Kenya cricket crying out for help

Nairobi: There are no funds. Cricketers are becoming rarer. The government is not interested. The international community doesn’t seem to care much. Welcome to Kenyan cricket.

Five years after stunning the cricket world by making the cut for the 2003 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa, Kenyan cricket is crying out for help.

“We need to play against stronger teams,” Kenya captain Steve Tikolo told IANS here at the Nairobi Gymkhana. “We have some talented youngsters but they desperately need exposure,” added the veteran all-rounder, who is still serving as the backbone of his country’s national side.

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Steve’s elder brother Tom – serving as Cricket Kenya’s chief executive – was more vocal about the lack of support for Kenya cricket by the cricket world. He stressed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will have to do more if it wanted to save cricket in Kenya.

“We are under-funded and feel completely ignored,” Tom said. “The ICC is giving us a grant but it’s far from enough. The government help is non-existent while sponsorship is scarce. We are looking towards the international cricket community for support,” he stressed.

The Kenyans surprised the cricket world by reaching the World Cup last-four in 2003 but since then the graph of their performance has taken a nose dive.

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They have to feature in the ICC World Cup qualifiers for the 2011 spectacle next April but are lacking in confidence ahead of the 12-nation event which will see the top four making the cut for the quadrennial spectacle to be hosted by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

In the ongoing series against the visiting Pakistan Academy, Kenya have looked quite ordinary and Steve blames it on lack of exposure.

“We need to play more competitive games. We have to play against stronger sides otherwise it is going to be very difficult to bring any improvement in our performance,” he added.

Tom said that lack of funds and a dearth of matches against stronger teams have pushed Kenyan cricket backward.

He revealed that Cricket Kenya needs at least $1.2 million to run the sport professionally in the country but there is a shortfall of around $500,000. Kenya gets $450,000 from the ICC, $150,000 from TV rights and $100,000 from a newly-acquired sponsorship from a local company Tusker.

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“What we get currently is just not enough,” he said. “Kenya doesn’t have a cricket culture which is why we badly need a proper schools structure to find new players and that is not possible without proper funding.”

Asked why the Kenyan government was not backing cricket in the country, Tom said: “The government says it is struggling to fund campaigns against HIV Aids so how can it give money to cricket”.

“We would have become a Test side long ago if we had some big brothers,” he said referring to Bangladesh’s ascent to the Test arena with the support of Asian powers India and Pakistan. “Just before Bangladesh became a Test side we were beating them hollow and now we are nowhere in world cricket,” he lamented.

Tom is also unhappy with the lack of support shown to Kenyan cricket by neighbours South Africa and Zimbabwe – the only two Test teams from Africa.

“South Africa haven’t visited Kenya in three years in spite of our repeated request while Zimbabwe last came here in 2005. It is really frustrating,” he concluded.

Source / Reference: http://sify.com/sports/

Cricket: Stage set for repeat of massive failure

By Dylan Cleaver

Here’s a brief history lesson.

The last time New Zealand toured Australia was 2004.

The build-up to the tour was a two-test jaunt to Bangladesh where they whipped the home side in two horribly lop-sided tests.

New Zealand were then thrashed in Australia. After a promising start in Brisbane, fuelled by a brilliant Jacob Oram century, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie both posted half centuries against a wilting attack and New Zealand crashed to a paltry 76 in the second innings, the only fight demonstrated by Craig McMillan who engaged in a ill-advised war of words with Adam Gilchrist that ended when he was dismissed next ball.

At Adelaide they simply never showed up with the most hostile spell of the tour being delivered by Ian Butler in the nets.

All-and-all, an ignominious series.

Fast forward four years and New Zealand are again preparing to play tests at the Gabba – the toughest venue in Australia since the WACA lost its sting – and the Adelaide Oval on the back of a two-test series in Bangladesh. Not just any old series but, as a bonus, a watered-down one featuring a Bangladesh team decimated by the recent ICL raid.

There’s a term for this and it reads something like “being set up for a fall”.

None of this is New Zealand Cricket’s fault. They are not India and cannot pick and choose what bits of the FTP they want to adhere to.

They were hurt too, by the fact they lost six weeks of cricket in Pakistan, mthough that would have been of the limited overs variety.

