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Sussex 137 for 3 (Goodwin 80*) beat Northamptonshire 136 for 6 (Boje 34*) by seven wickets
ScorecardMurray Goodwin’s calm innings carried Sussex into the Twenty20 final•PA Photos

Sussex booked their place in the Twenty20 final, and with it passage to the lucrative Champions League Twenty20 in India, with a seven-wicket victory against Northamptonshire. Murray Goodwin’s masterful, unbeaten 80 completed the run-chase after a sharp and efficient display in the field from Michael Yardy’s team.Goodwin has completed many harder run-chases than this for Sussex, but few with such rewards riding on the outcome, and was in control throughout as he brought up fifty from 43 balls. His Championship form has been poor this season and he showed some emotion as he acknowledged the crowd and his team-mates. His one scare came on 74 when he could have been run out as a modicum of pressure began to tell, but a square-driven boundary left four needed from the last over. The result was more comfortable than the two-ball margin suggests.However, despite helping his team take a step towards the potential for a huge pay-day in India, Goodwin won’t be there himself as he has a ‘cooling-off’ period after ending his ICL ties and is ineligible until the 2010 event. Nothing is simple in the evolving Twenty20 world.It was a disappointing performance from Northamptonshire, who arrived to Finals Day as the outsiders but had shown their capability this season in Twenty20. Unlike the other three teams on show, they didn’t have the motivation of a Champions League spot to play for after ICL-related issues involving Nicky Boje and Andrew Hall which, however professional they tried to be, surely impacted on their mindset.However, Sussex were also mighty impressive and never allowed the opposition to build any momentum in their innings with disciplined bowling and some live-wire fielding. Their 20 overs included just 11 boundaries and a solitary six with five of those fours coming in the last five overs, while overs seven to 17 included one four and the six. Northamptonshire’s powerful hitters – Hall and Johan van der Wath – were left in the dug-out for too long with the pair having nine balls between them to make an impact.Ian Harvey was the only batsman capable of forcing the pace and his brief innings was terminated by an inside edge against James Kirtley. Sussex produced two pieces of excellent fielding, firstly a direct hit from Ed Joyce from inside the circle to remove Rob White then a swift stumping from Andy Hodd to send back his opposite number, Niall O’Brien, for 24. O’Brien had shown plenty of innovation during his stay, regularly reverse-sweeping the spinners and would have escaped had Hodd not be so alert to the deflection off the thigh pad.Spin had been introduced as soon as the fielding restrictions relaxed and the nine overs between Yardy, Will Beer and Rory-Hamilton Brown conceded 54 runs. Beer, the 20-year-old legspinner, held his nerve well as the batsmen tried to take the attack to him, and his last two overs cost eight plus the wicket of Alex Wakely. Yardy, with his round-arm slinging variety, went for less than six-an-over as Northamptonshire couldn’t find the boundary.Luke Wright provided some early impetus for the chase and while the six-over comparison was very close, (Sussex 40 for 1, against Northamptonshire’s 39 for 1) Sussex always knew what they had to do. Goodwin and Rory-Hamilton Brown took them to within 16 of victory with a stand of 91 and although Hall made them work, Sussex never looked like falling short.

