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Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Guy de Alwis, 52, died on Saturday night after a battle with cancer

Sa'adi Thawfeeq13-Jan-2013Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Guy de Alwis, 52, died on Saturday night after a battle with cancer. De Alwis is the fourth* Test cricketer from Sri Lanka to pass away after Sridharan Jeganathan, Anura Ranasinghe and Roshan Guneratne.He represented Sri Lanka in 11 Tests and 31 ODIs from 1983 to 1988. De Alwis topped his country’s batting averages in the 1983 World Cup with 167 runs at 55.66, including unbeaten half-centuries against Pakistan and England.”When Guy felt pain in his stomach in the first week of November (2012) he underwent a biopsy test. It was then revealed that he had cancer in his pancreas,” said Ken, de Alwis’ brother. “The doctors said it was too late to do anything. Arjuna (Ranatunga) came to his help and through him we managed to seek ayurvedic treatment. He was under treatment till his death.”De Alwis, who like Ranatunga, played for the Sinhalese Sports Club, served in Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee headed by the former captain in 2008. He was also a former chairman of selectors and secretary.”Guy was not only a committed cricketer but a person who fought for justice,” Ranatunga said. “As a selector he was not afraid to pick players on merit. As an administrator he was strongly against corruption and went to a great extent to try and eliminate it. He was one of the best wicketkeepers produced by Sri Lanka.”Standing six foot tall, de Alwis was a hard-hitting lower-order batsman and wicketkeeper for Sri Lanka during the infancy years when the country was fighting to find its feet as a Test nation.Following regular wicketkeeper Mahes Goonatilleke’s decision to go to South Africa on the rebel tour in 1982, de Alwis got a break in the Sri Lanka team that visited New Zealand in 1982-83. He and Amal Silva had a constant tussle for the wicketkeeper’s position in the national side. De Alwis was superior behind the stumps although Silva edged him out on the batting front.After his playing career, de Alwis was coach of the Sri Lanka women’s team and later married one of the national women cricketers. They have two daughters aged ten and eight.* 08:15 am GMT: This article, now amended, earlier referred to de Alwis as the third Test cricketer from Sri Lanka to pass away

They say 40 is the new 30. Or maybe 40 is the new 20 in Brad Hogg’s case after the 40-year-old left-arm wrist spinner, who retired from all forms of cricket in March of 2008, was selected in Australia’s T20 squad for the upcoming internationals against In

