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The arguments presented by Gurunath Meiyappan’s legal team asking for leniency, which were not accepted by the Supreme Court

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2015The Lodha committee was tasked with fixing the sanctions on Gurunath Meiyappan, Raj Kundra, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Here’s the case made to the committee for a lenient punishment by India Cements Limited (ICL) and Jaipur IPL Cricket Limited’s (JIPL) lawyers, and the committee’s responses.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Arguments by lawyers of India Cements and Jaipur IPL for a lenient punishment

No.ArgumentsCounter arguments by the Lodha Panel1The company (CSK only) has a long history of contribution to cricket and cricketersThis argument cannot be accepted because the act of Team Officals has affected the purity of the game and the contribution, if any, by the franchises has also been wasted because millions of people who are true lovers of the game feel cheated2There are no previous antecedents in regards to the companies giving room to any suspicion against its team officialsNo urgent action was taken by the franchises against the Team Officials. The order of suspension passed by the BCCI is not action by the franchise against its Team Official. Each franchise is under an obligation to ensure that each of its Team Officials comply with the regulations, in particular the Anti Corruption Code
3If the companies are suspended, the entire IPL league as well as all the stakeholders, including players and fans, would stand to loseDisrepute has been brought to the game of cricket, the BCCI and the IPL to such an extent that now doubts abound in the public consciousness about whether games are clean or not4Findings, if any, are against the Team Officials in their personal capacity and liability should not be imposed on the franchisesIf those who indulge in corrupt practices are an integral part of the franchises in view of them being an owner/Team Official, the arguments that these acts were personal does not merit acceptance if the actions of these individiuals affect the image of the game, the BCCI and the IPL5The company (CSK only) has suffered immense loss of value already and the market capitalization has fallen and the share prices have fallen tremendously since the 2013 IPL
Suffice to say that such loss is too small in comparison to the loss caused to the reputation of the game, the BCCI and the IPL 6The company (RR only) has been highly celebrated as a nursery for players. The Rajasthan Royals have scouted and nurtured talent in the country and the world. They have provided players a platform to showcase their talents and strengthen the team with the objective of winning matches for Rajasthan Royals
The company claims that it is highly celebrated as a nursery for players. But the fact remains that three RR players were arrested and charged with spot-fixing in the 2013 IPL season. The committee can also take notice of the fact that there has been allegations of approach to one of its players for corrupt practices in 2015 IPL season as well. This shows that all is not well with the company in handling Anti-Corruption Code issues

Gurunath MeiyappanHaving rejected all the arguments presented by India Cements Ltd and Jaipur IPL’s lawyers, the Lodha Panel announced the following sanction on the two companies.””The period of suspension shall commence from the date of this order.

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo gave his Instagram followers a sneak peak of his strict training regime with a video of his gruelling workout.

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Ronaldo in insane shape for 38Currently on break from SPL actionBut hitting the gym with gruelling workoutWHAT HAPPENED?

The Saudi Pro League is currently on a break due to the upcoming 2023 Asian Cup, but that hasn't stopped the Portugal superstar from putting in the hours at the gym. Ronaldo has been known for his commitment to maintaining his incredible physique throughout his career, with the latest evidence coming in his recent Instagram story. In it, the 38-year-old could be seen working out topless using gymnastic rings, in what looked a gruelling workout.

AdvertisementWHAT RONALDO POSTEDIG:cristianoIG:cristianoGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo is undoubtedly in insane shape for a 38-year-old. It shows that his high standards have never dropped despite stepping down a level to play in the Saudi Pro League over a year ago. This was shown by another stellar calendar year for the Al-Nassr and Portugal star, who topped the globe's scoring charts for 2023 with an incredible 54 goals to his name for club and country.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Training will no doubt continue at the Ronaldo abode as he gears up for a return to Pro League action in mid-February. Before that, though, the Portuguese talisman will face eternal rial Lionel Messi in an eagerly-anticipated friendly contest on February 1.

Dutch giants PSV are lining up another American addition to their ranks, with Miles Robinson wanted in Eindhoven as he prepares to leave MLS.

