Indian Cricket Fans - Cricket Talk

Marlon Samuel's ban

My two cents — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 20:53:02 GMT

Samuels given two-year suspension

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cric...es/7397378.stm

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels has been banned for two years after being found guilty of breaking rules designed to stop players betting on matches.

The International Cricket Council enforced a mandatory ban on the 27-year-old backdated from 9 May.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said Samuels had "received money, benefit or other reward which could bring him or the game into disrepute".

Samuels denied giving out any information to a bookmaker.

But the ICC's acting chief executive David Richardson said: "We hope the case serves as a reminder to players and officials to remain vigilant.

The committee had said they would prefer for Samuels not to face a ban, recommending a suspended sentence on account of Samuels' good behaviour.

But the ICC decided to enforce the suspension with Richardson adding, "corruption is a serious matter".

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As you can see, Samuels was banned for far less charges and with far less evidence than the accused Pak trio. Anyone still think they will go scot free?

What if India and Pakistan were one team?

prince — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:31:26 GMT

A country in doldrums. A country where the masses live more in hope and fear of the almighty than bread. Floods, bomb blasts, corruption and what not?

But all is not lost. A messiah rises from the ashes. Pakistan's cricket captain Salman Butt leads his team to victory against England in a Test match and wastes no time in dedicating the win to the millions caught by the wrath of nature in his motherland.

Everyone would like to believe that the worst is over and that things can only get better.

What follows is 'Nightmare On Elm Street'. A shocking tale of deceit and betrayal slowly unfurls. The grief-stricken public has been taken for a ride. They have been hoodwinked.

The match-fixing scandal involving their cricketers who are their heroes, their soldiers, have let an entire nation down. The people no longer know whether what they see is real. They don't know what or whom to believe.

The story is not all that different for their neighbours from across the border. They are no strangers to corruption or violence or natural disasters for that matter.

The two countries which was one under the colonists have been involved in three full-fledged wars and share a peculiar love-hate relationship which stretches over sixty years.

Enter two wannabes by the name of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi from either side of the LoC.

Amongst all the chaos and confusion involving India and Pakistan in sports and politics, the Indo-Pak tennis pair of Bopanna and Qureshi pull off a stunner by reaching the finals of the men's doubles event at the US Open.

"I have one question for everyone. If Bopanna and Qureshi can play together, why cannot India and Pakistan?" a quote by India's sports minister MS Gill which raises even more questions simply because there is probably no logical explanation to the fate of the two countries since partition in 1947.

So, the fairytale in progress of Bopanna and Qureshi at this strange hour brings up the question, what might have been in the world of sports had there been no 'partition'?

India are yet to find a genuine quick bowler in their cricketing history. Having said that India boast of some world class batsmen in Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman...

On the other hand while Pakistan have a barrage of fast bowlers, their batting line up tends to be suspect in bowler-friendly conditions.

Goosebumps will be the order of the day if one contemplates a team which has Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar in its line up.

Well, under the current 'fixing' atmosphere the reliability quotient over Asif and co. will be under a heavy cloud.

What about the years gone by, when leading all rounders Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and top batsmen Sunil Gavaskar and Javed Miandad could all have played under one flag.

Why just cricket?

With eleven hockey golds at the Summer Olympics and five World Cup titles between these two arch rivals, field hockey might have been redefined had the two countries been one.

Just think of 'player of the tournament' in the 1990 and 94 World Cups, Shahbaz Ahmed from Pakistan and India's Dhanraj Pillay playing together for one team.

What about Hassan Sardar (Pakistan) and Mohammed Shahid (India) who ruled the roost during the early eighties?

The two Khans from Pakistan, Jahangir and Jansher who won an astounding fourteen World Opens between them might have felt that they owned the game of squash at their peak.

Both could have been from the same land as World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand and Billiards legend Geet Sethi.

It would be a gross understatement to say that there is no dearth of sporting talent in either country. Alas, one can only marvel at the endless possibilities which are not a reality.

But let bygones be bygones and for the time being and let's just pray for the success of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam Qureshi from both sides of the border.

