Pakistan maintain fifth spot in ICC T20 ranking after drawn series

DUBAI : Pakistan finished fifth in the ICC ranking for Twenty20 cricket after leveling the 2-match series with Sri Lanka on Sunday. Former T20 champion Pakistan slipped to Number 6 behind India after losing to Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international on Friday. However, win in the second T20 brought it back to the fifth position. T20 Champions England remains on top...

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‘Sarfraz the best option for all three formats’

From being Pakistan’s ‘man for a crisis’ behind the stumps to running a multi-purpose sports academy, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper Moin Khan has silently travelled a long way in his career as a cricket player, expert and now, coach. Here, Pakistan’s World Cup-winning ‘keeper writes his first column for Dawn.com. Ever since Pakistan decided to name three different...

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Opportunity for Pakistan to move ahead of Srilanka

Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be aiming for improvements in their rankings on the Reliance ICC ODI Championship table when they go head to head in a five-match series which starts in Pallekele on Thursday. Fifth-ranked Sri Lanka leads sixth-ranked Pakistan by five ratings points. This reflects that there is very little separating the two Asian sides while the players'...

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Samuels sure his 'time to shine' would come if he managed 'inner fire' well

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels has said he is managing his inner fire well nowadays after facing various controversies in past, and is confident his time to shine would come soon. Samuels, who has provided hope for West Indies with his world-class batting in two Tests that have again ended in defeat, believes he is using every disappointment of the past to motivate...

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New dates and venue announced for Kenya-Namibia fixtures

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the new dates for the fourth round fixtures of the ICC Intercontinental Cup and Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship matches between Kenya and Namibia today. The matches were originally scheduled for June but due to delays related to the ongoing and changing security assessment for Kenya in general-and Nairobi...

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Adrian Griffith takes up new role at ICC

ICC CRICKET : Former West Indies Test opener Adrian Griffith has taken over the charge as ICC Umpires & Referees Administration Manager. He has joined the ICC Cricket Operations Department which is currently headed by former South Africa Test wicketkeeper David Richardson and also includes Vince van der Bijl, a former Natal and Middlesex fast bowler who was declared...

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Shahid Afridi barred from speaking to the media

PALLEKELE : Pakistani all rounder Shahid Afridi has been barred from speaking to the media. According to the Pakistan cricket team’s management in Sri Lanka, Afridi makes statements without thinking. Team Manager Naveed Akram Cheema informed reporters that they could speak to anyone from the cricket but Shahid Afridi....

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Too early to call for Windies line up: Gibson

LEICESTER, United Kingdom: Ottis Gibson says it is too early to make decisions about the composition of the West Indies side for the third and final Test against England, starting on Thursday at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The Windies coach was speaking overnight Sunday after rain severely scuppered his team's plans for vital match practice and a chance to assess a few...

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Pak-India to play series soon: PCB Chief

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf said Tuesday that there would be some good news very soon regarding the resumption of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan. Ashraf said that he would be meeting with the head of the BCCI during the upcoming ICC meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The PCB chief added that MOUs would be signed for the Pak-India series...

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Muhammad Asif rebuts political asylum claims

LONDON: Former Pakistani paceman Muhammad Asif has revealed that he is training regularly to keep himself fit. He has also been helping his legal team to finalise his appeal against his two convictions at the Southwark Crown Court that relate to spot-fixing allegations. Muhammad Asif, who after having served just half of his 12 months prison sentence walked to freedom...

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Pakistan retains Tanvir for Sri Lanka ODIs

KARACHI : Pakistan on Monday added Sohail Tanvir to the one-day squad against Sri Lanka after the left-arm paceman excelled in the Twenty20 series draw. The 27-year-old fast bowler failed to make the original one-day squad but was included at the request of team managers. Tanvir replaced opener Nasir Jamshed who suffered a finger injury before the tour began. Tanvir ...

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Sachin takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP

NEW DELHI: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday. He took the oath in the chamber of the Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari. He became the first active sportsperson of the country to be nominated as the Rajya Sabha member. Earlier, Sachin reached the parliament along with his wife Anjali Tendulkar and BCCI vice-president...

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Sachin Tendulkar to take oath as MP

NEW DELHI : Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was to be sworn in as a member of the upper house of parliament on Monday after being nominated in a surprise move criticised by some government opponents. Tendulkar, who is worshipped by millions of cricket fans in India, is due to take his oath in the Rajya Sabha for a seat theoretically reserved for people ...

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Pakistan square T20 series against Sri Lanka

HAMBANTOTA : Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the second Twenty20 International here at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Chasing an easy target of 123, Sri Lanka were bundled out for a mere 99 runs in 19.2 overs as no none of their batsmen could resist against an accurate bowling from Pakistan side. Fast bowlers Mohammad Sami...

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Pakistan restricted to 122-6 despite Afridi’s fifty

HAMBANTOTA : Pakistan failed again to make a sufficient score despite Shahid Afridi’s brilliant unbeaten half-century against Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International here at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Winning the toss, captain Mohammad Hafeez decided to bat first but his batsmen could not succeed to reach a respectable total...

