Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi to use spin against Warner and Watson

"Watson is in very good form and Warner as well," Pakistan captain Afridi said. "We played a group match against these guys in St Lucia and they played very well. But we have three regular spinners and Abdur Rehman, he is bowling very well.

So I'm very confident of these guys. "There is a few areas where Watson and Warner are normally going for big-run shots to mid-wicket or mid-on area. So our bowlers know, we have already made some plans against these guys, where to bowl."

They are bold statements when you consider Watson slugged 81 runs and Warner a quickfire 26 when Australia batted first against Pakistan in their opening match of the tournament earlier this month. World Twenty20 Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi to use spin against Warner and Watson Shahid Afridi plans to spin and confound Australia's opening batsmen Shane Watson and David Warner straight out of the World Twenty20 semi-final on Saturday morning - and hopefully their team as well.

"Watson is in very good form and Warner as well," Pakistan captain Afridi said. "We played a group match against these guys in St Lucia and they played very well. But we have three regular spinners and Abdur Rehman, he is bowling very well.

So I'm very confident of these guys. "There is a few areas where Watson and Warner are normally going for big-run shots to mid-wicket or mid-on area. So our bowlers know, we have already made some plans against these guys, where to bowl."

They are bold statements when you consider Watson slugged 81 runs and Warner a quickfire 26 when Australia batted first against Pakistan in their opening match of the tournament earlier this month. But on a tired and wearing deck, which will have already seen a semi-final between Sri Lanka and England, spin looms as a decisive factor as both teams attempt to qualify for the final at Kensington Oval, Barbados.

Pakistan employed Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Rehman liberally in their Super Eights win over South Africa, and are sure to rely heavily on them against favourites Australia, who may be tempted to use offie Nathan Hauritz for the first time in the tournament. Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin simply says this of Afridi's masterplan: bring it on. "The best plans in Twenty20 can go out the window," he said.

"They've got some very talented spin bowlers. You can have the best bowlers in the world but you still have to execute your plans. This game is relentless on those who don't." These are words an Australian player wouldn't dare say less than a year ago when Australia limped out of the World Twenty20 in England after bombing in the group stage and Pakistan went on to win.

Afridi not bothered by Pakistan's problems

Welcome, to what seems, is the often perplexing world of the Pakistan cricket team, who will continue the defence of their World Twenty20 title against Australia at the Beausejour Stadium on Friday.

Last year’s attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore effectively led to the suspension of international cricket in Pakistan and turned the national side into globe-trotters denied the chance to play in front of their own fans.

If that were not bad enough, a wretched tour of Australia, where Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match led to seven players being either banned or fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Former captains Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned indefinitely from playing for Pakistan.

Shoaib Malik, another former captain, was banned for one year and fined two million rupees (24,000 dollars), as was all-rounder Rana Naved.

Meanwhile Shahid Afridi, now Pakistan’s captain and the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, were heavily fined.

It was during the Australia tour that Afridi was involved in an extraordinary incident where cameras caught him munching on the ball during a one-day international in Perth.

On top of all of this, Pakistan saw paceman Umar Gul, the leading wicket-taker in Twenty20 cricket with 43 victims in 26 matches, withdraw with a shoulder injury.

And while the team were in the West Indies, a report into the Australia tour became public which quoted former coach Intikhab Alam as saying the players were “mentally retarded”. Yet the kind of off-field dramas that might destabilise rival international sides are regarded as part and parcel of Pakistani cricket life.

“It’s a normal thing for us, going through this kind of situation,” Afridi told reporters of Pakistan’s disciplinary problems at Beausejour Stadium on Wednesday. “The only thing is performance and if we win the games everything will be fine,” Afridi added.

As was the case in England last year, Pakistan have had a less than smooth journey to the semi-finals, having been well beaten early on by Australia, losing by six wickets to England in the Super Eights and then going down by one run in the second round to New Zealand.

But in a match they had to win to stay in the tournament, Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs on Monday. “We had a very similar situation in England, but we are focused on beating Australia,” leg-spinning all-rounder Afridi said. “I think we are feeling good.

“We have played well but just missed some opportunities, against England and then just losing (on the last ball) against New Zealand.

“Overall the guys are very confident after the last game and I think it will be a great game against Australia.” Afridi said his team’s progress was vital to the well-being of cricket in Pakistan and urged the rest of the game’s leading nations to return to his homeland, saying his side had toured countries where security was an issue.

