First Cricket Champions League to be held in India

The first Cricket Champions League will be played in India and one team from Pakistan is also expected to take part in the event.

Indian Cricket Board official and commissioner Indian Premier Leage Lalith Modi said that the matches of the event would be played in Jaipur, New Delhi and Mohali during the current year.

Eight teams will participate in the Cricket Champions League. The teams securing the first and the second positions in the domestic Twenty20 events of South Africa and Australia besides the winner and runner-up of the Indian Premier League will also take part in the event.

Under a proposed schedule, two teams from England had to play in the IPL but due to differences between the Indian and English boards on some administrative matters of the Champions League any team’s participation in the event from England is not looking possible.

Lalith Modi said that if no team comes from England then any team from Sri Lanka or New Zealand would fill this gap.

He said that a team from Pakistan would also take part in the event and the PCB has ensured its complete cooperation in this regard.

Proteas dismayed by ICC decision

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision on Thursday to keep the Champions Trophy in Pakistan was met with dismay by South Africa’s team.

The ICC decided the tournament would go ahead there in September, despite reservations expressed by players from New Zealand, Australia and England.

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) said they shared those concerns and would seek an urgent meeting with Cricket South Africa (CSA) to discuss the situation.

“The South African team are very disappointed with today’s decision and remain extremely concerned about safety and security in Pakistan,”

Tony Irish, chief executive officer of SACA, told Reuters on Thursday.

“We hope Cricket South Africa will sit down with us and talk to us about whether they are seriously considering sending a team to the Champions Trophy in Pakistan or not,”

Irish said.

No player refused to tour Pakistan: NZ Cricket

The New Zealand Cricket said that none of the New Zealand cricketers has refused to go to Pakistan on security basis.

Spokesman of the NZ Cricket, Steve Edison said that the New Zealand cricket team’s tour of Pakistan for a three-ODI series before the Champions Trophy would be finalized after the security report to be released by the ICC on Sunday.

New Zealand will play three One-day Internationals on the tour of Pakistan in late August.

Edison said that no Kiwi player has so far refused to go on the tour of Pakistan on the basis of security.

Australia undecided on players who refuse to tour Pakistan

Cricket Australia is yet to consider the position of players who refuse to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, said the board was currently interested in understanding the security issues and concerns and about whether the tournament will go ahead.

"Then we get down to the decision for us as to whether we're comfortable,"

Sutherland told the Age.

Australia have till August 15 to name their final squad for the Champions Trophy and Sutherland expects to have a better picture of the situation by then.

"We have a high level of confidence in the consultants that have been engaged to work with ICC and the authorities in Pakistan. Now it is a matter of getting a better understanding in the coming couple of weeks from those consultants of how successful that implementation has been."

Andrew Symonds, the Australian allrounder, has expressed his reservations over touring Pakistan, a country that in the past year has had a state of emergency imposed on it, suffered the assassination of a former prime minister, followed by riots and bomb attacks on two of its cities. But other players, including Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz, have said they will be happy to play anywhere as long as they get to represent Australia.

Earlier this year Australia postponed their tour of Pakistan due to security concerns. They are now scheduled to visit the country for bi-lateral series in 2009 and 2010.

Australia could take Champions Trophy decision in two weeks

Australia could decide within a fortnight whether to pull out of September's Champions Trophy in Pakistan.

According to a foreign news agency, Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief executive Paul Marsh said a decision will not be made before it get reports from its security experts and the Federation of International Cricket Associations.

Cricket Australia is expected to take a decision within two weeks, according to their spokesman Peter Young.

Asia has become cricket’s powerhouse: Sangakkara

Sri Lanka's wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara Saturday said Asia leads international cricket as the financial hub and custodian of the game which has pioneered unprecedented globalisation.

"Asia have transformed from minnows of world cricket to the true powerhouse of cricket and we are now the economic driving force behind the world cricket,"

said Sangakkara at a seminar marking the silver jubilee of the Asian Cricket Cricket Council (ACC).

