Pakistan to launch more spin at England

ABU DHABI: Pakistan will once more depend on spin to maintain their dominance over England when the teams meet in a four-match one-day series starting here from Monday.

Misbah-ul Haq's men blanked England 3-0 in the Tests series with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal finishing with 24 wickets, left-armer Abdul Rehman taking 19 and allrounder Mohammad Hafeez five in a spin-dominated series.

Pakistan's spin repertoire will further be boosted by allrounder Shahid Afridi whose 5-36 helped Pakistan beat Afghanistan in a first-ever one-day between the two countries in Sharjah on Friday.

Even spinning allrounder Shoaib Malik, controversially included in the squad despite failures in the last six one-day matches, will pose problems for England who were routed 5-0 in India last year.

Pakistan captain Misbah acknowledged Afridi's heroics as leg-spinner.

Misbah, however, seeks improvement in his batting, especially in the top order

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Zimbabwe win toss, bat against New Zealand

AUCKLAND: Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor won the toss and elected to bat first in the opening Twenty20 international against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.

Zimbabwe have been outclassed in every game so far on their New Zealand tour, losing the one-off Test by an innings and 301 runs, then falling short in the three one-day internationals by 90, 141 and 202 runs.

New Zealand have two international debutants, Michael Bates - whose brother Steven represented New Zealand with the All Blacks - and Harare-born Colin de Grandhomme, who played for Zimbabwe under-19 before emigrating in 2006

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Afridi, Younis help Pakistan devestate Afghans

SHARJAH, UAE: All-rounder Shahid Afridi took five wickets while Younis Khan and Imran Farhat both hit half-centuries as Pakistan beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the day-night international here on Friday.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi took five wickets while Younis Khan and Imran Farhat both hit half-centuries as Pakistan beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the day-night international here on Friday.

Afridi claimed 5-36 as Afghanistan were bowled out for 195 in 48.3 overs before Younis hit an unbeaten 70 and Farhat made 52 to help Pakistan reach their modest target in 37.1 overs in the first-ever one-dayer between the two countries.

Despite the loss, Afghanistan still put up an inspired display at Sharjah Stadium, justifying their rise in international cricket which saw them win the right to play one-dayers in 2009.

Younis, who hit 10 boundaries off 65 balls, added 57 for the third wicket with Farhat after paceman Dawlat Zardan dismissed opener Mohammad Hafeez (eight) and Asad Shafiq (20) in his first five overs to leave Pakistan at 42-2.

Even after Farhat's dismissal to spinner Samiullah Shinwari, Yonuis continued to excel, adding an unbeaten 99 with skipper Misbah-ul Haq, who scored 40 not out with three fours and two sixes, for the fourth wicket.

Misbah said Afghanistan surprised him with their spirit.

"I am really happy with the spirit of the Afghanistan players," said Misbah. "There were times in the match when they put us on the back foot and that was expected, so we did well to win in the end."

Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal said his team put up a satisfactory show.

"This was our first-ever one-dayer against a top team and I am happy with the performance of the team," said Mangal.

"We couldn't put up a big total which was needed against a side like Pakistan."

Earlier Afridi derailed Afghanistan's progress who were set on track for a fighting total by opener Karim Sadiq (40) after they won the toss and decided to bat.

Afridi also became the second spinner with the highest number of one-day wickets (338) behind Muttiah Muralitharan (534), but surpassing India's Anil Kumble who had 333 wickets.

Despite Afridi's brilliance, the Afghan batsmen put up an excellent show and had they not lacked experience – playing their first one-day international against a top nation – they would have scored more.

There was plenty of fireworks on and off the field as the Afghan batsmen hit six sixes during their innings which delighted the bumper 15 000-strong weekend crowd – mostly Pakistan and Afghan expats.

Paceman Umar Gul provided Pakistan with the early breakthrough when he caught Noor Ali (nine) off his own bowling before Afridi dismissed Mohammad Shahzad (20), Mangal (11), Gulbadin Naib (seven) and Sadiq in his first spell.

Sadiq hit two boundaries and two sixes during his aggressive 47-ball knock.

Mohammad Nabi, who scored 37 with two sixes, added 46 for the sixth wicket with Shinwari who finished on 32, an innings studded with four boundaries.

Gul and Wahab Riaz took two wickets each.

Pakistan now play England in the first of four one-day internationals in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

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BPL match-2: Chittagong beat Rajshahi by 53 runs

DHAKA: Chittagong Kings defeated Duronto Rajshahi by 53 runs with a ball to spare in the second match on the opening day of the Bangladesh Premier League here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Friday.

Rajshahi could not reach the target and were all out for 153 runs in 19.5 overs.

Their main scorers were Junaid Siddique (42) and Shabbir Rehman (41 not out) while Dwayne Bravo and Enamul Haque Junior claimed three wickets each for 17 and 27 runs, respectively for Chittagong.

Earlier, Chittagong Kings plundered a mammoth total of 206 runs for four wickets in the allotted 20 overs after they won the toss and decided to bat first.

Pakistan’s Nasir Jamshed top scored with 56, followed by Mahmudullah (43 not out), Jason Roy (43) and Dwayne Bravo (38 not out).

In the inaugural match of the tournament played the same day, Chris Gayle’s thunderous century and Ahmed Shahzad’s fluent half-century made Barisal Burners thrash Sylhet Royals by ten wickets in the inaugural match of the tournament.

Both matches were telecast live from the venue on

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People throng Sharjah stadium for Pak-Afghan ODI

SHARJAH: Expats from both Pakistan and Afghanistan thronged the Sharjah Stadium for the first-ever one-day international here on Friday, with the fans uncertain who to support for a win.

Afghanistan, who rose to gain one-day status in 2009, have played 18 one-day games against fellow Associate teams, but Friday's match was their first against a top Test playing nation.

And for Pukhtoons, one of the major cast living in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan in the province of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, it was a dilemma who to support among a capacity holiday crowd of 15,000.

Pakistan's Umar Gul, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi also speak the Pushtoon language.

"It's no doubt an historic occasion," said Gulbadeen Salami. "I have lived half my life in Pakistan after fleeing there in 1979 so both are my countries.

Most of the Afghanistan players learnt the game while living in refugee camps in Pakistan after they had to flee their country following the Russian invasion in 1979.

Pakistan also helped Afghanistan in setting up their cricket infrastructure and allowed their teams to play in their domestic competitions.

Hundreds of fans started their journey towards the stadium early, taking buses to the stadium from the adjoining states of the United Arab Emirates home to millions of labourers from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Habibullah Khan, who works in a shop in Sharjah, said he will support Afghanistan.

"I love cricket and will support Afghanistan," said Khan, holding a tri-colour Afghanistan flag. "My favourite player is Mohammad Shazad, who hits sixes and is from my town -- Paktika (one of 34 provinces in Afghanistan)."

But overall, Afridi remains the top favourite player from either side.

"We are supporting both the teams," said Haji Malik from Kabul. "I wish Afghanistan win this match but my favourite is Afridi, who lives in the hearts of all the Pukhtoons."

Organisers hoped the sell-out crowd will induce more and more people to join the game in future.

"Sharjah has been home to cricket for many years now and this Pakistan-Afghanistan match will add to the charm, not only for the locals but also for the expats," said Mazhar Khan, secretary of Sharjah Cricket Council.

The Council started Cricket Benefit Fund Series in 1980s which also supported former cricketers with cash benefits and has staged 201 one-dayers before this match -- a world record in international cricket

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Afridi's 5-36 restrict Afghanistan to 195

SHARJAH: Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi took his eighth five-wicket haul in one-day cricket but Afghanistan still managed 195 in their first-ever day-night international at Sharjah Stadium here on Friday.

The 31-year-old leg-spinner took four wickets in his first spell to derail Afghanistan -- who won the toss and batted -- from 54-1 to 101-5 before finishing with 5-36 in his 10 overs.

Afridi also became the second spinner with the highest one-day wickets (338) behind Muttiah Muralitharan (534), surpassing India's Anil Kumble who had 333 wickets.

But despite Afridi's brilliance, the Afghan batsmen put up an excellent show and had they not lacked experience -- playing their first one-day international against a top nation -- they would have scored more.

There was plenty of fireworks on and off the field as Afghan batsmen hit six sixes during their innings which delighted the bumper 15,000-strong weekend crowd -- mostly Pakistan and Afghan expats.

Paceman Umar Gul provided Pakistan with the early breakthrough when he caught Noor Ali (nine) off his own bowling before Afridi dismissed Mohammad Shahzad (20), Nawroz Mangal (11), Gulbadin Naib (seven) and Karim Sadiq (40) in his first spell.

Sadiq hit two boundaries and two sixes during his aggressive 47-ball knock.

Mohammad Nabi, who scored 37 with two sixes, added 46 for the sixth wicket with Samiullah Shinwari who finished with 32 studded with four boundaries.

Gul and Wahab Riaz took two wickets each

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Gayle ton helps Barisal thrash Sylhet by ten wickets

DHAKA: Chris Gayle’s thunderous century and Ahmed Shahzad’s fluent half-century made Barisal Burners thrash Sylhet Royals by ten wickets in the inaugural Twenty20 match of the Bangladesh Premier League here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Friday.

Chasing a modest target of 166 runs, both openers showered a rain of fours and sixes to complete the victory in just 13.1 overs.

Gayle, the West Indian batsman made an unbeaten 101 from only 44 balls with ten sixers and seven fours while Shahzad was 56 not out from 35 balls with nine boundaries and a six.

Earlier, Sylhet Royals scored 165 runs for four wickets in the allotted 20 overs after being put into bat by Barisal Burners.

Captain Peter Trego (62) and Bangladesh international batsman Alok Kapali (56) were the main scorers for the Roylas while Pakistan’s paceman Yasir Arafat was the most successful bowler for the Burners with 2-33.

Geo Super showed the match live from Mirpur.

The second match of the tournament will begin from 5-30 between Chittagong Kings and Duronto Rajshahi at the same ground.

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BPL match-2: Chittagong amass 206-4 against Rajshahi

DHAKA: Chittagong Kings set a huge winning target for Duronto Rajshahi in the second Twenty20 match on the opening day of the Bangladesh Premier League here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Friday.

Winning the toss, Chittagong batted first to pile up a big total of 206 runs for four wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Pakistan’s Nasir Jamshed top scored with 56, followed by Mahmudullah (43 not out), Jason Roy (43) and Dwayne Bravo (38 not out).

Earlier, Chris Gayle’s thunderous century and Ahmed Shahzad’s fluent half-century made Barisal Burners thrash Sylhet Royals by ten wickets in the inaugural match of the tournament.

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Aaqib Javed resigns as bowling coach

KARACHI: Aaqib Javed has resigned as the bowling coach of the Pakistan cricket team, Sources add that Javed is expected to join the UAE cricket team as coach.

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Pakistan-Afghainstan first-ever ODI today

SHARJAH: Pakistan and Afghanistan play a historic first-ever one-day international between the two countries here on Friday with both captains vowing to make the game a memorable one.

"It is a very important game for both countries and we will try to make the occasion memorable with some quality cricket," Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said.

"It is important for countries like Afghanistan to play a top team which will help them improve and we are going to play with our full strength team as they have some good players."

Friday's match in Sharjah Stadium -- which holds the world record of staging the most one-day internationals with 201 -- is fitting because most of the Afghan players learnt the game in Pakistan while staying as refugees after the Soviet invasion of their country in 1979.

Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal thanked Pakistan for giving them chances.

"We thank Pakistan for allowing us to play this one-day and also giving us opportunity to play in their domestic competitions which raised our confidence," said Mangal, who led Afghanistan to one-day status.

"It is a history making match against a top team like Pakistan and we will try our best to put up a good fight in a contest which is a big challenge for us," said the 27-year-old Mangal, an off-spin bowler.

Mangal said his team had prepared well for Pakistan's spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman who were behind the 3-0 destruction of England in their three-Test series: Ajmal finished with 24 wickets while Rehman took 19.

"We have prepped well for Pakistan's spin duo and I am confident my batsmen will do their best," said Mangal, adding that paceman Hamid Hassan, who has 24 wickets in 14 one-day internationals, will miss the match through knee injury.

They still have Mohammad Nabi, an off-spinner who took five wickets while playing for an ICC Combined XI against England last month and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad who scored 51 and 74 in the same match.

Pakistan will be further boosted by the return of allrounder Shahid Afridi who will add variety to team's spin attack.

Mangal hoped a sell-out crowd of 15,000 largely Afghan and Pakistan expatriates, enjoying the weekly holiday here, will show their support.

"We want the public to share this historic moment with both the teams," said Mangal.

War-ravaged Afghanistan gained a notable foot up on the world cricket stage by finishing fifth in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers which earned them the right to play one-day internationals.

They also won the right to play the third edition of World Twenty20, held in the Caribbean in 2010, by winning the qualifying tournament and then finished with a silver medal in the Asian Games in China in November that same year.

Afghanistan, one of the 59 associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), are also the title holders of the Inter-Continental Cup meant for the Associate nations.

The ICC, which contributes approximately 700,000 dollars a year to help Afghanistan's development in cricket, has shown great delight in their progress, terming it as "a success story in cricket"

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Sri Lanka win toss and field in ODI

PERTH: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and chose to field against Australia in the third tri-series one-day international at Perth's WACA ground on Friday.

The home side named an unchanged side after beating India in the rain-shortened series opener in Melbourne on Sunday.

Sri Lanka made one change from the side beaten by four wickets by India in Perth on Wednesday, promoting spinner Sachithra Senanayake.

Australia named Peter Forrest as 12th man, while Thisara Perera will carry the drinks for Sri Lanka.

Teams:
Australia - David Warner, Matthew Wade, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Mike Hussey, David Hussey, Dan Christian, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty. Peter Forrest (12th man)

Sri Lanka - Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sachithra Senanayake. Thisara Perera (12th man)

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Indian maestro Gavaskar inducted in Hall of Fame

SHARJAH: Former India captain and batting legnd Sunil Gavaskar was formally inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame, the ICC said Thursday.

The 62-year-old former opener was presented the Hall of Fame cap by former Indian captain Kapil Dev in the presence of Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive at a function held on Wednesday night, ICC said.

Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman in Test cricket to get 10,000 runs and 30 centuries, finishing with 10,122 and 34 hundreds during an illustrious career which spanned from 1971-87.

"It is a huge honour because it is the peers in the game who decide who is going to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. It has taken some time to co-ordinate the presentation but finally it is there and I am delighted that I have been inducted," said Gavaskar.

"This (award) means that you are in select company and, therefore, it becomes all the more special. To be an original inductee is an even bigger honour."

Gavaskar is one of the initial 55 inductees in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame which was launched in January 2009 in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) as part of the ICC's Centenary Year.

Gavaskar now joins a Hall of Fame that includes 72 male and female cricketers.

He was also a member of the India squad that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1983 in England, defeating the West Indies by 43 runs.

Gavaskar showed delight on getting the cap from his former captain.

"Dev and I have had some wonderful times. Being part of the World Cup-winning squad is a memory that will always stay with me. Dev lifting the Cup at Lord's is something that I will always treasure and, therefore, to receive the cap from him makes this occasion even more special."

Dev also acknowledged Gavaskar's contributions for India.

"It is a proud moment to be in the same group where Gavaskar is. In our time, we used to think and even till today we think he is one of the best-ever opening batsman and the greatest player in my era," said Dev.

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Saeed Ajmal set for second Worcestershire stint

LONDON: Worcestershire have re-signed Saeed Ajmal following the off-spinner's clutch of wickets for Pakistan in their Test series whitewash of England.

Ajmal will join the Midlands county as their second overseas player for the domestic Twenty20 competition, along with Australia batsman Phil Hughes who will be at New Road for the whole of the 2012 English county season.

The in-form Ajmal took 24 wickets in Pakistan's 3-0 rout of England in the United Arab Emirates, including a Test-best seven for 55 in the series opener.

He spent the second half of last term with Worcestershire and helped them avoid relegation from the First Division of the County Championship.

Ajmal also collected up 16 Twenty20 wickets for the county at an average of just over 11 apiece.

"Saeed showed last summer when playing for us what a quality bowler he is," said Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes.

"His recent performances against England only serve to back this up," the former England wicket-keeper added.

"We are delighted that he has agreed to return to New Road for a second time."

The 34-year-old Ajmal, in a Worcestershire statement, said: "I really enjoyed my time at New Road in 2011 and look forward to returning this summer to help inspire the club to Twenty20 success."

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BPL begins with colourful ceremony

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was opened with a grand colourful ceremony here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.

Bangladesh president was the chief guest at the ceremony who declared the event open.

All the six participating teams paraded before a large crowd in the stadium.

Famous Bangladeshi and Indian singers and artists performed at the stage amidst great applause.

Prominent among the players present on the occasion were West Indians Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq, Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal besides Bangladeshi international cricketers.

The six-team league is to be played in Dhaka and Chittagong from February 10, with the final on February 29.

In all, 33 matches will be played during the 20-day tournament. Two matches will be played on the opening day in Mirpur, Dhaka: First between Barisal Burners and Sylhet Royals, and the second between Chittagong Kings and Duronto Rajshahi.

All the matches of the BPL will be telecast live on Geo Super.

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi, the most expensive foreign player at last month's auction after being sold to the Dhaka Gladiators franchise for $700,000, is not taking part due to international commitments.

Pakistan begin a one-day series against England in the United Arab Emirates this week.

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Fixing claim hits Bangladesh's IPL-style event

DHAKA: Bangladesh's inaugural Twenty20 league opened on a sour note on Thursday when a leading player revealed he had received a spot-fixing proposition.

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said he had been approached by an unnamed player regarding potential spot-fixing when he turns out as skipper of the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

"I have told my team management about the approach and I'm sure they will do the right thing," Mortaza told the Cricinfo website. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the report.

Dhaka newspapers reported that Mortaza said he would step down from the team captaincy if he suspected any irregularities once the tournament -- styled along the lines of the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) -- got going.

Mortaza was asked to provide information on whether he would play certain matches and even whether he would be wearing his sunglasses or a cap when he takes the field.

In exchange, he was told, he would be paid 15-20 percent of the earnings from the spot-betting.

BCB officials said Mortaza has been asked to reveal the name of the player who made the approach.

"This is a very serious offence," BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus told AFP. "We have zero tolerance towards these things and will do whatever is needed to nail it down quickly.

"Mortaza has to disclose the name of the player. It needs to be addressed very seriously."

Mortaza will be speaking to officials of the International Cricket Council's Anti-orruption Security Unit before the matches get under way on Friday, Yunus said. (

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New Zealand cap Zimbabwe whitewash

NAPIER: New Zealand crushed Zimbabwe by 202 runs in the final one-day international in Napier on Thursday to complete a 3-0 series whitewash over the out-classed tourists.

Zimbabwe again failed to fire as New Zealand, inspired by a man-of-the-match century from skipper Brendon McCullum, plundered 373-8 in their 50 overs and then routed the Africans for 171 with six overs to spare.

Captain Brendan Taylor, whose brisk 65 off 62 balls was the high point of the Zimbabwe innings, was left looking for positives from a series in which the gulf between the teams progressively widened.

"We've got to just keep trying to climb that ladder and become better players," he said.

"We've got a lot to learn and we'll be better for it after this tour."

Returning to the ground where they suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 301 runs in a one-off Test last month, Zimbabwe let themselves down with loose bowling and shoddy fielding on a flat wicket.

New Zealand capitalised after winning the toss and electing to bat, with a 153-run opening partnership from Martin Guptill (85) and Rob Nicol (61) laying the foundation for their side's third-highest one-day international total.

McCullum piled on the agony with a swashbuckling 119 from 88 balls, including five sixes, as Zimbabwe's Brian Vitori suffered the indignity of becoming only the fifth player to concede more than 100 runs in an ODI.

Vitori haemorrhaged 105 runs in nine overs for just one wicket, at one point conceding three sixes in three balls to Nathan McCullum, the New Zealand skipper's brother, in a horror over that yielded 26 runs.

Zimbabwe have two Twenty20 matches remaining on the tour, the first in Auckland on Saturday, in which to salvage some pride.

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Gambhir to make way for Sehwag in second ODI

PERTH: Virender Sehwag's arrival for the media briefing at the WACA on Tuesday raised a few eyebrows. His presence, though, was meant to clear the air over a few festering issues.

Sehwag, after all, had been dropped from the first game in order to play Rohit Sharma, but now it seems he will be back in the opening slot against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

The dashing opener made it clear there was a rotation policy for seniors, meaning there is a policy of grooming youngsters in place now.

"We are giving breaks to the top three batsmen. So, I think, tomorrow it could be somebody else's turn (to be rested). Either Tendulkar or Gambhir will take a break so that I can come into the side," said Sehwag.

Having taken the first beating from Australia in the opening game, India cannot afford to take things easy. It has been learnt that Tendulkar and Sehwag will open on Wednesday, with Gambhir being 'rested' this time.

Interestingly, Sehwag also talked about the benefits of taking a break.

"Break does you good. It can help you recover from the physical and mental fatigue and that is why we decided that the top three players can be rotated."

Apart from Sehwag, veteran pacer Zaheer Khan also missed out on the opening match. Like Sehwag, Zaheer Khan too is expected to be back for the game.

With India's top stars in the twilight of their careers, it looks like some guidelines have been issued to the team management.

"We want to give chances to the youngsters because the next World Cup is going to be held here. It will help them get used to the conditions," explained Sehwag, who himself endorsed the idea saying, "I guess it's good thinking."

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IPL auction in 2009 was rigged in favour of CSK, claims Lalit Modi

NEW DELHI: Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Tuesday claimed that the auction for the 2009 edition of the cash-rich T20 tournament was "rigged" in favour of Chennai Super Kings whose owner, N Srinivasan, is now the president of the Indian Cricket Board.

Srinivasan, however, rubbished Modi's claims by stating that there is "absolutely no substance or truth" in what he is saying.

Modi, who was the IPL chief at the time, has alleged that the rules were tweaked to allow former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to remain with Chennai.

"Flintoff auction was rigged. I made it clear that time. That onus was on me and as chairman I should have not allowed that to happen then. I was arm-twisted to allow Andrew Flintoff to go to Chennai Super Kings.

"I'm to blame for that. It's a fact. Similar problem happened with the Pakistani players. Arm-twisting happened by senior BCCI officials that nobody should pick them," Modi told CNN-IBN on Tuesday.

Srinivasan, who was the BCCI secretary at the time, said it was surprising that Modi was making these allegations after three years.

"I haven't watched the television programme where he has said all this. All I can say is that there is absolutely no substance or truth in what he is saying. If he is talking about 2009 why is he saying all this in 2012," Srinivasan said.

Modi's allegations come close on the heels of Sahara India announcing its decision to pull out of its sponsorship of the Indian team and ownership of the Pune Warriors IPL franchise.

"Subrata (Roy, Sahara Group chief) is right when he says there is no level playing field. Over past few seasons we have seen rules being changed to benefit one team or the other. The IPL was built on the premises that there should be a level playing field.

"That's why we had auction, the capping - the maximum money one can pay and there should be no side trading. But over the years the auction rules have changed and it's to the detriment of some teams," Modi said.

Modi said that the BCCI stands to lose close to Rs 10,000 crore as a result of the Sahara pull-out and the terminations in recent times.

"With Kochi, Sahara, Nimbus and Sony contracts going down it's close to ten thousand crores loss to BCCI."

Asked about the conflict of interest with Chennai team and the favours to the two-time defending champions and Mumbai, Modi said, "The accusations are justified. We changed the rules in Champions league where we allowed five players to play. You should make rules for all teams that everybody benefits out of it.

"What Subrataji is saying regarding Yuvraj is not right. This problem should have been resolved prior to that. Not only two teams but also few more teams wanted to keep their key players. A lot of teams wanted their players to go back but more powerful teams could get the clause retain."

And about the chances of returning to India, he said, "The ED and other authorities are just throwing charges but in last two years they have not come up with any thing. I've been answering the questions but not a single allegation has turned into fact.

"I will be very happy to return to India but what about the witch hunt. All agencies would go after you without any proof. I will comeback if there is guarantee that there will be no witch hunt."

While raising doubts over the sustainability of IPL, Modi also hit out at the present management for lack of transparency.

"If you change the rules the business model won't work. I've been saying from the beginning that the rules have to be equal. BCCI has done certain things which are going to hurt cricket in long run.

"Why everybody is going away from the IPL today. There is lack of transparency now. Stick to the formula and we have a golden goose to cash on."

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Indian cricket star being treated for cancer

Yuvraj Singh is undergoing chemotherapy to treat a cancerous growth that may have been bothering him even while he produced his World Cup heroics last year.
The growth in his chest was originally thought to be benign, but has recently been diagnosed as malignant, and he traveled to the United States on Jan. 26 to seek treatment.
"It is a rare tumor and is cancerous, but it has been detected in stage-one," Singh's physiotherapist, Jatin Chaudhary, was quoted as saying Monday by the Press Trust of India.
"Doctors had to decide whether to continue medication or go for chemotherapy, but since parts of the tumor are just above the artery of his heart, there was a danger that while running it could burst. But it is 100 percent curable," he said.
Dr. Nitish Rohatgi, an oncologist in New Delhi's Max Hospital who has been co-ordinating with Singh's doctors in the United States, said the cricketer had been responding well to treatment.

"His malignancy is curable and he has been responding well to chemotherapy that is being administered since the end of January," Rohatgi told a news conference in New Delhi on Monday. "The chemotherapy will continue till the end of March and we are confident he will be cured."
Yuvraj Singh's mother Shabnam said in November that her son probably carried the illness through the World Cup in March and April last year, saying that the allrounder suffered from constant "bouts of coughing and vomiting" during the tournament and medical tests revealed a "golf-ball size lump over the left lung."
India's sports minister Ajay Maken has promised help to Singh.
"Wish Yuvraj a speedy recovery! Asking officials to find the quantum and nature of help required. Government should and will help him," Maken posted on Twitter.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has wished Singh "a speedy recovery" in an e-mailed statement, in which it also asked the media to respect the privacy of Singh and his family members.
The 30-year-old Singh, man-of-the-tournament during last year's home World Cup-victory, last played for India during a home test series against the West Indies in November.
Singh has played 37 tests, 274 limited-overs internationals and 23 Twenty20 internationals.
He played a large part in India winning the World Cup for the first time since 1983, playing in all nine matches at the 2011 edition and contributing 362 runs at an average of 90 and taking 15 wickets at 25 with his left-arm spin.
Singh is also famous for striking six sixes in an over off England paceman Stuart Broad during the Twenty20 World Cup in 2007.
Singh's absence on India's current tour of Australia has been noticeable. India was trounced 4-0 in the test series and won just one of two Twenty20 matches before losing its opening one-dayer against Australia by 64 runs Sunday.

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Hilfenhaus steps in for injured Lee

SYDNEY: Australia called up swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus on Monday to replace injured paceman Brett Lee for the one-day international against Sri Lanka.

Hilfenhaus was instrumental in Australia's Test whitewash of India, where he was the top wicket-taker with 27 scalps for an average 17.22, and selectors said he would stand in for Lee at Friday's one-dayer in Perth.

"The bowling attack for Perth is likely to be the same as the one that did so well in Melbourne and Ben will be in Perth to provide cover," said national selector John Inverarity.

Lee has been ruled out of action for up to six weeks after fracturing the little toe of his right foot when he was struck by a ball against India in Friday's Twenty20 in Melbourne.

Australia opened the tri-nation ODI series with a convincing 65-run win over India on Sunday. India meet Sri Lanka on Wednesday and Australia and Sri Lanka square off on Friday.

Inverarity said Mitchell Marsh, who stepped in for the then appendicitis-afflicted Lee in Australia's ODI series against South Africa in October, had also been confirmed for Sunday's ODI against India.

Marsh, 20, has been playing domestic fixtures in his native Perth

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