Sri Lanka win toss and bat in ODI

MELBOURNE: Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat in their decisive tri-series one-day international against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Australia are already through to the best-of-three final and Sri Lanka need one point from Friday's game to join them and end India's Australia tour.

Shane Watson was to lead Australia again after regular skipper Michael Clarke decided to rest a back injury.

Paceman James Pattinson returned to the Australia team at the expense of Brett Lee after recovering from a stress injury in his left foot which had sidelined him since early January.

Sri Lanka were without paceman Farveez Maharoof, who injured his back in the seven-wicket loss to India in Hobart last Tuesday.

Maharoof was replaced by offspinner Sachitra Senanayake.

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Amir’s appeal will be considered: Zaka

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf said on Thursday that bowler Mohammad Amir is Pakistan’s asset and his appeal against the ICC ban would be considered, Geo News reported Thursday.

While talking to media in Lahore, the PCB chief said that the decision regarding the team's coach would be finalized soon.

Zaka Ashraf earlier said that the PCB had appointed Iqbal Qasim as Chief Selector for one year.

Chief selector Mohammad Ilyas presented his resignation in a meeting with the PCB chief, which was accepted.

The other members of committee are Azhar Khan (Punjab), Farrukh Zaman (Khyber Pakhtwnkha), Saleem Jaffar (Sindh) and Asif Baloch (Balochistan).

Mohammad Ilyas was reported to quit the post over poor performance of the team against England and interference in selection matters.

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Amir will not appeal against ban: ICC

DUBAI: Pakistan's teenage paceman Mohammad Amir has decided not to appeal against a five-year ban imposed on him for spot-fixing during the 2010 Lord's Test against England, an official said on Thursday.
The 19-year-old Amir was released from a British prison last month after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in the scandal during the Test between England and Pakistan in 2010.

His teammates Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are serving 30- and 12-month sentences respectively, handed down by a British court in November.

All three players were found guilty of corruption and receiving illegal money.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) also banned the trio for violating the players' code of conduct, with Amir receiving the minimum five-year punishment.

"Through his lawyer, Amir has informed us that he has no intention of filing an appeal against the ban," an ICC spokesman told AFP from Dubai.
Under the rules, Amir could have appealed against the ban in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland, but legal experts believe he lost that possibility after pleading guilty in Britain.
Amir, who returned to Pakistan on Sunday, has vowed to revive his career. After his debut in 2009 and until the scandal broke, he was considered the brightest new talent in international cricket.

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PCB selects Iqbal Qasim as new chief selector

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Iqbal Qasim, as Chief Selector for one year, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf said.

Chief selector Mohammad Ilyas presented his resignation in a meeting with the PCB Chief, which was accepted.

The other members of committee are Azhar Khan (Punjab), Farrukh Zaman (Khyber Pakhtwnkha), Saleem Jaffar (Sindh) and Asif Baloch (Balochistan).

Mohammad Ilyas was earlier reported to quit the post over poor performance of the team against England and interference in selection matters.

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Cricket: Chief selector Ilyas decides to quit

KARACHI: Chief selector Mohammad Ilyas has decided to quit the post over poor performance of the team against England and interference in selection matters,
The chief selector will present his resignation before the governing board today. Earlier, he was summoned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to attend today's meeting.

His son-in-law Imran Farhat was not made part of the team played in last ODI and T20 series. The PCB may also announce new selection committee.

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Cricket: Mohsin stumped at Pakistan slump

KARACHI: Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan appeared stumped Wednesday by his team's lack of form in limited over matches after routing England 3-0 in Tests, saying he had "tried everything".

Pakistan whitewashed England in the three Tests but slumped to a 4-0 defeat in the one-day series and lost 2-1 in the Twenty20s.

The 56-year-old Khan, who is likely to be replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whatmore next month, said he did not understand what happened.

"Pakistan team's performance in the Tests was outstanding," Khan told AFP. "But the team was disappointing in the limited overs series and I am at a loss to understand how a team playing high-level cricket went down like that."

Khan refused to blame captain Misbah ul-Haq and also refused to comment when asked whether some players may have under performed to oust him as coach.

"I am happy with my efforts and my tenure. The win against England was special," said Khan, who played 48 Tests and 75 one-days as opener.

"We did not bat well in one-days and I am disappointed that the team failed in limited overs but this is the same team that was being lauded only a few days back and now everyone is so critical."

The coach said England deserved full credit for their comeback after being annihilated in the Tests.

