Sandakan will be key in Champions Trophy: Angelo Mathews

Lakshan Sandakan is going to be our key. He is a bit of a mystery bowler and lot of teams haven't seen him. He can be a big threat during this tournament, Mathews said. © Getty

Sri Lanka will be using Lakshan Sandakan, the chinaman bowler, as the surprise package during their Champions Trophy campaign, Angelo Mathews told Cricbuzz on Thursday (May 18).

The Sri Lankan team left for England Thursday morning to participate in an eight day residential training camp in Kent. After the camp, the Sri Lankans will play two privately arranged warm-up games against Scotland before taking on Australia and New Zealand in two more warm-up games. Their campaign in Champions Trophy gets underway on June 3 against South Africa at The Oval.

Mathews felt the wrist spin of Sandakan could unsettle a few teams as there aren't too many bowlers of his kind in international cricket. The 25-year-old spinner has only played six One-Day Internationals and although he has not done anything remarkable, he played a pivotal role in his debut series as Sri Lanka whitewashed Australia 3-0 in a Test series last year.

Sri Lanka took a gamble by picking Sandakan ahead of veteran all-rounder Dilruwan Perera, but Mathews was confident that Sandakan - nicknamed China - will have an impact in the series.

"Lakshan Sandakan is going to be our key. He is a bit of a mystery bowler and lot of teams haven't seen him. He can be a big threat during this tournament," Mathews said.

Sri Lanka have had a torrid time in recent months and have slipped to number six in ODI rankings. They were whitewashed 0-3 in Tests and 0-5 in ODIs in South Africa before suffering a first ever Test defeat to Bangladesh. With the 2019 World Cup two years away, Mathews felt that the Champions Trophy gave all teams an opportunity to assess their standard.

"It's an opportunity for us to assess where we are. It's a kind of a mini World Cup. Every team is determined and focused coming into this tournament. The object of everyone is to try and win it," Mathews remarked.

Mathews has not played any international cricket since January when he was forced to return home in the middle of the South African tour due to injury. "I am very much excited to get back to things. Even though I was at the IPL, the trainers and physios were in touch with me getting me to do certain amount of work. I joined the team for the residential camp in Kandy last week and I am looking forward to contribute in all three departments," Mathews committed.

Sri Lanka's preparation for the competition has been intense with residential camps in both Sri Lanka and England plus two additional warm-up games to get used to conditions.

"I am very pleased with the arrangements that have been put in place," Matthews said. "The board has allowed us to carry two additional players as well in Dilruwan Perera and Danushka Gunatilleke, just in case something happens. We have four warm-up games to help us to get used to the conditions. That allows us to sort out our combination for the competition."

Mathews also acknowledged he is looking forward to meet his first captain Kumar Sangakkara, who has been in prolific form for Surrey. "Two of our first round games will be at The Oval and I am looking forward to meet Sanga and pick his mind on what to expect. Our coach Graham Ford also has spent lot of time at The Oval as Surrey's coach. They can contribute a lot for the team."

Source : Cricbuzz

Karthik replaces injured Manish Pandey for Champions Trophy

Karthik had last played in India colours in the Asia Cup contest against Afghanistan in 2014. © Getty

Injured Manish Pandey has been replaced by Dinesh Karthik in India's 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, stated a BCCI media release on Thursday (May 18).

Pandey suffered a side strain during the Kolkata Knight Riders' practice session on the eve of their IPL 2017 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Pandey last featured for India in the 2nd T20I against England in January earlier this year, which the hosts won by five runs. His last ODI was during the five-match series at home against New Zealand, which India won 3-2.

The Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik had last played in India colours in the Asia Cup contest against Afghanistan in 2014. Karthik looked in fine touch during Gujarat Lions' campaign and scored 361 runs in 14 games at an average of 36.10 and a strike rate of 139.38, before his team was knocked out after a poor show.

Karthik, who bagged the Man of the Match award in the final of both the Vijay Hazare and Deodhar Trophy with hundreds on both the occasions, has been in stellar form in the Indian domestic season,

The 31-year-old was one of the players on standby along with Suresh Raina, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur. With Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh forming the top five, Karthik might be contesting for the finisher's role with Kedar Jadhav.

Pandey, though, will rue the timing of his injury as he looked promising in the 14 matches he played for KKR. He scored 396 runs at an average of over 49 and a strike rate of 128.57 but now has also been ruled out of the IPL.

India play two warm-up games against New Zealand and Bangladesh on May 28 and May 30, before beginning their title defence on June 4 against Pakistan. They then take on Sri Lanka on June 8 before playing their final group game against South Africa on June 11.

Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Dinesh Karthik.

Source : Cricbuzz

Cook earns automatic spot in next year's North-South one-day series

Alastair Cook amassed over 500 runs at an average of 71.85, orchestrating Essex's entry into the semifinal of the 50-over competition © BCCI

Alastair Cook's prolific run in the Royal London One-Day Cup for Essex has earned him a place in the South team in next year's North vs South one-day series, it was confirmed on Thursday (May 18). James Vince, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Ravi Bopara are the other three players to make it to the South side.

Cook has amassed over 500 runs at an average of 71.85, orchestrating Essex's entry into the semifinal of the 50-over competition, which they will play at home.

Cook, with 108 points, is behind Colin Ingram (150 points) and Shiv Thakor (110) on the Professional Cricketers Association's (PCA) MVP rankings. A total of four spots in each sides is decided on the basis of the MVP rankings while the remaining slots are filled by the English selectors.

The series will also be an opportunity for the players to push their case for selection in the 2019 World Cup squad with the England and Wales Cricket Board confirming that the series will be watched closely by the national selectors and management in their planning for the 2019 World Cup.

However, chances of the tournament's dates clashing with England's Test tour of New Zealand in March render Cook's availability uncertain. Cook has not played an ODI for England since being removed as captain in December 2014.

Keaton Jennings, Sam Hain, Gary Ballance and Thakor will take the four spots in the North team. The slots are filled by English players only and hence Ingram wasn't considered.

Source : Cricbuzz

Hampshire sign Shahid Afridi for T20 Blast

Afridi was part of the 2011 side that reached the final. © Getty

Hampshire have signed Shahid Afridi for the Natwest Twenty20 Blast, the club confirmed on Thursday (May 18). Afridi was part of the 2011 squad that reached the final, and then returned in 2016 but the side failed to taste success and finished eighth in the South Group.

Giles White, Hampshire's director of cricket, was understandably pleased to have the former Pakistan captain in their ranks. "He's been an important part of our success in the short form of the game in previous seasons and we feel his talents fit well with the current squad," he said.

Afridi last appeared in a T20 game for the Peshawar Zalmi in the second edition of the Pakistan Super League but missed the final due to a finger injury. Zalmi went on to win the title but Afridi soon after snapped ties with the franchise and stated that he would be available to play for another team in the third edition.

Afridi scored 177 runs in the ten games he played before the injury, at a strike rate of 173.52, in addition to picking two wickets at an very impressive economy of 6.75.

"He's a great fit for us in T20, a big-hitting all-rounder adds to what we've got," White told BBC Radio Solent. "He's come off the back of a very good Pakistani Super League, certainly with the bat, which bodes well. Obviously with the ball he's shown his quality over the years and hopefully he remains the high-quality all-rounder that we expect.

"He forms a very good partnership with [Liam] Dawson and being an all-rounder gives us the option of playing an extra bowler - maybe a [Mason] Crane as a trio of spinners."

Source : Cricbuzz

Salaries of curators stay static for 10 years

Curators are paid around 50,000 per month and haven't been given a hike in the last ten years. © BCCI

They are the first ones to reach the ground and the last to leave, putting in the longest hours on the field. And yet, the Indian curators and groundsmen, who are responsible for preparing the pitches and the outfield for the domestic and international matches, are paid a pittance. According to sources, the five zonal curators of BCCI are paid around Rs 50,000 per month and have not been given a hike in 10 years.

Even the 10 percent tax deduction from their salaries isn't paid by the board.The second tier of the co-opted five-member pitch committee is paid Rs 35,000 each per month while none of the state bodies pay their curators beyond Rs 50,000 per month. They are also entitled to Rs 3,500 per day as dearness allowance when they travel outside.

While comparing this with other stake holders in the game, TOI found out that 10 years ago Indian cricketers used to make more than Rs 1.5 crore from BCCI while the Ranji Trophy cricketers made around Rs 12 lakh per year. The umpires took home Rs 4 to 5 lakh per annum. Today, their incomes have increased three times but the curators are still waiting for a hike.

When TOI spoke to a top BCCI official, he said the BCCI curators are paid for 'supervising' the zonal pitches and they are also entitled to make extra money through freelancing. "There are also some other employees who work for BCCI and are paid on the basis of their supervision work," the official said while adding that paying the curators across Indian stadia is the responsibility of state associations.

What the official did not mention is that curators' job requires long hours in the game besides off-season renovation, attending workshops, putting covers on the pitch and making arrangements for nets facilities. Sources said the condition of the groundsmen is as bad than that of unskilled labour. It is estimated that over 1,000 groundsmen - along with around 62 curators - who are employed by state units are paid around Rs 8,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. Each venue has around eight to 20 groundsmen who work with the head curators round the clock.

The board may have initiated an award of Rs 10 lakh for the best Ranji Trophy pitch and Rs 25 lakh for the best IPL wicket, but a majority of the state associations haven't given a share of this reward to the concerned curators or groundsmen. So, when the top cricketers today make around Rs 5 crore from BCCI, Ranji Trophy players earn Rs 35 lakh and more from IPL contracts and the match officials make Rs 40 lakh per annum, there is no move to revise the payment structure of curators and groundsmen. It was learnt that former BCCI president Anurag Thakur had floated a proposal to improve the package of the curators and groundsmen.

