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Graeme Smith has been ruled out of the rest of the English season after fracturing his right knee.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-20143:36

Smith loss ‘a huge blow’

Graeme Smith has been ruled out of the rest of the English season after fracturing his right knee. He will return to South Africa and his former national team-mate, Hashim Amla, will arrive for a month-long stint with Surrey while Gary Wilson will take on the captaincy this week.It continues a blighted stint for Smith as Surrey captain after he signed a three-year deal in late 2012. His first season, last year, was cut short when he needed ankle surgery and now this summer is curtailed after less than two months.For the second season running an injury has hit Graeme Smith•PA PhotosAlec Stewart, the Surrey director of cricket, revealed Smith had been battling the pain for the last week or so during which the county had seen an upturn in results after a tricky start to the season.”He’s done his very best to play through a lot of pain. He’s taken a lot of pain killers to get through the last 10 days or so,” Stewart told BBC London. “But the scans showed the fracture and it was non-negotiable, he had to go for this operation.”You have to accept it, and the good thing is we’ve been able to get Hashim Amla over at short notice. Cricket South Africa have been excellent with their dealings and we’ll have him for the majority of June and then we’ll see where we are after that.”Smith retired from international cricket after the final Test against Australia, in Cape Town, but said he was fully committed to seeing through his Surrey deal.

A ruling of the Rajasthan High Court has opened the doors for the state’s cricketers to play in the BCCI’s domestic competitions this year

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Oct-2014The new appointments

Senior selection committee: Vinod Mathur, Sanjay Vyas, Nazmul Hussain, Taposh Chatterjee. Vivebhan Singh Expert: Roger Binny

Junior selection committee: Kuldip Mathur, Pramod Yadav, Sukhvinder Singh. Expert: Connor Williams

Women’s selection committee: Megha Gaur, Shabhana Khan, Pratima Bharti. Expert: Rita Dey

A ruling of the Rajasthan High Court has opened the doors for the state’s cricketers to play in the BCCI’s domestic competitions this year. The court passed an interim order appointing selection committees that will pick teams to represent the state in various BCCI domestic tournaments in the 2014-15 season. The teams will play represent Rajasthan, but not under the usual banner of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).The order was passed by Justice MN Bhandari, who was hearing a writ petition filed originally on September 16 on behalf Nikhil Doru and others, and signed by 75 Rajasthan players.”This order has been passed with the consent to make temporary arrangement to keep representation of the state of Rajasthan in various tournaments to be organised by the BCCI,” the court stated in its five-page order. The arrangement will come to an end at the completion of the 2014-15 season or when the dispute between the BCCI and the RCA is settled, whichever comes first.The BCCI had suspended the RCA in May after the latter elected Lalit Modi, an expelled administrator, as its president. The BCCI then omitted RCA from the domestic programme for the forthcoming season, which starts from next week. That had resulted in much angst among the players, and eventually the filing of the writ petition. The court had subsequently issued notices to the BCCI and the RCA, seeking responses from both on the writ petition, which had argued that the players were suffering only for one reason: “the grudge between the BCCI and RCA.”On Tuesday Bhandari asked both BCCI and RCA counsels to put forth a joint proposal to facilitate Rajasthan teams to participate in various domestic tournaments. Both parties were asked to nominate a set of names each, who would effectively act as selectors. Today the court finalised the three groups – one for the men’s team, one for the juniors and another for women’s cricket – the senior selection panel is comprised of five members while the other two have a set of three selectors. Each panel has a BCCI-nominated selector, who will “associate” with the other team members in picking teams.According to the court order the RCA had “proposed” five names which the “BCCI had no objection” with. But Bhandari decided to replace Ratan Singh with Sanjay Vyas due to the latter’s vast experience. “For senior selection committee, name of five members have been proposed by the RCA, to which, the BCCI has no objection but after considering those names, I find requirement of one substitution, which would be of Mr Ratan Singh with that of Mr Sanjay Vyas, who remained captain of Ranji team for quite long time,” the court order said. The court also pruned the original list of five and six selectors nominated by the RCA for the junior and women’s panels to three. The court pointed out that the BCCI would compensate the selectors during their tenure.The court also asked Taposh Chatterjee, who is currently a member of BCCI’s ground and pitches committee, to coordinate and oversee the appointment/requirements of the teams’ support staff, and asked the BCCI to approve the same. It was also made clear that the support staff would work “under the directions of the court” and their payments would be stood by the BCCI. Chatterjee is also the head groundsman at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Rajasthan’s home ground.For the venue of Rajasthan’s home matches, the court revealed that RCA had “offered” to provide Sawai Mansingh Stadium “for tournaments as and when required by selectors or BCCI for organising tournaments”. The court also clarified that the BCCI would take care of paying the charges for the stadium and conducting the matches.The writ petition was originally filed by a Jaipur-based advocate Sachin Mehta and argued by senior counsel Sudhir Gupta, on behalf of Doru, a former Rajasthan wicketkeeper, who last played for the state in 2009. Even if Mehta claimed that he had independently approached the court on behalf of the players, though, indirectly he was representing the RCA – it is understood that the RCA officials told the players they would be appealing to the court on behalf of the players.For its part, the BCCI had originally appointed an ad-hoc subcommittee to oversee the disputed states of Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttarakhand. But the subcommittee’s attempts at working a solution out with the RCA and the Rajasthan government – the RCA is governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act – failed, and so the deadlock continued.Now, the BCCI has readily accepted the court order, secretary Sanjay Patel said. “The BCCI has all along maintained that we do not want the players to suffer. We are delighted that that the players’ interests have been taken care of,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Despite its “acceptance”, the BCCI wanted to make sure it did not cede ground to the RCA in any way and hence sent one of its senior-most counsel, PR Raman, to argue the case on Tuesday. Following the court’s ruling, the BCCI also confirmed in a statement that it did not in any way change the status of the RCA. “The suspension of the membership of the RCA continues and would not stand in the way of the players’ participation in BCCI tournaments,” the release said.Mehmod Abdi, the deputy president at RCA, it was “win, win situation for all, particularly the RCA and the Rajasthan cricketers”. Abdi, a legal counsel himself, said the court intervention was “humane and compassionate”, one which “protected” the interest of the players.”In fact, cricketers were being unnecessarily punished. Under the bylaws, at best the member state can be suspended, not the players,” Abdi said in a statement. “Notwithstanding the disputes between RCA and BCCI, which are being addressed at different forums, this could be the best solution that could happen where under order of the court both BCCI and RCA have come under one roof to find a way out of the impasse other than the stated position of BCCI.”

