Prime Doleshwar lead table with third win

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches that took place in the tournament’s penultimate day

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2013Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club continued their remarkable winning streak, beating Prime Bank by five wickets in Savar. The unfashionable club from Dhaka’s south has now defeated three big names, having slayed Abahani and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in their last two matches.Offspinners Tillakaratne Sampath and Sohag Gazi made the difference by picking three wickets each. Sampath, Dilshan’s younger brother, removed countrymen Lahiru Thirimanne and Jeevan Mendis to trigger a middle-order collapse. Prime Bank never recovered from losing those quick wickets, getting bowled out for 182 in 48.5 overs.Saikat Ali and Thirimanne scored half-centuries but Prime Doleshwar kept it tight even when Taibur Rahman added 44 for the seventh wicket with Fariduddin.Prime Doleshwar’s reply didn’t start well, losing two wickets at 13, but their Sri Lankan pair of Roshen Silva and Sampath added 89 runs for the fifth wicket to get them very close to the winning score. Silva was unbeaten on 63 off 105 balls with four fours and two sixes.Prime Bank now have two wins and two losses, while Prime Doleshwar lead the table with three wins and a better run-rate than Mohammedan Sporting Club who have also won three games.Scott Styris’ first List A hundred in more than two years helped Gazi Tank to a five-wicket win over Cricket Coaching School at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.The former New Zealand batsman made 102 off 119 balls with nine fours and a six, playing the anchor role in a tricky chase of 256. He walked in at the sixth over with his side two down, but soon turned things around with Imrul Kayes. The pair added 122 runs for the third wicket with Imrul hitting his first fifty of the league.Raqibul Hasan complemented the pair, and continued to milk the CCS bowlers after both Styris and Imrul got out. He remained unbeaten on 58, as Gazi Tank completed the win in the final over.Earlier, the CCS batsman continued their hot-and-cold performance as they put up 255 for 7. They have made two scores of below 100, including being bowled out for 35 in their first game, and also scored 200-plus twice in their four matches.Salman Hossain and Gihan Rupasinghe made fifties, the pair also adding 82 for the fourth wicket which gave the lower order the impetus to push the total past the 200-run mark.A pair of 70s from Anamul Haque and Shalika Karunanayake helped set up Victoria Sporting Club’s second win in the Dhaka Premier League. They beat Kalabagan Krira Chakra by 85 runs in Fatullah after they posted 231 in 48.4 overs.Anamul and Karunanayake added 88 runs for the third wicket after they were 44 for 2 in the 13th over. It was a timely knock for Anamul who is among a few vying for a top-order place in the Bangladesh Test for the upcoming home series against New Zealand. His 70 came off 84 balls with three sixes and three fours respectively. Karunanayake was sixth out in the 42nd over, facing 79 balls with four fours and three sixes.Kalabagan’s chase started cautiously but they soon suffered a middle-order collapse, in which they plummeted from 80 for 2 to 93 for 6. Tasamul Haque made 34, and that was the only score of note as they suffered their third defeat in four games.Nasir Hossain and Enamul Haque took three wickets each for Victoria, while Monir Hossain and Milinda Siriwardena got two each.

Afridi, Umar Akmal recalled for West Indies tour

Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been recalled to Pakistan’s ODI and T20 squads for the limited-overs tour of the West Indies later this month

Umar Farooq03-Jul-2013Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been recalled to Pakistan’s ODI and T20 squads for the limited-overs tour of the West Indies later this month. Two notable players who have been dropped from the Champions Trophy squad are wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and allrounder Shoaib Malik.Fast bowler Umar Gul, who last played in March during the South Africa tour, was sidelined again as he hadn’t yet recovered from his knee surgery.The ODI squad features the uncapped 21-year-old wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, as a backup to Akmal, who was picked as the first-choice wicketkeeper. Ahmed Shehzad, the opening batsman, has been recalled to both squads. Zulfiqar Babar, 34, who has been part of the domestic circuit for more than ten years, figures in the T20 squad.Pakistan were let down by their senior batsmen in the Champions Trophy in England as the side failed to pass 200 in their three games – the third match against India was rain-affected – only to be eliminated from the group stage. Malik managed just 25 runs in three matches, Kamran 23 and Farhat four in two. With the pitches in the West Indies expected to be slower, the selectors have gone with one less seamer, dropping Ehsan Adil.Pakistan squads

ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Abdur Rehman, Haris Sohail
T20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal (wk), Hammad Azam, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan

Afridi had been dropped from the ODI squad twice in the last six months after hitting a slump with both bat and ball. He was first dropped for the one-day leg of the India tour in January before making a comeback in South Africa, but was left out again for the Champions Trophy. In the 21 ODIs since January 2012, Afridi has picked up 15 wickets at 57.13 and scored 308 runs at 19.25. He had been training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore over the past couple of weeks, and passed the fitness test.The captain Misbah-ul-Haq defended Afridi’s inclusion but added that he wasn’t necessarily an automatic selection in the XI. Misbah said Afridi was picked as an ‘optional’ allrounder who can bat at No.7 and bowl spin.”He is an option who can help us on slower tracks (in the West Indies),” Misbah said when asked how difficult it was to pick an out-of-form player. “Malik was the one who had been helping us out with six to seven overs and was handy with the bat as well so Afridi has been recalled in place of Malik as an extra allrounder who can roll his arm on turning tracks and contribute quick runs at No.7.”But it doesn’t mean he is automatically in the XI. We first have to look at the conditions and then take a call. We are happy with the selection of 16 players and I will be ready to shoulder the responsibility of any result.”Umar Akmal was dropped from the Test side last year and was subsequently was axed from the ODI side this year. He had been working on his wicketkeeping skills at the NCA over the last two weeks under the coach Dav Whatmore. When asked if wicketkeeping would be an additional burden on him, chief selector Iqbal Qasim said that Umar Akmal was “comfortable with wicketkeeping and the decision had been taken with his consent.””We have also added Mohammad Rizwan as a backup wicketkeeper but Umar will be doing most of the glove work and Rizwan will also be tried but it depends on the situation,” Qasim said.Umar Akmal has kept wicket in seven ODIs and the selectors have hinted at a short-term and experimental role, as his dual role could help the balance of the side.

India was lowest point of my career – Watson

Shane Watson is eager to move forward from the debacles that Australia had to negotiate in India with the first ever back-to-back Ashes series due to begin

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2013Shane Watson is eager to move forward from the debacles Australia faced in India, with back-to-back Ashes series due to begin later this summer. During the series, which ended in a 0-4 series defeat, the team management axed four players, including Watson, who was vice-captain at the time, after the second Test for failing to complete a task set by coach Mickey Arthur.”Whatever happened throughout India, certainly for me personally, was the lowest point in my cricket career, there’s no doubt about that.” he said. “The decisions that were made were made for a reason and we certainly have to move forward as a team because we’ve got two series back-to-back of the biggest cricket we’ll ever play.”Australia are chasing the urn after England steamrolled Australia in their own backyard with a 3-1 scoreline, all three wins coming without England needing to bat a second time. They now face England in England.”We’ve got a lot of big cricket coming up so we’ve got to put all the things that happened to us in India behind us.” he said. “We’ve got to find ways to get the best out of ourselves as individuals and as a team. If we don’t, then it could be a long 10 months but if we’re able to bring it together then we could have a lot of fun.”Watson was clear in stating the controversial episode ahead of Australia’s last chance to save the series in India could have been avoided.”If I had handed in my homework then I would have avoided it, that’s probably as simple as it was. I look back and I certainly would have done that and I wouldn’t have been in the situation that I was.” he said. “There were certainly periods of time that things had been building up unbeknown to me, things that were really affecting certain people in the group but we’ve had to move because we’ve got so much big cricket coming up and it’s a dream to be part of back-to-back Ashes series.”Whatever’s happened is certainly in the past. For me to be a part of hopefully this next little while of cricket continues to fuel my dream and also continue to realise the privilege I do have to play cricket for my country.”Watson also ruled out any interest in captaining Australia in the Ashes. “At this point in time, absolutely not.” he said “I stepped down as vice-captain for a number of different reasons but at this point in time, it was certainly the best thing for the team. I’m just here to get the best out of myself and help as much as I always do anyway.”

