English players should opt for IPL: McCullum

London: New Zealand master blaster Brendon McCullum believes the Indian Premier League has more to offer England players than the big-money Stanford games.

McCullum has taken the shortest form of the game by storm, notching a staggering world record score of 158 not out from 73 balls in the IPL.

“I played with the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting in the IPL and you can't help but develop when you train alongside those guys,” he said.

“The England guys would benefit for that reason. Financial gains are part of it but the best part is the experience,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

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“We're not jealous of the Stanford games. The ball is in the player’s court - if you perform you can earn lucrative contracts from cricket,” he added.

The big-hitting batsman is convinced his time in India has helped him to develop his game. And he reckons England's finest should now do the same. And with reported earnings of 350,000 pounds from his Kolkata Knightriders deal, rather than the winner-takes-all element of the Stanford games, it is easy to see why.

“Scores like the one I got for Kolkata don't come around everyday but I know I have more of the same in me. I'd be disappointed if people didn't see us as joint favourites. Ok, England has the momentum but this is where we are most comfortable,” he said.

“We're quietly confident and have a great chance to turn around our tour,” McCullum added.

Symonds in another walking controversy

Sydney: Andrew Symonds is not a walker, but he also makes it a point to rub it in by acknowledging that he was out and it's for the umpire rule it.

The volatile Queenslander was involved in another walking controversy on the opening day of the third Test at Bridgetown, Barbados, when he was lucky not to have been given out by umpire Mark Benson after gloving Dwayne Bravo to wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin in Australia's first innings.

Benson refused to raise his finger and West Indian blood boiled and the Barbados crowd booed after Symonds' reprieve, reports The Australian.

It was a pivotal moment because Symonds, who was 14 at the time, went on to make 52 and lead a revival of sorts as Australia reached 226 for seven on a rain-reduced first day.

It was not the first time that Symonds, a confirmed non-walker, has been the beneficiary of a major umpiring blunder.

During the controversial Sydney Test last summer against India, Steve Bucknor ignored a blatant caught behind appeal when Symonds was 30. The Queenslander went on to make a match-turning 162 not out.

West Indies skipper Chris Gayle was refusing to let the Symonds incident sour a great day for his side.

"It's up to the individual what he wants to do at that particular time -- there is nothing we can do," Gayle said. "That's cricket.

"Sometimes it goes your way, there is nothing you can do about it, but carry on with the game."

Tribunal bans Shoaib for 18 months, fines Rs 7mn

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board's appellate tribunal on Saturday reduced the five-year ban on Shoaib Akhtar to 18 months, while imposing a hefty Rs seven million fine on the maverick pacer.

Tribunal head Justice (rtd) Aftab Farrukh announced the decision after a hearing in Lahore which was attended by the fast bowler.

Shoaib had originally been banned for five years by the PCB for several disciplinary violations on April 1 after he lambasted the board for denying him a central contract.

He had also alleged that PCB chief Nasim Ashraf asked for money to get him signed up for the lucrative Indian Premier League. He later withdrew the comments after being threatened with a Rs 200 million defamation suit by the PCB.

The pacer then appealed against the ban and the tribunal suspended the punishment for a month to allow him to play in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders.The tribunal resumed hearing last week and its members were divided on whether to uphold the ban, reduce it or lift it completely.

The reduced 18-month ban means that Akhtar would remain out of the national squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan.