Amla leads fightback after early blows

DURBAN : Hashim Amla led South Africa's fightback after Sri Lanka struck three early blows on the second day of the second Test match at Kingsmead on Tuesday.

South Africa were 100 for three at tea in reply to a Sri Lankan first innings of 338 in which Thilan Samaraweera made a century and Marchant de Lange took seven wickets on debut.

Amla struck a fluent 52 not out and dominated an unbeaten third wicket stand of 73 with AB de Villiers (23 not out). The pair came together after South Africa lost their first three wickets for 27 runs.

De Lange's figures of seven for 81 were the best recorded by any bowler in Test matches in 2011 and put him at the top of an extraordinary crop of eight bowlers who have taken five or more wickets in an innings in their first Test match this year.

Samaraweera made 102 before he was last man out. He became only the second Sri Lankan to hit a Test century in South Africa, joining Hashan Tillekeratne, who made 104 at Centurion in 2002-03.

Samaraweera and Rangana Herath frustrated the South African bowlers at the start of the day, adding 46 to the overnight total of 289 for seven, with Samaraweera batting watchfully to reach his 13th Test century off 265 balls.

After Samaraweera reached his hundred, Herath top-edged a slog against De Lange and was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for 30. He had an escape on seven when he played a similar shot against Morne Morkel and was caught by the bowler, only for Morkel to be no-balled after umpire Richard Kettleborough asked for a review. It was the second time in the series Morkel was denied a wicket after a check on where his front foot had landed.

The tall, strongly-built De Lange quickly wrapped up the innings, having Chanaka Welegedera caught at short leg fending off a vicious bouncer before Samaraweera was caught at deep cover.

Only two South Africans have achieved better figures on debut than De Lange, who was a late replacement for the injured Vernon Philander, who also made an exceptional start to his Test career, with four five- wicket hauls in his first three matches, including five for 15 on debut against Australia.

The best figures by a South African on debut are eight for 64 by Lance Klusener against India in Kolkata in 1996-97.

Chanaka Welegedera had a hand in all three South African dismissals, which came at a cost of five runs. South Africa reached 22 for no wicket without Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph looking in any trouble before Rudolph played a loose hook against Thisara Perera and was caught at long leg by a diving Welegedera.

Welegedera then struck twice with his left-arm pace bowling, having South African captain Graeme Smith caught behind for 15 and Jacques Kallis caught at second slip without scoring.

Amla and De Villiers had to rebuild but Amla did so with sweetly-timed strokes, mainly on the off side, as he reached 50 off 69 balls with ten fours.

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India begin strongly, Tendulkar misses out

Gautam Gambhir's failure notwithstanding, India responded strongly to Australia's score of 333 on Day 2 of the Melbourne Test. Virender Sehwag's risk-prone but entertaining 67 was followed by the calming presence of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, who was dismissed by Peter Siddle for 73 in what turned out to be the final over of the day.

This is turning out to be a rare strong show from the Indians who've often started Test tours poorly. Dravid, earlier bowled off a no-ball by Siddle, can press on for a hundred on Day 2. They still trail by 119 runs but there?s good weather expected and the wicket will be easier to bat on.

Earlier in the day, India struggled to dislodge the Australian tail that batted determinedly to minimise their losses. Peter Siddle (41), James Pattinson (19) and Ben Hilfenhaus (18) occupied most of the morning session.

Zaheer Khan (4-77) removed Brad Haddin in his first over with a clever inswing/outswing combo that produced an edge to gully. He then quickly removed Siddle but the tail-enders had no trouble blunting Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. It was left to Ravichandran Ashwin wipe them out.

SEHWAG CUTS LOOSE

It took Sehwag one ball to show what his innings today would be about. The outswinger pitched up by Hilfenhaus was lofted over cover for two. He offered three difficult chances today - two off Pattinson. He also got into an argument with the young tearaway who seemed to have hung out his elbow as Sehwag ran past him for a single. Pattinson had his man, courtesy a huge inside edge that crashed into the stumps.

Gambhir hasn't seemed to have adjusted to the conditions in Australia and tended to go hard at balls outside off-stump, ones that should normally be left alone. It was a matter of time before Hilfenhaus compelled the outside edge that would end Gambhir's stay.

TENDULKAR, DRAVID DELIVER

Tendulkar's innings today could be divided into three phases.

The first, where he came out just before tea, looking merely to survive two overs and was lucky to do so. On zero, he nearly played on to Pattinson. Michael Clarke brought on the part-time seamer Mike Hussey when Tendulkar was on 1. Hussey managed to produce an edge that would have been an easy catch for a catcher on the legside, but there was nobody there.

After the break, came the second phase. Tendulkar unshackled himself. He uppercut the first ball of the session off Siddle for six. He followed that with a clip off his pads for three, and managed to keep scoring freely through the evening. The approach helped maintain the momentum set by Sehwag.

As he does on bouncy wickets, Tendulkar started to employ the uppercut with frustrating regularity for the Australians. He wasn't averse to punching off the backfoot through the covers, or lofting over the straight field.

Just when it seemed he would close the deal on his much-awaited hundredth hundred, Tendulkar started playing for stumps again. In that third phase of his innings, he tried to punch Siddle straight, but the ball seamed in through the gap to knock back the off-stump.

Dravid did just what he was needed to. He offered solid support to Sehwag and Tendulkar, blunting Clarke's pacers one by one. On 65, he was bowled by a delivery similar to the one that got Tendulkar. But when the umpires checked the replay, Siddle had overstepped thus denying him a well-deserved wicket.

India have begun the innings well. But the job is only half done

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Team for England Series announced

LAHORE : The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the squad for the series against England. The team was announced by Chief Selector Muhammed Ilyas.

Those who made the cut include: Muhammed Hafeez, Taufiq Umer, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Umer Gul, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz, Muhammed Talha, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman.

Misbah ul Haq will remain as captain while Shoaib Malik has been dropped from the squad.

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Australia 179/8 at close, lead India by 230

MELBOURNE : Australia were 179-8, an overall lead of 230, in their second innings at the close on the third day of the first test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Mike Hussey was unbeaten on 79 with James Pattinson on three.

Scores: Australia 179-8 (R. Ponting 60, M. Hussey 79 not out; U. Yadav 4-49) and 333 (R. Ponting 62, E. Cowan 68; U. Yadav 3-106, Z Khan 4-77) v India 282 (V. Sehwag 67, R. Dravid 68, S. Tendulkar 73; B. Hilfenhaus 5-75, P. Siddle 3-63).

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Mohsin retained as coach, Cheema manager for England series

KARACHI : Pakistan on Tuesday kept Mohsin Khan as interim coach for next month's series against England as the search continues to find a permanent replacement for Waqar Younis.

Khan, 56, was appointed after Waqar quit on health grounds in September, and later helped Pakistan win a clean sweep over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"Khan will be the coach for the series against England next month," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

The PCB had formed a three-member committee to find a replacement for Waqar, which shortlisted a few names, including former Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore who was invited for an interview next month.

Pakistan plays three Tests, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against England in the United Arab Emirates between January 17 and February 27.

Former Test paceman Aaqib Javed was recalled as bowling coach after being dumped in September, while former middle order batsman Ijaz Ahmed was retained as fielding coach.

Naveed Cheema will be manager for the series, the PCB said.

Pakistan on Monday announced a 15-man squad for the three Tests. The first Test starts in Dubai from January 17.(AFP)

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Pakistan U-19 team announced for South Africa tour

LAHORE : Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday announced its U19 team for the tour of South Africa starting next month.

