Sunday, July 26, 2009

Ashraful, Shakib lead Bangladesh to 246-9


ROSEAU: Mohammad Ashraful top-scored with 57 and Shakib Al Hasan stroked 54 as Bangladesh made 246 for nine from their 50 overs in the first one-day international against West Indies on Sunday

FIGHT WITH GAMBHIR!

HOWATTZATH!

afridi with his daughters

afridi on practice session

BD look to keep winning at newest venue

Sunday, July 26, 2009
ROSEAU, Dominica: Bangladesh hope to christen international cricket's newest venue with victories in the first three one-dayers against West Indies on Sunday (today) at Windsor Park here.

The Tigers would have probably had low expectations prior to their arrival in the Caribbean, but fortune favoured them when the leading West Indies players chose to boycott the series.

Their replacements were no match for the Bangladeshis, who convincingly swept the two-Test series to gain the boost of confidence that their appointed captain and leading fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza set as one of their objectives.

Sadly, Mortaza played only a minor role in the Test series triumph, following a fall which aggravated a previous right knee injury, and has sidelined him for the three ODIs and the Twenty20 International to follow.

Shakib Al Hasan will lead the side as he did during the Tests, and will hope to build on his performances which led to him winning the man-of-the-series award.

"We are looking forward to the ODI series too, and we want to continue winning," said left-arm spin bowling all-rounder.

"The boys have been playing really well, and God willing, we can also win the ODI series."

Bangladesh have added left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, all-rounder Naeem Islam, and medium-fast bowler Syed Rasel for the series.

Razzak is the most experienced with 111 wickets at 27.90 in 81 ODIs and will be looking to exploit the frailty of the West Indies batsmen to spin bowling which was so apparent in the Tests.

But he will also be looking to give solid proof that his bowling action is no longer suspect, following his suspension in December last year, after playing against South Africa last November like Naeem and Rasel.

West Indies too, have recruited some troops to fortify their side, but the big names like Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor and Denesh Ramdin remain absent although the players' boycott has ended.

The players and the West Indies Cricket Board have agreed to arbitration, but the decision came after the announcement of the squad for the first two ODIs.

It is still not clear whether West Indies will start filtering the leading players back into the line-up for the last ODI or the Twenty20 match.

For West Indies coach John Dyson, apart from winning, there is only one other thing on his mind.

"I'm looking forward to the ODIs, but what I'd like to see is a hard, pacy, bouncy pitch," said Dyson.

"The two Test matches were closely fought. It wasn't a case where we were thrashed in either of the matches. We could have won both, so I don't think there's much in it."

West Indies have recalled left-hander Devon Smith and fellow Grenadian Andre Fletcher, and included uncapped left-hander Kieran Powell to shore up their batting.

Leg-spinner Rawl Lewis has also been recalled and uncapped fast-medium bowler Gavin Tonge has received his first call-up.

The rest of the side, which is again being led by left-handed batsman Floyd Reifer, comprises mostly the players that played in the Tests, as well as fast bowler Nelon Pascal, who was part of the Test squad, but did not play in either of the two matches.

The first two ODIs will be staged at Windsor Park which has been significantly upgraded at a cost 17 million dollars, and allows Dominica to host its first international matches.

The ground, which was levelled out of a rubbish dump a couple decades ago, now accommodates state-of-the-art facilities featuring 10,000 seats and was a gift from China at the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

The series concludes on Friday next week at Warner Park in St Kitts which also stages a Twenty20 International between the two sides two days later.

Presidency unhappy over PCB goof-ups


The Presidency has expressed its annoyance over the performance of the PCB since the taking over of Ijaz Butt.

ECB dismiss Pietersen IPL injury claims

Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the final three Ashes Tests due to his Achilles injury.

Australian tour of New Zealand cut short due to IPL

The early finish would allow players to play the final three weeks of the lucrative IPL before the Twenty20 World Cup.

Bell returns to England side for third Ashes test


The right-handed batsman, who has not played international cricket since February, replaces the injured Kevin Pietersen.

Younis dwells on positives

Sunday, July 26, 2009
COLOMBO: Despite being denied a win at the SSC, Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes there are positives his team can carry forward into the rest of the Sri Lanka tour.

"It would have been nice for Pakistan, if we had won," Younis said. "We can draw some positives from this match, especially in the second innings where we scored 400. There were special innings from Misbah [ul-Haq], Kamran [Akmal] and [Shoaib] Malik, and their hitting form is crucial for us. With the ODIs and the Twenty20 approaching, I'm relieved that they got runs."

Play was called off on the final day at the SSC with the 15 mandatory overs to be bowled, and Sri Lanka 101 short of the 492-run target. Younis Khan though, was surprised that Sri Lanka did not press for a win.

