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After two tough days against England Lions, the Sri Lankans put up a better fight having been asked to follow on but still face the prospect of defeat ahead of the first Tes

Andrew McGlashan at Derby21-May-2011
Live scorecardTharanga Paranavitana joined his captain with a hundred to help the Sri Lankans into the lead•Getty Images

After two tough days against England Lions, the Sri Lankans put up a better fight having been asked to follow on but still face the prospect of defeat ahead of the first Test. Tillakaratne Dilshan led a much more convincing display with a brisk 117 in an opening stand of 200 with Tharanga Paranavitana who built a composed 125. However, the Lions chipped away and by the close had six wickets for their hard work with the tourists 165 ahead.Although a defeat wouldn’t be ideal, it is always important for a visiting team to have an in-form captain and Dilshan will be one of the most confident Sri Lanka batsmen. This innings followed his 123 against Middlesex, at Uxbridge, and he was above a run-a-ball for the majority of his stay. England’s bowlers will have to be on the spot straight away with the new ball otherwise an innings can get a head start with Dilshan’s attacking play.He was given a life on 95 when Samit Patel spilled a chance moving to his right at gully, the second catch he has spilled in the game, and in the next over Dilshan went to his hundred from 92 balls with a sparkling cover drive which he repeated next ball.He was eventually removed by Steven Finn, who bowled a superb eight-over spell during the afternoon session having been loose in the morning, with a delivery that climbed and brushed the glove. Dilshan doesn’t have a particular weakness against the short ball, but can expect to be bombarded in the Test series. He showed today, however, that although that line of attack may eventually work, it can be a very expensive tactic.Dilshan’s innings included a top-edged six that eluded fine leg, but enough balls flew to the boundary to show he wasn’t afraid of taking on bouncers. He also rarely played a shot with half measures so when edges flew over or between the slips they were travelling far too quickly for the fielders .On a bright and breezy morning there wasn’t as much help for the quick bowlers as there was on the cloudy second evening. Graham Onions beat the bat during his opening spell and Jade Dernbach, who impressed with 5 for 44 yesterday, almost made the breakthrough when Paranavitana drove short of point on 21. Later in the session Paranavitana slashed through the slips, again off Dernbach, but it was much harder work for the bowlers.It was an important performance from the opening pair, who put on 59 in the first innings before a collapse set in. Paranavitana is the more understated of the openers but a resolute character, who began his Test career with a first-ball duck and now averages 37.He is the perfect foil for the dashing Dilshan and the left-right combination means bowlers are always adjusting. He didn’t offer a chance although became a touch nervous as the hundred approached and was almost run out on 99 before reaching three figures with a cut off Patel.The Lions bowlers had to work hard for their success but slowly they began to arrive during the afternoon. Finn claimed a deserved second scalp when Kumar Sangakkara edged into leg stump for 17 meaning he’s had precious little time in the middle ahead of the first Test. Mahela Jayawardene looked in fine touch during his 26 but recieved a good ball from Ajmal Shahzad that beat his defence. Stuart Law, the Sri Lanka coach, has said he has no concerns over his experienced pair going into the Test series.Paranavitana’s five-hour stay came to a slightly limp end when he tamely drove to point off Bopara which left the Sri Lankans four down and less than a hundred ahead. Bopara’s bowling is one of the factors likely to sway Test selection in his favour so an extended run won’t have done him any harm.Dernbach struck his first blow of the innings when Dinesh Chandimal edged to first slip and James Hildreth held his second catch to remove Prasanna Jayawardene as Onions got one to nip away. Thilan Samaraweera proved a tough obstacle having been missed on 6 when Jonny Bairstow couldn’t complete a stumping and reached fifty from 87 balls. Suraj Randiv, who made 76 in the first innings, flicked a tough chance to Dernbach at leg slip on 14 and the pair took their stand to 42. It could yet be an intriguing final day.

Mexico beat Costa Rica by three wickets with more than 14 overs to spare in the opening game of the Americas Division Four tournament in Mexico City on Sunday

Tony Munro15-Jun-2010
ScorecardMexico beat Costa Rica by three wickets with more than 14 overs to spare in the opening game of the Americas Division Four tournament in Mexico City on Monday.This was despite the efforts of Man-of-the-Match, Ben Smith, who hit 104 from 127 balls to provide the base for Costa Rica’s 186 from 46.5 overs. Smith struck two sixes and 12 boundaries in his stay which lasted for all but the first four balls of the Costa Rican innings. Smith entered in the first over when Barry Ashworth was bowled, and flourished while all around him succumbed to Tushar Gupta (5 for 32) and Tarun Sharma (2 for 28 from 10 overs).At one stage, Costa Rica were 13 for 4 and then 41 for 5 before Richard Illingworth and Sam Arthur survived long enough with Smith to enable 34 for the sixth wicket and 47 for the seventh wicket to be added. Garth Tweedale (10) and David Crisp (11) were the only batsmen apart from Smith to reach double figures, however their contributions and 36 wides were enough for Costa Rica to reach 186 from 46.5 overs.Mexico began their run chase in an attacking mindset, notching 59 in nine overs before losing James Garrity who was bowled after hitting 34 in 30 balls including five fours. When Tarundeep Singh was caught by Ashworth for a solid 33, Mexico were 91 for 3 after 17 overs – on target in terms of run-rate but in need of a partnership of substance.That came from Tarun Sharma (45 from 58 balls including a six and four boundaries) who put on 51 with Theodore Wucherpfennig (14). Cameos from Hugh van Belle (14 from 13 balls) and Roger Sherman (23 from 21 balls) allowed Mexico to ease home with 14.5 overs to spare. Tim Baker was Costa Rica’s main wicket-taker, removing Mexico’s first three in returning 3 for 43.On Tuesday, Falkland Islands play their first match against Costa Rica.

A heroic rearguard effort from Greaves, Roach, and Hope ensured West Indies salvaged a thrilling draw after slipping to 72 for 4

Shashank Kishore06-Dec-20251:01

Chase: Roach is a modern-day legend

An epic stonewall from Justin Greaves had him face more than half the deliveries of his 12-Test career in this one innings alone, as West Indies pocketed their first points in their sixth Test of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle in Christchurch. The 163.3 overs they eventually faced is the longest fourth-innings in Tests for West Indies in 95 years.Having played the supporting role to Shai Hope through their 196-run stand that rescued West Indies from 92 for 4 on Day 3, Greaves became the heartbeat of the innings once Hope (140) and Tevin Imlach fell in quick succession.He brought up a stunning maiden Test double ton in the penultimate over when he sliced Jacob Duffy over backward point to pocket what was to be only his second boundary in all of the final session as his colleagues stood up to give him a standing ovation.Related

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He finished 202 not out, having faced 388 deliveries, turning an innings that began with the typical artistic flair and flamboyance into a steely knock full of purpose and grit. Greaves wore more blows on the body than he could count, batted more deliveries than he had in his career, and reined in his natural instincts with single-minded purpose and determination.His effort led to an astonishing turnaround from the first hour of the day, when West Indies stumbled to 277 for 6 in a mammoth chase of 531. A depleted New Zealand attack down to two weary frontline pacers in Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy, fancied their chances. But Greaves found an able ally in Kemar Roach, the 37-year-old veteran, who batted like his life depended on it in his comeback Test.Roach made 58 not out – his highest first-class score – while facing 233 deliveries himself. Astonishingly, he made just 5 off the last 104 deliveries he faced during a dramatic final two hours of play even as the sun baked down hard on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface. Yet that should not take away from the epic rearguard from Hope, Greaves, and Roach.The frustration of not being able to separate Greaves and Roach during the second and third sessions was evident, as New Zealand’s bowlers were ground into the dust. They would also have felt robbed when Roach appeared to have nicked Michael Bracewell to Tom Latham behind the stumps – though perhaps only having themselves to blame for burning all their reviews.Even so, it was the thinnest of spikes that made it all the more challenging for Alex Wharf, the on-field umpire, who only a few minutes earlier made a cracking decision by turning down what everyone believed was an obvious inside-edge onto the pad to the slips, again off Bracewell. Replays showed Wharf had made a terrific call.1:57

