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Hoggard laughs at loss of plot

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Despite his best efforts, Matthew Hoggard failed to dent Matthew Hayden’s ego © Getty Images

“Bowl dot balls, because that gets to Matthew Hayden’s ego.” It’s a nice plan in theory, but on the second day at the MCG, it didn’t quite work. England did manage 184 of the blighters, but unfortunately they also served up 46 singles, 17 twos, three threes, 11 fours and two sixes, as Hayden rattled along to a thumping great innings of 153.Not only that, but England’s cunning plan was imparted to all of Australia’s listeners on ABC Radio, after a copy of their laminated, colour-co-ordinated bowling chart was lifted from the dressing-room and leaked to the Australian media. Other nuggets included the revelation that Andrew Symonds doesn’t move his feet much early in an innings and is susceptible to the bouncer, and that Ricky Ponting has a tendency to pull in the air in front of square. One out of three ain’t bad, I suppose.In official parlance, the episode was a severe embarrassment to both the England team, who have lavished vast sums of money on security for this tour, as well as Cricket Australia, the MCG management and the ICC. But at the end of a long, hard day in the field, Matthew Hoggard quite rightly repainted the whole episode as one big joke.”We’re continuing our investigations, and when we find who did it we are stringing them up by his ding-dang-doos and we’re chopping them off,” announced Hoggard in the middle of his end-of-day press conference, as he dispensed with the usual platitudes and put-the-ball-in-the-right-areaisms that are usually England’s stock utterances on days as bad as this.”It’s very disappointing when you’ve got a document that’s personal and private. You’d think that the security in international cricket was tighter than that,” Hoggard continued, in a short-lived attempt to keep a straight face. But with England’s lugubrious press officer, Andrew Walpole, sitting to one side of the table and inaudible to the assembled microphones, it was over to Hoggard to display (or otherwise) the indignation of Team England.”We’ve got our best people on the case,” he continued. “Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Morse, Miss Marple …” And another was added soon afterwards when the Independent‘s irascible correspondent, Stephen Brenkley, got stuck into the conspiracy theory, demanding to know just what use England’s three full-time security guards are anyway.

“Ricky Ponting has a tendency to pull in the air in front of square. One out of three ain’t bad” © Getty Images

“Shall we add him to the investigation team?” asked an impressed Hoggard. “He’d go well with Miss Marple.” Eventually, though, Walpole got enough words in edgeways to deliver the official England line. “We don’t know whether the document was taken from the England dressing-room or another part of the ground,” he declared, “so we are talking to the ICC security manager, and to Cricket Australia, who are very disappointed, as we are.”But Hoggard who, incidentally, bowled Michael Hussey (“Vulnerable to swinging ball”) through the gate with a swinging ball, scotched any lingering notion of seriousness by admitting: “I just close my eyes and whang it down anyway, so there’s not much planning there.” As for the suggestion of whether England should sneak into the Australian dressing-room and nick their plans for the England batsmen, he retorted: “It wouldn’t help us!”The levity in the England press conference was not shared by Symonds, who blanked an enquiry about his bouncer problem, nor Hayden, who snorted at the suggestion he’s an egomaniac, before announcing, very deadpan: “It’s not rocket-science, gentlemen. You have to bowl the ball at the top of off stump.” But for all of Hoggard’s good humour in adversity, it was the Aussie pair who were enjoying the last laugh this evening. England, quite literally, had lost the plot.

