Washout after Mumbai make 176

Match discarded Mumbai Indians 176 for 5 (Pollard 58, Kanwar 45) v Cape Cobras

Two men at dissimilar ends of the Twenty20 range powered Mumbai Indians to their best batting presentation in the tournament after which heavy rain wiped out the match. One of the biggest names in the format, Kieron Pollard, and a debutant, Sarul Kanwar, went on a six-hitting spree as Mumbai put up a strong 176 next to Cape Cobras.

Aiden Blizzard was probable to be the fire starter at the top of the order for Mumbai; as an alternative it was the little known Kanwar who provided the explosive. Kanwar, a 23-year-old Punjab opener with only one season of domestic cricket behind him, show no fear in his first big game, clouting the Cobras fast bowlers.

The first blast to make people sit up was a clean sway that sent Charl Langeveldt over the midwicket boundary in the second over. Langeveldt was taken for a four and a six square on the leg side in his next over, and JP Duminy left for 17 in the fifth, before Kanwar showed he can hit straight as well by thrashing Vernon Philander over long-off. After five sixes and three fours, he nearly got to his half-century with a fashionable hit over deep extra cover but the shot lack a few yards and was wedged.

Kanwar's endeavor solved Mumbai's headache at the top of the order, and they will also be pleased with the return to form of one of their middle-order stars, Pollard. With Blizzard and Ambati Rayudu falling soon after Kanwar, Mumbai were in danger of losing their way before Pollard intervenes. He warmed up with two hideous straight sixes off JP Duminy, before backing it up with a couple of fours behind square leg. James Franklin connected in by launching Robin Peterson for two more sixes. By the time Pollard completed Langeveldt's horror day by scoring 18 in the 16th over, Mumbai had surged to 143 for 3.

Cobras manage to pull it back a bit in the final overs, with Justin Kemp giving away only two runs in the 17th, but some more boundaries from Andrew Symonds pressed Mumbai to 176. Even as the Mumbai innings wound to an end, the rains arrived and stay for several hours, forcing the team to split points.

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Marsh aim for Lanka's first succeed

Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh is aiming for first Test triumph in the post-Muralitharan era when they face Pakistan in a Test series next month.

"I am aim to take Sri Lanka to a new level," Marsh, the former Australian opening batsman, told reporters.

"Visibly, looking for the Test victory next to Pakistan is the aim."

Sri Lanka travels to United Arab Emirates, Pakistan's offshore venue, in October, to play a three-match Test series.

Sri Lanka has gone throughout a phase of nine Test matches without a win since Muralitharan retire after the first Test against India at Galle in 2010.

Marsh said Tom Moody, the fellow Australian and a former Sri Lanka coach, and Marsh's two sons, Shaun and Mitchell, urge him to take up the task.

"My boys said go down there and take up the job (coaching Sri Lanka)," Marsh, who witnessed Shaun scoring his debut Test century in Sri Lanka early this month, said.

"Sri Lanka is in exactly the same place as Australia," Marsh said, adding that both nations are going through change phase.

He said he was looking onward to the challenge of "coming up next to my own boys," referring to the view of Shaun and Mitchell Marsh playing for Australia when Sri Lanka tours there next year.

He said that though his present contract was incomplete to two years, he would like to coach Sri Lanka to the next World Cup to be played in Australia in 2015.

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Afridi should think again retirement

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has advice Shahid Afridi to think again his retirement and believes he still has some years of cricket left in him.

"Look, if you ask me, I think Afridi can still play for Pakistan as he still has some years of international cricket left in him. But what he wants to do is totally his own decision," Misbah told journalists at the national stadium on Thursday.

"I can only advise him to reorganize his retirement decision and make a decision once and for all what he needs to do. But I would uphold he still can play international cricket," the senior batsman said.

Misbah was appointed captain in all three formats of the sport after Afridi announced his sudden retirement in late May in protest against the cricket board's decision to remove him as captain after the West Indies tour. An argument with Coach Waqar Younis, who has now submissive, was also a factor.

Misbah also made it clear that he didn't feel exposed if Afridi return to the team.

"That is not an issue for me. If the Board appoints me captain, fine, if not, I have no problems. But first, Afridi must make a decision what he wants to do because recently he did very well in England. Once he decides to return to international cricket, then it is up to the management to decide what they want to do, my role comes in much later," Misbah added.

He made it clear he had no personal issue with Afridi who had lead Pakistan to the 2011 World Cup semi-finals early this year.

Asked concerning who should be the next coach of the Pakistan team, Misbah made it clear the Board had not asked for his views on the matter as yet and he would only give his views when they sought for it.

"But usually, I feel there is a need for a chief coach with power who can sit down with the captain and take the big decisions. The other coaches, be it for batting, bowling or fielding, are there to aid the players but we need a chief coach to make the decisions and work with the captain," he added.

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England will find it hard in India

Pakistan spinner, Saeed Ajmal, predict tough times for England in the ODIs against India, saying they won't be able to repeat their home series heroics.

England is riding high after beating India comprehensiely in the Test series and also drubbing them in the ODIs.

"England has improved a lot and is a top side, but I consider the seaming conditions in England helped them a lot and India went into the series unsuspecting. But when England go to India, they are going to face a different Indian side and I think they will lose the series," Ajmal said in an interview.

"In India, the pitches will be slow and dusty and will assist the spinners and India will plan so and try to avenge their disgrace in England," Ajmal said.

The Pakistani spinner, one of the top spinners in the world today, said in current times, the job of a spinner has become very hard.

"To not only stay alive but also do well as a spinner these days, I think it is important to be able to do well in all three formats and lots of difference in your bowling is the key to success," he said.

Ajmal, who turn 34 this month, said that he became a better player after the World T20 Cup semi-final, where Mike Hussey thrashes him badly in a important final over.

He said: "I cried after that match, to be honest, and then I went back and looked at my game again. I worked hard on my fitness and lost around eight kilograms to improve my fitness. I also worked a lot on my variations."

Ajmal said he had learnt that a top spinner has to have the ability to bowl with different variations in all three formats of the sport.

"Today, I bowl the 'Doosra', which is my stock weapon, in three dissimilar variations. But now I am also relying a lot on the established off-break ball."

"To me, Test cricket remains the ultimate challenge as you can plan and bowl long spells. But at the same time, since T20 cricket is so popular, I have developed different variation for the same and I am enjoying success now."

Ajmal said he admire England off-spinner, Graeme Swann, and has learnt many things after watching him bowl.

"Swann is a good example of how a top-spinner can perform well by using variations in all three formats of the game. I have watched him bowl closely and he bowls the off-break in three dissimilar actions and leaves the batsmen guessing."

The Pakistani off-spinner, who made a late entry into the Pakistan team at the age of 32, has taken 56 Test, 63 one-day and 45 T20 wickets to become the country's top spinner in the last one year, particularly after the forced postponement of leg-spinner Danish Kaneria from the Test side.

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