Saturday, May 26, 2012
SriLanka tour will be helpful for cricketers: Malik
Speaking to newsmen at Qaddafi Stadium today (Friday), Malik said every player would benefit from the Lanka tour.
“I will try my best to put up a good show,” he said.
To a question about inclusion of Sialkot Stallions in Champions League, he said Indian fans love me due to my cricket, not due to my Indian wife. SAMAA
He also stressed on the importance of India and Pakistan playing against each others
Samuels, Sammy revive West Indies
England dominated the first two sessions, piling the pressure on West Indies' fragile top order who squandered ideal batting conditions to lose their first six wickets for 136.
Samuels, however, steadied the listing West Indies ship and frustrated England's bowlers with dogged resistance while Sammy at times cut loose as the pair put on 168 runs without loss.
Samuels finished the day unbeaten on 107 while Sammy was edging towards his maiden international century with 88 not out.
The tourists made two changes from the side that lost at Lord's, off-spinner Shane Shillingford and seamer Ravi Rampaul coming in for the injured Shannon Gabriel and the dropped Fidel Edwards.
England, looking to take a winning lead in the three-match series, named an unchanged team.
Sammy's decision to bat after winning the toss seemed logical as blazing sunshine and warm temperatures greeted the players at Trent Bridge but his side failed to cash in.
Stuart Broad, who claimed 11 victims when England won the first test at Lord's by five wickets, struck in his second over.
Opener Adrian Barath had yet to score when he was tempted into a prod outside off stump and the ball flew off the edge to James Anderson for a one-handed catch at third slip.
Anderson then took centre stage, removing Kirk Edwards for seven with a delivery that jagged back off a length to rock back the batsman's off stump.
Bowling a good line and length on a slowish pitch offering a little swing and seam movement, Anderson was a constant menace to the West Indies batsmen who never looked at ease.
Switching to round the wicket in the 15th over, he angled in a delivery to Darren Bravo (3) which produced a lazy, loose drive and the ball flew to Graeme Swann at second slip to leave West Indies on 46 for three.
That brought Shivnarine Chanderpaul to the crease much earlier than he would have liked and the world's No.1 ranked batsman was almost out first ball when Anderson's lifting delivery hit the gloves and flew just over the slip cordon.
Opener Kieran Powell had looked reasonably assured as he reached 33 but he became Broad's second victim in the 19th over, edging a good-length ball to Anderson at third slip who held on despite a fumble.
Chanderpaul and Samuels dug in after lunch but Swann broke through Chanderpaul's defences to hand the initiative again to the hosts.
Swann got the ball to turn and it struck Chanderpaul, who had made 46 off 86 balls, on the back leg to have him lbw before Tim Bresnan then uprooted Denesh Ramdin's (1) off stump.
The tourists were in a sorry state but Samuels and Sammy began displayed the resilience West Indies had offered in the second innings at Lord's.
West Indies fined for slow over-rate in Lord's Test
The West Indies side has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its five wickets defeat against England in the Lord's Test which concluded on Monday.
Roshan Mahanama of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Darren Sammy's side was ruled to be four overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.
As such, Sammy was fined 80 per cent of his match fee while his players received 40-per-cent fines. If Sammy is found guilty of one more minor over-rate offence in Tests over the next 12 months, he will receive a one-match suspension as per the provisions of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Brunt and Colvin re-join England for series against India
Katherine Brunt and Holly Colvin return to the successful England women's squad that has gone unbeaten throughout winter tours of South Africa and New Zealand. The Yorkshire seamer was rested for the New Zealand tour, and Sussex left arm spinner Colvin was unavailable for selection over the winter, due to university commitments.
Two NatWest International T20 matches will be played at Canterbury and Chelmsford on June 26 and 28 ahead of Friends Life t20 fixtures, with all games televised live on Sky Sports.
The five-match NatWest Women's one-day Series will commence at Lord's on Sunday July 1, followed by back-to-back games at Taunton on July 4 and 5. The fourth match of the NatWest Series will be hosted at Truro Cricket Club as part of the Cornish Cricket Festival with the series culminating at Wormsley on Wednesday July 11.
Ahead of the NatWest Series against India, England will take on the England Women's Academy, followed by one NatWest International T20 against Ireland at The National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough, on Friday June 22 and 23 respectively.
Head of England Women's Cricket, Clare Connor, said: "In the next five months England women will play a total of 15 NatWest International matches before joining the England men's team in Sri Lanka for the ICC World Twenty20. This is an unprecedented period of international women's cricket and the players have all worked phenomenally hard over the winter, at home and abroad, to earn their selection as competition for places continues to grow.
"Katherine Brunt and Holly Colvin were both part of the triumphant squad that won the NatWest Women's Quadrangular Series last year, and their return will add exciting options to a squad that is developing in depth with every series that comes around."
England Women's squad - Series against India
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) Captain
Tamsin Beaumont (Kent)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Holly Colvin (Sussex)
Georgia Elwiss (Sussex)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Nottinghamshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Susie Rowe (Kent)
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Danielle Wyatt (Staffordshire)
Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils to storm into IPL final
CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings beat the Delhi Daredevils by 86 runs in the second qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2012. With this win, they have qualified for their third straight final.
Delhi captain won the toss and put Chennai in to bat - a move that back-fired terribly. Murali Vijay's sparkling ton mauled the Delhi attack which was without Morne Morkel and Irfan Pathan.
