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After Champions Trophy triumph, India only thinking of moving up: Dhoni

After Champions Trophy triumph, India only thinking of moving up: DhoniKingston (Jamaica, West Indies): Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said his team will only be thinking of moving in one direction, and that is "up", when taking on the West Indies and Sri Lanka in a 13-day tri-series tournament that gets underway in the West Indies from Friday.

Participating in captains interaction with the media here ahead of the tri-series, Dhoni said: "The expectations will pretty much remain the same when it comes to Indian cricket..if things are moving, it will only move in one direction which is up."

Dhoni, who was speaking just days after India had won the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in the United Kingdom, further said: "What is very important for us is not to look too far ahead. We will take it series by series."

"We have just finished a world tournament in the UK, and now, we are in the West Indies. First, we will have to see the two teams which are ahead of us. The performance was really good in the UK, but we need to continue."

It maybe recalled that India beat England in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy by five runs.

Apart from Dhoni, West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo and Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said they were upbeat about their chances in the CELKON Mobile Cup tournament.

All three promised some exciting and entertaining cricket for Caribbean fans.

Bravo, Dhoni and Mathews pledged to bring their "A" game in the June 28 to July 11 tournament.

"It is going to be a fantastic series. We are all excited to get going. Going head-to-head with India and Sri Lanka, we know it will be a great series. We know we can expect the carnival atmosphere and that is one of the things the gets us fired up when we play at home in the Caribbean," Bravo said.

"I am looking forward to leading my team to great things and to make the people of the Caribbean proud. Playing at home is always good where we have the support of our hands," Bravo added.

Mathews, who led Sri Lanka into the semi-finals in the ICC Champions Trophy, described his side as the underdogs, but added that they would be looking to play to their strengths.

"We know we are up against two huge teams - they are the two current champions of the T20 and the 50-over World Cups. To match them we need to play some really good cricket and play to our strengths," said the allrounder, who is preparing for his 98th ODI on Friday.

"We feel like the underdogs but I think I have the team to well in this format and I have confidence in my players and my team - I am getting a lot of support from all the senior guys and the junior guys," Mathews said.

The tournament - which will feature seven matches in 13 days - bowls off on Friday when West Indies clash with Sri Lanka at Sabina Park at 8 p.m. Indian Standard Time.

IPL Spot-fixing: Delhi Police arrests main bookie Jitendra Singh

IPL Spot-fixing: Delhi Police arrests main bookie Jitendra SinghNew Delhi: Delhi Police arrests Jitendra Singh alias Jeetu, alleged main bookie in IPL spot fixing scam.

He was arrested from Ahmedabad and will be produced in Saket Court shortly.

Chandresh Patel who was arrested earlier by the Delhi Police was working with Jitendra.

Earlier on Wednesday, hearing on the bail pleas of suspended Rajasthan Royals' player Ajit Chandila and two others in the IPL spot-fixing scandal case was deferred by a Delhi court today till July 1.

Besides Chandila, Additional Sessions Judge Raj Rani Mitra also adjourned the hearing on the bail applications of accused bookies Ramesh Vyas and Deepak Kumar.

Police has opposed the bail applications, saying the accused should not be granted relief as they were following the command of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and were running the syndicate at their behest in south and north India.

The Delhi Police on May 16 had arrested three cricketers — S Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of Rajasthan Royals' — on charges of spot-fixing.

The Delhi Police had slapped provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan and on 25 others in the case, alleging that they were acting under the command of Dawood and Chhota Shakeel.

In the same case, the court had on June 10 granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others on the ground of lack of evidence against them to be charged under MCOCA. At present, seven accused are in jail.

Pietersen`s comeback washed out as New Zealand take series

Pietersen`s comeback washed out as New Zealand take seriesLondon: Kevin Pietersen`s return to England duty saw him fail to take any part in a washed-out Twenty20 match at The Oval that gave New Zealand a 1-0 series win.

Only two balls had been bowled yesterday, with England two for one, when rain stopped play after Michael Lumb was caught at second slip by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum off left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan.

Rain prevented all further attempts at a re-start, with officials seeing plans for a six-overs-per-side match starting at 9.03pm local time (2003GMT) thwarted by a fresh downpour.

The no-result, in what was the final match of their tour, gave New Zealand the two-match series 1-0 after their five-run win at The Oval on Tuesday and followed their 2-1 one-day series success.

However, England took the preceding Test series 2-0.

England made two changes from the side that lost the first of this two-match series by five runs at The Oval on Tuesday.

Pietersen was included in an England side for the first time following a knee injury that forced his early exit from the tour of New Zealand in March.

The former England captain was sidelined from all cricket until making a superb unbeaten 177 for Surrey in a County Championship match last weekend.

But he took no active part yesterday and will now turn his attention to England`s Ashes four-day warm-up match against Essex at Chelmsford starting on Sunday.

England begin the defence of the Ashes against Australia with the first Test at Trent Bridge on July 10.

South Africa-born Pietersen, 33, replaced stand-in captain Eoin Morgan, who led England on Tuesday in the absence of the rested Stuart Broad, after the former Ireland international was ruled out with a right hand injury.

Kent off-spinner James Tredwell captained England for the first time but had still to lead the side in the field after losing the toss.

Left-arm spinner Danny Briggs, a key member of English domestic Twenty20 champions Hampshire`s side, replaced seamer Chris Woakes, whose one over on Tuesday cost 19 runs.

Watson relishes Ashes opening role

 Watson relishes Ashes opening roleLondon: Shane Watson is fired up by the prospect of opening for Australia in the upcoming Ashes series in England, the all-rounder said.

Australia`s squad contains several openers but new coach Darren Lehmann has said he wants Watson at the top of the order.

Watson did his best to play himself into some sort of form with a rapid 90, off just 94 balls and including 20 fours, on the second day of Australia`s tour match against Somerset at Taunton on Thursday as the visitors closed on 266 for four in reply to the west country county`s 320.

After a rain-shortened day, Watson spoke of his delight at the vote of confidence he`d received from former Australia batsman Lehmann, brought in after South African Mickey Arthur was sensationally sacked just 16 days before the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on July 10.

