score pak vs wi

West Indies vs Pakistan

April 21, 2011

at Beausejour Cricket Ground, St Lucia

West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first.

PAK             PAK 142 / 9 in 19.5 overs Current Run rate: 7.15
                                                                                           WI

Pakistan - 1st Innings

Batting		Runs	B	4's	6's	S/R
Ahmad Shahzad	c Christopher Barnwell b Ravi Rampaul	12	15	2	0	80
Mohammad Hafeez	c Ashley Nurse b Darren Sammy	3	4	0	0	75
Asad Shafiq	c Danza Hyatt b Devendra Bishoo	25	17	3	1	147.06
Umar Akmal	c Marlon Samuels b Ravi Rampaul	41	41	4	0	100
Misbah-ul-Haq	hit wicket b Devendra Bishoo	0	1	0	0	0
Shahid Afridi	c Darren Sammy b Devendra Bishoo	12	10	1	0	120
Mohammad Salman	run out (Darren Sammy)	5	6	0	0	83.33
Abdur Rehman	b Devendra Bishoo	7	8	0	0	87.5
Wahab Riaz	c Darren Sammy b Ravi Rampaul	6	6	0	0	100
Saeed Ajmal	Batting	20	13	2	0	153.85
Junaid Khan	Batting	3	4	0	0	75
Extras	(b 1, lb 0, w 1, nb 6, pen )	8
Total	(19.5 overs , 9 wickets )	142   ( 7.28 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1 - 7 (Mohammad Hafeez, 1.4), 2 - 20 (Ahmad Shahzad, 3.2), 3 - 49 (Asad Shafiq, 6.4), 4 - 49 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 6.5), 5 - 78 (Shahid Afridi, 11), 6 - 93 (Mohammad Salman, 14), 7 - 109 (Umar Akmal, 15.4), 8 - 110 (Abdur Rehman, 16.1), 9 - 123 (Wahab Riaz, 18.2)

West Indies - Bowling

Bowling	O	M	R	W	NB	WD	E/R
Ravi Rampaul	4	0	31	3	4	0	7.75
Darren Sammy	3	0	26	1	0	0	8.66
Andre Russell	3.5	0	27	0	1	1	7.04
Devendra Bishoo	4	0	17	4	1	0	4.25
Christopher Barnwell	1	0	7	0	0	0	7
Ashley Nurse	4	0	33	0	0	0	8.25

West Indies - 1st Innings

Batting		Runs	B	4's	6's	S/R
Lendl Simmons	run out (Wahab Riaz)	65	44	7	2	147.73
Andre Fletcher	lbw b Abdur Rehman	1	5	0	0	20
Darren Bravo	c Umar Akmal b Abdur Rehman	42	33	4	2	127.27
Marlon Samuels	st Mohammad Salman b Saeed Ajmal	4	12	0	0	33.33
Danza Hyatt	c Umar Akmal b Saeed Ajmal	14	11	1	1	127.27
Darren Sammy	c Mohammad Salman b Wahab Riaz	1	2	0	0	50
Christopher Barnwell	not out	11	8	0	1	137.5
Andre Russell	c Abdur Rehman b Wahab Riaz	0	3	0	0	0
Ashley Nurse	not out	6	3	1	0	200
Ravi Rampaul		0	0	0	0	0
Devendra Bishoo		0	0	0	0	0
Extras	(b 0, lb 1, w 4, nb 1, pen )	6
Total	(20 overs , 7 wickets )	150   ( 7.5 runs per over)

Fall of wickets: 1 - 2 (Andre Fletcher, 1.1), 2 - 101 (Darren Bravo, 12.2), 3 - 114 (Lendl Simmons, 14.3), 4 - 125 (Marlon Samuels, 16.5), 5 - 126 (Darren Sammy, 17.1), 6 - 141 (Danza Hyatt, 19), 7 - 141 (Andre Russell, 19.3)

Pakistan - Bowling

Bowling	O	M	R	W	NB	WD	E/R
Junaid Khan	2	0	15	0	0	0	7.5
Abdur Rehman	4	0	22	2	0	1	5.5
Saeed Ajmal	4	0	35	2	0	0	8.75
Wahab Riaz	4	1	24	2	1	2	6
Shahid Afridi	3	0	30	0	0	0	10
Mohammad Hafeez	3	0	23	0	0	1	7.66

