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Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, suffered a heart attack on Thursday evening and has undergone an angiogram at the BM Birla hospital in Kolkata

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Sep-2015Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, suffered a heart attack on Thursday evening, and has undergone an angiogram at the BM Birla hospital in Kolkata, a senior Cricket Association of Bengal official told ESPNcricinfo. He was in a critical care unit, but was reported to be stable.Dalmiya, 75, had not been in good health since beginning his third term as BCCI president in March this year, having taken over from N Srinivasan. A long-serving cricket administrator, Dalmiya has been president of the ICC, has held different offices in the BCCI, and occupied top posts in the CAB in a career that began in 1979.Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who is joint secretary of the CAB, and other board officials had arrived at the hospital to visit Dalmiya, who is expected to remain under observation for a few days.The hospital’s medical bulletin, accessed by the Kolkata-based said: “Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, 75 years, came to BM Birla Heart Research Centre at around 9 pm today, almost 6 hours after the onset of chest pain, with a history of acute extensive anterior myocardial wall infarction… His blood pressure and pulse were stable.”Patient after initial clinical assessment was taken to cath lab for coronary angiography. Multiple lesions were observed with total occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery. Thrombus aspiration was performed but significant residual thrombus load persisted with poor distal run off in capillary bed. It was not advisable to do a primary stenting at this point of time.”The patient is currently under requisite medication protocol and is being closely monitored in coronary critical care unit.”

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2015

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has declared day-night Test cricket “here to stay” after the conclusion of the inaugural floodlit match at Adelaide Oval, a popular success despite its three-day running time

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide29-Nov-2015New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has declared day-night Test cricket “here to stay” after the conclusion of the inaugural floodlit match at Adelaide Oval, a popular success despite its meagre three-day running time.A crowd of 123,736 poured into the ground across those three days, and similarly strong television audiences made it a spectacle to delight broadcasters and administrators alike. But the verdict of the players was always going to be critical to the future of the concept, and in the glowing words of McCullum and his opposite number Steven Smith there was ample evidence that the game’s elite practitioners will be comfortable with doing this kind of thing more often.The only reservation raised by both McCullum and Smith was the amount of grass left on the Adelaide Oval pitch, which they agreed was the major factor in the game’s short time span. But they were equally adamant that players would be able to adapt with greater experience, with the added incentive now of having played a Test match in front of such a celebratory and voluminous gathering.”It’s a great concept,” McCullum said. “As pink ball cricket evolves as I am sure it will grow into a global game and I think we will see the pitches probably won’t have quite as much grass on it. The thing about day-night Test cricket is it is meant to allow Test match cricket to be played at night time, it is not meant to be to change how Test cricket should play.”There was a fraction too much grass on it, I think we saw under lights that the pink ball probably responded a little bit much, but I would say that because I am a batter. Overall it was a roaring success and 120,000 people over three days, people are voting with their feet and I think it’s here to stay, which is great.”In general, spectators would want see results in games. And will want to see captains start to try and force results. Sitting in changing room after hard fought Test win that’s what’s most memorable as a cricketer. Sometimes fighting draws are great and I think we’ll find captains will try and push home some advantage to get Test victories.”Smith was naturally relieved after seeing out a series victory over a fast-finishing New Zealand, and he had little hesitation in describing the contest as a “great” one. “The whole Test match was a great innovation, it was a great spectacle,” he said. “To get 120,000 people through the gates in three days is absolutely amazing. I thought it was a great spectacle and a great Test match.”It was a game that was dominated by the bowlers. New Zealand’s bowlers bowled just as well as ours. But it was one of those games – if you got yourself in you could still score runs, it just wasn’t to be this game for a lot of the batters, we got starts and couldn’t go on with it. I think the contest is there if you’re willing to have a game plan and bat some time you can certainly score runs.”Like McCullum, Smith noted the thick grass coverage presented for the pink ball, but was happy enough to live with that after finishing the match as a narrow winner. “I think the wicket here compared to the two Shield games that have been played on it and particularly the pink ball shield game we played, it looked like the grass was a bit more lively,” he said. “I think it was the same height as the grass in the Shield game but it was probably just a tad greener.”That created a little bit more movement for the bowlers and kept the ball together and swinging for a long period. But I think it was great to see something different, the first two Test matches were dominated by the bat, so it’s great to see something different and see the bowlers coming into their own.”

