PCB announces itinerary of Sri Lanka series

KARACHI: Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play a three Test series, five one-day internationals and a T20 match in the United Arab Emirates from Oct. 18 to Nov. 26 this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday. The series will also see the revival of Test cricket at the Sharjah stadium after 11 years after Pakistan and Australia last played Tests at the desert venue in 2002. Pakistan has been forced to play its home series against Sri Lanka in the UAE after the Lankans refused to tour Pakistan because of security concerns. Sharjah will also host an ODI between the two teams marking its return as an international venue after eight years. The PCB announcing the itinerary of the series said the matches would be played at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi as the venues were cost effective. "We had a choice of neutral venues but we opted for UAE because it allows us to manage things smoothly," chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad said. The Sri Lankan team came under attack by militants in March, 2009 in Lahore in which six Pakistani policemen and a van driver were killed and five visiting players wounded. Since then no foreign team has toured Pakistan. Sri Lanka had also offered to host the series at home but the offer was declined by the PCB. Pakistan is also due to host England in Jan-Feb next year in the UAE for a full series.

Read More

Pakistan set to test revived Zimbabwe

HARARE: Having negotiated the first hurdle in their campaign to justify Test nation status by beating Bangladesh in a one-off Test two weeks ago, Zimbabwe now face a much higher fence on Thursday - Pakistan.The single Test match, which starts Thursday, will be followed by three ODI's and two Twenty-20s.Zimbabwe was granted a return to Test cricket by the ICC last year after a gap of six years. They had been obliged to field a weak side following a strike of nearly all their professionals and two consequent Test defeats by an innings and more than 200 runs. Withdrawal from Tests was inevitable and those years have been used to rebuild. With just what success is now under the microscope with three successive tours by Bangladesh, followed by Pakistan and in October/November New Zealand.These opponents are considered by the ICC to be ones a nascent Zimbabwe can best cope with.

Read More

Pak women lose first ODI against West Indies

ST. VINCENT: Pakistan’s women’s cricket team lost the first One-day International against the West Indies. Pakistan scored only 82 runs in 40 overs and only three players reached double figures. In reply West Indies reached the total in 20 overs and lost only two wickets.The hosts have taken a 1-0 lead in the four match series.

Read More

Spot-fixing scandil

KARACHI: A year on from the spot-fixing scandal that ended in long bans for three leading Test players, Pakistani cricket is still struggling to recover.In late August 2010, Britain's now-defunct News of the World tabloid alleged that captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif had arranged deliberate no-balls for money from an agent during the Lord's Test against England."We were settling in the hotel after coming from the third day's play when police raided the team hotel, showed us documentation and searched the rooms of the players," then-team manager Yawar Saeed told."It was earth-shattering and I couldn't believe my ears for the first 20 minutes.Pakistan lost the match by an innings and 225 runs the following day as a visibly upset Butt tried his best to hide his shock, and the claims of spot-fixing at the spiritual home of cricket shook the game around the world.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) pulled the trio from the one-day series which followed and Scotland Yard investigated the players before they were allowed to return home on condition they would return for criminal proceedings.The International Cricket Council (ICC) went on to suspend them and an anti-corruption tribunal led by senior lawyer Michael Beloff heard their case in Doha in January and February this year.Butt was given a ten-year ban with five years suspended, Asif seven years with two years suspended and Aamer a flat five-year ban effectively meaning all three will be out of action for five years.The gifted Aamer is still only 19 and could yet make a return to the game, but Butt and Asif will be into their 30s by the time their bans expire, and their international careers appear to be over.Pakistan have not fared badly since the England tour, drawing a Test series against a strong South Africa side, beating New Zealand away and reaching the semi-final of the World Cup.But Saeed said Pakistan was still feeling the loss of three star players who could have led the side into the future."In Salman we had a young captain who in his first Test as leader defeated Australia and then in Aamer we had a world-class fast bowler who even in his early days was lethal," said Saeed, who quit his post after the scandal-hit tour."I still feel they were set up but the fault lies with them and it seems they did it for temporary monetary gains. Even today it's hair-raising when I remember that incident," said Saeed, who refused to accept the management could have done anything to prevent what happened."We barred their agents coming into their hotel rooms but we couldn't stop them from talking to someone on the phone. Had we known, we would have taken every possible step."Forced by the ICC, the PCB took measures to prevent a repeat in the future, forming an "integrity committee" to look into players' assets and adding stringent clauses on match-fixing to players' central contracts.PCB chairman Ijaz Butt admitted the loss of three key players had been devastating for a cricket-mad country where the game is often a unifying force in adversity."Losing three players hurt us badly," said Butt. "Salman had shown great potential as captain but after that case we had to look around for a permanent captain and it was tough."The side suffered yet another blow earlier this month with the surprise resignation of coach Waqar Younis, who stepped down after less than 18 months in charge, citing "personal grounds".Captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said the side wants to give Waqar a fitting send-off with a successful Test and one-day international tour of Zimbabwe.Pakistan have sent a new-look side to the African nation and their fans will hope they bring back brighter hopes for the future.

