Rahul Dravid announces retirement

BANGALORE: Veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday, ending a distinguished 16-year career.

"It is time to move on and let a new generation of players make their own history," Dravid, 39, told reporters at a crowded news conference in Bangalore.

The stylish batsman was the number two run-getter in Test cricket behind compatriot Sachin Tendulkar with 13,288 runs from 164 matches at an average of 52.31 with 36 centuries.

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Tendulkar hails Dravid as retirement nears

NEW DELHI: India's batting great Sachin Tendulkar added to growing speculation that Rahul Dravid will announce his retirement on Friday by paying rich tributes to his team-mate.

"There was and is only one Rahul Dravid. There can be no other," Tendulkar told the NDTV news channel. "I will miss Rahul in the dressing room and out in the middle."

Dravid is scheduled to address a joint news conference with Indian cricket chief Narayanaswamy Srinivasan in Bangalore at 12:30 pm (0700 GMT), amid speculation the player is set to end his 16-year career.

Dravid, 39, is the number two run-getter in Test cricket behind Tendulkar with 13,288 runs from 164 matches at an average of 52.31 with 36 centuries and 63 fifties.

He is also one of only 10 batsmen to score more than 10,000 runs in one-day cricket. His tally stands at 10,889 runs from 344 matches at 39.16 with 12 centuries.

Dravid, popularly known as "The Wall" for his immaculate technique, had already quit limited-overs international cricket last year to concentrate on prolonging his Test career.

Tendulkar, who made his debut seven years before Dravid, said he shared some of the "best moments" with him both on and off the field.

"Our many century partnerships are testimony to the hours we spent together in the middle," said Tendulkar. "For someone with a record like that, no tribute can be enough."

The famous, but ageing batting stars Dravid, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Venkatsai Laxman are all under pressure after India endured a Test crisis following the victory in the limited-overs World Cup last year.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men crashed to identical 4-0 Test defeats in England and Australia, and failed to win the one-day series.

Dravid was one of few players to emerge with any credit after the disastrous tour of England where he defied the years to crack three centuries in four Tests.

But he managed just 194 runs in eight innings in Australia, where he was bowled six times, indicating perhaps that his reflexes were slowing down.

Dravid is expected to continue playing in the lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 event where he will lead Rajasthan Royals this year after the retirement of Australian spin legend Shane Warne.

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Cheema ready for honour of leading Canada

Canada's new captain Rizwan Cheema is confident of starting off his tenure by helping his side become one of the two sides to qualify from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012 scheduled to be held in UAE from 13-24 March.

The tournament will see 16 teams from across ICC's five regions competing for the remaining two places at the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 which will be staged from 18 September to 7 October in Colombo, Hambantota and Pallekele.

All-rounder Cheema, who averages 30 with the bat, took over the mantle from Khurram Chohan who was injured during the team's recent training camp in Sri Lanka ahead of the tournament in Dubai but the big-hitting Cheema is confident that he can lead his side to one of its stated goals for 2012.

"We've had good preparation as a side having been away at the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament where we played a number of matches against good quality sides.

"We've also learnt a lot on our recent training camp in Sri Lanka while I've also been a part of the Bangladesh Premier League which has provided me with a good preparation. I feel things are very much coming together for the side.

"We have a strong bowling attack with both pace and spin which are important for games in the UAE, plus we've got good batsmen to put the runs on the board. Having watched plenty of the Pakistan v England series in the UAE, I've been looking at how the pitches behave and I think we've the full pack of what's needed on these surfaces," said Cheema.

Canada will take the field in the tournament without its former captain and one of its most experienced campaigners, Ashish Bagai. Cheema believes his side can make up for Bagai's absence.

"Ashish Bagai led our team to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, he is not only an amazing player but a good person and there is no doubt that he is a very important player. But I have total confidence in Rustam Bhatti who will be keeping wicket this tournament," opined Cheema.

It will be a fresh start for Canada in many ways as the side also has a new coach in Michael Deighton who took over the job recently. Cheema believes his bowling attack is key for this event, with two of his most senior bowlers coming in the form of Henry Osinde and Harvir Baidwan, the latter claiming 13 wickets for the side in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

"Harvir and Henry are definitely two of our key bowlers, they are strong in the attack and I will be looking to both of them to lead from the front as they are now also both senior players in the side. That said, we have the likes of the talented and exciting Nitesh Kumar who experienced the ICC CWC 2011 last year and has also performed well in Twenty20s who is always keen to go that extra mile for the side," commented Cheema.

Canada is placed in Group A of the 16-team event alongside Afghanistan, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal, it automatically qualified for this event since it is one of the top six Associate and Affiliate teams in the world. Cheema is confident that his side will measure up to the challenge.

"This side is a bit different to the side that featured at the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, but sides need to differ. Different players play different formats of the game better and I think the players at this tournament are going to do well and I have faith in their abilities.

