In-demand Kevin O'Brien scores two contracts

by sV Wed 11 May 2011, 3:36 am

IPL 5 Qualifier 1: Daredevils v KKR 129298.2

Kevin O'Brien, the Ireland allrounder who struck a record-breaking century to set up a historic win over England at the World Cup, has scored two domestic contracts that will keep him busy this summer.

O'Brien, 27, has been signed by Gloucestershire for the remainder of the English domestic season, barring approximately 18 days he will spend playing in the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League Tournament between late July and early August.

''I am very excited to have the opportunity to play for Gloucestershire, and work under one of the most successful coaches in domestic one day history," said O'Brien. "I am looking forward to getting over there and hopefully helping the team to achieve its goals in all forms of the game, but especially Twenty20 and one-day cricket.

"Hopefully I can have a great season, help Gloucestershire win trophies and improve my game even further. It is going to be an honour to play with Murali, and hopefully I can learn from guys who have performed so consistently in domestic cricket for many years.''

"We are delighted to have signed Kevin O'Brien to our squad with particular reference to his one day skills," added John Bracewell, Gloucestershire's Director of Cricket. "Given his heroics in the World Cup the Gladiators have a genuine lion slayer in their midst."

O'Brien will join Gloucestershire's squad the squad later this week and should be available for the match against Glamorgan on Sunday May 15. There remains some uncertainty over who he will be playing for in Sri Lanka, where the seven teams taking part will be drawn from Basnahira, Kandurata, Nagenahira, Ruhuna, Uthura, Uva and Wayamba, but O'Brien has some clues as to who his team-mates will be.

"I'm still not 100% who I'll be playing for in Sri Lanka, although I have been told that Sanath Jayasuria will be the team's captain, and that Darren Bravo and lonwabo Tsotosbe will also be on the team," he said.

"The opportunity actually came through Phil Simmons, who forwarded me an e-mail a while back, and subsequently Somerset Entertainment Ventures approached me. It's going to be a magnificent experience, and hopefully I'll acquit myself well in what's sure to be a terrific tournament."

All the games in that competition will be played the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the winner of the tournament will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20. The league will be run by the Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment, which has bought the rights for five years.

O'Brien, who normally spends his summers playing for Railway Union Cricket Club in Ireland, made his one-day international debut in 2006 in Ireland's inaugural ODI, and his international Twenty20 debut followed in 2008. He played for Nottinghamshire in 2009, and in 2010 was awarded a contract with Cricket Ireland, making him one of six players with a full-time contract with the board.

He has scored 1534 runs in 58 ODIs to date at an average of 34.86 and has also taken 47 wickets, putting him near the top of Ireland's record lists for both batting and bowling in ODIs.

Kevin's brother Niall is a regular for Northamptonshire, and although the two won't have a chance to compete during Northamptonshire's trip to Bristol from May 11 to 14, they could well meet as opponents in Northants' final four-day game of the season in mid-September, or in the latter stages of one of the limited-overs

by sV Fri 03 Jun 2011, 2:14 am

IPL 5 Qualifier 1: Daredevils v KKR Cricwaves

Hamsphire urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to reverse their ban on former captain Shahid Afridi playing abroad as they prepared to begin the defence of their English Twenty20 title without the all-rounder.

Former Pakistan one-day captain Afridi had his central contract suspended by the PCB on Tuesday, having announced his retirement from international cricket.

That move came after the 31-year-old was stripped of the Pakistan one-day captaincy last month following a spat with coach Waqar Younis.

The PCB has also revoked all no-objection certificates (NOCs) for the player, meaning a "disappointed" Afridi, widely praised for his role in leading Pakistan to the semi-finals of the recent World Cup in the subcontinent, will not be officially permitted to play overseas.

"It is with regret that Hampshire Cricket announces that Shahid Afridi - the Royals' overseas signing for the Friends Life t20 competition -- will not be available to play in tonight's match against the Somerset Sabres at The Rose Bowl," said a Hampshire statement on Wednesday.

"It follows the decision by the Pakistan Cricket Board to revoke their No Objection Certificate, thus withdrawing their consent for Shahid to take part in the competition.

"The club would like to make it clear that although we respect this decision we have been, and continue to, urge the PCB to rethink this matter, and we are keen to have Shahid playing for the Royals at some point in the season.

"Hampshire Cricket will be making no further comment on this issue at this time."

Afridi, a hugely popular big-hitting all-rounder, whose leg-spin has become arguably even more important than his batting, had also been due to play in the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League in July.

He had said he would not play under the current PCB set-up, headed by chairman Ijaz Butt, and accused the administration of mistreating the players. He also lashed out at Waqar for undue meddling in team selection.

"Everyone should do his job and must be held accountable for that," Afridi said, without naming anyone, on his return from the West Indies where he led the team to a 3-2 one-day series victory last month.

When asked about his dispute with Waqar, Afridi replied: "The differences are not at a stage where they cannot be solved."