Read More

Aussies, Sri Lanka set for tough Test battle

GALLE: Rival captains Michael Clarke and Tillakaratne Dilshan will look to lead their young teams from the front when Australia and Sri Lanka begin their three-Test series on Wednesday.Clarke, 30, begins his reign as a full-time Australian Test captain hoping to ease into the giant boots of Ricky Ponting, who quit as skipper after the World Cup in April.Ponting, the world's most successful Test captain with 48 wins, will take the field as the senior statesman and the team's frontline batsman, but the focus will clearly be on the new skipper.Clarke's lone Test as captain so far, when he stood in for an injured Ponting, was a forgettable experience as England swept to an innings and 83-run win at Sydney in January.Ponting began his Test captaincy in Sri Lanka in 2004, leading Australia to a 3-0 sweep, and Clarke will hope for similar results even without retired greats like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.Dilshan, 34, also took over after the World Cup from Kumar Sangakkara and goes into his first home series as captain hoping to make up for the 1-0 defeat in England earlier in the year.Dilshan will miss the experience of prolific off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, Test cricket's leading bowler with 800 wickets, who retired from the longer format a year ago.Sri Lanka have not won a Test since Muralitharan bade goodbye, losing two and drawing six matches since July 2010.The first Test at the Galle International Stadium marks the start of a new chapter for both teams looking to climb back in the Test rankings.Former world number ones Australia have fallen to fifth place, while Sri Lanka, ranked second just a year ago, are fourth behind leaders England, South Africa and India.With the top four teams due to contest the inaugural world Test championships in England in 2013, both Australia and Sri Lanka will hope to push their claims."I think it is going to take time for us to work our way back up the rankings," said Clarke. "But I'm confident with the talent we have and our dedication, I can see us having some success."Clarke made a confidence-boosting start to the tour, winning the one-day series 3-2 before hitting a century in the drawn three-day practice match in Colombo ahead of the first Test.Dilshan, meanwhile, was hoping his inexperienced bowling attack would perform well in home conditions where batsmen and slow bowlers have traditionally dominated.The home squad has four spinners in its ranks, including the unorthodox Ajantha Mendis and leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna, 26, who has yet to make his Test debut.Sri Lanka will be without sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who rattled the Australians with his third one-day hat-trick last week, as he has quit Test cricket to concentrate on the shorter forms of the game.Local media speculated that efforts were being made to convince Malinga to change his mind and make himself available from the second Test onwards.Rookie paceman Shaminda Eranga, 25, is one of the four young seamers in the squad for the Galle Test alongside Suranga Lakmal, Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedara."There is a lot of variety in our bowling, but we must put up good runs on the board to put the Australians under pressure," said Dilshan. "The key to success is how we bat."The remaining two Tests will be played in Pallekele (September 8-12) and Colombo (Sept 16-20)

Read More

Fiji and PNG through to Gold Medal Match

Fiji and PNG have each booked a place in Friday's gold medal match after wins over Vanuatu and New Caledonia respectively at the Pacific Games Cricket Competition in Noumea.In the match of the tournament so far, Fiji fought back from the jaws of defeat to snatch a four run victory over Vanuatu.Set the modest total of 114 to win, Vanuatu were in control for the majority of the run chase before terrific bowling spells from both Viliame Yabaki and Jikoi Kida caused a late innings collapse to hand Fiji the victory."It's an awesome feeling to win and I haven’t had that feeling for a long time," said Fiji captain Jo Rika. "Yesterday we spoke about playing to our strengths and improving our fielding and bowling and taking nothing away from our great batting performance, but we really improved in the field today."Sakaraia Lomani was again the stand out with the bat for Fiji smashing another 44 not out and was well supported by his captain Rika who was in fine touch for his 36.In reply Vanuatu were well in control early thanks to a terrific 44 from Lenica Natapei and 27 from Andrew Mansale.However once Mansale departed and Natapei followed soon after the young Vanuatu side struggled to deal with the spin of Yabaki who took two wickets in three balls to set up the win.Yabaki ended with figures of 4-21 and Kida also got well amongst the wickets taking 3-21.In the afternoon PNG dealt the hosts New Caledonia a significant blow, defeating them by 150 runs and setting up a showdown with Fiji on Friday.New Caledonia put up a spirited fight in the field restricting PNG to 6-197 off their 20 overs, which considering their performance yesterday against Fiji was a great improvement from the inexperienced side."It is a huge pleasure to play against a side like PNG and to keep them to under 200 which was less than Fiji scored against us yesterday and was one of our targets so we are pretty happy," said Noel Sinyeue who top scored and also took two wickets. "To take six wickets against a team like PNG is a real achievement."For PNG Kapena Arua top scored with 62 and Tony Ura once again performed brilliantly with 57. Sinyeue was the only multiple wicket-taker for New Caledonia ending with figures of 2-28.After a solid performance in the field, sadly it all went downhill with the bat for New Caledonia bowled out for just 47 thanks mainly to an awesome display of bowling from Inoa Baeau who ended with the incredible figures of 5-3 from four overs.Tomorrow will see PNG v Fiji and Vanuatu v New Caledonia in two matches that will not influence who will play-off in the medal matches. These fixtures will be repeated again on Friday when PNG and Fiji play off for gold and Vanuatu and New Caledonia for bronze.PNG's Arua says however they will hold nothing back against Fiji tomorrow in what is effectively a dead rubber."We always do the normal routine, we are a good side and always want to maintain our standard," he said. "We have many strengths and tomorrow we will make sure we use them."Brief scores:At Terrain de cricket N’Du: Fiji 3-113, 20 overs (S Lomani 44 not out, J Rika 36; S Obed 2-29) Vanuatu 8-109, 20 overs (L Natapei 44, A Mansale 27; V Yabaki 4-21, J Kida 3-21) Fiji won by 4 runs At Terrain de cricket N’Du: PNG 6-197, 20 overs (K Arua 62, T Ura 57; N Sinyeue 2-28) New Caledonia 10-47, 14 overs (N Sinyeue 13; I Baeau 5-3, J Mado 3-10) PNG won by 150 runs

