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Showing posts with label Latest News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latest News. Show all posts
The Indian cricket team is planning a big bash on Saturday when Yuvraj Singh turns 28 and the celebrations will be irrespective of the outcome of their second and final Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka at the PCA Stadium here. "It's going to be special for him (Yuvraj). We will celebrate his birthday whatever the results may be," skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters here.
When asked what the team was expecting from Yuvraj in Saturday's match which coincides with his birthday, Dhoni said, "We hope he will give his 100 per cent like he always does.
Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola confirmed that India had indeed asked for 2 Tests to be played, along with 3 ODIs instead of the originally agreed 5 ODI plan.
"They [India] have requested we play two Tests and three ODIs and we are still considering it," Majola said. "We still have to consult with the South African Cricketers' Association, the team management, our playing regulations and fixtures committees, as well as the board. It would extend the tour by another week, but we would like to accommodate them and I don't foresee a problem with it."
The belated move to play a few Tests against South Africa in the short window available between India's visit to Bangladesh in early January and the start of the Indian Premier League on March 12 next year would enable the team to maintain its number one Test status acquired for the first time by its 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar, among others, have expressed their wish that India should play more Tests than what has been scheduled for now.
As per the current ICC Future Tours Programme for Dhoni and his men, India will not be playing any Test cricket for nine months after its two-Test series in Bangladesh in January.
The next Test series India are to take part in is the three-match home rubber against New Zealand in November. In the 13 months -- from the tour to Bangladesh in January 2010 till the start of the World Cup in February 2011 -- India are to play only eight Tests - two in Bangladesh, three at home against New Zealand and three more in South Africa (Dec. 2010-Jan. 2011).
Harbhajan singh, the Indian offspinner, wants to win the 2011 World Cup and be part of teams that reached the top in all three formats of the game. India are presently the No. 1 Test side after beating Sri Lanka 2-0 at home; they won the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 and so the only world title that has eluded this team is the World Cup.
"We've won the Twenty20 World Cup, we are the number one Test side and now if we can win the 2011 World Cup, that would be a great thing for Indian cricket and all of us who will be part of that triumphant squad," Harbhajan told PTI. "I will be on top of the world if it happens."
The closest India got to winning the World Cup, after their triumph in 1983, was in 2003, when they reached the final in South Africa but were crushed by Australia. "It would have been nice if we could win the 50-over cricket World Cup in 2003," Harbhajan Singh said. "We could not win it but I have great memories of that tournament, of playing some really great matches along with some great players. It will be very exciting if we can win the 2011 World Cup."
India were drawn in Group B for the 2011 World Cup along with South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands. They will play the tournament opener against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 19. "It would require special efforts and special performance [to win the World Cup] and that would add on to team's success," Harbhajan said. "I will be very happy if we can achieve that. It would be very satisfying."
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has declared Australia are "very beatable" ahead of the Perth Test and said their batting was not as strong as in recent years. Gayle was the Man of the Match in the draw at Adelaide Oval and his team will be aiming to level the series 1-1 when the third and final Test begins on Wednesday.
They are in that position because of an excellent performance in Adelaide, where they had a realistic chance on the final day of being the first West Indies side to win a Test in Australia since Courtney Walsh's team in 1996-97. Gayle said Ricky Ponting's side of 2009-10 was very different to Australian teams he had faced in the past.
"The Aussies still have a lot of quality players and they are still a strong unit, but I am sure they are very beatable," Gayle wrote in his column in Australia's News Ltd papers. "There is no doubt we really pushed them in Adelaide and had them under a lot of pressure for long periods of the second Test. It was a shame we couldn't quite finish them off, but they do have quite a long batting line-up.
"Having said that, Aussie sides I have played before have had much bigger and stronger batting line-ups. Their bowling attack is also not very experienced - Mitchell Johnson is a good bowler, but it might say something that he is easily their most seasoned quick."
Gayle praised his own players for the character they displayed after a "terrible" performance in losing the Gabba Test in three days. He said every player stood up, including the young fast bowler Kemar Roach, who Ricky Ponting has already conceded will be tough to face on the WACA pitch.
"Kemar Roach will be a huge handful with his pace on the bouncy pitch," Gayle wrote. "I think we will see something extraordinary from him. Trust me, he has some serious wheels. I really don't like facing him in the nets - usually I have to tell him to slow things down so I can see the ball!
