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The fast bowler Jackson Bird has been named the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year after a remarkable debut season for Tasmania

Brydon Coverdale14-Mar-2012The fast bowler Jackson Bird has been named the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year after a remarkable debut season for Tasmania. Bird, 25, moved from New South Wales to Hobart last winter after being offered his first state contract and he has rewarded the Tigers by topping the Sheffield Shield wicket tally and helping them reach the Shield final against Queensland, which starts on Friday.Bird was handed his prize at the State Cricket Awards in Brisbane, winning the peer-voted award on 21 votes, ahead of Queensland’s Ben Cutting on 16, and a further three players – George Bailey, Ed Cowan and Liam Davis – all on 15. Bird did not make his first-class debut until the fourth game of Tasmania’s campaign, but he quickly made up for lost time.In his seven matches he has collected five five-wicket hauls and twice has taken ten wickets in a match. He also completed a hat-trick in Tasmania’s most recent game, and has surprised all onlookers, including the Tasmania bowling coach Ali de Winter, who recruited Bird after being impressed by his work in Sydney grade cricket and in the New South Wales Second XI.”It’s been an outstanding year for him, with 48 wickets in just the seven games,” de Winter told ESPNcricinfo after the awards. “It’s his consistency across all games and on various surfaces across the country that has been the really pleasing thing. His bowling has been way above expectations for us.”The South Australia batsman Tom Cooper was named the Ryobi Cup Player of the Year for his 366 runs at an average of 73.20. Cowan finished second in the one-day poll and Klinger, who led South Australia to the title and scored 81 in the final having made 112 in the game that secured them the home decider, came third.The ACA teams of the year for the three formats were also named, with Cooper and Victoria’s Rob Quiney the only m3n to feature in both the four-day and one-day 12-man squads. Surprisingly, the T20 side did not feature any players from the Sydney Sixers, who won the tournament.Leah Poulton and Lisa Sthalekar shared the Women’s National Cricket League award and Meg Lanning was named the Women’s T20 Player of the Year. The New South Wales fast bowler Josh Lalor was named the Lord’s Taverners Indigenous Cricketer of the Year. Simon Taufel won the Cricket Australia Umpire Award. Queensland won the Benaud Spirit of Cricket Award and the New South Wales women’s side won the WNCL Spirit of Cricket Award.Four-day Team of the Year Rob Quiney, Liam Davis, George Bailey (capt), Peter Forrest, Adam Voges (vice-capt), Daniel Christian, Peter Nevill (wk), Ben Cutting, Jayde Herrick, Jackson Bird, Michael Hogan, Tom Cooper (12th man).One-day Interstate Team of the Year Michael Klinger (capt), Matthew Wade (wk), Ed Cowan (vice-capt), Tom Cooper, Nathan Reardon, Rob Quiney, James Faulkner, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc, Jason Krejza, Alister McDermott, Callum Ferguson (12th man).Big Bash League Team of the Year Chris Gayle (vice-capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Travis Birt, Owais Shah, David Hussey (capt), Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Brad Hogg, Daniel Christian (12th man).

Given the way England have dominated this series it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest that the only thing that will stop them completing a whitewash is the weather

The Report by Andrew McGlashan18-Aug-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Strauss and Alastair Cook batted throughout the morning session before rain arrived•Getty ImagesGiven the way England have dominated this series it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest that the only thing that will stop them completing a whitewash is the weather. Rain wiped out play after lunch on the opening day at The Oval, but during the two hours possible Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook formed a solid platform against a very disappointing India attack as England reached 75 without loss.This was as poorly as India had bowled all series as they wasted whatever help was on offer under overcast skies. There was barely a chance created during the session and the whole attitude portrayed by the visitors was of a team low on confidence and waiting for the series to finish. Defeat here will leave them third in the world rankings but it’s difficult to see them limiting England’s in-form batting line-up with a better forecast for Friday.RP Singh, on his return to the Test team after a three-year absence for the injured Praveen Kumar, didn’t set a good tone with his opening over. The first ball was sprayed down the leg side and the batsmen were offered some gentle leg-stump deliveries to open their accounts. He was also about the same pace as Praveen, but with less swing, which wasn’t entirely surprising considering he hadn’t played first-class cricket since January.Although a couple of early boundaries came to third man they were played with soft hands by Strauss and Cook. There was an alarming lack of intensity from India, both with the ball and in the field, as they failed to make any use of the overcast conditions. Sreesanth’s first spell was poor with too many deliveries on leg stump which ensured the scoreboard kept ticking over with Cook, for the time being at least, taking his average over 50.India showed slightly more energy during the second hour – although everything is relative – and Strauss had his most uncomfortable moment when he was struck on the helmet by an Ishant Sharma bouncer that took a chunk out of the lid. From that moment Strauss was more reluctant to get forward, but was still able to play a beautiful off drive against Sreesanth.Ishant remained the pick of the three quicks, probing away outside off and finding a touch of troubling bounce, but there were few alarms for the openers. Even with two left-handers at the crease it was a surprise when Suresh Raina’s part-time offspin was used ahead of Amit Mishra who removed Strauss at Edgbaston.Earlier, James Anderson had been passed fit to take his place in the England side as they remained unchanged. A thigh niggle had created doubts about his fitness, but he came through a net on Wednesday so Graham Onions or Steven Finn, who left to play for Middlesex against Kent, were not required. On the evidence of the first session, and with the impact of the weather, Anderson might not be needed until well into the weekend.

Shelley Wickramasinghe, who was known as the Grand Old Man of Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, died at his home in Colombo on Wednesday at the age of 85

Sa'adi Thawfeeq12-Aug-2011Shelley Wickramasinghe, who was known as the Grand Old Man (GOM) of Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club, died at his home in Colombo on Wednesday at the age of 85.The 119-year old Bloomfield club is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest cricket clubs and Wickramasinghe had three stints as its club president – from 1972-73, then 1976-77 and the third a 21-year span from 1979 to 2000.Wickramasinghe also served as president of the Mercantile Cricket Association and chairman of the National Sports Council. He was also vice-president of Sri Lanka Cricket in the mid-eighties.Wickramasinghe was closely associated with former India and Bombay captain Ajit Wadekar, and several Bombay cricketers, including Vasu Paranjpe, played for his club in the local domestic tournament.Paranjpe, who was coach of Bombay and also at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, coached Bloomfield for three seasons during which they won the Division I club title three times.

A wrap of the last round of group stage matches in the Standard Bank Pro20 in South Africa.

Firdose Moonda20-Feb-2011The Dolphins will play the Warriors and the Titans will clash with the Cobras in the semi-finals of the competition over the next two weeks. The latter three sealed their spots in the last week of group matches in the tournament played this week, while the Dolphins ensured they finished the round-robin stage in pole position.The Warriors secured their final four spot on Wednesday with a six run win over the Lions in Port Elizabeth. It was a low-scoring encounter with the Warriors posting just 122. Davy Jacobs and Ashwell Prince started convincingly and when Jacobs was dismissed in the seventh over, the Warriors had 34 runs on the board. Jon-Jon Smuts’ 26 was the only other score in the 20s as the rest of the order was strangled by the Lions bowling. Paul Harris claimed 2 for 26 and both Robbie Frylinck and Ethan O’Reilly conceded less than five runs an over.The Lions would have fancied their chances but were immediately rocked by a double strike from Makhaya Ntini, who removed both Alviro Petersen and Jonathan Vandiar. Neil McKenzie was stumped off Nicky Boje without scoring and suddenly a collapse was brewing. Gulam Bodi and Zander de Bruyn appeared to have the wherewithal to take the Lions home but when they departed for 21 and 26 respectively, the spark in the chase was just about gone. Theron defended 17 off the last over, despite Alfonso Thomas smacking two boundaries.The winning ways didn’t stay with the Warriors and they went down by seven wickets to the Cobras in Cape Town on Friday. Ashwell Prince played a big knock, scoring 57 off 55 balls but the rest of the batsmen battled again. Charl Langeveldt and Johann Louw were difficult to hit around and Justin Kemp bowled a superb three overs for 11 runs, picking up the wicket of Prince.The Warriors posted 126 and were unable to defend it this time, although they caused some flutters in the Cobras line-up when they plucked three early wickets in the Powerplay. Richard Levi, Dane Vilas and Herschelle Gibbs all fell cheaply but Owais Shah and Justin Ontong took the Cobras home. Shah scored 58 off 45 and Ontong 42 off 38 as they punished Garnet Kruger and Jon-Jon Smuts in particular, taking 42 runs off the pair’s four overs. The Cobras eventually romped home with seven balls to spare.The Titans stormed to the top of the table with a five-wicket win over the Knights in Centurion. Reeza Hendricks and Dean Elgar gave the Knights are solid start with 58 for the first wicket in nine overs. Hendricks top scored with 46 off 35 balls. He was dismissed by Andre Nel, who shared identical figures with Albie Morkel – 1 for 26 in four overs. Pierre Joubert did the rest of the damage for the Titans, with 3 for 23, including the wicket of the dangerous Johan van der Wath. The Knights posted 142 for 6.The Titans were off to a brisk start, scoring 18 runs in two overs, but losing the wicket of Henry Davids. Quick contributions from Jacques Rudolph (22) and Roleof van der Merwe (21) took the Titans halfway to their target at the corresponding stage of the match. Dillon du Preez threatened to swing the match back in the Knights favour when he removed Rudolph and later, Farhaan Berhardien for 33. Morkel’s big hitting was on display and his 46 off 30 balls gave the Titans a comfortable win with two overs to spare.Sunday’s match between the Dolphins and the Lions was a nothing game, which the Dolphins won by three wickets in Durban. The Lions chose to bat first and chalked up a respectable 156 for 3, with Alviro Petersen’s 84 off 54 balls the top score. Gulam Bodi finally came good for his new franchise with 51 off 42 balls. Economical bowling from Kyle Abbott, who took 2 for 17 and Jon Kent, with 1 for 23 kept the Lions’ line-up from going wild.The Dolphins lost Devon Conway with the score on 1 at the end of the first over, but then Loots Bosman’s 42 off 19 balls and Imraan Khan’s 39 off 31 balls put them on course for the win. They almost lost their way when they lost five wickets for 44 runs, thanks in part to Alfonso Thomas’ 2 for 42 but Daryn Smit saw them to victory with an unbeaten 12 off six balls. Bowler of the week: Makhaya Ntini has had a rough return to domestic cricket since announcing his retirement but has two economical returns in his outings this week. He picked up 2 for 23 against the Lions and 1 for 15 against the Cobras. Batsman of the week : Loots Bosman played a thunderous knock for the Dolphins against the Lions, with his 42 runs coming at an astounding strike of 221.05. The Dolphins had safely qualified for the semis, but the intent he showed in getting them back to the table was admirable.

Afghanistan will play three 50-over matches against Pakistan A this summer, and have invited Pakistan A to come to Afghanistan and play the inaugural match at the international stadium in Nangarhar

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2011Afghanistan will play three 50-over matches against Pakistan A this summer, and have invited Pakistan A to come to Afghanistan and play the inaugural match at the international stadium in Nangarhar. Afghanistan’s players will also be taking part in a domestic competition in Peshawar. The 50-over games against Pakistan A will be played in Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi.”Afghanistan will send its national team to Pakistan in July and play the Pakistan A team, and hopefully this will benefit our team,” Naseem Ullah Danish, chief executive of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, told . “We have also invited the Pakistan A team to Afghanistan for the inaugural match in Nangarhar where we have almost completed an international stadium.”There has not been any international cricket played in Pakistan since the Lahore attacks on Sri Lanka’s cricketers and support staff. Danish, however, said Afghanistan had no concerns about security. “Security is not an issue and by playing in Pakistan we want to send out a positive message to the world and hope that teams come to Pakistan and play here.”Afghanistan played Pakistan in the Asian Games in China in November last year, and pulled off an upset, albeit against a second-string Pakistan side.Cricket relations between the two countries are strengthening after a six-member delegation from the Afghanistan Cricket Board, including Danish, met PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on Friday. Butt pledged that Pakistan would provide any support needed to develop Afghanistan cricket and appointed Amir Nawab as a coordinator for Afghanistan.

Sunderland reportedly now risk losing Ross Stewart in the summer, as per journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Play-off hero

Stewart bagged the only goal of the game as Alex Neil’s team won 1-0 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday at the Stadium of Light on Friday night.

The striker put in a very impressive performance, winning a joint player-high 13 of his duels and making three key passes, while he also recorded one successful dribble, clearance, interception and tackle (SofaScore).

The Latest: Rangers interest

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke has shared that Glasgow Rangers are now ‘keeping tabs’ on Stewart ahead of a potential love this summer, and it would be ‘hard’ for him to reject their advances:

“It looks like he’s obviously on their wanted list, Ross Stewart. It’s been talked about now for quite a few weeks that Rangers are keeping tabs on him.

