Pietersen retires from England one-day cricket

Kevin Pietersen has retired from all international limited overs cricket with immediate effect. He will remain available for consideration as a specialist Test match player only. The news comes four months before England defend their World T20 title in Sri Lanka.

"With the intensity of the international schedule and the increasing demands on my body, I think it is the right time to step aside and let the next generation of players come through to gain experience for the World Cup in 2015," Pietersen said. "I am immensely proud of my achievements in the one-day game but still wish to be considered for selection for England in Test cricket. 

The terms of ECB central contracts state that any player who makes themselves unavailable for either format of one-day cricket is automatically ruled out of selection for both ODIs and T20s.

"For the record, were the selection criteria not in place, I would have readily played for England in the upcoming World Twenty20," Pietersen said.

He has no plans to retire from the IPL, which will further increase tensions between IPL and international cricket and heighten the debate over whether a window is becoming increasingly necessary to seek accommodation between the tournament and the international circuit.

Pietersen, 31, has played 127 ODIs and 36 international T20s for England, making his international debut in 2004 against Zimbabwe in Harare. Pietersen has scored 4,184 runs at an average of 41.84 in one-day internationals and averages 37.93 in international T20 cricket.

Decision on Indo-Pak ties likely in June (ZAKA ASHRAF)

The ICC's annual conference in Kuala Lumpur in June is where India and Pakistan could take significant steps towards the resumption of cricketing ties, with even the possibility of the announcement of a series, according to PCB chief Zaka Ashraf. 

Ashraf is in Delhi for a few days after attending the IPL final (to which he was invited by the BCCI) in Chennai, and he told ESPNcricinfo, "Probably the final decision will be [taken] in Kuala Lumpur, where the ICC board of directors meeting will be held. There Mr Srinivasan and I will hold discussions, and maybe we will be able to formulate and announce something about the resumption of ties." 


He denied that the two parties had already discussed or suggested a tentative schedule for a bilateral series during a gap in England's winter tour of India, when the England team will return home for a Christmas break. "The BCCI haven't conveyed that to us. What we see on the calendar is that the English team will continue to play matches. But that is now up to the BCCI, the ball is in their court. They have to think which slab is available, where there is a vacuum during which both of us can play. What we can play, what format … they have to take steps and let us know."

During his stay in Delhi on what was his first visit to India, Ashraf said he had met with the Pakistani high commissioner to India, Salman Bashir, and political leaders of several parties, ruling and opposition, whose names he did not wish to reveal.

India and Pakistan have not played each other in a bilateral series since December 2007. It is India's turn to tour Pakistan, but the country has not hosted an international series between two Full Members at home following the Lahore terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in March 2009. Bilateral ties between India and Pakistan have been frozen since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Pakistan, however, travelled to India to play in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup.

On the day that an unofficial lunch meeting took place between Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari in April, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla had told Pakistani channel Geo TV that the participation of Pakistan players in the IPL would depend on bilateral ties between the two nations.

Ashraf said his discussions with BCCI president N Srinivasan had not touched upon the participation of Pakistan players in the IPL much. "I didn't discuss the IPL, because it was more of a commercial thing. I was talking to the BCCI more on the revival of cricketing relations - on bilateral ties, because that is more important. If they feel like inviting Pakistani players [to the IPL], it is up to them. If they want to, I think that will be a good move also."

The participation of the Sialkot Stallions in the Champions League T20 was however confirmed by Ashraf. News of the decision to invite the team from Pakistan to the most lucrative club competition in world cricket was released on Twitter by Sundar Raman, a member of the CLT20 technical committee, but it is yet to be formally announced. Similarly Raman announced on Twitter that the dates for the Champions League T20 would only be released by the end of June. Ashraf, who had talked about the resumption of ties with Srinivasan on the side of ICC meetings in Dubai, said he had been asked for his approval for the Sialkot Stallions not once but twice by Srinivasan.

"He called me once from India about 15-20 days ago to discuss the Champions League T20, saying the issue [of Pakistani participation] has come to the board and 'if we decide in favour of Pakistan do you have any objection'. And I said no, of course not, I am always in favour of ties. So after the meeting he called me and said 'I'm going to the press to announce it. Finally I just want to ask, I hope you don't any objections'. I said our board and our people are also for the revival of ties of cricketing relations, Test series, one-day and Twenty20 games." Ashraf said the news of the invitation extended to the Sialkot Stallions had been welcomed "in the press, by the general public and the board. At least the ice is melting. And things are moving in the right direction."