The seminar, "past, present and future of Asian cricket" was attended by current and former cricketers and administrators from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and various other Asian countries.

The ACC was formed in 1983 and now has four full and 18 associate members. The seminar was hosted on the sidelines of ninth Asia Cup which is hosted by Pakistan.

Sangakkara, who will play for Sri Lanka in the final against India on Sunday, said Asia was now the spiritual home of the game.

"There is no doubt that Lord's in London has traditionally been accepted as traditional home of the game but, in my opinion, there has been a gradual shift with magnificent stadiums in Asia.

"The ravages of tsunami being soothed by the panacea that is cricket and when I see this all I have to ask has Asia not now become the new spiritual home of world cricket? I think it has."

Sangakkara said Asia had produced world class players who have revolutionised the game.

"Asia have produced teams that have impacted the game in profound ways and cricketers who have individually shaped the way cricket is played and introduced new skills in the game,"

he said.

ACC chief executive Ashraful Huq said Asian cricket had come a long way in the last 25 years.

"From a body formed by some eight experienced administrators, the ACC has come a long way and so has Asian cricket. It is a long successful journey and we are proud to be the leaders of world cricket,"

said Huq.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf, who will take over as ACC chairman from Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga on Sunday, said Asian cricket had progressed by leaps and bounds.

"Asian cricket is like Ferrari, going fast and smooth and if we follow the rules of transparency and integrity there is no reason why Asian cricket do not attain maximum heights,"

said Ashraf.

ICC agrees to change Oval forfeiture to draw

An agreement in principle is believed to have been reached to change the result of the controversial Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 from an English victory to a draw, following pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board during the annual ICC meeting in Dubai. The decision will be deemed official and final only after the board meeting concludes on Thursday and if the issue is not revisited before that.

"England and Pakistan have agreed to declare the Oval Test as a draw to maintain the dignity of Pakistan in world cricket, especially after the ball-tampering charges were dropped,"

a source who attended the meeting said. The topic took up a considerable chunk of the morning's proceedings.

The Test was originally awarded to England by umpire Darrell Hair after Pakistan did not come out to field after tea on the fourth day, following accusations of ball-tampering.

Pakistan had, at the time, been in a strong position in the match, having secured a first-innings lead of 331 and removed four England batsmen second-time around. There was nothing at stake in the series, with England already leading 2-0 after wins at Headingley and Old Trafford, but the eventual forfeiture was the first in the history of Test cricket. The removal of England's win could affect their standing in the ICC Test Championship - they are currently third on 110 points, one ahead of their next opponents, South Africa, on 109.

The result had huge off-field ramifications as well. Hair went on to be suspended from the ICC elite panel, and though that decision was overturned last year when he took his employers to the High Court in London, the initial decision formed the basis of Pakistan's appeal for a rethink of the result.

A PCB source told PTI:

"Members of other boards supported us in our stand that the result should be officially changed to a draw as an ICC adjudicator later found Hair guilty of transgressing his authority and not behaving properly during the entire episode. The board agreed the result should be a draw not a forfeited win for England."

Australia players could pull out of Champions Trophy

Ricky Ponting says Australia's players are still uneasy about visiting Pakistan for the Champions Trophy later this year. Ponting's comments came as an Australian newspaper reported that some members of the squad had told their team-mates they would boycott the trip if it went ahead, even if the security advice was positive.

Australia postponed their Test tour of Pakistan earlier this year due to safety concerns and although the ICC is happy with the current security situation there, the Champions Trophy will be discussed at an ICC executive board meeting later this month. Ponting confirmed some individual players had concerns about touring Pakistan.

"We don't know if we're going, and if we do go, we don't know if individuals are going to pull out,"

Ponting told AAP.

"But what we know right now is, yes, there is some apprehension amongst some of the players and that was stated last summer. I don't think that would have changed until now.

"It might change in the coming weeks, if we get some good news from the security reports over there, then the individual's mindset might change a little bit. What happened last summer was probably something that made us all sit back and think about it a little more.

