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Subject: Cricket News
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royal28 12.08.09 - 06:59am

I didnt accuse cricketers of fixing: Qadir
KARACHI: Former chief selector Abdul Qadir has backed down from his earlier comments that some Pakistan players could have contact with suspected Indian bookmakers and said he was only voicing concern about the possibility of match fixing. *

royal28 12.08.09 - 03:19pm

Hayden warns Pietersen to expect long recovery
Matthew Hayden has warned Kevin Pietersen that his comeback from an Achilles injury could be the toughest battle of his career, after it was confirmed the England batsman was admitted to a central London hospital for treatment on an infection in the stitching of his surgically-repaired right ankle.

Pietersen, who underwent the operation two-and-a-half weeks ago after England's victory in the second Test at Lord's, is expected to be discharged on Wednesday after spending two nights in hospital. He has been placed on a course of antibiotics and will be reassessed later in the week before resuming his rehabilitation programme, but Hayden, who also sustained a high-profile Achilles problem during the first season of IPL, said that it was a problem that was unlikely to go away.

Hayden's own Achilles problem did not require surgery, but it nevertheless curtailed his international career. He missed Australia's 2008 tour of the Caribbean and averaged just 23.93 in nine Tests thereafter. Despite harbouring ambitions to play through to the end of the current Ashes series, Hayden announced his retirement from international cricket in January.

Frankly, the hardest thing I ever had to do was come back from that, Hayden told Cricinfo's Switch-Hit podcast. My path was one of very gradual improvement over a long period of time. That was under very strict guidelines and rehabilitation programmes, and it's to a point now thankfully, touch wood, it's brilliant, but it's [an issue] of constant maintenance. What I do know about any kind of tendinopathies, having suffered them right the way through my career, is that they are often a degenerative injury.

It's not like a hamstring where you go out and pull it, and you spend a number of weeks getting back in through rehab. These are degenerative tendons, so ever since Kevin Pietersen has been running around on the plains of Africa, he would have been wearing out his Achilles tendon. Being such a big bloke, as is often the case with very long levers, it tends to increase the degree of injury. He's got a long road to go, there's no question about that.

Pietersen's setback in his road to recovery was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon in a statement from the ECB. He was seen by a wound care specialist yesterday and will receive a course of antibiotics in order to exclude infection, read the statement.

Medical advice is that a complication can occur post surgery and in this case resulted despite Kevin closely following specialist advice on management of the wound. He will be reassessed by the specialist later this week and will return to his planned programme of rehabilitation once the wound has fully healed.

Pietersen's operation was conducted by a leading Swedish specialist, who was flown in at the ECB's behest, and an initial estimate was that he would be out of cricket for six weeks.

That may now have to be revised. The operation, which Pietersen underwent after labouring to twin scores of 32 and 44 in the Lord's Test, involved a small incision and t of the blood vessels and nerves around the inflamed tendon and was considered, in a statement from Nick Peirce, the ECB's chief medical officer, to have been routine.

Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence, said Peirce at the time. This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review.

Pietersen was never in contention to be fit for the remainder of the Australia tour, and his initial target was the tour of South Africa which gets underway with the Champions Trophy on September 22.

However, England's national selector, Geoff Miller, admitted to Cricinfo that there were already concerns about his long-term fitness. I'm hopeful he will be fit [for South Africa], said Miller. I wouldn't say I'm confident, but I'm very, very hopeful, because he's an integral part of the side.

In Pietersen's absence, England's middle order has struggled to match his authoritative style of batting, and at Headingley this week, Nos 3, 4 and 5 - Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood - mustered 16 runs for six dismissals, the lowest combined tally in Test history.

I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I'm confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation, said Pietersen at the time of his injury.
*

royal28 12.08.09 - 07:27pm
Pakistan beat Srilanka by 52 runs in t20 *

royal28 13.08.09 - 10:43am
Younus said that as skipper, he accepted responsibility for the dismal showing. I accept the responsibility of defeat, but will not apologise to anyone nor will I resign as captain because it's part of the game to lose and win, he was quoted as saying. Younus, 31, is not part of the team playing the only Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday, having resigned from the newest form of the game after guiding Pakistan to the World T20 title in England in June. Younus rounded on the campaign to oust him as captain. I am trying my level best to lead the team and achieve the best results but some people want me to relinquish the captaincy, which I won't. Am I not a good captain, or do I lack leadership qualities? he said. Former Pakistan players have launched a scathing attack on Younus, also demanding the head of coach Intikhab Alam, manager Yawar Saeed and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials. Pakistan, needing 97 runs with eight wickets intact, lost the first Test at Galle by 50 runs. They were also well set at 285-1 in the second innings of the second Test in Colombo, before losing the match by seven wickets. Resignations should come from top to bottom after the humiliating defeats, former chief selector and international spinner Abdul Qadir said. Younus told Jang that the team's success in the last two one-day matches showed it was able to win in Sri Lanka. We won the last two one-day matches by huge margins, and it proved that the team had the capacity and the talent to win the Tests and one-day matches. But due to the batsmen's inconsistency, we failed to finish properly, he said. Younus defended team unity after criticism from former players and the media. There were no differences in the team. In fact I can say that the team was never as united as it was during the Sri Lanka tour, Younus said, rejecting match-fixing allegations levelled against the team. Baseless allegations are affecting the team's performances, he said, after reports emerged of bookmakers trying to contact Pakistani players in their Colombo hotel during the Tests last month. No one should doubt my integrity. I can never resort to any wrongdoing. *

royal28 13.08.09 - 10:46am
Pakistan pace bowler Saeed Ajmal has been fined 15% of his match fee in the Twenty20 international in Colombo.

Ajmal was charged under Level 1.6 of the ICC's code of conduct after pointing to the pavilion and exchanging words with Sangakkara following the home captain's dismissal.

The incident was reported by on-field umpires Asoka de Silva and Tyron Wijewardene as well as third umpire Gamini Silva and fourth official Gamini Dissanayake.

Elite panel match referee Alan Hurst said of the incident: In coming to my decision I took into account the fact the player immediately recognised his error of judgement and apologised to both umpires. He also did so to Kumar Sangakkara after the game.

The player had no previous instances of this type of behaviour but it was pointed out to him during the hearing that his actions were a clear breach of the ICC Code of Conduct and something seen not only on the replay screen at the ground but also by the many millions of people watching on television around the world.

This type of action cannot be tolerated as it does not promote the playing of the game in the expected positive spirit. *

royal28 15.08.09 - 09:17am
Gul, who picked up the back strain in Sri Lanka during training, said he would recover in time for next month's Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The doctors have told me to take complete rest for 15 days and then resume light training. I am confident that I will be 100 per cent fit for the Champions trophy, Gul told reporters at the National Stadium here.

Gul said he had overcome fitness problems earlier in his career including a career threatening back stress fracture.

I know what to do and how to recover from this injury so I am not concerned or worried that I might not be fit in time for the Champions trophy, said Gul, who was Pakistan's star performer in their Twenty20 World Cup victory.

He said his 15-day rest could be a blessing in disguise as he would get a complete break from cricket for two weeks.