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England register eighth win in T20 Internationals

England got the better of Australia by one wicket off the last ball of the first Twenty20 international at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.The win, England's eighth, set a new record for consecutive victories in Twenty20 internationals.The match had its share of ebbs and flows as England chased down Australia's target of 157 for four with just one wicket to spare. Debutant Chris Woakes hit the winning run off all-rounder Shane Watson to seal the victory.Watson's career-best figures of 4-15 triggered a middle-order collapse for England, but the tail, specially Woakes held his nerves.Earlier England restricted Australia after Watson (59) and his partner David Warner (30) got off to an impressive start scoring 83 from 52 balls.For the visitors left-arm spinner Michael Yardy was the best bowler on view with his spell of 2-27.England's chase stuttered after left-handed Eoin Morgan fell for 43. England needed four runs off the final over. Graeme Swann was out clean bowled trying to pull by Watson. Shahzad played out the next two balls without a run. Off the fourth he got a single giving Woakes the strike. The debutant just calmly cut the next ball for two to level scores.Finally Woakes lofted the last ball to seal England's 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The final game of the series will be played in Melbourne on Friday.

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Afridi set sights on World Twenty20

After falling to old rivals India in the World Cup semifinal last month, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has set his sights on the ICC World Twenty20 Championship to be played in Sri Lanka next year. 'The only way I can really overcome the disappointment of our defeat against India is by winning the Twenty20 World Cup,' Afridi told The News in an interview.Afridi said that he is focusing on the 2012 World Twenty20 Championship because he doesn't know whether he will be playing international cricket in 2015 when the next edition of the World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand.'I would love to be around for the 2015 World Cup but that's like four years away. That's why I'm just focusing on the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and want us to take the right steps to ensure that we raise a team that is good enough to win that tournament,' he said.Pakistan reached the final of the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 with Afridi emerging as one of their best players in the event. Later he played a pivotal role in Pakistan's title-winning triumph in the second edition of the tournament in 2009 in England.Afridi was Pakistan's captain in the third ICC World Twenty20 in the West Indies in 2010 when the Greenshirts fell to Australia in the semifinals from a seemingly-winning position.Afridi, who is regarded as one of the most destructive all-rounders in the Twenty20 format, is confident that Pakistan can go all the way in Sri Lanka which will host the next edition of the hugely-popular tournament.'We have won the Twenty20 World Cup before and we can do it again,' he said.But Afridi was quick to add that Pakistan will have to put together a winning formula in the lead up to the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Championship. And to achieve that, Afridi believes that Pakistan will have to learn a thing or two from India.'The Indians started preparing for the World Cup almost two years before the event,' he said. 'We, too, will have to start right away in our preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup. We should be selecting players for limited-overs matches with an eye on that assignment. That's the only way we can prepare ourselves in the best possible manner.'Afridi is of the view that Pakistan can bank on the existing pool of bowlers but their batting line-up is a different story.'We have some of the world's best spinners when it comes to limited-overs matches, especially Twenty20 Internationals. Same is the case with our pacers which is why I'm sure we won't face many problems in raising a strong bowling attack for the Twenty World Cup,' he said.'But when it comes to batsmen, I'm not that sure. We lack quality batters both at the top and the middle-order. We need some really good, young guys who can strengthen our batting in the Twenty20 format.'

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I see myself as a more mature player: Simmons

