The Buzz
Harmison's football rage gets 12-match ban
Steve Harmison was regarded as too mild mannered as a cricketer but football managership seems to have sorted that out
ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Apr-2016
Steve Harmison, a mild-mannered England fast bowler turned non-League football manager, has been given a 12-match ban following a confrontation with a referee.
Harmison took charge of Northern League side Ashington - the famous footballing home of Jack and Bobby Charlton - just over a year ago, staved off relegation and has guided them into mid-table this time around.
But the Northumberland FA have come down heavily on him after he allegedly raged at the referee when his striker Andrew Bulford was dismissed during a 1-0 defeat against Bishop Auckland.
Full postSwitch kits the new thing at World T20
This is the first world event where teams have been asked to avoid wearing similar colours as their opposition
ESPNcricinfo staff
11-Mar-2016
Call it a red-pajama day. Despite the rainfall in Dharamsala ruining two games at the World T20, there was something extra eye-catching about Bangladesh's eight-over hit against Ireland. Their switch from green to red outfits was not, it turns out, merely a fashion statement - this is the first world event where teams have been asked to avoid wearing similar colours as their opposition.
Three of the teams have been assigned two different colours to avoid clashes. When Bangladesh played Netherlands they were okay in green but against Ireland they wore a jersey that was predominantly red. Similarly, two other teams - Sri Lanka and Scotland - have two different outfits.
Full postThermometers on Queensland's lunch menu?
Queensland players swallow thermometers during Sheffield Shield game to collect medical data
ESPNcricinfo staff
16-Feb-2016
It's not uncommon these days for support staff to dictate to cricketers what exactly they can and cannot eat, but Queenland's latest snack might have left their players doubting the fitness folks' advice. Selected players from the Australian state team were given miniature thermometers to swallow during the Sheffield Shield game against Tasmania at the Gabba, in a bid to collect medical data. A report in the Courier Mail said the devices were "small table-sized", and would provide information on the players' body temperatures at various stages of the game. Important work, no doubt, but on the lighter side, maybe nicknames like iceman and captain cool can be handed out more accurately this way?
Full postIan Chappell's cricket book collection auctioned off
The great cricketer's great cricket book collection has fetched Aus $8,000 for charity
Daniel Brettig
03-Feb-2016
Ian Chappell's cricket book collection has sold for Aus $8,000 (US $5,500 approx) at a packed annual charity dinner for the LBW Trust in Sydney. The winning bid for the rich assortment of cricket literature was made by John McMurtrie, managing director of the Link Group financial services company and a onetime graduate of the University of Adelaide, where Chappell grew up.
The bid surpassed an opening bid made by the Cricket Australia chairman David Peever, who expressed his interest in the collection before the dinner, which he could not attend due to his travel to Dubai for the year's first round of ICC meetings.
On a night that also featured Dennis Lillee and Henry Olonga as guests, the charity raised about $250,000 in total for the cause of education in underprivileged parts of the world.
Full postThe missing South Africa series victory
Look closely at the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy. Did the 2012 series really happen after all?
ESPNcricinfo staff
26-Jan-2016
The result of the South Africa-England series was confirmed last week in Johannesburg, and after the Centurion was finished Alastair Cook was able to get hold of the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy which the sides now compete for.
It had been in South Africa's hands since 2008 when, inspired by Graeme Smith, they clinched the series at Edgbaston. They retained it with the 1-1 draw in the 2009-10 series and, again, kept hold out of it with their impressive 2-0 victory in England in 2012.
But, wait a moment. Did that series really happen? Zoom in on the trophy as it was presented to Cook and it appears not to have been engraved. Now, there are a few Englishmen who would probably be fairly happy to forgot that series - the bowlers who conceded 637 for 2 at The Oval, Kevin Pietersen for those text messages and Andrew Strauss for all the off-field politics he had to deal with and ultimately his retirement - but surely it is one of the proudest moments for South Africa?
