*Teenager Cricket*
*Team-Bronx Finisher Cricketer*
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English domestic cricket 'It is a divisive, bootleg proposal' - Glamorgan chairman July 12, 2008
The proposal for a £50million Twenty20 tournament in England to rival the IPL has been criticised by counties who are not part of the plan prepared by Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, and David Stewart, the Surrey chairman. The tournament blueprint, which has been reportedly approved by Lancashire and Hampshire, contains 57 matches over 25 days at Category A venues (Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Headingley, Old Trafford, the Rose Bowl, Chester-le-Street and Cardiff). The major concern for the nine counties who do not play at Category A venues is that the tournament will widen the gap between them and the richer counties despite assurances that the revenues would trickle down to all levels. "It is very disappointing that this has not been discussed with other counties at all," Tom Sears, the Derbyshire chief executive, told the Guardian. "It would completely change the landscape. We would see the rich getting richer and the have-nots fall further behind. As soon as you get private investors involved all they are interested in is making profit. "Money would go to the owners, a bit to the counties who own Category A grounds and only a tiny fraction would dribble down. Their lot would get better and ours would get worse. The money that would filter down to us would be minimal. The only way it could work for a smaller county like Derbyshire is if the sum we received was astronomical. If it is not then we would never consider it." Mark Newton, the chief executive of Worcestershire, expressed surprise that the proposal hadn't been discussed when the counties met last week. "We have been with these counties twice in the last week, talking about the future of Twenty20," he told the Independent. "I can't believe people would sit there and not say anything about this. I don't enjoy situations where you have to question people's integrity and, unfortunately, that is the situation we are in here. "There was a chief executive's meeting on Wednesday and all 18 counties were generally in agreement about the way forward for Twenty20 cricket. There was an agreement that any competition would be based on the 18 counties. We have been told that the TV companies love the idea of a competition based on the 18 counties because we are creating something that already has an affinity. We have been told that the TV companies aren't interested in city-based cricket." Glamorgan, whose home ground is in Cardiff, one of the Category A venues, came out in support of the smaller counties. "I believe this is wrong," Paul Russell, the chairman of Glamorgan said. "It is a divisive, bootleg proposal which has been generated from self-interest. I don't think these forays into flights of fantasy and fairy-tale economics do anybody any good." The proposal is expected to be presented at an ECB board meeting next week. ============================================================================================================ English domestic cricket Proposal for English IPL-style event July 11, 2008
The plans, which are expected to be presented at an ECB board meeting next week, were prepared by Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, and David Stewart, the Surrey chairman, and have reportedly been approved by Lancashire and Hampshire as well. The ECB, however, has played down this suggestion, though Giles Clarke, its chairman, hinted at a discussion in the board meeting. The proposed tournament will contain 57 matches over 25 days at Lord's, The Oval, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Headingley, Old Trafford, the Rose Bowl, Chester-le-Street and Cardiff. It has been earmarked for June and July 2010. The plan promises revenue for the clubs outside the nine venues as well as investment at grass-root level. The Daily Echo said the proposal suggested replacing the existing Pro40 tournament, and that projected earnings could be as high as £850m over ten years, a figure large enough to compensate counties for the loss of the Pro40. "The figures included in these plans would not have been put in unless they were verifiable and auditable," Bradshaw told the newspaper. "There is a responsibility for all of us as administrators to make sure that we look after the counties and the clubs." Further details suggest it will include an IPL-style bidding process, a salary cap and a ruling on the number of English youngsters who have to play. It's reported that a squad would need to have 12 home-grown players, including three under 23, and must be within a budget of £1.5m. However, the most notable feature is the idea of city-based franchises, a departure from the current county set-up. The likes of Manchester would take on Birmingham instead of Lancashire playing Warwickshire. Hampshire, one the counties backing the plans, said: "The intelligent and well-considered proposal for such a new Twenty20 competition has been prepared in response to ECB's recent invitation for submissions. The proposal demonstrates significant benefits for all stakeholders in English cricket, with minimal disruption to the traditional domestic structure. Hampshire fully supports the proposal. "Hampshire understands that the proposal has been correctly submitted to the ECB board by two directors of that board, and cannot perceive of any reason why this should not be seriously considered along with any other validated submissions." Clarke told Test Match Special he wasn't involved with the proposal but suggested it could be discussed at the board meeting. "There has been a lot of debate and discussion over what is the most optimal format for the summer - what will generate the most money, what spectators want to watch, how it will help the England cricket team," he said. Clarke, though, wasn't in favour of a change from the present domestic structure. "I'm firmly in favour of 18 counties playing at their county grounds. I'm not remotely interested in the reduction of counties." This is the latest speculation surrounding English cricket's response to the IPL. There is talk of a ten-day window next April to allow contracted England stars to take part in the IPL, but the ECB have tried to ward off the threat of lucrative contracts by signing their five-year deal with Allen Stanford. It is widely accepted there will be an English version of the IPL in the near future, probably as soon as the new round of television contracts come into effect from 2010. considered along with any other validated submissions." ===================================================================================================== England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord's Let battle commence July 9, 2008
Match facts 1st Test v England at Lord's - Jul 10-14, 2008
Big Picture After 19 consecutive fixtures against the lowly New Zealanders, the tempo is about to be cranked up several notches. England and South Africa are among the most consistently thrilling opponents in the modern Test arena - two elite nations that have scrapped themselves to a standstill over the course of six series since South Africa's readmission in 1994. Invariably, the jousts in that time have centred around the pace bowlers on each side - from Devon Malcolm in 1994 to Allan Donald in 1998, Makhaya Ntini in 2003 and England's Ashes-winning quartet 18 months later. That pattern seems set to continue this summer, as Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel join Ntini in a formidable South African line-up that is already inviting lofty comparisons with the West Indian attacks of the 1980s.
