Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Pakistan retain Afridi as ODI captain for NZ tour
Updated at: 0846 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011Pakistan on Wednesday retained flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi as captain while controversial wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was also recalled for the upcoming six-match ODI series against New Zealand starting January 22 in Wellington.The national selection committee met in Lahore today and announced a 16-member squad with no real surprises except the return of Akmal, who was recently cleared by the PCB for selection.Akmal was one of the three cricketers reportedly asked by the PCB to submit details of bank accounts and assets from the last three years to the integrity committee, probing charges of spot-fixing which led to the suspensions of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.
Donald appointed New Zealand bowling coach
Updated at: 0846 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Former South African paceman Allan Donald has been appointed as New Zealand's bowling coach on a short-term contract until the end of the World Cup, officials said Tuesday.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said Donald's experience would be a positive for the Black Caps, whose support staff have been revamped since John Wright was appointed head coach in December.
"I know he is really looking forward to the challenge of returning to international cricket and working with the Black Caps," Vaughan said.
The 44-year-old recently finished a stint as head coach of Zimbabwe domestic side the Mountaineers and has previously worked with English county side Warwickshire and the England national side as bowling coach.
Vaughan said Donald, who took 330 Test wickets for South Africa, would join the squad in Wellington this week ahead of Saturday's first one-day international against Pakistan.
He will remain with the Black Caps through the six-match series and the World Cup, to be played in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2.
Australia unveil next month's World Cup squad
Updated at: 0846 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011
SYDNEY — Defending champions Australia unveiled their squad for next month's World Cup, banking on the fitness of a pair of injury-prone pacemen and elder statesmen Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey.
Veteran Brett Lee and enigmatic short-form specialist Shaun Tait were both included in the 15-man squad for the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which they are trying to win for the fourth successive time.
Ponting was named as skipper, but is still recovering from a broken finger, while Hussey made the squad but is a major doubt after a severe hamstring tear in the six-wicket win over England at the MCG on Sunday.
Hussey is expected to be sidelined for at last six weeks, with Australia's first game on February 21, and chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch conceded he was a doubt for the showpiece event.
"It is a severe injury and we will make a decision closer to departure date," Hilditch said on Tuesday.
Players can be replaced before the tournament.
By selecting Lee and Tait, as well as erratic duo Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger, Australia will rely heavily on their pace bowlers to be at their best.
Lee performed well in Australia's win over England on Sunday, but the 34-year-old and Tait are both on the comeback trail after serious elbow injuries.
Sunday's game was Lee's first one-day international for Australia since October 2009 and he missed the 2007 World Cup triumph due to injury.
Tait, who played in the 2007 final but mainly plays Twenty20 cricket these days, was ruled out of Sunday's game with a back problem.
The 27-year-old has only played three ODIs since February 2009, but taken eight wickets in those three matches.
Hilditch said the squad was perfectly balanced.
"One of the major decisions to be made in this squad was ensuring the balance was right in the squad to provide the best cover for all positions in the event of injury, illness or form issues that may arise," Hilditch said.
"It includes the experience of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Brett Lee, and also some young talent like Steve Smith.
"Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin were all also part of the victorious 2007 ICC cricket World Cup squad that went unbeaten in the Caribbean, so there is plenty of character in this group of Australian cricketers."
The shock selection was Victorian all-rounder John Hastings, who has played just two one-day internationals, while David Hussey, Mike's younger brother, also made the squad.
Tasmanian wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine, touted by many as a future Australian captain, is part of the 15.
Left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty, who played on Sunday, was overlooked in favour of the returning Nathan Hauritz, who was ignored for the entire Ashes series but has been in top form in domestic first-class cricket this season.
Victorian paceman Peter Siddle was not included, despite being one of the better Ashes performers for Australia with ball and bat.
Squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Steve Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White.