Hayden stars on a day of hard slog

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Matthew Hayden proved how important he is to the Australia top order with 103 © Getty Images
 

Matthew Hayden made history by getting to 30 Test centuries faster than anyone else, but the overall theme on the third day was slowness, with a usually dominant Australian batting line-up stymied by some disciplined and committed bowling from the Indians. Ishant Sharma epitomised that with a magnificent spell of 9-2-10-1 after lunch, and Hayden’s wicket was rich reward.But a dogged innings from Ricky Ponting and his unbeaten 81-run partnership with Michael Clarke ensured that there would be no danger of India enforcing the follow on. They ended the day still 204 adrift of India’s 526, with the run-machine having been reduced to a relative crawl.The foundation had been set by a 160-run opening partnership between Hayden and Phil Jaques, but that ended just after lunch when Jaques had an ugly mow at Anil Kumble bowling round the wicket. The ball barely bounced, and sneaked under the bat to bowl him for 60. Ponting’s arrival also meant that Kumble took himself out of the attack to bring on Harbhajan Singh.But unlike on five previous occasions, Ponting survived his first-ball rendezvous with Harbhajan, and all eyes turned to Hayden as he sought to make his third century of the series. Cutting and sweeping with typical power, it took him 181 balls and it was wholly appropriate that the 100th run was reached with a sweep to midwicket. An Australia Day crowd – it was also India’s Republic Day – of 26,720 gave him a standing ovation.He couldn’t bask in the acclaim too long though, upstaged by the young man whose spell to Ponting in Perth announced the arrival of a special talent. Ishant was impeccable with his line, and got enough reverse swing and movement off the pitch to have the batsmen constantly guessing.Ponting survived some nervy moments, but Hayden didn’t, comprehensively beaten by one that swung in and nipped back off the seam. By the time Kumble took Ishant off, he had brought the innings to a standstill. The other bowlers weren’t as effective though, and Ponting finally shed the shackles when he pulled Irfan Pathan for a four off the 53rd ball that he faced.Hussey swept and drove Kumble with great confidence, and with Harbhajan unable to work his magic on Ponting, it was India that were looking a little bereft of ideas. But as often happens, an interval changed the complexion of the game. Hussey edged Kumble’s first ball after tea low to the right of first slip where Rahul Dravid couldn’t hold on to a difficult chance. Soon after, a vociferous leg-before shout from Pathan was turned down.It turned out to have no bearing on the proceedings, as Pathan then summoned up an absolute peach that swung in to rattle the top of off stump. Hussey was gone for 22, and Australia were suddenly looking a lot less secure. Ponting played one gorgeous cover-drive off Kumble, but was otherwise nowhere near his fluent best. It was left to Clarke to inject some momentum, and he did so with a lofted on-drive and a cut past point in a Kumble over.By the time Ponting eased past 50, it had taken him 114 balls and 197 minutes, the slowest of his career. With Kumble then favouring Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan in tandem for a short while, there was almost a long lull, and the crowd’s reverie was shattered only by Ponting cutting a wide one from Harbhajan for four. There was some drama in the climactic stages, with Sehwag having a huge appeal turned down for a catch at slip. Replays suggested that the ball had gone off the forearm, and that Billy Bowden had made the right decision.

Ishant Sharma bowled superbly but there were not too many chances for India to celebrate on the third day © Getty Images
 

It was only after 107.2 overs that India chose to take the new ball, and Ponting quickly pounced with two fours off an Ishant over. But the late flourish couldn’t obscure the fact that he and his side had been made to work incredibly hard for their runs. Having gotten used to rattling along at four an over, they had to settle for a day when runs came at an old-world pace.There had been much more intent in the morning, with Hayden to the fore. In his absence, there had been stutters at the start in Perth, but normal service was resumed at the Adelaide Oval on another bright and stiflingly hot morning. Indian hopes of bowling Australia out cheaply were badly dented before play commenced, with the news that RP Singh would play no part in the day’s proceedings, and perhaps the rest of the match, as a result of a hamstring strain.Kumble opened with Ishant at one end, and Harbhajan at the other, but though there was fairly sharp turn and variable bounce, Australia weathered the early challenge. A 21-gun salute down on the River Torrens caused a brief interruption, but with the mind once again focussed, Hayden raced to 50 with two screeching cuts off Harbhajan. Soon after, Kumble opted to try another pace-spin combination, with Pathan complementing his legspin. But by then, Hayden was in the mood, with an emphatic cut and delicate glide off Pathan highlighting that power could also be allied to finesse.India went into a huddle at the second drinks break, but chances continued to be at a premium on a surface where there were still plenty of runs to be scored. After a good leg-before appeal was turned down, Pathan and Hayden briefly had words before Bowden stepped in to calm things down. And Hayden showed that it hadn’t disrupted his concentration in any way with a huge six over long-on off Kumble.Jaques then swung one past the fielder at midwicket, eliciting anguished gasps from the fielders, and a firm push past mid-off took him to a half-century, ending a relatively fallow run in the second and third Tests. But after 97 runs in that session, the match became a battle of attrition, with both sides having something to smile about. The big picture too slowly took shape, with a draw appearing the most likely result.