Latham: Can’t fault the effort when we were a couple of bowlers down

As admirably as Roach played, he also maximised his opportunities. On 30, he was put down by Foulkes at backward square leg when he attempted an expansive sweep off Bracewell. On 35, Blair Tickner, subbing for Matt Henry, missed a direct hit at the bowler’s end from a few yards away at short mid-on as Roach was misjudging a run.Then on 47 came the most obvious chance, when Roach attempted to loft Bracewell had him nearly hole out to mid-on. Except, Glenn Phillips, the other sub, saw Tickner looking to intercept the ball from mid-off and palm it away.With those three chances firmly behind him, Roach buckled down and offered a dead bat to anything that came his way against Bracewell. Foulkes and Duffy tried to ruffle him with the short ball from around the wicket, only for him to duck and weave.Going into the final session, it became increasingly evident West Indies weren’t going to be enticed by the prospect of chasing down the 132 runs they needed in 31 possible overs. This clarity allowed them to approach the session with dead defence being the sole primary aim, even as Greaves began to tire and suffer cramps that needed medical attention at different times.Not even the possibility of an impending double century enticed Greaves into attempting anything loose, even if Tom Latham gave him the open invitation to drive Bracewell against the turn through the covers. This wasn’t perhaps a risk not worth taking given how easily West Indies’ lower order collapsed in the first innings.But long before a draw became the only possibility, even as New Zealand tried to attack with six fielders around the bat in the final session, Hope and Greaves pocketed runs at every available opportunity as the hosts rushed through their first six overs with part-time spin in a bid to take the second new ball quickly.But even after they took it, there was hardly any assistance for the bowlers. Hope defended comfortably off a length with neither Foulkes nor Duffy consistently able to challenge the outside edge consistently. The occasional misfields, like – Rachin Ravindra letting one through his legs for four, or Will Young overrunning a throw while backing up – added to the sense of raggedness New Zealand had begun to feel.A breakthrough lifted them shortly after drinks when Duffy dug in a short ball down leg, which Hope gloved behind, only for Latham to throw himself to his left and pluck a stunner from his webbing to end a marathon. Then came a second when Imlach was trapped by a nip-backer.They may have thought then it was just a matter of time. It could’ve been had they not reprieved Roach, but those reprieves proved even more costly given they only had two fast bowlers and two part-timers available – all of them going full throttle to the limit – despite not getting much out of the surface.In the end, the manner in which West Indies earned the draw may prove far more valuable. Above all, it was a day that reminded everyone of the slow-burn magic only Test cricket could deliver.

The ODIs will be played in Bengaluru first, followed by the Test and T20Is in Chennai

ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-2024South Africa’s all-format women’s tour of India will begin with a three-match ODI series, then move to the one-off Test, and end with the three T20Is. The ODIs, as well as a one-day warm-up game for the visiting side against a Board President’s XI side, will be played in Bengaluru, while the rest of the games will take place in Chennai.As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier, the sequence – the T20Is being played at the end – is with a view to ensure continuity in formats ahead of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Bangladesh in September-October.After the warm-up game on June 13, the ODIs will be played on June 16, 19 and 23; the Test will run from June 28 to July 1; the T20Is will be played on July 5, 7 and 9.

South Africa tour of India

June 13: tour game vs Board President’s XI, Bengaluru
June 16: 1st ODI, Bengaluru
June 19: 2nd ODI, Bengaluru
June 23: 3rd ODI, Bengaluru
June 28 – July 1: One-off Test, Chennai
July 5: 1st T20I, Chennai
July 7: 2nd T20I, Chennai
July 9: 3rd T20I, Chennai

The one-off Test wasn’t part of the ICC’s FTP originally. It was added since BCCI and CSA have both been trying to promote women’s Tests of late. This will be India’s third Test in seven months, having played against England and Australia in December last year, both at home.South Africa, meanwhile, ended their eight-year hiatus from the format in England in June 2022 and subsequently played Australia in February in Perth.More recently, the BCCI also reintroduced a red-ball tournament in the women’s domestic calendar, hosting an inter-zonal competition – of five matches in total. The last time the BCCI had a red-ball tournament for its women cricketers was back in 2018.

