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Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan legspinner, has lost his appeal against a life ban from cricket imposed by the ECB

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2013Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan legspinner, has lost his appeal against a life ban from cricket imposed by the ECB. Kaneria was banned in June 2012 after being found guilty of corruption in the spot-fixing case involving Mervyn Westfield but had been hoping to get the sanction reduced.However, the ECB announced on Tuesday that a disciplinary commission appeals panel had rejected Kaneria’s case. ESPNcricinfo understands that a decision on the £100,000 costs that were imposed on Kaneria was deferred.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said the board welcomed the decision. “The appeal panel’s findings in this case clearly confirm the disciplinary panel’s finding that Mr Kaneria acted as a recruiter of potential ‘spot-fixers’ and used his seniority and international experience to target and corrupt a young and vulnerable player,” Clarke said.”The ECB will continue to advocate the need for the strongest possible deterrent sanctions for anyone found guilty of such conduct. Such sanctions are vital for the protection of the integrity of our great game.”We trust that today’s decision will serve as a stark reminder to all professional cricketers and those involved in professional cricket of the life-changing consequences of corruption and the importance of immediately reporting any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities.”Westfield, Kaneria’s team-mate at Essex who spent time in prison after admitting to receiving payment in order to underperform, also appealed the length of his ban. He was originally given a five-year suspension from the game, although he would have been allowed to return to club cricket after three years.However, the panel decided to reduce the second element of the ban, providing Westfield cooperates with the anti-corruption programme run by the Professional Cricketers’ Association. That being the case, he can resume playing club cricket from April 1, 2014.”The ECB notes the appeal panel’s decision on Mr Westfield’s appeal against the length of his ban,” the ECB chief executive, David Collier, said. “Without Mr Westfield’s stand, the corrupt actions of Mr Kaneria might not have been exposed. The ECB will support Mr Westfield’s efforts to rehabilitate himself and as part of this process hopes that he can raise awareness of the dangers of corruption in cricket.”The lawyers of Kaneria, who lost a previous appeal against the two guilty verdicts handed down by the ECB despite continuing to deny his involvement, have previously suggested they could try to take the case to the High Court in London. Because of an agreement between boards affiliated to the ICC, the ECB ban applied to Kaneria is applicable throughout world cricket and would effectively mean the end of his career.

Durham fought back with the ball to ease the gloom that has descended after two poor sessions against Middlesex on day one at Chester-le-Street

Les Smith at Chester-le-Street27-Jul-2012
ScorecardChris Rogers was one of very few players to look settled in difficult conditions•PA Photos

The “R” word was being uttered in low muttered tones around Chester-le-Street today, both at lunch, when Durham were 61 for 6, and at tea, with Middlesex 63 for 1. One interested party was even heard to ponder on the last year in which a team was ushered out of Division One of the County Championship without winning a match. Then Paul Collingwood gave the ball to his excellent young allrounder Ben Stokes, and the colour began to return to Durham supporters’ cheeks.For the first two thirds of the day Middlesex had been playing like a side that has by no means given up hope of being in the shake up at the healthy end of the table in September. Proficiently marshalled by Chris Rogers, who won the toss, they bowled excellently and were virtually without fault in the field. Tim Murtagh was the stand out player, taking three cheap wickets, including both Durham openers, and contributing in addition a run out and a catch. Wicketkeeper John Simpson took four catches, the last of his victims being top scorer Michael Richardson, whose edge to third slip somehow made its way out of Sam Robson’s hands and into Simpson’s gloves.On a low scoring day, Rogers was one of only two batsmen who ever looked truly established. Opening Middlesex’s reply he was busy and pugnacious, his 59 runs including ten boundaries. Just when it appeared that he might lead his side into a commanding position, a delivery by Graham Onions found the edge of his bat and Ben Stokes took a fine low catch at third slip.The Middlesex middle order is loaded with left handers, and when Stokes took the ball as second change, he took a liking to them, dismissing Simpson and Eoin Morgan for one run between them, having opened his account by having Joe Denly caught at second slip. Collingwood took three catches in the slips, the outstanding effort being a trademark leaping pluck out of the sky to dispose of Simpson.At the start of the day it soon became clear that Rogers’ faith in his attack to establish control of the match was justified. Murtagh was relentlessly accurate, and having trapped Will Smith lbw for no score, proceeded to threaten consistently the outside edge of the bat, and had both Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick caught behind the wicket. Gareth Berg also took three wickets, all three going without scoring, and Steven Finn dismissed Collingwood and Richardson.Ben Stokes, batting at four, was one of four Durham batsmen to fail to score, being run out by Murtagh. He made amends with the ball, though, ending the day with figures of 3 for 29 from 13 overs. When the Middlesex innings is over, however, it might well be judged that Gareth Berg’s all-round contribution has been more significant. He came to the wicket with Middlesex 86 for 5, and proceeded calmly and with assurance to restore some order, scoring 30 and contributing to partnerships of 26 and 32 with Dawid Malan and Ollie Rayner respectively. Berg was still there at the close, but Rayner was not. The last over of the day was Scott Borthwick’s first, and Rayner hit the first ball back to him for a return catch.Middlesex will go into day two with a lead of 42 and three wickets remaining, which on today’s evidence might prove to be very handy.