"The way they came back after a demoralising defeat as world number one team was exemplary, we tried everything but they were too good and deserve credit."

Khan, who also guided Pakistan to wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, was appointed interim coach after Waqar Younis quit last September.

Khan said he is ready to serve Pakistan cricket in any capacity.

"It's up to the Pakistan Cricket Board to talk to me and I am ready to serve my country, but my top priority is that it should be in a respected manner and with dignity, without which I will not hold any post," said Khan.

Pakistan's next assignment is the four-nation Asia Cup in Bangladesh from March 12-22.

Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to a 1996 World Cup win, is expected in Pakistan later this week to sign a contract likely to start with the Asia Cup.

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O'Brien hopes to make it count at ICC World T20 Qualifier

It is exactly a year today (2 March) since Ireland's Kevin O'Brien slammed a breathtaking 113 off 63 balls to turn the tables on England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

On that day in Bengaluru, Kevin O'Brien revived Ireland's chase of England's total of 327-8 with his knock which featured 13 boundaries and six sixes. O'Brien's knock helped Ireland beat England for the first time.

A year on, O'Brien is still reliving those heady moments.

"That match brings back great memories. It is simply brilliant. When I look back at that game it was a great day for Irish cricket and for me personally," recalled O'Brien.

The knock helped O'Brien in a big way as he became a household name shortly thereafter and reaped rich rewards for it.

"I got a contract with Gloucestershire thereafter. I was also nominated for a few awards back home and my profile was raised in India. So it was great for me in every sense," revealed O'Brien.

But a year on, O'Brien is hoping that Ireland continues to build on the gains made on that eventful night in Bengaluru.

Currently, O'Brien is training with the rest of the Ireland squad to prepare for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 13-24 March.

O'Brien and his teammates are training in Port Elizabeth, South Africa to prepare for the tournament.

Ireland is placed in Group B of the 16-team tournament alongside Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italy and USA. Only two teams can qualify for the main event scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from 18 September-7 October.

"It is a big tournament and a very difficult competition since only two teams can qualify. The boys are full of confidence. We are at our best when we are enjoying ourselves. We are confident of our abilities and back ourselves to win the tournament," said O'Brien.

The Ireland squad is expected to be in Port Elizabeth till 8 March.

"We have been training hard for the last few days during both morning and afternoon. We have at least four-five days of training to do before we head to UAE. It has been a good exercise. Now we need to start the tournament well," reckoned O'Brien.

Ireland had qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 2010 in West Indies through the last qualifier held in UAE.

O'Brien believes Ireland has come a long way since the ICC World Twenty20 2010 mainly because of the fact that the squad has gained a lot more exposure and experience.

"Most of our boys have gained experience playing twenty20 cricket in England. We are generally more experienced than the last time. We know our game well now," opined O'Brien.

Ireland's biggest strength, according to O'Brien, is the presence of a number of seam bowling all-rounders.

"Twenty20 cricket is about all-rounders. We have four-five all-rounders who bowl seam-up and also there are some good spinners who can bat well. So we have a good balance in the set-up since twenty20 cricket is a game that can change in one ball," said O'Brien.

Apart from the camp, O'Brien and his teammates kept a close eye on the recent T20 series between Pakistan and England held in the UAE.

"We had one eye on the series (Pakistan v England). The scores have not been high with 140 proving to be a winning total. Even during the last ICC World Twenty20 qualifier in 2010, 140 was a winning score in Dubai, maybe Abu Dhabi affords a bit more. So we will have to get as many runs as we can to qualify," concluded O'Brien

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ICC announces details of Pepsi ICC WCL Championship, I Cup fourth round schedule

With four places up for grabs in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the top eight Associate and Affiliate sides go head to head in the latest round of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Championship in June and July.

In June, Namibia will travel to Nairobi to challenge Kenya, while in July, Scotland will host Canada in Aberdeen, the Netherlands and the UAE will square-off against each other in Rotterdam and co-favourites Ireland and Afghanistan will face-off in Dublin.

Ireland and Scotland currently share the lead on the WCL Championship table with eight points each, but the Scots have played one less round. The UAE is occupying third position on six points from two rounds, the Netherlands, Kenya and Afghanistan are sitting on four points each while Namibia and Canada are yet to open their account.

The WCL - including the Championship and the ongoing global divisions - is an important event structure on the calendar of the ICC Development Programme as it provides a dual pathway for all Associate and Affiliate Members to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2015 to be staged in Australia and New Zealand.

