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Australia’s cricketers have responded angrily to suggestions that the presence of their partners and children on tour contributed to the team’s loss of the Ashes.Members of the team have been incensed by stories written back home that depict their families as unnecessary distractions during the contest against England, and rejected outright the contention that they somehow brought on the team’s poor batting displays in the Edgbaston and Trent Bridge Tests that effectively surrendered the Ashes to Alastair Cook’s team.The retiring captain Michael Clarke described allegations published in News Limited Group newspapers as “a load of shit” in a radio interview, while Mitchell Johnson singled out the columnist Rebecca Wilson in a series of tweets after reading a piece that claimed, among other things, that partners “all travel with them the entire time they are away”.”I’ve never had a conversation with this Rebecca Wilson so to be called ‘arrogant’ is arrogant on her behalf and disrespectful!” Johnson said. “Also saying we spend every second of the day with our family is incorrect and none of her business anyway but if she wants to know, ask my wife and little girl that question. You are well off the mark Rebecca Wilson. Stick to writing about the game thanks!”The theme of questioning the players’ partners was begun by the former vice-captain Ian Healy before the Trent Bridge Test was over. Healy wondered whether it was right for the team to have the partners on the tour before the Ashes series was decided.Players and staff have been prepared to face criticism for cricket reasons, and have in some cases openly admitted fault, whether it be Darren Lehmann conceding ground on selections, Clarke speaking about his dire batting in the series or Steven Smith talking about where he had failed to learn swiftly enough to stay ahead of England’s bowlers. However the family accusations have struck a raw nerve. David Warner, who started his relationship with his wife Candice during the 2013 Ashes tour, offered a reasoned view.”I spoke to Ian Healy the other day about it,” he said. “I don’t think they quite understand at the moment that your partner is probably not going to come to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka… just purely based on because if you’ve got a young kid, probably not the right environment to take your kid there and little bugs and things can happen. Like with the South African A team at the moment.”But my take is I love having my family on tour. I think everyone out there knows that when you go to work on a day to day basis, when you come home to your family it’s a great thing and that always keeps me smiling. The other day we had a bad day, we went in the change rooms, we all spoke about it, we got over it, came home and we have our families here and we’re all down together playing with our kids in the foyer. It’s fantastic to have them along.”As for further accusations of disunity in the tour party, Warner offered a realistic view of things. No cricket team is ever entirely free of problems, but it is up to the touring squad to sort out such issues before they escalate too far. The 2013 tour of India and its “Homeworkgate” episode provides an example of things getting out of hand and an overreaction arriving too late in the piece.”Not everyone is going to see eye to eye on a long tour. There’s going to be the odd hiccup here and there but you just deal with it,” Warner said. “That’s what happens in the work environment. You’re not going to get along with everyone, so you’ve just got to work out a way to make sure that does not disrupt anything going forward. And in our camp at the moment there’s nothing there that has been disruptive.”The way we’ve prepared for this whole series and on the back of the Caribbean, yes, we are disappointed about this series obviously, but we’ve got one Test to go. There’s definitely no rift in the team at all. At the end of the day, when people aren’t performing, I think some stories get leaked that the players aren’t talking to each other and this and that. But definitely in our camp, we’re as strong as we always are and we’re always going to do whatever we can to get back into the winning position.”The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief executive Alistair Nicholson said the family travel periods were a more than reasonable support service for players who often spent more than two thirds of the year away from home. Cricket Australia (CA) allows for allotted time during home series for partners and families to spend time with the team without cost, while the ACA organises the same overseas.”Having families on tour is an important part of the support network for players, particularly with three forms of the game and year-round travel,” Nicholson said. “Overseas campaigns can be brutal and while players understand that it is part and parcel of what they do, the relatively short periods they spend with their families and partners [on tour] has a positive impact on their well-being.”The official overseas travel periods are negotiated as part of the MOU and paid for by the players from the Player Payment Pool [money that CA passes on to the players as their share of game revenue]. The support provided to them is valued highly.”There are two official visitors’ periods: one as part of the Australian team’s overseas schedule [funded by ACA] and one at home [funded by CA]. The latter runs over the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, coinciding with the Christmas and New Year’s periods, respectively. This is obviously an important time for families to be together.”