In a match watched with more than passing interest because of events on the global political map, Afghanistan scored a convincing 36-run victory over USA at the Maple Leaf North-East Ground, a win which also meant they leapfrogged them into second place. Opting to bat, Afghanistan were given a solid start by Iqbal Maliki who scored 72 off 102 balls, comprising four fours and a six. A five-wicket haul from Asad Ghous in the middle stages helped USA wrest the advantage, before thirties from wicketkeeper Khoshal Rasuli and Ayan Aminzai lifted Afghanistan to 241.The tone was set by Abhijit Joshi and Azurdeen Mohammed at the top of the order during USA’s chase in an opening stand of 68. Mohammed was unlucky to miss out on a century, but the damage was done by left-arm spinner Aimal Wafa who ran through the middle order to finish with 4 for 36. It was a meek surrender from USA who started the day unbeaten in top spot.Graham McDonnell starred with the bat for Ireland as they beat Canada by 29 runs in a low-scoring tie at the Malton Cricket Club. McDonnell scored a quick unbeaten 67 to lift Ireland to 193 and George Dockrell and Lee Nelson then shared five wickets between them to propel Ireland to the top of the table.A slow start after choosing to bat had Ireland struggling at 90 for 5 before McDonnell took charge, hitting five boundaries during his 65-ball stay. Manny Aulakh struck at either ends of the innings to finish with 3 for 41 and give the hosts a decent shot at the target. However, the Canada batsmen also found the going tough, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Opener Hiral Patel’s 28 off 53 balls proved to be the highest score of the innings and toothless performances from the other batsmen helped Ireland wrap up the match in the 48th over.Man of the Match McDonnell said he felt good to pick up the award despite a pretty average performance. “It was a difficult wicket to bat on as the outfield was pretty big and the wicket was turning a lot,” he said. “It was hard to score a run-a-ball but a few boundaries helped. Having played in Malaysia at the last World Cup, we know what it is like and how much of a big deal it is to play for your country at that event.”A fluent fifty from Vinoo Tewarie was followed up by some tidy work from the bowlers as Netherlands thrashed Vanuatu by 73 runs at the Maple North-West Ground. Put in by Vanuatu, the highlight of the Netherlands innings was the third-wicket stand of 98 between Tewarie and captain Tim Gruijters. While Tewarie stroked six fours during his 70-ball 52, Gruijters managed four boundaries and two sixes during his near-run-a-ball 44. But it was Paul van Meekeren’s fireworks towards the end – a blitzkrieg 31 off 13 balls, including four boundaries and a six – that helped Netherlands finish on 270.Vanuatu captain Simpson Obed led from the front with 53 after opener Samson Kalworai had provided a steady start during the chase, but the steady fall of wickets helped Netherlands gain ground continuously. Patrick Matautaava, who had starred with the ball, picking up 3 for 32 unleashed a late flurry but three wickets each from Olivier Klaus and Lucas Brouwers ensured Netherlands registered their third win in style.”We are all very happy and it was a good performance and a good game,” said Gruijters. “We think we can qualify for the World Cup as all the batsman in the top six have shown they can bat properly and score runs. We are feeling very confident. Paul’s innings was very important as it really shifted the momentum of the game. He hit the ball cleanly and it made a really big difference to us.”Hong Kong inched their way up the lower confines of the points table with a five-run win against Uganda at the Maple Leaf South-East Ground. Ashish Gadhia (27) and Vikash Gope (26) were the lone stars for Hong Kong in a disappointing performance after they chose to bat. Moses Okwera was the pick of the Ugandan bowlers as Hong Kong finished on a below-par 189 for 9.A 69-run third-wicket stand between Henry Ssenyondo (33) and Emmanuel Nakaana (46) looked to have got Uganda on course during the chase, but with their exits, wicketkeeper-captain Ahmed Yakub was left to fight a lone battle. He managed 45 off 49 balls, but could not finish off the match off in style as Hong Kong sealed the tight low-scorer with two overs to spare.Hong Kong captain Jamie Atkinson was delighted with the win. “We knew how important this game was going to be if we are going to qualify for the World Cup,” he said. “It has given us a massive lift for the next three matches we have got. Every match from now is a must-win match for us as if we want to keep ourselves in hunt for the New Zealand tour.”With Sierra Leone ejected from the tournament over visa issues, Papua New Guinea also made an improvement in their rankings with the two points from the walkover.

