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Brad Haddin has until the end of next week to prove his fitness for the two Tests against Pakistan after being named in the 14-man squad

Peter English22-Jun-2010Brad Haddin has until the end of next week to prove his fitness for the two Tests against Pakistan after being named in the 14-man squad along with Ben Hilfenhaus and the uncapped batsman Usman Khawaja. Haddin was ruled out of the current limited-overs tour of the British Isles due to a nagging elbow tendon injury, with Tasmania’s Tim Paine replacing him in the outfit which opens the ODI series with England on Tuesday.Wicketkeepers don’t like giving up their positions and Haddin, who played with a badly broken finger in England last year, will attempt to recover in Sydney before the Test specialists leave on July 2. “His availability for these matches will be determined over the next week,” the team physio Alex Kountouris said.Mitchell Johnson will head to England in the next couple of days to link up with the limited-overs squad after overcoming a recurrence of his infected right elbow. The problem first flared during the World Twenty20 but Johnson is now ready to go.”Mitchell has trained strongly over the past four days with no adverse effect,” Kountouris said. “He has been cleared by medical staff to step up his training in preparation for both the Twenty20 and Test series against Pakistan.”Khawaja, the New South Wales left-hander, is in as the reserve batsman after Phillip Hughes needed surgery following a dislocated left shoulder suffered during boxing training in May. After scoring three Sheffield Shield hundreds last season Khawaja, a 23-year-old born in Pakistan, will have a chance to confirm his international promise if there are any vacancies. If he plays he will become Australia’s first Muslim representative.Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said the injury to Hughes was “unfortunate”, but Khawaja would be an able replacement. “He is seen by the panel as being capable of batting anywhere in the order in Test cricket, but importantly for this particular series a top-order batsman who could bat in the top four should the opportunity arise,” Hilditch said. Steven Smith, the batsman-legspinner, is expected to be preferred if any of the other batting spots open up.Hilfenhaus played his first game of the year over the past week, taking 5 for 63 for Australia A against Sri Lanka A, to show his fitness after a long battle with knee tendonitis. He is well suited to English conditions, as he displayed last year, and will use the series to fine tune for the five home Tests against England.”Ben was a critical member of our 2009 Ashes bowling group and it is very pleasing to see him back in the Test squad with the next Ashes series just around the corner,” Hilditch said. The opening match against Pakistan starts at Lord’s on July 13 and the second game is in Leeds from July 21.Australia squad Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus.

The ICC has retained its current policy of allowing the host country to decide, upon consultation with the touring side, on whether or not to use the UDRS in a Test series

Cricinfo staff01-Jul-2010The prospect of using the UDRS at next year’s World Cup came a step closer after the ICC approved the implementation of the controversial system subject to agreements over costs and equipment between the broadcaster partner, ESPN STAR Sports, and the host nations. However, the use of UDRS in all Tests still seems a distant possibility after it was agreed to retain the current arrangement whereby the host country and visiting team decides.The implementation of the UDRS worldwide has been inconsistent, and the ICC Cricket Committee, in its meeting at Lord’s earlier this year, had recommended the system be introduced “as soon as possible in all Tests.””The detailed work of the ICC Cricket Committee gave both the CEC and the ICC Board excellent direction and there was full agreement that technology would be used whenever possible,” Haroon Lorgat, the ICC’s chief executive said.”We have all seen the benefits of using DRS to assist umpires in Test cricket and we are now keen to use DRS in the ICC Cricket World Cup. We also acknowledge and we are grateful for the support provided by broadcasters and technology suppliers around the world during the development phase of DRS.”The ICC and the ECB have also exonerated umpire Daryl Harper of any blame during the Johannesburg Test earlier this year. Harper landed in controversy after he turned down a caught-behind appeal against Graeme Smith which had been referred to him.Harper upheld the on-field umpire Tony Hill’s decision because he could not hear a sound on the replay and it was suggested that he had not increased the volume setting on his monitor which would have made the edge evident. However, the ICC has said a “technical failure” was the cause of the lapse.”Following the issues raised with the DRS in the Wanderers Test match between South Africa and England in January 2010, the preliminary findings of Advocate Brent Lockie and ICC Cricket Committee chairman Clive Lloyd acknowledges that the technology failure at the time adversely impacted on the information received by the third umpire Daryl Harper while making his decision,” the ICC said. “The ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board agreed that the third umpire in the match, Daryl Harper, was entirely blameless due to this technical failure.”Andy Flower, the England coach, was unhappy with officials at the time and suggested the outcome of the investigation wasn’t quite what transpired. “I know what happened that day, because they told me,” he said.However, he remains a supporter of the system and has no issues with it being extended into the World Cup. “I think the DRS, in whatever format it is used, is quite useful – because we get more good decisions,” he said. “I don’t see why, if we give the same level of importance to all three formats, it is only Test cricket that should have DRS available.”In a bid to eliminate any inconsistency the ICC, in May, had decided it had to meet with all broadcasting companies in a bid to standardise the use of technology, and hosted a workshop earlier in the year.

