Younis says he continues enjoying captaincy

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said he is enjoying leading the side despite the semi-final loss in the ICC Champions Trophy and insisted it had not affected his own performance on the field.

"I'm enjoying cricket," Younis said after reaching Karachi. "In fact all the boys are enjoying playing under my captaincy and that's a good thing."

Younis was first made captain in 2005 in the absence of Inzamam-ul-Haq but announced his resignation for the 2006 Champions Trophy, only to reverse it the next day and lead Pakistan to a first-round exit in the tournament. He was favourite to take over the captaincy following Pakistan's poor show in the 2007 World Cup but he turned it down, citing mental strain as the reason. However in January 2009, the board approached him again following a disastrous home series against Sri Lanka. This time Younis accepted and led Pakistan to a World Twenty20 title in England.

Younis said the Champions Trophy exit was bitterly disappointing as he had wanted to gift his country the trophy that had been shifted from Pakistan to South Africa because of security concerns. He said there were many reasons for the team's defeat to New Zealand, including his dropped catch, missed run-outs and poor umpiring but that finishing in the top four was a positive sign.

"I will regret dropping it for the rest of my life," Younis said. "Maybe the result could have been different had I not dropped that catch."

Allrounder Shahid Afridi felt luck had deserted Pakistan in the game against New Zealand but also said that they had made poor use of the Powerplays in the match. They scored only 35 in their batting Powerplay after taking it only in the 45th over and conceded 55 when New Zealand took theirs.

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Watson stars in Aussie win

Australia were crowned the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy winner after Shane Watson's unbeaten century, guiding the defending champions to a six-wicket victory over a depleted New Zealand in the low-scoring final match here tonight.

Watson hit an unbeaten 129-ball 105 (10X4, 4X6) and starred in a 128-run stand with Cameron White (62) under tremendous pressure as Australia, chasing 201 against New Zealand's never-say-die pacers, overcame a wobbly start to reach 206 for four in 45.2 overs.

Earlier, a rudderless New Zealand, sans their injured skipper Daniel Vettori, fumbled and faltered their way to 200 for nine.

The Kiwis had just two decent partnerships in their innings but Martin Guptill (40) and Aaron Redmond (26) took 15.1 overs to raise 61 runs for the second wicket, while Neil Broom (37) and James Franklin (33) added 65 in 14.1 overs, which underlined their struggle in the middle.

For Australia, Nathan Hauritz claimed three for 37.

Considering Australia's batting might, the match seemed to have all the ingredients of a lop-sided show but for Shane Bond and Kyle Mills, who injected drama by dealing early blows that jolted Australia out of any complacency they had.

Shane Bond's second delivery removed Tim Paine (1) and Mills then trapped in-form Ricky Ponting (1) in the next over to reduce Australia to six for two wickets inside three overs.

And New Zealand pacers maintained the same pressure as Australia crawled to 34 for two after 15 overs, an austerity they are not accustomed to.

Watson and White did not panic and ran hard between wickets, while helping themselves to the occasional boundary.

The duo paced the chase with utmost maturity, first weathering the crisis and then opening up.

Mills eventually returned to remove White but the stand had yielded 128 precious runs by then and even Michael Hussey's (11) wicket came too late as Australia had pocketed the match by then.

Watson wrapped it up in style, hitting two successive sixes to romp home.

Earlier, Vettori's last minute pullout with a hamstring injury was just the start of New Zealand's woes and they never got going after opting to bat first at the SuperSport Park.

As if losing Jacob Oram, Daryl Tuffey and Jesse Ryder at different stages of the tournament was not bad enough, the Kiwis walked out in the middle without their inspirational captain and man-in-form Vettori.

This was a mighty blow for the Kiwis as Vettori was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker in the tournament with seven scalps under his belt besides leading their batting averages.

In his absence, Brendon McCullum took over the captaincy reins and Jeetan Patel was drafted in the playing XI but New Zealand were clearly not the same force.

McCullum opted to bat first but to his horror, by the time the match was into its 27th over, the Kiwi top order was cooling their heels in the hut.

McCullum himself let the team down when it mattered most. Not a single run came off the bat in the first two overs as McCullum scratched around before returning for a duck when Peter Siddle ended his 14-ball struggle to get off the mark.

Life was not easy for Guptill and Redmond either with the Australian pacers maintaining a stifling line and length and their fielders ensuring there were no freebies.

Guptill hit Mitchell Johnson for two fours in the same over in a rare moment of aggression but it took him and Redmond 15.1 overs to raise those 61 runs before they were hit by the next setback with Nathan Hauritz getting a distinctly uncomfortable Redmond stumped.

Situation demanded patience and Guptill had got the start as well but the Kiwi batsman made a complete mess of it, offering a tame return catch to Hauritz to leave his team tottering at 77 for three and the crisis was not over yet.

Michael Hussey took a blinder off Johnson to remove Ross Taylor (6) in the next over and then Brett Lee trapped in-form Grant Elliot (9) to polish off the Kiwi top half.

Broom and Franklin tried to put things in order but both perished just when they had started to open up and New Zealand barely managed the 200-mark.
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Sanitised but entertaining

Choice of game
This game fit my travel plans and the decision to watch it was based on my optimism that I would get to watch England - which was on course until their implosion against New Zealand on Tuesday, a result I found out from the Namib Desert, where I was. Going into the match I was hoping for a New Zealand victory.

Team supported
I think New Zealand play well as a team and there are not so many big egos in the side. For me there was added interest to see how Ross Taylor has developed as an international player. I first saw him play when he was in an MCC team that toured Europe in 2002. And when he had just broken into the New Zealand team in a Test in Centurion in 2007, where he gave his wicket away with a soft run-out.

