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.

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.