Alex Malcolm23-Jan-2012They say 40 is the new 30. Or maybe 40 is the new 20 in Brad Hogg’s case after he was selected in Australia’s T20 squad for next week’s internationals against India. Hogg, who turns 41 next month, retired from all forms of cricket in March 2008 but made his comeback this summer for the Perth Scorchers and has been one of the standout performers in the Big Bash League.He has collected 12 wickets at an average of 13.50 in helping the Scorchers reach this weekend’s final, but even more impressive has been his economy rate of 5.40. Hogg now has the chance not only to resume his international career next week, but also to earn himself a place at the ICC World Twenty20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September.”It’s unbelievable. Seriously I feel like I’m 21 again,” Hogg said. “I really feel excited about where my cricket’s gone over the last month and to be honest with you it’s just a dream come true.”John (Inverarity, national selection manager) rang me up yesterday morning and just asked me if I was right to go. He woke me up at about 7 o’clock in the morning, the old bugger, but it was just great news. I hardly slept last night. I’m just excited. It’s just like being a kid again and another Christmas present under the Christmas tree.”It is an astonishing turn-around for Hogg, who four years ago ended a 15-year first-class career that brought him seven Test appearances, 123 one-day internationals, and two T20 internatioanls. Despite still being extremely fit, and seemingly enjoying the game, he cited personal issues as the major reason for his retirement, saying at the time “I’ve got things that I want to sort out at home and get my new chapter in my life organised and on the go.”Hogg disappeared from the game completely, surfacing briefly as a television commentator for Australia’s tour of India in 2010, before returning to represent Willetton Dragons in Perth grade cricket last season. After two T20s he was convinced to play two-day cricket again, and he took 5 for 44 in an elimination final, before scoring off a match-winning 144 in the semi-final. Since being recruited by the Perth Scorchers this season he has been a revelation.”I didn’t plan it. It’s just really exciting and I’m going to enjoy every moment of it,” Hogg said. “One thing I’ve realised over the last three years is life only comes once and once cricket was gone I thought it was gone forever. But I’m just really going to make the most of this opportunity. It’s just fantastic. I’m proud to be West Australian and I’m proud to be back in the green and gold as well.”Only Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (15) and James Faulkner (13) have taken more wickets in the BBL than Hogg this summer, while only Mitchell Starc has a better average, and no other player has conceded less than a six per over. However, despite his incredible form, representing Australia had only recently become a possibility in Hogg’s mind.”Probably only about a week ago I started to think if they were interested in selecting me I’d definitely take that opportunity,” he said. “The only thing that’s on my mind for the rest of this week is to make sure that we give it our best to get some silverware on the mantelpiece for West Australian cricket through the Perth Scorchers, and then after that my goal will be to try and get in that World Cup squad and win a World Cup at T20 level for Australia.”Hogg is no stranger to World Cups having been a part of both the 2003 and 2007 triumphs for Australia in the 50-over format. Hogg was quick to point out he was no guarantee to go to the World T20 later this year and was even more cagey when asked about his prospects of playing beyond that tournament.”Firstly I’ve got to be fit around the World Cup and I’ve got to be still showing form. They’re not going to pick me if I’m not showing form, simple as that. Beyond the World Cup I don’t really have any aspirations after that. I think Australian cricket’s got to look forward and go for the younger players, but at the present moment, luckily, I’ve been in form with the ball and they’ve given me the nod to participate in Twenty20 cricket for Australia. I’m not going to complain, simple as that.”Hogg was hoping to go Sri Lanka for the World T20 in any case, having accepted a coaching role with Papua New Guinea.”I’ve had to change a few things. I was meant to be coaching Papua New Guinea and we were hoping to get that squad into the T20 World Cup just coming up. Things have changed. We’ve got to find a new coach over there for the boys.”Andy Bichel was doing the job and then I was going to take over when Bich decided to leave but those things have changed. I’ll stay involved in some capacity there. [I will] keep chatting with Greg Campbell who is in charge. They’re a pretty good, talented squad over there. An interesting group of people but the enthusiasm over there for the way they go about their cricket gave me the joy to come back and play for the Perth Scorchers.”Should Hogg play next Wednesday against India it will be one month shy of four years since he last represented Australia, and more than five years since he played a T20 international. But that pales by comparison to the seven-year, 78-match gap between his first and second Tests. However, Hogg is unperturbed by any of that as Twenty20 has given him a new lease on life.”If I was a little bit younger I’d want to play all three forms of the game but Twenty20’s given me the opportunity to participate for my country at the highest level again and keep me involved in the game as a player,” he said. “Basically I just want to stay involved in cricket as long as I can. It’s been my life from day dot, I’ve enjoyed it. I love my sport and I’m just grateful that cricket’s given me the opportunities that it has.”

New Glamorgan captain Alviro Petersen has held talks with unhappy batsman Tom Maynard over his future