Afghanistan coach wants more BCCI support

Afghanistan coach Kabir Khan believes India can lend more influence and funds to help assist his team

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2013Kabir Khan, the Afghanistan coach, has called for the BCCI to provide more support to Afghanistan cricket, highlighting England’s support for their neighbouring Associate nations.”If you look at England they go out of their way to support the associate cricket nations in their region, which include Holland, Ireland and Scotland,” Kabir told PTI. “They allow their players to play in their county and league system, while giving them valuable assistance through various coaching programmes.”In comparison, South Asia has four Test-playing nations – Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – [yet despite this] we don’t get the same kind of support, except for Pakistan. India has the influence and money to do a lot for Afghanistan cricket if they wanted. But so far we are still waiting.”There’s a lot of passion for cricket in Afghanistan, and there are good players, but we suffer mainly because we don’t have a domestic cricket structure. We don’t get enough matches in this region.”The Afghanistan team is currently in Lahore for a month-long conditional camp which also includes a series of matches against Pakistan A and several regional sides. The team trained at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, where they were granted access to all facilities and coaches at hand.Afghanistan will play Scotland next month to play in the ICC league series for a four-day match, two ODIs and a T20 in preparation of next year’s World T20. Khan has already set his sights on the 2015 World Cup, which is to be jointly-held by Australia and New Zealand.”Right now we are focusing on improving our fitness and fielding skills,” Kabir said. “We want to play in the next ODI World Cup and make our presence felt.”

Hafeez ton sets up Lahore win

A round-up of the matches on the second day of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2013
ScorecardCaptain Mohammad Hafeez led from the front to hit his second Twenty hundred that helped Lahore Lions humble Multan Tigers by 47 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium. With a daunting total in sight, Tigers never looked in control during their chase. They lost their captain Shoaib Maqsood in the first over, caught brilliantly by Aizaz Cheema after he had fumbled it on the first go. Tigers started stuttering early as their top three batsmen departed with only 24 runs on the board.Rameez Alam (45) and Saeed Anwar jnr (11) resisted for a while with a 51-run stand for the fourth wicket, but both got bogged down against the spinners. Despite some late fireworks by Kashif Naved, Tigers kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out in the 20th over for 127.Lions, after choosing to bat, lost opener Ahmed Shahzad (2) in the first over as he flicked Rahat Ali straight to Zulfiqar Babar at midwicket. Thereafter, Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed dominated Tigers and added 66 runs for the second wicket before Jamshed was trapped lbw for 26. Akmal brothers, Umar (4) and Kamran (0), were out of successive deliverers – Umar edged one from Rizwan Haider to the keeper, while a mix-up for a single with Hafeez resulted in Kamran’s wicket.Hafeez, however, continued to consolidate. He was dropped three times, twice by the wicketkeeper. Along with Ali Azmat (29), he added 83 for the fifth wicket to take Lions to a formidable total of 175. He reached 102 off 64 balls with 18 boundaries, including two sixes off the last two balls of the innings.
ScorecardShoaib Malik led Sialkot Stallions to a five-wicket victory over Abbottabad Falcons in Gaddafi Stadium. Falcons batted first, but were reduced to 39 for 3 through some incisive bowling from Raza Hasan. Yasir Hameed (43) and Hammad Ali (30) were the only meaningful contributions, as the rest of the batting folded quickly, to leave them 135 for 9 at the end of their 20 overs. Hasan had best figures of 3 for 35.Shakeel Ansar was dismissed for a duck, and Faisal Naved and Shahid Yousuf didn’t last long either as Stallions were at a precarious 18 for 3. An 89-run stand between Shoaib Malik and Adeel Malik categorically took the game away from Falcons. Shoaib Malik top-scored with 68, and Adeel Malik with 36. The chase was finished off by Ali Khan and Mansoor Amjad, as Stallions won with four balls to spare. Falcons have lost two straight now, after losing to Multan Tigers yesterday.
ScorecardYasir Arafat’s four-wicket haul helped Rawalpindi Rams to overwhelm powerful Twenty20 side Karachi Dolphins by eight runs in the final match of the day in Lahore. Dolphins lost their way chasing 158, but bounced back through No.9 batsman Mohammad Sami who smacked a breathtaking 38 off 18 balls. But Rams held their nerves to complete a dramatic victory.Dolphins lost their top order to Arafat earlier who accounted for Khalid Latif (0), Shahzaib Hasan (11) and Asad Shafiq (0) in his first spell of two overs. Fawad Alam (29) along with Sarfaraz Ahmed (26) resisted the tidy bowling in a 40-run stand, but both were out in quick succession. Sami then launched a late attack that included three sixes to revive hopes, but Arafat returned to pick his wicket. Dolphins eventually were bowled out for 149, eight runs short.Rams opted to bat with openers Awais Zia (34) and Naved Malik (12) off to a positive start. But they lost seven wickets for 16 runs towards the end to finish with 157. Anwar Ali was the most successful bowler with four wickets.

