Karachi, July 08: Pakistan are still waiting an official invitation to attend a meeting of the 2011 World Cup Central Organizing Committee in India on July
14.
"We are still waiting and watching. But obviously if we are still a host partner of the World Cup we expected to be invited to the logo unveiling ceremony and the meeting," one source said.
The International cricket Council has moved Pakistan`s share of 14 matches to the other host countries -- India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- due to security conditions in the country.
The ICC has also rejected a proposal by Pakistan to host its share of matches at neutral venues and Pakistan has now asked the ICC Code of Conduct Commission to appoint a Disputes Resolution Tribunal to look into their plea.
The Pakistan board has also filed a legal suit in a civil court in Lahore against the shifting of the World Cup secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai and the court on Tuesday extended a stay order until July 30.
One source said that PCB chairman Ejaz Butt might get a late invitation to attend the meeting as Pakistan remains one of the 2011 World Cup hosts.
"Even if an invite comes, the former president of the ICC who is advising the PCB on the World Cup issue has suggested that Butt only go to India after taking clearance from the lawyers so that Pakistan`s legal position is not compromised," the source added.
Bureau Report
Former ICL rebel Mohammad Yousuf has returned to international cricket with a big bang by achieving the number-one position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen for the first time in his career.
Yousuf has toppled his captain Younus Khan to give Pakistan a 1-2 in the latest batting table for the first time since the player rankings were introduced in June 1987.
Yousuf, who won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy as the 2007 Cricketer of the Year at the LG ICC Awards in Johannesburg, was second when he was removed from the rankings table early in 2009 as Pakistan had not played a Test match since before the qualification date for the rankings.
He is the only Pakistan batsman to have reached the 900-point mark after scoring 112 and 12 as Pakistan made a mess of things on the fourth morning when they lost eight wickets for 46 runs to lose the first Test against Sri Lanka by 50 runs while chasing a modest 168-run target.
Younus, who entered the Test 20 points short of becoming the second Pakistan batsmen and 25th overall to reach the 900-point mark, paid the price for his failures in both the innings of the Galle Test by not only dropping to second position in the rankings but by also conceding 30 valuable points.
Younus scored 25 and three and will now have to come back with strong performances if he has to regain his number-one spot and stay in hunt for the 900-point mark, which in ranking terms marks out a player as truly great.
Injury-prone paceman Shoaib Akhtar wants to return to international cricket in the one-day series against Sri Lanka after missing out on Pakistan's World Twenty20 triumph.
The 33-year-old was withdrawn a week before the start of the World Twenty20 last month -- which Pakistan won by beating Sri Lanka - after a doctor said the player was suffering from genital viral warts.
"It was a heartbreak missing out on Pakistan's World T20 success, but that's in the past now and I want to play the one-day series against Sri Lanka," Akhtar told AFP.
"I have attained full fitness and have been gaining rhythm in bowling. I hope to stage a comeback in the one-day series against Sri Lanka, if I am selected," he added.
Pakistan lost the first of three Tests against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
The Test series will be followed by five one-dayers and one Twenty20 match. The first limited over international will be held at the holiday resort of Dambulla on July 30.
Akhtar managed to play just four Twenty20 matches last year, and the controversial fast bowler's 12-year career has been plagued by injuries and disciplinary problems.
After serving a ban for publicly criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the board allowed Akhtar to play at
international level and included him in the three-match one-day series against the West Indies last November.
But he was again sidelined with a hamstring injury and only returned for two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka earlier this year, before being dropped because of poor performance.
He played in four of the five one-day internationals against Australia in April-May, where he again under-performed.
Pakistan's interim chief selector Wasim Bari said the team for the one-day series against Sri Lanka will be announced next week.
"I will tour Sri Lanka to consult captain Younus Khan and coach Intikhab Alam who will give their feedback on the players," Bari told AFP.
"Akhtar's return will be based on his fitness, which we will assess, provided he is wanted by the team management."
Bari said Akhtar and fellow paceman Mohammad Asif will also be considered for the preliminary squad for September-October Champions Trophy in South Africa.
"Asif's ban will expire on September 22, two days before the Trophy starts, so he will be considered for the squad, and Akhtar will also be considered once he proves his fitness," said Bari.
Asif, like Akhtar, has also been plagued by on and off-field problems. He is currently serving a one-year ban imposed after he failed a dope test during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League last year.
Kevin Pietersen's moment of madness handed Australia the initiative on the opening day of the 2009 Ashes in Cardiff.
Pietersen struck 69 but perished in the evening session when a pre-meditated sweep led to the softest of dismissals.
Setting himself for the shot, Pietersen scooped a wide delivery from Nathan Hauritz into the hands of Simon Katich at short-leg.
His departure followed that of fourth-wicket partner Paul Collingwood for 64 as England progressed to 241 for five after winning the toss in the npower series opener.
Collingwood was well held by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, diving to his right, to hand Ben Hilfenhaus a second success and halt a 138-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Pietersen, who experienced discomfort in his right calf, survived scares either side of that partnership-breaking moment.
Umpire Billy Doctrove turned down vociferous appeals for leg before wicket from a fine delivery from Hilfenhaus which tailed in to the right hander and would have gone on to hit middle-stump - perhaps believing some bat was in the equation.
Pietersen was on 61 at the time and he had added only five when Michael Clarke failed to cling on to a low chance at cover, after being lured into a drive outside the off-stump off Hilfenhaus once again.
England were forced into a rebuilding job after three morning wickets provided Australia with the early advantage.
England were forced into a rebuilding job after three morning wickets provided Australia with the early initiative on the opening day of the 2009 Ashes.
Experienced duo Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood came together before lunch after left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson bagged two wickets in quick succession.
Having won the toss, Andrew Strauss' England were forced into a new evaluation of their aspirations by the loss of wickets in the opening session.
They took the hosts to 141 for three midway through the first afternoon in Cardiff.
It was cat-and-mouse cricket after lunch as Australia captain Ricky Ponting introduced spinner Nathan Hauritz and the batsmen milked runs in singles and twos.
Pietersen began the middle session with two glorious cover drives for four off Ben Hilfenhaus while Collingwood found the midwicket rope with an aerial pull off Peter Siddle.
Australia had the better of the morning thanks to Johnson's double strike in the latter stages.
A tremendous over from Johnson accounted for England captain Strauss.
Slower balls outfoxed both Strauss and Ravi Bopara before the former was tucked up by a straight bouncer and looped into the slips off the glove.
Another drop in pace then accounted for Bopara on Johnson's switch of ends as a checked drive ballooned to Phillip Hughes at point.
Earlier, Alastair Cook became the first victim of the npower series in the eighth over when a forcing stroke away from his body was superbly clung to by a diving Michael Hussey in the gully off the bowling of Hilfenhaus.
The breakthrough came from nowhere, after the hosts won the toss, and put a spring in the step of a young Australia attack.
It brought Essex's Bopara to the crease on the back of three hundreds in his last three Test innings and he immediately felt the heat despite the slowness of the pitch.
Short deliveries from Siddle caused his discomfort, particularly when one got so big on him he had no option but to take a blow in the throat.
Another ball reared into his inner thigh off the inside edge and Bopara's nervous start also included an inside edge for four to get off the mark.
Hilfenhaus justified his selection with the initial success and by swinging the new ball at pace.
Both he and Hauritz were included in the tourists' line-up, which meant a surprise omission for seamer Stuart Clark.
With Brett Lee already ruled out through injury, Clark was Australia's senior bowler and the final place was expected to be between those two.
KARACHI: Former cricketers say that Pakistan missed a great opportunity in the first Test to have an upper hand over Sri Lankans and will now have to work very hard to make a comeback in the three-match series.
Pakistan needed only 97 runs with eight wickets in hand to beat Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the first Test match. However, Sri Lanka bounced back to record a stunning 50-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pakistan’s legendary batsman Hanif Mohammad said that he felt sorry for Pakistan as they lost the first Test after coming within striking distance of winning it. “A target of 97 runs with eight wickets in hands on the fourth day, should have been achieved by Pakistan. However, Sri Lankan bowlers bowled exceptionally well and making most of the home advantage — they won the match,” Hanif told PPI.
