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Stewards tackle a streaker during the match at Wellington© Getty Images

Ricky Ponting, Australia’s captain, has called for an urgent review of security measures at grounds in New Zealand after some of his players were hit by missiles thrown from the crowd during the first one-day international of the current series at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium, which Australia won by 10 runs.Play was held up a number of times after some of the Australian fielders – among them Glenn McGrath and Simon Katich – told the umpires they had been hit by plastic bottles.”Someone’s going to get hurt,” said Ponting at the after-match press conference. “A full plastic bottle hitting someone in the eye or the back of the head – we don’t want that. You have to have more security guys around the players on the boundary. They’ve got to have some sort of power – get the police involved, whatever.”Katich got into a tense exchange with a section of the crowd at the Westpac Stadium after catching Brendon McCullum on the boundary. Holding the ball aloft in the direction of the crowd, Katich let out some verbals at those who had thrown full plastic beer bottles in his direction. That incident followed a verbal altercation between McGrath and a security guard after McGrath misjudged a catch on the third-man fence. That eventually led the guard being removed.McGrath, who was named the Man of the Match for his fine spell, admitted that he had over-reacted. “I had, an altercation might be the right word, with a security guard on the fence,” McGrath said. “But I was a bit fired up at the time, so I probably should accept 50% of what happened there myself.”Five years ago Steve Waugh, when he was Australia’s captain, threatened to take his players off the field after similar crowd disturbances in New Zealand.

Grant Flower’s return has strengthened Zimbabwe’s squad, who return to Australia, to take part in the VB Series against Australia and India, starting next month. Flower missed the earlier Test tour due to a broken finger.Also returning is Douglas Hondo, who damaged a thigh muscle before the Test series against Australia started, and wasn’t able to play. Heath Streak will captain the side with Tatenda Taibu as his vice-captain.Streak said the one-day series was another opportunity for the talented young players in the Zimbabwe squad to develop their skills. He said, “we know that this tournament will be another step up in terms of intensity against the teams that met in the final of the World Cup in March.”Geoff Marsh, the Zimbabwe coach, welcomed Flower back to the side. “He and players like Heath Streak, Stuart Carlisle and Craig Wishart form a group with more than 500 one-day international caps between them. Add the talent of younger players like Taibu, Andy Blignaut, Raymond Price, Mark Vermeulen, Sean Ervine, Travis Friend and Douglas Hondo and we have a squad that is capable of doing well against two of the best one-days teams in the world.Zimbabwe open their tour with a match at Perth against Australia A on New Year’s Day with another match against Australia A in Adelaide on January 7, following a January 4 match against Western Australia. Their first VB Series game is a day-night match against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 11.Squad 1 Heath Streak (capt), 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Mark Vermeulen, 4 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 5 Craig Wishart, 6 Stuart Carlisle, 7 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 8 Andy Blignaut, 9 Sean Ervine, 10 Grant Flower, 11 Travis Friend, 12 Douglas Hondo, 13 Blessing Mahwire, 14 Ray Price.

