Cricket: Indian team arrives in Ahmedabad for Test against NZ

The Indian team arrived here on Monday for their first match of the three-Test series against visitors New Zealand, starting November 4 at the Sardar Patel stadium, Motera.

The players including Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, coach Gary Kirsten, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, spinner Pragyan Ojha and others arrived at the Ahmedabad airport on Monday morning.

The Indian team is likely to practice at the stadium later in the afternoon, officials of the Gujarat Cricket Association said.

For Tendulkar this venue has always been a happy hunting ground. He had scored his career's first double century at Motera stadium against New Zealand in 1999.

He also celebrated his 20 years in Test cricket at the same stadium by scoring a century against Sri Lanka in November 2009.

The batting maestro, who is just one ton short of scoring his 50th Test century, would be looking forward to setting up one more record during the Test match here.

Tendulkar has 49 Test and 58 half centuries, and has the highest number of runs 14,240, in the longer format of the game.


Read more >>

Bad cricket match bets turned them into thieves

Four youths, who allegedly turned to burglary after losing money in cricket betting, were arrested in south Delhi, police said on Friday.

The arrested have been identified as Anil Verma (25), the gang leader, Vikas Jain (22), Danish Ahmad (24) and Sumit Sharma (23). Jain holds a degree in computer applications.

With their arrest, five incidents of burglaries and thefts have been solved and 100 grams of gold ornaments, two laptops and Rs. 55,000 cash have been recovered.

The youths were arrested from Chirag Dilli on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) HGS Dhaliwal said.

Verma, the leader of the gang, had been hospitalised with a leg injury which he had sustained while jumping from the rooftop after a burglary.

"Rest of the accused persons shared the booty and after giving share to Verma were planning to flee when they were caught," Dhaliwal said.

All the arrested were neighbours and childhood friends. Since their families had limited means, they took to other ways to pay for their needs. Subsequently they started betting on cricket matches and lost a huge amount.

"They borrowed money from the local money lender at 10 per cent per month. But soon they were under huge debt. In order to come out of their debt they hatched the plan of committing thefts in the neighbourhood," Dhaliwal said.

The gang used to target flats on top floors. Jain and Sharma used to stay on the roadside while Ahmad and Verma used to enter the house through terrace after breaking open the window or door of the house from the terrace, he said.

Kochi IPL team gets termination notice

The Kochi team has been given one last chance at survival with the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council unanimously deciding to issue a termination notice to it and giving it 30 days to explain why the franchise should not be terminated.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar said after the council meeting in Nagpur today, that the Kochi franchise's breach was a remedial one and not like that of the other two teams that had been disqualified - the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab. So, he said, it had been given a month to respond.

Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals were ousted earlier this month due to several violations of their contract with the BCCI.

The Kochi IPL team is owned by the Gaikwad family's Rendezvous Sports World Private Limited. Speaking to NDTV after the decision, Satyajit Gaikwad said, "We are thankful that they have given us enough time to tie up our differences. We had asked for a grace period of 10 days but we got 30, so I am sure we will do it at the earliest."

Tendulkar Admires His Selection in All Time World XI

Recently the ESPNcricinfo has released the all time World XI team comprising of current and past legends of cricket. In fact two teams have been released by them as World XI first team and World XI second team.

The selection was purely on the basis of voting by 12 member jury. Sachin Tendulkar was the only cricketer who got a place in the World XI team among all cricketers of India.

That is really marvelous and a prestige symbol for Tendulkar and for whole India.

Tendulkar reportedly is quite amazed on his selection in the team and is still trying to come out of this sweet surprise.

He said that being a part of the team comprising of all extraordinary cricketers from around the globe is really fascinating for him.

The all time World XI declared by ESPN-cricinfo four players from Australia, three from West Indies, two from England and one from Pakistan besides Sachin Tendulkar. No players from other cricket playing countries like Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, South Africa or Bangladesh could get a place in the all time World XI team.

For Sachin Tendulkar getting selected in a team having Don Bradman is something like a ‘dream come true’ for him. Sir Don Bradman once told in a press conference that when he sees Tendulkar playing cricket, it reminded him as if he himself was playing.

Such is the similarity Sir Don Bradman finds in the playing style of Sachin Tendulkar. That statement itself is a precious and priceless award from Sir Don Bradman.

Tendulkar said he would have loved to play in real with all the players of all time World XI specifically Sir Don Bradman with whom he would have loved to bat on field, discuss the game, walk with him and have lunch together during the break.

He also would have liked to play a memorable partnership innings with Sir Vivian Richards. He further added that the great bowlers like Hobbs and Hutton would be the best company on a ground to discuss about playing on an uncovered wicket or similar ideas.

He finds it very good that during his tenure of more than two decades in cricket career, he has played in one form or the other (or has watched them playing) with around 60% of the players of all time World XI team.

Remembering his golden time with most of these players is a collection of great moments for Tendulkar. He remembers his playing county with Malcolm Marshall, playing against Viv Richards in an exhibition match, playing Lillee’s bowling in a net practice at the MRF Pace Academy and so on.

Afridi wanted Shoaib Malik, not Younis Khan

Pakistan's cricket selectors ignored suggestions from the national team's captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis by recalling former captain Younis Khan for the one-day International series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.

The captain and coach wanted all-rounder Shoaib Malik in the team as a replacement for injured Mohammad Yousuf, but the selectors instead picked up Younis Khan on Wednesday.

Yousuf was ruled out of the limited-overs series against South Africa after he ruptured a muscle in his right leg.

A report in The News said Thursday that Afridi and Waqar had instead asked for the inclusion of discarded all-rounder Shoaib Malik in the squad for the two Twenty20 and five One-day Internationals against South Africa to be played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

" Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the national selectors did not agree with the suggestions coming from the captain and the coach, and opted to go for Younis Khan's inclusion in the team," the report said.

Interestingly, Younis, who is a Test specialist, will now have to prove his form and fitness in one-day games to be considered for next month's two-Test series against the Proteas.

According to Mohsin Khan, Pakistan's chief selector, Younis Khan has only been selected for the one-day series (he has already retired from Twenty20 internationals) and might play in the Tests if he proves his form before the series.

The report said that Afridi and Waqar were of the view that Malik could have been useful for Pakistan in the Twenty20 and one-day games because of his utility as an all-rounder.

However, the PCB decided against recalling Malik in the national team and have given him the command of a team that will represent the country in Hong Kong Sixes tournament to be played next month.

Younis Khan cleared to play for Pakistan

Pakistan's former captain Younis Khan was cleared to play for his country on Wednesday after resolving a long-running battle with the cricket board.

"Younis has given a written undertaking which was required to clear him and he will be soon be back in the team," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said.

"Younis has got a letter of clearance," confirmed close friend, Basit Ali.

The 32-year-old batsman had been banned indefinitely on charges of violating a players' code of conduct after Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia, which ended in February.

Six other players, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal, were also banned and fined.

Except for Yousuf, who retired, they all appealed against the sanctions.

A tribunal run by retired judge Irfan Qadir overturned the bans and halved the fines against six players. Yousuf was allowed to play on Pakistan's recent tour of England, which was mired in a separate spot-fixing scandal.

The PCB ordered Younis to apologise for statements made to the media criticising the cricket board for having taken strict steps, but the former captain refused.

Chief selector Mohsin Khan told reporters that Younis would be part of the limited over squad against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.

After monitoring his progress, he may also be included for a Test series against South Africa, Khan said.

Experienced batsman Mohammad Yousuf has been ruled out of the limited overs due to injury.

Pakistan plays the first Twenty20 match in Abu Dhabi on October 27.

Younis last played a one-day for Pakistan in January during the tour of Australia. He played the last of his 63 Tests in Sri Lanka last year.

He led Pakistan to its World Twenty20 title in England last year. He relinquished the captaincy after falling out with teammates in November.

Read more:

Clarke to play every Test, ODI and Twenty20 in next five months

Australia Test vice-captain Michael Clarke, who has put cricket first, is planning to play every single Test, ODI and Twenty20 match on Australia's agenda for the next five months.

That includes two ODIs in India, a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka in Perth on October 31, three ODIs against Sri Lanka, five Ashes Tests after a possible two Sheffield Shield games for NSW, seven ODIs and two Twenty20s against England and then a return to the subcontinent for a maximum of nine matches at the World Cup.

Clarke may be cricket's most eligible bachelor but he only has room in his life for one thing at the moment.

"I don't let anything get in the way of my cricket these days. Media commitments, sponsorship commitments, my personal life, my family, my friends, that all has to wait. If I've got training at a certain time, I've got training," FOX Sports quoted him, as saying.

Cricket Australian has rested Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson ahead of a gruelling summer, but Clarke is yet to receive any instructions from the board about having a break.

"I'm lucky that I've got so much support from family, friends, sponsors, everyone. It's like doing an interview. I'm happy to talk but it's last on the list. Once training is done, I'm fine. But preparing for our next match, every day, is what comes first," he said. (ANI)

Indian Premier League cancels two franchises

India's cricket board has cancelled two Indian Premier League franchises partly owned by leading Bollywood actresses, deepening the turmoil in the country's highest profile sports league.

The league has attracted the world's best players and leading multinational advertisers, including Citigroup C and Vodafone but has been in tumult since the auction of two new franchises early this year led to accusations of interference in the sale by Lalit Modi, the founder and then head of the league, against a government minister.

