Akhtar in contention for Champions Trophy squad
Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar on Friday put in an impressive performance in a practice game in Multan that could very well convince the national selectors to include him the national squad for the Champions Trophy.
Braving hot and humid conditions, Akhtar bowled nine overs, picked up two wickets in the day-night match arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to judge the form and fitness of the national cricketers.
The selectors are to name Pakistan`s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy on August 11 after witnessing another practice match to be played on Sunday.
A selector told `The News` that Shoaib looked a bit rusty in his first spell but gained fine rhythm in the next spell. He got better with each over and that is a good sign."
Umar Gul, the other Pakistani pacer with a question mark on his fitness, did not play in the match. Young fast bowler Abdul Rauf and rookie spinner Saeed Ajmal also picked up two wickets apiece in the match that was contested by teams formed by 27 of the 30 members of Pakistan`s preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy.
Ton-up Sangakkara helps Sri Lanka gain lead
Kumar Sangakkara cracked a solid unbeaten 107 to help Sri Lanka gain a slender advantage over injury-hit India in the crucial third and final Test here on Saturday.
The left-hander was involved in two valuable partnerships as the hosts reached 251-6 in their first innings at stumps on the second day in reply to India's 249. Prasanna Jayawardene was unbeaten on one.
Sangakkara put on 95 for the third wicket with nightwatchman Chaminda Vaas
(47) and 60 for the fifth with Thilan Samaraweera (35) on an absorbing day of cricket.
Sangakkara rarely erred in shot selection during his long innings, driving, cutting and pulling remarkably well on the way to his 17th hundred in 76 Tests. He has so far struck 11 fours in his 226-ball knock.
"He (Sangakkara) held the innings together. We needed someone to anchor the innings and that's exactly what he did. The concentration he showed is what makes him a world-class batsman," said Sri Lankan coach Trevor Bayliss.
"We will be looking to try and get as far ahead as possible and then bowl them out again. A lot of hard work has to be done by both the teams."
India struck twice in the final session just when it looked as though Sri Lanka were on course for a big lead, with left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan having Samaraweera caught behind and Anil Kumble trapping Tillakaratne Dilshan (23) leg-before.
The series is tied at 1-1, with Sri Lanka winning the opening Test by an innings and 239 runs and India clinching a 170-run victory in the second match.
India were a paceman short in the last session as Ishant Sharma walked off the field after falling on his follow-through.
India's physio Nitin Patel said the fast bowler felt pain after the fall and the picture would be clearer on Sunday morning.
Venkatsai Laxman was off the field throughout the day after twisting his ankle during practice before the day's play and Sachin Tendulkar injured his left elbow while attempting a catch in the afternoon.
Both Laxman and Tendulkar are expected to bat in the second innings, said manager T. C. Mathew.
India had another injury scare when wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel was hit on the face while collecting a delivery from leg-spinner Kumble. He, however, continued to keep wicket.
"Parthiv has got a minor cut and he will be OK," said the physio, Patel.
The tourists, who grabbed just one wicket in the morning, bounced back in the second session when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh removed a well-set Vaas and in-form captain Mahela Jayawardene in successive overs.
Vaas frustrated India for more than a session with a fighting knock, hitting nine fours before uppishly driving Harbhajan straight to Virender Sehwag in the covers.
Vaas missed a rare double of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in Test cricket by just two runs. He now has 2,998 runs and 347 wickets in 107 matches.
He had survived twice on 47 before falling on the same score.
He was given out by Mark Benson of England after being caught by close-in fielder Tendulkar off Kumble, but asked the official to review the decision under a new experimental rule.
Benson ruled the batsman not out after consulting TV umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies. Vaas was then dropped off Kumble by Tendulkar, who injured his elbow after losing balance.
Jayawardene also asked for a review after he was given out leg-before by umpire Rudi Koertzen of South Africa while attempting to sweep Harbhajan, but the initial decision proved right after consultation with the TV official.
The rule, on trial in the ongoing series, allows a batsman or fielding captain to request a review of any decision by referring it to the third official monitoring television replays.
England optimistic despite downpourm
England remained hopeful of winning the fourth and final Test against South Africa even though rain allowed only 82 minutes of play on the third day at The Oval.
The visitors were 110 for two in their second innings, trailing England by 12 runs, when play was finally called off for the day - and they also believe they can still win it.
Hashim Amla completed his half century in the morning, reaching 71 not out with 14 fours while Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on two, before rain sent the players in for an early lunch and they did not take the field again.
"We knew we would have to bat well in the second innings," South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said. "I think it's even-stevens now... there's still a lot of hard work to do.
