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Club found to be in breach of ECB Directive 3.3 during period from 2001 to 2010

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2024Essex County Cricket Club has been charged by the Cricket Regulator – the sport’s new independent disciplinary body – after a series of historical allegations of racist abuse were last year upheld by an independent report.In December, a 38-page report compiled by Katherine Newton KC found that, in a period from the mid-1990s to 2013, Essex’s club culture had been one in which ethnic, racial and religious comments were regarded as “banter”.The report centred on the testimony of three former players – not named in its pages but known to be Jahid Ahmed, Maurice Chambers and Zoheb Sharif, one of whom was nicknamed “Bomber” due to his South Asian heritage, and another taunted with bananas for being Black.In a separate incident that prompted the commissioning of the report, the former club chair, John Faragher, was alleged to have used the racist phrase “n****r in the woodpile” during a board meeting in 2017, with Essex accepting a fine of £50,000 from the ECB in May 2022 after admitting two charges relating to that meeting.The club has now been charged with a breach of ECB Directive 3.3 during the years 2001 to 2010, for “conduct, acts or omissions which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket or any cricketer or group of cricketers into disrepute”.In a statement, the Cricket Regulator said Essex had failed to address the “systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language and/or conduct at Essex” in that period, adding that an independent panel of the Cricket Discipline Commission would hear the case in due course.In response, Essex CCC acknowledged the scope of the breach and the club’s willingness to accept the CDC’s findings.”The club has fully cooperated with the Cricket Regulator and will continue to do so throughout the process, and intends to participate willingly with the Cricket Discipline Commission,” a statement read. “There will be no further comment from the club at this time.The Cricket Regulator came into being in December 2023, after that summer’s damning report published by Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), which detailed structural inequalities across race, gender and class in cricket in England and Wales.In a key recommendation, the ECB’s previous dual roles as promoter and regulator of the game were found to be “irreconcilable”, in light of the board’s handling of Azeem Rafiq’s revelations of institutional racism at Yorkshire.

The PCB chairman acknowledged for the first time that he had sought selectors’ views on retaining Babar as captain

Umar Farooq10-Apr-2023PCB chairman Najam Sethi has attempted to calm speculation around the role of Babar Azam, backing him as Pakistan’s all-format captain for now. In his first public comments offering further detail on what has become a lingering locus of instability for the Pakistan side since Sethi took over, he tweeted that everyone “should support Babar and not make matter controversial in interests of the national team”.However, Sethi’s tweets did not offer the Pakistan captain his complete backing, acknowledging that he had weighed the “pros and cons” of removing him, and he would be “guided by the selectors and head coach”.Related

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“For months media and cricketing circles have been discussing pros and cons of retaining Babar Azam as captain in all formats of the game,” Sethi said. “Since this decision is ultimately Chairman’s, I have sought views of Selection Committees headed by Shahid Afridi and now Haroon Rashid. Both Committees thought matter merited discussion but both later came to the conclusion that the status quo should be retained.”I have subsequently publicly stated this position. In the final analysis my decision will be subject to the success or failure of status quo. I will also be guided by what the Selectors and Director Cricket Ops and Head Coach have to say going forward. I expect they will be in the best position to advise me. Therefore we should support Babar and not make matter controversial in interests of national team.”Since Sethi took over from Ramiz Raja as chairman, the PCB has been reviewing team structure. As ESPNcricinfo had reported in January, the PCB is pondering taking away Babar’s all-format captaincy after a disappointing last two home seasons. Over the 2022-23 home season, Pakistan lost 3-0 against England in Tests and 4-3 in T20Is, drew 0-0 in a Test series and lost 2-1 in an ODI series against New Zealand. They fared better away, though, winning a T20I tri-series in New Zealand and reaching the final of the T20 World Cup in Australia.When Sethi took office, the PCB made Shan Masood vice-captain in ODIs somewhat out of the blue. Until then, Shan had only played 5 ODIs, the last of them coming in 2019. At the time that was perceived to cause internal strife, with Babar insisting he would have the last say in selection matters. The new vice-captain did not play the first two matches, only taking part in the third, where he was dismissed for 0.For a recent T20I series against Afghanistan, Pakistan rested a core of senior players – Babar, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. Shadab Khan, the official vice captain, took over at the helm, but Pakistan went on to lose that series 2-1. As a white-ball series against New Zealand looms, the seniors have returned to the squad, with Babar resuming the captaincy.