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Defender about to hit free agencyReady to explore options in EuropeInternational team-mates in EindhovenWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international will see his contract at Atlanta United expire on December 31, allowing him to drop into the free agent pool. The 26-year-old defender is expected to explore options outside of his homeland when mulling over his next move.

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It could be that he heads to the Netherlands to link up with USMNT colleagues Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest, with PSV’s director of football Earnie Stewart admitting to readying an approach for Robinson.

WHAT THEY SAID

The former U.S. star has told of the speculation suggesting that Robinson could be heading to Europe: “He has been on our list for a while, along with a number of others, so that is correct. There has been contact, but not only with him. I have contact with several players, because that is my job. He can play well with space in his back. I also saw with the United States national team that you don’t just pass him by.”

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Robinson has been with Atlanta United since 2018. He has earned 27 caps with the USMNT, with seven of those coming in 2023 after missing the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar due to an unfortunate pre-tournament injury.

A round-up of IPL news on April 15, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Apr-2015Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, is not travelling with his team-mates to Pune ahead of their clash against Kings XI Punjab. “Cramps, weakness and fever…bad timing,” Gambhir tweeted. “Living on khichdee and curd-rice…”

Not travelling to Pune with @KKRiders today. Cramps, weakness and fever…bad timing. Living on khichdee and curd-rice…

— GGF (@GautamGambhir) April 15, 2015

Knight Riders face Kings XI on April 18, which gives Gambhir a decent window of time to recover and join his team in time for the match.Boult ahead of Steyn – WarnerDavid Warner, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain, has said that on current form Trent Boult is “just ahead” of Dale Steyn, who has not been included in the XI for Sunrisers’ first two games. Boult, with four wickets in two matches, is the leading wicket-taker for the team.”Trent Boult has been in fantastic form. Look at how he bowled in the World Cup. He was the best bowler barring Mitchell Starc,” Warner said. “The condition suited him [Bangalore] here and suited him in the last game. We feel Trent is just ahead of Dale. We will definitely use Dale in the tournament … At the moment Trent is going fantastic so Dale just misses out.”Watson targets return in next home game
Shane Watson, the Rajasthan Royals’ captain, is eyeing a return to the team for the home game against Chennai Super Kings on April 19. “I got hit around the hip during the first training session of the tournament and it has taken a bit of time to recover,” Watson told . “We are going to travel to Vizag overnight, so it’s going to be touch and go for the next game. I will surely be back in the team for our game here against the Chennai Super Kings.”Royals, on a three-match winning streak under Steven Smith’s leadership, face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Visakhapatnam on April 16.Vijay looking to make it big
M Vijay, the Kings XI Punjab opener, is one of the two Indian batsmen to score two centuries in the IPL and he has said he is looking forward to a couple more this eason. “I don’t think openers can ever blame (anything) because we have got 20 overs to go and play,” Vijay told . “If I can play out around 15-16 overs I will be somewhere close to my hundred. So I have got the best opportunity; I cannot have any problems with that. Obviously I am happy in that way and I am looking forward for maybe a couple of more (centuries) this season.”Curbing his natural aggression has brought Vijay success in Test cricket but in IPL, he is looking to, “not do that! Not to curb yourself, but just go and express yourself and give the start the team requires,” he said.Vijay’s idol, not surprisingly, is another stylist. “I always liked Mark Waugh,” he said. “I am a Mark Waugh fan. I was crazy about him when I was a kid. I don’t know why, but I liked the way he carried himself in the field, the way he was and everything about him.”Anderson keen on finishing touches
Corey Anderson, the Mumbai Indians allrounder, has said that he wants to improve as a finisher. With two half-centuries, Anderson is the leading run-scorer for his team. “We had (Michael) Hussey last year with us,” he said. “He was an unbelievable finisher and so was Michael Bevan. These guys finished games and made it look easy. I have been able to put myself into positions where I can potentially win the game but I tend to get out just before doing so. I am hoping that with a bit of experience and time I’ll start learning these things. You learn to put the pieces together.”

