Cricket - Australia win under-19 World Cup

Australia won the under-19 cricket World Cup tournament today, beating Pakistan by 25 runs in the final at Christchurch. Batting first, Australia posted 207 runs for the loss of nine wickets. It proved to be too many for Pakistan as Josh Hazlewood and Australia's spinners took control to dismiss them for 182 with 3.2 overs in hand.

It was Australia's third title, having won it at home in 1987-88 and in New Zealand in 2001-02. They had relied on Luke Doran's impressive three for 32 and fast bowler Hazlewood's four for 30 to stop Pakistan's unbeaten run, while Jason Floros' 1 for 19 off eight was also important.

Ahmed Shehzad and skipper Azeem Ghumman threatened to take Pakistan to victory but both fell after solid displays to allow Australia the advantage. Ghumman had accumulated cleverly with 41 off 90, willing his team to victory over the second half of the innings, but when he was bowled by the offspinner Floros in the 43rd over the end was near.

Shehzad, who has played six limited-overs games for the senior outfit, showed his class with some smart boundaries early in the chase, but he was slow to leave with 38 off 48 after pushing forward to the left-arm spinner Doran and being given out lbw. Earlier , Australia were at a shaky 82 for five before Kane Richardson muscled a run-a-ball 44 and Tim Armstrong compiled 37 towards the end of the innings to steer their side to a respectable score.

Ashes 2010 -11 : Fixtures and Schedule

The Ashes is a historic test series between Australia and England which features 5 test matches. Ashes 2010/11 will be held in Australia at the end of 2010. England had won the Ashes 2009 2-1 in their home land. Playing Ashes in Australia is a great challenge for English team which lost the 2007 Ashes 5-0 after winning Ashes in 2005. Here is the complete schedule of Ashes 2010 / 2011 in Australia

Date	Match	Time	Venue
Thu Nov 25 - Mon Nov 29	1st Test - Australia v England	00:00 GMT | 11:00 local 05:30 IST	Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Fri Dec 3 - Tue Dec 7	2nd Test - Australia v England	23:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:00 local| 5:00 IST	Adelaide Oval
Thu Dec 16 - Mon Dec 20	3rd Test - Australia v England	02:30 GMT | 10:30 local | 8:00 IST	Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth
Sun Dec 26 - Thu Dec 30	4th Test - Australia v England	00:00 GMT | 11:00 local 05:30 IST	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Mon Jan 3 - Fri Jan 7	5th Test - Australia v England	00:00 GMT | 11:00 local 05:30 IST	Sydney Cricket Ground

Afridi forgets forgiveness, now says not interested in IPL

Hours after he preached forgiveness and said it was time to move on after the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction controversy, flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi took a u-turn, saying apologies could not compensate for the humiliation faced by the Pakistani cricketers.

Afridi said he is no longer interested in taking part in the IPL, which is in clear contrast from his earlier statement in which he said that he had forgotten what had happened in the auction of the T20 leagues auction in Mumbai earlier this month.

I am not at all interested in taking part in the IPL. These issues of the Pakistan cricketers should have been sorted out before the auction, The Daily Times quoted Afridi, as saying.

I am not talking about myself only, but I think, all were left insulted after the incident. The IPL franchises must have had something in their minds, he added.

Afridi had earlier said that he didnt wanted to dig further into the issue, which could worsen ties between both the countries, rather work to bridge the gap, and would be happy to play in India if given an opportunity.

If I am invited to play in India again I would do so happily, they have great fans and great stadiums and I have many friends there. Sport should be used to build peace between our great nations, not break them, the hard hitting all rounder had said.

Responding to a question that whether he sees the snub as a politically motivated move, Pakistans T20 captain said politics played a major role in sports management in both India and Pakistan. When the bilateral relations between the two countries are not good, how do you expect sports to flourish' Afridi said.

Australia take unbeatable series lead after beating Pakistan in third ODI Australia take unbeatable series lead after beating Pakistan in third ODI Do

Dominance: Australia's one-day team proves too strong for Pakistan Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Australia demonstrated their bowling depth and took an unassailable 3-0 series lead after beating Pakistan by 40 runs in the one-day international at Adelaide Oval.

The Aussies scored 286 before dismissing the tourists for 246 in the 48th over. Man of the match Ryan Harris, who was brought into the side to replace Peter Siddle, took five for 43 while Clint McKay continued his impressive run in the national side with three for 48.

Pakistan were again outclassed in all departments but they could at least point to a small improvement after losing game two by 140 runs.

Umar Akmal (59 off 76 balls) and Fawad Alam (33 off 52), who came together when the score was on 60 for four, kept their side in the contest while a blazing 58-run stand between Shahid Afridi (40 off 29 balls) and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (33 off 28) provided Ricky Ponting's men with some anxious moments in the final 10 overs.

Pakistan were positive early on with Salman Butt scoring two boundaries in the opening over of the innings. But Harris got an early breakthrough, - dismissing Kamran Akmal lbw for just one.

The situation got even worse when an unlucky Butt, who scored five boundaries in his bright 34, was also given out lbw. Television replays suggested the McKay delivery was pitched outside leg stump and was too high.

There was no doubt about Mohammad Yousuf's dismissal two overs later however - the under-siege captain began his knock like a man on a mission but chopped on a Shane Watson delivery for just 11.

With Yousuf gone, Pakistan were relying heavily on Younis Khan to steady the ship. But the right-hander edged a McKay ball through to Brad Haddin who took a sharp, one-handed catch above his head and the score was 60 for four.

Akmal and Alam joined forces in the 14th over and went about reviving the tourists' hopes of victory.

They ran well between the wickets, milking the singles and twos found in all parts of the ground, and transferred some of the pressure onto the Australians.

But their dangerous partnership came to an end when Akmal was caught behind after trying to guide a Harris delivery down to third man.

Afridi and Rana started swinging as soon as they arrived at the crease and for a while their cavalier attitude paid off. They savaged 36 runs off overs 41-43 but could not go on with it.

Earlier, a steady 83 off 113 from opener Shaun Marsh, with support from Watson (33 off 37), provided Australia with a launchpad before Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey blazed away in the final 10 overs.

Clarke, who reached 56 without scoring a boundary, went on to make 80 off 90 deliveries while Hussey's 49 came off just 28 deliveries - the duo combining for an 80-run partnership off just 33 balls.

Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif took two wickets each but it was another disappointing day in the field for the tourists.

Australia's innings was conservative for 40 overs before Cameron White (28 off 31 balls) and then Hussey's crisp stroke-making, along with Clarke's workmanlike contribution, had the visitors on the back foot.

In the 50th over Hussey was caught by Younis in the outfield and the next ball Clarke was bowled by Gul.

Ham meal in Napier outrages Afghans

Some members of the Afghanistan cricket team here for the Under-19 World Cup cricket team will avoid eating meat during the rest of the tournament until they leave the country this Saturday.

Team manager Sayed Shah Aminzai told SportToday yesterday players and management in Napier were reluctant to eat meat of any description after they were served toasted ham sandwiches on Sunday morning at the Nelson Park pavilion.

"I was one of the persons who ate it with one or two other players but the rest of the team is upset," Aminzai said from McLean Park, where Afghanistan were playing Hong Kong yesterday.

