Aamir to watch semifinal live in Mohali

Updated at: 0819 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011

MUMBAI: While the rest of the media have been reporting that Aamir Khan is taking on his archrival Shah Rukh Khan by throwing a cricket bash at his house at the same time when SRK is having a bash at Mannat. Fact is that Aamir has cancelled the shooting of Reema Kagti's untitled movie and is flying down to Mohali to see the high-octane India-Pakistan cricket match live. Shah Rukh has also cancelled all his appointments to watch the Indo-Pak match with his close friends. The guest list includes Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar, Arjun Rampal, Sanjay and wife Maheep Kapoor, Chunky and Bhavna Pandey.

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Ponting quits as Aussie Test, ODI captain

Updated at: 1633 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ricky Ponting quit as Australia's Test and one-day captain on Tuesday, just days after the champions were knocked out of the World Cup, but said he remained available for selection.The 36-year-old, who led Australia in more than 300 Test and one-day matches, insisted he was "not tapped on the shoulder" to give up the captaincy, and endorsed deputy Michael Clarke as his successor.I have resigned as captain of both the Test and one day Australian teams," Ponting told a press conference. "I will continue to play and am available for selection in both the one-day and Test teams I have thought long and hard about what Australian cricket needs. Now is the right time for the next captain to assume the responsibility for both the Test and one-day teams," he added.Ponting said Australia's exit in the quarter-finals of the World Cup last week in India prompted his decision to stand aside.The fact that we went out of the World Cup when we did was the main reason," he said, while denying he had been forced out by Cricket Australia.Today is a new start for me and I am very excited about the future. I will give my complete support to our new captain and continue to do my best to set the best possible example for my team-mates and emerging cricketers alike.Cricket chairman Jack Clarke paid tribute to Ponting's "outstanding" leadership.Australia Ricky Ponting has been an outstanding batsman, one of the best to wear the baggy green," he said.His leadership as captain has been outstanding and I sometimes think his brilliance with the bat has overshadowed his fine work as captain.Those close to the team know his true worth in guiding his players and setting a personal example of commensurate professionalism, particularly in recent years following the retirement of so many great of the gamePonting captained Australia in 77 Test matches for 48 wins - the most of any Test skipper  16 losses and 13 draws.In his 228 one-day matches in charge, he returned 164 wins and 50 losses.Cricket Australia will meet later on Tuesday to discuss who succeeds him, with Clarke the overwhelming favourite.I fully endorse Michael Clarke as the next captain," said Ponting.The Australian team for the three-match one-day international series in Bangladesh will be announced on Wednesday.

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CWC 2011 proves that 50-over cricket has a future: Haroon Lorgat

Updated at: 1633 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat told the Sri Lanka Press Institute Press Club meeting in Colombo today that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 had demonstrated that 50-over cricket has a long and successful future ahead of it.Speaking before an audience of diplomats, business leaders and journalists, Mr Lorgat said: "I had confidently predicted to the media on 1 February that this ICC Cricket World Cup would be the perfect showcase for the 50-over format to answer the critics and I had proclaimed that 'ODI cricket is alive and well'I am pleased - and naturally relieved - to say that so far the statements I have made have proven to be correct.The evidence to prove that 50-over cricket is far from finished has been plentiful. The television audiences have been the biggest in history and the India v England match in Bengaluru on 27 February is the most watched game in the history of ODIs… and it doesn't take a genius to predict that when India faces Pakistan in Mohali on Wednesday that record may well be smashed.And the crowds have been outstanding. Most of us would have been at R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday to watch a full-house celebrate as Sri Lanka cruised into the semi-final. No one that night was questioning the future of 50-over cricket nor will they in Chandigarh on Wednesday and nor were they in Bangladesh where the stadiums continued to be packed even after the home team went out of the competition.Mr Lorgat added that research conducted by the ICC had shown that there was still enormous support for 50-over cricket but had also demanded more context and content for ODIs.He said: "This World Cup clearly has context and we also have great content. The scoring-rate of more than five runs an over has been the highest in history. Records have tumbled and heroes continue to be made at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.The meaning of the World Cup is building. Can any one of India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka repeat the glory of their predecessor teams or will New Zealand make an even greater narration by writing its name boldly into the history of the game. Who will it be?There is something hugely significant at stake - not only for the teams but also for their countries. Can you just imagine what the reception would be like here in Colombo and across this island if Kumar Sangakkara and his team brings home the CWC trophy from Mumbai?It would be one of those moments when breath is taken away - not just for the players but for everyone in this country.And the same would apply to the other three countries. There is nothing quite like nation v nation cricket when national pride is at stake on a global stage.In Mohali, there will be another massive factor that would add to the context. I personally hope to see the mighty power of sport and in particular the Great Spirit of cricket providing a platform for the governments of India and Pakistan to come together around an ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final.I heard someone say yesterday that 'cricket diplomacy is better than no diplomacy', and another said that 'cricket will create harmony'.A part of the ICC vision is to 'build bridges between continents, countries and communities'. If this happens it will truly be fantastic and just reward for a sport that has Great Spirit. He added: "When we started this ICC Cricket World Cup our promotional campaign talked of 14 teams competing in 49 matches for one trophy.That trophy - for players, administrators, spectators alike - is The Cup that Counts - a 50-over competition.

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India under pressure ahead of big clash

Updated at: 1633 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011

MOHALI: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi insists that the pressure and expectation will all be on India's shoulders in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final blockbuster.With the prize of a place in Saturday's final at stake, a fever-pitch mood is expected with the 30,000 capacity Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium sold out days ago for the crunch clash. We are not the most favourite team for this competition. India is the most favourite and we have played above expectations. We are very confident and we are enjoying our cricket," said Afridi. But India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni shrugged off the hype surrounding a match which has also taken on huge diplomatic and political significance."It's an honour to lead the side," said Dhoni. "If you take a pressure job, you will find yourself in a pressure cooker. When you talk about hype and pressure, what does not help you needs to be kept away. "You need to top up on the skills aspect - vital areas we are focusing on.The match will be a clash between Pakistan's well-balanced bowling attack and India's star-studded top order, including opener Sachin Tendulkar who needs just one more century for a hundred international hundreds."We believe we have the strongest bowling attack in the world," said Pakistan opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez, who took the new ball with his off-spin in the quarter-final win over the West Indies. "That's the key." Pakistan's Umar Gul is arguably the best reverse-swing bowler at this tournament while Saaed Ajmal's off-spin a potent weapon. And then there is the leg-spin of Pakistan captain Afridi who is the tournament's top bowler with 21 wickets at an average of just 10.71 apiece. Meanwhile fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup, waits in the wings. Akhtar has played just three games at this tournament but the suspicion remains that India's batsmen can be troubled by high-class fast bowling. "Shoaib is not 100 percent but I think he is trying his level-best and we will decide (on his selection) this evening," Afridi said. India did manage to overcome champions Australia's three-pronged pace attack in a five-wicket quarter-final win in Ahmedabad but that was on a pitch favouring spin. Even then, India collapsed to 187 for five chasing 261 for victory, and it needed a composed 57 not out from the in-form Yuvraj Singh, now back on his home ground, to see the co-hosts to victory. Traditionally, the Mohali pitch has always offered plenty of pace and bounce and that could yet see Pakistan give Akhtar one last shot at India. Pakistan's ability to make early inroads into a top order featuring Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir could be decisive. India's bowlers, notably left-arm quick Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, did a good containing job against Australia. India will look for similar results in a bid to book a place in the April 2 Mumbai final against either Sri Lanka or New Zealand. "I think it's a great sign for both countries and sports, especially cricket always brings these two countries together," Afridi said. Pakistan, who've yet to register an individual hundred at this event, have lost all four of their World Cup matches against India. However, Hafeez said: "Pakistan has not defeated India in the World Cup but in the last 12 years, Australia also had not lost a single World Cup game. But then they lost to us (by four wickets) and to India. "There is no point thinking about the past. We think about the day; whoever the opponent is, we try to win the day."