Both men were subsequently forced to leave their jobs and last month Mr Modi was banished from all posts at the Board of Control for Cricket in India amid allegations of financial irregularities during his tenure at the league when more than USD 4bn in sponsorship, advertising, team franchise and other commercial deals were signed.

The cricket board, a non-profit trust, late Sunday announced it would cancel the franchises of the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab, partly controlled by actresses Shipla Shetty and Preity Zinta respectively, over ambiguities in their ownership. The Royals won the league's first tournament in 2008.

"In both these cases, the initial bid was made by one company, but the agreement with the IPL was entered into with another company," said Shashank Manohar, the board's president.

The board did not indicate why the discrepancy had become of such import since the two 10-year franchises were sold almost three years ago, but local media tied the expulsion to Mr Modi's own ouster. The board declined comment.

The board though also warned the investors who won the franchise for Kochi - whose sale in March set off the league's tumult - that they would need quickly to resolve internal disagreements over the ownership structure for the new team. The Kochi and Pune franchises sold for a combined $703m, more than the combined price paid for the original eight teams.

The latest controversy, after a string of others involving politicians, players and cricket barons, could lead some big sponsors to reconsider their affiliation with the six-week annual league tournament.

Shane Warne, the Royals' Australian skipper and a three-year veteran of the squad, expressed shock at the expulsion of his team.

"Just woke up to news that Royals and Kings out of IPL4, don't know anything yet,'' he wrote on his Twitter feed. "It's a big shock for Royals, will hopefully get to the bottom of it all. I hope the BCCI come to their senses, fingers crossed."

Based on the abbreviated made-for-TV Twenty20 format of the game, the Indian Premier League is counted as one of the proudest symbols of a modern India.

Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant industrialist and owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers team, came out in support of the ejected teams. "This is downright ridiculous and raises serious questions on the attitude of the BCCI towards IPL franchisees," he said in a Twitter message.

India-Australia classic lifts the shadow

Test cricket is alive and well and lets thank India and Australia. These two teams, no matter what the rankings say, or where they play, have developed an extraordinary competitive chemistry that takes the highest form of the game to the highest plane.

Uncannily, when the shadow of corruption looms darkly over the game, it seems to fall on these sides to bring light again. In 2001 they delivered one of the greatest Test series of all, after cricket's foundations had been jolted by the match-fixing scandal. The spot-fixing allegations were relatively less damaging, so suitably, they restricted themselves to one great Test this time. Notwithstanding the wretched saga of the IPL, which rumbles on, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy managed to put cricket on the front pages for the right reasons once again.

Australia aren't the team they used to be, and it will be long before they can elicit awe again, but it must not be forgotten that they came within inches, literally, of winning the first Test. The Indian batting had far more class, and their bowling more experience and nous, but despite the 2-0 margin Australia were not rolled over. Even in Bangalore, where India ended up jogging to a win, Australia weren't out of the game until the second hour of the final day.

The Mohali Test will be impossible to better, but in its own way, Bangalore produced a multi-layered and satisfying game. And most satisfyingly, it was played before stands vibrating with passion and enthusiasm. It was a largely partisan and raucous crowd, and a few of them shamed themselves by booing the Australians on the opening day, but sitting in the stands it was also easy to find those who were knowledgeable and appreciative of the unique appeal of Test cricket.

In the row ahead of us sat a gentleman who spoke of the days when the great Indian spinners, and then Sunil Gavaskar and GR Viswanath, sustained his love for the game. He had travelled from Chennai and was spending five days in a guest house in Bangalore to watch the game. He applauded the Australians and appreciated the judgement of the umpire who ruled a close lbw decision in favour of an Australian batsman, but the sight of Sachin Tendulkar brought out the child in him. His whistling was one the highlights of the day. It was piercing and energetic, but the joyousness of it was striking. It was infectious.

There were many like him, and they went home rewarded, not merely by an Indian victory or a virtuoso performance from their adored hero, but by a game that stayed alive and full of possibilities for the most part.

The worry about dwindling crowds for Test cricket is legitimate and justifiable. But it is sometimes overstated and some of the suggested remedies are based on unsound assumptions. Sections of the print media have begun to realise the folly of trying to compete with the immediacy and visceral appeal of television. The sensuous and contemplative aspects of Test cricket are what appeal to its followers. It is true that it has gained from the energy and vitality that the players have brought to it from the shorter forms, but it doesn't need to tart itself up to remain attractive.

Bangalore Test chase India's 8th best

India's win on Wednesday in the second Test match against Australia is their eighth best win while chasing and their 10th overall while chasing a target of 200 or more in the fourth innings.

Interestingly, seven of the 10 wins have come after 2000 and three have come in the last three Tests. India's first win while chasing a total in excess of 200 also game against the Aussies at home way back in 1964-65. India had then chased 254 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

And India's biggest victory while chasing still remains the 403 against West Indies that was achieved in Port-of-Spain in the 1975-76 series.

Here's a list of India's top 10 200-plus Test wins achieved while chasing:

403 vs West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1975-76

387 vs England at Chennai in 2008-09

264 vs Sri Lanka at Kandy in 2001-02

257 vs Sri Lanka at Colombo in 2010

254 vs Australia in Mumbai (Brabourne Stadium) in 1964-65

230 vs Australia at Adelaide in 2003-04

216 vs Australia at Mohali in 2010-11

207 vs Australia at Bangalore in 2010-11

203 vs Pakistan at Delhi in 2007-08

200 vs New Zealand at Dunedin in 1967-68

Spinners restrict Australia to 202 for seven

Indian spinners raised hopes of an exciting finish to the second and final cricket Test against Australia by reducing the visitors to 202 for seven after Sachin Tendulkar slammed his sixth double hundred here today.

Riding on Tendulkar’s marathon 214, India took a slender 17-run first innings as they folded for 495 at stroke of lunch in reply to Australia’s 478.

Indian tweakers Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh then bowled superbly to reduce Australia to 202 for seven at stumps on day four at M Chinnaswamy stadium.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting batted with resolve for his 72 before being trapped by paceman Zaheer Khan at the fag end of the penultimate day of the match.

Ponting was the highest-scorer for the team and struck seven boundaries and a six in his 117-ball knock.

Australia, who are seeking a series—levelling win, are leading by 185 runs with lower-order batsmen to contend a fired-up Indian bowling unit.

Mitchell Johnson (7) and Nathan Hauritz (8) will resume the Australian innings tomorrow.

Pragyan Ojha snared three batsmen while Harbhajan Singh took two wickets as Australia slumped from 94 for three to 202 for seven in the last session.

Openers Shane Watson (34) and Simon Katich (24) made a good start by adding 58 runs for the first wicket but India clawed their way back by striking thrice swiftly.

Left—armer Ojha trapped Watson to draw first blood in the 17th over while Harbhajan Singh removed Katich three balls later to rattle the Australians.

A tremendous piece of work by Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the wickets resulted in Michael Clarke’s dismissal.

A sharply turning ball from Ojha deceived Clarke to reach the gloves of Dhoni, who took the bails off with lightening speed leaving the batsman short of crease.

Earlier, India suffered a dramatic lower-order collapse after Tendulkar was bowled by debutant Peter George as the hosts lost last four wickets for just nine runs.

Tendulkar leads India's charge on Day 3

Sachin Tendulkar closed in on yet another double hundred, as India piled on the runs against Australia in the second Test at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Monday.

At stumps, on day three (after 122 overs), the home team had amassed 435 for five, just 43 runs adrift of Australia's first innings total.

Play was called off because of bad light for the third successive day with three overs left to be bowled.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on a superlative 191. Giving him company was captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on 11.

Tendulkar's 319-ball knock was inclusive of 20 hits to the fence and two over it.

The Master Blaster, having become the first batsman in Test history to surpass 14,000 runs (when on 27) a day earlier, reached his 49th Test ton before lunch with a six off Nathan Hauritz. It was his first century in Bangalore in 12 years and he ensured it was an occasion to remember.

Success was certainly sweet for the legend, who missed out on a hundred in the opening Test at Mohali, getting out on 98 in the first innings.

Tendulkar didn't stop there. He closed in on a double hundred, his aggressive innings regaling a vociferous crowd that kept chanting his name throughout the day.

In the course of his innings, Tendulkar also became the contemporary batsman with the highest Test average.

Mitchell Johnson, with figures of three for 89, was the best bowler in what was otherwise a vapid Australian bowling performance.

Legend called Laxman

I love watching cricket matches only in my casual pastime and with the unending controversy over match-fixing my interest in the sport has waned further. However, I enjoyed Team India’s thrilling victory over the formidable Aussies at Mohali recently.

The twists and turns throughout the match and India’s poor show reminded me of a car driving on a bumpy road and sometimes a boat sailing smoothly in a calm sea. The match ended with the Indian team beating their fierce rivals in an unusual display of courage to fight back. VVS Laxman- the stylish stroke-maker, who made possible what looked “impossible”, once again proved that he is India’s man at the moment.

It’s not that Laxman has become important all of a sudden only after this match. He is a valuable player and has been instrumental in Team India’s victory in crucial matches in past, especially in fourth innings chases.

However, this time by steering his side to a remarkable victory despite all odds, Laxman has proved that he truly is indispensable and of the same stature as Dravid, Ganguly or even Tendulkar in the longer version of the sport.

At Mohali, he came to the crease at a time when all big names had fallen. He kept the strike rotating on his own although wickets tumbled at the other end. With brilliant support from tail-ender Ishant Sharma, Laxman not only battled severe back-pain but also single-handedly enabled his side to register a spectacular one-wicket Test victory over Australia.

When many of us doubted India’s prospect of winning against a team like Australia, it was Laxman, who kept alive our hopes that victory can still be ours even if the scorecard read 124/8 and predicted a different story.

Read more >>

Sachin on ICC award

Sachin Tendulkar has won his first ICC award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, by being named the Cricketer of the Year during the 2010 ICC Award ceremony in Bangalore. He also won the LG People's Choice Award for 2010.

Tendulkar spoke to NDTV in an exclusive interview after the ceremony. Here is the transcript.

NDTV: Well.. ICC cricketer of the year and of course people's choice also, Sachin many many congratulations. Of course it's very special coming as it does a day after the spectacular win coming from Mohali. Were you at any point nervous, like the rest of us chewing on our nails?

Sachin Tendulkar: Yes, we were actually sitting in the dressing room..I was sitting with MS, Sehwag.. Ya, I mean only three of us basically, and we had one topic going on and we didn't want to change that topic. We ran out of stories but we said no, we need to continue doing that, a bit of superstitious thing but it was fantastic victory and unbelievable what Laxman did for us and also not to forget what a tremendous character Ishant Sharma has shown.

NDTV: Sachin speaking of tremendous achievement, a huge achievement for you today, two awards, a surprise really for all of us who've followed your career that this is the first time you are actually getting the award.

Sachin Tendulkar: It's better late than never. You keep working hard for it and you know it's come in the 21st year of my international career. So, it's fantastic. As I said earlier, better late than never..so it feels great.

Read more >>

Clarke to lead Australia in ODI series against India

Michael Clarke will lead a largely inexperienced Australian side in one-day series against India after regular skipper Ricky Ponting was rested as part of the team’s World Cup and Ashes plans.

Apart from Ponting, paceman Mitchell Johnson and all-rounder Shane Watson will also skip the three-match series, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Player workload management is particularly important over the course of the next seven months as we prepare a squad to defend the World Cup in India and the subcontinent and to win the Ashes back from England,” national selection panel (NSP) chairman Andrew Hilditch said in the statement.

“With that in mind, Ricky Ponting will not take part in this one-day series. The NSP has decided as part of the ongoing management of Ricky’s workload he should not take part in this series. The demands of back-to-back test matches in tough Indian conditions have been taken into consideration.”

Hilditch said it was also important to manage the workload of both Johnson and Watson who figure prominently in Australia’s World Cup scheme.

Uncapped fast bowlers James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc will join Clint McKay and Doug Bollinger in the four-man pace attack, while Callum Ferguson returned after a knee injury.

The one day series starts on October 17 in Kochi with Visakhapatnam (October 20) and Margao (October 24) hosting the other matches.

Squad: Michael Clarke (captain), Cameron White (vice captain), Doug Bollinger, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Mike Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.

India vs Australia Test Series Preview

BCCI reschedule the Australia in India tour with a 2-Test and 3-ODI series instead of the originally scheduled 7-match ODI series. They changed the schedule of the tour after, India’s team reached the Number one rank in the five-day game format.

Now India team is the current champions in the five-day game format. They did not take the light in this series against former No-1 side. India will not lose their first rank after this series as well. Indian team will continue in top spot even though they lost the test series with 0-2. If India won this series with 2-0 then their position will stronger.

Australia played more test matches than India played in last three years. The team has more wins and more losses compared to India. Australia played 33 matches, in that they won 17 matches, lost 9 matches and made draw in 7 matches in the past three years. India played 28 matches, in that they won 13 matches, lost 6 matches and made draw in 9 matches in the past three years.

In their 13 head-to-head matches both teams are won four matches each and made draw in five matches in last six years

Modi can make a comeback: Bindra

The former chairman and commissioner of IPL Lalit Modi has yet again found support from former BCCI and current Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) President I S Bindra.

"I have never believed that anyone can be marginalised for ever. Everyone is bound to make a comeback," Bindra told the reporters during an interaction on Thursday.

He was speaking in reference to BCCI's decision to completely shun Modi from Board's activities including revamping the IPL governing council.

Bindra cited Jagmohan Dalmiya's example, who was once the biggest enemy of the board and has now been cleared off all charges during the AGM in Mumbai on Wednesday.

"My friend Mr Dalmiya is back. So you can't say that you can keep someone out forever," he said.

Bindra and BCCI treasurer M P Pandove who is secretary of PCA also clarified that despite BCCI removing Modi from all important posts, he will remain PCA's vice-president.

"The board is investigating all charges against Modi. As far as PCA is concerned, he remains one of our vice-presidents," Pandove informed.

Meanwhile, Bindra played down the issue of former India captain and legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar not retained in the IPL Governing Council and subsequently not informed about his removal.

"Sunil is not a part of the board. As a PCA president, I am a part of the board. Sunil has freedom of expression and accordingly he has said that he is surprised," Bindra said.

The PCA has got 44 acres of land to built another state of the art stadium in New Chandigarh. Bindra, who is not keeping well these days, said that once the stadium takes shape, he plans to quit as a cricket administrator in 2012.

Back to Google News Cricket captain Salman Butt appeals against ban

Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt has appealed against his provisional suspension from cricket over spot-fixing allegations, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat said Wednesday.

Butt, together with fast bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, was banned from playing by the ICC after allegations made by Britain's News of the World they'd been involved in a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls during last month's Test against England at Lord's as part of a betting scam.

The allegations have since become the subject of a Scotland Yard investigation.

All the trio had the right of appeal and Lorgat said Butt had taken up the option, which will now be subject to a new hearing.

"We are making good progress," Lorgat told BBC television

"Just yesterday (Tuesday) we received a request from Salman Butt to consider lifting the suspension," the South African added. "As expeditiously as possible, we will conduct a hearing to consider that appeal."

Lorgat's comments came just hours after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt flew into England and refused to apologise for his part in the ongoing 'fixing' row.

Pakistan's recent tour of England, where they also played Australia in a neutral series, was marred by spot-fixing allegations.

The tour ended in acrimony when Ijaz Butt alleged England players were paid "enormous amounts of money" to lose the third one-day international at The Oval, sparking a furious row between the two countries' cricket officials.

England players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have threatened legal action unless they receive an unreserved apology from Ijaz Butt who, at the time, said he was just repeating something he'd heard from bookmakers.

Lorgat added Ijaz Butt, who flew into London on Tuesday, was due to meet with ECB chairman Giles Clarke later on Wednesday.

Ijaz Butt gave little away when asked by reporters after getting off his plane Tuesday if he'd apologise.

"I will talk to you people once I am through with my visit here."

As to whether he was ready for legal action if he didn't apologise, Ijaz Butt said: "It depends, we'll see what happens.

"There is a lot of confusion, once I am through (with this visit) most of this confusion will be overcome."

His comments could lead to his own suspension as an ICC director, a post he holds by virtue of his PCB role, because he appears to have breached the code of ethics that governs all those who are directors of cricket's global governing body.

However, the ICC are waiting to see if England and Pakistan can resolve the matter between them before taking any action themselves.

Srinivasan all set to be elected as BCCI chief

N. Srinivasan, currently the Cricket Board’s secretary, is all set to be elevated as the next president-elect at the BCCI’s 81st Annual General Meeting here on Wednesday.

As per BCCI rotation policy, it is the turn of south zone, to which Mr. Srinivasan belongs, to take over the reins of the Board next year after the turn of central zone.

The Board’s general body is also expected to oust suspended Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi from his post of vice-president from the central zone with Rajiv Shukla being the front-runner to replace him.

All the current office bearers of the Board, including president Shashank Manohar and secretary Srinivasan, are well-poised to be elected unopposed for another year in the two plus one system of governance adopted by the BCCI.

The list includes treasurer M.P. Pandove and joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale. All of them have completed two years in their posts and have to be re-elected for the third year.

While Arun Jaitley (north), N Shivlal Yadav (south) and Arindam Ganguly (east) are set to retain their seats, Chirayu Amin (west) has to give way to another person from the same zone after having completed his term.

Through an amendment to its memorandum of rules and regulations, which is to be done at the AGM, the BCCI is also set to bring the IPL Governing Council’s tenure to one year like all its other sub-committees. Its tenure originally is for five years.

This move, being done in the aftermath of the suspension of Modi against whom several charges of irregularities in running the Twenty20 League have been levelled by the Board, will effectively also see his ouster from the BCCI altogether.

The charges against Modi are currently being investigated by a three-member disciplinary panel of the Board, whose findings would determine his immediate future in the Board.

The Governing Council will be reconstituted after this amendment and according to BCCI sources five members would be appointed by the AGM along with two ex-cricketers while all the principal office bearers of the Board will be its ex-officio members.

Read more >>

Gambhir does not come out to bat against Australia

India opener Gautam Gambhir, who was hit on his wrist by a rising delivery during Australia's tour opener against Board President XI, did not came out to bat on Monday and opted to take rest.

However the doctor who attended him on Sunday said it was just a precautionary measure and there was nothing to worry about.

