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Zia five-for lifts National Bank into final

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ScorecardKamran Akmal struck seven fours and two sixes in his 79-ball 63•Getty Images

A five-wicket haul from Zia-ul-Haq led National Bank of Pakistan into the final of the National One-Day Cup with a six-wicket win over United Bank Limited at the Gaddafi Stadium. Having sent them in to bat, National Bank quickly had United Bank in trouble at 10 for 2, with both openers departing in the space of three balls. There wasn’t much of a recovery after that, with only Younis Khan (41, 65b, 5×4) and Hammad Azam (59, 83b, 5×4) getting past 25, their 42-run stand for the fifth wicket the best of the innings. Zia, the left-arm quick, finished with figures of 5 for 33 in 7.5 overs as United Bank were bowled out for 185, with seven balls still remaining.National Bank slipped to 10 for 2 themselves, losing opener Hamza Paracha and No. 3 Nasir Jamshed in successive overs, but Kamran Akmal, walking in at No. 4, steadied their chase. First, he added 37 with Ahsan Ali (23) and then put on 73 with Akbar-ur-Rehman for the fourth wicket. Akmal fell for a 79-ball 63 (7×4, 2×6) with 69 runs still required, but Akbar steered National Bank home in the company of Umar Waheed (27), remaining unbeaten on 70 (84b, 10×4).

Andrew Hall signs for Northamptonshire

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Hall, no longer an international cricketer, has switched from Kent to Northants © Getty Images

Andrew Hall, South Africa allrounder who recently retired from international cricket, has signed for Northamptonshire on a three-year deal.Hall, 32, was omitted from South Africa’s World Twenty20 squad this month, a decision which ultimately prompted him to retire from internationals.”A number of counties have been after Andrew’s signature,” Mark Tagg, the Northants chief executive said, “and we are very pleased that he has seen the potential in our club over the next few years and has decided that he would like to be a part of our plans.”Hall had a stint at a brief stint at Worcestershire before joining Kent in 2005 where he enjoyed far greater success. In 61 matches he took 122 wickets, also notching three hundreds and 11 fifties.”I feel confident that the addition of Andrew’s vast experience combined with his proven qualities of being a combative, competitive team man in all departments of the game will have a significant impact in all competitions,” the Northamptonshire coach, David Capel, said.”His pedigree and enthusiastic approach to the game is likely to lead to him having a positive impact at the club in all aspects during the next three years. His bowling ability in all forms of the game is the primary reason for his addition to the squad but it is also recognised that he is a player that has great versatility with his batting roles, making him a him an even more valuable asset to the club.””The opportunity to join Northants and play my role both on and off the field in achieving success and being part of the development plans over the next three years is an exciting one for me,” Hall said. “Before making my decision I have spoken in depth with David Capel, Nicky Boje and Lance Klusener who have given me a useful insight and convinced me about the style, potential and ambition that the club have in progressing and working towards achieving lasting success.”They have assured me regarding the clubs will to compete and enthused about some young talent coming through the ranks and I hope to support their development and help create a strong all round competitive team for many years to come.”

