Kenya-Namibia fixtures postponed

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that next month's fixtures between Kenya and Namibia in Kenya have been postponed.

Nairobi Gymkhana was to host the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match between the two sides from 6-9 June, followed by two 50-over-a-side Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship matches on 11 and 13 June.

However, due to delays related to the ongoing and changing security assessment for Kenya in general-and Nairobi in particular-and the subsequent logistics of successfully staging the match at an alternative venue, the ICC has agreed with both the participating Members that these matches be postponed until September 2012.

The final dates and venue for the September matches will be announced in due course after a further assessment of the situation.

ICC Intercontinental Cup

The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception seven years ago. The ICC's premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members' cricket schedule.

There will be a total of US$254,000 in prize money for the Associate and Affiliate teams taking part in the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2011-13, with US$100,000 for the winners and US$40,000 for the runners-up.

Teams finishing in third and fourth place with receive US$20,000 and US$10,000 respectively while an outright win by any team during the course of the round-robin stage will see it walk away with US$3,000 per match.

Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event then evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.

This year's format will include eight teams - Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia and United Arab Emirates.

Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in three events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider, Canada in the 2006-07 event, Namibia in 2007-08. In 2009-10 Afghanistan won the competition.

Pepsi ICC WCL Championship

The Pepsi ICC WCL Championship, together with the ongoing global divisions of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League (WCL), is an extremely important event on the calendar of ICC Development Programme as it provides a dual pathway for all Associate and Affiliate Members to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 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, while the bottom six teams in the WCL Championship will receive a second qualifying opportunity when they will lock horns for the remaining two places in the ICC CWC 2015 by competing in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (CWCQ) in early 2014.

More details on the ICC Intercontinental Cup can be found here.

To read more about the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship, please click here.

Read More

Strauss receives Reliance ICC Test Championship mace

England captain Andrew Strauss on Wednesday received the prestigious Reliance ICC Test Championship mace for leading the team that finished on top of the Reliance ICC Test Championship table on the annual cut-off date of 1 April.

Clive Lloyd, chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee and former West Indies captain, presented the mace to Strauss who also collected a cheque of US$175,000 from Rod Riley, Executive Senior Vice President, Reliance Communications, ADAG, in a ceremony that was staged at Coronation Garden at Lord's and attended by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chief Executive David Collier.

At the presentation, Strauss said: "We are proud to be presented with the Reliance ICC Test Championship mace again in recognition of retaining our position as the number-one ranked Test side in the world.

"However, everyone involved in the current England set up remains fully motivated and determined to continue working hard as there is still a great deal more we want to achieve over the coming months and years."

Mr Lloyd, who led West Indies to wins in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1975 and 1979, and ended his illustrious 19-year career from 1966-1985 with 110 Tests and 87 ODIs, said: "The mace is a symbol of excellence and recognition of a side's outstanding achievement in the toughest and most traditional format of the game.

"England has all the reasons to be proud of its feat as it is only the third team after Australia and India to hold the mace when the annual prize money is handed out.

"Test cricket remains the pinnacle form of the game and to further recognise the achievements of the leading teams, an increased total of US $3.8m in prize money will be shared among the top four sides in the next three years, including a distribution of US$1.2million at the 1 April 2013 cut-off date with number-one receiving US$450,000.

"We are also looking forward to the road to the inaugural World Test Championship starting in 2013, from which time every Test match will count towards determining who takes part in the finals event in 2017," said Mr Lloyd.

Sanjay Behl, Group Head - Branding and Marketing, Reliance Communications, ADAG, said: "Reliance congratulates the England cricket team on retaining its number-one ranking on the Reliance ICC Test Championship table.

"The Reliance ICC Test Championship mace symbolises England's domination and supremacy as the best side in the Test arena.

"We at Reliance wish the England team the very best for the games ahead. We also look forward to the other Test playing nations delivering their best so that they too scale up the Reliance ICC Test Championship, thus resulting in more competitive and entertaining Test matches," said Mr Behl.

Read More

Opener Nasir Jamshed out of Sri Lanka tour

LAHORE: Fast-rising opener Nasir Jamshed was Wednesday ruled out of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka after fracturing a finger on his left hand.

The 22-year-old, who hit a brilliant one-day hundred against arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup in Dhaka two months ago, injured his finger during a club match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

Jamshed, only named in the one-day squad for Sri Lanka, has been advised to take four to six weeks' rest by the medical team and the PCB said a decision on a replacement will be announced in due course.

Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five one-day internationals and three Tests on their tour of Sri Lanka starting early next month.

Pakistan announced separate squads for all three formats last week, with Mohammad Hafeez taking over as Twenty20 captain for the first time.

Misbah-ul Haq, who also lost his Twenty20 place, will lead the team in one-dayers and Tests.

Read More

Aussie Hussey defends IPL after fixing claims

NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab acting captain David Hussey on Wednesday defended his team's integrity amid allegations of corruption in the Indian Premier League.
Amit Yadav and Shalabh Srivastava, two of the five players suspended by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) following a television sting, are contracted to the Punjab IPL team, but have not played in the ongoing tournament.
Hussey, leading the team in the absence of injured fellow Australian Adam Gilchrist, said he would be disappointed if fingers were pointed at any of his players.
"Everyone in my team, everyone in Kings XI Punjab as a brand, plays with utmost integrity and if any print or TV media tries to write differently or say something differently about my team, then I will be very disappointed," Hussey told reporters.
"I can't really comment on the sting," he added.
Reporters from the Hindi-language India TV, posing as sports agents, recorded the low-profile players as saying that spot-fixing and black money was prevalent in the Twenty20 IPL.
T. P. Sudhindra, Mohnish Mishra and Abhinav Bali were the other first-class cricketers suspended from the game on Tuesday by the BCCI until preliminary investigations were completed.
The probe will be carried out by former police officer Ravi Sawani, who has previously served on the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.
Sudhindra has played in three IPL matches for the Deccan Chargers this year and Mishra played one game for Pune Warriors. Bali has not featured in the tournament.
India TV showed Sudhindra allegedly agreeing to bowl pre-arranged no-balls in a local amateur match, while Srivastava was reportedly heard boasting he could do the same in the IPL.
Mishra was filmed as saying he was paid a major part of his IPL salary by Pune Warriors in "black" (illegal) money, while Yadav and Bali alleged spot-fixing existed in the tournament.
Srivastava has denied that the voice in the audio was his, and Mishra apologised, saying he made the comment "casually for personal gain."
The Hindu newspaper said corruption rumours had swirled around the IPL for a long time.
"Since millions ride on IPL, this 'domestic' tournament has not escaped the talk of fixed matches," the paper said.
The IPL, a mix of glamour, rich purses for world-class players and the excitement of T20 cricket, has endured a difficult ride over the past four years.
The tournament is already being investigated for alleged fraud and foreign exchange violations.
Its founder Lalit Modi, who was suspended in 2010, is living in London facing Indian government and BCCI charges of misappropriation of funds.

