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The interim IPL chairman, Chirayu Amin, has admitted the governing council was “dazzled” by the league’s success and overlooked issues, but has promised a clean-up that would assure franchise owners and fans of the IPL’s stability and viability.”The success of the IPL was so dazzling that we were all basking in its glory,” Amin, who was appointed to the position on Monday, said on . “I must say as a council member that we did overlook things … certain details were not disclosed to us and we did trust Lalit Modi to run things better. I must admit the governing council could have been more vigilant.”There is a feeling that Modi is the object of a witch-hunt and is being unfairly treated by the BCCI, but Amin sought to dispel that notion. “He asked for five days, we’ve given him 15 . Let us be fair to Lalit Modi, wait for him to come up with answers.”Amin echoed the words of Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, in stating that certain documents were missing. “Right now we are reorganising the office of the IPL and BCCI so that everything is in the right place, the right filing,” he said.When asked how he planned to clean up the mess, Amin said, “We will try to make it a system-oriented management of the IPL. The government is looking into various issues and the BCCI and the IPL are supporting them. We will maintain full transparency. There is no hanky-panky. The BCCI is a democratic set-up. We are doing our utmost to make it work.”The current crisis was precipitated by a controversy over last month’s franchise auction and Amin said that would change. “New bidding processes and rules will be put in place, we won’t get into any grey zones anymore,” he said.He was bullish about the future of the IPL. “Team owners will be assured that their investments are safe and they will flourish,” he said. “It’s a dark hour for the IPL management, not for cricket.”

Yawar Saeed will continue as manager of the Pakistan side during their defence of the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean from April-May, despite wanting to step down from the post last year after the Champions Trophy. Saeed will be reunited with Shafqat Rana, who has been named associate manager as part of a large, eight-man support structure to Pakistan’s 15-man squad.The move is sure to raise eyebrows in Pakistan as Saeed is close to board chairman Ijaz Butt. For one, Saeed wanted to step down as manager some time ago, citing a desire to spend some time with his family and looking after business interests. Potentially more important is the fact that he was also a member of the six-man inquiry committee which recommended heavy fines and punishments for seven senior Pakistan players. Three of them – Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers – will be travelling with him as part of the squad.Saeed did step down after the Champions Trophy and it was thought at the time that it was a condition for Younis Khan to take up the captaincy again, as he was said to be unhappy with Saeed and Rana during the tournament. Abdul Raquib took over as manager though his tenure was only for the tours to Abu Dhabi, New Zealand and Australia. Saeed was back for the two Twenty20 internationals against England in Abu Dhabi in February.A PCB statement said the support staff would also include David Dwyer, Pakistan’s popular Australian trainer, who had stepped down after the Australia tour. He was, however, asked to stay on for the World Twenty20. Ijaz Ahmed, the former Test batsman, and batting and fielding coach during the Dubai Twenty20s, will take over as assistant coach from Aaqib Javed.Team management: Yawar Saeed (manager), Waqar Younis (coach), Ijaz Ahmed (assistant coach), Faisal Hayat (physiotherapist), David Dwyer (trainer), Mohammad Talha Butt (analyst), Khawaja Najam (security manager), Shafqat Rana (associate manager)