"It's only natural for him to rest and not to aggravate things (in a practice game). He should be fit and fine soon," the doctor said.

Making a comeback after an injury, the Board President's XI skipper on Sunday got out to a rising delivery from Australian speedster Ben Hilfenhaus during their warm-up.

The southpaw was hit near the right hand wrist area making him shake his hand for a while before returning to the pavilion.

His hand wrapped in an ice pack, the Indian opener was rushed to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital at Sector 16 and a senior orthopedician from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) was summoned.

An MRI of his hand was also done, but luckily there was no injury, the doctor who accompanied Gambhir from the stadium to the hospital, had said.

On Monday, Gambhir did not come out to field when the Aussies resumed their second innings.

Later, when Australia declared their second innings, Gambhir did not come out to bat as Ajinkaya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan opened the innings.

Ironically, Dhawan retired hurt after a speeding delivery from Hilfenhaus struck him close to his ear.

In another incident on Sunday, Virender Sehwag was hit on his right knee and he was immediately taken off after an Ishant Sharma delivery hit the batsman.

The incident had happened when the Indian Test squad members were practising at the PCA stadium at Mohali.

The future stars of the England cricket team

Selecting players with an eye on the future rather than winning in the present is a devilishly tricky business. Other criteria tend to apply such as promise and potential, and there is a willingness to experiment or back a hunch which may not be affordable when the stakes are higher.

Thus, the Performance Programme Squad which was announced yesterday as a shadow unit for the Ashes, may be the England team somewhere down the line. But it probably will not.

For instance, there were no fewer than 41 players named in the Performance Programme last year (you had to be a real dud not to receive the nod) split into categories. Of the 15 in the top two loists A and B - that is, judged to be closest to the England team - eight are absent from yesterday's list, presumably consigned to international history. Of the 22 in list C only two have earned promotion.

But there are undoubtedly some exciting names and in choosing them the selectors are not only sticking a pin in the donkey's tail.

Jonny Bairstow

Two years ago he was the first Wisden School Cricketer of the Year after an astonishing season for St Peter's School, York. This summer he played enough swashbuckling, mature innings for Yorkshire to suggest that such future plaudits may have a wider base.

He is the son of the late Yorkshire and England wicketkeeper, David, and like his dad has the nickname, Blue (because he has red hair obviously). Yet to score a first-class hundred, there were eight fifties in his 29 innings this year and a willingness to ensure that he took the responsibility.

He has also been tried as a wicketkeeper, a role at which he may not excel. In an exciting Yorkshire side, ably led by Andrew Gale, Bairstow's assurance at the crease regularly caught the eye. England are clearly keen now that he be part of the next generation.

Full Story >>

CL T20: Chennai win, face B'lore in semis

Chennai went on to beat the Warriors by 10 runs on Wednesday and set up a semifinal clash with Bangalore in the Champions League. The spinners played an instrumental role in defending a paltry 136 by claiming six of the eight wickets to fall.

Warriors' chase never gained momentum, more so against the spinners than the faster men. The South African club never looked in against R Ashwin who opened the bowling with Doug Bollinger. And later spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, Shadab Jakati and part-timer Suresh Raina joined Ashwin to have Warriors in knots.

They kept losing way with wickets at regular intervals. Ashwell Prince (9) fell to a superb one-handed diving catch from fellow South-African Justin Kemp at the slips. It started the slide with the score at 24, which soon became 63/3 once Davy Jacobs (32) and Colin Ingram (17) fell to Shadab Jakati and Suresh Raina respectively.

It was clear that Warriors had one eye on 109, a score which would ensure a semifinal outing for them. But in doing that, they almost conceded the match to Chennai.

Once Warriors had 109 on board, Boucher did try to press home for a win, which in the end proved a little too late on a spinning track.

With 15 needed off the 20th over, bowled by Murali, the Warriors had their backs against the wall facing the wily Sri Lankan legend.

All-rounder Johan Botha looked at sea against the turning ball and in the end Warriors were found 10 runs short of the target.

Earlier in the evening, Justin Kreusch's 3/19 raised serious question marks over Chennai registering a win and qualifying for the semifinals in the must-win encounter against tournament favourites Warriors.

Chennai openers backed skipper MS Dhoni's decision to bat first with an opening stand that went from steady to authoritative as Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay registered fifty of the partnership.

But the hero of Warriors' bowling lineup, Justin Kreusch, struck in the nick of time by removing Vijay (35 off 27). It triggered a mini collapse for Chennai who lost 4 wickets for 36 runs after being 63 for no loss.

Suresh Raina (6) and S Badrinath (2) too fell prey to Kreusch's dream spell of 4-0-19-3. But the scorecard wore a worried look when Johan Botha got rid of top-scorer Hussey (50) soon after.

From there on, Warriors tightened their grip on the proceedings, stifling Dhoni and Anirudh Srikkanth for runs that came in ones and rare twos.

Just when it seemed the Warriors were executing their death-bowling plans to perfection, arrived a 17-run penultimate over that gave Chennai hope to finish with a flourish but it wasn't to be.

Rusty Theron removed Srikkanth (7) in the last over, followed by Justin Kemp's one-ball stay at the wicket that ended with him sacrificing his wicket to get Dhoni on strike.

The desperation didn't work for Dhoni and Chennai as Theron finished with a five-run last over that restricted Chennai to a paltry total of 136/6.

Chennai now face Bangalore and Warriors take on the Redbacks in the semifinals.

Guyana v South Australia Champions League Twenty20 Betting

A winless Guyana take on a South Australia side, that is unbeaten in the tournament so far, in the first dead-rubber of the Champions League 2010.

Guyana haven’t been able to maintain the reputation that Trinidad & Tobago built for West Indian club cricket in last year’s inaugural Champions League event when their fellow countrymen reached the final in India. Three resounding defeats so far offers little hope that they can salvage any pride against one of the tournament favourites in today’s early match.

With South Australia as short as 1/8 with many bookmakers there will be few interested in betting on the match odds market for this one. Instead I would advise looking at the top South Australia batsman market.

Michael Klinger has scored 197 runs from 153 balls in his three matches to date. To say that he is in scintillating form would be an underestimation of gross proportions, he is likely to thrive against the average bowling class of Guyana and at odds of 3/1 with Betfred to top score he is a very good value bet.

Australian cricket team arrive in Chandigarh

The Australian cricket team, led by captain Ricky Ponting, arrived in Chandigarh on Monday for a two-Test and three One-day International (ODI) series beginning Oct 1. The cricketers arrived in Chandigarh via Mumbai and New Delhi amid security concerns in the national capital following Sunday's shooting incident near Jama Masjid.

Ponting did not reply to any of the questions posed to him even though the Australian players looked relaxed.

Australian team manager Steve Bernard told IANS that the team was looking forward to the Test series in India.

"We are looking forward to a good tour here," Bernard said.

The Australian side will play a three-day warm-up game against the Board President's XI at Chandigarh's Sector 16 stadium in Chandigarh Sep 25-27.

The Australians will play their first Test at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in nearby Mohali from Oct 1.

ICC will take strict action: Pawar

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will take strict action against any player found guilty of indulging in any act of corruption that could harm the image of the game. ICC president Sharad Pawar said the probe into recent allegations of spot fixing was likely to be completed soon and the guilty would not be spared.

Mr. Pawar's observation came at the end of a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt, who flew into the capital on Wednesday to meet the ICC president. Mr. Butt's visit comes following the spot-fixing scandal that involves three Pakistan cricketers — Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif. All three have been suspended by the ICC.

Butt, Aamir and Asif are facing charges of colluding with a London-based bookie and indulging in spot fixing during Pakistan's tour of England. The three players were pulled out of the tour and sent to Pakistan on an understanding that they would return to England whenever the investigators (Scotland Yard) needed.

The ICC, stressed Mr. Pawar, was doing its best to tackle the issues of alleged corruption that have dented the image of cricket. “The ICC, and that includes the PCB, will never tolerate any nonsense or any corruption in the game of cricket. We would like to maintain the sanctity of cricket,” said Mr. Pawar.

The PCB chairman insisted that the PCB too would not tolerate any corruption in cricket. He added that the PCB was not “offended” by the ICC's decision to provisionally suspend the three cricketers. Mr. Butt supported the ICC's Code of Conduct that deals with corruption and also hoped that India and Pakistan would resume their cricketing ties soon.

Denies India's role

Denying any role by India in getting the three Pakistan players suspended, Mr. Pawar said, “The Scotland Yard is in the process of inquiring into the entire episode. When the investigation is completed and the report comes, and something is established, the ICC and Pakistan will take strong action.”

The ICC chief, however, cautioned that “without getting any authentic information or proof, we don't want to react and come to any conclusion.”

Andrew Flintoff calls time on cricket career

Andrew Flintoff has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket "with disappointment and sadness".

The injury-plagued all-rounder, 32, revealed the decision came after consultation with medical advisers.

He said: "Having been told my body would no longer stand up to the rigours of cricket, I had no alternative."

Lancashire star Flintoff played a key role in England's Ashes successes of 2005 and 2009 but had been dogged by knee problems in recent years.

He added in a statement: "I was told the problems I have been trying to overcome in rehab for the last year, following the latest of a series of operations, would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback.

"I would like to thank my family, Lancashire, England, all my sponsors, friends and advisers for all the help and support they have given me throughout my career.

