Australia look to level T20 series against Sri Lanka

KANDY: Australia and Sri Lanka will play their second T20 and the Aussies will be looking to level the two match series. The match will be played at the Pallakele Stadium.In the first match, a ton by Sri Lankan skipper Tilkartane Dilshan helped the home side secure victory by 35 runs.Sri Lanka reached their highest total against Australia in T20’s by scoring 198/3 in the first match and will look to do the same in the second. Meanwhile Australian skipper Cameron White hopes his side will be able to bounce back.

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Wasim 'puzzled' by Pakistan selection

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram said Monday he was surprised over the decision to exclude pacemen Wahab Riaz and Umar Gul from the forthcoming Zimbabwe tour, saying it would hamper their progress.Riaz and Gul were surprisingly rested while Tanveer Ahmed dropped for the tour which includes one Test, three one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches, starting later this month.The 15-man tour party includes four inexperienced pacemen in Sohail Tanveer, Sohail Khan, Aizaz Cheema and Junaid Khan -- a strategy Wasim fears may backfire on Pakistan."I don't mind taking Zimbabwe lightly and giving chances to youngsters but it is surprising that you rest Riaz who has just started his career a year ago and is progressing. He doesn't need rest," Wasim said.Gul, Wasim said, would have found his lost form in Zimbabwe."I have seen that out-of-form paceman get back to form by playing easier teams, but here we have rested the two main pacemen and they were allowed to play county cricket, instead of doing the national duty," said Wasim.Riaz represented Kent while Gul played for Sussex in the Twenty20 league in England.Wasim described Riaz as Pakistan's future."The idea to groom a young paceman is to give him more and more opportunities and not to rest him," said Wasim, who took 414 Test and 502 one-day wickets during his illustrious career."Riaz needs opportunities and it's not wise for him to rest at this stage."Wasim said teams like India and Australia who played continuously could rest key players."If we see India giving rest to their key players, its understandable because they play too much cricket throughout the year but Pakistan rarely plays Tests and here we are without our rising paceman," said Wasim.The 26-year-old Riaz, a left-armer like Wasim, has so far played seven Tests since making his debut on last year's tour of England. He has also played 22 one-day internationals.Wasim praised Cheema's selection."Cheema has been leading wicket-taker in Pakistan's domestic season, so he deserved a chance but there should be more consistency in selection," said Wasim

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Bangladesh still need 263 runs as Zimbabwe closer to win

HARARE: Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor scored an unbeaten 105 before Bangladesh were restricted to 112-3 at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday, still needing another 263 runs to win the one-off Test match.Taylor declared his team's second innings on 291 for five after resuming at 92 for four for an overall lead of 374 which left the tourists to face 30 overs before stumps on the fourth day.Bangladesh's openers Imrul Kayes (31) and Tamim Iqbal (43) began well, putting on 64 for the first wicket.But Tamim, having hit seven boundaries, was dismissed when he left a ball from Chris Mpofu which jagged back and took off the bails.Kayes was then caught behind by Tatenda Taibu off seamer Kyle Jarvis with the total on 87.Shahriar Nafees, who made 50 in the first innings, was the third man out, clean bowled by Jarvis with the total on 102.However, the experienced pair of Mohammad Ashraful who scored 73 in the first innings, and reached 19 by stumps on Sunday and Mushfiqur Rahim, with six, steadied the ship as Bangladesh suffered no further alarms ahead of Monday's final day.The Test, Zimbabwe's first after a six-year, self-imposed exile, had swung decisively in Zimbabwe's favour due to some dedicated and well-planned batting by Taylor, Taibu (59) and debutant Craig Ervine (35 not out).Taylor, who had hit 71 in the first innings, moved carefully on from his overnight five runs.He reached his half century in 117 balls while his next 50 came in only 53 balls as the thought of a declaration came firmly into mind. It was his first Test hundred in 11 matches. He hit only nine fours, an indication of the defensively positive nature of his innings.The slightly more flamboyant Taibu, ever looking for quick singles, was the perfect partner before he was out for 59, his 10th half-century in Tests. Ervine showed much improvement and grew in stature with his newly-found confidence.The day was hard work for the Bangladesh bowlers, mainly the spinners deployed by skipper Shakib Al Hassan.The wicket was "still full of runs" according to ground superintendent Doug Higgins, and so it proved as the ball showed little turn and bounce.

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Afghanistan survive late collapse to clinch win

Afghanistan recorded a dramatic two-wicket victory over Canada in Toronto on Sunday.Batting first, Canada got off to an excellent start as Gunasekera (57) and Patel (62) added an excellent opening stand of 75 in the opening power play overs.However, no Canada batter could go on to make a really big score, as Mohammad Nabi (4-31) and Dawlat Zadran (3-49) restricted the home side to 230 all out in 44.5 overs.In reply, Shabir Noori led the way for Afghanistan with a brilliant 94, receiving good support from Mohammad Nabi (58) and Nawroz Mangal (34).Afghanistan suffered a late collapsing going from 183-3 to 207-8, losing three wickets in the space of one dramatic over, but Samiullah Shenwari and Mirwais Ashraf were able to guide the team home.Hiral Patel recorded career-best figures of 4-28, as Rizwan Cheema took 3-53.

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