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Brendan McCullum broke a few Twenty20 international records in New Zealand’s 59-run win over Bangladesh in the Group D opener in Pallekele

The Report by Mohammad Isam21-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendon McCullum reached his second Twenty20 international century off 51 balls•Associated PressBrendan McCullum broke a few Twenty20 international records in New Zealand’s 59-run win over Bangladesh in the Group D opener in Pallekele, but his spectacular 123 off just 58 balls more importantly gave his team the breathing space in the tournament’s toughest group. McCullum broke the record for the highest score in Twenty20 internationals when he went past Richard Levi’s 117 made earlier this year (which, coincidentally, came against New Zealand), and has also become the first batsman to score two hundreds in this format.The innings was more than enough to ward off any threat from the Bangladesh batsman, who were facing their second-highest chase. Kyle Mills gave them no chance of a quick recovery by removing Tamim Iqbal off the third ball, the left-hand batsman rigid at the crease and caught easily by Martin Guptill. In his next over, Mills took the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, who continued his poor day by chipping one to Kane Williamson at cover. The same combination removed captain Mushfiqur Rahim, the catch taken at deep midwicket. Tim Southee continued his good form by also picking up three wickets, but it would be Mills’ performance that would be most encouraging for New Zealand, after he had crashed into McCullum in their last competitive Twenty20 just ten days ago.McCullum, too, looked well over the effects of that collision. In an hour and 12 minutes, he produced not only a scintillating display of big-hitting but also showed how to change gears in a 20-over innings without wasting too many deliveries. His knock is the prototype that all modern-day coaches would want batsmen to strive for, though some of McCullum’s shots can hardly be imitated without his energy, authority and imagination.Bangladesh lacked the authority because they were not the ones in command while fielding. Mushfiqur would be disappointed with his fielders letting him down. The number of fumbles and misfields from the beginning showed how stiff they were and it also meant that a costly overthrow (by Mashrafe Mortaza in the seventh over) or a dropped catch of McCullum (by Mashrafe in the 19th) was only a matter of time.Smart stats

Brendon McCullum is the only batsman to score two centuries in Twenty20 internationals. His 123 is the highest score in the format, while his strike rate of 212.06 is the second-best among the eight hundreds.

McCullum reached his century in 51 balls, which is the fourth-fastest in Twenty20 internationals, after Richard Levi (45 balls), Chris Gayle and McCullum himself, when he scored his first century (50 balls each).

McCullum scored 64.40% of his team’s runs, which is the second-highest percentage among the eight hundreds, next only to Levi’s 67.24% (117 out of 174).

Bangladesh have lost each of their last nine matches in the World Twenty20. Their only win in this tournament was in their first match, against West Indies in 2007.

Among teams that have played at least five matches in World Twenty20 tournaments, Bangladesh’s win-loss record is the worst.

Teams batting first have won each of the four Twenty20 internationals played in Pallekele.