Read More

West Indies 243 all out against England

LONDON: West Indies, after losing the toss, were 243 all out against England on the second day of the first Test at Lord's here on Friday.
Test debutant and West Indies No 11 Shannon Gabriel was out for a first ball duck Friday when he edged Stuart Broad straight to second slip Graeme Swann to leave Shivnarine Chanderpaul stranded on his overnight score of 87 not out.
Fast-medium bowler Broad's figures of seven for 72 were his best in Tests, surpassing his six for 46 against India at his Nottinghamshire home ground of Trent Bridge last year.
During the course of this return, Broad, son of former England opening batsman Chris, became only the seventh player in history to both take five or
more wickets in a Test innings and score a Test century at Lord's.
Broad made his Test-best score of 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010.
This is the first of a three-Test series.
Scoreboard:
Scoreboard at close of West Indies' first innings on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord's here on Friday:
West Indies 1st Innings (overnight: 243-9)
A. Barath c Anderson b Broad 42
K. Powell b Anderson 5
K. Edwards lbw b Anderson 1
D. Bravo run out (Prior/Swann) 29
S. Chanderpaul not out 87
M. Samuels c Bairstow b Broad 31
D. Ramdin c Strauss b Broad 6
D. Sammy c Bresnan b Broad 17
K. Roach c and b Broad 6
F. Edwards c Prior b Broad 2
S. Gabriel c Swann b Broad 0
Extras (b6, lb8, nb3) 17
Total (all out, 89.5 overs, 379 mins) 243
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Powell), 2-32 (K Edwards), 3-86 (Barath), 4-100 (Bravo), 5-181 (Samuels), 6-187 (Ramdin), 7-219 (Sammy), 8-231 (Roach), 9-243 (F Edwards), 10-243 (Gabriel)
Bowling: Anderson 25-8-59-2; Broad 24.5-6-72-7 (3nb); Bresnan 20-7-39-0; Swann 18-6-52-0; Trott 2-0-7-0
England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonathan Bairstow, Matt Prior (wkt), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson
Toss: England
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Marais Erasmus (RSA)
TV umpire: Asad Rauf (PAK)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

Read More

SRK banned from entering Wankhede Stadium for five years

MUMBAI: Mumbai cricket officials on Friday announced a five-year ban on Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan from the city's main stadium after a late-night row with staff at the grounds.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has filed a police complaint against Khan, co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders, over the heated altercation on Wednesday night at Wankhede stadium.
"The ban was a unanimous decision," MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh told reporters in the city. "Action will be taken against whoever breaks the law."
The MCA says Khan should not have entered the ground after the game, saying he misbehaved and used foul language when officials asked him to leave. They also tried to stop a group of children including Khan's daughter from playing on the field.
"Even for us, there are rules of who should come in and who cannot," said Deshmukh.
Khan, one of the biggest names in Bollywood, has denied accusations he was drunk or behaving illegally, saying he became angry when officials at the stadium abused him and "physically manhandled" the children.
The MCA's parent body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will look into the "unprecedented case", said its chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty.
"Never have we seen this kind of behaviour at any time on any (cricket) ground in India," he said.

Read More

Australian IPL player arrested over hotel brawl

NEW DELHI: Indian police said Friday they had arrested Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach for allegedly molesting a woman and beating up her fiance in a posh New Delhi hotel.
The 27-year-old batsman, who has played for Australia's Twenty20 side, is playing in the Indian Premier League for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, which took on the Delhi Daredevils on Thursday night.
The cricketer is accused of trying to molest a 27-year-old woman during a party at the up market Maurya Sheraton Hotel on Thursday night.
"We have arrested Luke Pomersbach for assaulting a woman and beating up the fiance who objected to his action," police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told AFP.
Pomersbach has earlier battled depression and drug issues and avoided a jail sentence in Australia after admitting to assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for drink driving. He arrived in India saying he was now "on top of things" after recovering from depression, adding that he was determined to make the most of the money-spinning but scandal-plagued Indian league.

Read More

Gayle, Kohli guide Bangalore to 21-run win over Delhi

DELHI: A double century partnership by Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli guided Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 21-run victory against Delhi Daredevils in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League here at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Thursday.
Chris Gayle of the West Indies smashed a dashing unbeaten 128 in just 62 ballswhilen - his first hundred in the season and Kohli remained not out on 73.
Gayle struck 13 sixes and seven fours while Kohli hit nine fours and a six in his 53-ball innings.
Both added 204 runs for the second wicket partnership after Bangalore lost an early wicket .
Bangalore made 215 runs for one wicket in the allotted 20 overs after sent into bat by Kohli who was captaining Delhi in absence of Virender Sehwag..
In reply, Delhi fought well but could not reach the huge target of 216 and were restricted to 194 for seven in 290 overs.
New Zealand’s Ross Taylor top scored with a 26-ball 55.
Geom Super showed this high-scoring match live from Delhi.

Read More

Chanderpaul defies England again

LONDON: Shivnarine Chanderpaul defied England once again with a tenacious unbeaten 87 to lead West Indies to 243 for nine on the first day of the opening test at Lord's on Thursday.
The obdurate left-hander, reprieved on 15 after reviewing an lbw decision, frustrated the hosts with his awkward crab-like stance and intense concentration to keep his team in the game after England had won the toss in favourable bowling conditions.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad completed figures of six for 72 and James Anderson claimed two early wickets but they could not find a way through Chanderpaul's defences.
England thought they had dismissed him when he shouldered arms to a full-length ball from Anderson and umpire Marais Erasmus raised his finger but a review showed the ball would have missed off stump and Chanderpaul survived.
The world's top-ranked test batsman occasionally came out of his shell with crisp attacking strokes, punching the ball through the covers or sweeping powerfully on the leg side.
He reached his 60th test fifty with a firm push for two off Anderson and looked in complete control on his sixth tour of England.
Chanderpaul, 37, added 81 for the fifth wicket with Marlon Samuels who batted with commendable restraint to reach 31 before he drove airily at Broad and gave debutant Jonny Bairstow a sharp high catch at cover point.
Broad had Denesh Ramdin caught at first slip by captain Andrew Strauss for six but Chanderpaul received sensible support from skipper Darren Sammy who made a patient 17 before falling to Broad with the second new ball, caught by Tim Bresnan in the
gully.
Kemar Roach became Broad's fifth victim when he spooned the ball back to the bowler who dived to his left and held a fine low catch. It was the tall fast bowler's fifth five-wicket haul in Tests.
Chanderpaul pulled Broad for successive fours just before the close to edge towards his 26th test century but Fidel Edward's was brilliantly caught one-handed by diving
wicketkeeper Matt Prior off Broad in the day's final over.
Strauss had won the toss under grey skies and Anderson took two early wickets to reduce the touring side to 32 for two.
Anderson ended Kieran Powell's nervous 29-ball innings of five with a fine delivery which nipped back to clip the left-hander's off stump as he tried to leave it
Kirk Edwards also struggled in the unfamiliar conditions and he was trapped lbw for one playing across the line but Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo took West Indies to 83 for two at lunch.
Opener Barath fell early in the afternoon session for 42, driving loosely at a wide ball from Broad and giving Anderson a high catch in the gully which he grabbed at the second attempt.
The diminutive Barath had batted through the morning with a mixture of watchful defence and nine crisp boundaries through the covers and straight down the ground.
Bravo was badly dropped by Graeme Swann at second slip off Anderson but he failed to take advantage of the lifeline and was needlessly run out for 29 in the next over.
Bravo recklessly charged through for a quick single and with Chanderpaul staying firmly in his crease both batsmen ended up stranded at one end.
Although Prior threw the ball wildly back to the bowler, Swann dived to gather it and break the stumps, reducing West Indies to 100 for four. (Reuters)

