ICC chief condemns IPL-SLC deal

London: International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan has condemned the $40 million deal between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Indian Premier League (IPL) which would entail cancellation of Lankan Test tour to England, terming it unacceptable in the light of earlier agreements between the ECB and the SLC.

A five-member SLC delegation is travelling to India next week to finalise the deal after the Sri Lanka sports minister Gamini Lokuge has given the go ahead.

Under the deal, the SLC will release 12 players for the IPL which in turn would pay $40 million to cash-strapped SLC as guarantee money it will forfeit due to cancellation of the two-Test series in England scheduled from April 21 to May 30. The second edition of the IPL is scheduled for April 10-May 25 next year.

Kanpur tie

Kanpur: The UP government has demanded Rs one crore as rent for staging the India-England one-day International at the Green Park Stadium on November 20.

Top Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) officials said the UP Sports Directorate had increased the rent 35 times than their previous rate of Rs nine lakh, charged for the April 11-15 Test between India and South Africa.

The rent for India-Pak ODI in November last year was just Rs three lakh, they said.
The UPCA officials accused the government saying it charged extra Rs three lakh for a VIP box.

Butt revelation

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ejaz Butt on Sunday said that there was no such proposed tour or commitment from the WICB and it was based on just hearsay.

“Look there was no proposed tour of West Indies coming to Pakistan for Tests. It was all based on hearsay. Nothing was definite because there was no commitment from the West Indies,” Butt told reporters in Lahore after a meeting of all the senior officials of the PCB.

Bopanna wins

New Delhi: Rohan Bopanna is just one win away from making the main draw of the $125,000 ATP Challenger tournament in Tashkent after notching up a second round win in the qualifying meet on Sunday.

The top-seeded Indian, who got a bye in the first round, beat Uzbekistan’s Sardor Pulatov 6-4, 6-2 to enter the final round of the qualifying event.

Beckham feat

Wembley: David Beckham moved up to third on England’s all-time appearance list when he came on as a substitute against Kazakhstan.

The 33-year-old former captain won his 106th cap as a 79th-minute replacement for the impressive Theo Walcott, a player 14 years his junior.

Beckham is now tied with Bobby Charlton, England's record scorer, in the appearance charts, and only trails Bobby Moore and Peter Shilton.