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.