"Ricky Ponting is a top-class and experienced player, but Kemar really ruffled him and hustled him with sheer pace in Adelaide. Kemar won't back down against Ricky in Perth and will ask even more questions of the Aussie captain on a pitch I hear should be very quick and bouncy."
Controversial South African opener Herschelle Gibbs may quit international cricket after being left out of the one-day team against England, but will remain available for his Indian Premier League side the Deccan Chargers.Quoting an unnamed source close to Gibbs, Afrikaans daily 'Beeld' said Gibbs' decision had "nothing to do with the fact that he has been omitted (from the national side) for the umpteenth time."
"Although he still has to weigh up a few choices, (Gibbs) feels that he has had enough after such a long career," the source was quoted as saying.
Neither Gibbs nor his agent Donne Commins have commented on the report.
South African coach Mickey Arthur too has denied any knowledge of the development, remaining adamant that Gibbs was part of his plan for the 2011 World Cup in South Asia.
Gibbs has had an eventful international career of 13 years, often at the centre of controversies ranging from match-fixing to substance abuse. However, he is still regarded as one of the best opening batsmen in the world.
But Gibbs' batting has been inconsistent in recent years, with his last one-day century coming in April this year against the Australians in Port Elizabeth.
The opener has also been dogged by scandals on and off the field. He was kicked out of the national squad last year and sent to a rehabilitation centre for alcohol abuse.
No replacement has been named yet, according to reports.
Yuvraj, who was the icon player of the franchise, led them to the semi-final in the first edition. But with a 7-7 win-loss record, the team failed to make the last four in the second edition played in South Africa earlier this year.
Yuvraj himself had a decent season with the bat and took two hat-tricks with his left-arm spin.
It isn't clear what has led to Yuvraj's exit. There are ready replacements available for the franchise, with Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara and former skipper Mahela Jayawardene among those in the squad.
When asked, Sangakkara denied the rumours. "I haven't heard anything about it. I'm still waiting to hear. I think Yuvraj is a good captain and he's done a good job for Punjab and it's the final year before everyone goes back into auction. So, I'm sure he's looking forward to doing well for Punjab. But I haven't heard anything about the captaincy."
"Ideally, a lot of those things with rule changes, we've brought into 50-over cricket over the last couple of years. You'd like to have trialled them elsewhere,
in the last 12 months, the review system was used that was more a trial period. We know that it's going to be used in every Test series from now on. I still think there's some refinement that can be done with the actual technology that's used," he said.
The former Test fast bowler and captain Waqar Younis has been appointed as Pakistan's bowling and fielding coach, the Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed.
The PCB says he will take up the role for the upcoming Test and one-day series in Australia. It will be Younis's second stint with the national team, having previously been bowling coach in 2006.
Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game against Australia with the first Test beginning on 26 December in Melbourne.
Younis, 40, took 373 wickets in 87 Test matches before retiring in 2003. He also claimed 416 wickets in 262 one-day internationals, and formed a celebrated pace combination with Wasim Akram.
He captained Pakistan in 17 Tests and 62 one-day internationals.
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The PCB says he will take up the role for the upcoming Test and one-day series in Australia. It will be Younis's second stint with the national team, having previously been bowling coach in 2006.
Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game against Australia with the first Test beginning on 26 December in Melbourne.Younis, 40, took 373 wickets in 87 Test matches before retiring in 2003. He also claimed 416 wickets in 262 one-day internationals, and formed a celebrated pace combination with Wasim Akram.
He captained Pakistan in 17 Tests and 62 one-day internationals.
Shahid Afridi has said Pakistan's players were expecting a favourable response from the IPL organisers with respect to their participation in next year's tournament but their exclusion from the tournament will help their prepartions for the ICC World Twenty20. Pakistan's cricketers were ruled out of the competition, due to begin on March 12, after a delay over their visas. "I think Pakistan have always been supportive of Indian cricket in the past, which is why I was expecting them (India) to be more positive towards us," Afridi, Pakistan's Twenty20 captain, told the News. "But it seems that's not the case. I personally believe that sport promotes harmony and it would have been good for both Pakistan and India had our players been allowed in the IPL.
"I think the absence of our cricketers will not be good for cricket or the IPL."