Will a crowd show up for weaker Australia?

With a depleted Australian side, and dwindling crowds at ODI matches in the country, the upcoming series may further struggle to bring in the crowds

Brydon Coverdale10-Jan-2013Once upon a time, the one-day international tri-series was a highlight of Australia’s cricket summer. You need only catch a World Series Classics replay on Fox Sports to be reminded that the stands were usually heaving with scantily-clad men and women, kids holding home-made banners, and if it’s a match from the early 1980s, terry-towelling hats. Tony Greig and Bill Lawry would be calling the action with such fervour that you’d think each game had the World Cup riding on it.How times change. The triangular series is gone, although it was resurrected last summer with India and Sri Lanka in the country, and the crowds don’t flock to 50-over cricket in anything like the numbers they used to. Twenty20 internationals and the Big Bash League have been brought in with the aim of attracting the younger fans, Test cricket remains the premier format, and one-day internationals are left searching for relevance.It is into this environment that an Australian outfit led by George Bailey and lacking drawcards like David Warner and Shane Watson will venture on Friday, taking on Sri Lanka in a series that two years from the next World Cup, has little riding on it. The broadcasters, Channel Nine, have voiced their displeasure at the lack of big names in Australia’s side, although they might change their tune if Aaron Finch tees off on debut.”I can probably understand it coming from Channel Nine,” Bailey said in Melbourne on Thursday. “I think they’re about to go into negotiations for the TV rights. I think that was a pretty tactical move to try to talk down one-day cricket and what the Australian team’s putting out. But it’s still called the Australian cricket team.”On Friday, the Channel Nine cameramen will do their best to focus on the most densely populated stands at the MCG, but there will be huge numbers of empty seats as well. When Australia and Sri Lanka met at the MCG in a one-day game earlier this year the crowd was approximately 29,000, while only 19,000 turned up when they played at the same venue the summer before. By contrast, the BBL Melbourne derby attracted 46,000 fans last weekend.”I might have a bit of a left-field view but I think the way sport is shown on TV now is so good and you get so much information thrown at you that the better it gets delivered to your couch, the less reasons there are to leave and watch it at a ground,” Bailey said. “Big Bash is popular because it goes for three hours and it fits in nicely. There’s no doubt one-day cricket takes a bit longer, and I think Test matches are becoming a real event in themselves.”It’s as much about the spectacle as the event itself and the cricket. One-day cricket, as far as crowds go, will be challenged at different times. But I still think the actual cricket itself is very good. There is always going to be a huge element of luck in T20 and I think Test cricket will always be the ultimate test, and I think one-day cricket certainly sits nicely in the middle of those two.”

