Stats highlights from the second day’s play in Hobart which saw a record stand between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh

Shiva Jayaraman11-Dec-20155 Number of Test partnerships that have added more than the 449 runs between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh. The Voges-Marsh partnership fell only three runs short of eclipsing the highest stand in Tests for Australia, which came between Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford at the Oval in 1934. Click here for the highest partnerships in Tests.405 The previous highest partnership in Tests in Australia, before the stand between Voges and Marsh. Bradman and Sid Barnes had added 405 for the fifth wicket in the Ashes at the SCG in 1946-47. The partnership between Voges and Marsh is only the second 400-plus stand in Tests in Australia. Click here for the highest stands in Tests in Australia.411 The previous highest stand against West Indies in Tests, which came between Colin Cowdrey and Peter May, also for the fourth wicket, at Trent Bridge in 1957. Voges and Marsh added Australia’s first 400-plus partnership against West Indies. They surpassed the 382-run stand between Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson in Bridgetown in 1965. Click here for the highest stands against West Indies.437 The previous highest fourth-wicket partnership in Tests, scored by Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera against Pakistan in Karachi in 2008-09. Voges and Marsh also added the first 400-run stand for the fourth wicket for Australia in Tests. The highest before this was the 388 runs added by Bradman and Ponsford at Headingley in the 1934 Ashes. Click here for the highest fourth-wicket stands in Tests.1 Previous double-hundreds made by batsmen who made their debut after the age of 35. Dave Houghton, who made his Test debut at the age of 35 years and 117 days, made 266 against Sri Lanka in 1994. Voges’ 269* is now the highest individual score by a batsman who debuted after 35.4 Number of scores higher than Voges’ 269* that have been made by batsman aged 35 or older in Tests. Graham Gooch’s 333 against India at Lord’s in 1990 is the highest such score. Bradman’s 234 at the SCG in the 1946-47 Ashes was the previous best in this list for Australia.94.38 Voges’ strike rate in his innings – the fourth highest in any individual innings of 250 or more runs (based on available balls-faced information). This is also the third-highest strike-rate in an innings of 200 or more by a non-opening batsman.249 Voges’ previous best in first-class cricket, which came earlier this year against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His 269* is his third double-hundred in first-class cricket.436 Runs scored by Voges against West Indies in only three innings in Tests. He made a hundred against them on debut earlier this year and has been dismissed only once. His tally of 436 in two Tests is the second-highest any Australia batsman has scored in his first two matches against any team. Matthew Hayden had plundered 501 runs against Zimbabwe in his first two Tests against them.76.83 Voges’ batting average – currently the fifth highest a batsman has averaged after 11 Tests. Bradman had averaged 91.93 after his 11th match, while Australian Neil Harvey’s average was 86.00. Herbert Sutcliffe (80.77) and Vinod Kambli (80.42) are the other batsman who averaged higher than Voges after 11 Tests.242 The previous highest individual score by an Australia batsman in Tests against West Indies, by Doug Walters at the SCG in 1968-69. Voges’ 269* is the first double-hundred against them since Ponting made 206 in 2003 in Port-of-Spain. This is also the highest score any batsman has made against West Indies since Hanif Mohammad’s 337 in Bridgetown in 1957-58.166* Shaun Marsh’s previous highest in first-class cricket, against Queensland at the WACA in 2007-08. This was Marsh’s 17th first-class century and his third in Tests; each Test century has been in excess of 140. Marsh’s batting average has climbed from 32.57 before this Test to 37.72 after his 182.

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2015Kane Williamson then joined Guptill in the 17th over after Tom Latham fell for 22•Getty ImagesGuptill soon brought up his fifty off 74 balls•AFPWilliamson, too, negated the Sri Lankan bowlers handsomely..•AFP… As the pair forged a century partnership•Getty ImagesGuptill, who had endured a torrid tour of Australia, then brought up his third Test century•Getty ImagesSoon after Guptill reached his hundred, Nuwan Pradeep sent back Williamson for 88, ending their partnership at 173•Getty ImagesPradeep dismissed Ross Taylor for 8 after tea, bringing Brendon McCullum to the crease with the score at 245 for 3•Getty ImagesMcCullum tonked Sri Lanka’s bowlers around the University Oval…•Getty Images… And brought up his 31st Test fifty off 39 balls•Getty ImagesNew Zealand then lost three quick wickets – Brendon McCullum(75), Mitchell Santner(12) and BJ Watling(5) – as they were reduced to 365 for 6 from 334 for 3•Getty ImagesMartin Guptill then fell late in the day, as Angelo Mathews ended his stay at the crease at 156•Getty ImagesDoug Bracewell remained unbeaten at the end of the day, taking the hosts past 400, as New Zealand ended day one at 409 for 8•Getty Images

Plays of the day from the third ODI between New Zealand and Pakistan in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Auckland31-Jan-2016The old habit“Those that know me know I’m either all-in or all out,” Brendon McCullum had said on the eve of the match. He went on to prove it in the ninth over, when he pulled exactly the kind of manoeuvre that landed him a four-week injury layoff prior to this match. Chasing a Babar Azam cover drive, McCullum used his headfirst kamikaze dive at the boundary again. This time he couldn’t save the boundary, but did manage to avoid upsetting his back again.The sticky handsMartin Guptill took four catches in Pakistan’s innings, and the best take of the lot was his first. Spotting a short ball from Trent Boult, Ahmed Shehzad moved quickly to his back foot and played a good pull shot, middling the ball and rolling his wrists to keep the shot down. Only, he had failed to find the gap. The ball went rapidly to Guptill at short midwicket, who got both hands down to shin-height to complete a very sharp catch.The fingertip dismissalPakistan’s last recognised batting pair were attempting to rebuild after the quick loss of middle-order wickets, when fortune helped New Zealand make another breakthrough. Sarfraz Ahmed hit a length ball down the ground off Grant Elliott, in the 39th over. The bowler attempted to stop the ball in his follow through, but managed to get only a few fingers to the ball. Non-striker Mohammad Rizwan was not far out of his crease, but Sarfraz had hit the ball so hard, the ball clattered into the stumps at his end before he could ground his bat.The spin-bowling spunkSpinners can sometimes be fodder at Eden Park with straight boundaries barely 50 metres away, but on Sunday, two spinners found the means to strike back. First, Mitchell Santner’s second over had been clattered for 20 by Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez, but he was kept in the attack, and made a crucial blow. Next over, he got Hafeez to top edge a sweep to deep square leg, ending a 134-run stand. Then in New Zealand’s innings, Azhar Ali saw his first two overs go for 16, then broke a big partnership for his team as well, having Guptill caught at point. He removed Kane Williamson next over for good measure.