Key performer
Grant Elliott rode his luck to a match-winning 75 not out. The chance that Younis Khan put down would have seen him dismissed for 42. His 75 and partnership with Daniel Vettori were definitely match-changing.

One thing I would have changed about the match
I would have liked to have seen either Brendon McCullum or Shahid Afridi have a big knock. McCullum got a start but fell very early. Alternatively, I'd have left Naved-ul-Hasan out of the Pakistan side - his bowling at the death was little short of profligate.

Face-off I relished
I had hoped to see a contest between fast bowlers Shane Bond and Mohammad Asif, but with Asif not playing, his understudy, Mohammad Aamer, had a chance to shine. And he did that by visibly outperforming both Bond and Naved.

Accessories
I had my camera with zoom lenses as well as a pair of binoculars. And thanks to the catering in the box I was in, the viewing was greatly enhanced - we toasted the winning runs with some ruby port.

Wow moment
Taylor's slip catch inches off the ground to remove Shoaib Malik off the bowling of Ian Butler - it was one of two very good catches he took.

Player watch
Ian Butler received a fair amount of barracking from the Pakistani supporters down in front of me, especially after his first over had gone for 13. They were less vociferous when he took his four wickets.

Shot of the day
McCullum hitting the second ball of the New Zealand innings for six was the shot of the day for me, ahead of Taylor's giant six out of the ground off Afridi.

Crowd meter
The crowd went wild over every Pakistan boundary but was less gracious when New Zealand started to up the rate towards the end of the game. They started leaving after Rana's erratic over during the batting Powerplay. The crowd had filled up after the start, so the first tier of all stands was relatively full as the game moved on. The upper decks, however, were less populated. The atmosphere was slightly flat and sanitised. A few hand-written "Boom Boom Afridi" banners were pretty much the only banners on display, many preferring to show their support with sponsors' cards. One Mexican wave did go three or four times around the ground, but there was no electric atmosphere.

Fancy-dress index
I think me turning up in a Austrian cricket cap and Hong Kong rugby shirt was about as exotic as it got.

Entertainment
In the innings break some supporters were picked to play a game with cash rewards for throwing down the stumps from various distances. The music from the PA system was the usual eclectic blend, although I still have to work out the logical reason for playing "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga at a cricket match. And of course there were the local dancers, who performed to the beat of the drums for most wickets and boundariess.

ODI v Twenty20
I still prefer the ODI format. The game ebbs and flows more and I feel there is a slightly more even contest between bat and ball. Although scoring rates are rising across the board in cricket, I still prefer to see the tactical nous of the captain come through in his ability to contain the chasing side. For me a low-scoring affair, with the team batting first preventing the team chasing from reaching their target, is one of the most exhilarating contests in cricket. Both formats have a role to play - in particular in the development and expansion of the game - but ultimately the balance between ball and bat needs to be preserved.

Overall
In terms of the quality of the cricket, the fielding performance of the Pakistani side was a slight letdown. Several regulation misses at attempted run-outs, and a regulation catch dropped. Some bowlers looked tired at the end of a long season. The top-order batsmen did not control the match, but fortunately the middle orders of both teams took charge.

Marks out of 107. While the cricket was solid and the game ebbed and flowed nicely, the experience of the match was not one that will live permanently in my memory. It was a bit flat. Since the game was on free-to-air television, the crowd was smaller than it should have been.

The purpose of the Champions Trophy
It is sad that the Champions Trophy has abandoned its original goal - of bringing top-level cricket to an Associate Member of the ICC - and sadder still that licensed merchandise is not locally produced, and that many of the games are poorly attended. I was particularly disappointed to see that the licensed merchandise was manufactured in China, when the local textile industry could have gained from the event. Once again, anti-ambush marketing measures were visible, although it was good to see that vendors wandering through the stands were still allowed to do so.

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I wasn't fit but decided to play: Younis

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has admitted that despite not being fully fit, he decided to play in the Champions Trophy semifinal, which they lost by five wickets to New Zealand in Johannesburg.

"It was difficult for me. I was in some pain. I had told the team management that I was not fully fit because of the injury. But because of the importance of the tournament, I decided to play as didn't want to miss the trophy," Younis said during Captain's Corner programme on Geo Channel.

Pakistan was defeated by New Zealand in the semifinal last night with Younis dropping a crucial catch to give a life to top scorer Elliot in New Zealand's run chase.

Younis picked up a hairline fracture in his right hand little finger while playing a warm-up match against Sri Lanka before the tournament. He played in the eight-nation event with the fracture, although some former cricketers questioned his decision to ignore the injury.

Even India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, before the game against Pakistan had noted that it was risky for anyone to play with a fracture.

Younis said he had spoken to the team management about his injury and whether it would be right for him to continue playing.

"The semifinal was very important for us and I just had to play. But obviously now people are going to debate on this," Younis said.

"When I ran out Gautam Gambhir in the game against India everyone praised me. But when dropped one catch it has become a talking point now," he added.

"It (semifinal defeat) is terribly disappointing, but overall I am satisfied with the performance of our team. It is true our batting struggled throughout the tournament except for against India but we need to move forward and learn from our mistakes," Younis said.

On Pakistan's batting in the yesterday's match, Younis said," We didn't get a big partnership going like we did against India."

Younis refused to accept umpiring had any role to play in the defeat.

"Simon Taufel's decision against Umar Akmal was just good luck for New Zealand. It can happen to any team. But on our side we missed crucial run-outs and I thought Elliot played very well. It was just not our day.

