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Wasim Jaffer returned to form with a comfortable century, which forced Saurashtra to settle for the draw

Nagraj Gollapudi in Rajkot09-Dec-2011
Scorecard
Wasim Jaffer returned to form with a comfortable century, which became the only element of interest in the match on Friday, which Saurashtra had dominated on the previous three days before having to settle for a draw. They earned three valuable points to keep their chances of making the knockout stage still alive. Despite getting only a solitary point Mumbai are well placed, on 17 points and in second spot behind group leaders Karnataka.The early morning chill on Friday was an encouraging sign for the hosts’ new-ball pair of Jaydev Unadkat and Sandip Maniar, Saurashtra’s first-innings’ hero with a five-for. In the second over, Unadkat duly angled a delivery across a helpless Kaustubh Pawar, who could only edge it back to the wicketkeeper. Pawar had managed only eight runs in the first innings and the second time around he could add only five more.His opening partner Sushant Marathe, who had made an eight-ball duck on Wednesday evening, battled for 100 minutes for just one run. Then he played a cross-batted stroke too far from his body to a delivery that moved away from him. It seemed to take a thin edge on its way to wicketkeeper Sagar Jogiyani, who accepted his second offering of the morning. Marathe remained unimpressed with the umpire’s decision, shaking his head in disapproval throughout his walk back to the dressing room.As the sun came out, Jaffer and Suryakumar Yadav played with more assurance to dominate the bowlers. Yadav, who had hit an aggressive century in the first session on Thursday, was more circumspect and took eighteen deliveries to open his account. Jaffer, who hadn’t made even a fifty so far this season, returned to form, playing elegant strokes and lofting the slow bowlers for his trademark straight sixes.Once the match moved to the second session without the fall of any more wickets, it became of academic interest. So much so that Saurashtra bowled only spin after tea and Jaffer helped himself to his first century in twelve months. His last Ranji hundred came in a winning effort, against Gujarat last December which Mumbai won by an innings and 167 runs.

Lawyers representing Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif are considering an appeal against his conviction which would mean he would walk free from prison should such an appeal be successful

Richard Sydenham 04-Nov-2011Lawyers representing Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif are considering an appeal against his conviction which would mean he would walk free from prison should such an appeal be successful.The lawyers for Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir on Thursday announced they would appeal on behalf of their clients, but they were expected to be against their sentences, not convictions.Asif was found guilty of conspiring to cheat and conspiring to accept corrupt payments by a jury on Tuesday and he was sentenced to 12 months in jail by Justice Cooke two days later. Butt was handed a sentence of 30 months, Amir six months and the agent Mazhar Majeed 32 months.But a representative inside Asif’s legal team revealed to ESPNcricinfo that “we are considering an appeal against conviction, not sentence”. They feel that the jury may not have been within their rights to convict Asif on the evidence they had in front of them. This appeal is expected to be lodged in the next seven days.Asif’s team feel that if it is found that the jury were right to hand down a guilty conviction then they would not be appealing against the sentence because if guilty the sentence fits the crime.Asif was adjudged to have bowled one pre-determined no-ball in the Lord’s Test match last year, while Amir admitted to bowling two. Asif denied the charges against him. Butt was accused of orchestrating the spot-fixing and Majeed of arranging the deal after taking £150,000 off an undercover reporter for the News of the World.Alexander Milne QC, who represented Asif at Southwark Crown Court in the 22-day trial, told the jury in his closing speech to “follow the money and if you follow the money you will not find any on Mr Asif”, in referring to how no marked News of the World money was discovered in his hotel room when police raided it. Butt had £2,500 found in his room and £1,500 was found in Amir’s room.Majeed said via his barrister on Wednesday that he paid £65,000 to Asif of £77,500 in total that he paid to the three players. Asif was said to have pocketed more to “keep him loyal” and prevent him from joining rival fixing rackets, inferred to be lying elsewhere within the team.

