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Rome, April 30: Roger Federer made short work of Czech Radek Stepanek on Thursday to book his place in the quarter-finals of the ATP Rome Masters claycourt event.
The world number two took just 1hr 8min to secure a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory that also brought the second seed revenge for a loss against Stepanek here in the last eight a year ago.
That time Federer struggled to cope with Stepanek's aggressive net play in a 7-6, 7-6 defeat but this time around the Swiss maestro was a transformed player.
He broke Stepanek in the 13th seed's opening service game when the Czech plopped a poor drop shot into the net.
Federer looked to be comfortably serving out the set despite only hitting 33 percent of first serves until he was surprisingly broken in the ninth game when he fired a forehand long.
That, however, seemed to focus the 13-time Grand Slam-winner, who romped through the next six games before a brief blip allowed Stepanek his only game of the second set.
Federer finished off the match with two aces and took an impressive four out of seven break-point opportunities.
The 27-year-old, a finalist here in 2003 and 2006, will face either France's eighth seed Gilles Simon or Mischa Zverev of Germany in the next round.
The Swiss is still looking for his first title of the season in his sixth tournament.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Federer dazzles to gain Stepanek revenge
The world number two took just 1hr 8min to secure a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory that also brought the second seed revenge for a loss against Stepanek here in the last eight a year ago.Dementieva, Bartoli advance at Porsche GP
Stuttgart, April 30: Second-seeded Elena Dementieva overcame a slow start to beat Agnes Szavay of Hungary 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Thursday and set up a quarter-final match against Marion Bartoli at the Porsche Grand Prix.
Bartoli, a former Wimbledon runner-up from France, beat seventh-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Dementieva, a Russian who is the Olympic champion, fell behind 4-1 before battling back to win the first set. She cruised through the second, but then needed five match points to end it.
"I really had a slow start, it was tough to come back from 4-1 down," Dementieva said. "I am still finding my feet on clay court. It is my first tournament of the year (on clay) and my footwork needs to improve. It is just important to improve match by match, and make sure I am ready for the French Open."
The Stuttgart tournament, previously played on a hard surface, has become the first indoor clay event on the circuit and is a warm-up for next month's French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year.
Bell hopes his Test career is not over
London, April 30: Ian Bell was left feeling both frustrated and fearful for his England future after being left out of the squad for next week`s first Test against the West Indies at Lord`s.
The 27-year-old Warwickshire batsman believed he`d done all that was asked of him by scoring two early season centuries for his county having been dropped following February`s series opener with the West Indies in Jamaica.
But the selectors left out Bell and Owais Shah, the man who replaced him in the Caribbean, as well as opting against a recall for former England captain Michael Vaughan.
Instead they have opted to play Ravi Bopara at number three, having been impressed by the way the Essex all-rounder made 104 in his last Test appearance, against the West Indies.
"The message I got coming back from the West Indies was to score big hundreds and make sure you hit the ground running, which is what I thought I`d done so I thought I was in a good position, but I now have to keep working and keep scoring runs in county cricket," Bell said.
Should Bopara be given both matches in the upcoming two-Test series with the West Indies in which to make the problematic No 3 position his own, it leaves the likes of Bell with precious few matches in which to impress ahead of the Ashes, which start in July.
"The problem I have now is the way the fixtures are set out," said Bell, dropped by England after averaging just 19.45 in his previous six Tests.
"I have this four-day match with the England Lions (against the tourists), we have a championship match against Yorkshire next week and there is a month of Twenty20 cricket.”
"So there`s not a lot of time and opportunity to go and score big hundreds in four-day cricket and push to get your place back in the Test team," Bell explained.
Early in his career Bell was regarded as one of England`s brightest prospects but he has recently had to confront accusations he does not score runs when they are most needed.
And the view that Bell has a suspect temperament will only gain ground after he was omitted from the first England squad chosen since former Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower, renowned for his resilience in his playing days, was appointed on a permanent basis as the team`s head coach.
However, there are three first-class matches that Bell could play in before the first Test against Australia in Cardiff - two County Championship fixtures and an Edgbaston clash between Warwickshire and an England XI.
Even if Bell, who last July made a Test-best 199 against South Africa at Lord`s, cannot force his way back in on his own merits, England`s recent run of injuries suggest he may well get another chance before the Ashes are concluded.
"It`s a long summer and there`s a lot of cricket coming up," said Bell.
"Just because I`m not picked in this Test match now doesn`t mean I won`t be playing in the Ashes and I`ve got to keep believing that I can and believe if I keep scoring the runs then I`ve got a chance of playing.
Age no bar in Twenty20 cricket: Tendulkar
Durban, April 30: Who says Twenty20 is a young man’s game, asks Sachin Tendulkar.
Not only Tendulkar, the other 35-plus players like Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, and Sanath Jayasuriya have outshone the younger lot in the ongoing second edition of the Indian Premier League.
“I don’t know who says that it`s a young man’s game. Clearly, he doesn`t know much about cricket,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying.
“It’s (T20) a cricketers’ game so it really doesn`t matter whether you are young or old. It is a cricketer`s match,” Tendulkar said.
The Mumbai Indians skipper though failed during his team`s three-run loss to Kings XI Punjab here Wednesday.
“Our bowlers did extremely well to restrict them to 120. We knew that it was going to be close. We needed a couple of decent partnerships in between which would have taken us to our target. But that didn`t happen.”
“We lost three early wickets and that put a lot of pressure on us. It wasn`t a flat deck to bat on, there was something happening,” Tendulkar said.
“The conditions get tougher in the evening with the ball doing a bit. The wicket is such that the ball was not coming onto the bat. And if the ball starts doing that then it`s always going to be tough to put it away.
Shah Rukh dismisses KKR-for-sale reports
Mumbai, April 30: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday dismissed reports that the beleaguered Indian Premier League franchisee is up for sale.
Shah Rukh said he had made a lot of emotional investment in building the side and was not selling it.
"The amount of love I have invested in it, nobody in this world can afford to buy it," Shah Rukh said after casting his vote today.
News reports earlier claimed the actor wanted to wash his hands of KKR, which has been struggling in the second IPL in South Africa.
According to reports, Shah Rukh was in touch with Nokia, Sahara and the Anil Ambani Group to sell the side he had bought last year for Rs 300 crore.
KKR has been plagued by a slew of controversies which went on to affect its performance on the field as the side managed just one win so far in the second IPL.
Coach John Buchanan`s multiple-captain theory, stripping Sourav Ganguly of captaincy and handing it over to Brendon McCullum, sending Aakash Chopra and Sanjay Bangar back home midway through the tournament and reports of a possible players` revolt against the coach -- all affected the side`s morale.
McCullum himself is going through a bad patch and has decided to step down if the side fails to reach the semifinals.
Shah Rukh was with the team in South Africa before returning home to cast his vote and he plans not to rejoin team unless it starts winning again.
"If my team continues to lose like this, I am not going back to South Africa. I will go only when they play well and win," Shah Rukh said.