India Women’s captain Mithali Raj on the team’s recent success going into the World T20, and utilsing opportunities to raise the game’s profile

Interview by Gaurav Kalra05-Mar-201611:30

‘The BCCI should support our participation in the Women’s Big Bash’

The Indian women’s team has been on a high in recent months. After a historic T20 series win in Australia in January, they have continued their impressive form at home by whitewashing Sri Lanka in both the ODI and T20 series. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, captain Mithali Raj reflects on the reasons behind the team’s strong performances, the emergence of top-class young players, the improvements at domestic level, and the steps needed to raise the profile of the game in the country.Things have been going well of late for India.
The Australia tour was very important and all of us knew that it would be very challenging to beat them at home as very few of our players had experience on those fast tracks. Winning the T20 series was a good experience for the whole team and it has given a lot of confidence to the players. We have come good as a unit. Winning before the World Cup was good timing as well. Can you elaborate on the transformation that has taken place in the last few years? And what do you put the team’s improved performances down to?
The team has been together for two years and most of the players have played for Indian Railways, who I captain [in domestic cricket]. We are together round the year. That develops a bond and I don’t have to work too much. Earlier, our batting never clicked in T20s. Only one or two players would score and the team was dependent on them. Now, we have every player contributing to the team’s performance and that has made a lot of difference. Our top order scored runs in Australia and our fielding was really good.

“Since we have done well against Australia and Sri Lanka, the people’s expectations have risen, and it is important that we use this platform to promote women’s cricket in India”

There was a time when England and Australia were far ahead of the pack. Do you think the field has evened out after your win against Australia?
I think it has, after our wins in the last two series. We are strong contenders for the World Cup. Earlier, it used to feel like those two teams are way ahead of the rest, but now with the transformation in the Indian team – West Indies has been doing well and New Zealand have done well against Australia – the gap is closing.Do you feel a lot more younger girls are now pushing for national honours?
Yes, because we have our domestic structure in place and the ICC Championship has done a lot of good. We get to play every team before the World Cup, touring in different conditions besides a few series at home. It gives a lot of opportunities to the youngsters. As we play more, we get to see who a quality player is and what plans and strategies would work for the team. Whenever you undergo transformation, a couple of good players always emerge, like Smriti Mandhana and Anuja Patil, which will only increase the depth for the team.Players are centrally contracted now. Has that made a difference?
Yes, because there are players who come from middle-class or lower middle-class backgrounds and struggle to buy a kit and earn a living. They completely depend on the state association. With central contracts, you are very well looked after by the board. You do not have to be bothered about anything else. Just put in the hard work and do well for the country.The World T20 is in India. You have done so well on tours. Suddenly there is pressure that you will be holding the trophy at the end of the tournament. Is that the kind of pressure you’re coming to terms with since you’re one of the favourites?
The World Cup, as an event, carries a lot of pressure, irrespective of the number of caps you have earned, and the pressure doubles when you play at home. Since we have done well against Australia and Sri Lanka, the people’s expectations have risen, and it is important that we use this platform to promote women’s cricket in India, because it is the best opportunity. The team has good momentum and all the players are confident, so it is the right time for us to play a good brand of cricket for people to appreciate in India and to market the sport.”Winning the T20 series [in Australia] was a good experience for the whole team and it has given a lot of confidence to the players”•Getty Images Do you think playing your matches besides the men has helped, as will be the case in the World T20?
The double headers generated a lot of viewership and promoted women’s cricket around the globe in a better way. I think the Big Bash or an IPL-style tournament would give an impetus to women’s cricket. Women’s cricket can stand alone as a brand, but right now it needs men’s cricket to support it. One aspect of television coverage is that in the men’s game you get a lot of information about your rivals. In your case, is it harder to tactically plan against opposition?
It is when you haven’t played an opposition for a long time, like we didn’t know much about the South African team when we played them a couple of years back, because we last played them in 2009. We struggled then but with the ICC Championship, we play every team. So we have a video analyst coming with the team and we have the footage, but it’s difficult when you play a team after a long time. In terms of the support staff, apart from the video analyst, there is also a strength trainer. Have things changed dramatically since you first started playing?
Yes, the approach to fitness is a lot more professional and there is a physio who deals with rehab and injury. The player’s knowledge of their body and how to go about in and outside a competition is far better than what it was when I started.

