The idea of Twenty20 cricket at the Olympics is definitely worth pursuing : Steve Waugh

Former Australia Test captain Steve Waugh has thrown his weight behind Twenty20 cricket becoming an Olympic sport, saying it would help globalise the game.
"The idea of Twenty20 cricket at the Olympics is definitely worth pursuing," he told the South China Morning Post. "If you want to globalise the game then you have to look at including countries like China and the United States, and getting cricket into the Olympics will fast-track that move."
In December last year, cricket was given the status of "recognised sport" by the International Olympic Committee for two years. The honour is usually granted to sports that are not part of the Olympic programme but conform to its ideals of youth promotion and anti-doping policies.
Cricket was last seen at a major multi-sport event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, but was dropped for the next two editions in England and Australia.
Waugh played in Kuala Lumpur, when Australia won gold. "I had the time of my life at those Games. Winning the gold medal was one of the highlights of my career," said the 43-year-old, who played 168 Tests for Australia, including 57 as captain.
He added that he felt Twenty20 cricket was on the verge of becoming a huge global success. "Twenty20 is going through a honeymoon phase at the moment," he said. "But in the next few years, I believe it will become a worldwide phenomenon."
His comments follow those of his former Australia team-mate Adam Gilchrist, who in a column for Monday's edition of the Deccan Chronicle wrote: "Take it from someone who has won almost everything cricket has to offer — the Olympics is the absolute pinnacle in sport.
"The chance to stand on top of the Olympic podium, to wear an Olympic gold medal and the pride of belting out your national anthem would be a life-changing money-can't-buy experience."
Waugh, one of three mentors for the Australian Olympic team along with former Wallabies captain John Eales and gold medal-winning rower Kate Allen, was in Hong Kong to see the Australian equestrian team.
"I have 11 sports assigned to me and equestrian is one of them," he told the newspaper. "I met the team. I was asking most of the questions. It was not about me telling them how to ride a horse but really talking about how to handle pressure situations."

India coach believes big challenge would be to keep the momentum in the third Test

India coach Gary Kirsten says he is confident the team will remain focused in his absence when they take on Sri Lanka in the crucial third and final Test starting here on Friday.
"I have complete faith in what (captain) Anil Kumble can do," said Kirsten, who will be unavailable for the match as he left on Tuesday for his native South Africa to be with his ailing mother.
"There is a calm focus about the team and there is a humility about how we are going to go about our business. There is no arrogance in the environment."
The series is currently tied 1-1, with Sri Lanka winning the opening Test by an innings and 239 runs in Colombo and India coming back strongly to clinch a 170-run victory in the second match in Galle.
"These players are aware what they need to do and they are right on track in terms of preparations. The important thing is the awareness of the situation. They know they have an opportunity (to win the series)," said Kirsten.
"Every guy is aware if he is not fully focused for the next Test it could affect the team's performance."
Kirsten said he had faith in the team's ability to fight back. "We were happy with the team's response as they lifted their performance by at least 20 percent (in Galle)," said the former South African opener.
"But the important thing is there is a real awareness about things to achieve in the next Test. And we have always believed that when this team is firing on all cylinders they can match the best in the world."
Kirsten said it was not difficult to motivate the team after the big defeat as they took "great pride" playing for the country.
"There was a tremendous hurt in the team after the loss. I think it all started with Kumble and from there it filtered down to the rest of the team. He is a fantastic leader and fighter," he said. "So, to motivate the team to improve their performance by 20 percent was not really difficult. The big challenge now is to see that they maintain it in the third Test since they have pulled one back."
Kirsten was all praise for teenager paceman Ishant Sharma and opener Virender Sehwag for playing big roles in the team's victory at Galle.
The 19-year-old paceman rattled the top order with two quick wickets before finishing with 3-20 off 15 overs as Sri Lanka were shot out for 136 chasing a 307-run target.
"He is quality seamer and at the moment he stands out in the Indian line-up. I am very impressed by what he has to offer," said the coach. "He is learning which are good areas to bowl. So, at the end of the day we tell him to bowl the natural length. And when he is bowling his natural length he is as good as anyone in the world."
Sehwag dominated the Sri Lankan attack with his brilliant strokeplay, scoring an unbeaten 201 in the first innings and 50 in the second. He was named man of the match.
But the Indian coach said it was not necessary that every batsman should play like the hard-hitting opener. "The success of any Test-playing side is how each batsman sticks to his own skill," said Kirsten. "We certainly don't say that Sehwag plays like this so the rest of the batsmen need to play like this. He plays like that since he has the skill and ability to play like that."

Gibbs back in again ODI squad

South Africa have named a 15-man squad for the one-off Twenty20 international and five-match ODI series against England. Herschelle Gibbs, who had expressed doubts over his international career after being left out of the Test squad, has been included, so has Dale Steyn, who was ruled out of the final two Tests against England due to a broken thumb.
"The squad is made up of the players who have done well for us over the past year and we have every confidence that they will regain the No. 1 ranking from Australia," Joubert Strydom, the convenor of selectors, said. "The only player who is no longer part of the mix is Charl Langeveldt, who is no longer available." Langeveldt, who had opted out of the tour to India following his selection ahead of Andre Nel due to South Africa's controversial transformation policy, joined Derbyshire on a two-year Kolpak contract.
"We have included Hashim Amla as the 15th player in the squad because of the heavy workload that Graeme Smith has had to carry and the injuries he has suffered recently," Strydom said. "Hashim played in our most recent ODI series against Bangladesh and he will provide the cover in the opening batting area.
"Including the warm-up matches, there are nine matches to be played in the limited-overs section of the tour and the selection of an additional player is more than justified." Smith had suffered a back injury while batting in the tour game against Bangladesh A. However, he played the subsequent Test at Edgbaston, leading South Africa to a five-wicket win with an unbeaten 154.
Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini, who had been rested for the Bangladesh ODIs, return to the squad, in place of Alviro Petersen and Charl Langeveldt.
Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's chief executive, congratulated the team on their triumph in the Test series and looked forward to further success on the tour. "The Proteas' first Test series win in England since unity in 1991 is a fantastic achievement and one that has made the whole country immensely proud," Majola said. "We hope now that Graeme Smith and his players can finish off the Test series at The Oval with another high-quality performance before turning their attention to Twenty20 and ODI cricket."
The Oval Test starts on August 7. South Africa then play three warm-up matches before the Twenty20 international on August 20.

South Africa squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn.

Kirsten to go back to attend to sick mother

India's cricket coach Gary Kirsten will not be with the Indian team for the crucial third Test against Sri Lanka as has been granted leave to be with his ailing mother in South Africa.
The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has granted Gary Kirsten leave go to South Africa to be with his Mother as she is very critically ill, a release from BCCI secretary said on Tuesday.
Kirsten will not be with the team during the third Test Match as he will be leaving from Colombo for South Africa Tuesday night. There will not be any replacement in his absence, the release adds.
The three-match Test series in Sri Lanka interestingly poised with both the teams winning a Test each with the third and final Test slated for Friday.

