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Hong Kong through to finals

Hong Kong beat table-toppers Papua New Guinea by 93 runs at the Hong King Cricket Club to qualify for Friday’s final in the ICC World Cricket League Division Three, where they will play PNG again. Hong Kong’s win also mean they are guaranteed promotion to WCL Div. 2.PNG, who chose to field, had Hong Kong in trouble early on as Rarva Dikana and Hitolo Areni picked up three wickets to reduce Hong Kong to 39 for 3 in the 11th over. However, Hussain Butt, who top-scored with 68 was involved in two crucial 40-plus stands with Irfan Ahmed (25) and Nizakat Khan (36) to take Hong Kong past 100. Areni struck to dismiss Nizakat and Waqas Barkat in quick succession but Butt and captain Najeeb Amar put on 53 runs in just under 10 overs to get the Hong Kong innings back on track. Butt was dismissed with the score on 196 but Nadeem Ahmed hit some big shots to take Hong King to 221 before they were bowled out.Hong Kong’s bowlers then defended the total, bowling PNG out cheaply. Tony Ura and Kila Pala were the only two batsmen who managed to get past 20, as PNG failed to string together any substantial partnerships and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Nadeem picked up three wickets as PNG were bowled out for 128 in just under 48 overs.”We talked about how we could beat PNG today and knew if we batted first it would be important to make as many runs as possible before our bowlers could get to work on the PNG side,” said Hong Kong coach Charlie Burke.”The important thing for us was to remain focussed and we knew by putting PNG under pressure the side would become vulnerable which they did today. We beat them in a warm-up game without our full strength squad so we knew we had the ability today to beat them, and our ability and strength showed today.”There are plenty of quality sides in Division 2 but my focus since taking this role has been about securing promotion. We have the promotion but this league isn’t over and we want to win the entire tournament in front of our home crowd before we focus our attention to the new challenges and teams Division 2 will throw at us,” said Burke.”We’re obviously disappointed with our play and commitment in the loss to Hong Kong today,” added PNG captain Dikana. “Today was Hong Kong’s final as they battled for survival in the tournament and they were the better side on the day. Congratulations to a well prepared side that fought hard and showed strong spirit.”We have a rematch to see who will take home the title of Division Three champions and I know my team have the ability to take the trophy home to PNG as the best side in the tournament. Our complete focus is on tomorrow as we take one step at a time. Tomorrow is a new ball game.”

Two aggressive half-centuries from Hemin Desai and Vaibhav Wategaonkar carried Oman to a commanding four-wicket win over Denmark at the Kowloon Cricket Club, but it was not enough to allow Oman to qualify for the final.Denmark were sent in to bat and got off to a shaky start, losing their openers with just 38 runs on the board. Carsten Pedersen and Rizwan Mahmood steadied the innings with a 66-run partnership but once Mahmood was dismissed with the score on 104, Denmark suffered a collapse. Rajesh Kumar and Khalid Rashid picked up three wickets apiece as Denmark slumped from 104 for 3 to 181 all out in just under 48 overs.Oman needed to knock the runs off quickly if they were to keep their hopes of qualifying for the final alive. Desai and Zeeshan Siddiqui got them off to a rapid start, adding 34 runs in 2 overs before Siddiqui was dismissed. Desai and Wategaonkar then blasted 41 runs in 17 balls. Desai fell for 51 off just 17 balls with five fours and five sixes. Wategaonkar added another rapid 22 with Adnan Ilyas before Bashir Shah had Ilyas stumped. Oman seemed to lose momentum after his dismissal. Though they reached their target in just under 25 overs with Wategaonkar unbeaten on 54, Hong Kong went ahead of their run-rate by beating PNG to destroy Oman’s hopes of qualifying for the final.

