Tendulkar absense in t-20 worldcup will be huge advantage

Pakistan's Captain for t-20 worlcup 2010, Shahid khan afridi said that Sachin Tendulkar's absence from the Indian team for the tournament will be a blessing in disguise for the other sides.

"The way he has blossomed in the last few years, he is only getting better and better as a batsman. If he is not playing for India in the Twenty20 World Cup, it is certainly a big advantage for other teams," Afridi was quoted in the Times of India. "If Tendulkar had played in this World Cup, I am sure he would made big impact for India."

Afridi feels that age has not had any effect on Tendulkar's powers. "With every match he seems to be growing as a batsman and getting better. He is playing like a teenager. There is no sign of age affecting his game at all," Afridi said.

"The biggest thing that he still enjoys playing the sport and he is hunger for runs has not died at all," he said. I think even in Twenty20 cricket you need to bat properly and at times even playing out 20 overs is a big challenge for a team. You need to play orthodox cricket," Afridi said.

Don Bradman’s son goes to court against law firm

ADELAIDE: Sir Donald Bradman’s son has won the right to go to trial with allegations that a law firm has wrongly exploited the cricket great’s identity as a “brand name like Mickey Mouse,” reports the Associated Press.

John Bradman and other executives of the former Australian captain’s estate are seeking unspecified damages against law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, alleging breach of contract and negligence in assigning the iconic name.

In a published complaint in 2005, John Bradman spoke against a decision to license an Australian food company to market “Bradman” biscuits in India, a key international market for cricket.

A South Australia Supreme Court judge last year ruled that the law firm had not breached its contract.

But the Full Court of the Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favour of Bradman’s appeal against that decision, allowing him to proceed to trial at a date to be set, the Australian Associated Press reported.

John Bradman claims the law firm failed to follow his late father’s instructions to allow the family power of veto over decisions to use his name for commercial purposes, AAP reported.

The Bradman family’s statement of claim said Sir Donald was “a loved and missed family member, not a brand name like Mickey Mouse.”

The former test batsman died in 2001 at the age of 92 but his name remains one of the most high profile in cricket, and in Australian sport.

Bradman was famously out without scoring in his final test innings in England in 1948, when he only needed four runs to achieve a test career average of 100.

No other batsman in international cricket has come anywhere near his test average of 99.94, which he achieved over 52 test matches from the 1928-29 season to 1948. —AP

twenty-20 wide Open-Salman butt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch their ICC World Twenty20 title defense against Bangladesh in St Lucia on May 1 and stylish opener Salman Butt is taking the whole thing in his stride.



“I think everything has its advantages and disadvantages and when it comes to us arriving at the tournament as current holders of the World Twenty20 title, it’s the same deal. There’s no reason why we can’t win it again. I think we’re in a tough group with Bangladesh and Australia. Australia is a good team and Bangladesh is a very good emerging side. Bangladesh has done very well recently, especially in the shortest format of the game in which no team is a clear favorite.” APP quoted Salman as stating in a local daily.



The 25-year-old from Lahore said the playing conditions will not be a big factor in deciding the outcome of the games. “It does matter at times but in this format, I think there is not much the conditions can do. Plus, it’s only a 20 over game and there’s very little chance of the pitch changing its behavior. I think it will be an even competition which anyone can win. I am looking forward to going back to the West Indies. It will be my second time there. It’s a great place to play with a great atmosphere.”



Salman, however, believed the lead up to the tournament will be a big factor as the T20 version hardly gives a team time to acclimatize and adjust to alien conditions.



“I am sure there will be quite a few international players who are playing non-stop cricket in a lead up to the ICC World Twenty20 and might pull up an injury during the main event. It is a bit of both when it comes to the advantages and disadvantages of playing in a domestic event before a global tournament like the ICC World Twenty20. In general, I don’t think it matters either way in Twenty20 as once you get in the groove, it’s anybody’s game. When I look at the Pakistan team, especially in this shortest format, I think anyone who plays to his full potential has the ability to single-handedly win the game for us on any given day. I think every player is extremely talented and it would be unfair to single out one or two players.”

Shoaib Malik Engaged to Tennis star sania Mirza

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza is engaged to former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik and they might tie the knot next month, claimed a television channel here.

Geo television reported today that the two sporting superstars have got engaged and their marriage would take place in April.

Incidentally, Shoaib was earlier accused of marrying another Hyderabad girl, Ayesha Siddiqui, in 2002 over phone even though the cricketer said he was merely engaged to her.

Ayesha's father had also threatened to sue Malik for jilting the girl and not giving her divorce.

According to the channel, Shoaib's mother met Sania's parents in India and accepted her as future daughter-in-law.

Yousuf announces retirement

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has announced his retirement from international cricket, following an indefinite ban imposed by the PCB in the aftermath of a winless tour of Australia.

"I received a letter from the PCB that my staying in the team is harmful for the team, so I announce my retirement from international cricket," he said in Karachi. "I thank the fans around the world, all the senior players and family members for supporting me throughout my 12-year career.