Hanif said that Pakistan shouldn’t have let Sri Lanka score 292 runs in the first inning as the pitch was helpful to the seamers. “Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq played exceptionally well to give a lead to Pakistan over Sri Lankans on a difficult wicket,” he added.
Another Pakistani cricketer Tauseef Ahmed said Pakistan will now face a tough task in the series. “Now they have to work very hard to make a comeback in the series,” said Tauseef.
“However, Pakistan always start their campaigns as underdogs and later make remarkable comebacks as we have seen it in the World T20 Championship. So I hope Pakistan will make a comeback,” the former spinner said.
Pakistan ex-Test spinner Iqbal Qasim said that Pakistani batsmen batted irresponsibly on the fourth day when they were almost in sight of the victory.
“Their shot selection was poor. Salman Butt after settling down should have played with more responsibility,” Iqbal said.
GALLE, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Pressure got to Pakistan's young team as they slumped to a 50-run defeat by Sri Lanka in the first test on Tuesday, said captain Younis Khan.
"It's all about pressure," he noted after Pakistan crumbled from 71-2 to 117 all out in just 44.3 overs.
"Before this series I was saying that both teams had youngsters and the team that takes pressure well will win the game," Younis added.
"(Kumar) Sangakkara's captaincy (of Sri Lanka) was fantastic this morning -- if somebody else had captained they'd have come straight with a fast bowler and I was surprised when he opened with (Rangana) Herath."
"Our batsmen tried to play across the line and that is why they got into trouble," said Younis.
He was also unhappy that Pakistan had only secured a 50-run first innings lead despite at one stage being 294-5 in reply to Sri Lanka's 292.
NOT SUFFICIENT
"Our lead of 50 was not sufficient. We had (Mohammad) Yousuf and (Kamran) Akmal batting and we should have got a lead of 100 to 150," said Younis.
"It was the turning point that let them back into the game and gave Sri Lanka a chance."
However, despite his obvious disappointment, Khan backed his fledgling team to learn from the experience.
"The main thing is that we have a young team and it is not right to give them stick right away," he said.
"Because of the inexperience our team has not handled the pressure well, but we will pick up in the next two games."
He urged people not to burden exciting prospect Mohammad Aamer with high expectations after the 17-year-old's impressive debut with the ball. He took six for 112 in the match.
"Aamer is a young guy, but please don't compare him to Wasim Akram," Younis said.
"This is the problem in our country where whenever someone bowls well he is compared to Akram and then it becomes hard for me and for the player.
"Give him two to three years and after that we will talk about him," he added.
Report by : Nadeeem khan (crazycricinfo research works)
(To query or comment on this story comment us)
New Zealand will play three cricket Tests against Pakistan at home later this year after their tour to the troubled country was called off because of security concerns.
The Black Caps had been scheduled to visit Pakistan for three Tests, four one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches.
But with tours to Pakistan on hold since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March, a compromise arrangement has been agreed upon which will see the Tests played in New Zealand in December and the one-dayers and Twenty20 game take place in the United Arab Emirates in October.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said that, while tour details had not yet been finalised, the prospect of hosting the Test series in New Zealand was exciting.
"All the way through our discussions, our preferred option has been to play the one-day matches at a neutral venue and the Test series in New Zealand," he said.
Vaughan revealed NZC would not suffer a financial loss on the series because Pakistan would cover the costs associated with New Zealand hosting it.
Venues for the Tests have yet to be finalised.
"We need to be mindful of the weather, but the tests won't be starting that early (in the New Zealand summer)," Vaughan told Radio Sport.
"First-class cricket would have been going for a little while so we're not talking about a ridiculously early start for the series.
"But the weather here in December can be fickle so we probably need to be mindful of that."
New Zealand are also hosting tours by Bangladesh and Australia early next year.
Sri Lanka produced a stunning 50-run win inside four days over Pakistan in the first Test at Galle to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Pakistan had started the fourth day needing only 97 to reach their target of 168 with eight wickets in hand, but were undone by superb spells from left-arm paceman Thilan Thushara and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.
The two produced an astonishing turnaround with two wickets apiece in quick succession which left Pakistan - 71 for two overnight - reeling at 80 for six within the first seven overs of the day.
Misbah-ul-Haq was then run out before Ajantha Mendis claimed another victim.
Herath added two more scalps to his tally to finish with figures of four for 15 from 11.3 overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 117 just before the lunch interval.
Thushara had begun proceedings with an impeccable first over, before Herath claimed two Pakistan wickets in the first over from the other end.
Mohammad Yousuf, who scored 112 earlier in the match to hand the tourists a 50-run first-innings lead, was dismissed from Herath's first ball, trapped in front while playing down the wrong line.
Yousuf departed without further addition to his overnight 12 and Pakistan slipped further into the mire when the other overnight batsman Salman Butt succumbed three deliveries later.
Butt, who had batted flawlessly for his 28, produced an ill-timed and badly-executed slog sweep which went straight to Tharanga Paranavitana at deep square leg.
Thushara then got into the act, removing Shoaib Malik for a duck.
The left-armer caught the edge of Malik's bat with the first delivery of his second over, but the ball dropped just short of first slip.
But Thushara's pace and angle of attack soon induced another edge which wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan gloved neatly.
Thushara continued to torment and had Kamran Akmal playing and missing on several occasions.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was struck on the glove by one which swerved in sharply as he attempted to defend and his innings came to an end when he was rapped on the back leg right in front by a similar delivery shortly after.
Pakistan's faint hopes rested on Misbah, but Pakistan's vice-captain was soon back in the pavilion, brilliantly run out by Dilshan.
Misbah had walked out to meet a delivery from Thushara but was struck on the pad. Dilshan quickly swooped on the ball which had rolled down the leg side and broke the stumps with a direct throw, catching Misbah just short of the crease.
Mendis then snared Gul before Herath mopped up the tail as the home side scored a memorable victory.
Stuart Broad has warned Australia that Andrew Flintoff is back to his best as the all-rounder looks to repeat his 2005 heroics as the Ashes series gets under way on Wednesday.
And Broad insisted Flintoff's recent off-the-pitch behaviour is "not a major thing" amongst his team-mates.
Flintoff was disciplined after failing to catch a team bus following an alleged drinking session during a trip to Belgium with his England team-mates last week.
But Broad is more concerned about Flintoff being an inspiration on the pitch when the first Test gets under way in Cardiff.
Broad said: "What happened with Freddie is certainly not a major thing within the team. It has been blown up outside of the team a bit.
"It is certainly not something that has affected the team or that we are worried about."
Broad added: "Australia will be wary of Freddie after 2005. He is the sort of player and character that any Test side in the world would want in their team.
"He's a crucial member of our side and brings a lot of firepower to our bowling attack and we are delighted to have him back.
"The side has done well without him in the last five or six months but having Freddie back gives us a huge confidence."
Flintoff has gradually been building up to full fitness after undergoing knee surgery following a spell in the Indian Premier League in early May.
Broad said: "He looks like he is firing on all cylinders. [In the warm-up game] against Warwickshire he bowled very quickly and we're looking forward to seeing the same again in Cardiff.
"I think it will be in Australia's minds what happened four years ago but more importantly it will be in Freddie's mind.
"He will have a lot of confidence from what he did then and a lot of belief he will be able to do exactly the same now.
"He is a man to be feared because he is a world-class bowler and world-class batsman."
Broad, meanwhile, has warned of the dangers of England overdoing short-pitched bowling at Australian opener Phillip Hughes.
He has come under the spotlight after twice being dismissed cheaply by rising deliveries from Steve Harmison during the match with England Lions at Worcester.
Broad admits England have their plans for Hughes but is conscious the left-hander has made two centuries in three Tests and should not be written off.
Broad added: "We have seen the footage and the way Hughes has got out. We have our plans to him and will be looking to put them into practice as much as we can.
"Steve Harmison might have put a few doubts in his mind and he gave a couple of their batsmen a good working over. It was good to see him bowling so well and so ferociously.
