3rd Test Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sharjah,

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Opportunity for Pakistan to gain two places in ODI championship table

Pakistan has a chance to improve its ranking in the Reliance ICC ODI Championship when it goes head-to-head with World Cup finalist Sri Lanka in a five-match ODI series which starts at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Friday.Second-ranked Sri Lanka is presently sitting on 119 ratings points, just one ahead of world champion India, while sixth-ranked Pakistan trails fifth-ranked England by five ratings points.However, all this will change depending how the series between the Asian rivals pans out.If Pakistan wins the series 4-1, it will move ahead of England to fifth position on 108 ratings points - its best ranking since May 2009 - while Sri Lanka will drop to fourth position on 112 ratings points.A 5-0 victory will earn Pakistan nine ratings points which, in turn, will put it on 110 ratings points and fourth position on the championship table - its best since November 2008 - while Sri Lanka would slip to sixth position on 109 ratings points.In a sharp contrast, a 5-0 win for Sri Lanka will lift it to 123 ratings points - seven behind number-one ranked Australia - while a 4-1 win will earn it two rankings points. These are the only two scenarios where there will be no changes to the championship table as even a 3-2 win for Sri Lanka will mean it will slip down the ladder.A 3-2 series win will put Sri Lanka alongside India on 118 ratings points but when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point, India will be ranked second while Sri Lanka will be in third position.To find out exactly how Pakistan-Sri Lanka series will affect the Championship table, please click here. The ODI Championship table, unlike the Test Championship table, is updated after every match.In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara is the highest-ranked batsman from either side in seventh position. If the former Sri Lanka captain manages to display the same form he showed in the Test series, which helped him share the player of the series award with Saeed Ajmal, then he has a very good chance of moving as high as fifth.Other batsmen aiming for upward movements are Tillekeratne Dilshan (11th), Mahela Jayawardena (15th), Umar Akmal (17th), Angelo Mathews (35th), Mohammad Hafeez (38th), Younus Khan (41st), Upul Tharanga (43rd) and Shahid Afridi (48th).In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, Pakistan boasts four bowlers inside the top 30 with Saeed Ajmal in sixth spot, Shahid Afridi in 18th position, Umar Gul ranked 25th and Mohammad Hafeez in 29th place.For Sri Lanka, Lasith Malinga is the highest-ranked bowler in eighth position, 19 points behind Saeed Ajmal, while Suraj Randiv is 42nd.In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, fourth-ranked Hafeez and fifth-ranked Shahid Afridi have a good opportunity to gain one place each by moving ahead of third-ranked Jacques Kallis of South Africa.The ODI player rankings will next be updated on Thursday 24 November.

Series schedule:
11 Nov - First ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium
14 Nov - Second ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium
18 Nov - Third ODI (d/n), Dubai International Cricket Stadium
20 Nov - Fourth ODI (d/n), Sharjah Cricket Stadium
23 Nov - Fifth ODI (d/n), Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

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ICC should include Pakistan in corruption inquiry: Zaka Ashraf

LAHORE : Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Zaka Ashraf said Thursday the spot-fixing incident was unfortunate and the nation had been disgraced by Mohammed Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammed Amir. Speaking to the media at the National Cricket Academy, the PCB chairman said the ICC had been asked to include Pakistan in future corruption inquiries. Ashraf also commented on Shahid Afridi’s return to the national side and said the former captain was selected on the basis of talent.

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Proteas lose early wicket after Aussies all out for 284

CAPE TOWN : Australia captured an early South African wicket after stretching their first innings by 70 runs on the second day of the first Test at Newlands on Thursday.South Africa were 49 for one at lunch in reply to Australia's 284. Jacques Rudolph was bowled by Ryan Harris for 18.Australian captain Michael Clarke took his score to 151 before he was last man out in a frustrating morning for the South Africans.Clarke resumed on 107 with Australia precariously placed on 214 for eight at the start of play. Tailender Peter Siddle made 20 and supported Clarke in a ninth wicket stand of 59, the second best of the innings, as the last two wickets added 70 runs.South Africa paid the penalty for setting defensive fields to Clarke from the start, with Clarke edging Vernon Philander through a vacant second slip in the second over of the day.But after that let-off Clarke continued to play with the authority he displayed in salvaging his team's fortunes on the first day.Siddle was dropped on five when Imran Tahir put down a chance at backward point off Dale Steyn, who was unable to add to his wicket haul, finishing with four for 55.Siddle finally fell to Morne Morkel when he pushed a simple catch to AB de Villiers at cover after defying the bowlers for 73 minutes and 54 balls.Joined by last man Nathan Lyon, Clarke reached 150 for the fourth time in his Test career with a scorching straight drive off Morkel but then had his leg stump knocked out of the ground when he stepped away in an attempt to force the bowler to the off side.He had batted for 266 minutes, faced 176 balls and hit 22 fours. Having come in with his side in trouble at 40 for three he scored 151 of the 244 runs scored while he was at the crease.Rudolph, the leading scorer in South African domestic first-class cricket this season, looked in confident form at the start of the home team's innings but was stuck on his crease and bowled by a ball from Harris which cut back between his bat and pad.