The Pakistan squad were rewarded with cash bonuses at a reception organised by the PCB for reaching the final of the ICC World Twenty20.Each of the 15 Pakistan players and their eight officials were given Rs 2.5 million [approx. US$41,200]. “We may not have won the World Twenty20 title but our cricketers have made all of us proud by the way they played in the tournament,” Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said.The PCB also honoured Mohammad Yousuf for canceling his contract with the Indian Cricket League and returning to the national Test squad. Yousuf, 33, received $100,000 for signing a central contract with the board and a further $100,000 for becoming the ICC’s Test player of the year.The squad also received a cheque of Rs10 million [approx. US$164,000] from the Dubai-based Fortune Group owned by Mohammad Ali, a Pakistani businessman. The total prize money awarded was US$2 million.

1. Geoff Marsh – Mr. Nudist
A long-time room-mate of David Boon, Swampy lived and breathed cricket, mostly batting, as anyone who saw his bowling action would testify. He was so passionate that Boonie was often woken early in the morning to the site of Swampy – in his birthday suit – practising forward defences in front of the mirror! Never great at amusing himself, he would get annoyed if Boonie was reading a novel and not talking to him. On one occasion Boonie left the room, only to return to find his novel ripped to shreds by a smiling Swampy.2. Justin Langer – Mr. Sleepwalker
JL is known as a bit of a sleepwalker and also talks in his sleep. This alone might not seem like such a big problem, however Alfie is a black belt in martial arts, which adds some intrigue when you are woken by him screaming obscenities as he walks towards you throwing his kicks and punches. One of the major factors in the push for single rooms, not so much for solitude but for self-preservation.3. Steve Waugh – Mr. Messy
There is an old TV sitcom called The Odd Couple about Felix too neat, and Oscar too messy. When I roomed with Steve it was two Oscars and that meant trouble. I roomed with him once in Brisbane before the first Test against the Poms in 1994-95, and it was a disaster. We got along fine as blokes but we had a few problems with our domestication duties – shirts, shoes, socks, cricket gear and mini-bar wrappers were all sprawled around our room over the week-long stay. At the end of the Test, he left with half my gear and I left with half of his, although I didn’t get his cherished baggy green.4. Mark Waugh – Mr. Julio
I roomed a bit with Junior early in my career before I really got to know him. We didn’t have a lot in common in our touring life. I’m a massive Hawthorn fan in the AFL and his love was for the Bulldogs in the NRL. On a day off he loved nothing more than 18 holes of golf, while I was a non-golfer. He was one of the prominent members of the Julios, guys within the team who took a lot of pride in personal grooming. I was in the middle of the Nerd clan and very fashion-challenged. To motivate myself for big games I’d listen to Metallica, ACDC and Kiss, while Junior preferred the sounds of The Little River Band!