“Earlier, it used to feel like Australia and England are way ahead of the rest, but now with the transformation in the Indian team, the gap is closing”

The women’s Big Bash League was a huge success and England is looking to follow suit. As one of the leading players in the world, would you like the opportunity to be part of such leagues?
Yes, because when you play with the best and interact with them, there are cultural interactions. You learn a lot by just mingling and it gives the young players – someone like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur or Veda Krishnamurthy – the chance to develop as cricketers and mature very quickly, which is what India needs at the moment. So that is something for you to tell the BCCI?
I think the BCCI will definitely be very supportive, because we don’t have the IPL. If the Aussies or England want us in the tournament, the BCCI should be positive enough to support us, because it will benefit them and help the players get experience. When you see them in the next T20 World Cup, they’d be different players. You see a lot of young Indian girls do really well these days, like Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal. Do you hope to see the profile of women’s cricket reach that level?
It should, and there is a possibility if our matches are televised. That attracts a lot of brands and corporate sponsorships for individual players. If only a few games are televised and you don’t have a follow-up, like no live coverage of the Sri Lanka series after the Australia series, where we did so well, things will not improve.”If only a few games are televised and you don’t have a follow-up, like no live coverage of the Sri Lanka series after the Australia series where we did so well, things will not improve”•Getty Images You have played only ten Test matches. Would you like to see more Test cricket for women?
I definitely want to play them as it is the ultimate challenge for any cricketer to excel in that format. It challenges your skill, mental ability and physical endurance.Are there any changes you would like to see at the domestic level?
I think Star Sports covered the T20 Super League and got a good response. If the domestic T20 Super League or the one-day Super League is televised, it will get a lot of attention. What should we expect from the Indian women’s team at the World T20?
With the kind of momentum we have, we should at least qualify for the semi-finals. From there, it’s anyone’s game.

Coach Phil Simmons talks about the direction the team needs to take, and the problem of not having the best group of players representing the region in all formats

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi13-Apr-2016Ian Bishop said West Indies making it to the final was beyond his “wildest dreams”. Were you more confident?
Yes, I have been, especially since we had the small camp in Dubai, where I sat down with the guys, heard them talk and [saw] their passion about wanting to win the tournament. The way [Dwayne] Bravo, the captain [Darren Sammy] and Chris [Gayle] were talking about winning the tournament just summed up for me that we are going to go far in the World T20.What does it take to get West Indies players together for the big events when some of them do not turn out for the team for years in between?
It is the passion of playing for West Indies. They all still want to play for West Indies as much as they can. It is unfortunate how things are, in that they don’t play as much, but when they are together, they want to do well for West Indies.On the eve of the tournament I told them how far we can go in the tournament. I always stress that I am a winner and I want to win, and then I open it up. The captain spoke about his passion to win the tournament for the second time. Bravo spoke. I remember Marlon Samuels saying, “Let’s go and take what is ours.”You had just two T20Is with the West Indies side before this tournament began. The team had only eight T20I matches between the last World T20 and this one. How do you work with a group like that?
Two T20Is in a year when other teams are playing ten and 12 is definitely not enough. But the nice thing about the guys is they are a closed unit, and we saw that about two or three days into the Dubai camp. They were working well with each other and I did not have much work to do.The harmony they build is because of two things: the camaraderie they share from playing for West Indies; and the common fight they have together. That “we against them” feeling.From the moment they have won the World T20, the players have elaborated on problems they faced going into the tournament – the jerseys not being ready, playing without caps, the WICB asking the selectors to be ready for a player strike over the match-fee dispute. How did you handle the situation?
I knew there was no threat of a strike. I spoke to the captain. I spoke to Bravo. I spoke to Chris. They told me we are going to play, but we need to get some answers. So I was not stressed.As for the other parts, about clothes, I only got involved when the manager [Rawl Lewis] went to India and started spending two-three hours at the factory, into the middle of the night, to get the men’s and women’s clothes sorted. It is only when Rawl started to have these problems it became such a big stress.

“In order for us to not be scrambling to qualify for the next World Cup, we need to be playing our best team and winning and moving up the table”

Is it true that you asked each of the senior players to adopt a junior player and groom him during the World T20?
The point made to the senior players was that if we are going to win this tournament, it depends on how the junior players perform and not the seasoned T20 players, who have been playing around the world. So it was about how the junior players who have just come in [to the squad] – [Carlos] Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, who have not been playing too much of T20 cricket – perform.From early in the camp, Bravo was working heavily with Jerome Taylor and Carlos on their bowling. Stuart Williams was pushing on how the guys hit. It was not something that had to be said. The onus was taken up by all the senior players. I made note of one of the younger players commenting, “Boy, the camp was nice because of how much the senior players shared.”Were there learning points for you? You don’t have much coaching experience in T20s.
It was a very interesting tournament for me. I have always been able to get people to step up and push themselves. But understanding what I have to do to get them to push themselves was the big learning part for me. It is a case where I have my own ideas of T20 cricket, [but it was also about] pulling Chris Gayle aside, getting his ideas, talking to Bravo and Sammy and getting their ideas, then put things together and know what we had to do. A lot of it was down to them and how they won with their own hands.Can you talk about your journey so far?
() The journey started off nicely, but it has been rough, particularly since just after August [last year]. It is particularly rough, in that the fact that the direction I visualise for West Indies men’s senior team to be successful seems to be contrary to others. However, just before the start of the T20 World Cup I put together a “Moving Forward” plan and submitted it to the board, as I had promised I would do during the last board meeting, in August last year. I have not heard anything back from them as yet, but hopefully there will be a productive discussion where can arrive at some common goals.When you are looking at our cricket, there is a certain way to develop this cricket, there is a certain way for us to go to be successful, and if it is not going to go that way, well then, we are going to continue struggling. All the other things – people coming at you, and not backing you, I can deal with those things, but just the fact that it is West Indies cricket we are dealing with and I want West Indies cricket to move forward – so hopefully lines of communication will open up, otherwise it can be particularly difficult. What were the main things you asked for in the first meeting when you took over?
We have to understand that we are eighth [in Tests] and ninth [in ODIs] on the rankings table. And we have always been at the top in T20 cricket. If we were to always play our best teams in those two formats [T20s and ODIs], then we would be at the top in those two formats. Then our Test cricket can take its time and develop itself. But for now, when you are low down, it is hard to sell your product.”The point made to the senior players was that if we are going to win this tournament, it depends on how the junior players perform”•Ryan Pierse/IDI/Getty ImagesAre you saying the priority should be limited-overs cricket?
Let us say we have the 16 players who just won the T20 World Cup, along with Dwayne Smith, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, and so on, who were not there. So we have about 20 international limited-overs players. If we play our best team in the two formats [ODIs and T20Is], we will be at the top of the two formats. There is no doubt about that. Everybody around the world talks about that. While we are at the top of those two formats, our Test cricket will be stepping up and up.You must have had a road map as to where you want to be after a year. Are you somewhat closer to the goal that you had set for yourself?
The World T20 crown was always part of it, but the disappointment right now is not being able to try and win the Champions Trophy next year. That was part of my steps. If we won this T20 trophy then you put your focus on the Champions Trophy next. When you win that, you have two years to work with and develop those 15, 16, 17 players to play in the World Cup in 2019. While all this was happening, we would be building the Test team. It’s a full development.Do you reckon with all that has happened in the past six months, you will get the best squads for future series, including the tri-series (involving Australia and South Africa) and the scheduled India tour? Will they include those who played in the World T20?
There has been talk already that players who did not come back and play in the Super50 [domestic List A competition] won’t be selected [for the tri-series]. But you are talking about seven or eight of the best players in the world. If you are not going to select them, then the other two teams coming into this tri-series are going to be smiling, because the challenge of playing against West Indies at home without Gayle, Sammy, [Andre] Russell, Bravo, [Lendl] Simmons seems easier. We have seen what all of them can do in the World T20 and we have seen what they can do in 50-over cricket. In order for us to not be scrambling to qualify for the next World Cup, we need to be winning and moving up the table. By September next year we [would] have gone up the table and entered an area where we don’t have to fight pre-tournament.

“There is a big hard line on the fact that these guys don’t play ten four-day games in order to be selected for Test cricket. And I can’t see any of these guys play ten four-day games without a contract from the WICB”

What is Clive Lloyd’s selection panel or the WICB telling you? Are they going to relax the condition about playing in the regional tournaments?
The panel has not spoken of late on this. The CEO [Michael Muirhead] had put out a statement, I don’t know how long back, saying that these guys are not going to be selected if they don’t play in the Super50, outlining that that is the board’s policy, so going forward perhaps that is another area we can review. Are you happy with the 15 Test players who were offered retainers in January? Did you have a say in the shortlist?
The list is done by the selectors. I don’t really comment about the list.Earlier this year, in Australia, you said: “It’s enjoyable to see Andre Russell bowling at 140 clicks, and Bravo hitting three or four sixes, and Chris back in it. It is frustrating that we don’t have them here playing the Test series.” How much have things changed now?
With all that is going on now, it is not going to change, because there is a big hard line on the fact that these guys don’t stay home and play ten four-day games in order to be selected for Test cricket. And it is not going to change because I can’t see any of these guys play ten four-day games without a contract from the WICB.What is the relationship you share with Richard Pybus, the WICB director of cricket?
Relationship is a difficult word. He communicates via emails but he has not spoken to me since the suspension. It’s sad because this is not about him or me, this is about West Indies cricket. There has not even been any personal or team congratulatory message on the World Cup win.What is the relationship you have with the WICB president?
It is the same thing. It was good when I first came in. I would get the occasional text message and I earned a big hug when we won the Test match in Barbados [against England], but since my suspension there has been no communication, not verbal nor written, and again no congratulatory message.Simmons to Samuels: “Whoever it is you wanted to fight with, whoever it is you wanted prove things to, you have answered them. You don’t need to do any more”•Getty ImagesIs it difficult to keep your chin up and motivate yourself since you are the captain of the ship, so to speak?
For me it is not difficult because the ship is West Indies cricket. The ship is not the president or the director of cricket or Phil Simmons. West Indies cricket means more to me than anything else. Especially working with the younger players, getting them to understand what they have to do at the international level, keeps my head up all the time. My professionalism also helps me to continually to put in my best in my job.What did you learn from the Australia tour, your first major overseas assignment?
We were murdered early on, but I enjoyed the fact that I could see there was improvement in the thought of what we had to do as players. In the second Test match, there was a big fight. For a long while we have not scored over 300 runs in an innings against the top nations, so it was good to see us doing it couple of times in the last two matches. For a long time we have not batted for 80-100 overs [in an innings].It is little things like that where you have to start with the Test team. You could see a lot of younger players started to understand what Test cricket is about. It was exceptional see how young [Darren] Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite batted, and it was exciting when Carlos Braithwaite made his debut [in Melbourne]. These were things to take from Australia.There seems to be a lack of leaders performing and leading successfully for long periods of time. Denesh Ramdin, Darren Bravo, even Samuels, have been around for a while but have never taken up the mantle convincingly.
When we came back from Australia, I thought: why have Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root gone so quickly up to the top of Test cricket? And you look at who they all played with when they came into Test cricket: Kohli had [Rahul] Dravid, [Sachin] Tendulkar around him. Williamson had Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor. Root had Alastair Cook and other senior players around him.I don’t know if we realise how massive these senior players are. When Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell came in, they both had Chris Gayle there in the dressing room. That helped them develop quicker, by talking and playing and practising with guys like that.We take longer to develop because we don’t have a lot of senior players in the team who will guide the younger guys. Kraigg Brathwaite is still developing as a Test cricketer; Bravo, the same thing, even though both have played quite a few Test matches. When we were playing, even the likes of the great Courtney Walsh and Sir Curtly Ambrose had the benefit of [drawing on] the experience of the late Malcolm Marshall, [Michael] Holding and [Joel] Garner to groom us. I had the likes of the greats [Gordon] Greenidge and [Desmond] Haynes on the field and in the dressing room. It was essential to our learning and development.Can you explain the difference between Samuels in Australia and Samuels in India?
Marlon played really well against England when I came in. He struggled in Sri Lanka and Australia, but he has just turned the corner a little. The World T20 lifted him a lot because he has had a lot of success in it in the past. He said also that some comments lifted him in the World T20.