West Indies ride on Bishop, Wickham hundreds to beat Zimbabwe; bowlers help UAE pip Ireland

Sreshth Shah01-Feb-2022Three wickets apiece for Mehran Mumtaz and Awais Ali helped Pakistan get the better of Bangladesh and seal a place in the fifth-place playoff match against Sri Lanka at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup. Left-arm spinner Mumtaz took 3 for 16 while seam bowler Awais finished with 3 for 52 to bowl Bangladesh out for 175. After that, a 76-run opening stand between Haseebullah Khan and Muhammad Shehzad set the base for an eventual six-wicket win.A run out and two Awais scalps reduced Bangladesh to 23 for 3 early, and if it wasn’t for No. 5 Ariful Islam’s 100 in 119 balls, Pakistan’s target could have been smaller. He hit five fours and four sixes but found little support with the second-highest score being 25 and eight of Bangladesh’s batters getting dismissed in single digits. Ariful was the majority contributor in two half-century stands, first with opener Iftakher Hossain and then with No. 10 Ripon Mondol, before Mumtaz ran through the tail with his three wickets.Haseebullah crunched four fours and four sixes in his 79 to secure a comfortable win for Pakistan. Together with Shehzad, he gave Pakistan a positive start, and when the first wicket fell, the No. 3 Irfan Khan (24) and No. 4 Abdul Faseeh (22*) made useful contributions too. Faseeh had No. 6 Abbas Ali for company when Pakistan sealed the win in the 47th over.Two days after defeating hosts West Indies, United Arab Emirates team pulled off another big win, this time defeating Full Member nation Ireland to win the Plate competition and finish ninth in the 16-team event.UAE’s bowlers were the main reason behind their eight-wicket demolition of Ireland. Left-arm spinner Jash Giyanani (2 for 12) gave the early breakthrough, legspinner Adhitya Shetty (2 for 33) troubled Ireland through the middle overs and Dhruv Parashar took 2 for 15. Parashar also picked up the wicket of opener Josh Dickson, who made 40 out of Ireland’s total of 122.UAE’s batters then showed no concerns in tackling the same Port-of-Spain pitch, with opener Kai Smith (49) and No. 3 Punya Mehra (48*) hitting 12 fours and a six between them. The game ended with Mehra hitting a six and UAE chased their target down with 24 overs to spare.It was a day out for the batters in the match to decide 11th place, with centuries from two West Indies batters sealing victory in Diego Martin over Zimbabwe.In a chase of 257, opener Teddy Bishop crunched an unbeaten 121-ball 112 and No. 3 Kevin Wickham made 104 in 116 balls for West Indies. Their 194-run second-wicket stand would have helped calm the team down after they lost opener Matthew Nandu in the second over of the chase. West Indies eventually won with four balls to spare, with No. 4 Rivaldo Clarke hitting the winning six.Zimbabwe rode on half-centuries from brothers David Bennett and Brian Bennett to post 256 for 4. David hit an unbeaten 77 from No. 5 and Brian made 62 from No. 4, and they put on 102 for the fourth wicket. Their stand helped Zimbabwe recover after Johann Layne’s new-ball burst had reduced the side to 25 for 2. Zimbabwe were only 168 for 3 at the 40-over mark, but late hitting from Conor Mitchell, who scored an unbeaten 42 in 26 balls, helped Zimbabwe finish with a 250-plus score.

ESPNcricinfo’s collection of content to record the news and look back on the former India captain’s career

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2020August 18
Feature – MS Dhoni: a bona fide legend with shades of grey
August 17
Feature – ‘If we give Dhoni the bat, he’ll break it!’ – Tales of Dhoni, the domestic cricketer
News – Suresh Raina reveals tears, hugs and party in CSK camp after retiring with MS Dhoni
Poll – Just MS Dhoni things: which one’s your favourite?
News – ‘I exercised all my authority as BCCI president’ to save Dhoni’s captaincy in 2011, says Srinivasan
August 16
Video – Dravid: Dhoni could bat like the result of the game didn’t matter to him
Video – Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami on playing under Dhoni
Video – Gambhir: No Indian captain will be able to repeat Dhoni’s feat of three ICC trophies
Video – Irfan Pathan: T20 WC postponement made Dhoni’s retirement inevitable
August 15
News – Dhoni announces international retirement
Stats – The most successful wicketkeeper-batsman to lead in ODIs
Interview – Michael Hussey on Dhoni
Feature – Seven of Dhoni’s best innings
Feature – The best Dhoni quotes, quips and one-liners
Feature – Monga: Dhoni’s Insta post reveals he cared
Feature – Tributes pour in for Dhoni on social media
Quiz – How well do you remember Dhoni’s career?
Gallery – Dhoni’s India career in photos
Video – ESPNcricinfo’s staff on what next for Dhoni
Video – Chopra: Very few understood the pulse of ODIs the way Dhoni did
Video – Manjrekar: Very unlikely we’ll see someone with Dhoni’s all-round package
Video – Dasgupta: Thank you MS for the lovely memories
Video – Badani: Dhoni would’ve reflected on his life and career during lockdown
Video – Dhoni’s best ODI innings

England and Sussex team-mates set to link up with England this weekend ahead of seismic summer

Valkerie Baynes at Hove24-Apr-2019Chris Jordan says he has a dream road trip planned this weekend with his “little brother” Jofra Archer, as the pair prepare to link up with the England squad ahead of what could be a seismic international summer.Having found form with the ball after going wicketless in Sussex’s winning sides for the first two Royal London Cup matches of the season, Jordan claimed 2 for 42 in a losing cause on Wednesday at Hove, where Somerset won a rain-affected match by 68 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.He will now turn his attention to England’s one-dayers against Ireland and Pakistan, revealing that he and Sussex team-mate Archer, who is yet to feature for the county this year after his stint in the IPL, would likely drive to Cardiff together on Saturday to join the national squad for a training camp.Archer has yet to make his international debut after recently completing his England qualification, while Jordan – who was Player of the Series on the T20I leg of the recent tour of the Caribbean – has not played an ODI since September 2016.Neither man was named in England’s preliminary 15-man squad for the World Cup. Instead, they were included in an extended 17-man squad for the six lead-up matches, and have been handed an opportunity to change the selectors’ minds ahead of the showcase starting on May 30.”I’m quite looking forward to joining up with the team and getting back in the environment and keep improving on the little bit I did today,” Jordan said. “The first couple of games of the [Royal London Cup] tournament haven’t really gone my way.”It’s tough to put a finger on it really because I’ve felt in good form mentally, technically, physically, feels great to be honest with you, the best I’ve felt in a while, but that happens sometimes.”It’s more about how you can come back from it and keep building on it and just try and stay as relaxed as possible and keep taking the positives and keep trying to perform, try and peak at the right time.”Aged 30 and 24 respectively, Jordan and Archer have followed very similar career paths. Both left behind their native Barbados to pursue county careers at Sussex and, from there, each has enhanced his reputation on the T20 franchise circuit. And now, England have come calling for both men at the start of a World Cup year.ALSO READ: Jofra Archer exclusive: ‘It’s humbling how far I’ve come’“I’m excited to be back in the 50-over fold after quite some time but more so to be with my team-mate, my little brother Jofra, as well,” Jordan said. “I’m looking forward to it. I speak to him most days really. He’s overjoyed as well, it’s a dream come true for him. I’m so happy for him and I’m sure he’ll fit right in when we join up with the team.”Much has been said – negative and positive – about the prospect of Archer breaking into the England one-day squad. Those against cite his potential to upset a largely settled team, with some of the fast bowlers who have helped the team become No.1 in the world fearing they may have to make way for him. Those in favour of Archer’s inclusion highlight his undeniable talent.For his part, Archer has said he doesn’t “want to step on anyone’s toes”.Asked whether he felt it was unfortunate Archer felt the need to say that, Jordan said it was testament to Archer’s character.”Whether it’s unfortunate or not, he decided to say it, he’s his own man, but equally I just think you should view it as the sort of humble person that he is,” Jordan said. “That’s just the humility in him, the innocence in him.”All he wants to do is give his best every day and I am sure when he puts that England shirt on he’ll give 150 percent.”Jordan also expected Archer to stay the same person, regardless of the attention he receives.”To be honest, I won’t allow him to change personally,” Jordan smiled. “It’s not really the time to do it and he’s not that type of person anyway. He’s a very humble kid, puts his work in and deserves every single opportunity and every single accolade he’s getting at the moment because he’s a real high quality cricketer but also a high quality human being.”Every single thing that’s been put in front of him he just seems to rise with it to and it’s testament to his character, his mindset, his skill. It’s something to be admired.”While Archer is regarded as the man most likely to force his way into the World Cup reckoning and has therefore received the most attention, Jordan is determined to seize the opportunity presented to him. However, he is also wary of placing too much expectation on himself.”The mere fact that you’re involved in the squad always presents an opportunity, I guess it’s down to me to take it but I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself,” Jordan said.”Obviously you do set high standards for yourself and you do have ambitions and you do aim high and you try to look forward as much as possible.”But it’s an everything-to-gain-and-nothing-to-lose sort of mentality for me. I’m just going to try and have as much fun as possible, try and perform when given the opportunity and see what happens from there.”