The contract dispute between the BCCI and IMG has been formally laid to rest at the Indian board’s annual general meeting in Mumbai on Thursday. IMG will now be paid Rs 27 crore ($5.5 million) for managing the IPL for the remaining eight years of its ten-year deal, and Rs 33 crore ($6.7 million) for its work in 2009.The old contract between the BCCI and IMG had effectively fallen through last month because of IMG’s bill for services concerning the IPL 2009 in South Africa. N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, sent a termination letter to the company, which resulted in letters of protest from the franchises and, eventually, the intervention of former BCCI president Sharad Pawar. The board’s working committee subsequently authorised its president Shashank Manohar to act as a mediator and report back to the board at the AGM.Announcing the new deal at the AGM, Manohar also had a word for the IPL franchises. “There were reports about franchises having written letters to the board,” he said. “They have no right to interfere in the internal matters of the board. Such a thing will not be tolerated.”Among other decisions taken at the AGM, the BCCI shifted the first match of the seven-ODI series between Australia and India from the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur to the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara. The move was prompted by the current power struggle within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA).BCCI treasurer MP Pandove said the Mumbai terror attack and its fallout affected the board’s revenues by Rs 110 crore ($23 million approximately). This was largely due to the loss of media rights and sponsorship money on account of cancellation of two one-day internationals during England’s tour of India, the cancellation of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008, the Champions League 2008 and India’s tour of Pakistan.The board also announced that the players who took part in IPL 2009 will have their earnings taxed at 15% by the South African Revenue Service, though income earned by BCCI-IPL will not be taxed.The board also retained Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, as a member of the technical committee, which is headed by Sunil Gavaskar. The panel also includes former Test umpire VK Ramaswamy and Kris Srikkanth, who was retained as the head of the senior selection committee for the 2009-10 season.

Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed Pakistan captain for the Test tour of New Zealand later this month with Kamran Akmal as his deputy. The appointment came after Younis Khan sought a break from cricket following the ODI series defeat to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said.”I have taken this decision after giving it serious thought,” Younis told AFP. “Since I am not in the best of form, I need rest and there is no personal grudge against anyone, that’s for sure. I want to tell my fans that I am not finished, I will come back. My country comes first, more than my family and more than myself.”Butt said he had no objection to Younis seeking a break. “We did appoint Younis captain until the 2011 World Cup, subject to his performance and fitness, but we have no objection to him asking for a rest, and I don’t think it’s a turmoil in Pakistan cricket,” he said.Pakistan’s 2-1 loss, after winning the first game, sparked criticism of Younis’ captaincy and media reports suggested he had lost the confidence of his players. The teams play two Twenty20 internationals on Thursday and Friday and Pakistan leave for New Zealand on Sunday.Yousuf’s appointment marks a full comeback for the batsman, who only recently was in exile from the national team for his involvement with the ICL. More importantly, it is the latest development in a period of uncertainty over the Pakistan captaincy that began after their semi-final defeat to New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy..Younis resigned as captain following that loss and it was believed that suspicions of match-fixing raised in the aftermath of Pakistan’s Champions Trophy semi-final exit, and murmurs about factions in the team and management working to undermine Younis, led to the decision.The PCB, however, rejected his resignation and Butt had a meeting with Younis, where Younis said he would return only if certain conditions were met. Stability of tenure was one, though those close to Younis insist he didn’t want an assurance till the 2011 World Cup. A streamlining of the selection process, as well as changes in the team management were thought to be the other conditions. Younis then took back his resignation and said that he was happy to return as captain following the wave of support he received.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outBrendon McCullum’s 76 was the top score of the match•Associated Press