"The guys will be fighting to win because I still think we have the opportunity to win this test."
Arthur said if South Africa could get 220 ahead "there would be a lot of pressure" on England's top five batsmen.
He added his team's poor first-innings total of 194 was largely due to release of pressure after they took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series in Birmingham last weekend.
"All the things we'd done so well in the last 18 months we forgot," said Arthur. "That comes down to relaxing a bit mentally."
The win at Edgbaston prompted England captain Michael Vaughan to resign and South African-born Kevin Pietersen took over, scoring a century on Friday in his first innings as skipper.
Arthur said England were impressive, having had a point to prove after losing the series.
"Kevin played really well," he said. "He's got big boots to fill but he's certainly started the right way."
South Africa lost Neil McKenzie for 29 in the morning when he edged a ball from Stuart Broad on to his stumps but the 25-year-old Amla played with confidence.
"He's so calm and he's got such a good head and he's pretty streetwise for his age," Arthur said.
The visitors had resumed on 37 for one after England removed captain Graeme Smith for a duck on Friday.
Amla survived one extremely difficult half-chance when he got an inside edge to a ball from Andrew Flintoff.
Tim Ambrose dived full stretch to his left and got a glove to the ball but failed to hang on. England coach Peter Moores said the keeper did well simply to reach it.
Moores added that Ambrose, under pressure after failing to shine with the bat, had injured the ring finger of his left hand on Friday.
"There's still a lot of cricket to play but we are in a good position," said England's coach.
"We are still ahead and they are two wickets down... it will be important to come back early tomorrow and put them under pressure."
Moores praised Pietersen's leadership.
"He's kept things pretty simple," Moores said, adding the skipper had told the players he wanted a positive, aggressive approach.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Asif faces ban for Dubai misdemeanor
A Pakistan Cricket Board committee has recommended ban of some matches on pacer Mohammad Asif for his "embarrassing" 19-day detention at the Dubai airport for the alleged possession of a banned substance.
A PCB source said that the report of the public prosecutor in Dubai had confirmed that Asif was carrying an illegal substance when detained at the airport while returning from India after playing in the inaugural Indian Premier League.
"The committee after going through the report of the Dubai public prosecutor and after hearing out Asif, believe there is enough evidence to suggest that the pacer has himself to blame for getting entangled in the embarrassing episode and needs to be disciplined," the source said.
"The recommendation is that he should be banned for some matches to teach him a lesson and set an example for other players," the source added.
PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf will go through the report of the committee and then can call a meeting of the governing body to decide on the recommendations of the committee.
Ashraf is currently on vacation in the United States and is scheduled to return home by August 12.
Asif was detained for carrying a small quantity of the illegal substance but was cleared and sent home by the Dubai authorities after he tested negative in tests conducted by the Dubai police.
Though the authorities in Dubai let him off, the PCB constituted the committee to probe his detention.
Asif has also been suspended by the Board for failing a dope test in the IPL where he played for Delhi Daredevils.
Mendis magic restricts India in final Sri Lanka Test
Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis and debutant Dammika Prasad restricted India to a modest first innings score of 249 in the third and final Test here on Friday despite a defiant last-wicket stand.
Unorthodox spinner Mendis finished with 5-56 and paceman Prasad with 3-82 as India were bowled out in the last session of the opening day after winning the toss on a good batting wicket.
India slipped from 151-3 to 198-9 before Zaheer Khan (32) and Ishant Sharma (17 not out) frustrated Sri Lanka with a 51-run partnership for the last wicket, the joint-highest stand of the innings.
Fast bowler Sharma then returned to dismiss Malinda Warnapura before Sri Lanka reached 14-1 in reply at stumps. Michael Vandort was unbeaten on three and night watchman Chaminda Vaas had yet to open his account.
Left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir was the only specialist batsman to give a good account of himself, top-scoring with a solid 72 for his third successive half-century. He hit 10 fours before falling leg-before to Mendis.
The series is tied at 1-1, with the hosts winning the first Test by an innings and 239 runs and India clinching a 170-run victory in the second match.
India's famed middle order flopped yet again. Sourav Ganguly (35) and Venkatsai Laxman (25) failed to convert starts into big innings, while Sachin Tendulkar (six) and Rahul Dravid (10) were not allowed to settle.
Prasad did the early damage with a triple-strike, having in-form opener Virender Sehwag caught behind in his first spell and then trapping Dravid and Tendulkar leg-before before the lunch break.
India got off to a sound start when Sehwag (21) and Gambhir put on 51 for the opening wicket, but faltered against a disciplined Sri Lankan pace-spin combination.
