Taylor hit 1389 runs across the three formats and became New Zealand’s leading Test run-scorer

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2020Ross Taylor has taken the Sir Richard Hadlee medal as New Zealand’s overall cricketer of the year on the final day of the NZC awards.Tim Southee was named Test player of the year after taking 40 wickets in eight Tests and Kim Cotton, who stood in the T20 World Cup final at the MCG, was umpire of the year to round out the virtual awards.Taylor’s honour, the third time he has won the medal, came on the back of a period where he scored 1389 runs across all formats, broken down to 511 at 39.30 in Tests, 548 at 49.91 in ODIs and 330 at 30.00 in T20Is.ALSO READ: Kane Williamson and Sophie Devine among New Zealand limited-overs winnersDuring that time he became New Zealand’s lead Test run-scorer when he overtook Stephen Fleming during the SCG Test in January and also became the first player to reach 100 appearances in all three formats.As he had during the emotional moment of the Test milestone, Taylor reflected on the role of his mentor Martin Crowe.”I’m sure he would be proud of this,” Taylor said. “Marty was able to pass on a lot of his experience and wisdom which has played a massive part in my career. It was always something that he always pushed me to do [break records]. I think he would probably be surprised at how well I have done.”But I’ve been fortunate to be helped by a lot of people over the years and I guess when you win awards like this it’s nice to be able to thank them.”Reflecting on the 12 months overall, Taylor said: “It’s been full of ups and downs. A World Cup final – losing that final. The Boxing Day Test, which was such a proud moment to be part of and to have so many Kiwis there supporting us was something I’ll never forget. I was happy with the consistency this season and any time you can contribute to the team performance and help get the team across the line is special.”Hadlee, who was part of the selection panel that first picked Taylor in 2006, praised his longevity.”I’ve watched your progress over the past 14 years and I just want to congratulate you on all your performances and records to date. You’ve been a wonderful performer, you’ve got a fantastic record and on behalf of New Zealand Cricket I’d just like to say thanks very much for your contribution, not only to New Zealand cricket – but to world cricket.”

Cricketer to serve ban till February 19, 2023 but has 14 days to appeal before the board’s tribunal

Umar Farooq08-May-2020The chairman of the PCB’s independent disciplinary panel pointed to Umar Akmal’s lack of remorse and a refusal to cooperate with investigating authorities as he detailed the reasoning behind the three-year ban on the Pakistan cricketer, which will keep him out of the game – as a player and otherwise – till February 19, 2023.Akmal was charged by the PCB on two counts of breaching its anti-corruption code ahead of this year’s PSL, and while each charge carries a three-year ban, they will run concurrently. Unlike a number of punishments in corruption investigations, there is no suspended sentence. Akmal has 14 days to appeal before the tribunal.”It appears that he [Akmal] is not prepared to show remorse and seek apology, make admission that he failed to fulfill his responsibility under Anti-Corruption Code, Article 2.4.4, rather he tried to take refuge under the pretext that in the past whenever any such approaches were made, the matter was reported by him,” Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, the panel chairman, wrote in his full judgment of the case, released today. “As far as Charge No.1 is concerned, I do not see any circumstances to mitigate the nature of offence, particularly, when the participant (Umar Akmal) has not cooperated with the PCB Vigilance and Security Department and the investigating team.”Akmal was initially suspended by the PCB on February 20 and subsequently charged, and then chose to forego the right to a hearing before the anti-corruption tribunal, where he could have pleaded innocence or contested the charges, saying he would wait for a sanction to be confirmed. As a result, his case went directly to the disciplinary panel.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, in his reply to the charges to the PCB, Akmal did admit the violation, saying that he was approached by two men on separate occasions, but chose not to inform the authorities, which was a breach of the code and led to his suspension. In front of the panel too, Akmal admitted the charges, but claimed there had been no “objectionable material” to report.Akmal explained that a first approach was at a dinner party in Lahore, when he was introduced to a stranger and after sensing the intentions of the individual, he distanced himself and left the venue. But Chauhan observed that Akmal was duty-bound to inform the anti-corruption officials immediately: “The reason given by the player is not acceptable and the explanation given in the reply are not sufficient.”Even today when offer was made to him to accept his offence and pray for lesser punishment, the player did not avail the chance and stuck to his explanations.”Speaking about the second approach, Akmal said that a person in Lahore had requested a favour in exchange for help in resolving an undisclosed dispute. Becoming uncomfortable, Akmal said he left the meeting but the judge, again, pointed out that he should have reported the approach. Akmal said in his reply that in the past, confidential information involving him had been “leaked to the media” without his consent.The judge observed that Akmal “had failed to give any plausible explanation for not reporting the matter to PCB vigilance and anti-corruption department and is in breach of the rule article 2.4.4 and he would be deemed to be engaged in corrupt conduct under the anti-corruption code of PCB”.The judgment concluded with: “The participant/player/Umar Akmal shall not play, coach or otherwise, participate or be involved in any capacity in any match or any kind of functions, event or activity (other than authorised anti-corruption education or rehablitaion program that is authorised sanctioned, recognised or supported in any way by the PCB, the ICC or other national cricket federations, or receive accreditation previously issued shall be deemed to be withdrawn.”

