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Two Pakistan cricketers were issued notices by the ICC seeking information nearly a month before the spot-fixing scandal broke during the Lord’s Test last month, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The players are part of the squad in England and were sent notices because they were already under the scanner of the ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU). One of them was provisionally suspended by the ICC after being named by ‘s sting operation.The ACSU “had already served notices seeking information from certain players evenbefore the scam broke out,” a source familiar with the ongoing investigation told ESPNcricinfo. It is also understood that relevant PCB officials were aware of the notices, which were sent immediately after the first Test in Nottingham.ESPNcricinfo was unable to contact PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, who has not made any statements since Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were suspended by the ICC. Yawar Saeed, the Pakistan team’s manager, is not authorised to speak on the investigations and referred ESPNcricinfo to the chairman. Another official refused to confirm or deny that such notices had been received.Although the has today named the two cricketers, there has been no official confirmation of their identities.The notice served to the pair sought certain information and the players were required to respond within 14 days. Failure to do so would in itself constitute an offence under the ICC’s anti-corruption code.Some of Pakistan’s cricketers are facing scrutiny not only from the ACSU but also from Pakistan’s tax authorities who will reportedly probe the finances of the cricketers, a move endorsed by both Shafqat Rana, Pakistan’s associate manager, and limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi. “It was there in their (the government’s) mind before we came over,” Rana said about the tax probe. “I think it’s a good thing, it will open things out so they (the players) will be very careful.”

ScorecardAndrew McDonald was brutal as he muscled his way to 163 off 116 balls•PA Photos

After being frightened by a duck and overlooked for Australia’s one-day side, Andrew McDonald took out his frustration on Western Australia with a brutal 163 off 116 balls that drove Victoria to 529. Darren Pattinson made sure the locals struggled in their reply, taking all four wickets as the hosts reached 108, but the day belonged to McDonald.McDonald and Aaron Finch, who put on 219 at 6.5 an over, also had an eventful time before the match started. They were walking in the morning when they went too close to some ducklings and upset the drake. “He got on top of my backpack and started chipping away at my head,” McDonald said after his century. “It was a savage attack, so lucky to survive. I never knew they could be so feisty.”The Western Australians were soon experiencing a similarly frenzied attack as McDonald, who was 9 overnight, blasted 21 fours and seven sixes in an innings that lasted a touch over two hours. On Sunday John Hastings, the Victorian allrounder, was called up to the one-day team, a spot held by McDonald in India last year.McDonald still has a Cricket Australia contract and the decision makers will be impressed when they learn he jumped from 50 to 150 in 49 deliveries. Finch was also in good form on the way to 84 before Ryan Duffield picked up both batsmen.Duffield finished with 3 for 92 on debut while Michael Beer, the other first-gamer, gained 3 for 109 as the Victorian tail went quickly. Pattinson removed Liam Davis early and then returned late in the day to knock over Michael Swart (21), Adam Voges (0) and Wes Robinson (38). His 4 for 18 came off 12 overs, while Peter Siddle gave up 45 runs in 8.2 overs on his first-class comeback.

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Opener Steve Marillier’s marathon, unbeaten century halted Mid West Rhinos’ charge towards an innings victory and helped Southern Rocks draw their second game of the Logan Cup in Masvingo.Following on after conceding a 322-run first-innings lead, Rocks were left with the task of batting out four sessions to save the game. But for Marillier’s effort, they would have struggled to do so. After his partner Sikandar Raza was dismissed with the score on zero, Marillier – playing only his eighth first-class game – faced 380 deliveries and remained not out on 148, his maiden century. The next highest score was Craig Ervine’s 46. The match was called off with Rocks on 282 for 5 after 119 overs.The Rhinos’ commanding position in the game was built by first-innings hundreds from Brendan Taylor, their captain Vusi Sibanda and Malcolm Waller. They piled up 609 for 7 after getting sent in by Rocks. An opening stand of 180 between Taylor and Friday Kasteni, who made 61, set the tone for the middle order to build the huge total.In reply, half-centuries from Tatenda Taibu and Raza could not help Rocks avoid the follow-on. Legspinner Graeme Cremer picked up his 12th five-wicket haul in 61 first-class games to dismiss Rocks for 287. Sibanda immediately enforced the follow-on, but Marillier’s effort meant Rhinos had to be content with earning only one point for the first-innings lead from the game.

Much of New Zealand’s plight today, when they conceded 329 runs for three wickets, was to be expected. The bowlers were sure to struggle, and they did. Virender Sehwag, their chief tormentor, summed it up perfectly: “One bowler [Hamish Bennett] was on debut and the other [Chris Martin] was not experienced in Indian conditions. And it’s difficult for spinners to bowl in the opening session of the first day on an Indian pitch.”It was expected that New Zealand, even after such a hard day, would accentuate the positive. “India were looking like they would finish on 400 at the end of the day at one stage and to finish on 300-plus was [due to] some good work from us,” Jesse Ryder said.He also saw some hope in the pitch. “The pitch was two-paced and a bit up and down in the end[of the day],” he said. “Hopefully it looks like it will flatten out a little bit more. It shouldn’t be too bad; we have to see over the next couple of days.”Sehwag – again, perhaps as expected – sought to sow some doubts in the opposition minds by projecting real and imaginary fears. “The pitch will get slower as we go on. You have to be really patient as a batsman,” he said.It was expected, too, that Sehwag in the mood would upset any bowling and fielding plans. “We had our plans against Sehwag,” Ryder said. “We knew he would have a go at us. At times we didn’t bowl to our plans and we let him get away. It’s hard to stop a batsman who is going like that unless you stick to your plans, and we didn’t always do that. We wanted to tuck him up and not let him free his arms but we gave some width early on. That didn’t help us.”What wasn’t expected, though, was New Zealand’s catching – four chances were dropped. Rahul Dravid was dropped on 28 and 92 by Gareth Hopkins, who was up early in the first instance and couldn’t get his palms around the ball in the second. Sehwag was dropped on 144 and 155: Jeetan Patel offered the first reprieve- a very tough chance, he would have been happy to literally save his face – and the substitute Martin Guptill dropped an easy chance, running in from long-on to drop a skier.Ryder described the agony of it all: “You come here to play on their home turf and it’s been a long day on the field. And it’s really disappointing to drop those catches. Catches are always vital; if we had taken those the story might have been different.”Of course that’s without legislating for the unpredictable Sehwag, who made this game sound incredibly easy: “I just told myself I’d score a hundred if I survived the first hour.” He duly did both, and was then asked for his reactions to Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th hundred (he’s on 49). “Has the 50 happened? I will speak when it happens. (Don’t hex it!)”

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Andrew Hall sealed Mashonaland Eagles’ tight win with a yorker-filled final over•Zimbabwe Cricket

Mashonaland Eagles were crowned domestic Twenty20 champions after a thrilling one-run win over Mid West Rhinos in the tournament final at a packed Harare Sports Club. Eagles, who were thankful for Nick Compton’s well-paced half-century as they reached 167 for 7 after winning the toss, appeared to be out of the running in the midst of Vusi Sibanda and Lou Vincent’s 62-run stand. But they fought back valiantly, Ray Price bowling an unhittable spell at the death and Man of the Match Andrew Hall showing the immeasurable value of experience as he bowled a nerveless final over, with seven runs needed, to seal the title for the Eagles.The tournament final was watched by a boisterous crowd of several thousand in a noisy, carnival atmosphere. The wail of vuvuzelas was almost constant, and music, along with booming updates delivered over the PA – not to mention a riveting day’s cricket – held their interest throughout. This was a home final for Eagles, and after the win had been completed their captain, Grant Flower, led the team on a victory lap of the field, the crowd cheering their approval.Though he didn’t make a contribution with the bat, Flower marshalled his troops admirably in the field and was a particularly strong presence in the covers as the match headed towards its thrilling denouement. With Vincent and Rhinos captain Sibanda in cruise control, echoing their match-winning partnership against Southern Rocks on Saturday, and the result seemingly sealed, Flower turned to his spinners – Price and Greg Lamb – with almost immediate results.Sibanda, whose form has picked up as the tournament has progressed, couldn’t quite get to the pitch of a flighted offspinner from Lamb and chipped to deep square leg to be out for 46 in the 15th over and Eagles sensed their chance. Price, sporting a severe black eye and playing the part of the pugilist, proved almost impossible to get away and wasn’t afraid to let the batsmen know what he thought of their efforts. The pressure soon told on Solomon Mire, as he aimed a wild heave as Price came over the wicket and was bowled for 2. When Riki Wessels was run out looking for a non-existent single from the very next ball, Eagles were right back in the match.The decisive moment came in the 19th over, with Rhinos needing 10 runs, when Vincent – again opting to use a Mongoose bat – cracked a full ball from Ryan ten Doeschate towards long-off where Ryan Butterworth sprinted 10 metres in from the boundary and dived full length to cling on to the chance. Flower kept Hall for the final over, and in an electric atmosphere the former South Africa allrounder responded with a succession of pinpoint yorkers. With four runs needed from the final ball, Malcolm Waller slapped another full ball out to deep cover but just two runs resulted, and the Eagles were ecstatic.Their win owed a lot to Compton’s effort with the bat. He and Prince Masvaure weathered the early loss of Cephas Zhuwawo with a second-wicket stand of 85. Though a brief middle-order stutter followed, Compton had taken Eagles to the relative safety of 116 for 6 at the beginning of the 17th over when he departed for 74. He finished as the tournament’s leading runscorer with 233 runs, including three half-centuries, at a strike-rate of 128.02.Once he had departed, Hall showed his allround value as he muscled his way to a 17-ball 39 that included four fours and two sixes and boosted Eagles’ score beyond the reach of the Rhinos. After falling short in the tournament final last year, Eagles scrapped their way to the title this time round and celebrated their win in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in a fitting end to what has been, by all accounts, a successful and well-organised tournament.

The Bombay High Court has upheld the stay on the termination of Rajasthan Royals issued by the judge hearing the arbitration case between the franchise and the BCCI. The board had earlier appealed against the order issued by the arbitrator, Justice BN Srikrishna, on November 30 that gave the team back all its rights under the franchise agreement, allowing it to participate in the player auction currently scheduled for January 8 and 9. Justice S Vazifdar, who is hearing the case, ruled in Rajasthan’s favour today.The court, however, modified the arbitrator’s order, adding conditions similar to those it issued in the Kings XI Punjab verdict last week, where it granted an interim stay on the franchise’s expulsion, subject to certain stipulations. In Rajasthan’s case, the court has asked for the owners – Manoj Badale, Suresh Chellaram and Lachlan Murdoch – to file an affidavit stating that “they are in control of their respective investment companies”, and to specify how they control these companies, by January 3, 2011. The franchise will also have to provide a bank guarantee, from a nationalised Indian bank (a bank owned by the government of India), worth $20.83 million – $18 million to cover the players’ salaries over two years and $2.83 million to cover their contract with the BCCI.Rajasthan’s lead counsel, Janak Dwarkadas, argued that the guarantee for players’ salaries should be reduced to $11.8 million because the franchise had retained Shane Watson and Shane Warne at a stipulated cost of $3.1 million per year, and the pair had agreed to sign with them knowing that the team was involved in legal proceedings. The court responded by saying the two players could choose to provide no-objection certificates saying they did not need their salaries protected by the court. If they do so, Rajasthan will be free to deduct $6.2 million from the bank guarantee amount.Rajasthan’s IPL affiliation was terminated by the BCCI on October 10 on charges of transgression of shareholding and ownership norms that threatened to “shake the very foundation of the tender process”, as the notice put it. The two sides then decided to settle their dispute over the termination through arbitration on November 15 after Rajasthan had filed a case in the High Court challenging the board’s decision to take the step unilaterally.Both parties argued their case over four days, after which Srikrishna ruled in Rajasthan’s favour. The crux of his argument was that the BCCI all along knew Rajasthan’s ownership patterns, and that by communicating with it for three-and-a-half years – and accepting the guarantee money – effectively approved of it.The BCCI now has the option of appealing against the decision to the Supreme Court, but the court is closed for two weeks beginning December 17, meaning the franchise is practically guaranteed to take part in the auction, unless it is postponed again – something that the BCCI is reportedly considering. The decision is another blow to the board’s attempts to host an eight-team IPL in 2011, as opposed to the original decision made in Lalit Modi’s tenure – to field 10 teams from the fourth season onwards.The arbitration proceedings between Rajasthan and the board will proceed independent of the court’s decision on the issue of termination, and the stay will remain in place until six weeks after the arbitrator’s final ruling on the case.