Towhid Hridoy earned a maiden call-up by scoring over 400 runs in the BPL

Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2023Tamim Iqbal has returned to the Bangladesh ODI side to lead in the first two matches against England next month. Tamim had missed the ODI series against India in December because of a groin injury, with Liton Das leading the side to a 2-1 win.There were three inclusions in the side. Towhid Hridoy earned a maiden call-up while Taijul Islam returned to the side. Hridoy scored more than 400 runs in the BPL, which prompted his call-up, while Taijul is a like-for-like replacement for Nasum Ahmed, who was among the five players dropped.The others to be dropped were Yasir Ali, Anamul Haque, Nurul Hasan and Shoriful Islam.Anamul, who returned to the ODI side after four years against Zimbabwe in mid-2022, made only 33 runs in three innings against India. Yasir played just one game and scored 25. Nurul, meanwhile, didn’t play a single game in the India series.Among those who returned to the side, Tamim played most of the BPL matches for Khulna Tigers, but he missed the last few games to stay fit for the England games. Taijul played only three ODIs last year, taking a five-wicket haul against West Indies.”Towhid Hridoy has been doing well in the BPL,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said. “He was in our pool of potential players, and was part of the HP [High Performance] and Bangladesh A sides. Yasir remains in our thinking, as we plan to take another player in the squad. Nasum is being considered for another format, while we dropped Nurul and Shoriful due to form.”The three-match ODI series will start on March 1 in Dhaka and will be part of the ODI Super League. Those will be followed by as many T20Is from March 9 to 14.Bangladesh squad for England ODIs: Tamim Iqbal (capt), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain, Taijul Islam, Towhid Hridoy

Defending champions England will begin their campaign against Australia on March 5, while India meet Pakistan the following day

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2021Hosts New Zealand will face West Indies in the opening match of the Women’s ODI World Cup in Tauranga on March 4. Six-time winners Australia will meet defending champions England at Seddon Park in Hamilton the following day, while India, last edition’s runners-up, will face Pakistan in another marquee fixture in Tauranga on March 6.ICC confirmed that the 31 games will be played across 31 days, with the eight teams competing for the trophy. Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Wellington will be the six cities that will host the tournament. Christchurch will host the final on April 3.Related

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Like the previous edition, the tournament will be played in the league format, where each team will meet the other teams once. The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals, which will be played at Wellington and Christchurch on March 30 and 31 respectively. Both the semi-finals and the final will have a reserve day in place.Australia, England, South Africa and India qualified for the global event on the basis of their position in ICC Women’s Championship 2017-20 while New Zealand automatically qualified as hosts. After the World Cup qualifying event in Zimbabwe was called off due to the Covid-19 threat last month, Bangladesh, West Indies and Pakistan secured their places on the basis of their team ranking.This will be the first big women’s global event since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The last global women’s event played was the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia in March 2020, which the hosts won by beating India in the final.As a part of their preparation, India are scheduled to play five ODIs against hosts New Zealand before the World Cup.

Among recent cricketers to have received this honour are Yasir Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2020The late Abdul Qadir has been conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the third-highest civilian award in Pakistan, by president Arif Alvi on August 14, the country’s Independence Day.Qadir, who died last year, is often credited as the one who revived the art of legspin in the 1970s and 1980s. During his career, he took 236 wickets in 67 Tests and 132 in 104 ODIs. After his retirement, Qadir ran a private cricket academy just outside Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. He was also Pakistan’s chief selector for a period of six months in 2008-09.Sitara-e-Imtiaz is awarded to those individuals who have made a meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavours. Among recent cricketers to have received this honour are Yasir Shah (2019) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (2018).

Captain Gulbadin Naib also played a crucial hand, taking 6 for 43 – the third-best figures for Afghanistan in ODI cricket

The Report Deivarayan Muthu21-May-2019
Afghanistan shook off Sunday’s drubbing against Ireland and tuned up for the World Cup by levelling the two-match series in Belfast. Mohammad Shahzad led the way with a blistering century, showing off his range, before Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 60 off 33 balls vaulted Afghanistan to 305 for 7 – the highest total at the Civil Service Cricket Club. Ireland opener Paul Stirling peeled off his fourth successive score of fifty or more, but the rapidly rising asking rate was just too much to overcome for the hosts in their steep chase.The outfield was rather sluggish because of the wet weather over the past couple of days, but Shahzad’s batting was anything but. Shahzad set the scene for the day when he dashed down the track to the first ball and launched it over mid-on. Noor Ali Zadran, who was picked in place of Hazratullah Zazai, chipped seamer Mark Adair to mid-on in the fourth over, but the early dismissal of his opening partner did not hold Shahzad back.He unfurled a variety of shots – ranging from the helicopter shot to the good ol’ slog – and bent Ireland’s attack out of shape. Rahmat Shah’s solidity proved the ideal foil for Shahzad’s ferocity as the pair put on 150 for the second wicket at a run rate of 5.35.Shahzad was particularly severe on Adair and Barry McCarthy, hitting 48 runs off 32 balls from them. He reached his sixth ODI hundred off 85 balls when he eased Boyd Rankin to fine leg in the 31st over. Shahzad celebrated the landmark by placing his helmet on the bat and holding them aloft, Chris Gayle-style.Rahmat had needed 13 balls to get off the mark, but soon found his groove when Rankin offered up back-to-back leg-stump half-volleys in the 17th over. Both balls were put away for boundaries. He was also pretty fluent driving on the up through extra cover, but the partnership ended when Andy McBrine had him holing out for 62 in the 32nd over. In the same over, Shahzad, too, holed out, and then by the 41st over Afghanistan were 212 for 5.Rankin and Tim Murtagh then unleashed a short-ball barrage on Najibullah, but the batsman took them on and swatted them away like flies. He smoked three sixes, including one that sailed out of the ground and onto the road. Hashmatullah Shahidi pitched in with 47, helping Afghanistan ransack 93 in the last nine overs to breach 300.Ireland had picked an extra seamer in McCarthy at the expense of left-arm spinner George Dockrell, but three balls into his fourth over he sustained a knee injury and hobbled off the field. McCarthy did not return to bowl. Rankin gave Ireland another injury scare when Shahidi stuck him on his right knee with a drilled drive, but the quick recovered sufficiently to bowl his full quota of ten overs.In pursuit of 306, Ireland lost James McCollum early, but Stirling’s rich form and his 48-run stand with Andy Balbirnie gave the side some hope. However, captain Gulbadin Naib hit hard lengths and removed both batsmen to dent the chase. Naib then turned it into a full-blown collapse by scything through the middle order. By the end, Stirling, Balbirnie and wicketkeeper Gary Wilson were the only Ireland batsmen to get to 20 or more, and the hosts were dismissed for 179 in 41.2 overs.Fittingly, Naib sewed up the victory with 6 for 43 – the best figures by an Afghanistan seamer in ODI cricket. The new captain couldn’t have asked for a better lead up to the World Cup.

Karnataka defended 253 in the final against Saurashtra as Cheteshwar Pujara’s 94 off 127 balls could not see his side through

The Report by Sreshth Shah27-Feb-20180:59

Mayank Agarwal’s incredible run of domestic form

Mayank Agarwal’s rollicking form continued in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Saurashtra, as his 79-ball 90 set up Karnataka’s 41-run victory at Feroz Shah Kotla under the watchful eyes of India selectors MSK Prasad and Sarandeep Singh. The title was Karnataka’s third Vijay Hazare title win in five years as they defended 253 by bowling out Saurashtra for 212 in the 47th over. Captain Cheteshwar Pujara was the only Saurashtra batsman to cross 30 but his 94 off 127 balls could not take them close to the target.Agarwal, who missed out on selection for the T20 tri-series in Sri Lanka, increased his domestic season’s tally to 2141 runs with two games yet to go in the Deodhar Trophy, and three if Karnataka reach the final.Pujara opted to bowl in the day game, citing early morning moisture and Jaydev Unadkat’s return to the XI as reasons behind his decision. That choice gave Saurashtra early rewards as opener Karun Nair and No. 3 KL Rahul, who recently returned from South Africa, fell for ducks inside the first three overs. Shaurya Sanandia set Nair’s wicket up by bowling three outswingers first up before sliding an inswinger off the fourth ball of his over to burst through the Karnataka captain’s defense. Rahul fell seven balls later, guilty of running lazily while looking for a single.With Karnataka at 5 for 2, Agarwal combined once again with R Samarth (48) to rescue their innings. They added 136 runs in 131 balls to set up a solid base for a big finish, but a second collapse – wrapped up by offspinner Kamlesh Makvana’s four wickets – ensured Karnataka could not post a huge total. Once Agarwal holed out to long-off in the 25th over, Samarth was bowled for 48 in the next over and Stuart Binny fell for 5 soon after. No. 5 Pavan Deshpande contributed 49 and Shreyas Gopal scored 31 off 28 as Makvana took the last four wickets for 30 runs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Karnataka also struck with early wickets with their pace bowlers. Opener Samarth Vyas crunched two fours in the first over of the chase, but edged one to the keeper off the over’s final ball. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja was promoted from No. 11 to No. 3, but that experiment didn’t last long as he chopped one on and Saurashtra were 15 for 2 after 2.2 overs. Pujara came in at No. 4, one spot lower than usual to combine with opener Avi Barot (30).Barot’s solid 43-ball innings came to an end when he holed out to long-on off Binny, attempting to increase Saurashtra’s run rate. With Pujara consuming dots at the other end – being 7 off 34 balls at one point – the other Saurashtra batsmen, too, fell chasing the game as the run rate had dropped under four runs per over. First, Ravindra Jadeja – playing as a batsman due to a side strain – top-edged a slog sweep to mid-off, after which Prerak Mankad and Arpit Vasavada fell for ducks to offspinner K Gowtham, reducing them to 101 for 6.Pujara struck 10 fours and a six overall but his strike rate hovered in the 60s for the longest time. With Saurashtra needing 105 runs off the last 10 overs with only two wickets in hand, Pujara started freeing his arms. He and Makvana collected 30 runs off the 42nd and 43rd overs together, but it was too late.It didn’t help Saurashtra that Pujara was involved in two run-outs: first a mix-up causing Chirag Jani’s wicket before the captain fell to a rocket throw from Nair at mid-off. Pujara was the ninth man to go, and nine balls later, Prasidh Krishna knocked Sanandia’s leg stump as Karnataka began their celebrations.Karnataka were missing their frontline bowlers – Vinay Kumar out with an injury while Abhimanyu Mithun was unavailable – and yet their bowlers came through. Fielding a second-string bowling attack, their pacers Prasidh and T Pradeep kept things tight at the top, following which Gowtham strangled Saurashtra’s middle order. Both Prasidh and Gowtham took three wickets each. Left-arm quick S Aravind went wicketless but ended his Karnataka career on a high; the final was his last match for the state side because he wants to give more chances to younger players.Karnataka will play the Deodhar Trophy – that starts on March 4 in Dharamsala – along with India A and India B.