Read More

Chanderpaul digs in for West Indies

LONDON: Shivnarine Chanderpaul fought a typical rearguard action to lead West Indies to 146 for four at tea on the first day of the opening test against England at Lord's on Thursday.
The tenacious left-hander was unbeaten on 42 at the interval with Marlon Samuels on 14 after the touring side lost two more wickets in the afternoon session.
Opener Adrian Barath was first to go for 42, driving loosely at a wide ball from Stuart Broad and giving James Anderson a high catch in the gully which he grabbed at the second attempt.
The diminutive Barath had batted through the morning with a mixture of watchful defence and nine crisp boundaries through the covers and straight down the ground.
Darren Bravo was badly dropped by Graeme Swann at second slip off Anderson but he failed to take advantage of the lifeline and was needlessly run out for 29 in the next over.
Bravo recklessly charged through for a quick single and with Chanderpaul staying firmly in his crease both batsmen ended up stranded at one end.
Although England wicketkeeper Matt Prior threw the ball wildly back to the bowler, Swann dived to gather it and break the stumps and reduce West Indies to 100 for four.
Chanderpaul was given out lbw to Anderson on 15 but was reprieved after reviewing the decision and he settled in for another trademark long innings.
He frustrated the England bowlers with his awkward-looking open stance and intense concentration, occasionally coming out of his shell to punch the ball firmly through the off side.
England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss under grey skies and Anderson took two early wickets to reduce the touring side to 32 for two.
Anderson ended Kieran Powell's nervous 29-ball innings of five with a fine delivery which nipped back to clip the left hander's off stump as he tried to leave it.
Kirk Edwards also struggled in the unfamiliar conditions and he was trapped lbw for one playing across the line but Barath and Bravo took West Indies to 83 for two at lunch.
England handed a debut to middle-order batsman Jonny Bairstow and West Indies awarded a first test cap to fast bowler Shannon Gabriel.(Reuters)

Read More

New T20 captain Hafeez calls for trust

LAHORE: Pakistan's newly appointed Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez on Thursday called for trust and a good environment in the dressing room ahead of next month's tour of Sri Lanka.

The talented team often makes headlines over rows between the players and a volatile dressing room atmosphere, but Hafeez said he would continue the good example set by Misbah-ul Haq.

Misbah, dropped from the Twenty20 squad but retained as one-day and Test captain for the Sri Lankan tour, is credited with uniting the team after a 2010 spot-fixing sandal saw Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer banned and jailed.

"It's not a team of any individual and we all trust each other and I think the way Misbah has settled the atmosphere of the team -- you will see that this tour will be very positive," Hafeez told reporters.

Hafeez also faces the challenge of leading a team which has two former captains in Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi, often difficult for the incumbent skipper.

"What I have discussed with T20 players is that I am trying to give them full confidence, unfortunately after one or two performances we start thinking that a player does not deserve to have a place in the team," he said.

"I will try to make a good environment for them in the dressing room and give players, like Malik and Khalid (Latif) trust."

Pakistan opens the tour with a Twenty20 in Hambantota on June 1. The two Twenty20 matches will be followed by five one-day and three Tests.

Hafeez agreed his team were short on Twenty20 practice, noting that players were missing out on the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Pakistani players featured in the inaugural IPL in 2008 but have since not been allowed to play as relations between the arch-rivals nosedived after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which India blamed on militants based across the border.

Hafeez said the training camp meant players were well drilled.

"The whole team is focused, practice sessions are going well and we are trying to bring ourselves into an international mould and we will try to bring in good results on the tour," he said.

Read More

IPL: Punjab outclass Chennai by six wickets

DHARAMSALA: Kings XI Punjab easily defeated Chennai Super Kings by six wickets with 21 balls remaining in the Indian Premier League – V here at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Thursday.
Australia’s former wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist won the toss and put Chennai into bat and then restricted them to 120 runs for seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs.
Pacemen Parvinder Awana, Praveen Kumar of India and Azhar Mahmood of Pakistan claimed two wickets each.
For Chennai, West Indies all rounder Dwayne Bravo top scored with 48. He hit three sixes and two fours. Later, he also took two wickets for 18 runs.
In reply, Punjab completed the chase in 16.3 overs for the loss of four wickets as Gilchrist made an unbeaten 64 off 46 balls with nine fours and two sixes.

Read More

Bollywood star faces police probe over cricket row

MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan faced a police probe and a lifetime ban from Mumbai's main cricket stadium on Thursday following a furious late-night row with staff at the ground, officials said.

The actor, who co-owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders, took a group of youngsters including his daughter Suhana onto the Wankhede Stadium pitch after a match on Wednesday night.

A security guard tried to stop the children from playing, leading the multi-millionaire actor to argue angrily for 10-15 minutes before finally giving up and leaving the premises, an AFP photographer witnessed.

"Security officials told him to leave, but Shah Rukh Khan started the brawl," Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Nitin Dalal told NDTV news.

"He entered the ground half an hour after the game. The officers told him that this was not the right time. He misbehaved and he used foul language."

Dalal said the MCA had filed a police complaint and would ban the 46-year-old cricket-crazy star from future attendance at the Wankhede Stadium.

Speaking outside his Mumbai home on Thursday, Khan denied accusations that he was drunk or behaving illegally, saying he had become angry when officials at the stadium abused him and "physically manhandled" the children.

"They were being aggressive and I became aggressive back," he told reporters, saying the MCA owed him an apology.

MCA treasurer Ravi Savant said the stadium ban on Khan would be "for life".