Zimbabwe tightened their grip on the match after their bowlers rolled over Netherlands for 186 on the second day in Amstelveen

Cricinfo staff26-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Zimbabwe tightened their grip on the match after their bowlers rolled over Netherlands for 186 on the second day in Amstelveen. Opener Stuart Matsikenyeri then made an unbeaten 44 to extend Zimbabwe’s lead close to 200 by stumps.Netherlands could have been in an even worse position had it not been for wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi’s patient 81. He rescued the home side from a precarious 94 for 8 with the help of No. 10 Pieter Seelaar, who finished on an unbeaten 40. The pair added 91 for the ninth wicket, with both going on to their highest first-class scores.Besides Barresi, the only batsman in the top nine to reach double digits was Ruud Nijman (23). The wickets were shared around by the Zimbabwean bowlers, with Matsai Mushangwe taking three and the trio of Ed Rainsford, Timycen Maruma and Nathan Waller picking two each.In the second innings, Zimbabwe slumped to 48 for 2, before Matsikenyeri and captain Vusi Sibanda safely negotiated the final eight overs to keep the visitors in charge of the match.

Gavin Hamilton, the veteran Scotland batsman and former captain of the national side, has announced his retirement

Cricinfo staff19-Aug-2010Gavin Hamilton, the veteran Scotland batsman and former captain of the national side, has announced his retirement. He will make his final appearances in Scotland colours in the two Clydesdale Bank 40 matches against Hampshire and Leicestershire in Aberdeen this weekend.”It is really a build-up of circumstances and part of it is that I don’t want to go down the slippery slope of being a liability to the team,” Hamilton told . “Due to work commitments, I simply don’t have the time to train and practise and there is only so long you can get away with that. I always promised myself I would stop playing when I still felt I was doing a decent job and personal pride is really the bottom line.”Born in Broxburn, Hamilton, 35, made his senior Scotland debut against Essex at Lochside Park, Forfar, in 1993 at the age of 19, after a successful time in the national Under-16 and Under-19 squads. Six years later, he was Scotland’s player of the World Cup in England, scoring half-centuries against a Pakistan attack that included Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq, and Bangladesh on his way to a tournament tally of 217 runs – 24 more than England’s leading run-scorer.His performances caught the eye of the England selectors and he was included on England’s tour of South Africa the following winter, but he scored a pair and failed to take a wicket in what will remain his only Test, at Johannesburg, and was ruthlessly dumped. After a mandatory four-year wait, he was again picked for Scotland in the squad for the 2004 ECC European Championship and helped them qualify for the 2007 World Cup in West Indies.Hamilton took over the captaincy from Ryan Watson in 2009, holding the position for a year before relinquishing it to Gordon Drummond earlier this summer. As well as stints with Yorkshire and Durham, in 130 matches for Scotland to date, he has amassed more than 3,500 runs at an average of 31.25, including five centuries and 21 half-centuries.”Gav has been a tremendous servant to Scottish cricket, and we will miss him greatly,” said Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive. “He has been, arguably, one of the best-ever Scottish cricketers and everyone was very proud when he played Test cricket for England.”Gavin has been the backbone of our batting in recent years, and also steeped into the captaincy last year, and has been instrumental in assisting the team through a transitional period. To play for your country for 17 years is an amazing achievement.”He has been a remarkable player, who represented his country in four World Cup events and umpteen pressurised situations. Never once has his enthusiasm flagged, and he has been a fantastic ambassador for Scottish cricket. Let’s hope he goes out with a bang this weekend.”Scotland’s selectors also announced the 13-man squad that will feature Hamilton’s name for the last time for their CB40 fixtures.Scotland squad: Gordon Drummond (capt), George Bailey, Richie Berrington, Ryan Flannigan, Gordon Goudie, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Moneeb Iqbal, Dougie Lockhart, Ross Lyons, Preston Mommsen, Matthew Parker, Fraser Watts.

There have been only two inconsequential games in this Champions League. Central Districts and Wayamba, two teams that have already been knocked out, clash at Port Elizabeth in the second such match.

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit21-Sep-2010

Match facts

Wednesday, September 22
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)

Big Picture

Jamie How has almost single-handedly carried the Central Districts batting•AFP

How competitive this year’s tournament has been can be gauged from the fact that it has taken the last league fixture in each group to decide the semi-finalists. That has resulted in very few inconsequential games, in fact, only two. Central Districts and Wayamba, both of whom have already been knocked out, clash at Port Elizabeth in the second such match.Of the three sides that have lost all their games to this point, Central Districts have been the most impressive, but a lack of depth has hurt them. Jamie How, the captain, has been inspirational, being dismissed once in three innings for his 178 runs. However, he has lacked support, with Kieran Noema-Barnett’s 66 runs coming a distant second-best. All the bowlers have leaked runs, which has meant that when the batsmen have put up competitive scores, like they did against Victoria and Warriors, the chasing side has been under no pressure.Wayamba’s struggles have been well documented. The insipid manner in which they have played their cricket has given some the feeling they are in South Africa only to make up the numbers. A squad that boasts of eleven players with international experience had no business losing three consecutive matches without putting up a semblance of a fight. They will start as underdogs in this battle to avoid the wooden spoon in Group A.

Team news

Doug Bracewell was smashed all around the ground by the Warriors. Left-arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan could get a game in his place. Peter Ingram, meanwhile, has made six runs in three innings. Will How persist with his opening partner?
Central Districts: (possible) 1 Peter Ingram, 2 Jamie How (capt), 3 Brad Patton, 4 Mathew Sinclair, 5 George Worker, 6 Kieran Noema-Barnett, 7 Brendon Diamanti, 8 Bevan Griggs/Tim Weston (wk), 9 Doug Bracewell/ Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Michael MasonFarveez Maharoof, if he has recovered from injury, should replace Chanaka Welegedera who has gone for almost eleven runs an over in the tournament.Wayamba: (possible) 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Jeevantha Kulatunga, 3 Mahela Udawatte, 4 Jehan Mubarak (capt), 5 Kushal Perera (wk), 6 Shalika Karunanayake, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Ajantha Mendis

Watch out for …

Mahela Jayawardene was Wayamba’s highest run-scorer in the Sri Lankan domestic Twenty20 event. He will fancy his chances against Central Districts’ weak bowling attack, after showing glimpses of his silken touch against Victoria.
Jamie How has been another one of the successful batsmen-captains in the tournament and will be crucial to his team’s fortunes again.

Key contests

Wayamba spinners v Central Districts batsmen: Both Victoria and Warriors struggled to score against Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath, and it will be interesting to see how the New Zealand batsmen tackle them.

Stats and trivia

• Doug Bracewell’s return of 1 for 54 off 3.1 overs against Warriors is the most expensive in this Champions League.
• Five Wayamba batsmen were out without scoring against Victoria. Only Kenya and Zimbabwe have managed more ducks in a T20 innings.

Quotes

“We had two good warm-up games. Ever since then we haven’t been able to string two or three decent partnerships with the bat which is vital in T20 cricket.”

New Zealand A’s batsmen dominated the opening day of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A on another benign pitch, this time at the Country Club in Harare

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2010
Scorecard
New Zealand A’s batsmen dominated the opening day of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A on another benign pitch, this time at the Country Club in Harare. Openers Tim McIntosh and Jamie How put on an unflustered 160 for the first wicket, How reaching a 13th first-class hundred before he was caught behind off Njabulo Ncube. Njabulo’s two economical wickets meant he was the most impressive bowler on show, and New Zealand eased to a massive 329 for 4 at stumps.Visiting captain James Franklin opted for first use of a flat pitch after winning the toss and after seeing off the new ball his openers made light work of Zimbabwe’s change bowlers. McIntosh fell after passing a relatively sedate half-century, edging seamer Taurai Muzarabani behind, but How continued unabated even after the loss of Daniel Flynn to Malcolm Waller’s offspin.After his dismissal for 115, Martin Guptill eased towards a fifty but fell four runs short to become Ncube’s second victim before Franklin and wicketkeeper Reece Young settled in against the old ball. Franklin neared his own half-century, finishing unbeaten on 44 as Zimbabwe failed to break through after taking the second new ball shortly before the close of play.

