ICC rejects mandatory review techology

KUALA LUMPUR: World cricket chiefs Wednesday rejected a new move to make decision review technology compulsory and put off talks on wide-ranging reforms following opposition from powerful India.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) board also called for a global, lifetime corruption ban for Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria for his role in an English spot-fixing scandal, during annual talks in Kuala Lumpur.

It gave no reason for the latest decision to reject compulsory use of the Decision Review System (DRS), which uses ball-tracking and thermal-imaging technology to check whether batsmen should be given out.

But India, which provides the bulk of the sport's global revenues, had come out strongly against the recommendation which was put forward by the ICC's own chief executives earlier this week.

"The ICC board agreed to continue with the present arrangement where the two competing nations in a bilateral series decide on the use of DRS," a statement said.

India, who wield unmatched influence in the ICC thanks to profits from their huge huge fan-base, torpedoed a similar bid for mandatory DRS at last year's annual talks, where it was controversially made optional.

India, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have been deeply suspicious of DRS since a number of reviews went against them in their 2008 Test series with Sri Lanka. Other countries have voiced strong support for the technology.

India is also a renowned opponent of reforms to the ICC set out in a self-commissioned review, which slammed the body as a "members' club" with too much power held by key countries.

On Wednesday, the board said "informal discussions" on the changes would take place at the next board meeting in Sri Lanka in October.

The ICC board also approved minor changes to one-day internationals, including allowing two bouncers per over and changes to the timing of power plays.

And it urged world bodies to uphold the lifetime ban handed out by English authorities to Kaneria, 31, who was accused of playing a key role in the Mervyn Westfield spot-fixing affair.

They "should recognise and respect the sanctions (against both players)... including by enforcing and giving effect to them within their own jurisdictions to the fullest extent permitted by law", the statement said.

England's Mervyn Westfield was jailed in February after admitting he accepted #6,000 ($9,350) to under-perform during a Pro40 match between Essex and Durham in 2009.

The now 24-year-old Westfield named Kaneria -- arrested with him in 2010 but released without charge -- as the link between bookmakers and players.

Westfield was given a five-year ban for bringing cricket into disrepute, a charge the seamer accepted. Kaneria has vowed to appeal his ban from English cricket.

He has not played for Pakistan since appearing against England in August 2010 -- the same tour when an infamous fixing episode led to then-captain Salman Butt, and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, being jailed for corruption.

Separately, both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka agreed to draw up anti-corruption codes by August, the ICC said.

Squads for second Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test

COLOMBO: Rival squads for the second cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka starting at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Saturday:

Pakistan (from): Misbah-ul Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Mohammad Ayub, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal, Junaid Khan, Afaq Raheem, Aizaz Cheema.

Sri Lanka (from): Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis, Dilhara Fernando.

Football: Fabregas sends Spain into Euro 2012 final

Spain became only the second team to reach the final of three successive major tournaments by defeating Portugal 4-2 on penalties in Donetsk tonight after their UEFA EURO 2012 semi-final ended goalless after extra time.

It was Cesc Fàbregas who scored the winning penalty after Bruno Alves missed for Portugal in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in which Cristiano Ronaldo did not even get the chance to step up after being chosen to take the last spot-kick.

It was the second match in a row that our Getty team of photographers were involved in a shoot-out after covering a similar match in Kyiv between England and Italy. This time we were in different positions on the pitch but having been through the drama of penalties in the previous match we knew what to expect and what each of our jobs were.

It was decided that the two photographers who were already in place either side of the goal at the penalty kick end would stay in place while the others would move into better positions down the side of the pitch. Martin Rose was one the photographers behind the penalty kick end and he knew that when it came down to the deciding penalty that his focus was to turn on the players waiting in the centre circle of the winning team as they celebrate.

The other photographer, Laurence Griffiths, was to concentrate on the penalty taker as from his position the angle was much better to Martin's. From past experience we know that the players are likely to run down the pitch to the winning goalscorer and this can lead to some crazy celebration shots.