Former players insist on need for specialist bowlers

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Bryan Davis: “Dwayne Bravo is a support bowler, the fifth bowler. He’s an allrounder” © AFP
 

Former West Indies players Deryck Murray and Bryan Davis were pleased with the team’s win over Sri Lanka in Trinidad but they felt Chris Gayle should have gone with four specialist fast bowlers instead of banking on Dwayne Bravo to fill the fourth spot.”It’s very good to have two wins out of five matches against two countries [West Indies beat South Africa in Port Elizabeth last December] who are higher on the table,” Davis, a former Test opener, told .”It should make them feel good, and better about themselves. [But] I don’t consider Bravo a specialist bowler. He’s a good bowler, but he’s a support bowler, the fifth bowler. He’s an allrounder. We’re missing that [fourth] bowler.””Once you have to put in the four specialist bowlers, I believe batsmen like Bravo and [Denesh] Ramdin have to come to the fore and make runs, and improve their approach. They are the ones at No. 6and 7 to make some runs, not counting out specialist bowlers.”Murray, the Trinidad and Tobago board president, also said the batsmen had to pull their weight in the side. “What we need to be doing is when you select your teams you select six people as specialists. You need to put the responsibility on the batsman, six batsmen need to do the job.”Murray also explained the need for a spinner to introduce variety in to the attack. “Whether it’s a more containing type of bowler as opposed to the wicket-taking spinner, and you need two or three close to the team. [It’s been] hard on our spinners over the last three or four years, who have been the leading wicket-takers over the last few years and they deserve recognition.”Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop was delighted with the win but cautioned that domestic cricket in the region wasn’t in the best shape. “It confirms that there is talent in the side that can be competitive with other teams in the world, and the talent can be harnessed if the players are really hungry and thoughtful,” he told . “But there is still much work to do in the regional game and the team itself.”He was also concerned about the shallow talent pool in West Indies cricket and urged the board to provide the required support to build a strong side. “The strength in depth is poor. There are not many players in the first-class game in the Caribbean – based on performance – who can come in at a moment’s notice to make a difference to the team because the first-class standard is so poor,” he said. “But the environment and culture must be created in the Caribbean by the administration to facilitate that culture and work ethic.”

Keegan released by Middlesex

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Chad Keegan, the 28-year-old fast bowler, has not been offered a contract by Middlesex for 2008.Plagued by injuries through his seven seasons at the club, Keegan was more accustomed to one-day cricket (133 wickets at 23.86) than the Championship (140 at 34.90). He never properly recovered from the surgery he underwent in 2005, followed by a complete remodelling of his action, and with injuries and fitness concerns shadowing every season, his opportunities at the club became increasingly limited.”Chad has been a wonderful player for Middlesex and a great bloke to have in and around the dressing room,” John Emburey, Middlesex’s director of cricket said. “Chad’s injury problems have curtailed his playing career and we are terribly sorry to see him leave us after seven years, in which he has had a huge influence on the club, both on and off the field.”We wish him every success in his future career.”

