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SHAHIDI AFRIDI            From Pakistan UMARAKMAL                From Pakistan SACHIN TANDULKAR  From Indian VIRAT KHOLI                 From Indian SHOUN TAIT                  From Australia BRET LEE                        From Australia DILSHAN                        From Srilanka KEVIN PETERSON        From England JACK KALIS                  From south africa MALINGA                      From Srilanka

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England to start from 84-0 on Day One

BIRMINGHAM: India experienced yet another day of despondency on Day One of the third Test against England at Edgbaston Wednesday. Put into bat by Andrew Strauss, India were bowled out for 224 with none of the top six batsmen scoring fifties. It required a plucky 84-run stand between skipper Dhoni and Praveen Kumar for the tattered scorecard to be held together.In response, England ended the day with 84 for no loss. Alastair Cook, whose highest score in the last two Tests was 12, finished the day with an unbeaten 27 while Strauss reached his first half century of the series.India's batting machinery refused to roll again. It has its share of old parts, but they were fine before this series.

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One year to go and the line-up is complete for ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012

Scotland, Nepal, Ireland, Afghanistan, PNG and Namibia join the 10 Full MembersTeam groupings announced with defending champion Australia drawn with England, Nepal and IrelandGeorge Dockrell and Andy Bichel react to their teams' qualification The six remaining teams that will join the Full Members at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 in Australia are now known following the completion of the qualifying tournament in Ireland. And the team groupings for the 15-day celebration of youth cricket have now also been finalized.The event will get underway in Queensland exactly one year from today and Scotland will be there as the leading Associate after winning eight of its nine matches during the qualifiers, which took place in Dublin and Derry.Defending champion and host Australia will head Group A having been drawn alongside 1998 winner England, Nepal and Ireland. Group B is made up of the last event's runner-up and two-time winner Pakistan, New Zealand, Scotland and Afghanistan while 2000 and 2008 champion India has been drawn in Group C along with West Indies, Zimbabwe and PNG. Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh and Namibia make up Group D.

GROUP A	GROUP B	GROUP C	GROUP D
1.Australia	2.Pakistan	3.West Indies	4.Sri Lanka
8.England	7.New Zealand	6.India	5.South AFrica
12.Nepal	11.Scotland	10.Zimbabawe	9.Bangladesh
13.Ireland	14.Afghanistan	15.PNG	16.Namibia

Following the qualification of his team Ireland captain George Dockrell, who is also a regular member of Ireland's senior team, was delighted with his team's overall result."It is a huge moment for me to be leading a side into the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup," said the Dubliner."To have played a part in leading the side into qualification for the event next year means a lot to me. I am lucky to have been part of the senior ICC Cricket World Cup earlier this year in India. The experience of playing at that highest level made a huge difference to my career. I came back to join the under-19s and felt really at home as we planned our pathway to Australia."The guys keep asking me from time to time about my World Cup experience and I share it with them. Now these guys will get a chance to experience what I went through. We will start planning for the event shortly. I have attended a camp in Sydney, but apart from that I have not really had an experience of playing in Australia. I am sure the pitches there will offer a new challenge for the squad. We are all ready for it," he said.PNG coach and former Australia fast bowler Andy Bichel, who is originally from Queensland, will know the conditions well.He said: "This is probably one of the most important tournaments for us. In terms of men's cricket, it shows the amount of development work that has gone into the sport in PNG. The more these guys get exposed to better opposition, the better they will become."I know the conditions in Queensland, especially at the time of the year when we will have the World Cup (August). Brisbane is a lot closer to home for the guys. They have experience of playing there. We play quite often in Brisbane and have camps there. It will be much easier to acclimatise there."ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is a very important tournament for us and I want to congratulate those six teams who have qualified to take part in Queensland next year."This tournament has proved to be an important stepping stone for elite young cricketers aspiring to play international cricket. It's an opportunity for them to develop and test their skills in a high-pressure situation against the world's best at this level."We also use it as an opportunity to educate them on several important issues like anti-corruption, anti-doping and social responsibility expected of international cricketers while also exposing them to the ICC Code of Conduct and media attention."In the past, we have seen some quality players come through the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, including star players like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yuvraj Singh, Brian Lara, Ian Bell, Virat Kohli, Eoin Morgan, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla. I expect next year's event to be no different in producing future world stars.

