Paine steps down as Tasmania vice-captain

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine has stood down as Tasmania's vice-captain and been replaced by Alex Doolan. Paine's leadership potential has long been recognised and there was a time when he was considered a potential future national captain, but his own disappointment with his form over the summer has left him wanting to concentrate more on his own game.

Paine, 29, scored 473 Sheffield Shield runs at 31.53 during the 2013-14 summer and is still searching for his second century at first-class level, having not reached triple-figures since he made 215 in October 2006. He has played four Tests and 26 one-day internationals for Australia but has not represented his country since early 2011, having struggled with finger injuries.

"I made the decision to step down so that I can spend more time concentrating on my own game" Paine said. "I didn't have the season I would have liked with the bat and as a result I made the decision to step aside and let somebody else take the reins. I've given as much as I can to the role and it will be good to have someone with different ideas to lead the team."

Doolan, 28, will step up as deputy to Tasmania's captain George Bailey, although his availability for the state will depend in part upon his ability to retain his place as the incumbent Test No.3. The presence of Doolan in the Test team and Bailey in Australia's shorter formats should mean that one of them will be present for the Tigers at most times.

"I'm really looking forward to working more closely with George and [deputy vice-captain] Xavier Doherty as well as our coaching staff," Doolan said. "I'm excited to also possibly have the opportunity to lead the Tigers when George is off representing Australia. We have a fantastic group of talented players and I have no doubt we can continue to challenge for one-day and first-class titles next season and into the future."

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UAE ticket sales likely to cover BCCI's costs

The United Arab Emirates leg of the 2014 IPL has expectedly left a dent in the BCCI's coffers. However, the board is likely to recover most of its costs, thanks to the overwhelming response from cricket fans in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.

The first 20 matches were moved to the UAE as it clashed with the federal elections in India. The BCCI has not indicated the range of costs of staging the IPL in the UAE, though confirmed estimates from UAE indicate that the hosts of the first leg of the IPL gained to the tune of $1.25 million for staging 20 matches over two weeks. While the 15 evening games were rented out for $75,000 each day, the five double-headers fetched the Emirates Cricket Board $100,000 per day.

Even though the gate money for IPL matches in India is collected by the respective franchises, it is understood that the gate receipts for the first fortnight were retained by the BCCI since the BCCI bore all the costs, including the in-stadia arrangements for hosting games.

With 19 of the 20 matches in the Gulf being sell-outs, the BCCI is likely to make up most of the costs it has incurred. Especially considering that 82% of the spectators had reportedly bought tickets as against only 56% in 2009, when the IPL was staged in South Africa.

While the franchises are still waiting to get a final word on the compensation package for moving five of the 14 league rounds out of India, the BCCI remained tightlipped when asked to respond about the compensation package for the franchises.

In 2009, when the IPL was moved to South Africa for the same reason as 2014, the BCCI's total expenses of Rs 822.92 crore for the financial year 2009-10 were the highest in the last decade. The total surplus of Rs 63.18 crore was just one-third of the profit for the next year.

Amol Karhadkar is a correspondent at ESPNcricinfo

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Emergency thermals for Sri Lankans

"The weather is our main challenge", admitted Angelo Mathews as the wind howled in across Dublin Bay yesterday. The Sri Lankan captain was speaking ahead of the first of the two-match RSA Insurance ODI series against Ireland at the Clontarf club, the opening fixtures in a tour that takes in all three formats and concludes at Leeds seven weeks from now.

The Sri Lankans have been in England at the start of two of the last three summers, but Mathews noticed the difference. "It's colder in Ireland than the UK," he grinned. "A bit of sunshine would be nice."

The most popular man in the Sri Lankan party was the liaison officer who arrived shortly before training with a large carrier bag from a Dublin city sports store. Inside were the sporting equivalent of long johns, the thermal underclothing that the Irish swear by to keep the winter chills at bay.

Even the local players were well wrapped up as they went through their drills with coach Phil Simmons, and the grey clouds and weather forecast was the main topic of conversation among players and groundstaff.

The Ireland captain, William Porterfield, knows that the conditions will assist his team as they seek their first big scalp at the venue. "The last few one-dayers we played here we've been able to utilise the conditions, especially by taking early wickets", he said. "Early in the season the ball will do a bit and the seamers are looking forward to it.