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Australia lose openers cheaply in 1st Test against Proteas

CAPE TOWN: Australia lost both their opening batsmen cheaply after being sent in to bat on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at Newlands on Wednesday.Australia were 39 for two at lunch. Only 15 overs of play was possible after rain delayed the start by almost two hours, causing the hours of play to be pushed out by an hour.Dale Steyn had Shane Watson caught at second slip by Jacques Kallis for three and new cap Vernon Philander had Phil Hughes caught behind for nine.Shaun Marsh (17 not out) and Ricky Ponting (eight not out) saw the Australians through to lunch in seam-friendly conditions.Steyn took one for eight in five overs, while Philander, making his debut in his home city, shared the new ball and bowled a tight line to take one for 16 in six overs, which included an edged four by Hughes and a hooked six by Ponting from the only ball he dropped short.Philander, 26, was one of two new caps, with South Africa also selecting Pakistan-born leg-spinner Imran Tahir, 32.Australia made only one change from the side that beat South Africa A in a warm-up game last week with fast bowler Ryan Harris replacing Trent Copeland

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Pakistan, Sri Lanka revive one-day rivalry

DUBAI : Pakistan and Sri Lanka open their rivalrly in limited overs cricket as the five-match one-day series which begins here from Friday promises fierce competition from two talented sides.Pakistan won the preceding three-Test series 1-0, but their captain Misbah-ul Haq feared a strong comeback from the Sri Lankans, who are number two in the world to their opponent's sixth in ICC (International Cricket Council) rankings.Sri Lanka also finished runners-up to India in this year's World Cup, where Pakistan were the losing semi-finalists.Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the group stages of the 2011 World Cup and that's why Misbah feels both teams will start on an even keel.Sri Lanka are a very good one-day side, so we know we face good competition but we are focused and I believe it's a 50-50 game because if they reached the final of the World Cup, we were semi-finalists," said Misbah. The 37-year-old Misbah was appointed captain for all three formats of the game in June this year after Shahid Afridi retired in protest over being sacked as one-day captain.Afridi, who with 21 dismissals was the joint-leading wicket taker in the World Cup with India's Zaheer Khan, returns to the squad after reversing his retirement decision earlier this month.Misbah hoped Afridi's return will boost Pakistan."Afridi is a very good allrounder and whenever he plays he is a threat for the opponents," said Misbah of Afridi who holds the record of the fastest one-day hundred, made off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in 1997.But the 31-year allrounder will be under pressure to perform in both batting and bowling after a poor one-day series against the West Indies in May, following which he fell out with then coach Waqar Younis.Sri Lanka will also be boosted by the return of their sling-action paceman Lasith Malinga who earlier this year retired from Test cricket, but still poses big threats in limited over matches with his lethal yorkers.Lasith gives us good bowling support at the top and that is why we have a decent one-day team and had a good one-day series against Australia at home two months ago," said Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan.But Dilshan has no series wins as captain, both in Tests and one-day, since taking over from Kumar Sangakkara in May this year.The 35-year-old opener still believes his team carry some positives from the Test series.We can carry the positives from the Tests, our bowling is really experienced with Lasith and Dilhara (Fernando), both have played well and our batting is strong, so we have a good chance," said Dilshan.he remaining matches will be played in Dubai (November 14 and 18), Sharjah (November 20) and Abu Dhabi (November 23). The sides will also play a Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on November 25

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India beat West Indies in first Test

NEW DELHI : India posted a five-wicket victory over the West Indies on the fourth day of the opening Test in New Delhi on Wednesday to gain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Sachin Tendulkar (76) and Venkatsai Laxman (61 not out) scored half-centuries as India comfortably achieved the 276-run target to win the match with a day to spare.The second Test starts at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 14 West Indies 304 and 180; India 209 and 279-5.

