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Veerasammy Permaul, the Guyana left-arm spinner, is the only new face in the 15-man West Indies squad for the two Tests in Bangladesh next month. He has led and performed for the A team throughout 2012, on top of an impressive first-class record.Permaul, 23, recently troubled the Bangladesh batsmen during the West Indies High Performance Centre’s tour, taking 12 wickets in the two four-day games. He has played 45 first-class matches since his debut as a 17-year-old and taken 152 wickets at 24.59. He will play the role of secondary spinner to Sunil Narine, who made a huge impact against New Zealand – his first home Test series.The selectors dropped Adrian Barath and Fidel Edwards from the squad that was picked for the second Test against New Zealand in August.*Those recalled include Darren Bravo, who missed the New Zealand series due to injury, and Kirk Edwards, who gets a recall after he lost his place in the third and final Test against England. The squad includes ten players who toured Bangladesh last year, when West Indies had won the Test and ODI series, but lost the tour-opening Twenty20 international.West Indies have won two out of eight Test matches this year, which includes the series win over New Zealand at home. It will be Bangladesh’s first Test series this year. The two Tests, five ODIs and one Twenty20 International on the tour are scheduled between November 3 and December 12.Squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Denesh Ramdin (vice-capt), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Kirk Edwards, Assad Fudadin, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieran Powell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels* 14 October, 10.20am GMT This article had incorrectly stated that there were only two out-and-out fast bowlers in the squad

The Pakistan cricket team’s tour of New Zealand, did not take a bright start. Instead the boys gave the team management, the planners at the Pakistan cricket Board (PCB), and the cricket lovers back home, lot of anxious moments culminating into the tension of an unbearable velocity. For no justifiable reasons their prowess and performance slumped to unimaginable depths.Alternating victory and defeat in the One-day internationals ultimately losing the last one, after having piled up almost a winning total of 285 runs, was one of the most miserable showdowns of Pakistan’s cricket history. As it was not enough, there came a shameful defeat by an innings, at the hands of a junior team in a side match. No doubt, the team deserved to be relegated from the 4th to 6th position in the international ranking.Ups and downs may be a part of the game but such a steep fall by an outfit comprising of a galaxy of super stars and some very brilliant youngsters was, neither normal nor easy to be relished by those whose heart and soul is submersed in the depths of Pakistan’s cricket. The reasons almost shrouded in mystery, have to be identified from alleged `rift in the team’ vehemently denied by the PCB and the usual fairy tale of `players plagued with injuries’.Considering the choice between not challenging the integrity of the Board and the quality of team’s management on one side and the `volcanic conditions’ that the team may perhaps be facing on an apparently easy looking tour on the other, one has to draw his own conclusions. One thing is, however, sure that such a wholesale change in the team never took place before.Whatever the reasons, the system requires suitable changes and reforms. Half the team declaring itself physically unfit all of a sudden, is not normal nor is the award of test caps to 4 youngsters in a match, how brilliant they may be. Such a drastic move can upset the balance of a team. The upcoming youngsters are inducted in the side in ones and twos and not in hordes. Similarly the seniors-turned super stars are the `treasure chest’ of our cricket. They neither deserve to be discarded in lump sum nor in unprecedented haste.There are instances when some outstanding cricketers were discarded and ultimately destroyed at the altar of some one’s ego. The same is true for many talented youngsters who were exposed to the hazards of international cricket too prematurely and were lost to the game forever. If we are lucky in possessing talent in abundance, we are too liberal in wasting it too. A sensible-cum-justifiable balance needs to be maintained.The induction of youngsters has surely given a good start to Pakistan’s team in the 1st test at Auckland but the effects of their performance will only be known at the end of the 5th day. Though the team lost 2 wickets with only 52 runs on the board, the unbeaten 5th wicket stand of 132 runs between Younis Khan (91*) and Faisal Iqbal (42*) that brought up the first day’s yield to 270 for 4 was certainly a very impressive finish. The way young Younis Khan is exercising command on the situation, notwithstanding the two vital chances that he offered, he seems to be destined for his 3rd century in test cricket.Playing on a portable pitch is a unique experience for the Pakistan team. Kerry Packer was perhaps the exponent of lifting the turf from one site and installing it at the other as a part of his World Series Cricket a quarter century ago. The behavior of the track at Auckland so far, indicates that the system is working wonders even today. Appearing to be a batting track, if the two teams are successful in mounting big totals, the test will end up in a draw.Though Imran Farhat (23 in 68 balls) and Misbah-ul-Haq (28 in 88 balls) played subdued innings, Yousuf Youhana scored a brilliant 51 in 67 balls. The youngsters making a debut in test cricket had to be cautious, especially in view of the unknown behavior of the pitch. Except for Daryl Tuffey, the other bowlers did not pose much of a problem to the batsmen.With perhaps too much of international cricket played at Auckland, the spectators appeared to have disappeared in the wilderness of other activities. Still the venue produced enjoyable cricket for those present at the ground and the millions who saw the game on television. Unless a collapse occurs and provided Younis Khan continues his belligerent run spree, Pakistan is likely to end up with a big 1st innings total.

