Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Cowan to make debut

In-form newcomer Ed Cowan said on Wednesday he will be fully prepared if Shaun Marsh fails to make Australia's first Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground next week.

Cowan was one of three additions to a 13-man Australian squad announced on Wednesday for the Boxing Day blockbuster with India after batsmen Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja were dumped.

Marsh has only played three Tests but has back trouble from the recent South Africa tour and is fighting to take his place in the first of four Tests.

Selectors named Marsh, Cowan and Ben Hilfenhaus along with all-rounder Dan Christian in their extended squad, but there was no place for injured allrounder Shane Watson and fast bowler Ryan Harris. Chief selector John Inverarity said the size of the squad was due to the continuing uncertainty about the fitness of Marsh.

But Cowan, who has presented undeniable selection claims after his fourth century in his past four games, wants to be as well prepared as possible should the call come to make his Test debut at the age of 29.

"You would be silly to prepare expecting not to play," Cowan said in Canberra after the Chairman's XI's drawn match with India.

"I've got no idea how Shaun's back is. I'll assume Shaun will be fit and then it's down to the balance of the side. I'm excited to be a part of the team and hopefully I'll get my chance on Boxing Day to continue a decent run of form."

Cowan hit 109 for the Chairman's XI against India along with two centuries in this season's domestic Sheffield Shield and one for Australia A against the touring New Zealanders. But Cowan stressed that his selection in the Test squad was not purely on the strength of this season's prolific form.

"It's two-and-a-half years of solid domestic cricket form. I've got nine first-class hundreds in the last two-and-a-half years so it's not four hundreds in four weeks and suddenly you're in the Test team," he said.

"It's two-and-a-half years of trying to dominate state cricket and I've hit some form at the right time. It doesn't feel like my game has changed technically in the last four weeks, but the stars have aligned a bit and I've got pretty greedy when I got in in the last four weeks."

Inverarity, who called Cowan with the news late Tuesday, said the right-hander promised to add some steel to Australia's fragile top order. "His inclusion is in recognition of his consistently good performances and we anticipate that he can provide steadiness at the top of the order," he said.

Hughes paid for his suspect technique outside offstump, habitually caught in the slips for low scores in the four innings against New Zealand recently.

Khawaja failed to build on starts to his innings and failed to get beyond 38 in his three knocks against the Kiwis. Inverarity said Hughes and Khawaja both needed to produce "compelling performances" to be considered for future Test selection.

"We see both Phillip Hughes and Usman Khawaja as developing players with bright futures and remaining as players of significance," he said.

"They are determined young men and I know that they will work hard to produce compelling performances and push strongly for further consideration."

Inverarity said Watson and Harris were not considered ready to face India. "Shane Watson was not considered for selection as he has not recovered sufficiently and Ryan Harris has not yet achieved the volume of bowling required to be available for consideration for Test selection," he said.

Ishant played last day of the practise match to prove his fitness

The final day of the drawn three-day warm-up game here at the Manuka Oval between Indians and the Cricket Australia (CA) Chairman's XI turned farcical as Ishant Sharma, who was not even in the 13-man squad, bowled to prove that he is on track to lead the attack on Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The Indian team management requested Chairman's XI to allow Ishant bowl on the final day here Wednesday. Ishant wasn't included in the original 13-man squad to play at Manuka Oval because of his ankle injury.
Ishant's inclusion became a farce and to add to it three nonsensical declarations on the final day ensured it will be a hard to explain in the record books.
David Warner's Chairman's XI declared their first innings at 215 for seven overnight, meaning they trailed India's first innings score of 269 by 54 runs.
India declared at 90 for two after Virender Sehwag (8) and Ajinkya Rahane departed in quick successions. Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten on 42 and Rohit Sharma on 38.
Set a target of 145 to win, Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes, motivated by their axings from the Test side, gave the Chairman's XI a good start. But surprisingly both the teams decided to end the match when Chairman's XI were 100 for no loss and with nearly two hours of play left. Khawaja made 56 not out and Hughes an unbeaten 42.

Friday, 16 December 2011

Sportpersons can eligible for Bharat Ratna

Indian sports persons are now eligible to receive the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in the country.

Sachin Tendulkar and the late hockey legend Dhyan Chand are considered first in line among India's sporting heroes to receive the honour.

The Indian government approved Sports Minister Ajay Maken's request to let sports persons be eligible for the award, which was earlier given only for artistic, literary, scientific achievements or "public service of the highest order."

"I wrote a letter to Home Minister on April 15. The Prime Minister and Home Minister have very kindly agreed now to change the norm. Instead of the fields of art, literature, science and public services, now on November 16, Government has notified that for performance of highest order in any field of human endeavour Bharat Ratna could be awarded," Maken said today.

Sachin, Laxman and Rohit shines in first tour match

Sachin Tendulkar sounded a warning to Australia's depleted bowling attack by hitting a stylish 92 before retiring in India's drawn tour match against a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI on Friday.
Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma scored half-centuries for India.


The two-day match ended prematurely due to rain at Manuka Oval with India on 6-320 in reply to the Chairman's XI's 6-398 declared.

Tendulkar is just one century short becoming the first cricketer to reach the historic milestone of a combined 100 hundreds in tests or limited-overs internationals.

He will get the opportunity to push for the landmark when India faces Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Dec. 26 in the first of four test matches.

After going to lunch at 13 not out on Friday, Tendulkar opened up with some free flowing strokes, including 15 boundaries, to show he is still in ominous touch at the age of 38 and on what will likely be his last tour of Australia.

Tendulkar put on a 133-run stand with VVS Laxman, who also retired at tea while on 57 off 76 balls.


Rahul Dravid, who was India captain for the first of the two tour matches against CA Chairman's selections, looked in good touch before he was caught by Peter George at mid-off on 45 after skying a ball by legspinner Cameron Boyce (2-74).

Opening pair Ajinkya Rahane and Gautam Gambhir shared just 38 runs before Rahane was caught off Jake Haberfield for 3 and Gambhir provided a simple catch to Ryan Broad at short cover off Glenn Maxwell (1-84).

Virat Kohli (1) was caught and bowled by Boyce.

Rohit Sharma was 56 not out when stumps was called. Laxman, who has performed exceptionally well in Australia throughout his career, also looked in impressive touch. He took just 76 balls for his unbeaten stint at the crease and found the fence nine times.

Tom Cooper and Wes Robinson scored centuries and shared a 226-run partnership for the Chairman's XI on Thursday after Dravid won the toss and elected to field.

Indian paceman Ishant Sharma bowled only 5.3 overs and appeared to struggle with an ankle problem as the Indian attack struggled to contain the aggressive batting in their tour opening match against the Australian Chairman's XI on Thursday.

The second tour match against a Chairmans XI starts on Monday.

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Sri Lanka all out on 180; SA 23-0

Sri Lanka recovered from captain Tillakaratne Dilshan's early rush of blood to battle to 76 for three at lunch on the first day of the first test against South Africa on Thursday.
Sri Lanka were sent in to bat by South Africa in cloudy conditions providing plenty of assistance to the bowlers on a well-grassed pitch.
Dilshan controlled himself for his first half-dozen deliveries before rashly trying to on-drive a swinging delivery from Dale Steyn and looping a catch to Vernon Philander at wide mid-on.
Dilshan was out for six, bringing former captain Kumar Sangakkara to the crease but he lasted just three balls, scoring a single before Philander got a delivery to rear up at him and he edged the ball to second slip where Jacques Kallis took a well-judged catch lunging to his left.
Sri Lanka were teetering on 12 for two but Tharanga Paranavitana and the experienced Mahela Jayawardene batted with great concentration in a sensible third-wicket stand of 54.
The session looked in danger of ending disappointingly for South Africa, but a hushed crowd burst to life four overs before lunch when Philander made a delivery hold its line to the left-handed Paranavitana and bowled him through the gate for 32.
Jayawardene went to lunch on 23 not out with Thilan Samaraweera on six.
Philander was the best of the South African bowlers with figures of two for 30 from nine overs.
Steyn took one for 13 in six overs but the world's number one ranked bowler only occasionally produced his full pace.
Steyn's wicket was, however, his 250th in tests, the 28-year-old reaching the landmark in his 49th match.
Only Dennis Lillee has taken 250 wickets in fewer tests, the Australian fast bowler reaching the milestone in his 48th match.