For more details on the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, click here
For general information and background on the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, click here

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Fiji to Hold Singapore Camp

The Fiji Blues men's team will give themselves the best chance for success at World Cricket League Division 6 in September after confirming a one-week camp in Singapore before the tournament.
The 14-man squad, which will be named next week, will get the use of Singapore's state of the art facilities for the camp which includes both turf and synthetic wickets, international-standard grounds and an indoor training venue.They will also play two warm-up matches against the Singapore A team.The team will depart Fiji on September 8 with the camp to run that week before they head to Malaysia for the start of the tournament on the 15th.The camp came about after Singapore officials extended an invitation to Fiji to use their facilities before the tournament and give them a chance to acclimatise to the heavily humid Asian conditions, along with invaluable practice on turf wickets which will be used in Malaysia. Cricket Fiji chief executive Jon Symonds said the decision to hold the camp highlighted the commitment of Cricket Fiji to the team's preparation for the WCL tournament.World Cricket League is absolutely vital to the future of cricket in Fiji and this investment demonstrates the absolute commitment of board and management to giving the squad every opportunity to prepare in surroundings and facilities akin to the match conditions they will experience in Malaysia," Symonds said. "Singapore provides us with training facilities we can only dream about in Fiji and having received the invitation from Singapore Cricket there was no way we could decline the invitation.""This is yet another very important step in developing cricket in Fiji, in that the performance of the men's national team is vital to the overall strategic plan of Cricket Fiji."This is costing a huge amount of money and Cricket Fiji could really do with some corporate support and I continue to engage with corporates around Fiji hoping for some financial assistance."The camp will run from September 8-15 with the tournament to begin on September 17

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India greats in cash-for-comment row

NEW DELHI :Former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have been accused of a conflict of interest amid claims payments from the Indian cricket board would sway their television commentary.The weekly news magazine Outlook devoted the front-page of its latest edition to the duo, who reportedly receive 36 million rupees (800,000 dollars) a year from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).Gavaskar, 62, and Shastri, 49, both highly respected voices in Indian cricket, are paid by the BCCI to commentate on almost every series India plays at home or abroad.Shastri also serves on the International Cricket Council's cricket committee, of which Gavaskar is a past member.Cricket pundits say Gavaskar and Shastri are unlikely to criticise or speak against the policies of the BCCI."Every commentary box in the world has its share of supremacists and propagandists, England and Australia no exception," cricket analyst Rahul Bhattacharya told the magazine.But it's extraordinary that the Indian board has made it institutional.Gavaskar, in England to commentate on the ongoing India series, insisted his contract did not stop him from airing his views."I would advise to all who are saying that there is a conflict of interest to actually see my work, listen to what I say, and then judge me," Gavaskar told Outlook in reply to the accusations."In my columns, I speak strongly against BCCI policies. I?m not beholden to the BCCI. My contract has nothing to do with the views I express as a columnist and commentator.The BCCI said the charges of conflict of interest were "trivial and frivolous""The board pays them for their professional qualities," BCCI vice-president and official spokesman Rajiv Shukla said."They are outstanding commentators and respected at the international level. What they have achieved is because of their personal talent."These are trivial and frivolous allegations. It is not fair to suggest that there is a conflict of interest because BCCI never dictates on what they should say.

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PCB slammed for playing with Pak cricketers' careers

Islamabad, Aug 9: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), under its ‘misfit’ 78 year-old chairman Ijaz Butt, has been slammed for playing with the careers of the national cricketers by omitting three key players from a 28-member list of central contract.
Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, all-rounder Shoaib Malik and leg spinner Danish Kaneria have been dropped from the list. Senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who was earlier dropped from the 2011 World Cup squad for poor form, also lost out on a central contract this year. Besides, Shahid Afridi’s name was also scrapped from the list after he announced his retirement after being dumped as one-day captain two months ago.Details of the new contracts, which run from July 1 to December 31, were not revealed. Category A was worth Rs 250,000, those in category B received Rs 175,000 and the ones in C category pocketed Rs 100,000 per month, the daily Times reports.The paper quoted PCB national game development Director Intikhab Alam as saying that

The contracts were awarded based on seniority, discipline and performance.Malik, 28, Kamran, 29 and Kaneria, 30 were not considered for central contracts because they have not been cleared of match fixing,” Alam said, adding: “As long as Malik and Kaneria are not cleared by the PCB integrity committee, a meeting of which is scheduled for August 15, they will not be considered for the contracts.”He also said that Kamran, who was in A category in the last contract, was dropped because his performance was not satisfactory.Meanwhile, Kamran, who had played 53 Tests, 137 one-day internationals and 38 Twenty20s, said that he was disappointed with the decision.“I am disappointed, but I just need to keep on playing domestic cricket and prove my form to the selectors and board,” he added.PCB contracted players include:Category A: Younus Khan, Misbahul Haq, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul RehmanCategory B: Abdul Razzaq, Imran Farhat, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Wahab Riaz and Taufiq UmarCategory C: Junaid Khan, Tanvir Ahmad, Hammad Azam, Safraz Ahmad, Sohail Khan, Adnan Akmal, Yasir Shah, Ramiz Raja and Sharjeel KhanStipends: Mohammad Talha, Aizaz Cheema, Zulfiqar Babar, Raza Hasan and Mohammad Ayub Dogar.