"We need backing and not a situation where everyone in the team is thinking what is going to happen next with us. I am ready to face the people as am not one to run away from criticism," he said.
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Yousuf tips Pakistan to succeed

Mohammad Yousuf believes Pakistan are favourites against New Zealand in the second Champions Trophy semi-final in Johannesburg on Saturday. "We have fought and played well in all of our three games so far," Yousuf said. "The entire team gave a good performance and our morale is high. I think we are favourites in the semi-final and I hope we win this match.

"Anything can happen in one-day cricket, but if you consider the performances of both the sides, I think we have an upper hand. No doubt, they [New Zealand] played really well in their last two matches against Sri Lanka and England. Their pace bowling is really good, especially with the return of Shane Bond. It will be a good contest."

Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals after finishing second in Group A, with four points from three matches. They beat West Indies and India before narrowly losing to defending champions Australia in their previous game. "We won a good match against India and I think the match we lost yesterday [against Australia] was the best game of the tournament as it was decided on the last ball," Yousuf said. Pakistan were in a strong position to win the low-scoring encounter in Centurion when they had Australia to 187 for 8, but Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz were involved in a fighting stand that saw their team through to a nerve-wracking victory.

Yousuf, 35, who has scored 9450 runs in 275 one-day internationals, said the in-form spinners, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi, could well turn the tide in Pakistan's favour. "The advantage is that our spin bowling is very good," he said. "With the arrival of Ajmal, our spin bowling has been strengthened. Ajmal and Afridi have been bowling really well in recent times. This is the main reason why our team has reached the semi-final here and also won the World Twenty20 in England this year."

Australia will take on England in the first semi-final at Centurion tomorrow.

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Loss to Australia good for us: Pak skipper

Centurion: Pakistan captain Younis Khan was unfazed by his side's loss to Australia in their final Champions Trophy round-robin match on Wednesday, which he felt was probably a good thing as they head into the knockout stage.

Australia's two-wicket win off the last ball at SuperSport Park placed them at the top of Group A and the title holders will face England in Centurion Friday while Pakistan play Group B winners New Zealand at the Wanderers on Saturday.

But while the game was turned on its head in the last 10 overs with Pakistan's bowlers ripping through the Australian middle order, Pakistan should have been thumped.

Showing little intent of putting up a big total when batting first, having already qualified for the play-offs, they reached a modest 205-6 after losing the toss, and only the late collapse of the Australian middle-order brought them back into the game.

But Younis said he wasn't worried about their first loss of the competition, as long as it didn't come in a more crucial encounter. "It's nothing because sometimes you win all the games in the first stage and then suddenly you lose a big game," Younis said.

"So it's good for us, not like some other teams, like South Africa and Sri Lanka in the last World T20, who won all their games and then lost the big games.

"I think sometimes it's good for your team. This game was very close and maybe everybody thought Australia were going to win, so it was a shock for us and a shock for everyone."

Younus said he had been confident that his bowlers could defend the total they put up, giving credit in particular to Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Mohammad Asif who was back in action after a one-year ban.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, however, had been almost certain of coasting to victory when he was removed by Shoaib Malik for 32. At that stage Australia needed only 66 runs from 112 balls with seven wickets in hand.

Michael Hussey anchored the innings with 64 runs from 87 balls but after he was removed in the 41st over, Australia crumbled and eventually needed 19 from 25 balls with only two wickets in hand.

And while the tail hung on for the narrowest of victories, Ponting admitted he never expected Pakistan to fight back so well.

"I didn't think it would go this close when we had 20 overs left," he admitted. "And it wasn't an easy wicket as you could see by the way they batted, in particular. I thought they got off to a reasonable start and we were able to bring them back because the wicket slowed up and the guys who took the pace off the ball were particularly hard to get away and get boundaries off.

"So we knew it would be the same for us and we thought their spinners would have a bit in their favour. "But we were 140-3 when I got out and we needed about 60 to win, so I thought we might get there easier than we did. "But we snuck across the line and we're through to the next stage now with a semi-final on Friday."

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Tough decision to pick bowlers for semi-final, says Younis

Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes it would be a tough decision to pick up right bowlers for the remaining matches of the ICC Champion Trophy after a having a successful experiment of using Mohammad Asif against Australia which opened too many option in the bowling department.

“It will be a tough call, as now Asif has performed well, Mohammad Aamir - he is doing fantastic job, Rana (Naveed ul Hasan) - he is also fantastic, and looking younger day by day and Umer Gul - he proved today again so I think it would be a tough decision for us to whom we are picking for the semi-final game but we will try to make a right decision on the day[Saturday],” he said during the post match conference of their match against Australia – which they lost by two wickets.

Khan once again emphasised that Pakistan need to win against top teams like India or Australia and wish Australia could make final along with them. “I wish we have Australia in final, we are unlucky, that India is not in semi-final, but like I said before our country need victory against top teams, team like India or team like Australia, so if we become Champions, atleast we should defeat the top team[Australia] in the final, then it would be very nice,” Younis added.

Interestingly India after losing to Pakistan and their second game against Australia washed out, still had chances to make their way to semi-final as if Pakistan would have beaten Australia here at Centurion and India playing against West Indies today[Wednesday] defeats West Indies by a huge margin at the Wanderers, Johannesburg, only can walk into the next round.

But Aussies looted a nail-biting combat against Pakistan after a dramatic fightback by Pakistani bowlers, who almost chop Australian line-up and dragged the thrilling contest on the final ball of the match, but Australia ultimately secure the contest by two wickets and ensured their place in the semi-final.