Form guide England WWDWW
Watch out for... Morne Morkel Steyn is South Africa's current Boy Wonder, having harvested 78 wickets in a stellar 12 months, but the 6'6" Morkel has the capacity to be the discovery of the summer. He has played six Tests to date, but five of those have been on the pancake-flat strips of the subcontinent. England's lush zippy tracks will be much more to his liking, as he seeks to emulate Steve Harmison in his pomp, and batter England's bat-handles with vicious, leaping bounce off a good length. Kevin Pietersen This is the series that Pietersen was born to take part in. He's had to wait 39 Tests and three years since making his Test debut in the 2005 Ashes, in which time he has played against every Test opponent except for Bangladesh. But all of South Africa will remember the manner in which he announced himself on the international stage, with a phenomenal run of three hundreds in six innings on England's one-day tour of South Africa in 2004-05. His cocky, abrasive nature is sure to get under the skin of his former countrymen, not least Graeme Smith, whom Pietersen dismissed as a "muppet" in his autobiography. Expect fireworks.
Team news England have set a new world record by naming an unchanged side for the sixth match in succession, although the façade of stability is all set to crumble with the impending return of Andrew Flintoff. He trained with the England squad on the eve of the match, and if he comes through Lancashire's championship match at the Rose Bowl next week, he seems certain to be named in the squad for Headingley. Therefore, as Mickey Arthur has helpfully pointed out, there will be three or four players with an axe dangling over them at Lords, not least Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood, who mustered 77 runs between them against New Zealand. England 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Andrew Strauss, 3 Michael Vaughan (capt), 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Paul Collingwood, 7 Tim Ambrose (wk), 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Ryan Sidebottom, 10 Monty Panesar, 11 James Anderson South Africa themselves are on a bit of a selection roll. Although Andre Nel remains in the frame as a fourth out-and-out quick, they are likely to name an unchanged side for the fourth match in a row, having settled on a squad that has won six of their last seven Test series. The one that got away was no disgrace either - a 1-1 draw in India in April. The newly updated ICC rankings reflect their current hot streak, and they are now the undisputed second-best side in the world, clear of India in third place and England in fourth. If there is a fragility about their side, it is in the batting, where four of the top six have never yet played a Test in English conditions. A huge amount rests on the experience of Smith and Jacques Kallis. South Africa 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.
Umpires: Billy Bowden and Daryl Harper
Pitch and conditions It's going to be a damp week in St John's Wood. Near-incessant rain has forced both teams into the indoor nets for the past three days, and the covers have been camped on the wicket. Thursday, however, does promise to be sunny in places, and the phenomenal drainage of the Lord's outfield means that there may yet be more play than one could normally anticipate in such conditions. Nevertheless, if the match gets underway amid heavy cloud cover, it could well be a good time to bowl first.
Stats and Trivia
Quotes "Against New Zealand, [England] were very good and very steady, and did a good job as a unit, but what they did lack was the genuine pace of a Flintoff, Steve Harmison, or even a Simon Jones." "I think the South Africa series is nearly up there with the Ashes. It's always a really big series, always hard-fought and really tough. It's what Test cricket is all about." ==================================================================================================== India in Sri Lanka 2008 Dhoni pulls out of Sri Lanka Tests July 8, 2008
The speculation about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's availability for the Test series in Sri Lanka has been laid to rest with the BCCI making it official that he has requested for a break. Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI's chief administrative officer, said Dhoni, India's limited-overs' captain, had personally conveyed the message. "Yes, he (Dhoni) has told the board that he would like to rest for the Test series against Sri Lanka", Shetty said. Till late on Monday night there was a question mark over Dhoni's participation in the tour after his own public statements did not clear the air. Mid-way through the recent Asia Cup in Pakistan recently, Dhoni spoke about fatigue as a result of back-to-back-matches. On Monday, he welcomed the BCCI's policy for allowing players the choice to sit out if they wanted some rest. "The board has done a good thing by saying that if someone needs rest, he can opt out", Dhoni said. Gary Kirsten, India's coach, had also expressed concern about packed schedules and how important it was for key players like Dhoni to take a break. Since 2007, Dhoni has played 14 Tests, 56 ODIs and eight Twenty20 internationals - 134 days of international cricket in a span of less than 20 months. He also captained Chennai Super Kings to the final of the Indian Premier League, and featured in all their 16 matches. In Dhoni's absence, Dinesh Karthik is likely to take over wicketkeeping duties ahead of Parthiv Patel. Karthik last played in the Bangalore Test against Pakistan last December, which Dhoni had to skip due to an ankle injury. Karthik had played as a specialist opener in Test series in Bangladesh and England last year, and in the home Tests against Pakistan. He was picked in the squad for the Australia tour, but didn't play any of the Tests. ================================================================================================================ India in Sri Lanka 2008 Rohit and Ojha included for Sri Lanka Tests July 8, 2008