The Jekyll and Hyde that is Pakistan cricket displayed both its faces in the series decider against New Zealand. Pakistan needed only 212 to clinch a 2-1 series victory on a placid pitch but their batting combusted in typically dramatic fashion. When all hope was lost, though, there was more drama as Mohammad Aamer scripted a phenomenal comeback with Saeed Ajmal. It was New Zealand, however, who held their nerve to win the decider in the desert.When Aamer came to bat at No. 10, Pakistan needed 126 runs from 26.5 overs with only two wickets in hand, and people were emptying the Sheikh Zayed stadium thinking the game was over. But what is Pakistan cricket without its twists and turns? And what is New Zealand cricket without a struggle to finish games? Aamer and Ajmal threw their bats around, played conventional and unorthodox shots, and added 103, the second highest last-wicket stand in ODIs. It went to the last over, bowled by Jacob Oram, with Pakistan needing eight runs to win, but Ajmal top-edged the first ball and was caught by Kyle Mills at short fine leg.Aamer initially appeared as though he was having a lark – a tailender indulging himself in a lost cause. Even when he hit Daniel Vettori for three slog-swept sixes in an over, it seemed a matter of time before the last wicket fell. However, Aamer persevered, cutting and driving Mills in particular, and the game hurtled towards a thrilling finale. The pressure, however, kicked in only when they got close to the target and Ajmal succumbed with Aamer stranded on 73, the highest score by a No. 10 batsman in ODIs.What Aamer’s effort also did, though, was highlight the failure of his more capable team-mates. Pakistan crashed and burned from 47 for 0 to 101 for 9 with batsmen playing rash shots that betrayed a nervous and muddled mindset. No one took ownership of the chase and New Zealand kept gaining ground with disciplined bowling.Pakistan’s openers were cruising when Vettori introduced himself in the eighth over. He trapped Khalid Latif lbw with an arm-ball to create a small window of opportunity, which was soon flung open. Younis Khan, Pakistan’s captain who is waging an increasingly difficult battle to hold his place in the ODI team, struggled for fluency and the mounting pressure led to him running out a settled Salman Butt. It was the beginning of the end.Younis perished next ball, stabbing a bouncing delivery from Shane Bond to first slip and exposed an edgy middle order, which lacked the cool head of Mohammad Yousuf, who had been dropped for Umar Akmal. The line-up was full of attacking batsmen but, as they showed in the last game, they were likely to collapse under pressure. Only Shoaib Malik had the temperament to fight but he was guilty of playing the worst shot of all. Pakistan were wobbling at 74 for 3 when Kyle Mills bowled a few short balls at Malik, who ducked out of the way. Suddenly, in a moment of madness, he fetched a short delivery from well outside off and hit it straight to deep midwicket. Pakistan had started its freefall.Umar Akmal edged an intended cut and Shahid Afridi ran Malik close with a poor shot of his own but it’s not much of a surprise when Afridi implodes. He tried to break free by heaving Jacob Oram down the ground but only succeeded in nicking to Brendon McCullum. Pakistan’s last hope was Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq but both failed. Kamran was guilty of playing an overambitious shot as he tried to pull a delivery from Tim Southee which wasn’t short and top-edged to mid-on. Razzaq made a mad dash for a non-existent single: Umar Gul had pushed to the left of Vettori at mid-off and took one step out, but Razzaq charged too far down the track and couldn’t get back in time. Pakistan’s misery was almost complete but Aamer’s heroic half-century gave fans something to take from the game.New Zealand also had their share of batting wobbles. They were in a great position at 138 for 2 in 27th over, after choosing to bat, but they collapsed to be bowled out for 211. McCullum, who hit a superbly-paced 76, fell to a tame dismissal, caught and bowled by Shoaib Malik. Younis then proceeded to suffocate them with his spinners.From the 18th over to the 45th, New Zealand faced only two overs of seam bowling, gradually succumbing to the slow men. Ajmal confused them with his doosras, Afridi taunted with his sliders and googlies, and Malik tested with his offbreaks. Most batsmen pushed and prodded with nervous uncertainty, unsure about the destination of the spinning deliveries and one felt that a wicket was always around the corner. New Zealand, however, scraped to 211 before they were dismissed in the 47th over. It proved to be just enough.