Mitchell Johnson arrived just in time as Australia earned a surprising 23-run advantage after India failed to build on a series of promising half-centuries

The Bulletin by Peter English03-Oct-2010India 405 (Tendulkar 98, Raina 86, Dravid 77, Sehwag 59, Johnson 5-64) trail Australia 428 by 23 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sachin Tendulkar was in command for most of the day before narrowly missing a century•Getty Images

Mitchell Johnson arrived just in time as Australia earned a surprising 23-run advantage after India failed to build on a series of promising half-centuries in Mohali. For most of the third day it looked like it would be the hosts who finished with a first-innings lead, but Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and Rahul Dravid were cut down before the hosts were dismissed for 405.

India were ready to dominate when Johnson struck late to remove MS Dhoni (14), who was given out caught low down by Shane Watson at first slip in a confusing decision, and Harbhajan Singh edged behind next ball. Another key breakthrough came when Raina played back to Johnson and was lbw shortly before the close as part of a collaspe of 5 for 23. The burst left Johnson with 5 for 64 from 20 overs and gained him a sixth five-wicket haul in Tests.It was a timely comeback for the tourists after they experienced difficult periods from their junior and senior opponents. Raina, 23, is 14 years younger than Tendulkar and was happy to take more risks – he out-scored Tendulkar in their stand of 124 – while the older man was typically calculating.Tendulkar first started giving Australians nightmares in 1990-91 and almost 20 years later spent much of the third day introducing himself to some new wearers of baggy greens. At his best Tendulkar has buried Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, so in reality facing Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Hauritz was a pretty comfortable assignment. He still made it a thing of beauty at times, particularly with his effortless pushes through cover and his range of sweeps.Tendulkar now has 10 hundreds and 12 half-centuries in 30 Tests against Australia while averaging almost 57. Bollinger and Hilfenhaus had not bowled to him before in a Test, and Hauritz had run into him only once, getting him in Mumbai on debut in 2004.Hilfenhaus watched Tendulkar caress a handful of memorable cover-drives throughout the display and the batsman started the middle session with a clever late cut against the same bowler. Another cover-drive, this time to Bollinger, was special enough for Tendulkar to punch gloves with Dravid, and then it was Hauritz’s turn to gape. A sweep from outside off went to square leg for four and Hauritz’s next ball was even wider, but it travelled to the rope at midwicket.

Smart Stats

• Mitchell Johnson’s 5 for 64 is his sixth five-for in 37 Tests, but his first in nine matches against India. His previous best against them had been 4 for 70 in Bangalore in 2008.

• This is the eighth time Sachin Tendulkar has entered the nineties in a Test and not gone on to a century. Only three batsmen have more nineties – Michael Slater (nine), Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid (ten each).

• The 124-run stand between Tendulkar and Suresh Raina was the 78th time Tendulkar was involved in a century partnership, which is third in the all-time list, behind Rahul Dravid (82) and Ricky Ponting (79).

• During the course of their 79-run stand, Tendulkar and Dravid became only the third pair, after Greenidge-Haynes and Hayden-Langer, to score 6000 partnership runs – they’ve scored 6076 in 120 innings at an average of 52.83.

• It’s also Tendulkar’s 22nd fifty-plus score against Australia in 30 Tests. Only Herbert Sutcliffe (24) and Jack Hobbs (27) have more.

• Of the 98 runs Tendulkar scored, 30 came in the cover region. Five of his 13 fours were scored through the covers.