GOAL looks at how various talents from the continent performed in their club’s engagements just after the international break

Getty.Review of Africans in Europe

Whereas Kelechi Iheanacho helped Leicester City pick up a point at Old Trafford against Manchester United, his counterpart Alex Iwobi’s lack of concentration denied Everton a point against West Ham.

AdvertisementGettyToo Good: Kelechi Iheanacho

The Nigerian was on the scoresheet as Leicester City drew 1-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Iheanacho scored the first goal of the game in the 63rd minute before it was cancelled out by Fred's strike three minutes later.

This was his 36th Premier League goal, with only four other Nigerian players managing more (Yakubu 95, Nwankwo Kanu 54, Efan Ekoku 52, and Shola Ameobi 43).

GettyToo Bad: Edouard Mendy

Mendy was in goal as Chelsea suffered a 4-1 defeat to Brentford at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have now conceded four or more goals in the Premier League at home to a newly-promoted side for just the second time – also 2-5 against West Brom in April 2021 – both occasions under Thomas Tuchel.

It was also the second time that Chelsea have lost by three or more goals in a Premier League London derby at Stamford Bridge, after a 0-3 defeat to Arsenal in April 1997.

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Getty ImagesToo Good: Sebastien Haller

The Ivorian forward was involved as Ajax defeated Groningen 3-1 to maintain a four-point gap at the top of the Eredivisie table.

However, Haller was substituted in the 71st minute for Adjei Brobbey as his side won by a comfortable margin.

