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Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, has been announced as the first non-British President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and will take up his one-year post on October 1, 2019.Sangakkara’s nomination was announced by the current President, Anthony Wreford, at the MCC Annual General Meeting at Lord’s on Wednesday.”It is a huge honour to be named the next President of MCC and it is a role that I am thoroughly looking forward to,” Sangakkara said. “For me, MCC is the greatest cricket club in the world, with its global reach and continued progress for cricket on and off the pitch. The year 2020 is going to be yet another significant one in cricket, especially at Lord’s, and I am thrilled that I am going to be able to play a part in supporting its future as President of MCC.”Sangakkara is already heavily involved with the club, having delivered a powerful and memorable MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture in 2011, in which he touched on the power and importance of cricket in healing the wounds of civil war in his native Sri Lanka, and recounted his experience of the Lahore terror attack in 2009.In 2012, he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the club, and, in the same year, he joined MCC’s World Cricket committee and remains an active member.His connections with MCC go back a long way: he played against the Club in 2002, opening the batting for the touring Sri Lankans in a first-class match at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield. He also played for MCC against an International XI at Lord’s in the 2005 Tsunami Relief Match. Proceeds from that match were used by the Foundation of Goodness to set up the MCC Centre of Excellence at Seenigama in Sri Lanka.Sangakkara appears twice on the Honours Boards at Lord’s, having scored 147 in the drawn Test against England in 2014, and 112 in their ODI victory on the same tour, an achievement that earned him one of the inaugural placings on the new limited-overs boards that was unveiled earlier this year.Sangakkara’s year of office will begin on October 1, 2019 and will conclude on September 30, 2020. His tenure will encompass two England Tests against West Indies and Pakistan, and the launch of The Hundred competition.Wreford said: “As MCC looks to broaden both our horizons and international reputation, I’m delighted that Kumar has accepted the invitation, which he did in January this year, to be the next President of MCC. He is an outstanding individual both on and off the field and will make a huge contribution to the Club. In a World Cup and Ashes year he will also have a significant role to play as President Designate.”

Mark Taylor, the former Cricket Australia Board director, has admitted that a “grey area” remains about how long the national team was using illegal methods with which to alter the ball’s condition prior to the Newlands scandal that resulted in bans for Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.Former captain Smith, ex-deputy Warner and the opener Bancroft were all suspended under the CA code of conduct for their actions during the Cape Town Test, but the investigation commissioned by the CA Board and conducted by the then head of integrity Iain Roy was limited in scope to that Test match specifically, with no powers to look more deeply into the matter.Speaking on the one-year anniversary of the scandal, Taylor has conceded that these terms of reference have left questions lingering even as Smith, Warner and Bancroft have returned to the game and are all in the frame to be part of Australia’s tour of England this year, which includes both the World Cup and the Ashes.ALSO READ: The crisis that shook Australian cricket – Newlands ball-tampering, a year on“There was no probe into finding out how long it had been going on for,” Taylor told . “Was this the first time? There’s no doubt this ‘ball management’ has been going on for a long time, and I dare say every country is either doing it or working out how to do it, but there’s a line somewhere between ball management and ball tampering.”The grey area in all of this is how much of this ball management in the past was tampering and went unnoticed.”Looking at the underlying reasons for the scandal, Taylor said that the Australian team had become preoccupied with reverse swing to the exclusion of all other methods of getting the ball to move and bringing the bowlers into the game.”One of the reasons I think Australia fell into trouble in South Africa last year is because they got so fixated on reverse swing,” Taylor said. “They had three of the finest fast bowlers in world cricket, and 10 overs into a Test in South Africa they’re working on how to manage the ball to get it to reverse.”They got too carried away with reverse swing and forgot about orthodox, normal swing bowling that’s been around for 140 years.”Smith, Warner and their Newlands team-mates, including the now captain Tim Paine and the fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins can expect plenty of further questions about the scandal from the moment they arrive in England ahead of the World Cup in May.

India captain Virat Kohli spoke of the specific challenges to overcome as the team hits the final stretch before the World Cup in May. Among them, he said, was the lack of ODIs India have scheduled.As things stand, India will play their last international series before the World Cup – two T20Is and five ODIs – against Australia over the next few weeks, before the IPL season starts on March 23. While stating that game-time was important and that India would try to use the situations in the T20Is to gain confidence, Kohli said more ODIs would have been logical.

“We stick by what the nation wants to do”

Firstly, all our sincere condolences to the families of all the soldiers who lost their lives. The Indian team and the whole set-up was shocked with what happened and are really sad with what happened. Our stand is simple: we stick by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI decides to do. That is basically our opinion. Whatever the government and the board decide, we will go by that and we will respect that. That is our stand on the issue.