"Last, but by no means least, I am indebted to the encouragement and support I have always received from England's magnificent supporters.

"I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take."

Flintoff retired from Test cricket at the end of the 2009 Ashes series, having another knee operation two days later, while turning down the offer of a new central contract from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

However, he repeatedly expressed his desire "to be the best one-day player in the world" and underlined his continued commitment to his country for limited-overs matches.

Flintoff signed a new three-year contract with Lancashire in November 2009 while undergoing injury rehabilitation in Dubai but was forced to call off a planned comeback for the county's 2nd XI this summer.

Although he was named in Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings' provisional squad for the Champions League Twenty20 and his agent Andrew Chandler revealed that Flintoff was close to signing a deal to play domestic Twenty20 cricket for Queensland, fears grew that he might never represent England again.

In 79 Tests, he scored 3,845 runs at an average of 31.77, with five centuries - and although he captured 226 wickets at 32.78, he only took five wickets in an innings on three occasions.

Born in Preston, Flintoff made his reputation in schoolboy cricket as a hard-hitting right-hander and right-arm fast bowler and he made his Test debut against South Africa in July 1998 at the age of 20.

England had struggled for much of the 1990s as Australia became the pre-eminent power of the cricketing world, and Flintoff was the latest of a number of all-rounders weighed down under the expectation of being "the new Ian Botham".

4 Pak cricketers to undergo dope tests in England

Four Pakistani cricketers will undergo dope tests before the third one-day international against England on Friday, a Pakistan team official said.

Team manager Yawar Saeed confirmed that a team of experts from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had reached London and had notified the Pakistan team that random dope tests would be conducted before the match to be played at The Oval.

Yawar said WADA had not conveyed which players would be picked for the tests on Wednesday but sources in the team said that four senior players had been shortlisted.

" Captain, Shahid Afridi, fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar and batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Umar Akmal have been shortlisted for the tests," one source said.

Yawar said the dope tests were a routine matter as Pakistan Cricket Board was a signatory to the WADA anti-doping code which other boards had signed as well.

"Under this agreement WADA can conduct random dope tests during any competition or out of competition at any time of the year," he said.

Pakistan cricket in the past has been tainted by positive dope tests of star players such as mercurial pacer Shoaib Akhtar and the currently suspended Mohammad Asif.

Both the pacers had tested positive during out of competition tests by the PCB before the 2006 Champions Trophy and were banned but then had their bans removed on appeal on technical grounds.

Asif, who has been released from the team and is serving a provincial suspension by the ICC for his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing and betting scandal, also served a 12-month suspension period in 2008-2009 for flunking a dope test during the Indian Premier League.

He was also detained for 19 days in 2008 at the Dubai airport for possession of small quantity of hashish but later released without any criminal charges against him.

Pakistan sports has been rocked by doping scandals in recent months and a few weeks back, the country's anti-doping agency banned 10 female and male athletes for testing positive in the national championship and during a camp for the Commonwealth Games.

I want to look like a girl: Mandira

Popular cricket presenter and Bollywood actress Mandira Bedi wants to grow her hair and wants to look like a girl.

"I have experimented a lot with my looks. Now I want to grow my hair and want to look like a girl. Growing hair will surely take some time," said Mandira while talking to reporters after walking the ramp as a showstopper in a fashion show.

Mandira hogged the limelight after her stint as a cricket presenter with noted cricket analyst Charu Sharma. Her sexy looks as cricket presenter were well acclaimed both nationally and internationally.

She has experimented a lot with her looks which has metamorphosed her image from that of a girl next door in the title role of mega serial Shanti to a sexy cricket presenter on television.

Mandira said whenever her husband introduces her to friends "he says meet my 'chota bhai' (younger brother)".

"That is the reason I want to grow my hair and look like a girl," added Mandira.

Recently, Mandira walked the ramp as showstopper at the sixth edition of the Seagram's Blenders Pride Fashion Tour in Kolkata.

England's Steve Davies provides cheer for ODI series

There was a decent, albeit rain-affected, one-day international at Durham last Friday. England were not without blemish, but again they offered sufficient reasons for their ever-loftier standing in international one-day cricket. Pakistan at last displayed some gumption.

Only the most cynical of observers doubts the veracity of the contests at the moment: only the most foolish of participants would ever think of providing such doubt right now. So let us just enjoy the contests. Sport is still a triviality, a pleasurable counterpoint to life's harsh realities. Nothing more.

So it was a joy to watch Steve Davies play such a convincing hand as England's wicketkeeper/batsman. Amid the brouhaha about Kevin Pietersen's omission it was easily overlooked that Davies' inclusion ahead of Craig Kieswetter was much the more significant. Pietersen will return swiftly; Kieswetter won't for some time. It was a big call.

Care should be taken about leaping to conclusions over Davies' slick and controlled 87 at Durham (Eoin Morgan made a Test century at Trent Bridge but will probably not start the Ashes, and I still have sneaking suspicion that Matt Prior could still oust Davies), but it was easy to envisage England's World Cup starting eleven on Friday. Pietersen for an unfortunate Jonathan Trott and away you go.

Roles have become ingrained and are always performed with an energy that opponents find difficult to match. Plans are well-hatched, even if the constant use of the short ball may not be so effective in the subcontinent. And Ravi Bopara at No 6 instead of Luke Wright now lends a real reassurance, as well as some seriously damaging late-innings, leg-side hitting. That the likes of Ian Bell and Ryan Sidebottom also wait in the wings displays a sign of considerable depth. And if England ever wish to change tack and desire a wicketkeeper/batsman down the order they possess two precociously gifted youngsters in Somerset's Jos Buttler and Yorkshire's Jonathan Bairstow. Both will play for England, mark my words. And they will not necessarily have to wear the gloves. They are both that good as batsmen alone.

The crowd at Durham was encouragingly close to capacity. Headingley will be similarly stocked today. Of the remaining venues in this five-match ODI series Lord's is the biggest worry, with just 16,000 tickets sold so far. But to point to doomsday scenarios is overly hasty. For the corresponding one-day series against Pakistan in 2006, the five venues were filled to 82 per cent of capacity. Currently this series is panning out at 75 per cent, with obvious potential for more. It is not bad for a recession.

There are problems, of course, though. Without the latest scandals, it has been a poor summer, with crazy scheduling and unappetising opposition. Ticket prices desperately require re-examining.

Which brings us neatly to last Tuesday's T20 international at Cardiff. It was a calamity. A £55 calamity, if you were paying full whack. I have never attended a more dispiriting international sporting occasion. A crowd of little more than 5,000, an embarrassingly one-sided contest, and all on a chilly, damp autumnal evening.

Lessons must be learnt. Firstly two T20s in the same city in the space of three days is madness. Especially when it is Sunday to Tuesday rather than the more attractive Friday to Sunday, especially during Ramadan when the opponents are Pakistan and especially in a rugby-mad nation when the oval-ball season has just begun. Hilariously there were suggestions that England's football international against Switzerland on the same evening might have affected numbers, but finding anyone in Wales actually aware of that event might have been rather time-consuming. The match-fixing farrago played its part, of course, but it was only a minor part. Such a paltry attendance was flagged and feared long before that appeared. Glamorgan made a huge mistake in bidding for both games.

Secondly floodlit cricket in September should be banned. The last two ODIs at Lord's and Southampton will certainly be chilly affairs. I have long questioned the wisdom of the England & Wales Cricket Board's huge investments in floodlights for counties. Such cricket is a novelty that has long worn off. It does not work for much of the summer, either, when it is too light, too dewy or just too cold.

So it beggars belief that next Saturday's Clydesdale Bank40 final at Lord's is to start at 3pm and conclude under lights. The tin pot competition just got pottier. ECB officials insist it is not at the behest of television, and even suggest that the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur is a factor in the timing. This makes no sense. Prepare then, I'm afraid, for the lowest ever crowd for a domestic final.

There is a vital meeting on Sept 23 about the future structure of the domestic game. I believe it may be the first time that all the chairmen, chief executives and directors of cricket from each county will be present in the same room. Let's just hope the cricketing men can be heard, because the balance between cricketing and commercial needs has to be redressed urgently. t is a situation running out of control.

Cricket is right to worry about the cancer that is corruption, but, in my view, greedy, egotistical administrators are just as great a threat to its future.

Angry Afridi cuts Irfan down to size

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi called for the review system to be introduced into one-day internationals but saved his strongest criticism for Mohammad Irfan after another loss to England. In what turned out to be a tense finish, England won the second one-day international yesterday by four
wickets with three balls to spare as they went 2-0 up in their five-match series against Pakistan.

But the result might have been different had not 7ft seamer Irfan, positioned at short fine leg, dropped a glance from Andrew Strauss when the England captain had made just 23. It was a costly error with Strauss going on to make 126 as England, replying to Pakistan's 294 for eight, finished on 295 for six.

Strauss also appeared to be given another reprieve on 38 when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, changing direction and diving full length to his right, held what he thought was a one-handed catch off fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

But the decision review system (DRS), increasingly common in Test cricket, has yet to be introduced into the one-day international format and Pakistan were unable to challenge West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove's not out verdict.

Afridi, asked if DRS should feature in limited overs internationals, replied: "It will be good in matches like this and big series like this.

