Cricket

[Chazza]

How very odd.

Pakistan all-rounder Haris Sohail 'spooked' by hotel ghost

Pakistan all-rounder Haris Sohail has been left "visibly shaken" and unable to train after an apparent ghostly encounter in a New Zealand hotel room.

Sohail, 26, fled what he believed was "a supernatural presence" which shook his bed at the team's Rydges Latimer Hotel in Christchurch.

He took refuge in the room of a team coach for the remainder of the night.

Pakistan are in New Zealand for two warm-up matches and two one-day internationals ahead of the World Cup.

Cricketers and close encounters

Haris Sohail is not the first cricketer to have been "spooked" by an apparent supernatural experience while staying in a team hotel.

In July, England bowler Stuart Broad switched rooms at the Langham Hotel in London when he said he was woken in the night by his bathroom taps coming on for no reason.

Australia all-rounder Shane Watson was reportedly forced to sleep on team-mate Brett Lee's floor when he was frightened by the ghost of Lumley Castle in Chester-le-Street during the 2005 Ashes tour.

Team manager Maveed Akram Cheeva said Sohail phoned a member of the coaching staff to say he had been woken by his bed being shaken.

The coach rushed to his room, where he found the left-handed batsman and left arm spinner, who has played nine one-day internationals, "shaken and feverish".

Cheeva said team management tried to persuade Sohail the fever may have caused a nightmare, but the player was adamant his experience was "supernatural".

Sohail was examined by the team doctor after his encounter and found to be in good health.

The hotel's management says it knew of "no active ghost" on the premises.
Pakistan media reported Sohail was left so traumatised by his experience he was unable to train and was forced to miss a one-day warm-up match against a New Zealand President's XI on Sunday.

He took the field in a second warm-up game in Christchurch on Tuesday and made six runs from 25 balls.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/30999008

[Buzzo]

Bizarre.

[Chazza]

Just snaffled some day 4 ashes tickets at the Oval

[Alex]

First ever Day/Night Test Match being played today. Dont know how I feel about the idea of 'Pink Ball' Cricket.

[Alex]

I do know however that I can get on board with tests in the Southern Hemisphere starting at 6.30am as opposed to Midnight.

[Shaggy]

Amazing dig in from South Africa

Hashim Amla 25 off 244 balls
AB de Villiers 43 off 297 balls

de Villiers batted 345 minutes and was 0 not out off 33 balls

Amla was 0 not out off 45 balls before getting off the mark

They were all out for 143 off 143.1 overs

[Buzzo]

Amazing dig in from South Africa

Hashim Amla 25 off 244 balls
AB de Villiers 43 off 297 balls

de Villiers batted 345 minutes and was 0 not out off 33 balls

Amla was 0 not out off 45 balls before getting off the mark

They were all out for 143 off 143.1 overs

****ing hell imagine paying to watch that.

[RichC]

Seems a nice chap

Shahadat Hossain: Bangladesh cricketer charged with torturing maid

Police in Bangladesh have charged the cricketer Shahadat Hossain and his wife with torturing their former domestic servant, an 11-year-old girl.

If found guilty, the couple may face lengthy jail terms. They are currently on bail and deny charges of employing and assaulting a minor.

The police charge sheet submitted to the court in Dhaka accuses the couple of physically torturing the child.

Bangladesh's Cricket Board has already suspended the medium-fast bowler.

The case is to be heard on 12 January.

The girl, Mahfuza Akhter Happy, was found in a street in September with multiple injuries, including a broken leg.

At the time, she said she had been working for the couple for a year.

The charges have been brought under legislation designed to protect women and children from domestic abuse.

If convicted, the cricketer and his wife, Jasmine Jahan Nritto Shahadat, could face jail terms of between seven and 14 years, plus a fine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35193427

[Chazza]

Oh Chris

Chris Gayle exposed himself to me: woman

Cricketer Chris Gayle, already facing a barrage of criticism over inappropriate remarks to a female television reporter, allegedly indecently exposed himself to a woman during a Sydney training session at last year's World Cup.

The Australian woman, who was working around the West Indies team in Sydney, has detailed the incident to Fairfax Media. In the course of her work she entered the team dressing room to get a sandwich as she hadn't eaten all day, thinking the players were on the field training.

Instead, she found Gayle in the room with one other player. Gayle was wrapped in a towel, which she says he pulled down to partially expose his genitals to her while saying to her: "Are you looking for this?"

It is understood West Indies team manager Richie Richardson was told about the incident, but Gayle was not named. Richardson then sent an email to all West Indies players demanding women working around the team be treated with respect.

The new revelations came as the Melbourne Renegades announced they would fine Gayle $10,000 for his controversial live interview with Channel Ten's Mel McLaughlin on Monday night. Gayle asked an uncomfortable McLaughlin if she wanted to come out for a drink with him, before quickly adding "don't blush, baby".

On Tuesday morning, Gayle delivered a half-hearted apology and said his comments had been "blown out of proportion". Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry described his comments as a "one-off".Several other female journalists also came forward to detail inappropriate comments or unwelcome advances by Gayle.

The female employee involved in last year's incident does not want to be identified, but has explained she was motivated to tell her story "in support of [Channel Ten reporter] Mel McLaughlin last night, and to support the many other women working as career professionals in sport who shouldn't have to put up with this kind of treatment".

"It's that moment when you have a split second to react. I was shocked, and I just walked out," she said.

"You put yourself in an office environment in Australia, and there's no way that's going to fly. Put yourself back in that deserted change room and it's somehow OK for a career professional to be subjected to sexual jokes and demeaning advances."

The incident took place in February last year while the West Indies were in Sydney preparing for the 2015 World Cup.

"He [Richardson] was 100 per cent supportive of me. I had his absolute apologies and support," the woman said.

Approached by Fairfax Media at the SCG and asked about the allegations against Gayle from February, Richardson said: "At this point I have nothing to say about that or about what happened with Chris Gayle [in Hobart]".
Gayle's management also declined to comment on the allegation.

The woman says she felt sick when she watched Gayle proposition McLaughlin on air during Channel Ten's coverage of the Big Bash League on Monday night.

Gayle went on to be feted for his World Cup exploits, when he belted a record 215 against Zimbabwe in Canberra. "It makes me sick that people like that are emulated as heroes when they behave like that towards half the population, there is nothing heroic about the way he conducts himself towards women," she said.

Gayle has been writing paid columns for Fairfax Media over the past month. Given the issues that have arisen over the past 48 hours, that arrangement has been terminated.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/chris-gayle-exposed-himself-to-me-woman-20160105-glzrkp.html

[Shaggy]

Oh dear

[Shaggy]

[RichC]

That's a ****ing ridiculous knock

[Shaggy]

Saw the numbers earlier....off 323 balls, he hit 59 sixes and about 130 fours ffs

Why didn't they declare earlier?! Imagine waiting til you've piled on 1465 ...especially after you've skittled them for 30

[spud_gun]

One of the bowlers went for 142 off SIX overs

[CJ]

Surprised someone on the opposition didn't have a word.

With his fists.