But surely NZC could have arranged more than one warm-up first-class match in Australia – oh, that’s right, New Zealand’s best players see warm-up matches as optional extras, to be playedonly if they can be squeezed in around IPL schedules (and we saw how well that worked in England).

Here’s another parallel they would do well to remember: New Zealand played just one first-class warm-up before the 2004 test against New South Wales in Sydney. Snap.

So their on-field preparation will be sketchy – all the more important to get their off-field prep spot-on.

According to multiple sources who have spoken to the Herald on Sunday, that has not happened.

Due largely to a massive and, in fairness, long overdue restructure of NZC, there has been a high-performance vacuum of sorts this winter.

What staff there are left have been pre-occupied with the Emerging Players and ‘A’ teams, leaving the full internationals pretty much to their own devices. Batting coach Mark O’Neill, who should, quite frankly, be the most over-worked man in New Zealand sport, said that last week’s clinics with the batsmen in Christchurch and the bowlers in Auckland was his first contact with the team since the tour to England.

Tim Southee, the most exciting cricketer produced within these shores for some years, had until last week had one session with a high-performance staffer.

Now these guys are pros, albeit in Southee’s case a very green one, and do not need their hands held, but this lack of hands-on coaching simply would not be happening in other top-tier cricket nations. England wouldn’t do it, South Africa wouldn’t do it, Australia wouldn’t do it.

Australia – New Zealand are playing them in less than two months.

Has anybody told you what happened the last time New Zealand toured there… ?

Reference :  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/

Mendis takes 6 for 13; Sri Lanka beats India

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP): Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs to successfully defend its Asia Cup title Sunday with spinner Ajantha Mendis taking a record 6-13.

India, chasing 274 runs, was dismissed for 173 in 39.3 overs with Mendis often unplayable in his eight overs.

Sanath Jayasuriya had earlier smashed 125 _ his 27th century in one-day internationals _ after India won the toss and chose to bowl first.

“I am happy with the way we played,” Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jaywardene said. “A lot of people had talked about 300-plus totals in this tournament but we knew if we put 275-280 runs on the board it could be a good score for our spinners to defend.”

Mendis’ figures were the best ever in the nine Asia Cups, beating Pakistan’s paceman Aqib Javed’s 5-19 against India in 1995 at Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The Indian batsmen were facing the 23-year-old Mendis for the first time in the tournament and had no answer to his masterful bowling.

Mendis came on in the 10th over after hard-hitting Virender Sehwag (60 off 36 balls) had pushed the score to 76-1.

“I needed a wicket as Virender was playing really well,” Jayawardene said. “I took gamble on Ajantha because he was the kind of a bowler who could bowl wicket to wicket and it paid off.”

Mendis broke through in his second delivery when Sehwag, who had hit 12 boundaries, misread a quick delivery and was stumped. An over later, Mendis clean bowled Yuvraj Singh (0) and Suresh Raina (16) with balls that skidded through the Indian lefthanders before Rohit Sharma was trapped leg before wicket off a pefect off-spinner.

Mendis returned for his second spell and claimed the wickets of Irfan Patan (2) and R.P. Singh (0) before Chaminda Vaas (2-55) ended captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s innings _ caught behind for 49.

“We thought 273 was chaseable but Mendis was a difficult bowler to pick and his bowling made the difference,” Dhoni said. “Mendis bowled brilliantly and we didn’t have clues. We couldn’t pick up his deliveries.”

Earlier, Jayasuriya smashed 125 off 114 balls before India bowled out Sri Lanka in 49.5 overs.

Jayasuriya’s innings included nine fours and five sixes. The hard-hitting opener revived Sri Lanka’s innings by adding 131 runs for the fifth wicket with Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 56.

India hit back in the last 10 overs, conceding just 57 runs with R.P. Singh claiming 3-67.

India, which opted to bowl first, struck through its paceman Ishant Sharma (3-52) before Jayasuriya launched a counterattack.

Sharma’s triple strike reduced Sri Lanka to 66-4 after 12 overs, including the key run-out for only four runs of Kumar Sangakkara, who was chasing his fourth century in the tournament.

Sharma had captain Mahela Jayawardene (11) caught at point by Rohit Sharma and then removed Chamara Kapugedera (5) and Chamara Silva (0) in his sixth over.

But Jayasuriya felt little pressure from the wickets falling around him and hit paceman Singh for 26 runs in one over with three sixes and two boundaries.