BCCI’s decision to make the ‘actual’ salaries of retained players in the IPL public – ostensibly as a part of its recent attempts to ensure transparency – has evoked mixed responses from franchises

Arun Venugopal17-Dec-20150:29

‘Will put up salaries on the website’ – Shukla

The BCCI’s decision to make the ‘actual’ salaries of retained players in the IPL public – ostensibly as a part of its recent attempts to ensure transparency – has evoked mixed responses from franchises. After the IPL draft held on Tuesday, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla had said that details of payments made to the players retained will be put up on the BCCI’s website. It is learnt that such information is likely to be available at the end of the first trading window on December 31.If the rule comes into effect, the franchises may have to disclose the actual remuneration paid to the players retained for the first time since the introduction of the retention system in 2010, which allowed teams to sign a certain number of players from their squad ahead of the auction. The earnings of the players on the retention list are not necessarily the same as the fixed price bands they are slotted in. For example, if Royal Challengers Bangalore retain Virat Kohli as their first player, a deduction of Rs 12.5 crore from their auction purse will be made, but they may pay Kohli either the same amount or more or less.The BCCI, by virtue of being a party in this tripartite agreement, is privy to the payment made, but such numbers are not easily available in the public realm, as opposed to the non-negotiable hammer-price for which a player is picked up in the auctions.Kasi Viswanathan, one of the directors of Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd, the company that owns the suspended franchise, Chennai Super Kings, felt franchises were loath to disclose the actual payments because of the fear of leaking business strategy. “This is a business proposition,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Why would they want to let out trade secrets?”Viswanathan, however, said the players retained by Super Kings in 2014 – MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo – were compensated in accordance with the prescribed money brackets. Dhoni was paid Rs 12.5 crore, Raina 9.5 crore, Ashwin 7.5 crore, Jadeja 5.5 crore and Bravo Rs 4 crore. Viswanathan also said the subject of revealing such payments had never come for discussion in the past.Another franchise official felt it would create a wedge between the players, and facilitate an environment conducive for horse-trading. “Why should everyone know what price he has been retained?” he asked. “If other franchises come to know of what a player is being paid, they might try to pick holes in the contract and dissuade the player from signing a contract. You know how these things work.”It will also create a lot of unpleasantness in the team. Some foreigner maybe as good or better than a retained [Indian] player, but he might be miffed if he doesn’t get the same amount or more in the auction.” The franchise official contended that Shane Watson wasn’t picked up in the draft by either Pune or Rajkot because they knew he was paid a “huge sum” by Rajasthan Royals, and they had to match thatHowever, two other people involved with IPL teams – one of them a former franchise official – contested this argument and said franchises wouldn’t fret over salary disclosures. He also said the figures were anyway made public to a large extent when the balance sheets were submitted.”The inequalities of salaries exist anyway and are publicly clear to everyone,” the former official said. “These are only four or five cases that are coming from retention. Otherwise everyone else’s salary is crystal clear to everyone. I see no reason [why franchises would have a problem revealing the figures].”The franchise is declaring it in the books – the auditors have to see it anyway – so it doesn’t really kill them. If it is a publicly listed company they will have to open their books anyway.”The former official said the system of payments wasn’t altogether transparent. “It is not transparent to everybody else; at this point it is not. I think the BCCI couldn’t really care if you pay more or less [to the player]. As far as the BCCI is concerned it’s the purse that matters.
“If you are retaining a guy that’s when the money is actually written down saying that my cost of retaining for the IPL purse is X but my cost of retention otherwise is Y,” he said.There are murmurs of an undisclosed component being paid to players that is kept off the books, but it could not be independently verified.

