Updated at: 1609 PST,  Tuesday, May 17, 2011

LONDON: Former England captain Tony Greig has called for an end to India's "domination" of the International Cricket Council (ICC), saying it was the first thing he'd change if in charge of the governing body."Number one, we have got to try and get the ICC right," Greig told the BBC in an interview."We have a situation at the moment where the ICC is dominated by India."They tell Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and one or two other countries what to do and they always get the vote. "It's very hard, but somehow we have got to change things at that level."South Africa-born Greig added: "We are playing too much cricket. I would be getting all the countries from the world and saying hey listen, what is this nonsense of giving Indian domestic cricket an open window"To give the IPL (Indian Premier League, a domestic Twenty20 competition) an open window, and reduce by two months the time available for cricketers to play around the world, in the current environment is just ridiculous."We have got to look very, very closely and make sure we do not destroy the cornerstone of the game which is Test cricket," said the 64-year-old former all-rounder, who settled in Australia after his playing days were over and has since enjoyed a long career as a television cricket commentator."It is laughable that (Chris) Gayle and (Kieron) Pollard are playing in the IPL when the West Indies are playing Pakistan -- that is just ridiculous."Greig, though, stressed his longstanding affection for Indian cricket, dating back to his time as a player which included leading England to a 3-1 Test series win in India in 1976/77."I took to India and the subcontinent very much...I loved the place," he said while giving an interview to coincide with the publication of a new biography, 'Tony Greig: A Reappraisal of English Cricket's Most Controversial Captain,' by David Tossell."It was the first time I really felt as if we were entertaining people, as the people there loved the game so much -- to go to those stadiums and find them packed full," explained Greig, who made his name in England with south coast county Sussex. "To this day (Kolkata's) Eden Gardens remains one of my top three grounds, just because of the incredible atmosphere.

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Kochi record easy win over Rajasthan

Updated at: 1609 PST,  Tuesday, May 17, 2011

LONDON: Former England captain Tony Greig has called for an end to India's "domination" of the International Cricket Council (ICC), saying it was the first thing he'd change if in charge of the governing body."Number one, we have got to try and get the ICC right," Greig told the BBC in an interview."We have a situation at the moment where the ICC is dominated by India."They tell Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and one or two other countries what to do and they always get the vote. "It's very hard, but somehow we have got to change things at that level."South Africa-born Greig added: "We are playing too much cricket. I would be getting all the countries from the world and saying hey listen, what is this nonsense of giving Indian domestic cricket an open window? "To give the IPL (Indian Premier League, a domestic Twenty20 competition) an open window, and reduce by two months the time available for cricketers to play around the world, in the current environment is just ridiculous."We have got to look very, very closely and make sure we do not destroy the cornerstone of the game which is Test cricket," said the 64-year-old former all-rounder, who settled in Australia after his playing days were over and has since enjoyed a long career as a television cricket commentator."It is laughable that (Chris) Gayle and (Kieron) Pollard are playing in the IPL when the West Indies are playing Pakistan -- that is just ridiculous."Greig, though, stressed his longstanding affection for Indian cricket, dating back to his time as a player which included leading England to a 3-1 Test series win in India in 1976/77."I took to India and the subcontinent very much...I loved the place," he said while giving an interview to coincide with the publication of a new biography, 'Tony Greig: A Reappraisal of English Cricket's Most Controversial Captain,' by David Tossell."It was the first time I really felt as if we were entertaining people, as the people there loved the game so much -- to go to those stadiums and find them packed full," explained Greig, who made his name in England with south coast county Sussex."To this day (Kolkata's) Eden Gardens remains one of my top three grounds, just because of the incredible atmosphere.

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IPL: Valthaty, Chawla shape Punjab victory

Updated at: 2357 PST,  Sunday, May 15, 2011

DHARAMSHALA, India: Paul Valthaty cracked a brisk 62 and Piyush Chawla bagged three wickets to help Kings XI Punjab score a 29-run win over Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday. Opener Valthaty added 102 for the second wicket with Australian Shaun Marsh (46) as Punjab made 170-6 before restricting bottom-placed Delhi to 141-8 to keep alive their hopes of making it to the semi-finals.Leg-spinner Chawla finished with 3-16 off four overs.Marsh's best came in the 13th over when he hammered left-arm spinner Sridharan Sriram for 24 runs off five balls, including three sixes. He also hit five fours in his 28-ball knock.Valthaty, who hit Australian paceman James Hopes for 16 runs in an over, smashed three sixes and six fours in his 50-ball knock.Paceman Irfan Pathan was the most successful bowler with three wickets, including those of Valthaty and Marsh in one over.Delhi failed to capitalise on a 52-run stand for the opening wicket between Australian David Warner (29) and Naman Ojha (28), losing five wickets in the space of 40 runs.Seamer Shalabh Srivastava did the early damage when he dismissed both the openers in successive overs while Chawla got two wickets and seamer Valthaty one to reduce Delhi to 92-5.Bangalore lead the 10-team league table with 17 points, followed by Chennai (16), Mumbai (16), Kolkata (14), Punjab (12), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Pune (eight), Deccan (eight) and Delhi (eight).Brief scores:Kings XI Punjab 170-6 in 20 overs (P. Valthaty 62, S. Marsh 46, D. Karthik 27; Irfan Pathan 3-28, A. Salvi 2-40) beat Delhi Daredevils 141-8 in 20 overs (D. Warner 29, N. Ojha 28; P. Chawla 3-16, S. Srivastava 2-39) by 29 runs.

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Ajmal bowls Pakistan back into contention

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Saeed Ajmal continued to torment the West Indies as he bowled Pakistan back into the opening Test on Saturday when the hosts were reduced to 96 for seven in their second innings for an overall lead of 162.The off-spinner has collected four for 23 from 14 overs for match figures of nine for 92 to leave the West Indies tottering at the interval on the third day at the Guyana National Stadium, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul not out on 12 and Darren Sammy not out on seven. Ajmal struck with the fifth ball of the day, after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 34 for two.He removed night-watchman Kemar Roach lbw for three, following the West Indies fast bowler's unsuccessful review of New Zealand umpire Tony Hill's decision. It was the 13th lbw decision awarded in the match.Ajmal continued to mesmerise the West Indies batsmen, many of whom have failed to pick his doosra, removing Ramnaresh Sarwan for 11 and Carlton Baugh for seven.Ajmal was unfortunate that he did not count Lendl Simmons among his scalps, when the West Indies opener, on 20, charged down the pitch, and slogged at a flighted delivery.The ball ricocheted from the batsman's front pad, eluded wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman, and raced to the third man boundary for four leg byes. Next over, Wahab Riaz made sure the lost chance was not too costly for Pakistan when Simmons fended a short delivery and was caught at silly mid-off for 21, leaving West Indies 47 for four. With Ajmal tying the batsmen down, and Wahab and Umar Gul bowling steadily from the other end, there were few scoring opportunities for West Indies, but Sarwan eased the tension with a typically smooth cover drive off Wahab for his first boundary.Ajmal, however, remained a constant threat and this brought Sarwan's downfall, caught at forward short leg fending an awkwardly bouncing delivery.Pakistan were gifted another wicket when Brendan Nash was run out for three, looking for a second run, and being sent back by Chanderpaul.Ajmal then struck in the last 15 minutes before the interval when Baugh was caught at mid-wicket, swinging a shortish delivery low to the fielder. Pakistan are seeking their maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean.

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Karthik powers Punjab to 6-wkt win over Kochi

Updated at: 2208 PST,  Saturday, May 14, 2011

INDORE: Dinesh Karthik smashed five sixes in his 33-ball 69 to power Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket victory over Kochi Tuskers Kerala in an Indian Premier League match on Friday.He put on 111 for the third wicket with Australian Shaun Marsh (42) as Punjab surpassed Kochi's total of 178-7 with seven balls to spare for their fifth win in 11 games of the Twenty20 tournament.Punjab were struggling at 31-2 after paceman Rudra Pratap Singh dismissed skipper Adam Gilchrist (nine) and Paul Valthaty (17), but Karthik and Marsh shattered Kochi's hopes with their big-hitting. Karthik, who reached his half-century with a six over mid-wicket off spinner Ravindra Jadeja, also hit seven fours while Marsh cracked two sixes and five fours in his 30-ball knock.Singh got his third wicket when he removed Karthik, superbly caught by skipper Mahela Jayawardene in the covers, before holding a return catch to dismiss Marsh in the space of three runs.Australian David Hussey (21 not out) finished the match with a straight six off paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.Chennai and Mumbai have already made sure of the semi-finals with 16 points each. They are followed by Bangalore (15), Kolkata (14), Rajasthan (11), Punjab (10), Kochi (10), Pune (eight), Delhi (eight) and Deccan (six).Sri Lankan Jayawardene earlier hit two sixes and eight fours in his 52-ball 76 to help Kochi post a challenging total. He added 93 for the opening wicket with New Zealander Brendon McCullum, who hit a 27-ball 32.Jayawardene, who reached his half-century with a six off leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, was run out in the last over. Owais Shah was the other main scorer with a 12-ball 23. Brief scores:Kochi Tuskers Kerala 178-7 in 20 overs (M. Jayawardene 76, B. McCullum 32, O. Shah 23; B. Sharma 2-32) lost to Kings XI Punjab 181-4 in 18.5 overs (D. Karthik 69, S. Marsh 42, D. Hussey 21 not out; RP Singh 4-25) by six wickets.

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Gambhir to lead young team to West Indies

Gautam Gambhir has been named captain of India's limited-overs squad which will tour the West Indies to play five ODIs and one T20 beginning June 4.Captain MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan have been rested. Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla and Ashish Nehra are the three players from India's World Cup-winning squad to be axed.Parthiv Patel, Rohit Sharma, Subramaniam Badrinath, R Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra and Wriddhiman Saha are returning to the squad. Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma, who were left out of the World Cup due to injury and poor form respectively, have also returned.Badrinath's fantastic show in the IPL has earned him a recall to the ODI squad after nearly three years. He has made 349 runs in nine innings at an average of 87.25 -- a phenomenal number for T20 cricket.Pacer R Vinay Kumar, who dropped off India's radar after a fruitless tour of Zimbabwe last year, has also made a comeback after a decent show at the IPL, where he has 12 wickets in 11 games and has started bowling a Lasith Malinga-like round-arm delivery. More to follow.Squad: G Gambhir (C), S Raina, P Patel (wk), V Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, S Badrinath, R Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, I Sharma, M Patel, V Kumar, Y Pathan, A Mishra, W Saha.

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Saeed Ajmal vaults into third position

Pakistan's off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has broken into the top three of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers for the first time in his career. The latest player rankings were released on Friday after the conclusion of West Indies and Pakistan ODI series in Guyana.The 33-year-old from Faisalabad, who took six wickets in the series which Pakistan won by 3-2, has climbed 16 places and now sits in third position, just five points behind Zimbabwe's left-arm spinner Ray Price.
Saeed's rise means the top four spots are now occupied by spinners with New Zealand's Daniel Vettori leading the field and England's Graeme Swann sitting in fourth position.Saeed's jump also means he has now become Pakistan's highest-ranked bowler with captain Shahid Afridi dropping out of the top 10 after a disappointing series by his high standards. Shahid, who managed just two wickets, has slipped five places to 14th position.Saeed's fellow off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez has also improved his ranking after claiming six wickets in the series at 23.50. The 30-year-old from Sargodha has moved up seven places and now occupies 27th position. The West Indies bowlers have also made good progress in the latest rankings with fast bowler Ravi Rampaul and wrist spinner Devendra Bishoo heading in the right direction.Rampaul, the 26-year-old Trinidadian, claimed eight wickets in three matches and has been rewarded with a jump of 15 places which has put him in 29th position. The 25-year-old Bishoo, who finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 11 wickets, has rocketed 114 places and now sits just outside the top 100 in 116th position.In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, West Indies opener Lendl Simmons has rocketed 150 places to 67th position after finishing as the leading run-getter in the series with 279 runs at just under 70.Hafeez, who was the second most successful batsman in the series with 267 runs, has improved his ranking by 17 places and is now in 49th position. Misbah-u-Haq's series contribution of 184 runs has helped him move up three places to 31st spot while Umar Akmal has achieved a career-best ranking of 23rd after rising four places.Hafeez's all-round performance in the series has also helped him become the sixth-ranked all-rounder in the world. His 267 runs and six wickets in the series have helped him climb six places in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders.In the Reliance ICC ODI Championship table, Pakistan had started the series with a difference of 35 ratings points relative to West Indies. This gap had meant Pakistan was expected to win the series convincingly. As such, because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, Pakistan's failure to win comfortably has meant it has dropped points.Despite losing the series 3-2, the West Indies has earned four ratings points which puts it five points clear of ninth-ranked Bangladesh, while Pakistan has dropped three ratings points to open the gap with fifth-placed England by five points.Pakistan next ODI commitment is a two-match series against Ireland in Belfast on 28 and 30 May, while West Indies will play world champions India next in a five-match series at home in June.

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Windies leg spinner Bishoo puts Pakistan in trouble

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Pakistan were undermined by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and West Indies captain Darren Sammy as they collapsed to 113 for six in their first innings at tea on the second day of the opening Test on Friday.Umar Akmal was not out on 27 and Abdur Rehman was not out on 13 at the break as the Pakistanis continued their reply to West Indies' first innings total of 226 at the Guyana National Stadium. Akmal and Rehman were busy trying to restore respectability to Pakistan's innings, after Bishoo collected three wickets for 41 runs from 16 overs, and Sammy two for 16 from 12 overs, to send the visitors crumbling to 80 for six.Akmal announced himself with a flowing off-drive on the move off Sammy for his first boundary. He then put Bishoo on the defensive with a lofted drive to long-on for four, and a cut through backward point for another boundary in the leg-spinner's ninth over.Rehman endured a barrage of short-pitched bowling from West Indies two frontline fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul to survive until the break.Things had taken a dramatic twist for the Pakistanis when they lost five wickets for 23 runs in the space of 78 deliveries.Taufeeq Umar was lbw to Sammy for 19 playing forward and across a delivery angled in to the left-hander from around the wicket in the fifth over after lunch.Three overs later, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was trapped lbw for two on the backfoot to a flatter, faster delivery from Bishoo.Azhar Ali was bowled for 34 in the next over, offering no stroke to a delivery from Sammy that moved back. Asad Shafiq was lbw for two playing down the wrong line to a leg-break from Bishoo, following a successful West Indies review of New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden's not-out verdict, and Mohammad Salman suffered a similar fate, falling lbw for six.Before lunch, the visitors looked to have firm control, as Azhar and Taufeeq guided them to 45 for one, after they lost opener Mohammad Hafeez early. Hafeez was Pakistan's most prolific batsman in the preceding one-day series, but he was bowled for four, dragging a delivery from Rampaul into his stumps in the second over of their innings.Azhar and Taufeeq made steady progress in between a couple Alarming moments. Taufeeq was fortunate on one when he edged a rising ball from Rampaul between second slip and gully for his first boundary.West Indies raised his heart rate again when he was on five, appealing unsuccessfully for a caught behind off the same bowler.Azhar hardly placed a foot wrong and got into the thick of things with a square drive through cover and a back-foot cover drive from successive deliveries in Kemar Roach's fifth over.Earlier, Pakistan needed half an hour to complete the demolition of the West Indies first innings, after the hosts resumed from their overnight total of 209 for nine. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal suffered the indignity of Roach smashing a searing drive through cover for his third boundary, but he had the last laugh when he had the West Indies fast bowler caught at forward short leg for a Test-best 24 from bat-pad, playing defensively forward.Ajmal finished with the impressive figures of five for 69 from 33 overs.Pakistan are seeking their maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean.

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Azhar, Taufeeq steady Pakistan

Updated at: 2215 PST,  Friday, May 13, 2011

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar guided Pakistan to 45 for one in their first innings, after they lost an early wicket before lunch, in the opening Test against West Indies on Friday. Azhar was not out on 27 and Taufeeq was not out on 13 at the interval as Pakistan started their reply to West Indies' first innings total of 226 on the second day of the Test at the Guyana National Stadium.Pakistan lost opener Mohammad Hafeez - their most prolific batsman in the preceding one-day series - in the second over of their innings, when he was bowled for four, dragging a delivery from Ravi Rampaul into his stumps.But Azhar and Taufeeq made steady progress in between a couple alarming moments.Taufeeq was fortunate on one when he edged a rising ball from Rampaul between second slip and gully for his first boundary.West Indies raised his heart rate again when he was on five, appealing unsuccessfully for a caught behind off the same bowler.Azhar hardly placed a foot wrong and got into the thick of things with a square drive through cover and a back-foot cover drive from successive deliveries in Kemar Roach's fifth over.Earlier, Pakistan needed half an hour to complete the demolition of the West Indies first innings, after the hosts resumed from their overnight total of 209 for nine.Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal suffered the indignity of Roach smashing a searing drive through cover for his third boundary, but he had the last laugh when he had the West Indies fast bowler caught at forward short leg for a Test-best 24 from bat-pad, playing defensively forward.Ajmal finished with the impressive figures of five for 69 from 33 overs, fellow off-spinner Hafeez supported with two for 22 off 13 overs, and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman captured two for 51 from 29 overs.Pakistan are seeking their maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean.

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Pakistan spinners put brakes on Windies

Updated at: 0929 PST,  Friday, May 13, 2011

GEORGETOWN: Pakistan's spin bowlers, led by four-wicket Saeed Ajmal, gave them early control of the first Test against West Indies on Thursday.Off-spinner Ajmal ended the opening day with four for 63 from 29 overs, as West Indies, electing to bat, reached 209 for nine in their first innings.Mohammad Hafeez, bowling off-spin, supported with two for 22 from 13 overs, and Abdur Rehman captured two for 46 from 26 overs.Gaining appreciable turn and bounce from an unpredictable Guyana National Stadium pitch, the spinners created headaches for the West Indies' batsman, several of whom got starts, but failed to carry on.Hafeez gave an early indication of what to expect, when he shared the new ball with Umar Gul, and bowled Devon Smith in the sixth over of the match.It was the fourth straight time that Hafeez had dismissed the West Indies left-handed opener, stretching back to the preceding one-day series.Lendl Simmons, whose 49 was the top score for West Indies, and compatriot Darren Bravo held firm for the remainder of the morning period, taking West Indies to 66 for one lunch.Pakistan continued to tighten their grip, when Wahab Riaz trapped Bravo lbw for 25 in the third over after the interval.Riaz also interrupted the West Indies' flow when he struck Simmons on his left knee, and forced him to retire hurt on 41, leaving the home team on 81 for two.Pakistan ran into defiance when Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, West Indies' two most experienced batsmen, came together, and spent just over 90 minutes in astute consolidation.Rehman made a decisive breakthrough however, when he had Sarwan caught behind for 23, top-edging a cut, and requiring New Zealand umpire Tony Hill to review his not-out verdict, to leave West Indies 131 for three at tea.After tea, Ajmal and Rehman continued to apply the pressure, and things fell apart for West Indies in dramatic fashion.Ajmal gained lbw verdicts to dismiss Brendan Nash for five, and Carlton Baugh for four before Rehman had West Indies captain Darren Sammy caught at deep mid-on for 12.But Ajmal swung fortunes firmly Pakistan's way when he bowled the obdurate Chanderpaul for 27 with a doosra that spun sharply out of the rough outside the left-hander's off-stump.Ajmal also trapped Simmons lbw after the batsman returned to the middle following the dismissal of Sammy, and Hafeez too, gained an lbw decision to remove Ravi Rampaul for 14.Both sides included a Test newcomer in their teams with the Windies playing leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo while Pakistan handed a first Test to Mohammad Salman.The Pakistanis are seeking their maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean.
Scoreboard:
West Indies 1st innings
D.Smith b Mohammad Hafeez 13
L.Simmons lbw b Saeed Ajmal 49
D.Bravo lbw b Wahab Riaz 25
R.Sarwan c Mohammad Salman b Abdur Rehman 23
S.Chanderpaul b Saeed Ajmal 27
B.Nash lbw b Saeed Ajmal 5
C.Baugh lbw b Saeed Ajmal 4
D.Sammy c Umar Akmal b Abdur Rehman 12
K.Roach not out 16
R.Rampaul lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 14
D.Bishoo not out 10
Extras (b-1 lb-7 w-1 nb-2) 11
Total (for nine wickets; 90 overs) 209
Fall of wickets: 1-15 2-71 3-127 4-136 5-142 6-159 7-162 8-175 9-198
Bowling: Umar Gul 13-0-40-0, Mohammad Hafeez 13-5-22-2, Abdur Rehman 26-9-46-2, Saeed Ajmal 29-12-63-4, Wahab Riaz 9-1-30-1 (nb-2 w-1)
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Salman, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal. (AFP/Reuters

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West Indies 131-3 at tea against Pakistan

Updated at: 0017 PST,  Friday, May 13, 2011

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Lendl Simmons hit an unbeaten 30 on Thursday to guide West Indies to 66 for one when lunch was taken on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan.Darren Bravo was not out 23 as West Indies made slow progress after losing opener Devon Smith for 13, bowled by off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez.West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, who left out batsman Marlon Samuels and pace bowler Fidel Edwards, won the toss and decided to bat.The Caribbean side, featuring recalled local favourites Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, suffered an early blow when Smith departed in the sixth over with the total on 15.The left-handed Bravo joined Simmons and cautiously saw the hosts through to lunch with a run-rate of just over two per over and just six boundaries coming in the opening session.Simmons, nephew of former West Indies batsman Phil Simmons, was one of the few success stories in the recent one day series, making four half-centuries against the tourists.

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1st Test: Windies elect to bat against Pakistan

Updated at: 1931 PST,  Thursday, May 12, 2011

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and decided to bat in the first Test against Pakistan on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium here.Both sides have included a Test newcomer in their final elevens  leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo for the West Indies and Mohammad Salman for the tourists.It is an extra special occasion for Bishoo as he becomes the 289th player from the Caribbean to be handed the maroon cap in Tests in front of his home crowd.Salman is the 206th Test player for Pakistan, and becomes the fourth (wk/batsman that the visitors have tried in the last year to fill that pivotal role due to the inconsistency of Kamran Akmal.The Pakistanis are seeking to become the latest international side to create history on Caribbean soil, as they seek their maiden Test series victory here.In six previous visits, starting in 1958, Pakistan have lost four series, and drawn two.The visitors also share the unenviable record of being one of the two Test-playing nations -- along with Sri Lanka -- not to have recorded a Test series victory in the Caribbean.Pakistan have won just four of the 21 Tests they have played in the Caribbean, but there is huge optimism that Misbah-ul-Haq's side can put the matter to rest.The Pakistanis are brimming with confidence after winning the preceding one-day international series 3-2, and aware that West Indies have not won a Test  let alone a Test series -- in just over two years.Team West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brendan Nash, Carlton Baugh Jr (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Devendra BishooPakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Salman (wk), Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed AjmalUmpires: Billy Bowden (NZ), Tony Hill (NZ), TV umpire: Asoka De Silva (SL), Reserve umpire: Norman Malcolm (WI) Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SL)

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ICC pondered 'stings' to catch fixers

Updated at: 1523 PST,  Thursday, May 12, 2011

LONDON: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat has considered the use of 'sting' operations to trap players prepared to fix matches.The South African administrator said the use of a "mystery shopper" could help weed out possible fixers as the global governing body tries to eradicate corruption from top-flight international cricket."I thought when this issue came up last year that perhaps we could have a 'mystery shopper'," Lorgat told the BBC's Hardtalk programme."In other words, some people posing as bookmakers approach players and see if those players report along with our codes of conduct."However, Lorgat admitted the proposal had met with strong resistance."We would have to get the players' federations consenting to it and they of course opposed it and were not happy, they considered it a form of entrapment," he said.Another plan would give the ICC access to players' bank accounts and assets so that they could be monitored, but Lorgat conceded that had less chance of being enacted than his 'sting' scheme."It is a bit more complex than that, there are human rights issues and legalities to understand properly," he said.Three memmbers of the Pakistan team - former Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer - were all bannned by the ICC for a minimum of five years each for their involvement in a spot-fixing scam during last year's tour of England.The trio now face criminal prosecution in England.But the scandal, which involved the bowling of deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test, only came to light as a result of a 'sting' operation carried out by Britain's News of the World tabloid.Many pundits said the fact it took a newspaper, rather than the ICC's own anti-corruption and security unit, to expose the affair was an embarrassment for the global governing body.That was a point the ICC denied at the time but Lorgat told the BBC: "We are doing a review of our whole process and all of our systems right now."We have engaged an independent firm to conduct that review and I'm hopeful that some constructive recommendations will come up that will enhance or improve the way we are currently tackling the issue

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IPL: Gayle floors hapless Rajasthan

Updated at: 2353 PST,  Wednesday, May 11, 2011

JAIPUR, India: Explosive opener Chris Gayle smacked an unbeaten 70 as Royal Challengers Bangalore thrashed Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League to consolidate their play-off chances. The West Indies' batsman continued his fairytale run, clobbering six fours and four sixes in his 44-ball knock to help Bangalore overhaul a 147-run target with three overs to spare at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.Gayle has played a huge role in reviving his team's fortunes ever since he was roped in as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes last month, guiding the franchise to their sixth win in a row.With 398 runs in his kitty, the left-hander has now surged to second in the run-getters list with two centuries and one fifty.The win moved Bangalore to second in the table, one point adrift of leaders Mumbai Indians (16) while Rajasthan slumped to their third consecutive defeat, denting their chances of advancing in the tournament. Rajasthan skipper Shane Warne, playing his last home game in the tournament, was left to rue a dropped catch of Gayle when the batsman was on 13.The Australian spin legend is set to retire from all forms of the game after the end of the IPL.Virat Kohli, leading Bangalore in the absence of an injured Daniel Vettori, chipped in with 39 not out and opener Tillakaratne Dilshan made 38.The hosts earlier frittered away a bright start given by openers Shane Watson (34) and Rahul Dravid (37) who put on 73 runs inside the first 10 overs before being dismissed in the space of three balls by Sreenath Aravind.Aravind returned to send back in-form South African all-rounder Johan Botha who nicked the left-arm paceman to wicket-keeper Arun Karthik for a 20-ball 19 including just one boundary.New Zealand's batting star Ross Taylor (13) too failed to fire, falling to a slower ball from South African speedster Charl Langveldt while attempting to clear the ropes.Brief scores:Rajasthan Royals 146-6 in 20 overs (R. Dravid 37, S. Watson 34; S. Aravind 3-34) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 151-1 in 17 overs (C. Gayle 70 not out, V. Kohli 39 not out, T. Dilshan 38) by nine wickets

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IPL: Punjab stun Mumbai by 76 runs

Updated at: 2319 PST,  Wednesday, May 11, 2011

MOHALI, India: Shaun Marsh hit 43 and Bhargav Bhatt bagged four wickets as bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab stunned table-toppers Mumbai Indians by 76 runs in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.
Mumbai could never recover after losing three wickets for 27 runs and were bowled out for 87 in 12.5 overs chasing a 164-run target, with West Indies' Kieron Pollard top-scoring with 17 in a dismal batting show.Seamer Praveen Kumar did the early damage when he took two of the first three wickets, including that of skipper Sachin Tendulkar (six). Left-arm spinner Bhatt finished with 4-22, including three wickets in one over. Australians Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist (28), and Dinesh Karthik (31) helped Punjab post a competitive total despite a five-wicket haul by seamer Munaf Patel (5-21).Marsh, who put on 70 for the second wicket with skipper Gilchrist, hit five fours in his 34-ball knock before falling to a superb diving catch by Pollard in the deep off Patel.Mumbai, who had already made sure of a place in the semi-finals, still lead with 16 points.They are followed by Chennai (14), Kolkata (14), Bangalore (13), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Pune (eight), Delhi (eight), Punjab (eight) and Deccan (six). Brief scores:Kings XI Punjab 163-8 in 20 overs (S. Marsh 43, D. Karthik 31, A. Gilchrist 28; M. Patel 5-21, L. Malinga 2-24) beat Mumbai Indians 87 in 12.5 overs (B. Bhatt 4-22, P. Kumar 2-19) by 76 runs.

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Pakistan declare at 330-7 in warm up match

Updated at: 2043 PST,  Monday, May 09, 2011

GUYANA: Pakistan declared their first innings at 330-7 after captain Misbah-ul-Haq scored an unbeaten century on the first day of the two-day warm up match against Guyana here on Sunday.Misbah, who was looking in great form, made 101 not out while Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali smashed fifties providing a sound start of 92 runs. Hafeez made 52 and Azhar hit 57.For Guyana, Aamer Khan claimed three and Zaheer Mohammad took two wickets.At stumps, Guyana were 25 for no loss.

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IPL: Pune beat Punjab by five wickets

Updated at: 1537 PST,  Monday, May 09, 2011

MOHALI: Skipper Yuvraj Singh hit a 15-ball 35 as Pune Warriors beat Kings XI Punjab by five wickets to post their third win in 10 games of the Twenty20 tournament.Mumbai have already made sure of the semi-finals with 16 points. They are followed by Kolkata (14), Bangalore (13), Chennai (12), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Delhi (eight), Pune (six), Deccan (six) and Punjab (six).Pune, who bowled well to restrict Punjab to 119-8, won with more than two overs to spare in Mohali, with Yuvraj, opener Manish Pandey (28) and Robin Uthappa (22) being the main scorers.Australian Shaun Marsh top-scored with 32 for Punjab, who suffered their sixth defeat in nine matches.Kings XI Punjab 119-8 in 20 overs (S. Marsh 32, D. Karthik 30, P. Valthaty 23; W. Parnell 2-12, B. Kumar 2-14, R. Sharma 2-17, M. Marsh 2-26) lost to Pune Warriors 120-5 in 17.1 overs (Yuvraj Singh 35, M. Pandey 28, R. Uthappa 22; S. Srivastava 2-20) by five wickets.

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PCB takes notice of Afridi's statements

Updated at: 1040 PST,  Monday, May 09, 2011 LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken the notice of Shahid Afridi's statements blaming coach Waqar Younus of interfering in his work, Geo News reported.The PCB regarded Afridi's statements as violation of code of conduct and hinted action after the tour report.On his return Sunday morning after one-day series against West Indies Captain Shahid Afridi said some people interfere in his work, which is displeasing.The national team captain said that he would soon be meeting the PCB Chairman.When queried about his differences with Waqar Yunus, he confirmed this in a low voice that something is definitely wrong in the team affairs.

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Gayle, Dilshan power Bangalore to victory

Updated at: 2010 PST,  Sunday, May 08, 2011

BANGALORE: Chris Gayle hammered 36 runs in an over in his 16-ball 44 to fire Royal Challengers Bangalore to a nine-wicket win over Kochi Tuskers Kerala in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday.The West Indies batsman put on 67 for the opening wicket off just 3.5 overs with Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan (52 not out off 31 balls) as Bangalore achieved a modest 126-run target with more than six overs to spare.It was Bangalore's sixth victory in 10 matches and Kochi's sixth defeat in 11 games of the Twenty20 tournament.Mumbai have already made sure of the semi-finals with 16 points. They are followed by Kolkata (14), Bangalore (13), Chennai (12), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Delhi (eight), Deccan (six), Punjab (six) and Pune (four).Gayle, the only batsman to have made two IPL centuries, went on the rampage in the third over when he hit seamer Prasanth Parameswaran for four sixes and three fours in a seven-ball over, including a no-ball.His flourish ended in the next over when he was bowled by seamer Vinay Kumar, but not before putting his team on course for victory.Dilshan also went for shots early in the innings, cracking one six and three fours in an over from off-spinner Ramesh Powar. He completed the victory with an unfinished 61-run stand for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (27 not out).New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and paceman Sreenath Aravind earlier shared four wickets to restrict Kochi to a small total.Kochi made a steady start when Australian Michael Klinger (24) and New Zealander Brendon McCullum (22) added 43 for the opening wicket before losing their way. Ravinder Jadeja was the other main scorer with 23.Brief scores:Kochi Tuskers Kerala 125-9 in 20 overs (M. Klinger 24, R. Jadeja 23, B. McCullum 22; S. Aravind 2-20, D. Vettori 2-24) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 128-1 in 13.1 overs (T. Dilshan 52 not out, C. Gayle 44, V. Kohli 27 not out) by nine wickets

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Mumbai in IPL semis, Delhi out of contention

Updated at: 1948 PST,  Sunday, May 08, 2011

MUMBAI: Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma shone with the bat as Mumbai Indians booked a semi-final berth in the Indian Premier League on Saturday with a 32-run victory over Delhi Daredevils who are now out of contention.Kolkata Knight Riders, second in the points table behind Mumbai, also brightened their playoff prospects, beating Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-marred home match at Eden Gardens.Put into bat, opener Aiden Blizzard (37) gave Mumbai a rollicking start but Delhi pegged back the hosts by removing Sachin Tendulkar (14) and the Australian left-hander in successive overs.Sharma (49) joined Rayudu (59) in the middle for a brisk 87-run partnership that powered Mumbai to a commanding 178-4 at the Wankhede Stadium.Delhi lost their top four batsmen, including skipper Virender Sehwag (2), inside three overs and could not recover from the early setbacks.James Hopes (55) and Y Venugopal Rao (37) helped them to 146 all out with a ball to spare.

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Pakistan set for Windies warm-up against Guyana

Updated at: 1538 PST,  Sunday, May 08, 2011

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Pakistan continue their sojourn through the Caribbean with a two-day match against host nation Guyana, starting on Sunday at the Bourda Oval.The Pakistanis will look to transition from the limited-overs mode of the game, as they prepare to face West Indies in the first Test of two, starting on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium.The visitors won the preceding one-day international series 3-2, but they sputtered in the last two matches, when West Indies were able to fight back to finish on a high note.Misbah-ul-Haq will take over the reins of captaincy of the Test side from Shahid Afridi, and the visitors will welcome two pairs of fresh legs into the squad, with the arrival of former captain Younis Khan and key fast bowler Umar Gul.Both Younis and Gul were rested following a challenging tour of New Zealand, which preceded a gruelling World Cup in Asia.They will be the only two players that would need to get acclimatised to conditions in the Caribbean, since the rest of the squad has spent the last few weeks in the Caribbean.Pakistan will be eager to get themselves ready, since the series is widely regarded as their best chance to win their first-ever Test series in the Caribbean.Guyana are likely to be weakened, after batting heroes Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan were named in a West Indies 15-member training squad, which will take part in a two-day match practice match of its own at the neighbouring Demerara Cricket Club.The side however, does include left-hander Narsingh Deonarine, who has a chance to remind the West Indies selectors about his ability, after losing his place over the last six months.Squads:Guyana (from): Shemroy Barrington, Ronsford Beaton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Derwin Christian, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fuddadin, Trevon Griffith, Leon Johnson, Keon Joseph, Amir Khan, Zaheer Mohammed, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Gajanand SinghPakistan (from): Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Abdur Rehman, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Hammad Azam , Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Salman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Taufiq Umar, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis KhanUmpires: Nigel Duguid, Clyde Duncan, Match referee: Colin Stuart, Reserve umpire: Shannon Crawford

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Afridi complains of interference in his work

Updated at: 1012 PST,  Sunday, May 08, 2011

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team captain, Shahid Afridi has said that some people interfere in his work, which is displeasing.On his return home Sunday morning after one-day series against West Indies, the national team captain said that he would soon be meeting the PCB Chairman.This time also a large number of cricket fans had thronged the airport to have a glimpse of their favourite Shahid Afridi.Talking to the media national team captain said he regrets not able to whitewash West Indies in one-day series. He hoped that the national team would notch up victory in the test series.When queried about his differences with Waqar Yunus, he confirmed this in a low voice that something is definitely wrong in the team affairs. Shahid Afridi said he would spend some time with his family and thereon would be leaving for US for some welfare work and later on to England for representing Hampshire county

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Chanderpaul included in Windies Test squad

Updated at: 2028 PST,  Saturday, May 07, 2011

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda: Reports of Shivnarine Chanderpaul's demise appear to have been exaggerated after he was named Saturday in a 15-strong West Indies squad to prepare for first Test against Pakistan.
The durable left-handed batsman has been engaged in a war of words with the West Indies Cricket Board over the last two weeks following his omission from the preceding five-match One-day International series.
Chanderpaul claimed his non-selection for the ODIs followed his refusal to retire from the international limited-overs formats of the game, after he had been asked to do so by West Indies officials.He also claimed that the current West Indies management interfered with his batting during matches, and subjected him to intense questioning about his approach, as he defended himself against allegations of a lack of discipline.Chanderpaul, a veteran of 129 Tests, 268 ODIs, and 22 Twenty20 International, will add greater substance to a batting line-up that struggled during the ODI series, which Pakistan won 3-2.Three other players that did not feature in the ODIs have been shipped into the squad for the first Test, which starts Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium.They are fast bowler Fidel Edwards, left-handed batsman Brendan Nash, and uncapped teenaged opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite.Edwards is fit again following a year out of the game with back troubles, and has been recalled to boost a fast bowling attack which also includes his compatriot Kemar Roach and rookie Andre Russell.He has not played for West Indies in two years and returned to serious competitive action during the last WICB Regional first-class championship earlier this year, taking 22 wickets in seven matches.Australia-born Nash has been pigeon-holed as a batsman for the longer versions of the game, and was elevated to the position of vice-captain in West Indies' previous Test series in Sri Lanka.Brathwaite was captain of the Young West Indies side that completed a successful trip to Dubai two weeks ago, topping Young Australia in three Youth ODIs and a three-day Youth Test.The prolific 18-year-old, a more classical, right-handed version of Chanderpaul, has impressed most knowledgeable observers with his temperament, if not his array of strokes, and has amazingly scored almost 50 hundreds combined in all forms of the game, and various levels. West Indies will play a two-day practice match on Sunday and Monday at the Demerara Cricket Club in the uyana capital of Georgetown, following which the squad will be whittled down to 13. Squad Carlton Baugh Jr, Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Brendan Nash, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith

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Hashan: Will reveal names to the ICC

Colombo: Former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillekaratne said he will reveal names of those involved in match-fixing only to the International Cricket Council (ICC) first.Tillekaratne claimed in a local TV programme last week that match-fixing has been rampant in Sri Lanka since 1992 and repeated his allegations on Tuesday to the Western Provincial Council, where he was elected to office.Tillekaratne said he will reveal the names of those involved in fixing matches “at the appropriate time.” He declined, for now he said, on legal advice. Within hours of his comments on Tuesday, he was questioned by police for an hour, without further detail.

“I made a statement to the provincial council, I said that I still maintain my stand on the (match-fixing) allegations,” Tillekaratne said.“After I came out with these allegations I have been getting a lot of nuisance calls, death threats, but definitely I will expose all those who are involved in a time to come.”When asked why he has not followed the established procedure of working with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), Tillekaratne said, “I will do that in the days to come.” He said he’d been reluctant to voice his allegations until now over fear for his safety.Meanwhile, Muttiah Muralidharan, on Tuesday, felt Tillekaratne should stop making such allegations if he cannot produce any evidence as he might end up getting sued.“I don’t know why he has said this. If somebody is making such claims, he should first give enough proof to support them otherwise someone can sue him,” Muralidharan said.Muralidharan also said he was never been approached by any bookie during his career. “In any case I will tell this to ACSU only. There is a code and all the players follow that,” said Muralidharan.He also rejected suggestions that Tillekaratne’s allegations have tarnished the image of the Sri Lankan cricket. “Hashan has made allegations and only he is answerable for that,” he said.

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Malik hopeful of return to national team

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik remains hopeful of making his international return in spite of reports that he has been sidelined by his country’s cricket authorities because of match-fixing suspicions.Malik, who hasn’t played for Pakistan since the Test series against England in August 2010, said that he is working hard on his game and is confident of returning to international cricket soon.“Cricket is my passion and I am completely focusing on it right now,” said the all-rounder, who is reportedly on a PCB blacklist for suspected links to bookies.Malik, who is married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, said he is also taking extensive yoga classes along with his wife to keep himself in shape.“I am keeping myself busy by playing club cricket to maintain my form and fitness. I have also attended 40-hour yoga classes recently and I am fit as ever.“I only believe in my game and I am hopeful I will win my place (in the national team) by proving my worth.”There have been reports that Malik has not been cleared for national duty by the PCB Integrity Committee. But the Sialkot-born player made it clear that he hasn’t been told anything about his case by the PCB.“There is no official version by PCB on my case and I cannot comment on it further. I did my job and now it is up to the board to decide my case,” he said.

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Pakistan ends fixing row with Australia

Find Hotels, Compare Rates, Read Reviews & More. Try TripAdvisor!Pakistan cricket authorities on Tuesday settled a row with Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland over comments he made in the wake of a damaging spot-fixing scandal that hit the South Asian team last year.Three leading Pakistan players, including former Test captain Salman Butt, were banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this year on corruption charges related to the Lord's Test against England last August.Sutherland blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for failing to take measures to curb the menace of corruption following a fixing scandal more than a decade ago.Sutherland's remarks angered the PCB, which wrote to the ICC to ask it to investigate.But the row fizzled out on Tuesday, with PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar telling AFP the sport's governing body had told Pakistan and Australia to sort the spat out between themselves."After that PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad talked to Sutherland on the matter," Sarwar said."James clarified that his comments on the Qayyum inquiry were not meant to put PCB in a difficult position."Sutherland explained that it was in response to a question during an interview and not intended to criticise anyone. PCB enjoys cordial relations with CA so we have decided not to pursue the matter any further."Sutherland last month said last year's spot-fixing scandal might not have happened had the PCB implemented recommendations made by a commission led by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum in 2000."Ask yourself whether PCB actually went through and implemented those recommendations," Sutherland said."I can't say for sure but I would have big question marks about whether those things would have happened last year if those recommendations had been fully implemented."Justice Qayyum, whose inquiry banned former captain Salim Malik and Ataur Rehman for life besides imposing fines on six other players including Wasim Akram and current Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, made 30 recommendations.They included a tighter code of conduct on players and that an independently-headed review committee be set up to investigate all cases of possible corruption in the future besides regular assessments of players' assets.Qayyum last year also criticised the PCB for not fully implementing his recommendations.

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Kochi record easy 7-wkt win over Delhi

Updated at: 1520 PST,  Tuesday, May 03, 2011

DELHI: Kochi Tuskers Kerala posted an easy seven-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils, achieving a 141-run target with five overs to spare for their fourth win in nine games, here in a day-night match at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Monday.New Zealander Brendon McCullum put Kochi on course for victory with a 19-ball 37, including two sixes and as many fours in seamer Umesh Yadav's over. He also hit South African paceman Morne Morkel for three fours in an over.Parthiv Patel (37 not out) and Australian Brad Hodge (24 not out) completed the victory with an unfinished 52-run stand for the fourth wicket.Venugopal Rao top-scored for Delhi, who suffered their sixth defeat in nine matches.Brief scores:Delhi Daredevils 140-6 in 20 overs (V. Rao 40, T. Brit 27; V. Kumar 2-25, P. Parameswaran 2-29) lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala 141-3 in 15 overs (B. McCullum 37, P. Patel 37 not out, B. Hodge 24 not out) by seven wickets

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West Indies finally win with help from rain

Updated at: 0311 PST,  Tuesday, May 03, 2011

BRIDGETOWN: Mohammad Hafeez made a century but West Indies restored some of their battered pride with a rain-affected win in the fourth one-day international (ODI) in Barbados on Monday.Dwayne Bravo struck a six in the final over before a downpour finished off the game, giving Darren Sammy's team victory by one run through the Duckworth-Lewis scoring method.Pakistan lead the five-match series 3-1.It is the first time West Indies have beaten a test side, other than Bangladesh, in an ODI since June 2009.Pakistan compiled 248 for nine in 50 overs, Hafeez smashing seven fours and three sixes as he hit 121 from 138 balls before being bowled by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.Bishoo was again the top wicket-taking threat for West Indies, snapping up three for 37 in 10 overs.The key partnership for Pakistan was a second-wicket stand of 153 from Hafeez and Asad Shafiq (71)."After the way Mohammad Hafeez and Asad Shafiq played on a difficult pitch I think we should have got 270-275. We didn't bat well at the end," said skipper Shahid Afridi.Rain meant West Indies chased a reduced target of 223 from 39 overs and they lost opener Kirk Edwards to the second ball of the innings, caught behind for a duck by Mohammad Salman off Junaid Khan.Lendl Simmons (76) then struck his third half-century of the series and was helped by Darren Bravo (21) and the recalled Ramnaresh Sarwan (28).With Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo at the crease and rain closing in, instructions were given from the pavilion as Afridi bowled what turned out to be the 30th and final over.Bravo pulled a short delivery over mid-wicket for six which put the home side just ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis target and they played back two balls before the heavens opened and a total of 154 for four from 29.5 overs was enough for the win.The series concludes on Thursday in Guyana before the two teams meet in a pair of five-day test matches.

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Kochi record easy 7-wkt win over Delhi

Updated at: 1520 PST,  Tuesday, May 03, 2011

DELHI: Kochi Tuskers Kerala posted an easy seven-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils, achieving a 141-run target with five overs to spare for their fourth win in nine games, here in a day-night match at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Monday.New Zealander Brendon McCullum put Kochi on course for victory with a 19-ball 37, including two sixes and as many fours in seamer Umesh Yadav's over. He also hit South African paceman Morne Morkel for three fours in an over.Parthiv Patel (37 not out) and Australian Brad Hodge (24 not out) completed the victory with an unfinished 52-run stand for the fourth wicket.Venugopal Rao top-scored for Delhi, who suffered their sixth defeat in nine matches.Brief scores:Delhi Daredevils 140-6 in 20 overs (V. Rao 40, T. Brit 27; V. Kumar 2-25, P. Parameswaran 2-29) lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala 141-3 in 15 overs (B. McCullum 37, P. Patel 37 not out, B. Hodge 24 not out) by seven wickets.

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Younis, Gul recalled for WI Test series

LAHORE: Captain Younis Khan and pace bowler Umar Gul have been recalled for the two-Test series against West Indies this month.Younis and Gul were dropped for the one-day series in West Indies after the World Cup.The 15-man Test team was announced here on Monday.Experienced batsman Misbah-ul-Haq will captain Pakistan in the two- Test series. Wicket keeper Mohammad Salman Ahmed was retained in the Test squad after making his international debut in the one-day series.The first Test starts on May 12 in Guyana and the second on May 20 in St Kitts.Pakistan squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Salman, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz,Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Tanvir Ahmed.

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Pakistan set 249 runs for Windies after Hafeez ton

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Pakistan stumbled, following Mohammad Hafeez's second career hundred, and his century second-wicket stand with Asad Shafiq in the fourth one-day International against West Indies here on Monday.Pakistan hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the best of five series and are bidding for their ninth successive victory in one day matches between the two sides.Hafeez struck seven fours and three sixes in the top score of 121 from 138 deliveries to lead the Pakistanis to 248 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs, after they were sent into bat on a hard, true Kensington Oval pitch under overcast skies.The Pakistan opener reached his milestone from 128 balls with a flick through mid-wicket for a single off Ravi Rampaul in the 42nd over.Hafeez added 153 for the second wicket with Shafiq, whose 71 from 102 balls contained four boundaries, before leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo continued to bowl impressively, taking three for 37 from his allotment of 10 overs to trigger a batting collapse.The visitors lost their way in the last 10 overs, losing seven wickets for 66 runs, to slide from a comfortable 182 for two, with Dwayne Bravo taking two for 60 from his 10 overs, Kemar Roach two for 67 from 10 overs, and two run outs helping to undermine them.Ahmed Shehzad was brilliantly caught by the elder Bravo running back from mid-wicket off Roach for six in the fifth over to set the Pakistanis back early.Hafeez and Shafiq then gave backbone to the Pakistan innings before West Indies fought back with some late wickets.Shafiq was caught at long-on off Bravo in the 39th over, and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was caught at mid-off off Roach for eight in the 41st over before the visitors reached the 200-run mark.Misbah-ul-Haq was bowled by Bishoo for five in the 44th over, as Pakistan added 45 runs in the Batting Power Play between the 41st and 45th overs. But three more wickets fell for one run in the space of seven deliveries. Hafeez was bowled in the 46th over by Bishoo, who had Hammaz Azam caught at fine leg before Mohammad Salman became the first of the two run-out victims.The Pakistanis were 220 for seven, and some lusty hitting from Tanvir Ahmed stretched their total towards the end.Both sides made two changes - West Indies brought Ramnaresh Sarwan and wicketkeeper-batsman Carlton Baugh Jr in to replace Devon Smith and fast bowler Andre Russell, while Pakistan Usman Salahuddin and Tanvir Ahmed came in to replace Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz.The final ODI will be played on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium.

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ICC cannot intervene on Sutherland's comments

Karachi:in what is seen as a setback to the Pakistan

Cricket Board (PCB), sources say the International Cricket Council (ICC) has refused to intervene in the issue of Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland's comments regarding match-fixing.A top PCB source told IANS that the world body has rejected the impression that it has not replied to a complaint filed by the PCB over Sutherland's remarks, saying a reply was sent to Lahore April 27.ICC also told the PCB that it cannot intervene in an issue involving two cricket boards.Till last week, sources in the PCB were claiming the board is yet to receive a reply from the ICC over its complaint against comments made by Sutherland that last year's spot-fixing scandal might not have happened if it had implemented all the recommendations of a pivotal report into match-fixing.Angered by the comments, the PCB asked ICC to carry out an investigation.Sutherland was quoted as saying in an interview last week: "In the context of what happened last year I think it is really important to read his (Judge Qayyum's) full report but also his recommendations.""If you have a look at the recommendations, ask yourself whether Pakistan Cricket Board actually went through and implemented all those recommendations. Well, I can't say for sure but I would have big question marks about whether those things would have happened last year if those recommendations were fully implemented."He spoke about the need for all countries to remain vigilant over fighting corruption, a decade after the Qayyum report recommended punishment, including a life ban for Salim Malik, along with long-term measures to ensure Pakistan never again fell into the hands of corrupt cricketers.PCB called Sutherland's comments inappropriate."As a member country of the ICC and holding an important position in Cricket Australia, such kind of public statement against another ICC member is highly objectionable and the PCB wants the ICC to take action against Sutherland according to the prescribed rules," PCB wrote to the ICC.Justice Qayyum himself last year said the PCB had not been strong enough in implementing some of his 30 recommendations on curbing match-fixing.

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Pakistan vs West Indies 2011

Cricket Schedule of Pakistan vs West Indies 2011. Fixtures of Pakistan vs West Indies 2011 has been announced. The first schedule match of Pakistan vs West Indies 2011 between Pakistan vs West Indies begins Apr 23, 2011 onwards. Keep viewing CriSchedule for latest updates on Cricket Schedule and Fixtures of upcoming Pakistan vs West Indies 2011.

Pakistan will tour West Indies in the month of April 2011. After taking some rest from World Cup 2011, both team will participate in bilateral series which will include 1 T20I, 5 ODI and 2 Test matches spanned over a month.

If we go by pure ratings, the two teams do not have a great distinction with them being just two points apart in ODIs and separated by one point in Tests. But the difference in the confidence of the two outfits is what matters. Pakistan have just completed a decent world cup campaign by reaching the semi finals and being beaten by the eventual winners of the tournament won't dent them too much. West Indies on the other hand have had anything but a smooth time of it in international cricket. A fresh squad and resting of veterans for the initial two matches of the ODI series suggests the emphasis of team management on exposure of young players. Pakistan has also made some changes in their armory by axing the inconsistent Abdul Razzaq and Mr Butterfingers Kamran Akmal but have preserved most of the stars of their WC Campaign.

This will be an exciting series because even though the Windies have the home advantage, Pakistan on their day can be a formidable lineup and have the ability to crush the opposition by mere individual brilliance. The pitches in WI have recently been low and slow which almost makes teams from the subcontinent feel at home and the small grounds signals party time for the big hitters. In my opinion, the ODIs will be a little more competitive but WI will want their seniors (Gayle, Chanderpaul and Co) to perform if they need to be anywhere close to Pakistan for the Tests.

Download Pakistan vs West Indies 2011 Fixtures in PDF Format. 

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Handling media will be Fletcher's biggest challenge: Vaughan

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan feels that newly appointed India coach Duncan Fletcher's "biggest challenge" will be to handle the media in a cricket crazy nation.Vaughan wrote on his Twitter account that Fletcher will make good use of the talent available in the Indian team but being in the limelight is something he has never "understood"."Duncan will work well with all the talent.. His biggest challenge will come from the media..he has never really understood how it works..!!" tweeted Vaughan, who captained the side that won the Ashes in 2005 after 18 years and under the supervision of Fletcher.

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Coaching World champs India a challenge for Fletcher: Simons

India's bowling coach Eric Simons is keenly looking forward to working with Duncan Fletcher and says that for the former Zimbabwe captain, coaching the World champions will be a big challenge.The 49-year-old South African, whose contract was extended by the Indian board on Wednesday, said that he expected Fletcher to bring in fresh ideas like the way he did when he was in charge of the England team. Fletcher coached England for eight years (1999-2007) and also led them to an Ashes victory after 15 years in 2005.Simons will now be in charge of the Indian team for next month's tour of the West Indies as the 62-year-old Fletcher, now a British citizen, will join the team only after the series due to prior commitments."I have never worked with Duncan, so I am looking forward to working with him. I am sure he will bring in some fresh ideas to the team like he did during his English stint. But I think coaching the No.1 team in the world will be a real challenge for Fletcher," said Simons, who was appointed the bowling coach in January 2010.Simons and his compatriot Gary Kirsten, the former India coach, forged a successful partnership that saw India becoming the No.1 Test team and winning the 2011 World Cup after 28 years. Simmons also played a key role in India's success in South Africa, where they drew the Test series for the first time. On his extension, Simons said: "I had agreed in principle to continue as the bowling coach. Now that they have agreed to give me an extension, I have to sit down with them and discuss the nature of the contract and the tenure." Simons admitted that looking at India's stature in world cricket, his job will only get tougher. "These are exciting and tough times for me. The last one year has been great for me and now the job has become tougher. The challenge will be to keep the team on top. The expectations are always high from World champions and living up to them will be a challenge for this Indian team," said Simons, who coached the South African team for two years (2002-04). Simons, however, is concerned about the form of the fast bowlers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of a hectic international calendar that also involves a tour to England for four Test matches in July-August. "Conditions are tough for Indian bowlers on pitches which heavily favour batsmen. I think we have to ensure that we have enough bench strength ahead of the two series so that we can rotate our bowlers. In the modern era, you always need a group of bowlers since you can't always rely on your main bowlers to be fit," said Simmons. Asked if his bowlers need to cut down on the amount of cricket they play to stay fit, Simons said: "That is a personal choice, I can't say much about it. My job is to give them confidence. When you're confident you can run in and bowl quickly in good areas, they can play as much as they want."

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I am available for West Indies tour: Harbhajan

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh today said that he would be available for the Indian cricket team''s forthcoming tour of West Indies but was not aware of the plans of other senior players."I have no idea from where the news (of senior players opting out of West Indies tour) have poured in. As far as I am concerned I am available for the tour," Harbhajan told reporters ahead of his IPL side Mumbai Indians' match against Rajasthan Royals here tomorrow."As far as others are concerned neither I have talked to anybody and nor any body has talked to me. We will be playing three tests there and I don't want to miss any of those," he said.Talking about the winning streak of the Mumbai Indians, Harbhajan said that he was happy the way things were going."I am happy with the way things have gone till now. We have been through rough patches but one or the other has been able to pull us through. Like in the last match Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds batted well to help us to reasonable score which could be defended," he said.Asked about the good form of Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne, Harbhajan said, "He is great cricketer and greatest spinner. I myself would be talking to him and get tips so that I can prolong my international career."Harbhajan praised his team-mate Ambati Rayudu, saying that the youngster is a "special talent"."It would also be a challenge for youngsters like Rayudu to face a great spinner (in Warne). He (Rayudu) is a special talent and we always knew that. He was unfortunately lost in between but lately he has been performing well. He is capable of filling in the big shoes of great Indian batsmen like VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid," he added.Talking about his own role in the side, Harbhajan said that it had not changed much. "I and seniors like Sachin try and build the team like a unit and instill confidence in the youngsters by telling them to be part of think tank," said Harbhajan.Asked about the sharp fielding of Mumbai Indians which has helped them win a few matches, Harbhajan said that the players have responded to the drills of fielding coach Jonty Rhodes"We have South African Jonty Rhodes as the fielding coach and boys have responded well. In the previous match it was the fielding rather my five wicket haul which had won the match for us."

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Fletcher is the best man for the job, says Akram

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels the decision of BCCI to appoint Duncan Fletcher as the chief coach of the national team is a positive one. "After Gary Kirsten, Fletcher is the best man to be Indian team's mentor," Akram said on Friday. "He is very experienced and has vast knowledge. Waqar (Younis), who played in Glamorgan when Fletcher was coach, praised his coaching skills a lot." Akram feels most Indian players are experienced enough to handle situations on their own but Fletcher still had a role to play. "This Indian team doesn't need coaching, but Fletcher's excellent man management skills will surely help," said Akram. Former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have spoken in favour of an Indian coach, post the Gary Kirsten era. In his newspaper column, Gavaskar mentioned the name of Mohinder Amarnath "because most players represent the Hindi belt." Akram says language is no barrier anymore. He feels a foreign coach is quite beneficial for the sub-continent teams simply because "he is a neutral guy." Having worked with foreign coaches like Richard Pybus in Pakistan, Akram does understand a bit about foreign coaches and their ways. "Our home-bred coaches have plenty of mood swings and preferences, but a foreigner will have no such things, no favorites. He just does his work, doesn't talk much with the media and remains focused on his work," explained Akram. A former Zimbabwean international, Fletcher will take charge of Team India from the England tour which starts in July. Akram feels Fletcher's work-experience in England will surely come in handy for Dhoni and team."Fletcher has done plenty of coaching in England, and he knows their players very well. Beating England at their backyard will be tough but Fletcher's presence in the Indian dressing room will be a huge advantage," feels Akram.

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PCB waiting ICC response on CA statement

Lahore: The PCB is still waiting for a response from the ICC on the letter it sent to the world body over the statement made by Cricket Australia chief executive which blamed Pakistan for not doing enough to curb corruption in cricket."The ICC has still not sent us a reply to our letter in which we asked them to inquire into the statement made by James Sutherland recently," a senior PCB official said."Maybe because of the Easter holidays the offices are closed but we have asked the ICC to look into this issue as we have taken it very seriously," chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said.CA Chief Executive James Sutherland in a recent interview to an Australian newspaper said that he did not believe that the PCB had done enough to implement the recommendations of the Justice Malik Qayyum report in 2000 on match-fixing in Pakistan cricket.Sutherland had said that if the PCB had done enough the spot-fixing scandal last year involving Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer could have been avoided.The PCB official said the Board wanted the ICC to inquire from CA about the statement and find out on what grounds Sutherland had made it."The PCB has been in the forefront of fighting corruption in cricket and we have taken measures to discipline players.So Sutherland's statement came as a surprise to us," he said.Subhan said that the PCB would also take up the matter at the next ICC meeting scheduled in June in Hong Kong.He said that the PCB had avoided direct interaction with CA on the matter and wanted the ICC to look it.Butt, Aamer and Asif were all banned for a minimum of five years in February by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal after being found guilty of spot-fixing during the England tour last year.All three have appealed against their bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Switzerland.

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