India hammered in practise match

India's bowlers took a hammering and paceman Ishant Sharma failed to complete six overs as a
Ishant Sharma managed to bowl only 5.3 overs before he left the field
Chairman's XI rattled up 398 for six declared on the first day of the tourists' opening match in Australia on Thursday.
India won the toss and chose to bowl first in the two-day tour match at Manuka Oval, one of two warm-up matches they will play in the Australian capital before the first of four tests starts on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The tourists had said they wanted to use the match to give their relatively inexperienced bowlers plenty of practise in Australian conditions.
Opener Wes Robinson smashed 143 but South Australia's Tom Cooper, who has played for the Netherlands in one day internationals, bettered that with a brutal unbeaten 182 off 194 balls with 24 fours and three sixes. The pair shared a partnership of 226.
Right-arm paceman Umesh Yadav, who impressed in his first test series against West Indies last month, was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking three wickets at a cost of 39 runs.


Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha was the most costly, taking two wickets for 149 to do his personal tussle with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for a test spot no good.
The Chairman's XI declared when Dean Solway was caught behind off the medium pace of Ranganath Vinay Kumar for five after 86 overs to bring up stumps.
The India side, which boasts a strong batting line-up featuring Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, will have the same number of overs, requiring 399 for victory on Friday.
Sharma bowled the first over but made a couple of trips off the pitch before departing for good midway through his sixth. A team spokesman said he had not suffered an injury.
India, who have never won a test series in Australia, play a three day match against a more experienced Chairman's XI on the same pitch starting next Monday.

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Gavaskar disappointed with the BCCI u-turn

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has blasted the cricket board after its
Sunil Gavaskar at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai in 2010.
refusal to pay him $1 million fee per season for media activities involving the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The decision was taken at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) working committee meeting here Monday.
'BCCI has made a u-turn on my contract. I am baffled after reading reports that BCCI has refused to pay me my dues and my faith in BCCI has been shaken,' Gavaskar told NDTV.
Gavaskar said he got an assurance from BCCI president Sharad Pawar that his dues will be cleared.
'Sharad Pawar and Arun Jaitely both promised me on phone that my dues will be cleared. In fact, Sharad Pawar and Lalit Modi had promised me a Rs.4 crore IPL contract in 2007,' he said.

Gavaskar also criticised BCCI on Anil Kumble's resigning from the chairmanship of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
'When someone of his (Anil's) credibility speaks about a programme then one should always discuss it properly. You may not agree with him 100 per cent but one should look at what he says. He has played the game at the highest level and has also suffered from injuries. So if he had a plan, it must have been for the benefit of players. The board could have told him that look this is expensive but we can try and make certain adjustments,' he said.

Watson, Marsh add to Aussie batting woes

Australia's beleaguered batting line-up faces fresh problems ahead of

Will Marsh and Watson be fit in time?
their series against India with Shaun Marsh unlikely to be fit for the first Test and question marks over Shane Watson's role.

Left-hander Marsh and opener-cum-all-rounder Watson had been expected to return from injury to shore up the top order after Monday's humiliating loss to New Zealand, when the hosts threw away their last eight wickets for 74 runs.

The first home defeat to New Zealand in 26 years was a heavy blow for a team which will face India on December 26 with veterans Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey in the firing line, and the young batsmen also mostly in poor touch.

As ex-Test great Shane Warne called for "brave decisions", new coach Mickey Arthur urged the selectors to decide where injury-prone Watson would bat and how much he would be asked to bowl. "It has been speculated about a huge amount," the South African said.

"We have to come to a point where we make a decision where Shane is going to bat in the batting order and how many overs we expect of him so there is no more debate about the issue."

Arthur added that Watson needed a "clear role definition" before the Melbourne Test, indicating he may be moved down the order. "We have to balance out how many overs we can possibly get out of him -- that is going to determine the balance of the team," he said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions in terms of selection."

However Watson, 30, told local media that although he is now close to recovering from his hamstring injury, he would probably not be able to bowl in the first Test. "At the moment things are progressing well," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Hopefully if everything continues to go well I'll definitely be fully fit to play on Boxing Day."
Arthur has given his backing to struggling Ponting and Hussey, but Warne said it was time for selectors to bring in new blood. "Some brave decisions need to be made in the interests of Australian cricket to make sure that the best things happen and Australian cricket is strong," he said Tuesday.

"That's life. Cricket is a performance-based game. If you don't perform you shouldn't be playing." He added: "Have we hung on to someone too long? Is there someone else we need to get in there? All those types of questions will be asked so it's a tough one for the selectors."

Meanwhile Marsh has been ruled out of the second tour match against India starting Monday after failing to recover from a back injury, and is "unlikely" to play in Melbourne, according to team performance manager Pat Howard.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

NZ happy by winning a test against Aussies

New Zealand celebrated "an early Christmas" Tuesday with
front-page media praise for a rare cricket victory over Australia and disbelief that chief wicket taker Doug Bracewell was not man of the match.

"Ho Ho Hobart, Christmas cheer for Black Caps", trumpeted The Press, the New Zealand Herald hailed "Doug the destroyer, six of the best" and the Dominion Post described Bracewell as the "Wizard of Oz".

The New Zealand Black Caps had been largely written off by their own fans following their nine-wicket thrashing in the first Test which extended a 26-year winless run in Australia.

But the dramatic seven-run win in the second Test in Hobart to level the series spun the sentiment around.

Captain Ross Taylor's remark that the historic win "was for the New Zealand public an early Christmas present" was pounced on by the media as the victory slogan."Christmas cheer for Black Caps," said The Press as Radio New Zealand rated the drought-breaking win as "one of the most remarkable" in New Zealand's cricket history".


Bracewell struck when New Zealand were on the ropes with Australia only requiring 82 runs with eight wickets in hand to take the match. Three wickets in 15 balls to remove Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey on his way to match figures of 6-40 thrust the 21-year-old speedster into the limelight in only his third Test.


The Press hailed him as a "budding superstar" and the Dominion Post said the match turned on Bracewell's "magical spell" to secure New Zealand's first triumph in Australia since 1985 when Richard Hadlee was in his prime. "The result doesn't suddenly make New Zealand world beaters. But it does show what is possible with skill, perseverance and heart," wrote Herald columnist David Leggat.

But the celebrations carried criticism that match-winner Bracewell was overlooked as man-of-the-match in favour of Australian century-maker David Warner. The award was decided by a public phone-in vote instead if the traditional selection by a panel of experts and 60 percent voted for Warner. "That's just ridiculous," tweeted former Black Iain O'Brien comparing a century for the losing side against a six-wicket bag for the winning team. Another former international Andre Adams added a touch of sarcasm with his tweet saying he supposed "Doug's spell of 6-26 off 9 didn't have any impact".

Arthur wants Ponting and Hussey in the team

ustralia coach Mickey Arthur on Tuesday backed struggling senior
Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting are expected to make the Boxing Day squad
batsmen Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey to retain their team places for the Boxing Day Test with India in Melbourne.

Arthur said there were no plans to manage the Test exits of former skipper Ponting and Hussey after they both struggled for runs in Australia's humiliating seven-run loss to New Zealand in Hobart on Monday.

Ponting, whose 158 Tests have seen him become the third greatest Test runscorer, and Hussey are fighting for their spots, but Arthur said their experience was vital in the transitional Australian team.

"We are certainly not managing yet how they go out of the side and in my opinion they've still got big roles to play because we do need some experience within our middle order and they bring that experience that we need," he said. "We haven't even come to any thought on how we manage any exit of any of those players. The key for us is to get them up firing for Australia come Boxing Day because they are key."