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Second-ranked South Africa under pressure from India and Australia

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal and Misbah-ul-Haq achieve career-best rankings; Jacques Kallis just three points ahead of Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in batting tableChance for Steyn to become the 20th bowler ever to break the 900-point mark thresholdSouth Africa finds itself in a must-win situation in the much-awaited two-Test series against Australia, starting in Cape Town on Wednesday, if it wants to retain its number-two position in the Reliance ICC Test Championship table.South Africa trails top-ranked England by seven ratings points but leads third-ranked India, which is presently involved in a three-Test series against the West Indies, by just one rating point. Australia is sitting on 104 ratings points, five ahead of Sri Lanka whose lead against Pakistan was trimmed to just one ratings point after it lost the three-Test 1-0.The tight situation right at the top of the table means South Africa's failure to win the series against Australia will mean it will slip in the Championship table.A 1-0 series loss will leave South Africa on 112 ratings points while in case of a 2-0 series defeat the Proteas will join Australia on 110 ratings points but will be ranked above Michael Clarke's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.Graeme Smith's side, in contrast, can reduce the gap with England to just three ratings points if it wins both the Tests. South Africa's victory by a 1-0 margin will ensure it stay ahead of India irrespective of how India's series against the West Indies pans out.The maximum India can rise from its series against the West Indies is to 119 ratings points which it can only achieve if it wins all the three Tests. A 2-0 series win will put it on 118 ratings points while a 1-0 or 2-1 series win will keep it on 117 ratings points.To find out exactly how South Africa-Australia and India-West Indies series will affect the Championship table, please click here. The Test Championship table, unlike the ODI Championship table, is updated only after the end of the series.Meanwhile, in the Reliance ICC Test Player Rankings, which were updated on Tuesday morning after the conclusion of the Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka , Pakistan's spin magician Saeed Ajmal and captain Misbah-ul-Haq have achived career-best rankings while Kumar Sangakkara is now breathing down Jacques Kallis' neck.Saeed, who took 7-182 in the third Test, has climbed six places to occupy 10th position on the bowlers' chart. Saeed, who won the player of the series award, had started the series in 23rd position and has gained 13 places after managing 18 wickets in the series.Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul and Sri Lanka's fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara have also headed in the right direction. Umar, who had figures of 3-76 and 2-44, has returned to the top 20 in 17th position after climbing four places while Welegedara has been rewarded for his six wickets in the match with a rise of five places which has put him in 41st position.In the batting table, Kallis will have to perform in the Cape Town Test otherwise Sangakkara will claim the number-one position. The Sri Lanka left-hander, who shared the man of the series award with Saeed, earned 26 ratings points for his scores of 144 and 51 in Sharjah which has left him just three ratings points behind the elegant South Africa batsman.Misbah has become his country's highest-ranked batsman. His scores of 89 and nine not out have helped him jump four places and puts him one position ahead of Younus Khan in 13th spot.Apart from Kallis, South Africa boasts AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith inside the top 20 while Australia has only Mike Hussey sitting inside the top 20 in sixth position.Batsmen aiming for upward movements include Clarke (22nd), Shane Watson (26th), Ashwell Prince (31st), Ricky Ponting (32nd), Brad Haddin (38th), Mark Boucher (45th), Phil Hughes (50th), JP Duminy (92nd) and Usman Khawaja (111th).Dale Styen of South Africa leads the bowling table by a distance. He is 88 ratings points ahead of England's Graeme Swann but has the incentive of becoming only the 20th bowler in the history of the game to break the 900-point mark barrier. If he manages to gain the required one rating point, then he will become only the second South Africa bowler after Shaun Pollock to achieve the rare distinction.Steyn's team-mate Morne Morkel is in fourth position but trails third-ranked James Anderson of England by just four ratings points while Mitchell Johnson is Australia's highest-ranked bowler in ninth position and Peter Siddle is in 14th spot

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Afridi leaves for Dubai to join ODI series

DUBAI : Recalled Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi on Tuesday departed for Dubai to join One Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka.While talking to media at Karachi airport, Afridi showed confidence to hit his turbulent past six months for a big six, saying he wants to perform for the country and his fans.The 31-year-old all-rounder was recalled in Pakistan squad for the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka, starting in Dubai with the first game on Friday. Both teams will also play a Twenty20 international in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan won the three-Test series 1-0 on Monday.The popular hard-hitting batsman, who holds the world record of scoring the fastest one-day century -- off 37 balls made against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1997 said he is set to put aside all his problems.I think its all about cricket, its time to play and I don't want to involve myself in any other thing other than cricket, said Afridi.

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Ashwin, Tendulkar boost India victory hopes

NEW DELHI : Debutant Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed six wickets and Sachin Tendulkar completed 15,000 Test runs to boost India's hopes of winning the opening Test against the West Indies on Tuesday.Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 as India reached 152-2 in their second innings at stumps on the third day after being set a challenging 276-run target to win the match on a low, slow pitch.India now need 124 more runs to win the match with eight wickets in hand.Tendulkar, needing just one more century to score an unprecedented 100 international hundreds, completed 15,000 runs during his unbeaten 87-ball knock when he took a single off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.The master batsman, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, looked at the sky and raised his bat before being congratulated by team-mate Rahul Dravid (30 not out) and the West Indies players.The West Indies were bowled out for 180 in their second innings, with off-spinner Ashwin bagging 6-47.Ashwin, who took 3-81 in the first innings, finished the match with 9-128, the second-best match haul by an Indian debutant after leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani's 16-136 against the West Indies at Chennai in 1988.India got off to a brisk start as Virender Sehwag (55) and Gautam Gambhir (22) added 51 runs in 9.5 overs for the opening wicket before both were dismissed in the last session when looking well set.Gambhir fell leg-before to part-time off-spinner Marlon Samuels, but Sehwag continued to dominate the West Indies attack with aggressive shots before playing seamer Darren Sammy's delivery on to his stumps.Sehwag, dropped on 12 when paceman Ravi Rampaul failed to hold on to a return catch, hit two sixes and five fours in his run-a-ball knock.The West Indies were earlier reeling at 84-7 before managing to set a challenging target as they added 96 runs for their last three wickets, thanks to veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) and skipper Sammy (42).Chanderpaul, who cracked an impressive century in the first innings, and Sammy both counter-attacked to add 40 useful runs for the eighth wicket before falling to Ashwin in the space of six overs.Chanderpaul was trapped leg-before after hitting seven fours in his 58-ball knock while Sammy was bowled off a delivery that kept low.Sammy played some attractive shots during his 37-ball knock, once smashing fast bowler Ishant Sharma for a straight six.The Indian bowlers called the shots in the morning session when they captured five wickets for 88 runs after the West Indies had resumed at 21-2, with Ashwin and debutant seamer Umesh Yadav (2-36) doing the maximum damage.Ashwin trapped Darren Bravo leg-before for 12 runs and then bowled Samuels for no score in the same over.Sharma was the first to strike when he had nightwatchman Fidel Edwards (one) caught behind before Yadav dismissed Kirk Edwards (33) and wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh (seven).The tourists had gained a 95-run lead when they bowled India out for 209 in their first innings on Monday after posting 304

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India's Tendulkar hits 15,000th Test run

NEW DELHI : Sachin Tendulkar of India on Tuesday became the first batsman in history to score 15,000 Test runs even as he moved towards his 100th international century.Tendulkar, 38, achieved the feat when he reached 28 on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi.Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 and Rahul Dravid was on 30 as India, set a victory target of 276, reached 152-2 by stumps.The Mumbai batsman, playing his 182nd Test match, already holds the world record for most runs and centuries in both Test and one-day cricket.Tendulkar needs one more three-figure knock to become the first batsman to score 100 international hundreds. He has 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries so far.

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West Indies takes 95-run lead on Day 2