Outstanding Raina guides Chennai to victory
Centurion, April 30: Cometh the hour, cometh Raina. Riding high on his blistering knock of 98, Chennai Super Kings thumped defending champions Rajasthan Royals by 38 runs at Super Sport Park here on Thursday.
A blistering innings by Suresh Raina saw Chennai Super Kings shrug off their initial stammer and post a challenging total of 165 runs for the current champions, chasing which Rajasthan were skittled out for 126/9 in just 19.3 overs as Kamran Khan decided not to put on the batting gloves.
In what could be termed as one of the finest innings of IPL season two along with AB de Villiers` magnificent century couple of days back, Raina delighted the crowd and millions watching across the globe with some breathtaking and audacious strokes over covers and all around the park. Raina’s innings of 98 comprised of 5 huge sixes and 10 fours. The knock also became the highest total by an Indian in the IPL-II.
Raina’s onslaught in the game at one stage forced Kamran Khan, Warne’s find of the season, going for 19 runs in four balls. Khan then pulled out of the park with a twisted ankle.
Earlier in the match, Chennai, who were off to a horrendous start, brought themselves back into the match with over fifty runs partnership for the third wicket between Raina and Badrinath. Put into bat, Chennai Super Kings were struggling to get on with the game after losing two big wickets of Mathew Hayden (1) and Parthiv Patel (3) cheaply against some disciplined bowling by Yusuf Pathan.
Yusuf Pathan, the constructor-in-chief for Rajasthan Royals` scintillating victories until now, switched his role into destructor-in-chief as he got rid of the two Chennai openers. But since then the night belonged to Suresh Raina and Chennai Super Kings.
Chasing a challenging total of 165 runs for victory, Royals struggled to keep pace with the required run rate. Barring Ravinder Jadeja, who scored 37 off 33 balls, raised hopes for Rajasthan, all other failed to take off.
Rob Quiney (28), Graeme Smith (2), Swapnil Asnodkar(10) Yusuf Pathan (20) Dimitri Mascarenhas (8), Warne (3), Munaf Patel (0) failed to rise to the occasion as the defending champions crumbled to their first defeat against Chennai Super Kings in IPL-II.
Kwadwo Asamoah - The Next Great Ghana Midfielder?
One Serie A player has exploded in the second half of the season. His name? Kwadwo Asamoah of Udinese. Carlo Garganese believes the 20-year-old has the potential to make it to the very top...
African nations, have possessed an abundance of midfield talent in recent years. Stephen Appiah and Sulley Muntari have both starred for top Italian clubs Juventus and Inter, respectively, while Chelsea’s Michael Essien can currently claim to be one of the world’s best enforcers.
Going further back, Karim Abdul Razak was one of Africa’s premier midfielders during the 1980s, whereas former Marseille and Torino playmaker Abedi Pele, the ‘African Maradona’, is an undisputed legend of the game.
Could another great Ghanaian midfielder be just about to emerge?
Until a few months ago, Kwadwo Asamoah was a virtual unknown. The 20-year-old had moved to Torino on loan in January 2008 from Swiss side Bellinzona, and then on loan again to Udinese last summer. Until January of this year, Asamoah had yet to make his Serie A debut, and anyone dedicated enough to study squad rosters would probably have written off the youngster as a nonentity.
Asamoah finally made his bow on January 11, as a second-half substitute in the 1-1 home draw with Sampdoria. He has since been a virtual ever-present, starting 13 matches, and scoring one goal – a superb effort during the 3-1 win over Fiorentina a fortnight ago.
In the space of just three months, Asamoah’s transfer value has risen from a five-figure sum to at least €15 million. Every major Italian club, particularly Inter and Juventus, are said to be interested in signing the starlet, while it is surely only a matter of time before Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, and other Premier League giants, start passing over a few admiring glances.
In many ways, Asamoah is the complete modern midfielder. He has explosive pace, everlasting stamina, bull-like strength, and moves tirelessly from box-to-box. Yet, unlike your Essien or Muntari, he also possesses some exciting technical skills. Asamoah dribbles and surges past opponents, passes the ball well, has good awareness, and possesses a sweet left foot. If you had to compare him to a player, you would say he is a mix between Edgar Davids and Manchester United’s Anderson, only less robust and defensive-minded than the former, and not as tactical as the latter.
Juventus and Inter both desperately need a top-class midfielder this summer, and they could do a lot worse than Asamoah. He may only have three months' top-class experience under his belt, but there is no replacement for raw talent, and Asamoah certainly has the makings of a really special player. He is also very versatile, as he is so complete and supple, and could probably fit into any tactical system.
At next summer’s World Cup, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has already vowed that an African nation can make it to the semi-finals. Ivory Coast are perhaps the best equipped to fulfil this prophecy, but one should not rule out Ghana. The Black Stars may be lacking a bit of quality in defence and attack, but in a year’s time their midfield will be able to hold its own against most teams. Essien, Muntari and Asamoah have the potential to form a fearsome trident. Were Mario Balotelli to follow Anthony Baffoe’s advice and pledge his allegiance too, then Ghana really could cause a stir in South Africa.
What are your views on this topic? Is Kwadwo Asamoah Ghana’s next great midfielder? Will he join a big club this summer? Will he help Ghana achieve great things in South Africa? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think
Steven Gerrard back to boost Liverpool's Premier League title push
A persistent groin injury caused Steven Gerrard to miss Liverpool's previous three matches. Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar
Liverpool's hopes of prising the Premier League title from Manchester United's grip will be boosted by the return of captain Steven Gerrard for Sunday's match at home to Newcastle.
Liverpool's talismanic midfielder missed the club's Champions League exit at Chelsea and the costly 4-4 home draw with Arsenal in the league last week with a groin injury. His return is good news for Liverpool, who are three points behind Manchester United with four games left, but not a pleasant one for Newcastle manager Alan Shearer whose side are fighting to cling on to their Premier League status.
"Steven is doing well and is training with the rest of the team," Rafael Benítez told the club's official website. "I think he will be fit and available for Sunday. It is good news for the team and for him because he can be a key player for us over the remaining games."
Liverpool cannot afford to drop any more points this season to have any hope of preventing Manchester United from equalling their record of 18 top-flight title wins. United travel to relegation battlers Middlesbrough for an early kick-off on Saturday, having edged Arsenal 1-0 in their Champions League semi-final, first leg last night.
It will be a quick turnaround for United, who have a major doubt over Rio Ferdinand after he picked up a rib injury against Arsenal, but Benítez will not be holding out too much hope of an upset and victory will leave Liverpool trailing the Old Trafford club by six points prior to their match with Newcastle on Sunday.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sports Handicapping Guide
Sports handicapping is used across a great variety of professional and amateur competitive sports and games, to analyse the various advantages throughout the season (such as winning compensations), to try and predict who has the greatest chance of winning (and losing). This is mostly used for betting purposes, and also various official season game predictions. It takes a lot of skill and experience to analyse all of the data provided in top level sports such as baseball or football, and also an in depth knowledge of the game itself is essential. In fact there can be so much statistical information to process that many professional sports handicapping experts also use state of the art computer programs, which can help them run every possible factor and variable such as:
- Injury reports
- Coaching and management staff
- Game location (i.e. home or away)
- Game conditions (weather, pitch condition etc)
- Historical Data (team or individuals)
- Player Stats
Successful sports predictions are part statistics, part intuition, and this can be a difficult and challenging profession. Only the best and most consistent make it to the top, and many of them offer their skills online to help you find all the top sports picks and selections. If you are interested in football or basketball then BankRollSports.com concentrates on these two areas, offering selections and predictions on a full range of leagues from NFL to NBA.