"What we have to do now is to keep taking wickets in the middle overs to set ourselves up. We've been looking at our death bowling - over the two Pakistan games and against England last year we let ourselves down."

In each of those games Ireland got themselves into winning positions only for it to slip from their grasp.

"We were disappointed with the second Pakistan game not to get over the line from position we were in. There were times when we slackened off but we need to be able to nail teams," said Porterfield.

His batsmen have been in excellent form, none less than Ed Joyce, who made 482 first-class runs in April for Sussex. "Ed has been one of the stand-out players in England, and Nobby [Niall O'Brien] also got a big hundred last week. I've had a couple of good starts myself, and guys like Kevin O'Brien have had good innings at home. I hope now we can all bring that out into the middle for Ireland."

Less encouraging has been the form of the bowlers. Spinner George Dockrell has been out of favour at Somerset and in a bid for some practice he turned out for Leinster Lightning at the weekend in the Newstalk Interprovincial Championship. The three Ireland bowlers on the Leinster side - Dockrell, Kevin O'Brien and Max Sorensen - returned combined figures of 29-2-150-0.

Sri Lanka arrive as newly-crowned World Twenty20 Champions, but also on a nine match winning streak in ODIs, including victory in the Asia Cup in March. Of that squad, five have been rested - Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thisara Perera, the latter because his visa was not sorted in time.

"We wanted to give the opportunity to the younger guys", explained Mathews. "They have been in and around the team for a while and they haven't had enough opportunities, so that was the main idea. I believe they can step in and do the job for us. All the younger guys are extremely talented and have enough potential to beat any team."

Porterfield had mixed feelings about facing a squad that, for all Mathews positivity, is undeniably weaker. "I can't say I'm too disappointed that Lasith Malinga didn't get on the plane," he grinned, "but they have a lot of good young cricketers with quite a bit of experience and they'll be champing at the bit to get going. We'd be foolish to take them lightly."

The Sri Lankans arrive in Clontarf just as the suburb celebrates the 1000th anniversary of a famous battle in which the Irish king, Brian Boru, repelled an invasion of Vikings led by Sitric Silkenbeard. That bloody Battle of Clontarf is still remembered in songs and stories, and while it's hard to imagine William Porterfield's name being revered a thousand years from now, victory over the invaders this week will ensure he finds his name in the cricket history books.

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First audition for Atapattu

Match facts

Tuesday, May 6, Clontarf
Start time 1045 (0945 GMT)

Big Picture

 

Sri Lanka will shudder at the thought of losing to an Associate nation for the usual reasons, but a drawn or lost series could also be particularly grim for interim coach Marvan Atapattu, whose audition for the permanent job begins with this trip.

The loss of Thisara Perera has left the squad looking decidedly green, particularly in foreign conditions. Aside from Thirimanne, and increasingly, Angelo Mathews, few of the top order possess the temperament to thrive on early-season Irish pitches. Sri Lanka are without six frontline players, five rested seniors and Thisara Perera, who failed to acquire an Ireland visa thanks to his time at the IPL.

Predictably, this leg of the tour is about blooding youngsters - particularly batsmen. Kithuruwan Vithanage and Ashan Priyanjan will almost certainly have places in the middle order, and while Priyanjan appears the frontrunner to take a place in Sri Lanka's ODI squad to England, Vithanage has the chance to force himself into the mix.

So consistent has been the narrative as Ireland inch ever closer towards acceptance among cricket's elite that they should discover a few setbacks along the way has been hard for some to comprehend. Ireland's defeat against Netherlands as they failed to qualify for the finals of World Twenty20 was one such moment. Time is, nevertheless, a great healer and six weeks on Ireland go into this week's ODI series against Sri Lanka as the underdogs once again.

Nine months out from a third World Cup appearance, there are issues - uncovered during the winter - that need addressing. Consistency in selection has been the cornerstone of recent success but chinks are appearing: Boyd Rankin's decision to decamp, the retirement of Trent Johnston and the absence of John Mooney have brought uncertainty in the lower order. With little game time between now and the World Cup in Australia/New Zealand, there is scant opportunity for experimentation.