Top order struggles haunt Sri Lankans

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Scorecard

Andy Bichel pushed Queensland from trouble to safety with 125 © Getty Images

The Sri Lankans’ Test preparations suffered another severe wobble when their top order collapsed for the second time in the tour match against Queensland. After folding to 5 for 45 in the first innings, the visitors were in more trouble at 4 for 55 as they tried to overhaul the 85-run deficit created by Andy Bichel’s muscular century.Ashley Noffke continued his fine match when he raced through the openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu before Michael Vandort and Thilan Samaraweera added to the tourists’ pain. They finished the day at 4 for 62, still 23 runs behind, and will rely on Mahela Jayawardene (22) and Chamara Silva (2) to ease the headaches of a side already missing Kumar Sangakkara with injury.Jayasuriya began the tour with a century on a flat surface in Adelaide, but he has struggled with the pitch’s pop at Allan Border Field and managed only three runs for the game. Noffke, who captured five victims on Friday, forced him to fend a lifting ball to Clinton Perren and he departed to similar dismissals on both occasions.The exit of Atapattu, who was lbw to Noffke for 7, was less of a concern as he has performed strongly in both games, but Michael Vandort missed an opportunity for a meaningful contribution when he went for 26 to an excellent legside take from Chris Hartley. At least the Sri Lankans have an idea of what they will face at the Gabba from Thursday after dueling with a high-quality attack.Shaun Tait’s elbow injury means Mitchell Johnson is a virtual certainty for the first Test even though he has struggled for wickets in this match. He took one on Friday and was again out-bowled by Noffke, who had 2 for 8 off six overs in his opening spell. Bichel chipped in late to dispose of Samaraweera and complete a satisfying day of personal achievement.Bichel smashed seven sixes, the most in a first-class innings for Queensland, and 11 fours as he led the Bulls from the early-morning trouble of 4 for 60 to relative comfort. Entering at No. 6 in a bowler-heavy line-up, Bichel started the day cautiously but expanded his repertoire as he got comfortable and reached three figures shortly before tea.”I was a bit lucky today, I got away with a few things, but it worked for me,” Bichel said. “I’m feeling quite comfortable with the bat in my hand and I hope that continues.”The rescue mission of 125 from 168 deliveries ended when he top edged a sweep off Malinga Bandara, who suffered the most bruises from Bichel. Taking advantage of a dropped chance at mid-off on 18 and a run-out escape, Bichel hit freely and rushed to 99 with two sixes in a Bandara over before flicking a single to midwicket for his century.A couple of mistakes in the field did not help the bowlers, who were unable to shut down a pesky lower order despite regular movement off the pitch. Farveez Maharoof was the most successful with 3 for 72 while Bandara picked up 2 for 89 and Jayasuriya claimed the final two wickets as Queensland were dismissed for 285. Maharoof was unlucky, forcing numerous plays and misses, and eventually gained a reward when he had Hartley caught behind for 8 after Noffke had fallen for 34.Bichel and Noffke, who lost a ball with a six over mid-on, combined for an 80-run stand before Johnson and Bichel added 94 in quick time to pass the Sri Lankans’ first-innings total of 210. Johnson may have struggled for impact with the ball over the opening two days but he contributed a lively half-century to complement the work of Bichel.Maharoof, who was pleased with his return, said there was a lot of work to do on the final day. “Whoever gets in just has to bat on,” he said. “You can’t do that much on this wicket, the only thing you can concentrate on is playing down the line and occupying the crease. The first day the pitch was a bit spongy, but it’s dried out a bit and it’s taking off from a length.”

Australia show no mercy to wanton West Indies

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:24

Chappell: Holder captaincy call a monumental blunder

Towards the end of Australia’s latest gargantuan first innings in a summer of batting gluttony, the West Indies opener Rajendra Chandrika was struck a painful blow on the wrist by an Adam Voges stroke. Quickly to his aid was the hosts’ team doctor Peter Brukner. Chandrika recovered and later batted; it was the only moment’s mercy offered by the Australians to their hapless quarry all day.More representative was the bowling of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon, all of whom harried their opponents relentlessly and were rewarded with regular victims. Lyon’s loop, Pattinson’s reverse swing and Siddle’s accuracy made for a highly complementary attack, augmented by the stingy Josh Hazlewood.By the close they had reduced the West Indies to a forlorn 6 for 89 in response to 551, leaving open the possibility of another follow on, another Australian innings victory and another three-day Test match. Even if the shorter turnaround to the New Year’s Test in Sydney stops Steven Smith from making such a call, not even the most staunchly patriotic Australian supporter can take too much joy from ritual executions of such lopsided brutality.A second day gathering of 40,416 was the sort of figure both Cricket Australia and the MCC would have been happy about. Nevertheless it was very apparent how on each day the crowds thinned after tea, as though they could not put themselves through the recurring spectacle of one of cricket’s domineers beating up on an opponent in dreadful disrepair. For all the rhetoric of Curtly Ambrose and the good intentions of Jason Holder, there is very little within the power of this touring team to avoid problems that have built up over decades of neglect, infighting and divided loyalties.The first half of day two had Voges and Smith batting without risk or any apparent danger. Their undefeated stand of 223 followed up the strong work of Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja on Boxing Day, and contributed to the statistical mountain being built by an Australian side growing daily under the leadership of their new captain.Smith showed evidence that a rest had helped his sore knee in compiling his sixth hundred for 2015, while Voges continued on the merry way he began at Bellerive Oval in the first Test. He has now made 375 runs in the series without being dismissed, while his career average against the West Indies has reached a scarcely credible 542.Though Smith’s century was marked by a subdued celebration, but Voges was far more animated in marking his fourth hundred of a debut Test year in which he has passed 1000 runs in a mere 12 matches. Only Sir Donald Bradman, Neil Harvey and Sid Barnes managed to get there faster.Together they ensured Australia’s bowlers had plenty of runs to defend once again, and after Chandrika and Kraigg Brathwaite resisted briefly they made steady then increasingly swift progress through the thin remnants of what was once a galaxy of Caribbean batting riches.Brathwaite’s hands were too low and firm to prevent a catch squeezed to short leg when Lyon found bounce and spin. Chandrika was too generous in allowing Pattinson’s in-ducker to strike him in front without offering a shot and then optimistically reviewing the decision. Marlon Samuels’ wretched tour then gained another stanza when he was pinned seemingly in front by Pattinson for a duck and declined to review a ball that EagleEye had passing over the stumps.Very nearly yorked first ball, Jermain Blackwood played a few smart strokes before he was reprieved when the inevitably grey of television replays meant Burns’ apparent clean catch at square leg was overruled by the third umpire Ian Gould. The injustice of that decision was not to linger; Blackwood bunting a return catch to Lyon and Denesh Ramdin flicking a clearer catch to Burns before Siddle snaked a straightening ball around Holder’s dead bat to make it six wickets in the final session.If Voges and Smith did not pile up runs at quite the same rate seen in Hobart, their security at the crease was seemingly unaffected by more patient spells from several West Indian bowlers. Both batsmen gave up edges, Smith an inside edge to fine leg when attempting to force Kemar Roach through the off side, and Voges skewing Carlos Brathwaite past slips 15 minutes before lunch.The MCG surface was flat and easy paced for batting when Smith and Voges resumed, intent upon stretching the hosts’ tally into an intimidating region for the West Indies. There were attractive strokes to be viewed by a crowd that grew steadily, but precious little tension between bat and ball.A reminder of the vast gap between the teams arrived when Australia knocked off their 1000th run for the series, all at a cost of just seven wickets. The scoreboard flashed a reminder that both sides have still got two DRS referrals in their pockets. It is perhaps the only area in which Australia and the West Indies have ever had parity in the series.

Superlative Nasir puts Gazi Group one win away from title

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Gazi Group Cricketers regained the lead in the Super League after beating closest rivals Abahani Limited by six wickets, courtesy Nasir Hossain’s all-round show – a three-for coupled with a half-century – at the BKSP-3 Ground in Savar. The victory puts Gazi Group Cricketers only one win away from clinching the 2017 edition of the Dhaka Premier League, with the final round of matches to be held on June 5.Gazi Group’s decision to bowl received validation, with their spin contingent accounting for eight of Abahani’s batsmen and skittled the side out for 156 in 41.2 overs. Abahani’s innings, however, received its first jolt as left-arm pacer Abu Hider trapped Saif Hassan in front in the first over of the game. Hossain Ali inflicted the second dent to Abahani’s effort the very next over, cleaning up Shadman Islam. With both the openers having been removed for a duck, offspinners Mahedi Hasan and Nasir denied Abahani any real chance of a consolidation, as they chipped away at the middle and lower order to finish with a three-wicket haul each. Among the Abahani batsmen, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Afif Hossain and Shuvagata Hom all fell between 23 and 32, with a 40-run fourth-wicket stand between Mithun and Liton being the only partnership of note during the Abahani innings.In reply, Gazi Group stuttered intermittently during chase, despite Anamul Haque having set the platform with a 54-ball 41. While he lost his opening partner, Munim Shahriar, in the third over to Manan Sharma’s left-arm spin, Mominul Haque couldn’t sustain his innings beyond a 25-ball 21, as Hom had him caught by substitute Kazi Anik. Subsequently, Mohammad Saifuddin’s dismissal of Anamul and Manan’s removal of Jahurul Islam had Gazi Group struggling at 84 for 4 by the 21st over. Gazi Group captain, Nasir, however, took charge of his side’s chase thereafter, notching up an industrious 56 off 92 balls to overhaul the target with 13.2 overs to spare, in the company of Nadif Chowdhury (26), with whom he put on 73 unbroken runs for the fifth wicket.Mehedi Maruf’s 127 headlined Prime Bank Cricket Club’s five-wicket win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the BKSP-4 ground in Savar, as he made short work of a 243-run chase.Maruf set the tone for Prime Bank’s innings, with an array of confident strokes, negating the impact of the early breakthrough that Dhanmondi Club had garnered through opener Shanaj Ahmed’s dismissal off Rubaiyat Haque in the fourth over. Maruf, whose marathon knock lasted nearly 47 overs, anchored the chase with three crucial partnerships, including a 44-run third-wicket stand with Rafatullah Mohmand (24) and another worth 64 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Asif Ahmed (26). The most significant, however, was his 115-run second-wicket partnership with Zakir Hasan, who fell one short of a half-century in the 24th over.Maruf clobbered ten fours and four sixes en route to his 143-ball knock, before he holed out to Tanbir Hayder off Sohag Gazi. Ariful Haque and Arifur Rahman then closed out the chase for Prime Bank with two overs to spare. Five out of the seven bowlers Dhanmondi Club used finished with one wicket apiece.Earlier, Prime Bank’s Al-Amin Hossain and Taibur Rahman forged a potent partnership with the ball to restrict Dhanmondi Club to 242 for 7 in 50 overs. The duo scalped five out of the opposition’s top six, after offspinner Nahidul Islam made the first strike in the sixth over of Dhanmondi Club’s innings. Having lost half their side inside 21 overs, with 100 runs on the board, Tanbir Hayder (58) resuscitated the innings with captain Elias Sunny (57) by means of a 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket. No. 8 batsman Mehedi Hasan Rana chipped in with a 21-ball 20 to help Dhanmondi Club near the 250-run mark.

