlier this week, quoting an anonymous ICC source, warned that cricket was under renewed threat from illegal bookmakers. "Those in charge in the ICC understand that Twenty20 cricket has the danger of going back to the bad old days," the source said.

The report suggested that the apparent resurgence in contact from illegal bookmakers was in part attributable to the second IPL, a tournament at which the ACSU was not in operation, reportedly due to its $1.2 million operational bill. Lalit Modi, the IPL's commissioner, told Cricinfo last month the ACSU would be involved in future IPL tournaments, and an agreement in principle has been reached for the unit to police the Champions League Twenty20, scheduled to be played in India this October. "They have expanded their services and going ahead, all the tournaments, including Champions League and the IPL would have the presence of ICC's anti-corruption unit," Modi said, in a move welcomed by the ICC's chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

Lorgat last week announced there was "absolutely no substance" to reports that Pakistan players had been approached by illegal bookmakers at their team hotel in Colombo during the recent series against Sri Lanka. The matter was investigated by the ACSU.

"The ICC and its members have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and rightly so because the integrity of our sport with its spirit is one of its greatest assets," Lorgat said. "On that basis it is entirely appropriate that any suggestions in relation to that subject are always reported to and properly investigated by the ACSU. I am pleased those investigations have indicated nothing untoward has taken place on this occasion but it is a reminder that all of us - players, officials and supporters - must maintain our vigilance to ensure we remain on top of the issue of corruption."

Alex Brown is deputy editor of Cricinfo

Alex Brown

Wright confirms Kolkata's interest

Wright confirms Kolkata's interest

John Wright, a current New Zealand selector and former India coach, has confirmed he is in the running for the coach's position at the Kolkata Knight Riders. The IPL franchise recently sacked John Buchanan after two poor seasons.

"Yes, they have been talking to me," Wright told the Hindu while in Chennai with the New Zealand A side. "Let's see how it goes. One day I would love to come back to India."

Duncan Fletcher and Richard Pybus are also in the fray along with other candidates, are expected to meet the franchise management at owner Shahrukh Khan's house in Mumbai next weekend.

Wright, a former New Zealand batsman, had a successful five-year stint as India's coach during which India won a historic series against Australia in 2001 at home, won in Pakistan in 2003, and also reached the final of the 2003 World Cup.

If Kolkata appoint Wright, he will be working with Ganguly, who was the national captain during his five-year stint as India coach, for at least a year. Ganguly will be playing his third season at Kolkata and at 37 it is unclear whether he will extend his contract. It has been reported that Wright's relationship with Ganguly turned a bit rocky towards the end those five years but Wright has always insisted he respected and appreciated Ganguly. He said the two still kept in touch.

"We had our differences and had different opinions, Wright said. "These were strong opinions too. But at the end of the day, we trusted each other. He was good with the young boys and gave the side aggression. We shared a common goal. I was very impressed in the manner he staged a comeback and went out on his own terms. Ganguly showed he was a fighter.

Sourav and myself are strong individuals and we had great times being in the same boat," he was quoted as saying by PTI. "He did his things his way. I would challenge him. Sometimes, we did not know why to agree.

4th ODI PakistanVs Sri Lanka scorecard

Pakistan 321/5 (50.0 ov)

Sri Lanka

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat

Innings break

• Pakistan in Sri Lanka ODI Series - 4th ODI
• ODI no. 2868 | 2009 season
• Played at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
• 7 August 2009 - day/night (50-over match)

	Pakistan innings (50 overs maximum)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
	Kamran Akmal†	b Bandara	57	64	7	0	89.06
	19.5 the death rattle will hurt Akmal, he shapes to sweep with the ball pitched outside leg, he's onto the shot too early and the ball spins off the rough and hits the off stump 106/2
	Imran Nazir	b Thushara	23	29	4	0	79.31
	9.5 high full toss and Nazir's late afternoon slog yields nothing! He steps down the pitch and swings across the line but fails to read the full toss and the ball cannons onto his off stump 61/1
	Younis Khan*	c Kapugedera b Thushara	89	111	4	0	80.18
	48.5 Younis' fine effort comes to an end, he makes room but fails to put away a full toss over the ropes, the ball splices to Kapugedera at long-on 306/5
	Mohammad Yousuf	c Jayawardene b Mendis	6	12	0	0	50.00
	22.4 lazy shot by Yousuf, Mendis flights it outside off and gets the ball to come on straight, Yousuf drives away from the body and edges it to first slip, Jayawardene juggles and takes it in the second attempt 115/3
	Misbah-ul-Haq	lbw b Bandara	9	10	0	0	90.00
	25.4 quite straightforward, Bandara flights it on middle and off, Misbah gets a huge stride forward, tries to work it to the on side but leaves a gap between bat and pad, the ball holds its line and strikes him on the base of the pad in front of the stumps, umpire Gamini Silva gives him out 130/4
	Umar Akmal	not out	102	72	5	4	141.66
	Shahid Afridi	not out	2	2	0	0	100.00
	Extras	(b 4, w 29)	33
	Total	(5 wickets; 50 overs)	321	(6.42 runs per over)