India have included uncapped players Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha in the 16-member squad for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka. Yuvraj Singh has been left out, while Gautam Gambhir wins the opener's slot ahead of Wasim Jaffer. Zaheer Khan also returns to the team after injury niggles ruled him out of international action so far this year. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni opting out, the selectors have named two wicketkeepers in Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel. The selection committee also announced the 30 probables for the Champions Trophy in September. A source in the BCCI said the selectors decided to give Yuvraj"a break" with an eye on the amount of cricket coming up and considering the slim chances of him getting a slot in the final XI for the three Tests in Sri Lanka. "The selectors decided to give him a break, considering the amount of cricket he has played recently and the cricket that is coming up in which he will play a crucial role," the source told Cricinfo. "Also, they felt it would have been difficult to accommodate him in the final XI for the Tests in a line-up that already has Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly. These were the two main factors that were considered in Yuvraj's case." Unlike Dhoni, Yuvraj did not ask for a break, but it was felt that he needed one, the source said. Yuvraj marked his comeback to the Test team with a 169 against Pakistan in Bangalore last year, but was dropped from the XI after scoring 19 runs in four innings during the Test series in Australia. Yuvraj is also susceptible against spin, another factor that could have gone against him, given the conditions in Sri Lanka. Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Mohammad Kaif and Ramesh Powar are the other omissions from the Test squad that featured in the home series against South Africa. Harbhajan Singh returns to international cricket after completing his five-match ODI ban for slapping Sreesanth, who wasn't in the reckoning as he's still recovering from a side strain. The squad consists of seven batsmen, two wicketkeepers, four fast bowlers and three spinners.
Part of the winning ICC World Twenty20 side in South Africa, Rohit impressed in the CB Series in Australia earlier this year and continued his form for the Deccan Chargers in the IPL. Ojha, the Hyderabad left-arm spinner, recently earned a call-up to the ODI side. "It's a dream come true. Any cricketer would want and expect to play for the country," Ojha told Cricinfo. "I didn't particularly think about the Sri Lanka series but I knew if I keep bowling well I would get a chance. No wild celebrations now as I want to perform on the field. I will be concentrating on my flight and changes in pace and will generally try to bowl like I do in the Ranji Trophy." Gambhir forces his way back into the Test team on the string of impressive performances in limited-overs cricket and domestic tournaments. He replaces Jaffer, who's had a poor run in Tests since the Eden Gardens Test against Pakistan last year, in which he scored a double-century. Parthiv last played for India in October 2004; since then Karthik and Dhoni have won favour for a spot in the Indian team. Karthik last played the Bangalore Test against Pakistan, which Dhoni had to skip due to an ankle injury. Karthik had played as a specialist opener in Test series in Bangladesh and England last year, and in the home Tests against Pakistan. Karthik was surprised with his selection. "I didn't know if Dhoni was playing the series or not. It feels great that they have given me a chance." he told Cricinfo. "I don't see this a stop-gap arrangement for Dhoni but will look at this as a great opportunity to perform and prove my credentials.
"Ajantha Mendis will be a tough bowler to pick but it's really exciting challenge to play someone like him. I am confident that if I get a chance I will do my best to perform both in batting and wicketkeeping." Parthiv was due to lead India A in the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia. Suresh Raina replaces him, while S Badrinath will captain the team. Parthiv had an impressive 2006-07 first-class season, scoring 1103 runs in 13 games at 58.05 as he captained Gujarat to victory in the Ranji Trophy Plate League. "It's a great opportunity," Parthiv told Cricinfo. "I've been performing really well in the last three domestic seasons. At the back of my mind, there was the possibility of me being picked. I know what it takes to be a Test player." ================================================================================================================ West Indies v Australia, 5th ODI, St Kitts Evolving Australia prove their depth July 6, 2008
