Absentee Zulqarnain to return Pakistan

Updated at: 1721 PST,  Sunday, April 17, 2011

KARACHI: Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider, who fled to London last year citing death threats from match-fixers, has said he will return home and cancel his application for asylum in Britain.Zulqarnain was reassured by a meeting with Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik in London last week, and will seek to resume his cricket career, he said."After meeting with (the) interior minister and getting assurance of my and my family's safety in Pakistan, I have decided to return home on April 24," Zulqarnain, 24, told Pakistani private TV channels GEO and others from London."After getting this assurance there is no need for me to continue with my asylum application, which I will withdraw," he said late Saturday.Zulqarnain fled the team hotel in Dubai on the morning of the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa on November 8, saying he had received death threats from unidentified people seeking to draw him into match-fixing.After flying into London, Zulqarnain sought asylum in Britain and said he was retiring from international cricket.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) terminated his contract and formed a committee to establish the facts surrounding his disappearance, which described him as "mentally ill".Zulqarnain said Saturday he has now contacted the PCB and wants to resume his international career.Zulqarnain made a successful Test debut in England last year, scoring a brilliant 88 in the second innings to help Pakistan avoid follow-on. He also played four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan.

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Valthaty, Gilchrist fire Punjab to win over Deccan

Updated at: 1301 PST,  Sunday, April 17, 2011

HYDERABAD: Paul Valthaty and Adam Gilchrist hammered explosive half-centuries to power Kings XI Punjab to an eight-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.Valthaty smashed a 47-ball 75 and skipper Gilchrist a 46-ball 61 as Punjab achieved a 166-run target with 14 balls to spare for their second win in three matches in the Twenty20 tournament.Former Australian wicketkeeper Gilchrist and Valthaty both completed half-centuries with a six and added 136 for the opening wicket to ensure a comfortable win for their team in Hyderabad.Gilchrist hit three sixes and five fours while Valthaty, who made an unbeaten century in his team's win over Chennai Super Kings in the previous game on Wednesday, cracked five sixes and eight fours.Valthaty also excelled as a seamer when he finished with 4-29 off four overs to play a major role in restricting Deccan, who suffered their third defeat in four matches.Shikhar Dhawan (45) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (35) put on 75 for the second wicket before Deccan lost their way, with Valthaty doing the damage.Brief scores:Deccan Chargers 165-8 in 20 overs (S. Dhawan 45, K. Sangakkara 35, D. Christian 30; P. Valthaty 4-29, R. McLaren 2-33) lost to Kings XI Punjab 166-2 in 17.4 overs (P. Valthaty 75, A. Gilchrist 61; A. Mishra 2-28) by eight wickets.

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We will be crowd pleasers: Intikhab

Updated at: 1011 PST,  Sunday, April 17, 2011

VIEUX FORT: Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam has promised that Caribbean fans will be attracted to the style of play of the visiting Pakistani team.The Pakistanis made a quiet arrival in the Caribbean, when they touched down at the Hewanorra International Airport in the south of this island, but Alam said that belied the style of play fans can expect from his relatively young side."I have brought a very young side with me, and I am quite sure you are going to enjoy the type of cricket we are going to play," he said."On behalf of the team, I would like to thank everyone for the very warm welcome extended to us. It is always a pleasure to come to the Caribbean."I have been coming since 1958 and played against some of your greatest cricketers like Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, and the late Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell."I cherished their friendship, and whenever we met, we talked about old times. I have great regard for your cricketers, and look forward to the next few weeks on this trip."Pakistan contest a Twenty20 and five One-day Internationals, as well as two Tests against West Indies on their near six-week trip.Intikhab repeated his comments prior to his departure that Pakistan had the potential to be highly successful on their tour."The conditions in the West Indies have changed significantly in recent years, and so we believe we have the players to deal with the challenge, particularly our spinners," he said.The visitors open the tour with a limited-overs match against the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI on Monday at the Mindoo Philip Park in the island's capital of Castries on the northern side of the island.St. Lucia also hosts a T20 between the Pakistanis and West Indies this coming Thursday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground, where the first two ODIs will be contested on Saturday, April 23 and Monday, April 25. (AFP)

