Sunday, July 26, 2009

Ashraful, Shakib lead Bangladesh to 246-9


ROSEAU: Mohammad Ashraful top-scored with 57 and Shakib Al Hasan stroked 54 as Bangladesh made 246 for nine from their 50 overs in the first one-day international against West Indies on Sunday

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afridi with his daughters

afridi on practice session

BD look to keep winning at newest venue

Sunday, July 26, 2009
ROSEAU, Dominica: Bangladesh hope to christen international cricket's newest venue with victories in the first three one-dayers against West Indies on Sunday (today) at Windsor Park here.

The Tigers would have probably had low expectations prior to their arrival in the Caribbean, but fortune favoured them when the leading West Indies players chose to boycott the series.

Their replacements were no match for the Bangladeshis, who convincingly swept the two-Test series to gain the boost of confidence that their appointed captain and leading fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza set as one of their objectives.

Sadly, Mortaza played only a minor role in the Test series triumph, following a fall which aggravated a previous right knee injury, and has sidelined him for the three ODIs and the Twenty20 International to follow.

Shakib Al Hasan will lead the side as he did during the Tests, and will hope to build on his performances which led to him winning the man-of-the-series award.

"We are looking forward to the ODI series too, and we want to continue winning," said left-arm spin bowling all-rounder.

"The boys have been playing really well, and God willing, we can also win the ODI series."

Bangladesh have added left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, all-rounder Naeem Islam, and medium-fast bowler Syed Rasel for the series.

Razzak is the most experienced with 111 wickets at 27.90 in 81 ODIs and will be looking to exploit the frailty of the West Indies batsmen to spin bowling which was so apparent in the Tests.

But he will also be looking to give solid proof that his bowling action is no longer suspect, following his suspension in December last year, after playing against South Africa last November like Naeem and Rasel.

West Indies too, have recruited some troops to fortify their side, but the big names like Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor and Denesh Ramdin remain absent although the players' boycott has ended.

The players and the West Indies Cricket Board have agreed to arbitration, but the decision came after the announcement of the squad for the first two ODIs.

It is still not clear whether West Indies will start filtering the leading players back into the line-up for the last ODI or the Twenty20 match.

For West Indies coach John Dyson, apart from winning, there is only one other thing on his mind.

"I'm looking forward to the ODIs, but what I'd like to see is a hard, pacy, bouncy pitch," said Dyson.

"The two Test matches were closely fought. It wasn't a case where we were thrashed in either of the matches. We could have won both, so I don't think there's much in it."

West Indies have recalled left-hander Devon Smith and fellow Grenadian Andre Fletcher, and included uncapped left-hander Kieran Powell to shore up their batting.

Leg-spinner Rawl Lewis has also been recalled and uncapped fast-medium bowler Gavin Tonge has received his first call-up.

The rest of the side, which is again being led by left-handed batsman Floyd Reifer, comprises mostly the players that played in the Tests, as well as fast bowler Nelon Pascal, who was part of the Test squad, but did not play in either of the two matches.

The first two ODIs will be staged at Windsor Park which has been significantly upgraded at a cost 17 million dollars, and allows Dominica to host its first international matches.

The ground, which was levelled out of a rubbish dump a couple decades ago, now accommodates state-of-the-art facilities featuring 10,000 seats and was a gift from China at the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

The series concludes on Friday next week at Warner Park in St Kitts which also stages a Twenty20 International between the two sides two days later.

Presidency unhappy over PCB goof-ups


The Presidency has expressed its annoyance over the performance of the PCB since the taking over of Ijaz Butt.

ECB dismiss Pietersen IPL injury claims

Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the final three Ashes Tests due to his Achilles injury.

Australian tour of New Zealand cut short due to IPL

The early finish would allow players to play the final three weeks of the lucrative IPL before the Twenty20 World Cup.

Bell returns to England side for third Ashes test


The right-handed batsman, who has not played international cricket since February, replaces the injured Kevin Pietersen.

Younis dwells on positives

Sunday, July 26, 2009
COLOMBO: Despite being denied a win at the SSC, Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes there are positives his team can carry forward into the rest of the Sri Lanka tour.

"It would have been nice for Pakistan, if we had won," Younis said. "We can draw some positives from this match, especially in the second innings where we scored 400. There were special innings from Misbah [ul-Haq], Kamran [Akmal] and [Shoaib] Malik, and their hitting form is crucial for us. With the ODIs and the Twenty20 approaching, I'm relieved that they got runs."

Play was called off on the final day at the SSC with the 15 mandatory overs to be bowled, and Sri Lanka 101 short of the 492-run target. Younis Khan though, was surprised that Sri Lanka did not press for a win.

"In the subcontinent you expect a wicket like this to get slower and slower. I'm surprised why Sri Lanka didn't go after the target. You can't blame them because they had already won the series. Everybody knew if we could have grabbed one or two wickets, we could have put them under pressure."

Langer says is ready to play for Australia if asked


SYDNEY: Former Test opener Justin Langer said he was prepared to play for Australia in the third Ashes Test if asked.

Langer, who this week became Australia's highest first class runs record holder, has admitted to missing the thrill of Test cricket.

The 105-Test veteran is currently playing for English county side Somerset.

"One of the boys in the Somerset changing room asked me 'if they asked you to play tomorrow, how much would it take?' and I said I would play the third Test for Australia next week for nothing," he said.

Langer's comments came as current opener Phillip Hughes's form slump deepened on Friday, he made just ten in the first innings of Australia's tour match against Northamptonshire.

"When you have played that much, you miss the big Tests," Langer said.

"I miss the hype of the Ashes series.

"I also miss the challenge of playing against Andrew Flintoff. That is what it is all about.

"That is the great test for batsmen. I really miss being in those sort of battles. I miss Test cricket.

"There is a lot I don't miss about it but these big series, I'd play tomorrow if I was asked.''

Langer retired from Test cricket at the end of Australia's 5-0 demolition of England in the 2006-07 Ashes series.

Indianapolis Tennis: Aisam-Querrey beaten in doubles semifinals


INDIANAPOLIS: The pair of Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq and America’s Sam Querrey after a sensational contest lost the men’s doubles semifinals in the Indianapolis Tennis Championship being held here in the United States.

They were defeated by the pair of Litovia’s Gulbis and Russia’s Tursunov.

Aisam and Querrey displaying brilliant game in the first set succeeded by 6-1 but they lost the second set by 2-6.

However, both teams performed well in the third and decisive set but the Pak-US pair lost the match after being defeated by 8-10 in the final set.

Fleming downgraded role of coach - Hadlee

Andrew McDonald celebrates Ben Howgego's wicket

Shane Watson struck after scoring a fifty

Chennai applauds Pakistan

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The anonymous Mr Hauritz


Australia's key bowler in this Ashes is a no-hoper turned show stealer who now knows "300 times more" about his craft than he did scant months ago

ODI series between WI and BD begins today

DOMINICA: The three-match One-day International series between the West Indies and Bangladesh is beginning from today here at the Windsor Park while the hosts will play without their many senior players including captain Chris Gayle.

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Denesh Ramdin and Jerome Taylor had boycotted the Test series in protest after a financial row with the West Indian cricket board.

However, they apologized before the One-day series but the board has decided to give one more chance to the new players.

Thus, Bangladesh under Shakibul Hasan will take a weaker West Indies side also in the ODI series after beating them in Test series.

The other two one-dayers will be played on July 28 and 31.

Shoaib served notice for violating contract

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director Cricket Operations Zakir Khan has served a notice on Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for violating central contract.The notice says that Shoaib Akhtar has criticized the team management in a TV interview.In a TV interview, some time ago, the Rawalpindi Express had termed the decision of dropping him out of the Twenty20 World Cup team as flawed.

England name squad for 3rd Ashes Test


LONDON: Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell is set to get a Test recall as England named Sunday a 13-man squad for next week's third match of the Ashes series at his Edgbaston home ground.

Bell is set to replace Kevin Pietersen in the side that won the second Test against Australia at Lord's by 115 runs, to go 1-0 up in the five-match series, after the South Africa born batsman was ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes with an Achilles injury.

Fast bowler Stephen Harmison and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar have also been added to the XI that played at Lord's, with Pietersen's absence the only change to the initial 14-man squad announced ahead of the second Test.

Bell, 27, played the last of his 46 Tests against the West Indies in Jamaica in February but was dropped after a run of low scores, with Ravi Bopara taking over in England's problem position of No 3.

However, Bell has scored heavily in the County Championship with 640 runs in his seven innings this season prior to his recent double failure against Hampshire, which included a duck.

But his record against Australia is mediocre, with his 502 runs in 10 Ashes Tests coming at a low average of 25.10.

Miller also said he was confident of the fitness of Andrew Flintoff, the fast-bowling all-rounder who led England's attack at Lord's despite a troublesome knee injury.

Flintoff bowled unchanged on the final morning on his way to taking five wickets as England won an Ashes Test at Lord's for the first time in 75 years.

But before that match he announced he would be retiring from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes because his injury-blighted body could not long stand the strain of five-day cricket.

And doubts still persist as to whether he will get through this series.

England squad:
Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matthew Prior (wkt), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Graham Onions, Stephen Harmison, Monty Panesar.

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