Pakistan position to test revitalized Zimbabwe

Having negotiate Bangladesh in a one-off Test two weeks ago, Zimbabwe now face a much higher fence on Thursday - Pakistan. The single Test match, which starts Thursday, will be followed by three ODI's and two Twenty-20s. Zimbabwe was decided a return to Test cricket by the ICC last year, after a gap of six years. They had been grateful to field a weak side following a strike of almost all their professionals and two resulting Test defeats by...

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Broad hope to carry Test impetus

England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad said that they are looking to carry the energy of the Test series into the one-off T20 vs India on Wednesday. "Fans and media want you to win but the real force for us is in the changing room - it's a game we want to win and are fully focused. We are keen to do well," said Broad on the eve of the T20 match. The pacer, however, was quick to point out that the Indians are a different kettle of fish in games...

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India rock by Gambhir return to home

Gautam Gambhir will miss India's limited-overs games against England due to concussion. The left-handed opening batsman has made a slower than expected recovery since knocking his head on The Oval turf while attempt - and failing - to take a catch offered by Kevin Pietersen during the final match of the four-Test npower series. The 29-year-old bat down the order in both innings during the Test but was still concerned by indistinct vision when...

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Dhoni: Players banal, need rest

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday passed that the players were banal as he called for a rotation policy to give them rest. India lost six normal players Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan due to injury in the four-match Test series which India lost 0-4 and Dhoni hinted that the hectic list had tired the players. "We will have to rotate. It's significant that players get rest....

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PCB forms board to look for coach

Former captain Zaheer Abbas has been named in a three-man commission to look for a new Pakistan coach. The unpredicted decision by Waqar Younis to resign from the coaching post took everyone in the organization by surprise. The former speedster has done wonderful work in uplifting Pakistan cricket and it came as a shock to all when he decided to take a break. Waqar will give up the job after Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe, next month. Waqar had...

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Lillee: Rough road ahead for Zaheer

Australian pacer Dennis Lillee feel Zaheer Khan, having gone through surgery on his wounded ankle, will find it hard to create the same impact on his return to the game. “I think Zaheer's injury happen due to stress. If he was 18 years old, his revival would have been faster. But when a player suffer a fresh injury at 33, he of course takes more time to get back into action," Lillee, who is in the city overseeing the MRF Pace Foundation training...

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Another warm up Indians win

Indians 161 for 5 (Parthiv 40, Rohit 29, Joshua Cobb 2-22) hit Leicestershire 146 for 7 (Andrew McDonald 44, R Vinay Kumar 3-29, A Mishra 2-19) by 15 runs India produced an inspiring presentation in the field to beat Leicestershire by 15 runs at Grace Road in their final warm-up game. Leicestershire, field 10 of the side that won the Friends Life t20 final next to Somerset on Saturday, were peg back to 146 for seven as they chase a victory target...

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Ishant Sharma delay his surgery to next year

Speedster Ishant Sharma will delay his ankle surgery until the termination of India's tour of Australia early next year. Sharma was ruled out of the England-India ODI series after he continued a muscle injury to his left ankle during the third Test at Edgbaston. "It [the tour of Australia] is a very main tour and nobody wants to miss it," Ishant told. "So I'll get the surgery after completed the Australian tour. I am going to the National Cricket...

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RP's enclosure in ODI squad baffling

If world champions India are to win the ODI series next to England, the bowlers will have to do something odd, says Wasim Akram. India’s bowlers will be below the scanner when the ODI series starts this weekend at Chester-Le-Street. India’s Test disgrace was mainly due to an insufficient bowling attack and if it continues in the same vein, Dhoni’s team will be in big difficulty. I doubt what RP Singh is doing in the ODI squad. He was totally...

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Ponting, Clarke look to hit form

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke are aim to put an finish to a bad run in Test cricket when Australia face Sri Lanka in the three-Test series, starting Wednesday. The visitors will be dependent on Captain Clarke and his precursor, Ponting, to claim the series. This will be Australia's first since the uncomfortable 3-1 Ashes defeat to England in January. However, it will not be easy to regain form under hard conditions. The duo has struggle in...

