PCB expecting US$18 million from World Cup deal

The PCB expects total returns amounting to US$18 million out of its agreement with the ICC over the staging of the 2011 World Cup. The ICC and the PCB, on August 27, resolved the dispute during a meeting between the ICC president David Morgan and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt in Dubai. It was decided that Pakistan would retain its hosting fee of US$ 10.5 million and receive an additional payment as compensation for losing the rights to host the tournament. "At the moment the figure is around rupees 1 billion (US$12 million) but I hope it could go up to rupees 1.5 billion (US$ 18 million) by the time World Cup begins in 2011," Butt told reporters upon his return to Lahore. Pakistan was stripped of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup in the aftermath of the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March. The World Cup Secretariat, the organising body of the tournament, was also moved to Mumbai from Lahore and Pakistan's share of the matches was allocated to the three other co-hosts, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. "We feel that this was the best possible solution and we will get additional amount and would not be forced to beg around for money to keep our cricket on track," Butt said of the agreement. "It's a confidential document which we both (ICC and PCB) signed, but I can tell you that much that I hope the total earnings of PCB might go up to rupees 1.5 billion." As a result of the resolution of the dispute, Butt said that the PCB would withdraw all its legal cases against the ICC. "Within the next 15 days the PCB will withdraw all its legal cases against the ICC," he said. Butt added that he and two of his PCB colleagues - Wasim Bari, the PCB Director for Human Resources, and Suban Ahmed, the General Manager for International Cricket Affairs - will attend the meeting of the tournament's Central Organising Committee on September 2 in Mumbai. Pakistan, he said, would not be nominating any member to the secretariat. "The reason is it will be expensive for us to have our people in the secretariat when it is based in Mumbai and not Lahore," he said. "But we will be part of the Central Organising Committee."

Sri Lanka On Edge Of Yet Another Series Win

New Zealand 234 and 182 for 6 (Flynn 50, Herath 4-73) need another 312 runs to beat Sri Lanka 416 and 311 for 5 decl (Sangakkara 109, Jayawardene 96) .

Sri Lankan Team is on top of their game since their test and one day series wins against Pakistan.

New Zealand continue to struggle against magic of Sri Lankan Spinners specially Muttiah Muralitharan. They failed to generate partnerships in the first test and similar is the story in the second test. Not a single century is scored from New Zealand players in the series and there is hardly any reasonable partnerships in the series.

Sri Lankans have set a tough ask of 494 in the second test and New Zealand are already 6 down for 182 requiring 312 runs to avoid series defeat against Srilanka.

New Zealand were paying special attention to Muralitharan before start of the series and hired Pakistani Spin Legend Saqlain Mushtaq to help them overcome Murali's threat but the stretegy does not seem to be working for them since they are still unable to understand the Srilankan Spin Variations.

Daniel Flynn, who had struggled to buy a run so far on tour, handled the spinners well for a period and played with an ease the openers struggled for. He mixed caution with opportunism, not shying away from using his feet to drive and cut. Yet his too was an aborted innings. Having raised his first fifty of the series in 110 minutes, Flynn became Herath's third victim, playing back when he should have gone forward. Herath was outstanding today, outdoing Muttiah Muralitharan for accuracy and turn.

Brendon McCullum is considered a major factor in the New Zealand batting but his form in the series is highly questionable. He has failed to score runs in the series.

On the other hand Sri Lankan batsmen are batting against Kiwi attack with relative ease and not finding it hard to score runs specially Samaraweera who scored two centuries in the series and Mahella Jayawerdena is also scoring runs alongwith the skipper Kumar Sangakara who scored 109 in the last innings.

From here on Sri Lanka just needs 4 wickets to secure a series win against Black Caps hoping there is no rain interuption.

Sri Lanka Still In Driver's Seat

Sri Lanka 416 and 157 for 2 (Sangakkara 64*, Jayawardene 23*) lead New Zealand 234 (Taylor 81, Herath 3-70, Murali 3-71) by 339 runs.

Sri Lanka, polished by an unbroken 68-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, bolstered their grip on the second Test with a lead of 339 and eight wickets in hand - and two days to go. A torrential downpour at 4.10pm curtailed play on another day of local domination, the tone for which was set in the first session when New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 51 runs to spin. Thanks to Tillakaratne Dilshan's generosity and another error by umpire Daryl Harper, New Zealand managed two wickets in the afternoon but it had minimal effect on the game which by tea had drifted almost out of their reach. Out-of-form opener Tharanga Paranavitana was watchful, mindful of the fact that this was his last innings of the series, while Dilshan made 34 before chipping Jeetan Patel to long-on. Paranavitana, progressing slowly and discreetly, looked set for his first substantial contribution but was incorrectly ruled out caught behind by Harper when he clearly missed a sweep down the leg side. That proved to be New Zealand's last success on a slow day. Sangakkara and Jayawardene relied mainly on singles, aided by New Zealand's weary fielding effort. They built the lead sensibly, the captain handling Daniel Vettori and Patel quite masterfully. Sangakkara used his feet and stretched fully forward to negate the turn from the rough and used the width of the crease to rock back and cut when Patel pitched it short. The good mates were at ease against the harmless line of the quick bowlers and Patel, who didn't get much turn from the track. Jayawardene flicked him to leg and drove him straight for the shot of the day; Sangakkara danced out and took fours past mid-on and mid-off and an effortless six over long-on. Sangakkara brought up his second half-century of the series off 80 balls and, two calculated sweeps later, had to run off when sudden rain forced an early close. Rain or sun, New Zealand struggled. A deficit of 257 was a huge disadvantage to start the day with, and it got worse for New Zealand when Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor fell in the first 40 minutes. Having briefly held up Sri Lanka and taken New Zealand past the follow-on mark, Vettori and Jacob Oram departed within 14 deliveries leaving the home side in complete control. Sangakkara started the day with his best spinners bowling in tandem. Muttiah Muralitharan began with an immaculate line and restricted the batsmen largely to singles. The tone was set in Rangana Herath's first over, the second of the day, when he beat Taylor and McCullum with good turn away from the bat. With three men around the bat, and the ball spinning, there were several appeals and gasps as Murali and Herath spun a web. Herath should have had McCullum on 13 twice in one over but Paranavitana grassed a catch at silly point, his second drop of the game, and Thilan Samaraweera missed a low chance to his left at second slip. In the next over Harper turned down a convincing appeal for lbw when Taylor missed a sweep. It was McCullum who was the first to go when he edged a Murali doosra to give Jayawardene his 150th catch in Tests. Taylor stuck to a bat-and-pad policy against Herath, who got significant turn and bounce, and tried to unsettle Murali by sweeping. Having added 11 to his overnight score in 37 deliveries, Taylor fell for 81 when Herath lured him into a prod and drew an edge. Vettori played positively for 23 in a stand of 43 with Oram before he was dislodged by Dilshan's part-time offspin, Chamara Kapugedera holding on to a good tumbling catch at short leg. Fourteen deliveries later Herath sent back Oram, whose ridiculous attempt at a reverse-sweep was taken at short leg. The end came swiftly, leaving New Zealand to rue another inept display.

Vettori and Moles in New Zealand's selection panel

In a move that could radically change how cricket teams are selected, New Zealand Cricket has formally appointed captain Daniel Vettori and coach Andy Moles as national selectors. With voting rights given to them, Vettori and Moles will now have a powerful say in selection matters, along with the two other voting members on the panel, Glenn Turner and Mark Greatbatch. Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said the new make-up of the panel was "innovative but consistent" with the way the board had been operating. This is indeed a unique state of affairs: captains and coaches are consulted in other countries when it comes to selections - and most attend selection meetings - but this is the first time they have been given voting rights. When Moles first took over from John Bracewell he had wished to not be involved in the selection process. However, just after India's tour of New Zealand, he said he wanted to be on the panel to make sure "My views and the Captain's Views"are taken into consideration so we get the balanced side to win games of cricket". Greatbatch, who was a non-voting advisor, takes on selection duties while John Wright, on the shortlist for Kolkata Knight Riders' coaching job, will be the non-voting advisor and concentrate on his work as the high-performance coach. In other development, Dion Nash has stepped down from the panel because of personal commitments. Vaughan said after the new appointment: "Andy and Dan see and work with our leading players constantly, and are directly accountable for team performance. Therefore we believe it is important they have a formal input into the selection process. Both captain and coach currently form our 'on-tour' selection panel, who select teams when the Blackcaps are playing." Vaughan said in many countries captains already had a big role in selection of teams, but New Zealand Cricket wanted to go a step ahead and give him formal responsibility. "Daniel is a strong and very able leader. He has vast international experience, and is absolutely committed to driving the team to improved performance. New Zealand Cricket has complete trust and confidence in Daniel Vettori being up to the task and we are convinced the team will benefit as a consequence."