Sehwag Live

DHON_ZONE — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:58:35 GMT

http://www.facebook.com/virendersehwagofficial

When Sunil Gavaskar was pelted with fruits, refused to play at Eden Gardens

sree_india — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:54:01 GMT

Quote:

With India having failed to win for 29 successive Tests, Kapil was sacked as captain and Gavaskar resumed leadership at the start of the 1984�85 season. The two Test tour of Pakistan resulted in two further draws, with Gavaskar compiling 120 runs at 40. The First Test against England in Bombay saw India break through for its first Test victory in 32 matches. It proved to be a false dawn, with England squaring the series 1�1 in Delhi before another controversial Third Test at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. The hostile crowd watched as India batted for over two days to reach 7/437 after 203 overs. Angry with the slow pace of India�s innings, the crowd chanted �Gavaskar down! Gavaskar out!� blaming him for India� performance. The local police chief reportedly asked Gavaskar to declare to placate the angry crowd. When Gavaskar led his team onto the field, he was pelted with fruit. Gavaskar vowed never to play at Eden Gardens again, and duly withdrew from the team for India�s next fixture at the Bengali capital two years later, ending his record of 106 consecutive Tests

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Gavaskar

He was also booed on his home ground in the semi final of the '87 WC when he made four

Anyone who saw the match elaborate on these two incidents ?

Tests: Does Raina have it in him to be successful in SA?

rett — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:55:09 GMT

It is good to see Raina start out with a bang in tests. A century on debut followed by a match winning stand is a supeb start. He also seems to play in Viv Richard's style, i.e. starts off with a bang and then if he survives (or gets a chance) then settles down to play a superb game. The first few overs that he plays is crucial for both Ind and the opposition as it could mean either Raina playing a good knock or getting out early.

So far so good, but how will our man stand up in seamers friendly conditions or against good pace attacks. Looking at how he struggles against the short balls, will his position in tests be in jeopardy in SA? Or has the man learned his lessons and confident enough to take what's thrown at him.

The couple of tests against Australia should be a good test for him, if he gets to be in the team. If he seems to struggle then for his own sake (to make him go back to nets), it might not be a bad idea to get in either Pujara or Kohli against NZ to see if they have it in them to play the short pitched stuff well.

This is a question to the fans, do you guys think he will be able to take on SA bowlers in SA successfully based on his current technique?

I hope Raina reads this :grin:

I care about playing quality cricket: Tendulkar

Feed — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 12:30:05 GMT

He has been playing cricket for over 20 years now, but Sachin Tendulkar says he remains as passionate about the game as he was in his initial days in the sport.

More...

I care about playing quality cricket: Tendulkar

September 09, 2010

He has been playing cricket for over 20 years now, but Sachin Tendulkar says he remains as passionate about the game as he was in his initial days in the sport.

"The passion doesn't disappear. You know it is as strong, and above all I respect cricket. It doesn't matter where I play. I will always play to the best of my ability, because I care about playing cricket ...good, quality cricket.

"I always wanted to go out and compete hard," the Mumbai Indians skipper told ESPN-Star ahead of the Champions League Twenty20 match against Highveld Lions in Johannesburg.

"Playing for Mumbai has always meant something special for me and playing for India also has been extremely special. It was a dream and I am living that dream...and when Mumbai and India are combined together it becomes Mumbai Indians," he added.

Talking about the disappointment of losing the IPL final to Chennai Super Kings after being almost unbeatable in the league stages, Tendulkar said, "You know, I was determined like every other time I was determined. My preparations were exactly the same.

"Sometimes you score runs sometimes you don't but I can assure you the efforts put in was always the same," he added.

The intricacies of setting a field.

roshanrocks — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:56:11 GMT

Quote:

The ball is turning square on a dry and crumbling Galle pitch. Muttiah Muralitharan licks his fingers, for he has already spun a web around the batsman. The batsman's legs are like lead, his mind frozen like ice. There's a slip, a short leg and a backward short leg to cash in on any mistakes. But why isn't there a silly point? A tentative prod off the front foot might just land straight into his lap.