The Sri Lankan bowlers struggled through their first opportunity to play on South African pitches and conceded heavily on the second day of their warm-up match

Firdose Moonda at Willowmoore Park10-Dec-2011
Scorecard File photo: Rangana Herath was the Sri Lankans’ best bowler•AFPThe Sri Lankan bowlers struggled through their first opportunity to play on South African pitches and conceded heavily on the second day of their warm-up match. No play was possible on the first day due to persistent rain and a wet outfield. On the second, South Africa’s Invitation XI opted to bat first, denying the Sri Lankan batsmen time to adjust to local conditions. They capitalised on a pedestrian Sri Lankan attack and each of the top four scored half-centuries.The Sri Lankans lost Nuwan Pradeep to a hamstring injury after he had bowled just 10 deliveries. Dilhara Fernando got better as the day went on while Angelo Matthews’ first overs in a first-class match for more than a year went fairly well. In the spin department, Ajantha Mendis bowled the bulk of the overs and was worryingly inconsistent; Thilan Samaraweera and captain Tillakaratne Dilshan were acceptable as part-timers; and Rangana Herath was, by some distance, the team’s best bowler.For the Invitation XI, Dean Elgar showed both class and temperament and was the likeliest candidate to go on to record a century. Reeza Hendricks partnered him with aplomb, in an opening stand of 148, before Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw built a 95-run partnership. When wickets fell, they did in clusters but the Invitation XI’s batting was dominant for most of the day.Of particular worry for the Sri Lankans will be that they struggled to adjust their lengths to the Benoni surface, which was a tame one. Although careful not to bowl too short, their bowlers were often too full and seldom bowled a good length.Fernando got closest to understanding which length to bowl. His one perfect yorker bowled Hendricks. He also claimed the last wicket of the day, with the second new ball, after Thami Tsolekile edged to give Mahela Jayawardene a comfortable catch at second slip. In between those two successes, Fernando, like the rest of the attack, was a victim of a confident Invitation line-up, who found the boundary 43 times.Mendis was introduced in the 8th over of the day and a combination of poor luck and the fact that he bowled at least one boundary ball an over meant he went for 4.68 runs an over while taking just one wicket. Dean Elgar picked him with particular ease. But when Mendis did bowl a good ball it was a very good one. He troubled Hendricks early on and had Farhaan Berhardien edge two fours down to third man. His solitary wicket, Elgar’s, was achieved with surprising bounce. Elgar tried to cut and was caught after a bit of juggling by Jayawardene at slip.Herath was more successful and bowled with good control, flight and guile. He picked up two of the three wickets that fell in the half hour before tea. Rossouw, who had been sweeping compulsively, came too far forward while attempting one and was stumped shortly after reaching his half-century. Then, Temba Bavuma became the only one of the top six to fail after his middle stump was uprooted.Berhardien had a nervous start and looked particularly edgy against the spin of Mendis and Herath, but soon settled into a rhythm. He allowed himself a few risks, driving Fernando in the air over a diving Jayawardene at mid-on and pulling him majestically in the same over. With allrounder David Wiese with him at the crease, the Invitation XI will look to bat for a while yet, which would increase the Sri Lankan batsmen’s concerns about when they will get time in the middle ahead of the three-Test series.

Patrick Cummins will be itching to make an impression if he gets the chance, but “the baggy green is obviously the pinnacle” for him

