Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum at a practice session at Headingley

Hodge launches Royals into qualifier

Rajasthan Royals 135 for 6 (Hodge 54*) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 132 for 7 (Dhawan 33, Malik 2-14) by four wickets

Brad Hodge turned it around from 57 for 5 (file photo) © BCCI

Three days ago, two successive sixes from Darren Sammy had launched Sunrisers Hyderabad into the IPL Eliminator. Three days later, two successive sixes off Sammy's bowling, and from Brad Hodge's bat, launched Rajasthan Royals into the second qualifier, where they will take on Mumbai Indians for a place in the final. The victory also meant Royals sealed their place in the 2013 Champions League Twenty20.

Hodge's was a blinder of an innings in many contexts. Prior to this, he had not spent a lot of time in the middle, Rahul Dravid preferring to use him as a finisher. He came in at 57 for 5 in a chase of 133 on a slow, uneven pitch, on which almost everyone had struggled for timing. He was up against the best attack of the season in a knockout situation. Royals had been up for a week against a spot-fixing controversy that had shaken their team and messed up their combinations.

Hodge's response was one befitting a man who has made the most Twenty20 runs in the world. When he cracked the second ball of the last over 96 metres into the crowd beyond the long-on boundary, he finished on 54 off 29. He hit five sixes on a pitch where the first one took 14.1 overs to come.

This match was Royals' after a start of 50 for 1 inside seven overs. Shane Watson was another batsman who was making a mockery of the difficulties posed by the pitch, pushing forward and getting boundaries with sheer power. His pull off the legspinner Karan Sharma was headed for six over deep midwicket when Sammy jumped several feet to intercept the ball, and turn the game.

Royals lost a wicket each in the next three overs to slip to 57 for 5. Sammy did most of the damage, keeping it straight to hit the stumps, as Dishant Yagnik and Stuart Binny missed. Ajinkya Rahane popped one back to the other Sunrisers legspinner Amit Mishra.

Fifty-eight were needed from 40 when Hodge tore into Karan, a bowler most sides had found difficult to get away. Two sixes and a four in the space of four deliveries. He followed it up with a straight six off Mishra in the next over. Sunrisers were visibly stunned, and Mishra, whose first three overs had gone for eight, was irritated.

Sunrisers hung in, though, despite a wayward 18th over from Dale Steyn. Hodge tried to hit a six almost every ball off Thisara Perera in the 19th, and managed five runs. It came down to 10 needed off six, but Hodge needed two deliveries.

Sunrisers did well to get to 132 from 67 for 3 after 14 overs. Royals went in without a spinner, but their various kinds of medium-pacers tied Sunrisers down with lack of pace and width.

Vikramjeet Malik, playing his second match of the season, sent back Parthiv Patel and Hanuma Vihari in the space of four balls. Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White took their time to push on. White, especially, looked in good touch but both fell in trying to step up the pace of scoring.

Sammy and Perera were going to be key at the death but again, both fell just as they were starting to dominate. Sammy came out swinging sixes but was run out by an accurate, powerful throw from the deep by the substitute Rahul Shukla for 29 off 21. Perera zoomed to 11 off 6 before edging behind.

It was still not an easy target by any means and Royals' inexperienced middle order seemed to blow it, but Hodge was lurking at No.7 to deliver the knockout punch.

Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Abhishek Purohit

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

McCullum to keep gloves at Leeds

Dan Vettori is set to return to Test cricket to aid New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum © Getty Images

Brendon McCullum is not the sort to shirk a challenge so when New Zealand's wicketkeeper, BJ Watling, was ruled out of the second Test at Headingley because of injury, he wasted little time in deciding to take up the gloves that he supposedly relinquished for good in Test cricket nearly three years ago.

McCullum kept for part of England's second innings at Lord's - without pads on day three - after Watling injured his left knee attempting to run out Joe Root with a dive. Watling left the field and speculation began over who would take the gloves at Headlingey.

Watling seemed to come through practise on Wednesday reasonably well to most observers, which begs the question whether New Zealand viewed his bruised knee as an injury of convenience after what McCullum himself described as their "hour of madness" - the collapse to 68 all out as England forced an abrupt victory in the opening Test at Lord's.

Watling's absence allows New Zealand to slot in Martin Guptill, who has extensive experience in English conditions with Derbyshire, as an extra batsman at No. 6, rather than as an opener in place of Peter Fulton whose tour of England has so far brought 34 runs in five knocks.