Trevor Bayliss has been snapped up by the Sydney Sixers after being overlooked for the job as coach of New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2011Trevor Bayliss has been snapped up by the Sydney Sixers after being overlooked for the job as coach of New South Wales. Bayliss lost out to Anthony Stuart in the race to become the mentor of the Blues, but he has picked up a two-year deal to coach the Sixers, who will be based at the SCG and are one of the two Sydney sides for the new-look Big Bash League.Missing out to Stuart last month was a blow for Bayliss, who had just finished a successful near four-year stint as coach of Sri Lanka, and had coached New South Wales prior to winning his first international role. However, Bayliss will now play a key role in the Big Bash League alongside Stuart Clark, who was in May named general manager of the Sixers.”Trevor is a high quality coach with a huge amount of success domestically and internationally,” Clark said. “His ability and respect amongst the playing group provides the foundation to have a successful winning culture.”Bayliss, 48, and Clark can now start the search for players to sign up, with the existing state sides not automatically feeding talent into the Big Bash teams. However, after the Australian Cricketers’ Association pushed for free agency in the Twenty20 tournament, there is every chance the majority of the Blues players will be keen to stay in Sydney, with either the Sixers or the Thunder, who will be based at Olympic Park.”New South Wales has plenty of talented T20 cricketers and when you potentially add in a couple of international stars, the blend of youth, ability and experience makes for a very exciting prospect,” Bayliss said. “I am really looking forward to working with the Sydney Sixers at the SCG over the next few years.”Bayliss has a fine record as a coach, having steered Sri Lanka to the World Cup final this year, in his last act with the side. And as coach of New South Wales until 2006-07, he helped the Blues win a Pura Cup title as well as a domestic one-day trophy.

Suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi has written to the BCCI asking for a copy of all decisions taken at the board’s special general body meeting

Cricinfo staff05-Jul-2010Suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi has written to BCCI president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan asking for a copy of all decisions taken at the board’s special general body on Saturday as they “impinge” on his rights.”Mr Modi has written a letter to Mr Manohar and Mr Srinivasan to confirm that the decision of the honorary secretary to refer the issues raised in the three show-cause notices to him and his reply thereof to the disciplinary committee,” Modi’s lawyer Mehmood Abdi told . According to Abdi, the letter was sent by email on Saturday night and was hand-delivered as well.At the meeting, which was held in Mumbai, the BCCI voted unanimously to ratify the charges against Modi and forwarded the case to its disciplinary committee. It also authorised Manohar to file civil or criminal charges against Modi, should they be required.Since Manohar had recused himself from all proceedings concerning Modi, the board named Union Minister of State and Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association president Jyotiraditya Scindia to the disciplinary committee to replace him. The committee has until October 26 to reach a decision.Modi was suspended immediately following the conclusion of this year’s IPL and charged with financial irregularities relating to the bidding process for IPL franchises, the mid-over ad sales and the sale of theatrical rights. He was also charged with colluding to set up a rebel league in England. Modi had repeatedly accused Manohar and Srinivasan of harbouring personal grudges against him, and insisted neither of them should be involved in deciding his case.

Only one wicket falls all day as Somerset toil in vain at Trent Bridge

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2024Nottinghamshire 360 and 425 for 2 (Slater 168*, Hameed 91, Young 68*, Stone 63) drew with Somerset 470 (Abell 111, Pretorius 95*, Pennington 5-96) Nottinghamshire opener Ben Slater turned the 13th hundred of his career into an unbeaten 168 but a lifeless final-day pitch had consigned this Vitality County Championship match to a draw long before that conclusion was reached with an exchange of handshakes at ten minutes to five as the home side declared on 425 for two.Only one wicket fell in 72 overs on the day, Slater finishing on a score he has bettered only twice in his career, with overseas batter Will Young making 68 not out after Olly Stone had been out for 63 nine overs after lunch, the England fast bowler again showing off his batting skills with a half-century in each innings for the first time in his career.There was too little in the pitch to encourage much interest for the bowlers, however, and it was hardly surprising that Nottinghamshire showed no interest in setting Somerset a target, given that their prospects of taking 10 wickets were almost non-existent.The 13 points they take ensure they remain at a comfortable distance from the relegation places in the Division One table; Somerset’s 15 keep them third.After sharing an opening partnership of 172 with Haseeb Hameed that was broken shortly before Tuesday’s close, Slater found two more long-term companions in Stone and Young.Stone ostensibly joined him as nightwatchman with Hameed’s demise but is making a strong case to be recognised as a genuine all-rounder.The 30-year-old England fast bowler had made only one half-century in 47 first-class matches before surprising onlookers with a very good 90 against Lancashire on this ground in May but now has three in his last five innings.This time he chipped in with 63 to go with his first-innings 83 batting at nine. Not all of his nine boundaries came off the middle of the bat, yet his defence was solid and he had helped Slater add another 136 before Jake Ball, using a belatedly taken second new ball, thudded one into his front pad as he played across the line.Slater, meanwhile, whose stand with Hameed had been the highest for Nottinghamshire’s first wicket since two shared an unbroken 236 against Worcestershire in 2021, was by then into three figures for the first time this season, reaching the century mark with a six and 12 fours, a good proportion of which clunked into the advertising boards on the short Bridgford Road side as the left-hander cut and pulled to profitable effect.When Stone departed, Nottinghamshire’s lead was 198 and, with little in the pitch to excite bowlers of any variety, Somerset could only hope a declaration might keep them in the game.Yet the docile surface meant that realistically there could be only one winner in such a scenario and there was nothing in the way Slater and Young went about their business to suggest that such a course of action was even being considered.Meanwhile Slater – dropped on 21 – pushed on past 150 for the third time in his career, having ticked off that milestone from 317 balls with 19 fours to go with the one six. By tea, at 396 for two, the lead was 286 with 37 overs remaining.New Zealand Test opener Young, whose only noteworthy score in a disappointing season so far was his unbeaten 174 in the drawn match between these sides at Taunton, almost missed out on a half-century, dropped at short midwicket by James Rew, who had handed the wicketkeeper’s gloves to Tom Kohler-Cadmore and later became the ninth Somerset player to have a bowl.

Planned Essex county stint falls through in a setback after allrounder’s breakout Sheffield Shield season

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2023Will Sutherland, the Victoria fast bowler, faces “a period on the sidelines” after scans confirmed a stress fracture in his lower back. Sutherland, 23, had a breakout Sheffield Shield season, and had signed up with Essex for the County Championship season, but that deal has been cancelled.”It’s disappointing for Will after a fantastic season. He had signed with Essex to go over and play in the County Championship – but this news will keep him at home and working on his rest and rehabilitation programme for the next few months,” Cricket Victoria’s head of male cricket, David Hussey, said in a statement.”He has put his name up in lights with some big performances through the summer and we want him to be ready for next season, so we’ll do everything we can to support him with his injury rehabilitation.”Related

• Essex sign Doug Bracewell for 10-game County Championship spell

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On the Essex website, head coach Anthony McGrath said, “It’s really unfortunate that Will has injured himself so close to the 2023 season. We were all looking forward to welcoming him to Chelmsford and we’re sorry to hear he will face a period of time recovering from his stress fracture.”Everyone at the club wishes Will a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back on the pitch soon.”Sutherland topped the Sheffield Shield wicket-takers’ table with 41 wickets in Victoria’s run to the final, which they lost to Western Australia. He’d also stood in as captain during the course of the season.In the final, Sutherland played through pain and put in a big performance, returning 5 for 75 in the first Western Australia innings, and then scoring 83 in 84 balls after Victoria had fallen behind top set a 91-run target, which was easily overhauled.