Nitin Sundar28-Sep-2011At 18, Patrick Cummins is physically at least some way from reaching his peak as a fast bowler. It was a point Greg Chappell stressed when Cummins missed the A tour to Zimbabwe with a back strain, an injury that had its roots in Cummins’ propensity for extreme pace. However, Chappell had added that, while Cummins was a few years from attaining maturity as a bowler, it did not rule him out for Australia duties. Cummins has now got his chance earlier than most would have anticipated, and will tour South Africa with the national Twenty20 and ODI squads.When he spoke to ESPNcricinfo four days prior to the Australian squad announcement, Cummins believed his rigorous pre-season training would stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead. His work-out regimen had extensively focused on developing the musculature to sustain his brand of bowling and prevent potential breakdowns in the future.”In hindsight, there was a silver lining to missing the A tour to Zimbabwe,” Cummins, who is in India with the New South Wales squad for the Champions League, said. “It gave me the chance to have a great pre-season where I did a lot of weight training. I spent most of that time working on building my muscles, and I am getting stronger all the time.”The back strain has not affected Cummins’ mindset one bit, and he remains focused on generating the sort of pace and bounce that got him 11 wickets in the Big Bash, making him the tournament’s top wicket-taker. He has chosen his fast-bowling role models well; he looks up to Stuart Clark as a mentor, and idolises Brett Lee, another famed purveyor of pace from his state.”In a sense I was lucky that my injury wasn’t too serious [like a stress fracture], so it is still about going out there and giving it my all,” Cummins said. “I want to bowl as fast as I can. If you try to fiddle around too much with the approach or the pace, you might end up with a completely different action.”The pre-season training seemed to have paid dividends for Cummins when he bustled in for a lively spell in his Champions League debut. New South Wales managed only 135, but Cummins came out and hustled the Cape Cobras openers with real speed and bounce, on a track that was so sluggish that it had relegated Dale Steyn to a spell full of offcutters earlier in the day.One Cummins bouncer took off from a length, past an in-form Herschelle Gibbs, who weaved away in a hurry, and almost carried over the head of the keeper who had to leap up full length to parry it down. Another short ball harried Gibbs into top-edging a pull that carried into the stands behind fine-leg – hardly standard fare on Chepauk’s lifeless strip.Gibbs was mighty impressed with what he saw of him, but advised Cummins to work on his variety. On South Africa’s spicy wickets, he will be a handful even without the variations, especially in spells that last only four overs. Cummins will be itching to make an impression if he gets the chance in the shorter formats but he said “the baggy green is obviously the pinnacle”.

A round-up of the first day’s matches at the ICC WCL East Asia-Pacific Region Division One Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2011An all-round performance from Papua New Guinea carried them to a comfortable 38-run win over Vanuatu in the opening game of the ICC WCL East Asia-Pacific Region Division One Twenty20 tournament in Port Moresby.PNG captain Rarva Dikana chose to bat and his decision was justified with the openers Asad Vala and Tony Ura putting on 82 runs in the first nine overs before Vala was dismissed. Ura though, stayed firm, making 73 off 55 balls with nine fours and one six to keep his team on track for a competitive score. Medium-pacer Patrick Matautaava picked up three wickets in the final over but PNG managed to reach 150 for 6 courtesy their strong opening stand and Ura’s half-century.”I am really happy with how I batted today,” Ura said after the day’s play. “Although it was disappointing to get out before the innings ended.”That total proved to be more than a handful for Vanuatu who lost two wickets within the first three overs. They never recovered from their poor start with only three batsmen managing to reach double figures. Joel Tom and Dikana picked up two wickets apiece as Vanuatu were restricted to 112 for 8, handing PNG an easy victory.Samoa stole a thrilling three-wicket win over Fiji with one ball to spare in the second match of the day. Put in to bat first, Fiji lost their openers cheaply before the captain Josefa Rika steadied the innings with 33, but Fiji kept losing wickets at the other end. The final score of 125 was aided by some waywardy bowling from Samoa, who conceded 12 wides in all.With a modest total to chase, Samoa lost their opener Sean Cotter early, before Geoff Clarke and Benjamin Mailata put on 79 runs for the second wicket. The match seemed headed to a predictable finish when the middle order collapsed dramatically, with the next five wickets falling for the addition of only seven runs, and it was left up to Uala Kaisara and Winston Mariner – the pick of the bowlers earlier on in the day – to steer Samoa home with an unbeaten 20-run stand.Mailata was relieved with the result, given that his side nearly made a hash of the chase. “It’s always good to get a win to start a tournament,” he said. “We certainly did it the hard way but it was still a great result.”Papua New Guinea followed up their earlier win in the day with another convincing victory, crushing Samoa by 77 runs. Winning the toss for the second time in the day, PNG chose to bat, and their opening pair bettering their previous effort with a 112-run stand. The momentum they created was enough to carry PNG to 182 in their 20 overs. Faasao Mulivai, who picked up two wickets, was the only Samoan bowler with an economy under six, a statistic that reflected the kind of day their attack endured.In reply, Samoa lost their top three batsmen with just 17 runs on the board, and never recovered. Only two of their batsmen reached double figures, and Uala Kaisara stayed unbeaten on 29, as Samoa finished with 105 for 9.PNG’s Mahuru Dai had words of encouragement for his opponents despite his side’s easy wins. “Last time I saw Samoa and Vanuatu play they weren’t too strong,” Dai said. “But now that they are here in PNG after seeing them again I have noticed great improvement in both of them.”Fiji trounced Japan by 74 runs in the final match of the day, moving to the second place on the points table, with a net run-rate superior to Samoa’s. Batting first, Fiji finished with 160 for the loss of only two wickets, with Kitiano Tavo top-scoring with an unbeaten 45.In reply, Japan’s top-order collapsed, and they never gained the momentum required to chase down a challenging total. Iniasi Cakacaka, who had contributed 33 with the bat, picked up two wickets in his four overs.