"I always played for my country and if my playing is harmful for the team then I don't want to play," he said.

Yousuf had, last week, said he was preparing to retire and that he would make a formal announcement today. He played 88 Tests, nine as captain and scored 7,431 runs at an average of 53.07, including 24 centuries. He also scored 9,624 runs in 282 one-day internationals.

Yousuf was among seven Pakistan players penalised, for various reasons, by the PCB. He and Younis Khan were handed indefinite bans, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for a year while Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined and placed on probation for six months.

The recommendations of an inquiry committee set up by the board to investigate why Pakistan lost every single one of the nine international matches in Australia over the turn of the year. Seven of those losses - three in Tests and four in ODIs - came under the leadership of Yousuf.

In their findings, the board blamed Yousuf for spreading infighting and indiscipline within the side and banned him for an indefinite period - along with Younis Khan - from all forms of the international game. He was subsequently not included in the central contracts list for this year

Andrew Strauss not apologetic for ‘break’

LONDON: England captain Andrew Strauss believes his side’s chances of successfully defending the Ashes have been boosted by his decision to miss the recent tour of Bangladesh.

Strauss and pace bowler James Anderson were both rested in Bangladesh as England took the chance to blood new players and give Alastair Cook the captaincy during the 2-0 Test series win.

“I wasn’t getting up at three-o-clock in the morning to watch every ball but I was getting up quite early,” Strauss told reporters after helping with renovation work at Old Millhillians Cricket Club in London as part of an ECB grassroots scheme.

“It was strange watching them go out but I knew it was in safe hands with Cookie (Alastair Cook) leading the side and (coach) Andy Flower being there and I had every confidence they would get the results they needed, which they did.

“Of course when the tour is going on you think it would be nice to be out there with the lads. But I genuinely believe that the benefits of me taking time off will be seen later on in the summer and into the winter.”

Some pundits and former players criticised Strauss’s decision and said he should lead the team at all times.

While it is an argument he understands, Strauss insists England were right to prioritise the defence of the Ashes in Australia later this year and the World Cup in Asia in 2011.

“We have some really important cricket coming up. The Ashes is a huge series for us and the World Cup is a huge one-day series. We need to be peaking there,” Strauss said.

“I can understand the argument that the captain should be there all the time but I still think it has been the right decision in the long-term interests of the England side.

“Come the Ashes we will need all the energy and enthusiasm we can muster. We have to look at ways of getting the most out of our players when we need them to be playing at their best.

“I genuinely believe the benefits of me taking time off will be seen later on in the year.

“The break has done its job. I feel refreshed and ready to go. I can’t wait to get out there and play.”

Strauss does not envisage any problem taking the reins back from Cook, who made a few tactical errors in Bangladesh but otherwise impressed with his leadership.

But he has warned his England players they will need to improve substantially if they are to mount a successful Ashes campaign on Australian soil for the first time since 1986-87.

Strauss said: “We head into the season in a good frame of mind after a generally successful winter and now we need to move forward and continue that winning momentum for the next six months.

“To win in Australia you have to do a lot of things outstandingly well and we probably haven’t done enough of that over the winter.

“I have some thoughts on how we can improve over the next nine months and now is the time to start implementing them.

“It wasn’t a unilateral decision where I said I don’t want to go to Bangladesh. This was something we talked about for a number of months with Andy Flower and (ECB managing director) Hugh Morris. When you do something different there will always be criticism.

Strauss, who has made a good start to his career as England captain after taking over from Kevin Pietersen, was full of praise for Essex batsman Cook’s leadership of the team in his absence. England won all three ODIs in Bangladesh and both tests against stubborn opponents.

“Before he went I said to him you must do it your way to get a real benefit from it,” Strauss said. “You have to learn what it’s like to captain the team and I felt he did that and by the sounds of things it went well.

“I had the odd text message with him and I congratulated him when he did well but it was his show and Andy Flower’s show and they should take great credit.

“Alastair led by example and I knew he had the respect of the players anyway. It was a steep learning curve for him but I think he would have benefited from it immensely.”

“It was fantastic to see some guys in Bangladesh who hadn’t been involved in the Test team have a go. Steve Finn has done fantastically well, Tim Bresnan really enhanced his credentials.

“The batsman did a really good job and went on to get big scores, which will be crucial, and the bowlers will have benefited from the conditions out there too.” —Agencies

Letters, not appeals, received from Younis, Afridi: PCB

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Saturday, made it clear that they are considering written communications from Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan as “letters” and not appeals against the penalties imposed on them.

The legal adviser of PCB Tafazzul Rizvi said that until Friday no player, including Afridi and Younis, had filed a proper appeal with the board and the duo had only outlined their grievances.

“What Younis and Afridi have sent are letters in which they have outlined their grievances over the penalties imposed on them and asked for the reasons behind the punishments,” Rizvi said.

He said as per the constitution of the PCB, if a player files a proper appeal against his ban or fine, it would be routed to the appellate tribunal formed by the board to hear the grievances.