Bravo, Raina and Dhoni played cameos to support Vijay and extended Chennai's total to 222 for five.
Chasing 223, Delhi tweaked their opening combination as Mahela Jayawardene walked in with David Warner.
Delhi were jolted early when David Warner was caught at mid-off when he tried to play an extravagant stroke of his countryman Ben Hilfenhaus in the third over.
The move to demote Sehwag to number three didn't work as he was dismissed for one off the bowling of Albie Morkel.
Ross Taylor walked out to partner Jayawardene and they tried to ressurect the innings. They were involved in a 52 run partnership.
Taylor fell Dwayne Bravo in the ninth over when he was dismissed for 24 off 14 balls.
Meanwhile Jayawardene continued to fight and he brought up his fifty with a six off Ravichandran Ashwin. The slide continued at the other end as Andre Russell and Naman Ojha fell after brief outings.
The Sri Lankan skipper's fight came to an end when he was bowled by Ashwin for 55. That wicket effectively ended the Delhi challenge as they slipped to an 86-run defeat.
West Indies 304-6 against England
Marlon Samuels was 107 not out and West Indies captain Darren Sammy 88 not out, with their unbroken seventh-wicket stand currently worth 168.
England lead the three-match series 1-0.
England, the world's number one ranked side, were unchanged from the side that won the first Test at Lord's by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in this three-match series.
West Indies made two changes, one enforced after fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who made his debut at Lord's, was ruled out of the remainder of the tour with a back injury.
Gabriel was replaced by fellow fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who missed the first Test with a neck injury.
And the tourists dropped Fidel Edwards and in the fast bowler's place recalled off-spinner Shane Shillingford, who in his last Test against Australia at his home ground in Roseau last month took 10 wickets.
The West Indies have won just two of their last 31 Tests.
But in 22 matches against Nottinghamshire and England dating back to 1906, the West Indies have never lost a first-class fixture at Trent Bridge, a run including four wins and four draws in eight Tests.
Indian court quashes FIR against IPL player Luke Pomersbach
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday quashed US national Zohal Hamid's first information report (FIR) against Indian Premier League (IPL) player Luke Pomersbach that he had molested her.
Justice ML Mehta quashed the FIR and criminal proceedings in the case after the parties informed the court that they had settled the case out of court.
The court recorded Hamid's statement that she did not want to pursue the case and wanted to go back home on Friday night.
"Since they resolved the dispute and wanted to go back to their homes, I quashed the FIR. They can go to their homes now," the court ordered.
Justice Mehta also rejected the argument of the state that the FIR should not be quashed keeping in view the gravity and seriousness of the offence.
Pomersbach was arrested May 18 after Hamid alleged that she had been molested in a five-star hotel in New Delhi. She also said that the Royal Challengers Banglore (RCB) player had beaten her fiance Sahil Peerzada.
In a joint petition moved by Hamid, Pomersbach and Peerzada, it was said that they had reached a settlement Wednesday amicably without any pressure.
West Indies win toss and bat against England
NOTTINGHAM: West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat against England in the second Test at Trent Bridge here on Friday.
England, the world's number one ranked side, were unchanged from the side that won the first Test at Lord's by five wickets to take a 1-0 lead in this three-match series.
West Indies made two changes, one enforced after fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who made his debut at Lord's, was ruled out of the remainder of the tour with a back injury.
Gabriel was replaced by fellow fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who missed the first Test with a neck injury.
And the tourists dropped Fidel Edwards and in the fast bowler's place recalled off-spinner Shane Shillingford, who in his last Test against Australia at his home ground in Roseau last month took 10 wickets.
The West Indies have won just two of their last 31 Tests.
But in 22 matches against Nottinghamshire and England dating back to 1906, the West Indies have never lost a first-class fixture at Trent Bridge, a run including four wins and four draws in eight Tests.
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
West Indies: Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin (wkt), Darren Sammy (capt), Shane Shllingford, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Asad Rauf (PAK)
TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)
Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (SRI)
Strauss ready for more hard work against Windies
Strauss's men go into the second leg of a three-match series, which gets underway at Trent Bridge here on Friday, with a 1-0 lead after a five-wicket win at Lord's.
But the West Indies took England, the world's leading Test side, into the fifth day at Lord's and twice made them stumble in pursuit of a victory target of 191.
"It was very hard work (at Lord's), that's always the case with Test match cricket," Strauss told Sky Sports at Trent Bridge here on Thursday.
"Often it's hard work to get on top of the opposition and often it's hard work to nail that final nail in coffin.
"The West Indies put up a really good fight, there's times when they made life difficult for us and we were relieved to a certain extent to get over the line and win that game, but we're also aware we have to do it again this week if we want to win," added opening batsman Strauss, who ended his 18-month wait for a Test century at Lord's.
Alastair Cook (79) and Ian Bell (63 not out) saw England to victory at Lord's after they were in trouble at 57 for four, while the first Test was a personal triumph for seamer Stuart Broad, who took 11 wickets in the match.
"That target was tricky and there was a time when we were under a bit of pressure and Alastair Cook and Ian Bell dealt with that very well, and that's very important," said Strauss.
"There were some really good performances from our side.
"Obviously Stuart Broad bowled exceptionally well, most of the batters got a score in the game, so I think we're feeling in pretty good form heading into this match.
"But as I said before, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, it's going to be very hard work this week, and matches here are always hard fought."