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2011New Glamorgan captain Alviro Petersen has held talks with unhappy batsman Tom Maynard over his future.Maynard handed in his notice to leave Glamorgan after his father, former England batsman Matthew, controversially left his position as director of cricket last November.Matthew Maynard resigned after Colin Metson was appointed head of coaching and Petersen to the club’s captaincy. But after meeting Tom Maynard to discuss the situation, Petersen said: “It’s been a positive discussion.”Petersen, the South Africa opening batsman, took over from Jamie Dalrymple, who promptly followed Maynard through the exit door, as did president Peter Walker in a tumultuous period for the club. Petersen told BBC Sport Wales: “Tom came to my hotel and we sat down for an hour-and-a-half, two-hours and really talked about it. I obviously saw another side of Tom, who is very boyish and really wants to play cricket and hopefully play for England one day.”I assured Tom that I will never stand in his way of playing for England or staying at the club. It’s really up to him. He must make that decision and whether Tom stays here or moves on, I can assure you that Glamorgan cricket will still live on.”It’s been a positive discussion. We really sat down and spoke about it – different issues – and we all know that he’s a very good player and he’s got a lot of potential, but I think it’s important that he must make that decision. I don’t want to make any decisions for him. What I can say is that I will do my bit in leading Glamorgan and Tom must decide if he wants to be part of that.”Glamorgan chief executive, Alan Hamer, has suggested that they will allow the 21-year-old Maynard to find another county, but has made it clear that they would expect compensation for the player. Tom Maynard signed a three-year contract that is set to run until 2013 before his father quit, saying his position was “untenable”.

Trent Copeland’s incredible ten-wicket first-class debut has earned him a call-up to the New South Wales FR Cup squad to take on Queensland at the SCG on Wednesday

Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2010Trent Copeland’s incredible ten-wicket first-class debut has earned him a call-up to the New South Wales FR Cup squad to take on Queensland at the SCG on Wednesday. He won’t be the only debutant in the match, with the rookie Queensland batsman Chris Lynn also named to play his first domestic one-day game.Copeland was included after collecting 8 for 92 in his first innings at first-class level, having never before taken that many in a first-grade innings. The Blues have also named Josh Hazlewood, the fast bowler who has just returned from Australia’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand, and the spinner Steve O’Keefe in their 12-man squad.The trio replaced David Warner and Steven Smith, who will be with the Australian Twenty20 squad in Melbourne, and the fast man Mitchell Starc, who is having his workload managed. New South Wales are in desperate need of a victory as they sit in fifth place on the FR Cup table with three games remaining.Queensland can all but confirm a place in the final if they win on Wednesday, and victory would also give them a strong chance of hosting the decider. They have welcomed back the seamer Ben Laughlin, who has struggled with a side strain that kept him out of the Big Bash. James Hopes has also returned to the squad having not been picked in Australia’s Twenty20 line-up.New South Wales squad Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich (capt), Ben Rohrer, Dominic Thornely, Moises Henriques, Grant Lambert, Daniel Smith (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Bracken, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland.Queensland squad James Hopes, Chris Hartley (wk), Lee Carseldine, Nathan Reardon, Craig Philipson, Glen Batticciotto, Chris Lynn, Chris Simpson (capt), Chris Swan, Ben Cutting, Ben Laughlin, Nathan Rimmington.

Your ready reckoner for the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, to be played in Pune, Nagpur, Kolkata and Rajkot from Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2025

Fixtures

Jammu & Kashmir vs Kerala in Pune, from 9.30am IST
Vidarbha vs Tamil Nadu in Nagpur, from 9.30am IST
Haryana vs Mumbai in Kolkata, from 9am IST
Saurashtra vs Gujarat in Rajkot, from 9.30am IST

Jammu & Kashmir vs Kerala

How they got here: J&K topped Elite Group A with five wins in seven games, including one over Mumbai, the 42-time and defending champions. Kerala, meanwhile, finished second behind Haryana – by just a point, but a vastly superior net run-rate – in Elite Group C.Top performers
J&K
Shubham Khajuria – 663 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.25 with a top score of 255
Auqib Nabi – 38 wickets in 13 innings at an average of 13.44 with a best of 6 for 54Kerala
Salman Nizar – 399 runs in eight innings at an average of 66.50 with a top score of 150
Jalaj Saxena – 33 wickets in 11 innings at an average of 14.81 with a best of 6 for 41Keep an eye on… The three J&K quicks, Auqib Nabi, Yudhvir Singh and Umar NazirRelated

