Flower concerned by 'underperforming' batsmen

'Lord's should provide us with a very good opportunity to put things right and it is the responsibility of all of us to make sure that happens


England's coach, Andy Flower, has told his underperforming batsmen there is no place to hide after two poor performances in the third Test at The Oval allowed Pakistan to pull the four-match series scoreline back to 2-1 with just the decider at Lord's to come this week. On a good batting track, England suffered collapses in each innings, including a remarkable subsidence of 7 for 28 second-time around, to muster scores of 231 and 222, as Pakistan held their nerve to win a tense contest by four wickets.

No decision on number of IPL matches yet

The rules and regulations for the 2011 tournament have been up in the air since the suspension of IPL chairman Lalit Modi


The IPL Governing Council has not taken a decision on the format of the 2011 tournament, instead devoting its meeting in Mumbai on Friday to examine the league's accounts for 2009-10. It was widely expected that the governing council would consider proposals to shorten next year's tournament from the current 94 games but that seems to have been left for a future meeting.

Nothing else other than IPL accounts was discussed at the meeting," IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah told PTI. "There will be another meeting in the first week of September." Shah added that no proposal concerning the number of matches was put forward at the meeting.

Greg Chappell returns to selection table

Greg Chappell has another high-level position in Australian cricket


Greg Chappell, Australia's first full-time selector, is in no hurry to discard any of Australia's senior players but is ready to make the tough decisions. Chappell will begin his second term with the panel over the next month after being appointed as the national talent manager on Monday.

Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Simon Katich are all 35 and the finish of the Ashes and World Cup will require some significant long-term planning. As India coach, Chappell stood firm to end Sourav Ganguly's captaincy and he knows there will be difficult and unpopular choices.

Botha to succeed Smith as SA Twenty20 captain

Johan Botha replaces Graeme Smith as captain of South Africa's Twenty20 squad


Offspinner Johan Botha has been named captain of South Africa's Twenty20 team, replacing Graeme Smith, who stood down earlier this week. Smith remains captain of the Test side and will continue to captain the one-day side until the end of the World Cup.

"Johan was the unanimous choice of the Board and we have every confidence that he will do an excellent job leading up to the next edition of the ICC World Twenty20 in 2012," Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola said.

Pakistan seal victory in tense finish

Imran Farhat's positive innings set the right tone for Pakistan's chase, but nervous moments were to follow

From being down and out two weeks ago Pakistan kept the series alive but not without a few frayed nerves as they had to overcome a late wobble before securing a four-wicket victory at The Oval. During a tension-filled afternoon session outstanding bowling from James Anderson and Graeme Swann threatened to turn the match of its head, in an example of Test cricket at its compelling best, before Umar Akmal and Mohammad Amir carried their side over the line.

Pakistan 308 and 148 for 6 (Butt 48, Yousuf 33, Swann 3-50) beat England 233 and 222 (Cook 110, Amir 5-52, Ajmal 4-71) by four wickets

England vs Pakistan, 3rd npower Test, The Oval, 1st day

Wahab Riaz made a great start to his Test career with five wickets on the opening day at The Oval


This series isn't doing much good for batsmen's averages and on this occasion it was England's top order that crumbled as Wahab Riaz enjoyed a debut to remember at The Oval with 5 for 63 to help remove the hosts for 233. Even that represented riches after they'd crashed to 94 for 7 with Matt Prior, one of the few batsmen to show consistent form, and Stuart Broad adding 119 for the eighth wicket to give the total some respectability before James Anderson struck in the final over of the day.

Pakistan 48 for 1 (Hameed 36*, Riaz 0*) trail England 233 (Prior 84*, Broad 48, Riaz 5-63) by 185 runs

Kieron Pollard cleared of serious injury

Kieron Pollard had to go off after field after getting smacked in the face


Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been cleared of serious injury after he was hit on the eye by a short ball from Dominic Cork during the Friends Provident t20 final at the Rose Bowl. Pollard returned to Trinidad to continue his recovery ahead of the Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa, where he will play for IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

Scotland vs Afghanistan, 2nd ODI

Davey's haul sets up Scotland Victory


Josh Davey's 5 for 9 put Scotland on track to level their one-day series against Afghanistan with a six-wicket victory at Ayr. After Davey's heroics demolished the visitors for 120, Fraser Watts guided the run chase with an unbeaten 55 as Scotland overcame an early wobble and won with ease.