Tendulkar was rarely rushed – a couple of thick edges fell short of the slips off Johnson – and after tea he allowed Raina to aim the bigger shots, although he charged Marcus North and hit over mid-off to go into the 90s. He was two short of his 49th century when he pushed across the line at a quicker ball from North and was lbw, walking off in a silent stadium. North could hardly believe his success in his first Test bowl against Tendulkar.Raina, who entered at No.5 due to VVS Laxman’s back problem, continued to impress in his third Test, adding to his previous scores of 120, 62 and 41 not out. Bollinger, finding some fire in the warm conditions, hit Raina on the shoulder early in his innings as the batsman turned his head away. He also survived a missed stumping on 48 and was almost taken at mid-off on 60 when the ball dropped just short of Johnson.In between he crunched boundaries on the up through the offside, collecting 14 fours from 128 balls, including a glance to bring up his half-century. There was a chance Raina would reach his hundred before stumps but he had to tone down when Johnson removed two team-mates and Hauritz bowled Zaheer Khan. The change in mood was terminal.The first two rewards of the day went to Bollinger (2 for 49), who bowled the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (18) and took care of Dravid. Hauritz also hung in after some punishment to finish off the innings with 2 for 116.Dravid seemed set for a big score until he pushed at one angling across him from Bollinger and was caught behind by Tim Paine. He had batted for almost half the day, nudging singles and punching boundaries in his watchful way, before the unexpected error ended his fourth-wicket stand of 79 with Tendulkar.The previous series against Sri Lanka was a poor one for Dravid – he got 95 runs in five matches – and this was his first Test half-century since January. However, he joined Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar and Raina in falling before reaching three figures, and keeping Australia in the game.

A classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan05-Nov-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsZulqarnain Haider carried Pakistan to another one-wicket victory and kept the series alive•AFP

A classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare. Zulqarnain Haider struck the winning run after just about managing to keep his head as everyone else lost theirs, and South Africa will be left to wonder how they let another match slip away.When Morne Morkel removed Abdul Razzaq in the 47th over, having also bagged Younis Khan for a measured 73, the game, and the series, was in South Africa’s grasp with Pakistan needing 31 off 23 balls, but again their bowling and fielding couldn’t cope under pressure. Graeme Smith, back leading the side after missing two matches with a hand injury, spilled a tough chance from Wahab Riaz and then Dale Steyn, who was playing his first international of the season, conceded 12 off the 48th over as two short balls were pulled past short fine-leg.South Africa messed up a chance to run out Wahab when Johan Botha produced a wild throw from the outfield as he came back for a third, then in the penultimate over another chance was missed when Morkel hurled the ball past the stumps from his follow through and two overthrows ensued. Amid all the drama, it left Pakistan needing four off the last over but a final twist seemed almost inevitable, and duly arrived when Wahab was finally run out.It meant Haider was on strike with three needed from three balls and he levelled the scores with a chip over midwicket as Parnell missed the chance to win the game for South Africa by failing to flick the ball into the stumps. The next delivery was short on leg and, after the manic scenes, it was a relatively calm nudge to square leg which sealed the result.It was breathless cricket, the third game in a row that had shown how much the 50-over game still has to offer. There was proper, conventional batsmanship from Younis and Smith, innovative striking from Botha, quality fast bowling from Morkel and Shoaib Akhtar and impressive spin played out in front of a crowd that grew after the sun had gone down.Chasing 275 was always going to be tough but this was a better surface than for the third game, which had been too slow to enable clean strokeplay. Younis, who only hit one boundary, was carrying his team into a winning position alongside Razzaq as the pair added 49 for the sixth wicket with the batting Powerplay still up their sleeve. It was the ideal combination to complete the chase – Younis’ calmness alongside the brute force of Razzaq – but Morkel removed Younis via an inside edge and two balls later Abdur Rehman was run out in a hopeless mix-up.Pakistan had been ahead, or within touching distance, of the asking rate throughout the chase but South Africa had kept chipping away. What made the final disintegration of their fielding so surprising was that it was shaping as the difference between the teams. Younis and Asad Shafiq added 56 for the third wicket before Shafiq was run out by a direct hit from mid-on by Wayne Parnell, then Shahid Afridi – who took three boundaries in an over off Steyn to kick-start the innings – was brilliantly caught at long-off by Parnell as he tried to launch Botha into the stands.Imran Farhat had fallen in the first over, trapped lbw from around the wicket by Morkel, but Mohammad Hafeez set a positive tone and latched onto the extra pace of Steyn, who returned after a lengthy absence. It was fascinating viewing as Steyn worked through the gears and Hafeez was winning the early battles with a string of boundaries.Steyn had his revenge when Hafeez tried to whip a straight delivery through the leg side and was comfortably leg before. Ultimately, though, his 10 overs cost 79 runs, the second most expensive analysis of his career, and questions will again be asked about how South Africa bowled in the closing overs, especially as Rusty Theron, who kept his nerve in the previous match, was left out.Smith had a far more productive return to action although his lay-off had only been two games after taking a blow on his hand in the opening encounter in Abu Dhabi. He was soon back in the grove and eased to a 57-ball half-century, adding 94 for the third wicket with de Villiers, who laboured against Pakistan’s spinners in a boundary-less 70-ball innings.Smith missed out on a hundred when he tried to work Hafeez through the leg side, and for a while South Africa lost momentum as Wahab put himself on a hat trick by yorking JP Duminy and David Miller. Botha responded with a string of clever boundaries, including two reverse sweeps off Hafeez and a brace of scoops over short fine-leg against Wahab. The impetus was back in South Africa’s camp, but it’s been impossible to predict the outcome in this series and this was to be another thriller to the end.

