Ryder returns home
Wellington: New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has returned home from hospital almost a week after he was assaulted by a group of men outside a bar which left the cricketer with critical head injuries. “He was discharged earlier this afternoon and flew back to Wellington this evening,” Ryder’s manager Aaron Klee said. “He’s at home now and resting - he’s really exhausted, but happy to be home,” Klee told ESPNcricinfo.
The 28-year-old Ryder, who was assaulted twice in a space of few minutes late on Wednesday night last week, was admitted to the intensive care unit of a Christchurch hospital with a fractured skull. He was in induced coma due to multiple injuries but came out of it on Saturday and began talking again as well as breathing without the assistance of the ventilator. The cricketer was moved out of the ICU a day later. The New Zealand police had arrested two men in connection with the assault — a 20-year-old Christchurch resident and a 37-year-old relative who was visiting the city. They have been bailed to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday.
Starc hits contract jackpot
Sydney: Cricket Australia on Wednesday unveiled a list of 20 contracted players for the new season amid reports that star bowler Mitchell Starc is celebrating a million dollar pay-day. With the retirements of former skipper Ricky Ponting and stalwart Mike Hussey, funds were freed up for a changing of the guard in the lucrative 2013-14 roster. Sydney’s Daily Telegraph said Starc was the big winner when the National Selection Panel (NSP) made its pick. The 23-year-old left-armer broke onto the scale last season with a base deal reportedly worth Australian dollars 230,000 ($240,000) a year. His match-winning efforts saw him surge up the elite rankings alongside captain Michael Clarke and into the seven-figure pay bracket, the newspaper said. Starc was one of the few Australians to stand out in all three forms of the game meaning he scored highly on the complex formula used to rank top players. National selector John Inverarity suggested the door was still open to some big names who did not make the list. Contract list: George Bailey, Michael Clarke, Ed Cowan, Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson.
SA’s Provisional CT squad
Johannesburg: South Africa included uncapped trio Rilee Rossouw, Henry Davids and Chris Morris in a provisional 30-man squad on Wednesday for the Champions Trophy in June. Batsman JP Duminy was also named in the initial squad and was nearing full fitness after he ruptured his left Achilles tendon during a warm-down session on the tour of Australia in November. left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe was back in an ODI squad having last played for South Africa in 2010. Seamer Vernon Philander also was considered for the tournament and named among the 30 despite not having played an ODI for over a year. The 23-year-old Rossouw, a left-handed batsman, has not represented South Africa in any form. Batsman Davids and seam bowler Morris have played Twenty20 cricket for the Proteas, but are uncapped in one-day internationals. Former captain Graeme Smith and middle-order batsman Faf du Plessis were included despite injuries. Smith missed the end of the recent ODI series against Pakistan with a recurring left ankle injury. Du Plessis is undergoing treatment for a lower back problem and has been sidelined for the first part of the Indian Premier league. Both should be fit for the Champions Trophy, Cricket South Africa said. legspinner Imran Tahir was recalled to the one-day squad after falling out of favor in both test and limited-overs formats. South Africa’s final 15-man squad will be named this month.
Agencies