Brabourne set to host Tests

Mumbai: Test cricket is all set to return after a long gap of 35 years to the Cricket Club of India’s (CCI’s) Brabourne Stadium, which is expected to host to the platinum jubilee Test against England at the end of this year.

With the non-availability of the Wankhede Stadium till the 2011 World Cup, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) authorities had discussions with the CCI authorities and MCA joint secretary Dr P.V. Shetty said that a three-year deal between them will be signed on June 18.

“The discussion part is over and the CCI authorities have agreed to keep 50 per cent of the club house tickets to themselves and give the rest to us. A formal agreement, for a period of three years till Wankhede is available, is to be signed with the CCI on June 18 when our managing committee meets,” Shetty said.

Brabourne, hosted its first match between Lord Tennyson’s XI and CCI in 1937. Eleven out of the 17 Tests hosted here have ended in draws.

Coach happy

Mumbai: A group of seven spinners, including young off-spinner Thandi Tshabalala, who has played ODIs for South Africa, has gained significantly after undergoing a nine-day training stint in Mohali. “Mission accomplished, I will say, about this short stay at Mohali. We could see visible improvement. Now I would recommend to cricket South Africa to send batsmen too for similar camps in India,” said CSA’s spin coach Shafiek Abrahams. “India is the place to take spinners to. Playing in these conditions is a good exposure for our spinners. Hopefully there will be some more similar camps,” he said.

PPL request

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would request the International Cricket Council ICC) and its member nations to spare a two-week window for successfully hosting its domestic T20 competition — the Pakistan Premier League (PPL) — next year.

A senior official of the board said it was keen to host the PPL sometime in October next year. “It is important we have the PPL with the support and co-operation of the ICC and other member nations because we want to make it a memorable event and add something unique to Pakistan’s domestic cricket circuit,” he said.

PCB plan

Karachi: Embarrassed by the detention of pacer Mohammed Asif, the chairman of the PCB has warned that in future the board would not come forward to help any player, who gets himself entangled in the sort of mess that Asif finds himself at present in Dubai.
Nasim Ashraf held meetings with the Pakistan team management and players in Dhaka on Friday and said that he was disappointed with the Asif episode. “In future we are clear of not helping out any player, who gets himself linked with drugs or any other unethical behaviour,” Ashraf said.

“In future such players will be left to fend for themselves,” he added.