As you can see from the picture below, this is exactly what happened as soon as Fàbregas's shot went in off the post to make it 4-2. Martin was in the perfect position to capture the Spain team as they mobbed their hero of the moment.
Alex is an award-winning photographer who came to Getty Images in 1997. He has covered the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League final, and his work has been published in many of the world's leading publications. Alex is based in Manchester, England, and UEFA EURO 2012 will be his third UEFA European Championship with Getty Images.

DRS bid 'quashed' after India object

KUALA LUMPUR: Cricket's latest bid to make decision review technology mandatory for all Tests and one-day internationals has been swiftly quashed after opposition from powerful India, a report said.

The recommendation by chief executives was not put to a vote and "came and went without a murmur" at the International Cricket Council's (ICC) board meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the ESPNcricinfo site reported, citing people present.

The board meeting was chaired by India's Sharad Pawar, who is the ICC president. India was the only country to object to the measure, the authoritative website said.

The report comes after India publicly rejected the new recommendation for mandatory use of the Decision Review System (DRS), which employs ball-tracking and thermal-imaging technology to check whether batsmen should be given out.

"The BCCI continues to believe that the system is not foolproof," the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement on Monday.

India, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have been deeply suspicious of DRS since a number of reviews went against them in their 2008 Test series with Sri Lanka, when the technology was on trial.

And India, who provide the lion's share of global cricket revenues due to their huge fan-base, torpedoed a similar bid for mandatory DRS at last year's annual ICC talks, where it was controversially made optional.

Other countries have voiced strong support for the technology. This week, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka called for compulsory DRS after a rash of contentious decisions marred the first Test in Galle.

"It should be made compulsory for every game," said Pakistan captain Mohammed Hafeez.

On Monday, cricket's chief executives said independent testing had proved the accuracy of DRS, and recommended it for all Tests and one-day internationals provided host nations can afford and obtain the equipment.

It was not known if the issue would be raised again at the ICC board meeting, which concludes on Wednesday ahead of Thursday's ICC Council meeting in the Malaysian capital.

Separately, South African-born former England captain Tony Greig urged India to use its wide influence for the good of the game, accusing it of being "preoccupied with money" during a lecture at Lord's in London.

"Much of the game is controlled by the BCCI because it controls enough votes to block any proposal put forward at the ICC board meetings," said Greig, who described himself as a strong supporter of DRS.

"The spirit of cricket is more important than generating billions of dollars; it's more important than turning out multi-millionaire players; and it's more important than getting square with Australia and England for their bully-boy tactics towards India over the years," he added.

FBR issues notices to Pak cricket stars

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday warned cricket stars against submitting tardy tax returns, rubbing salt in their wounds after they lost the first Test to Sri Lanka.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued notices to Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul Haq, Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz.

"We have issued notices to six cricketers who have either not given correct statements or have not filed their returns and directed them to do so within 30 days," Riffat Shaheen, FBR spokeswoman, told AFP.

Misbah missed the first Test owing to a suspension following the fifth one day against Sri Lanka earlier this month, while Akmal and Riaz are not in the Test squad.

Pakistan's tax revenues are among the lowest in the world at just 9.8 percent of GDP in fiscal year 2010-2011, says the Asian Development Bank, and less than two percent of the population pays tax on their income.

The country has long defied Western pressure to end tax-dodging and the IMF in 2010 halted a $11.3 billion assistance package over a lack of progress on reforms, principally on tax.

The FBR says Riaz does not have an national tax number while Hafeez, Akmal and Taufeeq failed to submit their tax returns for 2010-2011. Misbah submitted statements only for 2010 and Ali did not declare his complete earnings.

Cricketers earn tens of thousands of dollars in contracts, endorsements and match fees. Since the Pakistan Cricket Board raised pay last month, players earn between $3,400 and $1,300 a month depending on their category.