“The PCB will at best act like a post office and the appellate tribunal will decide on the merit of the appeals.”

Afridi, on Thursday, had said that he had filed an appeal with the PCB over the fine imposed on him for the ball tampering incident in Australia while Younis Khan’s lawyer stated he had sent a letter to the PCB asking for evidence to support the charges against his client.

The PCB in a separate statement had clarified that those players who were banned or fined after the Australian Tour Inquiry Report have the right to appeal.—Agencies

harbhajan's breathtaking innings

They say a Twenty20 match can be won in ten minutes of violent batting or inspired bowling. Harbhajan Singh needed only 18 balls when he batted, and just one delivery when he bowled, to win the game for Mumbai Indians. Double-strikes from RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha had reduced Mumbai to 119 for 7, but Harbhajan played a wickedly-entertaining cameo to charge his team to 172. He wasn't done yet and opened the bowling to remove Adam Gilchrist with his second delivery, dealing the most crippling blow to the Deccan Chargers chase.


The game changed in a Mumbai minute at the DY Patil Stadium. When Harbhajan entered in the 17th over Mumbai had lost the plot after a good start, but he led a stunning turnaround with an 18-ball 49. He hit a six and a four off Andrew Symonds in the 18th over but it was in the next, bowled by Kemar Roach, who until then had looked impressive, that he went berserk. Harbhajan started with a slapped four over extra cover before swinging merrily to the on side, including a shovelled six over square-leg, to plunder 19 runs. In the final over bowled by two bowlers - Jaskaran Singh was no-balled out of the innings after hurling two beamers and Rohit Sharma finished the over- Harbhajan crashed four boundaries, this time concentrating on the straight boundary.


Match Meter

DCRP's double strike: Mumbai are 64 for 1 in 7.3 overs when RP Singh has Dwayne Bravo holing out to long-off. He strikes again in the same over, dismissing Saurabh Tiwary. Mumbai start to lose their way.
MIThe late blitz: Harbhajan Singh plunders Kemar Roach in the 19th over. Mumbai score 52 off the last three overs to reach 172.
MIHarbhajan takes out Adam Gilchrist: Harbhajan struck with his second delivery, getting one to bounce and turn a little bit more. The edge was taken by an alert Sachin Tendulkar, who held on to a low catch to his right at first slip.
MIGibbs and Symonds fall: Gibbs had slashed a few boundaries but he fell, swatting a full toss from Zaheer Khan to cover point. Symonds, the other big Deccan hope, edged a lifting delivery from Lasith Malinga to third man. Deccan are 50 for 4 and don't recover. Advantage Honours even



Deccan needed a blitz from Gilchrist when they chased but he was undone by the combo of Harbhajan and Sachin Tendulkar. He edged an attempted cut low to the right of first slip where Tendulkar held on to a sharp one-handed catch. Herschelle Gibbs blasted a few boundaries but he fell, swatting a full toss from Zaheer Khan to cover point, and when Lasith Malinga induced Andrew Symonds to slash a short delivery to third man, the game was all but over.


Rohit Sharma tried valiantly with an attacking knock but Harbhajan ensured that he didn't get much support by picking up two more middle-order wickets. Zaheer returned in the 17th over to york Rohit and terminate the chase.


Until Harbhajan's adventure with the bat, it was Deccan who had held all the cards. Mumbai had reached 63 in seven overs, with the well-settled Tendulkar and Dwayne Bravo looking in roaring form, and looked set for a big score before it started to unravel for them. It was RP Singh who triggered the slide with a double strike in the eighth over. Until then, he was struggling to keep the batsmen quiet as Tendulkar and Bravo kept driving him to the boundary, but he struck twice in succession to remove Bravo and Saurabh Tiwary. They weren't wicket-taking balls - Bravo holed out to long-off and Tiwary edged a wide one - but the blows pushed Mumbai on the back foot.


Tendulkar slowed down, looking for someone to stay with him, and Ojha sparkled with a teasing spell of left-arm spin. The runs came in a trickle and Ambati Rayudu, looking to break free, was done in by a beauty: Rayudu was lured out of his crease by a flighted delivery that dipped rapidly before spinning past the bat for an easy stumping opportunity. Ojha proceeded to apply more pressure with deliveries that turned and bounced. R Sathish was his next victim, edging the sweep to backward square-leg and, when Kieron Pollard fell top-edging a pull off Jaskaran, Mumbai were wobbling at 93 for 5 in 13.1 overs.


It seemed, at that juncture, that only Tendulkar could save the day for Mumbai but he fell off the first ball after the second time out, edging a pull against RP Singh. Just when you thought Deccan had done it, Harbhajan decided to seize the day with a devastating knock.

news(28-3-2010)
Pakistani allrounder shahid afridi has called on to Muhammad Yousuf to reconsider his decision to retire from international cricket. "i think yousuf is taking an emotional decision, but i think he must reconsider his decision because he still has alot to give to Pakistani Cricket" Afridi was quoted as saying to PTI.