ScorecardGetty Images

Yorkshire lived a little in Cardiff, qualifying for the Champions League in South Africa next month as losing finalists on Friends Life T20 finals day. But at Scarborough their attention turned to more serious matters – their desperation to secure a return to the First Division of the Championship that remains far from assured.It is a result pitch – and with Gloucestershire 9 for 4 early on the first morning, Yorkshire seemed to have had a result. But by stumps on the first day, the position was not as clear as Yorkshire, in third place behind Derbyshire, their supposedly inferior neighbours, and Hampshire, their conquerors on t20 finals day, would have liked it to be.On a day when no batsman could confidently tell himself he was in, with the ball swinging and seaming in the first and last hours when the balls were new, and Azeem Rafiq extracting some turn during a mammoth spell of off spin bowling, the rewards went to two Gloucestershire players who batted with enterprise and dash.When Will Gidman joined Ian Cockbain, Yorkshire’s fast bowlers were rampant. They set about restoring some order to the innings, and by the time Cockbain was dismissed for 30 in the third over after lunch they had added 65 runs and Gloucestershire, while by no means comfortable, had a platform on which to build. Gidman, playing with excellent timing on both sides of the wicket, went on to reach 47 before being excellently taken at second slip by Adam Lyth off Moin Ashraf, the obsessive yorker bowler of Cardiff.The second batsman to take the initiative to Yorkshire was Jack Taylor, 20 years old and coming in at No 9. He attacked immediately, mixing the classically straight with the agriculturally robust, and fell one short of his second first-class 50 when Azeem Rafiq took a very sharp return catch. His partner Jon Batty had contributed two to a partnership of 56.The day began with Steven Patterson charging in from the Trafalgar Square End and taking three wickets in his first five overs. Benny Howell was bowled playing no shot, Dan Housego edged to Adam Lyth at second slip, and Hamish Marshall was lbw. Moin Ashraf then chipped in with the wicket of Hamish Marshall, caught low to his right by Yorkshire’s on-loan wicketkeeper from Sussex, Andy Hodd.Half an hour before lunch, with the pitch calming and Cockbain and Gidman establishing themselves, Yorkshire turned to spin. Rafiq began an unbroken spell at the Pavilion End until the close of innings after tea. He bowled 28 overs of accurate off spin, finishing with 3 for 85. His figures would have been even more impressive had not Anthony Ireland taken Batty’s dismissal as the cue to swing the bat. There were two fours and a six in his 25 not out, and together with Liam Norwell he put on 36 runs for the last wicket.Yorkshire’s innings began almost as disastrously as Gloucestershire’s. Adam Lyth nicked the second ball of the innings from Gidman to wicketkeeper Batty, and off the next ball Phil Jaques was dropped by Jack Taylor at cover.Joe Root, who along with Gary Ballance had been awarded his county cap before the start of play, was dropped twice within the space of a few balls. Batty spilled a straightforward chance off Liam Norwell, then Benny Howell a more difficult one at first slip off Gidman.Gidman had some compensation when Jacques edged a seaming ball to Batty, but then Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale joined Root and they batted purposefully for the last nine overs of the day, adding 45 undefeated runs and leaving Yorkshire in a position, they hope, to build the sort of first-innings lead that will invigorate that promotion need.