While England ponder whether to alter their seam attack, after all-rounder Tim Bresnan managed just one for 144 at Lord's, the West Indies will be forced into at least one change.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who took four wickets on debut at Lord's, was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the series with a back injury.
His absence could see the return of fellow quick Ravi Rampaul, who would have played at Lord's but for a neck problem.
"Last year-and-a-half Ravi has been the guy who always takes wickets with the new ball for us," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
"The way Kemar Roach is bowling and the inclusion of Ravi, that could be a very good combination for us."
And the tourists -- who in 22 matches against Nottinghamshire and England dating back to 1906 have never lost a first-class fixture at Trent Bridge, a run including four wins and four draws in eight Tests -- could recall off-spinner Shane Shillingford.
The Dominican was left out at Lord's, despite taking 10 wickets in his previous Test against Australia on home soil in Roseau last month.
But Sammy said he could return as West Indies look to improve on a record of just two wins in their last 31 Tests.
"Most definitely, we'll consider playing Shillingford," Sammy said.
"Looking at our attack, playing on flat pitches over the last year or so, a spinner has always been in our line-up, and we've gone with the two quick men and myself (a medium-pacer), and that has been successful for us.
"So we'll definitely consider that and hopefully we can go out there and take 20 wickets against England.
Sri Lanka name squads for Pakistan series
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Thursday announced separate Twenty20 and one-day squads for the home series against Pakistan starting next month.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play two Twenty20 games in southern Hambantota on June 1 and 3, followed by five one-day internationals in Pallekele and Colombo from June 7 to 18.
The Sri Lankan squad for the three-Test series, starting on June 22, will be named later.
A release from the Sri Lankan board did not name a captain, but veteran Mahela Jayawardene is expected to remain at the helm.
Twenty20 squad:
Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Chamara Kapugedera, Upul Tharanga, Isuru Udana.
One-day squad:
Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath, Upul Tharanga, Nuwan Pradeep, Dilhara Fernando.
Cricket: Pietersen fined over Knight rant
Last week, England batting star Pietersen took to Twitter to question the credentials of Knight, who averaged just 23.96 in 17 Tests with one hundred, as a Test match commentator for Sky Sports.
"Can someone please tell me how Nick Knight has worked his way into the commentary box for the Tests? Ridiculous," said Pietersen, who has 20 Test hundreds to his credit.
The ECB held a disciplinary hearing Wednesday, with managing director Hugh Morris and team director Andy Flower present, and opted to impose an undisclosed fine on Pietersen, part suspended for 12 months.
Pietersen's comments about Knight were especially sensitive, as Sky agreed in January a new four-year deal to show live international and county cricket believed to be worth at least #260 million -- the ECB's main source of income.
An ECB statement statement said: "Kevin Pietersen today (Wednesday) attended a disciplinary hearing convened by Hugh Morris, managing director of England cricket and Andy Flower, England team director.
"The hearing considered recent comments made by Pietersen on Twitter to be prejudicial to the interests of the ECB and a breach of the England player conditions of employment in relation to clauses regarding public statements.
"Pietersen has been fined an undisclosed sum, part of which has been suspended for 12 months, in accordance with the terms and conditions of his England central contract."
Morris, himself a former international batsman, is wary of Twitter, once labelling its use by England players as "like giving a machine gun to a monkey".
Pietersen had previously run into trouble with the England management regarding Twitter after using the site to announce he'd been dropped from a one-day squad.
But Pietersen, speaking before this disciplinary hearing, said Tuesday he would not stop using Twitter.
"No, not at all, no. I won't stop tweeting, no."
The second Test between England and the West Indies at Trent Bridge -- in which Pietersen is expected to play -- starts on Friday with England 1-0 up in the three-match series following a five-wicket win at Lord's concluded Monday.
Mazhar Majeed appeals against fixing verdict
LONDON: Sports agent Mazhar Majeed jailed over a cricket fixing scandal has appealed against his conviction.
Majeed was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. Three Pakistani cricketers also received custodial sentences at London's Southwark Crown Court in November over a scandal that rocked world sport.
Former Test captain Salman Butt was jailed for two and a half years for his role as the "orchestrator" of a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in the 2010 Lord's Test against England.
Mohammad Asif, the former world number two Test bowler, was sentenced to
12 months.
Mohammad Amir, who had been tipped to become one of the all-time great
fast bowlers, was sentenced to six months.
All three players are serving five-year bans from cricket imposed by the
International Cricket Council (ICC).
Amir and Butt failed in an attempt to have their sentences reduced at
the Court of Appeal in November.
IPL: Assault case against Aussie IPL cricketer 'withdrawn'
The 27-year-old batsman, who plays in the Indian Premier league for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, was last week granted bail by a New Delhi court following accusations he molested the woman and beat up her fiance.
The cricketer, who has played one Twenty20 international for Australia, denied the charges against him but faced a jail sentence if found guilty.
But a Press Trust of India report early Thursday said the woman's lawyers would seek withdrawal of the case at the Delhi High Court.
"Yes," Rajneesh Chopra, the woman's lawyer, said in a text message when asked whether she was withdrawing the case against Pomersbach, according to the PTI.
Pomersbach's 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.
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.
The alleged female victim, a 27-year-old from the United States, earlier 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 in the Indian capital New Delhi.
When her fiance asked Pomersbach to leave her alone, Pomersbach "turned around and started hitting him", she alleged.
