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A round-up of Franchise 1-Day Cup matches that took place on November 23

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2011Warriors and Cobras retained their positions at the top of the Franchise 1-Day Cup table, with victories over Lions and Knights respectively.Cobras’ win in Bloemfontein was a high-scoring affair after they won the toss and piled on the runs. Andrew Puttick laid the base with 62 off 91 balls, while Dane Vilas at No. 3 provided the mid-innings momentum with 43 off 44 balls. Thereafter, Owais Shah and Justin Ontong took off, with a 78-run stand in 63 balls. Justin Kemp and Rory Klienveldt ended the innings in a blaze of big hits, lifting Cobras to 296 for 6. Dean Elgar and Rilee Rossouw built the platform for Knights’ chase, but took their time doing it. Robin Peterson (4 for 52) made frequent incisions to leave Knights at 185 for 5 in the 39th over. Werner Coetsee, Johan van der Wath and Dillon du Preez attempted a late surge, but their side fell 15 short.Warriors had an easier passage to victory, after Makhaya Ntini and Rusty Theron snuffed out Lions’ top order early in East London. Neil McKenzie resisted with an accomplished 87, and was one of only two batsmen to go past 26, the other being Jean Symes (44). Their efforts took Lions to 218. Arno Jacobs and Colin Ingram had put the chase on course when rain intervened at 83 for 1 in 17 overs. The revised target was 195 off 40 overs, and the pair surged without fuss towards victory when a second rain break ended play. Warriors had reached 174 for 1 in 31.4 overs by then, comfortably ahead of the D/L par score.The other game of the day, between Titans and Dolphins was abandoned midway through at Durban. A string of top-order starts, led by Jacques Rudolph’s 64, led Titans to 252 for 9 in their 50 overs, with Cameron Delport making four breakthroughs. Dolphins were in good shape at 97 for 2 in the 19th over when persistent rain ended the action.

Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan captain, has urged the players in the current national team to assume they are in a war when they take on England in the UAE

Umar Farooq06-Jan-2012Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan captain, has urged the players in the current national team to assume they are in a war when they take on England in the UAE. The last time Pakistan played England in a Test series, the spot-fixing scandal broke. Ramiz said winning the upcoming series would be the perfect way for Pakistan to seal their strong comeback from that embarrassment, and calm the anger among fans that arose from it.”Players should assume themselves to be in a state of war in every match to maintain consistency in their performances,” Ramiz said at a function arranged by the PCB to celebrate the team’s impressive performance in 2011. “I think this is the best opportunity for the Pakistan team to avenge the disgrace of the spot-fixing scandal; all the frustration in the wake of that embarrassment should be exhibited in the form of performances on the field.”England might be a strong opponent but beating a top team is the only way to become a hero. There is always room for improvement but there must be self-belief and strong body-language. The team must play hard cricket with no smiles or sympathy towards the opponent. Ultimately winning against England is the best way to cool down the anger and frustration that Pakistan fans felt after the spot-fixing scandal.”Ramiz said the current team should try to replicate the culture that Imran Khan had instilled in the team Ramiz was a part of. “During my era, Imran Khan, prior to every match, told us to assume we are in a war and never think about how powerful or depleted the opponent is; what is important is to go onto the field thinking only of victory.”Pakistan went through 2011 without losing a Test series, and go into this series after beating Zimbabwe away, Sri Lanka in the UAE and Bangladesh away. The PCB recognised the successful year by giving the players 300,000 Pakistani rupees ($3,307) each and the supporting staff 100,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,102) each.In a low point for Pakistan cricket, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were handed jail sentences for spot-fixing by an English tribunal in 2011. On the field, though, Pakistan won five of eight Tests, reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and won six bilateral one-day series. Ramiz said the team had already won back the fans. “Pakistan have already made a strong comeback in the world of cricket after the spot-fixing scam. They have won back the fans’ faith and have regained credibility.”We have outstanding new faces in the line-up and a heavyweight middle order. Our bowlers, both the pacemen and spinners, are among the best when it comes to taking wickets so I am not worried about that. Umar Akmal [the batsman who is returning to the Test squad after being dropped for two series] is the one from whom I am expecting a lot and I am hopeful he won’t disappoint us.”Pakistan’s recent success has come under the leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq, who was handed the Test captaincy in September 2010, after the spot-fixing episode. Misbah was not even a part of the squad who went on the tour of England but since returning to the side has averaged 75.76 in Tests and 49.75 in ODIs, a major factor in the team’s success.”The journey of the Pakistan team in the past year has been similar to the journey of my life,” Misbah said. “It [not being in the side] was one of the toughest times not only in my career but in my life as well; but I never give up. Since I was called up to lead the team I obviously had to justify my position as a batsman too.”The South Africa Test series in the UAE [that Pakistan drew 0-0 in November 2010] was when we realised we could do it. It was the series that actually gave us the self-belief and confidence that we can move ahead, leaving everything in the past; we never looked back.”I think the success in 2011 was due to the fact that as many as 15 players in the squad fulfilled their responsibilities and I am sure they will keep up the good work in 2012. I am sure the boys will continue their hard work, show responsibility and play to their potential against England, who are the best Test team at the moment. We know how tough it is going to be, so we are ready for that.”

MS Dhoni has said he is not aware of any ultimatum the BCCI might have given to VVS Laxman after the batsman’s lean series in England and Australia

Sidharth Monga at the WACA15-Jan-2012MS Dhoni has said he is not aware of any ultimatum the BCCI might have given to VVS Laxman after the batsman’s lean series in England and Australia. It was reported in some Indian newspapers, quoting BCCI officials, that Laxman might have played his last Test in Perth. “As of now there is nothing like that that I know of officially,” Dhoni said when asked about the development.When asked if he would try to talk him out of it if Laxman indeed decided to call it quits, Dhoni said: “I won’t like to answer something where there is a big if and big but. I don’t know where this came from, but unless Laxman comes and tells me I don’t know whether it’s happening or not happening. I really don’t have to think about it [now].”Dhoni, however, spoke about the importance of phasing out the seniors thoughtfully. He said he hadn’t sat and thought about it, but the end of the series might be a good time to start. “Not really right now,” he said. “May be at the end of the series will be a right time. We also have to see what the senior’s thoughts are. I think there is a bit more emphasis right now about getting rid of the seniors but it will be a very careful decision. Because of what they have done for the country, and the amount of experience they can share with the youngsters.”Dhoni spoke of getting a right combination of youth and experience. “Very important to have the right mixture at the right time,” he said. “You can’t have all the seniors missing out all of a sudden, and all the juniors coming in. We will have to thoughtfully decide the best option. Give a bit of exposure to youngsters coming [in], at the same time have the fair mix of experienced guys and youngsters.”Ultimately [in] Test cricket a lot of people will be tested, but once they transfer that experience or share that experience, the job of the youngsters will become slightly easy. That’s something we need to be very careful about.”There has been widespread criticism that India have already delayed the phasing out of their three great batting stars. There have been calls to lose with young players if they have to keep losing, like they have done over the last seven overseas Tests. The Adelaide Test will be India’s last away from home over the next two years. “Ultimately we know that most of our batsmen who will come in or will be part of the team will perform in India because we have played in India,” Dhoni said. “But we need to find ways as to how we perform outside India. Definitely it will be a good option to see the youngsters coming in. Of course we are playing quite a few games in India, but we are playing tough opposition at the same time. I think it will be a good exposure for them.”Dhoni was asked if the Indian set-up lacked the courage to drop legends of the game when they were out of form. “It’s not about courage,” he said. “It’s about taking the right decision. Just for example, if you see in this series, people went after Virat [Kohli] to be dropped, and he batted really well in this series. You have to give that span of time to people. Especially when you know somebody is a really talented guy, you have to give that extra time to that particular batsman to keep going on.”Dhoni was also asked how he would like to see the transition happen. “I have not sat and thought over it,” he said. “It’s something everybody needs to be a part of. The players and the BCCI also. It will be a process rather than just an event. We will be carefully deciding as to what needs to be done in the best interest of the country.”

Scott Styris is set to play for his fourth English first-class county after Sussex’s announcement that he has signed for the whole of their Friends Life t20 campaign this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2012English county cricket’s love affair with Scott Styris shows no sign of abating. He is set to play for his fourth English first-class county after Sussex’s announcement that he has signed for the whole of their Friends Life t20 campaign this summer.Sussex’s cricket manager Mark Robinson said: “Scott has been a real thorn in our side in the last couple of years for Essex and we are really pleased he has decided to join us. We have lacked someone who is able to come in during the middle overs and be able to clear the ropes. Scott, as we’ve seen to our cost, is proven at doing this.”Styris, 36, retired from international cricket soon after the 2011 World Cup, ending a New Zealand career that spanned 188 ODIs and 31 Twenty20 internationals. He also played 29 Tests, the last of them in 2007.He has become a prime example of those seasoned players whose careers have been prolonged by T20, which is no longer regarded as purely a young man’s game. He represented Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2011 and Sussex’s signing confirms that he remains much in demand for England’s T20 tournament, in which he has already represented Durham, Middlesex and Essex.

The Pune Warriors will remain in the IPL after the Indian board and Sahara, their main sponsor and owner of the Pune franchise, reached a compromise

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2012The Pune Warriors will remain in the IPL and its parent company Sahara will continue its sponsorship of the Indian team, it was announced on Thursday, ending a public and bitter dispute between the Indian board and its long-time corporate partner. The two sides released a joint statement, almost a fortnight after Sahara’s dramatic exit from top-flight Indian cricket, which spelled out the terms of the agreement.The major concession Pune seem to have won is the restoration of its auction purse of $1.6 million and the licence to buy players who were not sold at the auction and also foreign players who were not part of the auction.The other concessions include: an extension of the trading window till the end of February, the possibility of being allowed more than the norm of four overseas players (subject to the agreement of the other franchises), and an arbitration process to decide on their demand for a concession in the franchise fee.Sahara has also been given the right to stage one of the IPL play-off games subject to the consent of Royal Challengers Bangalore, the original hosts. The BCCI also said it would consider Sahara’s request to furnish a bank guarantee for its franchise fee in two instalments.Sahara’s decision to continue its sponsorship of the Indian national team had this proviso: “Sahara may want to exercise its right to assign the sponsorship as per the agreement,” implying the possibility of Sahara sub-letting the rights.Sahara chairman Subrata Roy, while welcoming the agreement, said one of his requests had not been included. “We had strongly requested for an open auction in 2013,” Roy said. Though he remained in his offices in one of the Sahara hotels in Mumbai, the camp appeared upbeat and his two sons – who were closely involved in the negotiations – were seen walking purposefully and wishing officials and members of the media.IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla was happy the dispute was resolved. “Whatever issues were there, have been addressed,” he said. “Whatever was possible within the framework, has been achieved. We have not bent rules.”One of Pune’s cricketers, the left-arm spinner Murali Kartik tweeted: “Great news..Pune Playing..guessing right that all the players are relieved..phew.”It was not immediately clear, though, whether Sahara’s decision to rejoin the fold was contingent on all conditions being ultimately met, and whether other franchises had been consulted during the negotiations. Franchise officials contacted by ESPNcricinfo said they had come to know of the news through the joint statement and had not been formally contacted by the BCCI. They had not, they said, decided their stand on the issues that relate to them.Today’s announcement followed hectic negotiations over the past few days and a fair bit of posturing and selective leaks. Officials said negotiations were fraught with complications given the high stakes involved and the BCCI team’s need to clear every major decision with their seniormost officials. Even as late as Thursday afternoon, they said, chances of a deal were hanging by a thread.Sahara had threatened to walk away from both the league and Indian cricket an hour before the IPL auction earlier this month. The dispute arose around a request by Sahara to be allowed to add their star signing Yuvraj Singh’s to their auction purse for the February 4 auction after it was learnt that Yuvraj could not take part in the IPL.The truce comes three days after a meeting of the BCCI’s working committee at which almost all of Sahara’s requests were turned down.

A Chris Martin triple-strike just after tea justified Ross Taylor’s decision to bowl first on a placid Dunedin surface, as New Zealand first toppled South Africa’s top order giants, then made headway into the tail, to leave the visitors on 191 for 7 at st

The Report by Andrew Fernando07-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHashim Amla scored 62 before his dismissal in the final session confirmed New Zealand’s dominant position•Associated PressA Chris Martin triple-strike just after tea justified Ross Taylor’s decision to bowl first on a placid Dunedin surface, as New Zealand first toppled South Africa’s top order giants, then made headway into the tail, to leave the visitors on 191 for 7 at stumps on the first day. Heavy clouds failed to deliver the swing Taylor had banked on, but Martin’s stunning spell against his favourite opponent among the top-eight nations, turned the innings, and drew first blood in the series.The drama of Martin’s surge was heightened by its abruptness. Following a sleepy first session that offered so little for the pacemen that South Africa seemed destined for a mammoth total, Martin snaffled Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers in four balls to tear the guts out of the opposition top order.The rush of intensity was immediately apparent in Martin’s first few balls after tea. Twice he beat Smith’s outside edge, before hitting the batsman on the midriff with a straighter one. Having finished the previous session somewhat deflated, New Zealand suddenly sensed change. When Smith scooped the next one to short cover, they were positively buzzing.The first ball of Martin’s next over was sharp, short and angled. Too good for Kallis who could only manage an edge, which Taylor flew to his left to intercept. AB de Villiers was trapped by an indipper first ball. His review interrupted New Zealand’s celebrations momentarily, before replays confirmed the shout was as plumb as they come. From a comfortable 86 for 1, South Africa had slipped to 90 for 4.The recovery from South Africa, though somewhat short-lived, was swift and pleasing to the eye. Hashim Amla unfurled the offside strokes that bore him fruit in the ODI series, as he nullified a reinvigorated New Zealand pace attack that were once again searching for scalps. Purring cover drives and crisp square cuts found the ropes, and in 80 balls, he and Jacques Rudolph had scored 66.But having crossed 50, Amla fell to his nemesis from earlier in the innings. His tussle with Daniel Vettori had been the most engrossing battle of the earlier session, when the spinner’s turn beat his outside edge in his attempts to defend, and Vettori’s flight outdid enterprising scurries down the pitch. That time, the release had come for Amla when he finally connected to launch Vettori into the stands. But in his first over after tea, Vettori landed the knockout punch when he got one to kick, taking Amla’s edge.Mark Boucher was then the victim of the run-out South Africa looked like offering thoughout the day. Smith and Amla had survived one chance each, when fielders failed to hit the stumps. But this time, no direct hit was necessary. Boucher bounded from the non-striker’s end when Rudolph worked Vettori to point, and Bracewell swooped and found Kruger van Wyk’s gloves with his throw, to leave the visitors at 161 for 6. Dale Steyn succumbed soon after, with Taylor snaffling a rebound from Martin Guptill in the slips to leave his side much the happier of the two at stumps.The day had begun so promisingly for South Africa after almost four hours were lost to rain, when Graeme Smith progressed untroubled to a 31st Test half-century. New Zealand’s decision to insert the opposition on a slow, batsmen’s track seemed like folly when hopeful, full lengths from Martin, Trent Boult and Tim Southee were punched through the line by Smith in particular.Misjudgment on line, rather than significant movement removed Alviro Petersen for 11, but with Amla and Smith progressing smoothly, and the cloud cover expected to clear for the evening session, a large total beckoned. Smith was punishing on the leg side, when New Zealand’s pacemen abandoned their hopes for swing and muscled it in short, and his flick off middle stump for four just prior to tea epitomised his command of conditions. But things were about to change, and quickly.Edited by Nikita Bastian

Munaf Patel, the Mumbai Indians seamer, has been fined 25% of his match fee for violating the IPL’s code of conduct during the match against Deccan Chargers on Monday

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Apr-2012Munaf Patel, the Mumbai Indians seamer, has been fined 25% of his match fee for violating the IPL’s code of conduct during the match against Deccan Chargers on Monday. His captain Harbhajan Singh and Chargers’ Dale Steyn received official warnings and reprimands for their conduct in the same match. Munaf was also warned and reprimanded.According to a statement from the IPL, all three players admitted to Level 1 offences and accepted their sanctions.Munaf and Harbhajan were charged with showing dissent to the umpire over the dismissal of Kumar Sangakkara in the 13th over of Chargers’ innings. Sangakkara’s bails had been dislodged by an inside edge off a low full toss bowled by Munaf, but the ball also deflected back to the stumps off the wicketkeeper’s pads. The keeper Dinesh Karthik was up to the stumps and the stumps were broken in one motion, causing confusion. The umpires initially gave Sangakkara the benefit of the doubt, choosing not to refer it to the third umpire.The Mumbai players were peeved, particularly Munaf, who flung the ball on the turf as he ambled back to his mark. A furious Harbhajan Singh marched to the square leg umpire Johan Cloete, who was soon enveloped by Munaf and Dinesh Karthik, all three demanding the decision be referred. Sangakkara was eventually given out after the decision was referred.Chargers’ coach Darren Lehmann termed Mumbai Indians’ behaviour “disgraceful”. “It [arriving at the decision] could have been handled better. But the decision has been made, we can’t do anything about it. What was disgraceful was the way Mumbai carried on towards the umpires,” Lehmann said after the match. “The two gentlemen that are officiating in the game [are] trying to do the best they can to see that the game is run in the best way. What I saw tonight was nothing short of disgraceful.”Shaun Pollock, Mumbai Indians’ mentor and bowling coach, said while the reaction was not “ideal”, such incidents can be very frustrating for the bowler. “Actually I did not see what went on because I had run inside to see the replay, [to see] whether he [Sangakkara] was out or not,” he told . “Obviously their behaviour wasn’t ideal because they got hauled in before the match referee, fined a match fee and given a reprimand.”[But] it’s very frustrating when you bowl someone and the umpires are not giving you that wicket. I think they [the umpires] both consulted and when they both weren’t sure, it would have made things a bit easier if they had gone upstairs [to the TV umpire]. I think you can understand the players… wanting the wicket of Sangakkara, it was a big wicket.”Steyn was warned for pointing and gesturing towards the pavilion after the dismissal of T Suman in the second over of Mumbai Indians’ innings.All the offenses were dealt with by match referee Graeme Labrooy, whose decision is final and binding.

Geoffrey Boycott, Yorkshire’s new president, has risked alienating another British-born Asian player from the club by urging Adil Rashid to take responsibility for his own actions after being dropped for the first time in his county career.

Myles Hodgson30-May-2012Geoffrey Boycott, Yorkshire’s new president, has risked alienating another British-born Asian player from the club by urging Adil Rashid to take responsibility for his own actions after being dropped for the first time in his county career.Boycott has revealed the growing frustration at Rashid’s performances, which have earned just nine wickets from six championship appearances this summer. His comments come just weeks after Ajmal Shahzad became so disillusioned at Yorkshire that he was released from his contract and joined Lancashire on loan until the end of the season.Rashid’s poor form prompted Yorkshire to omit him from their County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Headingley. It is the first time since he established himself in the side over five years ago that Rashid has been dropped and gave an opportunity for Azeem Rafiq, Yorkshire’s emerging young offspinner, to make his first championship appearance for Yorkshire since 2010.”He’s never progressed, that’s the sad part,” Boycott said, speaking at the opening of Yorkshire’s new club shop. “I think there are a lot of people in English cricket who wanted to have a legspinner playing for England but it’s not about the type of bowling, it’s the quality of bowling.”You can’t just pick people because they’re legspinners. You have to pick the quality, that’s what the England selectors are doing now. The kid may be able to bowl legspin, but you’ve got to drop it on a length to cause problems for a batsman and you can’t be too expensive. Otherwise, the scoreboard rockets around and you can’t control the game in the field.”Instead of meeting up with Yorkshire’s first team, Rashid was sent to in a second team Twenty20 match in Bradford yesterday, which represents a stunning fall from grace for a player once regarded as a future England Test bowler and was included in their squad to tour India in 2008.After an overhaul of their coaching structure, Yorkshire had high hopes for Rashid this summer and Jason Gillespie had encouraged him to be more attacking in his bowling following his appointment as head coach.Rashid, though, has made little improvement from last season, where he had again fostered optimism by his part in South Australia’s triumph in the Big Bash League. He began impressively with 11 wickets at Worcester but finished the summer with 39 wickets from 16 matches. It has prompted obvious questions about why his career and development has stalled.”I don’t think he has been mis-managed,” Boycott explained. “It’s easy to blame other people isn’t it? You can always say, you didn’t pick me enough or it’s the coaches fault or you picked me too soon for England. You can throw out all the things you want, but in the end, it’s up to you.”You have to remember that cricket is an individual game within the framework of a team. When you’re out batting, there’s nobody on the end of a phone telling you how to play, you know. You’ve got to do some thinking yourself.”You can help people but I’m not a great believer in the culture of blaming others. I don’t believe in that culture. We have too much of that in England. Why not take responsibility yourself. Put your hand up and say ‘hey, it’s up to me, nobody else’.”Boycott had more encouragement for Jonny Bairstow, whose innings at Trent Bridge during a hostile spell from West Indies’ fast bowler Kemar Roach has prompted many commentators to claim he has a weakness against the short ball.”I don’t think he’s got a weakness – he’s had one innings, so it’s unwarranted,” Boycott insisted. “I think he’s very talented, but he’s just a young kid and he’s got a lot to learn. He knows that as well, he’s not ahead of himself and he’s quite clear about what he has to do. We’ve all had hiccups and problems but he’s a young kid and to label him as having problems after one knock is grossly unfair.”

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has foreshadowed his retirement from the game, saying he has no desire to play into his late 30s as Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and others have done

Daniel Brettig25-May-2012Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has foreshadowed his retirement from the game, saying he has no desire to play into his late 30s as Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and others have done. Addressing a business conference in Adelaide, Clarke said he wished to have his impact on the game “in a short space of time” and then move on to other pursuits.Clarke, 31, has led Australia with distinction over his first year in charge of the team, and has the chance to achieve critical goals over the next 18 months: victory over South Africa at home, India away, and the return of the Ashes to Australia over back-to-back series against England may all be achieved in that time, and all this would also serve to return Clarke’s team to the top of the world rankings. Beyond those encounters lies the 2015 World Cup in Australia, though Clarke hinted strongly that he may not make it that far.”I’m enjoying playing now but in time I won’t be the guy playing at 38, 39, 40,” Clarke said. “I hope I can have my impact in a short space of time and then be finished. I have so many goals I want to see this team achieve and when my time is up, it is up.”I would love to see the team have success, achieve what it can achieve. And then I think that is time for me to give the reins to somebody else and go and start the other side of life I guess … get involved in some sort of business and have a family, and do all the things that are special to me and I still want to do when my cricket career is over.”As a captain, Clarke has often been paralleled with Mark Taylor, another Australian captain of great tactical skill. Taylor did not overstay his welcome as a captain, retiring after retaining the Ashes at home in early 1999, aged only 34.One factor that will play a role in Clarke’s thinking regarding how long he will continue is the back trouble that he has managed across his career. While Clarke has never missed a Test match because of the degenerative discs found in his back when he was 17, he is conscious that the condition cannot improve. “Unfortunately degeneration, it can’t improve, so it’s now about managing my condition,” he said.A very private ceremony wedded Clarke to his fiancé Kyly Boldy in the Blue Mountains earlier this month, and the secrecy surrounding the event was in keeping with their low-key courtship following his far more public engagement and break-up with Lara Bingle. Clarke said he remained uncomfortable with eyes prying into his private life.”We told nobody, our parents didn’t know,” Clarke said. “We invited a small group of people to come away on a holiday with us – they thought it was a family holiday. And we shocked our family, let alone the world.”I think I find the scrutiny on the field quite easy to deal with … the stuff that I have probably found hard, and still find hard to accept, is the off the field stuff. When I was vice-captain I had a lot of media scrutiny anyway, so I was accustomed to the off the field stuff, nothing has really changed as captain.”Clarke’s next assignment will be to lead the Australian ODI team on a tour of England and Ireland in June and July.

The BCCI’s disciplinary committee has banned five Indian domestic players after studying a report on allegations of corruption against them

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2012Five Indian domestic players facing allegations of corruption have been banned by the BCCI’s disciplinary committee. The BCCI announced the penalties after studying a report on the allegations, which had arisen in May after an India TV sting and alluded to the five being involved in match-fixing and negotiating for extra – and illegal – pay.The harshest punishment was dealt to Madhya Pradesh fast bowler TP Sudhindra, who was handed a life ban after being found guilty of “receiving a consideration to spot-fix” in a domestic game. Sudhindra was the leading wicket-taker in the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy.Uttar Pradesh fast bowler Shalabh Srivastava will be out of the game for five years after the committee deemed him guilty of agreeing, and negotiating terms, to fix a match though no fixing eventually took place.Three other players were given one-year bans for bringing the game into disrepute through “loose talk and unsubstantiated bragging”: Madhya Pradesh batsman Mohnish Mishra, Goa offspinner Amit Yadav and Himachal Pradesh allrounder Abhinav Bali. The punishments take effect from May 15, the date on which the IPL governing council suspended them.The report had been compiled by Ravi Sawani, head of the BCCI’s new anti-corruption unit, after India TV’s sting. Sawani spoke to all five players before submitting his report to the BCCI disciplinary committee – which comprises BCCI president N Srinivasan, BCCI vice-presidents Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah – on June 9.The committee which met in Mumbai on Saturday said neither Sudhindra nor Mishra would be entitled to the monthly gratis, benevolent fund, benefit match or any other facility, nor could hold any position in any cricket association affiliated to the BCCI for the period of their bans. Sudhindra becomes the third Indian player to be banned for life, after Mohammad Azharuddin (found guilty of match-fixing) and Ajay Sharma (found guilty of having links with bookies). The BCCI release that announced the bans did not make any mention of increased or illegal IPL pay.India TV, in mid-May, had showed footage of a player bowling a big no-ball in a limited-overs match and played a recording of a phone conversation that it said was of a current IPL player negotiating a fee for bowling a no-ball. It also had at least three players on camera allegedly seeking more lucrative IPL deals – including extra money that would have violated their IPL contracts – with other league franchises through an undercover reporter posing as a sports agent.