Lendl Simmons says he feels like a new and improved cricketer since he last played for the West Indies a year ago. The 26-year-old allrounder was speaking during the Windies camp at the 3Ws Oval as they stepped up preparations for the Digicel Series against Pakistan.The three-dimensional player - who has batted at the top of the order, bowled with distinction and kept wicket at the international level, has been showing great commitment and attention to detail ahead of the T20 International at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia on Thursday. "I see myself as a more mature player and I'm putting a lot more thought into my preparation for games and when I go onto the field of play as well," said the 26-year-old."It feels really great to be back in the West Indies team set-up and among the players again as we look forward to facing Pakistan. I was away for a year and in that period I had a lot of time to reflect and analyse my game. I am happy to be back and I believe I am mentally stronger."Simmons last played for the West Indies in the limited-overs series in Australia in February, 2011. Since then he let his bat do the talking and played well for Trinidad and Tobago in all three formats of the game to earn a recall to the international side."I believe I can make a major contribution to the team in the upcoming T20 as well as in the One-Day Series and I will be looking to move on from there. I am in good form as we get ready to go over to St Lucia and I want to take that form into the series. I am batting with a lot more maturity and I am looking forward to making everyone proud."He added: "I am totally focussed on what I have to do and I am looking to stay in control of the things I have control over. No matter what I'm asked to do I am willing to do it for the team and look to make a contribution to the team's success."Squad for T20 International: Darren Sammy (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Danza Hyatt, Ashley Nurse, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Lendl SimmonsSquad for 1st and 2nd ODIs: Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Anthony Martin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas

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I am bowling 10 times better than a decade ago: Swann

Graeme Swann believes he ten times better than what he was ten years ago as a bowler.He has climbed to number two in the Reliance ICC Test rankings by giving the ball a fierce tweak from a vigorous body action. "I really like watching the ball fizzing down,"he said. "That's why I always like watching Shane Warne bowl, (Muttiah) Muralidaran bowl, these guys who really try and spin it, these are the guys I really try to emulate."Unlike Warne, a classical wrist-spinner, and Muralidaran, who gained purchase as well as sharp turn, Swann is an orthodox finger spinner. "I'm certainly 10 times the bowler I was 10 years ago. The longer you play the game your body just gets used to it. Your rhythm comes naturally compared to when you were a kid when you have as many bad days as you do good,"he said. "I'm certainly bowling better than I was 10 years ago but hopefully there is more to come." Jim Laker famously spun the ball so hard that that his close fielders could hear it hum in the air when he took 19 for 90 in the 1956 Manchester Test against Australia. The Australians promised revenge when Laker finally won selection for a tour down under in 1958-59. But, although the home side won the series 4-0, Laker still topped the bowling averages in both Tests and first-class matches. English spinners, though, have rarely prospered either before or since on the unforgiving Australian pitches and Swann's role in a four-man attack attracted much interest before the last Ashes series. Swann was ready for the challenge in the midst of unsubtle hints in the Australian media that he might be targeted. "It's not an easy place to bowl because the wickets don't turn,"he said. "Sydney was famous for turning but it doesn't anymore. You need footholes to make the ball go. In Melbourne it was almost going the other way. "Michael Hussey got after me in the first game in Brisbane but that was because I was bowling badly. A lot of people said he got to you and rattled you but he didn't at all, I just bowled like a drain, I just didn't bowl well. "People can think what they like, I know what was going on."England recovered after a shaky start to draw in Brisbane and Swann then took five wickets in Australia's second innings in Adelaide to set up an innings victory. "The AdelaideOval turned for a couple of reasons, because it was the dustiest wicket out there and Dougie Bollinger played and his foothole was just in the right place for me,"he said."I was desperate for him to play in the rest of the series because it might have made Melbourne and Sydney turn a bit more."Swann said if the Australians had a policy to hit him out of the attack they would have tried it in Adelaide. "But I was bowling very well there and managed to keep them in the crease,"he said. "If you don't bowl well you go for runs, it's as simple as that as a finger spinner."A spell in Melbourne on a pitch giving absolutely no assistance was, Swann believes, his best in Test cricket, even though it yielded only one wicket, albeit an important victim in the shape of Michael Clarke "That's the best I bowled for England, I hardly bowled a bad ball. It wasn't turning at all but I still managed to get a lot of drift and maintain pressure for the seamers at the other end. I regard that as my finest performance with the ball,"he said. "My role turned into very much a holding role, allowing the seamers to build up pressure at the other end. "All I did was try and bowl dot balls. I thought aside from the Perth game (second Test) I was able to do that so I was very happy."Swann is now taking a break after a taxing winter during which the Ashes tour was followed by a one-day series against Australia and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which for England ended with defeat against Sri Lanka in the quarter-final.Sri Lanka and world ODI champions India are the visitors this summer and Swann is looking forward to the challenge of bowling to Sachin Tendulkar in what looks certain to be the Indian master's last tour of England. "You make challenges within your own head. I always look at the team sheet beforehand and target the batsmen I want to get out and it's always the best player, it gives me personal satisfaction getting the best players out,"he said. "Sachin Tendulkar is the best player the game has had in my lifetime so it's always a pleasure to play against him. But hopefully I won't get to bowl to him too much this year because that would mean (opening bowler) Jimmy Anderson is doing his job at the top of the order."