Form guide

Ireland: LWWLT (latest first)
Sri Lanka: WWWWW

In the spotlight

Making 23-year-old Dinesh Chandimal the T20 captain and ODI and Test vice-captain was always a gamble, but a year after he had been appointed, the selectors effectively conceded it had not paid off, when they relieved Chandimal of his leadership roles. Despite his foundering in Asia, Chandimal remains a good prospect, not only because of a Test record that remains decent, but because he has prospered in faster, bouncier conditions Sri Lanka batsmen often take years to master. Without a clot of seniors blocking out top-order spots in Ireland, Chandimal will likely have the chance to choose where he bats. He will probably be retained for the England ODIs regardless of his output in Dublin, but at least one good score against Ireland may help put the edge back into his cricket.

Team news

Ireland have six players released by their English counties to play in this series including captain Will Porterfield from Warwickshire and opening bowler Tim Murtagh from Middlesex.

Ireland (possibly) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O'Brien, 5 Gary Wilson (wkt), 6 Kevin O'Brien, 7 Andrew Poynter, 8 Stuart Thompson, 9 Max Sorensen, 10 George Dockrell, 11 Tim Murtagh

Sri Lanka may be tempted to open with Upul Tharanga, in order to allow Lahiru Thirimanne a chance at batting at his favoured no. 3 spot, but that may create complications with the jostle for middle order positions. Fast bowlers Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad will also complete for a place.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1. Kusal Perera, 2. Upul Tharanga, 3. Lahiru Thirimanne, 4. Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5. Kithuruwan Vithanage, 6. Ashan Priyanjan, 7. Angelo Mathews (c), 8. Nuwan Kulasekara, 9. Sachithra Senanayake, 10. Dhammika Prasad/Shaminda Eranga, 11. Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

Expect it to be green and seaming: the question is just how green and seaming. If the hosts' quicks can claim early scalps on a seaming surface, they may expose a middle order more used to taking risks and dominating than surviving and rebuilding.

Quotes

"The back-end of the innings is something we need to improve on in terms of death bowling and that was highlighted in the Holland game. The big things for ourselves is trying to take wickets in the middle overs because with the two new balls now, teams are aiming to keep wickets in hand and build a platform for the final ten overs or so."
William Porterfield, Ireland captain, learning lessons from defeat against Netherlands.

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Mahmuddlah suspended for two games

Mahmudullah, the Bangladesh allrounder, has been suspended for two games and fined 100 per cent of his match fees after he was found guilty of a Level 3 offence during the Central Zone-North Zone match in the Bangladesh Cricket League.

"He [Mahmudullah] has been charged on a Level 3 offence," match referee Showkatur Rahman told ESPNcricinfo. "I called him at a hearing at the end of the day's play where he disagreed with the charge. The punishment is a two-match ban and a fine of 100% of his match fees. I have already informed the BCB."

On the third day of the first-class match, Mahmudullah reached his century and according to eye-witness accounts, he first kicked the turf, threw away his helmet and pointed towards the team owner's logo in his shirt and made a gesture with his bat.

The reason for such behaviour is unclear. Interestingly, Mahmudullah completed a hat-trick by taking four wickets off four consecutive deliveries across two innings.

Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84

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IPL has plateaued but here to stay - Moody

Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody has said that the IPL, now in its seventh season, has reached a plateau in its growth as a product, which, he feels, will continue to be robust. Moody was referring to the tournament's resilience despite all the negative publicity and scandals over the years, most damagingly the corruption scandal of 2013 and the attendant court cases that threatened its future.

"I think there's been a number of things over the last few years that have potentially damaged the IPL as a product, but because it is a very good product and it is robust, it has been resilient to those external influences," Moody told ESPNcricinfo. "And I think what we're seeing is a quality product plateau and a show that it is here to stay. It is a terrific idea that was brought together from the day of its inception and I think it will only, if anything, have an upward curve going forward."

The IPL began in 2008 with eight teams and it expanded to ten for the 2011 season. Over seven seasons, three teams, including Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Deccan Chargers and Pune Warriors have been dissolved due to ownership and financial issues. In addition, the future of Kings XI Punjab, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals has also been threatened, the last two over the corruption scandal.