"But one thing we can't look past is that Hughes has got a great Test record.
"It is crucial we don't get carried away with using that tactic at him.
"Those deliveries would have been too good for most left-handers in the game. They were vicious deliveries from a bloke bowling at 90mph who is 6ft 7in tall."
Nevertheless, Broad believes that Graham Onions deserves his place in the Test squad after being selected ahead of Harmison as he also bowled well at Worcester.
Broad said: "We know Steve is a world-class bowler when he is firing but you have to look at Graham Onions' record this year.
"He came into the Test squad against the West Indies and bowled fantastically well and picked up five wickets in an innings.
"He deserves to be in the squad which has been winning and doing well. We are very confident and looking forward to getting going on Wednesday." Article and news by Nazia sumair.
Cricket entrepreneur and billionaire businessman Sir Allen Stanford must remain behind bars before his multi-billion dollar fraud trial, a judge ruled.
At a courthouse in Houston, Texas, Judge David Hittner revoked bail for the tycoon after prosecutors argued that he was a flight risk due to his extensive links overseas.
The 59-year-old is charged with masterminding a ponzi scheme that allegedly scammed investors out of seven billion dollars (£4.2 billion).
The Judge's ruling overturns a decision last week to allow Stanford to be freed on a 500,000 dollar (£304,000) bond.
On Monday, during four hours of argument, prosecutors told the court that his international ties meant Stanford might have the means to flee the country.
They noted his dual US and Antiguan citizenship and network of wealthy friends overseas. They also claimed that he might have access to vast sums of hidden money around the world.
But Stanford's lawyer Dick DeGuerin told the judge his client, who had an estimated fortune of around two billion dollars (£1.2 billion), was now penniless after his assets were seized.
He added that the tycoon wanted to fight the charges against him and attempted to hand himself in on a number of occasions before his indictment to show that he didn't want to flee the country.
It is not yet known if Stanford will appeal against the judge's ruling.
Last week, Stanford pleaded not guilty to charges that he masterminded a massive ponzi scheme.
Three other executives at Stanford Financial Group - Laura Pendergest-Holt, Gilberto Lopez and Mark Kuhrt have also been charged over the alleged fraud. All have denied the charges.
Stanford already faces civil charges brought by US regulators over an allegedly fraudulent eight billion dollar (£4.8 billion) certificate of deposit scheme and a separate 1.2 billion dollar (£700 million) investment vehicle.
According to the criminal indictment, Stanford and his co-defendants masterminded a scam in which investors were sold around seven billion dollars (£4.2 billion) worth of so-called certificates of deposits (CDs) after being lured by promises of high returns.
CDs are fixed-term investment products which are supposed to be virtually risk-free.
It is alleged that Stanford misrepresented to investors that their money was safe, falsely claiming that funds were being re-invested in liquid financial instruments and monitored by a team of 20-plus analysts.
Instead, Stanford and his co-accused misused and misappropriated the funds, it is claimed.
The US Department of Justice alleges that 1.6 billion dollars (£1 billion) were diverted to Stanford himself through undisclosed personal loans.
The defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit mail, wire and securities fraud.
If convicted of all of the 21 counts on the charge sheet, Stanford could face a sentence of up to 250 years in prison, officials have said.
Kevin Pietersen insists Australia will be a "very, very good cricket side" even without injured paceman Brett Lee.
Lee has been ruled out of Wednesday's opening Ashes Test in Cardiff because of a rib injury.
He was the pick of the attack in the drawn game against England Lions, finishing the four-day fixture with match figures of 7-114.
While admitting the absence of the 32-year-old is a "bit of a bonus" for England, Pietersen expects the Aussies to be strong whatever XI they select.
"He's a superstar performer," the batsman told Sky Sports News after only just learning of Lee's injury.
"We've seen that in the last couple of days with the way he's bowled at Worcester against the Lions.
"We also know that whatever team Australia put out, it's going to be a very, very good cricket side. Whether Brett plays or doesn't play, Australia are going to be strong.
"We have got to go out and concentrate on what we do, though if he (Lee) doesn't play it would be a bit of a bonus."
Pietersen admits he can't wait for all the talking to stop and the action to get underway, predicting a tough series between the two rivals.
"We just want to get started," he admitted. "A lot of talk goes on before a series, particularly this series, and I think it's one we're all excited (about) and ready to get really into battle.
"We want to go out and play positive cricket. The cricket we have played in the last six months since Jamaica has been pretty impressive. That's the kind of cricket we want to play.
"We're going to have play positive cricket, intelligent cricket and dominant cricket throughout the series.
"The Australians are going to come at us - they are the best ranked team in the world at the moment. We go into the series as the underdogs but we have home advantage. I'm not going to say what the outcome will be but it's going to be a tough series."
Pietersen helped England win the Ashes in 2005 with a maiden Test ton in the fifth and final Test at the Oval and is expected to play a leading role this summer.
The 29-year-old has been hampered by an Achilles injury this summer but insists he is making an excellent recovery and should be fit to feature in the entire series.
"The injury seems to be behind me now, (I will have) a few more days of rehab. I started running a few days ago and everything feels okay," he added.
"Hopefully, touch wood, I will go through the series without an injury, without a flare-up, and have a successful campaign."
Chennai, July 06: Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath was named captain of the Indian team for the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia with Virat Kohli as his deputy.
The All India Senior Selection Committee, which met at the M A Chidambaram Stadium, picked a 16-member side for the tournament starting later this month Down Under.
Two other Tamil Nadu batsmen -- Murali Vijay and R Ashwin -- also made it to the squad, which include the Delhi duo of Kohli and Pradeep Sangwan.
Three Mumbai players -- Ajinkya Rahane, Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni -- made the cut as did the Uttar Pradesh pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Sudeep Tyagi.
Bengal duo of Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha, Madhya Pradesh stumper Naman Ojha, Jharkhand batsman Ishank Jaggi, Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh and Haryana leggie Amit Mishra are other members of the side.
Apart from India, domestic teams from New Zealand, South Africa and hosts Australia will compete in the Twenty20-cum-ODI tournament starting July 20.
India will take on AIS in a Twenty20 match on the opening day at Redlands CC in Queensland.
Indian state side Karnataka won the inaugural Emerging Players Tournament in 2005, while South Africa won it in 2006 and 2007 before New Zealand denied them a hat-trick.
Squad: S Badrinath (Captain), M Vijay, Ajinkya Rahane,
Virat Kohli (Vice-Captain), Manoj Tiwary, Ishank Jaggi, Abhishek Nayar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Pankaj Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pradeep Sangwan and Sudeep Tyagi.
Bureau Report
Andrew Flintoff admits he found being England captain a struggle.
The Lancashire all-rounder first skippered England in India in 2006 when he stepped into the breach because neither Michael Vaughan nor Marcus Trescothick were available.
The 31-year-old led England on their disappointing 2006/07 Ashes tour when they went down to a thumping 5-0 defeat.
Flintoff was then stripped of his vice-captaincy at the 2007 World Cup after a drunken incident involving a pedalo.
However, he acknowledges now he took too much on and told The Guardian: "The hard part is going back to your room at night and trying to switch off.
"As a player I can do that; as the captain I couldn't.
"And having to bat and having to bowl and do the captain's job...that was just a bit too much
Andrew Strauss will emphasise the need for England to remain calm amid the excitement and intensity of the Ashes as they prepare for the start of the first npower Test on Wednesday.
The England captain is eager for his side to hit the ground running with an aggressive brand of cricket which will lift the crowd in Cardiff and set them on course to emulate the 2005 triumph over Australia.
Four years ago the electric atmosphere at Lord's inspired England into dismissing Australia for 190 and although they lost that Test, it set the tone for the rest of the series with crowds flocking to support the Ashes campaign.
But Strauss is concerned his side could get too caught up in the frenzied atmosphere and is urging them to stay calm if they want to claim an early advantage in the series.
"One of the things that's going to be important and goes without saying really is that the first morning is a time for us to be calm and play our cricket, not get carried away with what's going on," said Strauss.
