Verma writes to ICC’s legal head
New Delhi: Aditya Verma, the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary and face of the anti N Srinivasan faction, has written a letter to ICC’s head of legal affairs Iain Higgins alleging the violation of parent body’s ‘Code of Ethics’ by the Tamil Nadu strongman. In his letter to Higgins, Verma has cited the violation of code 2.1 and 3.2. Verma wrote that “Srinivasan violated clause 2.1 on a number of occasions, having acted in a manner that denigrates the ICC and harm its public image”. Verma also requested Higgins to “formally report the matter to Ethics Officer Sean Cleary, for further investigations.” “As per 8.2 of the Code of Ethics, the Ethics Officer has a positive obligation to review all alleged violations of Code of Ethics,” Verma concluded.
Jordan helps England beat lanka
london: Chris Jordan starred with both bat and ball as England set off on the road to next year’s World Cup with an 81-run win over Sri lanka in a rain-marred one-day international at The Oval. The Sussex all-rounder’s belligerent 38 not out off just 13 balls propelled England to a total of 247 for six in an innings reduced by rain to 39 overs on Thursday. And, on his former Surrey home ground, the Barbados-born Jordan took three wickets for 25 runs, including three for three in 12 balls. Sri lanka, chasing a target of 226 in 32 overs after a fresh downpour, never recovered and finished on 144 in 27.5 overs when lasith Malinga was bowled by Ravi Bopara under the Oval floodlights. England, now 1-0 up in this five-match series, quickly reduced Sri lanka to 19 for two.
Ready to be held accountable: lou
Wellington: Disgraced New Zealand cricketer lou Vincent, who stands accused of fixing two county matches in England, on Friday said he’s ready to be held accountable for his actions and has not made a plea bargain to escape tough punishment. In a statement issued through his lawyer Chris Morris, Vincent said he has received the 14 charges of corruption against him by the England and Wales Cricket Board. “lou Vincent confirms that overnight he received charges from the English Cricket Board. He will work through these and the process for dealing with the charges as required by the ECB,” his lawyer stated. “He further confirms the charges arise from the matters he has disclosed to the authorities, and he remains accountable for his actions of the past. “The fact of the charges, and more are likely, dispel any notions of a plea bargain having been done as unfortunately appears to be wrongly suggested by others,” the statement read.
Broad questions Ajmal’s action
london: England’s Stuart Broad has risked disciplinary action after appearing to question the legitimacy of Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal’s action. Ajmal is currently playing for English county Worcestershire. He took 13 wickets in the Midlands side’s recent County Championship win over Essex, including a career-best seven for 19 in the second innings. That prompted former England captain Michael Vaughan to post a still photograph of Ajmal bowling during that match on Twitter with the caption: “You are allowed 15 degrees of flex in your delivery swing.... #justsaying.” Broad, currently out with a knee injury, replied by commenting: “This has to be a fake photoIJ!”. He then added in a subsequent tweet: “Bowlers can bowl very differently in a lab while being tested compared to needing wickets in the middle.”
Jeevan goes down fighting
Krashi: Indian Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan’s good run came to an end at the $50,000 ATP Challenger event with a semifinal defeat at the hands of Australian Chase Buchanan here on Friday. The left-handed unseeded Indian put up a brave fight against his rival before losing 4-6 4-6. It was Jeevan’s first singles semifinal appearance at a Challenger level event. There was hardly any scope for error and when Jeevan blinked at 1-1 in the opening set, Buchanan made no mistake in getting that break. The Australian kept the lead with him and closed the first set in his favour as the remaining games went with serve. It was a good contest as Jevan played clean, fired five aces and made no double fault. The second set too slipped away because of a simple concentration error and the Australian served out the match in the next. Jeevan will next play in an ITF event in Guam.
Ankita’s campaign ends at Tianjin
Tianjin: India’s number one singles player, Ankita Raina, fought her heart out but lost both her singles and doubles matches to bow out of the $25,000 ITF women’s event here today. Taking the field for singles quarterfinals in the morning, the third seeded Indian lost 3-6 5-7 to Chinese qualifier Zhaoxuan Zhang. Ankita had chances to claw her way back in the match after losing the first set as she was leading 4-2 in the second and was one point away from taking it to decider but could not convert that set point, allowing the Chinese to finish the match. later, playing in her first ever doubles final abroad in a USD 25000 level event, Ankita and her Oman partner Fatma Al Nabhani lost 1-6 5-7 to third-seeded Chinese pair of Chang lu and Ran Tian.
Kapur tied 22nd after 1st round
london: Shiv Kapur completed his first round today with a card of two-under 70 to be placed tied 22nd at the BMW PGA Championship. Kapur, whose first round was interrupted by bad weather on Thursday, had five birdies after opening with bogeys on first and third. He quickly found his rhythm back with birdie on fourth, fifth and seventh but gave away a late bogey on 14th, but his birdie on 18th ensured he would have a decent day. But the star of the opening day was former Wentworth resident Thomas Björn of Denmark on a weather-affected opening day that shot 10-under 62. Björn brought him a card that he called as the “best round of his entire career” and the lowest on Wentworth’s redesigned West Course in a round completed just moments before the first of two suspensions of play due to the threat of lightning which left 33 players unable to complete their rounds.
Akmal approached for fixing in 2012
Karachi: The ghost of match-fixing is back to haunt Pakistan cricket with reports emerging that Umar Akmal was approached to fix matches during a 2012 tour of the UAE but the batsman immediately reported the matter to his team’s security manager. A source aware of the incident told PTI that Umar had been called up regularly by a number from India in which the caller thrice attempted to coax him into entering a fixing racket promising him lucrative returns for his cooperation. “Umar after being pestered by this unknown caller informed the Pakistan team’s security manager who brought the matter into the notice of the ICC’s ACSU immediately,” the source disclosed. He said Umar’s prompt action and cooperation in reporting the approach was much appreciated by the Pakistan team management and the ICC ACSU at that time. The source said the approach was made during the Pakistan and England series in the UAE in 2012.
N. Korea to participate in Asiad
Seoul: North Korea on Friday said that it will send athletes to this year’s Asian Games in South Korea, the first time it has participated in a major sporting event there for more than a decade and despite simmering cross-border tensions. “The Olympic Committee of the DPRK (North Korea)... decided to dispatch DPRK players’ group” to the Asian Games to be hosted by South Korea’s western port city of Incheon, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The committee has officially informed the Olympic Council of Asia of its decision, KCNA said. Incheon welcomed the North’s announcement saying it would help the two Koreas boost reconciliation. “We welcome North Korea’s participation ... And hope it will provide an opportunity for the two Koreas to boost reconciliation,” it said in a statement.