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ScorecardCameron White’s unbeaten 82 guided Victoria to a come-from-behind success at the MCG•Getty Images

South Australia’s decision to set up the game backfired after their three days of dominance ended in a crushing six-wicket loss to Victoria. The Redbacks took a 271-run lead on first innings after scoring 6 for 517 and extended the advantage in their second go before the third declaration of the match left the hosts needing 381 for victory.In the end Victoria made it comfortably, with Nick Jewell calm at the top in adding 96 to his first-innings 70, and Cameron White guiding them home to 4 for 384. The come-from-behind success moved the Bushrangers to 20 points, 10 clear of South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, and justified White’s decision to declare so far behind on Saturday.Jewell was lbw to Peter George just short of a deserved century while David Hussey (66) also went to George, with his side 70 short of the target. White, who was unbeaten on 82, and Andrew McDonald (32) made sure of the result and sent Brad Hodge (61) off with a win in his final Shield game at the MCG. He will play against New South Wales next week before retiring from first-class duties.In the other dressing room Graham Manou and his side were left to wonder how things had gone so wrong so quickly. It was only the fifth time a team has made more than 500 in the first innings of a Shield game and lost. The result was particularly harsh on Michael Klinger, who wasn’t dismissed in registering 207 and 29 against his former state.

Surrey and Sussex will face IPL opposition when they travel to Dubai in March 2010 to participate in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 tournament.The competition will give both teams the chance to prepare for the English county season in almost guaranteed good weather, and get some vital match practice under their belt ahead of their first round of fixtures on April 9.The competition will take place on March 19 and 20 at The Sevens, Emirates’ dedicated sporting facility. Competing alongside the two counties will be a Fly Emirates XI and, new for 2010, a young side representing the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab.Surrey Cricket’s managing director, Gus Mackay, said: “After the success of last year’s tournament we were very keen to take part in the new format, which will provide even more of a chance for us to get match experience ahead of the season.”The addition of an IPL franchise is a hugely welcome development as it will give us an opportunity to test ourselves against an exciting team we would not normally encounter.”

ScorecardLiam Plunkett cashed in on Mark Davies’ misfortune as the England Performance Programme (EPP) side fought back strongly on the second day of their tour match against Gauteng. Davies claimed four wickets on the first day but was unable to take the field on the second morning after his bowling boots were removed by groundstaff during a shower before play got under way.With Davies stuck on the sidelines, Durham team-mate Plunkett took charge to finish with 5 for 47 as Gauteng, who began the day on 311 for 6, were bundled out for 328. After being released from England’s one-day squad last week, Plunkett’s performance is an important nudge for the England selectors ahead of the Test series.In a rain-interrupted day, the tourists then pressed home the bowlers’ good work, with Stephen Moore, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell all hitting fifties to lift the total to 239 for two at the close.Cook hit 11 boundaries in his 76 before he was caught behind off Ugasen Govender. After struggling at the top of the order in the Twenty20 series, and disappointing in the Ashes, he needs a good Test series against South Africa to cement his place in the side, while Bell is fighting to retain his spot in the top order.

Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq was hoping that his electric performance in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy would fast track his return to the national team after he was dropped for the upcoming series against New Zealand. Barely a day after being axed from the one-day, Twenty20 and Test squads, Misbah scored a career-best 284 for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) against Lahore Shalimar at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground.He shared a Pakistan record of 479 with Usman Arshad (183), 41 short of the world record for the fifth wicket in first-class cricket, set by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja for Saurashtra against Orissa in India last year.”Naturally it’s disappointing to lose your place, but I have played a big innings, which I badly needed to revive my career, and I will prove that my career is not over,” Misbah said. “There is no better way to prove your critics wrong than by scoring runs, and I will prove that my age is not a hurdle in my career. I will definitely work my way back into the team.”The 35-year-old right-hander, who has played 15 Tests, 56 ODIs and 23 Twenty20 internationals, fared poorly in Pakistan’s Test and one-day defeats in Sri Lanka in July-August and managed just six runs in Pakistan’s opening match of the Champions Trophy against the West Indies. He was overlooked for the match against India, and managed 41 against Australia in the last league game before being left out for the semi-final against New Zealand.However, Misbah said he would stay positive. “I am a positive cricketer and will try my level best to get my place back.”Pakistan will play three ODIs in Abu Dhabi and two Twenty20 internationals in Dubai against New Zealand, beginning November 3. After the limited-over series, the teams will fly to New Zealand to play three Tests.

