| Third Twenty20 international, Hamilton:  Razzaq took 3-13 and hit 34 as Pakistan beat New Zealand comfortably Abdul Razzaq produced a man-of-the-match display to earn Pakistan a consolation victory in the third and final Twenty20 against New Zealand. The 31-year-old hit 34 off 11 balls in the tourists' 183-6 in Christchurch, with Ahmed Shehzad (54) top scoring. Medium fast bowler Razzaq then tore into the Kiwi batting line-up for figures of 3-13 as the hosts crashed to 11-5 before limping to 80 all out. Pakistan recorded their biggest T20 win with captain Shahid Afridi taking 4-14. It was an amazing start to the hosts' reply, in which they lost four wickets for three runs in the first 17 balls, with top four Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and captain Ross Taylor all... | |
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Pakistan seal consolation T20 win over New Zealand
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Positive signs for Ponting's Boxing Day hopes Ricky Ponting at Australia's training session, Melbourne, December 23, 2010 Ricky Ponting didn't bat at
Ricky Ponting put in a strong performance at Australia's training session at the MCG on Thursday, significantly easing any doubts over his place for the Boxing Day Test. Ponting fielded well during the drills, although he was using only his right hand and made sure to keep his left well out of the way, to avoid any chance of suffering a knock to his broken little finger.
He will not bat until Friday, but given that this time last year he was nursing a much more serious elbow injury, which couldn't keep him out of a Test against Pakistan, the chances of him missing a Boxing Day encounter with the Ashes on the line are slim. Ponting has not missed a Test since October 2004, and his 72-match streak seems likely to grow to 73.
"If there is ever a Test match you want to play, it's Boxing Day in Melbourne, so I have been....Read more...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Ponting backs Hughes to replace injured Katich
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has backed Phillip Hughes as the most likely replacement for Simon Katich for next week's third Ashes Test in Perth. Opener Katich has an Achilles injury and has almost certainly been ruled out of the rest of the Ashes series. But Ponting admitted no decisions have yet been made about the squad for the next Test, which starts on 16 December. "Phil Hughes is the first one that comes to mind. I'd be surprised if it's not him that comes in," he said. "We know what his international record is like. He's got a few runs under his belt so he's probably the first cab off the rank. "I'm not a selector. The chairman of selectors and I haven't spoken yet. I'm not sure what they're thinking. We'll have a good discussion." Hughes, the New..... | |
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Sri Lanka aim for clean sweep
Match Facts
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Start time 13.20 local (02.20 GMT)
The Big Picture
In the blue corner is Sri Lanka, the happiest team in the world, the one deservedly still celebrating their first series victory Down Under. Slumped in the really blue corner is Australia, the side trying to avoid setting their worst losing streak in history. It is usually the touring teams that feel this low here, but the faded green and golds have lost their sheen. And the Ashes starts in 19 days.Sri Lanka's breakthrough tour began with a Twenty20 victory and was followed by a great escape in Melbourne. They then ensured Sunday's third ODI would be a dead rubbed with a controlled victory in Sydney. Sri Lanka are a highly professional outfit with men for any conditions, so not much will bother them at the Gabba.
Australia are currently on a seven-match losing streak in all forms of the game. The last time they........Read more..
Sri Lanka break series drought on rainy night
Sri Lanka 3 for 213 (Tharanga 86*) beat Australia 210 (Watson 40) by 29 runs on D/L method
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Sri Lanka came on this tour with one goal and achieved it with a match to spare. By handing Australia a seventh straight defeat, Kumar Sangakkara's men delivered their maiden series win in Australia in 26 years of trying. When the hosts slipped over for 210 in the greasy conditions it gave Sri Lanka victory by 29 runs - and it had come more easily than expected.
There was much to like about Sri Lanka's play in a match regularly threatened by rain, but there was little to inspire the hosts as they head to Brisbane for Sunday's dead rubber. The only time the visitors struggled was in the first two overs of the match - when they didn't score - but once the openers Upul Tharanga, who held the innings together with 86 not out, and Tillakaratne Dilshan got going there was nothing that could stop them. Not even the weather.
The rain disrupted Sri Lanka's innings twice as it finished early at 3 for 213 in 41.1 overs, but Australia's target was quickly.....Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Mathews and Malinga script stunning victory
Sri Lanka 9 for 243 (Mathews 77*, Malinga 56, Doherty 4-46) beat Australia 8 for 239 (Hussey 71*, Perera 5-46) by 1 wicket
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Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga produced one of the great one-day international fightbacks to clinch an improbable victory for Sri Lanka, extending Australia's losing streak to six international games since July. The visitors seemed destined for a humiliating loss when they crashed to 8 for 107 chasing 240, but Mathews and Malinga kept fighting, spurred on by noisy support from a crowd dominated by Sri Lankan fans.