ScorecardMarcus Trescothick has endured a difficult summer•PA Photos

There is a growing sense at Taunton that change is inevitable. They are agonising over it in the committee rooms and rueing the fact in pubs across the county. At the centre of the discussions is the future of Marcus Trescothick, one of county cricket’s most treasured figures. He might have skippered Somerset to a cupboard full of one-day trophies. Instead, he is in the middle of a relegation battle.Doing the right thing for Marcus is the phrase which repeatedly occurs. Somerset continue to hope that he will play until his 40th birthday, an ambition he expressed soon after ending his England career to control a stress-related disorder, but after four years it might be beneficial for all concerned for him to hand over the captaincy. He has served his time. Let him wind down quietly, biff some fours, leave wider concerns to others.He will not be short of suggestions. Somerset are committed to a supportive transition and it would be no surprise if England offered him a role while his playing career continues: he would make a good talent scout, perhaps even a selector as a player still actively in touch with the game. He suffered his stress-related ailment playing for England and, as one of the most popular players of his generation to have worn the England shirt, cricket will not be blind to its responsibilities.It is conceivable that county cricket is discussed in Somerset pubs more than in any other county in the land. (That includes Yorkshire where people normally begin by discussing the price of a pint). Eavesdrop in pubs and you tend to get pub talk, but when the word “debacle” was used to describe Somerset’s defeat against Nottinghamshire in the Yorkshire Bank 40 semi-final at Trent Bridge on Monday night and it seemed an appropriate charge.Add further disappointment this season in the Friends Life t20 quarter-final and the realisation is dawning that Trescothick’s fine Somerset side is reaching the end of the line and will never secure the titles it deserved.Instead, Trescothick stands at slip and tries to marshal an escape from the Championship’s bottom two. The season has reached a critical juncture. Somerset began the match 15 points ahead of Surrey, who have a game in hand. Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire remain in touch, but this is not the time to lose ground. By restricting Surrey to 195 for 8 in 81 overs, before bad light stole an hour from the day, Somerset will rightly feel they have had a good day, but both these sides are low on confidence.That was evident in a careworn Surrey batting performance. The pitch is far from a batting paradise once so common at Taunton, but Somerset’s pace attack, if maintaining exemplary accuracy, was hardly life-threatening. Surrey made 61 for 4 in the morning, 63 for 2 in the afternoon. The game limped ahead around two runs an over. The cider felt less satisfying than usual; the air, full of foreboding, also became full of drizzle.Surrey’s executive director, Alec Stewart, has set a target of two wins from their last three games to escape the drop. Having rubbished those last week who have called for an influx of youth at such a critical stage, he sprang a surprise by including Dom Sibley, who is still doing A-levels at Whitgift School. Sibley ground his way to 10 before he was lbw, squared up on the back foot, and became the first of three victims for Craig Meschede.Meschede’s delight, understandably, was even more apparent in his next over when he dismissed Hashim Amla fifth ball for nought. Amla’s preparation was hardly ideal: a flight back from South Africa, where he was showered with awards at their annual ceremony, and a quick drive down the M4 from Heathrow. He got out to the sort of leg-side strangle to make his eyes pop and, on this occasion, probably make his ears pop as well. Kieswetter’s catch to rid Somerset off Rory Burns was more spectacular.Surrey’s resistance was most passive when Zafar Ansari was at the crease. His 8 encompassed 70 balls and he needed 42 of them to get off the mark. Test cricket has thrown up longer feats of inactivity: Stuart Broad blocked out 62 balls in England’s rear-guard in the Auckland Test earlier this year, but it was a strange sight on the first afternoon of a Championship match.Steve Davies’ 38 was a more selective affair, but when he fell to Piyush Chawla’s legbreaks, Gareth Batty and Stuart Meaker adopted a more attacking outlook in adding 64 in 13 overs. Batty had form and was roundly booed on his arrival at the crease. It was a leftover not just from his antagonistic send-off to Peter Trego in the Flt20 quarter-final, a display which saw him banned from Finals Day, but also from his refusal to withdraw Murali Kartik’s appeal against Alex Barrow last season when Kartik ran out Barrow backing upThe crowd shouted for Trego to take revenge – the obligatory bouncer arrived second ball – but instead they had to watch Batty drag Surrey back into contention. Revenge would be sweet, but they cannot be at all certain they will achieve it.