Arthur backed Ponting, who turns 37 next week, to play in the showpiece Boxing Day Test against the second-ranked Indians. "I think he should (bat on to Boxing Day). I've already had a chat with (selector) Rod Marsh and (captain) Michael Clarke and we're trying to give ourselves a bit of direction to Boxing Day," he said.
"I think Ricky still fits firmly in that picture at the moment."

But the picture did not look bright for under-fire opening batsman Phillip Hughes, who was again caught in the slips off Kiwi seamer Chris Martin's bowling for the fourth time in a row in the series against New Zealand.

Clarke said that Hughes may have to return to state cricket to rediscover his touch after his latest Test batting failure and Arthur was unsure whether Hughes would remain in the Australian side for Boxing Day. "By his own admission there is a bit of technical work that he needs to do but again a very good young cricketer," Arthur said. "Whether that's enough for him to play on Boxing Day I'm not sure. That will be a discussion we will have in a couple of days' time."

Arthur said injured allrounder Shane Watson, who missed both Tests against New Zealand, would be assessed well before the MCG Test to "determine the balance of the team". "We've got to come to a point now where we make a decision on where Shane's going to bat in the order and how many overs we expect from him so there can be no more debate around the issue," he said.

Arthur, who is South African, said Australia's batsmen would be working hard to improve their techniques against the swinging ball after the New Zealand Test. "The swinging ball again was something that exposed us a little bit and that's going to be top of the agenda to work on before the Boxing Day Test," he said.

"I think if we can get a couple of extra days into our batters, just sharpen them up and their techniques, I think that will be invaluable ahead of what is a massive series for Australia."

Pitch Report: Sri Lanka Vs South Africa 1st test, centurion

Sri Lanka could face difficulty when they take on the South Africa in the first Test at SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 15, if statistics are anything to go by.
South Africa has lost one, won 12 and drawn three Tests out of the16 Test matches played at the venue.
Sri Lanka has also lost all three past Test matches in SuperSport Park, Centurion
South Africa won their last Test match at the ground by an inning and 25 runs against India.
The groundsman, Hilbert Smit, said the pitch would help the home team.
"You just have to try and advance the South African strong points without taking it too far. I believe there should be enough grass on, while the surface should be hard.
It's also all about timing. You don't want the pitch to be ready two days before the Test but on the morning of the Test itself," The Sport 24 quoted Smit, as saying.
Smit said he always tries to make the pitch slightly helpful for the bowlers on the first morning of the Test match.
He strives for a pitch that keeps captains of both teams guessing before the toss

Warne to make comeback with burned hand

Cricket legend Shane Warne said Tuesday he was almost certain
Shane Warne Tweets Cooking Injury Picture
to make his comeback in Australia's revamped Twenty20 competition as planned, despite burning his hand badly while cooking.

Sporting a heavily bandaged hand, the former Test champion gave himself a "95 percent chance" of playing in the opening match for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League against the Sydney Thunder in Melbourne on Saturday night. "It should be fine by Saturday," he told reporters.

Warne's kitchen accident left his bowling hand and fingers with blisters, including "a couple of awkward ones on the spinning fingers".

He brushed off suggestions he could wear bandages or a glove to stop the wounds ripping open during the match. "Bowling legspin is all about feel so if I put a glove on I'm not sure I can tweak them down there that well," he said. "I'm hoping I won't need that and I'll be ready to go."

The 42-year-old said while he hoped to take the field, he would not play unless his hand was healed enough for him to bowl properly. "If I won't be able to bowl then I won't be playing -- that would let the team down," he said.

Warne apparently called an end to his stellar cricket career at the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May but recently confirmed he would play with the Melbourne Stars, saying he had never been fitter. The cricketer said part of his desire to return for the Big Bash was so his three children could watch him, and agreed it was an "added bonus" that his British fiancee Liz Hurley would be there too.

Warne, who has not played Test cricket since helping Australia to a 5-0 Ashes whitewash over England in January 2007, had led the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL until this year.

Nimbus loses telecast rights

It was a double whammy for Nimbus Sports Monday. The Indian cricket board terminated its telecast rights contract for defaulting on paymentments and it was also forced to put off its much-touted World Series Hockey (WSH) till after the Olympic qualifiers in February.
There was speculation for quite some time that Nimbus would not only lose the TV rights but also may not be able to fund the WSH. It may be a setback for Nimbus as far as telecast rights are concerned, but the postponement of the league must have come as a big relief at this juncture when it has to sink in a huge amount to run it.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), contrary to expectations that it would give Nimbus a little more time to make the payments, chose to scrap the deal and look for a new contract. Nimbus' contract, which was renewed in 2009, was to run till 2014.
Nimbus, which has first signed a four-year deal in 2005-06 and renewed it after being offered first right of refusal, said it would react only after hearing officially from the BCCI.
'They have defaulted, they have not made the 50 percent advance payment for both the England and the West Indies series and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had no choice but to terminate the deal,' said Rajiv Shukla, chairman of the Indian Premier League.
Another member stated that Nimbus paid Rs.24 crore Monday morning, but still owed Rs.85 crore to Rs.88 crore and the BCCI did not want to continue with a defaulter. The immediate offshoot of the decision is that there will be no telecast of domestic tournaments. A big casualty is the next round of Ranji Trophy matches which will not be telecast.
With no international cricket matches scheduled in India for the next eight months, the board has apparently felt it was the right time to terminate the contract and enter into a fresh deal.
Unlike the cricket imbroglio, Nimbus will get breathing space to reschedule the WSH league.
The league, a joint venture of Nimbus and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), was to kick off on December 17 here, but with almost all the India players deciding to join the Dec 11-Jan 15 national camp in Bangalore for the Olympic qualifiers, the organisers had no choice but to postpone the highly hyped Rs 10 crore proffessional league to February 29-April 1. The Olympic qualifiers will be held February 16-25.
IANS had reported the WSH would be postponed in view of an appeal by India captain Bharat Chettri that the players would prefer the league to be played after the qualifiers. Both the organisers as well as the Union sports ministry took the line of least resistance by putting it off.
Both the IHF bosses and a source in the sports ministry told IANS that it took some hard bargaining and persuasion with the broadcasters, franchises and sponsors to get the the league put off as it involved huge sponsorship money and logistical problems.
The IHF and sports ministry officials met Monday to carry forward their discussions with Sports Minister Ajay Maken last week and it was strongly felt that nothing should be done that could effect India's chances of qualifying for the London olympics, more so after the uproar in the wake of their failing to make it to the Beijing Games.
The ministry is likely to take up the organisers' fears that the Hockey India (HI) might put hurdles in releasing the national players even after the qualifiers.
An HI source refused to react saying it would be no position to hazard guess what would happen once India qualify for the Olympics. 'It is too premature to make any commitment now.'
IHF president R.K. Shetty told IANS that the organisers did not want to put any pressure on the players when they were preparing for such an important international event and hoped HI would reciprocate in the right spirit.
'We are in touch with the players and they all want to play in WSH. But we know how HI has gone about things. We do not want to put the players under any pressure before an important event like Olympics qualifiers. We hope HI also acts in a similar spirit,' he said.
Shetty pointed out that it was huge decision, considering that international players, coaches and officials of the eight city-based franchisees have started arriving.
Shetty said they will soon take a decision on whether to keep these people here for a camp or not.

When Bhajji get robbed

Thieves broke into cricketer Harbhajan Singh's car while he had stopped by at a popular cafe near Karnal town Monday evening and took away his laptop and other belongings, police said.
The thieves broke the window panes of Harbhajan Singh's Ford Endeavour sports utility vehicle (SUV) on
the busy National Highway No. 1 (NH-1) near Karnal town in Haryana, 130 km from state capital Chandigarh, police said.
They are said to have taken away his laptop, passport and a bag containing credit cards and other documents.
The incident took place around 6 p.m. Monday outside Cafe Coffee Day outlet at Madhuban near here.
The cricketer had stopped at a popular cafe near Karnal town while on his way from his hometown Jalandhar in Punjab to New Delhi.
Harbhajan was inside the cafe when the SUV was vandalized by the thieves.
Police sources said that he immediately called the police for help.
While the cricketer, who was recently dropped from the Indian test and ODI side owing to poor form, proceeded towards New Delhi after the incident, the police said that it was investigating his complaint.