Read More

Dry wicket leaves Aussies, Sri Lanka in a spin

Australia and Sri Lanka were searching for the right combination to tackle a bone-dry wicket as they prepared for Wednesday's first cricket Test in Galle.

Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan and his Australian counterpart Michael Clarke expected spin to dominate at the Galle International Stadium, leaving selection headaches for both teams.The wicket looks more dry than what we got in previous matches in Galle," said Dilshan, who leads Sri Lanka for the first time in a home series. "It will be a bit slow and I think it will turn after tea on the first day itself.Clarke, who begins his reign as a full-time Australian Test captain, also foresaw a trial by spin for his batsmen. "I hope I win the toss," he said. "It will be harder to bat as the game goes on. Our biggest challenge in the series is how we are going to play spin bowling. It is going to be a tough battle."Clarke's predecessor Ricky Ponting is the only one in the touring party to have played a Test match in Sri Lanka, way back in 2004 when Australia won 3-0.Australia were debating whether to play both their specialist spinners, Michael Beer and Nathan Lyon, or go in with three fast bowlers in Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and debutant Trent Copeland. Left-armer Beer, 27, has played in just one Test, while the 23-year-old Lyon was a surprise selection for the tour after just four first-class matches behind him.Copeland, 25, a lanky seamer from New South Wales, enhanced his claims in the three-day tour match in Colombo last week with a five-wicket haul in the first innings.Australia will also need to choose between two left-handers, Shaun Marsh and the Pakistan-born Usman Khwaja, for the number six place in their batting line-up.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, left out the rookie duo of seamer Shaminda Eranga and leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna in a short-list of 13 players announced on Tuesday.Dilshan was non-committal when asked if Sri Lanka would field three spinners -- unorthodox Ajantha Mendis, left-armer Rangana Herath and off-spinner Suraj Randiv -- in the opening clash. "There is a good chance of playing three spinners, but I can also bowl a bit of off-spin, so we will see what is best," he said. If all three play, left-arm bowler Chanaka Welegedera may be the only seamer in the team with all-rounder Angelo Mathews sharing the new ball.The first Test marks the start of a new chapter for both teams as they look to climb back up the Test rankings. Former world number one Australia have fallen to fifth place, while Sri Lanka, ranked second just a year ago, are fourth behind leaders England, South Africa and India.With the top four due to contest the inaugural world Test championship in England in 2013, both teams will hope to push their claims. A series win for Australia would see them rise to fourth place, but the positions will remain unchanged if Sri Lanka win.Since the retirement of world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan a year ago, Sri Lanka have failed to win a Test, having lost two and drawn six. The remaining two Tests will be played in Pallekele (September 8-12) and Colombo (Sept 16-20).

Read More

PCB forms committee to pick new coach

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket authorities on Monday formed a committee to pick a new national team coach to replace Waqar Younis, who will step down next month.Waqar is leaving his post for medical reasons after Pakistan's current tour of Zimbabwe.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the four-member committee will be headed by former captain and coach Intikhab Alam, and will consider candidates from within and outside Pakistan.Following Waqar's resignation, PCB has constituted a committee to look for a new coach," it said in a statement, adding that the other members were Zaheer Abbas, Naushad Ahmed and Ramiz Raja.PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad said Sunday that former Australian batsman Dav Whatmore, who coached Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996 before guiding Bangladesh to the World Cup Super Sixes in 2007, could be approached."Although Whatmore is currently employed in India's National Academy, we can still contact him for the post," Ahmad told media in Lahore.Former paceman Aaqib Javed, who was Waqar's assistant until this year's World Cup, has also emerged as a strong candidate to take over as head coach.Pakistan has a bitter history of sacking coaches after abysmal performances by the team. They hired South African Richard Pybus and Australia's Geoff Lawson in the past but both were dismissed before their tenures finished.Former England batsman Bob Woolmer also coached Pakistan between 2004-2007 until he died in mysterious circumstances after the team's shock defeat against Ireland in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.Pakistan approached former Australian great Greg Chappell last year, who turned down the offer of the position.