"In the subcontinent you expect a wicket like this to get slower and slower. I'm surprised why Sri Lanka didn't go after the target. You can't blame them because they had already won the series. Everybody knew if we could have grabbed one or two wickets, we could have put them under pressure."

Langer says is ready to play for Australia if asked


SYDNEY: Former Test opener Justin Langer said he was prepared to play for Australia in the third Ashes Test if asked.

Langer, who this week became Australia's highest first class runs record holder, has admitted to missing the thrill of Test cricket.

The 105-Test veteran is currently playing for English county side Somerset.

"One of the boys in the Somerset changing room asked me 'if they asked you to play tomorrow, how much would it take?' and I said I would play the third Test for Australia next week for nothing," he said.

Langer's comments came as current opener Phillip Hughes's form slump deepened on Friday, he made just ten in the first innings of Australia's tour match against Northamptonshire.

"When you have played that much, you miss the big Tests," Langer said.

"I miss the hype of the Ashes series.

"I also miss the challenge of playing against Andrew Flintoff. That is what it is all about.

"That is the great test for batsmen. I really miss being in those sort of battles. I miss Test cricket.

"There is a lot I don't miss about it but these big series, I'd play tomorrow if I was asked.''

Langer retired from Test cricket at the end of Australia's 5-0 demolition of England in the 2006-07 Ashes series.

Indianapolis Tennis: Aisam-Querrey beaten in doubles semifinals


INDIANAPOLIS: The pair of Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq and America’s Sam Querrey after a sensational contest lost the men’s doubles semifinals in the Indianapolis Tennis Championship being held here in the United States.

They were defeated by the pair of Litovia’s Gulbis and Russia’s Tursunov.

Aisam and Querrey displaying brilliant game in the first set succeeded by 6-1 but they lost the second set by 2-6.

However, both teams performed well in the third and decisive set but the Pak-US pair lost the match after being defeated by 8-10 in the final set.

Fleming downgraded role of coach - Hadlee

Andrew McDonald celebrates Ben Howgego's wicket

Shane Watson struck after scoring a fifty

Chennai applauds Pakistan

50 Magic Moments: It was heartbreak for India, but the crowd at the Chidambaram Stadium saw it differently

The anonymous Mr Hauritz


Australia's key bowler in this Ashes is a no-hoper turned show stealer who now knows "300 times more" about his craft than he did scant months ago

ODI series between WI and BD begins today

DOMINICA: The three-match One-day International series between the West Indies and Bangladesh is beginning from today here at the Windsor Park while the hosts will play without their many senior players including captain Chris Gayle.

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Denesh Ramdin and Jerome Taylor had boycotted the Test series in protest after a financial row with the West Indian cricket board.

However, they apologized before the One-day series but the board has decided to give one more chance to the new players.

Thus, Bangladesh under Shakibul Hasan will take a weaker West Indies side also in the ODI series after beating them in Test series.

The other two one-dayers will be played on July 28 and 31.

Shoaib served notice for violating contract

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director Cricket Operations Zakir Khan has served a notice on Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for violating central contract.The notice says that Shoaib Akhtar has criticized the team management in a TV interview.In a TV interview, some time ago, the Rawalpindi Express had termed the decision of dropping him out of the Twenty20 World Cup team as flawed.

England name squad for 3rd Ashes Test


LONDON: Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell is set to get a Test recall as England named Sunday a 13-man squad for next week's third match of the Ashes series at his Edgbaston home ground.

Bell is set to replace Kevin Pietersen in the side that won the second Test against Australia at Lord's by 115 runs, to go 1-0 up in the five-match series, after the South Africa born batsman was ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes with an Achilles injury.

Fast bowler Stephen Harmison and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar have also been added to the XI that played at Lord's, with Pietersen's absence the only change to the initial 14-man squad announced ahead of the second Test.

Bell, 27, played the last of his 46 Tests against the West Indies in Jamaica in February but was dropped after a run of low scores, with Ravi Bopara taking over in England's problem position of No 3.

However, Bell has scored heavily in the County Championship with 640 runs in his seven innings this season prior to his recent double failure against Hampshire, which included a duck.

But his record against Australia is mediocre, with his 502 runs in 10 Ashes Tests coming at a low average of 25.10.

Miller also said he was confident of the fitness of Andrew Flintoff, the fast-bowling all-rounder who led England's attack at Lord's despite a troublesome knee injury.

Flintoff bowled unchanged on the final morning on his way to taking five wickets as England won an Ashes Test at Lord's for the first time in 75 years.

But before that match he announced he would be retiring from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes because his injury-blighted body could not long stand the strain of five-day cricket.

And doubts still persist as to whether he will get through this series.