It would allow us to go into the Champions Trophy fresh.

Because in a big tournament like this you need to be in your best shape in every match as one bad day or spell can cost you a shot at the title, he said.

Gul and other members of the Pakistan's T20 World Cup winning squad took part in a friendly Twenty20 match last night in Karachi to celebrate the country's Independence Day although he didn't bowl. Younus made it clear that he had no issues with the senior players in the team and would give them a fair chance even if they were struggling.

Whether it is Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf I don't believe in dropping them just on the basis of few bad performances, he said.

I believe if a player is to be dropped or rested he must be given a fair chance to prove himself, said Younus who will be leaving for England on a charity drive for the displaced people of Swat. *

royal28 15.08.09 - 09:28am
I was asked to take back retirement decision: Younus
KARACHI : Captain Younus Khan revealed turning down a request from the cricket board Chairman Ejaz b*tt to lead the team in the Twenty20 International in Sri Lanka.
Younus, who announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket after winning the World Cup in England in June, confirmed during a talk show in private channel that b*tt had spoken to him about the captaincy issue when he visited Colombo.
b*tt told me I should lead the team in the Twenty20 match as well and take back my decision to retire, Younus said.
But I told the Chairman that if I take back my retirement decision, people will laugh at me. I don't fancy such a situation and my decision not to play Twenty20 cricket is final, he said.
Eventually the board named Shahid Afridi to lead Pakistan in the one off Twenty20 match in Sri Lanka which Pakistan won comfortably and Afridi is now tipped to continue as captain until the next World Twenty20 in the West Indies in mid 2010.
Younus also maintained there were no difference within the team but if any player had any problem with him, he was willing to sit down and talk over things. *

royal28 16.08.09 - 11:20am
Trott confirmed for Oval debut
Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott will make his Test debut in the Ashes decider at The Oval on Thursday, after being confirmed as Ravi Bopara's replacement in a 14-man squad for the crucial fifth Test. Trott is expected to slot into the middle order, with his county team-mate, Ian Bell, promoted to No. 3. Monty Panesar also returns to the reckoning as a potential partner for Graeme Swann if England choose to go in with two spinners.

It's been a good few days for me, and I've picked a good one [to make my debut], Trott told Sky Sports. I went into the changing room last week [at Headingley] and I felt really welcome and comfortable, so I've just got to make sure my own mind and game is in order, and make sure I take my opportunity.

England's four-man selection panel - Geoff Miller, James Whitaker, Ashley Giles and Andy Flower, plus the captain, Andrew Strauss - met for five hours on Friday at Trent Bridge, where both Bell and Trott scored second-innings hundreds to secure a draw for Warwickshire against Nottinghamshire. Those performances were enough to convince them that wholesale changes were not required, despite the humiliation of England's innings-and-80-run defeat in the fourth Test at Headingley, meaning that the prospects of recalls for Mark Ramprakash and Robert Key receded.

The final Test match is an absolutely vital game for the team with so much at stake and we have had to make some difficult selection decisions in choosing our squad for The Oval, said the national selector, Geoff Miller. Jonathan Trott will make his Test debut. Having been part of the squad at Headingley, he was the next batsman in line in our view and this rewards him for the excellent form he has shown in county cricket both this summer and with England Lions over the winter.

Ian Bell will bat at No. 3 next week which is a position he has occupied for England before and we were delighted to see both him and Jonathan make centuries for Warwickshire this week.

The selectors have shown an admirable determination not to be hustled into panic measures after a week of intense media speculation. Strauss and Flower were understood to be particularly keen not to jettison their entire Ashes strategy after one poor game. Nevertheless, the decision to pitch a Test debutant into England's most eagerly anti ted fixture for four years, alongside Bell, who bagged a pair in the corresponding match in 2005 and whose temperament in pressure situations has often been shown to be suspect, will undoubtedly leave them open to further scrutiny.

Bell's average at No. 3 is a lowly 31.00, set against an overall figure of 39.84, suggesting he is a player who prefers to react to events on the pitch rather than set the agenda. Trott, meanwhile, was withdrawn from the England Lions team to face the Australians in a two-day match at Canterbury on Sa ay, a sign that the selectors didn't want to give the tourists an early look at him. Either way, both men undoubtedly benefited from the presence on the selection panel of Giles, who serves a dual role as Warwickshire's director of cricket.

Trott's century on Thursday was his fourth of a season in which he currently averages more than 80 in the County Championship, and at the age of 28 and after a decade in first-class cricket, he is clearly as ready as he could ever be to play in such a high-profile fixture. However, as his Australian counterpart, Mike Hussey, warned at Canterbury on Sa ay: It is a huge step-up from first-class to Test.

I look forward to finding out, said Trott. It should be a little bit [of a step-up], because that's why Test cricket is the ultimate. But I mustn't worry about that, I'll just worry about my game. When I go out to bat I'm a lot calmer than I am before I bat, so I'm sure I'll be fine. I felt pretty good against Nottinghamshire. It was a tough situation as we were following on, but it was very pleasing [to make a hundred] and I'll take a lot of confidence from that game, so will Bell.

The Headingley fall guy is Bopara, who has managed 105 runs in seven innings this series, having recorded three Test centuries in succession against West Indies earlier in the year. The selectors took soundings from within the Ess*x dressing-room to assess Bopara's frame of mind, and a morale-boosting 52 not out for Ess*x at Lord's on Friday wasn't enough to earn a reprieve. *