• J&K look at new frontiers, with a bit of luck and a lot of planning

• How Saurashtra rewired their game to turn their season around

Vidarbha vs Tamil Nadu

How they got here: Vidarbha was the standout team in the group stage, scoring 40 points – five clear of the next best, J&K – with six wins in seven games in Elite Group B. The one that got away was Gujarat, but that too could have gone their way with a bit more time. Tamil Nadu have the bonus points system to thank for their place in the knockouts. They won three of their seven games in Elite Group D, the same as group-toppers Saurashtra, but third-placed Chandigarh actually won four games. That said, Tamil Nadu lost just one game, while Chandigarh lost three.Top performers
Vidarbha
Yash Rathod – 603 runs in 12 innings at an average of 50.25 with a top score of 135
Akshay Wadkar – 556 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.60 with a top score of 139
Harsh Dubey – 55 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 14.50 with a best of 6 for 36 (he is the top wicket-taker in the competition so far, 17 ahead of second-placed Nabi)Tamil Nadu
N Jagadeesan – 634 runs in 11 innings at an average of 63.40 with a top score of 118 not out
C Andre Siddarth – 532 runs in ten innings at an average of 76.00 with a top score of 106
Vijay Shankar – 449 runs in nine innings at an average of 64.14 with a top score of 150 not out
S Ajith Ram – 31 wickets in nine innings at an average of 17.12 with a best of 5 for 34Keep an eye on… The batters from either side – there’s a lot of firepower there – and Dubey, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner is clearly special. Not to forget Karun Nair, who has had a sensational List A season with Vidarbha and hasn’t been too shabby in the Ranji Trophy either.

Haryana vs Mumbai

How they got here: Haryana did just about enough to top Elite Group C, with 29 points to second-placed Kerala’s 28, both teams winning three and drawing four. Mumbai, for a while, looked like they might not make the knockouts, but they had a party against Meghalaya in their final game, winning by an innings and 456 runs, to get past Baroda, who lost their last game to J&K.Top performers
Haryana
Himanshu Rana – 424 runs from 11 innings at an average of 42.40 with a top score of 114
Ankit Kumar – 427 runs from 12 innings at an average of 38.81 with a top score of 118
Anshul Kamboj – 29 wickets in ten innings at an average of 11.75 with a best of 10 for 49Mumbai
Siddhesh Lad – 518 runs from eight innings at an average of 86.33 with a top score of 169 not out
Ayush Mhatre – 413 runs from ten innings at an average of 41.30 with a top score of 176; Shardul Thakur – 381 runs from eight innings at an average of 47.62 with a top score of 119 and 24 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 23.95 with a best of 4 for 43
Shams Mulani – 34 wickets in 14 innings at an average of 23.00 with a best of 6 for 115Keep an eye on… Shardul Thakur – he could well be in the fray when India play Test cricket next, in England in June

Saurashtra vs Gujarat

How they got here: Saurashtra topped Elite Group D narrowly after the top three – Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh – were tied on points, while Gujarat finished a distant second to Vidarbha in Elite Group B after winning four and drawing three.Top performers
Saurashtra
Harvik Desai – 511 runs in ten innings at an average of 56.77 with a top score of 155
Chirag Jani – 486 runs in ten innings at an average of 54.00 with a top score of 198
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja – 35 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 20.40 with a best of 6 for 51Gujarat
Manan Hingrajia – 487 runs in 11 innings at an average of 44.27 with a top score of 181
Siddharth Desai – 33 wickets in 12 innings at an average of 23.06 with a best of 9. For 36Keep an eye on… If Cheteshwar Pujara is playing, it has to be him. But there’s a lot talent scattered across these two line-ups demanding attention

How to follow

All the four games are going to be streamed on JioCinema. You can get all the latest updates on ESPNcricinfo as usual, too. But if you are in Pune, Nagpur, Kolkata or Rajkot, why not hop across and watch it live, at least over the weekend?

