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Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) new president Jayantha Dharmadasa has vowed to make Sri Lanka the best cricket team in the world in all three formats during his two-year tenure. His plans are to start at the grassroots level, specifically with the ‘A’ and Under-19 teams, where he hopes to form a strong contingent.Dharmadasa also hoped to have the support of the executive committee that handles SLC affairs. Furthermore, he wanted to send scouts to the rural regions, outside the major centres, as most of the recent talent has come from these areas.”I hope to get the cooperation of all the members of the executive committee in my endeavour to bring the Sri Lanka team to the highest level in world cricket and make them the best team in the future,” Dharmadasa said after being elected president for a second time. He had served as chairman of the interim committee from 2005 to 2008.”I will ensure that we will give much needed foreign exposure to our cricketers by arranging for more ‘A’ and Under-19 tours. Our Under-19 team is the one that forms the nucleus of future national sides. We will also obtain the services of qualified coaches, which will go a long way towards improving the standard of our cricketers.”Nishantha Rantunga, who was re-elected SLC secretary, called the newly elected members to shed their differences and to work as a team towards making Sri Lanka the No. 1 team in the world.”We have been elected to serve Sri Lanka cricket. We should shed our differences and work towards achieving that goal,” Ranatunga said, “If we can do that, it will be Sri Lanka cricket and its cricketers who will benefit. About 80% of the cricketers who play in the national team come from outside Colombo.”One of the two vice-presidents Mohan de Silva, who was elected from the opposing camp, said he saw no difficulty in working with the other members of the elected executive committee, although there were differences between the two factions prior to the elections.”When we thought that cricket was not being administered the way it should be, we raised objections,” said de Silva. “But I see no difficulty in working with the members of the executive committee. We have to work together for the sake of Sri Lanka cricket.”De Silva had filed a case against the appointment of Jayantha Dharmadasa to the presidency, stating that it was unconstitutional. The case is to be taken up in court later this month.”After what has happened today, where I was elected to serve as a vice-president of the SLC, I don’t personally see any point in going ahead with the case. But I cannot take a decision on it immediately because I am now working with a team.” The new executive committee will hold their first meeting on April 23.

The club versus country debate has cropped up again as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan has barred players from participating in the IPL during international series.Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal are the only Bangladesh players associated with the league, and have not asked for NOCs (No Objection Certificates) yet. Bangladesh’s Zimbabwe tour commences on April 13 and ends on May 12, while the IPL is scheduled between April 3 and May 26. Shakib plays for Kolkata Knight Riders and Tamim for Pune Warriors and the BCB decision means the pair will be eligible to play in only four IPL matches.”There is no chance for players to take part in these [IPL] tournaments when an international series is going on,” Hassan said. “As far as I know, cricket boards don’t allow such things, and we will not provide that opportunity [either].”We haven’t been requested to provide any NOCs yet. I was asked if they can go to the IPL instead of the Zimbabwe tour, but I told them that they wouldn’t be able to. I know for sure that even in my capacity, I cannot let them go.”Hassan didn’t single out the two players, but warned players against trying to pick and choose formats. “The country comes first, otherwise there is always the chance of the players thinking they can play in these tournaments, where they have more personal benefits. I am not saying that the players are taking chances, but this attitude isn’t healthy when you look at the bigger picture.”

