The spot-fixing saga, Haider's disappearance, and Tendulkar's 50th
A look back at the last third of 2010: the IPL goes haywire, Zulqarnain Haider goes missing, and Tendulkar gets his 50th
Compiled by Dustin Silgardo
02-Jan-2011
PCB chairman Ijaz Butt suggested England's cricketers were involved in fixing an ODI against Pakistan • Getty Images
September
1 A Delhi court says betting in cricket and other sports should be legalised in India since the police have failed to curb illegal betting in the country. The Bangladesh Cricket Board confirms two of their players, Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, were approached by bookmakers ahead of an ODI series against Ireland in 2008.
2 The ICC suspends Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, the three players implicated in the Lord's spot-fixing scandal, under the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Code. The three are questioned by police the next day. Later in the month fast bowler Wahab Riaz becomes the fourth player to be questioned.
7 England complete a 2-0 clean sweep in their Twenty20 series against Pakistan, with a win in Cardiff.
8 Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, is released without charge by police after being arrested in connection with alleged spot-fixing during an English domestic Pro40 match.
13 Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh opening batsman, undergoes surgery to treat his troublesome left wrist.
14 The prospect of a Test Championship comes a step closer after the ICC's chief executive committee lays out a set of proposals for five-day and one-day cricket. Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz becomes the fourth player to be questioned by Scotland Yard over the spot-fixing allegations surrounding the Lord's Test.
16 Andrew Flintoff announces his retirement from all cricket after giving in to his long-standing knee injury.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is asked by the Supreme Court to respond to a petition alleging that land worth US$9.69 million was given to him by the West Bengal state government for approximately $136,000 to build a school on.
Nottinghamshire storm to the County Championship title by taking six bonus points against Lancashire at Old Trafford.
18 The ICC launches an investigation into the third one-day international between England and Pakistan at The Oval based on information received from a newspaper before the game began, alleging that bookies were aware of certain scoring patterns that occurred during the match.
Warwickshire win the Clydesdale Bank 40 title with a three-wicket victory against Somerset at Lord's.
19 PCB chairman Ijaz Butt points a finger at England's cricketers, saying their batting collapse in the third ODI against Pakistan at The Oval was suspicious.
20 The ECB announces that it will be taking legal action against Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB, after his allegations that England's players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at the Oval.
Ryan Sidebottom, the England seamer, announces his retirement from international cricket.
22 Eoin Morgan and Graeme Swann lead England to their sixth consecutive series win across all formats, when they clinched the ODI series against Pakistan 3-2 with a 121-run victory at the Rose Bowl.
Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard reject one-year central contracts offered to them by the West Indies Cricket Board.
23 England name their Ashes squad; Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar are included.
26 Chennai Super Kings win the Champions League Twenty20 title, beating the Warriors in the finals in Johannesburg.
28 Zimbabwe seal their series against Ireland 2-0 after a win in Harare.
29 The BCCI makes major changes to the structure and functioning of the IPL governing council, halving its strength, slashing the term of its members and limiting their powers. The board asks the IPL's Kochi franchise owners to register themselves as a company or risk being scrapped.
Ijaz Butt issues an apology for the match-fixing accusations he made against England's cricketers. Salman Butt appeals against the ICC's provisional decision to suspend him.
Zimbabwe forfeit their Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland after the two sides could not agree on a venue following Scotland's decision not to tour Zimbabwe.
30 The ICC decides that umpires will make all decisions regarding bad light without consulting batsmen.
Grant Flower, the 39-year-old Zimbabwe batsman, makes a shock international return more than six years after he last played for the team, being named in the squad for the tour of South Africa.
October
3 Ijaz Butt is summoned by Pakistan's national assembly to explain the reasons for the controversy-ridden tour of England, as well as his allegations against Andrew Strauss's team and subsequent withdrawal of them.
4 The chairman of Croydon Athletic, the football club whose owner was caught up in the Pakistan spot-fixing scandal, is found dead. Suicide is suspected.
5 VVS Laxman guides India to victory from a seemingly impossible position against Australia in the first Test in Mohali.
6Sachin Tendulkar wins the ICC Cricketer of the Year award.
Misbah-ul-Haq becomes the fourth man to be appointed Pakistan Test captain in 2010.
9 The one-year ban on Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is lifted by the PCB, clearing the way for the fast bowler to be considered for national selection once again.
10 The IPL governing council ejects Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab from the league on charges of transgression of shareholding and ownership norms, while granting a temporary breather to the Kochi franchise to put its house in order.
JP Duminy propels South Africa to a series win against Zimbabwe. South Africa take the second Twenty20 in Kimberley.
11Kenya coast to a series win over Afghanistan with a win in the third ODI in Nairobi.
13 India complete a 2-0 series sweep of Australia with a win in the second Test in Bangalore.
The BCCI files a police complaint against Lalit Modi, alleging criminal misappropriation of the board's funds worth Rs 470 crore (approximately US$105 million).
14 Bangladesh take an unassailable 3-0 lead in their series against New Zealand, with a win in Mirpur.
Sialkot Stallions' incredible five-year unbeaten streak ends with a loss to Rawalpindi Rams in Lahore.
15 Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh's talismanic opener, is named Test Player of the Year by the Wisden Cricketer magazine.
17 Centuries from Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers seal South Africa's ODI series win against Zimbabwe with a crushing eight-wicket victory in Potchefstroom.
Darren Sammy is named West Indies captain after the board axes Chris Gayle.
19 The ICC says it is pondering using undercover agents posing as illegal bookmakers to fight corruption.
25 The Rajasthan Royals franchise files an appeal in the Bombay High Court against the BCCI's decision to terminate its IPL contract.
27 Shane Bond releases a controversial autobiography in which he claims he was a "victim of politics" when he was discarded by his cricket board after he signed a contract with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).
The IPL's Kochi franchise is served a termination notice by the BCCI but is given a 30-day deadline to respond and explain why it should not be scrapped.
South Africa sweep their Twenty20 series against Pakistan, in the UAE, 2-0, with a win in Abu Dhabi.
31 Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir's appeals against their suspension are dismissed by the ICC. In November the PCB suspends the central contracts of the three players, and the ICC sets up a three-man tribunal to look into the allegations.
November
1 Rajasthan bowl Hyderabad out for 21 in Jaipur, the lowest score in Ranji Trophy history, with debutant seamer Deepak Chahar taking 8 for 10.
2 Graeme Smith expresses disappointment with former team-mate Herschelle Gibbs' autobiography, which claims Smith and three other senior players formed a clique that ran the South Africa team during coach Mickey Arthur's tenure.
3 Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga break the record for the highest ninth-wicket partnership in ODIs, putting together 132 to script an improbable victory over Australia at the MCG.
5 Sri Lanka win their first series in Australia, clinching the ODI series 2-0 in Sydney.
7 Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider goes missing on the eve of their fifth ODI against South Africa in the UAE and turns up in the UK. A couple of days later he says says he received threats from unidentified people following his team's one-wicket win in the fourth ODI, and that he had been threatened in domestic cricket as well, and retires from the game.
The PCB refuses to "clear" legspinner Danish Kaneria to join the squad for the series against South Africa in the UAE, moments before he was about to board his plane.
8 Harbhajan Singh scores his maiden Test century to help India earn a draw against New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
South Africa clinch a tight and controversy-hit ODI series 3-2 against Pakistan with a 57-run win in Dubai.
11 Afghanistan announce they will put together a women's national team for the first time.
12 Kings XI Punjab moves the Mumbai High Court, seeking redressal from the BCCI's termination of the franchise.
15 Harbhajan Singh becomes the first man to score consecutive Test centuries in the No. 8 position, with his 111 against New Zealand in Hyderabad. Brendon McCullum's double-century ensures a draw in the match.
16 Chris Gayle becomes the fourth man to score two triple-centuries in Tests with his knock of 333 against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Younis Khan's fighting innings earns Pakistan a draw in the first Test against South Africa in Dubai.
18 Vaughn van Jaarsveld, the South Africa batsman, tests positive for the banned stimulant sibutramine.
19 Pakistan win the inaugural women's cricket tournament at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. A week later Bangladesh's cricketers win their country its first-ever gold medal in the competition by beating surprise finalists Afghanistan in a thrilling final.
The chief executive of Cricket South Africa, Gerald Majola, is cleared of all charges of financial impropriety relating to bonus payments from the 2009 Indian Premier League and travel expenses for him and his wife, but is formally cautioned that all future payments received by him from outside CSA must be reported to the body's remunerations committee.
20 Australia announce their squad for the first Ashes Test. Offspinner Nathan Hauritz is dropped, while legspinner Steven Smith and left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty are included.
21 AB de Villiers breaks the record for the highest individual score by a South Africa batsman, with his 278 not out against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. Misbah-ul-Haq's third half-century of the series ensures Pakistan earn a draw.
23 India take the honours in their Test series against New Zealand with a huge victory in the third Test, in Nagpur.
The ICC announces that the three teams jointly hosting the 2011 World Cup - Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh - will get to play their knockout matches, should they make it that far, at home venues, irrespective of where they finish in their group.
24 West Indies allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard receive no-objection certificates from the West Indies Cricket Board to participate in the Big Bash, Australia's domestic Twenty20 tournament.