This website provides some top football betting tips for NFL fans including how to analyse the statistical information on offer such as injury reports and team history, and also practical advice on how to keep a cool head when betting, (and not to get carried away in all of the season excitement).
Bankroll Sports also offers some free sports picks during each season on NFL and college football, and also MLB, NBA and college basketball. This is a good way for beginners to become familiar with the system before signing up to the Bankroll Sports membership. This website also offers a 100% sportsbook bonus deal, which means you can get up to $100 free bonus ($500 deposit limit) when you join BetUS Sports through the link on the website.
DLF Indian Premier League 2009
The 15th match of the DLF Indian Premier League 2009 at the Newlands, Cape Town, featuring Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab had a couple of additional flavours besides offering the usual glamour and entertainment.
It brought head-t-head in the field two of the most talented all-round cricketers of the world who were brothers. Irfan Khan Pathan was playing for Kings XI Punjab while Yousuf Khan Pathan was doing duties for Rajasthan Royals.
Off the field it was a one-to-one contest between the two Bollywood queens, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty, the owners of Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively. The third Bollywood personality owning a team in the IPL is the legendary Shah Rukh Khan, who is right there in South Africa to support his Kolkata Knight Riders.
There was an early disappointment for the Bollywood idols as their teams had crashed in opening matches but things have improved as the tournament has progresses. Preity’s Kings XI Punjab, in fact, has now moved to the third position in the points table while Shah Rukh’s Kolkata Knight Riders and Shilpa’s Rajasthan Royals, the defending champions, are currently placed in the bottom half.
Preity has had more reasons to smile during the tournament and she must have felt on top of the world when her boys downed Shilpa’s team while defending a modest total on another noisy and fun-filled evening at the Newlands.
If Preity came out trumps in the duel of the Bollywood queens against Shilpa it was Irfan who overshadowed Yousuf in the battle of brothers on April 26.
Irfan displayed great maturity with bat and ball and he was very rightly adjudged Man of the Match for having made the most significant contribution to his team’s success. He proved once again that he’s an immensely gifted all-rounder who doesn’t lack in temperament.
It was his partnership with the vastly experienced Sri Lankan, Kumar Sangakkara, which rescued his team from a precarious 48 for four in the ninth over. The two left-handers batted very sensibly that allowed Kings XI Punjab to post a fighting total of 139 for six in the allotted 20 overs.
While Sangakarra helped himself to yet another half-century, Irfan chipped in with a superb 39 off 33 balls laced with a couple of sixes and as many fours. He didn’t allow the fancied spin duo of Shane Warne and Yousuf Pathan to get on top.
It was Irfan back in limelight when skipper Yuvraj Singh handed him over the new ball. He responded straight away by picking up a couple of wickets in his opening over. It was a cracking delivery that totally caught Graeme Smith by surprise as he had moved forward to defend. It was a big wicket and opened the floodgates for Kings XI Punjab.
With Yousuf Abdulla, another devastating left-arm fast-bowler, also doing the damage from the other end there was not much the Rajasthan Royals batsmen could have done to change the course of the proceedings.
Even Yousuf Pathan, enjoying a purple patch, was unable to dominate the two left-arm quickies before being scalped by leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. With his dismissal vanished hopes of Rajasthan Royals for it was going to be the day of his brother Irfan whose team Kings XI Punjab were the deserved winners.
The women’s tournament of the ICC World Twenty20 2009
England’s women cricketers are on a high. Having won the World Cup in Australia earlier this year they are now eyeing the ICC World Twenty20 having retained their top guns for the showpiece event to be held in their own backyard this summer
Charlotte Edwards, who led England to title victory in the World Cup, appears in a very positive frame of mind and she reckons that keeping the nucleus of the World Cup-winning squad intact will boost the chances of the hosts winning the World Twenty20.
England have made only three changes to the 15-man squad that carried the World Cup home from Australia, Georgia Elwiss, a fast bowler from Staffordshire, and two off-spinners, Danielle Hazell of Yorkshire and Sussex’s Rosalie Birch.
“We have tried to keep the nucleus of the World Cup squad together. We have got a good, sound squad there. We have prided ourselves on keeping consistency in selection. People are very clear on their roles, and I think it’s been one of the biggest factors in our success," the Kent all-rounder remarked in a recent interview.
England may have swept all before them in women’s cricket’s flagship event, but the their skipper feels that this summer’s World Twenty20, with a combined men’s and women’s finals day, will propel the women’s game higher into the public consciousness than ever before.
“This is the biggest occasion for women’s cricket so far. I know the team is looking forward to it, having the momentum from Australia. I enjoy Twenty20 - I average over 50 - no fear of failure comes into Twenty20,” Edwards said.
“A few days after the World Cup myself and coach Mark Lane had forgotten about it and were preparing for the T20. We can’t rest on our laurels because this could potentially be the biggest yet for England’s cricket team,” she added.
Meanwhile Taunton has been picked to host the women’s group matches at the ICC World Twenty20 in June 2009. The semi-finals of the women’s ICC World Twenty20 will be held at the same ground, on the same day and same ticket as the men’s semi finals, at the Brit Oval and Trent Bridge, and the women’s final will be a precursor for the men’s final to be held at Lord’s on June 21, 2009.
Taunton is a special ground for the England women’s team and has also impressed so many of the touring sides that have played here.
“Hosting such a major event is a great coup for Taunton and Somerset. Women’s cricket is now a major player in global sport and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best teams in 2009, particularly as by then we will have completed the first tranche of our redevelopment and will be able to provide a world-class cricketing arena to go along with our world-class pitches,” Somerset’s Chief Executive Richard Gould stated.
The warm-up games of the women's event will be held on June 8 and while the league matches will be organized from June 11 to 16. The semifinals will be taking place on June 18 and 19 with the final and the presentation ceremony scheduled to be held on June 21.The women’s tournament of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 consists of eight teams with the group stage games hosted at Taunton. The eight teams that participated in the 2009 women's World Cup will not only play in the upcoming event but also the 2010 World Twenty20 in West Indies.
Pakistan and West Indies have booked their place in the 2011 qualifiers already, by coming fifth and sixth at this World Cup, while the teams below them will have to earn their spot in the qualifiers.Man Utd 1-0 Arsenal
Manchester United hold the edge in the battle for a place in the Champions League final after John O'Shea's early goal gave them victory in an absorbing encounter with Arsenal.
O'Shea scored from close range after Arsenal failed to clear a corner - giving United a slender but fully deserved advantage to take into the semi-final second leg at the Emirates next Tuesday.