royal28 16.08.09 - 09:07pm
And, now, the selection headache. Australia turned in a clinical and collaborative bowling performance against the England Lions on Sunday, but with no individual radically advancing his cause, the make-up of the tourists' line-up for the fifth Test will remain a mystery for several days yet. Brett Lee was statistically the best of the Australian bowlers in Canterbury, removing both openers and skittling Liam Plunkett later in the day for figures of 3 for 37 from 16 overs. It seems highly unlikely, however, that his performance will be enough to convince selectors to part ways with one of the four incumbent fast bowlers who propelled Australia to victory inside three days at Headingley last week. Lee, in his first competitive outing in six weeks, began inauspiciously on Sa ay evening but increased in pace and intensity on the second morning. His endeavours were rewarded with the wickets of Joe Sayers and Stephen Moore before lunch - the latter to a brilliant, diving catch from Simon Katich at point - but Lee reserved his highlight-reel moment for Plunkett. Unleashing a fast, full delivery, Lee scythed through Plunkett's defences to splay the stumps, then watched on as one of the bails was pilfered by a souvenir-seeking seagull and flown to a nearby roof. We were trying to see if he was going to eat it, Nathan Hauritz said. I've never seen anything like it. Australia's main selection battle ahead of the Oval Test - that which pitches Hauritz against Stuart Clark for the final bowling berth - remained unresolved on Sunday, with both proving more probing than prolific. Hauritz dismissed Andrew Gale and Steve Davies in consecutive deliveries after the lunch break, and Clark accounted for James Harris, Glamorgan's teenage allrounder, later in the day, but neither could manage a definitive knockout blow in their bid to impress Andrew Hilditch's panel. Hilditch intimated last week the Australians would lean towards their preferred three-quicks-one-spinner formation for the Ashes decider, although the final decision will be largely influenced by conditions. Clark could feel justifiably aggrieved if overlooked for the fifth Test given his major contribution to Australia's innings-and-80-run victory at Headingley, and his solid outing in Canterbury. Steven Kirby incurred his wrath with three bouncers to the helmet, but Harris would be his only victim of the day, caught by Chris Hartley, Australia's replacement wicketkeeper, in the 76th over of the innings. Potentially working in Clark's favour ahead of the fifth Test were the performances of the part-time spinners, Katich and Marcus North, both of whom claimed a wicket and reaffirmed themselves as legitimate bowling options. Hauritz, though, remains Australia's preferred choice, and did his selection chances no harm with 16 controlled overs. Selection will come down to how the wicket is and what they think the best mix is, Hauritz said. It will just come down to how the conditions are. The wicket may still be dry and they might want to take four quicks. If picked, I know I'll do my role well. Every time I've had the opportunity I've done that. Every Test you play you learn more about yourself and what you can or can't do. Before I came out I was labelled a defensive bowler who didn't spin the ball. But I think I've shown on a spinning wicket what I can do. That defensive tag was weird but I can't change people's perception. I suppose that came about because I didn't spin it that much when I first started. It doesn't really faze me. I can also play a role even if it's not spinning. I think I've done okay.Charles Coventry made the joint highest individual score in an ODI but his effort was outweighed by a sparkling, cool-headed century from Tamim Iqbal, who broke the record for the most runs in an innings by a Bangladesh batsman. Coventry's blockbuster innings pushed Zimbabwe beyond 300, far more than Bangladesh have chased before, but the visitors were rarely troubled as they hunted down the target to take their third consecutive series. Two things which stood out in Tamim's innings were the calmness he displayed, even when the required-rate started to soar, and the clean straight hitting - each of his six sixes were in the arc between long-on and long-off. Bangladesh needed a solid opening stand after Coventry inspired Zimbabwe to 312, and Junaid Siddique and Tamim provided them that. Both openers were particularly harsh on Elton Chigumbura, who pitched the ball too short right through his opening spell. Junaid was the aggressor, hammering his way to a 27-ball 38 before, as has so often been the case, he threw away the start with a loose shot. Junaid's dismissal, and the introduction of Zimbabwe's spinners, s*cked the momentum out of the chase. Mohammad Ashraful took his time to settle, and Tamim cut out the big hits for a while, which made the asking-rate make a steady slide upwards. Tamim was generally content to knock the ball around, but had short bursts when he hit out to keep Bangladesh in touch. One such was in the 22nd over; Malcolm Waller was blasted over long-on and long-off off consecutive deliveries, followed by a powerful cut for four. He also come down the track and cracked Price over long-on to push Bangladesh's run-rate up to six. There was a similar volley of brutal hitting in the 36th over, Hamilton Mazakadza being taken for a couple of big sixes. Raqibul Hasan was also a calming influence, nudging the ball around for comfortable singles to keep the strike rotating. He added 119 with Tamim at nearly a run-a-ball before falling in the 37th over. Soon after, Chigumbura dropped a dolly at long-on, Tamim getting a reprieve on 118. Two new batsman and Zimbabwe could have applied more pressure. However, Bangladesh's best batsman, Shakib Al Hasan, made a 12-ball 19 and Tamim also opened out to slam the door shut on Zimbabwe. By the time Tamim was dismissed the target was only 34 away, which Bangladesh knocked off with 13 deliveries to spare. It was the flattest of tracks, and Zimbabwe could have piled on even more than 312 had Coventry got a little more support. It was a superbly paced innings from him; Coventry provided the impetus after the early dismissal of Mark Vermeulen, then tempered his aggression when wickets tumbled around him in the middle overs, before finishing off with an awesome display of power hitting. What made it even more astonishing was that the next highest score in the innings was 37, 157 less than Coventry. It was also his first ODI century, and he had never before crossed 106 in any form of senior cricket.Sehwag is not sure if he could be ready in time for the Champions Trophy to be held next month in South Africa. It takes time to recover from any surgery Sehwag had injured his shoulder during the semi-final of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa after which he had to undergo a surgery for the Grade II lesion at a Nottingham hospital in June. My shoulder is better than before. It takes time to recover from any surgery. But if it (recovery) takes time, I can't help it. I can just wait and watch, Sehwag told reporters on Friday when asked about the recovery. The Delhi batsman has been following a rehabilitation programme since going under knife, which has almost ruled him out for the September 8-14 tri-series in Sri Lanka and has now also cast a shadow over his availability for the Champions Trophy as well. Sehwag also welcomed International Olympic Council's move to include women boxing in 2012 London Olympics. It's a great thing to happen. I am associated with women's empowerment from my university days so I think men and women should get equal representation in every field, Sehwag, who is also the chief patron of Shikhar, an NGO working for social development said on the occasion of the organisation's launch of a new initiative -- 'Support Centre for Women Empowerment'. He also wished the countrymen on the eve of India's 63rd Independence Day. *

royal28 1.09.09 - 07:17am
Vettori hopes for improved showing on limited-overs leg
Daniel Vettori didn't have a lot to smile about yesterday, but was hoping to start afresh with the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka after the defeats in the Test matches. Though New Zealand were outclassed in both Tests, there is still plenty of limited-overs cricket for them before returning home - the two Twenty20s preceding the tri-series, also featuring India, with the Champions Trophy in South Africa to follow.

This New Zealand side is better suited to one-day cricket, having won six and drawn one of their last eight series, including come-from-behind wins over England and West Indies. However, they have struggled in one-dayers in Sri Lanka, winning ten of 27 games. Vettori is hopeful of improving that record.

I'd say we've been stronger in the limited-overs format, definitely, he said. It suits a few of our guys better. The experiences out here will have strengthened a few of the players for the limited-overs series There's no doubt this is a good group of batsmen and I have high hopes of them.

New Zealand have some personnel changes, such as fast bowlers Kyle Mills, Shane Bond and Ian Butler and relative rookies Brendon Diamanti and Neil Broom, but the core group stays the same. There's an air of confidence about the team when it comes to this format, said Vettori, And I hope we'll see a turnaround in our limited-overs performance. We need to win these games as we build up to the Champions Trophy. It's a short and sharp tournament and you need to hit it running.

New Zealand will welcome back Bond, who, Vettori confirmed, will mark his international return in Wednesday's first Twenty20. Bond's departure to the ICL in 2008 was as significant as when Richard Hadlee stepped down in 1990, and while Vettori was quick to allow Bond some breathing room, he knew how important this man was.

I don't want to put too much pressure on the guy because I can see it building from a distance, Vettori said. People are viewing him as a sort of saviour to some recent woes but I think we need to let Shane relax and build his way back into the team. Bond will be a vital player for New Zealand in the 50-over games. In 67 ODIs he has taken 125 wickets at the phenomenal average of 19.32.