The Australia captain has spent the last three seasons with the Perth Scorchers

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2020Australia women’s captain Meg Lanning will return to the Melbourne Stars for the Women’s Big Bash League following three seasons with the Perth Scorchers.The move had been expected for some time but the contracting embargo for the tournament was only lifted last Friday due the disrupted off-season with Covid-19.Lanning, who has signed a three-year deal, previously played for the Stars in the first two editions of the WBBL where she scored 1062 runs and was the team’s leading run-scorer in both campaigns. She then missed her first season with the Scorchers due to a shoulder injury before scoring 920 runs across her next two competitions.ALSO READ: WBBL to feature three-week Sydney hub amid Covid-19 contingenciesWhile the move brings her back to her home state – she also plays for Victoria in the Women’s National Cricket League – Lanning talked of the chance of being able to work with a group of young players and new coach Trent Woodhill as a key factor. Whether Lanning will take the captaincy is still being discussed.”His knowledge of the T20 game and to have worked with so many great players and different franchises in different tournaments is great experience to have,” Lanning said. “So I’m certainly looking forward to working with him and seeing what his philosophy is on T20 cricket especially.”I’d like to thank everyone in Perth for their support during my time there but it’s great to be back in Melbourne”I’m proud to have been part of the first couple of years at the Melbourne Stars and I’m looking forward getting back involved with the club. We’ve got an exciting group and I can’t wait to start working with those players and the coaching staff as well.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The Stars finished bottom of the table last season with just two victories in 14 matches and are the only team never to reach the finals series in the WBBL.”Having Meg back at the Stars is huge, it’s almost like starting again,” Woodhill said. “It’s the chance for the Stars to reset. We won’t be putting too much pressure on Meg to be the star of the show, but we know Meg is a star of world cricket.”We want to be able to provide her with the environment where she can thrive, and bring out the best in her by having as much fun as possible through success and establishing a winning culture.”The WBBL is set to begin on October 17 with the final on November 29. Lanning won’t have the chance to play on home soil in Melbourne until the end of the league stage with the season having been centered around a three-week Sydney hub following the opening two weekends in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Tasmania.Part of the reasoning behind that was to give the tournament extra flexibility if Covid-19 forces changes to the schedule and it has also aided in getting an increase in broadcast matches.

It is hoped that fans will be able to attend the matches staged at Allan Border Field

Andrew McGlashan29-Aug-2020Victoria and New South Wales-based players from the Australia Women’s squad will undergo a 14-day quarantine in Brisbane next month alongside their New Zealand counterparts ahead of the T20I and ODI series which will be played at Allan Border Field.It is hoped that crowds will be able to attend the six matches but details of that are still being worked through by Cricket Australia and the relevant government departments. Crowds have been able to attend the winter sports codes hosted in Queensland since the end of June.The two groups of players will be able to access net facilities at Allan Border Field under strict bio-secure protocols during the two-week quarantine but the teams will not mix.ALSO READ: Maitlan Brown earns first Australia callMelbourne is currently under a stage four lockdown which means anyone travelling into Queensland is required to quarantine while New South Wales was declared a hotspot area earlier this month which meant the same restrictions for anyone coming from that state. That group of players will arrive in Brisbane on September 6.Players from the other states will not have to undergo the two-week quarantine ahead of the series and they will join up with the squad in Brisbane on September 20 ahead of the opening T20I on September 26.Meg Lanning steers the ball behind square•Getty Images

New Zealand Cricket announced on Friday that their squad would fly to Brisbane on September 9 although that is still awaiting final approval from governments on both sides of the Tasman.The tour will be the first cricket both teams have played since the T20 World Cup in March and it will be the first international sport staged in Australia since Covid-19 took hold.”We would like to thank the Queensland Government for their support, which has allowed for the tour to progress in a bio-secure way,” Nick Hockley, the interim Cricket Australia CEO, said. “We can’t wait to get the season started and what better way to celebrate the return of our world champions.”We’re as confident as ever that we will be able to deliver a schedule of matches that excites and entertains fans across the country and around the world.”Terry Svenson, the Queensland Cricket CEO, said: “We’re pleased to have played a role along with Cricket Australia and the State and Commonwealth Governments in bringing international sport back to Australia, with the New Zealand Women’s visit to Queensland to be the first inbound tour to the country since the start of the pandemic and the first international cricket in Australia since that memorable ICC T20 Women’s World Cup won by Australia.”Queensland Cricket is very grateful to the State Government for the support shown for this tour, and their positive approach to hosting matches in Queensland this summer. We’re looking forward to providing the opportunity for fans to experience some top-quality cricket and enjoy the best that Australia’s world champion women’s team can deliver.”T20I series

First T20: September 26

Second T20: September 27

Third T20: September 30ODI series

First ODI: October 3

Second ODI: October 5

Third ODI: October 7

Sparks fall short after powerful batting onslaught from Lightning openers

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2020Lightning 233 for 8 (Bryce 75, Ellis 62) beat Central Sparks 227 for 9 (Presland 3-26) by six runsLightning are celebrating their first victory in the Rachael Heyhoe Trophy after a six-run success over Central Sparks at Blackfinch New Road, Worcester.A record stand for the Trophy by Lightning openers Sarah Bryce and Bethan Ellis of 148 in 33 overs and a three-wicket burst by Alicia Presland were responsible for their side ending a run of three defeats.Defeat was a major blow to the second-placed Sparks hopes of challenging Northern Diamonds for a place in the final and, despite half centuries from Gwenan Davies and Marie Kelly, they fell just short of their target and closed on 227 for 9.Lightning were put into bat by Sparks captain Evelyn Jones on the same wicket used for last weekend’s match with Thunder.Bryce and Ellis found the surface to their liking as they established a new partnership record for any wicket for the Trophy and it laid the foundations for Lightning’s total of 233 for 8 in 50 overs.Bryce continued her excellent form in the competition with her fourth successive half-century and she went onto make 75 from 98 balls with nine fours. Ellis made an accomplished 62 from 101 balls with four boundaries.The pair were both dismissed by Liz Russell on her return to the attack and she bowled an impressive second spell of 7-1-26-2. Abigail Freeborn, with a quickfire 36, capitalised on the fine start given to the Lightning innings.The Sparks attack generally bowled tightly and spinner Anisha Patel picked up three wickets for 49 runs during her 10 overs spell. But they were let down by some indifferent ground fielding and also a crucial dropped catch – by Patel off Georgia Davis at short fine leg – when Ellis was on 17.Sparks needed a positive start to their reply and it was supplied by Davies and Jones who put on 41 in 8.1 overs. Leah Kellogg made the initial breakthrough when Jones (10) tried to force through the off side and was bowled but she went off injured after completing the over.Jones was joined by Marie Kelly and the duo posed a half century standing only 7.5 overs to maintain the momentum of the Sparks innings. Davies reached 50 off 63 balls but did not add to her tally before she was lbw to Presland.The Sparks looked well placed at 150 for 2 in the 31st over but then three wickets fell for seven runs with two more of them to Presland. Kelly, whose half century came from 76 deliveries, was bowled by Teresa Graves before Presland sent back Poppy Davies (8) and Milly Home (2) in successive overs.Presland finished with figures of 3 for 26 from 10 overs but some excellent deliveries were mixed in with 10 wides out of a total of 35 conceded by the Lightning.The run rate started to climb and Chloe Hill (6) was caught right on the very edge of the mid-wicket boundary by Bryce from a Graves full toss. She seemed reluctant to depart the middle and the umpires conferred and spoke with the Lightning players before she strode off.Emily Arlott hit a quickfire 19 before she lofted Kathryn Bryce to mid off and Georgia Davis (3) and Russell (1) were run out in the late scramble for runs to leave Clare Boycitt unbeaten on 33 from 56 balls.

Crawley wins prestigious CWC award to go with PCA Young Player of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2020Zak Crawley, who turned his maiden Test hundred into a mammoth 267 during the summer, has been voted the Cricket Writers’ Club NV Play Young Cricketer of the Year. Former England captain Alastair Cook was named County Championship Player of the Year for his performances in the Bob Willis Trophy, while England spinner Sophie Ecclestone claimed the CWC Women’s Cricket Award.Jason Holder and the West Indies men’s team were also recognised with the Peter Smith Award, given for outstanding contribution to the presentation of cricket to the public, after helping England to fulfil their international commitments during the Covid-19 pandemic, and for leading the way in cricket’s Black Lives Matter conversation.The CWC young cricketer award is voted on by members of the club, and is restricted to England-qualified players under the age of 23 at the start of the season. It has been awarded every year since 1950, with many recipients going on to enjoy long careers in international cricket.Crawley, the Kent opener who was also voted the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s Young Player of the Year, scored 417 runs at an average of 69.50 in four Test appearances during England’s bio-secure series against West Indies and Pakistan. He also recorded a maiden T20 hundred, and added another in Kent’s Bob Willis Trophy campaign.”To get the cricket we did and have a decent summer was very special,” Crawley said. “To win this award, voted for by the cricket media is very special, so thanks to everyone who voted for me.”Cook was the leading run-scorer in the Bob Willis Trophy, with his imperious 172 in the final at Lord’s helping Essex to secure the county red-ball title for the third time in four seasons. “It was a great year, actually,” Cook said. “I was very sceptical to start with. I thought a five-match tournament, six with the final, I didn’t think it would work. I was totally and utterly wrong. It was a brilliant tournament.”Every game mattered and because there were no overseas players, because counties had a ‘free shot’ with no relegation, promotion wasn’t spoken about, everyone could win it, clubs backed their own youngsters.”Ecclestone, 21, is currently ranked the ICC’s No. 1 bowler in women’s T20Is. She was commended by Isabelle Westbury, convenor of the Women’s Cricket Award selection panel, for “another outstanding 12 months in international cricket” after helping England to the semi-final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, as well as a 5-0 series sweep against West Indies last month.”I’m really honoured to receive this award, given the girls who’ve won it before and hopefully there’s more to come in the future,” Ecclestone said.The Lord’s Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year went to Dan Bower, who scored 499 runs at an average of 99.80 in England’s 8-0 whitewash of Australia last October.The discretionary Peter Smith Award, named after the late cricket correspondent, was determined by a panel of media members chaired by journalist Tanya Aldred.The panel’s citation read: “Holder led a trailblazing tour party that flew into the unknown at the height of the Covid-crisis in the UK, from the relative safety of the Caribbean. As the first sports team to enter a bio-bubble, they showed great forbearance, holed up in two hotels for seven weeks, and were instrumental in rescuing the international summer for cricket lovers and the ECB. Holder also conducted himself with grace on and off the field, speaking eloquently on race and racism and the need for education and unity, during a period of turbulence precipitated by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.”Winner of the CWC Derek Hodgson Book Award was Duncan Hamilton, for was also highly commended.CWC Chair Alison Mitchell said: “I’d like to congratulate all of our 2020 winners – in a year in which we wondered whether we would see any summer cricket at all. Huge praise must go to Steve Elworthy, his team at the ECB, and the counties, for staging both domestic and international men’s and women’s matches in safe environments.”Naturally it is disappointing that we can’t honour our winners at the usual CWC Lunch event this year, but we hope we can formally present the trophies at an event in the future.”

KL Rahul the anchor a worry for Kings XI, while Sunrisers could play an overseas allrounder

Sreshth Shah07-Oct-20207:14

Is it time Kings XI found a way to fit Mujeeb into their XI?

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Two teams that, on paper, are heavily reliant on their top order face off in Dubai – it’s Kings XI Punjab against Sunrisers Hyderabad, both teams in the bottom three of the IPL 2020 points table at this stage.The Kings XI have lost their last three games and are last among the eight sides despite KL Rahul (302) and Mayank Agarwal(272) being among the top three run-scorers this season. The pair’s success – they have scored over 63% of the team’s runs so far – has meant that the middle order has been left a bit undercooked. And with no bowler apart from Mohammed Shami and Ravi Bishnoi quite hitting their groove, many team combinations (15 players in five games) have been tried – and discarded – leaving them with an unsettled-looking XI. They need to break their run of defeats urgently, or risk going another season without a final-four finish, having last reached there in 2014.Rahul, despite all the runs, is a concern too. With strike rates of 122 in balls 1-10, 119 in 11-20, 103 in 21-30 and 123 in 31-40, the downside of putting a price on his wicket and being an anchor is that the team is being forced to underutilise their big-hitting resources – Nicholas Pooran, Glenn Maxwell, Sarfaraz Khan and sometimes James Neesham – down the order.As for their bowling, Shami and Sheldon Cottrell have found the early breakthroughs to make them the best powerplay bowling side going around. But despite that, the Kings XI has taken two or more wickets only once between overs seven and 15 so far, and the lack of breakthroughs have meant conceding plenty in the death overs. Will Chris Jordan keep his place, or can they finally find space for Mujeeb Ur Rahman?The Sunrisers, currently sixth, are better off – but only just – having learnt that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is out for the season following a thigh injury he picked up against the Chennai Super Kings.David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey have contributed in a few games, but none of them has been consistent. And on days when two or more of them fail, the pressure shifts on their very young middle and lower order. While that has meant the likes of Priyam Garg, Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad have had the chances to impress, the Sunrisers could consider allrounders Mohammad Nabi or Fabian Allen to add a bit of experience. That, though, would most likely mean leaving out Williamson. In Kumar’s absence, their pace unit is inexperienced too.Overall, there’s no clear favourite entering the contest. Both sides need to get going before the early movers break away from the pack, and Thursday’s contest could be the start of that – for one of the two teams.

In the news

Prithvi Raj Yarra has been named Kumar’s replacement, but it may be a while before he gets a game, especially if the more experienced fellow left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed – who missed the Sunrisers’ game over the weekend – is fit.Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s exit robs the Sunrisers Hyderabad attack of a lot of experience•BCCI

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Priyam Garg, 6 Abhishek Sharma, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Sandeep Sharma, 10 Siddarth Kaul, 11 T NatarajanKings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Mandeep Singh, 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 Chris Jordan/James Neesham, 8 Harpreet Brar/M Ashwin, 9 Sheldon Cottrell, 10 Mohammad Shami, 11 Ravi Bishnoi

Stats that matter

• Last season, the Sunrisers’ opening pair of Warner and Bairstow got over 60% of the team’s runs, scoring at a strike rate of 164 while getting three half-century and four century stands. This season, they have just a solitary fifty-plus stand so far. Among batsmen with at least four innings, Bairstow (105) and Warner (111) are ahead of only Sunil Narine (87) on the list of poorest powerplay strike rates.
• Agarwal has faced only four googlies this season, but has been dismissed twice by them; 57% of Rashid Khan’s deliveries this season have been googlies.
• Warner has scored a half-century in each of his last eight matches against the Kings XI.
• The Kings XI concede 14.8 runs per over in the death overs, the poorest among all teams.

Former Kolpak signing enjoyed a stellar Blast season this year

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2020David Wiese will play for Sussex in next year’s Vitality Blast as an overseas player.Wiese, the 35-year-old South African allrounder, has been with Sussex since 2016 on a Kolpak registration, which expires at the end of the year following Britain’s exit from the European Union.”Sussex has been home for the last four seasons and I can’t wait to be back,” Wiese said. “We have had a fair amount of success in the Blast over the last few seasons, but hopefully we can take it a step further next season.”ALSO READ: Kirtley braced for high expectations on galáctico bowling attackSussex finished second in the South Group behind Surrey this year and were knocked of the competition by Lancashire in the quarter-finals. Wiese enjoyed a strong 2020 Blast season, scoring 281 runs at an average of 40.14, including a career-best 79 not out at Lord’s to seal a Sharks victory against Middlesex.His 171 against Hampshire in the 2019 Royal London Cup remains the highest one-day score in Sussex history.James Kirtley, the club’s newly appointed T20 head coach, said: “It’s fantastic news that David will be with us next season for the Blast. It will give us peace of mind knowing that a player of David’s class will be available for the whole of the tournament.”He plays a number of roles for us in our T20 side and he continues to play match-winning innings such as the one at Lord’s this season.”

Board to seek views of states during SMA on conducting further domestic tournaments

Nagraj Gollapudi24-Dec-2020In a positive development for India’s domestic cricket, the BCCI has not yet given up on hosting the Ranji Trophy despite the Covid-19 pandemic severely affecting the calendar. Recently the BCCI announced it would be conducting the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (domestic T20s) from January 10 to 31 in bio-secure bubbles across India. It would then seek views of the states after the league phase of the SMA Trophy on conducting further domestic tournaments.It is understood board president Sourav Ganguly himself voiced strong support for conducting the Ranji Trophy, the premier domestic tournament, at the BCCI’s AGM in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Ganguly told the members that the BCCI and the states must explore all options to host the Ranji Trophy. It is expected the BCCI would follow the SMA Trophy with the Vijay Hazare Trophy (domestic 50-over tournament) and the Ranji Trophy, if possible.The BCCI also has plans to conduct age-group and women’s cricket during the IPL which his scheduled for April-May next year. As a shot in the arm for domestic players – both men and women – the BCCI decided to compensate players for the loss of cricket during the pandemic. What that compensation would be, will be worked out once the BCCI has finalised the domestic calendar.Related

• Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: time to audition, fine-tune for IPL and T20 World Cup

• Sourav Ganguly 'doing well', to be discharged from hospital on Wednesday

• Fate of Ranji Trophy hangs in balance

• Prospects of Ranji fading, Syed Mushtaq Ali from January 10

• Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Teams divided into six groups

The BCCI has also decided to increase the retirement age for domestic match officials and scorers from 55 to 60. Meanwhile, the medical insurance for players in domestic cricket has been raised from INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakh.Setback for BCCI’s cricket operations
The BCCI’s cricket operations team has thinned down further after the board “terminated” the contract of KVP Rao, assistant manager, cricket operations. Rao, a former Bihar bowler, is the second senior official the BCCI has lost from its cricket operations team this year. Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim had told the board he would leave his post of general manager, cricket operations, in January after he had officially resigned in July.Rao informed the state associations about his departure on Thursday, about an hour before the BCCI’s AGM started in Ahmedabad.Rao’s sacking comes only two weeks prior to the start of the Indian domestic season with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, from January 10. Rao, one of the senior-most BCCI officials, was the backbone of domestic cricket operations – right from planning the calendar, venues and the format to the execution.Rao, who took 212 first-class wickets, was with the BCCI for nearly a decade. He was the tournament operations manager for two global tournaments in India: the 2013 Women’s World Cup and the 2016 Men’s T20 World Cup. He was also one of the planners for the exhaustive domestic calendar across all formats and age-groups in 2018-19 for both men and women involving more than 2000 matches.That the separation was not amicable was made clear by Rao in his email to the state associations. In the email, Rao said the BCCI had decided to “terminate” his contract on December 22 which he called “the best day of my life as this termination will provide me ample opportunities to further my profession skills elsewhere.”

In what became a slightly farcical conclusion to the Qualifier final, Tye bowled a bouncer which was called wide and denied Vince the chance to go for a century

Andrew McGlashan30-Jan-2021James Vince said he hoped Andrew Tye “didn’t mean it” when he bowled the bouncer which was called wide and denied Vince the chance to go for a century at the end of the Qualifier final in Canberra.In what became a slightly farcical conclusion to the match, Daniel Hughes either blocked or left the final three deliveries off the 17th over from Jhye Richardson after hitting a boundary that left just two needed for victory with Vince at the non-striker’s end on 98.Tye then delivered the first ball of the 18th over, a loopy bouncer which sailed high and wide down the leg side leaving umpire Paul Wilson no choice but to call wide. Tye quickly appeared to signal an apology but for a few seconds various players stared off at each other before what seemed a few frosty end-of-match handshakes.When asked what Tye said, Vince told : “Not a lot…don’t want to point fingers. It almost hit him on the toes, it was pretty short. I hope he didn’t mean it anyway.”Speaking to fellow broadcaster , the Perth Scorchers captain Ashton Turner insisted it had been an accident. “I assure you AJ [Tye] plays the game in the right spirit and it was unintentional,” he said.Vince did concede that he could have left himself a better chance of the hundred if he had not taken a single off Richardson having thumped a boundary straight down the ground to reach 97.”It would have been nice to get a hundred, it was only really when Hughesy blocked out a couple that I started thinking about it,” he said. “In hindsight I took one off Richo [Richardson] to cover which I probably shouldn’t have taken. Just focused on getting the job done, would have been a bit of icing on the cake but in the end just happy to be there at the end and get the guys home.”Turner, meanwhile, admitted he had made a mistake by batting first after the dew came down at Manuka Oval and made bowling and fielding second very tough. He termed this match, and the final group game against the Brisbane Heat, which the Scorchers lost to miss out on hosting rights for the Qualifier, as “missed opportunities” although was looking forward to the home Challenger final on Thursday in Perth against the winner of Sunday’s knockout.”I got that one wrong for sure,” he said. “In 14 games so far we haven’t had any dew have an impact in the game, and behind me, the outfield is saturated at the moment. Don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses but it’s a bit of a reality, I’ll cop that on the chin and got that wrong one.”The Scorchers also face action being taken against Mitchell Marsh for his outburst when given out caught down the leg side as the lack of DRS in the competition again became a talking point.