"That's easier said than done but it's important we keep ourselves where we need to be and come out put pressure on by the way we hit the ground.
"There are a lot of times in your career where you need to find intensity from somewhere and bring yourselves up for the occasions, that is not going to be one of those occasions.
"It's going to be one of those occasions where everything about you is going to be buzzing so you don't want to go over the top and go over that line not thinking clearly."
England could enter Wednesday's opener with as many as five players - Ravi Bopara, Graham Onions, Graeme Swann, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad - who are yet to sample the unique atmosphere of an Ashes Test.
But Strauss is confident all of them, if selected, can overcome any pre-match nerves and excitement and continue the momentum they built with emphatic Test and one-day series wins over West Indies earlier this summer.
"We've had a lot of chats over the last couple of months about what's coming up and how best to react to it," confirmed Strauss.
"The guys that haven't played in the Ashes have been very impressive and if anything they're more excited than the rest of the guys to get stuck in and savour that unique atmosphere that comes with playing in an Ashes series."
England's 13-man squad is due to practice in Cardiff later today as the build-up to the first Test intensifies with the selectors opting to overlook Steve Harmison but add Graham Onions and Ian Bell to the 11 who drew their practice match at Edgbaston last week.
Neither Onions or Bell are expected to make the starting line-up with England tipped to play both Panesar and Graeme Swann as a double spin option with national selector Geoff Miller surprisingly bullish about England's chances.
"I'm very confident," added Miller. "I know we've got players there who, if they play like they can play, we can give these a really hard ride."
Pakistan 342 and 71 for 2 (Butt 28*) need 97 to beat Sri Lanka 292 and 217 (Ajmal 3-34, Aamer 3-38, Younis 2-27)
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
A fiery mid-afternoon spell from Mohammad Aamer and stable stock bowling from Younis Khan (yes,Younis Khan) rattled Sri Lanka's second innings, setting themselves 168 to win the Galle Test, in which pace bowlers had taken 22 out of the 30 wickets to fall.
History was on Sri Lanka's side (no team has scored more than 6 runs in the fourth innings to win a Galle Test, and if achieved 168 would be the third-highest total in fourth innings here), but the nature of the pitch and the contest on Pakistan's. During the early stages of the three-quarters of the last session that Pakistan batted, a record-making win seemed on the cards, but two quick wickets late in the day meant the fourth, and most likely the final day won't be purely academic.
While Aamer has been the revelation of this match, Younis' bowling proved to be the wild card yet again - after he had broken two vital partnerships in the first innings. Pakistan started the first two sessions on a high - Umar Gul taking a wicket in the first over of the day, and Aamer taking three post-lunch - but were thwarted for some time by two partnerships, both ended by Younis.
Aamer's spell was the highlight, with swing both ways at good pace, and featuring the big wickets of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jaywardene. His third victim was Tharanga Paranavitana, the first-innings half-centurion, who fell for 49 this time.
The action started late - after a 30-minute rain delay - but with immediate returns for Pakistan. Malinda Warnapura had a poor effort again, poking at the second delivery of the day, without moving his feet.
Nightwatchman Rangana Herath, though, proceeded to frustrate them almost till lunch, playing and missing regularly as is the nightwatchman's wont. It didn't help that Gul lost his rhythm fairly early, bowling four no-balls in a three-over spell. Paranavitana cashed in on that blip, and punished every poor delivery wholesomely. Those three overs went for 22, and Sri Lanka were on their way.
Younis put a stop on the flow of runs, through Abdur Rauf and himself. Both were unlucky that they didn't get Herath in the next nine overs. A plumb lbw off Rauf was missed by the umpire, and Younis kept beating him outside the off stump.
With two overs to go for lunch, Younis went for the pads as opposed to the outside edge, and ended the frustrating 68-run stand. Sri Lanka went in to lunch with the score effectively on 20 for 2. Paranavitana, who had been kept off strike for most of the last hour had moved to 42 in only 50 deliveries.
Post lunch, though, Aamer made the ball sing - and it wasn't music to the batsmen's ears. In the fourth over after the interval, Paranavitana got one that moved away from him and took the edge. Jayawardene, for the second time, got a good delivery, in Aamer's next over. The ball pitched in front of stumps, and moved away sharply, kissing the hanging bat on the way. In his next over, Sangakkara edged another swinging delivery, and 86 for 2 had become 101 for 5, a lead of just 51 runs.
Thilan Samaraweera counterattacked, so did Tillakaratne Dilshan. A flurry of boundaries, mostly drives down the ground, eased the slip cordon, and brought a mid-off in. In no time the two added 37 runs, but the captain returned to put the lid on. He didn't get as much movement as in the first spell, but went for only two in his two overs. Then he changed ends, and in his second over of the new spell got Dilshan. It was not the best of shots, though, chasing a wide and full delivery and guiding it to second slip.
For good measure Saeed Ajmal, who had Dilshan dropped off his bowling earlier, came back and got Samaraweera with a doosra. The eight-wicket partnership between Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara had added by 35, but a slash outside off just after tea ended Mathews' 27. A quick 20-run partnership between Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara carried the target past 150, but Ajmal made sure it didn't go too far.
Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor were conspicuously more watchful than they were in the first innings. Against the new and moving ball, they tried to play as few shots as possible, and kept Sri Lanka at a distance, also adding 36 in that period. At the end of the 11th over, an out-of-shape ball was changed, and the new ball got the breakthrough right away, with Manzoor edging Ajantha Mendis outside off. Younis the batsman was as off the colour as Younis the bowler was, and got beaten by a sharp inswinger by Mathews.
From 39 for 2, though, Butt and Mohammad Yousuf played out the nervous period till stumps. Butt, especially, didn't look bogged down, and a late-cut from Yousuf in the last over before bad light stopped play brought the target inside 100. (Column by Miss Sadia naz crazycricinfo Staff reporter)
probables for the ICC Champions Trophy in September this year. The selectors picked a longlist of 30 players for the tournament, to be held in South Africa, including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.
Dravid played his last ODI in October 2007 against Australia in Nagpur, where he managed seven runs. He averages 39.49 from 333 games with a strike-rate of 71.22 and is the third Indian to accumulate more than 10,000 runs in ODIs.
His inclusion follows the recent struggles of Indian batsmen against short-pitched bowling, brutally shown up in the ICC World Twenty20 where Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan were troubled by bouncers from the West Indian fast bowlers. The problem continued in the subsequent ODI series in the West Indies.
Dravid played a key role in the success of Royal Challengers Bangalore during the IPL's second season, scoring 271 runs at a strike-rate of 115.81 as the team finished runners-up in the tournament held in South Africa.
The 16 members of the team touring the West Indies were also included, as are the regulars who missed that due to injury and fatigue concerns - Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer and Suresh Raina.
Among the players who failed to make the cut are medium-pacers Irfan Pathan and Sreesanth. Irfan's last ODI was against Sri Lanka in February, while a back injury has troubled Sreesanth for more than a year since the inaugural IPL.
Probables: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, M Vijay, Amit Mishra, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhawal Kulkarni, S Badrinath, Ashish Nehra, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar Singh, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh.
Australia's first Test preparations have been thrown into chaos with Brett Lee complaining of pain down his left side. Lee was absent from Australia's training session on Monday at Sophia Gardens while going to London for scans on the injury.
A team spokesman said the extent of Lee's problem would be known by Monday night or Tuesday morning. However, just two days out from the first Ashes Test, he seems almost certainly out of the opening game and his future in the remainder of the series may also be under threat.
Team-mates are concerned about his fitness and were only told of the problem on Monday morning. "It's not looking great," one said.
Lee was Australia's best bowler in the tour match against England Lions in Worcester, claiming 6 for 76 in the first innings and displaying a mastery of reverse-swing. Prior to the injury, he seemed certain to partner Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle in Australia's pace attack in Cardiff, with Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz duelling for the final bowling position, but those plans could now be destined for the shredder.
"He has a sore left rib, but we won't know the extent of it until the scans are back," an Australian team spokesman said. "We're in a holding pattern until then."