New Zealand cricket fans have accepted, if reluctantly, that their team can seriously compete in one-day and Twent20 cricket, because from the depths of No. 7 in the ICC Test rankings there's not much room for optimism. Though his immediate aim was to gee this team up for the limited-overs fixtures, Vettori clearly had an eye on the home Tests against Pakistan in November. The two Tests in Sri Lanka were a thorough disappointment and Vettori, when he sits down with the selection panel on returning, will have his plate full. New Zealand does not boast a reservoir of second-tier players presenting a convincing case for selection and Vettori wanted to stick with these players ahead of Pakistan's visit. *

gendevl 10.09.09 - 05:21am
Now 4 all cricket updates...visit dis topic *

royal28 17.09.09 - 09:33am
Karachi:I am not a rgular opener,but for tea, i shall bat on any Position.Shoaib Malik(Former Captain Pakistan Cricket Team) *

royal28 17.09.09 - 09:53am
End 'meaningless' tours - Graeme Smith
South Africa's captain, Graeme Smith, believes that Andrew Flintoff's decision to turn down his ECB central contract in favour of a freelance career has set a precedent that the ICC cannot afford to ignore.

Speaking to Cricinfo on the eve of the Champions Trophy, the second-biggest event in the ODI calendar, Smith said that the international game was going to have to adapt to its changing environment and cut down on the current glut of meaningless contests, if more of the world's leading players are to be prevented from following Flintoff's example.

As tournament hosts and the No. 1 ODI nation in the world, South Africa start next week's Champions Trophy as favourites, and with a proper challenge to whet the appetite after a rare three-month break, Smith reiterated that international cricket remained his absolute and over-riding priority. But, he added, unless the ICC tackles the t issue of the Future Tours Programme head-on, the riches on offer in the IPL and beyond will prove an even more tempting alternative to many cricketers who, by the very nature of their careers, have a finite period of time in which to make the most of their talents.

I don't think you can blame the individual, but it's an interesting time for cricket, and interesting to see where it goes now, Smith told Cricinfo. The crucial aspect is the decisions the leadership makes in the future. The ICC needs to give cricket a good direction, and crucial to that is how they look at the Future Tours Programme, because the decisions they make around that are going to be so important for future game *

royal28 17.09.09 - 10:00am
Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said he wants to win the Champions Trophy in honour of Bob Woolmer, the team's former coach who died during the 2007 World Cup. I'll go to Bob's home [in South Africa] and celebrate the Champions Trophy win with his family, Younis told reporters ahead of the team's departure for the tournament in South Africa.

Woolmer was present during the last edition in 2006, in India, when Pakistan were plagued by off-the-field problems. Younis, standing in for the banned Inzamam-ul-Haq, had resigned in protest at being made a dummy captain. Middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf was appointed in his place, before Younis was handed back responsibilities a day later after a change in the PCB setup.

The problems continued into the day before their opening match against Sri Lanka, when Pakistan had to withdraw fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif after both failed dope tests conducted before the team's departure for India.

Those were testing times and Bob was very disappointed, when after winning the first match, we lost the next two, because he wanted to win the Champions Trophy, Younis said. A year later, Pakistan unceremoniously exited the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies after losing to unheralded Ireland in the first round.
Pakistan, who have never won the Champions Trophy, are placed in Group A along side defending champions Australia, India and the West Indies. They start their campaign against West Indies on September 23. *

royal28 17.09.09 - 01:43pm
NOTTINGHAM, England: Australia captain Ricky Ponting sympathised with Andrew Flintoff's decision to go freelance but said the all-rounder's international future was now open to question.



Flintoff, who retired from Test cricket last month after England's Ashes triumph because he said his injury hit body could no longer stand the strain of the five-day game, announced on Tuesday he was turning down the offer of a second tier, incremental, contract from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).


It's an individual decision and you can't begrudge the players doing that, especially someone like Flintoff who's played 70-odd Test matches and whose body has basically forced him out of Test cricket, Ponting, who recently retired from international Twenty20s, said here on Tuesday.


It's inevitable it is going to happen, added Ponting after a man-of-the-match winning 126, in only his second game back after a post Ashes break, during Australia's four-wicket one-day international win over England here at Trent Bridge - a victory that put them 5-0 up in a seven-match series.


There are so many tournaments that are being played at different times around the world and you can't play everything.



Flintoff, along with England team-mate Kevin Pietersen, was the best paid player in this year's lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) after being auctioned for 1.55 million dollars to appear for the Chennai Super Kings.


The 31-year-old pace bowler and hard-hitting batsman still has another IPL campaign left on his Chennai deal.


The ECB incremental contract is worth only approximately 30,000 pounds (49,461 dollars), considerably less than the best central contract available to England players still available for Test selection.


We know what sort of dollars are being thrown around with the IPL, said Ponting. It will be interesting to see what happens with him (Flintoff).
*

royal28 18.09.09 - 07:45am
Tim Paine Celebrating his Maiden ODI hundred.AUSTRLIA beat English team in 6th ODI
Details:
cutting Bresnan backward of point on a couple of occasions before lifting Mascarenhas over the mid-off ropes.
Hussey carted Ryan Sidebottom for a six to go to 49 and brought up his half-century, his first in 10 games, with a quick single.
The innings stalled slightly as Paine crept up on his century - he took nine ba11s to get off 98 before eventually pushing to mid-off and bring up his hundred.
Hussey departed in the 40th over for 65 when he slog-swept Swann to Denly and eight ba11s later Paine followed when Prior took an instinctive catch standing up to Mascarenhas.
Callum Ferguson (six) was bowled when Anderson returned for the batting powerplay, but Cameron White (35) and Hopes (38) made full use of the fielding restrictions adding 53 in 28 ba11s.
White was Anderson's fourth victim attempting a thrash that flew only to Denly at cover and the Lancastrian added to his figures of four for 55 by running out Lee for a duck with a direct hit from long-off. *

royal28 19.09.09 - 01:05pm
Flintoff to help coach UAE
Andrew Flintoff will help coach the UAE national team while he recovers from his latest operation in Dubai.

His agent, Andrew Chubby Chandler, told The Times the work was part of a deal struck with Dubai Sports City where Flintoff will undertake treatment in the coming months. The arrangement will be informal and he will not have an official role.

A partnership has been agreed to use their gym and facilities as a base for his rehabilitation, Chandler said. I believe he will be one of the first people to use them. In return he will be carrying out some coaching for the UAE national team over the next six months. There's been good growth in UAE cricket in the last few years and Andrew felt that he wanted to give something back.

Chandler also revealed Flintoff's children had already started at a local school and the family were on the hunt for permanent accommodation.

Flintoff's decision will come as a boost to the UAE, which is among the leading Associate sides and which will host the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers later this year. *

royal28 20.09.09 - 06:39am
Australia target historic whitewash
England are on the brink of an unwanted piece of history. No team has ever been whitewashed in a seven-match series and the fragile team faces a huge challenge to stave off Australia at Chester-le-Street. The margins have grown bigger throughout the series, reaching embarrassing levels at Trent Bridge when they were hammered by 111 runs on Thursday. Only the greatest optimist would give them a chance of claiming the final game.

Australia have moved though the gears impressively during the series with different players performing key roles in each game. Three days ago it was the turn of Tim Paine to make his mark with a maiden international hundred as he proves a more-than-able deputy for Brad Haddin. However, the difference between the sides was highlighted by Ricky Ponting's fielding, as the Australian captain twice pulling off stunning direct hits to remove Matt Prior and Ravi Bopara.

This match marks the end of England's longest home international season, which started way back on May 6 against West Indies. There has been the one major success in the summer of regaining the Ashes, but more than a fair share of shockers as well, including a Twenty20 defeat to Netherlands, the two-and-a-half day thrashing at Headingley and now these one-dayers. Victory here would only be the smallest crumb of comfort, but the beleaguered Andrew Strauss would accept anything right now.

And the day after this game is finished, both sides fly to South Africa for the Champions Trophy. The season is drawing to a close, but cricket doesn't stop. *

royal28 6.10.09 - 03:29pm
Jacques Kallis' first IPL stint in Bangalore didn't go to well, but on his return to the city as part of the second season's runner-ups, he was confident of giving home fans plenty to cheer for. Since losing to Deccan Chargers in a close final this year, Royal Challengers Bangalore regrouped ahead of their Champions League Twenty20 opener on October 8 and Kallis was confident of repeating their success in India.

Most of the sides are in the same boat [as far as a lack of preparation], except players in England, who have been playing cricket lately. But I think we have had good net practices and practice matches. I don't think it will be an issue.

Bangalore finished second from last in the inaugural IPL in 2008, but surprised many by making the 2009 final. After managing just 199 runs in 11 matches in the first season, Kallis had a good 2009, scoring 361 runs at a strike-rate of 108.73 and pouching six wickets. He said the experience of playing here in 2008 put Bangalore at an advantage over fellow Group C parti nts Otago and Cape Cobras.

Experience will play a role, and everyone knows how important allrounders are in Twenty20 cricket. I hope I can contribute both with the bat and ball. The other sides [Otago, Cobras] have not played in Indian conditions so it will obviously be an advantage. We have to make sure that we capitalise on this aspect.

I have enjoyed playing in these conditions and it feels good to be back in Bangalore. The home crowd support will play a role and we obviously know the ground, so I think it will be to our advantage.

Another allrounder, one much younger and less experienced than Kallis, will play for the first time in India. In a short international career Roelof van der Merwe has earned a reputation as a successful, frugal left-arm spinner and he believed the slow bowlers were vital to this format. Spin has an important role to play in Twenty20 and since the batsmen are always looking to score off you there is a good chance of picking more wickets if you keep a good line, he said. During the second edition of the IPL, we have seen the role spinners can play, especially in the second half of a game. Indian pitches tend to assist spinners, so the role of tweakers will be far more important in the Champions League.

van der Merwe has yet to bowl in India but is looking forward to the surfaces. They will suit my kind of bowling. There will be a bit of spin as the game goes on, making it a bit tough for the batsmen to score off you. But the smallish nature of grounds [as they bring the boundaries in] here does not allow any margin for error for bowlers, so that's going to be a challenge to adapt to the conditions pretty quickly.

His lead slow-bowling partner in the 2009 IPL was someone who knows a thing or two about spinning it in the subcontinent, and van der Merwe was glad to feed off an Indian legend. Anil Kumble is a great spinner and a very good thinker of the game, he said. It has been my privilege to interact with him and learn the nuances of spin bowling. The way he approaches a match, the way he plans for each rival batsmen...watching him itself is a study class.

Another key aspect to van der Merwe's game is fielding off his own bowling. I have been working on it for a while now and as a spinner fielding and catching off your bowling is very important. My natural aggressive streak also adds to it. *

royal28 6.10.09 - 03:31pm
Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said he is enjoying leading the side despite the semi-final loss in the ICC Champions Trophy and insisted it had not affected his own performance on the field.

I'm enjoying cricket, Younis said after reaching Karachi. In fact all the boys are enjoying playing under my captaincy and that's a good thing.

Younis was first made captain in 2005 in the absence of Inzamam-ul-Haq but announced his resignation for the 2006 Champions Trophy, only to reverse it the next day and lead Pakistan to a first-round exit in the tournament. He was favourite to take over the captaincy following Pakistan's poor show in the 2007 World Cup but he turned it down, citing mental strain as the reason. However in January 2009, the board approached him again following a disastrous home series against Sri Lanka. This time Younis accepted and led Pakistan to a World Twenty20 title in England.

Younis said the Champions Trophy exit was bitterly disappointing as he had wanted to gift his country the trophy that had been shifted from Pakistan to South Africa because of security concerns. He said there were many reasons for the team's defeat to New Zealand, including his dropped catch, missed run-outs and poor umpiring but that finishing in the top four was a positive sign.

I will regret dropping it for the rest of my life, Younis said. Maybe the result could have been different had I not dropped that catch.

Allrounder Shahid Afridi felt luck had deserted Pakistan in the game against New Zealand but also said that they had made poor use of the Powerplays in the match. They scored only 35 in their batting Powerplay after taking it only in the 45th over and conceded 55 when New Zealand took theirs. *

royal28 6.10.09 - 03:34pm
Delhi Daredevils are set to include Glenn McGrath in their Champions League Twenty20 squad as a replacement for Daniel Vettori. The New Zealand captain had to pull out of the ICC Champions Trophy final against Australia on Monday with a hamstring injury he had aggravated during the semi-final clash against Pakistan. McGrath has already been alerted and is expected to arrive in Delhi on Wednesday pending the organisers' approval.

Delhi Daredevils' chief operating officer Amrit Mathur said two names, including McGrath's, had been sent to the tournament's technical committee. The second, Yogesh Nagar, was a replacement for England allrounder Paul Collingwood, who returned home after the Champions Trophy with a strain. We have sought the approval from the organisers to replace the injured players and have given the names of McGrath and Nagar, who were part of the original squad of 20, Mathur told Cricinfo.

Delhi have lost three overseas players in less than a week - South African batsman AB de Villers was the first to pull out due to a back injury, followed by Collingwood and now Vettori.

Collingwood's non-parti tion was confirmed through a press release from the ECB's medical team today. The scan revealed a grade-two tear and Paul has been withdrawn from the forthcoming Champions League in India in which he was due to play for Delhi Daredevils, the release said.

McGrath's return could be interesting given his absence from competitive cricket since the semi-final of the inaugural IPL in May 2008. Though he was part of the Delhi squad in the second IPL in South Africa, the team management was wary of playing him because of fitness concerns. Peeved at being ignored, the former Australian fast bowler had even spoken about not returning for the third IPL season next year, a comment he claimed he never made. *

royal28 6.10.09 - 03:37pm
Against the backdrop of the players dispute threatening to tear apart West Indies cricket, Trinidad & Tobago captain Daren Ganga said the team has a leading role to play in representing the entire region on the world stage and bringing smiles back to the Caribbean. Ganga stressed that the ongoing contracts row was not a distraction for the side that landed in India to compete in the Champions League Twenty20.

It would be good for the entire Caribbean if we win this competition, he said in Bangalore. Like we saw in the Stanford Super Series, when West Indies beat England, there is a lot to be gained. Hopefully we can have a positive effect on West Indian cricket.

