The increase in fixtures for Associates approved at the ICC meeting in Singapore may help players get regular time on the field and against good-quality opponents

Peter Della Penna20-Oct-2018The ICC announced on Saturday that the diet of 50-over fixtures for Associate teams will undergo a significant transformation from 2019 as part of a redesigned qualification pathway leading into the 2023 Men’s World Cup in India.The number of countries playing in the tournament will remain at 10 for 2023. The top eight will automatically qualify based on their performance in the 13-team ODI League, or as it is now known, the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) Super League. This means that 24 teams – the bottom five in the Super League plus 19 Associates from the rest of the old World Cricket League structure – will compete for the final two spots in the 2023 Men’s World Cup.

2023 Men’s World Cup Qualifying Structure

13-team 2020-2022 ODI Super League
Top 8 teams: Qualify for World Cup
Bottom 5 teams: Placed in 2022 World Cup Qualifier
Seven-team 2019-2021 CWC League 2 (ODI Status)
Top 3 teams: Advance to 2022 World Cup Qualifier
Bottom 4 teams: Placed in 2022 WCQ Playoff
Dual six-team 2019-2021 CWC Challenge League A & B (List A Status)
1st Place in League A or B: Advance to 2022 WCQ Playoff
Bottom 5 teams in League A or B: Eliminated
Six-team 2022 World Cup Qualifier Playoff
Top 2 teams: Advance to 2022 World Cup Qualifier
Botttom 4 teams: Eliminated
10-team 2022 Men’s World Cup Qualifier
Top 2 teams: Qualify for World Cup
Bottom 8 teams: Eliminated

It will remain a frustration to many considering the competitiveness of not just Ireland and Zimbabwe but also Scotland and Netherlands at this year’s World Cup Qualifier in March. In the long term though, the broad increase in fixtures for Associates approved at the ICC meeting in Singapore may help players get desperately needed time on the field and build a case for expanding the number of teams at future World Cups.Here’s a rundown of what has changed in terms of the Men’s World Cup pathway from Full Member level down to the Division Five of the World Cricket League:The 13-team ODI League rebranded “ICC CWC Super League”Before: Eight teams, including hosts England, automatically qualified for the 2019 World Cup based on their ICC rankings. There was no obligation to play against other teams at the bottom of the table, leaving scheduling of fixtures and rankings points open to manipulation.For example, right now, India have 53 matches counting towards their No. 2 ODI ranking. The corresponding figure for 12th ranked Ireland is 23 and it is a mere 16 matches for 13th ranked Scotland, who beat top-ranked England in June. With teams at the top end of the table not playing those at the bottom, it was virtually impossible for the Associates to improve their positions.After: The prize that Netherlands won for finishing first in the three-year WCL Championship from 2015-17 is being grouped with the 12 Full Members in a two-year long ODI tournament beginning in May 2020. Each team will play eight of the other 12 possible opponents – four series home and four series away – with three matches in each series for a total of 24 matches.Since everyone plays an equal number of fixtures, qualification will now be based on the points table rather than a rankings calculation. The top eight teams at the end of the Super League will automatically go through to the 2023 Men’s World Cup. The bottom five teams will fall back into the World Cup Qualifier for a second chance at taking one of the final two spots in India.Safyaan Sharif after claiming the final wicket•Getty Images

WCL Championship rebranded “CWC League Two” with expanded fixtures and ODI statusBefore: Netherlands only had 14 one-day fixtures from 2015 to 2017 as part of the WCL Championship, and they wound up playing only 12 with two matches washed out. The eight-team competition was played across seven rounds – three home and three away with a final neutral round in the UAE – with two matches per round. Only teams with ODI status (Scotland, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, UAE) could have matches against each other counted as ODIs.After: Netherlands promotion to the Super League means the next edition will have seven teams – Nepal, UAE, Scotland plus the top four finishers in WCL Division Two to be played in early 2019. However, all of them will play each other on a home and away basis – three matches home and three away per opponent – for a total of 36 matches per team from July 2019 through to the end of 2021. Unlike the WCL Championship, all teams and matches in CWC League Two will have ODI status.The top three teams on the points table at the end of the competition advance to the World Cup Qualifier. The bottom four teams fall back into a repechage event dubbed the CWC Qualifier Playoff, or what was formerly known as WCL Division Two.WCL Divisions Three, Four and Five rebranded “CWC Challenge League A & B” with expanded fixtures and List A statusBefore: If a team failed to gain promotion through the WCL Division structure – six-team round-robin tournaments where only the top two finishers were promoted into the next division – their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup were effectively dashed.For example, Division Three only took place once every 18-24 months. If a country failed to secure promotion during the five round-robin matches, it might have no more 50-over cricket for two years – until the next Division Three, or Division Four if they suffered relegation by finishing in the bottom two – for another chance at promotion.Prior to this week’s ICC meeting in Singapore, List A status was only given to matches starting in WCL Division Two or higher including the WCL Championship. WCL Divisions Three, Four and Five were classified as “other 50-over cricket”.UAE captain Rohan Mustafa lets out a victory scream after winning WCL Division Two•Peter Della Penna