“If Rangers do come calling, it’s going to be hard for somebody like Ross Stewart – a Scottish player – to turn down their advances.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying for the Wearside club and its supporters that the Gers could come calling for Stewart.

He has been nothing short of ‘incredible‘ this season, as Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips points out, and so would be very difficult to replace.

Given the size of Rangers, and the fact that they have reached the UEFA Europa League final, with a spot in the Champions League up for grabs for the winner, it is hard to see Stewart turning them down if an offer came in, and so the board must do everything in their power to try and keep him.

In other news, find out what big dilemma SAFC now face here!

David Warner is confident he is much better prepared for one-day international cricket than he was when he last played for Australia more than two years ago

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2011David Warner is confident he is much better prepared for one-day international cricket than he was when he last played for Australia more than two years ago. Warner has been picked in the ODI squad to take on South Africa in October and he could be auditioning for a long-term role in the side as they embark on the lengthy path to the 2015 World Cup, while he also hopes it could be a stepping stone towards Test cricket.He last played ODI cricket in a one-off match against Scotland in August 2009, after making six other appearances earlier that year during the home summer. Warner didn’t grasp his one-day opportunities, and by his own admission struggled to adjust from Twenty20 to the 50-over format, but he has now developed so much that he was a standby player in the Test squad during the recent series in Sri Lanka.”I’m definitely more mature this time around,” Warner said after learning of his call-up while in India playing for New South Wales in the Champions League. “I know what I’ve got to do and I know what to expect. I know the opposition that we’re coming up against and I know exactly what I could be up against with Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn. I’ve just got to go out there and play the way I play and hopefully I can score some runs.”Back then [in 2009] … I thought I had to go out there and play the way I did in the Twenty20, like I did in my debut. It all just went so quickly. Now I’ve realised what one-day cricket is all about: setting the tone from the start and trying to make your way to the latter part of the overs. I’ve learnt a lot in the last couple of years, speaking to the likes of Michael Clarke and Shane Watson about one-day cricket has helped me a lot.”Warner’s recent form was described by the outgoing chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch as “irresistible” and it’s hard to disagree. After finishing the Sheffield Shield season with a century in Perth, he headed to Zimbabwe with Australia A and made 152 in a practice match, 120 in a one-day game and 211 in a first-class match.”It was a thrill for me to get picked for Australia A in the four-day stuff as well, and to put runs on the board there was a fantastic opportunity for me to show the selectors what I can do and show everyone else that I’m not just a T20 specialist. I’m thoroughly going to take this opportunity into the one-dayers and the Twenty20s and score more runs, and hopefully get a Test spot in the near future.”The Australians head to South Africa in early October, ahead of two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals. The squad for the two Tests that follow in November will be announced in the coming weeks.

It is early days for New Zealand in South Africa, but in the opening Twenty20 at Kingsmead there was a gulf between the teams that does not bode well for the tour