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Senior players still part of WI setup: WICB

Updated at: 2259 PST,  Saturday, April 16, 2011

ST JOHN'S: Reports that senior players in the West Indies team may be dropped permanently have been greatly exaggerated, Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board Ernest Hilaire said Saturday. West Indies have excluded former captains Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, their three most capped players, from their squad for the first the opening exchanges in their home series against Pakistan, starting this coming week.The move has prompted ridicule in the Caribbean of the WICB, its selectors, and its selection policy, and has led to speculation that the days of Chanderpaul, Gayle, and Sarwan under the maroon cap are numbered. Emotions have been running so high that Frank Anthony, the sports minister in Guyana, the homeland of Chanderpaul and Sarwan, intends to write the WICB a stern letter questioning their selection policy. Neil Kumar, the director of the National Sports Council in Guyana, has also supported the minister, but he feels that Caribbean heads of government need to get more involved in the administration of the game in the region. Hilaire has defended the WICB's policy, and indicated that they intend to give as many untried players as possible exposure in international limited-overs matches in the next two years with the ultimate goal of winning both the 2014 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup. (AFP)

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Illness forces change to WI's ODI squad

Updated at: 2130 PST,  Saturday, April 16, 2011

ST.JOHNS: An illness to rookie wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas has prompted West Indies to make a change to their squad for the first two One-day Internationals against Pakistan. The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Saturday that the 21-year-old Thomas, who has played nine ODIs for the Caribbean side, has been diagnosed with chickenpox and has returned to his homeland of Antigua. Carlton Baugh Jr, the 28-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman from Jamaica, will replace Thomas in the 13-member squad. Baugh made a return to the side for the Test tour of Sri Lanka last November, and kept his place in the side until he was sidelined by a hamstring injury just ahead of the World Cup, which was recently staged in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. He has however, recovered from the setback, and was part of the home team's training camp at the West Indies High Performance Centre for the last two weeks in Barbados.Baugh has played 33 ODIs for the Caribbean side in a chequered international career, following his debut eight years ago. He is easily one of the most prolific wicketkeeper/batsmen in West Indies domestic competitions, but he has failed to transform that class into the international arena.The first ODIs between West Indies and Pakistan take place on Saturday, April 23 and Monday, April 25 at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in the island of St. Lucia.Revised West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (Captain), Dwayne Bravo (Vice Captain), Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Anthony Martin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith

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Hussey helps Chennai beat Bangalore

Updated at: 2015 PST,  Saturday, April 16, 2011

CHENNAI: Michael Hussey cracked an unbeaten 83 off 56 balls to set up Chennai Super Kings' 21-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.The Australian hit one six and 11 fours as Chennai made 183-5 before restricting Bangalore to 162-7 for their second win in three matches in the Twenty20 tournament.Bangalore, who suffered their third defeat in four games, faltered in reply as they lost three wickets for 31 runs, including that of hard-hitting Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dishan for a duck.South African AB de Villiers top-scored for Bangalore with an impressive 44-ball 64, but received little support from the other end. Virat Kohli was the other main scorer with 35.De Villiers hit two sixes and five fours before being caught in the deep off compatriot Albie Morkel, who finished with 2-34. Sri Lankan off-spinner Suraj Randiv took 2-24 off four overs.Hussey, dropped twice during his brisk knock, earlier made the most of the chances to boost the innings after Chennai had elected to bat.He added 51 for the opening wicket with Murali Vijay and as many runs for the third wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Vijay made a 21-ball 31 with two sixes and three fours, while Dhoni contributed a 16-ball 22. Suresh Raina was the other notable run-getter, scoring 29 off 16 balls.Off-spinner Ryan Ninan and South Africa seamer Johan van der Wath grabbed two wickets apiece.

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