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After suffering another setback in the race for the Scudetto, Juventus must face the reality that they are now in the race for a second place finish.

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Juve draw 2-2 with Hellas VeronaRabiot argues Serie A title dreams are overSays Juventus in race for second placeWHAT HAPPENED?

After drawing 2-2 with Verona on Saturday, their fourth-straight match without a win in Serie A, Adrien Rabiot admitted that a first-place finish in Serie A no longer feels achievable. Inter are nine points clear and also have a game in-hand over the Bianconeri.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RABIOT SAID

Rabiot said: "We must be realistic right now, Inter are on their path and we must fight to keep hold of second place. We got here with 53 points being what we were, we just need to rediscover that again and fight it out for second. We were too sluggish tonight."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Bianconeri are in their worst form of the season so far, winless in their last four – only two of which were draws. Their early February loss to Inter in a title-contenders clash set the tone for their miserable run, but now, they have to adjust if they want to save their season. AC Milan sit just two-points back from Juventus in third-place, and they have a game in-hand as well. If they claim victory on Sunday against Monza, they'll leapfrog the Old Lady into second.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

The Bianconeri take on Frosinone next Sunday, while boss Massimiliano Allegri will surely be feeling the heat heading into the clash. As the highest-paid coach in Italy, the Italian has high expectations – and they have not met them over the past few weeks. The likes of USMNT stars Weston McKennie and Tim Weah will hope to help inspire the Turin team back to winning ways before long.

Kumar Sangakkara has said that he made his decision to retire after careful consideration with his family

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo27-Jun-2015Though 37 years of age, Kumar Sangakkara has recently been in the form of his life. In 2014, he played Tests against Pakistan, England, South Africa, Bangladesh and New Zealand to hit 1438 runs at an average of 71.90. In the 12 months, he hit more international runs, across formats, than have ever been struck in a calendar year. In March, he became the first batsman to hit four ODI centuries on the trot, at the World Cup. And as his catching in the Pakistan series have shown, he remains as sharp as anyone in the Sri Lanka side.So why is he quitting now? Sangakkara said it was his father, who has been a well of advice to him throughout his career, who first suggested it may be time to step away.”My father, when I was at home with him a couple of years ago in Kandy, asked me: ‘Don’t you think it’s time you started thinking about retirement?’ I got a shock. I thought, ‘What are you trying to tell me? That I’m not good enough?’ But then speaking to my mind, it actually made some sense. It was back in 2012 or 2013 when he asked me that, and it struck home. I thought, ‘Maybe it was time I paid attention to what’s happening.'”Then when I had my back injury against India in October last year and I came back, it just kind of felt right. The voice in my head was there from maybe that July South Africa series when Mahela decided to retire. It was strange because I had decided before him to start writing a letter, when he called me and told me that he was retiring. I said, ‘Okay, that’s fine. We can’t have two people going at the same time.'”But I spoke to my father, and I spoke to my family. My wife told me that playing for Sri Lanka would be great for us as a family, because that meant I’d be spending a year at home. But even she felt that it was time for me to call it a day. When I heard that, I realised it was absolutely the right decision for me to make.”Had Sangakkara stayed on, he would have had several Test milestones on his horizon. He is fifth on the Test run-scorers list now, but on form, he might have conceivably finished with close to 14000 runs. He is also two short of 40 Test hundreds, though, in the five potential innings that remain, there remains a chance he could hit one more double-century to match Don Bradman’s tally of 12.”In Sri Lanka, we take pride in winning away from home and scoring runs away from home in conditions that are tough”•PA Photos”I’ve been told if I play another year or two years, I could score another 1000 runs. I might be the second highest run scorer, or I might be able to break the Don’s double-century record,” Sangakkara said. “But if you really think about it, if that’s the only reason you want to prolong your career, then it is really time to say, ‘Thank you very much.'”I’ve always prided myself on performing well for the side as an individual, but at the end of the day I want to be able to look my teammates in the eye and say I went out there because I really wanted to do well for the side, and it was nothing to do with individual records. I can do that right now. Extending my career for a year doesn’t make a lot of sense. Two to three years maybe, but then I’ll be 40, which is too long.”I still remember what Muttiah Muralitharan told me when he was retiring. When the selectors sat with him, and he said he’ll be playing only one Test in the India series, but he still needed eight wickets to reach his 800 wickets mark. We told him to play more matches and go for that 800 wickets. He said, ‘If I can’t take eight wickets in one match, there’s no point. If I take eight, we’re going to win that match.’ I’ll play my last two Tests the way I get them. I consider myself very fortunate to play for my country for 15 years.”Sangakkara said he took particular satisfaction from the runs he made overseas. He averages over 60 in Australia, New Zealand and the UAE, and more than 40 in England, with Test hundreds in all nations apart from the West Indies, where he’s played only seven innings.”In Sri Lanka, we take pride in winning away from home and scoring runs away from home in conditions that are tough. So I’ve enjoyed every hundred I’ve scored, but the ones away from home are special.”The third Test against South Africa in Centurion in my second Test series, I was batting on 98 – and I hope I don’t get in trouble with the ICC – but I got a pretty bad decision. I was on 98 batting with Ruchira Perera at the other end. That was a really important innings for me because I played against a really tough pace attack – quick wickets – and that was probably the first time I thought I can become a Test player. My first Test series in Sri Lanka, I had had a terrible time.”Then scoring a century against Australia was special. I had a grade two hamstring injury, and I managed to get back in 16 days and score a century in Hobart, in a losing cause unfortunately. Everyone wants to score runs against Australia, because you consider them the toughest side.”Then there was the hundred in England at the Rose Bowl, which was very, very satisfying. I’ve found England very hard to bat in. I’ve watched Marvan score runs there, Dilshan, Mahela, Aravinda, Sanath all got runs. I watched all these players, and when I found it difficult, I had to come to terms not only with conditions, but also my own expectations.”Sangakkara’s major disappointments were no surprise. He was captain when Sri Lanka were runners up in the 2009 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup. He also played in the 2007 World Cup final and 2012 World T20 final, both of which Sri Lanka lost. He is part of the reigning World T20 champion team however, having hit an unbeaten fifty in the final of that tournament, in Dhaka.What is Sangakkara’s biggest regret?: “I think there have been about four sad days – all the World Cup finals where we didn’t cross the line.”•Getty Images”I think there have been about four sad days – all the World Cup finals where we didn’t cross the line. You wish you’d been on the other side, but you can’t help it. Imagine if I’d been able to walk away with two 50-over World Cup wins and three T20-over World Cup wins. That would be amazing.”But I’ve been a part of some very special teams. I’ve watched Aravinda de Silva, Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu bat. I’ve watched Murali and Chaminda Vaas bowl amazing spells – Vaasy especially on the dirt tracks in Sri Lanka. Rangana Herath – who would have thought, looking at Rangana, that he’d have the record he has? It’s unbelievable. I’ve been part of some special teams and some special wins. There are sad days, but a lot of better days that I remember.”

A round-up of the second day’s play of the eighth-round Group B games of the Ranji Trophy 2013-14

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Yashpal Singh scored 67•ESPNcricinfo LtdSeamer Nishan Singh ran through Railways’ batting order to take his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, as Services took a narrow but potentially crucial lead at the Jamia Millia Ground. Railways hadn’t added to their overnight 85 when they lost their sixth wicket off the second ball of the day, as Suraj Yadav got Ashish Yadav caught behind. Nishan took the next four wickets, dismissing Nitin Bhille for a 128-ball 21 before wrecking the tail to finish with 5 for 21.Services too lost regular wickets, mainly to medium-pacers Anureet Singh and Krishnakant Upadhyay, but ended the day with a 44-run lead thanks to Yashpal Singh, who struck eight fours and a six in a 139-ball 67.Railways captain Murali Kartik didn’t bowl during the Services innings. The former India left-arm spinner, who is playing his sixth match of the season, has only bowled 40 overs so far.
ScorecardRajasthan’s openers resisted Tamil Nadu’s unrelenting spin examination to end the day unbeaten and give their side hope in their hunt for the first-innings lead. Replying to Tamil Nadu’s 318, the openers Siddharth Saraf and Vineet Saxena played through 47 overs to reach 89 for no loss at stumps. Tamil Nadu’s spinners bowled 39 of those overs.Resuming on 231 for 5, Tamil Nadu lost overnight half-centurions R Prasanna and Vijay Shankar early, before a 39 from Malolan Rangarajan and 15 from captain L Balaji pushed their total to 318. After Pankaj Singh dismissed Shankar to complete his five-for, Rajasthan’s spinners took the remaining wickets, with left-armer Aristh Singhvi finishing with 3 for 83.There was no play in Kanpur between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh due to fog.Read the full report of Baroda v Saurashtra here: Yusuf, Utkarsh put Baroda on top

Somerset beat Middlesex by six wickets at Taunton

David Lloyd at Taunton08-Apr-2012
ScorecardVernon Philander may have been the talk of the County Ground for much of this match but friend, foe and neutral observer alike went away this evening singing the praises of spinner George Dockrell.Fast bowler Philander played a significant role as Somerset launched their latest attempt to win a first championship title by beating Middlesex by six wickets. But it was 19-year-old Dockrell who took centre stage – and looked an absolute natural under the spotlight – when his team needed a generous helping of magic today.Figures of 6 for 27 from 20.1 overs suggest a wizard at work. Well, there will be batsmen on the circuit who play him better than these visitors. And not all pitches are going to yield as much turn and bounce as this splendid early season offering from groundsman Simon Lee. But Dockrell’s left-arm weaved a spell which was a treat to watch – unless you were something like 22 yards away, of course.Dockrell, a tall, slim Irishman, has been gathering an army of admirers for a couple of years now, mainly while playing limited-overs cricket for his country. Indeed, people were purring about him when he appeared against England – as a 17-year-old – in the World Twenty20 tournament of 2010.This season, though, is Dockrell’s chance to play first-class cricket to his heart’s desire. With Murali Kartik having left Taunton for Surrey, the way is clear for young George to fill his boots. And fill them he surely will if he keeps bowling with as much control, flight and variety as he displayed during this match.Somerset were first alerted to Dockrell’s talent when he was just 15. Last year, with Kartik on board, he appeared in only one championship contest. But this summer his development promises to be rapid and, on the evidence of today, spectacular.Middlesex were looking more than capable of earning a draw when they reached 105 for 1 deep into the morning session. The first innings arrears had just been cleared and, with a fair amount of good fortune, admittedly, Philander had been seen off.But Dockrell changed the game from the moment he defeated Sam Robson’s attempted sweep to win a leg before decision. Chris Rogers followed, edging a cut, and the visitors knew a tricky afternoon stretched out before them.Even so, losing their last seven wickets for 40 runs in 20 overs to be hurried out for 175 was pretty remarkable. Philander did for Neil Dexter and Dawid Malan to finish with match figures of 7 for 81. But the Dockrell show resumed with John Simpson being undone by turn and bounce before Gareth Berg, lbw pushing forward, Ollie Rayner, stumped, despite at least one fumble from Craig Kieswetter, and Toby Roland-Jones, holing out in the deep, completed the collection.A match haul of 8 for 62 should have allowed Dockrell to sit back and relax while Somerset knocked off a victory target of 72 in 40 overs. Instead, he and a few others in the home changing room will have moved towards the edge of their seats as the hosts slipped to 44 for 4.Having one eye on approaching dark clouds probably did not help the top order. But just when some mild panic was setting in around the ground, James Hildreth and Jos Buttler settled matters with a few hefty blows – including Buttler’s reverse sweep off Joe Denly, to seal the deal.Having lost their opening match of the last two championship campaigns, Somerset deserve to feel good about themselves after this result. As for Middlesex, they fought so hard for so much of a match in which conditions generally conspired against them that defeat will be tough to take. But in the first division one bad session is usually fatal – and the visitors had a shocker after lunch today.No such worries for Dockrell, of course. “This should give me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season,” he said. “Obviously I didn’t get many opportunities last year with Murali Kartik here so I’m pleased to have started well.”You have to go with what you’ve got. I’m quite tall and getting bounce seems to be a big thing for me at the moment. I’m still working on my action and I made a little change this winter while working with Ireland coach Phil Simmons and it seems to have helped because I’m getting a bit more spin.”

