Friday, June 24, 2011
National T20 tournament starts Friday
KARACHI: The National Twenty20 Cup will begin in Faisalabad from Friday. Two matches will be played on the first day which will be broadcast live on Geo Super With no international cricket being played in Pakistan, this tournament is the perfect opportunity for fans to see their favourite stars.Many star cricketers will be featured in the tournament and the event will feature eight teams. Lahore Lions are the reigning champions.The first day matches will feature Faisalabad Wolves vs. Multan Tigers at 5:00 pm and Karachi Dolphins vs. Rawalpindi Rams at 9:00 pm.The good news for sport fans is that Geo Super will show all matches of the tournament live.
Dravid's class and pacemen hand India initiative
KINGSTON: A typically resolute century by Rahul Dravid and the new-ball pair of Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar put India in a strong position for victory in the first Test against West Indies on Wednesday.Dravid made 112 - his 32nd test century - before he was the last man dismissed, as the Indians were bowled out for 252 in their second innings on the third day at Sabina Park, setting the hosts 326 for victory. Sharma and Kumar then put the brakes on a promising West Indies start, removing the home team's top order, as they reached 131 for three in their second innings at stumps.Kumar made the breakthrough, when he had Adrian Barath caught at a deliberately-placed third slip for a quick-fire 38, leaving West Indies 62 for one.Next over, Sharma condemned Ramnaresh Sarwan to another failure, when the stylish right-hander edged a loose, flat-footed drive, and was caught at gully for a second-ball duck.Sharma continued to plug away, gaining appreciable bounce and movement from the hard, true pitch, and was rewarded when he bowled Lendl Simmons for 27. The Indian bowlers continued to probe away for the remainder of the day, but Darren Bravo, not out on 30, and fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, not out on 24, resisted firmly, putting on 51 - unbroken - for the fourth wicket.Earlier, Dravid was a pillar of defiance, batting in typically dogged fashion for close to seven hours, striking 10 fours and one six from 274 balls, and holding the innings together in the face of purposeful bowling from West Indies. He reached his hundred from 252 balls, dabbing a delivery from Fidel Edwards into point for a single.Dravid shared in an important ninth-wicket stand of 56 with Amit Mishra, after West Indies captain Darren Sammy removed Harbhajan Singh and Kumar in the space of three balls, as India slipped to 183 for eight in the first 35 minutes after lunch.Mishra batted confidently, showing great courage against a barrage of short-pitched bowling, particularly from Edwards, armed with the second new ball.He spent just over 1< hours at the crease making 28 before he was caught at third man off Sammy, trying an upper cut.Dravid soon followed, caught at long-on, going for the second time in the match to leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.The Indians had seemed destined for a much earlier close to their innings, when Sammy had Harbhajan dubiously lbw for five. Television replays suggested the ball would have bounced over the top of the stumps. Two deliveries later, Kumar was bowled for a duck, playing across a well-pitched yorker from Sammy, but Mishra arrived to play the part of spoiler.Sammy finished with four for 52 from 27 overs, and Bishoo captured four for 65 from 24.5 overs.Before lunch, India had lost two wickets - both to Bishoo - in the last half-hour before the interval, sliding to 166 for six.Left-hander Suresh Raina was caught at leg-slip for 27, gloving a sweep at a delivery from Bishoo into the legs of wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr before the ball lobbed to Sammy.In typical fashion, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a few rousing strokes, including a straight six off Bishoo, before he cut the final delivery before lunch from the same bowler straight to the cover fielder, much to his chagrin.India had been setback early, after they continued from their overnight total of 91 for three, when Edwards had Virat Kohli caught behind down the leg-side for 15, leaving the Indians 100 for four.
PCB to overhaul club structure
KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday revealed plans of overhauling the country’s club cricket structure following a meeting of its Governing Board in Lahore.Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said that the Board will make all out investment in lifting club cricket all over the country.The Board has decided to appoint former Pakistan Test spinner Abdul Qadir as the project’s coordinator. Qadir, who resigned as Pakistan’s chief selector after falling out with Butt in 2009, is expected to get the support of several other former Test cricketers including Sarfraz Nawaz, a former Pakisan fast bowler. Sarfraz has been an ardent critic of PCB but softened his stance against the Board during its bitter dispute with former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.According to the PCB, Sarfraz has been offered to join the project but the Board is still awaiting his response. Ijaz Ahmed, a former Pakistan Test batsman, is also expected to be hired for the project.The Board has also decided to award contacts to 20 players from each of its 11 regions.Speaking to reporters, Butt said that the PCB will make best possible efforts to revive the Pakistan-India series.He also rejected the impression that the PCB has been suffering from major losses by hosting its ‘home’ matches on neutral venues. According to him, some of the series played abroad are profitable while others end in financial losses for the Board.Security problems in Pakistan have forced the PCB o host its ‘home’ matches on offshore venues in UAE and England.The PCB’s governing board approved the budget but did not disclose its total amount. “A deficit budget has been approved,” said Butt.He claimed that the board had various plans to overcome the deficit. “We have plans to lift club cricket so that our domestic cricket improves and for that we have planned around 5,000 matches at club level in the country in the next season.”He added that PCB was also making efforts to host its own Twenty20 league, modelled on the lucrative Indian Premier League.“We want to stage our own Twenty20 league although we do not have the expertise but we are still trying,” he added. A panel of 12 lawyers has also been appointed to help the PCB on the legal front.