USA’s hopes of qualifying for WCL Div. 2 were ended by Italy, who beat them by four wickets at the Mission Road Ground. Italy will now go on to play Oman in the third-place playoff while USA will play for fifth place against Denmark.Italy got off to a shaky start in their chase of 223, slumping to 52 for 4, but a 102-run partnership between Peter Petricola and wicketkeeper Hayden Patrizi got them back into the game. After Patrizi was out for 50, Michael Raso came in and smashed 38 off 29 deliveries, and Italy got home with 18 balls to spare. Petricola was unbeaten on 69.Petricola had also been Italy’s most successful bowler, taking four wickets as Italy restricted USA to 222 for 8. USA captain Steve Massiah scored 52 and opener Sushil Nadkarni scored 47, but USA didn’t get to a big enough total.”Along with the entire team, I am hugely disappointed to be relegated back to Division Four,” said Massiah. “We didn’t prepare for this tournament as well as we have done in other events and our performances here were nothing like what we know we are capable of when we play cricket.”Certain things didn’t go our way this tournament and we now need to go back to the USA and rethink our strategy and how we are going to bounce back from this and rebuild our team to climb back up the leagues.”

Canada women lose soggy tour opener

Trinidad & Tobago Development XI 62 for 3 beat Canada 85 for 5 by 3 wickets (D/L method)
Canada women’s tour started with a loss to Trinidad & Tobago Development XI at the National Cricket Centre in Couva on Sunday but they put up a respectable showing. The Development XI went on to win by 3 wickets under Duckworth/Lewis during a storm-affected game, which started late through rain.Amid the showers, Canada advanced to 85 for 5. Captain Mona Persaud top-scored with 24 not out, while Joanna White and Monali Patel each scored 14 runs. T&T’s Amanda Samaroo, who starred for the T&T Under-17s in Canada last August, took 2 for 11 from six overs.Eleven overs into the reply, with T&T on 42 without loss, a storm sent the players rushing for the pavilion. When play resumed, T&T needed 20 more runs off 10 overs. Persaud took two wickets, both bowled and although Canada took one more wicket, T&T ended on 63 for 3, the game ending on a wide.Despite the rain, the players of both sides enjoyed the experience and are set to meet again next weekend. By that time, Canada will hope to have much more practice and acclimatisation.

PCB rejects Azhar Ali resignation over Amir

Azhar Ali has agreed to continue as Pakistan’s ODI captain after a request by him to resign, over the presence of Mohammad Amir at the training camp in Lahore for the national team, was rejected by the PCB.”Azhar Ali met the chairman PCB [Shaharyar Khan]. He tendered his resignation. The chairman didn’t accept his resignation, Azhar Ali agreed and he will continue as captain,” the PCB said in a statement.Azhar, along with Mohammad Hafeez, had refused to join the camp earlier, but had finally relented following a meeting with Shaharyar Khan. ESPNcricinfo understands that Azhar had agreed to join the camp, but had said he would need time to decide on his role as captain.Amir is in the selection mix for the first time after his five-year ban for spot-fixing in the 2010 Lord’s Test. He was one of the 26 probables named for Pakistan’s pre-season conditioning camp. Azhar and Hafeez were originally scheduled to join the camp after completing domestic matches, but they did not do so. Azhar went on to state that he would not attend the camp “as long as Amir is there”. After their meeting with Khan, though, the PCB chairman had said: “I do respect their concerns but some of them, I told them, are not acceptable. So they understood and confirmed that they are on the same page with us.”