Younis said losing against Australia have no intention to ruling India's chances out of the tournament. “It not like that some time you win all the games in the first stage and suddenly loss a big game, its somehow good for us,” Younis said and cited Sri Lanka and South Africa situation – as they were so good, winning their opening games and then lost some big games which ruled them out of the tournament. “It was although a fantastic game[against Australia], and everybody want us to win especially all India wanted Pakistan to win[which could help India to qualify for the next round],” said Younis.
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England wait on Broad and Prior

England seam bowler Stuart Broad will have a late fitness test ahead of Friday's ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against Australia at Centurion.

Broad complained of tightness in his left buttock during Tuesday's defeat by New Zealand, and a scan revealed a torn muscle in his buttock.

England will also make a late decision on wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who has missed the last two games with illness.

He could be replaced by Steve Davies, who has joined up with the squad.

Team director Andy Flower said they had already approached the International Cricket Council - who must approve any replacement to the squad - about bringing Davies in for Prior.

"Matt's over the worst of that illness, but he's still nowhere near 100%," explained Flower.

"We have chatted to the ICC about replacing him in the squad and the protocols involved to do so, and that option is still available."

Batsman Eoin Morgan has kept wicket for the last two games, but either Davies or a recovered Prior could play in place of Ravi Bopara at Centurion.

After having his scan, Broad joined Thursday's practice under the supervision of physio Kirk Russell and team doctor Mike Stone, but halted during a series of exercises and seemed to be struggling with his movements.

The trio were joined by Flower and captain Andrew Strauss, who held further discussions before Broad simulated running between the wickets with a bat - but he did not appear to be moving freely, and left for the dressing room with Russell and Stone.

"He bowled a few overs at full pace in the nets and practised running between the wickets and had a little fielding test," Flower told BBC Sport.

"He has got a little tear in one of the muscles in his backside, so he's not 100%.

"But we're going to give him a little more time to see if he can be fit for the game, and give him another test in the morning.

"He's an important player in our side, who's just hitting his straps in this tournament, but if we can't get him in we've got other players who can take his place."

If Broad is unable to feature, Tim Bresnan's all-round abilities could see him edge out fellow seamer Graham Onions, whose inclusion would lengthen England's tail.

Another option would be to name Adil Rashid as a second spinner.

"Bresnan's probably the obvious replacement as a first-change bowler, but we'll make that decision tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Australia have been granted permission from the ICC to add batsman David Hussey to their squad as cover for injured vice-captain Michael Clarke, who has returned to Australia with a back injury.

But Hussey appears unlikely to play at such short notice against England, although he may offer them batting cover in the event that they make Monday's final.

Having played the same side in all three group games, seamers Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger are expected to miss out again, along with batsman Adam Voges.

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England (from): Andrew Strauss (capt), Joe Denly, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Ravi Bopara, Luke Wright, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Graham Onions, Adil Rashid.

Australia (from): Shane Watson, Tim Paine (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Mike Hussey, Callum Ferguson, Cameron White, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, David Hussey.

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Has Dhoni lost his midas touch as India captain?

JOHANNESBURG: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, regarded as the man with the midas touch, is feeling the heat for the first time in his otherwise fabled

spell as captain of the Indian team.

Dhoni, under whose captaincy India is yet to lose a Test match and came to Champions Trophy with six successive One-day series win, now seriously needs to reassess his leadership skills after India cut a sorry figure in two elite ICC events this year, the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the on-going Champions Trophy in South Africa.

India's poor showing in the Twenty20 World Cup was attributed to batsmen's failure against short-pitched balls and now after the Champions Trophy debacle, the blame has been put on bowlers. But somewhere in between, it's the passivity in Dhoni's captaincy which has escaped the radar of scrutiny.

Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has expressed concerns that young Indian fast bowlers start around the 140kmph mark and within a year slip down to 120s and 130s.

Akram reveals that his skipper Imran Khan always wanted him to bowl fast and not to worry about line and length.

But it seems Dhoni differ on the topic as a day before their last group league match against West Indies, he told reporters, "It's not about bowling 140 or 145-plus. At the end of the day, you have to bowl the right line and length."

Dhoni cited the example of South African fast bowlers, who despite their speed were taken to cleaners by opposition batsmen on the bland Centurion pitches.

But only Wayne Parnell can be cited as an example as he is young, wet behind his ears, and can lose his bearing. Someone like Dale Steyn still sends chill down the spine of rival batsmen. His economy rate is a mere 4.78 from three matches and has picked up six wickets.

Is Dhoni's flair for captaincy is now becoming a victim of pragmatism? His approach to batting would certainly suggest so. Instead of the flamboyant and rampaging presence at the crease, he now builds his innings in singles and he himself acknowledged it during the Twenty20 World Cup.

The India skipper let Pakistan off the hook by bringing in his part-time bowlers rather than go for all out attack with Harbhajan Singh when Pakistan were on the ropes at 65 for 3. The result, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf soon found their bearing and posted a 206-run fourth wicket stand to pile up the big score.

Akram was critical that Dhoni never had a word with Harbhajan when the off-spinner kept spearing it down the middle and leg-stump. He felt the body language of the Indians and Dhoni, in particular, left a lot to be desired.

This season is full of ODIs and even the 2011 World Cup is not far either. It's time for bold experiments and Team India needs a leader who used to seize the bull by the horns and not somebody who presently looks to be just safe and pragmatic.
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We have an advantage over Pakistan: Ponting

Johannesburg: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting reckons that having played a match at the slow Centurion track will give his team a distinct advantage over Pakistan in their must-win Champions Trophy encounter on Wednesday.

