GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday March 26, 2014
Top Indian court calls on board president to step down (REUTERS) -:India’s highest court called on the country’s cricket board chief N. Srinivasan to step down yesterday to ensure a probe into illegal betting during last year’s Indian Premier League, in which his son-in-law has been indicted, is fair. The involvement of Gurunath Meiyappan, who is married to the daughter of the BCCI president, in the illegal betting case was proved by a court-ap-
Indian Board (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan
pointed committee last month. The committee had been set up by India’s Supreme Court. Srinivasan should step down to ensure the probe is not hampered, a two-member bench said, asking the BCCI to file a detailed response to their position by tomorrow. Srinivasan, regarded as the world’s most powerful cricket administrator, is set to take over
as chairman of the International Cricket Council board in July. Meiyappan was arrested in late May by Mumbai Police probing illegal betting on the lucrative Twenty20 IPL but was released on bail within two weeks. Legal sports betting in India is confined to horse racing. Local media claimed Meiyappan was chief executive of the Chennai Super Kings but the company that owns the
IPL franchise, India Cements, said he was merely a member of team management. The scandal surfaced when former Test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other local cricketers were arrested on suspicion of taking money to concede a fixed number of runs. Sreesanth, who had denied any wrongdoing, was subsequently banned for life by the BCCI.
NSW claim Sheffield Shield after dominating draw (REUTERS) - New South Wales won the Sheffield Shield for the 46th time after the final of the first class state championship ended in a draw halfway through day five at Canberra’s Manuka Oval Needing only a draw to claim the title for the first time since 2008 after topping the regular season standings, New South Wales were almost assured of their goal when rain wiped out all but an hour of Monday’s day four. The Blues, who were forced to move the final because the Sydney Cricket Ground hosted the Major League Baseball sea-
son-openers at the weekend, had in any case totally dominated the match. All-rounder Moises Henriques scored 140 to lead them to 447 in their first innings and paceman Josh Hazlewood took six for 50 to restrict Western Australia to 180 in reply. Skipper Steve Smith’s unbeaten 103 had taken New South Wales to 197 for four in their second innings and an overall lead of 464 when the teams agreed to bring an end to play yesterday. Western Australia, known this season as a result of sponsorship as the “Alcohol. Think
Aussie Women bowlers set up victory AUSTRALIA Women bowlers secured their team’s first victory of the Women’s World T20 by restricting South Africa Women to a paltry total in Sylhet. Ellyse Perry led the chase, remaining unbeaten on 41 when the winning runs were scored with eight balls to spare. South Africa failed to get any partnerships going after winning the toss. The 31-run stand for the second wicket between Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty was their highest. They slumped to 74 for 6 then lost three more wickets for five runs, and were restricted to 115 for 9 in 20 overs. Chetty’s 30 was the top score for South Africa while Rene Farrell, Erin Osborne and Julie hunter took two wickets each for Australia. Australia stumbled early in their chase, with their top three falling inside eight overs. They were in some trouble when Alex Blackwell was dismissed for 24, with the score 56 for 4, but Perry remained firm thereafter. She hit six fours in her 29-ball 41 and added an unbeaten 60 with Jess Cameron, who made 27, for the fourth wicket. They saw their team through to a six-wicket victory. (ESPN Cricinfo)
Again Warriors”, were looking to win the Shield for the first time in 15 years. Their former Test batsman Marcus North, who scored 886 runs at an average of 63.28 and took 13 wickets with his off-spin over the championship, had already been named Player-of-the-Year.
New South Wales celebrate their Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia on the final day in Canberra.
SRI Lanka’s selectors have reconciled with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, after their displeasure at not being informed of the senior players’ Twenty20 retirement plans which had played out in public. Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said he had spoken to both players at length and sorted out the issue. “I had a very good chat with Sanga and Mahela. There was a small miscommunication from their part also, but nothing like that will happen again,” Jayasuriya said. “They have never had any problems with the selection committee, and they had always wanted to be in touch with me. But after this we had a very good talk.” Both Jayasuriya and fellow-selector Pramodya Wickaramasinghe had publically expressed dismay at learning of the retirements through the media. Sangakkara had told a lo-
and the board before finalising the timing of his ODI retirement. In a response to a local report on Jayasuriya’s reaction on learning the news second-hand, Jayawardene had said he had decided to announce his retirement just ahead of the tournament in Bangladesh, and also “in an informal manner as I had always planned”. Both players had repeatedly suggested they would wind down their international careers over the next 18 months, with the 2015 World Cup likely the see the last of them in ODIs. Neither Sangakkara nor Jayawardene has made substantial contributions to Sri Lanka’s World T20 campaigns so far, but the team have won both their matches, with a victory over England tomorrow likely to secure a place in the semi-finals. (ESPN Cricinfo)
Jayasuriya reconciles with senior players
Sanath Jayasuriya says miscommunication is to blame for his public disagreement with the senior players. “Sanga said he didn’t mean to officially announce cal paper “I won’t be playing his retirement, and he only T20 internationals after (World said it was his last tour,” JayaT20)],” in the days before the suriya said. “So I know what team departed for the tournahappened, and we understand ment, before Jayawardene aneach other.” nounced his retirement through In the same interview in the ICC’s Twitter Mirror camwhich Sangakkara had spoken paign, around 24 hours after of quitting T20s, he had said the team touched down in Banhe would consult with selectors gladesh.