Last time Australia visited the Caribbean they went home undefeated and with a World Cup in their possession. The stakes were considerably lower on this trip but it was an important step in the development of a side that has lost several key members of the World Cup-winning squad. Of the team that triumphed in the dark in Barbados last April, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Brad Hogg have retired, Matthew Hayden missed this entire tour with an injury, Ricky Ponting flew home with a wrist problem and Shaun Tait is slowly coming back to cricket after a self-imposed break. It meant opportunities galore for a bunch of state players who over the past few seasons have been green with envy as the Australia team remained as impenetrable as Shivnarine Chanderpaul's defences. A 5-0 series whitewash was proof that the fringe men have learned from watching their predecessors. A 169-run thrashing of West Indies in the final game ensured Australia will leave the Caribbean on a high, and none of the players will be as ecstatic as the Man of the Match Luke Ronchi. He destroyed West Indies with 64 from 28 deliveries when the acting captain Michael Clarke promoted him to No. 3 and he slammed six sixes over the tiny boundaries at Warner Park. "It's a lot like the WACA - short straight," Ronchi said after the game. "It's the easiest way to go. It's the way I play cricket at home and that was the job I was given today, to go out and make the most of the Powerplays and luckily enough it came off." Ronchi was largely responsible for West Indies' third Powerplay costing 63 runs - even more amazing considering Dwayne Bravo kept one of the five overs to one run. If Australia thought Ronchi's 22-ball half-century was impressive, the 19-ball effort from David Hussey in the dying overs was the icing on the cake and Clarke was full of praise for both men. "We took a little bit of a gamble [promoting Ronchi to No. 3] but Luke's a fantastic cricketer, he's scored a lot of runs back home and we were very confident he would do the job today," Clarke said. "It's great for Australian cricket, we have a lot of depth back at home and as you've seen on this tour our one-day team is still very strong." There were also promising performances from the new opener Shaun Marsh and his partner Shane Watson, who was not in the original squad but finished as Player of the Series after scoring 206 runs at 41.20 and collecting six wickets. Apart from a half-century from Shawn Findlay and some tight bowling from Nikita Miller, the signs were not as encouraging for West Indies. After a series in which their only strong effort resulted in a one-run loss, the captain Chris Gayle knows they have a long way to go to threaten the world's top sides. "We still need to work on our cricket and take a leaf from [Australia's] book as well," Gayle said. "We need to work on the mental aspect to our game as well and physically in the field and so on." ================================================================================== India v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup final, Karachi Mendis spins Sri Lanka to title triumph July 6, 2008 Sri Lanka 273 (Jayasuriya 125, Dilshan 56, Ishant 3-52) beat India 173 (Sehwag 60, Mendis 6-13) by 100 runs
Eight years ago, in Sharjah, Sanath Jayasuriya scored a magnificent 189 before Sri Lanka's bowlers sent India tumbling to 54 all out, and a humiliating 245-run defeat. At Karachi's National Stadium, Jayasuriya, now 39, smashed another superb century before Ajantha Mendis, the mystery spinner still classed as a slow-medium bowler, bamboozled a highly rated batting line-up to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 13. Virender Sehwag's blistering early onslaught was rendered irrelevant as Sri Lanka stormed to a 100-run victory, retaining the Asia Cup and extending India's miserable record in tournament finals. With Sehwag hammering an exhilarating 60 from just 35 balls, India had romped to 76 from just nine overs. Muttiah Muralitharan prefers not to bowl during the Powerplays, and it was to Mendis, who the Indians had never faced before, that Mahela Jayawardene turned as he sought to staunch the flow of runs. Even he couldn't have predicted the impact that Mendis would have. Like a combine harvester scything through a field of corn, Mendis sliced through a line-up that has quite a reputation when it comes to playing spin. Sehwag charged his second delivery and watched helplessly as it drifted away from him. Kumar Sangakkara did the rest. Two balls later, Yuvraj Singh was utterly befuddled by one that skidded on. Suddenly, 274 appeared a long way away. That Sri Lanka got anywhere near that was down to a man who refuses to bow to Father Time. India picked up four wickets in the first 12 overs, with Ishant claiming three of them, but Jayasuriya's 114-ball 125, and a 131-run partnership with Tillakaratne Dilshan utterly changed the complexion of the game. It's perhaps no coincidence that India haven't won the Asia Cup since Jayasuriya became a regular at the top of the Sri Lankan order, and his mastery over the opposition was best revealed in the 16th over, bowled by RP Singh. RP had managed to escape relatively unscathed in his opening spell, conceding 24 from five overs, but when he returned, Jayasuriya took to him like a bull that had been riled by the matador's cape. Sixes on either side of the sightscreen were followed by two wallops over cover, and after a one-ball lull, he pulled one over midwicket for six more. With Dilshan then taking three successive fours off Irfan Pathan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had no option but to turn to spin, with Pragyan Ojha and Sehwag managing to have something of a fire-extinguishing effect. India had started poorly, with RP conceding two boundaries to fine leg in the opening over, but a mix-up between two experienced hands gave them the opening they so desperately needed. Jayasuriya tapped one to short mid-off, and Sangakkara had already hared halfway down the pitch before he realised the striker had no interest in a single. Suresh Raina's underarm flick was the ultimate punishment.
