Nabbed bookies 'threatened' Zulqarnain

Updated at: 1508 PST,  Wednesday, April 27, 2011

SIALKOT: Police said Wednesday that arrested bookmakers had confessed to being behind death threats to former national wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider.The 25-year-old abandoned the team in Dubai last November and fled to London, saying he had received death threats from bookies who wanted him to fix a match.Haider said he was retiring from international cricket and applied for political asylum in Britain, but returned home on Monday after the government gave assurances about his safety and that of his family."We have arrested eight bookies and some of them have revealed they were behind threats to Haider," police official Nasir Qureshi said from Sialkot."We have confiscated their data which has a number of international contacts and the investigation is still on."Qureshi said an official press conference could be called on Thursday."We have found a number of satellite telephones and diaries which have international contacts and we hope to get further details in the next 24 hours," he added.Haider last week announced that he was prepared to revoke his application for asylum and return to resume his career after meeting Interior Minister Rehman Malik in London.On his return Haider said he had not yet decided on his future."I am happy to return and have got the kind of security promised to me. They have given me superb accommodation," said Haider."There were some reasons when I left the team and went to Britain. I will spend some time with my family and haven't decided on my playing future."On Monday, Malik said Haider had revealed some important details but refused to share them with the media.The Pakistan Cricket Board said Haider had not made contact and only when he does, would a fact-finding committee take up the matter.The committee, formed last year, found no clear motive behind Haider's disappearance but termed him "mentally ill". 

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Fletcher new India coach

Updated at: 1501 PST,  Wednesday, April 27, 2011

MUMBAI: Former England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher was appointed to the high-pressure post of India coach on Wednesday, less than one month after the country won the World Cup on home soil.India had been on the look-out to replace South African Gary Kirsten who stepped down from the role following his success in guiding the cricket-crazy nation to victory in the showpiece event.Fletcher, a former Zimbabwean all-rounder who came to prominence as a coach when reviving the England team over several years and helping them regain the Ashes in 2005, has been awarded a two-year contract.Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N. Srinivasan made the announcement in Mumbai, naming Fletcher over other possible choices including New Zealander Stephen Fleming and Zimbabwean Andy Flower.Fletcher, a taciturn 62-year-old, takes over one of the biggest jobs in cricket before India tour the West Indies in June followed by an important tour of England from July to September."The contract with Fletcher is for two years. He may not join the team in the West Indies as he has some prior commitments," Srinivasan told reporters after a BCCI meeting.India are currently ranked number one in Test cricket, and number two in one-day internationals.Fletcher, who played six one-day internationals for his country, was credited with turning around England's fortunes in Tests under captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan during his eight-year stint.After taking the reins in 1999 as England's first foreign coach, he oversaw Test series wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies.With Vaughan, he helped England win their first Test series in South Africa in the post-apartheid era in 2005, before guiding them to the historic Ashes victory the same year, their first since 1986-87.However he could not taste similar success in one-day internationals and resigned following England's disappointing 2007 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean where his team failed to qualify for the semi-finals.Vaughan said Fletcher would enjoy the challenge of working with Indian players but might struggle under the constant press attention."Duncan will work well with all the talent," he wrote on Twitter. "His biggest challenge will come from the media. He has never really understood how it works."Fletcher has recently served as a consultant to South Africa and New Zealand. 

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Malinga defends Sri Lanka Test retirement

Updated at: 1942 PST,  Tuesday, April 26, 2011

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga on Tuesday brushed aside criticism that he quit Test cricket to be able to make quick money from tournaments such as the Indian Premier League.The injury-prone bowler invited controversy when he made himself unavailable for Tests during a forthcoming tour of England because of a knee injury, but continued to play in the lucrative Twenty20 competition in India.Malinga announced his retirement from Tests last week, saying the injury prevented him from playing in the longest version of the game, and has since been under fire for picking club cricket over country."The Test retirement was never about money," Malinga, 27, told reporters in Colombo."I can't be a commentator, coach or umpire. But I can bowl well and get wickets. It's unfair to say money was the root cause of my decision," said the fast bowler, who is on a three-day return visit to Sri Lanka from India.Malinga, the highest wicket-taker so far in the IPL with 16 scalps from six games, hoped his decision would allow him to play for at least four more years."My right knee is getting weaker each day. I have a long-standing degenerative condition that I need to carefully manage," he said."I love playing for Sri Lanka. It's my dream to play for my country. I'm not sure if my knee will inflame again."Malinga said he was looking forward to playing the one-dayers and Twenty20s during Sri Lanka's tour of England, which starts next month.

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