Sri Lanka also benefited twice under a new experimental rule allowing players to seek a second opinion on umpiring decisions.
Umpire Mark Benson of England initially gave not out to Gambhir and Dravid, but Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene asked the official to review his decisions. Benson ruled the batsmen out after consulting TV umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies.
Tendulkar, who became only the third cricketer to appear in 150 Tests after Australians Steve Waugh and Allan Border, was unlucky when he asked Benson to review his decision after being adjudged leg-before.
The umpire was proved right after consulting the TV official.
The rule, on trial in the ongoing series, allows a batsman or fielding captain to request a review of any decision by referring it to the third official monitoring television replays.
Pietersen century puts England in charge
Kevin Pietersen hit a century in his first match as captain but England wasted a good chance to put South Africa under pressure on the second day of the fourth and final Test at the Oval.
England were dismissed for 316 just before the close, a lead of 122 over the tourists, although James Anderson then gave the home side a huge boost with the wicket of South Africa captain Graeme Smith in a wonderful first over as South Africa closed on 37-1.
Pietersen leapt high in the air just before tea when he punched Makhaya Ntini midwicket for the boundary which made him only the fourth England captain to make a century in his first match in charge.
But two balls later he steered Ntini to Jacques Kallis at a wide second slip to be out for exactly 100, made off 137 balls with 15 fours.
Although Pietersen looked furious with himself for his lapse in concentration, he and Paul Collingwood had ensured that England went into the lead with plenty of wickets in hand during a fourth wicket partnership of 108 as England went into tea a comfortable 232-4.
However, the tourists fought back after the interval, removing Andrew Flintoff (9) in the first over of the evening session, with wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose (1) and the key wicket of Paul Collingwood following soon after.
Stuart Broad failed to reproduce the heroics of previous Tests this series, becoming Ntini's fifth wicket of the innings when he edged to slip after making just 1.
And it needed Steve Harmison and Anderson to combine in a lusty ninth-wicket stand of 54 to push England's lead beyond 100.
Harmison in particular was in aggressive mood, racing to 49 not out before Anderson was trapped LBW to bring Monty Panesar to the crease.
And before the hapless Panesar had faced a ball, Harmison called him through for an ill-judged single which Monty was never going to make, run out by a yard to leave his partner stranded one short of a maiden Test half-ton.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Yuvraj exempted from personal appearance in birthday brawl case
Gugraon court on Wednesday exempted cricketer Yuvraj Singh from personal appearance in the birthday brawl case.
Co-accused in the case Yuvraj`s mother Shabnam Singh also did not appear in the court as she has already been exempted from personal appearance. The court deferred the next date of hearing for October 24 next.
Yuvraj Singh, his mother and some of his family friends were booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) two days after a brawl took place at the cricketer`s DLF City residence in Gurgaon on December 13, 2006.
Haryana`s former Ranji player, now a Delhi resident Yuvraj Sidharth Mahajan was thrashed by Yuvraj Singh and his friends at the party, Neelam Mahajan the mother of sidharth Mahajan had alleged. She had also alleged that she was also manhandled.
In her complaint, Neelam had also named Yuvraj Singh`s friend Ratinder S. Sodhi - an executive with state carrier (then Indian Airlines) and a cricket player, and Ranjit Bajaj, who is the son of the principal secretary of Punjab Bharat Bajaj. Yuvraj Singh`s counsel V. Sehgal on Wednesday said that he moved the court on behalf of his client and sought exemption from his personal appearance on the basis of High court directions. "The court has set Oct 24 as next date of hearing in the case. The complainant in the case Neelam Mahajan also did not appear in the court today," Sehgal said.
Yuvraj Singh and his mother Sabnam Singh were never arrested in the case.
Twenty20 schedule to be reviewed
Organisers of the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League have agreed to review the scheduling of the controversial tournament within the next seven days.
The current dates for the tournament, which has not yet been approved by the International Cricket Council, mean it may overlap with the Champions Trophy.
That breaks an agreement that an event cannot take place seven days after an ICC-sanctioned tournament.
The Champions Trophy in Pakistan runs from 11 September-28 September.
The Champions League, will which feature eight teams from India, South Africa, Australia, England and another to be confirmed, is due to take place at an unspecified venue from 29 September to 8 October.
That means it will start on the reserve day for the Champions Trophy final.
The India, Australia and South Africa cricket boardswill now consider changing the dates following objections from the ICC.
ESPN Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Champions Trophy, have also expressed concerns that staging the Twenty20 event so close to the Trophy will affect potential revenue.
ICC president David Morgan said: "All our directors are committed to the principle of the primacy of ICC events.
"Every one of them wants the ICC Champions Trophy to be a successful, premium quality tournament.
"The directors will consider whether, and if so how, the Champions League will impact on that desired outcome."
Pietersen style to change: Smith
South Africa captain Graeme Smith thinks the swashbuckling way Kevin Pietersen plays cricket is likely to change with his captaincy of England.
Batsman Pietersen, 28, has a reputation for taking risks at the crease.
"His brand of cricket is going to have to change with the style of play that he wants the team to play," he told BBC Sport. "It's about finding balance.
"You can do those things until you bump your head and the pressure's on and you need to win series and win Tests."
South Africa-born Pietersen was named England's new captain on Monday following Michael Vaughan's shock resignation and it is an appointment that has already caused much debate.
He will lead them for the first time in a Test in Thursday's fourth Test against South Africa - a 'dead rubber' after an inspired innings from Smith, 27, in last week's third Test ensured South Africa would win a series in England for the fist time since 1965.
Smith, named the youngest ever South Africa captain when just 22, insists that Pietersen - who unveiled a new style of 'switch-hitting' in a recent Twenty20 match and regularly goes for daring boundaries - will initially attempt to play his natural game.
"Knowing the man like I think we do, he's going to be trying to prove to everybody that he can," he said.
"[But] for him it's going to be about finding the balance... where he can marry the two of his captaincy and batting.
"I think there's certainly a lot more responsibility in terms of having to walk the walk with your team.
"You are always asking a lot of your players, demanding a lot from their performances and thinking - and you have to do that yourself. That will come in time."
Smith also said that Pietersen - with whom he has a notoriously difficult relationship - will not be under too much pressure in the early stages of the job, as the Hampshire man "finds his feet", but insisted it would soon come.
"It's in time, when you need to sustain your success," he said.
"He has some tough challenges ahead. He's got to develop a team pretty quickly and decide on what his style of play will be."
Smith also had some sympathetic words for Vaughan, who led England for much of the South African's time in charge of his own country.
"I wasn't expecting Vaughan to walk away," he said. "I felt for him.
"In many ways he's always been a wonderful captain and we've had so many competitive battles. It's sad to see him go." Broad and Harmison back for Oval
England have made two changes to their line-up for the final npower Test against South Africa starting on Thursday as they attempt to salvage some pride at The Oval.
Already without Michael Vaughan, who is taking a break from the game following his emotional resignation as captain, England have also given left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom a break for the final Test of the summer.
But rather than recall Essex batsman Ravi Bopara for his first Test since last December as Vaughan's replacement, England have instead reverted to a five-man attack with Stuart Broad and Steve Harmison (pictured) coming back into the line-up.
Ian Bell has been promoted to his favoured number three position, from where he averaged over 40 when he last played that role in Sri Lanka in 2007, while all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will bat at six having played at seven in his two previous Tests this summer.
It is a surprising line-up for Kevin Pietersen's first Test as captain as they attempt to halt South Africa's momentum following successive triumphs at Headingley and Edgbaston to wrap up the series with a Test to spare.
Broad has been recalled after a rest because of his workload for Edgbaston while Harmison plays his first Test since the opening defeat against New Zealand in Hamilton last March.
But it is the batting order which is expected to provoke the most debate with England deciding to field an extra bowler despite failing to score 250 in the first innings of both the last two Tests.
Tim Ambrose, picked at number eight at Headingley and number six at Edgbaston, once again has to move to number seven to accommodate Flintoff - which is a change in policy from the Vaughan regime who always had their key all-rounder as a number seven.
Pietersen said: "I'm going to go with four fast bowlers and Monty [Panesar].
"I think it is an aggressive move, a positive move. We need to take 20 wickets in this Test - you need to take 20 in any Test - and I feel a lot more comfortable with four fast bowlers.
"We've given responsibility to the batters to score runs with Colly (Paul Collingwood) at five, Freddie (Flintoff) at six, Timmy seven and Broad eight.
"I'm looking forward to getting started."
As for Harmison, Pietersen said: "I like Steve and what he brings to the team. He's had his ups and downs but I have a really good relationship with Steve.
"He seems as excited as anything and he had a bit of a bounce in his step.
"I like Steve in the side. Mooresy (coach Peter Moores) and I are singing from the same hymn sheet at the moment. It's all positive."
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Shoaib`s comeback bid delayed by rain
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will have to wait anxiously to prove his fitness before the national selectors after heavy rains today disrupted the first of three practice matches, which would form the basis for selecting the Pakistan squad for next month`s Champions Trophy.