Monday, 12 December 2011

Pakistan won the 1st test

Abdur Rehman grabbed four wickets as Pakistan thrashed Bangladesh by an innings and 184 runs on the penultimate day of the opening Test in Chittagong on Monday.

The left-arm spinner finished with 4-88 as Bangladesh, trailing by 459 runs, were bowled out for 275 in their second innings after lunch to suffer their 62nd defeat in 72 Tests.


Rehman, off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and paceman Aizaz Cheema shared five wickets that fell on a fourth-day track offering help to spinners after Bangladesh had resumed at 134-4.

Fast bowler Rubel Hossain did not bat due a shoulder injury, suffered while fielding on Sunday. Debutant Mohammed Nazimuddin (78), Shakib Al Hasan (51) and skipper  Mushfiqur Rahim (49) were the main run-getters for Bangladesh.

Cheema ended the innings when he had Shahadat Hossain (21) caught by Umar Gul in the covers in his first over with the second new ball.

Rehman dismissed well-set Nazimuddin and former captain Shakib in the morning session before accounting for Rahim to finish the match with seven wickets after having taken three in the first innings. Ajmal was the other wicket-taker in the morning when he bowled Mohammad Mahmudullah for no score.

Nazimuddin was involved in two stands, adding 78 runs for the fifth wicket with Shakib and 47 for the next with Rahim before being caught by Ajmal at mid-off. Opener Nazimuddin, 41 overnight, hit two sixes and nine fours in his 186-ball knock.

Nazimuddin, who was the second-highest scorer in the first innings with 31, defied the Pakistani attack for more than an hour and completed his half-century when he turned Rehman to deep mid-wicket for three runs.

He then played a couple of big shots, lofting Rehman over extra cover and then Ajmal over mid-wicket for sixes. He gave two chances off Ajmal after completing his half-century but wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal missed both.

Bangladesh had added only 24 runs to their overnight total when Shakib was trapped leg-before by Rehman after hitting eight fours in his ninth Test half-century.

Pakistan had on Sunday posted a mammoth 594-5 declared in their first innings in reply to Bangladesh's 135, with Younis Khan (200 not out), Mohammad Hafeez (143) and Asad Shafiq (104) being the main scorers. The second and final Test starts in Dhaka on Saturday.

Philip Hughes needs to score: Clarke

Phillip Hughes may have to return to state cricket to rediscover his touch after another batting failure in Australia's shock second Test loss to New Zealand, skipper Michael Clarke said on Monday.

The opener's Test future once again looks uncertain ahead of the India series after he fell early on the fourth day as Australia collapsed to 233 all out, handing the Kiwis a seven run victory at Bellerive Oval. Hughes was again found out outside off-stump and was caught in the slips for 20 off Chris Martin's bowling for the fourth straight innings.

His poor form - the struggling left-hander scored 41 in four innings against the Kiwis - will intensify pressure on his spot ahead of the Test series with India, which starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day.

While Hughes' technique flounders, opening batting partner David Warner built a strong case for his retention by carrying his bat through the second innings with an unbeaten 123. Clarke indicated that Hughes could try to cure his shattered confidence with a spell for his home state New South Wales.

"He's obviously really disappointed like all the batters are for the way we played today, but Hughesy is probably most disappointed he's been getting out the same way," Clarke said.

"He needs to find some runs, it's as simple as that. If he's not making them for Australia, he's going to have to go to back to New South Wales and find them there."

Should he be dropped for the India Test opener, Hughes will have to find form in the helter-skelter of the Twenty20 Big Bash League with no four-day Sheffield Shield matches listed until early February.

"There's no four-day cricket now for NSW either, unfortunately, we go back and play Twenty20 cricket so if that's the case for people to get dropped from this team they're going to have to play Twenty20 cricket to score some runs," Clarke said.

"I'm not sure how it's going to work, so you'll have to be picked in the Test team from the Big Bash. "He needs some runs, but he's not the only one. I want to make that very clear."

Clarke was asked at his post-match news conference if he would be confident taking the beaten Hobart Test team into the Boxing Day blockbuster against India.

"If the selectors decide this is the best 11 players to win the game on Boxing Day then I think it would be, but it's something that obviously needs to be discussed over the next few days," he said.

"To be honest the last thing I've been thinking about over the last few days is selection, I've been trying to get my head around winning this Test match, but now... no doubt I will be on the phone talking with the selectors about what the best squad is."

Clarke said inconsistency was frustrating the Australian team, with just three wins in eight Tests under his captaincy.

"You're seeing some really good patches of individual excellence and as a team we're playing really well in patches, but then you see the other side as well where we're letting ourselves down with very poor performances," he said. "We're inconsistent at the minute which is giving us all a pain in the backside."

Warner hits century

David Warner hopes he has finally laid to rest the notion that he is only a Twenty20 specialist after scoring his maiden Test century in Australia's second Test loss to New Zealand on Monday.

Warner has made his fortune belting runs in the shorter form of the game but was almost a national hero as he carried his bat in an unbeaten 123 off 170 balls as Australia went down by seven runs to the Kiwis at Bellerive Oval.

The diminutive 25-year-old left-hander became only the 10th Australian opening batsman to bat right through an innings and the first since Simon Katich's 131 against New Zealand in Brisbane three years ago. Warner joins the select company of Australian Test greats Mark Taylor, David Boon, Ian Redpath, Bill Lawry, Bill Brown and Warwick Armstrong.

He hopes he has ended talk that he is a Twenty20 typecast now that he has a Test century in only his second Test match and is expected to face India in the Boxing Day opening Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"As a kid growing up you 100 percent want to keep striving to get that baggy green (cap) and now I've got it I want to hold on to it as long as I can," Warner said. "I want to keep doing that and I've always wanted to prove to people that I can play the longer form."

"Now it's overwhelming what I've done today and I've just proved to people that I can play the longer form."

Warner reached his century when he tucked Doug Bracewell behind square leg for two shortly after lunch and excitedly greeted his achievement with a leap into the air and a kiss on his helmet.

"To achieve a milestone like that is always fantastic, but at the end of the day we lost and it's disappointing more to be out there and eight runs to go and not get across the line," he said.

Warner was a little sheepish to be awarded the man-of-the-match ahead of Kiwi match-winner Bracewell on the strength of a poll of Australian television viewers.

"I was a bit surprised. Obviously Doug bowled very well and credit to him, he bowled fantastic and on a losing side you don't often see a man of the match but at the end of the day I've just got to take that through the voters," he said.

Warner is now expected to keep his Test spot with NSW teammate Phillip Hughes coming under increasing pressure after getting out again edging to the slips. "Obviously, there were patches there where I played at some balls where I didn't really need to," Warner said.

"I'm only still learning so at the end of the day whatever game I next play I have to be a bit more cautious and be a bit more tight in my defence and hopefully I can keep playing my natural game."

Australia series is much different: Gautam Gambhir

While expressing happiness over India's 4-1 series win against the West Indies here on Sunday, stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir cautioned that the forthcoming tour of Australia would be a 'different ball game' that will put to test both the technique and mental toughness of the players.
'It always helps to get runs under your belt, but in Australia, those are different conditions. We all know this is not what we are going to get in Australia. The Australians are tough nuts to crack and will come hard at us,' he said at a post-match media interaction here after India beat the West Indies in the fifth and concluding game.
'In Australia, your mental toughness will be tested the maximum. You will be getting a quality attack and they will be coming hard at you. I think one good thing is the guys that have gone early (to Australia) will be able to acclimatise (to the conditions). And we're playing two practice games this time,' he said.
Gambhir also sought to play down his captaincy record of six wins out of six by saying that he was only as good as the teams he had.
'I'll stick to the saying that the captain is as good as his team. One captain can't win you the game; it is still 11 people on the park. I am lucky to have such teammates, during the series against New Zealand, I was lucky to have Yuvraj Singh. Today the team-mates stood up and delivered,' he asserted.