A brilliant all-round performance by Preston Mommsen was not enough to earn Scotland victory in their Clydesdale Bank 40 opener at Chester-le-Street

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2011
Scorecard
A brilliant all-round performance by Preston Mommsen was not enough to earn Scotland victory in their Clydesdale Bank 40 opener at Chester-le-Street. The visitors lost by five wickets as Gordon Muchall’s unbeaten 95 off 97 balls carried Durham home with 10 balls to spare.South Africa-born Mommsen, 23, who hails from Durban and arrived at Gordonstoun School in 2006 on a cricket and rugby scholarship, came in at No. 7 and smashed 73 not out off 54 balls as Scotland took 94 off the last eight overs to reach 215 for 7. But Muchall’s innings, which built on a quickfire 50 from Ben Stokes, saw Durham to 219 for the loss of 5 wickets.Mommsen helped Scotland stage a tremendous recovery from 93 for 6, although even that was relatively healthy after Graham Onions took wickets in each of his first three overs to have the Scots reeling on 16 for 3. When he came back for two overs at the end of the innings, Onions’ last two balls were both hit for six by Mommsen, who now works in Edinburgh and plays forCarlton CC.He also had figures of 2 for 20 in five overs with his offspin, while Middlesex’s Josh Davey took 2 for 18 in six overs, but bizarrely neither player completed their allocation. Gordon Drummond turned instead to his quicker bowlers when Durham needed 47 off six overs and Muchall plundered a series of boundaries.Allrounder Majid Haq also performed well for Scotland, bowling his offspin tightly and contributing 30 to a seventh-wicket stand of 77 in 13 overs with Mommsen. When Haq holed out at deep square leg, well caught by Durham’s Scot, Kyle Coetzer, Gordon Goudie helped to add 39 off the last two overs.Ian Blackwell and Gareth Breese conceded only 53 runs in 16 overs of spin for Durham but their troubles started when they turned to Ben Harmison to bowl the 33rd over. Five of his first nine balls were wides and the over cost 15, then Ruel Brathwaite came under fire at the other end as he was brought back to earth a day after his five-wicket haul against Sussex.Durham looked like coasting to victory as Stokes, batting at No. 3, hit a 36-ball half-century, but when he pulled Davey to deep midwicket they lost their way. Dale Benkenstein was brilliantly caught by Richie Berrington, high to his right at midwicket, and two overs later Mommsen struck again when Blackwell chipped a return catch.But at 145 for 5 in the 28th over Breese went in and his unbeaten 24 helped Muchall complete the task.

Brendon McCullum scored a blistering double-century as New Zealand Cricket XI dominated the opening day of the three-day tour game against the Pakistanis at Cobham Oval (New) in Whagarei

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2011NZC XI 342 for 4 (McCullum 206, McIntosh 51) v Pakistanis
ScorecardBrendon McCullum picked up his second double century in two months•AFPBrendon McCullum scored a blistering double-century as New Zealand Cricket XI dominated the opening day of the three-day tour game against the Pakistanis at Cobham Oval (New) in Whangarei. It was his first match since missing much of the HRV Cup and the Twenty20s against Pakistan due to a back problem.The Pakistani bowlers were put to the sword as McCullum and Tim McIntosh put on 162 for the first wicket, after New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat. McCullum was the aggressor, scoring at close to a run a ball, as the Pakistani opening bowlers, Sohail Tanvir and Tanvir Ahmed struggled to contain him. Tanvir was particularly expensive, going at more than six runs an over in his 13 overs. “We [McCullum and McIntosh] are still feeling out our partnership,” McCullum, who has moved up the order to opener in Tests from the tour of India late last year, said. “We’ve had a couple of good ones, a couple not so good, so any opportunity to bank up a partnership at the top of the order has to be taken.”The Pakistanis finally had some success when Abdur Rehman dismissed McIntosh for 51. However McCullum then combined with BJ Watling to add 86 for second wicket to further torment the Pakistani bowlers. McCullum was finally dismissed in the 82nd over by Umar Gul after he made 206 off 218 balls.After a day in which not much went his side’s way, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said: “”It was hard work, a hard day for the bowlers, but that’s how it goes in test cricket. So it was good preparation.” New Zealand ended the day on 342 for 4 with James Franklin and Dean Brownlie at the crease.