The Report by Andrew McGlashan21-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSouth Africa’s bowlers were not given much resistance to work against•Gallo ImagesIt is early days for New Zealand in South Africa, but in the opening Twenty20 at Kingsmead there was a gulf between the teams that does not bode well for the tour. New Zealand crumbled for 86, only just avoiding a new record low in the format, before the home side cantered to their target with more than seven overs to spare.A callow batting order, with much resting on new captain Brendon McCullum, was always likely to struggle, especially after just one warm-up match to prepare but it was still a hugely disappointing effort. South Africa, though, under a new captain and coach, looked primed for the home season with their only sour note when debutant Chris Morris picked up a leg injury.It was obvious that Ross Taylor’s absence would leave a vast hole and Martin Guptill was also ruled out of this match with a stomach bug, but the top order did not give itself much of a chance on a slightly two-paced surface. The batsmen paid the price for too much aggression too early, perhaps in an eagerness to exploit the Powerplay. Doug Bracewell, at No. 9, made an unbeaten 21 to at least lift them over the 80 they made against Pakistan in 2010.Rory Kleinveldt struck with his first ball with one that bounced a touch more against Rob Nicol to give Quinton de Kock, the debutant wicketkeeper, his first catch. De Kock, who turned 20 earlier this week, was one of seven new caps (three for South Africa, four for New Zealand) handed out between the teams for this match as the sides looked to start afresh after a poor World Twenty20.Dale Steyn had Peter Fulton caught at mid-on before Kleinveldt claimed the key wicket of McCullum who top-edged a hook and was well caught by Steyn running backwards from short fine-leg. After the six-over Powerplay, New Zealand were already tottering at 27 for 3 and it didn’t get better although James Franklin may have received a harsh decision with suggestions the ball brushed his arm when attempting to hook.Morris, another of the debutants, claimed his first international scalp when Corey Anderson, also in his first match, clubbed to mid-off and later added Colin Munro who at least had shown some decent shot-selection before slogging across the line. However, Morris could not complete his allocation after suffering what appeared to be a muscle strain with two balls remaining. Last week he was ruled out of the domestic one-day final with a quad injury so questions will be asked about whether he was ready for this match.Between Morris’s two wickets spin also made a mark as Robin Peterson gained from the slightly tricky nature of the surface. However, it was nowhere near as tough as the scoreline suggested. With New Zealand left to try and bat out the overs – which they failed to do – Peterson was able to collect South Africa’s most economical figures in Twenty20 (2 for 8).South Africa’s chase did not start smoothly when the under-pressure Richard Levi edged Mitchell McClenaghan, a left-arm seamer to add to the plethora of that style New Zealand can call on, to first slip but captain Faf du Plessis and Henry Davids, making his debut at the age of 32, were soon into their stride.Davids was off the mark with a ungainly hack which he edged past leg stump but also sliced a six over deep point while du Plessis drove beautifully through the off side. De Kock, who has come into the international amid much hype, began in eye-catching style by lofting his third ball straight down the ground and showed a touch of class through the off side.To compound New Zealand’s problems some of their ground fielding would have shamed a club side. It really was a horrid evening for them. Twenty20 was meant to be a format where they might, just, have pushed South Africa but on this evidence that theory appears far-fetched.

Liverpool are looking to sign an understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer transfer window with Julian Ward potentially unearthing a £540k-rated gem.

What’s the word?

That is according to the latest reports from Christian Falk, who claims it is “true” that the Reds are interested in sealing the signature of young Aberdeen defender, Calvin Ramsay.

Since bursting onto the scene, Ramsay has attracted interest from some of Europe’s finest outfits, with his performances putting him on the radar of Jurgen Klopp.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

It is believed that the signing of Ramsey will seal the immediate future of Liverpool loanee Neco Williams, who could make his deal at Fulham permanent.

A solid buy

It is rare to advise a club to sign an 18-year-old who has only made 31 professional appearances, though in the case of Calvin Ramsay, it’s an exception we are willing to make.

Because in those 31 appearances, the Scotland U21 international has been involved in ten goals, scoring one and assisting nine.

For his first season at the top level, those numbers are outstanding and Klopp’s side would be right to snap-up what could be the successor of Andy Robertson or even Alexander-Arnold in years to come.

Certainly, a review from former Dons boss Derek McInnes showcases why he’s so like the latter: “His quality of delivery from set-pieces and open play has brought him plenty of assists for Aberdeen,” he commented.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack said: “There’s not many right-backs like him at that age doing what he does when you look at all the data. All these clubs look at the same systems. They will have seen the same things that we have: that he’s in the elite upper bracket for a young right-back in Europe. He’s right up there across Europe, and they are seeing that.”

Ramsay’s mentality and maturity above his years make him a useful asset to Liverpool, as the “wonderkid”, as described by Goal on Twitter, responded to his reported interest as per the DailyMail: “It’s all been good because growing up it’s all you want to do – play first-team football, then hopefully get a big move one day in the future.

“It’s all about learning and you’ve got to keep calm. You can’t let it get to your head. If you do then you can end up thinking you’re better than you are and not playing how you can.”

Wise words from a young player who seemingly has limitless potential.

Liverpool supporters will surely be urging the club into his signature.