“Yeah, that [a few more ODIs] would have been ideal. More, I would say logical,” Kohli said on the eve of the first T20I in Visakhapatnam. “But you know that’s the way series are compiled nowadays and we have to more or less play that. Also because we are playing so much T20 cricket in the IPL so probably a couple of more ODIs would have been more beneficial. For both the teams, not just us. But look, we have to utilise what’s in front of us as best as possible. We’re going to look to get into the right kind of frame of mind as a team.”Getting into the right frame will be particularly tricky for India because of the unrelenting amount of T20 games coming their way. All other boards would have finished their respective T20 leagues by the time IPL begins and while the tournament will feature some of the world ‘s top cricketers, most will not have the workloads of India’s cricketers because of the IPL’s rules for team composition. In essence, the Indian players will go into the World Cup having done more effort than most to be prepared – a prospect Kohli spelled out for them.”All the people who are going to be part of the World Cup squad, they have to make sure that their games don’t go too much away from the one-day mould of things. That means we will have to be very wary of the bad habits that might creep in during the IPL. We need 15 people who are confident and mentally happy about where their game is at that particular moment,” Kohli said.”That will take a consistent effort from all the players during the IPL to keep a check on that. The moment we enter the nets and create bad habits, and you lose momentum, you lose batting form, it is very difficult to get it back in a tournament like the World Cup. So from that point of view, everyone will have to protect that mindset and be aligned towards what the team requires of them.”One of the reasons for India’s recent success has been their squad depth, which routinely allows them to rest senior players. Kohli himself last played in a T20I in November 2018, as did Jasprit Bumrah, and India have in the past shown no qualms in dropping a multitude of big names. For instance, in the Nidahas Trophy that was held ahead of the IPL last year, they left out Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, MS Dhoni, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav. The squads to play Australia, however, are more or less full strength and slightly off brand for a board that is big on workload management. This could potentially mean handing over workload management duties to the players themselves, along with their IPL franchises.”Again, the amount you practice, with the amount of travel during the IPL and the number of games in different conditions, in different temperatures, it is going to be challenging, to be honest. But as a cricketer, you have to map out how many practice sessions you really need. If you are hitting the ball well, there is no need to go to a practice session and tire yourself out for three hours, whereas you can utilise that particular phase to rest and recover even more.”I think those things need to be kept in mind. If your team is in a great position during the tournament, you don’t mind taking 2-3 games off also,” Kohli said. “It all depends on how you feel physically but everyone has to be really honest about it to themselves and accordingly see how they feel and not push themselves to the limit that might hamper the Indian team later on. I think we will all have to take responsibility for that.”With the Indian summer steadily creeping in, and seven matches to come over 17 days, their responsibilities have already begun.

Dipendra Singh Airee spared Nepal’s blushes with an unbeaten 47 as Nepal snuck past UAE by four wickets in a low-scoring thriller at ICC Academy in Dubai.Dipendra helped rescue the side after a top-order collapse left Nepal at 46 for 5 in the 11th over chasing a target of 108. But a crucial 55-run stand with Pawan Sarraf took the game into the final over. Sarraf fell off the first ball of the 20th, caught at long-on, but Dipendra crossed with the ball in the air to be on strike for the following delivery. He promptly drove the bowler Zahoor Khan for six down the ground to level the scores before a slash over backward point clinched victory with three balls to spare in front of 1000 roaring Nepalese supporters.Victory seemed assured for Nepal at the innings break but they nearly threw away the opportunity to level the series with several loose shots. Captain Paras Khadka miscued a drive to cover point off the second ball of the chase to fall for a golden duck to Mohammad Naveed. Pradeep Airee then cut Amir Hayat to the same region in the following over to make it 9 for 2.Vice-captain Gyanendra Malla fell defending down the wrong line to left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed before two more sloppy dismissals put Nepal in a further hole. Karan KC, promoted to No. 3 as a pinch-hitter, did a reasonable job clubbing two fours and a six to reach 20 before he was bowled slogging Imran Haider’s legspin. Sundeep Jora, who had scored his maiden half-century on T20I debut a day earlier, drove Sultan to long-on for 1 on the first ball of the 11th to put half of Nepal’s line-up back in the dugout.But Dipendra held firm and found a willing ally in Sarraf. UAE had an opportunity to break the stand at 59 for 5 in the 14th when Sarraf turned down a single to backward point, but a rushed throw missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end by a long way with Dipendra still five yards short. On 15 at the time, UAE paid dearly as Dipendra saw Nepal home.The low target for Nepal was set up after another exceptional bowling effort spearheaded by Sompal Kami. The fast bowler struck twice in the space of four balls in his opening two overs, getting Ashfaq Ahmed to sky a catch to Malla running in from mid-off before Ghulam Shabber’s attempted cut resulted in a caught behind.Sandeep Lamichhane was on a hat-trick after striking on the final two balls of the Powerplay, getting Shaiman Anwar driving to point before Muhammad Usman edged his first ball to slip to make it 35 for 4. Seamer Abinash Bohara also produced a solid spell with his whippy action to take three wickets in the middle overs to keep UAE pinned back. Opener CP Rizwan battled until the 19th over to make 44 off 43 balls, but only two others reached double-figures for UAE.The two sides play the third and final match of the series at ICC Academy on Sunday.