Pak team will participate in a triangular series featuring (Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe) from January 5 to 22. Then Pak team will play 3 Youth ODI against South Africa on January 25, 27 and 29.

The team was named by national selectors here on Tuesday at Gadaffi stadium. The selectors named Babar Azam as captain and Umer Waheed as his deputy.

Following is the team: Sami Aslam, Babar Azam (captain), Syed Faraz Ali, Umer Waheed,V. Captain, Shahan Akram, Syed Saad Ali, Adnan Mahmood, Muhammad Irfan, Shahid Ilyas, Ehsan Adil, Azizullah, Zia ul Haq, Fawad Khan ,Usman Qadir, Saifullah Bangash (wk).

Reserves: Imam ul Haq, Salman Afridi (wk), Mir Hamza ,Muhammad Nawaz, Ghazanfar Abbas, Muhammad Farman.

Team Management: Haroon Rasheed, manager; Sabih Azhar , coach; Dr. Sohail Saleem, doctor cum physiotherapist; Yasir Malik, trainer; and Usman Hashmi, analyst.

The same team management will be retained till the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2012. (APP)

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Team management announced

LAHORE : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the team’s management for the upcoming series against England.

Mohsin Hasan Khan will remain as the coach of the team, while Naveed Akram Cheema has been named manager.

Aqib Javed has been named the bowling coach, while Ijaz Ahmed will be the fielding coach.

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Samaraweera, Chandimal rescue Sri Lanka

DURBAN : Thilan Samaraweera and new cap Dinesh Chandimal shared a century partnership as Sri Lanka made a strong recovery on the first day of the second Test match at Kingsmead on Monday.

Sri Lanka finished the day on 289 for seven, with Samaraweera (86 not out) and Chandimal (58) adding 111 for the sixth wicket after Marchant de Lange, South Africa's new fast bowler, had ripped out three of Sri Lanka's leading batsmen.

De Lange took another wicket in the last over of the day when he had Thisara Perera caught at short leg to finish with four for 60 in his first day in Test cricket.

De Lange, 21, who received a late call-up after Vernon Philander was ruled out by a knee injury, had Sri Lanka in trouble at 162 for five on a good batting pitch after dismissing Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews.

But De Lange's efforts on a hot, humid day were stymied by Samaraweera and Chandimal.

Samaraweera made a bright start but scored only 23 runs between lunch and tea as he settled into an anchor role. He made his 86 runs off 218 balls with ten fours.

Samaraweera was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Imran Tahir when he was on 50 but gained a reprieve when Tahir was no-balled. He also survived a stumping chance to Mark Boucher off Tahir when he had 63.

Chandimal, 22, justified the decision of the tour selectors to pick him as wicketkeeper ahead of Kaushal Silva because of his superior batting skills.

Strong on the cut, he was not afraid to go for his shots in an 86-ball innings which included seven fours.

Chandimal was also handed a reprieve when De Lange failed to pull down a leaping catch at mid-on off Tahir when he had 25.

But the second new ball was Chandimal's undoing as he flashed wildly at a short, lifting delivery from Morne Morkel to be caught behind by Boucher.

Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman and first Sri Lankan to reach 10,000 runs in Test cricket when he opened his scoring with a single. The 34-year-old made 31 before he was bowled by Morkel.

The tall, strongly-built De Lange had opening batsman Paranavitana caught behind by Boucher for 12 with his 12th ball in Test cricket. He followed up two balls into his next over when Sangakkara was caught behind for nought.

In mid-afternoon De Lange ended a promising fifth-wicket stand of 45 between Samaraweera and Mathews when he held a sharp, right-handed return catch to dismiss Mathews for 30.

Before Philander's injury, De Lange was due to be released to play for the Titans franchise in a domestic first-class match.

De Lange was brought into the attack after six overs and immediately impressed with his ability to generate pace and lift.

He drew Paranavitana into a drive against a full length delivery after sending down several short balls, then forced Sangakkara into a hurried jab against a fast ball just outside his off stump.

Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan backed up his decision to bat first on an even-paced pitch with some aggressive strokes at the start of the innings but was forced to become more circumspect after losing his first two partners.

He made 47 off 69 balls with six fours before hitting a full toss from Tahir to Morkel at fine leg.

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Bangladesh to meet Pakistan in Asia Cup opener

DHAKA : Bangladesh will meet Pakistan in the opening match of the four-nation Asia Cup cricket tournament starting in Dhaka in March, an official said Monday.

The Sher-e-Bangla National stadium will host all the matches, including the inaugural tie on March 12 and the final on March 22, Asian Cricket Council chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq said.

"All teams including India and Pakistan have confirmed their participation," he told AFP.

India won the last edition of the tournament in Dambulla in Sri Lanka in June 2010.

Asia Cup schedule:
March 12: Bangladesh v Pakistan
March 13: India v Sri Lanka
March 15: Pakistan v Sri Lanka
March 16: India v Bangladesh
March 18: India v Pakistan
March 20: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
March 22: Final
March 23: Reserve day
(AFP)

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Australia fight back against India in first Test

MELBOURNE : Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and paceman Peter Siddle mounted a superb fightback to rescue Australia after Zaheer Khan fired up India with a fierce afternoon spell on the opening day of the first Test on Monday.

Paceman Zaheer took two wickets in successive balls before spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made it three for the addition of nine runs as Australia's middle order folded to leave the hosts reeling on 214-6 at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

But Haddin (21) and Siddle (34) rode their luck and survived a raft of appeals to add an unbeaten 63 for the seventh wicket, guiding the hosts to 277-6 at the end of the first day of the four-Test series.

Zaheer's fiery afternoon spell ignited the Indian attack after debutant Ed Cowan and captain Michael Clarke had threatened to get on top of the tourists, but it is just as
likely to re-open debate about the use of the decision review system (DRS).

Mike Hussey's dismissal, caught behind for a golden duck off Zaheer, left the number six furious and television replays appeared to show the ball missing his glove on the way through to India skipper MS Dhoni.

But with the tourists having thumbed down the use of the replay technology before the series, Hussey had no recourse to appeal against umpire Marais Erasmus's decision and trudged off cursing.

Erasmus later turned down a raft of appeals, one off Zaheer's bowling that appeared to trap Haddin plum in front in the final overs.

Amid the drama, Haddin and Siddle stood firm to frustrate the bowlers as shadows crept across the ground.

Resuming on 170-3 after the tea interval, Clarke and Cowan added a brisk 45 for the fourth wicket before Dhoni threw the ball back to Zaheer, who had struggled for rhythm in his first Test after a four-month injury layoff.

The 33-year-old found his line in devastating fashion in the 12th over after tea, beating Clarke with a sizzling rising delivery that faded away wide from off-stump, then having him chop onto his stumps for 31 with the next ball that cut back in.

Zaheer then fired a scintillating bouncer that had Hussey leaping at his crease before the ball thudded into Dhoni's gloves as Indian fans roared.

After a big appeal, umpire Erasmus raised his finger amid the din, leaving Hussey shaking his head in disbelief.

Haddin flicked a single off his pads to deny Zaheer a hat-trick and briefly quell the tumult, but spinner Ashwin kept the momentum rolling by dismissing Cowan for 68 three overs later.

Ashwin coaxed Cowan into playing a poorly timed cut-shot that served only to nick a feathered catch to Dhoni.

Australia, whose batsmen were called into a boot camp after suffering demoralising collapses in recent Tests against New Zealand and South Africa, had lost three wickets for nine runs.

After Clarke won the toss and opted to bat, Cowan displayed impressive composure on his Test debut as the 29-year-old posted his half-century and built a 113-run stand with former captain Ricky Ponting after lunch.

