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The PCB has asked Danish Kaneria to produce a ‘clearance certificate’ from Essex if the legspinner is to be cleared by the board’s integrity committee and allowed to resume his international career.Matters between Kaneria and the board’s integrity committee had come to a deadlock in recent days; the integrity committee wanted a transcript of the police interview Kaneria gave during investigations into spot-fixing in a limited-overs county game. Kaneria was arrested before being released on bail and eventually discharged as police didn’t file charges.Another player, Mervyn Westfield, is due to face a trial and should the judge deem it necessary, Kaneria can still be called to court as part of the case. Kaneria and his lawyers insisted that the police transcripts were not available as the player’s involvement in the case was over.”We had asked for police transcripts but were told by Kaneria’s lawyers that they weren’t available,” Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB’s legal advisor, told ESPNcricinfo. “We need something to judge what is happening there and what happened in the case, however, so we’ve now asked for a clearance certificate from Essex who were his employers in the UK at the time, in a case which took place in the UK.”When asked what content such a certificate should include, Rizvi said, “We just want an idea of what Essex say about him and the case. They were his employers at the time. Will they consider him now?” Kaneria played for Essex for four seasons and picked up over 300 first-class wickets, but his contract was not renewed after last year.”This is an integrity issue for us,” Rizvi said. “The committee is not just made up of board members or cricketers, it has an ex-judge of the Supreme Court on it and in their opinion, Kaneria had not satisfied them so he has not been cleared. We can’t take a risk so we have asked for this clearance now.”Kaneria was unavailable for comment, though he did confirm that he had received the communication from the PCB. He hasn’t played a Test for Pakistan since last summer, even though he is the country’s leading wicket-taking spinner. The issue came to a head last October, when he was prevented from travelling to the UAE to take part in the Test series against South Africa at the last minute by the PCB. He had initially been picked for the series.

Scorecard
South Africa A beat Bangladesh A by a comfortable 60-run margin at Willowmoore Park, Benoni, to take the five-match series 3-1. The win was fashioned by a blistering, unbeaten 141 by Heino Kuhn.Asked to field, Bangladesh prised out the South Africa openers early on, leaving them 40 for 2 in 8.1 overs. But a steady 136-run stand between wicketkeeper Kuhn and captain Dean Elgar followed, laying a solid base for a big total. Kuhn cut loose after getting to a century off 110 balls, tonking his last 41 runs off just 16 deliveries. He was given adequate support in the late charge that took South Africa to 320, with Vaughn van Jaarsveld getting a 40-ball fifty and Ryan Bailey clearing the ropes a couple of times in a cameo to finish 22 not out off 9.Bangladesh’s chase was steered by a solid 124-run partnership for the second wicket between Junaid Siddique and Saghir Hossain. But once run-outs claimed the pair – Siddique went four short of a ton and Saghir fell soon after completing his fifty – South Africa took control of the innings, picking up wickets at regular intervals. The bowlers shared the wickets around, but Craig Alexander was the pick of the lot with three middle order wickets.

Nathan McCullum does not bowl a . He says he is working on an unfinished delivery, for which he does not have a name yet. McCullum, however, is certain about his role in this New Zealand side: to defend at all costs. On Friday he will face his biggest challenge against the Sri Lankan batsmen, who read hands better than master palmists. In the absence of Daniel Vettori for the second consecutive match, McCullum has to be New Zealand’s frontline spinner.McCullum’s build-up so far in this World Cup has been patchy. Not once has he delivered a full quota of 10 overs, bring used primarily as a utility bowler rather than a strike option. He has taken only three wickets in five matches at an average of 45, which is better than his career mean of 50. All his wickets have come towards the end of the innings, after the mandatory ball change, and he has failed to ask questions of opposition batsmen. Even spinners from weaker teams – Ray Price of Zimbabwe (seven wickets at 21 each), George Dockerell of Ireland (seven at 27) and Peeter Seelar of Netherlands (seven at 35) – have made stronger impressions than has McCullum.Yet, McCullum could play Sri Lanka with added confidence. He had a brief chat with Sunil Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan’s coach, who dropped in during New Zealand’s training session ahead of the Pakistan match at John Wright’s request. Though the chat lasted barely a few minutes, McCullum was reinvigorated. He realised his thought process about working towards a wicket was similar to what Fernando had in mind. There was not much time to talk technique, but McCullum is bound to utilise the knowledge against Sri Lankans.”I guess it depends on what type of spinner you are and how you work in the team. They perform different roles depending on the type of spinner,” McCullum said of the role of a spinner in modern-day cricket. “As for my role, it is to work hard and try and go for 40-45 off my ten overs, and if I pick up one or two wickets that will do.”McCullum felt his job was no different to that of a Muralitharan, the difference being Murali is a strike bowler. “In the Sri Lankan side, Muralitharan is looked at as a big wicket-taker, but at the end of the day even he has to go for 40-45 runs while he picks up the wickets.” McCullum is not cocky about his strengths. He is modest in fact, and would like to one day pick the brains of Murali and Harbhajan Singh to understand how they do what they do. In the interim he could change his mindset and become a wicket-taker instead of being tamed by batsmen.In the only World Cup match played at the Wankhede so far, New Zealand’s bowlers had to toil to get wickets against Canada, who lost by 97 runs but lasted 50 overs. It was the first time New Zealand had to bowl their complete quota of overs. It was also the only occasion McCullum came close to bowling 10 overs – he finished with 56 for 1 off eight.On Wednesday, Ross Taylor said the absence of Vettori and Kyle Mills would not hurt them because New Zealand had enough men of character to step up. McCullum can be one of them. The pitch has enough bounce and turn, New Zealand have a good fielding side. He needs to bowl with the positive attitude with which he bats. McCullum is one of the best finishers in the game. He has as strike-rate of 120 while batting in the final 10 overs; 52% of his runs are in boundaries. He needs to be that aggressive while bowling.”I don’t think my role changes at all. It just means I got to little bit more consistent and more aware of performing my role to the full extent,” he said. “When you lose a big player like Daniel Vettori and Kyle Milles every one needs to stand up and perform their role to the full extent.”

Not since Marcus Trescothick was in his prime have England had an opener who could keep pace with the Sehwags, Dilshans and Gayles of the world. The injury that ruled Eoin Morgan out of the tournament and forced England to reassess their batting strategy could, therefore, have major ramifications for their World Cup campaign.The decision to open with Kevin Pietersen is the obvious result, while Matt Prior, who struggled in Australia at the top of the order, has found his niche in the middle. “He played brilliantly at six against Canada and played a nice little cameo against Pakistan as well,” said Andrew Strauss on the eve of England’s first game against the Netherlands. “Pietersen, we’ve always felt, has the game to prosper at the top of the order in the subcontinent, on these type of wickets. I think he could take a couple of the opposition teams by surprise and put pressure on them.”Strauss himself is a very different player, steady rather than spectacular, and he reckoned that the different methods employed would make things harder for opposition bowlers. “I didn’t make many in the warm-up games, but we’re very contrasting players,” he said. “That might make it hard for bowlers to adjust to us. I’m very excited to bat alongside him, let’s put it that way. I think it could flourish into a very good partnership.”Two months ago, English cricket was riding the crest of a huge Ashes wave. Since then, after an injury-plagued one-day series that saw Australia win 6-1, questions have been asked about England’s stomach for 50-overs battle now that the urn is in safe keeping.Strauss insisted, however, that the Ashes hangover was long gone. “The World Cup only happens every four years,” he said. “If you’re lucky, you might play two or three in your career. You don’t want to have any regrets at the end of it.”That [losing intensity] was an accusation that could have been levelled during the one-day series in Australia. But not the World Cup. We’re up for it. There’s a good vibe and buzz about everything out here at the moment.”The feel-good factor has been enhanced by the return of Graeme Swann to full fitness and England have the full squad to choose from for a game against the side that embarrassed them in the World Twenty20 less than two years ago.That defeat at Lord’s is not uppermost in English minds these days, and Strauss preferred to think of it as a cautionary tale. “It underlines the point that you can’t underestimate teams like Holland,” he said. “They’ve played a lot of cricket now and are a side with some obvious strengths. We need to be good enough to overcome those. If we’re 10 percent off and they have a good day, we’re in trouble.””Everyone’s fit and healthy and ready to go. The six days we had in Bangladesh were really good in terms of preparation for the tournament. We were quite buoyed by our performance against Pakistan, and excited about what’s to come.”It was a frustrating two or three weeks in Australia, with some key performers injured at the wrong time, and not playing smart cricket. So it was reassuring to play the way we did against Pakistan.”The pitch at Jamtha has usually been terrific for batting and Strauss said that a final call on the XI would only be made on Tuesday morning. “It looks like a very good wicket,” he said. “We’ll need to see it tomorrow before we can gauge how much it’s going to turn or otherwise.”Selection should be fairly straightforward, with Ravi Bopara, Michael Yardy and Swann tussling for two spots. With a match against India to come on Sunday, it would be surprising if Swann didn’t play.India and Sri Lanka, two of the pre-tournament favourites, opened up with thumping victories, but Strauss was adamant that there was no pressure on his side to keep up with the subcontinent’s Joneses. “We’re not playing against India,” he said. “We’re playing against Holland and we need to win. How we win isn’t as important as just winning.”