To bat Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Aamer, Iftikhar Anjum, Saeed Ajmal

Fall of wickets1-61 (Imran Nazir, 9.5 ov), 2-106 (Kamran Akmal, 19.5 ov), 3-115 (Mohammad Yousuf, 22.4 ov), 4-130 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 25.4 ov), 5-306 (Younis Khan, 48.5 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	SL Malinga	10	0	79	0	7.90	(10w)
	T Thushara	10	0	74	2	7.40	(3w)
	9.5 to Imran Nazir, high full toss and Nazir's late afternoon slog yields nothing! He steps down the pitch and swings across the line but fails to read the full toss and the ball cannons onto his off stump 61/1 48.5 to Younis Khan, Younis' fine effort comes to an end, he makes room but fails to put away a full toss over the ropes, the ball splices to Kapugedera at long-on 306/5
	AD Mathews	8	0	48	0	6.00
	CM Bandara	10	0	44	2	4.40
	19.5 to Kamran Akmal, the death rattle will hurt Akmal, he shapes to sweep with the ball pitched outside leg, he's onto the shot too early and the ball spins off the rough and hits the off stump 106/2 25.4 to Misbah-ul-Haq, quite straightforward, Bandara flights it on middle and off, Misbah gets a huge stride forward, tries to work it to the on side but leaves a gap between bat and pad, the ball holds its line and strikes him on the base of the pad in front of the stumps, umpire Gamini Silva gives him out 130/4
	BAW Mendis	10	0	56	1	5.60
	22.4 to Mohammad Yousuf, lazy shot by Yousuf, Mendis flights it outside off and gets the ball to come on straight, Yousuf drives away from the body and edges it to first slip, Jayawardene juggles and takes it in the second attempt 115/3
	SHT Kandamby	2	0	16	0	8.00

India's coach say's

Players could quit Tests for high IPL pay - Kirsten

Gary Kirsten, India's coach, has joined the debate on IPL's threat to Test cricket and said if players are paid substantially more for playing in the Twenty20 league then there will be others like Andrew Flintoff who will quit Tests.

"It's a natural progression that the guys are then going to say 'I'm not interested in bowling 25 overs in a day when I can bowl four overs in a six-week period and earn three times as much'," Kirtsen said. "The worrying side that I'm seeing is that a guy like Andrew Flintoff, a high profile cricketer, has now made the decision to leave Test cricket, because he feels that he can get more out of his body and earn much more money by moving away from Test cricket and playing ODIs and Twenty20 cricket. He's perfectly right in his decision. Why not?"

Kirsten said if countries wanted Test cricket to remain as the No. 1 format then priorities had to be sorted. "India plays six Tests this year. Is that sufficient or are there other priorities? I don't know."

Kirsten also said the number of Twenty20s per tour should be increased in place of ODIs. "It's quite interesting that we've got a Twenty20 World Cup in April next year in the West Indies and Team India don't play one Twenty20 game until that tournament starts. What should be happening is that we should be going on tour and playing six Twenty20 games and one or two 50-over games. I think that's going to happen. It's just a matter of time."

New Zealand players have decided to forgo next year's IPL for a Test series against Australia at home. Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, said while the national side had to be the players' priority, it was difficult for them to continue to turn down the money.

The Ashes - England v Australia 2009

Australia face difficult task forcing a result at Edgbaston

Weather and pitch conditions could conspire against the Australians in their quest for a series-levelling victory at Edgbaston. Rain is forecast for the West Midlands for each of the next four days, with particularly heavy storms predicted for Wednesday, the eve of the third Ashes Test, and Thursday. And even if the players do make it onto the field for extended periods, recent history suggests Ricky Ponting's men could find it difficult to force their way back into the series on a pitch that has played host to 16 draws from its past 20 first class matches.

Only once this season has a county team achieved victory in Birmingham, and then only on account of a sublime fast bowling performance from Graham Onions and Steve Harmison. The Durham pacemen, both of whom have been named in England's 13-man squad for the third Ashes Test, claimed a combined 16 wickets to lead Durham to a win over Warwickshire in June, however the six other first-class matches played at the ground this year have resulted in draws.

One of those matches, England's pre-Ashes warm-up match against Warwickshire, was a rare bright point for seamers at Edgbaston. James Anderson took full advantage of the green-tinged pitch to claim five first innings wickets, however his efforts were not enough to force a result in the three-day contest.