Sir Alex Ferguson has made it his mission to make United the first side to successfully defend the Champions League title and they set about their old Premier League adversaries with relish from the first whistle.
And, while United will be happy to go to Arsenal in the ascendancy and having prevented Arsene Wenger's side from scoring a crucial away goal, they will have regrets that they failed to capitalise on the superiority they exerted throughout.
Arsenal were penned in for long periods as United played at the high tempo that suits them best, and it was only a mixture of the excellence of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and good fortune that kept the deficit within manageable proportions.
Almunia saved superbly from Wayne Rooney, denied Carlos Tevez with a double block and turned away Cristiano Ronaldo's header from six yards as United turned on the style in a dazzling first 45 minutes.
Arsenal managed to steady the ship after the interval, but they never seriously threatened United apart from a tame Cesc Fabregas shot and a volley from Emmanuel Adebayor after the break.
Ronaldo struck the bar from 30 yards with 20 minutes remaining as United continued to press for what could have proved a decisive second goal, but Arsenal survived and will still feel there is life in the tie yet, despite delivering a disappointing performance.
United never allowed Arsenal to get into their trademark passing rhythm, playing with more drive and energy than the Gunners, who were overrun in midfield at times and struggled to cope with the pace and variety of Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo in attack.
Ferguson prefaced the game by suggesting it could be the "perfect semi-final" - it was not quite that for United, but you suspect they will be highly satisfied with the outcome.
United's fans certainly celebrated at the final whistle in a manner that suggested they feel they have taken a significant stride towards retaining the trophy they won so dramatically on penalties against Chelsea in Moscow last May.
Wenger, however, will harbour hopes that the undoubted talent in his side, kept under wraps for so long here, can turn things around on home territory.
Ferguson's selection of Tevez ahead of Dimitar Berbatov suggested he wanted an energetic, high-tempo approach against an Arsenal defence undermined by injuries to influential pair William Gallas and Gael Clichy.
And that was exactly what he got in thrilling opening exchanges completely controlled by United and played out in a vibrant Old Trafford atmosphere.
Arsenal goalkeeper Almunia was in action inside the first 90 seconds, retreating desperately towards his goal to claw out Rooney's looping header.
And youngster Kieran Gibbs then showed early nerves as he slipped to let in Ronaldo, but United's winger flashed the ball across the face of goal with no-one on hand to apply the crucial final touch.
Arsenal were on the ropes, and it took a superb double save from Alumnia to deny Tevez after a slick exchange with O'Shea as United swarmed all over a Gunners side struggling to come to terms with the pace of the game.
Wenger's players never looked like surviving this fierce early barrage, and so it proved as United took a deserved lead in the 18th minute.
Arsenal failed to clear a corner, and when Michael Carrick's cross was deflected into his path by Mikael Silvestre, O'Shea lashed a finish high past Almunia.
Arsenal's only response was a low 20-yard shot from Fabregas that was comfortably collected by Edwin van der Sar.
Almunia was the keeper in constant action, and he performed heroics again after 28 minutes to keep out Ronaldo's header from an inviting cross by the industrious Tevez.
The only black spot in the opening 45 minutes for United - apart from not capitalising fully on their outstanding approach play - was a yellow card for Tevez after he collided with Almunia in a chase for possession.
Arsenal looked to have settled more after the break, and even felt bold enough to pose another brief threat after 62 minutes when Adebayor's volley flew over the top, although Van der Sar had the effort well covered.
United made a double substitution with 25 minutes left, sending on Ryan Giggs - making his 800th appearance for the club - and Berbatov for Anderson and Tevez.
And Ronaldo almost marked their arrival with United's second as he sent a thunderous right-foot shot against the crossbar with Almunia motionless.
Wenger made a change of his own, replacing the subdued Theo Walcott with Nicklas Bendtner, and then sent on Eduardo for Adebayor as the game entered its final 10 minutes.
The changes made little alteration to the pattern of the game, with Arsenal ultimately content not to concede a second after some harrowing moments.
It is advantage United - who suffered a scare late on when Rio Ferdinand went off after suffering a blow to the ribs - but the narrow lead still leaves the semi-final in the balance ahead of next week's return game.
BCCI lifts ban on ICL players
In a surprise decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday agreed to lift the ban on players associated with the rebel Indian Cricket League if they sever their links with the Subhash Chandra-owned League. BCCI president Shashank Manohar said the decision was taken after some ICL players and their support staff met Board members and admitted committing a mistake by joining the ICL. Manohar made it clear that the players would not be given any international assignments for a year after they quit the ICL, but can immediately start playing in domestic competitions. The amnesty period is till May 31, he added. "We have decided to grant amnesty to the ICL players and welcome them to return to the BCCI fold... The players will not be given any international assignment for one year after they quit the ICL as a punishment. But they can play in the domestic competitions. They have been given the amnesty time till May 31," Manohar told reporters after the BCCI's Working Committee meeting in Mumbai.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Chelsea produced a spirited defensive display to stop Barcelona from scoring in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in the Camp Nou.
Thierry Henry forced Petr Cech to save and Bojan headed over from two yards, before Cech stopped Alex Hleb's effort.
Chelsea almost nicked a goal as Didier Drogba was foiled by Victor Valdes, while Michael Ballack headed just over.
But Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink will be delighted with his side's defensive fortitude in keeping a clean sheet - a feat not achieved by any visiting side at Barca this season.
It means the Blues will fancy their chances of reaching a second successive Champions League final when they meet in the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday.
For long periods Chelsea had to be content with watching Barca knock the ball around as they gave another masterclass in possession.
Chelsea played right into their hands, with Cech among the main protagonists as his long, aimless kicks only served to gift the ball straight back to the home side.
But for a team that this season has scored four goals in a game six times, five goals five times and six goals four times, the hosts were unable to broker many genuine chances.
For all the twinkle-toed approach play of the industrious Andres Iniesta and Henry down the left, they struggled to get close to the Chelsea goal with the regularity their build-up demanded.
Twice in the opening stages Cech flapped at crosses from the left but the Blues survived and they fashioned a half-chance of their own when Florent Malouda's cross found Frank Lampard and he curled wide from 25 yards.
Barca were seeing far more of the ball, but they grew increasingly frustrated by Chelsea's solid rearguard action and were quickly reduced to shooting from outside the area.
Henry twice chanced his arm, once testing Cech with a low drive and then lashing in a fierce shot from 22 yards that the Czech keeper did well to parry behind.
Barca's Messi (left) takes on Chelsea's Bosingwa at the Camp Nou
It seemed as though Barca were trying to wear Chelsea down, but they were very close to going in at half-time a goal down.
Rafael Marquez's backpass was woefully short and Drogba fastened on to the loose ball only to see his shot well saved by Valdes, the keeper getting up quickly to deny the Ivorian from the rebound.
Chelsea's spirits were lifted by their sudden involvement in the match and right at the start of the second half they nearly took the lead again, Ballack flashing a header wide from Drogba's free-kick.