We’ve got a really big appetite for 50-over cricket [in Sri Lanka]. I think that’s something that drives the national team a lot. They [the Sri Lankan public] enjoy their one-day cricket and T20 cricket a lot more than Test cricket.Mahela Jayawardene

If the last couple of ODIs between the sides at the MCG are any indication, the Melbourne crowd will feature plenty of Sri Lankan supporters from the city’s large ex-pat population. Despite the format’s battling status in Australia, 50-over cricket remains immensely popular in Sri Lanka, and the team’s captain Mahela Jayawardene said he was confident that if the series started well, it would find an audience.”There’s been a lot of cricket played in the summer, and West Indies are coming, there is the Big Bash,” Jayawardene said. “But I think there’s certainly a lot of interest in world cricket for the 50-over game. For players it will still be exciting, trying to push yourself, but once you play a few good games [the fans] will get into it. I think it’s all about how the series is going to start and how exciting it is going to be.”We’ve got a really big appetite for 50-over cricket [in Sri Lanka]. I think that’s something that drives the national team a lot. They [the Sri Lankan public] enjoy their one-day cricket and T20 cricket a lot more than Test cricket. We don’t get big crowds for our Test matches … but in one-day cricket they definitely get behind the team, they have a good time and enjoy their one-day cricket.”These five matches will also be the first in Australia to be held under new ICC rules that, among other things, prevent captains from placing any more than four fieldsmen outside the circle at any time. The rules aren’t quite as radical as the split-innings experiment Australia trialed in the Ryobi Cup last summer but the game’s governing bodies hope they will lead to more exciting ODIs as the cricket world builds towards the 2015 World Cup.”The rule changes are going to be interesting. We’ve had them for a couple of years at the domestic level,” Bailey said. “My only concern with those is not to continue to make them too batter friendly. I don’t necessarily think higher-scoring games become better games of cricket. An even contest between bat and ball still provides the best games of cricket. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the international players adapt.”I think four [fielders] out has challenged the spinners at a domestic level, but I’ve also seen the best spinners adapt pretty well and still find ways to dominate the game or contribute really well in games. I like the fact that bowlers do get a second bouncer. I like the fact that that leaves a bit more uncertainty in the over. I think they’re interesting rule changes. Anything that provides a little bit of uncertainty, even to make captains or teams think a little bit more on their feet, are good changes for the game.”

Alviro Petersen steps down as Lions captain

South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen has stepped down as captain of the Highveld Lions franchise with immediate effect, due to his commitments with the national side

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2012South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen has stepped down as captain of the Highveld Lions franchise with immediate effect, due to his commitments with the national side. Stephen Cook will captain the team for the remainder of the first-class Sunfoil Series.”When I took over as Lions captain, my immediate focus, together with then coach Dave Nosworthy, was to build a squad who can compete in all three competitions, hence the recruitment of [Thami] Tsolekile, [Gulam] Bodi, [Imran] Tahir and [Hardus] Viljoen,” Petersen said.”We have also seen young talented cricketers emerging and also the squad mature as a whole. I do think the squad is complete now, and ready to win silverware. I would like to thank the Lions board, coaching staff, supporters and most of all the players, for their support and commitment the last three years.”I wish the new leadership team of Lions cricket all the best, while I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities in my career.”Petersen captained the side for three years, during which they played in the final round of four limited-overs competitions and qualified for the Champions League T20 twice. Lions reached the final of the latest edition of the Champions League, losing to Sydney Sixers.

Derbyshire's Needham calls time on playing career

Jake Needham has retired from professional cricket after asking to be released from the final year of his contract with Derbyshire

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2012Jake Needham has retired from professional cricket after asking to be released from the final year of his contract with Derbyshire. The county have accepted his request, ending Needham’s six-year stay.With first-team chances very limited – his final appearance was in the first half of 2011 – he has decided to explore opportunities in the financial services sector, while working in a part-time role with Derbyshire’s media and marketing department. He has also been appointed captain of Ockbrook and Borrowash, who play in the Derbyshire Premier League.In 2006, he was the first player from the Derbyshire academy to be offered a professional contract after making his first-team debut in 2005 against Essex at Derby. His found more opportunities in the one-day arena, playing 56 limited-overs matches and taking 34 wickets with his offspin.”I felt it was the right time for me to look at a career outside county cricket,” Needham said. “It is, therefore, with great optimism and enthusiasm that I take a position working behind the scenes with the club. Karl Krikken and the rest of the club have been fantastically supportive throughout this period and I would like to thank them all sincerely.”I’ve been involved with Derbyshire since playing junior cricket at the age of 11 and it’s no secret that I have a great affection and affinity for the place and the people. I am, therefore, relishing the chance to help the club in any capacity possible.”Needham played twice for England Under-19s in 2006, before making the bulk of his Derbyshire appearances in 2007 and 2008. He spent last season captaining the second XI.

