India challenge excites Waqar

Updated at: 0946 PST,  Thursday, March 24, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis relishes the prospect of playing the last two matches in India to win the World Cup as his team continued its ruthless march in the tournament.Pakistan, led from the front by inspirational captain Shahid Afridi, crushed the West Indies by 10 wickets on Wednesday to advance to their first semi-final since 1999.The easy win set up a potentially explosive semi-final against arch-rivals India in Mohali on March 30, if the co-hosts beat defending champions Australia in Ahmedabad later on Thursday.Waqar said it would be "awesome" if Pakistan was to play India for a place in the final at the Wankhede stadiun in Mumbai on April 2."I would love to play India in India," the fast bowling great said. "There is no bigger rivalry in the game than that. We have not played each other in our own country in recent years."So it should be very exciting. The two are cricket-loving countries. If it happens it will be awesome."Waqar said it did not matter whether they play the semi-final against India, or Australia whom they beat by four wickets in the league to end the defending champions' unbeaten 34-match streak in the World Cup."I have no preference whom we play," he said. "We have to concentrate on what we have to do."All I know is that we are going to be playing in India. There will be a lot of pressure. Not only on us, but probably on the other side as well. Whoever holds their nerves better will come out on top."Waqar was delighted at the emphatic win over the West Indies, and hoped more such games were to follow."A comfortable win is always a good thing," he said. "Hopefully we will get another comfortable win. That's the aim. But we know our opponents are going to be a lot stronger."Waqar was not worried his team may not get the kind of support in India that came its way in the league in Sri Lanka or in Dhaka on Wednesday."Hopefully there will be a few people coming across the border from Lahore and they'll be supporting us in Mohali," he said."I know it won't be like what we got here in Dhaka or in Sri Lanka. That was amazing. The people were right behind us. When we played against Sri Lanka, the crowd was not with us. So we are really comfortable with that."Look, we have to go wherever the tournament takes us. Mohali or Mumbai, we have to play the best we can."Afridi's 4-30 against the West Indies took his tally as the tournament's leading wicket-taker to 21, but Mohammad Hafeez stole the show with his all-round display.The off-spinner, asked to share the new ball with Umar Gul, picked up two early wickets and then hit an unbeaten 61 off 64 balls in the company of opening partner Kamran Akmal (47 not out)"Hafeez is a smart cricketer," the coach said. "He is very confident when it comes to bowling. He has got such self-belief that whenever he is given the ball, he delivers."Bowling was never the issue in this tournament for us, it was the batting. We struggled with the openers, so it was really pleasing to see them getting runs." (AFP)

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Updated at: 1901 PST,  Wednesday, March 24, 2011
hile terming an India-Pakistan contest as the biggest rivalry in the world, Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis sought to keep his emotions in check ahead of a potential World Cup semifinal clash between the sub-continental giants.Pakistan, who drubbed the West Indies by 10 wickets in the first quarterfinal here on Wednesday, will now travel to Mohali where they await the winners of the second last-eight match between India and Australia in Ahmedabad on Thursday. “It’s just a game and not a war, so just treat it like sport,” Younis emphasised when asked if he would challenge India now. “Don’t put words into my mouth and I will not get into this kind of act. India will do everything in their hands to do well as do we, and so far as not winning a match (against India in a World Cup) is concerned, even Australia hadn’t lost a match for 34 games but eventually they did,” he pointed out.“There is no security issue,” said Younis when asked if his team had any concern going to India. “I don’t see any big reason to be wary about. When we went there in 1999 then things were not that normal but now the situation is quite alright, things are smooth. It’s good to go to your neighbouring country and play some competitive cricket. As of now we are happy to be going to India,” he remarked.Pakistan had the capacity crowd rooting for them here, but the scenario would be quite different in India. “We have to concentrate on what we have to do,” he noted. “We are going to Mohali and hopefully we will have people coming in from Lahore and other parts. We won’t have a support like here but we will definitely have some sort of support there. But we have to go wherever the tournament takes us. Whether it’s Mohali or Mumbai, wherever we go we have to play our best,” he reasoned.Personally, Younis said, he would like to see an India-Pakistan match. “I haven’t spoken to my team yet about it, but if you ask me, I would love to see an India-Pakistan face-off,” he stated. “I don’t think there is a bigger rivalry than India-Pakistan. Yes we do hear about the Ashes and other clashes, but India-Pakistan is different. I don’t think so far there has been a proper recognition of the magnitude of the rivalry between the two nations. The fact that both the countries haven’t played each other for a while now only adds to its interest,” he explained.