Jayasuriya went on to complete his first century against India in the last four years off 79 balls.

“Sanath batted well and without his batting we couldn’t have put competitive total,” Jayawardene said.

With 27 centuries, Jayasuriya is now the second century-maker in one-day internationals behind India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who has 42 centuries.

India came back strongly when it removed both Jayasuriya and Dilshan in the space of 21 deliveries. Ishant Sharma took a well judged catch at deep midwicket as Jayasuriya failed to keep down his sweep shot from part-time off-spinner Virender Sehwag.

Dilshan mistimed a pull shot off left-arm paceman Pathan and skied an easy catch to Dhoni behind the wickets after hitting three boundaries in his 74-ball knock. Pathan finished with 2-67.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/

Asia Cup: India thump Sri Lanka by 6 wickets

Karachi (PTI): India exhibited their batting prowess to perfection with their top order firing in unison to score an easy 6-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their must-win Asia Cup Super Four match and set up a summit clash against the same opponents on Sunday.

India chased down the target of 309 with 19 balls to spare and after losing four wickets, thanks to a half century each by Gautam Gambhir (68), captain M S Dhoni (67) and Suresh Raina (54) and a valuable 42 from Virender Sehwag after Sri Lanka, electing to bat, had made 308 for 8.

Yuvraj Singh (36 not out) and Rohit Sharma (22 not out) romped him with an unfinished 57-run stand for the 5th wicket.

Today’s result extinguished Pakistan’s any hopes of making it to the final and rendered tomorrow’s last Super Four match between the hosts and Bangladesh here inconsequential.

India made a blazing start with the opening duo of Sehwag and Gambhir carrying their solid batting form from their match against Pakistan yesterday, putting on 92 runs from 70 balls.

The duo drove, pulled and cut the Lankan opening bowlers without taking much risks, hitting boundaries in regular intervals and keeping the asking rate always lower than the required rate of 6.18 per over.

Sehwag played second fiddle to his junior partner but did not shy away from hitting odd balls for boundaries including a huge six off Nuwan Kulasekara early in the innings.

The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ fell to a soft dismissal in 12th over being deceived by a Kulasekara slow ball holing out to Dilhara Fernando at fine leg after scoring 42 off 34 balls, studded with six fours and a six.

Gambhir raised his 11th ODI fifty by hitting a four off Thilan Thushara after facing 45 balls in the 15th over with the help of nine fours.

Gambhir, however, failed to read a Muttiah Muralitharan ‘doosra’ and fell LBW in the 21st over at team total of 135 for 2 for a well-made 68 compiled with the help of 11 fours from 61 balls, to allow Sri Lanka come back into the match.

Suresh Raina, who got a life when he was on 11 when Lankan 12th man Jehan Mubarak failing to hold on to an easy chance, made the most of the reprieve to hit his fifth ODI fifty and did the consolidation work along with his captain Dhoni, who also struck his 22nd ODI half century.

Run rate dipped a bit after the return of the opening pair to the hut but Dhoni, who promoted himself up the order, and Raina survived the middle overs while keeping the scoreboard ticking.

The duo scored ones, twos and occasional boundaries including Dhoni’s six off Sanath Jayasuriya and frustrated the Lankan bowlers before Raina was run out in the 36th over after facing 66 balls for his 54 (3×4), at team total of 234 for 3.

Just as it seemed Dhoni would open up to end the run chase in quick time, the Indian captain fell to Muralitharan cleaned bowled for 67 (62 balls; 5×4; 1×6) in the 38th over.

Needing just 47 runs from from the last 10 overs, Yuvraj and Rohit Sharma romped home with the Punjab southpaw hitting the winning runs, a four off Kulasekara, to reach 310 for four in 46.5 overs.

For Sri Lanka, Muralitharan was the most successful bowler returning figures of 10-0-44-2.

Earlier, Sri Lanka made 308 for eight with half centuries from Chamara Kapugedera (75), captain Mahela Jayawardene (50) and Chamara Silva (50).

Playing before a sparse crowd, Sri Lanka was in control for most part of the innings but lost wickets at regular intervals after reaching 217 for three. In the final 10 overs, they lost four wickets for 74 runs.

After losing Kumar Sangakkara in the fourth over for just seven runs when he was caught down the leg side off Ishant Sharma, Sanath Jayasuriya went about his usual self.

