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Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as England captain with immediate effect and Peter Moores has been sacked as coach after a tumultuous day for English cricket. Andrew Strauss has been named captain for the tour of West Indies later this month and the ECB will begin an immediate search for a new coach.However, Pietersen denied the reports which claimed he had resigned early on Wednesday morning and it was only after discussions with the ECB during the day that he felt his hand had been forced. “I wish to make it very clear that I did not resign as captain of the England cricket team this morning,” he said in a statement. “However, in light of recent communications with the ECB, and the unfortunate media stories and speculation that have subsequently appeared, I now consider that it would be extremely difficult for me to continue in my current position with the England cricket team.”Hugh Morris, the managing director of England Cricket, read a statement at a hastily arranged press conference at The Oval. “It’s been a complicated and difficult day. The ECB late this afternoon have accepted with regret the resignation of Kevin Pietersen as England captain.”Kevin recognised that in the present situation it was impossible to restore the dressing room unity, which is vital, if England are to win the forthcoming tour to the Caribbean, the ICC global events or regain the Ashes in the Ashes Test series.”Kevin Pietersen is highly valued as a senior and experienced player and we are delighted that he has indicated he wishes to continue to represent England in all their forthcoming international fixtures, starting in the Caribbean later this month.”The ECB were left in complete turmoil on a day of rumours, denials and high drama, following the emergency board meeting that took place on Tuesday evening to discuss the rift in the leadership of the team.In a brief statement on Wednesday afternoon, the ECB had insisted they had “no knowledge” of the departure of either Pietersen or Moores, although they admitted that Pietersen had not been prepared to tour West Indies under the current management structure.Pietersen, perhaps misjudging the mood of his employers, did not depart from his holiday in South Africa until Wednesday afternoon, by which time the 12-man board had already met, by teleconference, on Tuesday night. At that meeting, it was decided that the captain would have to pay the price for his attitude. It was felt that to accede to his demands would set a dangerous precedent for future disputes, one in which the whims of individuals would take precedence over structures.In response, it initially appeared that Pietersen had taken his future into his own hands, and handed back the role he took on from Michael Vaughan barely five months ago. At 9am GMT, Sky News reported his resignation, giving as his reasoning the fact that the ECB did not act quickly enough in responding to his demands over Moores’ future. Speaking briefly on the phone, Pietersen told the programme: “I am not in a fit state to talk.”Strauss, who captained England in 2006 when Vaughan was out of the team with injury, was the hot favourite to lead them on the tour of West Indies, which begins in exactly a fortnight’s time. His reappointment, two-and-a-half years after he was overlooked for the Ashes tour in favour of Andrew Flintoff, represents a remarkable turnaround for a player who, this time last year, was dropped from the Test side following a prolonged run of poor form.”Andrew Strauss has agreed to lead the team to the Caribbean,” Morris said. “He led the England team with distinction in 2006 when Michael Vaughan was injured.”Meanwhile, Moores’ departure comes as less of a surprise. His position became untenable following the revelations of the rift, and there had been little evidence of progress under his tenure and his credibility had been damaged beyond repair.”With regard to Peter Moores, the board determined that he should relinquish his role as England team director,” Morris added. “I have the greatest respect for the dignity which Peter Moores has shown in recent days when he has found himself under extreme pressure. The ECB wish him well in his future roles.”Cricinfo understands that Andy Flower, Moores’ assistant coach, was offered the interim role for the West Indies tour, although Morris said an announcement on the coaching set-up would be made in the coming days.Speaking to the News of the World earlier in the week, Pietersen said: “This situation is not healthy, we have to make sure it is settled as soon as possible and certainly before we fly off to the West Indies. Everybody has to have the same aims and pull in the same direction for the good of the England team.”Research conducted by Morris, however, suggested that Pietersen did not have the steadfast support of his team-mates or the back-room staff. The majority of the England support staff are understood to be supportive of Moores while most of the players are underwhelmed by Pietersen’s dramatic intervention, as Steve Harmison demonstrated with his ambivalent comments on Tuesday.There was also some sympathy towards Moores who, it is understood, was given the authority to select the England captain when Paul Collingwood and Vaughan resigned, and there are those within the set-up who feel that Pietersen had betrayed the coach’s trust.Attitudes towards Pietersen appeared to have hardened at board level. While few are completely convinced by Moores, they did not like the manner in which the captain has attempted to dictate events. As one board member told Cricinfo: “People who want to keep their jobs don’t issue ultimatums.”The news brings to an end a tumultuous five-month reign. When Pietersen took on the role in August 2008 following Vaughan’s resignation, he immediately declared that he intended to do the job “his way”. With a maiden Test triumph over South Africa, followed by a 4-0 victory in the ODIs, his way was the high way during a heady honeymoon period.But then came England’s disastrous showing in Allen Stanford’s 20/20 for 20 showdown in Antigua, in which England lost the chance to win US$1 million per man for a single evening’s work when they were bowled out by the Stanford Superstars for 99. Pietersen blamed the team’s performance on off-field “nonsense”, including floodlight issues and a high-profile faux pas involving the player’s wives, but there were no such ex cuses when England were subsequently thrashed 5-0 in their one-day series against India.That tour was foreshortened after the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November, and though Pietersen earned huge credit for his role in persuading the team to rejoin the tour for the two-match Test series, and for his remarkable century at Mohali, his tactical nous came under scrutiny during their 1-0 defeat, especially after the team failed to defend 387 in the first match at Chennai.But all throughout his tenure, rumours of his dissatisfaction with Moores’ methods were never far from the surface. Pietersen did not accept the job until he had had “clear the air” talks with Moores in the aftermath of Vaughan’s resignation, and he later voiced his disapproval of Moores’ dogmatic training methods that sapped the team’s energy on their tour of New Zealand in March. Matters are believed to have come to a head in the lead-up to the Mohali Test, where the relationship between Pietersen and Moores reached the point of no return.Although Kent’s coach, Graham Ford, had been touted as Moores’ probable successor, his candidature had been raised with a view to finding a man who could work alongside Pietersen. Ashley Giles is another option, although Warwickshire have warned they may not necessarily keep his job as the county’s director of cricket open, should he be asked to fulfil a role as “stop-gap” coach in the Caribbean.