Those who appear in the three formats of the game also get a match-fee, with the top eight players getting $4,000 a Test, $3,800 for a one-day and $2,900 for a Twenty20 international.

Salman Butt returns to chaotic welcome

LAHORE: Pakistan's former captain Salman Butt returned home to a chaotic welcome Friday after being released from a British prison, vowing to clear his name after being jailed for spot-fixing.

the former Pakistan captain who was convicted of spot-fixing, has returned home after serving seven months in prison. He arrived in Lahore at around 2.30 on Friday morning, exited from the airport lobby and spoke to reporters. He said he was not involved in any spot-fixing but claimed his mistake was not to report to the ICC when an offer was made.

Butt, wearing a green polo shirt and jeans, was surrounded by a crowd as he made his way out of the airport after being cleared by Pakistan's immigration authorities, and had to shout for walking space. "I have no links with spot-fixing nor I have never entertained any offer, nothing ever practically happened in a match that was linked to any offer," he told reporters. "Of spot-fixing or any fixing, I never asked anyone to do anything or bowl any no-balls, I am not associated with it.

"I apologised to the ICC for this, I did not report the events (in advance) between these two to three months because I knew the person. To the people of Pakistan, all the cricketers, those who support us and make us stars, I apologise - but for failure to report."

Butt was jailed in November for his part in the delivery of deliberate no-balls in a Test match at Lord's in 2010. Originally sentenced for 30 months, he was released seven months into his sentence under the UK government's early-release scheme for foreign nationals. However, it means he has been formally deported from the UK and cannot return to the country for 10 years.

"I am happy and relieved," Butt said upon his arrival. "No place like Pakistan. I want two to three days with my family and once I [have] that, I will hold a detailed press conference to answer all questions to clear my name from spot-fixing.

"I am thankful to all those who helped me in difficult times and I hope my tough days are over. I am desperate to see my second son, whom I've not seen since his birth." Butt's second son was born on November 3, the day he was sentenced.

Fast-bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were also found guilty of corruption and accepting corrupt payments. Asif was released in May after serving six months of his 12-month prison term but he is still in the UK, planning his appeal against a seven-year ban from cricket. Amir served three months in the young offenders' institute and is currently undergoing rehabilitation with a psychologist in Lahore.

While Amir has decided not to appeal against the ICC ban, Butt said he was planning to. "I am consulting my legal advisers and will decide on when to appeal against the ICC ban." When asked what he wanted to do next, Butt said he wanted to make a comeback as a "good person, a good Pakistani and a good cricketer."

/span

PCB hoping India series, T20 league boost finances

Pakistan is looking at the proposed India series and the Twenty20 league it has planned as means to overcome a shortfall of 70 crore Pakistani rupees (US$7.5 million approx) in its budget for 2011-12. The deficit was confirmed at the board's governing council meet in Lahore on Wednesday.

The PCB has been facing a financial crunch mainly because of teams refusing to tour Pakistan due to security concerns following the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 - since then, Pakistan has been forced to host teams at neutral venues. The 2010-2011 budget was also in the red, before it was boosted by the hefty compensation that the ICC paid the board, following Pakistan's removal as co-host of the 2011 World Cup.

"We are forced to play away from home, this makes a difference," a member of the PCB's governing board told ESPNcricinfo. "But we have plans and the board is optimistic that by the end of this fiscal year, [even if we do] not cover [the deficit], we will be able to reduce the gap." 

At the meeting, the council also approved the creation of four new regional teams in domestic cricket. This means an increase in the number of regional teams from 11 to 15, with Larkana, Dera Murad Jamali, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and two-time Quaid-e-Azam champion Bahawalpur being the new units.

With Bahawalpur's induction, the number of teams from Punjab province has increased from five to six - Lahore, Sialkot, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi are the others - while Dera Murad Jamali will join Quetta from the Baluchistan province. Larkana will join Karachi and Hyderabad as the regional teams from the Sindh province. FATA is a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan.