The South Africa batsman put some of the side’s problems down to conditions, which he expects to become more difficult to bat on as the game goes on

Firdose Moonda in Durban02-Mar-2018AB de Villiers has defended his team-mates, whose nine wickets fell for 91 runs, leaving his contribution of 71 not out as the only score of significance on an otherwise humbling scorecard. While de Villiers conceded that “the deficit (of 189) looks really bad,” he maintained that South Africa were “not far off,” matching Australia’s skill set and hoped they can pull off “something special,” in the days to come.”There were a couple of softies (dismissals) today but also some really good bowling,” de Villiers said. “Australia had a really good intensity about them and they seemed to be clear with their plans. We could feel that they seemed to know what they were doing.”But it’s not all lost. Some guys looked really good out there and we just didn’t convert. We just didn’t cross that line today. If you cross that line with two batters out there, things change very quickly. We came up just short. The wicket is getting harder by the day and it won’t be easy for them to bat out there tomorrow. It’s up to us to make sure we have the right game plans in place. We are not out of it.”De Villiers’ generous assessment did not reveal any secrets towards explaining his own ability but he put his own success down to good preparation. “I just felt really good leading up to this Test in the nets, did some really good things in the nets, and I felt confident going into the Test,” he said. “You don’t always feel that way in Test cricket. And I was very motivated to score some runs for the boys.”While the rest of the South African line-up struggled against movement from Mitchell Starc and spin from Nathan Lyon, de Villiers felt the hosts allowed Lyon, in particular, to gain the upper hand because they were unable to form partnerships. South Africa’s highest stand was worth 42 runs – between de Villiers and Quitnon de Kock for the sixth wicket – and their lower order had no partnerships in double figures. Contrastingly, Australia’s eight-wicket stand was worth 49 and their ninth-wicket pair put on 41, which helped take them past 350 in the first innings.”Starc was swinging the ball one way and I felt I had him covered,” de Villiers said. “He bowled a couple of good deliveries and there’s not much you can do about that. Swing is one thing but when it’s moving a bit off the deck, it’s really difficult to cover that. Lyon did a really good job from the other end more often than not. We had him under pressure at times but kept losing wickets. That allowed him to bowl with more freedom.”As for South Africa’s age-old problem against spin, de Villiers put some of that down to conditions, which he expects to become more difficult to bat on as the match goes on. “We play spin well but it didn’t show today. I played spin well today,” de Villiers joked. “There’s no one with a flaw in their game when it comes to spin. Obviously the results don’t say the same thing. Lyon is the top wicket-taker in the world for this season and he is bowling well. He is a confident guy. I don’t think we played him badly. There’s a bit of rough out there, it’s a dryish Kingsmead surface, and he got a bit of assistance.”De Villiers was hopeful South Africa’s attack could rescue the situation on the third day, as they chase an elusive Test series win over Australia at home. “We’ve got our work cut out tomorrow. But we still believe we can turn this around.”

