Bangalore: A look back at the second quarter of 2010: the News of the World sting, Murali's perfect retirement, the BCCI vs Modi saga, and more

May

2 Suresh Raina becomes the third centurion in Twenty20 internationals when he blasts 101 off 60 balls in India's 14-run win over South Africa in a World Twenty20 group match. The following day, Mahela Jayawardene hits a hundred in Sri Lanka's victory against Zimbabwe to become the fourth .

4 Former South Africa batsman Andrew Hudson is appointed the country's convenor of selectors, taking over from the interim committee headed by Gerald Majola, the board's CEO.

5 Deandra Dottin becomes the first woman to hit a century in Twenty20s, slamming nine sixes in her unbeaten 112 off 45 deliveries in West Indies women's win over South Africa women in the opening match of the ICC Women's World Twenty20.

6 The BCCI issues a show-cause notice to suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi after the England Cricket Board complains to the Indian board that Modi was trying to set up a parallel cricket league in the UK with the help of some counties, an allegation that the counties rubbish a day later. Modi files his reply in June, saying that Clarke's charges are "motivated".

11 Prosper Utseya resigns as Zimbabwe captain, and is replaced by allrounder Elton Chigumbura.

14 With 18 needed off the last over in the second World Twenty20 semi-final against Pakistan, Michael Hussey blasts 6, 6, 4, 6 to propel Australia into a final clash with England.

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond announces his retirement from all forms of cricket.

16 Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen power England to their first ICC title as they thrash Australia by seven wickets in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados. Hours later, Australia women ensure the country does not go without a World Twenty20 title, as they pip New Zealand women by three runs in a low-scoring final, which is watched by the men's team.

20 Paul Condon, the out-going ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief, says that the unit is investigating Pakistan's tour of Australia to establish whether their disastrous on-field performance was the result of a "dysfunctional" team or "something more serious". The following day Kamran Akmal defends his shoddy wicketkeeping in the Sydney Test. Later Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt says no evidence of match-fixing was found by the board. In May, in a leaked video, former coach Intikhab Alam and his deputy Aaqib Javed raise concerns about a run-out Akmal missed in Sydney. The wicketkeeper threatens to sue the duo.

22 Shahid Afridi announces he is ready to return to Test cricket, nearly four years after a "temporary retirement" in 2006. He is named as Pakistan captain for the Asia Cup and the UK tour that includes six Tests against Australia and England.

23 The first international cricket series in the USA, three Twenty20s between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, ends in a 1-1 stalemate on a slow and low pitch in Florida.

25 The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asks the ICC to convince its member boards to accept the contentious whereabouts clause by November 2011, failing which it would be declared non-compliant. In July, the ICC gets ready to implement a WADA-compliant anti-doping code, including a "modified" whereabouts clause, following negotiations with the BCCI, which stood by its players' objections to the clause.

26 Aravinda de Silva is appointed chairman of a new four-member Sri Lanka selection committee.

28 Mohammad Yousuf rules out coming out of retirement for Pakistan's tour of England a day after Afridi requests him to reconsider his decision. In June, Yousuf says he plans to return to international cricket during Pakistan's series against South Africa in UAE in October. After Pakistan lose the first Test to Australia in July at Lord's, he says he's prepared to come back "anytime". He is recalled to the Pakistan squad for the third Test against England at the Oval.

29 An independent arbitration tribunal lifts the one-year ban imposed on Shoaib Malik by the PCB.

31 An upset Chris Gayle orders Sulieman Benn off the field in the fourth ODI against South Africa after the left-arm spinner fails to follow his instructions. The BCCI serves another notice on Lalit Modi, this time for underselling the theatrical rights of the IPL and for awarding the contract for mid-over advertising slots during IPL matches without the board's consent. Modi files his reply in June, and also begins libel proceedings against the ECB's Giles Clarke in the London High Court.

June

1 The BCCI announces that it will not send an Indian cricket team to the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China because of prior international commitments.

3 South Africa complete a 5-0 whitewash of West Indies, beating them by a wicket in the final ODI in Trinidad.

4 Umpire Rudi Koertzen announces that the Headingley Test in July between Pakistan and Australia will be his last international assignment.

5 After delighting Lord's, Tamim Iqbal wowsOld Trafford, with a blistering hundred, but cannot prevent England from cantering to a 2-0 Test win against Bangladesh.

6 Kieron Pollard turns down a place on the one-day leg of West Indies A's tour of England in favour of his deal with Somerset for the Friends Provident t20.

9 Tillakaratne Dilshan's century takes Sri Lanka to an emphatic win over Zimbabwe in the tri-series final in Harare.

10 The ECB outlaws the double-bouncing ball, dashing Warwickshire's plans to use it during their Friends Provident t20 game against Derbyshire.

