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A Kenyan cricketer has attacked comments made by Kennedy Otieno regarding the current strike by the players.Otieno is one of four individuals who claim to represent the players who have been instrumental in organising a strike which led to the last-minute cancellation of a tour to England last week. The stand-off also threats Kenya’s participation in the forthcoming World Cricket League in the Netherlands.Otieno told the Nation that he had not been considered for selection because of Cricket Kenya rules that he had to play in the top league to be eligible while he was playing at a lower level. He cited that as one of the reasons the players had gone on strike.”Kennedy can only talk about his own gripes and has no real interest in player welfare,” the player, who wished to remain unidentified, told Cricinfo. “The reality is his own disciplinary record was poor. His attitude is a major problem.”A local administrator also claimed Otieno had made the decision to play for a 3rd division side “simply for money” and despite knowing the conditions of the deals offered to contracted players.Otieno cited the example of the selection of Dominic Wesongam who plays outside the top flight, as an example of double standards. “That doesn’t hold water,” the administrator said. “He was a replacement and is a youngster who shows promise.”Further investigation revealed that as Wesongam was not contracted there was no obligation for him to meet the criteria of playing in the top league.”His comments have shown he is pursuing a personal vendetta against those running the game,” the player concluded. “This about Kennedy and the players are being used as a stick for him to beat them.”

Pakistan’s players may wonder about the one that got away when they peer into the Australian dressing room during the series in England next month. Sitting there will be Usman Khawaja, a 23-year-old batsman, who was born in Islamabad.Since Khawaja’s family moved to Sydney when he was three, he has developed into one of the most impressive young batsmen in the country, sworn his allegiance to the quest for a baggy green, and become a qualified pilot. If he plays at Lord’s or Leeds in July he will become Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer by appearing against his country of birth.”When I first got told that I was going over to England that didn’t even cross my mind,” he said in Brisbane. “It [being a Muslim] doesn’t cross my mind until someone brings it up. I am around the boys all the time and I never once feel like I am different.”Khawaja is currently on tour in Queensland with Australia A and he tried to remain cool when told of his selection in the 14-man squad. “I was a bit shocked, I had a feeling I was close,” he said. Khawaja quickly told his excited father Tariq, who has increased his love of the Australian team as his boy became more accomplished.Usman last visited Pakistan four years ago and is unsure where the loyalties of his extended family, including his maternal grandmother, will lie. He hopes they will cheer for him if he gets a game.”I haven’t thought about it like that,” he said. “I am just very happy being in the squad.” In England he will be on standby for the top four batsmen, but will mostly be there to gain experience for what could be a barrier-breaking career.One of those left-handers who seem to see the ball in slow motion, Khawaja is rarely rushed at the crease and is treasured for his composed performances in the four-day format. (He has played only four domestic one-day games.) There has been a feeling around the state scene for the past two years that Khawaja’s rise to Australian colours was inevitable and the elevation has arrived despite him not completing a full Sheffield Shield campaign.New South Wales’ strong line-up of internationals has contributed to him appearing in only 18 first-class fixtures for his state but, despite a mid-season broken thumb, he still managed three centuries and 698 runs at 63.45 in seven games last summer. Two of the hundreds came in back-to-back matches, with 132 against Queensland on a testing pitch at the Gabba and 107 in more comfortable conditions in Newcastle.Like Michael Clarke, Khawaja went to Westfields Sport High School in Sydney and he has a similar build to Australia’s Test vice-captain, weighing in at around 77kg and standing 1.77m tall. He plays for Randwick Petersham, the club Nathan Hauritz captains and Simon Katich turns out for when time allows, and has been in the same state sides as Brad Haddin and Clarke a couple of times.He is as fresh as his young New South Wales team-mates Phillip Hughes and Steven Smith were on their first senior trips. “When I was a kid I dreamed of going on tour but I am not looking too far ahead,” he said. “If I just carry the drinks the whole time, it doesn’t really bother me. It’s just exciting to be around Punter [Ricky Ponting] – I have never met him.”

Shahid Afridi has set his sights on captaining Pakistan to World Cup glory in 2011 having quit Test cricket after leading his team to a 150-run defeat against Australia at Lord’s.Salman Butt replaced Afridi as Test captain and will lead the side in Pakistan’s next Test against Australia at Headingley and their four Tests against England. Afridi will return to captain the side in September for the two Twenty20 and five ODI games against England.Afridi said he wanted to use the series as a springboard for success in the 50-over World Cup in Asia next February and March. “I took a decision which I felt was right and now all my concentration is on the limited-overs series against England, which will be our first step towards winning next year’s World Cup,” he said. “England have been doing very well in both ODIs and T20s, so if we could beat them it would be good for the progress of the team.”I have won the World Twenty20, beaten England and India in Tests at home and have achieved some other milestones as well, but before I leave the game I want to win the World Cup.”Now free of Test commitments, Afridi may join Hampshire if they qualify for the quarter-finals stage of the Friends Provident t20 tournament in England. “I had to abandon the contract with Hampshire because I was here for the Test series, but now they want me to play the last three matches of the Twenty20, provided they qualify.”Afridi was originally named captain in the wake of Pakistan’s winless tour of Australia last year, which resulted in bans, which were subsequently overturned, for a number of high-profile players including former captains Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik.The team was beset with dressing-room fractions then, and there was speculation that the same thing had prompted Afridi’s retirement this time round, but he rubbished the claims.”This team was unified and there were no problems, nothing. I took the decision in the best interest of the team and hope a youngster with a Test temperament takes my position. I also feel that there are other players who are not fit for the longer version of the game and my advice to them is to concentrate on the shorter forms.”

ScorecardOnly 39 overs were possible at Lord’s where Leicestershire did their utmost toedge toward a first-innings lead over Middlesex despite persistent showers.Resuming on their overnight score of 105 for 2, the visitors reached 186 for5 and trailed by only 33 runs when heavier rain forced the sides from thefield at 2.35pm.Former England Under-19 batsman James Taylor scored a dogged, unbeaten 65 from160 balls in a shade under four hours. The 20-year-old battled through seamer-friendly conditions with Pedro Collins, Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones all impressing for the home attack.After overnight rain delayed the start by 30 minutes, Taylor lost histhird-wicket partner Greg Smith in the third over of the day when he tamelychipped a short one from Murtagh into the hands of Scott Newman at mid-wickethaving added only a single to his overnight score of 64.Five overs later former England wicketkeeper Paul Nixon (10) followed a Collinsout-swinger and edged to first slip, where Dawid Malan allowed the ball to slipfrom his grasp, only for it to lodge between his thighs. The fielder finally got the ball under control to claim the catch and, after brief consultation between umpires Peter Willey and Nigel Cowley, Nixon was sent packing.On the stroke of lunch Tom New attempted to cut a wide delivery fromRoland-Jones through backward point only to drag the ball onto off stump andmake it 147 for five at the interval. Taylor reached a 123-ball half-century soon after the break, but only 13 overs into the afternoon session the heavens opened, forcing play to be abandoned for the day at 4.30pm.