They have dropped Chatara, Masakadza, Kaia and Welch among the four changes after the recent T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2023Zimbabwe have called up the uncapped duo of middle-order batter Brian Bennett and fast bowler Trevor Gwandu in their squad of 15 for the three T20Is against Ireland in Harare starting Thursday. This will be Zimbabwe’s first series after they recently failed to qualify for next year’s T20 World Cup. Zimbabwe had finished third in the seven-team Africa Region Qualifier that saw Namibia and Uganda progress to the main tournament.Experienced batter Craig Ervine, who had played just one game at the qualifying tournament before picking up a groin injury, is fit again and retained in the squad.The Zimbabwe squad saw four changes overall: legspinner Brandon Mavuta and batting allrounder Tony Munyonga earned recalls, whereas fast bowler Tendai Chatara, left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza and opening batters Innocent Kaia and Nick Welch were dropped.Related

• Zimbabwe fail to qualify for 2024 T20 World Cup; Uganda make it

Kaia and Welch had played three games each in the Africa qualifiers and scored just 62 and 39 runs respectively. Masakadza also featured in three games whereas Chatara got one, but they both picked just one wicket each and leaked over eight runs an over.Mavuta, who has played nine T20Is, featured in the home ODIs against Netherlands earlier this year but last played a T20I in May 2022, at home opposite Namibia. He has recently been scoring runs and picking up wickets for Rhinos in the domestic circuit and also helped them reach the Pro50 Championship final. He finished the tournament with a batting average of 65 while scoring 195 runs in six innings, including three fifties, and was also his team’s top wicket-taker with a tally of 15 and an economy rate of just 4.84.Munyonga, too, was prolific in the tournament; he finished as the second-highest scorer with a total of 389 runs that earned him an average of 55.57, with the help of one century and three half-centuries. Munyonga has played 13 T20Is and makes a comeback after last playing against the same opposition he will play next – Ireland – also in a home T20I series earlier this year.Bennett, 20, has played just five T20s so far and has also represented Zimbabwe Under-19s and Under-25s. Gwandu, 25, opened the bowling for Southern Rocks recently, for whom he played eight Pro50 Championship games and picked up 17 wickets, the second-most in the tournament.The three T20Is will be played on December 7, 9 and 10 before the ODIs on December 13, 15 and 17, also in Harare.Zimbabwe T20I squad for Ireland: Sikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Craig Ervine, Trevor Gwandu, Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Brandon Mavuta, Carl Mumba, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sean Williams

Former members of coaching staff had previously won preliminary case for unfair dismissal

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2022Andrew Gale and Rich Pyrah have agreed compensation with Yorkshire after winning their case for unfair dismissal.Gale, the former captain and head coach, and Pyrah, who spent more than a decade on the Yorkshire playing staff before becoming bowling coach, were among 16 members of staff abruptly sacked last year in the wake of Azeem Rafiq racism scandal.They were subsequently part of a group of former Yorkshire employees who won a preliminary employment tribunal hearing in June.Yorkshire’s accounts revealed that the club had set aside £1.9 million for compensation and legal affairs, with Gale set to receive a six-figure settlement, according to the .A Yorkshire statement said: “On the December 3 2021, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Limited took the decision to dismiss its coaching and medical staff. The club has acknowledged that its dismissals of that group of employees was procedurally unfair.”After meaningful dialogue between the club and the legal advisers acting on behalf of Andrew Gale and Richard Pyrah the parties can confirm that acceptable terms of settlement have been reached.”The financial terms of the settlements are confidential and no further public statement will be made about the terms.”Yorkshire have also reportedly agreed an out-of-court settlement with Ian Fisher, the club’s former strength and conditioning coach.