5. Michael Bevan – Mr. Mission Impossible
Rooming with Bevo was a bigger challenge than Tom Cruise had in any of his Mission:Impossible movies. Bevo was a perfectionist who needed the right amount of sleep to bring out his best game. He took objection to smokers, snorers, earlier risers, late-to-bedders, tall blokes, small blokes, drinkers etc. This is a man who has had the flu now for 36 years and took his own pharmacy on tour to maintain peak physical condition. Another individual who brought the notion of single rooms to the forefront.6. Darren Lehmann – Mr. McDonald’s
Would be Michael Bevan’s nightmare roomy from hell. Smokes like a trooper, loves a beer and the odd late night. Then when he does get home he proceeds to snore as loud as rioting elephants. We roomed together in Sri Lanka in 1996 for an ODI tournament which was under heavy security. We couldn’t leave the hotel, so that made the boys a little stir crazy for the three weeks. The highlight, for Boof and myself, was me questioning him about the McDonald’s menu. At that stage he had a McDonald’s card that gave him free food. I would ask questions like, “How much is a Big Mac meal deal, six nuggets and a caramel sundae?” He would have 15 seconds to answer. “Supersize or regular?” he would ask. “Supersize”, I would reply. “$9.55” . . . hours of fun!7. Brad Hogg – Mr. Fitness
Hoggy made his Aussie debut touring India in 1996 and was keen to set a good example. He was always first to training and last to finish, which would have impressed his team-mates except for the fact that the team bus couldn’t leave until he had finished! Jeez we watched him bowl a lot in the nets. Being from the country he was always up early and ready for action. Room-mates were woken to grunting noises as he punched out push-ups and sit-ups at 5.30am. And he is still the only Australian cricketer to actually buy weights on a tour and carry them around for the entire trip!8. Shane Warne – Mr. Entertainment
Rooming with Warney was always enjoyable as he loves his gadgets – DVDs, Minidiscs and the latest in mobile phones. He used to bring complete home entertainment systems on tour, lugging around a subwoofer and speakers in its own suitcase, before proceeding to play his music and movies – loud. Not a problem when he played some Powderfinger but I think Spice Girls should be listened to in the privacy of your own headphones. He once bought a mobile phone in Dubai in 1994 when they were only just new and the size of a house brick. He was disappointed with the low volume when speaking only to realise the phone was upside-down and back-to-front! Also a softie at heart, I once woke to find him crying during Notting Hill, when Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts reunite at the end.

9. Merv Hughes – Mr. Bodily Functions
I first roomed with Merv as an 18-year-old mulleted teenager straight from high school. I grew nervous when my fellow team-mates wished me luck. But we hit it off straight away; he became like a big brother to me. On arrival I would be sent to get food – maybe a couple of hamburgers, with a diet coke to even it out! I would also buy a Big M and Picnic each for sweets, to be saved for later that night. We would then “bat cave” our room by closing all curtains so no light could enter and have a couple of hours’ siesta, then wake up and go out that night. Merv would then leave earlier than me, and I would go home to find two empty Big M cartons and Picnic wrappers. No need for an alarm clock, we had Merv’s natural one. All I will say is that it was loud and smelly but very consistent – set for 30 minutes before departure. In those days for Victoria we used to swap roomies every second trip. I don’t know what I did wrong but I roomed with Merv for six years!10. Craig McDermott – Mr. Neat
Was the leader of our pace attack when I first came on the Australian scene and going from Big Merv’s laidback attitude to Billy was quite a contrast. It really was The Odd Couple with myself and Billy. Everything had to be packed neatly, clothes put into drawers and shirts hung up on their hangers. In my seven years touring with the Aussie team I never packed any clothes in hotel drawers. Any rubbish I had thrown around was picked up by Billy and put in the bin before he would even acknowledge me. He was a massive snorer. The night before an Adelaide Test against the Poms I was in bed early, wanting a long relaxing sleep. Just as I was drifting off, Billy starts snoring. After tossing and turning for hours I finally screamed out, “Stop snoring Billy!” In a semi-conscious state he apologised and proceeded to stop snoring. I don’t know how that works.11. Troy Corbett (Vic) – Mr. Fast Food
Special mention to one of the great blokes of Victorian cricket. I was rooming with him and our middle-order player Laurie Harper in Darwin for pre-season one year. The apartments had one double bedroom and one bedroom with two singles. Using my Australian experience, I pulled rank immediately and chose the double. I slept beautifully and woke to see Laurie camped with bed sheets in the kitchen looking like he’d hardly had a wink of sleep. He told me he’d had to move out as he was scared to sleep in the same room as Ronnie. Ronnie, who was working at McDonald’s at the time, was a sleepwalker and Laurie awoke to his team-mate above him, flipping burgers in his sleep, and of course … he was nude!

Chris Cairns, the New Zealand allrounder, has been ruled out of the rest of the Videocon Cup in Zimbabwe owing to a recurrence of a hamstring injury during the fifth match of a tri-series against India on Friday.Lindsay Crocker, the New Zealand manager, said Cairns had appeared to make a full recovery before the match after passing a fitness test in the nets. New Zealand have further injury problems ahead of the final on Tuesday with Jacon Oram, the other allrounder, also suffering from a hamstring problem.Cairns didn’t make too much of an impression in the tournament, managing only 40 runs and two wickets in the three games he played in.