Close to 362 days will pass before the matter formally requires resolution. But, after hitting a second successive century to guide Australia into a commanding position on the third day of the Second Test in Melbourne today, it’s safe to assume that Matthew Hayden has already been excised from South African cricket’s Christmas card list.Hayden (138) batted with the authority of a headmaster today, devastating the tourists’ attack with an innings that helped him create a new statistical feat alongside Justin Langer (85) at the top of the order and to shatter even more records upon his opening partner’s departure.By stumps, the strongly-built Queenslander’s assault had not only yielded for him the greatest number of Test runs scored by an Australian in thecourse of a calendar year. Nor simply permitted him, in concert with Langer, the chance to own the three highest opening partnerships in Testhistory by a pair of left handers. Not merely granted him 1000 first-class runs for the Australian domestic season either.Instead, it had also laid the foundation for yet more Australian domination, leading the home team’s ascent to a total of 9/487 – and a lead of 210runs – by the end of another extended day.Not even Melbourne’s previously-sullen skyline remained in sympathy with the South Africans’ position as a 202-run opening blitz was followedby substantial innings from Steve Waugh (90) and Damien Martyn (52) besides. That Waugh was dropped twice – at 24 and 39 – by short legfieldsman Boeta Dippenaar only compounded the sense of frustration.It was as well for the Proteas that Waugh was eventually run out for 90 – a world-record tenth experience of finishing a Test innings within 10 runsof a century. And that they claimed a number of wickets in bursts, foremost among them those of Ricky Ponting (22) and Hayden in the space offive deliveries on either side of lunch.To their undying credit, the tourists showed great heart through the two closing sessions as their best two bowlers, Allan Donald (3/103) andNantie Hayward (2/109), blunted Australia’s charge. Hayward was especially impressive, vengefully unsettling several members of the Australianmiddle order with the sort of short-pitched bowling to which he has already been subjected himself in this series. Donald, the unlucky man bothtimes as Dippenaar’s attempts at diving catches were grassed, also performed stoutly in the face of adversity.Like Langer, who perished to a mistimed hook at Donald only 15 runs short of another century of his own, Hayden ultimately became the victim ofaggression as he launched a delivery from spinner Claude Henderson (1/108) to deep mid on.Yet his progression to a total of 1388 runs for the calendar year (equal third-most by any Test player in history and seven more than the tally thathad made Bob Simpson’s haul in 1964 the previous best by an Australian) had already set the tone for the day by then.And, from a team that generally embodies all the qualities of Ebernezer Scrooge once it establishes command, there were to be few concessionsthereafter.Not even umpire Darrell Hair’s controversial decision to send Waugh reluctantly on his way – after wicketkeeper Mark Boucher had appeared todisturb the stumps before a ball thrown in superbly by Herschelle Gibbs at cover point did the same – could really alter the balance.More than a double century of runs behind already, and again about to be confronted with the task of defying a rested Australian attack for aconsiderable period, South Africa’s fate is unenviable.

Australia captain Steven Smith will stay at No. 3 in the batting order in the absence of the injured Usman Khawaja, opening up a spot in the middle order for the day-night match in Adelaide.The squad for Adelaide will be named on Wednesday, and Smith’s pronouncement makes it likely that the selectors will opt for a middle-order option. While Shaun Marsh is favourite for the role, George Bailey is among the leading run-makers in the Sheffield Shield this summer and would add useful knowhow to a young team, while Glenn Maxwell is highly regarded if enigmatic, and made 98 and 38 in the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia at the MCG.”It depends who comes in but I think I’ll probably bump myself up to No. 3 with Usman being out,” Smith said. “I’ll keep that spot warm for him until he comes back.”Australia have other selection queries following the retirement of Mitchell Johnson, the indifferent form of Mitchell Marsh, and the heavy workloads endured by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in Perth. James Pattinson, James Faulkner and Moises Henriques have all been mentioned as possible inclusions.Smith stated his dissatisfaction with the Kookaburra balls used in this match, with an extraordinary 11 replacement balls required across the Test outside the usual allocation. However he expressed optimism that the pink ball would hold up well in Adelaide under conditions carefully concocted to support it.”It’s just up to the powers above me to sort that out with Kookaburra,” Smith said of the red ball. “It was a little bit disappointing the way we had to change so many balls throughout this Test match. I think it wastes a lot of time and it’s always different as a batter or a bowler to change the ball continually, to get in a rhythm. So hopefully they can resolve those issues.”We played the Shield game with the pink ball in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago and the ball stayed together pretty well. I think there was eight millimetres of grass on that wicket and it’s likely to be a pretty similar wicket for the Test match next week. Hopefully saying that the ball stays in shape the same way it did a couple of weeks ago.”As for the WACA pitch, which hosted the fourth highest scoring Test ever played in Australia, Smith said he was disappointed by its lack of life, but equally had no intention of handing too straightforward a chase to New Zealand on the final afternoon. The final target of 321 in 48 overs was never realistic, even before rain arrived.”It would have been nice to get about 360 off about 65-70 overs,” he said. “It was obviously pretty hard, I thought they bowled really well. As we saw there at the back end, the wicket was still extremely good so I didn’t want to give them much of a sniff. The two guys out there at the end, we’ve struggled to get them out this Test match. Well, Kane in both Test matches.”Traditionally the wicket out here has had a lot more pace and bounce. Going into the game that’s what the groundsman indicated it was likely to be like. It didn’t turn out that way unfortunately. I was a bit disappointed with the way the wicket played. It was really tough to take wickets. So I don’t think there was much more we could do.”

Wolves are reportedly eyeing up a summer move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The Lowdown: Kilman out?

Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for Max Kilman in the summer, and as a boyhood Blues fan, it may be too hard for him to turn down.

That would mean that the Midlands club would have to dip into the market for a new centre-back, if they had not planned to do so already, given the injuries they have had in that position so far this term.

The Latest: Carter-Vickers in?

As per TEAMtalk, Wolves are among a number of clubs who are monitoring the progress of Carter-Vickers ahead of a potential swoop in the summer.

Leicester City, West Ham United, Burnley and Watford are doing the same, while Middlesbrough, West Brom and Bournemouth are also showing interest.

However, Celtic want to sign him on a permanent deal from Spurs after his loan at Parkhead expires, and they have negotiated an option-to-buy which is worth more than £10m including add-ons.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given the injuries that Bruno Lage’s team have had at centre-back, and the rumours that Kilman could leave, it is surely a no-brainer for Wolves to try and snap up Carter-Vickers in the summer.

Described as ‘quick’ by his former Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate, the American is unusually fast for a man of his 6 foot 1 stature. He can also execute the ‘ugly’ side of the game, as former Lilywhites teammate Jan Vertonghen even went as far as to call him a ‘beast’ when the 24-year-old was coming through the ranks in north London.

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Dubbed ‘excellent’ this season by former Hoops striker Chris Sutton, Carter-Vickers is currently ranking as the joint-seventh best player in the Scottish Premiership, and the best centre-back (WhoScored); and with his contract expiring, now is the best time for the Old Gold to pounce.

In other news, Wolves are also eyeing a move for this ‘sensational’ midfielder

Damien Hough does not want to go down as the first curator in the storied history of the Adelaide Oval to create a Test pitch where a spinner is redundant, as Nathan Lyon emphasised the importance of the role in Australia despite only bowling two overs in the Ashes series to-date.Lyon and Hough shared an embrace on Monday at Adelaide, a ground where they once worked together, and Hough attended a ceremony on the western side where Lyon was added to the Avenue of Honour that commemorates some of the best Test performances at the stadium.Lyon was celebrated for his 12 wickets against India in 2014 at the venue, joining the likes of Sir Donald Bradman, Shane Warne and Mitchell Johnson among others on the outer wall of the Chappell Stand.But it comes at a time when Lyon is stalled on 562 Test wickets, two shy of passing Glenn McGrath to go second all-time among Australia Test bowlers, having not been selected in two of the last three Tests and only bowled two overs in the game in between at the start of this Ashes series.Related

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However, Hough is certain Adelaide Oval will spin this week as it has done in the three day Sheffield Shield games at the venue this season and Lyon is poised to return to Australia’s XI despite England opting to retain part-time offspinner Will Jacks ahead of their No.1 spinner Shoaib Bashir.”[Spin is] really important,” Hough said on Monday. “I don’t want to be the curator at Adelaide where you don’t pick a spinner. Spin needs to play a part here. It always has. Even last year when [Lyon] didn’t bowl a lot of overs, I felt that the pitch would have spun. But Pat [Cummins] was able to take wickets with the quicks but spin needs to play a part in pitches around Australia, and we want it to play a part.”Lyon only bowled one over in Australia’s last Test in Adelaide, which was a pink-ball game against India in 2024. That is part of the reason why he has been left out of Australia’s two most recent pink-ball Tests with Australia’s selectors concluding that spin is not needed in day-night games.Australia hold a 2-0 lead in the Ashes against England•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