In its strongest indictment yet of the manner in which cricket is being run by the ICC, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) – the players’ lobby group – has rejected the draft of the post-2012 Future Tours Programme (FTP) that was approved in principle on Tuesday by the governing body’s executive board, the game’s apex decision-making body. It has, instead, sent the ICC a series of counter-proposals including the setting up of annual Test and ODI championships and allotting official windows to Twenty20 tournaments like the IPL and Champions League Twenty20.FICA CEO Tim May said the ICC’s proposed international schedule is merely an extension of the existing format that does not address changes in the game and diminishes its value. “The ICC’s draft is just a continuation of the ad-hoc bilateral series that we have seen going on for 100 years,” May told Cricinfo. “The ICC draft does not address an increasingly changing cricket landscape, which demands considerations of changing priorities of players and broadcasters and the increasing need for context, not volume.”FICA’s decision to reject the post-2012 FTP draft was unanimous, May said, and the alternate proposals were finalized at the federation’s annual meeting in Johannesburg on October 1-2. “FICA have supplied the feedback to the ICC and await their consideration of the matter,” May said.While the ICC admits that FICA is a key stakeholder in the game and has given the federation a seat on its cricket committee, it is not bound by law to accept any of its proposals. In fact, May admits that he would not be surprised if the ICC board rejects these proposals, but he also warns that in such a scenario “the natural forces will take effect.””More and more players will follow Andrew Flintoff by retiring prematurely from one or all forms of international cricket,” May said. “The grind of the present international calendar just can’t exist with the attraction of shorter-duration, less physical, better-remunerated T20 leagues. International cricket will no longer be the best versus the best. Crowds will diminish, commercial rights will reduce, and international cricket will be very much an inferior product.”If this happens, May said, the ICC will have to accept the blame. “They will have no one to blame but themselves. It won’t be the first business to be destroyed by failing to recognise a changing landscape.”The ICC will find it difficult to reject in toto FICA’s proposals because the federation comprises representatives of powerful players’ associations from Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies, who are also members of the ICC Board. These players’ associations have a strong voice within their national governing structures on issues involving players’ rights, scheduling and security.Besides, some of FICA’s ideas are shared by many officials within the ICC. For instance, Haroon Lorgat, the ICC CEO, has openly pushed for a world championship model to give meaning and context to every Test match. But the continuation of a bilateral series-based FTP is largely being driven by the powerful Indian board, whose players are not members of FICA (the Indian players’ association is effectively defunct, anyway).India and England have already rejected a Test championship model, which would have seen them dropping their substantial TV revenues in a common pool. Indian officials, for instance, say that they hope to earn more (around US$14-15 million) from each ODI against Australia in the seven-match series starting later this month than what they would get from the ICC pool for the entire 2011 World Cup.The ICC’s post-2012 schedule draft includes a window for the much-shorter Champions League Twenty20, but not the IPL•Associated Press

Yet, there are moves within the ICC to adopt a simpler Test championship model to be held once in four years involving the top-four teams and based on bilateral series within the FTP but with a separate final and relegation match. But this concept has not been discussed at the highest level because the FTP is yet to be fully finalized; apparently, discussions are currently revolving around the schedule (venues, government sanctions and the like) of bilateral series between India and Pakistan, and England and Zimbabwe.FICA, meanwhile, has a clear proposal on holding a Test championship, which includes the concept of collective bundling of rights and graded revenues (boards like the BCCI may get more because of the revenue they pull in). “The preference is for a Test championship over a short time-frame with preference for a one-year, two-division format involving a round-robin plus semi-finals plus final series,” May said. “The divisions will be determined on a rotational basis, such that Test-playing countries would play each other at least once in every four-year cycle.”A strict adherence to the championship format with no other games, FICA believes, will also address the issue of the increasing volume of cricket being played. “The ICC should bundle the collective rights of the above series and distribution of revenues to members would be on a weighted basis,” May said.Against the backdrop of the debate over the future of ODIs, FICA has proposed a one-day championship as well. “One-day cricket desperately needs context – FICA believes an annual ODI Championship is vital,” May said. “Also, a one-day series should precede not follow the corresponding Test series – it will then act as a better build-up or promotion for the Test series.”FICA has also asked the ICC to allott windows for IPL and Champions League T20. “It will be increasingly necessary to ensure that no scheduling conflicts occur with such leagues,” May said. “Otherwise we expect a large number of players will retire prematurely from international cricket.” The ICC’s post-2012 schedule draft includes a window for the much-shorter Champions League Twenty20, which is being organised by India, Australia and South Africa, but not for the nearly two-month-long IPL, which involves about 80 foreign players.

