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Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire who this month was banned from umpiring in internationals, has been retained on the ECB reserve umpires list for 2007.Hair was standing alongside Billy Doctrove, the West Indian umpire, when the final Test between England and Pakistan was abandoned on the fourth day following Pakistan’s refusal to take the field after they’d been penalised five runs for ball tampering.Reserve umpires are eligable to stand in any first-class match under the ECB and are granted these matches depending on their level of performance. A space had opened up on the full list following the retirement of David Constant and there was a thought that Hair would move up. However, that role went to Tim Robinson, the former England batsman.Chris Kelly, the ECB’s umpires and match operations manager, told Cricinfo Hair was part of their discussions. “All the reserve list umpires were considered as replacements for David Constant. At the time the decision was taken on who to appoint it still wasn’t clear what ICC’s decision would be regarding Darrell and what decisions he would take himself. It has been a reasonably recent development that Darrell has confirmed his availability with us.”As far as next season is concerned, Kelly is hopeful Hair will be about to go about his umpiring without problems. “If any situations arise we will deal with them at the time,” and added, “everyone on the list is available for future promotion.”Meanwhile, umpires in New South Wales have announced they will wear black ribbons in support of Hair during this weekend’s club matches. The NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (NSWCUSA), of which Hair is a life member and former president, asked all umpires at club matches to wear the ribbons on Saturday.Earlier this month, the NSWCUSA took out a full-page advertisement in newspapers containing an open letter criticising ICC for its decision to demote Hair from the elite panel following what was seen as pressure from the Asian bloc.A statement from the NSWCUSA said the decision to wear black ribbons was aimed at not just showing support, but also “to express concern at a total lack of respect for the role of the umpire by the ICC along with a demise in the idea of playing by the laws”.

Not long after West Indies’ heavy loss to Australia in the first Test on November 6, among the first words heard in a dejected dressing room were those of encouragement from Courtney Walsh, the former West Indian captain.Walsh was asked by the coach Bennett King to lift the gloom with his presence and his support. “I was happy to have the chance to go to talk with the team,” said Walsh, now in Australia on a coaching and speaking tour. “It’s easier for someone who is not playing to try to talk to them rather than someone who is playing and I just tried to encourage them.”Walsh pledged to help wherever possible during the two weeks he has left in Australia. He even hoped to find a space in his schedule that would allow him to come to Melbourne, where the West Indies start a three-day match against Victoria on November 11, to “talk to them, to watch them bowl, to join them in the nets”.”The team is not as bad as the result shows but the [Australian] victory by 379 runs should not have been as easy as it came about,” he said. “I think they’re lacking a little bit of experience and, if all of us get behind them whenever we can, it’ll be all the better for them. I certainly think that the bowlers need to have someone to keep working with them, taking them through situations,” he added. “It doesn’t have to be me, it doesn’t have to be Mikey [Michael Holding], but somebody who can say, look, this is what I want you to try to do now, for a session or for the day or whatever.”There was also need for similar assistance for the batsmen. “I’m not trying to take away anything from anybody because what I’m hearing from the players is that Bennett King is doing a good job with getting the right work ethic and discipline and that’s important,” Walsh said. “But I think they need that sort of encouragement from somebody who they can believe in or look up to. Maybe they need someone like that in the batting as well.”They are recommendations the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) need to seriously consider. They could do worse than negotiating with Walsh to immediately join the coaching staff for the remainder of the tour. When King was appointed, the WICB named Sir Garry Sobers as technical consultant. But the greatest allround player the game has known stated from the beginning he is unable to undertake overseas tours.King, the former head of the Australian Academy where he succeeded John Buchanan, the current Australian coach, has introduced the methods that have made Australia the most dominant team in international cricket. He had had a frenetic introduction. The disruptions caused by the protracted row between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) have meant 32 players have been under his charge during his year in the job.