The eight charges against Lalit Modi for which he was found guilty in 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2014Lalit Modi was found guilty on eight charges•AFPRigging bids
When the invitation to tender (ITT) for rights to two new franchises that were to be auctioned in 2010, it was claimed that Modi had added two onerous conditions to the ITT without informing the BCCI, though he claimed he had informed this verbally to the then BCCI president Shashank Manohar.: Modi had done this to favour two bidders and exclude healthy competition.Arm-twisting franchises
When the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise was bought by Rendezvous Sports World Pvt Ltd, Modi was charged with favouring another bidder and had threatened a “representative” of the Kochi franchise to give up the rights, failing which he could impose various sanctions that could harm the new entrant.: The charge stood, Modi deemed to have asked intrusive questions about the ownership details of the Kochi franchise.TV rights issue
There were three charges against Modi in the issue of TV rights for the IPL. Firstly, that the awarding of global and Indian broadcast rights between 2009-2017 with WSG, entered into on March 15 2009, was never intended to be performed. Secondly, that Modi, without any authorization of the board, did not insist on WSG repaying the Rs 112.5 crore signing fee. Thirdly, that Modi, despite knowledge of the nature and value of the facilitation agreement, obligated the BCCI to ensure its compliance vis a vis WSG Mauritius and further obligated the BCCI to make the payment if MSM defaulted – a “serious misconduct”.: First charge not proved, second and third charges stood proved.Internet rights
Charged with failing to disclose links to owners with interests in Internet rights.: Charge stood.Twitter comments related to Kochi franchise and the BCCI
Charged with disclosing shareholding pattern of the Kochi franchise, and “misconduct” for tweet that threatened to “expose certain individuals in the BCCI”.: Cleared of first charge, second charge stood.Planning a rebel league with clubs in England
Charged with indiscipline and actions “detrimental to the interest of the BCCI”.: Charge stood.Theatrical rights
Charged with awarding theatrical rights to a company without the approval of the governing council. The original company then assigned the rights to a third party after Modi’s approval.: Charge stood.Free commercial time deal
Charged for actions detrimental to the board after signing an agency without permission of the governing council.: Charge stood.

The BCB is looking for a window in the 2014-15 season to host the controversy-ridden BPL again

Mohammad Isam17-Apr-2014Despite a surfeit of controversies marring the first two seasons of the Bangladesh Premier League, the BCB is looking for a window in the coming season to host the league again. The second edition was held in January-February 2013, after which problems over player payment and a prolonged match-fixing investigation stalled the domestic T20 tournament.At this stage, the November 2014 to January 2015 slot is being looked at by the BCB. Bangladesh are scheduled to take on Zimbabwe in a Test series in early November, while according to the Future Tours Programme (FTP), Pakistan are supposed to tour Bangladesh in January 2015.”BCB is willing to stage the BPL,” Ismail Haider Mallick, BPL governing council’s member secretary, said. “We have selected an approximate date to hold the tournament. We are looking to arrange the tournament between November 2014 and January 2015. However, we of course have to see the international and local cricket’s schedule first.”Mallick also said that the tournament’s event management company, Game On Sports, have paid Tk 10 crore ($1.3 million) of the 19 crore (approx $2.45 million) it owed to the BPL, albeit in three parts. “Game On Sports has given a cheque worth Tk 10 crore. We already received Tk 2.5 crore (approx $323,000) and we will get another 2.5 crore by April 20 while we will be receiving the remaining Tk 5 crore (approx $645,000) very soon,” he said.Whether this payment would be used to pay the players was left unsaid, but it is one of two major problems in the BPL. Even now, several players have remained unpaid. The last reported claim was on February 28 when Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate, West Indies’ Kevon Cooper, Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor and England players Ravi Bopara and Jason Roy said that they were still to get money from the Chittagong Kings.The other major problem is the BPL corruption investigation and while the tribunal has given its short verdict, the BCB is planning to appeal against their judgment after only one individual among nine accused was found guilty of “being party to an effort to fix” a match in the 2013 BPL. The long verdict is still due, although it was to be announced shortly after the World T20 held in Bangladesh.Last year, BCB president Nazmul Hassan had said that it would be difficult to hold the BPL without clearing it of the controversies.

Richard Dawson, the former England offspinner, will replace Paul Farbrace as Yorkshire second XI coach.