The WICB has appointed Johnny Grave as its new chief executive

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jan-2017The WICB has appointed Johnny Grave as its new chief executive. Grave, who is serving his notice period at the Professional Cricketers’ Association in England, where he has been employed as commercial director for the last nine years, will assume the WICB role from February.The position of the WICB CEO was left vacant once Michael Muirhead stepped down on October 14 last year, although he continued in the role until December at the request of the board.Dave Cameron, the WICB president, said in a media release on Monday that Grave was a “unanimous choice” of the interview panel from a shortlist drawn up by global consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers.The WICB stated that among the “top” priorities for Grave would include overseeing $40 million budget of the WICB with “an increased focus on player relations and improved performances on and off the field”. Muirhead’s tenure saw the board turn around its finances but also featured disputes with senior players over pay and selection.”Johnny has a proven track record of success in his career to date and a huge amount of relevant experience and will add exceptional value to the organisation,” Cameron said.Grave, who will be based in Antigua, said he was excited by his next challenge. “I am genuinely excited by the opportunity of improving cricket at all levels within the region and am looking forward to working with the many stakeholders who are committed to the long-term development of West Indies Cricket.”

A round-up of the Pro50 Championship 2015-16 matches played on November 11, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2015Debutant left-arm spinner Bert Chikomba’s 5 for 36 set up Mashonaland Eagles‘ five-wicket win over Mountaineers in the second round of the Pro50 Championship in Harare. Chikomba’s five-for skittled Mountaineers out for 167 before a 71 from opener Cephas Zhuwao and an unbeaten 35 from Gary Chirimuuta took the side to a win with more than 16 overs to spare.Mountaineers got off to a slow start after opting to bat, and struggled to lift their overall scoring rate as the innings progressed. Innocent Kaia scored 52 but the rest of the batsmen were all dismissed for less than 25 as Chikomba ran through the middle order in his second spell. The spinner took four wickets in three successive overs between the 38th and 41st – including the wickets of Shingi Masakadza and Kudzai Sauramba off successive deliveries.Zhuwao and Kudzai Maunze shared an 111-run opening stand to give Eagles a strong start but the side soon slipped to 141 for 4 following wickets from Roy Kaia and Tatenda Mupunga. Chirimuuta, who had scored an unbeaten fifty in the last game, saw the Eagles through to their second win.Fifties from Mbekezeli Mabuza and Taffy Mupariwa guided Matabeleland Tuskers to a six-wicket win against Mid West Rhinos, their first of this tournament. The pair also shared a 99-run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping the side overcome a shaky start that had them struggling at 19 for 2 in the eighth over.The early breakthroughs for Rhinos came from fast bowler Carl Mumba but Mabuza anchored the side – first with a 72-run partnership for the second wicket with Nkosana Mpofu and then his stand with Mupariwa. Mabuza was finally dismissed for 87 off 121 deliveries but by that time the score had moved to 190 for 4. Mupariwa, who finished unbeaten on 67 off 64 deliveries, struck a flurry of boundaries to guide the side home.Mabuza made an equally important contribution with the ball and, along with left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa, finished with a three-wicket haul. Their strikes ensured that Rhinos were limited to 230 for 7 despite fifties from their openers Tarisai Musakanda (82 off 118 deliveries) and Tendai Maruma (55 off 92 balls). The batsmen were involved in a 135-run opening stand but a mid-innings slide saw Rhinos squander the advantage as they dropped from 167 for 1 to 199 for 6.