Mumbai eased into another Ranji Trophy semi-final on the basis of a massive first-innings lead after their quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh ended in a draw

Abhishek Purohit at the Holkar Cricket Stadium05-Jan-2012
ScorecardMumbai eased into another Ranji Trophy semi-final on the basis of a massive first-innings lead after their quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh ended in a draw on the fourth day in Indore.On the final day, Mohnish Mishra led a dominating batting performance from MP and, with his captain Devendra Bundela, smashed the friendly Mumbai attack for 224 runs in just over a session. MP declared on 474 for 3 but Mumbai, with the security of first-innings points, were never going to go for the target of 233 in a minimum of 49 overs. The match ended at the start of the mandatory overs, by which time Kaustubh Pawar and Praful Waghela had scored fifties to lead Mumbai to 113 for 1.The only source of interest at the start of the final day was whether MPwould go for quick runs and set a target for Mumbai. They did not disappoint. Mishra and Bundela plundered at will on the flat pitch and Wasim Jaffer had nine fielders on the boundary for the major part of the first session. The batsmen still kept hitting the odd boundary, and Mishra smashed five sixes as well. Some of them were flat and clean strikes against the medium-pacers that clearedlong-on.With Dhawal Kulkarni resting ahead of the semi-final against Tamil Nadu because of a shin niggle, the Mumbai spinners did the bulk of the bowling. Ankeet Chavan bowled 40 overs for a return of 1 for 171. Mumbai were not thinking about taking wickets; their only consideration was to bat for as few overs as possible. MP helped them by batting on for a few more overs after lunch so that Bundela could get to his century. When the declaration finally came, Mishra was unbeaten on 174.Pawar, who had rescued Mumbai in the first innings with a defiant 161, punched powerfully off the back foot for boundaries to sign off with a half-century in the second. The pitch looked good to last another four days; it was their indecisive batting on the first morning, when the surface was at its freshest, that ended MP’s tournament.

Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan took full toll of a wayward Australia as Sri Lanka forced a third triangular series final in Adelaide

