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.