Torrential rains today washed out the first of the Pakistan Cricket Board`s (PCB) schedule of three games, while the inclement weather has also cast a shadow on the chances of second match on Thursday.
"We are going to talk to the groundstaff at the Gaddafi Stadium and see what can be done," one national selector said.
The matches have been given special importance by the selectors and the PCB as Pakistan has to submit its final squad for the Champions Trophy latest by August 12.
"These matches offer us the only opportunity to assess the fitness and form of Shoaib, pacer Umar Gul and few other players," the selector said.
The focus, particularly, has been on Shoaib who was included in the 30-member preliminary squad for the biennial event by the PCB after much controversy over whether he should first pay the fine of USD seven million imposed on him by the appellate tribunal that reduced his five years ban to 18-months. Shoaib last played for Pakistan in India and his only cricket after December has been a couple of Twenty20 games where he struggled with his fitness after the opening match for Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural Indian Premier League.
The selectors are keen to see how the comes through in the trial matches and the same applies for Gul who has carried a rib cartilage injury since being forced out of the Asia Cup last month.
"We have to see how these two pacers fare as there are our main bowlers. The weather has disrupted our plans."
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi is also recovering from a wrist injury while opener Salman Butt has had an appendicitis operation.
Sources said the selectors might be inclined to include these players with fitness issues even if weather did not permit the trial matches because of the limited time left for the submission of the Champions Trophy squad.
To make matters worse, the Board is also struggling to arrange international exposure for the team as the scheduled three match ODI series at home against New Zealand in late August also appears to be doubtful after Kiwi cricketers expressed apprehensions over traveling to the strife-torn nation citing security issues.
Flintoff wants to make up South African misery
Andrew Flintoff is determined to help England regain their pride in Thursday's final Test against South Africa at The Oval.
Flintoff has been unable to stop England surrendering the series since he returned from injury and the all-rounder knows he needs to raise his game quickly.
"Two defeats is not the way I envisaged coming back with England. I didn't wait 18 months to get beaten," he said.
"It wasn't ideal but in a perverse way the first one at Headingley I enjoyed in the sense of being back around the lads, playing in front of a big crowd and playing for England.
"I just wish the outcome had been slightly different because for six months I've had to work so hard to get back in the side. I am enjoying being there.
"I've had a start, I've bowled some overs and I've batted okay - but now I need to start performing properly.
"Before this ankle operation, I thought if I didn't think I could recapture the form of previously I wouldn't have put myself up for all of this.
"I feel I can do that. I feel I am getting there. But I can rattle on as much as I can about it. I've got to start doing it out on the field."
England are 2-0 down in the series with just the one game left to play but Flintoff insists the game is still important as Kevin Pietersen's reign as captain gets underway.
"People go on about the Ashes next year. We've got Thursday to concentrate on. We've got beaten twice by South Africa and we've got to pull it around a bit," he said.
"It is not a dead rubber. Maybe it is in the context of the series, but we are playing for England and we are certainly playing for pride. It is not measured by a trophy or a cheque. There is a lot for us to play for as cricketers.
"For a start, we've got to score more runs in the first innings of a Test match than we have in the last two to give ourselves a decent chance.
"As a group of players we've got to perform. We've got to put some pressure on South Africa."
Moores will not rein in Pietersen
England coach Peter Moores says he will not attempt to discourage his new captain Kevin Pietersen from batting in his usual flamboyant way.
Pietersen will lead England in the fourth Test against South Africa at The Oval, which starts on Thursday.
"Kevin's got his way of playing and we encourage him to play that way," Moores told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"We'll have different views, as a coach and captain should, but we want to play aggressive and positive cricket."
Pietersen was unveiled as England's Test and one-day skipper following the resignations of Michael Vaughan and Paul Collingwood on Sunday.
And Moores, speaking for the first time since Pietersen's appointment, said the South African-born batsman had been the overwhelming choice for the job.
"It's always a close decision when it's something as big as the England captaincy," said Moores, who spoke to Pietersen at length before the 28-year-old was offered the job.
"But we felt he could do a really good job. Don't under-estimate Kevin, he didn't get to where he is as a player without being a deep thinker on the game and being able to think clearly.
"The 94 dismissal [in the third Test at Edgbaston, when Pietersen was caught attempting to hit a six] has been talked about a lot, but we had to take the game to them at that stage.
"We were under pressure and his partnership with Paul Collingwood was crucial in getting us to that target of 280 which gave us a great chance of winning the game."
Moores also denied that a rift had opened between himself and Pietersen's predecessor in the weeks before Vaughan's resignation.