England have called up Somerset fast bowler Jamie Overton to their ODI squad for the remaining two ODIs against New Zealand. Jamie joins his brother Craig in the squad and presents the prospect of England fielding twins in the same match for the first time.Jamie Overton, the 21-year-old from Devon, replaces Liam Plunkett who has been ruled out of the series with a thigh strain having played the first two matches of the series. Craig Overton replaced Chris Jordan who was also injured after the second ODI.These are selections based on future potential rather than performance, exciting in the recognition of might one day be achieved, but it would be possible to advance a case that they are illogical and lacking credibility if county statistics are to be given any credence. Perhaps England are just taking a development check. After all, building for the 2019 World Cup is the mantra.Somerset have rarely seen them in the same side together, partly because of injuries, partly because they remain inconsistent performers, although they did combine to devastating effect for the first time this season against Yorkshire last month. Even so, for them both to be called up by England in the same match before their county careers are barely established would be startling.Jamie is a bowler of genuine pace and imposing height at six-foot-five. He was first called up to the England squad against Australia in August 2013 but was not handed a debut. That winter he was picked for England Lions but was forced to pull out of the tour because of a knee injury.Jamie’s 2014 was also hampered by injury and when he did return could not win a place back in Somerset’s first XI and ended up back playing club cricket in Devon but he did spent time during the winter with the England Performance Programme and made a promising start to this season. But after a series of impressive spells, picked up another problem during the Middlesex Championship match at the end of April and was forced back on the sidelines.His ability with the white ball is less obvious. He has played only 14 List A matches and has taken 20 wickets at 27.00 with an economy rate of 6.27. He began the season with six wickets in three County Championship matches but with the white ball has proved expensive, conceding 128 runs in 12 overs from four matches.With Jamie missing from Somerset’s County Championship side, Craig, with better all-round ability, was brought in and played a key role in his side’s first victory of the season at Nottinghamshire, scoring a vital half-century and taking six wickets. But when both twins appeared against Yorkshire at the end of May they sent the cider pumps buzzing with a stand of 76 runs from only 5.5 overs – one of the few times they have both played together for Somerset.Craig himself has struggled with injuries, missing almost all of 2013 but bounced back to win a place on the England Lions tour to South Africa in January this year, only to have to come home early because of an ankle injury that eventually required surgery – something he says was actually a blessing in disguise. He has only appeared in the County Championship this summer yet could be in line for a one-day international debut this week, possibly alongside his twin.Their father Mark has played cricket for many years for North Devon CC, where they first knocked up on the outfield at Instow. When they began to play, it was Jamie who became the threatening fast bowler while Craig’s qualities seemed more rounded with both bat and ball. They were educated at West Buckland School, where one of the most iconic West Country cricketers, Harold Gimblett was also educated.If they ever play together, they might even one day outrank the Bedsers in English folkore. But only one of the Bedsers made it an international level, a reminder that sometimes achievement falls unevenly on twins. it was Alec who became one of England’s great bowling stalwarts in the post-war years, with his brother Eric only playing for England in a practice game against Tasmania on England’s 1950-51 tour of Australia.

Bangladesh batsmen Junaid Siddique and Nazimuddin, who opened in a Test each against West Indies and scored 31 runs together, have been dropped from the preliminary squad of 25 for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka. A few recent performers like Marshall Ayub and Shamsur Rahman were named in the squad.Bangladesh chief selector Akram Khan doesn’t anticipate making too many changes to the Test side, but he admitted to the scarce choices for opening batsmen and pace bowlers.”We don’t have too many options [for the openers], and not many have done well in the recent past,” Akram said. “We are also on a blind spot with pace bowling, unfortunately. We cannot consider them by what we have seen of them so far. It is very difficult to ascertain a fast bowler’s performance by just seeing four overs in the BPL.”Tamim Iqbal hasn’t had a regular opening partner in Tests for the last two years. Nazimuddin and Imrul Kayes have played three Tests each while Junaid played just one against West Indies earlier this season. Anamul Haque could get a chance after playing all five ODIs against West Indies, in which he scored a century. The selectors have also kept Shamsur in the mix.

Shakib to tour SL after treatment for injury

Shakib Al Hasan will only be touring Sri Lanka after he has received treatment on a shin injury in Australia, said chief selector Akram Khan.
Shakib has been a regular with the Dhaka Gladiators in the BPL, though he was last week diagnosed with exertional compartment syndrome on his shin bone, a condition that can be caused by frequent running, which leads to pain and swelling.
There was concern about his availability for the Test series in Sri Lanka, and as a result the board has decided to send him to Australia and consult a specialist. He is likely to leave just after the BPL final where he will be appearing for the Gladiators on Tuesday.
“Shakib is going to Australia and based on the report, we will decide whether he will go to Sri Lanka or not,” Akram said. “The sort of player he is, we have to take two players to replace him. We have picked the 25-man squad keeping his situation in mind.”