Former Central Districts prolific run scorer Mike Shrimpton is helping coach the players from that war-torn part of the world.

Aminzai said the incident was unfortunate and his team did not hold New Zealand Cricket responsible for the blunder but they had reservations about still having to deal with a liaison officer from Napier who was still attending to their needs.Aminzai said of the liaison officer: "He's more interested in coaching and selection of teams so we blame them [NZ Cricket] ... we requested to have him replaced but he's still involved."

NZ Cricket media manager Stephen Hill said last night it had been in discussions with the Afghanistan management and its chief executive to resolve the matter.

"We regret the mistake ... and we've conveyed our apologies through the Afghanistan management," Hill said.

"We have 16 teams here over 20 days being taken care of and we've done our utmost to give them a good experience of New Zealand - and we've done that pretty well except for that one slip."

NZ Cricket and the International Cricket Council (ICC) trusted the issue had been resolved, he said.

They also had "full confidence" in all their liaison officers who had done an "outstanding job" in meeting teams' requirements.

Afghans, who are devout Muslims, practise their Islamic faith with fervour within the ambits of "halal" and "haram".

The former pertains to consuming meat and drinks which Allah (God) would approve as laid out in their scriptures, the Quran.

The latter prohibits the consumption of some foods and drinks - and pig meat, its byproducts and alcohol are at the top of that list.

Other types of meat blessed according to Islamic rites are acceptable.

Hammad Azam special takes Pakistan to final

Pakistan U-19 213 for 6 (Hammad 92, Aziz 39, Holder 2-28) beat West Indies U-19 212 for 8 (Brathwaite 85, Dowrich 55, Bhatti 2-37) by four wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Hammad Azam, not for the first time, guided Pakistan to a tight win to ensure their progress into the final of the Under-19 World Cup. West Indies, backed by Kraigg Brathwaite's 85, had posted a competitive 212 and looked good defend it after an early burst by their seamers had reduced Pakistan to 49 for 4. But Hammad, aided by valuable contributions from Rameez Aziz and Mohammad Waqas, fought hard with an unbeaten 92 to seal victory by four wickets with nine balls to spare.

With conditions supporting the seamers early on, Jason Holder, fresh from a match-winning five-for against England in the quarter-final, dented Pakistan at the start of their chase. He nipped out the openers Ahmed Shehzad and Pakistan's highest scorer Babar Azam in no time. Pakistan captain Azeem Ghumman fell next after promising to revive his team in a 26-run stand with Ahsan Ali, but when both fell within a space of 14 runs, West Indies were favourties.

Hammad has been Pakistan's saviour with the bat in the tournament. He has proved extremely handy at the death, helping his side to nerve-wracking last-over wins against Bangladesh and India, but the challenge today was tougher. His partner Rameez held one end together, taking 81 balls for his 39 which included just two boundaries, but Hammad ensured the pressure of a creeping run rate did not hamper the stand. He found the fence with consistency and rotated the strike well to add 90 for the fifth wicket.

Rameez's dismissal gave West Indies another opening, but their hopes of choking the runs were thwarted by Hammad's attacking partnership with Mohammad Waqas. They added 64 in less than nine overs, with Waqas racing to 29 in 23 balls to get Pakistan within striking distance. Waqas holed out to long-on in the 48th over but Hammad swept a boundary three balls later to bring the equation down to 6 off 13.

Pakistan were given a reprieve in the penultimate over when Hammad was dropped by Trevon Griffith in the deep, and Sarmad Bhatti ended the suspense by smashing Akeem Dewar over extra cover.

West Indies had been boosted by Kraigg Brathwaite, who continued his excellent run in the tournament, scoring his fourth half-century. His team had recovered from 7 for 2, thanks largely to a stand of 98 between him and captain Andre Creary. Amid a disciplined bowling performance from Bhatti and Raza Hassan, who took two wickets and effected a run out, there was some attacking batting towards the end of the innings by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich that lifted West Indies to a competitive score. But it failed to measure up to Hammad's determination, which guided his team to its fourth World Cup final.

Upbeat Australia aim to take seriesUpbeat Australia aim to take series

Australia can wrap up the series with victory in Adelaide after going 2-0 up at the SCG, where they enjoyed their third-greatest winning margin over Pakistan in terms of runs with a 140-run triumph.

The visitors will find it difficult to come back in the five-match series but the first step must be to win on Australia Day to ensure the final two games in Perth do not become dead rubbers.

To achieve that, they will need a much stronger batting performance than they showed in Sydney, where they were skittled for 127 chasing 268.

Pakistan continue to be haunted by questions over the captaincy. Mohammad Yousuf remains nominally in charge.

But according to the PCB, won't be for much longer, and Younis Khan was having some say in bowling changes and field placements at the SCG.

Captaincy turmoil is a familiar feature of Pakistan sides and it certainly isn't helping their on-field performances. As well as lifting their batting game, they must find a way to restrict Australia through the middle overs and if possible dismiss the hosts, who have lost only five and six wickets in each of the first two ODIs.

Pakistan hits out at cricket insult

Diplomatic spats and warmongering between India and Pakistan are old stuff. Now a new row has broken out between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours over Pakistani cricketers being left out of a lucrative Indian tournament.

Pakistan is furious that its leading cricketers, who enjoy iconic status in the cricket-crazy nation, were overlooked in the annual auction of players for the multimillion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL).

In the auction held in a Mumbai hotel on Tuesday, none of the eight team owners either business barons or Bollywood actors bid for the 11 Pakistani players who were listed among 60 leading international cricketers.

Those overlooked included Shahid Afridi, captain of the national team that won the Twenty20 World Cup tournament in London last year, and Sohail Tanwar, the highest wicket taker in the inaugural IPL in 2008. West Indian all-rounder Kleron Pollard and New Zealand pacer Shane Bond fetched the highest possible price of US$750,000 (RM2.5 million) each at the auction.

Afridi, who was among the players with the highest base price of US$250,000, said India and IPL had “made fun” of the Pakistani players. An angry Islamabad cancelled a parliamentary delegation’s visit to India in protest, while former cricketers demanded that Pakistan boycott the World Cup hockey tournament to be held in Delhi from February to March. Others called for a ban on the screening of Bollywood films in Pakistan.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the IPL’s failure to pick Pakistani players showed that India was not interested in peace with Pakistan.

Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna denied charges that the Pakistani players were excluded at the government’s behest.

Separately, the External Affairs Ministry said 17 Pakistani cricketers were issued Indian visas “at very short notice” to participate in IPL 2010, and noted that IPL was a commercial event and “a matter not within the purview of the government”.

Sources said worries that Pakistanis could be barred from the games at the last minute, and the possibility that the matches could be disrupted by Hindu hardline groups, especially if they are held in Mumbai, had prompted the team owners to overlook them.

“We were looking for players who would be available for the whole tournament. It is not that we specifically didn’t want Pakistan players,” said actress Shilpa Shetty, owner of the Rajasthan Royals team.

The Pakistani players had participated in the first edition of the IPL in 2008, but missed out on the second one held in South Africa, as they were denied permission by their government following tension with India over the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks by a Pakistan-based Islamic fundamentalist group.

Despite the explanations, the Indian media, commentators, former diplomats and cricketers showed no signs of letting up their criticism of the alleged mistreatment of Pakistani players by IPL. “If there was no intention to use these guys, why put them up for auction at all?” asked Mr G. Parthasarathy, a former envoy to Pakistan.

Who Will win IPL 2010 | IPL 3

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 3 is set to begin from March 12, 2010. Like previous seasons, 8 teams will be competing in the tournament. The winner and runner-up of IPL 2009 were in the bottom two of IPL 2008. So, we can say there is a tough competition among the teams. New systems and players are adopted by each team expecting to boost their games. Who do you think can really win the IPL 2010 and why. Participate in this poll and if you wish to provide reasons, please post comments.

The teams for IPL 2010 are -Deccan Chargers (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Daredevils (DD), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Chennai Super Kings (CSK): The Dhoni-lead team came second in IPL 2008 and has great players like Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Ntini, Dhoni, Tyagi and so on. This year they have added Justin Kemp.

Deccan Chargers: After coming last in IPL 2008, Deccan Charges became the champions of IPL 2009. The team lead by Gilchrist has players like Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Ojha, T Suman. They have bought West Indian fast bowler Kemar Roach who bowls at over 150 kph.

Delhi Darevils : Delhi Daredevils have been consistent performers in both IPL 2009 and 2010. Lead by Gautam Gambhir, it features players like Sehwag, AB de Villers, Dilshan. This time Wayne Parnell has been added to squad.

Kolkata Knight Riders : KKR came last in IPL 2009 but has star players like Ganguly, McCullum, Gayle, Ishant Sharma. This year Kiwi fast bowler Shane Bond is added to the squad. They have appointed Dav Watmore as new coach and Wasim Akram will be new bowling coach.

Kings XI Punjab: Kings XI Punjab features players like Sangakkara, Yuvraj Singh, Jayawardene, Irfan Pathan. In IPL 2010, it will be lead by Sri-Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara. Mohammad Kaif is the new man into the squad for IPL 2010.

Mumbai Indians: Lead by Sachin Tendulkar, Mumbai Indians features players like Jayasuriya, Dwayne Bravo, Avishek Nayar. This year they have added West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard in the squad.

Rajasthan Royals:Captained and coached by Shane Warne, Royals were the champions of IPL 2008. Despite of not having too many so-called star players, the team has utilized the youths very well. Apart from Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Yousuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja are featured players in squad. They have bought Damien Martyn for IPL 2010.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: RCB came 2nd in IPL 2009. The team is lead by Kevin Pietersen and features players like Dravid, Kumble, Manish Pandey. They have bought new player Morgan for IPL 2010.

Please vote in the poll on left side and post your comment saying why the team you chose can win.

IPL 2010 schedule and fixture

The countdown for multi-crore mega event of Twenty20 cricket, third edition of Indian Premiere League (IPL 2010), has begun.

The IPL3 2010 will be kicked off from March 12, 2010 and will conclude on April 25, 2010. A total 60 matches will be played in the IPL3.

The opening match will be played between defending champion Deccan Charges and Sharukh Khan owned Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The team who will not qualify for final will play for third and fourth place respectively.

However, the auction of players for IPL-III has been over. West Indies batsman Keiron Pollard and Shane Bond topped the bid while Keran Roach and W Parnell also got good amount during the bid.

The complete list of IPL 2010 schedule and fixture is as following(the match timing is according to Indian Standard Time):

1. Mar 12-2010, 20:00 Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders HCA � Hyderabad
2. Mar 13, 2010: 16:00: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals VCA stadium-Nagpur
3. Mar 13,2010: 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils PCA - Mohali
4. Mar 14, 2010: 16:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers MAC - Chennai
5 Mar 14, 2010: 20.00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Eden - Kolkata
6. Mar 15, 2010: 20:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils SMS - Jaipur
7. Mar 16, 2010: 16:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kings XI Punjab MCS � Bangalore
8. Mar 16, 2010: 20:00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Eden - Kolkata
9. Mar 17, 2010: 20:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians FSK - Delhi
10. Mar18, 2010: 20:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals MCS - Bangalore
11. Mar 19, 2010: 20:00: Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab Visakhapatnam
12. Mar 20, 2010: 16:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Ahmedabad
13. Mar 20, 2010: 20:00: Mumbai Indians vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Mumbai/Nagpur
14. Mar 21, 2010: 16:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab MAC-Chennai
15. Mar 21, 2010: 20:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers FSK - Delhi
16. Mar 22, 2010: 20:00: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Mumbai/Nagpur
17. Mar 23, 2010: 20:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Chennai Super Kings MCS - Bangalore
18. Mar 24, 2010: 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals PCA - Mohali
19. Mar 25, 2010: 20:00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils Eden - Kolkata
20. Mar 26, 2010: 16:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians MAC - Chennai
21. Mar 26, 2010: 20:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers Ahmedabad
22. Mar 27, 2010: 16:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Delhi Daredevils MCS - Bangalore
23. Mar 27, 2010: 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders PCA - Mohali
24. Mar 28, 2010: 16:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings Ahmedabad
25. Mar 28, 2010: 20:00: Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians Visakhapatnam
26. Mar 29, 2010: 20:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders FSK - Delhi
27. Mar 30, 2010: 20:00: Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab Mumbai/Nagpur
28. Mar 31, 2010: 16:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Bangalore Royal Challengers MAC - Chennai
29. Mar 31, 2010: 20:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals FSK - Delhi
April 2010:
30. Thu-01, 20:00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers Eden - Kolkata
31. Fri-02, 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Bangalore Royal Challengers PCA - Mohali
32. Sat-03, 16:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals MAC - Chennai
33. Sat-03, 20:00: Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers Mumbai/Nagpur
34. Sun-04, 16:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Bangalore Royal Challengers FSK - Delhi
35. Sun-04, 20:00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab Eden - Kolkata
36. Mon-05, 20:00: Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals HCA - Hyderabad
37. Tue-06, 20:00: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings Mumbai/Nagpur
38. Wed-07, 20:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab Ahmedabad
39. Thu-08, 16:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers MCS - Bangalore
40. Thu-08, 20:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils MAC - Chennai
41 Fri-09, 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians PCA - Mohali
42 Sat-10, 16:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders MCS - Bangalore
43 Sat-10, 20:00: Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings HCA - Hyderabad
44 Sun-11, 16:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians SMS - Jaipur
45 Sun-11, 20:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab FSK - Delhi
46 Mon-12, 20:00:Deccan Chargers vs Bangalore Royal Challengers HCA - Hyderabad
47 Tue-13, 20:00: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders MAC - Chennai
48 Wed-14, 20:00: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils Mumbai/Nagpur
49 Thu-15, 16:00: Rajasthan Royals vs Bangalore Royal Challengers SMS - Jaipur
50 Thu-15, 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers Dharmasala
51 Fri-16, 20:00: Delhi Daredevils vs Chennai Super Kings FSK - Delhi
52 Sat-17, 16:00: Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Mumbai Indians MCS - Bangalore
53 Sat-17, 20:00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Eden - Kolkata
54 Sun-18, 16:00:Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils HCA - Hyderabad
55 Sun-18, 20:00: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings Dharmasala
56 Mon-19, 20:00: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians Eden - Kolkata
57 Wed-21, 20:00: 1nd Semi-Final - Team 1 vs Team 2 TBC
58 Thu-22, 20:00: 2nd Semi-Final - Team 3 vs Team 4 TBC
59 Sat-24, 20:00: Play-off for 3rd Place - Team A vs Team B TBC
60 Sun-25, 20:00: Final of IPL 2010 - Team 1 vs Team 2 TBC

TV channels broadcasting IPL 2010 - Live | IPL 3

Sony and WSG has got the global broadcasting rights of Indian Premier League. IPL 3 will be shown live in India via. Sony's Set Max. IPL will now be shown live in many countries all over the world on TV as well as internet. Along with India, IPL has fan base in countries like USA, UK, Australia, South Africa were people enjoy it on TV. Here are the TV channels broadcasting the IPL 2010 in different countries:

Australia: Network 10 ten or Channel 10 will broadcast IPL 2009 on TV in Australia

Bangladesh : BTV

Canada: ATN (Asian Television Network) - channels are CBN and Cricket plus

India: SET Max will broadcast IPL 3 in India.

Middle East including UAE, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan and Libya: Arab Digital distribution via. ART prime

Nepal : SET Max

New Zealand: Sky Sport

Pakistan : Geo Super

South Africa and Nigeria : Super Sports

UK : Setanta Sports

India vs South Africa 2010 - Fixtures and Schedule

South Africa tours India for 3 ODIs and 2 test matches in February 2010. As, India and South Africa are no.1 and no.2 test teams respectively, the test series is termed as World Championship of Cricket by Neo cricket - the official broadcaster. The series starts from 06 February, 2010 and ends on 27 Feb, 2010. Here are complete fixtures/schedules of Ind vs SA 2010 :

Date	Match Details	Time		Venue
		GMT	IST	Ground	City
Feb 06 Sat - Feb 10 Wed	India v South Africa, 1st Test	04:00	09:30	Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground	Nagpur
Feb 14 Sun - Feb 18 Thu	India v South Africa, 2nd Test	04:00	09:30	Eden Gardens	Kolkata
Feb 21 - Sun	India v South Africa, 1st ODI	09:00	14:30	Sawai Mansingh Stadium	Jaipur
Feb 24 - Wed	India v South Africa, 2nd ODI	03:30	09:00	Green Park	Kanpur
Feb 27 - Sat	India v South Africa, 3rd ODI	09:00	14:30	Sardar Patel Stadium	Ahmedabad

Gambhir's century puts India in commanding position

India led by 385 runs over Bangladesh in the first Test at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium here on Wednesday at tea on the fourth day.

India were 384 for seven in its second innings with V.V.S. Laxman (51 n.o.) augmenting the earlier efforts of Gautam Gambhir (116) and Amit Mishra (50). It was Gambhir’s ninth Test century and fifth in a row.

The scores.

India – 1st innings: 243.

Bangladesh – 1st innings: 242.

India – 2nd innings: G. Gambhir c Shahriar b Shafiul 116 (129b, 10x4, 1x6), V. Sehwag c Raqibul b Shakib 45 (58b, 4x4, 1x6), A. Mishra c Tamim b Mahmudullah 50 (70b, 6x4), R. Dravid (run out) 24 (50b, 3x4), S. Tendulkar lbw b Rubel 16 (26b, 2x4), V.V.S. Laxman (batting) 51 (73b, 4x4), Yuvraj c Ashraful b Shahadat 25 (32b, 3x4), D. Karthik c Rubel b Mahmudullah 27 (42b, 4x4), Zaheer (batting) 17 (11b, 3x4).

Extras (b-1, lb-5, w-2, nb-5): 13. Total (for seven wkts., in 81 overs): 384.

Fall of wickets: 1-90 (Sehwag), 2-188 (Mishra), 3-233 (Gambhir), 4-245 (Dravid), 5-272 (Tendulkar), 6-313 (Yuvraj), 7-362 (Karthik).

Bangladesh bowling: Shafiul 15-0-87-1, Shahadat 15-1-49-1, Rubel 12-0-77-1, Shakib 25-2-104-1, Mahmudullah 13-0-52-2, Ashraful 1-0-9-0.

IPL auction - Mumbai get Pollard, Bond for KKR

The auction of 67 players for the third season of the Indian Premier League got underway in Mumbai today.

With 12 spots up for grab in the 8 franchisees, Shahid Afridi was the first player to go under the hammer but none of the teams showed interest and the Pakistani all-rounder went unsold in the first round of bidding.

The bidders though upped the ante when the West Indian Kieron Pollard was on offer. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings matched each other till the end as both kept bidding for the player until they reached their price cap of $750,000. At this point Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders also joined for a 4 way tie.

At this IPL chairperson Lalit Modi announced the tie-breaker and all the 4 teams put in an undisclosed amount (in Indian currency). The bid in the end went in favour of Mumbai Indians. After this Australian keeper Brad Haddin and English spinner Graeme Swann went unsold. South African pacer Wayne Parnell was then latched on by the Delhi Daredevils for a price of $610,000.

Bond expected to fetch high price

Shane Bond is expected to be snapped up when the latest Indian Premier League auction gets underway tonight.With Bond retiring from test cricket, he will only miss a few days of the competition, unlike many of other big name players. He says his record speaks for itself, and with a lot of bowlers currently injured, he is hopeful of a substantial contract.

Bond has a reserve price of US$100,000 and is the most sought-after New Zealander up for grabs, with the Delhi Daredevils and the Kolkata Knight Riders believed to be the most likely bidders for his services.Nathan McCullum, Lou Vincent and Grant Elliott are other New Zealanders listed in the auction.

Vincent's form in the domestic HRV competition could see him command a high price, while McCullum's prowess as an offspinner gives him value. Elliott has a considerable talent for one-day cricket but remains unproven in Twenty20.

IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Kumar Modi announced on his Twitter stream this evening that the number of slots has expanded to 13 after the Rajasthan Royals bought out the contract of Australia's Robert Quiney.

Sixty-six players are on the auction list with no team allowed more than 10 non-Indian recruits in their squad. Bond faces fast bowling competition from the likes of Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Wayne Parnell, Kemar Roach and Mohammad Aamer.

* The IPL auction list

New Zealand: Grant Elliott, Lou Vincent, Shane Bond, Nathan McCullum.

Australia: Brad Haddin, Philip Hughes, Doug Bollinger, Ashley Noffke, Adam Voges, Luke Pomersbach, Clint McKay, Graham Manou, Ben Laughlin, Jason Krejza, Damien Martyn.

England: Tim Bresnan, Eoin Morgan, Robert Key, Anthony McGrath, Monty Panesar, Mark Ramprakash, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Imran Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Aamer, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir.

South Africa: Zander de Bruyn, Wayne Parnell, Tyron Henderson, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt, Yusuf Abdulla, Vernon Philander, Johan van der Wath, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Morne van Vyk, Justin Kemp.

Sri Lanka: Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Zoysa, Upul Tharanga, Thissara Perera, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Chamara Welegedara, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Chamara Silva.

West Indies: Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daren Ganga, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Wavell Hinds, Kemar Roach, Sulieman Benn.

Indian cricket team's schedule for 2010

Indian cricket team will be playing some tests, ODI and T20 matches in the year 2010. Till now Bangladesh Tour and home series against South Africa are only confirmed for the year 2010 along with the ICC World T20. Here are the complete fixtures / schedules of cricket matches to be played by India in 2010:

• January 2010

Date	Match Details	Time			Venue
		GMT	IST	Your Time	Ground	City
Jan 17 - Sun - Jan 21	Bangladesh v India, 1st Test India in Bangladesh, 2010	03:30	09:00	09:15	Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium	Chittagong
Jan 24 - Sun - Jan 28	Bangladesh v India, 2nd Test India in Bangladesh, 2010	03:30	09:00	09:15	Shere Bangla National Stadium	Dhaka

• February 2010

Date	Match Details	Time			Venue
		GMT	IST	Your Time	Ground	City
Feb 06 - Sat - Feb 10	India v South Africa, 1st Test South Africa in India, 2010	04:00	09:30	09:45	Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground	Nagpur
Feb 14 - Sun - Feb 18	India v South Africa, 2nd Test South Africa in India, 2010	04:00	09:30	09:45	Eden Gardens	Kolkata
Feb 21 - Sun	India v South Africa, 1st ODI South Africa in India, 2010	09:00	14:30	14:45	Sawai Mansingh Stadium	Jaipur
Feb 24 - Wed	India v South Africa, 2nd ODI South Africa in India, 2010	03:30	09:00	09:15	Green Park	Kanpur
Feb 27 - Sat	India v South Africa, 3rd ODI South Africa in India, 2010	09:00	14:30	14:45	Sardar Patel Stadium	Ahmedabad

• May 2010

Date	Match Details	Time		Venue
		GMT	IST	Ground	City
May 01 - Sat	India v TBC, 3rd Match, Group C ICC World Twenty20, 2010	13:30	19:00	Beausejour Cricket Ground	Gros Islet
May 02 - Sun	South Africa v India, 5th Match, Group C ICC World Twenty20, 2010	13:30	19:00	Beausejour Cricket Ground	Gros Islet
Other matches from ICC World T20 2010	If India qualifies for the final stage of the tournament.

Note: These schedules may change or some other cricket matches may be added.

India vs Bangladesh 2010 - Highlights of 1st test

Day 1: Bangladesh came back strongly in the day 1 of first choosing to field first after winning the toss. The opening partnership of Sehwag and Gambhir made it 79/0 but then 8 wickets fell one after the other.After the end of day, India are 213/8 with Tendulkar on 76 and Ishant Sharma on 1. Shahadat Hossain and captain Shakib Al Hasan took 4 wickets each.

Watch video Highlights of India vs Bangladesh 1st test in Idea cup 2010:

Video highlights can be watched in cricketnirvana for free. Its available in India and some other countries. If you are in USA, you can watch free video highlights on ESPN360.

Under 19 cricket world cup 2010 - Fixtures and Schedule

Under-19 cricket world cup 2010 starts from Jan 15, 2010 in New Zealand. It features teams with players of age below 19 years from test playing as well as some non-test playing nations. Many international cricket stars like Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, have emerged from U-19 tournament. Here is the complete fixtures/schedules of U-19 world cup 2010:

Date and Time	Match
Fri Jan 15 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	1st Match, Group A - Afghanistan Under-19s v India Under-19s Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Fri Jan 15 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	2nd Match, Group C - Canada Under-19s v Zimbabwe Under-19s Village Green, Christchurch
Fri Jan 15 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	3rd Match, Group B - Ireland Under-19s v South Africa Under-19s Queenstown Events Centre
Fri Jan 15 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	4th Match, Group D - Pakistan Under-19s v West Indies Under-19s Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Sat Jan 16 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	5th Match, Group B - Australia Under-19s v United States of America Under-19s Queenstown Events Centre
Sat Jan 16 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	6th Match, Group D - Bangladesh Under-19s v Papua New Guinea Under-19s Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Sat Jan 16 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	7th Match, Group A - New Zealand Under-19s v Canada Under-19s Lincoln No 3
Sat Jan 16 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	8th Match, Group C - England Under-19s v Hong Kong Under-19s Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Sun Jan 17 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	9th Match, Group B - Australia Under-19s v Ireland Under-19s Queenstown Events Centre
Sun Jan 17 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	10th Match, Group D - Bangladesh Under-19s v West Indies Under-19s Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Sun Jan 17 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	11th Match, Group A - India Under-19s v Hong Kong Under-19s Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Sun Jan 17 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	12th Match, Group C - Sri Lanka Under-19s v Zimbabwe Under-19s Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Mon Jan 18 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	13th Match, Group A - Afghanistan Under-19s v England Under-19s Village Green, Christchurch
Mon Jan 18 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	14th Match, Group C - Canada Under-19s v Sri Lanka Under-19s Lincoln No 3
Mon Jan 18 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	15th Match, Group D - Pakistan Under-19s v Papua New Guinea Under-19s Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Mon Jan 18 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	16th Match, Group B - South Africa Under-19s v United States of America Under-19s Queenstown Events Centre
Tue Jan 19 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	17th Match, Group A - Afghanistan Under-19s v Hong Kong Under-19s Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Tue Jan 19 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	18th Match, Group B - Ireland Under-19s v United States of America Under-19s Queenstown Events Centre
Tue Jan 19 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	19th Match, Group C - New Zealand Under-19s v Zimbabwe Under-19s Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Tue Jan 19 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	20th Match, Group D - West Indies Under-19s v Papua New Guinea Under-19s Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Wed Jan 20 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	21st Match, Group B - Australia Under-19s v South Africa Under-19s Queenstown Events Centre
Wed Jan 20 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	22nd Match, Group D - Bangladesh Under-19s v Pakistan Under-19s Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Wed Jan 20 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	24th Match, Group C - New Zealand Under-19s v Sri Lanka Under-19s Village Green, Christchurch
Thu Jan 21 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	23rd Match, Group A - England Under-19s v India Under-19s Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Sat Jan 23 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	25th Match, Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
Sat Jan 23 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	26th Match, Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Sat Jan 23 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	27th Match, 9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC McLean Park, Napier
Sat Jan 23 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	28th Match, 9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC Nelson Park, Napier
Sun Jan 24 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	29th Match, Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Sun Jan 24 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	30th Match, Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC Mainpower Oval, Rangiora
Sun Jan 24 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	31st Match, 9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC McLean Park, Napier
Sun Jan 24 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	32nd Match, 9th Place Play-off Quarter-Final - TBC v TBC Nelson Park, Napier
Mon Jan 25 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	33rd Match, Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Mon Jan 25 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	34th Match, 5th Place Play-off Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Mon Jan 25 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	35th Match, 9th Place Play-off Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Mon Jan 25 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	36th Match, 13th Place Play-off Semi-Final - TBC v TBC McLean Park, Napier
Mon Jan 25 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	37th Match, 5th Place Play-off Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Lincoln No 3
Mon Jan 25 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	38th Match, 13th Place Play-off Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Nelson Park, Napier
Tue Jan 26 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	39th Match, 9th Place Play-off Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Fitzherbert Park, Palmerston North
Tue Jan 26 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	40th Match, 7th Place Play-off - TBC v TBC Village Green, Christchurch
Wed Jan 27 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	41st Match, Semi-Final - TBC v TBC Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
Wed Jan 27 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	42nd Match, 5th Place Play-off - TBC v TBC Lincoln No 3
Wed Jan 27 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	43rd Match, 13th Place Play-off - TBC v TBC McLean Park, Napier
Wed Jan 27 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	44th Match, 15th Place Play-off - TBC v TBC Nelson Park, Napier
Thu Jan 28 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	45th Match, 9th Place Play-off - TBC v TBC McLean Park, Napier
Thu Jan 28 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	46th Match, 11th Place Play-off - TBC v TBC Nelson Park, Napier
Fri Jan 29 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	47th Match, 3rd Place Play-off - TBC v TBC Village Green, Christchurch
Sat Jan 30 21:30 GMT (prev day) | 10:30 local 03:00 IST	48th Match, Final - TBC v TBC Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln

IPL auction 2010: Final list of 66 overseas players for auction

After the registration of 97 players for IPL 2010, the final list has been shortened to 66 players based on the interest of IPL franchises. Earlier, only 51 players were listed with no players from England due to Board's policy. After it was confirmed that they will be available for whole season, English players are also included in the list. The list comprises 11 players from Pakistan, Australia and South Africa; nine from Sri Lanka; eight from England and West Indies; four from New Zealand and one each from Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Canada and Holland.

Here is the final list of 66 overseas players for IPL 3 :

Australia: Brad Haddin, Philip Hughes, Doug Bollinger, Ashley Noffke, Adam Voges, Luke Pomersbach, Clint McKay, Graham Manou, Ben Laughlin, Jason Krejza, Damien Martyn

England: Tim Bresnan, Eoin Morgan, Robert Key, Anthony McGrath, Monty Panesar, Mark Ramprakash, Graeme Swann, Jonathon Trott

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Imran Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Aamer, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir

South Africa: Zander de Bruyn, Wayne Parnell, Tyron Henderson, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt, Yusuf Abdulla, Vernon Philander, Johan van der Wath, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Morne van Vyk, Justin Kemp

Sri Lanka: Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Zoysa, Upul Tharanga, Thissara Perera, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Chamara Welegedara, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Chamara Silva

West Indies: Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daren Ganga, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Wavell Hinds, Kemar Roach, Sulieman Benn

New Zealand: Grant Elliott, Lou Vincent, Shane Bond, Nathan McCullum

Zimbabwe: Murray Goodwin

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan

Canada: Rizwan Cheema

Netherlands: Ryan ten Doeschate

Andrew Flintoff's latest injury likely to cost him 1 million IPL contract

Flintoff underwent another knee operation on Thursday which will rule him out of cricket until July. He has already spent five months on the sidelines after a major knee operation the day after England won the Ashes at the Oval last August. He had hoped to be back in action for the Chennai Super Kings at the beginning of March, but what was billed as a “routine” knee operation on Thursday has scuppered those plans.

Flintoff did raise the intriguing possibility on Thursday night that his latest knee operation could pave the way for a return to Test cricket as he hopes that once fully recovered, he will be able to play first-class cricket again for Lancashire.

But given his injury record the prospect of seeing Flintoff play cricket at all appears to be disappearing. He said: “When I first had the operation I did not think I would be able to play anything other than one-day cricket, but the news of my recovery has led me to believe I may play in all forms of cricket for Lancashire.

“It is disappointing not to be able to play for Chennai, who have been very supportive throughout my time with them, but I took this decision because I love playing cricket and want to give myself the best chance of extending my career. “I have worked extremely hard over the last few months to get to this position and realise there is a lot more hard work in front of me if I want to return and play international cricket again.

“But if I am going to go through another six months of hard rehabilitation and training for long hours, I need a big incentive to be the driving force of that and playing for Lancashire and England again will become that. “During my time in rehabilitation I have been watching England playing well in South Africa and it has made me realise how much I have missed cricket.

For the first time in my career I have watched old footage of myself playing on YouTube and I want to get back to playing like that again.” Flintoff underwent a micro-fracture operation on his right knee last year and even if he hits his target of a return by July he will have spent nearly a year out of action.

Cricket Australia says players can decide on IPL

Cricket Australia will let players involved in the IPL make their own decisions about whether to take part in the tournament following threats on their safety from India. The Shiv Sena political party has said they would not allow Australians to play in Maharashtra following attacks on Indian students in Melbourne.

"At the end of the day those players make their own decision about whether or not they go," Peter Young, the Cricket Australia spokesman, told AAP. "But we want them to be able to make informed decisions and we'd like to work with the ACA [Australian Cricketers' Association] to ensure they can make informed decisions.'' The IPL is due to begin in March and Australian players feature heavily in the franchise line-ups.

The Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said the final decision on whether players go to the country would rest with Cricket Australia. "They [Shiv Sena] are known to make colourful remarks, and they have engaged in conduct which both India and Australia have been disapproving of in the past, so far as disrupting cricket games are concerned," he said in the Courier Mail. "But we take any threat to Australian sportsmen and sportswomen ... playing sport overseas very seriously."

Player security has been an issue for Australia whenever they are scheduled to travel to the subcontinent. Australia has not toured Pakistan since 1998 due to the safety situation and sends independent security personnel to review arrangements before each trip.

"Our policy, as demonstrated over the years, is to only travel if dispassionate, expert, independent advice suggests that it is safe," Young said. "On those occasions when advice has suggested otherwise, we have not travelled, including when the ICC said Pakistan was safe and our advice was that it was not."

In 2008 there were a series of bombs that went off in India before the Test visit, which went ahead without any problems. However, teams are much more sensitive following the attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore, and this week three of the Togo football team were killed by gunmen who targeted their vehicle in Angola.

Tim May, the international players' association chief executive, claimed in the Australian the security situation in India was now as worrying as a year ago, when Mumbai terrorist attacks and a national election forced the tournament to be moved to South Africa at the last minute.

"We don't have to go too far back to the attack on the bus carrying the Togo soccer team in Africa," May said. "It underlines the fact that sporting teams are very palatable targets for terrorist organisations who want to make a lot of noise and lift their international profile."

May said a franchise had written to a player saying "if you're scared, don't come" to the IPL. "That doesn't do the player any good and it doesn't do the IPL any good," May said. "You'd like to think the IPL would realise that it is a reasonable request by players wanting to know about security arrangements." Australia are also due in India for another seven-match one-day series at the end of the year.

PCB - living in self-denial or fools paradise (VI)

By trying to be injudiciously self-evasive, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and their sycophantic officer-bearers have started to trace their steps to fool’s paradise. Arrogance, hotchpotch policies, confused mix of even planning.

Abruptness, brazen lies contrary to the documentary evidence, intolerance to criticism, complete dearth of vision and plans for the future, unnecessary and often irrational justifications, paucity of authenticity and unabated self-denials, indignant enough to challenge common man’s rationality.

Pakistan cricket is vanishing into a dream, on course to ‘self destruction’ and ‘neo-fascism.’ Interesting it is that the infallible PCB chairman is recorded during a telephonic conversation to have committed saying that it was during his times that Pakistan won the Twenty20 World Cup in 2009 and also qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time ever.

Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals twice before, once against New Zealand in Kenya in 2001-02 and th other against the West Indies in England in 2004-05; I hope his representatives stop questioning the intellectuality of the often well-read people otherwise it is going to be a poor reflection on their abilities as ever.

2009 was a year that should better be forgotten as it saw rise of a new incompetent cricket’s elite, the bureaucratic chairman, as his age goes, on the other side of the midnight, and so many puppet masters trying to pin down the truthful analysis of Pakistan’s deterioration, engineering coups, rebutting their own claims and the ensuing musical chairs when directors came in and went, fast-track, circular politics so that in January 2010 we have arrived at the beginning.

Mr Ijaz Butt’s tenure so far, and it likely to continue, so it seems, has been nothing more than an act of mercy killing of the soul and spirit and the real essence of the Pakistani game, and also accentuating a mongrel governing process. Ironically, instead of piling up the load of every wrong on the previous regime, that certainly didn’t comprise of angels, and not really the children of lesser god, Mr Ijaz Butt with his magnitude, a ‘glorious past’ as he averaged 19.92 in Tests as an opener, was welcomed at the first place because he stood up like a statue of liberty in the hollowness of the pyramids of self-destruction that Dr Nasim Ashraf’s government had left for him.

The culture dominated by ‘self-servers’ needs to be regressed if not abolished if ever Pakistan cricket is to be rejuvenated. It has been mentioned recently that the 2009 was an unforgettable year for Pakistan cricket since Mr Ijaz Butt worked wondrously despite being haunted by the unforgiving geo-political circumstances. I, at least like Aamir Sohail, the former Pakistan captain, get puzzled that while Dr Nasim Ashraf was dispensing money like a thick water stream why was Mr Ijaz Butt quieting being the chairman of the audit committee, being the member of the board of governors. And why didn’t he try taking the previous regime and his predecessor to task if he was sure that board’s exchequer had been floundered? Already it is beginning to shape up as a scam. It looks, all the beneficiaries have come to the PCB voluntarily or on by the choice of the ‘towering’ Mr Ijaz Butt. And he hates nepotism, jobbery or any influence directly or indirectly brought on him; the prime example is the presence of his brother-in-law Mr Mohammad Naeem as the financial advisor despite his appointment not being recommended by the board of governors to go beyond the month of November 2009. And his travelling to different countries either to sign the MOUs or make financial deals and the lucrative daily allowances is part of the austerity drive being trumpeted by Mr Ijaz Butt and his handpicked management team. Isn’t nepotism? It seems that the PCB is someone’s personal property and almost a colony of a private enterprise.

There seems to be present a healthy tradition of chicanery. And, quite rudderless and hopelessly Mr Ijaz Butt is trying to prevail over the judicious criticism against his failed regime? After this recent defeat at the Sydney Ground, it is evident that cricket is a story of betrayal. Pakistan cricket’s philosophy isn’t as simple as it seems. There is a well-defined skepticism about it, as a product of a sequence of inept management teams administering the game since the mid-1990s. There is distrust towards ethical and professional values, especially when there are high expectations concerning societal demands, institutions and authorities which are unfulfilled. Since 2003 the top tier PCB managements weren’t really bad; they were the worst, each having better credentials to surpass the other. They were completely oblivious of classical Greek and Roman Cynics regarding virtue as the only necessity for happiness, and saw virtue as entirely sufficient for attaining happiness.

It appears, almost throughout Pakistan cricket’s period of disillusionment, impressed by Geoffrey Chaucer and Francois Rabelais used irony as a tool to ridicule the basic working methodology, insulting the Pakistani game and reviving cynicism. Their policies communicated the low opinions of certain manifestations of human nature. People like Dr. Nasim Ashraf presumably knew the price of everything and the value of nothing and in the Pakistani game contrary to George Orwell’s hypothesis that defined cynicism as the direct opposite of fanaticism, this ruling elite stood up like mummies drenched with grandiosity, not allowing patriotism, truth and progress penetrating parts of mass consciousness.

PCB’s regime led by Mr Ijaz Butt went a step further his team working with an attitude of distrust towards the social environment rejected the need to be socially involved. Cricket’s unpredictability and a visible stagnation in Pakistan is a product of bad governance and the one where political engagement has no option but to be overtly blinded.

Mr Ijaz Butt’s start was promising, looking self righteous about the need to expose cricket’s inherent hypocrisy: to point out breaches between the ideals and the practice. And most candidly, I must admit, that unless I am struck by the same bolt of lightning that had struck Mr Ijaz Butt and made him chairman of the PCB aged 70 plus, it is a dead certainty that I am going to end up working as clinician, and at least looked up to in the more respectable circles. I pray that I am not party to mercy-killing of Pakistan cricket ever.

Former Pak cricketers lash out at adamant Akmal

Embattled Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has come in for sharp criticism for his statement that he would play the final Test against Australia in Hobart as a specialist glovesman and not as a batsman alone.

Akmal's statement came even though the Pakistan Cricket Board and national selectors have rushed in young Sarfaraz Ahmed to Australia as his replacement and said he would play in the Hobart Test. "Akmal's statement just shows what is going on in the Pakistan team right now.

The whole nation does not want him to play after his poor performance in the Sydney Test and yet he is insisting he will play, saying the management and players also supporting him," former captain Rashid Latif told a television channel. "I don't understand what is happening in Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan cricket needs young blood, says Wasim

Former Pakistan captain and legendry pacer Wasim Akram has said that Pakistan lost the second Test against Australia in Sydney because of scare of defeat and urged the selectors to induct new blood in the team.

In an exclusive interview with Deutsche Welle Urdu Service, Wasim, before leaving for India, said that in order to win Test matches against powerful teams one needed special talent, skill, passion and mental fitness. The present Pakistan side lacks these traits. Unlike Twenty20 and one-dayers, Test cricket is like a long race,” he added.

Wasim suggested that cricket authorities of the country should give chance to new players after consistent failure of the senior players. “When the seniors are creating problems for the team and getting out after making only few runs then why not include younger players as they will learn in a year and serve the country for at least two decades. And for this purpose, captain, cricket board and selectors must sit together, communicate and plan. But, unfortunately, I can’t see that happening.”

Due to security problems and foreign teams’ refusal to play in Pakistan, Pakistan hosted only one complete Test match in the last 27 months and according to Wasim playing away from home and lack of Test cricket was also one of the reasons of Sydney debacle. “They have played very few Test matches especially on the home soil and that’s why players are short of confidence,” maintained Wasim, who claimed 916 wickets in both forms of the game.

Defending skipper Mohammad Yousuf defensive moves on the decisive day of the Sydney Test, Wasim said no body was born a leader. “Yousuf is an inexperienced captain and made few mistakes. But he will learn art of captaincy in the long run.” Wasim said coaches Intikhab Alam, Waqar Younus and Aaqib Javed should have told Yousuf when he was getting too defensive and what mistakes he was making. About wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal lapses, Wasim said Kamran was a wonderful and talented cricketer. “Last year his wicketkeeping seemed to be improving but he had a bad day at Sydney. Hopefully, he will work hard more because Pakistan team needs players like Kamran.”

Commenting on Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure, Wasim said Pakistan had experienced regional system that was not successful because one cannot have control over regions. “Even players were deprived of their money which perhaps goes to officials. On the other hand, departments groom players by giving them jobs and players are more relaxed.

But over all its a tough call for the cricket board and requires a lot of time for introducing a new domestic system and no one has time for this in this country.” Wasim advised the PCB to hold day-night one-day and Twenty20 domestic matches to keep things going and attract people in stadiums. Wasim Akram urged both India and Pakistan to hold a Test series. “Indo-Pak Test series is imperative because these matches not only generate revenue but also interest on both sides of the border,” he concluded.

Australia rides Hussey ton to victory

Commentator Michael Slater called it a "great advertisement for Test cricket - the ebbing and flowing of this match have been incredible. it was one of the most extraordinary games ever played."

Australia dismissed Pakistan for 139 to win by 36 runs. Pakistan was chasing only 176 to win. Doug Bollinger claimed the first wicket of Pakistan's second innings, having Imran Farhat caught low at mid-off by Johnson for 22.

Then, two wickets in one over from Mitchell Johnson gave Australia hope of an unlikely victory. Johnson, bowling first change, had Faisal Iqbal (7) caught behind with a magnificent delivery which left the right-hander late and took the edge on the way through to wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. Two balls later Haddin took a spectacular one-handed catch, diving horizontally to his right to catch Salman Butt (21) as he flicked at a delivery down the leg side.

Nathan Hauritz did most of the rest, taking 5-53 off 12 overs. Australia's hopes were earlier kept alive by Mike Hussey, 134 not out, and Peter Siddle, who scored a career-best 38 off 117 balls. Their ninth-wicket partnership added 123.

Hussey's hundred was just the second by an Australian in five Tests this summer following Shane Watson's 120 not out during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The win seals the three-match series for Australia, who have two wins, with one match remaining in Hobart, starting in a week.

Cricket-South Africa v England - third test scoreboard

Scoreboard at lunch on the third day of
the third test between South Africa and England in Newlands,
Cape Town, South Africa on Tuesday. South Africa first innings 291 (J. Kallis 108, M. Boucher
51; J. Anderson 5-63) England first innings (overnight 241-7)
A. Strauss c Boucher b Morkel 2
A. Cook c Prince b Morkel 65
J. Trott b Steyn 20
K. Pietersen c & b Steyn 0
P. Collingwood lbw b Morkel 19
I. Bell c Duminy b Kallis 48
M. Prior b Steyn 76
S. Broad b Steyn 25
G. Swann c Smith b Morkel 5
J. Anderson c Smith b Morkel 0
G. Onions not out 4
Extras (lb-6, w-2, nb-1) 9
Total (all out; 88 overs) 273 Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-36 3-36 4-73 5-133 6-174 7-225 8-241
9-241 10-273 Bowling: Morkel 22-4-75-5 (w-1), De Wet 16-3-36-0 (nb-1),
Steyn 22-5-74-4, Kallis 14-2-27-1 (w-1), Harris 9-0-39-0, Duminy
5-0-16-0. South Africa second innings
A. Prince lbw b Swann 15
G. Smith not out 22
H. Amla not out 14
Extras (lb-1, b-4) 5
Total (one wicket; 17 overs) 56 Fall of wicket: 1-31. Bowling: Anderson 5-0-8-0, Onions 4-1-13-0, Swann 4-0-16-1,
Broad 4-0-14-0.

Ponting criticised for batting first on green SCG pitch

Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has invited severe criticism for opting to bat on a green Sydney Cricket Ground pitch on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan.

"The question will be did Ricky do the right thing' In hindsight, I think he made an error of judgment,' said former Test opener Michael Slater.

An incredulous former Australian fast bowler and ex-Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson said he was amazed at Pontings decision to bat, while former Test leg-spinner Kerry O'Keeffe said he hadn't seen an SCG pitch so green in 20 years.

"He batted first on this' It's a pitch with a considerable greenish tinge to it and he batted first'' said a bemused Lawson.

"Pakistan would be pretty happy with losing the toss,' he added. Mike Hussey, who offered some middle-order resistance, last night said it proved Ponting was unlikely to bowl first on any pitch in the world.

Even with Australia's fast bowlers gazing wistfully at the pitch in the background, Ponting insisted his teammates were happy with his decision to bat. "It is always my preference to bat and the guys inside are happy with that decision as well. The bowlers will be disappointed I won the toss and batted, they would have liked to have got out here and had a crack on this sort of wicket,' Ponting said after winning the toss.

Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf said he would have bowled, while fans hit Internet sites to question Ponting's decision. According to a report in the PerthNow newspaper, It wasnt even a toss-up - the general consensus was that Australian captain Ricky Ponting should have given his bowlers first crack on an SCG green top yesterday when he won the toss.

There is no hiding the fact Ponting made a major blooper and exposed his batsmen to the humiliation of being bowled out for 127 as Pakistan stormed back into the series. It was Australia's lowest score on home soil in 13 years as Pakistani quick Mohammad Asif snared a career-best 6-41, the paper further goes on to say. The paper opines that Ponting was clearly haunted by ghosts from the last time he won the toss and bowled first - the famous Edgbaston Test which swung the 2005 Ashes for England.

T20 cricket has actually helped Test cricket - Afridi

Contrary to Mohammed Yousuf's assumption that Twenty20 cricket would eventually destroy Test cricket, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi says it has actually made the five-day games more result-oriented.

Test skipper Yousuf feels that batsmen these days are paying more attention to adjust to the slam-bang format and hardly care to develop technique, which is essential to be successful in Test cricket.

However, T20 skipper Afridi differs with Yousuf."I don't think that will happen because Test and ODIs both have their own charm.

Infact I would say T20 cricket has introduced a more positive attitude in players and led to Tests also being played more aggressively and being more result oriented," Afridi said.

"What we need to do is strike the right balance in our teams for all three formats of the sport," he added.

Afridi advocated the need to develop the national teams according to the abilities of the players. "Already we have certain players who are Test specialists including Yousuf himself.

Then they are players who are specialists for the limited overs cricket and in the third category they are players who are adjust in all three forms of the sport.

"It would not be a bad idea if we can build our Test, ODI and T20 teams according to this policy. We need to groom and develop our players accordingly," Afridi said.

Afridi, who was dropped for the Test series against Australia , said he was always available for his country and if the team management or selectors asked him to join the team for the Tests he would not hesitate to join.

"I would be willing to sacrifice my contract with South Australia if the team needed by services in the Test matches," said Afridi who had announced that he wants to concentrate on ODIs and T20 cricket until the 2011 World Cup.

Afridi said he still believed that Pakistan could beat Australia in the remaining two Tests if the batsmen perform well.

"We should take heart and play the last two Tests with more vigor and focus," he said.

'My Test career as good as over'

Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq , while stressing that retirement is still a long way off for him, has said that his Test career is almost over as the selectors are not to keen to recall him.

Talking to media persons, Razzaq said that the national selectors have told him that they would not consider him for any Test team in the future.

Razzaq, 30, said he now wants to focus more on the One-day and T20 formats of the game.

"I have no issues with that. I have around two years of international cricket left in me and doing well in next year's Twenty20 World Cup and then in the 2011 World Cup for my team are now my main ambitions," The Daily Times quoted Razzaq, as saying.

Razzaq, who has played 46 Test matches, said with the increasing amount of limited overs cricket being played internationally, keeping oneself fit for these forms was in itself a demanding task.