Group A

A quickfire century from wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat meant Habib Bank Limited (HBL) continued to dominate at the top of the table, picking up first-innings points against Pakistan Customs at the Diamond Club Ground. Even as the top and middle orders succumbed to fast bowlers Mohammad Haroon and Ahmed Jamal, Farhat coming in at No. 8, smashed 20 fours during his 105-ball 156 to anchor the HBL innings. The ICL returnee’s 167-run eight-wicket stand with Mohammad Aslam proved crucial, and handed them the lead. Customs were 7 for no loss in their second innings at the end of the day.Captain Yasir Hameed’s sparkling unbeaten 130 dealt a serious blow to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited‘s (SNGPL’s) hopes of a final spot as Pakistan International Airines (PIA) closed in on first-innings points at the Jinnah Stadium. Ali Imran added two more to his one wicket the previous day, as SNGPL ended on 265 from their overnight 227 for 6, with Ali Waqas left stranded five short of a well-deserved hundred. Hameed provided the impetus at the top of the order and put on a powerful opening stand of 193 with Agha Sabir (73). He went on the offensive, clubbing 17 fours and a six, shepherding PIA to 225 for 2 at stumps.Sparkling centuries from Zohaib Khan and Shahid Yousuf handed Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) the lead against Karachi Whites at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex. Resuming on 20 for no loss, still 212 adrift of Karachi’s first-innings total, ZTBL lost their openers without adding to the overnight score. But Zohaib and Yousuf combined well in a third-wicket stand of 202 to seize the initiative. Yousuf hit 16 fours during his 186-ball 104, while Zohaib was undefeated on 129, having hit 14 boundaries en route. Zohaib also put on 81 with captain Nazir (54) as ZTBL ended exactly 100 runs ahead.If hundreds from Mohammad Wasim and Saeed Anwar jnr the previous day kept Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in the ascendancy against bottom-placed Lahore Shalimar at the Gaddafi Stadium, 61s from Zahoor Elahi and Yasir Ali beefed them up further. The two combined for a sixth-wicket stand of 98, as KRL declared on 502 for 7. Barring opener Abid Ali (56), the Lahore batsmen struggled during the reply. Right-arm fast bowler Jaffar Nazir helped himself to the spoils, picking up 4 for 43. With half their side gone, it does look like an uphill task for Lahore, who are still 385 behind.Saeed Bin Nasir led from the front once again as Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) put on an emphatic batting show against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at the Sheikhupura Stadium. He brought up his 19th first-class century, hitting an identical number of boundaries en route, as SSGC powered their way to 466 having begun the day on 237 for 4. Shehzad Butt also chipped in with a valuable 88, while right-arm pace bowler Azharullah finished as WAPDA’s most successful bowler with 4 for 134. The WAPDA openers successfully negotiated the five overs remaining in the day to end on 3 for no loss.

Group B

A terrific batting effort coupled with a disciplined effort from the bowlers put Karachi Blues in the driver’s seat against Hyderabad in Mirpur Khas. Riding high on twin centuries from overnight batsmen Asad Shafiq and Wajihuddin, the No. 1 side on the points table were boosted further by Asim Kamal’s 81. The 54 extras did not help the opposition’s cause as Karachi declared on a huge 552 for 7. It was a sorry reply from Hyderabad, as fast men Mohammad Sami and Tanvir Ahmed picked up three wickets apiece to leave them choking at 59 for 6.Sialkot‘s final ambitions appeared to be fading after they were under pressure against Islamabad at the Jinnah Stadium. Ashar Zaidi got to his double-century, smashing 34 boundaries and a six during his 253-ball 202. Naved Arif ended with a five-for but couldn’t prevent Islamabad from crossing 400. Faisal Khan’s 69 failed to inspire then other Sialkot batsmen during the reply, as Nasrullah Khan dented the batting line-up thrice to leave the home side tottering at 170 for 6, still 231 behind.A defiant unbeaten 47 from wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman and a clinical job by the pace duo of Zahoor Khan and Ali Raza gave Faisalabad the advantage against Rawalpindi at the Iqbal Stadium. Resuming on 259 for 5, Salman ensured Faisalabad crossed the 300-mark easily. The stage was then set for the seamers during Rawalpindi’s reply, as their openers departed in a hurry. Both Zahoor and Raza picked up two wickets apiece to leave the visitors struggling at 88 for 4, before Usman Saeed and wicketkeeper Jamal Anwar guided them safely to stumps.Right-arm seamer Aamer Hayat’s 6 for 77 may have lifted Lahore Ravi against Abbottabad in Muridke but they lost half their side by stumps, to keep the battle for first-innings points in the balance. Resuming on 236 for 5, Abbottabad could add just 43 as Hayat struck quick blows to wrap up the tail by the 15th over of the day. Left-arm Armaghan Elahi struck twice as Lahore’s response got off on the wrong foot. But for a watchful unbeaten fifty from Sohail Ahmed and his 69-run partnership with Saadullah Ghauri (41) for the fourth wicket, Lahore would have been in serious trouble.Well-compiled centuries from Rameez Alam and Naved Yasin helped Multan march to first-innings points against last-placed Peshawar at the Multan Cricket Ground. Beginning the day on 4 for no loss, the Multan pair were relentless in their pursuit of a lead. The unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 236 put Peshwar on the backfoot even as Imran Khan picked up two quick wickets. While Rameez hit 11 boundaries during his 246-ball 114, Yasin managed four more during his quicker-paced 118.