BCCI president to meet ICL representatives

The Indian board has agreed to meet officials of the unsanctioned ICL, the first time the two sides will have met since the league was set up in April 2007. This was one of the two major decisions taken on the first day of the ICC board meeting in Dubai, the other being the selection of four Test series where the umpire review trials will continue.

ICL officials have welcomed the proposed meeting with Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, and said they hoped for an "early resolution" to their quest for official recognition. However, a senior BCCI official said that nothing much should be read into the ICC board's decision, "because it does not in any way indicate a result".

The ICL has sought official sanction under Rule 32 of the ICC operations manual which pertains to authorised unofficial cricket. But siginificantly, Manohar and Lalit Modi, a BCCI vice-president, are on a five-member ICC sub-committee that has worked on "new regulations governing official and unofficial cricket" that were discussed at the board meeting today. ICL officials, however, indicated that they expected Manohar to meet Subhash Chandra, the chairman of Essel group that owns ICL, "very soon". "We will be in dialogue with BCCI and we hope the outcome suits all," Chandra said. "The ICL has always worked towards promoting the game and players," Himanshu Mody, the ICL's business head, told Cricinfo. "We hope the outcome of discussions between the BCCI and ICL will benefit players at large. We look forward to an early resolution."

The BCCI, apparently, views the situation differently. "The only resolution that can be looked at is one where the ICL agrees to operate within the BCCI's parameters," the official said. "Till then, the announcement of the meeting is just a statement of fact, and nothing more. It's not as significant as it is being made out to be." Manohar will provide a written report of his discussions with the ICL to the ICC board.

Since its inception, the ICL has been vehemently opposed by the Indian board, which has banned players associated with the league from all forms of official cricket and barred them from using any of its facilities. The ICL has, meanwhile, been pressing the ICC unsuccessfully for official recognition of their unsanctioned venture for several months. Subsequently they requested the ICC for a meeting, and Chandra met David Morgan, the ICC president, in London last week to present the Twenty20 league's case for recognition. The ICL is hoping for a status similar to the one that has been granted to the Stanford venture in the West Indies, but the crucial difference is that the Caribbean tournament has been endorsed by its home board, the WICB.

Delhi Giants grabs 13-run win over Rockets

A valuable knock of 43 by Paul Nixon enabled Delhi Giants post a competitive 167-7 in their alloted 20 overs against Ahmedabad Rockets in the ICL 20s Indian Championship here at the LB stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Putting Giants in to bat after winning the toss, the Rockets bowlers dettered the batsmen from getting off to a flier. And then Heath Streak gave the first breakthrough as he returned opener Dale Benkenstein. He took two more wickets to finish at 3-23 in his four overs.

Abhinav Bali (35) and Nixon helped the Giants reach a good total.

Teams:

Ahmedabad Rockets: Damien Martyn, Ryan Campbell, Parviz Aziz, Murray Goodwin, Sridharan Sriram, Reetinder Sodhi, Anshu Jain, Heath Streak, Rakesh Patel, Sumit Kalia, Jason Gillespie.

Delhi Giants: Dale Benkenstein, Avishka Gunawardene, Abhinav Bali, Abbas Ali, Paul Nixon, Jai Prakash Yadav, Taduri Sudhindra, Shane Bond, Marvan Atapattu (Capt), Ali Murtaza, Shalabh Srivastava.

ICC concerned over threat of match-fixing in IPL

The International Cricket Council has concerns over the threat of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), ICC general manager Dave Richardson has said.

"We are concerned," Richardson told the Indian news channel NDTV. "Let's face it, the IPL is the first domestic competition to attract such huge interest and, when it does, it's going to inevitably attract the interest of match-fixers and people like that.

"And because of the interest created there is no doubt that we would be concerned if the BCCI neglected that part of the game and didn't make sure that they had very strict measures in place to ensure it doesn't take a foothold in the IPL or any other domestic competition for that matter.