“This competition is very important,” he said. “We are here to play good cricket and win this competition because there is no cricket in Pakistan. “We tell the people we still love playing cricket away and at home as well and we want to see cricket back at home.

“The situation in India was not so good four, five, six years ago when Pakistan visited there and Sri Lanka as well but Pakistan was the only team that visited there and played there. “I think this is the thing we should (have), cricket relations should continue.”

Semi-finals of T20 World cup 2010

The semi-finals of T20 World cup 2010 will start from 13th May, 2010 i.e. Thursday. England and Pakistan have now reached the semis and the matches today will decide the two teams from other group. Australia too is almost confirmed from other group. It is a great probability that Australia will battle against Pakistan in the semi-final of T20 World cup. The schedules of T20 World cup semi-finals is:

May 13 - Thu -1st Semi-Final
Time: 15:30 (GMT) 21:00(India)
Venue: Beausejour Cricket Ground, Gros Islet, St Lucia

May 14 - Fri -2nd Semi-Final
Time: 15:30 (GMT) 21:00 (India)
Venue: Beausejour Cricket Ground,Gros Islet, St Lucia

How to watch T20 World cup semi-final live: You can watch the semi-final of T20 World cup 2010 live on espnstar.com/livetv.

Pakistan sends SA from T/20 World Cup tournament

Defending champions Pakistan is through to the semifinals of the 2010 ICC World Twenty/20 Championship following their 11-run win over South Africa at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia on Monday.

Pakistan needed a victory to prolong their Twenty/20 World Cup ambition of back to back titles while South Africa was aiming to prove their doubters wrong.

Most of the teams who have batted first have gone on to win so far in the tournament, so there was no prize guessing what Shahid Afridi would have done.

But trouble surfaced very early in the innings as they slumped to 18 for three after five overs.

Pakistan needed a savior, and the Akmal brothers came to their rescue.

The champions have struggled against the quicker bowlers in the past, but South Africa's Captain Graeme Amith might have missed that little detail.

Akmal brothers save Pakistani innings

The spinners were introduced and both Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal satisfied their appetite for runs in a partnership worth 61 runs.

Herschelle Gibbs provided the breakthrough for South Africa to break up the Akmal brother partnership as Kamran went for 37 from 33.

Afridi joined Umar and the pair lifted the tempo in another 61 run stand which came off 33 deliveries.

Akmal raised his bat to signal but both fell to Langeveldt in the seventeenth over.

Umar was caught by Gibbs for 51 which came off 33 balls including two fours and four sixes while Afridi was bowled for 30 as Pakistanis innings ended at 148 for 7.

South Africa's Langeveldt finished with four for 19.

Ajmal demolish SA batting line-up

The South Africans began their reply shakily, losing Gibbs in the third over, caught by Misbah-ul-haq Niazi off Abdul Razzaq for three and Smith caught by Afridi off Abdur Rehman for 13 to leave the scoreboard reading 23 for 2.

Saeed Ajmal removed Jacques Kallis for 22 and when Jean Paul Duminy was caught by Rashid Latif off Rehman for three, South Africa were 68 for 4.

Abe de Villiers carried South Africa's hopes in a valiant 53 which included one four and two sixes off 41 deliveries.

HHe tried a few shots along the way but his improvisation provided Ajmal with his second of four wickets as South Africa's chance of a successful chase became unlikely. Johan Botha was the last man out as South Africa's participation in the tournament ended at 137 for 7 with Ajmal claiming 4 for 26.

Zimbabwe Tri-series 2010 - Fixtures and Schedule | India, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka

India, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will play a tri-series in Zimbabwe from 28 May 2010. Indian team will be lead by Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli will be the vice captain in absence of most senior players. The series features 7 ODI matches. The series will be followed by 2 T20 matches between India and Zimbabwe. Here is the schedule of Zimbabwe tri-series:

Date	Match Details	Time		Venue
		GMT	IST	Ground	City
May 28 - Fri	Zimbabwe v India, 1st Match	07:30	13:00	Queens Sports Club	Bulawayo
May 30 - Sun	India v Sri Lanka, 2nd Match	07:30	13:00	Queens Sports Club	Bulawayo
Jun 01 - Tue	Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka, 3rd Match	07:30	13:00	Queens Sports Club	Bulawayo
Jun 03 - Thu	Zimbabwe v India, 4th Match	07:30	13:00	Harare Sports Club	Harare
Jun 05 - Sat	India v Sri Lanka, 5th Match	07:30	13:00	Harare Sports Club	Harare
Jun 07 - Mon	Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka, 6th Match	07:30	13:00	Harare Sports Club	Harare
Jun 09 - Wed	TBC v TBC, Final	07:30	13:00	Harare Sports Club	Harare