India's famed batting line-up suffered a stunning collapse as an inspired West Indies gained an edge by taking a vital 95-run first-innings lead in the first Test on Monday.After restricting West Indies to 304 all out, riding on Pragyan Ojha's career-best six for 72, the hosts' batting collapsed like a house of cards to be bundled out for a paltry 209 on an unpredictable Feroz Shah Kotla track on a day, which saw as many as 17 wickets fall.It was a combination of poor shot selection and some spirited bowling by the West Indies that saw India's high-profile batting-order crumble, though, many of them got the starts.Virender Sehwag (55), Rahul Dravid (54) and Gautam Gambhir (41) were the notable scorers for the hosts who found it difficult to negotiate the Kotla track, which offered variable bounce.Skipper Darren Sammy led the way with three for 35, while Ravi Rampaul and Devendra Bishoo chipped in with two wickets apiece. The visitors were 21 for two at close of an eventful second day's play, extending their overall lead to 116.Kirk Edwards was batting on 15 while night-watchman Fidel Edwards was yet to open his account as they managed to negotiate Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin after India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni started with spin from both ends.Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell were the two batsmen to be dismissed. With three full days left, India will seek to dismiss West Indies as quickly as possible to try and come back into the match.Earlier, Ojha's maiden five-for haul hastened the West Indies' slide from an overnight 256 for six. But India undid much of Ojha's good work in the first session.India's start was solid as openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir put on 89 runs in 12.3 overs. Both negotiated an eventful 25 minutes as India went to lunch at 39 for no loss in five overs.Gambhir survived a close lbw shout off Rampaul before Kirk Edwards dropped the left-hander at third slip off Fidel Edwards. And then, Sehwag escaped due to a no-ball by Edwards after the pacer breached through the opener's defence.But lady luck smiled on the visitors when Sammy ran out Gambhir off his own bowling in the 13th over of the innings. Gambhir's dismissal triggered a collapse that saw India lose four wickets, including the one of Sachin Tendulkar, who yet again missed out on an opportunity to record his 100th international ton.Dravid along with Yuvraj Singh (23 off 39) steadied the ship for a while by putting on 32 runs for the fifth wicket but the latter, seeking to establish his Test career, was once again guilty of throwing away his wicket when Sammy lured him with a ball that seemed to have stopped at the batsman.Yuvraj committed himself to the shot a tad too early, and Kirk Edwards did the rest at extra covers. The breakthrough West Indies were looking for came right after the tea break.Wickets of Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin only made matters worse for India. Ishant Sharma (17) tried to offer resistance during his eight-wicket 49-run stand with Dravid, but that did not prove to be enough. The session prior to tea too belonged to the West Indies.Apart from Tendulkar and Gambhir, they also sent back VVS Laxman and Sehwag. First up was Gambhir. Sammy got a finger to Sehwag's booming straight drive and the ball went on to hit the stumps on the runner's end, catching the southpaw well short of the crease.If luck played a part in Gambhir's dismissal, Sehwag's wicket was bizarre. The batsman's right foot was in the air while he tried to work the ball around his hip off leg-spinner Bishoo, and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh clipped the bails off in no time.Baugh was in fact on fire today, effecting four dismissals. That brought Tendulkar to crease, but the Kotla was stunned into silence in a matter of 25 minutes as the champion batsman made his way back to the dressing room after being rapped on the pads by a Fidel Edwards delivery.Credit must go to Sammy, who brought back his most lethal bowler after Tendulkar's arrival. Edwards looked hostile during that spell and returned with measly figures of five for one in as many quick overs.Tendulkar was followed by Laxman who was caught behind off Bishoo who was in the middle of a good spell at that point of time.Bishoo, however, got some stick from Yuvraj who smashed him straight down the ground for a six, and then followed that with two more boundaries.Earlier, continuing from where he had left on Sunday, Ojha picked up two wickets to his add to his overnight three and helped his team open the floodgates.While Ojha's effort was the primary reason behind the Wet Indies' slide, Ravichandran Ashwin played his part by chipping in with one to finish with figures of three for 81 in 27 overs, creditable enough for a debutant.Toiling hard on a track bereft of any movement or bounce, pace spearhead Ishant Sharma was rewarded when he found centurion Shivnarine Chanderpaul (118 off 196 balls; 7x4, 2x6) off guard with a sharp incoming delivery.There were some doubts over the decision by made Kumar Dharmasena, but TV replays showed that the ball would have gone on to the hit middle and leg.Umesh Yadav, another Indian playing in his first Test, though was a letdown, often straying down the leg. After Chanderpaul's dismissal, however, it was a matter of time before the West Indies innings folded up in 108.2 overs.Of his team's 442 minutes of batting, the Guyanese consumed 286 of them while facing 196 deliveries. Between the two, the new spin-twins of Ojha and Ashwin finished with figures of nine for 153.Introduced in the 99th over in place of Yadav, Ojha struck immediately removing overnight batsman Carlton Baugh with a ball that didn't turn as much as he had expected it to.Baugh's dismissal ended a 69-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Chanderpaul. After Ojha had Baugh trapped in front, the bowler did a repeat to send back West Indies skipper Darren Sammy with an arm ball that pitched around the middle stump for his maiden five-for in Test cricket.Making his debut against Sri Lanka in 2009, his previous best was four for 107

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Aamer shifted to seaside Prison Portland

