Cook suspended for one odi
Dubai: Captain Alastair Cook has been suspended for one ODI and fined 20 per cent of his match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during England's five-wicket victory against Sri lanka in the third ODI in Hambantota on Wednesday. Match referee David Boon imposed the suspension on Cook after England was ruled to be one over short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration. Cook pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. As such, Cook has been suspended for the next ODI to be played in Colombo on Sunday.
ICC clears douglas jr of suspect action
Dubai: Bermuda's Allan Douglas Jr has been cleared of his suspect action after undergoing a Home Board Analysis following a group match against Singapore during ICC World Cricket league Division 3 in Malaysia in October. Douglas was reported for chucking under the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions on the fifth day of WCl Div.3 in Kuala lumpur on October 27. Under the Regulations, the bowler was required to submit to a Home Board Analysis, with a written report of the outcome to be provided to the ICC. The Home Board Analysis concluded that Douglas bowls with a legal bowling action now.
NZ law assigns prison term for match fixing
Wellington: New Zealand lawmakers have unanimously passed a bill which will give police increased powers to tackle match-fixing ahead of next year's Cricket World Cup. The bill passed this week will become law before the World Cup in February and March and ahead of football's under-20 World Cup in New Zealand in May and June and makes match fixing a criminal offense in New Zealand for the first time. Offenders face terms of up to seven years in prison. The bill, which makes match fixing a form of criminal deception, will become law by December 15, after receiving the “royal assent” of New Zealand's governor general.
Windies past contracts crisis: Richardson
Johannesburg: Team manager Richie Richardson says the West Indies have moved beyond the recent controversial impasse with their union and board and are fully focused on the upcoming cricket Test series against South Africa. The Caribbean side are touring in the wake of the one-day team's controversial decision to abandon the tour of India over a contracts dispute with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), reports CMC. "In recent weeks we haven't had any discussions with regards to that, which is a good thing. It means we are not focussing on what has happened," the former Test captain said. The decision to abandon the India tour led to a full blown crisis in the Caribbean game.
India will have it tough against aus: akram
New Delhi: Warning that Australia will play a "hard game" to win the Test series for their departed teammate Phil Hughes, Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram has said India will certainly find it tough against the hosts who will go all out to come up trumps. “The Australians will certainly play a hard game. And India should be ready for it. They would want to win the series for Phil Hughes and will go all out in their efforts to come up trumps," Akram said ahead the much-awaited Test series. Describing Hughes' fatal injury as a "freak incident", Akram said as a pacer, he feels for Abbott, the bowler. "You feel for the young guy (Abbott). But I would just tell him to ease up. It could have happened with anybody. It's not his fault at all. He is being counselled and I guess he will bounce back," the former Pakistan captain said. Asked if the Indians and Australians might go easy on bowling bouncers after the on-field tragic incident that claimed Hughes' life, Akram said, "I don't think the Australian or the Indian bowlers will stop bowling bouncers and stuff like that. "But yes it will be emotionally very demanding for the Australians to get back on the field but once a few days pass by and they start bowling or batting things will become normal.”