There is no another Muralitharan: Sangakkara

Any effort by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to find another Muttiah Muralitharan would prove futile as cricket will never see a bowler like the legendary off-spinner, wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara has said.
"You get one Murali and that's about it really. Again it's important for us to come to terms with that. We're not looking for the next Murali, we're looking for the next best spinner to come and win games for us," Sport24 quoted Sangakkara, as saying.
"He might not take 800 wickets, but I think the guys we have on tour are good enough to do that job for us. Murali was probably one of the slowest bowlers to 200 Test wickets, they're not born overnight. It comes from years and years of hard work," he added.
Averaging over six wickets per Test, Muralitharan was one of the most successful bowlers in the game.
He is the highest wicket-taker in both Test cricket and in ODIs.
Muralitharan announced his retirement from Test cricket after the first Test against India at Galle in July 2010. During that match he became the first to reach the milestone of taking 800 Test wickets by dismissing Pragyan Ojha.

Doug Bracewell wind up Aussies

Seamer Doug Bracewell bowled New Zealand to a sensational seven-run victory over Australia in the second Test in Hobart on Monday for the Kiwis' first win in Australia for 26 years.

The Black Caps captured eight wickets for 74 runs for a dramatic victory midway through the fourth day of an extraordinary Test match at Bellerive Oval.
Seamer Doug Bracewell finished with six for 40.

Bracewell finished with 6-40 off 16.4 overs in a match-winning performance to stun the Australians, who appeared on track for victory at 159 for two chasing 241 runs to win.

Struggling Hughes 'needs runs' says Clarke
Warner's Test century buries T20 typecast

But the Australians folded spectacularly and David Warner's unbeaten maiden Test century went in vain as wickets tumbled around him and Nathan Lyon was bowled by Bracewell in the 64th over to claim victory.

It was the Black Caps' first victory in Australia since 1985 as they tied the two-Test series after comprehensively losing the first Gabba Test by nine wickets.

"We believed in ourselves that we could win this match. We knew we had to fight, we had to play a lot better than we did in Brisbane," skipper Ross Taylor said.

Bracewell turned the match around with the wickets of Ricky Ponting (16), Michael Clarke (0), Michael Hussey (0), James Pattinson (4), Mitchell Starc (0) and Lyon (9).

"He bowled outstandingly well for a young guy, 21, and to come in only his third Test and to get Ponting, Clarke and Hussey, that's something to tell your grandkids about," Taylor said of Bracewell.

Clarke said his team were proving too inconsistent with their third defeat in eight Tests under his captaincy.

"You're seeing some really good patches of individual excellence and as a team we're playing really well in patches, but then you see the other side as well where we're letting ourselves down with very poor performances," he said.

"We're inconsistent at the minute which is giving us all a pain in the backside."

Warner carried his bat to finish unbeaten on 123 off 170 balls with 14 boundaries to cement his Test position after fellow opener Phillip Hughes was out again cheaply.

Warner surprisingly was preferred to Bracewell as official man-of-the-match in a television viewers' poll.

Wickets continued to fall around Warner with Brad Haddin snapped up by Ross Taylor in the slips off Tim Southee and Peter Siddle taken at third slip off Southee for two.

Bracewell removed Pattinson and Starc within three balls to have the Black Caps one wicket away from victory after Australia had lost seven wickets for 40.

Lyon survived two tense reviews for lbw as Warner went after the runs against a spreadeagled field before Bracewell finished the game when he bowled Lyon.

Ponting's possible final Test innings in his home state finished in a whimper after he was given a standing ovation to the wicket.

Test cricket's third-highest runscorer spooned a catch to cover after playing back to Bracewell and was out for 16 after scoring just five in the first innings.

Clarke was caught at slip by Taylor and Hussey was out first ball lbw after a review went in bowler Bracewell's favour.

Hughes's Test future again looked uncertain after he was out in the day's second over with no addition to his overnight score of 20.

It was the fourth straight time Hughes was caught by Martin Guptill in the slips off Chris Martin's bowling in the series.

His latest batting failure -- 41 in four innings against the Kiwis -- will intensify the pressure on his spot ahead of the Test series with India, starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day.

While Hughes's technical deficiencies outside offstump continued to hound him, Warner built a strong case for his retention, possibly partnering Shane Watson against India.

Usman Khawaja again failed to go on after getting a start and went to drive Trent Boult only to give an edge to Taylor at first slip. Khawaja made 23 off 48 balls.

Thursday, 8 December 2011



Watch Exclusive highlights of India Vs West Indies 4th ODI, Indore. Which Includes extraordinary inning of 219 runs from Sehwag. and Set a new world record

India sealed series, won 4th ODI vs West Indies

Indore was home to two of India's greatest cricketers, CK Nayudu and Syed Mushtaq Ali. The two richly talented all-rounders were known for their fearless big-hitting that entertained Indian crowds.

How fitting was it that the most fearless of India's batsmen and the straightest of talkers — Virender Sehwag — paid rich tribute to those masters by breaking the record for the highest score in a one-day international at Indore's Holkar Stadium today.

After electing to bat against the West Indies, the Indian opener and stand-in captain made 219 off 149 balls, becoming just the second man to score a double-ton in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar was the first in 2010, when he made 200 not out not too far from Indore in Gwalior against South Africa.

As you would expect in an innings of this nature, the West Indian bowlers threw everything they could at Sehwag to no avail. The Indian opener toyed with the field placements, picked up boundaries with ridiculous ease, prompting Chris Gayle to jocularly describe the innings as "child abuse."

Sehwag's form had been questioned after a string of casual dismissals and small scores. However, with this innings, he buried those concerns, powering India to a record 418-5, setting up a series win with a game left in Chennai. [See match scores]

West Indies at one point were in danger of being bowled out for less than Sehwag's score when their ninth wicket fell on 201. Denesh Ramdin's 96 and a last-wicket stand of 64 with Sunil Narine delayed an Indian win.

Sehwag had two big partnerships along the way: 176 with the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir (67 at a run-a-ball) to kick off the run-fest and 140 with Suresh Raina (55 off 44) to keep the momentum strong.

The 33-year-old completed a hundred off just 69 balls and the double off just 140. He had some luck along the way. On 97, a difficult catch was put down at point as Sehwag slashed a four to get to his hundred. Later on a 170, West Indies captain Darren Sammy put down a sitter running back at extra-cover.

Sehwag completed the double hundred in just the 44th over, cutting Andre Russell for four. The shot took him to 201, beating Tendulkar's record.

List of 400 scores.