Afridi withdrew from Pakistan's latest matches, a one-day series against Ireland which finished in a 2-0 win on Monday, to visit his ailing father in the United States.

by Deb Tue 28 Jun 2011, 5:57 pm

Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi was on song again as Hampshire surged to the top of the Friends Life t20 South Group with a 35-run win over Sussex at the Rose Bowl.

Afridi opened the innings and hit 29 off 17 balls as Hampshire mustered 126 for 8 in their 20 overs, then took three quick wickets as Sussex collapsed from a position of authority.

At one stage Sussex looked to be coasting at 52 for 1 in the seventh over, needing only another 75, but then collapsed against Afridi and Imran Tahir, the Pakistan-born South Africa spinner. Champions Hampshire seized on the breakthrough when Afridi had Lou Vincent caught in the deep at 52 and the rest followed, offering minimal resistance.

Sussex lost their last nine wickets for 39 as Hampshire raced to their seventh win in 10 fixtures, placing them two points clear of nearest challengers Somerset and Sussex.

When Hampshire batted they struggled against the spin of Monty Panesar and Ollie Rayner, with Afridi's innings, which included two fours and two sixes, making him top scorer. Umar Gul and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan also took two wickets each at the death as Hampshire struggled to put a decent score together.

Their cause looked lost despite Sussex losing opener Chris Nash at 20 but it all changed when Afridi came on to bowl. In his first over he dismissed Vincent and Luke Wright and Sussex never recovered.

Murray Goodwin went in the next over to a catch at the wicket off Tahir and Sussex could find no way out of their spiral. Afridi bowled Ben Brown in his next over, then Danny Briggs got rid of Rayner to make Sussex a perilous 65 for 6.

Tahir continued the Sussex destruction by dismissing Naved-ul-Hasan and Gul in the space of three deliveries in the 14th over and the match was over as a contest.

Chris Liddle and Andy Hodd kept flickering Sussex hopes alive with a stand of 18 for the ninth wicket but Dominic Cork came on for the 18th over and wrapped up the innings by sending back Liddle to a smart catch by Briggs and Panesar first ball to have Sussex all out for 91.

Hampshire's victory came with 13 balls to spare as Afridi finished with figures of three for 10 from three overs. Tahir took 3 for 13 from his four-over allotment.

by Fardin Kibria Thu 07 Jul 2011, 9:31 am

Somerset spinner Arul Suppiah took world-record Twenty20 figures of 6 for 5 in his side's five-wicket Friends Life t20 victory over Glamorgan at Cardiff.

The home side, who were put into bat by Somerset, had no answer to Suppiah and the other two spinners, Murali Kartik and Max Waller, as they were dismissed for just 98 - their second worst total in the tournament - in just 17.4 overs of an 18-overs-per-side contest which was reduced because of rain.

Suppiah's record figures, which bettered Sohail Tanvir's 6 for 14 for Rajasthan against Chennai in Jaipur in May 2008, came from 3.4 overs as all 10 Glamorgan wickets fell to the Somerset spinners.

In reply Somerset got over the winning line with 21 balls to spare, Kieron Pollard finishing unbeaten on 31 from 20 balls.

On the turning pitch, which had been used for two previous t20 matches, the Welsh county's first two wickets to fall came through attempted reverse sweeps.

Captain Alviro Petersen was out for a duck to the fifth ball of the innings to Kartik's slow left-armers - caught at extra cover - and Gareth Rees was trapped leg before wicket by Waller at the start of the sixth after smashing 34 from 20 balls including two sixes.

From 41 for 2 Glamorgan sank to 54 for 3, Mark Cosgrove holing out to long-on off Waller having scored just nine from 15 balls. And with Kartik virtually unplayable on a spin-friendly surface Mark Wallace found himself stumped down the leg-side as Glamorgan stuttered to 72 for four.

It did not get any better for the home side as Suppiah entered the attack and they were soon reduced to 83 for 7. Kartik finished with 2 for 15 from his four overs - he went for just 13 singles and a two - while Suppiah accounted for the last four wickets to fall as Glamorgan set Somerset 99 to win.

The visitors also struggled on the tricky wicket and found themselves 44 for 4 within eight overs, Marcus Trescothick caught at short fine leg off Dean Cosker for 16. Robert Croft struck twice to remove both Peter Trego (11) and Kartik (11) before Pollard struck Simon Jones for three fours in an over to take the pressure off the Somerset chase.

by Deb Thu 07 Jul 2011, 12:22 pm

already read this in TOI

by Fardin Kibria Thu 07 Jul 2011, 10:27 pm

Some People Night Not

by Naqi Gates Mon 11 Jul 2011, 7:06 pm

Shahid Afridi was representing Hampshire in Friends Life T20 and was performing really well. But as reported , Afridi's Father just has been admitted to hospital, who is fighting for life and death, Some news say he has died by heart attack but its unclear. To see his father Afridi Left England and has reached Dubai. Tonight Afridi will reach Karachi and most probably he will miss Hampshire's remaining matches. He has requested every one to pray for his father though.