11 Cricket Australia gives the go-ahead to a trial of split-innings limited-overs games in domestic cricket. The ICC says it will watch the experiment, but remains confident about the current 50-over format. The CA board formally approves the split in August with two innings of 20 and 25 overs, despite a majority of surveyed players not favouring the change.

12 Zimbabwe Cricket says the country is targeting a return to Test cricket in May 2011 with a home series against Bangladesh.

17 Kevin Pietersen announces he will leave Hampshire at the end of the season after hardly appearing for his county due to his desire to be in London.

18 Cricket Kenya cancels a short tour by the national team to England after a contractual dispute arises between the board and the players on the eve of the trip. The stand-off ends after the country's sports minister intervenes. The players sign new one-year contracts in August.

19 BCCI president Shashank Manohar recuses himself from the three-man disciplinary committee considering the case against Lalit Modi - who had earlier accused Manohar of bias. Meanwhile the board's secretary, N Srinivasan, says that Modi's replies to the show-cause notices are "not acceptable".

20 Younis Khan is not selected for Pakistan's tour of England though his indefinite ban was overturned by the PCB. Pakistan captain Afridi says he wanted Younis in the team, but form and discipline issues went against him.

22 Mark Boucher becomes the first wicketkeeper to have made 500 dismissals, during South Africa's second Test against West Indies, in St Kitts.

24 India win the Asia Cup, beating Sri Lanka comprehensively in the final in Dambulla.

25 Sri Lanka Cricket refuse Tillakaratne Dilshan permission to play in the 2010-11 Australian Big Bash, so that he can focus on preparing for the 2011 World Cup.

The BCCI reaches an understanding with MSM, the broadcasters of the IPL, to recover the Rs 425 million facilitation fee that MSM paid to World Sports Group as compensation for WSG relinquishing the telecast rights of the league for the Indian subcontinent. The board also terminates its IPL media license agreements with WSG.

28 Mashrafe Mortaza replaces Shakib Al Hasan as Bangladesh captain for the ODI tour of the UK. Shakib is demoted to the vice-captaincy.

29 South Africa beat West Indies by seven wickets in Bridgetown to finish an unbeaten tour on a high, taking the three-Test series 2-0.

30 The ICC rejects former Australia prime minister John Howard's nomination for its vice-presidency in an issue that splits cricket after six countries signal their intention to block his appointment. Sir John Anderson, the next-choice candidate from Australia and New Zealand, declines to be nominated. Alan Isaac, the chairman of New Zealand Cricket, is ultimately approved as the vice-president in August.

July

1 India's Sharad Pawar takes over as ICC president from England's David Morgan for a two-year term. He rules out restoration of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan in the near future, calling it a diplomatic issue.

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are announced as hosts for the next two World Twenty20 tournaments, while England get the Champions Trophy in 2013.

Zimbabwe Cricket announces the construction of a Test-standard cricket ground close to the iconic Victoria Falls.

The ICC approves the implementation of the Umpire Decision Review System at the 2011 World Cup, subject to agreements between the broadcasters and the host nations.

3 Australia win the last two games, but England still take the five-match home ODI series 3-2.

6 Muttiah Muralitharan announces he will retire from Test cricket after the Test against India in Galle, but will be available for selection for the World Cup. He dismisses last man Pragyan Ojha to finish with 800 wickets, as Sri Lanka go on to complete a ten-wicket win.

8 Brendon McCullum says he came close to not signing a NZC contract in favour of the IPL, before changing his mind in favour of his country. NZC later creates a participation window for the IPL in an agreement with the players association.

10 Ireland win the World Cricket League Division 1 title, beating Scotland by six wickets in the final.

12 Kumar Sangakkara asks the ICC to make the UDRS mandatory for all Test series, following India's refusal to use it against Sri Lanka. Ricky Ponting expresses a similar opinion after Pakistan do not use the system for their series against Australia in England. Meanwhile, India continue to resist the UDRS, going without it for their home Test series against Australia.

13 MS Dhoni signs a Rs 2.1 billion (US$ 42 million) three-year endorsement deal with a sports marketing agency, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, whose 2006 deal was worth Rs 1.8 billion (US$ 38 million).

15 Chris Gayle is sacked as Jamaica captain for the Caribbean T20, after which Nehemiah Perry, the Jamaica chairman of selectors, resigns. Even as West Indies Cricket Board director Azim Bassarath criticises Gayle's leadership, the batsman dismisses speculation about his West Indies captaincy. However, he is eventually replaced by allrounder Darren Sammy as captain in October.

