Ken Borland

The noose tightened on suspended Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive officer Gerald Majola on Thursday as sports minister Fikile Mbalula announced he was facing both a criminal investigation as well as a civil claim for the repayment of illegal bonuses paid to him by the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Mbalula met with CSA in Johannesburg on Thursday to discuss the further implementation of the recommendations of the Nicholson Committee of Enquiry, which he appointed in October, into allegations of irregular bonus payments and poor corporate governance against Majola.

Judge Chris Nicholson announced on March 13 that Majola had “surreptitiously” received 1.8 million rand (174,000 euro) in unauthorised bonuses from the IPL, as well as irregular travel expenses, in contravention of the Companies Act.
Nicholson recommended that Majola be suspended, the bonus money be recovered and that CSA undergo restructuring of their board and governance processes.

Majola was suspended by the CSA board on March 17, with Jacques Faul appointed as the acting CEO and Willie Basson as acting president.

“We’re satisfied that CSA are implementing the Nicholson recommendations,” Mbalula told a news conference on Thursday. “But the recovery of bonuses was also a very clear recommendation and a civil process will be launched by CSA and included in the disciplinary commission against Majola.

“The Hawks [South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation] have also been to CSA and are in the process of their investigation. They’re on top of it, but we don’t know the outcome yet. We have to respect the process because it’s not up to us to arrest people. It was a smooth operation, not done Hollywood style, because that way things get done properly,” Mbalula said.

Mbalula said that for the sake of “stability”, the CSA board of directors would remain in place until the next annual meeting in September.

“It’s just a few months to go for this board and then they can get a fresh mandate. We wanted to address the issues and bring stability to cricket. If we had asked the board to resign, then certain things would not have been done; they’ve put the process in motion,” Mbalula said.

CSA had also agreed to launch a special fund for transformation on May 8, while the steering committee in charge of restructuring their board would now include representatives from the department of sport and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc).

The chairman of the disciplinary enquiry into Majola has been appointed by the Bar Council and will be John Myburgh SC, while CSA will now approach the Bar to appoint the prosecutor. Mbalula said the deadline for “the completion of the disciplinary procedure is May 31”.

“The board accepts they could have played a better role at the time they were called to do so, but there has been no resistance in going through this process and we are satisfied that we have done our duty,” the sport minister said.

Robin Peterson and Ambati Rayudu saw the Mumbai Indians home as they snatched a thrilling four-wicket victory over the Kings XI at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/indian-premier-league/news/120425/Peterson_Rayudu_see_Mumbai_home

The South African came to the crease with Mumbai needing 34 runs off just 14 balls and Peterson plundered 16 not out off seven balls, with two fours and a six off successive deliveries.

Questions will be asked as to Peterson’s treatment by captain Harbhajan Singh, who bowled him for just one over, while he conceded 29 runs in three overs, and then batted before the left-hander but made a two-ball duck.

Rayudu blasted 34 not out off 17 balls, with a pair of fours and sixes, and hit the winning boundary as Mumbai won with a ball to spare.

The visitors needed 32 off the last two overs and Punjab will be ruing leg-spinner Piyush Chawla’s penultimate over of the innings, which cost an astonishing 27 runs.

Peterson, a clever cricketer who will always find a way to score, used a reverse-sweep and a switch-hit to hit the first two balls for four and then launched a slog-sweep for six.

Rayudu then hit the last two balls of the over for six, leaving Mumbai with just five runs to get off Azhar Mahmood’s final over and they did it in singles before the 26-year-old Indian prospect finished the match with a crunching cover drive.

The Kings XI probably thought they had the game in the bag after Mahmood and seamer Parvinder Awana had reduced Mumbai, chasing 169, to 135 for six in the 18th over.

Mumbai will be concerned that they collapsed after a good start, James Franklin (22) and Sachin Tendulkar (34) putting on 52 for the first wicket, before Rohit Sharma added a quickfire 50 off just 30 balls, with three sixes.

But the introduction of Pakistani paceman Mahmood brought a flurry of quick wickets as he had both openers caught behind by Nitin Saini.

The next over saw Chawla claim his one wicket as Dinesh Karthik (3) picked out Mahmood at short fine leg with a scoop shot.

Awana claimed the key wicket of Kieron Pollard for just three when the elevation of the West Indian’s flick over midwicket was just not enough and he was caught by Mandeep Singh.