Mumbai bowlers shock Rajasthan

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Ashish Nehra’s three wickets had Rajasthan on the hop after being asked to bat first in Mumbai (file photo) © Getty Images
 

Mumbai’s medium-pacers bowled a clever mix of bouncers, slower balls and cutters to restrict Rajasthan to a 103, the lowest first-innings total of the IPL, on a two-paced pitch at the DY Patil Stadium before some sensible batting sealed a hat-trick of triumphs for the home team. In what was their second successive upset victory, after taming Delhi on Sunday, Mumbai prevailed over the table leaders yet again.The pitch wasn’t conducive to stroke-play: balls stopped, kept low and batsmen didn’t find their timing easily. The experienced trio of Shaun Pollock, Ashish Nehra and Dwayne Bravo were canny with their variations but it was impressive to see the unheralded duo of Dhaval Kulkarni and Rohan Raje break the back of Rajasthan’s line-up.Sachin Tendulkar wasn’t fit for today’s game but he had the satisfaction of seeing a wicket fall almost every time the commentators cut to have a word with him. He was particularly thrilled with the performance of Kulkarni and Raje, young turks who utilised the conditions perfectly. Nehra finished as the most effective bowler, adding two tailenders to Yusuf Pathan’s wicket early on to finish with 3 for 13; Bravo showed the power of the slower ball; and Pollock yet again proved the value of experience.The fact that the Mumbai wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale pouched three skiers, when top-edges ballooned off the bat, showed the slow nature of the surface. Even Mumbai’s batsmen weren’t fluent with their strokeplay but a few lucky breaks ensured a comfortable victory. Shane Watson struck twice – taking the wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya who pulled one to deep square leg – and Shane Warne struck with his very first ball, removing Takawale with a slider. However, Robin Uthappa’s 34 was enough to take Mumbai past the finish line.The match, though, was decided by the end of Rajasthan’s innings. Pollock, whose decision to field first appeared to be a bold one, nipped out Graeme Smith early though even he would have been surprised at the manner of the dismissal. Smith backed away, took a stride out of his crease, missed an in-cutter from Pollock and kept walking. Had he looked back, he would have seen Takawale fumble the ball but the fact the he kept going allowed an easy stumping.It was only the 53-run stand between Swapnil Asnodkar and Watson that made some sort of recovery for Rajasthan. Both batsmen put away loose balls and Watson even showed the value of hitting straight against the spin of Sanath Jayasuriya. It took an injudicious swipe from Watson to end the stand – Bravo working him out from around the wicket – and what followed was a forgettable collapse.Raje forced Mohammad Kaif and Asnodkar to go for big shots and had them caught in the deep, while Kulkarni removed Ravindra Jadeja and Shane Warne with short balls. Jadeja top edged while going for the pull and was athletically caught by Takawale, while Warne’s attempted slap through the off side ended in an easier skier for the wicketkeeper.The tail didn’t have much of a chance against the slower balls – indicated aptly by a tantalising one from Bravo that ended the innings. It was Rajasthan’s first defeat in six games and they slipped to second place, behind the Kings XI Punjab, in the points table.

Tripura break Ranji victory drought, Haryana brush past Hyderabad

A four-for from left-arm spinner Gurinder Singh and three wickets from captain Manisankar Murasingh helped Tripura bowl Services out for 163 in Guwahati to seal a 219-run win, their first Ranji Trophy win in four seasons. Tripura’s last victory in the tournament came against Himachal Pradesh in December 2012. This is only their eighth win in 153 Ranji matches since their debut in 1985-86; they have lost 99.Tripura began the fourth day on 280 for 1 with an overall lead of 322. The overnight pair of Udiyan Bose and wicketkeeper Smit Patel, who had scored centuries on the third day, quickly took the side past 300. Bose fell for 165 but Patel (127*) steered the side ahead before they declared their second innings at 340 for 3. Services, set 383 to win, were reeling at 75 for 5 by the 24th over. Rahul Singh resisted with 51, but with only tail-end batsmen to keep him company, Tripura had little trouble dismissing Services by the 55th over.Haryana captain Mohit Sharma cut through Hyderabad‘s lower order to help set up his side’s eight-wicket win in Jamshedpur. Hyderabad were in danger of being dismissed for much lower than the 224 they eventually scored in their second innings, but got there through fifties from wicketkeeper K Sumanth (55) and Chama Milind (66*). The pair added 83 runs for the seventh wicket, but the honours on the day belonged to Mohit, who wrapped up four of Hyderabad’s last five wickets to finish with 5 for 26 in 14 overs.Left with 85 to get, Haryana chased the target down in 16.4 overs. Wicketkeeper Nitin Saini scored 45, opening the innings.Half-centuries from Srikar Bharat and Hanuma Vihari, and important contributions from DB Ravi Teja and Ashwin Hebbar helped Andhra salvage a draw against Chhattisgarh in Kalyani.Following-on, Andhra resumed on the fourth day at 122 for 4, needing another 73 runs to wipe out the deficit and make Chhattisgarh bat again. Vihari and Ravi Teja helped the side past that milestone, before a 53-run partnership between Hebbar and Murumulla Sriram took Andhra past 250. Andhra ended the day on 282 for 8. Chhattisgarh took 3 points by virtue of the first-innings lead.

