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Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, will not appear at the Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday as the hearing into corruption charges against three Pakistani players and the player agent Mazhar Majeed gets underway

Osman Samiuddin18-May-2011Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, will not appear at the Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday as the hearing into corruption charges against three Pakistani players and the player agent Mazhar Majeed gets underway. On Thursday, after some uncertainty and delay over his UK visa, Mohammad Amir, flew to the UK; Mohammad Asif, the third player, is already in the UK.”Salman will not be in attendance on Friday as he has been excused by the court,” Yasin Patel, Butt’s UK-based lawyer, told ESPNcricinfo. Patel will appear at what is expected to be an administrative hearing in which the actual date of when the trial starts proper will be set. If the players’ lawyers have reached an understanding with the prosecution beforehand, then there should be no issue with the players not appearing for this hearing. Until Wednesday, there was a distinct probability of Amir not attending the hearing, but he changed his mind and flew out on Thursday morning.Asif, who has consistently acted out of step with the other two players through the course of the fall-out from the spot-fixing scandal, left for the UK on Tuesday. “I am going to London with a clear mind and that is to keep on fighting this case till my innocence is proven,” he told reporters as he left.Along with Majeed, the trio are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test last August in which they allegedly conspired to bowl pre-determined no-balls. The four appeared at a hearing – at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court – on March 17, which set the date and jurisdiction for this hearing and were granted unconditional bail at the time; Majeed was told to surrender his passport.Accepting corrupt payments is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Cheating is an offence under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, carrying a maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine.They players and their agent were charged after being questioned by Scotland Yard detectives over the alleged scandal in the Test at Lord’s last August, following accusations by the tabloid newspaper.The three players have already been banned by the ICC, which held a separate inquiry, for periods ranging from five to ten years. All three have, however, already filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

India’s sports ministry has included a provision in the new draft of the national sports bill that will exempt the cricketers from having to follow certain WADA rules

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2011India’s sports ministry has included a provision in the new draft of its national sports bill that will exempt Indian cricketers from following certain rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, including the that the board and the players have objected to in the past.The revised National Sports Development Bill, which was made public on Monday, includes a stipulation that the Indian board would follow ICC regulations where they clashed with WADA rules.”In view of the BCCI’s objections, we have decided to exempt cricketers from some anti-doping norms,” Ajay Maken, the sports minister, said. “The ICC does not follow some WADA norms and in these cases the rules of international federation, in this case the ICC, will prevail over the WADA Code. It is not that the WADA Code will not apply to cricketers but in those cases where there is conflict, the ICC rules will prevail. It is also not an exemption to BCCI, it is to the ICC.”The ICC had wanted to implement WADA rules in full last year but the BCCI raised an objection to the ‘whereabouts’ clause in particular, which requires athletes and sportspeople to provide information to WADA of their availability for testing up to three months in advance. The ICC eventually decided to modify the wheareabouts clause in its own doping policy.The original draft of the sports bill was sent back to the ministry because the cabinet of ministers, including current ICC president, and former BCCI president, Sharad Pawar, had objected to various clauses and asked for changes. Among them were the provisions on tenure limits and age limits for the Indian Olympic Association and all the National Sports Federations, but those have been retained according to the .The specific clause on WADA was added to Section 15(1) of the bill and excludes those provisions of the WADA/ National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) code to which an international federation, like the ICC, is not subject.”This has been done since NADA functions under the WADA code,” Maken said, “and if at the international level there are certain provisions of the WADA code to which the international federation is not subject, then the logical corollary is that those provisions should not be administered by NADA on the sport of that national sport federation.”Efforts have been made to streamline the Bill while retaining basic principles of transparency, good governance and de-control from government. Serious consideration has been given to remove the perception that the Ministry was seeking to directly interfere in sports. So, I am hopeful that the revised Bill will get cabinet’s approval.”

Kyle Hogg became the first bowler to take seven wickets in an innings this season as runaway County Championship Division One leaders Lancashire moved a step nearer their fifth win in six matches