Dropped on four by Yuvraj Singh, who attemped a difficult take running in from mid-off, Jayasuriya breezed his way to 43 from 37 balls with eight balls before he was caught by Dhoni on the leg side to give Sharma his second wicket.

Jayawardene, who scored his 47th career fifty, and Kapugedera put Sri Lanka into the driving seat with a 78 runs stand off 89 balls hitting some smooth boundaries to put the pressure on India.

Jayawardene fell just one ball after completing his half century from 62 balls. He was caught by Gautam Gambhir at long off dancing down the wicket and attempting to hit Pragyan Ojha out of the ground.

Kapugedera teamed up with Silva to put on another 68 from 66 balls for the fourth wicket as both the youngsters batted with freedom as Ojha went for runs.

Kapugedera raced to his fifth half century from 55 balls with the help of six fours before Praveen Kumar trapped him leg before at the total of 217 in the 38th over.

Five overs later, Tillakeratne Dilshan also pulled Irfan Pathan down to RP Singh at fine leg making 15 from 19 balls.

Silva’s run out after reaching his 50 in the 46th over at the total of 263 put Sri Lanka back in their effort to score quick runs in the final overs and post a big total.

Irfan Pathan was the most expensive bowler conceding 80 in his 10 overs with his final over conceding 14 runs.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/

India defeat Pakistan by a record margin of 140 runs

G.Krishnan, Hindustan Times
Dhaka, June 10, 2008

Praveen Kumar continues to impress with the new ball in one-dayers.

Man of the Match in the last ODI India played — against Australia — Kumar produced another outstanding performance to bowl India to a 140-run rout over Pakistan in the Kitply Cup here on Tuesday. This was India’s biggest margin of victory by runs against Pakistan.

Pakistan, chasing 331, were undone by Praveen’s opening spell of four for 42, slipping to 81 for four by the 13th over. They were bowled out for 190 in only 35.4 overs, with leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (4 for 40) running through the tail.

The Indian bowlers were ably supported by their fielders. The first wicket, of Salman Butt, fell after Rohit Sharma pulled off a brilliant catch at short point.

Rohit’s effort was yet another example of the importance of having fresh legs in the outfield.

Earlier, Delhi mates Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir put on a century partnership of 155 in 21.3 overs to lay the foundation of a massive total.

Sehwag (89, 76b, 13×4, 1×6) was cautious to begin with, allowing the in-form Gambhir (62, 62b, 6×4) to dictate.

Gambhir was dropped twice by Younis Khan at slip, on 4 and 29. At the other end, boundaries poured at Sehwag’s will.

Pakistan’s choice of four medium-pacers, adding Rao Iftikhar to their attack at left-arm spinner Fawad Alam’s expense, bore no fruit.

Sehwag, too, was lucky when Kamran Akmal floored an outside edge off Iftikhar when he was on 43.

Unperturbed, Sehwag carried on with the carnage. Left-arm medium-pacer Wahab Riaz, who impressed against Bangladesh two nights ago, could do precious little after breaking the opening partnership, removing Gambhir and Sehwag off successive overs, bounce doing the trick.

It was Riaz again who was the centre of attention at the death when he was removed from the attack for bowling his second full toss above the waist.

It was not understandable why Yusuf Pathan was sent at number four when more reputed batsmen were waiting in the dressing room. The momentum was lost for a brief period as the debutant half-brother of Irfan Pathan, making it a rare case of brothers playing in the same ODI for India, looked lost in his maiden visit at this level. He did not last long either as did Rohit Sharma before Yuvraj Singh’s swashbuckling 54-ball 55 (3×4, 3×6) and Dhoni’s cameo brought India back on track.

Source : http://www.hindustantimes.com

Sarwan Hits Century to Help West Indies Draw 2nd Cricket Test

By Dan Baynes

June 3 (Bloomberg) — West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan hit a century to help his team draw the second cricket Test against Australia, which cannot lose the best-of-three series.

Sarwan top scored with 128 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul made an unbeaten 77 in Antigua as the home team, set a victory target of 372, reached 266-5 before the skippers agreed to call an end to the game with 5 overs remaining.

The first draw between the teams since 1995 gives Australia an unbeatable 1-0 lead going into the final match in Bridgetown, Barbados. The top-ranked Australians would seal a ninth straight Test series win by avoiding defeat at the Kensington Oval.

