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Tasmania will be lucky to break even when they host their first Pura Cup final next week because the game will not be played over a weekend, according to the Tasmanian Cricket Association. David Johnston, the TCA’s chief executive, said he expected far fewer spectators for the Monday-to-Friday clash than if the match started later in the week.The Tigers host New South Wales at Bellerive Oval from Monday and the game will be broadcast live throughout Australia on . Johnston said he raised the scheduling issue with the game’s authorities before the season started but nothing had changed.”We wrote to Cricket Australia saying we weren’t entirely happy with that,” Johnston told Hobart’s . “If we got into the final, we thought it would be a disadvantage because we have never had a final here.”We will get some feedback from people who can’t attend because of work commitments and things like that. Going through the week, hopefully we will get 3000 to 4000 a day.” Johnston said Cricket Australia cited small crowds at previous finals as the reason it would not change its decision. Last year’s decider started on a Friday at the Gabba.”[Cricket Australia] looked at that and Fox came and said, `We can telecast it, but we can only telecast from Monday to Friday because we have got commitments on the weekend’,” Johnston said. “They thought to promote the game itself and have it go Australia-wide on pay-TV would be terrific, so that is why they took the option of going Monday to Friday rather than over a weekend. It is not ideal for Tasmania, but for cricket in Australia overall it is a fair decision.”Johnston said the state’s revenue could be hit by the lack of Saturday-Sunday play. “There are a number of expenses, and it also depends on how many [spectators] you get, but generally there is never a huge profit,” he said. “We hope to break even if we can.”

West Indies spinner Sunil Narine has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect after his action was found to be illegal.An independent assessment revealed that all variations of his deliveries exceeded the 15-degree limit. Narine’s action was reported earlier this month during the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.In accordance with Article 6.1 of the regulations, “Narine’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations within domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction, save that, with the consent of the West Indies Cricket Board, Narine may be able to play in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of the West Indies Cricket Board.”The test was done on November 17 at ICC’s testing centre in Loughborough University. Narine can apply for re-assessment after modifying his action in accordance with clause 2.4 of the Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.Narine was playing against Sri Lanka after a gap of more than a year in international cricket, and finished with four wickets from three ODIs at an average of 18. He is currently the No. 1 ranked bowler in the ICC rankings for ODIs and T20Is.Narine is currently playing in the Bangladesh Premier League for Comilla Victorians, and this suspension means he won’t be allowed to bowl in the BPL too. He will fly out of Dhaka on Sunday night itself.”We were prepared for the announcement,” Comilla Victorians owner Nafeesa Kamal told ESPNcricinfo. “We were told that we can expect something on November 29 so we had planned accordingly. We will definitely miss him. He was an asset to the team. We are now looking for a player to replace him.”The West Indies Cricket Board said that Narine would receive its full support as he works on correcting his action. “We will be offering our support to Sunil as he does the remedial work on his bowling action. I know the time and effort he has put in to do this work previously and I am sure this will just deepen his resolve to come back a better bowler,” Richard Pybus, WICB’s director of cricket, said in a release.

Shoaib Akhtar’s troubled career has taken yet another twist following a decision by the Pakistan board to send him back from Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 after a dressing-room scuffle in which he was alleged to have hit fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif with a bat.The Pakistan Cricket Board has responded by handing Shoaib an indefinite ban, pending a disciplinary hearing that will be conducted once the team returns from South Africa.”Shoaib’s ban is an indefinite suspension,” Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, told Cricinfo. “There is no question of Shoaib returning to South Africa for the latter half of the tournament [in the event of Pakistan playing more than five matches].””When the team management returns [from the tournament], the board will launch a full investigation and disciplinary hearing into the matter. Further action based on that is likely,” Ashraf said.A press release issued on Friday by team manager Talat Ali in Johannesburg said, “The decision [to send him home] has been taken on an incident that took place yesterday [6th September] afternoon at the Centurion Park after the practice session of the Pakistan team. It was reported to us by Asif that Shoaib had hit him on his leg with a bat and abused him.”The bowler was already on six weeks’ probation following a breach of discipline last month after he left a training camp in Karachi without informing officials. Two hearings were held, after which it was decided that a monetary fine would be suspended pending his behaviour. Ashraf indicated that action would be likely.The sorry development means that Pakistan finds itself in the spotlight at a major international tournament once again for all the wrong reasons. Shoaib and Asif were sent back on the eve of their opening match at the Champions Trophy last year, after they had tested positive for banned anabolic steroids. During the World Cup in March, Pakistan’s disastrous performance took backstage to the death of Bob Woolmer.The decision will be a blow to the team’s chances at the tournament, as Pakistan’s strength was widely considered to lie in a pace attack that included Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar Anjum. AFP, citing team sources, reported the PCB has picked Sohail Tanvir, an allrounder, as Shoaib’s replacement.In any case, a replacement will also depend on approval from the ICC’s technical committee. The Participating Nations’ Agreement, which every team signs when taking part in ICC tournaments, refers to the replacement of players and there is provision for a player to be replaced for reasons other than injury: “Except for medical grounds, players may only be replaced in exceptional circumstances such as family bereavement or where a player is suspended and such suspension relates to an incident which is unrelated to the event.”

ScorecardEngland women finally got the result they were looking for, beating Australia Under-21s by 75 runs in what could be the boost to kick-start their Australasian tour which had started with two heavy defeats. Charlotte Edwards had promised they would be bounce back, and they did, with their batting finally firing to add 9 for 249 against the Shooting Stars who had beaten them earlier this week.Beth Morgan, who had started with two failures, came good with a fifty, as did fellow opener Sarah Taylor, the pair lifting England with a 134-run stand. Morgan employed the sweep to good effect while Taylor thrilled the crowd with her customary over-the-top hitting.It was the platform they needed, with the smooth Edwards, timing the ball as well as ever, and Lydia Greenway then each adding 31. A bizarre hat-trick of run-outs followed in a frenetic last over yielding four runs and four run-outs as England lost six wickets in the last four overs.The Shooting Stars were up with the run-rate until Rosalie Birch dismissed opener Rachael Haynes for 37 and struck again through Claire Taylor’s catch at mid-on. Birch went on to claim 3 for 21 from her 10 overs.Laura Marsh also bowled tightly to restrict the U21s in an eight-over spell worth 23. Isa Guha and captain Edwards chipped in to take two wickets apiece while their were two fantastic run-outs which helped dismiss them for 174.”I’m really pleased with how the girls responded,” said a beaming Edwards. “Our batting was positive and we’re back to somewhere near our best.” Head coach Mark Dobson added: “At various stages throughout the three matches we have either batted, bowled or fielded well. Now we need to combine each of these disciplines consistently throughout the forthcoming series.”This is England’s third match outside since September and so they will be pleased with their progress so far, with the crucial time in the middle.

The second day of the Trinidad Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka turned tragic for the Hosam family as West Indian supporter Michael Hosam, 66, died after being taken ill while watching the game.Hosam was at the Queen’s Park Oval for the match when other fans noticed he looked unwell. He received medical attention at the ground and was taken to the Port of Spain General Hospital where family said he was pronounced dead.The West Indies board and the Trinidad and Tobago board offered their condolences to Hosam’s family and friends. “We in West Indies Cricket know we have people out there who are loyal and dedicated in their support and we wish his family all the best at this time,” Julian Hunte, the WICB president, said.Ikin Williams, Hosam’s bother-in-law, said he was a West Indies supporter for decades and always wore his maroon shirt when he came to watch matches at Queen’s Park Oval.”He was a true West Indies fan and he loved the team. He loved West Indies cricket.”

The South Zone under-14 tournament match between Kerala and Andhra atthe Ukku Stadium in Vijayawada meandered into a tame draw on the finalday on Friday. Andhra due to their first innings lead earned fivepoints while Kerala three.Resuming at the score of 35 for no loss on the third day, Kerala losteight wickets while scoring 215 runs in their second innings. RohanPrem was the top scorer with a fine unbeaten 106 off 287 balls. Rohanduring his stay shared a 75 run seventh wicket stand with SajithMuralidaran (30) in 30.3 overs.Earlier, Andhra took an 82 run first innings lead. The Andhra total of194 was boosted by a fine 114 by K Raghunath Reddy. Reddy who lostmost of his partners early found unlikely company in the no 10 batsmanTRLR Shekar (3) and put on 59 runs for the ninth wicket. Reddy did thebulk of the scoring during the innings, which witnessed only two otherbatsmen M Praneet (31) and AG Pradeep (10) reach double figures.On the opening day, Kerala opted to bat and were bundled out for 112.Rohan Prem with 33 runs was the top scorer. Raghunath Reddy (3 for 25)along with Moshin Basha (2) and Shekar (2) shared the wickets forAndhra.

It’s like an impossible dream come true, but unless Adrian Barath is watching, listening and learning from all that is going on around him during a hectic few days in London, he may just become another one of those many talented but inconsistent performers in this long, nightmarish period in West Indies cricket.The 17-year old must be the envy of millions right now. A special guest of batting legend Brian Lara, he is experiencing the life of the sporting superstar in one of the most fashionable and historic cities in the world. From the luxury hotels to the VIP treatment every step of the way to the lavish receptions in exclusive company, it surely seems too good to be true for the Presentation College schoolboy who still has another three seasons to go at under-19 level.For all the disappointment of seeing West Indies capitulate once again on Sunday, the no-contest out in the middle in the first ODI against England may have actually been a distraction from rubbing shoulders with many of the former and contemporary greats of the game in one of the executive boxes at Lord’s. Coming a day after he sampled the Centre Court atmosphere from the extremely privileged position of the Royal Box while watching defending Wimbledon women’s singles champion Amelie Mauresmo in action, Barath already has enough experiences to fill several pages in a “What I did on vacation” essay.But for a young cricket fanatic who aspires to join the ranks of the immortal heroes of the West Indian game, the best of it all comes tonight when he sits alongside his hero in exalted company at a glittering gala function in the Lord’s Long Room honouring Lara’s record-breaking contribution to the game.You can only imagine what it must be like for him. Unless he is super cool (that title already belongs to Chris Gayle, so it would have to be something else) or supremely confident in his own ability to blaze a trail of glory in time, it can almost be intimidating to indulge in old talk with the likes of Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar or observe from close quarters as the Australian champion legspinner and Indian batting maestro laugh and joke in the midst of an unending succession of anecdotes recalling on-field duels and off-field antics with Lara.But for all of the gilt-edged opportunities for autographs and photographs that will become cherished mementoes or expensive memorabilia in years to come, the real value of this star-studded evening will come from absorbing all that these outstanding performers have to say about the game. Much of it will seem like foolishness and general old talk.However, in between, he should be able to get a feel of the personalities behind the imposing auras and staggering achievements, an understanding of the degree of self-belief and the burning desire to excel that have propelled these players to heights that everyone else can only aspire to.

Sometimes, all it takes are a few words in a receptive ear to make all the difference. In an era when the evidence is there in black and white in a succession of scorebooks that listening and learning are not very high on the list of priorities among current Caribbean cricketers, Barath would have committed that same cardinal error if enlightenment from the function came only in an understanding of the irrelevant, nonsensical intricacies of hoity-toity table manners.These are the moments that can change a young man’s life, in either direction. Already hailed in some quarters of a local media desperate to anoint a successor to Lara as our next great batting gift to the world, Barath has a very long way to go to even begin to approach the dizzyingly high standards set by the players he admires most. But, significantly, he has the considerable benefit of youth on his side, so the challenge for him is to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as part of the greater goal of fulfilling long-term objectives and not joining the majority of the mindless crowd who continue to live fast and loose, only to recognise the folly of their ways when it is too late.Not everyone gets the chance to be a VIP guest of Lara or Dwight Yorke or Ato Boldon or Stephen Ames. But wise words and sincere counsel are also available at the more modest and anonymous levels of the home environment. Although the perspective of having excelled at the highest level is an invaluable one, there are certain fundamental truths that have never changed, whether batting in the nets at Presentation College or in front of a full house of 90,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.In a culture that almost automatically ranks anything external as better than the homegrown variety, well-meaning advice is often dismissed on the basis of the adviser not having the track record of achievement to suggest that any credibility should be attached to what he or she is saying. Yet when you read many of the stories of the great achievers in all sports, there is almost always reference made to the invaluable contribution of some ordinary but well-respected person – parent, coach or mentor – on the road to greatness.Very few ever achieve such greatness, but once we are prepared to listen and learn, we won’t have to rely on the generosity of a sporting superstar to inspire us to previously unattainable heights of excellence.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

They may have been scraping the bottom of the points table, but the Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers dished out one of the best games of the IPL. In a relatively low-scoring match in which the bowlers from both teams had plenty of say, Bangalore squeezed out a dramatic three-run win – their second of the tournament and the first at home – to move to sixth in the points table.The match ebbed and flowed throughout, both teams had opportunities to take control, and both frittered it away. Deccan, requiring 157 for victory, had the run-chase well in control when the classy Rohit Sharma and VVS Laxman were involved in a 96-run stand. With 20 deliveries to go, Deccan needed 30 to win with two well-set batsmen at the crease, and seven others to follow. From there, it all went pear-shaped for them.Rohit had played another sublime innings, showcasing his outstanding talent in bringing up his third half-century of the IPL, but when Jacques Kallis pitched one up, Rohit – who had carved a four and a six earlier in the over – could only loft it to long-on. Shahid Afridi’s entry should have been good news for Deccan; instead, he made just 1 before Dale Seyn pulled off a superb diving catch at long-on.Then came two lbw decisions which further queered the pitch: Laxman, who had motored to a 44-ball 52, was given out to a Praveen Kumar delivery which pitched outside leg, and when Scott Styris was given out in similar fashion to Zaheer Khan in the next over, it seemed Bangalore had sealed the win.Going into the final over, Deccan needed 20 with Anil Kumble to bowl – it seemed a lost cause, till Sanjay Bangar struck two magnificent sixes off the third and fourth deliveries, reducing the equation to a nail-biting six off two. Kumble, though, held firm, conceding two singles off the last two balls, and a tense Dravid finally allowed his emotions to show through, high-fiving his team-mates. As he said later: “We got out of jail today.”When Rohit and Laxman were at the crease, though, it seemed Bangalore were doomed to another home defeat. After being pegged back by superb opening spells from Steyn, Zaheer and Praveen, during the course of which Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs – their two biggest batting stars – succumbed, Rohit and Laxman got the run-chase back on track. Rohit’s innings was another masterclass, as he showed the composure and shot-selection of a veteran. He started off with a glorious six over wide long-on off Kumble, and then exhibited power and touch in equal measure, bludgeoning straight hits and also moving away and caressing Kallis just wide off the wicketkeeper.Laxman showed just how much he has developed as a Twenty20 batsman, adding the leg-side hoick to more conventional strokes. The 12th over saw Laxman at his sublime best, as he drove Kumble past extra-cover, used his feet and lofted on the off side, and flicked past midwicket for three fours.