Bahawalpur had been part of the Pakistan domestic structure until 1991, when it was merged with Multan.

Another major decision taken at the meeting was to make it a requirement for every private party interested in organising a cricket tournament at the domestic level to procure a no-objection certificate from the PCB. Without the NOC, no PCB contracted player would be able to participate in the tournament. This decision was made with a view to bring all domestic cricket under the umbrella of PCB and to ensure it is in line with the ICC's requirements on matters of corruption control, anti-doping, etc.

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Afridi mulls ODI retirement

SHAHID AFRIDI We Need You

The Pakistan allrounder, has said that he may consider retiring from ODI cricket to give selectors a chance to build a strong, young team for the 2015 World Cup being held in Australia and New Zealand. Afridi struggled, with both bat and ball, in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, scoring just 28 runs from four innings and picking up three wickets. 

He said that he would reassess his future after the team returned home from Sri Lanka in mid-July. "People expect a lot from senior players, so I must sincerely review my performance [in ODI cricket]," Afridi told ESPNcricinfo. "I want to step aside for new players [to come through], so that Pakistan can build a good team for the 2015 World Cup. But I must, first, check if anyone is ready to take my place in the team, so that my retirement won't be unfair to the team."

Afridi, who was dismissed for scores of 2, 17, 0 and 9 in the ODIs against Sri Lanka, said that even if he retired from ODI's, he would still continue playing the Twenty20 format. "[I had decided that] the day I became a burden to cricket I would walk away [from the game]. I am considering [whether or not to retire from ODIs] and would consult some senior players and friends before making a decision. But even if I retire from ODI's I will continue to play Twenty20 cricket."

Pakistan were shoddy in the field, in the ODI's, with several dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities, allowing Sri Lanka to gain the upper hand. Afridi attributed the 3-1 series loss to poor fielding. "Fielding has been our weakness ever since I started playing cricket," he said. "We didn't play as we expected, but Sri Lanka were strong in their own conditions. They used the conditions very well."

In the past Afridi had announced his retirement on a number of occasions. First, in 2006, he decided to take a temporary sabbatical from Test cricket to concentrate on ODIs. Then in 2010, he announced his Test retirement after Pakistan lost the first Test against Australia at Lord's. A year later he announced a "conditional" retirement from international cricket to protest against the way he was "humiliated" by the PCB, who had stripped him of his ODI captaincy.

Banned Aamer wants to return in action: psychologist

KARACHI: Pakistan's disgraced paceman Mohammed Aamer is looking forward to returning to cricket "as and when possible", the psychologist helping to rehabilitate his career said Monday.

In the first of several counselling sessions Maqbool Babri, who was hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to counsel Aamer, said his client appeared "positive and relaxed" despite his five-year ban from the game for cheating.

The 20-year-old was found guilty of spot-fixing during a Test at Lord's in 2010, spent three months in a British jail and was banned from the game by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The ICC also banned pace partner Mohammad Asif and ex-captain Salman Butt, ordering the trio to undergo rehabilitation.

Babri said Aamer was upbeat in the first of eight to 10 sessions.

"I am very surprised that he was very positive and relaxed during the first session with me on Saturday," Babri told AFP. "I think that Aamer's lawyer was a positive influence on him and has guided him well."

Before the scandal, Aamer was regarded as the hottest new international talent due to the lethal left-arm pace bowling which likened him to Pakistan former great Wasim Akram.

Babri said Aamer believes he belongs in the cricketing world.

"Aamer realises that cricket is his profession and he wants to return to the game as and when possible, and during the session we moved towards enlightment," he said.

"I think he realises that he made a mistake... and since he is very passionate about his cricket I have to make him ready for that," Babri added.