Rohit then obviously became the key man as he played probably his best innings of the tournament before he slashed the nagging medium-pace of Awana to the sharp Mahmood at backward point.

The wicket of Harbhajan fell two balls later, but the skills of Peterson and Rayudu were enough to complete the victory.

The experienced Mahmood, who finished with two for 23, and Praveen Kumar, who conceded just 25 runs in his four overs, were the best of the Punjab bowlers.

David Hussey had earlier put his younger teammates to shame as he almost single-handedly steered the Kings XI to 168 for three.

Captain Hussey, the younger brother of Australian star Michael, slammed 68 not out off 40 balls to lift the home team to a competitive total on a pitch that was tough to score on when the ball got soft or the pace was taken off.

The 34-year-old made twice as many runs as any of his teammates, with South African David Miller’s 34 not out being the next highest score.

The multi-faceted Mumbai attack – seven bowlers were used – was initially pretty effective in stifling the run-rate and left-armer RP Singh was excellent up front, taking one for 27 in four overs.

Run-scoring was a little easier against the new ball and openers Saini and Mandeep put on 35 in the first five overs before Mandeep was caught behind off Singh for 22.

With Saini leaving the crease for 17 two overs later, his skied hook shot off paceman Clint McKay going to fine leg, the two Australians and Punjab’s most experienced batsmen – Shaun Marsh and Hussey – were brought together.

Marsh struggled to 17 off 26 balls before medium-pacer Franklin had him caught in an outstanding 13th over that cost just five runs, but Hussey batted through to the close.

Generally playing with a straight bat, Hussey punched his way to four fours and four sixes and was a cut above the other Kings XI batsmen.

But Miller served up a blistering cameo in the closing overs, lashing his 34 not out off just 17 balls, with two of his sixes coming off the last two balls of the innings, bowled by Munaf Patel, who the left-hander had also hit for six in his previous over.

Munaf had bowled his first two overs for just nine runs, including a maiden, but fell apart at the death as Hussey and Miller plundered 32 runs off his last 12 deliveries.

It said little for Harbhajan’s captaincy that spinner Peterson, who bowled the first over of the innings and conceded just three runs, was not used again, with the captain coming in for punishment as his three overs cost 29 runs.

Franklin also just bowled the single over.

The Pune Warriors ran into Virender Sehwag at his best, losing their Indian Premier League match against the Delhi Daredevils by eight wickets at their Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium on Tuesday.

– http://www.supersport.com/cricket/indian-premier-league/news/120424/Pune_lose_to_Sehwag_scorcher

Sehwag was in hot form, hammering 87 not out off just 48 balls, his scorching strokeplay bringing him 10 fours and three sixes as Delhi cantered to their target of 147 with four overs to spare.

The Indian opener showed once again why he is such a class act, timing and placing the ball magnificently and working the bowlers with great skill through the on-side and being as ruthless as ever when he was given space outside off stump.

Sehwag laughed off his involvement in an awful mix-up with Mahela Jayawardena, who was run out for 18 when Luke Wright suddenly emerged from behind the square-leg umpire and fired in a quick throw to wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa.

The Daredevils were 22 for one in the third over, but Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen quickly banished any hopes Pune had of securing their second victory over Delhi as they added 89 for the second wicket in 8.2 overs.

Pietersen scored a comfortable 27 off 21 balls before he skied a drive off leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, but Sehwag stayed through to the end in a top-class innings, flatbatting Rahul for a straight six to end the match.

Rahul finished his four overs with 1-33 but, although none of the other Pune bowlers could take a wicket, South African seamer Alfonso Thomas (2-0-14-0) and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik (4-0-26-0) were economical.

It was not a good evening though for left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra (3-0-34-0) nor seamer Wright (2-0-24-0).

The Pune Warriors recovered to 146 for two because of a brilliant century stand between Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa.

Pandey and Uthappa added 120 for the third wicket off 112 balls, finishing not out on 80 and 60 respectively. They’re both experienced IPL campaigners, so they didn’t let the shock of Pune being reduced to one for two in the second over get to them as they sensibly built a partnership before lashing out in the closing overs.

It was not the best performance in the field by the Delhi Daredevils as Pandey was dropped three times, Pietersen missing a sitter at long-on off Pawan Negi on 20, and Shahbaz Nadeem and Negi dropping return catches on 44 and 56. Their ground fielding was also not faultless.

