Third ODI abandoned
New Delhi: The third One-Day International between India and the West Indies, scheduled in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, has been called off after the cyclone ‘Hudhud’ hit the port city, disrupting normal life and leaving the ACA-VDCA cricket stadium in completely unplayable condition. Indian team’s media manager Dr RN Baba said, “There is no match scheduled due to prevailing weather conditions. The players will be staying in Delhi only. We had a scheduled flight for Visakhapatnam tomorrow (Monday) at 12:55 pm in the afternoon but now it stands cancelled.” Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) had informed BCCI about the unplayable conditions. ACA official CR Mohan said,”We have intimated BCCI about the current situation. The entire ground covers were today blown away in the afternoon after 1 pm when the winds were flowing at a speed of over 150 kmph per hour. It was a such a situation where we were not even able to go to the stadium to see what kind of damages have been done. The groundsmen could not be contacted. No way the match could have been possible.” With BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel in Dubai for the ICC meeting, the board could not issue a press release on Sunday. The fourth ODI will be held in Dharamsala on Friday.
Star bags ICC broadcast rights
DUBAI: The ICC on Sunday jointly awarded its audio-visual rights for ICC Events for a eight-year period between 2015 to 2023 to Star India and Star Middle East during which the channel will broadcast two World T20 and two 50-over World Cup tournaments. Star India and Star Middle east bagged the rights from 17 competitive bids that were received by the parent body of world cricket. According to an ICC release, “The decision was made by the ICC Business Corporation (IBC) Board, ICC’s commercial arm, during a meeting at the ICC headquarters in Dubai on Sunday.” The ICC in its official release did not want to disclose the final value of the rights fee. The current cycle has seen ESPN Star Sports hold the audio-visual rights until the contract expires at the end of next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Included in the new eight-year period are 18 ICC tournaments, including two ICC Cricket World Cups (2019 and 2023), two ICC Champions Trophy tournaments (2017 and 2021) and two ICC World Twenty20 tournaments (2016 and 2020).
WI fined for slow over-rate
new Delhi: West Indies skipper Dwayne Bravo was fined 40 percent of his match fee while his teammates were docked 20 per cent after the side was found guilty of slow over-rate during the second ODI against India when time allowances were taken into consideration. ICC Match Referees Jeff Crowe imposed the fines as the Caribbeans bowled two overs short of the scheduled numbers. In accordance with the regulations of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel governing minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. “As such, Bravo was fined 40 per cent of his match fee, while his players received 20 per cent fines. If Bravo is found guilty of one more minor over-rate offence in ODIs over the next 12 months, he will receive a one-match suspension as per the provisions of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel,” an ICC release said.
Aus post 231/9 against Pak
ABU DHABI (UAE): Steven Smith and David Warner hit half centuries on Sunday but Pakistan, under stand-in captain Shahid Afridi, restricted Australia to 231-9 in the third and final one-day international. Smith scored a fighting 77 off 105 balls and Warner made 56 off 63 in a bid to sweep the series after Australia won the first two matches comprehensively. Out-of-form regular captain Misbah-ul-Haq opted to sit out the final game as Pakistan made four changes. left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir, playing his first match of the series, restricted Australia’s batsmen and also got the prized wicket of Smith to finish with 3-40 off 10 overs. Afridi (2-44) caught and bowled Warner with his legspin.