Misbah gets test ban for slow over-rate

Misbah-ul-Haq suspended for over-rate offence

DUBAI: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been banned from the first test against Sri Lanka in Galle that starts on Friday as punishment for his team's slow over-rate in the final match of the one-day series.

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Fewer ODIs likely in Pakistan-Australia series

Pakistan's home series of limited-over games against Australia is likely to be reduced to a mix of three ODIs (instead of five ODIs) and three Twenty20 internationals, with the UAE remaining the most likely venue. Plans for more Twenty20 games - as reported by ESPNcricinfo yesterday - have come unstuck because of a time crunch to get the ICC's approval as required.

The series, according to PCB sources, will be held after the month of Ramadan, which ends on August 18; giving both teams practice ahead of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, which begins on September 18. To beat the summer heat, the matches are likely to be held in the late evening, with the ODIs starting at 5 pm and the Twenty20 games at 7 pm.

"Plan is to play three ODIs and three T20Is," Intikhab Alam, the PCB's director for international operations, told reporters on Wednesday. "I have given my assessment reports about both venues [UAE and Malaysia] and the announcement will be made within this week."

Any Twenty20 series comprising more than three matches requires the ICC's permission; though the idea of a five-game series is open for discussion in the ICC Executive Board meeting later this month, formal approval might take some more time - which the boards don't have.

"We've always said to Pakistan this is your home, come and play when you want to and we make it cost-effective for them," Dilawar Mani, the chief executive of the Emirates cricket board, told ESPNcricinfo. "Yes it's going to be hot and humid, but heat is not as much of an issue as the humidity is."

"Humidity will be a factor, so we proposed a start later in the evening instead of 3 pm for ODIs," added Mani.

"We usually arrange late starts for our domestic tournament during Ramadan and I don't see any logistical problem there," he said. "In fact, arranging matches in evening works better - we can pull in bigger crowds as the offices close around 4 pm. So people can easily turn to the stadium after finishing their work."

Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODIs to have reserve days

COLOMBO: The remaining two matches in the one-day series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will have reserve days due to rains in the country, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Friday.

The last two day-night games of the five-match series are scheduled to be played in Colombo on Saturday and Monday with rain forecast for both days.

"Sri Lanka Cricket is pleased to announce that a reserve day has been allocated for the fourth and fifth one-day internationals against Pakistan," the SLC said in a statement.

Rain has already affected the series, reducing the opening match in Pallekele to a 42-overs-a-side affair and restricting the third game in Colombo to just 6.2 overs before it was abandoned.

The series is currently tied 1-1, with Pakistan winning the opening match by six wickets and Sri Lanka taking the second by 76 runs. The one-dayers will be followed by a three-Test series, which opens in Galle on June 22.

Croatia hold Italy to boost quarters hopes

POZNAN, Poland: Croatia held Italy to a 1-1 draw in their Euro 2012 Group C clash at the Municipal Stadium here on Thursday to boost their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Italy totally dominated the first period and went in at the break a goal to the good through a sumptuous Andrea Pirlo free-kick.

But a defensive error allowed Mario Mandzukic to equalise in the final 20 minutes and keep Croatia at the top of the group on four points.

Italy will now need to beat Ireland in their final group game and hope that the result in Croatia’s game against Spain is kind to them if they are to progress.

The first half was one-way traffic and the Azzurri deserved more than the single goal they registered.

Having been such a disappointment against Spain, Mario Balotelli seemed more awake here and shot wide after a neat turn on three minutes, making the most of limited space in the box.

Claudio Marchisio rifled a shot over the bar while a Balotelli shot from the edge of the area was punched clear by goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa.

Croatia were struggling to create aything of note but Nikica Jelavic was a shoelace away from turning in Darijo Srna’s cross at the near post.

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli had asked his team to get in behind the defence and Antonio Cassano did exactly that to meet Leonardo Bonucci’s flick over the top but he screwed his effort wide.