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World Cup: India vs Australia is mini-final, mega contest

Updated at: 1901 PST,  Wednesday, March 24, 2011

It is cricket’s equivalent of Brazil vs Germany or Italy vs Argentina in a football World Cup — a high voltage contest. India vs Australia is the match of the quarterfinals, nay match of the championship. Not for nothing Tim Nielsen says it is a mini-final.So evenly are the teams stacked up, separating them will be exercising in futility. A shot, a throw, a wide or a dot ball can decide the outcome of the contest. “We’ll have to be on our toes for 100 overs,” said Ricky Ponting. MS Dhoni concurred, stating that his side cannot afford a blink. One moment of lapse can change game on its axis. A humdinger is on the cards at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera on Thursday.On the eve of the game, the teams’ approach was that of cultivated pragmatism than overt show of bravado. The fear of failure was all too evident among the captains as was the realisation of magnitude of the contest and enormity of the job at hand. There were no mind games nor high decibel rhetoric. ‘We want our cricket to do the talking’ was the general refrain of Dhoni and Ponting.Coming into the match, neither side has exactly justified their billing — the build-up has not been the way they would have expected. The top two one-day teams in the world have been rather lacklustre in the group stage, having managed only one win each over a major team. Australia, in particular, have been scrappy, with Ponting providing fodder for his critics with a string of poor scores. The team has not even shown the typical aggression it is known for. This is very unlike an Australian team.“We’ll play the Australian way and let our cricket do all the talking,” said Ponting with more hope than conviction. Dhoni was cautiously optimistic that his batsmen will be able to curb their avarice and prevent another meltdown in the batting powerplay.

“We’ll not try to go for the broke,” said the India skipper. “We’ll keep smaller targets in mind. Controlling emotions will be a big factor, but I think most of the Indian cricketers are good at it. We win some and we lose some.”One of the big sideshow of the second quarterfinal will be the appearance of Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar in a World Cup game. One of them will have played his last game in the World Cup by Thursday night. Ponting said the contest is not about two individuals but about two teams and then hastened to add that 100 international centuries will be an incredible effort. “We will make sure that he doesn’t get it tomorrow,” the Australia skipper said.Whether or not Tendulkar gets 100th century, India will be looking for a substantial contribution from the Little Master, particularly because of the uncertainty over the availability of Virender Sehwag for the game. A lot will depend on how India start — in both batting and bowling — which means performance of Sehwag (if he is fit) and Tendulkar will be crucial to the team’s chances.Australians have said that they have plans in place for the key Indian batsmen and bowlers. A lot will depend on how these players, particularly the openers, will handle the barrage of short balls from Brett Lee & Co. India, sure, are not a one or a two-batsman team but Dhoni will need his premier batters to get going. When Lionel Messi fires, Argentina’s chances of winning becomes

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Pakistan outplay Windies to storm into semis

Updated at: 1900 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan thrashed West Indies by ten wickets to move into the World Cup semi-finals here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Wednesday.Chasing an easy target of 113 runs, openers Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez completed the Pakistan victory without being separated, in just 20.5 overs.Kamran contributed 47 and Hafeez 61 as both made 113 runs together, Pakistan’s biggest opening stand of this tournament.Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, the West Indies could not resist against the Pakistan spin attack, led by Shahid Afridi, and were bundled out for 112 in 43.3 overs.Leg-spinner Afridi, already the tournament's leading wicket-taker, took his tally to 21 as he finished with four for 30, including two wickets off successive balls.Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets each for 16 and 18, respectively, while pacers Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq took a wicket each.Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul, brought back to the team after being dropped in the previous match against India, was the only batsman to defy the spinners with a dour unbeaten 44 off 106 balls Except Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan (24) and Kemar Roach (16), no West Indian batsman could get into double figuresThe West Indies were reduced to 71-8 before a 40-run stand between Chanderpaul and Roach, which helped the former champions surpass their lowest World Cup total of 93 against Kenya in Pune in 1996.The West Indies never recovered from the disastrous start when they lost three top batsmen, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith and Darren Bravo, by the sixth over.Gayle, returning to the side after recovering from an abdominal strain, made eight when he drove Umar Gul to mid-off where Afridi accepted the catch.Hafeez, who shared the new ball with Gul, trapped Smith and Bravo leg-before in the space of four deliveries to open up the middle-order.Shell-shocked by the early reverses, the West Indies groped to 36-3 after 15 overs, with Chanderpaul making just three runs off his first 27 deliveries.Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul put on 42 for the fourth wicket before Afridi destroyed the innings with three wickets in 11 balls.Sarwan, dropped by Gul at mid-off when he was on 14, added 10 more to his score before Afridi gained revenge by having him caught at point by Umar Akmal.