"He'll not be allowed for any match -- Test match, one-day international or any T20 or IPL matches hereafter. That is what we have decided," he said.

Khan is one of the Bollywood film industry's most popular stars, but his sweaty and dishevelled appearance during the incident was a far cry from the carefully managed image presented through his advertising and acting roles.

The actor was embroiled in another ugly row in January after a female director accused him of assaulting her husband at a late-night party.

Khan has also been summoned to appear before a court in Jaipur later this month after he was seen smoking at that city's main cricket stadium, in violation of anti-smoking laws.

Balbir Punj, a senior leader of India's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, told NDTV that Khan was an icon and public figure who "should know how to behave in public".

He referred to an incident last month that saw Khan detained for questioning by US immigration authorities when he arrival at a New York airport.

"When he was humiliated in America, the entire country stood by him. He should respect others and the law must take its course," Punj said

Read More

Barath leads Windies recovery against England

LONDON: Adrian Barath's unbeaten 41 helped the West Indies to 83 for two at lunch on the first day of the first Test against England at Lord's here on Thursday.
West Indies were suffering an all too familiar top-order struggle at 32 for two after England strike bowler James Anderson had removed Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards.
But opener Barath refused to be cowed and with Darren Bravo (27 not out) offering solid support in an unbroken stand of 51, the West Indies -- who came into this match having won just two of their previous 30 Tests -- got through the session without losing any more wickets against the world's number one-ranked side.
England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to field, doubtless hoping his seamers would exploit the overcast conditions.
But with Barath unfurling several cover-driven boundaries, England did not have things all their own way.
Powell, who made a century against the second-string England Lions last week, fell for five when Anderson, after moving several deliveries away from the left-hander, expertly swung one back in.
Powell was late with his intended defensive shot and was bowled off stump to leave West Indies 13 for one in the ninth over.
Anderson was in the wickets again when Edwards, aiming across the line of a full-length delivery, was lbw for one.
At that stage, Anderson had taken two wickets for nine runs in 19 balls.
But Barath struck his sixth four in just 25 runs when Stuart Broad felt the force of his cover-drive, while off-spinner Graeme Swann was denied a customary early wicket.

Read More

England win toss and field against West Indies

LONDON: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to field in the first Test against the West Indies at Lord's here on Thursday.
England gave a debut to Yorkshire middle-order batsman Jonathan Bairstow, already capped at one-day international level, making him the 13th son to follow his father into the England Test team.
Bairstow's late father David, also a wicket-keeper/batsman, won four caps from 1979 to 1981. But the younger Bairstow was playing at Lord's as a number six batsman only, with Sussex gloveman Matt Prior continuing behind the stumps.
England left out seamers Steven Finn and Graham Onions from their 13-man squad, with pace bowling all-rounder Tim Bresnan -- victorious in all his 11 previous Tests -- joining quicks James Anderson and Stuart Broad in a four-man attack also featuring off-spinner Graeme Swann.
West Indies gave a Test debut to 24-year-old Trinidad paceman Shannon Gabriel after fast bowler Ravi Rampaul was ruled out with a stiff neck.
World number one-ranked Test side England were looking to re-establish their dominance after losing four out of five Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka on their winter tour.
West Indies came into the match having won just two out of their last 30 Tests

Read More

Yuvraj eyes comeback after cancer treatment

NEW DELHI: India's World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh hopes to return to cricket in "three to four months" after recovering from a cancerous tumour, media reports said on Thursday.
Yuvraj, asked by reporters in Chandigarh whether he could make a comeback in a year's time, said: "One year is too late. I am hoping to make an early comeback, maybe by the next three to four months."
The 30-year-old underwent chemotherapy treatment in the United States earlier this year after being diagnosed with a rare germ-cell tumour between his lungs.
On his return to India last month, Yuvraj said he wanted to force his way back into the Indian side but conceded that "it won't be easy and will take time."
The left-handed all-rounder played a key role in India's World Cup triumph last year, scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets in nine matches to be the man of the tournament.
Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since taking part in two home Tests against the West Indies in November.
Yuvraj has scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since his international debut in 2000.

Read More

IPL: Kolkata overtake Mumbai to get second place

MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Mumbai Indians by 32 runs with five balls to spare in a low-scoring match in the Indian Premier League - season V here at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
Kolkata reached the second place on points table with 19, behind Delhi Daredevils (20), overtaking Mumbai who remained on 18 points.
Chasing an easy target of 141 to win, Mumbai batsmen could not resist against accurate bowling from Kolkata and were all out for 108 in 19.1 overs.
West Indian off-spinner Sunil Narine captured four wickets for 15 runs while seamers Lakshmipathy Balaji and South African Jacques Kallis claimed two wickets each.
Main scorers for Mumbai were Sachin Tendulkar (27) and Dinesh Karthik (20).
Earlier, Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh won the toss and put the Knight Riders into bat.
Kolkata were restricted to 140 for seven in the allotted 20 overs as Manoj Tiwary top scored with 41, followed by captain Gautam Gambhir (27) and Yousuf Pathan (21 not out).
For Mumbai, paceman RP Singh took two wickets.

Read More

Sri Lanka will be tough, warns Whatmore

LAHORE: Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Wednesday warned his players they faced a battle on next month's tour of Sri Lanka, saying the hosts were tough opponents in home conditions.

The Australian backed the six uncapped players picked across Pakistan's Test, one-day and Twenty20 squads to make an impact on the tour, which starts with a Twenty20 international in Hambantota on June 1.

Pakistan began a short training camp in Lahore on Wednesday ahead of the tour, where they play two Twenty20, five one-days and three Tests.

"We are lucky we are doing a bit of work in the heat," Whatmore told reporters.

"I think we are doing enough to prepare ourselves properly for pretty strong opposition in their home country."

Pakistan, whose Test side is ranked fifth in the world against Sri Lanka's sixth, broke with tradition by selecting separate squads for the three different formats, new to their system but backed by Whatmore.

"I am very agreeable to see that players are beginning to be selected in formats that are suitable to them," said Whatmore, who offered no comment on Mohammad Hafeez replacing Misbah-ul Haq as Twenty20 captain.

Whatmore guided Sri Lanka to World Cup triumph in 1996 and took over as Pakistan coach in March, leading his charges to victory in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

"There are a few new players in the squad and that's a good thing because you know I think keeping exactly the same personnel you are marching on the spot," said the former Australian batsman.

Pakistan have picked uncapped Shakil Ansar, Haris Sohail, Raza Hasan, Rahat Ali, Ayub Dogar and Afaq Raheem in their three squads.

"We want to move forward all the time. In that squad selection there's some very good experienced players we believe are good enough to win matches and that's why they're picked."