Moody said the initial frenzy over the IPL was understandable, with sponsors looking for maximum mileage and fans thronging stadiums with the launch of a new concept. Moody gave credit to the ICC and the IPL for doing their bit to ensure the tournament is clean and that the players are honest.

"At the end of the day you hope that anything you are involved in is policed well, whether it is the IPL, whether it is anything you do from day to day in any walk of life," Moody said. "And I think the IPL and the ICC are doing their very best, in cricket in general, not just in the IPL, to police and make it as even a playing field as possible. I think education is very important in that regard, and the IPL and ICC are doing a very good job."

Sunrisers Hyderabad had entered the IPL in 2013 following the dissolution of the previous Hyderabad-based franchise Deccan Chargers. Moody was named Sunrisers coach in December 2012 when the team was launched. He said the corruption scandal had not affected his side.

"Certainly with my exposure at Sunrisers Hyderabad over the last couple of years, it has had no influence whatsoever. We have been very focused on forming a unit and an environment that is a formidable one and an enjoyable one. We basically have a mantra of wanting to develop as players day in and day out. And what happens outside is not relevant to what we are as a group."

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Afghanistan, Nepal wins lead to three-way tie

Three wickets each from spinners Mohammad Nabi and Samiullah Shenwari helped Afghanistan bowl Oman out for 186, before Noor Ali Zadran's 67 at the top of the order helped them wrap up a comfortable five-wicket win at the Selangor Turf Club.

Sent in to bat, Oman began well, with openers Zeeshan Siddiqui and Zeeshan Maqsood putting on 76 in 13.5 overs. They lost wickets steadily after that partnership, though, and were reduced to 139 for 8 in the 36th over, before Amir Khan and Rajesh Kumar added 41 for the ninth wicket to help set Afghanistan 187 to win.

They got there with 16 overs remaining, with Noor Ali anchoring the chase with his 83-ball innings that included 11 fours. He added 69 for the third wicket with Nasir Ahmadzai, who made 36, and 41 with Shenwari, before he was out with 17 to get. Shenwari saw Afghanistan home, scoring an unbeaten run-a-ball 29 to go with his three-wicket haul in Oman's innings. With the win, Afghanistan drew level with Oman at the top of the table with 6 points.

Nepal joined them on the same points tally after beating Hong Kong by seven wickets while chasing a revised target at the Bayuemas Oval. Sent in to bat, Hong Kong were bowled out for 181 in 41.5 overs, but could have made far less if not for their opening batsman Irfan Ahmed, who batted through their innings and was last out for 106. Irfan faced 115 balls and struck 10 fours and three sixes.

Irfan dominated a first-wicket partnership of 71 in 11.4 overs with Waqas Barkat, who scored 16, before Hong Kong lost a heap of wickets to subside to 117 for 5. Irfan then added 52 with Roy Lamsam, before the team lost their last five wickets for just 12 runs. Medium-pacer Sompal Kami took four wickets, while left-arm spinner Basant Regmi finished with three.

Chasing 182, Nepal were 121 for 3 in the 28th over, with Paras Khadka and Sharad Vesawkar in the middle, when the match was interrupted by rain. Irfan, having kept Hong Kong in the game with the bat, had taken two wickets with his medium-pace. But an innings of 41 from opener Naresh Budayir kept Nepal on course.

Set a revised target of 147 in 38 overs after the game resumed, Nepal got home without any further loss of wickets, with 23 balls remaining, and Khadka unbeaten on 43 off 52 balls.

United Arab Emirates won their second match of the tournament, beating Malaysia by six wickets at the Kinrara Academy Oval. Chasing 159, they breezed home in just 25.4 overs, with opener Amjad Ali laying the base with a 49-ball 43 and Shaiman Anwar finishing things off with an unbeaten 33-ball 53, with five fours and three sixes.

Right from the time they chose to field, UAE were on top of the game, with a double-strike from medium-pacer Mohammad Naveed in the seventh over putting Malaysia on the back foot after a 39-run opening partnership. They slumped to 74 for 5 before a 54-run partnership from Suharril Fetri and Hammadullah Khan stabilized their innings. But it was only temporary respite, and UAE struck back to take their last five wickets for just 30 runs. Left-arm spinner Fayyaz Ahmed was UAE's most successful bowler, with figures of 3 for 12 in 4.4 overs.

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