Umpires too wait for benefit funds

Though there was talk about handing over contracts and one-time benefit funds to curators, none of the proposals have come through. Even the umpires are waiting for their one-time benefit funds. Of the 110 Indian umpires, only the top 15 make around Rs 40 lakh by officiating in IPL matches, earning Rs 2.75 to Rs 3 lakh per IPL game.

Under-17 FIFA World Cup: First batch of tickets sold out in 18 hours

Under-17 FIFA World cup were up for sale recently in Kolkata

A limited number of season tickets of a particular venue went online for sale at 7.11pm on Tuesday and by Wednesday afternoon, all of Kolkata's tickets (17,124 to be precise) got sold off. However, tickets for the likes of New Delhi, Navi Mumbai, Goa, Kochi and Guwahati were still available.

The major gallop behind this would have been the fact that the organisers offered 60% discount in the first phase, with the tickets coming at a price of Rs 480, Rs 960 and Rs 1920. Furthermore, as per the break-up from the Time of India, the tickets sell-out are 10,536 (of Rs 480), 5,580 (Rs 960) and 1,008 (Rs 1,920).

Javier Ceppi, tournament director, was quite happy with the response his team received with this sale, and while talking about the same to TOI, he said:

"We were told that India was not a country where pre-sales would work and this is the empirical evidence to the contrary. To have sold out the inventory we had put in place in Kolkata and have strong sales in other cities speak volumes about how interested the country is about football and the Fifa U-17 World Cup India 2017. This craze is unheard of and we truly feel that we will accomplish the goal of having full stadia for the tournament," he said.

With that being said and done, the ticket holders will now be able to watch all the 10 games to be held at the Salt Lake stadium, including the all-important final.

We had the bowling to defend target across 20 overs: Muralitharan

Sunrisers are part of a minority of T20 sides world wide to have embraced the bat-first ploy. © BCCI

Sunrisers Hyderabad experienced the full-180 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The scene of their crowning glory in 2016 was also the venue for their quiet exit in the eliminator this year. Rain played a big part in the champions' exit. But so did the pitch, which as it turned out, had turned 180 on its own. Asked to bat first by Gautam Gambhir, SRH managed only 128 - 80 runs short of what they'd managed in last year's final. Even that, according to bowling coach Muttiah Muralitharan, could have proved to be a par score, had rain not forced a truncation.

"Overall, Bangalore wicket has been low-scoring. 130, I thought, was par," he said. "Across 20 overs, we had a chance of defending it. The surface was up and down. But this is part and parcel of the game. They won the toss, so they deserved to win."

Sunrisers are part of a minority of T20 sides world wide to have embraced the bat-first ploy. So when SRH meandered to 30 for 1 in the PowerPlay, there were no panic buttons pressed. David Warner and Kane Williamson quietly added a half-century stand before both fell within three balls of each other to leave the score at 75 for 3 in the 13th over. Their conservative approach on a "tough wicket" had kept SRH stable but their dismissal had thrown the gates open for KKR's slow bowlers to hammer home the advantage.

"The wicket is not great to play shots. We would've been bowled out for 70-80 if we tried to play shots. We were thinking of 140 and finished 10 short because they bowled well. We had the bowling to defend it across 20 overs. We've seen how teams have defended 130-135 here. Unfortunate the rain came, we can't complain."

Warner was a little more upfront in his assessment of the wicket. "It was a disappointing wicket. Tough to bat on. It was holding up a bit and we got no momentum," he said. "We have been talking to other players from RCB. But we fell short with the bat. There's not much you can talk about. Six overs game become niggly and the total can be low. We needed to come out with positive intent and we took three wickets upfront. Not enough runs on the board."

Notwithstanding their exit on a rain-marred encounter, both Warner and Muralitharan found enough reasons to classify their season a success. Just by progressing past the playoffs, Sunrisers had done better than what KKR and Mumbai Indians achieved most recently in the seasons immediately following a title triumph, in 2015 and 2016. At an individual level, Warner (641 runs) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (26 wickets) continue to lead the batting and bowling charts respectively. Afghan spinner Rashid Khan (17 wickets) was a revelation while the likes of Vijay Shankar, Siddarth Kaul and Mohammed Siraj came good on their promise.

"We are all disappointed at not getting through, but very happy [with the way] we have performed whole season," Muralitharan said. "I'm very happy, coaches are happy. Some great performances came, unfortunately every time you can't win. We made sure we gave our best and our best was not good enough.

"We didn't expect it to rain today but we had a great season. The batsmen played well, the bowlers who we picked at the auction did well. Eight wins and five losses before this. It doesn't always go your way. We will take it on the chin."