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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 ...


Monday, May 02, 2011

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.

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.