STEVE SMITH TO PLAY CARIBBEAN T20 LEAGUE

BRIDGETOWN: Suspended Australia captain Steve Smith has signed with the Barbados Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League as a replacement for Shakib Al Hasan. The world’s No 1 ranked Test cricket batsman is barred from playing first-class cricket for his country or his province but is allowed to play at the club level and has recently participated in a T20 competition in Canada. The Barbados Tridents announced Smith’s signing on Wednesday for the August 8-September 16 CPL, a six-team franchise-based T20 league that launched in 2013. Tridents coach Robin Singh said it was a setback to lose Bangladesh all-rounder Al Hasan “but in Steve Smith we have a truly world-class replacement who can help to bring power to our batting lineup.”

Another Indianorigin player in NZ Test squad

WELLINGTON: India-born spinner Ajaz Patel was named in the New Zealand Test squad to play Pakistan in a three-match series in the United Arab Emirates in October. Patel, 29, has been the leading wicket taker in New Zealand’s domestic Plunket Shield for the past three years and was named domestic player of the year in 2017.

Squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Jeet Raval, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling.

Gunathilaka questioned by police in alleged rape case

COLOMBO : Sri Lankan police have questioned a player of the national cricket team after a Norwegian woman was allegedly raped in a hotel room while he was present. Opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka has already been suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket on a “misconduct” charge after a close associate of his was arrested for sexual assault in the team hotel in Colombo. Gunathilaka was quizzed by police on Tuesday about an incident at the weekend when his friend Sandeep Jude Selliah was accused of raping one of two Norwegian women in their room.

BCCI to deposit ~9.72 cr on behalf of extreasurer

NEW DELHI: The BCCI has decided to pay a penalty of ~9.72 crore imposed on its former treasurer MP Pandove by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act during IPL 2009 in South Africa. It is learnt that Pandove had applied for indemnity under Rule 34 of BCCI constitution where the organisation pays on behalf of the member if he is slapped with a penalty while discharging his function. Pandove was BCCI’S treasurer when IPL was shifted to South Africa.