Chennai knock out Mumbai in IPL Elimination match
Chennai will now play the Second Qualifying Match against Delhi Daredevils on Friday at their home ground.
Chasing 188 to win, Mumbai openers Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith provided a good start of 47 but as soon Tendulkar was run out for 11, his team begin to collapse and lost wickets at regular intervals as they could reach 149 for nine in the allotted 20 overs.
Smith top scored with 38 in 22 balls with two sixes and five fours.
For Chennai, pace bowlers Dwayne Bravo of West Indies and Albie Morkel of South Africa claimed two wickets each for 10 and 31, respectively.
Earlier, Mumbai captain Harbhajan Singh won the toss and put Chennai into bat who made 187 runs for five wickets in 20 overs.
Captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni made an unbeaten 51 off 20 balls with six fours and two sixes. Among other prominent scorers were Michael Hussey scored 49, Subramaniam Badrinath 47 and Bravo remained not out on 33.
Medium-pacer Dhawal Kulkarni captured three wickets for Mumbai
India to host New Zealand, England this year
MUMBAI: India, traditionally poor tourists, will have an opportunity to improve their Test rankings when they host New Zealand and current top-ranked Test team England either side of the Twenty20 World Cup in September.
New Zealand will play two Tests in India in August before taking on the hosts in two Twenty20 internationals as part of their preparations for the World Cup.
The fourth Twenty20 World Cup will be played in Asia for the first time when Sri Lanka hosts the tournament from Sept. 18 to Oct. 7.
England, who replaced India as the number one test side last year, will play four Tests and two Twenty20 matches before flying home for Christmas.
The visitors will return in the new year to play a five-match one-day international series.
50-over World Champions India had a poor overseas record last season, when they suffered 4-0 whitewashes in Test series in England and Australia.
The first Test against New Zealand will take place in Hyderabad from Aug. 23 with the second starting on Aug. 30 in Bangalore.
The Twenty20 matches take place in Vishakhapatnam (Sept. 8) and Chennai (Sept. 11).
The Blackcaps lost their last series in India 1-0 in 2010 and are ranked eighth in the ICC Test rankings, while India have slumped to fourth after the calamitous tours of England and Australia over the last year.
England will play three practice matches giving them ample time to adjust to the slow Indian pitches before the first Test starts in Ahmedabad on Nov. 15.
Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will host the second Test from Nov. 23, followed by the third Test at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Dec. 5. Nagpur will host the last Test from Dec. 13.
World Twenty20 champions England will play two T20 internationals on Dec. 20 and 22 before leaving for home. The first ODI will be played on Jan. 11 with the last match of the series on Jan. 27.
India will also host Australia in Feb-March next year for a four-Test series, the schedule of which will be finalised soon, the Indian cricket board said.
FIXTURES
New Zealand tour to India:
Aug. 23-27 - 1st Test, Hyderabad
Aug. 31-Sept. 4 - 2nd Test, Bangalore
Sept. 8 - 1st T20, Vizag
Sept. 11 - 2nd T20, Chennai
England tour to India:
Nov. 15-19 - 1st Test, Ahmedabad
Nov. 23-27 - 2nd Test, Mumbai
Dec. 5-9 - 3rd Test, Kolkata
Dec. 13-17 - 4th Test, Nagpur
Dec. 20 - 1st T20, Pune
Dec. 22 - 2nd T20, Mumbai
Jan. 11 - 1st ODI, Rajkot
Jan. 15 - 2nd ODI, Kochi
Jan. 19 - 3rd ODI, Ranchi
Jan. 23 - 4th ODI, Dharamsala
Jan. 27 - 5th ODI, Mohali
Cricket: Broad seeks new Trent Bridge triumph
In 2011 the 25-year-old paceman took a hat-trick against India at Nottinghamshire's headquarters as England won the second Test by 319 runs.
"That was definitely one of the highlights of my career," Broad said Wednesday. "I love playing at Trent Bridge. It's a fantastic ground. The home support is brilliant and looking back to last summer it was great to get the win."
Broad, recalling his hat-trick, added: "We got the new ball when India were in a very strong position and when the sun is out, Trent Bridge can play very well for the batsmen.
"Rahul Dravid played particularly well for his hundred. I remember Straussy (England captain Andrew Strauss) said, 'Let's go for broke, let's try to hit the stumps.
"'Don't worry too much about the runs because we need to make to make some breakthroughs.' Fortunately that worked me," he added.
With the tourists on 273 for five in reply to England's first innings 221, Broad had India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught for five. Next ball Harbhajan Singh was lbw and the ball after Broad bowled Praveen Kumar.
"I don't think it could have been much better," Broad said. "It was a Saturday evening about 5:00 pm (1600 GMT), the crowd was really lively. It went wild. The atmosphere was incredible when I bowled Kumar."
Now Broad, the son of former Nottinghamshire and England opening batsman Chris, is looking for more Test success at Trent Bridge where England will look to consolidate their position as the world's number one ranked Test team.
He comes into the middle leg of this three-match series having taken 11 for 165, including a Test-best seven for 72 in England's five-wicket first Test win over the West Indies at Lord's concluded Monday.
That performance helped propel Broad to joint-third in the International Cricket Council Test bowling rankings alongside his England new-ball partner James Anderson.
England off-spinner Graeme Swann is fifth in a list headed by South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, who is set to tour England later in the season.
