Chanderpaul slam Windies Board

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has question WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire's comments regarding the lack of discipline and claim in the Windies team over the last decade. In a letter to the WICB (West Indies Cricket Board), Chanderpaul required a clarification from Hilaire regarding the explanation that he made next to the senior cricketers reproachful them of being disorderly and questioning their promise to the cause of the team.

The CEO during an meeting earlier with 'Line and Length network', while emphasizing upon West Indian cricket's bad run of affairs had said that lack of application and discipline over a continued period of time was accountable for their disaster.

"If you look at West Indies cricket since the mid-90s, a lot of the systems we had in place broke down. There's no regulation, there's no request. We've been doing that for 15 years and we've been losing.

"We need to put a new system in place. No one man is superior to the team, no one man is such a superstar he can decide if he is training on today, if he's going to have action tomorrow, if he's going to focus a team meeting. It cannot work that way," he said.

The left-hander has taken grave offence of the commentary and cautioned Hillarie about the "damage" he thought the meeting has done to his career.

"I must warn you that unless your explanation sufficiently deal with the matter and show them to be based on truth and free of malice, I will take whatever action necessary to clear my good name. While it would help if the WICB as an organization repudiate your comments in this regard, it would still not be enough to erase the wonderful damage already done," Chanderpaul was quoted as saying by 'Trinidad Express'.

The 36-year-old batsman, who along with Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle was drop from the nationwide team for the home sequence next to Pakistan after their World Cup disaster, claimed that statement has bring disgrace to him as an "international cricketer and loyal servant of West Indies cricket".

"I am convinced that those persons who do not know the sacrifices I have made on behalf of West Indies cricket and my dedication to the cause of West Indies cricket would believe, based on what you have said in interview, that I lack discipline and application and have not demonstrated the sense of responsibility which I know that I have shown throughout my career," Chanderpaul wrote in the letter.

The left hander also pointed to his "perfect standing for professionalism", saying that Hilaire had "cross the line by making these public accusation" that if left "recognized and (not) corrected may obliterate my career."

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Sehwag hail Fletcher appointment

Virender Sehwag reckon the BCCI did the right thing by appoint Duncan Fletcher India coach almost immediately after Gary Kirsten's departure. Sehwag reckon this will give the Zimbabwean sufficient time to settle down with the side.

"It's good for India. It's a good thing that the BCCI has found a substitute in quick time. It will noticeably help the players and the new coach to settle down early. He (Fletcher) will get sufficient time to do some home-work before our series next to England starts," Sehwag said.

Fletcher, a former England coach who guided them to the excellent 2005 Ashes victory, will not be able to join the Indians during next month's tour of the West Indies due to personal reasons but would be there when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men tour England later this year.

The former Zimbabwe captain's meeting has evoked mixed reaction with some former greats including Sunil Gavaskar insist that an Indian would have been a better choice. Asked whether he has had any communication with Fletcher, Sehwag just said, "No, I don't know him."

Sehwag's breach partner Gautam Gambhir, on the other hand, is not even thinking about the new coach right now as he is entirely focussed on his role as Kolkata Knight Riders skipper in the continuing Indian Premier League.

"Right now, my attentiveness and focus is totally on the IPL. I am not thoughts about all these things. I will only think about all this once the IPL ends," he said.

As Kirsten's successor, Fletcher has huge prospect to live upto as the friendly South African left after captivating India to their first ICC Cricket World Cup title in 28 years besides being at the helm during some of the most unforgettable overseas triumph of the team.

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Royal Challengers strike Pune by 26 runs

Bangalore script easy win against Pune

Royal Challengers Bangalore 181 for 4 (Kohli 67, Gayle 49, Thomas 2-23, Rahul 2-27) beat Pune Warriors 155 for 5 (Ryder 51, Yuvraj 41) by 26 runs

Virat Kohli's gusty 67 set up a 26-run triumph for Royal Challengers Bangalore over Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League on Friday. Chasing 182 for triumph, Pune made 155 for five appreciations to 51 off 34 balls from Jesse Ryder.

Earlier, batting first after losing the toss, Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan put on 57 in just over six overs previous to Rahul Sharma dismissed the pair in consecutive overs. Kohli and AB de Villiers then added 66 before Alfonso Thomas dismiss Villiers (26). Kohli reached his 50 off just 36 balls and then mutual with Saurabh Tiwary to hit three sixes and a four from Jerome Taylor's next over.

Kohli (67 off 42 balls) holed out in the cavernous off Thomas in the next over, but the Pune bowlers could not avoid Bangalore compile 181 for five. In reply, Pune failed to keep pace with the necessary run rate as Ryder's violent start was canceled by Tim Paine's struggle.

Paine was ultimately dismissed by Aravind Sreenath for eight off 17 balls as Pune limp to 63 for one at halfway. Ryder reach his half-century off just 32 balls, but almost immediately fell to Syed Mohammad after lifting one directly to mid-wicket.

Yuvraj Singh connected Manish Pandey with 103 necessary off 50 balls and soon saw Pandey (19 off 23 balls) dismissed by Daniel Vettori. Yuvraj and Robin Uthappa brought the condition down to 55 off 24 balls, but with Zaheer Khan dismiss Yuvraj (41 off 23 balls) in the next over, Bangalore's victory was a foregone finish.

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Rajasthan beat Mumbai by 7 wickets

Rajasthan Royals 95 for 3 (Botha 45*, Munaf 2-18) beat Mumbai Indians 94 for 8 (Botha 3-6, Amit 2-14, Menaria 2-20) by seven wickets

Johan Botha scored an easy 44 to back up his three-wicket pull as Rajasthan Royals clinch a seven-wicket triumph over table-topping Mumbai Indians in their in Jaipur.

All-rounder Botha helped restrict Mumbai to a worthless 94 for four, a total which the home side overhauls with 11 balls to spare. Batting first after losing the toss, Mumbai lost Davy Jacobs and Sachin Tendulkar in consecutive overs from Amit Singh and Ashok Menaria correspondingly.

Mumbai desirable Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma to build a partnership, but Menaria struck again by having Rayudu trapped and bowled in the ninth over. Rohit Sharma (13) was then snare by Shane Warne, who ended with figures of one for 13 off four overs.

Kieron Pollard and Andrew Symonds added 18 off 33 balls before the previous was attentive lbw by Botha, who go on to claim Symonds and Rajagopal Sathish in his next over. Singh then abridged Mumbai to 83 for eight by bowling Lasith Malinga. Ali Murtaza and Harbhajan Singh (10 not out) help the visitors finish on 94 for eight, their lowest total in the IPL.

In reply, Rajasthan overcome the near the beginning loss of Rahul Dravid - caught by Tendulkar off Munaf Patel - as Shane Watson and Botha took the team to 46 for one at halfway. But Malinga put an end to the 39-run place by forcing Watson (26) to play a short-pitched release which he edge to the wicketkeeper.

Ross Taylor joined Botha at 56 for two and the duo brings the condition down to 23 off the last five overs. Pollard and Malinga unsuccessful to pull off anything dramatic, but Patel manage to rattle the off-stump of Botha (44 off 39) before Taylor (13 not out) and Menaria scored the five runs wanted to post Rajasthan's 11th victory in 14 home IPL matches.

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