Melbourne: Champions League Twenty20 organisers have not paid the teams and players prize money to the tune of USD six million and the Indian Cricket Board was responsible for it, a report said on Monday. Federation of International Cricketers` Associations chief executive Tim May said that the Champions League Twenty20 organisers had failed to honour its commitments to pay prize money totalling USD six million. "Given that the 2010 event concluded in September, we are increasingly frustrated and disappointed that the prize money still has not been paid by the organisers to teams and players," May said. "Despite numerous requests for clarification of when the prize money is to be paid we continue to be met with a lack of certainty as to the timing of payment and a general lack of regard to the players` ...

MELBOURNE: England called up fast bowler Liam Plunkett to their one-day squad on Tuesday after injuries to Chris Tremlett and Ajmal Shahzad. Plunkett, 25, was traveling to Perth from the West Indies - where he was a member of the second tier England Lions squad - ahead of Sunday's seventh and final one-day match against Australia. Tremlett has a side strain and Shahzad a hamstring injury, and the seriousness of the injuries will be assessed, the England team said in a statement on Tuesday. "We are waiting for an update on the injuries to Ajmal Shahzad and Chris Tremlett, but with our preparations for the World Cup starting in less than a fortnight, we need to prioritize getting our World Cup squad members fit and ready for the start of the tournament," England coach Andy Flower said. "Liam Plunkett has been part of the England Performance Program and England Lions squad this winter so we are confident that he will be ready to play a role for England should t...

Disaster for England at the Cricket World Cup has become a convention. They invariably roll up at the competition with issues of form, fitness and fatigue, which is usually soon followed by another F-word as they leave early with tails between their legs.The pattern for the 2011 tournament, which begins in the Indian sub-continent in 18 days, is evolving with uncanny familiarity. All the batsmen seem to be out of form, all the bowlers seem to be unfit and everyone, while they claim otherwise, appears to be weary. At least, the team are playing weary cricket, shadows of the formidable individuals who had taken this country by storm until only three weeks ago. England are 4-1 down and the seven-match one-day series is already lost with two games left, a salutary rejoinder to those who think there is any merit in playing this almost interminable type of competition at the end of a Test series. Related articles England will face India in Bangalore Search the news archive for more s...

Emergency draft: Liam Plunkett has joined up with the England squad in Australia Photo: ACTION IMAGES By Simon Briggs 6:56PM GMT 31 Jan 2011 Simon's Twitter Comments Plunkett, who has always been a loyal servant for England , will thus fly two-thirds of the way across the globe to meet up with the main squad in Perth, only three days before the final match of this tour on Sunday. No doubt he will be glad to know that he still features in the pecking order. But you would have to feel for him if, as expected, he ends up carrying the drinks as 12th man at the WACA. Ajmal Shahzad was the latest seamer to pull up, feeling a hamstring twinge on Sunday night that will be assessed by a scan in Sydney on Tuesday. With Tim Bresnan already back home nursing his calf, and Chris Tremlett carrying a side strain, this leaves Andrew Strauss with only three fit seamers at his disposal. Such agonies are the lot of the fast bowler, the infantryman in crickets army. These are the p...

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas feels that players representing the country in the upcoming World Cup will have to play out of their skin if they are to reach the last four stage of the mega event. "Given the problems and issues Pakistan cricket has faced in the last one year and also the fact that we have lost three of our top players, it is difficult to see Pakistan among the top four in this World Cup," Zaheer told reporters on the sidelines of an exhibition here today. "If Pakistan are to make the semi-finals it will have to play extraordinarily and consistently well because I personally believe India, England, Australia and South Africa are the starting top four teams of the World Cup," he said. The elegant batsman of the yesteryears said that Pakistan cricket had done well to sl...

