ICC Illegal Bowling Actions Reporting Process(AN ARTICLE)

* ICC umpires and/or the match referee will report a bowler considered to have a suspect bowling action at the end of a Test or One day International. Umpires will retain the right to ‘call’ a bowler during a game, at their discretion. A report will initially be based on observations reached with the naked eye. The use of slow motion match footage will only be used to reinforce this initial impression. * The bowler’s team manager and the ICC will be notified of the report within 24 hours.

* Within a further period of 24 hours, a public statement will be issued by the match referee, confirming the reporting.

* The bowler’s Board will be notified by the ICC and copies of the relevant match footage supplied.

* Within a period of 21 days, the bowler will be required to work with an independent member of the ICC’s Human Movement Specialist panel. This will include the filming of his action under laboratory conditions and using latest technology opto-reflective techniques.

* The Human Movement Specialist’s report will confirm if the bowler’s action exceeds the permitted 15 degrees of straightening, or if he has been cleared to continue playing.

* If the action is found to be legal, the bowler can immediately resume his career, although the clearance does not constitute any form of exemption against being reported in future
If the report finds that the bowler’s action exceeds 15 degrees of straightening, he will be immediately suspended from international cricket. There are then two options available to him:
* To carry out remedial action to rectify his action to meet the ICC standard, or
* To contest the decision within 14 days and seek a hearing of the ICC Bowling Review Group (BRG) to make a final decision
* A BRG hearing will be held within 21 days and the outcome will decide to either uphold the decision of the expert report and suspend the bowler, or alternatively overturn the decision and clear the player to resume his international career

The ICC Bowling Review Group will consist of the following:
* A member of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, chairman
* A current ICC Match Referee
* A former international player
* A former international umpire
* A member of the ICC panel of Human Movement Specialists
* ICC General Manager – Cricket, as an ex-officio member
A second report within the space of two years proving an illegal action would see the bowler suspended from all international cricket for a minimum period of 12 months.

Usha Uthup sings in the honour of visiting Pakistani team:

30-nov-2007-Kolkata-Usha Uthup was singing in honour of the visiting Pakistani team and journalists, Uthup, best known for her 'Ramba ho, ho, ho...' song of the 1980s film 'Armaan', said: 'I strongly believe that music and cricket can bridge the gap between our two nations. But music wins in the end because in cricket you still fight on the field.'The interesting moment of Thursday's function came when Uthup invited Pakistani journalist Shahid Hashmi to the stage and sang a popular duet - 'Pyaar karna bhi zaroori hai' from the film 'Vaardat' - with him.'This is a great combination. You have seen many partnerships but this is perhaps the best one - an Indian singer and a Pakistani journalist in a dosti duet,' said Usha.
'It was a great honour for me to share the microphone with one of the best singers of India. It was a nice experience,' Hashmi said.And before singing 'Yeh dosti hum nahi torenge' from 'Sholay', Usha said: 'This song is especially for our Pakistani guests. I believe the people of the two countries are still the same.'

Shoaib Akhter`s bowling action-Indians not easy !

Indian batesman complain against Pakistan’s express fast bowler Shoaib Akhter`s bowling action.This has increased the problem of Pakistani cricket team,already facing severe fitness problems.Indian batesman criticised the akhters bowling action at new Dehli test.indian batesman said that shoaib akhter has performed,some time, illegal bowling action.Specifically the ball whic hresulted the Rahul dravid out was illegal.The Indian camp is quite convinced that the ball that clocked 150kmph and cut back sharply could not have been legal.The secretary indian cricket board (BCCI),Mr.Naranjan shah has reacted carefully.He said international cricket board should consider the actions of the controvercial players.