The meeting between the Indian prime minister and the Pakistani president had been important, because it indicated that the Indian government had no objections to the resumption of cricketing between the two countries. "What I understand is that, again, the honourable president of Pakistan requested that the honourable prime minister of India do something, so that India-Pakistan cricket could be revived. He [the Indian prime minister] said, 'Yes, I'm for it, the government has no objection and we are going to convey it to the [Indian] board. The board should decide the other questions … when and where they should play, because those are the nitty-gritty details.' "

Ashraf said that he had kept aside an extra day after the IPL final to have an extended meeting with Srinivasan. However, the extended meetings could not take place because Srinivasan had to be admitted to hospital during the IPL final for observation. "He never used to smile, but he was smiling then [when Ashraf visited him in hospital]," Ashraf joked. "He was very happy that I went. That showed that brotherly relations between the boards are developing."

Mohammad Amir meets the PCB Officals

The PCB has held talks with banned fast bowler Mohammad Amir, as a prelude to his rehabilitation process following the spot-fixing scandal. Amir, who was released in February after serving half of his six-month custodial sentence in England for spot-fixing during the Lord's Test in 2010, had volunteered to meet the board. 

"We have recently had two [meetings] with Amir during which he was debriefed and was asked some questions that we do not want to disclose to the media," the PCB's chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told AFP."The debriefing was not part of the rehab, but we will soon discuss the matter with the ICC and start his rehabilitation."

Soon after his release, Amir had said that he would not request the ICC to reduce his ban, which runs until 2015. The ICC had advised him to undergo a rehabilitation programme and, recently, he appeared in an educational video on behalf of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

Credits for Cricinfo

Pakistan Army raids Umar Gul’s house for sheltering a terrorist

News has come in that the Pakistani Army has raided Fast Bowler Umar Gul’s house in Peshawar! The raids have been conducted to flush out a terrorist who was allegedly being harboured by the Gul family. Umar Gul’s brother Meraj along with a couple of others were arrested in this connection on Tuesday. The terrorist for whom the Pakistani Army was looking out for was ‘Haji Daly’ of the banned Lashkar-e-Islam who is also a close relation to Umar Gul.

Delhi v Chennai, 2nd qualifier, IPL 2012, Chennai

Chennai Super Kings 222 for 5 (Vijay 113) beat Delhi Daredevils 136 (Jayawardene 55, Ashwin 3-23) by 86 runs.

 To the surprise of many, only one Morkel took the field in the virtual semi-final clash between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings. And the bigger shock was that it wasn’t Morne. The purple cap holder has been Delhi’s best bowler on show throughout out tournament, but was left out for reasons best known to the Delhi management. The result – Delhi’s weakened bowling attack was carted for 222 runs in 20 overs, with Varun Aaron being slammed for 63 and Morkel’s replacement, the unknown Sunny Gupta, leaking 47 runs in his three overs.

There is no guarantee that Delhi would have won had Morkel been part of the eleven, but there are no two opinions about it that they would have been in with a better chance. Yes, Delhi had to make amends for playing too many fast bowlers on a turning track against Kolkata Knight Riders. Still, leaving out Morkel made least sense. Keeping out Andre Russell would have been an equally tough decision, but why would a team keep out its best bowler on a day when they need him most? This is a question that will bafflethe Daredevil supporter.

Delhi v Kolkata, 1st qualifier, IPL 2012

<>Celebration Pics<><>

Delhi v Kolkata, 1st qualifier, IPL 2012

Kolkata in IPL final
                                  for first time In IPL History

Kolkata Knight Riders 162 for 4 (Yusuf 40*) beat Delhi Daredevils 144 for 8 (Jayawardene 40, Kallis 2-24, Narine 2-24) by 18 runs
FULL SCORE CARD

seasons of at times embarrassing underachievement, Kolkata Knight Riders will play for the IPL trophy on Sunday. For almost two-thirds of the qualifier against Delhi Daredevils, they nearly blew it, though the odds were stacked in their favour right from the start. On a pitch where the first ball of spin turned sharply, Knight Riders had three spinners waiting; Delhi Daredevils stuck to playing three specialist fast bowlers.