Bangalore’s total ultimately turned out to be just enough, but at the halfway stage it seemed they had frittered away another game, as their attempt to solve the riddle of Twenty20 batting came unstuck again. They seemed on course for much more after ten over, when they were cruising at 80 for 1, but then fell away quite predictably in the second half as the Deccan bowlers struck back with regular wickets, in the process exposing – yet again – Bangalore’s lack of firepower.Till the halfway stage, the picture was an encouraging one as Jaffer and Kohli laid a perfect platform. As usual they lost their first wicket early, as Bharat Chipli inside-edged onto his stumps to ensure that six opening stands have fetched them a grand total of 74 runs. But then came the best passage of batting for Bangalore, as Kohli, promoted to No. 3, justified that move, adding 72 for the second wicket with Jaffer in nine overs.On an abrasive pitch where the ball tended to stop, neither batsman completely dominated the bowling, but yet they got their runs at a fair clip. In between a few mistimed shots, Jaffer executed some crisp drives, and was prepared to innovate as well, moving across his stumps to Sanjay Bangar and Afridi to clip them to the fine-leg boundary. Kohli was more forceful in his shot-making, getting two sixes, carving Bangar over midwicket and then striking Ojha cleanly over his head. Those moments had the crowd on their feet, but in between the Deccan bowlers – especially the slower ones – bowled enough dots to ensure that Bangalore never ran away with the momentum.The launching pad was ready, but the take-off went completely awry. After racing to 44, Jaffer top-edged a slog-sweep off the impressive Pragyan Ojha, who foxed Kallis in his next over. Kohli perished soon after, and when Misbah was at the receiving end of a poor lbw decision – the ball from Afridi was drifting down leg – Bangalore had lost three for nine and had wasted all the good work done earlier. Dravid’s two sixes in the last over from the No. 6 position helped lift the total beyond 150, and in the end, those hits proved decisive.

The ICC has engaged a top firm of management consultants in its bid to find a successor to Malcolm Speed who steps down as chief executive in July.Egon Zehnder International were appointed after six companies were interviewed by senior ICC officials. An ICC recruitment committee, made up of Ray Mali, David Morgan, Sharad Pawar and Creagh O’Connor, Cricket Australia’s chairman, will oversee the process.That process will see the recruitment committee make a recommendation to the ICC board for approval, and it is envisaged the successful candidate will take up the role vacated by Speed at the conclusion of ICC annual conference.”Malcolm Speed has helped spearhead the growth of the organisation to the point where we can now boast 101 members with the game buttressed by a long-term broadcasting agreement covering our major events,” said Morgan. “Now, with Malcolm stepping down after seven years in the role, we need a person to continue cricket’s positive momentum in what will be an exciting and challenging future.”We are looking for a candidate who can continue to help us deliver on the objectives of the ICC’s strategic plan, someone who understands the major issues confronting the game, and someone who can ensure continued unity among our diverse membership to help our strong sport grow even stronger in the years to come.”

Tim Boon, the Leicestershire coach, admits his club are facing a battle to retain their gifted young bowler, Stuart Broad.Broad, 21 – who was widely expected to make his Test debut yesterday against India, before being overlooked for Chris Tremlett – is one of England’s brightest fast-bowling prospects. And in this modern era of lucrative player moves, Boon is acutely aware that other counties could lure him with a sizeable pay packet.”This is the right place for him and I’d be disappointed if he goes for money,” Boon said. “We have put a support structure in place here which means he has everything he needs to achieve his goals.”I have also told him that the money will come to him, so I will be disappointed if he leaves for that particular reason. We were well aware that we would be facing this battle to keep Stuart because he is one of the most gifted prospects in the game but I remain hopeful that he will stay with us.”Broad was due to turn out for Leicestershire today but, like many sides, they fall victim to the rain as their match against Middlesex washed out at Grace Road without a ball being bowled.