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2014Richard Dawson, the former England offspinner, will replace Paul Farbrace as Yorkshire second XI coach.Dawson ended his playing career at Gloucestershire in 2011, aged just 31, and has since served the club’s backroom staff, most recently as spin bowling coach.But he will now return to his home county, whom he played for between 2001 and 2006, replacing Farbace who left to become Sri Lanka coach in December.”I’d like to thank Gloucestershire, and in particular John Bracewell, for giving me my first opportunity of coaching at a professional level,” Dawson said. “The transition from playing to coaching was made easy for me in the environment I have been working due to the players and coaching staff at the club.”I enjoyed six years as a player at Headingley and had some great times including winning a couple of trophies. To have the opportunity to return and be part of the coaching staff is a real honour and a fresh challenge that I’m relishing.”Yorkshire have a number exciting prospects coming through and to be part of their development over the next few years will be a major part of my role. This is a Club that is heading in the right direction.”Dawson becomes the second Gloucestershire coach to leave for a bigger club in recent years after highly-rated Stuart Barnes departed for Surrey in October 2012.”We like our coaches to be ambitious and when that is the case you run the risk of losing them,” Gloucestershire director of cricket John Bracewell said. “We understand his reasons for wanting to join Yorkshire and wish him well.”As a player, Richard added to our young squad the experience of having performed in the pressure cooker of an Ashes Series and having won a County Championship title with Yorkshire.”He was a natural to make the progression from our playing squad to our coaching staff and has delivered programmes with a great deal of energy and passion. He has also played a big part in maintaining dressing room morale at a time when the club have had to make some tough financial decisions.”

Wayne Parnell is unlikely to bowl for the rest of the second Test after straining his groin

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth22-Feb-2014Wayne Parnell is unlikely to bowl for the rest of the second Test after straining his groin. Parnell left the field on the third morning after delivering 8.3 overs and was immediately taken to hospital for scans. The scans showed no tear but the strain was significant enough to rule him out of action for the next five-seven days.Morne Morkel said although South Africa’s bowlers would have a greater workload in the second innings in Parnell’s absence, they would be willing to “put in any extra effort that’s needed.”Parnell was spotted walking around the field after the day’s play with a member of South Africa’s team management. He took his steps gingerly and made slow progress, a sign running will not come too easy for him.Although Parnell will probably not be able to bowl again in the Test, he will bat if needed. His status for the Newlands Test is still uncertain, given his troubled history with groin strains. In 2010, he had picked up a strain during the IPL, which forced him out of the tournament and kept him out of the game for months, while also stunting his progress at the international level.He yo-yoed in and out of South Africa’s limited-overs sides after debuting in 2009 but had to wait four years and three days for a Test recall. Parnell played three Tests for South Africa in 2010 and was left out of the side until this Test, in which he replaced Ryan McLaren, who was suffering from concussion.Parnell’s progression was on show from the first ball he bowled in the Test, when he dismissed Alex Doolan. Parnell had another wicket in that over and bowled consistently at speeds in the upper 140kph.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches played on November 25, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2013A century from Gazi Tank Cricketers’ captain Mahmudullah was in vain as the side lost by 54 runs to Mohammedan Sporting Club, squandering a chance to seal their maiden title triumph in the Dhaka Premier Division.With Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club beating Kalabagan Cricket Academy, the last league round game between Gazi Tank and Prime Doleshwar SC on November 27 is a virtual final as both teams have 20 points from their games so far. The team with the most points at the end of the Super League will win the Dhaka Premier Division title.Set a target of 269, Gazi Tank were struggling at 7 for 3 in the fourth over, before Mahmudullah led the side’s recovery. He was involved in key partnerships with opener Imrul Kayes, Ryan Ten Doeschate and Ashar Zaidi for the fourth, fifth and sixth wickets, respectively, before falling a 125-ball 106. Mahmudullah’s second List A hundred included 12 fours and two sixes. His wicket in the 41st over, however, ended Gazi Tank’s resistance and they folded in the 42nd over for 214.Earlier, a 109-run third wicket stand between Upul Tharanga and Samit Patel and a cameo from Mashrafe Mortaza helped Mohammedan SC post 268 for 6. Tharanga and Patel came together at the fall of Shamsur Rahman’s wicket in the 19th over and the pair batted for the next 20 overs, Tharanga scored 62 off 90 balls while Samit Patel was out for 76 off 90 balls. Mortaza, who came in to bat in the 47th over, blasted a 15-ball 37 with six fours and a six before his fall in the last over.Dawid Malan’s fourth List A hundred helped Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club go level on points with Gazi Tank Cricketers in the Super League table, after securing a 15-run win over Kalabagan Cricket Academy in Fatullah.Malan’s 120-ball 123 included eight fours and six sixes, as he helped Prime DSC overcome a shaky start in which their openers, as well as Rony Talukder were all dismissed within 10 overs, leaving the team at 42 for 3. Malan was involved in two big partnerships – an 80-run stand for the fourth wicket with Mominul Haque and a sixth-wicket partnership of 104 runs with Sabbir Rahman – that eventually propelled the team to 287 for 7 in their 50 overs.KCA began poorly with the openers Avishek Mitra and Zakaria Masud both departing after 4.1 overs. They were precariously placed at 7 for 2, but Hamilton Masakadza and Marshall Ayub led the recovery, adding 123 runs in 21.2 overs for the third wicket. KCA were stable at 130 for 2, but Masakadza fell for a run-a-ball 69 in the 26th over, while Ayub lost his wicket for 67 in the 33rd. In between those two dismissals, Abdul Mazid had also been run-out for one to leave KCA at 159 for 5. Sharifullah’s late surge – a 55-ball 72 – was not enough for KCA as Prime DSC restricted them to 272 for 8.Mushfiqur Rahim led Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club’s charge once again, scoring a brisk 82 before Nahidul Islam and Elton Chigumbura took the side to a narrow, two-wicket win over Prime Bank Cricket Club.Chasing a target of 257, Dhanmondi Club were struggling at 73 for 4, before Mushfiqur stepped up and added 107 runs with Tanveer Haider for the fifth wicket. The pair, however, were dismissed in successive overs, Mushfiqur falling for 82 off 74 balls, with the score at 180 for 6. However, Nahidul and Chigumbura added 61 in nearly 10 overs to take the side closer to the target. Chigumbura remained unbeaten on 28 off 35 balls as Dhanmondi edged to victory with three balls to spare.Earlier, half-centuries from Ravi Bopara and Taibur Rahman helped Prime Bank reach 256 for 6 after the side were struggling at 64 for 3. Bopara and Taibur added 114 runs for the fourth wicket and Taibur finished unbeaten on 89 off 103 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