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Lorgat happy with Mumbai as final venue

Updated at: 1816 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

AHMEDABAD: ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has defended Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium as the venue for the World Cup final, saying it could provide the perfect setting for a Sachin Tendulkar "fairytale".The climax to world cricket's showpiece takes place on April 2 at the 33,000 capacity Wankhede rather than at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, which can seat 63,000.India great Tendulkar has 99 international hundreds heading into the co-hosts' quarter-final with Aus on Thursday.But Lorgat appears to want him to delay the landmark 100thcentury."Can you imagine a fairytale ending with Sachin Tendulkar getting a hundred in the final and India wins at Wankhede which is his home ground?," said Lorgat on Wednesday."And the fact of the matter is, no matter what the number, we haven't got sufficient tickets."Mumbai is the home town of ICC president Sharad Pawar and the way tickets for the final have been distributed has proved controversial, with some 20,000 going to clubs linked to the Mumbai Cricket Association and 8,500 to the ICC.This World Cup has seen repeated instances of Indian police baton-charging fans in a bid to control frantic crowds queuing for scarce tickets.

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Pakistan bowl Windies out for 112

Updated at: 1643 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan dismissed West Indies for 112 runs in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Wednesday.After captain Darren Sammy won the toss, for the first time in the tournament, and decided to bat first, West Indies could not resist against the Pakistan spin attack, led by Shahid Afridi, and were all out in 43.3 overs, giving Pakistan an easy target of 113 Leg-spinner Afridi, already the tournament's leading wicket-taker, took his tally to 21 as he finished with four for 30, including two wickets off successive balls.Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets each for 16 and 18, respectively, while pacers Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq took a wicket each.Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul, brought back to the team after being dropped in the previous match against India, was the only batsman to defy the spinners with a dour unbeaten 44 off 106 balls.Except Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan (24) and Kemar Roach (16), no West Indian batsman could get into double figures The West Indies were reduced to 71-8 before a 40-run stand between Chanderpaul and Roach, which helped the former champions surpass their lowest World Cup total of 93 against Kenya in Pune in 1996.The West Indies never recovered from the disastrous start when they lost three top batsmen, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith and Darren Bravo, by the sixth over.Gayle, returning to the side after recovering from an abdominal strain, made eight when he drove Umar Gul to mid-off where Afridi accepted the catch.Hafeez, who shared the new ball with Gul, trapped Smith and Bravo leg-before in the space of four deliveries to open up the middle-order.Shell-shocked by the early reverses, the West Indies groped to 36-3 after 15 overs, with Chanderpaul making just three runs off his first 27 deliveries.Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul put on 42 for the fourth wicket before Afridi destroyed the innings with three wickets in 11 balls.Sarwan, dropped by Gul at mid-off when he was on 14, added 10 more to his score before Afridi gained revenge by having him caught at point by Umar Akmal.The Pakistan captain then removed potential dangerman Kieron Pollard (one), caught behind by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, and claimed Devon Thomas leg-before first ball.Darren Sammy prevented a hat-trick, but the West Indian skipper lasted only three deliveries before he was leg-before to Ajmal.Ajmal also bowled new batsman Davendra Bishoo later in the same over to continue the West Indies slide.The winners of this tie will face either India or Australia in the semi-finals.

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Individual brilliance gives West Indies hope

Updated at: 0943 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

MUMBAI: Players who can transform a game with bat or ball through vintage Caribbean brilliance represent West Indies' best opportunity of upsetting Pakistan in Wednesday's opening World Cup quarter-final in Dhaka.Pakistan bring skilled spinners, experience and a rare victory over defending champions Australia to Bangladesh at a tournament set to increasingly favour the sub-continental contenders as the temperatures soar.To combat the pre-match favourites, West Indies plan to recall Chris Gayle and Kemar Roach after injury and illness while the obdurate Shivnarine Chanderpaul is expected to return to the middle order.Gayle can make a mockery of any bowling attack with his reach and his power while Roach is fast and hostile in the best traditions of the great Barbados fast bowlers.West Indies captain Darren Sammy told reporters on Tuesday that West Indies were looking forward to a return to the city where they comprehensively defeated Bangladesh in the first round.He said Gayle and Roach had played a full part in practice while Chanderpaul was likely to return after he was dropped following a form slump.Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi made his name as a limited overs dasher who still holds the world record for the fastest one-day century.Now his role is primarily that of an attacking leg-spinner, whose 17 wickets in the tournament is the highest so far.Pakistan will need all the runs they can get with a semi-final against India in Ahmedabad looming if they beat West Indies and Afridi is conscious that he must start to perform after looking like a novice with the bat."I will be more focused," he promised. "I know how important my batting is for my team." (Reuters)

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Pakistan on rampage against Windies

Updated at: 1442 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan bowlers demolished the West Indies three top-order batsmen as the opponents are reeling at 18 for three in their first ten overs in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on
Wednesday.After captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat, West Indies openers Chris Gayle and Devon Smith opened the innings, with two fours in two overs but pacer Umar Gul got an early breakthrough dismissing Gayle, caught at mid-off by captain Shahid Afridi for eight and in the next over off-break bolwer Mohammad Hafeez struck twice getting Smith out, lbw for seven and Darren Bravo, lbw for first ball duck.The West Indies could make only 16 runs during the powerplay in the first five overs and then could score just two in the next five.Gul claimed one wicket for eleven and Hafeez two for seven in their five overs each as experienced batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are at the crease 2 and nought.

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West Indies win toss, elect to bat against Pakistan

Updated at: 1306 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat first against Pakistan in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Wednesday.This is for the first time that the West Indies has won the toss in a World cup match.The winners of the match will face either India or Australia in the semi-finals.The West Indies welcomed back opener Chris Gayle and fast bowler Kemar Roach, who both missed the last league match against India due to injury and illness respectively.Also included was veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the West Indies omitted left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn, fast bowler Andre Russell and batsman Kirk Edwards.Pakistan made one change from their winning combination against Australia, bringing in off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in place of left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman.Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul, Devendra Bishoo.Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) and Steve Davis (AUS), TV umpire: Daryl Harper (AUS)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

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WC Cricket: Ajmal may be option to counter WI

Updated at: 0604 PST,  Wednesday, March 23, 2011

DHAKA: On the eve of what is Pakistan’s biggest World Cup game since their forgettable appearance in the 1999 final at Lord’s, Pakistan’s players sat over the dinner table at the Sheraton here on Tuesday and vowed to give their best in the quarterfinal clash against West Indies.They received a motivational talk from coach Waqar Younis and Shahid Afridi and later the captain said that the ‘boys are ready for the big game’.“For most of our players, it’s the biggest game of their lives,” Afridi told ‘The News’. “They all know how important this World Cup is for our cricket and for our country and they are all pumped up to give their very best tomorrow,” he stressed.Pakistan were thrashed by Australia in the 1999 World Cup final that turned out to be a huge mismatch and later the Greenshirts flopped miserably in the 2003 and 2007 editions.But this time, when not many gave them much chance, Pakistan have been at their brilliant best and enter the quarterfinals after clinching the top spot in Pool A ahead of co-hosts Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia.“I have played for 14 years and never seen the team train so seriously and focus on their game,” Afridi said while speaking at a press conference here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. “The entire team is together in the dream to do well in the World Cup.“Our aim at the start was to make the semifinals and I am confident we can achieve that. The expectations back home are high and we are determined not to let our supporters down.”Afridi is looking forward to stick to the ‘winning combination’ that helped the team beat Zimbabwe and Australia in the last couple of games but at the dinner meeting the idea of bringing in off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was seriously discussed.Pakistan team’s think-tank believes that Ajmal can help tackle the four left-handers in the West Indian top order. Ajmal, they believe could be even more useful that left-armer Abdur Rehman, who is likely to sit out of the last-eight clash.Afridi, however, refrained from confirming it saying that a final decision will taken this morning.He made it clear that Pakistan’s won’t be taking anything for granted.“We will not take the West Indies lightly. Any team is capable of winning on their day, there are no second chances in a knock-out match. I think they are a very good side.”Afridi is urging his batters to get their acts together.“Our success so far has been entirely due to the bowlers, who have done a very good job,” said Afridi. “I myself have not batted well and will focus on that tomorrow.”Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and is Pakistan’s top scorer in the event. Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq scored prolifically when the event began but didn’t make any big contributions in the last three games.The skipper promised he will do better with the bat after contributing just 65 runs in the last six games. “I know how important my batting is for the team and I will try to get some runs on the board.”Afridi made it clear that he and his team is just focusing on today’s game, stressing that he is not concerned about a possible semifinal clash against old rivals India. “Our entire focus is on winning the quarterfinal, I am not even thinking of the next match, whether it is India or Australia,” he said.West Indies bowled out Bangladesh for just 58 on their way to a nine-wicket triumph here at Shere Bangla in a group match but Afridi made it clear that the result has no significance ahead of the quarterfinal.“That was Bangladesh, this is Pakistan,” he said. “It’s not that we are playing for the first time in these conditions. We feel at home anywhere in the sub-continent.”West Indies have lost five of their last six matches against Pakistan and have won only three of their last 16 matches since 2005.Teams (likely):Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas (wk), Andre Russell, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach, Devendra Bishoo.

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Pakistan to stick with winning combination

Updated at: 1731 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DHAKA: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi indicated on Tuesday he would retain the side who defeated Australia in the World Cup group stages for Wednesday's quarter-final against West Indies.Pakistan took the field for the Australia match without fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and opened the bowling with left-armer Abdur Rehman as the defending champions were beaten for the first time at a World Cup since 1999."We want to go with the winning combination. We will see, but I think we are happy with this winning combination," Afridi told a news conference.Afridi said the victory over Australia had given the 1992 champions a welcome confidence boost before the knockout stages."We worked hard before this World Cup. We are taking the practice sessions very seriously," he said. "I think we are feeling more confident now, it's a good sign before the quarter-final."Afridi paid tribute to his bowlers, signalling out pace bowler Umar Gul for particular praise."He was struggling a little bit with his ankle before but I think he is 100 percent fit," Afridi said."He is doing a great job with the ball, especially with the new ball."

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Pakistan take on Windies in 1st Q-final

Updated at: 1413 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DHAKA: Struggling West Indies need look no further than their manager Richie Richardson for inspiration when they clash with buoyant Pakistan in the World Cup quarter-final on Wednesday.Richardson was captain when the West Indies overturned the form book in the 1996 quarter-final in Karachi and stunned South Africa, who had come through the league phase unbeaten.Brian Lara smashed 111 off 94 balls to fashion a 19-run victory and a similar effort from Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo or Kieron Pollard could upset Pakistan's applecart."Anything can happen in the knock-outs, you don't get a second chance," said the 49-year-old Richardson, who took over as manager for a two-year term in January."Every one starts on an equal footing."Darren Sammy's men will need a desperate last fling at a time when they seem to be falling apart after two inexplicabe defeats against England and India from dominant positions.They were on the brink of victory against England when, chasing a modest target of 244, they were comfortably placed at 222-6 before losing their last four wickets for three runs.Against India on Sunday, they caved in again as eight wickets fell for 34 runs after they were 154-2 and lost by 80 runs.The West Indies, who have now lost 18 successive matches against the leading nations, cannot afford another defeat.All is, however, not over yet for the West Indies.They return to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka where they shot out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 in the league to romp home by nine wickets in a match that ended in under two hours.Gayle and key fast bowler Kemar Roach are set to return after missing the India game, the former with a abdominal strain and Roach due to illness.Pakistan, in contrast, have been the revelation of the tournament by topping Group A with five wins in six matches.Shahid Afridi's Pakistan broke three-time defending champions Australia's unbeaten streak of 34 World Cup matches with a four-wicket win in Colombo on Saturday.It was just the tonic Pakistan needed after being stripped of big-time cricket at home due to security concerns in their volatile nation and tainted by an unsavoury spot-fixing scandal.The absence of former captain Salman Butt and pace spearheads Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif due to the controversy was not felt as the team rallied superbly under their inspirational captain.All-rounder Afridi is the tournament's leading bowler with 17 wickets with his fastish leg-breaks, while seamer Umar Gul has kept the pressure on at the other end with 13 wickets.Afridi may have failed with the bat so far with just 65 runs in six games, but young guns Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq have shone brightly in their first World Cup.Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and Shafiq averages 124 in the two games he has played so far, while seasoned seniors like Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan have lent solidity to the middle-order.Team manager Intikhab Alam, who was coach when Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup under Imran Khan, was delighted with his side's performance so far.The former captain attributed the success to "self-belief, fitness and high energy levels.""We are peaking at the right time," Intikhab said.World Cup teams:Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Ahmed Shahzad.Coach: Waqar Younis (PAK)West Indies: Darren Sammy (capt), Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kieron Pollard, Devon Thomas, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Kirk Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Devendra Bishoo.Coach: Ottis Gibson (WIS)Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Steve Davis (AUS)
TV umpire: Daryl Harper (AUS)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)Match start:0830 GMTPitch conditions: A slow, sluggish wicket that hinders strokeplay but provides equal opportunities for both seamers and spinners.Pakistan v West Indies head to head:Matches: 114Pakistan wins: 48West Indies wins: 64Tied: 2First meeting: June 11, 1975, Birmingham - West Indies won by one wicket.Last meeting: September 23, 2009, Johannesburg - Pakistan won by five wickets

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India poised for Pakistan semi-final

Updated at: 1359 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

MUMBAI: An India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final is the most appetising prospect to emerge from a month of preliminary matches which otherwise served primarily to confirm the identity of a predictable final eight.Pakistan and West Indies open the quarter-finals in Dhaka on Wednesday with the winners drawn against the victors of the India versus Australia match in Ahmedabad on the following day.South Africa and New Zealand meet in Dhaka on Friday before Sri Lanka host England in Colombo on Saturday in the battle for the second semi-final spot.Anxious to avoid an early exit for any of the leading contenders after India and Pakistan flew home early from the 2007 tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) pitched the 14 teams into a round-robin first round format."We trying to ensure we give every team the best opportunity of remaining in the competition and not losing out just because of one bad game so that the best do go through," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said before the start of the tournament on Feb. 19.The ICC, the television networks and the sponsors got their wish in a tournament which, after finally reaching the knockout stages, now looks the most open since 1999.Australia, aiming for a fourth consecutive title, are not the force of previous tournaments, losing a World Cup match for the first time in 12 years when they were deservedly beaten by Pakistan in the first round.India have a nation willing them to success in the Mumbai final on April 2. But their collective temperament has been questioned after they emerged with only one point from their matches against England and South Africa despite centuries on both occasions to the peerless Sachin Tendulkar.BEST-BALANCED SIDESouth Africa's belief that this may at last be their year after a history of underachievement in the tournament is based on a fine pace attack, able spin bowling, solid batting and their customary slick fielding. They are also the only team to have bowled out their opponents each time in the group stages.Sceptics, though, point to their failure to overhaul a modest target against England as evidence of a continued fallibility under pressure.England, who have looked at times physically and mentally spent since their Ashes heroics, lost to Ireland and Bangladesh but emphasised their fighting spirit under Andrew Strauss in a tie with India and victories over South Africa and West Indies.Winning in Colombo against the 1996 champions still looks like a step too far after Sri Lanka did nothing in the first round to erode pre-tournament assessments that they have the best-balanced side in the competition.With the weather getting hotter and the pitches starting to deteriorate faster, the sub-continental sides have an increasing advantage which Pakistan should exploit to West Indies' cost in Dhaka.Their swashbuckling captain Shahid Afridi has led from the front, emerging as a match winner with the ball by taking 17 wickets with his aggressive wrist spin.The winners of the New Zealand-South Africa semi-final will play the victors of the Sri Lanka-England tie in Colombo on March 29. Mohali will stage the second semi the following day. (Reuters)

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Gayle, Roach fit for Pakistan clash

Updated at: 1311 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

DHAKA: Struggling West Indies will be boosted by the return of star batsman Chris Gayle and pace spearhead Kemar Roach for the World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.The duo missed the last league match against India in Chennai on Sunday with Gayle resting an abdominal strain and Roach feeling unwell due to viral fever and a stomach infection.Skipper Darren Sammy said both Gayle and Roach worked out in the nets at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Tuesday and expected them to report fully fit for the quarter-final."I liked the way Chris was hitting balls in the nets," said Sammy. "He is very committed to the West Indies cause. Come tomorrow, and I have not doubt both he and Kemar will play."Sammy would not confirm if fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, who took five wickets against India in his first appearance in this tournament, will be retained if Roach returns to the side."We will assess the conditions and discuss it amongst ourselves before finalising the team," he said. "We will put out the best possible team which can deal with the conditions."The West Indies need to be at full strength for the quarter-final at a time when they seem to be floundering after two inexplicabe defeats against England and India from dominant positions.They were on the brink of victory against England when, chasing a modest target of 244, they were comfortably placed at 222-6 before losing their last four wickets for three runs.Against India on Sunday, they caved in again as eight wickets fell for 34 runs after they were 154-2 and lost by 80 runs.The West Indies, who have now lost 18 successive matches against the leading nations, cannot afford another defeat."We did lose our way and can't keep collapsing like that all the time," the captain said. "And we certainly can't do that in a quarter-final."But I am confident we can put the past behind us and hopefully the West Indies will win. It will be an exciting game."The West Indies return to the venue where they shot out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 in the league to romp home by nine wickets in a match that ended in under two hours."It is definitely an advantage to have played here earlier," said Roach. "We executed our plans well against Bangladesh and we will take confidence from that."Sammy expected a tough fight against the in-form Pakistanis, who topped Group A with five wins in six matches, including a four-wicket demolition of Australia in Colombo on Saturday.The win ended the three-time defending champions' unbeaten streak of 34 World Cup matches over a 12-year period."Pakistan have been playing good cricket, especially Shahid Afridi who has led from the front," said Sammy. "But we must focus on what we have to do to execute our plans and win the game."This is the quarter-final and everything depends on how we play on the day. It does not matter if you are number one or number eight. If you don't win you are out.

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Ponting could be dumped as captain: report

Updated at: 0831 PST,  Tuesday, March 22, 2011

SYDNEY: Ricky Ponting could be in the final week of his nine-year reign as captain after a troubled build-up to the World Cup, a report said Tuesday, citing a Cricket Australia official.The Sydney Morning Herald said there was stiff opposition at boardroom level to the 36-year-old retaining the job for next month's tour of Bangladesh, although his position as a player was not in jeopardy."We need to be looking at the future. It's time for us to make a change," the newspaper quoted the official as saying.Ahead of the World Cup, Ponting earned the dubious distinction of becoming the only Australian skipper to fail to win the Ashes three times, putting him under enormous pressure.He has also done himself no favours in India, taking a reprimand from the International Cricket Council after smashing a dressing-room TV in a fit of fury after being run out during Australia's World Cup win over Zimbabwe.He was also criticised for angrily throwing the ball to the ground after colliding with teammate Steven Smith during their victory over Canada Then his sportsmanship was questioned when he failed to walk in Saturday's defeat to Pakistan."We're waiting for the next thing to blow up," the official said. "We don't go a game without there being some issues with him."Michael Clarke, who led Australia to an emphatic 6-1 one-day series victory over England to give them a boost after the post-Ashes despondency, is seen as favourite to take his job.The Australians face India in Thursday's World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad.

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Cricket WC: Australia win restored Pak image, says Afridi

Updated at: 1523 PST,  Monday, March 21, 2011

COLOMBO: Pakistan's World Cup victory over Australia has restored the team's battered image and boosted their credentials as champions-in-waiting, skipper Shahid Afridi said on Monday. Pakistan upstaged Australia by four wickets to end the defending champions' unbeaten 34-match streak in the World Cup stretching back to 1999. It also meant Pakistan finished top of Group A and gave them a quarter-final clash against the West Indies in Dhaka on Wednesday while Australia tackle India in Ahmedabad on Thursday. "We knew that beating Australia would be very important for us and this win has enhanced our image, sending a good signal to the cricket world that we can win despite our difficult situation," Afridi told. "Despite all the problems Pakistan is blessed with talent and it's because of this talent that we are a dangerous team and can win against anyone. We now hope to carry on the momentum," said Afridi. The Pakistan captain disagreed that the West Indies, who squeezed into the last eight on run-rate, will be easier opponents. "They have qualified for the quarter-finals after some good play, so we have to do well in all three departments because it's a knockout stage from here," said Afridi, the leading wicket-taker with 17 in six matches so far.Afridi said he was not thinking of a potentially high-voltage semi-final clash against India if the two Asian rivals come through their last-eight tests."Our focus is on the quarter-final, we have to win that to reach the semi-final, so we are not thinking that far. First we have to win a must-win match against a dangerous opponent," said Afridi. The winners of the first two quarter-finals meet in the second semi-final at Mohail on March 30. South Africa play New Zealand on March 25 (Dhaka) and Sri Lanka face England (Colombo) in the last quarter-final a day later -- with the winners to play the first semi-final in Colombo on March 29.

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Buoyant Pakistan on pole against rattled Windies

Updated at: 1145 PST,  Monday, March 21, 2011

DHAKA: Confident Pakistan take on the West Indies in the World Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday hoping to continue their winning run in the tournament against a side bruised by recent defeats.The hugely talented, but unpredictable, Pakistanis have been the revelation of the tournament so far by topping Group A with five wins in six matches in the preliminary league.The West Indies inexplicably lost their last two games against England and India from dominant positions to finish fourth in Group B with three wins, the same as Bangladesh, but with a superior run-rate.Shahid Afridi's Pakistan saved the best for the end when they broke three-time defending champions Australia's unbeaten streak of 34 World Cup matches with a four-wicket win in Colombo on Saturday.It was just the tonic Pakistan needed after being stripped of big-time cricket at home due to security concerns in their volatile nation and tainted by an unsavoury spot-fixing scandal.The absence of former captain Salman Butt and pace spearheads Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif due to the controversy was not felt as the team rallied superbly under their inspirational captain.Afridi is the tournament's leading bowler with 17 wickets with his fastish leg-breaks, while seamer Umar Gul has kept the pressure on at the other end with 13 wickets.All-rounder Afridi may have failed with the bat so far with just 65 runs in six games, but young guns Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq have shone brightly in their first World Cup.Akmal has scored 211 runs at 52.75 and Shafiq averages 124 in the two games he has played so far, while seasoned seniors like Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan have lent solidity to the middle-order.Team manager Intikhab Alam, who was coach when Pakistan won the 1992 World Cup under Imran Khan, was delighted with his side's performance so far.The former captain attributed the success to "self-belief, fitness and high energy levels.""There's a lot of positive energy among the boys after the victory over Australia and we will take that into the quarter-finals," Intikhab said. "We are peaking at the right time."The West Indies, in contrast, appear to be falling apart just when it matters most.They were on the brink of victory against England in Chennai when, chasing a modest target of 244, they were comfortably placed at 222-6 before losing their last four wickets for three runs.Against India on Sunday, they caved in again as eight wickets fell for 34 runs after they were 154-2 and lost by 80 runs.The West Indies have now lost 18 successive matches against the leading nations, but Darren Sammy's men cannot afford another defeat in the knock-out rounds.All is, however, not over yet for the West Indies.They return to the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka where they shot out Bangladesh for their lowest one-day total of 58 in the league to romp home by nine wickets in a match that lasted under two hours.Batting star Chris Gayle and key fast bowler Kemar Roach are expected to be back after missing the India game, Gayle with a abdominal strain and Roach due to illness.Sammy said he was aware of Pakistan's threat, but remained confident his team can bounce back strongly."Pakistan have done well so far, but hopefully they will have their bad match against us and we will bring our A game," he said.

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India beat Windies in final group match

Updated at: 2127 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHENNAI: India set their clash with Australia in quarter-finals after beating West Indies by 80 runs in the final World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.Chasing a tough target of 269, the West Indies were all out for 188 runs in 43 overs after opener Devon Smith’s fighting innings of 81 ended in the 31st over. For India, paceman Zaheer Khan was the most successful bowler with three for 26 while Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets each.Earlier, a brilliant hundred by Yuvraj Singh steered India to 268 after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. India got a major blow in the very first over when star batsman Sachan Tendulkar was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a mere two.However, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli repaired the damage upto some extent but Gambhir went for 22 when India reached 51.Then Kohli was joined by Yuvraj and both added 122 runs for the third wicket before Kohli departed for 59. Later, Yuvraj completed his 13th one-day century from 112 balls but he was caught and bowled by Kieron Pollard for 113. His innings was laced with ten fours and two sixes.But no other batsman could make any significant score except Dhoni (22) as India were all out for 268 in 49.1 overs.Rampaul bowled splendidly well to grab five wickets for 51 in his ten overs while Andre Russell claimed two.

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India set Windies 269 to win final group match

Updated at: 1805 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

CHENNAI: A brilliant hundred by Yuvraj Singh steered India to 268 against the West Indies in the final World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.After captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first, India got a major blow in the very first over when star batsman Sachan Tendulkar was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a mere two.However, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli repaired the damage upto some extent but Gambhir went for 22 when India reached 51.Then Kohli was joined by Yuvraj and both added 122 runs for the third wicket before Kohli departed for 59. Later, Yuvraj completed his 13th one-day century from 112 balls but he was caught and bowled by Kieron Pollard for 113. His innings was laced with ten fours and two sixes But no other batsman could make any significant score except Dhoni (22) as India were all out for 268 in 49.1 overs Rampaul bowled splendidly well to grab five wickets for 51 in his ten overs while Andre Russell claimed two.India were already through to the quarter-finals before this match, the last of the World Cup group phase, while only a mammoth defeat at the Chidambaram Stadium would prevent the West Indies reaching the last eight.Co-hosts India made two changes after opening batsman Virender Sehwag was ruled out with a knee injury.Suresh Raina replaced Sehwag while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, on his home ground, was handed a tournament debut in place of left-arm fast bowler Ashish Nehra. For the West Indies, opening batsman Chris Gayle, who had been an injury doubt, was replaced by Kirk Edwards while Ravi Rampaul came in for fast bowler Kemar Roach.Victory for India would see them play champions Australia in the last eight while defeat would see them face fellow hosts Sri Lanka.But if the West Indies win they will play Australia while a defeat, assuming it was not by a colossal margin, would see them facing Pakistan.

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Zimbabwe crush Kenya by161 runs

Updated at: 1613 PST,  Sunday, March 20, 2011

KOLKATA: Zimbabwe recoded a massive 161-run victory against their African neighbours Kenya in the last Group A match of the World Cup here at the Eden Gardens on Sunday Zimbabwe showed their batting prowess to post 308-6, their highest total of the tournament, with man-of-the-match Craig Ervine (66), Vusimuzi Sibanda (61) and Tatenda Taibu (53), all making the most of a mediocre Kenyan attack.Kenya, who have looked out of their depth on the Indian subcontinent, losing all six of their matches, put in another disappointing batting performance, slumping to 147 all out in 36 overs at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.Nehemiah Odhiambo (44 not out), Rakep Patel (24) and opener Alex Obanda (23) were the mainstays of their batting.Left-arm spinner Raymond Price, who shared the new ball, off-spinner Greg Lamb and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer took two wickets apiece for Zimbabwe.Both African nations were already out of contention for a place in the quarter-finals, but Zimbabwe had the consolation of ending their World Cup campaign with two wins in six matches.Zimbabwe were earlier struggling at 36-2 after electing to bat, but Sibanda steadied the innings with a 110-run stand for the third wicket with Taibu, who also completed 3,000 one-day runs during his half-century.Ervine and skipper Elton Chigumbura (38) then added 105 for the fifth wicket as Zimbabwe plundered 104 runs in the last 10 overs, with Prosper Utseya (19 not out) smashing three fours and a six in seamer Elijah Otieno's final over.Left-handed Ervine, who cracked one six and nine fours in his 54-ball knock, survived a stumping chance on 15 off spinner James Ngoche as stand-in wicket-keeper Patel failed to collect the ball.Patel kept wicket for a brief spell in place of regular wicket-keeper David Obuya, who suffered an injury while trying to stop a wide delivery.Veteran all-rounder Steve Tikolo, making his last World Cup appearance, led Kenya in the absence of Jimmy Kamande, who was ruled out of the match due to a knee injury.Sibanda hit one six and seven fours in his 57-ball knock before being run out following a mix-up with Taibu.hit seven fours before being trapped leg-before by Ngoche.

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