“I would get the occasional text message from the [board] president, but since my suspension there has been no communication, not verbal nor written, and again no congratulatory message”

You rushed towards Samuels and held him as he went about shouting angrily immediately after West Indies beat England in the World T20 final. What did you say to him?
I just tried to hold him and say, “You have answered them. Whoever it is you wanted to fight with, whoever it is you wanted prove things to, you have answered them. You don’t need to do any more.”Have you spoken to Gayle about his desire to play Test cricket?
Chris had his back surgery [last year]. Based on what I have seen in the World T20, he is getting stronger. I am sure he will be fully fit soon and he can play Test cricket. But the statement has been made that you have to stay home and play ten four-day games in order to be selected for Test cricket. Chris has not retired from anything.Have you asked him whether he intends to play Test cricket in the time he has remaining as a player?
Chris wants to play everything. He wants to play every format of the game for West Indies. That is a huge thing that I have learned – that these guys want to play every format for West Indies.Clearly then the perception that some of them don’t want to play Test cricket is wrong?
It is just a perception. These guys want to play international cricket for West Indies and they want to see West Indies successful at the international level.Should West Indies schedule more T20Is to capitalise on the strength of their team in the format?
I sat down in December and saw teams having six T20Is before the World T20. We, along with Bangladesh and possibly Zimbabwe, were the only teams not to have enough T20I matches. I tried to get some more because we needed to play, but none was forthcoming. So we had little help in preparation and had to just make do.It is a no-brainer to capitalise on our T20 strength. It is like we are able to hit sixes but we are trying to win games with singles. You need to use what is your strength. West Indies cricket’s strength is limited-overs cricket and we need to be able to be at the top of the two formats and sell that thing in order for our company to grow. But I believe we see things differently. So again, looking forward maybe this is something we can work on and either agree to disagree or find a compromise.Do you fear for West Indies cricket?
Everybody who has put on the maroon cap and the maroon blazer feels for West Indies cricket. We have won few trophies, but we have a long way to go.What are the challenges ahead of you?
The immediate challenge is being able to get the best team on the park in all formats. The Caribbean is buzzing now. The more we win, the more people will want to play cricket and want to get back into cricket. For me, the real challenge is to get people to understand that this is the direction West Indies cricket should be taking. If I don’t get people to understand that, then I don’t know what is next.

Plays of the day from Sunrisers Hyderabad’s thumping win over Kings XI Punjab in Hyderabad

Nikhil Kalro23-Apr-2016Arithmetic progression – Part IDavid Miller and Glenn Maxwell’s dip in form this season has left Kings XI Punjab with a void in the middle overs. In their tournament opener against Gujarat Lions, they were dismissed by Dwayne Bravo in the space of three balls. In their next game against Delhi Daredevils, both fell within the space of four deliveries to Amit Mishra. On Saturday, they fell five deliveries apart to Moises Henriques. Kings XI lost all three matches.Arithmetic progression – Part IIMustafizur Rahman has been Sunrisers’ go-to bowler. He proved why against Kings XI. In his first over – the sixth of the innings – he produced a maiden, in which they had a wicket courtesy a run-out. He was reintroduced in the 14th over and brought out his variations of slow cutters and yorkers to concede just one. In his next over, he allowed just two singles. Mustafizur, then, conceded six off the last over to finish with figures of 2 for 9, the most economical spell of the season so far.The runs that weren’tIn the sixth over of Kings XI’s innings, Manan Vohra set off for a single after punching a length ball to cover. Marsh, at the non-striker’s end, realised there wasn’t a run on offer and sent Vohra back. Shikhar Dhawan picked the ball up cleanly and threw down the stumps at the batsman’s end. Vohra scurried back and would have made his ground had his bat not bounced up after a full-length dive.Immediately after David Warner’s blitz in the chase, Aditya Tare drove to mid-off and set off for his first IPL run for Sunrisers. The single wasn’t on, though, and Dhawan was in action again. Tare made a desperate lunge, but was well short even with a dive.With five to win, Moises Henriques jammed a yorker to midwicket. Deepak Hooda set off for a single before being turned down by his partner. Miller was quick on the opportunity and hit the stumps from close range at short midwicket in a single motion to find Hooda short.Warner’s straight batWarner’s exemplary form was on display in the third over of the chase. Sandeep Sharma’s first ball on a full length was lofted with a straight bat over wide long-off. On the fourth ball, Sandeep bowled a good-length delivery on off, and faced similar fate as Warner presented the full face of his bat to punch him over long-off.

The Supreme Court ruled in favour of implementing a majority of the Lodha proposals, setting in motion a major revamp of the way cricket is run in India

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jun-2016On July 18, 2016, the Supreme Court passed its final order on the case involving the BCCI and its implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.The Court had appointed the committee in January 2015 to look into the functioning of the Indian board and suggest changes to its constitution.On January 4, 2016, RM Lodha, the former Chief Justice of India, unveiled the three-man committee’s recommendations, which shook the hierarchy of BCCI and its member associations. Consequently, the BCCI and various state associations approached the Supreme Court raising objections to the recommendations.The final order of the two-judge bench comprising TS Thakur, the Chief Justice of India, and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla, signed off on most of the Lodha proposals, setting in motion a major revamp of the way cricket is run in India.The following is a summary of the case from the time the committee was appointed.Apr 14, 2015 – 82 questions for BCCIThe Lodha panel sends an 82-point questionnaire to the BCCI to understand how it functions and how it runs cricket in India.The questions were split into eight sections and covered an exhaustive set of topics from the role of the BCCI’s stakeholders to the board’s election processes, the basis and formation of its various committees, player welfare, conflict of interest and transparency in the IPL’s functioning.Jan 4, 2016 – Sweeping reforms unveiledThe Lodha committee recommends a complete overhaul of Indian cricket – from the very top down to the grassroots – affecting all its stakeholders.With special focus on BCCI’s governance and administrative structures, rather than its cricketing operations, the most important set of recommendations aims at transforming the board’s power structure.
The committee recommends one-state-one-vote, suggests clear and stringent eligibility criteria for the board’s office bearers and sets limits on their tenure in office. Serving ministers and bureaucrats or those above 70 years of age are not allowed to hold positions on the board nor in their state associations.Setting up of a players’ associationTaking cognizance of the fact India are the only country to not have a players’ body, the Lodha committee recommends the formation of a players’ association.A four-member standing committee chaired by former union home secretary GK Pillai and comprising former India cricketers Mohinder Amarnath, Anil Kumble and Diana Edulji, is appointed to “identify and invite all eligible ex-cricketers to be members, to open bank accounts, receive funds from the BCCI, conduct the first elections for office bearers, communicate the names of BCCI player nominees to the board.”Jan 7, 2016 – BCCI takes the first steps to acknowledge Lodha reportThree days after the Lodha committee report became public, Anurag Thakur, BCCI secretary at the time, sends an e-mail to all state associations asking them to study the report, determine how it affects each of them individually and submit their findings to the board by January 31.Feb 4, 2016 – Supreme Court sets deadline for BCCIHaving noticed the BCCI and the state associations delaying their formal response to the Lodha committee recommendations, the Supreme Court sets March 3rd as the deadline for the board to make their stance clear one way or another. “If you have any difficulty in implementing it [the reforms] we will have the Lodha Committee implement it for you,” Justice Thakur tells the BCCI counsel, a view he repeated several times.Anurag Thakur and the BCCI had accepted some of the changes that were recommended, but were adamantly against others like the one-state-one-vote and an age cap on administrators•PTI Feb 5, 2016 – BCCI continues to drag its feetWithout spelling his exact reservations, Thakur says the board is justified in taking time to study the Lodha committee’s report.”We need to understand it is not a one-page report. It is a detailed report, which will have a lot of consequences on the working and the functioning of the BCCI. A committee has taken close to 12 months to come up with it. We are taking close to two months to discuss, debate, and after deliberations come to a consensus to implement that report.”When the report came, I wrote a letter to all the state associations to call their meetings. Many state associations have already held their managing committee or working committee meetings. They are going to have their special general meetings before the BCCI’s special general meeting in the third week of February. So I think it is a due process. We are not slow at all. We are not shying away. We are not looking at any escape route.”Two days later, the BCCI finally calls for an SGM to discuss the Lodha reportFeb 19, 2016 – BCCI points out ‘anomalies’ in Lodha reportMore questions than answers arise when BCCI responds to the Lodha report. Its members cite “anomalies and difficulties” in implementing the recommendations. Thakur is asked to file an affidavit to counter the Lodha report in the Supreme Court.Feb 22, 2016 – Mumbai Cricket Association approaches SCThe state associations prepare to fire salvos against the Lodha commmittee. Mumbai Cricket Association, one of the oldest members of the BCCI, files an intervention stating the one-state-one-vote recommendation hurts the MCA. Mar 2, 2016 – BCCI details reservations against Lodha reportTwo days before the Supreme Court deadline, the BCCI files its affidavit, stating it has implemented some of the recommendations – appointing an ombudsman, addressing the issue of conflict of interest and advertising for a chief executive officer, a chief financial officer and other top management positions – but also lists several it does not agree with – the one-state-one-vote rule, age cap of 70 years for an office-bearer or a board official, limits on an office bearer’s and restriction on advertisements during Tests and ODIs.Mar 3, 2016 – Court takes exception to BCCI viewsAlthough the Court says it will ask the Lodha committee to reconsider some of the suggestions, it does not take pleasantly to the BCCI’s continued reluctance to change.On Thakur saying he was not consulted before the recommendations were finalised, the bench asks: “It was international news that we had formed the Justice Lodha committee to suggest reforms in cricket. The whole world knew it. Now you come to us and say the recommendations were a bolt from the blue for you and you were not consulted… What were you doing? Waiting at the fence for a written invitation?”Responding to the BCCI counsel’s argument that a cap on advertisements during a match would “cripple” the board’s income, Justice Thakur asks: “Do you mean that your commerce should overtake the enjoyment of the game?”Apr 5, 2016 – Court slams BCCI’s method of disbursing fundsHaving asked the BCCI and its state associations for an audited account of their books over the last five years and finding disparities in the distribution of funds between members, the Court slams the Indian board. “You function like ‘show me the face; I will make the payment…’ [The] impression that one gets is that you are practically corrupting the persons by not demanding how the money is spent… [It’s] like the moment you