Shane Warne may gush about the IPL and get rightly ridiculed. But he has never compromised on his role as captain-coach-mentor for Rajasthan Royals. He is not short of hyperbole when the team wins but when they under-perform, he is not shy to be critical in his assessment either.After the six-wicket defeat on Monday at Motera against Delhi, Warne was asked to rate Abhishek Jhunjhunwala’s half-century, which had helped Rajasthan to a respectable target from being in dumps at 50 for 4. Warne praised Jhunjhunwala and Paras Dogra, as the pair’s 60-run partnership for the sixth wicket had formed the backbone of Rajasthan’s total, but added their lack of experience had not allowed the youngsters to capitalise on many opportunities that were there for the taking. “He [Jhunjhunwala] played pretty well,” Warne had said, rubbing the sweat off his forehead. “The only thing was that in the middle [overs] they played some beautiful shots to the boundary but then there were too many dot balls…with experience you hit the boundary and then you hit a one rather than get four dots and then a four.”That blunt assessment worked wonders as, today, Jhunjhunwala ended up with the Man-of-the-Match performance in Rajasthan’s first victory in the tournament which came on the back of three defeats in a row. Smiling and nodding to Warne’s every word during the media conference, Jhunjhunwala resembled an obedient pupil who enjoyed listening to his master’s words. That did not mean he had stopped thinking on his own. “I got a lot of help and support from Jeremy Snape and Warney [Shane Warne] because they helped me knowing what my strengths and weaknesses are in my batting which previously was cluttered in my mind. I am quite clear about my role in my team which is very important,” Jhunjhunwala said.”JJ”, the nickname Warne has proffered on the former ICL-ite and Bengal player, is a good example of Rajasthan’s policy of investing in domestic talent rather than big-name international players. Perhaps a big lesson was learnt last year after they spent an incredible $ 650,000 on the ageing Tyron Henderson, who has prospered in the Twenty20 Cup in England. But Henderson proved to be a bad investment and Rajasthan reverted to their original policy of picking lesser-known names like Adam Voges for much lesser prices without hurting their kitty.Today Voges, who was bought for $ 50,000 in the auction in January, played a crucial a role along with Jhunjunwala to strengthen the platform laid by Naman Ojha and debutant Faiz Fazal at the top of the order. Even if Yusuf Pathan failed in providing the final blast that would’ve taken the total closer to 200, the pair of Voges and Jhunjhunwala paced the innings smartly to strengthen the grip established by the aggressive partnership between Faiz and Ojha.In direct contrast was Kolkata’s sluggish approach, which became slower by the minute, eventually taking the target beyond their reach. “Last game we didn’t have the wickets in hand. This game we had the wickets in hand but didn’t do enough in the middle overs to give us the final push,” is how Dav Whatmore, Kolkata’s coach, summed up the day.It did not help that Warne won the toss on a terribly hot day when the mercury soared to 43 degrees. The Australian understood that on a blazing day like this his batsmen might lack the energy to chase a big target and hence didn’t think twice before electing to bat first. As for the opponent’s stutter, Warne felt the reasons the pressure climbed on Kolkata was because they did not play well against his spin and it also did not help that Shaun Tait and co. bowled tight lines. Siddharth Trivedi came up with his “mixed bag of tricks”, something Warne felt the Gujarat medium pacer had done consistently in the first IPL which Rajasthan had won. Warne was happy with his own bowling and felt the phase between overs 7 and 11 was when the game turned in Rajasthan’s favour. “In overs 7-11 one of our plans was to go for less than seven [runs per over] and put the pressure on. And once I finished my spell they needed 12 an over,” Warne said. He was spot on: in those four overs Kolkata could pick only 29 runs for the loss of one wicket.After the victory, Warne said his, and the team’s, first feeling was of relief. But before the players can relax to enjoy the win, he has a message: “Today we were a really proud group. We showed a lot of heart and we showed a lot of character. But it is just one game.” Like ever, Warne remains clear about his goals. Steadily his team has begun to catch up.

Match facts

February 24, 2010
Start time 14.30 (09.00GMT)The bowlers will have to be on their mark in what’s expected to be a batting belter•AFP

