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Old Trafford’s future as a Test match ground has once again been plunged into doubt after Derwent Holdings, the rival company trying to block the development plans for the area around Lancashire’s home ground, won the right to go to the Court of Appeal.This long-running battle had appeared to be at an end in March when the High Court ruled in Lancashire’s favour and refused Derwent leave to appeal but the company, owned by billionaire Albert Gubay, made it clear they would seek to take the case further. Tesco, the supermarket chain, are backing Lancashire’s plans and building a store in nearby White City while contributing £21million to the cost.”Mr Gubay’s own plans for a rival food store at White City have been rejected by the planning authorities,” Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive, said. “His latest challenge seems a pointless exercise, but it is creating huge uncertainty for us due to its financial implications.”The major concern for Lancashire is the time these appeals take to be heard – and no date has been set by the Court of Appeal – as they try to get the redevelopment of Old Trafford complete in time for the 2013 Ashes.”It’s frustrating. We want any further legal challenge heard quickly so we can fight it off and get on with the full development after years of painstaking work,” Cumbes said.”We firmly believe we will ultimately get the go-ahead for our plans. We consider Mr Gubay’s strategy is to hold us up indefinitely until we run out of time and we ultimately fail. But, inspired by massive support from the North-west public, we are determined this will not happen.”Andrew Flintoff, the former Lancashire and England allrounder, has also questioned the motives behind stalling the redevelopment. “Albert Gubay said on BBC TV that he was worth £1bn. I’d like to ask him if he is intent on squeezing the life out of Lancashire County Cricket Club? Is he trying to break the hearts of countless cricket fans in the Northwest and sport lovers all over the world.”And what does he seek to gain by pursuing what seems to be a pointless case through every court in the land?”The first part of the redevelopment was completed last year with the opening of the The Point, a large red complex to the side of the pavilion, and continued over the winter with the turning of the square 90 degrees to prevent problems caused by the setting sun in autumn.The club has planning consent for the rest of the work and has already demolished the old double-decker stand by the tram line which is set to be replaced by the new player and media facilities.

Cricket Australia is set to continue negotiations with state cricket representatives about how a proposed new Twenty20 league would work commercially, but some potential investors have already expressed doubts about the suggested model, according to the , claiming it gives them no incentive to invest their moneyAndrew Fraser, a representative for a consortium interested in the Sydney Sixers franchise, told the that several interested parties had ”agreed that it’s not a good business model”.”There’s a plethora of unanswered questions within it and it offers nothing for investors,” Fraser said. ”It’s simply not a way to get people to put in millions of dollars. If they come back to us on Tuesday and say no changes have been made then [the consortium] will be out. There won’t be any interest.”Fraser did not name the members of the consortium, but said that ”it’s a group of highly respected and successful businessmen from Australia and India”, who could provide money for investment quickly if the model was right for them.”There’s difficult decisions ahead for CA,” Frasier said. ”But they need to be made otherwise the potential levels of investment are going to decrease rapidly. It’s an opportunity that can’t be missed. There needs to be a more open-minded approach. Twenty20 is here to stay and if it can generate millions of dollars of funding, then it’s a brilliant result. The states are bleeding at the moment. Here’s a chance for them to generate real revenues.”However, a CA spokesman told the paper that there was no rush to attract private investment. “There is no critical date for that. It could be resolved next week, it could be resolved next month, it could be resolved next year. There’s been no indication from investors that it’s time critical. So, it’s not a do-or-die meeting on that front.”CA’s approach has attracted criticism from other corners, though. Former Test wicketkeeper Greg Dyer, an expert in business development, said it was surprising that investors were still interested. ”We should be treating these people as kings because they’re the future of Australian cricket,” Dyer said. ‘It’s an unbelievable opportunity because these investors have seen the success of the IPL and they’re willing to contribute on that basis alone. It’s an opportunity that’s fallen in the lap of our cricket administrators and, frankly, they’re like rabbits in the spotlight.”I honestly think that unless we take this chance, cricket will continue to wither – there is one Test series that turns a profit. We need cricket to be financially strong and even though T20 might not be real cricket, it could be real cricket’s saviour.”Dyer, who has written an essay on the subject on the paper’s website, is worried that CA is trying to ensure that they retain control over the T20 game.”Real cricket is run by the states,” he said. ”They do the work, train the juniors, run all the activities that centre on growing the game. CA doesn’t do that. The benefits from T20 need to go to the states directly. But CA’s business model seems to suggest they want the franchises to run at a loss so they remain dependent. It defies logic. They’re trying to keep control of T20 as though it were a core part of the game. But it’s not a core part of the game. It’s an entertainment tool that can be used to bolster the rest of the game.”Neil Maxwell, former CEO of Kings XI Punjab, the IPL franchise, is in favour of privatising the T20 game and has called for CA to be bold. ”India took the initiative with T20 and, while they made some mistakes along the way, they now have a competition that within five years is generating billions of dollars,” Maxwell said. ”They’re about to start IPL four and we still haven’t got our competition off the ground. There is significant investment waiting to be kicked in. They’re waiting for a decent proposal to be presented and if it doesn’t come soon I fear they will be lost to the game.”

Match Facts

March 6, Chennai
Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT)James Anderson has struggled throughout the World Cup•Associated Press

The Big Picture

There have been plenty of mismatches so far in this World Cup, but whenever England have taken the field something extraordinary has occurred. Firstly Netherlands pushed them close, then there was the epic tie against India before they were humbled by Kevin O’Brien’s stunning hitting. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but matches against South Africa are rarely dull affairs.It’s not quite do-or-die for England but it’s getting close after they reached the half-way point of their group campaign with three points instead of the expected four. Two wins should take them into the quarter-finals, but that’s not an easy task with Bangladesh and West Indies to follow this game. South Africa have far fewer concerns after two clinical victories set up their campaign nicely.As with every meeting between these two teams there will be the pre-match talk of England’s contingent from South Africa. Kevin Pietersen has often lifted his game against the country of his birth, but South Africa have yet to see the best of Jonathan Trott. Despite the strong performances from England’s top order there are still issues over the batting, both in terms of soft dismissals like Pietersen’s against Ireland and the lack of impact from the middle order which twice cost them dear in Bangalore.They will be up against the most rounded attack of the tournament. The threat of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel was well known, but the inclusion of Imran Tahir has given South Africa an additional edge. Not that they are short on batting, either, and AB de Villiers has started the World Cup with back-to-back hundreds; the one against West Indies was elegant, the ton against Netherlands brutal.Under Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, England have shown an ability to bounce back following shocking defeats. Often the sight of formidable opponents focuses their mind in the way that being favourites against the likes of Netherlands and Ireland doesn’t. However, all aspects of their game will have to fire on the same occasion – which it hasn’t at any stage of the tournament – otherwise an early flight home will be an even greater possibility.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
England LTWLL
South Africa WWWWL

Watch out for…

Although Steyn and Morkel form the best new-ball pair in the world, it’s Imran Tahir that England need to watch out for. He was held back by South Africa as a surprise weapon for the World Cup and so far it has worked perfectly. He started with a match-winning 4 for 41 against West Indies and helped himself to some cheap scalps against Netherlands. An attacking spin bowler, and especially a legspinner, is something South Africa have long lacked and Tahir is making a huge difference. England are better than they used to be against leg spin, and most of the batsmen will have seen Tahir in county cricket, but unlike previous occasions when facing South Africa it’s about more than just seeing off the quicks.Kevin Pietersen has looked in fine form during the tournament which makes his three innings of 39, 31 and 59 even more frustrating. His move to the top order was two-fold; to give England a brisk start and to allow Pietersen to build an innings. At the moment he’s only doing half the job. His reverse-sweep against Paul Stirling was just one of many sloppy pieces of cricket England produced at the hands of Ireland and, as much as Pietersen may shrug it off as ‘the way he plays’, it’s a waste of his immense talent to not be building hundreds in such favourable batting conditions. No better place to perform than at the against South Africa.