Sam Bilings, Kent’s up-and-coming wicketkeeper batsman, has been approved by the ICC as a replacement Craig Kieswetter in the England 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup

David Hopps12-Dec-2014Sam Billings, Kent’s up-and-coming wicketkeeper batsman, has been approved by the ICC as a replacement for Craig Kieswetter in the England 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup.Kieswetter’s withdrawal became inevitable when he pulled out of professional cricket for the next year after suffering further vision problems following his blow in the eye from David Willey will batting for Somerset against Northants last summer. He anticipates taking a year out of the game while specialists seek to restore him to full health.Billings, 23, replaced the former England gloveman Geraint Jones behind the stumps at the start of the 2014 Championship season and emphasised his 50-over potential in the Royal London One-Day Cup, becoming the leading run-scorer in the competition, with an unbeaten 135 from 58 balls against Somerset being his stand-out innings. Only his T20 performances disappointed.He was named in England’s Performance Programme party for their a training camp in Sri Lanka and won a spot on the England Lions tour to South Africa in January.England have two other wicketkeepers in their 30-man squad, the first choice, Jos Buttler, and Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow. Twelve of the 14 30-strong squads have been named, with only Australia and Ireland still to come.

Umar Gul has been called up to the ODI squad for the remainder of the series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. He will join the team on December 22, the day of the third match

Umar Farooq21-Dec-2013Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler, will return to international cricket following a nine-month injury layoff, after the selectors included him in the squad for the remainder of the ODI series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. He will join the squad on Sunday, ahead of the third of five matches.”The national selection committee in consultation with the tour selection committee has decided to send Umar Gul to UAE as part of national ODI squad,” the PCB said. “He will join the Pakistan team on December 22.”The decision to pick Gul was made after Pakistan lost the second ODI in Dubai by six wickets despite posting 284, due to sloppy bowling in the death overs. Following the defeat, which left the series 1-1, Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq immediately expressed concern about the lack of experience among his bowlers.Gul sustained a knee injury in March during the second ODI against South Africa in Centurion, and missed five series since, including the Champions Trophy. Following the injury, he travelled to Australia for surgery and after six weeks of rest, began his rehabilitation. He eased himself back into competitive cricket by featuring in List A matches in October and went on to play the Department Twenty20 Cup for Habib Bank, but his form remained unimpressive.Gul was to make a return against South Africa in October after regaining full fitness, but lacked match practice and continued his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. He subsequently failed a fitness Test before the announcement of the ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series, and was asked to continue playing domestic cricket to regain his rhythm and form. He did that by taking 11 wickets against Port Qasim Authority in the President’s Trophy.