Bukayo Saka and Son Heung-min may have wanted to avoid each other in derby week, but they were forced to sit together at a Burberry fashion show.

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Gunners & Spurs impressing this seasonLong-running rivalry set to be renewedStar turns mingling away from the pitchWHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal and Tottenham superstars are readying themselves for a clash between north London’s fiercest rivals at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Both sides have been in fine form at the start of the 2023-24 campaign, with 13 points apiece collected from five fixtures.

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Saka and Son will be hoping to make the difference when returning to their day job, but they have been relaxing ahead of competitive action by taking in a visit to London Fashion Week. They attended the Burberry spring-summer 2024 show at Highbury Fields in Islington – which is very much Arsenal territory – and were seated alongside one another on the front row.

DID YOU KNOW?

Saka and Son did share a brief conversation, but looked a little awkward as cameras were turned away from the catwalk and in their direction. The pair were eventually split up when Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze – an England colleague of Saka – turned up and filled a seat between them.

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Son has been a Burberry ambassador since the summer of 2022 and has starred in several shoots for Daniel Lee – the fashion house’s creative director. The South Korean forward recently hit a Premier League hat-trick in a meeting with Burnley, while Saka has registered two goals through five top-flight appearances for Arsenal.

Australia captain Steven Smith became Supergiants’ latest casualty when he was ruled out of the rest of the 2016 IPL with a wrist injury

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-20162:28

Nannes: Would pick Samuels to replace Smith

Another day, another injury for Rising Pune Supergiants. Australia captain Steven Smith became their latest casualty when he was ruled out of the rest of the 2016 IPL with a wrist injury. Supergiants had earlier lost Kevin Pietersen, Faf du Plessis and Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh to injuries.”Steve has been struggling with pain in his right wrist for the last week during his stint in the IPL,” Australia’s sports science and sports medicine manager Alex Kountouris said. “We have been working with his IPL franchise Pune to monitor this, and unfortunately it has not resolved. As such, he will return home from India for further assessment and treatment ahead of the tour of the West Indies.”From the information we have so far, this doesn’t appear to be a serious injury but we are keen to give him the time to recover and rehabilitate before heading to the West Indies at the end of May.”Smith did not miss a match because of the injury while he was in India. In the absence of two other big names, he was the mainstay of the Supergiants batting, bringing up his maiden T20 century too.Supergiants, languishing in the bottom third of the table with just two wins out of eight games, are waiting to get Australia batsman Usman Khawaja into the country. Khawaja was signed after the loss of Pietersen and du Plessis. No replacement was named for Marsh. They are scheduled to play next on May 5, against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi.

The Al-Nassr superstar did what he does best on Friday, scoring twice to secure Roberto Martinez's side's place in Germany next summer

Portugal sealed their qualification for Euro 2024 with their 3-2 win over Slovakia on Friday, but they didn't exactly have it all their own way in a thrilling encounter.

Goncalo Ramos scored a header from a superb Bruno Fernandes cross to open the scoring, before Cristiano Ronaldo notched from the penalty spot after a penalty was awarded for handball. Ronaldo should have added his second and his country's third before half-time, but he somehow missed an open goal from six yards out.

Slovakia pulled a goal back with conditions worsening due to heavy rain, as David Hancko's long-range shot was deflected into the bottom corner by Antonio Silva. Ronaldo, though, hit back just three minutes later, tapping in another exceptional Fernandes cross at the back post.

Stanislav Lobotka scored a wonderful goal to reduce the arrears again, sending a dipping, 25-yard effort into the top corner, although Portugal managed to hold out and seal a precious win. The Euros now beckon.

GOAL rates Portugal's players from Estadio do Dragao…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Diogo Costa (5/10):

Beaten all ends up by Hancko's deflected strike and could not get close to Lobotka's unbelievable goal.

Joao Cancelo (5/10):

Some superb work down the right flank but his end product left something to be desired. Summed that up with a slaloming run ending with a wild effort.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

A leader at the back, constantly organising. Made some good tackles and was never beaten in the air, although Lobotka's goal came from his position.