Muttiah Muralitharan, the former Sri Lanka offspinner, believes the debuting Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has a promising future but should aim for a window in international cricket to be able to attract the best talent from across the world.”The organizers should get a window on the international cricket calendar to add better players on contract,” said Muralitharan, who is playing for Jamaica Tallawahs in the ongoing CPL. “Also, seek assistance and funding for pitches. Hopefully, it will get better.”Muralitharan drew parallels to T20 leagues such as the IPL, where he played alongside Chris Gayle, Ravi Rampaul and Christopher Barnwell for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the BBL in Australia, where he played with Marlon Samuels for Melbourne Renegades.Muralitharan urged the Caribbean region to optimize home-grown talent, saying he was not in favour of overseas coaches. “I don’t recommend foreign coaches. Local coaches are good enough because they know the players involved. The international players are here to add hype to the tournament.”He was not so impressed with the standard of the playing surfaces, though. “The pitches have been a bit challenging. Some have not been so great but some have been better. It will only get more interesting.”Jamaica captain Gayle dubbed Muralitharan as one of the biggest assets in the dressing room. “He brings a lot of experience and positivity to the team and the younger players, even myself,” Gayle said. “He and Ahmed (Shehzad) inject a lot of life into us in the hotel and they’re always holding court and making us laugh. When we hear them speaking to each other, it’s fun but they’re serious out there. Murali helps me lead by example.”On his immediate future, Muralitharan, who retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup, admitted uncertainty. “I’m normally with the Big Bash (this December) but after that, I don’t know.”

Stuck between a rock and a hard place could be an apt way to describe Ireland cricket at the moment. They are desperate to move up the ICC ladder, but joining the elite of world cricket can often feel a harder job that breaking into Fort Knox.There remains intense frustration within Ireland at the pace that they are able to further their ambitions due to the limited exposure they receive against Full Member nations, who are content to play among themselves in some largely context-less ODI series that fill up the global calendar.Some players, such as the vocal Trent Johnston, are not afraid to suggest it is because teams are “scared” of losing to Ireland, while others take a more measured approach, remaining grateful for what Ireland have and being cautious not to alienate those who do provide the valuable experiences that the team requires.Along with Johnston, Ed Joyce is an elder statesman of Irish cricket – so much so that he left once before returning after dropping off the England radar – and he admitted that living off “crumbs” from other international tours left Ireland “begging” for more opportunities. Joyce believes they have more than proved their worth at the top level.”We are still in the situation where we are almost begging for fixtures, which is obviously not ideal because we feel as a competitive side we have gone past that,” Joyce told ESPNcricinfo at the launch of the RSA Challenge match against England, which will be held on September 3 at Malahide.”It is frustrating that we aren’t getting more fixtures but I wouldn’t want to point fingers. We are simultaneously grateful for teams coming to play against us, but slightly frustrated that more teams don’t. We still live off the crumbs of the teams touring England and that’s the way it always has been.”I realise why the big teams play each other a lot, there are huge financial incentives which they perhaps don’t see with us, so it’s about us getting in a position where we can be involved in the ‘club’, so to speak, and then hopefully other teams like Scotland, Netherlands, Afghanistan can do the same thing because there are a lot of good cricketer outside of the Test playing nations.”What adds to the angst and annoyance is that Ireland are in fine fettle. They could have beaten Pakistan in the two-ODI series that preceded the Champions Trophy, competed strongly against Australia A in Belfast, are well clear at the top of the Intercontinental Cup and also lead the World Cricket League one-day table.The ODIs against Pakistan were particularly noteworthy, concluding in a tie and a last-ditch win for Pakistan after Ireland controlled both matches for significant periods. It is the type of form they will need to carry into the England game later in the summer to ensure that Ireland’s on-field performances continue to make strong statements.Ireland had hoped to arrange a series against Bangladesh but that has fallen through, meaning the England game is now their one remaining match against a Full Member in their season.Ed Joyce hit a hundred during Ireland’s impressive performances against Pakistan in May•AFP

