Mascarenhas hopes for IPL finale

Hampshire's Dimitri Mascarenhas hopes to have one last crack at the Indian Premier League after playing his final game in England.

Mascarenhas ended an 18-year county career on Saturday when Hampshire lost to Glamorgan in their YB40 semi-final.

But he says he is still keen to make another appearance in the IPL.

"I won't count it out, it would only be T20, but if something came up (in the IPL) I would jump at the chance," the 35-year-old told BBC Radio Solent.

"I will put myself in the IPL and you never know it's a toss of coin. If it happens it's brilliant but if not it's not the end of the world."

First-class: 6,495 runs, average 25.07, 8x100, 23x50, 450 wickets, average 28.22, 76 catches List A (50 & 40 over): 4,407 runs, average 24.89, 27x50, 309 wickets, average 26.35, 66 catches T20: 1,332 runs, average 19.30, 3x50, 147 wickets, average 20.31, 28 catches Also played 20 ODIs and 14 T20 games for England Mascarenhas has played for Rajastahan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, and has also played overseas T20 cricket in Australia, Bangladesh and New Zealand.

The all-rounder has helped Hampshire win up five domestic trophies during his time with the club, and having reached finals day in the Flt20 and the YB40 semi-finals this summer, he admitted to being disappointed by not adding to that collection.

"I hoped for at least one final," he admitted. "That would have been nice, but we haven't performed in two big semi-finals and it wasn't to be."

Despite bowing out on a losing note, Mascarenhas said he would look back on the past 18 years with fond memories.

"It's been a long time, we've had a lot of success, especially recently and that's been great," he added.

"It took me 10 years to get to Lord's and to play in a couple of Lord's finals and T20 finals day a couple of times has been phenomenal.

"I'm very sad it's all over. I've been here a long time and I still enjoy playing and still feel I'm contributing to the team. It's tough to leave, but nice to go out on my own terms but that doesn't make it any easier."

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Ashes 2013: bad light sours finale as Australia captain Michael Clarke fronts up to umpire Aleem Dar at the Oval

Clarke revealed he told Dar not to touch him after the official appeared to push him away as he was consulting his light meter.

Clarke was urging the umpires to take the teams off the field after seeing the reading on the light meter, which he said proved the light was darker than when the umpires suspended play in the third Test at Old Trafford as Australia pressed for victory.

“I remember him [Dar] touching me and I asked him politely not to touch me as if I touched him I would be banned for three games,” said Clarke. “There was no comparison with the light. I remember seeing the reading when we were told we had to go off in Manchester.

"There was a big difference. It was certainly darker out there then than in Manchester. We have to go on the umpires’ call. If they say it is safe to keep playing we keep playing.”

Boos rang around the ground when Dar and Kumar Dharmasena took the players off and suspended play. Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board and an influential presence at the ICC, will call for the governing body to change regulations regarding bad light.

At the moment umpires have to take the players off the field if the light reading drops from a pre-agreed reading before the game. “It is totally unsatisfactory the way the game ended – the rules are unacceptable and I expect Dave Richardson to change it at the next ICC chief executives meeting,” said Clarke.

The Australian captain had a long conversation with the umpires when it became clear his fielders were struggling to pick up the red ball under the floodlights, which had been switched on for some time before the players went off.

“I just asked why we haven’t got the meter out here,” said Clarke. “It took a few overs to get it out. All the players could see it was dark. You could see your own shadows and around the time that happens is generally close to when the umpires take us off.”

Alastair Cook described lifting the Ashes urn as the “proudest” moment of his life and even though his side missed out on becoming the first England team to win an Ashes series 4-0 he defended the umpires and Clarke from criticism.

“I can understand the crowd and it would have been nice to finish,” said Cook. “It is tough but rules and regulations are there for a reason and it was pretty dark. The umpires had a decision to make and even though it would have been nice to finish it cricket does not work like that. Fair play to Australia for pushing the game and making it a spectacle.”

Ricky Ponting was booed at the Oval four years ago but Australia will be upset Clarke was targeted after attempting to manufacture a finish.

“It doesn’t surprise me [to be booed],” said Clarke. “But that is the way I would like to see cricket played. I like to lead the Australian team in that type of manner.

"We had nothing to lose at 3-0 down but to me even if we were not 3-0 down we would still do everything to win a Test. The risk of losing was there but it was what we had to try and do.”

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