But Mushfiqur too was at fault by only sticking to Plan A, which was to rotate the left-arm spinners according to the phases of the Twenty20 innings. He didn’t actually rotate his bowlers according to who was at the crease or the acceleration of the batsmen. When McCullum was new at the crease and had trouble getting after Abdur Razzak, Mushfiqur Rahim took off the senior left-arm spinner so that his two overs could be used later. It was becoming quite obvious who would bowl when and, as a result, the batsmen could easily read what the bowler was about to dish out – after Razzak had bowled two good overs at the top, it was quite obvious that Mushfiqur would ask him to bowl the final over.Sometimes, though, a batting performance like McCullum’s doesn’t leave the captain with much choice. From the classic backfoot punch through the covers to finishing off the New Zealand innings with two pulled sixes, McCullum was the firestarter, anchor and finisher of the innings.He freed his arms for the first time when he slapped Shafiul Islam dutifully through the covers. In the next over came his first six, a typical smash over the covers, and he followed it up with his second an over later. More than those two sixes though it was how he deflated Bangladesh’s energy by going after their best bowler. With Shakib conceding 20 off his first two overs, including two big sixes, Bangladesh started to look less inspired as their best player was made to look pedestrian.McCullum unfurled three boundaries in the next two overs off Elias Sunny and Ziaur Rahman as he spread his range to almost all corners of the large field in Pallekele. He reached his fifty off 29 balls but remained wary of what was at stake as he went quiet in Razzak’s third over. That should’ve been Mushfiqur Rahim’s cue to give him another over to keep the run-rate down, but the next five overs went for 62 runs, which included McCullum pounding a flat-bat strike for six off a Mashrafe bouncer. He also rode out Franklin’s fall, and with captain Ross Taylor feeding him the strike at every opportunity, a century looked right around the corner.The next burst was against Shafiul, who was hit for fifteen in the 17th over; the next three overs went for 15, 17 and 16 as Bangladesh fell apart. McCullum, in the meantime, reached his century with a routine pull to the midwicket boundary off the 51st delivery he faced, racing from 50 to the century in just 22 balls.McCullum fell off the last ball of the innings to give Razzak his second wicket but he had damaged Bangladesh badly enough. Apart from having the highest individual innings score and being the highest run-getter in T20Is, McCullum also holds the record now for the most boundaries (150) and sixes (64) in this format.With Bangladesh struggling at 37 for four in the seventh over, Nasir Hossain took the opportunity to score his second Twenty20 international fifty, but was dismissed just one ball after he had reached the milestone. He gave a good account of his skills, crashing six boundaries and a six, but he is still far away from the sort of batsman who can create panic or change the course of the game.

ICC match referee Chris Broad has said there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed by Australia during the Hobart Test

Andrew Fernando at Bellerive Oval18-Dec-2012ICC match referee Chris Broad has said there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed by Australia during the Hobart Test, after Sri Lanka had expressed concerns over alleged tampering. Broad said the umpires had reviewed the video footage and will not lay charges.”The umpires frequently inspect the ball during play, and did so again after they had reviewed the video footage in question on Sunday [third day]. They found no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed,” Broad said after Australia won the first Test by 137 runs. “During the tea interval on that day, I spoke with Australia coach Mickey Arthur and told him that the umpires will continue to inspect the cricket ball regularly, and monitor the actions of all players.”I subsequently informed the Sri Lanka team management of my discussions with the Australia coach. In the opinion of the umpires, there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball was changed, or that the video or photographic evidence would support a charge under the Code of Conduct, so they will not be laying any charges relating to these incidents.”Sri Lanka’s team management had expressed concerns over footage it believed showed Peter Siddle tampering with the ball in their first innings.They alleged that broadcast cameras might have captured Siddle using his fingernails to raise the seam of the ball in the 88th over of Sri Lanka’s innings, while bowling to Prasanna Jayawardene. According to the team manager Charith Senanayake, their suspicions had been raised in the dressing room as they received the video-feed in real time, in the second session on day three. However, the visitors did not make an official complaint to the match referee.”We have the footage with us,” Senanayake had said. “We recorded the game and it’s there for everybody to see. We saw something illegal and have reacted to that. I have spoken to the match referee informally. It’s up to them to act now, but we will have to pursue it further if nothing happens.”Senanayake had also drawn attention to another incident much earlier in the innings. He alleged the team had noticed tampering soon after Dimuth Karunaratne’s dismissal in the 10th over. “It didn’t just happen in the 88th over, it also happened at the beginning of the innings when our first opener got out … they were picking the seam,” Senanayake told News Ltd. “I went straight into [Broad’s] room when the match was over and asked him if he is watching the same game I am watching. [He] said, ‘Yes, we have seen it’ and I left it at that.”A Cricket Australia spokesman had declined to comment. “This is a matter for Sri Lanka and the ICC,” he said.0730 GMT The story was updated after the ICC issued a statement with match referee Chris Broad’s comments

Phillips Hughes hit an attacking 74 to set up a successful chase after Adelaide’s spinners tied down the Scorchers

The Report by Alex Malcolm09-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPhillips Hughes led the Strikers chase with an attacking 74•Getty ImagesThe Australian selectors talk of PONIs – Players of National Interest. Phillip Hughes has been a PONI for some time but is widely regarded as a Test specialist. But he proved, once again, his limited-overs potential with a match-winning 74 from 48 deliveries to guide the Strikers home in a nail-biting chase.Set 163, the Strikers had recent history against them, as only two of the last 12 matches at the WACA had been won by the chasing team, and neither had run down more than 157.Hughes started slowly before back-to-back boundaries in the fifth over, one a streaky edge, the other a cracking trademark cut, got his strike-rate above 100. He and Michael Klinger put on 39 before Klinger fell to Joe Mennie.The introduction of Brad Hogg in the eighth over saw Hughes accelerate further. He raced to 50 off 35 balls and continued to confound Scorchers captain, Simon Katich, and keep the chase on track.Hughes abstained from last year’s BBL to concentrate on rebuilding his technique after being dropped from Australia’s Test XI. But his T20 record makes for impressive reading. He now has 1003 runs from 26 matches, with an average of 52.79 and a strike-rate near 120. He led the run tally during the domestic T20 tournament in England earlier this year and is also averaging 80 in the Ryobi Cup this season.Hogg eventually got Hughes in the 15th over, with a mistimed heave that carried to long-off, but the damage was done.Nathan Reardon then picked up where Hughes left off by crushing 42 from 26 balls, including three enormous blows into the crowd. Reardon’s striking talent has never been fully appreciated and hence he’s playing for his third T20 side in Australia. But he came up with the goods here to leave the Strikers needing just 9 off 11 balls.Theo Doropoulos and Johan Botha had some nervy moments, but they guided Adelaide through with four balls to spare.Earlier, Katich won the toss and had no hesitation in batting. Shaun Marsh showed hesitation and apprehension on his Scorchers return after his off-field dramas at the Champions League but he battled to 28 off 30 before his class shone through. Marsh made 57 from 45 balls and was involved in a partnership worth 82 with Adam Voges. The latter made a composed 58 to guide the Scorchers to a competitive but underwhelming total of 6 for 162.The craft and guile of two world-renowned T20 spinners in Johan Botha and Saeed Ajmal meant the Scorchers fell short of a winning total. Their combined eight overs cost just 45 runs and also yielded the all-important wicket of Marsh.

Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC chief executive, has said that the value of the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), Pakistan’s franchise-based Twenty20 competition could be in “excess of $100 million”

Umar Farooq10-Jan-2013Haroon Lorgat, the former ICC chief executive, has said the value of the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), Pakistan’s franchise-based Twenty20 competition, could be in “excess of $100 million”. Lorgat, who was involved by the PCB to assist the board in setting up the league, was speaking during a PCB ceremony in Lahore to unveil the logo for the PSL which is scheduled to be launched on March 26 this year.”People should not underestimate the potential of the Twenty20 league in Pakistan,” Lorgat said. “With the rising popularity of T20 cricket, every ICC member country has the right to host its own professional league. Pakistan has done hardwork and I hope with foreign players’ participation, perceptions about the country will change. I can see a lot of work has been done in parallel against many odds, but certainly this league will be come into reality shortly.”The PCB announced that each team in the PSL would be allowed to sign a maximum of six overseas players and would include 10 local cricketers plus two emerging players.The tournament would be played over 15 days between five teams and would involve a total of 23 matches for the first three years. The matches will be played at a single venue, with teams playing each other twice in a league format before the top four teams qualify for semi-finals. The PCB has ambitious plans to expand the league in the fourth year to eight teams and a 59-match tournament.Although the names of the region/city-based franchises or the list of companies interested in buying these franchises were not revealed, the PCB is hopeful of completing the franchise-auction process and signing a broadcast deal before the end of February.”A lot of hard work has been put in place to develop the PSL,” Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman said. “The objective is to recognise the growth of T20 cricket around the world, encourage our cricketers and give them the exposure to the grass-root talent in the country. It will also provide opportunity to foreign players to compete in Pakistan.”

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, one of the new names in India’s Test squad, has said that he was hopeful of getting a call-up for the series against Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2013Bhuvneshwar Kumar*, one of the new faces in India’s Test squad, has said he was hopeful of getting a call-up for the series against Australia. While Bhuvneshwar replaced Parvinder Awana as the third seamer in the 15-member squad, Dhawan replaced Gautam Gambhir.”I would be lying if I say I was not hoping for this,” Bhuvneshwar told . “Having done well in the ODIs recently, I thought it would be the right time for me to have a go in the Tests as well.”Bhuvneshwar made his debut in a Twenty20 match against Pakistan last December and made an immediate impression with his swing. He returned with match figures of 3 for 9 and continued his good form in the ODIs where he regularly bowled 10-over long spells.When asked if he was ready for Test cricket on Indian pitches, he said, “Having played five years of domestic cricket, I know what it takes to get wickets on Indian pitches. Test cricket won’t be like the ODIs, but I’m ready for the challenge, mentally and physically.”Bhuvneshwar, who has taken 149 first-class wickets in 46 matches at an average of 26.02, said he would continue sticking to his strengths.”I’m not overdoing things. I know my strength, which is swing and seam, and I will not try anything that would weaken my strong point.”* February 11 6.15pm GMT This story has been modified to focus on Bhuvneshwar Kuamr

Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained cleaning up after a party

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin04-Mar-2013Doug Bracewell has been ruled out of the first Test against England due to the foot injury he sustained while cleaning up glass after a party at his home in Napier.Bracewell did not attend New Zealand’s final training session at University Oval on Tuesday although it is hoped he will recover in time for the second Test in Wellington. It means that Ian Butler, the Otago seamer, could be in line for his first Test appearance in more than eight years. The final place is between him and the uncapped left-arm spinner Bruce Martin.The situation, which occurred away from the New Zealand squad, has not resulted in any disciplinary action for Bracewell although he has been reminded of his responsibilities and Brendon McCullum, the captain, believes it has been over stressed.”I think the Doug situation has been blown out of proportion to be honest,” he said. “It was an accident with was unfortunate because it has ruled him out of a match he was hoping to be at his best for. He has been able to build up for it. I think he will be back for the second Test.”Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, said that there were expectations on players to ensure they were ready for international duty but did not think there were any significant problems around the culture of the team that needed to be addressed.”We’ve got really good standards in terms of the expectations we have on our players,” he said. “They are also human and spend a lot of time away from the group. There is the expectation that what they do does not affect their preparation and we are pretty strong with that.Doug Bracewell cut his foot while cleaning up glass•Getty Images”There’s been a bit of comment about the situation but his foot just hasn’t recovered. He can’t put any weight on it. There’s not a lot we can do when he’s away from the side. What I understand he was cleaning up after having a group of people over to watch the rugby. It’s really disappointing for Doug and the team as he’s a crucial part of our seam attack.”Earlier, Bracewell apologised for the situation and its impact on his team-mates. A media release from New Zealand Cricket referred to the incident as “unfortunate” and stated that Bracewell had been “reminded of his obligations and responsibilities as a NZC contracted player”.”We’ve told Doug that he needs to take responsibility for what happens around him and that he needs to do all he can to ensure his preparation for international cricket is not compromised,” Mike Sandle, the New Zealand team manager, said. “Doug is very sorry for any inconvenience he has caused his team-mates and members of the public and he has apologised to his neighbour in Napier.”New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief executive Heath Mills was involved in Sandle’s discussions with Bracewell, who was dropped from the one-day squad in 2012 for breaking team protocol.”We want to ensure that incidents like this are not repeated and that we provide ongoing support for young players to ensure they are meeting all their obligations and responsibilities,” Mills said.

Lahore Lions beat Sialkot Stallions by 46 runs in a rain-affected match to secure a spot in the Faysal Bank One-day Cup final

Umar Farooq20-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLahore Lions beat Sialkot Stallions by 46 runs in a rain-affected match to secure a spot in the Faysal Bank One-Day Cup final, which will be at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on March 23. Saad Nasim’s late unbeaten half-century proved the difference as Lahore Lions posted a fighting total.An overcast day led Sialkot to opt to field first. Lahore Lions were reduced to 31 for 2, losing their captain, Azhar Ali, and Raza Ali Dar, for ducks. Umar Saddiq (59) and Usman Salahuddin (44) held their nerve though, stringing together a 62-run partnership for the third wicket. However, rain intervened during the innings to reduce the overs to 44 a side.Salahuddin anchored another 60-run stand, for the fourth wicket, with Fahad-ul-Haq (32) to keep things on track before Lahore Lions’ middle order slumped, losing five wickets for 30 runs.Nasim fought hard as he waged a lone battle to keep Lahore Lions in the game. He smacked eight boundaries including four sixes in his unbeaten 55 off 44 balls, muscling his side to a respectable 232. Bilawal Bhatti and Nayyer Abbas took three wickets each.Requiring 5.2 runs per over, Sialkot replied confidently, with Mukhtar Ahmed clubbing two back-to-back boundaries in the very first over. But Sialkot began to stall as they were reduced to 117 for 6 inside of 29 overs. Shahid Yousuf (40) along with Ali Khan (36) resisted for a while, but the required rate was getting out of hand.Abbas (20) and Ali battled for a 42-run cameo stand for the seventh wicket, but were pinned down by Lahore Lions’ disciplined bowling. They eventually were dismissed for 192, with Ashraf being the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 33.Karachi Zebras and Karachi Dolphins will go head to head tomorrow at the same venue to decide who Lahore Lions will face on Saturday.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim praised his team for the attitude and commitment they showed in the 143-run win over Zimbabwe in Harare

Mohammad Isam29-Apr-2013The Bangladesh dressing room was a subdued enclosure after their 143-run win over Zimbabwe in the second and final Test. The team had decided to skip celebrations as a mark of respect to the victims of the Savar building collapse tragedy, one of the worst industrial accidents in Bangladesh’s history, which has resulted in 389 deaths so far.”We dedicate this win to the Savar victims,” Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim said at the post-match press conference. “It probably contributes nothing [to their cause] but we didn’t celebrate after the win. We didn’t sing the team song. It is a very sad moment for us back home.”We were thinking about it during the match, and we discussed it when we got back to the hotel after the first day. We have been trying to keep in touch with everyone back home because it really is a disaster and we don’t want things like this to happen.”It was a tough five days of cricket for both sides, especially for Bangladesh who were smarting from a massive 335-run loss in the first match. There was a human tragedy playing out back home, and they were faced with the challenge of winning the second Test, something they had done only three times prior to this match in 13 years of their Test history.But they turned it around. Mushfiqur was adjudged Man of the Match for his two fifties, one of which could easily have been his third Test century. The 60 and 93 was nonetheless of great value to the team. His phlegmatic approach stood out, he rarely played a rash shot and did not let his emotions run the course of his innings. Shakib Al Hasan also scored two fifties, but the manner of his dismissals will be more remembered easily.”Winning a Test match is an amazing feeling, especially after coming back in this manner,” Mushfiqur said. “We could have won the first Test had we applied ourselves like we did in this game. It was never going to be easy against them, but we turned it around. It is great to be awarded the Man of the Match in a Test victory. Every player would tell you he dreams of this. It means a lot when your hard work pays off in this way.”The Bangladesh captain had special praise for Robiul Islam and Nasir Hossain for the crucial performances they turned in on the second day, which helped Bangladesh gain a 109-run lead. “Robiul bowled very well in both Tests,” he said. “He works very hard, and he is one guy who gives his 100% with every ball even if he doesn’t get a wicket. We needed a bowler like him. He got just rewards for his hard work.”The first innings in the second Test was very important for us. Remember, we hadn’t scored even 150 in both innings of the first Test. Tamim (Iqbal), Shakib and Nasir did well. I tried my best. Shiblu (Robiul) bowled very well in their first innings, and I think the 109-run lead was the turning point in this game,” he said.It was an important win for Mushfiqur as a captain, too. He can now experience what Habibul Bashar and Shakib Al Hasan have achieved as captains. Bashar was in charge when Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe at home in 2005, their maiden Test win. Shakib took Mashrafe Mortaza’s place as the captain in the 2009 series against West Indies, and played a vital part in the two wins.”It helps to do well as a captain. The confidence of a side is different when the captain scores some runs,” he said. “It sets an example, the attitude within the team changes. Nasir can play with responsibilities, and the younger ones will learn from him and our performance.”Mushfiqur didn’t want to comment on the umpiring but had some tough words for the hosts. Zimbabwe Cricket’s hospitality has irked the visitors, especially the lack of practice facilities on tour.”A visiting team doesn’t deserve the sort of practice facilities they gave us,” he said. “We had requested a morning session, but they said no. I had told the media before the second Test that we have to win to reply to such behaviour.”The side now heads to Bulawayo to play the limited-overs leg of the tour, which will bring an end to the Bangladesh season. It has been a season that has seen some big scores, some personal milestones and a drawn Test in Sri Lanka. But it will always be bookmarked by this win in Harare.

The bottom two sides in the County Championship crossed swords at cloudy Canterbury where 14 wickets fell during a poor opening day’s cricket between Kent and Worcestershire

17-May-2013
ScorecardAlan Richardson took his 19th first-class five-wicket haul•PA PhotosThe bottom two sides in the County Championship crossed swords at cloudy Canterbury where 14 wickets fell during a poor opening day’s cricket between Kent and Worcestershire.Alan Richardson bagged 5 for 41 as basement hosts Kent were skittled for 159 inside 51.2 overs, but the eighth-placed visitors also struggled in reaching 105 for 4 – to go into day two trailing by 54.Without a win from their opening three matches, Kent got off to a reasonable start at 35 without loss and having been invited to bat first by the winless visitors. But Rob Key’s decision to shoulder arms against the naggingly accurate Richardson gifted him his first wicket as the ball jagged in to peg back Key’s off stump and send Kent into tailspin that saw them lose all 10 wickets inside the next 40 overs.Richardson removed both Brendan Nash and Michael Powell for ducks. Nash caught at second slip off a leg-cutter and Powell held at third slip after Gareth Andrew parried the initial chance in the gully. Richardson took a breather after an excellent opening burst of 10-6-9-3 and though the floodlights came on soon afterwards, Kent’s situation dulled further.Ben Harmison, on his season’s first Championship appearance, clipped uppishly off his legs to be caught at midwicket and Darren Stevens also played across the line to fall lbw to Andrew.Kent’s capitulation gathered momentum after lunch as they lost their next three wickets for four runs in the space of six deliveries. Andrew skittled Geraint Jones for 16 then snared home skipper James Tredwell leg before five balls later, winning the appeal despite Tredwell’s big push forward in defence.Opener Sam Northeast square drove Andrew through cover point to post a 97-ball 50 with eight boundaries – his first half-century of the championship summer – only to be caught behind without addition when Richardson returned for a second spell.Kent saved some pride with a ninth-wicket stand worth 43 between Mark Davies and Matt Coles, who made 21 from No. 9, that ended when Coles swished across the line to depart leg before to Jack Shantry.Davies continued to hit out, clipping 40 from 51 balls, before slicing an ambitious drive against Richardson high to point to end Kent’s innings and send the players in for tea.With the floodlights still on Worcestershire’s reply began, but they too were soon in trouble as Shreck pinned Matthew Pardoe leg before when barely shuffling from the crease. Mark Davies accounted for Daryl Mitchell in similar fashion and then re-arranged the stumps of Sri Lankan Test batsman Thilan Samaraweera to leave the visitors in dire straits at 34 for 3.Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee dug deep in a fourth-wicket stand worth 70 in 16.1 overs with Ali notching the second 50 of the day from 86 balls and with six fours. But Tredwell’s decision to re-introduce Coles for a second spell paid immediate dividends when he had Ali caught behind from an ill-advised cut shot.

Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh have been remanded to judicial custody until June 14, a Mumbai court has ruled

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2013Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh have been remanded to judicial custody until June 14, a Mumbai court has ruled. Gurunath had been in police custody since his arrest on May 24, and Vindoo since May 21.Gurunath, a top Chennai Super Kings official and son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, was arrested by Mumbai Police on charges of cheating, forgery and fraud after being summoned to Mumbai for questioning over alleged betting and links to bookies. Police investigations suggested that Vindoo, an actor, and Gurunath were in frequent telephonic contact. Vindoo was also seen in the Super Kings box at IPL matches.Gurunath’s arrest heaped plenty of pressure on his father-in-law Srinivasan to step down as BCCI president, and at a working committee meeting on Sunday, Srinivasan said he would step aside until a commission appointed to look into the betting and spot-fixing charges in IPL 2013 completed its task.The Chennai Super Kings also tried to distance itself from Gurunath, who was pretty much the face of the franchise till his arrest. Gurunath was suspended by the BCCI “from any involvement in the sport of cricket and in particular from any involvement with the Chennai Super Kings team” pending further investigations.