Daredevils` strategy did not seem to have backfired when Knight Riders lumbered to 106 for 4 in 16 overs. In the chase, despite losing Virender Sehwag and David Warner in the first 13 balls, Daredevils were right in the hunt at 83 for 2 after 10 overs. But like they had suddenly bolted away in the last four overs of their innings, Knight Riders choked Daredevils in the latter half of the chase. Daredevils did not help their cause, sending Pawan Negi ahead of Ross Taylor, who finally came in at No. 7 when the asking-rate was more than 14 an over.

The late boost that carried Knight Riders to a challenging total on the difficult pitch came from the unlikeliest quarters. Yusuf Pathan, who had done almost nothing the entire season, and Laxmi Shukla, playing in place of an unfit Manoj Tiwary, carted the quicks for 56 off the final four overs, and 36 off the final two, as Knight Riders surged to 162.

Gautam Gambhir had once again given Knight Riders a strong start, taking the fast bowlers for several boundaries. He had sped to 32 off 16 deliveries before he failed to make his ground to a direct hit from mid-off after having backed up too far. Not for the first time after Gambhir`s departure, Knight Riders lost their way. Only 58 runs came off the next ten overs as Negi, the left-arm spinner, and Irfan Pathan strangled the batsmen.

Just when it seemed Knight Riders had wasted Gambhir`s efforts upfront, Yusuf and Shukla launched into the quicks, who did not let up on the pace. Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav kept bowling in the late 140s with Morne Morkel not far behind. But the faster they bowled, the ball only came on better on the slow pitch.

www.Crichd.TK

Yusuf began the assault in the 17th over, carting a Morkel length ball for a straight six. Shukla took the lead in the 19th, making room to loft Morkel over extra cover for four and pulling him over deep square leg for six. It was to get worse for Daredevils in the last over. David Warner dropped Yusuf as he ran across from long-on and ended up parrying it for six. Yusuf cover-drove and flicked the last two deliveries for fours.

The core of the attack that had taken Daredevils to No. 1 position after the league stage had been taken apart. Yadav and Morkel went for 37 each, Aaron for 48, including 21 in that final over.

The last thing Daredevils needed at that stage was a rough decision, and pat it came in the second over of the chase. Warner, who had just smashed Shakib Al Hasan for six over long-on, missed the next ball as he pushed forward, but was given out caught by umpire Billy Doctrove as the ball popped up to the wicketkeeper off the pad. Sehwag departed next ball, edging an attempted cut off the impressive L Balaji to the keeper.

Just when it seemed Daredevils had done themselves in even before Sunil Narine came on, Naman Ojha and Mahela Jayawardene responded with the highest stand of the match. The duo took Shakib, who had a forgettable game, for 15 runs in the fourth over. Bowling too quick to get any bite from the surface, Shakib was lofted inside-out and down the ground for two fours and a six.

Though the general lack of pace in the Knight Riders attack started to make its presence felt, Ojha and Jayawardene kept the runs coming. The duo was in control when Ojha cut a long hop from Bhatia straight to Gambhir at backward point. A few tight overs and Venugopal Rao`s struggle further increased the pressure on Jayawardene. The threat of Narine, who gave just seven runs in his first two overs, forced him to attack the other bowlers, eventually leading to him being stumped off Abdulla in the 15th over.
The last thing Daredevils needed at that stage was a rough decision, and pat it came in the second over of the chase. Warner, who had just smashed Shakib Al Hasan for six over long-on, missed the next ball as he pushed forward, but was given out caught by umpire Billy Doctrove as the ball popped up to the wicketkeeper off the pad. Sehwag departed next ball, edging an attempted cut off the impressive L Balaji to the keeper.

Just when it seemed Daredevils had done themselves in even before Sunil Narine came on, Naman Ojha and Mahela Jayawardene responded with the highest stand of the match. The duo took Shakib, who had a forgettable game, for 15 runs in the fourth over. Bowling too quick to get any bite from the surface, Shakib was lofted inside-out and down the ground for two fours and a six.

Though the general lack of pace in the Knight Riders attack started to make its presence felt, Ojha and Jayawardene kept the runs coming. The duo was in control when Ojha cut a long hop from Bhatia straight to Gambhir at backward point. A few tight overs and Venugopal Rao's struggle further increased the pressure on Jayawardene. The threat of Narine, who gave just seven runs in his first two overs, forced him to attack the other bowlers, eventually leading to him being stumped off Abdulla in the 15th over.