"It`s nice to get that confirmation and it`s a hugely exciting challenge for me," said Watson, one of four players controversially dropped during the 4-0 Test series loss in India in March for failing to provide written feedback on the team`s performance requested by Arthur.
"Darren is very up front about things, from my experience of him, but he also does care when he needs to," added Watson yesterday. He is black and white in a really good way.

"It`s nice for me personally to know I have the backing of the coach and the opportunity to open is something I am very excited about.

"I didn`t know exactly what my role would be until Darren took over as coach. I had a few chats with Michael Clarke and Mickey Arthur about it, but there was no confirmation.

"Darren has been more definite about where he wants me to bat. It doesn`t mean any more security because if I am not performing I can`t expect to get picked. But I`m very happy about it.”

England hold the Ashes after a 3-1 series win in Australia in 2010/11 and also won the preceding Ashes clash in England in 2009.

Much of their recent success against Australia has been built on penetrative swing and seam bowling, with Watson saying England`s attack represented the "ultimate challenge" for an opener, a role he was thrust into in 2009.

"Taking on the quicks with a brand new ball is something I never knew I would enjoy until the last Ashes series here in 2009," he said.

"Ricky Ponting gave me the opportunity through the middle of that series and it`s something I did and do love.

"I feel my game and my mentality is now suited to opening the batting.

"The English quicks are as good as there are in the world at the moment and have been for the last few years.

"It is the ultimate challenge to take on the best bowlers with a brand new ball in what sometimes will be bowler-friendly conditions.

"If I can`t get up for that, there is no point in playing."

As for his bowling, the 32-year-old medium-pacer added: "Certainly opening the batting means I can`t bowl as much. But I know I can contribute with the ball and I do love bowling."

As for Australia`s chances of regaining the Ashes, Watson said: "We are obviously the underdogs coming into the series and we haven`t played well, especially in India a few months ago.

"We know we are going to have to be at our best very consistently throughout the series to have the success we want. England have a very good side, which has been the case for quite a while now.

"It`s going to be a massive challenge for us and we are all very excited about it."

ICC`s ACSU to recommend stronger anti-corruption laws

ICC`s ACSU to recommend stronger anti-corruption lawsLondon: In order to prosecute players, match officials and franchise owners found guilty of corrupt practices in domestic T20 leagues such as IPL, the ICC`s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) is likely to recommend stronger anti-corruption laws to its members.

Sir Ronnie Flannagan, the chairman of the ACSU, is expected to address these concerns during ICC`s annual conference that had begun here yesterday.

According to `ESPNcricinfo`, Flannagan is expected to highlight the threats and challenges, and give recommendations to ICC members on how to curb the dangers of corruption in cricket.

These concerns come in the wake of various scandals relating to spot-fixing and betting in lucrative domestic T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).

Taking the investigations in IPL spot-fixing scandal forward, the Delhi Police`s Special Cell has examined more cricketers, including a left-arm bowler, who plays from Uttar Pradesh and is part of an IPL team from South India, in the last few days.

So far, Delhi Police has arrested three cricketers -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan and have made another cricketer Sidharth Trivedi a witness in the case.

The cops have also arrested a large number of bookies including Ashwini Aggarwal alias Tinku Mandi and Ramesh Vyas and Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra was also questioned. Delhi Police had claimed that Kundra had bet during IPL matches.

Chennai Super Kings `Team Principal` Gurunath Meiyappan, was also arrested for alleged involvement in betting before being granted bail.

In Bangladesh, Mohammad Ashraful confessed to indulging in corrupt practices during the BPL.

Indian team leaves for West Indies

Indian team leaves for West IndiesLondon: After lifting the Champions Trophy with a remarkable unbeaten run here, the victorious Indian cricket team on Wednesday departed for Jamaica to compete in an ODI tri-series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka starting June 28.

"Off to jamaica nw,,, Nxt mission ahead ,had a lovely time in England....," tweeted all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with a picture of his boarding pass.

"On board to Jamaica,with the new speed gun that`s joined us," said off-spinner R Ashwin on his twitter handle with a picture of Mohammed Shami, who replaced an injured Irfan Pathan in the team.


The first three matches of the series would be played in Jamaica (from June 28 to July 2) before the action shifts to Trinidad (from July 5 to July 11).



India will open their campaign against the West Indies on June 30.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar.

Mumbai may get Çhacha-bhatija duo in Ranji Trophy

 
Mumbai may get <i>Çhacha-bhatija</i> duo in Ranji TrophyZee Media Bureau

Mumbai: Taking a cue from the national selectors, it seems the new panel of Mumbai selectors are giving youngsters a chance to prove their mettle. The list of Mumbai probables for upcoming Ranji Trophy includes young Arman Jaffer who interestingly might get an opportunity to play with his uncle Wasim Jaffer in the same team.

This Çhacha-bhatija duo was selected by the committee chaired by former opener Sudhir Naik. Fourteen year old Arman might get the golden opportunity to be on the same side as Sachin Tendulkar. He will also get an opportunity to face Zaheer Khan and Dhaval Kulkarni at the nets.

Wasim Jaffer, considered to be one of the finest batsmen in domestic cricket, expressed his happiness over the inclusion of his nephew in the team. “This is a very good step by the selectors. They have shown faith in youngsters”, Jaffer told a leading newspaper.

Arman has made a name for himself in past few years with his sensational batting performances. He scored a record 498 runs for Rizvi Springfield in the Giles Shield final in 2010, and rustled up 473 this February in the Harris Shield final. This season, Arman catapulted Mumbai U-16 team to the Vijay Merchant title by scoring 1046 runs with four hundreds and eight fifties — in six games. This was the first time a batsman had scored more than 1,000 runs in that tournament.

Promoting the young brigade, Arman`s 15-year-old schoolmate Sarfaraz Khan, too has made it to the probables list. "From now, we want to blood youngsters right away so that they are eligible to play for India soon. We want to increase Mumbai`s representation in the Indian team," said an MCA official.