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Jonathan Trott denies foul-mouthing kids

England batsman Jonathan Trott was accuse of foul-mouthing a group of children during the team's ODI match in Ireland but it twisted out to be a misinterpretation. Former Irish skipper, Trent Johnston, claim on Twitter: "Word on the street is Trott told a bunch of kids (including my son) to f*** off when they asked for an autograph." The 30-year-old Trott, who top-scored with 69 from 105 balls in England's One-day victory, deprived of the charges. Johnston,...

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Injured Gambhir probable to return home

With his indistinct vision deteriorating to improve, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir could be stuffing his bags to return home. In what might be a big blow to the movement of the world champions in the approaching one-day series next to England, Gambhir looks set to undergo the same fate as Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag who either came or joined the Indian squad only to leave upset having contributed little to the...

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Nixon: Dhoni have painful hands

MS Dhoni could be distress from "sore hands" causing his wicket keeping deteriorating on the current England tour. Nixon, who last night retire after powering his Leicestershire team to domestic Twenty20 title victory, has also been an England 'keeper in the past and is the one who helped Dhoni out with his keeping when he first came on tour to these shores in 2007. "It looks like he has sore hands. He's too proud a guy to show it but he has sore...

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Gambhir approximately fit for ODI series

Gautam Gambhir's contribution in the ODI series next to England looks possible with the Indian opener likely to be fit for the five-match rubber. Team manager Shivlal Yadav definitely this on Wednesday. Yadav said Gambhir should be fine for next month's ODI series after his MRI scan did not show anything unpleasant. He, however, said that the left-hander might not play in the perform game next to Sussex on Thursday. Gambhir is critical to India's...

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England captaincy a enormous compliment

Eoin Morgan believe his selection as England captain for the RSA Challenge in his native Dublin is a "huge tribute" to Irish cricket. The 24-year-old lead his adopt country for the first time in tomorrow's stand-alone one-day international in the city of his birth and next to the side he made his name with. Morgan played 23 one-day internationals for Ireland before catching the notice of the England selectors and has gone on to become debatable...

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Ireland activist of World Cup do again

Ireland skipper William Porterfield insists the make-up of England's team for Thursday's One Day International in Dublin has not diminished the sense of juncture in the Irish capital. It will be England's first look in an ODI in Dublin and even with the likes of Kevin Petersen, James Anderson and Graeme Swann absent from the line-up; the sense of expectation in the Irish camp is strong. Ireland notably beat England in the World Cup earlier this...

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Axed Katich back Hughes to blaze

Simon Katich has put the cover on the past and announces his support for the uncapped Phillip Hughes as the man to help lead Australia out of the doldrums. The 36-year-old crushed no words when he slam the selectors for axing him from the annual list of nationally- agreement players in June, accusing the Andrew Hilditch-led panel of favoring possible over form in picking players. Katich has been like a run-machine for Australia for fairly some...

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Waqar to get treatment in Australia

Waqar Younis will have to undergo a treatment programmed in Australia for around five months to treat his health problems which enforced him to step down as Pakistan coach. Sources close to the former Test captain said that Waqar's choice to resign as coach and end his tenure after the Pakistan team's tour to Zimbabwe was exclusively because of his health issue. "He is facing some liver problem and specialists in his now adopted hometown, Sydney,...

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West Indies name inexperienced squad

West Indies have named an inexpert squad for their two Twenty20 internationals in England next month. With the two matches at The Oval set to clash with the Champions League Twenty20, the Windies selectors have chosen to fail to notice Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo and Ravi Rampaul. Star batsman Chris Gayle has also been lost as he remains out of favour following a spat with the West Indies Cricket Board...

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Flower listening carefully on remaining No. 1

Andy Flower on Tuesday allowed a brief moment of approval at a job wonderfully done by England - before they move on to the powerful challenge of staying on top of the world. England took the last seven India wickets for only 21 runs at The Oval, to complete a 4-0 power Test series loss with an innings victory. After the general elation had died down - and a sell-out swarm made their way home - Flower and Andrew Strauss' team held their own low-key...

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India can be able to number two in ODIs

Going by the present form, it looks highly improbable but if India strike England by a 4-1 margin or better in the upcoming one-day series, they can scale to second spot from third in the ICC ranking chart. World champions India (117) are placed third behind Sri Lanka (119) in the list, head by Australia (130) Australia's 3-2 series win has limited Sri Lanka to earn only one rating point which, in turn, has given India a chance to get back the...