There are 50 hopefuls, but only 17 will be smiling come Friday evening.Six Pakistanis – Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt and Mohammed Hafeez – already have a reason to feel aggrieved, after theirfranchises opted to terminate their contracts. With players from acrossthe border being denied permission to play in the IPL, four othercontracts – Umar Gul, (Kolkata), Misbah-ul-Haq (Bangalore), Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan) – have been “suspended”, with the affected teams allowed to signreplacements outside of the auction.Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, set the stage for the auction at the Fort Aguada resort, and also spoke of the possibility of games eventually being staged outside the franchise’s home city, in imitation of America’s National Football League and Major LeagueBaseball.There were 43 names on the list, but with the Pakistanplayers unavailable, the franchisees got together and extended thewish-list to 51. With Michael Clarke pulling out, the number is now aneven 50. Australia has the greatest representation, with 18 players,though no dates are yet available for how long the national team members -with games against South Africa and Pakistan pencilled in – will be ableto play the second season.”A player can pull out only if he is injured or has an FTP [Future Tours Programme] commitment,” Modi said. “Regarding the Pakistan players, franchisees have the option of either terminating their contract or suspending it. If they terminate thecontract, the player becomes a free agent and the team gets a slot [in theauction].”The Kolkata Knight Riders’ well-documented problems with the CricketAssociation of Bengal may also result in some or all of their games beingstaged at another venue in the catchment area, possibly Cuttack. TheRajasthan Royals have also expressed an interest in playing some of theirgames in Ahmedabad, though it remains to be seen if either move willhappen this season.The eventual plan is to extend the concept beyond the national border too.”We are also trying to expand the catchment territory to the neighbouringcountries, subject to approval from other boards,” Modi said. “Forinstance, the Knight Riders can have some matches in Bangladesh, theChennai Super Kings in Sri Lanka and the King’s XI Punjab in Pakistan.Whether it’s possible or not is a million-dollar question but this is ourlong-term plan to expand the base.”

Daren Powell was one of West Indies’ unexpected batting heroes as theyclung on for a draw in the third Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground. However, even in theafterglow of surviving 55 balls, and batting out 10 overs alongside Fidel Edwards, Powell knows he is under pressure to perform with the ball.His Test average is 46.34 after 35 matches and with a current series tally of four wickets at 48.75, he is not pulling his weight in the pace attack. There was criticism before the series that the selectors continued to show faith despite limited returns, but in a very honest assessment Powell revealed his own concerns about his main role.”I am pretty concerned about my bowling. If I was another player looking in and seeing someone in my shoes, not picking up wickets like Jerome Taylor and Fidel [Edwards], I would feel bad not to be playing. I have a bit of a problem with the way I grip the ball, I am working on it, it’s getting better, my control is getting better.”Hopefully in Barbados I can keep on working, trying to get more consistent and pick up wickets. I have to go out there, put all that is being said behind me and back myself. I’ve said we are going to beat England 3-0 and for us to do that I have to be taking wickets. The guys give me the confidence.”Despite his own problems with the ball, Powell certainly didn’t hold back in his assessment of where the momentum lay after the thrilling finish. “It’s a bigger wound they [England] have now because looking at the position, if I was the fielding side, I would think I would win the game, especially with me and Fidel there batting. England will feel bad now.”The West Indies team have broken up for a few days between Tests, but it is unlikely that Powell’s place will be under threat in Barbados although Lionel Baker, the Montserrat pace bowler, has been part of the squad. There are not many other fast bowlers pushing for selection with the domestic four-day averages dominated by spinners.An area the home side may consider tweaking, though, is the battingline-up. Ryan Hinds didn’t grab his opportunity on recall with 27 and 6 in Antigua and Lendl Simmons is waiting in the wings. Devon Smith could also be under pressure after a horrid swipe in the first innings against Graeme Swann brought his downfall.One batsman who has no concerns over his form is Ramnaresh Sarwan, who completed a match double of 94 and 106 to go alongside his 107 from the first Test. However, he said it was important West Indies make the most of their escape when the series resumes in Barbados next week.”There’s two to go and we don’t want to look too far ahead,” he said. “We have to get mentally and physically ready because this game took a lot out of us. Important we don’t find ourselves in the same situation because if we do it will be hard to get out of it.”

ScorecardA familiar scene at Lord’s as April lived up to it’s reputation•Getty Images

Michael Vaughan was once again left kicking his heels in the Lord’s changing room as rain prevented any play on the third day of the season-opener between MCC and Durham. He will now be crossing his fingers that Sunday dawns brighter so that he has the chance of some time in the middle before the England Test squad is named next weekend.That, though, will also depend on Durham declaring their first innings which currently stands on 311 for 4 after Ian Blackwell completed the season’s first century on Friday. The defending county champions will be keen to give their bowlers a workout, but will also be wary of collecting any injuries ahead of the Championship campaign if conditions remain damp.But Vaughan would welcome the challenge of facing a decent attack that includes Liam Plunkett and Graham Onions. And he isn’t the only batsman eager to open his account for the season with Ian Bell desperate to press his claims for a recall and Robert Key also wanting to make his presence felt. However, today the batsmen couldn’t even spend time in the indoor nets as a range of Easter coaching courses were taking place.Steady drizzle hung around the ground throughout the day and despite four inspections there never appeared a realistic chance of any play well before the final word was given at 4pm. The most activity the players had was a game of football on the Nursery Ground. It really didn’t feel much like the cricket season.

Middle-order batsman Rajin Saleh and medium-pacer Sajidul Islam have missed out on a list of 17 contracted players named by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The BCB offered contracts to six players for the first time – Mahmudullah, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Mahbubul Alam, Imrul Kayes and Rubel Hossain.The BCB had 21 players on its payroll last year but seven terminated their contracts to join the ICL. Mohammad Rafique, the veteral spinner, had earlier retired. The BCB announced a 30% pay increase for players last month in a bid to stop further defections to the ICL.This is the second year in a row Saleh, 25, has been overlooked for a contract. He was one of five players whose contracts had been reduced from one year to six months in December 2007. Not a regular feature in the squad since July 2007, he was called up for the series against New Zealand last October where he managed just 26 runs in the two Tests at 8.66.Sajidul, a 21-year-old left-arm medium-pacer, played two Tests against New Zealand in January 2008. He has not featured in Bangladesh’s plans since.The 11 already contracted players to have been given new ones are the Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Shakib-Al-Hasan, Syed Rasel, Mehrab Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique and Raqibul Hasan.

The fallout from Bermuda’s poor showing at the ICC World Cup Qualifiers continues with the announcement that the government is reducing the grant to the Bermuda Cricket Board by $1 million. The news comes against the backdrop of retirements and recriminations following the country’s failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup and loss of ODI status.However, it could have been far worse and the BCB will be heartened by the assurance that the government will continue to support the game’s development.”The investment is not just about results of the national team, it has to be about development as well,” explained sports minister Glenn Blakeney. “It’s not just for the here and now but for the future which is why I feel we have made the right commitment with regard to the resources for soccer and cricket.”But he added his voice to those who have expressed concerns about the professionalism of the side. “The coach [Gus Logie] has articulated some of his concerns and they need to be looked at seriously. I think if we are going to be contracting our players and paying them there has to be very stringent criteria on what is expected – code of conduct, fitness consistent levels of fitness testing, which seems to be an area where we fall down.”He also said that the government remained committed to helping to improve the National Centre which is the home to Bermuda’s only approved international venue.”For the ground to be an ODI ground we need to make some significant changes there. It doesn’t necessarily mean that should be placed completely on the backburner with Bermuda losing it’s ODI status. An ODI ground can be available to a full international with other countries playing as well.Blakeney went on to say that he was concerned at the lack of public support for sports. “I would like to see more teams coming into the county. I want the public of Bermuda to feel a commitment to supporting our best at whatever level we are competing and I think that has been lost. When I was growing up you would have 2500 to 3000 people at a local game. We had teams like Manchester United, Southampton and Aston Villa coming into the country for pre-season tours. That has been lost and my thinking is that we need to bring that back.”I have to speak to the cricket board to see where their heads are at. They have lost some funding and we need to see what their vision is where their focus will be.”

The ECB is pressing for more stringent laws to tackle the selling-on of tickets, according to a report in the Guardian.It is claimed the board has tracked down more than 1900 tickets on offer for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20, mainly on internet auction and ticket-resale sites. Warnings that people selling seats on this kind of website would be traced and also that tickets could be invalid has seemingly failed to deter people.On one site today, prices varied from 1p as a starting price up to £725 for 16 seats to the tournament’s final at Lord’s on June 21. Supply, however, appeared to be outstripping demand. There was far greater interest in seats for the Ashes later in the summer, with tickets having sold out months ago.The ECB has employed vigorous means to trace sellers and cancel tickets offered on such sites, writing to vendors and offering them a refund but also threatening to take them to court if they are found to have sold on the ticket.The news is all part of an ongoing campaign by various sporting bodies, including the ECB, to force the government to tighten legislation governing the selling on of tickets. At present, some events, such as football matches, do have a higher level of legal protection.Websites involved counter that the governing bodies ought to do more to control the initial sale of tickets, an argument dismissed by the ECB.An eBay spokeswoman , quoted by the Guradian, said the ECB’s own official exchange mechanism offered only limited resale. “Even if eBay were to agree to voluntary measures, these tickets would simply be sold elsewhere, either on the internet or on the streets, where there is less consumer protection for fans if there is a problem with the transaction.”

Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory will field teams in the national women’s competition next season after Cricket Australia announced an expansion of what was previously a five-state contest. For the first time there will be a women’s domestic Twenty20 tournament in 2009-10, which will feature all six states and the ACT.The ACT have also been included in the major competition, the Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL), while Tasmania will be restricted to the Twenty20 league only. However, there is a chance Tasmania could in 2010-11 join the WNCL, the 50-over competition which has not been expanded since it started in 1996-97.Cricket Australia said the ACT had been rewarded for developing junior talent having fielded strong sides in underage female national championships in previous years. Michael Brown, the general manager of cricket with Cricket Australia, said the expansions highlighted the growth of women’s cricket in Australia.”Female cricket participation has flourished in recent years and the inclusion of both ACT and Tasmania in national competitions in 2009-10 is another positive sign that we are moving in the right direction,” Brown said. “Importantly, the expansion of our interstate competitions will increase the pool of female elite cricketers in Australia and provide more pathway opportunities for the next generation of Southern Stars.”In previous years the women’s state sides had played occasional one-off Twenty20 games but forming an official league will allow the scheduling of double-headers with the state men’s teams. The announcement came as Australia progressed to the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in England.

by three wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outShakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Ashraful played a critical role in seeing Bangladesh through•AFP

Every time they step on the field, Bangladesh seem to be making history. After having beaten West Indies for the first time in Tests and ODIs, they today sealed their first ODI series win against the hosts. More importantly, this win came by way of their highest successful chase in the limited-overs format, reaching the requisite 275 with six balls to spare.At the centre of the accomplishment once again was Shakib Al Hasan, pulling West Indies back from a flying start, and then seeing his team through a tricky chase with a calm 65. Mohammad Ashraful, who got to back-to-back fifties for the first time since 2006, set up the Bangladesh reply after the openers struggled on a sluggish pitch that made it difficult to stroke the ball cleanly. The Shakib-Ashraful combination outdid an exceptional effort from Travis Dowlin, whose maiden international century lifted a fledgling West Indies to a fighting total.Ashraful and Shakib came together after a sensible third-wicket partnership between Ashraful and Raqibul Hasan had ended, thanks to the pressure created by a slow pitch and tight bowling. Nevertheless, they had added 52 after the openers fell in a quick succession.It was here that Ashraful took the lead, not letting the pressure mount. He first made room and slashed Bernard in the 28th over for the first boundary in 70 balls. When Rawl Lewis replaced Bernard in the next over, Ashraful lofted him over long-off for a six, bringing up his second fifty in three days. Shakib joined him in that charge, sweeping both Lewis and Bernard over midwicket. Those three overs brought Bangladesh 32 runs, and also brought down the asking-rate to less than six.When Ashraful went for another six off Lewis, he put his team in a tricky state again, holing out to long-off. Until then, his 77-ball 64 had been well-paced, and he had added 74 with Shakib in 63 deliveries. But with 85 still required, Shakib had a major role to play. The boundaries were not easy to come – even Lewis negated the big sweep with googlies and straighter ones – but Shakib ran purposefully. He had to run all but six of his last 50 runs, but hardly did he ever let the scoring-rate fall.During the match, the cameras panned to a spectator reading a magazine article on Shakib, titled the “Ice Man”. Shakib indeed played like one, but needed some luck on his side. With 71 required off 60, Shakib tried to hit Lewis out of the ground, only skying it to land perfectly between cover and long-off, which also resulted in a collision between Darren Sammy and Bernard. That shot also took Shakib to his half-century, kicking off a spell of ordinary cricket from both sides.With 56 needed off the last eight overs, Shakib called for the batting Powerplay, and Roach immediately threatened to finish the match in a hurry. Even before he could do that, Floyd Reifer almost let him bowl with five fielders outside the circle. Roach started with a half-volley and a fulltoss both hit for boundaries, before bowling his second beamer of the match to be removed from the attack. What’s more, Shakib deposited it for a six.Now it was the Ice Man’s turn to falter with the match almost pocketed. He swung across the line to Sammy, getting out with 37 needed off 41. Three wides came in the next two overs before Bangladesh contributed their bit to the chaos. Devon Thomas, the designated wicketkeeper, had to bowl what was left of Roach’s overs, and Mahmudullah gifted his second delivery with a leading edge. Riefer brought the fine leg up, Thomas saw two of his straight deliveries being punished and bowled two off-side wides to compensate. Mushfiqur returned the favour by hitting a fulltoss straight to cover. During that surreal period, the only question was which team wanted to lose more badly.An overthrow here, an edge there, and Bangladesh reached the series win with an outside-edged boundary by Abdur Razzak. During this period of drama, the turnaround earlier in the day was almost forgotten.For the majority of the first innings, both Dowlin and West Indies seemed to struggle to get the ball off the square against the spinners. West Indies had huffed and puffed their way to 176 for 4 in 40 overs, struggling to combat the grip and the turn. Dowlin’s story was no different – he took 88 deliveries to reach his fifty and had trouble with his running between the wickets, too.But with the Powerplay taken in the 41st over, things changed. Dowlin slog-swept the spinners with vengeance, getting close to the pitch every time, and hitting to long-on, cow corner, midwicket, square leg, et al. By the end of the Powerplay, West Indies had reached 216 for 5, and Dowlin 87 off 105 deliveries. In the next five overs, Dowlin took little time to reach his maiden century, and Lewis and Sammy made sure West Indies finished with 98 runs in their last ten overs. In the end, though, they were to be second-best.