"There is certainly no criticism intended on IPL or the BCCI. It's just a fact of life that there is a lot of betting going on in cricket. And because there's so much money passing hands, inevitably the temptations are going to be there to try and get the players involved.

"And for the first time, a domestic competition is attracting this interest and you've got players who don't necessarily go through the ICC education process. And so you have young players who could be open to temptation or open to being approached by these corrupt people."

The ICC's anti-corruption chief Paul Condon had warned earlier this month that the BCCI-backed IPL posed the biggest threat to cricket's integrity since the match-fixing scandal of the 1990s. "The IPL brings with it the biggest threat of corruption in the game since the days of cricket in Sharjah," he reportedly said at a board meeting of the ICC.

Reacting to Condon's comments, Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, had told PTI: "The Indian Premier League is a huge event with lots of money involved. We are keen to ensure that it remains corruption-free and have taken and will be taking measures to this effect."

Mohali confident of putting it across Chennai

Despite losing both their previous IPL matches to Chennai Super Kings, King's XI Punjab were going into Saturday's semi-final against the same opposition with a measure of confidence, team captain Yuvraj Singh and coach Tom Moody said on Friday.

"It's a different ground (Wankhede Stadium) and circumstances are different. We are coming into the game with greater confidence and will be looking to do our best with ball, bat and on the field," Moody said.

Captain Yuvraj said the team had learnt valuable lessons from their losses to Chennai at home and in the latter's backyard (Chidambaram Stadium) and were keen not to commit the same mistakes.

"We will try not to make the same errors again and will see where the opposition falters and try and take advantage," the stylish left-handed batsman said.

"Our confidence is high with the way we are playing and if we execute our plans properly tomorrow, no doubt we can win," the King's XI skipper said.

About his own form with the bat, Yuvraj said the good run he had in their last game would stand him in good stead.

"I had some good form in the last game. It has come at the right time ahead of the semi-finals," he said referring to his knock of 49 in 16 balls.

Yuvraj Singh backed his bowling attack by saying it had performed well barring the odd game.

"Our bowlers have bowled well. It's just that the wickets were flat. The attack might have faltered on one or two games, but our bowlers are doing a great job," Yuvraj said.

Yuvraj praised the batting of Shaun Marsh, who has accumulated nearly 600 runs in only 10 games.

Past wins give us the edge

Having beaten the same opponents twice in the league stage, Chennai Super Kings coach Kepler Wessels said his side would go with the psychological advantage when his side clash with Kings XI Punjab in the semifinal of Indian Premier League here on Saturday.

"We had beaten them early in the tournament when we had our strongest team and later on even without the overseas players we still managed to win. It's an advantage to go into the semifinals against them with this record," Wessels said.

The South African, however, said the team would still need to stick to the basics to emerge victorious on Saturday.

Wessels said both the teams will get the chance to assess the Wankhede Stadium pitch from the first semifinal on Friday.

"We will get a look at the pitch during the semifinal today (between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils) and it will give us a fair idea. It should be an advantage for both teams playing the semifinals," he said.

The coach said they had picked a replacement for New Zealander Stephen Fleming who had to leave the team due to personal reasons.

"While I don't want to disclose who the replacement is I can say that all the players chosen for the team are suited for the Twenty20 format," Wessels said, adding that all the remaining players of the team were fit for the semifinal.

The former South Africa captain was all praise for the IPL and said it reminded him of the ODI World Series in Australia organised by Kerry Packer, in which he had played.

"You have a similar vibe here and it is a tremendous tournament. I am sure it will go from strength to strength," he said.

Watson helps Rajasthan march into final

This was Shane Watson's match. Imposing himself on the first semi-final, he boosted Rajasthan Royals with an electric fifty before rattling Delhi Daredevils' top order with an outstanding opening spell. Shane Warne had complained about being deprived of home advantage but his side adjusted perfectly to the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium, putting on a show that illustrated exactly why they have been the stand-out team in the competition.