"It's important in cricket now. I know in Twenty20 you don't have much time but in one-day cricket you would." But Strauss said: "I wasn't sure it hit my glove. The umpires are there to make a decision." Any thoughts about DRS in one-day cricket would have been stilled if Irfan had caught Strauss.

Poor fielding has plagued Pakistan for several years and Afridi's patience is clearly at an end. "I'm really disappointed with this guy (Irfan)," he said. "Cricket is not all about just batting and bowling, nowadays fielding is very important.

Maybe if he is good in the field I will give him a chance but otherwise I am not happy." But Pakistan, with Kamran Akmal making 74 and Asad Shafiq a maiden fifty, at least ran England close.

Indian Premier League 4 wishlist

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI's) decision to allow the existing eight Indian Premier League franchises to retain upto four players has caused an uproar among the teams. It's common knowledge that six of the eight team owners preferred to have all players going into an auction pool. At the same time, it's also a fact that the IPL governing council was mulling a formula where seven players could be retained by each team. With that as a backdrop, it was baffling to see the final announcement that each team could retain upto four players.

“The governing council felt that a maximum of four players would be enough to keep the continuity factor going into the next season,” a member of the governing council, preferring anonymity, told the Hindustan Times.

Interestingly, the governing council headed by suspended IPL chief Lalit Modi had zeroed in on the decision to retain at least seven players per team on December 17, 2009.

According to the minutes of the meeting, “Chairman presented 7 of the 8 franchises views to feature all players in the auction for 2O11 season. Members deliberated on this and felt there should be continuity in teams and that a minimum of 4 Indian players and 3 foreign players should be retained by the existing Franchisees.”

However, after Modi's ouster from the BCCI following allegations of misappropriation of funds, the governing council had asked the three former captains on the committee to discuss the issue and suggest a solution.

“The seven players suggestion included three players to be sold on a 'matching-on' basis,” the governing council member said. “It meant that three of the seven players were to be a part of the auction. But once the highest bid was received, the original franchisee of the player was given an option to match that fee and retain the player. This would have made the procedure too complex, so the governing council decided to allow retention of only four players.”

But when the 2010 auction issue was first discussed during the franchisee owners' workshop with the IPL management last year, all teams had expressed reservations about player retention (see box). Still, the BCCI has had the final say because “in principle, the franchisees can only give their opinion, but the decision making power rests with the BCCI.”

T20 Live Score: England vs. Pakistan Live Cricket Score

T20 Live Score: England vs. Pakistan Live Cricket Score: The second T20 match between England and Pakistan is all set to begin in sometime soon.

The match would begin at 22:30 Indian Standard Time. In the last game of T20, the English team managed to beat Pakistan by 5 wickets.

If we talk about form, Pakistan have managed to win 3 of their last 5 matches and will desperately want a win under their belts to lift the spirits in their dressing room.

At the same time, England have won 6 matches on the trot now and will be looking to maintain the momentum ahead of the ODI series.

Teams update:
England: Craig Kieswetter, Steve Davies(w), Ravi Bopara, Paul Collingwood(c), Eoin Morgan, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Ryan Sidebottom.

Pakistan: Kamran Akmal(w), Shahzaib Hasan, Mohammad Yousuf, Fawad Alam, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi(c), Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.

Indian cricket board charged with forex violations in IPL

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to charge the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with having violated foreign exchange regulations. It believes the BCCI kept the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the dark about financial guarantees of around $13.4 million (R62 crore) it gave to international cricketers to ensure their participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In a confidential report, the ED has said the Board entered into agreements with as many as 72 foreign players to pay them a base fee in foreign exchange without seeking necessary approvals.

This payment was entirely separate from whatever the IPL franchisees paid to buy players at the auctions, and has never been disclosed publicly.

"Investigations have revealed that in order to facilitate the franchisees to contract international players, the BCCI-IPL entered into a memorandum of understanding with 72 foreign players as per which the BCCI extended guarantee to pay the base fee to the foreign players irrespective of the outcome of the bid,” the ED says in its report. “These guarantees were given by the BCCI without the permission of the RBI.”

When contacted, BCCI officials claimed ignorance. "I am not aware of it (alleged violation)," said Prof Ratnakar Shetty, the Board’s chief administrative officer.

Under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), no resident Indian can offer financial guarantee in foreign exchange without RBI approval.

The ED’s findings are part of a multi-agency probe launched by the government in April, after allegations of financial irregularities relating to the tournament and its then chief organiser, Lalit Modi, surfaced.

The ED has also found that foreign exchange payments worth $2.5 million (R 11.5 crore) were made by BCCI to different entities in South Africa where tournament was held in its second year in 2009, says the report.

"The expenses incurred by the BCCI for staging the tournament in South Africa are stated to have been 'netted off' with the money earned in South Africa through the tournament," said a senior official, who did not wish to be identified by HT.

This means that the BCCI told finance authorities that whatever payments it made in advance to South African entities should not be considered as loss of foreign exchange.

Instead, these should be deducted from the foreign exchange earnings during the tournament. "But remittances made as advances and netting off of accounts amounts to contravention of FEMA rules,” the official pointed out.

New Zealand Cricket creates IPL window for players

The creation of a participation window for New Zealand cricketers in the IPL and the establishment of a players' retirement fund are among the salient features of an eight-year agreement between the national board, the players association and the six major domestic associations.

Justin Vaughan, the NZC chief, hailed the "ground-breaking" eight-year term of the deal that he said would provide stability to the country's cricketing structure. "Through the eight years $65 million is guaranteed to fund grassroots cricket and a further $25 million is ring-fenced for NZC reserves. These elements underwrite the future of cricket in this country.

"The long-term approach has allowed all parties to plan with certainty for the future and ensure that investment levels can be maintained into grassroots cricket. This is particularly important considering the significant changes we have seen to the shape of cricket in recent times," Vaughan said.

Heath Mills, executive manager of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association welcomed the partnership and said the new arrangement would help retain players for national duty. "The negotiating parties have worked hard to create an outcome which is good for cricket, good for players and secures the future of the game - and we believe we have achieved that," he said.

The agreement is arranged around a new financial model, with professional cricket assuming the risk to guarantee the funding to grassroots cricket and support functions, but also being incentivised to grow NZC's financial return.

Do or Die Match For Team India

India vs. New Zealand Live Cricket Score: Team India is going to play its much crucial match against the New Zealand in the ongoing Tri-Series tournament here.

After losing its last game against host Sri Lanka, the Indian players are quite restless, but if they want to be in the tournament, they need to win the match against Kiwis.

It was the thumping win for Lanka – no need to mention that they won by a bonus point as well and are through to the finals in a convincing fashion.

Team India: Dinesh Karthik , Virender Sehwag , Rohit Sharma , Yuvraj Singh , Suresh Raina , MS Dhoni (c) (w) , Ravindra Jadeja , Praveen Kumar , Pragyan Ojha , Ashish Nehra , Ishant Sharma.

New Zealand: BJ Watling, Peter Ingram, Ross Taylor(c), Kane Williamson, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Grant Elliott, Gareth Hopkins(k), Nathan McCullum, Daryl Tuffey, Kyle Mills.

India series integral before Ashes: Ponting

With all the usual hype of the forthcoming Ashes series with England, Australia skipper Ricky Ponting and vice captain Michael Clarke are careful not to diminish the importance of a two-Test series in India.

"We have to make sure we don't get too Ashes-focussed," Ponting said on Monday at a team camp north of Brisbane.

Australia plays on the subcontinent in Mohali beginning Octtober 1 and Bangalore from Oct. 9, along with three limited-overs matches later in the month at Kochi, Vishakapatnam and Goa.

"It's important to beat them, a rivalry is a rivalry, and they are the No. 1 team in the world," Ponting added. "You have to judge yourself by them."

Clarke also said it was important that his side stay focussed on the India series.

"I know it's the old cliche, but my experience from Test cricket is as soon as you take your eye off the ball, that rusty gate comes back and hits you in the face," Clarke said.

"I think it's really crucial ... playing India anywhere in the world is very tough, let alone playing them in their own conditions."

Ponting admitted there has been animosity between the sides in the past.

"They've got a few prickly characters that have sort of got under our skin a little bit, but we have to get over all that stuff," he said. "When things like that happen, it makes everyone else just want to beat them, there is more motivation. But really, it's all buried, done and dusted."

Ponting said any security concerns over playing in India will be handled by Cricket Australia and its staff.

"We will rely on what the experts have to say and trust their judgment," Ponting said, adding that a pre-tour visit will be conducted by security staff to check out hotels and venues.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in New Delhi from Oct. 3-14. There have been heightened security concerns in India since terror attacks in 2008 left 166 people dead in Mumbai.

Clarke has mostly pleasant recollections of India, particularly Bangalore, where he played his first Test for Australia on Oct. 6, 2004.

"Good memories ... scored 151," Clarke said. "Not bad, I'll take it."

Clarke went on to play a major part in his team's 2-1 series victory, Australia's first in India in over 30 years.

He remembers Bangalore as "one of the loudest places" he has toured.

"We had a one-day match there and Ricky (Ponting) was five meters away, screaming at the top of his lungs," Clarke said. "I couldn't hear a word he was saying."

Kumble hails test cricket

Test Cricket is the pinnacle of the game, and the advent of twenty over cricket, has boosted the five day game, making it more attractive to fans.

That’s according to former Indian legspinner, Anil Kumble, who was guest speaker at a special dinner during the CSA Annual Conference on Thursday night, attended by administrators, coaches, and players, including Proteas captain Graeme Smith, and fellow Proteas, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Alviro Petersen, Paul Harris and Morne Morkel.

Kumble said: “I have had the privilege of playing for India for a number of years, and there is no doubt that the best form of the game remains the Test Cricket format. At the same time, T20 cricket has helped significantly boost the image of the longer version of the game.

“Just a couple of years ago, 250 was a good score to post at the end of a day’s play in a test match. Now, Virender Sehwag can score those runs in a single day’s play. It has certainly made the test cricket offering more attractive.”

Kumble, who also touched on various issues facing international players in the changing landscape of cricket, saying youngsters need as much support as possible to assist them in reaching their full potential.

“There needs to be a lot of hand holding and mentoring. The pressure facing international cricketers is immense. Aside from the actual cricket commitments, there are media requirements, sponsor activities, and various other social engagements on any given tour, and it is not easy to maintain composure, if a cricketer does not have the right support.”

Kumble, who earlier in the day, spent a few hours with the country’s up and coming spinners at a CSA High Performance Spinning Clinic, sponsored by Sedgars Sport, said he was impressed by the spinning talent in South Africa.

“There are some good young spinners coming through the system in South Africa, and I was impressed by the enthusiasm shown, and the talent on display at the clinic today.

“Perhaps, now that Graeme Smith has resigned as T20 captain, and will step down as ODI captain after next year’s World Cup, he will get more opportunities to turn his arm over.”

Kumble also revealed that he is planning a spinning academy with Sri Lankan spin king, Muttiah Muralidaran, which he hopes will have an impact on the state of slow bowling internationally.

The 2010 CSA Annual Conference is set to conclude tomorrow with the Annual General Meeting, where CSA’s financial results for the 2009/2010 season is announced.

Sri Lanka Cricket hailed for quick action on Randiv, Dilshan

Appreciation and praise came from all quarters after the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) took quick and strong action against Suraj Randiv and Tilakratne Dilshan for the no-ball fiasco during the game against India.

ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat hailed the Sri Lankan Cricket Board, saying "The Spirit of Cricket is a fundamental part of our great sport and it is pleasing to see our Members upholding it in such a decisive manner".

The ICC has termed the incident as a closed chapter. The BCCI had already refused to raise the issue after the SLC and Randiv apologised to Sehwag for denying him a well-deserving hundred.

Former Indian cricketers, including legendary Sunil Gavaskar have welcomed Sri Lankan Cricket Board’s swift action. They believe that it will set a right precedent for others in the coming days.

Suraj Randiv was suspended for one ODI and lost his match fee. Dilshan, who coaxed him to bowl a deliberate no-ball, was also fined his full match fee. Skipper Kumara Sangakkara was reprimanded by the SLC.

No cricket in Pakistan before ICC World Cup

Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani does not see international cricket returning to Pakistan before next year's ICC World Cup.

Mani welcomed the move by the Pakistan Cricket Board to finally send the report of the inquiry into the attack on the Sri Lankan team last year in Lahore to the ICC but said it's impact would not be immediate for Pakistan cricket.

"Nothing will happen before the World Cup next year that is for sure," Mani said.

"It is good the PCB has finally sent the report but it would be wrong to think this will help in bringing about a rapid change in the perspective the cricketing fraternity has about the security situation in Pakistan," Mani told Geo Super channel last night.

Mani, who had offered to assist and help the PCB in any capacity to help in the restoration of international cricket in the country, said that the ICC and its security experts would first go through the entire report before making any decision.

"Obviously there were loopholes in the security provided to the Sri Lankan team and that will be looked into and take some time but definitely the report will help the ICC security experts in recommending a security strategy for the future of cricket in Pakistan including tours by foreign teams," Mani said.

Asked about the statement by Giles Clarke, the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, on plans to send an ICC World XI to play in Pakistan, Mani said that would also happen next year.

He said former Pakistan captain, Majid Khan, who was on the ICC special task force for Pakistan cricket, had played a major role in convincing the task force members to revive international cricket in the trouble-torn country.

"Majid made some concrete proposals in the special task force and was doing his best to see international cricket returns to Pakistan."

SL Cricket, Randiv apologize to Sehwag

Sri Lanka Cricket on Tuesday apologised to India's Virender Sehwag for a "no ball" bowled by off spinner Suraj Randiv denying the not out opener a 100 in their tri-series play in Dambulla.

Meanwhile, Sehwag also tweeted on Tuesday that Randiv has apologized to him for the action.

"Hi guys Randiv came to my room n apologize," he posted on his Twitter account.

The right handed batsman cracked an unbeaten 99 in 10-ball to muster India post a six-wicket victory over the island nation on Monday. He said an action would be followed after getting a probe report into the "No Ball" incident.

Sehwag was just one short of his 13th ODI hundred when Randiv, who had not bowled a no ball in the Test or ODI series this season, bowled one which was hit by the opener for a six.
However, it did not count because the no ball amounted to India's winning run leaving Sehwag on an unbeaten 99.

"In the morning, Ranatunga called me up personally and apologised on behalf of the Board for the Sehwag incident," India manager Biswal said.

"He said this was not in the spirit of the game. Nishantha said 'We have a good relationship with India and we apologise for the incident'," Biswal said.

India vs. Sri Lanka Preview and Live Score

Dambulla: Live Cricket Score: India vs. Sri Lanka Preview and Live Score: Team India is going to play its second match against Sri Lanka today here at Dambulla Cricket Ground.

This match is quite crucial for the Team India, as they have lost their opening match against New Zealand.

In the mean time, the Indian team has suffered another blow in the form of Yuvraj Singh, who is ruled out of the match after being diagnosed with dengue fever.

With the batting looking wobbly, the onus would once again be on Sehwag to give the team a blazing start.

Earlier, Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was quite unhappy with the practice wicket of Dambulla and his agony oozed out while talking to the media here.

Teams Update:
Team India: Dinesh Karthik, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra, Pragyan Ojha.

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara(w/c), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga.

Cricket-Sri Lanka v New Zealand - Tri-series scoreboard

Scoreboard from Sri Lanka v New Zealand, the second one-day international of the Tri-series on Friday.

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by three wickets

New Zealand innings BJ Watling c Sangakkara b Mathews 55 M. Guptill c Kapugedera b Malinga 0 R. Taylor lbw b Mathews 16 K. Williamson c Samaraweera b Mathews 0 S. Styris c Jayawardene b Herath 24 G. Hopkins c Kapugedera b Malinga 11 N. McCullum c Herath b Mendis 36 D. Tuffey b Malinga 0 K. Mills c Mathews b Herath 11 T. Southee c Dilshan b Kulasekara 13 A. McKay not out 4 Extras: (b-5, lb-4, nb-3, w-10) 22 Total: (all out, 48.1 overs) 192

Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-47 3-47 4-99 5-101 6-123 7-123 8-143 9-178 10-192

Bowling: Malinga 10-1-35-3, Kulasekara 8.1-1-35-1, Mathews 10-1-36-3, Mendis 10-0-42-1, Herath 10-0-35-2.

Sri Lanka innings U. Tharanga c Watling b Mills 70 T. Dilshan c and b Mills 5 K. Sangakkara c Guptill b Styris 48 M. Jayawardene c Taylor b McCullum 5 T. Samaraweera not out 36 A. Mathews c Taylor b Mills 0 N. Kulasekara c Hopkins b Southee 7 R. Herath c Taylor b Mills 2 C. Kapugedera not out 9 Extras: (b-4, lb-1, w-8) 13 Total: (seven wickets, 40.5 overs) 195

Fall of wickets: 1-11 2-96 3-119 4-162 5-164 6-177 7-180

Did not bat: A. Mendis, L. Malinga

Bowling: Mills 9.5-1-41-4 (2-w), Tuffey 5-0-31-0 (1-w), Southee 6-0-41-1 (3-w), McKay 4-0-26-0, McCullum 7-0-23-1, Williamson 1-0-6-0 (2-w), Styris 8-0-22-1.

New Zealand opts to bat against Sri Lanka

New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in the ODI tri-nation cricket series here on Friday.

Teams:

Sri Lanka:

Kumar Sangakkara (captain and wicketkeeper), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga

New Zealand:

Ross Taylor (captain), B.J. Watling, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Scott Styris, Gareth Hopkins (wicketkeeper), Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey, A.J. McKay, Tim Southee.

SL v NZ: Match Preview

After crushing India by 200 runs, the Kiwis will look to maintain their consistency while Sri Lanka will want to start their campaign without any major hiccups.

"Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable"- This quote from former American play writer, Wendy Wasserstein, sums up New Zealand's tour de force performance against India. Coming to Sri Lanka in the absence of key players like Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum and the retirement of Shane Bond, no one expected the Kiwis to do well at all. However, by the end of the night in Dambulla, the Kiwis achieved something remarkable as they thrashed India by 200 runs. This NZ team of all-rounders have announced themselves in this competition and How!

The key to New Zealand's success has been a two and a half month break from cricket. The match against India was their first international outing since May. This period of rest has helped the Kiwis tremendously. India, on the other hand, have been playing non-stop cricket since March and they looked completely jaded. The performance by NZ holds ominous signs for the Lankans as well, as they are also recovering from a grueling three test series against the Indians.

On paper, both teams look equal in all departments. New Zealand's batting looks strong, with Ross Taylor and Scott Styris forming the pillars in the middle order. These two will be the key if NZ are to maintain stability during the middle overs. Once Taylor and Styris consolidate, it gives players like Oram, Hopkins and Tuffey lower down the order the license to go all out. The only worry for the Black caps will be the openers. Both Guptill and Ingram struggled against the new ball and they will have to come good if the Kiwis are to put SL under pressure at the start. The bowling looked in great touch, with Mills and Tuffey forming a formidable opening pair. Andy McKay was impressive with his pace and zip and he will want to continue with his good show. If SL get off to a flier, then the Kiwis will turn to the gentle medium pace of Styris and Oram to curtail the flow of runs.

Sri Lanka, however, have the home ground advantage. Tharanga and Dilshan will be the key at the top of the order, with Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene forming the bedrock of the middle order. With hitters like Angelo Mathews, Chamara Silva, Samaraweera and Kapugedera in the lower middle order, the Sri Lankans bat deep. The bowling is Sri Lanka's main strength, with the new ball being shared by Kulasekera and Malinga. Malinga has shown that he can be unplayable with the white ball if it swings. His toe-crushers will be in full flow and when accurate, it can be deadly. Under lights, his potency increases as he showed in the first match of the Asia Cup against Pakistan in June at this venue where he picked up 5/34. The spinners will be equally difficult to play on this wicket under lights. Randiv's performance in the 3rd test against India gives the Lankans plenty to cheer about. He and Ajantha Mendis will be a difficult proposition on a wicket that offers a bit more zip.

However, the toss plays a huge part in Dambulla. Teams chasing under the lights have struggled as the ball swings more. The pitch in the previous match had lot more grass and the new ball troubled the batsmen considerably. Once the ball gets soft, run making became easier. This is in complete contrast to the pitches encountered in SL. Looking at the conditions the team composition will be tricky. All this makes this upcoming battle between the hometown giants and the dark horses an absolute cracker.

Champions League T20 launched

The second edition of the multi-million dollar Champions League Twenty20 was launched here in a glittering function attended by top officials of Cricket South Africa and star players including retired spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

CSA president Dr. Nyoka, secretary Gerald Majola and CLT20 CEO Sundar Raman unveiled the glittering trophy at a city hotel on Tuesday night.

South African players Jean-Paul Duminy, Alviro Petersen, Albie Morkel, Wayne Parnell and Makhya Ntini were also present. Mr. Raman said India will continue to be represented in future by three teams while two teams from Australia and South Africa, the two other founder members, will take part.

“We have a 10-year contract with ESPN Star Sports. The number of matches will remain 23 but regarding the increase in number of teams that is the decision of CLT20 council. Three teams from India, two each from South SAfrica and Australia will take part in future tournaments also. The other teams were on invitational basis,” he said.

India vs. New Zealand (IND vs. NZ) Live Cricket Score

Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium: India vs. New Zealand match is going to begin by 14:30 Indian Standard Time here at Dambulla International Stadium.

This is going to be the first match of the Tri-Series in Sri Lanka, 2010. This one is quite crucial as Team India couldn’t do much better against Sri Lanka in the last series.

New Zealand will be very different from the one that won the Test match, with none among Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman present.

New Zealand too, like India, have brought a fairly youngish, new-look side for the series. Stalwarts like Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum are missing from the squad.

Teams Update

Team India: Dinesh Karthik, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra.

New Zealand: Peter Ingram, BJ Watling(w), Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor(c), Grant Elliott, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Daryl Tuffey, Tim Southee.

Cricket Live Score: England vs Pakistan 2nd Test and Highlights

Watch 2nd Test Pakistan vs England Live Cricket Streaming online free and Pak vs Eng Live Score of 2nd npower Test, Edgbaston. The match between will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, Aug 6-10, 2010. The match will be played on the following dates 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 August 2010.

Pakistan lost their way in the series as they already lost the first match in nPower Test Series in large margin defeat against England. England skipper Strauss gives is player a warm welcome to play a best match in the second match of the series.

“Bowlers did a good job where we have to concentrate more in batting” skipper said.

On the other hand Pakistan dropped Kamran Akmal for the price for his poor performance in the first Test against England at Trent Bridge, and has been dropped from Pakistan’s team for the second game at Edgbaston, which gets underway on Friday.

Pakistan in England Test Series 2nd test England vs Pakistan is the 1969 International test match till 2010 season ans this match will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham from 6 to 10th August 2010.

England squad: AJ Strauss*, JM Anderson, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, PD Collingwood, AN Cook, ST Finn, EJG Morgan, KP Pietersen, MJ Prior†, GP Swann, IJL Trott

Pakistan squad: Salman Butt*, Kamran Akmal†, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Yousuf, Raza Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik, Tanvir Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Hameed, Zulqarnain Haider†

You can watch the live streaming of all the Pakistan tour on England 2010 matches Online free on ESPN3.com, no need to sign-up for any survey it’s all free of cost to watch. Streaming of the match is very excellent with High quality. For USA Users u can watch the live by ESPN 3 Channel.

Ind vs SL Cricket Live Score: Sri Lanka started losing wickets

The 3rd and final test match between India and Sri Lanka has already started and you can watch the live coverage and latest scores on your tv sets. Also the live streaming and cricket live score is also available on a number of sites.

Today, the 4th day was very impotant for both the teams. India wanted to gran as many wickets as it could, that too as qucikly as possible. On the other hand, Sri Lanka after having the 1st test and 2nd ending in the draw, just needed to play safe and score runs without losing too many wickets. However, Team India delivered, when it mattered the most.

Sri Lanka started losing its wickets at regular intervals and till lunch on the 4th day, 8 of its team members were already back into the pavillion(2 wickkets fell yesterday). The latest cricket live score – Sri Lanka have scored 143 runs for the loss of 8 wickets.

In its first innings Sl had scored 425 runs and India scored 11 runs more than SL, ending its innings on 436 runs. India now just needs two wickets to wrap up the Sl innings and then can quickly get on to bat. With Sehwag in such a form, the match may even end today and there could be no play on the 5th and final day.

Cricket-India 282-4 v Sri Lanka 425 - lunch

India were 282 for four wickets at lunch on the third day of the third and final test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday.

Scores: Sri Lanka 425 (K. Sangakkara 75, M. Jayawardene 56, T. Samaraweera 137 not out; P. Ojha 4-115) v India 282-4 (V. Sehwag 109)

Cricket-India 28-0 v Sri Lanka 425

India were 28 for no wicket in reply to Sri Lanka's 425 all out at tea on the second day of the third and final test in Colombo on Wednesday.

Scores: Sri Lanka 425 (K. Sangakkara 75, M. Jayawardene 56, T. Samaraweera 137 not out; P. Ojha 4-115) v India 28-0

Tendulkar's feat will be unmatchable

Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar today became the most-capped Test cricketer in the world and former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds said the champion Indian batsman's feat will remain untouchable for years to come.

Tendulkar, who holds almost every batting record, today overtook former Australian captain Steve Waugh's feat of 168 matches after taking the field in the third and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Symonds, who is one of the commentators for this year's Champions League Twenty20, was of the view that the game will lose its charm without greats like Tendulkar, who is in the twilight of his career, and retired Muttiah Muralitharan.

"I doubt it very much that somebody can match Sachin's feat. Currently, there is probably Ponting, Boucher and Kallis who made played a lot of Test cricket. They are probably the only three who can get nearer but I can't see anyone starting cricket now and playing 160-170 Test matches," the 35-year-old Australian told PTI in an interview.

"The game obviously loses the players people love to pay and watch but the same thing happened with Australia. (Shane) Warne, (Glenn) McGrath and (Matthew) Hayden retired as well but someone comes in and takes their place in the team but, I mean, they can't become what these guys have been to the team," he said.

Symonds' chequered 11-year-old career with the Australian team was marred by off-field controversies, which eventually forced him to turn into a freelance cricketer last year. But the England-born Australian said he has no regrets about his decision as it gave him time to enjoy life.

"Definitely, it gave me a lot more free time to enjoy life and spend time with my family but still play cricket all over the world. So, I am very happy with my decision.

"I don't regret my decision. The rules of the game were changing and I was not involved that much with the team. I was also not happy with environment of the team. At the end of it, I thought it was time. I don't miss the Australian team," he said.

ICC CONFIRM ISAAC NOMINATION

The International Cricket Council this morning confirmed they have received New Zealand and Australia's nomination of Alan Isaac as vice-president from 2010-2012.

Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket chose Isaac after their previous nominee John Howard failed to receive support at ICC board level for a position which means the incumbent will subsequently become president of the international governing body.

NZC chairman Isaac is a successful businessman, and former captain of Wellington's 2nd XI.

His nomination will go to the ICC's executive board for approval.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "It has been a lengthy process, and I am grateful to both Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket for their joint nomination of Mr Isaac as the ICC vice-president.

"The process now requires Mr Isaac's nomination to be formally approved by the ICC board and council, which will be done as quickly as possible through a circular resolution so that he immediately assumes responsibility as ICC vice-president for two years before taking over as the ICC president in 2012."