Sarfaraz Ahmed is unhappy that his on-field remarks to Andile Phehlukwayo were turned into “a bigger deal than it was”. Addressing the press for the first time since returning to Pakistan after the ICC imposed a four-match ban on him, Sarfaraz claimed that Phehlukwayo had not considered his remarks racist, and was more offended at what he initially perceived as a comment about his mother.”When I went to say sorry to Andile for using the word [, meaning ‘black’], he was more offended by my reference to his mother, saying I had used inappropriate language about her,” Sarfaraz said in Karachi. “In the media, the word ‘black’ was highlighted to suggest that I had said a racist thing, but I explained the context to him.”I’m sitting here as Pakistan captain – and for that matter any player playing for Pakistan – thanks to the prayers of their mothers. So I explained I used the world black, which I apologise for, but I insisted I had not said anything offensive about his mother.ALSO READ: ‘Bureaucracy over common sense’ Mani lashes out at Sarfaraz’s ban“Then we gave him an example from our Islamic tradition, and their team manager [Mohammed] Moosajee [also a Muslim] agreed with what I was saying. So the whole controversy was created by the word, and if people had looked at the context, there was nothing in it. It was just that word, and as you know in our society, it sometimes gets inadvertently used. So yes, I made a mistake, and that was that.”I just want to make it clear that a huge issue was created out of one word. I never wanted to say something racist to him or taunt him in that way.”The incident in question took place during the 37th over of South Africa’s chase in the second ODI in Durban. Sarfaraz was clearly heard on the stump mic telling Phehlukwayo in Urdu: “?”Literally translated, that means: “Hey, black guy, where’s your mother sitting today? What [prayer] have you got her to say for you today?”Phehlukwayo had indeed enjoyed some good fortune after having arrived at the crease with South Africa in the mire at 80 for 5. He went on to remain unbeaten on 69, helping South Africa win the game and taking home the Man-of-the-Match award. Sarfaraz issued an apology on Twitter soon after, addressing no one in particular but “to any person who may have taken offence from my expression of frustration”.The ICC then launched an investigation into the remark, even as Sarfaraz met Phehlukwayo in person, posting a photograph of the pair shaking hands and thanking the South African for “graciously accepting” his apology.ALSO READ: How to apologise: a primer for cricketersHe was, however, banned for the last two ODIs of the series, which South Africa went on to win 3-2, and the first two matches of the subsequent T20I series.Shoaib Malik has since been installed as the stand-in captain, and with increasing speculation about Pakistan’s captain at the World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board has had to clarify that it would be appointing captains on a “series-by-series basis” – perhaps not the ringing endorsement the captain of two years expected.Sarfaraz, however, said there was no rift between him and Malik, and the players were happy with whoever the captain was.”There is no truth to the claim people who play under Shoaib bhai don’t want to play under me. All the boys are very good and support each other. I don’t think there’s anything about that,” he said.”I’m hopeful and expectant of a comeback. I came back because I had a four-match ban, and there was just one more match after that. So travelling with the team all that while and not playing, what with me having been away from home for five months, was very hectic. If I had come back with the team and got just three days here before going for the PSL [Pakistan Super League], that would have been very hectic. So getting the rest instead was much better.”Asked for his reaction on the PCB expressing disappointment at his ban and saying that it would pursue the matter with the ICC “with the objective to bring reforms to the code”, Sarfaraz chose not to be drawn into the discussion. “The PCB knows what stance to best take. I had made a mistake and so I admitted to it,” he said.