Kevin Pietersen has been swiftly appointed as England Captain

New England captain Kevin Pietersen said on Monday that he wanted to take his "instinct" approach as a batsman into his new role as leader of the team.
Pietersen said: "The way I play is very gut instinct orientated and I like to do things spontaneously. I like to do what I feel is right in a situation. I think over the years I've played cricket I've gained a good cricket brain. My gut instinct when I've been batting for England has assisted me tremendously. It's a brand new challenge for me and I love challenges."
He said he would captain England "with a smile on my face".
Pietersen paid tribute to Michael Vaughan, who resigned on Sunday, and said he had "huge boots to try and fill."
He believed that Vaughan remained a great batsman and that after he had taken some time off he would go back to county cricket for Yorkshire and win back a place in the England team.
He said the invitation to captain England had turned his life around. He said he accepted the job after speaking to his wife Jessica and his parents in South Africa.
"You could see how emotional Michael was when he spoke about his family and it's an emotional decision," said Pietersen, who said he had a good meeting with coach Peter Moores on Sunday.
"He likes to challenge us on a daily basis. There are a lot of strong characters in the dressing room and a lot of opinionated people. I sat down with Peter and we had a real good discussion about how we want to take this team forward. I think my position from a player to a captain is totally different and we need to unite and to get on the same hymn sheet."
He said he would lean on people like Vaughan. "I will always respect what happened in the past and I will always ask for advice. I'm fresh into this and I will need some help. One of the most exciting things is that I have had text messages and phone calls from senior members in the squad who have said they are right behind me."
Chairman of selectors Geoff Miller confirmed that uniting the Test and One-Day captaincy was something he had wanted to achieve. Paul Collingwood resigned from the One-Day captaincy Sunday.
Miller announced only one change in England's 13-man squad for the final Test against South Africa, with batsman Ravi Bopara replacing \ Vaughan, which he said was a sign that there was no panic from the selectors with England trailing the four-match series 2-0. He said the selectors had not contemplated a change of captaincy before Vaughan's resignation.
Nottinghamshire batsman Samit Patel is the only uncapped player in a 15-man squad for a Twenty20 international and five One-Day Internationals against South Africa.
Wicketkeeper Matt Prior has been recalled. Pietersen was quoted recently as expressing doubts about travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next month. He has also been linked with the Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

npower series: Steyn out of final Test

South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of this week's fourth Test against England at The Oval but should be back for the One-day series, the BBC reported on Sunday.
The 24-year-old paceman suffered a fracture to the base of his left thumb and is due to be in a plaster for another week so he will miss The Oval fixture which starts on Thursday.
Steyn had to miss South Africa's series-clinching third Test against England at Edgbaston with the injury.

Twenty20 at the Olympics : The dreams of Adam Gilchrist

Pitched as the game to reach out to the rest of the world, former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist feels administrators should force for Twenty20 cricket to be included in the Olympics from 2020.
"This may seem like a pipe dream but it is a potential reality. It doesn’t matter where the 2020 Olympic Games are held but many of us who’ve experienced international Twenty20 cricket and the IPL are convinced that cricket should bid to become an Olympic sport in time for the 2020 Olympic Games, wherever they’re held," GIlchrist wrote in his column for Deccan Herald.
Gilchrist says that after a prolonged hiatus from the pinnacle event in world sport (Cricket was included only once in the Olympics in 1900), the time has come for the Gentleman's game to be a permanent part, especially with the advent of Twenty20.
"Now is the time for the 10 full member-nations of the ICC to plan for the development of the sport over the next 100 years. Over the next century, the challenge for all of us who love the game is to spread the word of cricket to parts of the globe that have never heard of it and currently don’t play our sport," Gilchrist, who was part of the Indian Premier League playing for Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, said.
"I believe the Olympic Games is the vehicle the sport should use to aggressively sell the message of our sport to all 202 competing Olympic nations, so our sport is strong and robust in countries where it is currently played and exciting and ground-breaking in countries who haven’t yet caught the 'cricket-bug'," he adds.
Gilchrist, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, said that the incredible success of the shortest form of the game through the IPL means that cricket has shed the image of being long and dreary.
"The IPL has been such a success and has changed cricket forever. I saw the revolution first-hand during my time in Hyderabad.
"Having established one of the most the most exciting leagues in world sport Mr Pawar, Mr Manohar, Mr Modi and their colleagues at BCCI along with David Morgan, Mr Bindra and their friends at ICC can now reach for the stars and ensure that Indian cricketers — and others — are winning medals on the world’s biggest stage: The Olympic Games," he writes.
He adds that the introduction of cricket in the Olympics would mean countries like the US and China could become competitive in a much shorter span of time.
Gilchrist also argues for cricket to be played in the Olympics by both men and women, and says that the Olympics "will lead to more Test playing nations, something that the sport will need in the coming century."
"I look forward to the day when Australia takes on Italy in a Test match in Rome."
The three-time World Cup winner also explains that cricket in the Olympics will not lead to any clashes with bilateral tours and other series played during the year as it needs only a two-week window for the Games.
He also adds that the Games will also add a sense of greater pride to cricket. "Take it from someone who has won almost everything cricket has to offer — the Olympics is the absolute pinnacle in sport."
"Cricketers won’t care about the money. The chance to stand on top of the Olympic podium, to wear an Olympic gold medal and the pride of belting out your national anthem would be a life-changing money-can’t-buy experience," he adds.
Gilchrist urges cricket's flag bearers to go all out on making this dream a reality.
"The Olympic movement knows it needs to increase its presence in the Asian sub-continent as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh contribute nearly 22 per cent of the world’s population," says the left-hander.
"If everyone in the sport grasps this opportunity then Twenty20 gold in the 2020 Olympic Games could well be a reality for India and its cricket-crazy fans."

The system of referral needs more closer look: Kumble

While Anil Kumble had words of praise for Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma, he also suggested that the referral system was an area that needed to be closely looked at, once the series was over.
His main concern about the referral system being trialled for the first time in this Test series is the argument whether an umpire can give an (lbw) decision by looking at a television screen.
"There are certain doubts but I guess the obvious ones," he offered. "Of course it can be of help if an umpire makes a mistake in giving someone out lbw when he (the batsman) has nicked it and this is shown. But again there are areas which really helps the umpire, but there are other area where it takes a longer time to assess a review of a decision," he added.
He felt that the third umpire giving lbw decisions through the Virtual Eye concept needed a closer look. While it was still early in the referral process, it was a system where more discussion is needed.
In this he felt the umpires, match referees and captains need to sit down and discuss the way it worked. And from the way he talked on the issue, Kumble gave the impression that it would happen after the Test series.
He did not bring up the Rahul Dravid lbw dismissal decision of Saturday that has upset the Indian camp and caused a meeting between India's coach Gary Kirsten and the match referee Alan Hurst.
The ball hit Dravid outside the off stump and the argument was that while it spun inward, the impact of the ball on the pad might have indicted a different line. The umpire gave Dravid not out, but the referral, which took as long as five minutes on this occasion, gave a different view of the path the ball may have travelled.
No doubt this created Kumble's comment about whether an umpire looking at a TV screen can make an accurate decision with the technology available. Mark Benson was to have been the referral umpire, but an illness to Rudi Koertzen meant Benson had to take over on field duties for the three says of the Test.
Kumble said that Sehwag's batting in both innings had been important to the team's ability to come back in this Test while the Sharma's bowling was an important factor on the final day.
It is his height, as well as pace that helps him get impressive lift out of the pitch and the way he ripped through the Sri Lanka defences to take wickets was also an important factor in the team's success.

Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood stepping down as England's Test and One-Day captains.

Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood announced on Sunday they were stepping down as England's Test and One-Day captains.
Vaughan's decision comes after Saturday's five-wicket defeat against South Africa in the third Test at Edgbaston which gave the Proteas an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series and their first series win in England since 1965.
It meant the 33-year-old batsman had overseen three series losses against top-class opposition since returning from a career-threatening knee injury.
His announcement was followed by that of 32-year-old Durham all-rounder Collingwood, who said in a statement that his game had suffered as a result of taking on the One-Day captaincy.
"I've made the decision to stand down as England captain," a tearful Vaughan told a press conference. "It's the hardest decision I've ever had to make but also the easiest. The hardest because I'm giving away the job I've loved for the last five years, one I've put my heart and soul into, but also the easiest because my mind has told me to pack it in.
"I felt if I kept going my career could come to an abrupt end - hopefully, this can prolong my career. I will carry on playing because I think there are a lot more runs in me. This decision will prolong my career. I'm moving better than ever in the field so hopefully this decision will make my last few years a very exciting time."
Vaughan said he does not want to be considered for the final Test of the series and would take a break to consider his future before coming back and finishing the season for county cricket side Yorkshire.
"I will take a break from the game so I won't be playing at The Oval," he said. "I just want to try and freshen up the mind and get back to playing as a batsman. I do believe these could be the best years of my playing career. That's the one thing I want to get back doing."
And Vaughan revealed he had first considered resigning at the start of the year during the tour of New Zealand, when England came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1.
"In New Zealand I had a few thoughts that I might go," said Vaughan. "It is a fairytale to captain your country but it hasn't had a fairytale ending. I know that it is the right time because my mind told me it was. My body is working well but my mind is not. I wish whoever gets the job all the luck in the world, it's a great privilege."
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Hugh Morris hailed Vaughan's influence since he took charge of the team in 2003.
"Michael led from the front and led with honesty and integrity every step of the way," Morris said. "He took the England captaincy to new heights. Michael was the best possible ambassador for the game and his record as captain speaks volumes for the character he instilled in the dressing room."
Regarding Collingwood, Morris added: "Paul feels this is the best decision in terms of benefiting the England team and his contribution to the team.
"We are extremely grateful for way Paul led the One-Day side since last year."
Of the decision over the new captain or captains, Morris added: "The selection committee is currently considering the squad and captain for the fourth Test and Natwest series. These squads, along with the captain, will be announced tomorrow (Monday)."
Collingwood said in a statement: "I've made the decision to step down as England's One-Day captain as I want to give myself the best chance to perform for England and enjoy my cricket. Whilst I am humbled to have been given the opportunity to captain England's One-Day side, I feel the captaincy diminished my ability to perform for England across all forms of the game.
"I feel the England captaincy impacted on my ability to enjoy my cricket and contribute to the team. I've always enjoyed representing my country at the highest level and it has always been my ambition to play cricket, across all forms of the game, but I've found the extra workload of the captaincy to be very difficult.
"The last thing I want is for the captaincy to impact my performance and that of the team which is why I've arrived at this decision after a huge amount of consideration.
"I will continue to make myself available to England for all forms of cricket and look forward to playing a significant role in England's future success."
Kevin Pietersen is favourite to be appointed both Test and One-Day captain, but other candidates include Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Robert Key.

Source : Afp

Harbhajan brings India Back in series

It was not just India's artillery that wrecked Sri Lanka's defences in front of the famed Galle Fort on Sunday to inspire a brilliant comeback victory.
While three balls before lunch blew a yawning gap in the Sri Lankan fortifications and 16 wickets fell during a remarkable two and a half sessions on a day of drama, and yet the lasting memory of this second Test is that of Virender Sehwag.
It was Sehwag's spirit that lifted the side as he carved yet another niche in the annuals of the game. It also earned him the Man of the Match award and helped expunge the nightmare of the Sinhalese Sports Club defeat eight days earlier through victory by 170 runs.
You are not going to see too many innings of the quality he produced to inspire India to make the most of their opportunities.
An undefeated innings of 200 which was more than 60 percent of team's first innings total explains just how much his effort has lifted his as well as the team's profile in this series.
In a pre-match interview Anil Kumble talked about the team spending quality time together and offered the comments that suggested the players were prepared to accept the responsibility for the heavy first Test defeat.
"Being one down is being one down – whether it is in Australia or Sri Lanka. We have come from behind before to level a series," he said. "It won't be the first time it has happened and I know it won't be the last. We are all aware of what we need to do to win this match.
"It is a matter of regrouping and I think we have doing that," he added. "We have spent quality time. We have been discussing issues and discussing how to cope and how we can come back. We have done that in the past.
"This is a team with a lot of experience to fall back on and I know we put on a better show," he commented.
That was last week when the pressure on the side to perform was immense after the mauling at SSC and the need to look at where the team was going in terms of trying to win this Idea Series.
Apart from Sehwag following his double century with a compelling second innings fifty, there were the 10 wickets that Harbhajan Singh bagged for 153 runs. But they are statistics and are expected from world-class players.
Among all this, however, is the pre-lunch spell on Sunday from teenager Ishant Sharma who dismissed two big names in the Sri Lanka camp – first was Milantha Warnapura for a duck the ninth ball of the innings and then in his next over followed it up by cleaning Lanka's captain Mahela Jayawardene. His three for 20 in 15 overs has made up for his lack of success this tour.
With Zaheer Khan getting rid of Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka's defences had been seriously breached. It was going to require a lot of hard work to overcome such a major dismantling of the top order and the danger signals were already there.
India crumbled from an overnight 200-4 to 269, an innings effort that was dominated by use of the referral system that didn't help for smooth running of the game as six wickets were lost in about 80 minutes.
If Sri Lanka thought they could overcome the pitch conditions as well as their bowling attack and score the 309 needed, no one was mentally attuned to what was going on. This is where Sharma's effort needs to be taken into account. He showed old fashioned fire and brimstone as he took out those early wickets.
Jayawardene shaped for the cut, maybe a risky shot under the circumstances and his words of that old cliché of how records are as good as your last match come to mind. Rahul Dravid took the catch neatly enough, although the ball was flying.
It was also the accurate sniper fire of lanky fast bowler Sharma who broke through in the first over after tea when he had Tillekeratne Dilshan caught behind by a ball which forced the all-rounder to push ungainly at the delivery and edge a catch.
It left Sri Lanka 115 for five in the first over after the interval and meant that Thilan Samaraweera would need to put together a monumental effort to attempt to win this game as India closed in for a series-levelling victory.
From that point, however, the innings became a shuttle service as wickets fell with no way back into the match.
But Dilshan wicket falling so soon after the break to Sharma meant that all the hard work of the fifth wicket partnership of 76 went for nothing the way Dilshan lost his wicket.
While Samaraweera put together an impressive half century and Sri Lanka recovered from 37-4 at the end of the 20th over, the fall of Dilshan meant that the impetus which Sehwag's two innings had kept India going was not being wasted.
The Samaraweera-Dilshan partnership was notable for its rotation of the strike as they built a total on sound understanding that has often served Sri Lanka well in the past. They batted with care and attention as Harbhajan and Anil Kumble tried to break through after the lanky Michael van Dort was trapped lbw by Harbhajan for 10.
Playing back on this surface is not technically wise unless you are competent and there are few batsmen who can do it with such effect these days.
Both batsmen looked comfortable until Sharma was brought back into the attack and the pace, bounce and length unsettled both batsman although Dinesh Karthik's appeal for a catch gave the impression that the wicketkeeper was taking a chance when a referral was made but turned down.
Yet the day has not been without its drama and rarely have the freeloaders enjoying the sun atop the munificent ramparts of Galle Fort experienced such a feast or seen avalanche of wickets in a day's play.
Ajantha Mendis earned his first 10 wicket Test haul with four for 92 to add to his six in the first innings.
Yet for India to stretch the lead past the 300 mark and on a pitch where bounce was often irregular and as near a minefield as you would discover without the mines, required some effort and explains why Sehwag's half century along with that of Gautam Gambhir on day three are important sign posts in an innings where today batsmen have struggle to come to terms with the pitch.
There were several referrals for lbw as well that delayed the flow of the game with Sourav Ganguly surviving one that he requested of the umpire from a Mendis appeal before being stumped by Prasana Jayawardene off Muttiah Muralitharan's flight and guile.
It is a match where pickings have been lean for Murali with five wickets, as India worked hard towards achieving that 300 runs lead.

Aminul Islam, Khaled Mashud and Mohammad Rafique appointed as coach of youngsters

Former Bangladesh players Aminul Islam, Khaled Mashud and Mohammad Rafique have been appointed as consultants by the Bangladesh board's Games Development committee to coach age-group and academy cricketers.
Aminul will work on the youngsters' batting while Mashud will devote his energies to keeping skills and Rafique will concentrate on spin bowling techniques. Shakil Kasem, the committee chairman, said the initiative had been taken in order to make optimum use of local expertise in developing future cricketers.
"Aminul, Mashud and Rafique have vast experience of playing cricket at the highest level and can pass on their knowledge to the next generation," Kasem said.
Rafique announced his retirement from international cricket only earlier this year, while Mashud last played for Bangladesh in 2007 and Aminul in 2002.

The future game is T20 : Andrew Strauss

England opening batsman Andrew Strauss has no doubt that the Twenty20 is the game of the future especially after watching both semi-finals and the final of the Twenty20 Cup last Saturday.
"There is no doubt about this form of the game being the future, and if ever you are going to get a new audience watching cricket, this is the vehicle to get you there," Strauss wrote in The Telegraph on Sunday.
It is hard to describe how pleased I am for everyone at Middlesex to see the club come through some very difficult moments, and lift silverware for the first time in 15 years. Clearly there has been a huge amount of work done both on and off the field to get the team performing, but in the end this success belongs to the players who went out there on finals day and did the business under a weight of pressure that most had not experienced before, he added.
The finals day was a triumph, both for the organisation of the event, and the nail-biting drama that the shortest form of the game delivered.
I have to say that I was extremely jealous watching proceedings from my living room as my team-mates were showering each other with champagne. I would have loved to be there, but this was their day.
What you see is what you get, and it doesn't pretend to match the intrigue of a brilliant television drama or a finely balanced Test match. Also it can make stars out of people whom very few have heard of previously. Take Graham Napier or Tyron Henderson.
In the same way the X Factor winners come out of nowhere to collect fat recording contracts and VIP entry into London's trendiest nightclubs, so the new Twenty20 specialists are creating interest, not just from the media, but from success-hungry franchise owners from the IPL, he added.
I am sure that those in charge of TV programming have had to ask themselves some difficult questions over the past few years.
Are reality shows really entertainment? Are they educating people? Do people enjoy watching them? Regardless of the answers to the first two questions, the reply to the final question is undoubtedly 'yes'. Viewing figures for reality shows have been incredible, and only recently have shown any signs of reducing. Twenty20 seems to be following the same path.
Plenty was made about Alastair Cook and myself not being available for the game, with most people in the media feeling that one or two Twenty20 games were unlikely to stretch us all that much, and thus we should have played.
The reality of the situation was that Peter Moores felt strongly that after two gruelling Tests, and with back-to-back games ahead, it would have been wrong for us to play on the day. It was one of the more difficult situations that we have faced as players, because both Alastair and I would have loved to be at what is fast becoming the premier day in the county calendar.
The problem with us playing, though, was not just about being tired. Over the four days that we had free after the Headingley Test, I was able to do a number of batting sessions designed to get me right for the next Test. Time will tell how fruitful those sessions were, but if I had been playing on finals day, those sessions would have had to have been based around Twenty20 cricket.
As a member of the Test side it was my responsibility to make sure that I was as prepared as possible for the final two matches of the summer, and playing Twenty20 is probably not the best way to do that. That is why the coach pulled us out.

Indian batsmen have finally unlocked the Ajantha Mendis code : Gautam Gambhir

Indian batsmen have finally unlocked the Ajantha Mendis code, says opener Gautam Gambhir, while revealing that the trick lies in watching the mystery spinner's fingers at the time of delivery.
After wrecking the line-up in the opening Test and in the first innings of the ongoing second Test, Mendis finally came in for some attack in the second innings and Gambhir said the perfect way to deal with him was watching his fingers.
"I think it is important to pick him from his fingers because most of the variations which he does, he does from his fingers and it is important to pick him from his fingers. So far it is working well," Gambhir said.
"I hope it continues to be in this series...it is difficult because they (Mendis and Muttiah Muraltharan) have got lot of variations in their armoury. You have to react to what they throw at you. That is the best way to play against them. We just cannot be pre-determined against them," he added.
Gambhir said the batsmen had done their job well for the visitors by taking a formidable second-innings lead of 237 and the onus was now on the bowlers to win the match and square the series.
"So far in the Test match we have really played well and I think it is for the bowlers to turn the series around.
"It is going to be very difficult for the opposition if we can set anything more than 350 we can really set the game for us. They have got a good quality attack in Murali and Mendis. It is a good challenge for us," Gambhir said after the end of third day's play.
Gambhir said it would be tough for the hosts to chase a 350-plus score on the deteriorating track.
"I think anything above 350 is going to be a good target because the wicket is only going to deteriorate from here. It is not going to be a very good batting track and specially when Harbhajan and Kumble in our armoury."
The left-hander from Delhi also dismissed remarks that he protected former skipper Rahul Dravid from facing spinners initially.
"I think Rahul Dravid is a quality player. I don't think I need to shield him. He has got more than 10,000 runs. They were bowling really well and applying a lot of pressure on us. But there was never a conscious effort of shielding him at all," he said.
Gambhir also did not hide his disappoint of missing out on his maiden century of the series.
"The ball drifted a bit. I did not expect the ball to drift that much. I think I should have got a 100 and I am a bit disappointed."

Anti-doping session at ICL training camp

The Indian Cricket League (ICL)'s ongoing training camp at Bangalore has been witnessing the modern game's nuances being taken to newer heights with pathology giants SRL Ranbaxy conducting extensive anti-doping tests.
The camp, while focusing on extreme health and fitness training, under the astute guidance of Jock Campbell-High Performance Director, ICL has seen in the last seven days, there are also 68 exciting and budding talents of Indian cricket who are trying to outdo each other as the fittest player.
Speaking on the occasion, Kiran More, the Executive Board Member of the ICL said, "For the first time in the history of Indian cricket, specialists like throwing coach (Mathew James Buckley) and sprint coach (Zane Allan Campbell) have been roped in for a conditioning camp.
"Our vision has been to promote healthy fitter cricketers and therefore at the camp, we have invited SRL Ranbaxy to educate our players with the anti-doping guidelines as well as to conduct comprehensive tests under their strict guidelines."
Explaining SRL Ranbaxy's association with ICL, their spokesperson added, "With ICL's strong focus on fair play and ethics on the cricket field, dope control is a major focus area and as an answer to their requirement in this regard, they have sought out SRL Ranbaxy to bring in the discipline of dope control. It has also proven its credentials in providing assistance and expertise to the Indian Olympic Association."
Summing up the meet, Jock Campbell-High Performance Director, ICL said, "It is of paramount importance for fitness & conditioning to be achieved by the players through fair and ethical means. We had already stated that one of the major activities at the camp would involve a detailed re-briefing, educating all the players on the international doping policy. It is important to update our boys on the pharmaceutical products that may, unwittingly, expose them to banned substances."
With 'healthy fitness' being the mantra of the on-going training camp, ICL's Season-2 will kick off later this year. This will give die-hard Indian cricket fans an exciting T-20 tournament played by high-performance, well-trained athletes.

England v South Africa, 3rd Test, Edgbaston :Smith leads South Africa to historic series victory

South African captain Graeme Smith hit what he described as the best century of his career to lead his team to a series-clinching victory on the fourth day of the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Smith made an unbeaten 154 as South Africa won by five wickets to take a winning 2-0 lead in the four-Test series. "I've had some meaningful innings in my life but with the whole situation and for the people back home, it's bigger than just us, this victory. I'd have to say it's my best innings," said Smith.
England counterpart Michael Vaughan said defeat was a bitter blow but paid tribute to Smith. "We've all just witnessed a very, very special innings. The way Graeme Smith came out and played was as good as I've seen anyone chase down that sort of target under that sort of pressure."
South Africa were set to make 281, by 70 runs the highest successful fourth innings chase in a Test match at Edgbaston and South Africa's fourth highest of all time. It was South Africa's first series win in England since 1965 and ended a sequence of three series in the country in which they failed to capitalise after going one Test up.
The victory seemed unlikely when South Africa slumped to 93 for four, with two of the wickets falling to balls from Andrew Flintoff which the batsmen did not see. But Smith survived the collapse and found able partners in AB de Villiers (27) who helped him put on 78 for the fifth wicket and Mark Boucher (45 not out), who shared an unbeaten 112-run stand for the sixth wicket.
"I never lost confidence," said Smith. "I knew we just needed one or two partnership. I was focussing on ten runs at a time, thinking, let's just get close."
South Africa took advantage of a tiring England team and claimed the available extra half hour at the end of an afternoon session which had already lasted for three hours.
Vaughan said he believed almost until the end that England could win. "I felt we were just one wicket away. If we could have got the likes of (Morne) Morkel and (Paul) Harris in on that kind of deck I felt we could have won the game."
But Vaughan said South Africa deserved their series win. "They've played better cricket than us over the three games," he said. "They've given us a lesson on how to bat."
Flintoff, who first swung the momentum towards England with a fiery spell on the second evening, made vital breakthroughs with full deliveries which the batsmen appeared not to see. He trapped Neil McKenzie leg before for 22 after McKenzie and Smith put on 65 for the first wicket.
McKenzie appeared to lose the ball completely and was ducking when the ball hit him on the boot. Jacques Kallis also ducked against a ball which struck him on the full on his right thigh in line with the stumps.
Kallis, bowled by a Flintoff yorker in the first innings which he admitted he did not pick up from the bowler's hand as it was delivered against the backdrop of the committee room balcony immediately above the sightscreen, showed his anger as he was given out leg before.
In between Flintoff's two wickets, Hashim Amla was leg before to an arm ball from left-arm spinner Monty Panesar. Flintoff was rested after taking two for 28 in eight overs but Ashwell Prince was caught behind off James Anderson as South Africa crashed to 93 for four.
South Africa, leading the four-match series 1-0, earlier bowled out England for 363 in their second innings. Paul Collingwood was last man out for 135.

