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Caribbean Star Newspaper Stephen Curry voted NBA MVP Trott retires from international cricket
May 8–14, 2015
AKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry won the NBA’s MVP award Monday, beating out Houston’s James Harden in a race that turned out to be not that close. A confluence of good things came together for Golden State this season, and Curry’s MVP award is just one reward. Curry received 100 of 130 firstplace votes for a total of 1,198 points from a panel of 129 writers and broadcasters, along with the fan vote on the NBA’s website. “There were obviously good times and bad times. Times I wanted to shut it down,” Curry said of his road to becoming an NBA player and league MVP. “It just made me feel like how blessed and thankful I am to be in this position.” Harden, who averaged 27.4 points and said in early April that he had “done enough” to win the MVP award,
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Stephen Curry, Warriors organization succeed because of each other earned 25 first-place votes and 936 points. “That’s tough, but we’re in the second round of the playoffs, and I got better things to worry about -- and that’s the Clippers,” Harden said after Monday’s shootaround before Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. “[The Warriors are] a very good team that’s rolling right now and it didn’t work out, but there’s more of
the season to continue to play.” Added Rockets teammate Dwight Howard: “All of us are pretty upset he didn’t win, but our goal is to win the championship.” Cleveland’s LeBron James got five first-place votes and 552 points to finish third. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (352) and New Orleans’ Anthony Davis (203) rounded out the top five in the voting.
ICC investigates plans for alternate cricket structure
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he ICC is investigating the Essel Group’s mooted plans for an alternative world cricket structure, even as former IPL chief Lalit Modi revealed he stepped away from the project after deciding it was not something he could deliver. An emergency ICC committee - comprising its chairman N Srinivasan, ECB’s Giles Clarke, and CA’s Wally Edwards - has been set up to investigate moves made by the Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra, owner of the Essel Group and also Zee TV, of which the subsidiary Ten Sports owns home international cricket television rights for numerous Full Member countries including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. “Yes, we discussed it at our board meeting and the three-member committee is looking into the issue,” Srinivasan told Indian Express. “At the moment we’ve very little information about the whole thing. We’ve to see whether this is something serious or just speculation. We’ve started the process and will report to the executive board once we get the facts.” ESPNcricinfo understands that the committee will also look into the recent activity of Modi and his business partner Dean Kino, the former Cricket Australia head of business and legal affairs and also a key figure in the development of the Champions League Twenty20. Speaking to the Guardian, Modi said he had done some early work on Chandra’s plans over several months, before stepping back. However, he warned against underestimating Chandra, who had previously bankrolled the rebel Indian Cricket League that was snuffed out by the emergence of the IPL - ironically under Modi’s stewardship - and left
around $2 million in unpaid wages for the players and staff who took part. “I looked at the plan and discussed it. We had conversations for months - but I usually don’t touch something I cannot deliver, and this I cannot,” Modi said. “It’s not something you can just do and launch - it will take years and it won’t happen overnight. It is not putting a tournament together, it’s about building the sport from the grassroots up. “You have to understand Subhash Chandra as a man. If you do, you will know he goes after what he wants and he does not stop. Whether he will succeed is the billion-dollar question. Subhash is a powerful body no doubt but it is a foolish plan at the moment. But he does what he wants and I wish him all the luck. It could be very close, who knows? If he presses the button and puts the money on the table things could start very quickly. The ICC should be fearing him.” Another report, in the Sydney Morning Herald, has outlined plans for international players such as Michael Clarke and David Warner to be offered as much as $50 million each over 10 years to add their names and reputations to the breakaway venture. Modi said that players had been made aware of the project and that trust could be won by payments up front, but there were greater issues of logistics and infrastructure. “I don’t think players have signed anything yet but a few know about it,” he said. “They will come, but it is too early for that. The plan requires billions up front. Trust would be a serious issue but they could overcome that with advance payments. If somebody had three or four billion