Northamptonshire strengthened their position at the top of Division Two with a seven-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol

27-Apr-2013
ScorecardSteven Crook took seven wickets in the match to go with his first-innings half-century•Getty Images

Northamptonshire strengthened their position at the top of Division Two with a seven-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol.The hosts began the final day on 280 for 9 in their second innings, leading by only 68, and added 19 runs in 25 minutes before being bowled out for 299, Jack Taylor last man out for 48. That left Northamptonshire requiring 88 to win and, despite some spirited Gloucestershire bowling, which accounted for Kyle Coetzer, Stephen Peters and Alex Wakely, they passed their target of 88 just before lunch.Northants took a maximum 24 points from the game, while Gloucestershire had to be content with three. To compound their disappointment, neither Benny Howell nor Liam Norwell fielded in the Northants’ second innings because of injuries.Taylor produced some defiant blows, including a six over wide long-on off Trent Copeland, in adding 12 to his overnight score. His resistance ended when he got a bottom edge on to his stumps to give Steven Crook his fourth wicket of the innings, seventh of the match and 18th of the season.A bitterly cold day stayed dry for Northants, who contrived to lose openers Coetzer and Peters with only 18 on the board. Coetzer was first to go, well taken low down by Taylor at midwicket off David Payne for 5, then Peters miscued a leg-side shot to substitute fielder Graeme McCarter off Will Gidman and departed for 7.Wakely counterattacked with a brisk 20, hitting Taylor’s offspin for a straight six and a four through wide long-on. But in the same over he mishit another attacking shot to Chris Dent at midwicket to leave the visitors 51 for 3.The reassuring presence of David Sales was at the wicket by then. He and Rob Newton saw Northants safely to their modest target, Sales ending unbeaten on 29.

Worcestershire will decide within the next 48 hours whether they will need to relocate their County Championship match against Surrey.

George Dobell03-May-2012Worcestershire will decide within the next 48 hours whether they will need to relocate their County Championship match against Surrey.The game, which starts on Wednesday May 9, is currently scheduled to be played at Worcestershire’s New Road home. But with flood water currently covering three pitches on the square and a large portion of the outfield, the club need to make contingency plans.Worcestershire have already arranged to stage Monday’s CB40 game against the Netherlands in Kidderminster and will shortly make a decision over whether the Surrey game also needs to be moved. Surrey have offered to stage the game at the Kia Oval but Worcestershire declined. The club has a deal with Birmingham League club Kidderminster Victoria whereby they can utilise the ground in the case of flooding.”Kidderminster is our second home,” David Leatherdale, Worcestershire’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo, “and if we can’t stage the game at New Road, we’ll stage it at Kidderminster.”The game will also be notable for the appearance of Kevin Pietersen, who will be playing for Surrey ahead of the Test series against West Indies. While Pietersen may find the facilities at Kidderminster a little basic, he should be familiar with them. He played a season for Cannock in the Birmingham League and, in 2002, played at the ground with Nottinghamshire when he was dismissed for 13 and 0 by Alamgir Sheriyar. Pietersen should enjoy the flat pitch and quick outfield, though. Kidderminster Victoria’s groundsman, who moved to them from West Bromwich Dartmouth over the winter, was the Birmingham League groundsman of the year in 2011.The good news for Worcestershire is that the flood water does not look nearly as dirty as that which forced them to abandon New Road for much of the 2007 season. On that occasion, the flood water carried with it sewage and slurry from the fields. This flood should prove far easier – and less expensive – to clear. However, while the club report that the flood waters have receded a little over the last 24 hours, more rain is forecast.Worcestershire have also started to explore the market for an overseas player to replace Saeed Ajmal, who has pulled out of his deal to represent them in T20 this season. Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistan left-arm seamer and hard-hitting batsman, is one option.”Steve Rhodes has spoken to his agent and there is a chance that he will join us for the final eight matches of the T20 season,” Leatherdale confirmed. “But it is early days.”