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith has assured Makhaya Ntini of his starting place in the second Test against England at Durban even if Dale Steyn recovers from his hamstring injury. Ntini’s poor return of two wickets in his 100th match at Centurion, coupled with Friedel de Wet’s impressive debut, started a debate about who would drop out should Steyn be fit.It means South Africa are spared making a difficult decision over Ntini’s position, whose place in the side is important for political as well as cricket reasons. Smith said that de Wet, despite taking 4 for 55 in the second innings of the first Test, including a spell of 3 for 11 with the second new ball, would be the man to step aside for Steyn.Smith gave Ntini the final over in the first Test, despite de Wet having caused mayhem, and Graham Onions managed to block six deliveries to save the Test. Ntini, though, has the complete backing of his captain.”It was terrific to see Friedel bowl that well,” Smith said. “But the three guys who have had the job over the last period of time [Steyn, Ntini and Morne Morkel] have been really successful at it. Makhaya brings a lot of experience to our attack. He maybe didn’t bowl as well as he would have liked in Centurion, but he’s a guy I really support and he has been integral through my captaincy. So I really back him to come through and bowl well in this Test.”Morne brings some variety to the attack with his pace and bounce and it was great to see Friedel bowl well, but if Dale is fit I think it will be a straight swap.”Steyn’s fitness is not yet guaranteed as he tries to recover from the hamstring injured that kept him out of action towards the end of the one-day series and flared up again before play started at Centurion. Steyn, who has been bowling in Cape Town between the Tests, will be put through a rigorous fitness test and Smith echoed what the fast bowler told Cricinfo on Monday, that an early decision would benefit the team although he will be given a couple of extra days.”Dale has been progressing all week. He has bowled in Cape Town and we’ll assess how things go,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t like to drag it onto the morning of the Test. Him pulling up as stiff as he did on the morning of game was a surprise to all of us and hopefully this time we can have a decision made the night before at least.”While Steyn’s injury is the most significant ahead of this Test, Jacques Kallis may not play a full role with the ball as he continues a cautious return from his rib injury. Kallis bowled three gentle overs in the second innings at Centurion, but he won’t be pushed too hard with the New Year’s Test at Newlands following quickly.Despite these problems, there is a confidence around the South African camp after pushing England so close to defeat in the opening clash. It was their first Test since March and the way they slotted back into five-day mode has impressed Smith. He was also happy to play a few mind-games before the battle resumes at Kingsmead, pointing out the problems England have to confront.”We’ve probably given them a few question marks, especially over the batting line-up,” Smith said. “When you collapse like that it always leaves a negative taste and I think we have left them with things to think about. Over the five days we performed really well and they can look at a couple of sessions where they had control. It’s about bringing that into this game now and carrying on that strong-headed style of play.”However, Smith won’t be surprised if he faces an unchanged England side and believes they are more comfortable with a safety-first option of playing all the batsmen. “I think the six batters route is something they seem to be sticking by,” he said. “I think for them it’s probably a slightly more conservative outlook after the way their middle order was troubled in both innings and that they need the extra batting. Certainly it’s an area we’ll be looking at and if we can get a few wickets we can exploit that middle order.”The conditions in Durban are a huge contrast from Centurion, where the dry heat of the highveld has been replaced by the humidity of the coast. It is an atmosphere ideal for swing bowling and England’s batting line-up know that, even if Steyn is ruled out, his understudy is a more than capable replacement.