Mahmudullah recalled for Ireland series

Aftab Ahmed is back in the one-day side after missing the South Africa ODIs due to an injury © Getty Images
 

Aftab Ahmed and allrounder Mahmudullah are the only changes in the Bangladesh squad for the three ODIs against Ireland. They replace Syed Rasel and Mosharraf Hossain, who featured in the recent one-day series against South Africa.Aftab has recovered from the injury he suffered after top-edging a Jacques Kallis delivery onto his face during the Chittagong Test earlier this month. “Aftab is a mainstay in our middle-order and one of the more experienced members of the side,” chief selector Rafiqul Alam said. “He has been declared 100% fit by the physio. His medium-pace bowling will also be useful.”Mahmudullah returns after having been discarded following a solitary ODI appearance against Sri Lanka last July. “He brings in a bit of variation as he bowls offspin. He is also a capable batsman,” Rafiqul said. “Mosharraf hasn’t done what we expected from him against South Africa and Rasel I would say was unlucky as we could only pick a squad of 14.”We have gone for a team that has a lot of options in bowling, especially with the spin attack. The fact that batsmen like Shakib (Al Hasan) and Mahmudullah can be considered as front-line spinners as well is an added advantage for us.”The Ireland series presents captain Mohammad Ashraful with a great opportunity to pick up his first win – Bangladesh have lost all his previous nine games in charge. The first ODI is in Mirpur on Tuesday.Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (capt), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Nazimuddin, Shariar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan, Dhiman Ghosh (wk), Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Mahmudullah, Farhad Reza, Raqibul Hasan