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test : Lanka skipper hits fighting half-century.

As the story on the third day begins to unfold, the match is evenly poised with Sri Lanka resuming their innings at 215-5 in reply to India's 319 the second Test in Galle. The home side will be banking on their skipper Mahela Jayawardene who was batting overnight on 46.
On the second day, Harbhajan Singh brought India back in the game by taking four quick wickets after Malinda Warnapurna and Kumar Sangakkara struck half-centuries.
India were powered to 319 by a blistering 201 not out by Virender Sehwag.

Champions League : Middlesex accepts offer; Kent, Essex rejected

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed disappointment at Kent not being invited for the Champions T20 League by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Kent had offered not to include ICL players in their squad for Champions League.
In fact, Essex was offered as an alternative to Kent, but the organisers rejected them. England's T20 champions Middlesex have confirmed that they will take part in the tournament which means the eight teams for the event are now complete with Pakistan's Sialkot completing the line-up.
The tournament begins from September 29 and will take place in New Delhi, Mohali and Jaipur.

Michael Marshall appointed Australia's performance analyst

Cricket Australia on Friday announced Michael Marshall as the new Australian Team Performance Analyst, replacing Richard McInnes.
Marshall moves into the role from his current position as Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation Coordinator with the Tasmanian Cricket Association.
The position within the Australian Cricket Team support staff became vacant following McInnes’ move to coach the Australian Women’s Team, the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars, following the recent VB Tour of the West Indies.
Prior to his current role, Marshall worked as Performance Analyst for the PKF Tasmanian Tigers from October 2005 to June 2007, watching on as the team won the Pura Cup title in 2006-07, Tasmania’s first four-day title in the competition.

Mendis’ start is better than mine: Muttiah Muralitharan

World’s highest Test wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan has said that his young teammate Ajantha Mendis’ start to his Test career is better than that of his own and Aussie leg-spinner Shane Warne’s had been.
"Ajantha Mendis was once again exceptional and fully deserved his first five-wicket haul in Tests. It took a while for me and Shane Warne to influence a Test match like he is doing already. He has claimed 14 Test wickets and we are only mid-way through his second Test. That is a special start by anyone’s standards," Murali wrote in his column in the Times of India on Saturday.
"All this he has done when the pitch was considered good for batting on the first day. The amount of turn was modest and the pitch was slow, but he was always threatening with his variations and he did not wilt in the face of Virender Sehwag’s positive stroke play," he adds.
Speaking about the delicately poised match, Murali said, the first morning of the third day’s play was very crucial to the outcome of the match.
"The pitch is now starting to take spin and that is why the third morning is going to be crucial. On the last two days it will probably be harder to bat and any lead will be useful. We have no target but we know every run will be vital. We were also disappointed to lose four wickets in the final session of the second day after having established such a strong position," he wrote.

Former player Ashok Mankad dead

Former Test player Ashok Mankad passed away at the age of 61 in his sleep in Mumbai on Friday morning.
Mankad played 22 Tests for India with six half-centuries to his name. He started as a middle-order batsman, making his debut against New Zealand in 1969. Later, he started opening the innings. His 97 against Bill Lawry's Australia in 1971 in Delhi took India to a famous win and helped them level the four-test series.
The veteran cricketer was also a member of the history-making Indian squads under Ajit Wadekar, which recorded India's first-ever series victories in the West Indies and England in 1971.
After his retirement Mankad was rendering his services as the coach. His father Vinu Mankad also played Test cricket for India while his sons Harsh and Mihir Mankad are professional tennis players. Harsh has represented India in the Davis Cup.
The Indian team, who are playing Sri Lanka in Galle are wearing black arm-bands as a mark of respect to him.

England v South Africa, 3rd npower Test : Collingwood ton leads England fightback

Paul Collingwood overcame what he admitted was huge pressure as he and Kevin Pietersen gave England a chance of a come-from-behind victory on the third day of the third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston on Friday.
England were 297 for six at the close, an overall lead of 213, with Collingwood capping a return to form in glorious fashion by reaching his sixth Test century with a six off left-arm spinner Paul Harris. He finished the day on 101 not out. Pietersen made 94 before falling when he tried to hit a six off Harris.
"There was lots of pressure," said Collingwood, who was in danger of being dropped after a summer of poor performances. "It's not pressure so much from the outside as knowing that you have to contribute or you are letting the team down. "Today was very special, everything went my way and it's a day I won't forget. It's been tough over the past couple of months."
Collingwood said there was still a big job to do with South Africa able to call on a new ball at the start of play on Saturday. With the pitch still playing well, Collingwood said he would like England to get 280 to 300 ahead.
Collingwood paid tribute to England captain Michael Vaughan. "He said to me, just before I went out to bat 'Don't be reckless, but be aggressive'. I quite enjoyed having my freedom from the skipper. That's the way I play my best cricket."
South African coach Mickey Arthur said he was very, very disappointed with his team's performance.
"It simply wasn't good enough. We've got that out of the way in the dressing room. We've got a gift tomorrow morning and that's the second new ball.
"We're going to have really make it work fast for us," Arthur said.
"The game's on a knife edge. We had an opportunity today which we didn't take. We forgot about everything we've spoken about today.
"But we've got that second opportunity with the new ball. The wicket's flat, there wasn't a huge amount of spin on offer and it didn't swing much today when the sun was out.
"We believe we can chase down most totals on that but it's going to be difficult."
Pietersen and Collingwood brought England back into the game in thrilling style with a fifth wicket stand of 115 off 138 balls but when Andrew Flintoff was out four balls after Pietersen it seemed South Africa were on the way to victory.
But Collingwood and Tim Ambrose added an unbeaten 76 against lacklustre bowling to raise English hopes of a win which would level the series with one match to play. After a watchful start, Pietersen was looking in total command when he twice in the space of three balls reverse-pulled Harris for boundaries. At that stage the South African bowlers were looking ineffectual in the best batting conditions of the match, with the sun shining and the ball not deviating through the air or off an easy-paced pitch.
But Pietersen was out to the first ball of Harris' next over when he danced down the pitch. He mistimed the ball and was caught by AB de Villiers three-quarters of the way to the long-on boundary. Pietersen batted for 186 minutes, faced 136 balls and hit 13 fours.
Four balls later Flintoff was caught off bat and pad at short leg off Harris and South Africa were on top again. Collingwood, who had reached his half-century off 61 balls, batted cautiously for a period but with Ambrose proving a solid partner he lifted the tempo towards the end of the day to notch his century off 133 deliveries with 14 fours to add to the six which brought a capacity crowd to their feet.

Source : Afp

Gibbs accuses wife of excessive demands

South African Test cricketer Herschelle Gibbs has accused his estranged wife of making excessive demands for her maintenance.
Gibbs made the claim in an affidavit opposing his wife Tenielle's demand for monthly maintenance of about USD 12000.
The affidavit was filed in the Cape Town High Court on Saturday and the application will be heard next month.
Gibbs said his wife had been living a lavish lifestyle at his expense and his personal banker, as well his agent, Donne Commins, had warned her about it.
Gibbs said his wife's spending habits had resulted in his bank accounts being overdrawn.
"Tenielle wished to live a lavish and extravagant lifestyle, which resulted in us incurring debt and over-extending ourselves financially to such an extent that we were regularly approached by the relevant banking institutions regarding my overdrawn accounts," he said in the affidavit.
Gibbs said his wife had made decisions, without his authority, more than they had budgeted for. The couple had married last year.
Tenielle had lodged an application in June this year in which she said her husband was verbally "abusive" and "erratic".
She said they enjoyed a lavish lifestyle to which she had become accustomed.

Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test : Teams unchanged as India bat

Much to India's relief, Sri Lanka didn't get their devastating three-step programme going - win the toss, bat big, and let Murali and Mendis loose - in the Galle Test. Anil Kumble won the toss on a pitch that looked drier than the one at the SSC, and as expected, chose to bat. One half of the pitch, at the Fort End, had a fair few cracks; the other looked and felt damp and didn't have any cracks, according to Waqar Younis.
India expected the batting performance to be a huge improvement over the one in the first Test, where they were under pressure from Sri Lanka's total from the off, and Sri Lanka never in any danger of losing. At any rate India had a huge task at hand: to recover from their third-heaviest defeat ever.
Both teams chose to go with the same personnel as in the first Test, which was no surprise. India's annihilation at the SSC was more down to Sri Lanka's superior performance in every aspect of the game, so it was not a question of who played but of application.

India: 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 Sourav Ganguly, 6 VVS Laxman, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Anil Kumble (capt), 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ishant Sharma.

Sri Lanka: 1 Michael Vandort, 2 Malinda Warnapura, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Muttiah Muralitharan, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Nuwan Kulasekara.

Source : Cricinfo

Cricket Association of Bengal elections : Much work to do, says Dalmiya

Out in the wilderness for 18 months, former ICC chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, elected as the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), has comeback parallel to those of the state's cricket icon Sourav Ganguly.
As counting of votes at the 77th Annual General Meeting of the CAB which continued past midnight, a beaming Dalmiya announced "Cricket in Bengal needs me. That's why I'm back".
"I will take a couple of days to sit down with colleagues and decide about our future plans," he said.
Dalmiya, lying low ever since he was ousted from the post of CAB President in December 2006, planned his comeback and ensured that his entire panel of office-bearers was elected comfortably.
The former ICC chief defeated the incumbent President and a senior IPS officer Prasun Mukherjee 71-47 for a decisive victory as 118 of the 121 voters cast their ballots at the Eden Gardens here.
Indirectly referring to cases instituted against him by the BCCI, Dalmiya said "Initially I wanted to make a comeback so that I could emerge without a blemish, but that changed once Bengal got relegated to the Plate Division of the Ranji Trophy. There's much work to do now".
Vanquished in the battle, which was being observed keenly on the BCCI radar, Mukherjee said "the members wanted Mr Dalmiya back and this mandate is overwhelmingly in his favour. I congratulate Dalmiya and wish him all the best".
Besides Dalmiya, the other members of his panel swept the polls cornerning all posts. Samar Kar, Shib Kumar Kalyani and Shibaji Dutta, belonging to Dalmiya's group, were elected Vice-Presidents along with Arijit Roy, who turned into a consensus candidate.

England v South Africa, 3rd npower Test : Nel sparks England collapse on Test return

Andre Nel took three wickets and sparked a collapse by England on the first day of the third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston on Wednesday.
England crashed to 231 all out after winning the toss and batting on an easy-paced pitch. They were cruising at 68 for no wicket before Nel struck twice in two balls and they never recovered. South Africa were 38 for one at the close.
Having revealed his aggressive and sometimes impetuous alter ego during the build-up to the Test, Nel was predictably the target of verbal barbs from the crowd but his bowling backed up his claim that he liked to get the crowd going.
Nel took three for 47 and all-rounder Jacques Kallis three for 31 as England, trailing the four-match series 1-0, failed to post the imposing total sought by captain Michael Vaughan.
Making his return to the Test side in place of the injured Dale Steyn, Nel dismissed the first three men in the England batting order. He could have done even better because he twice induced edges from Ian Bell which fell just short of the slips. Bell went on to make 50.
Bell and Alastair Cook (76) made more than half their side's total. Nel made the breakthrough after Andrew Strauss and Cook had apparently drawn the sting from the South African bowling.
Strauss stepped on his stumps as he played Nel to the leg side to be out hit wicket for 20.
The out-of-form Vaughan pushed forward to the first ball he faced and was given out caught behind by umpire Aleem Dar in response to a frenzied appeal by Nel, even though wicketkeeper Mark Boucher did not join in. Vaughan looked surprised at the decision but replays indicated he might have got a faint edge to the ball.
Three overs later Kevin Pietersen tried to play Kallis to leg and the ball looped off his pad to Ashwell Prince at backward point. He was given out caught although the ball probably did not touch his bat. Ironically he could have been given out leg before wicket as replays showed the ball would have hit his stumps.
Cook made an impressive 76 off 125 balls before Essex county colleague Nel had him caught low down by a diving Kallis at second slip. The rest of the batting crumbled, apart from a cautious stand of 39 off 115 balls between Andrew Flintoff and Tim Ambrose.
The recall of Paul Collingwood at number six was unsuccessful with the batsman looking out of touch and making only four off 22 balls before edging Kallis to first slip.
Flintoff only showed his usual aggression after Ambrose and Ryan Sidebottom were out in quick succession but he had no soon hit Makhaya Ntini for six and four off successive balls than the innings ended with James Anderson and Monty Panesar were run out off successive balls. Both were trying to feed the strike to Flintoff.
Anderson fell to a direct hit from Prince at cover before Panesar turned the first ball he received to leg and attempted a suicidal second run because it was the last ball of the over.
The pitch lacked pace and the batsmen had plenty of time to put the ball away when the bowlers dropped the ball short. But both Nel and Kallis were able to get some swing in partly cloudy conditions.
South African captain Graeme Smith had to pass a fitness test on a sore back. He took his place but after spending most of the day on the field he was out for seven when he edged Flintoff to first slip.

Javed Miandad backs under-pressure Lawson

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, has defended the current national coach Geoff Lawson, arguing that the Australian "should be allowed to complete his contract".
"Nowhere in the world are contracts treated with such contempt," Miandad told Geo TV. "In our [Pakistan] cricket system there is a proper contract system for coaches and players with relevant clauses. Yet despite repeated breaches no action is taken by the board.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is bound to adhere to the contractual terms. Nowhere is a coach or player allowed to give statements with board officials having a say on every issue, except in Pakistan. They should allow Lawson to complete his contract but if he wants out himself that is another issue."
He quoted his own experience as coach of the national side. "What example of discipline can you set by not honouring a valid contract? They (PCB) did the same with me. I had a legal contract with them and yet behind my back they were negotiating with another coach (Woolmer)."
Lawson was appointed coach in August last year for a two-year term, but has had a mixed run so far; under him Pakistan have lost series to South Africa and India and failed to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup, held at home.
Pakistan did, however, reach the final of the Twenty20 World Cup last year and win the Kitply Cup in Dhaka in June this year. However, speculation has been rife about his fate and though privately board officials are not thought to be impressed by him, officially he has the board's backing. Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, said recently, after the Asia Cup, that both captain Shoaib Malik and Lawson would retain their jobs.
The team's next assignment is a likely three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home, ahead of the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan in September 2008.

Source : Cricinfo

Champions League : New Zealand excited by Champions League possibility

The participation of Central Districts, New Zealand's domestic Twenty20 champions, in the inaugural Champions League in India between September 29 and October 8 will, if it comes through, be a big boost to the domestic game in the country, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has said. The BCCI, the tournament hosts, confirmed that teams from Sri Lanka and West Indies will compete with Central Districts for one slot in the league, with England's participation highly unlikely.
"First up, it may well be off to India to participate in this competition, which is extraordinary," Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, told the Dominion Post. "It's still to be decided what money there'll be. I think there's a truckload of prize money, and traditionally that's gone to players.
"We need to accept the fact that our teams can compete on the global stage and it might seem extraordinary but that's what it's all about. And if this can become something that we regularly participate in, it obviously adds a significant edge to our domestic Twenty20 competition."
Central Districts have two high-profile New Zealand players, Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram, in their ranks, both of whom played in the IPL. Since Taylor's IPL franchise, the Bangalore Royal Challengers, failed to qualify for the Champions League, he would be expected to turn out for his state side. Since Chennai Super Kings have qualified, Oram would have to decide which team to represent, and Vaughan said the decision rests entirely with the player.
The details of the Champions League will be finalised in Mumbai later tonight at a meeting to be attended by officials from the BCCI, Cricket South Africa and Cricket Australia. A team from Pakistan has also been confirmed.

Source : Cricinfo

Champions League : League not in violation of ICC playing agreement - BCCI

The BCCI, which is hosting a Twenty20 Champions League for domestic teams from at least four countries immediately after the Champions Trophy in September, will inform the ICC that the proposed tournament does not violate any previous agreement signed by the governing body's members, Cricinfo has learnt.
The ICC had on Tuesday reminded its member countries through an email that holding a tournament within seven days of an ICC event violated a playing agreement signed by its members. Officials from BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa are meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday to finalise the Champions League to be held in three Indian venues from September 29, one day after the Champions Trophy ends in Pakistan.
"The BCCI will inform the ICC that the playing agreement clearly pertains only to bilateral series and international tournaments involving national sides," a senior BCCI official told Cricinfo. "The Champions League is a multi-club event for domestic teams and does not come under the jurisidiction of this agreement."
Apparently, the BCCI "understands" that the ICC email was "part of a mandatory procedure" followed by the governing body, acting on a letter it had received from ESPN-Star Sports, its official broadcaster. The broadcaster had expressed concerns over whether the Twenty20 tournament would devalue the Champions Trophy one-day tournament.
"The ICC has followed a process and we understand that. Our position is also clear and we will communicate that accordingly," the official said. The Champions League has already generated controversy, with the ECB planning to go ahead with its own tournament, slated for October in Sharjah, after disagreements with the BCCI over various rules and regulations, including the ban on players from the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL), the share-holding pattern and profit-sharing formula.
On the other hand, the Champions Trophy faces the threat of player pullouts after the ICC decided to go ahead with the tournament in Pakistan despite security concerns.

Source : Cricinfo

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza again on knee troubles

Mashrafe Bin Mortaza stayed in the dressing room while his teammates were involved in a practice match yesterday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur as part of their preparation for the three-match one-day series in Australia.The reason was nothing new. The pace spearhead has been having pain in his left knee, which was operated on, for the last three days.The injury remains a big problem in the career of the 'Narail Express', who has so far had operations on both knees to continue his international career.Since making his international debut in 2001, Mashrafe had been out of cricket several times in his torrid career and it was not only because of his knees but also for his persistent back pain. And the braveheart cricketer always made his comeback keeping his head and shoulders above everything.But the main problem is that everybody is kept in riddle whenever the paceman complains about injury. The main question remains on how serious his injury is?There was no exception this time. If you take it from the bowler himself, then things look serious ahead of a very tough series next month but different opinions come from the team management.National team physio Darryn Lifson could have been the right person to clear everything but he was not ready to comment anything on the issue."I would not say anything," was the response of Lifson.Chief selector Rafiqul Alam, who was present at the ground to watch the Tigers practice match, said that there was nothing serious with the leading paceman's injury."Our physio (Lifson) informed that there is nothing serious with the injury and the bowler (Mashrafe) just needs a few days rest," said Rafiq.Many of his teammates were always scrupulous about his injury complaints as he had earlier nitpicked several times of the back pain or anything like that but dramatically recovered the following day only to show his true character as a born fighter."There is pain in my left knee which I felt during practice three days back. I had MRI yesterday and will be doing another today (Tuesday). What my physician told me was that everything would depend on how much pain I can absorb to play international cricket because I will never be cured hundred per cent," said Mashrafe."The main problem is that it is my landing foot and the condition of the knee is not good after the operation (in 2003). Actually I am not sure about how long I can tolerate this pain to continue my international career," the dejected bowler added.Mashrafe also believe that the injury scare always slows down his progress."You must practice hard to stay alive in international cricket but it is not always easy for me because I have to consider my injury first," he observed.Whatever the fact was it would be painful for the team management if this injury ultimately proved to be a serious one because the bowling is most vulnerable department right now.The continuous injury of Syed Rasel already made things difficult and the newcomers' performance in the highest level hardly made anyone believe that they are ready to fill up any more vacuum.

Srilanka's luck extended

India's batting reputation will be at stake when they attempt to solve Sri Lanka's spin puzzle in the second Test starting here on Thursday.The tourists collapsed twice in the opening match of the three-Test series in Colombo, losing by an innings and 239 runs on Saturday.Sri Lankan spinners Muttiah Muralidaran and Ajantha Mendis did the damage, sharing 19 wickets.Muralidaran's wizardry has always shone especially bright at the Galle International Stadium, where he has taken 91 of his world-record 746 wickets in 12 Tests.This time out there will be no respite for the visitors as he has found an able partner in Mendis, an unorthodox spinner.Mendis made an impressive debut in Colombo, grabbing eight wickets, and the pair is expected to make merry again."The pitch here is basically spin-friendly," said curator and former Sri Lankan bowler Jayananda Warnaweera."Murali has always bowled well here and I think Mendis will also succeed because he has variations. It has always been a lucky ground for Sri Lanka."Sri Lanka have lost just one of their last nine Tests at Galle since July 2000, the lone defeat coming against Australia four years ago.While India have talented batsmen in Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Venkatsai Laxman, but failed to match Sri Lanka's batting prowess in the first match.Four Sri Lankan batsmen -- skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Malinda Warnapura, Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan -- scored centuries, while Laxman was India's top-scorer with 56.Opener Gautam Gambhir said India were confident of putting in an improved batting performance in the second Test."We will look to be more positive against Mendis and Murali as both of them are quality spinners. But we are going to put up a much better show as the guys are really positive," he said.Muralidaran troubled the Indian batsmen in the lone Test played between the two countries at Galle, taking eight wickets to fashion his team's 10-wicket win in 2001.He has bagged five or more wickets in a Test innings 10 times here and 10 or more in a match on four occasions, his best being 13-171 against South Africa eight years ago.No Test was held at this venue for nearly three years after it was devastated by the 2004 tsunami. Test cricket resumed in 2007 with a visit from England.

Source : Afp, Galle

Cricket Association of Bengal elections : Dalmiya elected CAB president

Jagmohan Dalmiya has been elected president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), a position from which he was unseated in December 2006 following charges of embezzlement. Dalmiya, a former president of both the ICC and the BCCI, defeated the incumbent, Prasun Mukherjee, to secure a seat on the Indian board.
Dalmiya won by 71 votes to 47, an overwhelming margin for someone virtually out of cricket for the past 18 months.
"Cricket in the state needs me, that's why I'm back," Dalmiya told the Telegraph, a Kolkata-based daily. "I'll require a couple of days to sit down with colleagues and then chalk out plans. Initially, I wanted to make a comeback so that I could emerge without a blemish, but that changed once Bengal got relegated to the Plate Division in the Ranji Trophy. Nothing personal is a priority. Today, there's much work to do."
The election has created interest far beyond Kolkata, because of Dalmiya's bitter and long-running rivalry with the current BCCI administration. The charges of embezzlement - relating to the 1996 World Cup, and for which he was arrested before being released on bail - were levelled by the BCCI after Sharad Pawar took over as president. Dalmiya had used his casting vote to help his nominee, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, defeat Pawar in the BCCI presidential election in 2004. On Tuesday night, Pawar said Dalmiya's win was an "internal matter".
Mukherjee - Dalmiya's opponent in this election - had been part of Pawar's camp within the board. The last time the two fought each other in an election, in 2006, Mukherjee had the backing of Pawar and the state's chief minister but lost to Dalmiya by one vote. The embezzlement charge led to Dalmiya being expelled from the BCCI and forced to resign from the CAB post, which then fell to Mukherjee.
Dalmiya challenged the expulsion in the Kolkata High Court and, in July 2007, the court stayed the decision and allowed him to contest elections. The stay came too late for last year's CAB elections but his return to the fray this year was always on the cards.
Dalmiya's campaign was helped by a general decline in Bengal cricket, of which the lowest point was the Ranji team's relegation from the Elite group. The Mukherjee administration had also seen several glitches, the most glaring and embarrassing being during the first IPL match at Eden Gardens, when the floodlights failed. Mukherjee had suffered a personal embarrassment too several months ago when he was forced to step down as the city's police chief following a controversial murder case.
Mukherjee, however, said the result was unexpected. "The members wanted Dalmiya back and this mandate is overwhelmingly in his favour," Mukherjee said. "I have nothing to say and I congratulate Dalmiya and wish him all the best.
"But this result is unexpected for me and I have not really understood why this happened. I don't want to go into the reasons."
Since his ouster from the CAB in 2006, Dalmiya spent time fighting various legal battles relating to cricket; apart from the embezzlement case, being heard in a Mumbai metropolitan court, he has filed perjury charges against Pawar, his successor Shashank Manohar and BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah. He has also been the subject of investigations by the state government over irregularities in his tannery business.

The Dalmiya panel: Jagmohan Dalmiya (president), Biswarup Dey, Arun Mitra (joint-secretaries), Samar Kar, Shib Kumar Kalyani, Shibaji Dutta (vice-presidents), Bablu Ganguly (treasurer).

Source : Cricinfo

England v South Africa, 3rd npower Test : South Africa wait on Smith fitness

South Africa's captain, Graeme Smith, has emerged as an injury concern ahead of the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Wednesday, after picking a back injury while batting against Bangladesh A during their drawn warm-up game at Worcester last Thursday.
Smith missed South Africa's training session on Monday, and was expecting to opt out of the indoor nets on Tuesday after heavy overnight rain forced the players to cancel their pre-match middle practice. He now faces a late fitness test on the morning of the Test to determine whether he will be able to take part.
"It's been niggling me a bit and I'm obviously in a little bit of pain, so it's just about taking precautions to make sure I'm ready for tomorrow," said Smith. "I don't want to do anything today that will affect tomorrow, but I'm taking treatment and improving every day, so tomorrow morning I see myself coming down early and putting in the work I need to."
Smith's absence would be a major blow to South Africa's hopes of sewing up their first series win in England since readmission. Dale Steyn has already been ruled out with a broken thumb. Edgbaston is a ground which harbours fond memories for Smith as well - it was here, as a 22-year-old rookie captain in 2003, that he racked up his career-best score of 277, the perfect riposte to his opposite number, Nasser Hussain, who had forgotten his name during the pre-match press conference. Hussain resigned immediately after the game as Michael Vaughan took over the reins.
When asked if he was 100% sure of being fit for the Test, Smith replied: "I would like to think I am" - a statement that did not sound flushed with confidence. Should he fail his fitness test, JP Duminy is standing by to partner Neil McKenzie in a match that South Africa need only to draw to ensure a share of the series. Ashwell Prince, their form batsman of the series, would take over as captain.
Nevertheless, Smith had not mislaid his sense of humour in spite of his fitness concerns. When asked how the injury had come about, he responded: "It was just something that I woke up with - maybe it's a change of beds" - a reference to the excuse that was offered by England's bowling coach, Ottis Gibson, when Ryan Sidebottom reported a stiff back during the Lord's Test.

South Africa :1 Graeme Smith/JP Duminy, 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 Ashwell Prince, 6 AB de Villiers, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Andre Nel, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Source : Cricinfo

India work on fielding lapses

Robin Singh, India's fielding coach, says India's close-in catching will improve in the next Test with the team working on it in the nets. Dropped catches affected India's performance in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
"There have been a few lapses in the past that won't be repeated," Robin said after a practice session ahead of the second Test in Galle, starting on Thursday. "Most of the people are aware of their responsibilities. I feel we had a bad day [in the last Test] but we will come back strongly in the [next] Test matches."
India lost the first Test by an innings and 239 runs and conceded 600 runs in the first innings where four Sri Lankans scored centuries. Mahela Jayawardene, the top scorer with 136, was dropped by wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik on 55 and 96 while Thilan Samaraweera, the next highest scorer with 127, was dropped by Gautam Gambhir at short leg when he was on 53.
Robin said both players had put in time for fielding practice. "Gambhir is working hard on close catches. Dinesh Karthik had a bad match. He dropped a few catches but it's a part of the game. He is working hard in the nets. We hope to come back strongly."
Robin said the team was in a better mental shape than it was after losing in Colombo. "Everyone is trying to lift their game. Everyone is prepared in their own way. If each player plays well, if we are able to get a good start, the rest can follow."

Source : Cricinfo

Harmison misses out as Collingwood returns

Steve Harmison made it as far as the England squad, but won't be making his Test comeback just yet after he was left out of the final eleven to face South Africa at Edgbaston. Paul Collingwood, his Durham team-mate, is recalled after being dropped at Headingley while Ryan Sidebottom is fit again. As expected Stuart Broad has been left out after showing signs of fatigue in recent weeks.
The pitch at Edgbaston is not expected to be quick and bouncy but could assist the swing bowlers, a factor that will have swayed Michael Vaughan and Peter Moores's decision over the team. Even though the hot weather of recent days is forecast to break up during the Test there is still the possibility of the surface taking turn, therefore Monty Panesar becomes much more of an attacking option than he was in Leeds.
"It wasn't straightforward because we obviously had the option of going with five [bowlers]," said Vaughan. "But because of this ground, and where we were last week, we felt that the depth in batting would help. That's what we've gone with, it's obviously going to be tested over the next few days, but at the end of it I'm confident we can produce the performance that we all want this week."
So after one Test with a five-man attack, England are back to four frontline bowlers with Collingwood in support. Collingwood has scraped together 92 runs in nine first-class innings this season, and hasn't played in that format since the Lord's Test, but at least he has found some one-day form with Durham. His recall means Tim Ambrose will fall two places from No. 6 to No. 8 and Andrew Flintoff remains at No. 7.
"Colly's obviously struggled of late, but he averages over 40 in Test-match cricket with a double-hundred," said Vaughan. "His fielding, his energy, and his bowling on this type of wicket could be useful if it swings. He's just a good man to have around the team, because he's very mature and a good thinker of the game. He knows he needs to start scoring runs, as a few of us do, but it's good to have him back in among the ranks."
Vaughan is another man who could do with a big innings in this match. He has managed only 23 runs in three innings to date in this series, although the absence of his nemesis, Dale Steyn, will doubtless boost his confidence. "I don't feel under any extra pressure than I have done in the last two to three years," said Vaughan. "I've always had these blips in form and I'm confident I can come through them."
The break between Tests has given Vaughan the chance to spend some time at the National Academy at Loughborough and work on his technique, and he believes he'll come back stronger. "I always analyse my batting and I believe in this series I've had three decent balls, but there are a couple of them that I feel I could have done better with," he said. "I guess sometimes you do practice a bit harder when you don't get as many runs, but I'm hitting them well and I believe I can get a big score this week if I get off to a good start."
After the selectorial shennanigans that marred England's build-up to the Headingley Test, their eagerness to unveil the side 24 hours in advance of the match was a deliberate statement of intent. "It always creates clarity when you can announce the team to everyone, and that includes the eleven that play and the two that don't," said Vaughan. "It's nice to know the day before that you are playing so you can prepare your mind, rest up, and get yourself focused for the start tomorrow morning."
Flintoff and James Anderson had a lot of bowling at Headingley, so Sidebottom's return will be a huge boost for Vaughan. It'll be vital for England that he recovers the zip which was missing at Lord's. "Ryan's bowled all week, and he's confident he's back to being that snappy bowler he was in the winter and early on in the summer," said Vaughan. "The week will testify that, but he looks to have a bit more confidence back."
The team selection is tough on Broad, who has been England's most consistent batsman of the series so far, but as Vaughan conceded, it is his lack of wickets that has prompted the change. "He's been left out for his bowling," he said. "We've all seen what a good cricketer he is, and will be for England. His batting is very consistent - I've no doubt he'll climb the order eventually - but he's bowled a lot of overs and is starting to look a little jaded. It's a good time to get out of the firing line, go and play for his county, and I've no doubt he'll be back in the team sooner rather than later."
Harmison, meanwhile, remains in the background, and could yet feature in the series if England fail to make the most of Edgbaston's conditions. "He's very close, and that's why we brought him back into the squad," said Vaughan. "It's a sign for him that he's got a chance to get back in. He's obviously not in the eleven this week, but who's to say he won't be in the eleven at The Oval the week after."

England Team: 1 Andrew Strauss, 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Michael Vaughan (capt), 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Paul Collingwood, 7 Andrew Flintoff, 8 Tim Ambrose (wk), 9 Ryan Sidebottom, 10 James Anderson, 11 Monty Panesar.