MELBOURNE: Ricky Ponting is set to start training after a one-month injury lay-off while Nathan Hauritz is hoping to get back into action at the earliest after a radical blood injection treatment, giving some relief to Australia's injury-ridden lead-up to the World Cup. Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Ponting has been given the green light by his surgeon to resume light training, but his progress would become clearer next week, when he starts using a bat. Ponting, who fractured his finger during the fourth Ashes Test and had since undergone surgery, may even take to the SCG nets on Wednesday, 'Herald Sun' reported. Hauritz, who had arthroscopic surgery to clean up his joint of the bowling shoulder last Sunday, is planning to undergo the controversial blood injection treatment which was used by cricketers like Graeme Smith for quick recovery. The off-spinner is aiming to prove his fitness for Australia's World Cup opener on March 21, the rep...

COLOMBO: West Indies' Adrian Barath cracked a maiden century before the first one-day international against Sri Lanka was abandoned due to heavy rain in Colombo. Scorecard The 20-year-old opener limbered up for the World Cup with an impressive 113, which included two sixes and eight fours, to help the West Indies post a competitive 245-5. But a downpour during the interval drenched the Sinhalese Sports Club and prevented Sri Lanka from coming out to bat. Barath stabilised the innings after the tourists lost two wickets for 42 runs, including that of hard-hitting Chris Gayle, adding 165 for the third wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan, who hit a solid 75. The West Indies were well set for a final onslaught after reaching 206-2 in 43 overs, but paceman Lasith Malinga (3-51) restricted the tourists with three quick wickets, including those of Sarwan and Barath in the same over. The World Cup, co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starts on February 19. The West Indies ...

Kolkata: As he gears up to live the dream of being in a World Cup squad, young Indian off-spinner R Ashwin says he is trying all he can to be of more utility by improving his batting and, more importantly, learning to handle pressure which "gets easily" to him. "I`m trying my best to be an asset to the side. I`m working hard on my batting and want to be a utility man for the side so that I can be a real asset to the side. Pressure gets to me easily. I am working hard to be calm in a pressure-filled situation," Ashwin said in an interview. The 24-year-old player`s rise from obscurity to rank among the top spinners in two years time is no fluke but Ashwin says he is not quite sure whether he would actually get a chance to play in the World Cup starting February 19. "I`m not overly-excited or thinking of figuring in the playing XI in the World Cup. I don`t know if I have a chance to make ...

COLOMBO: West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in the opening one-dayer of a three-match series at Sinhalese Sports Club. The series is being played to make up for a five-match series washed out because of rain last month. Teams: Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Anjelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Chris Gayle, Adrian Barath, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Carlton Baugh, Kemar Roach, Nikita Miller, Ravi Rampaul. Umpires: Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka) and Bruce Oxenford (Australia). TV Umpire: Tyron Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). Match Referee: Andy Pycroft ( Zimbabwe).

MELBOURNE: Embattled Australian captain Michael Clarke said he had no concerns about being booed by local fans in Sunday's one-day international win against England at Brisbane's Gabba ground. Clarke received a harsh response from the home fans when he came out to bat in the match, which Australia won by 51 runs to secure the seven-match series by taking an unbeatable 4-1 lead. The 29-year-old went on to top score for Australia with 54 in a sign of a return to form and after the match said he was not bothered by the boos. "Obviously you would like people to be cheering but I can understand why a few of them are booing," he said. "I haven't performed as well as I would like so I don't blame the public for being disappointed with my performances. "It was nice to finally contribute and help the boys get a win -- it's a great feeling." He hit ODI debutant Steve Finn for successive fours early in his innings to break the shackles of unc...

ENGLAND produced a pathetic batting performance as they surrendered the one-day series with two matches still to play. For Andrew Strauss and his team, it is clear three months of travelling, living out of suitcases and relentless cricket have taken a heavy toll.As they succumbed to a string of inexplicable shots, it looked like somebody had sucked every drop of energy and spirit from their bodies.Chris Woakes had the thrill of a record-breaking performance as his 6-45 became the best ODI figures by an England bowler on foreign soil.But it was scant consolation for a side crushed by 51 runs to trail the series against Australia 4-1 with matches in Sydney and Perth to come.England would love to fly home right now - after all, they did not ask Andy Murray to play the final two sets after he lost 3-0. But they must soldier on for another week.They suffered two more injuries with Ajmal Shahzad (hamstring) and Chris Tremlett (side) doubtful for the final matches. England might have to call ...