Pakistan had a pre-tour setback when limited-overs specialist opener Nasir Jamshed was ruled out for the tour with a fractured finger.

Read More

IPL: Shah Rukh Khan faces police probe over cricket row

MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan faced a police probe and a lifetime ban from Mumbai's main cricket stadium on Thursday following a furious late-night row with staff at the ground, officials said.
The actor, who co-owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders, took a group of youngsters including his daughter Suhana onto the pitch of the Wankhede Stadium after a match on Wednesday night.
A security guard tried to stop them from playing, leading the multi-millionaire actor to argue angrily for 10-15 minutes before finally giving up and leaving the stadium, an AFP photographer witnessed.
"Security officials told him to leave, but Shah Rukh Khan started the brawl," Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Nitin Dalal told NDTV news.
"He entered the ground half an hour after the game. The officers told him that this was not the right time. He misbehaved and he used foul language."
Dalal said the MCA had filed a police complaint and would ban the cricket-crazy star from future attendance at the Wankhede Stadium.
"He'll not be allowed for any match -- Test match, one-day international or any T20 or IPL matches hereafter. That is what we have decided," said MCA treasurer Ravi Savant.
Savant said MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh was among the officials and security personnel "abused" by Khan, adding that the stadium ban would be "for life".
The sweaty and dishevelled appearance of Khan, one of the most popular stars of the nation's prolific Bollywood film industry, was a far cry from the carefully managed image presented through his advertising and acting roles.
The 46-year-old was embroiled in another ugly row in January after a female director accused him of assaulting her husband at a late-night party.
Khan has also been summoned to appear before a court in Jaipur later this month after he was seen smoking at the city's main cricket stadium, in violation of anti-smoking laws.
Balbir Punj, a senior leader of India's political Bharatiya Janata Party, told NDTV that Khan was an icon and public figure who "should know how to behave in public".
He referred to an incident last month that saw Khan detained by US immigration authorities for questioning on arrival at a New York airport.
"When he was humiliated in America, the entire country stood by him. He should respect others and the law must take its course," Punj said.
Khan's agent was unavailable for comment on Thursday.

Read More

Kolkata crush Pune to take second spot on table

PUNE: Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Pune Warriors by 34 runs to take second spot behind Delhi Daredevils on points table in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League here at the Subarata Roy Shahra Stadium on Saturday.
This was ninth consecutive defeat for Pune Warriors in the tournament.
Winning the toss, the Knight Riders batted first and made 136 for four in the allotted 20 overs.
Main scorers were Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan (42) and New Zealand batsman Brandan McCullum (41) while for the Warriors, South Africa’s left-arm medium-fast bowler Wayne Parnell took two wickets for 18 runs.
Then, Pune were restricted to just 102 for eight in 20 overs as no batsman could resist against the Kolkata spinners.
However, New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder provided some resistance scoring 22.
For Kolkata, off-spinner Yousuf Pathan and left-arm spinner Shakib claimed two wickets each for 12 and 18, respectively.
Geo Super televised this low-scoring match live from Pune.

Read More

Chanderpaul, Samuels defy dominant England

LONDON: Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels launched a rearguard action as they battled to prevent the West Indies going down to defeat by England in the first Test at Lord's on Saturday.

West Indies, in dire straits after losing three wickets on 36, had recovered to 120 for four in their second innings at stumps on the third day.

That still left them 35 runs behind England's first innings 398.

Chanderpaul, officially the world's best Test batsman, dug-in to be 34 not out in two-and-a-half hours of typical defiance.

Samuels offered sound support in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 55 in 113 balls to be 26 not out at the close.

Shortly before stumps, England thought they had Chanderpaul lbw for 22.

First-change Tim Bresnan, from around the wicket, had his appeal rejected by South African umpire Marais Erasmus but England captain Andrew Strauss called for a review.

However, replays indicated the ball would have missed leg stump.

The West Indies, 155 behind on first innings, saw openers Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell put on 36 for the first wicket.

But Barath (24) was undone by Bresnan's fifth ball of the innings, an excellent leg-cutter he could only edge to wicket-keeper Matt Prior.

Powell was far more culpable in his dismissal for eight, languidly top-edging a pull off Stuart Broad to Bell, running round from deep square leg.

And worse followed when Kirk Edwards was run out for nought.

Darren Bravo nudged the ball and non-striker Edwards sprinted half-way down the pitch for a single that was never on and was run out by England debutant Jonathan Bairstow's direct hit from cover-point as he turned back.

West Indies had then lost three wickets for no runs in nine balls.

Chanderpaul, who seems to have spent the bulk of his Test career conducting salvage operations -- something that seems set to continue if he persists in staying at No 5 behind a weak top order -- came in after the interval.

The left-hander, whose unbeaten 87 was the centrepiece of West Indies' first innings 243, might have gone for two when he tried to uppercut Bresnan and leaping third slip James Anderson failed to hold a tough left-handed chance.

Bravo though went for 21 when off-spinner Graeme Swann, from around the wicket, clean bowled the left-hander, who inexplicably played no stroke to leave the West Indies 65 for four.

England had resumed on 259 for three, with Strauss 121 not out, having ended his 18-month wait for a Test century on Friday.

But the opener added just one run before being caught behind off an inside-edge against Kemar Roach.

West Indies bowled well but a ninth-wicket partnership of 55 between Bell and Swann, whose exuberant 30 featured six fours, strengthened England's position.

Bell was last man out when he pulled Gabriel to Powell at deep backward square leg.

Gabriel, a 24-year-old Trinidad paceman, had previously clean bowled Prior to open his Test account.

Read More

West Indies collapse in second innings against England

LONDON: West Indies were left facing an uphill struggle in the first Test against England at Lord's here on Saturday after a dramatic top-order collapse saw the tourists lose three wickets for no runs.

The West Indies were 36 for three in their second innings at tea on the third day, still 119 runs behind England's first innings 398.

Their familiar flurry of early wickets again left Shivnarine Chanderpaul, officially the world's best batsman, having to contemplate another salvage operation when he came in at No 5.

The tourists had survived a couple of scares in seeing openers Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell put on 36.

But in sight of getting through a tricky pre-tea session wicketless, Barath was undone by first change Tim Bresnan's fifth ball, an excellent leg-cutter he could only edge through to wicket-keeper Matt Prior on 24.

Powell was far more culpable in his exit for eight, languidly top-edging a pull off Stuart Broad to Ian Bell, running round from deep square leg.

And worse followed when Kirk Edwards was run out for nought.

Darren Bravo nudged the ball in front of square but turned down a single with Edwards already half-way down the pitch and England debutant Jonathan Bairstow threw down the stumps at the bowler's end from cover-point.

West Indies had lost three wickets for no runs in nine balls, with Bravo nought not out at tea.

