Former Zimbabwe Cricket Director Ikope banned from all cricket for 10 years: ICC

Agencies
March 6, 2019

Dubai, Mar 6: Former Zimbabwe Cricket Director Enock Ikope has been banned from all cricket for 10 years after the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of non-cooperation and obstruction of investigations.

The Tribunal heard evidence that the ACU had established information during its investigation into the corrupt approach made by Rajan Nayer to Zimbabwe cricket Captain Graeme Cremer, which gave the ACU reasonable grounds to suspect that Ikope may have engaged in corrupt conduct under the Code.

Nayer, then Treasurer and Marketing Director of the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA), was charged under the Code and banned from all cricket for 20 years.

"Ikope was bound by the Code as a result of his affiliation to the HMCA as its Chairman and to Zimbabwe Cricket as its (at the time) Director. As such, he was required to cooperate fully with ACU investigations Following a full hearing and presentation of written and oral argument, the Tribunal found Ikope guilty of three offences under the Code," ICC said in a press release.

He has been declared guilty of breaching Article 2.4.6 and 2.4.7. It includes refusal to hand over his mobile phone and documents demanded by the ACU, for further failures and delays and for deletion of data from his mobile phone before handing it over to the ACU.

Ikope was banned by the Tribunal for 5 years in respect of each breach. The Tribunal ordered the first two of the 5 year periods of ineligibility to run concurrently, with the penalty for the third breach of Article 2.4.7 to run consecutively, resulting in a total ban of 10 years.

"We welcome this decision and the substantial sanction imposed on Mr Ikope which reflects the gravity of the offences. Non-cooperation and obstruction of our investigations by participants to the Code are simply not acceptable and I hope this and other recent sanctions sends out a clear message to anyone involved in the sport," Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager ACU said.

"Once again we must thank an international captain, Greame Cremer, for his absolute professionalism in recognising the initial approach by Mr Nayer, rejecting and then reporting it. We are thankful to him and to Zimbabwe Cricket for all the help during the investigations.

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Agencies
January 14,2020

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News Network
March 5,2020

Mumbai, Mar 5: Former India spinner Sunil Joshi was on Wednesday named chairman of the national selection panel by the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), which also picked ex-pacer Harvinder Singh to the five-member group.

The CAC, comprising Madan Lal, R P Singh and Sulakshana Naik, picked the two selectors with Joshi replacing South Zone representative MSK Prasad.

In an unprecedented decision, the BCCI said the CAC will review the panel's performance after one year and make recommendations accordingly.

"The committee recommended Sunil Joshi for the role of chairman of the senior men's selection committee. The CAC will review the candidates after a one-year period and make the recommendations to the BCCI," read a statement from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.

Harvinder was chosen from central zone and replaces Gagan Khoda in the panel.

The existing members of the selection panel are Jatain Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh.

"We have picked the best guys for the job," Lal told news agency.

The CAC had shortlisted five candidates for interviews -- Joshi, Harvinder, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Chauhan and L S Sivaramakrishnan -- from a list of 40 applicants.

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News Network
February 12,2020

Mount Maunganui, Feb 12: India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday berated his bowlers for their mediocre performance as he tried to explain the team's first ODI series whitewash in over three decades, saying that the visitors lacked composure all through.

The five-wicket defeat here meant that India lost the series 0-3 to an injury-plagued New Zealand that had been deflated by a 0-5 whitewash of its own in the T20 format just last week. It was India's first whitewash in 31 years in an ODI series in which all matches have been played.

"The games were not as bad as the scoreline suggests. It boils down to those chances that we didn't grab. I don't think it was not enough to win games in international cricket," Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

"With the ball, we were not able to make breakthroughs, we were not at all good on the field. We haven't played so badly but when you don't grab those chances, you don't deserve to win," he added.

"Batsmen coming back from tough situations was a positive sign for us, but the way we fielded and bowled, the composure wasn't enough to win games," he asserted.

The ineffectiveness of Indian bowlers can be gauged from the fact that the team's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah finished the series without a wicket and the attack couldn't dismiss the complete rival line-up even once.

Kohli lauded New Zealand for bouncing back after the T20 hammering.

"New Zealand played with lot more intensity. We didn't deserve to win because we did not show enough composure," he said.

The batting mainstay is looking forward to the Test series, which begins on February 21, to make amends for the disappointment.

"I think because of the Test Championship, every match has that more importance. We have a really balanced Test team and we feel we can win the series here, but we need to step on to the park with the right kind of mindset," he said.

His opposite number Kane Williamson, who missed the first two games due to injury, was lavish in his praise for the home team's grit.

"An outstanding performance, very clinical. India put us under pressure, but the way the guys fought back with the ball and kept them to a par total. The cricket in the second half was outstanding to see," he said referring to the side's effortless chase of a 297-run target.

"We know how good they (India) are at all formats but for us the clarity about the roles the guys had was the most important thing. Outstanding effort against a brilliant India side," he added.

Player of the Match Henry Nicholls, who scored 80 on Tuesday, said his team benefitted from good batting starts during the series.

"To come back and win 3-0 after the T20Is is nice. The way (Martin) Guptill played today allowed us to get ahead. We got a 100-run stand, but we were fortunate enough to get good starts this series," he said.

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