South Africa haven’t won an ICC trophy since the Champions Trophy in 1998 despite being among the top one-day sides over the past decade. Their captain Graeme Smith is desperate to shed the ‘chokers’ tag that hangs around the team and sees next week’s Champions Trophy as a chance for the world’s No. 1 ODI side to answer the doubters.”Every time we lose an important game the word ‘chokers’ is thrown around,” Smith said. “During the last couple of years we have been on an upward curve and the team will improve and grow stronger.”South Africa have won all their ODI series over the past two years barring the campaign in England in 2008. Their run has included impressive home-and-away wins over Australia, who were deposed from the top spot in the rankings.Smith said he was aware being rated the best side in the world added to the pressure on South Africa. “Every sportsman knows that staying at the top is a lot harder than getting there,” he said. “Instead of aiming for Australia, as they have for the past decade and a half, the rest of the world will be looking to take us down.”One of the players pivotal to South Africa’s dominant one-day performances is batsman AB de Villiers, who said the Champions Trophy was a great stage to showcase his team’s capabilities. “It is true we have come short a few times, but there are many players eager to improve,” he said. “We believe we are the best team in the world and now have the ideal opportunity to prove it.”A lack of one-dayers over the past five months is a cause for concern for South Africa but de Villiers wasn’t too bothered about the potential rustiness. “Our preparations have been the hardest since I began training with this squad,” he said. “We run up to four times every day, attend net sessions, sweat in the gym and work on fitness in the pool.”Although we have not played much cricket recently, training games helped, and I believe we are professional enough to gear ourselves mentally for this tournament.”South Africa are grouped with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England in the group phase of the tournament which starts on September 22.

Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina, two of the young Indian batsmen who were troubled by bouncers during India’s underwhelming World Twenty20 campaign in June, have said they are comfortable facing the short ball.India were among the favourites for the tournament held in England, but their highly rated batting line-up came unstuck against a barrage of bouncers, losing all three matches in the Super Eights stage.Rohit flopped when used as a makeshift opener, dismissed attempting the pull in the crucial games against West Indies and England, after a great run in the IPL. “The pull is my favourite shot. You can’t judge us based on a couple of matches,” he said at the sidelines of a promotional event in Bangalore. “In fact, I was doing well in South Africa (in the IPL) against the short ball. I know we didn’t do well in the World T20, but that happens.”Another batsman who came into the tournament with a burgeoning reputation only to fall flat was Raina, who has also said that too much shouldn’t be read into the defeats.”It is unfair to judge based on our performance in a couple of games,” he said. “Both Rohit and I have handled short balls well in the past and we have hit them out of the ground as well. World T20 was a bad experience, but if you have any doubts about my handling of the short ball, you will get the answer soon.”Raina missed the short tour of the Caribbean after the World Twenty20 due to a thumb injury but has recovered and is in the one-day squad for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. Rohit was in the depleted side that played West Indies, but made only 15 runs in three innings and has been dropped. Like Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, he is also recuperating from a shoulder injury, and has targeted an early return to the international stage.”It’s very disappointing to lose your place in the side, but these things happen in cricket,” he said. “There are many senior cricketers who have advised me to come out of that feeling quickly. There is a lot of domestic cricket lined up and I will work hard to come back into the national side. My immediate task is to get fit and there are a lots of things to work upon.”

