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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, November 10, 2011

Opportunity for Pakistan to gain two places in ODI championship table


Pakistan has a chance to improve its ranking in the Reliance ICC ODI Championship when it goes head-to-head with World Cup finalist Sri Lanka in a five-match ODI series which starts at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Friday.Second-ranked Sri Lanka is presently sitting on 119 ratings points, just one ahead of world champion India, while sixth-ranked Pakistan trails fifth-ranked England by five ratings points.However, all this will change depending how the series between the Asian rivals pans out.If Pakistan wins the series 4-1, it will move ahead of England to fifth position on 108 ratings points - its best ranking since May 2009 - while Sri Lanka will drop to fourth position on 112 ratings points.A 5-0 victory will earn Pakistan nine ratings points which, in turn, will put it on 110 ratings points and fourth position on the championship table - its best since November 2008 - while Sri Lanka would slip to sixth position on 109 ratings points.In a sharp contrast, a 5-0 win for Sri Lanka will lift it to 123 ratings points - seven behind number-one ranked Australia - while a 4-1 win will earn it two rankings points. These are the only two scenarios where there will be no changes to the championship table as even a 3-2 win for Sri Lanka will mean it will slip down the ladder.A 3-2 series win will put Sri Lanka alongside India on 118 ratings points but when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, India will be ranked second while Sri Lanka will be in third position.To find out exactly how Pakistan-Sri Lanka series will affect the Championship table, please click here. The ODI Championship table, unlike the Test Championship table, is updated after every match.In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is the highest-ranked batsman from either side in seventh position. If the former Sri Lanka captain manages to display the same form he showed in the Test series, which helped him share the player of the series award with Saeed Ajmal, then he has a very good chance of moving as high as fifth.Other batsmen aiming for upward movements are Tillekeratne Dilshan (11th), Mahela Jayawardena (15th), Umar Akmal (17th), Angelo Mathews (35th), Mohammad Hafeez (38th), Younus Khan (41st), Upul Tharanga (43rd) and Shahid Afridi (48th).In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, Pakistan boasts four bowlers inside the top 30 with Saeed Ajmal in sixth spot, Shahid Afridi in 18th position, Umar Gul ranked 25th and Mohammad Hafeez in 29th place.For Sri Lanka, Lasith Malinga is the highest-ranked bowler in eighth position, 19 points behind Saeed Ajmal, while Suraj Randiv is 42nd.In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, fourth-ranked Hafeez and fifth-ranked Shahid Afridi have a good opportunity to gain one place each by moving ahead of third-ranked Jacques Kallis of South Africa.The ODI player rankings will next be updated on Thursday 24 November.
Series schedule:
11 Nov - First ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium
14 Nov - Second ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium
18 Nov - Third ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium
20 Nov - Fourth ODI (d/n), Sharjah Cricket Stadium
23 Nov - Fifth ODI (d/n), Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

ICC should include Pakistan in corruption inquiry: Zaka Ashraf

LAHORE : Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf said Thursday the spot-fixing incident was unfortunate and the nation had been disgraced by Mohammed Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammed Amir. Speaking to the media at the National Cricket Academy, the PCB chairman said the ICC had been asked to include Pakistan in future corruption inquiries. Ashraf also commented on Shahid Afridi’s return to the national side and said the former captain was selected on the basis of talent.

Proteas lose early wicket after Aussies all out for 284

CAPE TOWN : Australia captured an early South African wicket after stretching their first innings by 70 runs on the second day of the first Test at Newlands on Thursday.South Africa were 49 for one at lunch in reply to Australia's 284. Jacques Rudolph was bowled by Ryan Harris for 18.Australian captain Michael Clarke took his score to 151 before he was last man out in a frustrating morning for the South Africans.Clarke resumed on 107 with Australia precariously placed on 214 for eight at the start of play. Tailender Peter Siddle made 20 and supported Clarke in a ninth wicket stand of 59, the second best of the innings, as the last two wickets added 70 runs.South Africa paid the penalty for setting defensive fields to Clarke from the start, with Clarke edging Vernon Philander through a vacant second slip in the second over of the day.But after that let-off Clarke continued to play with the authority he displayed in salvaging his team's fortunes on the first day.Siddle was dropped on five when Imran Tahir put down a chance at backward point off Dale Steyn, who was unable to add to his wicket haul, finishing with four for 55.Siddle finally fell to Morne Morkel when he pushed a simple catch to AB de Villiers at cover after defying the bowlers for 73 minutes and 54 balls.Joined by last man Nathan Lyon, Clarke reached 150 for the fourth time in his Test career with a scorching straight drive off Morkel but then had his leg stump knocked out of the ground when he stepped away in an attempt to force the bowler to the off side.He had batted for 266 minutes, faced 176 balls and hit 22 fours. Having come in with his side in trouble at 40 for three he scored 151 of the 244 runs scored while he was at the crease.Rudolph, the leading scorer in South African domestic first-class cricket this season, looked in confident form at the start of the home team's innings but was stuck on his crease and bowled by a ball from Harris which cut back between his bat and pad.

Australia lose openers cheaply in 1st Test against Proteas

CAPE TOWN: Australia lost both their opening batsmen cheaply after being sent in to bat on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at Newlands on Wednesday.Australia were 39 for two at lunch. Only 15 overs of play was possible after rain delayed the start by almost two hours, causing the hours of play to be pushed out by an hour.Dale Steyn had Shane Watson caught at second slip by Jacques Kallis for three and new cap Vernon Philander had Phil Hughes caught behind for nine.Shaun Marsh (17 not out) and Ricky Ponting (eight not out) saw the Australians through to lunch in seam-friendly conditions.Steyn took one for eight in five overs, while Philander, making his debut in his home city, shared the new ball and bowled a tight line to take one for 16 in six overs, which included an edged four by Hughes and a hooked six by Ponting from the only ball he dropped short.Philander, 26, was one of two new caps, with South Africa also selecting Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir, 32.Australia made only one change from the side that beat South Africa A in a warm-up game last week with fast bowler Ryan Harris replacing Trent Copeland