Read More

Ponting, Clarke hope to change Test fortunes

Australia's star batsmen Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke are hoping to shrug off their recent poor run in Test cricket when they take on Sri Lanka from Wednesday.The tourists will rely heavily on the batting exploits of captain Clarke and his predecessor Ponting to win the three-test series, Australia's first since the embarrassing 3-1 Ashes defeat to England in January. But the pair have struggled in the five-day format for almost two years and will be keen to make amends when the first test opens at the Galle International Stadium.Ponting, 36, is the third highest run-getter in Test cricket behind the Indian duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, with 12,363 runs from 152 matches and 39 centuries.But he has not scored a test hundred in his last 20 innings since making 209 against Pakistan at Hobart in January 2010.Clarke, 30, has fared no better, going without a hundred in 10 matches after hitting 168 against New Zealand in Wellington in March last year.But a turnaround in the fortunes of the tourists' captain and elder statesman may be just an innings away.Ponting, who made way for Clarke as captain after the World Cup in April, scored 53 and 90 not out during the preceding one-day series against the Sri Lankans which Australia won 3-2.Clarke also chipped in with two half-centuries in the series and then scored 104 in a three-day practice match in Colombo last week ahead of the first test.Clarke, who begins his reign as a fulltime Australian test captain on Wednesday, said he was keen to score test runs again."My form has not been as good as I would like in test cricket," Clarke told the travelling Australian media."For me, Test cricket is the ultimate, the pinnacle, and I want to be at my best."I could not have asked for better preparation, but now I have got to do it when it counts. It's important to make runs every time I bat but I would prefer a hundred in the first test."Clarke, regarded as one of the finest players of spin bowling, has scored 4,742 runs in 69 tests at an average of 46.49 with 14 centuries.Ponting admitted Australia's Ashes loss when he was captain had affected his batting, and now looked forward to doing well as the team's frontline batsman."The team's performance had started to play on my mind and it probably dragged my batting down a little bit," Ponting told Cricinfo in a recent interview."I have got to score runs that are going to be enough to win for Australia, and that's my main objective for the immediate future.

Read More

Australia can gain one place with series victory

Australia can make its first step on the road to regaining number-one position on the Reliance ICC Championship table by beating Sri Lanka over a three-Test series, which begins on Wednesday.If Michael Clarke's team wins by even a single match, it will move ahead of Sri Lanka on the ladder into fourth position from its current place in fifth. If Australia wins the series 3-0 it will close the gap on third-placed India to 10 points.However, Tillakaratne Dilshan and his men will be eyeing upward movement of their own and a clean sweep by the home team in this series will see them move to 114 ratings points, just three behind the World Champion. To see how future results will affect the table, check out the ICC Test Championship predictor function by clicking

Read More

Hard-working Ajmal strives for more success

LAHORE: Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal said on Thursday that like other bowlers in world cricket, he has also been trying out new techniques of bowling in order to deceive the batsmen and is not too worried about suggestions that his ‘doosra’ had now been mastered by the batsmen.Talking to media before the start of the training camp for the tour of Zimbabwe at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, Saeed said that every bowler was keen to introduce some new varieties to his bowling to survive in the international cricket and he was also aspiring to achieve some unique trajectory to stay on top of the batsmen.He admitted that English off-spinner Graeme Swann had more spin in his delivery than him, but his (Saeed’s) own strategy was to restrict the batsmen from taking runs as it put a lot of pressure on them which eventually resulted in their dismissal.Asked if he was feeling any pressure for the fact that he is the main spin bowler going to Zimbabwe with the Pakistan team after the absence of Shahid Afridi and Abdul Rahman, Saeed said he was quite focused on the tour and added that new spinner Yasir Shah could prove to be good support for him.He said his last series against the West Indies was very satisfying for him as he was also declared as Man of the Series there.“After having played county cricket, I feel I have improved as a bowler and am in perfect physical condition to face Zimbabwe.Saeed said he was happy after the ICC included his name among those nominated for the ‘player of the year’ award.Last time my name was included in the T20 category and now it is for the ODIs and I am quite hopeful about winning it,” he said.