The Big Picture

The series opener in Jaipur shouldn’t have got so close. Ashish Nehra should have been bowled off the penultimate ball of the innings. India’s total, as a result of that freakish incident – when the ball deflected off the stumps – should have been four runs less. India’s bowlers shouldn’t have allowed the South African tail to put their specialist batsmen to shame. A more conclusive camera angle/replay would have determined whether Sachin Tendulkar legitimately saved the boundary in the final over. All these significant incidents proved the difference between an Indian win and any other result.The South Africans would no doubt have debated these ifs and buts after that game. Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell scripted a near-Houdini act but it couldn’t hide what was otherwise an unflattering batting performance, Jacques Kallis excepted. It was puzzling why they omitted their in-form player Hashim Amla – not the most well-known limited-overs player around but one who adds glue to the top order. South Africa missed him and could sacrifice one of the openers for him. They have to get their combination right because another defeat tomorrow will render the series lost and the final ODI a dead rubber.The other area of concern is the number of extras. All bowlers, except Johan Botha, conceded wides and there were 12 in all, which made a difference in the final outcome. It doesn’t necessarily warrant wholesale changes to the bowling attack. All they need to focus on is discipline and their ability to vary their pace a lot more to induce mistakes. It’s imperative bowlers from both sides step up because the curator at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior has promised another track full of runs.The Indian bowlers have problems too. Their struggles in the death overs are well documented and have become more pronounced in Zaheer Khan’s absence. In Jaipur, Dhoni was unhappy with the way they gave away runs with the new ball, let alone in the tense final stages. Both Nehra and Sreesanth are mercurial in nature – they either have a great day or a forgettable day. Dhoni had to rely on part-timers, and the gamble of bowling Suresh Raina didn’t pay off. Whether India bring in a specialist spinner on not is something that may be discussed behind closed doors.

Form guide (last five completed games, most recent first)

India WLWWW
South Africa LLWLW

Watch out for…

Suresh Raina: On a batting belter in Jaipur, Raina was the only Indian batsman to pass fifty in a total approaching 300. He occupied the crease for nearly 20 overs and collected boundaries with upper cuts and pull shots. His slog sweep is his best shot in the book and we’ve seen that in the IPL. His bowling was a disappointment, but that’s not why he’s in the team.Albie Morkel: He’s not in peak form with bat or ball and must be feeling the pressure. He was the batting Powerplay specialist in Australia last year but has struggled for fluency since then. With the ball, he has struggled in the last seven games, picking up five wickets at an expensive 45.80. Should South Africa opt for a spin-bowling allrounder in Roelof van der Merwe, the axe could fall on Morkel because there are already three specialist seamers in the line-up.

Team news

Virender Sehwag was off the field in Jaipur with a sore lower back but the word from the Indian camp is that they’ll take a final call tomorrow. He batted in the nets without any apparent discomfort. Sreesanth was all over the place, leaking 8.22 an over, despite taking the all-important wicket of Kallis. If they choose to drop him, Sudeep Tyagi could get his chance.India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Sreesanth/Sudeep TyagiThe only possible change for South Africa is the inclusion of Amla in place of someone from the top order.South Africa: (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Loots Bosman/Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Alviro Petersen, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Johan Botha, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch was relaid two years back, and the curator of the Gwalior Division Cricket Association, Ajay Sahasrabuddhe, has guaranteed a 300-plus surface. He says the toss will not be a factor, and the spinners may get some assistance as the match progresses. There is a tinge of grass to bind the surface together, but it isn’t expected to give any advantage to the bowlers. To counter the dew, the groundstaff will use a spray called APSA 80 on the outfield. The same spray was used during the Champions Trophy in India in 2006. It rained on Monday night, but the forecast for tomorrow is sunshine, with a maximum of 28 degrees Celsius.

Stats and trivia

• Gwalior has been a happy hunting ground for India, winning seven out of nine ODIs there.
• India and South Africa last played an ODI at this venue back in 1991, the tourists’ first international series after re-admittance. In a match reduced to 45 overs, India posted 223 and won by 38 runs.
• Amla has opened in 19 of his 21 innings in ODIs and has done well at that position, averaging 48.41. He averages close to 50 in ODIs and made his debut nearly four years after playing his first Test.

Quotes

“Each of the 16 players in the squad is capable. Winning or losing, we will try to get the best combination. The quicker we get the combination the better. Rotation will go much longer than this tour.”
“You have to see the status of player before the World Cup. Injuries keep coming on. We will try to rotate players so that the best 11-12 players are there at that time.”