Dale Steyn has said that the notion he is coming towards the end of his international career due to his recent run of injuries is “absolutely ridiculous”

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jan-2016Dale Steyn has said that the notion he is coming towards the end of his international career due to his recent run of injuries is “absolutely ridiculous” and added he is desperate to help lead the recovery of South Africa’s fortunes.With Steyn being ruled out of the final Test against England in Centurion, due to the shoulder injury he sustained in the opening match of the series in Durban, it means he will have missed six of South Africa’s last eight Tests.Amid the problems swirling around South African cricket – including the doubts over AB de Villiers’ future – the long-term prognosis for Steyn has been questioned but he has no intention of packing it in.”It’s absolute rubbish,” Steyn told . “I played 48 Tests in a row, didn’t miss a single one, and now suddenly I’m an injury liability at the age of 32? It’s ridiculous. Injuries can happen to anybody but I’m still one of the fittest players in the squad and I have many, many overs left in me.””The Test team is going through some huge changes and I want to help lead the way as one of the senior players. This is no time to turn your back and walk away, that’s the last thing on my mind.”Steyn said that he retains ambitions in all three formats of the game but for now his immediate aim is to regain fitness for the World T20, which he concedes may be his last global limited-overs event, and that he will not be rushing back for the ODIs against England if not fully ready.”I’d love to be involved in the ODI series against England but I’m not going to rush back from injury, like I did in India, and make it worse. I’m desperately keen to be fit and play in the T20 World Cup in India in March. It might be my last World Cup so I’d like to help win the bloody thing.”

South Africa Under-19s coach Lawrence Mahatlane has played down fears of a malaise in the country’s cricket system after his team, the defending champions, were booted out of the Under-19 World Cup in the first round

Firdose Moonda and Mohammad Isam01-Feb-2016South Africa Under-19s coach Lawrence Mahatlane has played down fears of a malaise in the country’s cricket system after his team, the defending champions, were booted out of the Under-19 World Cup in the first round. Their performance is the third disappointment for South Africa in the last week, after the senior side lost a Test series to England 2-1 and the A side were beaten by the tourists as well, raising concerns about the health of the game in the country.”We’ve just had two bad batting days but as a country we are still in a strong position with a very good youth system,” Mahatlane told ESPNcricinfo.Batting woes have hit all South Africa’s teams and have plagued the Under-19s side since last year, when they lost successive seven-match series against Bangladesh Under-19s. In 14 innings, South Africa only managed totals over 200 five times and were never able to score more than 250. Before the World Cup, they acquired the services of former India batsman S Sriram to guide the young batsmen and Mahatlane thought that made some difference.”We used a lot of resources in the build-up. Sri was a very big part of it; he spent a week with us in Dubai and a couple of days here. Back home, we had camps and we really worked hard with different individuals to get the thinking right, to get guys to understand the game better,” he said. “I think we have improved. Our ability to play spin has definitely improved where originally against Bangladesh we did struggle against the spinners. For me, the big issue for us on this tour is our thinking and execution rather than our ability.”South Africa lost the tournament opener to Bangladesh after they failed to chase down 241 and then suffered the shock of the competition when they could not defend 136 against neighbours Namibia Under-19s. That defeat stung even more because Namibia are coached by former Titans’ player Pierre de Bruyn.Mahatlane admitted the fall from grace hurt both him and his team. “They are very disappointed. They know they are better than that. They feel that they have let a lot of people down, they have let themselves down more importantly,” he said. “I am very disappointed because I know how good this group of players is.”It is important to note that this is not the same group of players who lifted the trophy in 2014. In fact, Mahatlane’s team does not have one player Ray Jennings’ side had. In essence, after the UAE triumph, everything about South Africa’s Under-19s set-up changed. What Mahatlane would have wanted to see as part of that change was more exposure, which he believes could have stood this side in better stead.”I don’t think we focus as hard as other countries [in Under-19s cricket],” he said. “Look at some of the stats that have come up on the screen, there are guys who have played 50 U-19 youth internationals. Our highest capped guy has played 14 games. Our school cricket is still our strength and base, and we back that system. Hopefully, we can expose these youngsters to more international cricket and more tours because that’s where the learning happens.”Since the end of the 2014 World Cup, Dayyan Galiem has played 16 Youth ODIs, the most for a South African player. In the same period, eight Bangladesh players have played between 21 and 30 Youth ODIs while a couple of Sri Lankan players have also featured in more games than the South Africans. Overall, Quinton de Kock’s 30 Youth ODI appearances are the highest for South Africa, while three Bangladesh players have played more than 50 games.

