Misbah can lead or leave, says PCB chief
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Pakistan captaincy not an easy job: Afridi
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Save the 'doosra', pleads Ramiz Raja
DUBAI: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja on Sunday demanded cricket's law makers save the controversial "doosra" delivery, saying it provides a new dimension to the batsmen-dominated game.
The "doosra" -- a delivery which turns the other way than the normal off-break -- has come under greater scrutiny as bowlers straighten their bowling arm beyond 15 degrees, the permitted point under the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules.
The ICC has launched a crackdown recently with as many as three bowlers suspended -- including top ranked one-day bowler Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan -- for illegal bowling actions.
New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Sachitra Senanayake are the other two while Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya and Bangladesh duo, Sohag Gazi and Al-Amin Hossain were also reported for suspect actions in the last three months.
Ajmal is undergoing remedial work on his action under former great Saqlain Mushtaq, regarded as the inventor of the "doosra".
Raja said the delivery is an art which should be saved.
"Save the doosra because it is an exciting delivery," Raja told AFP.
Australia beat Pakistan by six wickets in T20
DUBA: Australia beat Pakistan by six wickets to win the one-off Twenty20 international in Dubai on Sunday.
Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell took a career best 3-15 and debutant Cameron Boyce (2-10) condemned Pakistan to their fifth lowest Twenty20 international total of 96-9 in 20 overs.
Australia knocked off the target for the loss of four wickets in 14 overs with opener David Warner hitting a robust 39-ball 53 not out with four fours and three sixes.
Of the Pakistani batsmen only debutant Saad Nasim (25), tail-enders Wahab Riaz (16) and Raza Hasan (13 not out) came good in an innings which only had four boundaries and no sixes.
The two teams will now play three one-day internationals with the first match in Sharjah on Tuesday. -AFP
Ashley Giles: Too late to sack Alastair Cook
Ashley Giles, the former England coach and spinner, feels it is too late to sack Alastair Cook as captain of the ODI team as the World Cup is just five months away. England lost the recently-concluded ODI series against India 1-3 and Cooks future is a major talking point ahead of the seven 50-over matches against Sri Lanka in November and December.
"I'd keep him as captain because were close to the World Cup. Its important from a leadership point of view," Giles told BBC Radio 5 live.
Giles, who was England's ODI coach from 2012 to until earlier this year, said Cooks position could become untenable if another ODI series is lost.
"The seven one-day games in Sri Lanka are so important. Winning there is very difficult, so if the weight of pressure and the public opinion against Cook continues to rise then his position could become untenable by the end of that series."
While there were some lesser-known cricketers who excelled, a few big names had a forgettable series when India toured England in 2014.
The hosts clinched the Test series 3-1 before the visitors returned the favour in the ODI format. England finished the season on a high, securing a thrilling win in the only T20I. Check out who walked away with the laurels and who got the brick-bats at the end of the series:
Mohd Hafeez and Lahore Lions off to India with message of love
Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 champions the Lahore Lions received their Indian visas Monday, ending doubts over their participation in the Champions League as captain Mohammad Hafeez vowed to spread love across the border.
Fielding a virtual Pakistan 'A' side, the Lions are set to depart Tuesday and will enter the four-team qualifying round in Raipur starting from September 13. Apart from ex-Pakistan skipper Hafeez, the Lions boast national players Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Wahab Riaz, Nasir Jamshed and fringe international Aizaz Cheema. They face the Mumbai Indians in their opening encounter before taking on Sri Lanka's Southern Express and New Zealand's Northern Districts. The top two teams from the qualifying rounds will join eight teams in the main rounds, starting from September 17.
Hafeez said his players would act as ambassadors of Pakistan.
"We are going there with a message of love and I know how much they love Pakistan and the cricketers from our country," Hafeez told reporters.
"Our aim is not only play good cricket in the field but also do good acts off the field. Both India and Pakistan love cricket and we are hoping to have a very good time there."
The Twenty20 champions of Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will also take part in the main rounds.
Pakistani participation in the tournament began in 2012, its third edition hosted by South Africa, when the Sialkot Stallions played in the qualifying stages of the event but failed to progress to the main rounds. Misbah-ul Haq's Faisalabad Wolves suffered the same fate in 2013 when the tournament was brought back to India. But Hafeez said his side was confident of making it further this time around.
"We as a team have been playing some exciting cricket in last two years and the squad is well balanced with gutsy players from our domestic circuit, so we have the ability to match the best."
The Lions' visit is seen as a positive step towards reviving India-Pakistan ties which stalled in the wake of 2008 terrorists attacks on Mumbai, blamed on militants based in Pakistan. In July this year the two countries signed a contract to play six series in the next eight years, the first to be hosted by Pakistan on neutral territory in December 2015.
Fielding a virtual Pakistan 'A' side, the Lions are set to depart Tuesday and will enter the four-team qualifying round in Raipur starting from September 13. Apart from ex-Pakistan skipper Hafeez, the Lions boast national players Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Wahab Riaz, Nasir Jamshed and fringe international Aizaz Cheema. They face the Mumbai Indians in their opening encounter before taking on Sri Lanka's Southern Express and New Zealand's Northern Districts. The top two teams from the qualifying rounds will join eight teams in the main rounds, starting from September 17.
Hafeez said his players would act as ambassadors of Pakistan.
"We are going there with a message of love and I know how much they love Pakistan and the cricketers from our country," Hafeez told reporters.
"Our aim is not only play good cricket in the field but also do good acts off the field. Both India and Pakistan love cricket and we are hoping to have a very good time there."
The Twenty20 champions of Australia, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will also take part in the main rounds.
Pakistani participation in the tournament began in 2012, its third edition hosted by South Africa, when the Sialkot Stallions played in the qualifying stages of the event but failed to progress to the main rounds. Misbah-ul Haq's Faisalabad Wolves suffered the same fate in 2013 when the tournament was brought back to India. But Hafeez said his side was confident of making it further this time around.
"We as a team have been playing some exciting cricket in last two years and the squad is well balanced with gutsy players from our domestic circuit, so we have the ability to match the best."
The Lions' visit is seen as a positive step towards reviving India-Pakistan ties which stalled in the wake of 2008 terrorists attacks on Mumbai, blamed on militants based in Pakistan. In July this year the two countries signed a contract to play six series in the next eight years, the first to be hosted by Pakistan on neutral territory in December 2015.
South Africa break finals jinx
The final battle...
| England v India, Only T20I starts Sep 07 - Sun at 14:00 Birmingham. |
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