Ponting said there was no margin for errors in such crucial games and his tem had prepared well to beat Pakistan for a place in the semi-finals.

"It would be easier (for us) if Pakistan were to do so though we are preparing as if we would face their best team in the park. We can beat them and directly qualify," said Ponting when asked about reports that Pakistan would be fielding their B side in tomorrow's game. If Australia wins tomorrow's first game, the match between India and the West Indies would lose all relevance, and Ponting said he would want his side's semi-final hopes to be decided by their own work.

"There is no margin or error. If it gets rain affected tomorrow or not, the destiny is in our hands. If we don't make it to the semifinals, we would be disappointed.

"We have prepared very well. We have had very good last few weeks. We want to be the number one side of the world and that's why we prepare the way we do," he said at a press conference here.

"In the run-up to the game, South Africa and India were spoken about highly. Now South Africa are out and India have their work cut out. But we have prepared very well and have been playing good cricket in the last few weeks. We are in good enough position to make the next stage," Ponting said.

Ponting felt his side would have an advantage in Wednesday's game as they have had a first feel of the slow Centurion wicket against India.

"We would be disappointed with yesterday's result (against India). We were in pretty strong position. With 10 overs left, we were looking good for 300. It would have been

very competitive.

"We played their spin bowlers which would be a great help against Pakistan. Sure some positive did came out of yesterday's game."

Ponting had words of sympathy for struggling Indian pacer Ishant Sharma and said his troubles could be due to the workload his young shoulders were carrying for a while.

"People now say that Ishant is a bit off the boil now. It could be the workload, physical and mental drain. I don't really know but confidence is a big thing in international cricket. It happens to fast bowlers as well as to batsmen.

"It's a big job, as a coach, as fitness advisers. Juggling the workload is a big issue. We all the time try to embrace it. I took a break in Dubai and missed the first three games in England."

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Younis hopes to play India in the final

Pakistan captain Younis Khan finds himself in a unique position as his men take on Australia tomorrow in Centurion. Already through to the semi-finals, a third win in the group might help India, should they beat West Indies in Johannesburg, to join them in the final four.

Though Pakistan will experiment with their line-up against Australia to account for injuries as well as giving their bench strength a run, there will be no let-up in their approach. There is even a part incentive, says Younis, in the hope perhaps of playing against India in the final.

"I am just planning about each game as it comes," Younis said. "I wish for India to play in the final against us but we will not worry about that in our game tomorrow. We'll be trying our best. My wish is to win against the top teams, like South Africa, Australia and India. There is nothing in my mind about losing to Australia, and whether India will be out. It is only about what I can do for my country."

When Pakistan beat India by 54 runs at Centurion, it was one of the best-attended games in the tournament, in which crowds have generally been poor. The game was sold out two weeks prior to the match being played, prompting Younis to call for more games between the two neighbours.

Currently, relations between the two countries have cooled considerably from the mid-2000s, following the Mumbai terror attacks last year. That, in turn, has affected cricketing relations between the two and, until the Centurion game, they had not played each other in an international in over a year.

"Who was the biggest winner when we played at Centurion? Cricket. India and Pakistan should play. If we do not play, cricket will not benefit. Players become big names when they perform in these matches. The biggest sold-out crowd here was for that game."

Younis did, however, ask for these games to be treated as normal matches, appealing for calmer reactions from fans on both sides following good or bad results. "We lost to India in the Twenty20 final. Then we beat them the other day, what difference does it make? If we win a final, we'll be so happy anyways that we won't care which team we beat. All I say is, keep it normal. Don't hype us up too much if we beat India, or don't bring India down so much if they lose. This is not how life should be on winning or losing. Life should go on as normal. If Dhoni loses then don't get after him or get after us if we lose. Leave sports as sports."

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Ajmal out to put a spin on Australia

Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistan offspinner, is eyeing the wicket of one of the world's best batsmen tomorrow as Pakistan get ready to take on Australia. Ajmal played against Australia earlier this year in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in a five-match ODI series and had considerable success early in the contest; but Ricky Ponting was rested from that series and Ajmal is keen to match his wits against the Australian captain.

"Ricky Ponting," Ajmal shot back when asked whose wicket he would most cherish. "I haven't played against him and he is my absolute favourite player. I would really love it if I took his wicket."

Though Ajmal took only four wickets in the five-match series - which Pakistan lost 3-2 - he was difficult to get away on slow tracks, and in the first two games in particular, the Australian batsmen found his doosra difficult to pick up.

Barring his troubles against Harbhajan Singh, Ponting has a good record against other spinners but Ajmal was confident he could make an impression tomorrow. "Why not? The last series we played against them in Abu Dhabi I was successful. They sometimes struggle against spin so I want to exploit that."

Centurion has, through the tournament, been conducive to spin though not all spinners have had a good time at the ground - Ajmal was quick to point to the 300-plus scores made in this tournament at the ground. Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan are two of the more established names to have floundered, but Ajmal and Shahid Afridi - who caused Australia more problems with 10 wickets in the same series including a career-best six-wicket haul in the first game - prospered against India earlier.

Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan coach, believes that the pair may make a difference tomorrow. "At Centurion, it helps spinners with bounce and turn," Intikhab said. "We have two world-class guys and they have done exceptionally well. We have an edge over them though I wouldn't say they are vulnerable to spin because they are a world-class side, they are very professional. But it will be a great challenge for them also to tackle Pakistan spinners."

If any side was capable of overcoming that challenge, it is likely Australia. In the washed-out game against India, they look relatively comfortable against Harbhajan and Amit Mishra and Ponting believes the experience will help them against Pakistan - even if they are without Michael Clarke, whom many consider to be the best player of spin in the side.