25-May-2011
Scorecard
Kyle Hogg became the first bowler to take seven wickets in an innings this season as runaway County Championship Division One leaders Lancashire moved a step nearer their fifth win in six matches. Hogg finished with figures of 7 for 28 from 14 overs as struggling Hampshire were made to follow after ending their first innings on 133 in reply to Lancashire’s 328.Hampshire’s second stint at the crease was little better – save for Benny Howell’s unbeaten half-century – as they lost half their order inside 52 overs to reach 163 for 5 at stumps, still 32 runs behind heading into day three. On an uncharacteristically lively Rose Bowl wicket, Hogg, who had only previously taken five or more wickets in an innings once in a 10-year career, encountered little resistance as Hampshire lost their last seven batsmen for 35.After Howell had fallen for a three-ball duck to Hogg, fellow opener Jimmy Adams (35) and Johann Myburgh (28) steadied the ship. Their removal – both falling to Oliver Newby – left the hosts on 98 for 3 but with little sign of the implosion to come. Hogg suddenly found pace and movement at the Pavilion end and in quick order removed Neil McKenzie (16), James Vince (12), Dimitri Mascarenhas (1), Dominic Cork (0), Nic Pothas (9) and Danny Briggs (2).The medium-pacer’s remarkable spell brought him six wickets for six runs in just 28 balls, while Sajid Mahmood finished off Hampshire by dismissing Kabir Ali for nine. Lancashire captain Mark Chilton, sensing victory inside two days, had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on.This time Adams was quickly out, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Gareth Cross on 14, while Myburgh was snared at first slip off Newby for 31. McKenzie struck eight fours in an enterprising 35 before being trapped lbw trying to turn Mahmood through midwicket.This left Hampshire 116 runs adrift but the crisis brought together French-born Howell and the maturing Vince, and together they delayed Lancashire in a fourth-wicket stand worth 82 runs.
But just before the close Mahmood returned to the attack to have Vince caught at the wicket for 39 and then to remove nightwatchman Briggs (1) in the final over. Howell was still there at stumps, on 68 not out from 157 balls.

Club expect to confirm signing early next year with paperwork yet to be completed

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2019Somerset have confirmed that they have agreed personal terms with South Africa seamer Vernon Philander ahead of his signing as a Kolpak player, although the club do not expect to complete the signing until the new year.It had been widely reported that Philander would move to the county following news of his international retirement at the end of the ongoing Test series against England, and the seamer mentioned in a post-match press conference on Friday that he was on the cusp of joining on a “year-by-year basis”.Somerset confirmed in a club statement that they are on the verge of signing Philander, and that they will be “working through all of the necessary processes with the ECB in order to be able to register him as a Kolpak player” following this series. “The official paperwork required to complete the deal is being finalised with the ECB,” the club said. “[We are] working towards the full procedure being completed successfully in the New Year.”ALSO READ: The stats stack up as Philander approaches his endgamePhilander played five games for Somerset as an overseas player back in 2012, taking 23 wickets at 21.43.It remains unclear what will happen to players on Kolpak registrations after the UK leaves the European Union, but it is highly likely that counties will be unable to register new players via that loophole after January 31, 2020. Kolpak players will continue to be eligible to play as local players throughout next season, but may only be available as overseas players thereafter – though the ECB is understood to be considering allowing teams to field two overseas players, rather than one, in the County Championship to compensate.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said: “Vernon is undoubtedly a genuinely world-class performer and we are delighted to have agreed terms with such a talented player. When the possibility of signing him presented itself, and considering the challenges that we feel lie ahead of us with regards to achieving our aspirations, we felt that it was too good an opportunity to miss.”To put it simply, he is one of the very best bowlers in the game and he would add quality to any team in the world. His experience and knowledge of the game will also be of huge benefit to our bowling group, especially the young players looking to break in to the first XI.”The signing of Philander may seem to block first-team opportunities for some of Somerset’s seamers, with Lewis Gregory, Craig and Jamie Overton, Josh Davey and Jack Brooks already competing for places in the Championship side. But Hurry suggested that with the several bowlers – including spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess – in international reckoning, another signing was needed to ensure the squad was deep enough to compete on three fronts.”When we consider the development that a number of our senior bowlers have made in recent years, and the number of those bowlers who are now playing international cricket or on the cusp of playing international cricket, it is vital for us as a club to ensure that we have the quality and depth in our squad to fulfill our aims of winning silverware in all three formats,” he said.”The addition of Vernon to our bowling unit will enable us to continue to manage the workloads of all of our quality seamers through the demands of a full and demanding season even more effectively.”Philander said: “I’m really pleased to have agreed personal terms with Somerset. It’s a great club and I really enjoyed my time there a few years ago.”I know that they won the 50-over cup last year and came close in the Championship and hopefully I’ll be able to help them to another successful year in 2020. Right now, I am 100% focused on the series against England and then my focus will turn to my next chapter.”

Essex allrounder Graham Napier has signed a new one-year contract with Essex that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2012 season

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2011Allrounder Graham Napier has signed a new one-year contract with Essex that will keep him at the club until the end of the 2012 season. After an explosive start to his season, Napier picked up a hamstring injury but hopeful for a comeback against Surrey at Chelmsford on Friday night.”It is great that the Club offered me a new contract,” said Napier. “After such a long lay-off with injury I am hoping to continue the form I had earlier in the season through the next year into 2012.”A stress fracture to his back prematurely ended Napier’s 2010 season, but he made a mark immediately upon his return to the county game in 2011 by thrashing 196 against Surrey at Whitgift School – a knock which equalled Andrew Symonds’ world record for the most sixes in a first-class innings with 16 towering blows.