Pletikosa came to his side’s rescue on 37 minutes as he made a double save from Marchisio, who latched onto Cassano’s pass, turned a sliding Srna but then couldn’t find the finish to beat the goalkeeper, who spread himself ice hockey style to deny the Juventus midfielder.

Italy got the goal their dominance deserved two minutes later as Pirlo curled an exquisite free-kick over the wall and inside the post, 

although it seemed a generous award in the first place

from English referee Howard Webb.

Cassano almost added a second before the break with a flicked header from Pirlo’s corner that went just over.

Right on the stroke of half-time Croatia broke but Gianluigi Buffon comfortably stopped Mandzukic’s shot.

Croatia started a bit brighter in the second period and Modric got a shot away that Buffon again gathered comfortably before sending another over the bar.



Balotelli had a crack from distance that sailed over but then out of the blue, Croatia equalised.

Ivan Strinic sent over a cross from deep and Italy centre-back Giorgio Chiellini mistimed his jump allowing Mandzukic to bring the ball down and fire home off the near post from six yards.

Substitute Riccardo Montolivo had a shot from distance for Italy that Pletikosa dealt with.

Champions Spain thrash Ireland to top group

GDANSK: Defending champions Spain are on course for the Euro 2012 quarter-finals after their 4-0 thrashing of Ireland on Thursday put them top of Group C with the Irish bowing out.

For all their endeavour in defence, Ireland struggled constantly to cope with the torrent of Spanish attacks as Chelsea's Fernando Torres proved he is back to his best with two clinically-taken goals.

Having decided the Euro 2008 final with the winning goal against Germany, Torres netted either side of Manchester City's David Silva second-half strike before his replacement Cesc Fabregas added the fourth seven minutes from time.

With 66 percent ball possession, 26 shots on goal, 20 of which were on target, Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given had a busy night as Spain dominated while Ireland managed just six shots on goal in total.

The win puts Spain top of the group on goal difference and level on four points with second-placed Croatia, who Vicente del Bosque's world champions face here at Arena Gdansk again on Monday.

Having suffered their second defeat after losing 3-1 to Croatia on Sunday, Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland will exit after the group stages.

Italy, who drew 1-1 with Croatia earlier, have two points in third and can still progress if they beat Ireland in Poznan, Poland, the same day, but the Azzurri are reliant on either Spain or Croatia winning in Gdansk.

Spain had complained to UEFA about the dry condition of the Gdansk pitch during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Italy as Fabregas labeled it "a disaster", but heavy rain during Thursday's match made the issue null and void.

Having used a 4-3-3 formation against Italy without a recognised striker, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque elected to start Torres at the expense of Barcelona's Fabregas.

The Chelsea star rewarded the faith with the opening goal after just four minutes.

With Spain on the attack, Ireland defender Richard Dunne tackled Silva on the edge of the area, but Torres pounced on the loose ball and drilled his shot past Given from a tight angle.

Buoyed by the legions of green-clad fans, who clearly outnumbered the Spanish fans at Arena Gdansk and sang until the end, Ireland battled forward, but any rare first-half forages into the Spain half were quickly snuffed out.

A heavy tackle on Andres Iniesta earned Ireland captain Robbie Keane the game's first booking on 36 minutes and Glenn Whelan followed just before the break for a foul on Silva as it finished 1-0 at the break.

Trapatonni brought on Stoke City's Jon Walters for Simon Cox up front at half-time, but there was no stemming the tide of Spanish attacks.

A long-range shot from Iniesta was parried by Given, but fell into Silva's path, who jinked his way around defenders to roll his shot calmly past Given four minutes after the break.

After Given pulled off more heroics to deny Xavi Hernandez's corner shot, Ireland lifted their tempo with a series of attacks as Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas was pressed into service.

The threatened third goal came when Silva released Torres, who raced away from Dunne and slotted home his shot on 70 minutes to give Given no chance before the Spaniard made way for Fabregas four minutes later.