"We've obviously played Afghanistan and Netherlands before, while Bermuda is a side we have faced in the ICC Americas region, however the other teams we've not played before in our group so we have been sure to research the opposition we will be facing. You can't take anyone lightly in this format of the game, we will play with our strengths, it's a fast format so we need to be on our toes."

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Bangladesh recall Tamim after fitness row

DHAKA: Fit-again opening batsman Tamim Iqbal, at the centre of a selection row earlier this week, was recalled to the Bangladesh squad on Thursday for the four-nation Asia Cup that starts at the weekend.
"Tamim has been included after passing a fitness test," said selector Minhajul Abedin.
The batsman, who has had a groin injury, was picked in the original squad earlier this week but Bangladesh Cricket Board president AHM Mustafa Kamal then elected to drop him.
Tamim's uncle, chief selector Akram Khan, resigned in protest at Kamal's decision.
Hosts Bangladesh play Pakistan in the first match of the biennial tournament on Sunday. India and Sri Lanka are the other competing teams. AGENCIES

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Smith, Kallis lead South Africa fightback

DUNEDIN: Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis steered South Africa out of trouble after early setbacks against New Zealand on the third day of the first Test at University Oval on Friday.

At tea South Africa were 175 for two in their second innings, leading New Zealand by 140 runs with Smith unbeaten on 80 and Kallis not out 66.

The New Zealand first innings was wrapped up early in the morning session for 273 after some powerful hitting by tailender Trent Boult, giving the home side a 35-run lead.

Shortly after the visitors knocked off the deficit, Doug Bracewell removed Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla in the same over, bringing Smith and Kallis together with the score at 47-2.

But the South African captain and the veteran all-rounder were seldom troubled by the New Zealand attack as they methodically added 87 runs in the middle session.

Bracewell has been the only successful New Zealand bowler.

Petersen was a soft dismissal, with the opener lofting the ball straight to Tim Southee at mid-off when on 25.

Amla, who starred with the bat in the recent one-day series and made 62 in the first innings, was quickly gone for two, brilliantly caught by a diving Martin Guptill at second slip.

New Zealand resumed on the third day with a five-run lead. Lusty hitting from Boult saw 34 runs put on for the last wicket with Chris Martin, who was the final wicket to fall, caught by Amla off Dale Steyn for five.

Boult finished unbeaten on 33 with 22 of the runs coming off one over by Vernon Philander, who was the pick of the South African bowlers with four for 72.

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Cricket: McKay helps Aussies snatch tri-series win

ADELAIDE: Paceman Clint McKay bowled Australia to a 16-run victory over Sri Lanka to capture the one-day international tri-series in the third final at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Man of the match McKay claimed five wickets for 28 off 9.5 overs to go with his 28 off 32 balls in Australia's innings as he proved the winning difference over the World Cup finalists.

Australia looked as though their total would not be enough when they were dismissed for 231 with three balls left of their 50 overs.

But inspired bowling by McKay, backed up by veteran paceman Brett Lee's three wickets, squeezed the home side across the line.

The Australians head to the West Indies on Friday buoyed by their victory, which came on top of a 4-0 thumping of India in the Test series to complete an arduous international season at home.

McKay helped rescue Australia following a middle-batting collapse that ruined hopes of a big total after Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene had won the toss and sent the home side into bat.

The Victorian paceman, mixing it up with deceptive slower deliveries out of the back of his hand, snared his best one-day figures in a match-winning performance.

McKay bowled Jayawardene for 15 and trapped the dangerous Dinesh Chandimal leg before wicket for five, before claiming the wickets of Chamara Kapugedera, Rangana Herath and last man Lasith Malinga.

A fired-up Lee snared the initial two victims -- man-of-the-series Tillakaratne Dilshan (eight) and the experienced Kumar Sangakkara (19 off nine balls) before later taking the key wicket of big-hitting Nuwan Kulasekara for 15.

Upul Tharanga, batting at number six, hit a resilient 71 off 122 balls before he was caught behind off stand-in captain Watson in the 46th over.

Watson took over the captaincy after Michael Clarke was ruled out with an injured left hamstring, which will also see him miss Australia's ODI series against the West Indies next week.

Earlier, opening batsman Matthew Wade top scored for Australia with 49 off 74 deliveries and batting partner David Warner hit 48 off 45.

The home side got away to a breezy start with Wade and Warner scoring 75 off the opening 14 overs, but their progress stalled as Sri Lanka's bowlers and fielders, coupled with Jayawardene's imaginative captaincy, reeled in the Australians' run-rate.

They were 115 for one in the 21st over but fell away losing five wickets in the next 12 overs.

Farveez Maharoof claimed three for 40 off 10 overs, while left-arm spinner Herath picked up three for 36 from his 10 overs as well as taking a brilliant tumbling catch to dismiss Watson for 19.

Australia won the opening final in Brisbane by 15 runs with Sri Lanka taking the series into a decider after an eight-wicket win in Adelaide on Tuesday.

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