Earlier, an improved West Indies bowling display saw four England wickets fall in Saturday's first session after the hosts resumed on 259 for three.

But a ninth-wicket partnership of 55 in 47 balls after lunch between Bell and Graeme Swann took the match away from the West Indies, who ended up being 155 behind on first innings.

Nevertheless there were encouraging signs for the West Indies in the form of debutant fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who took three wickets for 60 runs in 21.3 overs, with fellow paceman Kemar Roach returning figures of three for 108 in 25.

England captain Andrew Strauss started the day on 121 not out, having ended his 18-month wait for a Test century on Friday.

Although the West Indies had endured a tough first day, they were only two deliveries into the new ball.

And they had an early breakthrough when left-hander Strauss, who'd added just one to his total, inside-edged a rising delivery from Roach to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

South African umpire Marais Erasmus originally ruled in Strauss's favour, but West Indies captain Darren Sammy got the decision overturned on review to end an innings of more than six-and-a-half hours.

Bairstow then took his first ball in Test cricket, a lifting delivery from Roach, on the chest.

And Roach dismissed Bairstow, son of the late England wicket-keeper David, when he missed a sharp inswinger and was lbw for 16.

New batsman Prior became Gabriel's first Test wicket when the seamer bowled him for 19.

Swann, however, revived England's innings, with a brisk 30 featuring six fours before he was bowled by Gabriel.

Bell, five not out overnight, worked hard for his runs.

He was last man out for 61, made off 105 balls with just four boundaries, when he pulled Gabriel and Powell, running in, took a well-judged low catch

Read More

IPL: Delhi oust Punjab to finish on top

DHARAMSALA: Delhi Daredevils finished on top of points table winning their last match in the Indian Premier League by six wickets with ten balls to spare against Kings XI Punjab here at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing an easy target of 142, the Daredevils completed their eleventh victory in the tournament in 18.2 overs.
Opener David Warner played an unbeaten aggressive innings of a 44-ball 79 runs hitting four towering sixes and ten boundaries.
Together with Unmukt Chand (18) he provided a fine start of 82 while Venugopal Rao remained not out on 21.
Pacers Ryan Harris of Australia and Azhar Mahmood of Pakistan claimed two wickets each.
Earlier, sent into bat by Delhi’s stand-in captain Mahela Jayawardene, Punjab were restricted to 141 for eight in the allotted 20 overs as fast bowler Morne Morkel captured four wickets for 20 runs while fast-medium bowler Umesh Yadav took three for 19.
Prominent contributors were Siddarth Chitnis (38), Azhar Mahmood (36) and Gurkeerat Singh (26) whereas five batsmen failed to get into double figures.
Pakistan’s premier sports tv channel Geo Super showed this match live from Dharamsala.

Read More

Windies check England's progress at Lord’s

LONDON: West Indies fought back in the first Test at Lord's here on Saturday with a disciplined display of seam bowling.

England were 341 for seven at lunch on the third day, having lost four wickets in the morning session.

However, they were now 98 runs ahead after resuming on 259 for three.

Ian Bell was 38 not out and Stuart Broad, who'd taken a Test-best seven for 72 in West Indies' first innings 243, 10 not out.

England captain Andrew Strauss added just one to his overnight 121 not out, having ended his 18-month wait for a Test century on Friday, with the opener one of two wickets in the session for fast bowler Kemar Roach.

At lunch Roach had taken three for 87, with Test debutant Shannon Gabriel and West Indies captain Darren Sammy also in the wickets Saturday.

Although the West Indies had endured a tough day Friday, they were only two deliveries into the new ball.

And they had an early breakthrough when left-hander Strauss inside-edged a rising Roach ball through to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

South African umpire Marais Erasmus originally ruled in Strauss's favour, but Sammy got the decision overturned on review to end an innings of more than six-and-a-half hours.

England debutant Jonathan Bairstow then took his first ball in Test cricket, a lifting delivery from Roach, on the chest.

Both Roach and Fidel Edwards, who'd struggled to get the ball to swing Friday, were now troubling England's batsmen with a succession of late moving deliveries and well-directed short balls.

And Roach dismissed Bairstow, the son of the late Yorkshire and England wicket-keeper David, when he missed a sharp inswinger and was lbw for 16.

Bell had found runs hard to come by after easing his first ball Saturday, from Roach, through cover-point for four.

But new batsman Matt Prior, who made a century against the West Indies on his Test debut, at Lord's in 2007, was quickly into his stride with an on-driven four off Sammy.

However, Prior became Gabriel's first Test wicket when the seamer bowled him for 19 as the batsman aimed across the line.

And 320 for six became 323 for seven when medium-pacer Sammy nipped one off the seam in the increasingly overcast conditions to have Tim Bresnan caught behind for nought.

Read More

Aussie cricketer granted bail in India: lawyer

NEW DELHI: Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach was granted bail Saturday by a New Delhi court following accusations he molested a woman and beat up her fiance, his lawyer said.
The 27-year-old batsman, who has one cap for Australia, is signed up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, which took on the Delhi Daredevils on Thursday night.
He faces up to two years in jail if found guilty of molestation and assault after the incident during an after-game party at the swanky ITC Maurya Hotel in the Indian capital.
The cricketer has denied the charges against him.
His lawyer, Ajay Bhargava told AFP: "He has received bail, on condition that he surrenders his passport and pays a surety of 30,000 rupees ($550) on each charge."
He added that the court ruled that "a trespassing charge cannot be maintained" against Pomersbach after CCTV footage filmed outside the alleged victim's room proved inconclusive on whether the cricketer had forcibly entered her suite.
A visibly relieved Pomersbach told reporters outside the court: "I am happy that I have been granted bail and looking forward to getting to the bottom of it."
His arrest was headline news in Indian and Australian newspapers on Saturday with reports detailing the sensational allegations in the case and the chequered history of the money-spinning IPL.
The powerfully built cricketer, wearing a heavy bandage on his right arm, fainted during an earlier court appearance on Friday.
Pomersbach has battled depression and drug problems and narrowly avoided a jail sentence in Australia after admitting assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for drink driving.
He arrived in India for the IPL saying he was now "on top of things", adding he was determined to make the most of the Indian league in order to get his career back on track.
The alleged woman victim, a 27-year-old from the US, told Indian media Pomersbach had "tagged along" with her and her Mumbai-based fiance and said the cricketer grabbed her while they drank together in a hotel room.
When her fiance asked Pomersbach to leave her alone, Pomersbach "turned around and started hitting him", she alleged.
The man was in a stable condition in hospital. He has yet to make a statement to police.
The charges against Pomersbach are the most recent in a string of scandals that have rocked the glitzy, headline-grabbing IPL tournament.
Earlier this week, five Indian players signed to IPL teams were suspended after an undercover TV report alleged they were prepared to take money for spot-fixing, an illegal practice in which parts of the game are fixed.
On Wednesday night, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, was involved in an ugly late-night row with officials at Mumbai's main Wankhede cricket stadium.
As a result, he was banned by the Mumbai Cricket Association for five years from entering the stadium.
The annual IPL tournament also faces allegations of massive corporate corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion, as well as secret deals to hide teams' real owners and even links to India's criminal underworld