Arman`s father-cum-coach Kalim Jaffer is excited about the prospect of his seeing his brother and son in the same team. "I want to see Arman bat in the middle with his uncle Wasim. I want Arman to gain from Wasim`s experience of building an innings and batting when the team is under pressure," said Kalim.

IPL spot-fixing: Bail plea of Chandila, others deferred till July 1

IPL spot-fixing: Bail plea of Chandila, others deferred till July 1New Delhi: Hearing on the bail pleas of suspended Rajasthan Royal`s player Ajit Chandila and two others in the IPL spot-fixing scandal case was today deferred by a Delhi court on Wednesday till July 1.

Besides Chandila, Additional Sessions Judge Raj Rani Mitra also adjourned the hearing on the bail applications of accused bookies Ramesh Vyas and Deepak Kumar.

"The present bail applications are adjourned for July 1," the court said.


The court deferred hearing on the applications, after the counsel for the accused sought adjournment, requesting it to list the applications for July 1 with the other co-accused.

Next week, the court will also hear the bail applications of bookies Ashwani Aggarwal, Sunil Bhatia, Firoz Farid Ansari and an ex-Ranji player Baburao Yadav.

Police has opposed the bail applications, saying the accused should not be granted relief as they were following the command of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and were running the syndicate at their behest in south and north India.

The police had opposed Chandila`s bail plea, saying he was a "key conspirator" in the entire IPL spot-fixing case and was acting at the behest of a syndicate run by Dawood.



The Delhi Police on May 16 had arrested three cricketers -- S Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of Rajasthan Royal`s -- on charges of spot-fixing.

The Delhi Police had slapped provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan and on 25 others in the case, alleging that they were acting under the command of Dawood and Chhota Shakeel.

In the same case, the court had on June 10 granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others on the ground of lack of evidence against them to be charged under MCOCA. At present, seven accused are in jail.

Indian squad for West Indies tri-series remains unchanged

Indian squad for West Indies tri-series remains unchangedNew Delhi: The national selectors on Monday decided to retain the Indian squad that is currently taking part in the Champions Trophy for the upcoming tri-series in West Indies starting June 28.

The third team of the tri-series is Sri Lanka and the matches will be played in Antigua, Jamaica and Trinidad.

With the Indian team performing brilliantly in the ongoing Champions Trophy where they have qualified for the semi-finals with an all-win record in the group league stages, any changes in the current team was simply out of question.

Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar.

IPL spot-fixing: Ajit Chandila sent to 3-day police custody

IPL spot-fixing: Ajit Chandila sent to 3-day police custodyZee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Cricketer Ajit Chandila was sent to 3-day police custody by Delhi court on Monday for interrogation under provisions of MCOCA in IPL spot-fixing case.

On Friday, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had opposed Chandila’s bail plea saying he was a "key conspirator" in the entire case and was acting at the behest of a syndicate run by gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Delhi Police May 16 arrested three Rajasthan Royals players - S. Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan on spot fixing charges. 25 others were subsequently arrested.

More to follow...

Hard for Warner to retain Test spot: Clarke

Hard for Warner to retain Test spot: ClarkeSydney: Captain Michael Clarke says it will be difficult for errant batsman David Warner to hold his place in the Australian side for next month`s first Ashes Test after his bar room punch-up with England`s Joe Root.

Writing in Sydney`s Daily Telegraph on Monday, he said Warner`s actions were an unwelcome distraction at the beginning of a four-and-a-half month tour of England and he must work hard to win back the trust of his teammates and Australian fans.

The explosive opener was fined Aus$11,500 ($11,000) and suspended until the start of the Ashes series by Cricket Australia last Thursday for the incident during the ongoing Champions Trophy.

Warner will miss the rest of title-holders Australia`s involvement in the tournament and their two warm-up matches before he is again available for the first Test against England at Nottingham, which starts on July 10.


But Clarke said it would be difficult for opener Warner to keep his place, given what has happened.

"David has been punished and must now suffer the consequences," he wrote in his newspaper column.

"He will miss most of the Champions Trophy and our two lead-up games before the first Test at Trent Bridge, making it difficult for him to retain his place in the Test side.

"David has accepted the punishment and knows he must work hard for the remainder of the tour to win back the trust of his teammates and Australia`s cricket-loving public," he added.

Clarke, who has been away from Australia`s one-day team for treatment on a troublesome back, said they could not afford a repeat of such incidents if they were to regain the Ashes.

"I have made it clear to David that his behaviour is not acceptable for an Australian cricketer," he said.

"The other five guys who were out drinking with David also know they made a poor decision.

"If you haven`t got a reason to celebrate you shouldn`t be out at 2:30am and you shouldn`t be drinking with the opposition who have just beaten you."



Clarke said that sent out the wrong message, adding "as proud Australians it should hurt when you lose".

"There is an enormous difference between being on the winning side of an Ashes series and losing. I know which side of that ledger I want to be on come the end of August.

"He (Warner) has let the team down and all of those at home who love and support Australian cricket."

Our batting let us down, says Brendon McCullum

Our batting let us down, says Brendon McCullumCardiff: New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum blamed his team`s batsmen for the 10-run defeat against England in a rain-hit Champions Trophy group match which severely jeopardised their chances of making the semifinals.

"It was a huge moment for us but we let the opportunity pass," he said in a post-match chat.

New Zealand lost half their batting side for 62 runs in the 24th over and managed to put up a fight only after Kane Williamson struck a 54-ball 67 and stitched 73 runs for the sixth wicket with debutant Corey Anderson at the Sophia Gardens on Sunday.


"Our batting needs work. There was pressure after we lost early wickets and the England pacers really bowled well," McCullum said.

The Kiwi skipper didn`t make an issue of the controversial Stuart Broad no-ball that claimed the wicket of Williamson.

TV replays showed Broad`s heel clearly overstepped the line, but Williamson was given out.

"It was close, real close. Sometimes the rub of the green doesn`t go your way. But that`s the way it goes," McCullum said.

Williamson was unhappy that New Zealand got close but could not finish the job.