Sri Lanka On Top After Samraweera Knock And Impressive Sri Lankan Bowling

New Zealand 159 for 5 (Taylor 70*, McCullum 5*, Thushara 2-37) trail Sri Lanka 416 (Samaraweera 143, Mahela Jayawardene 92, Sangakkara 50, Patel 4-78) by 257 runs. The contest veered between bat and ball, dominating certain passages and providing the limited crowd with entertaining viewing, but, at the end of the day, New Zealand had their backs firmly to the wall. The match was intriguingly poised with Sri Lanka at 295 for 4, but Thilan Samraweera, with help from Chamara Kapugedera, powered Sri Lanka into the box seat with a breezy 72-run stand. Then the tail imploded - five wickets went down for 27 - to let slip a position from which they could have batted New Zealand out of the game. Samaraweera's fourth century of the year, though, guided the home side past 400, and the Sri Lankan quick bowlers struck thrice early to grab back some of the momentum the visitors had seized. A limp reply from New Zealand, which included the haphazard dismissal of Martin Guptill, left the middle order with too much. Dammika Prasad, taking the place of Nuwan Kulasekara, struck with his first ball to get Tim McIntosh, though replays suggested he was lucky. Thilan Thushara needed no such help in getting Daniel Flynn to nick one that pitched outside off stump and held its line. Guptill showed brief resilience, playing some cracking on-side strokes, to race to 29 from 26 balls. Then Thushara tested him with a series of bouncers. Guptill hooked one for four. The next ball reared into his ribs and he gloved it to fine leg. A man went out to deep square leg. Three in a row followed and Guptill was visibly torn between leaving or pulling. Then he got another short one and fell for the trap, getting a top edge straight to the fielder placed back. On air, an incensed Danny Morrison called it "brainless cricket". Ross Taylor led a passage of recovery with Jesse Ryder, adding 85. Taylor took his time, playing out 31 deliveries for 10, before opening up with some aggressive shots through the off side off Prasad. He survived an extremely tight call on 30 against Muttiah Muralitharan but continued to sweep the spinner. He was dropped on 56 off Murali, but was left looking from the other end as spin accounted for Ryder, popping to short leg, and Jeetan Patel, edging to slip. Unfortunately for New Zealand nobody could match Taylor's defiance and shot selection and the tourists found themselves struggling for survival. New Zealand had brought themselves back into this match well after lunch after Samaraweera made 500 look a distinct possibility, but their top order failed to reciprocate. Without Samaraweera, Sri Lanka would have really struggled. Iain O'Brien put New Zealand on the right track with a good first spell of quick bowling on an unresponsive track, dismissing Mahela Jayawardene when a hundred seemed inevitable, but the visitors again sat back to allow Samaraweera flourish. A sumptuous on-drive for four - taking him past 1000 Test runs this year - set the tone for his innings along. The eighties were a blur as Samaraweera unfurled slow-motion pulls past square, spiffy drives past cover and a couple of deft dabs. Samaraweera slowed down after Jayawardene's dismissal, facing 14 balls when on 99, but eventually reached the landmark, after 277 minutes at the crease, with a push between cover and point off Martin. The next ball was hooked for six, a release of adrenalin. A classy drive past cover followed off Jacob Oram, who continued to bowl without pace or menace, after which Samaraweera clouted Jeetan Patel for consecutive fours, unafraid to go over the top. Kapugedera, who enjoyed a life on 9, eased his way to 35 before miscuing to mid-off four minutes before lunch. New Zealand came out after the interval and turned in their best passage of the match. Chris Martin began the session by bouncing Prasanna Jayawardene, who top-edged to long leg. Then Patel struck, first getting Prasad to poke to slip and trapping Herath lbw next ball. His fourth victim was the man of the moment, Samaraweera, who gloved a reverse-sweep to depart for an excellent 143. It was an inning of insatiable determination and skill, and New Zealand - like Vettori had hoped - didn't manage to learn from it. Taylor will need much of the same determination shown by Samaraweera to help New Zealand leave Colombo without suffering the sort of crushing defeat they experienced here in 1998.

West Indies Stick To New Talent In Champions Trophy

As expected, the West Indies selectors have named a squad without most of the leading players for the Champions Trophy in September, giving an indication that there might not be an early resolution to the long drawn out contracts dispute. The mediator in the impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA, Shridath Ramphal, had said that the ongoing negotiations between the disputing bodies in no way affected the obligation of the board to select the best available team for the Champions Trophy. He had hoped that the row would be resolved by the end of August, but the retention of a makeshift team for the tournament implies that little headway has been made in resolving the problem. Last month, a weakened 30- man squad had been chosen from among those players who declared themselves available for selection for the tournament within the deadline date. Daren Powell, the fast bowler who reportedly turned down the chance to be part of the West Indies side after Chris Gayle and Co. decided to strike, has been picked. Floyd Reifer, who captained a depleted West Indies side in the Test and one-day series losses to Bangladesh recently, has been appointed as captain. There are three omissions from the squad that played the ODI series against Bangladesh - Devon Thomas, the wicketkeeper-batsman, fast bowler Nelon Pascal and legspinner Rawl Lewis. The squad features two new inclusions; rookie Guyana batsman Royston Crandon receives his maiden international call-up while Chadwick Walton, who played the Tests against Bangladesh but was left out for the ODIs, earns a place. West Indies squad: Floyd Reifer (capt), Darren Sammy, David Bernard, Tino Best, Royston Crandon, Travis Dowlin, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Daren Powell, Kieran Powell, Dale Richards, Kemar Roach, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton (wk).

Australia Fall From No.1 To No.4 In Test Rankings

Australia's 2-1 Ashes defeat, confirmed with a heavy 197-run loss at The Oval on Sunday, has cost them their No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. They have slipped to fourth, with South Africa now the No. 1 Test team in the world, followed by Sri Lanka and India. It is the first time the Australians have lost their grip on the top spot since 2003, when the ICC introduced its current ranking system. The defeat has cost them eight points but despite the series result they remain ahead of their arch rivals England, who are in fifth place. England gained six points but are still 11 behind Australia. Australia were in danger of losing their No. 1 ranking towards the end of last year, when they lost a home Test series to South Africa 2-1. A consolation win in the third Test in Sydney ensured they retained top spot and they also held on thanks to their follow-up series victory in South Africa.

Gloriouse England Take Ashes

England 332 and 373 for 9 dec beat Australia 160 and 348 (Hussey 121, Ponting 66, Swann 4-120) by 197 runs.

Amid scenes of delirium unwitnessed in South London since the unforgettable summer of 2005, England's cricketers reclaimed the Ashes on a tumultuous fourth afternoon at The Oval, as Australia's brave resistance - led by a century of incredible mental fortitude from Michael Hussey - was unpicked, wicket by wicket, minute by minute, until, at 5.47pm, and with an expectant crowd willing on the moment of glory, Hussey prodded Graeme Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg to spark the celebrations into life. At the moment of victory, all of England's players rushed into a huddle on the edge of the square - all except for one, that is. In his moment of Test retirement, Andrew Flintoff's first instinct was to seek out and console the crestfallen centurion Hussey, whose 121 from 263 balls had given his side a hope of salvation, but whose careless running between the wickets during a fraught afternoon session had been the single biggest factor in their demise. By calling for the single that led to the run-out of his captain and resistance-leader Ricky Ponting for 66, Hussey is unlikely to recall this particular innings with any fondness whatsoever. Inevitably, it was Flintoff who stole the show from the Australians. He could not be the tub-thumping batsman of old in this series, while his bowling - though thunderous at Lord's - faded cruelly as the concerns about his right knee began to mount. But as a presence, and as a man who can make things happen on a cricket field, his spell has scarcely diminished. In a moment that is sure to be replayed for years on end, he gathered a firm clip from Hussey, steadied himself as Ponting hesitated fatally, then unleashed a fast, flat, unerring swing of the arm that plucked out the off stump with Ponting a foot short. Though the decision went to a replay, Flintoff was in no doubt. He raised his arms in his now-habitual Kodak pose, and waited to be enveloped by his jubilant team-mates. It was a moment eerily reminiscent of Gary Pratt's series-turning shy at Trent Bridge in 2005, when Ponting once again was the fall guy, and it uncorked the tensions in the crowd as surely as the champagne was uncorked in England's dressing-room some three hours later. It brought to an end an unnerving stand of 127, and it shattered Australia's collective will. Five balls later, their batsman of the series, Michael Clarke ran himself out for a duck after a clip off the pads ricocheted to Andrew Strauss at leg slip, and Australia could not recover their poise. Though Hussey was badly dropped by Paul Collingwood at slip on 55 off Swann, in Swann's next over, Marcus North dragged his back foot out of the crease as he swung at a big ripper, and Matt Prior, having gathered well high to his left, flicked off the bails almost as an afterthought. Their target of 546 had become a distant figment of their imagination, and at 236 for 5, their only remaining hope was to bat out the final four sessions of the series. Brad Haddin chose pugnacity as the means to reboot Australia's innings, and he signalled his intent with two fours in his first nine balls, including a fizzing cover-drive as James Anderson overpitched. But Anderson might have dismissed him three times in a single over, including a regulation clip to short midwicket that was spilled by the substitute, Graham Onions. As he and Hussey took their seventh-wicket stand to 91, an ever-anxious crowd began to shuffle in their seats. On 34, however, his luck finally ran out, as he advanced down the track to Swann and picked out Strauss with a lofted flick to deep midwicket. It was to be the game-breaking moment. Strauss, usually the coolest of characters in the field, celebrated euphorically as The Oval erupted once more, and seven balls later, the end truly was nigh. Steve Harmison - hitherto muted on a pitch that did not suit his style - extracted enough life for Mitchell Johnson to fence to second slip, where Collingwood, to his relief and joy, finally held on. Then, when Peter Siddle played around his front pad to lob a simple chance to mid-off, Harmison had his second scalp in the space of 12 balls.

That quickly became three in 13, as Stuart Clark fenced nervily to Cook at short leg, and though Hilfenhaus averted the hat-trick with a stabbed defence straight back down the track, there was no longer any way to stem England's tide of emotion. With Harmison stalking to the crease with a predatory menace unseen in Ashes cricket for four long years, the crowd finally dared to proclaim the Ashes were coming home. Fifteen balls later, they were. Some six hours earlier, England's day of destiny had dawned with more than just a frisson of anxiety in the air, thanks to the ease with which Australia's openers had pushed along at four runs an over on the third evening of the match. But Swann soothed the nation by claiming the initial breakthrough at the end of his second over, tweaking a succession of sharply spinning offbreaks past Simon Katich's edge, before nailing him plumb lbw with the arm-ball. Swann bounced for joy in the middle of the pitch as a massive roar of relief and ecstasy erupted from the stands, but almost immediately the fervour morphed into a respectful standing ovation for the incoming Ponting, in his 136th Test and almost certainly his last in England after four memorable Ashes tours. Before he had faced a delivery, however, England had struck again, as Broad this time hurried Shane Watson on off stump and beat the inside-edge of his defensive prod. Watson did not seem best amused at the decision, but replays suggested there was nothing wrong with the appeal at all. For all of Watson's impressive form in five innings at the top of Australia's order, it was nevertheless the fourth time this series he had fallen in such a manner. Food for thought as he works on his new career as an opener. At 90 for 2 and with a jittery Hussey at the crease, England swarmed onto the offensive, with Swann camping four men around the bat at all times and at one stage sending down 28 dot balls in a row as Hussey prodded and smothered with desperate determination. At the other end, Ponting's eagerness to play the pull was tempered by his wariness of the vagaries of the wicket, although whenever he was tempted, he executed the stroke with the mastery that has made it his calling-card for the past decade. In the first over after lunch, Ponting laced a first-ball full-toss from Broad through the covers for four, then tickled Swann around the corner to bring up a battling and brilliant half-century from 76 deliveries. Broad subsequently received a warning for running on the pitch to deepen the crowd's growing concerns, who had just seen Collingwood at slip parry a rare Ponting edge with his left boot. But then up popped Flintoff, and once he'd had his say, there was no holding back the inevitable.

Trott's Brilliance Sets Australia A Record Beating Task

England 332 and 373 for 9 dec (Trott 119, Strauss 77, Swann 63, North 4-98) lead Australia 160 by 545 runs. Jonathan Trott entered Ashes folklore with the innings of an instant veteran, as England's batsmen sauntered into a position of insuperable dominance on another enthralling day at The Oval. His 119 from 193 balls was the 18th century by a debutant in England's Test history and the first against Australia since Graham Thorpe in 1993, but in terms of the occasion, it ranked among the finest of all time. His efforts enabled Andrew Strauss to declare on 373 for 9, with 21 overs of the third day remaining, and Australia's target an unassailable 546. Trott had been a controversial selection for such a pressure-cooker contest, but to give the selectors credit where it is due, the skill, determination and confidence of his performance made the men around him in England's middle-order look like the international novices. His nerveless shot selection, at an even tempo of roughly a run every two balls, provided the scaffolding for a series of carefree cameos at the other end - including a farewell frolic from Andrew Flintoff, and a spanking 63 from 55 balls from Graeme Swann, whose confidence could hardly be higher going into the defining fourth innings. The Oval pitch, the subject of much controversy overnight, carried on producing wild puffs of dust from almost every delivery, but as England's tail clubbed a supine attack to all corners of South London, the heat went out of the debate about its merits. In fact, England's progress seemed at times almost too comfortable for their series prospects, as Australia's bowlers abandoned any hope of salvaging their team's situation and instead settled for damage limitation with a view to batting out for the draw. Nevertheless, the steep bounce that the part-time spinner, Marcus North, continued to extract was enough to confirm the suspicions that batting last, with men packed around the bat, will be a fraught experience. North, who came into the game with just two Test wickets to his name, emerged as the unequivocal pick of the attack, with 4 for 98 from 30 testing overs. Tea England 332 and 290 for 7 (Trott 83*, Swann 34*) lead Australia 160 by 462 runsJonathan Trott produced the innings of an instant veteran to build on Andrew Strauss's first-session 75, as England cemented their dominance of the fifth and final Test with an improbably serene day's batting at The Oval. By tea on the third afternoon, Trott had moved to within 17 of a debut century to rank, in terms of the occasion, among the finest of all time, as England's lead grew to a hefty 462 with three wickets still in hand, and seven sessions of a warp-speed contest still lying ahead of them. Trott had been a controversial selection for such a pressure-cooker contest, but to give the selectors credit where it is due, the skill, determination and confidence of his performance made the men around him in England's middle-order look like the international novices. His nerveless shot selection, at an even tempo of a run every two balls, provided the scaffolding for a series of carefree cameos at the other end - including a farewell frolic from Andrew Flintoff, who clubbed four fours in an 18-ball 22, before holing out to long-on to depart to an emotional ovation. The Oval pitch, the subject of much controversy overnight, was still producing wild puffs of dust from almost every delivery, but the surface itself remained as true as could be expected in the circumstances. At times England's progress seemed almost too comfortable for their series prospects, as Australia's bowlers abandoned any hope of salvaging their team's situation and instead settled for damage limitation with a view to batting out for the draw, but the steep bounce that the part-time spinner, Marcus North, continued to extract was enough to confirm the suspicions that batting last, with men packed around the bat, will be a fraught experience. In the course of Trott's 168-ball stay, his most palpable moments of alarm came from his first two deliveries of the morning, first when Peter Siddle believed he had made the breakthrough with an off-stump lifter (umpire Asad Rauf correctly ascertained that the ball had flicked only the thigh pad on the way through to Brad Haddin) and then when Trott followed up that escape with an awkward spoon into the covers off a leading edge. With impressive ease, however, he put those dramas out of his mind, perhaps sensing that he'd experienced the most capricious deliveries that could come his way. He added 118 for the fourth wicket with Andrew Strauss, whose unflappable composure served as a moist flannel on his country's fevered brow, as he left the ball with nerveless certainty outside off, and demanded that Australia's bowlers bowled to his strengths rather than probe for non-existent weaknesses. The pair ensured there would be no continuation of the late-evening hiccup that had taken a layer of sheen off England's remarkable second day, as set out their stall to bat through the day, before upping the ante in the final half-hour before lunch. Strauss was looking a dead-cert to claim his, and England's, second hundred of the series when he lashed Stuart Clark for three fours from nine balls faced, but with four balls remaining before the interval, he was lured by a ball of fuller length from North, who extracted enough rip off the track to find the edge to slip. Matt Prior, for once, played only a minor role in England's momentum shift - although he did manage to send Ricky Ponting into the lunch break with a mouthful of blood after drilling the ball into his face at silly mid-off. Three overs after the break, he called for a crazy single after picking out the dead-eyed Simon Katich in the covers, and was run out by a distance for 4. Nevertheless, his departure ensured that the crowd got one last glimpse of the man they really wanted to see, and when Flintoff clubbed his second delivery violently through midwicket for four, it was abundantly clear how he intended to pace his final Test innings. Three more boundaries followed, each greeted with rapture, but alas the magic could not last. On 22, Flintoff came down the track once more to launch North into the Harleyford Road, but Siddle steadied himself on the long-on ropes to pouch a simple catch. The Aussies stood in the middle to applaud Flintoff back to the pavilion as he saluted all corners of the ground, while down the steps - replacing him in every sense - came the man of the moment, Stuart Broad. He did not disappoint either. Feeding off Mitchell Johnson's renewed erratic line and length, he dabbed the first of his five fours through backward point, then climbed into North in a violent over containing three further biffs down the ground, the first of which went arrow-straight back over the bowler's head to land just inside the boundary's rope. He eventually took one swipe too many, and picked out Ponting in the covers, but Graeme Swann carried on in the same aggressive vein, feasting on a series of overpitched deliveries to rush to 34 not out at tea. At the other end, however, Trott just trotted along, a man seemingly in control of his, and England's, destiny.

Thushara And Murali Crushed Black Caps

Sri Lanka 452 (Samaraweera 159, M Jayawardene 114, Martin 4-77) and 259 for 5 dec. (Dilshan 123) beat New Zealand 299 (McIntosh 69, Murali 4-73, Thushara 4-81) and 210 (Vettori 67, Murali 3-88) by 202 runs.

With the rain clouds staying away and the Galle sky clear, Sri Lanka romped to victory in the first Test, finishing off proceedings mid-afternoon. The New Zealand tail offered far more resistance than the top order - Daniel Vettori led the way with a brave 67 - but with the spinners coming into their own after early breakthroughs from Thilan Thushara, Sri Lanka eased to a 202-run win. Fittingly Muttiah Muralitharan, who had taken his 100th wicket in Galle earlier in the match, had the final say, running out Brendon McCullum with a superb throw from mid-off to finish off proceedings. Any realistic hopes that New Zealand had of survival had disappeared soon after lunch, when Jesse Ryder edged Murali behind. McCullum and Vettori staved off the inevitable for a while, and there was polite applause for Vettori when he reached his half-century. Two neat pulls for four off Thushara followed, but by then both Murali and Ajantha Mendis were turning the ball at wicked angles. And it was Mendis who delivered, coming round the wicket and turning one sharply away to take the edge of Vettori's bat. Once again Prasanna Jayawardene's glovework was smooth, and as Vettori walked back, it was only a matter of when Sri Lanka would wrap things up. McCullum swung Murali for a six, and then swept him for four to rage against dying light, and there were a couple of lovely drives too from Jeetan Patel. But after Mendis had seen him dropped by Malinda Warnapura, substituting for Angelo Mathews, at short leg, Murali struck, with the doosra luring him forward and Prasanna doing the rest. Iain O'Brien went caught at silly point off the inside edge, and McCullum then made the mistake of taking on Murali's throwing arm to end the contest. The damage, though, had been done much earlier, as Sri Lanka started the morning with some exceptionally tidy overs. The pressure eventually told once Thushara switched the angle of attack to round the wicket. Martin Guptill was clueless against one that came in with the arm and then darted away to clip the top of off stump. Soon after, Tim McIntosh, perhaps still suffering the after-effects of illness, was squared up, and Thilan Samaraweera took a fine low catch at third slip. McIntosh waited for the third umpire's decision, but had to walk off eventually. An even heftier blow came soon after. Kumar Sangakkara threw the ball to his predecessor as captain, and when Mahela Jayawardene got Ross Taylor to tickle on into Prasanna's hands down the leg side, the Lankan celebrations were raucous. Up in the dressing room, Trevor Bayliss, the coach, held his head in his hands in disbelief. With the fields more attacking, both Vettori and Jacob Oram had the opportunity to play some strokes. Vettori played a couple of lovely drives, and the sweep and pull were also employed by both as the scoreboard ticked along. But just when it seemed that they might get to lunch without further damage, Oram tried to sweep a straighter one from Mendis, and missed. Both Vettori and Ryder saw edges off Murali evade wicketkeeper and slip and go for four, but there was to be no great escape for New Zealand. Sri Lanka, whose home form is the envy of so many, chipped away relentlessly and with Thushara adding a cutting edge to the wiles of Murali and Mendis, victory was as inevitable as it was emphatic.

Pakistan Champions Trophy Squad Announced

Champions Trophy squad for Pakistan is announced by Pakistan Cricket Board leaving experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq out. According to the sources it was a very big challenge for the new selected selection committee. They had to make very tough decisions for selecting 15 man squad for the champions trophy. All-Rounder Abdul Razzaq was a tough ask to be left out, they also had to decide about the Master Batsman Mohammed Yousuf due to his poor form in the recent series against the Sri Lanka. It was a tough decision to pick suitable opener among three top rated openers in the domestic circle which include Imran Nazir, Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed. And at the end its Imran Nazir who wins the race. Pakistan Squad For The Champions Trophy Includes: Younis Khan (capt), Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Naved-ul Hasan, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar, Saeed Ajmal.

Asif Returns And Rzzaq Out For Champions Trophy

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammed Asif's rehabilitation is almost complete after he was named in the Pakistan squad for the Champions Trophy, having been out of international cricket for over a year. Asif is one of five pacemen for the tournament, but there is no place for allrounder Abdul Razzaq, who took four wickets from three matches on his comeback to ODI cricket in Sri Lanka earlier this month. Razzaq was, however, dropped for the last two games. Opener Nasir Jamshed, who was part of the ODI squad in Sri Lanka, has also been excluded.

"Asif is back after he satisfied with his fitness and this is the best possible team for an event which is regarded as the toughest of all the events as the world's top eight teams compete in it," Iqbal Qasim, Pakistan's chief selector, told reporters in Lahore. Razzaq's exclusion, mildly surprising given his impact at the World Twenty20 in June on his return from an ICL-exile is believed to be a tactical one; given a long, solid middle order, Pakistan prefer a bowling allrounder at number eight, rather than a batting one. "We had a tie between Razzaq and Naved-ul Hasan when it came to selecting an allrounder, so the best one was picked," Qasim said. "It was not a case of Razzaq not performing well."

It is the return of Asif, however, that will make the headlines. The fast bowler last played for Pakistan in July last year; he was banned by the Pakistan board soon after in September after testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone at the inaugural IPL. The ban ends on September 22, and the ICC has cleared him to play in the eight-team that starts on the same day in Johannesburg.

After being included in the 30 probables for that tournament, Asif attended an Under-23 training camp in Karachi to assess his match fitness. He took 1 for 23 in a practice match during that camp, impressing Rashid Latif, who was overseeing the camp. But despite his selection, Asif can't take part in Pakistan's conditioning camp leading up to the Champions Trophy because his ban expires after the camp finishes.

Pakistan's squad has only one specialist opener in Imran Nazir, who only returned to the side in Sri Lanka after leaving the ICL; alongside Jamshed, Salman Butt also doesn't find a place in the squad. Until Sri Lanka, Butt was Pakistan's one steady opener, with eight ODI hundreds to his name, but an alarming dip in form and confidence during the tour has done for him.

Many eyes will be on Umar Akmal, wicketkeeper Kamran's 19-year-old brother, who made such an impact in Sri Lanka and was Pakistan's highest scorer in that series.

Watson and Katich Battling To Put Australia Ahead

Australia's openers stood firm during a torrid 20.2-over session on the second morning at The Oval, employing luck and skill in equal measures to chisel their way to 61 for 0 in the first innings, having earlier dismissed England for a decent but insubstantial 332. Nevertheless, with England's seamers finding uneven bounce with the new ball, and Graeme Swann ripping the ball prodigiously out of the footholds, batting is unlikely to get any easier as the match wears on.

Watson, with three consecutive half-centuries to his name since his recall at Edgbaston, reached the interval on 30 not out, but he was by some distance the most fortunate of the two batsmen, as he survived three vociferous lbw appeals in the space of seven deliveries from James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff, who once again shared the new ball. If the first two were rightly adjudged to be zipping over the top, the third - from Flintoff - would have demolished leg stump, and given England their first breakthrough in the sixth over of the innings.

But Watson survived, and duly began to thrive. He clipped Flintoff's next delivery firmly through midwicket for four - the only boundary he conceded in a typically miserly six-over spell that went for seven runs - and had reached 17 from 42 balls when he dispatched Steve Harmison's first delivery with dismissive ease through backward square leg - a shot of such authority to a rank long-hop that Harmison's short leg fled from the scene after a solitary delivery.

At the other end, Katich danced and shimmied at the crease, particularly against Flintoff, for whom he kept altering his guard to cope with his differing lines from over and round the wicket. He climbed into a brace of leg-stump deliveries from Anderson to whip and clip him for two boundaries in an over, and had reached 26 not out before a rain-shower sent the players scurrying to the pavilion with a couple of minutes to go before the scheduled lunch break.

Earlier, Australia's seamers had required just 32 balls to claim the final two wickets of England's first innings, but not before Stuart Broad and Harmison had combined in a handy tenth-wicket partnership of 24. Broad was the last man to fall, caught at second slip by Ricky Ponting for a hard-hitting 37, a continuation of his impressive recent form with the bat. Two balls earlier, he had pulled Ben Hilfenhaus superbly through square leg for his first boundary of the morning, but Hilfenhaus responded with a full-length slower ball, to secure his third wicket of the innings.

Hilfenhaus's most notable dismissal, however, came from the ninth delivery of the day, when he curled a good-length delivery into Anderson's back pad, to send him on his way, lbw for 0, his first Test duck after six years and 54 Test innings. The end of Anderson's remarkable run left him fourth in the all-time list of duckless Test batsmen, behind Clive Lloyd, Aravinda de Silva and AB de Villiers, who holds the record with 78 fail-free innings in a row.

Harmison came to the crease averaging an incongruous 119 in Tests at The Oval, after a solitary dismissal in six previous innings, set about demonstrating that that was not entirely a fluke, with three further boundaries to hoist that mark to 131.

Hopeless New Zealand battle for survival

New Zealand 30 for 1 (Guptill 17*) and 299 (McIntosh 69, Murali 4-73, Thushara 4-81) need another 383 runs to beat Sri Lanka 452 and 259 for 4 dec (Dilshan 123*, Sangakkara 46*).

There was no case of second-time-unlucky for Tillakaratne Dilshan, and a blazing century pushed a tummy-bug-hit New Zealand to the brink as the Galle Test entered its climactic phase. Having taken a 153-run lead, with Muttiah Muralitharan taking his 100th wicket in Galle, Sri Lanka piled on the misery either side of lunch, with stroke-filled cameos from Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera buttressing Dilshan's stunning effort. By tea, when the declaration came, the lead was 412 and with several batsmen ill, New Zealand's chances of survival were very much dependent on the weather.

But though it rained for nearly an hour after tea, their task was made harder as soon as play resumed, with Daniel Flynn - promoted to open as Tim McIntosh was indisposed - brilliantly caught an inch off the ground by Mahela. Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, batting at No.3 for the first time, defended stoutly to prevent further damage, before bad light took the players off for the final time.

Sri Lanka had amassed 183 in the second session, and the tone was set in the very first over after the interval, as Sangakkara took three fours off Jacob Oram. At the other end, Dilshan eased to 50 from just 35 balls and greeted Jeetan Patel with a paddle sweep for four. To worsen Patel's mood, Reece Young, the substitute wicketkeeper, couldn't hold on when Dilshan opened the face and tried to run one down to third man. He was on 62 at the time, and New Zealand had plenty of time to reflect on the lapse.

With Sangakkara timing the ball so beautifully, the century partnership took just 113 balls, and it required a massive stroke of luck for New Zealand to break through. Dilshan drove one hard and low, and it just brushed Daniel Vettori's fingers before crashing into the stumps with Sangakkara a few inches short of his ground.

It was merely temporary respite though. Mahela announced himself with a meaty mow over square leg, and as the batsmen continued to pick the gaps with effortless ease, Vettori was forced into adopting a defensive line for both himself and Patel - spearing the ball into the leg-stump rough. Mahela continued to sweep, but Dilshan's scoring did stall as he did little more than pad the ball away.

Once Dilshan dusted off the sweep and started to attack, New Zealand ran out of options. Patel did finally get a wicket, as Mahela popped up a return catch, but Samaraweera buried any thoughts of celebration with two mighty leg-side swipes for six. He fell trying to repeat the feat against Vettori, and the stage was then set for Dilshan to get the hundred which eluded him in the first innings.

A single to mid-off got him there, and a fusillade of strokes followed. Prasanna Jayawardene chipped in with cuts behind point, heaves over cover and the odd edge, but it was Dilshan who ran the show, peppering the boundaries as the 50 partnership came up in just 41 balls. By then, most of the New Zealanders were looking as sick as Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder, both of whom had been taken ill.

It hadn't taken Sri Lanka's bowlers long to wrap up New Zealand's first innings. Murali had Iain O'Brien caught behind before Thilan Thushara came back to take his fourth wicket of the innings, bowling Vettori off the inside edge. Vettori's had been a desperate shot, but with the hapless Chris Martin at the other end, he really had no option but to go for the single off the last ball of the over.

It was desperation of another kind when Dilshan, who had clattered 92 from 72 balls in the first innings, arrived at the crease. Once again, New Zealand had no answer to his aggression, and O'Brien appeared stunned when he was hooked for six and then flayed for four through cover at the start of the innings.

Tharanga Paranavitana went, edging to slip, but with Sangakkara caressing gorgeous strokes through the covers, Dilshan was once again given the license to flirt with the boundaries of Test-match batting. Both O'Brien and Martin suffered as the ball was cut, square-driven and pulled ruthlessly each time it was even fractionally off length. The deluge that came after tea was nothing compared to what had gone before.

Sri Lanka On Top After Samraweera Show

New Zealand 87 for 2 (McIntosh 36*) trail Sri Lanka 452 (Samaraweera 159, Jayawardene 114, Martin 4-77, Vettori 4-78) by 365 runs.

Having seen Thilan Samraweera strike a magnificent 159 and take Sri Lanka to 452, New Zealand responded strongly in the final session, with Tim McIntosh leading the resistance to the twin-spin threat. The loss of Daniel Flynn just before stumps changed the complexion somewhat, but New Zealand still deserved plaudits for sticking to the task with the ball and then showing real character with the bat. The star of the day though was undoubtedly Samaraweera, who took more than half an hour to score his first run of the day before racing from 100 to 150 in just 43 deliveries.

Morning rain meant a two-hour delay and a readjustment in the session timings, and after a sedate first hour before lunch, when only 35 runs were added and Mahela Jayawardene snaffled by Iain O'Brien, there was an injection of excitement after the interval. Angelo Mathews flicked the first ball after the interval for four and then paddle-swept four more, but when New Zealand reeled off three successive maidens, the momentum appeared to have been lost.

Samaraweera was marooned on 97 for a while, but the moment he struck a gorgeous straight drive off Jeetan Patel to get to three figures, the mood changed. In Patel's next over, he lofted over mid-on for four and six, and then cut four more as the scoreboard started to race along. Daniel Vettori was also taken over midwicket, and Patel repeatedly driven with deft footwork. Mathews joined in with a heaved six off the hapless Patel and though he departed soon after, edging a drive behind off Vettori, Samaraweera continued to race along.

Prasanna Jayawardene went caught short at short leg off Vettori, but either side of that, Samaraweera drove, cut and even steered to third man off pace and spin alike. Having taken 223 balls for his century, he was suddenly smacking the ball like a man having an extended net session. Soon after, he came down the track to Vettori and found Patel at long-off, departing after a 277-ball effort. Chris Martin and Vettori then wrapped up the tail in a jiffy, as the last four wickets added just eight.

Fortune appeared to be on Sri Lanka's side early on when a thick outside edge from Jayawardene off O'Brien flew between wicketkeeper and slip. New Zealand's frustration quickly turned to joy though, when another delivery in the corridor was almost guided off the edge to the right of Ross Taylor at first slip. The new ball was taken almost as soon as it was due, and a quiet phase followed, with Mathews finding his feet and Samaraweera taking no chances.

The ball was then changed after having lost its shape, but it made no difference, with Samaraweera lashing one behind point for four. A neat clip through midwicket off Jesse Ryder took him to 96, but a tidy over from Vettori ensured that he would have to contend with the nervous nibbles at lunch. It was a different story thereafter.

The ball changes were a bizarre feature of the final session too, with three used before New Zealand had played even 10 overs. The innings started promisingly enough, with Martin Guptill clipping and pulling leg-side fours off Nuwan Kulasekara. Ajantha Mendis was on as early as the ninth over but it was Thilan Thushara that gave Kumar Sangakkara the breakthrough. The ball had just been changed when Guptill played a superb on-drive, but his attempt to find the square-leg boundary with a pull only meant a ricochet on to the base of the stumps.

With Murali coming on soon after, runs were hard to come by, but as McIntosh swept and drove Mendis for fours, New Zealand seemed to be finishing the day the better. But Mendis came round the wicket to bowl Flynn off the inner edge and with more rain forecast for the remaining days, survival was New Zealand's first priority after an eventful day in the shadow of the 400-year-old fort.

Tamim Crashed Coventry's Party

angladesh 313 for 6 (Tamim 154, Price 3-60) beat Zimbabwe 312 for 8 (Coventry 194*) by four wickets.

Charles Coventry made the Joint highest individual in an ODI but his effort was outweighed by a sparkling, cool-headed century from Tamim Iqbal, who broke the record for the most runs in an innings by a Bangladesh batsman. Coventry's blockbuster innings pushed Zimbabwe beyond 300, far more than Bangladesh have chased before, but the visitors were rarely troubled as they hunted down the target to take their third consecutive series.

Two things which stood out in Tamim's innings were the calmness he displayed, even when the required-rate started to soar, and the clean straight hitting - each of his six sixes were in the arc between long-on and long-off.

Bangladesh needed a solid opening stand after Coventry inspired Zimbabwe to 312, and Junaid Siddique and Tamim provided them that. Both openers were particularly harsh on Elton Chigumbura, who pitched the ball too short right through his opening spell. Junaid was the aggressor, hammering his way to a 27-ball 38 before, as has so often been the case, he threw away the start with a loose shot.

Junaid's dismissal, and the introduction of Zimbabwe's spinners, sucked the momentum out of the chase. Mohammad Ashraful took his time to settle, and Tamim cut out the big hits for a while, which made the asking-rate make a steady slide upwards.

Tamim was generally content to knock the ball around, but had short bursts when he hit out to keep Bangladesh in touch. One such was in the 22nd over; Malcolm Waller was blasted over long-on and long-off off consecutive deliveries, followed by a powerful cut for four. He also come down the track and cracked Price over long-on to push Bangladesh's run-rate up to six. There was a similar volley of brutal hitting in the 36th over, Hamilton Mazakadza being taken for a couple of big sixes.

Raqibul Hasan was also a calming influence, nudging the ball around for comfortable singles to keep the strike rotating. He added 119 with Tamim at nearly a run-a-ball before falling in the 37th over. Soon after, Chigumbura dropped a dolly at long-on, Tamim getting a reprieve on 118. Two new batsman and Zimbabwe could have applied more pressure. However, Bangladesh's best batsman, Shakib Al Hasan, made a 12-ball 19 and Tamim also opened out to slam the door shut on Zimbabwe. By the time Tamim was dismissed the target was only 34 away, which Bangladesh knocked off with 13 deliveries to spare.

It was the flattest of tracks, and Zimbabwe could have piled on even more than 312 had Coventry got a little more support. It was a superbly paced innings from him; Coventry provided the impetus after the early dismissal of Mark Vermeulen, then tempered his aggression when wickets tumbled around him in the middle overs, before finishing off with an awesome display of power hitting. What made it even more astonishing was that the next highest score in the innings was 37, 157 less than Coventry. It was also his first ODI century, and he had never before crossed 106 in any form of senior cricket.

He stomped on the gas soon after reaching his hundred in the 38th over, particularly targeting the swathe from long-on to midwicket, where he slammed six of his seven sixes. Still, at the end of the 42nd over he was on 129, and the world record didn't seem in his sights. By the end of the 47th he was on 180, and all the interest was around whether he would make an ODI double-century, a feat not achieved in 2872 previous one-dayers.

He only managed three singles in the 48th, but a massive six over long-on took him 191 with the final over still to come. A drive to cover on the first ball took him off strike, and he wasn't back facing the bowling till the final delivery; Tawanda Mupariwa was dismissed off the second and Prosper Utseya faced the next three. Two were needed to equal Saeed Anwar's 12-year-old mark, and a tired punch straight past the bowler gave Coventry a share of the record. His final 91 had come off 43 deliveries.

Bangladesh would have been facing a far smaller target had Syed Rasel held on to a simple catch at deep square leg when Coventry was only 13. Coventry was then dropped on 137 in the 44th over, with Mahmudullah the culprit at square leg. Coventry celebrated by plundering 16 each off the next two overs, the crowds behind midwicket kept busy by the balls hammered by Coventry.

In the end, his effort didn't prove to be enough, as Tamim, a placid pitch and shoddy Zimbabwean bowling and fielding combined to ruin Coventry's day. A month ago, the most Bangladesh had chased successfully was 250, a mark they have improved on twice since, a sign of the progress they have made.

Steyn cleared of doping violation

Dale Steyn, the South Africa fast bowler, has been cleared by the IPL of any doping violation, Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa's chief executive, has said. Steyn had come under the Doping Cloud when CSA acknowledged an "adverse finding" against him following a test conducted during the second IPL, but attributed the result to legitimate painkillers he had taken at the time.

However, Majola said on Wednesday that the IPL had cleared him of any violation. "There was a discrepancy in the result of a doping test during the IPL," Majola said. "But the authorities are perfectly satisfied with the explanation that Dale has provided and they have confirmed that no offence has been committed."

Steyn's use of painkillers during the IPL had resulted in the "marginal increase in the presence of morphene" in the sample. The IPL's testing agency had asked the player for a clarification on the finding, which prompted the South African board to submit a report explaining the situation.

Majola added that CSA remained totally committed to the ICC's anti-doping programme. Steyn will join the rest of the South Africa squad for a training camp in Potchefstroom towards the end of August ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Steyn represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in just three matches in the second edition of the IPL and missed most of the action as a result of a thumb injury.

Dravid Back In Action

Rahul Dravid has, as expected, made a return to India's ODI plans with his inclusion in the squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions Trophy next month. Dravid replaces Rohit Sharma, who managed 15 runs in three ODI innings in the West Indies and 43 runs in three innings against major opposition in the World Twenty20. The selectors didn't risk taking Virender Sehwag, who is yet to fully recover from his shoulder injury, to the Champions Trophy. He was not expected to make it to the Sri Lanka tri-series anyway.

Dravid last played an ODI for India in October 2007, but his form in the second IPL season in South Africa - where the Champions Trophy will be held - and the vulnerability of India's younger middle-order batsmen in the recent World Twenty20 prompted the selectors to fall back on his experience and technique.

Sachin Tendulkar, who had opted out of the West Indies ODIs, makes a comeback. Suresh Raina, who was out because of a hairline fracture of the thumb, also returns. Amit Mishra breaks into the ODI squad, replacing Pragyan Ojha as the back-up spinner to Harbhajan Singh, on the back of his impressive showings in the IPL and the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia.

Dinesh Karthik, who came in for the West Indies ODIs as replacement for Sehwag, and Abhishek Nayar, who edged out Ravindra Jadeja, have retained their places.

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of selectors, said it was the "best possible Indian team". "It's a very balanced team and we are confident they would go on to win the Champions Trophy in South Africa," Srikkanth said.

India one-day squad: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, and Abhishek Nayar

Zimbabwe Register Their First Win Of The Series

Zimbabwe 323 for 7 (Masakadza 102, Taylor 94, Chigumbura 61*) beat Bangladesh 254 (Raqibul 78, Mahbubul 59, Mupariwa 3-32, Price 3-34) by 69 runs.

Zimbabwe's batting has improved with each outing this series, and today they kept their hopes alive with a victory that brought Bangladesh's winning run to a screeching halt. On a flat batting track the hosts briefly threatened to combust in another jittery display from the top order, but Hamilton Masakadza lit up the innings with a maiden ODI century, supported by a calm Brendan Taylor and a gung-ho Elton Chigumbura. Zimbabwe were in control when Chigumbura joined Taylor in the 39th over, and what proceeded to unfold turned a solid batting act into an exhibition of butchery.

The pair added 90 from 50 balls, Chigumbura racing to his half-century from just 26 balls, and 60 from the batting Powerplay lifted the total to 323, Zimbabwe's best at the venue and against Bangladesh. In reply, the visitors came up with a batting effort as edgy as Tuesday's had been powerful, with only Raqibul Hasan and Mahbubul Alam showing any fight.

Early signs indicated this game could be one for the bowlers when Zimbabwe slipped to 17 for 2 and then 60 for 3, but Masakadza and Taylor stood up to be counted. Zimbabwe's top order will do well to take a few lessons from Masakadza, who assessed the situation smartly, bided his time against the bit of swing Mahbubul got and consolidated in the middle overs. He acted as a glue to guarantee Zimbabwe's innings didn't fall apart.

Quick to capitalise on even marginal errors in length, Masakadza stroked delicate drives between cover and backward point off either foot. With Taylor offering cool support the pair counter-attacked in an efficient manner, knocking the ball into the gaps and not trying to play the spinners too safely - a factor that had stifled Zimbabwe in the series opener. Boundaries didn't flow - at one stage Zimbabwe went 11 overs without finding the ropes - but the run rate rarely dropped. The pair regularly spoke mid-pitch, no doubt stressing in the fact that all that was required was levelheaded batting, and that a wicket would put too much pressure on those to follow.

After a long absence playing cricket in England, Taylor came back strongly with a fluent half-century. He complimented his senior partner with an innings that relied solidly on on-side play. He judged singles superbly and his half-century came up from 62 balls without a boundary.

When Mahbubul came back to bowl the 35th over, Masakadza dumped him over midwicket for six to go past his previous best of 87. Two balls after bringing up three figures, Masakadza was bowled for 102, but the final chapter of the innings was adrenalin-fueled. Taylor picked his first four in the 40th over, a deft late cut, and Chigumbura was quickly into his stride, slamming a six over long-on and slashing through point.

An amazing one-handed six over extra cover by Taylor followed as Shakib returned, prompting Zimbabwe to take the batting Powerplay after 44 overs. Hitting cleanly through the line with meaty power and excellent timing, Chigumbura had Bangladesh scurrying for cover as the tone of the game changed dramatically, despite Taylor's run out on 94. Whether it was pace or spin he backed his game, making room to hit through the line and depositing the ball over long-off and long-on. In the previous game, Chigumbura came down at No. 9 - today a promotion proved an excellent move.

Battered in the field, Bangladesh needed a commanding start but the top order's approach snuffed those hopes. Tamim Iqbal poked the first ball loosely to first slip, Naeem Islam lost his leg stump to a wild slog against Chigumbura and Mohammad Ashraful, for the umpteenth time, skied to third man. The pressure mounted on the in-form Shakib but it proved too much. Immediately after swinging Chigumbura for six, Shakib tried the aerial route only to top edge to point, leaving Raqibul and Mushfiqur Rahim to salvage an increasingly hopeless situation.

With 324 to win, Bangladesh had to take some chances and Raqibul enjoyed a slice of luck on 9 when Prosper Utseya dropped a tough catch at cover-point. Mushfiqur targeted Masakadza's gentle medium pace, going over the top for six and four in successive overs. It was an encouraging period of smart batting that briefly offered Bangladesh a glimmer of hope, as the pair added 68 at nearly a run a ball. Ray Price varied his pace to check the runs and the frustration resulted in Mushfiqur holing out to long-on, after which he took out Mahmudullah. Raqibul flayed the bat after crossing his sixth ODI fifty and Mahbubul picked up three successive sixes in a maiden half-century, but they were only delaying the inevitable.

Graeme Smith Poses With The Champions Trophy

Greame Smith The South African Skipper Posses With Champions Trophy At Johannesburg. South Africa will host the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy Matches.

Dyson Departs

After their first test and one day series loss to Bangladesh, West Indies cricket board is showing signs of frustration and they sacked coach Dyson ahead of upcoming champions trophy.

Dyson departs after West Indies' calamitous Test and one-day series defeats to Bangladesh. The Windies fielded a severely depleted team following a dispute between the WICB and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) over contracts, during which the majority of leading players declined to nominate for selection.

Dyson will be temporarily replaced by David Williams, the assistant coach. Williams has never hid his ambition to become the side's full-time mentor, having previously expressed his dissatisfaction at the appointment of Dyson, the former Australia batsman and Sri Lanka coach, over a West Indian candidate.

Dyson assumed the post in 2007 from another Australian, Bennett King, but was almost immediately in the bad books of West Indies fans when he couldn't attend their series against Zimbabwe. His appointment came hot on the heels of Jeff Dujon's less than ringing endorsement of cricket in the region, when he said "no coach in the world can help West Indies".

Nevertheless, Dyson made a positive start when West Indies beat South Africa at Port Elizabeth - their first Test victory since May 2005, and first outside of the Caribbean in seven years. The Windies amassed a Test record of three wins, seven draws and nine defeats during his tenure - culminating in four straight losses to England and Bangladesh - and a 9-25 win-loss ratio in the one-day international arena. They lost nine of their final 10 completed 50-over matches against England, India and Bangladesh.

The West Indians fared better in the 20-over format, advancing to the semi-final of the World Twenty20 in June. But perhaps their greatest achievement under Dyson was their 1-0 Test series victory over England in February; a result that secured them the Wisden Trophy for the first time since 1998.

The feel-good factor did not last. After the ECB and WICB hastily arranged a Test and ODI series in England, Dyson was left with a disgruntled squad, several of whom yearned to be playing in the lucrative IPL. Chris Gayle prolonged his stay with Kolkata Knight Riders until the eve of the Lord's Test, while Dwayne Bravo was absent from both Test matches while plying his trade for Mumbai Indians.

In addition to Dyson's sacking, the manager, Omar Khan, has been replaced by Lance Gibbs for the Champions Trophy due to the "special circumstances" of the tour. West Indies are also sending a shadow side to South Africa in September despite the main players saying they were available for selection.

BOOM BOOM Afridi Shines As Pakistan Beat Sri Lanka

Pakistan 172 for 5 (Afridi 50, Nazir 40) beat Sri Lanka 120 (Sangakkara 38, Ajmal 3-18, Naved 3-19) by 52 runs Pakistan will want to take the Premadasa Stadium with them wherever they go. After groping in the dark for the better part of the tour, they finally struck gold when they landed here for the last two one-dayers and tonight they signed off in style with a comprehensive 52-run win in the one-off Twenty20 game. It was touted as a rematch of the World Twenty20 final in June but Sri Lanka failed to even the score. Their nemesis at Lord's - Shahid Afridi - stood in their way again with an exact 50, a tight spell and a run-out on his debut as Pakistan captain.

Though Afridi deserved a large portion of credit, the win was sealed by a collective effort from his team. After losing a wicket off the first ball, Imran Nazir gave the early impetus with an aggressive 40, Umar Akmal and Afridi put on a steady 66 in the middle overs and Naved-ul-Hasan and Saeed Ajmal derailed Sri Lanka's chase.

Pakistan's strategy was clear from the outset - step out and whack. The difficulties the home batsmen faced under lights in the two ODIs didn't deter Pakistan's top order as they regularly went down the track to smother the slightest hint of seam movement. Kamran Akmal's first-ball dismissal turned out to be no more than a scare as Pakistan stuck to their gameplan.

Afridi wasn't very convincing at the start of his innings, slashing and swishing at deliveries far too early. He also survived a very confident shout for lbw off Muttiah Muralitharan, with the ball appearing to turn enough to clip the leg stump. As he got his eye in, though, the shots flew off his bat. He chipped down the track to Murali and carved them inside out over extra cover but the shot of the evening was a stylish one-legged whip off Malinga that cleared the deep midwicket boundary.

There was a bit of drama in between when he claimed an overthrow after the throw from Mahela Jayawardene deflected off his body. Tempers flared for a few seconds but, unlike what happened between Younis Khan and Kumar Sangakkara in the fifth ODI, the issue was quickly settled.

Umar too carried on from where he left off in the one-dayers, using his feet to clear the infield. His stand with Afridi yielded 66 in a little more than seven overs but he fell off a tame top edge while attempting a cheeky paddle off Angelo Mathews.

Afridi fell shortly after getting to his third consecutive fifty in Twenty20s, failing to clear Kulasekara at long-off. Abdul Razzaq then finished the innings with a cameo and Pakistan appeared at that stage that they had enough to push the Sri Lankans once more.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Udawatte began the chase at a rate of nearly ten an over. Jayasuriya entertained in typical fashion with his trademark flicks but failed to put away a short delivery off Mohammad Aamer, miscuing him to fine leg. Udawatte failed to make the most of his recall, trapped lbw off Naved-ul-Hasan though he was a trifle unlucky as the ball pitched fractionally outside leg.

The middle order's failure to contribute hurt them once more. Sangakkara and Jayawardene entertained, albeit briefly, with almost nonchalant shots over the ropes but they failed to put together that one big partnership to nail the chase. The pressure was on because the boundaries were few and far between. Sri Lanka managed just six fours, while Pakistan hit 19.

Afridi rushed through his overs, denying the batsmen too much room. When Jayawardene backed away to push the ball into the gaps, Afridi slipped in the googly and cramped him up. He conceded 21 runs and bagged the wicket of Chamara Kapugedera, well caught at midwicket by Naved.

The most incisive bowler was Ajmal, who bagged three wickets. In contrast to Afridi, he was much slower through the air, making the batsmen reach out for their strokes. Their attempts to take out their frustrations on him led to tame dismissals, like Sangakkara's, sweeping against the turn.

With the specialists gone, Sri Lanka's last hopes rested on Angelo Mathews but he too was sent scampering back by a direct hit from Afridi.

In the end, Sri Lanka's defeat will be analysed through one critical statistic. While Pakistan's fourth wicket added 66, Sri Lanka's last eight managed only 49.

Shakib scripts convincing win

Bangladesh 320 for 8 ( Shakib 104, Tamim 79) beat Zimbabwe 271 (Williams 71, Coventry 61) by 49 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan starred with a delightfully aggressive ton as Bangladesh recorded their second straight win in the five-match series against Zimbabwe. Tamim Iqbal laid the platform with a patient half-century before Shakib took over to propel Bangladesh to their highest ODI score. Zimbabwe put up a fight, courtesy fine half-centuries from Charles Coventry and Sean Williams, but the target proved beyond their reach.

Bangladesh's strategy in the field was simple: keep a tight line and wait for the pressure of the steep target to start telling on the batsmen. And it worked. Coventry provided some momentum to the chase by counterattacking after the early wickets. There was a very skillful hit over extra-cover against Syed Rasel and a couple of big sixes against the offspinner Naeem Islam but he fell trying to keep pace with the asking rate.

Post Coventry's exit, Williams played a gem of a cameo, filled with improvisations, but he too became a victim of the run-rate. He notched up his highest ODI score and not only used his feet well against the spinners but also repeatedly put the reverse sweep to good effect to upset the rhythm of the bowlers. He ran hard between the wickets and kept picking singles and twos to keep the scorecard moving. Near the end of the chase, he took more risks, charging out to the seamers as well. He sashayed down the track and heaved Nazmul Hossain to the cowcorner and slapped him over covers but fell while failing to clear long-on. Elton Chigumbura biffed around in the end to raise the home side's hopes but could only succeed in reducing the margin of the loss.

Bangladesh's win was set up by their batsmen led by Shakib, who provided momentum with an imposing knock. Bangladesh were 108 for 1 in 25 overs but Shakib ensured that they finished strongly.

The feature of his innings was his skill in repeatedly picking the gaps: there were quite a few hits over extra cover, a few to the straight boundary and many swings to midwicket. He started carefully, dealing in singles and twos to reach 15, before breaking free with two pulled boundaries. The explosion started in the 38th over, bowled by the part-time spinner Williams, with Shakib, who was denied the services of a runner just prior to the over, swinging twice over midwicket boundary. He went on to crash Ray Price to the straight boundary before lifting Prosper Utseya over long-off and twice over extra-cover as he made full use of the batting Powerplay.

He was aided by some poor fielding and was dropped twice in the inner circle: when he was on 59, Stuart Matsikenyeri spilled a sitter at midwicket off an attempted reverse-sweep against Utseya and when he was on 71, Price dropped another off a top-edged paddle-sweep.

Shakib went on the rampage after the twin drops. He looted 19 runs, with the help of three boundaries that included a stunning six over long-off, off the 44th over bowled by Chamu Chibhaba. He brought up the hundred in 63 balls and celebrated it with a cheeky scoop shot off Ed Rainsford before he was run out going for the third run after Mushfiqur Rahim had slashed to deep point. Rahim sought to make amends for his mistake with some big hitting in the end to push Bangladesh well past 300.

The platform was laid earlier in the day by Tamim, who forged a more staid partnership with Junaid Siddique at the top of the order. Only four fours came in the first fifteen overs and only one boundary was hit in the air. It not only reflected the intent of the batsmen but also the disciplined lines and length of the new-ball bowlers Elton Chigumbura and Rainsford. If there was to be any criticism, it has to be said that they perhaps strayed to the middle and leg line a touch too often against Tamim, which shows up in his wagon wheel: Tamim picked 48 runs on the on side.

For their part, the batsmen were absolutely focused on playing themselves in before going for their shots. Things were looking good when Siddique was run out. He pushed Utseya, who brought himself on in the 11th over, to the left of short midwicket, was caught in a yes-no situation with Tamim and couldn't get back to his crease in time. Tamim, himself, was run out soon in a comical fashion. He had missed to connect a leg-side delivery but was stranded in the middle due to a faulty call from Shakib and was easily run out by the keeper. However, it didn't prove to be a major set back as Shakib set the stadium ablaze with his power-hitting.

Sehwag Expecting Champions Trophy return

Virender Sehwag the India batsman who is undergoing rehabilitation after a shoulder injury, has targeted next month's Champions Trophy for a return. Sehwag missed the World Twenty20 in June due to the injury, sustained during the semi-final of the IPL.

He was operated on June 11, and was expected to be ruled out for 12 to 16 weeks. "I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy," he said. "My rehabilitation is going well. But I can't bat or throw yet."

Sehwag was at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore as part of his rehabilitation last month, and will report back on August 15 to get an assessment on how his recovery is progressing.

India have had a great run in one-dayers over the past year, winning five bilateral series in a row, but injuries threaten their chances at the Champions Trophy. Their pace spearhead, Zaheer Khan, has already been ruled out of the tournament, and Sehwag's availability is still uncertain

Mortaza out for six weeks after surgery

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has undergone a successful arthroscopic surgery to both knees in Melbourne under the supervision of orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Young. Young has said the fast bowler would be able to start running in three weeks, and should return to action after six weeks of rehabilitation.

"I feel a lot relieved now," Mortaza said. "The surgery went well. I hope to be fit for the next international series. I wish to thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes."

Mortaza had injured his right knee while bowling on the third day of the first Test against West Indies in St Vincent, and missed the remainder of the tour as he returned to Bangladesh. Bangladesh face more injury worries as fast bowler Rubel Hossain has been ruled out of the ongoing ODI series in Zimbabwe with a side strain. He will be replaced by Dolar Mahmud, who will join the team in Bulawayo on Wednesday. Earlier, left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak returned home after he suffered a strained hamstring during the third ODI in West Indies, making a total of three frontline bowlers that Bangladesh have lost to injury.

ICC clears Pakistan Players

The ICC has said that its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), on investigation, found "no substance" and "no evidence" to support suggestions that Pakistan players had contact with Indian bookmakers during their tour of Sri Lanka.

"The ICC and its members have a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and rightly so because the integrity of our great sport with its great spirit is one of its greatest assets," Haroon Lorgat, ICC chief executive said. "On that basis it is entirely appropriate that any suggestions in relation to that subject are always reported to and properly investigated by the ACSU.

"I am pleased those investigations have indicated nothing untoward has taken place on this occasion but it is a reminder that all of us - players, officials and supporters - must maintain our vigilance to ensure we remain on top of the issue of corruption."

There had been allegations that bookies were seen staying on the same hotel floor as the Pakistan team in Colombo. The Pakistan board subsequently informed the ICC to investigate these allegations and also sought Legal Advice on unsubstantiated accusations by former chief selector Abdul Qadir on the involvement of the players.

Steyn failed drug test during IPL

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed that Dale Steyn failed a dope test during the second IPL. It attributed the result to painkillers the fast bowler had taken during the tournament. Steyn was out of action for most of the IPL in South Africa in April-May due to a thumb injury and played only three matches for Bangalore Royal Challengers.

"We are aware of the result and submitted a report immediately to the IPL on why this has happened," Gerald Majola, CSA's chief executive told Cricinfo. "There was a marginal increase in the presence of morphine in the sample and that was due to painkillers he took during that period. We are awaiting a reply from the IPL authorities."

However, a Royal Challengers official said the franchise had no knowledge of this development. "Till Sunday night, Royal Challengers had no information/knowledge on this," Prakash Mirpuri, a vice-president of the UB Group, which owns the Bangalore franchise, told Cricinfo. "We can only comment if we receive official communication from CSA/IPL."

Dr Mohammad Moosajee, South Africa's team doctor and a member of CSA's medical committee, was confident Steyn wouldn't face any action despite the failed test, first reported by the sport24 website.

"This is not a doping violation as such but an adverse analytical finding, which is different," Moosajee told Cricinfo. "Dale is known to have a history of chronic migraines and he suffered a thumb injury too during the IPL and he was on Myprodol, a painkiller that contains codeine. Codeine converts to morphine within the body and that led to the adverse finding. Dale had taken the painkiller on the day of the test and the morphine level in his sample was found to be slightly higher (1.1 to 1.3 microgram per ml) than the 1 microgram per ml that is permitted.

"This is a matter between the IPL franchise and IPL but since Dale is also a CSA-contracted player, we were informed and we are now assisting in the process. We have sent a detailed report to the IPL and are awaiting a reply. We are confident that he will be cleared."

Codeine does not figure in the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) list of prohibited substances but morphine has been classified under narcotics.

Moosajee said there was some confusion regarding the situation because the brand name of the painkiller is different in South Africa. "This also led to miscommunication in the Theraupatiuc Use Exemption (TUE) form that the player submitted before the test," Moosajee said. Players are expected to fill these TUE forms before a test so that the testers are aware of the medication the player is under.

Steyn is the second fast bowler to come under scrutiny for a failed drug test in the IPL; Pakistan's Mohammad Asif was banned for one year after testing positive for nandrolone, which is a banned substance, in the inaugural season in 2008.

In Asif's case, Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, had said that the first step was to match the identity of the player with the sample. Next, the player's form, filled out before the match, will be scrutinised for any pre-declared or prescribed drug by the IPL medical committee; if that matches the drug found in the sample, the matter ends there.

If the medical committee investigation reveals the player had not applied or been granted an exemption for using the drug found in the sample, the player, the concerned IPL franchise and national board will be informed in writing of the positive test that violates the anti-doping code. The player has the right to request that his 'B' sample [supplied at the same time as the one that tested positive] be sent for analysis, which he and his representative can attend along with an IPL representative.

If that too is positive, the matter will be taken up by the IPL's drugs tribunal, which will study the issue and take a decision in accordance with the code.

Flintoff to play Ashes decider

The England & Wales Cricket Board are confident Andrew Flintoff will be available for the Ashes finale at The Oval following a positive diagnosis from his knee specialist, Andy Williams. With England facing a must-win encounter at The Oval next week following their humiliating defeat in Leeds, a return to match fitness for Flintoff - in what would be his final Test match appearance before retirement - looms as a massive boost to their prospects of regaining the Ashes.

"The advice received was that the swelling in his knee has significantly eased following the decision by the England management team to rest him from the last Test Match and that subject to further rest and intensive treatment, he will be available for selection for the 5th npower Ashes Test at The Brit Oval," the ECB said in a statement

The assessment tallies with Flintoff's own take on events, because he himself believed he could have taken part in the Headingley debacle. In his absence, England lost by an innings and 80 runs inside two-and-a-half days, but Flintoff later claimed that his participation was vetoed by the captain Andrew Strauss and the coach, Andy Flower. "He told them that he was fit enough to get through," his agent, Chubby Chandler, told The Times, "but they didn't want him."

News of Flintoff's return to fitness will buoy Flower, who on Sunday warned that England could not afford another repeat of Headingley. Flintoff was only informed of his omission on the eve of the match, and the official announcement was held back until an hour before the toss, disrupting team selection. "I think we'd like to know before that," he said. "I don't think we'd want to leave it very late.

"He wanted to play, he was desperate to play but he acknowledged that he wasn't fully fit and he was struggling a bit, so we couldn't play him under those circumstances," said Flower. "If the advice is that he will be fit enough to take part as an allrounder at The Oval, then we will listen to that advice and listen to Fred's information about his own body as well."

A fully fit Flintoff would be the perfect tonic for a beleaguered team, but Flower denied that his fitness battle was having a destabilising effect on the team, as they attempt to mount a comeback in the series, and seal the Ashes for only the second time in the past 20 years. "We've gone whole series waiting on his fitness, so this match is no different," he said. "I would think we'll get some good information back from the specialist, and also some information from him on how he feels, because there's a good chunk of time between now and The Oval, so we'll have a better indication."

Either way, Flower and the England think-tank are already braced for life after Flintoff, and the selection dilemmas inherent therein. "The balance of the side when you haven't got an allrounder at 6 or 7 is always the problem, and it's one we're going to have to face up to because Flintoff is retiring from Test cricket," he said. "That is a problem, because [without him] we seem light either on the batting or the bowling side. If he's not fit for The Oval, we'll have to make a decision on where we settle for our strong point."

England received further positive news on Monday, with James Anderson cleared of a serious hamstring injury. Anderson suffered a slight strain while running between the wickets in the first innings at Headingley, but is expected to play at The Oval.

"As there is no evidence of a significant tear, it is anticipated that (Anderson) will also be available for selection for next week's final Test," the ECB released stated.