Jake Lehmann reeled off his third century of the summer as a young South Australia side held their own against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match at Coffs Harbour

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2016
ScorecardJake Lehmann’s 148-ball 122 included 14 fours and a six•Getty Images

Jake Lehmann reeled off his third century of the summer as a young South Australia side held their own against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match at Coffs Harbour.Following Lehmann’s hundred, Joe Mennie was able to dismiss Ed Cowan cheaply before stumps were drawn. Cowan was returning to the team after he missed their draw against Western Australia in Perth due to the after-effects of a blow to the helmet inflicted by a Joel Paris bouncer in Lincoln.The match is being held on the NSW north coast in memory of the late Phillip Hughes, and Lehmann marked it with a swashbuckling left-hander’s century as part of a concerted Redbacks counterattack that followed the loss of three early wickets.SA’s selectors had been the subject of considerable debate in Adelaide after the decision to drop the experienced but underperforming Tom Cooper and Tim Ludeman.Their replacements Jake Weatherald and Alex Carey both made strong contributions. Opener Weatherald made a sprightly 58 while the gloveman added 105 with Lehmann after the visitors had slipped further to 5 for 123.Another youngster, the second-game seamer Cameron Valente, helped add further runs with Lehmann, allowing the Redbacks to reach the fringes of 300.Arjun Nair, the teenaged finger spinner who became the Blues’ 738th first-class cricketer and 11th youngest debutant, claimed a pair of tail-end wickets to help round up SA’s innings.

Two New Zealand radio DJs have been temporarily suspended for broadcasting a telephone conversation with the mother of England allrounder Ben Stokes without her permission

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2016Two New Zealand radio DJs have been temporarily suspended for broadcasting a telephone conversation with the mother of England allrounder Ben Stokes without her permission.Deborah Stokes called in to defend Ben from criticism after Radio Hauraki presenters Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath had been discussing his World T20 performance on air. Stokes bowled the final over for England against West Indies, only for Carlos Brathwaite to hit four successive sixes to steal an extraordinary victory.Ben Stokes was born in New Zealand, moving to England aged 12, and his parents currently live there. Deborah Stokes called in asking to speak to someone off air but was unwittingly broadcast defending her son from what she called a “personal attack”.”I don’t know whether they realise he was born and bred in New Zealand and quite frankly has family all over the country,” she said. “And for those who listen to your station, for them to sit and listen to their cousin, their grandson being bagged like that is absolutely unconscionable and I’m his mother and I’m totally brassed off.”It’s not about the cricket it’s about the personal attack on him. They called him arrogant and then they called him some kind of name. They don’t know him. They wouldn’t have a blooming clue.”A spokesperson for New Zealand Media and Entertainment said that Wells and Heath had crossed the line, adding: “They have been suitably reprimanded, and are off-air tomorrow.”

With the momentum gained from the win against Rising Pune Supergiants, Kings XI Punjab will look at the match against a strong Kolkata Knight Riders outfit a lot differently

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro18-Apr-2016

Match facts

Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big picture

After losses in their first two games, Kings XI Punjab would have feared a repeat of last year when they finished bottom of the table. But a desperate win against Rising Pune Supergiants came just in time for them to look at the rest of the season, and this match against Kolkata Knight Riders, a lot differently.What did Kings XI do differently? Some would point to Mohit Sharma’s last over, in which he conceded only three to keep Supergiants to 152, as key in a format where matches are won or lost by small margins. Glenn Maxwell finally found form with a 14-ball 32 to take his side home. Openers M Vijay and Manan Vohra seem in good touch, but the same cannot be said of David Miller and Shaun Marsh, two of their most influential players. All these cogs need to work in unison against a bowling attack that can test an international batting line-up.Knight Riders, with Sunil Narine back, seem infallible. From the team that thumped Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday, only Suryakumar Yadav hadn’t played international cricket. With six international bowlers, their bowling depth is unmatched in the IPL. Captain Gautam Gambhir has struck two typically diligent fifties.Despite the loss to Mumbai Indians, all the pieces fit perfectly for Knight Riders. However, they will have to guard against complacency and the format’s tendency to throw up upsets.