Among the pace bowlers, Rubel Hossain’s new-ball partner could be any one out of Shafiul Islam, Abul Hasan, Shahadat Hossain, Nazmul Hossain and Rabiul Islam. Shafiul got back to international cricket recently after a lengthy injury break, while Abul and Shahadat got only a wicket between themselves in the Tests against West Indies.The Bangladesh middle order has been a settled one for quite a long time with Naeem Islam likely to continue at No. 4 followed by Shakib Al Hasan (pending recovery from shin injury), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain.As a result, Akram has all but ruled out any new faces and either one or two of Marshall, Anamul and Mominul Haque are strong cases for inclusion. Marshall has averaged 81.38 in ten first-class matches this season, scoring 1058 runs with four centuries including his highest score of 289 for Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League.”We haven’t thought about new faces because Bangladesh have done well against West Indies recently. I don’t have too many options too, except for some competition among the left-arm spinners.”Marshall has been doing well and is in good form, so this is the right time to pick him. In case of [Anamul Haque] Bijoy and Mominul [Haque], we are keeping them in our mind but we have several players in a few positions,” Akram said.The Test squad is set to be named on either February 22 or 23 for the two-match series which will begin on March 8 in Galle.Bangladesh preliminary squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Elias Sunny, Ziaur Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abul Hasan, Jahurul Islam, Shafiul Islam, Anamul Haque, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Mominul Haque, Shahriar Nafees, Shahadat Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Robiul Islam, Sohag Gazi, Naeem Islam, Enamul Haque jnr, Shamsur Rahman, Sabbir Rahman, Marshall Ayub.

ScorecardKhulna Royal Bengals, playing in front of a packed Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium, beat Rangpur Riders by nine runs. They have now turned around their flagging campaign with two wins in a row. Shahriar Nafees helped set up a competitive total on a pitch that was too slow for big hits before Shapoor Zadran rocked the top order of the opposition.The fightback made for excellent viewing too, as the Royal Bengals made 106 runs in the last 10 overs, after struggling for 44 for 4 in the first 10. The fielding display also helped stop the Riders, who had won their last two games quite handsomely, from clinching the tight game. Zadran, the Afghanistan left-arm fast bowler, bowled a mean spell to take three wickets in his first two overs, while Daniel Harris kept things tight with his medium pace.Riders’ Nasir Hossain continued his good form, but was the only batsman to put up a fight, hammering 70 off 49 balls with seven fours and two sixes. He found some support from Dimitri Mascarenhas, who was foxed by Sanjamul Islam to hand back the advantage to the Royal Bengals after their 33-run sixth wicket stand.Khulna’s Nafees batted like a captain should, taking responsibility of an innings that lacked direction. Lou Vincent fell early, and the Riders lost three further wickets, but Nafees assumed control. The emphatic pulled six he hit off Fidel Edwards, the same bowler who had struck his face two years ago, was symbolic of his confidence.Nafees scored 53 off 50 balls with five boundaries and two sixes, and added 70 runs for the fifth wicket with Harris, who stayed unbeaten on 48. Haris provided the final push to take his team to 150.