Riding on Virender Sehwag's record 219, the highest individual score in 50-over cricket, India reached their highest total in ODI, 418 for five in 50 overs against the West Indies here Thursday.
The following is the list of ODI scores more than 400 in ODIs:
Sri Lanka 443/9 vs. Netherlands, Amstelveen, July 4, 2006
South Africa 438/9 vs. Australia, Johannesburg, March 12, 2006
Australia 434/4 vs. South Africa, Johannesburg, March 12, 2006
South Africa 418/5 vs. Zimbabwe, Potchefstroom, Sep 20, 2006
India 418/5 vs West Indies, Indore, Dec 8, 2011
India 414/7 vs. Sri Lanka, Rajkot, Dec 15, 2009
India 413/5 vs. Bermuda, Port of Spain, March 19, 2007
India 411/5 vs. South Africa, Gwalior,Dec 8, 2011
Sri Lanka 411/8 vs. India, Rajkot, Dec 15, 2009
New Zealand 402/2 vs. Ireland, Aberdeen, July 1, 2008
India 401/3 vs. South Africa, Gwalior, Feb 24, 2010

Sehwag hits 219 against West Indies

Virender Sehwag said during this year's World Cup that he would try and play the full 50 overs in One-Day Internationals (ODI). For good measure he added that he had been trying to do so for a decade and that is hard to believe, though everyone knows how he builds monumental innings in Test cricket. He doesn't remember he has ever batted for more than 42 or 44 overs.
He knew in his heart of hearts that if he plays 50 overs, he can get to a mindboggling score. He was modest to say that Sachin Tendulkar batted 50 overs more than once but he could get only one double hundred and that showed how difficult it is to get 200 runs in an ODI innings.
He tried against Bangladesh in a Dhaka World Cup game but could not, he was out for 175 in 140 balls. Now that he has scored the highest ODI score, 219, against West Indies in Indore, he knows that he doesn't need to bat 50 overs to score a double hundred. He was out in the 44th over and in 140 deliveries he was past 200. Had he carried his bat through he would have, perhaps, closer to 300! He didn't have to hurry to the landmark, that's Sehwag for you.
He considers getting out to a score of 50-odd is a failure. Because, he invariably goes on to play a monumental innings once he crosses the half-century mark.
Sehwag has shown all the human failings in attaining greatness. He has scored runs by the ton and at the other end of the spectrum he just could not get going to get dropped from both the Test and ODI teams! If it had not been for Rahul Dravid, he would not have gone for the disastrous 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.
Sehwag can be self-critical as only he can. After India lost the third One-dayer in Ahmedabad earlier in the week, he lambasted the top-order, including himself, saying the main batsmen should click and fire if the team has to succeed. Those who know the Delhi blaster knew very well that Darren Sammy and his men will have to pay for the Ahmedabad victory.
Now that he has crossed the line, surely it won't be the only double century for him in limited overs cricket.
The West Indians did not know what hit them here. Their hopes of running close in the series vanished into thin air. By nightfall, the dispirited West Indies just went through the motions to complete the formalities. That is the Sehwag effect.

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

"India will miss Bhajji in Australia", says Gilchrist

Former Australian captain Adam Gilchrist feels that Harbhajan Singh will be missed by India during their tour Down Under as the feisty off-spinner can get under the skin of the champion team.
Harbhajan's slump in form has paved the way for two young spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha to be picked for the four-Test series against Australia.
'Bhajji is a great competitor, his fighting qualities are admirable, he is very much like an Australian that way. He will be missed. But a player has to be picked on performances,' Gilchrist told reporters when asked about the exclusion of the turbanator.
'Ashwin and Ojha have set very high standards,' he added.
India's tour to Australia starts Dec 26 and with both teams fielding new faces in their bowling attack.
Gilchrist feels that the bowlers will play the key role in deciding the series.
'It is a series that's quite difficult to predict. Both teams are equal, the batting of both the teams are the strong points, while injury has plagued both the bowling line-ups.'
'Whichever bowling line-up settles down first that team will have the upper hand,' Gilchrist said on the sidelines of a promotional campaign on behalf of University of Wollongong in New South Wales.
India will be taking an inexperienced bowling attack, with the likes of Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav and Abhimanyu Mithun, all touring Australia for the first time.
Australia, on the other hand, are having an injury crisis with Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Pat Cummins and Shane Watson currently side-lined.
Gilchrist felt that India-Australia contests are of high intensity and among the best sporting rivalries in the world.
'The rivalry between India-Australia is terrific. I was a part of the 2001 series and it was one of the best series ever.'
'Any series India play is an interesting one, the Indian people are very passionate about he sport. I love coming to India it's a fascinating country.'
'I continue to come stay here 2-3 months every year with the IPL and other things,' he said.

Pitch report: India Vs West Indies 4th ODI, Indore

India will have to raise their game against a buoyant West Indies if they are to seal the series in the fourth One-day International at the Holkar Stadium here Thursday.
The West Indies showed fighting spirit in the first two ODIs before finally winning the third at Visakhapatnam to keep the five-match series alive. India lead the series 2-1.
India allowed the West Indies to make 269 after having them on mat at 170 for nine in the second ODI. In Ahmedabad, India had things under control until late fireworks by captain Darren Sammy and all-rounder Andre Russell took the West Indies to 260 from 181 for five in 45th over. The score in the end proved enough for the tourist's first win on the tour.
The Caribbean side, however, have already received a setback with in-form batsman and leading scorer of the series Darren Dravo ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
A lot has already been said about the form of Indian captain Virender Sehwag and ace batsman Gautam Gambhir, who got out to first ball at Motera. The Delhi duo are yet to shine in the series. Suresh Raina will be another one looking for runs after scores of 5, 0, 2 in three successive outings.
Rohit Sharma has been the stand out Indian batsman so far, scoring three consecutive fifties, including an unbeaten 90 in Visakhapatnam and 95 in Ahmedadbad.
The seamers also need to show consistency. They have got the early wickets but proved expensive in the death overs. The West Indies amassed 73 runs in the last five overs at Ahmedabad as Umesh Yadav and Abhimanyu Mithun's erratic line provided fodder for Sammy and Russell.
Irfan Pathan, who has been inducted in the squad for the last two ODIs, is likely to play.
The confidence in the West Indies camp must be sky high after their maiden win and they would be keen to end the tour on a high by performing well in the remaining two games.
'Morale of the team is good. So far, we kept seeing we have been coming close. It is about taking the opportunity, grabbing it and winning,' Sammy said on the eve of the match here.
'It is two games left and most of the guys have been away from home for two and a half months. We want to finish on a high. We have to believe we can win. It is an important game for us and hopefully we can win it and take it down to Chennai for the final.'
The West Indies would expect some runs from the openers, who have failed to score in tandem.
The highest opening wicket partnership for them has been 18 that was between Lendl Simmons and Adrian Barath.
India: Virender Sehwag (captain), Varun Aaron, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Abhimanyu Mithun, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Irfan Pathan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rahul Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Vinay Kumar.
West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Marlon Samuels, Darren Bravo, Danza Hyatt, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wicket-keeper), Andre Russell, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Anthony Martin, Sunil Narine, Kieran Powell, Jason Mohammed.

West Indies sweat on Bravo's fitness for crucial fourth ODI

West Indies batsman Darren Bravo is recovering from the hamstring injury that curtailed his innings in the last One-Day International Monday, but the visitors are continuing to sweat on his fitness for their fourth game against India here Thursday.
The stylish left-hander, who has been a key player for the Windies on the current tour, was forced to retire hurt on 26 while engaged in a promising 55-run, third wicket stand with Marlon Samuels (58).
Bravo was, however, able to walk around freely Tuesday with no discomfort from the injury and was expected to test his fitness while training at the Holkar Cricket Stadium Wednesday. The team officials were hoping that Bravo will be able to suit up.
The 22-year-old, the younger brother of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, has emerged as one of the leaders of the West Indies batting, and scored a half-century in the opening game in Cuttack last week.
He was outstanding in the preceding Test series, scoring two brilliant centuries in his last four innings.
The West Indies trail 1-2 in the five-match one-day series, after winning the last game in Ahmedabad by 16 runs.