There are many such field placements that make you wonder if something is amiss. Only later do you realise that the positions are all part of a bigger plan.

Here the close-in fielder on the off side is missing because Murali wants the batsman to go right across and play a defensive shot on the off side. This is to entice him and give him the confidence that he can use the bat and not get out. Little does the batsman realise that trying to play the viciously turning ball against the spin is to flirt with danger, and it's just a matter of time before the inside edge flies towards close-in fielders on the leg side. Also, by not having a close-in fielder on the off, the bowler might encourage him to flirt with the doosra.

So it's not only the fielders that matter, but also the spaces left vacant on purpose. It explains the fielding side's mindset and separates an ordinary captain from a brilliant one. Let's look over the play for field positions that almost always have a sub-text and hence make the game even more interesting.

For fast bowlers

On the first day of the Test match, on a track with some juice in it, you would ideally start with a few slips and a gully. The distance from the bat and in between the slips fielders is decided by the bounce in the track. The lower the bounce, the closer the fielders to the bat and to each other. For instance, we stood almost 25-30 yards from the bat in Australia and at not more than 15 at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi to the same bowler - Ashish Nehra.

The pace also dictates whether or not to leave the first slip vacant. On slow surfaces in the subcontinent, you could do without one, but on tracks like Perth you definitely need the area manned.

On seaming conditions a short leg comes into the picture straight away. His presence is not only to remind the batsman about the upcoming bouncer, but also to make him tentative while coming forward, for there's always a chance of an inside edge when the ball moves sideways upon pitching.

For an outswing bowler like Ben Hilfenhaus, the mid-off region is left vacant to entice a straight drive. Since the lines are always going to be slightly outside off stump - to bring the slip cordon into play and get the maximum movement - the batsman will have to play against the away swing to drag it down the ground; unless of course it's an over-pitched delivery within the stumps, which should be a rarity.

For an inswing bowler, the covers are mostly left unoccupied for a similar effect, to make the batsman play against the swing. The mid-on fielder would be a lot straighter for an outswinger and a little wider for the inswing. The idea is to force a shot against the swing.

Similarly on tracks with bounce and pace, like in Perth, the point fielder will be a lot finer. His role is not only to protect the area where more balls are likely to be hit, but also to reduce the amount of time the batsman has to react if he wants to score off that region. In effect, to score, the batsman will need to hit a lot squarer and hit slightly early.

On slow tracks, the fielders at point and square leg are a lot straighter. Since there isn't much pace to work with, it's quite a task to play finer.

The dynamics change if the pitch is flat and lifeless. Mid-on, mid-off along with extra cover and midwicket stand straighter to cut off the deliveries played with a straight bat. Since the bowler is trying to pitch the ball within the stumps, one of the slips makes way for added protection in the front. The square, though, is left vacant to lure the batsman into playing across the line.

Then there are people like Matthew Hayden who rarely play the square-cut. I have seen teams leave that position empty as bait. Similarly for people who prefer to drive straight down the ground or fetch the ball from outside the off stump, like VVS Laxman does, we have often seen fielders placed almost next to the non-striker.

We may not have seen batsmen getting out solely because of these innovative field positions, but men in these positions have caused many dismissals when batsmen try to do something off the cuff or take on the challenge to get past these fielders.

A silly mid-off fielder is also an important position for a quick quick bowler to play mind games, on tracks where he would want to push the batsman on the back foot. It is unsettling for a batsman to have a fielder like that in his eye line.

For spinners

Field placements for spinners make for an exciting study and spectacle because spinners need to plan more elaborately since a majority of their dismissals are through catches. Turning tracks bring about a lot of attacking field positions, while a flat track will have a mix of both attacking and defensive options. An offspinner would happily leave the covers empty even when bowling outside the off stump. His idea is to entice the batsman to drive or cut against the spin, and back himself to not bowl a half-volley or a half-tracker. But you'll rarely see him remove the slip even if he doesn't bowl a doosra. He'll retain it to keep the batsman guessing, and to discourage him from playing too late.

In ODIs, Murali would usually have a fielder manning the region between deep midwicket and long-on � AFP

Enlarge

Obviously the line of attack changes with the strategy in an ODI, where the priority is to save runs. The bowler pitches more towards middle and leg, so his field placements also change. A big turner like Murali would keep a short fine leg, a square leg, and a mid-on in the circle, unlike someone like Suraj Randiv who doesn't turn it much and hence prefers the long-on. All leg-side shots to Murali will go a lot squarer than intended so the region between deep midwicket and long-on needs to be manned. Unless you reach the pitch of the ball, all lofted shots will swirl towards that region. Also, in limited-overs, the field is mostly set with four on the off and five on the on-side.

A legspinner or a left-arm spinner will choose his close-in fielders depending on the amount of turn he is extracting off the surface. The silly point is placed a lot straighter if there isn't much turn and is moved closer to the popping crease if the ball is spinning. A gully may also come into play if there's turn and some bounce. While a legspinner will prefer a short leg if he bowls googlies, the left-arm spinner will usually ask for the position only if there isn't much turn. And both will leave midwicket vacant if there's vicious turn.

When these bowlers go round the wicket and bowl in the rough, the field positions change dramatically. In setting the off-side field, they will play around the batsman's strengths. If the batsman likes to reverse-sweep, they will have a point fielder, and if he prefers to step down the track to play inside-out shots, they'll have the covers manned.

In Tests, the men who take the ball away from the batsman prefer a six-three off-side field. Surprisingly the same bowlers choose a four-five field in shorter formats because they are required to bowl within the stumps. Daniel Vettori will have a typical offspinner's field while bowling to a right-hand batsman.

Setting in-and-out fields with close-in fielders in catching positions and others in the deep is another tried and tested strategy. The decision to keep the mid-on or mid-off fielder inside the circle will depend on which way the ball is spinning. The basic idea is to make the batsman go against the spin.

The play of fielders around the park is an intrinsic part of the act of setting up a dismissal. A batsman could use it as a clue to decipher the bigger plan, but he must tread with caution, for firstly it could be a trap to make him try different things and secondly if he gets too absorbed in the setting of the field, chances are, he'll play into their hands.

a very informative write - up by Akash Chopra at cricinfo :hatsoff:

Greatest Rivalry/Confrontation in Cricket.

ravishingravi — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:48:33 GMT

For me, it has to be Ambrose-Waugh. My earliest memories of game. A series where gauntlet was officially taken over by Aus.

This is another one where the bowler is going hell for leather after a quality test batsman

How I wish the cricket of "real" men comes back to spare us from the pyjama cricket.

Who is the most scuccessful captain

sampatakar — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:47:00 GMT

Hi guys,

I was just wondering .. who do u think is the the most successful captain of Indian cricket so far...

would u wanna differentiate between test cricket and one dayers when deciding so ?

Would be good to know your opinioin.

Cheers
Sam

Pietersen joins KwaZulu-Natal

vamos_rafa — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:21:21 GMT

Quote:

Kevin Pietersen, the England batsman, will go back to his roots next month after agreeing to a short-term stint with KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa as he continues his battle to regain form ahead of the Ashes.

Pietersen will play for the side between October 7 and 17 which means he'll be able to play two four-day matches - against North West and Eastern Province - if he gets clearance from the ECB. The last hurdle to cross would be for the deal to be approved by Cricket South Africa. ESPNcricinfo understands that the final say comes down to Gerald Majola, the CSA chief executive.

"I'm extremely keen to get as much cricket as possible under my belt before a challenging and exciting winter," Pietersen said. "My sole focus is to continue playing a leading role for England and joining Natal is the perfect opportunity to prepare in excellent conditions immediately before the Ashes. These two matches would enable me to work on my game against the Kookaburra ball in southern-hemisphere conditions, which is the ideal preparation for Australia."

Pietersen was dropped from England's Twenty20 and one-day squads ahead of the series against Pakistan after a lean summer in which he only passed fifty once and joined Surrey on a short-term loan. His axing led to him accidentally posting an angry comment on Twitter and, though Pietersen quickly apologised, he was fined by the ECB for his outburst.

