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NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Thursday, April 21, 2011

Australia want a 10-team World Cup

KARACHI:Australia, co-hosts of the 2015 World Cup, want the event to be contested by the 10 teams that are full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and will present that position when the ICC reconsiders the tournament format at its annual conference in Hong Kong in June.The initial decision to allow cricket’s 10 full member nations to take their places at the next World Cup without any kind of qualification process was met with global indignation. However, ICC President Sharad Pawar announced a reconsideration of the format of the event.“Our starting point on the ICC events has always been that qualification should be based on merit,” a Cricket Australia spokesman told ESPNCricinfo. “We support moving to a 10-team World Cup in 2015 and in the long term, support moving to the World Cups which are 10-team contests based on merit.”Options include an expansion of the number of competing teams from 10 to 12, or simply the addition of a qualifying tournament.Ireland want decision in June Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom believes that the right of Associate nations to compete at the 2015 World Cup will be established at the ICC’s annual conference in June.“The lack of response in those two weeks probably meant the ICC realised they were defending the indefensible,” said Deutrom. “I think the issue would have to be resolved in June. If the principle was established that a qualification tournament was to be reinstated I don’t think the Associates could have too much of an argument with that.”

SLC names 16-man Test squad for England tour

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) named a 16-man squad for the upcoming Test series in England on Wednesday.The squad, to be led by Tillakaratne Dilshan, features four pacemen, one all-rounder, two wicketkeepers and three spinners, apart from a strong middle-order.Injured all-rounder Angelo Mathews is still not fit to play and has not been named in the squad.Sri Lanka is to play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals against England.Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (captain), Tharanga Paranavithana, Lahiru Thirimanna, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Prasanna Jayawardena (wk), Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Hearath, Dilhara Fernando, Chanaka Welagedara, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep

PCB tightens agent rules for cricketers

Updated at: 1849 PST,  Wednesday, April 20, 2011
LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday released a new set of tighter regulations for the registration of players' agents in light of last year's spot-fixing scandal. The Board said in future approved agents needed to have clearance from the police and the cricket board of the country the agent lives in. "These regulations shall be applicable with immediate effect to all persons wishing to act as agents for the cricketers who have or are representing Pakistan at all levels or who participate in cricket organised by the PCB," a statement said.The regulations follow a spot-fixing scandal involving three Pakistani players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif -- and their agent Mazhar Majeed. (AFP)