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Caribbean people will like Umar Akmal's entertaining batting: Alam

Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam believes that Umar Akmal, the dashing right-handed middle-order batsman can become a darling of the West Indies public."The people of the Caribbean will like the way he plays because he's so entertaining and exciting and hits the ball exceptionally well," said Alam of the 20-year-old who has already featured in 21 International Twenty20s and 37 One-Day Internationals.
Akmal played in six T20 matches in the Caribbean during the ICC World Twenty20 in 2010 but has never faced the West Indies in an international match.Four of his six Caribbean T20s were at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia where the Twenty20 International and the First and Second ODIs will be played.Akmal has two half-centuries on that ground, including a destructive 35 ball 56 against Australia in the semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 2010 which Pakistan lost after a blitzkrieg 60 from 24 balls by Michael Hussey."He's a special talent, he has done well but overall all the boys need to put in the hard work, commitment and discipline for us to leave the Caribbean happy after this tour," reasoned Alam, the 69 year old former leg-spinner and coach."We've brought some youngsters with us and I think it's a golden opportunity for them to make a name for themselves and to make a career in the sport," Alam said."It was a long journey from Pakistan to the Caribbean but we travelled well and the boys are all happy and they're well," revealed Alam who played the last of his 47 Tests at the Queen's Park Oval against the West Indies in 1977.That match is famous for Colin Croft's destructive 8 for 29 (including Alam who was bowled by Croft without scoring) which remains the best bowling figures by a West Indies fast bowler in a Test match.Reflecting on Pakistan's impressive showing in the recently concluded Cricket World Cup when they reached the semi-final before being beaten by eventual winners India, Alam said they were happy to prove the pundits wrong. "When the World Cup started nobody really rated us. I think the boys have done a great job. The people in Pakistan are very happy. Now the expectations are even higher for this tour of the West Indies because we have never won a series out here before," Alam said."We enjoy touring the Caribbean, it's always a pleasure for our boys to come to the Caribbean. I personally have spent a lot of time here and I cherish the friendship of the greats like Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd and others," Alam said.The Pakistan team held their first training session at Beausejour on Saturday after arriving in the Caribbean on Friday.They are scheduled to play their first warm-up game against the Vice Chancellor's XI at the Mindoo Phillip Park. The match was switched from Beausejour to allow for preparations leading up to the Twenty20 on Thursday 21 April.

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Dilshan named new Sri Lanka captain

Updated at: 1813 PST,  Monday, April 18, 2011

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's cricket authorities on Monday named big-hitting all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain for the upcoming tour of England.Dilshan will lead the side in all three formats of the game -- Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s -- on the tour, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.The 34-year-old, renowned for an over-the-head scoop shot dubbed the "Dilscoop", replaces Kumar Sangakkara, who stepped down after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to India earlier this month.Fitness worries meant the five-member national selection panel headed by Duleep Mendis, a former Sri Lanka skipper, did not name a vice-captain."The prospective candidates are nursing injuries and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question," the statement said. All-rounder Angelo Mathews, 23, has been tipped for the role, but he is nursing a side strain suffered during the World Cup semi-final.Dilshan, a right-handed batsman currently playing in the Indian Premier League, is expected to travel to Colombo this week to meet the selectors and pick the squad for England. The tour runs from May to July and includes three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 match. The son of a police officer, Dilshan is the 11th full-time Sri Lankan skipper. He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 1999 and hit an unbeaten 163 in his second Test match in Harare. His career took off in 2009 when he volunteered to open in all three forms of the game in Pakistan, exploiting attacking fields and amassing huge scores in all formats. He scored 11 international hundreds in the year and won the World Twenty20 Player of the Series prize. Dilshan also had an excellent World Cup, where he was the tournament's highest scorer with 500 runs. His appointment is expected to be a short-term move because he is not expected to be a candidate for the 2015 World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.