But with two maiden overs bowled in the first five, India wrested back a measure of control, despite Jayasuriya's sporadic bursts of aggression. With the pressure building, it was Ishant who struck, as Jayawardene slapped one straight to Rohit at point. No bother for Jayasuriya though. A swivel pull sent an Ishant delivery for six, and Pathan's introduction was greeted with three fours in the over. The problem was at the other end, where Ishant was wreaking havoc with the extra bounce he extracted from a comatose pitch. Bounce and a hint of lateral movement had Chamara Kapugedera playing one off the leading edge to point, and two balls later, the other Chamara - Silva - inside-edged one back on to the stumps. Jayasuriya's version of consolidation involved a pull for six off Ishant and a slice of luck as a as a miscue off Pathan evaded RP, who ran around in circles and failed to get his hands to the ball. Dilshan contributed only four to the first 50 the pair added, from 30 balls, but he did his part, turning the strike over to allow Jayasuriya to inflict maximum damage. With Sehwag and Ojha - Rohit contributed three tidy overs too - taking the pace off the ball, it was a different story. With the field spread, the boundaries dried up and the runs came mainly in singles. India missed a couple of run-out opportunities and Dhoni put down a sharp chance offered by Dilshan when he was on 37, but the helter-skelter pace of the Powerplay overs soon gave way to relative calm. Eventually, the lack of action got to Jayasuriya and a flat slog-sweep off Sehwag only found Ishant at deep midwicket. After that, Sri Lanka lost their way. Dilshan eased to 50 from 68 balls, but when Pathan returned to bowl round the wicket, he popped a catch to Dhoni. Vaas, back in the fray after missing the last game, square-drove Ishant for the first four in more than 20 overs, but was castled by RP soon after. Nuwan Kulasekara flailed the bat to finish with an unbeaten 29, but a target of 274 was expected to be well within reach for an Indian side that had included seven specialist batsmen. But after his extraordinary first over, Mendis soon set about making a mockery of the predictions. Raina had been fortunate to survive a vociferous leg-before shout before he decided to play the worst shot of the evening, an ugly pull to a delivery that pitched on middle stump. Rohit soon followed, struck on the back pad by one that deviated away a touch, and by the time Jayawardene decided to take him out of the attack, Mendis had stunning figures of 4 for 8. No one including the umpires knew quite what to expect, and the batsmen appeared unsure whether to play him as a slow bowler or a medium-pace one. That indecision was to prove fatal, especially against the carrom ball that was being propelled by a flick of the middle finger. As eye-catching was his accuracy. There was no width for the batsmen to work with, and hardly a loose delivery. Only Dhoni, who played the ball as late as he possibly could, showed any signs of coming to grips with him.
Jayawardene waited a while longer and then brought back Mendis for the 30th over. India somehow survived that, but the game was up in his next. Pathan's attempt to flick through the leg side ended up at slip, and RP walked off bemused after one deviated away to take off stump. He should have had the hat-trick too, only Simon Taufel was as perplexed by a ball that pitched in line as Ojha was. Dhoni had watched it all from the other end, defending stoutly and striking the odd four when he could. But once he inside-edged Chaminda Vaas to the keeper, the Sri Lankan dressing room readied for the celebrations. When Kulasekara cleaned up Ishant with 63 balls still to be bowled, they could begin in earnest. The combination of the six-hitting veteran and the six-wicket carrom-ball spinner had been far too much for India to handle. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pakistan v Bangladesh, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi
Pakistan thrash sorry Bangladesh
July 4, 2008
Pakistan 116 for 0 (Butt 56*, Jamshed 52*) beat Bangladesh 115 (Rauf 3-24) by ten wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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A clinical performance from Pakistan saw them coast to a ten-wicket win over Bangladesh in the inconsequential final Super Four match of the Asia Cup. In a refreshing change at the National Stadium in Karachi, the bowlers dominated the proceedings in the first session but for Bangladesh it was the same old story as their innings folded at 115 all out - the tournament's lowest total.
On a pitch offering sideways movement and extra bounce, Abdur Rauf sliced through the top order with three wickets and Iftikhar Anjum bowled an astonishing six maidens - equalling the record for a Pakistani - to put the hosts on course. Half-centuries from openers Nasir Jamshed and Salman Butt helped complete the formalities with more than 30 overs to spare.
The plethora of big scores that have been easily chased down hasn't dissuaded captains from choosing to bat first, and Mohammad Ashraful continued the trend. While Sohail Tanvir extracted significant lateral movement from the pitch initially, it was Rauf who got the early wickets.
On one of the cooler days of the tournament, on a difficult pitch, Bangladesh's batsmen compounded their troubles with some ill-advised shots. Opener Nazimuddin attempted to pull a short delivery in the second over from outside off and only managed to top-edge it to Shoaib Malik at cover.
Ashraful and Tamim Iqbal didn't bring out their strokes except when the bowlers erred, but their steady approach lifted Bangladesh to 41 for 2. Ashraful hadn't connected with an attempted hook in the ninth over but got hold of a short one from Rauf in the next to launch it over the midwicket boundary. Rauf's next ball was a fast bowler's classic reply: a snorter aimed at the body which forced Ashraful to give Misbah-ul-Haq a catch at point.
Raqibul Hasan has shown a heartening and - for a Bangladesh batsman - rare ability to stick it out in the middle but this time he went for an ambitious hook first ball off Tanvir to hole out at short fine leg.
With Bangladesh at a dicey 49 for 3, Rauf came up with the best over of the match. The first ball was a sharp bouncer which Tamim fended to slip, and Alok Kapali barely survived the next five torrid deliveries - a couple of well-directed bouncers, and a mixture of incoming and away-going deliveries.
Iftikhar Anjum followed the Rauf formula of throwing in a surprise bouncer while also testing the batsmen against the deliveries which seamed off a length. Kapali struck three boundaries in Anjum's first over but he was undone by the extra lift in the pitch as well. It was a superb comeback by Anjum, conceding only seven runs in his last nine overs and beating the bat on umpteen occasions. He finished with figures of 10-6-20-2 and was unlucky to not get more wickets.