Amla defends blockathon tactic

The ten days between the end of the Nagpur Test and the end of the Delhi Test did not shake the world. All that moved was the margin of South Africa’s defeat. Like the decimal point in a series of zeroes, it can seem insignificant, but look a bit closer, and it is not.For India, it was the difference between domination and complacency. Between going second on the rankings without the risk of being overtaken – based on the outcome of the Australia-West Indies series – or just temporarily going second. Of driving home the point that it was possible to bat on their pitches, or becoming victims of their own circumstances.South Africa too had many things to prove, except that they were on the other side. They were dominated and their lead at the top has been cut, but to a small extent, some of their players conquered an Indian pitch after having their pride pulled out from under them on the previous three Tests. “We understood the series was gone so we were hoping to gain something from this game and I think we gained something in terms of batting,” Hashim Amla said.In terms of runs, you would not say South Africa gained anything. They totaled under 150 in both innings as none of their batsmen reached 50 and their highest partnership was just 44. But in balls faced and minutes in the middle, South Africa gained confidence.In total, their big three – Amla, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis – faced more than 600 balls and spent 12-and-a-half hours at the crease in the second innings. Amla faced 244 balls in 12 minutes short of five hours, de Villiers faced 297 balls in 15 minutes short of six hours and and du Plessis faced 97 in three minutes short of two hours. All of them batted in bubbles that seemed impenetrable as they dead batted deliveries in a show of the discipline that South Africa have lacked on this tour.”Nobody wants to block everything but the need of the time was for us to try and bat as long as we can and take as many risky shots out of the equation. It was unnatural to block as many full tosses and half-volleys as we did,” Amla said. “But there is no selfishness involved in trying to do what needs to be done for the team.”What the team needed was not an attempt at victory, but a reminder of their valiance. “The determination was never lost. Every Test match is a very important game so you don’t just throw your wicket away or submit the result. You try and fight for everything,” Amla said. “I don’t think anybody thought we would win. We felt that was the best way to save the game. It would have been easy to say, ‘Let’s go out and have some fun and get some runs under our belt,’ but that gains nothing.”Instead it was about honing their mental game by “committing to the plan.” That was something South Africa had not done with any great success in this series. They committed to preparing for spin, playing the ball as they saw it and attacking, but those plans did not work. Should they rather have committed to the ultra-conservatism that they employed here throughout the series? Not unless they only wanted to drag out the inevitable, according to Amla.”If you block, you may survive but you are not going to score runs. I don’t think we would have changed much,” he said. “Maybe a few different shots but you need to score runs when you bat, especially in the first innings.”The other side of cricket is that you need to take wickets and at least there, South Africa did their bit.”Our bowling has been exceptional on this tour. It has been a shining light to see Morne Morkel lead the attack in the absence of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander,” Amla said “He has bowled some of the best spells of fast bowling I have seen in the subcontinent. And then the way Kyle Abbott came in; Kagiso came in and did well and our spinners did the job I am happy with the way our bowling responded in these conditions.”

Struggling Zimbabwe target ODI relief

Match facts

Tuesday 14 July
Start time 0900 local time (0700 GMT)1:33

Agarkar: India must give Sandeep Sharma and Manish Pandey a chance

Big picture

India have achieved their main goal – sealing the series – so the third and final ODI provides scope for blooding a couple of uncapped players. Zimbabwe, who are in the midst of an eight-match ODI losing streak, have little but pride to play for.Individually, Zimbabwe’s players have shown that this team definitely contains talent. But they haven’t been able to pull all three facets of the game together. In both matches so far, India were offered a glimpse of Zimbabwe’s weaknesses, and despite the fine margin of their victory on Friday, they have generally looked the better side.Yet one feels Zimbabwe aren’t all that far behind this Indian team. Given a fully fit squad, in home conditions, at least one win is a distinct possibility. Unfortunately, the Zimbabweans have been hobbled by injury and have probably already blown their best chance of breaking their losing streak. Sean Williams is nursing a knee problem and is unlikely to play tomorrow.While the bowling has fired, India’s middle order still appears vulnerable. Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa and Kedar Jadhav have managed a combined 58 runs in a total of six innings. If Zimbabwe are able to exploit this, especially given the absence of the series’ leading run-scorer Ambati Rayudu, they may yet be able to pull off a win.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first) Zimbabwe: LLLLL India: WWWLL

In the spotlight

In the absence of Solomon Mire, and with Elton Chigumbura playing primarily as a batsman, Zimbabwe needed an allrounder to balance their side. They appear to have found one in Chamu Chibhabha, who has contributed with both bat and ball in this series. Batting is his stronger suit – he’s averaged 44.42 in ODIs in 2015 – but the pitch at Harare Sports Club also suits his medium-pace bowling.The pressure is building on India’s middle-order batsmen. With this series billed as something of an audition for a slot in the first XI, Manoj Tiwary, Robin Uthappa and Kedar Jadhav have averaged 12.00, 6.50 and 10.00 respectively. India have still managed to win both games, but they’ll want more from this trio in the final match.