When Majola cries

Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO Gerald Majola burst out in tears after appearing in front of a commission of inquiry into the organization's bonus scandal.
The Beeld newspaper reports that Majola was in tears when he faced journalists after appearing in Pretoria before the Nicholson Inquiry, chaired by Judge Chris Nicholson.
Majola said the whole ordeal was a "nightmare" for him and his family.
"There have been a lot of misconceptions and unfounded allegations and today (Tuesday) I had the chance to put my side of the story in front of the judge and in front of the public of South Africa," Sports24 quoted him, as saying.
He added: "At least I'm happy now that people will know what the truth is."
"We could have dealt with the matter totally differently, more quickly and better," he told SAPA.
"Whatever has happened was undesirable. It was totally uncalled for and, as cricket administrators, we all have to take the blame for what has happened."
He was questioned at length about the fact that he and Don McIntosh, the Indian Premier League tournament director and former CSA chief operations officer, received more than two-thirds of a pool of money meant for bonuses after the tournament.
"Fairness is relative. Fairness is if I am happy to pay you for the job you have done," Majola said.
He added: "In my view, if the people who authorised these payments thought the people who got this money deserved it, then it was fair."
Majola earlier denied not disclosing his contentious bonus after the IPL series in 2009.
Majola said the CSA board had taken a decision to move forward and to rectify the errors it had made.
He said : "Good governance is key and we will make sure the governance of cricket is clean."
At the end of his oral submission, the inquiry's chairman Judge Chris Nicholson asked Majola if he would have done things differently had he been fully informed of the correct process, and Majola said: "I would have done so and if the new process says I have to disclose to Remco, I will do so."

Dilshan confident about the finance obligations

Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said on Wednesday he was confident his board would honour their obligations and pay the team's outstanding salaries before the first test against South Africa starting on December 15 in Centurion.
Sri Lanka's players have not been paid since the World Cup ended in April but Sports Minister Mahindanda Altuthgamage promised on Tuesday they would be paid 65 percent of the outstanding amount within three days and the rest by January.
Dilshan told reporters on Wednesday he accepted Altuthgamage's word.
"I think they will try and sort it out within the next week. That's the news I've got from the cricket board. They are going to sort out all the payments," he said,
"We have had discussions, myself and the cricket association, the last few weeks and they promised they will sort it out next week. They are definitely going to sort it out before the first test. As a captain, I have to focus on cricket and not worry about the payments."
Sri Lanka are chasing their first series win in South Africa after losing in 1997/98, 2000/01 and 2002/03 and Dilshan said it was crucial they adapted to the conditions as quickly as possible.
"We haven't played a test match here for a while, but we have played one-day series on-and-off in South Africa. Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara have played a lot of cricket in South Africa and if we can get ready for these conditions, I can say it will be a good series," the opening batsman said.
Dilshan was appointed as Sri Lanka's captain after the World Cup since when they have lost test series to England, Australia and Pakistan. He said the team still relied heavily on his two predecessors, Sangakkara and Jayawardena.
"We know the last few series our batting didn't click. That's the main goal for us, to see that our batting unit can put some runs on the board," he said.
"We are carrying a few young players. It's not easy coming to South Africa, especially as they have been playing good cricket. We can't do any mistakes here, they are a good team."
The Centurion test is the first of three with the others scheduled for Durban from December 26 and Cape Town from January 3.

Dhoni's security increases

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's security has been beefed up in Jharkhand following intelligence inputs on threats to him from the Maoists and terrorists, a police official said here Wednesday.
Dhoni arrived in Ranchi, his home town, last week with his wife Sakshi.
'We are not taking any chances. There are inputs of threat to Dhoni from the Maoists and terrorist groups. Based on the input we are taking appropriate measures to beef up the security of Dhoni,' a Ranchi-based police official, who did not want to be named, told IANS.
'We have received directives from the police headquarters to beef up Dhoni's security. Commandos of Jharkhand Armed Police will be deployed in his security,' the official said.
Security personnel in plain clothes have already been deployed near Dhoni's house in Harmu housing colony. They will move along with Dhoni within the state.

Pakistan won the ODI series by 3-0

Pakistan's spinners revelled in helpful conditions to crush Bangladesh by 58 runs in the third and final one-day international on Tuesday to win the series 3-0.
The tourists, bowled out for a modest 177, hit back to dismiss Bangladesh for 119 on a wicket that turned and bounced at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in the port city of Chittagong.
Shoaib Malik marked his 200th one-day appearance with three wickets for six runs in four overs and fellow off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez picked up three for 27 as the Tigers were shot out in 38 overs.
It was Pakistan's 28th win in 29 one-dayers against Bangladesh, boosting the confidence of Misbah-ul-Haq's men ahead of the two-Test series starting on Friday. The match was interrupted for 20 minutes in the second session when the floodlights went off, plunging the entire stadium in total darkness.
Bangladesh were sailing smoothly at 69-1 in the 20th over when five wickets crashed for 14 runs to allow Pakistan to bounce back in the match.
Bangladesh lost opener Tamim Iqbal off the first ball of the innings, bowled by Hafeez, before Shahriar Nafees and Mohammad Mahmudullah put on 69 for the second wicket.
The home team lost Nafees (25), skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (0) and Mahmudullah (35) in the space of three runs - all leg-before to the spinners - to slide to 72-4 by the 22nd over.
Hafeez took a return catch of Shakib Al Hasan in his final over before Nasir Hossain, who scored a century in the last match, was caught off Abdur Rehman for three.
Farhad Reza and Alok Kapali delayed the end with a seventh-wicket stand of 34, before Malik polished off the tail to complete his team's emphatic win.
Earlier, Bangladesh spinners Abdur Razzak and Mahmudullah shared six wickets to bowl Pakistan out cheaply. Left-armer Razzak claimed three for 21 in 10 overs and off-spinner Mahmudullah grabbed three wickets in seven balls as Pakistan folded in 46.1 overs.
Umar Akmal top-scored with 57 and Misbah made 47, the pair adding 94 for the fourth wicket after Pakistan were reduced to 39-3 by the 12th over.
Pakistan made a shaky start, failing to score off the first 15 deliveries after Hafeez was caught in the covers from the fourth ball of the innings. Misbah and Akmal stayed together till the 36th over to rebuild the innings before Razzak struck twice in his eighth over.

Heel bone injury to Cummins

Australia's teenage pace sensation Pat Cummins will likely miss the bulk of the home Test series against India with a bone stress heel injury, Cricket Australia said on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old fast bowler suffered the injury during his man-of-the-match debut in last month's second Johannesburg Test against South Africa.
It was initially thought to be bruising but new scans have revealed a bone stress problem and Cummins is unlikely to bowl again until early to mid-January, CA said.
India begin their four Test series against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day with further Tests in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide throughout January.
"By the end of last week it was apparent to all of us managing him that he was progressing slower than expected for a soft tissue injury of the heel," Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said on Wednesday.
"As such we arranged for him to see a foot specialist and had further scans that have identified a bone component to his injury that was not evident on the original scans. We now believe that Patrick has a bone stress injury as well as the fat pad injury (soft tissue injury)."
Kountouris said Cummins was not likely to resume bowling until after the opening two Tests against India.
The third Test against India is in Perth from January 13-17 and the fourth and final Test at Adelaide Oval from January 24-28. Cummins still has his sights on playing some role in the Test series.
He told reporters he did not have a date for his return to cricket but he aimed to play in the subsequent Twenty20 series against India and tri-nation one-day series also involving Sri Lanka, and possibly even some Test cricket.
"Hopefully the one-day series and the Twenty20," he said. "Maybe I'll even be back in the Test."
The teenager played down concern about the more serious diagnosis and was planning to rest until the Christmas period, when he will again test out his heel. "It will only make a few weeks' difference," he said.
"We thought there might have been something more to it because it took a bit longer to heal. Obviously, it's disappointing but hopefully it doesn't make too much of a difference."
Cummins was acclaimed as Australia's newest pace bowling star when he captured six for 79 in South Africa's second innings to set up an exciting two-wicket win in the Johannesburg Test last month.
But he has not played since and was rested from last week's first Test win against New Zealand at the Gabba.
The youngster's setback continues to drain Australia's fast bowling stocks following Mitchell Johnson's foot surgery last week which will sideline the left-armer for five months.

Irfan waiting to bowl

Irfan Pathan, making a comeback into the Indian team after two years, is eager to cash in on the opportunity given by the national selectors.
Pathan was Monday named in the India squad for the remaining two One-Day Internationals against the West Indies on the back of having had a successful season so far in the ongoing Ranji Trophy where he is the leading wicket-taker with a tally of 21 in four matches. The Baroda all-rounder last played for India during the World Twenty20 in England in 2009.