Replacing the axed Phillip Hughes as opener after enjoying career-best form in the domestic competition, Cowan and Ponting pushed Australia to 159 before tea to steady the ship after the hosts had wobbled to lunch on 68-2.

Desperate to score his first century in nearly two years, Ponting was out for 62, poking at a stinging Umesh Yadav delivery that bounced savagely and glanced the bat before giving VVS Laxman a simple catch in the slips.

Ponting's wicket was Yadav's third and just rewards after he repeatedly troubled the former captain with his pace and varying bounce on a green-tinged wicket that offered something for both batsmen and bowlers.

The 37-year-old Ponting survived a few false strokes and raised his half-century with an unsightly slog that pushed the ball square into a gap, prompting fans to give the
under-pressure batsman a standing ovation.

Cowan scratched out only 14 runs by lunch, but opened up after the break and lofted a short ball over gully for four, one of seven boundaries in his 177-ball innings.

Yadav earlier dismissed Shaun Marsh for a duck, the number three spooning a simple catch to Virat Kohli at gully, shortly before ending David Warner's innings after a quickfire 37.

Twenty20 specialist Warner blasted four boundaries and a six but was out first ball after a short rain delay in the morning when he miscued a hook shot to be caught behind by Dhoni. (Reuters)

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Yadav halts Australia's charge in first test

MELBOURNE : India paceman Umesh Yadav dismissed Shaun Marsh for a duck shortly after taking the wicket of belligerent opener David Warner to slow Australia's charge in the opening session of the first test in Melbourne on Monday.

With the green-tinged wicket offering swing and varying bounce in overcast conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 24-year-old hounded opener Ed Cowan and number four Ricky Ponting until rain brought up lunch early.

Cowan compiled a watchful 14 in his test debut, with former captain Ponting grafting 15 to push Australia to 68-2 at the break.

Michael Clarke won the toss and sent Australia in to bat but the decision almost backfired spectacularly when a jumpy Warner survived an inside edge off paceman Ishant Sharma that whistled over the bails and beat wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the way to the boundary.

Warner, a Twenty20 specialist who scored an unbeaten century against New Zealand in the second test, was soon on the front foot, however, blasting four boundaries and a six off the Indian pacemen.

Warner and Cowan attacked Yadav with abandon, plundering him for 16 runs in the 12th over, but the rookie paceman hit back two overs later when he tempted Warner into a rash hook shot that popped the ball up for an easy catch to captain Dhoni.

Yadav then had Marsh out for a six-ball duck in his next over, coaxing the number three forward with a fuller, wider delivery.

Marsh drove half-heartedly straight down the throat of Virat Kohli at gully, to leave Australia reeling at 46-2 and the large Indian contingent in the crowd roaring in the stands.

Ponting, battling poor form and needing runs to stay in the side, was immediately under pressure, and was softened up in his second ball off Yadav when he miscued a pull and had the ball crashing into the grill of his helmet.

The 37-year-old recovered, however, belting a defiant pull shot behind square for four off Zaheer Khan before he and Cowan watchfully saw out the remaining overs.

India named Khan and Ishant Sharma in the team after the pair brushed off injury concerns, with three-test offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin also selected.

Captain Dhoni had earlier welcomed being given the chance to bowl, saying he felt the wicket would likely hold reward for the attacking side. (Reuters)

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PCB invites Whatmore to coach team

KARACHI : Pakistan's cricket board Sunday said it has invited former World Cup winning Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore to finalise his appointment as head coach of the national team, an official said.

Pakistan cricket team is without a full time coach since former paceman Waqar Younis left the post in September citing health problems.

"We are in the process of finalising the appointment and in this regard are in discussions with Whatmore," Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told local media on Sunday.

Whatmore is expected to reach Pakistan in second week of January, he added.

Former opening batsman Mohsin Khan has been serving as interim coach and was retained for Pakistan's series next month against England in the United Arab Emirates.

The 57-year-old Whatmore, who played for Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is regarded as one of the most successful coaches in international cricket, having guided Sri Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996.

He subsequently enjoyed a successful coaching spell with Bangladesh and is currently in charge of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. (AFP)

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Pakistan confidence high ahead of England series: Mohsin

KARACHI : Test series wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have whetted Pakistan's appetite for success and they are capable of beating world number one Test side England next month, coach Mohsin Khan said.

However, interim coach Mohsin, who was retained after guiding his team to series victories over the sub-continent teams, said that England would pose a far bigger challenge for Pakistan.

"England is the number one Test team in the world and their recent performances have been outstanding," Mohsin told Reuters on Saturday.

"We are expecting a very tough contest and the good thing is our players are already talking about the series and its significance to Pakistan cricket."

"It is true that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are not as strong a challenge as England will be. But the good thing is that our team has developed a taste for success and every player is contributing in some way so we can win.".

Pakistan will play three Tests, four one-dayers and three Twenty20 matches against England in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, starting next month.

Mohsin, who was the chief selector until he was appointed coach last September, denied that the hosts will have any advantage from the low and slow pitches in the Gulf nation.

"England is a thorough professional side and has been stable under the guidance of (coach) Andy Flower and (captain) Andrew Strauss so what will matter is how you play session by session," Mohsin said. "Conditions will be same for both sides."

Mohsin, who played 48 Test matches for his country, denied that Pakistan will rely heavily on their spinners during the three-Test series.

"We are fortunate to be blessed with both quality pacers and spinners so we are not going to rely on anyone in particular," the 56-year old said.

"Our recent mantra has been to focus and plan things on a match-to-match basis and we will continue with that against England as well."

The Pakistani selectors are due to name the test squad for the series on Monday. Pakistan are playing "home" series in the Gulf region due to security concerns in their own country. (Reuters)

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Australia and India go head to head with an eye on Test Championship table

Australia and India will aim to a narrow the gap with number-one ranked England in the Reliance ICC Test Championship table when they lock horns in a four-Test series which starts in Melbourne on Monday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side currently sits in second place on 118 ratings points, seven ratings points behind Andrew Strauss' side, while Michael Clarke's men are in fourth position on 103 ratings points. Third-ranked South Africa, which leads sixth-ranked Sri Lanka 1-0 in a three-Test series, is on 116 ratings points.

As such, shuffling of the pack in the middle of the Championship table could be on the cards, depending on how the series Down Under (which finishes on 28 January) and in South Africa (which finishes on 7 January) pans out.

If Australia wins all the four Tests, it will jump to 111 ratings points and India will drop to 111 ratings but will still be ranked above Australia by a fraction of a point. In case of a 3-1 win for Australia, the home side will rise to 108 ratings points and India will drop to 113 ratings points whereas a 2-2 draw will mean Australia will gain two ratings points and India will drop two ratings points.

In a sharp contrast, if India makes a sweep of the four-Test series, it will move to 122 ratings points and will narrow the gap with England to just three points. A 3-1 victory for India will put it on 120 ratings points dropping Australia to 101 ratings points, whereas a 2-1 series win will earn Dhoni's side one ratings points.

All the various permutations can be calculated by using the ICC Test Championship predictor by clicking here.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, India's iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is one century short of becoming the first batsman to score 100 international centuries, is the highest-ranked batsman from either side in sixth position.The 38-year-old from Mumbai trails Pakistan's Younus Khan by four ratings points.

India also boasts Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag inside the top 20 while Michael Hussey and Clarke are the only two Australia batsmen inside the top 20 in 17th and 18th positions, respectively.

Zaheer Khan of India in sixth position and Australia's Peter Siddle in 12th position will be spearheading their respective bowling attacks.

Ishant Sharma, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ravichandran Ashwin, James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon are the other bowlers sitting inside the top 50 and hoping to improve their rankings.

