Monday, January 31, 2011

Clarke finally has something to smile about

FOR Australia the one-day international series win against England was their first in any format since their tour of New Zealand last March and helped ease some of the disappointment of their Ashes humbling. “After a pretty tough start to the summer, losing the Ashes series, I think it shows a lot of courage for us to come back and play well in this series and win the series tonight,” acting captain Michael Clarke said.

“I think it was a great performance by the whole group today. “A few of us got starts with the bat and didn’t go on which was a little bit disappointing but I think to get 250 on that wicket was a really good effort and then we bowled and fielded well once again.

cWhile steering his side to a long-awaited series win Clarke was again the focus of taunts from his home crowd, after he was booed as he strode to the crease.

The 29-year-old responded by top-scoring with 54 – only the second time he has scored a half-century during England’s tour.

“You’d like people to be cheering but you understand why some of them are booing,” he said. “Like I’ve said, I’ve had a lot of support over this time.

“I haven’t performed as well as I’ve liked so I don’t blame the public for being disappointed with my performances but it was nice to finally contribute and help the boys out tonight and get a win. It was a great feeling.”

Clarke revealed that the Australian players had all donated their match fees to the victims of the Queensland floods, which decimated Brisbane and the surrounding area earlier this month.

“It was a no-brainer for the boys,” he said “We were all more than happy to do that. “Everyone’s going to sign a shirt as well and donate that as well. “I think cricket in general has raised over six million Australian dollars. “There’s a lot of people who have been devastated by what has happened. “The least we can do is donate a bit of our money.”

Friday, January 28, 2011

Afridi likely to be retained captain for WC: sources

Afridi likely to be retained captain for WC: sourcesShahid Afridi is likely to be retained as the One-day captain for the ICC World Cup 2011 after chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt held discussions with the team management in New Zealand and chief operating officer in Lahore.

According to a well-informed source in the board, all indications show that allrounder Afridi is likely to lead the side during the mega-event staring from February 19 to be held jointly by India , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The source informed that Butt held a half an hour discussion with chief operating officer and with the team management in New Zealand.

"Butt himself is not in favour of having Afridi as captain and is more inclined towards Misbah-ul-Haq. Even Younis Khan wants Misbah as the skipper. But after getting all the feedbacks and suggestions the PCB chief knows that it would be a risky move to change the ODI captain at this stage and it would be better to continue with Afridi," the source disclosed.

The source also added that Butt and some other board officials have lost faith in Afridi over his attitude and repeated violations of the board instructions in recent months. "Definitely, Afridi is not the favourite candidate for captaincy but even the team management has told Butt not to change the captain for the World Cup at this stage."

He said another factor weighing on the mind of Butt is that some of the senior players in the touring side in New Zealand including Shoaib Akhtar Abdul Razzaq Umar Gul are in favour of Afridi and want him to continue as the World Cup captain.

"The PCB Chairman has a difficult decision to make because he has to ensure there are no issues or conflicts within the team just before the World Cup," the source stated. The source also informed that Butt is likely to announce the World Cup captain this week after some more deliberations in New Zealand. He even indicated that Butt was facing pressure from the top over the captaincy issue.

"Most of the major sponsors who have invested lot of money in the tournament in Pakistan have already prepared their campaigns with Shahid Afridi as captain in their commercials. So they are concerned that any late change in the captaincy now would derail their campaigns and cost them millions of rupees in losses," the source said.

"These companies are also lobbying within the government to ensure that the Pakistan board does not change Afridi as captain for the World Cup."

The PCB has come in for severe criticism from a number of former players for delaying in naming the captain for the mega-event. The former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq even felt that the delay had led to groupism within the team and could prove damaging for the team during the World Cup.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Waqar apologises for remarks

The coach questioned the board’s tactics and said the delay would only cause disharmony in the team with the tournament less than a month away. In response, the PCB sent a showcause notice to the former captain asking him to explain his comments that were against the board’s code of conduct.

Waqar apologises for remarks

Though the board has decided against giving any official statement to Younis’ reply, a board official said that the coach has apologised. “Younis has admitted his mistake and apologised for violating the code of conduct in his reply to the notice,” said the official adding that the coach has also given an assurance to avoid such statements in the future.

The PCB, under a new strict policy, is maintaining zero-tolerance and has quickly reacted to officials and players giving reckless statements. ICC website error creates confusion Even the International Cricket Council (ICC) seems confused after it displayed names of both Shahid Afridi and Misbahul Haq on its website as captain of the Pakistan team. While the front page of the website mentioned Afridi as captain, Misbah was named the skipper in the inside page. However, it was learnt that a technical error in uploading information caused the error and was rectified soon afterwards.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Misbah a defensive captain: Rashid Latif

Former skipper Rashid Latif has said that Misbah-ul-Haq is a defensive captain and is not suitable for the job for the upcoming Cricket World Cup starting from February 19. “Pakistan needs an aggressive captain like Shahid Afridi, who should be retained for the World Cup,” he told APP in an exclusive interview on Monday. “I think Pakistan could have won the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington but we wasted the opportunity of winning the Test match because of defensive approach of Misbah,” he commented.

“Teams are easily chasing total over 300 runs in 90 overs in current days but because of Misbah’s cautious and defensive mindset, Pakistan missed the opportunity to emerge 2-0 winner,” he said. “By holding up the name of the captain for the World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already created rift in the team,” he said. “Personally I have nothing against Misbah but he is not fit to lead Pakistan in the mega event like World Cup,” he noted.

Friday, January 21, 2011

I am passing through most difficult phase, says Malik

I am passing through most difficult phase, says MalikFormer Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik admits that he is passing through the most difficult time of his career but hopes good times will come again. Malik, 28, has not been selected in a 15-man Pakistan squad for the forthcoming World Cup to be played from next month in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In an exclusive interview with German Radio Deutsche Welle Urdu service here, Malik said that playing World Cup was the utmost desire of any athlete in the world. “And it becomes more disappointing when one is ignored when one is in the best form of his life. I have never been in form like this before in 11 years of my international career the way I played in the recently concluded Quaid Trophy,” he added.

Malik was the second top scorer of Quaid Trophy with 799 runs in only 6 matches. “Cricket is my passion. I thought I could have won this World Cup for Pakistan and that is why it is very difficult to make myself understand. But then its not the end of the world and cricket too. I will not leave playing cricket and try to cash in other opportunities come my way by playing domestic cricket and events outside the country.

Malik said during this most difficult phase his wife and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza had been very supportive. “Sania being herself as a sports woman knows how to face this kind of situation. She had been through some ups and down as well. I am very lucky to have Sania as my wife who is sporting and helping me at every step to handle all this.”
Malik denied media reports that indicated that an amount of £90,000, which was transferred from India to his British account, was the main reason behind the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to sideline him from the World Cup squad. “I have not hidden any thing from the PCB integrity committee. Like in Pakistan you cant approach any body’s bank account abroad. But I gave every detail of my Pakistani and foreign assets and bank accounts to the PCB but yet I was not selected. I wont start firing at any one because its not my nature and I always try to remain away from controversies.”

Malik is considered as a ODI and Twenty20 specialist because his Test match record has never been that impressive as other two versions of the game. In 32 Tests, Malik has scored only 1606 at 33 and claimed only 21 wickets while in 192 ODIs he has made over 5188 runs and grabbed 134 wickets as well. Despite this, Malik has no intention to quit Test cricket like England’s Paul Collingwood and New Zealand’s Jacob Oram. “I know my Test performance level is not as high but I am not that sort of guy who thinks that I cant do this or that. I have worked very hard on few issues of my game and that worked really well in Quad Trophy. And I want to play all three versions of the game for the next seven to eight years.

On the Pakistan team’s prospects in the World Cup, Malik suggested that Pakistan should rely on senior players. “In an mega event like World Cup only seniors can take pressure of the situations and that’s why I think Pakistan should be relying on experienced players,” Malik concluded.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

ICC World Cup 2011: Andy Flower defends Matt Prior’s selection

The Director of England cricket team Andrew Flower has backed the decision of the national selection committee to select wicketkeeper Matt Prior ahead of Steve Davies in the team for the ICC World Cup 2011.

ICC World Cup 2011: Andy Flower defends Matt Prior’s selection

Davies, who has been a regular member of the team in the One Day International set-up since 2009-10 English summer, finds himself sidelined despite doing a fairly good job in the series against Pakistan as well as in the first ODI against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Flower stated that the focus was to have the best possible English team for the premier tournament that they are yet to win. He added that things have changed since Davies was named in the ODI squad for Australia prior to the 2010-11 Ashes series. Matt Prior performed brilliantly in the Ashes series which proved to be good enough to seal a World Cup berth.

“The circumstances have changed,” said Flower. “Matt Prior did very well out here for the Test matches. He is a combative aggressive cricketer and he fits our aggressive fielding unit. So those are the reasons why he's been picked for the World Cup.”

“It was a tough decision,” Flower added. “We always knew the timing of the World Cup announcement would be tricky. It's not ideal one game into a seven-match series. Steve Davies was picked in our last one-day series in England and he did OK against Pakistan.”

Flowed added that Davies was unlucky to be left out but said that he had a good future ahead of him.

The England team director thinks that Prior would be the ideal man behind the stumps in India, a factor that has gone in his favour is the aggressive make up to his cricket which Flower feels is the brand of cricket that the English team should play in the ODI format.

“We picked him for this series in Australia because of the conditions out here. But as we get closer to the World Cup we've made that adjustment and we want Prior to get a few games under his belt before we get out there so he's going to be arriving in Hobart [on Wednesday],” he said.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Cricket-McCullum, Guptill give NZ springboard in second test v Pakistan

Mccullum, who was dropped in close while on 26, had quickly moved to his 19th test half century and was on 58 at the break, while Guptill, dropped by Tanvir Ahmed on 34 just before lunch, was on 38. It is just the second century-opening stand by New Zealand since 2004.

Pakistan had been bowled out for 376, a first innings lead of 20 runs, late on Monday. They hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series and are seeking their first test series victory since 2006. New Zealand's aggressive batting line-up will be hoping to push along the scoring in the afternoon sessions in an attempt to set Pakistan a target on the fifth day pitch that could suit the left arm spin of captain Daniel Vettori.

Poor weather has been forecast with heavy rain due to hit the lower North Island later on Tuesday, though latest forecasts suggest it could bypass the Wellington region.

McCullum had given just the one chance when he prodded at an Abdul Rehman delivery and the ball was dropped by the close fielder. To rub salt into the wound, McCullum then smashed the next delivery over long-off for six.

That shot unleashed the shackles somewhat, with McCullum in particular picking up the scoring rate in humid, overcast conditions and threatening to provide more fireworks after the break that could force the pace of the match along.

Monday, January 17, 2011

‘Trio to feature in World Cup if cleared’

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has said that the suspended trio – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir – will be included in the World Cup squad if they are cleared from the spot-fixing allegations.

‘Trio to feature in World Cup if cleared’

The three Pakistan players are awaiting the verdict that was delayed until February 5 after a six-day hearing was held in Doha earlier this month before a three-man tribunal headed by Michael Beloff. The International Cricket Council (ICC) General Manager on Cricket David Richardson had earlier said that it will be up to the tournament committee to decide on the inclusion of any player after the deadline, which is January 19, for the final team announcement.

However, the PCB chief, who visited the under construction Benazir Bhutto International Cricket Stadium in Larkana yesterday, told reporters that the board has requested the ICC to allow the late inclusion of the trio if they are cleared. Meanwhile, Ijaz said that the 15-man squad for the global event will be announced on January 19.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Taylor annoyed to miss out on century

Taylor annoyed to miss out on centuryRoss Taylor was happy to be in the runs again but admonished himself for failing to push on to triple figures on the opening day of the second cricket test between New Zealand and Pakistan at the Basin Reserve today Taylor, 26, had passed 30 just once in his previous eight test innings but he dug in for 78 today before flashing.

At a wide ball from Wahab Riaz, the first delivery of a new spell, to hand wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal his fifth catch. It was a determined innings mixed with the odd show of positive intent but, after being at the crease for a tick over four hours and facing 168 balls, the vice-captain was disappointed that his hard work was undone by a loose shot.

Still, his 11th test half century represented a nice return to form and his highest score since 138 against Australia at Hamilton last March. Taylor said he had concentrated on playing as straight as possible. "I guess when you're searching for form you look for other things and forget about the basics," he said after New Zealand reached 246 for six at stumps. I went out there and tried to play as aggressively as possible without being reckless. I was 10 or 15 pretty quickly, probably off a run a ball, and settled into my innings from there.

"When you play straight, more often than not you give yourself the best possible chance. I haven't felt out of nick, I just haven't scored the runs and today I should have scored and got three figures but I didn't do that." He said the "odd ball" had moved today but the wicket was still good for batting. "I guess whatever total we end up with, we've got to decide where we've got bowl - I think it's that touch fuller - and almost do what they did to us. I wouldn't say it was negative but it was trying to bore you out."

Friday, January 14, 2011

'International cricket not returning to Pak in near future'

Dave Richardson, ICC general manager for cricket operations, feels that the Pakistan Cricket Board's initiative to host the final of the country's premier first class competition under lights will have a positive impact on the sport. Richardson said that the ICC, too, was working on several recommendations to make five-day cricket including Test matches more interesting.

"The PCB has taken a bold decision to hold the five-day final under lights and it will help popularise the sport as well," Richardson said. He said the ICC was considering holding Test matches under lights in a bid to make it more interesting and attractive for the spectators.

Richardson, however, made it clear that it was not possible for an immediate return of international cricket to Pakistan. "I think once there is an improvement in the security conditions and arrangements then teams can be convinced to start looking at playing in Pakistan again," he said.

Richardson is in Karachi on the invitation of the PCB to watch the final of the Quaid Azam trophy being held for the first time under lights and with an orange coloured ball. He inspected the security arrangements in the stadium along with former captain Javed Miandad, and both agreed that their was a need for countries to experiment.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Pakistan recall Kamran Akmal for NZ one-dayers

Pakistan on Wednesday named Kamran Akmal in a one-day squad — that will effectively be their line-up for World Cup 2011 — for the six-match series against New Zealand getting underway in Wellington later this month.

Pakistan recall Kamran Akmal for NZ one-dayers

The country’s cricket chiefs have decided to retain Shahid Afridi as captain for the ODI series, an indication that the seasoned allrounder remains their first choice to lead the Greenshirts in World Cup 2011. They’ve also recalled Kamran, an experienced wicketkeeper-batsman, after keeping him out of the Pakistan team for almost four months apparently due to match-fixing suspicions. Kamran replaces his brother Adnan, who is currently featuring for Pakistan in their Test series against New Zealand.

But the national selectors opted against bringing back veteran middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf and instead picked Misbah-ul-Haq in the 16-man squad that will play in the series against the Black Caps starting January 22. Misbah, who is leading Pakistan in their ongoing Test series against New Zealand, was also named as the ODI vice-captain.

There has been some uncertainty over Afridi’s captaincy as a whispering campaign in a section of Pakistan’s cricket community suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling over the option of installing Misbah as Pakistan’s World Cup captain.

Afridi, 30, was earmarked as Pakistan’s limited-overs captain last year but speculations continued to grow about his captaincy after he led the national team to back-to-back losses in two Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand late last month.

Sources told ‘The News’ that Pakistan have made up their mind to more or less retain the same squad for World Cup which will begin just two weeks after the ODI series against New Zealand.

“Unless there are any drastically bad results in New Zealand or some serious injuries, it will be highly unlikely that Pakistan will make any changes in the team before the World Cup,” said a well-placed source.

That’s bad news for the 36-year-old Yousuf, who was preparing hard to win a recall for World Cup.

Yousuf’s chances to make the cut for the World Cup seemed bright after Afridi pushed for his return during a meeting with Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, last week.

For Misbah, however, things have taken a different, more positive turn. He seemed to be out of Pakistan’s World Cup plans after being dropped for the last three ODIs against South Africa in UAE last November following unimpressive outings in the first two games of the series.

But his return in the ODI squad and that too as vice-captain means that the PCB believes Misbah can play an important role in bolstering Pakistan’s middle-order. Also adding more experience to Pakistan’s batting line-up will be Kamran Akmal.

Kamran, who turns 29 on Thursday (today), was overlooked by national selectors after the tour of England because of PCB’s refusal to clear him for national duty. Though the Board never officially slapped any charges, it is understood that the player was on a PCB blacklist because of suspected links with match-fixers. However, the PCB integrity committee cleared him following a series of grilling sessions after which the Board allowed him to play for Pakistan.

“It is great to be back in the Pakistan team and now I just want to cement my place for the World Cup,” he told reporters. “I know how valuable this Pakistan cap is after having spent the last four months out of the team,” he added.

The selectors have also rewarded Ahmed Shahzad with a place in the ODI team after the young opener impressed in the T20 games in New Zealand. Meanwhile, the PCB has announced that the tour selection committee for the ODI series in New Zealand will include team manager Intikhab Alam, coach Waqar Younis, captain Afridi and his deputy Misbah.

Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (vice captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Tanvir Ahmed, Ahmed Shahzad.

Grim scenario for suspended players

What looked like a simple open-and-shut case continues to drag on more than four months after it rocked the cricket world. Armed with ‘compelling evidence’, the International Cricket Council (ICC) went to the six-day hearing in Doha confident that it would prove its charges against three Pakistan cricketers, who are accused of corruption. But the verdict was delayed and will now be announced on February 5.

Meanwhile, according to Cricinfo, the very fact that the Oval Test was also under investigation, in addition to the Lord’s Test, provided a late twist to the final day of an ultimately anti-climactic six-day hearing.

A definitive decision had been expected from the lengthy tribunal hearings. In fact, it is believed that the ICC’s legal team was keen on having a verdict out on Tuesday. But the gravity of the possible sanctions — which range from five years to a lifetime ban — the desire of the players’ lawyers to defer a verdict and the sheer weight of a six-day, 45-hour proceeding which featured oral and written testimonies and tapes, video recordings as well as forensic submissions, made a quick verdict impossible.

The ICC’s lawyers, though, expressed “happiness with the way hearings have gone,” It is understood that in a bid to press for a verdict on Tuesday they withdrew all charges relating to the Oval Test, bar one against Butt.

The hearings began last Thursday and were held behind the firmest of closed doors. There were no official statements were made at all during the hearings, though as proceedings continued, it became clear that differences between the defences of Butt and Asif had emerged, possibly hampering the cases of both players.

An apparent contradiction, however, materialised soon after the tribunal’s statement. Though Beloff said that “all charges relating to the Lord’s Test remain under consideration,” Asif’s London-based legal firm said that on one charge relating to that match, Asif had, in fact, been acquitted.

A statement from their office said that Asif was, “delighted to have been acquitted of the charges brought against him under article 2.4.1 in relation to the Lords Test Match, also played in August 2010.”

Amir’s lawyer, Shahid Karim, who had earlier pushed for the deferment, indicated that the extra time would help his client prepare better to deal with the verdict. “The request we made to the tribunal has been accepted,” Karim said. “On February 5th if the punishment is harsh then we will discuss it with them so we will prepare for that. It is a hearing.

“I am happy with the procedure of the hearing. The ICC code of conduct has a clause which points to looking at the player’s age and past disciplinary record and Amir is young, so we hope the tribunal will keep this in mind.”

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Misbah a better choice for World Cup captaincy: Sikander

After former Test cricketers Zaheer Abass, Aamir Sohail and Sarfraz Nawaz, former Pakistan Test bowler Sikander Bakht has also criticised all-rounder Shahid Afridi’s captaincy. Sikander does not want Afridi to lead the Pakistan cricket team in future. Talking to German Radio Deutsche Welle Urdu Service on Tuesday, Sinkander said a captain always lead from the front but Afridi had not been performing well since taking over as captain of the Pakistan’s ODI and T20 teams. “As a player he won the T20 World Cup for the country single-handedly in England. But after that the captaincy has affected his individual performance and that’s why Afridi should not be the captain any more.

Under Afridi, Pakistan have lost World T20, Asia Cup and ODIs and T20s against England, South Africa and New Zealand. Afridi, who plays more as a bowling all-rounder, has only managed to take 19 expensive wickets at 45 in the last 18 ODIs he played for Pakistan. While his recent T20 record is even more below par, having taken only 16 wickets in the last 16 games.

Sinkander said Misbahul Haq was leading the Test side by example and can be a good choice for the World Cup as well. “He is handling the pressure in Test cricket extremely well and can handle the World Cup pressure as well. Credit goes to Misbah’s performance for Pakistan’s recent victory against New Zealand,” Sinkander said. On Hamilton Test win, Sikandar said that it was a great performance. “Few people may consider Kiwis a weak team but beating New Zealand in New Zealand is never easy and Pakistan played great cricket. We won this Test when a hearing is going on against Pakistan’s three top cricketers in Doha. We have proved that Pakistan have the depth in talent.”

Waqar hopes for fresh start to Pakistan cricket

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis hopes that his team will be able to play some controversy-free cricket once a decision is taken by an independent tribunal that has finished hearing a spot-fixing case involving Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamir in Doha. “I hope all goes well and I hope the outcome is what cricket requires. Hopefully things will settle after that and we can play controversy-free cricket for a while,” Waqar said on Tuesday after a training session in Wellington. Pakistan is currently playing a two-Test series against New Zealand. Waqar confirmed that he gave evidence to the independent anti-corruption tribunal. The suspended trio have been charged with offences relating to alleged activity surrounding the Test against England at Lord’s in August. British tabloid ‘News of the World’ alleged that they had taken bribes to arrange for deliberate no-balls to be delivered at pre-agreed times.

Salman, Aamir and Asif have been provisionally suspended since the allegations came to light in the days following the Test but all have denied any wrongdoing. They face lengthy bans if found guilty by a three-man tribunal chaired by British lawyer Michael Beloff. Waqar gave evidence via teleconference during the first Test in New Zealand. “I have given it, it is all finished and all done and let’s see what the result is,” he said. The coach chose not to speculate on whether the trio would join the team for the six one-day internationals against New Zealand, which starts on January 22, if found not guilty. “I have got no idea. Let’s see what happens first and then the selectors will probably have a look into it, and we will talk about it then.”

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Hearing begins on Pakistan cricket corruption

A special tribunal of the International Cricket Council opened an appeal hearing on Thursday for the three Pakistan players who face possible life bans if found guilty of spot fixing. The suspended Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who have previously declared their innocence, made no comments as they entered the hearing room in Qatar's capital Doha. But a member of the three-person panel overseeing the proceedings said the credibility of the sport was at stake.

Hearing begins on Pakistan cricket corruption

"This is an important hearing for the future of cricket," said Sharad Rao, a former acting attorney general in Kenya, adding that it's critical the sport's image is "very clean where we can rely on the results."The trio was alleged to have accepted payment for bowling no-balls at prearranged times in a test against England in August at Lord's to fix spot betting markets.

On the closed hearing's first day, which lasted 7½ hours, charges were read and the ICC began presenting its evidence including several witnesses. The ICC refused to provide any details about what evidence was presented, including the identifies of the witnesses.

The hearings in Doha could last until next week. After the first day, the youngest of the trio, 18-year-old fast bowler Amir, admitted to the cricinfo website that the recent months have been "tough" for him.

"This is a question of my career and I've been through some tough days," he told the website. "I've overcome them and I will, hopefully, overcome more in the future. "We've prepared well for the case and put in our effort."

Amir's lawyer Shahid Karim hinted he may try to use the player's youth to argue for leniency should he be found guilty. "If you look at the ICC code, there could be some advantage with that," Karim said. "He is very important to the future of Pakistan. "And the response we have gotten from people so far, I am very hopeful. You can call our case strong or whatever, but I am hopeful."

The Dubai-based ICC, which has described the allegations as the sport's biggest fixing scandal in decades, charged the trio with corruption in September after a British tabloid, the News of the World, alleged the players received payments from businessman Mazhar Majeed.

Majeed, who was also arrested and questioned by police, appeared to accept 150,000 pounds ($241,000 US) from reporters posing as frontmen for a Far East gambling cartel. The ICC on Sept. 2 charged the players with various offences under its anti-corruption code relating to "alleged irregular behaviour" during the fourth test against England — charges that could lead to life bans.

Pakistan, meanwhile, is scheduled to open a two-test series on Friday in New Zealand. Pakistan recently drew a two-test series 0-0 with No. 2-ranked South Africa.

Monday, January 10, 2011

ICC told about long no-ball odds after Butt’s grilling

Cricket bosses have told the International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption tribunal into alleged spot-fixing by Pakistan’s Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir taking place at the Qater Financial tower here on Sunday that the odds of guessing three separate no-balls in a specified period would be 1.5 million to one.

The Pakistan trio facing the hearing are alleged to have conspired to bowl deliberate no-balls on the orders of alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed — the agent of Butt. The alleged offences took place during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s last August. The ICC has described the allegations as the sport’s biggest fixing scandal in decades.

The 1.5 million to one figure was presented to the hearing by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after being worked out by a statistician they have employed. Earlier on Saturday, Butt spent the entire third day of the spot-fixing hearings being examined first by his own lawyer before facing what has been described as “a tough” cross-examination by the ICC’s legal team.

As the tribunal continued into a fourth day, and with Asif and Amir still to present their defence and be cross-examined, of the hearing may last its full scheduled duration till January 11 after reports earlier claimed that a verdict would come out sooner.

Butt was Test captain at the time and he has since maintained his innocence publicly and more aggressively than the other two players and interestingly has sat to the left of the courtroom away from his co-accused Asif and Amir, who are side-by-side at the back.

In several interviews on TV and elsewhere, he has explained the presence of the money found in his hotel room after the scandal broke in the News of the World, as well as his relationship with Mazhar Majeed, the player-agent caught on camera claiming he could orchestrate spot-fixing within the side.

The fact that he spent the whole day being examined indicates the significance of his role in the proceedings and the part it may play in the final outcome.

One observer said the cross-questioning “had been a tough one, though that is something they would have expected.”Friday’s statement by Khawaja Najam, who was the team’s security manager during the World Twenty20 and the England tour, but has since stepped down from the post, might be crucial in the decision.

According to reports, beyond the prosecution team to the right of the court is a glass box containing specialist UN translators, who have been key during Butt’s evidence. But the language barrier appears to be responsible for slowing the pace of the hearing.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Squads of all teams for IPL 2011 | IPL 4

Auction for Day 1 out of 2 days is no over. Here are the shortlisted players and their teams for IPL 2011 till now:

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina , M Vijay, Albie Morkel, Michael Hussey, Wriddhiman Saha, Dawyne Bravo, Doug Bollinger, S Badrinath, Muttiah Muralitharan, R. Ashwin

Deccan Chargers: Kevin Pietersen, Cameron White, Kumar Sangakkara, JP Duminy, Shikhar Dhawan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Dale Steyn

Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, David Warner, Naman Ojha, James Hopes, Morne Morkel, Aaron Finch

Kings XI Punjab: Adam Gilchrist, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Dinesh Karthik, Stuart Broad, Abhishek Nayar, Praveen Kumar, Ryan Harris, Piyush Chawla

Team Kochi: Mahela Jayawardene, VVS Laxman, Brendon McCullum, Sreesanth, RP Singh, Parthiv Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Steven smith, Ramesh powar, Brad Hodge

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Brad Haddin, Shakib-al-Hassan, Bret Lee, Eoin Morgan, Manoj Tiwary

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Rohit Sharma, Andrew Symonds, David Jacobs, James Franklin

Sahara Pune Warriors: Yuvraj Singh, Graeme Smith, Robin Uthappa, Tim Paine, Angelo Mathews, Ashish Nehra, Callum Ferguson

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Johan Botha, Sourav Tiwary, Paul Collingwood

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Tillakartane Dilshan, Zaheer Khan, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori, Sourabh Tiwary, Dirk Nannes, Cheteshwar Pujara

Players sold at IPL 4 auction 2011 and their price

The auction for IPL 2011 is going on. This is going to be fresh auction with some teams retaining some of its previous players. Here are some of the players sold at IPL auction 2011.

This was the list of players sold before lunch in Day 1 of IPL Auction 2011:
S.N.PlayerCountryTeamPrice
1Gautam GambhirIndiaKolkata$2.4 million
2 Yusuf Pathan India Kolkata $2.1 million
3 Robin Uthappa India Pune $2.1 million
4 Rohit Sharma India Mumbai Indians $2 million
5 Irfan Pathan India Delhi Daredevils $1.9 million
6 Yuvraj Singh India Pune $1.8 million
7 Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka Kochi $1.5 million
8 AB de Villers South Africa Bangalore $1.1 million
9 Cameron White Australia Deccan Chargers $1.1 million
10 Jacques Kallis South Africa Kolkata $1.1 million
11 Ross Taylor New Zealand Rajasthan Royals $1 million
12 Johan Botha South Africa Rajasthan $950,000
13 S Sreesanth India Kochi $900,000
14 Adam Gilchrist Australia Punjab $900,000
15 Zaheer Khan India Bangalore $900,000
16 Andrew Symonds Australia Mumbai Indians $850,000
17 Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka Deccan Chargers $700,000
18 Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Laka Bangalore $650,000
19 Kevin Pietersen England Deccan Chargers $650,000
20 Daniel Vettori New Zealand Bangalore $550,000
21 Rahul Dravid India Rajasthan Royals $500,000
22 Graeme Smith South Africa Pune $500,000
23 RP Singh India Kochi $500,000
24 Brendon McCullum New Zealand Kochi $475,000
25 VVS Laxman India Kochi $400,000

Here are list of players sold after lunch in Day 1 of Auction for IPL 2011:

Michael Hussey- Chennai Super Kings- US$ 425,000

Shaun Marsh- Kings' XI Punjab- US$ 400,000

JP Duminy- Deccan Chargers- US$ 300,000

Shikhar Dhawan- Deccan Chargers- US$ 300,000

Saurabh Tiwary- Royal Challengers Bangalore- US$1.6 million

David Hussey- Kings' XI Punjab- US$1.4 million

David Warner- Delhi Daredevils- US$ 750,000

Parthiv Patel- Kochi- US$ 290,000

Wriddhiman Saha-Chennai Super Kings- US$ 100,000

Dinesh Karthik- Kings' XI Punjab- US$ 900,000

Naman Ojha- Delhi Daredevils- US$ 270,000

Brad Haddin- Kolkata Knight Riders- US$ 325,000

Tim Paine- Pune- US$ 270,000

David Jacobs- Mumbai Indians- US$ 190,000

James Hopes- Delhi Daredevils- US$ 350,000

Ravindra Jadeja- Kochi- US$ 950,000

Shakib-al-Hasan- Kolkata Knight Riders- US$ 425,000

Stuart Broad- Kings' XI Punjab- US$ 400,000

Abhishek Nayar- Kings' XI Punjab- US$ 800,000

Angelo Mathews- Pune- US$ 950,000

Dwayne Bravo- Chennai Super Kings- US$ 200,000

Steven Smith- Kochi- US$ 200,000

James Franklin- Mumbai Indians- US$ 100,000

Here are the lis of some spinners sold:

Muttiah Muralitharan- Kochi- US$1.1 million

Piyush Chawla- Kings' XI Punjab- US$ 900,000

R Ashwin- Chennai Super Kings- US$ 850,000

Pragyan Ojha- Deccan Chargers- US$ 500,000

Amit Mishra- Deccan Chargers- US$ 300,000

Nathan McCullum- Pune- US$ 100,000

Ramesh Powar- Kochi- US$ 180,000

Aaron Finch- Delhi Daredevils- US$ 300,000

Eoin Morgan- Kolkata Knight Riders- US$ 350,000

Brad Hodge- Kochi- US$ 425,000

Callum Ferguson- Pune- US$ 300,000

Manoj Tiwary- Kolkata Knight Riders- US$ 475,000

Cheteshwar Pujara- Royal Challengers Bangalore- US$ 700,000

S Badrinath- Chennai Super Kings- US$ 850,000

Paul Collingwood- Rajasthan Royals- US$ 250,000

List of Unsold Players:

Sourav Ganguly, Chris Gayle, Jesse Ryder, Herschelle Gibbs, Brian Lara, Graham Manou ,Matt Prior, Mark Boucher, Luke Wright, James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Ajantha Mendis, Murali Karthik, Chamara Kapugedera, Tamim Iqbal

Friday, January 7, 2011

Cricket-Rehman helps Pakistan strike back in 1st NZ test

Pakistan's Abdul Rehman produced a spell of tight, left-arm spin bowling to halt New Zealand's momentum as the hosts lurched to 160 for five at tea on the first day of the first test at Seddon Park on Friday. Kane Williamson was on 12 while debutant wicketkeeper Reece Young was two not out after Brendon McCullum (56), Ross Taylor (six), Jesse Ryder (22) and Martin Guptill (50) were all dismissed during the session.

McCullum and Guptill had steered New Zealand to 78 for one at lunch after Tim McIntosh was caught for five by Younus Khan at second slip off Tanvir Ahmed in only the second over. Rehman bowled five successive maidens after the break, pinning down the normally free-flowing New Zealand batsmen from the embankment end of the ground while pace bowler Umar Gul attacked from the grandstand end.

The aggressive McCullum, who looked set for a big score, smashed two sixes off Gul but then slashed at a short wide delivery on the next ball and was caught by Azhar Ali at deep backward point.

Taylor never looked settled and while he swept Rehman to the boundary to end the run of maidens he was out in the same over when he got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal. Guptill adopted the anchor role while the left-handed Ryder was the more aggressive, lofting a six and a four in Rehman's 12th over.

However, he was unlucky to be run out when Wahab Riaz deflected a well-timed straight drive on to the stumps with Ryder well short of his ground. Guptill brought up his fifth test half century with a single but then threw his wicket away when he hit a Rehman full toss straight to Misbah-ul-haq at mid-off.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Pakistan cricket 'spot-fixing' trio face tribunal

A make-or-break anti-corruption tribunal against Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer opens in Doha Thursday, with the players facing lengthy bans if found guilty. The hearing will be held behind closed doors at the Qatar Financial Centre from 0630 GMT and is scheduled to run until January 11, although lawyers have indicated a verdict may come earlier.

The three face charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year in a scandal that rocked the sport. It is alleged that they conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls -- claims they all deny. They were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September, with the world governing body's code of conduct carrying a minimum five-year ban if corruption charges are proved.

The maximum punishment is life out of the game. The scandal came to light when Britain's News of the World claimed that seven Pakistani players, including Butt, Aamer and Asif, took money from bookie Mazhar Majeed to obey orders at specific stages in the Lord's Test in August.

Scotland Yard detectives raided the team hotel in London, reportedly confiscating a huge amount of money from Salman's room.

The three-man independent hearing is being led by code of conduct commissioner and leading lawyer Michael Beloff of England, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.

It is set to open with a statement from the prosecution followed by a response from representatives of the three players.

All three have serious legal heavyweights going in to bat for them with paceman Asif, 28, represented by Allan Cameron, brother of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Former Test captain and opening batsman Salman, 26, is represented by British-based lawyer Yasin Patel, while 18-year-old fast bowler Aamer's legal team is headed by Shahid Karim from Pakistan.

British newspapers said Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi and head coach Waqar Younis have been summoned as prosecution witnesses.

While the ICC has made clear it will not be commenting until a verdict is reached, chief executive Haroon Lorgat told the BBC recently he was confident of the case against the players.

"We need to send out a strong message and that is part of what we want to achieve," Lorgat said. "We've worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand."

The Pakistan team are currently touring New Zealand, but speaking ahead of the hearing, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters that corruption was a curse that must be stamped out.

"It has to be an all-out effort from all concerned to ensure that such wrongdoing does not occur in the future and we at the PCB are doing all we can to curtail all such practices," he said.

"The PCB and ICC have taken a lot of steps, future plans have been drafted to pursue a policy of zero tolerance to corruption."The scandal is seen as the worst in cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje.

A decade ago the former South Africa captain, who died in a mysterious plane crash in 2002, was revealed to have accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his team-mates.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Cricket spot-fixing accused desperate to play again

Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer on Wednesday voiced confidence they would again play for their country ahead of a make-or-break anti-corruption tribunal in Doha. The pair, along with Mohammad Asif, face the hearing Thursday on charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year in a scandal that rocked the sport.

Cricket spot-fixing accused desperate to play again

It is alleged that they conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls -- claims they all deny. Butt, the Pakistan captain, told AFP he was desperate to play top-level cricket again and said the scandal had taught him some harsh lessons.

"I have always played the game for the love of it and have never been involved in any wrongdoing," he said. "I am confident that I will soon be playing for my country. I have been practising all through this difficult phase of my life so that whenever I am cleared I am able to play.

"This phase has taught me a lot of lessons and I hope I will learn from them."

All three were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in October, with the world governing body's code of conduct carrying a minimum five-year ban if corruption charges are proved.

The maximum punishment is life out of the game. Their suspension came after reports in the British newspaper News of the World, which claimed several Pakistani players -- including the trio -- obeyed orders from an alleged bookmaker during the Lord's Test in August.

The newspaper said it paid Mazhar Majeed, an agent for several Pakistan players, 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars) in return for advance knowledge of pre-arranged no-balls which could then be bet upon.

Butt and pace bowlers Aamer and Asif were named by the newspaper as the players involved. Police raided the team's hotel in London and questioned the three men, along with bowler Wahab Riaz, but they have yet to level any charges.

The three-man independent hearing starts on Thursday and is scheduled to conclude on January 11, led by code of conduct commissioner, and leading lawyer, Michael Beloff, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.

Aamer said he was hopeful of a positive outcome. "This is the toughest phase of my life," he said. "My elders tell me that such phases come in the life of a professional, so I am bravely facing this situation and will hopefully come out of it to play for Pakistan.

"I have been watching matches and felt disappointed at not being part of the team, but I hope it's a temporary phase and I will soon be playing for my country."His lawyer Shahid Karim said the incident had hurt the player emotionally.

"One of the mitigating factors is age and the other mitigating factor is Aamer's previously unblemished record," he told AFP.

"Emotionally he is drained, he's been affected badly by it, but he's coping as best he can and above all he is very confident that he will come out of this clean."

The hearing should be taking place in Dubai, where the ICC is headquartered, but was shifted to Doha as Asif is barred from entering the United Arab Emirates after being deported in 2008 on possession of banned drugs.

He was not immediately available for comment ahead of the hearing. The scandal is seen as the worst in cricket since that of South Africa's Hansie Cronje.

A decade ago the former South Africa captain, who died in a mysterious plane crash in 2002, was revealed to have accepted money from bookmakers in a bid to influence the course of games as well as trying to corrupt his team-mates.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Afridi not assured to lead Pakistan in World Cup

Pakistan ODI and T-20 skipper Shahid Afridi is currently not assured of leading Pakistan in the forthcoming World Cup as his performance has not impressed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) members.

“Afridi’s recent performances as captain have not impressed too many Board members and one of the biggest issues that are irking them is his public criticism of his team mates. Results have not been great, but the public criticism of team mates is not going down too well with the decision makers,” sources close to PCB told Pak Passion.

The source confirmed that Afridi’s performance as captain in the upcoming six one day matches in New Zealand will determine whether he is appointed captain for the World Cup.

“The Board will look at Afridi’s personal performance and also how well he leads the team, as well as how he conducts himself, before deciding on whether he (Afridi) will lead the team in the World Cup.

I would be very surprised if the Board makes a decision regarding Afridi, before the six match series in New Zealand.”

In addition to the discontent regarding Afridi’s public criticism of team mates, the source added that there were strong differences of opinion between Afridi and some selectors regarding Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan.

“There are some selectors who do not think Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan should be in the one day and Twenty20 squads, but Afridi has a different opinion to them.

There have been previous disagreements between the selectors and Afridi regarding the two players (Alam and Hasan) and the issue will rear it’s head once again when the final squad for the World Cup is due to be selected,” the source concluded.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Pakistan better suited for ODI cricket - Afridi

Pakistan's one-day captain Shahid Afridi has said Pakistan will be a surprise package in the World Cup later this year, despite the problems plaguing the team's recent campaigns, due to them being better suited to the 50-over format.

"No matter what people say and believe, I'm confident that Pakistan will do really well in the World Cup," Afridi told the News after returning from New Zealand following the three-match Twenty20 series there which his side lost 1-2.

"I won't make any predictions but would make it clear that Pakistan will take their best shot for the World Cup title." With under 50 days left for the event, Pakistan are yet to finalise their 30-man preliminary squad.

Three of their key players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir -- have been provisionally suspended following the spot-fixing controversy and their fates will be decided in Doha, later this week.

There are doubts over the futures of two other players - Shoiab Malik and Kamran Akmal - who will appear before the board's integrity committee prior to the announcement of the preliminary list.

"It's certainly not an ideal situation," Afridi said of the side's controversy-ridden build-up to the World Cup.

"But it's our history that we give our best under pressure." Pakistan have performed reasonably well in their recent one-day campaigns, taking five-match series against England and South Africa to the final games.

Afridi said Pakistan's one-day side was more likely to succeed than their outfits for the other formats.

"I would agree that a lot of work has to be done before we start doing well in Tests consistently," he said.

"Even our Twenty20 team needs a world of improvement.

But when it comes to one-day cricket, we are close to achieving an ideal combination.

Most of the players in our Twenty20 team are better suited to the one-day format." Afridi hinted he had given up on the option of opening the innings following his failures at the top in the New Zealand Twenty20s.

"The idea behind my decision to open was to help give the team some fast and useful starts," he said.

"But it didn't work out. Now I've decided to stick to No.6 spot both for Twenty20s and ODIs in the future."

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Announcement of cricket WC squads deferred

Pakistan cricket selectors have deferred the announcement of names of thirty probables for World Cup and squad one day series against New Zealand after failing to reach a decision on the final selection. The national selection committee had a marathon meeting here on Friday at Gadaffi Stadium and deliberated upon the names of players but deferred the final selection till next week.

Mohsin Hasan Khan presided over the meeting which was attended by members, Mohammad Ilyas (Member), Azhar Khan and Asif Baloch, Farukh Zaman (both co-opt members) attended the meeting. “The announcement of both the squads has been deferred till early next week. It is pertinent to mention here that PCB has to submit the names of 30 players to ICC for the World Cup by January 5, 2011”, said Mohsin Khan after the meeting here on Friday.

“We had lengthy discussions on performance and availability of many players. We were of the opinion that since we still have a few days before the deadline for announcing the World Cup Squad it would be better to wait until there is absolute clarity from PCB on the availability for selection of certain players”, he added.
 

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