New Zealand have named uncapped allrounder Luke Woodcock in their 15-man squad for the World Cup that begins in the subcontinent on February 19. Jacob Oram, who has been battling to recover from surgery in time for the tournament, has also been included in the mix.Woodcock, 28, made his international debut in the recent Twenty20 series against Pakistan and was rewarded for his good form for Wellington in New Zealand’s domestic one-day tournament, where he is averaging 26.00 with the bat and 20.00 with his left-arm spin. He was the one unfamiliar name in a squad that included six players who competed in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.Mark Greatbatch, New Zealand’s head selector, backed Woodock’s temperament and floated the possibility of playing three spinners – Woodcock, Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum.”Luke Woodcock has worked hard for his chance after forging an impressive record with Wellington over a number of years,” Greatbatch said. “He has a good head on his shoulders and his selection provides the option of playing three spinners, which could be useful in the subcontinent.”Oram has been ravaged by injury throughout his career and after a recurrence of a patella-tendon problem during the tri-series in Sri Lanka in August 2010, he opted for surgery with the sole aim of being fit for the World Cup. His big hitting and nagging medium pace made his an ever-present when fit in the New Zealand team and his inclusion was a boost ahead the World Cup.Hamish Bennett, the 23-year-old fast bowler, was also returning from injury, having picked up a groin strain during his debut Test in India last November. He impressed by bowling around 140kph and adds pace to an attack packed with steady bowlers.Greatbatch was relieved to have both Oram and Bennett available and felt the squad can continue New Zealand’s good record in World Cups. They made the semi-finals in two of the last three tournaments.”It’s great to see the bowling attack bolstered by the return of Jacob Oram and Hamish Bennett, who have both been sidelined with injury,” he said. “Jacob has been a key performer over a number of years and his experience will be invaluable at the World Cup. Hamish made a good start to his one-day career and deserves the opportunity now that he is fully fit.”We have kept faith with the bulk of the team which played the five-match ODI series in India and believe that, despite recent one-day form, the squad is very capable and owe it to themselves and the New Zealand fans to put in a huge performance at the World Cup.”New Zealand are presently playing Pakistan at home and will play six ODIs at the conclusion of the ongoing Test series. Their coaching staff was bolstered by the arrival of Allan Donald, the former South African fast-bowler, as bowling coach.Squad: Daniel Vettori, Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPatrick Cummins regularly hit the 140kph mark during his four-wicket haul•Getty Images