With 55 needed off 32, Sehwag sent in Negi ahead of Taylor, who hit his third ball from Narine for six over wide long-on. But it was too late by then. Daredevils have another chance to get it right in the second qualifier on Friday.

England v West Indies, 1st Test, 2012

<><><Cook and Bell see England home><><><
England 398 (Strauss 122) and 193 for 5 (Cook 79, Bell 63*, Roach 3-60) beat West Indies 243 (Chanderpaul 87*, Broad 7-72) and 345 (Chanderpaul 91, Samuels 86, Broad 4-93) by 5 wickets.
FULL SCORE CARD

West Indies had commanded respect and, for a fleeting moment, they even invited hope among their long-suffering supporters but at the end of the Lord's Test it was a familiar tale of defeat. Two early wickets briefly raised West Indies' expectations that a startling victory might be in their grasp but they were summarily dashed as Alastair Cook and Ian Bell swept England to a comfortable five-wicket victory.

From 57 for 4, still 134 short of victory, Cook and Bell should have been under pressure, but they gambolled along at roughly four runs an over in a stand of 132. It ended with England two short of victory when Cook chopped Darren Sammy to gully. Ian Bell, who is already beginning to look like his old self again after a torrid winter, flicked Marlon Samuels through mid-on for the winning boundary in the next over.

The sun that is now finally promised after a raggy-arsed spring will have been a relief for West Indies, but it shone upon on an England victory that has put them 1-0 up in the series with two to play.

West Indies have now won just two of their 31 Tests since they dismissed England for 51 in Jamaica in 2009. They have only a few days to reassess before the second Test begins in Nottingham on Friday. All manner of theories will be bandied around about which absent players might have made them better, but the debate should not be about absent individuals, it should be about the reason most of them are absent - and that debate is about how the financial lure of IPL is threatening Test cricket, and Caribbean cricket in particular. There must be a window, a compromise, a solution. Instead what we have is a short-sighted flexing of muscles.

Mumbai Police bust rave party, 2 IPL players and several foreign nationals detained

What will be the Future of IPL ? ?  ?
If any one ask from me then my answer is , ""Ipl Should Bann For Life time " Kinza Khan"

Police broke up a rave party on the terrace of a Juhu hotel on Sunday evening and detained 96 youngsters, including several foreign nationals. At least two IPL players and a couple of children of celebrities were among them, police sources said.

"We found 58 men and 38 women at the rave party at Oakwood Premier Hotel on J R Mhatre Road near Juhu beach," said zonal DCP Pratap Dighavkar. Police seized around 110 gm of cocaine, besides Ecstasy tablets and charas.

The police will lodge two types of cases - one for possession and the other for consumption of proscribed drugs. Cocaine, Ecstasy and charas were recovered from the venue.

Around 100 youngsters have been sent to various hospitals for their blood and urine samples to be collected.

"The party was being held on the open terrace of the hotel. We acted around 8 pm on the basis of a tip-off. A decoy had been sent to the party and we acted after a green signal from him," an official said, adding that the police are trying to pinpoint the organizers of the party and who supplied the drugs.

"All those youngsters whose identities have been confirmed will be sent back home. If their blood and urine reports are positive for drugs, only then will they be called and taken into custody," said additional commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil, who supervised the raid.

Police are recording the statements of all those present and taking down their contact details. They are also bring asked how they received invites to the party.

The drugs seized have been sent for analysis to the forensic science laboratory at Kalina. 


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BCCI pads up, may block Shah Rukh Khan ban

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) might have gone through with a ban on Shah Rukh Khan from Wankhede but the viability of the embargo is questionable, particularly given the Bollywood superstar's long-standing ties with the sport's national governing body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Some even predicted, in fact, that the ban could have political and commercial repercussions for MCA.

As a business partner, Khan's contribution to BCCI and IPL has been singular. He came onboard the idea of starting a Twenty20 league when few people shared the enthusiasm. In 2008, he bought Team Kolkata along with entrepreneur Jay Mehta for a whopping Rs 300 crore, giving the league a boost with his riches and celebrity. He also helped BCCI do the number-crunching required to ensure that IPL makes a splash in the market.

He has since then assisted the BCCI on a number of occasions - for instance, on issues like increasing the number of IPL teams from eight to 10 and determining how an increase in the number of matches would affect the TRPs. He has partnered on events like the billion-dollar Champions League to perk up its saleability and attended workshops in and outside India regularly to find ways to better IPL.