'I am really happy to get back into the team. It is a great feeling. It has been a long wait for two years and god has fulfilled my dreams. Nothing comes better than playing for your country. If given the opportunity to play, I will try to do my best,' Pathan told reporters.

Pathan was dropped from the Indian team after his bowling form dipped. The ability to swing the ball both ways that made him a regular in the side suddenly disappeared. He had a frustrating domestic season in 2010 when he also suffered a severe back injury.

Pathan remembered the tough times in his career and said it made his return all the more worthwhile.

'It makes every second of the struggle worthwhile. You feel blessed when your hard work is rewarded.'

'The dream to play for the country has always been there. When it is fulfilled, you feel nothing gets better than this. Having all the luxuries in life - having a big car, big house - nothing comes close to this,' said Pathan. He was also in the running for Praveen Kumar's replacement in the Test squad for Australia but lost out to Abhimanyu Mithun.

He would be looking forward to impress the selectors and get a berth in the ODI squad for the tri-nation series in Australia.

Pathan has taken 100 wickets in 29 Tests and and 152 scalps in 107 One-Day Internationals.

Not feeling sorry about captaincy: Ponting

Ricky Ponting said Wednesday he has no regrets about quitting the Australian captaincy and welcomes having fewer responsibilities ahead of this week's second Test against New Zealand.
Ponting led Australia in 77 Tests before he stood down as Test and one-day skipper after the World Cup earlier this year, making way for deputy Michael Clarke to take charge.
Ponting, who turns 37 this month, has continued as a batsman in the Test team and is lining up for his seventh and possibly final Test at Hobart's Bellerive Oval where he began his first-class career with Tasmania in 1992.
It is rare for former Australian captains to continue playing on under a new leader and Ponting was asked at a press conference whether he had adjusted to his new role.
"It's a lot of fun actually not being the captain," Ponting laughed.
"Am I adjusting? Just the same way I was before when I was captain. I just want to be the best member of the team that I can possibly be. And that's by trying to do the best I can by scoring runs and trying to offer advice and help young guys along the way and be there as an extra pair of eyes or ears for the captain if he needs me as well."
Ponting, lining up for his 158th Test match, said he felt more relaxed without the added responsibilities associated with being team captain.
"Actually, it's a lot more relaxing for me just to be an everyday player," he said.
"Just to turn up and get my batting and fielding work done and go and sit in the changerooms and not have to think about the wicket conditions or picking teams and anything like that.
"It's a bit of a load off my plate to be an everyday player again."
He said he had no regrets about giving up the captaincy. "When I made the decision to stand down there was obviously going to be a lot of thought into making that decision because I was standing down from one of the best jobs in the world," he said.
"I don't have any regrets about standing down. I did it because I felt it was the right time and I did it to try and make myself the player that I wanted to be."
He said also part of his thinking was to give his successor Clarke time to gain experience ahead of the India series which starts this month and the next Ashes series in England in 2013.
Ponting, the third highest Test runscorer with 12,635 runs, averages 80 in six Tests at Bellerive and scored 209 against Pakistan in his last Hobart in January last year.
"It's very rare that I get the chance to come back and play international games down here in front of my home crowd and family," he said. "It always has a little bit of extra meaning to play this game. I never had much success early on but the last couple of visits down here have been pretty good. I am looking forward to this week."

New Zealand eyes on 2nd test against Australia

New Zealand will try to heap the pressure on out-of-form Australian opening batsman Phillip Hughes as they seek to level the series with victory in the second and final Test starting Friday.
The heat is off former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin after good performances in the home side's comprehensive nine-wicket victory over the Black Caps in the first Gabba Test.
Ponting hit 78 and Haddin 80 in the first innings after speculation on their Test futures following a run of low scores, but the spotlight has now shifted to left-hander Hughes and his technical flaws outside off-stump.
Hughes has passed 36 just twice in his past 17 Test innings and with all-rounder Shane Watson (hamstring) and Shaun Marsh (back) on track to return from injuries in the Boxing Day Test against India, the opener's position appears vulnerable.
His six-ball failure on Sunday as Australia reeled off the 19 runs for victory in their second innings, highlighted his weakness. His average has dived from 69 after three Tests in 2009 to 36.
There have been calls for Usman Khawaja to move up the batting order to opener and make room for uncapped allrounder Dan Christian, who has been added to the Australian squad following a side strain to fast bowler Ben Cutting.
New Zealand captain Ross Taylor could not disguise his relish when asked if he wanted Hughes to play in the Hobart Test. "I�d love him to be in the team," Taylor said after the Gabba Test.
"We had a lot of video footage of all the Australian players and Hughes got caught at second, third slip and gully a lot in the Ashes and in South Africa. That was definitely an area we wanted to target, and with the way Chris Martin bowls, he bowls across the left-hander."
Martin claimed Hughes's wicket twice at the Gabba, both times caught by Martin Guptill in the slips.
Senior Australian batsman Mike Hussey believes Hughes should continue playing his natural attacking game. "I just think it's important for him to keep a real clear mind and to keep playing his way," Hussey said.
"He's had success playing his way. He's still put together some really good scores for us in difficult conditions in Sri Lanka (126) and South Africa (88). He works extremely hard and he knows the areas he needs to work on."
Australia remained unbeaten at the Gabba since 1988 with their emphatic victory over New Zealand, who are without a Test win in Australia since 1985.
"We don�t play as much Test cricket as some of the other nations but we need to learn quicker than we are at the moment," Taylor said. "That�s the ultimate goal, to apply pressure for as long as possible and absorb it as for as long as possible as well."
Australia unearthed another match-winning fast bowler in 21-year-old James Pattinson, who took five for 27 to help rout New Zealand for 150 in their second innings at the Gabba.
Michael Clarke has welcomed the inclusion of Christian in the squad. "He gives us options and that's what we're looking at in regards to the wicket in Hobart," Clarke said.
"We don't know what we're going to get. It is always nice to have another option in regards to your bowling."
Australia have never lost a Test in the total of nine played at Hobart's Bellerive Oval, although the Kiwis have drawn twice in three Tests at the ground.

Monday, 5 December 2011

Daniel Christian added in Australian squad for 2nd test against NZ

Daniel Christian was added Monday to the Australian squad for this week's second and final Test against New Zealand in Hobart as the home side look to wrap up a series win.
The South Australian allrounder, yet to make his Test debut, was included following a side strain injury to paceman Ben Cutting while injured Shane Watson, Pat Cummins, Ryan Harris and Shaun Marsh were not considered.
Australia go into the match starting on Friday leading the series 1-0 after Sunday's emphatic nine-wicket victory over the Black Caps in the Gabba Test inside four days.
Debutant paceman James Pattinson turned in a man-of-the-match performance with 5-27 in New Zealand's second innings of 150 to set the Australians just 19 runs for victory. "It is disappointing for Ben that he will be sidelined for some weeks with a side strain, but this provides an opportunity for Daniel, who has been performing well as an allrounder for South Australia," chief selector John Inverarity said.
"The balance of a team is always enhanced by the presence of an energetic allrounder who is in good form."
"Michael Clarke and his team are buoyant after their convincing victory in Brisbane," Inverarity said.
"James Pattinson's performance on debut will provide a great boost not only to the team as a whole but to those who are new to the team in particular."
Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said opening batsman Shane Watson was making good progress after a right hamstring injury and was on track for the Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Teenage paceman Cummins, man-of-the-match in Australia's two-wicket win over South Africa in Johannesburg last month, is still recovering from a left heel injury.
Harris is set to resume bowling this week after recovering from a pelvic injury, while Marsh is progressing well after a lower back injury sustained in South Africa.
Kountouris said Cutting, who was in the squad for the first Test but left out of the starting eleven, injured his left abdominal muscle in a side strain injury playing a domestic Sheffield Shield game for Queensland on Friday.
Left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson had surgery last week for a left foot injury and is expected to be out of action for five months.
Australia squad - Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Dan Christian.