It has been widely reported that Vaughan was unhappy with the selection of Australian-born seamer Darren Pattinson for the second Test at Headingley.
Moores said: "We were building a relationship. The press will speculate because we've changed captains.
"We'd had a run as selectors of being very consistent, although we made some tough decisions, like bringing in Stuart Broad and James Anderson in New Zealand.
"As selectors you're not always going to be right, and Darren Pattinson actually performed OK for a guy on debut under pressure."
Moores added that he expected Vaughan to fight for his place in the England team after taking a short break from the game.
"He's still a fine cricketer, it's key now he has a break, has a chance to recharge the batteries and fight to get back in the team as England a batsman," said Moores.
"The hunger is still there to do great things for England, it's not that long ago he was scoring a fantastic hundred against New Zealand.
"He had spoken in the months before about the challenges of captaining England and getting his batting right and the cumulative pressure of that.
"After the game [at Edgbaston] we sat down to discuss preparation for the next Test match and he said it was time to step down and give somebody else a go.
"I respect that and I respect the work he's done over the last five years."
Vaughan has been replaced in the 13-man squad for the final Test by Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara, although Moores admitted Middlesex's Owais Shah had been unlucky to miss out.
"It was a tough one, we've got a few good players out there," said Moores.
South Africa coach Mickey Arthur has warned his side to be prepared to face an England side he described as being "like a wounded lion" under Pietersen.
"We are expecting a huge backlash from England," he said. "They have new leadership, a new direction, they are all going to want to impress KP, so we are expecting a really tough challenge.
"KP is going to bring a lot to the job; he has had challenges thrown at him all along the way and he has always seemed to come out doing really well - he seems to thrive on it.
"It will be a huge challenge to him. Does it affect his batting? What is his vision going to be?"
Meanwhile, Shane Warne says his former Hampshire team-mate Pietersen will need to "reconsider his whole outlook" as he begins his term as skipper.
The great Australian spinner told the Times: "Kevin Pietersen now stands at a crossroads in his life as well as his career.
"Being England captain will take up more time than he can imagine and he will need to reconsider his whole outlook.
"Within the game worldwide he has a reputation as being an individual, but to be successful a leader must be a giver not a taker - to his team, fringe players, sponsors, the public, everyone."
"Hopefully his captaincy will be similar to his batting: positive, instinctive and entertaining." Proteas ready for England backlash
Mickey Arthur has warned his South Africa side to beware the wounded lion after their Test series victory triggered a change in the England captaincy.
Kevin Pietersen leads England for the first time in a Test against the country of his birth at The Brit Oval on Thursday, having replaced long-time skipper Michael Vaughan.
It is the second time in as many tours the Proteas have played a prominent part in an English change of regime.
Vaughan took over five years ago following Nasser Hussain's resignation in the aftermath of the Edgbaston Test.
"When England changed captains it did suggest to me that they might be vulnerable, but you should always beware the wounded lion," Arthur said.
"We are expecting a huge backlash from England. They have new leadership, a new direction, they are all going to want to impress KP, so we are expecting a really tough challenge.
"KP is going to bring a lot to the job; he has had challenges thrown at him all along the way and he has always seemed to come out doing really well - he seems to thrive on it.
"It will be a huge challenge to him. Does it affect his batting? What is his vision going to be?"
Whatever the answers, the animosity towards Pietersen that might once have existed in his homeland after he swore allegiance to England has now dissipated.
"There is no feeling among us that Pietersen is still one of ours," Arthur said. "He made his decision, it has clearly been a good move for him and he is regarded as the enemy now. We can't claim him.
"I don't know what reaction there has been in South Africa but I am pretty sure there will be some proud people there, people who have probably had an influence in KP's career somewhere down the line."
South Africa, who are likely to be unchanged from their five-wicket triumph in Birmingham last weekend, will move on to tougher challenges following this npower series, with Australia on the horizon this winter.
But they want to head Down Under with a comprehensive, morale-boosting 3-0 victory.
"We had probably the best atmosphere I have ever experienced in the dressing room on Saturday night in Birmingham," said Arthur. "We only left there about 11-11.30pm.
"It was amazing but today we have had a chat about getting our feet back on the ground. There is one more Test to play and we will take this one very seriously indeed.
"We are a very goal-driven side and we want to become very ruthless. We want to be a resilient team and this is part of the journey.
"For us there is no dead rubber, no dead Test match, it is about playing to the best of our ability come Thursday.
"We have been able to tick one box but we are looking to improve on our performances all the time, to become the complete package, which I don't think we are yet."