Captain, wicketkeeper and New Zealand's most pugnacious batsman: McCullum will not be short of roles when the second Test begins in Leeds on Friday. All this with a back complaint which puts him under strain whenever he returns to the keeping role.

McCullum announced that he would only keep wicket for New Zealand in limited-overs cricket after the IPL in 2010. In New Zealand's next Test against India in Ahmedabad, Gareth Hopkins deputised and in 24 subsequent Tests, the role has passed between Hopkins, Reece Young, Watling and Kruger van Wyk. Watling has been the only one to suggest he might make a long-term go of it and he can expect to return after this series.

Such heavy demands upon McCullum make it almost inevitable that Dan Vettori, a former New Zealand captain, will make his Test comeback for the first time for almost a year's absence with Achilles trouble. McCullum, an "ideas" captain, likes to keep lines of communication open with his bowlers, but he feel less need for endless dashes up and down the pitch in the middle of an over if he sees the familiar figure of Vettori fielding.

One of the New Zealand bowlers to recognise the advantage of that was Neil Wagner. He is a garrulous sort - a refreshing change in the sanitised media conferences of today - and it was all he could do to stop himself pronouncing that Vettori would definitely get the final place ahead of Doug Bracewell and an all-seam attack. These days at Headingley, the temptation to rely on pace bowling alone should be resisted because the pitches can show extremes of character and are just as likely to go flat if the clouds lift. Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner, took five wickets in the second match of the season at Headingley, so it should not automatically be assumed that a spinner has no role here.

"Brendon's back has been playing up a bit, but he is going to grit his teeth and do a job for the team, that's just the sort of guy that Brendon is," Wagner said. "There is going to be quite a bit of running up and down because he likes to talk to the bowlers about plans but having the opportunity maybe to have Dan at mid-on and mid-off and pick his brains and pass on messages will be pretty awesome.

"It's exciting seeing Dan around the changing room and training with us again. He is just one of those guys you can always rely on. He brings a good spirit into the team, and brings in humour in tough situations sometimes, but he also has such massive experience. If as a bowler you want to pick someone's brain, he is going to be the one you want to talk to."

Vettori will be a like-for-like replacement for his fellow left-arm spinner, Bruce Martin, who has left the tour because of a calf injury he picked up at Lord's. That will at least stop the England fans wondering - as they have for the past three months - why nobody is clobbering him down the ground.

Vettori, veteran of 112 Tests, bowled for half-an-hour, had a bat against some throw-downs and took some high catches on a middling Leeds morning, dry and largely overcast. Mike Hesson, New Zealand's coach, then rejected requests to speak to him, leaving the bowling coach, Shane Bond, to indicate that Vettori himself would be trusted to make the call on his fitness.

"He's the sort of guy who will know whether he can do it or not," Bond said. "He's got that experience and he knows how he's going physically. Either way I'm sure the right decision will be made."

Vettori's last Test came against West Indies in Antigua last July. After an inactive time in the IPL, even a long-haul flight from New Zealand could not disguise the feeling that he was itching to play again.

Vettori would join an attack that has come close to breaking England's batting on several occasions over the four Tests stretching back to March, something Wagner takes comfort from.

"We have come close a couple of times so it has been a bit frustrating for us as a bowling unit," he said. "At Lord's we got ourselves into a perfect position and then two guys came out with serious class and bowled unbelievably well.

"Jonny Bairstow at the moment is trying to find his feet a bit. Nick Compton played a bit of a rash shot in the first innings after showing a bit of patience. Matt Prior hasn't got a run in two innings. There is stuff we can thrive on."

David Hopps is the UK editor of ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: David Hopps

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

'BCCI should maintain better vigil'

Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who played a key part in the arrest of the three Rajasthan Royals players, is an avid cricket fan. However, after pursuing the spot-fixing case, he admits he will not watch the IPL any more. That is one of the views Kumar shared in an interview with ESPNcricinfo.

Neeraj Kumar (right): "I was distressed and anguished when I announced the arrest of the three players. But I have stopped watching IPL this year. I have lost interest" © AFP

Nearly a week after having taken the three players into custody, how strong do you think your case is against them?
It is quite solid. Our evidence material, it is substantial, and I am quite hopeful that we would be able to get convictions against the accused. The fact of the matter is they cannot deny what they have said on the telephone and they cannot deny the sequence of events. So in the face of the overwhelming evidence we have, they have no option but to accept (the charges).