A proposed Twenty20 league in the USA, headed by the USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket, may be on the verge of collapse after USACA president Gladstone Dainty allegedly informed stakeholders at the annual general meeting on December 15 in New York that the board’s partnership with Rajiv Podar, the primary investor supplying funding to USACA through Cricket Holdings America LLC, might be coming to an end.It is a scenario that is being denied by Podar.”It is true we have been and we are still in active discussions with some investors,” Podar wrote in an email to ESPNcricinfo.”There have been some delays, mainly due to detailed planning and putting a proper structure and plan together. Given the magnitude of the project and our desire to have a world-class event, delays are normal. Frankly, I do not see how this is going to be a potential danger in ending the league. The company is being financed and progressing as planned.”When the CHA LLC agreement was signed in 2010, USACA was supposed to receive $2 million in annual payments from Podar in the form of advances drawn against future earnings from licensing fees secured by the proposed league. A further $3 million bonus payment was set to be disbursed to USACA from Podar by the end of 2011 in the form of share sales after securing another investor in the CHA LLC partnership to join Podar, Top Bloom, Neil Maxwell’s Insite Organization, USACA and NZC.Dainty admitted to ESPNcricinfo in November that USACA had actually been getting “about half” of the $2 million in annual payments from Podar that were originally agreed to as part of the CHA LLC deal.According to sources, an additional investor was never secured and USACA never received the $3 million bonus despite two extensions granted to broker an agreement. The latest extension passed on December 15. Podar however was quick to dispel notions that the proposed league or his affiliation with CHA is in danger of coming to an end.Dainty, who is also the chairman of the board of CHA in addition to being USACA president, is set to have a meeting in New York with Podar next month regarding the funding issues. If the sides part ways, it could mean that there will be no CHA T20 league unless a different investor is found to take Podar’s place within the CHA structure to prevent it from collapsing.It could also mean that USACA would have to repay Podar the millions of dollars he has already advanced them since 2010, which could pose problems for USACA since they do not have any significant revenue streams to facilitate repayment.The money Podar extended to USACA was initially seen as a resource for funding USA development programmes. However, on-field endeavours took a back seat to legal battles in 2012 as USACA spent well into six figures this year on lawyer fees.Consequently, USACA only organised one domestic tournament in 2012, a solitary 50-over match for the national championship on November 11 in Florida between a group of players handpicked by the USACA administration and designated as the Eastern and Western Conference. Despite multiple press releases promising to do so, USACA failed to organise a women’s national tournament in 2012 and never put together a national junior tournament either despite receiving roughly $300,000 in funding from the ICC for the purpose of such development initiatives.As of now, the CHA-organised USA Twenty20 league is scheduled to begin in June but signs that the league initiative was on shaky ground came to the surface earlier this month.Dainty and Maxwell, the chief executive of CHA, gave conflicting accounts on the state of proposed league. Dainty told ESPNcricinfo that Associate-level players would be recruited to form the nucleus of the player talent pool while Maxwell stated in a separate interview that the league was still hoping to secure top-flight players from Full Member nations for a launch next summer with six teams playing on artificial pitches in New York.According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Dainty is also at odds with Maxwell over the latter’s plan to stage matches on artificial pitches, which is presently the only viable way to play matches in New York and other major metropolitan markets due to a lack of turf facilities.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHenry Davids’ 166, which included five sixes and 15 fours, helped Titans beat Knights by five runs with just two balls to spare in a thriller played at the De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberly on Wednesday. Batting first, the Titans began aggressively with openers Davids and Heino Kuhn taking on the Knights bowlers. The pair, who eventually put on a 149-run stand, hurried to 50 off 8.5 overs and 100 in the 16th over.The partnership ended when Kuhn was run out in the 24th over. Martin Van Jaarsveld and Farhaan Behardien were the other batsmen who pushed the scoring along with Davids. But four wickets went down for six runs towards the end of the innings and that limited Titans to 322.Knights’ batsmen began well, with the top-six scoring freely. Openers, Michael Erlank and Rudi Second, put on a 66-run stand. Then Ryan Bailey and Werner Coetsee kept them in the hunt with a fifth-wicket stand of 95. With 73 runs required off the last 10 overs, Knights were ahead, but a double-wicket over by Roelof van der Merwe derailed the chase. Regular wickets continued to fall till the last over when Knights required 16 to win with just one wicket in hand.Consecutive boundaries by Dillon du Preez brought the equation down to 7 off 2 but the last man, Malusi Siboto was run out off the penultimate ball.Knights, who had just one wicket in hand in the last over, needed 15 to win, but Malusi Siboto was run out, costing his side the match.

ScorecardAfter setting up an imposing 410-run target, Karnataka struck thrice in 13 overs to leave Delhi struggling to save the game at the end of the third day’s play at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having conceded a first-innings lead, Karnataka took big steps in their bid for an outright win after their doughty lower middle-order batting had put them in a position of advantage.The morning session has been the most productive for the seam bowlers. They picked up five wickets each in the first two days, and today, Karnataka lost four in a hurry, which included the set overnight pair of Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul. Parvinder Awana and Sumit Narwal dismissed three for no runs and the hosts’ grip on the game started to slip at 167 for 4 with a lead of just 101. The two not-out batsmen, Binny and Pandey, were practically starting from scratch.Binny’s presence was reassuring for Karnataka, given that he was the only batsman to pass fifty in the first innings. The pair stuck to the plan of batting positively, picking the gaps. Binny released the pressure by stepping down the track to the left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra and launching two consecutive sixes over the sight screen. The pair went into lunch with a healthier lead of 191, having added 90.Binny stepped up a gear after lunch, making room to the spinner and lofting over extra cover. Delhi went on the defensive, pushing the fielders back but it didn’t deter either Pandey or Binny from going for the big hits. Pandey brought up his fifty with a slog over deep midwicket to lighten up a lean season with the bat. Delhi finally broke through when Pandey made room to cut Mishra and lost his off stump. The partnership of 145 was the turning point.By the time Binny departed, spooning Bhatia to second slip for 85, the lead had passed 250. Delhi failed to run through the line-up after getting both Pandey and Binny in quick succession. With Ashish Nehra unfit to bowl, the bowlers were stretched. It showed in the body language too when Awana and Nehra were guilty of misfields. CM Gautham helped himself to a half-century, adding 63 off 69 balls with Vinay Kumar to compound Delhi’s woes. Shortly after the lead had passed 400, Karnataka declared, giving their bowlers 15 overs at a deflated Delhi.It was time well spent by Karnataka as they nipped out the openers and the nightwatchman in a fiery spell of fast bowling by Vinay, HS Sharath and Abhimanyu Mithun. Unmukt Chand was struck on the pads by Vinay, before Sharath removed two in his first over, trapping Shikhar Dhawan on the backfoot and getting the nightwatchman Mishra edging to slip. Karnataka are now seven wickets away from their first outright win of the season. From Delhi’s perspective, a draw is all they can realistically hope for.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThilan Samaraweera slammed his highest Twenty20 score of 71, off 45 balls•Shaun Roy/SPORTZPICS/SLPL