Scotland 121 for 4 (Watts 55*) beat Afghanistan 120 (Shenwari 46, Davey 5-9) by six wickets

Injured Ryan Harris targets India ODIs

Ryan Harris: "I'll try to bowl my heart out there and be ready to go"


Ryan Harris, the injured fast bowler, is desperate to prove his fitness for the India one-day series in October so he can enhance his Ashes credentials. There were fears for Harris when he left England in July for knee surgery less than a year after a previous operation, but he has already started running and plans to be bowling in the next fortnight.

Sri Lanka vs India, tri-series, 3rd ODI, Dambulla

Sehwag seal bonus-point win for India


India's bowlers and Virender Sehwag led the recovery from a dispiriting defeat against New Zealand, helping their team overpower Sri Lanka and secure a bonus point to leave each of the three sides with a win at the end of the first round of matches. MS Dhoni's luckless run at the toss continued, but Kumar Sangakkara's decision to bat gave India first use of favourable conditions on a breezy, overcast Dambulla day and their bowlers cashed in. Sehwag then followed up with a steady innings that released the pressure created by early wickets and steered India to what was, in the end, a comfortable win.

India 171 for 4 (Sehwag 99*) beat Sri Lanka 170 (Dilshan 45, Ojha 3-36) by six wickets

Ireland vs Netherlands, 1st ODI, Dublin

Wilson ton sets up handsome victory


Gary Wilson's maiden ODI hundred set Ireland up for an impressive 70-run victory against Netherlands in Dublin. Wilson hit 113 as the hosts reached 275 for 6 and in reply Netherlands never gained a foothold in the chase as Ireland's spinners build on the early inroads made by Kevin O'Brien.

Ireland 275 for 6 (Wilson 113) beat Netherlands 205 (Cooper 68, White 4-44) by 70 runs

Hamid Hassan five-for seals Afghanistan win

Hamid Hassan finished with 11 wickets in the match


Afghanistan climbed to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table with a resounding win over Scotland, whom they displaced, on the fifth day in Ayr. Medium-pacer Hamid Hassan bagged five wickets to help Afghanistan beat their opponents, who had been set a target of 546, by 229 runs.

Afghanistan 435 (Shenwari 102, Stanikzai 93) and 249 for 5 dec (Shahzad 105*) beat Scotland 139 (Nel 36, Hassan 6-40) and 316 (Chalmers 67, Hassan 5-114) by 229 runs

England name unchanged XI for The Oval

As expected the selectors have shown faith in Alastair Cook despite his lean run


As expected Alastair Cook was retained at the top of the order despite his lean run this season, while Tim Bresnan will leave Yorkshire's Championship match against Durham on Tuesday to act as bowling cover, before rejoining his county on Wednesday if there are no last-minute alarms for England. Ajmal Shahzad, who was originally named in the squad for the first Test at Trent Bridge, was left in Championship action again, with Yorkshire to allow him to work on his game.

Australia's Ashes plans get serious

Ricky Ponting has a lot to think about before England's visit

Australia's Ashes planning started from the moment of Michael Hussey's dismissal at The Oval last August, but it will take a step up early this week when the team's senior figures meet in Melbourne. Even though Australia face India, the Test No.1, in October, the talks will be dominated by England's visit.

Kumble to help South Africa's young spinners

With 956 international wickets across all formats to his name, Anil Kumble will bring a wealth of spin-bowling experience with him


Anil Kumble, the former Indian legspinner, will be travelling to South Africa next week to take part in a coaching clinic with some of South Africa's up-and-coming spin bowlers in Johannesburg on Thursday. Kumble will be joined by fellow slow bowlers Paul Harris and Johan Botha as a host of young spinners receive first-hand coaching from one of Test cricket's leading wicket-takers.

Zulqarnain Haider suffers fractured finger

The Pakistan team management is yet to take a call on Zulqarnain Haider's future in the series


Zulqarnain Haider is in danger of missing the remainder of the Test series due to a finger injury that could have been aggravated when Stuart Broad hurled a ball back at him in frustration during the second Test at Edgbaston. Haider is scheduled to meet a finger specialist when the team reaches London on Sunday and the team management will take a call - whether to send him back or retain him - based on the diagnosis.

Ireland vs Netherlands, Intercontinental Cup, Dublin

Ireland surge to innings victory


Ireland made short work of Netherlands on the third day, taking their six remaining second-innings wickets to complete victory by an innings and 84 runs in Dublin.

Trent Johnston had started the slide on the second evening, picking three wickets as Netherlands stumbled to 71 for 4. There was no respite on the third morning, with Allan Eastwood and Albert van der Merwe sharing the spoils in the early finish. Nick Statham perished first, edging Eastman to third slip after a 39-run stand with Peter Borren that raised hopes of avoiding the innings defeat. Tom Heggelman struck three fours in his 16 as the score crept into three figures before Eastwood dismissed him for his second wicket of the day. Pieter Seelaar and Maurits Jonkman fell in the same over from van der Merwe and it seemed like Borren would be stranded without partners.

Ireland 408 (White 144, Mooney 107, Kashif 5-53) beat Netherlands 188 (Dockrell 4-36, van der Merwe 3-25) and 136 (Eastwood 4-62, van der Merwe 3-15, Johnston 3-41 ) by an innings and 84 runs

Malinga, Mathews set up comfortable win

Upul Tharanga batted patiently in tricky conditions to set up Sri Lanka's chase


On a helpful pitch, Lasith Malinga was too good, Angelo Mathews canny, and New Zealand were dismissed for 192. After Tillakaratne Dilshan fell early in the chase, Upul Tharanga provided Sangakkara solid support in a partnership that set up the base for a shot at a bonus point. It helps if the captain himself scores a 48 as stylish as it was solid on a tricky pitch. Amid falling wickets, Sri Lanka played positive, innovative cricket, but couldn't make the target inside 40 overs and secure the bonus point.

Sri Lanka 195 for 7 (Tharanga 70, Sangakkara 48, Mills 4-41) beat New Zealand 192 (Watling 55, Malinga 3-35, Mathews 3-36) by three wickets

Pakistan rule out Gul replacement

Umar Gul has been advised three weeks' rest


The Pakistan team management in England has decided against calling up a replacement bowler for the injured Umar Gul, who suffered a hamstring injury during the second Test against the hosts at Edgbaston.

"We have two back up pace bowlers, Tanvir Ahmed and Wahab Riaz in the touring squad and either one of them can replace Gul for the remaining Tests," team manager Yawar Saeed told PTI.

UDRS technology available in India irrespective of BCCI stand

Given the reluctance of the BCCI to use the UDRS, only television audience stands to benefit from the technology when Australia tour India


When Australia tour India for a two-Test, three-ODI series this October, all the technology required for the controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) will be in place at every venue. In all likelihood, however, given the BCCI's reluctance to use UDRS, its beneficiaries will not be the cricketers or the umpires, but the television audience.

The future of cricket

ICC must focus on Tests and T20s - Martin Crowe


Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe has said the ICC must settle on two formats - Tests and Twenty20s - to secure the future of the game and market it better. Crowe said attempts to make ODI cricket more appealing would lead to confusion. Instead, he added, the way forward was to provide context to Tests through an annual knockout Test Championship while consolidating the popularity of Twenty20 cricket.

Sri Lanka Triangular Series 2010

Munaf to join ODI squad in Sri Lanka

Indian fast bowler Munaf Patel will join the one-day squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka as cover for Ishant Sharma, who suffered an ankle injury and missed the first game against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Munaf was part of the Test squad, but wasn't named in the original touring party. He joined the team in Sri Lanka when Sreesanth had to pull out before the Test series due to a knee injury. The debutant Karnataka seamer Abhimanyu Mithun was preferred over Munaf, who sat out all three Tests. Mithun bowled only four overs in the opening one-dayer before suffering a heat stroke.

Saker warns England after 'complacent' display

David Saker has defended Stuart Broad's aggression, while warning him to channel it for the good of the team


England's bowling coach, David Saker, has criticised his charges for a "complacent" performance on the third afternoon of the second Test at Edgbaston, during which Pakistan's tail took advantage of the best batting conditions of the match to turn a likely innings defeat into a potentially tricky target of 118. Though the match was eventually won by a comfortable nine-wicket margin to hand England their sixth Test victory in a row, Saker insisted that such lapses cannot be tolerated if England are to pose a real threat when they fly to Australia for the Ashes later this year.

Listless India crumble to 200-run defeat

Ross Taylor led New Zealand's recovery


New Zealand's plan of loading their side with seamers paid off, as they bullied a carefree Indian top order under lights to seal a 200-run rout and gain a bonus point. It was a script that had worked well for India in the Asia Cup final at the same venue, but this time the shoe was on the wrong foot. Ross Taylor and Scott Styris played risk-free yet attacking cricket to lift New Zealand from 28 for 3 to 288. Their seam-heavy attack then let the conditions do the work for them, but they had India's technically inept batsmen to thank for crumbling without a fight.