We're not just representing T&T, but the entire West Indian public and cricketing fraternity know that we're here representing them as well. This is virtually a West Indian team representing the entire region. As much as we want to do well for T&T, we have a bigger role in terms of representing the entire West Indies.

Several meetings between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players' Association have failed to break the impasse, though now with the mediation of the Caribbean community (CARICOM), talks are due to restart. Ganga chose not to comment too much on that fiasco, but echoed Dwayne Bravo's comments about the ongoing impasse.

It [the contracts row] is something that has been playing on the minds of all West Indian cricketers, but a lot of people are getting involved, such as the CARICOM governments and stakeholders in West Indies cricket, trying to resolve the situation. We as players know that the issue is not going to help us as a nation and we are optimistic that soon a full-strength West Indies will be competing at the international level once more. Despite the fiasco I still think West Indies cricket is strong.

It has been an ongoing issue but we are focusing on this tournament as we have for the last couple months. A lot of players are frustrated by what has been happening at the international level, but we in Trinidad & Tobago have been focusing really hard on this competition and hopefully you will see the rewards.

Ganga gave credit to Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire and cricket entrepreneur who sponsored the Stanford Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean as well as the one-off fixture between England and Stanford Superstars. Stanford is facing charges of fraud totalling US 7 billion and the WICB has not been paid the US3.5 million fee owed to it from the Stanford 20/20 for 20 tournament last November, but Ganga felt Caribbean cricket had gained from Stanford's investment.

Apart from the monetary purses and the cash prizes for each player, what Allen Stanford did is he contributed financially to each territorial board and by extension each Caribbean nation, he said. You had a lot of financial aid being given to structures, to facilities and to equipment. Our cricket is better enhanced with his input and we're reaping the rewards of his investment.

Ganga also said it was evident to all that there was talent coming through the ranks after the Stanford era, brief though it was. A lot of players, just look at Kieron Pollard have come through after such Twenty20 tournaments, so there are a lot of positives coming out of it [the Stanford Series]. A lot of players can go on to play international cricket from regional cricket.

This is T&T's second opportunity playing outside the regional competitions, after they featured in the Stanford Super Series last year. They beat Middles*x and lost to England by 1 run, so from a team point of view, Ganga said, the standard of play must remain high. We've got a nice blend of players who've played international cricket and those who've been knocking on the door, so we're ready for this tournament. We started our preparation in July and have been very thorough. You are going to see some very exciting cricket from Trinidad & Tobago. *

royal28 9.10.09 - 07:57am
Duminy's 99 outdoes Bangalore
At this venue in 2008, Brendon McCullum slammed the most famous Twenty20 century to knock the stuffing out of Royal Challengers Bangalore. On another starry South Indian night, against the hosts again, JP Duminy struck the most awesome 99 you will see in this format to take the Cape Cobras to a thrilling last-over victory.

And so a new chapter in the rapidly growing Twenty20 format has begun. After a gala opening ceremony reminiscent of the opening night of the first IPL, the two teams treated a capacity Chinnaswamy Stadium to a superb exhibition of Twenty20 overs. Anil Kumble had no hesitation in batting first on a good batting track and 20 action-packed overs later the Cobras had their task cut out, after Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor starred in a powerful batting display. But Duminy thumped five sixes and eight fours in as clinical and perfect a display of shotmaking as you could hope to see, and his partnership of 61 with Ryan Canning transformed the game after Bangalore had grabbed three early wickets in defence of 180.

The Cobras were in real strife early on with the bat, as Herschelle Gibbs edged Praveen Kumar behind in the first over, and captain Andrew Puttick followed suit with a leading edge to point. Henry Davids played a couple of handsome strokes but when Virat Kohli took an easy catch at point off R Vinay Kumar, the scoreboard showed 62 for 3.

As he has done at the international stage, Duminy didn't waste time in finding his range. Kumble continued to vary his pace and fed Duminy a steady diet of googlies; Duminy was beaten on occasions but replied with deft boundaries, the pick being a cut behind short third man for four. There was a moment of drama, too: Taylor dropped a dolly at long-off when Duminy was 23, after which a dead ball was called because the ball hit the cable of the fly camera.

Once he found his range, Duminy was unstoppable. Vinay was scooped for four and Roelof van der Merwe was driven over mid-on for six. After getting to 50 in 30 ba11s, Duminy stepped up a notch and Canning played his part with 20 from 18 ba11s.

The game was wide open when the Cobras needed 54 off five overs. That was eased significantly as Kohli's part-time medium-pace went for 13 in the 16th over, Kumble and van der Merwe were struck for big sixes and Vinay was mowed for boundaries either side of the pitch. Duminy's final six took him to 99 yet, cruelly, there was to be no century as Rory Kleinveldt finished the deal with two ba11s remaining.

This seemed a distant possibility after 20 overs in the field, when the Cobras seemed distinctly overawed by the moment and a packed house breathing down their necks, misfielding with alarming regularity and serving up a dozen too many full tosses. Uthappa paved the way with a belligerent but plucky half-century, being dropped on 18 and miscuing more than a few between catchers, and an astonishing assault from Taylor rounded flattened the attack.

Depleted by the injury blow to Charl Langeveldt in the sixth over, the Cobras were sloppy in the field, putting down three catches and missing a run-out. Uthappa was the beneficiary of one sitter and a couple miscues that dropped safely, and flourished in Rahul Dravid's company after Langeveldt took out Jacques Kallis early. Using his feet regularly to try and get on top of the bowlers, Uthappa pulled off some stinging shots down the ground and over midwicket, each of which the partisan home crowd cheered with gusto.

Dravid, dropped on 16, played some crisp and orthodox shots before he was run out for 28, after which Kohli was stumped for 17. But Bangalore took 61 off their final four overs, 40 of them in boundaries off just eight ba11s by Taylor, who picked up a 24-ball half-century off the final delivery of the innings, courtesy a top-edged four. Taylor has a penchant for clearing his front leg and heaving across the line, but this evening he was aided by an array of stray slower ba11s on the pads and rank full tosses.

A target of 181 ultimately proved a saunter with Duminy at his dazzling best. Tonight a new chapter began, one that could dictate the future of club cricket. *

royal28 21.05.10 - 04:50pm
Kamran Akmal, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, has defended his shoddy performance in the Sydney Test during Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia, following speculation that there may have been more to his misses than just cricketing errors.


I don't even think about these things, I just concentrate on my performances, Akmal said. For me not being able to win the Twenty20 World Cup despite the team playing well is heartbreaking enough.


I have always played for my country and I have already told the PCB about my performances in Australia. Whoever is now making allegations is free to do so but must also prove them.

Ijaz b*tt, the PCB chairman, said there was no evidence of any match-fixing and the issue was closed. The Australian tour chapter is now closed and we have finished our inquiry. We have found no evidence of any match-fixing during the tour.

Akmal was one of seven players punished by the PCB following the tour of Australia. He dropped three catches and missed a run out as Pakistan lost the Sydney Test despite being in a position of dominance after the first innings. In a recent video leak, Intikhab Alam and Aaqib Javed, coach and assistant coach during the tour, expressed doubt over Akmal's performance in that match. The ICC's ACSU is currently investigating the tour to establish whether Pakistan's performance was the result of what it called a dysfunctional team or something more serious.

*

royal28 23.06.10 - 03:04pm
Eoin Morgan's unbeaten 103 saw England to a come from behind four-wicket win over Australia in the first one-day international at the Rose Bowl here on Tuesday.

England, chasing 268 for victory, were in dire straits at 97 for four.

But former Ireland batsman Morgan's second one-day hundred for his adopted country turned the tide and gave England a 1-0 lead in this five match series.

He ended the match and went to his hundred in the process by crashing paceman Ryan Harris down the ground for four, having faced 85 ba11s with 16 boundaries as England won with exactly four overs to spare.

I've been in good nick for a while now and I want to play more cricket to take advantage of it, said Morgan.

I think I try to keep things quite simple and it's easy to do when you're in good nick - it came off today, so happy days.

Delighted England captain Andrew Strauss hailed Middles*x colleague Morgan's display by saying: What a fantastic innings from Eoin Morgan - that was one of the best I've seen.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting added: We were probably a bit below with our batting. Morgan played very, very well. We were a long way below our best but still remained competitive, that's a positive.

Turning to Morgan, he added: He played, very, very well. But the way our quicks and medium-pacers bowled to him, we gave him too many boundary options.

World champions Australia arrived in England without injured quicks Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus.

But having made 267 for seven, featuring vice-captain Michael Clarke's unbeaten 87, it seemed they would make light of their inexperienced attack.

However, a fifth-wicket stand of 95 in 92 ba11s between left-hander Morgan and Luke Wright swung the match back England's way before the latter was lbw for 36 to paceman Ryan Harris.

England, looking to complete a treble over Australia after winning last year's Ashes and last month's World Twenty20 final against their oldest rivals, were now 192 for five. But the required rate was under a run-a-ball.

Tim Bresnan (27) then helped fellow World Twenty20 winner Morgan take England to the brink of victory.

Australia had won eight of their last nine one-dayers against England but they had no answer to Morgan's sparkling display under the floodlights.

England suffered an early setback when Strauss, who'd struck two fours, was caught behind off a Harris delivery for 10.

Craig Kieswetter, man-of-the-match in the World Twenty20 final with a rapid 63, again scored briskly.

And debutant teenage quick Josh Hazlewood, Australia's youngest one-day international, saw his first ball, a full toss, driven down the ground for four by Kevin Pietersen, who subsequently drove Watson for a boundary.

But Watson had his revenge when Pietersen, on 29, miscued to Ponting at backward point.

Kieswetter then hooked Hazlewood for the match's first six.

However, Hazlewood clean bowled Kieswetter for 38.

England, who had been 75 for one, were now 81 for three.

And that became 97 for four when Twenty20 winning captain Paul Collingwood, holed out off Watson to James Hopes at mid-off.

But Morgan, reverse-sweeping off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for four and Wright, driving Watson for a straight six, stopped the rot Earlier, Clarke faced 97 ba11s in an innings where the next best score was Hopes's 34.

*

royal28 23.06.10 - 03:14pm

Captain Shahid Afridi blasted 124 off 60 ba11s to lead Pakistan to their highest one-day international score of 385 and a 139-run consolation victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup at Dambulla on Monday.

Afridi stole the show, flaying the hapless Bangladesh bowlers all over the park for 17 fours and four sixes.

It was the sixth fastest one-day hundred and the quickest in an Asia Cup match.

Man-of-the-match Afridi also set a record for the highest number of sixes in a career taking his total to 272 to surpass Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya's 270.

An opening stand of 81 off 75 ba11s between Imran Farhat and Shahzaib Hasan set Pakistan on course for their score of 385 for seven wickets, which beat the team's previous best total of 371 for nine set against Sri Lanka in 1996.

Shahzaib scored 50 off 38 ba11s and Farhat 66 off 77. Umar Akmal also joined the run spree with a fifty.

A demoralised Bangladesh made 246 for five in reply with with Imrul Kayes scoring 66 and Junaid Siddique missing out on a century when he was dismissed for 97 by Shoaib Akhtar.

Neither team can reach the final of the tournament which will be contested by Sri Lanka and India on Thursday *

royal28 2.07.10 - 07:19am




Aussies snap hosts winning run

LONDON: Michael Clarkes unbeaten 99 helped Australia win the fourth One-day International by 78 runs at The Oval here on Wednesday and reduce Englands lead to 3-1 in the five-match series.

Vice-captain Clarke and captain Ricky Ponting, 92, shared a third wicket stand of 155 as world champions Australia made 290 for five. England, chasing a ninth straight ODI win, saw swing bowler Ryan Harris take five of their wickets for 32 runs.

The man-of-the-match did the damage in a spell of five for 18 in 23 ba11s as Englands series lead was reduced to 3-1 after they were bowled out for 212 with 44 ba11s to spare.

Mike Yardy made a career-best 57, his first ODI fifty, but it was too late to make a difference.

I have a smile on my face at last, said Ponting. Our batting today was at the level it needed to be.

Meanwhile, England captain Strauss said of his team: The batting reverted back to old habits. We lost too many wickets too early. But we have to put this in the context of the series. Weve had a lot of good days.

England opener Craig Kieswetter was bowled by Harris and Kevin Pietersen, walking well across his stumps, fell lbw to an inswinger for eight the 15th successive ODI innings where hed failed to make fifty.

Strauss, fresh from his 87 in Sundays one-wicket win at Old Trafford, looked in superb touch as he stroked five fours in making 37. But fast bowler Shaun Tait, from around the wicket, got a full length ball to curve away and left-hander Strauss was caught behind to leave England in trouble at 61 for three.

Eoin Morgans first scoring shot was a straight six off James Hopes and he later struck the medium-pacer for two in as many ba11s. But, flashing outside off stump, he was caught behind off Harris for 47.

Come the last 10 overs, England needed 93 to win with four wickets standing. Soon afterwards, though, Tim Bresnan holed out to long-on to give Harris his fourth wicket. Harris ended the match by dismissing Stuart Broad for his third five-wicket ODI haul.

*

royal28 2.07.10 - 07:32am
Cricket
Bollinger says whitewash would be devastating Bollinger says whitewash would be devastating LONDON: During his off-duty hours on England tours, Australia all-rounder Shane Watson explores the London blues clubs and fuels his passion for 1960s British rock.


Informed that John Mayall, the grandfather of British blues, was playing a gig at the Jazz Cafe in Camden Town during Australias brief mid-summer tour this year, Watson was elated.



Then he checked the team schedule.



Were in Southampton, he said, shaking his head. Mate, I really wish you hadnt told me that.



At first glance Watson, a strapping Queenslander with the build and long, blond hair of a dedicated surfer, is an improbable blues aficionado.



First glances deceive. Since his test debut in Sydney five years ago, Watsons outwardly robust physique has proved alarmingly fragile.



Watsons frame was so brittle it threatened to break him. He refused to give up; not through recurrences of back stress fractures, hamstring strains, calf problems, hip complaints, a dislocated shoulder or a suspected heart attack that turned out to be food poisoning, says his profile on the cricinfo.com website.



Watson turned to music, and the blues in particular, during the long, soul-destroying hours spent in recovery and rehabilitation. There were many who doubted he would ever fulfil his abundant potential, others who openly questioned his temperament.



ROLE CHANGE



During some of the crazy things during my cricket career, music has been the thing that has taken me away, Watson explained to reporters at an Australian media day in London.



It was something that really kept me going during the times I had some injuries, and kept getting injuries. My guitar and music was the thing that really kept me going, kept me sane I think as well.



A change of role in the middle of last years unsuccessful Ashes campaign transformed his career.



Until then Watson, who turned 29 this month, had been used as a bowling all-rounder who batted at seven or eight in the order in test and one-day cricket.



Although he was a fine athlete and routinely brilliant in the field, Watsons medium-fast deliveries have always seemed laboured and his action somewhat manufactured. By contrast, he is a naturally clean, exciting striker of the ball but one with apparently little chance of winning promotion in a strong Australian middle order.



After Phillip Hughess technical deficiencies had been exposed by the England pace bowlers in the first two Ashes tests last year, the Australian selectors cast around for a replacement opener. Watson, they decided, despite an average of 4.7 when opening for his state, was their man.



The move was an instant success with Watsons essentially sound technique proving equal to the challenges posed by the new ball. He scored 62 and 53 at Edgbaston, 51 at Old Trafford followed by 34 and 40 when Australia surrendered the Ashes at the Oval. In his first eight tests at the top of the order he tallied seven 50s and a century.



SMART TRAINING



I got the opportunity in the Ashes last year to see how good I could become as a top-order batsman and things have been going really well, said Watson.



So its taken a bit of pressure off my bowling and also my body as well. I dont have to push my body as hard as when I was trying to make it primarily as a bowler.



It has probably reverted to how I have always sort of seen myself to be, as being a batsman who does bowl to give the side balance more than anything. But you do have to take your opportunities and my opportunities as a younger guy were primarily my bowling.



Watson said he had also changed his training routine.



Ive just been very smart about training, I used to over-train a lot, he said. Now I know the most important thing is to be fresh and make sure when you go out to the game youre in a good mental state whereas before I used to be physically tired and drained from the days previously. Im a lot smarter.



At the beginning of the current five-match one-day series against England, Watson had struck 34 sixes in all forms of international cricket this year, more than any other batsman in the world.



This controlled power should serve Australia well when they strive to regain the Ashes at home this year.



One thing I dont like is losing to the Poms, Watson said.



Im always really aggressive, thats the way I play.
*

royal28 3.07.10 - 07:54am
Australia ensured there would be no first one-day whitewash for them with a much improved performance at The Oval as England slipped back into a few bad habits with the series safely in the bag. Both Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower have called for a big effort in the final match to ensure the scoreline finishes in emphatic style: 4-1 looks at lot better than 3-2.

However, the visitors are starting to move through the gears having taken two weeks to shake off the rust from their recent break. With Shaun Tait back in the attack the bowling line-up has a much more threatening look with both Tait and Ryan Harris operating above 90mph, while Doug Bollinger has continued his consistent form. The batting, which let the side down in the first three matches, was anc d by 90s from Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke at The Oval as the two leaders led from the front.

This final outing of the series will be a good test for England to see how deep they can dig now that a whitewash is no longer on the cards. It hasn't often happened that the team has won a series with two games to spare, but they won't want laziness to creep into performances. The batting has been led by Strauss and Eoin Morgan, but it's about time Kevin Pietersen built a substantial innings and Craig Kieswetter needs a score.

And, of course, this is the last meeting between these two sides before a certain encounter in Brisbane on November 25. Both teams will have gained some useful knowledge over the last two weeks, but a lot can change over the next five months. *

royal28 3.07.10 - 07:55am
Pakistan, whose Twenty20 pedigree has rarely been in doubt despite the turbulence in their cricket, continued their successful trip to England as they cruised to a t 66-run win over Ess*x in their Twenty20 tour match at Chelmsford. Such was their dominance, Pakistan did not have to rely on one player to win the game for them as every member contributed, first as the top-order raced to 204 for 4 and then as wickets were shared around by the bowlers as Ess*x's innings finished on 138 for 9.

Shahzaib Hasan launched Pakistan's innings with gusto after Salman b*tt, his opening partner and stand-in captain as Shahid Afridi rests up with a muscle strain, won the toss and decided to have a bat. Chris Wright and Maurice Chambers were taken apart in their opening spells, and though the introduction of spin and medium pace in the form of Tony Palladino and Tim Phillips did stem the flow of runs somewhat, it wasn't until Grant Flower had Shahzaib caught behind for 49, with the score on 84 in the 10th over, that the hosts were given some respite.

Even then, however, the lull was short-lived and after Salman and Kamran Akmal had been dismissed by Danish Kaneria and Phillips, respectively, Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal combined in a 75-run partnership that took up only 31 ba11s and boosted Pakistan's score into the stratosphere.

Kaneria had bowled two good overs against his countrymen before the batsmen went ballistic, launching his third over for 30 as Ess*x resigned themselves to a massive run-chase. Umar took the score to the brink of 200 before he fell to Chambers, but Abdul Razzaq was on hand for a final push as he struck his first ball to the boundary.

Razzaq then knocked the stuffing out of Ess*x's top order to put paid to any hopes of an unlikely run-chase, removing Mark Pettini and Flower in his first over and rattling Matt Walker's stumps in his second as the hosts slipped to 11 for 3. Shoaib Akhtar bowled an economical opening spell from the other end without success, but Wahab Riaz found the edge of John Maunders bat before Malik cut James Fosters' fighting innings short to reduce Ess*x to 40 for 5.

From then on, the match provided little more than bowling practice for the Pakistanis, and as they eased off the pressure a touch Phillips took the opportunity to register his first half-century in Twenty20 cricket. While Pakistan continue to look a confident outfit, his innings was the only bright spot for Ess*x *

royal28 3.07.10 - 07:58am
South Africa have asked the ICC to take disciplinary action against West Indies left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn following his altercation with Dale Steyn during the third Test in Barbados. Steyn was fined his entire match fee for spitting while walking past Benn immediately after his dismissal; this was preceded by an exchange of words between the players in the previous few overs.

Dale Steyn's action was regrettable and he has apologised for it, Mohammad Moosajee, the South African team manager, told reporters upon his team's arrival in Johannesburg from the Caribbean. But it came after lots of provocation and there was also retaliation after the incident.

We have laid a code of conduct charge against Sulieman Benn with the ICC and that must now go through the judicial process.

The fact that Benn, who has been punished for indiscipline before but not penalised this time, had provoked Steyn had also been acknowledged by the match referee Jeff Crowe when he decided to fine the latter. Dale's behaviour was entirely unacceptable and he knows that. The fact that he was provoked by Sulieman during his time at the crease helps to explain his actions but cannot excuse them.

In a separate incident in the same game, fast bowler Kemar Roach was fined 50% of his match fee for an unpleasant altercation with Jacques Kallis. *

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