Pakistan A’s batsmen stonewalled throughout the fourth day to ensure that the second and final unofficial Test against West Indies A ended in a draw in Kingstown

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2010

ScorecardPakistan A’s batsmen stonewalled throughout the fourth day to ensure that the second and final unofficial Test against West Indies A ended in a draw in Kingstown. Starting the final morning only 26 runs ahead with seven wickets remaining, the overnight pair of Khurram Manzoor and captain Faisal Iqbal set the tone for the day, taking 74 balls to make 20 runs.Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel had Iqbal caught behind by Denesh Ramdin for 48, but Manzoor – who had made a century in the first innings – carried on for more than half the day. He was ultimately dismissed by legspinner Odean Brown for a marathon 85 off 295 deliveries. When wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed became the seventh man to be dismissed, Pakistan were only 87 runs in front. The two Yasirs, Arafat and Shah, ensured there would be no further stutters for Pakistan, as they batted out almost 22 overs in their unbeaten 59-run eighth-wicket partnership before the game was called off. Brown finished with 4 for 100.The first unofficial Test, which was marred by rain, was also drawn.

As the spot-fixing hearing got underway in Doha, Qatar, speculation began to mount around the defence the three Pakistani players are constructing and the divergence in them

Osman Samiuddin in Doha07-Jan-2011As the spot-fixing hearing got underway in Doha, Qatar, speculation began to mount around the defence the three Pakistani players are constructing and the divergence in them.The ICC and the three Pakistan players, who are facing charges of spot-fixing, made their opening statements on Thursday during a marathon seven-hour session at the Qatar Financial Centre civil and commercial courts.After that the ICC began unveiling the evidence that has been collected against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, believed to be a vast range of material including video footage and phone records; it is believed that this includes supporting evidence collected from the World Twenty20, held in the Caribbean last May before Pakistan’s tour to England.That process is expected to continue on Friday and is likely to include appearances from a number of witnesses called by the ICC over the next few days, including Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis. Mazher Mahmood, the News of the World journalist who broke the story, is also expected to appear as a witness and the newspaper’s evidence is expected to be significant.After that the players are expected to begin their defence and reported that in their opening statements, the trio had already assumed different stances over the no-balls that were allegedly bowled at the behest of Mazhar Majeed, their agent who appears on the video telling the undercover reporter exactly when they will be bowled. According to the BBC two players said they did not know why the no-balls were bowled, while one said he did it by mistake.The report prompted an ICC spokesman to stress that the information had not come from the world’s governing body; only the members of the tribunal, the players and lawyers and witnesses are allowed inside the court. “During this whole process there have been plenty of leaks but we can categorically confirm that none of them have come from the ICC.”Though difficult to confirm, this would tie-in with the build up to the hearings during which it has appeared increasingly likely the players may take different lines in their defence. Two of the three rejected a request by the PCB to have an observer from the board present during the hearings and the players have been staying separately in Doha.The players arrived separately in the morning on the first day and left the same way nearly eight hours later; Amir and Butt left soon after the day was over, but Asif stayed back for half an hour reviewing the proceedings with his lawyer Alex Cameron before leaving.