The Report by Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval06-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTillakaratne Dilshan hits ten fours in his 106•Getty ImagesMahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan took full toll of a wayward Australia as Sri Lanka forced a third triangular series final in Adelaide. Chasing 272, the visitors galloped to the target with 5.4 overs to spare, benefiting greatly from a rollicking start when the first three overs reaped 30 runs.Dilshan alternated between the brazen and the cheeky, crashing 10 fours and also being struck on the helmet when he attempted his patented Dil-scoop. The captain Jayawardene was more cultured, but outpaced his partner in a princely innings that would have ended in the second over if not for a Clint McKay no-ball.Such indiscipline summed up Australia’s predicament, having struck a horrid patch of form in the field midway through the first final in Brisbane and then being unable to rise above it in Adelaide. The captain Michael Clarke is also in the unenviable position of carrying a left hamstring problem perilously close to the start of the West Indies tour, due to begin almost immediately after the third final.Clarke had done his best to give his side a decent total. His 117 in Australia’s 6 for 271 was the fastest of his limited-overs career and the second of his ODI captaincy. David Warner was more circumspect, but his chanceless 100 demonstrated a range of concentration and focus reserved for the best of batsmen. Famed as a boundary hitter, Warner reached the rope only four times in his innings and cleared it only once, but the value of his effort was reflected in a final total far greater than seemed possible at the innings’ midpoint.Matthew Wade departed early to the spin of Dilshan, who opened the bowling and completed a tidy 10 overs, before Shane Watson played a chancy innings in which he was grassed twice. Each dropped catch fell off the bowling of Farveez Maharoof, who ultimately ran out Australia’s vice-captain with a direct hit in his follow through. Lasith Malinga was the tightest of Sri Lanka’s bowlers and deserved his three wickets.Two more catches would go down off Clarke’s bat later in the innings, while Jayawardene raged against a delayed no-ball call at the height of his opposite number’s innings. Debating the point angrily with both umpires after Maharoof had strayed above waist height with a full toss, Jayawardene lost his cool. His fury would be far more controlled when the reply began.A second-over edge behind by Jayawardene was cancelled out by McKay’s overstep, typical of the abject way in which Australia’s bowlers began their defence of a less than watertight total. Brett Lee gave up three wides on the way to conceding 12 from the opening over, and James Pattinson’s first two overs were taken for 22 despite an abundance of away swing.No fewer than 11 of the first 30 runs were handed to Sri Lanka via the extras column, as Australia’s bowlers maintained the poorly form they had demonstrated in the latter overs in Brisbane. Clarke had taken the field despite his injury, but his presence did not make much of a difference.Jayawardene and Dilshan did not get too frantic after the start they were given, and slipped into comfortable gears that involved regular singles and the odd boundary whenever the bowlers strayed in search of a first wicket. Australia’s mid-innings options were milked for regular runs, Xavier Doherty’s first five costing 37.Dilshan was first to pass 50, and Jayawardene soon followed. Australia’s frustration grew when Asad Rauf refused a concerted appeal for caught behind from Dilshan on 77, as replays revealed a substantial edge that Wade gathered while keeping up to Watson.Jayawardene’s sparkling stay was ended by a hint of Pattinson reverse swing and a clear lbw, but Dilshan went on to his second century of the tournament before Dinesh Chandimal and Kumar Sangakkara guided the visitors home.Clarke had little hesitation batting upon winning the toss, but the early overs were slow going. Jayawardene’s imaginative use of Dilshan added to the openers’ uncertainty, and Wade’s impatience proved terminal when he swung at a ball not quite short enough for the stroke and was bowled.Watson’s innings was halting, and he was dropped by Dilshan in the fielding circle then by Rangana Herath on the long-off boundary – the latter unable to complete an equivalent of his spectacular outfield take in the first final. However Maharoof was not discouraged by the missed chances, and when Watson was 15 he gathered and swivelled from Warner’s offside bunt to throw down the stumps and find a diving Watson comfortably short. Clarke helped to build some greater momentum in the company of Warner, who was less conspicuous than he had been at the Gabba.The pair accumulated steadily, adding a little more impetus with the batting Powerplay, and continuing to benefit from profligate fielding from the tourists. Clarke was turfed on 71 and 77, the second chance falling to Malinga, who managed only to palm the chance over the rope for six.It set the scene for an explosive over, in which Clarke took Maharoof for six, four, six, four – the last a high full toss swung behind square leg. Initially the umpires did not call it a no-ball, but on reflection Bruce Oxenford raised his arm to hand Australia an extra run and another delivery. Jayawardene was incensed by the delayed call, arguing at length with both officials in a manner that suggested more of the incident would be heard later.Clarke had blazed past Warner despite the opener having a 23-run start, and he was first to reach his century with a flick through square leg. Though he had made plenty of useful contributions in the interim, it was Clarke’s first ODI century since his first innings as the fully-fledged captain, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in April 2011.Warner’s hundred arrived in the next over, an effort of composure and also courage after his groin complaint in Brisbane. He skied a catch without adding another run, leaving an increasingly restricted Clarke to guide the hosts to a total rather less substantial than was ultimately needed.

Graeme Smith, South Africa’s Test captain, has said he will not consider international retirement after being offered a county deal from Surrey that could have required him to quit playing for his country.

Firdose Moonda28-Sep-2012Graeme Smith, South Africa’s Test captain, has said he will not consider international retirement after being offered a county deal from Surrey that could have required him to quit playing for his country.Smith made his statement on Twitter after ESPNcricinfo revealed that he had been identified by Surrey to be the back bone of their rebuilding process. While not specifically confirming the offer, Smith hinted at it when he posted, “I am constantly approached about cricketing opportunities at home and abroad and always consider them.” He followed it up with a message that said “I remain committed to the Proteas and my international career!”Surrey have declined to comment on the deal but it is understood that they still see Smith as part of a long-term plan for them. It remains possible that Surrey will consider signing Smith as an overseas player, which would allow him to continue his international career. The retirement of Mark Ramprakash, the death of Tom Maynard and departure of Rory Hamilton-Brown have left Surrey short in the batting department. Although they have signed Vikram Solanki, their search for other reliable batsmen continues.South Africa have a fairly light winter schedule in the coming years, which could allow Smith to play for Surrey in the English summer. Next year – 2013 – they are due to play Sri Lanka in July/August although the three-Test tour may be reduced to fewer matches.The following two years are far quieter. South Africa tour Zimbabwe in 2014 and Bangladesh in the 2015 winter, tours which they have traditionally used for blooding talent and experimenting.At 31, Smith has played international cricket for nine years and captained South Africa for eight. He has played 100 Tests, overseen South Africa’s rise to the No. 1 ranking and holds the record for the most Tests as captain, having broken Allan Border’s record at Lord’s in August. Smith remains part of South Africa’s one-day squad but was not considered for the World T20 squad.Smith previously told ESPNCricinfo that he does not see himself remaining captain until the end of his international career. He stepped down as T20 captain in August 2010 and as one-day captain after the 2011 World Cup, when he also considered giving up the Test captaincy. Gary Kirsten persuaded Smith to stay on but he has admitted he would like to play as a batsman only in future.

Pakistan allrounders Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq have been ruled out of the South Africa tour with injuries and will return home immediately

Umar Farooq19-Nov-2013Pakistan allrounders Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq have been ruled out of the South Africa tour with injuries and will return home immediately. The tour selection committee hasn’t asked for replacements, reducing the squad to 15 members from 17.While Razzaq injured his hamstring while training, Malik aggravated the finger injury he picked up in the second T20 against South Africa in Dubai. He was struck by a rising delivery from Wayne Parnell.”The decision was taken by the tour selection committee after consultation with the team’s doctor and a South African doctor,” the PCB said in a statement. “Razzaq suffered from a severe hamstring injury while training the day before yesterday while Malik’s hand injury was exacerbated because of the travel stress. The tour selection committee has not asked for replacements.”Both players were retained for Pakistan’s tour of South Africa even though they failed to impress during the T20 series in the UAE. Razzaq was recalled since being dropped after the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka following his outburst against captain Mohammad Hafeez which fetched him a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

