Yasir Arafat signs with Otago

Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan and Sussex allrounder, has been signed by Otago for the 2009-10 New Zealand domestic season. Arafat will replace England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas as the team's overseas player.

"He [Arafat] is very much a limited-overs expert," Otago coach Mike Hesson told Otago Daily Times. "He's played a lot of cricket for Sussex and Kent, and he's able to swing the new ball and reverse the old one. He is also a very good exponent of bowling at the death. In terms of what our skill mix is, he fits in nicely. I'm certainly expecting big things from him."

Arafat will reach New Zealand with the Pakistan Test squad in November. Ross Dykes, Otago's chief executive, said Arafat would be available for the Twenty20 competition and would stay in New Zealand until the end of the one-day tournament on February 21. "The Pakistan cricket board has given him the green light unless he is required for international duty," Dykes said. "You accept that with any player."

Otago were the winners of the domestic Twenty20 competition in 2008-09, a victory that won them a spot in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 in India this October.

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Brett Lee returns from India with elbow injury

Fast bowler Brett Lee has been forced to return home from Australia's seven-match limited-overs tour of India with an elbow injury, Cricket Australia said on Saturday. Lee suffered an elbow strain during the first match of the series at Vadodara and was optimistic of recovering for some late matches on the tour. But he was reported to be still experiencing pain at a training session on Friday. "Brett's elbow injury has not responded as well to treatment as we would have liked and therefore a decision has been made to send him home to consult with an elbow specialist," team physiotherapist Kevin Sims said. The third match in the series, which is level at 1-1, will be played on Saturday. Australian selectors have not decided on a replacement. Lee is the second player to be sent home from the tour after wicketkeeper Tim Payne fractured a finger in Nagpur.

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Malik denies lobbying against Younis

Lahore: Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has dismissed reports that he had led a group of players to the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to replace Younis Khan as captain with Shahid Afridi. Appearing on a talk show on the Geo Super, Malik also denied he had led any campaign to have Younis replaced as captain. “Yes I did meet with the board Chairman but I never suggested to him to replace Younis nor supported the appointment of Afridi. That is not my job and you don’t change captains on minor issues. If we have any problems I can talk to Younis myself,” he said. “They are minor issues but we solve them and we support each other. I know all the players back the captain as well. There are absolutely no groupings in the team.”
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Flower backs Pietersen to overpower South Africa

England team director Andy Flower believes Kevin Pietersen is in the right frame of mind to overpower South Africa in the forthcoming Test series.

Pietersen will stay in England to complete his recovery from an Achilles injury when England fly to Bloemfontein on Saturday for the start of the tour.

But the Hampshire batsman will join his England team-mates on November 9 - in time for the first one-day international.

After admitting he had fallen out of love with cricket prior to England's Ashes victory over Australia this year, Pietersen is rediscovering his passion for the sport.

He batted for the first time in three months on Friday in a training session at Lord's and Flower said: "He's still got a bit of rehab work to do to get up to speed.

"Hopefully he'll be ok to play in the warm-up game against South Africa A and then ready to go at the start of the one-day series.

"That is what we are targeting. The infection has slowed everything up otherwise he would have been back during the English summer.

"But he brings a superb record, flair, confidence and the ability to counter attack.

"The fact that we won the Ashes with limited contributions from the two big stars (Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff) is a good thing for the unit and the country's cricket and when they come back that adds strength and power. That's a good thing.

"Pietersen's been pushing himself running. He'll just love getting a bat in his hands again and hitting the ball. That's what he loves doing. He's chomping at the bit to get going.

"He is important to us. He's a world-class player who has a special talent and a special confidence. He is a huge boon for us."

Pietersen was given a hard time by spectators on his last visit to his native South Africa in an England shirt but Flower believes the 29-year-old has won over his critics.

"This time probably he will have the respect from the South African public," Flower said.

"They love sport and cricket and I expect they will treat him with respect."

However, Flower expects Jonathan Trott to receive a more hostile reception after being criticised by former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Vaughan claimed Trott, who made a century in his first Ashes-winning Test at the Oval this summer, was celebrating with South African players after they beat England at Edgbaston in 2008.

Flower said: "I saw Trotty on Wednesday and he knew stuff was coming out in the papers and he was comfortable about it. He said 'Look, I've got a clear conscience about it. I was caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time'. There was nothing malicious about it at all and I agree with him and believe him.

"But they (the South African fans) will have seen his performance at the Oval against Australia. I am sure he will get a bit of a hostile reception."

Flower, who was born in Cape Town and represented Zimbabwe, insisted he had no problem with Pietersen and Trott, born and bred in South Africa, facing their former countrymen.

He said: "The England teams historically have had people like Allan Lamb, Tony Greig and Graeme Hick. I don't see it being any different to that.

"From watching Trott in preparation for the Oval Test and in the Test itself he is 100 percent committed to this team and this country. I am quite happy with the situation.

"That's the way it is and has been for quite a long time. I am quite comfortable with the commitment shown by the guys."
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'Wasim works better under pressure'

Wasim Akram is best remembered for his achievements as a bowler, picking up 400-plus wickets in Tests and ODIs for Pakistan. He also had one of the most demanding jobs in world cricket as captain of Pakistan, which he served over several stints. There were many hurdles in his career - match-fixing allegations, an often volatile dressing-room atmosphere, a strong professional rivalry with Waqar Younis and a spate of injuries - and he credited his wife Huma, a qualified hypnotherapist and psychotherapist, for getting him through those difficult moments.

Huma, who died in Chennai on Sunday after suffering multiple-organ failure, had degrees in psychology, English Literature and European History, worked with some of the leading hospitals in Pakistan and even worked informally with Akram's former Pakistan team-mates Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Anwar.

In his autobiography Wasim, released in 1998, Akram dedicated an entire chapter - "Coping with the mental pressure" - to Huma describing their therapy sessions.

"She has been a rock to me in so many ways, not least in getting me mentally strong for challenges on the field," Akram wrote in the introduction. "You can't perform on talent alone at the highest level, and Huma has helped channel me into the right psychological areas that allow me to do justice to my abilities."

Huma admitted that she knew nothing about cricket when she met Wasim and didn't know a great deal more during their marriage. However, she saw that as an advantage because it allowed her to focus entirely on the mental angle and not get sidetracked by the technical aspects of the game. She used indirect hypnosis, employing relaxation techniques that are part of hypnotherapy. She said her most productive sessions came the night before a match - but only if he requested it.

"I'll ask him to imagine a previous situation in a game when he's been successful, and suggest he incorporates that into the following day's play," Huma wrote. "Never talk about the opposition or your team-mates, home in on yourself and your successes. That was particularly vital in those awful weeks after the Sharjah tournament at the end of 1997." (Akram had missed a lot of cricket that year due to a serious shoulder injury and Pakistan's failure to qualify for the finals of that four-nation series in Sharjah forced him to resign as captain.)

"It's never a case of saying directly, 'Close your eyes', it's more a matter of coaxing gently. I'll say, 'If you'd like to relax now, and think of a place where you're comfortable and happy. Then, if you would, tell me about a time you performed well.' Wasim will be wide awake at this juncture, but I'll be hoping that he'll be visibly realising. The place which I want him to visualise doesn't have to be a cricket ground; he's very fond of the sea, or the woods, indeed anywhere out in the open, enjoying fresh air."

Huma recalled one such session in England before the Benson & Hedges Cup final at Lord's in 1995, when Wasim's county Lancashire were playing Kent.

"Wasim was very tense for some reason. So we worked in the team hotel and I asked him to summon up an image that he liked. 'The sea and the wind coming towards me,' he replied. I said, 'Would you tell me please what you want to do tomorrow?', and he answered, 'I want to get five wickets. I want to be the best allrounder in the world.' After about 20 minutes he was so relaxed he could barely lift his arms, and his eyes looked very heavy. Then I said, 'If you would like to wake up slowly, please' and he slept like a baby that night. There isn't a happy ending to this story though. Wasim injured his groin the next day and was expensive when he bowled, but I'd done my job! He's the one who has to bowl the overs!"