"If Cricket Australia and the players' association decide that we go, then it will be an individual's decision, as every tour is. But there will be some apprehension for sure."

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted an unnamed player as saying several members of the team would not visit Pakistan regardless of the security assessment.

"It is going to come down to the individual's decision,"

the player said.

"We have talked about it, and there are some guys who will go if security advice says it's okay. But there are others who have said they won't go, regardless. At this stage, we are waiting to hear more."

The New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram has already expressed his concerns about visiting Pakistan for an ODI tour before the Champions Trophy. Ponting, who led Australia to the Champions Trophy triumph in India in 2006, said other players would almost certainly have similar worries.

"I'm sure some of the England players will have some concerns as well as a lot of the New Zealand players who have been confronted with this stuff before, in Sri Lanka and Pakistan,"

Ponting said.

"It just won't be Australian players. There will be a few other teams who will be thinking long and hard if the tour does go ahead there."

Pakistan’s exciting win over India to lift Kitply Cup

Pakistan lifted the Kitply Cup by defeating India by 25 runs in the sensational day/night final of the triangular series here on Saturday.

Chasing a difficult target of 316 runs, India after a shaky start took up the challenge and never gave up the fight till the last wicket fell when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was caught at deep mid-off with teen balls remaining.

Dhoni made 64 runs off 59 balls with three fours and two sixes and Yuvraj Singh scored 56 off 59 balls with five fours and one six. Opener Gautam Gambhir also contributed a significant score of 40 runs off 33 balls with four fours and one six.

Other main scorers were Irfan Pathan (28), Yusuf Pathan (25) and Ruhait Sharma (24).

Umar Gul was the most successful bowler from Pakistan as he grabbed four wickets for 57 runs while Shahid Afridi and Iftikhar Anjum claimed two wickets each and Fawad Alam and Suhail Tanvir took one wicket each.

Earlier, a grand second wicket partnership of 205 runs between Salman Butt and Younis Khan helped Pakistan amass a huge score of 315 runs for the loss of only three wickets after captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and elected to bat first.

Both Salman and Younus hammered centuries to take Pakistan to a formidable position against India against whom they were embarrassedly beaten by a record margin of 140 runs on Tuesday at the same venue.

Left-handed opener Salman Butt scored 129 before retiring hurt with cramp. He hit 12 fours and three sixes in his seventh hundred, fifth against India, and also completed 2,000 runs in his 52nd match in ODI cricket.

Younus, after getting ducks in two previous games, displayed magnificent stroke-making to smash 108 runs off 99 balls with three huge sixes and eight fours in his fourth ODI hundred.

After the match ended, Younus Khan was declared the man-of-the-match and Salman Butt won the man-of-the-series award.

Pakistan began their innings cautiously after losing Kamran Akmal (15), and Salman and Younus took the score to 100 in the 24th over but then they opened their arms and played strokes freely as Pakistan reached 200 in the 37th over. They parted before Pakistan reached 300 in the 49th over.
Pakistan plundered 90 runs in the last 10 overs after Butt and Younus set the stage for the final onslaught.
Misbah-ul-Haq also contributed significant 33 runs off 21 balls with four boundaries and one six.

Shahid Afridi (10) and Shoaib Malik (11) were at the crease when Pakistan set India a difficult target of 316 runs on completion of the allotted 50 overs.

Irfan Pathan took two wickets for 59 and Ishant Sharma got one for 57 and Pyush Chawla conceded 85 runs from his 10 wicketless overs, the third-most expensive spell by an Indian in one-day internationals after Javagal Srinath (87) and Thiru Kumaran (86)..

Teams:
India: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain, wk), Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma.

Pakistan: Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik (captain), Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Iftikhar Anjum.

Canada to host Twenty20 tri-series in August

Canada will host a Twenty20 tri-series featuring Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh from August 13 to 16 and all the matches will be played in Toronto. The tournament, which was organised by the PCB to fill up its calendar after the postponement of their home series against Australia, had initially faced problems with the backing out of the primary sponsors, but the board has managed to bring in a Pakistan-based business house to finance the event.