ScorecardChilaw Marians CC defended their moderate total of 242 against Nondescripts CC to earn a vital first innings lead and win the Under-23 Youth Division One title for the fifth time after the drawn three-day final at the SSC.Put into bat, Chilaw lost opener Geeth Alwis off the first ball, and his opening partner Lahiru Weragala followed six runs later, both falling to Sri Lanka’s Under-19 World Cup captain Chathura Peiris. Geeth Kumara, top-scoring with 98, steadied the innings with support from captain Umesh Karunaratne and Buddi Samarawickrame. But, from a position of strength at 214 for 4, Chilaw lost their remaining six wickets for 28 runs as Peiris finished with 6 for 50.NCC would have fancied their chances at this stage, but they crumbled to 88 for 5 as Chilaw’s opening bowler Arosh Janoda ran through the top-order. A 75-run stand between Shashrika Pussegolla and captain Laksiri Illeperuma raised NCC’s hopes of a revival. At 163 for 5, the game was evenly poised but Illeperuma was run-out for 35, and Chilaw captured the remaining four wickets cheaply as NCC were dismissed for 175. Janoda took 6 for 46, including the last wicket of Pussegolla who made 57.With over four sessions left, Chilaw did not press for a win and preferred to bat out the game, finishing on a mammoth 527 for 6. The final day was highlighted by the batting of Kumara and Karunaratne who completed hundreds and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 260. Kumara struck 17 fours and two sixes in his career-best 181 off 336 deliveries and Karunaratne hit 16 fours and two sixes in his 139-ball 123.Karunaratne praised the performances of Kumara and Janoda. “It was the dedication and understanding of the players that enabled us clinch the title. Right throughout the season we were never short of talent. Everyone contributed towards our success. When one player failed there was always another to take over. That was the spirit with which we played throughout the tournament,” said Karunaratne.An elated coach Mahesh Weerasinghe put the win down to discipline. “I had no problem with them which was one of the main reasons for our success. The contribution made by assistant coach SK Silva and fielding coach MMA Rohitha should also be commended.”Eight members of the winning team were rewarded by Bank of Ceylon Chairman Dr. Gamini Wickramasinghe and Deputy General Manager Sam Samarasinghe who offered them employment at the bank. The bank sponsors the Chilaw women’s cricket team. Chilaw won the Under-23 title previously in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Mohinder Amarnath, the former India allrounder, has been inducted into the IPL’s governing council. He joins Ravi Shastri, a former India captain, as the second cricketer on the panel and will serve a one-year term.Amarnath’s appointment came after two former captains, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, refused the BCCI’s offer to be part of the league’s governing council.Under the old system, headed by Lalit Modi, the three former cricketers on the council – Gavaskar, Shastri and Pataudi – were paid Rs 1 crore (approximately $220,000) for their services. The BCCI, however, said at its annual general meeting that members would no longer receive a salary. A day later, Gavaskar turned down the BCCI’s offer to be part of the governing council, saying he felt that the IPL was a commercial enterprise and those working for it should be remuneratedDoing away with salaries was only one of the wholesale changes the BCCI made to the league’s governing council. It dissolved the existing body and set up a new one with Chirayu Amin as the chairman. The council also included five other members – Arun Jaitley, Ranjib Biswal, Anurag Thakur, Ajay Shirke and Rajiv Shukla – and two former cricketers, one of whom was Shastri, who agreed to work in an honorary capacity.

Geoff Lawson, the former Australia fast bowler, has called for Ricky Ponting to be removed as captain so he can concentrate on his batting. Australia were beaten 2-0 by India in a Test series where Ponting’s tactics drew criticism from various quarters, including former team-mate Shane Warne. The seven-wicket loss in Bangalore was also Australia’s third in a row, prompting concerns ahead of the Ashes later in the year.”I mean he’s now lost five series, it may be time to say ‘look mate, we’ve got Michael Clarke ready to go with a nice fresh young mind, he can be the captain and you focus on your batting and try to restore yourself to the level we know you’re capable’,” Lawson told .Ponting notched up three half-centuries in four innings on the tour of India, his best returns in a series in the country. But Lawson claimed he could have done better. He referred to Sachin Tendulkar’s experience with captaincy and the prolific run he’s enjoyed since being relieved of his leadership duties.”It’s a great point and Ricky’s still batting reasonably, he got two scores of 70 in this [Bangalore] Test match,” he said. “The difference is that Tendulkar got a double-hundred and then backed it up with a 50-odd not out and obviously he can focus on those big scores.”You’ve got to look at the way Ponting is batting and think mentally he can’t concentrate for long enough.”

David Warner and Ryan Carters managed to belt 48 runs from the last over of the final to give Australia their first Hong Kong Sixes trophy on Sunday. Pakistan were on track to defend their total of 6 for 132 in five overs and needed to limit Australia to 46 from the last eight balls delivered by Imran Nazir.Warner (35 off 11 balls) and Carters (31 off eight) stormed the team to a two-wicket victory. “It was amazing,” Warner said. “We have that Australian passion when things are against us.”It is one of those things – we needed 46 in that last over, but it is cricket and we knew we were always a chance if we backed ourselves. I was given the opportunity to come here and lead the side as well and I am just stoked for the boys, they have done so well.” Glenn Maxwell, who scored 34 off 15 in the decider, was the player of the tournament.

Group A

Pankaj Singh took a career-best 8 for 32 as Tripura crumbled to 95 all out in Kota•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Tripura’s season so far has been nothing short of a nightmare, and the rut continued as they were bowled out for 95 by Rajasthan, their third total of under a hundred in four matches, at the International Cricket Ground in Kota. Rajasthan were already ahead by the end of the day, reaching 99 for 3, with opener Aakash Chopra not out on 47. Only three batsmen reached double figures for the bottom-of-the-table Tripura as Rajasthan seamer Pankaj Singh helped himself to career-best figures of 8 for 32. Panjak’s haul meant he overtook his new-ball partner Deepak Chahar, who took two in the innings, to become the season’s leading wicket-taker. It was carnage from the first over as Tripura opener Rajib Saha was bowled first ball by Pankaj. Chahar got the next two, before Pankaj ran through the batting line-up. Rajasthan are joint top of the Group A table with Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad and will be hoping to open up a lead with a victory.Goa batsman Reagan Pinto scored his second first-class century to help his side build towards a big first-innings total against Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Pinto scored his maiden ton in Goa’s last match against Jharkhand and continued his form, reaching 106 not out, to help the visitors recover from 50 for 2 to reach 334 for 5 by the end of the first day. Goa captain Ajay Ratra, the leading run-getter in the Plate League this season, got 51 in the match between the third and fourth-placed sides in Group A.Madhya Pradesh‘s fast bowlers made short work of Jharkhand, and their batsmen ensured they had taken the lead by stumps on the first day in Indore. TP Sudhindra ran through the Jharkhand top order after they had chosen to bat, reducing them to 40 for 3. Ishank Jaggi and Keshav Kumar tried to stem the fall of wickets with a 47-run stand, but seamer Amit Sharma had Jaggi caught behind for 29 – which was to be the top score for Jharkhand – and also trapped wicketkeeper Shiv Gautam leg before. Medium-pacer Anand Rajan then cleaned up the lower order, finishing with 4 for 31, as Jharkhand were blown away for 131. Naman Ojha, the Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper, led MP’s response with a quick 44 as the hosts raced to an opening stand of 72 by the 13th over. Seamer Varun Aaron dismissed the openers, and Monish Mishra fell just before stumps, but captain Devendra Bundela was unbeaten on 34 as MP finished the day on 135 for 3.