Northamptonshire will not be allowed to take part in the Champions League even if they qualify from England’s domestic Twenty20 tournament because the side contains three players associated with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL), league chairman Lalit Modi has said.The two county teams making the final of the Twenty20 Cup were to be England’s representatives at the Champions League. Northamptonshire, whose squad has two players – Nicky Boje and Andrew Hall – who have not severed ties with the ICL, take on Sussex in the semi-final of the Twenty20 Cup on August 15, with the final later that day.”Champions League rules are very clear that no team with players connected to any unauthorised cricket can be a part of it,” Modi said. “Northants will be disqualified from the league if they enter the final (of England domestic T20 cricket) and there would be a vacant slot.”However, he ruled out the participation of a fourth Indian franchise as a replacement should the slot open up. “There won’t be a fourth Indian team. There also won’t be another team from Australia or South Africa (if the need arises),” he said. “We have a solution (to fill up the slot).”India has three teams – reigning IPL champions Deccan Chargers, runners-up Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Delhi Daredevils – while joint founding boards Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa have two each in the fray, as does the ECB.Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi will host the inaugural Champions League between October 8 and 23.

Former West Indies international Wavell Hinds has added his voice to those critical of the way the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has handled dealings with its players.”I am very disappointed in the statements I have seen coming from the WICB which certainly do not represent the issues as I know them to be,” Hinds, who is currently playing for Derbyshire, said. “They’ve attempted to paint our players in a particular light while I know that there are a number of fundamental issues that the WICB have failed to address repeatedly that go to the core of any contractual relationship.”I cannot sit idly by and not comment when there seems to be a great deal of misinformation in the public domain. Fortunately the public knows how the WICB has conducted its affairs and should be in a position to judge if and when all the facts are available to them and the public knows who has been most transparent on this issue.””I am seeing the WICB’s position and I am flabbergasted since … I sat for almost 14 hours and arrived at an agreement on Retainer Contracts, Fees for First Class Cricketers and Injury Payments among other things on April 2 in St. Lucia. I am at a loss to understand the WICB’s current stance on its agreements with the West Indies Players’ Association.”While many people have supported the stand taken by the players, there are some who seem to believe that the players should accept this kind of treatment. However, I wish to make it abundantly clear that all persons should be treated with respect and that is what our players want.Hinds said that despite being in England, he had followed events closely and believed there was solidarity among the players. “How much do [the WICB] really care about the players who represent the West Indies team? Do they care about the public, the sponsors and key stakeholders or is there something else that we should know about?”When the first-class players did not take the field earlier this year, many were kicked out of their hotels but I note that the WICB has seen it fit to finance full page ads in many newspapers. Is this a statement on their priorities? They need to answer those questions and a number of others. The WICB needs to be accountable and transparent and to honour their agreements with the players. The players have had enough.Hinds explained his belief that the WICB’s claim the players were in breach of agreements “would do very little to improve the relationship between board and players”. He continued: “This approach by the WICB may be taken as very confrontational. I can say without fear of contradiction that WIPA stands ready and willing to negotiate with the WICB to resolving all of the outstanding issues but will not be bullied in anyway by the WICB.”

Rumeli Dhar, the Indian women’s allrounder, has blamed the team’s batting for their failure in the World Twenty20 in England. India beat Pakistan and Sri Lanka to reach the semi-final where they struggled to 93 for 9 and lost to New Zealand by 52 runs.”Conditions were absolutely wonderful for batting, and given that our bowlers did really well. But our batting performance hurt us,” the quoted Dhar as saying. “I think the 140-odd against New Zealand was quite chaseable and I also take responsibility for that.”It’s astonishing, but all our batsmen struggled. I played at two-down, five-down, but I was taking too much of pressure and nothing changed the course. But every team goes through this phase, even England and Australia.” Medium-pacer Dhar was India’s leading wicket-taker along with legspinner Priyanka Roy with six from four games. Roy’s average of 7.83 was far lower than Dhar’s 11.16 yet Dhar was the only Indian in ICC’s World Twenty20 squad named after the tournament.Dhar was surprised by her inclusion and said also said it was surprising that no Indian men had made it to the corresponding squad. “I saw it on a television channel and it was really surprising. I don’t know how the ICC judges it. There must be something else they would have factored in.”Her team-mate Reema Malhotra said Dhar was probably included because of her consistency, while Roy, who was India’s leading wicket-taker in the 50-over World Cup, had taken five of her six wickets in a match against minnows Pakistan.Though England are now champions in all three formats of the game, Dhar said it wasn’t because they were far better than the rest. “Earlier Australia were at the top and now it’s England … just because they won or have been winning recently. Anything can happen in Twenty20 and Pakistan men’s team returning with the trophy is an example. It’s just a matter of time. Unfortunately we failed every time.”