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World Cup-1st SF: Sri Lanka restrict Kiwis to 217

Updated at: 1803 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka bowled out New Zealand for 217 runs in the first semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.After captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and decided to bat, none of the Kiwi batsmen could score freely against fast bowler Lasith Malinga and spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Asantha Mendis and were all out in 48.5 overs Muralitharan took a wicket with his final ball on home soil as he dismissed New Zealand's top scorer Scott Styris (57) with the last ball of his 10th over.The 38-year-old world record holder for Test and one-day wickets will retire from international cricket after the tournament.Lasith Malinga took wickets at key stages, yorking opener Martin Guptill (39) and Kane Williamson (22) and deceiving Nathan McCullum (9) with a slower delivery which the batsman edged to Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.Asantha Mendis also took three wickets, dismissing New Zealand's last two batsmen Tim Southee and Andy McKay for ducks.Styris added 77 from 106 balls with Ross Taylor (36) to take New Zealand to 161 for four from 39.1 overs.The pair found run-scoring difficult against the variety and accuracy of the Sri Lankan attack, with Styris getting some relief with a hook and drive for four off a Malinga over.The stage was set for a New Zealand run charge but Taylor hit Mendis straight to Upul Tharanga on the leg-side boundary and the New Zealanders never recovered.

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World Cup-1st SF: Kiwis elect to bat against Sri Lanka

Updated at: 1422 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011

COLOMBO: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the first semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday.Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was declared fit to play and he was included in an unchanged side which beat England by 10 wickets in the quarter-final on Saturday.The 38-year-old spinner was doubtful for the game after hurting his knee and aggravating a quadricep injury.New Zealand brought in Andy McKay for left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock in the only change from the team which beat South Africa by 49 runs in the quarter-finals.McKay was a replacement in the 15-man squad for injured Kyle Mills.Teams: Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson.

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Sri Lanka's brute batting force and shrewd bowling would be up against a sprightly New Zealand, aiming for a maiden summit clash berth in the World Cup, when the two sides clash in the first semifinal of the megaevent on Tuesday.Despite making the semifinals in six out of 10 World Cups, New Zealand have always been dubbed the underdogs who have never made the. But the Kiwis believe this could be their breakthrough tournament. New Zealand, after creating an upset in the quarterfinal by beating title-favourites South Africa, will be hoping to spring a similar surprise on the 1996 champions and 2007 runners-up.We are proud of our history of making semifinals, but looking at this team we want to make history and go one step further and make the final. We genuinely believe we can do that and we want to show that tomorrow," vice-captain Ross Taylor told reporters. New Zealand qualified last from Group 'A', but stunned South Africa, who qualified first from Group 'B', in Dhaka on Friday when they beat them by 49 runs. The spirited performance has created quite a buzz about the team which has a reputation of punching above its weight in major international events.We are taking a lot of confidence from our last game against south Africa. We have got an advantage that we have played against Sri Lanka in Group matches and we did a few things wrong there. Hopefully we can rectify that tomorrow," Taylor, who is also the highest run getter for the Kiwis in the competition told reporters.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are one of the leading contenders to win this year's World Cup.All four of their top order batsmen have scored hundreds in the competition so far but the lower half is a bit of a concern considering the number five, six and seven have just one half-century between them.Sri Lanka had a comprehensive 10-wicket win over England in their quarterfinal on Saturday where they beat them with 63 balls to spare, but captain Kumar Sangakkara said despite the easy win, his team wouldn't take the New Zealanders lightly.We can learn a few things from the England game and rectify a few things. New Zealand are a good side. Wheat I have seen them is that in big tournaments they lift their game. They are a united bunch and I think our semi-final will be a close encounter. We need to play hard without thinking too far ahead and I don't like to overrate us," Sangakkara said.Sri Lanka did beat New Zealand in a Group game in Mumbai, but Sangakkara said history hardly mattered in the knockout stage.Things like psychological advantage and all others takes a second place when it comes to proper cricket and good performance on the field. You can't think of what's gone before. Group stage games are long gone and I don't t think New Zealand are thinking about that," Sangakkara said.Sri Lanka are expected to again go with a three-strong spin attack, a ploy they used against England and Australia.
However, there are doubts over off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who is nursing a hamstring injury.
The Kiwis, on the other hand, have no major injury and have in fact been boosted by the return to form imposing all-rounder Jacob Oram, who grabbed four wickets and a couple of athletic catches in the quarterfinal win over South Africa.
Teams (from):
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (Captain and Wicketkeeper), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath.
New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (Captain), James Franklin, Martin Guptill Jamie How, Brendon McCullum (Wicketkeeper), Nathan McCullum, Andy McKay, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey, Kane Williamson and Luke Woodcock.
Umpires: Steve Davis (Aus) and Aleem Dar (Pak)
Third Umpire: Marais Erasmus (SA)
Match Referee: Chris Broad (Eng)

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Afridi dismayed over Malik’s assertion

Updated at: 0031 PST,  Tuesday, March 29, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Phoning the skipper national cricket team, Shahid Khan Afridi, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani late Monday wished that Pakistan cricket team might not let the nation go down and might leave no stone unturned to become victorious in semifinal match against archrivals India to be played Wednesday, 30 March, reported.According to sources, Shahid Afridi, on the occasion, complained PM about a controversial statement made by Interior Minister Abdul Rehman Malik on media.Also, the Premier Gilani extended all the best wishes for national side’s triumph in World Cup semifinal against India.Upon skipper’s complaint, PM Gilani urged minister to explain his statement to cricket team.Later, Abdul Rehman Malik, ringed captain Afridi and expressed excuse over his statement relating to spot-fixing on media.According to government’s statement, the Premier, concluding the discussion, said to Afridi that he would go to Mohali cricket stadium in person to encourage and express solidarity with national cricket team.