Vinod Rai, the chairman of the court-appointed committee that will oversee the BCCI till fresh elections are held, said the panel will have the role of a “nightwatchman”

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jan-2017Vinod Rai, the chairman of the court-appointed committee of administrators that will supervise the BCCI till fresh elections are held, has said that the panel will be serve as “very short and interim” body. Along with Rai, the Supreme Court of India appointed senior banker Vikram Limaye, former Indian women’s captain Diana Edulji and social historian Ramachandra Guha on the committee of administrators, which will run the BCCI through its chief executive officer Rahul Johri.Rai summarised the role the committee as that of a “nightwatchman” with the aim of putting in place the pillars of transparency and accountability in order to make the BCCI a professional organisation.”I look at it as a role of a nightwatchman, in the sense that [the committee’s job is] to enable a smooth transition from the BCCI as it is today into the BCCI being run by an elected body,” Rai told ESPNcricinfo. “And to put in place structures, systems which will ensure that BCCI is run with transparency and accountability. It is going to be a very short and interim body.”Although the court had assembled an “eminent” panel of administrators, Rai stressed that “we are not long-term administrators” of the game. “It needs to put in hands of the people of merit, people with competence, professionals,” he said.A civil servant from the 1972 batch of the Kerala cadre, Rai originally comes from Lucknow. He has been a civil servant for close to four decades, having worked for the federal government in various capacities. Between 2008 and 2013 May, Rai was the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Since his retirement, he has served in various facilitating roles with the government-run organisation. He is currently also chairman of the Banks’ Board Bureau, which is working on bringing in reforms in the banking sector.Rai said he was “biting his nails” on Sunday evening while watching Jasprit Bumrah help India edge out England in Nagpur to level the three-match T20 series. Rai played club cricket, but has never dealt with sports administration. Incidentally, this was not the first time the court has appointed Rai in an important advisory role.In 2014, the court asked Rai to prepare an audit report into the Sri Padmanabha Temple controversy in Thiruvananthapuram. In his findings, Rai noted financial irregularities and corruption among the temple authorities.In May 2016, Rai was part of the three-man committee appointed by the court to oversee the operations of the Medical Council of India. The brief for that committee was to arrest the corruption and decay prevalent in medical education and the profession in India. That committee was led by RM Lodha, the former Chief Justice of India, who is also chairman of the Lodha Committee.Rai said that since the court had already “entrusted” him previously with such responsibilities, he was confident about the handling this next challenge. He said the first task was to get acquainted with his panel members. He has already worked with Limaye, the banker on the four-member panel. “We will familiarise ourselves on the team firstly,” he said. “We will see what the BCCI administration is all about. We will study very closely the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. Then having sensitsed with all this, we will go about the tasks.”