England ask for joke games on Ashes tour

Cricinfo report that the ECB have asked Cricket Australia to allow them to use all sixteen members of their squad in their warm up games. It really is about time the ICC stopped this. It makes a mockery of cricket, and it doesn’t give the team with the 16 players any idea of how their players play as a team. It’s a joke.

Big win for Australia in DLF Cup final

Australia have beaten the West Indies by 127 runs in the DLF Cup final in Kuala Lumpur. Batting first, the Aussies scored 240/6 from their 50 overs, Damien Martyn and Andrew Symonds both making 52. No West Indian batsman got a decent start, and Brett Lee took 4/24 to help dismiss the West Indies for just 113.

Australia win after close fought game

Another close game in the DLF Cup has seen Australia beat India by 18 runs. The Aussies batted first and Matthew Hayden scored 54 at the top of the order. But other than the two Brad’s (Haddin and Hogg) putting on a 77 runs partnership in the middle order, no other batsman contributed much, and they were dismissed for 213.

Dinesh Mongia scored 63 for India in their reply, but no batsman could stay with him, and Brett Lee took 5/38 to help bowl the Indians out for 195. Australia will now face the West Indies in Sunday’s final.

Dean Jones in hot water

The BBC are reporting that former Australian batsman Dean Jones is in trouble of remarks he made over the South African batsman Hashim Amla. Jones refered to Amla, who is a Muslim, as “the terrorist” as he made catch during the second Test against Sri Lanka.

The comments were carried on the Sri Lankan host broadcaster Ten Sports, as well as on South African TV. Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola is demanding an immediate apology, as well as Jones’ suspension. He also intends to report the incident to the ICC. He said:

The switchboards of both Cricket South Africa and SuperSport have been jammed with calls from some very angry people.

SuperSport has confirmed Jones’ remark after viewing tapes of the incident and his outrageous comment is heard quite clearly.

This kind of insulting racial stereotyping has no place in cricket and must be stamped on swiftly.

**UPDATE**

Ten Sports have sacked Dean Jones.

ICC announce hosts for World Cups and more

The ICC have announced hosts for a whole range of events going up to the 2019 World Cup, to be held in England (probably in Wales, Scotland and Ireland too).

The 2011 World Cup has gone to Asia, with the 2015 event being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The 2009 ICC Trophy will be played in the UAE, and the 2013 event in Scotland. The Netherlands also get a look in, and will host the 2010 World Cricket League Division One tournament.

Surprisingly, the ICC have decided to move the Under 19 World Cup to the associate countries. Malaysia will host the 2008 event, followed by Kenya in 2010, Canada in 2012, and the UAE in 2014.

I was quite surprised by this, as I thought the Twenty20 tournaments would have more of a chance of going to associate countries. Whatever your opinion of Twenty20, one can’t deny that it is probably the most marketable form of the game, and holding it in a country where cricket is not popular could do wonders for the sports popularity in that country. Instead, the first two tournaments will go to South Africa in 2007, and England in 2009, which I suppose is fair enough with those countries being early adopters of the format.

Ponting changes his mind again

Via Cricinfo who report that Ponting now thinks that Bangladesh do deserve test status, after he said in February that they didn’t.

Strangely he changed his mind when talking at a press conference in Bangladesh.

Last year there were 3 instances of Ponting changing his mind.

Prior to the ICC Trophy, he sent a letter to the participating teams wishing them good luck and saying that he looked forward to playing them in the World Cup. Later, he said that the World Cup wasn’t the place for those teams.

When the super-subs and powerplays were introduced, Ponting said that they were a good idea. He soon changed his mind. He did the same over the issue of the Super Series.

He says one thing, and then when the people who might be annoyed by what he says aren’t within earshot, he says another. He’s a hypocrite.

900?

Checkout the scorecard of the Pura Cup final between Victoria and Queensland at the Gabba.

Queensland have scored 900! Two double centuries in the innings, plus two further scores of above 150.

Australia set record

Australia have set a world record ODI score of 434/4. It is also the 2nd highest score in all list A cricket, but falls 21 short of the record in Women’s ODI cricket.

Ponting should keep his mouth shut

via Cricinfo - The Surfer

After Bangladesh’s win over Sri Lanka, Wasim Akram has chosen to speak out again, saying;

Ponting, you just keep your mouth shut and look back to what they did against you people in Cardiff last year and take a note of the latest one against Sri Lanka.

He’s talking about Pontings pathetic attitude towards the minnows of the game. Ponting thinks that they shouldn’t play in the world cup. He’s wrong of course, and it’s good to see a respected player like Wasim Akram saying so.

Mark Waugh’s ideas for the one day game

Mark Waugh has written in the Sydney Morning Herald of his ideas for improving the one day international game.

Link to article

I agree with most of them, with the exception of rule 3.

Rule 5, I’d go further and say that the fielding side should be given the option of a new ball after 25 overs, which they must take by the 35th over.