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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.”

Scorecard

	Rakesh Solanki’s 96 put Baroda back in the reckoning against Delhi in Indore © Cricinfo Ltd

Rakesh Solanki kept Baroda in the run at the end of the third day of their Ranji semi-final against Delhi in Indore. Solanki anchored the innings with a fine 96 but it was Yusuf Pathan who helped Baroda seize the initiative with an unbeaten 61-ball 86. Delhi, though, removed Solanki in the last over of the day to ensure that they remained in the hunt.Baroda had struggled in the first session, losing three wickets but Solanki featured in two partnerships that swung the momentum. He was involved in a 79-run stand with Shatrunjay Gaekwad before adding a further 118 runs with Yusuf, who turned on the heat in the last session.Yusuf had walked in to face the second ball of the final session and immediately chose to counterattack. He drove, cut, lofted and swept merrily in an entertaining innings that had Delhi bowlers in complete disarray. Spin or seam made no difference as he plonked the front foot forward and knived through the line. He started off by driving the legspinner Chetanya Nanda to the straight boundary before flashing Amit Bhandari twice in succession to the cover boundary. Nanda went around the wicket and aimed at the rough but Yusuf continued to attack, hitting two towering sixes over long-on and sweeping a couple to the boundary. The new ball too didn’t make any impact on him as he repeatedly drove Sumit Narwal and Parvinder Awana.But the wicket of Solanki kept Delhi in the game. It was a marginal decision as Solanki played across to a full delivery from Rajat Bhatia and it appeared to be heading down leg side. By then, though, Solanki had played a stellar part in reviving the fortunes of Baroda.He started off uncertainly, playing and missing outside off, but hit a few punchy drives to get going. As the day wore on, he got increasingly confident and the nervous pokes were replaced by confident drives and cuts. Whenever the bowlers pitched short, he pulled them for boundaries. Solanki sealed one end during the final session of the day while Yusuf went berserk to charge Baroda towards a sizeable lead. Though Solanki was given a reprieve, on 93, when he cut to gully where Aditya Jain spilled a straightforward chance but he couldn’t capitalise.But it was Gaekwad who led the repair job in the second session with an assured knock of 46. He defended compactly and showed impeccable timing while attacking. The highlight of the knock was his successive boundaries of Amit Bhandari. The bowler had hit the full length from around the wicket – a line that had proved very profitable for him on the first day – but Gaekwad stretched well forward to drive him to straight boundary before producing the shot of the day – a gorgeous cover drive. Baroda had begun to break free.Solanki too found his stride and 78 runs came in the second session before Gaekwad fell to a soft dismissal. He closed his bat a touch early to a short-of-length delivery from Awana, only to see the leading edge carry back to the bowler.The first session had seen Baroda repeat the mistakes of the first day. The bat was pushed away from the body, the feet didn’t come in line and the reading of line left a lot to be desired. Awana kept the ball in the right areas to lure the batsmen to their demise. Connor Williams drove away from the body, Satyajit Parab dragged on a loose drive to the stumps and Azharuddin Bilakhia shouldered arms to a length delivery around off stump only to lose the off stump. Baroda were still trailing by 16 runs at that point but Solanki and Gaekwad started the fightback.The next setback for Baroda came in the first ball of the final session. Nanda got one to skid on straight and had Pinal Shah playing all around it. Nanda should have had the new batsman Yusuf early with another slider but the umpire turned down a confident shout for lbw. By the end of the day, Baroda had stretched the lead to over 200 but Delhi struck in the end to leave the game tantalisingly poised.