Pandey used beautifully-timed, classical strokes with a straight bat, plus some innovation, to strike seven fours and three sixes in his fine innings of 80 not out off 56 balls.

Uthappa played within himself, allowing Pandey to accelerate, but his 60 not out off 58 balls included six fours and was a great supporting act.

The Warriors had elected to bat first, but made a disastrous start as Irfan Pathan’s second ball kept low to bowl Jesse Ryder for a duck and Saurav Ganguly (1) sliced Morne Morkel’s second ball to third man.

Morkel finished with 1-34 in his four overs, but Pathan, with one for 24, and left-arm spinners Negi and Nadeem, who each conceded just 22 runs in their four overs, did the most to restrict Pandey and Uthappa.

The Deccan Chargers suffered another blow as the Kolkata Knight Riders beat them by five wickets in their Indian Premier League match at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Sunday.

 – http://www.supersport.com/cricket/article.aspx?id=1351481

It was a struggle for the Knight Riders, however, as they needed 19 overs to chase down their mediocre target of 127.

It was mainly thanks to their bowlers and fielders, who operated as a slick unit in restricting the Deccan Chargers to 126 for seven, that the Kolkata Knight Riders claimed victory.

The Chargers, having been sent in to bat after an hour-long rain delay, made a bright enough start as they reached 35 without loss after five overs. But they then seemed to bat well within themselves and the whole innings came to a near standstill as the Kolkata bowlers and fielders tightened their strangulating grip.

The Knight Riders bowling system worked a charm with all-rounders Yusuf Pathan (2-0-19-0) and Jacques Kallis (2-0-16-0) getting their combined share of overs out the way early. Brett Lee (4-0-15-1) bowled tightly up front and then brilliantly at the death, while spinner Sunil Narine (4-0-26-2) was just an absolute handful throughout. Medium-pacers Lakshmipathy Balaji (4-0-22-2) and Rajat Bhatia (4-0-26-1) bossed the non-powerplay overs.

Balaji showed that he is no mug with the ball as he cleaned up the great Kumar Sangakkara, bowling him middle stump for 12, but Shikhar Dhawan made a brisk start as he and Parthiv Patel added 44 in 5.4 overs for the second wicket.

Parthiv was run out for 23 by a top-class piece of boundary fielding by Kallis, while Dhawan lost momentum and completed a battling half-century before he pulled a full toss from Bhatia straight to cow-corner to be out for 50 off 50 balls.

Dhawan’s dismissal meant the Chargers had slipped to 102 for four after 16 overs and they managed to add just 24 more runs in the last four overs, including just a four and a six. In fact, the whole innings featured just nine fours and two sixes.

VERBAL JOUSTING

JP Duminy ensured that Deccan weren’t bowled out within the 20 overs as he finished on 16 not out off 15 balls, while Dale Steyn scored seven, that included a lovely straight six off Narine off the first ball of the final over.

The Barabati Stadium pitch is clearly not the easiest to bat on and, with Steyn, the most lethal fast bowler in the world, taking the new ball, the Chargers wanted early wickets to have a chance.

New Zealander Brendon McCullum is always a threat and Steyn claimed his wicket after he had scored 10, trapping him lbw with a slower ball that kept low.

Fellow opener Gautam Gambhir made a fluent 30 before his innings had a sad end as he lamely drove seamer Anand Rajan straight to mid-off.

Leggie Amit Mishra accounted for Maninder Bisla (10), bowling him with a beautiful top-spinner and there was more disappointment for the misfiring Yusuf Pathan as he hit impressive slow left-armer Ankit Sharma (4-0-19-1) for a massive six but then missed a swipe at the next delivery and was bowled.

Kallis, however, played an important innings for the Knight Riders, scoring a composed 23 at a run-a-ball to lift them from 72 for four.

Steyn, the best of the Deccan bowlers with 2-24, won the personal battle with countryman Kallis as he had him caught behind with a fine delivery in the 17th over, and there were a few anxious moments thereafter for the Knight Riders as Manoj Tiwary allowed the situation to get to him.

Tiwary was nearly run out as he wandered down the pitch to engage in some verbal jousting with Steyn, and the choice of some of his strokes left a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, he finished the job with his 30 not out as the Knight Riders joined the other leaders on eight points.