But Lyon has also only bowled eight overs in total in his last two red-ball Tests in Australia. He bowled just six overs in the SCG Test against India in January and only two in the first Ashes Test in Perth. He was asked how important it is that curators continue to produce pitches in Australia that do allow spinners to play a role.”Well, you’re asking a spinner,” Lyon said. “I think it’s incredibly important. I think the variation in Test cricket, understanding that Test cricket goes for five days, and there’s a lot of opportunity for pitches to wear and spinners to be able to produce their craft.”I’ve always said as soon as the ball spins there’s more eyes on TVs, and I stand by that. You look at when we go over to India, and you look at the conditions there, and the exciting cricket when the ball is spinning, how many people pay attention to it. So for me, spin is incredibly important in the game of cricket, in junior cricket, in first-class cricket, in white-ball, red-ball, it doesn’t matter what format, what game of cricket, I think spin plays a massive role here.”Lyon only bowled 15.3 overs in the last day Test in Adelaide in January 2024, on a pitch where the game ended before lunch on day three. Lyon did pick up three wickets, but two were West Indies’ No. 11 Shamar Joseph when he was out slogging at the end of both innings as the visitors made just 188 and 120 in a 10-wicket loss.That game featured a lot of seam movement and variable bounce. But Hough claimed it was due to the use of a different grass type on the drop-in pitch, which has since been abandoned.”That was a Legend pitch, Legend is a grass variety,” Hough said. “This is a Santa Ana Couch, what we’ve used since 2013, outside of two years. We’ll go back to what we know. It’s still that mat of grass. We still want that, and we just want to get the compaction right and the moisture levels right. Once the coin is tossed, it’s over to the players.”Spin has played a big part in the Shield fixtures so far this season. Victoria left-arm orthodox Doug Warren took a career-best 5 for 69 in the opening round in early October. Queensland legspinner Mitchell Swepson, who has played four Tests for Australia, took 10 wickets in mid-October. South Australia played two spinners in their most recent match against Tasmania and both took wickets. There have been five team scores of over 300 with a highest of 426. There have been seven individual centuries scored including one by Marnus Labuschagne. South Australia seamer Wes Agar has a five-wicket haul, while Test seamer Michael Neser has one of four four-wicket hauls also taken by seamers. But all three red-ball Shield games have had a result, with the only Shield game this season to end in a draw being a rain-affected day-night pink-ball game.”Our Shield pitches have played really well,” Hough said. “They’ve been a really good contest. The feedback has been really good.”We’re just are trying to get a contest between bat and ball.”The calibre of bowlers step up at international level. We know that compared to Shield level. But we’ve got some hot weather, and you would expect with hot weather that the spinners will come into it because of that hot weather.”

Zimbabwe get an opportunity to play a competitive game ahead of their five-match one-day series against West Indies when they take on a South African franchise side in a four-day contest at Benoni on Thursday.Zimbabwe had originally been scheduled to stay in Bulawayo from Monday up to Friday but that was discarded when Zimbabwe Cricket secured the four-day match. The 13-man squad leave Zimbabwe early Wednesday morning for Johannesburg and return home on Monday, a day before the West Indies arrive in Zimbabwe.However, three key players will miss out on the tour through injury. Chris Mpofu is yet to be passed fit by the team physiotherapist after picking up a side strain; Sean Williams has not fully recovered from a migraine and Keith Dabengwa has a groin injury. In spite of Graeme Cremer’s ten wickets for Zimbabwe A recently, he has not been selected for the touring party.The first one-dayer gets underway at Harare on November 30.

India’s women will embark on their quest for a hat-trick of Asia Cup titles when they face Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the triangular tournament which will be played at Jaipur from December 13 to 21.India won the inaugural tournament in Sri Lanka in 2004 and successfully defended the title the following year in Pakistan. Now India launches their title defence against their main rivals Pakistan. This year’s tournament will take place at Sawai Mansingh Stadium. This will be first time the Pakistan team has made an overseas appearance since the PCB took charge of women’s cricket.Mithali Raj, India’s captain, is confident her team can claim their third title. She hopes the tournament will also provide them with a good opportunity to get ready for next February’s quadrangular series also involving the world champions Australia, England and New Zealand in Chennai. “There is no doubt our objective is to complete a hat-trick of titles and make our country proud,” she said. “Pakistan and Sri Lanka may be relatively new to this level but still we have to produce our best to achieve the goal. At the same time this tournament will provide us with a good opportunity to try out a few new girls and also different combinations so we are better prepared for next year’s quadrangular series.”I think women’s cricket has really grown ever since the IWCC/ICC merger and both the BCCI and ICC are playing leading roles in creating opportunities for young girls to take up this great sport. I am sure, in days to come, we will see more multi-talented girls taking up the sport.”Her Pakistan counterpart, Urooj Mumtaz Khan, said her team is young and inexperienced but believes things are heading in the right direction. “The girls are improving day-by-day and with a comprehensive women’s cricket plan in place, I am sure we will cover the long distance in a relatively short period. This event is our build-up to our next month’s tour to South Africa for a five-match series and then the 2007 Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.”Pakistan women will face South Africa women at Pretoria between January 20 and 27 then the qualifying tournament for the World Cup will he held in Pakistan late next year. Eight qualifiers will vie for two slots at the 2009 World Cup in Australia.