“The two games against Pakistan showed that we have made great strides. Who would have said four or five years ago that we’d be disappointed not to have beaten Pakistan?” Joyce said. “We were hopeful of getting Bangladesh over for some matches but they have pulled out of that for various reasons. It is frustrating but we realise where we are.”We need to be playing as many of the big sides as we can, but we understand that it is very difficult for them to fit us into an already packed schedule, which we are trying to get around by getting into the FTP in years to come.”The game against England has a dual purpose – to keep showing how we have improved and also if we play well it will create interest in the game. When Ireland beat England at the last World Cup and Pakistan the one before, there was a huge uptake in membership at clubs. I think there is now a club in every county in Ireland – all 32 – which certainl hasn’t been the case for many years.”Evolving domestic cricket in Ireland is crucial to the country’s ambitions. An inter-provincial tournament has been re-launched to try and improve the standards for those who do not play county cricket and ultimately there is a plan to launch a first-class competition so that players can remain in Ireland with a view of building a Test side.The recent debut of Boyd Rankin in England’s Twenty20 against New Zealand has rubber-stamped another player slipping from Ireland’s grasp – even if Rankin had long-since made his intentions clear – although a recent tweak to the ICC regulations means that he would now need only two years to re-qualify for Ireland rather than the four that Joyce had to go through.”I think it’s a fairer rule, because there’s no real option for the likes of Boyd,” Joyce said. “I would like to think Boyd and Eoin Morgan’s generation will be the last who feel they have to make that decision so they can play at the highest level. Boyd is desperate to play Test cricket, and fair play to him, we wish him well.”Now the likes of George Dockrell, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson and James Shannon, they have more of a chance to play at a higher level with Ireland. But until we get to a stage where we are regularly playing against top nations – and that will only happen when we attain some higher membership status, either Test status or increased ODI status – I think you might have the odd player who feels they have to make that move to further their own ambitions.”Hopefully the ICC will see that Ireland are improving and are fulfilling all the criteria they want of us to play more teams. The only thing we can do is put in performances against top sides to show what we can do and hope the powers that be listen to our raving and ranting.”

The decision by Sahara, owners of Pune Warriors, to pull out of the IPL seems to have caught its franchise staff by surprise. Coach Allan Donald and senior batsman Robin Uthappa have both admitted to being caught off guard by the development.”This is a massive surprise to me,” Donald told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m shocked because we had spoken, not in great detail but loosely, about prospects for next year. The owners were really upbeat for next season and the next three years because next year we’d have new contracts, new players. We spoke about the possibility of building a culture within the team.”Uthappa said none of the players or support staff had made a mention of pulling out at all. “I was browsing on my iPad and read the headline, ‘Pune Warriors pull out of IPL,’ I was like ‘wow,'” Uthappa told this website, adding that he was surprised but not shocked. With the contracts coming to an end this season, the players would have been back on the auction list before the next IPL. “It is okay. I am not too worried. Things would be back to neutral with us going back to the auction.”The scenes are reminiscent of Sahara’s pullout in 2012, on the morning of the auction. As ESPNcricinfo reported at the time, the decision then was announced to the team leadership hours after it had done a late-night shift working on its auction strategy. Donald “was left rubbing his eyes in disbelief”; Ganguly, the captain, “walked away from the auction room in fury.”Tuesday’s decision by Sahara India is over differences with the BCCI over the valuation of the annual franchise fee it has to pay. The decision comes three years after it bought the Pune franchise for $370 million.

Match facts

May 13, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Can Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting stand up to Mumbai Indians’ bowling?•BCCI

Big Picture

We have arrived at that stage of the tournament where the scramble to make the playoffs is in full swing. While the numerical possibilities say otherwise, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals are in all likelihood through while the bottom four are out. That leaves a middle cluster of three teams vying for the remaining two playoff spots. Both Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad are in this cluster, meaning their encounter on Monday at the Wankhede will be vital.After 13 games each, Mumbai Indians have 18 points and Sunrisers have 16. Sunrisers face the tougher of the tasks on hand, and not just because they have fewer points; Mumbai have won six out of six games at the Wankhede so far this season. While Sunrisers too have a very good home record – they’ve scored points in five of six at Uppal – they have won only three away matches, all against teams below them on the points table.They can draw some confidence, though, from their showing on Saturday in Mohali against Kings XI. There they first recovered from 52 for 5 to 150 with smart batting, before their bowlers once again did the job. Also, as has been their style at Uppal, they had restricted Mumbai Indians to 129 earlier in the tournament, and then chased down the target with ease, courtesy Shikhar Dhawan. They’ll need all the confidence they can get when facing Mumbai at home.