England's wins a sign of their potential – Pietersen

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“In the nearly three years I’ve played for England there have not been many mornings when you wake up thinking ‘we could win a one-day series’ – Pietersen © Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen has said that England’s encouraging performance so far in the one-day series is a sign of better things to come for England as a one-day team. England are leading the seven-match series 2-1 after their comprehensive 42-run victory in the third ODI at Edgbaston, which also marked the first time England have scored in excess of 280 in three successive games.”In the nearly three years I’ve played for England there have not been many mornings when you wake up thinking ‘we could win a one-day series’ – and a big series at that,” Pietersen said at the launch of an Urban Cricket arena in Birmingham. “In three games we have scored around 900 runs and I haven’t played in an England team that could say that.”England have had mixed fortunes as a one-day side in the last year. They had a slow start to the CB Series in Australia earlier this year before edging out New Zealand and beating Australia 2-0 in the finals. However, they failed to maintain their momentum in the World Cup, despite making the Super Eights. Against India, they’ve been particularly impressive in the field and the top order has shown consistency.Pietersen singled out the performances of Alastair Cook, Chris Tremlett and Ian Bell. Cook scored his maiden ODI century in the first match at the Rose Bowl and has been getting the side off to good starts. Bell followed his ton in the first match with two half-centuries while Tremlett has chipped in with vital wickets at Edgbaston after being taken to the cleaners in the second ODI at Bristol.”In the last three games we’ve got guys like Alastair Cook, who we know can play, scoring a hundred, and guys like Ian Bell starting to fulfil his potential,” said Pietersen. “He [Tremlett] had taken some stick and not started too well but he’s a wicket-taker. I know from facing him in the nets at Hampshire it’s not fun facing somebody who bowls from seven-and-a-half feet.”Pietersen shrugged off concerns over his own form with the bat after failing to convert his starts. After his breezy unbeaten cameo 33 at the Rose Bowl, he scored 25 and 9 in the next two matches, though he pointed out that it didn’t matter as long as the team was winning.”I’ve always said no matter how many runs I score if England are winning that’s when I’m happiest. Right now I’m happy. The hundreds I’ve scored are in losing causes…they’re good for stats. But everyone wants to be in a winning dressing room.”Pietersen gave due credit to Piyush Chawla, the legspinner who dismissed him on both occasions. He referred to an instance in a 2005 Challenger Trophy match in India where Chawla shot to prominence after getting Sachin Tendulkar stumped with a big legbreak.”You can play in the nets against spinners from the subcontinent who can make you look like a bit of a clown because they’ve got variation,” he said. “Fair play to the bloke. One of the reasons he’s here is because he knocked [Sachin] Tendulkar over in a trial game a couple of years ago. He’s a good little bowler.”