Abdur Rehman, Habib Bank‘s left-arm spinner, achieved his first-class career-best figures of 8 for 53, as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) crashed to a poor first-innings score of 149 all out, on the second day of their four-day, Group A, third-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No.1 in Karachi.The 25-year-old Rehman from Sialkot thus followed his match haul of 11 wickets (5 for 120 and 6 for 28), in Habib Bank’s nine-wicket win over Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) here at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex in the previous round, with another bowling effort right out of the top drawer.Sui Northern Gas’s small score meant that they fell short of Habib Bank’s total of 274 by 125 runs. By the close of play yesterday, Habib Bank had enhanced their advantage to 156 with a second-innings score of 31 for the loss of Imran Farhat. After having resumed at their overnight 260 for 8, Habib Bank ended at 274 all out. At the time it looked to be a modest effort. Sui Northern Gas’s debacle has put them within striking distance of another win. The only innings of some substance in the SNGPL knock were by Sohail Idrees, the opener who scored 48 off 143 balls with seven fours, and by Arsalan Mir at No.7 as he made 36 off 62 balls with six boundaries.Habib Bank have been a record seven-time winners of the Patron’s Trophy Championship title. SNGPL started this season’s tournament with a creditable draw against Pakistan Customs in the second round.Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) retaliated strongly in their second outing after having surrendered a first innings lead of 120 runs against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), on the second day of their four-day, Group A, third-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match at the National Stadium in Karachi on Friday.By the close of play yesterday, PIA had scored 143 for 1 the second time round, that’s put them just ahead of the KRL by 23 runs with nine wickets in hand. KRL had resumed on Friday already with an advantage of 21 runs over PIA, after having bowled the latter out for a poor 123 in their first innings. However, they lost their next five wickets with the addition of only 52 further runs to be 196 for 9. Fazl-e-Akbar, Pakistan discard fast bowler, who finished with 5 for 63, helped PIA topple the KRL late middle-order. When the ninth wicket fell, the KRL lead was only 73 runs. Then came the last-wicket partnership of 47 runs that took their total to 243.Abdul Rauf, the fast-medium bowler, followed his five-wicket haul in the PIA first innings with an unbeaten 41 that came off a mere 49 balls with seven boundaries. Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, helped him in the 44-minute stand with 22 runs, off 28 deliveries with three fours and a six. Apart from Fazl-e-Akbar, Najaf Shah, the left-arm fast bowler, bagged 3 for 52. Kamran Sajid, the right-arm medium-pacer, took 2 for 7 in seven overs. PIA lost opener Agha Sabir with 43 runs scored and the batsman having contributed 20. This was followed by the unbroken second-wicket stand that’s produced an exact 100 runs. Kamran Sajid, the left-hand batsman had made 58 not out off 167 balls in a little over three and three-quarter hours with eight fours while Yasir Hameed, who scored 57 runs in the fifth one-day international against England at Rawalpindi on Wednesday, was also still at the crease with an unbeaten 61 to his name, off 90 balls with eight boundaries.PIA, who shared the Patron’s Trophy title last season with Habib Bank as the final was rained off, have never won the Patron’s Trophy outright since it was introduced back in 1972-73. KRL are currently lying at rock bottom in the five-team Group A points table. They started the tournament by being beaten in both their matches in the first two rounds.After the opening day’s play on Thursday was cancelled due to foggy conditions and poor light, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) reached a modest score of 123 for six in the 34 overs possible, on the second day of the their four-day, Group B, third-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) at the Sheikhupura Stadium on Friday.The situation was still not conducive to a full day’s play and National Bank, after having been put in, lost four of their six wickets to Riaz Afridi, the young, talented fast bowler, who finished the day with figures of 4-51 in 17 overs. His partner Tahir Mughal picked up the other two wickets at a personal cost of 56 runs in 14 overs.The top-scorer for NBP was Imran Nazir, the opener and the Pakistan reject, with a characteristic 42 off only 39 balls with seven boundaries. Later in the order, Naved Latif hit a run-a-ball 30, that also included seven fours.PTCL are currently perched on top of the points table with a tally of 15 in Group B. National Bank, five-time winners of the competition, are at the second spot.Adil Nisar, the captain, hit an exciting unbeaten 145 for Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), as their four-day, Group B, third-round Patron’s Trophy Cricket Championship match against Service Industries began on its second day at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Friday.The first day’s play, as in the other Group B match in Sheikhupura, had to be cancelled due to foggy conditions and poor light. After Masood Asim, Service Industries’s captain, won the toss yesterday morning, he asked WAPDA to take first strike. In the 76.3 overs bowled during the day’s play, WAPDA notched up an impressive score of 268 runs for the loss of only two wickets. Adil, the The 27-year-old left-hand batsman, attained the ninth century of his first-class career, while sending the ball to the ropes 21 times. His opening stand with Asif Hussain (26) was worth 71 runs while the second wicket partnership with Tariq Aziz (25) produced another 55. Aamer Sajjad joined his captain in the unbroken 142 runs partnership for the third wicket. Aamer hit five fours and a six in his unbeaten 61. WAPDA were the runners-up of the 2003-04 competition while Service Industries are currently placed at the bottom of the five-team Group B table.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) have picked up this trophy four times. They are taking a rest from the third round matches. Service Industries are playing in this season’s Patron’s Trophy tournament, after having gained promotion following their win in last season’s Patron’s Trophy Grade-II Championship final.