Shane Warne may not be too special at winning the toss, he has lostthree out of three so far this season, but it has not stopped his teamfrom excelling for their new leader, taking a handsome advantage intothe second day of their Frizzell Championship Division Two match againstLeicestershire at The Rose Bowl.It was slow going for the visitors on an overcast day after theircaptain had chosen to bat first, and for the majority of the pre-lunchsession, the rate did not go above 1.5 runs per over. The first wicketfell with the score on 22 (after 18 overs), when the nagging Mascarenhasbroke through Robinson’s defence, followed soon after when Tremlett hadthe dangerous Aussie Brad Hodge caught behind for 1. Udal trappedStevens lbw, but despite 11 runs coming off the last over of the morningsession, Hampshire held the upper hand, and this was to be doublyincreased within a space of 21 balls after the break.Warne and Mascarenhas each took a brace of wickets as Leicestershireslumped to 70-7, a loss of 4 wickets for 1 run, including that ofMaunders who had withstood the force from the start. It was nearly anhour before Hampshire took another wicket, when Tremlett picked up hissecond of the day. Leicestershire were soon all out for a paltry 139.Derek Kenway and Michael Brown took the score to 23-0 after 6 overs andtea, and moved on afterwards to 48 before Kenway who had struck fourfours, edged deFreitas to the wicket keeper. Will Kendall joined Brownplaying sensibly to a ball that was still swinging, but they surviveduntil rain forced off the players with 7 overs still to go in the day.Hampshire will be looking to press home their advantage on Thursday,especially with the weather being a little unkind.

Northern Districts have decided to recognise some of the leading lights from their past by presenting annual awards in their honour.The move was announced at tonight’s annual presentation evening in which Matthew Hart was named the Air New Zealand Travelcentre Northern Districts’ Player of the Year.Hart, 30, who made his debut for ND in 1990/91, scored 546 runs during the State Championship, including a double century against Auckland.In the State Shield he scored 301 runs at 30.10.TelstraClear Black Cap Scott Styris was awarded the batsman of the year. He achieved a Test century on debut in the West Indies midway through last year and scored a century at the recently-completed World Cup against Sri Lanka.The bowler of the year was Joseph Yovich who took 24 wickets at 34.00 in the State Championship and headed the State Shield bowling statistics with 23 wickets at 18.86.James Marshall was the fielder of the year and Nicola Browne the women’s cricketer of the year.Other winners were:Eric Petrie Cup for top club team in Northern Districts – Eastern Suburbs, ND Women’s District Association Championship – Hamilton, Bruce Pairaudeau Cup for the top Under-19 District Association team – Hamilton, Basil McBurney Trophy – Hamilton, Fergus Hickey Rosebowl – Northland, Brian Dunning Cup for the inter-district one-day competition – Northland and Hamilton, Allan McBride Trophy for Service to Junior Cricket – Mike Nitz, Umpire of the Year – Ian Shine, Young Cricketer of the Year – Matthew Drake.

New Zealand will host cricket’s under-19 World Cup in January, 2002New Zealand Cricket said in Wellington on Monday.Sixteen teams – three to be determined in qualifying tournaments -will compete, with pool matches to be played at Christchurch andDunedin on the South Island and at Auckland on the North Island.The final will be played at Christchurch. India is the defendingchampion.The teams:Pool I (Auckland): India, South Africa, Bangladesh and Americasqualifier.Pool II (Christchurch): Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Namibia.Pool III (Christchurch): Pakistan, England and Asia qualifier, EastAsia-Pacific qualifier.Pool IV (Dunedin): Australia, West Indies, Scotland and Kenya.

Martin Guptill’s century and 94 for Scott Styris put Auckland on track for first-innings points before the final match of the round also ended in a draw in Auckland. The Otago captain Craig Cumming started the game with 105 and enjoyed a 158-run partnership with Aaron Redmond, who picked up 50 after being cut from the Test team.Greg Todd, the No. 3, missed his hundred by two, but Neil Broom’s 60 also helped them reach 418 after losing the toss. With Auckland 379 for 6, the visitors were a chance of taking a first-innings advantage, but Steven Croft’s 53 ensured a couple of points, which pushed the home team to seven behind second-placed Wellington. Guptill top scored with 148, his maiden first-class hundred, while Reece Young also registered a half-century.There was only a 12-run difference between the sides so when Otago went back in on the third day only a quick collapse could lead to a result. They escaped the danger and moved to 343 for 7, with Shaun Haig recording 108 and Derek de Boorder (63 not out) and Cumming (58) contributing heavily.Todd Astle’s 101 gave Canterbury a chance of sealing a thrilling victory, but their last-day chase ran out of puff and they held on for a draw with Northern Districts in Hamilton. Canterbury were in a reasonable position at 238 for 2 in their pursuit of 318, but the task became too hard when Peter Fulton went for 56 and they were 294 for 8 at stumps.Northern Districts were in trouble at 63 for 4 on the opening day before the 18-year-old Kane Williamson, who recorded a personal best of 98, and Joseph Yovich (65) put on 141 for the fifth wicket. Further assistance came from Peter McGlashan’s 91 and 75 from Graeme Aldridge in the healthy total of 430.Fulton hit back from being dropped from the Test side with a patient 84 from 263 balls and Johann Myburgh chipped in with 61, but Canterbury were dismissed for 265 after scoring at slightly more than two an over. Myburgh then captured 4 for 56 with his offbreaks as the home side set up its declaration and the innings was closed at 152 for 5. Northern Districts gained their first points of the season for the first-innings success while Canterbury remain bottom.Mathew Sinclair, the Central Districts captain, completed centuries in consecutive matches, but his efforts went unrewarded in a rain-ruined draw against Wellington at the Basin Reserve. Sinclair, who has 516 runs at 103.20 in four games this season, followed his 108 against Otago last week with 164 as his side rode to 523 after Wellington won the toss and bowled. At one stage Jeetan Patel was so frustrated by Sinclair, who was dropped twice, he was no-balled for throwing.Rain cut the first day to 24.3 overs but the 235-run stand between Sinclair and Bevan Griggs, who collected a career-best 143, put the visitors on top as they batted into the third day. Matthew Bell (75), Neal Parlane (54), Grant Elliott (63) and Luke Woodcock (59) registered half-centuries for Wellington, but the weather cut short the final day and ensured a soggy draw, with the home side 376 for 7 in its first innings. Central Districts lead the competition on 25 points while Wellington are second on 18.

Namibia Under-19s may have slumped to an eight-wicket defeat, but Norbert Manyande, the team’s coach, was happy that Bangladesh Under-19 took his side seriously. Manyande claimed that the grass had been shaved off from the pitch at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in order to counter Namibia’s pace attack.”Bangladesh knew our seam bowling is very good for the way we bowled against South Africa and against Scotland as well,” Manyande said. “We have been here [in Cox’s Bazar] for two weeks and have played in this venue once and today was the first time I saw the pitch without grass. So we definitely gave them something to think about. Whether people will accept that or not, that’s up to them.”Once we give a Test side to think of something like that then we know that we are here not to mess around, we are here to play cricket. And they did their homework, they are the home side and the won the game. There is no doubt that they played really well and we learned a lot out of it as well.”Manyande felt Namibia now go into the quarter-final against India having learned more about playing spin, though they were shot out for 65 in 32.5 overs against Bangladesh.”Moving forward, I don’t think we are going to face any spin attack as good as Bangladesh, as far as we have seen so far. So moving forward we are quite confident that we will still be able to win one or two games and surprise someone again.”We are here to compete. We have learned a lot from spin bowling from the Bangladesh game. In the next game we are looking to improve a lot more facing the spin bowling.”

Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysore royal family, has been elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) after he defeated Gundappa Viswanath, the former Indian Test cricketer. Wadiyar polled 553 votes in a closely-fought, high-profile election, the likes of which the state association witnessed for the first time in nine years. Viswanath polled 516 votes, losing by the slim margin of 37 votes.Brijesh Patel, who unseated C Nagaraj nine years ago and has held sway as the secretary since then, held onto his post, albeit by a slim margin, polling 568 votes. Brijesh, the former Indian batsman, defeated G Kasturi Rangan, who claimed 475 votes, losing by 93.In all a little over 1080 votes were cast, a record turn-out for KSCA elections. With both groups campaigning heavily, and doing their utmost to get people to vote – more than 20 very elderly and infirm life members came through in wheelchairs to participate in the elections – the process reached a crescendo. When Brijesh won the last high profile election approximately 800 votes were cast, and this election easily surpassed that.Overall the Wadiyar group won a slim majority, with 13 of their candidates getting elected, as opposed to 11 from the Brijesh group. Crucially, Select Cricket Club was one of the Institutional Life Members from the Bangalore Zone to win, and it is headed by Vijay Mallya, the industrialist, who recently announced his decision to make a foray into Karnataka cricket administration.Two vice-presidents from the Brijesh faction, Roger Binny (582 votes), the former Indian Test allrounder, and Dr S Krishnamurthy (530) won, while PR Ashok Anand (530) was elected as vice-president from the Wadiyar camp.The vital post of treasurer went to Thallam Venkatesh (530), from the Brijesh camp, who beat Jagannath (490) by the margin of 44 votes in what local experts considered a genuine upset.Wadiyar had brief words with the press who were gathered at the KSCA, saying, “We’ve got overall 13 candidates and its up to the rival group to work with us,” amidst choruses of his supporters chanting . When asked how he would work with arch-rival Brijesh, Wadiyar only said, “Yes, I know he’s won the election. Wait till tomorrow. It’s too early to say.” It’s worth noting that Wadiyar, in the run-up to the elections had quoted the old axiom: politics makes for strange bedfellows.In almost stark contrast to Wadiyar, a visibly emotional Viswanath did his best to keep his composure when chatting to the media. “As a player I always expected to do well. Same was the case here. I thought I’d do well in the elections,” said the man who scored 6000-plus Test runs and still remains one of the most swashbuckling batsmen the country has produced. “But, even as a player I’ve lost a few matches. I accept the verdict here. I’m still hopeful of playing well and this is not the end of the story.”Mallya, the other high-profile figure in the elections, was typically dramatic in the statement he made. “I know it’s a kind of a coalition set up. But I’ll help both parties function well,” he said. “My commitment to Karnataka cricket and the KSCA is total.” A late entrant into the fray in these elections, it is believed that Mallya’s real interest lies in administration of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – especially the meetings of the marketing and finance committees – to which he will gain an entry through the KSCA. Interestingly, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the BCCI when asked about the Indian Cricket League (ICL). “Mr Pawar has taken the game one level up and he’s running the game ably. I don’t see why I should support the ICL.”At the end of the day, the elections at the KSCA assumed significance at the national level thanks to the profile various protagonists enjoy. How this will eventually pan out, at the state and national level, remains to be seen.Full list of winners (Votes polled in brackets)President Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar (553)Secretary Brijesh Patel (568)Vice-presidents 1 Roger Binny (582) 2, Dr S Krishnamurthy (530) 3 PR Ashok Anand (530)Treasurer Thallam Venkatesh (530)Managing Committee 1 AV Jayaprakash (605) 2 Sudhakar Rao (582 ) 3 J Abhiram (551) 4 Raghuram Bhatt (533) 5 Sanjay Desai (514) 6 Lakshminarayan (507)Institutional MembersBangalore Zone – 1 Jawahar Sports Club (620) 2 Select Cricket Club (564) 3 Bangalore Cricketers 555 4 Malleshwaram United Cricket Club (539) 5 Swastika Union CC (515) 6 Mount Joy CC (502)Mysore Zone – National CC (563)Shimoga Zone – Durgigudi SC (525)Tumkur Zone – Tumkur Occasionals (556)Mangalore Zone – Mangalore Sports Club (554)Dharwar Zone – Hubli SC (530)Raichur Zone – Perfect SC (494)