Former T20 greats slam India

Former Indian Twenty20 greats have blamed excessive importance given to Tests and ODIs for India's decline in the format, criticising veterans Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman for ignoring T20 commitments in order to prolong their Test careers."The loss to England in the recent T20 international is a sign of our decline from being world champions to also-rans," said Joginder Sharma, delighted to be asked his opinion on anything at all. "Veterans are concentrating on meaningless Tests...

ICC issues please explain over Galle pitch

The International Cricket Council announced an inquiry overnight after considering the report from match referee Chris Broad of England who described the pitch as poor. ICC cricket manager David Richardson...

Nasser Husain's 'donkey' remark upsets Big B

Former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain's "donkey" remark about Indian fielders has upset Amitabh Bachchan. "Did not like Nasir Hussain, ex-cricket Captain of UK (Britain), refer to Indian fielders...

Only Miandad can streamline cricket

Pakistan cricket and controversy are the two sides of same coin. Every sports lover not only in Pakistan but internationally accepts that Pakistan cricket team is blessed with so many natural stars who can turn around the game in a short span of time. But on the other hand it is also true that Pakistan team is known for its blunders and throwing away matches against the much weaker oppositions. At a crucial stage when Pakistan team is set to depart on Zimbabwe tour, suddenly the resignation of...

English cricket set to rule after India 'embarrassed': Press

England is set to dominate Test cricket after climbing to the top of the world rankings with a 4-0 whitewash of India, who face a long road back from the "embarrassing" loss, British newspapers said on Tuesday. "India simply weren't up for the fight," Steve James wrote in The Daily Telegraph. "England have embarrassed them. There are insufficient superlatives to describe their performance in this series." Former England bowler Derek Pringle predicted a hot reception for India captain Mahendra...

Cricket: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's got to make the blazer fit again

Stand-in captain, stand-in blazer," he said with a smile when asked if he'd had one cut to fit his own shoulders yet. This was in 2008: India were still chasing Australia for the number one spot in...

India blind team to tour Pakistan

India will arrive in Pakistan and play three back-to-back Twenty20s from November 18 to 20 in Lahore. These matches will be followed by the two teams contesting the three 50-over games from November 22 to 26 in Islamabad. The Pakistan Blind Cricket Council President Syed Sultan Shah was delighted at hosting the series. “Although we aren’t as rich as the Pakistan Cricket Board, our dedication is very much alive,” Shah told The Express Tribune. “The same commitment has led to the resumption of the...

Dhoni yet again harps on the cramped schedule

Indian skipper MS Dhoni is not a man for tokenisms. He is not a man for excuses either. He cited exhaustion as the reason when the Indian team got knocked out in the Super Eights of the 2009 and 2010 World T20 tourneys in England and South Africa and even earned reprimands from the high and mighty in the BCCI. This time though, even if the BCCI bigwigs pretend to be deaf, Dhoni's words might just ring a bell as the myopic scheduling is being criticised all round the cricketing globe as it has devalued...

Cameron White dumped from Australia's one-day cricket side

The selectors announced squads for the two Twenty20 and five ODI games and will announce the Test side this month. White has struggled of late, failing to score more than 22 in the world cup and losing...

Court summons board on Kaneria case

Kaneria and fellow Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield were arrested last year on charges of spot-fixing during a Pro40 match against Durham in 2009. Kaneria was later released without being charged but Westfield...

India to host Pakistan for a cricket series in 2012

India will host Pakistan for three Tests and five One-Day Internationals in March-April 2012 for the first time since 2007, according to the Future Tours Programme (FTP) of the International Cricket Council...

ICC reviews ban on cricket minnows

Cricket's governing body has begun its four-day annual conference in Hong Kong with all eyes on the controversial proposal, which caused outrage among the smaller nations. ICC president Sharad Pawar...

Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Butt resolve differences

Former cricket captain Shahid Afridi met Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt in Islamabad and reached an out of court settlement, our sources reported. According to the sources, important...

PCB nominates rookie Raza for ICC Panel

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has nominated Shozab Raza, an umpire with experience of less than 20 first-class matches for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Panel of TV umpires for next 12 months, while retaining below-par Zameer Haider in the panel of field umpires with Ahsan Raza joining him as a replacement for Nadeem Ghouri.Initially seven umpires were selected for the interview — Karachi duo of Khalid Mehmood and Riazuddin and Lahore’s Ghaffar Kazmi, Riazuddin, Ahmed Shahab, Anees Siddiqi,...

PCB complains of political interference in Afridi row

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday complained of "political interference" in its disciplinary proceedings against all-rounder Shahid Afridi. Afridi, 31, is being brought up on charges of breaching...

PCB confirms receiving letter from Afridi’s legal counsel

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that it has received a letter from a law firm representing former captain Shahid Afridi, challenging the disciplinary actions taken against him, particularly revoking...

No home comforts is major challenge: Waqar

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis says the lack of home internationals is a major hurdle to his young team's hopes of climbing up the international cricket rankings. Pakistan's second-test victory over West...

Pakistan Cricket: No captaincy assurance for Afridi: PCB

Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ijaz Butt, brushed aside all the media speculations about his talks with Shahid Afridi saying he has not given any assurance to the all-rounder for keep leading...

Warne apologises for IPL bust-up: report

Australian legspin legend Shane Warne has reportedly apologised for his part in a bust-up with a cricket official after a recent Indian Premier League match. Warne, captain of the Rajasthan Royals IPL...

Kamran denies Zulqarnains allegations

Wicket keeper of National Cricket Team Kamran Akmal denied the statement of Zulqarnain Haider about involvement of his father-in-law in gambling. Kamran said that statement of Zulqarnain is wrong and he has to provide the evidences otherwise; he would have to face court of law. He said that any member from his family even could not think about this cheap activity. Talking to a private TV channel Kamran said that he requests the government to investigate the matter and should punish the responsible. He...

Cricket-Back to school for Pakistan players, coaches in corruption fight

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has launched a program to educate cricketers and officials on how to avoid corruption and be on their best behaviour in the sport. "We have held lectures for all the regional teams including coaches who are part of the domestic structure and also for the national under-19 and A team players and support staff," former test captain Wasim Bari, who heads the program, told Reuters.Participants are given lectures on the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption...

Talks to restore Pak-India cricket after IPL: PCB

Chief Operating Officer PCB Subhan Ahmed has said that the board is in contact with Indian cricket board and that official dialogue to restore Pak-India cricket series would resume after IPL.Talking to media here, he said if both the teams bring minor changes to their schedule Pak-India series would be possible this year. To a question, chief operating officer said Zulqarnain Haider has yet to response PCB’s letter. He further said that PCB is in contact with ICC task team and soon there would be...

Indo-Pak cricket? BCCI’s response is tepid

If the World Cup semi-final was any indication, cricket fans on both sides of the border are eager to see arch-rivals India and Pakistan play each other again. But while there are reports of a possible resumption of bilateral cricket ties, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is playing it straight, saying there is no window to squeeze in the proposed three-ODI series.The BCCI officials expressed ignorance of such a proposal. “We have not received any instruction from the government,”...

Past tussles forced me away: Miandad

Miandad was tipped to take up the role after getting a backing from limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi but decided against taking the position. While Miandad blamed the past for his refusal, it was learnt that the PCB’s reluctance to remove Waqar Younis as the head coach and Miandad’s role as the former fast-bowler subordinate was the reason behind his refusal.“I’ve been offered the coaching role before and I had taken it up as well but there were certain things that happened due to which I will...

Afridi vows better show in Windies

Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi has said that Pakistan cricket team would demonstrate better performance in the upcoming West Indies (WI) tour as the players are playing cricket with confidence. Afridi in a private news channel interview admitted mistakes that he and his team committed in semi-final of the World Cup, saying the mistakes done in the match let his team down.Thanking the whole nation for encouraging and supporting cricket team on better performance in the World Cup said: “We will further...

Cricket merchandize sale hits top gear after victory

Seventy-two hours after the big night, the sale of India jerseys and cricket gear continues unabated in merchandise shops at prime locations across the city. Interestingly, India's glorious achievement at the ICC World Cup is expected to rub off on the upcoming IPL tournament. A new stock of IPL merchandise is expected to hit the market once the preliminary matches begin on Friday , benefiting all the teams that have hired India's playing 11.The cost of ICC-approved World Cup merchandise runs into...

Cricket Australia backed minnow ban‎

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced four minnow nations won't contest the next World Cup, to be staged in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Only the 10 Test playing nations - Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe - will feature.The ICC move comes amid criticism of the most recent World Cups for protracted length and lopsided games between the traditional powers and weaker ICC associate nations. Ireland,...

The easiest option: attacking Michael Clarke

Hitting below Michael Clarke’s belt, however loose it might be, is an easy thing. Many Australians have made a specialty of it. He was scolded and cursed by various members of the Australian cricket fraternity for his involvement with the saucy Lara Bingle.In true stoic fashion, Ian Chappell, Australia’s brutish cricket supremo of the 1970s, felt that a dedicated Australian cricket captain did not let his emotions get in the way of diligent captaincy. No women, no distractions. That meant no car...

Indo-Pak games are more than cricket: More

An India versus Pakistan cricket match is not for the weak hearted. It involves a lot of passion and often emotions spill over on the field. The history of Indo-Pak rivalry, especially in the World Cup, is filled with instances when players' emotions boiled over. Indian fans, nor the Pakistani fans for that matter, would not forget the duel between Venkatesh Prasad and Aamer Sohail in the quarter-final of the 1996 edition in Bangalore.The combative opening batsman was leading Pakistan's spirited...

Ind vs Pak: Alam denies Akhtar not fully motivated for India clash

Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam has denied reports that pacer Shoaib Akhtar was not fully motivated for Wednesday's Cricket World Cup semifinal against arch rivals India in Mohali and said the "Rawalpindi Express" has immersed himself in practice."Shoaib has been fully involved in match practice, and is available for selection. He's very much part of the squad and there is no question about his motivation or enthusiasm to play in this important game. Akhtar is ready for the semifinal," the London-based...

Cricket World Cup: Andy Flower upbeat on England

Despite an inconsistent group campaign, which featured losses to Ireland and Bangladesh, South Africa's win over the latter team secured England's passage. And Flower confidently stated: "This side perform well under pressure."Each game now will be a pressure situation and I trust our guys to handle themselves very well."Flower continued: "There's no more pressured situation than an Ashes series and you know how we performed during that [England beat Australia 3-1 this winter]. "And the last world...

Kamran likely to open against Aussies

Pakistan are mulling over the option of playing Kamran Akmal as an opener in their key World Cup clash against Australia here on Saturday. Pakistan’s strategy for the eagerly-awaited game against Australia will be to play attacking cricket and Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, believes that by promoting Kamran up the order he can strengthen Pakistan’s batting order.Afridi told that Kamran is expected to replace Ahmed Shehzad as the opener for the match against Australia. The 19-year-old Ahmed...

Zimbabwe bowling was superb

Zimbabwe would have come to the ICC CWC 2011 with hopes of causing at least one upset but were left bitterly disappointed with an inept batting display throughout the tournament. However, Chigumbura took some positives out of a campaign, which could spell further disaster for Zimbabwean cricket. The Africans were handed a seven wicket (D/L) defeat by Pakistan on Monday but the skipper was happy with his bowlers and the fielding."We bowled and fielded superbly but the batting was poor. The bowlers...

Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis said on Tuesday that Pakistan team would look forward by putting the defeat aside and play positive cricket in the coming matches.Addressing a post-match press conference, Waqar Younis pointed to dropping of catches by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal and some bad bowling,specially in last five overs where New Zealand struck 102 runs with an average of 20 runs. “We will do over best with some changes, obviously in the opening pair, who are not working since the first World...

Cricket-In-form Pakistan hold edge over patchy New Zealand

In-form Pakistan will have to guard against complacency and their tendency to implode when they take on New Zealand in a World Cup Group A match in Kandy on Tuesday. Possibly the most unpredictable outfit in international cricket, Pakistan have notched up successive victories against Kenya, Sri Lanka and Canada with skipper Shahid Afridi starring in all of them.Their batting remains vulnerable but with Afridi on song and the pace duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul chipping in with the early breakthroughs,...

Vettori: Pakistan Bowling Attack Can Defend any Score

New Zealand Cricket captain Daniel Vettori said that we have to give our hundred percent against Pakistan team dangerous bowling attack in the ICC World Cup match, which is to be played on tuesday, March, 08 2011.Vettori said that its really very difficult to handle Pakistan bowling attack, as Pakistan have already defeated New Zealand in ODI Series. He further said that Pakistan Bowlers did great job to win matches against Canada and Sri Lanka.New Zealand captain said that in order to win against...

Ireland beat England by 3 Wickets

Following the target of 328, Irish side lost the wicket of William Porterfield on the very first ball of innings. Opener Ed Joyce and Paul Stirling added 62 runs in the second wicket partnership. Joyce was lucky to get 3 chances, showing poor fielding the English fielders dropped easy catches.The resistance of Ed Joyce finished on 32. Niall O’Brien was taken by Swann on 29. This time Kevin O’Brien came on the crease and started crashing English bowlers, he played powerful strokes all around the...

Sri Lanka Cricket refutes 'baseless' fixing report, condemns channel

Sri Lanka Cricket has rubbished allegations of match-fixing that have cropped up against Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Smaraweera due to a TV report, condemning the channel for carrying a “baseless and...

World Cup Trophy made of EGG-SHELLS!

With cricket mania gripping the nation, S. Durga Shankar, an eggshell sculptor in Vishakhapatnam city of India's southern Andhra Pradesh state prepared a miniature of the World Cup trophy.Shankar made...

Sri Lanka need Murali and Malinga to hit ground running

The co-hosts were one of the pre-tournament favourites to win the showpiece but Saturday's 11-run defeat by Pakistan exposed some glaring weaknesses in their bowling armoury. Muralitharan should have been trapping rival batsmen with his mystifying powers of flight and spin but has instead been leaking runs to rank outsiders such as Canada.In the first match he was the most expensive of the Sri Lankan attack. The off-spinner's figures of 2-38 at the cost of 4.22 against a bunch of part-timers in...

Cricket World Cup matches shown free to public on giant screens in Sri Lanka

Can’t find a ticket for Saturday’s Group-A ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo? No problem! Catch the action on a giant screen, with the papare playing in the...

Pakistan kick out Kenya (Highlights)

Pakistan opened their account in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 with a massive victory over Kenya by 205 runs.Younus Khan hits the bull's eye. A total of 17 wickets were fallen during the match, ten of Kenya and seven of Pakistan. Here is the highlights of the match. The package has been compiled by ESPN Star Spor...

Pakistan Cricket abandons 'tainted trio'

Banned by the ICC and facing criminal charges in England, the trio of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamir have been dealt another blow with the Pakistan Cricket Board asking them to fight their legal battles independently.Butt, Asif and Aamir have been given clear indications by the board that it can't help them out in fighting their case in the magistrate's court in Westminster on March 17 – the date the three have been asked to appear to face the charges.The Scotland Yard has charged...

Pune fans give cricket World Cup opener a miss

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is just two days away, but Puneites do not seem interested to travel to Bangladesh to cheer Team India on February 19. Travel agencies said so far no one from the city has made any bookings for Bangladesh.“People do not want to go to Bangladesh, probably because it is not a tourist hot spot. Besides, tickets for the first match are not available online and have to be purchased from retail outlets in Bangladesh. This could be another reason why not many are interested...

India has a great opportunity to win World Cup: Mongia

Nayan Mongia was one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen India produced. He figured in the 1996 and 1999 editions of the World Cup and endeared himself to many with a competent job behind the stumps.Since...

Time for Pakistan to fight like cornered Tigers

The social landscape in Pakistan is dotted with a myriad of cricket games, crammed in restricted space, throughout the land.Although the poorer regions -such as Balochistan, interior Sind and southern...

World Cup axe puzzles Tanvir

Tanvir, who was said to be suffering from a knee injury, was deemed unfit by the Pakistan Cricket Board's medical team and was replaced by fellow left-arm seamer Junaid Khan. "It is hugely disappointing...