"The proposed tournament in Canada may have run into major problems after the previous sponsor backed out of their commitment,"

Shafqat Naghmi, the chief operating officer of the PCB, told the News.

"But we've got new sponsors and hopefully the tournament will go ahead according to schedule."

Naghmi said the board had also received a guarantee from the new sponsors for Pakistan's participation for the tournament. This will the first time in close to nine years that Pakistan will be playing in Canada: they had beaten West Indies 3-0 in September, 1999. Prior to that, they had played an annual ODI series against India from 1996 to 1998, winning on two occasions.

Hearing of Shoaib’s appeal likely to open Saturday

The proceedings on the appeal of Shoaib Akhtar against five-year ban likely to be started next week, the head of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appellate tribunal here said.

The PCB appellate tribunal chief Justice (Rtd) Aftab Farrukh talking to Geo News Tuesday said that he would consult with other two members of the tribunal, Salman Taseer and Haseeb Ahsan, after receiving the notification about formation of the tribunal.

“I can not comment on Shoaib Akhtar case as I have not studied it,”

he said.

He said he was busy in other cases, so he would possibly hear the case on Saturday. The proceedings on appeal of Shoaib Akhtar likely to be started from Saturday, he added.

Bangladesh cricket team arrives in Lahore

Bangladesh cricket team, after staying for a few hours in Karachi, has arrived in Lahore where besides playing a practice match it will play two One-day Internationals against Pakistan.

The Bangladesh cricket team will play five One-day internationals and a Twenty20 International match in Pakistan.

The first and the third match of the series will be played in Lahore, second in Faisalabad, fourth in Multan and the fifth and the final ODI and the solitary T20 International match will be played in Karachi.

It may be recalled that after Australia withdrew from touring Pakistan, Bangladesh cricket team has come on the tour of Pakistan.

IPL also imposes ban on Shoaib Akhtar

Indian Premier League (IPL) also banned Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, following the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announcement banning the player for five years, saying Thursday Shoaib cannot play cricket in India.

IPL commissioner Lalith Modi, said that Shoaib Akhtar cannot play for IPL according to the IPL law until the PCB clears him, as chairman PCB banned him from playing not only the domestic cricket but also international cricket.

Replying to a question, Lalith Modi said that the IPL law says that it cannot allow a player who is banned by the cricket board of his own country.

On the other hand, the Indian Cricket League (ICL) Chairman Kapil Dev said the restriction may end Shoaib’s career, adding he feels sorry for the cricketer; however, it seems quite strange to take such a player who is banned in his own country.

Talking to Geo News, sources said Shah Rukh has another option in place of the ace Pakistani bowler.

Shoaib Akhtar banned for five years, Kaneria warned

Pakistan Cricket Board has banned maverick paceman Shoaib Akhtar from playing cricket for five years on Tuesday for violating the players' code of conduct.

The 32-year-old Akhtar appeared before a disciplinary committee earlier Tuesday charged with publicly criticising the country's board. He was already on two years' probation for hitting a teammate with a bat.

The ban effectively ends the controversial eleven-year career of the world's fastest bowler, which has been plagued by injuries, discipline problems and a doping scandal in 2007.

"The committee has recommended a five year-ban on Shoaib Akthar. He will be ineligible to play in Pakistan or to play for Pakistan anywhere else in the world,"

PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf told reporters.

"The board has lost confidence in Shoaib Akhtar and therefore felt that his presence in the field was damaging to the Pakistan team, for Pakistan players and for the image of Pakistan cricket,"

Ashraf added.

However the PCB chief said that Akhtar would still be able to play for other teams around the world, clearing the fast bowler to play for the
lucrative Indian Premier League next month.

Ashraf added that it was a

"sad day for me and for Shoaib Akhtar. He is such a talented player."

The PCB chairman said Akhtar had the right to appeal the decision.