The New South Wales Blues have steam-rolled the Tasmania Tigers by nine wickets to charge into the Big Bash final and confirm a place in the Twenty20 Champions League for the second time.The inaugural Champions League winners rode on Patrick Cummins’ four wickets and a 49-ball 70 not out from David Warner to win a one-sided, rain-reduced preliminary final.Play was delayed by half an hour due to Hobart’s indifferent weather and the match was reduced to 17 overs a side. The coin fell George Bailey’s way and the Tigers captain elected to bat with 12 of the 18 previous matches in the tournament being won by the side setting a total.But no-one informed the 17-year-old Penrith quick Cummins about those statistics. He steamed in from the River End to take 4 for 16 in a Man-of-the-Match display that helped dismiss the Tigers for just 103.Cummins consistently clocked 140kph and was far too quick for the Tigers’ top order. He claimed Rhett Lockyear and Ed Cowan in his second over after Stuart Clark bowled Mark Cosgrove via the inside-edge off the third ball of the match. Cowan lost his off stump to a 146kph thunderbolt.Cummins had Jonathan Wells caught at point in his third over to leave Tasmania reeling at 4 for 25.The Tigers rallied courtesy of their two most experienced players in Bailey and Travis Birt. They put on 34 before both holed out needlessly to long-off and the innings never recovered.Scott Coyte conjured an extraordinary back-handed run out to remove Ryan ten Doeschate after fielding in his follow-through, and then Cummins returned to deceive James Faulkner with a slower ball to show he has guile, as well as gas, in his weaponry.David Warner gunned down the Tigers target with 25 balls to spare with a dazzling display of power-hitting. Warner’s performances have been much maligned this tournament despite becoming the leading run-scorer after Tuesday’s game.But after a scratchy first six deliveries during which he a miscued a ball just beyond mid-off, and nearly lost his off stump swinging for the Derwent River, he ignited the chase with the biggest six of the tournament, launching a short ball from Ben Hilfenhaus out of the ground over square leg. It sparked a sequence of eight deliveries that yielded six more boundaries and virtually ended the Tigers’ tournament.Warner raced to 50 off 32 balls and ended the night with his third six to finish with 70 not out from just 49 balls. The only man he could not collar was part-time offspinner Lockyear, who bowled 10 dot-balls at Warner in four overs that cost just 12 runs. It was a spell the Blues’ opponents in the final, the South Australia Redbacks, would no doubt have noted given the success of their own offspinner Nathan Lyon in this tournament.Lockyear also had Phil Jaques dropped twice to rub salt into the Tigers’ gaping wounds.The Blues will go into the final with supreme confidence but with an injury concern. Usman Khawaja twinged a hamstring in the field and his fitness will be assessed ahead of Saturday’s final in Adelaide.

As a boy Usman Khawaja waited for the SCG gates to open so he could watch his heroes for free. On Monday he will have another priceless experience there when he plays his first Test as the injured Ricky Ponting’s replacement at No 3.Khawaja, who will become the first Muslim to receive a baggy green, moved to Australia from Pakistan when he was three and as he grew up, his family couldn’t afford match tickets. So he would hang around at the entrance until the gatemen let him in for a peek at Steve Waugh and Co.When he enters the ground over the next week he will be treated like royalty by the home fans and as a target by England. “It’s been a childhood dream for me,” he said at the SCG. “Ever since I can remember I wanted to play for Australia.”Khawaja, 24, is a graceful, wristy left-hander who has impressed team-mates with his calm maturity. He is already a qualified pilot and is now in charge of navigating Australia from first-drop in an Ashes Test. Not since Justin Langer in 1992-93 has a debutant stepped out at No.3.”Ricky is a legend of a cricketer, a legend of a bloke,” Khawaja said. “I’ve only met him a few times, but he’s made me feel like I’ve been part of the team when I really haven’t.”He’s the kind of guy that if he told me to jump off a bridge I probably would, I’d follow him anywhere. I’m not here to fill Ricky Ponting’s shoes, I’m going to go out there and try and do the best I can. To replace 12,000 runs is a big feat and I still haven’t scored any.”Khawaja was on standby for Ponting in Melbourne and was also called late into the squad for the opening game in Brisbane when Michael Clarke had a bad back. He started the season well for New South Wales, scoring a double-century, and leads the Sheffield Shield run list with 598 at 74.75.Despite his attractive overall record – he averages 51.70 in 27 first-class games – he hasn’t posted a first-class hundred since his 214, although he has produced some useful half-centuries. The past four Tests have shown that Australia need big scores from their top six to survive against England and it is a tough ask for a debutant to provide such leadership in an ailing outfit. Whatever Khawaja does, it will be another memorable visit to the SCG.

ScorecardJames Faulkner demolished South Australia at Bellerive Oval, where they crumbled for 55, which was their third-lowest Sheffield Shield total of all time. The Redbacks will struggle to avoid a heavy defeat, despite reaching a slightly more respectable 3 for 91 at stumps on the second day after following, with Callum Ferguson on 21 and Aiden Blizzard on 12.Faulkner, playing his eighth first-class match, finished with a remarkable 5 for 5, while Adam Maher picked up 3 for 10 as the Redbacks failed to handle the seaming conditions. Faulkner had Ferguson trapped lbw for 12 and picked up two wickets in two balls as the innings came to a rapid close, after South Australia began the day on 2 for 10.The opener James Smith was the top scorer with 17, and was one of only three men to reach double figures. Not surprisingly, George Bailey enforced the follow on and when rain forced an early end to the day’s play at tea, the Redbacks still needed another 105 runs with seven wickets in hand to make the Tigers bat again.