There are also reports coming out that some more players might be involved from other teams. Is that true?
That is a distinct possibility provided we find the bookie we are looking for. We think through that bookie these other players might have been compromised.

A lot of legal pundits have said the absence of any specific law dealing with cheating in sport will help the accused walk free. Do you agree?
I do not think so. The management of Rajasthan Royals has come forward and given us the contracts signed by these three players. So we added an additional charge under the IPC Section 409 for criminal breach of trust. Anyone who goes to watch a match, he goes under the presumption everybody would play to full potential. The spectators otherwise feel cheated if that is not case. Two spectators from Delhi have come forward to lodge a complaint of being cheated. They had bought tickets online for the three matches we had listed being under the scanner. So these two would be our witnesses.

By charging the cricketers under Section 409, do you believe this is a way to set a precedent in terms of dealing with fraud in sport?
I guess in the future people will use this Section. We had originally filed the case under Sections 420 and 120(b) and the Royals complaint came subsequently, and has further strengthened our case.

Moving to a broader question: How can cricket be cleaned up?
From our point of view we should be able to get as many of these bookies as possible, as many of these middlemen behind bars, and identify players and go after them. That is all we can do. The general tendency in the police is to just restrict yourself to the case and wrap it up before moving on to the next case. But so many leads crop up during an investigation and our duty to follow those leads to the logical end. The rest of the things should be done by the administrators.

What is the role you expect the BCCI to play as the custodian of the sport in India?
I am not familiar with their working in terms of what they can and cannot do. But suffice to say that they should maintain better vigil. Most of this stuff happens quite openly: people are seen sitting with undesirable people and people do come to know about some strangers meeting somebody. So they have the list of the suspects, they should go after them.

In order to beef up its anti-corruption measures, can the BCCI work in collaboration with law enforcement authorities? Is that practical or possible?
Why not? If they tip us off, the police can keep them under surveillance. The BCCI's anti-corruption and security wing does not have police powers so to that extent they have to work within certain limitations.

The BCCI has instituted its own inquiry committee to establish match-fixing chargers against the three accused. Are you willing to share evidence with that panel?
At an appropriate time and with the prior permission of the court, we would be willing to share information with the committee.

Are you taking help of any former Test cricketers as part of investigations?
We are trying to get the services of an expert who will be our witness. He can explain to the court the various pros and cons of a certain field arrangement at a certain point during the match. For instance, there was an over [Ajit] Chandila bowled on May 5 in Jaipur and there is no fielder on the leg side, but he was pitching on the leg side. But my saying so will not hold much weight in the court of law. However, if a former player who is nominated by the BCCI or government comes forward and is willing to be a witness, it will enhance our case. We are talking to the BCCI, but I would not like to take any names till it is finalised.

Can cricket ever be corruption free?
It would not be fair to say corruption is a rule and honesty an exception. There are a few rotten eggs, which should be spotted and be weeded out. I am a cricket fan, too. I was distressed and anguished when I announced the arrest of the three players. But I have stopped watching IPL this year. I have lost interest.

Did you have any similar information of such stuff happening in the previous editions of the IPL?
We used to hear, but that was in the realm of rumour.

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

No official word from Sahara yet - BCCI

The BCCI has encashed Pune Warriors' bank guarantee © BCCI

A day after Pune Warriors announced its pullout from the IPL, the BCCI has said it hasn't received any "direct communication" from the franchise owner Sahara India regarding the issue. The board also confirmed that it had cashed part of the franchise's bank guarantee.

On Tuesday, Sahara had issued a press release saying it was withdrawing from the IPL over financial differences with the BCCI stemming from the valuation of the annual franchise fee it has to pay. It appears it has not formally communicated that decision to the board.

Sahara has repeatedly tried to get the board to revise its franchise fees - $370m over 10 years, the highest in the IPL - and had to pay Rs 120 crore (around $21.6m) this year before the start of the season.

"Once the 3 April 2013 due date had passed, the Governing Council had two letters sent to Sahara Adventure Sports Limited - one on 12 April 2013 and the second on 24 April 2013 - requesting settlement of the overdue amount," the BCCI's release said. "No payment was made and no response was received to the second letter and so, in order to protect its interests, the BCCI was forced to encash the guarantee."

Sahara had also complained that the process of arbitration, which began soon after the franchise initially pulled out in February 2012, wasn't progressing as the BCCI hadn't agreed on any arbitrator. The BCCI, in turn, said it was Sahara which was stalling the negotiations.

"The BCCI cannot be held responsible since every one of the eminent retired judges suggested by the BCCI was not found acceptable by the franchisee," the board said. "In order to break this impasse, a letter was sent to Sahara Adventure Sports Limited, proposing that as the claimant to the arbitration, it should approach the court to appoint an arbitrator so that the process could move forward. Again, no response was received to this suggestion."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Sreesanth on Tuesday outside a Delhi court, which remanded him to a further five days in police custody

Pune Warriors pull out of IPL

Sahara India, owners of the Pune Warriors franchise, pulled out of the IPL for a second time

Sahara India, owners of the Pune Warriors franchise, have pulled out of the IPL over financial differences with the BCCI stemming from the valuation of the annual franchise fee it has to pay. The decision, the latest crisis to hit the IPL, comes three years after it bought the Pune franchise for $370 million - the highest price paid for any of the IPL franchises.

It seems the immediate cause was the BCCI's decision to cash the bank guarantee from Sahara that that it was obliged, under its contract, to furnish at the start of each season. The guarantee is equivalent to the amount to be paid annually to the BCCI and can be cashed in case a franchise fails to honour its commitments.

In this case, Sahara had furnished a bank guarantee worth Rs 170.2 crore (approximately $30 million). Since the deadline for paying the franchise fees was May 2, the BCCI waited till Sahara's IPL 6 commitments were over and cashed the guarantee on May 20.

Reacting to the development, IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the board cashed the bank guarantee according to the rules. "Yes, it (Pune Warriors) has pulled out. As per the rules and procedure of the BCCI if a franchise fails to pay the fee then we cash the franchise's bank guarantee. We are extremely sad by their decision to pull out. This should not have happened," Shukla said.

Pune Warriors coach Allan Donald was caught off-guard by the decision. "This is a massive surprise to me," Donald told ESPNcricinfo. "I'm shocked because we had spoken, not in great detail but loosely, about prospects for next year. The owners were really upbeat for next season and the next three years because next year we'd have new contracts, new players. We spoke about the possibility of building a culture within the team." Pune Warriors finished eighth in the current IPL season, winning four out of their 16 matches.

Franchises' troubled history Deccan Chargers - Terminated on September 14, 2012 due to financial problems as the owners were unable to service their debt obligations to lenders, eventually leading to its attempted sale and dissolution. Pune Warriors - Owners Sahara India had cut its ties with the BCCI on February 4, 2012, withdrawing sponsorship from the Indian team and ownership of the franchise. However, the two patched up later, ending the dispute by issuing a joint statement. Kochi Tuskers Kerala - Terminated on September 19, 2011 for breaching the terms of agreement - their inability to furnish a new bank guarantee for 2011.

This is the second time Sahara have pulled out of the IPL; they quit on the day of the 2012 auction and withdrew from sponsorship of the Indian team.

This time, though, Sahara will continue its sponsorship of the Indian team until the end of December 2013, when their present contract expires. "We share an excellent relationship with the players and will not want such dedicated and good human beings who serve the country so committed to get harmed financially due to unsporting attitude of BCCI. So we have given time to BCCI to get the new sponsorship in place from January 2014."

Sahara's actual franchise fee has been a contentious issue ever since they bought the Pune franchise for Rs 1702 crore ($370 million) in March 2010. Sahara had been demanding that the franchise fee from their original agreement should be recalculated since the minimum matches per year have been reduced to 14 from the 18 promised to them.

In a lengthy statement, Sahara detailed its dispute with the BCCI over franchise fees. It said it was "disgusted" by the BCCI's attitude towards it and would not rejoin the league even if the entire franchise fee was waived.

"In 2010, Sahara had bid Rs 1700 crore for the IPL franchise on the basis of revenue calculation on 94 matches. But we got 64 matches only," it added.

"We and the Kochi team [also bought at the 2010 auction] immediately protested and requested the BCCI to reduce the bid price proportionately for viable IPL proposition. Nothing was heard. We waited with confidence that such a sports body should have sportsmanship spirit," it said.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.