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Request for proposals to manage ticketing service at ICC World Twenty20 2012 in Sri Lanka

The ICC is requesting proposals from companies interested in becoming the ticketing management service provider for the ICC World Twenty20 2012 which will take place next year in September in Sri Lanka.The successful company will be appointed to provide policy consultancy and ticket sales agency services, production of a comprehensive seating map of each venue, provision of a suitably robust online ticket sales programme, procurement and supply of suitable ticket stock and ticket sales marketing.A proven track record in running the ticketing programme for world-class sporting events is essential as well as sufficient resources and experience to provide all the necessary services, a state-of-the-art information technology infrastructure and suitably skilled and experienced personnel.The deadline for submitting the proposals is Friday 2 September 2011 and interested parties are advised to contact Chris Tetley, ICC Events Manager, on

The tender document can be found by clicking here

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Johnson, Watson star in Australia's win

Mitchell Johnson's career-best six wickets and Shane Watson's aggressive innings of 69 runs led Australia to a seven-wicket victory in the opening one-day international against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Johnson's left-arm seamers claimed 6-31 to to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest 191, with lower-order batsman Suraj Randiv top-scoring with a six and four boundaries in 41 runs. Watson then hit six sixes and five boundaries to help Australia to its first win of the tour, assisted by half-centuries from captain Michael Clarke (53 not out) and former skipper Ricky Ponting (53) at Pallekele International Stadium.

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Bresnan and Broad put England in control

England fast bowlers Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan each claimed four wickets as India were bowled out for 224 after tea on the first day of the third test at Edgbaston on Wednesday. England were 84 for no wicket in reply to India's 224 all out at the close of the opening day of the third test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday.India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni top-scored with an enterprising 77 from 96 deliveries to boost his team's total after they had slipped to 111 for seven.Broad took four for 53 from 17 overs and Bresnan four for 62 off 20.England captain Andrew Strauss asked India to bat after winning the toss for the first time in the four-match series

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England win toss and field against India

BIRMINGHAM: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to field against India in the third Test at Edgbaston here Wednesday as the hosts looked to take advantage of overcast, seam-friendly conditions.England made one change from the side that won the second Test by 319 runs, with Ravi Bopara recalled in place of batsman Jonathan Trott, who suffered a shoulder injury while fielding at Trent Bridge.It was Essex all-rounder Bopara's first Test in two years.Fast bowler Steven Finn, called up as cover for the injured Chris Tremlett, who'd already withdrawn, was omitted from the remaining 12-man squad.India, beset by injuries, made three changes opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who hasn't played a first-class innings since January and missed the first two Tests of this series following shoulder surgery, returned in place of the dropped Abhinav Mukund.Fellow opener Gautam Gambhir, who missed the second Test because of an elbow injury, took the place of Yuvraj Singh, ruled out of the series after suffereing a broken finger at Trent Bridge.And leg-spinner Amit Mishra came in for Harbhajan Singh after the off-spinner suffered a series-ending stomach muscle injury in the second Test.India great Sachin Tendulkar went into this match still searching for the century that would see him become the first batsman to score an unprecedented 100 international hundreds.If England win this match they will take both an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series and replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table.This fixture went ahead as scheduled despite several nights of rioting and looting in Birmingham which on Tuesday saw three Asian men killed after being hit by a car.TeamsEngland: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wkt), Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James AndersonIndia: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar,Venkatsai Laxman, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wkt), Amit Mishra, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran SreesanthUmpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Steve Davis (AUS)TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

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Pakistan-born Khawaja gets Indian visa for CL T20

SYDNEY: Australian batsman Usman Khawaja was Wednesday issued an Indian visa for next month's Twenty20 Champions League tournament, following a brief delay allegedly related to his birth in Pakistan.Cricket New South Wales said Khawaja was cleared to travel to India by the High Commission in Sydney early Wednesday, after a "stoppage" the 24-year-old player had claimed was due to his country of birth. "We are delighted that this has been settled and we thank the Indian Consul-General, Mr Amit Dasgupta, for his prompt attention in resolving the matter," said Cricket NSW chairman Harry Harinath.Khawaja is on the 20-man long list to represent NSW at the Twenty20 event and cricket officials said he could now join the squad if he is among the final 15 selected later this week. The Champions League T20 is scheduled in India from September 23 through October 9.