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Akram: Nothing cool concerning Dhoni

Former Pakistan skipper establish the Indian captain distant and his batting form a big fret against England. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s demean was hardly exciting during the Test series against England. The four-nil defeat next to England has done no good to Dhoni’s standing as a captain and former Pakistan skipper Akram is just not pleased at the way Dhoni handled belongings during the Test series that completed at The Oval on Monday. In a limited...

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Swann's six complete India's embarrassment

England 591 for 6 dec (Bell 235, Pietersen 175) strike India 300 (Dravid 146*, Bresnan 3-54) & 283 (Tendulkar 91, Mishra 84, Swann 6-106) by an innings and eight runs ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat has said that England deserved ICC Test Mace as they have achieved it by sheer resolve cap with good planning. England captain Andrew Strauss was on Monday presented with the ICC Test Mace after they climbed to the top of Test rankings with 125 points. England...

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Sachin Tendulkar falls short of 100th ton

Sachin Tendulkar fell agonizingly short of his 100th international century on Monday, leave-taking cricket fans dissatisfied all across the globe. Tendulkar's luck appear to be in after he enjoyed several reprieve on his way to 91 on day five at The Oval, but Tim Bresnan attentive the 'Little Master' first ball after recurring to the attack after lunch. Tendulkar departed one over after Amit Mishra (84), who was clean bowled by Graeme Swann after...

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Lasith Malinga’s hat-trick guide Sri Lanka win

Sri Lanka 213 for 6 (Jayawardene 71, Silva 63) strike Australia 211 (Watson 56, Malinga 3-35, A Mendis 3-49) by 4 wickets Lasith Malinga's hat-trick and half-centuries from Mahela Jayawardene and Chamara Silva motorized Sri Lanka to a comfort four-wicket win over Australia. The tourists, who held an unquestionable 3-1 lead going into Monday's final match, were dismiss for 211 with approximately four overs to spare. Shane Watson made 56, Michael...

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Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma are ruled out of ODIs

Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series next to England. Sehwag suffer from labyrinth this of the left ear in July. Although his condition has better, he continues to knowledge headaches. An ENT expert, who was consult on the same, has said that he will take two more weeks to get better completely. Sehwag has made good development since the surgery on his right shoulder. He will be continuing treatment...

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Dhoni: Batsmen in charge for disaster

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday responsible his batsmen for the embarrassing whitewash at the hands of a stimulated England team. "We never put par score on the board. Runs are significant to put pressure on the other side. Our batting should have perform better," stated the Indian captain, looking and sounding as calm as ever. Dhoni's anger was necessary after they lost their final seven wickets for 21 runs, as well as the skipper,...

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Flower: These are bright moments

England Head Coach Andy Flower has likened the post-match celebrations at the Oval to those following his side's Ashes win two years ago. Flower said, "These are brilliant moments.”We like listening to (Jerusalem) before each day's play and to have it while they're doing a lap of honor is very special. "It reminds me of the Ashes in 2009, there's a similar impression. It was maybe a bit of an anti-climax because we were 3-0 up but it's a great...

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England chip left after Dravid's epic

India 300 (Dravid 146*, Bresnan 3-54) and 129 for 3 (Tendulkar 35*, Mishra 8*) trail England 591 for 6 dec by 162 runs England moved nearer to a 4-0 series whitewash next to India in spite of encounter some brave confrontation from Rahul Dravid on day four at The Oval. Dravid's winning 146 accounted for almost half of his side's first-innings total as the tourists were bowled out for 300 during the afternoon session. It was the first time they...

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Hayden inspired by 'dominant' Bell

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has paid rich compliment to Ian Bell, saying that the England batsman was now ruling Test cricket. Bell struck 235, his best in Tests, in the final Test at The Oval. It was his fifth Test hundred this year. The feat saw him restore Alastair Cook as the most important Test run-scorer in 2011 - Bell now has 950 runs to Cook's 927 and England's Kevin Pietersen is third with 731. Hayden, a cruelly effective run-scorer,...

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Arthur needs to coach Australia

As Cricket Australia search for a new coach for its national side after a major unexpected result, previous South Africa coach Micky Arthur has shown awareness in the job. Arthur, who is now coach of Western Australia, said he has wants to go back to international cricket and would think the job, but that his priority at the moment remains the domestic Australian side. "Yes, I would be stupid not to be paying attention, but at the moment my priority...

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