Full postWhen a fan footed Afridi's restaurant bill
A fan saved Shahid Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad from an awkward situation at the Auckland airport
ESPNcricinfo staff
12-Jan-2016
Shahid Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad walked into a fast food outlet at the Auckland airport after a long flight, only to discover they didn't have any local currency to pay for their burgers. What happened next?
Waqas, a Pakistani living in New Zealand, saved them much embarrassment by stepping in and paying for their food. "It is a good feeling to have my local team, Pakistan's team, over here," Waqas said. "I am going to support them all."
By then, however, a video had trickled on to the social media space, showing Afridi explaining something to the waiter before the fan stepped in. The video went viral and many media outlets even reported the incident.
Full postKieran Powell, Major League baseballer?
The West Indies opener's cricketing dream has been replaced by another...
ESPNcricinfo staff
01-Jan-2016
West Indies players missing international cricket to play T20 Leagues around the world is quite common. Now, the WICB is in danger of losing players to other sports. This time it's Major League Baseball in the USA catching the attention of one of its players.*
Kieran Powell, the opener who last played for West Indies in June 2014, is looking to get himself a place in an MLB franchise.
"An opportunity came about after a few discrepancies with the West Indies Cricket Board; I decided to take some time off from cricket and some footage of me playing cricket was seen by the LA Dodgers," Powell said. "I've had some training out here in the US for a few months."
Full postCricket breaks new ground in Rwanda
Makhaya Ntini was present to help mark the beginning of construction on Rwanda's first international cricket stadium
ESPNcricinfo staff
18-Dec-2015
Work has begun on building the first international cricket stadium in Rwanda. Former South Africa quick Makhaya Ntini was present at the ground-breaking ceremony in Gahanga, just outside the capital Kigali, as the first stone was laid.
The construction of two pitches, a training facility and pavilion has been funded by the work of the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation, a British charity which counts Brian Lara, UK prime minister David Cameron and England's Heather Knight among its patrons. Last year, Ntini took part in an expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro to break the record for the highest game of cricket and help raise money for the project.
"It is great to see the RCSF investing in Rwanda's future, enhancing its sporting landscape and helping to spread the game I love," Ntini said.
Full postTaxi driver parks on awkward length
A cricket match in Queensland was interrupted by a pitch invasion at the weekend
ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Dec-2015
A cricket match in Queensland was interrupted by a pitch invasion at the weekend. The unusual four-wheeled protest was a result of a taxi driver having his windshield cracked by a six and then deciding to express his anger by parking up mid-pitch.
The Saturday fixture between Macgregor and Griffith University was held up for an hour until the police intervened. The car's window was reportedly broken by a straight six from Macgregor player Nigel Sherborne.
The Warehouse Cricket Association Queensland posted on Facebook: "Weird events at cricket. This cabbie had his front windscreen damaged by a cricket ball today at DM Henderson Park, unhappy with the outcome he decided to park on the middle of pitch, he stayed for an hour and had to be moved on by the Queensland Police Service."
Full postWeddings stop play
Why was Uttar Pradesh forced to shift the venue of their Ranji Trophy match against Baroda?
ESPNcricinfo staff
20-Nov-2015
The weather. Stadium issues. General elections… The reasons for shifting the venue of a cricket match are many, but rarely a laughing matter. Not so in the case of the Uttar Pradesh's upcoming Ranji Trophy game against Baroda.
"The venue of the UP v Baroda Ranji Trophy match scheduled to be held in Kanpur from December 1 to December 4, 2015, is shifted to Greater Noida Cricket Stadium," the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association said in a statement. But why? Well, because of all the weddings in Kanpur at the time, ESPNcricinfo understands.
Yes, the hotels are all booked out by wedding guests, leaving no space for the visiting cricketers. On the upside, at least this way the players will not be tempted to ditch their diets by the wedding feasts all around.
Full post