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Six players nominated in three categories at LG ICC Awards 2011

The LG People's Choice Awards allows cricket fans the unique chance to vote for a galaxy of international stars who have produced outstanding performances in the past year.For the second time in the history of the LG ICC Awards, fans will have the opportunity to decide the winner. Voting will be open until 11am GMT on 25 August with the winner will be announced on 12 September at the LG ICC Awards in London.The short list, nominated by an elite panel of cricket experts headed by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, along with Pakistan's Zaheer Abbas, England's Mike Gatting, South Africa's Paul Adams and New Zealand's Danny Morrison, was selected using criteria set out by LG and the ICC. This dictated that the nominees should have displayed some of the attributes regarded by LG as in line with their corporate qualities such as innovation, dynamism, strength in decision-making, performing well under pressure and executing a plan to distinction.

Six players nominated in three categories at LG ICC Awards 2011

Six players from four countries have each been nominated in three different categories at the LG ICC Awards 2011.Zaheer Khan from India, Jonathan Trott and Graeme Swann from England, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla from South Africa and Shane Watson from Australia feature prominently in the long-lists for the awards, which will take place at a dazzling ceremony in London, England on 12 September.In addition, there are 11 players who are nominated in two distinct categories.All appear among the long-lists of nominations for prizes at the eighth annual LG ICC Awards, presented in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA).This year's LG ICC Awards includes 10 individual prizes and also features the selection of the Test and ODI Teams of the Year and the award to the side that has adhered most to the Spirit of Cricket. For the second time, this year's awards feature the category, the LG People's Choice Award. This award will be chosen by cricket fans around the world who will get a chance to vote for their favourite player online from a short-list of five cricketers.Those five cricketers - Jonathan Trott, MS Dhoni, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara and Hashim Amla - who were selected by the ICC selection panel and released to the public for voting earlier this month, were chosen on the basis of some innovative parameters, in line with the values that embody the LG brand, such as innovation, dynamism, strength in decision-making, performing well under pressure and executing a plan to distinction.Cricket fans currently have the opportunity to vote for the cricketer of their choice online until 25 August at  'The LG ICC Awards presents a wonderful opportunity for the ICC, in association with FICA and a myriad of cricket fans, to acknowledge and reward the brilliant performances of the world's best cricketers," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

"It is also a chance to look back on some of the great cricketing feats witnessed in the past year, including from our flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup. This will be the eighth Awards edition and once again the voting academy will face a tough task in deciding the winners," he added.

The long-lists of nominations were made by a five-man ICC selection panel chaired by former West Indies captain and current chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee Clive Lloyd. The panel also includes former international players Mike Gatting of England, Danny Morrison of New Zealand, Paul Adams of South Africa and Pakistan's Zaheer Abbas.

The individual player awards will be selected by an academy of 25 highly credentialed cricket personalities from around the world. The academy includes a host of former players and respected members of the media, representatives of the Emirates Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and ICC Match Referees.

The nominations from the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year were decided after a committee of former players, current administrators and journalists created a long-list. The award will then be voted for by a separate 25-person voting academy.

South Africa's Shandre Fritz features in the long list for the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year and is also the only female to feature in the long list for the ICC Twenty20 International Performance of the Year.

The other long list nominees for the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year include players from the men's teams of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Zimbabwe and England.

The Spirit of Cricket Award was voted on by all international captains as well as all members of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. The Umpire of the Year Award was voted on by the captains and the match referees based on the umpires' performance statistics.

There is also an Emerging Player of the Year award again this year. To qualify for that award a player must be under the age of 26 and have played fewer than five Tests and/or 10 ODIs and five T20Is at the start of the voting period.

The Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year award serves to recognise and reward the efforts in all international matches of the outstanding cricketers from the teams outside the ICC Full Members. This year, Ireland boasts the most number of nominees with six names on the list. This is followed by Afghanistan with three nominations, while Netherlands, Canada and United Arab Emirates have one each. Based on the period between 11 August 2010 and 3 August 2011, the LG ICC Awards 2011 - presented in association FICA - will take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the ICC Intercontinental Cup final, several ICC World Cricket Leagues as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its eighth year and this year it will be held in London, England. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009), Dubai (2008) and Bengaluru (2010).

 LG ICC Awards 2011


Long-lists of nominees (in alphabetical order; each category will be reduced to a short-list in due course)
Individual Awards
Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy)

Hashim Amla (SA)
James Anderson (Eng)
Ian Bell (Eng)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Alastair Cook (Eng)
Rahul Dravid (Ind)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
Andrew Strauss (Eng)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Chris Tremlett (Eng)
Jonathan Trott (Eng)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Shane Watson (Aus)
Test Player of the Year
Hashim Amla (SA)
James Anderson (Eng)
Ian Bell (Eng)
Stuart Broad (Eng)
Alastair Cook (Eng)
Rahul Dravid (Ind)
Jacques Kallis (SA)
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)
Kevin Pietersen (Eng)
Ishant Sharma (Ind)
Harbhajan Singh (Ind)
Dale Steyn (SA)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
Chris Tremlett (Eng)
Jonathan Trott (Eng)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Shane Watson (Aus)
ODI Player of the Year
Hashim Amla (SA)
Michael Clarke (Aus)
MS Dhoni (Ind)
Gautam Gambhir (Ind)
Mohammed Hafeez (Pak)
Mahela Jayawardene (SL)
Zaheer Khan (Ind)
Virat Kohli (Ind)
Lasith Malinga (SL)
Munaf Patel (Ind)
Saeed Ajmal (Pak)
Shakib Al Hasan (Bang)
Kumar Sangakkara (SL)
Virender Sehwag (Ind)
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
Tim Southee (NZ)
Dale Steyn (SA)
Graeme Swann (Eng)
Jonathan Trott (Eng)
AB de Villiers (SA)
Shane Watson (Aus)

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PAKISTAN VS INDIA HEAD TO HEAD

SERIES YEAR HOST MATCH FIRST TEST IND PAK Drawn/No Result WINNER 01 1952–53 INDIA 16,Oct,1952 05 02 01 02 IND 02 1954–55 PAKISTAN 1,Jan,1955 05 00 00 05 IND 03 1960–61 INDIA 2,Dec,1960 05 00 00 05 PAK 04 1978–79 PAKISTAN 16,Oct,1978 03 00 02 01 PAK 05 1979–80 INDIA 21.Nov,1960 06 02 03 04 IND 06 1982–83 PAKISTAN 10,Dec,1982 06 00 00 03 PAK 07 1983–84 INDIA 14,Sep,1983 03 00 00 03 PAK 08 1984–85 PAKISTAN 17,Oct,1984 02 00 01 02 IND 09 1986–87 INDIA 03,Feb,1984 05 00 00 04 PAK 10 1989–90 PAKISTAN 15.Nov,1989 04 00 01 04 IND 11 1998–99 INDIA 28,Jan,1999 02 01 01 00 PAK 12 2003–04 PAKISTAN 28.Mar,2003 03 02 01 00 IND 13 2004–05 INDIA 08,Mar,2005 03 00 01 01 PAK 14 2005–06 PAKISTAN 13,jan,2006 03 01 01 02 PAK 15 2007–08 INDIA 22,Nov,2007 03 01 00 02 IND TOTAL ---------- ------------- --------------- 58 11 11 28 PAK8 IND7

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Champions League Twenty20 2011 Schedule

 

GROUP STAGE

Date	Local	GMT	Match Details	Venue
Sep 19, 2011	16:00	10:30	Qualifier : Trinidad and Tobago vs SLC, 1st T20	Hyderabad
Sep 19, 2011	20:00	14:30	Qualifier : Kolkata Knight Riders vs Auckland Aces, 2nd T20	Hyderabad
Sep 20, 2011	16:00	10:30	Qualifier : Trinidad and Tobago vs ECB1, 3rd T20	Hyderabad
Sep 20, 2011	20:00	14:30	Qualifier : ECB2 vs Auckland Aces, 4th T20	Hyderabad
Sep 21, 2011	16:00	10:30	Qualifier : ECB1 vs SLC, 5th T20	Hyderabad
Sep 21, 2011	20:00	14:30	Qualifier : Kolkata Knight Riders vs ECB2, 6th T20	Hyderabad
Sep 23, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chevrolet Warriors, 1st T20	Bangalore
Sep 24, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group A : Cape Cobras vs New South Wales Blues, 2nd T20	Chennai
Sep 24, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, 3rd T20	Chennai
Sep 25, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group B : Chevrolet Warriors vs South Australian Redbacks, 4th T20	Kolkata
Sep 25, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : TBC vs TBC, 5th T20	Kolkata
Sep 26, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group A : Mumbai Indians vs TBC, 6th T20	Bangalore
Sep 27, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : TBC vs South Australian Redbacks, 7th T20	Kolkata
Sep 28, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group A : New South Wales Blues vs TBC, 8th T20	Chennai
Sep 28, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs Cape Cobras, 9th T20	Chennai
Sep 29, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : TBC vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 10th T20	Kolkata
Sep 30, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group A : Mumbai Indians vs Cape Cobras, 11th T20	Bangalore
Oct 1, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group B : South Australian Redbacks vs TBC, 12th T20	Kolkata
Oct 1, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : TBC vs Chevrolet Warriors, 13th T20	Kolkata
Oct 2, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group A : Mumbai Indians vs New South Wales Blues, 14th T20	Chennai
Oct 2, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs TBC, 15th T20	Chennai
Oct 3, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs TBC, 16th T20	Bangalore
Oct 4, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group A : Cape Cobras vs TBC, 17th T20	Chennai
Oct 4, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group A : Chennai Super Kings vs New South Wales Blues, 18th T20	Chennai
Oct 5, 2011	16:00	10:30	Group B : Chevrolet Warriors vs TBC, 19th T20	Bangalore
Oct 5, 2011	20:00	14:30	Group B : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs South Australian Redbacks, 20th T20	Bangalore
Oct 7, 2011	20:00	14:30	TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi Final T20	Bangalore
Oct 8, 2011	20:00	14:30	TBC vs TBC, 2nd Semi Final T20	Chennai
Oct 9, 2011	20:00	14:30	TBC vs TBC, Final T20	Chennai

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Depleted Durham out to stretch lead

Durham : will be without four key players against Hampshire as they bid to extend their lead at the top of the LV County Championship.With second-placed Lancashire, who trail by six points, not in action this week, Durham entertain Division One’s bottom side at the Emirates Durham ICG relishing the opportunity to stretch their advantage to sizeable proportions.However, they must attempt to do so without all-rounders Paul Collingwood and Ben Stokes and leg-spinner Scott Borthwick.Collingwood has failed to recover from the back spasm he suffered in last week’s draw against Nottinghamshire and which kept him out of Sunday’s Friends Life t20 quarter-final defeat by Hampshire.Stokes and Borthwick are on England Lions duty for the one-day series against Sri Lanka A which begins on Friday, while Steve Harmison continues his recovery from an ankle injury.Chris Rushworth, Mark Wood and Mark Stonemen have been included in a 12-man squad to cover their absence.Hampshire are missing captain and all-rounder Dominic Cork and left-arm spinner Danny Briggs.Cork is resting a calf strain suffered in last week’s run-laden draw against Yorkshire, and Briggs was due to be involved with the Lions before a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from the squad.Jimmy Adams will lead the side in Cork’s absence, and he can call upon Dimitri Mascarenhas, whose long-standing Achilles problems have eased sufficiently for him to feature in the championship for the first time since June.South African pace bowler Friedel de Wet, who has not played a first XI game for more than three months, is also included in a 13-man squad that also features Kabir Ali and James Tomlinson.Sussex entertain Worcestershire at Horsham in the only other top-flight game this week, with the threat of relegation looming over both.Luke Wright remains sidelined by a knee injury and Murray Goodwin, though named in a 13-strong Sussex squad, may not feature after splitting the webbing on his right hand in last night's FLt20 quarter-final defeat by Lancashire.Lou Vincent is in line to make his first championship appearance for Sussex, but Matt Prior is on Test duty and Chris Nash likewise with the Lions.In Division Two, Surrey have called on Chris Jordan to replace fellow pace Stuart Meaker, who is also on Lions duty, for the trip to Kent, while Jade Dernbach returns after sitting out last week’s Clydesdale Bank 40 win over Northamptonshire.Third-placed Gloucestershire travel to Derbyshire before Northants and a Middlesex side minus Steven Finn - separated by only five points at the top of the table - clash at Lord’s on Thursday

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Lions turn to Root and Kerrigan

The England selectors today announced two changes to the England Lions one-day squad to face Sri Lanka A in a three-match series beginning at Worcester on Friday.Yorkshire batsman Joe Root has replaced Ravi Bopara (Essex) following Bopara's inclusion in the England squad for the third npower Test against India.Root made his debut for England Lions in the recent four-day match against Sri Lanka A at Scarborough, making 66 in the second innings.Left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire) has been called up to the squad to replace Hampshire’s Danny Briggs, who has been ruled out of the series due to a shoulder injury.

England Lions one-day squad v Sri Lanka A

James Taylor (Leicestershire, captain)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Steven Finn (Middlesex)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)
James Harris (Glamorgan)
Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire)
Stuart Meaker (Surrey)
Chris Nash (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

England Lions schedule

Aug 12: One-day match,
Aug 14: One-day match,
Aug 16: One-day match,

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Tremlett misses third Test

Chris Tremlett was this morning ruled out of the third Test against India at Edgbaston because of a back injury.England had already included Steven Finn in their squad as pace-bowling cover for Tremlett, who also missed the second-Test victory in Nottingham last week after suffering tightness in his hamstring and then back spasms.Tremlett was unable to practise both yesterday and today.The England and Wales Cricket Board duly confirmed he will not be available, and added he “will receive ongoing treatment ahead of the fourth Test Captain Andrew Strauss admitted the absence of Tremlett is a disappointment for the Surrey pace bowler.Strauss told “I’m sad for Chris; he has got a bit of a bulging disc in his back. It should be cleaning up sooner rather than later, but I’m going to have to monitor him in the coming days.“Tim Bresnan got a chance because Chris, who had done brilliantly, had got injured. Tim took his chance and now Ravi Bopara (who has been called up to replace Jonathan Trott has got the opportunity to do something similar in this Test.”England will take India`s number-one Test ranking if they win the match and take an unassailable 3-0 series lead.Strauss, though, knows a lot of work needs to be done before that can become a reality.The number one ranking is possible because of playing good cricket and we have to concentrate on that and not worry about the ranking,” he said.“We expect this to be a tough test, we`ve not had everything our own way. We`ve had to dig deep at times and I expect this to be similar.“India will be determined to play better and they have the quality in their ranks to do so.On the likely condition of the wicket, he added:We`ll look at the pitch in the morning. There`s a green tint on it but most of that will be taken away. Edgbaston has always been a result wicket.

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Strauss expects India response

Andrew Strauss and company may be on the verge of becoming the first England side to top the Test rankings, but they remain wary of an India comeback.Captain Strauss is conscious of the powerhouse talents which have propelled India to number one in the International Cricket Council standings, and does not expect them to go quietly.England, however, will approach the third npower Test at Edgbaston starting tomorrow with confidence high following back-to-back victories at Lord’s and Trent Bridge - and in the knowledge that one more will not only seal the series with a match to spare but deliver the margin of success which will knock India off their perch.While England have been hit by injuries to Jonathan Trott and Chris Tremlett - Ravi Bopara replaced the former in their squad at the weekend and the Surrey fast bowler was ruled out today because of back trouble - India have endured many more problems so far on this tour.They have been beset by a string of injuries to key players and the poor form of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Asked whether he senses the tourists may still be vulnerable, Strauss said: “We hope so. But when those sort of things happen on a tour it can act as a galvanising effect, and India are a very strong side.“They have shown that over the past two years, and even in the two Tests we have played there have been moments when we have really had our backs to the wall. We’re not expecting anything different in this match.“We’re going to have to work very hard and hope to earn the right to get on top of them. We’re not approaching this Test match any differently.Both teams have been at pains to insist they will not be distracted from the nuts and bolts of the next Test by the battle for world-beating status.“That number one ranking comes as a consequence of playing good cricket, so all we’ve got to concentrate on is playing good cricket,” added Strauss.Rankings are not at the forefront of our mind. What is at the forefront of our mind is starting this Test match well and hoping to get into a position to win it later in the week.”India, for whom Virender Sehwag is a potential saviour with his destructive opening batting on his belated return after shoulder surgery, are, by their captain’s own admission, involved in one of their toughest assignments away from home.“With the injuries, the fitness and the form, we have had quite a few things to worry about, so we can say it’s among the most difficult tours,” Dhoni said.“It’s difficult to exactly recall how you were feeling when you were in New Zealand, West Indies South Africa, Australia - but this is among the toughest. That’s what you expect when you play at the top level.India’s immediate prospects are better, in terms of player availability, although it is thought left-arm seamer RP Singh a replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan - may arrive too late, following visa arrangements, to play tomorrow.England must ensure they have plans in place to try to shift Sehwag early, because he is not a player who will be easily contained if he stays in. Sehwag has had only one innings - he made eight against Northamptonshire last week - since the Indian Premier League.Strauss said: “I’ve got no idea what his preparation has been like. But we know the quality of the player - that speaks for itself.”A pitch which looked alarmingly green today will presumably be less so after another cut and roll, but Strauss nonetheless appears to be anticipating an examination of batting techniques.He added: “They have got a lot of good batsmen in their ranks, but we back our bowling attack against anyone, especially in these sort of conditions. It is going to be a test for him, as it is for all the England batsmen.”Although Sehwag has been troubled by a hearing problem in recent weeks, Dhoni does not expect that to inconvenience him in the middle.“If he nicks one and doesn’t walk it may be different,” he joked. “But apart from that, I think he’s quite good. He’s practising every day, and I can see no good reason why he shouldn’t play.“He’s a very dynamic player, who backs his instinct to play shots, irrespective of which bowler he is facing. He believes more in looking at the ball and just giving it the treatment it deserves.“We all know an aggressive opener can have a very big impact on the opposition bowling attack, so he’s a very good player to have in the side.

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U19 squad to tour India

The Australia Under-19 squad for the tour to India is The Cricket Australia Youth Selection Panel (YSP) today announced a 14-player squad who will travel to India for a three week tour against the hosts and Sri Lanka, led by coach David Fitzgerald.

 Cameron Bancroft
Sebastian Gotch
Kurtis Patterson
Nicholas Stevens
James Peirson
Travis Head
Joel Paris
Alex Pyecroft
Corey Ogle
Dominic McGlinchey
Brad Chard
Ashton Turner
Shane Cassell
William Bosisto

Commenting on the squad, National Talent Manager Greg Chappell said:“The YSP has made a number of changes to the squad that played matches against the West Indies in Dubai in April as some who were not there are now available for selection.Unfortunately, Cricket Australia contracted player Patrick Cummins is not one of those players, due to his ongoing recovery from a back injury."The new players coming in provide the YSP and coach David Fitzgerald a great opportunity to give international experience to a wide range of talented youngsters with the ultimate focus being the ICC Youth World Cup in Australia in 2012.“Cameron Bancroft and James Peirson starred in the matches in April and since then both have been away with the AIS team to Chennai, India."Our view is their games have continued to improve and these matches give them an opportunity to show off their skills."Fast bowler Dom McGlinchey from Geelong, is a new member of the under 19 squad and impressed us on recent state visits to Victoria, which were attended by Australian bowling coach Craig McDermott.Dom also attended the Kerry Packer scholarship camp at the COE earlier this year,” Mr Chappell added.The role of captain will be shared throughout the tour.The tour of India will commence on 22 September, however exact match dates and venues are yet to be confirmed at this stage.

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Queensland to host U19 World Cup

Cricket Australia (CA) and the Queensland Government today announced that Queensland will host the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012.The partnership between the International Cricket Council (ICC), CA, Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland will see Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Townsville hosting teams from around the globe in August next year, with Australia, as current defending champion, aiming to go back-to-back on home soil.It will be the second time the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup has been held in Australia, after the inaugural event in 1988, and will showcase the world’s best emerging players, broadcasting their talents around the globe to millions of television viewers in India, England, New Zealand and South Africa amongst many others via Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said everyone was looking forward to seeing the exciting young talent on show and was very pleased to have the support of Events Queensland.“The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is the showcase event for best young cricketers in the world and is where the next Cameron White or Yuvraj Singh gets their first real taste of top-level international cricket,” Mr Sutherland said.“It was only a couple of years ago we saw Mitch Marsh captain the Australia Under-19 team to victory in New Zealand with talents such as Josh Hazlewood, Alister McDermott and Alex Keath alongside him.“We are very grateful to Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland for their support in hosting this tournament and I think all the teams and supporters will enjoy their time in Australia’s sunshine state.“We are building towards hosting the senior ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and this tournament will play a big part in getting ready for that event,” he said.Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said: “This is great news for Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and Townsville because it will bring the best young cricketers in the world here to play locally.“This is a first for Queensland and it’s the only the second time Australia has hosted the competition – the last time being in 1988 in Melbourne and Adelaide.“This event will deliver an economic shot in the arm to the host communities and showcase Queensland to the world – attracting 400 players and officials from 16 countries and generating an expected 7000 bed nights for the local tourism industry.“In addition, it will be televised into the homes of cricket fans in more than 100 countries including in Asia, the UK and South Africa via ESPN STAR Sports.”Queensland Sports Minister Phil Reeves said the event – held every two years – had also previously been held in countries including New Zealand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa.“This is a truly international event that further cements Queensland’s status as the sporting events capital of Australia,” Mr Reeves said.“It’s particularly exciting to be hosting it in 2012 because Australia is the current defending champion after winning the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2010.“Having this event here in Queensland as the chosen location in Australia next year is a vote of confidence in our ability to host major sporting events of international significance.Ms Bligh and Mr Reeves thanked the ICC, Cricket Australia, Queensland Cricket and Events Queensland for their partnership which had delivered the event to Queensland.Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Officer Graham Dixon said he QC was looking forward to hosting the tournament.“Queensland Cricket is thrilled at the decision to bring the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup to our state, and especially with the decision to play in two important regional centres, Townsville and the Sunshine Coast, with the resulting positive economic impact on those areas.“The support of the State Government and the Events Queensland will enable Queensland to provide an international showcase around this tournament, which has grown into a significant event on the world cricket stage.“Queensland Cricket is acutely aware that the ICC Cricket World Cup will be staged in Australia and New Zealand in 2015 and so tournaments like the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup are an important proving ground for us, and for Cricket Australia, as it gets closer to hosting that major event,’’ he said.“The support of government at all levels will be a vital part of our collective preparations for 2015, but I know that Queensland Cricket is looking forward to working closely with all of our stakeholders to make the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup a memorable and successful event.The 2012 tournament will be the ninth ICC U19 Cricket World Cup after the inaugural event was held in Australia in 1988.Australia has won the event on three occasions, taking home the inaugural title in 1988, then again in 2002 and most recently in 2010 at the last event held in New Zealand.

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