Ian Holland shines with bat and ball, Mohammad Abbas takes nine as hosts roll Middlesex by 249 runs

Alan Gardner18-Apr-2021Having wrapped up the spoils from this game a minute or two before the scheduled lunch break on day four, Hampshire’s players were able to belt out their victory song in the dressing room and sit back to drink in the moment – perhaps even enjoy a beer in the sunshine, too, given it is practically government-mandated now.There were no home fans around to enjoy the scene, but the Ageas Bowl nevertheless basked in a summery sense of optimism as James Vince walked down the steps to reflect on a second emphatic victory in a row. Not since 2004 have Hampshire won their opening two games of a Championship season. That year, Shane Warne’s side saw off Durham and Leicestershire in a couple of low-scorers, on their way to promotion from Division Two. The following summer, they finished as runners-up to Nottinghamshire by two-and-a-half points – as close as Hampshire have come in recent times to hoisting the Championship pennant last raised in these parts back in 1973.Vince, of course, will not be looking that far ahead. Squinting impassively in the bright April sun, he was happy to praise his players for two dominant displays against Leicestershire and Middlesex, before concluding: “Delighted with the start, but I’ll be boring and say on to the next game.”That is perfectly reasonable, with the first goal for all of the sides competing in this year’s Championship being to secure a top-two finish in their conference and qualification for Division One. Already Hampshire and Gloucestershire have pulled out in front, and the two will meet here next week for a contest that will give further indication of each team’s relative strength.Related

• Simon Harmer delivers on final-day threat to hand Essex stunning turnaround against Durham

• James Bracey shows temperament, talent to hand Gloucestershire victory at Somerset

• Mohammad Abbas hat-trick and six-for leaves Middlesex feeling abashed

There’s no doubting that Hampshire are in rare form, though. Five of their top six have already scored hundreds, while the new-ball pairing of Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas – whose exemplary match showing of 31-16-39-9 was chiefly responsible for cracking open the game against Middlesex – looks as potent as any in the country. Factor in Ian Holland’s burgeoning utility as an allrounder, and the spin options provided by Liam Dawson and Mason Crane, and the first XI has depth and variety.There is also the prospect of Keith Barker, the experienced left-arm seamer, returning to fitness in the next couple of weeks; and while Aneurin Donald has suffered a setback in his recovery from knee surgery, Cameron Steel has signed on loan from Durham for April and May, having impressed with a century for Hampshire’s 2nd XI in a friendly against Surrey.”It’s good signs. With the ball everyone’s contributing, and with the bat pretty much everyone’s made a contribution now,” Vince said. “We know here the pitches can get flat and we’ve got to work hard, but with the balance of side we’ve got, with two spinners and four very good seamers, we do feel like we’ve got all conditions covered.”Vince pinpointed his side’s efforts in the first innings as key to victory here, after the batsmen were made to work hard by a strong Middlesex attack. “Making 300 on a pitch that started off pretty tough for batting and got progressively easier as the game went on, that effort on the first day set the whole game up,” he said.A double-Dutchie breakthrough on the final morning, with Holland’s medium-pace accounting for both overnight batsmen, Robbie White and Martin Andersson, before the arrival of the second new ball, quickly extinguished any faint hopes Middlesex had of dragging out the contest. Abbas could not quite conjure a tenth wicket to cap his home debut, but Abbott accounted for Nos. 8 and 9 before Dawson ended a stubborn last-wicket stand.”Over the last few years we have built more belief in the side,” Vince said. “Everyone within the group here knows what we’re capable of, but I guess other counties and people around the country might start to see we’ve had two big wins and expect us to do that more often.”It’s been our goal over a decent period of time, where we’ve not been up there competing in four-day cricket as we’ve wanted to do. The last three or four years there’s been a big push to try to get into a position where we are competing. We’re only two games in, so I don’t want to say too much at the minute, but everyone in the dressing room and at the club is really enthusiastic about doing well in red-ball cricket. It’s been a good start, we’ll see if we can sustain it.”For Middlesex, who threw away a commanding position in their opening match against Somerset, back-to-back defeats already threaten to stymie their hopes for the season. Stand-in captain Steve Eskinazi, who will hand over the reins to Peter Handscomb for next week’s London derby – pending a negative Covid test for the Australia batsman – said players had been “on the verge of tears” during a team debrief following Friday’s disastrous 79 all out, and called for a response against Surrey.”We’ve spoken about honesty for a lot of pre-season, spoken about our culture, and just like we were very happy to talk about how well we played on the first day here and last week, we had to sit down and take accountability and responsibility,” he said. “It was unbelievably confronting for the group of players in that room, hugely emotional. It means a lot to everyone in the dressing room, and if anyone out there doesn’t believe that, they’re kidding themselves, because if they were in there they would have seen people on the verge of tears.”We came out and we showed character in the fourth innings, I was massively proud of the work we put in there. There can be no hangover in county cricket, as we start again in four days’ time. If we can bridge the gap between our good and our poor cricket, I don’t think we’re far off at all.”