The Barca fans were growing increasingly restless at their team's lack of openings and a serious-looking injury to Marquez and a booking for his replacement Puyol that rules him out of the second leg did little to pacify them.
But Pep Guardiola's side continued to probe away in their usual manner and half-chances came and went as the off-key Lionel Messi volleyed over before Daniel Alves, in typically fiery mood throughout, stung the palms of Cech from out on the right.
Alves went even closer when his 30-yard free-kick brushed the top of Cech's net before Samuel Eto'o, on the day he was linked with a move to Manchester City, raced through only to shoot at Cech's outstretched left leg.
Barcelona's best chances came deep into injury time as Bojan, on for Henry, remarkably headed an Alves cross over from point-blank range, before fellow substitute Alex Hleb was foiled by a fine Cech save.
Chelsea may not have got the away goal Hiddink craved before the game, but their Dutch manager will surely be delighted by the outcome.
Barcelona: Valdes, Dani Alves, Marquez (Puyol 52), Pique, Abidal, Xavi, Toure Yaya, Iniesta, Messi, Eto'o (Bojan 82), Henry (Hleb 87).Subs Not Used: Jorquera, Gudjohnsen, Keita, Sylvinho.
Booked: Toure Yaya, Puyol.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Bosingwa, Mikel, Ballack (Anelka 90), Essien, Lampard (Belletti 71), Malouda, Drogba.Subs Not Used: Hilario, Di Santo, Kalou, Mancienne, Stoch.
Clarke denies Watson complained about Ajmal
Abu Dhabi, April 28: Australian captain Michael Clarke has denied team-mate Shane Watson approached umpires to complain about Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal`s bowling action.
Ajmal, whose action was reported as illegal during the second one-dayer in Dubai on Friday, accused Watson of speaking with the on-field umpires about him.
But Clarke said none of his players made the complaint.
"All we know is that Watson certainly didn`t go to the umpires and say a word, none of our players have approached (the umpires) and spoken about him (Ajmal)," he said.
"The series is being played in a fantastic spirit and we want to continue with that."
Australia lead the five-match series 2-1 after a spirited all-round show by Clarke, who scored 66 in an otherwise unimpressive total of 198-7 in their match on Monday.
The Australian captain then chipped in with 3-15 as Pakistan collapsed from 95/0 to 171 all out.
Pakistan won the first match by four wickets before Australia came back strongly to clinch the second by six wickets.
Clarke, standing in for regular captain Ricky Ponting who is being rested for the series along with Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson, said he was not bothered about Ajmal`s doosra delivery.
"I don`t know (whether he will still bowl that delivery), I am not picking it. Personally I believe that the ball is spinning in all different directions so we must keep focus.”
"Both teams got on really very well," he added.
"It is hard fought cricket and all that stuff (Ajmal`s action) is for the ICC (International Cricket Council) to make their decision, for us it is about making sure whichever way the ball is spinning we try and hit it."
Pakistan captain Younis Khan denied Ajmal has been stopped from bowling the doosra, the delivery for which his action was questioned.
"If Ajmal is playing he is allowed to bowl doosra or any kind of legal delivery," said Younis.
"We don`t need any controversy."
Younis, meanwhile, said he was disappointed over losing Monday`s match from a strong position.
"We spurned a golden opportunity of beating Australia. We must learn the way Australia fought and did not give up, even after putting a low total on the board."
Goswami to lead Indian women's cricket team in World T20
New Delhi, April 28: Jhulan Goswami was today named captain of the 15-member Indian squad to take part in the ICC Women`s World Twenty20 Championships to be held in England in June.
The All-India Selection Committee (Women`s cricket) which announced the squad made three changes from the squad which played in the one-day international World Cup in Australia last month with Babita Mandlik, Latika Kumari, Diana David replacing Thirush Kamini, Snehal Pradhan and Sravanthi Naidu.
The women`s Twenty20 World Cup will be held simultaneously with the men`s World Twenty20 Championships.
Tait hopes to play for Rajasthan Royals in closing stages
Melbourne, April 28: Australia speedster Shaun Tait is hoping to turn out for the Rajasthan Royals in the closing stages of the Indian Premier League after joining practice this week following three months on the sidelines due to chronic hamstring tendonitis.
Tait, who was bought by the Royals for USD 375,000, was stopped from playing in IPL by Cricket Australia on medical grounds. But the pacer now feels he has made enough recovery from his injury and hopes to get the clearance from CA.
"If I can get myself fit, and there is a window for the final two or three games, that would be fantastic," Tait said.
"Because of injury, CA weren`t keen to release me to play (in the IPL), which ruled me out of training and playing with Rajasthan. That was pretty frustrating, because it was something I wanted to be a part of. But now that I am back in the nets and feeling good, hopefully there`s a chance there," he was quoted as saying by a leading cricket website.
"I will keep bowling in nets, but it would be good to get a few games under my belt. I`m not sure if I`m in selectors` minds for Twenty20 World Cup, but if so, then a few IPL games mightn`t be a bad thing. Opportunity for a county stint before one-dayers in England would be great too."
Blistering Pathan fashions 'Royal' win for Rajasthan
Pretoria, April 28: Yusuf Pathan played a typical blistering knock of 62 off just 30 balls to help Rajasthan Royals humble Delhi Daredevils by 5 wickets here on Tuesday. Delhi, who were going great guns until this match, batted miserably posting a modarate 143/7 before letting Royals off the hook despite having them on the mat early(64/5 after 10 overs).
Man of the match Pathan took Delhi bowlers to the cleaners, clobbering six sixes and remaining unbeaten in the process. His dominance was so huge that Graeme Smith’s 46-ball 44-run knock went almost unnoticed.
The South African captain held the fort from the one end, waging a lone battle in the begging for Rajasthan Royals who were struggling at 64/5 after 10 overs. But it was Yusuf Pathan-show in Centurion Park once the burly Baroda batsman came to the crease. Pushed to the wall, Pathan launched a counter-attacking effort, a approach which some Pundits suggest is the best way to get out of any kind of trouble.
A batsman with immense strength and tremendous will-power, Pathan never took a single step backward, throwing every caution out of the window and in the process inflicting the first defeat on the formidable Delhi Daredevils in the tournament. It’s for purely his effort that Royals won the match with 9 balls to spare.
Amit Mishra, who came up with another brilliant bowling performance with 3/34, must consider himself unlucky to be on the losing side as his team-mates keep grassing catches and leaking runs in the match.
Smith, who anchored the innings and remained not on 44 with five fours, was dropped on 19.
Chasing a moderate 144, Rajasthan Royals started off poorly as they lost two quick wickets losing Rob Quiney for only 4 and then Swapnil Asnodkar for 11.
A B de Villiers continued his imperious form in IPL as he played a 50-run knock off 40 balls. He, in company of Daniel Vettori, played sensible cricket to help Delhi cross 100 marks in 15th over of the match despite losing 4 top-order batsmen early in the innings.
Delhi Daredevils’ strong batting line-up today suffered a serious jolt in the tournament for the first time as they lost four wickets. After losing Sehwag & Gambhir early, the batting hero of the last match, Tilakratne Dilshan (7) and stumper Dinesh Karthik (4) also departed early.
Shane Warne may have quit international cricket to become a poker player, but has not lost his old magic with the ball. The way he has been bowling in the IPL-2 is a testimony to his greatness which does not require routine practice at nets. Coming into bowl his first over of the match, he bamboozled Dinesh Karthik, who played a false shot to give a simple catch to the master bowler. Delhi, at that time, found themselves in precarious situation losing four wickets with the scoreboard had reached only 49.
Electing to bat first on a seemingly batting track, Delhi Daredevils’ slambang opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir again failed to provide a good start to their team as the got out in the 3rd over of the match delivered by Dimitri Mascarenhas. It’s the third straight match in which the famed opening pair failed to come good.
The duo started off beautifully in IPL as they added 58 runs in just 4.5 overs against Kings XI Punjab. But after that this famed pair has put together partnerships of 0 against Chennai Super Kings, 11 against Bangalore Royal Challengers and 20 here.
Gambhir first got out caught brilliantly by Shane Warne at slip off Dimitri Mascarenhas for just 8. But Virender Sehwag remained unfazed by the loss of his opening partner and again went for an expansive shot which went miles in the sky. Young Kamran Khan took a well-judged catch at mid-off to send Sehwag back. Sehwag made 16 off 11 balls with town fours and a huge six.
Daredevils opted for same combination that played the last match against Royal Challengers on last Sunday while Royals included Paul Valthaty in place of Abhishek Raut.
India to host 2011 World Cup final
The 14 matches originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan have been redistributed with eight going to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh. The quarter-finals will be shared among the three neighbours, with Bangladesh hosting two.
The committee also decided to shift the tournament secretariat from Lahore to Mumbai. BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty was appointed the event's managing director in place of Pakistani banker Salman Butt. The organising committee, headed by ICC vice-president Sharad Pawar, will include an operations and planning group comprising the Bangladesh Cricket Board senior vice-president Mahbubul Anam, Indian board secretary N Srinivasan, Sri Lanka's Duleep Mendis and Shetty. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive, said IS Bindra, the special adviser to the ICC, would be a key person in the management of the World Cup.
He swept aside questions on whether Pakistan would boycott the World Cup in protest at being denied hosting rights, saying "we will cross the bridge when we come to it." The ICC had to decide on the redistribution of Pakistan's 14 matches after it removed the country from the list of hosts because the "uncertain political situation" would have made it difficult to "deliver a safe, secure and successful event" in Pakistan.
Lorgat said the security concerns of the various ICC members and the players would be addressed with the formation of a special committee headed by Shashank Manohar, the BCCI chief, to oversee security details. "The security arrangements are very important and a special committee... would put together security plans for the successful conduct of the World Cup in 2011," he said.
"We are confident of organising a very successful World Cup," Lorgat said.
The subcontinent last hosted a World Cup in 1996, when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka shared the games. The final was in Lahore, where Sri Lanka beat favourites Australia in a famous win.
Aus create issues while playing sub-continent teams: Younis
Melbourne, April 28: Pakistan captain Younis Khan has blamed the Australians for unnecessarily creating issues while playing against India and Pakistan after teammate Saeed Ajmal was reported for a suspect bowling action during the ongoing one-day series.
Off-spinner Ajmal was reported for his bowling action during the second ODI in Dubai on April 24 which he had suggested resulted from a complaint by Australian all-rounder Shane Watson to the umpires.
Younis said controversies reared up whenever Australia play sub-continental sides and wondered what was wrong in Ajmal bowling a `doosra`, the subject of the reporting.
"This is always happening with India and Pakistan and Australia," Younis said.
"... Why do we create all the time controversies? Why? It`s a fair game, you know," he fumed.
Younis said it was simply a matter of Ajmal bowling a quicker ball, and not cheating.
"You`re talking about the doosra, `Why he bowl doosra?` "Why (shouldn`t) he (Ajmal) bowl doosra? Because this is an art and especially Pakistanis and Indians they have the art, so why (should it) not be allowed?" Younis was quoted as saying.
Ajmal played in the third ODI in Abu Dhabi yesterday, despite the report hanging over him, and continued to bowl his doosra. Younis pointed to a previous report laid over the faster ball of Pakistan leg-spinner Shahid Afridi.
"We`re not cheating actually, sometimes they ask you why should you bowl very fast and then they say why should Afridi bowl a ball suddenly at 140kph?”
"We`re not cheating actually, I think that`s the beauty of cricket," said Younis.
Australia captain Michael Clarke tried to play down the controversy, saying Watson hadn`t made a specific complain to umpires about Ajmal`s action. "Watto certainly didn`t go to the umpires and say a word, none of our players have approached the umpires and spoken about it," Clarke said.
"I think Watto was pretty upset with the shot he played and getting out. He`s been in really good nick the whole tour and I think he`s been a little bit disappointed he hasn`t made as many runs as he would have liked," he said.
Clarke said they would concentrate on the game and leave the legalities to International Cricket Council to sort out.
"For us I think the way this tournament has been played, the spirit of the game has been fantastic. Both teams have got on really well, it`s been such a good tour so far.
"So all that stuff`s up to the ICC to make a decision on what`s going to happen there, but for us as a team it`s about making sure that whichever way the ball`s spinning try and pick it and try and hit it."
Asif denies deportation claim
Karachi, April 28: Banned Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif has denied reports that he can`t enter United Arab Emirates for the next 25 years as a result of his 19-day detention in Dubai last year for possessing 0.24 grams of opium.
Asif`s management company, Portfolio World, issued a statement today denying reports in the media that said Asif was deported from Dubai last year.
"It is a 25-year-ban I had recommended for him for carrying drug," the media reported Shakir Hashim Al Darmakl, the Senior Public Prosecutor (Khalifa) in Dubai as saying.
"If he tries to enter into this country (by any passport) again, he can easily be caught," Khalifa was quoted as saying. But Asif`s management company said there was no truth in these reports and it was an attempt to malign him.
"Asif was not found guilty of any charge last year in Dubai and returned home without facing any criminal charges," the statement said.
Asif, 27, is presently serving a 12-month ban imposed by the Indian Premier League drugs inquiry tribunal for failing a dope test last year while playing for the Delhi Daredevils.
His suspension ends in September after which he would be eligible to represent the country again.
Daredevils is a force to reckon with: Gambhir
With the Indian Premier League’s second season in full swing, ‘Daredevil’ Gautam Gambhir believes that the Delhi team, with its devastating top order and potent bowling attack, is a force to reckon with.
Chatting with Zeecric.com’s Vaibhav Arora and Biswajit Jha before the start of IPL 2, the destructive opener talks about his experience during the New Zealand tour, preparation for the IPL and much more.
Excerpts:
New Zealand was a good learning curve. Winning there after such a long time has been a fantastic experience and has given a lot of confidence to the entire team.
You played a big role in saving the second Test, which looked well out of India’s reach at the end of day four. Did you have a set gameplan for the final day?
Everybody was really focused and determined to put up a fight before the final day. The game plan was just to bat sensibly and take the day session by session.
