Australia Knocked India out of Champion Trophy by beating Pakistan in their last League Match

Australia will play against England in a Champions Trophy semi-final after thrashing Pakistan by two wickets on the final ball at Super Sport Park.

What should have been a relaxed passage through the group stage became a major fear, as a late batting fall down nearly cost Australia exceedingly.

Australia were in control at 4-174 look for 206, but lost 4-13 for six overs, which left them in danger of losing the game and allowing India to overtake them on run-rate.

India is currently playing the West Indies at the Wanderers.

But Australian tail Enders Brett Lee (12 not out) and Nathan Hauritz (9 not out) got their side home when they jumbled through for a bye off the final delivery of the match.

The NSW pair came together needing 19 runs from 25 balls, which became more than a run a ball after Naved-ul-Hasan bowled a maiden in the 47th over.

But Lee and Hauritz shaped the target down, and needing four runs from Umar Gul's last over, got the job done - just.

Scores were level on the final delivery and Hauritz swung and missed, but Lee raced through for the winning single as Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal missed with his underarm at the stumps.

The win put Australia top of their group and booked a semi-final against England on Friday, while Pakistan will play New Zealand in the other semi, at the Wanderers on Saturday.
Australia laid the stage for their win by controlling Pakistan to 6-205 on a pitch notable for some variable bounce.

All the Pakistan batsmen got starts, but Watson (2-32), Mitchell Johnson (2-44), Lee (1-30) and Hauritz (0-24) bowled neatly to keep the innings in check after their opponents were 1-58 after 12 overs.

Watson (24) and Paine (29) put Australia on the right track, before Mike Hussey (64) and captain Ricky Ponting (32) had Australia contentedly placed.

But Naved (1-39), Asif Mohammad (2-34) and Saeed Ajmal (2-31) turned the match on its head with a late fight back, until Lee and Hauritz held their nerve.

A win over England will give Australia the chance to become the first side to win back-to-back Champions Trophy tournaments, in Monday's final at Super Sport Park.

Australia will enter Friday's game in a confident frame after beating England 6-1 in the recent one-day series which concluded the Ashes tour.

Pakistan will make changes in tomarrow's game against Australia

Pakistan captain Younus Khan confirmed India's worst fears by admitting that his side would field their reserve players in tomorrow's Champions Trophy game in opposition to Australia at Centurion.

"We will make a few changes, some are obligatory. Imran Nazir has a broken finger. Mohammad Asif deserves a look in, so do Fawad Alam and Iftikhar Rao. They need to be brought in. Some changes would certainly be made," said Younus ahead of tomorrow's game.

Younus himself is battling with a cracked right finger but lamented derisively that nobody in his side wants to give him a rest.

He though pooh-poohed the claim that Pakistan would look to lose against Australia tomorrow and dump India out of the tournament.

"I as a person don't think in that manner. Given a choice, I would love to have an India-Pakistan final. We saw at Centurion the other night when the two sides played. It was the only game in this competition where the stands were jam-packed. Everyone wants to watch an India-Pakistan game.

"It's critical for players too. I made my mark in opposition to India and was quickly accepted. Same happens for India if a young player of theirs makes a mark against us," Younus said.

Younus said no team would want to break the winning momentum in such a big tournament.

"So losing tomorrow's game is not the way to go. We would actually like to do very well against Australia for we might face them in the final. If your form is well and everything is going well, you don't want to break the rhythm and lose," he said.

He said winning or losing is part of the game and both Indian and Pakistani players should be left alone after a clash between the arch-rivals.

"Today everyone is after Dhoni. If I had lost that game at Centurion, everyone would have been after me. That's not fair. Sports should be above all this. If there is an edge in India-Pakistan game, it's good for the game. That's important and not gora aur kala (black or white) and nationalities," Younus said.

Younus Khan to Play his opening match against India in the ICC Champions Trophy

Paksitan captain Younus Khan has fully in a good health from the injury and he will play in the next match of the Pakistan team in opposition to their rivals India. Pakistan will lock horns with India in Centurion on September 26.

Younus had continued a minor hairline fracture in his little finger of right hand during a warm-up match against Warriors in Benoni on September 20 and he was guided to take rest by doctors.

Youins had failed to spot Pakistan’s first match against West Indies in Centurion on Wednesday. Pakistan had won that low scoring match by five wickets.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a release stating that Younus has recovered from the injury and he will be available for the match against India.

Last time Pakistan and India had met each other in Centurion in the 2003 World Cup. Sachin Tendulkar had smashed brilliant half-century and India had won the match by six wickets.

Yuvraj Singh Out of the Battle

Yuvraj Singh, the India star batsman, has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa after anguishing a fractured finger.

Yuvraj, who had been hyped as one of the potential stars of the competition, undergo the injury whilst training today in Johannesburg. Virat Kohli has been called up as an alternate.

“Yuvraj has fractured a finger in his right hand and has been ruled out for six weeks,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India statement, said.

India, who begin their campaign against Pakistan on Saturday, are already without a raft of stars including Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan, who have shoulder injuries, while Gautam Gambhir is still recovering from a groin strain.

Pakistan Skipper Younis Khan will miss the opening match

Pakistani skipper Younis Khan has been skipped out of his team's starting match of the ICC Champions Trophy against the West Indies tomorrow with a hairline fracture. All rounder Shahid Afridi will step up and go ahead his country in Khan's nonexistence.

Pakistan took the Cricket world by gale when they won the ICC Champions Trophy in England this summer. Few gave Pakistan a chance of winning the title after an embarrassing defeat to England in their opening match, but little by little they recovered and ended up defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's, much to the happiness of their adoring fans.

Since that amazing run in England, Pakistan was beaten in a Test and ODI series in Sri Lanka. It is hard to see Pakistan going all the way and winning the Champions Trophy, but they have the fire-power and flamboyance in their team that always make them dangerous.

If Pakistan can find their best form, then they have a shot at once again upsetting the Betting Odds and winning the title.

The ICC Champions Trophy Schedule

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Set to Begin

ICC Champions Trophy started from 22^nd September 2009. The first cricket match is between Sri Lanka and South Africa. Both teams are in great form. The beginning match of the ICC Champions trophy is going to be a great match to watch as the both teams will firth well in the inauguration match. Match will start 12:30pm GMT, 6pm IST and 14:30 local time.

Live action of SA vs SL match will available on on following TV channels:

Sky sports will broadcast ICC Champions trophy in UK,Scotland,Wales and New Zealand. Fox Sports will broadcast ICC Champions trophy live in Australia. Star Cricket will show live feeds of SA vs SL match and all the matches of ICC trophy in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Singapore & Malaysia. DD National will also broadcast Live matches in India. Geo Super and PTV will also broadcast live stream of ICC matches in Pakistan.

Sehwag Plays Like Me Sachin's Talk

Little Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is the arrogance of Indian Cricket. He has got the batting fashion of his own which is evidently unmatched. But the super cricketer thinks otherwise.

Yes, the little master says, there is someone who is as talented as he himself is. In an interview to a TV channel he says, "Virendra Sehwag's batting method matches to that of mine. He is wonderfully talented and has got great performance. His aggressive approach of mind has got it all may that's the reason why the bowlers panic to bowl at him."

That's seems to be quite rightly said by the legendary cricketer as the big bully bowlers around the globe really fear to bowl at him as well as his team mate Viru.

As Sehwag and Gambhir have been declared fit for The Champions trophy, India can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Gambhir Awarded As Castrol Best Cricketer of 2008

India opener Gautam Gambhir on Thursday edged out teammate Virender Sehwag to be named the Castrol Cricketer of the Year 2008 at a dazzling function.

Gambhir, who was confirmed fit on Thursday to travel to South Africa with the Indian team for the ICC Champions Trophy after missing the previously held triangular series in Sri Lanka, received Rs five lakh and a trophy.

The left-hander, who scored over 1000 runs in Tests and ODIs in 2008, also won the best batsman of the year award while feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh won the best bowler of the year honors, worth a trophy and Rs two lakh each.

Swaggering batsman Sehwag and India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were stated the Test and One-Day cricketers of the year 2008.

Out of action since May because of a shoulder injury, Sehwag was personally present to receive the award while Dhoni, having addressed a media conference a couple of hours earlier at the same hotel, did not attend the function.

Both received Rs two lakh and a trophy to go with the award.

Former India middle order mainstay Gundappa Viswanath received the "Lifetime Achievement" award worth Rs five lakh while all rounder Ravindra Jadeja was named the best young cricketer of the year.

Batting genius Sachin Tendulkar and another sturdy Rahul Dravid were given special performance awards for becoming the first batsman to cross 12,000 runs in Tests and becoming the leading catcher in the traditional format of the game respectively.

Sehwag will Come back in this October

India starter Virender Sehwag will take up again playing cricket in a home match in October, after four months because of shoulder surgery.

Sehwag was elected in a Rest of India team on Wednesday that will play Mumbai for the Irani Trophy from Oct. 1-5 in Nagpur.

He has been tangential since injuring his shoulder during the Indian Premier League in May and being ruled out of India's Twenty20 World Cup team.

Sehwag also missed the recent limited-overs series in Sri Lanka and won't play in the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa.

India opener Gautam Gambhir was also strained out of the series in Sri Lanka with a groin injury and will be fine for the Champions Trophy.

Dhoni and Gambhir Selected to the Final list of Players for ICC Cricket Awards

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Delhi opener Gautam Gambhir, England captain Andrew Strauss and Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson have been selected in two types of categories for this year's International Cricket Council awards.

The quartets are all nominees for cricketer of the year while Gambhir, Strauss and Johnson are also in disputation for test cricketer of the year.

Dhoni is on the shortlist for the one-day cricketer of the year award he won last year.

Strauss lead England from the front to a memorable home Ashes series win over Australia while Gambhir and Johnson were plentiful during the year from August last year, the period considered for the prizes, an ICC release said on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera, who continued his form on return from injury sustained when the team bus was trapped by gunmen in Lahore in March, will also vie for the test player's award.

The one-day player shortlist features Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh and Caribbean batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul top the list for Twenty20 performances after steering the team to the World Cup in England this year.

Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan, whose modern shots lit up the tournament, and West Indies captain Chris Gayle have also been selected for their performances in the event.

Awards will also be given for promising player, women's cricketer and umpire of the year in Johannesburg on Oct. 1.

The test and one-day teams of the year will also be selected and an award given to the team who has remains most to the spirit of cricket.

Michael Clarke be worthy of the first crack at captaincy

Cricket Australia is yet to make known who will lead the team following Ponting's verdict to retire from Twenty20 internationals to focus on his Test and one-day career, but Ponting believes the 28-year-old Clarke, who was skipper for Australia's first three one-day internationals against England has earned his stripes.

''Michael has done a tremendous job in my absence, be it in Twenty20 or 50-over cricket. He's continued to grow as a player and a leader," said by Ponting.

''I know Cricket Australia said at my notice they'd wait until later in the year before they name the captain, but Michael's done everything right and deserves the first crack at it,'' Ponting added.

In the meantime, Ponting has made it clear he wants to return to England for the 2013 Ashes.

Ponting said that having made the resolution to retire from Twenty20 cricket internationally, he was hopeful about make longer his Test career and making it to the 2013 Ashes squad.

''It's hopefully going to give me a better opportunity to be able to do that and come back here,''

Ponting, who would be 38 by then, further said: When I made that announcement, it was about me wanting to play at the level I feel I can play at in 50-over cricket and Test cricket.

"With 20-over international cricket there at the moment it was just making it harder to be physically fit and mentally sharp for every game that I was playing. I looked at the tour very closely and over the next 12 months it's an opportunity to have up to another four-week break. That's going to hold me in good stead down the track.''

India Smashed out New Zealand, reach final

India's come back to international cricket showed they were oxidized with the bat but exactly right with the ball. With a superficial win, they knocked New Zealand out of the Compaq Cup, winning by six wickets at Colombo's Premadasa Stadium.

Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh made Kiwis second straight collapse in the Cup. Taking three wickets each, they bowled men in black for 155. The chase seemed easy - but for the small matter of the last 11 games at the venue won by the side batting first.

Sachin Tendulkar's 46 alleviate any nerves there might have been, before MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina come back in the middle order breakdown to take India to a win in the 41st over.

It puts India in Monday's final against Sri Lanka, who by virtue of their win over the Kiwis, had qualified earlier.

Among the talking points is Rahul Dravid's abrasive return in the blue jersey. Coming in at one-down after Dinesh Karthik's fall to Kyle Mills, Dravid was given a sweltering time by Shane Bond.

His 14 runs from 45 were in sharp contrast to Tendulkar, who fire away at a run-a-ball from the other end. They added 60 in 15 overs to effectively seal the game since New Zealand's best chance was in blowing away the Indian top order.

Bond tried his spirit out. He even managed to attract Dravid into a miscue that lobbed over the slip. But it wasn't going to be his day.

Kohli to change injured Gambhir for tri-series

Virat Kohli will substitute injured India starter Gautam Gambhir for the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka, the Indian cricket board said here on Thursday.

Gambhir anxious his groin muscle and will return home from Colombo to rest for 10 days, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a report.

India is already without Gambhir's hotheaded opening partner Virender Sehwag, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

Gambhir's injury is likely to throw him into doubt for the Champions Trophy, set to begin in South Africa on September 22.

Kohli, 20, played the last of his five one-day internationals against Sri Lanka in August 2008.

India opens their fight against New Zealand on Friday and play against the hosts the next day. Each side will play two league matches before the top two make it to the final on September 14.

India's squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Rudra Pratap Singh, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, Abhishek Nayar.

Team India Reached Sri-Lanka For The Tri Series Cricket Battle

The Indian cricket players arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Wednesday afternoon to play in the tri-nation Compaq Cup One-Day International competition.

The 15-member Indian squad arrived on board an Air India flight from Bangalore after their planned Jet Airways flight got cancelled due to the on-going pilots' strike of the private airline.

Air India operated a unique flight from Chennai at 1100hrs reach Bangalore from where it picked up the Men In Blue, including captain Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and R P Singh, who were busy playing for the Air India team in the BCCI corporate trophy.

Sehwag giving up vice-captaincy

Virender Sehwag has called for the Indian selectors to hand his role as vice-captain to a player who wants to become captain at some stage in the future.

Sehwag was appointed as an assistant to Mahendra Singh Dhoni when the wicketkeeper-batsman took charge following Anil Kumble's leaving last year, but says he has no aim of captaining India in the long term. This being the case, he has asked authorities to relieve him of his obligation as vice-captain.

"I don't want to be a skipper, I have already told selectors about it," Sehwag told.
"I have said that a new player should be made vice-captain and be prepared to be a captain. I want that I should continue to gain runs and keep winning matches for the side."

Sehwag is currently getting better from a shoulder injury continued during the Indian Premier League, and hopes to return to action for the Delhi Daredevils in the Twenty20 Champions League next month.

The forceful opening batsman also revealed that Sourav Ganguly is the best Indian captain he has played under.

"Sourav Ganguly has been the best skipper India ever had," Sehwag said. "Sourav took over as captain of the India cricket team when it was going through a very bad scrap.

"The Indian team was struggling to come out of the match-fixing dishonor. He had a responsibility to put together a new team and he did a splendid job."

Compaq Cup Tri Series

The cute and small Island, Sri Lanka will play host to a One Day International Tri Series concerning New Zealand and India. The Compaq cup will see a commentary team from Ten Sports including Tony Grieg, Ian Bishop, Mike Haysman and Arun Lal.

Currently at no. 2 in the team ODI Rankings, India will be the hot talkative team in the competition. But given the erratic nature of the game, the contest between the three teams will be severe. For India, all eyes will be on Rahul Dravid the wall of the Indian cricket team as he makes a return to One Day cricket after about two years.

The Indian side, have had an interval from International cricket and to get the boys back into a match fitness state, a training camp was organized at the national cricket academy in Bangalore. The main focal point of the camp was fitness and dealing with the individuals, on a one to one basis was the newly appointed fitness trainer - Ramji Srinivasan along with the support staff of Coach Gary Kirsten and the mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton.

For the Men in Black, the One Day edition is much more their cup of tea as they have won six and drawn one of their last eight series. Captain Vettori, restated this fact when he confessed that, they were certainly stronger in the limited-overs format because it apted some of the boys better. He felt that with the experience of playing Test cricket in the region, would have strengthened a few of the players for the limited-overs series. He had high hopes particularly for the batsmen in the side. New Zealand has some workforce changes, such as fast bowlers Kyle Mills, Shane Bond and Ian Butler and relative rookies Brendon Diamanti and Neil Broom, but the core group stays the same.

The hosts, Sri Lanka would look to take advantage of the home conditions. In the ICC ODI rankings they do stand a poor 7th, and would look at the tri series to move them to a higher position. With stalwarts such as Sanath Jayasuriya in their ranks, the younger members of the team will only benefit with his presence. At the age of 40 it’s not astonishing that he has played the most number of one day international cricket than anyone else in the world. In his 20 year career he has played in 435 matches amassing 13202 runs with his highest score of 189!.

The action will open out from September the 8th. With the sides gearing up for the Champions Trophy, later in the month, this series will be fought in full seriousness to gain that crucial mental edge. Sri Lanka and New Zealand are part of the same group with India in the other.

All the action of the tri-series can be seen live on Ten Sports.

This series promises to confirm most detractors wrong, that one day cricket is slowly dying. With close encounters that New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India can provide in the 50 over set up just goes to show that all formats of the great game of cricket can exist independent of each other.

Sehwag Keen in a Comeback

Virender Sehwag, who is in the treatment to a shoulder injury, is looking to return to international matches with the Twenty20 Champions League going to be played in the next month.

Sehwag, who has been out of the squad since returning to the home midway through the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June, will be absent for the tri-series in Sri Lanka as well as the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

“I am working hard on my shoulder and on tenterhooks that I will be fit before the Champions League T20,” Sehwag said.

“My treatment is going really well. I am pushing myself hard. After first week of September, I will start batting properly in the nets. Normally I am throwing 20 or 50 balls a day but from second or third week of September I will start throwing more and try to play the local tournament if I get a chance,” Sehwag said.

Sehwag, who kicked up a paddle after highlighting the partiality in selection matters of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), said he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting with DCCA president Arun Jaitley.

“We had an optimistic meeting with Arun Jaitley and other members of the DDCA. Even Mr. M.K. Pataudi joined the meeting at my request and I am thankful to him.”
Sehwag said that he was not targeting anyone in DDCA, but was only opposed to the selection system.

“My fight is in opposition to the selection system. You have to change the system and put some good people who can look after cricket.”

India Had A Chance to Head the Point Tabel in ICC ODI Ranking

A clean-hit in the tri-series in opposition to Sri Lanka and New Zealand will sling India to the number one mark in the ICC One-day rankings for the first time.

India to play a tri-series in Sri Lanka shortly this week and if Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men can win all the three matches then India will go on top of the stand for the first time since the rankings were introduced in October 2002.

In the meantime, England, who knocked off Australia from the top in Tests, will have another chance to get their archrivals in the ODI rankings during the seven match ODI series which starts at The Oval this Friday.

Andrew Strauss's men can exceed the Australians if they win 5-2 or better in the series, while for Ricky Ponting's side it will also be a chance to regain the number one position.

Australia at present occupies the third place with 119 ratings points, one place ahead of England, who have eight points.

South Africa heads the table with 127 ratings points followed by India on 126. However, England can move ahead of Australia if they win the series 7-0, 6-1 or 5-2.

If the hosts wins 7-0, they will push Australia to as low as seventh place, depending how the tri-nation series in Sri Lanka to be held from September 8-14 pans out.

A 5-2 series result in England's favor will put it on 118 ratings points and four in front of Australia.

For Australia to regain the number one mark not only they will have to win all the matches in opposition to England but will also need either New Zealand or Sri Lanka to beat India at least once in Colombo.

IPL tries to reconcile dispute with IMG

The president of India's cricket board will endeavor to determine a gash with sports management company IMG over its running of the worthwhile Indian Premier League Twenty20 contest.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India last week ended a 10-year contract with IMG, saying it fleeced the board for managing the IPL over its first two seasons.

A conference of the governing council of the IPL - run under the support of the BCCI - elected Wednesday to try to reconcile the dispute.

"BCCI president Shashank Manohar has been certified to deal with the IMG issue and report to the board at its annual general meeting on Sept. 24," BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla told reporters.

The BCCI working board objected to IMG being paid nearly US$10 million for the opening edition of the IPL in 2008, but still used the company for the second edition of the tournament, which was shifted from India to South Africa to avoid a clash with India's national elections.

The terms of the original contract had IMG getting 10 per cent of IPL revenues.

PIL filed a case to stop India from Tri –Series in Sri Lanka

A PIL has been filed with the Madras High Court looking for to stop the Indian side from visiting Sri Lanka for the tri-series allude to alleged human rights abuse against Tamils by the Sri Lankan government.

The campaigner, Joel Poul Antony, an advocate, said the international community would not respect India if it sent a team to play in Sri Lanka. The Madurai bench of the High Court issued notice to the ministries of Home, External Affairs and Youth and Sports Welfare as well as a private notice to the Indian board.

A 25-year war between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE finally came to an end in May this year after the revolutionary, fighting to create a separate nation for Sri Lanka's minority Tamils, were defeated.