The BCCI will implement several measures targeted at players, support staff and team owners to curb corruption in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2013The BCCI has announced its first set of proposals to “clean up” the IPL, measures ranging from financial disclosures by players and team owners to curbing the tournament’s controversial “entertainment” quotient, including putting a stop to cheerleaders and after-match parties.The measures are part of “operation clean-up,” announced by acting BCCI head Jagmohan Dalmiya at the end of a working committee meeting in Delhi on Monday. It aims to curb corruption and remove “sleaze” in the IPL by enforcing a “strict code of conduct” for players, support staff and owners, after the 2013 season was hit by charges of spot-fixing against players and by allegations that team owners were involved in illegal betting.Players will be required to reveal sources of their earnings, and owners will have to furnish details of payments and their contractual obligations with players and support staff.Access to the players’ dug-out and dressing room has been tightened once again, with Dalmiya saying that team owners will be restricted from these areas during matches. Owners were allowed in the dug-out and dressing room during the first season in 2008, but following complaints had been prevented from entering those areas thereafter. They now have seating arrangements close to the dug-out. Top officials of two teams, Gurunath Meiyappan of the Chennai Super Kings and Raj Kundra of Rajasthan Royals, have confessed to taking part in illegal betting, according to the Mumbai and Delhi police.Dalmiya also said that “no selector will be allowed to get associated with any franchise in any capacity.” No member of India’s current selection panel is attached to any franchise, but former selection chairman Kris Srikkanth was brand ambassador for the Super Kings for a period at the start of the IPL.Players and support staff will need to provide their telephone numbers to the BCCI before the IPL, and there will be a larger number of officials from the BCCI’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit at grounds and hotels during the tournament. It was also said that cell phone towers at the ground could be jammed during matches.No decision was taken on the strategic time-out, which accounts for five minutes of every IPL match and came into being in 2010. The two intervals of two and a half minutes each in every innings allow teams to strategise with support staff, and commercially it creates 300 seconds of advertising space. However, according to police investigations that led to more than 25 betting-related arrests in Delhi and Mumbai, the time-out was also an ideal period for the syndicates to adjust their session and spot odds. When Dalmiya was asked about this, he said: “We have not thought about it, it was just a financial exercise.”On Tuesday, BCCI’s secretary Sanjay Patel was quoted in the saying that cleaning up the IPL was an “ongoing process” and doing away with the strategic time-outs had “financial implications.” He did not rule out any future change, however, saying that the strategic time-out could form a part of “additional measures in our programme. We will discuss all other issues, including strategic time-out in our future meetings.”Operation clean-up is a work in progress, Dalmiya said, and IPL captains will be called for a meeting and franchises will also be consulted before a blueprint could be finalised at another working committee meeting.By Sharda UgraThe BCCI’s 12-point “Operation Clean-Up” should, in a twisted way, look like a giant leap for Indian cricket. It is the first formal, even if disguised, admission of errors, misdemeanours and lapses in governance that Indian cricket has made since it became the game’s financial behemoth.It was official acknowledgement that the dirt whirling around the IPL could not possibly be brushed under a carpet of delusion. It involved three players, two IPL team owners, the police of two cities, an umpire who was yanked out of the Champions Trophy by the ICC, two dozen illegal bookies and time in prison.Operation Clean-Up addresses IPL’s corruption issues at two levels. Putting an end to cheer leaders and after-match parties and planning to jam cellphones during matches is at worst a cosmetic change, at best tangential. Cheerleaders are not responsible for cricketers being lured by bookies or owners falling prey to gambling. After-match parties have been off limits in the post-Modi IPL world anyway. Jamming cellphones during matches serve no purpose if deals have already been done.The more serious aspect of the BCCI’s plans involve asking cricketers to spell out their financial investments and partnerships, and for IPL owners to come clean with the details of their payment structures with players and support staff. While it may not uncover ‘black’ or ‘grey’ money dealings but it is the most you can do. It must be hoped that these will be early steps towards financial transparency in the BCCI, signaling a departure from the IPL’s very smelly ‘secret tie-break’ culture.Whatever may have been included in the 12-point list, what stayed off it were the unmentionables. Whether BCCI officials would be willing to have their own financial backgrounds so thoroughly examined. To reveal the channels through which they make profits through cricket. Whether the BCCI would consider re-amending their constitution, rolling back the clause that gave N Srinivasan the latitude to buy an IPL franchise. Whether officials fighting misappropriation of funds cases against them could possibly continue in office.Operation Clean Up is a very small first step. It is the follow through that will tell us whether the BCCI has responded to perhaps the worst crisis in its history with a thorough overhaul of its governance structures, or mere window dressing.

Cricket Australia is to review the process for reporting suspect bowling actions in domestic cricket, to better enable cases to be resolved during the short time span of competitions such as the Big Bash League

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2013Cricket Australia is to review the process for reporting suspect bowling actions in domestic cricket, to better enable cases to be resolved during the short time span of competitions such as the Big Bash League.The current system requires a player to be “mentioned” on three separate occasions by three different umpires in a single season before an analysis of their action is undertaken. Although there is understood to have been only one case of a bowler’s action being mentioned in the 2012-13 season so far, CA operations manager, Sean Cary, said that the reporting system would be looked at.”It’s to tighten the process up so that it can be effective in competitions that run over short periods of time,” Cary told . “It’s not a crackdown because I don’t perceive we have a major problem.”We have to look at the current procedure because it doesn’t allow for the full process to be completed within the period of time that the BBL is actually played … If there is a doubtful action report or mention, then we need a procedure that deals with it there and then, so if there is an effect as a result of that, it doesn’t impact the competition.”According to CA policy, umpires in Australia can “bypass the mentions process” and report a player’s action directly for review but they are often reluctant to do so because of the controversy attached to accusations of “chucking”. During this year’s BBL, Darren Lehmann publically questioned the action of Marlon Samuels. Lehmann was subsequently reprimanded for doing so.The issue of legitimate bowling actions has provoked recent discussion in Australia. With specific reference to teaching offspinners to bowl the doosra, the national selector, John Inverarity, called it “a question of integrity”. The CA review comes in response to reported disquiet among state coaches about actions which exceed the 15-degree limit on elbow extension allowed by the ICC.