Shane Watson has already started thinking about being more alert at the beginning of an innings after his promising debut as a Test opener was ended by a first-ball dismissal on the second day. Watson, a surprise replacement for Phillip Hughes at the top of the order, breezed to a confident 62 on the first afternoon of the rain-interrupted third Test before falling lbw to Graham Onions when stuck on the crease the following morning.”It wasn’t a special delivery, I stuffed up more than anything,” Watson said after the third day was abandoned due to rain. “I didn’t sleep much that night. I went through in my head way too much what the next morning could bring. It wasn’t part of the plan to get out first ball. It gave me something to learn from and hopefully it won’t happen again.”Watson, a 28-year-old whose previous hope of getting in the side relied on his all-round status, now has dreams of being Simon Katich’s long-term partner. He has been shuffled around the order during nine Tests and until now has been a bits-and-pieces player rather than a specialist in either discipline. An unfortunate injury record hasn’t helped his bid for continuity – the last setback was a thigh injury during the World Twenty20 – but he feels comfortable re-angling his outlook in a bid for a permanent position.”My career has never gone to plan so I’ve got no idea what will happen in the next three or four years,” he said. “I had no idea what would happen in the previous ones. At the moment I love the challenge of opening and now that I have the technique to open the batting, there is no doubt I’ve got the mental and technical aspects to consistently do well. I just have to consistently perform and form a partnership with Simon Katich.”Following Hughes’ struggles in the first two matches of the series, Watson walked out looking like a Test batsman, driving and pulling strongly while bringing up his second career half-century, but there is much more work to be done before he can qualify as a long-term option in the position. He credited Greg Chappell, the Centre of Excellence coach, for helping to reshape his approach since a failed attempt at the top of the order for Queensland, his previous state.He simplified his style, cutting out the more mechanical movements, and now keeps his mind clear. “The development of my technique meant I could take it on more comfortably than I did previously,” he said. “The opening stint I had 18 months ago was very poor. To be able to develop my game, especially technically, meant I had the best chance to combat the new ball and the English bowlers.”Watson didn’t bowl on Friday when England reached 116 for 2 in 36 overs in their reply to Australia’s 263, but he remains a useful option, particularly if Mitchell Johnson’s struggles continue. He hasn’t spoken to Ponting about his role, although he would be comfortable delivering between 12 and 15 overs a day.