Lee, Australia's most senior bowler with 310 wickets from 76 Tests, only recently returned to action after undergoing foot and ankle surgery following the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. The tour matches against Sussex and England Lions were his first outings outside of Twenty20 competition this year, and his display in Worcester last week had prompted many to feel that he was nearing peak form.
"I have not trained for 25 weeks to sit on the sidelines," Lee said last week, but it is looking the most likely scenario. If a replacement is required Doug Bollinger, the left-armer from New South Wales, is next in line after touring South Africa earlier in the year and making his Test debut in January.
The man who bowled Pakistan's first ball in Test cricket is no more. Khan Mohammad also took Pakistan's first wicket and fittingly perhaps, for what was to follow, his victim Pankaj Roy, was clean bowled.
Fazal Mahmood, Mohammad's new-ball partner in those early days, was the blue-eyed, impossibly debonair star, but Mohammad was a compelling foil. At his peak, players from the era even suggest that he was the more difficult to handle.
Certainly, he was a different proposition. Well-built, with a high-stepping approach, Mohammad was swifter but not really express. That most of his victims were bowled or leg-before was a reflection more of his accuracy than pace. His stock ball was one that came in, though he complemented it with clever changes of pace and some natural, uncomfortable lift.
Mohammad was a Lahori through and through, growing up as the son of a timber merchant in the old city. He took to the game early and quickly became a key fixture in the city's thriving club cricket scene, representing first Friends CC, before moving to the big daddy among Lahore clubs, Universal CC. The move was beneficial and brought swift recognition: he was picked for Northern India to play in the Ranji Trophy, pre-partition, at the age of 19.
Soon after Pakistan came into being, Mohammad quickly established himself as the premier fast-medium bowler of the land, taking 14 wickets in two unofficial 'Tests' on a tour of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1948-49. He joined Lahore's Islamia College as a History and Economics student and further honed his skills in the legendary and fierce rivalry with Government College, a rivalry that did much to ensure Pakistan were a competitive side when they stepped into international cricket.
Recognition came also in the form of selection for the first Pakistan Eaglets trip to England, in 1950. The Eaglets was a visionary venture by the BCCP (now PCB), sending a group of the most promising players in Pakistan on annual trips to take on county second XIs and club sides in England. It was a prototype of A team tours, designed, again, to keep Pakistan competitive when they made their Test debut.
Mohammad impressed enough on his first trip to attract the attention of Somerset and took five wickets in his only match for them, against South Africa. He would've gone on, but for Pakistan's imminent entry into Test cricket: he decided to come back to play against an MCC side in 1951-52, the contests that sealed Pakistan's Test status. It was a wise decision, Mohammad taking a five-for in the first drawn game in Lahore and following it up with eight wickets in the famous Karachi win; eight months later, the ICC granted Pakistan Test status.
His Test career was impressive, but brief and disrupted by injury. He didn't complete either of the two historic tours to India in 1952-53 or to England in 1954 - he was playing in the Lancashire leagues when called up to the latter tour (he was among the first players in Pakistan to look at the game as a profession). But when his fitness returned, so too did his form and, briefly, he entered the best phase of his career.
India's return trip in 1954-55 was particularly fruitful; a dull, meandering and result-less series saw Mohammad taking 22 wickets, mostly on matting surfaces. A career-best 6 for 21 followed against New Zealand and a heady peak was reached as he and Fazal took all 20 wickets against a strong Australian (Mohammad taking seven) in Karachi in 1956, Pakistan coasting to a nine-wicket win.
But a couple of listless, injury-ridden Tests later, against Gary Sobers and a rampant West Indies, Mohammad's career was over, 13 Tests yielding an impressive 54 victims. He tread a wandering post-cricket path thereafter, briefly coaching Canada in the 1960s and, after picking up some coaching qualifications, working intermittently on pace camps in Pakistan. Attending one summer camp, in 1984, was the gangly, still unheard-of Wasim Akram. He worked with the Pakistan board in various capacities, though some might complain, it wasn't often enough.
He spent much of the latter half of his life in England though he was a regular visitor to Pakistan and was often seen at Gaddafi Stadium on match days. He was never short of advice for fast bowlers young and old, rookie and veteran and, on balance, it was advice they would do well to adhere to.
Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Pakistan cricket had lost a valuable asset and passed his condolences to Mohammad's family. Mohammad is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Spin bowling in Australia is currently worse than the economy, stuck in a depression with no immediate signs of recovery. The situation is so grim that for the third time in four Tests Australia may not pick a specialist slow bowler on Wednesday and instead will rely on three batsmen who double as part-time twirlers to quicken up the over-rate and burgle a breakthrough.
For the previous four Ashes tours spin was Australia's major weapon, with Shane Warne removing 129 home batsmen with his mystifying variations. He retired after the 5-0 triumph in 2006-07, a series England supporters don't seem to remember, and since then Australia's selection panel - and opposition batsmen - have demolished more contenders than Mike Tyson in his prime.
High expectations from supporters, selectors and team leaders are ruining a generation of moderate talent that would have been well suited to most eras of Australian cricket. The problem is the country has had two golden ages of spin bowling and everyone is measured against the most recent glory days. Stuart MacGill kept Warne company in the 1990s and 2000s, while Bill O'Reilly and Clarrie Grimmett were even more frightening for batsmen in the lead-up to World War II. Two pairs of the greatest leggies in history arrived at the same time.
Apart from Richie Benaud, the country's second-most successful spinner with 248 wickets in the 1950s and 60s, and the offie Hugh Trumble, who toiled from 1890 to 1904, no other Australian tweaker has more than 140 Test victims. This is not the sort of standard that qualifies the country as a perennial spin-bowling force.
Instead of where have the good spinners gone, the question should be how did a pace nursery produce so many slow-bowling greats? Grimmett came from New Zealand and practised for a decade before debuting aged 33 and O'Reilly was a tough man from the New South Wales bush who pushed the ball through like a medium-pacer. Until Warne sped into the side - arriving, appropriately, in a Porsche - O'Reilly was unchallenged as the country's best spinner. MacGill ripped the ball more than Warne but with less control, crossing the country from Western Australia to more friendly surfaces in New South Wales, and prised 208 Test wickets, usually during his high-profile partner's absence. Had he been born 10 years later there would be no talk of downturns and no-turns.
After Warne exited the Test scene in the first week of 2007, MacGill was the initial replacement before knee and wrist problems allowed Brad Hogg to come in for the India series. By the end of that summer Hogg had retired and MacGill joined him two Tests into the West Indies tour. Beau Casson, a chinaman bowler like Hogg, was the back-up on that trip and played the final match, returning an encouraging 3 for 86 in the second innings. Only the selectors weren't impressed: he was overlooked for the India tour, was dropped briefly by New South Wales and is trying not to go troppo this winter in Northern Territory club cricket.
The legspinner Bryce McGain, then 36, was called for the India trip before returning home for shoulder surgery and a surprisingly quick recovery. His moment of glee arrived in the final Test in South Africa, but it soon became wretchedly unforgettable as he gave up 0 for 149 off 18 overs. Back in the subcontinent the rookie Jason Krejza was left to jostle for a starting place with Cameron White, who considers himself a batsman who bowls occasional legspin. White played all four Tests with little success and Krejza balanced 12 wickets on debut with 358 runs to become the next hope. After an ankle injury and another Test in Perth, he was sent back to Tasmania and gathered 11 wickets at 50.72 in four Sheffield Shield appearances, figures that were similar to those earning him a spot in the top team.
Nathan Hauritz was used three times and did enough not to be considered for the XI in South Africa, but following some useful one-day performances was the only specialist given one of 25 national contracts. A berth on the Ashes tour followed along with some heavy punishment in both the tour games, although he was able to deliver a dozen economical overs as the game against the England Lions wound down. However, his lack of conviction leaves Marcus North, Michael Clarke and Simon Katich expecting greater roles in Cardiff and throughout the series.