Recently, he played a vital role in helping BCCI negotiate with Sahara India Parivar when the latter threatened to pull out as Team India's sponsor and as owners of IPL's Team Pune. Khan's involvement in settling the dispute amicably was acknowledged by both the BCCI and Sahara owner Subrata Roy.

In such a scenario, it is unclear if the MCA's decision to ban Khan from Wankhede despite BCCI's apparent discomfort is practicable. The BCCI's discomfort was clear on Friday when its vice-president Rajeev Shukla, who is also the IPL governing council chairman and a friend of Khan, said: "The MCA is well within its rights to ban Shah Rukh, but BCCI will take the final decision on the matter."

A senior BCCI official who is bound to play a role when BCCI takes a final call on the MCA ban said that Khan's role in IPL has to be "considered when a decision like that is taken. If he has committed a mistake in abusing individuals, he may be ready to sit across the table and sort things out. But you can't just ban him because he came to the stadium in an inebriated state."

Then, there is also the matter of the commercial impact. If the conflict grows further, Khan's personal sponsors may threaten to pull out of IPL. Also, importantly, the 300-odd seats in Wankhede that are allotted to the visiting team during every match may remain empty every time Kolkata tours Mumbai.

MCA bans Shah Rukh Khan for 5 yrs, IPL chief says BCCI will decide

The Mumbai Cricket Association on Friday banned Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan from entering the Wankhede Stadium for five years for misbehaving with its officials and violating its rules.

The "unanimous" decision was taken at the MCA Managing Committee meeting called to discuss action on Khan who was involved in a skirmish with the security and officials of the association after KKR's victory over Mumbai Indians on Wednesday night.

MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh, who chaired the meeting, said that his association was sending out a message that misbehaviour of any kind would not be tolerated. 

"If rules are violated, action will be taken. It does not depend who the individual is. It's a message to everyone whosoever he or she may be that stern action will be taken if there is any misbehaviour," he told a press conference.

Khan had, however, had denied he had misbehaved and acted only after children, including his kids, were "manhandled" by the security staff.

"How can he go inside the ground without proper accreditation? Even I can't go inside the ground if not invited for presentation ceremony," he said.

 "We have handed a five-year ban on him and it was a unanimous decision. It applies to any match whether domestic or international at the Wankhede," he said.

Asked if BCCI can reverse this decision to ban Khan, Deshmukh said, "We have taken a decision to protect the dignity of our association. BCCI is our parent body and we have written to them informing what had happened. We have no control over BCCI's decision. We are also an independent body with the Wankhede being our property." 

IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, however, said that a final decision will be taken by the BCCI.

"State bodies can only recommend but a final decision has to be taken by the BCCI. When the matter comes to BCCI, the Board will decide (on the ban)," he told reporters in New Delhi.

Deshmukh said that many MCA officials were present at the time of the fracas and they have expressed their strong views against Khan in the meeting.

"There were a lot of MCA officials present at the time of fracas. Nothing more was needed to prove that he (Khan) misbehaved. The Assistant Commissioner of Police himself was present and he said Khan was drunk," he said.

Asked if there was still a chance of the ban being reconsidered, Deshmukh said, "There is no question of that. Khan did not make any representation to us, nor apologise. He could also have filed a police complaint but he did not do that.

"Whether BCCI, IPL or MCA, such kind of misbehaviour cannot be tolerated. We have also filed a police complaint and it's upto the police to act now," he added.

BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board has received a complaint from the MCA regarding the fracas.

"The BCCI has got a complaint from the MCA. We will see to it. We will also think of some measures from the next IPL onwards to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future," he said.

"This is an unprecedented situation. We have never come across such incidents in the last five years at the Wankhede Stadium. It was extreme restrain shown by the MCA officials in the face of abusive language being hurled on them. They should be appreciated," said Shetty.

Khan had categorically denied that he was drunk and claimed that the scuffle broke out after MCA officials manhandled his kids who he had come to pick after the IPL match between KKR and Mumbai Indians. MCA officials, who have lodged a police complaint against the actor, however, gave a different version.

Khan had also refused to apologise, saying that the security personnel and the MCA officials were high-handed and it was they who provoked him to use abusive language.

"I was not drunk, I had gone to pick up my children. The officials were extremely aggressive. I just got angry and said a few things in anger. I was one and they were 20-25 officials and they were extremely rude," Khan had said.

Royal Challengers Bangalore team-owner Vijay Mallya said that "being a team-owner does not override conduct".

"I don't think ownership or status of Mr Khan is in question. Whatever I have seen is the MCA questioning his behaviour and that has to be addressed. The fact that he is a team-owner that does not override conduct," Mallya said in New Delhi.

Asked about the ban on Khan by the MCA, Mallya refused to comment, saying, "That's strictly between MCA and affected person. I can't comment on that."

On suggestion on some quarters that IPL should be stopped, Mallya said, "I don't think IPL has any role to play. Stopping IPL is a senseless suggestion."

Credits for Times of INDIA

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils Highlights, IPL 2012, 17th May.

Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils Highlights, IPL 2012, 17th May. RCB VS DD cricket highlights IPL season 5. Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL Highlights 17 May 2012. Indian Premier League Cricket Highlights 2012 Match 67.



Gayle ton scripts crucial win for RCB

How rapidly prospects change in the IPL. Two days ago, Royal Challengers Bangalore were on a three-match winning streak, with healthy chances of making the playoffs. Then they lost to Mumbai Indians, one of their competitors for a top-four finish, and later that day another competitor, Chennai Super Kings, beat Kolkata Knight Riders, whose position is far healthier than that of Royal Challengers. Now Royal Challengers need to win their last two games, both away from home, to have a realistic chance of qualifying, but even that may not be enough if it comes down to net run-rates.

Royal Challengers’ misfiring bowlers: They have the longest tail in the IPL because they play five specialist bowlers – Vinay Kumar batted at No. 7 in the previous game. Yet their bowling attack, despite having Zaheer Khan and Muttiah Muralitharan, is the second most expensive of the tournament, after Deccan Chargers who are at the bottom of the league. That is largely because Royal Challengers’ home venue, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, has the best batting surfaces and some of the smaller boundaries in the tournament. However, even away from home, Royal Challengers have conceded 8.19 runs per over. Again, only Chargers fare worse. Perhaps the more helpful pitches at the Kotla will strengthen Royal Challengers’ weakest link.

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SRK banned for 5 years from entering Wankhede Stadium

NEW DELHI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Friday banned Kolkata Knight Riders owner and superstar Shah Rukh Khan from entering the Wankhede stadium for five years after a rigid standoff between the two.On Wednesday,

the MCA filed a police complaint against the Bollywood star for abusing and assaulting its officials in an inebriated state; the Bollywood star, in turn, sought an apology from the association for security guards shoving his daughter and other kids around and its officials' "unpardonable" behaviour.

Exclusive!! Caught on Audio!! SRK and Guards Swearing at Wankhede.

Bollywood actor and Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan reacts after a security guard manhandled children and started high handling and swearing at the superstar after the match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders which KKR won at The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

SRK IPL Controversy (Pictures)

Exclusive pictures of Shahrukh Khan with his kids and Kolkata Knight Riders support staff, as they argue with the security official of the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The ugly incident took place soon after the match against Mumbai Indians, which they won quite convincingly.

At a press conference after the controversy, SRK blamed the security for their high-handedness and aggressive behavior “I think they should apologize to me, for behaving the way they did. There were several people who were rushing at me, I am extremely disturbed that they should man handle children in the name of security.”


<<<<CHECK OUT THESE PICTURES>>>>

SRK Press Conference Live: I was not drunk-king khan

Addressing a press conference on Thursday evening in Mumbai, Shah Rukh Khan denied all the allegations levelled by the MCA against him.

VIDEO

Shah Rukh Khan in trouble over stadium skirmish

I wasn't drunk, MCA officials misbehaved with me, kids: SRK:(

The Wednesday night fracas at Wankhede stadium deteriorated on Thursday into a rigid standoff between Shah Rukh Khan and the Mumbai Cricket Association on Thursday, with a "father's love for his daughter" being weighed against a "star's abusive and drunken behaviour".

Both sides refused to blink, with the MCA filing a police complaint against the Bollywood star for abusing and assaulting its officials in an inebriated state; the Bollywood star, in turn, sought an apology from the association for security guards shoving his daughter and other kids around and its officials' "unpardonable" behaviour.

The association, which administers Wankhede, is now threatening to impose a lifetime ban on Khan from entering the stadium.

The conflict erupted around 11.30pm on Wednesday after Team Kolkata's 32-run rout of Team Mumbai. By many accounts, a large group of children accompanying Khan tried entering the stadium's field to play but were stopped by security personnel at the boundary line. Khan said the guards "manhandled" some children to hold them back and "touched little girls in the garb of security". This led to an argument, in which Khan and his associates allegedly abused and shoved MCA officials and security guards.

The MCA version differed greatly. In a complaint filed at Marine Drive police station, MCA secretary Nitin Dalal said Khan and his entourage "entered the ground without proper accreditation along with 15-20 boys". "When a young girl wished him... Mr Shah Rukh Khan abused her in most dirty and vulgar language (like f*** off)... an MCA watchman came forward and asked everyone to vacate the stadium. Shah Rukh charged at the watchman and hit him and continued to use abusive language like f*** MCA, f*** BCCI," the complaint asserted.

Based on the complaint, the police filed a non-cognizable offence against Khan and two of his associates and invoked Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code. The MCA's managing committee will meet at 11am on Friday to decide on a lifetime ban on Khan from Wankhede.

Several voices could be heard abusing one another on an audio clip of the Wednesday brawl, which went viral on the internet. At one point, an official can be heard telling Khan: "You talk properly." In response, Khan asks the official to "talk properly". Later, someone is heard saying: "T*** m** k* c****, m********."

During the day, sources said, there were hectic backroom efforts to placate the two sides. IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla told TOI, "It is a very unfortunate incident and we are trying to resolve the issue. No decision has been taken on the ban as yet. I have spoken to both Vilasrao Deshmukh (MCA president) and Shah Rukh Khan."

In public, though, both sides remained defiant. In an impromptu press conference called at his home, Khan said that his children and their friends were playing with a ball near the field on Wednesday night when he saw from "upstairs that a security guard was manhandling them".

"It is unpardonable for security officials to physically touch little girls in the garb of security. I came downstairs to tell them not to misbehave with the children. It was the MCA officials who started the tirade, one gentleman came to the spot and said something in Marathi that is unrepeatable. That made me angry and if children with me are misbehaved with, I will behave this way time and again. Yes, I did get angry but I think the officials need to look at their own behaviour first."

Khan denied he was drunk - a claim made by MCA as well as by its member ACP Iqbal Shaikh - and dismissed the proposed ban from Wankhede, saying: "If this is the treatment that is meted out, I would not want to be there myself.... I will call Deshmukh. I will write a complaint about their behaviour." He also refuted allegations of him abusing a female fan. "It would be very small of me at this age and day to do something like that."

Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Highlights, 16th May

Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Highlights, 16th May 2012. KKR VS MI cricket highlights IPL season 5. Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Highlights May 16 IPL 2012. Indian Premier League Cricket Highlights 2012 Match 65.

The contrast between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians was there to see on Monday. Knight Riders’ batting, dependent so much on Gautam Gambhir’s golden run this season, lost momentum after his dismissal against Chennai Super Kings. Mumbai Indians’ line-up recovered from 51 for 5 to chase down 172 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Both teams would want to finish in the top two to boost their chances of making the final and avoid the eliminator. Knight Riders’ loss to Mumbai Indians in their final league game last season dragged them down to fourth position; they then went on to lose the eliminator to third-placed Mumbai Indians. Sachin Tendulkar could miss the match as he is expected to take his oath as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi.

Mumbai Indians’ on-field behaviour has been appalling this season. Their captain, Harbhajan Singh, not known for his calmness, has been involved in a confrontation with umpires, as has been Munaf Patel. Munaf has, in fact, been downright boorish, having repeated arguments with umpires and several batsmen. Ambati Rayudu was the latest transgressor on Monday, losing his entire match fee for his bust-up with Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers.

While Jacques Kallis is usually a steady scorer, this season has been a crawl even by his modest standards. A strike-rate of 104.94 in 13 innings has gone largely unnoticed due to Gambhir’s brilliance. Kallis, however, has taken 10 wickets at an economy-rate of 7.45.

After a run of six consecutive wins, Knight Riders lost their previous two games while Mumbai Indians racked up consecutive wins. Rohit Sharma’s fluent hitting stunned Knight Riders the first time these sides met this season on May 12 at the Eden Gardens. Mumbai Indians return to Wankhede Stadium after two away games. They have lost four out of seven home matches this season, and Harbhajan Singh has said that they haven’t known what to expect from the Wankhede pitch.


PART 1

PART 2