LONDON: The teenage bowling sensation Muhamamd Aamer has been shifted from notorious Feltham Young Offenders Institution to a special secure rehabilitation centre for young people in Weymouth known as Her Majesty's Prison Portland, a seaside tourist attraction town in Dorset, England, it can be revealed.After being sentenced to 6 months detention (not imprisonment) on Thursday with fellow players Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif, who were both sent to the high security Wandsworth prison in South London, the young bowling genius was sent to Feltham Young Offenders Institution. The decision to send Aamer to Her Majesty's Prison Portland, which is located in the village of Easton, came after it was decided by the Prison Services' Youth Justice Board that the young bowlers deserved to be at a better rehabilitation centre with modern educational, recreational and teaching facilities with no stigma such as the one attached to the Feltham Young Offenders Institution. The Weymouth Young Offenders Institution is considered a youth hostel and one of the best rehabilitation centres for the 15-21 years old offenders convicted on various charges.A source told Geo News that Aamer will have every kind of facility at the centre where he can play sports, attend education classes, exercise at the gym, use internet and take part in charitable events after a month or so, including collecting money for the local charities. Aamer will, each week, receive up to 25 hours of education, skills and other activities, including programmes looking at improving the behaviour of the young inmates.A source told that Muhammad Aamer demonstrated extremely good behavior for the two days he spent at the rehabilitation centre. The news of his arrival at the Feltham Young Offenders Institution had spread like wildfire amongst the more than 750 under 21 years old young inmates at the prison even before he was sent there from the holding cells at the Southwark Crown Court on Thursday. According to a source at the institution, Aamer spent the first two nights in Bittern unit, where the 8 holding units are named after birds. He was given access to TV, games and telephone straight away.Aamer's quick relocation is a far cry from the notorious Feltham Young Offenders' Institution where a 19 years old Pakistani Zahid Mubarek was killed in March 2000 by a white racist psychopath Robert Stewart. The teenager was sent to Feltham Young Offenders Institution after being found guilty of stealing razors and interfering with a motor vehicle.Robert Stewart, a prolific offender from the Manchester area, attacked Zahid Mubarek when he was preparing to come home at the end of his sentence. Hours before his release, Stewart took a table leg and batters his cellmate. Seven days later, Zahid Mubarek died in hospital from his injuries. Stewart was charged with his murder and found guilty of murder and sentenced to life.A report by the Commission for Racial Equality seven years ago found "widespread racism" at the jail, with Black and Asian inmates subjected to bullying and unfavourable treatment by wardens. Sir David Ramsbotham, the chief inspector of prisons, said the prison was "rotten to the core". The report said inmates had not been encouraged to report cases of racial abuse, and only five or six had been reported every month, but since his report the number has increased to 50 or 60 per month.

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Pakistan win Sri Lanka Test series

SHARJAH : Pakistan clinched the three-Test series against Sri Lanka 1-0 after the third and final match ended in a draw at the Sharjah stadium here on Monday.Pakistan, set 255 runs to win in a possible of 61 overs, finished at 87-4, with Misbah-ul Haq unbeaten on nine and Asad Shafiq on four not out after losing four early wickets.Umpires called off play four overs earlier due to bad light.Pakistan won the second Test in Dubai by nine wickets, while the first Test in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw.Rain wiped out the pre-lunch session and when play resumed after two hours and 35-minute delay, Sri Lanka declared their second innings at 181-6 with opener Tharanaga Paranavitana unbeaten on 76.Saeed Ajmal took three and Umar Gul finished with two wickets

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Ajmal's late strikes keep third Test in balance

SHARJAH : Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took two wickets in an over to check Sri Lanka's victory bids on the fourth day of the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan at Sharjah stadium here on Sunday.The wily-spinner dismissed Angelo Mathews (13) and Kaushala Silva (nought) in the final hour to stop Sri Lanka who were on the right track after half-centuries by Tharanaga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara.Sri Lanka, aiming to level the three-Test series after losing the second Test in Dubai by nine wickets, will seek some quick runs early on Monday, with Paranavitana unbeaten on 66 and Kosala Kulasekera on four not out.They lead by 237 runs with five wickets intact on a weary pitch which helped the spinners as Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Abdul Rehman troubled the batsman with spin and deliveries that kept low.The first match in Abu Dhabi ended as a draw.Paranavitana, dropped on two and 25, batted valiantly to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt as they lost Tillakaratne Dilshan (four), Sangakkara (51) and Mahela Jayawardene (20) while in search for quick runs.Paranavitana has so far hit four boundaries and a six during his enterprising 156-ball knock.Paceman Umar Gul provided Pakistan with a quick breakthrough as he dismissed Dilshan, caught in the slip off the fifth ball of the innings.Sangakkara, who collected 516 runs from the six innings at an average of 86 in this series, added 75 for the second wicket with Paranavitana before he was caught off spinner Hafeez, causing a middle-order slump Jayaywardene also fell to Gul, trapped leg-before wicket.Earlier, left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegadara took his maiden five-wicket haul, finishing with 5-87 after Misbah-ul Haq missed his hundred by just 11 runs as Pakistan were dismissed for 340.The lanky paceman improved on his previous best of 4-87 he took against India at Ahmedabad in 2009.But despite Welegedara's effort, it was Misbah's fighting knock of 89 which brought Pakistan closer before the 37-year-old right-handed batsman fell 10 minutes before lunch, top edging a sweep off spinner Suraj Randiv.Misbah hit seven boundaries and a six during his 261-ball knock.He added an invaluable 47 runs for the ninth wicket with Saeed Ajmal (12 not out) after Pakistan lost Abdul Rehman off the last ball of the first over of the day, caught in the slips off Welegedara.It could have been worse for Pakistan if the Sri Lankan fielders had not dropped Misbah three times. Wicket-keeper Silva failed to grab a faint edge on a defensive push off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath when the batsman was on 57.Two runs later Misbah's uppish drive off Welegedara went between the hands off Angelo Mathews at mid-off and then at 67 Misbah was let off by Tharanga Paranavitana off the same bowler.The Pakistan captain took full advantage of the lapses, hitting Welegedara for a straight six and four to take his team's total past the 300 mark.In between Herath dismissed Gul for five, but Ajmal provided Misbah the much needed assistance to bring their team closer to the Sri Lankan total.Welegedara finished the innings when he bowled number 11 Junaid Khan for nought. Herath finished with 3-85.

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Judges blame PCB inaction for fixing

KARACHI: Pakistan's senior judges, who conducted match-fixing inquiries in the past, Sunday said their recommendations to check corruption in cricket were ignored and that led to the latest betting scandal.A British judge Thursday sentenced former captain Salman Butt to 30 months, fast bowler Mohammad Asif one year and Mohammad Aamer to six months for their roles in fixing last year's Test against England.Their agent Mazhar Majeed received a 32-month jail term.Pakistan conducted different inquiries on match fixing between 1994 and 2000 but the menace resurfaced during the tour of England last year.When the young cricketers see a lot of money in the game they get distracted and go out of their minds to earn," said Justice retired Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who conducted a comprehensive inquiry between 1998 to 2000.It was because of that I recommended the Pakistan Cricket Board to check players' assets from time to time, but no action was taken."Look at Aamer, he is so young and talented, but had there been a proper check on him this case would not have happened.Retired judge Fakhruddin Ibrahim said fixing was not new in international cricket."It's old and endemic disease," Ibrahim told BBC Urdu. "Too much money has made the game a business and too much corruption has come in, and that's not confined to Pakistan only. It's a problem in India as well and other countries.Ibrahim led the 1995 one-man commission to investigate allegations by Australian trio of Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh, who blamed then captain Salim Malik for offering a bribe to underperform during their tour of Pakistan.Ibrahim absolved Malik of all charges due to lack of evidence after the Australian trio refused to give their statements to the inquiry in Pakistan."PCB needs to make this current case an example, but the problem is that the appointments in the PCB are also political and merit is not followed so such problems surface," said Ibrahim.Justice Qayyum recorded the trio's statement in Australia and banned Malik and paceman Ata-ur Rehman.It also fined former captains Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mushtaq Ahmed and Akram Raza.Another judge Ijaz Yousuf said he recommended certain players to be banned in 1998."We conducted an inquiry and recommended that some players be banned and a new team be made, but that was never implemented," said Yousuf.

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Sri Lanka boost lead in third Test against Pakistan

SHARJAH: Sri Lanka increased their overall lead to 141 after losing an early wicket on the fourth day of the third and final Test against Pakistan at Sharjah Stadium here on Sunday.Sri Lanka, aiming to level the three-Test series after losing the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai, moved to 68-1 at tea after losing skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan in their second innings.At the break, Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 43 and opener Tharanga Paranavitana was 19 not out, as Sri Lanka look to score faster and set a target for Pakistan to force a result.Pakistan lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai. The first Test in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw.Earlier, left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegadara took his maiden five-wicket haul, finishing with 5-87 after Misbah-ul Haq missed his hundred by just 11 runs as Pakistan were dismissed for 340.Sri Lanka had made 413 in their first innings.The lanky paceman improved on his previous best of 4-87 he took against India at Ahmedabad in 2009.But despite Welegedara's effort, it was Misbah's fighting knock of 89 which brought Pakistan closer before the 37-year-old right-handed batsman fell 10 minutes before lunch, top edging a sweep off spinner Suraj Randiv.Misbah hit seven boundaries and a six during his 261-ball knock.He added an invaluable 47 runs for the ninth wicket with Saeed Ajmal (12 not out) after Pakistan lost Abdul Rehman off the last ball of the first over of the day, caught in the slips off Welegedara.It could have been worse for Pakistan if the Sri Lankan fielders had not dropped Misbah three times. Wicket-keeper Kaushal Silva failed to grab a faint edge on a defensive push off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath when the batsman was on 57.Two runs later Misbah's uppish drive off Welegedara went between the hands off Angelo Mathews at mid-off and then at 67 Misbah was let off by Tharanga Paranavitana off the same bowler.The Pakistan captain took full advantage of the lapses, hitting Welegedara for a straight six and four to take his team's total past the 300 mark.In between Herath dismissed Umar Gul for five, but Ajmal provided Misbah the much needed assistance to bring their team closer to the Sri Lankan total.Welegedara finished the innings when he bowled number 11 Junaid Khan for nought. Herath finished with 3-85.

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Brathwaite, Chanderpaul steady Windies

NEW DELHI : Teenager Kraigg Brathwaite and veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit half-centuries to steady the West Indies on the opening day of the first Test against India on Sunday.Brathwaite, who turns 19 next month, was unbeaten on 61 and Chanderpaul on 55 not out as the tourists reached 159-3 at tea in their first innings after winning the toss.Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha bagged two wickets in the first session and debutant off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin one in the second to reduce the West Indies to 72-3 before Brathwaite and Chanderpaul added 87 runs.Chanderpaul hit the first six of the match when he lofted Ashwin over long-on. He also cracked four boundaries in his 88-ball knock for his 57th Test half-century.Brathwaite batted patiently for four hours, having so far hit only four boundaries in his 196-ball knock for his second Test half-century.Ojha, playing his first Test in a year, put pressure on the West Indies when he trapped opener Kieran Powell (14) leg-before in his second over and then held a return catch to dismiss Kirk Edwards (15).Ashwin got his maiden Test wicket when he dismissed Darren Bravo, who was bowled while attempting to cut in the first over after the lunch-break.Bravo, who smashed 195 in his previous Test innings against Bangladesh in Dhaka last week, contributed 12 runs.Ojha, who was pressed into the attack after just nine overs, had an opportunity to remove Powell in his opening over but failed to hold on to a return catch. But the batsman fell in the next over.Ojha has so far conceded just 30 runs in his 20 tight overs.India went into the opening Test of a three-match series with two pacemen, Ishant Sharma and debutant Umesh Yadav, and as many spinners, Ashwin and Ojha Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, needs just one hundred to complete an unprecedented 100 international centuries.The remaining two Tests will be played in Kolkata and Mumbai.

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Windies struggle against India as Ojha strikes

NEW DELHI : Pragyan Ojha grabbed two quick wickets as India reduced the West Indies to 69-2 at lunch on the opening day of the first Test at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.The left-arm spinner, playing his first Test in a year, trapped opener Kieran Powell (14) leg-before in his second over and then held a return catch to dismiss Kirk Edwards (15) after the tourists won the toss.Opener Kraigg Brathwaite was unbeaten on 29 at the break with Darren Bravo (10 not out).Ojha, who pressed into the attack after just nine overs, had an opportunity to remove Powell in his opening over but failed to hold on to a return catch. But the batsman fell in the next over.The Indian spinner kept testing the batsmen in his opening spell, having so far conceded just 14 runs off 10 overs.India went into the opening Test of a three-match series with two pacemen, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav, and as many spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ojha.Ashwin and Yadav made their Test debuts.Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, needs just one hundred to complete an unprecedented 100 international centuries.The remaining two Tests will be played in Kolkata and Mumbai

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Pakistan all out for 340 to give Sri Lanka 73-run lead

SHARJAH: Left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegadara took his maiden five-wicket haul to help Sri Lanka take an invaluable 73-run lead over Pakistan on the fourth day of the third Test on Sunday.The 30-year-old fast bowler finished with 5-87 after Misbah-ul Haq missed his hundred by just 11 runs as Pakistan were dismissed for 340 in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings score of 413 in the match at Sharjah stadium.The lanky paceman improved on his previous best of 4-87 he took against India at Ahmedabad in 2009.But despite Welegedara's effort, it was Misbah's fighting knock of 89 which brought Pakistan closer before the 37-year-old right-handed batsman fell 10 minutes before lunch, top edging a sweep off spinner Suraj Randiv.Misbah hit seven boundaries and a six during his 261-ball knock.He added an invaluable 47 runs for the ninth wicket with Saeed Ajmal (12 not out) after Pakistan lost Abdul Rehman off the last ball of the first over of the day, caught in the slips off Welegedara.It could have been worse for Pakistan if the Sri Lankan fielders had not dropped Misbah three times. Wicket-keeper Kaushal Silva failed to grab a faint edge on a defensive push off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath when the batsman was 57.Two runs later Misbah's uppish drive off Welegedara went between the hands off Angelo Mathews at mid-off and then at 67 Misbah was let off by Tharanga Paranavitana off the same bowler.The Pakistan captain took full advantage of the lapses, hitting Welegedara for a straight six and four to take his team's total past the 300 mark.In between Herath dismissed Umar Gul for five, but Ajmal provided Misbah the much needed assistance to bring their team closer to the Sri Lankan total.Welegedara finished the innings when he bowled number 11 Junaid Khan for nought. Herath finished with 3-85.Pakistan lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai. The first Test in Abu Dhabi ended in a draw.

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