Antonio Silva (6/10):

Stood up well to Slovakia's aerial threat. Unlucky to see his attempted block send Hancko's shot into the bottom corner.

Diogo Dalot (6/10):

Barely drove up the flank, instead opting to pass as opposed to running. Never beaten down his side, though.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Joao Palhinha (6/10):

Swept up behind Silva and Fernandes. A composed operator that keeps the midfield ticking. Unfortunate to be booked for a fantastic challenge in midfield. Subbed late on.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Some very clever interplay in midfield. Continually played the ball forward, always having his head up. Subbed late on.

Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

Superb cross for Ramos' header and added another when assisting Ronaldo's second, and Portugal's third. Somehow missed a header of his own from four yards that would have capped a great performance.

Getty ImagesAttack

Cristiano Ronaldo (7/10):

Scored his 124th goal for his country from the penalty spot. Somehow missed with the goal gaping on the stroke of half-time but made up for it with his second, tapping in Fernandes' cross.

Goncalo Ramos (7/10):

Scored an excellent header from Fernandes' cross. Hit the post as well and ran Slovakia ragged at times.

Rafael Leao (6/10):

His cross won Portugal's penalty. Got down the left flank continually but struggled to create himself a goalscoring chance.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Joao Felix (6/10):

Replaced Leao. Had a big chance late on but could not quite reach Fernandes' superb cross.

Ruben Neves (6/10):

On late on.

Otavio (6/10):

Came on with minutes left.

Diogo Jota (5/10):

Replaced Ramos late on. Should have scored late on but saw two shots well saved by Martin Dubravka.

Roberto Martinez (6/10):

Not as comfortable as he would have liked, but Martinez got his key selections right, and can now start preparing for the Euros.

Raphael Varane is being linked with a January move to Bayern Munich and could follow Harry Kane out of the Premier League.

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Bayern Munich consider Raphael VaranePermanent deal an 'interesting' optionDefender out of favour at Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United defender Varane is reported to be the subject of 'internal discussions' at Bayern Munich as the January transfer window nears. Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg suggests the Bundesliga champions are put off because of a £14.9 million ($18.6m) salary, but still consider the Frenchman an 'interesting' option and will continue to monitor his situation. A loan is not thought to be on the table and a proposed transfer fee would be up to £26.3m ($32.9m)

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Varane joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United to much fanfare in the summer of 2021, paraded on the Old Trafford pitch before the opening Premier League game of the season against Leeds. But the four-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid has often struggled with injuries since moving to England and in recent months has fallen out of favour with current manager Erik ten Hag. Indeed, Varane has only started one Premier League game – the home defeat to Crystal Palace – since going off injured at half-time against Nottingham Forest back in August. Ten Hag has preferred Harry Maguire and even Jonny Evans at times this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Kingsley Coman and Dayot Upamecano are the existing French players in the Bayern squad, while Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard left the Allianz Arena in summer. French stars also account for three modern Bayern legends in Franck Ribery, Bixente Lizarazu and Willy Sagnol.

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WHAT NEXT FOR VARANE?

The big challenge for Varane in the short-term is to win back his place at Manchester United. There are six weeks until the January transfer window opens, but the Red Devils letting him go at this point would risk leaving them short defensively in the second half of the season.

Ben Stokes, the England allrounder, could miss at least the first month of the season following surgery on the wrist he broke thumping a locker during England’s final T20 against West Indies in Barbados

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2014Ben Stokes, the England allrounder, could miss at least the first month of the season following surgery on the wrist he broke thumping a locker during England’s final T20 against West Indies in Barbados.Stokes’ frustration got the better of him after his first-ball dismissal to Krishmar Santokie and he took it on the dressing-room furniture, the resulting break ruling him out of the World T20 and the opening phase of the English season with Durham.An ECB statement said: “Ben Stokes has had an operation on the fractured scaphoid bone in his right wrist. Stokes will be reviewed in six weeks and a schedule for his return to full training will be determined following the review.The timeframe means England’s one-day international against Scotland, on May 9, appears tight for him to make a return and he may have to wait until the T20 and ODIs against Sri Lanka later in the month. The restructuring of the international season – moving the first Test series into June instead of May – means he should have plenty of time to be ready for the Tests against Sri Lanka.