How the game played outA bad start quickly turned ugly for Comilla Victorians, who failed to adjust after a wonky Powerplay on the way to being bowled out for the fourth lowest first-innings total in six editions of the Bangladesh Premier League. Rangpur Riders are now responsible for dishing out three of the four worst maulings, and on this occasion it was their captain who meted out the heaviest punishment.Mashrafe Mortaza backed up his decision to field first at the toss by striking thrice in his first three overs to put Comilla under heavy pressure. Rather than hold one of his overs back for the end of the innings, Mashrafe opted to go for the jugular of Comilla’s lineup. It paid off as he claimed his opposite number Steven Smith in the seventh, capping off an unbroken four-over spell with a wicket-maiden to leave Comilla reeling at 18 for 5. Rangpur never let up.Turning points

• Ravi Bopara’s sensational over the shoulder catch sprinting back from point to dismiss Imrul Kayes in the fifth showed Rangpur were on top of their game
• Shahid Afridi kept Comilla’s faint pulse going at the crease but two balls after surviving a chance at long-on spilled over the rope for six, he failed to make the most of a second life and slashed a catch to Chris Gayle at short third man
• Nazmul Islam pulled out his imaginary bow and arrow to shoot out the tail with three wickets, ensuring Mashrafe’s spell wasn’t wasted

Star of the dayNo looking past Mashrafe. After his recent success on the political campaign trail, he turned in his T20 career-best, claiming a who’s who of domestic and foreign stars: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Evin Lewis and Smith. Tamim fell on a flat drive to mid-on while the other three perished miscuing skied drives, indicative of a slightly stop-start pitch.The big missRangpur’s only major misfire on the day was a comical one as Sohag Gazi demanded Mashrafe burn their only review in the fourth over for a supposed lbw appeal on a quicker ball that hurried Lewis off the back foot. Replays showed Lewis smashing the ball straight out of the middle of the bat to cover.Where the teams standRangpur join Dhaka Dynamites at the top of the table on four points, although they have played one more match than Dhaka. Comilla sit even with Chittagong Vikings in third place with two points, though Vikings have a game in hand.

Colin Graves has been named as the new chairman of the ICC’s financial affairs committee.The role, which oversees the board’s billion-dollar revenues from rights deals as well as the distribution of profits from global tournaments, is one of the most influential within the game’s governing body.It also offers Graves a potential next step as an administrator for when his turbulent term as ECB chairman ends in May 2020.His popularity within English cricket has waned amid controversy about the impending launch of the board’s new Hundred competition, while two directors recently resigned from the ECB board citing their dissatisfaction with his style of leadership.It remains to be seen whether he will seek re-election at the ECB, and if not, then the ICC role could be a logical next step if he wishes to stay within the game.Manohar, the ICC’s first independent chairman, was re-elected last year for a second two-year term which ends in 2020.Giles Clarke, Graves’ predecessor as ECB chairman, also held the financial affairs role at the ICC, but failed to gain enough support to mount a bid to become ICC chairman.

Rangana Herath, the most-successful left-arm bowler in Test history, will retire after the first Test in Galle, having told the selectors that he is reluctant to play through an entire three-Test series.Galle is a sentimental venue for Herath – not only did he make his Test debut there in 1999, he also needs only one more wicket to join Muttiah Muralitharan in having taken 100 wickets at the ground. It was at this venue that Herath also reignited his career at the age of 31, taking five wickets in a Test against Pakistan in 2009, after having been suddenly called up to the Test side while he was playing league cricket in England.Herath, 40, has not played a complete three-Test series since January 2017, having since left two India series early due to injury, before playing no more than one of the three Tests in West Indies in June this year. Herath has had to manage knee injuries for several years now; the strain of carrying Sri Lanka’s spin attack since the retirement of Muralitharan is understood to have caught up to him.His retirement will leave a substantial hole in the Sri Lanka side, with offspinner Dilruwan Perera likeliest to replace him as leader of the spin attack, for the remainder of the England series at least. Sri Lanka also have three other spinners in the squad: all-sorts offspinner Akila Dananjaya, left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, and left-arm orthodox bowler Malinda Pushpakumara. Of the remaining spinners only Dilruwan has played more than 10 Tests, however.A beloved figure across the island, Herath’s retirement will also bring to an end one of the most remarkable careers in modern cricket. Not only is he the 10th most successful Test bowler in history with 430 wickets, all but 36 of those dismissals came after he had turned 31, with Herath having struggled to maintain a place in the Test side in the first decade of his career. No bowler has also taken as many as his 230 wickets after turning 35. If he takes five wickets in his final Test, he could move up to seventh on the all-time list, passing Richard Hadlee (431 wickets), Stuart Broad (433) and Kapil Dev (434).Herath is also the last active Test cricketer to have made his debut in the 1990s.The Galle Test begins on November 6.