“I could just tell by his body language for the rest of his innings that night that he knew he made a mistake”

Alex Malcolm12-Jan-20201:29

Playing in India the biggest challenge in white-ball cricket – Richardson

Marcus Stoinis is still coming to terms with the regret he feels for the homophobic slur directed at Kane Richardson in the BBL which led to him being fined AUD7500 (USD 5200) earlier this month.The incident happened when the Melbourne Stars faced the Melbourne Renegades on January 4 with Stoinis pleading guilty to the Cricket Australia code of conduct level two charge of using personally abusive language and apologising to Richardson.Ahead of the ODI series in India, Richardson said Stoinis had “looked more angry than I have ever seen” but did not know what had sparked the outburst.Other than a brief line in the statement after the fine was handed out, Stoinis had not spoken about the incident but addressed it after his record-breaking 147 not out against the Sydney Sixers at the MCG on Sunday.”There’s absolutely no excuses,” Stoinis told reporters. “I mean he’s a good mate, and he over the last couple of games we’ve played I think he’s wound me up a few times, [but] it’s absolutely no excuse to use words like that. And that’s what he was trying to do. He was trying to get a reaction out of me and that sort of thing and unfortunately, I took that bait and went too far and that’s not acceptable.”I’ve spoken to Kane but then even more than that, I think it’s not the type of person I am. It’s not who I want to be and I understand it’s out of line. It’s not how I was raised. And I’m not proud of it, but I guess I’ve just gonna cop that on the chin and, and roll with it now. And also, look, hopefully other people learn from my mistake.”And unfortunately, that’s all we can do. I guess you can’t take anything back. You’ve just got to show it by your actions from going forward.”Richardson said it was normal for Stoinis and him to exchange words when playing against each other. The two have played a lot of cricket together for Australia and were both part of Australia’s 2019 World Cup campaign, and have often sparred verbally in domestic cricket. However, Richardson said this was different from what he had experienced in the past.”We always talk, we’re both competitors,” Richardson said in Mumbai. “It was just a bit of harmless banter about what was going on on the field and the way he goes about it. I always want to have a chat to him about that. It was just harmless cricket chat. For some reason, he reacted the way he did. You would have to ask him why; it was really out of character. He looked more angry than I have ever seen him. I’m not sure what he was thinking. The learning has to be that it never happens again.”Richardson said Stoinis had contacted him the following morning and while he was not personally offended, he reiterated the words of Australia coach Justin Langer in saying that it was unacceptable for any player to use those words moving forward, particularly as it was the second such incident this season after Australia Test quick James Pattinson was suspended following a similar code of conduct charge in December.”Yeah, a little WhatsApp the morning after, but not a whole lot of conversation about it,” Richardson said. “He realised he made a mistake. I could just tell by his body language for the rest of his innings that night that he knew he made a mistake. I didn’t need an apology for myself, he didn’t offend me. It’s what he said that offended so many people. It was more just his actions and everyone’s actions, we can’t afford to have that happen again.”

Follow all the action from the IPL 2019 auction, as it happens

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2018