England hold edge in enthralling battle

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Kevin Pietersen was back to his best with 134 © Getty Images

If Lord’s can somehow escape further rain there will be a positive outcome to this intensely fought match. England hold the upper hand after a dazzling century from Kevin Pietersen set India 380 despite RP Singh’s career-best five-wicket haul. Dinesh Karthik glued India’s chase together with a gutsy half century, but England have already removed Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, trapped lbw by Monty Panesar who nearly finished his celebrations in another postcode.The contest didn’t take a significant swing to either side until Pietersen exploded in the hour after lunch, taking 29 balls to move from 62 to his century, adding 119 with Matt Prior. He is never one to hold back, but there was raw emotion on display as he enjoyed his hundred, suggesting that he’d answered a few questions following recent reaction to his comments about fatigue. He also gave England a healthy advantage – only three times has more than 380 been chased down in a Test.India began more positively than in the first innings with Karthik dealing in boundaries for his first 20 runs and both he and Wasim Jaffer eager for the quick singles. Michael Vaughan, who has been at his most thoughtful and inventive as captain throughout the match, tinkered with the field and Jaffer obliged by clipping James Anderson to Pietersen at midwicket. Karthik might have gone in the same fashion next over, but Vaughan had pushed the man deeper and Karthik eventually reached his fifty, off 101 balls. He and Sourav Ganguly survived a few scares, particularly from Panesar, but posted a vital fifty stand.Dravid completed a low-key match with the bat, although was unfortunate with Simon Taufel’s decision after he was struck outside off stump by Chris Tremlett. The ground then stood, not for the outgoing Dravid but for the incoming Tendulkar. It was probably his final Test innings at Lord’s and a delicate early drive off Panesar and a more powerful repeat off Anderson suggested he wanted to finally leave a mark on the ground.But Panesar was already into a good rhythm, looping the ball nicely from the Nursery End and finding turn not only from the foot marks. However, it was a smart piece of deception that did for Tendulkar as, almost in a repeat of Panesar’s first Test wicket at Nagpur, he sent down an arm ball. Tendulkar initially shaped to leave and was struck in line with off stump. Steve Bucknor did the rest and Panesar was half way to the boundary before his team-mates caught up with him. After earlier witnessing an almost angry celebration from Pietersen, Panesar’s was sheer joy.Pietersen’s innings is worthy of match-winning status, coming as it did after England had wobbled against a sharp spell from Singh. Vaughan was swung out before both Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell fell to the short ball as three wickets went for 30 in six overs. Pietersen began the day on 15 and had to be watchful throughout the first session but two boundaries off Singh’s first over of the afternoon session showed his intent and he raced through the nineties by taking Anil Kumble to the cleaners. He cut a short ball to the cover fence, lofted a handsome six towards the media centre and reached three figures with a wristy flick through midwicket. The one-legged flick through midwicket also made an appearance and Pietersen’s few days of R&R appear to have worked wonders. Of the 205 runs England added, 119 came from Pietersen’s bat.

Dinesh Karthik battled hard for his half century during the final session © Getty Images

Prior played an important hand, remaining in Pietersen’s shadow except for the occasional reminder that he, too, can take an attack apart. The seventh-wicket stand, scored at nearly five an over, was exactly what England hoped Prior would bring to the side in such a position with a match in the balance. It took a cracking delivery from Zaheer Khan to end the stand, the ball moving late to take the outside edge, and Zaheer was on a hat-trick as Tremlett unluckily dragged on to complete a debut pair. However, India’s body language showed they knew the situation had run away from them.It was very different during the morning as, for the second time in the match, Singh’s switch to round-the-wicket caused Vaughan’s downfall. After edging a drive wide of second slip Vaughan got an inside edge as he drove again – this time the ball swinging in – and lost his off stump. Collingwood, after avoiding a pair, found himself in a tangle against Singh’s well-directed bouncer. The short ball has been used sparingly in this Test and Collingwood was slow to react, gloving to VVS Laxman at second slip as he tried to duck.Singh’s short spell with Leicestershire earlier this season didn’t set pulses racing with eight wickets at 31 in two matches. The past few days, though, he has caught England’s batsmen by surprise with his pace and has shown the ability to move the ball both ways. He dismissed Bell through a dragged-on pull, from a ball which didn’t bounce as much as the batsman expected, and returned to close the innings with the scalps of Pietersen and Panesar.However, India were still left with a daunting target. The loss of two key players made the task even tougher but they battled hard during the final session. All results are still possible and a dry final day is what this absorbing match deserves.

VRV five-for puts North in control

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Scorecard

VRV Singh snared five of East Zone’s top six batsmen to put North Zone in control © AFP
 

VRV Singh’s five-wicket burst put North Zone in control on the second day of their match against East Zone in Rajkot. East were skittled out for 143, to give North a massive 213-run first-innings lead and put them on the brink of a place in the final.Resuming at 260 for 7, North’s lower-order continued their spirited showing to take their side to 360. Chetanya Nanda did the bulk of the scoring, carting nine boundaries in his 59-ball 58. After Shib Paul dismissed overnight batsman Uday Kaul (48) to grab his 15th first-class five-wicket haul, Vikramjeet Malik (13) and VRV (20*) chipped in with aggressive cameos.East’s reply started off belligerently and despite the early loss of Arindam Majumdar and Anustup Majumdar, the run-rate continued to hover around the six an over mark. VRV, who had inflicted the first two blows, removed the experienced Shiv Sunder Das (23), and Manish Vardhan off successive deliveries to reduce East to 69 for 4.VRV, who was part of the Indian squad to the Australia tour, was still not done though, removing wicketkeeper Halhadar Das four overs later to leave East in serious trouble at 93 for 5. Wriddhiman Saha was the only batsman to stand firm against the onslaught, remaining unbeaten on 56. The next highest contributor was extras with 25, including 17 no-balls.With East’s prospects of making the finals looking bleak, North piled on the agony in their second innings with Aakash Chopra’s unbeaten 56 taking them through to 109 for 2 at stumps, an overall lead of 326.

Charge sheet to be filed against Dalmiya

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Dalmiya: “I have not received any copy of the alleged charge sheet” © AFP
 

The Economic and Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police has found that former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya misappropriated funds to the tune of Rs 2.9 crore during the 1996 World Cup that was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The chargesheet will be filed in a Mumbai sessions court on March 26.”Till now, we have ascertained that there was cheating of over Rs 2,90,00,000 and we will be filing a chargesheet against Dalmiya and two others on Wednesday,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria told reporters.After investigations, the EOW accused Dalmiya of diverting funds from a bank account in Kolkata that was originally set up for paying legal fees towards various other expenses.Dalmiya however dismissed the development as another ploy by the BCCI to unsettle him ahead of the upcoming Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) elections, which he is contesting.”It’s an offshoot of the old game plan of my adversaries,” Dalmiya said. “Whenever something happens in cricket politics, they resort to such actions to settle scores with me. But, again, I don’t want to comment on speculative matters,” he told reporters in Kolkata.”I have not received any copy of the alleged chargesheet . However I’ll revert to [the] media if a charge sheet is filed and a copy of it is served to me”.The annual CAB elections will be held in the last week of July and the Dalmiya camp is threatening to come back into the reckoning against Prasun Mukherjee, the current CAB president and BCCI point man.The Kolkata High Court had stayed the order and allowed the Dalmiya to contest the elections of both CAB and the BCCI following FIR filed by the BCCI for misappropriation of funds, forgery and cheating in March 2006. Dalmiya had responded by filing a case of perjury against the Board officials.

ICC needs to address ICL issue soon – Cairns

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Chris Cairns: “You have Australia, India and England earning well but even then how long can someone like Kevin Pietersen turn down £600,000 for 40 days’ work?” ©Cricinfo Ltd
 

Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, says the ICC needs to step in soon before players from countries like New Zealand and West Indies opt en masse for the lucrative contracts in the the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League (ICL) over the contracts with their home boards.New Zealand are already reeling from the impact of the exodus, with players like Craig McMillan, Shane Bond and Lou Vincent joining Cairns, who had already retired from international cricket, in the ICL. Presently, a player joining the ICL is potentially banned from playing for his country, and also first-class cricket.”New Zealand is going to be susceptible to that because of our pay structure,” Cairns told Bigstarcricket.com. “If there was a 10% discrepancy or even 20% discrepancy between what you could earn playing over in India against your yearly wage [in New Zealand] then players would consider staying,” he said. “But when you are talking a 200% difference, no person in their right mind could turn that down – that’s the reality.”Cairns has called upon the ICC to create a window for the ICL and the IPL, besides revoking the bans on players joining the ICL. “The ICC are going to have to fix this – it is not a New Zealand Cricket issue, it’s an ICC issue. I just hope that they create a window for players to be able to do it [play ICL and not be banned] – ICL and IPL,” Cairns said. “West Indies will have this problem too, any country in fact where players are not that well remunerated.”You have Australia, India and England earning well but even then how long can someone like Kevin Pietersen turn down £600,000 for 40 days’ work? These are the dilemmas that are going to start to happen, though we might not see it for a year’s time until everybody comes off contract with their national boards.”New Zealand Cricket had recently announced a pay rise for its contracted players in a bid to prevent more players from being lured by the hefty sums waiting to be earned in India.