Read More

Pakistan to face stiff challenge from Zimbabwe: Latif

KARACHI: Former Test skipper Rashid Latif said on Saturday that Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan team would be facing a stiff challenge from hosts Zimbabwe during their upcoming tour starting from September 1.“By beating fast rising Bangladesh side in the ongoing test and ODIs series, Zimbabwe has shown top form and that could prove dangerous for Pakistan,” he told APP in an interview.“Don’t take Zimbabwe lightly,” he warned.“Pakistan may have a slight edge in ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals, but it will be tough for them in test matches because of a lack of experience in the bowling department,” he said.“Selectors made a mistake by resting pace duo of Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz. They needed more test matches. But poor selection system may cause yet more trouble for Pakistan in a one-off test,” he pointed out.“Regular chopping and inconsistent policies of selectors may bring embarrassment to the team,” Latif maintained.He said Zimbabwe at full strength, especially after the return of players such as captain Brendan Taylor, Ray Price, Craig Ervine, Kayle Jarvis and new star left arm pace bowler Brian Vitori, might pose problems for Pakistan.“There will be too much burden on Saeed Ajmal and that may put him under pressure,” he commented.He said Pakistan’s batting looked strong on paper with Misbah, Younis Khan, Muhammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat and Umer Akmal in the line-up.However, he said, despite the strong line-up, batting has always been Pakistan’s troubled area Lets hope batsmen live up to their reputation,” he added

Read More

Ijaz Butt’s reign a mixed bag: Bari

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Bari, who is currently holding the post of director education in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has stated that chairman Ijaz Butt’s reign has been a mixed bag which has brought both joy and disappointment to cricket fans in the country the former Test wicket-keeper claimed that the governing body of the game has brought on-field success despite some ugly controversies since 2008.Ijaz Butt is set to end his stint as PCB chief in October this year and it is not yet clear if he would continue at the helm of cricket in Pakistan.Bari who has remained a vital cog of Ijaz’s administration added that the performance of the team in major limited-overs competitions has been satisfactory in the last three years, the highlight being the title win in the 2009 T20 World Championship in England. The men in green also made it to the semi-finals of all ICC events since the 2007 T20 World Championship.Bari also thinks that the replacement candidate for coach Waqar Younis should be someone who understands the game in the country and should have solid credentials. He cited the example of English team coach, former Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower who has transformed the fortunes of his team and taken them to the top of Test rankings.Bari feels that the upcoming international season is of immense importance for Pakistan, especially the series against England and Sri Lanka which are set to take place in the United Arab Emirates.Bari claimed that the educational department of PCB is trying its best to impart training and education to the upcoming players who are likely to represent the national team in the years ahead

Read More

Poor preparation behind India’s Test debacle, says Lloyd

LONDON: Former West Indian captain Clive Lloyd on Friday said that he was surprised in India’s 0-4 whitewash in the Test series against England and blamed poor preparation of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men as the main reason for the debacle.‘‘Nobody expected England to beat India 4-0 But you can’t come to any country and play just one warm up game,” said Lloyd who, as chairman of ICC Cricket Committee, was here to announce the names of shortlisted players for various awards for the ICC Awards ceremony on September 12.Young players especially need 3-4 four-day games before Tests and couple in between. If you are out of form, you don’t get your form in nets,he said.Lloyd gave the example of Virender Sehwag to drive him his point that without preparation a player howesover big would struggle.‘‘You don’t get runs by walking straight in. I don’t care how good you are, you don’t get it You are not going to run into form in Test matches. You need to get your timing right, the foot movement, picking the ball properly,’’ he said.Lloyd described the current Indian bowling attack, especially the spinners, as the weakest he has seen during his years of association with the game.Spin-wise, it looks the weakest. You always had good spinners. As for fast bowlers, anyone would break down with the sort of workload which (Ishant) Sharma had.Agencies

Read More

Let the Games Begin

New Caledonia was treated to a spectacular opening ceremony to the Pacific Games last night with the highlight for East-Asia Pacific Cricket being Vanuatu captain Andrew Mansale carrying his nation’s flag into the main stadium.It was a huge moment for Mansale as he led a 277 strong Vanuatu contingent into the arena in front of a vocal capacity crowd.Cricketers from Fiji, PNG and New Caledonia were also on hand to enjoy the festivities ahead of the cricket tournament that begins on Monday local time. PNG who have sent a relatively inexperienced squad will be aiming for a sixth straight Pacific Games Cricket Gold Medal.Vanuatu will enter the event with a near full-strength side aiming to win their first ever Pacific Games Cricket gold medal.With the tournament right in the middle of a busy international schedule for Fiji, they have named five debutants which will provide a great insight into the future of Fijian Cricket. Fiji performed superbly in their warm-up match against PNG on Friday and if they can replicate that enthusiasm in the field during the tournament proper they will be a big chance to play-off for gold later this week.The hosts New Caledonia who are not yet an ICC member will be aiming to provide their players with some much needed experience against quality opposition, and if their warm-up matches are anything to go by, the other three sides will need to come ready to play.New Caledonia will play Fiji in the first match on Monday morning, followed by a rematch of the Pepsi ICC Division 1 Final in the afternoon when PNG take on Vanuatu.

