ECB demands clampdown on onselling of tickets

	Ashes tickets on offer on eBay ...the ECB has vowed to clamp down on such sales

The ECB is pressing for more stringent laws to tackle the selling-on of tickets, according to a report in the Guardian.

It is claimed the board has tracked down more than 1900 tickets on offer for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20, mainly on internet auction and ticket-resale sites. Warnings that people selling seats on this kind of website would be traced and also that tickets could be invalid has seemingly failed to deter people.

On one site today, prices varied from 1p as a starting price up to £725 for 16 seats to the tournament's final at Lord's on June 21. Supply, however, appeared to be outstripping demand. There was far greater interest in seats for the Ashes later in the summer, with tickets having sold out months ago.

The ECB has employed vigorous means to trace sellers and cancel tickets offered on such sites, writing to vendors and offering them a refund but also threatening to take them to court if they are found to have sold on the ticket.

The news is all part of an ongoing campaign by various sporting bodies, including the ECB, to force the government to tighten legislation governing the selling on of tickets. At present, some events, such as football matches, do have a higher level of legal protection.

Websites involved counter that the governing bodies ought to do more to control the initial sale of tickets, an argument dismissed by the ECB.

An eBay spokeswoman , quoted by the Guradian, said the ECB's own official exchange mechanism offered only limited resale. "Even if eBay were to agree to voluntary measures, these tickets would simply be sold elsewhere, either on the internet or on the streets, where there is less consumer protection for fans if there is a problem with the transaction."

Shoaib pulled from World Twenty20 squad

	Shoaib Akhtar will be re-assessed after 10 days

The PCB has withdrawn Shoaib Akhtar from the 15-man squad for next month's World Twenty20, saying - in an unusually revealing statement - that he had been diagnosed with genital viral warts. Rao Iftikhar Anjum's name has been sent to the ICC's technical committee by the PCB as a replacement.

Shoaib's participation had been in doubt after Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, said yesterday he hadn't recovered sufficiently from a skin infection to play the three practice games the Pakistan squad is playing in Lahore.

"Shoaib Akhtar has been withdrawn from the World Twenty20 squad and Rao's name has been sent to the ICC as a replacement," a board spokesman said on Thursday.

The PCB's unusually graphic press release said that a three-member medical panel appointed by the PCB had found that Shoaib was suffering from "genital viral warts and electrofulgration [a surgical procedure] was done on May 12, 2009."

The panel added that "his wound though healing needs further care and treatment for another minimum ten days for the purpose of healing and to achieve skin cover. The Medical Board further recommended his re-assessment after 10 days.

"In accordance with the above program his re-assessment will be carried out on 1st week of June, 2009.In view of the above, PCB has requested ICC Technical Committee for the replacement."

The condition had initially ruled Shoaib out of the training camp the team attended in Bhurban, a mountainous hill resort near Islamabad. At the time, Shoaib expressed confidence that he would recover in time.

Shoaib has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Questions were asked of his fitness levels during the five-ODI and one Twenty20 series; he failed to fulfill his quota of ten overs in any of the four ODIs he played and bowled only two overs in the Twenty20.

The latest episode is yet another blow to an injury and scandal ravaged career that has seen Shoaib play only 46 Tests out of the 96 Pakistan have played and 144 out of the 305 ODIs Pakistan have played since his debut in 1997-98. Shoaib missed the last World Twenty20 in South Africa when he was sent home after hitting teammate Mohammad Asif in a dressing room altercation.

Xavier Marshall recalled for World Twenty20

World Twenty20 2009

	The big-hitting Xavier Marshall finds a place in the World Twenty20 squad

Xavier Marshall, the Jamaica batsman, has been recalled to the West Indies side for the World Twenty20. His team-mate, the allrounder Dave Bernard who is currently part of the team trying to defend the Wisden Trophy in England, has also been picked for next month's tournament.

Chris Gayle leads the full-strength 15-man squad, with Denesh Ramdin as his deputy. The only player from the side that was selected for West Indies' previous Twenty20 (against England in Trinidad) to miss out is opener Devon Smith.

The explosive but inconsistent Marshall had been a part of the New Zealand tour late last year and also played the first Test against England in February before losing his place after an extended lean patch.

West Indies will be looking to improve on their poor showing in the inaugural World twenty20 in 2007, when they crashed out in the first round after losing matches to South Africa and Bangladesh. In this year's tournament in England, they are grouped with Australia and Sri Lanka in the first phase.

West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin (wk), Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard jnr., Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

PCB mulls dropping Ajmal from T20 squad

ICC World Twenty20 2009

	Saeed Ajmal may be dropped as a safety measure

The Pakistan Cricket Board is seriously considering withdrawing the offspinner Saeed Ajmal from the ICC World Twenty20 squad as they await the results of the tests done on his bowling action.

Ajmal's doosra was reported by the umpires during the second one-day international against Australia in Dubai last month but was allowed to continue bowling till an assessment of his action, done by the ICC's appointed biomechanist Bruce Elliott, is completed.

"Elliot is supposed to send a report based on the tests to the ICC in 14-days time maximum but he can do it earlier," Saleem Altaf, the PCB's chief operating officer, told Dawn. "So we are waiting to see what happens. But we are also pondering the possibility of pulling him out of the [Twenty20] World Championship and including a reserve player."

Ajmal and Shahid Afridi are the only two recognised spinners in the World Twenty20 squad.

Meanwhile, the PCB has asked Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam to submit the medical report on Shoaib Akhtar's skin infection, which forced the fast bowler to skip the high-altitude conditioning camp at a mountain resort in Bhurban. He was adviced at least 7-10 days of rest.

"We want to have a look at the medical report because players are supposed to attend the conditioning camp which is primarily meant to check their fitness and endurance levels ahead of the World Twenty20 Championship," Altaf said.

Shoaib was included in the squad despite a long history of breakdowns and fitness problems.

Flintoff expected to miss World Twenty20

ICC World Twenty20 2009

	Andrew Flintoff injured his knee at the IPL, and is now a doubt for the ICC World Twenty20

England could be forced to go into next month's ICC World Twenty20 without the services of their premier allrounder, Andrew Flintoff, after he revealed that he has yet to start running after undergoing surgery on a knee injury sustained during his brief stint at the IPL in April.

Flintoff was one of 15 players named in England's squad for the tournament, which starts at Lord's on June 5. But England could have to name a replacement if he cannot prove his fitness in the next three weeks. "I'd love to play in the Twenty20," he told Sky Sports, "but that might be too tight."

With the Ashes fast approaching in July, England desperately need Flintoff, 31, to be fully fit and firing before the arrival of the Australians. But despite his history of injury problems, which include a hip complaint that caused him to fly home midway through the tour of the Caribbean in March, he remains confident about recovering in time.

"I had an operation two weeks ago and I'm already off my crutches," he said. "The Ashes are a long way off - and I'll be fine for them."

England's Twenty20 captain, Paul Collingwood, conceded that the loss of Flintoff for the tournament would be a "huge blow", but felt sure that they would be able to make do without him.

"He's very much two players in one - as I've always said," said Collingwood. "But I think we've got quite a versatile squad with the players we've got in there. It would be a huge blow if he wasn't going to be fit, but we certainly have the players in the squad to overcome that in many ways."

Collingwood even raised the prospect of leaving Flintoff's place in the squad open for a late return, if he was able to recover in time. "Without Fred, it makes it very difficult to get the right balance between batters and bowlers in the final 11," he said Collingwood. "It's something we're going to have to gauge."

Siddons aims for Super Eights

World Twenty20 2009

	Mohammad Ashraful and Jamie Siddons want a performance to match their 2007 effort

Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, has said beating India and making it to the Super Eights were his team's main goals for next month's World Twenty20 in England. Bangladesh are in Group A along with India and Ireland in the initial phase, from which two teams progress to the Super Eights.

"Our target is to beat India in our first match which will confirm a place in the next round," Siddons told AFP ahead of his team's departure on Friday for the June 5-21 tournament. "We know India are the world champions in Twenty20 cricket. They have talented players. But if our top three players fire, we can beat them."

Bangladesh had qualified for the Super Eights in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 after they shocked West Indies by six wickets in their first game.

Siddons was also hopeful of going as far as the semi-finals if his side's key players - captain Mohammad Ashraful, opening batsman Tamim Iqbal, and allrounder Shakib Al Hasan - were on form. "They are the best players in the team," he said. "On their day, we can beat any top side in the world."

Bangladesh have been short of match practice, and the postponement of the home series against Pakistan means they have not played any international games since January. "We are going to England a week earlier than our competitors," he said. "We will play five practice matches, two of which are against Australia and New Zealand, so I hope our boys will acclimatise well to the English conditions."

Their first game is against India on June 6 at Trent Bridge.

Skin problem puts Shoaib in doubt for World Twenty20

World Twenty20 2009

	Shoaib Akhtar has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Shoaib Akhtar's participation in the World Twenty20 has come into doubt after a skin condition he developed last week failed to improve as was expected.

The skin infection ruled Shoaib out of the training camp the team attended in Bhurban, a mountainous hill resort near Islamabad. At the time, Shoaib expressed confidence that he would recover in time but a failure to do so has cast doubt over his place in the squad. Now, it will keep him out of the three practice matches planned between sides led by Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

"Shoaib will miss all three practice matches because of the condition," Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, told Cricinfo. "At this juncture I will not say anything more about his status in Pakistan's [15-man] squad for the World Cup but we will make an announcement on it tomorrow."

Shoaib has not trained since coming back from the series against Australia in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Questions were asked of his fitness levels during the five-ODI and one Twenty20 series; he failed to fulfill his quota of ten overs in any of the four ODIs he played and bowled only two overs in the Twenty20. He managed to pick up three wickets in the series and looked to be visibly suffering in the field and when bowling his second spells.

He was, however, still selected for the World Twenty20, Pakistan's team management expressing confidence in his ability to get fully fit for the tournament in England.

Shoaib's career, particularly of late, has been littered with fitness troubles. During the ODI series against Sri Lanka earlier in the year, then captain Shoaib Malik, openly questioned whether Shoaib was capable of lasting 50 overs in the field as a bowler and fielder.

The latest episode has also reportedly upset the board, who were less than pleased that Shoaib chose to get his treatment done by a doctor of his own choice and not, as policy states, a PCB-appointed one.