"To have Swanny, Jimmy and myself all in the top five is testament to how far we've come as a team," Broad said. "Jimmy and I work together on most aspects of our bowling so for us both to be in the top three or four is brilliant for both of us. It's an honour to be up there.
"In international cricket you always have to be at the top of your game and keep performing," added Broad, who has now taken 158 wickets in 46 Tests at a shade over 30 apiece. "You keep pushing yourself in training to get better.
"Having the strength of competition that we have is important in that. Someone like Steven Finn would be in most Test teams in the world at the moment and he's having to wait patiently for his opportunity.
Cricket: Best eager to seize Windies chance
Fast bowler Gabriel took four wickets on his Test debut during the five-wicket series-opening defeat by England at Lord's concluded Monday but was then ruled out of the remaining two Tests with a back injury.
That prompted the West Indies to call-up Best, even though it is three years since the 30-year-old quick last played international cricket.
Best, who had been named in the West Indies A team to face India A next month, was recently a member of the squad for the limited overs internationals against Australia but did not play.
The player, who left the Caribbean on Tuesday ahead of the second Test at Nottingham's Trent Bridge starting Friday, said: "I'm very happy to be recalled for the Test squad for the series in England.
"I've been waiting for my opportunity to reprsent the West Indies again and this is another opportunity to wear the 'Baggy Maroon' (cap)," he said in a statement issued by the West Indies Cricket Board.
"I'm fit and feeling quite ready. I've been training and working hard, looking forward to this.
"I was in the team earlier this year when we played against Australia and I gained a lot of knowledge from being in the group. I felt I fitted in quite well and I have a good idea of the work ethic and what will be required of me."
Best is familiar with English conditions, having toured with the West Indies in 2004 and played for county side Yorkshire last year.
"What I have to do, and what I am fully aware of, is how to put that knowledge to work," he added. "I'm a hard worker and I'm really delighted to get this opportunity."
Best, who made his debut nine years ago, has won 14 Tests caps, with a modest bowling average of 48.
He is best remembered in England for a verbal exchange with Andrew Flintoff during the Lord's Test of 2004.
Flintoff, fielding at slip, urged him to "mind the windows Tino" as Best tried to slog spinner Ashley Giles. Best was out next ball.
Cricket: Pietersen wants Gayle back for Windies
NOTTINGHAM: England's Kevin Pietersen has said it will be "great for the game" if West Indies "superstar" Chris Gayle returns for the second Test at Trent Bridge starting here on Friday.
Gayle, one of the world's most aggressive opening batsman, has not played international cricket for over a year because of a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board.
The left-handed opener was not selected for the Test squad and in his absence the West Indies suffered a five-wicket defeat in the first of a three-match series at Lord's on Monday.
Gayle, who said recently he was making himself available again for international duty, had been expected to return in the subsequent one-day series against England.
But with his commitments in the Indian Premier League having come to an end following the elimination of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the former West Indies captain could yet feature in the Tests against England.
West Indies have suffered a series of top-order collapses during Gayle's international exile, including in both innings at Lord's.
Fellow attacking batsman Pietersen, who knows Gayle well from their time together in the IPL, said: "He's a superstar and he is one of my real good mates in cricket. I love the way he plays.
"It will be brilliant for the game if he comes back to play this Test match. He is an entertainer. People want to watch entertainers. They don't want to watch people blocking the ball."
Cricket: New Zealand to tour India this year
NEW DELHI: New Zealand will play two Test matches and two Twenty20 internationals during their tour of India in August-September, the Board of Control for Cricket announced on Tuesday.
The first Test will be played in Hyderabad from August 23 to 27, followed by the second in Bangalore from August 31 to September 4.
The Twenty20 internationals will be held in Visakhapatnam on September 8 and Chennai on September 11.
The New Zealand series opens a busy home season for India that also includes Test and limited-overs tours by England and Australia.
New Zealand tour itinerary:
Aug 23-27: First Test, Hyderabad
Aug 31-Sept 4: Second Test, Bangalore
Sept 8: First Twenty20 international, Visakhapatnam
Sept 11: Second Twenty20 international, Chennai.
IPL: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Daredevils to reach final
NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders breezed into the final of the Indian Premier League after scoring a thumping 18-run win over Delhi Daredevils in the first Qualifier on Tuesday.
It was an interesting clash between the two IPL heavyweights but Kolkata emerged winner as they bowled with more discipline with each and every bowler taking at least one wicket.
Kolkata Knight Riders recovered from regular blows to post a fighting 162 for four after electing to bat and then stopped Delhi to 144 for eight at Subrata Roy Sahara stadium.
It is for the first time that KKR have made it to the summit clash in five editions of the league so far.
Yusuf Pathan, who was going through a lean patch so far, struck form just at the right time for Kolkata as his uneaten 40 and a crucial 56-run stand with Laxmi Shukla (24 off 11) in just four overs helped his side cross 150-run mark.
The top three KKR batsmen -- Gautam Gambhir (32), Brendon McCullum (31) and Jacques Kallis (30) batted well but could not convert the starts into big knocks.
Delhi too paid the price of not having big partnerships as they lost wickets intermittently. Pressure gradually grew and the lower-order batsmen failed to soak in that.
Mahela Jayawardene top scored for them with his 40 and for Kolkata Jacques Kallis (2/24) and Sunil Narine (2/24) shared four wickets between them.
Delhi still have a chance to make the final as they will play in second Qualifier on May 25 against the winner of the Eliminator, which will be plyed between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
For Delhi it was a forgettable start to the chase with both the openers -- Virender Sehwag (7) and David Warner (10) were dismissed within 13 balls.