16 The ICC makes a profit of $84.7 million on revenues of $173.6 million for 2009, primarily due to the World Twenty20 and Champions Trophy.

Less than two months after announcing a comeback to Tests, Afridi retires from the format after having led Pakistan to a 150-run loss against Australia at Lord's. Salman Butt is named as his replacement, becoming the fifth man to lead the Test side since January 2009.

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, hints that England could host the first Test championship final during the Ashes summer of 2013 instead of the currently scheduled Champions Trophy.

20 Kane Williamson, Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay and BJ Watling are included in NZC's 20-member contracts list for the first time.

24 Pakistan level the two-Test series against Australia with a tense three-wicket win at Headingley, their first over Australia in 15 years.

28 In a rare outburst, Muralitharan hits back at long-time critic and former India captain Bishan Bedi, calling him an "ordinary bowler" who "would have been hammered every ball had he played in the modern era".

31 Jonathan Foo, the 19-year-old batsman of Chinese descent, clatters 42 in 17 deliveries to lead Guyana to the Caribbean Twenty20 title with a thrilling one-wicket win over Barbados in the final.

August

5 Former wicketkeeper Courtney Browne replaces former spinner Raphick Jumadeen in the three-member West Indies selection panel, while chairman Clyde Butts and Robert Haynes are retained for another two-year term.

7 VVS Laxman's unbeaten hundred guides India to a series-levelling victory against Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval in the third and final Test.

Jesse Ryder, fined for "intoxicated and rowdy" behaviour at a hotel, says that he feared for his career while NZC was investigating his latest misconduct.

8 The ECB enlists former Australia coach John Buchanan to help England with their preparations for the Ashes, including providing specific insights into Australia's senior players.

9 Stuart Broad is fined 50% of his match fee for throwing the ball at Pakistan batsman Zulqarnain Haider on the third day of the Edgbaston Test.

10 IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore retain their foreign players Jacques Kallis, Cameron White and Ross Taylor for the Champions League Twenty20 by compensating their home teams to the tune of US$200,000 for each.

12 Allan Donald becomes the latest former international to head to Zimbabwe, joining reigning domestic champions Mountaineers as coach.

13 Cricket South Africa sets up a committee to investigate the unauthorised payment of 4.7 million rand (US$ 641,000) in performance bonuses to 40 board employees following the 2009 IPL and the Champions Trophy.

14 Hampshire win the Friends Provident t20 in dramatic fashion by losing fewer wickets than Somerset in a tied final at the Rose Bowl.

15 Guyana's players settle a dispute with their board over participation fee for the Champions League Twenty20, clearing the way for their participation in the tournament.

16 Henry Olonga, the former Zimbabwe fast bowler who protested at the 2003 World Cup against the "death of democracy" in his country, calls for renewal of cricketing ties with Zimbabwe. Ozias Bvute, Zimbabwe Cricket's managing director, invites Olonga to return to the country to "help with our cricket renaissance."

18 Graeme Smith quits as South Africa's Twenty20 captain, and announces that he will also step down as one-day leader after the World Cup. Johan Botha is appointed captain till the 2012 World Twenty20.

SLC hands a one-match suspension to offspinner Suraj Randiv for deliberately bowling a no-ball to deny Virender Sehwag a century in an ODI.

19 Veteran Scotland allrounder Gavin Hamilton, one of the leading performers in the 1999 World Cup, announces his retirement.

20 The ECB complains about Graeme Swann's exclusion from the ICC Cricketer of the Year Award longlist, following which the ICC apologises for the "oversight", and adds the offspinner's name.

23 Greg Chappell returns to the Australia selection panel, becoming their first full-time selector, and is also made national talent manager. Tim Nielsen, the coach, has his contract extended till the 2013 Ashes.

27 The WICB makes national selection contingent on players' availability for regional tournaments, among other criteria.

28 Sri Lanka win the Dambulla tri-series, beating India in the final, after having lost the Asia Cup final to them at the same venue two months previously.

Cricket is hit with its biggest crisis since the match-fixing scandal when the News of the World tabloid claims Mazhar Majeed, a player agent, accepted £150,000 in return for getting Pakistan's Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif to bowl deliberate no-balls at specific times in the Lord's Test against England, with the knowledge of captain Salman Butt. Majeed is arrested by Scotland Yard and later released on bail without charge. PCB chairman Ijaz Butt says none of the players will be suspended until the police come up with solid evidence, but the ICC suspends the three provisionally, pending a full hearing.

29 The Lord's Test itself ends in Pakistan's heaviest defeat as England take the series 3-1 with an innings-and-225-run victory, but the focus is hardly on the game.

Timeline: January-April