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 – Points Table Super Eight Matches Results with latest Net (RR) Run-rate Info

ICC T20 World Cup 2010 – Points Table Super Eight Matches Results with latest Net (RR) Run-rate Info – With the T20 World Cup schedule and fixtures once again we are back to guide you to the perfect entertainment. Super Eight matches played last night were West Indies Vs Sri Lanka, and Australia Vs India. Hope you have enjoyed the live stream Highlights of those two much anticipated games.

In first game two top teams clash which were on top in League matches points table. India was having a net run-rate of +1.495 with 4 points and Australia with 4 points and a net RR +1.525, just a difference of few points in run-rate.

But after the last night Super 8’s match which was played according to the T20 World Cup 2010 schedule and fixture the India suffered badly and Australia Vs India match results up in a big run-rate loss for India as Australia won the match from very big margin of 49 runs. Now in latest Points table of Super Eight stage in Australia is on top with 2 pts (points) and South Africa is also in this list with 2 points as England won the first Super Eight match from Pakistan.

India current Net Run-rate is -2.450, with zero points, and Australia Net RR is +2.450 with 2 points.The other match played last night was West Indies Vs Sri Lanka, after the important wicket of Chris Gayle for just 5 runs West Indies team could not make good of the match and were 8 out on a total of 138. Sri Lanka won by 57 runs, now the current Net RR of Sri Lanka is +2.85 and West Indies is down in Super Eight Points table with a negative run-rate of -2.85, keep this thing in mind that both the teams losts match last night were undefeated so far. The Sri Lanka teams win credit goes to the wonderful innings of Mahela Jayawardene who scored 98 runs for just 56 balls with 9 fours and 4 sixes. On the internet you can look for the highlights of Mahela Jayawardene scores. Stay with us for more updates and results we will update you with latest information about the today match schedule in Twenty20 World Cup with 20 20 Super eight Schedule live stream matches information.

ICC T20 World Cup Super 8 - Pakistan vs. England, T20 Today’s match

ICC T20 World Cup Super 8: Pakistan vs. England, T20 Today’s match: There are 2 matches slated for the day in the ICC T20 World Cup Super 8.The first match is going to be played between Pakistan and England.

This match would be beginning from 7:00 PM, IST. At the same time, the second match is going to be played between South Africa and New Zealand.

If we see the stats of the first round of the tournament, we find that Pakistan have played 2 matches so far, winning one. Meanwhile, the English team have played 2 matches, losing one. The another match was abandoned due to rain. South Africa and New Zealand have one match each so far.

ICC World Twenty20 - Sri Lanka avoid rain traps to beat Zimbabwe in Georgetown

With rain falling and the nagging danger of a Duckworth Lewis recalibration favouring Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka must have feared the worst on Monday. Victory for Zimbabwe would have knocked last year's beaten finalists out of the tournament after they lost their opening match against New Zealand, and denied Mahela Jayawardene's innings the match-winning verdict it deserved. But Sri Lanka.

Who finished their innings on 173 for seven, played the rain game perfectly, scampering around to bowl the five overs they needed to make this a competitive match. With Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga and Sanath Jayasuriya to negotiate, Zimbabwe were always staring at a tough task once their target had been readjusted to 104. By the end of the fifth over, when rain struck for the final time, they had managed just a collection of singles and were well short of their necessary par score, giving Sri Lanka victory by 14 runs.

It was just reward for Jayawardene. His 100 was a classy innings. A Test match knock played on fast forward. He treated the rare good deliveries with respect and played sublime shots to the ones that asked to be hit, of which there was never a short supply.

He stroked 10 fours and four sixes as he reached a century that was the plank of the Sri Lanka innings. Zimbabwe had picked four spinners to try and stifle their wristy opponents but Jayawardene is one of the world's finest players and knew he was onto a good thing when Chris Mpofu served up some half-volleys in the first over which were speared for four and six. He needed only 27 balls to reach his half-century and was on course to pass Chris Gayle's record Twenty20 score of 117 when he played his only false stroke, a mistimed loft over long on in the penultimate over.