Tim Paine is ready to take his next step towards being a potential Australia captain when he leads the Prime Minister’s XI against England in Canberra on Monday. Paine has already been named vice-captain for the Twenty20 squad next week and is being touted as a contender to guide a new generation of Australian cricket after their Ashes drubbing.Michael Clarke remains likely to have a run at the top job once Ricky Ponting leaves – either by his choice or the selectors’ – having taken the reins for the final Ashes Test at the SCG when Ponting was injured. However, Paine, 26, is being earmarked for the honour after making a positive start to his international career at Test and one-day level.He has endured an injury-hit season after breaking his finger in the All Stars Twenty20 match at the Gabba in November. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said he was keen to assess Paine’s captaincy but the man himself isn’t getting carried away.”I think it probably is a bit of an audition, but as I’ve said in the past couple of days that’s probably a long way away for me at the moment,” Paine said. “I’m just purely concentrating on the next few weeks, getting back into cricket and whatever happens down the track happens. But if I can get myself into a position to play enough cricket for Australia even to be considered for that job then that would be fantastic, but as I said that’s a long way off.”Paine’s first challenge will be to secure a position across all formats for Australia, which means either getting past Brad Haddin or playing alongside him. Haddin has been left out of the Twenty20 team, but was one of Australia’s few successes in the Ashes with 360 runs at 45 so his Test future is secure. However, the one-day squad to face England will be named next week and the choice of wicketkeeper will give another indication into the future of Australian cricket.One suggestion has been that Paine plays as a specialist batsman even though he only averages 31.03 in first-class cricket. But a Test-best 92 against India showed his potential and Paine suggested it would be a role he’d be open to if it meant a place in the Test line-up.”If that happened then I think I probably could [handle it]. I think I showed that in India. I think my batting is up to Test level at some stage, whether that’s now or in the near future I’m not too sure,” he said. “Brad’s still the number one keeper in all formats. He’s just come off a good Ashes series himself. Any role I can get to play in the Australian team I’ll grab with both hands.”Australia have not won a series in any format since the New Zealand tour last March, with their World Twenty20 final the high point, and the time has come where a number of youngsters, like Paine, could be given their chance to help rebuild the side.”It’s very important for a lot of people in Australian cricket with what’s just happened. There’s obviously going to be some opportunities coming up,” Paine said. “It’s up to me to prepare myself as well as I possibly can and if I’m lucky enough to be in that 15 for the World Cup, or something happens to Brad, or if I can play in a role as a batsman then I’ve got to be ready to grab it.”

Robin Uthappa may have forged a lucrative career in the IPL with his clean hitting, but has said that he still craves the India cap, though he hasn’t represented the country since 2008. Uthappa fetched a whopping $2.1 million from the Pune franchise at the 2011 IPL auction, making him the second most expensive cricketer in the league, after Gautam Gambhir.”It feels pretty good and satisfying,” Uthappa told . “There are people who think that I am worth that much. [But] eventually my passion is to play for the country first. The India cap is lot dearer to me than playing in the IPL. Players should strive hard to represent their country first than go for the IPL event. When they play for their country, their worth becomes that much that they can command good money.”I hope to do well in the IPL and also hope that the [India] selectors take note of my performance. I have always tried to perform to the best of my abilities whenever I have got an opportunity to play for the country. But it’s up to the selectors whether I fit in their scheme of things or not.”Uthappa played for India in the 2007 one-day World Cup and was a key member of their World Twenty20 success the same year. However, he lost his place in the limited-overs’ sides after a series of poor performances. Following two indifferent seasons, he proved his worth in IPL 2010 as an attacking batsman-wicketkeeper for Bangalore, leading to his astronomical valuation at the auction earlier this month.”To be honest, I don’t know how to react,” Uthappa said about his price tag. “But I was sure to come somewhere close to that amount. The fact that I belong to Pune Warriors, makes me responsible towards them. I will play to the best of my ability for my new team. I am okay with the swapping [from Bangalore to Pune]. New team and new thinking, that’s all. Naturally, there was a bonding, but that’s okay.”Uthappa’s biggest strength as a batsman is his ability to walk down the track to fast bowlers, and hit them straight or with a horizontal bat, depending on the length bowled. “People are becoming lot more open-minded about the shots,” he explained. “It depends on the situation and how much you have practiced. As a batsman, you are experimenting more with the sweep shot, the paddle-sweep, you walk down and play those shots. It’s all innovation and it is only going to go forward.”