Shoaib axed from Pentangular Cup

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Shoaib Akhtar may not have much to smile about in the near future © AFP
 

Shoaib Akhtar’s ongoing war with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took yet another twist with the fast bowler sacked as captain and removed from the regional side he was leading in the Pentangular Cup. Shoaib, however, insists that he is opting out of the tournament for personal reasons and has now expressed his desire to win back a contract with the PCB. He also reiterated his wish to play in the Indian Premier League.”My absolute priority in my cricket career has always been to take wickets for Pakistan and help my country win matches,” Shoaib was quoted in a media release by his agent. “I am hopeful of entering a new contract with my board very soon.”Shoaib had been asked by the PCB to take part in the domestic tournament, as captain of the Federal Capital Areas (FCA) team, to prove his fitness for future international matches. He led his side to a draw against Punjab in the first round of matches, though only bowled 18 wicketless overs in short spells as FCA’s bowling was hammered by Salman Butt.The decision to sack him, sources confirmed to Cricinfo, was taken by the FCA team management, citing poor performance, indiscipline and the negative influence he has on team-mates. The decision will raise eyebrows in any case, but more so as it comes in the wake of a continuing spat between Shoaib and the board.Shoaib has been openly critical of the board’s policies, particularly in awarding central contracts, for which he was overlooked. He has also publicly refused to respond to the board’s demands for an explanation of his comments, arguing that as he wasn’t contracted to them, he isn’t bound to answer to them. If he is found guilty of indiscipline or breaching the players’ code of conduct, he could well be gone from Pakistan cricket, as he is already on a two-year probation period, in which any indiscretion could result in an automatic life ban.Shoaib, however, told , a leading daily, that he was opting out because of his sister’s wedding. “I am busy in my sister’s wedding, therefore, at the moment I am not available for any more matches and am not sure if I will be free for the last match of the cup also.”Dismissing the recent speculation on his involvement with the IPL, he said, “My commitment to the IPL is absolute. There is a lot of talk flying around players at the moment regarding the new Twenty20 competitions, but I have signed with the IPL and I am so excited about the upcoming bid process and finding out which franchisee I will play for”. He also said he has spoken with the IPL commissioner Lalit Modi and wished to play a “big part” in this venture.Shoaib will be arriving in India ahead of the bidding process in Mumbai on February 20 to hold talks with the IPL franchisees. His agent David Ligertwood said that Shoaib has agreed in principle to the IPL contract and he will sign before February 17.The IPL contract with him is for a period for three years and Shoaib said he was looking forward to play in India. “I am in it for the long haul [with IPL]. I cannot wait to interact with the local fan base and become one of their ‘own’ players. If I am able to win even a fraction of the ‘love’ the Indian people have for their players it will be amazing. And I will be giving everything I can to try and achieve that for the next three years and hopefully beyond.”