N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary and owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise, has said the Indian board and government had nothing to do with the player selections at the IPL auction, amid the outrage in Pakistan over none of their cricketers securing a bid.Srinivasan added the franchises had specific needs going into the auction, and bids and decisions over team selection were solely their prerogative. “Firstly, we have to recognise there were only 11 available slots, including the vacancies arising out of injuries, and as many as 66 foreign players to pick from,” Srinivasan told the . “There were 55 cricketers who must have been disappointed with the auction. The differing needs of the franchises and availability of the players played a large role in whom the teams bid for.”Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, also said that there “was no preconceived conspiracy to leave Pakistani players.”There were 11 Pakistan cricketers in the list of 66, including those who had played a significant role in Pakistan’s victory in the ICC World Twenty20. But none secured a bid, resulting in criticism by players, administrators and politicians as well as charges of conspiracy. The Pakistan players had received NOCs from the PCB and clearances from various ministries in the Pakistan government to participate in the IPL, but the uncertainty over strained relations with India could have prompted the franchises to wield restraint. Srinivasan, however, said the players’ nationalities was a non-issue in the auction.”I do not think one should look at the nationality of the cricketers at all here. The franchises are paying good money for the team as well as the players. They have the right to pick the players they want. After all, it is their money. If you look at the auction, some very good cricketers such as Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brad Haddin and Graeme Swann did not find any takers. Their ability is not in question here. It is just that the franchises entered the auction with specific needs.”The Indian government had distanced itself from the result of the IPL auction, insisting that the league was an independent commercial enterprise and the franchises had made their decisions on their own. Srinivasan echoed the sentiment. “How can you say if you do not buy a player from a particular country it is an insult to that nation,” he asked. “How much a team is prepared to spend and on whom it is prepared to spend that kind of money, is the sole prerogative of franchises. The BCCI has no role. And the choice of the individual team owners should not be mixed up with government policy.”It is possible that some franchises could have displayed interest in the Pakistani players and then changed their minds according to their needs.”

Shaun Tait believes he has made the right decision to abandon first-class cricket and focus on the shorter formats after delivering the fastest ball ever recorded in Australia on Friday night. Tait’s third delivery in Australia’s Twenty20 win over Pakistan hit 160.7kph, a speed that has only been bettered by Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee since measurements became common.Tait had clocked 160kph before but this was his quickest ball and he maintained a consistent pace – he didn’t drop below 150kph in his opening two-over spell. The record on Australian soil was a fullish ball that Imran Farhat missed, and Tait expended such energy that he stumbled and nearly fell over in his follow-through.He picked up Farhat with a 152kph ball that was edged to slip and for the rest of his overs hovered in the low to mid 150s. He said he would love to break Akthar’s mark of 161.3kph, set during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, but Tait believes the effort required means that his speed peak can only last for a couple of balls per match.”It’s not something that I think about all the time but there’s only certain moments when you’re bowling, maybe even in your career, when you’ve probably got a chance to do it,” Tait said after the win. “Today it was my third ball and I had a crack the next ball after that just to have a go and I think after that it’s hard to get back up to that pace.”I think when everything’s feeling really good and your timing is right, I think you’ve only got two deliveries in a game to try and break a record like that. It’s a pretty hard task. That’s an amazing record. But anyway, I’ll see how I go, keep pushing. Shoaib bowled whatever he bowled and that’s amazing. I almost killed myself out there tonight.”Most importantly, Tait’s pace didn’t bring with it an erratic line. He was accurate, hard to get away and was named Man of the Match for his 3 for 13 from four overs. At his best, Tait can be one of the most dangerous Twenty20 bowlers in the world and he could be a valuable weapon for Australia at the ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies in May.Tait has had his problems over the years, including a series of injuries and a self-inflicted break from the game due to physical and mental exhaustion in 2008. But by giving away four-day cricket – he hasn’t played a first-class match since December 2008 – and playing only Twenty20 and 50-overs games, he has allowed his body to deliver super-fast balls in short, sharp spells of severe impact.”I think it’s freshness, to be honest,” Tait said. “Looking back on it now, the decision that I’ve made at this stage to play the shorter form of the game has been a pretty solid one. I’ve been fresh for the majority of the games this season, apart from a couple maybe. I’m really enjoying the shorter form, the Twenty20s.”If Tait does head to the World Twenty20, he could form a fearsome and very fast attack along with Dirk Nannes, who hovered in the low 150s on Friday, and the proven danger-man Mitchell Johnson. Until then, Australia will hope for four more Twenty20 assaults from Tait to warm-up for the global tournament.