Fast bowler Dale Steyn, meanwhile, has been held back for the one-day series that follows the Oval finale.
Steyn, 25, has had his fractured thumb in plaster for the past fortnight after incurring the damage at Headingley and was scheduled to attempt a comeback this week.
But Arthur said: "We decided not to risk Dale Steyn in this match. Had it been 1-1 we would have had that plaster cast cut off but now he will be ready and firing in our warm-up games for the one-day series."
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Dhoni given prestige award
India's one-day and Twenty20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been awarded the country's top sporting honour, cricket board officials said.
Dhoni, 27, has been named winner of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for 2007 after he led a young India side to triumph in the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa last year.
The wicketkeeper-batsman also captained the team to a memorable tri-series victory in Australia earlier this year.
"Dhoni has been declared the recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the country's most prestigious sports award," the board said in a statement.
Cricket board president Sharad Pawar said Dhoni was a deserving winner.
"He has represented the country with distinction, and deserves the honour," Pawar said in the statement.
"His exemplary leadership and demeanour under pressure, especially in the ICC World Twenty20 and the tri-series in Australia, mark him out as the ideal role model for millions of young Indians who want to make a mark in life."
Dhoni is the second cricketer after batting genius Sachin Tendulkar to win the award. Tendulkar bagged the honour in 1998.
Right-hander Dhoni has amassed 1418 runs from 29 Tests and 3600 runs in 115 one-day internationals. He has also taken 186 catches and effected 186 stumpings in Tests and ODIs after making his international debut in 2004.
Dhoni however is likely to miss out on the awards ceremony, slated for August 29, as he is expected to be playing in a one-day series in Sri Lanka after opting out of the ongoing three-Test series citing fatigue.
Evidence against Asif 'damning'
A fact-finding committee probing Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif's misadventure in Dubai earlier this summer has informed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf that there is enough evidence to punish the dope-tainted player.
The committee that includes senior PCB officials Shafqat Naghmi, Zakir Khan and Nadeem Akram found 'damning evidence' against Asif from reports received by the Board from authorities in Dubai, well-placed sources said Monday.
'There is damning evidence against Asif that he was in possession of a banned drug when he arrived at the Dubai airport,' said the source. 'The report sent to PCB by the Dubai authorities clearly states that the player was carrying the drug, though it was in a very small quantity,' the source added.
Asif, regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world, sent shock waves in Pakistan cricket when he was caught in Dubai early in July while on his way home after playing in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Delhi Daredevils.
He was detained in Dubai for 20 days before being released after the authorities dropped charges saying that the quantity of the drug recovered from him was insubstantial. There were widespread reports in the media at that time that top PCB officials used their connection in the Dubai government to get Asif released in a bid to avoid any further embarrassment for Pakistan cricket.
But later, the PCB refused to assist Asif any further, saying that it would launch an inquiry into the incident.
The fact-finding commission completed its probe last week and sent a report to PCB chief Nasim Ashraf, who is currently vacationing in the United States. It expected that Ashraf will take a decision on the case after returning home next week.
Sources said that if a decision is taken on the basis of the report filed by the committee, then there is a strong likelihood that the PCB will take a tough action against Asif. According to the sources, the Board could ban Asif for a year besides imposing a hefty fine.
Asif has a questionable history when it comes to drugs, having tested positive for performance-enhancing steroid nandrolone on two occasions. He failed a dope test in 2006 and again this summer.
Sehwag and Harbhajan move up in ICC Rankings
Riding on their match-winning performances in the second Test against Sri Lanka, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh climbed up in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.
Sehwag, who scored a double century and a half-century in the two innings, moved up ten places to 11th in the batting charts. Sehwag single-handedly rescued India's first inings scoring 201. He is now the highest ranked Indian batsman in the latest ICC rankings.
Off-spinner Harbhajan, who took a match haul of ten wickets, cleared seven heads to reach 11th position among the bowlers.
Below Sehwag and inside the top-20 are team-mates Sachin Tendulkar (17th), Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman (joint 18th). Sourav Ganguly is 26th but another big climber is Gautam Gambhir, up 28 spots to 49th.
Anil Kumble remains India's highest-ranked bowler at ninth while Zaheer Khan (18) is next in line.
Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, who started the series at the top of the batting table, is now fifth. He dropped one place after the first match at the Sinhalese Sports Club and has slipped a further three places after the second Test in Galle.
The batting list is headed by the West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul, although he is only narrowly clear of the Australia duo of Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting and Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan.
Muttiah Muralitharan is leading the bowlers rankings while spinner Ajantha Mendis is now 39th in the table after just two Tests, having returned match figures of 10-209 in Galle.
