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Sri Lanka’s limited-overs and Test series against Australia will employ a version of the DRS that employs Hawk-eye technology but not Hot Spot

Daniel Brettig10-Aug-2011Technology’s place in reviewing the decisions of umpires became murkier still as it was confirmed Sri Lanka’s limited-overs and Test series against Australia will employ a version of the DRS that utilises Hawk-Eye technology but not Hot Spot.This arrangement, brought about by a combination of the two boards’ acceptance of ball-tracking technology and the unavailability of Hot Spot cameras for the series in Sri Lanka, is almost completely the inverse of the configuration used by England and India in their concurrent Test series.India’s acceptance of Hot Spot but not ball-tracking or pitch-mapping has meant that lbw appeals cannot be referred during the series, while caught behinds and close catches are more thoroughly scrutinised.The Sri Lankan board’s position on the use of technology in the series has been fluid, pending costs and hardware availability, and the final implementation of the system means that lbw decisions will be the most keenly observed.Final confirmation of the use of one technology but not the other arrived after the match referee Javagal Srinath’s pre-series meeting with the two captains, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Michael Clarke. Srinath will preside over the limited-overs matches, in which each team is granted one unsuccessful decision review per innings, before Chris Broad takes over for the Tests, where two unsuccessful reviews per innings are permitted.The DRS and its inconsistent use by various countries will continue during the Australian summer. New Zealand are scheduled to play two Tests against the hosts and will agree to the employment of all available technology for the series, before India’s arrival will mean the removal of lbw reviews and ball-tracking.Elsewhere the one-off Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare did not employ the DRS for reasons of cost, a problem that will persist so long as the technology is funded by broadcasters and host boards without recourse to a central fund or sponsorship.

Hashim Amla will make his international captaincy debut against Australia having been named as stand-in for the injured AB de Villiers

Firdose Moonda03-Oct-2011Hashim Amla will make his international captaincy debut for South Africa in their upcoming T20 and ODI series against Australia. He replaces the injured AB de Villiers, who was named captain in both limited-overs formats in June. The series were due to be de Villiers’ first as skipper but he was ruled out for between four and six weeks after breaking a finger while practicing with the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the Champions League.Amla was chosen as de Villiers’ vice-captain but there was speculation that he would not captain the side straight away, having never done the job before, and described himself as “more of a backroom guy.” But the selectors have shown faith in their decisions and handed Amla the leadership role in both formats. Amla has only played three T20s for South Africa, but has plenty of experience in ODIs, having played 49 matches and is currently ranked the top batsman in the 50-over format.de Villiers’ absence also meant that South Africa had to search for a new wicketkeeper and have turned to an old favourite. Mark Boucher has been recalled to the ODI side having last played an ODI on South Africa’s tour of West Indies in May last year. He was left out of the squad that took part in the World Cup earlier and had made public his desire to return to the limited-overs format of the game, insisting he has plenty of offer in that department. Heino Kuhn has been named wicketkeeper for the T20s while Morne van Wyk, who took part in the World Cup and can bat in the top five, has been excluded from both squads.Andrew Hudson, the convenor of selectors, doesn’t believe the one-day squad needs to be tampered with much, despite the disappointing World Cup campaign where South Africa crashed out in the quarter-finals. Boucher’s inclusion will beef up the middle order along with David Miller, who replaces Colin Ingram. There are plenty of options in the bowling department, with all three spinners who did duty in the World Cup being retained, but no space for Albie Morkel who is only in the T20 squad.”We will probably go in with seven batsmen, including Boucher at No. 7, and we have kept all our bowling options that worked well at the World Cup,” Hudson said. “We will be able to go in with four specialist bowlers plus the back-up of Kallis, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis.”The only new cap is in the T20 squad which includes Cobras opening batsman Richard Levi. He has had an impressive run of form domestically and scored 43 off 27 balls in the team’s Champions League opener against New South Wales. With the mix of youth and experience in the T20 squad Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn are being rested.Both are taking part in the ongoing Champions League, and have enjoyed five months away from cricket since the end of the IPL, but Hudson said leaving them out was part of CSA’s rotation policy. Imran Tahir, who burst onto the international scene at the World Cup, and took 17 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 16.88 for Hampshire in the English Friends Life t20 domestic tournament, has not been included in the T20 squad.”With the ICC World Twenty20 less than a year away we need to keep a solid core of experience around the side,” Hudson said. “At the same time we want to give younger players a run as well and this certainly applies in the case of Richard Levi and David Miller. We don’t have a lot of T20 International matches before the ICC event so it is important that we give the likes of Levi, Miller and Colin Ingram an extended run.”Graeme Smith, who stepped down as T20 captain in August last year and ODI captain after the World Cup, and batted for the first time in a competitive match after having knee surgery for the first time on Saturday, has been named in both squads.South Africa’s series against Australia starts with a T20 on October 13 in Cape Town and that will be followed by another T20 in Johannesburg then three ODIs. The two-Test series starts on November 7 and the Test squad will be announced after three more rounds of SuperSport Series matches.ODI squad Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, David Miller, Morne Morkel , Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo TsotsobeT20 squad Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Heino Kuhn, Richard Levi, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell , Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Twenty20 between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town