England squad:
Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matthew Prior (wkt), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Graham Onions, Stephen Harmison, Monty Panesar.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Steve Parry's 10 to watch in Rome


Olympic medallist Steve Parry on who will shine at Worlds

Legend Michael Phelps unbeaten


Olympic legend Michael Phelps returns to international action at the World Championships in Rome on Sunday looking to end a monumental 12 months positively.

Buehrle pitches rare perfect game


Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle throws the first perfect game - retiring all 27 batters - in the major leagues since 2004.

7 SPORTS AIMS FOR OLYMPICS

Baseball and softball will launch their bids to return to the Olympics on Monday as seven sports federations attempt to make the 2016 Games.

FROM "TERROR TODDLER" TO HOCKEY STAR


Kerry Williams now has her sights on Olympic gold

ENGLAND WOMAN MISS OUT ON 5TH


England's campaign in the Women's Champions Trophy ends with a 7-0 loss to China in the fifth-place play-off.

Crying game


Olympic spirit alive and well in tears of Beijing winners and losers

Breeze left 'high and dry' by cut


Weightlifter Michaela Breeze says she has been left "high and dry" by UK Sport after her funding was cut.

Pompey hopeful of Finnan coup

Edgbaston groundsman Steve Rouse says he faces a tough battle to prepare the pitch for next week's third Ashes Test between England and Australia.

Heavy rain has hampered preparations and with more downpours forecast, the outlook for Rouse's team is bleak.

"It's a nightmare," he told BBC Sport. "We've had two actual dry days in the last 10 and the wicket is like jelly.

"It has to be ready a day before and I've got no chance of getting it solid, not with the weather coming in."

Test pitches are normally hard for pace and bounce, or dry and dusty to aid spinners.

Rouse suffered similar problems four years ago when a tornado in Birmingham and three inches of rainfall at the Warwickshire ground left him four days behind schedule.

England retain confidence in Bell


England batsman Ian Bell has been given a vote of confidence ahead of next week's third Ashes Test, with selectors unlikely to add any batting cover.

National selector Geoff Miller said that the 13-man squad for Edgbaston, to be announced on Sunday, will include only extra bowling options.

That paves the way for Bell to return to the team on his home ground in place of the injured Kevin Pietersen.

The Warwickshire batsman was out for a duck against Hampshire on Friday.

Bell also made only seven runs in the first innings of the drawn match at the Rose Bowl, but has been in good form for most of the season.

Prior to his double failure against Hampshire, he had scored 640 runs in seven County Championship matches.

Bell was axed following England's defeat by the West Indies in Jamaica last February, but was named in their 13-man squads for both matches so far in the Ashes series.



The 27-year-old was identified as the next batsman in line by England coach Andy Flower in the aftermath of the second Test victory at Lord's, before Pietersen was ruled out of the rest of the series after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon.

Asked about adding extra batting cover, Miller said: "There are no injury problems as such, so we probably won't need to do that.

"We had question marks to cover in the last squad but I don't foresee needing to do that here.

"If we needed to draft someone in for any reason, we know who we would be looking at and have provision to do that at short notice."

Bell will be hoping for a fresh start against Australia, having struggled in his 10 previous Ashes Tests.

He has managed just 502 runs off their attack, at a poor average of 25.10 - compared to an overall Test average of 40.59.

kumar helps srilanka in 4th test


Kumar Sangakkara unbeaten 130* helps Sri Lanka save the final Test as Sri Lanka win the 3-Test series 2-0, Colombo, 24 July 2009

cricket I made a big mistake by joining the ICL: Razzaq


LAHORE: All-rounder Abdul Razzaq Thursday said he was excited at the prospect of reviving his international career after he was cleared to join Pakistan as a replacement in the World Twenty20.

Bangladesh look to keep winning at newest venue


DOMINICA: Bangladesh hopes to christen international cricket's newest venue with victories in the first three one-dayers against West Indies on Sunday at Windsor Park in Dominica.

The Tigers would have probably had low expectations prior to their arrival in the Caribbean, but fortune favoured them when the leading West Indies players chose to boycott the series.

Their replacements were no match for the Bangladeshis, who convincingly swept the two-Test series to gain the boost of confidence that their appointed captain and leading fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza set as one of their objectives.

Sadly, Mortaza played only a minor role in the Test series triumph, following a fall which aggravated a previous right knee injury, and has sidelined him for the three ODIs and the Twenty20 International to follow.

Shakib Al Hasan will lead the side as he did during the Tests, and will hope to build on his performances which led to him winning the man-of-the-series award.

"We are looking forward to the ODI series too, and we want to continue winning," said left-arm spin bowling all-rounder.

"The boys have been playing really well, and God willing, we can also win the ODI series."

Bangladesh has added left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, all-rounder Naeem Islam, and medium-fast bowler Syed Rasel for the series.

Razzak is the most experienced with 111 wickets at 27.90 in 81 ODIs and will be looking to exploit the frailty of the West Indies batsmen to spin bowling which was so apparent in the Tests.