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Pune lose despite Yuvraj's all-round show

Updated at: 1426 PST,  Monday, April 18, 2011

MUMBAI: Pune Warriors captain Yuvraj Singh produced an impressive all-round performance, but failed to stop Delhi Daredevils from posting a thrilling three-wicket win in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.In another match, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets for their third victory in four games in the Twenty20 tournament.Yuvraj top-scored with an unbeaten 66 to help Pune reach a challenging 187-5 before Delhi achieved the stiff target with four balls to spare for their first win in three games.Delhi needed eight to win off the last over after left-arm spinner Yuvraj had finished with 4-29, but Australian James Hopes (13 not out) smashed a six and a four off successive deliveries from New Zealand seamer Jesse Ryder.Australian David Warner (46) and skipper Virender Sehwag (37) gave Delhi a solid start when they added 75 for the opening wicket before Venugopal Rao (31) and Aaron Finch (25) contributed crucial runs in the closing stages.Pune, who suffered their first defeat in three games, were earlier indebted to Yuvraj and Ryder (60) for setting a big target.Yuvraj cracked five sixes, including three in the last over bowled by seamer Ashok Dinda, in his 32-ball knock and Ryder also hit five sixes in his 27-ball innings.Ryder played a key role in putting his team on course for a big total, dominating a 54-run stand for the second wicket with Mithun Manhas (20) after the early dismissal of South African opener Graeme Smith (12).Kolkata did not face any difficulty in chasing an 82-run target against Rajasthan, winning with more than six overs to spare. It was Rajasthan's second defeat in four matches.Kolkata fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji took three wickets, including that of in-form Australian opener Shane Watson (11), while left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets off successive balls.Brief scores:Pune Warriors 187-5 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Singh 66 not out, J. Ryder 60, M. Manhas 20; S. Nadeem 2-39, A. Dinda 2-42) lost to Delhi Daredevils 190-7 in 19.2 overs (D. Warner 46, V. Sehwag 37, V. Rao 31, A. Finch 25; Yuvraj Singh 4-29) by three wickets.Rajasthan Royals 81 in 15.2 overs (A. Menaria 21; L. Balaji 3-15, Shakib Al Hasan 2-21) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 85-2 in 13.5 overs (G. Gambhir 35 not out, M. Tiwary 30 not out) by eight wickets.

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Kallis, Gambhir power Kolkata to victory

Updated at: 1950 PST,  Friday, April 15, 2011

JAIPUR: Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir hit impressive half-centuries to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Friday. South African Kallis top-scored with a 65-ball 80 not out while skipper Gambhir made an unbeaten 75 off just 44 balls as Kolkata achieved a 160-run target with nine deliveries to spare for their second win in three matches. The pair added 152 for the unfinished second-wicket stand to ensure an easy victory for their team.Left-handed Gambhir, caught off a no-ball when on 66, cracked one six and 11 fours, including four boundaries in an over from seamer Amit Singh. Kallis hit two sixes and seven fours in his third successive half-century. It was the first defeat in three matches for Rajasthan, led by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne. Kolkata spinners Yusuf Pathan (2-4) and Shakib Al Hasan (2-31) earlier shared four wickets to restrict Rajasthan despite a 25-ball 35 not out by New Zealander Ross Taylor.Off-spinner Pathan bowled former India captain Rahul Dravid (35) and then held a return catch to account for Ashok Menaria (27) in the same over to put pressure on Rajasthan.Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib struck with his third delivery when he had opener Amit Paunikar (nine) caught by Kallis.He then got a big wicket when he bowled Australian all-rounder Shane Watson for 22, which came off just 13 balls with the help of two sixes.Watson recently smashed a record 15 sixes in his career-best 185 not out in the second one-day international against Bangladesh in Dhaka.Rajasthan Royals 159-4 in 20 overs (R. Taylor 35 not out, R. Dravid 35, A. Menaria 27, S. Watson 22; Y. Pathan 2-4, Shakib Al Hasan 2-31) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 160-1 in 18.3 overs (J. Kallis 80 not out, G. Gambhir 75 not out) by nine wickets.