"It`s a shame that we lost our wickets at key times. We lost our momentum every time a wicket went down."

The 22-year-old Williamson, who has played for Gloucestershire, said he was too wary of James Anderson`s incoming deliveries.

"The challenge of the scoreboard was too much and there was no time to think of him," he said.

New Zealand (three points from three matches) now await the outcome of today`s last group A ICC Champions Trophy match between Sri Lanka and Australia.

Only an Australian win will bring the Kiwis back in the reckoning for a spot in the semis.

"Really like Australia to play some excellent cricket against Lanka," McCullum said jokingly, but on a serious note added: "Can`t expect Australia to do us a favour. We didn`t take our opportunities at the end of the day."

2013 Champions Trophy Live score: India vs West Indies

2013 Champions Trophy Live score: India vs West IndiesLive score and live updates of India’s second match of the Champions Trophy against West Indies. Follow our live match updates.

LIVE SCORECARD» | LIVE COMMENTARY»

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West Indies 182/8 (Over 45): Final 10 overs of Windies innings. Ishant to bowl the 41st over. Indians have kept Windies searching for runs today. They have been brilliant on the field today. Just three runs from the over. Jadeja is back. Off the fourth delivery, Sammy survived a scare as a direct hit from Jadeja had him diving to complete a quick single. The resulting overthrow saw him add one more to his total. Jadeja produced a sharp turn off his final delivery that went into the hands of Ashwin at first slip. Even Sammy seemed amused by the amount of turn. Three runs from the over. Ishant into his ninth over. OUT! Pollard has been caught by Bhuvneshwar at long on. It was a full delivery from the pacer and Pollard launched it over long on but found the fielder. He scored 22 (32b, 6X2). Sunil Narine is the new man in the middle. Two runs and a wicket in the over. Jadeja continues. OUT! And he picks up yet another wicket. This time it is southpaw Sunil Narine who was caught at covers by Dinesh Karthik. He was looking to loft this but got a leading edge that flew to covers. He scored 2 (8b). Ravi Rampaul is the new batsman at the crease. Six runs and a wicket in the over. Umesh is back. Just three runs from his eighth over.
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West Indies 165/6 (Over 40): Batting powerplay taken. Ashwin has bowled well today. Two of Windies best limited overs batsmen are at the crease now. Pollard opens his account in style after playing 10 dot deliveries. He launches a fuller delivery from Ashwin straight over his head for a six. The next one is bigger as Pollard hits the sixth delivery over long on boundary for another maximum. 13 runs from the over. Ishant Sharma is back. Two singles and a couple from it. Yadav is back. A good chase in the deep by Raina prevents a boundary as Pollard adds three more runs to his total off the fourth delivery. OUT! Off the penultimate delivery, Bravo goes for the big shot but finds Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket boundary. It was a short one from Yadav and Bravo employed the pull. However, he was caught giving Yadav his first wicket in the match. Bravo scored 26 (40b, 4X3). Darren Sammy is the new man in the middle. Five runs and a wicket in the over. Ishant to bowl his seventh over. He has also bowled well today but hasn't picked up a wicket. Nevertheless, has kept up the pressure from his end. Just one run from the over. Yadav to bowl the final over of the powerplay. Just one run in it. The Windies began powerplay with a bang but ended it with a whimper. They managed 24 runs in them.
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West Indies 141/5 (Over 35): Virat Kohli is back. Facing him is left-handed Darren Bravo. His first delivery is short and outside off. The batsman drives but Jadeja is quick as a cat and prevents some runs. Three runs scored off the next four. The sixth delivery from Kohli is short and Dwayne pulls it away for a boundary. Seven runs from that over. Spin from both the ends in operation now. Another tight over from Ashwin. Just two from it. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns. He has picked up a wicket today. No run off his first three deliveries. Off the fourth, Dwayne opens the face of the bat and the ball runs down to the third man boundary. Dhawan throws and by that time, Dwayne has completed a single. A single off the sixth takes the total from the over to two. OUT! And Darren's struggle has come to an end as he has been dismissed by R Ashwin off his first delivery of the 34th over. He charged down the ground but changed his shot on seeing the trajectory of the delivery. He was outfoxed, got beaten and Dhoni quickly removed the bails. He scored 35 (83b, 4X2). Kieron Pollard is the new man in the middle. Ashwin ends the over without conceding a run. Kumar continues. Just one in the over. Time for drinks break.
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West Indies 129/4 (Over 30): The Bravo brothers have a lot riding on the shoulders. They have to not only stem the flow of wickets but also need to rebuild the innings. The situation is not that tense but the rate at which the Indians are picking wickets could soon land them in some serious trouble. Meanwhile, Jadeja continues. Four singles in the over. Umesh Yadav returns for another spell. First three are dot balls. While off the fourth, Dwayne picks up a single. Just two from the over. Ashwin returns and bowls a maiden. In the next, Yadav concedes a boundary off his first delivery as Dwayne Bravo plays glances it to fine leg boundary. Off the fourth, Dwayne plays a sumptuous straight drive as the ball runs past the bowler for another boundary. Eight runs from it. Off the next from Ashwin, Windies could only manage a single.
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West Indies 114/4 (Over 25): Marlon Samuels in the new man in the middle. Ishant Sharma has been brought back into the attack straight after India picked up their second wicket. And he being his second spell with a maiden. OUT! Jadeja continues and picks up another wicket. His sixth delivery struck Samuels on the pad. The Indians appealed and umpire turned it down. The Indians went for a review and replays suggested that the ball had struck the pad first and that it would have gone on to hit the stumps. Consequently, the decision was overturned and Samuels had to walk back to the pavilion. He scored 1 (8b). Ramnaresh Sarwan is the new batsman in the middle. Ishant continues. He has been warned for running running on the danger area. Just one run from the over. OUT! Jadeja continues and well, well well, he has picked his third wicket in his third over! His sixth delivery was on the leg and Sarwan went after it and only managed a nick that was caught by wicketkeeper Dhoni. Sarwan scored 1 (6b). Dwayne Bravo is the new man in the middle. Ishant continues. And a lucky boundary for Darren Bravo as the ball flies over the head of Dhoni after Ishant banged one short and he could only manage an edge while attempting a pull. Five runs from the over.
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West Indies 104/2 (Over 20): Ashwin continues. Just three singles from his third over. Off the third delivery of the next over by Kohli, Charles played an inside out shot over covers that landed over wide of long off boundary. Off the next delivery, Charles took a single and that brought up his maiden ODI fifty. Nine runs came in the over. Drinks followed that over. Ravindra Jadeja introduced into the attack right after the break. His first was a maiden. Off the second delivery of the 19th over, Windies collected four runs courtesy an overthrow from Ishant Sharma from third man boundary. Ashwin's fifth was a floater and Charles, charged forward lofting it over long-on boundary for another maximum. 10 runs came off it. OUT! Jadeja got India the breakthrough they were desperately looking for in his second over with the wicket of Johnson Charles was was struck square in front of the wickets. That was an easy decision for the umpire as he quickly raised his finger. Charles scored 60 (55b, 4X7, 6X2). Just two runs and a wicket in the over.
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West Indies 80/1 (Over 15): West Indies are steadily moving forward with the pair of Charles and Bravo playing the waiting game. Off the third delivery of the 11th over, Charles got an edge that ran down to the third man fence for a four. That over got them eight runs. Spin in Ravichandran Ashwin was introduced in the 12th over. After two singles from his first three deliveries, he nearly pulled off a stunning catch off his own bowling as Charles charged down the ground, got a leading edge to short mid on and Ashwin made a valiant diving effort but the ball landed well out of his grasp. Four runs were added to the total from his first six. Dhoni then threw the rock to Virat Kohli. Three singles came off his first three deliveries. The fourth was a leg cutter and Charles was struck on the pad. The Indians appealed loudly but that was missing leg stump. Five runs from that over. Just three runs came in the next over of Ashwin. The 15th over was turning out to be another tight one but for Charles who swept the penultimate delivery for another boundary. Five runs from that over of Kohli.
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West Indies 55/1 (Over 10): Johnson Charles (26*) scored three boundaries in the 10th over and two boundaries in the 9th over bowled by Umesh Yadav to break the shackles and got the momentum back to the West Indian batting after they lost Chris Gayle in the 5th over. Johnson Charles suddenly took the attack to the opposition after they were struggling at 33/1 after 8 overs. Yadav proved costly so far as his three overs cost 26 runs. After 10 overs, West Indies were 55/1.
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West Indies 25/1 (Over 5): West Indies have made a sound start through their openers- Chris Gayle and Johnson Charles- after having lost the toss and batting first under an overcast condition at The Oval. Despite Bhuvneshwan Kumar’s probing 3-over spell, Chris Gayle looked to be in ominous form, already hitting four fours. Umesh Yadav’s first over cost 11 runs and Ishant Sharma soon replaced him after that in the 4th over. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar had the final laugh as he removed a dangerous looking Gayle off the last ball of the 5th over for an 18-ball 21. After 5 overs, the West Indies were 25/1.
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India have won the toss and, as expected, decided to bowl first under the overcast conditions against the West Indies at The Oval.