Updated at: 0846 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Sources in the PCB told The Sports Encounter that currently there are two schools of thought in the PCB after a report from team manager national cricket team Waqar Younis, which is quite critical of Afridi’s performance as skipper and player in the team.Shahid Afridi
There are chances that Mohsin Hasan Khan-led selection panel of the PCB may keep Afridi as skipper but a great performance by Misbah-ul-Haq as Test captain has turned him into a strong contender for the ODIs captaincy as well.
Chief Selector Mohsin Hassan Khan will announce the 15-player squad for the ICC flagship event.Sources further told TSE correspondent that the team will include Shahid Afridi (C), Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Misbah–ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Shoaib Akhtar, Younus Khan, Asad Shafiq, Wahab Riaz, and Sohail Tanvir.
India name 15-man squad for World Cup
Updated at: 1548 PST, Monday, January 18, 2011
NEW DELHI: India on Monday selected a tried and trusted combination for the cricket World Cup despite injury worries over key players, including batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar, 37, the world's leading Test and one-day batsman, pulled out of the ongoing tour of South Africa after suffering a hamstring strain during the second one-dayer in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Tendulkar's absence for the remaining three one-dayers further depleted India, who are already missing the injured trio of Virender Sehwag (shoulder), Gautam Gambhir (elbow) and Praveen Kumar (elbow).
But all four were named in a 15-man squad for the World Cup, which opens on February 19 with India playing the first match against co-hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Tendulkar, who has a record 17,629 runs from 444 one-day internationals with 46 centuries, has played just four one-dayers over the past 12 months to preserve himself for Test cricket.
The selectors banked on players who have taken India to second place behind Australia in the official one-day rankings, ahead of Sri Lanka, South Africa and England.
The eight batsmen in the squad include wicketkeeper-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the hard-hitting Yusuf Pathan, but there was no place for Rohit Sharma.
The only surprise choice was 22-year-old leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who played the last of his 21 one-dayers more than two years ago, in July 2008.
Chawla, who has claimed 28 one-day wickets, will be joined by two off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin, in a three-man spin department.
The squad includes four seam bowlers in Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel.
Srikkanth, who was a member of India's only World Cup-winning squad in 1983, was confident the current players would put up a good performance.
India's World Cup squad:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel.
Coach: Gary Kirsten (SA)
Rehman double strike slows New Zealand
Updated at: 0927 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011
WELLINGTON: Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman struck twice in the afternoon session as Pakistan slowed New Zealand's bid to build a big lead on the fourth day of the second Test on Tuesday
New Zealand went into the break at 181-3 in their second innings, with Ross Taylor on 4 and Jesse Ryder on 11, giving the Black Caps a 161-run lead.
Rehman broke a 120-run opening stand between Brendon McCullum (64) and Martin Guptill (73), with Pakistan claiming three wickets for 46 as the Black Caps chased quick runs to force a result to level the two-Test series.
The spinner tempted McCullum to try to drive him out of the ground shortly after lunch, with the batsman mistiming his shot and sending the ball to Tanvir Ahmed at long off.
He later trapped Guptill lbw to lift his figures to two for 65 off 25 overs.
It was the first time a New Zealand opening stand has reached 50 in the series.
It was also only the second time since 2004 that a Black Caps' opening pair has made 100, an encouraging sign for coach John Wright as he seeks to improve New Zealand's brittle top order following his appointment in December.
Tanvir Ahmed also claimed his first wicket of the innings as Pakistan bounced back from a frustrating morning session when Kane Williamson (15) edged to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal on 15.
New Zealand 181 for three at tea
Updated at: 0731 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011
WELLINGTON: New Zealand were 181 for three at tea on the fourth day of the second Test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday.
Ross Taylor was on 4 and Jesse Ryder 11 in the second innings, with New Zealand leading Pakistan by 161 runs.
New Zealand 106 without loss at lunch
Updated at: 0500 PST, Tuesday, January 18, 2011
WELLINGTON: New Zealand were 106 without loss at lunch on the fourth day of the second Test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday.
Brendon McCullum was on 58 and Martin Guptill on 38 at the break after adding 97 to New Zealand's overnight total in the second innings.