After: Following the conclusion of WCL Division Three in Oman next month – where the top two of six teams will be promoted to WCL Division Two – and WCL Division Two in early 2019, Divisions Three through Five will be bunched together and divided into two groups of six teams each. These two groups of six will be rebranded as “CWC Challenge League A & League B.”Instead of having possibly just five matches every two years, all teams in League A & League B will be guaranteed 15 fixtures across 27 months from August 2019. Also, they won’t suffer the drastic consequence of relegation for one bad week at a WCL Division tournament. They will be judged on their form across more than two years of competition and all matches in this competition will have List A status, putting it on par with domestic one-day leagues in all Test nations.The respective winners of League A & League B will join the bottom four finishers from CWC League Two in the CWC Qualifier Playoff, effectively the former WCL Division Two. The top two finishers in the CWC Qualifier Playoff will then join the other eight teams in the World Cup Qualifier. The most recent version of WCL Division Two/CWC Qualifier Playoff took place at Namibia in February. Nepal and UAE finished in the top two after a wild final day of drama to advance to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.The most significant aspect of the WCL restructure is that it still leaves the door open to 2023 Men’s World Cup qualification for a team who begins 2019 ranked as low as No. 32, which would have placed them in WCL Division Five. That team would need to finish at the top of CWC Challenge League A or League B, then finish in the top two of the six-team CWC Qualifier Playoff, and then finish in the top two of the ten-team World Cup Qualifier to reach the World Cup. But as Afghanistan showed by starting off in WCL Division Five in 2008, there’s hope for every Associate.

The PSL franchise said the former Pakistan captain had agreed to be a mentor for the 2019 season, but then changed his mind and wanted to play in the league

Umar Farooq19-Nov-2018Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has backtracked on his agreement to be a mentor with Islamabad United in the PSL, because he wants to play in the 2019 season, according to the franchise. Misbah, it is understood, is likely to be picked by Peshawar Zalmi in the Gold category.Islamabad said it had reached an agreement with Misbah, 44, in the lead up to the PSL player draft on November 20, but he had changed his mind and did not want to be just a mentor. Before changing his decision, Misbah reportedly offered Islamabad – his former franchise – his services as a player but the franchise was not keen.Misbah played eight matches for Islamabad in the 2018 PSL and batted only four times – making 57 runs at a strike-rate of 75. He has not played T20 cricket since March this year.”Islamabad United, the winners of the inaugural HBL PSL and the defending PSL champions, would like to update our fans that Misbah-ul-Haq might not be a part of the franchise in the fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League, due to a late change of decision,” the franchise said. “In the weeks leading up to the draft, Islamabad United had reached an agreement with Misbah-ul-Haq regarding his appointment as the mentor of the franchise for PSL 4 and the editions going forward. This is in line with ISLU’s ethos of developing and nurturing not only emerging players but also senior players as they move to the next phase of their careers. ISLU was hence delighted to receive the written confirmation to this affect.””Despite having reached that agreement the franchise was informed yesterday that Misbah wished to stay in the player draft for PSL4 for consideration as an active player. As Islamabad United has already announced its retentions and has a specific strategy for the draft, picking Misbah as a player may not be possible for the franchise.”While this is an unexpected turn of events, we respect Misbah’s decision and would like to thank him for invaluable contribution to the rise of ISLU, and would like to wish him the best in his future endeavours.”On November 20, the six PSL franchises will gather in Islamabad to pick players and complete their squads ahead of the 2019 season, which is scheduled to begin on February 14 in Dubai. Last week, the teams had finalised which players had been retained from the 2018 squads and which players had been let go.

India’s No. 3 made his third century of the series, helping his team into a position of strength to perhaps take more than a share of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The Report by Alagappan Muthu02-Jan-2019He just bats and bats and bats. Cheteshwar Pujara came to the crease in the second over and refused to budge until the end of the day. He has faced 1135 balls in this series. As a consequence of that, he’s made 458 runs. One hundred and thirty of them came in Sydney where India have established a position of strength to perhaps take more than a share of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Australia would believe they haven’t quite lost that much ground. They’ll be thrilled to have kept Virat Kohli to a mere 23 and Ajinkya Rahane for 18. And considering they went in with only four specialist bowlers, a score of 4 for 303 at stumps is a reflection of some decent work. The only problem is that India keep finding ways to be better.4:44