Read More

IPL: Deccan stun Rjasthan by five wickets

HYDERABAD: Deccan Chargers, the team at bottom of the points table, defeated Rajasthan Royals by five wickets with eight balls remaining in the Indian Premier League season – V here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal on Friday.
Rajasthan Royals needed to succeed in their final two matches to have a chance of qualifying. They would have expected to win the first of those: against Deccan Chargers who had been victorious in only two matches of 14 this season, and only won once in 18 matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Instead, they were knocked out of the playoff race by a stifling spell of legspin bowling from Amit Mishra which sucked the momentum out of Royals' innings, tying them to their lowest total of the season
After Royals chose to bat, Chargers were their usual woeful self in the Powerplay overs, putting down three catches to reprieve each of Royals' top three. Royals' highest run-scorer this season, Ajinkya Rahane, was dropped in the first over by wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel, but Chargers weren't made to pay as Dale Steyn had Rahane edging to slip in the next over.
Royals have won the three games Shane Watson has fired in this season, and lost the three he failed in, highlighting how important he has become to the side's fortunes since his arrival from the West Indies. Watson, too, was given a life in the fifth over, as Shikhar Dhawan couldn't latch on to a diving effort at midwicket. On the very next delivery, Ashish Reddy let a drive from Rahul Dravid through his fingers at mid-on, conceding a boundary. The over ended with Watson blasting a straight six and Chargers demoralised.

Read More

Aussie cricketer to appear in Indian court Saturday

NEW DELHI: Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach was due to appear in a New Delhi courtroom on Saturday on accusations he molested a woman and beat up her fiance, his lawyer said.
The 27-year-old batsman, who has one cap for Australia, is signed up in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, which took on the Delhi Daredevils on Thursday night.
He faces up to three years in jail if found guilty of molestation, assault and house-breaking after the incident during an after-game party at the swanky ITC Maurya Hotel in the Indian capital.
His arrest was headline news in Indian and Australian newspapers on Saturday with reports detailing the sensational allegations in the case and the chequered history of the money-spinning IPL.
"Molestation charge rocks IPL," said a banner headline in the widely read Hindustan Times.
The powerfully built cricketer, wearing a heavy bandage on his right arm, fainted during his court appearance on Friday, when he was granted 24-hour bail. Saturday's hearing was also for bail.
"Mr Pomersbach has denied all the charges against him. We cannot comment further as the matter is before the court," his lawyer Ajay Bhargava told.
Pomersbach has battled depression and drug problems and narrowly avoided a jail sentence in Australia after admitting assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for drink driving.
He arrived in India for the IPL saying he was now "on top of things", adding he was determined to make the most of the Indian league in order to get his career back on track.
The alleged woman victim, a 27-year-old from the US, told Indian media Pomersbach had "tagged along" with her and her Mumbai-based fiance and said the cricketer grabbed her while they drank together in a hotel room.
When her fiance asked Pomersbach to leave her alone, Pomersbach "turned around and started hitting him", she alleged.
The man was in a stable condition in hospital

Read More

Deccan knocks Rajasthan out of IPL

HYDERABAD: Deccan Charges knocked Rajasthan Royals out of the Indian Premier League after claiming five-wicket victory in a must-win match.
Having set a target of just 127, the Royals would have been prepared for the worst but the visitors did manage to topple the last three wickets in a bit of a rush. Siddharth Trivedi claimed two wickets and the match, despite a good start, looked like going down to the wire. It was not meant to be be as Ashish Reddy and Parthiv Patel finished the match with 8 balls to spare.
It was an easy start to an easy chase. Openers Akshath Reddy (42 off 35) and Shikhar Dhawan (26 off 24) put on 63 in a little over 8. Even JP Duminy, coming at one-down, batted responsibly for his 24 off 31. The middle-order though was iffy at best and the likes of Cameron White and Chris Lyn fell too early.
Reddy and Patel though managed to stop the match from slipping away and helped the hosts, finally, register a win at home.
Rajasthan needed to win today's match as well as their last league clash against Mumbai Indians on May 20 to qualify for the knock-out stage but today's defeat has pushed them out of the race.

Read More

IPL: Bookie claims to have paid Sri Lanka cricketer Rs100 million

MUMBAI: Bookie Sonu Yogendra Jalan alias Malad has told the crime branch that he paid Rs100 million to a Sri Lankan cricket player for fixing a match. He also mentioned that some Indian cricketers were also involved in match fixing, sources said.
He along with Devendra Kothari alias Bhaiyyaji, were arrested by the city crime branch on Thursday. They are believed to be a part of a bigger international cricket betting racket, crime branch officials said.
The property cell of Mumbai crime branch on Thursday raided a building at Lokhandwala in Kandivli and busted a major cricket betting racket. Police arrested Kothari, Jalan and two others and seized two laptops, voice recorders, computers, 25 mobile phones and cash of Rs5.18 lakh. All the accused were booked under prevention of gambling act and were remanded to police custody.
Sources said that Kothari and Sonu Jalan's betting network, whose turn over is around Rs 500 crore a month, is controlled by a Pakistan-based gang belonging to Chhota Shakeel. Sonu Jalan was arrested last year from Andheri in another case of gambling by the Social Service branch. Kothari was also an accused in that case and was not traceable.
In the fresh case, Kothari and Jalan had clients and punters in Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. In India, the gang has their associates in Delhi, Kolkata, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.
"We had information that the gang was accepting bets on the IPL matches. Based on the information, we have arrested them. The gang is well-organised with having all the betting assessment software with them which helps them in managing their betting business" said Deven Bharti, additional commissioner of police.
The gang also asked their member or associates to open an account with the official UK betting site Betfair and passed on the passwords to Sonu and Kothari, who accessed it, found out the rates and accepted the bets accordingly. One cannot place on line bets on Betfair in India as betting on sport is illegal here.
Sonu, while in custody, had earlier told the police that he had paid around Rs 1 crore to an IPS officer for not arresting him. But he was arrested. He had threatened to lodge a complaint with the state anti-corruption bureau, but went on the backfoot after another senior IPS officer intervened