Crookes and De Bruyn carry Easterns to victory

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The inexperience of an Eastern Province bowling attack missing Mornantau Hayward, Meyrick Pringle and Garnett Kruger was ruthlessly exposed on Monday as Easterns cantered to a five-wicket victory in their Supersport Series match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, their second in as many weekends.The win virtually ensures that Easterns will campaign in the Super Eight phase of the competition next year, while EP must be fearful of being the side to miss out from Pool B, which also includes KwaZulu-Natal, Western Province and Border.Easterns’ target of 276 had seemed like a tall order on Monday morning, when they resumed on 40 for one, having lost Brad White for 15 overnight, and it looked beyond them by the time Mike Rindel was caught behind for 14, to leave them reeling on 93 for four. Considering the home side’s brittle display with the bat in their first knock, the men from Port Elizabeth had a strong sniff of victory in their nostrils.It would have been even stronger had Dave Callaghan caught Pierre de Bruyn at second slip when he had 12, but the veteran allrounder grassed the chance. As it turned out, sadly for Callaghan, De Bruyn and Derek Crookes went on to add all but six of the 183 runs still required for victory when they had come together.Crookes was the chief aggressor, going to lunch on 40 to De Bruyn’s 14. But the sharing out of the runs mattered far less than the fact that they proved an ideal pairing, with good communication and speed between the stumps ensuring that numerous tight singles were safely negotiated.The Willowmoore Park pitch had been expected to hold a few terrors for the batsmen and it certainly contributed to captain Deon Jordaan’s dismissal, when he played back to a delivery from slow left-armer Robin Peterson which stayed low and shot through under his bat to bowl him.However, Crookes showed the value of a positive approach when the pitch is not entirely trustworthy as he raced towards his century. The introduction of the new ball after 80 overs, when Easterns had 197 for four, was the visitors’ last throw of the dice, but far from halting the home side’s run spree it contributed to its acceleration as youngsters like the highly ratedMfuneko Ngam and strapping debutant Dewald Senekal failed to get the basics right, bowling far too many balls wide outside the off stump.In the second over with the new ball, Ngam saw himself cut square for six by Crookes and in his next over, after a fielding error had gifted Easterns three overthrows to give Crookes an all-run four, the right-hander cut him to the boundary backward of square to go to his ton.Without three of their pace kingpins, EP’s attack was proving desperately short of penetration and it was no surprise that the only other scalp they managed to secure came from a run out. Crookes and De Bruyn eventually attempted one sharp single too many at a time when it had become unnecessary and Graham Grace dispatched an irritated Crookes for 117 with a direct hitfrom cover point.Just six more were needed and De Bruyn got the lot off the first two balls of the next over, from Peterson, to take his team to exactly 276 for five and his own score to an unbeaten 71, ensuring Easterns picked up 15 points for the victory.

Moores to rekindle exhausted Flintoff's passion

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Britain’s merciless tabloids pile into Flintoff’s behaviour off the pitch © The Mirror

Peter Moores, the new England coach, plans to hold talks with Andrew Flintoff in a bid to rekindle his passion for the game following a tortuous winter in Australia and the Caribbean.Flintoff’s immense workload over the past six months has clearly left him exhausted, prompting some to suggest he is a spent force. Incidences off the field involving alcohol haven’t helped his cause either but Moores is determined to nurture him back into the force he once was.”I will be speaking to Andrew in the next week to find out where he is coming from and what helps him play the way he likes,” Moores told the BBC. “You try to get the individual comfortable playing for their country where they can produce their best.”Every time I have met Andrew, he is a positive man and he loves the game. He loves playing for his country. We have seen him play some unbelievable innings and bowl some unbelievable spells for England. We have a player who has played some fantastic aggressive vibrant cricket.”The key is to get that out of him again and get him enjoying the game again.”Moores’ comments follow those of David Lloyd, Flintoff’s old friend, former coach and mentor who is convinced that his problems – on and off the pitch – stem from the sheer quantity of cricket. Lloyd, speaking to yesterday’s is further concerned of the workload facing Flintoff over the next 12 months.”If he carries on as he is, something has to give and his career will be cut short,” Lloyd said. “I saw Ian Botham burn out and I don’t want to see the same happen to Fred. Looking at the year ahead, England have a full summer of one-dayers and Tests against West Indies and India, followed by the Twenty20 World Cup, then one-dayers and a three-Test series against Sri Lanka in December. As far as I’m concerned he cannot do all that.”