But he will also be looking to give solid proof that his bowling action is no longer suspect, following his suspension in December last year, after playing against South Africa last November like Naeem and Rasel.

West Indies too, have recruited some troops to fortify their side, but the big names like Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor and Denesh Ramdin remain absent although the players' boycott has ended.

The players and the West Indies Cricket Board have agreed to arbitration, but the decision came after the announcement of the squad for the first two ODIs.

It is still not clear whether West Indies will start filtering the leading players back into the line-up for the last ODI or the Twenty20 match.

The first two ODIs will be staged at Windsor Park which has been significantly upgraded at a cost of $20.85 million, and allows Dominica to host its first international matches.

The ground, which was levelled out of a rubbish dump a couple decades ago, now accommodates state-of-the-art facilities featuring 10,000 seats and was a gift from China at the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

The series concludes Friday next week at Warner Park in St Kitts, which also stages a Twenty20 International between the two sides two days later.

Squads:
West Indies: Floyd Reifer (captain), Darren Sammy, Dave Bernard Jr, Travis Dowlin, Andre Fletcher, Rawl Lewis, Nikita Miller, Nelon Pascal, Kieran Powell, Dale Richards, Kemar Roach, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas, Gavin Tonge.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Abdur Razzak, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mahbubul Alam, Mahmudullah, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Naeem Islam, Raqibul Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Syed Rasel, Tamim Iqbal.

Rana Naved to feature in Yorkshire’s Twenty20 side


LONDON: England county Yorkshire were given a major boost with news that Pakistan’s Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is available for Twenty20 Cup opener against Leicestershire at Headingley, Leeds.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) brokered a deal with Lalit Modi, man behind Indian Premier League (IPL) and lucrative Champions League, which allows all rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) linked players to feature for their counties in domestic competition.

But Naved, whom Yorkshire are pressing to sign release papers from the ICL, would not be able to play in the Champions League event until 2010.

‘Naved has to sign a termination of his ICL contract by May 31, but we want it done before start of our Twenty20. We have sat him down, and he is committed to playing for Yorkshire,’ said chief executive Stewart Regan.

Regan was also working hard to get release from the ICL signed off from Indian end.

Naved, formerly of Lahore Badshahs, demonstrated his worth to any Twenty20 side by creaming 53 off 24 balls in last Wednesday’s Friends Provident Trophy win against Surrey at The Oval. The release from his ICL contract could also pave way for his return to international cricket with Pakistan.

Stint with Surrey will help me regain form: Sohail Tanvir


KARACHI: Pakistan’s discarded paceman Sohail Tanvir said on Friday he was honoured to win a one-year contract with English county side Surrey, saying it could help him win back his place in the national team.

The 25-year-old left-arm paceman, omitted from Pakistan’s five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka starting next week, said he would try to benefit from the opportunity.

‘I am very honoured and excited at getting a one-year deal with a renowned county like Surrey,’ Tanvir told AFP.

‘I hope a stint with Surrey will help me get fitter and regain my form, and with it I get my Pakistan place back.’

Tanvir has been off form since he was the leading wicket-taker for Rajhastan Royals in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League last year.

He was dropped from the Pakistan team after the first one-day international against Sri Lanka this year before being recalled for the limited over series against Australia in April-May, where he again failed to impress.

He was part of Pakistan’s triumphant World Twenty20 squad but was again ineffective in the matches he played.

‘I am aware that I am not bowling to the best of my ability, but I am confident that the loss of form is temporary and bowling at The Oval (where Surrey are based) will give me my confidence and form back.’

Tanvir, who has played two Tests, 31 one-day internationals and 13 T20 games since his debut in 2007, said he was honoured to be associated with the same county for which legendary Pakistan paceman Waqar Younis played.

‘It is a great honour that I will be playing for the same county for which Waqar played and he was one of my favourite bowlers. I will definitely want to make my name in the English county as well.’

Decision to drop action against ICC is right: Abdul Qadir


ISLAMABAD: Former chief selector Abdul Qadir said that lawyer of the PCB Mark Gay has rightly advised to take back the case against the ICC because Pakistan will be saved from being left alone in the world of cricket.

In an exclusive talk with Geo News, Abdul Qadir said that the Pakistan Cricket Board should have taken the same decision in the present circumstances as the current security situation of the country does not allow any foreign team to tour Pakistan.

Aisam-Querrey in doubles semifinals of Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS: The pair of Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq and America’s Sam Querrey qualified for the semifinals in men’s doubles event of the Indianapolis Tennis Championship.

They contested with Robby Ginepri and John Isner, both from United States, in the quarterfinals held here in the US.

Displaying brilliant performance, the pair of Aisam and Querrey did not allow the opponents to show any resistance and won the match 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals.

Deal of the week

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