Wasim Jaffer's bat sparkled brightest-1st day 2nd test: (+photos)

November 30, 2007-Kolkata:Wasim Jaffer hit a sparkling unbeaten century to take India to a healthy position on the 1st day of the 2nd Test at the Eden Gardens -Kolkata.
Jaffer scored up his fifth Test century and had faced 163 balls during the first two sessions of play. He got 23 boundaries adding 136 for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid (50).Dravid struck seven fours during his half-century before he was scalped by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.Initially, India lost opener Dinesh Karthik early on after electing to bat. Sohail Tanveer inflicted the early jolt in the second over as Karthik failed for the third consecutive time in the series. But Jaffer and Dravid denied Pakistan any further success as the duo held the fort for the home side.At tea, India`s score was 206-2 with Jaffer unbeaten on 124 and Sachin Tendulkar giving him company on 26.
Tanvir, his initial success notwithstanding, was made to look more like a rookie by Jaffer than he has looked at any stage of his international initiation. And as Sachin Tendulkar helped up the pace nearer tea, with a swift fifty partnership, Kaneria's raggedness encapsulated that of his side's. Pakistan had their share of problems: Shoaib looked pretty unfit and struggled to complete his overs, Sami started off promisingly but drifted away and Tanvir, for some reason, kept feeding Jaffer on that middle and leg line. Younis Khan, the captain - Malik is injured and is not in the team - even turned to Yasir Hameed's leg spin and made Tanvir bowl left-arm spin but were thwarted by some fine batting from Jaffer and Tendulkar. Finally, Kaneria broke through with a googly to dismiss Tendulkar but Pakistan lacked intensity and had run of ideas as the day wore on. Finally,India decide to call it off for the day due to bad light.They werw at 352-3 (Jaffer 192*, Tendulkar 82, Ganguly 17*)
Indian team: Anil Kumble (captain), Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, Mahendra Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel.
Pakistan team: Younis Khan (captain), Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Sami and Danish Kaneria.
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen, South Africa, and Billy Doctrove, West Indies.
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle, Sri Lanka.
TV Umpire: Amish Saheba, India.

On "1996" tour, Gary Kirsten hated India

NEW DELHI: Quiz question: Which South African cricketer wrote the following words for a journal in his 1996-97 India tour dairy: "62 days in a country where westernised living conditions are regarded a luxury is no task for the faint-hearted."Answer: Gary Kirsten.
In fact, his tour diary indicates that the former opening batsman had problems with almost every aspect of the Indian condition: food, socializing, travelling.The tour diary was published in the December 1996-January 1997 issue of SA Cricket Action. Kirsten also wrote that "to spread cricket to all corners of India, we played in what could politely be classed as one-horse towns, places with more cows on the street than cars."For the record, the South Africans played one-day games in Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Faridabad, Rajkot, Guwahati and Mumbai. The Tests were played at Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Kanpur."I'll never forget arriving in Rajkot — laughter broke out in the bus when we were told we had reached our hotel, yet there didn't seem to be one in sight. It was actually above another building... A sense of humour is a necessity on this tour," wrote Kirsten. One wonders how the present BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, who hails from Rajkot, would react to that.Kirsten, who has been offered a two-year term with a package similar to Greg Chappell's, had also cribbed about the unavailability of direct flights to a playing destination..

"Bob Woolmer" Inquest Fails to Determine How Cricket Coach Died

Nov. 29 (Mr.Khan News) -- A Jamaican coroner's inquest into the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer at the World Cup in March failed to determine what killed him, the sport's governing body said.An 11-member jury, which heard testimony from more than 50 witnesses over five weeks in Kingston, returned an open verdict yesterday after finding insufficient evidence of a criminal act or death by natural causes.Woolmer was found unconscious in his Kingston hotel room on March 18, a day after Pakistan exited the World Cup in an upset loss to Ireland. The inquest was opened after Jamaican police said in June that the 58-year-old Briton died of natural causes, reversing its initial assessment that he was murdered.``It is important to note that, following an exhaustive police investigation, no credible evidence has been produced to prove that there was any foul play connected to Bob's death,'' the International Cricket Council said in a statement.

Four days after Woolmer's death, police began a homicide investigation following a local pathologist's assessment that he'd been strangled. Police examined closed-circuit TV pictures, quizzed Pakistan players and other hotel guests and hired cricket anti-corruption officers to investigate whether his death was linked to match-fixing.``It should also be noted that extensive investigations by the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit found no evidence of match-fixing or corruption of any kind related in this case,'' the Dubai-based ICC added.During earlier testimony in the coroner's inquest, which began Oct. 16, Jamaican pathologist Ere Sheshiah said Woolmer died of pesticide poisoning and asphyxia, Agence-France Presse said. Pathologists from the U.K., Canada and South Africa concluded that Woolmer died from natural causes, most likely heart disease, the ICC said.Woolmer, a former England batsman, suffered from diabetes and had put on weight since taking the Pakistan job in 2004. Blood, vomit and diarrhea were found on the walls and floor of his hotel bedroom and bathroom, Mark Shields, Jamaica's deputy police commissioner, said at the start of the investigation. .

Buoyant "England" win "Sri Lanka" tour cricket match

COLOMBO (Mr.Khan News) — Michael Vaughan's England celebrated a morale-boosting win ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka as the gloom lifted around the injury-hit tourists on Tuesday.England, preparing for Saturday's first Test in Kandy, surpassed a victory target of 246 for the loss of five wickets in the last session of a three-day practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI here.Left-handed opener Alastair Cook led the charge with 58 and Kevin Pietersen made 59 on a slow track at the Nondescript Cricket Club where England were dismissed for 134 in the first innings.The victory was set up the previous evening by Yorkshire paceman Matthew Hoggard, who grabbed five wickets including three in one over to send the hosts crashing to 81 all out.Wicket-keeper Matthew Prior clinched the win with two consecutive boundaries off Jehan Mubarak to remain unbeaten with 27 alongside Owais Shah (33 not out).

England had further reason to smile as fast bowler James Anderson recovered from a bruised ankle that forced him off the field on the second day and looks certain to play in the first of three back-to-back Tests.However, strike bowler Steve Harmison is likely to miss the Kandy Test even though scans on a troublesome back at a local hospital on Tuesday morning showed no serious injury.Harmison, 29, who suffered back spasms on Sunday, was a late entrant to the touring squad after proving his fitness playing first-class cricket in South Africa following a hernia surgery.Vaughan said later his team was ready to take on Sri Lanka in the Test series."It's always difficult in this part of the world, so this was a good game of cricket for us to win," the England captain said. "We feel we are in good spirits going into the first Test.

"How much of an impact this result has on the Tests remains to be seen. But yesterday we were looking like losing, so to come through and win shows a lot of character, which is a good sign for the team."The SLC XI added four runs to their overnight total of 77-8 before being all out for 81 with Kaushal Lokuarachchi unable to bat due to a hand injury.Vaughan and Cook put on 50 for the first wicket before the England captain, who made 28, mis-hit a ball from part-time bowler Mubarak to Tillekeratne Dilshan at point.Ian Bell, looking to step up the scoring, top-edged a drive off Dilshan to long-on as England slipped to 74-2.Pietersen and Cook put on 65 either side of the lunch interval before both departed in quick succession.Cook, England's man in form with 63 in the tour opener and 35 in the first innings here, hit six boundaries before he was trapped leg-before by Mubarak.Pietersen smashed five fours and a six when he edged an intended cut off another part-time bowler Chamara Kapugedara to wicket-keeper Kaushal Silva.The home side missed the leg-breaks of Lokuarachchi, the lone specialist spinner in the team who dislocated his right index finger while attempting a return catch off Bopara on Monday.England leave for Kandy on Wednesday morning for three days of hard training before the first Test..

Cricket "Zimbabwe" to tour "Pakistan" next year after elections

KARACHI, Nov 27 (Mr.Khan News) - Zimbabwe will tour Pakistan after the host country's general elections on Jan. 8 to play five one-day internationals, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said on Tuesday.The official told Reuters that at the request of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, which has had its test status suspended since 2005, the team would play a four-day and three-day game before the one-day series."They want their players to get exposure in the longer duration of the game as they are not playing tests at the moment," the official said.The one-day internationals will be stagedin Karachi, Hyderabad, Multan, Faisalabad and Sheikhupura.

The official said the itinerary for the Australian team's tour to Pakistan in March-April next year would be completed after a visit by a delegation of Cricket Australia following the elections.The Australian Cricketers' Association have said they are worried about security arrangements in Pakistan because of the political upheaval since the introduction of emergency rule.Australia are due to arrive in Pakistan on March 10 to play three tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 international."We are not worried because their tour is still some months away and by that time the elections would have been held and things would have settled down politically," the PCB official said. .