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Absentee Zulqarnain to return Pakistan

Updated at: 1721 PST,  Sunday, April 17, 2011

KARACHI: Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider, who fled to London last year citing death threats from match-fixers, has said he will return home and cancel his application for asylum in Britain.Zulqarnain was reassured by a meeting with Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik in London last week, and will seek to resume his cricket career, he said."After meeting with (the) interior minister and getting assurance of my and my family's safety in Pakistan, I have decided to return home on April 24," Zulqarnain, 24, told Pakistani private TV channels GEO and others from London."After getting this assurance there is no need for me to continue with my asylum application, which I will withdraw," he said late Saturday.Zulqarnain fled the team hotel in Dubai on the morning of the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa on November 8, saying he had received death threats from unidentified people seeking to draw him into match-fixing.After flying into London, Zulqarnain sought asylum in Britain and said he was retiring from international cricket.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) terminated his contract and formed a committee to establish the facts surrounding his disappearance, which described him as "mentally ill".Zulqarnain said Saturday he has now contacted the PCB and wants to resume his international career.Zulqarnain made a successful Test debut in England last year, scoring a brilliant 88 in the second innings to help Pakistan avoid follow-on. He also played four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals for Pakistan.

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Valthaty, Gilchrist fire Punjab to win over Deccan

Updated at: 1301 PST,  Sunday, April 17, 2011

HYDERABAD: Paul Valthaty and Adam Gilchrist hammered explosive half-centuries to power Kings XI Punjab to an eight-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.Valthaty smashed a 47-ball 75 and skipper Gilchrist a 46-ball 61 as Punjab achieved a 166-run target with 14 balls to spare for their second win in three matches in the Twenty20 tournament.Former Australian wicketkeeper Gilchrist and Valthaty both completed half-centuries with a six and added 136 for the opening wicket to ensure a comfortable win for their team in Hyderabad.Gilchrist hit three sixes and five fours while Valthaty, who made an unbeaten century in his team's win over Chennai Super Kings in the previous game on Wednesday, cracked five sixes and eight fours.Valthaty also excelled as a seamer when he finished with 4-29 off four overs to play a major role in restricting Deccan, who suffered their third defeat in four matches.Shikhar Dhawan (45) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (35) put on 75 for the second wicket before Deccan lost their way, with Valthaty doing the damage.Brief scores:Deccan Chargers 165-8 in 20 overs (S. Dhawan 45, K. Sangakkara 35, D. Christian 30; P. Valthaty 4-29, R. McLaren 2-33) lost to Kings XI Punjab 166-2 in 17.4 overs (P. Valthaty 75, A. Gilchrist 61; A. Mishra 2-28) by eight wickets.

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We will be crowd pleasers: Intikhab

Updated at: 1011 PST,  Sunday, April 17, 2011

VIEUX FORT: Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam has promised that Caribbean fans will be attracted to the style of play of the visiting Pakistani team.The Pakistanis made a quiet arrival in the Caribbean, when they touched down at the Hewanorra International Airport in the south of this island, but Alam said that belied the style of play fans can expect from his relatively young side."I have brought a very young side with me, and I am quite sure you are going to enjoy the type of cricket we are going to play," he said."On behalf of the team, I would like to thank everyone for the very warm welcome extended to us. It is always a pleasure to come to the Caribbean."I have been coming since 1958 and played against some of your greatest cricketers like Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, and the late Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell."I cherished their friendship, and whenever we met, we talked about old times. I have great regard for your cricketers, and look forward to the next few weeks on this trip."Pakistan contest a Twenty20 and five One-day Internationals, as well as two Tests against West Indies on their near six-week trip.Intikhab repeated his comments prior to his departure that Pakistan had the potential to be highly successful on their tour."The conditions in the West Indies have changed significantly in recent years, and so we believe we have the players to deal with the challenge, particularly our spinners," he said.The visitors open the tour with a limited-overs match against the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor's XI on Monday at the Mindoo Philip Park in the island's capital of Castries on the northern side of the island.St. Lucia also hosts a T20 between the Pakistanis and West Indies this coming Thursday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground, where the first two ODIs will be contested on Saturday, April 23 and Monday, April 25. (AFP)