Read More

Ton-up Strauss gives England edge over West Indies

LONDON: England captain Andrew Strauss ended his 18-month wait for a Test century as he led his side into a first innings lead on the second day against the West Indies at Lord's on Friday.
When bad light ended play, England were 259 for three -- a lead of 16 runs after they needed just Friday's first ball to dismiss the West Indies for their overnight score of 243.
Strauss was 121 not out and Ian Bell five not out at stumps.
But with the West Indies just two deliveries into the new ball, England's position is far from assured in this first of a three-Test series.
This was the 35-year-old Strauss's 20th century in his 95 Tests but the left-handed opener's first since he made 110 against Australia at Brisbane in November 2010.
He came into this match with questions regarding his recent lack of runs but the circumstances were near ideal for Strauss to end his century drought, despite overcast conditions that saw the floodlights switched on after lunch.
The West Indies attack was willing but rarely threatening and Strauss enjoys batting at Lord's, his Middlesex home ground, where he has now made five Test centuries including one on debut, against New Zealand in 2004.
Strauss is now in sight of the England Test record of 22 hundreds held jointly by Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott.
His only worrying moment Friday came when he was dropped on 95 in the slips by Shivnarine Chanderpaul off what was, in any event, a Fidel Edwards no-ball.
Soon afterwards Strauss, playing his favoured cut shot, struck West Indies captain Darren Sammy for the 17th four of a 213-ball hundred and punched the air in celebration.
But West Indies enjoyed a welcome moment of respite when Kevin Pietersen, who'd looked in excellent touch while making 32 and putting on exactly 50 with Strauss, saw an edged cut off occasional off-spinner Marlon Samuels well caught by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.
It was a much needed break for the tourists who, after Kemar Roach had made Strauss's fellow opener Alastair Cook play on for 26, had to endure a second-wicket stand of 147 featuring Jonathan Trott's 58.
Sammy, who twice came close to having Trott out for 17 after lbw and caught behind appeals were rejected, eventually got his man when Ramdin held an outside edge from the right-hander.
Earlier, West Indies saw No 11 Shannon Gabriel's maiden Test innings end in a golden duck when he edged Stuart Broad to Graeme Swann at second slip.
Chanderpaul remained stranded on his overnight score of 87 not. The left-hander, officially the world's best Test batsman, was in for more than four hours and struck 12 boundaries.
Fast-medium bowler Broad's figures of seven for 72 were his best in Tests, surpassing his six for 46 against India at his Nottinghamshire home ground of Trent Bridge last year.
During the course of this return, Broad, son of former England opening batsman Chris, became only the seventh player in history to take both five or more wickets in a Test innings and score a Test century at Lord's following his 169 against Pakistan at 'the home of cricket' two years ago

Read More

Misbah says Pakistan getting fitter, sharper

LAHORE: Pakistan's one-day and Test captain Misbah-ul Haq said Friday he was pleased with his team's progress in fielding and fitness as they prepare for next month's tour of Sri Lanka.
Misbah, who turns 38 later this month, is one of the best fielders in the team but Pakistan's overall standard is well short of top teams like Australia, England and their upcoming opponents Sri Lanka.
In March, Pakistan hired former Surrey fielding coach Julian Fountain to give them a lift in that department, but Misbah, replaced as Twenty20 captain by Mohammaz Hafeez, insisted it had been a priority for some time.
"Whether it was under Waqar Younis (former coach) and Ijaz Ahmed (fielding coach) everyone did a good job and now Julian is doing a great job and I think we have shown good improvement in fielding and fitness," Misbah told reporters.
Misbah said Pakistan will have to be on top form to compete against Sri Lanka.
"We have to be at our best in all departments because Sri Lanka is a tough opponent no matter where you play them and in their own country they are even tougher," he said.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in Tests and 4-1 in the one-day series in the United Arab Emirates last year but their last tour to the island in 2009 ended in defeats in both forms of the game.
Although dropped from the Twenty20 squad, Misbah said he will keep playing the shortest form of the game -- perhaps with an eye on the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September and October.
Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five one-day internationals and three Tests on the tour, starting with a T20 in Hambantota on June 1.

Read More

Australian IPL player Luke Pomersbach granted interim bail

NEW DELHI: Luke Pomersbach the Indian Premier League (IPL) player has been granted interim bail in an alleged molestation case.
Appearing before the court on Friday, Luke claimed he was innocent. The next hearing of the case will take place on Saturday

Pomersbach who has played for Australia’s T20 side and is playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team in the IPL was arrested by the Indian police on Friday.
He allegedly collapsed in court on Friday and was immediately taken out of the court.
The cricketer is accused of trying to molest a 27-year-old woman during a party at the up market Maurya Sheraton Hotel on Thursday night.
Pomersbach has earlier battled depression and drug issues and avoided a jail sentence in Australia after admitting to assaulting a police officer who was trying to arrest him for drink driving.

Read More

West Indies 243 all out against England

LONDON: West Indies, after losing the toss, were 243 all out against England on the second day of the first Test at Lord's here on Friday.
Test debutant and West Indies No 11 Shannon Gabriel was out for a first ball duck Friday when he edged Stuart Broad straight to second slip Graeme Swann to leave Shivnarine Chanderpaul stranded on his overnight score of 87 not out.
Fast-medium bowler Broad's figures of seven for 72 were his best in Tests, surpassing his six for 46 against India at his Nottinghamshire home ground of Trent Bridge last year.
During the course of this return, Broad, son of former England opening batsman Chris, became only the seventh player in history to both take five or
more wickets in a Test innings and score a Test century at Lord's.
Broad made his Test-best score of 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010.
This is the first of a three-Test series.
Scoreboard:
Scoreboard at close of West Indies' first innings on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord's here on Friday:
West Indies 1st Innings (overnight: 243-9)
A. Barath c Anderson b Broad 42
K. Powell b Anderson 5
K. Edwards lbw b Anderson 1
D. Bravo run out (Prior/Swann) 29
S. Chanderpaul not out 87
M. Samuels c Bairstow b Broad 31
D. Ramdin c Strauss b Broad 6
D. Sammy c Bresnan b Broad 17
K. Roach c and b Broad 6
F. Edwards c Prior b Broad 2
S. Gabriel c Swann b Broad 0
Extras (b6, lb8, nb3) 17
Total (all out, 89.5 overs, 379 mins) 243
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Powell), 2-32 (K Edwards), 3-86 (Barath), 4-100 (Bravo), 5-181 (Samuels), 6-187 (Ramdin), 7-219 (Sammy), 8-231 (Roach), 9-243 (F Edwards), 10-243 (Gabriel)
Bowling: Anderson 25-8-59-2; Broad 24.5-6-72-7 (3nb); Bresnan 20-7-39-0; Swann 18-6-52-0; Trott 2-0-7-0
England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonathan Bairstow, Matt Prior (wkt), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson
Toss: England
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Marais Erasmus (RSA)
TV umpire: Asad Rauf (PAK)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)

Read More