Ace spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Team India has got what it takes to win the World Cup. And, like most of his colleagues, the 30-year old off-spinner too has a childhood dream to hold on to the most cherished trophy in One-Day cricket. In an exclusive chat with TOI, Bhajji feels India has got what it takes to become champions. Excerpts: This will be your third World Cup, but the first one at home. What's the feeling like? I'm really excited and just like the entire country I am also looking forward to it. It is always great to play and perform before the home crowd. Already, the World Cup fever is catching up with each passing day. The atmosphere will be great and there will be a lot of support for us. I hope we play good, consistent cricket and jell as a team. With the big stage comes the burden of expectations and the pressure to perform . . . But, as a professional, after playing international cricket for 12 years, you learn to deal with things. Handling pressure...

Kolkata: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that he would speak to ICC president Sharad Pawar about the impasse over holding the India-England World Cup cricket match at the Eden Gardens here. "(Cricket Association of Bengal) president Jagmohan Dalmiya came to me yesterday. I had a talk with him. I am not familiar with the matter so much. I will, however, talk to Sharad Pawar," Mukherjee told reporters here. "Any problem about holding the match will have to be resolved by them," Mukherjee said without elaborating. Dalmiya, after a meeting with his CAB colleagues, headed straight to Mukherjee`s residence yesterday, but had declined to talk to the media. ...

NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday confirmed that it cannot hold India vs England World Cup match at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, scheduled for February 27. "The ICC has conveyed to the BCCI that it will not be able to hold the India vs England match of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2011 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on 27 February 2011," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement. The BCCI has recommended Bangalore as the alternate venue. The ICC on Thursday ruled the Eden Gardens unsuitable for the tie due to its unpreparedness. The scrapping of the venue followed an adverse report from the ICC venue inspection team that reviewed Eden Gardens readiness for the big event hosted jointly by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2.

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board plans to introduce a system of video recording its domestic matches two cameras from the next domestic season to deal with the growing problem of players indiscipline and sub-standard umpiring. Sultan Rana, the head of the board's domestic cricket division said that they were plans to install two video cameras and have a analyst operate them at every centre where first class and national one-day cup matches were played from next season. "It is true we have got a lot of reports from the umpires and team captains blaming each other with match referees also pointing towards indiscipline by players and unsatisfactory umpiring this season in domestic matches," Rana said. He said since domestic matches were not televised live regularly by television channels the board felt the solution was to record these matches themselves. "We have formed a three member committee headed by Pakistan team manager and former captain, Intikhab Alam ...

Loss leader: Kevin Pietersen top scored for England but once his partnership with Ian Bell failed Australia were on course for victory Photo: GETTY IMAGES By Telegraph staff and agencies 9:45AM GMT 30 Jan 2011 Chris Woakes claimed the best figures by an England bowler on foreign soil but it was not enough as Australia clinched the one-day international series with a comfortable 51-run win in Brisbane. In just his second game the 21-year-old Woakes proved himself as one of England's brightest talents with six for 45 as Australia were bowled out for 249 in 49.3 overs. That appeared an achievable target but an aggressive opening spell from Brett Lee, who was at one stage on a hat-trick, and the worrying return of some soft dismissals combined to see England bowled out for 198 and concede the seven-match series at 4-1. Adding to England's worries was a leg injury to Ajmal Shahzad, while Chris Tremlett was ruled out before the game with a slight side strain, which ...