Brydon Coverdale12-Oct-2011

Match Facts

October 13, Cape Town
Start time 1800 (1600 GMT)

Big Picture

Australia’s month-long tour of South Africa begins with a Twenty20 in Cape Town, a match that will be South Africa’s first international in any format since March 25. During that same period, Australia have been to Bangladesh for a one-day series and Sri Lanka for Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s. They haven’t been overworked, though, and by comparison South Africa will have to shed their rust as quickly as possible. They have a new captain, Hashim Amla, standing in for the injured AB de Villiers, while star players Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn are being rested. Still, Twenty20 is a format that South Africa have mastered considerably better than their opponents in recent years.Australia are trying to find their best Twenty20 outfit, under the captaincy of Cameron White, and they have three uncapped men in this squad. One of those is the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who has benefited from Brad Haddin’s recent retirement from the format and Tim Paine’s broken finger. The side is also in a state of flux off the field: Troy Cooley is the acting coach for this trip after Tim Nielsen’s resignation following the tour of Sri Lanka, while the selection panel is temporary while replacements are found. Five members of the Twenty20 squad will fly home ahead of the ODIs, so quite how much momentum the team could carry if they win in the shortest format is questionable. But kicking off the tour with a win would be an adequate start.Hashim Amla will lead South Africa in their first international game across formats in almost seven months•Getty Images

Form guide

South Africa LWWWW
Australia LLWLL

In the spotlight

Hashim Amla is one of the world’s finest batsmen, but he is yet to show his best against Australia. Across all formats, he averages 39.05 against Australia, compared to an overall mark of 49.70. He also has the burden of captaining his country for the first time in his career. Graeme Smith is on hand to provide advice but the best way for Amla to lead is from the front – with big runs at the top of the order.At 18, Patrick Cummins will become Australia’s second-youngest debutant in any format. Only Ian Craig, who won a baggy green at 17, was younger. Cummins bowls with genuine speed and has won rave reviews, most recently from his team-mate Shane Watson, who said Cummins was “as impressive as I’ve seen for any young guy coming through for the past ten years”. He is, however, incredibly raw, and it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressures of international cricket.

Team news

The injury to AB de Villiers means Heino Kuhn will take the gloves, while Albie Morkel is also missing from the original squad due to injury. Wayne Parnell will struggle to make the final XI, while Ryan McLaren and Richard Levi are also in danger of missing out.South Africa (possible) 1 Hashim Amla (capt), 2 Graeme Smith, 3 JP Duminy, 4 Colin Ingram, 5 David Miller, 6 Heino Kuhn (wk), 7 Johan Botha, 8 Robin Peterson, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Rusty Theron, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.The absence of Brett Lee due to his bout of appendicitis guarantees a debut for Cummins. On a pitch that could offer some turn, Steve O’Keefe and Steven Smith are both likely to play. Aaron Finch is the extra batsman in the squad, but he will struggle to oust Shaun Marsh or David Hussey.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 David Hussey, 5 Cameron White (capt), 6 Steven Smith/Mitchell Marsh, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Steve O’Keefe, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Patrick Cummins, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Pitch and conditions

An early-season pitch at Newlands should be a touch on the slow side, so the spinners are likely to play an important role. The weather is expected to be fine and warm.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won only one of their previous eight Twenty20 internationals, while South Africa have won six of their previous seven
• Australia’s leading Twenty20 international wicket-taker is Mitchell Johnson, who was not considered good enough to be part of this squad
• Only three players from each side were part of the last Twenty20 between the two teams: Johan Botha, Robin Peterson and JP Duminy, along with David Warner, Cameron White and David Hussey

Quotes

“Everybody’s been given their room and space to have a lot of freedom when they play, and also to express themselves within the team environment. It’s been a really nice few days for the guys to connect with each other.”
“We didn’t play that well in Sri Lanka but in the same breath we weren’t that far away either. I think we are heading in the right direction. We’ve got a very young squad together now and the more Twenty20 we play, the better we will be.”

Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel have been chosen as the two part-time members of the reconfigured Cricket Australia national selection panel

Daniel Brettig10-Nov-2011Rod Marsh and Andy Bichel have been chosen as the two part-time members of the reconfigured Cricket Australia national selection panel. Their appointments leave that of the new head coach as the only role still to be filled ahead of the home summer.Marsh, 64, and Bichel, 41, will bring sharp eyes and widespread respect to their roles as selectors focused on domestic cricket, on a panel led by the national selector John Inverarity and the Australia captain Michael Clarke. The national coach, yet to be named, will also be a selector.As a relatively recent retiree from the game, Bichel brings a fresher outlook and also the perspective of a pace bowler to the panel, widely considered to be lacking in a diversity of viewpoints last summer when it was comprised of former top order batsmen in the chairman Andrew Hilditch, Jamie Cox, Greg Chappell and David Boon.He has also taken a range of coaching positions since his exit from the game as a bowler, coaching Papua New Guinea and also serving as Chennai’s bowling coach in the IPL.”I’m looking forward to making a real contribution to game I love,” Bichel said. “Over the last 20 years of international, state and county cricket, I’ve developed knowledge of the game that will assist me in this role. I’ve stayed close to the game and have been bowling coach to the Chennai Super Kings recently and have seen a lot of developing Australian talent perform in that competition.”I’m really looking forward to working with John, Rod, Michael, Cameron and the incoming head coach as we continue to take Australian cricket in the right direction. I think over the last little period we’ve been on the right pathway and we’ll be looking to identify the talent that will allow Australia to rise back up the rankings.”Marsh’s inclusion on the panel in a part-time capacity is a logical conclusion to discussions with CA that began in mid-year, as he expressed a willingness to take part in the regeneration of the national team.In addition to his long tenure behind the stumps for Australia, Marsh was much acclaimed for his work at the Cricket Academy in the 1990s, and also oversaw England’s revival as a force in world cricket leading up to the 2005 Ashes series. He has since held positions with South Australia and also the ICC global academy in Dubai.”I’m excited to be back working for Cricket Australia,” Marsh said. “It’s been a decade since I last worked for CA. Certainly, the most rewarding time I ever had was working with CA at the Academy in Adelaide. This is an important role and I’m looking forward to watching young Australian cricketers develop and to our established cricketers continuing to improve.”Importantly, Marsh and Inverarity have a strong and long-lasting cricketing association that dates back to the West Australian state teams of the 1970s.Inverarity was Marsh’s predecessor as captain of the state during a highly successful era, and will again serve as the senior man four decades later on a panel that will need to make plenty of strong decisions over the next few summers, starting with the composition of the team for the first Test against New Zealand at the Gabba from December 1-5.Inverarity is due to start his new role as national selector on November 14. His first act will be to fly to South Africa.

A round-up of the action from the first day of the third round of matches in the Ranji Trophy Plate Division 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2011Vikramjeet Malik’s four-wicket haul restricted Andhra Pradesh to 241 for 9 against Himachal Pradesh after they had been 128 for 1 at one stage in Vijayawada. Hemal Watekar (69) and Gonnabattula Chiranjeevi (61) had lifted Andhra from the early loss of Shankara Rao but Vishal Bhatia broke through, dismissing Chiranjeevi. Malik then ran through the middle order, taking four of the next five wickets to fall, including Venugopal Rao for 14. Vamsi Krishna and T Atchuti Rao took Andhra past 200 but Bhatia struck twice more to make it Himachal’s day.Only 65 overs were possible in Guwahati, where Assam limped to 131 for 5 against Hyderabad. Anwar Ahmed accounted for the first three wickets after which Sibsankar Roy and former Tamil Nadu allrounder R Sathish tried to steady the innings. Sathish could not carry on for long though, falling to Lalith Mohan. Assam lost captain Gokul Sharma to T Suman in what proved to be the last over of the day. Wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel had a role to play in all five dismissals.A lower-order fightback helped Goa recover to 281 against Jammu & Kashmir in Jammu. They had slipped to 175 for 8 at one stage but Amit Yadav (51) and Sher Yadav (51) put on 102 for the ninth wicket to take Goa to a decent total. Abhishek Raut was the only one among the top seven to make a fifty. Parvez Rasool was the most successful bowler for J&K with 4 for 79. J&K reached 15 without loss at stumps.Kerala‘s Sony Cheruvathur ripped through Tripura‘s line-up in Kochi, taking 6 for 40 to demolish them for 139. Only Vinayak Samant, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper, resisted for Tripura, grinding out a patient 65 while the rest of the side capitulated. Tripura were 44 for 5 at one stage but Samant and Debabrata Chowdhury took them past 100. Chowdhury’s 21 came off 132 balls before he was bowled by Cheruvathur. Prasanth Parameswaran ended the innings when he trapped Samant leg-before after a 183-ball vigil.Chirag Khurana made a hundred on first-class debut for Maharashtra, setting up his side’s healthy 372 for 4 against Jharkhand in Nasik. Khurana added 53 upfront with Harshad Khadiwale and 152 with Sangram Atitkar (62). He struck 21 fours during his 123 which came off 154 deliveries. Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem trapped Khurana and Atitkar leg-before but Nikhil Paradkar and captain Rohit Motwani put on an unbeaten 111 for the fifth wicket to end the day on a high.Vidarbha ended on a strong 265 for 1 against Services in Delhi, riding on Aniruddha Chore’s maiden first-class ton. Chore gave Vidarbha a solid start, putting on 104 with Akshay Kolhar (41) before the latter was dismissed leg-before. Former India and Orissa batsman Shiv Sunder Das settled in for the day along with Chore, who was unbeaten on 144 off 292 deliveries with 15 fours. Das finished on a patient 65.

The Perth Scorchers moved into the top four of the Big Bash League following a comfortable win over the Brisbane Heat at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarcus North led the Perth Scorchers with an aggressive 40 at the top of the order•Getty Images

The Perth Scorchers moved into the top four of the Big Bash League following a comfortable win over the Brisbane Heat at the WACA.Herschelle Gibbs, with 38 off 22 balls, and Man-of-the-Match Marcus North, who made 40 from 29, got the Scorchers off to a red-hot start on a pitch that looked like a par score would be about 180. But the middle order faltered thanks to some tight bowling from Dan Christian, Michael Nester and Nathan Hurwitz and the hosts limped to a respectable but far from formidable total of 8 for 162. Nester finished with the best figures of 2 for 23, but Hauritz was the most miserly, giving away just 16 runs from his three overs.The lightning fast outfield and true bounce in the pitch meant the fast bowlers got hit around early, but some expert changes of pace and spin bowling slowed the run-rate and gave the Heat a good chance at registering their first win.Matthew Hayden got the visitors off to a smooth start before Brad Hogg had him stumped by more than two metres for 33. Heat captain Peter Forrest, who led all scorers with 59, and Andrew Robinson (19) then steadied the ship. Forrest’s innings was punctuated by four huge sixes, including one that went on to the roof of the Player’s Pavilion. But the pair ate up too many overs and left the likes of Christian with much to do in the latter overs.Expert death bowlers Ben Edmondson and Nathan Rimmington were able to restrict the runs late while continuing to take wickets, to seal the 10-run win for their side.The Scorchers move into third place with their next game a trip to Melbourne to face Shane Warne’s Stars, while Brisbane remain winless and in seventh place with a tough home fixture against the Adelaide Strikers awaiting them on Tuesday.

Shaun Marsh may need time away from the spotlight in the Sheffield Shield to rediscover his game after a dire series against India, his captain Michael Clarke has conceded

Daniel Brettig at Adelaide Oval28-Jan-2012Shaun Marsh may need time away from the spotlight in the Sheffield Shield to rediscover his game after a dire series against India, his captain Michael Clarke has conceded.In a 4-0 pounding of India, Marsh’s 17 runs in six innings has stood out as the most troubling element of Australia’s progress, casting significant doubt on the role Clarke had envisioned for him as the strong, silent type to replace Ricky Ponting at No. 3.While Marsh has been named in the Twenty20 squad to face India in two matches in Melbourne and Sydney from Wednesday, the national selectors are yet to decide whether he should be included in the team for the triangular ODI series. Clarke left open the possibility that some first-class matches for Western Australia would be an option for the panel.”It is a tough question. To be honest I don’t know the answer. I’m sure Shaun would like some more runs,” Clarke said. “His form in one-day cricket and the shorter form has been outstanding for a good period of time whether for WA or Australia or Perth Scorchers. I have always loved the way Shaun has played. He is wonderful talent. I do see him as a big part of the Australian team in all three formats but he certainly needs to keep making runs.”If he gets the opportunity to play for Australia in the shorter form or if he goes back to WA he just has to keep working hard and puts some runs on the board. He needs to spend time in the middle to build his confidence back up. I am confident he will perform again for Australia.”Apart from Marsh, the opening partnership of David Warner and Ed Cowan shone at times during the four Tests, but also showed plenty of room for improvement, notably against spin in Adelaide. Clarke said the team’s success made it possible to keep the current group together for the time being, the next Test assignment a three-match series in the West Indies in April.”When you’re winning it helps keep a team together,” Clarke said. “Individually Shaun and Eddie and probably David would have liked a few more runs. There’s swings and roundabouts. When you’re playing well you need to cash in.”There’s going to come a time when you’re not making runs. Ricky Ponting is a great example of that. Now we’re saying he’s batting as good as he’s ever batted. When you’re not performing you need to hang in there. I’m confident they can turn it around.”Ponting’s strong form, alongside that of Michael Hussey, has encouraged the selectors to look at retaining both for some considerable time, perhaps as far as the 2013 Ashes in England. However Clarke indicated that further discussions of their futures lay ahead, alongside his own place at No. 5.”That is probably something I have to speak to the selectors and the coach and a couple of the senior players about I guess. We need to do whatever is best for the team,” Clarke said. “If that means I stay at five for the rest of my career, then I stay at five. If I have to move, then I move.”And everybody is the same in the team to be honest. My goal is to pick the best XI for every game we play to help us win that game of cricket, whether that be one-day cricket or Test cricket and whatever that XI is, I have no problems in selecting that if we think it’s going to help us win the game.”So it’s not about the individual player, it’s about getting an XI we think can win and players doping their job and the same with the batting order, if it means I have to move from number five up the order or go down – whatever it takes to help us win.”I really like the fact we have a good mix of youth and experience, I think that is really important in the team success throughout the last few months.”At the end of his initial run of 11 Tests as captain, Clarke said he had grown comfortable with his dual role as leader and selector, and said the level of communication between the players and the national panel had been particularly helpful in establishing a team comfortable in its own skin.”I think it has been good to be able to voice my opinion as part of the selection panel,” Clarke said. “You are one of five though, so the selectors, if they disagree, I have only got my one vote. But it is pleasing, more than being a selector, the communication and the relationship with the selectors, captain-coach, has been very pleasing for me.”I have enjoyed the challenges, I have enjoyed the communication with the selectors and being able to voice my opinion.”

ESPNcricinfo presents a list of players bought, transferred and retained for IPL 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2012

Bought

Brendon McCullum – $900,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $400,000)
Ravindra Jadeja – Maximum purse of $2 million bid by Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers. It goes to a tiebreaker. Bought by Chennai Super Kings for an undisclosed amount (base price $100,000).
Muttiah Muralitharan – $220,000 to Royal Challengers Bangalore (base price $200,000)
Mahela Jayawardene – $1.4 million to Delhi Daredevils (base price $300,000)
Herschelle Gibbs – $50,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $50,000)
Brad Hodge – $475,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $200,000)
Parthiv Patel – $650,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price $200,000)
Dinesh Chandimal – $50,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $50,000)
Andre Russell – $450,000 to Delhi Daredevils (base price $50,000)
Mitchell Johnson – $300,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $300,000)
RP Singh – $600,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $200,000)
Vinay Kumar – $1 million to Royal Challengers Bangalore (base price $100,000)
Sreesanth – $400,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $400,000)
Ramesh Powar – $160,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Brad Hogg – $180,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price $100,000)
Sunil Narine – $700,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $50,000)
Robin Peterson – $100,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $100,000)
Daniel Harris – $70,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price 50,000)
Kevon Cooper – $50,000 to Rajasthan Royals (base price 50,000)
James Faulkner – $190,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)

Azhar Mahmood – $200,000 to Kings XI Punjab (base price $100,000)
Thisara Perera – $650,000 to Mumbai Indians (base price $50,000)
Marchant de Lange – $50,000 to Kolkata Knight Riders (base price $50,000)
Darren Bravo – $100,000 to Deccan Chargers (base price $100,000)
Doug Bracewell – $50,000 to Delhi Daredevils (base price $50,000)

Retained

(Players who were signed last year as a replacement for injured players and then retained by the franchise for this year)
Chris Gayle – Royal Challengers Bangalore, $550,000
Sourav Ganguly – Pune Warriors, $400,000
David Miller – Kings XI Punjab, $100,000

Transferred

(Main players signed during the IPL’s trading window between December 15 and January 20)
Kevin Pietersen – Deccan Chargers to Delhi Daredevils
Andrew McDonald – Delhi Daredevils to Royal Challengers Bangalore
Dinesh Karthik – Kings XI Punjab to Mumbai Indians
Pragyan Ojha – Deccan Chargers to Mumbai Indians
R Sathish – Mumbai Indians to Kings XI Punjab
Harmeet Singh – Deccan Chargers to Kings XI Punjab

Unsold

James Anderson – base price $300,000
Tamim Iqbal – base price $50,000
Adrian Barath – base price $50,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan – base price $100,000
Ian Bell – base price $200,000
Owais Shah – base price $200,000
Upul Tharanga – base price $50,000
VVS Laxman – base price $400,000
Matt Prior – base price $200,000
Brendan Taylor – base price $100,000
Mark Boucher – base price $100,000
Justin Kemp – base price $100,000
Marlon Samuels – base price $100,000
Steven Smith – base price $200,000
Ravi Bopara – base price $100,000
Luke Wright – base price $200,000
Kevin O’Brien – base price $50,000
Dwayne Smith – base price $100,000
Lonwabo Tsotsobe – base price $50,000
VRV Singh – base price $100,000
Vernon Philander – base price $200,000
Fidel Edwards – base price $100,000
Ravi Rampaul – base price $100,000
Peter Siddle – base price $200,000
Tim Southee – base price $100,000
Graeme Swann – base price $400,000
Rangana Herath – base price $50,000
Ajantha Mendis – base price $50,000
Steve O’Keefe – base price $100,000
Xavier Doherty – base price $100,000
Michael Klinger – base price $50,000
Richard Levi base price $50,000
Alviro Petersen base price $100,000
Lendl Simmons base price $50,000
Farveez Maharoof – base price $50,000
Jacob Oram – base price $100,000
Moises Henriques – base price $50,000
Ben Laughlin – base price $50,000
Ryan McLaren – base price $100,000
Nicky Boje – base price $200,000
Jacques Rudolph – base price $20,000
Andy McKay – base price $50,000
Alister McDermott – base price $20,000
Michael Neser – base price $50,000

For the full list of players who had registered for the auction, click here.

England fans in Galle without tickets have been told they must pay prices that are up to ten times higher than those charged to Australian supporters only seven months ago

Andrew McGlashan in Galle24-Mar-2012Thousands of England fans who have descended upon Galle without tickets ahead of the first Test have been told they must pay prices that are up to ten times higher than those charged to Australian supporters only seven months ago.England’s more budget-conscious supporters assumed that they would be able to buy tickets casually and take advantage of local rates, but they have been told by Sri Lanka Cricket officials that they will be refused access to the grassy banks that offer cheaper vantage points in the stadium.Representatives of the Barmy Army, the unofficial yet influential England supporters’ group, met with representatives of SLC’s executive committee, and the Southern Province Cricket Association on Saturday, to be told that “foreigners” would have to remain in designated, high-price areas as SLC adopt a controversial two-tier pricing policy.Unless the position is reversed, most England fans face ticket costs at LKR 5,000 ($38) as the debt-ridden board takes advantage of the fact they have turned out in such force by attempting to ease its stricken financial position.Barmy Army Cricket tweeted: “Disappointing meet with the secretary of S province cric ass & SL exec committee member, no access to ‘foreigners’ on the grass bank.”Giles Wellington, a leading Barmy Army member, followed up: “We’re not comfortable with one price for locals and one for foreigners. Feelings are running high in some quarters. We know we are lucky to be here but we don’t want to feel we are being ripped off.”A Sri Lanka Cricket official indicated that they have now responded in part to Barmy Army entreaties by adding a further reduced-price area at LKR 1,000 ($8). Asanga Seneviratne, chairman of the tour organising committee, said: “Tickets are priced at LKR 5000 and LKR 1000 and anyone can purchase them. There are no restrictions.”Sri Lanka Cricket has severe financial problems after running up debts of $32.5 million to finance the building of two international stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele, and to renovate the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, for the World Cup.Payments owed to players, dating back to the World Cup, were only fully settled less than two weeks ago after the state-owned Bank of Ceylon released 600 million rupees ($5 million) after discussions with the sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.Presumably SLC has seen the visit of England, with its guaranteed high number of travelling supporters, as a chance to give the bottom line a much-needed boost. Sri Lanka is still seen as a good-value place to follow England overseas despite the struggling UK economy and its impact on the strength of the pound but the decision has shocked those who follow England on a shoestring.Those who have bought tickets in the UK before arriving as part of a package have paid up to Rs8,000 ($62), which still compares favourably to ticket prices for England’s home Tests and other overseas venues such as the previous Ashes tour.Many, though, avoid the high-end tickets that package-holiday companies must buy. What has inflamed the mood of these England fans is that they were given no indication of any change of policy in advance. For the previous Test at this ground, when Australia visited last August, tickets were pegged at LKR500 and even then the stadium was not sold out.A suggestion floated privately by one SLC official that locals could also be expected to pay LKR5000 (US$38) for a single day’s ticket seems to have been abandoned. That would have amounted to a weekly wage for a large proportion of the community.There was a mixed response from the England supporters at Galle as they watched England train. Some shrugged it off as understandable, given SLC’s financial predicament. Others told of personal donations to Sri Lanka cricket after the tsunami that devastated the Galle ground eight years ago and suggested that they now felt exploited.Supporters may now pick and choose to come to just one or two days of the Test, while the ancient Dutch Fort overlooking the ground should prepare to be overtaken by cricket watchers on Monday. At least the ice cream sellers on the ramparts will have a field day.Edited by David Hopps

Kedar Jadhav and Iqbal Abdulla powered West Zone to the finals of the Deodhar Trophy in a one-sided semi-final against East Zone at Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2012
ScorecardKedar Jadhav and Iqbal Abdulla powered West Zone to the final of the Deodhar Trophy in a one-sided semi-final against East Zone in Mohali. Jadhav’s 114, which came off only 69 balls, helped West Zone set up a daunting target, and left-arm spinner Abdulla strangled East Zone’s chase as he picked up 6 for 32.East elected to bowl and were soon put under pressure by openers Parthiv Patel (69) and Ajinkya Rahane (36), who racked up an 84-run opening partnership in good time. The departure of both openers brought Jadhav and Pujara (70) to the centre. By the time Jadhav was out, the partnership was worth 171 runs in 23.2 overs. None of the bowlers were spared from the onslaught. Later, Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav blasted three sixes and two fours in an 11-ball 27 to push West’s total beyond 300 and dent the fielding team’s confidence.With the momentum against them, East lost Dheeraj Jadhav in the second over to Jaydev Unadkat. However, it was the introduction of Abdulla inside the first 10 overs that derailed the chase. Abdulla spun a web around the batsmen and accounted for the next four wickets before East got to 100 runs. Saurabh Tiwary resisted the slide with his unbeaten 112 off 95 balls, but with other batsmen falling prey to Abdulla and Co, he was left stranded as the innings folded in the 40th over.Kedar Jadhav was awarded Man-of-the-match for setting up the win. West Zone now travel to Dharamsala for the final, which is on March 19. The second finalist will be decided tomorrow when Central Zone take on North Zone in Dharamsala.