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India’s cricket officials refused to reschedule the one-day series against the West Indies despite crowd trouble in all the three matches played so far.”There is no threat to the series, it will be completed as scheduled,” said Karunakaran Nair, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).While the first two matches in Jamshedpur and Nagpur were briefly interrupted by missile-throwing fans, Tuesday’s game in Rajkot was forced to be abandoned after West Indian fielders were hit by plastic water bottles.Two of the remaining four matches will be played in Ahmedabad and Baroda, which like Rajkot are situated in the sensitive western state of Gujarat where thousands were killed in communal violence earlier this year.BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said he had spoken to state administration officials to ensure the untoward incidents of the first three matches were not repeated.”We are happy the Gujarat government has agreed to our suggestions to increase security in Ahmedabad and Baroda,” Dalmiya said.”We have also issued necessary instructions to the staging associations to install close-circuit cameras as strategic points in the stadiums, so that mischief-mongers can be identified.”Ahmedabad will host a day-night match on Friday, followed by day games in Baroda (November 18), Jodhpur (Nov 21) and Vijayawada (Nov 24).The West Indies lead the series 2-1 after winning the first two matches. The third at Rajkot was awarded to India by a margin of 81 runs after the home side was ahead on run-rate when the match was abandoned.Nair said the problem was not lack of security, but hooliganism by a small section of spectators.”We can control 99 per cent of the crowd. But if the remaining one per cent decides to create nuisance, we are rendered helpless,” he said.”We can only appeal to the sporting public of India who are great fans of cricket to desist from such behaviour as it is bringing a bad name to the country.”The International Cricket Council (ICC), worried at the incidents in India, said it was looking at expanding its powers to remove international status from unruly venues.ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said while it did not at present have the authority to remove the international status of a venue, its Safety and Security Committee would consider it “imminently”.”We have asked this committee to consider appropriate penalties for venues which consistently fail to meet their obligations in meeting minimum standards of security,” Speed said in a statement.”This is likely to include the ultimate sanction of withdrawing international status from a ground, combined with a heavy financial penalty.”

Scorecard
Subashis Roy grabbed a four-wicket haul to power Bangladesh Under-19s to a series-clinching win against West Indies Under-19s.West Indies were in pursuit of 233 but Roy never allowed their chase to get underway. Roy struck in his first over, removing Kieran Powell before knocking out the other opener Horace Miller and Adrian Barath in quick succession to leave West Indies struggling at 34 for 3.Suhrawadi Shuvo, the left-arm spinner, gave able support to Roy and ended up with a three-wicket haul. Sharmarh Brooks and Darren Bravo revived the innings with an 83-run partnership for the fourth wicket but Shuvo trapped Bravo to terminate it. And when Brooks fell soon after, with West Indies at 140 for 6, the chase was all but over.Earlier, an 87-run partnership between Nadimuddin (49) and Saikat Ali (49) helped Bangladesh recover from 25 for 3 before Rony Talukder (59) propelled them to finish at a healthy 232.

The 2007 Wisden Cricketers Almanack © Wisden

The England coach Duncan Fletcher must be replaced, whatever happens in the World Cup, according to Matthew Engel, the Wisden editor. In his notes, Engel praises Fletcher’s leadership over the past seven years but adds “it is time for renewal, and there can be no renewal without change at the top”.Engel said England’s 2006-07 Ashes loss was not a disgrace. “It is 36 years now since England last won an away series against a full-strength Australian side,” he said. “The manner of it was disgraceful. England were at once worn out but under-prepared; complacent yet over-apprehensive; inward-looking yet dysfunctional as a unit; closeted yet distracted.”Engel said the “England bubble”, in which Fletcher protected his players against outside distractions, had helped create the conditions for the team’s earlier triumphs. “But there are problems living inside a bubble. Eventually the oxygen runs out. And if this one began as the Eden Project, it turned this winter into something like the Big Brother house.”Accurate information rarely seeped out; it also stopped seeping in. Even experts have to keep listening and learning; Fletcher, on the evidence of the 2006-07 Ashes, just stopped.”In the wide-ranging notes, Engel touches on John Betjeman, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and “incomprehensible” scoreboards. And he also attacks England stars Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff for displaying their tattoos, thus inevitably encouraging young admirers to imitate them.

