WICB: No word on ICC investigation
This after the ICC confirmed receiving a letter from Lalit Modi alleging that three Indian Premier League players Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo received illegal payments -- in cash and in kind.
2015 News Archive
Bowlers benefit from ODI rule changes
In a move to give bowlers a bit of breathing room in 50-overs cricket, the ICC board has decided to do away with catching fielders in the first ten overs, get rid of the batting Powerplay, and allow five fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs of an ODI innings. The other notable change that will take place from July 5 will see free hits awarded for all no balls in ODI and T20 internationals, not just when bowlers overstep.
These changes to the playing conditions were part of the recommendations made this May by the ICC's cricket committee headed by the former India captain Anil Kumble. David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, said the modifications were made to make the "game simpler" for the fan and were approved by the ICC's chief executive committee and further ratified by the ICC Board at the annual conference in Barbados this week.
"What we tried to do is make the game simpler for the fan and at the same time try and at least claw back a little bit of balance in favour of the bowlers especially in the last ten overs of the innings," Richardson said during a media conference on Friday. "So to that end we have got rid of the requirement to have compulsory close catchers in the first ten overs."
GAYLE STORM DAMPENS ZOUKS' FIRE!
Chris Gayle produced a virtuoso performance with the bat once again as he led his Jamaica Tallawahs side to a comprehensive 10-wicket win over the St Lucia Zouks - their first win of the 2015 Hero Caribbean Premier League.
Gayle clubbed an unbeaten 90 off only 36 balls - reaching his 50 off 20 - as the Tallawahs easily chased down the Zouks' 118-9, using up only 10 of their alloted overs!
Chadwick Walton - who scored 25 off 25 balls - and Gayle also put on the Tallawahs' first century partnership as they moved into third place in the 2015 Hero CPL.
ICC confirms acting on Modi's corruption lead
The ICC has confirmed receiving from Lalit Modi a letter that claimed that three top and regular IPL players received illegal payments - in cash and in kind - from an Indian business house. The former IPL chairman made the allegation in June 2013. The ICC has said it passed on the letter, as per procedure, to the ACSU, which in turn forwarded it to the BCCI's anti-corruption unit. It was not clear whether the investigation had been completed, and whether the said players had been cleared of the charges.
Curiously, this letter was not revealed by Modi, who has been on a contentious-document-sharing spree on Twitter ever since top politicians in the country came under fire for helping him out with travel documents. Instead, this was a tweet sent to Modi by a user with the handle @shyamswami158. This was also the first tweet from the account, posting an image of the letter and asking the question, "Whadya hav to say about this @LalitKModi ? Wat was @ICC response ..... This is shocking!!!!" Modi's response to the tweet from @shyamswami158 was: "Ask @Icc @Bcci @Ipl why ask me. This is highly confidential. You should not be tweeting this".
Read the full article at ESPNcricinfo
WICB confirms Zimbabwe tri-series in August
West Indies will take part in a tri-series in Zimbabwe in August-September along with the hosts and Pakistan, the WICB has confirmed. It means there could be a straight contest between the two visiting sides for the eighth and last Champions Trophy spot, although the PCB and Zimbabwe Cricket are yet to confirm the scheduling of the series.
West Indies and Pakistan are currently ranked eighth and ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, with only a point separating them. Only the top-seven sides as on September 30, apart from hosts England, will make it to the 2017 Champions Trophy.