14 Tuesday 13th March, 2012 ICC backs accuracy of Gooch calls for young players to Virtual Eye technology WELLINGTON, New Zealand “We’ve looked at both decisions (AP) — The International Cricket (involving Kallis and Bracewell) and be educated to prevent spot-fixing Council has backed the accuracy of are 100 percent satisfied that ball track- technology used in the Decision Review ing provided is as accurate a result as BY DEREK PRINGLE System after its developer threatened to could have been achieved,” Richardson Graham Gooch, England’s batting withdraw it from the current New said. coach, has called the latest revelations Zealand-South Africa Test series “As far as we are concerned the into cricket corruption a “sad day” for because of criticism from players. majority of players are certainly in cricket, following claims that Indian South Africa all-rounder Jacques favor of using the DRS,” he said. “We bookmakers had subverted a broad spec- Kallis and New Zealand fast bowler have 100 percent support for its level of trum of players, including some from Doug Bracewell both questioned the accuracy and reliability. The way we county cricket, for the purposes of spot- accuracy of the Virtual Eye system use it is totally fit for purpose and we fixing. after decisions reviewed during the wanted to reassure Ian we support the “It’s very sad for the game that these first Test at Dunedin went against technology.” stories keep raising their ugly heads,” them. Richardson said examination of the said Gooch in Colombo ahead of Kallis said “99 percent” of interna- system over several years showed England’s forthcoming Test tour of Sri tional cricketers had doubts about the “more than 97 percent” reliability. Lanka. accuracy of the technology. But ICC “Bottom line is it’s going to be more “We want the game to be clean and a general manager of cricket and former consistent and accurate than the fair contest. The vast majority of crick- South Africa player Dave Richardson human eye,” he said. “To people who eters want to play an honest game, face said his organization had faith in its want to not have the DRS, my argument up to the challenge of the opposition reliability. is if we go back to not having it we are and give it their best shot. Ian Taylor, head of the New going to have a situation that’s worse “They want to know, if they win, that Zealand-based Animation Research than it is now.” they’ve given it their best and their company, had threatened to withhold Kallis and Bracewell’s complaints opponents have given it their best too. rights to the use the Virtual Eye tech- both concerned lbw decisions. In That’s what you play for.” nology for the second and third Tests of Bracewell’s case, the ball was judged to Gooch was Essex’s batting coach the New Zealand-South Africa series have pitched outside leg stump, which when Mervyn Westfield was at the club, because of player criticisms. He with- conflicted with immediate visual evi- so knows first hand the shock of being drew the threat on Monday when the dence that suggested the ball had close to someone caught out and pun- ICC restated its support for the system. pitched on the line of the stumps. ished for wrongdoing. England’s batting coach Graham Gooch in conversation with star batsman Kevin Westfield, along with three Pakistan Pietersen. England’s batsmen have been in Colombo for over a week now preparing for Test players, Salman Butt, Mohammad the two match Test series against Sri Lanka. Asif and Mohammad Amir, were all found guilty of spot-fixing and given jail Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Matt has emphasised how England need to Gray congratulates sentences, but Gooch feels prevention is Prior, have faced Monty Panesar, James bat smarter and more aggressively more preferable than prosecution. Tredwell and Samit Patel, even practis- against Asian spinners, while maintain- “Hopefully, there will be a lot better ing on the same square as the pitch for ing a solid defence. referee for decision education of young players in terms of the second Test. Some batsmen, like Bell, were found what players need to be wary of and on “Coming out here early is not a wanting in all three facets against Andy Gray finally seems to have Premier League title. their guard over,” Gooch added. response to losing 3-0 to Pakistan, so Pakistan though Gooch conceded that accepted that assistant referee Sian Manchester City thought they had “But we know in life, not just cricket we’re not calling them naughty boy the Decision Review System (DRS) had Massey does in fact know the offside salvaged a point when Micah Richards or sport, there are people who want to nets,” said