"Most definitely it is something we're working on," Ponting said. "I think you saw yesterday [Michael] Hussey and [Tim] Paine particularly played spinners really well. Ajmal and Afridi had a big impact at the start of the last series but as the series went on we played them a lot better. That was a really good result for us over there in conditions that suited Pakistanis."

Ajmal will continue, however, as he has done in his quietly impressive start to international cricket. He has become the specialist ODI spinner thus relieving Pakistan of the headache of making up overs from part-timers, he played a key role in Pakistan's World Twenty20 win earlier this year, and made his Test debut in Sri Lanka, where he took 14 wickets in his first three Tests. The doosra, he says, is coming out nicely.

"There is no pressure in these big matches," he said. "You cannot do that because in a way we are also a big team and world champions. I will keep doing what I have been doing. My first task is to stop the scoring, not wickets. That is my thinking, the batsman has his thinking and in that if I get a wicket then great."

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Mohammad Asif set to play against Australia

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Cricdb has reliably learnt that Pakistan will play Mohammad Asif and Misbah ul Haq in their final group match against Australia at Super Sports Park, Centurion.

Earlier today, Pakistan captain Younis Khan hinted out couple of changes in their squad bringing up Mohamamd Asif or giving Fawad Alam a chance but after a team meeting at Sandton Hotel, Johannesburg it has learnt that Pakistan decided to drop Imran Nazir – who sustained an injury while fielding during Pakistan India match and stitches have yet to be removed and give Misbah ul Haq a go to play against Aussies.

On other hand Mohammad Aamir will sit out to give Mohammad Asif a chance to register his comeback. Asif will be playing his first international match in 16 months since he was suspended for doping and disciplinary related offences last year.


Asif, has just finished up his a one-year ban for testing positive for the banned drug nandrolone during the Indian Premier League. His suspension ends on September 22, the day before Pakistan begin their Champions Trophy campaign against West Indies in Johannesburg.

Pakistan Squad against Australia: 1. Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), 2. Shahid Afridi, 3. Younis Khan (captain), 4. Shoaib Malik, 5. Mohammad Yousaf 6 Misbah ul Haq 7. Umer Akmal, 8. Mohammad Asif, 9. Rana Naveed ul Hasan, 10. Umar Gul, 11. Saeed Ajmal.
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Gutsy New Zealand reach Champions Trophy semi-finals

Collingwood was one of four England batsman who fell to South Africa-born right-arm medium pacer Grant Elliott, whose 4-31 off eight overs was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers and earned the man of the match award.

England wickets fell regularly and cheaply with the exception of 30-run Ravi Bopara until tail-ender Ryan Sidebottom struck three boundaries in a defiant 20 before Taylor caught him off Vettori to conclude the innings.

New Zealand reached 84 in 12.3 overs before England made a breakthrough as McCullum hopelessly mistimed a Stuart Broad delivery and Bopara took the catch at cover.

Another six overs passed before England could celebrate again as the 53-run stand of Guptill finished when he got a thick edge to a clever James Anderson delivery and Graeme Swann caught him at first slip.

Swann struck again three balls later, diving at second slip to remove Taylor, who bungled his reaction to a Broad delivery and got a thick edge, but despite losing a few more cheap wickets, the Kiwis won with relative ease. "It was a great all-round performance from our second must-win match in a row. Brendon (McCullum) and Martin (Guptill) started the innings superbly and that helped us survive a few hiccups," said winning captain Daniel Vettori.

Opposite number Andrew Strauss replied: "It was not a great wicket for one-day cricket but we beat Sri Lanka here so that is the way it goes. We needed some luck but full credit to New Zealand for winning."

Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara and tail-enders Graeme Swann and Ryan Sidebottom were the only England batsmen to reach double figures on an overcast afternoon.

If New Zealand were cursing their luck at losing bowlers Jacob Oram and Daryl Tuffey and batsman Jesse Ryder through injury since the two-week tournament began, they were not showing it.

Inspirational skipper Strauss was first to depart, getting on an outside edge off Kyle Mills to wicketkeeper McCullum having faced just two balls and failed to score.

Joe Denly was next to experience the venom of the Black Caps attack, scoring just five before reacting too slow and Shane Bond sent the off stump flying to his relief after two previous games yielded a solitary wicket.

Owais Shah, 98-run hero of the triumph over South Africa, survived a mere 10 balls and hit three runs before he tried to flick Bond over square leg and sent a thick edge to McCullum.

At 27-3 stunned England got a reprieve when New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori reversed a run-out decision against Collingwood, who went on to top score with 40 before an excellent Ross Taylor catch terminated his innings. Brave New Zealand shrugged off an injury crisis to defeat England by four wickets at the Wanderers on Tuesday and join them in the Champions Trophy semi-finals.

The victory completed a stirring Group B comeback by the Black Caps, who also overcame Sri Lanka after tamely surrendering to hosts South Africa in their opening match.

New Zealand came first ahead of England on net run rate after finishing with four points each with Sri Lanka and hosts South Africa eliminated having gained two points apiece.

Group A will be settled on Wednesday with leaders Pakistan and second-placed Australia favoured to advance to the knockout phase at the expense of India and the West Indies.

Bowlers Grant Elliott and Shane Bond inflicted most damage after the Kiwis won the toss and an England team that amassed 323 against South Africa just 48 hours earlier were bundled out for 146 in 43.1 overs.