If Worcestershire had any doubts about how tough life would be in the top division of the County Championship, they were soon dispelled as Yorkshire completed a nine-wicket rout

George Dobell at New Road10-Apr-2011
Scorecard
Adil Rashid recorded match figures of 11 for 114 in Yorkshire’s nine-wicket win•PA Photos

If Worcestershire had any doubts about how tough life would be in the top division of the County Championship, they were soon dispelled as Yorkshire completed a nine-wicket rout in just three days at New Road.A game that had previously been well contested suddenly swung sharply in Yorkshire’s direction as Worcestershire somehow contrived to lose all ten second innings wickets in a 32-over spell. Yorkshire, and Adil Rashid in particular, bowled pretty well but, on a blameless pitch and under a cloudless sky, this was a desperately disappointing performance from Worcestershire’s batsmen. Their last six wickets succumbed for just 17 runs in 10 overs.There were two stand-out performances for Yorkshire. Rashid, who claimed ten wickets in a match for the first time, bowled with an encouraging mix of skill and consistency, while Gerard Brophy’s chanceless innings of 177 not out turned the match at a time when it had appeared the hosts had the upper hand.From an England perspective, Rashid’s was the more noteworthy performance. After demonstrating his new-found control in unhelpful conditions in the first innings, he showed his ability in more favourable conditions in the second. He gained substantial turn and claimed five wickets for ten runs in 40 balls at one stage, with the last three coming in just eight deliveries without addition. His googly and his slider proved particularly potent in this game, but it was the absence of four-balls that was equally pleasing. For a legspinner to have claimed 11 wickets by April 10 really is quite outstanding.”It’s the best I’ve seen him bowl,” his captain, Andrew Gale, said afterwards. “He’s always knocking on the door [of the England team], but he’s not the finished article just yet. His patience is a lot better and, in the first innings, when there wasn’t much help in the pitch, he built pressure really well. Then, in the second innings, when the pitch was offering some turn, he was able to take full advantage.”But they played some poor shots. This game was all about patience and we won that battle. Durham will offer a tougher test.”It would probably be wrong to read too much into this win from a Yorkshire perspective. Few other sides will roll over in quite such an obliging manner and the way in which their top-order batting struggled in the first innings must be a concern.However, they have Anthony McGrath and, perhaps, Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad to come back into the side and appear to have the skill and strength in depth to compete with anyone. Sterner tests await, for sure, but they have cleared this first hurdle in convincing fashion.For Worcestershire, this was a deeply disappointing ending to a game that had promised so much more. They had played some admirable cricket on the first two days of this game but will have realised now, if they did not know before, that they can’t afford a single poor session in this division. They have now won just one of their last 38 games in this division.”We were, unfortunately, poor today,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, admitted. “We had too many guys not playing straight and we didn’t handle Rashid very well. It was disappointing. We should have done better. We’ve only had one guy in the whole match bat for two hours and that was [debutant] Matt Pardoe and you don’t win games unless you can bat for a long time. We want to do what Brophy did. We want to bat for six hours.”We’re well aware of the challenges ahead, but this was one which I fancied, if we played well enough, we could win. It’s disappointing.”The key passage came between lunch and tea. With the pitch offering little to the seamers, James Cameron missed one that may have swung a fraction before Daryl Mitchel played horribly across a straight one and Vikram Solanki was, perhaps, a little unlucky to be caught down the leg-side.There was a time, with Alexei Kervezee and Moeen Ali together, that batting looked a simple business. They took 27 from Rashid’s first three overs, with Moeen slog-sweeping a six over the short boundary to the cathedral side and Kervezee using his feet nicely to drive a straight six and a brace of fours.But, with the ball now spinning quite sharply, such tactics were always likely to prove high risk. And when Moeen, attempting an unnecessarily delicate sweep, spooned a simple catch to Adam Lyth, running around from slip to leg slip, and Kervezee attempted to play an outswinger through midwicket, the end came with alarming speed. Gareth Andrew hung his bat out at one angled across him, Pardoe, looking all at sea against Rashid, edged a googly to slip, Wright and Mason fell to successive deliveries, beaten by sharply-turning googlies, before Richardson was beaten in the flight. It left Rashid with his second five-wicket haul of the game and Yorkshire requiring just 56 to win.Earlier Brophy steered Yorkshire to a first innings lead of 82. Though Ryan Sidebottom fell in Mason’s first over of the morning, he’d already recorded a career-best score and helped Yorkshire add 149 for their eighth wicket. But Brophy wasn’t finished. He shepherded the tail so well that Moin Ashraf didn’t contribute a single run in a tenth-wicket stand of 43.Brophy’s method? He simply played very straight and waited for the poor ball. It may sound simple but, in a game where the next highest score was 63, his patience and his straight driving proved the difference between the sides. “It was his best knock for Yorkshire and the best I’ve seen him play,” Gale said.Though Yorkshire lost Joe Sayers early in the second innings, Lyth timed the ball sweetly and Joe Root, on championship debut, gave notice of his considerable talent with one pulled six and three crisply-struck fours that suggested a bright future.”There are areas we can improve, but I’m delighted with the way that we stuck to the task and delighted with the result,” Gale concluded. The game against Durham, starting at Leeds on Thursday, may offer a clearer indication of Yorkshire’s credentials as championship contenders.