India have retained the same XI that defeated South Africa in the opening match of the tournament.

West Indies, on the other hand, had to make one change from the final XI after Denesh Ramdim was suspended for claiming a catch wrongly during their first encounter against Pakistan.

Former captain Darren Summy, who was dropped for the last match, made a comeback. Opener Johnson Charles would keep wicket in place of Ramdin.
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Preview: India have won all their matches since arriving in Britain but the West Indies, the reiging World Twenty20 champions, will pose a big challenge in Tuesday’s crucial Group B clash in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Both teams have won their opening fixtures, with India beating South Africa by 26 runs in the curtain-raiser last Thursday and West Indies edging Pakistan by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller at the Oval Friday.

India seemed to have sorted their opening woes with makeshift opener Rohit Sharma scoring a gritty half-century in against South Africa.

Shikhar Dhawan scored a deserving hundred as India piled another score above 300. The bowling though, lacked sting and it was only thanks to the spinners that India pulled things back after the pacers were plundered for runs early on.

India, who are yet to play at the Kensington Oval will have to adapt to conditions of the pitch quickly after playing their warm-up and first match in Cardiff.

In the meantime, the Windies will return to South London venue in search of yet another victory and Bravo said his side were confident of turning back the powerful Indians.

“It’s another tough game of a team coming up against a team where the strength is their batting. We have the right bowlers, who can control their batting … but like I always say, cricket is played on its day. India could turn up on Tuesday and be knocked over,” Bravo said.


Teams:

India: MS Dhoni (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav.

West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (C), Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine, Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul.

BCCI unveils ‘Operation Clean-up’ to restore IPL’s credibility

BCCI unveils ‘Operation Clean-up’ to restore IPL’s credibilityNew Delhi: Stung by the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandals, the BCCI on Monday cracked the whip by suspending Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra on charges of gambling and unveiled a 12-point `Operation Clean-up` in a bid to restore the Twenty20 League`s credibility.

READ: BCCI’s 12-point plan to clear IPL mess»

The BCCI`s all-powerful working committee, which gathered for an emergency meeting here, discussed the raging scandal and took the decision to suspend Kundra pending an inquiry.

Kundra thus becomes the second team owner, after N Srinivasan`s son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, to be suspended from cricketing activities.


The Board also decided that the two-member panel -- comprising Justice T Jayaram Chouta and Justice R Balasubramanian -- which is currently investigating Meiyappan and CSK would also probe Kundra and the Rajasthan Royals.

"The Working Committee on Monday decided to suspend Raj Kundra on allegations of gambling on IPL VI matches till the pendency of inquiry," BCCI`s interim chief Jagmohan Dalmiya told reporters after the meeting.

"Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar had grilled Kundra for 11 hours and he had admitted to gambling in IPL matches and also IPL CEO Sundar Raman has got a complaint from a closed source. I will not reveal the name of the source," he said.