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Indian media to get response in arena: Afridi

Updated at: 1932 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team captain, Shahid Afridi repulsing the criticism of Indian media, said the national team will respond to the Indian media with its performance inside the arena, Geo News reported Monday.Rehman Malik (Interior Minister) should not have given a statement regarding matck fixing on the occasion of World Cup,” Shahid Afridi said while speaking in Geo News’ program “Score” via telephone. However, he added that players mostly prefer to speak with one another instead of listening to news or reading newspapers.He said Pakistani players are ‘quite satisfied’ in India in all respects. There is no security issue here, he added.We will respond to the Indian media’s criticism with our performance in the stadium,” the Pakistan skipper asserted.Shahid Afridi said the players are well aware of the significance of this match and the team is well-prepared to take on India in the semi final on March 30 in Mohali. “The team’s hopes are high to defeat India,” he added.With reference to Shoaib Akhter’s inclusion in the squad, he said a decision is yet to be made. “We want Shoaib who can pull out a strong 10-over spell and not one who can last for only three-four overs,” he added.

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Pak-India semi final: Players at the practice nets

Updated at: 1615 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011
MOHALI: With two days to go for the ‘mother of all matches” between Pakistan and India, the teams are trying their best to focus on the game at hand and to go about their practice as business as usual. The Pakistani players were out at practice for the big game at Punjab cricket stadium here Monday. Nearly all the players were seen practicing at the nets more than one-and-a-half hour.After two days of continue practice, the players also focused on physical fitness today, but Misbah and Younis carried out batting practice while pacemen Umer Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Wahab Riyaz and Abdul Razaq bowled with full rhythms

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Gul hopes Akhtar can ease pace burden

Updated at: 1458 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011
 MOHALI: Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul hopes Shoaib Akhtar is given one last chance to show what he can do against India in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final.Akhtar, who will retire from international cricket after the World Cup, has featured in just three matches during Pakistan's run to the semi-finals.And it seemed his last outing at this level would be a wretched return of one for 70 in a 110-run group stage thrashing by New Zealand in Pallekelle three weeks ago.However, Akhtar's return -- and the result itself -- might have been decidely different had not erratic wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal dropped the simplest of catches off the express quick when New Zealand's Ross Taylor, who made a match-winning century, was still in single figures.A clearly irate Akhtar never recovered his composure and a tournament return of three wickets at more than 40 apiece tells its own story.Nevertheless Gul, who has taken 14 wickets at an impressive average of 14.50 at this World Cup, said Monday he would welcome the return of the 35-year-old Akhtar for the winner-takes-all clash.Shoaib Akhtar is an experienced bowler who has performed well against India. If he plays, it will take some of the pressure off me. When he was not there, there was a lot of pressure on me.And he insisted Akhtar had not been sidelined.The team management is not angry with Shoaib Akhtar. He has been rested for a few games to find fitness and form but has been practising now for two to three days.However, the 26-year-old Gul -- one of the world's best reverse-swing bowlers -- said he'd been getting used to open the bowling at the urging of Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, himself once an outstanding fast bowler.For the last two to three years, Waqar Younis has been telling me to get prepared to use the new ball in the World Cup. I have returned to my best form by bowling with the new ball again," Gul explained.Gul could well have been the 'third seamer' if Pakistan had come into the World Cup with the new-ball duo of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.But the pair, along with former Test captain Salman Butt, were banned for their roles in last year's 'spot-fixing' scandal in England.The past five to six months have seen a lot of pressures and scandals," said Gul.We have done well against South Africa and winning both the Tests and one-dayers in New Zealand was a creditable effort.In the dressing room, players are supporting each other and there is a lot of unity Wednesday's match will be the first between the two Asian cricket giants on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and Gul said: "In both countries people want to see the teams play each other. Relations will be better if the teams play each other more often. Fans can't stand defeat but we have won six of seven matches so far and hope to play our best cricket against India."

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Mohali clash: Aisam, Bopanna divided

Updated at: 1350 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

NEW DELHI: India's Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani tennis doubles partner Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi insisted on Monday that the World Cup semi-final between their two nations will not shatter their friendship.Bopanna and Qureshi, who have used their on-court careers to also promote their "Stop War Start Tennis" campaign, hope the clash in Mohali won't spill over into their ongoing tournament commitments in Miami.It's easy to play tennis with him, but I hope we don't play a match on the same day as the cricket match," Bopanna said.It will be an interesting match. All of India will stop working to watch it. I'm backing India and I hope they go through to final in Mumbai.Qureshi, whose friendship with Bopanna stretches back 16 years, said that if they could watch the game on TV in the US, then they would sit together and watch it.I want Pakistan to win. They have never beaten India in a World Cup match but they have a better overall record," he said.Picking a favourite is not easy, but I have a gut feeling that Pakistan will cause an upset.Rohan and I have been friends for 16 years. Nothing against him, but I'll be supporting Pakistan and not his team.Both men insisted that whatever direction their two nations' political rivalries may take, tensions do not spill over into their relationship.I see him as another human being trying to do well in his career. He's helping me and I'm trying to do the same.Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who is married to former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, had already admitted that there was a domestic battle for supremacy going on.I support India and Shoaib will support Pakistan as usual! The war is on," Mirza wrote on her Twitter account from Miami.Mirza, 24, married Malik in Hyderabad in April last year amid huge hype surrounding the love-struck cross-border sport stars.The last time they played in Mohali I watched the match live. What a semi-final on the line. Wish I could be there," read another tweet.It's really exciting," Mirza said. "It's the blockbuster we were all hoping for. I wish I could be there. This would have been perfect as a final, but a semi-final is good enough.There are a lot of other things involved other than cricket. India-Pakistan is a battle. Maybe India has an edge.In Melbourne, meanwhile, Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan, a close friend of superstar batsman Sachin Tendulkar, was still revelling in India's quarter-final win over three-time defending champions Australia.At least we smashed the Aussies," said Karthikeyan.Members of the Force India team said they will be backing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team in Wednesday's game.There is an exchange of communication with Dr Vijay Mallya (team owner) and the team during matches and, of course, our support is with India," said Bob Fernley, the vice-principal of Force India.We know a number of the Indian players through our association and our thoughts and best wishes will be with the team next week."

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Angry fans clash with police in Mohali

Updated at: 1334 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

MOHALI: Angry protestors hurled stones and clashed with police outside the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Monday in the run up to Wednesday's Pak-India Cricket World Cup semi-final. Baton-wielding police and security forces on horseback tried to push back an estimated 1,000-strong crowd as a protest outside the stadium turned ugly. Witness said seven people were arrested and taken away in a police van. Injured men were lying on the grounds after they tried to escape the police action while women dressed in traditional salwar kameez suits were seen running for cover. A heavy security presence has surrounded the 30,000 seat stadium ever since the two neighbouring countries set up the hotly anticipated showdown last week. Local police told the protest was unconnected to the shortage of tickets that has angered fans in several Indian cities over the past five weeks. Last month's violence in Bangalore erupted after tens of thousands of fans who had camped overnight outside the38,400-seat M Chinnaswamy Stadium were told all 7,000 tickets allocated for public sale for the Feb. 27 India v England game had been sold. Police also used batons to control the angry fans on that occasion and similar scenes were witnessed in Nagpur on March 8 in the lead up to India's group match with South Africa.Ticket sales for the Feb. 19-April 2 tournament have proven to be a major headache for Indian organisers, who are unable to meet demand for the high-profile matches, especially those featuring the home team as well as the April 2 final in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. (Reuters)

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Pak-India semifinal: Mohali declared no-fly zone

Updated at: 1301 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011
CHANDIGARH: With the fever touching the skies ahead of Pak-India semifinal, the mother of all matches, in Mohali, Indian government was taking all possible security measures to secure the Wednesday's encounter to be attended by the top leadership of both the countries.Anti-aircraft guns have been placed and Mohali has been declared a no-fly zone. Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters are on standby for air surveillance and fighter jets at Ambala.A multi-tier security is in place involving special commandos and other Indian security agencies. An agency is tasked with air surveillance and it's expected to use Israeli-made unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).Close to 3000 policemen will patrol the area and anti-aircraft guns will be used. The city has been declared a no-fly zone.

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Police out in force for Pak-India clash

Updated at: 1256 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

MOHALI: Police were out in even greater numbers in and around the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium just 48 hours out from the India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.An already high-profile encounter between the rivals was given added security status when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepted an invitation from India counterpart Manmohan Singh to attend the match.It will be the first game between the two teams on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.It has since emerged that local police received anonymous tips claiming there was a bomb at the PCA Stadium, with the Hindustan Times reporting that a total of four calls were made from the same phone number on Sunday.Police, with anti-explosive equipment and sniffer dogs searched the ground while the India team trained on the outfield.Such inspections have become common ahead of major matches at cricket grounds around the world in recent years in response to perceived terror threats.India's training session, which finished with a game of volleyball, did not conclude until dusk on Sunday.Meanwhile Pakistan, who like India started their training session with an enthusiastic game of football, resorted to more traditional methods on Monday as their bowlers were put through their paces out in the middle.Noticeably, the two teams had trained on opposite sides of the ground, with one security officer saying: "This is Hindustan (India) and that is Pakistan.Around 3,000 police will patrol Wednesday's match with some 2,000 expected to be deployed in and around the 30,000-capacity PCA Stadium on matchday.An estimated 1,000 police have already descended on the luxury Hotel Taj in nearby Chandigarh where both teams are staying, a force which includes Indian army commandos.The game, which takes place in the border state of Punjab, has already sparked a flurry of political activity.Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq welcomed Gilani's attendance, saying: "It's a good thing, no pressure. He's helping to support us.And I think it's a good gesture from the Indian Prime Minister that he invites him to come here and watch the game.Elsewhere the frantic scramble for hotel rooms and tickets showed no signs of slackening, even though the PCA had insisted as early as last Tuesday that the 14,000 available tickets had been sold, with the rest in the hands of the ICC.However, there have been numerous reports of a thriving black market in tickets with prices rocketing so that a 5,000-rupee ($112) ticket was being sold for as much as 25,000 rupees ($560).Meanwhile there are also concerns that as many as 7,000 scanned or fake tickets could be in circulation, leading to fears that numerous fans could be turned away at the gates on Wednesday.For a match as big as this one, we cannot do anything about black market tickets," said PCA joint secretary GS Walia.As far as we are concerned, we only gave the tickets to those who stood in the queues and bought them.

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Tait to retire from ODIs

Updated at: 1209 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

SYDNEY: Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait on Monday announced his retirement from one-day cricket to concentrate on the Twenty20 form of the game.Tait, 28, who has just returned from the World Cup on the subcontinent, said he will step down from the national and South Australia one-day teams in an attempt to prolong his career.I have decided to retire from one-day cricket for both Australia and the South Australian Redbacks," Tait said in a statement released through Cricket Australia.This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but I believe it is one that will help me to prolong my cricketing career through the many Twenty20 avenues available.In reality, playing all year round for Australia and South Australia is not allowing my body to stand up as I would like and I do not want to be forced into retirement through career-ending injuries.Tait said his goal was to help Australia retain the ICC Cricket World Cup, currently underway in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.However, with our involvement now finished I feel it is the perfect time to move on in a new direction," said Tait, who was a member of Australia's 2007 World Cup-winning side.Cricket Australia's General Manager Michael Brown said Tait had been an important contributor to Australia's shorter version of cricket over the last few years.Bowling at the speeds he generates places an unusual strain on his body and Cricket Australia respects the decision he makes today," Brown said.Tait only played three Tests but in 35 ODI appearance he captured 62 wickets at 23.56.

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Thrills and spills in Pakistan-India Cup matches

Updated at: 1213 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

NEW DELHI: Excitement and pressure will go hand in hand when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Indians clash with Shahid Afridi's Pakistanis in Wednesday's high-voltage World Cup semi-final in Mohali.There has never been a dull moment ever since the two countries played their first World Cup match in 1992 at Sydney.Pakistan, playing impressive cricket in the ongoing tournament, will also be determined to overcome a jinx after having lost all of their four World Cup matches against their arch-rivals.All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, man of the match in Pakistan's quarter-final win over the West Indies in Dhaka on Wednesday, has said he is keenly looking forward to playing in Mohali.It will be really exciting to play India. The atmosphere will be really electrifying. Playing in front of an Indian crowd will be interesting," Hafeez recently told an Indian newspaper.I hope India and Pakistan play more matches in future.It will be the third one-dayer between India and Pakistan in nearly three years as the cricketing ties between the two snapped following the 2008 attacks on India's financial hub Mumbai.The World Cup matches between India and Pakistan have provided plenty of thrills.Top Pakistani batsman Javed Miandad was a photographers' delight in 1992 when he jumped up and down, apparently in imitation of Indian wicket-keeper Kiran More who had been repeatedly appealing.The 43-run defeat at Sydney did not affect Pakistan's chances as they rallied from the brink to win the World Cup under Imran Khan's inspirational leadership.But the next defeat in the 1996 World Cup did.Pakistan's 39-run defeat came in the quarter-final at Bangalore where many believed they had lost half the battle before the first ball had been bowled.Their captain and quality paceman, Wasim Akram, withdrew from the game due to an injury -- a decision the fans found hard to swallow. He was later widely criticised for pulling out of a big match.Pakistan lost the remaining half of the battle when well-set opener Aamer Sohail lost his cool and wicket after being involved in a verbal duel with Indian seamer Venkatesh Prasad.Chasing a 288-run target, Pakistan were 113-1 before Sohail was bowled for 55 to become one of Prasad's three victims. It was all over when veteran Miandad was run out for 38 in what turned to be his last World Cup appearance.The third World Cup clash came at Old Trafford in England in 1999. It was again Prasad who troubled Pakistan, claiming five wickets to help India win by 47 runs in a Super Sixes fixture.The 2003 World Cup match at Centurion in South Africa was dubbed as a duel between superstars Sachin Tendulkar of India and Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar.Tendulkar won the fascinating battle, smashing a robust 98 before becoming the paceman's lone victim of the innings. Akhtar conceded 72 in 10 overs in his team's six-wicket defeat.Tendulkar is now just one ton short of completing 100 international centuries while Akhtar is retiring after the World Cup.

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New Zealand PM to miss World Cup semi-final

Updated at: 1211 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

COLOMBO: New Zealand Prime Minister John Key was "delighted" with an invitation to witness his country play Sri Lanka in Tuesday's World Cup semi-final, but logistics will keep him away.Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse, who invited Key on Sunday, said the New Zealand premier was keen to visit, but he had just returned to the capital and there was no possibility that he could make Sri Lanka by Tuesday.He has said that he was delighted with the invitation, but he is unable to make it in time due to logistical problems," the president told foreign correspondents at his residence Monday.The 1996 champions will tackle New Zealand on Tuesday for a place in the final. The Black Caps had knocked South Africa out of the World Cup by defeating them by 49 runs on Friday.Sri Lanka will meet New Zealand for a second time in the current World Cup after their 112 run victory over the Black Caps in their Group A match in Mumbai on March 18.The winner of Tuesday's semi-final will meet the winners of Wednesday's clash between India and Pakistan.

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Australia sets Ponting captaincy deadline

Updated at: 1209 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

SYDNEY: Under-fire Australia captain Ricky Ponting was given just three days to decide his future Monday as selectors said the next one-day squad would be announced on Wednesday.Ponting, who let slip Australia's 12-year grasp on the World Cup last week -- just three months after their heavy Ashes defeat -- has already hinted that he may step down.Cricket Australia said a squad for next month's three-match one-day tour of Bangladesh was expected to be announced on Wednesday, effectively setting a deadline for the veteran skipper.Ponting, 36, returned home on Sunday following Australia's quarter-final exit from the World Cup at the hands of India, saying he was considering his position this week.I'll have the opportunity over the next couple of days to reflect on where things are headed for me and certainly what direction I feel things are heading for the betterment of Australian cricket," the Test and one-day captain told reporters.I have to really decide what I think is right for me and the team going forward.Australia play three one-day matches against Bangladesh on April 9, 11 and 13, with Ponting previously stating that he wanted to lead the team on the tour.But Ponting has since suggested he could quit as captain, saying he was prepared to play on under the likely leadership of his deputy Michael Clarke and bat anywhere in the order.I see myself as a leader around the group, simple as that, whether I'm captain or not I still think I've got a lot to offer as far as leadership qualities go," he said.Though heartened by support of team-mates and senior officials, Ponting said he was "absolutely" prepared to drop down the order and step down as captain "if that's what they (CA) and I believe is the best way forward"Ponting, who has been under attack since the 3-1 Ashes series defeat to England, scored a fighting 104 but it was not enough to prevent India from knocking the champions out in last Thursday's quarter-final in Ahmedabad.He has now presided over the end of Australia's 12-year run as World Cup champions after his third Ashes series defeat as captain to England.Ponting, who has been captain for nine years, had a difficult World Cup, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out against Zimbabwe.He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with team-mate Steven Smith during their victory against Canada, and for failing to walk in the group match defeat by Pakistan.

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Updated at: 0227 PST, Monday, March 28, 2011

Updated at: 0227 PST,  Monday, March 28, 2011

MOHALI: The India-Pakistan match to be held in Mohali in Punjab is keeping even the Delhi Police on its toes. According to recent intelligence reports, terrorists have formed several groups to launch an attack on the match. About 30 small groups have been formed by terror organisations like the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Indian Mujahideen and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami.Sources said that several meetings to arrive at the final terror module have taken place in both sides of Kashmir.The Delhi Police on its part has intensified checking at all the borders, railway stations and inter-state bus terminals."This is one of the safety precautions we are taking. More people have been deployed at the city borders and we have also sought cooperation from the Uttar Pradesh police," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.The police are conducting searches in the guesthouses of areas like Paharganj and Karol Bagh. After the attack on Jama Masjid right before the Commonwealth Games last year, the police are not leaving anything to chance.The Taj Hotel in Chandigarh's Sector 17 has already been converted into a fortress with more than 1,000 security personnel manning the whole compound.The Indian National Security Guard too has sent its personnel to look into the security arrangements and to provide cover to the whole match. (Online)

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Pak-India match tickets being blacked

Updated at: 1546 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

NEW DELHI: Cricket fans at Mohali are complaining about the unavailability of tickets at the counters on Sunday.The fans are angry and allege that the tickets are now being sold at a high price in the black market.However, there have been numerous reports of a thriving black market in tickets with prices rocketing so that a 5,000-rupee ticket was being sold for a price as high as 100,000 rupees."For a match as big as this one, we cannot do anything about black market tickets," said PCA joint secretary GS Walia.As far as we are concerned, we only gave the tickets to those who stood in the queues and bought them. We cannot keep track if they sell these in (the) black (market)."

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World Cup 2011: SL president invites Kiwi premier to semi final

Updated at: 1358 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Sri Lankan president has invited the New Zealand prime minister to watch the semi final.President Mahinda Rajapaksa has extended an invitation to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to watch the World Cup semi final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Tuesday, March 29.Sri Lanka and New Zealand have already faced each other in the group stage when Sri Lanka defeated the Kiwis. Both sides have also encountered in the semi final of the 2007 World Cup that was also ended in the victory of the Asian side.

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Security stepped up as India-Pakistan clash nears

Updated at: 1358 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

MOHALI: Security was ramped up at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium on Sunday as India staged their first training session ahead of the high-profile World Cup semi-final against Pakistan.The match, the first between the arch-rivals on Indian soil since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, gained an added security headache Sunday when Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani confirmed he will attend Wednesday's clash.Police were out in greater numbers in and around the ground on Sunday and there were even "media security officers" escorting reporters into the ground.Meanwhile, the security presence was equalled only by the increaesed number of television trucks parked side by side outside the Stadium, all eager to beam back pictures of such stars as local hero Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar.India were due to train later Sunday but both television reporters and eager fans desperate for a glimpse of their favourites, could be disappointed if, as has happened before, some players decide to opt out of a practice session.Pakistan, the 1992 champions, were put through their paces once again by coach Waqar Younis in an early morning training stint that started with a lively football match.Coming back to the PCA Stadium was proving particularly pleasant for Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam, who earlier in his career coached a Punjab team featuring both Yuvraj and India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.I am nostalgic, I remember this place very well," former Test leg-spinner Alam told the Sunday Pioneer.The two years I spent here earned me friends for life. It feels great to come back.Alam's relaxed mood was in keeping with that of his team.Opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez said on Saturday neither he nor his Pakistan colleagues had any qualms about security, saying: "We have no fear or a feeling of (any) shortcoming when it comes to security.That's not our job; our job is to play cricket. To provide security is the responsibility of the ICC (International Cricket Council) and the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).We are very happy and we are enjoying ourselves very much.Around 3,000 police will patrol Wednesday's match with some 2,000 expected to be deployed in and around the 30,000-capacity PCA Stadium on matchday.An estimated 1,000 police have already descended on the luxury Hotel Taj in nearby Chandigarh where both teams are staying, a force which includes Indian army commandos.The game, which takes place in the border state of Punjab, has already sparked a flurry of political activity.Faharullah Babar, a spokesman for Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari responded to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's "cricket diplomacy".It was decided in response to the Indian Prime Minister's invitation that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will visit India to witness the semi-final cricket match," he said.Elsewhere the frantic scramble for hotel rooms and tickets showed no signs of slackening, even though the PCA had insisted as early as Tuesday that the 14,000 available tickets had been sold, with the rest in the hands of the ICC.However, there have been numerous reports of a thriving black market in tickets with prices rocketing so that a 5,000-rupee ($112) ticket was being sold for as much as 25,000 rupees ($560)For a match as big as this one, we cannot do anything about black market tickets," said PCA joint secretary GS Walia.As far as we are concerned, we only gave the tickets to those who stood in the queues and bought them. We cannot keep track if they sell these in (the) black (market

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Tickets not available for Indo-Pak tie

Updated at: 1546 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

NEW DELHI: Cricket fans at Mohali are complaining about the unavailability of tickets at the counters on Sunday.The fans are angry and allege that the tickets are now being sold at a high price in the black market.However, there have been numerous reports of a thriving black market in tickets with prices rocketing so that a 5,000-rupee ticket was being sold for as much as 25,000 rupees.For a match as big as this one, we cannot do anything about black market tickets," said PCA joint secretary GS Walia.As far as we are concerned, we only gave the tickets to those who stood in the queues and bought them. We cannot keep track if they sell these in (the) black (market)

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Misbah backs Akhtar factor against India

Updated at: 1522 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

MOHALI: Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq believes fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has a key role to play in the World Cup semi-final against India -- even if the paceman doesn't take the field.The 35-year-old Akhtar has said he will retire after the World Cup and has only featured in three matches at the tournament to date.But he remains capable of working up fearsome speed and may have one last shot at India when Pakistan face their arch-rivals on Wednesday.Shoaib Akhtar is a class bowler," said Misbah on Sunday.He has performed for Pakistan on a number of occasions including the 1999 World Cup (when the team lost to Australia in the final).And Misbah said that, at the very least, he would help Pakistan's batsmen get ready for the challenge of facing India's seamers.Batsmen get to prepare well against pace bowling when they face him at the nets. If he does play in the coming matches, I feel it will give us a psychological advantage.When it comes to India-Pakistan matches, Misbah is currently associated with the 2007 World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg The now 36-year-old Misbah rescued Pakistan from the depths of 77 for six and his 43 almost guided Pakistan to victory in the first World Twenty20 final.With three balls left, and six runs needed to win, he was last man out when he tried to lap Joginder Sharma over short fine leg and was caught by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.Asked if he wanted to put that right, Misbah said: "Every game is a new game and it's not because of that, that this is a special game.This is a World Cup semi-final, I really want to play well.Misbah, one of two former captains in the side along with Younis Khan, praised skipper Shahid Afridi for the way he'd led the side to the semi-finals.Leg-spinner Afridi is the tournament's leading bowler with 21 wickets and Misbah said: "I think the important thing is his aggression and the other thing is that he has led the team by example.He is performing really well, just taking wickets at the right time, so that really helps the team when the captain is performing like that. Everybody is standing behind him at the World Cup.There were concerns that having two ex-captains in a Pakistan team traditionally renowned for its volatility could prove divisive but Misbah insisted: "I think there are always differences in opinion but we always talk to the captain about what he thinks. He's really good at that.He listens to the players, especially the senior players and the coaches, we just decide everything with a good co-ordination, and that's why everything is going well and the team is performing well.Misbah added it was also good to have veteran manager Intikhab Alam, the former Pakistan captain, on board given his experience in helping the team win the 1992 World Cup in Australia and the 2009 World Twenty20 in England.That's a positive thing we have, the last two World Cups, 50 overs and 20 overs, we've won when he was with the team so he has a good experience of how to perform in pressure situations.No Pakistan batsman has yet made a hundred this tournament with Misbah's unbeaten 83 in the 11-run win over Sri Lanka, who face New Zealand in the other semi-final, their highest individual score.Our batsmen not making big scores is not a concern because we are winning. We will be happy if we win the World Cup without a single individual hundred," Misbah insisted.

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Maldives releases cricket WCup terror suspect

Updated at: 1502 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

COLOMBO: Maldives police said Sunday they had released a man suspected of plotting an attack on the cricket World Cup taking place in South Asia.Maldivian national Iqbal Mohamed, 42, was arrested on March 10 as he arrived at Male International airport from Pakistan following a tip-off from the international police body Interpol.Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Interpol chief Ronald Noble announced the arrest last week, with Malik saying a "serious attempt" at an attack had been foiled.He (Mohamed) is no longer in our custody. He was released over the weekend on a court order," police spokesman Ahmed Shiyam said by telephone from the capital Male.Shiyam declined to give the reason, but local media reported that a court had refused to extend Mohamed's detention and ordered his release late Friday.Mohamed fled to Pakistan in 2007 after allegedly being involved in a bomb attack in Male. Maldivian police then sought France-based Interpol's help and issued a red notice for his arrest.At the time of his arrest, Interpol said their officers based in Sri Lanka's international airport had detected him while scanning passenger lists for terror suspects during the ongoing cricket World Cup.Police in the three World Cup host countries of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh have thrown blanket security for the tournament, which ends in Mumbai on April 2.

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Taufel, Gould to umpire India-Pakistan clash

Updated at: 1421 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

NEW DELHI: Australia's Simon Taufel and Ian Gould of England were on Sunday named as the umpires for Wednesday's highly-charged World Cup semi-final between India Pakistan.Sri Lanka's Ranjan Madugalle will be match referee with New Zealand's Billy Bowden and Australian Rod Tucker acting as the third and fourth umpires respectively.For Tuesday's first semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo, Steve Davis of Australia and Aleem Dar of Pakistan will be the on-field umpires.Chris Broad is the match referee with South Africa's Marais Erasmus and Billy Doctrove of West Indies, the third and fourth umpires respectively.The International Cricket Council said that officials for the final will be made later in the week

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Gilani, Manmohan meeting would improve ties: Indian HC

Updated at: 1530 PST,  Sunday, March 27, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal said the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Mohali would help improve ties, Geo News reported He was talking to media during a friendly cricket match between Indian High Commission and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.He pointed that visas were being issued to Pakistanis for the match.Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani accepted the invitation of his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh to watch the cricket World Cup semi-final match between Pakistan and India in Mohali on March 30.According to official sources, Prime Minister Gilani will informally meet Manmohan Singh during the match and a formal meeting will be held after the match in which bilateral matters will come under discussion.

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Sachin will have to wait for 100 international tons: Afridi

Updated at: 2113 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

Karachi, (PTI): Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi predicted that Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will have to wait until after the World Cup to reach the milestone of scoring 100 international centuries.Sachin will have to wait until after the World Cup for his 100th international century because we are not going to allow either him or any other Indian player to play a big innings," Afridi said.Tendulkar has been in prolific form in the World Cup and completed 18,000 runs in One-dayers in the previous game against Australia. He needs just one more hundred to complete 100 international centuries, the first by any batsman.Pakistan will take on India in the second semifinal of the World Cup to be held in Mohali on March 30 and Afridi said he was confident of his side beating India.It is a game of cricket and both teams can lay claim they will win the semi-final but given our current form I am confident we can beat India," Afridi said.Admitting that his team-mates wanted to face India in the semi-finals, the skipper said, "The players wanted this clash and we are looking forward to it. We know the expectations are high but at the end of the day I have told the players that the team, which controls and keeps its nerves in such a high tension match, will prevail.Afridi also felt that the pressure on India would be far more in the semi-final as compared to Pakistan, as they would be playing in front of their home crowd.Normally whenever both teams play there is great pressure because of the high expectations of the people but this time India are playing in front of their home crowd and the pressure will be greater on them," he said.Stating that his players were under no pressure because of the fact that Pakistan had never beaten India in a World Cup match before, Afridi said, "That is history and this team has a habit of changing history. More importantly the winning momentum we have got it allows the players to be better prepared for the big match.The flamboyant all-rounder also made it clear the players were not feeling the pressure of having to go and play in India after a gap of nearly four years"We have a young team and many of our players have not played in India before but it is not a problem for them because they have become used to playing even home matches abroad. I am confident they can handle the pressures of playing in India.Afridi, meanwhile, also appealed to the fans to treat this high-profile clash between the neighbours as just another cricket match.

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Sri Lanka demolish England to storm into semis

Updated at: 2113 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

COLOMBO: Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga powered Sri Lanka into semi-finals, hitting brilliant hundreds in a comprehensive 10-wicket triumph against hapless England in the last of the World Cup quarter-finals here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.Sri Lanka will now play the first of two semi-finals here on March 29 against New Zealand who knocked out South Africa in Dhaka on Friday while arch-rivals Pakistan and India meet in the second semi-final in Mohali a day later.Dilshan finished with a 115-ball 108 not out, spiced with 10 boundaries and two sixes, while Tharanga notched an unbeaten 102 off 122 deliveries, studded with 12 fours and one six, as the duo easily reached the 230-run target with 10.3 overs to spare.It was the second 200 plus partnership in the tournament as the pair also scored 282 for the first wicket against Zimbabwe in the group stages at Pallekele.Dilshan was the first to reach his hundred, his 10th in one-day cricket and second in this tournament, cutting Swann to the cover boundary for his ninth boundary.Tharanga completed his 11th century, and also his second in this World Cup, with the winning boundary off Chris Tremlett.Earlier, captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and decided to bat first on a slow, flat pitch.but England made a poor start losing both openers for 31 However, Jonathan Trott (86) rescued them with a cautious innings of 86, adding 64 runs for the third wicket with Ravi Bopara (31) and 91 for the fourth with Eoin Morgan (50) as England made 229 for six in their 50 overs.Trott’s 86 was his 11th fifty in one-day internationals and the fifth half-century in the tournament. But he was unable to lift the innings in the final overs as England managed just 23 in the batting power-play.Trott fell in the 49th over, caught off Muralitharan who finished with 2-54, after a 115-ball innings which featured just two boundaries.It will be Sri Lanka's third successive World Cup semi-final, having finished runners-up to Australia in the last edition held in the Caribbean four years ago.

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Updated at: 1945 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

MOHALI: Mohammad Hafeez is confident Pakistan can overcome India when the arch-rivals meet in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday thanks to the "strongest bowling attack in the world Pakistan, the 1992 champions, possess a bowling line-up for pretty much all conditions despite missing the new ball duo of Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, both banned following last year's spot-fixing scandal in England."We believe that we have the strongest bowling attack in the world at the moment," said Hafeez on Saturday.That is the key. Our bowling is our strength and our batsmen are just supporting them in whatever way is required.Umar Gul is arguably the most skilled exponent of reverse-swing at this tournament while Hafeez, who took the new ball alongside him in the 10-wicket quarter-final thrashing of the West Indies, is a more than handy off-spinner.Left-arm pace comes in the shape of Wahab Riaz, with all-rounder Abdul Razzaq providing seam support while Saaed Ajmal's off-spin is a potent weapon.And then there is the leg-spin of Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi who is the tournament's top bowler with 21 wickets at an average of just 10.71 apiece.Meanwhile fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup waits in the wings."At the moment, we definitely rely on our bowling but we know we are capable enough as batsmen to achieve any total, whatever our bowlers give us," added Hafeez.The pitch for India's five-wicket quarter-final win over Australia in Ahmedabad offered plenty of assistance to spinners, an area where the co-hosts clearly had an edge on the beaten champions.But Hafeez said whatever kind of surface was prepared in Mohali would suit Pakistan."We really don't care about the pitch, whatever it will be, we are good enough to perform to the best of our ability."Matches between India and Pakistan are always special affairs.And the context of a World Cup semi-final in the border state of Punjab merely heightens the frenzied atmosphere, particularly as India-Pakistan fixtures have become increasingly rare for political and security reasons.

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Trott steers England to 229 against Sri Lanka

Updated at: 1736 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

COLOMBO: A superb 86 by Jonathon Trott helped England set a target of 230 runs for Sri Lanka in the final World Cup quarter-final here at the R. Premadasa stadium on Saturday.After captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and decided to bat, England made a poor start losing both openers for 31 but Trott rescued them with Ravi Bopara (31) and Eoin Morgan (50) as his team made 229 for six in their 50 overs.Trott’s 86 was his 11th fifty in one-day internationals and the fifth half-century in this tournament. He added 64 runs for the third wicket with Bopara and 91 for the fourth with Morgan to
anchor England to a fighting total on a slow wicket.Sri Lanka went into the match with three frontline spinners -- Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath -- who made it tough for the batsmen to score with their tight line and length.Morgan was dropped three times -- on 16, 33 and 34 – while television replays showed he was also lbw to Lasith Malinga, a decision Sri Lanka did not appeal.Strauss struggled against some accurate bowling by part-time off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan, who bowled the second over of the innings.Ian Bell (25) became the third batsman to be promoted to open the England innings in the tournament and got off to a confident start but chipped one straight to Thilan Samaraweera off Angelo Mathews England kept the same side which beat the West Indies in their last Group B match, still keeping paceman James Anderson on the bench and playing with two off-spinners in Graeme Swann and James Tredwell.Sri Lanka included left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for paceman Nuwan Kulasekara as the only change in the squad which beat New Zealand by 112 runs to give them three frontline spinners.The winners of the match will play against New Zealand at the same venue on Tuesday in the first semi-final.

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South Africa will rise from ashes, says Smith

Updated at: 1705 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

DHAKA: Outgoing one-day captain Graeme Smith, devastated by South Africa's sudden World Cup exit, has predicted the national team will quickly overcome their latest debacle.The Proteas collapsed from a winning position to hand New Zealand a dramatic 49-run victory in Friday's quarter-final at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in the Bangladesh capital.The Black Caps, restricted to 221-8 after taking first strike, bundled out South Africa for 172 after they were sailing merrily at 108-2 by the 24th over.South Africa, often regarded as the best team never to have won the World Cup, have now lost in three semi-finals, two quarter-finals and once in the first round.But Smith, who will stand down as one-day skipper but remain the leader in Test cricket, was confident the team will taste success again."This is an exciting period for South African cricket," he said. "We have the players and the talent. Hopefully in future we will go all the way."South Africa deserves to win the World Cup." Friday's defeat lent credence to the widespread belief that South Africa are cricket's biggest chokers, and Smith was at a loss to pinpoint the reason for the failure."It is really hard to describe what happened," said Smith, mystified by a World Cup record which shows South Africa having failed to win any knockout game in the tournament since their 1992 debut."Your guess is as good as mine. It's been happening since 1992. We just weren't good enough, but we have to take it forward and not get bogged down."There will be a new coach and new captain. We are disappointed but nothing I say is going to change that for fans back home."Smith said his team threw away a great opportunity."We had the opportunity to close out the game after we kept them down to 221 and can only blame ourselves," he said. "We let ourselves down, we let our fans down."South Africa had topped the tough Group B with five wins from six matches in the league, but fell just when the pressure of a knock-out situation came along."I can't fault the way we played in the tournament," added Smith. "We trained hard and gave our best."We certainly bowled well in this game, but New Zealand squeezed us when the ball became soft. We needed to show composure at that stage. It is difficult to recover on wickets like this." "One must give credit to New Zealand for the way they played," said Smith. "Ryder set up the 200 which I thought was very gettable. But they stuck to the task in the field."They certainly deserved to win."

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Vettori eyes big finale for little guys

Updated at: 1601 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

DHAKA: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori dismissed suggestions on Saturday that reaching the World Cup semi-finals should be the limit of his team's ambitions."I look at it as an achievement for a country so small that we make so many semi-finals. That's a better way to look at it for a country of four million people," he said. "People may put negative stamps on it but I think it's an achievement for a country like ours."New Zealand came from behind to upset South Africa by 49 runs in Friday's quarter-final at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium, their fourth win over the fancied rivals in six World Cup encounters.Vettori's men, restricted to 221-8 after taking first strike in the day-night match, bundled out South Africa for 172 in an exciting finish.It will be New Zealand's sixth appearance in the semi-finals, where they await the winners of Saturday's match between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo."I think the reputation we have is that we can beat any team on a given day," said Vettori."But consistency has avoided us a lot of the time, so it's our big chance in the semi-finals to go one or two better."Vettori said beating South Africa in a crunch game boosted morale, and praised his side for fighting till the end."Something around 250 would probably have been a really good score, but we knew 221 was defendable and the way we bowled, and particularly the way we fielded, got us through to the victory.""I think when we got de Villiers and Kallis out, we all started to believe we could go all the way, the captain said."Their top four batsmen have proved themselves for a long, long time and have an excellent track record. They also had a long tail. So we had to take wickets."South Africa, often regarded as the best team never to have the World Cup, have lost in three semi-finals, two quarter-finals and once in the first round.

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England win toss, elect to bat against Sri Lanka

Updated at: 1339 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

COLOMBO: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and chose to bat in the last of the World Cup quarter-finals against Sri Lanka here at the R. Premadasa stadium on Saturday.England kept the same side which beat the West Indies in their last Group B match, still keeping paceman James Anderson on the bench and playing with two off-spinners in Graeme Swann and James Tredwell.Sri Lanka included left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for paceman Nuwan Kulasekara as the only change in the squad which beat New Zealand by 112 runs to give them three frontline spinners The R. Premadasa stadium pitch is likely to help batsmen but will take slow turn as the match progresses.The weather could play a major role with rain expected in the evening.Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath.England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Chris Tremlett.Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WI) and Simon Taufel (AUS), TV umpire: Tony Hill (NZ)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ)

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Sri Lanka, England quarter-final today

Updated at: 0835 PST,  Saturday, March 26, 2011

COLOMBO: Soon after the Sri Lanka team returned to the dressing room following a practice session on the eve of their quarterfinal against England, skipper Kumar Sangakkara exited the enclosure.Rather than walking towards the media centre for the customary interaction, he headed straight to the wicket. Sangakkara first tapped the surface to check the firmness and then had a word with the ground-staff. However, he would know that more than the nature of the 22-yard strip, the decisive factor in Saturday’s quarterfinal would be handling pressure.While Sri Lanka would have to live up to the expectations of 20 million nationals 35,000 of who would be vociferously supporting the team from the stands England would have to deal with the challenge of fielding 11 physically and mentally fit cricketers.Sangakkara tactfully avoided questions on home pressure. “That’s the way cricket is played here. World Cup or not, we get a packed house here; it won’t be different tomorrow,” the left-hander said on Friday.Though the hosts were relieved to hear about Muttiah Muralitharan’s recovery from a hamstring strain, they still have a few areas to ponder on, going into the key clash. The lower-middle order, for instance, has proved to be a big headache.Thrice in six league matches, a flurry of wickets have fallen in the death overs. With the top-four coming good on each of the three occasions, it didn’t affect the outcome of any game. But, in the event of the top-four failing to click, the lower-middle order will certainly be exposed.England, on the other hand, are hoping for a less-than-dramatic match for a change. Thanks to the numerous close finishes, they have surprisingly emerged as the most entertaining outfit in the tournament. To add to their injury woes, Michael Yardy’s depression has kept England in the limelight.“We have had a lot of injuries, lot of people coming and going, and I think that tests your resolve as a group. Also, the core of the side has to be able to welcome other people in and make them feel part of the side. That’s something we are good at,” said skipper Andrew Strauss.Whether they are good at pulling off another surprise on Saturday remains to be seen.

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ICC President Sharad Pawar praises Bangladesh for its wonderful hosting

ICC President Sharad Pawar has praised Bangladesh for its hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.Pawar, who was in attendance at the New Zealand-South Africa game on Friday, said: "It has been wonderful to experience the hospitality of the people of Bangladesh.I'd like to thank the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, Finance Minister, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Sports Minister, Ahad Ali Sarker, and the Government of Bangladesh for their support and cooperation in so successfully hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup opening ceremony and all of the matches in Bangladesh."The manner in which the whole country has embraced the World Cup has been a joy to behold. The passion that the people of Bangladesh have for cricket is wonderful."I have also been very impressed with the facilities here in Dhaka. The Sher-e-Bangla Stadium is a world-class venue that all of Bangladesh should be proud of."All eight matches in Bangladesh were well-attended and even those that did not feature the home team were played out in front of big crowds. The people came in and appreciated the good performances and enjoyed the game."Immense credit must go to the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, AHM Mustapha Kamal, his team at the BCB, the Local Organising Committee, the Government of Bangladesh and, of course, the people of this beautiful country."An event of the scale of the ICC Cricket World Cup poses many logistical and operational challenges for host nations and I am pleased to say that the cricket community in Bangladesh has not merely met those challenges but has exceeded them."I am sure cricket in Bangladesh has a positive and prosperous future and we look forward to returning to the country for the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier later this year and the ICC World Twenty20 in 2014."

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