New Zealand 288 (Taylor 95, Styris 89, Nehra 4-47, Praveen 3-43) beat India 88 (Tuffey 3-34, Oram 2-16, Mills 2-26) by 200 runs

Indian Premier League

Pakistan's Mohammad Irfan in line for IPL contract


Mohammad Irfan, the fast bowler from Pakistan, has reached an agreement with Kolkata Knight Riders to play for them in IPL 2011, though only after the BCCI approves the deal. Irfan shot to prominence after an impressive debut season in Pakistan and was nearly selected in their World Twenty20 squad in May.

Strauss and Trott secure nine-wicket victory

Andrew Strauss played a controlled innings to ensure England didn't wobble in their run chase


Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott hit unbeaten half centuries to guide England to an emphatic nine-wicket win in the second Test at Edgbaston to give them a 2-0 lead in the series. Both batsmen finished on 53 with the second-wicket pair making light of a potentially testing surface as the hosts completed their sixth consecutive Test victory midway through the afternoon session.

England 251 and 118 for 1 (Strauss 53*, Trott 53*) beat Pakistan 72 and 296 (Haider 88, Ajmal 50, Swann 6-65) by nine wickets

Klusener in line to be Bangladesh's bowling coach

Lance Klusener is embarking on a coaching career


Lance Klusener, the former South African allrounder, could be appointed Bangladesh's bowling coach, filling the vacancy that arose because Champaka Ramanayake, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler, quit the job due to illness. If Klusener is appointed, it will be his first international coaching job after having completed a level-three coaching course at Cricket South Africa's High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

England vs Pakistan, 2nd npower Test, Edgbaston, 3rd day

Zulqarnain Haider produced Pakistan's best batting of the series to build a lead over England


Against all expectation Pakistan carried the second Test into the fourth day against an increasingly agitated England team as Zulqarnain Haider played the innings of his life to defy the hosts with 88 off 200 balls. When Graeme Swann bagged his fourth wicket - on the way to a career-best 6 for 60 - the visitors were 101 for 6, but Haider found outstanding support in the contrasting styles of Mohammad Amir and Saeed Ajmal to build a lead of 112 and finally make the series a contest.


Pakistan 72 and 291 for 9 (Gul 9*, Asif 13*, Swann 6-60) lead England 251 by 112 runs

Laxman's century helps India draw series

VVS Laxman anchored India's chase on a tense final day


India emerged victorious to level the series on a gripping final day at the P Sara Oval. VVS Laxman battled the pressure as well as an injured back in a tense chase and, with support from Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina, countered the probing Suraj Randiv to reach his 16th century and seal a memorable win - India's fourth-hightes successful chase in Tests.

India 436 (Sehwag 109, Raina 62, Randiv 4-80) and 258 for 5 (Laxman 103*, Tendulkar 54, Randiv 5-82) beat Sri Lanka 425 (Samaraweera 137*, Sangakkara 75, Ojha 4-115) and 267 (Samaraweera 83, Mendis 78) by five wickets

Inzamam willing to be Pakistan's batting coach

Inzamam-ul-Haq wants to offer his expertise to the Pakistan

Inzamam-ul-Haq former captain and Pakistan's second highest run-scorer in Tests, has offered his services as a full-time batting coach to the national team. Pakistan's batsmen are struggling on a tour of England, where they were dismissed for 182 in the first innings at Trent Bridge and are 15 for 3 in the second.

"The team definitely needs a full-time batting coach and, if any offer is made to me for this position, I will definitely give it serious consideration," Inzamam told. "They need a batting coach to guide them and it is a responsibility I would look at accepting because Pakistan cricket has given me a lot," Inzamam told Reuters. Pakistan already have in their coaching staff former batsman Ijaz Ahmed, who doubles up as a batting and fielding coach.

England vs Pakistan, 1st npower Test, Trent Bridge

Anderson swings England to 354- run win


England needed less than one session to complete a massive 354-run victory over Pakistan on day four of the first Test at Trent Bridge. James Anderson continued to profit in swinging conditions, knifing through Pakistan's line-up to take 6 for 17 and pick up his very first ten-wicket match haul after his 5 for 54 in the first innings.

Pakistan were in a tenuous position to start with at 15 for 3, and after a muted start by England's bowlers they quickly capitulated, crashing to 80 all out fifteen minutes before the scheduled lunch break. Imran Farhat and Mohammad Aamer resisted for more than seven overs before the breakthrough came, but after they were parted what little belief Pakistan may have held quickly dissipated.

England 354 (Morgan 130, Collingwood 82, Asif 5-77) and 262 for 9 dec (Prior 102*, Gul 3-41) beat Pakistan 182 (Gul 65*, Anderson 5-54) and 80 (Anderson 6-17) by 354 runs