The top two teams from the WCL Championship will automatically join ICC's 10 Full Members in the ICC CWC 2015. The bottom six teams then join teams from WCL Divisions 2 and 3 in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (CWCQ) in early 2014, where the final two qualifiers will be determined.

Except for Afghanistan, which will open its tour of Ireland with the WCL Championship matches, the matches between Kenya and Namibia*, Scotland and Canada and the UAE* and the Netherlands will be played at the back of ICC's four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup 2011-2013 matches.

Former champion Ireland leads the ICC Intercontinental Cup points table with 54 points from three matches, followed up Scotland (36 points from three matches) while the UAE and defending champion Afghanistan share the third spot on 23 points each.

The fixtures are as follows:

Kenya v Namibia

6-9 June - ICC Intercontinental Cup, Gymkhana, Nairobi

11 June - WCL Championship, 50-Over, Gymkhana, Nairobi

13 June - WCL Championship, 50-Over, Gymkhana, Nairobi

15 June - Twenty20, Gymkhana, Nairobi

16 June –Twenty20, Gymkhana, Nairobi

Scotland v Canada

4-7 July - ICC Intercontinental Cup, Mannofield CC, Aberdeen

9 July - WCL Championship, ODI, Mannofield CC, Aberdeen

11 July - WCL Championship, ODI, Mannofield CC, Aberdeen

Netherlands v UAE

16-19 July - ICC Intercontinental Cup, Salland CC, Deventer

21 July - WCL Championship, 50-Over, VOC, Rotterdam

23 July - WCL Championship, 50-Over, VOC, Rotterdam

24 July - Twenty20, VOC, Rotterdam (T20 on 24 July will only be played if Reserve Day for 23 July 50-Over WCL Championship match not required)

25 July - Twenty20, VOC, Rotterdam

Ireland v Afghanistan

3 July - WCL Championship, ODI, Clontarf CC, Dublin

5 July - WCL Championship, ODI, Clontarf CC, Dublin

9-12 July - ICC Intercontinental Cup,The Hills CC (TBC), Dublin

*Matches between Kenya-Namibia and UAE-Netherlands will not be classified as ODIs as Namibia and the UAE don't have ODI status

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England dominates Reliance ICC T20I Rankings

Current ICC World Twenty20 champion England has continued its domination of the Reliance ICC Twenty20 International (T20I) Rankings after winning its series against Pakistan by 2-1 in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

While England successfully retained its number-one position, which it could have lost had Pakistan won all the three games, Kevin Pietersen has replaced team-mate Eoin Morgan as the number-one batsman and Graeme Swann has taken over the coveted number-one bowling spot from Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka.

England, after dropping one ratings point, leads its closest rival South Africa by 10 ratings points. ICC World Twenty 2009 winner Pakistan, which could have jumped to second position had it won all the matches of the series, now stays in seventh position, 22 ratings points behind England.

Pietersen, who was the player of the tournament in the West Indies two years ago, has moved up one place to the number-one spot after scores of 33, 17 and 62 not out. For contributing 112 runs in the series, Pietersen has earned 31 ratings points.

Martin Guptill of New Zealand is the other batsman to jump in the latest rankings. The opener has vaulted 14 places to second position after scoring 151 runs in the recently concluded series against South Africa.

Richard Levi of South Africa, who clubbed the fastest T20I century by belting five fours and 13 sixes (the most sixes in a T20I to date) in a 51-ball 117, has entered in 22nd position.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I bowlers, Swann finished as the most successful bowler with six wickets at an economy rate of 4.16 runs per over. For this good performance, the 32-year-old bowler was been awarded 49 ratings points which has helped him leapfrog Mendis, Saeed Ajmal, Johan Botha and Shahid Afridi into the top spot.

Other bowlers to storm up the chart include Mohammad Hafeez of Pakistan, who has vaulted five places to seventh spot, England?s T20I captain Stuart Broad, who is in 12th spot after rising five places, Pakistan?s Umar Gul has claimed three places and is now in 15th position and Jade Dernbach of England who has moved up 15 places to 30th spot after picking up four wickets in the series.

In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for T20I all-rounders, Australia team-mates Shane Watson and David Hussey share the number-one spot while JP Duminy of South Africa has broken into the top 10 for the first time after rising nine places following a decent performance against New Zealand.

The T20I Championship table is updated after every match.

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