His invitation to Walsh is a hint that he would appreciate a full-time appointment of a former West Indies cricketer with the knowledge, reputation and esteem of Sobers and Walsh. Rather than pressing them into practice and training, King preferred to give those players who wanted it the day off yesterday, presumably to quietly overcome the trauma of the stunning first Test defeat.But five players – Corey Collymore, Daren Powell, Devon Smith, Dwayne Smith, and Denesh Ramdin – requested practice at the indoor nets at the Gabba to work on various aspects of their game and King was there to guide them through.The team flies to Melbourne on Tuesday to prepare for the three-day match against Victoria, starting on Friday. It will give King and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the captain, the opportunity to assess the best combination for the final two back-to-back Tests in Hobart and Adelaide that immediately follow.It certainly won’t involve four non-batting fast bowlers, as was the case in the first Test, but rather the introduction of Dwayne Bravo to bat No. 7, bowl nippy medium-pace and add speed and certainty to the fielding. He won’t have long to gain the necessary form. Another allrounder, Dwayne Smith, should have his first match of the tour. It could also be his last unless he turns in a spectacular performance that would prompt his inclusion over Bravo.

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Romesh Kaluwitharana finished his first-class career by captaining Colts to victory in the 2004-05 Premier League Tournament. It was Colts’s first domestic title since 2001-02.Victory was all but assured after BRC were bundled out for 178 to give Colts a decisive, and match-winning first-innings lead of 196. Chaminda Vaas collected with 5 for 32 to go with his first-innings century as BRC lost their last five wickets for 34 runs, The lower order failed to continue the good work put in by Manoj Mendis, who, on the second day, had propped up BRC with a spirited 73 with 12 fours.Colts needed to bat out time on Sunday afternoon, and Kaluwitharana dispelled any fears of a dramatic turn-around by putting on 77 for the first wicket with Shantha Kalavitigoda before being out for the last time in his career, to Duncan Arnolda. Kalu was given a rousing send-off, and his team-mates gave him a guard of honour. Kalavitigoda pressed on, despite Sajeewa Weerakoon cutting through the Colts’s middle order to claim 3 for 60, and reached his hundred from 117 balls with 12 fours and a four sixes before umpires called time.At the post-match presentation ceremony, Weerakoon was awarded the bowler of the tournament, while Rashan Peiris of Colts was player of the tournament. Russel Arnold, who wasn’t playing in the final, was batsman of the tournament.

Outgoing International Cricket Council (ICC) president Malcolm Gray hasadmitted that the contracts controversy was laced with evils like “greed andparochialism”, according to a report from India Abroad News Service.Gray, who will hand over stewardship of the ICC to Pakistan’s Ehsan Mani onThursday, spoke at length about issues that have strained relationshipsbetween players, national cricket boards and the ICC. The interview quotesGray as saying: “The contracts issue was a problem that was entwined withgreed, bad management, lack of communication, nationalism and parochialism.”Further, he admitted that the ICC could have handled the imbroglio moresensitively. “We at ICC should have realised that the communication betweenthe players and the boards was lacking in many parts of the world. Maybe wecould have done more to ensure the players were properly informed and theirviews taken into account.”Gray’s statements come in the wake of a claim of £ 50 million by the GlobalCricket Corporation (GCC), who earlier entered into a US$ 550 million,seven-year sponsorship deal with the ICC. The deal assured the GCC of antiambush-marketing measures, some of which could not be fulfilled in thecourse of the World Cup.Shortly before the ICC Champions Trophy and the World Cup, uneasycompromises were reached and the tournaments got under way. It is thesecompromises that have given rise to circumstances in which the GCC can stakeits claim for £ 50 million from the ICC.Gray appreciated the gravity of the situation, but remained optimistic thata solution would be reached. “It is a complex issue and the claims that haveemanated will take time to find solutions. However, if they are approachedwith a sense of reasonability by all parties, an answer could be arrived atin a relatively short time.”

As early as day two of the CricInfo Championship, Division Two clash between Middlesex and Warwickshire at Lord’s, a stalemate has been achieved.History suggests a draw: as Middlesex haven’t won at Lord’s against The Bears since 1983. Warwickshire last beat Middlesex in 1992. Last year’s game was a typical high scoring draw.Middlesex reached an epic 502-7 declared at tea, with Paul Weekes (107) and David Nash (103*) completing centuries today.Warwickshire replied with 158-2. Mark Wagh, in his 50th championship appearance stroking an unbeaten 82 and Ian Bell, in his ninth championship game, making an unbeaten 65.With depleted attacks and a flat pitch, early breakthroughs were essential. Warwickshire didn’t take a wicket until mid afternoon, after Weekes and Nash had added a record between the counties of 189 for the sixth wicket. This surpassed the record of Mark Ramprakash and Keith Brown, who added 184 at Lord’s in 1996.Today was just the second time that four players had made centuries in an innings at HQ following Middlesex’s 1920 quartet of P.F Warner, H.W Lee, J.W Hearne and N.E Haig.Stephen Fleming and Ed Joyce made tons during another record Middlesex v Warwickshire stand yesterday.Warwickshire’s debutant, Jamie Spires, 21, who wasn’t required to bowl today, commented: “If you didn’t bowl off stump, any error in length is punished.”This partly explains why just five wickets fell for 322 runs in 88 overs today.Middlesex’s declaration brought relief for Warwickshire. But just as the home team had been 33-3 early yesterday, Warwickshire began badly to be 6-2 after just nine balls.Fraser straightened one to trap Mike Powell lbw, then Tim Bloomfield bowled Nick Knight for a duck, on the back foot as the ball came in down the slope.But the contrasting styles of Wagh and Bell were then illustrated, particularly in two overs from Middlesex medium pacer Simon Cook. In the first, Wagh’s graceful straight drive brought up as 45-ball 50 containing nine fours. In the next the more compact Bell pulled two sixes into the nearby Grandstand to bring up the team’s 100 in just 132 balls.Yet another 1920’s stand between the counties was threatened as 19-year-old Bell, and 24-year-old Wagh passed 150 for the third wicket, three overs from the close.

The rain affected South Zone Cooch Behar Trophy match between Kerala andGoa, predictably enough, ended in a disappointing draw at the MedicalCollege ground in Trivandrum today. Play was possible only for 133 minuteson the first day during which Goa made 71 for eight wickets. The second andthird days were completely washed out and the teams got three points each.This was the second successive no result for Kerala.

Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan captain, has blamed his side’s poor batting for the series loss to England after conceding an unbeatable 3-1 lead with one match to play. A comfortable five-wicket win at the Premadasa Stadium sealed England’s first ODI triumph in the subcontinent since 1987.”I don’t think we’ve batted well for the last three games,” said Jayawardene. “One or two individuals have been having good days but we’ve not been batting as a unit to put runs on the board for the bowlers to bowl at.”He admitted England were the better side and that they deserved to win the series. “Losing matches is not easy for us, especially at home, but credit should go to England because they’ve played some really good cricket. Some of their players have performed really well and they’ve basically outplayed us in the last few games.”Paul Collingwood, the England captain, termed his side’s comeback “unbelievable” after they won their first one-day series in Sri Lanka despite losing the series opener.”Before we came here a lot of people wrote us off. We lost that first game and the way the lads have bounced back has been unbelievable. They’ve learnt and adapted new skills and showed a lot of character.”I am very, very proud and it was a very proud moment when we knocked those runs off. I’m proud of all the players that have been involved and the management have been fantastic.”He said the series victory against India had given the team a lot of confidence.”We knew the areas we needed to improve and the key has been the belief we have built up over the last few weeks, especially the India series which was a big thing for us – that belief was not going to go after one game.”Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen scored half-centuries to help England coast to victory after the bowlers had restricted Sri Lanka to 211.