Gladstone Dainty, the president of the USA Cricket Association, has hit back at recent attacks on his board and the way it has been run.The unease with the USACA came to a head last week when a confidential and highly critical letter from the ICC to Dainty was leaked to the media. “We question whether the current administration of USACA can play any constructive role in taking the game forward in the United States,” Malcolm Speed and Ehsan Mani, the ICC’s chief executive and president, had written. “We have never seen a sporting organisation that combines such great potential and such poor administration as USACA. From our observations, much of the blame for this lies with the current office-bearers of USACA including yourself. We question whether the current administration of USACA can play any constructive role in taking the game forward in the United States.”The letter said that the funding due under Project USA would be withdrawn unless the USACA fulfilled certain obligations by February 1.Dainty was not prepared to take the criticism lying down, and said that the USACA had not committed to Project USA because of “unreasonable demands” imposed by the ICC. “They have demanded that all of the funds raised from the project go to the ICC headquarters, and then they in turn would redistribute the monies,” Dainty told a Canadian website. “We have no idea what funds we would get back from the project. Also, who was to say that they would not take that money and start another organisation.”In addition, there are legal ramifications surrounding monies raised in the US and being taken out of the country. We were simply not comfortable with that agreement because it seemed as if that was meant to benefit just one party.”And Dainty claimed that when he tried to raise his concerns at an ICC meeting last year he was told by “a top ICC executive” to “shut up”. He added, rather theatrically: “You could say that perhaps I am lucky to be alive, because in years gone by I might have been lynched. Then again, you get a better idea of the people you are dealing with. With that kind of attitude, I am sceptical they can even deliver what they promised.”He also claimed that the leaking of the letter was orchestrated by the ICC. “It gives people the opportunity to see the kind of pressure that the ICC tries to exert on some of its members when they fail to go along with their demands,” he insisted. Cricinfo has been informed, however, that the leak came from within the USACA and not from the ICC.Although Dainty concluded the interview by defiantly insisting that the USACA would not enter into the agreement unless it was in the best interests of US cricket, Cricinfo understands that the agreement was signed after some heated exchanges between Dainty and senior USACA officials over the weekend.