"Obviously, Rajasthan Royals` role in the whole issue is being looked into but without getting hold of the facts, we don`t want to frighten anybody," he added when asked why Rajasthan Royals have not been suspended from the IPL.



Dalmiya was forced to call the meeting after the Delhi Police claimed that Kundra, a minority (11.7 per cent) shareholder in Rajasthan Royals, had confessed to betting during the IPL matches.

If the charges are proved, Rajasthan Royals face the prospect of being terminated from the IPL and to avoid this fate, the franchise has already distanced itself from Kundra.

Among other decisions, the working committee ratified the name of Sanjay Patel as the Secretary and also elected Mumbai Cricket Association President Ravi Sawant as the Treasurer, a post left vacant by Ajay Shirke in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.

BCCI`s Anti Corruption and Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani also tabled his report on the three tainted cricketers -- Test pacer S Sreesanth, Ashok Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- who have been arrested for alleged spot-fixing. The working committee decided to forward the report to the Board`s disciplinary committee.

The Committee has decided to issue chargesheets to the concerned players. The panel will be without N Srinivasan, who stepped aside as Board President after Meiyappan`s arrest. Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah are the other two members of the panel.

"The sealed report of Sawani was not opened at the meeting as the committee found it prudent to hand it over to the disciplinary committee," a BCCI official said.

"As is the process of natural justice, the players, once they are out of judicial custody, will be summoned for presenting their side of the story before the final verdict is pronounced," he added.

The Board members discussed at length on how to restore the credibility of the game and drew up an action plan called `Operation Clean-up` which envisages a series of measures to curb corruption in the IPL.

The Board has decided to bar cheerleaders and after-match parties for players and support staff besides ensuring a strict code of conduct to be followed by players and support staff, owners.

It has also decided to restrict the movement in player`s dug-out and dressing room.

"The owners from now on will be restricted from entering dug-out and dressing room during matches. All players and staff of franchises need to furnish telephone numbers with the BCCI before the tournament," Dalmiya said.

What`s happening in BCCI is not bothering team, says Dhoni

What`s happening in BCCI is not bothering team, says DhoniLondon: The day-to-day happenings in the BCCI since the IPL spot-fixing scandal broke out has not bothered the Indian team, according to captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who said that his his players were only focussed on the ongoing Champions Trophy.

"As players, we can only control the things we are able to," Dhoni told mediapersons ahead of his team`s second group league encounter against the West Indies at the Oval tomorrow.

"We don`t get to read newspapers and there are no channels. So we are not disturbed here. We can focus on cricket and do our own team exercises," he said.

For the first time in four days, the Indians trained outdoors. It was an overcast and nippy morning here today and the team practised on three side wickets, very close to the main square.

Dhoni said that the overcast conditions are tempting enough to play four seamers, but "we will not go that way because the result can go against us and then I will be blamed."

The skipper reckoned that the Oval wicket will assist spin and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will have a role to play for sure. Between Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, the spinners bowled 21 overs among themselves in the first match against South Africa in Cardiff.

India won by 26 runs with pacer Umesh Yadav taking 4 for 75.

"This Oval wicket is a used one. There is a bit of grass and there will be a bit of bounce too. The fast bowlers will get some assist but since this is an old wicket, there will be spin as well," Dhoni said.

Dhoni singled out Chris Gayle as the dangerman in the West Indian camp.

"We have to take him out before he takes us out. The Gayle factor will always be there. He is a dangerous individual and we will have to get him early," he said.

Stating the match against the West Indies will be "interesting", the Indian skipper said the team that adapts best to the conditions will prevail.

"You need some basic planning but you need to adapt along the way," Dhoni added.

Dhoni indicated that Yadav will play a key role in tomorrow`s game.

"But he has to think better and learn a lot. With exposure he will get better and that?s what international cricket is all about," the skipper said.

IPL spot-fixing: Sreesanth, Chavan, 16 others granted bail

IPL spot-fixing: Sreesanth, Chavan, 16 others granted bailNew Delhi: In a major setback to Delhi Police, a court here on Monday indicted them for slapping the stringent provisions of MCOCA on cricketers S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and 16 others and granted the accused bail in the IPL spot-fixing case.

"There is no reason for believing that the accused are guilty under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) at this stage," Additional Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Khanna said.

The court said there is prima facie "no sufficient material" against the accused to establish their "nexus" with organised crime syndicate.

Besides the two cricketers, the court also granted the relief to 17 other accused, including 14 bookies, on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.

"There are allegations of betting by bookies and fixing by players for benefiting the syndicate.

"After probing into the matter deeply and going into the materials placed before the court, this court finds that there is no sufficient material on record to establish that there is a nexus of accused with the organised crime syndicate," the judge said.

Delhi Police have so far arrested 26 persons, including Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan Royals teammates - Chavan and Ajit Chandila - in connection with the case.

Besides the 19 who were granted bail by the court, six others are now in judicial custody till June 18 while one of the alleged bookies, Ramesh Vyas, is in police custody till June 18. Chandila and six others have not yet applied for bail.

The police failed to satisfy the court and place on record evidence to justify its decision to slap charges under MCOCA for being involved in organised crime syndicate operated by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel.

"I have to examine the evidence and then only, I will be able to decide the matter and whether these people have nexus with underworld people sitting outside," the judge said.

The remarks by the judge came when the police said it would not be in a position to place before it the documents and evidence before June 18 as the probe was in an initial stage.

"It will be misuse of provisions of MCOCA, so you will have to give relevant documents. If you have booked them under MCOCA, it means you must be having proper sanction and sufficient evidence against each of them," the court said.

During the late evening hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Rajeev Mohan said Dawood, Shakeel, Javed Churani and Salman were in constant touch with the bookies including Ramesh Vyas.

When the court wanted evidence for slapping MCOCA, the prosecutor said investigators have the transcripts of the intercepted conversations between Dawood and Vyas, which were read out in the court.

The transcripts referred to a conversation about a deal in which Rs 10 million and 9 million were mentioned which was finally settled at Rs 7 million, the police said but added the purpose of the deal was not clear.