It’s the battle of the underdogs in the final of the MTN40. The Warriors and the Dolphins ended the league stage of the tournament with only three wins in 10 matches compared to the seven wins each for the Titans and Cobras. There was also a significant points difference between the top two and Nos. 3 and 4 on the log, to make the semi-finals appear nothing more than a easy passage for the top two to the final. The Titans had 34 points, the Cobras 33, the Warriors 20 and the Dolphins a lowly 14.However, as Imraan Khan, captain of the Dolphins said, “You only have to finish fourth on the log to have a chance in this competition.” While Pierre Joubert and Justin Kemp may be in favour of a league format in the tournament, Khan and his Warriors counterpart, Davey Jacobs, are thrilled to have snuck into the final. “The pool games are just a way to make it into the last four,” said Jacobs. “Once it reaches the semi-final stage, then it gets really interesting.”Matters certainly got more interesting for the Eastern Cape franchise. They had all their national players available to them for the semi-final. Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince and Wayne Parnell joined Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini in an impressive Warriors line-up. The team also has the highest run-scorer in the competition, Colin Ingram, and the highest wicket-taker, Rusty Theron.Ingram has scored five half-centuries in the competition at an average of 64.88. He also has one century to his name. Theron has taken 19 wickets, while Botha, Tstotsobe and Ntini all have 16 scalps. Compare them to the highest wicket-taker for the Dolphins – Andrew Hall with 10 wickets at 41.00 – and their top run-getter Ahmed Amla, who lies 10th on the list, and it seems the Warriors have little to worry about.’We’re not scared,” said Khan, as a nervous laugh escaped his lips. “We’re excited to play because it gives us the opportunity to test our skills against some of the best players South Africa has produced.” The Dolphins side contains just one current national player, Hashim Amla, and Khan identified him along with Hall and Loots Bosman as their key players. Khan also believed Dale Benkenstein was crucial to the Dolphins’ success because of the veteran player’s “vast experience.” He added his team had improved in the “bowling and fielding” categories since the opening stages of the competition”Even their keeper can bowl,” joked Jacobs, referring to Daryn Smit who doubles as a leg break bowler for the Dolphins. Jacobs expects the Buffalo Park wicket to be a “bit slow,” but he is hoping his fast bowlers will be able to make use of conditions, particularly Ntini, who returned to the franchise after being dropped from the Test squad. “There is no one in the world I know who loves cricket as much as Ntini,” said Jacobs. “He is a real joy to have in the team.”The Warriors have not won a trophy since start of the franchise system in 2004-05, although they have reached three of the last four finals, including this one. They’ll be wary of the chokers tag, especially considering the number of national players in their team and of a Dolphins side that is also short on silverware. “We haven’t won a trophy on our own since the franchise system started,” said Khan. “We shared the SuperSport Series with the Eagles and then Titans in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 season, so there’s a big incentive for us too.”Both captains say the new format of the limited-overs competition is sustainable and they enjoyed the addition of another Powerplay. “At first we just thought it just be like a blown-up Pro20, but it’s really a good strategic test for a captain,” said Jacobs. “You have to think on your feet and very instinctively as soon as the batting side decides to take the Powerplay. Your bowlers have to be ready at any time to bowl when needed during these stages of the match.”