Warner was bamboozled by a turning ball from Shakib Al Hasan which hit his pads before landing in gloves of McCullum. However umpire Billy Doctrove held the appeal.
Sehwag was out next ball when he chased a widish Balaji delivery and just managed an edge into the gloves of McCullum.
Jayawardene (40) and Ojha (29) added 59 for the third wicket to not let Kolkata build on the momentum. The Sri Lankan hit some majectic shots and Ojha too was impressive with his shots.
Rajat Bhatia broke the partnership by having Ojha caught at point and Iqbal Abdulla had Jayawardene stumped as the match again shifted in Kolkata's over.
Delhi surprisingly kept Ross Taylor behind in the line-up and sent Venugopal Rao ahead of him. Delhi needed 54 off the last five overs and Venugopal did not help their cause by taking 22 balls for his 13.
Taylor struck a towering six off Sunil Narine and now everything depended on him as Delhi required 33 from 12 balls.
However, the Kiwi fell while going for a big shot off Kallis. Negi and Mokel were out in the last over, in which they required 26 runs and it was all over for Delhi in this contest.
England announce India tour itinerary
LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday revealed the itinerary for England's winter tour to India that will include four Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.
England will leave on October 25 for a three-day training camp in Dubai before heading to India four days later, with the first Test beginning on November 15 in Ahmedabad.
Following further five-day matches in Mumbai, Kolkata and Nagpur, England will then play two T20s in Pune and Mumbai on December 20 and 22 respectively before travelling home for Christmas and returning for the ODIs in the new year.
The first 50-over game begins on January 11 in Rajkot, with all five clashes set to be day-night encounters.
"This will be England's first full tour of India since 2008 and I am sure that cricket fans in both countries will be eagerly anticipating an exciting series of contests in all three formats of the game," the Managing director of England Cricket Hugh Morris said.
"ECB will also be seeking to finalise an England Performance Programme camp in India before Christmas which will help prepare members of both our Test and T20 squads."
England went top of the Test world rankings as Andrew Strauss led the team to a 4-0 whitewash over the World Cup winners last year.
But England have struggled in subsequent tours in the sub-continent, losing 3-0 to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates before drawing the two-Test series in Sri Lanka.
They will be looking to take some momentum into the winter, however, following home series with West Indies and South Africa.
Ignore IPL critics and focus on play-offs: Akram
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan captain and bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, Wasim Akram on Tuesday slammed those criticising the Indian Premier League, saying that they were "jealous" of the cash-rich Twenty20 event's success and should be "ignored".
"It is sad to see people protesting against IPL. These are jealous people and should be ignored. Let's focus on the business end of the championship," Akram said.
The veteran of 104 Tests insisted that the Twenty20 tournament was a "great advertisement for pure entertainment".
Akram said that success makes many enemies and IPL was one glaring example of that.
"Only successful people have critics. In our culture, there is a tendency to run down a prosperous venture. Make no mistake, IPL is all about success. Every year it is making a positive statement and attracting the best in the world. We have had packed stadiums in almost every game. That's just great," the cricketer wrote in his column for 'espnstar.com'.
The fifth edition of IPL has been marred with controversies with a television channel alleging that fixing of matches was rampant in the tournament. KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was involved in a brawl with the Mumbai Cricket Association officials at the Wankhede stadium leading to his ban for five years from the venue.
The chorus against IPL got louder when Royal Challengers Bangalore's Australian recruit Luke Pomersbach was charged of molesting an American national at the team hotel here. If all these were not enough, Pune Warrior's cricketers Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell were detained by the police after a raid at a rave party.
However, Akram insisted that the controversies surrounding the IPL have in no way "dampened the spirit of the game".
"Any big event always brings along its share of concerns. Controversies may have surfaced but they haven't damped the spirit of cricket. Close matches have underlined the beauty of T20 cricket," he wrote.
SRK summoned for smoking during an IPL match
JAIPUR: Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan has been served a summon by the Rajasthan police over a complaint alleging that the actor was seen smoking in public on April 8 in Jaipur during a match.
This was during the IPL match between the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. The court has asked the actor to be present for hearing on May 26.
The complainant had moved court on April 9, a day after the IPL match, alleging that despite a ban on smoking in public, the actor was smoking in front of thousands of cricket fans. He said the act sent out wrong signals as the actor is idolised by his young fans.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
PAKISTAN CHAMPIONS LEAQUE 2012
being Pakistan’s first sports channel, has always been on a struggle to present quality sports to the sports aficionados. Living up to its ongoing quest, Geo Super now brings a goliath international event being held in Pakistan. The event is entitled “2nd Pakistan Champion Cricket League Tournament - 2012 organized by KCCA, Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, Landhi & Korangi Zone, D.M.C. East & D.M.C. Malir.
This is an invitation tournament in which thirty two (32) teams of various cities of the country including 7 foreign countries viz Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Afghanistan, UAE and Canada will be participating in this tournament. Each team will play three (3) matches on league basis. Top two teams will qualify for the Pre-Quarter Finals. The matches will be played at Landhi Gymkhana, RLCA (Korangi), RLCA (Gulberg), RLCA (New Karachi), Asghar Ali Shah Stadium and T.M.C Ground.