want a vote and their hands will go up,” Justice Thakur says.The BCCI appointed Justice AP Shah as ombudsman in November 2015•Hindustan TimesApr 8, 2016 – ‘Are you refusing to be reformed?’When BCCI counsel KK Venugopal says the board is beyond the purview of the Supreme Court since it is a trust, Justice Thakur counters, “What we understand is that you are suggesting that ‘I am answerable to Registrar of Societies. I will be accountable only to Registrar of the Society. I will be amenable to criminal law but I will not reform. Don’t ask me to reform.'”Is it possible? What have you done? We have seen the allegations of match-fixing and betting. You have no control over these. But you give money in crores. The Lodha committee has said something. It has been said to make the functioning more transparent and visible and the effort is to reform the BCCI.”Apr 19, 2016 – Court rebuffs BCCI take on one-state-one-voteWhen counsel for Baroda Cricket Association says implementing the one-state-one-vote recommendation would lead to “enormous politics” within the board, the bench disagrees. “You are right. Seven votes will come to northeast where there is no cricket that we know [of]. But we don’t know the game of seven votes. Can you elaborate what the politics will be?”Apr 26, 2016 – BCCI ‘running a prohibitory regime’The Court continues to use stern language with regard to BCCI and its state associations. “You are running a prohibitory regime, which is spread across the country,” it says. “You have complete monopoly. If any cricket club or association wants to do anything, we are least bothered. We are not here to reform every cricketing club. But if any institution which is discharging public duty like BCCI, then any organisation or association associated with it will have to reform itself.”Apr 29, 2016 – Court firm on the age cap of 70 for administrators“Why do you want to hold on to the reign for such a long time? Even the Supreme Court judges retire at 65,” Thakur tells Arvind Datar, senior counsel for the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). “You have been given five more years. You had a president [the late Jagmohan Dalmiya] who could not speak, could not communicate. Those who elected him [in 2015] did not see whom they were electing? These days, even in politics people are retiring.”Saying the Lodha committee is competent and can perform the “surgery” to repair Indian cricket administration, the court tells the counsel for Odisha Cricket Association: “After a certain age they [people over 70] must retire and do something else. They cannot head a society managing sports.”May 2, 2016 – ‘State associations will have to fall in line with Lodha reforms’The Court makes it categorically clear that the BCCI and all of its state associations will have to implement the Lodha reforms.”Once the BCCI is reformed it will go down the line and all cricket associations will have to reform themselves if they want to associate with it. The committee constituted in the wake of match-fixing and spot-fixing allegations was a serious exercise and not a futile exercise,” the two-judge bench says in response to an intervention plea filed by the Haryana Cricket Association stating the Lodha Committee’s remit was to only recommend changes.May 3, 2016 – ‘BCCI constitution incapable of achieving transparency’The Court says the BCCI constitution is “highly incapable of achieving the values of transparency, objectivity and accountability [such] that without changing its structure it can’t be done so.”June 30, 2016 – SC decision on Lodha panel report likely in three weeksThe Supreme Court reserves its judgement in the case concerning implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations by the BCCI. There is to be no further hearing in the case and the two-judge bench will submit the written judgement to the concerned parties before July 22.July 18, 2016 – SC accepts majority of the Lodha recommendationsThe Supreme Court rules in favour of implementing a majority of the Lodha Committee proposals, and gives the BCCI between four and six months to implement them. Lodha, the court says, will oversee the implementation process.July 20, 2016 – CAB, KSCA call off electionsThe Lodha Committee asks the BCCI to direct all state associations to put their annual elections on hold. Consequently, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) postpone their elections.The Lodha Committee had written to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri that only routine affairs could be handled at the AGM•Sajjad Hussain/AFPJuly 21, 2016 – Lodha Committee clarifies nine-year cap for state administratorsThe Lodha Committee makes it clear that office bearers, across the BCCI and state associations, who have completed nine years in the job cumulatively stand disqualified and cannot contest for another term.July 24, 2016 – Sharad Pawar announces he will step down as Mumbai Cricket Association presidentSharad Pawar becomes the first high-profile name to say he will step down as MCA president in accordance with the Lodha Committee recommendations.August 2, 2016 – BCCI appoints legal panel to liaise with Lodha CommitteeThe BCCI’s working committee approves a new legal panel as a “single point interface for the BCCI to interact with the Justice Lodha Committee” during the implementation of the report. Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju is appointed head the panel, which also includes BCCI’s counsel Abhinav Mukerjee.August 7, 2016 – Katju terms Supreme Court order “illegal”Five days into his new role, Justice Katju calls the July 18 order of Supreme Court “unconstitutional and illegal”. “There has been violation of principles of the [Indian] Constitution. Under our Constitution, we have legislature, executive and judiciary. There is broad separation of functions. It’s the legislature’s prerogative to make laws. If judiciary starts making laws, one is setting a dangerous precedent,” he says. The following day, the BCCI files a review petition in the Supreme Court against the July 18 order.August 9, 2016 – Lodha Committee issues first set of timelinesBCCI secretary Ajay Shirke meets the Lodha Committee and says the board will follow the timelines set by the Committee. He also states that the board has already begun implementing reforms. The deadline for the first phase is September 30.August 22, 2016 – BCCI announces AGM on September 21The BCCI announces it will conduct the annual general meeting on September 21. Lodha Committee says the AGM is “meaningless” unless the BCCI implements the recommendations.August 31, 2016 – Lodha Committee amends IPL Governing Council recommendationThe Lodha Committee withdraws its recommendation to have nominees of two franchises sit on the IPL Governing Council on a rotational basis. The BCCI had earlier pointed out that this move could lead to conflict of interest, which the Court said was “evident”.September 1, 2016 – Final set of deadlines for the BCCIThe Lodha Committee issues a second set of guidelines. The BCCI is directed to hold elections for the Apex Council – to replace the board’s highest-decision making body, the working committee – and conduct its AGM by December 15. The BCCI also has to form a fresh IPL governing council by December 30.September 12, 2016 – ICC refuses to get involved in BCCI-Lodha tussleICC’s chief executive David Richardson says that BCCI president