Form guide

Mumbai Indians: WWWLW (most recent first)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: WLWWL

In the spotlight

The Mumbai Indians bowling v the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting. The Mumbai attack has lorded over the opposition batsmen in their previous two games, first against the might of the Chennai Super Kings and then against Kolkata Knight Riders. Mitchell Johnson has been particularly lethal with his swing at high pace, and will provide the stiffest of challengers on a relatively quick track for the unfancied Sunrisers line-up, which is most at home on the slow surfaces at Uppal. The numbers show why this line-up is not thought a lot of: they’ve played 13 matches, but only one batsman aggregates 200 runs so far. Apart from Dhawan, who missed the first seven matches due to injury, none of the specialist batsmen average even 27. Dhawan is just 30-odd short of topping Sunrisers’ run chart, despite playing only half their games. He will be central to their fortunes at the Wankhede.

Stats and trivia

• Parthiv Patel became the first Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman to touch the 200-run mark in the tournament, taking his aggregate to 218 at 24.22 with his 61 in the previous game
• Sachin Tendulkar is closing in on 300 IPL fours. He needs eight more to get there, and will be the first player in the league to do so

Quotes

“You get a leg up over everyone else by spending time here. [It’s] going to help me a lot in the future.There are a lot of tournaments in India throughout the year, so you have got to adapt to playing here. It is a massive advantage to get used to the conditions over here.”
“Yes, she is. Probably I should make another one to get even luckier.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShem Ngoche’s four-wicket haul set up Kenya’s convincing seven-wicket win over Netherlands in the T20 Quadrangular series in Windhoek on Saturday.Kenya immediately reaped the rewards of putting Netherlands into bat, as Nehemiah Odhiambo struck with the first ball of the match, taking a return catch to dismiss Netherlands wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi. The batting side never recovered from that start, losing wickets at regular intervals, and were dismissed for 113 in the 19th over. Ngoche was the most successful bowler, though he was expensive, picking up four wickets for 34 runs off four overs.In reply, Kenya needed just 74 balls to achieve the target, as Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya and Rakep Patel guided the chase with useful partnerships. Obuya and Patel put on an unbeaten 69-run stand for the fourth wicket, with Patel contributing 46 to the stand. His innings, which came off 20 balls, included five sixes and two fours.

The ECB are continuing their efforts to persuade Mervyn Westfield to give evidence at Danish Kaneira’s appeal hearing into his life ban for the game for corruption.Officials from the ECB met Westfield and his legal representatives in London on Thursday afternoon with discussions continuing into the evening. A further round of meetings has been scheduled for Friday with no agreement having been reached.Westfield, whose evidence was crucial in the original hearing that found Kaneria guilty of corruption, has had no contact with the ECB for many months and has so far resisted all attempts to persuade him to appear at the appeal. While the ECB were successful in gaining a summons from the High Court compelling Westfield to attend the appeal hearing on April 22, doubts remain as to whether the court has any jurisdiction in this case.Westfield remains angry with the ECB and the PCA. He feels that the harshness of his penalty – he spent two months in prison and was banned from the first-class game for five years and the recreational game for three – does not reflect that he cooperated with the investigating authorities, pleaded guilty and gave evidence against Kaneria.The fact that he has agreed to meet the ECB suggests a deal could be imminent, however. Westfield is understood to desire a return to club cricket – he remains connected with Wanstead Cricket Club in the Essex League – and he could be offered a chance to partially revive his career if he cooperates. Westfield would be expected to earn several hundred pounds a week as a club professional.Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, was banned from the game for life and charged £100,000 in costs by an ECB panel in June 2012 for his part in the spot-fixing case involving Westfield.Kaneria had been found guilty of inducing his former Essex team-mate to underperform in a limited-overs game in 2009 and of bringing the game into disrepute. Westfield, who was jailed for his role in the case, gave evidence against Kaneria at the hearing.As all boards under the governance of the ICC have an agreement to mirror bans imposed in such circumstances, Kaneria’s ban has been effective worldwide.Kaneria’s appeal hearing was originally scheduled for December but, after the ECB was unable to gain Westfield’s cooperation, it was postponed until April. Without Westfield’s evidence, the ECB’s case against Kaneria is severely compromised. Kaneria’s lawyers are looking not just for his ban to be overturned – at 32, he harbours hopes of a reviving his international career – but they are also claiming “very substantial damages” from the ECB.Kaneria returned to the UK on Wednesday. His lawyers remain adamant that, without Westfield’s evidence, the ECB “has no case”.This is an updated version of the story first published on April 17