They compiled the highest ninth-wicket partnership in ODI history, beating a 27-year-old record set by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani at the 1983 World Cup, and the 132-run stand left Australia's confidence in tatters. Malinga belted his way to his first one-day half-century and Mathews played the guiding hand with a wonderful unbeaten 77 as the pair raced towards their target with plenty of time to spare.
They had a scare when Malinga was....Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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Monday, November 1, 2010
Dominant Sri Lankans crush Australia
Sri Lanka 3 for 135 (Sangakkara 44*, Dilshan 41) beat Australia 8 for 133 (Haddin 35, Randiv 3-25) by 7 wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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A brutal Sri Lankan performance delivered Australia their first Twenty20 defeat at home as Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara thrust the tourists to a commanding seven-wicket victory. The hosts were first overwhelmed by a stunning bowling display, dropping to 5 for 43 in the 11th over and finishing at 8 for 133, before becoming the victims of an explosive batting effort.
The opener Dilshan guided the small chase with 41 off 34 balls while the captain Kumar Sangakkara registered a delightful 44 off 43 and the game was over 21 balls early. With the English squad staying a short walk away as they prepare for the Ashes - Kevin Pietersen was in the stands - Australia suffered their fourth Twenty20 loss in a row and their first in 11 games at home. The defeat felt as severe as the result inflicted by England in Southampton at the start of Australia's failed 2005 Ashes tour.
Mahela Jayawardene and Dilshan raced to 35 in the fourth over and Dilshan kept up the pace when Jayawardene went for 24 off 16. Sangakkara joined Dilshan and they were rarely troubled as they drove, flicked and forced boundaries. Dilshan, who was stumped off Steven Smith, finished with six fours and Sangakkara gained six of them as the pair enjoyed tormenting the inexperienced attack. Thisara Perera then arrived to finish the game off by thrashing Smith for a six, a four and another six over long-on to finish the match.
Jayawardene crashed two boundaries from Clint McKay's opening over and then blasted two more from Peter Siddle, who got his revenge when the batsman edged behind. Siddle was back in Australian colours for the first time since January and the breakthrough was a relief for the hosts. Dirk Nannes was then fortunate to have Dinesh Chandimal (2) lbw to a ball pitching outside leg, but that was when Australia's luck ran out.
Brad Haddin and Smith were in charge of Australia's first-innings rescue and put on a much-needed.....score card
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Friday, October 29, 2010
Sri Lankans fine-tune with another win
Sri Lankans 4 for 167 (Jayawardene 59) beat New South Wales 2 for 100 (Khawaja 32*) by 22 runs on D/L method
Scorecard
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The Sri Lankans controlled their final warm-up before running into Australia as they recorded a 22-run victory over New South Wales in Sydney. After the visitors posted 4 for 167 from their 20 overs, the local innings was interrupted by rain - the target was reduced to 123 in 14 overs - and they finished at 2 for 100.
The game started 15 minutes late because the Sri Lankans were caught in traffic on the way to the ground at Blacktown in western Sydney, but the captain Mahela Jayawardene quickly put on the accelerator after he won the toss. Jayawardene, who replaced the resting Kumar Sangakkara, raced to 59 in 35 balls as he and Tillakaratne Dilshan opened with 57 in 5.3 overs.
Dilshan fell for 21 as the main batsmen found some decent practice ahead of Friday's Twenty20 international against Australia in Perth. Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews both collected 24 while Chamara Kapugedera picked up 26 off 18. Brett Lee was upset to be overlooked by Australia this week, but did not impress in giving away 44 runs in his four overs, including being hit for six twice by Kapugedera.
New South Wales started well in their reply but........Score card
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Anxious World Cup bidders await outcome of FIFA meeting
(Reuters) - Bidding nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will seek an eagerly awaited measure of clarity when FIFA considers the troubled process at a meeting on Friday.
The campaign, already dogged by confusion over the voting format, has been hit by a corruption scandal, with allegations of vote-selling by two FIFA executive committee members and collusion by unnamed bidding nations.
FIFA's executive committee is due to choose the hosts in Zurich on December 2 although there have been calls for the election of at least the 2022 hosts to be postponed to a later date. However, FIFA has so far ruled out this possibility.
With barely more than a month to go, the voting process has....
Friday, March 12, 2010
IPL third season due to begin amid heavy security
The third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the 20-20 cricket tournament, is due to begin amid heavy security in the city of Mumbai. Eight teams are participating in the tournament which has been overshadowed by security concerns - IPL authorities have defended the arrangements. Hyderabad, which won the second season, will take on Calcutta in the first of 60 matches in the 43-day tournament. The world's top cricketers are taking part in the lucrative tournament. BBC Sports Alex Capstick in Mumbai (Bombay) says the brash and glitzy IPL has become a multi billion dollar industry and an established event in the cricket calendar in just two years. Bollywood owners The games are marked by entertainment on the field, including Bollywood music and cheerleaders for the teams. Some tickets cost up to 50,000 rupees ($1,100), and film screens show the games. The Calcutta team, owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, has won only nine of the out the 28 previous IPL matches, and begin as underdogs in Friday night's game. The Hyderabad team, which finished last in the opening season, emerged as the surprise winners in the second season, which was played in South Africa because of security concerns at home. There are eight English players in this season's IPL - Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan, who miss the first three weeks because of the Bangladesh tour, and Graham Napier, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Owais Shah, Michael Lumb and Ravi Bopara, who will be there for the duration. Security threats The third season of the tournament has been overshadowed by concerns over security and a controversy over the non-inclusion of Pakistani players in any of the eight teams. A news website had published a message reported to be from the 313 Brigade, an operational arm of al-Qaeda, that threatened the IPL, Commonwealth Games and Hockey World Cup, all of which are being held in India. This followed a threat against Australian players competing in the IPL from the right-wing Hindu group Shiv Sena. IPL authorities have said that everything was being done to make the tournament secure, although they conceded that "nobody in the world can safeguard the safety of the players in any tournament." IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has told BBC Sport the threat from Shiv Sena had been withdrawn and he defended security arrangements for the IPL. | |
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Pakistan ban Mohammad Yousuf & Younus Khan indefinitely
 Drastic action has been meted on four top Pakistan players Pakistan duo Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan have been banned indefinitely from representing their country. The Pakistan Cricket Board's inquiry into the tour of Australia found the pair had been involved in "infighting which... brought down the whole team". Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik each face one-year bans and big fines. Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal also face heavy fines while their conduct will be strictly monitored during a six-month probationary period. Recent captains Yousuf and Younus, the two most experienced batsmen in the sides, face the most serious sanctions.
At 35 and 32 respectively they may now have played their last international cricket - though the PCB later stated their bans were not intended for life. "As and when the PCB deems appropriate, these players will be considered for selection for the national team," it said. PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told BBC World Service: "When one was captain he threw the other man out, when the other was captain he threw the other out when he would have been selected. There are many other instances that have happened." The PCB has implemented the recommendations of an inquiry committee formed to evaluate Pakistan's dismal performance against Australia during the winter, when they lost all nine internationals. Pakistan must now try to defend their ICC World Twenty20 crown in the Caribbean next month with severely depleted resources, particularly among the batsmen, before facing what could be a chastening tour of England. But the PCB was unrepentant, saying in a statement: "This will go a long way to arrest the continuing decline of Pakistan cricket and improve the state of cricket in Pakistan." The inquiry, which also covered the Afridi "ball-biting" incident in Perth, detailed its sanctions against the seven players in an e-mail issued from its Lahore offices.
It said it had passed judgement "after careful and detailed analysis of the events, the personal accounts of the team management and players and examination of record, videos and statistics". The unanimous recommendations of the committee were as follows: • Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan - keeping in view their infighting which resulted in bringing down the whole team, their attitude has a trickledown effect which is a bad influence for the whole team should not be part of national team in any format. • For the shameful act of Shahid Afridi, which has brought the game and country into disrepute, he be fined Rs3m (£23,800). A warning be issued to him by the chairman of the PCB and he be put on probation for six months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored. • Kamran Akmal be fined Rs3m (£23,800). A warning be issued to him by the chairman of the PCB and he be put on probation for six months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored. • Umar Akmal be fined Rs2m (£15,900). A warning be issued to him by the chairman of the PCB and he be put on probation for six months, during which his conduct be strictly monitored. • Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Shoaib Malik be fined Rs2m (£15,900). They should not be part of a national team in any format for a period of one year.
One PCB official later clarified the terms of the bans. Taffazul Rizvi, the board's legal advisor, told Cricinfo: "They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on... They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad." Younus stepped down from the captaincy twice last year, with reports of player unrest about his style of leadership liberally strewn across the media. Yousuf, the third-highest run scorer in Pakistan Test history, led a winless tour to Australia before falling out publicly with Twenty20 skipper Malik. The PCB has not expanded upon the cases of indiscipline that have led to the bans on Malik, 28, and Rana Naved, 32. However, the cases of the Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi are more clear-cut. The Akmals were fined for their behaviour after the Sydney Test. Wicketkeeper Kamran, 28, insisted publicly he would be selected in the run-up to the third Test after being dropped from the side. Younger brother Umar, 19, was alleged to have feigned an injury to skip the Test in protest, though he did eventually play. Afridi, 30, was punished for the bizarre incident in the Perth one-day international, when as a stand-in captain of the side, he bit the ball in a novel approach to the banned art of ball-tampering. He has served a two-match ICC ban for the indiscretion.
Attention will inevitably switch to how the players will respond, with legal action likely to be around the corner. The early indications were that one of them, fast bowler Rana Naved, would appeal. "I want to know what I did wrong," he said. "I will be consulting with my people before deciding a future line of action." Rashid Latif, another former captain, expected those most harshly treated to win their cases. "You can't hand out such severe punishments to players of the calibre of Yousuf and Younus Khan," Latif said. Inzamam-ul-Haq, yet another former captain and no stranger to controversy himself, was also scathing of the decision. "Why was action not taken earlier against these players?" he asked. "Why did the board keep quiet for so long when the team was on tour?" The decisions mean Pakistan will be bringing a hugely inexperienced side to England for their three-month summer tour, which features two Tests against Australia, four against Andrew Strauss's men and a string of one-day and Twenty20 internationals. But the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) say they do not believe the absence of star names will have a negative effect on attendances. ECB spokesman Andrew Walpole told BBC Sport: "We will continue to monitor the situation but we remain confident that the Pakistan team will continue to generate huge support this summer." | ||||||||
Bangladesh omit Mohammad Ashraful for England Tests
Former captain Mohammad Ashraful has been omitted from Bangladesh's squad for the Test series against England. The 25-year-old missed last week's one-day series to try and recapture his form after a poor tour to New Zealand. But he struggled in domestic cricket and only managed scores of one and 30 for Bangladesh A against England. His place in the Test squad has gone to Raqibul Hasan, who hit a century in the same game, and the selectors have also included three left-arm spinners. Abdur Razzak and Enamul Haque Jr join captain Shakib Al Hasan in the 14-man squad as Bangladesh look to prey on the current problems of England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who has proven vulnerable to left-arm spin in recent months. Razzak, with five Test caps, and Haque, who has 14, are not Test regulars - Razzak has not played a Test since October 2008, while Haque last featured in five-day cricket against West Indies in July last year.
The Test series starts in Chittagong on Friday and the need to post competitive totals will be the biggest concern for the home side. and coach Jamie Siddons. But Raqibul's 107 not out and 51 in the Bangladesh A trial has provided some encouragement and he is likely to take over the middle-order role vacated by Ashraful, who has played in 53 of Bangladesh's 64 Tests to date, making him their most capped player. He made his mark with a debut century against Sri Lanka in November 2001 at the age of only 17 but was also dropped for the 2003 home series against England and his consistency is highlighted by a Test average of only 22. The selectors have also included Naeem Islam, an all-rounder who bowls off-spin and a regular in the one-day side, who will be hoping to win his third Test cap and first since 2008, but there is no place for injury-prone paceman Mashrafe Mortaza. Bangladesh squad : Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Mahmudullah, Raqibul Hasan, Naeem Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Enamul Haque Jr, Shahadat Hossain. | |||
Friday, January 22, 2010
Rafael Nadal says needs time to get confidence back
An unenthused Rafael Nadal played down his form at the Australian Open and said he would need more time to regain his confidence after digging himself out of a hole against Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Defending champion Nadal, who has not missed the last 16 of a grand slam since the 2005 U.S. Open, has set himself modest goals at Melbourne Park and was not feeling more bullish about his prospects after being stretched to a 6-4 6-2 2-6 7-5 win over the German in the third round.
"Well, it wasn't bad," Nadal told reporters after the three and a half hour match.
"I think because I won, so I am happy for that. I am less happy about my game, what I was practicing. But, yeah, you know, everybody has not very good days."
The Spaniard had not dropped a set in his first two matches at Melbourne Park and appeared set to do the same against 27th seed Kohlschreiber, but the German threw caution to the wind at two sets down to scramble back to force a fourth.
The tactic came undone at 5-5 in the last, however, an unforced error giving Nadal the break and allowing the Spaniard to coolly serve out and seal the match with a sweetly-struck winner.
Nadal, who defeated Roger Federer in a classic five-set final last year, has struggled to reach his fist-pumping best since being struck down by knee tendonitis after the French Open last year.
He has not won a tournament since April and was bundled out of the ATP Tour Finals in London after losing three straight matches there.
"If I lose here next round, I am gonna have chances to play well during all the season," said Nadal.
"So the Australian Open is a very important tournament, but it is not the end of the world. You have a lot of time to get your full confidence, to play well."
Nadal said he would need to be more aggressive ahead of a fourth-round encounter with big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who bounced out compatriot Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6.
"Always a really difficult opponent, no, because the match is decided in a few points.
"So the thing is to concentrate hard on my serve all the time and try to convert the small opportunities that I can have on the return. That's it."
Source : Reuters
Champion Nadal into fourth round
Defending champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-4 6-2 2-6 7-5 win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber. The second seed's serve was put under pressure and he needed some inventive shots to win in three-and-a-half hours. Fourth seed Juan Martin del Potro survived some anxious moments before beating the unseeded Florian Mayer. The 21-year-old US Open champion served 11 aces but was guilty of 46 unforced errors in a 6-3 0-6 6-4 7-5 victory. Nadal extended his record against Kohlschreiber to 5-0 but it was their closest match to date, and in statistical terms only eight points separated them over the 38 games. "Well, the most important thing is I won, so I'm happy for that," the 22-year-old said. "I am less happy about my game, what I was practising. But everybody has not very good days. "I think I played much better the fourth set. The second set for a few moments I played well, too. But the first set and the third, I played bad and I need to play a little bit more aggressive for my next match." That will be against the gargantuan Croatian Ivo Karlovic, who beat compatriot Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6. for more : http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8474055.stm | |
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sri Lanka overcome India to win Mirpur final
| Tri-nation tournament final, Mirpur:
Sri Lanka won the triangular tournament in Bangladesh, beating India by four wickets with a strong team performance. India tossed away wickets freely early on in Mirpur, and without Suresh Raina's brilliant 106, they would have struggled to put up any sort of total. However, their modest 245 all out was overhauled with nine balls remaining. Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene played the key innings, making 71 not out from 81 balls after India seamer Ashish Nehra had limped off injured. Questions will be raised about the wicket for the event in Mirpur. In all seven matches the team batting second won with some ease. But really India could not blame the conditions. With Raina (106 off 115 balls) picking up the baton from Virender Sehwag (42 from 27), the opportunity for a big total was there if only the other batsmen could seize it. The first Indian wicket to fall was unfortunate, Gautam Gambhir bowled off his thigh-pad in the first over, but the next four were entirely avoidable.
At a time when they should have been taking stock and waiting for the moisture in the wicket to dry out, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Mahendra Dhoni tried a succession of extravagant shots outside off-stump, and nicked a succession of catches. Worse was to come when Sehwag, whose firebrand innings demonstrated there were few demons in the wicket, tried to deflect Nuwan Kulasekara through the vacant slip cordon only to give wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara a straightforward catch. India were 60-5 in the 11th over and in huge trouble. Thankfully, they had Raina, who cut, pulled and then produced some wonderful drives over extra cover as Sri Lanka's inexperienced bowling line-up was finally asked a few questions. But they emerged with some decent figures, not least Kulasekara (4-48) and the newcomer Chanaka Welegedara (3-53). India's late renaissance suggested a total of at least 260 might be on the cards, but Zaheer Khan holed out to extra cover after smacking two fours and a six and soon afterwards Raina played across the line and was bowled by Welegedara. Still, the left-hander had registered his third ODI century and first since mid-2008. Ten balls went unused after Sreesanth was the last man out.
Sri Lanka matched India by losing a wicket from the third ball of their own innings, Upul Tharanga's feet glued to the surface as he nicked Nehra to slip. A 93-run stand between Sangakkara (55) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (49) featuring some eye-catching strokeplay was ended by a brilliant catch from Dhoni, clinging onto a bottom edge off Dilshan. India were just getting back into the contest when Sangakkara edged a wonderful Harbhajan Singh off-break to slip, but Jayawardene batted coolly and India's bowling resources were limited. Nehra got through just two legal deliveries of his second over before creasing up in pain and was unable to continue. Sreesanth was out of sorts, and the back-up spin of Yuvraj and Ravindra Jadeja was not testing enough. Jayawardene picked the gaps intelligently, finding twos where other batsmen would have settled for singles. There was a brief panic when Suraj Randiv became the sixth man to be dismissed, given the weakness of the Sri Lankan tail. But Jayawardene pulled the first two balls of the penultimate over, bowled by Sreesanth, for four to level the scores - and sealed the deal from the third with another boundary. |