to play around with, with it could be done very easily. Anything less? It would be very difficult. “Logistics are the big issue and infrastructure the bigger issue. In my case we had one competition and had the cash and the infrastructure available, with partners and stadiums in place. On a green field project like this, where are the stadiums? They need to find them, create them or convert existing ones - the gestation period for that is quite long.” The ICC executive board has faced a wave of criticism following the adoption of a “Big Three” model in 2014 driven by the financially strongest boards in world cricket - India, Australia and England. The Big Three model was pushed through by current ICC chairman N Srinivasan as former BCCI president, outgoing ECB chairman but incoming president Giles Clarke, and CA chairman Wally Edwards over a six-month period. The nuts and bolts of the new administrative and revenue plan for the ICC was worked out by the backroom commercial executives of the three Boards. At the time, that group had comprised Kino, as general manager of legal and business affairs, Cricket Australia, Sundar Raman, chief operating officer, IPL, and John Perera, commercial director ECB. The model changed the administrative structure and revenue distribution model of the international game, with most of the decision-making positions and finances gained by the cricket boards of India, England and Australia. Srinivasan, Giles Clarke and Edwards are known to have discussed the possible breakaway at their most recent ICC meetings in Dubai earlier this month.
onathan Trott has announced his retirement from international cricket following the series against West Indies but will continue to play domestically for Warwickshire. He struggled in his new position as opener, making just 72 runs in six innings of which five were single-figure scores, after his return from a stress-related illness. His 52-Test career ended with innings of 0 and 9 in Barbados, bounced out in the first by Shannon Gabriel and lbw to Jerome Taylor in the second, and it was during the match that debate around his future started to swirl again, although it is understood Trott had decided during the preceding Test in Grenada that he would retire. “This was a tough decision to make but I don’t feel my game is at the level you need to be at to play for England,” Trott said. “I was honored to be given the opportunity to come back and play international cricket again and I’m disappointed it didn’t work out. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me and given me the chance to represent England and to thank supporters for all their backing over the years. I also want to wish the lads all the very best for what will be an incredibly exciting summer. The West Indies series marked his recall to England colors following a 16-month absence after he left the 2013-14 Ashes tour following the Brisbane Test due to his illness. His first attempt at a first-class comeback was aborted at the start of the 2014 domestic season, but later in the summer he returned successfully for Warwickshire and finished in strong form as he averaged 47.69 in the County Championship with three hundreds. He was selected for the England Lions tour of South Africa where he made an unbeaten 211 in the first four-day match against South Africa A in Paarl. That secured him a spot on the West Indies tour where he was preferred as Alastair Cook’s opening partner ahead of Adam Lyth despite only previously opening once in his Test career. Jonathan Trott career timeline August 2009 - A glorious international debut with a match-winning century at The Oval as England regain the Ashes May 2010 - Trott’s appetite for occupying the crease evident in eight-hour 226 against Bangladesh at Lord’s December 2010 - Following his Brisbane epic, Trott makes an unbeaten 168 in Melbourne that helps England’s to a crushing innings win and retaining the Ashes March 2012 - England are in the midst of a crisis batting against spin but Trott shows the way with 112 in Galle December 2012 - Scores a second-innings 143 in Nagpur that secures England a draw and an historic series victory in India August 2013 - 16 runs in two innings in the 3rd Ashes Test at Old Trafford confirms a lean run of form November 2013 - Bounced out twice by Mitchell Johnson in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba for just 10 and 9 April 2014 - Aborts his first attempt at a comeback: ‘I have decided it is best for all involved that I continue my recovery on the sidelines for the time being,’ he said June 2014 - Returns to the Warwickshire first team in the T20 Blast September 2014 - After a century against Sussex in July, he finishes the season with two more hundreds January 2015 - Makes an unbeaten 211 for England against South Africa A in Paarl March 2015 - Named in England squad for tour of West Indies April 2015 - Returns to the Test team, opening the batting, but makes just 72 runs in six innings.