Because he was already on probation, Akhtar faced a theoretical life ban for slamming the PCB for dual standards on awarding central contracts in January this year.

In October last year, Akhtar was fined 3.4 million rupees (52,000 dollars) and banned for 13 matches for hitting fellow paceman Mohammad Asif with a bat, just days before the start of the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.

Spinner Danish Kaneria, who also faced a charge of criticising the PCB, was severely reprimanded, Ashraf said.

Kaneria had criticised his demotion from category "B" to "C" in the central contract in an online column. He later blamed a newspaper for publishing his column out of context.

"Since this was Kaneria's first offense on discipline, he has been severely reprimanded and barred from issuing any press statements,"

Ashraf said.

Akhtar was dropped from Pakistan's list of 15 contracted players in January after the paceman had another disappointing year, plagued by injures and discipline problems.

Instead, Akhtar was offered a special retainer deal, which he refused to sign.

The mercurial fast bowler last played for Pakistan in the third and final Test against India at Bangalore in December last year. He broke down with back trouble and was blamed for Pakistan's 1-0 defeat in the series.

He was not selected for Pakistan's five-match series against Zimbabwe in February and was omitted from next month's first two limited overs international against Bangladesh.

Akhtar took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, while his tally in 138 one-day matches stands at 219.

16 Players announced for the first 2 ODIs against Bangladesh

The Selection Committee headed by Mr. Salahuddin Ahmed has announced the following players for the first 2-ODIs to be played against Bangladesh starting from 8th April 2008. The names are as follows:

1. Shoaib Malik - (Captain)
2. Salman Butt
3. Nasir Jamshed
4. Younis Khan
5. Mohammad Yousuf
6. Misbah-ul-Haq
7. Shahid Afridi
8. Kamran Akmal - (Wicket Keeper)
9. Umar Gul
10. Sohail Tanvir
11. Iftikhar Anjum
12. Sohail Khan
13. Wahab Riaz
14. Fawad Alam
15. Bazid Khan
16. Sarfraz Ahmed - (Wicket Keeper)

The players such as Yasir Hamid, Yasir Arafat, Faisal Iqbal, Naumanullah, Abdur Rauf, Kamran Hussain, Junaid Zia, Yasir Ali, Umair Khan and others who are performing well in Domestic Cricket (Patangular & ABN AMRO One Day Cup) will also be considered for the next 3ODIs.

Pakistan hopeful of Australia tour in October

Pakistan Cricket Board is hopeful South Africa will tour the country in October to play Tests so that the national cricketers get to play maximum amount of cricket.

Dr Nasim Ashraf told Geo Super that the board is doing its best to ensure Pakistan continues to play quality cricket at home.

He however, said Pakistan Cricket Board was not contacted by the England Cricket Board for a series between Australia and Pakistan in England.

PCB has roped in Bangladesh for a one-day series in April and is in negotiations with Sri Lanka for a five-match series after Australia pulled out of its tour earlier this month.

ICC expresses satisfaction over Champions Trophy arrangements

A four-member delegation of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed satisfaction over the arrangements taken Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan from 11 to 28 September.

The ICC delegation was briefed about the arrangements taken Champions Trophy in a meeting here on Friday.

The ICC delegation is in Lahore to inspect arrangements for this year's Champions Trophy to be hosted by Pakistan.

This visit is seen as significant after the concerns being expressed by visiting teams about the security situation in Pakistan.

The ICC delegation includes event and communications managers who met with Pakistan Cricket Board officials here.

They will also visit venues in Karachi, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan where Champions Trophy matches will be held in September.

ICC's General Manager, commercial Campbell Jameson said that issues related to budget, match schedules, match timings, venues and dates have been discussed with PCB.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Shafqat Naghmi said that both parties had discussed modalities and they are on track for holding the champions trophy in September.

Pakistan To Host Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are to tour Pakistan for a five-match series of one-day internationals in April and May.

