Court orders new PCB election

The Islamabad High Court has ordered the acting PCB chairman Najam Sethi to hold an election for his office within 90 days. The High Court was responding to a petition filed by a former Rawalpindi Cricket Association official against the board elections held in May, when Zaka Ashraf was elected chairman for a four-year term under the new PCB constitution.

Ashraf was later suspended from his post by the High Court, after there were questions raised about the legality of his election. The High Court said the process had been "dubious" and "polluted" and Sethi was appointed as interim chairman during Ashraf's suspension.

The petitioner had also called for the suspension of the PCB's new constitution but the High Court ordered the new elections to be held under the same constitution. The petition has now been disposed.

Ashraf was the first-ever elected PCB chairman under the new constitution, which in February removed the system of the Patron of the board, the President of Pakistan, choosing the chairman. Nine governing board members endorsed Ashraf and the process was conducted without any prior announcement, the board revealing Ashraf's appointment through a press release.

After his election, however, Ashraf faced opposition from the regional associations of Punjab, Pakistan's largest province with 60% of country's population, for preventing them from being part of the board. Instead, two new regions without any first-class teams - Larkana and Dera Murad Jamali - were represented on the board.

Kaneria life ban upheld on appeal

Danish Kaneria has failed in an attempt to have his life ban from cricket reduced © AFP  Enlarge

Related Links In Focus: Corruption in cricket Players/Officials: Danish Kaneria | Mervyn Westfield Teams: England | Pakistan

Danish Kaneria, the former Pakistan legspinner, has lost his appeal against a life ban from cricket imposed by the ECB. Kaneria was banned in June 2012 after being found guilty of corruption in the spot-fixing case involving Mervyn Westfield but had been hoping to get the sanction reduced.

However, the ECB announced on Tuesday that a disciplinary commission appeals panel had rejected Kaneria's case. ESPNcricinfo understands that a decision on the £100,000 costs that were imposed on Kaneria was deferred.

Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said the board welcomed the decision. "The appeal panel's findings in this case clearly confirm the disciplinary panel's finding that Mr Kaneria acted as a recruiter of potential 'spot-fixers' and used his seniority and international experience to target and corrupt a young and vulnerable player," Clarke said.

"The ECB will continue to advocate the need for the strongest possible deterrent sanctions for anyone found guilty of such conduct. Such sanctions are vital for the protection of the integrity of our great game.

"We trust that today's decision will serve as a stark reminder to all professional cricketers and those involved in professional cricket of the life-changing consequences of corruption and the importance of immediately reporting any suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities."

Westfield, Kaneria's team-mate at Essex who spent time in prison after admitting to receiving payment in order to underperform, also appealed the length of his ban. He was originally given a five-year suspension from the game, although he would have been allowed to return to club cricket after three years.

However, the panel decided to reduce the second element of the ban, providing Westfield cooperates with the anti-corruption programme run by the Professional Cricketers' Association. That being the case, he can resume playing club cricket from April 1, 2014.

"The ECB notes the appeal panel's decision on Mr Westfield's appeal against the length of his ban," the ECB chief executive, David Collier, said. "Without Mr Westfield's stand, the corrupt actions of Mr Kaneria might not have been exposed. The ECB will support Mr Westfield's efforts to rehabilitate himself and as part of this process hopes that he can raise awareness of the dangers of corruption in cricket."

The lawyers of Kaneria, who lost a previous appeal against the two guilty verdicts handed down by the ECB despite continuing to deny his involvement, have previously suggested they could try to take the case to the High Court in London. Because of an agreement between boards affiliated to the ICC, the ECB ban applied to Kaneria is applicable throughout world cricket and would effectively mean the end of his career.

Boom Boom Cricket Games

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Shahid Afridi played a hideous shot to be bowled first ball, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 1st semi-final, World Twenty20,

Shahid Afridi Boom Boom Records

Shahdi afridi right  from the start of his carrier became a super star. He is super star for Pakistan with no parallel in past, present and well looking at his records it is very hard to say that player like him will come in future. The boom boom Afridi is a gift for cricket, an allrounder with so many records can’t be seen in the whole world. Let’s have a look what this wonderful cricketer has delivered in his carrier so far.

1.    Fastest Century:

Afridi’s most precious record is the fastest century which he scored in his second match and first inning’s on just 37 balls.

3.    4th and 7th fastest centuries:

Besides the fastest century he also smashed 4th and 7th fastest centuries on 45 and 57 balls.

4.    2nd Fastest Fifty Twice:

Shahid Afridi has also hit fastest fifty twice on only 18 deliveries.
5th fastest fifty to his name as well (off 19 deliveries).

Mohammad Hafeez defends Shahid Afridi

COLOMBO: Shahid Afridi’s insipid performance has been a letdown for Pakistan in the World Twenty20 but captain Mohammad Hafeez sprang to the besieged all-rounder’s support saying he gave his best in the tournament.
The former captain played a poor shot to be bowled out on the first delivery he faced against Rangana Herath with Pakistan struggling during their chase of 140 runs for a place in Sunday’s final.
The 2009 champions lost the first semi-final against hosts Sri Lanka by 16 runs on Thursday.
Afridi, who 16 years ago on the same day struck the fastest-ever century in 50-over cricket against the same opponents, took the prized wicket of Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene on Thursday but has been cold with both bat and ball in the tournament.
“He is a match winner; there is no doubt about his abilities. But I think… he is really in a bad form at the moment,” Hafeez told reporters when asked about the 32-year-old all-rounder’s performance.
The popular cricketer scored just 30 runs in five innings and took only four wickets with his leg-spin bowling in six matches. “He’s really worked hard in the whole tournament, but unfortunately things didn’t work for him,” Hafeez said. “I can understand as a captain, as a player, when things don’t work for you. “But he is a character, he is always a hard-worker and I think he is trying to come out of it [which] is a positive sign for us as a team. So that’s the reason we have given him all the chances.”
Hafeez said he was proud of his team’s campaign, adding the hosts deserved to be in the final. The defeat is the second successive exit at the semi-final stage of the World Twenty20 for Pakistan following their loss to Australia at the same stage of the 2010 event held in the West Indies. Pakistan, among the pre-tournament favourites, finished runners-up to India in the inaugural event in 2007 in South Africa before winning the title in England two years later. “We played positive cricket and I am proud of my team,” Hafeez said. “Sri Lanka deserved to win and they are worthy finalists on the basis of what they have done in this tournament.” 
But the skipper admitted the target should have been well within his side’s reach. “The pitch was turning and it was difficult to score runs and we lost some wickets in the middle and couldn’t stage a comeback. We should have chased that down.” The skipper said Pakistan’s weakness in chasing was a concern. “I would not say that we are bad chasers but, yes, it is a concern and we have to sort that out with some planning because it has become a problem.”

Afridi Is Not Going To Retire Even After Heavy Criticsm

Shahid Khan Afridi who was known as Boom Boom Afridi is going through the worst time period of his tremendous cricket history. He is one of those cricketers whose fans are around the world not only Pakistani but he have made a big place in the heart of the cricket lover in the nice way. Once there was the time when bowler got scared of facing Shahid Khan Afridi but now in the ICC T20 World Cup 2012 Afridi could not performed well even in a single match.Critics are continually striking on the Shahid Khan Afridi to give a resignation letter but he is not agreed with them as he wants to show himself once again in the same form through which he had made the fastest century off just 36 balls against Sri Lanka in Colombo about 16 years back. That was a world Record in the cricket history that no one has made century in much fastest way. But in the recent tournament he could not even strike the bat and by the fall of his wicket in the Semi final he has also made the record of continually getting out on duck.His fans were expecting a lot from Afridi in that particular match but he cannot fulfill all of his responsibility in such good way. Even his bowling side was not much impressive. Now Officials are asking him for the retirement but he said that he is not going to get retirement from the cricket as he want to come back in the cricket with his full form.