Group B

Jammu & Kashmir’s batting continued to struggle as they folded for 253 against Andhra at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground in Jammu. J & K have failed to pass the 300-run mark since their first game of the season and it has been the main reason for their bottom-of-the-table position. Wicketkeeper Arshad Bhatt made 66 at No.3 and got the hosts to 128 for 2 before he became the second J & K batsman to be run out. From then on, wickets fell at regular intervals, with only allrounder Hardeep Singh able to stand up to Andhra’s bowling with his unbeaten 60. Andhra seamer Syed Sahabuddin and part-time offspinner Venugopal Rao took three wickets each as the visitors look for their first win of the season after drawing their first three games.Vidarbha and Services finished the first day more or less on par at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, as the visitors reached 206 for 5 at stumps. Opener Pratik Desai and Soumyaranjan Swain got half-centuries for Services, but they were never able to build significant partnerships with the fifth-wicket stand of 56 between Swain and Soomik Chatarjee being the highest. Offspinner Akshay Wakhare got two wickets for Vidarbha as the side, who are second-last in the Group B table, look for their first win of the season. Services are in third position with eight points.Only 62 overs were bowled at the Nehru Stadium in Kochi and Maharashtra reached 150 for 3 against Kerala after being put in to bat. It was steady progress for the visitors as all of their top three got starts. Opener Nikhil Paradkar missed out on a half-century, out for 45 to left-arm spinner Sreekumar Nair. Sangram Atitkar was batting on 38 at the end of the first day’s play and Maharashtra have a solid base from where they can reach a strong total. Four points separate Maharashtra and Kerala at the top of the table, but the hosts are yet to win this season, having got three points for first-innings lead from each of their prior games.

Conditions in South Africa are being dubbed the deciding factor in the three-Test series between South Africa and India. While that mostly refers to the pitches and the fact that South Africa are preparing bouncy wickets for the first Test in Centurion, it also includes the weather.Overcast and rainy conditions have had many locals wondering who the Grinch who stole the Gauteng summer is, and why he has replaced it with a Cape Town winter. It has rained every day for the past week, some of the time in typical Highveld thunderstorm fashion, and at other times in drizzly, damp, depressing London-style.For those who have not had the pleasure of experiencing the former, it goes something like this: mornings are stunning with azure skies and candyfloss clouds. Those clouds don’t remain cuddly balls of fluff for too long though. They quickly turn in to angry, dark monsters that start off grumbling in low tones before their voice-boxes explode and the booming thunder bounces off the city’s walls. Spears of lightening split the sky and drops the size of puddles hammer the streets. Sometimes, they are accompanied by chunks of hail. The wind usually picks up and then sheets of rain and hail are swept in one direction. If you end up caught in it, it feels like the end of the world.Usually, the bad dream is over around 90 minutes later and the pretty blue sky returns, the sun peeps out and everything smells fresh. By sunset, there’s not a trace of a storm, just splashes of purple and pink painting the sky before nightfall. If there’s cricket on, they’d be guaranteed a rain interruption, but also assured to get some play in once the storm passes.Some of the storms in the past seven days have been exactly like this, others seem to have had their clocks wound the wrong way. Instead of the clear blue, people have woken up to a dreary grey. Rain drops have come down in an irritating drizzle before the storm has built up the courage to arrive. The afternoons have cleared and sunshine has seen us to the close of the day.Wednesday was neither of the two. The wet weather made itself comfortable, settling in for the day. It was too afraid to pour its heart out all at once, and dribs and drabs of misty wetness engulfed both Johannesburg and Pretoria. Weather forecasts had warnings out for flash flooding. If only the rain was just a flash.Thursday’s forecast is more of the same, but it is expected to clear by the evening. Friday and the weekend are predicted to be clear, sunny and beautiful, with the rain returning on Sunday evening, but making way for summer on Monday. In cricketing terms it means that the pitch will favour the bowling side first since all the moisture will made it a juicier surface than it was intended to be.Whoever wins the toss is likely to bowl first if play is possible early on day one. If most of the day is lost to rain, then it may be safer to bat first, and make optimum use of the conditions on the second and third days. The chief groundsman at Centurion, Hilbert Smit, explained earlier in the week that if temperatures nudge above 30 degrees Celsius, the wicket will flatten, making it good for batting.It’s likely that the fourth and fifth day could be interrupted by showers as well, but they might take the form of the typical thunderstorm and not the persistent wet that has dominated the past two days.The first day of the Test may not live up to expectations, because there is a real chance it will be washed away. It seems certain that the match will get underway though. Fans may just have to wait a little longer than they initially thought.