Essex have announced a pre-tax profit of £26,129 for the year ended December 31, 2005. This is slightly down on the 2004 figure of £27,707, while the balance sheet stood at £2,573,726.David East, the chief executive, said the profit was reward for hard work during a tough year. “We are pleased that we have been able to show a profit once again, but this should not detract from the fact that 2005 was a very challenging year.”We have worked extremely hard on examining all areas of expenditure, whilst ensuring that our cricket remains competitive and properly resourced. It is a fine balance, but the combination of our [National] League success and a modest surplus in 2005 indicates that the club is moving in a very positive direction.East added that there were ambitious plans in the pipeline to try and secure the future financial health of Essex. “We have an exciting plan for a major redevelopment of the ground which is progressing well. Our objective is to have a top-class stadium with fantastic facilities, whilst ensuring the financial security of the club for the future.”As guardians of the game in the county it is vital that we continue to support the recreational and developmental activities of the Essex County Cricket Board, whilst retaining our focus on achieving excellence on the professional field.”

Sri Lanka have delayed appointing a new coach because the candidates they have short-listed are also in the running for the Indian coaching job. Greg Chappell and Tom Moody appear to be the front-runners for the Indian job, although they have had talks with Sri Lanka Cricket as well. “We are trying to finalise the coach soon, but it will not be before the Indians finish their interviews this week,” Jayantha Dharmadasa, chairman of the committee running Sri Lanka Cricket currently told AFP.The Board of Control for Cricket in India is conducting its interviews on May 19, and is expected to finalise on a coach soon after. “We have to realise that the Indian board is the richest in the world and coaching the Indian team is a prestigious job,” said Dharmadasa. “Since the Indian board kept things on a hold, our candidates wanted some time as well”Sri Lanka were to announce their choice of coach on May 13, but have been forced to put the date back. Also in the running for the Sri Lankan job is Dean Jones. Sri Lanka are also viewing the candidature of Roy Dias and Rumesh Ratnayake for the job.

Allan Lewis: his spell crushed the Redbacks ©Getty

ScorecardVictoria virtually assured itself a place in the Pura Cup final with a crushing 197-run victory over South Australia in Adelaide. Allan Wise took a five-for as South Australia collapsed to 156 all out, having started the final day on 2 for 75.South Australia’s hopes of salvaging something from the game rested with Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann, but they were able to add only 14 this morning before Wise got Blewett to edge one through to Darren Berry. And Mark Cosgrove lasted just 13 balls before going the same route, as South Australia slipped to 4 for 99.Graham Manou (0) and Michael Miller (7) didn’t trouble the scorers unduly, and when Lehmann fell for 45, the fat lady could begin to clear her throat. Within eight overs, it was all over.Berry, the Victoria captain, admitted that the death of David Hookes had left scars on the players, but added that his team would use to inspire them to greater heights. “What he would want us to do is continue in the fashion that he was leading us, with positive cricket, and that’s what we’ve done all season.”So without dedicating it to David, quietly each and every member of this side knows what we want to achieve.”Lehmann was bitterly disappointed by the defeat, which all but ended South Australia’s hopes of making the final. “It’s just very disappointing the way we’re playing,” he said. “I make no bones about it, we’ve been disappointing for the last few games … we’ve played reasonably well in the one-day set-up but very poorly in the last few Shield games. So we’ve certainly got some work to do, and you know we’ve certainly got to look to the future probably now.”Victoria will most likely face either Tasmania or Queensland in the final next month.

The long hand of justice sometimes gets a bit too short, letting the guilty escape punishment. After Darren Lehmann’s racial attitude came to light, the onus was clearly on the Australian Cricket Board to send out a strong message – zero tolerance to racism.Racism is not merely a mistake. It is a crime, that should not go unpunished. A few weeks ago Matthew Hayden was fined 20% of his match fees for breaking the dressing room door. It remains to be seen what happens to Lehmann after the ICC’s code of conduct charge.The ACB’s chief executive, James Sutherland, said that to emphasise the importance of players and officials complying with the code of conduct, the ACB has arranged for Lehmann to undergo counselling on this matter.”I have expressed to Darren the ACB’s disappointment in the incident and organised immediate counselling for him,” Sutherland said.The question that begs an answer from both the ICC and ACB is whether Lehmann brought the game into disrepute. There is a lot of difference between an erratic character and one who commits a crime. The latter do not deserve counselling – `if you do the crime – do the time’.Racism is a serious social problem. Only last month, Senator Trent Lott was engulfed in a political storm triggered by his racially offensive remarks, and forced to step down as US Senate Republican leader. Robert Mugabe and his administration are under fire from all corners for their violent land reforms, and for the singling out of white farmers in Zimbabwe.No one should try to justify racism. It would be naïve to suggest that there are different degrees, and that Lehmann is a moderate compared to Lott or Mugabe. But can it not be argued that Lehmann has the seeds of a racist in him?Moral hypocrisy is too prevalent in cricket these days. In November 2001, ICC match referee Mike Denness penalised five Indian players – including Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag – for bringing the game into disrepute. Sehwag was punished for `excessive appealing’ – with a fine of 75% of his match fee and a one-Test ban. We are all too aware of the fracas that followed, but the fact of the matter is that Sehwag had to do his time.Denness was quick to punish Sehwag, but missed the excessive appealing by South African skipper Shaun Pollock in the same game. The onus is not just on the ICC; the individual boards also have a responsibility to ensure that their players adhere to the basic values of this game – the gentlemen’s game!Earlier in 2001, West Indies wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs was banned from playing in the second Test against Zimbabwe at Harare. The match referee, Denis Lindsay, found Jacobs guilty of a breach of the Players’ and Team Officials’ Code C2, namely: “Players and/or Team Officials shall at no time engage in conduct unbecoming to their status which could bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute.” Jacobs brought the game to disrepute by claiming a stumping which was not completed.On the other hand, it was good to see Steve Waugh extend his hand in gratitude to Mark Butcher after Butcher did not claim a catch. But it was the same Waugh who edged the ball to Foster before staring at the pitch as if nothing had happened! Goodwill should be reciprocated. Butcher is a rare class act. And it is that very spirit of honesty and principle that has made cricket a wonderful game to play and follow.The game has had low points, like the Bodyline series and the under-arm ball. It has always suffered from sledging, but these days there is an active effort to get rid of the sledging culture.In the summer of 1986, Ian Botham admitted in his newspaper column that he had smoked marijuana. The then Test and County Cricket Board suspended him for three months, which helped India win the Test series in England. The TCCB was very clear: Botham had set a bad example to young cricket fans.In 2001 five South African players were fined and severely reprimanded for smoking marijuana while celebrating their victory over West Indies. The Commonwealth Cricket Academy in Adelaide teaches its young wards the virtues of good values and how to be a responsible citizen. So do most academies around the world.All reasons why there is this voice I hear, which says: “Darren Lehmann’s crime deserves no sympathy.”