Read More

Swann hopes to shine in the sub-continent tours

Graeme Swann might have left India in a spin in the fourth Test but the England spinner feels his best is yet to come and hopes to peak during the tough series coming up over the next 18 months.Swann helped England complete the 4-0 whitewash in The Oval after snapping nine wickets in the final Test, though he had to spent most part of the four-match series watching his pace colleagues wrecking havoc on the Indian batters."I've hardly had to do anything this summer," Swann was quoted as saying in the Sunday Mirror."If you take The Oval game out of it, I've had my easiest summer ever. I've just stood at second slip watching Jimmy Anderson, Chris Tremlett and Stuart Broad take all the wickets," said Swann, who scalped just four wickets in the first three Tests."I know I'll be looked upon as the main weapon in the subcontinent and be expected to take the wickets. I know I've got a lot of hard work to do in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan and then in Sri Lanka and India he added.Swann considers Sri Lankan as the hardest place for a spinner and said if England have to dominate world cricket then they world need to perform at the sub-continent."In Sri Lanka a spinner has to do all the donkey work. Seamers just can't do it. After four or five overs they are cooked. It's the heat. Sri Lanka is the hardest place to get wickets, but I know I can bowl well there," he said. "It'll be a litmus test for the team. It's been a phenomenal two years for England. I have to pinch myself sometimes."However, if we want to be as dominant as the West Indies team of the 1970s and 80s, and the Aussies from the mid-90s, then we have to do well in the sub-continent," he added.

Read More

Squads and fixtures announced for Pepsi ICC WCL Div. 6 in Malaysia

Tournament will take place in Kuala Lumpur from 17-24 September
The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the 14-man squads for the six teams - Nigeria, Kuwait, Fiji, Guernsey, Jersey and Malaysia - participating in Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 6 (WCL Div. 6) next month in Malaysia.The finalists of the event, which will be played from 17 to 24 September, will be promoted to Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 which will be staged in Singapore in early 2012.The tournament will be played on three grounds in Kuala Lumpur, Kinrara Oval, Selangor Turf Club and Bayuemas Oval. These venues were also used for the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup which was held in Malaysia in 2008.The full squads are as follows:Fiji: Joe Rika (captain), Viliame Yabaki, Iniasi Cakacaka, Sakaraia Lomani, Kitione Tavo, Sekove Ravoka, Jikoi Kida, Colin Rika, Waisake Tukana, Josefa Baleicicia, Tasheed Tawheed, Maciu Gauna, Joji Bulabalavu, Mohammed Khan.Guernsey: Stuart Le Provost (captain), Gary Rich, Tom Kimber, Jeremy Frith, James Nussbaumer, Ben Ferbrache, David Hooper, Tim Ravenscroft, Ross Kneller, Chris van Vliet, Stuart Bisson, Lee Savident, Adam Martel, GH Smit Jersey: Peter Gough (captain), Ed Farley, Thomas Minty, Sam de la Haye, Charles Perchard, James Faudemer, Ben Stevens, Anthony Hawkins-Kay, Ben Silva, Dean Morrison, Alex Cooke, Paul Connolly, Corey Bisson, Daniel GartonKuwait: Hisham Mirza (captain), Sibtain Raza, Muhammad Amin, Abid Mushtaq, Aamir Javed, Irfan Bhatti, Ahsan Naseer, Azmatullah Nazeer, Abdullah, Mohammad Murad, Sharjeel Tahir, Jagath Roshantha, Saud QamarMalaysia: Suhan Kumar Alagaratanam (captain), Sureah Navaratnam, Rakesh Madhavan, Hammad Ullah Khan, Hassan Ghulam Muhammad, Ahmad Faiz Noor, Shukri Abdul Rahim, Eszrafiq Azis, Abdul Rashid Ahad, Shafiq Sharf, Faris Almas-Lee Rosmanizam, Aminudin Ramly, Shahrulnizam Yusof, Hiran Brahman RalalageNigeria: Endurance Ofem (captain), Ademola Onikoya, Obejide Bejide, Varun Behani, Chukwu James, Ramit Gill, Joshua Ogunlola, Saheed Akolade, Segun Olayinka, Chibuike Iteogu, Seun Odeku, Lekan Awolowo, Seye Olympio, Kunle AdegbolaThe full schedule for WCL Div. 6 is as follows:Fixtures15 September - Team Arrivals16 September - Practice17 September - Guernsey v Jersey (Kinrara Oval), Malaysia v Kuwait (Selangor Turf Club), Fiji v Nigeria (Bayuemas Oval)18 September - Malaysia v Nigeria (Kinrara Oval), Kuwait v Jersey (Selangor Turf Club), Guernsey v Fiji (Bayuemas Oval)19 September - Reserve Day20 September - Malaysia v Fiji (Kinrara Oval), Jersey v Nigeria (Selangor Turf Club), Kuwait v Guernsey (Bayuemas Oval)21 September - Fiji v Kuwait (Kinrara Oval), Nigeria v Guernsey (Selangor Turf Club), Malaysia v Jersey (Bayuemas Oval)22 September - Reserve Day23 September - Malaysia v Guernsey (Kinrara Oval), Jersey v Fiji (Selangor Turf Club), Nigeria v Kuwait (Bayuemas Oval)24 September - Final (Kinrara Oval), 3rd/4th Play-off (Selangor Turf Club), 5th/6th Play-off (Bayuemas Oval)All matches are scheduled to start at 1030 local timeNotes: If you are interested in receiving information on the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 6 or attending the event as an accredited member of the media, please contact Lucy Benjamin on lucy.benjamin@icc-cricket.com.

Read More

England Development XI wins series 2-1

Scotland U18 v England Development XI (game 2) 24th August 2011The England development team again won the toss and batted first in game two of the series. Hassan and Jackson opened the batting and progressed to 65 in the 16th over before the latter was stumped by Alex Baum off the bowling of Andrew Umeed for 18. What followed was a hugely impressive partnership of 151 between Rehan Hassan of Essex and Jack Winslade of Surrey as the pair punished any bad balls from the Scottish bowlers and rotated the strike well which took the score to an imposing 216 in the 44th over when Winslade was caught by Umeed off Shillington for a fine 74 off 84 balls. Wickets in hand allowed the English team to capitalise on their batting powerplay to finish their 50 overs on 284 for 7 In reply the Scottish openers Andrew Umeed and captain Ross McLean had made a solid start when a heavy downpour forced the players off the field with Scotland 16 without loss. On resumption the target was revised under Duckworth Lewis to set the Scots a stiff target of a further 170 runs from 22 remaining overs. The task was made even more difficult due to boundaries being hard to come by with the outfield slowed by the wet conditions. However, the Scottish batsman made a brave attempt to chase down the runs with several batsmen getting started, but none being able to kick on towards a match winning contribution. The partnership between Peter Ross (27) and Sam Page (31) looked like it may take Scotland close, but home victory hopes were extinguished when Page was brilliantly caught by Stone on the long off boundary when the ball looked to be clearing the ropes. England won the match by a margin of 31 runs under D/L/

Scotland U18 v England Development XI (game 3) - 25th August 2011

The final game of the series between Scotland U18s and the English Development XI saw the Scots gain a measure of revenge for defeats earlier in the week with a hard earned 32 run victory. Scotland batted first having won the toss with several batsmen again getting starts but failing to go on to a significant score. Henry Edward (33), Sam Page (21) and Pete Ross (19) all looked in control before perishing in their attempts to keep the scoreboard moving against the spin dominated England attack. When Dani Chaudhry (6) was caught at mid wicket off the bowling of Hassan the Scotland innings was in danger of subsiding at 119 for 6. However, a fine partnership between Tom McBride and Alex Baum regained a degree of control for the Scots before Baum (26) was caught at long-on just before the batting powerplay was taken. McBride continued to play the low-risk cricket required in partnership with 15 year old Will Edwards and 16 year old Alex Anderson to take the total to 222 when McBride was run-out off the last ball of the innings for a well compiled 52.England lost an early wicket in reply when McKay was caught at cover by Page from the bowling off spinner Anderson who had opened the bowling on a wearing surface. Partnerships of 38 and 36 between Cousens and Rhodes, then Rhodes and Sohail put England in the driving seat, but wickets from McLean and Omar Afridi plus a run out saw the game evenly balanced with England 93 for 4. Oli Stone then joined Webster and England again looked to be favourites as they progressed to 133 when Webster was caught at deep mid wicket by Will Edwards off the bowling of Anderson. The England innings then stumbled to 159 for 9 in the face of some accurate Scottish bowling, before Winslade and Hassan offered some resistance with a last wicket partnership of 30. However, Hassan was then caught at cover by Page off the bowling of Omar Afridi to seal a Scotland win by 32 runs.