Delhi were like a side struck with stage fright. Their bowlers were rattled by a brand of unconventional strokeplay - even the peerless Glenn McGrath went wicketless for 38 runs - before their batsmen succumbed against a disciplined attack. Virender Sehwag's decision to field may come under scrutiny but Rajasthan's ruthless efficiency might have steered them to the final either way. The farcical end to the match - when Mohammad Asif took an age to get his bat into the crease - summed it up.

The scorecard may indicate a hopelessly one-sided contest but Rajasthan had their shaky moments. Losing the toss meant facing up to McGrath and Asif on a juicy pitch and three quick wickets for Farveez Maharoof pushed them from 65 for no loss to 76 for 3.

Graeme Smith, who was aided by a runner once his hamstring injury resurfaced, and Swapnil Asnodkar, who broke a window pane at fine leg with an audacious pull, provided the early impetus but the innings could have easily lost its way with Maharoof, utilising the bounce and movement on the surface, luring the top order into loose strokes.

Watson's arrival put the innings back on track. From the moment he took 21 off the 11th over, with two ferocious pulls for six, only one team bossed the contest. With the high, straight back-lift that's been the feature of his batting in the tournament, Watson swung through midwicket and square leg. He targeted specific bowlers and went through with shots even if he wasn't to the pitch of the ball, allowing the timing to take care of the rest.

Amit Mishra, the legspinner, teased with his flight and loop but Watson was intent on spoiling his rhythm - going down on one knee, he slog-swept him over midwicket, a technique that Yusuf Pathan was to pick up later.

Such a commanding total wouldn't have been possible without the final flourish. Yusuf celebrated his recall to the one-day squad with a blistering 21-ball 45, an innings where four mighty sixes dripped off his bat. Without the Watson back-lift, without too much initial movement, he showed what brute force could do, blasting over long-on and midwicket. He spotted slower balls too, smearing McGrath over midwicket for the shot of the evening.

Delhi have their fielders to thank for avoiding further embarrassment but their effort was put in the shade by some acrobatic catching by Rajasthan. Shikhar Dhawan pulled off a diving catch to dismiss Smith but it was Tauwar Kohli's peach of a dive, throwing himself to the right of cover to latch on to a Gautam Gambhir slash, that will stick in the mind.

Watson may have top scored for his side, but his job wasn't done yet. Up against one of the most formidable opening combinations in the IPL, he cranked up his pace. Sehwag was done in by the extra bounce, holing out to deep point, Gambhir was frustrated into slashing in the air and Dhawan pulled straight to square leg. Every wicket was accompanied by an ecstatic expression - one that indicated the triumph of a well-laid plan.

Tillakaratne Dilshan's furious swinging was never going to be enough against a constantly mounting asking-rate and he kept losing partners who misread the bounce in the track. Manoj Tiwary top-edged a bouncer from Munaf Patel and Yo Mahesh struggled against a short one directed at the shoulder. The rest were clueless against Warne's fizzers.

He admitted he would have bowled first if he had won the toss but would have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of turn and bounce the surface offered. He toyed with the tailenders, mixing legbreaks and sliders as if this was a Test, and he could afford to wear an impish smile through the spell, considering the match was long gone.

Learning from Pigeon

Maharoof It is never easy to approach a new person, but it was easy to gel with McGrath. Off the field he is an amazing guy, joking and making everyone relax. Outside the ring, the kid in him comes alive.

He has been a hero for me, and I've always wanted to be as consistent as him. Lucky to have him, and he is always nice and helpful to share anything about cricket, or life in general.

He is just an icon for the team - the way he reacts, the way he behaves, there's always something to learn from him.

Yo Mahesh He's always friendly. He never makes you feel he is such a star. He is always joking around off the field. That releases all the pressure.

I was a bit reluctant to talk to him when I first met him - I was in awe of him. But as days went by I started to ask him questions -about my bowling, his bowling, preparation ...

Asif I played my first game against Deccan Chargers. I was pretty nervous about playing in front of such a big crowd and with such legends in the team. He was at mid-on and sensed my anxiety, and he came to me and calmed me down and encouraged me throughout that over. That gave me a lot of confidence, a belief that I belonged over there, especially if a guy like McGrath comes up and chats with me.