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Anderson out of third Test against the West Indies

LONDON : England left spearhead fast bowler James Anderson out of their 12-man squad announced Sunday for the third and final Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston starting on Thursday. But the England selectors insisted the 29-year-old Lancashire star was being omitted to "overcome several minor injury niggles" rather than being rested on grounds of squad rotation. Seam...

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2nd T20I: Pakistan win toss, bat against Sri Lanka

HAMBANTOTA : Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in the second Twenty20 International here at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is not playing today and his deputy Angelo Mathews is leading the side. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga has also been rested Thus...

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Gavaskar slams ICC over Indian rain-rule snub

NEW DELHI : Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has hit out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) for retaining the Duckworth/Lewis rule for rain-affected games despite an alternative suggested by an Indian engineer. The game's world governing body on Friday said it would stick with the rule devised by Englishmen Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, as it did not feel that...

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Five national players leave for Colombo today

LAHORE : Players of national cricket team will leave for Colombo from Lahore airport on Sunday for playing Test and One Day International series. Captain Misbah ul Haq among five players will leave from Lahore to Colombo via Dubai. The players included Azhar Ali, Muhammad Sarfaraz, Umer Cheema and Abdur Razzaq. One Day International series is scheduled to be started...

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Ireland face Bangladesh in World Twenty20 warm-ups

LONDON: Ireland will begin their preparation for this year's ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka with a three-game series against Bangladesh in Belfast next month, it was announced Saturday. "It's great news that we're taking on Bangladesh and the games will give us valuable preparation as we build towards the World Cup in Sri Lanka," Ireland coach Phil Simmons said in...

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Australia in strike threat: reports

SYDNEY: Australia's cricketers may go on strike ahead of next month's one-day tour of England over performance-related pay issues, reports said on Saturday. Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) head Paul Marsh said there were contingency plans should a resolution not be agreed with Cricket Australia before July 1. The Australian newspaper said players have examined...

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Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in first T20

HAMBANTOTA : Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 37 runs in the opening Twenty20 international in Hambantota on Friday. Pakistan were bowled out for 95 after restricting Sri Lanka to 132-7, with pacemen Nuwan Kulasekera, Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga and debutant off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake each taking two wickets. Opener Ahmed Shehzad top-scored for Pakistan with...

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Sri Lanka 132-7 against Pakistan in opening T20

HAMBANTOTA : Sri Lanka scored 132-7 after electing to bat against Pakistan in the opening Twenty20 international in Hambantota on Friday. Thisara Perera top-scored for Sri Lanka with a 16-ball 32 not out, while paceman Sohail Tanvir bagged three wickets for Pakis...

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Sri Lanka elect to bat against Pakistan in first T20

HAMBANTOTA: Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene elected to bat after winning the toss against Pakistan in the opening Twenty20 international in Hambantota on Friday. Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Nuwan Kulasekera, Sachithra Senanayake,...

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Bangladesh name squad for Zimbabwe T20 series

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Thursday named a 15-man squad for an unofficial Twenty20 series against South Africa and Zimbabwe to be played in Harare in June. The series is part of the teams' preparation for the World Twenty20 tournament to be held in Sri Lanka in September-October. Bangladesh Twenty20 squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Mohammad Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid...

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Sri Lanka and Pakistan clash ahead of world T20

HAMBANTOTA : Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka and Pakistan will test each other's strengths ahead of the World Twenty20 tournament later this year when they clash in a two-match series starting on Friday. The Twenty20 games in southern Hambantota on Friday and Sunday are a prelude to the fourth edition of the world event that will be played in Sri Lanka in September-October. "With...

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Kevin Pietersen retires from ODI, T20 cricket

LONDON: English cricketer Kevin Pietersen is retiring from limited-overs cricket with immediate effect. The announcement was made by the England and Wales Cricket Board on Thursday. The England and Surrey batsmen will still be available for Test matches. The 31 year old has played 127 ODIs and 36 international T20s for England, making his international debut in 2004...

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Mazhar Majeed, Mervyn Westfield lose appeals

LONDON : A sports agent and a cricketer lost their Court of Appeal challenges against match-fixing convictions on Thursday. Mazhar Majeed, 36, from Croydon, south London, and former Essex player Mervyn Westfield - the first county cricketer in England to be prosecuted for spot-fixing - were jailed in separate cases. Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge and two other judges...

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Windies' Roach returns home

LEICESTER : Fast bowler Kemar Roach has been ruled out of the remainder of the West Indies' tour of the United Kingdom team West Indies Cricket Board sources said Wednesday. Roach has been sidelined with shin muscle soreness and will return home to Barbados to allow this to heal before starting a bowling programme again. West Indies team physiotherapist C.J. Clark...

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No N Zealand contract for troubled Ryder

WELLINGTON : Troubled New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder's international career is in doubt after cricket organisers said he would not receive a central contract for the coming season. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said no contract for the 2012-13 season was offered to Ryder, who has been involved in a string of alcohol-fuelled incidents, after discussion with his management...

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