New Delhi: The Indian team for the 2011 World Cup is one of the most well-balanced units comprising maximum number of match-winners, according to 1983 World Cup winning team member Syed Kirmani, who feels it is the best chance for the Men In Blue to bag the coveted title. "All the players from top to bottom are match-winners. Anyone from the group is capable of winning the match for the country. Starting from captain (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni to iconic batsman (Sachin) Tendulkar to devastating (Virender) Sehwag to (Gautam) Gambhir, Yuvraj (Singh), Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan ... it could be just anyone. "We have an extremely well-balanced team and the best part is everyone seems to be in form," Kirmani told reporters. Asked if a second wicket-keeper could have been a good option in case of an injury to re...

MELBOURNE: With Ricky Ponting's illustrious career coming to a close, all-rounder Shane Watson has said that if offered he would gladly accept the role of Australia captain even as Michael Clarke and Cameroon White are also in the running for the job. Watson, who is being pushed forward as a candidate to replace Ponting alongwith Clarke and White, said he would embrace the opportunity with open arms if it comes his way. "Of course it appeals (captaincy). It's the greatest honour in Australian cricket," said Watson, who has been one of Australia's best players in the disappointing Ashes series against England which they lost 1-3. He, however, said that Australia were blessed to have several leaders in the team and among them White is the best "prospect" to replace Ponting. " Ricky Ponting has done a great job for the Australian team, as has Michael Clarke," Watson was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. "Cameron White ha...

Can England win the World Cup?After fitful one-day progress in Australia, England can triumph in India but they probably won't. No one should underestimate the task before them of sustaining the necessary tone of cricket on the subcontinent for six weeks.England's fortunes have varied considerably in the two World Cups to be held in Asia. In 1996 they were woefully prepared, fortunate to reach the quarter-finals, where they were outclassed by the unsung Sri Lanka. But a decade earlier, they had defied the odds, defeated India in the semi-finals and then lost excruciatingly to Australia in the final.Both those tournaments lasted barely a month; this time the sides must be there for almost two if they are to reach the final. Given the brutal itineraries (England must take three flights from Chennai for a match in Chittagong) something is bound to go wrong. But the coach, Andy Flower, and captain, Andrew Strauss, have thought long and hard about what might be needed to pre...

Hard at work: Kevin Pietersen says England's skills have improved dramatically over the past year Photo: GETTY IMAGES By Peter English in Brisbane 9:44PM GMT 29 Jan 2011 Comments With the Ashes urn sitting alongside the World Twenty20 prize, Pietersens next wish is to reach the pinnacle of the 50-over format in Mumbai in April. While Englands form has been patchy in the one-day series against Australia, Pietersen expects that to change when the first-choice bowling line-up of James Anderson, Stuart Broad (stomach injury), Tim Bresnan (calf) and Graeme Swann (knee and back) reunites for the World Cup. The squads rise over the year has convinced Pietersen that England are capable of winning the event for the first time. The batsmen have improved, the fielding is top notch, our catching is incredible and our bowling is so skilful, Pietersen said in Brisbane. Weve shown Australia up in a huge way, with the difference in our bowling attack to their bowling attack thi...

MUMBAI: In a repeat of last year's final, Rizvi Springfield (Bandra) and Anjuman-I-Islam (CST) set up yet another summit clash after winning their respective semifinal ties on the final day of the Giles Shield cricket tournament on Saturday. After being bowled out for 125 in their first innings, Don Bosco resumed at 64 for five at Fort Vijay, Azad Maidan. Even as skipper Shams Mulani (101) tried hard to make a match of the game, wickets tumbled at the other end, courtesy offie Hashir Dafedar (6-47). Once Mulani was caught by Hashir off his own bowling, it was all but over for Bosco as their second innings finished at 196. Over at National CC, Cross Maidan, Shreyas Kemkar (100) provided some hope for IES VN Sule Guruji while he was at the crease chasing Rizvi's total of 480. But left arm spinner Sidak Singh (6-71) did enough for the defending champions to end Sule Guruji's hopes of a final spot, ending their first innings at 271. Brief scores: Rizvi 480-8 decl. ...