This was a day dominated by two batsmen but Middlesex need only cast an eye over Nottinghamshire’s statistics so far to be reminded that the key to success in Championship cricket lies with the bowlers

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge14-Jun-2014
ScorecardEoin Morgan finished the day unbeaten on 174 and within reach of his highest first-class score•PA PhotosThis was a day dominated by two batsmen but Middlesex need only cast an eye over Nottinghamshire’s statistics so far to be reminded that the key to success in Championship cricket lies with the bowlers. Going into this match, Chris Read’s team had five batsman with 500 or more Division One runs so far compared with Middlesex’s two, yet none with 20 wickets or more against Middlesex’s three.It provides much of the explanation for why Middlesex have won four matches and Nottinghamshire only two thus far and why Middlesex, with Steven Finn (30 wickets), Tim Murtagh (24) and Toby Roland-Jones (23) to call upon, look a more optimistic bet for the title. If those bowlers can underscore the work done by Chris Rogers and Eoin Morgan that only emphasised the ordinariness of the home side’s attack in several phases of the day, then Middlesex’s title ambitions will be further reinforced.Morgan’s unbeaten 174 gave him back-to-back hundreds following his 103 against Lancashire a month ago, which ended a drought of five years without one century in the Championship. This was his highest score in Championship cricket and his career-best 209 for Ireland might be under threat if he can negotiate the opening overs of day two against a new ball 16 overs old.Rogers, with whom he shared a third-wicket stand of 272 that is a Middlesex record against Nottinghamshire, sees Morgan this season making clear progress in his four-day game following his decision to forego his annual stint in the IPL.”A couple of years ago when he played some four-day cricket for us I still felt there were areas of his game that needed improving, particularly his defence,” Rogers said. “But his he has come back this year I have been very surprised at how that has improved.”His game is in excellent order at the moment and he just has that ability to take teams down once he gets in as he did today. He can hit 360 degrees around the field and that is a rare skill.”I think England would benefit from having a positive player like him in the Test side but he has to earn it now by putting together consistent performances in the way Sam Robson did.”Rogers himself was in a familiar groove here, dominating the Nottinghamshire attack until, within 20 runs of a double-hundred, he went for the uppercut against Andre Adams and found James Taylor lurking at deep point. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that the Australia opener knows how to score runs against Nottinghamshire bowling. In his last seven first-class innings against the county, he has hit 526, only once scoring fewer than 50.Fours zipped off the bats of both men as the help Nottinghamshire had hoped to draw from the conditions on a cloudy, muggy morning failed to materialise. Rogers hit 26 fours, Morgan has 27 and two sixes, both off Samit Patel’s left-arm spin. Naturally, there were some shots to admire but Nottinghamshire offered too many opportunities for them to tuck into. Adams had bowled Dawid Malan with a lovely delivery that straightened to hit the top of off-stump and Harry Gurney had Neil Dexter caught at first slip soon afterwards but moments in which the bowlers had the upper hand were rare.If Nottinghamshire’s bowling looked below par at times then their fielding was none too clever either. Wessels spilled the biggest chance, offered by Morgan off Gurney on 20. Wessels had bruised his hand taking his first catch and left the field for attention immediately but Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire head coach, said it did not excuse the drop.There was no forgiving Patel, either, when he missed Rogers on 89 at second slip off Peter Siddle, even though it was a more difficult one, to his left and travelling.Nottinghamshire fought back a little with the second new ball, which Siddle in particular made better use of than the first one, dismissing Joe Denly via a catch at second slip and uprooting John Simpson’s off stump.The Championship pennant has not been hoisted at Lord’s since 1993, the last of seven titles won during Don Bennett’s tenure as coach. The flags at Trent Bridge flew at half-mast to mark Bennett’s passing this week at the age of 80 and the players of both sides honoured his memory with a minute’s silence before play began. It might just have been a moment of inspiration for the visiting side.