Saeed Ajmal backed up the good work of the fast bowlers, picking up two late-order wickets off his doosra, which the batsmen struggled to pick as Bangladesh folded in the 39th over.
The flimsy total wasn't going to be much of a challenge for a Pakistan batting line-up that convincingly chased down 309 against India on Wednesday. Jamshed provided the early momentum, repeatedly carting the bowlers in the arc between long-on and midwicket as Pakistan went into the dinner break at 23 for no loss.
Shahadat Hossain extracted the same bounce which aided the Pakistan bowlers, and troubled both openers in the first over after the resumption but there were few alarms after that. Pakistan scored a boundary in virtually every over with a series of off drives off Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat.
There was a brief lull after spin was introduced at both ends before Butt carved Abdur Razzak through extra cover in the eighteenth over. That opened the floodgates as Jamshed pummelled Mahmudullah over long-on for six and brought up his fifty with a swept four to midwicket. Butt also completed his fifty with three sweeps to the boundary off Razzak before an authoritative cut put Bangladesh out of their misery.
Bangladesh are still without a win against challenging opposition since last year's World Cup and the poor showing at the Asia Cup isn't the sort of preparation they'd want ahead of a tough tour of Australia.
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Australia in the West Indies 2008
Ponting returns home with wrist injury
July 4, 2008
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Ricky Ponting will make an early departure from the Caribbean as he continues to battle an injury to his right wrist. Ponting will fly out for Australia immediately after it became clear he was unlikely to play in the final ODI of the series against West Indies in St Kitts on Sunday.
"Ricky has a tendon injury in his right wrist and he will be flying home to see a specialist in Melbourne," Justin Steer, the team physio, said. "Given his unavailability for the last match of the series we see this as a good opportunity to have him see the specialist at his earliest convenience."
He suffered the injury while batting in the third ODI in Grenada on Sunday and was ruled out of Friday's fourth game in St Kitts. Ponting's absence means Michael Clarke will captain the side as they aim for a 5-0 series whitewash, with Michael Hussey to act as Clarke's vice-captain.
Ponting will be the third squad member to head home from the West Indies mid-series. Matthew Hayden was ruled out before the first Test with an achilles tendon injury and Brad Haddin departed after one ODI as he battled a broken finger.
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Future of Zimbabwe cricket
Zimbabwe pull out of World Twenty20
July 4, 2008
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After weeks of backroom manoeuvring and two days of boardroom negotiations, the Zimbabwe issue was resolved with a compromise that sees them pulling out of the 2009 World Twenty20 in England yet retaining their Full Member status with access to full funding from the ICC.
Zimbabwe, whose decision to pull out from the World Twenty20 cleared the roadblock for the competition to be staged in England, will receive its full participation fee for the tournament. The scenario prompted Ray Mali, whose term as ICC president ended today, to call it a "win-win solution".
"We have decided to pull out in the larger interests of the game," Peter Chingoka, the chairman of Zimbabwe Cricket, told Cricinfo. "We have been informed that the British government may not grant visas to our players, and that situation may prevail during the Twenty20 World Cup. We don't want to be gatecrashers; we will attend only those weddings to which we are invited."
Friday morning's meeting of the ICC executive board, which spilled over into an unscheduled third day, lasted barely 20 minutes and wound up with sighs of relief, smiles all around and a group photo session that featured Mali's successor David Morgan shaking hands warmly with Sharad Pawar, head of the Indian board and the ICC's president-elect.
The morning's session was brief only because the principal players had been working through the night on an agreement that would avert a feared split within the ICC with England and South Africa ranged against India and other Asian countries over the propriety of Zimbabwe's status as Full Member.
In the end, India is believed to have played a key role in the compromise, especially in convincing Zimbabwe that the issue was not about membership of the ICC but about getting back into world cricket.
"We have consulted and exchanged notes with everybody, including our Indian friends, last night," Chingoka said. "We are now looking forward to more tours and international cricket with our Asian friends, especially India."
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Mali, it is learnt, also played his part last night in allaying Zimbabwean fears over their future. "Ray Mali, Dave Richardson, Haroon Lorgat and I decided on an adjournment yesterday to take the discussions forward. Mali took the lead (in resolving the issue)," Morgan said, before admitting "there were a number of private meetings after the adjournment."
Morgan said the issue of Zimbabwe's membership was never discussed at the board meeting, which "unanimously" accepted the country's "voluntary proposal" to pull out of the World Twenty20. There were different views on the issue during the hectic discussions, he acknowledged, but dismissed talk of the ICC being divided as a "mistake".
"It was a collective decision and I was a part of that decision," Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, confirmed to Cricinfo.
Zimbabwe's re-integration into mainstream cricket, and possibly the FTP, will be overseen by a three-member ICC sub-committee headed by Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board, and including Arjuna Ranatunga, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket, and an ICC official yet to be confirmed. Hunte and Ranatunga are ICC board members and were part of the official discussions over Zimbabwe here in Dubai.
The sub-committee will advise the ICC board on all matters relating to Zimbabwe cricket; specific terms of reference for its operation have not yet been finalised but it's believed that it will report back to the ICC board in November.