London: English cricket chiefs were forced to defend themselves from accusations of Ashes overkill yesterday after plans were announced for England and Australia to play 15 Tests against each other in 24 months. England would be the hosts in 2013 before heading down under in winter 2013-14 to avoid a clash with Australias staging of the 2015 World Cup. The 2017 Ashes in England would then be brought forward to the summer of 2015 to prevent a lengthy gap between meetings. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) marketing boss Steve Elworthy told the reporters: We want to break the cycle of the World Cup and Ashes arriving at once, get enough distance between the events, make sure the players have enough catch-up time and we want to protect the Ashes brand. Its important to maintain momentum. Theres a huge resurgence for Test cricket right now, a massive wave of interest. ...

MOHALI: The senior selection committee of Punjab Cricket Association on Saturday picked a 20-member one-day squad for upcoming assignments after the conclusion of F C Mittal trophy final at PCA Stadium. The meeting, chaired by Chaman Lal Malhotra, was convened by PCA Secretary M P Pandove. The players have been told to report on January 31 at PCA Stadium for a nine-day camp under the supervision of Coach Bhupinder Singh Sr. According to PCA spokesperson Sushil Kapoor, Uday Kaul of Chandigarh was named the captain of the team. The other members selected for the camp are: Sarul Kanwar, Ravi Inder Singh, Mandeep Singh, Mayank Siddana, Bipul Sharma, M S Gony, Rahul Sharma, Love Ablish, Taruwar Kohli, Amitoz Singh, Karan Goel, Sunny Sohal, Sarabjit Singh, Jaskarna Singh, Gitansh Khera, Kunwar Raina, Himanshu Chawla, Amit Uniyal and Gaurav Gambhir.

CHRISTCHURCH: A maiden century by Mohammad Hafeez and a blistering 65 by Shahid Afridi set up Pakistan for a 43-run win over New Zealand in their one-day cricket international on Saturday. Scorecard The batting heroics, which rescued Pakistan from a disastrous start, were complemented by the fielding exploits of Umar Akmal who featured in three crucial New Zealand dismissals. The result levelled the six-match series at 1-1, with one game washed out and three to play. It was a sharp turnaround in fortunes from the first match, which New Zealand won by nine wickets with more than 32 overs to spare. They showed the hallmarks of that domination in Christchurch when they won the toss, put Pakistan into bat on a green-tinged wicket, and had them two for eight by the fourth over. But from there Pakistan worked their way up to take control, compiling 293-7 in their 50 overs, with Afridi starring in a 126-run charge over the last 10 overs. New Zealand made a bold reply and were ahea...

WELLINGTON: Mohammad Hafeez scored his first one-day international century to anchor Pakistan's 293 for seven in the third match of their series against New Zealand at Lancaster Park in Christchurch on Saturday. Scorecard Hafeez was superb in mastering a green pitch after New Zealand stand-in captain Ross Taylor won the toss. The Pakistan opener stroked 12 boundaries and slammed two sixes before eventually departing for 115, caught by Taylor at mid-on after he got a leading edge to a Kyle Mills full toss. Visiting captain Shahid Afridi then scored a blistering 65, which included five sixes and five boundaries, as he and Umar Akmal (44) blasted a destructive 69-run partnership off 26 balls with Pakistan making full use of the final powerplay. Afridi also equalled the fastest one-day half century in New Zealand, bringing up the mark on his 19th delivery.

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand captain Ross Taylor won the toss and elected to bowl first in the third one-day international against Pakistan at AMI Stadium on Saturday. Scorecard Taylor is leading the New Zealand side in the absence of Daniel Vettori, who has been stood down as part of a rotation policy to give all members of the World Cup squad ample game time against Pakistan. Vettori, opener Jesse Ryder and all-rounder James Franklin, who all played in the first match where New Zealand trounced Pakistan by nine wickets, have been rested for this third match after the second game was washed out. Luke Woodcock will make his ODI debut and veteran new ball bowler Kyle Mills has been brought back into the side for the match to be played in blustery conditions after overnight rain cleared away. Although the rotation policy has been criticised as disruptive, especially with Ryder coming back from injury and short of game time, Taylor said it had a purpose to serve. "I don'...