Pakistan's players were barred from participating in last year's IPL, held in South Africa, following strained relations between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks in November. When asked if he was disappointed on missing out again, Afridi said: "Not really. I mean it would have been good to make our IPL comeback next year but it is now clear that we won't be able to do that. It's like we can't do anything about it."
Pakistan's cricketers had received clearances from their sports, foreign affairs and interior ministries, an NOC from the PCB and letters of invitation from IPL franchises for taking part in next year's competition, but fell short of getting the visas in time. Five Pakistan players were trying to clear a path to IPL 2010. Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Misbah-ul-Haq all played in the first season - six others who also played had their contracts cancelled after the Mumbai attacks - and Kolkata Knight Riders had expressed an interest in signing up Abdul Razzaq.
The IPL's third edition runs from March 12 to April 25, after which players join their respective international squads in West Indies for the World Twenty20 beginning five days later. The time gained from their absence in the IPL, Afridi said, would be utilised for their preparation for the World Twenty20. "Now that it has been decided that we are not playing (in the IPL) we will have a perfect window to hold a proper camp and get ready for the Twenty20 World Cup."
Sean Morris, who took over as the chief executive of the Rajasthan Royals franchise on Monday, has said he does not expect many more England players to feature in the third edition of the IPL. Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen were the two big England signings last year, joining Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively for US$1.55 million each. However, conflicting schedules this year could affect the chances of newer players from England being recruited, Morris said.
"I don't think there will be that many more England players involved,I think teams have worked out that consistency in selection throughout the tournament is key and to have Australian or English players coming and going doesn't necessarily make for the best structure of a side."
England's Test players will miss the first 12 days of the IPL due to their tour of Bangladesh, and those selected for the ICC World Twenty20 will assemble in the West Indies on April 25, the date of the final of the IPL.
"It is pretty difficult for the English guys to go for the maximum amount of money at the auction [US$750,000] and it will be interesting to see how their availability is reflected in the auction prices," Morris said. "There will be a fair number that don't go for as much as they thought because they can't commit for the full time."
Morris, a former chief executive of England's Professional Cricketers' Association, has been handed the responsibility of broadening the franchise's base outside India, which could also mean more matches abroad, thereby increasing the players' workloads. The financial gains of Twenty20 cricket could, Morris felt, prompt players to retire much earlier and cash in.
"There is quite a lot of desire for the Royals to go and play, and in two days I have already had two invitations to play in tournaments in other parts of the world," Morris said. "But it is going to be hard for us because we have not got the window that people have been banging on about. It makes the player who has just retired a bit more valuable and sides will become more attracted to players like Andrew Flintoff. Those players who are now aged 30 or 31 are thinking quite hard about it [retiring].
"But we have to work out how to work together because if there is conflict I know who will win. The players have worked out where the better rewards are in the shorter time frame.
"Towards the end of my time at the PCA I started to get the feeling that at ICC level people were beginning to appreciate that we had to work together on this."
The reported scuffle between Pakistani pacers Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul might have been hushed up by the PCB to avoid a controversy. Reliable sources confirmed that an altercation did take place between Aemer and Gul during the Test over a minor
matter but later developed into a serious issue.
"The incident did take place and the two players were immediately summoned to a disciplinary hearing by the team
manager, coach, captain and vice-captain in which they were handed down heavy fines for their behaviour," a source disclosed.
"Other players had to separate the two pace bowlers and the team management immediately took action against them
fining them 200,000 rupees each for their misconduct," the source said.
Mark Benson is planning to retire from umpiring with immediate effect following his sudden withdrawal from the Adelaide Test. Benson was upset over several incidents involving the Umpire Decision Review System on day one of the second Test between Australia and West Indies, one of which led to his original decision being overturned.
Benson twice ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul not-out to caught-behind appeals on Friday, both of which were challenged by the Australians. The third umpire, Asad Rauf, upheld Benson's first ruling, prompting an angry response from the bowler, Doug Bollinger, and the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting. But it is the second video review, which resulted in Chanderpaul being ruled out for 62, that is understood to have most upset the English official. Hot Spot replays showed no evidence of the ball striking the outside edge of Chanderpaul's bat, however other camera angles provided Rauf with enough evidence to reverse Benson's original ruling.
Cricinfo has been told an irate Benson "ranted" to colleagues in the umpire's room after the first day's play about his dissatisfaction with the UDRS. He is believed to have said at the time that the new system "just makes (umpiring) harder", however ICC officials were remaining tight-lipped on the matter on Sunday.
David Morgan, the ICC president, told Cricinfo Benson was "poorly" and referred other questions to David Richardson, the ICC's general manager, and Vintcent van der Bijl, the umpire's manager. Chris Broad, the match referee who is presiding over the Adelaide Test, denied Benson's swift departure from Adelaide was the result of unhappiness over the UDRS. "There is absolutely no truth in that at all," Broad said. "The review system is new to everyone and you've got to get used to it. He was an advocate of the review system to help umpires out.
The contentious Umpire Decision Review System is set to be boosted in Australia with an additional two Hot Spot cameras to be used for the three-Test series involving Pakistan. Only two such cameras are in operation for the current Frank Worrell Trophy, limiting the impact of the technology, but Cricinfo understands that a further two will be shipped over from New Zealand later this month.
The two additional cameras, to be positioned square of the wicket, will provide the third umpire with a different perspective on edges behind the wicket and into the pads. They would have proved useful on Friday when the behind-the-bowler Hot Spot cameras failed to detect Shivnarine Chanderpaul's edge to Brad Haddin off the bowling of Shane Watson, which was originally ruled not out by on-field umpire Mark Benson but overturned by the third umpire Asad Rauf.
Standard replays showed the ball clearly deflecting off Chanderpaul's outside edge, however Hot Spot images were inconclusive on account of the bat's angle. A similar situation arose during the first Test at the Gabba, and both players and umpires will presumably be pleased to learn of the arrival of heat-seeking cameras square of the wicket.
Chris Gayle has been an outspoken critic of the UDRS, and Dwayne Bravo was hardly enthusiastic when asked his views on the system. "It's a tricky thing," Bravo said. "Sometimes it works for you and sometimes it works against you. We have to understand that it's part of the game now and we have to work with it and accept it. The umpires are still in charge of their decision, we have to respect that. It's something I'm not to keen speaking about because it's out of my way to comment on it."
Chanderpaul survived an earlier video challenge that left Doug Bollinger, the bowler, and his captain, Ricky Ponting, visibly upset. The West Indian batsman was ruled not out by Benson to a caught behind appeal that was later upheld by Rauf after replays showed no evidence of ball touching bat. "I thought it was out, so I went up," Bollinger said. "Basically that's all I can say. With the referral system that's the hand you get dealt. You've just got to turn around and keep bashing away, there's not much I can do.
"You've got to take the good with the bad. I'm not going to carry on about it. I'm just going to get on with the job. We didn't let it bother us too much, we just got on with it. It has its good and bad. I haven't had much to do with it, so I'm still getting used to it myself. We'll see how a couple more edges or whatever go."
Doug Bollinger has escaped with a reprimand after he was reported by the match referee Chris Broad for showing dissent at an umpire's decision. Bollinger was charged under level 1.3 of the ICC's code of conduct after he kicked the ground following an lbw decision going against him.
Bollinger has made no attempt to mask his displeasure at unfavourable umpiring calls in Adelaide and his frustration peaked with a violent kick when Asad Rauf turned down an lbw appeal against Brendan Nash. Replays suggested the ball would have hit the stumps after Nash padded up, but Australia had burned both their reviews during the morning, including one when Bollinger was convinced he had Adrian Barath caught behind. The offence carries a maximum punishment of 50% of the match fee, but Bollinger pleaded guilty during the hearing on Monday night and was let off with a reprimand by the match referee.
Prior to the match, Bollinger described himself as loud and obnoxious and he has certainly proved it, wearing his emotions on his sleeve during his second Test. His fast-bowling colleague Mitchell Johnson said Bollinger was a passionate character who was clearly thrilled to be playing for his country.
"He's pretty fiery I guess, as you can see," Johnson said. "He was a little bit frustrated at times there, he thought he had his man. Dougie's pretty excited about playing for Australia and he wants to do well. It's only his second game and he's pretty fired up. He's playing for his country [with] his hand on his heart and he's really going out there and playing tough cricket."
As Pakistan get set to announce the squad for the three-Test series against Australia later this afternoon, the name of Younis Khan, their former captain, is unlikely to be in it.
Younis took a temporary break from the game and captaincy following Pakistan's ODI series loss to New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last month, claiming that he had "lost command" over the side. The decision was the result of months of dissent within the side with Younis' leadership. At the time Younis said he would come back to Pakistan and play domestic cricket to get back into batting form, though he never set a date on his return. But since then, Younis has gone underground. He has not played any domestic cricket for his local side Habib Bank and has not been in touch with anyone, including the PCB or team management. Reports surfaced last week that he had picked up a foot injury during a fishing accident but they were rubbished by those close to him.
The silence prompted Ijaz Butt, chairman of the PCB, to hint in a press conference on Monday that Younis is unlikely to make the cut for Australia. "Younis should have played domestic matches to be a candidate for selection for the tour. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken after a meeting with the chief selector Iqbal Qasim," Butt said. Officials within the selection committee echo similar sentiments. As a result of not having played any domestic cricket or made clear his intentions, they say, it would defy logic for him to be selected.
Sources close to Younis say he will return to international cricket, but only after the Australia series. It isn't entirely clear whether he has played any kind of cricket since he asked for a break, but Younis has signed a contract with a club in Quetta - the Manan Memorial Gymkhana CC - to play there next season.
In his absence, it is likely Mohammad Yousuf will continue to lead the side. Yousuf is currently leading Pakistan in the Test series in New Zealand and was at the helm as Pakistan levelled the series in Wellington with a 141-run win, their first Test triumph in almost three years. But their batting has been particularly frail through the series, relying heavily on contributions from the Akmal brothers and Yousuf.
Younis, who averages over 50 from 63 Tests, has been a vital cog in Pakistan's middle order, at No.3; since he established himself in the side at that spot - at the start of Bob Woolmer's reign as coach in late 2004 - he averages nearly 60 from 35 Tests, with 11 centuries. On Pakistan's last tour to Australia, in 2004-05, he was their leading scorer in a 3-0 whitewash. He also had a fruitful - and enjoyable - stint with South Australia last season, scoring over 350 runs in four first-class matches at an average of over 50.
Pakistan cricketers will not feature in IPL 2010 as their board has failed to obtain their visas before the deadline for confirmation of participation, the league's commissioner, Lalit Modi, has said. The franchises will now have to look for replacements for the Pakistan players they had signed, he said.
"We have been informed by the PCB that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now. So we are not able to extend the deadline," Modi told the Times Now channel. "Today is the absolute deadline for confirmation of Pakistani players [to take part in the IPL]. The exchange window [ends] the day after tomorrow.
"Unfortunately, the Pakistani players are out and they will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL because we are handicapped by the fact that the exchange window is the day after tomorrow. We are informing the teams that they now can go for the replacement of the Pakistani players." However officials in Pakistan are emphatic their side of the deal was done. "The players have applied for visas but the clearance hasn't come from the Indian side. The ball is not in our court," Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said on Monday.
Wasim Bari, the PCB's chief operating officer, told Cricinfo the board was in possession of all necessary NoCs and clearance letters from the Pakistan side but had not been given visas. "From our side everything was done and in order. Players had received invitation letters from the franchises as well," he said.
Pakistan are the reigning World Twenty20 champions, and several franchises had expressed their interest in signing on the country's cricketers. Five Pakistani players - Kamran Akmal, Misbah ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir - are already on contract with IPL teams.
Last week, it had seemed that they, and several of their team-mates, would be in next year's IPL after Pakistan's foreign ministry and interior ministry cleared them to play in the Indian league. That meant the PCB could issue the NOCs necessary for Pakistan's players to be eligible for the tournament, but the inability to obtain the visas in time meant their players will have to sit out a second successive IPL.
Pakistan's players were absent from IPL's second season, held earlier this year in South Africa, after their government did not allow them to travel to India - where the tournament was originally to be held - for security reasons. The decision came in the wake of the Mumbai attacks last year, after which relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated considerably. Eleven players from Pakistan had taken part in the first IPL, though after the Mumbai attacks, only four were retained by their franchises, though their contracts were suspended until further resolution. Razzaq was signed recently by Kolkata Knight Riders.
The PCB has been keen on getting their players involved once again after Ijaz Butt, the board chairman, raised the matter on a trip to India in October and said after that the relevant government authorities had also cleared Pakistan's players to play...