She also detailed an aspect of a cricketer's life that doesn't usually get talked about - the pressures of work. "Until the shocking match-fixing allegations caused Wasim such heartache, he had managed to ensure he wasn't taking the game home with him. In the past he has got down at times, but I've worked hard with him to channel the positive aspects of his career into productive repetition."

Huma then went on to explain the positive effects she noticed. "If he has a bad day, he'll talk to me about it - but only if he brings the subject up - and then moves on. He no longer broods on failure. He always strives to go one better, wanting five wickets next time rather than four, or relishing his professional rivalry with Waqar Younis. Wasim works better under pressure, turning out good performances when the team really needs him. Captaincy has brought that out of him even more."

Shortly after this book was released, Akram was reinstated as captain and led his team on a successful tour of India and to the final of the 1999 World Cup.

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Tahir signs for Warwickshire

Warwickshire have signed Imran Tahir, the Pakistani legspinner, as their overseas player for 2010. The phrase journeyman doesn't do justice to Tahir's career which has seen him play for at least 10 teams before he signed for Hampshire and the Titans in South Africa last year.

Tahir, 30, has taken 382 first-class wickets at an average of 25.89 and 95 List A scalps at 22.85. He joined Hampshire for the 2008 county season and was one of the better overseas signings: he took 96 first-class wickets in two seasons with the county, including 44 in just seven matches to save them relegation in 2008.

He has previously played for Middlesex and Yorkshire.

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Ponting fumes over Champions League

Winning the series opener could not dilute Ricky Ponting's anger and the Australian captain is absolutely furious, claiming that the Champions League Twenty20 hindered his team's preparation for the ongoing ODI series against India.

Three players of the Australian squad -- Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz and Doug Bollinger -- joined the team in Vadodara on the night before the match, after guiding New South Wales Blues to the Champions League Twenty20 title in Hyderabad on Friday.

The NSW trio missed four training sessions and the pre-match team meeting as well.

While all three arrived fatigued, Lee had this additional complaint of a sore elbow, which eventually kept him out of action towards the end of Sunday's ODI and made him doubtful for the second match in Nagpur.

"There's no doubt those guys playing in the (Champions League) final hindered our preparation," Ponting said.

"We had three players fly in and get to the hotel at 8.30pm Saturday night and we're leaving the hotel at 7am on match morning. There was not much time for us to get our team tactics in order. We had a team meeting after training and those blokes were not even here," Ponting was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP).

Australia still managed to scrape through to a hard-earned four-run win and Ponting said having all players around is now a big relief for him.

"Now we have our whole group together we will be able to talk tactics through and see how we go from there," he said.

Meanwhile, Lee and all-rounder James Hopes are doubtful for Australia's second one dayer against India due to their injuries.

Hopes picked up a hamstring strain, the gravity of which would be ascertained once the team management receives scan results.

Lee is also doubtful because of the sore elbow and he would have to clear a fitness test before he is cleared for the Nagpur tie.

Ponting too sounded unsure of Lee's availability and said, "He got a little bit sore in his elbow towards the end of his second bowling spell.

"He came off and had it looked at then came back on and fielded for the rest of the game but right at the moment we are not sure," added the Australian captain.
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Ishant Sharma praised by Dhoni

Ishant Sharma praised by MS Dhoni for his impressive performance.

[© AFP]

Ishant Sharma praised by MS Dhoni for his impressive performance.[© AFP]

Ishant Sharma, who has struggled for form since his fine show in Australia last year, has come in for praise from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni after his impressive performance in the first one-dayer in Vodadara.

Dhoni felt the Delhi youngster's performance against Australia in the opening ODI was an indication that he was regaining his form.

"I thought Ishant bowled really well and hit right areas. If he is bowling well his speed automatically goes up. That's when you know he's bowling in right rhythm and is in the right frame of mind," Dhoni said after the match.

Ishant returned with figures of 3 for 50 in 10 overs and seemed to hit the deck hard and looked in good rhythm after a couple of overs in his first spell. He was spanked for a few fours in his second spell before settling down again. He accounted for Tim Paine in his first spell and returned in slog overs to dismiss Mike Hussey and Brett Lee.

Dhoni said the gangling fast bowler was a bit low on confidence since it was difficult for the youngster to face failure after tasting success at such a young age.

But, Dhoni also pointed out that Ishant needed support from everyone and that's what his teammates in the Indian squad were doing to help him come out of the rut.

"He's a bit low on confidence and that happens when you are 21 and have always seen success. So it's difficult to deal with failure. When somebody is not doing well, we as friends and teammates want to back him," he said.
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Huma Akram buried in Lahore

Huma Akram, the wife of former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram, who died on Sunday due to a multiple-organ failure, was buried in Lahore on Monday. Her funeral was attended by hundreds of people, including Wasim's former team-mates Saeed Anwar, Ijaz Ahmed, Mushtaq Ahmed and Moin Khan. Anwar led the funeral prayers.

"Huma's loss is great and I request my fans to pray for me so that I am able to raise my kids," said Wasim, who has two sons, Akbar and Taimur.

Huma was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, India, last Tuesday after her condition deteriorated on board an air ambulance flying from Lahore to Singapore, where she was due to be treated at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital. She developed heart and kidney complications and died on Sunday morning.

Huma worked in Pakistan as a psychologist and a hypnotherapist. She also worked with the Pakistan team for a while as a psychological counselor.

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India will go flat out: Dhoni

India are aiming to pull out all stops against Australia in the best-of-seven ODI series and provide a winning start to an eventful season, home team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said in the series souvenir brought out by the Cricket Board.

"We will be going flat out to bring a smile on the faces of our compatriots, and in the process make a successful start to what is going to an eventful season, with series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa lined up in the months to follow," Dhoni said in his 'Captain's Log'.

Saying that the visitors would be confident going into the series that started here today after their successful runs in the ODI series in England and in the Champions Trophy, Dhoni said there was no better feeling in cricket than "in beating a formidable opponent".

"We have got used to experiencing it of late and would not like to break the habit," he said.

Complimenting his teammates for having "handled the pressures and challenges that accompany a place in the Indian cricket team" very well, Dhoni said it was a privilege to be the captain of the team that has "achieved so much in so short a span of time".

Outlining India's recent record against the three-time World Cup winners, including the historic tri-series triumph Down Under in 2007-08, Dhoni also recalled the defeat against the visitors in the seven-match ODI rubber in 2007.

"Only blip was our loss to them in ODI series two years ago," Dhoni said about India's 2-4 loss in October, 2007.

Dhoni while mentioning that the team has changed, said that the expectations of the fans has remained the same. He said the fans wanted "to see us click on home turf, after watching our wins in Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies on the TV".

"This is similar to 2007-08, when the Indian masses expected us to dominate the ODI series, which got underway days after our triumph in the ICC World Twenty20," he said.

In his message, BCCI president Shashank Manohar said that the intense rivalry between India and Australia has been accorded "premier" status in the modern era.

"The events of recent past suggest that the forthcoming ODI series will be one to look forward to," he said.

Visiting captain Ricky Ponting, in his 'Captain's Log', recalled the huge enthusiasm of fans on their last ODI tour.

"On the last ODI tour of India in 2007, for example, over ten thousand Indian fans were gathered at the Kochin Airport as we all arrived for the second ODI. Bands were playing and the reception was deafening. It's an experience that I'm sure will be repeated across India during this tour," he said.

Recalling the pin-drop silence when his team clinched that series in Nagpur, Ponting said the 50-over game, about which there has been a debate in the wake of huge popularity of Twenty20, is still loved by the Indian and Australian fans.