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Zaheer, Ishant fit and raring to go: Laxman

Ending all speculations, veteran India batsman V.V.S. Laxman Friday said pacers Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma are 'fully fit and raring to go' in the Boxing Day Test starting Monday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

'Ishant was not available for the first warm up, but he bowled in Canberra and the way he bowled today at the nets was proof that they are both fit and raring to go,' Laxman said.

The two bowlers were seen bowling full tilt without displaying any sort of discomfort at the MCG nets here Friday.

On India's chances of breaking the 64-year drought of winning a Test series in Australia, Laxman said: 'There's been a lot of talk on whether this is our best chance to win here. But whenever we take a flight to anywhere, we go in with the belief that we can win with the kind of talent and potential that we have and it will not be be any different this time around.'

'Winning in Australia is everyone's dream in the world. Not just India but across the world because when you play Australia in Australia, it is the toughest cricket that you can play.'

Zaheer was also buoyant about his fitness and said the four-month break since undergoing an ankle surgery in London has helped him to prepare better for the four-Test series.

'Because I had a four-month break, I could prepare well for the series. In the past, it used to be at the end of the season that I would go to Australia and break down. We (along with physios) chalked out this plan. So far I've been achieving the milestones about 8-10 days before they were delivered,' Zaheer said.

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England on top as fixing still haunts cricket

LONDON : Cricket and controversy, never far apart, were closely linked in a year where England finally achieved their long-held objective of climbing to the top of the world Test rankings.

Nothing that happened on the field in 2011 rocked world cricket quite like the jail sentences handed down by an English court to former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif for their roles in a 'spot-fixing' scam during last year's Lord's Test against England.

But the fact the case came to light as a result of a newspaper investigation left many asking what was the point of the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit.

England had gone 21 years without winning a series in Australia but a 3-1 Ashes triumph sealed in January, with all three victories coming by innings margins, ended that barren spell in emphatic fashion.

Alastair Cook made a colossal 766 runs in the Ashes series and the Essex left-hander carried on during England's 4-0 home Test rout of World Cup winners India, including a monumental 294 at Edgbaston.

Australia's woes continued even after the Ashes, with their batsmen looking especially vulnerable against swing and seam bowling.

In November, Australia slumped to 47 all out against South Africa in Cape Town, with debutant fast-medium bowler Vernon Philander taking a stunning five for 15 in seven overs.

Then New Zealand, without injured all-rounder Daniel Vettori, enjoyed their first Test win on Australian soil in 26 years.

Seamer Doug Bracewell, took six for 40 as New Zealand won by seven runs in Hobart in a match where Australia had needed just 82 runs for victory with eight wickets standing,

Zimbabwe, after six years of self-imposed exile sparked by a race row over selection, returned to Test cricket in August with a 130-run win over Bangladesh -- a result that said as much about the losers as anything else.

In an age of few genuine fast bowlers, South Africa quick Dale Steyn's average of 22.82 stands comparison with the all-time greats.

In December he became the second fastest bowler in history to take 250 Test wickets, reaching the landmark in his 49th Test -- one more than legendary Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee.

"There's no doubt for me that he's the best South African bowler we've seen thus far -- at least since readmission in 1991," said former Proteas seamer and captain Shaun Pollock. "His ability to swing the ball away with incredible pace is phenomenal."

West Indies cricket was overshadowed by the stand-off between Chris Gayle and Caribbean administrators which deprived a largely young team of a fine batsman.

But having gone 2-0 down in their series in India, they battled back in the Mumbai finale which ended in a draw with the scores level -- only the second time this had happened in Test history.

This year saw the deaths of several prominent cricketers including former India captain the Nawab of Pataudi, Australia's Sam Loxton and ex-England all-rounder Trevor Bailey, with Graham Dilley, one of the heroes of England's '500-1' win against Australia at Headingley in 1981, passing away aged just 52.

Meanwhile former Somerset captain turned cricket journalist Peter Roebuck leapt to his death in bizarre circumstances in South Africa.

But in terms of their impact on both world cricket and wider society, few could match Basil D'Oliveira, who died in November aged 80.

D'Oliveira became an England all-rounder after his path was blocked in his native apartheid-era South Africa, an impressive enough achievement in itself.

But he made front-page headlines in 1968 when he was included in the England squad for the tour of South Africa which was called off when the South African government refused to accept his presence.

It marked the start of South Africa's cricketing isolation, which would last until the early 1990s.

D'Oliveira was one of the few people to emerge with any credit from the incident, not least when it was later revealed he'd refused to accept a huge cash bribe to make himself unavailable for the 1968 tour.

"Throughout this shameful period in South Africa's sporting history, Basil displayed a human dignity that earned him worldwide respect and admiration," said Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola.

"His memory and inspiration will live on among all of us."

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Pakistan jump up to 5th in ICC Test team rankings – Cricket News Update

Pakistan jump up to 5th in ICC Test team rankings – Cricket News Update

Pakistan cricket team has jumped up one position in the ICC Test team rankings after comprehensively beating Bangladesh by 2-0 in a recently concluded series.

The Men in Green have been performing extremely well over the past one year and are improving in overall rankings day by day. They are now the number fifth Test team, leaving Sri Lanka behind in sixth.

One of the main reasons behind Pakistan’s success has been the splendid leadership skills of Misbah-ul-Haq, who was initially named as captain in the longest version of the game, but later took over from Shahid Afridi in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 cricket as well.

There was a lot of criticism over Misbah, considering his age. However, he performed well both as captain and player during 2011, silencing all critics.

The 37-year-old is yet to be defeated in any series until now. Pakistan have only lost one Test and ODI under the leadership of Misbah, who has now set his sights on the series against England in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), starting from Tuesday, January 17, 2012.

Many believe that Pakistan’s success in 2011 was only because of the weaker oppositions they played against. The team defeated West Indies, Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in different competitions.

However, the Men in Green also played against Sri Lanka, team which was better ranked before the start of the series against Pakistan.

Misbah and his men dominated the opposition in that series, as Sri Lanka only managed to win just one ODI on the entire tour.

Despite all that, critics rate Misbah as a defensive captain and expect him to struggle against the Poms, who are number one in the ICC Test and Twenty20 rankings. They only struggle in the 50-over format, but are competitive enough to trouble any opposition in the world.

The Pakistani captain will be against three different skippers, as England have a separate leader for every format of the game.

However, Misbah believes that his side can continue winning in every format if they stick together and play as one unit. He advised his players to continue focusing on the game rather than listening to the critics, who can never be satisfied.

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Haider still stands by decision of leaving team

Karachi : Out of favour Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has said he has no regrets over his conduct during the 2010 series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates, but admitted that he could have tackled the situation in a better manner.

“I still stand by my decision to leave the team in UAE. This was done for the betterment of Pakistani cricket,” PakPassion quoted Haider, as saying.

"In retrospect, I should have spoken to the ICC and this is what I will do should a situation similar to the one in Dubai arise again. Pakistani cricket is getting better due to the strict security policies of Mr. Zaka Ashraf and hopefully these problems [corruption] will be reduced or disappear completely,” he added.

Haider had fled from his team’s hotel in Dubai after allegedly receiving security threats from bookmakers just before the fifth and final One Day International match between Pakistan and South Africa.

The Pakistan Cricket Board, however, imposed a fine and reprimanded him for making false accusations after conducting a probe into the issue.

Haider is now looking forward to make a comeback to the international cricket after giving a spectacular performance in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam (QEA) Trophy.