Shoaib Akhtar: a short-lived return to action in South Africa © Getty Images

Shoaib Akhtar has explained the altercation that led to his fine of US$2500 in a disciplinary hearing last week, by saying that his coach, Bob Woolmer, had accused him of feigning the injury that led to his withdrawal from Pakistan’s tour of South Africa.Shoaib, 31, who also failed a dope test last year but was cleared on appeal, was not originally selected for the Pakistan squad on fitness grounds. He was belatedly called up, however, after Umar Gul suffered a twisted ankle, and arrived in time to play a winning hand in the second Test at Port Elizabeth. But after taking 4 for 36 on the first day of the game, he limped out of the tour with a hamstring strain.It had been Shoaib’s first appearance in Test cricket for 12 months, but in a further twist to his latest saga, television footage showed him pushing Woolmer and exchanging heated words. He was later fined for his actions by the team manager, Talat Ali.”Woolmer thought I feigned injury which led to our altercation,” Shoaib told reporters in Lahore. “I apologised to Woolmer and he also said a few soft words with me and the matter was closed. Whenever someone doubts my commitment my soul gets hurt, it’s worse than any physical injury.”This is not the first time Shoaib has been accused of feigning injury. He had to undergo medical tests after he suffered a hamstring injury during Pakistan’s third Test defeat against India three years ago. The Pakistan team’s management, including Inzamam-ul-Haq and the former coach, Javed Miandad, doubted the severity of his injury.It prompted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to launch a medical inquiry into the fast bowler, although Akhtar was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing as the medical examinations proved his injury was genuine.Shoaib said he had offered to bowl through the pain in South Africa. “I was ready to play by having injections but doctors advised against it as they feared it would have ended my chances of playing in the World Cup,” he said. “I am 80 percent fit and am working hard to be fit for the World Cup.”Wasim Bari, Pakistan’s chief selector, who came under criticism for not selecting Shoaib in the original squad, said he would not make any premature decision. “The PCB has now formed a medical panel,” said Bari, “and only after it clears Shoaib we can consider him for the future matches.”

‘To take three for 30 in 9.4 overs on this surface was a wonderful effort’ – Bob Woolmer is all praise for Mohammad Asif © AFP

One-day series openers between Pakistan and India have a way with runs. In Karachi 2004, nearly 700 runs had been scored and an eventual margin of five runs separated the two. In the Peshawar of 2006, over 600 runs were scored and again, only a small margin separated the two sides, although this time, Pakistan emerged victorious.Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, admitted afterwards that although his side had become adept at big chases, he would be happier if they weren’t in that position in the first place. “If we have to chase big totals, we must learn how to chase. We have done pretty well in the last two years, but the problem is that we are conceding too many runs, and that is something we will have to look at.”That said, we fielded and bowled beautifully in the last ten overs. We took a couple of wonderful catches and bowled extremely tightly. At one stage, I thought we would end up chasing nearly 380. In the end, we did very well to bowl India out before the 50 overs.”In a batsmen-dominated game, only Mohammad Asif came out looking good. From 9.4 overs, he conceded only 30 runs and picked up three wickets in only his second ODI. Against England on his debut, he had taken two and at an economical rate. Woolmer was full of praise for the bowler he calls the most improved in Pakistan. “His figures speak for themselves. To take three for 30 in 9.4 overs on this surface was a wonderful effort. It was a superb batting surface and if at all it’s possible, this was an even better pitch than the ones at the Lahore and Faisalabad Tests,” Woolmer said.The game was also significant for Umar Gul as it marked his comeback from a career-threatening back injury. Having bowled Pakistan to victory against India in the Lahore Test two years ago, Gul hadn’t played an international match until today. And although he went for 35 runs in three overs and was eventually subbed, Woolmer urged patience. “He had a tough game, he just didn’t get it right at all. But he is a very good bowler, and I am sure he will bounce back as he plays more matches.”Although the light was poor throughout the day, it wasn’t until late in Pakistan’s run-chase, when the light deteriorated further that the umpires offered light. Woolmer didn’t blame the umpires however for their late intervention. “The umpires tried to get as much cricket in as possible. We weren’t offered the light earlier on, but we knew that we were always ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis calculations.”On an incident-filled day, Inzamam-ul-Haq’s dismissal, obstructing the field, was another as he became only the third player to be given out in such a manner. Although the captain expressed indignation initially at being given out, Woolmer said it a legitimate decision. “Under the letter of the law, he is out. Let’s just leave it at that.” He added, “He was run out trying to avoid being hit by the ball in the Faisalabad Test against England, and now this. I suppose if you can’t get him out in any other manner, the run out would appear the best way to dismiss him,”Rahul Dravid also backed this up saying, “We appeal for caught behinds, lbws and run-outs too. It’s up to the umpires to give the decision.” Inzamam had stated earlier at the post-match ceremony, “I don’t understand the rules and I am not sure why I was given out. It happened in Faisalabad and it happened again here.”

