Pujara to play for Derbyshire County
london: Indian Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is set to play for Derbyshire for the remainder of the English County Championships as the club has decided to sign him as its overseas player. Pujara, who was among the many Indian batsmen to fail in the team’s 1-3 Test loss against England, has been granted permission by the BCCI to play for the 144-year-old club. He is expected to join the Wayne Madsen-led side next month to play for around four weeks. “Derbyshire County Cricket Club is pleased to announce that they have agreed terms with Cheteshwar Pujara that will see the Indian Test star join the county as their overseas player for the final run in of the 2014 lV County Championship season,” the club said in a statement on its website.
‘Dhoni a serial offender in India’s debacles abroad’
Melbourne: Slamming Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a “serial offender” in the India’s Test debacles abroad, former Australia captain Ian Chappell said if the team fails to compete at full throttle then another capitulation is certain against a highly competitive Australian outfit. “There’s no disgrace in losing; it’s part of cricketing life. However, what is disgraceful is failing to compete to the best of your ability and continuing to make the same mistakes. That’s what India have done for the bulk of their last two visits to the UK and their most recent tour of Australia,” Chappell said of India’s lacklustre performances abroad. He said the latest Indian Test debacle, the 1-3 loss to England, was worse than those previous capitulations because India achieved a monumental victory at lord’s. “That should have been the springboard to a spirited attempt to stretch that lead but instead it became the top step on the slippery dip to oblivion,” the former Australia skipper and Cricket commentator said in his column in ESPNcricinfo. “If India continue to bat, bowl and field poorly and fail to compete at full throttle under Dhoni’s lacklustre captaincy, then another capitulation is certain to follow against a highly competitive Australian outfit,” he said. India’s tour of Australia might be over three months away but mind games have already started with pacer Ryan Harris earlier this week saying they will not tone down their aggression and the Indians may face a brutal summer from fellow fast bowler Mitchell Johnson. “Dhoni is a serial offender in those Indian debacles. In all three cases — the first two full series and the last three Tests of the recent capitulation — his captaincy failed to inspire the team,” Chappell opined.
Aussies sweat over Clarke for Zimbabwe opener
Harare: Australia will make a late decision on captain Michael Clarke’s fitness for Monday’s triangular series opener against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club. Clarke tweaked his left hamstring during Australia’s first training session on Friday, but jogged several laps on Saturday to lend hope that he may recover in time. However with a higher-profile game against South Africa to follow on Wednesday, it is possible that Clarke will be left out of the Zimbabwe clash as a precaution, in which case George Bailey would lead Australia. “He’s better than he was on Friday, so he’s probably 50-50,” coach Darren lehmann said after training on Saturday. “He’s desperate to play and we’re obviously desperate for our captain to play, so hopefully he’ll get through Sunday’s session and we’ll make a decision from there. “We’ve got enough depth in our squad to chop and change if we need to, so we’ll just put the best side we possibly can out to win the game.”
Saeed Ajmal’s action to be tested today
Dubai: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's suspect bowling action will be tested at the Cricket Australia National Cricket Centre in Brisbane tomorrow and the result will be declared in about two weeks time, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement on Sunday. The ICC clarified the procedures that will be followed to test Ajmal's 'Doosra', which was questioned in the first Test against Sri lanka. The top-ranked ODI bowler, whose 'Doosra' has come under the scanner for the second time after he was cleared by the ICC in 2009, though he was allowed to continue bowling with a corrective action subject to a 21-day appeal.
Scindia elected chairman, Jagdale president of MPCA
Indore: Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was on Sunday unanimously elected as Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) chairman and ex-BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale as president after state Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijaywargiya's group decided not to contest the cricket body's biennial polls. "I am happy that this time MPCA's biennial polls were held unanimously and for that Vijaywargiya deserves honour and respect," Scinida told reporters after the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the prestigious cricket body. Scindia group had virtually trounced Vijayawargiya group in the 2012 high-voltage polls. But this time Scindia proposed the name of Jagdale, who commands lot of respect in the city, for the post of president and that of himself as chairman which resulted in unanimous elections. Scindia said though his panel had the majority, still he proposed the name of Jagdale and added that he is fully confident that the former BCCI secretary would take MPCA to newer heights.