Manjrekar: Agarwal shouldn’t give up starts like this

Or more accurately, Pujara keeps finding a way to be better. At lunch, he was 16 off 59. He was sussing out the conditions, deciding what shots to play and which bowlers he needed to worry about. The conclusion – it seemed – was that he didn’t want to be driving on the up. Over the first 50 deliveries that the Australians bowled outside his off stump, he left 15, defended 17 and drove at only three. Only three. No letting those hands stray from the body. No giving the easy edge to slip.At tea, he was 61 off 138, showing mastery over Nathan Lyon and disdain for part-timer Marnus Labuschagne, who was hit for three fours in an over. Pujara averages 178 against spin bowling since January 2018. And he ruddy well showed it. Australia knew the value of his wicket, which was no more apparent than when they burned a review after Pat Cummins beat his inside edge in the 15th over. Several overs – and barely any further chances later – Pujara whipped Mitchell Starc to the fine-leg boundary to celebrate his third century of the series. He went to stumps unbeaten. #NuffSaid.Mayank Agarwal was the other major contributor for India. He made 77 off 112 deliveries but those bare facts do little to capture how he overcame a sustained effort by the Australian quicks to bounce him out. Soon after drinks, when it became clear that sideways movement was in short order, Starc came back for his second spell of the day and hit the opener on the glove and the helmet. An unplayable delivery at 146 kph clanging into the head is liable to scramble the brain a bit – and he took further blows on his body too – but he didn’t give up.Agarwal’s wicket – trying to hit Lyon over the top and being caught at long-on – looked terribly off. But had he succeeded, and planted doubt in Australia’s mind about their holding bowler, at a time when they had dropped the allrounder from the XI, their big three quicks might have had an even tougher outing.Cheteshwar Pujara celebrates his hundred•Getty Images

Starc, who is one wicket shy of 200, Cummins and Josh Hazlewood did their best to stay threatening through the day, bowling at 140 kph and above. But India were resolute. Pujara was resolute. And after a good day’s work – that started with winning the toss – they are in a position to reap the advantage of some bold selections. The SCG has not been as conducive to spinners over the last 10 years as it has been in the past, but the experts still suggest it will break down and turn big later in the game. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav – included for this Test with R Ashwin injured – will hope that’s true.India’s top order then got to work procuring the scoreboard pressure that will further enhance the bowling attack. Well, all except KL Rahul. His struggles as opener continued, a good length ball from Hazlewood grabbing his edge and going to first slip.Mike Hussey, who was on commentary at the time, recalled a chat he had with Rahul in Melbourne where the India batsman said he felt like he was in an awkward phase of his career. Hussey said that Rahul, at the start of his career, was focused on batting time but now, having had T20 success, he wants to take the bowlers on whenever he ends up under pressure. His game is lacking balance, both at the crease and in the mind. He is in need of help. And maybe also a break.There were 33,678 people at the ground for the first day of the New Year’s Test. Steve Waugh’s son Austin was on the bench as one of Australia’s substitutes, soaking in the occasion. The locals cheered their team on. The fast bowlers kept charging in. There was expectation in the air. For wickets, for tension, for mayhem.Pujara disagreed. Big time.

The Big Bash League breaks for Christmas with Shane Watson’s Thunder at the top of the points table

The Report by Sreshth Shah24-Dec-2018England fast bowler Tom Curran took 3 for 24 and smacked his highest T20 score against cross-city rivals Sydney Thunder, but his Sydney Sixers team failed to cross the line, losing by 21 runs at the Spotless Stadium on Christmas eve.Curran’s 40-ball 62 gave Sixers some hope, after they were reduced to 6 for 56 following legspinner Fawad Ahmed’s three-wicket haul, but his dismissal in the 19th over ended any chance of a Sixers win.Thunder’s first-innings score was set up by Jos Buttler’s 37-ball 63 after they were asked to bat, and were destined for a score close to 200 at one stage, but a flurry of late wickets off Curran and left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe kept their total down to an achievable 169.A solid bowling effort, however – barring the time when Curran and Sean Abbott added 88 for the seventh wicket – helped Thunder win the game comprehensively. Fawad was assisted by Daniel Sams, whose medium pace fetched him three late wickets as well.Buttler finds his groove earlyThunder lost captain Shane Watson for a sluggish 19, and with No. 3 Callum Ferguson taking his time to find the bat’s middle, it was down to Buttler to keep the scoreboard ticking in the Powerplay. He hoicked Sean Abbott, in particular, over midwicket a few times and hit young legspinner Lloyd Pope out of the attack. His blitz ensured Thunder were past fifty in the Powerplay and had crossed triple digits by the time he fell for 63 in the 12th over. At that stage, Thunder were on course for a score close to 200.Jos Buttler shuffles across the stumps and plays a scoop•Getty Images

Play it again, SamsThunder, however, lost their way after Buttler’s dismissal. A mix-up sent Ferguson back for a 24-ball 23, and Joe Root was clean bowled by an O’Keefe wrong’un that slipped through his defense. Jason Sangha and Chris Green fell to Curran in a bid to accelerate, and from 4 for 147, Thunder had lost three more wickets for no run.But in the midst of Thunder’s batting crisis, Sams – who smashed a 21-ball 34 in their previous game too – struck three fours and two sixes in a cameo of 28 in just 11 balls to hold up one end. He used the pace of Sixers’ bowlers to particularly good effect, but fell trying to deflect another late glance off pacer Ben Dwarshuis. His innings, however, ensured Thunder set their rivals a target of 170.Fawad owns the post-Powerplay boutSixers were in a spot of bother early in their chase, after Sam Rainbird’s late-moving delivery clipped the top of Joe Denly’s off stump. Jack Edwards then followed Denly after legspinner Jono Cook’s googly trapped him lbw. With Moises Henriques failing to clear Sams’ half-volley over mid-on in the sixth over, Thunder were at 3 for 32 after the Powerplay.But the real knockout blow came from Fawad. He took two middle-order wickets in his first over – and the innings’ seventh – twice rattling Jordan Silk and Daniel Hughes’ stumps off carbon-copy googly deliveries and followed it up by trapping Phillipe lbw in the ninth over. That sent Sixers into the final ten overs with more than 100 runs behind and with only four wickets in hand.Curran displays heart and muscleWith Abbott at the other end, Curran followed up his three-for with his second T20 fifty. They added 88 for the seventh wicket after the early batting wobble. Regular boundaries (in all, Curran struck nine) gave Sixers a glimmer of hope as they crossed hundred, and with three overs to go, his blitz had brought the equation down to only 50 runs.Seventeen runs came off the 18th over, helped by two fours and a six by Curran, but his dismissal and the subsequent of Abbott and O’Keefe consigned the team in pink to their first defeat of the season. Thunder, however, would be disappointed despite the win. At one stage, they looked to be winning with a much larger run margin.