CHRIS TREMLETT has revealed how his career was transformed in the space of two balls in August. Those deliveries earned him a surprise call-up for the Ashes tour - and he was a key performer in England's triumph.The 6ft 8in fast bowler was also brought into England's one-day squad but narrowly missed out on World Cup selection.His international career was stalling until he was invited to join England's practice before the Test against Pakistan at The Oval last August.And, after a couple of balls, England bowling guru David Saker told head coach Andy Flower to take the pace ace.Tremlett, 29, said: "They were thinking about the Ashes and my height and bounce. Sakes saw a couple of balls and said, '6ft 8in, he can bowl 85mph or 90mph, he's got to be on the plane'."It's great he rated me. He's been a key part of the Ashes success."All the criticism Tremlett had attracted about his submissive body language has disappeared and none of the Aussie...

Caught out: Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke found himself under fire following an innocuous tweet Photo: AP By Simon Briggs 10:07PM GMT 28 Jan 2011 Simon's Twitter Comments TV used to be a one-way process, in which old-fashioned authority figures commandeered the airwaves to dispense their so-called wisdom (and you dont get much more old-fashioned than Keys and Gray). All that has changed since the rise of social networking. Today, every viewer can make his or her views heard. At least, as long as they have broadband in the house. Now that we are all connected by Facebook, Twitter or any number of other sites watching TV can be like going to the theatre in the Elizabethan age, when heckling and even fruit-throwing were all part of the fun. If our TV experts are irritating or ill-informed, they will soon be ridiculed via blogs and tweets. If they say something offensive, it finds its way onto the internet within seconds. In this case, the whole process w...

Rising to the occasion: Chris Tremlett has been one of the stars of England's tour Photo: PA By Peter English in Brisbane 4:32PM GMT 28 Jan 2011 Comments The players have given money to the massive recovery effort Kevin Pietersen alone raised 31,800 in an online auction but they remain desperate to pick the hosts' pockets and stay in the series. "Your heart goes out to the people who were affected but the job at hand is to play against Australia and play a tough cricket match," said England fast bowler Chris Tremlett. "On the field we'll be going as hard as any game." Tremlett and his team-mates were moved by the devastation and the fifth one-day international has turned into a major fund-raising event to support the victims. The floods in south-east Queensland a fortnight ago left 22 dead and an estimated damage bill of 2.5 billion. "They were pretty shocking pictures," Tremlett said. "Once you've seen that, y...

KANPUR: International Cricket Council president Sharad Pawar on Friday refused to comment on whether Sachin Tendulkar should be honoured with India's highest civilian award - the Bharat Ratna. "I am a big fan of Sachin but a decision in this regard whether to confer him Bharat Ratna or not will have to be taken by a government committee. The committee will honour the right person with the award. So it would not be suitable on my part to comment," said Pawar at the sidelines of a function at the Indian Institute of Pulses Research. There has been an increasing chorus among the politicians and sportspersons to decorate the batting maestro with the Bharat Ratna since such a demand was first made way back in 2003. Pawar, also the Union Agriculture Minister, said that the Cricket World Cup starting next month in the sub-continent, would be much bigger, but ruled out participation of skimpily-clad beaming cheerleaders. "Cheerleaders will remain limited to the IPL,...

England's players have expressed their disappointment that next month's World Cup match against India has been moved from Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The ICC announced yesterday that the iconic 100,000-capacity stadium would not be ready to host the Group B match, due to be played on February 27, because of concerns over "cricket operations, media, broadcast and sponsorship facilities". Related articles World Cup in disarray as Eden Gardens deemed unfit Collingwood puts poor trot in perspective Search the news archive for more stories England's match against India had set to be the flagship match at the ground during the group stage, with the new venue yet to be confirmed. Fast bowler Stuart Broad admitted his disappointment on his Twitter page today, writing: "Shame Eden Gardens not ready for World Cup, our game vs India there would have been special with 100,000+ crowd". Fellow quick Chris Tremlett said the venue switch was not an id...