"50-over cricket matters to the Indian population, just like it does to Australians, and I reckon we're in for a cracker of a series," he said.
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Akram's wife dies at the age of 42

Huma, the wife of former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, has died in a hospital in Chennai on Sunday after developing heart and kidney complications. She was admitted to the Apollo Hospital last Tuesday after her condition deteriorated on board an air ambulance flying from Lahore to Singapore, where she was due to be treated.

Huma, 42, is survived by two sons, and arrangements are underway to fly her body back to Pakistan, hospital sources said.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, also expressed his grief over the demise. "We are with Wasim and his family at this hour of need and pray to God to give them strength to bear this great and irreparable loss," he said.

A trained medical practitioner herself, Huma had a brief stint as psychologist of the Pakistan team in the mid 1990s.

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McCullum loses vice-captaincy

Brendon McCullum has been stripped of his role as vice-captain of New Zealand. The move is effective immediately, but no replacement has yet been appointed. New Zealand Cricket's chief executive Justin Vaughan suggested the decision was intended to enable McCullum to concentrate on his form with the bat. "Brendon being Brendon, he will lead," Vaughan was quoted as saying in the Herald on Sunday. "That's his nature. At the moment he needs to be focusing on several areas but primarily that is around fulfilling his potential with the bat."

McCullum, though disappointed, said captaining New Zealand still remained one of his major objectives. "It's disappointing, obviously, in many respects but the fact is I can now concentrate on my roles of scoring runs and keeping wickets," he told Herald on Sunday. "I still have some fairly big goals I want to achieve for New Zealand, including the captaincy, and this has not changed that."

McCullum has averaged 32.55 in nine innings in Tests this year, but his performance in ODIs has been below-par. He averages 26.10 with just two half-centuries in 20 innings.

New Zealand, on Saturday, lost the services of coach Andy Moles, who resigned less than a year into his tenure, following a review of the team's performance in recent months
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Irfan’s 11-wicket haul inspires KRL to first victory

KARACHI: Lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan claimed an 11-wicket match haul as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) registered their first win in the RBS Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship with an innings and 107-run rout of Karachi Whites on the penultimate day of the Group ‘A’ match at the National Stadium here on Saturday.

Facing a massive 421-run deficit on the first innings after KRL declared at their overnight total of 508-8 in reply to the regional team’s score of 87, Karachi Whites provided a much improved display in the second innings before they were all out for 314.

The gangling Irfan, the 27-year-old Gaggu Mandi-born left-armer reportedly more than seven feet tall, followed his 5-27 on Thursday with 6-96 as only Akbar-ur-Rehman (75 at run-a-ball, 12 boundaries), Afsar Nawaz (64 off 68 balls, eight fours and one six) and skipper Shadab Kabir (53 off 68 balls, seven fours and one six) made respectable contributions.

All three fell to Irfan who continues to make rapid strides in his maiden first-class season with 20 wickets in three championship games.

PIA were poised for their first victory of the season after reducing Pakistan Customs to 85-4 in the second innings of their match at the NBP Sports Complex.

Earlier, a seventh-wicket partnership of 119 between Fahad Iqbal and Anwar Ali completed a good recovery by PIA who gained a first-innings lead of 96 runs by taking their score from the overnight 185-6 to 323.

Fahad, the 23-year-old younger of PIA captain Faisal Iqbal, missed out by just eight runs of what would had been his fourth century in first-class cricket.

However, Fahad’s invaluable 92 off 194 balls in 288 minutes of application was a worthy effort nevertheless. His solid knock contained 11 boundaries. Anwar, the paceman, made a 120-ball 44 with four fours during his three-hour innings.

Islamabad are facing a tough task to avoid defeat after Karachi Blues forced them to follow-on at the Diamond Club Ground.

The hosts were dismissed for 236 in reply to the Blues’ first-innings 396 before reaching 295-8 in the second innings. Karachi Blues’ in-form paceman Tanvir Ahmed has so far claimed eight wickets in the match to follow his 13-wicket haul in the previous encounter against Abbottabad.

Rawalpindi emulated KRL by crushing Quetta by innings and 192 runs inside three days at the National Ground in Islamabad.

Medium-pacer Rashid Latif celebrated his 35th birthday in great style on Saturday as he claimed a career-best 6-50 as Quetta subsided to 189 all out in the second innings.

Rashid, who took 5-29 in the first innings, ended with a match bag of 11-79.

Our Sports Reporter adds from Lahore: Former Test batsman Saleem Elahi hammered an undefeated 178 to help Habib Bank recover from 64-3 to 354 all out against Wapda at the Gaddafi Stadium.

However, despite Saleem’s gallant knock Wapda gained a lead of 57 runs on the first innings. At stumps they had made 7-1 in the second innings.

Coming to the crease at No 4 on Friday evening, Saleem stood firm at one end to strike 23 fours in his 273-ball innings lasting six hours and 40 minutes.

Spinners Abdul Rehman and Danish Kaneria provided crucial support to Saleem with useful contributions. Rehman (45) helped Saleem add 141 for the fifth wicket. Later Kaneria scored 36 in a stand of 67.

Former Test paceman Shabbir Ahmed took 3-53. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) were closing on an emphatic win after Lahore Shalimar reached 134-4 in their second innings at the LCCA Ground.

Earlier, replying to SNGPL’s huge total of 609-6 declared, Lahore Shalimar conceded a first-innings lead of 313 after making 296.

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PCB official rubbishes reports of two-tier Test system

A top Pakistan Cricket Board official rubbished reports that the ICC has backed a proposed two-tier Test system that is said to be pushed by cricket's 'top-four' nations - Australia, India, England and South Africa.

Wasim Bari, PCB's chief operating officer, said such a move has not been considered by the International Cricket Council, and a division like this will never take place.

"There is no truth in such reports. The issue was never even discussed at ICC meetings in South Africa which is why I'm sure that such a thing is not taking place," Bari said, referring to the October 6-7 ICC meetings in Johannesburg on the sidelines of Champions Trophy.

"The FTP (staring from 2012) will have an equal number of matches and series for all of us, including Pakistan because the ICC has its principles and will ensure a fair deal for all of its members," Bari, a former Pakistan Test wicketkeeper, was quoted as saying by 'The News'.

"Nobody will allow them to do such a thing."

Media reports from Australia had suggested that a proposal to have a two-tier system in which the world cricket's heavyweights - Australia, India, South Africa and England - play each other more often when the new international schedule comes into effect from 2012 has the provisional backing of the ICC.
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Explosive T&T storm into the semis

Adrian Barath brought up a power-packed 63 as Trinindad & Tobago breezed into the semifinals after pipping the Eagles by 24 runs. The unbeaten Trinadad side amassed 213/4, the highest score of the tournament, leaving the Eagles with an almost impossible task of achieving the target in 14.2 overs to qualify for the semis. The South African side tried their best but fell short of the target by 24 runs.

Needing 16.5 runs per over, the Eagles got off to a daring start by gathering 72 runs in the first five overs, but the task was just too much to manage.

Rilee Rossouw hit a scintillating 44 off just 19 balls and the following batsmen too fought their heart out but Eagles ultimately could manage 189 for five in 20 overs. Morne van Wyk (25), Boeta Dippenaar (33) and Dillon du Preez (35) batted skilfully in their belligerent knocks but their effort proved insufficient to knock down the target.

New South Wales Blues had already qualified from League A after beating Somerset earlier in the day.

Opting to bat, Adrian Barath and william Perkins walked out to open the innings for T&T. Barath came in to the side after an injury ruled out Darren Bravo's chances. Playing his first match, Barath was edgy to begin with, but soon found his rhythm and was at his destructive best. He played second fiddle in the 66 run partnership with William Perkins for the opening wicket and stepped on the accelerator in his 76-run stand for the 2nd wicket with Lendl Simmons, who hit a quick-fire 40 off 25 balls.

Perkins, who has been in ominous form, yet again began solidly by hitting Victor Mpistang for a four and a six in the very first over of the match. The youngster Barath too got into action, with a hard slash off D du Preez which managed to clear the ropes at third man and then hit Ryan McLaren for two boundaries.

Barath entertained the Hyderabad crowd with his array of shots finding the boundaries at a regular rate, before being bowled by Dillon du Preez. Barath hit four fours and an equal number of sixes while Perkins decorated his innings with three fours and three shots over the ropes. The openers made the most of the power-play as they amassed 64 runs in the first six overs.

Thandi Tshabalala, the off-spinner, brought a huge relief for his side when he bowled Perkins. However, his joy was short-lived as the next man in Lendl Simmons hit was off the mark with a massive six and then packed the next ball to the boundary. Barath and Simmons kept punishing the bowlers and by the 11th over the Caribbean side had scored 100 runs. Barath steered Alan Kroger to third man to get to his fifty and Simmons hit the same bowler for two more boundaries to raise their fifty-run partnership.

Ryan McLaren provided the breakthrough when he disturbed the timber of Simmons but by the Trinidadian's job was done as he had cracked six boundaries and a six before his dismissal. Kieron Pollard then came up with a 23-run cameo following which Navin Stewart brought on a scintillating 11-ball 33 at number five which resulted in the Caribbean team posting the highest score of the tournament. Stewart put on a remarkable show of power-hitting in the 19th over when he thumped du Preez for 26 runs, pitilessly hitting him for three sixes and two fours, powering T & T to 213/4.
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Important PCB governing board meeting today

LAHORE: The on-going captaincy row that rocked Pakistan cricket earlier this week, surprisingly does not feature on the heavy agenda of the much-awaited PCB governing board meeting to be held here on Monday (today). The PCB is under pressure to resolve the simmering captaincy row that started at the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports session this week when Younis Khan, miffed at the baseless match-fixing allegations hurled at him, resigned as Pakistan skipper. Younis has since laid down his conditions for withdrawing his resignation amid reports of a possible player-revolt against him also taking rounds.

With the issue getting heavily publicised and being the talk of the town, it is expected that PCB chairman Ijaz Butt will discuss it threadbare in the governing board meeting before taking a final decision. However, there’s no mention of it in the agenda that has other issues such as the approval of the PCB budget 2009-10 figuring more prominently. Interestingly, the budget is being presented after a delay of almost four months since it must have been approved before July 1, 2009. In fact, Ijaz had frozen the budget since taking charge on Oct 8, 2008 and this is the first time since then that it has come up for discussion. The audited statement of the financial affairs for the period of 2007 to 2008 will also be presented to the members, while the auditor for the period 2008-09 will also be appointed. The approval to domestic and international tour programmes will also be given in the meeting.
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Vettori keen to push McCullum down the order

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has said Brendon McCullum will continue as an opener for the ODI series against Pakistan because Jesse Ryder's absence due to injury meant the opening line-up was already a little shaky. However Vettori said he was keen to push McCullum down the order in future in order to exploit the batting Powerplay.

"The way the game is going [with batting Powerplays], it has become more important to have a guy down the order who can finish your innings off," Vettori was quoted as saying in the Herald on Sunday. "We've fallen over a few times recently in the late stages so that's maybe an option for later in the summer but, at the moment, Brendon's got the opportunity to open against Pakistan."

Vettori said McCullum was keen to play as an opener since it gave him more opportunities to score and win games for New Zealand. "He sees opening as the opportunity to win games for your team 10 out of every 10 times you bat, whereas when you're batting down the order you don't get that many opportunities," Vettori said. "The other thing is that if you look at his record as an opener, it is pretty good. Where the criticism is, that he hasn't turned enough of his starts into centuries and really big scores."

McCullum has averaged 33.20, with one hundred and nine half-centuries, in the 57 matches he has opened for New Zealand.

Vettori, who now holds selection powers along with his captaincy, said there was plenty of debate when picking the squad to play Pakistan in Abu Dhabi next month. "I guess the first thing I've got to point out is that I was just one of four guys on the panel.There was plenty of debate about whether we went with six batsmen or look to fill the position with another allrounder and I was part of the discussions. In that case you've got to remove your personality, or ego, from the argument, but at the same time recognise that my view on it needed to be heard."

Vettori said New Zealand would wait on Ryder's availability for home Test series against Pakistan that follows the ODIs to fill the gap left by Jacob Oram, who announced his decision to retire from the five-day format. "If he's [Ryder] fit, then he can play that extra bowler role, with back-up perhaps from someone like Grant Elliott."

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No interference in Younis decision - Sports minister

Younis Khan's future as Pakistan captain will be decided without any interference from the government, national sports minister Aftab Shah Jilani said. Younis offered to resign as captain following days of rumour and speculation surrounding Pakistan's exit from the Champions Trophy in South Africa. The Pakistan board is yet to take decision on the offer and Jilani said he hoped merit would be the deciding factor.

"The PCB is free to handle Younis Khan's issue and this I am saying after meeting with the top official here the other day," Jilani said after meeting Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, who is also patron of the board. "The ministry or no other quarter would intervene in this affair. The issue should be decided on merit and we hope that only merit would be kept at the top while deciding his fate as the future Pakistan captain.

"There is no room for political pressures in sports and that is what I want from the PCB." Jilani said any bad decision due to political manoeuvring would have far-reaching consequences. It is pertinent on the PCB to decide the fate on merit to save the future of Pakistan cricket."

Jilani said the meeting, also attended by head of the parliamentary committee on sports Jamshed Dasti, was to discuss bringing the Pakistan board under the sports ministry. He said Dasti, who claimed that Pakistan's loss was the result of match-fixing, before he took back the allegations, had requested the meeting with Zardari.

"During the meeting, this [Younis' captaincy] issue never came under discussion. Dasti only wanted the PCB to work under the ministry of sports and that was one of the reasons of his request for a meeting with president Zardari.

"The patron was of the opinion that such amendment could be made through consensus. All the stakeholders should be taken into confidence before finalising any such matter. Other political issues were also discussed in the meeting."

The PCB is expected to make a final announcement on the captaincy on Monday.

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Pakistan selectors face dilemma for UAE series

The Pakistan selectors will meet on October 22 to finalise Pakistan's squad for next month's limited-overs series against New Zealand in the UAE. However, there are two key issues to be sorted out before the final list is announced for the three ODIs and two Twenty20 games in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, to be played between November 3-13.

Younis Khan's availability to lead Pakistan in the three ODIs in Abu Dhabi is under a cloud as is fast bowler Mohammad Asif's comeback, and whether he will be cleared by the UAE authorities to play in the series.

"We will have a meeting of the selection committee on October 22 after which we will name the team for the series against New Zealand," Iqbal Qasim, told the News.

Qasim was unsure whether Younis will be taking part in the series, and would wait for an announcement by Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, regarding the issue. Younis resigned as captain earlier this week following match-fixing accusations during the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against New Zealand. Butt though, refused to accept the decision and is expected to make a ruling on the captaincy issue tomorrow after holding talks with Younis.

Asif, returned to the national team during the Champions Trophy, after serving a one-year ban for doping. He was also deported from Dubai last June after being detained their over possession of a banned drug.

Qasim said he was yet to receive any instructions from the PCB regarding Asif. "We are expecting a word from the PCB regarding Asif before our meeting next week and will take a decision about him accordingly. Asif a match-winning bowler. He is bowling well in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and is an automatic choice for the Pakistan team."

According to PCB officials, a decision on whether Asif can play in UAE will be made next week. Wasim Bari, the PCB's chief operating officer, said the board was still awaiting a reply from the authorities on its request for clearance for Asif. The PCB in fact, had sought ICC's assistance to get Asif cleared for the series against New Zealand.

Asif was barred from entering the UAE after he was detained in Dubai for 19 days last June for allegedly possessing opium when he was returning home after featuring in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was later released without being charged but he was deported from Dubai, which means he cannot travel to the desert state.

Asif was handed a Rs 1-million fine by the PCB for his Dubai misadventure after the IPL drugs inquiry tribunal banned him for a year for failing a dope test. However, the one-year ban was back-dated to September last year, thereby making him eligible for the Champions Trophy.

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Alam open to batting at any position

Pakistan allrounder Fawad Alam, who scored back-to-back centuries for National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, has said he is willing to bat at any position if he makes it back to the national side.

Alam was dropped from the one-day squad after scoring 54 in three matches in Sri Lanka in August and is hoping to get a recall for the series against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi next month. "I have been asked to bat in a number of positions already in my career and as long as I am in the Pakistan team, I am more than happy to bat wherever my team needs me to bat," Alam told Pakpassion.net.

"My aim is to perform to the best of my ability in every match, whether it's for my domestic team or for my country, I will always give 100% effort."

Alam, who scored a hundred on his Test debut, scored 126 in NBP's innings win over Lahore Shalimar last week and followed it up with an unbeaten 154 against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) in an ongoing match in Lahore.

Alam said NBP were looking favourites in the Quaid-e-Azam after their early successes. "I'm really pleased that I have hit back-to-back centuries. I felt really confident today, it was hard work out there and although the wicket at the Gaddafi Stadium gave plenty of assistance to the fast bowlers, I was middling the ball quite nicely. Hopefully I can continue this good form. We are amongst the favourites, but its a long season and we need to continue to work hard and play good cricket."

Pakistan cricket is going through yet another controversy as national captain Younis Khan offered his resignation following speculations about the team's exit from the Champions Trophy. The board is expected to take a decision on his captaincy on Monday. Alam hoped the outcome would be in the best interest of Pakistan cricket. "Younis is a good captain and I hope he will continue as the skipper," Alam said.

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Preview: NSW vs Somerset

New South Wales Blues will have to forget the Trinidad & Tobago nightmare and get their act together if they desire to stay alive in the tournament as they take on the Somerset Sabres in a must-win League A match of the inaugural Champions League.

NSW's campaign in the Twenty20 event was dealt with a severe blow by Trinidad batsmen Kieron Pollard as he made a sensational 18-ball 54 to not only fashion an unimaginable four-wicket win over the Australian side, but also take his team a step closer to a semifinal spot. The Australian side not only have to beat Somerset by a good margin, but their fate will also hang on the outcome of the last League A match between Trinidad & Tobago and the Diamond Eagles.

On the other hand, for Somerset the match is only of academic interest as they are already out of contention for a semifinal berth having lost to the Diamond Eagles.

But the English county, who have had a far from impressive outing in the event so far, would be desperate to prove a point or two by drawing the curtains to their campaign on a winning note.

One of the positives for NSW is the return to form of their explosive opening duo of Philip Hughes and David Warner.

Hughes and Warner seemed in ominous form against the Caribbean side, sharing 121 runs for the first wicket to set the platform for the big total. The NSW middle-order is also pretty balanced with the likes of Moises Henriques, captain Simon Katich, and Ben Rohrer in its rank. However, what will be of major concern to Katich is the team's bowling department, which was considered one of the best in the tournament till their forgettable outing against Trinidad & Tobago. The likes of Brett Lee, Doug Bollinger, Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz completely failed against the Caribbean side as they could manage only three wickets in the match. Henriques' confidence as a bowler was completely shattered by Pollard as he hammered the medium pacer to all parts of the ground.

But Lee and company will have to pull up their socks and unleash fire from the word go against the toothless Somerset batting line-up to help NSW's cause.

For Somerset the tournament so far has been an emotional roller-coaster as nothing went in their favour after the victory against the Deccan Chargers. Their problems were further compounded when Marcus Trescothik left for home in the middle of the tournament citing a stress-related illness.
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Match Preview: Eagles versus T&T

Unconquered and amazing, Trinidad & Tobago will look to carry on their unbeaten run and seal a semifinal spot when they clash with the equally impressive Diamond Eagles in their second and last League A match of the Champions League.

Kieron Pollard's exploits with the bat down the order have immensely benefited the Caribbean side in the Twenty20 tournament as he has twice played destructive knocks to contribute to his side's impressive run in the event.

Pollard single-handedly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against the NSW Blues last night when he hammered an 18-ball 54.

Dwayne Bravo is on a wicket-taking spree and his military medium pace has proved to be quite effective as he had already bagged 10 wickets, the highest so far in the tournament.

Apart from Pollard, skipper Daren Ganga, Denesh Ramdin, William Perkins and Darren Bravo are gradually getting into the groove and are peaking just at the right time.

On the bowling front, apart from Dwayne Bravo, Sherwin Ganga, brother of skipper Darren Ganga, was brilliant against New South Wales as the off-spinner played a crucial role in stemming the run flow.

South Africa's Eagles, on the other hand, brought about the ouster of English county Somerset and this has made the semifinal tussle in League A quite interesting.

Whoever wins the match between Eagles and Trinidad & Tobago is certain to be through to the next stage, while the remaining spot would be a battle between the losing side and New South Wales.

Since losing their first match against NSW, the Eagles have gradually lifted their performance, winning consecutive matches.

Either of the openers -- Rilee Rossouw and Morne van Wyk -- has clicked in one or the other match and if they get along together, things can be very difficult for any rival team.

Ryan McLaren has been quite useful down the order but skipper Boeta Dippenaar is due for runs.

Cornelius de Villiers has been excellent with the ball for the Eagles and has provided breakthroughs at vital moments
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Gibbs opted out due to security scare - Puttick

Cape Cobras captain Andrew Puttick confirmed that Herschelle Gibbs opted out due to the security scare which preceded their game against Victoria in Bangalore. The game was delayed after an Under-22 cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir, staying at the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) complex in the Chinnaswamy Stadium, was detained in connection with the suspected presence of explosives at the venue. He was subsequently released after questioning, and the authorities gave the go-ahead for the match to take place. "It was his personal decision," Puttick said of Gibbs' decision to stay back. "He felt he was not mentally up for the game after what happened."

It was not a surprise that on a day when a security scare delayed the game, not one player was asked anything about cricket in the post-match press conference. The game was a relatively dull affair with Victoria unable to play at their optimum level, and all questions revolved around how the scare affected the teams' preparation.

Puttick said it was left to the individual players to make up their mind about whether to play. "There was lots of confusion initially," he said. "It was a really a difficult situation as there were lots of reports flying around. As for Gibbs, we as a team respected the decision. If you are not comfortable, then there is no use playing."

Cape Cobras didn't let Gibbs' absence affect them, and were mentally switched on for the game from the first over where they picked two key wickets. "I am really proud about how the guys turned up today and were able to focus quickly," Puttick said. "I didn't have to say anything special to the team; maybe we all thought what more can happen, 'let's just go and play the game.'"

Cape Cobras coach, Shukri Conrad, added that there were a few team meetings before it was agreed that a majority would play.

Victoria's captain Cameron White didn't directly blame the episode for the below-par performance, but said it wasn't the ideal preparation. "We don't know whether it affected our performance or not. But it wasn't ideal," he said. "We didn't even know whether we were going to ground at one point. We just got the news from the TV initially but were quickly given a briefing later.

Obviously we were reluctant to come at one point of time but once our security company gave us the full details and assured us about the security we decided to come to ground. We will have sit down in the next couple of days and see whether we let the incident affect our focus."

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Cobras win after security scare

Henry Davids smashed an unbeaten half-century as the Cape Cobras eased to an eight-wicket victory over the Victoria Bushrangers in the Champions League Twenty20 in Bangalore.

The start of the second-round match was delayed by close to two hours due to a security scare, but play eventually got under way with the match reduced to 17 overs.

Useful contributions from Andrew McDonald (29), Cameron White (24) and Aiden Blizzard (22) helped Victoria reach a decent 125 for five, but the Cobras' reply was emphatic.

Opening batsman Derek Brand (29 off 15) got his side off to a flying start and Davids made easy work of the chase, clobbering seven fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 69 as the Cobras coasted to victory with an over to spare.

The result ended the Royal Challengers Bangalore's hopes of going through to the semi-final.

Hours before the start of the match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a player from Jammu and Kashmir's under-22 team was questioned by Bangalore City police after security devices suggested the presence of explosive material in a bag in his room.

The Jammu and Kashmir team have been in Bangalore for a domestic tournament and staying on the stadium premises.

Police later decided there was no cause for concern, and Bangalore City police announced the man had been released without charge and the match would go ahead.

M R Pujar, the Additional Commissioner for Police, Law and Order and Security, said on Saturday: "Following a regulation security sweep of M Chinnaswamy Stadium this morning, police were called to investigate a suspicious bag. A young man was taken for questioning by police but he has subsequently been released without charge.

"Police and security experts have checked the stadium twice, as well as the suspicious bag, but nothing of concern has been found. As a result, the stadium has been given the all-clear for tonight's matches to proceed."

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NSW favourites to bounce back

Match facts

Sunday October 18
Start time 16.00 (10.30 GMT)

Big Picture

Somerset have depended on Trinidad & Tobago's enterprising style of play to get this far in the Champions League. They would have been eliminated if T&T had not beaten Deccan Chargers in the group stage, and they would have been knocked out had Kieron Pollard's haymaker not flattened New South Wales in the second round. At the moment ,Somerset only have an outside, and mathematical, chance of making the semi-finals and that will again hinge on T&T beating Eagles in the final match of League A.

All four League A teams are in the running for semi-final berths, although in varying degrees. T&T are the most comfortably placed, with four points and a healthy net run-rate, but should they lose to Eagles after NSW beat Somerset, then three teams will be tied on four points and it will come down to which side has the better net run-rate. That scenario, however, excludes Somerset who can go through only if they beat NSW and the Eagles lose, leaving T&T on six points and the rest level on two each, before being separated by net run-rate. If NSW win on Sunday, their semi-final berth wont be set in stone but they'll have an extremely strong chance.

Leaving the permutations aside, Somerset's task is both simple and difficult - they need to beat NSW, by a margin as large as possible. It's a formidable challenge for, apart from the quality of their opponents, Somerset have problems of their own. Their batting order, depleted by Marcus Trescothick's departure, has failed to fire: they've scored 157 for 9, 106 and 132 for 8, and their top-scorer, Zander de Bruyn with 64 runs, is No. 18 on the tournament list. Their bowling has been reasonably efficient, but not outstanding, and they will need their batters to give them an above-average total to defend against a powerful NSW line-up.

NSW stormed into the second round after two convincing victories in the first and were on the verge of another success against T&T until Pollard blitzed them. They are a formidable side despite losing three first-choice players - Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Nathan Bracken - even before the tournament began. They possess a strong batting unit: Phillip Hughes is the third-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 146 runs at 73 (after Ross Taylor and JP Duminy), while David Warner and Moises Henriques are in the top ten. Their bowling attack has been the best in the tournament. It took an astonishing 18-ball 54 from Pollard to beat them. Can Somerset produce something as extraordinary?

Watch out for...

Wes Durston came into Somerset's XI only because Trescothick flew home and he was their best batsman in the loss against the Eagles. Batting at No. 7, Durston had the advantage of unfamiliarity and he cracked 57 off 32 balls to lift a flagging innings. He won't have that unknown quality against NSW though and will be challenged to repeat his performance.

Craig Kieswetter, the 21-year old batsman, came into the tournament having scored over 1000 runs in the first-class season for Somerset. He's been disappointing so far in India, though, aggregating only 17 runs after three matches. He was given the added responsibility of opening in Trescothick's absence against Eagles, in addition to his wicketkeeping duties, and it's likely he'll be asked to do the same against NSW.

The Hughes-Warner opening combination added 121 against T&T, the highest partnership for any wicket in the tournament. Both left-handers are capable of sending the new ball speeding to the boundary and they do a fine job of setting up the innings for the long-handled skills of Henriques. NSW's batting has been so accomplished that their captain, Simon Katich, has batted only once in three matches.

Brett Lee and Doug Bollinger have consistently given NSW excellent starts with the new ball. Lee's taken only a wicket in each of his games but his economy-rate - 3.54 per over - is staggering and would have been excellent in a one-day international, never mind a Twenty20 thrash. Bollinger has conceded only 4.66 an over and an economical and incisive start on Sunday could dash Somerset's hopes
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Taylor's blitzkrieg sends Delhi packing

Bangalore were knocked out of their semi-final bid when Cobras outclassed Victoria earlier in the day. RCB then turned the tables on Delhi by defeating them by 8 wickets, knocking the Daredevils out of the semi-final reckoning. Birthday Boy Kumble did the damage with the ball with his spell of 3/20. Ross Taylor then came up with an explosive innings of 65 off just 38 balls, powering the Challengers to victory. Ross Taylor was declared the Man of the Match for his efforts with the bat.

It was disappointment for the Bangalore crowd as the Cape Cobras' win over Victoria resulted in the ouster of the home team. On the other hand, Delhi had a good chance of qualifying for the semis, provided they convincingly won against Bangalore and Cobras. With nothing but pride to play for, Anil Kumble won the toss and opted to field.

Sehwag started off in the way he is best known for, hitting Praveen Kumar for 3 boundaries in succession in the second over. The Delhi Dasher, as usual, kept finding the ropes at a regular rate, not giving the Bangalore seamers any leeway. Gambhir was lending him good support, nudging around for singles and giving his senior partner most of the strike. However, the opening partnership came to an end, two short of the fifty run mark when Dale Steyn got the better of Gautam Gambhir in the 6th over, dismissing him for 11. It could have been a double treat for Steyn but for Praveen Kumar who put down the new-man Dilshan the very next delivery.

There was another opportunity for the Bangalore team to see the back of Dilshan. However, Virat Kohli missed out on an easy run-out chance, giving the hard-hitting Lankan his second breather. There was yet another missed chance when Uthappa failed to hit the stumps which would have found Sehwag short of the crease. However, that did not prove to be costly as van der Merwe struck to get the all-important wicket of Sehwag, dismissing him for 47.

Along came the Birthday Boy and he shook Delhi off its feet. Celebrating his 39th birthday, Anil Kumble bagged his first wicket by trapping Dinesh Karthik leg-before. He was not finished by any means as he rocked Delhi further with the crucial wickets of Dilshan and Owais Shah, reducing the Daredevils to 117/5 after 17 overs.

Bhatia managed to score some runs towards the end before Praveen Kumar picked up Tiwary off the last ball as Delhi wound up their innings at 138/6. Kumble's spell was the stand-out performance as the 'Old Warhorse' finished up with figures of 3/20.

The Bangalore chase took a hit in the second over when Manish Pandey, suffering from cramps, had to walk off the field since the new rules say that a runner cannot be employed on event of a player suffering from cramps, which meant that Rahul Dravid had to come out to bat. The RCB innings suffered another blow when Dirk Nannes struck in the 4th over to dismiss Robin Uthappa for 9. This brought Ross Taylor to the crease who decided to employ the aggressive approach. Taking the attack to Glenn McGrath, the Kiwi hit him for 3 fours in the 5th over.

While Dravid was his steady self, Ross Taylor was in the attacking mode as the pair tried to get Bangalore closer to the target. Taylor had a lucky break when Ashish Nehra put down a sitter off Mishra's bowling. However, that did not deter Ross Taylor from restricting his stroke making. While some of his hits crossed the boundary ropes, some fours came courtesy of edges down to third man. Dravid too had his share of luck when Rajat Bhatia put down an easy return chance. Once again in the tournament, the poor fielding of the Indian teams and their inability to hit the stumps showed them in bad light.

Ross Taylor made optimum usage of the let-ups by sending Delhi on a leather hunt. He hit Amit Mishra for two sixes and a four in the 12th over, bringing up his fifty in the process. The Taylor blitzkrieg finally came to an end when Dirk Nannes struck for the second time, castling the stumps of Taylor. However the Kiwi had done enough damage with his 38 ball 65, helping Bangalore to a position where they just required 31 to win off 41 balls.

While Kumble had a memorable outing earlier in the day, Amit Mishra had a forgettable one. The leggie was never given respite as Virat Kohli took toll of him, hitting him for 3 fours and a six off his final over. Mishra finished off with figures of 0/59. It was then all over for the Daredevils when Rahul Dravid hit Nehra for a six, taking Bangalore to victory with 29 balls to spare. Dravid remained unbeaten on 32 while Virat Kohli played a quick-fire innings of 24.
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Victoria look to consolidate against Cobras

Bangalore: Virtually through to semi-final after a comprehensive win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, Victoria Bushrangers would strive to consolidate their position when they take on Cape Cobras in a Champions League match here on Saturday.

Victoria put up an all-round performance to overcome the Bangalore team by seven wickets on Thursday and would confirm their berth in the final-four stage if they defeat the South

Africans in the league-B encounter.

On other hand, Cobras who have entered second round as the Group C topper after beating both the Royal Challengers and Otago Volts, would like to maintain their victorious journey in the 12-team event.

Skipper Andrew Puttick, who has cracked a century and figuring second in the list of highest run getters in the USD six million tournament, would be the mainstay of Cobras' batting order.

But the captain would also rely heavily on the likes of middle-order batsman J P Duminy and experienced Herchelle Gibbs for some timely contributions in tomorrow's match.

Duminy had scored an aggressive 52-ball 99 in his side's five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers in the tournament opener, while skipper Puttick had left Otago stunned with his

breezy 62-ball 104 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, experienced Brad Hodge and David Hussey would lead the Victoria batting department with the trio of captain Cameron White, Aiden Blizzard and Andrew McDonald also have to chip in with the bat.

The Bushrangers looked a promising outfit when they went off to a winning start in the tournament, beating Delhi Daredevils, but soon lost their rhythm and suffered a 15-run

defeat at the hands of otherwise inexperienced Wayamba Elevens of Sri Lanka.

However, the Australians are now back in their elements and the Proteas should brace up to negotiate a stiff challenge from the side, which was considered by many as one of the

title contenders.

Teams (from):

Cape Cobras: Andrew Puttick (C), Derek Brand, Ryan Canning, Henry Davids, Jean-Paul Duminy, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Herschelle Gibbs, Claude Henderson, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard

Levi, Justin Ontong, Vernon Philander, Francois Plaatjies, Stiaan van Zyl, Monde Zondeki, Charl Langeveldt.

Victorian Bushrangers: Cameron White (C), Aiden Blizzard, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Brad Hodge, Jon Holland, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Clint

McKay, James Pattinson, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade.

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After selection, BCCI says nothing at all

New Delhi: Does India's cricket establishment really respect its most prized possessions, the players? At least in the way Rahul Dravid, Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh were shown the door, that doesn't seem to be the case. Once again, no explanations were offered, and little respect shown to the men discarded.

In a cruel twist, on the day he was dumped from the Indian one-day team, Dravid had to turn out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Champions League, and did a great job of blocking the disappointment out, making 33 in 35 balls. And when in the field, he even allowed himself to be miked up and have a chat with the commentators.

The big question, of course, is was Dravid told beforehand that he was no longer needed in the one-day team, or did he too learn of his ouster from the media? As is the now established norm within the BCCI, the chairman of selectors ignored the media's pleas to explain the axing in this post-selection interaction.

Ironically, not just Dravid but the two other men sacked in the purge on Thursday had no inkling of what was to come. A one-line email was all the BCCI thought fit to send to announce the sacking of Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches. A shell-shocked Prasad could only offer a feeble "I am hurt and disappointed" in response.

This isn't the first time that players or coaches have been sacked, but somehow the BCCI's method of doing this always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Other cricket boards such as Australia and England always offer explanations to justify selections, leaving little room for the speculation and innuendo that has become so rampant in Indian cricket
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Dasti summoned by President Zardari over outburst

ISLAMABAD: Patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports Chairman Jamshed Ahmed Dasti for a grilling session over having accused the Pakistan cricket team of ‘deliberately losing’ the pool match against Australia in order to push India out of the ICC Champions Trophy, Dawn learnt on authority on Friday.

Mr Dasti, a PPP legislator, has remained a stark critic of the national cricket team’s performance in the recent event. His statement over the matter added fuel to the already started fire of match fixing allegations involving the national squad.

The Indian media, too, later on carried Mr Dasti’s statement as an important cricket-related story.

However, Pakistan team Coach Intikhab Alam has dubbed the news item as a malicious propaganda engineered by the Indian media against the Pakistan cricket team.

‘He [Mr Dasti] has been summoned by the PCB patron-in-chief regarding his outburst against the team as his statement has badly affected the morale of the players while damaging team spirit,’ a senior official, close to the development, told Dawn on Friday.

The NA body had earlier summoned PCB’s top brass including team captain Younis Khan to explain their reasons for having lost the match against the Aussies in the Champions Trophy.

A disgusted Younis had even decided to quit as captain of the team as a result of being questioned over the matter in addition to the continuous criticism on his role as a captain in the media but he later withdrew his resignation.

The NA committee in its meeting also accepted the explanation given by the national coach and the skipper.

‘The Federal Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani will also attend the meeting in order to lend his support to the players and the PCB,’ the official said about the forthcoming meeting with the President of Pakistan.

‘The stance of the sports ministry is very clear as Mr Dasti did not have any solid evidence regarding the accusations he levelled against the national squad.

‘The match against Australia was played till the last ball so there can be no question of throwing the match and even the Aussies have acknowledged our performance in the crucial fixture,’ he pointed out.

‘The forthcoming meeting would also give the PCB some respite from the mounting pressure from legislators on the players while also strengthening the role of the Sports Ministry.’

However, one legislator, on the condition of anonymity, said: ‘Younis’s resignation was not really called for as the NA body never expected such an aggressive and emotional move from a man of his [Younis’s] stature.

‘We never intended grilling the officials, specifically not the players. We only wanted to show them the right way,’ he said while adding that the NA body always extends positive suggestions to sports federations and institutions.

‘We have the right to summon any sports official and player and will use the forum to bring in more transparency and betterment to the sports structure of the country,’ he concluded.

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Match-fixing rumours lead Younus to quit Pakistan captaincy in anger

Younus Khan has resigned as Pakistan captain in fury after politicians in Islamabad pressed him for an explanation about unsubstantiated rumours of match-fixing during the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Younus was summoned before the National Assembly's standing committee on sport, along with the coach, Intikhab Alam, and the board chairman, Ijaz Butt, to justify how Pakistan, when strong favourites, could lose to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy semi-final at the Wanderers on 3 October.

The hearing ended with emotional scenes as Butt was walking to his car, having rejected Younus's resignation during the meeting, only for Younus to race up to him and hand over his resignation in writing. It has also been reported that he has pulled out of Pakistan's forthcoming series against Australia and New Zealand and asked to take a prolonged break from the game.

"I have resigned because I cannot tolerate anyone raising fingers and making match-fixing allegations against me," Younus said. "I have always played honourably and I am disgusted by such allegations. The team has been doing well in recent times and yet we are accused of match-fixing. This is not on."

Younus has won considerable respect within cricket for the way he has held Pakistan together since replacing Shoaib Malik as captain in February. Barely a month later, Pakistan became international cricket's homeless, their country ruled unsafe after a terrorist attack on coaches carrying the Sri Lanka team and the match officials to the Lahore Test.

Younus's response was to laugh in the face of such adversity – literally so, a maniacal cackle greeting virtually his every utterance – and this relaxed approach worked wonders as he led his talented yet highly disparate side to World Twenty20 success in England last summer.

His geniality during such terrible times for his country endeared him to many, but his fortunes turned in the Champions Trophy. He fractured a finger and played on regardless, but when he dropped a simple catch offered by New Zealand's Grant Elliott in the semi-final, protecting that very finger, with the match in the balance and Pakistan lurching as so often between brilliance and ineptitude, sections of the Indian media revelled in a match-fixing conspiracy theory. Pakistan had been the only side to reach the last four of both tournaments, but Younus was vilified all the same.

The allegations, entirely uncorroborated – indeed, consisting of no more than nod-and-wink journalism – were quickly rejected by the game's governing body, the International Cricket Council. But they found an instant champion in Jamshed Dasti, chairman of Pakistan's standing committee on sport, and a member of the Pakistan board's governing council. Dasti openly speculated from Pakistan about the possibility of match-fixing and vowed to investigate. It was Dasti with whom Younus clashed during the meeting before the captain angrily announced that he had resigned.

Dasti hastily backtracked after the inquiry ended in uproar and claimed that the committee was satisfied that there had been no wrongdoing. "We had no intentions to hurt anyone and my earlier statements were misunderstood," he said. "I simply said that since they were so many reports that the team underperformed deliberately in the Champions Trophy matches against Australia and New Zealand the committee has a duty to find out if these reports are true.

"Younus has resigned in the past also. But our stance is clear that if we hear serious allegations against the team we have a duty to investigate those things. There was never any intention to dishonour any player. As far as we are concerned we have done our work."

Butt has called for Younus to withdraw his resignation before a governing council meeting on Monday, at which Dasti will again be present. Younus, an emotional soul, is unlikely to be easily appeased.

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Eagles prevail in a thrilling encounter

Excitement and Heartbreak - that was the mood of two different teams. The Eagles and Sussex battled it out in a well-fought match that saw the 'Super' over being employed. The South African side managed to pull one off from the brink of defeat. Although the Eagles dominated for most part of the match, a determined Sussex outfit gave them a good run for their money before faltering at the 'Eliminator' stage.

First Innings: The Champions League was the stage for multiple do-or-die encounters in the past couple of days. While Bangalore emerged victorious against Otago to move to the next round, Wayamba, despite their win against Victoria, were unable to qualify. In yet another must-win scenario, Eagles and Sussex were ready to cross swords. Bolstered by the return of their captain Michael Yardy, Sussex won the toss and opted to bat.

Luke Wright and Chris Nash, coming out to open, had a quiet start for the first couple of overs, before Wright opened up, thumping Cornelius for a six and a four off back to back deliveries. However, the bowler had the last laugh, castling the stumps of Luke Wright in the same over. His opening partner departed the very next over, falling to Dillon du Preez. Cornelius was not finished yet as he held on to a superb catch from Hamilton Brown off his own bowling to scalp his second wicket.

It was then upto Ed Joyce and Dwayne Smith to shoulder the responsibility of weathering the storm. But that was not to be as Mpitsang struck in the 8th over to dismiss Dwayne Smith. Joyce then tried to string together a partnership with Yardy before Bailey struck to dismiss the Sussex captain, reducing the side to 74/5.

Following the dismissals, Joyce and Gatting got together as they tried to consolidate the innings. But the pitch was again on the slower side, making it hard for the duo to find the boundary. Towards the latter overs, Joyce tried to get a move on but was run-out during the process. Gatting and Chawla managed to score some boundaries in the penultimate over, but Gatting, in pursuit of quick runs, departed in the final over as Sussex finished off at 119/7.

Second Innings: In reply, the Eagles started off in a professional manner, playing for singles and putting away the bad deliveries. Then the big hits started coming with Rossouw going on the offensive, trying to cash in on the powerplay overs while Adrian McLaren played the second fiddle, giving his left-handed partner most of the strike. While the Sharks missed out on a couple of opportunities, the South African side took full advantage of it, piling on the runs at a steady pace. During the process, Rossouw registered his half-century, putting his side in control.

The Sharks tried different bowling combinations attempting to get a break-through and they finally managed it when Piyush Chawla struck in the 12th over to trap McLaren leg before, bringing the 72 run stand to an end. The Indian leggie struck again dismissing van Wyk for 2 and he finished off his spell with figures of 2/17.

The proceedings slowed down for the Proteas team, with the spinners operating in tandem. Hamilton Brown then provided the much needed break-through with the dismissal of the captain Dippenaar, making the task a bit more tedious for the Eagles. The match then tilted in favour of the English County when Rossouw fell to Brown on 65, leaving the Eagles requiring 12 runs off the last over.

More drama was in store as Arafat was given the ball for the last over. After 3 singles of the first 3 deliveries, Ryan McLaren got a thick inside edge off the fourth ball which made its way to the boundary. And then the fifth was a dot, leaving Sussex requiring 5 runs off the last ball. In another twist, McLaren smashed one over mid-wicket, taking the match to the Super Over.

The 'Super Over': The 'Eliminator' stage of the match began with Arafat bowling to Rossouw and Ryan McLaren. It was a good over from Arafat but for the six scored by Rossouw, as the Eagles managed 9 runs. The mini-chase began and ended on a wrong note for Sussex as Cornelius hit the stumps twice dismissing Dwayne Smith and Hamilton-Brown off the first two balls as the Eagles pulled off a victory. It was heartbreak for the Sharks who fought well to make a match out of it following a powerful opening stand by the Proteas.
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We will convince Younus: PCB

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt today said the Board has not accepted Younus Khan's resignation from the post of skipper and the matter will not be discussed in the governing council, rather he will discuss it personally with the 'hurt' player.

Butt told PTI that he would meet Younus in the next two or three days to have a detailed talk with him.

"Younus is a man of integrity and he is very hurt by the remarks credited to the NA body Chairman. But even today when he gave me his resignation I didn't accept it and I told him thrice I am not accepting it because I see it as an emotional decision from him," he said.

Butt made it clear that it was a wrong impression that he had said that Younus' resignation would be discussed at the governing council meeting on October 19.

"I am the supreme authority in the Board and I appoint the captain. So I will sort out this issue myself. I will meet Younus and will hopefully we will convince him to take back his resignation," he said.

Butt also felt that the Jamshed Dasti, Chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sport, adopted the wrong method to express concerns over match-fixing reports.

"This body is a representative body of the government and has every right to question us if they feel something is wrong in Pakistan cricket. But I think the method they adopted to raise this issue was not right. It hurt players' integrity."

He said the Chairman and members of the NA body had later clarified at the hearing that they had no intention of hurting anyone and had trust in Younus and the team.

Meanwhile, Match fixing allegations was not the only reason which prompted Younus Khan to quit captaincy and there are other factors as well that contributed in his decision, sources claimed.

Sources said Younus is ready to take back his resignation but only on the condition that the Pakistan cricket Board makes a clear announcement about his captaincy term.

"It is true he was fed up with the remarks made by the NA committee Chairman in which he accused the Pakistan players of deliberately under-performing in the Champions Trophy but there are other elements involved behind his decision," one source told PTI

According to the source Younus apparently was also not happy with the behavior of the team management and few players for the last few months.

"He is not happy with manager Yawar Saeed and assistant manager Shafqat Rana and also coach Intikhab Alam and believes they have not supported him the way they should have in normal circumstances," the source claimed.

He said a couple of incidents in South Africa and the way a concerted campaign was orchestrated against him had also left Younus disillusioned.

"He is aware who is behind this campaign and when he meets with the Board Chairman to discuss his resignation he will have a talk with him on these issues," the source said.
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