The Duke of Edinburgh greeted Sussex’s cricketers at Buckingham Palace this week, to present them with the ECB/Lord’s Taverners County Championship Trophy, after their narrow victory over Lancashire in this year’s tightly contested title race.Prince Philip, who is also patron and twelfth man of the Lord’s Taverners, has presented the trophy at Buckingham Palace to the winners of the County Championship each year since Hampshire won in 1973.This year’s victory by Sussex is the second time in four years that the county has won the Championship since it was inaugurated in 1890. Sussex won the trophy for the first time in their history in 2003.They also won this season’s C&G one-day final, and their captain, Chris Adams, who received the trophy from the Duke, said: “From 2003 it’s a different side but it’s a magnificent feeling and to do the double has meant 2006 is Sussex’s year.”Also present at Buckingham Palace was the England women’s captain, Charlotte Edwards, who received the women’s trophy on behalf of her county, Kent, who won the competition for the first time in their history.

Mark Williams, chief executive of The Lord’s Taverners said: “These two teams have performed extraordinarily well throughout the season and are deserving winners of the trophies.”We are particularly pleased for Sussex,” he added. “Not only have they played some compelling cricket but also Chris Adams and other Sussex cricketers gave up some of their rare days off during the season to turn out for The Lord’s Taverners cricket team, which raises much needed funds for the charity.”Both the men’s and the women’s County Championships are sponsored by the Liverpool Victoria Group, who generously donate £6 to The Lord’s Taverners for every six hit in the county championships, as well as £10 a run for the highest individual score in the championship. In 2006 the combined donation to the charity from Liverpool Victoria amounts to £9,444.

Less than 48 hours have passed since the final of the Challenger Trophy at Mohali, and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) finds itself embroiled in a new controversy over television rights with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).The first volley was fired by SK Nair, BCCI secretary, as he accused the PCA of not releasing the full financial details of the television deal with Zee Sports, which broadcast all four games. “We have sent them letters asking them to give us the financial details of the deal but PCA refuses to divulge information,” Nair has been quoted as saying by . “We would like to know how much money PCA has made because it affects the gross earnings of the board from which subsidies are given to affiliated units.”The BCCI claims that it is the PCA’s responsibility to maintain transparency regarding any financial dealing, such as who determined a final amount for the TV rights and on what basis, given that the PCA is an affiliate of the BCCI.IS Bindra, PCA president, disapproved Nair’s statements and has dashed off his own letter to the board, dated October 13 and delivered to Nair, by hand, on October 14. Bindra has cited that the PCA went ahead and found sponsors for the Challenger Trophy and arranged for its telecast at the request of the Annual General Meeting, and that he does intend to submit a detailed financial report.Nair’s comments and Bindra’s response are sure to raise the tempo of discussions at the board’s marketing committee meeting to be held in Mumbai on October 16, where the technical bids for TV rights for coverage of all matches till 2009 will be discussed.

After banning Maurice Odumbe for five years, the ICC is now investigating further accusations of corruption involving Kenyan players, according to Reuters reports. Individual interviews with 14 players will be held between November 30 and December 2 by two members of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, Martin Hawkins and Alan Peacock.Sammy Obingo, the Kenyan board’s general manager, issued letters to the players in question, in which he told them: “The purpose of their visit is to carry out investigations into matters that arose during the recent Maurice Odumbe inquiry in Nairobi. The investigations are centered on the players and officials of the 1999-00 Kenya team of which you were a member.”The current investigations were sparked by comments made by Odumbe’s ex-wife at the inquiry, where she suggested six Kenya players may have been involved in corrupt practices.”I think this is a follow-up of what emerged at the Odumbe inquiry involving other national team members,” said the chairman of the Kenyan board, Sharadh Ghai. “I think this is what they are coming to conduct further investigations on.”The banning of the charismatic and influential Odumbe following the inquiry hit the Kenyan team hard. And although he protested his innocence, his request for an appeal was turned down.The current investigation is just the latest in a series of events to set back Kenya. Steve Tikolo resigned after the Champions Trophy – and a players’ strike followed. The new captain, Hitesh Modi, said: “We’ve gone ten steps backward since the World Cup.” Interestingly, he defended Odumbe, saying, “I thought it was unfair that he got a five-year ban. There have been players who have admitted to have taken money but who have got away. And they are only saying he knew a bookie, but they have not pinpointed any game which was affected.”