The only window of uncertainty now is the one month that Chingoka has been given to get his board's approval for the arrangement, including the pullout from the World Twenty20. Chingoka calls the shots in ZC so this effectively gives him time to reassess his position, especially if he develops any second thoughts over the compromise.
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India v Sri Lanka, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi
Priceless effort from precious little
July 3, 2008
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On pitches where the bowlers can do very little, such as at the Asia Cup, the little they manage to do is priceless. The Indian medium-pacers put in just such a performance on a heartless pitch to restrict Sri Lanka to 308.
To start off with, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made an aggressive move by playing an extra bowler. "We wanted to think a bit differently, to do things a bit differently," Dhoni said, after the comprehensive win took them into the final. "If you keep doing the same thing, you will get the same result. We wanted to go with a 4-1 combination, because we have struggled in the middle overs. Since there is not much help in the middle overs, we wanted to have an option there." One other thing they did differently - and more importantly - was they opened the innings with RP Singh and Ishant Sharma. Praveen Kumar has, in his short career, been a superb new-ball bowler for India, but that is when he can get the ball to move. In Karachi, however, the pitch has not aided Praveen, and the move worked for India.
What favoured Ishant and RP was that the pitch, for the first time in eight matches, had a hint of variable bounce, and as Mahela Jayawardene reckoned, was a bit a slower. And on such pitches bowlers like Ishant, who can hit that length consistently, can be difficult to handle. With RP bowling a tight opening spell of four overs for 11, Ishant was the one Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya had to go after. A less humble man might claim to have chalked out a strategy to bowl in the blind spot around the left-hand batsmen's hips - Ishant got edges down the legs off both Sangakkara and Jayasuriya just before they could explode. Those, in fact, were not the best balls he bowled, but he had an interesting battle going on with Jayasuriya building up to that dismissal.
RP, who really should have been the Man of the Match, returned for a second spell within the Powerplays to bowl a maiden over to Jayawardene. In his last three overs, bowled at the death, he went for 20 runs and took Kaushal Weeraratne's wicket, making sure the final charge never arrived.
"I am pretty happy with the way they did today," Dhoni said. "Ishant, RP and Pragyan [Ojha] bowled really well, it doesn't mean that the other bowlers didn't. You have to see they had the opportunity with the new ball, the rest of the seamers had to bowl with a fairly old ball."
The old ball has been a problem for India for some time now. They haven't been great exponents of reverse-swing, and the yorker has been conspicuous in its absence. India did manage to restrict Sri Lanka to 77 in the last 10 overs, but that had a lot to do with the fact that they had got wickets at fairly regular intervals. It was mainly length bowling at the death, with a slower ball here and there; better batsmen than Sri Lanka's last five would have cherished those dish-outs.
Once again, when India came in to bat, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave them an explosive start, which proved to be a blessing for the middle order that usually has a lot more running between the wickets to do than Sehwag or Gambhir. Out of the last 36 hours, India have been involved in cricket-related activities for about 24 hours, so the ease with which they reached the target in 46.5 overs doesn't begin to reflect the magnitude of the effort. "These bikes are running on reserve energy," Dhoni joked.
Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Rohit Sharma looked visibly tired by the end of it; the bowlers will be feeling it even more. In the two days that they have between today and the final, they will have to recover physically, and also work out how to put in the other half of the precious little they managed today.
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Pakistan v Bangladesh, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi
Ousted hosts look to salvage pride
July 3, 2008
Match facts
Friday, July 3, 2008
Start time 16.00 (local), 10.00 (GMT)
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Big Picture
The final league clash in the Asia Cup has, much to the disappointment of the home side, been reduced to a dead rubber with India's six-wicket win sealing their spot in the final and shutting Pakistan out the tournament.
Two days back, Pakistan were unsure of where they stood in this tournament. A scintillating batting performance against India put them one step closer to joining Sri Lanka in the final but now they must play to keep the critics at bay. There have been reports that the team's results at the Kitply Cup and Asia Cup could decide the futures of coach Geoff Lawson and Shoaib Malik. The pressure would have eased after the Kitply Cup win but a loss to Bangladesh at home could bring it right back on.
Bangladesh only once looked like scaring the other teams in the Super Four when they posted 281 against India, before their bowling let them down. There won't be any respite as they take on a powerful middle order. Form and momentum point to Pakistan in this final league clash - and they're up against the weakest team in the Super Four.
Form guide
(Last five completed ODIs; most recent first)
Pakistan WLLWW
Bangladesh LLLWL
Watch out for ...
Younis Khan, who's back at his best after a very efficient century against the Indians on Wednesday that kept Pakistan's hopes alive in the tournament. Pakistan cannot afford a defeat against Bangladesh, so Younis' experience in the middle order should be invaluable.
Saeed Ajmal's variations with his offbreaks. On his debut, he kept varying his pace, firing in the quicker ones and the odd delivery that straightened. Bangladesh struggled against the Sri Lankan spinners, conceding seven wickets to them, so they will approach Ajmal with some caution.