A round-up of the third day of the opening round of matches in Division 1 of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2010Water and Power Development Authority completed a thumping innings and 151-run victory against Sialkot at the Jinnah Stadium with a day to spare.Ali Azmat and Ahmed Said, who had stalled Sialkot’s surge with a doughty resistance on the second day, continued their effort well into the third morning. Azmat, who was on 112 overnight, progressed to 130, while Said crossed triple-figures as well, and remained unbeaten when the innings was declared closed at 429 for 8.Trailing by a mammoth 303, Sialkot’s second innings was only marginally better than their first. Sarfraz Ahmed wreaked havoc with a five-wicket haul, while Naved-ul-Hasan and Umaid Asif chipped in with two apiece to derail Sialkot, who were shot out for 152.Habib Bank Limited’s bowlers put their side on course for victory by stumps on the third day, after their batsmen piled on the advantage to finish with a mammoth first-innings lead of 361 against Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium. Ahmed Shehzad, unbeaten on 207 overnight, powered along to 254, but Salim Elahi was unable to drive home the advantage as HBL lost three wickets in quick succession following the marathon 371-run association. Their captain Hasan Raza, however, ensured that his side maintained full control, with a quick 69, inclusive of three fours and three sixes, before declaring the innings closed at 533 for 7.Farrukh Shehzad settled into a defensive mode as Faisalabad fought to save the game, accumulating an unbeaten 46 in his near three-hour stay, but HBL made regular breaches from the other end. Qaiser Iqbal departed early, before spinners Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Aslam snared two more wickets to leave Faisalabad 248 runs in arrears with only seven wickets to survive the final day.Islamabad held a slight upper hand against National Bank of Pakistan at the end of the third day’s play at the Diamond Club Ground. Beginning the day at 201 for 5 – 151 short of Islamabad’s first innings effort – NBP’s lower order was unable to make a reasonable dent in the deficit. Nasrullah Khan and Shehzad Azam finished with four wickets each, while Hammad Azam held one end up for with his 61, but NBP still fell 63 runs short of the lead.Hammad was at it again with the ball, snaring two early wickets in Islamabad’s second innings. Mohammad Talha then got into the act, and at 52 for 3, NBP had a strong chance of running through the middle order. Ameer Khan and Ali Sarfraz, however, scuppered their hopes with a crucial 96-run stand to build the lead. Talha struck late in the day, removing both batsmen to give his side an opening, but unless NBP can strike early on the final day, this will be Islamabad’s game to lose.Rawalpindi’s lower order authored a stirring fightback to neutralize Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited’s advantage from the first two days, and leave the game interestingly poised going into the final day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Resuming at a wobbly 117 for 4 – still three runs short of wiping the first-innings deficit – Rawalpindi were propelled by weighty contributions from Nos. 6, 7 and 8, Babar Naeem, Zahid Mansoor and Adnan Mufti, into a position of strength.Naeem began the resistance along with opener Shoaib Nasir who went on to make 73, before Mansoor took centre-stage. He struck 19 fours and a six in his attractive innings, and added 116 with Mufti, who made 65 off 98 balls. Mohammad Khalil dismissed Mufti to complete his five-wicket haul, but there was no respite for ZTBL who ran into a determined No. 11 in Sadaf Hussain. He played out 101 minutes and 55 balls, helping Mansoor add 65 runs, and take the overall lead to 296. ZTBL have a tricky final day ahead of them, and Rawalpindi will fancy their chances of setting a 300-plus target and pushing for a win.Multan’s lower order failed to capitalise on the strong foundation laid by their top half, and conceded a 72-run first-innings advantage, before their bowlers, led by left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza’s seven-wicket haul, redressed the balance to leave the match against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines delicately balanced at the Multan Cricket Stadium.Resuming their first innings at 226 for 5, Multan ran into a rut as they lost their last five wickets for the addition of only 40 runs. Kashif Naved, unbeaten on 44 overnight, did the bulk of the scoring on the third day but fell six short of a well-deserved hundred. Adil Raza and Yasir Shah were the pick of the bowlers, picking four wickets each as Multan were bowled out for 286.Ahmed Raza got into the act thereafter, continuing from his six-wicket haul in the first innings as SNGPL floundered against his wiles once again. Barring Usman Arshad and Yasir Shah, no one managed to cross 30 as they were bowled out, two short of 200, setting Multan a target of 271. There was to be one final twist in the day’s play, as opener Babar Ali fell to Asad Ali in the three overs of play remaining in the day. With 269 runs to get and nine wickets standing, it is anybody’s game going into day five.