How is the experience of batting with Sehwag?
Batting with an explosive batsman like Sehwag at the other end helps a lot. One thing you can be sure of with him at the other end is that the bowlers will not be targeting you and that is what makes your job that much easier.
Which team do you think will pose the biggest challenge in front of the Daredevils in IPL - 2?
We are not treating any team as a threat and will look to beat every team we play against.
Do you think the IPL adds to an already hectic schedule for the Indian team?
The timing of the IPL, just before the T20 World Cup will get the players in shape for the slam bang format. In that sense, the tournament is timed perfectly.
Will the shifting of IPL to South Africa affect the team’s performance or morale in any way?
We will surely miss playing in front of our home crowd but I hope that the crowd in South Africa will be as supportive and as lively as back home.
Are you satisfied with your current form? How do you intend to plan for the future?
It is always good to perform and score some runs for the team but you have to keep trying harder and aim for bigger goals.
Sehwag has compared you with Sunil Gavaskar…
It is always great to receive compliments…especially from a great player and good friend like Virender Sehwag. I hope that I can continue to live up to the expectations and keep on performing consistently.
You are one of the few players who have performed consistently in all three formats of the game. How do you manage to do that?
I just try and play my natural game irrespective of the format. I believe it’s all in the mind…otherwise the basics are the same for all the formats.
You received a lot of praise for handling Ajantha Mendis well. Some even went on to say that Gambhir is the best player against spin bowling. Which form of bowling do you prefer to face?
I treat every ball according to its merit and just believe in playing my natural game. I do not play according to the reputation of the bowler.
It was my day: Yusuf Pathan
Pretoria, April 28: After playing a blistering knock of 62 off just 30 balls that helped Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 5 wickets, hero of the match Yusuf Pathan said that it was his day and he just backed my strengths.
“Targeting the shorter boundaries was a conscious tactic. I appreciate Warne for planning things so well. A lot of credit goes to him and Smith,” said the Baroda batsman.
Captain of Rajasthan Royals Shane Warne said, “We thought that Yusuf down the order would be of great help. We wanted someone at the top to stay till the end and Smith used all his experience and that helped us a lot.”
“Yusuf struck the ball well and he is in good touch too, I always felt that he could do it for us. The ploy worked,” a visibly happy Warne said.
Daredevils captain Sehwag said: “I can`t complain about that knock from Yusuf. We dropped a vital catch and when you drop catches, it hurts you a lot."
Lee in line for selection against Pakistan
Melbourne, April 27: Fast bowler Brett Lee could be in line for selection in the remaining two one-dayers and one-off Twenty20 match against Pakistan in their ongoing series, Cricket Australia.
Lee, who has been recovering from an ankle injury in South Africa with his Indian Premier League side Kings XI Punjab, will join the Australian squad in Abu Dhabi tomorrow and he will be re-assessed by the team doctor there.
"Should his progress be far enough advanced, he may be considered for selection in the remaining matches of the one-day series and the Twenty20 match in Dubai," James added.
Australia and Pakistan play their fourth and fifth ODIs in Abu Dhabi on May 1 and 3 while the one-off Twenty20 match will be held in Dubai on May 7.
Statistical Highlights: Mumbai Indians v KKR
Port Elizabeth, April 28: Following are the statistical highlights of the Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders match of the Indian Premier League.
Accusing Watson spells more trouble for Ajmal
Abu Dhabi, April 28: Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who has been reported for a suspect bowling action, may find himself in more trouble after accusing Australian all-rounder Shane Watson of complaining to the umpires about his action.
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said Ajmal had violated the team`s code of conduct by speaking to the media without seeking permission from the management.
"He spoke on a sensitive issue without seeking permission from the team management and that is a serious violation of the players code of conduct. We are looking into the case and he may face disciplinary action," Yawar said.
The Pakistan tour selection committee played Ajmal in the third one-dayer in Abu Dhabi yesterday but Yawar said the case of his violating the code of conduct was being handled separately.
Pakistan`s coach Intikhab Alam could also face some action from the ICC as sources said the ICC officials were not happy with Alam going public with his views on Ajmal`s report and questioning the bowling action review process.
Alam also criticised the umpires for reporting Ajmal, pointing out that the youngster had been playing international cricket for a while now without any objection being raised over his "doosra" delivery.
The sources said the ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat had the authority to take cognizance of Alam`s statement even if the match officials didn`t report the Pakistan team official.
"It has happened before that the match officials have not reported a player or official but the ICC chief executive has used his authority to initiate an inquiry for possible action against the person who has broken the spirit of the game," one source said.
Former Test players Geoffery Boycott an Rameez Raja have also advised the ICC to legalise the "doosra" delivery to put an end to off-spinners being reported for bowling this delivery.
Collingwood wants Twenty20 captaincy despite IPL woes
LONDON: Paul Collingwood wants to captain England at this year's Twenty20 World Cup even though he is not considered good enough for a
starting place in his Indian Premier League (IPL) team.
Collingwood is favourite to lead hosts England after Test and One-day skipper Andrew Strauss was left out of the squad for the June 5-21 tournament.
"Yes, I am interested. It would be an exciting challenge to lead England in a tournament on home soil," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday.
"But I am still waiting to hear, just like the other players. The squad is due to be announced on Friday, so I am sure everything will be tied up by then."
The second edition of the lucrative IPL was switched to South Africa due to security concerns and logistical issues surrounding the ongoing Indian general elections and Collingwood has mixed emotions over his team's performance so far.
"I have enough to think about out here in South Africa. The good news is that my fellow Delhi Daredevils have given us a 100 percent record in the Indian Premier League after three games. " The bad news is that I've not been in the starting XI yet, and only an injury to one of the four first-choice overseas players is likely to change that.
"AB de Villiers and Tillakeratne Dilshan are both among the leading run-scorers, while the bowlers, Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes, have been on the money too."
England have struggled in the One day game for many years and despite inventing the Twenty20 format, have quickly fallen behind in that area too.
Having Collingwood and England team-mates such as former captain Kevin Pietersen playing in the IPL should, in theory, improve their understanding of the game ahead of the World Cup.
"Twenty20 may seem like a frantic game but I have yet to see anyone in the Daredevils lose their composure, even when a couple of early wickets have gone down," Collingwood said.
"It's so important not to panic. The same point was proven by Ravi Bopara when he scored a match-winning 84 for Punjab Kings XI on Friday.
"I think he is only just beginning to discover what he is capable of as a batsman.
"He stayed calm and timed his surge very well. That sort of experience is invaluable because it teaches you what sort of target you are capable of chasing, and often it is higher than you realised."
Danish Kaneria regrets missing IPL
KARACHI: The ongoing second Indian Premier League would have been the ideal platform to prove his mettle in the shortest format of the game,
believes Pakistan's seasoned leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
"It would have been the ideal platform to dismiss this impression that I cannot play Twenty20 cricket," Kaneria said before leaving for England last night for another season with Essex.
"I have been doing well for Essex in this format for the last two years and this year also I will try to impress in the few Twenty20 games due in May," he said.