Australian Cricketers Association worried about security in pakistan

YDNEY (Reuters) - There is increasing concern among Australia's cricketers about their planned tour of Pakistan next year.The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) said they were worried about security arrangements in Pakistan because of the political upheaval since the introduction of emergency rule.ACA president Darren Lehmann told reporters on Monday the tour should be cancelled, or moved to a neutral venue, if there was any risk to player safety."If there's any risk at all then I'm presuming the tour might not go ahead," Lehmann said."But if security say it's fine then we'll be going."Australia are due to tour Pakistan next March but Lehmann said the ACA and Cricket Australia were planning to visit the country in January to determine whether it was safe enough.Lehmann said they would present their findings to the players who would make the final decision."We put everything on the table for them and then it's a group decision from there," Lehmann said."Pretty much they're happy to go with the ACA and Cricket Australia what we recommend and that'll be a joint discussion along the way so if we say 'Look we think it's safe to go', they'll go."

India Survived A Top Order Collapse In Delhi Test:

DEHLI,The first Test in Delhi is intriguingly poised after Pakistan closed day three 167 runs ahead of India at 212-5.Danish Kaneria took three wickets in 15 balls as Pakistan snared India's final four wickets for 14 to restrict the home side's first innings lead to 45.Salman Butt gave Pakistan an excellent start with 11 fours in his 67 but three wickets fell for 12 within eight overs.Misbah-ul-Haq, dropped on one, hit two sixes and shared an unbroken 51 with Kamran Akmal to add a further twist.On a fluctuating day of Test action, VVS Laxman had taken his seventh-wicket partnership with Anil Kumble to 54 before Kaneria made the breakthrough.The India captain edged a sharp leg-break to Younus Khan at first slip for 24.The 22-year-old Tanvir bowled Harbhajan Singh round his legs for one in the next over before Kaneria removed the last two batsmen Zaheer Khan (9) and Munaf Patel (0) with successive deliveries. Khan smashed Kaneria over long on for six but could only mis-hit the next flighted delivery to be caught by a running Shoaib Akhtar at mid off. Patel fell lbw first ball.Pacemen Shoaib and Tanvir had led Pakistan's fightback by triggering a top-order batting collapse on the second afternoon before Laxman added 115 runs for the sixth wicket with Mahendra Dhoni (57).Laxman, 33, who completed his 30th Test fifty, glided Shoaib through the slips for his only four in the morning before running out of partners.He hit eight fours in his 135-ball knock spanning over four hours but was left stranded on 72.Butt and Yasir Hameed calmly recorded the Pakistan 50 in the 16th over, before skipper Kumble and spin partner Harbhajan began to restrict the scoring slightly.

Kumble made the breakthrough in the 26th over when Hameed pushed forward to a full and fast delivery, the ball flew off the face of the bat and was brilliantly caught inches from the turf at silly point by Laxman.In the fourth over after tea, Younus was adjudged lbw by Simon Taufel when he was hit low on the pad pushing forward to Kumble.
That brought in the prolific Mohammad Yousuf who promptly hit two fours in reaching 10 from his first three balls.But when he was on 18, he succumbed to the first ball of Harbhajan's new spell when some extra turn caught his inside edge and gave the spinner a simple return catch.Less than four overs later Butt was back in the pavilion as well, when Kumble's googly deceived him and the edge was comfortably snaffled by Rahul Dravid at slip.

Pakistan were only 116 ahead when they lost their fifth wicket, skipper Shoaib Malik unluckily losing a solitary bail when he got a bottom edge via the pad.It might have been even worse had Wasim Jaffer taken a reasonably straightforward chance at short-leg given by Misbah off his irate captain when only a single had been added.Misbah then dispatched Harbhajan for two sixes in an over and with Akmal striking four fours in his 20, the sixth-wicket pair began to build the sort of target to give India's batsmen cause for concern as the increasingly fascinating encounter nears its conclusion.