* Badani is TNCA Cricketer of the YearThe Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) celebrated its 71st AnnualDay at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, on Friday. AC Muthiah,the President of BCCI and TNCA welcomed the august gathering. Heexpressed great satisfaction in the success of the TNCA in hostinginternational matches and running the game in the state. JY Lele, thesecretary of BCCI who was the guest of honour said that TNCA was oneof the best administered associations. He was quick to add that theBCCI could learn a few things from the TNCA Annual Report, which is aperfect document.ME Vasu, Executive Director, Southern Region, Indian Oil CorporationLtd. presided over the function and gave away scholarships and awardsto leading players from the state. Hemang Badani was named Cricketerof the Year. Since Badani is away in Zimbabwe, playing for India inthe Coca Cola Cup triangular series, his father received the award.Other notable awardees: Anirudh Srikkanth (son of former India openingbatsman K Srikkanth) received the SW De Alwis Trophy for the JuniorSchool Cricketer of the Year. K Vasudeva Doss received the CSubramaniam Trophy for the School Cricketer of the Year. S VasanthSaravanan from Thiruvallur DCA was named as the Cricketer of the Yearfrom the districts. MR Shrinivas was named collegiate Cricketer of theYear and a special memento was presented to Vidyut Sivaramakrishnanfor his century in the Ranji Trophy pre quarterfinal against Delhi,coming in at No 11. For their outstanding performances in the RanjiTrophy, S Sharath (Highest Aggregate), S Mahesh (ConsistentPerformance) and S Sriram (Best Fielder) were also honoured.* Bengal umpires’ gesture to ailing JD GhoshThe Umpires of the Cricket Association of Bengal on Thursday presentedRs 10,000 to former Test and One Day International umpire Jiban DhanGhosh who is suffering from cancer. Ghosh said that he had written tothe BCCI and the CAB in this regard but the umpires association wasthe first to help him. Ghosh is the first Bengal umpire to officiatein an ODI. He supervised Four Test matches and three ODIs. He was theBoard Panel umpire from 1958-59 to 1991 which is a record. Hesupervised 38 Ranji Trophy matches including the final in 1980, nineDuleep Trophy matches including two finals and seven Deodhar Trophymatches including two finals.The AGM of the Umpires of the CAB was also held in Kolkata onThursday. Seventy seven umpires who are officiating matches for theCAB were present at the meeting. The umpires were presented two shirtsfor supervising matches in the coming season. Before the meeting, theyarranged a blood donation camp where 52 umpires donated blood. Thecamp was inaugurated by former international umpire, former ChiefJustice of the Rajasthan High Court and the chairman of The BengalHuman Rights Commission Mukul Gopal Mukherjee. Sekhar Chowdhury andArya Kishore Chatterjee were re-elected as the secretary and presidentof the Association.* Shivlal Yadav re-elected HCA selection committee chairmanFormer Test off spinner Shivlal Yadav has been re-elected chairman ofthe Hyderabad Cricket Association senior selection committee for2001-2002 at a meeting held in Hyderabad on Thursday. The othermembers of the committee are: V Manohar, MV Ramanamurthy and MosesNityanand.Moses Nityanand is the chairman of the state junior selectioncommittee. The other members are: Imran Mahmood, Surender Agarwal andFiazuddin.School Selection Committee: Fiazuddin (chairman), Satish Nelluri,Vidyut Jaisimha and P Venkatmurthy

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Barcelona’s injury problems ahead of the Champions League quarter-final tie between the two teams.

The Red Devils welcome the Spanish champions to Old Trafford on the 10th April, before heading to the Camp Nou just six days later with a place in the semi-finals at stake as well as the fate of your William Hill bonus code for the tie.

Watch the video below to find out what Jesse Lingard is like off the pitch in the latest Match Of The Bae with Emma Conybeare…

Interestingly, however, Ernesto Valverde’s side could be without Luis Suarez for the first leg, after the Uruguay international sprained his ankle – they will definitely be without Ousmane Dembele, who tore his hamstring in the last 16 against Lyon.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Paris Saint-Germain and make the quarter-finals, which they are set to be the underdogs in against Barcelona.

With the latest fitness update, however, United have been handed a lifeline.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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The Red Devils’ fans on Twitter are obviously happy to hear the news, and have taken to Twitter to react with jubilation…

Seamer Alfonso Thomas and allrounder Pierre de Bruyn have been released from their contracts with the Titans and both will represent the Dolphins for the rest of the season.The pair were acquired by the Dolphins to cover for the loss of former South African players Lance Klusener and Dale Benkenstein to the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Players linked with the ICL have been banned from domestic cricket by Cricket South Africa.”This will definitely strengthen the Dolphins ahead of the MTN Domestic Championship and the Pro20 Series,” Cassim Docrat, the Dolphins chief executive, told Supercricket.Docrat said that Thomas had signed for the next season as well. In six games this season, Thomas has scored 110 runs and taken 11 wickets while de Bruyn has scored 112 runs in four games.