To this, the court asked the police to clarify. "Do you have direct evidence that Sreesanth and any of the players were in direct touch with Dawood"?

The prosecutor replied in the negative but said they have got the transcripts of conversations in which Sreesanth's friend Jiju Janardan, a bookie, was in touch with Vyas.

"We have conversations of Dawood Ibrahim with bookies and bookies used to fix the players, in which Sreesanth was found talking to one bookie Jiju Janardhan about the amount he will accept for favouring them," the prosecutor said.

The court, while granting bail to the 19 accused, said it is prima facie not satisfied with the allegation that offences punishable under sections 120-B(criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC are made out against the accused at this stage.

It also said it is also not satisfied that "culpability and mens rea (motive)" is made out against the accused.

The judge also said the accused persons are not "habitual offenders" and have clean antecedents and they are not likely to flee from justice.

The court directed the accused to submit their passports before it and asked them not go out of India without its prior permission.

On June 7, Delhi police had sought issuance of open non-bailable warrants for Dawood and Shakeel in connection with the case saying the racket was being run on their command.

In its application, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had said the main bookies and fixers were in touch with Dawood and Shakeel.

Apart from the two cricketers, the court granted bail to bookies Ashwani Aggarwal, Amit Gupta, Ajay Goyal, Sunil Saxena, Bhupender Nagar, Chandresh Patel, Dipit Garg, Kiran Dole, Manan Bhat, Mohd Yahiya, Nitin Jain, Jiju Janardhan, Ramakant Aggarwal and Syed Durry Ahmed.

The others who have been granted bail are Vikas Choudhary, a bouncer, businessman Vinod Sharma, and one Manish.

Counsel for the accused sought bail claiming their clients were falsely implicated in the case and the charge of MCOCA has been wrongly invoked against them.

Champions Trophy: Pakistan vs West Indies- Live Score

Champions Trophy: Pakistan vs West Indies- Live ScoreLive score and live updates of the opening match of Group B between Pakistan and West Indies.

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Scorecard» I Commentary»

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PAKISTAN INNINGS:


Over 48 || Score 170/10

Misbah was expected to play a captain’s knock and he did but was devoid of a century as he fell short of partners. Mohammad Irfan was the last man to be dismissed by Rampaul and Misbah remained not out on 96. He has scored more than 50 percent of the runs and Pakistan bowlers will have to bowl their heart out to defend this paltry score.

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Over 40 || Score 137/8

Misbah is falling short of partners and he needs to take most of the strike from here onwards.

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Over 15 || Score 40/3

Kemar Roach who picked the first two wickets completed his three-wicket haul as Asad Shafiq was out for a duck in the seventh over of the innings. Nasir Jamshed and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq have so far added unbeaten 25 runs for the fourth wicket and they need to stitch a big partnership to rescue their team out of this trouble.

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Over 5 || Score 40/3

West Indian bowlers bowled really well in the first 5 overs to take 2 crucial wickets without too many runs on the board. Fast bowling duo of Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul hit the good length areas continuously and troubled the Pakistani batsmen in the process. Roach sent opener Imran Farhat in the last ball of the very first over for just 2 runs. Roach then trapped Mohammad Hafeez in front of the wickets for just 4 runs in the 5th over. After 5 overs, Pakistan were struggling at 14/2.
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Toss: West Indian captain Dwayne Bravo has won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan.

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Preview: Former champions West Indies will lock horns with the incredibly unpredictable Pakistan in what promises to be a high-voltage group B Champions Trophy clash at the Oval today.

The Caribbean team, which won the title in 2004 besides finishing runners-up in 1998 and 2006, is high on star power with the intimidating presence of an in-form Chris Gayle being a massive confidence-booster.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is a team full of greenhorns despite being led by the oldest player in the event -- a 39-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq.

A look at the line-ups would make the West Indies slight favourites for the match. Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Kemar Roach have the ability to just knock out the opposition attack with their power-hitting.

In fact, the troika of Gayle, Pollard and Samuels displayed good form at the recent IPL and would be looking to carry the confidence into the Champions Trophy even though the format would be different. Skipper and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is another player who can be a match-winner on his day.

Gayle`s aggregate of 695 in Champions Trophy matches is the highest among all batsmen.

On the bowling front, the outfit has quite a few tricksters in the line-up, including the surprise package of pacer Jason Holder.

The youngest in the team is 6`8" tall and could prove to be a decisive factor in the seaming conditions with his medium pace.

Among the slower bowlers, Sunil Narine has been a proven performer and would be expected to work his magic here after a stupendous IPL performance.

The Caribbeans were, however, handed a sound thrashing by the Australians in their most recent ODI assignment at the beginning of the year and it remains to be seen whether they can regroup.


Teams:

West Indies (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo(c), Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin(w), Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Kemar Roach

Pakistan (Playing XI): Imran Farhat, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal(w), Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan

Raj Kundra admits to betting, Shilpa Shetty also under scanner

Raj Kundra admits to betting, Shilpa Shetty also under scannerZee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Thursday said that Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra has confessed to betting in the IPL.

Talking to reporters, Kumar said that Kundra used to bet through his close aide and business partner, Umesh Goenka. Kumar also said that Kundra used to bet on his own team.

"He (Kundra) has admitted to betting. He used to bet on his own team. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting. He used to bet through (Umesh) Goenka, who is also a bookie," Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said. He also claimed that investigators have come to know that Kundra has lost a lot of money in betting.

According to Delhi police Shilpa's husband Raj Kundra lost Rs. One crore in betting in IPL matches in last 3 years. But they have said that they are verifying this claim.

Reports are also coming that Kundra's wife Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is also involved in betting and chances are that she will be questioned soon.

Goenka reportedly told the Delhi Police during interrogation that the Rajasthan Royals co-owner was involved in betting.

Delhi Police also claimed that bookie Umesh Goenka has made a reference to Shilpa Shetty placing bets once in IPL.

Reacting to the development, Kundra’s wife and actress Shilpa Shetty said, “Umesh Goenka has misused Raj Kundra’s name.”