Team news
The only question mark for Pakistan is the fitness of their regular captain Shoaib Malik, who collapsed shortly before the India game during a fitness test. Malik had been battling dehydration and cramps. If he returns, Nasir Jamshed could miss out despite impressing with an attacking half-century in his first outing.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Salman Butt, 2 Shoaib Malik (capt), 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Sohail Tanvir, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Abdur Rauf, 10 Iftikhar Anjum, 11 Saeed Ajmal.
Bangladesh have the opportunity to test their bench strength. Mosharraf Hossain, the left-arm spinner, Mehrab Hossain Jnr, the middle-order batsman and Shahriar Nafees, the opening batsman, haven't played a game yet and Bangladesh have nothing to lose by fielding all three.
Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Nazimuddin/Shahriar Nafees, 3 Mohammad Ashraful (capt), 4 Raqibul Hasan, 5 Alok Kapali, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Farhad Reza/Mehrab Hossain Jnr, 9 Shahadat Hossain, 10 Abdur Razzak/Mosharraf Hossain, 11 Mashrafe Mortaza.
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India v Sri Lanka, Super Four, Asia Cup, Karachi
Batting might sees India into final
July 3, 2008
India 310 for 4 (Gambhir 68, Dhoni 67, Raina 54) beat Sri Lanka 308 for 8 (Kapugedera 75, Jayawardene 50, Silva 50) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
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For the second day in succession, a target of 309 was overhauled without much trouble. Each of India's batsmen played their part as India reached the final with a convincing six-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Muttiah Muralitharan was the only bowler to unsettle the batsmen but, with little support from the rest, India triumphed with 19 balls to spare.
In contrast to their bowling effort, four of Sri Lanka's top six made significant contributions to help them post an imposing total. However, having already qualified for the final, they rested the experienced Chaminda Vaas as well as their new spin sensation Ajantha Mendis, a decision that worked in India's favour.
Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag provided their now-familiar blazing start as India started their chase in earnest. It wasn't an all-out assault from them. Runs were scored with a combination of well-timed boundaries and a host of sharp singles - even Sehwag's six over midwicket was an effortless pick-up off his pads. In fact, the only shot in the first Powerplay, based on brute force, was an on-drive from Gambhir off Nuwan Kulasekara in the 10th over.
With little in the pitch for the fast bowlers, the openers were only troubled when taking some ill-judged singles. Gambhir demonstrated his confidence level by repeatedly charging the fast bowlers while Sehwag nonchalantly pulled even length deliveries to midwicket. Though India had raced to 71 in the first 10 overs, Jayawardene decided to take the second Powerplay. The decision seemed to backfire as 21 runs came off the next nine balls but the breakthrough came when Sehwag tapped a slower ball down leg side to Dilhara Fernando at short fine leg.
Suresh Raina started off with a confident pull to midwicket but was fortunate to see a lofted drive dropped by substitute Jehan Mubarak at cover. He and Gambhir took India to 135 before Gambhir was trapped lbw for 68, failing to pick a straighter one from Murali. Dhoni promoted himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh probably to ensure two left-handers didn't have to deal with the wiles of Murali.
Dhoni hardly showed any effects of having kept in back-to-back matches and playing a long innings yesterday as he and Raina scampered quick singles and twos. He started out cautiously before opening out after the 30th over - four fours (including a powerful, fine paddle-sweep off Murali) and a six came in the next four overs as the required-rate dipped to manageable levels.
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Raina was run out soon after when going for a tight third and Dhoni was foxed by a quicker one from Murali to leave India with two new batsmen at the crease, and 56 runs in the arrears. Yuvraj and Rohit Sharma, though, settled India's nerves with a composed partnership and set up a rematch in Sunday's final.
Unlike the Sri Lankan bowlers, India started off well as the new-ball bowlers turned in a much-improved performance, so much so that the first convincing boundary came only in the seventh over.
Ishant Sharma was the pick of the bowlers, exploiting the variable bounce in the pitch and effectively using the slower ball to trouble the batsmen. In one of cricket's typical quirks, amid an excellent spell, Ishant got his wickets off two of the worst deliveries he sent down - both short and down the leg side.
His opening partner RP Singh was also economical and Sri Lanka were limited to 39 for 1 after eight. The introduction of Irfan Pathan, though, let them off the hook as 26 came off his two overs. Sanath Jayasuriya had just switched to fifth gear before gloving one to Dhoni off Ishant. With the pitch easing up, Jayawardene and Kapugedera collected the singles against the spinners while punishing the loose deliveries from the faster bowlers to put on 78. Kapugedera, in particular, was impressive with a series of classical off-driven boundaries early on.
Risk-free batting took Jayawardene on to his half-century but he perished soon after as he stepped out and chipped Pragyan Ojha straight to long-off. Kapugedera was next to go, trapped lbw by Praveen, but not before he added 68 with Chamara Silva. Silva used the cut and sweep shots well against the spinners to make a well-deserved fifty and cameos from Kaushalya Weeraratne and Thilan Thushara pushed Sri Lanka beyond 300.
India's cause wasn't helped by their fielding, which has been below par right through the Asia Cup - catches were misjudged, dives at the boundary rarely saved the fours and several run-out opportunities were spurned. Ultimately, though, their batting covered up the deficiencies in the other departments to take them to the final at the expense of Pakistan.