Mohammad Khalil has plans for the Indian batsmen© Getty Images

Mohammad Khalil relates his story to that of another left-arm quick bowler of his generation: Irfan Pathan. Khalil, one of the new breed of fast bowlers in the Pakistan team, feels that he is following the same path that the Indian took before becoming Indian’s new-ball sensation.Emerging from a net session under the eyes of his coach Bob Woolmer, he says, “He (Pathan) had toured Australia where he did well, and then he cememted his place on the Pakistan tour last year. This time I did well in Australia and am now touring India. So, I too will perform well.” His demeanour suggests plentiful confidence, and he goes on to add: “Inshallah, I will do it much better.”Pathan gave notice of his talent in Australia in 2003-04. Though he took only four wickets, he showed that he had the heart of the fast bowler. He took the next step, and gave further evidence of that heart, in Pakistan, where he was the pick of the pace bowlers on either side, with 12 wickets.Khalil, then, has a job on his hands if he wants to outperform his Indian counterpart. So far the results have been good, without raising too many eyebrows. Khalil played one Test, on the fast WACA pitch at Perth, but went wicketless in his 25 overs. If his debut was subdued, he stoked a few fires in the subsequent one-day VB Series, playing three games and accounting for five victims.Interestingly, all five of his wickets were left-handers. If he gets picked for the Tests against India, he can think of at least two batsmen to aim at: Sourav Ganguly, the captain, and either Gautam Gambhir or Yuvraj Singh.Unlike his pace-bowling compatriots, this left-armer isn’t enthused by speed. He hails from the state of Punjab, and is happy to visit Mohali, whose people he feels are similar to back home. “Khoon to ek he hai [the blood is the same],” he says, as he signs autographs.

Khalil would like to do the business with bat in hand as well© Getty Images

Though he doesn’t plan to break any speed barriers, Khalil can generate enough pace with his height (5ft 10ins) and physique. Watching him bowl from a short run-up in the practice nets, he has enough to keep batsmen on their toes. “I have bowled in the 140s [kph], but I would like to stick to about 136,” he says. Though he took advice from Wasim Akram, a legend and the last left-arm quick to play for Pakistan, Khalil would like to emulate the discipline of Glenn McGrath.”Look at McGrath,” he says. “He keeps on bowling around 132kph, hitting the right line and length, and look at the number of wickets that process has earned him.” Line and length appear to be imprinted on Khalil’s state of mind.He bowls off a 28-yard run, but so far, the Pakistan think-tank has only allowed him to come on as first change to the new-ball pair. But that decision could be based on the fact that he is more adept at moving the ball both ways, and reverse-swinging the old ball. Khalil also feels that the Indian wickets will suit his bowling, since they are similar to the ones he has played on in Pakistan.He injured his shoulder at the end of the Australian tour, but now reckons he is perfectly fit. “I played a two-day game for my company Pakistan Telecom and then attended the two-day camp organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board before this tour. And I felt good.” The Pakistan trainers have looked at him, and the signs are good that he would be declared fit.Pakistan will almost certainly play Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami and Abdul Razzaq as their three main fast bowlers. As for the fourth quick, that will depend on the pitches the Indians serve up. Khalil stands a good chance at Mohali, which in the past has thrown up green surfaces.Khalil is unperturbed about his chances, but keeps polishing his strategy. He is also something of a technology buff. “My brother and another friend have an internet café and they feed me the required technical data that I require to get my wickets,” he says. When asked if he knows that some of the Indian batsmen have been susceptible to left-arm pace – Sachin Tendulkar against Pedro Collins, and Virender Sehwag against Nathan Bracken – Khalil has a wry smile on his face. “Yes, I know,” he says. “I have done my study on them.”He has his strategy organised for the Indian batsmen, and says, “Rahul Dravid, who is a matchwinner, will be a prized wicket in the Tests, and both Sehwag and Tendulkar in the one-dayers.”In the absence of Shoaib Akhtar, who is likely to return for the ODIs, Khalil knows that sizable contributions are needed. In this evolving age where fast bowlers, normally considered rabbits with the bat, are scoring gritty half-centuries, he knows that he has to do more than just bowl. Woolmer has already set him a benchmark: “Considering that he is a bowler, I would like him to bowl first and then come in handy with the bat. If he can hit sixes like Shahid Afridi, I wouldn’t mind.”So now Khalil has two roles to aspire to – the fast man who can swing it like Pathan, and a six-hitting cavalier like Afridi.

An unbeaten 99 from opener David Fitzgerald helped South Australia overhaul its first-innings deficit against Tasmania on day three of the Pura Cup cricket match at Bellerive Oval today.The Redbacks were agonisingly slow in their second innings, ending the final session on 1-191 after 80 overs.They managed to erase the Tigers’ 184-run lead, but only just.Fitzgerald was set for a nervous night’s sleep after finishing the day one short of his century, with skipper Greg Blewett not out 60.The pair brought up a 100-run partnership in 133 minutes off 231 balls.Tasmania’s solitary wicket for the day was Shane Deitz, who was caught and bowled by left-arm orthodox spinner Xavier Doherty for 28.Redbacks coach Wayne Phillips conceded it would be difficult for either team to secure an outright result on such a good batting strip.”It is a terrific pitch,” he said.”I’d have to start bowling pineapples or something to make it do something a bit different.”We will try and keep pushing and see what eventuates, but it’s going to be a battle.””I think our prime objective is to ensure that we continue to build partnerships and put a price on our wickets.”If we get a bit of a spurt on at some stage, there’s still another six hours to go in the game, another 100 overs near enough (and) a lot can happen in that time.”We are going to try and drive it as best we can and hope that something might drop out the bottom.”Tigers captain Dan Marsh was also hoping for a “couple of breakthroughs” tomorrow.”It is a flat wicket, but if we persevere long enough you never know,” he said.”If we get a few wickets, you never know. The morning session is going to be fairly important.”Tasmania was dismissed before lunch today for an impressive 420 in reply to South Australia’s day-one offering of 236.The Redbacks’ Mark Cleary finished the innings with a first-class career-best of 5-102.

Maharashtra make strong comebackMaharashtra made a spirited reply to a Connor-Williams-inspired Baroda first-innings total in their Ranji Trophy league match at Pune on Monday.Baroda ended their first innings on 424, inspired largely by Tushar Arothe, who made 85. Holding the lower order together, Arothe played patiently for 251 minutes and 183 balls to be the ninth wicket to fall. He was well supported by Zaheer Khan, who made a brisk 43 off 33 balls. For Maharashtra, Iqbal Siddiqui took five wickets.Maharashtra did not wilt in the face of such a big deficit. Although Niranjan Godbole fell early, JS Narse and Hrishikesh Kanitkar kept the score ticking over. Both were dismissed before the close of play, but Abhijit Kale and KD Aphale put on an unbeaten 109 runs for the fourth wicket.At stumps, Kale was on 62 off 135 balls, while Aphale had made 40 off 69 balls. For Baroda, Valmik Buch took two wickets, while Zaheer Khan claimed one.Wasim Jaffer strikes centuryOpener Wasim Jaffer struck a solid 139 to give Mumbai the edge in their Ranji Trophy league match against Saurashtra at Mumbai.Replying to Saurashtra’s not-insignificant total, Mumbai batsmen ensured that their side took the the vital first-innings lead in a match that looks to be heading for a draw. Along with Vinayak Mane, Jaffer put on 135 runs for the first wicket and then shared more good partnerships with K More and Amol Muzumdar.Jaffer fell as the third wicket, having made 139 off 218 balls, with 15 fours and one six. Muzumdar remained unbeaten at stumps on 87 off 173 balls, with eight fours. His knock took Mumbai to a total of 384/6 at the close of play. Vinod Kambli, lower down the order, struck a brisk 42 off 37 balls and gave good support to Muzumdar.Tripura collapse against AssamTripura collapsed against some fine Assamese bowling in their Ranji Trophy league match at Guwahati on Monday.Winning the toss, Tripura opted to take first strike, but could not capitalise on the advantage. Only captain S Dasgupta and TK Chanda could contribute significantly with the bat. Dasgupta, opening the batting, made 52 off 120 balls, while Chanda struck 62 off 135 balls.Assam wicket-keeper Samarjit Nath had a particularly fine day behind the stumps, completing six catches and one stumping. At the close of play, the visitors were 209 for eight. For Assam, MJV Ingty and J Gokulakrishnan took three wickets apiece.Bengal face uphill taskAlthough Bengal is in little danger of losing, they also stand almost no chance of gaining the first-innings lead in their Ranji Trophy league match against Orissa at Baripada.Orissa, resuming on Day Three on 575/5, added 96 more runs before declaring their innings closed. Prabanjan Mullick, overnight on 22, made an unbeaten 80, supported well by P Jayachandra and G Gopal. At 671/6, skipper Sanjay Raul finally ended the misery of the Bengal bowlers, three of whom conceded more than 100 runs in the innings.Facing such a big total, Bengal lost Nikhil Haldipur and Arindam Das for just 57, but national find Deep Dasgupta and skipper Rohan Gavaskar took their side through to stumps without any further mishaps, putting on 136 runs for the third wicket.At the close of play, Dasgupta was on 82, while Gavaskar made 51. Bengal were 193/2 in 60.1 overs.

