Pakistan, Sri Lanka plead for DRS

GALLE : Sri Lanka: Rivals Pakistan and Sri Lanka united Tuesday to demand mandatory video technology after several umpiring howlers in their first Test, placing themselves in opposition to India's powerful board. The Decision Review System (DRS), which uses ball tracking and thermal imaging to verify umpires' decisions, was recommended for mandatory use by cricket...

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Sri Lanka revises India tour itinerary

COLOMBO : India's limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka starting next month has been revised with the first one-dayer now scheduled for July 21, Sri Lanka Cricket said Tuesday. The five-match one-day series, followed by a Twenty20 international, was originally due to start on July 22, but was amended to include reserve days in case of weather interruptions. Revised schedule:...

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South Africa to host Champions League T20 in October

JOHANNESBURG : South Africa is set to be the host of this year's Champions League T20 in October, with Cape Town, Johannesburg, Centurion and Durban as the venues. Sundar Raman, a member of the CLT20's technical committee, tweeted: "South Africa will host CLT20 this year. The CLT20, the most lucrative club-cricket tournament in the world, is now in its fourth year,...

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India rejects mandatory video technology

KUALA : LUMPUR: India's powerful cricket board has maintained its opposition to mandatory video technology despite backing for the system from the sport's world chiefs meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Indian officials said their stance on the Decision Review System (DRS) was "unchanged" despite a recommendation for the technology to be compulsory in all Tests and one-day...

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England unchanged for Australia series

LONDON: England named an unchanged squad Monday for their five-match one-day series against Australia starting at Lord's on Friday. The selectors retained the original 14 players who helped England beat the West Indies 2-0 in a three-match series, with one no result washout -- the team's sixth straight home 50-over campaign win. Australia are the world's top-ranked...

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Ex-Test cricketers lash out at poor umpiring in Galle Test

KARACHI : Several Pakistan Test cricketers have lashed out at poor and disappointing umpiring in the opening Test between Pakistan Sri Lanka in Galle. "Its mockery of Test cricket they way umpires Steve Davis and Ian Gould performed in the Galle Test," former Pakistan Captain Rashid Latif said on Monday. "A couple of wrong decision can be acceptable. But they way Messrs...

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ICC approves 6-match T20 series between Pakistan-Australia

KARACHI : The International Cricket Council (ICC) has approved a six-match Twenty20 series between Pakistan and Australia which is most likely to be played between August 22 and September 10. "If it goes ahead will be the longest bilateral T20 series ever staged by international sides. The decision has improved chances of the series being staged, most likely in the...

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FBR issues notices to six Pakistani cricketers

ISLAMABAD : The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued notices to six Pakistani cricketers over tax evasion. The players who have been issued the notices include Misbah-ul-Haq,Wahab Riaz, Umar Akmal, Taufiq Umer, Azhar Ali and Muhammed Hafeez. According to the FBR, Wahab Riaz does not have an NTN number while Muhammed Hafeez, Umar Akmal and Taufiq Umer had not...

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Sri Lanka record massive 209-run win against Pakistan

GALLE: Nuwan Kulasekara and Suraj Randiv combined to vanquish Pakistan as Sri Lanka triumphed in the first Test by a massive 209 runs on Monday, their biggest win over their Asian rivals. The tourists, set a near impossible victory target of 510, were bowled out for 300 just before stumps on the fourth day despite defiant batting from Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq, as...

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World chiefs back mandatory video umpire

KUALA LUMPUR : Cricket's chief executives Monday backed the mandatory use of video umpires in Tests and one-day internationals, a year after they were made optional at the request of powerful India. The International Cricket Council's (ICC) chief executives' committee said independent tests had proved the reliability of the Decision Review System (DRS), which incorporates...

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Younis, Shafiq fight against ominous odds

GALLE : Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq defied Sri Lanka during an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 70 as Pakistan fought for survival in the first Test in Galle on Monday. The tourists, set a near impossible victory target of 510, carried their second innings from the overnight score of 36-3 to 108-4 by lunch on the fourth day. Younis, the most experienced batsman in the...

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Pakistan crushing defeat imminent in Gaulle test

GALLE : Pakistan were 55-4 early on Monday as Saeed Ajmal also went out cheaply, leaving little hope for the national team warding off an imminent crushing defeat on the fourth day of the first test against Sri Lanka here. Sri Lanka continued to maintain a vice-like grip on the Galle Test on the third day, but instead of pushing for the kill after bowling out Pakistan...

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England could rue Pietersen loss says Windies coach

LONDON : West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has said both England and Kevin Pietersen himself could end up regretting the star batsman's retirement from international limited overs cricket. The South Africa-born Pietersen quit one-day duty for his adopted country this month when he was told by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) the terms of his central contract would...

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Pak-Australia cricket series in UAE in August

LAHORE : Pakistan and Australian cricket teams will be played in the United Arab Emirate in August as both the countries finalized the venue for home series,.The series is likely to be reduced to a mix of three ODIs (instead of five ODIs) and three Twenty20 internationals as the matches to be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.The series, according to PCB sources, will begin...

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Australia look to blood youngsters in English conditions

SYDNEY : Australia are looking forward to blooding some of their young players in English conditions on their upcoming tour of Britain with half an eye on next year's Ashes, captain Michael Clarke said on Thursday.Australia play five one-day internationals against England and one against Ireland but no tests on the tour, which comes a year before they return for the first...

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Botham to promote “Cage Cricket”

LONDON : Former England cricket captain Ian Botham wants to encourage children from tough urban areas to play the game by promoting a condensed form tailored for school gyms or basketball courts.    Botham, who was one of England’s greatest all-round players, is concerned that poorer youngsters are turned off by cricket despite efforts to reinvent the game...

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Umpire Llong joins ICC panel

BIRMINGHAM : Nigel Llong has been selected to replace Billy Doctrove on the International Cricket Council (ICC) panel of elite umpires for the 2012/13 season, the global governing body announced Monday.The 43-year-old Englishman has come in for Doctrove following the West Indian official’s retirement from the elite panel last week.Llong, who will take up his place on the...

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Umpire Doctrove calls time on career

DUBAI : Umpire Billy Doctrove, who along with Australian Darrell Hair was at the centre of the controversial Oval test which Pakistan forfeited against England in 2006, has announced his retirement.    The West Indian was due to umpire Thursday’s one-dayer between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Pallekele but withdrew because of a family bereavement and will not...

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