Abdul Razzaq could become the first Pakistani to appear in this season’s IPL, with the player saying he had been approached by Kolkata Knight Riders. While a team official said they had not approached the player following last week’s auction, Razzaq said he had been offered a contract by the franchise and Sourav Ganguly, the team captain, was quoted by NDTV as saying they had been in touch with him.”A one-year contract with KKR is ready, I have been told, but the IPL’s clearance is needed first,” Razzaq told Cricinfo.”We have spoken to Razzaq for a very long time, we wanted him in the team but will wait for the IPL rules,” Ganguly told NDTV. “The issue of Pakistani players is between the IPL and government. We shall have to wait for the rules.”However, a Kolkata official contacted by Cricinfo offered a contrary point of view. “We had talks with him pre-auction and we had some paperwork subject to IPL rules and conditions,” the official said. “The IPL included the Pakistani players in the auction list but our first priority then [during the auction] was to go for a fast bowler, so we went for Bond.”Razzaq had, during this time, suffered a wrist injury and we are not so sure whether he has completely recovered from that. We have not approached him post-auction.”The news is also yet to be confirmed by the IPL and Razzaq’s participation in this year’s tournament will be subject to the league’s rules on replacements. Since Kolkata have no free overseas spot, they can only sign up Razzaq as a replacement for an existing player on grounds of injury, and that will have to be cleared by the IPL board.Kolkata’s owner Shah Rukh Khan has openly expressed an interest in the allrounder but franchise officials say their slots are also filled up, though there is lingering concern over the fitness of Mashrafe Mortaza and, in particular, the knee problems that have kept him out of cricket since July last year.That might not, however, preclude possible discussions between the franchise owner and Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner. Modi denied knowledge of the development. “He [Razzaq] remains on the list of players available in case of replacements required,” Modi told Cricinfo. “No one has approached me yet.”None of the 11 Pakistani players put up for the auction last week were bought by a franchise, sparking outrage in Pakistan over the perceived humiliation of its star players. The issue blew up into a broader concern, with both governments getting involved and Pakistan cancelling a trip across the border by a parliamentary delegation in protest.Over the last few days, however, pressure has seemingly built within India over the matter; the home minister P Chidambaram criticised the move to not include any Pakistan players even after they were put up for auction and the sports minister MS Gill distanced the government from the matter. Shah Rukh Khan also expressed his dissatisfaction, although he said it was something about which little could be done.Initial reports suggested Razzaq had been approached by the Deccan Chargers. “Verbal contact has been made by Deccan Chargers to Razzaq,” Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, told Cricinfo.”Razzaq has spoken to me and I have said only when something comes from them officially, in writing, will I seek government advice on this. We will consult with the government on this before taking any decision as they have supported us well after what happened last week. It can’t be just one player either. We have to see about the others.”Fidel Edwards, at the Deccan Chargers, is reportedly injured but the franchise emphatically denied making any approach to Razzaq, saying they have no slots left to take on another foreign player. “We don’t have a slot to take on any player,” Venkat Reddy, Deccan’s chief executive, told NDTV. “We have already filled our slot and not approached any player. We already have Ryan Harris [as a replacement].”