Form guide

Kings XI Punjab WLL (most recent matches first)Kolkata Knight Riders WLW

In the spotlight

Marsh has scored 535 runs in 16 T20s since 2015 at an average of 38.21. He has played for Kings XI since the start of IPL and those sweetly-timed cover drives leave many followers wondering why he isn’t a regular member of the Australian side. Barring a radical loss of form, Marsh is likely to get an extended run this season and Kings XI need better returns on investment soon.Bowling with a remodelled action, Narine was eased into the tournament in a low-pressure scenario. He was in charge of the 9th, 11th, 13th and 15th overs. He finished with an economy rate of 6.5, which indicates he still commands the respect of the batsmen. Would he still be as effective bowling in Powerplay and in the slog overs?

Team news

Kings XI are unlikely to tinker with a winning combination.Kings XI Punjab (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Manan Vohra, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 David Miller (capt), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 Kyle Abbott, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Pardeep Sahu, 11 Sandeep SharmaWith Mohali unlikely to aid spin as much as Kolkata does, Knight Riders may require the additional seamer. John Hastings may not be that man because he has been ruled out of the IPL with an ankle injury.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Robin Uthappa (wk), 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Colin Munro/Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Suryakumar Yadav, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Umesh Yadav

Pitch and conditions

Mohali provided some batting-friendly surfaces during the World T20. The trend continued for the two IPL games so far, where even carry and bounce aided stroke-making. The highest score at the venue, however, has been Gujarat Lions’ 162, while chasing.

Stats and trivia

• Glenn Maxwell’s 32 not out in the previous game against Supergiants marked the first time he been unbeaten in 35 innings for Kings XI.
• Gautam Gambhir (28) has struck the most IPL fifties, two more than David Warner, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina.

Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, has opened up about her struggles with anxiety that have caused her to take an indefinite break from cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2016Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, has opened up about the struggles with anxiety that have caused her to take an indefinite break from cricket.Taylor, 27, is widely considered one of the most talented women’s players in the game, but has struggled for form in recent months, not least during the World T20 in India in March, when she made 49 runs at 9.80 in five matches.Speaking to the BBC, Taylor conceded that she was undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in a bid to rid herself of a disorder that has dogged her life in recent years, and sometimes resulted in such acute panic attacks that she had to run off the field to be sick.”For the past four years I’ve been suffering with anxiety, and obviously it’s my health and my health is my first priority,” Taylor said. “It was starting to affect my performance in cricket but taking time out is a way of trying to fix me as a person and to prolong my career.”Like anyone, if your performance drops you have the capacity to get dropped [from the team]. I didn’t want to allow it to affect my performance so much that that happens, and if I can fix myself off the field I can prolong my career.”It happened mainly when I was about to bat, that expectation of wanting to score runs. The nerves would hit me, but it would be nerves plus something else, and I was always confused as to what it was. It was a genuine kind of panic, the heart races, you feel faint, there have been times I’ve had to run off into the changing room and be sick through sheer panic.”The initial news of Taylor’s break came just days after Charlotte Edwards stood down from her ten-year role as England women’s captain, following pressure from the head coach, Mark Robinson, for a renewed emphasis on youth and fitness in a squad that has stagnated in recent years.More recently, another of Taylor’s long-term team-mates, Lydia Greenway, announced her retirement from international cricket in the wake of the team’s disappointing showing at the World T20.They exited at the semi-final stage following defeat against Australia, and have not won a major global title since 2009. Heather Knight, Edwards’ vice-captain, was last week confirmed as the team’s new captain.Taylor took a four-month break from cricket in 2010, missing an Ashes tour in the process, but returned to the sport to become the leading wicketkeeper-batsman in the world.She cannot yet put a time-frame on her return, and looks set to miss not only England’s home international summer but the inaugural Kia Super League as well. However, she says she is “99 percent” sure she will be back to resume a career that has made her an icon of the women’s game.”It’s a case of talking through my struggles on my day-to-day basis, and my thought processes. I’ll have little activities to tick off in my personal life, then I can look to the cricket side of things. Unfortunately my cricket has to come second.”I would like to say that I am 99 percent sure that I will play again,” she added. “I want to put an England shirt back on and train with the girls, I miss them terribly. I will do everything in my power to become healthy, but I can’t say that that’s going to happen. But in a positive way, I want to play cricket again and I hope to be back.”