Chasing 135, Brisbane Heat could manage only 129 against the variations of Stoinis and Bravo

The Report by Andrew McGlashan27-Jan-2019Melbourne Stars set themselves for a push into the BBL semi-finals with a superb bowling display which defended the lowest score successfully protected at the MCG and in turn left Brisbane Heat on the verge of being eliminated.The Heat played a significant hand in their own downfall with some poor shot selection but appeared to be on course at 4 for 111, needing 24 off 20 balls. However, Matt Renshaw was caught behind off the in-form Marcus Stoinis, who produced an outstanding all-round display, as he and Dwayne Bravo closed out the innings with skill.The Stars are now one of three teams on 12 points behind the runaway leaders Hobart Hurricanes and have a good chance of securing a home semi-final. The Heat started the night with five games to play but this defeat means they probably now need to win all four to progress.Stars slideThe Stars had a star-stubbed middle order but they couldn’t make the most of solid base provided the by the opening stand of 63 between Stoinis and Ben Dunk. After Stoinis was trapped lbw by Ben Cutting, Peter Handscomb picked out mid-off and Glenn Maxwell found fine leg. There were only six fours in the innings alongside three sixes as Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mitch Swepson proved hard to score off.Only one way to play?Although the target was modest, it was clear from the first innings that there would need to be some shrewd batting. That, though, is not always what you associate with the Heat who pack their top order with hitters and play the same way regardless. Max Bryant, who has been one of the breakout stars of this tournament, was threatening to make a mockery of conditions as he hit five boundaries in an 18-ball stay which should have given the Heat plenty of breathing space.But when he was caught at deep midwicket, Chris Lynn was lbw playing across the line to Adam Zampa and then Brendon McCullum found long-on when the required rate was still well within the realms of knocking the ball around. Worse followed when Alex Ross slapped a long-hop from Bravo straight to point and the Heat were 4 for 54 in the ninth over.Changing placesIt had been a contrasting 24 hours, or more, for Stoinis and Renshaw with the pair swapping places in Australia’s Test squad. Renshaw’s comeback lasted one squad in which he quickly moved down the pecking order. It was, therefore, to his credit that he produced a skilful and calm innings to put his team’s chase back on track. It was rarely pretty, but he worked the ball around effectively forming a steady partnership with Jimmy Peirson.Victory was there for the taking for the Heat, but Stoinis would have the final say. Trying to ramp a short delivery, Renshaw edged to the wicketkeeper and in Stoinis’ next over Peirson was taken by Maxwell at long-on. Against the variations of Stoinis and Bravo, the lower order could barely connect and only a penultimate ball boundary for Swepson got the margin as close as it was.

Quetta picked up their third consecutive win after leaving Multan to play catch-up early in the match

The Report by Danyal Rasool20-Feb-2019How the game played outQuetta have a formula, and as of now, the equations are working in perfect harmony. For the third time in three matches, they won the toss, and opted to chase. Peshawar had set Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team 156, Islamabad 158, and Multan today 161. And just the way they cruised to win against their previous two opponents, Quetta put Multan to the sword thanks to a blistering start from Shane Watson, and fireworks from Rilee Rossouw at the end.Multan had posted 160; they will regret not racking up a bigger total after Shoaib Malik’s half-century had set his side a decent platform. Quetta weren’t quite as clinical with the ball as they have been in their previous two games, but in Multan they were up against a side that doesn’t possess the pure batting skill several others do. Ghulam Mudassar was the most sloppy, bowling two no-balls and conceding 44 in his allotted four, but the other four ensured they more than made up for it. Fawad Ahmed was the pick, conceding just 22, with an exquisite googly getting rid of Shan Masood.But bar a quiet first two overs, Multan were never given a chance. From the moment Shane Watson hit Nauman Ali for four fours in arrow in the fourth over, Quetta had the game in their grasp. It remained so right through till the 19th over, in which Rilee Rossouw knocked off the winning runs in what ended up being a canter.Shane Watson raises his bat after getting his fifty•Pakistan Super League

Turning point

• Multan were well placed at 137 for 3, with Shoaib Malik looking to cut loose having reached a half-century off 35 balls. He had just smashed Sohail Tanvir for six, and if he could stay on till the end, his side looked set to surpass 170. But when he holed out at cow corner, his departure also heralded the end of any momentum his side had. Only 23 were scored off the last 20 balls of the innings, with six wickets lost along the way
• After Watson had spent the first 11 overs finding one novel way after another to slice through the Multan field, he skied one off Afridi. He was gone for 61 off 40, and Quetta still needed another 66 off 53. Rossouw had struggled till then with 18 off 19, and any comeback would have had to happen then. But ordinary bowling in the next three overs allowed the South African to break free, bringing the rate down to six an over

Star of the dayRossouw has been a star for Quetta Gladiators ever since he joined in 2017, and has scored more runs than any other player who’s participated in the league in the last three seasons. While Watson’s explosiveness at the start is so habitual one may be forgiven for being blasé about it, Rossouw has finished off games when under real pressure. This was another to add to that Quetta canon as he made up for a slow start to carry his side home. With Watson there, he had the intelligence to play second fiddle to the Australian, but after his dismissal, he stepped up. He scored 48 off his last 26 deliveries to finish with 67 off 45, never really giving Multan a look-in.The big missMultan may lose the services of Andre Russell if West Indies decide to call him up, but on the evidence of today’s performance that international summoning may be a while away. At the back end of the innings, he managed 18 off 12. But he was well off the mark when handed the ball, barely able to get the requisite pace or accuracy to discomfit Quetta’s quality batsman. Watson smashed him for three successive fours in his first over, the ball sitting up for a man who doesn’t need any gifts right now. An hour later, his second over was little better as Umar Akmal and Rossouw tucked in. By then, he had conceded 29 off 12, more than neutralizing the 18 he himself managed off the same number of balls.Where the teams standQuetta break clear at the top with three wins out of three. Multan, like Islamabad and Lahore, slip into the bottom half with one win from three.

Says he had gone to the Vadodara cafe – which is co-owned by his son – to meet a friend when the arrests happened

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Apr-2019Former India women’s coach Tushar Arothe has said he is innocent and has not been involved in any betting-related activity. He was arrested on April 1 by the Vadodara Crime Branch along with 18 others in relation to an alleged IPL betting ring, before being released on bail. He continues to be under investigation.Arothe was arrested from Cafe Stock Exchange, a restaurant co-owned by his son Rishi – who plays for Baroda in domestic cricket – in Alkapuri, a neighbourhood in central Baroda, on Monday evening during the IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals. Hemang Patel and Nishchal Mitha, the two other co-owners of the cafe, were also arrested.According to Jaydeepsinh Jadeja, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Vadodara Crime Branch, all the people arrested had been booked under Sections 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act. Betting in sport is an illegal activity under the Indian Penal Code, and there have been been several cricketers in the past who have faced lengthy bans for their alleged involvement in betting and related corruption controversies in the past.Jadeja and his team went to Cafe Stock Exchange, around 8.30pm, when the Kings XI-Delhi match had already begun. Mobile phones of various people at the cafe were inspected. Equipment worth around INR 14.39 lakh was seized by the cops, including 21 mobile phones, a projector and nine vehicles.The case is of particular significance because of Arothe’s profile. Arothe, the first Baroda player to play 100 Ranji Trophy matches, was India women team’s head coach in 2017 when the they reached the World Cup final. Despite getting a two-year extension, last July Arothe was forced to step down due to discord with senior players in the team.Jadeja said that barring Arothe, all the other people picked up during the raid were young men, mostly college students in the city; even Patel and Mitha are in their early 20s. “Before the raid we had received a tip-off of betting taking place at this cafe,” Jadeja told ESPNcricinfo. “A team of constables visited the cafe subsequently to verify and upon confirmation that something illegal was happening it was decided to carry out the raid.”Jadeja said the people the cops booked were found placing bets on three banned mobile betting applications: Cricket Fast Love Line, Cricket Line Guru, and Cric Line. Talking to the , Jadeja explained how those mobile applications work. “The accused were betting on these mobile apps, which are paid services. After the payment is made, a user gets a user ID and password and develops a network and bets money, making predictions on every ball such as how many runs will be scored, what will be the batting order, etc.”Incidentally Arothe did not have any of those mobile betting applications on his phone. So, Arothe questioned why the police arrested him. “I failed to understand why I was arrested when they did not find the application on my mobile,” Arothe told ESPNcricinfo.Arothe also said that he is not a co-owner of the cafe, which is run by three partners: Rishi Arothe, Patel and Mitha. “They have said I am a partner at the cafe. It is my son [Rishi] and his friends who are the partners. I tried to explain that, but they (the police) did not understand.”Arothe said he had gone to the cafe to meet his friend and former Baroda team physio Usman Jujhara. As the duo were seated in the room, the cops caught Patel and others betting on the mobile applications.According to Arothe, on Tuesday Patel admitted to the police that he had been in touch with a bookie. “We never knew that Hemang is doing this. Yesterday when he spoke in front of DCP Jadeja, I was shocked. I felt like slapping him (Patel). We never knew about it otherwise we wouldn’t have taken him (as partner).”But Jadeja said by allowing illegal activities to take place at his business, Arothe was equally responsible. “If any person is carrying out betting on your premises, whether you are involved or not, you are responsible for what happens,” Jadeja said. In response, Arother wondered how he could be expected to know Patel was into betting-related activities. “How would we know? We cannot check anyone’s phone?”Arothe said cricket has been his bread and butter and continues to be so. “My name is at stake. My life is at stake. My family is disturbed.”Out on bail, Arothe attended a coaching camp for women on Wednesday. “I went for the women’s camp. I said why should I be scared when I have not done anything (wrong),” he said.According to Jadeja, the police will carry out further investigations before filing a chargesheet, which would then shift the issue to the courts.

Samson completes the chase without breaking a sweat after a lightning start from the openers and a fine bowling performance in the death

The Report by Liam Brickhill27-Apr-20191:50

We couldn’t build small partnerships or gain momentum – Williamson

Rajasthan Royals came into this match – their last at home this season – with their IPL 2019 campaign hanging by a thread, needing to win all their remaining games to be in contention for the playoffs. But thanks to an electric outing in the field from Jaydev Unadkat, a 78-run opening stand between Ajinkya Rahane and Liam Livingstone, and a nerveless 48 not out from Sanju Samson, they were able to keep their hopes alive with a clinical seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur.Royals weathered a bruising second consecutive fifty from Manish Pandey and overcame some scrappiness in the field, holding Sunrisers to 160 for 8 when they had reached 121 for 3 with five overs to go in their innings. Unadkat’s efforts were key, and he took 2 for 26 to go with his three catches. Livingstone, opening for the first time in the IPL, launched the chase with gusto, hitting three sixes in his 44 off 26 balls, and Samson then held his composure to finish the job.Rajasthan’s win did not only keep their campaign alive, it also ensured that Chennai Super Kings are the first team guaranteed a playoff spot in the competition.Warner goes boundary-freeDavid Warner came into this match with 295 runs in his last five innings and a chance to claim an IPL record. Twice before has someone struck five fifties in a row – Virender Sehwag achieving the feat in 2012 with Jos Buttler matching him last year – and Warner has been in such unbeatable touch that yet more runs seemed almost a formality. He was gifted five of them off the first ball of the innings, having tried to leave Varun Aaron but failing to withdraw his bat in time to unintentionally dab the ball behind point, where the fielder swooped and shied to add four overthrows to a quick single. Helped by Royals’ early sloppiness in the field, with 20 extra runs coming from misfields and overthrows through the course of the match, Sunrisers ended the Powerplay at a reasonably healthy 51 for 1, but Warner never got going on a slowish track. He was yet to score a boundary when he aimed a wild slash at the first ball of the 13th over, bowled by Oshane Thomas, to present a swirling chance that was snaffled by a diving Steven Smith. Smith jarred his right elbow completing the catch, and the physio ran out to add an extra layer of strapping to his arm afterwards, but he said in the post-match presentation that it was only precautionary.Pandey drives it forwardWhile a slightly sluggish track played its part in Warner’s struggles, Pandey showed that there were still runs to be had. He picked up where he left off after his 49-ball 83 against Chennai Super Kings last Tuesday and went hard from the first ball he faced tonight – literally. He swiped a full-blooded drive off Shreyas Gopal to get going with a four straight away, crunching seven more in the next eight overs to race to fifty from just 27 deliveries. Though Warner didn’t reach the boundary, he did at least do the job of handing much of the strike to Pandey as the two shared in a 75-run second-wicket stand.

Out twice off one ballPandey cruised into the 60s with his ninth four in the 15th over but was then dismissed by some brilliance by Samson behind the stumps. Pandey aimed a late dab at a Gopal legbreak but was over-balanced into the stroke and lifted his back foot, with Samson waiting for just the right moment to whip the bails off and stump him. As it turned out, Pandey had also feathered an edge as the ball passed him, so he would have been out anyway on review.Pandey’s fall sparked a chaotic finale to the innings as, in the space of 31 deliveries, Royals surged to strip Sunrisers back with six wickets for just 34 runs. Poised at 121 for 2, Sunrisers stumbled to 160 for 8, with Rashid Khan’s four and a six off the last two balls – the only boundaries hit by anyone in the last five overs – helping to add a modicum of respectability to their effort. But Royals dropped almost as many chances as they held as their early fielding woes returned, with Samson, Gopal and Varun Aaron all dropping chances of varying difficulty. Shrugging off the untidiness of those around him in the field, Unadkat held three catches all on his own – two tumbling efforts in the outfield and one brilliant caught-and-bowled as he got some major hang time on a leap to pluck a one-handed return catch from Deepak Hooda out of the air.Sanju Samson flicks•BCCI

Liam Livingstone, I presume?Livingstone has spent the last two weeks warming the bench, but Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer’s return to England for national duty opened up a position for him in Royals’ playing XI, and he made the chance count with a recognisably bullish 44 that set up the chase. Livingstone had a more than capable ally in Rahane, and together they bested Rashid in a key moment in the game, cracking a six each to take 16 runs from his first over. Livingstone slammed 20 runs off his own bat in Siddarth Kaul’s first over as Royals raced through the Powerplay at ten an over. By the time Rashid finally broke through, the job was already half done and the required rate was a manageable 7.54.Turner finally breaks his duckAfter a 55-run stand between Samson and Smith put Royals within touching distance of a vital win, Ashton Turner walked to the crease with five ducks in a row on his back and a potentially awkward 13 from 18 needed. He managed to get a bit of willow on an indipper from Bhuvneshwar Kumar first up to get off the mark and draw ironic applause from his team-mates in the dug out. Even Bhuvneshwar was smiling, though Turner kept a straight face. Samson then put the finishing touches on the chase, swatting his fourth four to end the match unbeaten on 48.

Buttler scores second-fastest England ODI ton as Pakistan fall just 12 runs short of giant target to give hosts 1-0 series lead

The Report by Valkerie Baynes11-May-2019Jos Buttler is on top of the world, and the biggest cricket show on earth hasn’t even started yet.The prelude was a corker though, with Pakistan falling just shy of a giant target of 374 to make England work for their 12-run victory and 1-0 series lead.With a newborn daughter, Buttler showed no signs of sleep deprivation, but rather batted with the unbounded freedom that elite athletes speak of discovering when they return to action after becoming parents – the realisation that there is so much more to life than sport.Buttler has been here before, his 100 off 50 balls en route to an unbeaten 110 off 55 the second-fastest England ODI hundred behind his own record, also achieved against Pakistan in 2015, long before the arrival of little Georgia Rose last month. But while his latest knock was vintage Buttler, it also looked to the future and he cradled his bat like a baby in celebration.Buttler’s remarkable ton capped a strong England batting performance in which all bar one man passed 50. He hit nine sixes and shared an unbroken 162-run partnership with Eoin Morgan, who reached 71 not out off 48, the pair building on a gritty innings from Jason Roy on his return from injury to steer England to 373 for 3.The target required Pakistan’s highest successful run chase and they gave it a good shot on a batting-friendly pitch at the Ageas Bowl, thanks largely to Fakhar Zaman’s cool-headed 138, Pakistan’s highest individual one-day score against England. By the time Fakhar was out, caught behind by Buttler while fishing at a wide one from Chris Woakes but only confirmed on England’s review, Pakistan had reached 227 for 2 off 33 overs.His dismissal swung the momentum back in England’s favour but Pakistan – through Babar Azam and Asif Ali – made it a thrilling contest.Having not played any cricket since April 23 when he suffered back spasms while playing for Surrey in the Royal London Cup, Roy returned at the expense of Hampshire’s James Vince, who sat on the sidelines in an England shirt on the eve of his county’s one-day semi-final against Lancashire at the same ground.Eoin Morgan congratulates Jos Buttler on his eighth ODI hundred•AFP

Roy, who had been battling injury since February’s tour of the Caribbean, resumed the top-order partnership so crucial to England’s recent success with Jonny Bairstow in an encouraging sign for home fans ahead of the World Cup. Bairstow brought up his 50 off 44 and could be forgiven for thinking he was not out on the next delivery from Shaheen Afridi, so understated was the celebration from Fakhar, who juggled the catch at deep backward square but managed to hold on and avoid sliding into the boundary rope.Understandably, Roy took some time to look comfortable, but he blew the cobwebs away with some glorious shots, including a sumptuous six driven straight down the ground off Faheem Ashraf and a second off the same bowler which sailed impossibly high over extra cover before dropping into the stands, much to the surprise of the ducking spectators.There were some scratchy moments but Roy retained more than a hint of his trademark aggression and batted with a palpable determination to re-establish his touch. His frustration over being dismissed as his century beckoned – to an easy catch by Imad Wasim off Hasan Ali for 87 – told just what a mission it had been as Roy thumped his bat on the ground and walked off with his hand covering his eyes. Roy had been 83 not out before a short rain delay and he added just four more runs before his dismissal.Yasir Shah, in the Pakistan side for the ill Mohammad Amir, struggled to find his rhythm but his captain’s perseverance eventually paid off, snaring the wicket of Joe Root after a neat cameo that yielded 40 runs off 54 balls before he was caught sharply by Haris Sohail diving to his left. Yasir was yanked from the attack at the end of the over – his sixth – after conceding 54 runs for his solitary wicket.Morgan and Buttler brought up England’s 300 with plenty of deliveries left to really start swinging, making the last five overs absolute carnage from a Pakistan perspective, yielding 74 runs.The chase started brightly, the tourists reaching 92 before Moeen Ali’s caught-and-bowled accounted for Imam-ul-Haq, whose 35 came in a supporting role to Fakhar, who had already reached his 50 off 39 balls. Fakhar brought up his century off 84 and he continued to frustrate England’s bowlers until his rather anti-climactic dismissal.Babar Azam followed in the next over to a regulation caught-and-bowled by Adil Rashid, who should also have had Haris Sohail caught by David Willey, who dropped the catch running in from long-on. It was Liam Plunkett who accounted for Haris upon returning to the attack in place of Rashid, with Bairstow holding a sitter at deep point.Pakistan needed 98 off the final 10 overs and, with six wickets in hand and the Buttler-Morgan run fest fresh in their minds, Asif and Sarfaraz Ahmed attacked accordingly. Asif raced to a half-century before Willey – who bowled wonderfully at the death after rotating into the side for Jofra Archer – had him caught in the deep by Ben Stokes two balls later to remove a clear danger.Buttler was crucial again taking a high-pressure catch off Willey to dismiss Imad Wasim and Plunkett chimed in with the wicket of Faheem to leave Pakistan needing 19 runs off the last over, bowled by Woakes, who held his nerve, restricting them to just six, including one wide.