Top Curve
Australia's spin stats
* SPINNERS IN THE 2008-09 SHEFFIELD SHIELD
* Nathan Hauritz (offspinner, NSW): 16 wickets at 35.25 in 4 matches
Chris Simpson (offspinner, Qld): 16 at 41.68 in 11
Aaron O'Brien (left-arm orthodox, NSW): 14 at 40.57 in 9
Jason Krejza (offspinner, Tas): 11 at 50.72 in 4
Dan Cullen (offspinner, SA): 10 at 77.70 in 5
Adam Voges (left-arm orthodox, WA): 9 at 27.22 in 10
Jon Holland (left-arm orthodox, Vic): 9 at 49.11 in 4
Cullen Bailey (legspinner, SA): 8 at 27.50 in 2
Beau Casson (left-arm wrist-spinner, NSW): 7 at 85.14 in 7
Bryce McGain (legspinner, Vic): 5 at 31.80 in 1
Dan Marsh (left-arm orthodox, Tas): 5 at 54.40 in 10
Cameron White (legspinner, Vic): 4 at 57.25 in 5
Daniel Doran (legspinner, Qld): 4 at 100 in 5
Aaron Heal (left-arm orthodox, WA): 3 at 90 in 2
Josh Mangan (legspinner, WA): 2 at 79.00 in 3
Xavier Doherty (left-arm orthodox, Tas): 1 at 87.00 in 2
* TOP 10 SPINNERS BY WICKETS
Shane Warne: 708 wickets, 145 matches, 25.41 average
Richie Benaud: 248, 63, 27.03
Clarrie Grimmett: 216, 37, 24.22
Stuart MacGill: 208, 44, 29.02
Bill O'Reilly: 144, 27, 22.59
Hugh Trumble: 141, 32, 21.78
Ashley Mallett: 132, 38, 29.84
Bruce Yardley: 126, 33, 31.63
Ian Johnson: 109, 45, 29.19
Arthur Mailey: 99, 21, 33.91
Bottom Curve
In the lead-up to the squad announcement Allan Border, a former selector, pushed for Jon Holland, a left-arm orthodox from Victoria with only five first-class games on his resume. Domestically, the spin situation is so bad that after Warne retired he was asked to speak to the state captains about how to use slow bowlers. The leaders expected all their spinners to have the control, turn and bluff of Warne. If anybody had told them that was impossible, they were ignored. When fours arrived in flurries the twirlers were replaced by the faster, more economical operators, then saved for an over before the interval or to give the main men a rest.
Three years ago Queensland's Daniel Doran took five wickets in their Sheffield Shield final victory and appeared on track to develop into the state's first national legspinning representative since Trevor Hohns, who retired after the 1989 Ashes victory. Jimmy Maher had more idea about haute cuisine than how to employ Doran, who scraped 10 wickets at 70.50 in a full campaign. He has been a worried fringe player ever since, appearing in four games last season for five breakthroughs and more pain.
Last month Cricket Australia hosted a spin summit at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, where Warne told the attendees that slow bowlers must not be an afterthought. Once again, educating the captains was another key theme. "[Spinners] don't bowl after all the quicks have finished, and then [are told]: you have a bowl because no one can get a wicket," Warne said. "You can bring them on early."
One thing Australia don't miss is well-qualified coaches. Terry Jenner, who played nine Tests in the 1970s, was Warne's mentor and monitors the bumpy progress of Dan Cullen and Cullen Bailey in South Australia. Greg Matthews (61 wickets in 33 Tests) and Kerry O'Keeffe (53 in 24) offer advice in New South Wales; Ashley Mallett (132 in 38) has been a travelling consultant and Murray Bennett (6 in 3) is one of Hauritz's confidants. At the Centre of Excellence the spin coach is John Davison, a former state offspinner and Canada representative, and Warne and MacGill pop in to talk wrists and dip. But on tour Troy Cooley, the fast bowling mentor and swing expert, is in charge of the spinners as well.
Despite all of this knowledge, the lectures and the talk of giving slow men a proper go, the decision-makers start to shiver after a couple of bad days. Without long-term faith in spinners at all levels, the quality of options will not become high enough for a sustained Test career. And that's not five wickets a Test, like Warne, but a couple in each innings and some venom on the final day.
It's a brutally tough discipline, which no longer seems understood in Australia, and one that has been mastered by only a handful of greats. There were 46 years between O'Reilly's last Test and Warne's first, leaving Australia to pray for a Benaud or Trumble to fill the gap sometime soon.
India clinched their fifth straight ODI series when rain forced the abandonment of the final match against West Indies in St Lucia, and the captain MS Dhoni believes it is tribute to his core unit.
"I think we really have a very good side," said Dhoni after India won the series 2-1. "It's a pleasure to win series out of the country. The bowlers took the initiative, we have a very good bowling attack and the youngsters who came in and got a chance have proved himself."
Dhoni's pace spearhead in the absence of Zaheer Khan, the young Ishant Sharma, struggled during the series - he took a pasting from Chris Gayle in the third ODI - but bounced back well to get Gayle for a second-ball duck in the final game. Dhoni credited a disciplined approach as key to Ishant's rejuvenated spell in the washed-out affair.
"He [Ishant] was concentrating more on what he needs to do rather than looking at the batsman. Today he was bowling in the right areas and there was a bit help in the pitch for the fast bowlers," said Dhoni. "In the earlier matches he was bowling one change but today he looked a totally different bowler with the new ball. Throughout the series if you see we batted first because there was something on offer for the fast bowlers."
Second to Dhoni's series-topping 182 runs was his deputy, Yuvraj Singh, with 168 including the sole century of the truncated series. Yuvraj, said, Dhoni was the backbone of India's batting order. "Coming in at No. 4 he always takes up the responsibility and sets up the platform for the batsmen down the order to contribute. When he sets himself up, you can rest assure he is in for a big score."
Gayle rued the fact West Indies did not have a chance to square the series. "You can't really do anything in such weather conditions," he said. "We are looking forward to Bangladesh right now. We need to go back to the drawing board ahead of that series. [Runako] Morton's return to form and Darren Bravo's introduction to international cricket were the positives that have come out of the series."
Shane Warne believes Australia would be making a serious mistake if they didn't play Nathan Hauritz in the first Test despite his ugly figures in the two tour matches. There is a strong chance Australia will name a four-man pace attack for the opening Ashes Test, despite the possibility of England taking in two spinners.
Warne said Graeme Swann, Monty Panesar and Hauritz would have enormous roles to play over the next week in Cardiff, where the pitch is expected to help the slow bowlers. First, Hauritz must win the backing of the selectors following his overall haul of 2 for 260 in the games against Sussex and England Lions.
"Whatever the speculation, Hauritz has to play for Australia, especially at Cardiff, with Marcus North, Simon Katich and Michael Clarke in support," Warne wrote in his column in the Times. "I actually think this is England's best chance of winning because of the conditions. Edgbaston may favour them as well, but I think Lord's, Headingley and the Oval will suit Australia.
"There isn't a lot between Hauritz and Swann. The difference is in their attitude. Swann has his confidence up and has been bowling pretty well lately in spin-friendly conditions against the left-handers. Hauritz has been finding his way in England and is trying to cement his spot in the team. Self-belief is very important."
Panesar's inclusion is not yet certain and Swann, who has never played against Australia in a Test, ODI or Twenty20 international, will be England's first-choice spinner at Sophia Gardens. Warne said Swann had the potential to frustrate the Australians and their tactic must be to attack him immediately to dent his confidence.
"Swann's character could really get under the skin of the Australians and if I was the England captain, I would give him full licence to be himself," Warne said. "He isn't to everyone's taste. If he is dictating terms, he will have a strut about him and that arrogance and cockiness will be obvious. In that state, he could disrupt Australia's rhythm.
"But when his confidence is down, as with all players, he is not so effective. I think Australia have to try to bring him down to size by taking him on straight away. Michael Clarke has a key role there because he is our best player of spin. His footwork is top-drawer and he could knock Swann seriously off kilter."
Warne also said England had erred by leaving Steve Harmison out of their squad, particularly after his short-pitched successes against Phillip Hughes during the warm-up game. Warne said having a varied attack could be a key during this series and while Australia had a solid mix, England had missed an opportunity by omitting Harmison.
"He does offer something different," Warne wrote. "When I think back to 2005 - which I don't do unless I have to - what stands out is the variety in the England attack: right-arm swing from Matthew Hoggard, pace and bounce from Harmison, reverse swing at speed from Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff angling it in awkwardly to the right-handers.
"Both sides will be comfortable with their batting but more concerned about how to take 20 wickets. I do think that Australia have bases covered in the pace department, with Mitchell Johnson bowling left-arm and swinging it back into the right-hander to work with the hustle and bustle of Peter Siddle, with Brett Lee swinging it at 150kmh." (Crazycricinfo staff)
Another session, another exercise in evenness. And at another break, neither team sits in clear ascendancy. The nightwatchman Abdur Rauf looked like frustrating the Sri Lankan medium-pacers into tiring down on a hot and humid day, but they struck to remove both Rauf and Younis Khan to reduce Pakistan to 80 for 4. From there on, though, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq negotiated the rest of the session in a sound manner to restore the balance in the contest.
Angelo Mathews became the second debutant in the match to take a wicket in his first over, removing Younis just before the drinks break, but it was during the toil of the first hour that Sri Lanka kept Pakistan from running free. After two overs from Ajantha Mendis right at the top, both Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara gave the batsmen a tough time. Playing and missing, prodding and nudging, Younis and Rauf survived and put together a sizeable partnership. What worked for them was that there wasn't as much seam movement as yesterday.
It was Rauf who, surprisingly, took the lead. By the time Younis cut Kulasekara for three in the sixth over - his first confident shot of the innings - he had faced the same number of deliveries as Rauf, 32, but scored 10 as opposed to Rauf's 19. Rauf showed the tendency to play inside the line of the ball, but the fatal edge came only after the two had added 50 for the third wicket, 31 of which Rauf contribued.
Just before the first hour turned over, Kumar Sangakkara brought Mathews on and Younis played at a wide delivery to end an unconvincing innings. Luckily for Pakistan, Yousuf and Misbah were more confident and comfortable than the men they replaced.
Yousuf did have three shouts against him early on in the piece, but wasn't close to getting out to any. He looked to counter Thushara's swing by moving outside the line of off stump, and a couple of flashy shots there got him boundaries too. Misbah, in his brief unbeaten stay, looked the most comfortable batsman on this pitch. He was neither beaten nor keen to hit the bowlers off rhythm. A statement of intent was issued to Mendis, though, when Misbah read a googly early and lofted him over midwicket.
Mendis didn't look like he had settled into any sort of rhythm, giving 22 in his five overs. Misbah and Yousuf had added 40 for the fifth wicket in 12 overs.
England captain Andrew Strauss has said his team will take the field this summer and go "blow for blow" against Australia. Strauss, whose first Ashes series was in 2005 when England regained the urn, chose not too delve too far back into that epic summer when chalking up the home side's chances.
"It's unhelpful to look back too much to 2005," said Strauss at Edgbaston. "This is going to be a very different series and it would be wrong to expect things to go in a similar manner. What I take from 2005 is how close those games were and how hard it was to finish them off. There were times we were right on top and maybe we didn't have enough belief to do that. One of the things we have been trying to work on is to be very clinical so that when we get on top of teams we finish them off once and for all. That's going to be important in the coming days."
Strauss said to seriously compete with Australia, England would have to be prepared to scrap. "Anybody who goes in there and just thinks 'Oh no, we'll just stick to our own game' is going to come unstuck. Our players are absolutely certain that they will go out there and go blow for blow."
He was, however, wary of overdoing that competitiveness. "There's a fine line between aggression and being over the top so we have to check that line carefully," said Strauss. "I think we know the type of cricket we need to play to beat the Aussies, we just need to go out and play it."
Strauss was eager to point out that England will not be overly dependent on Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen. "You don't win Ashes series unless all 11 play a big part", he said. "If Fred bowls with aggression no player in the world is going to enjoy that. I still think there are some scars in their side. Maybe some of their batsman haven't faced him very much before but they will have watched that series four years ago and know that when he's good he's very, very good."
Pietersen's failures in the warm-up against Warwickshire at Edgbaston didn't deter Strauss. "KP hasn't changed his style of batting in four years. I don't expect him to this time. KP is a man for the big occasion," he said. "I wasn't overly surprised he didn't get many runs in the Warwickshire game, but come that first Test match you know that's he's going to be switched on and keen to make his mark on the series right from ball one. He backs himself against any bowler, he backed himself against [Shane] Warne and [Glenn] McGrath and he will do that against these bowlers. His number-one asset is his confidence".
Strauss was pleased with England's build-up to the Ashes, even though their main competition in recent Tests has been West Indies. "I like where we're at. I thought there were some really encouraging signs against the West Indies, there was good, controlled aggression and we were clinical," he said. "We're not going to know for certain until we go out there against the Australians, but the signs are good, and I like the characters we have got in the side. I don't see any that are going to be open to exploitation and that's vital."
While there has been plenty of understandable anticipation leading up to Glamorgan's big day, Strauss said his players "will be walking into the unknown" when they take the field in Cardiff. "We are not entirely sure what to expect. Both teams will go there not knowing what to expect, and we can only judge when the Test match is over," he said. "In world cricket home advantage counts for a huge amount."
Share Email Feedback Print England Lions v Australians, Worcester, 4th day Ponting backs Hughes to bounce back
Australia have no Ashes fears for Phillip Hughes after the young Australian opener was twice dismissed by short-pitched bowling during the final hit-out before the first Test. Hughes fell in uncomfortable fashion for 7 and 8 when undone by Steve Harmison's steepling bounce, ensuring the tactic will be employed by England in Cardiff from Wednesday.
Ricky Ponting and Tim Nielsen, the coach, both supported the 20-year-old Hughes to overcome his sudden problems with the short ball. "Without wanting to make too much of that, that's how South Africa bowled to him all series when he had great success," Nielsen said. "A couple didn't bounce as much as he thought or were a bit fuller, it's one of Harmison's great strengths that he comes from such a height and can get lift.
"It's great experience for Hughesy because he hasn't faced that quality fast bowling in the last month or so. It's given him a chance to be aware of how they are going to attack him." After struggling in the opening innings of his Test debut in Johannesburg, Hughes responded with a half-century and two hundreds in the three-match series for a collection of 415 runs at 69.16.
Ponting was not concerned by Mitchell Johnson, who improved with each spell against the England Lions, or Hughes. "Both of those guys will come out of this game with a good idea and understanding of what to expect for the rest of the tour, particularly on those sorts of wickets," he said.
"Hughesy got out a similar way in both innings so he has work to do, but he will work on that. Mitchell, after missing last week, needed this hit-out but he should be topped up and ready to go for Wednesday."
Brett Lee was the outstanding bowler for Australia with seven wickets, including one on the final day, and he was the only visitor to be able to reverse the ball consistently. "He really stood up in that first innings when the ball swung like it did," Ponting said. "Nobody in the world is as good at exploiting those conditions."
Nielsen would not reveal the team's thoughts on the make-up of the attack, preferring to wait until they see the pitch in Cardiff. However, he was pleased with the performance of Lee and the pressure applied by the rest of the bowlers.
"[Lee's] was a very impressive spell of 90mph with the ball reversing in," Nielsen said. "It's his big strength that when the ball starts to reverse, because of his pace and the fact he stands the seam up so straight, he can do it and he's done it well in the past."
Both teams believed the conditions at Sophia Gardens would be similar to here, with low bounce and a hard square roughing up the ball. Ian Bell, the England Lions captain, said the Test squad would now know what to expect from the Australians after Lee's display.
"England are going to have to deal with reverse-swing, especially the middle-order players, and they can prepare for that," he said. The local selectors met in Worcester on Saturday and will name their squad at 10am (BST) on Sunday.
crazycricinfo staff
Pakistan will begin its title defence in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 against Bangladesh at St. Lucia on May 1. The tournament will be staged at four venues - Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts and St Lucia - and the final will be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on May 16.