‘We have seen him play some unbelievable innings and bowl some unbelievable spells for England. We have a player who has played some fantastic aggressive vibrant cricket’ © Getty Images

Lloyd suggested that resting Flintoff might be the only way to prolong his career, in what is a packed international schedule – especially if England want him fit for the next Ashes series in 2009.”Sure, the public want to see the best side out on the park all the time,” he said. “But it’s about the best players playing at their best. He should miss the Twenty20 World Cup and the one-dayers in Sri Lanka and have a proper long break from playing cricket when he should rest, work and train to gear himself up for the next four-year cycle.”Another of England’s charges to have suffered in the past year is Marcus Trescothick and, like Flintoff, Moores is keen to get him back in the squad. “The fact he is playing again for Somerset is a massive positive,” he said. “He is another one I need to talk to. The key for Marcus is that he is really comfortable and performing at the right level to get back into the England team.”We all know the player he can be, both in one-day and Test match cricket.”Moores takes up his post, replacing Duncan Fletcher, on May 1. England’s first Test of the summer, against the West Indies at Lord’s, begins on May 17.

Baroda and Hyderabad inch closer to semis

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Points Table
Scorecard
Baroda completed a stunning fightback and enhanced their prospects of reaching the semi-final stage after a four-wicket win against Tamil Nadu at Vadodara. Having completed all their league games, Tamil Nadu will now await the results of the last league round. Chasing 272 for victory, Baroda were in a deep hole at 113 for 5 but Kiran Powar and Yusuf Pathan added 159 in an unbeaten seventh-wicket stand and sealed the win. Powar stroked 11 fours in his steady 90 while Yusuf, Irfan’s brother, cracked 81 in 124 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. For the second successive game Baroda came back from a low first-innings score to triumph in a thrilling chase. They take on Uttar Pradesh in the final league game, beginning on December 31, and need to win with a bonus point to ensure a place in the last four.
Scorecard
Hyderabad’s 60-run win in a low-scoring scrap gave them a great chance of entering the semi-finals. Chasing 278 for victory, Punjab couldn’t manage sizeable partnerships as Gaurav Gupta, who made a solid 87, lost partners at regular intervals. Gupta was stranded on 87 when the last wicket fell. Narender Pal Singh, the medium pacer, snapped up four wickets while Inder Shekar Reddy, the left-arm spinner, picked up three. Earlier VRV Singh, Punjab’s 20-year-old fast bowler, completed a great match with six wickets in the second innings, and finished with 13 for 115 for the game. The Punjab batsmen, though, faltered in both innings and though they were still favourites to make it to the semi-finals, big wins for Baroda and Hyderabad in the final league game would snuff out their chances.
Scorecard
Uttar Pradesh began confidently in their pursuit of 232 at Karad in a contest that had no bearing on the semi-final slots. Maharashtra were shot out for 119 in their second innings with Rudra Pratap Singh, the left-arm medium pacer, claiming 5 for 33. Ashish Winston Zaidi contributed three victims as Maharashtra’s batting worries continued. Jyoti Prakash Yadav led the chase and was unbeaten on a composed 36.
Scorecard
Sairaj Bahutule’s eight first-class hundred helped Mumbai tighten their stranglehold and they led by 390 at the end of the third day at the Wankhede Stadium. Having gained a 126-run lead in their first innings, Mumbai were in a spot of bother at 67 for 6 when Bahutule and Ramesh Powar came together. Both added 117 for the seventh wicket with Powar contributing 65. Bahutule was unbeaten at the close as Karnataka’s semi-finals hopes had all but disappeared. Mumbai have already booked their spot in the semis.
Scorecard
Gujarat’s bowlers struck at regular intervals as Madhya Pradesh struggled in pursuit of 353 in the third day at Ahmedabad. All the MP batsmen reached double figures but none crossed 35 as Hitesh Majumdar and A Makda, the opening bowlers, grabbed seven wickets between them. At the end of the day, MP still trailed by 111 with only three wickets standing and may concede two points in a game that was bound for a tame draw.
Scorecard
Shib Shankar Paul and Ranadeb Bose helped Bengal claw their way back into the contest at Kolkata, a game that they had win to enhance their chances of staying in the Elite Group. Delhi collapsed from 193 for 4 to 251 all out as Paul and Bose ended the innings with five wickets apiece. Mithun Manhas and Vijay Dahiya made 70s but their dismissals early in the day triggered a collapse. Bengal’s reply was much more promising than their first-innings effort, where they managed 240, and ended the day on a comfortable 190 for 3, an overall lead of 179. Deep Dasgupta top scored with 56. Delhi will have to push for a win tomorrow to boost their chances of a last-four berth.
Scorecard
Amit Pagnis hammered 107 in just 136 balls as Railways took command in their crucial game against Andhra at Anantapur, a game that could decide if they remained in the Elite Group or not. After managing a 61-run lead, Railways didn’t lose any wicket till stumps with Pagnis and Sanjay Bangar adding 151 in 42 overs. Pagnis smashed 19 fours on the way to his eighth first-class hundred. Earlier, Andhra had wriggled out of a tight spot with their tailenders taking the score from 120 for 6 to 202.