Swann ruled out of last two ODIs

England’s offspinner Graeme Swann has been rested from the final two fixtures in the NatWest Series against Australia

David Hopps05-Jul-2012England’s offspinner Graeme Swann has been rested from the final two fixtures in the NatWest Series to enable him to overcome discomfort in his right elbow ahead of the Test series against South Africa, which begins at The Oval in a fortnight.Swann has had to manage a niggling elbow problem for some time, but it is not thought to be serious enough to put his involvement against South Africa at risk in the showpiece series of the summer.Warwickshire’s allrounder Chris Woakes and Kent offspinner James Tredwell have been added to the squad for the remaining two matches against Australia. Woakes has been added to and removed from the squad so often that it will be an achievement if he manages to turn up at the right ground.Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: “We had earmarked the fourth and fifth matches in this series as an opportunity to rest Graeme regardless of the result at Edgbaston as we have to consider our preparations for the Investec Test series later this month. Graeme has some pain in his elbow at the moment and we feel that an extra week’s rest will allow his elbow to settle.”Heavy rain is forecast for Chester-le-Street on Friday afternoon, and there is no sign of settled weather ahead, bringing the fear of further disruption after the third ODI at Edgbaston was washed out without a ball being bowled.England have made some gesture towards the worsening financial plight of the counties, as the FLt20 tournament has been largely lost without trace thanks to abysmal weather and the usual clash with international fixtures.Samit Patel has been released to play for Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire on Thursday and Jonny Bairstow will be available for that fixture, as well as Yorkshire’s Roses clash against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Both players will return to the squad ahead of the fourth ODI on Saturday.

Cairns a 'scapegoat' court hears

Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, was a convenient “scapegoat” for corrupt activity in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) the High Court has heard

Alan Gardner at the Royal Courts of Justice16-Mar-2012Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, was a convenient “scapegoat” for corrupt activity in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and the claims against him betrayed a “serial inconsistency of the fundamental kind”, the High Court has heard on the final day of Cairns’ libel action against Lalit Modi.”Mr Cairns’ future and his past achievements are on the line,” Andrew Caldecott QC said. “The allegations against him are wholly untrue and the evidence against him lacking.”Cairns is suing Modi, the former IPL commissioner, over a 2010 tweet that alleged his involvement in match-fixing – claims that Cairns has vigorously contested in court.Summing up for Cairns, Caldecott said that the case made against his client was “back to front”, consisting of contradictory statements, poorly recorded events and a flawed investigation. The evidence, Caldecott said, “all points to Mr Cairns being made a scapegoat of convenience.”He suggested the case put forward by the defence that Cairns had lied about his involvement in corruption was “miles away” from being proven and described some of the evidence as “demonstrably false”. Modi’s defence have previously claimed that the “thrust” of the allegations against Cairns was consistent.Caldecott also questioned the “wholly implausible” suggestion that an offer was made that Cairns be confronted by the players who had accused him of fixing at the hotel meeting that led to his dismissal from the ICL. He criticised the decision of Howard Beer, the ICL’s anti-corruption officer, to tell Cairns’ successor as Chandigarh Lions captain, Andrew Hall, that the investigation had been sound and that Cairns was involved, despite Beer’s own concerns.The insinuation that payments made to Cairns by a diamond trader were anything other than a business deal between friends, “doesn’t amount to a row of beans,” Caldecott added.After the closing arguments were made, judge David Bean asked for submissions from both sides on potential damages, should he find in favour of Cairns. Before retiring to begin his deliberations, Bean said that he would try to deliver a written verdict by the end of the month.

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