The move to KwaZulu-Natal suggests that Pietersen feels his deal with Surrey may not be enough for him to recapture his best form before England fly to Australia. His Surrey spell has brought mixed results so far, with an 116 in the CB40 against Sussex - his first hundred in any cricket since March 2009 - followed by a second-ball duck against Glamorgan in the Championship.

"We're very pleased Kevin is seeking to get some more high quality cricket at a crucial period before the Ashes," Andy Flower, the England coach, said. "We are well aware of Kevin's attention to detail and thoroughness when it comes to preparation, and he would gain a great deal from working on his batting against tough opposition in South Africa.

"Kevin's commitment, his desire to work on his batting and to play a significant part in a successful England team is unquestioned and this proposed arrangement with Natal, initiated by Kevin himself, further underlines that."

Pietersen won't be paid for the stint, which takes him back to where his cricket career began before he opted for a future in England. During England's tour of South Africa in 1999-00, Pietersen was in the KwaZulu-Natal side which took on Nasser Hussain's team. He scored 61 batting at No. 9 and took 4 for 141 in 55 overs with his offspin. During that game, Pietersen made his first serious push for a county contract that eventually brought him to Nottinghamshire.

Meanwhile, ESPNcricinfo understands that Owais Shah, the Middlesex batsman, has agreed to an overseas spell with the Cape Cobras. Shah, who last played for England during the 2009 Champions Trophy in South Africa, was recently released by Middlesex and is looking for a new county ahead of the 2011 season.

I don't understand this whole purpose of raising a hue and cry about the things that you want to do. If you want to hit good form just go there and play. Why do you need to make noises and say that I want to do this and do that.

Twenty reasons to love T20� or to hate it

vamos_rafa — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:04:19 GMT

Quote:

1. It is so breathless that you don't need to bother to employ the relatively recently evolved areas of the pre-frontal cortex in your brain. The rather more primitive sections of gray matter will automatically take charge.

2. You don't have to lie to your boss about your wife's �ill-health� to take the afternoon off to catch the match on television. Twenty20 will almost always begin after the end of office hours for most fans in this part of the world.

3. You don't have to wait patiently for 40 overs for the slam-bang-wallop stuff to begin. Twenty20 has fast-forwarded the climax � although, only because that is all there is to it, investing climactic thrills with a banality which, in hindsight, doesn't appear wholly undeserving.

4. You are unlikely to drink yourself to a comatose state watching it in a pub because the match lasts all of three hours. But then, you never know!

5. You will get to watch that silliest of silly acts � a spectator catching the ball in the stands and jumping up and down like a World Cup winner � much more often. For, in Twenty20, it rains sixes, with or without Kieron Pollard.

6. Many more kids will get to own players' shirts as prized possessions � not to speak of the delight the female of the species might experience watching that gift being accepted!

7. You don't have to watch Sreesanth bowl 10 overs and take you through an over-enthusiastic circus clown's gamut of emotions.

8. You don't have to hear all the nonsense about footwork and �playing in the �V'� from staid old men with post-doctoral degrees in the art and science of cricket. For, cricket has shed its sorry skin to become a pure, unadulterated ballgame. Who gives a damn about finesse and elegance and other such �virtues' of the age of the dinosaurs!

9. In the unlikely event of the game turning out to be a yawning bore, you can always turn your attention to the mind-numbing, soul-shattering �music� and the scantily clad cheerleaders gyrating like drunken bonobos.

10. Tens of thousands of man-hours being lost by Corporate India to One-Day Internationals can be saved by this slick three-hour package.

11. All the talk about �bowling at the death�, whatever that meant, has vanished. Mercifully so. For, this is do-or-die from start to finish.

12. Gleeful advertisers aren't complaining either. They are getting better value for money as fans are unlikely to take their eyes off the TV screen between overs because of the risk of missing a sensational hit off the first ball of a new over.

13. Cricket in its most compressed format might turn out to be a better option than spending three hours or more in a cinema hall watching men and women turn the mate choice game into something Darwin � or even Masters and Johnson � never dreamt of.