MUMBAI: Former India batsman Vinod Kambli has questioned the logic behind keeping him away from Test matches during his playing days, stating that he scored back-to-back double hundreds and averaged nearly 55 in 17 games in the five-day format. "Despite scoring back-to-back double hundreds I was told that I was not good enough for Test cricket and was only a good one-day player. I couldn't understand the reason behind it. I was a bit taken aback," Kambli said on the sideline of the release of his biography 'The Last Hero' by Kunal Purandare at the Cricket Club of India on Thursday. "Having played 17 Tests and averaging 54.20, I wanted to play more Test matches. (But) I didn't get any answer as to why I could not," added Kambli, who scored 1084 Test runs between 1993-1995. The 39-year-old said that he was keen to play first-class cricket for Mumbai but was disappointed at not being picked for the team this year. "I have announced retireme...

LONDON: Fans in Kolkata are not the only ones left heartbroken by the ICC's decision to shift the World Cup match between India and England out of Eden Gardens, the English cricketers are also disappointed that they would not be playing at the historic venue. The ICC on Thursday decided to shift the match out of Eden Gardens after the stadium failed to meet the completion deadline for renovation work. The iconic 100,000-capacity venue will not host the February 27 match due to concerns about "cricket operations, media, broadcast and sponsorship facilities". English pacer Stuart Broad said he was disappointed that the match has been taken away from the ground. "Shame Eden Gardens not ready for World Cup, our game vs India there would have been special with 100,000+ crowd," Broad wrote on his Twitter page. Fellow pacer Chris Tremlett may not be a part of the English squad for the World Cup but feels it is disappointing that the match has been shifted. ...

A batsman can play various strokes and enthrall audiences. Here are some of them that can be edge of the seat stuff. DRIVE: A straight-batted shot, played by swinging the bat vertically through the line of the ball. A drive can be a cover drive, straight drive, on drive or square drive. CUT: A shot played off a short-pitched ball on the off side near to 90 degrees from the wicket (towards point). PULL: A cross-batted shot played to a ball around waist height by swinging the bat horizontally towards mid-wicket or square leg. HOOK: A horizontal bat shot against a rising ball. LEG GLANCE: A stroke played to flick the ball. SWEEP: A cross-batted shot played to a low bouncing ball, usually from a slow bowler, by kneeling on one knee and sweeping it to the leg. SLOG: A powerful pull shot played over midwicket, usually hit in the air in an attempt to score a six. A shot would be described as a slog when it is typically played at a delivery that would not ordinarily be pulled. I...

Mumbai: It was Balwinder Sandhu`s reassuring words that helped Sandeep Patil become more confident about the prospect of facing dreaded late West Indian quick Malcolm Marshall on the cricket pitch during India`s triumphant World Cup campaign in 1983, according to a soon-to-be-launched book. In his soon-to-be-launched book titled "The Devil`s Pack", co-authored by his former Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers teammate Austin Coutinho, Sandhu has written about his 1983 Cup-winning mates, including triumphant captain Kapil Dev and legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar. "Emerging from a disturbed family life, a movie that bombed and injury problems, Sandeep Patil did well to be selected for the World Cup of 1983. He had never faced the West Indies pacemen and would keep asking whether he would be able to play them," an extract from the book says. "How fast are they? Can you see the ball, facin...

KARACHI: Former captain Moin Khan, who was in the forefront of signing on Pakistani cricketers for the Indian Cricket League (ICL), has appealed to the owners of the now-defunct league to clear outstanding payments of the players. Moin launched an appeal to the owner of the league, Subhash Chandra and said he had also been in touch with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) to resolve the issue of outstanding dues to the Pakistani players. The league, which was launched in 2007 and held for two seasons, faded away after the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008 and since then has not been held with the owners saying they were facing losses and problems as the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Indian Cricket Board ( BCCI) refusing to recognise the ICL. Pakistani Test pacer Shabbir Ahmed, who took part in the ICL, told the media in Lahore that he was disappointed with the attitude of the league organisers who had not cleared his dues despite pr...