Team news

Pietersen, Graeme Swann and Paul Collingwood picked up niggles against Ireland but are expected to be fit. However, Collingwood’s place could come under pressure from Ravi Bopara with England needing power in the their middle order or Michael Yardy could be replaced. James Anderson continues to struggle so Ajmal Shahzad is an option.England (possible) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James AndersonMorne van Wyk was a surprise selection against Netherlands, prompted by the cloudy morning in Mohali, and ended up keeping wicket with de Villiers having strained his back. Johan Botha was left out against the Dutch but his experience could be useful against England and he may be preferred to Robin Petersen.South Africa (possible) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Morne van Wyk, 7 Francois du Plessis, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Stats and trivia

• The last time these two sides met in one-day cricket England secured their first series win on South African soil with a 2-1 success in 2009-10.
• South Africa knocked Michael Vaughan’s team out of the 2007 World Cup with a crushing nine-wicket victory in the Super Eight clash in Barbados after England were skittled for 154.
• Graeme Smith hasn’t scored an ODI century for 23 innings

Quotes

“The Ireland game would have hurt them a lot. It was terrific for the spirit of the World Cup but they will be looking to bounce back.”
Graeme Smith“It is very dangerous to think about how much cricket we have played in the last couple of months. I think the breaks in between games were enough for people to be able to recover and to perform.”
Jonathan Trott

Ten Cricket has been asked to explain the violation of the Indian government’s advertising codes during its coverage of the recently concluded series between India and South Africa. Acting on complaints received by consumers, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry of India sent a show-cause notice to the channel regarding the intrusive advertisements during live telecast.The channel, according to the government, has breached the advertising code which stipulates that the advertisement should be easily distinguishable from, and not interfere with, the programme.”A show-cause notice has been sent to Ten Cricket channel regarding the violation of Rule 7 (10) of the Advertising Code as prescribed in the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994 which provides ‘all advertisement should be clearly distinguishable from the programme and should not in any manner interfere with the programme viz, use of lower part of screen to carry captions, static or moving alongside the programme,'” Raghu Menon, the secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which formulates rules for broadcasting and advertising in the country, told ESPNcricinfo. “The ministry has received complaints about the advertisements interfering with the live telecast by using the sides, central and lower parts of the screen to carry the advertisements, thus reducing the visual frame of the main live telecast.”The channel has been asked to show cause within seven days of the notice as to why action in accordance with the provision of the Uplinking Guidelines and Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 should not be taken against it.”Ten Cricket – a 24-hour cricket channel – is owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) and was launched in August 2010. Among its recent cricket telecasts was Pakistan’s Test and limited-overs series in the UAE against South Africa and India’s full tour there which concluded earlier this month.When asked by Harsha Bhogle, during ESPNcricinfo’s fortnightly audio show , if the high prices of broadcasting rights were driving broadcasters to resort to intrusive advertising, Menon said: “Nobody’s really stopping a channel from advertising at the end of an over. When you have advertising exploding out of the ground in the middle of an over, that is terribly intrusive and I don’t think any viewer will appreciate that. That’s really carrying it a bit too far.”When a license is given to a broadcaster, for downlinking or uplinking or showing any programme, they are required to sign an agreement with the government and part of the agreement is that they will follow the program and advertising codes,” Menon said. “To that extent, they are walking into the business with their eyes open and they are required to follow it, otherwise it amounts to a violation of the laws of the land.”When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, Atul Pande, the CEO of Sports Business, ZEEL, said he would respond once he’d received the show-cause notice, but added there was a lot of pressure on TV channels to generate revenue through ad sales due to the high cost of broadcasting rights as well as low subscription prices paid by consumers.

Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald, who was appointed New Zealand’s bowling coach on Monday, has said that he hopes to instill aggression in the side’s bowlers.”This is an opportunity I have been waiting for, and I know I’m coming into a side which has had a few problems in one-day cricket but I feel I can help with the bowlers,” Donald said. “The big thing I always focus on is attitude and intensity and that all started at the training ground.”New Zealand have not won a Test since February 2010 when they defeated Bangladesh, but have suffered from bigger setbacks in the one-day format in which they are on a 11-match losing streak. The lack of incisiveness in the bowling, particularly since the retirement of Shane Bond, has been one of their worries. The 44-year-old Donald insisted that his focus would be to get the bowling unit to punch above its collective weight.”You can’t expect miracles and we need to discuss this as a bowling group, I need to find out from them about what their thoughts are and what they’re lacking, where we can improve,” Donald said. “But I’ve got to try and find a way to inspire. I grew up in a South African set-up where I knew what I was going to get from the guy at the other end, and I knew what I was going to get from the bowling group as a collective unit.”I’ve played against New Zealand a lot. I felt you could pick out the individuals within the bowling unit who were going to make a difference, guys like Dion Nash and Chris Cairns, for instance. But not collectively, and I think that’s what we need to bring to the table as a collective unit, the intensity and the attitude. You can work with someone who’s got a dodgy action or struggling, or injury prevention. If the fitness and strength is good then the mental aspect will fall into it.”Donald was also keen to bring about a difference in the way the bowlers trained. “You’re working with players who know and understand their actions and their roles in the team, so you’re not going to come in and over-coach things, but the big thing I always focus on is attitude and intensity, and that starts at the training ground,” he said. “I learned a lot from Eddie Barlow and he kicked my butt when I was practising wrong. So not only the skills, but that’s the inspiration I think these boys need now.”Donald was confident that he would have a rich line of talent to work with. “I switched the TV on the other day and I saw this kid Adam Milne run in at 150kmh, so there are some bright youngsters coming through the ranks. I like Tim Southee, I watched him the last three days [of the Wellington Test] and the way he operated. I think you need a guy who has got a bit of white-line fever. That aggression is good and that’s the kind of attitude that I’m talking about as a collective unit that we need to instill.”I know it’s not in everybody’s culture and makeup to be that aggressive but I think that the team needs to understand how it lifts people and the buzz it creates.”

Match Facts

December 30, Christchurch
Start time 19.00 (06.00 GMT)Martin Guptill has provided strong starts for New Zealand in both games•Getty Images

The Big Picture

Before this series, New Zealand were in total disarray, having endured 14 successive defeats at the international level, and seemingly without a plan. Two Twenty20 matches were all it took to change the vibe in their side. It was made possible by the influx of players who hadn’t been a part of the misadventures in the subcontinent. Adam Milne hustled away with Shane Bond-like pace, Peter McGlashan’s innovative reverse sweeps left Umar Gul – a Twenty20 expert – looking out of place, and Luke Woodcock stunted a rampant chase with a tight spell. Suddenly, all of New Zealand’s experiments have begun to work and they look good for the remainder of the tour.It is unlikely that the hosts will drop their intensity in Christchurch. It has taken a lot of effort to end the losing streak and Ross Taylor’s men will want to savour the taste of victory for as long as possible.Things don’t look so bright for Pakistan though. Despite all the controversies, they were expected to stand up in the Twenty20s – after all it was the format least likely to test their admittedly thin resources. Yet, while they have managed to challenge Australia, England and South Africa in the longer formats, their T20 form has nosedived, and they have now lost six on the trot. The problem seems to stem from their team composition, with a fragile and inexperienced top order failing to put enough runs on the board for their accomplished six-man attack to work with. Given that the AMI Stadium is another rugby-cum-cricket ground that will wrong-foot the best of bowlers, Pakistan may find merit in going the other way and loading up on their batting.

Form guide

(most recent first)
New Zealand: WWLWL
Pakistan: LLLLL

Watch out for…

Ross Taylor has made two steady, but crucial, contributions lower down the order, and in both games, his intent to stay around till the end was obvious – a big improvement from the one-dayers in India when he often fell at key moments. Martin Guptill‘s form at the top has allowed Taylor to play a guiding role in the second half, but expect the captain to step on the gas in Christchurch.Younis Khan‘s return to the Twenty20 side has so far yielded five runs in two innings. He is, however, too good a player to fail three times on the trot. Another player due to come good is Abdul Razzaq whose manic hitting left South Africa dazed in a recent one-dayer in UAE. He showed signs of finding his range in Hamilton, and the crowds in Christchurch can expect him to send a few their way.

Team news

With the series in the bag, New Zealand have decided to give Brendon McCullum more time to rest his back, which means McGlashan will continue to keep wicket. Each member in their 14-member squad has got a chance in the first two matches, and they are likely to fiddle with the line-up some more in the third game. Will Adam Milne get another go?New Zealand (probable): 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Dean Brownlie, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Ross Taylor (capt), 6 James Franklin, 7 Peter McGlashan (wk), 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills / Adam Milne, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Luke WoodcockPakistan seem to have got their combination wrong – only eight of the 16 members in the squad, including allrounders Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, are batsmen. Afridi may have to give up the opening slot and add substance to a misfiring middle order. Sohail Tanvir is yet to get a chance and, if picked, his unusual delivery stride could rein New Zealand’s batsmen in.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shahzad , 3 Shahid Afridi (capt), 4 Younis Khan, 5 Fawad Alam / Asad Shafiq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz / Sohail Tanvir 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar

Stats and trivia

• Afridi’s average as an opener is 17.75, but it jumps up to 38.00 when he drops to No. 3, though the strike-rate falls from 191.89 to 139.44
• With 25 wickets to their names, Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills are New Zealand’s second highest wicket-takers along with Shane Bond. Daniel Vettori leads the list with 35

Quotes

“Getting that first win was something special for us … It had been a while and obviously to do it back-to-back was even more special. Hopefully we will continue with confidence from now on.”

Otago beat Auckland by six wickets at Colin Maiden Park to record their first win of the tournament. Otago’s win was set up by an inspired bowling performance from last-arm fast bowler Neil Wagner, who picked up six wickets in Auckland’s second innings to end with match figures of 10 for 110. Auckland were bowled out for 190, leaving Otago 197 runs to get for victory, which they managed with the loss of four wickets.Auckland, who chose to bat, made 298 in their first innings with Colin de Grandhomme’s 73 being the highlight. They began their second innings after securing a marginal lead of six runs and were soon 20 for 2 with the openers dismissed. Auckland were in danger of collapsing for less than 100 after an incisive spell of fast bowling from Wagner reduced them to 45 for 5. Handy partnerships down the order, however, pushed the score closer to 200 before Auckland were bowled out. Otago had also got off to a disastrous start in their first innings, when they were reduced to 12 for 3. Openers Craig Cumming and Aaron Redmond played solidly to ensure there was no repeat of that collapse in the second innings. They added 55 for the first wicket to set up the Otago chase before Cumming was dismissed. Redmond, who made 55, and Neil Broom, who was unbeaten on 50, anchored the innings to earn them six points for their win. Auckland picked up two points for taking the first-innings lead.Central Districts strengthened their place at the top of the points table with a hard-fought four-wicket victory over Canterbury at Nelson Park. Central Districts’ victory was set up by their commanding batting performance in the first innings, their total of 458 helped them secure a 192-run lead. The batting star for Central Districts was Peter Ingram with 140. Jamie How and No. 10 Michael Mason, who had picked up five wickets in Canterbury’s first innings, also contributed half-centuries.Faced with a huge first-innings deficit, Canterbury started poorly by losing opener Rob Nicol with the score on 24 but a third-wicket half-century partnership between Michael Papps, who made 51, and Reece Young steadied the innings. Tom Latham made 65 at No. 6 and handy scores of 44 not out from Brandon Hiini and 39 from Logan van Beek propelled Canterbury to 346. This left Central Districts with a target of 155. They started poorly – Ingram could not repeat his first-innings heroics and was dismissed for 10 – and at 59 for 4, with left-arm seamer Ryan McCone doing all the damage, Canterbury were in with a chance. Matthew Sinclair ended any hopes with a solid 57 and an unbroken 39-run partnership for the seventh wicket between Kruger van Wyk and Doug Bracewell carried Central Districts to victory without further jitters and secured eight points.Like in Central Districts’ win, Northern Districts‘ 10-wicket victory over Wellington at Basin Reserve was set up by a solid first-innings batting performance. James Marshall, the Northern Districts captain, chose to field and that decision seemed to be justified when Wellington were reduced to 90 for 6. But Grant Elliot and Harry Boam added 165 for the seventh wicket to rescue their side. Elliot was dismissed for 122 and none of the remaining batsmen could give Boam any support. He was left stranded on 90 as Wellington were bowled out for 274, with Trent Boult picking up a five-for.Northern Districts got off to a solid start with Brad Wilson and Michael Parlane putting on a century opening stand. Wilson missed a well-deserved century when he was run out for 91. Parlane, James Marshall, Scott Styris and Joseph Yovich all made half-centuries before Northern Districts were bowled out for 469, giving them a 195-runs first-innings lead. The Wellington batsmen failed to capitalise on good starts – four batsmen were dismissed in their thirties – and it was only Boam, with his second half-century, that carried Wellington to 266. Seamer Graeme Aldrige was the best bowler for Northern Districts with figures of 5 for 47.Northern District openers Wilson and Anton Devcich made easy work of the chase. They knocked off the 72 runs required in fewer than 14 overs and earned Northern Districts eight points.

Former England batsman Ed Joyce has been cleared to represent Ireland at the World Cup in February next year after being granted a special dispensation by the ICC. However, ex-New Zealand international Hamish Marshall’s request to be allowed to play has been denied, meaning he won’t be eligible to play for Ireland until April.Both players last played international cricket for their respective former countries at the 2007 edition of the World Cup, and under normal ICC regulations would not have become eligible to play for Ireland in official ODIs until April next year. Looking to strengthen their squad, Ireland asked the ICC earlier this year to allow a slight shortening of the usual four-year qualification period to allow both to take part in the World Cup.”Ed was granted permission for his four-year standout period to be slightly reduced so that he could compete in the World Cup,” explained an ICC spokesperson. “This was done on the basis of exceptional circumstances and the unique facts of his specific case, which included his Irish background and his very strong ties to Irish cricket from childhood up to senior national representation.””It’s obviously tremendous news,” said Joyce, who had already joined Ireland on a pre-World Cup training camp in India. “Playing for Ireland again is something I’ve given a lot of thought to over the last few years and to be given the opportunity to do so, a little earlier than expected and on the biggest stage, is absolutely fantastic.”Having seen the talent and work ethic of the squad over the last week or so in India, I feel Ireland will, once again, make a huge impact at the World Cup and I look forward to hopefully offering a lot to the team in the tournament and the whole of 2011.”Joyce, 32, was one of Ireland’s strongest batsmen at ICC Trophy level, scoring 758 runs in 14 matches between 2001 and 2005 at an average of 84.22. He had played in 50 games for Ireland – the last of which was in the ICC Trophy final against Scotland in July 2005 – before he switched allegiance to England and made his one-day international debut his former team at Belfast in June 2006.”It’s a huge boost to have Ed available for the World Cup, adding to the selectors’ headaches in an already strong squad – but that’s a nice problem to have,” said Ireland coach Phil Simmons. “Of course, it would have been fantastic to have both Ed and Hamish available, but it’s not to be.”I’ve seen first hand over the past 10 days here in Pune just what hard working and talented players both are. Their dediciation and professionalism is evident for all to see, and everyone has responded positively to their being with us. I feel very sorry for Hamish, but this squad will be at other big tournaments – of that I’m certain.”Marshall, 31, was born in Auckland and played the last of 66 ODIs against Ireland at the 2007 World Cup. He subsequently turned down a New Zealand contract so that he could continue his county career with Gloucestershire as a non-overseas player and also joined the ICL. But in April this year he made clear his intentions to qualify for Ireland as an Irish passport holder, and is also eyeing a coaching role in Irish cricket.”Cricket Ireland is delighted to welcome back Ed to the fold again, and we are sure he will make a massive contribution to the squad,” said chief executive Warren Deutrom. “We regret that Hamish has missed out on this occasion, but we have no doubt he will play a huge part in future World Cups and we are looking forward to him taking the field against England at the RSA Challenge ODI next August in Dublin.”We would like to thank the ICC for its positive consideration of the case for Ed, and express our special appreciation to both the England and Wales Cricket Board and New Zealand Cricket for their great cooperation and generosity throughout this process in terms of facilitating Ireland to have its best possible squad at the sport’s showcase event.”

Match facts

Monday, September 20
Start time 1730 (1530 GMT)

Big Picture

John Hastings has been a key player for Victoria since the start of the Australian domestic season in 2009-10•AFP

David Hussey’s Super Over pyrotechnics have spiced up the race for the semi-finals in Group A, one that would have been decided had Chennai Super Kings beaten Victoria Bushrangers on Saturday. That result has offered a ray of hope for laggards Wayamba, who’ve belied expectations thus far. Mahela Jayawardene and Jehan Mubarak, their experienced top-order batsmen, have failed to fire, while their bowling, including Ajantha Mendis and Chanaka Welegedara, was torn apart in a dispiriting defeat against Chennai. Another flop will knock them out of the tournament.Victoria bounced back from their opening defeat with some fiery batting up front led by Aaron Finch, and good support in the bowling line-up, to the opening seamers Peter Siddle and Dirk Nannes. Their two consecutive wins, however, have both gone into the final over. In what is effectively a must-win encounter, they will want a big margin of victory on Monday given their net run-rate of -0.407, behind table leaders Warriors and Chennai. If they do that, they’ll remain in the hunt but with their fate at the mercy of other results in the group.

Team news

Brad Hodge returned to the line-up for the game against Chennai while Rob Quiney slipped down the order. Injuries notwithstanding, Victoria could retain the same XI.
Victoria: 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Brad Hodge, 3 Matthew Wade (wk), 4 David Hussey (capt), 5 Andrew McDonald, 6 Rob Quiney, 7 John Hastings, 8 Clint McKay, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Dirk Nannes, 11 Bryce McGain.There were problems aplenty for Wayamba against Chennai. Welegedara was smashed for 47 in four overs while Mendis went wicketless for 45. The allrounder Farveez Maharoof missed that game with injury and, if he recovers, will be a boost in both departments.Wayamba: 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Jeevantha Kulatunga, 3 Jehan Mubarak (capt), 4 Kushal Perera (wk), 5 Farveez Maharoof, 6 Thissara Perera, 7 Shalika Karunanayake, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Ajantha Mendis, Chanaka Welegedara.

Watch out for …

Watching Isuru Udana bowl sometimes makes one think if he is a spinner with a longish run-up. Such is his preference for the slower ball. But he’s been very effective, with 25 wickets in 16 games at 15.32 for his team. Far less sparing in his use of variation than most other seamers, Udana’s skill will be tested against an explosive Victorian opening pair.
John Hastings mixes it up well when bowling and was Victoria’s best bowler against Chennai, picking up 2 for 22 in four overs. He’s been quite successful in the domestic arena, finishing the 2009-10 season as Victoria’s highest wicket-taker in the three competitions including the KFC Big Bash. His career economy rate of 7.76 is slightly on the higher side, something he’ll want to address given how heavily Victoria rely on their support seamers for containment.

Key contests

Victoria batsmen v Wayamba spinners: Against Chennai, Hussey and Finch picked R Ashwin’s variations well and targeted him for harsh treatment. The rest of the line-up, however, floundered against Muttiah Muralitharan and Suresh Raina. Like Ashwin, Ajantha Mendis has a deceptive carrom ball, but is coming into the match after a thrashing at the hands of Chennai’s batsmen, a game in which Rangana Herath fared marginally better. Given Victoria’s mixed show against Chennai, their tussle with Wayamba’s under-fire spinners could be filled with intrigue.

Stats and trivia

• The Chennai-Victoria game was the 32nd tie in seven years of Twenty20 cricket and the second in the Champions League’s history.
• Dirk Nannes has picked up 59 wickets in Twenty20 games this year, second in the list behind Kieron Pollard who is on 60

Salman Butt, one of the three Pakistan players suspended by the ICC following the spot-fixing expose, has appealed against the provisional decision.An ICC spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the appeal was filed on Tuesday evening. The two other players alleged to be involved in bowling deliberate, pre-planned no-balls during Pakistan’s fourth Test at Lord’s against England , fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, have not yet filed their appeals.The three players were served notices on September 2 after the ICC felt they had “a case to answer” and they initially had two weeks to respond. The players sent in replies – but not formal appeals – on September 14 asking for extra time in filing their appeals. Their request was granted and the new deadline was set for October 15.”Late yesterday Salman Butt through his attorney filed his appeal against provisional suspension,” confirmed Haroon Lorgat, ICC’s chief executive. “In fact Michael Beloff will consider it and we are in the process of sending it. We will try to be as expeditious and we will try to do it best as quickly as possible. The other two players have filed no appeals.”As per the ICC’s anti-corruption code of conduct for provisional suspensions, a provisional hearing will now take place where “it shall be the burden of the ACSU’s general manager to establish: (a) that there is a strong, arguable case against the player on the charge(s) that have been made against him; and (b) that, in such circumstances, the integrity of the sport could be seriously undermined if a provisional suspension was not imposed against him.”In other words, the provisional hearing will only focus on the matter of the suspensions of the player and whether or not they should remain until a full hearing. That, according to the code, must be heard within three months of the provisional suspensions being imposed on the players.