14. We have finally got to understand the real role of serendipity in our universe. For Dame Fortune has become the all-powerful Third Umpire. After all, Blaise Pascal was not really stretching a point when he said, �Had Cleopatra's nose been shorter, the whole history of the world would have been different.� Had Misbah-ul-Haq's shot off the third ball of the last over in the first ever World T20 final at Johannesburg travelled a few inches farther, Pakistan cricket might not have been in the mess in which it finds itself today.

15. At last, cricket might even have the chance to invade the Promised Land � the United States of America. Twenty20 can hope to compete with baseball, and Dhoni, nearing retirement age, might even fancy a multi-million dollar package of the sort that lured David Beckham to Los Angeles.

16. Cricket might be a religion here but it is T20 that is truly our sport, no matter where it is played. Just take a look at the hoardings around the ground and listen to the India-centric banter in the commentary box for confirmation.

17. Brave New India, Middle Class Urban India, �Rising' India, an India ready to let its hair down and cast off its cultural inhibitions, has been offered a mirror that throws up an image we can be �proud' of. Some might see it as tawdrily attractive cultural kitsch sliced off from the cancerous underbelly of a great sport. But what the hell, T20 is Our Game. Let the party begin.

18. If, like a relapsing alcoholic, we develop a tendency to reassure ourselves that all this is not happening, that �this is not us�, then it is a sure sign that we are in denial � not a bad place to be, for everybody gets there at some point of time.

19. You never need to worry about a match being fixed. For you are never going to know how it happened, no matter how resourceful the News of the World sleuths might be. For, every shot appears near-suicidal.

20. Finally, this is, at last, the right fix for us. For, products of popular culture are never created in a vacuum. A society must show a level of readiness to lap them up indiscriminately before even the most ingenious marketing wizard can dare dream up these things.

Published in The Hindu...

Shoes hurled at PCB chief!

dandaroy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:17:29 GMT

KARACHI: How much the popularity of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ejaz Butt has declined can be judged from the fact that cricket fans chanted slogans of ‘shame’, ‘shame’ when he reached Lahore from England. Besides the PCB chief, vociferous slogans were also chanted against the Pakistani cricketers. A youth also hurled a shoe at Ejaz Butt, which, however, did not hit him. The airport building echoed with anti-Ejaz Butt slogans and a large police contingent escorted him to his vehicle. On the occasion, Ejaz Butt was extremely nervous and uneasiness on his face and forehead was visible. The attitude of Ejaz Butt, who otherwise aggressively talked to journalists, was changed. PCB General Manager Media Nadeem Sarwar had kept the arrival of Ejaz Butt a secret. However, besides journalists, a large number of cricket fans reached the airport. Nadeem Sarwar was trying to escort Ejaz Butt out of the building but the PCB chief even found it difficult to speak amid the noise. Police, however, surrounded Ejaz Butt and escorted him to his vehicle. Like renowned politicians of the world, Ejaz Butt has joined the ‘Shoe Club’. Interestingly, Ejaz Butt is also involved in the shoes business and the shoe hurled at him was also cobbled in his factory.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/09-09-2010/Top-Story/480.htm

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: Man oh man, these Pakis do not fail to make us laugh!!

Mohammad Asif considers asylum in Britain

Karan114 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:14:27 GMT

Mohammad Asif considers asylum in Britain

Mohammad Asif, one of the cricketers at the centre of the fixing scandal, is considering making a claim for political asylum in Britain to avoid returning to a potentially violent backlash in Pakistan.

By Rob Crilly in Islamabad and Richard Edwards in London
Published: 10:00PM BST 08 Sep 2010

The Pakistan bowler held a 35-minute meeting with an immigration lawyer last Friday, The Daily Telegraph has learnt, and said he feared the allegations of fixing certain events in a recent Test match against England could make him the target of dangerous criminal gangs linked to the illegal betting underworld.

The cricketer is said to have asked the lawyer what would be a way to stay in Britain. He went on to discuss the asylum process with the solicitor, from London firm Malik and Malik.

The news will cause consternation among cricket authorities, who are engulfed in one of the worst crises the sport has faced. It will also be met with anger in Pakistan, where the players have been pilloried by the public and media.

Asif suggested he would await the results of investigations by Scotland Yard and the International Cricket Council, to which he expressed his innocence, before taking the asylum claim further. The criminal charges carry a potential jail term and the ICC could ban him for life from the sport.

Immigration experts said Asif could present a viable case if he were able to prove his life was in danger and that the Pakistan authorities were unable or unwilling to protect him.

The 27-year-old fast bowler asked an intermediary to arrange a meeting with the lawyer in London last week, and the meeting apparently took place in a Pakistani restaurant in Southall, west London, on Friday. �He didn�t say anything about asylum at first,� said the lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. �He just said, 'what�s the way to stay?� Then we told him there�s the student way � you can come here to study � or you can apply for a work permit. But then he asked about asylum.�

Asif was said to have looked �very anxious� and was accompanied by an unidentified older man. �I think he�s just worried about the backlash at home � that�s what he told me,� the solicitor said. �There�s been a lot of talk and there are undercover betting mafias with a lot of power � that seemed to be what he was worried about.�

At one stage the meeting was interrupted by a fan asking Asif for an autograph. The cricketer left with a copy of an advice leaflet setting out British immigration law. �If he wants to go forward then we will see what we can do for him,� the solicitor said.

It is rare for Pakistanis to be granted asylum. In 2009, only 65 were given shelter in Britain, Home Office figures show. One leading immigration lawyer, who did not wish to be named, said Asif could apply for refugee status if he first proved �a well-founded fear of being persecuted� by a gang who were out to cause him harm. He would then have to argue that the Pakistan state would not protect him.

Asif, Mohammed Amir and Salman Butt were all questioned under caution by Metropolitan Police detectives earlier this week over text messages, phone calls and secret bank accounts linked to the alleged fixing of certain events in the match against England.

Amir is alleged to have deliberately bowled a no-ball in the Fourth Test at Lord�s on the orders of Mazhar Majeed, an agent and businessman.

It has emerged that Asif comes from a poor family but has four homes, including an Italianate mansion in Lahore. He has been dogged by doping controversies since testing positive for the anabolic steroid Nandrolone in 2006, and remains barred from travelling to the United Arab Emirates after he was deported from the country in 2008 for possessing drugs.

The reaction to the fixing allegations in Pakistan has been acute, with cricket fans pelting donkeys daubed with the players� names. In a court in Lahore, a local lawyer filed a case of treason against the accused players, calling for life bans and confiscation of all the players� assets if they were found guilty.

The Pakistan High Commission refused to comment and the manager of the Pakistan team said he was not aware of Asif seeking asylum.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...n-Britain.html

Top 10 spinners of all time!!

don_corleone840 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:08:45 GMT

1 Muttiah Muralitharan
2 shane warne
3 Anil kumble
4 Jim laker
5 Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
6 Bishen singh bedi
7 Harbhajan singh
8 Abdul qadir
9 Erapally prasanna
10 "Bill" O'Reilly

It would be unfair to ban Pakistan team: Ponting

vamos_rafa — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:01:37 GMT

Spot-fixing scandal should be dealt in an appropriate manner but it would be unfair to ban the whole Pakistan team for the alleged involvement of their three players, feels Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

�I think that�s going a bit too far, let�s just start with the people we know about at the moment and make sure they�re dealt with in the appropriate manner,� Ponting said.

�I think to ban a whole team would probably be a bit unfair. The world game doesn�t really need that, (and) can�t really afford that to happen. I know the world game can�t afford these sorts of scandals happening in the game either,� he was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.

Three Pakistani players, Test skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir are being investigated in the spot-fixing scandal, which surfaced after a British tabloid sting operation.

The Sydney Test early this year between Pakistan and Australia also came under scanner after Pakistani opener Yasir Hameed was caught on camera saying that the SCG Test was rigged and his teammates pocketed USD 3 millions for the staged loss.

Ponting said the Australian team are aware of anti-corruption laws and their responsibilities.

�We as an Australian group of players are educated very well on this and know how to handle different situations that pop up,� said Ponting.