In other news: Liverpool plotting £83m bid for “sensation”, he is Klopp’s next “leader” 

Two senior members of USA’s senior team have threatened to stay home over non-payment of a bonus that was promised to them by the USA Cricket Association

Peter Della Penna09-Jan-2011USA’s senior team has been hit by controversy less than a week before it is supposed to leave for Hong Kong to take part in the ICC World Cricket League Division Three, with two of its senior members threatening to stay home over non-payment of a bonus that was promised to them by the USA Cricket Association for winning ICC World Cricket League Division Four.USACA President Gladstone Dainty confirmed to ESPNcricinfo on Friday that a bonus payment was promised, and said the players will receive the money in due time, but that financing tournaments and selection camps took precedence ahead of paying out any bonuses to individual players.”We don’t deal kindly with those kind of threats,” Dainty said when informed of the players intentions. “Tell them that I say if it’s the case that they’re not going to go to Hong Kong, we’ll send another team because this is about the growth of US cricket. It’s about everybody. It’s not about them. The money that we spend is for everybody. If they think we’re going to give them money and not have a national championship or not prepare the Under-19 teams, they got something else coming, not under my watch. They can stay home.”With this amount of cricket being played, we’re spending a lot of money and we’ve got to prioritize it. We’re not going to not have a national championship because we’re giving players a bonus. They’re going to have to wait.”The two players, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claim that Dainty promised the team a $1000 bonus for winning Division Four in Italy. Dainty, however, would not confirm that figure. “I don’t know how much they were promised. I told them we’ll give them a bonus based on the money that we have, but generally we don’t give them less than $500. What we’re not going to do, the ladies team won also, we’re not going to give them more than we give the ladies. It’s going to be all of them, and the ladies, so we’ve got to look at the money but it’s not going to be less than $500.”The USA women’s team swept a three-match 50-over series against Canada in July to win the ICC Americas Women’s championship, clinching a spot in this year’s Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh.”They were promised a bonus,” Dainty said. “We didn’t tell them when they’d get it and the reason why we didn’t tell them when they’d get it… for the national tournament we were broke. So to give those players a bonus and not have the national tournament, which one is the priority?”Dainty said that he hoped USACA would receive its quarterly ICC development grant as early as Monday. “We’re getting funding in, including the ICC money. Even today I had a discussion with the treasurer about as soon as that money comes in, not only they’re gonna get their bonus, we promised the ladies some money and those ladies, they’ve been very nice and gracious. So we’ll pay them and pay the ladies when the money comes in.”In addition to the delayed bonus payment, the two players are unhappy that their stipend for the upcoming tour to Hong Kong has not been increased from the tour of Italy. According to the players, they received $200 per day on tour in August for a total of $3000 but have been told that they will receive the same amount for Hong Kong. Team sources have also said that first time tour members receive either $125 or $150 per day. The anonymous players feel that because they advanced to play in a more competitive tournament, they deserve an increase in pay.”It’s not all about the money,” the second anonymous player said. “It’s about respect. If you make a promise, we expect it to be fulfilled.”The USA squad is due to meet in New York on Friday before leaving on Saturday January 15 for Hong Kong with the tournament starting on the 22nd. “This tour is a make or break tour for USACA and if they don’t get things right by next Friday, there may be a few senior players who won’t be going to New York to get on the plane to Hong Kong,” the first anonymous player said. “It’s about time USACA thinks about the players instead of themselves because it’s us going on the field representing USA, and not them.”Another issue bothering both players is that they claim they do not receive any portion of the tour stipend until they get to the airport to go on tour. As a result, they say they have a hard time depositing the money or sending it back to their families to be able to use while they are gone and that the tour stipend does not adequately cover the money they are forgoing in lost wages by taking time off work.”They’re giving us $750 at the airport and then the balance while we’re gone,” the first player said. “Can you take care of your family from the airport? These people are not treating us even halfway how we’re supposed to be treated.””We’ve got a situation, they’re getting ready to go on tour and we always give them money before they leave,” Dainty said in response to the complaint about the delivery of tour payments. “So they’ll be getting that money and hopefully they can get the bonus. It’s not that we had it. We have to prioritize. Although we signed this big deal, we haven’t drawn down all the money yet, a lot of the money, because a lot of paperwork is still going on. We’re not trying to run away, they’ll get the money, but as the money comes in, we’re trying to prioritize.”With USACA due to receive $5 million in 2011 for its share in the newly formed Cricket Holdings America, the players say they’ve been underpaid for a long time and now they want their share of the spoils.”We need to form a players association,” the second player said. “USACA doesn’t negotiate with anyone. They just give us whatever and expect us to take it. For cricket to move forward, the players need to feel comfortable. Nothing has been improved for the players so I don’t understand how the cricket is going to get better. Cricket is not about those [administrators]. It’s about the players. It’s just a bunch of jokers controlling the cricket.”