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Senior players still part of WI setup: WICB

Updated at: 2259 PST,  Saturday, April 16, 2011

ST JOHN'S: Reports that senior players in the West Indies team may be dropped permanently have been greatly exaggerated, Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board Ernest Hilaire said Saturday. West Indies have excluded former captains Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, and Ramnaresh Sarwan, their three most capped players, from their squad for the first the opening exchanges in their home series against Pakistan, starting this coming week.The move has prompted ridicule in the Caribbean of the WICB, its selectors, and its selection policy, and has led to speculation that the days of Chanderpaul, Gayle, and Sarwan under the maroon cap are numbered. Emotions have been running so high that Frank Anthony, the sports minister in Guyana, the homeland of Chanderpaul and Sarwan, intends to write the WICB a stern letter questioning their selection policy. Neil Kumar, the director of the National Sports Council in Guyana, has also supported the minister, but he feels that Caribbean heads of government need to get more involved in the administration of the game in the region. Hilaire has defended the WICB's policy, and indicated that they intend to give as many untried players as possible exposure in international limited-overs matches in the next two years with the ultimate goal of winning both the 2014 World Twenty20 and the 2015 World Cup. (AFP)

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Illness forces change to WI's ODI squad

Updated at: 2130 PST,  Saturday, April 16, 2011

ST.JOHNS: An illness to rookie wicketkeeper/batsman Devon Thomas has prompted West Indies to make a change to their squad for the first two One-day Internationals against Pakistan. The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Saturday that the 21-year-old Thomas, who has played nine ODIs for the Caribbean side, has been diagnosed with chickenpox and has returned to his homeland of Antigua. Carlton Baugh Jr, the 28-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman from Jamaica, will replace Thomas in the 13-member squad. Baugh made a return to the side for the Test tour of Sri Lanka last November, and kept his place in the side until he was sidelined by a hamstring injury just ahead of the World Cup, which was recently staged in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. He has however, recovered from the setback, and was part of the home team's training camp at the West Indies High Performance Centre for the last two weeks in Barbados.Baugh has played 33 ODIs for the Caribbean side in a chequered international career, following his debut eight years ago. He is easily one of the most prolific wicketkeeper/batsmen in West Indies domestic competitions, but he has failed to transform that class into the international arena.The first ODIs between West Indies and Pakistan take place on Saturday, April 23 and Monday, April 25 at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in the island of St. Lucia.Revised West Indies squad: Darren Sammy (Captain), Dwayne Bravo (Vice Captain), Carlton Baugh, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, Anthony Martin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith

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Hussey helps Chennai beat Bangalore

Updated at: 2015 PST,  Saturday, April 16, 2011

CHENNAI: Michael Hussey cracked an unbeaten 83 off 56 balls to set up Chennai Super Kings' 21-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.The Australian hit one six and 11 fours as Chennai made 183-5 before restricting Bangalore to 162-7 for their second win in three matches in the Twenty20 tournament.Bangalore, who suffered their third defeat in four games, faltered in reply as they lost three wickets for 31 runs, including that of hard-hitting Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dishan for a duck.South African AB de Villiers top-scored for Bangalore with an impressive 44-ball 64, but received little support from the other end. Virat Kohli was the other main scorer with 35.De Villiers hit two sixes and five fours before being caught in the deep off compatriot Albie Morkel, who finished with 2-34. Sri Lankan off-spinner Suraj Randiv took 2-24 off four overs.Hussey, dropped twice during his brisk knock, earlier made the most of the chances to boost the innings after Chennai had elected to bat.He added 51 for the opening wicket with Murali Vijay and as many runs for the third wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Vijay made a 21-ball 31 with two sixes and three fours, while Dhoni contributed a 16-ball 22. Suresh Raina was the other notable run-getter, scoring 29 off 16 balls.Off-spinner Ryan Ninan and South Africa seamer Johan van der Wath grabbed two wickets apiece.

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