Two vicious bursts from Sohail Tanvir and Thilan Samaraweera’s hitherto-unsuspected shot repertoire saw Kandurata Warriors comfortably beat Uthura Rudras. The victory is the first for the Warriors in the Sri Lanka Premier League, leaving the Rudras the only winless side after three matches. In pursuit of 169, the Rudras’ chances were dented by Tanvir’s first two overs, which yielded two wickets for nine. When John Hastings claimed two of his own soon after, the Rudras’ most dangerous batsmen were already back in the dug-out, and they were faced with a required rate of well above nine, from 34 for 4. Earlier in the evening Samaraweera had blasted 71, to send the Warriors on their way to an imposing total, hitting nine fours and a six in his 45-ball stay.Tanvir was close to unplayable in his first two overs, as he swung the ball prodigiously away from the right-hand batsmen, and got plenty to jag back off the seam as well. Rob Quiney knew no more about the indipper that sent him back second ball, than Mahela Udawatte knew about the one that uprooted his off stump in Tanvir’s next over. Brendan Taylor and Chamara Kapugedara were quickly removed by Hastings, and when Jehan Mubarak fell to Saeed Ajmal for 13, the Rudras had lost their top five for 54. Dillon du Preez launched three boundaries to spark hope of an unlikely recovery, but when the rains came down at 105 for 7 from 16 overs, the Rudras’ fate was sealed.Sanath Jayasuriya earlier took guard at the top of the innings for the first time in the SLPL, but it was partner Samaraweera who was the unlikely source of early momentum for the Warriors. Four boundaries in seven balls began Samaraweera’s assault and signaled he wasn’t just there to play second fiddle to Jayasuriya. Having made mere spectators out of several opening partners during his international career, Jayasuriya watched on this time, as the once obdurate Samaraweera showcased a startling array of strokes, including two over-the-shoulder-scoops off Naved-ul-Hasan. At Jayasuriya’s demise at 50 for 1, he had only made five runs, and Samaraweera’s 27-ball 50 proved the catalyst for a dominating Warriors performance.

The legspinner Tarun Nethula will have the chance to audition for a Test debut after he was named in the New Zealand side for their tour match against the WICB President’s XI, to begin in Antigua on Friday. New Zealand chose the dual spin options of Nethula and Daniel Vettori, while the fast bowler Neil Wagner will also be given an opportunity to press his case for a Test debut.BJ Watling and Trent Boult will not play due to quad strains and the fast men Doug Bracewell and Tim Southee have been left out. Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, said the three-day first-class game would provide players with a fine chance to prepare for the Test series and would also give the selectors a look at some of their options for the first Test, which begins next Wednesday.”It’s a good opportunity for the players to get out there and spend time on their feet and it’s not often you get to play a warm-up game on a ground where you will be playing the Test match,” Taylor said. “We’re still undecided on the balance of the side for the Test series. Tarun has come in and spin is going to be a big part of how we play this warm-up game and the Test match. Hopefully he goes well and makes our job a lot harder when we come to pick the Test team.””The few times I played against [Wagner] and saw him on TV he’s very aggressive. He’s a guy who’s been wanting to play for New Zealand for a while and has very good record. He gives us a slightly different option being a left-hander and I’m looking forward to seeing how he goes.”New Zealand XI Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor (capt), Kane Williamson, Dean Brownlie, Daniel Vettori, Kruger van Wyk (wk), Neil Wagner, Tarun Nethula, Chris Martin.