Shoaib cannot play in IPL

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Shoaib Akhtar has been barred from the IPL just days after being banned for five years by the Pakistan board © AFP
 

The steady descent of Shoaib Akhtar’s career continued after the Indian Premier League (IPL) decided that he won’t be allowed to feature in its tournament till the end of his five-year ban or until his ban is lifted by the Pakistan board.”Shoaib has been banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board, and even though they have cleared him to play for IPL, we felt that international discipline needs to be respected,” IS Bindra, a member of the IPL governing council, told Cricinfo. “If he can’t play for Pakistan, how can we play him? There will be no discipline left in the game, if we play him. It will set an unwanted precedent.”We [the IPL] want to be part of the international system, not operate outside it. If somebody is banned on disciplinary grounds, that is a serious offense, and we felt it would be very odd if he was to play in IPL.”Shoaib, however, plans to appeal the ban and if he wins, he could yet turn out for his team. “If he is able to clear the ban and wins the appeal process, he will be allowed to play”, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, clarified to a private television channel.A spokesman for the Kolkata Knight Riders confirmed to Cricinfo that they have been informed by the IPL that Shoaib will not be available to play for them. “In this situation, we will abide by the IPL directive as the final availability of a player depends on a clearance from the league.”However, Shahrukh Khan, the owner of the Kolkata franchise, said he will take the matter up with the IPL. “I will talk to Lalit Modi to reconsider the decision,” he said. “I hope things get sorted out in our favour.”I know I am allowed to take another player but I want Shoaib back.”Cricinfo has learnt that the Kolkata franchise is now free to look for Shoaib’s replacement, though nobody has been identified as yet. Besides, the money that was bid on Shoaib [US$ 450,000] will not be counted in the team’s spending cap of $5 million, and the franchise will be free to use that money to buy the services of a new player.Only yesterday, Shoaib had claimed that the willingness of the Knight Riders to play him confirmed there were no disciplinary issues. “If I had been so indisciplined and had an attitude problem as the Pakistan board claims do you think that Shahrukh Khan or [Sourav] Ganguly would want me to play for their team in the IPL,” Shoaib said.Until he can clear his name, it seems they don’t.

'There are no regrets' – Trescothick

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Marcus Trescothick: ‘There was no point in delaying the inevitable. There are no regrets’ © Getty Images
 

Marcus Trescothick said that his withdrawal from Somerset’s pre-season tour to the UAE convinced him to retire from international cricket.He arrived at Heathrow with the squad but then pulled out of the trip. “Everyone realised at that point it was never going to happen,” Trescothick told the BBC. “There was no point in delaying the inevitable. There are no regrets.”I won’t look back on anything that has happened and feel bitter or too sad about it because the stats speak for themselves. I had a great time and played international cricket for nearly seven years. It was just a brilliant time when I played it, and I’m really pleased that I had the opportunity to do so.”I understand what it takes to play at that level and I’m not prepared to reach up to those anymore. I’m not prepared to put myself, my body and my family through that and everything it takes to sacrifice to do that.”It was great while it lasted, but it’s time to move on and let somebody else have a go.”