Despite his recent success at Edgbaston, Anderson was expecting a benign Test strip. "It's generally quite slow and low and I'm guessing it will be similar to Cardiff, which isn't great from an entertainment point of view or a bowler's point of view," Anderson said. "To be honest, Test pitches around the world are getting pretty similar. As bowlers we're quite used to it and just have to try and work out how to get 20 wickets on these sort of pitches."

Ravi Bopara was another to have excelled during England's warm-up match against Warwickshire, scoring 43 and 104 retired, and he too predicted a gruelling match against the Australians.

"It might be," Bopara said. "But that's where a good spinner comes in to bowl a lot of overs and produce some good spells where he takes a wicket or two to break up partnerships. I think Hauritz has bowled really well. He started off the tour really well. We certainly don't underestimate him. Again, our boys have had recent success as well. Swann's bowled well against the West Indies and Monty Panesar is back on the scene as well. Facing him in the nets, he's been top drawer. It's probably going to be one of those toils ... and go down to the wire."

The Australians, however, are taking nothing for granted regarding the Edgbaston surface, having famously been duped into bowling first at the ground four years ago in a match England won by two runs. Despite recent comments from Steve Rouse, the Edgbaston curator, stating that recent rain had left the pitch "like jelly", Tim Nielsen, the Australian coach, said his side would reserve judgement on the make-up of their bowling attack until they had closely inspected the surface first-hand.

"We'll have a look at the conditions when we get to Edgbaston and work it out," Nielsen said. "We're hearing that the wicket isn't very progressed in its preparation. We'll have a look at what the weather is doing."

Local bookmakers have installed the draw as the most likely result in the match.

Northamptonshire v Australians, 3rd day

Australians 308 for 8 dec (Watson 84, Hussey 75 ret ht) and 270 for 3 (McDonald 75, Hughes 68, Manou 59*, Watson 50) beat Northamptonshire 226 for 7 dec (Wakely 62, Wessels 50, Siddle 3-53) and 217 (O'Brien 58, McDonald 4-15) by 135 runs

The Australians have recorded their maiden first-class victory on this tour of England, but the path to a Test triumph appears more treacherous by the day. Another dispiriting performance from Mitchell Johnson has cast significant doubt over his mechanical and mental readiness for Edgbaston, and placed the one-time spearhead in grave danger of the axe.

Johnson conceded at least one boundary in each of his first six overs on Sunday; a streak that could have stretched to seven but for the negative tactic to bowl short and wide of the Northamptonshire batsmen in the closing stages of his spell. His main persecutor, Niall O'Brien, is more notable for his work behind the stumps for Ireland than his first-class average of 27.68, but the left-hander was made to look every bit the specialist batsman after thumping Johnson for seven of his nine boundaries en route to 58, scored in better than even time.

Johnson's woes also extended to the field, where he dropped Ben Howgego at mid-on off the bowling of Stuart Clark, but it was his analysis of 1 for 65 from 11.1 overs - ending a match in which he dismissed a solitary tailender, and conceded runs at close to six-per-over against a second-division county line-up - that might have tipped the selection scales against him. Demotion at Edgbaston would represent a stunning fall from grace for a bowler who, barely a month ago, arrived on these shores touted as the world's most dangerous paceman and charged with leading Australia's Ashes defence.

Johnson conceded 45 runs in his opening seven-over burst, and his second spell in the final hour of play proved similarly disappointing. Bowling to the Northamptonshire tail, Johnson watched forlornly as his eighth over was dispatched for 12 runs. His next, a maiden, was greeted with a rousing Bronx cheer from the Wantage Road pavilion, as was his eventual dismissal of David Wigley - concluding a stretch of 35 wicketless overs, dating back to the first innings of the Lord's Test.

"He didn't bowl as well as he would have liked at Lord's," said Tim Nielsen, the Australian coach. "He had some times today when he went for four, five and six an over with the ball flying through gully and slip. That's the nature of the beast.

Chaminda Vaas

Chaminda Vaas waves to the crowd, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Colombo, 5th day, July 24, 2009

Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen was at Lord's to watch his county, Hampshire, in the Friends Provident Trophy final, Hampshire v Sussex, Friends Provident Trophy final, Lord's, July 25, 2009

Australia brfoe 3rd test

Shane Watson scored 50 off 35 balls, Northamptonshire v Australians, 3rd day, Northampton, July 26, 2009

Mitchell Johnson wonders what has gone wrong as his troubles continue, Northamptonshire v Australians, 3rd day, Northampton, July 26, 2009

Shane Watson struck after scoring a fifty, Northamptonshire v Australians, 3rd day, Northampton, July 26, 2009

England team's new sponsor

Andrew Strauss with an England shirt as Brit Insurance were announced as the team's new sponsor, The Oval, July 27, 2009

Charlotte Edwards and Andrew Strauss pose with the England shirt, The Oval, July 27, 2009