She also tweeted, "Get the real story rather than ure PAID (unreliable) sources. Just to reiterate, we will do all it takes to reach to the bottom of this "spot fixing case" and be of complete help till that happens."

Earlier, Delhi police seized Kundra's passport and asked him not to leave the country till the spot-fixing probe is over.

It was also reported that the Delhi Police have not ruled out the possibility of Kundra's arrest due to inconsistency in his statements during spot-fixing probe.

It was learnt that Kundra and Goenka might be questioned again on Thursday in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal. Both were quizzed by a special cell of the Delhi police yesterday for almost 12 hours.

The questioning of both Kundra and Goenka began around 10 am and continued till late in the evening.

Sources said the name of Goenka, with whom Kundra owns a company deals in steel business, came during the recording of statement of Rajasthan Royals player Sidharth Trivedi, a prosecution witness in the case.

In his statement recorded before a magistrate, sources said, Trivedi claimed that Goenka approached him and sought details about the cricket pitch in Ahmedabad and team formations.


According to police sources, Kundra was called over phone to appear before investigators who wanted to ask about the ownership details of Rajasthan Royals.

"Kundra told police that he owned 11.7 percent while Suresh Chelaram, the brother-in-law of Lalit Modi, owned 43 percent and Manoj Badale has 34 percent. Rupert Murdoch`s son Lalchan Murdoch also has stake in the team," a senior police official said.

Kundra, a British national, has 42 percent stake in the steel business with Goenka who has 16 percent shares in the firm, they said.

No cover-up on Dhoni’s conflict of interest: Jagmohan Dalmiya

No cover-up on Dhoni’s conflict of interest: Jagmohan DalmiyaZee Media Bureau

Kolkata: Reacting on the controversy surrounding the issue of betting by Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra, BCCI interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya said on Thursday that the matter would be discussed in the working committee meeting to be held on June 10.

On the matter of action against Kundra if found guilty Dalmiya said, “If it demands any strict action, we will look into it.” He added that action against Kundra will depend on the evidence.

“We cannot come to any decision unless we look into the matter,” he emphasized.

When asked about the conflict of interest surrounding the Indian cricket captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dalmiya said, "As far as Dhoni issue is concerned, you all have seen it in the papers and so have I. Let it come out. At this juncture, when we are in the midst of the Champions Trophy, we are not going to earn anything by disturbing the atmosphere. But at the same time, we are not going to cover it up. Please wait and see," he assured.

Jagmohan Dalmiya revealed that Sanjay Patel of the Baroda Cricket Association had been named as the honorary secretary of the board in place of Sanjay Jagdale. Jagdale had resigned as the board member in the wake of allegations of N Srinivasan's son-in-law, Gurunath Meiyappan, being involved in betting. He said that the post of the treasurer will be announced later.

He also said that no BCCI member will be part of the inquiry commission and the two retired High Court judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramaniam will form the two-member commission to probe allegations against Meiyappan and CSK.

Both justices Chouta and Balasubramaniam were members of the original panel, which also had BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale as the third member.

The committee had to be re-constituted following Jagdale's resignation. Dalmiya was given the responsibility to choose the third member.

"I have decided that let there be a two-man commission. We pose full faith in the two retired judges and leave the matter to them. These two judges will carry on the probe," Dalmiya said.

“There is no timeframe for completing the probe on spot-fixing,” he added.

Dalmiya said the BCCI has received an interim report from its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani but nothing concrete can be said on the issue.

"Interim report has been submitted to BCCI. Information has been sought from the Delhi and the Mumbai police. They have not provided anything yet. Once we receive it, we will share it with you," he said.

On whether the BCCI would think of discontinuing IPL in the wake of the scandals, Dalmiya said," There should not be any kind of thoughts that it would be shelved."

Have never bet on any cricket match: Shilpa Shetty

Have never bet on any cricket match: Shilpa ShettyZee Media Bureau

New Delhi: After it was alleged by the Delhi Police on Thursday that Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra placed bets on his team through a bookie-friend and that they were probing whether his wife Shilpa Shetty was also into betting, the actress said that she had never bet on any cricket match.

Shilpa Shetty tweeted, “For those who care, my apparent involvement in betting is complete nonsense and I have never bet on any cricket match ever.” “Truth will prevail,” she added.

She also tweeted, “We love cricket, it’s the passion for the sport that made us a part of IPL. It’s extremely disheartening to keep clarifying that.”

Shilpa stated that she would not be talking on the matter anymore. “Won’t be speaking any more as the case is sub-judice,” she said.

In a sensational development today investigators claimed that Raj Kundra (36) told them that he lost around Rs one crore in the past three years in betting in IPL matches. However, police said they have no evidence yet to implicate Kundra in fixing matches.

Kundra, a British national, was questioned for 11 hours yesterday after cricketer Sidharth Trivedi (30) told police that his business partner-friend Umesh Goenka (36) used to ask for information regarding team formation and pitches.


Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said, "He (Kundra) has admitted to betting. He used to bet on his own team. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting. He

SN Srivastava, Special Commissioner (Special Cell), said Goenka in his statement before a magistrate informed that he used to place bets for Kundra besides making a reference to Shetty that she also placed bets ‘once’.

"It is in the statement (of Goenka that Shetty placed bets). We have not gone ahead and verified it as of now. But then we are in the process of verification," he said.


Srivastava said he cannot give a timeline to whether Kundra will be called again.

If police claims are to be believed, Kundra started betting in IPL matches after getting 11.7 percent stake in Rajasthan Royals in the third edition of the T20 tournament.


Kundra is the second IPL team owner after Chennai Super Kings` Gurunath Meiyappan who is in the dock for alleged betting. If the charges against the owners are proved, BCCI can give Rajathan Royals the boot from IPL.


Police have confiscated the passports of Kundra and Goenka to ensure that they do not leave the country during investigations. Kundra has since flown back to Mumbai and will be quizzed again soon.

Meanwhile, on in Kolkata today, Jagmohan Dalmiya, chief of the interim BCCI arrangement, said that the Kundra issue will be discussed at the BCCI emergency meeting on June 10 in New Delhi.

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