Kaneria was among the five Pakistani players for this year's IPL auction but was advised by the government not to travel to India following the strained relationship between both the countries.
Only the second Hindu to play Test cricket for Pakistan, Kaneria saw a big role for leg-spinners in Twenty20 cricket and pointed out the stellar shows of both Anil Kumble and Shane Warne to buttress his point.
Named in Pakistan's list of 30 players for the Twenty20 World Cup, Kaneria exuded confidence of making it to the playing XI when the tournament gets underway in England in June, saying his Essex experience would stand him in good stead.
"I think if I do well for Essex in Twenty20 and One-day cricket then this experience of mine should be a big plus point when the selectors sit down to finalise the Twenty20 squad," he said.
Kaneria said Pakistan captain Younis Khan had advised him to keep working hard on his bowling and fielding for Twenty20 and ODIs and not to give up hope of playing in these forms of the sport for Pakistan.
"Younis had a long chat with me and it has raised my morale and I am going to prove the selectors wrong that I cannot be useful for the country in the Twenty20 World Cup in England," he added.
Butt returns home after meeting ICC officials
Karachi, April 28: After holding talks with the ICC officials in Dubai, the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt has returned home amid criticism by former players who believe the PCB could have done more to prevent the 2011 World Cup ties from being moved out of the cricket-starved nation.
However, Butt was reluctant to reveal any detail of the meeting to the media in Lahore yesterday evening and declined to give any official statement as well.
The former Test cricketer is facing growing criticism of his handling of major cricket issues while the Senate Standing Committee on Sports has also said it would ask PCB to explain the lavish spending on sending officials and members to Dubai and Abu Dhabi to watch ongoing ODI series against Australia.
Two senior officials, Zakir Khan and Mohammad Naeem (who is related to Butt) are said to have pocketed approximately USD 14,000 and USD 13,500 respectively as daily allowances at a time when the board is talking about cost cutting measures to avert a financial crunch situation.
To complicat
Shireen Javed promptly sent back Azra Parveen to the Punjab Sports Board as the latter was working in the PCB on deputation but cricket circles want the PCB to hold a proper inquiry into the allegations made by the women`s wing adviser.
I knew if we bowled and fielded well, we'd win: Clarke
Abu Dhabi, April 28: Australia acting-captain Michael Clarke has said that he always knew that if his team bowled and fielded well, “we would get enough opportunities."
Speaking after his team’s come from behind victory in the third one-day international against Pakistan, Clarke told reporters: "Even though they were 0-95 at one stage, I was still confident that on that wicket once the ball got a little bit older we could win the game."
"We definitely have a lot to work on but I can guarantee we won`t be thinking about it tonight," Clarke said after the match.
Clarke starred with both bat and ball as Australia pulled off a 27-run victory against Pakistan in the Abu Dhabi match.
Pakistan looked to be cruising towards a comfortable victory at 0-95 after 22 overs, but then lost ten wickets for 77 runs. Australia had earlier scored a disappointing 7-198.
Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and then left-arm finger-spinner Clarke each took two wickets in two balls in the space of three overs to spark a Pakistan collapse. Clarke had earlier top-scored with 66 and followed that with figures of 3-15 on the spin-friendly pitch.
The win gave Australia a 2-1 lead in the five-game series, with the remaining two matches to be played Friday and Sunday.
WC 2011: India gets 29 matches, including Final
Mumbai, April 28: Soon after stripping Pakistan of the hosting rights of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the game’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday finalised venues and dates for the mega event of the gentleman’s game.
The 10th edition of the World Cup was initially to be co-hosted by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, recent bomb blasts and terror attacks in Pakistan raised security concerns in the cricketing fraternity and the ICC had taken a decision to shift matches from there.
ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat specified that the decision was taken in the wake of the March 2009 terror attack on Sri Lankan cricket players in Lahore. They finally decided that India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be the co-hosts of the jumbo championship. The ICC also decided today to shift the secretariat from Lahore in Pakistan to Mumbai (India).
The inaugural ceremony too is scheduled to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on February 18.
India and Sri Lanka have been chosen to host a semi-final each, with India getting the ultimate honour to host the grand finale.
Flintoff's injury could have happened anywhere: Collingwood
London, April 28: Playing in the Indian Premier League should not be blamed for Andrew Flintoff`s injury breakdown as he could have picked up the knee problem anywhere, feels the all-rounder’s England teammate Paul Collingwood.
Flintoff, who was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for a whopping USD 1.55 million, returned home Friday from South Africa for surgery on a tear on his right knee and is unlikely to come back for the T20 event.
“The critics have been saying he should never have come to the IPL in the first place, but that is just playing devil`s advocate. The fact is that the injury could have happened at any time, and this has been a valuable learning experience for all the England players,” Collingwood wrote in his column in a British newspaper.
“Friday brought less happy news about Andrew Flintoff. His injury is a devastating blow, both for himself and for the England team, as we`ll have to do without him in the Tests against the West Indies,” he wrote.
Kings XI Punjab meet Mumbai Indians in potential humdinger
Durban, April 28: Two buoyant sides, boasting some of the best strokeplayers in contemporary cricket, will collide head on when Kings XI Punjab take on Mumbai Indians in a potential humdinger in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
After the rain god stopped stalking them, Kings XI under Yuvraj Singh have managed to put their campaign back on track with back-to-back victories over Bangalore Royal Challengers and defending champions Rajasthan Royals.
The wins lifted the pall of gloom that had descended on the Kings XI camp following their defeats against Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders in two rain-marred ties.
In contrast, the Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians got off to a perfect start with a victory over last year`s finalist Chennai Super Kings before sharing points with Rajasthan Royals from their washed out outing.
Tendulkar and his men tasted their first defeat against the all-conquering Deccan Chargers in their third tie but shrugged off the setback with a thumping 92-run win against the Knight Riders last night.
The senior batsmen have forged a lethal pair at the top and while the Knight Riders were at the receiving end of their onslaught on Monday, it could be any other side tomorrow.
JP Duminy didn`t convert the start yesterday but the exciting Protea youngster is unlikely to squander another chance to impress the home crowd.
Abhishek Nayar and even Harbhajan Singh have the ability to land a few lusty blows, which means Tendulkar is not short on gunpowder.
Their bowling looks equally formidable with Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan forging a fearsome pair.
Dwayne Bravo has also chipped in while Abhishek Nayar, Jayasuriya and Tendulkar himself can prove quite a handful with their part-time bowling.
In contrast, Kings XI batting line-up has been inconsistent with Yuvraj`s own reputation as one of the deadliest batsmen in this format in tatters.
Rather, Kumar Sangakkara`s has been a reassuring presence in the middle and it was the Lankan`s unbeaten half-century that paved way to the side`s victory against Rajasthan Royals.
Irfan Pathan has also done justice to his all-rounder’s reputation, shining both with the bat and ball.
Even though the absence of Brett Lee and S Sreesanth depleted the Mohali-based outfit`s bowling resources, their late recruit Yousuf Abdulla has been among the wickets while Pathan’s impressive form also helped their cause.