The 2007 World Cup, the premier 50-over tournament, was held in the West Indies and the World Twenty20 will present an opportunity to the island nations to set right some of the criticism directed at the 2007 tournament.
Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, was confident that the tournament would be a success among the spectators. "One measure of success will be to fill the venues and to try to achieve this we have worked hard with the West Indies Cricket Board to ensure the ticket prices are extremely competitive," he said.
"In Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts and St Lucia we have four outstanding venues, something that was shown in 2007 when they hosted matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup, and we know that West Indian spectators enjoy the format as they have already embraced Twenty20 at domestic level."
The tournament will also see women's matches played alongside the men, a concept that was used in the recently concluded World Twenty20 in England. "I'm delighted we have retained the men's and women's tournaments in one event with the respective semi-finals and finals being played on the same days at the same venues," said Lorgat. "This will again provide women's cricket with a great platform to showcase the talents of the top players."
In an effort to spread out major tournaments so two important events are not held close to each other, the ICC has decided to host the Twenty20 World Cup in 2010, between the Champions Trophy in October 2009 and the World Cup to be held in 2011.
July 4, 2009 Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka 2009 Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st Test Match Galle International Stadium (DAY1 scorecard)
Toss: Pakistan (Elected to Field) Session: Day 1
Summary: Pakistan trail by 277 runs (Stumps) Target: Req. R/R:
Pakistan : 15 / 2 in 7.0 overs (RR: 2.14) Sri Lanka : 292 in 80.2 overs (RR: 3.63)
Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR Bowlers O M R W Nb Wd Eco.
Abdur Rauf * 0 9 0 0 0.00 Thilan Thushara * 3.0 2 2 1 0 0 0.67
Younis Khan (c) 7 20 0 0 35.00 Nuwan Kulasekara 4.0 0 7 1 0 0 1.75
Partnership: 10 runs, 3.1 overs, R/R: 3.16 Last 18 Balls: 3 . 1B . | . . . . . . | . . . . 2 4B |
Full Scorecard
Pakistan Ist innings
Show Current Innings on Top (new)
Pakistan Ist innings
Runs Balls Fours Sixes SR FoW
Khurram Manzoor lbw b Thushara 2 12 0 0 16.67 2-5 ( 3.5 ov. )
Salman Butt b Kulasekara 0 1 0 0 0.00 1-1 ( 0.2 ov. )
Younis Khan (c) not out 7 20 0 0 35.00
Abdur Rauf not out 0 9 0 0 0.00
A Cricket South Africa (CSA) online survey has revealed that 96 per cent of fans agreed that 2008 was the most successful year for South African cricket.
This came just days after CSA feted the Proteas in a glittering tribute at the 2009 SA Cricket Awards ceremony in Johannesburg.
CSA CEO Gerald Majola said the online fan survey demonstrated the kind of support cricket enjoyed among the people in South Africa.
"This support is graphically illustrated in the most positive response to the online fan survey conducted on CSA's website," he said.
"We will study the results to ensure that we keep in touch with the fans. Their support was a critical factor in taking the Proteas to the world's top ODI spot and second in the Test rankings, and achieving the best results in South African cricket history over the 2008-09 season," said Majola.
"From May last year to April 2009, the Proteas achieved unparalleled success in the history of South African cricket, either before or after cricket unity in 1990, winning away Test series in both England and Australia and both the home and away ODI series against Australia," added Majola.
The online survey which ran concurrently with face-to-face research was launched by CSA in association with IFM Sports Marketing Surveys to better understand the modern cricket fan following the Proteas unprecedented successes over Australia.
It ran for just over three weeks on the CSA website (www.cricket.co.za), drawing nearly 550 responses.
The survey also revealed that 85.1 per cent of the participants were now more positive about supporting the Proteas due to their performance over the past 12 months, while 68 percent added that they considered themselves as fanatical cricket supporters.
"Participants said words that came to mind when describing the Proteas were professional, likeable and traditional," Majola said.
"The final report on the fan survey, which will include analysis of the face-to-face fan research, will be released in the next few weeks," he added.
Veteran Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas has decided to retire from Test cricket, the country's chief selector Asantha de Mel told AFP on Saturday.
The 35-year-old left-armer, who has served Sri Lanka at the top level for 15 years, will, however, still be available for one-day and Twenty20 cricket, the official said.
"Chaminda has told me he does not want to play Test cricket anymore, but he will continue in the shorter formats," de Mel, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler, said.
Vaas, a 110-Test veteran, was overlooked for the Test series against Pakistan which began at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday.
The selectors did not pick him even after spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the first Test due to a knee injury, leaving the Sri Lankan attack short of experience.
Vaas, who made his Test debut against Pakistan at Kandy in 1994, claimed 354 wickets at an average of 29.40 with 12 five-wicket hauls and twice took 10 wickets in a match.
He also has 400 wickets from 322 one-day internationals, including a hat-trick off the first three balls of the match against Bangladesh during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
De Mel, asked if Vaas will be picked in the one-day team after being ignored for the World Twenty20 in England last month, said no player could be guaranteed a place in the side.
Staff Report
LAHORE: Opener Imran Nazir has been pardoned by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt after sending a written apology for showing dissent over an umpiring decision in a Twenty20 domestic game. Nazir will now be available for selection for the one-day and Twenty20 leg of the Sri Lanka tour. Nazir showed dissent after being adjudged LBW by umpire Nadeem Ghauri in the final of a Twenty20 competition. As a result, he was not considered for the Sri Lanka tour and was fined and suspended for three domestic games. A few days ago, interim chief selector Wasim Bari had said that Nazir was ‘now in contention for selection for the ODIs and Twenty20s.’ Nazir recently returned to the official fold after ending his stint with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), where he represented the Lahore Badshahs
KARACHI: A Pakistani former head of cricket’s international governing body on Friday accused India of exploiting its financial clout by trying to form a cartel of top nations. Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani warned against attempts to create a divide in international cricket by allowing a top tier with Australia, England, India and South Africa. “It may not be deliberate but Australia, England and South Africa want to benefit financially by playing India more and more, which would squeeze out countries like Pakistan from international cricket,” Mani told AFP.
The ICC was last week due to finalise a Future Tour Programme (FTP), a six-year scheduling of countries playing home and away cricket, but deferred after Pakistan complained of being given less cricket. The first FTP, which runs out in 2012, was signed by all 10 Test playing countries in 2006. A senior official from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Thursday the PCB had raised serious concerns over attempts to marginalise Pakistan. “We have raised our concerns that there were attempts to marginalise us in the FTP and the ICC has assured us that our concerns will be addressed,” chief operating officer Salim Altaf told AFP.
Mani said it was up to the ICC, not the four countries, to finalise the FTP. “I think ICC is not doing much and is not reactive to pressures. It really bothers me,” said Mani, who was ICC president from 2003 to 2006 and who spoke to AFP in English. Mani said India had not scheduled any series with Pakistan in the second FTP. “PCB has a strong stance on why India is not giving Pakistan any series in the FTP post-2012 and India is giving a blatant message that they just want to play top countries who for self-interests (are) fulfilling what India asks. Pakistan should refuse to sign the FTP because it is a programme aimed at giving all countries home and away cricket with all other countries at least once in six years.”
Mani again accused India, an arch-rival of his home country Pakistan, of being behind an ICC decision that stripped Pakistan of its share of World Cup 2011 matches over security fears. “The whole issue of Pakistan stripped of World Cup matches was due to India,” said Mani. The matches will now be held in co-hosts India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The ICC said last month Pakistan’s matches would be shared by the other co-hosts – prompting the PCB to initiate a court appeal. “I am afraid Pakistan will have to improve its relationship with other countries as well and needs to do a lot of lobbying,” said Mani. “Pakistan had fulfilled what Australia had demanded on security and played their home series on neutral grounds,” said Mani of two series played on neutral grounds in 2002 and 2009 over Australian fears about security. “Now Pakistan (touring Australia next year) should also ask Australia to provide top-level security because a lot of students have been killed in Melbourne recently.”