The tournament will commence with a mega opening ceremony on Saturday, May 20, 2012 and will be
| SCHEDULE | ||||
| Date | Day | PST | Match | Venue |
| May 21, 2012 | Monday | 04:00 PM | Riyadh
Cricket Association (Saudi Arabia) vs Peshawar Club |
Rashid
Lateef Cricket Academy (Korangi) |
| 08:00 PM | Afghanistan
Youth Cricket Club vs Crescent C.C (Multan) |
Rashid
Lateef Cricket Academy (Korangi) |
||
| May 24, 2012 | Thursday | 04:00 PM | Phoenix
Medicine (UAE) vs Gul C.C (Rawalpindi) |
Rashid
Lateef Cricket Academy (Korangi) |
| 08:00 PM | Hong
Kong vs Boraywala C.C |
Rashid
Lateef Cricket Academy (Korangi) |
||
| May 26, 2012 | Saturday | 04:00 PM | Gul
C.C. (Rawalpindi) vs Malir Gymkhana |
Rashid
Lateef Cricket Academy (Korangi) |
| 08:00 PM | Hong
Kong vs Diamond C.C (Islamabad) |
Rashid
Lateef Cricket Academy (Korangi) |
||
| May 28, 2012 | Monday | 05:30 PM | Pre
Quarter-Final (A1 vs H2) vs Pre Quarter-Final (B1 vs G2) |
Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi |
| 09:30 PM | 1st Quarter-Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi | ||
| May 29, 2012 | Tuesday | 05:30 PM | 2nd Quarter-Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi |
| 09:30 PM | 3rd Quarter-Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi | ||
| May 30, 2012 | Wednesday | 04:00 PM | 4th Quarter-Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi |
| 08:00 PM | 1st Semi-Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi | ||
| May 31, 2012 | Thursday | 04:00 PM | 2nd Semi Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi |
| June 1st, 2012 | Saturday | 08:00 PM | Final | Pindi Stadium Rawalpindi |
Note: Opening Ceremony will be aired on Sunday (May 20, 2012) at 11:30 pm, which will be followed by Festival Match
 |
Riyadh Cricket Association (Saudi Arabia) |
|
Peshawar Club |
|
Afghanistan Youth Cricket Club |
|
Crescent C.C (Multan) |
|
Phoenix Medicine (UAE) |
|
Gul C.C (Rawalpindi) |
|
Hong Kong |
|
Boraywala C.C |
|
Malir Gymkhana |
|
Diamond C.C (Islamabad) |
PCB chief to watch IPL final
KARACHI: Pakistan's cricket chief said Monday he had accepted an invitation to watch the Indian Premier League final next week and would use to visit to discuss reviving cricketing ties between the rivals.
Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf said he had received an invitation from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and would watch the IPL final on May 27 in Chennai, more than three years after ties were suspended.
"It is a positive step forward in further normalising bilateral cricket ties between the two countries," Ashraf told reporters in London.
"The invitation will allow me to undertake a two-day visit to India and I plan to use this visit to have informal discussions with the BCCI officials regarding chances of restoring bilateral cricket ties," he said.
The invitation is seen as the second major step towards reviving ties between the two cricketing powerhouses.
Ties were suspended in the wake of the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, which were blamed on militants from Pakistan and left 166 people dead.
The BCCI earlier this month approved Pakistan featuring in this year's Champions League, a tournament between the top three IPL teams and winners from domestic Twenty20 champions from several other countries.
The moves followed a request by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a one-day visit to India last month.
Since taking over in October last year, Ashraf endeavoured to revive cricket between India and Pakistan but without receiving any positive response from the BCCI. However, Zardari's visit seems to have given the process some impetus.
The arch-rivals are due to play this year in the ICC (International Cricket Council) Future Tour Programme but India's hectic schedule is the biggest hurdle to the possibility of holding a series.
Ashraf said he remained optimistic.
"We are positive about it as we want to play India regularly in bilateral matches and we are willing to talk to them at every level to achieve this," he said.
Cook and Bell seal England win over Windies
England, set a target of 191 to win, were faltering at 57 for four before lunch on the fifth and final day.
But Cook (79) and Bell (63 not out) shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 132 that saw England, the world's number one ranked Test side, to the brink of victory before left-handed opener Cook was out with two runs needed when caught in the gully off West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
Bell though struck the winning boundary for a win that gave England a 1-0 lead in this three-match series heading into the second Test at Trent Bridge starting Friday.
England's first innings saw Strauss end his 18-month wait for a Test century and the opening batsman added: "It was lovely to score that hundred and when you do that in a winning cause it makes it all the more special."
West Indies -- who hadn't won a Test match outside the Caribbean against major opposition since defeating South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2007 and came into this game with a record of just two wins in 30 matches -- made England work for their victory and did well to take the game into the fifth day.
England resumed Monday on 10 for two after Kemar Roach had taken two wickets for seven runs in eight balls to remove Strauss and nightwatchman James Anderson on Sunday.
Both Cook and Jonathan Trott had yet to score.
Roach struck again Monday to remove Trott for 13 with a good length ball that squared him up and took the edge with Sammy, diving to his left, holding a good catch at second slip.
And 13 also proved an unlucky number for Trott's fellow South Africa-born batsman Kevin Pietersen.
He had just pulled Test debutant Shannon Gabriel's third delivery of the innings for four when, to the fast bowler's next ball ball, he tried to repeat the stroke and got a bottom edge to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.
England were in trouble but Cook got them going again.