Read More

Europe Women's cricketers take part in MCC YC elite programme

Scotland’s Leigh Kasperek and Ireland’s Shauna Kavanagh took part in the MCC YC elite programme, in partnership with the ICC Development Programme, during their time they kept an account of their experiences.Week 1 The MCC YC elite programme allows the women to train every day with full access to the facilities at Lords. To be given the opportunity to train with the YC’s for 2 weeks is a “once in a lifetime experience” and we were extremely grateful and excited; whilst nervous at the same time at the prospect of training with some of the best women cricketers in the world. Our journey began when we arrived in London Heathrow on a Monday afternoon, we travelled together to the Danubius hotel where we would stay for the duration of our 2 weeks; it was an excellent location as it overlooks Lords. We spent Monday getting acquainted with each other, resting and preparing for the week ahead.Our Lords experience began with meeting ICC Regional Performance Officer, Philip Hudson who gave us a tour of the stadium which was overwhelming. To say Lord’s and its surroundings are unbelievable is an understatement. The YCs training is based in the indoor facilities and on the nursery ground; we had Tuesday afternoon to use whichever facilities we wanted.We decided to do a gym session before doing some bowling machine work and some live net practices. We finished up about 4pm, and took in some of the game that was taking place on the nursery ground. There were ex-professionals playing along with two of the YC girls.On Wednesday morning we made our way to Lords at 10am and met with Alan Duncan who is a Level 4 Coach and manages the YC Women’s team. Alan introduced us to all the players, who were all extremely friendly and made us feel very much at ease. We began Wednesday’s training with an hour and a half fitness session, which is always a good way to break the ice! It was actually a very enjoyable fitness session, well as enjoyable as fitness can be.After this, we headed outside to do some outdoor nets on grass wickets, which we never get to, train on at home! After net sessions, there was lunch and the girls were given the rest of the day off. We decided to do some fielding to make the most out of the oppourtunity and some of the girls decided to join in with us. It was a great day and gave us a taste of what the next week and half would have in store for us.Thursday training included a double net session and a fielding session. The first net session lasted about 2 hours and took place on the older grass wickets outside which had been in use for the last 8 days because of the Test - followed by the Middlesex games. Jodie Fields, the Australian Women’s captain was training with YCs for the day and gave us both plenty of advice and guidance. The fielding session was an hour long and of high intensity and broke up the two net sessions. We started the next net session at 3pm on newly prepared wickets. Middlesex and Derbyshire had been training on the Nursery Ground beside us all day ahead of their CB40 match that was to take place that afternoon. We finished up at half 4 and were free for the day, so decided to head over to the stands and watch the game.Match day We had both been asked to play for MCC against Premier League team Bath C.C. When we arrived we were greeted by Charlie Russell, our Captain for the day and former MCC YC member. Bath C.C was a lovely ground and we were both eager to get playing. The challenge of the day was understanding how after a whole day of cricket, it could end up as a draw...a declaration match as it was known. We were put in to bat; Leigh was in at number 4 and Shauna at 6. We were both confident about getting the opportunity to bat with unlimited overs but nervous at the prospect of it. Hannah Phelps and Alice MacCleod - both MCC YC students - set about given us a brilliant start before both being dismissed, Hannah on 49.Leigh was in and batting with Seonaid, a steady partnership was built of 90 before Seonaid departed. This brought 'Steamer' into the crease, some lusty blows from her increased the run rate and declaration was in sight. Leigh was out for 59 and Shauna was in. A clever flighted ball had Shauna stumped for 2, but all for the cause of scoring quickly. So we amassed 250, a good score and one we were confident of defending. Although, the Bath batters could play for time and block out a draw confused we both were. We were hoping that a result would form so we set about trying our hardest to win the match.Although Bath were short of England's Fran Wilson, talk for the day had been on Elwyn Campbell, an experience batter and one to be wary off. So we were surprised when she was dismissed for under double figures by Wales opening bowler, Hannah Zaman. Bath's intentions were clear from then on, wickets were hard to come by. Shauna the quickest bowler for the MCC had an aggressive field with 3 slips and a gully. She was unfortunate not to pick up any wickets, but her fiery spell created many opportunities. A surprise introduction of Leigh’s spin brought about two wickets but mainly due to the pressure the other bowlers had put on the Bath Wanderers. Bath’s number 4 had amassed 70 before time was up. We hadn't managed to break through Bath's lower batting order and the match was a draw.It was a great experience for the both of us. We learnt a lot from the match and although it ended up in a draw, we both agreed that we liked the format. Playing only limited over matches at home, we don't always get the chance to build an innings or be really aggressive with our bowling. What an excellent way to finish our first week with the YC's.

Read More

Argentina take the first victory at the ICC Americas U15 South

In the first match of the ICC Americas U15 Southern Division Championship, Argentina won the toss and elected to bat. Ramiro Escobar and Mateo Mendi put on a valuable 82 runs for the first wicket in the face of solid opening spells from Luis Paredes and James King. The fall of Mendi saw Captain Lautaro Musiani enter to take the Peruvian attack apart. He scored 132 runs from only 46 balls before being dismissed. However, there was no respite for Peru as eventual ‘Man of the Match’ Mateo Arrighi, continued in his captain’s wake and ‘plastered’ the bowlers to all corners of the wonderful Markham College field and at the end of 40 overs had remained not out on 203 runs from only 84 deliveries including 21 sixes. Paredes (3-59) and King (1-35), from their 8 overs, were the best of the Peruvian attack.Peru’s response was hampered by some excellent bowling from Martin Peralta who finished with 3-19 from his opening spell of 3 overs. None of the Peruvian batsmen were able to cope with the Argentina attack and the punishment ended with Gonzalo Husain taking 2-1 from 1.5 overs and Peru ended all out for 40 from only 13.5 overs.Tomorrow sees Peru take on Chile and they will be hoping that they can improve on today’s performance.

Read More