New Zealand openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill made a whirlwind start in pursuit of the total, harvesting 66 from 60 balls, and the 147-run target was reached for the loss of six wickets after 27.1 overs.
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Aussies aim for semis berth against Pak

Centurion: A semifinal berth well within their grasp despite the wash-out against India, defending champions Australia take on a rejuvenated Pakistan in their final group A match of the Champions Trophy here on Wednesday.

If Australia win, they would book their place in the semifinal no matter what happens in the India-West Indies match.

But if they lose and India win, Ricky Ponting's world champion side has to ensure that its net run rate remains ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men as the two teams would be tied on three points each in such a scenario.

The Australians have had a reasonably good tournament, wining the opening match against the West Indies before dominating the abandoned game against India.

Ponting has led from the front in both the matches, scoring a couple of crucial fifties and putting together match-saving partnerships in tough conditions.

The biggest concern for the Aussies on Wednesday would be all-rounder Shane Watson. Pushed to the opening slot some time ago, the big-hitting right-hander has come a cropper in the tournament so far, managing two ducks.

He has looked uncomfortable facing up to the new ball and it remains to be seen if he would be persisted with at the top on Wednesday.

The other opener Tim Paine has, however, adjusted well to the slot. Paine batted through a testing period in the match against India to make a fifty and stabilize the Australian innings.

Mike Hussey also seems to have rediscovered some of his lost form, against India, by scoring a morale-boosting half century.

The bowlers didn't get a chance last night as the heavy downpour forced abandonment of the match.

But Brett Lee and Co. were not too impressive against the West Indians in the opening match, in which the rag-tag Caribbean team gave a mighty scare to the world champions.

The Centurion track has been a batting paradise and it would take quite an effort from the Aussie bowlers to contain an in-form Pakistani line-up.

Pakistan, on the other hand, have little to be concerned about.

They are already in the semis and would be aiming to get some match practice before the last-four stage begins on October 2.

Skipper Younus Khan, who played with a fractured finger in the crucial win over India, might consider resting himself ahead of the knockout round.

It's a match that would decide the semifinal complexion despite the fact that one of the teams has absolutely nothing at stake.

Teams: (from)

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger.

Pakistan: Younus Khan (capt), Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Yousuf, Naved-ul-Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul.

Match starts at 1 pm.

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India take on WI, pray for Pak win over Oz

Johannesburg: Their survival hinging on a favourable result elsewhere, India take on West Indies in a must-win match here on Wednesday, hoping that arch-rivals Pakistan do them a favour by beating Australia in their final group A engagament of the Champions Trophy.

India approach Wednesday's game against the West Indies with a prayer on the lips that Pakistan would somehow prevail over Australia by a big margin in the day's first game in Centurion.

If it happens, India would need to up their net run-rate dramatically, besides winning the match, to stand a chance of making the last-four stage.

India presently have a net run-rate of -1.08 whereas Australia have a massive advantage of +1.00 in their favour.

Australia won their opening game against the West Indies by 50 runs and India lost theirs by 54 runs. So if India are to go past Australia's net run-rate, they ought to cover the difference of 104 runs between the two teams.

For instance, if Australia lose their game by 25 runs, India need to win theirs against the West Indies by 80 runs to prevail and go through to the semi-finals. However, if Australia bat first and score 250 runs, India need to get their runs inside 40 overs for them to go through.

Clearly such complications don't bode good things for India. West Indies, despite missing most of their key players due to the ongoing contracts dispute, are no pushovers.

In their first game against Pakistan, they had the latter on ropes after Younus Khan's team had set itself up for a small chase. Pakistan, at one stage were reeling at 76 for 5, chasing 134 to win, when Umar Akmal bailed them out with his sensible batting.

In their second game, West Indies first had Australia on the backfoot and later in the evening, they batted beyond their skins to give the world champions a true scare.

Their fast bowling unit is more than competent which has settled itself nicely at the Wanderers.

India's bowling worries would also ease at the Wanderers where the pitch has consistently afforded bounce even though the swing factor isn't on. They quickly need to adapt themselves.

India's bowling could go unchanged despite the fact that having a five-strong attack did little to stop the Aussie batting from notching up 234 runs in 42 over.

Ishant Sharma too seems very low on confidence and was hammered by Australian batsmen last night. It would not come as a surprise if he is rested though the bounce at the Wanderers pitch might as well give the lanky pacer a shot in the arm.

Batting hasn't done too badly and the experienced line-up, despite missing the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, shouldn't find it tough to negotiate what is essentially a second-string attack.

Even with their fighting spirit, West Indies are a rag-tag side and it would be interesting to see how they keep themselves motivated in an inconsequential game for them as they are already out of semifinal contention after their losses to Australia and Pakistan.

Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, RP Singh.

West Indies: Floyd Reifer (C), Darren Sammy, David Bernard, Tino Best, Royston Crandon, Travis Dowlin, Andre Fletcher, Kevin McClean, Nikita Miller, Kieran Powell, Dale Richards, Kemar Roach, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton, Daren Powell.

Match starts at 6 pm IST.

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Strauss was right to deny runner: Hussain

England captain Andrew Strauss did no wrong by denying his South African counterpart Graeme Smith a runner during their teams' Champions Trophy clash as Smith was merely tired not injured, feels former skipper Nasser Hussain.

"Andrew Strauss was right to deny Graeme Smith a runner at the climax of England's outstanding win over South Africa. It is down to the umpires to decide if someone can have a runner and, as I understand it, they were not happy for the South Africa captain to have one, so why should Strauss step in?" Hussain wrote in his column for 'The Daily Mail'.

"Smith had cramps, which is a fitness issue rather than an injury, and it is impossible to criticize Strauss for saying 'no'," he said.