27 The rain-hit Test match between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Colombo ends in a draw.
29 The first Ashes Test ends in a draw after Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott's record-breaking unbroken stand of 329 at the Gabba.
30 The judge hearing the arbitration case between Rajasthan Royals and the BCCI issues a stay on the franchise's expulsion from the IPL, allowing the team to temporarily continue to function as a part of the league.
Pakistani news channel Geo TV broadcasts video footage of Mazhar Majeed, the player agent allegedly at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal, in which he names four more Pakistani players who, he claims, work with him. Early in December, Imran Farhat, one of the players named, says he is considering legal action against Majeed.
December
1 Pakistan players Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik question the PCB's decision not to "clear" them for selection for the tour of New Zealand.
The ICC extends the use of the UDRS to bilateral one-day internationals to help teams get used to the technology ahead of the 2011 World Cup.
2 Brian Lara says he wants to make an entrance into the IPL.
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan sparks controversy by saying he didn't want the captaincy and was not being given a free hand with team selection.
3 Cricket South Africa cancels Herschelle Gibbs' national contract "by mutual agreement" following his controversial autobiography.
MS Dhoni signs a three-year endorsement deal worth Rs 260 million (about US$5.7 million) to promote McDowell's soda - the largest ever such deal signed by an Indian sportsperson.
4 Afghanistan secure the Intercontinental Cup in their first year of participation with a commanding seven-wicket victory against Scotland in Dubai.
5 The IPL governing council clears Kochi to play the 2011 edition.
Sri Lanka's Test series against West Indies ends in a 0-0 draw after another rainy day at Pallekele. Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara calls it the worst series of his life. Later in the week Sri Lanka Cricket postpone the ODI series between the two sides to late January 2011 because of the bad weather all across the island.
7 England take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes with a comfortable victory in Adelaide.
8 The Bombay High Court grants Kings XI Punjab an interim stay on its expulsion from the IPL.
The IPL teams announce the players they have retained. Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh are released by their franchises, while Virat Kohli is retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
10 New Zealand are whitewashed for the second time in two ODI series, as India complete a 5-0 sweep with a win in Chennai.
An unbeaten 85 from their captain Morne van Wyk leads the Knights to victory over the Titans in the MTN40 final in Centurion.
12 Tamim Iqbal's explosive 95 blows away Zimbabwe in the fifth ODI in Chittagong, giving Bangladesh a 3-1 series victory.
13 Bangladesh are awarded the rights to host the 2012 Asia Cup.
14 The West Indies Cricket Board offers some of their women players central retainer contracts for the first time.
Salman Butt says the money found in his room by Scotland Yard after the Lord's Test was legitimate and accounted for.
15 The MCC World Cricket Committee recommends the use of lie detector tests to reinforce the need for transparency in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal.
17 An ICC inspection team raises serious concerns over the preparedness of two key World Cup venues - Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai - in time for the tournament, which begins on February 19, 2011.
18 Jacques Kallis scores his first double-century in Tests, after 15 years of international cricket, against India in Centurion.
Sources reveal the fourth season of the IPL is set to go ahead with 10 teams and 74 matches as originally planned.
19 Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer to score 50 Test centuries, reaching the mark against South Africa in Centurion.
Australia level the Ashes series 1-1 with a 267-run victory in Perth.
The ICC extends Pakistan's deadline to name their 30 World Cup probables to allow the PCB time to complete their investigations against Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Danish Kaneria.
20 South Africa take a 1-0 lead in their Test series against India with a comprehensive win in Centurion.
The IPL announces the price bands for its player auctions. Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara are in the highest bracket.
21 Shane Shillingford, the West Indies offspinner, is suspended from bowling in international cricket after his action is found to be illegal. He was reported during the first Test against Sri Lanka in November.
22 Bangladesh suffer a blow as fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza injures his right knee again, with the World Cup less than two months away.
Armaan Jaffer, 13, breaks the record for the highest individual score in Indian school cricket, scoring 498 for Rizvi Springfield School against IES Raja Shivaji School in the Giles Shield tournament.
23 The PCB decides to offer central contracts to the members of the Pakistan women's squad who won gold in the inaugural women's cricket tournament at the Asian Games in China.
27 Plate League side Rajasthan upset defending Ranji champions Mumbai to make the semi-finals of the 2010-11 Ranji Trophy.
28 New Zealand seal their three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan 2-0 with a victory in Hamilton.
29 England retain the Ashes, for the first time in Australia in 24 years, with a crushing innings-and-157-run win over Australia in Melbourne.
India even the series in South Africa, beating the hosts by 87 runs in the second Test, in Durban.
Dustin Silgardo is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo