The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent analysis has found the bowling action of Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez to be illegal and, as such, the off-spinner has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.
The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.
Hafeez, who was reported after the first Test match against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last month, can apply for a re-assessment after he has modified his bowling action in accordance with clause 2.4 of theRegulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.
The analysis was performed on 24 November by the ICC’s accredited team of Human Movement Specialists using the National Cricket Performance Centre, Loughborough.
The probable Indian squad of 30 was announced yesterday sparking off a massive debate on social networking sites and beyond about the selection (or non-selection) of certain players in the preliminary squad.
“Gutted. Sad day for cricket. Most of the World Cup heroes do not find their way into the 30. How is it even possible? In such a short span? Is this the way to treat the seniors in the side? After all the things, they’ve done for us? Really expected at least Kapil Dev to make it to the preliminary squad, if not Sunil Gavaskar,” is what Whatsizneim had to say on the current team selection, adding that Abey Kuruvilla and Debashish Mohanty should have also been included in the squad.
Whatsizneim does have a point here. After all, this will be the first World Cup not featuring either of Sunil Gavaskar or the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
CrassCacaphonix did not mince his words either: “This is all due to Dhoni. He made sure that no seniors made it to the squad. Clear case of having ulterior motives. Apart from being the captain of the Indian Test, ODI, T20 and Chennai Super Kings teams, the vice-president of India Cements, a former stakeholder in Rhiti Sports, he is now also the selector of our team. Even Sanjay Patel has admitted to this. This is absolutely blasphemous. In fact, I’m sure that malnutrition in Africa and the earthquake in Haiti was also Dhoni’s fault. Nothing to do with the weather or the performance of the individuals involved.”
One has to wonder if the laws of interpretation with respect to the BCCI secretary or world hunger were stretched to an extent, but then, nothing can prevail over public sentiment in our country.
“Of course, Zaheer, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh should have made the list. So what if they have played 79 matches in the last 4 years combined, lesser than what Raina or Kohli have played individually. After all their combined total is 1 match more than what Ashwin has. I was relaxed and expected them to waltz into the side like it is 2 April 2011 all over again. The fact that they were rarely selected and failed badly when they were was hardly an indicator of the fact that they would be dropped. I thought it was to shield their super powers and new techniques from their opponents, but they’ve actually been dropped,” adds a flabbergasted Mr. Wannabe Numbercruncher.
“It doesn’t really matter that Yuvraj averages below 20 since 2011, or that Zaheer and Harbhajan have played 12 games between them in the last 4 years. Not even the fact that Sehwag and Gambhir average below 25 with the bat in the last two years is of any relevance”, Vitalstatistix does the stats for us.
“Completely shocked by this decision. Comes as a huge, huge surprise. Look at the current team. After all, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, India’s current opening duo average a miserly 50 and 52 in the last couple of years. That really does not make them top class, does it? We should get back the ones in the 20s.”
“Yeah. I had done that”, Vitalstatistix sheepishly replies when asked if he made a Facebook post after Ambati Rayudu’s ton against Sri Lanka on why he should play the World Cup ahead of Rohit.
“I made a nice long post about how Rohit is inconsistent even though he averages over 50 in the last two years and has the record for the highest runs ever scored in a bilateral series. I even called him a flat track bully. Of course, Rayudu had made his century on a flat deck too. But what the hell, it’s only Rohit who is a flat track bully, Rayudu is class. But yeah, after that double century, all of a sudden he was my favourite again. But does that show I’m a fickle minded fan? Absolutely not. I love cricket. Big Fan. Come on Messi!”
Immaplasticfan has the final word to top the charts on this ever growing controversy: “Whaaaat? Yuvraj, Zaheer and other seniors are not in the squad for the World Cup? But they just recently won us the tournament. And who are these Ajinkya Rahanes and Kedar Jadhavs and this bowler with a bandana – Ashoke Dinda? What happened to Harbhajan? And that left-handed bowler. Who was he? Right. Ashish Nehra. What happened to these people? I don’t know much, I’ve hardly watched cricket recently. I am a cricket fan for 3 months every four years, you see. How is Tendulkar playing these days?”
In other news, it is now learnt that a section of fans are extremely happy after being told that the final team selection can be made outside the shortlisted 30.
“No, I did not know this. Then why select the probable list anyway? This is all a well staged drama, I’m sure. All 5 seniors will make the final 15 and Tendulkar will come out of retirement to lead India one last time. Of course, Sanjay Patel saying that it is almost impossible for a player to be selected outside of the 30 is mere fuel for the dramatic fire. Ohh, I’m so looking forward to the World Cup next year. Will even buy an India jersey. Yay! Will be so much of fun.”
Cricket Australia (CA) have confirmed that the first of the 4-match Test series between Australia and India, scheduled to take place at Brisbane, starting December 4, has been postponed to an unconfirmed date in the aftermath of Phillip Hughes’ tragical death a couple of days ago, after being hit on the head by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield match on November 25.
The cricketer’s funeral will take place in Macksville on December 3. CA believes that it will neither be feasible nor fair to begin the Test the very next day of the funeral, and it is understood that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were extremely supportive of the decision when contacted about the issue.
Not right for teams to play first Test – Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting had earlier said that it wouldn’t be right for Australia and India to go ahead and play the first Test, as the players would find it difficult to find the right frame of mind to play a 5-day game.
In his column for News Limited newspapers, Ricky Ponting writes, "It's one thing to say Phillip Hughes would have wanted the four-Test series against India to start as scheduled. It's another for 11 men to take the field at the Gabba a week after their close friend died.”
The former Australian captain added: "It's been such a tragic week for the Hughes family and the cricket community and I can't imagine how anybody can be expected to play Test cricket on Thursday. In fact I don't think it would be right.
"Even if the boys think they can play it would be a miracle if they find the right frame of mind needed for five days of cricket."
New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum now holds the record the fastest double century by a captain in Test cricket after he reached the milestone in only 186 deliveries against Pakistan in the ongoing Test match at Sharjah; he broke Michael Clarke’s record of 226-ball double against South Africa at Adelaide in 2012.
It is also the record for the fastest Test double hundred by a Kiwi player ever. Before his dismissal in the same over that he registered his double, he had put on a 297-run partnership with Kane Willamson off 317 balls, which is now the fastest 250-run partnership for any wicket in the longer format of the game.
Brendon McCullum
This is the 33-year-old’s third double hundred as a captain, all coming in the same year; only Brian Lara (5), Sir Don Bradman (4), Graeme Smith (4) and Michael Clarke (4) have more.
Into Day 3 of the third and final Test match between the two sides, the visitors are on 388/2, in reply to Pakistan’s first innings score of 351, at the time of writing this article.
Given below is the list of fastest double centurions in Test cricket:
Delhi Dynamos put in a great team performance to subdue their opponents
In a must-win match for both sides, Delhi Dynamos emerged triumphant over Mumbai City FC at home with a big win as they ran out 4-1 winners to get themselves back in contention for a semi-final spot.
Four different goal scorers found the back of the net for Delhi as they put in a superb team performance to overcome a Mumbai side struggling with injuries to key players and low on confidence.
Mumbai made three changes from the side that lost to Chennaiyin FC with Andre Moritz chiefly sitting out with injury and replaced by Freddie Ljungberg. Johan Letzelter was missing through suspension and so too Peter Costa. Sushil Kumar Singh got a start and Subhash Singh too made a return to the starting line-up. Nicolas Anelka was missing for a second straight game.
Delhi made one change more than their guests with Stijn Houben, Naoba Singh, Munmun Lugun and Mads Junker coming in for Shouvik Ghosh, Pavel Elias, Souvik Chakraborty and Bruno Herrero.
Both teams started in earnest and Sushil had a chance as early as the 2nd minute as Didika put in a good cross from the left, but the forward could not get any power behind it.
Gustavo Dos Santos went close to scoring on 8 minutes after he engineered a good move to create space by playing a back heel to Henrique Dinis who crossed it back towards the Brazilian. His shot though was blocked by a lunging Syed Rahim Nabi away for a corner.
Gustavo Dos Santos (right) was thorn in Mumbai’s flesh all night
Four minutes later, Delhi went real close again, this time Mads Junker receiving a good ball from Francis Fernandes and peeling off the defenders to slide the ball past Mumbai keeper Subrata Paul. Veteran India man Deepak Mondal however put in a last ditch slide to clear the ball off the line to keep the score level.
Mumbai were looking edgy and unorganized in defence as the hosts fashioned a few more openings with Delhi only failing to score thanks to some last minute interventions and clearances.
Sushil then had another good chance on 25 minutes when Subhash set him up with a lovely cross from the right. He got good power behind his header this time, only to see it go over the bar.
Delhi took the lead on 44 minutes courtesy of a defensive lapse from Mumbai. The ball was switched out wide to the right from where Dinis put in a cross. Manuel Friedrich failed with the first clearance and on the second put it into the path of Hans Mulder who smashed it into the net from just in front of goal.
In the one minute of added time it could have gotten worse for Mumbai as Delhi opened them up with a quick counter through the middle, but Nabi got back in time to put just enough pressure on Junker before he could pull the trigger, allowing Paul to make the save.
Needing more from his team, Peter Reid rang the changes for Mumbai replacing Ljungberg with Javi Fernandez and Subhash with Nadong Bhutia at half-time.
And they did start with more zest, looking to get to the ball quicker. However, it was Delhi who scored a second goal and knocked the stuffing out of their guests a bit. Dos Santos, causing all sorts of trouble for the Mumbai defence, played a lovely through ball to pick out Junker once again and this time the tall forward made no mistake, rolling it past Paul to extend Delhi’s lead.
A glorious goal followed soon for Delhi to make it 3-0; Dos Santos invited Fernandes to make a run down the right, and made a neat little run into the box after playing it to his winger. Nobody picked him up and Dos Santos was left all alone in the s Francis picked him out with a perfect cross and the Brazilian headed it into goal nonchalantly.
Mumbai’s defensive woes continued as they kept giving the ball away easily and were almost made to pay on 67 minutes with Fernandes once again running at the defence and delivering a cross to Junker who went for the spectacular and failed to keep it under control.
India striker Abhishek Yadav was handed his ISL debut as he came on to replace Subhash with 19 minutes to go. Delhi too made a change with Shylo Malswamatulunga replaced by Manish Bhargav.
Dos Santos broke again with fury on 75 minutes after dispossessing Mumbai at the halfway line, leading a three-on-two Delhi break and instead of taking a shot teed Francis up on his right whose shot ruffled the side netting.
The subs for Mumbai were having an impact, both Fernandes and Yadav. And Mumbai did get a goal back on 86 minutes, breaking their four game goal drought, Yadav arriving in the box to tuck away a good cross from Sushil on the left with a left-footed strike.
Abhishek Yadav (left) pulled one back for Mumbai
The goals in the beginning of the half however had done the job and Delhi rounded it off in style with Bhargav netting a goal in injury time to cap things off. Substitute Steven Dias made a lovely run to get around Mumbai’s defence on the right and centred the ball with Paul taken out, Manandeep’s effort was smothered by Paul, but the rebound fell to Bhargav, who smashed it in to become the first Indian goal scorer for the Dynamos.
The Man of the Match expectedly went to Dos Santos. The Brazilian was a livewire throughout the match and caused Friedrich and Pavel Cmovs in the centre of Mumbai’s defence all sorts of problems.
The win takes Delhi to fifth, ahead of NorthEast United FC on goal difference thanks to the emphatic scoreline. For Mumbai, another disappointing away day at the office as they found themselves on the wrong end of a heavy defeat that pushed them to the bottom of the table.
Phillip Hughes with his father, Greg, after his first Test match for Australia
Following Phillip Hughes’s tragic death yesterday, there have been doubts regarding the likelihood of the first Test between Australia and India at Brisbane taking place, with the entire cricketing world in a state of mourning after what must surely be the saddest incident to take place on a cricket field ever.
A number of the Australian players were genuinely close to Hughes, and it is going to be extremely hard for them to recover from what has happened and concentrate on cricketing matters once again.
According to South Australia Cricket Association (SACA) CEO Keith Bradshaw, however, the 25-year-old’s own family would not want the Test to be postponed or cancelled.
"In regard to the Test match, (I can) only (speak) in terms of what I've heard, which is that the Hughes family are keen for that to go ahead," he said.
"Obviously that's going to be a question for the players and we must be mindful for the players and respect the players' feelings at this time as they come to try and deal with this tragic loss."
“Phillip was a popular, loved member of the team”
Hughes had moved to South Australia from New South Wales (NSW) a couple of seasons ago, and was an extremely popular member of the team. Speaking to the media at the Adelaide Oval, Bradshaw said that the players were “devastated”, and that focus will now be on ensuring the good health of Hughes’s colleagues and family.
"There really are no words that we can use to express or feeling of loss and hurt at the moment," he said.
"The players are devastated. They are shattered.
"Phillip was a popular, loved member of the team. They are trying as best they can to come to terms with this tragic loss. We are obviously supporting them through that with professional help, and it's an hour-by-hour, day-to-day process at the moment.
"Our attention now turns of course to the care and the love of Phillip's family, but also to our staff, to the players here in South Australia and around the country, the Australian cricket team and of course the New South Wales team."
No grade matches this weekend: Bradshaw
The SACA have also decided to stop all grade matches in South Australia from taking place this weekend.
"There is just so much emotion and distress here at the moment, so grade cricket will not be going ahead this weekend," he added.
"Cricket, everything else is just secondary at the moment to caring for our players, the family, and all those people that have been involved.
"And we'll just do everything we can to care for them and love for them, and make sure that they're as OK as they possibly can be."
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