Australia, which won the opening match in Jamaica by 95 runs, will retain the Frank Worrell Trophy, the symbol of supremacy between the teams in elite five-day cricket.

After touring captain Ricky Ponting declared on Australia’s overnight total of 244-6, West Indies slumped to 84-3 before Sarwan and Chanderpaul lifted their team near safety with a 143- run partnership.

Chanderpaul and Denesh Ramdin completed the task of sealing the draw following the loss of Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo.

Spin bowler Stuart MacGill was chaired off the ground by his Australian teammates at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium after announcing two days ago that he would retire after the match. His decision leaves the untried Beau Casson as the only specialist spinner in the squad.

The final Test starts June 12 and the teams will then play a Twenty20 international and five one-day matches.

Australian selectors today named all-rounder Shane Watson as the replacement for injured opening batsman Matthew Hayden in the one-day squad.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Baynes in Sydney at dbaynes@bloomberg.net

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/

Asif not charge-sheeted: Pakistan Cricket Board

DUBAI: Authorities here have detained Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif on suspicion of possessing an illegal substance.

Mr. Asif was detained at the airport at around 8 a.m. local time on Sunday while on his way to Lahore from Mumbai. He was returning home after the IPL Twenty20 league.

At a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, Shafqat Naghmi, the Chief Operating Officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said: “Asif has not been charge-sheeted as yet for possessing any drugs or banned substances. The substance found on him has been sent for laboratory tests after which the situation will become clearer.”

The suspected contraband was reportedly recovered from Mr. Asif’s wallet.

The PCB official expressed optimism about the possibility of Mr. Asif’s early return home.

“We are hopeful he will return home and if that happens, that itself would be an indication that he is innocent. So there would be no question of taking any disciplinary action against him,” he said.

Analysts say that the episode is no longer a legal issue and has now acquired a political dimension. The Pakistani embassy has been been holding talks with authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both countries have close bilateral ties. A leading law firm has been engaged to defend him.

Pakistani cricket officials are also dismissing as speculation, a report by a local television channel that Mr. Asif was detained following a brawl at the airport. “I really don’t know because neither Asif nor the local authorities have mentioned this to me,” Geo television quoted Nadeem Akram, PCB’s Human Resource Director, who has arrived here, as saying.

Customs officials say that after his detention, he was handed over to the drugs unit of the Dubai police. Samples of his blood and urine have been taken for analysis.

Mr. Asif was banned for one year after he tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in October 2006.

He is part of a 16-member squad picked on Monday for a one-day tri-series tournament in Bangladesh.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/

White Sox defeat Royals, 9-5

Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Nick Swisher and Alexei Ramirez homer in Chicago’s win.
June 4, 2008

* at Chicago 9, Kansas City 5: Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Nick Swisher and Alexei Ramirez homered. Gavin Floyd (6-3) gave up four runs — two earned — and six hits in seven innings, including Mark Teahen’s two-run homer in the seventh. Pierzynski’s first homer since April 22, a two-run shot, capped a four-run second and put the White Sox ahead, 6-0.

* Baltimore 5, at Minnesota 3: Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora homered and Radhames Liz (1-0) gave up two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Orioles, who ended a nine-game losing streak to the Twins and improved to 25-8 when scoring at least four runs.

* Boston 7, Tampa Bay 4: Coco Crisp hit a tiebreaking double and the Red Sox won a matchup of the AL East’s top two teams. Crisp ended a one-for-25 slump with the two-run double in a four-run sixth inning and Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a sacrifice fly.

* at Texas 12, Cleveland 7: Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley hit consecutive homers to set the tone in a four-run first inning. Tom Mastny (0-1), making his first major league start after 68 career relief appearances, struggled through a 37-pitch first inning and lasted only 1 1/3 innings, giving up five runs and six hits.

* Toronto 9, at New York 3: Roy Halladay (7-5) won his fourth decision in a row and improved to 5-1 with a 2.58 earned-run average in his last seven games. He gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.

* at Oakland 5, Detroit 4: Jack Cust’s infield single in the 11th inning gave the A’s the victory.

* Angels 5, at Seattle 4: Joe Saunders gave up one earned run in seven innings to become the AL’s first nine-game winner. Erik Bedard (4-4) lasted only 3 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits and five runs.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/sports/