Headingley will not host an Ashes Test in 2013 or 2015 after Yorkshire chairman and chief executive, Colin Graves, said it would represent too great a financial risk.Yorkshire suffered a £2m loss for 2010, a figure that was contributed to by poor attendance figures for the Pakistan v Australia Test that was staged at Headingley last summer. The county has a staging agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board that guarantees them a Test and a one-day international each year between 2012 and 2019. However, counties have to bid for the right to host Ashes matches.Graves, who succeeded Stewart Regan as chief executive, said the cost of bidding for a Test against England’s traditional foes was too high.”There’s no chance at all of us hosting an Ashes Test,” he told the . “For 2013 and 2015 we are not allocated an Ashes Test, we won’t be allocated one, and we are not going to bid for one to put ourselves at risk again. The figure is not fixed but it could cost anything between £1m and £2m to make a bid. I’m not putting between £1m and £2m at risk because it’s not worth it. I’d rather stick with what we’ve got.”The ECB, meanwhile, are reviewing the process by which they allocate major international fixtures. An ECB spokesperson said: “There is actually a board meeting today where we will be discussing the way major matches are allocated and the bidding process”It is something we are conscious of and we are aware it is something the grounds have concerns about.”There have been extensive discussions with both the international and non-international grounds over the way in which the process works and the management board will sit down and assess what the best options are going forward.”The bidding process was introduced because the building of new grounds at Chester-le-Street and Southampton and the redevelopment of Cardiff mean there are more venues vying to stage matches.

With bad weather affecting cricket across the country, more than a day’s play was lost in Auckland’s match against Wellington at Colin Maiden Park. That didn’t stop the match ending with a result, however and with bowlers running rampant in the damp weather Wellington sealed a 125-run win on the fourth day as Auckland were bowled out for 144 in pursuit of 270.Weather breaks meant there was a very slow start to the game, Wellington’s first-innings total of 258 taking more than two days to compile, with half-centuries from opener Stephen Murdoch and captain Grant Elliott propping up the innings and Chris Martin taking 5 for 47 – his 22nd five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. On a remarkable third day, which saw 17 wickets fall for 290 runs, Auckland stumbled to 8 for 151 declared and then shot Wellington out for just 162, Martin helping himself to another four wickets and left-arm spinner Bruce Martin taking 5 for 57.Auckland were set an unlikely 270 to win the game on the fourth day, but mere survival proved too challenging as seamers Mark Gillespie, Andy McKay and Ili Tugaga ripped through the top order to reduce the opposition to 7 for 81. Bradley Cachopa’s 33 briefly held them back, while Michael Bates reached an unbeaten 32 to no avail as Gillespie returned to wrap up the tail and the win for Wellington.The contest between Central Districts and Northern Districts was marred by rain, with the second, third and fourth days washed out at McLean park in Napier. There was some play on the first, just 8.2 overs where Northern Districts managed 21 for the loss of a wicket. The teams didn’t take any points from the game. Central Districts retained their place at the top of the table with 28 points, while Northern Districts were second with 26.Persistent bad weather through four days meant that only 151 overs of play were possible in the game between Canterbury and Otago at the Mainpower Oval in Rangiora as the match ended in a draw.In a rain-affected first day where play began at 4.30pm local time, Canterbury seized the early impetus when they reduced Otago to 44 for 4. Otago ended the first day on 69 for 4 and their first innings spanned the better part of the next four days as no play was possible on the second day and only 39-odd overs on the third day.Canterbury looked to force a first-innings result on the fourth day as an all-round show from their bowlers helped them bowl Otago out for 199 with captain Craig Cumming the only batsmen to offer some resistance with a defiant unbeaten century. Propped by an unbeaten half-century from Dean Brownlie and handy forties from Rob Nicol and Peter Fulton, Canterbury posted 200 for 5 in their first innings before play ended to help them secure two points.