He completed a 78-ball fifty featuring eight fours when he late cut off-spinner Marlon Samuels and after lunch Bell followed him to the landmark in 84 balls.
That West Indies started the last day with even an outside chance of victory owed much to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Officially the world's best batsman, the Guyana left-hander made scores of 87 not out and 91 while spending more than 10 hours at the crease in this match.
Together with Samuels (86) he put on 157 for the fifth wicket in the second innings as the West Indies gave their bowlers a target to defend and a chance of a first win in 15 Tests in England.
For England, this Test was a personal triumph for Stuart Broad, the man-of-the-match.
The fast-medium bowler took a Test-best seven for 72 in the first innings and four for 43 in the second for a match haul of 11 for 165.
Broad, who made 169 against Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, became just the fourth player to take five wickets in an innings, 10 in a match and score a century in Lord's Tests.
Only England's Gubby Allen and Ian Botham, and Australia's Keith Miller, had previously completed that 'treble'.
Cook takes England nearer Windies win
At lunch, England were 131 for four in their second innings and needing just 60 more runs to reach their victory target of 191 in the opening match of this three-Test series.
Left-handed opener Cook was 53 not out, his fifty coming when he late cut off-spinner Marlon Samuels for an eighth four in 78 balls.
Together with Ian Bell (34 not out), he'd so far added an unbroken 74 for the fifth wicket after England had faltered at 57 for four.
England resumed on 10 for two after Kemar Roach had taken two wickets for seven runs in eight balls to remove England captain, and first innings century-maker, Andrew Strauss, and nightwatchman James Anderson on Sunday.
Both Cook and Jonathan Trott had yet to score.
Roach struck again Monday to remove Trott with a good length ball that squared him up and took the edge with West Indies captain Darren Sammy, diving to his left, holding a good catch at second slip.
And 13 also proved an unlucky number for Trott's fellow South Africa-born batsman Kevin Pietersen.
He had just pulled Test debutant Shannon Gabriel's third delivery of the innings for four when, to the fast bowler's next ball ball, he tried to repeat the stroke and got a bottom edge to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.
England, the world's number ranked Test side, were in trouble but Cook got them going again with a square-cut four off Roach.
And Bell then drove a Gabriel full-toss down the ground.
That West Indies -- who hadn't won a Test match outside the Caribbean against major opposition since defeating South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 2007 and came into this game with a record of just two wins in 30 matches -- still had a shot at victory owed much to Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Officially the world's best batsman, the Guyana left-hander made 91 in a second innings total of 345 to follow his first innings 87 not out.
Together with Samuels (86) he put on 157 for the fifth wicket and, with Ramdin and Sammy adding runs down the order, the West Indies gave their bowlers a target to defend and a chance of a first win in 15 Tests in England.
IPL: Luke Pomersbach confesses to crime
NEW DELHI: The police claim that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player Luke Pomersbach has confessed to his crime in the molestation case. However, Luke can deny his statement in the court as a statement made before the police is not admissible in courts.
Reports also point to the victim's fiance being Siddhartha Mallya's friend, which is why he and the victim had gone to attend the party in the first place.
The police have identified Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player KP Appanna from the CCTV footage in connection with the molestation case involving his RCB teammate Luke Pomersbach.
The police have identified Appanna as the one who returned with Luke to the victim's hotel room. The police also say that it is possible that members of the team approached the victim after the match to withdraw the complaint.
Meanwhile, the statement of another person Moiz, who was present in the hotel room corroborates the complainant's statement.
The victim had complained that five people including three IPL players had threatened her. Meanwhile, the Delhi Commission for Women is expected to send a notice to RCB team owner Siddartha Mallya for his tweets on the incident.
The victim has said that if the Kingfisher scion doesn't apologise, she will file a defamation suit against him.
A case under Sections 354, 323, 454 and 511 of the IPC was registered at Chanakya Puri police station in Delhi.
This is not Luke Pomersbach's first brush with law. Earlier he was jailed in a drunken driving case and also went to a rehabilitation centre for an alcohol problem.
IPL players, Bollywood stars among 100 held from Mumbai hotel
MUMBAI: According to Indian media Mumbai police on Sunday raided a top hotel where they held almost 100 people including Indian Premier League (IPL) players and Bollywood stars who were allegedly high on drugs.
Media reports had it that the police raided on a rave birthday party going on in a five-star hotel and arrested high profile figures from IPL and Bollywood.
“IPL player Rahul Sharma was among 100, arrested from hotel,” report said adding that cops also nabbed 19 foreigners.
"We found 58 men and 38 women at the rave party at Oakwood Premier Hotel on J R Mhatre Road near Juhu beach," said zonal DCP Pratap Dighavkar talking to media. Police seized around 110 grams of cocaine, besides Ecstasy tablets and marijuana.
The police said they would lodge two types of cases - one for possession and the other for the consumption of proscribed substances.
Around 100 youngsters have been sent to various hospitals for their blood and urine samples to be collected.
"The party was being held on the open terrace of the hotel. We acted around 8 pm on the basis of a tip-off. A decoy had been sent to the party and we acted after a green signal from him," an official said, adding that the police are trying to pinpoint the organizers of the party and who supplied the drugs.
"All those youngsters whose identities have been confirmed will be sent back home. If their blood and urine reports are positive for drugs, only then will they be called and taken into custody," said additional commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil, who supervised the raid informed media.
The drugs seized have been sent for analysis to the forensic science laboratory.