ENGLAND have seen their World Cup clash with India switched to new venue after the legendary Eden Gardens failed to meet construction deadlines. The Kolkata ground, which boasts a capacity of 90,000, has lost the Group B match on February 27 following delays in its refurbishment.A replacement venue is yet to be named, although Bangalore's 50,000 capacity M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is expected to step in.ICC president Haroon Lorgat said: "Regrettably, Eden Gardens has not made sufficient progress to justify the level of confidence required to confirm that the venue would be ready in good time. "This was no easy decision to take and while it is most unfortunate, it is absolutely necessary." Advertisement

Despite enduring a forgettable tour of Australia with the bat, Paul Collingwood is confident his best form is not far away. The veteran right-hander managed just 83 runs during the Ashes while in the following limited-overs series he has averaged a mere 12.5 so far. Related articles Trott takes centre stage to help England play their part at last Search the news archive for more stories It is a run of form that can be terminal to a career of someone in the twilight of their international days as Collingwood, who turns 35 in May, sensed when he retired from Test cricket following the Ashes. That decision may have given him extra time in which to rediscover his form in the shorter formats and, with the World Cup now less than a month away, Collingwood is confident he will turn his fortunes around before then. A brisk 27 in yesterday's 21-run win in Adelaide, when his arrival at number seven in the late overs allowed him to play with a freedom he has seldom dis...

All-rounder: Jonathan Trott surprised everyone with his line-and-length bowling Photo: PA By Telegraph staff and agencies 8:38AM GMT 27 Jan 2011 Comments After producing a match-winning display with bat and ball in England 's 21-run win in the fourth one-day international against Australia in Adelaide on Wednesday, Trott revealed he wants to fill the role Paul Collingwood has left in the Test side as a batting all-rounder. Trott hit his second one-day century at the Adelaide Oval to be the cornerstone of England's 299 for eight - their highest total against Australia on their soil. The 29 year-old then claimed the crucial wickets of Cameron White and David Hussey, who had been threatening England's total with a 60-run partnership. While Trott knows he still has plenty of work to do to improve his self-confessed "bits and pieces" bowling - his wickets yesterday were his first in international cricket - he is hopeful he can play a role with the ...

Adelaide: Australias full-time selector Greg Chappell has said that key players such as Shane Watson and Brett Lee would continue participating in the ongoing ODI series against England, at least until the team wraps up the series. Australia currently leads the seven-match series 3-1. We certainly want to keep them fresh, but we also want to keep building the winning feeling. No doubt it would be good for the group to go into the World Cup with a very successful series behind us, the Age quoted Chappell, as saying. So, there will be a whole range of factors [that] will come into discussions when were picking various teams. First thing wed like to do is to win the series, then if we get an opportunity to give some experience to other players and we can afford to give one of these guys or both of them a rest then thats ...

In the parlour game to choose England's best one-day team of the moment, the one that might actually win the World Cup, it is fashionable to ignore Jonathan Trott. Too limited, too selfish, too hesitant, too slow and, they might as well say, too bald.There is something about Trott as a limited-overs batsman that does not seem to add up. Except, that is, the most important component in a batsman's armoury, his runs. They amount to something substantial and in a career which so far spans 15 innings he has made six fifties and two hundreds, of which the second came yesterday.It was, as always with Trott, assiduously crafted, never elegant, invariably ordered, and it provided the platform on which England built their first victory of the one-day series against Australia on Australia Day. With the score at 3-1 and three to play, the tourists, who had seemed on the verge of falling apart at the seams, effected some emergency stitching and have at least prolonged the Commonwea...