“I am the best domestic wicket keeper at the moment, I am hoping that the new Chairman of PCB, Mr. Zaka Ashraf, will take note of my performances in domestic cricket. I am aware that the Board and selectors have their eyes on the best performers. So I am hoping that they will pay attention to my performance this season as well,” Haider said.

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Misbah says England tour won’t be easy

LAHORE : Pakistan cricket team skipper Misbah-ul-haq has said that harder work would be needed to face England in the coming tour, Geo News reported.

Talking to newsmen at the Allama Iqbal International Airport here, he said that Pakistan’s performance in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was more than satisfactory, which was a heartening thing to note.

He said, doubtless, England were tough cookies, but Pakistan were also alive to the fact that they would have to go extra miles to claim the tour.

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Kim Hughes and Kapil Dev preview Australia-India Test series

On this week's ICC Cricket World Radio Show, former captains Kim Hughes and Kapil Dev preview the four-Test series between Australia and India which starts in Melbourne on Monday next.

In a rare interview, the 57-year-old Hughes, who played 70 Tests and 97 ODIs for Australia, says: "India's record away from home has not been very good. They got slaughtered by England (earlier this summer) and England are a far better side than Australia.

"But I would have thought that given (Australia's) injury worries and that we are an average side now, yes, this would be India's best chance.

"Certainly, India's batting is far superior to Australia's. (Sachin) Tendulkar is still playing marvelously well, (Rahul) Dravid is in fantastic form, and (VVS) Laxman and (Virender) Sehwag have always done well in Australia.

"I think Sehwag is possibly Australia's biggest danger because he gets India off to such a good positive start and he likes playing well on our true wickets.

"Australia has got a young spinner in (Nathan) Lyon and it will be younger bowlers (James) Pattinson, (Mitchell) Starc and (Peter) Siddle who will have to carry the bulk of the bowling.

"Our batting has been very, very brittle as evident in South Africa and against New Zealand albeit I think the wickets will be more conducive to batting in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide."

Hughes, who scored 4,415 Test runs and also led Australia in 28 Tests, also talks about the pressures on Australia captain Michael Clarke and an out-of-form Ricky Ponting. "Clarke has played particularly well. I mean, his 150 at Cape Town was magnificent. Since he has taken captaincy, I think he has scored two or three hundreds.

"As far as Ricky Ponting is concerned, it's purely a technical thing. He is very fit and certainly has a desire but his technique is poor at the moment," he says.

Hughes is convinced Tendulkar will score his 100th international century in Australia but suggests the champion batsman to use lighter bats.

"Tendulkar always looks in good form. Using heavy bats on flatter wickets are fine but when the wickets have got a bit of a pace and bounce, then I don't think heavier bats are a wise thing. I think lighter bats in Australia where you play more horizontal shots are a better option.

"You would think in four Tests, Tendulkar will get an opportunity (to score a century). We produce good wickets in Australia for the batsmen and I would have thought Tendulkar will certainly get one hundred in one of those four Test matches."

The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want free cricket content for editorial use, while the public can also download it straight from www.icc-cricket.com or from iTunes.

52-year-old Kapil Dev, one of the ICC Cricket Hall of Famers and a veteran of 131 Tests and 225 ODIs, says: "We are all getting excited about India playing in Australia.

"Earlier that was not the case because we were no match for Australia. Australia dominated world cricket and always bounced back. But this time we can go there thinking of not drawing but with a view to win the series.

"This time India has a better chance to win the Test series in Australia, there is no doubt about that. Australia were on top of the world cricket for 15 years. But now it is not the same team without (Glenn) McGrath, (Shane) Warne, (Adam) Gilchrist and (Matthew) Hayden. They are not as strong as they used to be.

"We still have Sachin, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag. Then there are young talented fast bowlers and spinners. We are getting strong every day. We, therefore, have a better chance than ever before.

"It is a team game. I am not concerned about one or two players.

"Ricky Ponting is the most important player. He is an experienced player and if India can control him, then we can control Australia. Remember experience always comes in handy in the long run. He has scored enough runs against us and is due for a big score.

"Captain is the most important element in both teams. But equally important to note is that India needs to play like a team. Don't count on one or two. It is a team sport, after all."

On Tendulkar, Dev says: "Sachin has served India cricket so enormously that at this stage this talk of this 100th hundred is not important. If India can win the series, Sachin's 100th hundred will be taken care of."

Current and former Australia captains, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting, also look forward to the Tests against India which will be played in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide.

Finally on the show, Bangladesh coach Stuart Law and Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq reflect on the just concluded series in Bangladesh. Pakistan won the three-match ODI series 3-0 and the two-Test series 2-0.

Apart from these exclusive interviews, there is the usual round-up of cricketing news and an update of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings.

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Modest Dhoni leads by example for expectant India

Live in the moment, keep it simple and work hard.

It may not be the most sophisticated philosophy to come out of India but it is a concise mantra which has served MS Dhoni well in four years as captain of his country's cricket team.

As India's first skipper from outside the main urban centres, the 30-year-old has already delivered the Holy Grail of the World Cup and over the next month takes on the challenge of leading his team to a maiden test series triumph in Australia.

Hailed by master batsman Sachin Tendulkar as the finest captain he has played under in a career spanning more than two decades, Dhoni's leadership is not about rousing pep talks or even inspired gambles.

"The important thing is that he keeps things simple and not complicated," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth said recently.

What Dhoni does display is leadership by example, no less so than when he promoted himself up the batting order and hit 91 not out to lead India to the World Cup triumph on home soil in early April, sealing the dramatic victory with a six.

The wicketkeeper-batsman cut his international captaincy teeth in the Twenty20 format by leading his country to victory of the inaugural World Cup in 2007.

There was immediate success too when he took the reins of the one-day side and led them to a series victory in Australia. He assumed the test captaincy in 2008.

"I love to be in the moment, I love to analyse things a bit," Dhoni said in a recent interview with CNN news channel.

"Very often what is important is to realise what went wrong, not only when you are losing a series or a game, but also when you are winning a series. You need to realise which are the areas you need to work on."

There have been calamities along the way, of course, including criticism of his wicketkeeping and his own poor form when India crashed out of the 2007 50-over World Cup in the first round.

Subsequently, the biggest setback of his leadership came when the test team where humiliated 4-0 in England earlier this year and relinquished the number one world ranking they had earned in December 2009.

One of Dhoni's great attributes, however, has been his ability to keep his head in the midst of the frenzy that often surrounds the sport in cricket-mad India.

"He is always calm and never shows his frustration," Tendulkar said after the World Cup triumph. "These are some of the human qualities which have made him such a good captain."

'COUNTRY BOY'

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born in Ranchi, now the capital of the state of Jharkhand, and grew up playing cricket with a tennis ball on the red dirt of his home town.

Describing someone from a place with a population of two million people as a 'country boy' might sound absurd to non-Asians, but that was the reality for Dhoni and his path from India's outback to the cricketing elite was one that had been travelled by very few.

"When I was playing for my school, the only thing I wanted to do was get selected for the under-16 or the under-19 district teams," he said.

"Frankly, I never thought that I would represent my country one day. Now I'm leading my country, so it's like a fairytale.

"I never thought I'd do all these things. I lived in the moment, I kept working hard."

Away from the cricket pitch, Dhoni keeps a low profile and enjoys nothing better than returning to Ranchi to be with his three dogs and collection of motorbikes.

Australia will present him new challenges as captain, including an often hostile reception from local media, crowds and even the players, but Dhoni has shown in the past that he has the cool temperament to deal with them.

"I believe that he's the best captain in world cricket today. He's a leader by example," South African Gary Kirsten, who was coach of India from 2007 until after the World Cup, said upon his departure from the job.

"He expects his troops to be ready for battle. He's calm and level-headed. I have never seen him lose his temper. If things don't go well, he takes the responsibility."

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Shakib becomes number-one ranked Test all-rounder

Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has become the number-one ranked all-rounder in the Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings after stellar performance with the bat and the ball against Pakistan in the Mirpur Test which finished on Wednesday.

Shakib become the first Bangladesh player to score a century and take five-for in the same Test when he scored 144 and took 6-82. This performance not only earned the 24-year-old man of the match award but has also gave him a jump of four places in the all-rounders' rankings which puts him on top of the tree.

Shakib has also improved his batting and bowling rankings.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, Shakib has vaulted seven places to claim a career-best 31st position while in the bowling chart he has claimed seventh position after gaining two places.

The other Bangladesh batsmen to improve their rankings include captain Mushfiqur Rahim (up by one to 44th), Shahriar Nafees (up by eight to 61st) and Nasir Hossain (up by 32 to 96th).

Pakistan players have also made the best of the Mirpur Test with one-down batsman Azhar Ali and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman achieving career-best rankings.

Azhar Ali, who scored 57 and 34, has moved up four places to 23rd position while Abdur Rehman, who took four for 51 in the second innings, has broken into the top 20 for the first time in his career and is now in 19th position.

Other Pakistan players improving their rankings include opener Taufeeq Umar (up by seven to 42nd) and fast bowlers Umar Gul (up by one to 18th) and Aizaz Cheema (up by five to 45th).

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Australia's Marsh to test back injury in Twenty/20

Australian batsman Shaun Marsh will test his fitness in a Twenty20 match on Thursday evening and is confident he will be ready to go for next week's opening test against India.

The 28-year-old lefthander, who has been struggling with a debilitating lower back injury, was named in Australia's squad for the Boxing Day test on Wednesday with uncapped all rounder Dan Christian included as back-up.

After taking part in a three-day training camp for Australia's batsmen, Marsh said his back had improved considerably and should allow him to play his first test on home soil at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next Monday.

"I'm hitting the ball well, I've had a really good two or three days and I feel that I haven't lost too much of my touch since South Africa and playing tonight will give me a bit more indication of where I'm at," he told reporters on Thursday.

"I'm confident that if I can get through tonight and, with what I've done over the last (few) days, that I will be right and ready to go."

Marsh, who made his test debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year and injured himself in his third test against South Africa last month, will turn out for the Perth Scorchers against the Melbourne Renegades at the Etihad Stadium later on Thursday.

Pencilled in to replace dropped Usman Khawaja at number three in the batting order should he prove his fitness, the Western Australian said it would fulfill a lifelong ambition to play in such an iconic test match.

"To play in front of 75,000 plus fans on Monday is certainly going to be a dream of mine," said Marsh, whose father

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Australia drop Hughes, Khawaja from Test squad

SYDNEY : Batsmen Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja were dumped from Australia's squad named Wednesday for next week's opening Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Selectors named a 13-man squad with Shaun Marsh, Ed Cowan and Ben Hilfenhaus included, but there was no place for injured allrounder Shane Watson and fast bowler Ryan Harris.

Chief selector John Inverarity said the size of the squad was due to the continuing uncertainty about the fitness of Marsh, who has been troubled by a back complaint.

"Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja have been omitted from the Australian team that played against New Zealand in Hobart and Marsh, Ed Cowan and Ben Hilfenhaus have been added to the squad," Inverarity said.

"Shane Watson was not considered for selection as he has not recovered sufficiently from his (hamstring/calf) injury, while Ryan Harris has not yet achieved the volume of bowling required to be available for consideration for Test selection."

Cowan was included on the strength of his 109 against India playing for a Chairman's XI in Canberra on Tuesday along with two centuries in this season's domestic Sheffield Shield and one for Australia A against the touring New Zealanders.

The Australian squad assembles in Melbourne from Thursday ahead of the Boxing Day Test start.

Australia - Michael Clarke (capt), Brad Haddin (vice-capt), Dan Christian, Ed Cowan, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, James Pattinson, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

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Pakistan moves into fifth position on Test Championship table

Pakistan has gained a place on the Reliance ICC Test Championship table and is now in fifth position following its 2-0 victory over Bangladesh in the two-Test series which finished in Mirpur on Wednesday.

The series victory earned Pakistan one ratings point which has put it at par with Sri Lanka on 99 ratings points. However, Pakistan has been placed above Sri Lanka after the ratings were calculated beyond the decimal point.

This is Pakistan's best rankings since March 2009 when it had claimed fifth position for a couple of months.

Pakistan now trails fourth-ranked Australia by four ratings points. Australia goes head to head with India in a four-Test series in Melbourne on Monday next. The only way Australia can drop behind Pakistan is if it loses all the four Tests of the series.

Pakistan's next Test assignment is against number-one ranked England. The three-Test series will start at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on 17 January.

England leads Pakistan by 26 ratings points and as the rankings system is weighted to reflect this difference, England's failure to win the series comfortably will mean it will drop points.

To find out exactly how the forthcoming Test series will affect the Championship table, please click here. The Test Championship table, unlike the ODI Championship table, is updated only after the end of the series

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ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012 schedule announced

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the schedule for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012 which will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 13 to 24 March, 2012.

Sixteen sides from across the globe will feature in the 12-day tournament which will be played at five venues - Dubai International Cricket Stadium and ICC Global Cricket Academy grounds No.1 and No.2 in Dubai, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium and the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The 16 teams have been divided into two groups with Afghanistan, Netherlands, Canada, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal forming Group A and Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italy and the USA comprising Group B.

The tournament winner will join Australia and the West Indies in group B of the ICC World Twenty20 2012 in September 2012 while the losing finalist will complete Group A which also includes defending champion England and 2007 winner India.

ICC's Global Development Manager, Tim Anderson, said: "This is one of the most important and prestigious events on the Pepsi ICC Development Programme's calendar in which 16 leading Associate and Affiliate Members will vie for the two available places in the ICC World Twenty20 2012 Sri Lanka.

"This final qualifier is the last step of a pathway that comprised 13 ICC regional tournaments during 2010 and 2011 and saw the involvement of over 90 ICC Associate and Affiliate members. The 72-match format has been designed to give the best sides every chance of making the final."

This will be the third ICC World Twenty20 qualifier. When it was last staged, also in the UAE in 2010, Afghanistan and Ireland claimed the qualifying spots.

Tournament format

According to the tournament format, the sides that top the two groups will feature in the 1st Qualifying Final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday 22 March at 1400 (local time) with the winner sealing a place in the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 to be staged from 18 September to 7 October.

Meanwhile, the sides that finish second and third in the two groups will play cross-over matches. The two winners of those matches will progress to the Preliminary Final to be played on 23 March at 1000 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The 2nd Qualifying Final - for the second spot in the ICC World Twenty20 2012 - will take place on the morning of 24 March at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium between the loser of the 1st Qualifying Final and the winner of the Preliminary Final.

The winners of the two Qualifying Finals will play in the tournament final on the evening of 24 March at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Background of ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier

The ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier has grown in stature since it was first held in Belfast, Ireland, in August 2008. That event comprised the then six top Associate Members - Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland.

Ireland and Netherlands shared the trophy when the final was washed-out without a ball being bowled. The two sides, along with Scotland which replaced Zimbabwe, qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 2009 which was staged at Lord's, The Oval and Trent Bridge in England. Pakistan won the tournament.

The UAE hosted the second edition in February 2010 which was contested by the top six Associate and Affiliate sides? Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland - as well as hosts UAE and United States of America (USA) who were specially invited by the ICC.

After 17 matches over six days at two venues in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan and Ireland reached the final and qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 which was staged in the West Indies and won by England. Afghanistan won the qualifying tournament when it defeated Ireland by eight wickets.

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Rehman excels as Pakistan make clean sweep

Abdur Rehman claimed 4-51 as Pakistan posted a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second and final cricket Test in Dhaka on Wednesday to make a clean sweep of the series.

Pakistan, who won the first Test in Chittagong by an innings and 184 runs, achieved their 103-run victory target off just 20.5 overs in the last session of the fifth day's play at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

Abdur Rehman celebrates the dismissal of Mushfiqur Rahim during the second Test.
Opener Mohammad Hafeez smashed a 52-ball 47 and Azhar Ali contributed 34, before skipper Misbah-ul-Haq finished the match with a six over long-off against Elias Sunny.

Bangladesh, trailing by 132 runs after the first innings, had been comfortably placed at 212-5 in their second innings but collapsed to 234, with left-arm spinner Rehman taking three wickets and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal two. Rehman's four-wicket haul was his best in 12 Tests.

Nasir Hossain (79) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (53) defied the Pakistani attack for more than a session, adding 117 for the sixth wicket before falling in the space of nine runs.

Rehman removed both the well-set batsmen in four overs before accounting for Shahadat Hossain (one) in the afternoon session.

Nasir, a 20-year-old playing only his fourth Test, cracked 11 fours in his maiden half-century before being bowled by Rehman. Rahim hit seven boundaries in his ninth Test half-century.

Rahim reached his half-century when he swept Rehman for a four, but soon lost his patience, stepping out to attempt a lofted shot off the spinner to be caught by Ajmal at mid-off.

Rehman got another wicket in his next over when he dismissed Shahadat, superbly caught by Younis Khan at first slip, while Ajmal bowled Sunny and had Robiul Islam stumped to complete 50 Test wickets in the year.

Nasir and Rahim had applied themselves well in the morning session to keep the Pakistani attack at bay as the hosts added 86 runs to their overnight total of 114-5 after a delayed start due to fog.

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Pakistan set for white wash against Bangladesh

DHAKA : Pakistan are looking in sight of second successive victory to make a clean sweep in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh when the play ended on the penultimate day of the second Test here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.

Bangladesh were reeling at 114 for five at stumps and they need further 19 runs to make Pakistan bat again.

Bangladeshi left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan finished with 6-82 as Pakistan were bowled out for 470 in their first innings before tea in reply to the hosts' 338.

Shakib, who smashed a career-best 144 in the first innings, became the first Bangladeshi to score a century and take five or more wickets in a Test.

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Ellyse Perry named in the squad to face New Zealand

The Australia Women's National Selection Panel (WNSP) has today announced a 14-player squad for the Women's International Series next month against the New Zealand White Ferns.

The squad was selected by the new WNSP, comprising new Chair Julie Savage (replacing the outgoing Christina Matthews), coach Richard McInnes, captain Jodie Fields and Julie Hayes.

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars squad is:

NAME	STATE	AGE
Jodie Fields (c)	QLD	27
Alex Blackwell (vc)	NSW	28
Jess Cameron	VIC	22
Sarah Coyte	NSW	20
Rachael Haynes	NSW	24
Alyssa Healy	NSW	21
Julie Hunter	VIC	27
Jessica Jonassen	QLD	19
Meg Lanning	VIC	19
Erin Osborne	NSW	22
Ellyse Perry	NSW	21
Leah Poulton	NSW	27
Clea Smith	VIC	32
Lisa Sthalekar	NSW	32

Commenting on the squad, new WNSP Chair Julie Savage said; "The WNSP has named a very strong squad to face the New Zealand White Ferns next month.

"Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry and Julie Hunter all return to the squad, while Shelley Nitschke, Sharon Millanta and Annie-Rose Maloney are the players out of the team.

"Ellyse returns after having football commitments last series, Julie returns from a shoulder injury and Alyssa is back in the squad as a batter after some good performances in the WT20.

"Shelley has retired from cricket while Annie-Rose and Sharon make way for the experienced combination of Ellyse and Julie."

2011-12 Women's International Series

Date	Match	Venue	TV/Scores
20 January	1stT20I v New Zealand	North Sydney Oval	ABC TV
21 January	2ndT20I v New Zealand	North Sydney Oval	ABC TV
22 January	3rdT20I v New Zealand	North Sydney Oval	ABC TV
25 January	1stODI v New Zealand	Sydney Cricket Ground	Cricket.com.au
27 January	2ndODI v New Zealand	Blacktown International Sportspark 1	Cricket.com.au
29 January	3rdODI v New Zealand	Blacktown International Sportspark 1	Cricket.com.au
1 February	4thT20I v New Zealand*	Sydney Olympic Park	NINE
3 February	5thT20I v New Zealand*	Melbourne Cricket Ground	NINE

* Double-header with men's T20I (Australia v India)

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Kohli scores half-century for India as stars miss out

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten half-century on Monday as India's batting stars failed on a rain-interrupted opening day of a three-day tour match against a Chairman's XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

The young right-hander finished the day unbeaten on 55 off 93 balls as the tourists reached 162 for four off 50 overs in their final match ahead of the opening Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne.

At stumps Rohit Sharma was 38 not out after being dropped on his first ball.

But while Kohli and Sharma shared an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 78 off 104 balls, India's front-line batsmen Virender Sehwag (12), Gautam Gambhir (24) and VVS Laxman (15) all missed out on a big score ahead of the MCG Test.

Sehwag smashed the highest score in one-day cricket with 219 off 139 balls earlier this month against the West Indies, but he only lasted 12 balls before falling in the day's fourth over.

He played back to paceman Peter George and was caught out in the gully.

Fellow opener Gambhir batted for 87 minutes before he was bowled out by Jason Behrendorff as he attempted to work the ball only to miss.

Laxman, who averages 55.58 in 25 Tests against Australia and has scored four centuries Down Under, was also out bowled after he tried to work a Jon Holland ball to the leg-side.

The incoming Sharma was dropped next ball in Holland's over as he pushed forward and edged to short leg.

Ajinkya Rahane was the fourth Indian wicket to fall for 15, caught by Australian Test batsman Usman Khawaja at slip off Josh Lalor for 15 off 35 balls.
India went into the final warm up game without key batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, while injured paceman Ishant Sharma was also missing.

George (1-42), Behrendorff (1-8), Lalor (1-9) and Holland (1-37) all kept things tight for the Chairman's team.

No play was possible before lunch after overnight and morning rain and there was another lengthy stoppage in the afternoon.

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Pakistan take 1st innings lead over Bangladesh in 2nd Test

DHAKA : Pakistan were 386 runs for five wickets at lunch on the penultimate day of the second Test against Bangladesh here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on Tuesday.

They have so far gained a lead of 48 runs with five wickets in hand during the first innings against Bangladesh who were 338 all out on second day.

Pakistan resumed their first innings on 292-3 with veteran batsman Younis Khan (48) and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (26) at the crease.

However, Younis could not get his fifty and was out, after adding just one run, off the second ball of the second over of the day. He was caught behind by captain Mushfiqur Rahim off Elias Sunny for 49.

Younis, who smashed an unbeaten double-century in the last Test, hit four boundaries in his 122-ball knock.

Then, Misbah joined by Asad Shafiq, succeeding not only in leveling the Bangladesh first innings total but also getting his 14th Test half-century.

Both added 66 runs for the fifth wicket stand before Misbah was caught by Mahmudullah off Shakib Al Hasan for 70.

Misbah played some attractive shots in his 123-ball knock, driving paceman Nazmul Hossain through the covers and then straight for two successive fours early in the morning.

He, however, was lucky to survive soon after completing his half-century as Robiul Islam dropped an easy catch at mid-on off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan.

Misbah continued to play strokes, twice reverse-sweeping left-arm spinner Elias Sunny for fours before he was caught by Mohammad Mahmudullah in the slips while attempting to sweep Shakib.

Shafiq, who scored a century in the opening Test in Chittagong, began impressively, cutting and flicking fast bowler Shahadat Hossain for two boundaries in an over.

Sunny had a chance to take another wicket but Mahmudullah dropped Shafiq on 36 a few overs before the lunch break

At lunch, Asad was batting on 42 along with Adnan Akmal (seven not out).

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Umar ton boosts Pakistan in second Test against Bangladesh

Taufeeq Umar cracked his seventh Test century to help Pakistan post 217-2 in their first innings at tea in reply to Bangladesh's 338 on the third day of the second and final Test in Dhaka on Monday.

The left-handed opener was unbeaten on 117 at the break with Younis Khan (14 not out) as the tourists added 130 runs to their overnight total of 87-1 after a delayed start due to fog.

The pair have so far put on 67 for the unbroken third-wicket stand.

Umar was also involved in a 127-run stand for the second wicket with Azhar Ali (57), who hit seven fours in his 12th half-century in 18 Tests before falling in the second session.

Umar, 44 overnight, completed his second Test hundred against Bangladesh when he cut off-spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah for a four.

He played some aggressive shots after reaching his century, driving left-arm spinner Elias Sunny through the covers for successive boundaries. He has so far hit 16 fours in his 220-ball knock.

Bangladesh had a chance to dismiss Umar on 56, but wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim did not even try to effect a stumping off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan while confidently appealing for a catch down the leg-side.

Umar was lucky to survive on 66 when he cut the first delivery after the lunch break off paceman Robiul Islam, but Mohammed Nazimuddin dropped an easy catch at gully.

Bangladesh, who went wicketless in the opening session, got their first wicket in the fourth over after lunch when Shakib had Azhar caught behind with a delivery that turned away sharply.

Shakib was the most impressive bowler, conceding just 28 runs in his 18 tight overs.

Azhar, who hit fast bowler Shahadat Hossain for two fours in the opening over of the day, reached his half-century with a boundary off Sunny in the last over of the morning session.

Pakistan lead 1-0 in the series after winning the opening Test in Chittagong by an innings and 184 runs

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Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final to be played with pink ball

KARACHI : Pakistan will experiment with a pink ball in the final of its premier first-class cricket tournament on Tuesday.

"The final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's premier first-class tournament, will be played with a pink ball, under floodlights", the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Monday.

Pakistan International Airlines take on Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd in the final, to be played from December 20 to 24.

Last year's final was also played under lights, but with an orange ball.

Pink is widely regarded as the most suitable colour under floodlights.

The Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodian of the laws of the game, has advocated the use of a pink ball for day-night Test cricket.

An English county championship match between Kent and Glamorgan was played with a pink ball earlier this year

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Pakistan need 47 runs to overtake Bangladesh’s 338

DHAKA : Taufiq Umar completed his seventh Test century as Pakistan closed in on a first innings lead by reaching 292-3 before bad light ended play on the third day of the second Test against Bangladesh on Monday.

Taufiq, who was dropped twice, hit 130 before paceman Nazmul Hossain broke through with the second new ball as the home side toiled for a wicket.

Shahriar Nafees took the catch at slip to end Taufiq's gritty innings that included 16 fours.

Former captain Younus Khan was unbeaten on 48 alongside skipper Misbah-ul Haq (26 not out) with Pakistan needing another 47 runs to overhaul Bangladesh's first innings total of 338.

The home were left ruing missed chances with three catches spilled.

Nazimuddin dropped Taufiq in the gully off the bowling of Robiul Islam with the first ball after the lunch break while Nafees grassed another catch at short-leg off Elias Sunny with Taufiq on 118.

Shahadat Hossain also put down Younus Khan off Nasir Hossain at midwicket when he was on 15.

The hosts made their only other breakthrough of the day when Azhar Ali fell in the second session after the morning's play was delayed by heavy fog.

Ali had shared a 127-run stand with Taufiq when he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim off the bowling of spinner Shakib Al Hasan for 57.

Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0 after a innings and 184-run victory in the first Test. (Reuters)

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Philander continues to rise in Reliance ICC Rankings

South Africa fast bowler Vernon Philander continues to make an upward movement in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers after inspiring his side to an innings and 81 runs victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test at Centurion.

Philander was not only adjudged man of the match for his maiden 10-wicket haul, he has also been rewarded with a jump of 12 places which has now put him in the 28th position. The man of the match award was 26-year-old's second in three Tests, who now has 24 wickets to his credit.

Other bowlers improving their rankings include Chanaka Welegedara (up by four to 41st), Imran Tahir (up by 17 to 93rd), Thisara Perera (up by 25 to 110th) and Angelo Mathews (up by seven to 111th).

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, South Africa's AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher are the biggest movers.

De Villiers, who scored 99, has moved up six places to become South Africa's second best batsman after Jacques Kallis (second) in seventh position. Boucher, who scored 65, has gained two places and is now in 50th spot.

Notable batsmen to slip in the latest rankings are Hashim Amla (down by five to 10th), Graeme Smith (down by one to 12th), Mahela Jayawardena (down by one to 24th) and Tillekeratne Dilshan (down by three to 36th).

Kumar Sangakkara's rare double failure at Centurion means his lead at the top of the table has been trimmed from 29 points to just five ratings points.

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Phoenix Ogilvy & Mather Sri Lanka appointed marketing and communications agency

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the appointment of Phoenix Ogilvy & Mather Sri Lanka as the official marketing and communications agency for the ICC World Twenty20 2012 which will take place in Sri Lanka from 18 September to 7 October.

The decision was arrived after a lengthy selection process where a number of agencies submitted their proposals and five agencies were shortlisted. These five agencies then made their final presentations to a group of ICC and SLC representatives in Colombo.

Phoenix Ogilvy & Mather will work with ICC Marketing in developing and implementing an integrated strategic global event promotion plan for the fourth edition of the tournament but first to be staged in Asia and taking place at the back of a highly successful ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which was also co-hosted by Bangladesh and India.

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Rampaging Vernon not carried away by media attention

Proteas seamer Vernon Philander has said that he is not fazed by all the sudden media attention after his sensational start to Test cricket.

Named Man of the Match on Saturday for his ten-wicket haul in the opening Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka at the Centurion, Philander is the first South African to take four five-wicket hauls in his first three Test matches and only the fourth bowler in history to achieve the feat.

He joins Rodney Hogg for Australia, who debuted against England in 1978, took five five-wicket hauls while Thomas Richardson (England in 1893) and Charles Turner (Australia in 1887) both took four.

"I'm not records-driven. I'm more process-driven and if I can take the team over the line then I'm more than happy with that," Sports24 quoted Philander, as saying.

The 26-year-old from Bellville in Cape Town, made his debut against Australia at Newlands in November where he took 5-15 with Australia famously all out for 47, and 5-70 in the tourists' second innings the Wanderers.

"You have to acknowledge that you're not always going to bowl well," said Philander after his dream start.

He added: "When things don't go so well, you have to take it on the chin and go back to the drawing board and start again."

Proteas captain Graeme Smith said Philander was self-motivated and did not require any extra prodding from his captain.

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Bangladesh v Pakistan, 3rd ODI, Chittagong, December 6

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