"Sri Lanka has accepted our invitation to play a one-day series,"

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf said on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Bangladesh also agreed to play five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan between April 6th to 22nd.

The two tours have been announced after Australia postponed their trip to Pakistan last week because of security fears.

The series is likely to take place after Mahela Jayawardene's Sri Lankan team finish their tour of the West Indies on April 15th.

The only hitch could be the Indian Premier League (IPL), for which top Sri Lankan players have signed up.

The inaugural IPL is due to be held between April 18th until June 1st.

Cricket Sri Lanka chairman Arjuna Ranatunga added:

"India and Pakistan have always supported us in our needs like big brothers so I am ready to send my team whenever Pakistan want."

The PCB said series dates will be announced shortly.

Asian Cricket Cup in Pakistan from June 24: ACC

Chief Executive Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Ashraful Haque Thursday said that he was satisfied with the arrangements for the Asian Cricket Cup that will be played from June 24 to July 6 in Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference he said all the matches in the cup will be day and night fixtures.

He said six teams would participate in the event.

“The schedule of the tournament is confirmed and all teams have confirmed their participation,”

Ashraful Haque further said.

Three matches of the event will be played in Lahore and 10 in Karachi.

Hosts Pakistan have been placed in Group B of the tournament with India and Hong Kong.

Pakistan promise ‘heads of state’ security for Champions Trophy

Pakistan are willing to offer a security cover generally reserved for visiting heads of state to competing teams and officials during this September’s ICC Champions Trophy in a bid to calm down any security concerns.

A top Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told ‘The News’ on Wednesday that water-tight security arrangements will be made to ensure the safety of the visiting players and officials during the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan for the first time. The tournament is under a cloud due to the current wave of bombings in the country that forced Australia to postpone a full Test and one-day tour earlier this month.

“We are ready to offer all possible assurances to assuage any fears regarding the safety of players and officials,”

said Shafqat Nagmi, the Board’s Chief Operating Officer.

“The Champions Trophy is still more than five months away and we are hopeful that things will get better in Pakistan in the coming days. We see no reason why anybody be talking about taking the tournament away from here,”

he added.

Naghmi said that Pakistan will provide personal bodyguards and other security measures to visiting players if they expressed any security concerns.

“The players and officials will be provided with a security cover generally reserved for visiting VIPs,”

he said.

Pakistan offered similar security assurances to Cricket Australia (CA) in a bid to convince it to send the Aussies for a bilateral series here in March-April but CA decided against approving that trip on security grounds.

Their move triggered speculations that competing teams like Australia may withdraw from the Champions Trophy as well. Already, reports have suggested that Australia and New Zealand have raised security concerns over the eight-nation Champions Trophy.

Though the International Cricket Council (ICC) has made it clear that the Champions Trophy stays in Pakistan in spite of such security fears, their decision to name Sri Lanka as a back-up venue have only added fuel to speculations that it may be planning to relocate the tournament just months after the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifying event was taken out from Pakistan to South Africa when competing teams raised security issues.

However, PCB officials remain confident that the tournament will go ahead here according to schedule. Nagmi said that arrangements are being made for the successful hosting of the Champions Trophy, international cricket’s second most important tournament after the quadrennial World Cup.

“We are working on improving the infrastructure for the Champions Trophy and are in close contact with the ICC to sort out other details involved in the staging of such a mega event,”

Naghmi said.

An ICC delegation is to arrive in Pakistan today (Thursday) but Naghmi dispelled the impression that the officials will be carrying out a security inspection.

“The ICC officials are coming here to discuss the (tournament) budget and to inspect the venues and other arrangements. Any security inspection is not on their agenda,”

he said.

Naghmi said that the ICC can send its security experts at a later stage.

“But so far nothing has been discussed about such an inspection.”

Defending champions Australia are the top seeds for the Champions Trophy. They are grouped with Pakistan, India and former winners West Indies in Group A. Former champions South Africa and New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England are in Group B. The two top teams in each group after the round robin stage will qualify for the knockout semifinals.