Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting on Wednesday insisted on the sport’s heads not to forbid Pakistan’s complete team over a breaking match-fixing scandal.

Ponting said it would be unjust to punish the entire team over “spot-fixing” accusations which have previously seen Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir suspended.

The alleges came to light after Britain’s News of the World tabloid supposedly caught Mazhar Majeed, a London-based businessman, organizing no-balls to order in last month’s Test against England at Lord’s.

Ponting, whose team protected an uncertain victory over Pakistan in a Test in Sydney in January — which has now also been labeled into question – said he had considered the likelihood the players had been cooperated.

-To buy quality cricket bats and cricket balls, visit Procricketgear.com

The BCCI has finally shown the green signal for the team to play in the fourth season of IPL, scheduled to begin in April 2011. Kochi IPL team will play in the 2011 fourth season of the much popular T20 tournament.

After verification the documents and confirmation from all the owners over the issue of ownership, N Sreenivsan, Secretary, BCCI, said in a report that the Kochi franchisee had satisfactorily responded to the notice issued to them by the BCCI and decided that the franchisee, Kochi Cricket Private Limited, would play in the IPL  from 2011 onwards.

Last Month the BCCI had issued a termination notice to the Kochi team. The Board of Cricket Control also asked the meeting consortium to sort out all the disparities with the stakeholders.

With the IPL Kochi team making entry into the fourth season of the tournament, it would give more chances to the First-class cricket players in the state. S Sreesanth, the lone Kerala player in the IPL had earlier said that it is his wish to play for the home team.

-To buy best cricket bat and cricket ball visit procricketgear.com

New Zealand’s hard hitting  batsman and wicket keeper  McCullum was all for cricket to hold club culture similar to that in football, where faithfulness to the country was not compromised.

“There is no reason why you cannot develop a club culture. Football has developed and players are ardent about their clubs, but also love playing for their country. You need both and have to find the right balance. The sport will get richer if you do that, both in terms of fervor and pride, beside with the financial aspect,” reasoned McCullum.

The Kiwi batsman’s proclivity for aggressive strokes has made him a hot attraction in the T20 circuit and it fetched him a profitable deal with Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the opening season of IPL three seasons ago.

In the book, Inside Twenty20 which is co-authored by McCullum, the cricketer declared that he was almost ready to dump New Zealand for the IPL and the report kicked off a disagreement back home.

Asked whether consent is required among players’ associations to provide better bargaining powers for cricketers when dealing with boards about their IPL deals, McCullum was unsure about such a step.

Having give up his wicket keeping role in the longer format, McCullum celebrated his dominance to the opening spot in style, hitting a double century in the drawn second Test in Hyderabad test.

The Kiwi dasher said he owed a lot to Indian batting ace Virender Sehwag for the radical change in his perception of Test batting.

” Virender  Sehwag’s batting has given me the self  confidence to play like that, where you don’t have to be a conservative Test batsman. He is a great player who has made a big role on the game,” McCullum said.

- To Buy best cricket bats and cricket ball visit procricketgear.com

The Rajasthan Royals is gearing up to play the fourth season of   IPL (Indian Premier League) with the confidential arbitration proceedings in the aftermath of a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) exclusion decision going in its favor on Wednesday.

Retired justice BN Srikrishna , in an intervening judgment, stayed the extinction of the Rajasthan Royals from IPL. Rajasthan Royals had been barred from IPL by the BCCI, following which it had moved Bombay High Court. Eventually , both parties had opted for adjudication .

According to the Rajasthan Royals  “this order means the team can be  participate in season four of the IPL tourney”

Jaipur IPL Cricket chairman Mr.Ranjit Barthakur, who was in Guwahati on Wednesday, said ET: “After this judgment , the team management has started practices . Player selections will be start soon. We will work with full force now.”

Mr Barthakur, who is also deal advisor to Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, added: “Both parties had decided to go for adjudication, and accordingly , we’ve got an temporary award staying the termination of the Rajasthan Royals from the IPL till final order is passed .

”Rajasthan Royals management lawyer Anish Dayal told  “the team can start its participation in IPL season four and hold all its rights. This order will be binding till the end of the final adjudication and additionally six weeks thereafter.