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."