With everyone expecting 300-plus scores, India were bundled out for 179 in just 39.2 overs in their first warm-up game against New Zealand

Hemant Brar25-May-2019With everyone expecting 300-plus scores, India were bundled out for 179 in just 39.2 overs in their first warm-up game against New Zealand. Under overcast skies on a surface with plenty of grass cover, Trent Boult thrilled the fans at The Oval to end with 4 for 33. He was well-supported by Jimmy Neesham who strengthened his case for a first-team place with 3 for 26.The New Zealand openers too fell early in the small chase but half-centuries from Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor helped them cruise to victory with six wickets and almost 13 overs to spare. Will the result affect India, one doubts it, but New Zealand definitely had a fruitful outing.Trent Boult and the understated genius of the New Zealand kit•IDI via Getty Images

Kohli had the luck with the coin but India’s top order had no answer to Boult who gave New Zealand a perfect start, striking not once, not twice, but thrice with the new ball.First, he sent Rohit back with a swing bowler’s two-ball trick. Boult pitched his first ball of the match on a length around off stump, Rohit played for the inswing and pushed his bat forward only to get beaten as the ball moved away after landing. The next ball pitched in line with the stumps and nipped back to trap Rohit lbw. The batsman opted for a review but replays confirmed the ball would have clipped the bails.Boult deployed a similar strategy against Shikhar Dhawan, taking a couple of balls away from the left-hand batsman before bringing one back to find a faint inside edge.With Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav nursing little niggles, it was a golden chance for KL Rahul to stake a claim on the No. 4 spot. He had a tough initiation to his innings with Southee and Boult swinging the ball both ways. Southee even got one to beat the bat and hit the batsman on the pads. New Zealand reviewed the not-out lbw decision, but replays showed the ball would have missed the leg stump comfortably.In the next over, Rahul drove Boult through the covers for a boundary. But the seamer pulled his length back the next ball, Rahul tried to dab towards third man only to deflect it on to the stumps. Rahul knew he had burnt his chance, his frustration reflecting in him kicking the ball as it ricocheted off the stumps.KL Rahul drags onto his stumps•Getty Images

With India reduced to 24 for 3, Kohli showed the way to bat in these conditions, standing outside his crease and taking a big stride forward to negate the swing. He not only survived but also hit a couple of crunching drives. However, it looked like he let his guard down against Colin de Grandhomme, and was bowled through the gate while trying to work a length ball from off stump towards midwicket.Hardik Pandya, batting at No. 5, gave the team management some confidence with 30 off 37 balls that he can do more with the bat than just being a finisher. But his innings was cut short by Neesham, who got the batsman out caught-behind. Three balls later, Dinesh Karthik flicked a leg-stump half-volley straight down the throat of Ish Sodhi at fine leg.Dhoni fell shortly afterwards, and soon India were struggling at 115 for 8. Ravindra Jadeja attacked his way to 54 off 50 balls, especially taking on the spinners, as he and Kuldeep Yadav added 62 for the ninth wicket but a brilliant low catch at point by Martin Guptill brought an end to Jadeja’s innings. Boult then returned to wrap up the innings with Kuldeep’s wicket.A target of 180 was never going to challenge New Zealand, and perhaps it was also an opportunity for Colin Munro to get some runs under his belt. He started with a first-ball four but had no reply to swinging yorker from Bumrah and was lbw without adding any further runs. Guptill played some adventurous shots before holing out to Pandya for 22 off 28.That brought New Zealand’s two best batsmen – Williamson and Taylor – in the middle. Williamson had a slow start. He was 3 off 20, and then 23 off 50 as India placed a square-ish gully to cut off his favourite dab to third man.But the New Zealand captain hit his stride after the spinners were brought on. He first square drove a Kuldeep googly before stepping out to loft the bowler over mid-off. Chahal was swept effortlessly over midwicket for a six as Williamson reached his fifty off 69 balls.At the other end, Taylor rode his luck to a fifty of his own. When he was on 3, Yuzvendra Chahal failed to get under a skier, and then Karthik failed to latch on to a faint edge with the batsman on 41. But it didn’t end there. When on 55, Taylor was stranded half-way down the pitch while going for a second run but Pandya missed a run-out opportunity as his wayward throw allowed the batsmen to make his ground safely. He eventually fell for 71 with the scores level but Henry Nicholls completed the formality with a single.