Gooch. made things more difficult for today’s rule a year after the infamous sexism headed home in the 86th minute only get up to things that are reprehensible. “The fact is that English players batsmen. row which derailed his Sky career. for Massey to correctly disallow it for All we can do in cricket is try to put our need to become more accustomed to “The DRS has certainly put a differ- Gray, who alongside Richard Keys, offside. house in order.” playing spin in Asian conditions. We ent perspective on how you play spin made disparaging remarks about Moment after raising her flag to Gooch, whose role as batting coach play a lot of cricket against Asian bowlers. You need to adjust but I don’t Massey before a Premier League rule out the goal, “Sian Massey” was recently made full-time, came out teams, so this and recent Lion’s pro- think you should let it cloud your mind. match last January, have tweeted their became a top trend on Twitter as sup- with seven players a week earlier than grammes, are really geared towards It’s a challenge that’s here to stay.” support at a decision which could porters debated the flashpoint. the main squad in order to work on play- finding out how those teams operate in prove pivotal in the race for the ing spin better after England’s recent 3-0 home conditions.” (C) The Telegraph Group, Test defeat to Pakistan. A good player of spin bowling, Gooch London, 2012 Badminton championships ICL forced investigations in Moratuwa on Cairns to end A badminton championship organ- BY NICK HOULT with the players had been enough. ized by the Western Province Andrew Caldecott QC said to Beer Badminton Association (WPBA) in col- An anti-corruption officer told the “they did not want you digging around laboration with the Young Men’s High Court on Wednesday that he was did they.” He replied: “you could infer Christian Association (YMCA) will be informed there were “suggestions” that.” held on March 17 and 18 at the Chris Cairns was involved in fixing During Beer’s evidence it emerged Moratuwa YMCA premises, a release but his investigation was “hamstrung” that the only players to raise concerns from the WPBA states. by executives of the Indian Cricket about Cairns’s activity were Indian According to the release, singles League and all overseas cricketers playing in events will be held for players under the Howard Beer, a former Melbourne the ICL he contacted did not have any age of 11 and 13. Only players resident police officer who worked as anti-cor- evidence of him being involved in cor- in Western Province can contest the ruption officer at the ICL, revealed he ruption. tournament. had been told by Kiran More, the for- Beer said he was contacted by the More information about the tourna- mer India wicketkeeper and ICL board coach of the Mumbai Champs, Good call: Sian Massey has been congratulated for ruling out Micah Richards’s header ment can be obtained by calling member, that there were rumours Sandeep Patil, who said he “was not against Swansea Photo: ACTION IMAGES 0112648961 or 0718217056. (RN) Cairns was corrupt. happy” with events of the match on But Beer also told the court More Oct 13 and asked him to speak to his would not reveal his source and his team. Beer said Patil soon “mysteri- investigation into the incident was ously left the tournament”. India and Iran out of sight Patel says thwarted by the ICL. Nathan Astle, the former New “They had not been co-operative all Zealand player, captained the Mumbai England aiming to the way through,” Beer admitted on Champs and contacted Beer with as Sri Lanka placed fourth day three of Cairns’s libel trial against “huge concerns about chaps in his retain top ranking Lalit Modi. Beer was told by an ICL team”. AFC under 13 girls’ football Championship official a match between Chandigarh Beer admitted many of the Indian COLOMBO, Lions, captained by Cairns, and the players were interviewed in Hindi and BY CHATHURA PINNAWALA They’ll face Bhutan looking to get back Sri Lanka Mumbai Champs in Hyderabad on Oct he was unable to understand the testi- to winning ways today. (AP) — 13 was rigged. mony until he saw a translation. The destination of the AFC under- The tournament which will con- England test Beer wanted to talk to all players Beer contradicted Cairns’s evi- 13 girls’ football title could be decided clude on March 14 is being played in hopeful Samit and umpires involved in the match, dence that he was not present at the today as Iran meet India in a potential league format and is organized by Patel said but was told by his ICL bosses his pre- meeting when the former New Zealand decider on day four action at Police Asian Football Confederation.