Top-10 batsmen
1 Shivnaraine Chanderpaul WI
2 Mike Hussey Aus
3= Ricky Ponting Aus
Mohammad Yousuf Pak
5 K.C.Sangakkara SL
6 M.Jayawardena SL
7 Matthew Hayden Aus
8= Jacques Kallis SA
Kevin Pietersen Eng
10 Younis Khan Pak
Top-10 bowlers
1 Muutiah Muralidaran SL
2 Stuart Clark Aus
3 Dale Steyn SA
4 Brett Lee Aus
5 Ryan Sidebottom Eng
6 Makhaya Ntini SA
7 Chaminda Vaas SL
8 Shoaib Akhtar Pak
9 Anil Kumble Ind
10 Shane Bond NZ
Strauss unhappy with snub
Andrew Strauss revealed his disappointment at being overlooked as captain for the England Test side but pledged total support to new skipper Kevin Pietersen.
Strauss had a previous spell in the role, leading the side five times at Test level and chalking up three wins, when Michael Vaughan was recovering from his well-documented knee problems.
But the selectors have gone down the route of appointing a single skipper for the five-day and limited-overs versions of the game after Vaughan and one-day captain Paul Collingwood announced they were stepping down from their respective positions.
That effectively ruled out Strauss and paved the way for Pietersen.
"The selectors had a decision to make. They spoke long and hard yesterday about which direction they wanted to go in," Strauss said.
"If they wanted a captain for all three formats including Twenty20, the list would have been short.
"I'm not involved in two of the formats and Alastair Cook hasn't been in the Twenty20 side recently.
"I would have liked to have done the Test job and, to that degree, I am disappointed I have not been given the opportunity.
"I enjoyed it when I had a go a couple of years ago. But the selectors have opted to go another way and you've got to take that on the chin."
Strauss added: "What is important is that we all get behind Kevin and give 100 percent support because, if you don't have the players behind you, that is a very tough starting position.
"By making one captain in all forms, it looks like the selectors are trying to consolidate and will give someone a good run at leading the side.
"It is important the players get stuck in and improve on our performances. We haven't been quite where we want to be as a team in the last few months."
Ireland qualify for World Twenty20
All-rounder Kevin O'Brien steered Ireland to another victory as they booked their place at next year's World Twenty20 in England with a four-wicket win over Kenya.
With the victor guaranteed a place at the 2009 showpiece, the 24-year-old again held his nerve, smashing an unbeaten 17 just hours after bowling Ireland to victory against Bermuda.
Andre Botha starred with both bat and ball by taking three for 20 as Ireland skittled out Steve Tikolo's Kenyans for 67 inside 18 overs.
The 32-year-old scored a vital 22 off 37 balls before Kevin O'Brien booked the Irish's place in the final, hitting the winning runs with a six off Tony Suji with five balls to spare.
Kenyan opener Maurice Ouma started positively by taking six off the first five balls, but soon fell after he top-edged Peter Connell to Alex Cusack at third man.
Fellow seamer Kevin O'Brien struck six balls later, trapping Nehemiah Odhiambo leg before for one, before dismissing Kennedy Otieno (seven) in his next over as Kenya slumped to 15 for three.
Skipper Tikolo pulled Connell for four shortly afterwards but was let down when Alex Obanda went for a wild swing and was caught by Kyle McCallan on nought.
Tikolo's 13-run innings was short-lived as the Kenyans slumped to 39 for five - Botha pinning the 37-year-old lbw before Cusack struck twice in his first over.
The 27-year-old removed Ragheb Aga's off-stump for five and repeated the trick to dismiss Jimmy Kamande for a duck to leave Kenya reeling at 48 for seven.
Thomas Odoyo was the next to go for 10, bowled by Botha before incoming batsmen Peter Ongondo followed suit a ball later.
Skipper William Porterfield wrapped up the innings with a smart run out of Suji (seven) as Kenya posted a dismal 67 off just 17.2 overs.
Ireland's chase got off to the worst possible start when Porterfield and Surrey keeper Gary Wilson both fell to Odoyo without scoring.
Niall O'Brien and Botha steadied the ship with a partnership of 38 before the latter was cleaned up by off-spinner Kamande in the 12th over.
Ireland wobbled when Aga dismissed Andrew White and Cusack for one and two respectively, and Niall O'Brien holed out to Tikolo off Kamande for 11 to leave Ireland 49 for six.
But that only paved the way for Kevin O'Brien and 2007 World Cup hero Trent Johnston (eight) to steer the Irish home.