Team news

Zimbabwe’s hand has been forced by injuries to key members of their squad. Opening bowler Tinashe Panyangara sustained a side strain in the first match, and batsman Sean Williams injured his right knee in the second. With the help of painkillers and heavy strapping, Williams batted during Zimbabwe’s chase, but team physio Anesu Mupotaringa suspects patella tendonitis. Williams went for scans on Monday morning and it’s unlikely the team management will risk aggravating his injury.So Zimbabwe may want to give players such as Chris Mpofu, Prosper Utseya and Roy Kaia a run. Craig Ervine may also be back to full fitness, as he underwent a test, including sprints, with no apparent discomfort on Monday afternoon.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Chamu Chibhabha, 3 Hamilton Masakada, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Roy Kaia/Craig Ervine, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Graeme Cremer, 10 Neville Madziva, 11 Chris Mpofu.A right quadriceps injury to Ambati Rayudu will also necessitate changes to India’s XI. Twenty-year-old wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has been called into the squad and it suggests pressure on Robin Uthappa’s place. With the series sealed, India might think about offering debuts to Manish Pandey and Sandeep Sharma, and perhaps give Mohit Sharma some match practice ahead of the T20s. India (probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Ajinkya Rahane (captain), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Manoj Tiwary, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Sanju Samson/ Robin Uthappa (wk), 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Sandeep Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

A third, fresh pitch will be used for this match, and in appearance it is very similar to the first two: dry, with a modest grass covering. It should be reasonably good for batting, with the side batting first looking to score at least 250. The pitch is on the far right of the square, and so the short boundary to the west may affect team tactics. Another bright, sunny day is expected.

Stats and trivia

  • Zimbabwe’s win-loss record is 6-22 when chasing scores of between 240 and 275 in ODIs since 2005.
  • The very first ODI played at Harare Sports Club was between Zimbabwe and India in October 1992. India have played 17 ODIs here, and have won 12 times.
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the leading wicket-taker in this series, with five wickets at an average of 13.60 and an economy rate of 3.40.

Quotes

“We’re just going to go out there and play for pride, and for our supporters as well.”
“I asked him why I was being congratulated and he told me I had been selected to the Indian team.”

Southee added to New Zealand squad

Tim Southee removes Kevin Pietersen during the Twenty20 series © Getty Images
 

Tim Southee, the 19-year-old quick bowler, has been added to New Zealand’s squad for the deciding Test against England, in Napier, on Saturday. He is the only addition to the party, which otherwise remains the same despite New Zealand’s 126-run defeat in Wellington.Southee made his international debut in the Twenty20 matches against England last month and impressed with his pace and control. He was then part of the New Zealand Under-19 World Cup squad where he was named Man of the Tournament after collecting 17 wickets at 6.64.His chance may come as a replacement for Kyle Mills, who is suffering from pain behind his left knee. Mills was due to be assessed on Monday afternoon, but the problem isn’t related to the one which kept him out of action last year and forced him to miss the World Cup.However, a New Zealand statement said that Southee will be considered for selection even if Mills is declared fit. He could replace Mark Gillespie as the third seamer because, even though Gillespie claimed six wickets in Wellington, he proved expensive while his fielding and batting added little to the cause. He dropped Paul Collingwood, on 0, during the third day’s play when New Zealand still had a chance of restricting England’s lead.Despite two unconvincing performances from the top order the selectors have retained the same batting line-up. Matthew Bell appeared well out of his depth but, after being handed a NZC contract, will be given another chance to open alongside Jamie How while Mathew Sinclair’s 39 in the second innings probably saved his place.Sinclair, though, could still come under pressure from allrounder Grant Elliott if New Zealand look to juggle their bowling unit. Jeetan Patel will come into consideration again on a surface which is expected to be a full of runs so Elliott would offer another seam option for Daniel Vettori.Squad Jamie How, Matthew Bell, Stephen Fleming, Mathew Sinclair, Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori (capt), Kyle Mills, Mark Gillespie, Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel, Grant Elliott, Tim Southee

CSA imposes 20-year ban on Bodi

Cricket South Africa has banned Gulam Bodi for 20 years from participating in any international or domestic match, or any cricket activity other than anti-corruption programs after he admitted to contriving or attempting to fix matches during the 2015 Ram Slam T20 series.Five of those years will be suspended on the condition that Bodi commits no further offences under the code and demonstrates to CSA’s reasonable satisfaction that he has actively and constructively participated in corruption-related player education programs when asked to do so.Following a CSA investigation which they first made public on November 6 last year, when they issued a press release warning players to be vigilant after they had received information that an international syndicate was attempting to corrupt domestic cricket, Bodi was charged on December 31 with several counts of breaching the anti-corruption code. The charges go back to September 2015. Bodi’s confession came 18 days later and CSA issued their sanction a week after that.CSA would not be drawn on whether other players are under investigation but confirmed that the case is not closed. They could not put a timeframe on when they expect to conclude. They may also be compelled to provide their findings on Bodi to the police, who could launch an investigation of their own.”Under the circumstances, we are satisfied with the sanction. All we have to do now is comply,” Ayoob Kaka, Bodi’s lawyer told ESPNcricinfo.Asked whether Bodi was aware of, or concerned, that CSA would lay a complaint with the police, Kaka said: “It will be up to CSA to decide whether they launch a complaint. We’ve co-operated with them so we are not too worried about that.”Despite the time span over which they charges are spread – which include the Africa Cup, a T20 tournament for provincial amateur teams and African national sides and the Ram Slam – South Africa’s T20 tournament which was broadcast in India for the first time last year – CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the body believed no matches had been fixed.”The evidence that we’ve got and the confessions made by Bodi suggest we got him in a planning phase and no fixes were active.” Lorgat said at a press briefing during the Centurion Test. “Several players rejected Bodi’s approaches.”Whether those players will face any action is not known. Under section 2.4.4 of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code, failure to “to disclose to the ACSU (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct,” is an offense. CSA have their own anti-corruption code, based on a template of the ICC’s code, which contains an equivalent clause.Like the ICC’s code, CSA’s contains sanctions which range from no ban to a maximum lifetime ban. Without going into the details of what Bodi has admitted to, CSA decided on his punishment based on several factors which they outlined in a proceedings explanation on their website.Among the factors considered was the extent of corrupt activities, the damage to the integrity of the game, the length of Bodi’s career and his seniority, the fact he had had education on anti-corruption and public sentiment. That was weighed up against Bodi’s co-operation and confession at an early stage of proceedings, his clean past history, the stress and anxiety he suffered from personal and financial issues, his experience of public contempt and ridicule and that he showed remorse was willing to issue a public apology. Although Bodi has not issued any statements, those were deemed mitigating enough to hand him a sanction of 20 years rather than a lengthier ban.”CSA thoroughly considered all the relevant factors and determined that a lengthy ban was appropriate. Our attitude to corruption will always be one of zero tolerance,” Lorgat said.CSA’s commitment to anti-corruption also compels them to consider whether to involve other authorities such as the police. “We abide by the law and jurisdiction of this country and whatever action needs to be taken will,” Louis von Zeuner, an independent board member of CSA, who is chair of the audit and risk committee, said.When news of Bodi’s involvement first broke on January 14, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, the spokesperson for the directorate for priority crime investigations, told ESPNcricinfo the police were aware of the investigation but had not received any information which would lead them a case. That may change if CSA provides them with Bodi’s confession. Under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Law which was introduced in 2004, match-fixing is a crime in South Africa. The Brigadier was unavailable for comment on Monday afternoon.With the ongoing process still to run its course, Lorgat could not reassure fans that the game is clean, although he did not believe the problem was confined to South Africa. “It is not a categoric statement I can make now. The investigation is still ongoing,” he said. “I think it’s damaging to the reputation of cricket. The fact that it happened in South Africa just makes it that much more difficult in a South African environment. It happened in England. It happened with a Pakistan Test match at Lord’s. This is not unique to South Africa. We’ve said that for a long time.”

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