In the aftermath of Sydney, confusion. As Pakistan look ahead to the third Test in Hobart, contradictory noises are being made over the future of under-fire wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.After the loss at the SCG, in which Akmal dropped four catches, an incensed PCB sent Sarfraz Ahmed as a replacement from Pakistan, insisting in a strongly-worded statement that he “will participate” in the Hobart Test.Akmal, however, has said that he is expecting to keep his place, as reports emerge that he has the backing of a number of players within the side, including possibly the captain, Mohammad Yousuf. “I was very successful with my batting and wicketkeeping on the New Zealand tour andbefore the New Zealand tour. So I was very happy,” Akmal was quoted as saying in Hobart by AAP.”But I think the third day of the Sydney Test match was not good for me – this happens. I’m very keen. My confidence is very high. Management is very confident for me and coaches, Intikhab Alam, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, and my team-mates also. I will play the third Test match and more matches for my country.”During and after the loss in Sydney Yousuf resisted talk of dropping Akmal, maintaining that a player of his record cannot so easily be dropped from the side. Akmal is vice-captain of the side and a popular member within the team. If there is even talk of retaining him – let alone if heis eventually retained – it seems to place the touring team management on a direct crash course with the board back home.The situation between the two sides has anyway been poor on this tour; persistent calls by Yousuf for Younis Khan to be sent to strengthen the batting almost from the moment the tour started fell on deaf ears, the selection committee in Pakistan first delaying and finally turning down the request.But at least two members of the on-tour selection committee say that Akmal will not play in Hobart. “They have sent Sarfraz all the way here for what if not to play?” one told Cricinfo. “Akmal will not play the third Test.” As ever with Pakistan and its many power centres that is unlikely to be the last word on the matter.Akmal’s younger brother Umar, who has impressed and infuriated in equal doses so far on the tour, pulled up at training with a stiff back. Management remain confident that he will be fine for the Test, due to begin on January 14. Mohammad Aamer, who missed the second Test with agroin complaint, has also been training and is said to be progressing well, making it likelier still that Pakistan may finally be able to field their first-choice attack in Hobart at the third time of asking.

Andrew Hilditch raised more than a few eyebrows on the eve of the Brisbane Test when he boldly declared Australia’s spin bowling stocks were “in a pretty good spot at the moment”. That assessment seemed misguidedly optimistic at the time, and even more so now that a 20-year-old wrist-spinner with just 11 first-class wickets to his name has been called into the Australian squad as cover for Nathan Hauritz in the Perth Test.Steven Smith is regarded by many as an Australian player of the future, but opinion is divided over precisely what role he should fill. To date, Smith’s wrist spin has produced six wickets at 55.00 for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield this season – his career average expands further to 75.18 – and his action was recently described as “loose” by former Test legspinner Kerry O’Keeffe. “The Blues prodigy is a batsman first and a slow bowler second,” O’Keeffe added.Smith has enjoyed somewhat more success with the bat, raising his maiden first-class century against Queensland over the past week. But it is his bowling for which Hilditch’s panel have called him into the Test squad, and on that account there must be considerable concern. He returned figures of 0 for 156 from 25 overs against the Bulls in a match the Blues conceded by nine wickets.”The bowling’s going pretty well,” Smith said at Sydney airport. “It was quite hard gripping the ball up there [in Brisbane]. It was really sticky conditions, a little bit different to what I’ve been used to. I had a good bowl this morning and the ball seems to be coming out pretty well. So if I get an opportunity, I’m sure I’ll take it with both hands.”He has never met Ricky Ponting and was watching a movie when he learned of his selection. “I couldn’t believe it,” Smith said. “I’m still shocked. I was shaking for about an hour and a half after I heard.”Smith will be in contention to make his Test debut should Hauritz fail to recover from a finger injury sustained at training on Tuesday. He would join a list of spinners that includes Stuart MacGill, Brad Hogg, Beau Casson, Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Bryce McGain and, most recently, Hauritz to have turned out for the Test side since Shane Warne’s retirement in 2007, opening Hilditch’s panel to further accusations of inconsistency.”While he has excited all in recent times for New South Wales with the bat,” Hilditch said, “we consider his skills as a leg spinner will give good balance to the attack. We are confident he will seize the opportunity if it presents itself in Perth.”Warne recently described Smith as “one to watch” and “a real bolter”, but urged selectors not to rush him into the Test side. Still, with the uncapped pace duo of Clint McKay and Brett Geeves Australia’s only other options – and memories still fresh in Ricky Ponting’s mind of India’s 72-run victory the last time he fielded an all-pace attack at the WACA – Warne’s advice may go unheeded.”In a perfect world … he would learn how to bowl in different conditions,” Warne said. “[He would bowl in] different situations, trying to bowl a side out to win a game, bowl when they are miles behind, bowl defensively so they don’t lose, on first-day wickets when it’s not turning, on fourth-day wickets when the expectation of you is that you come out and take five-for. [Selectors should] be patient with him and just let him bowl.”In an ideal world I’d love him to play 10 Shield games, learn how to bowl in all the different situations, and not get carried away by all the one-dayers and Twenty20s. But you can’t say to a young player, ‘We’re going to rest you from Twenty20 or one-dayers, we want you to learn your craft at Shield cricket.’ It’s nearly impossible to do that these days.”News of Smith’s elevation to the Test squad will come as a major blow to Jason Krejza, who was widely considered to be Australia’s next-in-line spinner after Hauritz. Krejza has not played a Test since Perth last year, and despite managing just a solitary wicket in that six-wicket loss to South Africa, he has been among the better-performed first class spinners this season with 13 wickets at 47.23 for Tasmania.

ScorecardPakistan got off to a solid start to their tour of Australia, as opening batsman Salman Butt’s knock of 153 took them to 270 for 4 at stumps on the first day against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval.Under overcast conditions, the hosts decided to put the visitors in and, much like in their recent tour of New Zealand, the openers struggled initially. Butt was dropped and reprieved again when Tim Paine missed a stumping opportunity before he could get his eye in. He went on to make the most of the lapses, dropping anchor and settling in for a long vigil at the crease. Building upon the confidence he picked in his final innings in New Zealand, he dug in and, along with Imran Farhat, added 69 runs for the opening wicket. Tim Macdonald then got Farhat’s scalp after which Faisal Iqbal fell cheaply.Butt carried on and found a willing partner in Misbah-ul-Haq, who is looking to resurrect his international career. Misbah struck two sixes in the partnership of 113 before Macdonald sent him back, seven short of a half-century. With stumps in sight, Butt was dismissed by the economical Brett Geeves, but not before he had crossed 150 with 23 fours, a knock that will give him confidence ahead of the Test series. Pakistan will hope Umar Akmal and the rest of the lower order can swell the total before they have a go at the home team on the second day.

The USA Cricket Association has announced an intention to establish a “strategic partnership agreement” with New Zealand Cricket. The proposed partnership covers a variety of activities, ranging from the sharing of coaching and development resources through to the staging of international fixtures involving the two countries.”We are very positive and excited about the benefits our relationship with NZC can bring to USA cricket,” Don Lockerbie, USACA’s chief executive, said. “USA cricket can learn greatly from the experience and knowledge of NZC, and we believe there are real and significant cricketing benefits and commercial opportunities possible through this partnership.””We are looking forward to a long-term partnership with USACA,” added NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan. “Cricket in the United States is at a very exciting stage, and we are enthusiastic about the prospect of helping USACA significantly grow the game in their country. The benefits of cricket becoming more established in the USA are globally significant for the sport.”Two years ago USACA appeared to have thrown in its lot with neighbours West Indies, but the latter’s internal political and financial problems have made it a less appealing prospect for the ambitious Lockerbie.

Manish Pandey, the Karnataka batsman, has said his unbeaten 194 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy match against a strong Uttar Pradesh is the sort of innings that could pitchfork him to the next level. There were plenty of expectations at the start of the season on Pandey (20), who has a modest first-class record but burst into the limelight by becoming the first Indian to make a century in the IPL earlier this year.”Last year was not great for me, I had just two half-centuries though I did well in the one-dayers and the IPL,” he told reporters after Tuesday’s play in Meerut. “This is just the kind of knock you need for your career to take off. It is my first first-class hundred, I really feel good about it.”Karnataka were struggling at 27 for 3 against an attack including RP Singh and Piyush Chawla, when Pandey and Rahul Dravid forged a 273-run stand to bail their team out. “When I walked in, Rahul told me that the need of the hour was to stay put,” he said. “He told me build a small partnership. Later, when I had spent enough time on the pitch, I played my natural game.”Pandey, considered as more of a Twenty20 player, spent nearly four hours at the crease, longer than the duration of a Twenty20 match. “I realised that the longer I stay, the more I can score,” he said. “During this innings, I learnt how to stay calm and wait for loose balls.”He was out on Wednesday morning without adding to his overnight score but the knock would have cheered Karnataka, for whom one of the big problems last season was the lack of support from the younger batsmen for an in-form Robin Uthappa.