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Fabian Ruiz ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet AS, via Sport Witness, the Magpies are to be handed the opportunity to sign the Napoli midfielder as Barcelona are struggling to stump up the €40m (£34m) required to prise him away from Italy.

The report claims that Eddie Howe tried to bring him to St James’ Park in January, only to be told that he wanted to wait until the end of the season to consider his future. Ruiz is now poised to depart the Serie A club, and Newcastle are now eyeing a bid for his services after their failure in the previous transfer window.

Imagine him & Bruno Guimaraes

PIF must ensure that they are able to get this deal over the line ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, as Ruiz would be a sublime addition to the squad to partner with Guimaraes.

He is a consistent, quality midfield player who is heading into the prime years of his career at the age of 26. Newcastle will therefore be getting a gem who can come in and make an instant impact, instead of a prospect who may take a year or two to settle in.

Ruiz has been in superb form for Napoli in Serie A this season as he has proven his ability to produce quality displays on a regular basis. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21 across 31 outings for the Azzurri, scoring seven goals and providing four assists.

Journalist Josh Bunting showered him with praise earlier this year, tweeting: “Fabián Ruiz is a beautiful footballer, he scored the only goal in Napoli’s win over Torino. His pass selection is so good, dictates the play, so smart and intelligent on the ball and off it, so good at popping into space and rotating the ball around, keeps them ticking.”

These quotes illustrate the type of midfielder he is and why he would complement Guimaraes in the middle of the park. Whilst Ruiz has the technical ability to dominate matches in possession, the Brazilian is a combative enforcer with three tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League.

The January signing from Lyon also has quality on the ball, with four goals and one assist in nine Newcastle starts, but his defensive awareness would allow him to cover for Ruiz when the Spaniard wants to advance forward. Therefore, they could be an exciting midfield pairing for Howe, as they are both impressive in their own right and have the potential to work well together.

AND in other news, Craig Hope drops worrying worrying £50m NUFC claim, it’s a first major disaster for PIF…

An Indian parliamentary committee has questioned the heads of the BCCI and the IPL over alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2011An Indian parliamentary committee has questioned the heads of the BCCI and the IPL over alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in the course of running the popular Twenty20 league. Board president Shashank Manohar, secretary and president-elect N Srinivasan, and IPL Chairman Chirayu Amin appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Bhartiya Janata Party leader, Yashwant Sinha, on Wednesday.According to , the committee asked the officials about the funding patterns of the IPL, the method of payment of players’ salaries, and whether they were aware that investments in the league made by a number of the franchises had been routed through companies located in places such as Mauritius, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. It also wanted to know why the BCCI had not taken the requisite permissions from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to conduct foreign exchange transactions.”Do you agree that large scale FEMA violations have been committed by the IPL Franchisees and their associates?” quoted a committee member as asking. “If so what are the reasons thereof? What is the approach of the BCCI in this issue?”Another line of questioning focused on the 2009 IPL, which was moved to South Africa at the last minute over security concerns arising out of the tournament overlapping with the Indian general elections. According to the committee, opening and operating a current account in South Africa through an explicit arrangement with Cricket South Africa could be construed as violation of FEMA, as the BCCI had failed to ask the RBI for permission to do so.Sinha has raised questions about the tournament’s funding in the past.