After the run feast that happened in the early part of the day, therewas nothing much to look forward to as Pakistan took the field. MaybeWasim Akram would charge in and make the ball talk. Even that did nothappen. At the end of the day, it made absolutely no difference to theresult. Pakistan go through to their next encounter in the Asia Cupagainst India tomorrow, having beaten Bangladesh by 233 runs at theBangabhandu stadium on Friday.The crowd went silent as wicket after wicket fell on what was asdocile a wicket as you would see. Habibul Basher who made a halfcentury against India provided the lone resistance. Even that was onlya token resistance. His 23 provided the crowd with some relief from aseemingly unending list of soft dismissals.For Pakistan, the wickets were shared around. Abdur Razzaq bowled thestraightest of the lot and was the most successful, bagging threewickets. Bangladesh ended on 87 all out. Shariar Hossain could not batafter as he was seriously dehydrated earlier in the day and left thefield. This was Bangldesh’s lowest total in limited overs cricket. Toadd insult to injury, this was also the largest margin of victory in alimited overs match beating the 232 run thrashing that Australiahanded out to Sri Lanka in 1987.When cats run around among pigeons, mayhem is the only result. ImranNazir was licking the cream off his whiskers as bowler after bowlertried his luck at stemming the rot. Fortunately for the hosts SaeedAnwar was motoring sedately along at a run a ball. Driving the ballwith more elegance than the rampaging Nazir, Anwar found the gaps withconsummate ease.Nazir showed no restraint and his onslaught was so overwhelming thatthe crowd was on its feet in excitement. When the ball was up for thedrive it disappeared over either mid off or mid on. If the ball wasshort it was anybody’s guess where it disappeared. Even deliveriespitched well outside the off stump disappeared over mid wicket. Naziropened his shoulders and unleashed raw power. The fact that he wasdropped twice did little to deter the youngster.The man took the brunt of the bashing was roly poly Khaled Mahmudwhose two overs disappeared for 31 runs. Needless to say, he wasquickly removed from the attack by an embarrassed captain.Saeed Anwar walked across after one such dropped catch and cautionedhis opening partner. The next ball Anwar faced, the first of the dayfrom Naimur Rehman uprooted his off stump. Coming a bit down thetrack, Anwar played down the wrong line and lost his off stump. He hadcontributed 31 to a total of 83.Yousuf Youhana who more than helped Pakistan save one Test match inthe West Indies came in at one drop, much ahead of his customarynumber five position. His presence at the crease brought a semblanceof normalcy to the proceedings. Although he smacked the second ball hefaced to the fence, he was in principle at least more selective inshot making.With temperatures rapidly approaching the mid forties, and humidity atover 80% it was but natural that things slowed down. And at thehalfway mark of their innings, Bangladesh had lost one man to theweather. Shariar Hussain holding his thighs and calves fell flat onthe ground and simply could not get back up. He was soon half carriedoff the field by his team mates.There was no stopping Imran Nazir. Playing strokes all around thewicket, the youngster was going along merrily when a bit of badrunning between the wickets stopped him dead in his tracks. Afterstarting and stopping and starting again he was found short of hisground by a neat bit of fielding by Aminul Islam.Youhana was joined by Inzamam ul Huq out in the middle and from theword go neither were in any manner of strife. All of a sudden, aglance at the scoreboard revealed the fact that Youhana had helpedhimself to 80 runs. Against the grain of play, Nazir was dismissedwhen he looked good for a century. The same happened with Youhana.Overbalancing against left arm spinner Enamul Hoque, Youhana was a tadlate getting back to his ground and Khaled Masud behind the stumps hadthe bails off in a flash.The hugely popular Shahid Afridi walked out to a generous round ofapplause from the crowd. After playing and missing at a good manyballs, Afridi finally connected. And the result was the same each time- the ball went crashing to the fence. Having adopted the mid wicketfence as his preferred destination, Afridi clouted everything that wasbowled at him in that direction.At the other end Inzamam was all smiles as he toyed with the bowling.Standing tall, the man from Multan drove superbly through both off andon side. If Afridi was the beast, Inzamam was the beauty. Using defttouches, a dab around the corner and a tap past short third manInzamam gathered runs at a good pace. As the innings drew to a closehowever, no one was in the mood for anything delicate. Taking turns,Afridi and Inzamam clouted the ball round the park. Even when they didhit the ball straight to the fielder the catches were grassed.The two remained unbeaten as Pakistan posted 320, the highest score inthe Asia Cup competition. Inzamam was on 75 and Afridi 45 when theumpires ended the action and took the players off the field. Fiftyovers of maximum viewing pleasure had come to an end.One must however spare a thought for the Bangladesh side. Pushing hardfor Test status that they will in all likelihood attain in the nearfuture, the team was helpless and often clueless. Taken most to taskwas mediumpacer Khaled Mahmud whose 10 overs cost him and Bangladesh81 runs.

Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a claim over the possibility of Gareth Bale returning to north London in the summer.

The Lowdown: Pre-contract reports

Bale spent last season on loan at Spurs, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances. He returned to Real Madrid over the summer, where he has once again been surplus to requirements, despite Carlo Ancelotti taking over at the Bernabeu.

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The 32-year-old has played just 270 minutes of La Liga action this season, with reports last month claiming Tottenham have already reached a pre-contract agreement with Bale when he becomes a free agent in July.

The Latest: Gold’s comments

Gold ran a Q&A on football.london on Thursday lunchtime and was asked by one Spurs supporter about the possibility of Bale making a return under Antonio Conte next season.

This is what he had to say, admitting he was ‘intrigued’ over Bale’s next move.

“As much as I’d like to see Gareth Bale have a last hurrah in front of full crowds at Spurs I just can’t see how he fits Conte’s team with the workrate and pressing required for an older player with his injury nightmares of recent seasons.

“I’m as intrigued as anyone to see what the Welshman does next.”

The Verdict: Look elsewhere?

Bale once again showcased his world-class talent for Wales on Thursday, scoring twice to help his country take a step closer to the World Cup later this year.

However, going off his injury issues in recent years, along with Conte’s physical demands, it could be a wise move to avoid a reunion with Bale.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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He may not be able to cope with the Italian’s methods and would be on a big wage, so going after a younger more central attacker to rival Harry Kane looks to be the smarter option.

In other news: ‘A big deal’ – Gold drops ‘behind the scenes’ claim at Spurs on ‘brilliant’ forward. 

Warren Deutrom: ‘We certainly do not claim to be perfect or infallible, but there is nothing but hard-work and passion for the sport in the ICU’ © Martin Williamson

Warren Deutrom, the CEO of the Irish Cricket Union, has hit back at reports that the game in Ireland is in crisis following a year where they will struggled to break even despite their success at the World Cup.The ICU needed a grant of £250,000 from the Irish Sports Council to stabilise it during the season after extra costs associated with the World Cup, and the predicted windfall from a series of high-profile ODIs with India and South Africa was undermined by poor weather. But Deutrom says Ireland’s difficulties are similar to those faced by other nations.”First, it is important to say that you are correct that it has been a difficult financial year for Irish cricket – that is a recognised fact and no-one disputes that,” he said. “In that regard, we are probably no different to many other small national governing bodies that struggle to make ends meet. The World Cup was certainly not a ‘cash bonanza’ as you described it, and we have experienced tough times this year.”It was a tough year financially for us, but we will get through it to the point whereby our new commercial structures will bear fruit, we will have an agreement for media rights in place, and significant monies from the ICC will flow down in 2009. These things take time, but we will get there through hard work, passion and dedication.”Deutrom added that there were a huge number of people working tirelessly to try and make Irish cricket a success. “We certainly do not claim to be perfect or infallible, but there is nothing but hard-work and passion for the sport in the ICU, whether it is the handful of employees or the army of enthusiastic volunteers who have put the sport where it is today.”And, Deutrom said, the fact that the Irish Sports Council and ICC were willing to help the ICU with its finances shows that the board has developed a sound footing which could be trusted and that people should be “applauding Irish cricket for developing these relationships to the extent whereby they are prepared to have confidence in us to manage this properly.”He pinpointed the awarding of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers to Belfast next year as a sign as to how highly Ireland are regarded. “ICC does not award such prestigious events to poorly-managed, inefficient administrations,” he said.In relation to the lack of a sponsor since Bank of Ireland withdrew earlier this year, Deutrom said these large negotiations take time and added that the board “are in the middle of talks with a major brand,” and as such it is at a very delicate stage and can’t be discussed in public.