Australia's top order misfires but tail wags

Article from: The Australian

AUSTRALIA'S top-order batting misfired badly but its wagging tail papered over the cracks in the tour match against Sussex at Hove today.

Ashes preparations were in turmoil when Australia collapsed to 5-114 but attacking knocks from Brad Haddin (69), Nathan Hauritz (65n.o) and Brett Lee (47n.o) saved Australia from major embarrassment.

At stumps on day one, Australia had reached 7-349 after Hauritz and Lee had combined for an unbroken 117-run partnership.

Lee, who will be embroiled in an Ashes "bowl-off'' with his fellow quicks, now have a handy total to bowl at.

It was hard work for the Australians with unheralded South African quick Pepler Sandri (3-73) rocking the top-order as boom opener Phillip Hughes (15) failed to flatter and skipper Ricky Ponting was out for eight.

Mike Hussey's career blues continued when he was fired out lbw off Sandri when he had made 32.

When No. 6 Marcus North (1) edged behind - Australia had lost 3-1 off 10 balls as Sandri fired in his first game for Sussex since being signed on a one-year contract.

However Michael Clarke (45) and Haddin came together to launch a fightback - even though vice-captain Clarke looked scratchy for most of his innings.

Clarke and Haddin were out in the same over - off the bowling of Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner - and Australia was struggling again at 7-232.

Lee and Hauritz then combined to thwart the home side with Hauritz smacking 12 boundaries and looking particularly classy from the moment he arrived at the crease.

Haddin claimed Australia was happy with its day.

"I think the purpose of the day was just to get some competitive match practice,'' Haddin said.

"It was good to play under a bit of pressure. The two guys at the end (Hauritz and Lee) are very capable batsmen. The main point of this game was just about getting some cobwebs out of the system.''

Earlier, Hughes (15) lost his middle stump as he tried to attack at all costs in an odd innings in which the 20-year-old Macksville mauler smashed former England quick James Kirtley for three fours in the first over.

The rookie Australian opener had an extraordinary start to his Ashes campaign as he played three scratchy shots but also belted three boundaries through his favoured square point area.

Hughes left the ground leaving no-one in any doubt that he would look to fight fire with fire during the Ashes.

"He was definitely in a hurry today which was good to watch,'' Haddin said.

Fellow opener Simon Katich played in his usual solid way for 49 but skipper Ponting was caught behind off England one-day allrounder Luke Wright.

Ponting had looked in good touch before he played a false shot to a ball that jagged away from him.

Pakistan quartet in ICC World Twenty20 team

covered from Pakistan courtesy by DAWN

LONDON: Four members of the victorious Pakistan team that beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Sunday’s final of the World Twenty20 were named in the team of the tournament announced by the ICC here on Monday.

An expert panel, including former West Indies quick Ian Bishop and tournament director Steve Elworthy, the former South Africa pace bowler, chose Pakistan captain Younis Khan to lead the all-star side.

Also included were all-rounder Shahid Afridi, reverse-swing specialist Umar Gul and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

Opening batsman Tillekaratne Dilshan, the player of the tournament was one of three Sri Lankans in the 12-man squad with the losing semi-final duo of South Africa and the West Indies providing the remainder of the side.

Team: Younis Khan (captain), Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Umar Gul (Pakistan); Jacques Kallis, Wayne Parnell, AB de Villiers (South Africa); Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo (West Indies); Tillakaratne Dilshan, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga (12th man) (Sri Lanka).— AFP

Co-hosts don’t want Pak to hold World Cup matches

covered from Pakistan courtesy by DAWN

David Morgan, ICC President, left, and Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, hold a press conference after an ICC board meeting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.—AP/File

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricket committee chairman, Somachandra de Silva has made it clear that co-hosts India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh don’t want Pakistan to host any of the 2011 World Cup matches.

In an interview here on Monday, De Silva said that at the meeting of the representatives of the World Cup joint host countries, this had been made clear to the Pakistan board Chairman, Ijaz Butt. ‘We also don’t agree to Pakistan’s proposal of them hosting their share of matches at neutral venues,’ he added.

Silva said the host countries felt that only countries who were joint hosts of the World Cup should have the right to organise the matches and not anyone else.

‘We have offered Pakistan that they would be paid the full hosting rights fees even if they don’t host the matches. The countries that host their (Pakistan’s) share of matches would forego the hosting fees for these matches,’ he said.

De Silva said now the dispute over the World Cup matches would have to be resolved at the annual ICC meeting.

However, he ruled out any possibility of the host countries accepting Pakistan’s proposal to shift the World Cup to Australia and New Zealand and have the 2015 tournament in south Asia. ‘The World Cup will not be shifted out of Asia at any cost,’ he said.

De Silva, however, was hopeful that since the Asian nations had good relations the dispute would be resolved soon and a solution would be found.

‘We have also put the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore out of our minds and that is history now. Pakistan team would be welcomed when they come to Sri Lanka from June 27 for the Test series,’ he said.—Agencies

Younus to continue as T20 captain: Ijaz Butt

covered from Pakistan courtesy by DAWN

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ijaz Butt, said on Wednesday that Younus Khan will retain the captaincy of Twenty20 squad despite his announcement to quit the shorter version of the game.

Younus announced his retirement from T20 international cricket after winning the World Twenty20 in England on Sunday.

‘I’ll convince Younus to continue with his captaincy,’ Ijaz said in his brief interaction with the media at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport.

‘In Sri Lanka we are scheduled to play only one T20 match so this will be no big issue for him [Younus],’ he said.

Commenting over the performance of the team in the World Cup Twenty20, Ijaz pointed out: ‘It was sheer hard work and total team effort.’

Buoyant Pakistan unfazed by Lankan tour challenge

covered from Pakistan courtesy by DAWN

Sri Lanka is a tough side but our boys too have it in them to give a tough time to the opposition: Pakistani coach Intikhab Alam.—AP/File

LAHORE: Following their emphatic World Twenty20 win, Pakistan’s next mission is a three-Test series against Sri Lanka which commences early next month and is likely to be a tough challenge for Younus Khan’s men.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam told Dawn here on Wednesday that the series will be an entirely different ball game ‘as it will require our boys to make a successful transformation from one version of cricket to another.’

The Pakistan team is scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on June 27 to play the Test series which will be followed by five ODIs and one Twenty20 game.

‘The weather and playing conditions in Sri Lanka are not easy and we will chalk up a strategy after considering all aspects to field the best combination against them,’ Intikhab said while adding that it was still a bit premature to say anything or be sure about the pitches in Sri Lanka.

‘Hot weather is not a problem for us but humidity can create problems, especially for the fast bowlers,’ he said.

Though Pakistan have only two specialist openers — Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor — and two seasoned fast bowlers in Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq, Intikhab was not worried about the team combination for the series.

‘Yes, we have two openers who must perform to the best of their abilities. Besides, we need to give them confidence that they have to play all three matches,’ he said.

The coach added that talented Abdul Rauf had been given a chance to prove his worth after he emerged as the top wicket-taker in the last domestic season.

‘Abdul Rauf is fast improving and his performance in the last domestic season earned him a place in the national team. I do hope for him to come up to expectations,’ Intikhab said.

Rauf had been rejected by former chief selector Abdul Qadir, who said he was overage.

He was not even given a chance to prove his worth despite the fact that he took 84 wickets in the last domestic season, giving fine performances in all the three first class tournaments — taking 54 wickets in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy for Multan Region, 19 wickets in the Pentangular Cup and 12 in the National One-day Cup.

As captain, he also led Multan region into the National Twenty20 semi-final. It is learnt that skipper Younus Khan supported Rauf’s selection as he was not happy with the performances of Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat and Rao Iftikhar who were dropped for the tough tour of Sri Lanka.

Intikhab was all praise for upcoming paceman Mohammad Aamir, who was part of the World Twenty20 squad. Though Aamir could not really run through sides in T20, his haul of six wickets from seven matches in his first ever international competition indicates that the 17-year-old has a lot of potantial.

Intikhab said Sri Lanka was a tough side but his boys too have it in them to give a tough time to the opposition.

Referring to the spin department the coach said that although the team would miss Afridi, who has request for a 15-day rest, quality spinners such as Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria, Fawad Alam and Shoaib Malik were there to handle this department.

He said that the return of prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf would also provide a boost to the batting department which is strong in presence of Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Shoaib Malik in the middle order.

Agencies add: Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam is in favour of one captain for all forms of the game since ‘it fosters better co-ordination among team members.’

Intikhab, who hinted he was not informed by Younus Khan about his retirement decision from Twenty20 cricket, said he would prefer him to lead all three teams — Test, ODI and T20.

‘Having one captain for Tests, ODIs and T20 cricket means you have more harmony in the team and the players are also comfortable with their captain. The communication levels improve a lot within the team,’ he said on Wednesday.

The former Test captain, who has the rare distinction of guiding two separate Pakistan teams to World Cup glory in ODIs and T20, said he would like to see Younus reconsider his decision.

‘He didn’t talk to us about it. His announcement came as a surprise to me as well,’ he added.

Intikhab said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and selectors would now have to take a call on who would lead the country in the T20 international during the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

‘I am happy that Younus has handled things very well. He is a very good captain and showed lot of maturity in the World Cup and the players responded equally well,’ he added.

Younus had said he took the decision to retire from T20 cricket after much thought as he was too old for the shortest form of the game.

Looking ahead to the tour of Sri Lanka, Alam said the players would start preparing for the Test series after a few days’ rest.

‘Mohammad Yousuf is back which is good news for our batting. The players have been told to change their mindset for the coming Test series as Sri Lanka are a very good side and hard to beat on their home ground,’ he said.

The former skipper said the players were well aware of the challenge they would face against the Sri Lankan spinners in the Test series.

The team leaves for the Emerald Islands on June 27 to play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a T20 match. The coach hoped the T20 World Cup victory would help Pakistan host more international matches.

‘The victory has come at a good time. It has enhanced our image as a sports loving nation and also lifted the gloom,’ said Intikhab.

India seek redemption in West Indies series

covered from INDIA courtesy by TIMES of INDIA

KINGSTON: India start their campaign on Friday to put the bad memory of their failure in the World Twenty20 behind them, when they face West

Indies in the first One-day International of the four match series.

India and their opponents settle back down to the bump and grind of 50 overs-a-side matches, following a heavy diet of Twenty20 cricket for several of the players in the form of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa, and the World Twenty20 in England.

But it's the World Twenty20 which is still fresh on the minds of the Indians.

They entered the competition as defending champions, and finished empty-handed, much to the chagrin of their legions of supporters at home and around the world.

They were humiliated, when they exited the competition following three defeats in the Super Eight stage, including a seven-wicket loss to the West Indies.

Tiredness and injuries were some of the factors advanced for India's demise, but they have had close to two weeks to relax and recharge the batteries.

Against this backdrop, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has asked his players to come forward and be truthful about their fitness ahead of the series.

"For me, it's the team first and then the individuals and I'd hope it's the same with everyone else in the group," Dhoni said.

"If rest is the cure for an injury, a cricketer ought to opt for it rather than let fatigue or niggles become a major setback to him and to the team.

"If anyone wants to take a break from the game, they should let me know or the BCCI."

India have also had time to beef-up their personnel for the four-match series to mitigate against the injuries which have robbed them of star batting duo Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, the latter of whom was sorely missed in the World Twenty20, plus Zaheer Khan and Suresh Raina.

However, the new recruits have encountered a few difficulties with getting visas to travel through Britain.

Now ranked as the third-best ODI side in the World, India will see this as a chance to leapfrog Australia, and take aim at chart-toppers South Africa, setting the stage for another invigorating series.

India hasn't played an ODI series since they prevailed in New Zealand in March, but they have lost only three of their last 18 matches, and have emerged as one of strongest ODI sides over the last year.

But they face a West Indies side with their own demons to exorcise, following a miserable Test and ODI series against England.

The home team, however, marginally redeemed themselves with a semi-final place in the World Twenty20 in which they beat England to reach the final four.

They enter the series however, as strangers in their own land, since India have been in the Jamaica capital getting down to business since last Friday, and the West Indies players - including a few fresh faces - only started arriving on Tuesday.

West Indies coach John Dyson will instruct his side to play aggressive cricket to push the Indians to the limit.

"We will play aggressive cricket, we will play to win as always, and we will aim for consistency," said Dyson.

"We always look at the opposition and try and determine who the key players are for the opposition and think of ways that we may combat those key players.

"What we don't know, of course, is from the lower-profile players, how they are going to perform and perform consistently throughout a series. So that's something we have to monitor as the series progresses.

"(Winning) - it depends on the sort of pitches we're playing on, the conditions of the day, and the form of our own players, and the opposition players."

The short ODI series against India is part of a busy home programme for West Indies, who also host Bangladesh for two Tests, three ODIs and a T20 International in July and August.

Squads:

West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard Jr, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Runako Morton, Ravi Rampaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Yusuf Pathan, Murali Vijay, Subramaniam Badrinath, Rudra Pratap Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik.

Security concerns force Pak to shift NZ home series

covered from INDIA courtesy by TIMES of INDIA

Security concerns force Pak to shift NZ home series

24 Jun 2009, 2141 hrs IST, PTI

Print EMail Discuss Share Save Comment Text:

KARACHI: Security concerns have returned to haunt Pakistan cricket forcing administrators to shift a 'home' Test series against New Zealand in

December back to the same country.

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board said that Pakistan would be going to New Zealand in early December for Tests before leaving for Australia for a scheduled Test and ODI tour.

"New Zealand was supposed to tour Pakistan this winter but due to security concerns they informed us it would not be possible for them to send their team," one source said.

"Instead they offered to host the Tests as 'home' Tests for Pakistan to which we have agreed in principle with minor details to be worked out. Depending on time we could play three Tests maximum and two minimum," he said.

Meanwhile, New Zealand would also give dates for a One-day series that would be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this year or next year.

"The Tests and One-dayers are part of the New Zealand team's tour to Pakistan which was not possible in existing circumstances," the source said.

The source said the two boards worked out a compromise when PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt was recently in London for the World Cup meetings.