England went on to win the match and qualify for the semifinals but the decision to deny Smith a runner caused quite a furore in South Africa.

Hussain said Strauss was mindful of the criticism he faced following his decision to recall Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews after a run-out in England's opening match.

"...in the build-up to Sunday's game, Strauss had been criticized publicly by his coach, Andy Flower, over his generous decision to recall Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews after a run-out.

"Strauss must have been conscious of that criticism as he weighed up the situation with Smith," he said.
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We will delay naming the XI: Dhoni

With his side's Champions Trophy semifinal hopes hanging by a slender thread, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he would name his squad for tomorrow's match against the West Indies depending on how the match between Pakistan and Australia was progressing.

If Pakistan beat Australia at Centurion by a big margin, India will need to defeat West Indies by a huge margin to make it to the semifinals in their last Group B match which will start five hours later.

Dhoni said he would keenly follow the Pakistan-Australia game and would decide on his playing eleven only after he has seen how the day's game is heading.

"We would delay our team selection. It depends on how the match is progressing. If we need to strengthen our batting we would do so. If we need the bowling to get stronger, we would do that," Dhoni said at a press conference here.

A lot of calculation would be on tomorrow and Dhoni expected not only his support staff, but even the seniors to chip in with their suggestions.

"Not only the coach and the support staff, even the seniors would be needed to chip in with their advice.

"Unfortunately, not everything is in your hand. Lot of things need to happen: Pakistan to win, we to beat West Indies and net run-rate," he said.

Dhoni said that the Indian fans would be cheering for Pakistan to win against Australia.

"All of India wants its team to do well. Knowing that Pakistan's win (against Australia) earlier in the day is so important, they all would be cheering for Pakistan," he said.

It didn't concern Dhoni that Pakistan, the arch-rivals, could actually be attempting to lose by giving a few of their star players a rest against Australia.

"Now that they have qualified, they could be looking to experiment with their bench strength. It depends on what they want to get out of tomorrow's game."

Looking at how the tournament has gone by for India, Dhoni squarely blamed his bowlers for the side's ills.

"We batted in only one game so you can't say the batting has let us down. But we have bowled twice and we are not bowling that well. Yesterday (against Australia), the bowlers were much better, they were neither too short nor too full. But we have to admit we didn't bowl that well," he said.

Personally though, Dhoni was prepared to look his team's performance in Champions Trophy philosophically.

"Losing and winning is part and parcel of any sport. It's enough for me that I am playing for my country and am leading the side which not everybody gets a chance to do. That's enough for me.

"We have done very well in the last 18-20 months. We have done well all over the world. We have the potential to do well. The boys can bounce back and on their day can give any side tough fight."

On Ishant Sharma's poor show so far, Dhoni had words of encouragement and said the young fast bowler would strike form soon.

"It's not about the drop in pace. It's about the line and length you bowl. I thought Ishant, in his second spell yesterday, was the old Ishant we know. Keeping it on the off-stump and bringing the ball in and not giving too much width to the batsmen.

"It happens all the time in cricket. A few good shots and a batsman is back in form. A few good balls and a bowler regains his confidence."

Dhoni also responded with interest to his Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting's suggestion that the workload of cricketers, particularly fast bowlers, needs to be managed well.

"It's a tough thing to say. You rotate a few players and lose a game and it becomes a big issue in India. One thing which whole of India needs all the time is a win. You have to admit with so many games being played, you can't win all the games.

"This is something which everyone has to understand. You need bench strength but you don't want to miss big players in big tournaments. The second line must be readied though. You need to groom them. They ought to have played 20-30 games so when a senior misses out, a young player is ready to step in."
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Pakistan look for more discipline in bowling

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan’s deal is not quite done yet. Two wins from two, in this tight tournament, at least means onward progress to the semi-final rests in their own hands. Regardless of the result between Australia and India at Centurion, they will be aiming to keep their game in working order when they take on the world champions in Centurion on Wednesday. “Our preparation is going really well at the moment,” Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s coach, said after a training session on Monday. Pakistan will be confident, despite a poor recent record against Australia; they’ve won only three of the last 12 encounters between the sides. “We are confident. It’s always a challenge to play against better sides,” Intikhab said.

However, Pakistan are not without dilemmas. The first is that Mohammad Asif has yet to play a part in the tournament. If the game becomes a dead rubber, he may well get a look-in but it remains to be seen. Also, on Saturday against India, Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer gave away six no-balls between them. Australia will not waste such offerings. “We always call no-balls in the nets and want to reduce extras against Australia as we know it’s very important against them,” the coach added. cricinfo
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Further injury woes rock New Zealand

New Zealand have suffered a further injury blow before their must-win Champions Trophy cricket match against England in South Africa with fast bowler Daryl Tuffey ruled out because of a broken hand.

Tuffey becomes the third member of the New Zealand side to suffer a tournament-ending injury.

Allrounder Jacob Oram returned home early after straining a hamstring while opening batsman Jesse Ryder suffered a groin injury during his innings of 74 in New Zealand's 38-run win over Sri Lanka.

Team manager Dave Currie told Radio Live here from South Africa that Tuffey suffered his injury while fielding.

"He broke a bone in the back of his hand. He needs to get back to New Zealand now to have surgery," Currie said.

For Tuesday's match against England Tuffey will be replaced by Ian Butler who is available for selection again after being down with a stomach illness.

Meanwhile, batsman Aaron Redmond who was rushed to South Africa to replace Ryder is unlikely to be considered for the match as flight delays mean he will only arrive a few hours before the game begins.

England have already qualified for the semi-finals of the tournament and New Zealand need to beat them in the final pool match to also enter the knock-out phase.
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