What they've learned
Maharoof He suggested a few technical adjustments about the variations and the grip when bowling the slow ball. Those should help. I have more control over my slower ball now. Cricket is all about doing the simple things right. If you get the basics right, you will succeed. That's the biggest lesson he has taught me.

Just watching him has been a big learning experience - the way he changes his pace, employs variations, his preparations before a game.

That and all the advice he gave me about cricket and life - he spoke about the importance of taking a break once in a while, considering the stressful lives we lead - will be a treasure.

Yo Mahesh I tend to get excited easily if I take a wicket or if I get hit. What I've learned from McGrath is that in those moments you've got to be really focused on what you're supposed to be doing, rather than thinking about what has happened or what will happen.

Once, I asked him how he prepares the day before the game. He said, "I just want to get a great feel. If I want to bowl here and if I do it, I feel good about it. I'm done for the day. I carry that to the next day for the game." That helped me a lot.

We discussed Aussie batsmen. Guys like Simon Katich move across the crease and make you bowl on the stumps. Effectively, he makes you bowl to his strength. McGrath pointed out that it is better to bowl just outside off stump in such cases. Things like that have helped me read batsmen better.

ECB praises IPL as comparable to Rugby World Cup

England and Wales Cricket Board has been left astonished by the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League's success and is comparing the billion-dollar Twenty20 extravaganza in scope and scale to the Rugby World Cup.

Chairman Giles Clarke, who witnessed the initial rounds of the IPL spectacle with his CEO David Collier, told the ECB's AGM at Lord's, in London, on Tuesday that his admiration for what has been achieved by the Sharad Pawar-headed BCCI is huge.

"You will be aware that in recent weeks David Collier, our outstanding Chief Executive, and I have been to India to witness, at first hand, the Indian Premier League. Our admiration for what has been achieved is immense," he said.

"It was, as the Indians say, a great tamasha. There was light, glitz, glamour and music. We must congratulate them on establishing a tournament which has the same scope and scale which can be compared to the Rugby World Cup", he told the members of the ECB, according to a media release.

"Those who were in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai will talk of a great spectacle and a great show," he added.

Clarke also said that his trip to India has helped in "forging great personal relationships with our great friends from the BCCI".

These relationships, according to Clarke, had allowed him to return home with a clear mandate for the Champions League

"I am personally delighted that the excellent relations we have with the BCCI and Cricket Australia have made this possible," he explained.

Significantly ECB's response has come at a time when no top English player is playing in the IPL due to a clash with its own county cricket programme.

Jayasuriya and Bravo seal Mumbai win

Inspired by Sanath Jayasuriya's 3 for 14, the best figures of the tournament, the Mumbai Indians put their off-field troubles aside and pulled off their first win. On a slow Eden Gardens pitch, though not the minefield of the previous game, Mumbai had a nervy start and were 25 for 3 before Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa put on a century stand to see them home.

After Kolkata Knight Riders chose to bat, Mumbai's stand-in captain Shaun Pollock stunned the huge crowd, removing local hero Sourav Ganguly and the dangerous Brendon McCullum in the first over. Ganguly chased at a wide delivery and only managed a thick edge that was smartly held by Jayasuriya at wide slip. McCullum was trapped lbw for 1 two balls later, leaving Kolkata at 6 for 2.

The early momentum was provided by Twenty20 debutant Debabrata Das. Pollock was hit over midwicket for a big six and three leg-side fours followed in the next couple of overs. Das favoured the cut and got his innings going with two of them off Ashish Nehra in the second over, but another one off Dwayne Bravo flew straight to Robin Uthappa at point.

Bravo kept it just short of a length and outside off, giving away only four runs in two overs. Ponting and David Hussey consolidated for a couple of overs with singles and the odd boundary. Ponting was unable to get his timing right or middle the ball, and Hussey tried to up the tempo slamming Pollock for two fours.

Jayasuriya, tossing it up instead of firing it in as he usually does, broke the partnership by luring Hussey into swiping one to mid-on in the 11th over for 17. His next over, a maiden, saw two wickets fall as well. A run-out put Ponting out of his misery and two balls later Mohammad Hafeez nicked one to the wicketkeeper Pinal Shah as Kolkata slid to 77 for 6.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who revived Kolkata batting with a quick 42 against the Chennai Super Kings, was called on to rescue his team yet again. He smashed two fours and a six each off Bravo and Dilhara Fernando as 44 runs were scored in the last four overs.

Despite the below-par score, Kolkata refused to surrender and their new-ball bowlers gave them an excellent start. Ajit Agarkar had Ajinkya Rahane chipping to midwicket in the third over and, at the other end, Jayasuriya was in a fascinating battle with Ishant Sharma. After several swings-and-misses and powerful hits to the boundary, Ishant sent Jayasuriya's off stump cartwheeling. Manish Pandey then fell for a duck to the impressive Ashok Dinda and, at 25 for 3, Mumbai were in danger of squandering their advantage.

Shoaib's five-year ban upheld

Shoaib Akhtar's international future was left dangling in limbo after the appellate tribunal set up to hear his appeal against a five-year ban upheld the ban, but only temporarily, deciding instead to revisit the appeal in June.

The decision is given an even stranger hue because it allows Shoaib to play outside Pakistan - the Indian Premier League (IPL) for example - even though the league maintains that he will only be allowed to play if his ban on playing for Pakistan is removed.

Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, the head of the three-man tribunal, said the main hearing into Shoaib's appeal against the ban would now take place in June and that the ban on playing in or for Pakistan would stay in place until then.

"We have seen Shoaib's track record and believe that he has not learnt any lesson. He flouted discipline of the board, he harmed the chairman of the board and fellow cricketers and above all sentiments of the nation," Farrukh said.

"We considered every aspect of the decision of the disciplinary committee and think that they banned Akhtar on grounds of indiscipline and there was no victimisation."

There had been concerns from day one of the appeals process, particularly because Farrukh had expressed great reluctance in heading the tribunal. Soon after he was appointed, Farrukh told a local TV channel that he didn't have the time to take up this case, a situation seemingly borne out by today's verdict.

Meanwhile, Shoaib's position with the IPL remains unclear. While the PCB clarified that he is free to play in the IPL, a league spokesperson told Cricinfo that their position of not allowing him to take part in the tournament "remains the same" as of now. The IPL had decided to bar Shoaib from the tournament in "the interests of international discipline" after the PCB's initial decision to hand him a ban. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Kolkata Knight Riders, the team that bought Shoaib for US$425,000, said they will abide by the IPL stand.

To further muddy matters, Shoaib's lawyers have said they will push for a hearing date earlier than June if the IPL doesn't let him play. "After this interim order we hope that the IPL will allow Akhtar to play in the IPL but if they don't we will press for an early hearing of the appeal than the set date of June," Abid Hasan Minto told reporters.

With both international cricket and the IPL ruled out, one option for Shoaib would have been the Indian Cricket League. The unofficial league does not fall under the Indian board - and has an all- Pakistan team in its Twenty20 tournament. However, its business head, Himanshu Mody, confirmed to Cricinfo that the ICL was not in talks with Shoaib.

The tribunal's decision comes just a day after Shoaib apologised to the PCB chairman, Nasim Ashraf, in the second of three hearings.

On April 1 the board banned Shoaib from playing cricket, for and in Pakistan, for violating the players' code of conduct by publicly criticising the PCB and various policies. Shoaib filed an appeal against the ban claiming that he was being "victimised" and then went on a media rampgage in which he accused the board chairman of various financial wrongdoings. Shoaib's ban took into account that he was already on two years' probation for hitting Mohammad Asif with a bat before the start of the World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. That offence saw him fined 3.4 million rupees ($52,000 dollars) and banned for 13 matches.