Anurag Thakur had asked the global body to send a letter, asking the world governing body to clarify whether the reforms of the Lodha Committee did not amount to government interference in the running of the Indian board. However ICC chairman Shashank Manohar asks BCCI to “formally” send the request in writing.September 21, 2016 – BCCI defies Lodha Committee, pickes 5-member selection panelThe BCCI conducts its AGM and defies one part of the Lodha Committee’s order by picking a five-member selection pane for the men’s, women’s and junior teams as opposed to a three-member panel recommended by the Committee.September 28, 2016 – Lodha Committee asks Supreme Court to ‘supersede’ BCCI top brass, Court warns the boardThe Lodha Committee’s status report to the Supreme Court says that the BCCI has created “serious impediments” in the implementation of reforms and recommends that all existing office-bearers of the board be replaced by a caretaker panel of administrators.Chief Justice of India TS Thakur warns the board to implement the recommendations. “BCCI thinks it is law unto itself. We know how to get our orders implemented. BCCI thinks it is the lord. You better fall in line or we will make you fall in line,” Thakur says, giving the board a week to respond.The BCCI files a new application, pleading for the Court’s July 18 order to be suspended until the Court hears the board’s review and curative petitions against the mandatory implementation of most of the recommendations.September 30, 2016 – BCCI misses first Lodha deadlineThe BCCI misses the first deadline of September 30, and fails to adopt the Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations at its SGM, which would trigger the implementation of the Lodha recommendations. Meanwhile two full members of the board, the Tripura Cricket Association and the Vidarbha Cricket Association, unanimously adopt the reforms. The board SGM is pushed to October 1.October 1, 2016 – BCCI cherry-picks Lodha recommendationsAt the SGM, the BCCI agrees to implement important recommendations, but key reforms – the age restriction of 70 years for board officials, the tenure cap of nine years with cooling-off periods, and the one-state-one-vote policy, among others – are missing from the list.October 3, 2016 – Lodha Committee asks banks to halt two BCCI transactionsThe Lodha Committee asks two Indian banks – Yes Bank and Bank of Maharashtra – not to disburse funds from the BCCI accounts to the state associations with regard to two financial decisions taken at the board’s emergent working committee meeting on September 30.October 6, 2016 – BCCI given a day to fall in lineThe Supreme Court asks the BCCI to submit an undertaking that it will “unconditionally” implement all the court-approved recommendations of the Lodha Committee by October 7. The court indicates that if the board fails to do so, its office bearers could be replaced with a panel of administrators.October 7, 2016 – Defiant state associations face funding cutsIn an interim order, the Supreme Court says no further money should be given to state associations unless they pass a resolution to implement the Lodha committee’s recommendations.The interim order stated BCCI had adopted an “an obstructionist and at times a defiant attitude which the Committee has taken note of and described as an impediment undermining not only the Committee but even the dignity of this Court with several statements and actions which according to the Committee are grossly out of order and may even constitute contempt.”BCCI president Anurag Thakur is also asked by the court to submit a personal affidavit clarifying whether he had sought ICC intervention against implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.October 15, 2016 – BCCI opposition continuesAt an emergency meeting in Delhi, the board and its members cited “practical difficulties” in implementing the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. It is learnt that neither the BCCI nor its state associations could pass a resolution without a two-third majority.October 17, 2016 – Court reserves order on Lodha Committee status reportThe Supreme Court reserves its order on the Lodha Committee’s status report, which recommended the BCCI office bearers be “superseded” and a panel of administrators appointed to implement the court-approved recommendations. The court calls such a measure “extreme” but does not relent to the BCCI’s request for more time.Anurag Thakur files an affidavit denying he had sought a letter from the ICC saying the Lodha Committee’s recommendations were “tantamount” to government interference in the working of the board.October 18, 2016 – Supreme Court adjourns review petition hearingThe Supreme Court adjourns the hearing of the review petition filed by the BCCI in August challenging the July 18 order that approved the recommendations of the Lodha Committee.October 21, 2016 – Supreme Court limits BCCI’s financial freedomThe Supreme Court passes an order that limits the BCCI’s financial freedom and power until the board and its state associations comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations; it directs the BCCI not to distribute funds to its state associations until they submit affidavits stating compliance with the recommendations to the court and the Lodha Committee. It also asks BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to meet the Lodha Committee before November 3.November 21, 2016 – Lodha Committee seeks SC nod to remove BCCI office bearersThe Lodha Committee proposes to the Supreme Court that all existing office bearers of the BCCI as well as the state associations who do not satisfy the approved criteria be “disqualified” with immediate effect.December 2, 2016 – BCCI continues to oppose certain reformsNotwithstanding the strong missive sent by the Lodha Committee to the Supreme Court asking it to disqualify all ineligible office bearers with immediate effect, the BCCI and its members reiterate, in a Special General Meeting, that they continue to oppose some of the committee’s recommendations.December 15, 2016 – Anurag Thakur faces possibility of perjury chargeThe Supreme Court of India says there is, on first impression, a charge of perjury that can be laid against BCCI president Anurag Thakur and the board’s general manager of game development Ratnakar Shetty for lying under oath.January 2, 2017 – Supreme Court removes Thakur, Shirke from top BCCI postsBCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke are removed from their posts by the Supreme Court of India at a hearing in Delhi. The court says a committee of administrators would be appointed on January 19 to oversee the business operations of the BCCI. That committee will be finalised by the pair of amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium and Fali S Nariman.January 30, 2017 – Supreme Court names administrators to supervise BCCIThe Supreme Court appoints four eminent personalities from varying backgrounds to oversee the running of the BCCI until the board can hold fresh elections for office bearers as per the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. The panel consists of Ramachandra Guha, the historian and cricket writer, Diana Edulji, the former India women’s captain, Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and Vikram Lamaye, CEO and managing director of IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation).