Former skipper Kevin Pietersen believes his exit from

Former skipper Kevin Pietersen believes his exit from leadership and the removal of Peter Moores as coach two years ago laid the foundation for England retaining the Ashes in Australia.

Pietersen and Moores were sacked in January last year after their relation soared beyond repair. The exit of the duo paved the way for the current captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower, who proved successful ever since.

"You know what ... I have never said this before ... I lost the captaincy, I got rid of the captaincy for the good of English cricket," Pietersen was quoted as saying in the 'Daily Telegraph'.

"We would not be here today if I had not done what I did then. There is no way in this world that we would have continued under that regime and won the Ashes again in Australia after 24 years," he added.

Pietersen had walked away with the man-of-the-match award after the second Test win in Adelaide for scoring 227 in the first innings. He also had a significant contribution in the fourth Test victory in Melbourne which gave them an unbeatable 2-1 series lead.

In their 18-month old stint, Strauss and Flower have brought huge improvement in the England team and Pietersen feels they are the right people to guide the side.

"Strauss and Andy Flower need all the plaudits for an unbelievable 18 months and an unbelievable preparation for this team, and they are the right leadership for this team," Pietersen added.

"They are just very good at keeping us level-headed and grounded and solid," he added.

The relation between Pietersen and Moores had touched a nadir after their poor show at the Stanford Series and 5-0 thrashing in the ODI series during their India tour in December 2008.

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World Cup ticket prices to be nominal: Ratnakar Shetty

To ensure spectators at matches that do not feature the host nations, Tournament Director of next year's cricket World Cup in the sub-continent, Ratnakar Shetty, has said the ticket prices would be kept nominal.

"The Central Organising Committee (COC), which is headed by Mr Sharad Pawar, who is also ICC President, has taken several decisions in trying to make this event a memorable one and to ensure that the non-India, non-Sri Lanka and non-Bangladesh games also have good spectator attendance," Shetty said in an ICC release.

"What we have also impressed upon the venues is to keep the ticket rates at the minimal and affordable so that people come to stadia, and to look after the spectators, media and players facilities. The emphasis has been not on the size of the stadia but at ensuring that the facilities are good at all the grounds."

The ICC's flagship event will start in Dhaka on February 19 and will also be played in India and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, looking back at the year goneby, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat finalising the Future Tours Program was one of the highlights of 2010 for the ICC.

"Restructuring of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) was quite significant where we created the Test Championship model. This will add a lot of context and meaning to the bilateral cricket.

"The anti-doping code was introduced and came into effect in 2010 while the Decision Review System (DRS) was also significant. We have seen how it is aiding the umpires in the current Ashes series.

"There was a change of guard in the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) with Sir Ronnie Flannigan taking over from Lord Paul Condon. This year there was also a change of presidency when Sharad Pawar took over from David Morgan."

Talking about the challenges that await the ICC in 2011, Lorgat said, "The single big objective is to deliver a world-class ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. That is our flagship event. It's The Cup that Counts.

"We will also like to finalise the new FTP League structure that we have got. We have got the new league rules to agree on. Hopefully during the year we can agree that the first World Test Championship can be held in 2013. It is still something which is a work in progress," he added.

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Former India captain Sourav Ganguly and the talented VVS

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly and the talented VVS Laxman have increased their base prices for the auction of the fourth edition of IPL which puts them in the top bracket with the likes of Brian Lara, Adam Gilchrist, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.

Ganguly and Laxman were originally put in the third bracket base price of USD 200,000 (appx Rs 92 lakh) but the duo have decided to put themselves in the highest base price bracket of USD 400,000 (appx Rs 1.84 crore).

According to IPL rules, a player has the right to increase or decrease his base price.

"Let's be practical. Although Twenty20 is a different format but players of the stature of Ganguly and Laxman would have found it difficult to digest that they have been clubbed in the third bracket of base price.

"And since the rule allows them to increase their base price then why not? Now whether the franchises will be game to go for them at that price is a different ball game altogether," a senior official of one of the franchises said.

Ganguly had been KKR's top scorer in the first and third editions while Laxman has had a wonderful season where he has single-handedly won three Test matches for India against Sri Lanka (Colombo), Australia (Mohali) and South Africa (Durban).

Ganguly and Laxman are not the first players to have raised their base prices. Former India captains Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid --- who were also in the USD 200,000 have increased it to USD 400,000.

Read more at: http://cricket.ndtv.com/storypage.aspx?id=SPOEN20100165084&nid=76179&cp

Sutherland bats for Ponting to be back as captain Press Trust of India

Sutherland bats for Ponting to be back as captain Press Trust of India

The growing clamour for Ricky Ponting's ouster as captain of the Australian team notwithstanding, Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland still backs the veteran to resume his role as skipper after coming back from injury.

Insisting that Ponting should continue as a leader, Sutherland said the board had not discussed changing the captaincy for any series after the Ashes.

"There's no question of looking beyond the immediacy of this Test match...and (Ponting's) return ahead of the World Cup, which we've obviously flagged as being incredibly important, which is why he's being wrapped in cotton wool from now," Sutherland was quoted as saying by 'The Age'.

Even Clarke, who has been named as the stand-in-skipper for the final Ashes Test to be held in Sydney from January 2, also made it clear yesterday that he would never lead a side with Ponting in it.

Earlier, a board unanimously agreed to a recommendation from the selection panel of Andrew Hilditch, Greg Chappell, David Boon and Jamie Cox, to appoint Clarke as captain for the Sydney Test in the absence of Ponting.

Ponting, who had fractured the little finger on his left hand while attempting a slip catch during the third Ashes Test, will undergo surgery so that he could recover in time to lead the team in the World Cup, staring from February 19

ICC rubbishes reports of receiving complaint against Davis Press Trust of India

ICC rubbishes reports of receiving complaint against Davis
Press Trust of India





The ICC on Friday made it clear that it has not received any complaint from Cricket South Africa against umpire Steve Davis, reportedly spotted drunk by South African players on the eve of the second Test against India in Durban.

"No allegations have been made... The CSA hasn't told the ICC anything. It's all nonsense," said Colin Gibson, ICC's head of media and communications.

CSA's media officer Michael Owen-Smith also confirmed that it has not lodged any protest with the ICC.

Sources in the South Africa camp were quoted as saying by the daily, "Beeld", that some of the South African cricketers frequently saw Davis at a particular bar over the past week and that he was seen stumbling into the Sandton hotel in the wee hours during the first Test at Centurion.

Just a day after South Africa were humiliated by India in Durban, the local media reported that the Proteas were mulling lodging a complaint against the Australian umpire who gave two dubious decisions during the second Test.

Davis, along with his Pakistani colleague, Asad Rauf, committed quite a few umpiring blunders during the second Test, with lbw decisions involving AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher being the most important ones.

Newlands track would favour batsmen: Curator Press Trust of India

Newlands track would favour batsmen: Curator Press Trust of India

The pitch for the series-deciding third cricket Test between India and South Africa starting here on Sunday would favour batsmen and last all five days, according to the curator of the Newlands ground.

The series is currently tied 1-1 after India won the second Test in Durban by 87 runs, following the humiliating innings and 25 runs defeat in the first match in Centurion.

"The pitch won't change too much from previous years. The match will be played on a good pitch that will last five days," said Evan Flint, Newlands curator.

The Newlands pitch is supposed to be more batsman friendly than the pitches for the first two Tests and a high scoring contest is very much on the cards.

It has the highest average score of 338.2 for any ground in the country that has hosted more than one Test. That's close to 24 runs more than the average score at next-highest run-scoring ground in South Africa, Kingsmead in Durban.

Both the Centurion and Durban tracks favoured the bowlers initially and caused problems for batsmen to adjust on a lively pitch. But, according to Flint, the conditions in Newlands will be vastly different.

"I would love to get the same bounce as grounds like SuperSport Park and the Wanderers. The type of bounce we get is different; it's more of a tennis-ball bounce," Flint said.

The curator said this ground offered more of a traditional South African Test-match wicket that was good for batting, particularly on days two and three and turned in favour of the spinners on days four and five.

"I would like to create a surface that South Africa can get a good result on, but I've just got to do the best I can, and hopefully South Africa can play to their strengths," he said.

There is still a bit of work to do on the surface because the weather has not assisted Flint as much as he hoped it would.

"It's still not 100 per cent, which is a little bit disappointing. It's been very windy and quite cloudy; a bit cooler than usual, but we still need another really good day of sun," he said.

South Africa have won 14 out of 21 Tests at Newlands since readmission and lost just three, all against Australia. South Africa have beaten India twice in Cape Town, most recently in 2007. On that occasion, the match was also a series decider and South Africa's victory allowed them to clinch the series 2-1.

Teammates know whom to look up to in times of crisis: Laxman Press Trust of India

Teammates know whom to look up to in times of crisis: Laxman Press Trust of India

He may not have got the same recognition like some of his illustrious teammates despite having bailed India out of trouble on a number of occasions, but V V S Laxman says the respect he gets in the dressing room is more valuable for him.

Even after playing some of the most amazing knocks, many experts feel that the soft-spoken Hyderabadi stylist didn't get his due like some of his teammates. But for Laxman, it matters more that his teammates understand his value.

"The biggest recognition for me is that my teammates know that in tough situation there is someone who can bail them out. As a matter of fact, even the opposition feels that you cannot be taken for granted," Laxman said.

"I think it gives you a lot of satisfaction that you have performed in tough situations. Respect in Indian team's dressing room is more valuable to me," the 36-year-old batsman said.

The success that the Indian team has enjoyed over the past year will taste even more sweet as detractors thought they won't be able to hold on to the number one ranking.

"The moment we lost Galle Test match, most of them (critics) said that Indian team is tiger only in their own backyard," said Laxman, the man-of-the-match of the second Test.

"They used to taunt us saying that they would like to see whether we are capable of winning abroad," he said.

Incidentally, it was Laxman who scored a century at Colombo battling back spasms which helped India level the series.

"Now we have won an important Test match and that too in Durban. This victory is definitely up there. When you beat South Africa on supposedly the quickest of wickets in South Africa, it gives you that much additional joy.

"Because everyone talks about Durban being a place where South Africa usually puts the opposition under pressure though the results of late haven't gone their way.

"In these conditions, if you beat them it gives you a lot of satisfaction," the soft-spoken Hyderabadi added.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also upbeat about Indian team's performance in last two years.

"The last two years have been excellent for the team. The way we progressed since the 2007-08 series against Australia, no one can say that we are poor travellers. We are now winning Test matches and even series abroad", Dhoni said.

"Now we have an opportunity to win a series in South Africa and that is our aim now. If we play to our potential we can win the series against South Africa", he added.

Teammates know whom to look up to in times of crisis: Laxman Press Trust of India

Teammates know whom to look up to in times of crisis: Laxman Press Trust of India

He may not have got the same recognition like some of his illustrious teammates despite having bailed India out of trouble on a number of occasions, but V V S Laxman says the respect he gets in the dressing room is more valuable for him.

Even after playing some of the most amazing knocks, many experts feel that the soft-spoken Hyderabadi stylist didn't get his due like some of his teammates. But for Laxman, it matters more that his teammates understand his value.

"The biggest recognition for me is that my teammates know that in tough situation there is someone who can bail them out. As a matter of fact, even the opposition feels that you cannot be taken for granted," Laxman said.

"I think it gives you a lot of satisfaction that you have performed in tough situations. Respect in Indian team's dressing room is more valuable to me," the 36-year-old batsman said.

The success that the Indian team has enjoyed over the past year will taste even more sweet as detractors thought they won't be able to hold on to the number one ranking.

"The moment we lost Galle Test match, most of them (critics) said that Indian team is tiger only in their own backyard," said Laxman, the man-of-the-match of the second Test.

"They used to taunt us saying that they would like to see whether we are capable of winning abroad," he said.

Incidentally, it was Laxman who scored a century at Colombo battling back spasms which helped India level the series.

"Now we have won an important Test match and that too in Durban. This victory is definitely up there. When you beat South Africa on supposedly the quickest of wickets in South Africa, it gives you that much additional joy.

"Because everyone talks about Durban being a place where South Africa usually puts the opposition under pressure though the results of late haven't gone their way.

"In these conditions, if you beat them it gives you a lot of satisfaction," the soft-spoken Hyderabadi added.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also upbeat about Indian team's performance in last two years.

"The last two years have been excellent for the team. The way we progressed since the 2007-08 series against Australia, no one can say that we are poor travellers. We are now winning Test matches and even series abroad", Dhoni said.

"Now we have an opportunity to win a series in South Africa and that is our aim now. If we play to our potential we can win the series against South Africa", he added.

Haddin backs Clarke as captain

Brad Haddin spent his first full day as Australia's vice-captain insisting Michael Clarke, his new master, is the right man for the top job. A new cricket leader is usually a time for celebration in this country, but Clarke's appointment for Monday's fifth Ashes Test at the SCG has been greeted with extreme caution.

Ricky Ponting is missing the match due to a broken finger and Clarke enters the fixture in poor form and with only pockets of public support. None of that matters to Haddin, who says the team is 100% behind the leader.

"He is ready to do this job," Haddin said at the SCG. "He'd be excited about the prospect of captaining Australia and he will do a very, very good job. We're 100% behind him and, being a good mate of mine, I'll support him in any way I can. He deserves to be in this position ... he's the best man for the job."

Haddin, 33, said the public reaction to all the Australian players changed from week to week. However, Clarke's rating among large sections of the community, particularly in his home state of New South Wales, has been more consistent. His lack of runs in the series - 148 in eight innings - hasn't helped endear Clarke to the detractors and the lukewarm response adds to the pressure on the country's 43rd Test captain.

"You are one good innings away, or sometimes one good cover drive away, from the support being with you," Haddin said. "Michael is a very strong character so things will be okay. He has got a very good cricket brain and you saw that through the T20 World Cup [when Australia made the final]. He thinks a lot about the game, he is going to do a very good job."

Haddin, who hopes his elevation is temporary, has played 31 Tests since replacing the retired Adam Gilchrist in the middle of 2008. He has leadership experience with New South Wales and gets a close-up view of the game as wicketkeeper. It will be interesting to watch how he juggles his post as one of the team's verbal enforcers with his new responsibilities.

The first aim for Australia is to show some signs of collective improvement after being thoroughly out-played in three of the four matches. The hosts are upset to have failed in their push to regather the urn - Haddin said the results were "unacceptable" - but they will aim to take comfort in a victory in Sydney.

"It's disappointing we have lost the Ashes and we are disappointed in our own performance, but you have to move on pretty quick in sport," he said. "We have to win this Test match to make this series 2-all."

IPL cuts 56 players from auction list

The IPL has pruned its auction list for the next season from a preliminary 416 to 350, and also increased the base prices of Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. All 80 players named in the top three price bands of the preliminary list have retained their place in the final list for the auction, which is scheduled to be held in Bangalore on January 8 and 9.

In the preliminary list, 21 players including former West Indies batsman Brian Lara had been in the highest bracket of US$400,000, a bunch that Ganguly has now joined after his reserve price was raised from $200,000. Laxman, who has had a vintage year in Tests in 2010, also had his base price bumped up from $200,000 to $300,000.

Ganguly and Laxman are not the first players to modify their reserve prices. Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble had earlier changed their base price from $200,000 to $400,000. An IPL official confirmed that the players had the right to choose their reserve price. "This has been the practice in every IPL," said the league's chief operating officer Sundar Raman, "we merely set the bands of reserve prices."

But one of the franchise officials put a different spin to Ganguly increasing his base price. "Ganguly might have understood that there are not many franchises willing to even consider him. But to my knowledge one of the franchises has already assured him that they will buy him out. So, if there is only one franchise willing to buy but assuring him why not hike his price then. Probably that made Ganguly hike his price."

Previous IPL auctions have shown that base prices are not indicative of the final amount for which the franchise will buy the player. For example, at the first auction in 2008, Ishant Sharma was listed at $150,000 but was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders at $950,000, while Hayden was listed at $250,000 and was bought by Chennai Super Kings at $375,000. "With the requirement of each franchise minimal, virtually more than half of these players in the auction list will not attract any attention," an IPL official said.

Only 12 players were retained by their teams ahead of the auction, with three of the eight existing franchises - Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers and Kolkata - choosing to release all their players into the auction pool. As a result, those three franchises will have the entire complement of $9 million at their disposal for the auction, while the other teams will begin the auctions with purses reduced in accordance to the number of players they retained. Chennai and Mumbai Indians, who retained the maximum allowed four players each, will go into the auction with only $4.5 million to spend.

The season is set to go ahead with 10 teams and 74 matches as originally planned, since the BCCI is not likely to move the Supreme Court after it lost its High Court appeals against the stay orders granted to the termination of Punjab and Rajasthan.

We won because I quit captaincy - Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen is adamant that England's Ashes success in Australia stems back to his ultimatum with Peter Moores, the former coach, at the beginning of 2009 which led to both men losing their jobs. Pietersen's captaincy stint ended after just three Tests when the relationship with Moores fell apart following the tour of India as England were plunged into crisis.

From the wreckage of those days, however, the team have hit new heights including success in the 2009 Ashes, winning the World Twenty20 and now the retention of the urn with an innings-and-157-run thrashing of Australia in Melbourne. Pietersen has now insisted those moments of glory wouldn't have been possible without the stand he took.

"You know what - I have never said this before - I lost the captaincy, I got rid of the captaincy for the good of English cricket, and we would not be here today if I had not done what I did then," Pietersen said. "There is no way in this world that we would have succeeded under that regime and would have won the Ashes again in Australia after 24 years. Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower need all the plaudits for an unbelievable 18 months and an unbelievable preparation for this team, and they are the right leadership for this team."

The Strauss-Flower axis has been heaped with praise, both before and during this Ashes series, for bringing unity, calmness and belief to the England set up having assumed their partnership with the team at one of their lowest ebbs.

Strauss was close to the England captaincy for the 2006-07 Ashes tour when Michael Vaughan was injured but Andrew Flintoff was preferred. His career then nosedived and he was omitted in late 2007 but is now forging a legacy that will leave him remembered as one England's finest captains.

"Straussy is a solid bloke and character, a simple person who does things systematically and does things very well for everyone else," Pietersen said. "He looks after himself after he has looked after everyone else which is a great quality of a great captain. What he has achieved has not been achieved for 24 years and I have always had utmost respect for Straussy.

"When he gave me the phone call and said 'the ECB want me to captain are you OK with that?' I said go for it, Straussy, you're a top man. I said I'm a good mate of yours, go for it, do whatever you need to, and I've been proved right. It was a good decision by the ECB."

For Pietersen, the Ashes series has marked a return to somewhere near his best form with the highlight being a career-best 227 at Adelaide. It was his first international hundred since March 2009 and just his second in any cricket during that period. Bringing Pietersen back into the fold has been one of key successes for Strauss and Flower and he appears a contented player once again.

"They are very good at keeping us level headed and grounded and solid," he said. "Sure we will celebrate this win for a day or so and then we will talk about Sydney and trying to win this series 3-1. It's the best feeling in my career, nothing beats this. As an Englishman, winning in England in 2005 was amazing after it had not been done for a certain amount of years, but people always talked about the fact that when you go to Australia it is a different kettle of fish and last time we came here we got hammered.

"This time we have come here knowing the preparation has been right, knowing what to expect from the crowds, from the public in the street, people in hotels and taxi drivers to players out in the middle. We were told to beware of this and we knew what to expect. We always thought we would do a lot better than last time, I was confident of that and that has proved right."

IPL cuts 56 players from auction list

The IPL has pruned its auction list for the next season from a preliminary 416 to 350, and also increased the base prices of Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. All 80 players named in the top three price bands of the preliminary list have retained their place in the final list for the auction, which is scheduled to be held in Bangalore on January 8 and 9.

In the preliminary list, 21 players including former West Indies batsman Brian Lara had been in the highest bracket of US$400,000, a bunch that Ganguly has now joined after his reserve price was raised from $200,000. Laxman, who has had a vintage year in Tests in 2010, also had his base price bumped up from $200,000 to $300,000.

Ganguly and Laxman are not the first players to modify their reserve prices. Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble had earlier changed their base price from $200,000 to $400,000. An IPL official confirmed that the players had the right to choose their reserve price. "This has been the practice in every IPL," said the league's chief operating officer Sundar Raman, "we merely set the bands of reserve prices."

But one of the franchise officials put a different spin to Ganguly increasing his base price. "Ganguly might have understood that there are not many franchises willing to even consider him. But to my knowledge one of the franchises has already assured him that they will buy him out. So, if there is only one franchise willing to buy but assuring him why not hike his price then. Probably that made Ganguly hike his price."

Previous IPL auctions have shown that base prices are not indicative of the final amount for which the franchise will buy the player. For example, at the first auction in 2008, Ishant Sharma was listed at $150,000 but was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders at $950,000, while Hayden was listed at $250,000 and was bought by Chennai Super Kings at $375,000. "With the requirement of each franchise minimal, virtually more than half of these players in the auction list will not attract any attention," an IPL official said.

Only 12 players were retained by their teams ahead of the auction, with three of the eight existing franchises - Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers and Kolkata - choosing to release all their players into the auction pool. As a result, those three franchises will have the entire complement of $9 million at their disposal for the auction, while the other teams will begin the auctions with purses reduced in accordance to the number of players they retained. Chennai and Mumbai Indians, who retained the maximum allowed four players each, will go into the auction with only $4.5 million to spend.

The season is set to go ahead with 10 teams and 74 matches as originally planned, since the BCCI is not likely to move the Supreme Court after it lost its High Court appeals against the stay orders granted to the termination of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Taylor denies New Zealand were complacent

Ross Taylor, the stand-in New Zealand captain, has denied that his side were complacent in the final game of the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan in which they were routed by 103 runs, the largest winning margin in contests between Test nations. New Zealand had already sealed the series after winning the first two games comfortably.

"We wanted to win the series 3-0 after what's happened over the last few months," Taylor said, "and it's disappointing to put out a performance like that in front of a pretty good crowd."

Chasing 184, New Zealand were bowled out for 80 in 15.5 overs, and at one stage were 3 for 4 with their top four batsmen - Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and Taylor - all dismissed for ducks. "It's a very disappointing way to end the series … when your four top batsmen get out for nothing it's pretty tough chasing a total."

Taylor credited Pakistan's bowlers for defending a target that he was confident his team would have been able to chase down. "The pitch changed a little bit but the way Abdul Razzaq and [Shahid] Afridi bowled was just outstanding," he said. Afridi, the Pakistan captain, had career-best figures of 4 for 14 in 2.5 overs, and became the first player to reach the milestone of 50 Twenty20 wickets. He extended the New Zealand slide that began when Razzaq picked up three wickets with the new ball, while conceding just 13 runs in his four overs.

Afridi said the win would come as boost to the Pakistan team that has struggled for consistency in recent times amid the spot-fixing allegations that have rocked the team. "This is the talent of Pakistan but we should be consistent," Afridi said. "We're trying to make a team combination before the World Cup (in February). I know we lost the series but this was a big win for us to keep our morale high."

The teams next play two Tests, the first of which begins on January 7. Taylor was hopeful that his team would be able to bounce back from what was a disappointing end to the Twenty20 series, after the initial optimism following John Wright's appointment as national coach and their victory in the first two games.

"The Test's not far away, and it's a bit disappointing to lose the momentum we had," he said. "But the Test series is something where we did quite well in India, and hopefully we can improve on that back here in New Zealand."

Hameed apologises for NOTW sting

Yasir Hameed has apologised in front of the PCB over his conversation with an undercover reporter in September during a sting operation conducted by News of the World, where he was recorded talking about the three players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - suspected of being involved in spot-fixing. Hameed, who hasn't been part of the national team since that tour of England, appeared before the PCB's integrity committee on Friday morning.

"I was trapped into it but I should not have said all that before a stranger and I apologise to all the players who were hurt because of that," Hameed told AFP. During the course of the video, Hameed discussed the fall-out of the spot-fixing controversy, the Sydney Test and Hameed's claim that a bookie approached him during the 2004 Champions Trophy in England.

Hameed, who claimed the man he was speaking to in the video had posed as a representative of a global airline trying to discuss a sponsorship deal, had denied speaking to NOTW and said he was merely repeating information from the original reports in the same newspaper when the story on the controversy broke.

In his statement, Hameed said that after discussing sponsorship deals, the man he knew by the name of Abid Khan, offered him a sum of £25,000 to give a statement against his three team-mates who found themselves at the centre of the controversy to which Hameed said, he, "immediately refused and put the phone down. I was neither called nor answered any calls from Abid after this conversation."

The integrity committee also met with Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal on Friday. The players submitted further documents detailing financial and property records and were spoken to individually by members of the committee.

The committee is considering whether or not to clear the players for future selection for Pakistan assignments. There was speculation that a decision had been reached on their future but no public or private announcement was made by the board. Instead, it is expected the answer will emerge once the selection committee names a 15-man squad for the ODI series with New Zealand on Friday.

Newlands track likely to favour batsmen, says curator

The third Test between South Africa and India will be played "on a good pitch that will last five days," Evan Flint, the Newlands groundsman, told ESPNcricinfo. With the series level at one-all, the Cape Town Test, beginning on January 2, will be the decider in the three-match series.

Newlands traditionally boasts a flat wicket that is batsman-friendly. It has the highest average score, 338.2, for any ground in the country that has hosted more than one Test. That's close to 24 runs greater than the average score at next-highest run-scoring ground in South Africa, Kingsmead in Durban. Flint said the trend is set to continue. "The pitch won't change too much from previous years." It will come as welcome news to the batsmen from both camps, who have had a tough time adjusting to the conditions in the previous two Tests.

Both the Centurion and Durban tracks were lively surfaces that favoured the bowlers initially. The track at SuperSport Park flattened as the sun came out and became excellent for batting. The surface at Kingsmead also became better for batting as the match wore on but there was something in it for the bowlers throughout. The conditions in Newlands will be vastly different.

"I would love to get the same bounce as grounds like SuperSport Park and the Wanderers," Flint said. "The type of bounce we get is different; it's more of a tennis-ball bounce." Flint said his ground offered more of a traditional South African Test-match wicket that was good for batting, particularly on days two and three and turned in favour of the spinners on days four and five.

Flint recognised that South Africa generally "want to get pace and bounce" out of their pitches at home and said he was aware of the home team's desire to exploit their own conditions. "I would like to create a surface that South Africa can get a good result on, but I've just got to do the best I can, and hopefully South Africa can play to their strengths."

There is still a bit of work to do on the surface because the weather has not, up to now, assisted Flint as much as he hoped it would. "It's still not 100%, which is a little bit disappointing. It's been very windy and quite cloudy; a bit cooler than usual, but we still need another really good day of sun." Some showers are forecast for New Year's Day but sunshine is expected to dominate the Test.

Newlands is a fortress for South Africa, where they have won 14 out of 21 Tests since readmission and lost just three, all against Australia. South Africa have beaten India twice in Cape Town, most recently in 2007. On that occasion, the match was also a series decider and South Africa's victory allowed them to clinch the series 2-1.

The one difference between the 2007 match and this one is that three years ago, South Africa went into the game having won the Boxing Day Test after losing the first Test. This season, the opposite has happened. South Africa are under pressure to bounce back after the defeat in Durban, while India are coming off a confidence-boosting win. The stage is set for a grand finale and, fittingly, the first day of the Test match is sold out.

Shakib retained as captain for 2011

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, has been retained as captain of the national team for 2011. Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal has been named his deputy, and both will face their first major assignment in the new year in the World Cup.

The Bangladesh captaincy has shuffled between Mashrafe Mortaza and Shakib since the tour of West Indies in 2009 but Mortaza's knee injury has affected his prospects for the next year. Tamim, who returned to the line-up after a hand injury in Bangladesh's last ODI series against Zimbabwe, takes over from wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim as vice-captain.

The year 2010 was a mixed one for Bangladesh as they lost each of their seven Tests, but bounced back from a poor start in the ODIs to beat New Zealand 4-0 at home in October. They then followed that up with a 3-1 series win over Zimbabwe to end the year on a satisfactory note.

Flower focused on Sydney finale

December 30,

England's coach, Andy Flower, says that the satisfaction of securing the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years will not be allowed to distract from the main business of wrapping up a 3-1 series win, as the team prepares to head to Sydney to face an opposition shorn of their one remaining all-time great player, Ricky Ponting.

Flower's determination to remain grounded through the good times and the bad has served his squad well in recent times, not only in this series where England had to bounce back from a heavy defeat in Perth, but also in the 2009 Ashes when Australia squared the rubber in the fourth Test at Headingley, leaving England needing to win at The Oval to regain the Ashes, which they did so in emphatic style.

This time the challenge is somewhat different, with the main objective of the tour already wrapped up, but while Flower admitted that the celebrations in the MCG dressing room after the fourth Test had been "really special", he reiterated his determination that England should now push on to become the No. 1 side in the world. And that means refocusing on Sydney as soon as the hangovers have cleared.

"I am very proud of the way the guys have played throughout this tour, and the Melbourne performance was an outstanding one," said Flower. "I'm sure the players feel that way. But we also realise that there's a lot of cricket ahead on this tour, and a lot of cricket to be played in this fifth Test. We came out here to win this series - and we'll be doing everything we can to do that."

While previous England teams have regarded the Ashes as the be-all and end-all, Flower showed his determination to do things differently in the aftermath of the 2009 win, when the squad's celebrations were curtailed by a flight to Belfast. The same principle was in evidence on the morning after Melbourne, with a few sore heads around the team hotel, but there was certainly nothing to rival the carnage that followed the first of England's three victories in four rubbers, in 2005.

"We had some really special times in the changing room yesterday afternoon," said Flower. "I know for all the cricketers those are times you cherish, when they've fought hard and come out on top. Then they can enjoy each other's success, and each other's company for a little period of time in the sanctuary of the dressing room. The families joined us for a short time, and the guys enjoyed having their loved ones around too to share it with.

"I've seen a few of the guys, but there are some conspicuous by their absence," he added. "They did celebrate yesterday but they also realise their responsibility to the team and the team's reputation, so I'm sure they're all fine. We celebrated yesterday, and it's time to move on now."

Flower recognises that the challenges for modern-day international cricketers come in ceaseless waves. Beyond the immediate goal of victory in the Sydney Test, there is the prospect of a seven-match ODI campaign, followed swiftly by the World Cup in the subcontinent - and England, with five consecutive series wins in that form of the game, not to mention victory in the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in May, believe they are ready to make a serious bid for the title for the first time since 1992.

"Everyone involved in this tour will feel a lot of pride about the way the guys have played, but I think it's much too early to be feeling satisfied, that's for sure," said Flower. "There are other things out there for us to achieve - and we want to climb the ladder in the world rankings. We're still ranked three or four in the world, and there are a lot of things out there for us to aim for."

Despite the euphoria of the MCG win, the form of Paul Collingwood is the one major concern that England have going into Sydney. So far in the campaign he has made just 70 runs in five innings, and has not passed fifty since the first Test against Pakistan in July. Eoin Morgan is the man waiting in the wings should the management decide that new blood is required in the middle order, but Flower insisted that England would not be making changes for the sake of it.

"I'm not over-concerned about Paul Collingwood," he said. "He's had a bit of a tough series. He got a couple of 90s in the first-class games, and looked in good order. His top score is a 40 in Adelaide, when again he looked in good order. But yes, his job is to score runs - like all of our batsmen - and he'll be looking to do that in Sydney.

"He's an experienced cricketer, a tough bloke - and he adds in all sorts of ways to our side," added Flower. "I don't feel tempted to experiment. People's careers are a very serious business, and you don't experiment with them."

Broken finger rules Ricky Ponting out of

Ricky Ponting may never play another Test after being withdrawn from next week's Ashes contest in Sydney due to his broken left finger. Ponting's absence creates a raft of issues, including the appointment of Michael Clarke as Australia's 43rd Test captain later this afternoon, and whether he will add to his 152 appearances in a baggy green.

Australia delayed naming their squad for Sydney - Usman Khawaja will be included - after learning Ponting's fracture had deteriorated during the fourth Test at the MCG. That result ensured England retained the Ashes and meant Ponting has failed to win them for a record third time.

"I'm devastated to tell you the truth, it was the news I was dreading," Ponting said after landing in Sydney. "During the game I didn't think I'd done too much more to it."

When asked if he was considering retirement he said: "I'm not thinking about it at all." Ponting, who scored only 113 runs in the first four games, could face surgery on his finger, but is expected to be fit to guide Australia in their push to win a fourth consecutive World Cup. He had an x-ray on the final day of the Melbourne defeat and it showed the fracture had moved during the match.

"He needs to commence treatment immediately to achieve a satisfactory outcome," Alex Kountouris, the team's physiotherapist, said. "The treatment options include surgery or aggressive splinting and immobilisation of the injured finger."

He will see a specialist again over the next day to decide on the best option. "His return to cricket will be based on how quickly the fracture heals and he will hopefully commence training in the later part of the Australian summer," Kountouris said. "He is expected to be fully fit for the World Cup."

Ponting's Test future is less clear as Australia's next five-day engagement is currently scheduled for Sri Lanka in August, although there is a talk of a series against Bangladesh after the World Cup. He is already 36 and Australia have realised during their poor Ashes performance that they have to start rebuilding through young players.

The deputy Clarke will replace Ponting, who took over the captaincy in 2004. However, Clarke has had a poor campaign with the bat as well and there are lingering questions over his suitability to control the team at such a crucial period.

Khawaja was on standby for Ponting in Melbourne and was also called late into the squad for the opening game in Brisbane when Clarke had a bad back. He started the season well for New South Wales, scoring a double-century, and leads the Sheffield Shield run list with 598 at 74.75.

Despite his strong overall record, he hasn't posted a first-class hundred since his 214, although he has produced some useful half-centuries. The past four Tests have shown that Australia need big scores from their top six to survive against England and it is a tough ask for a debutant to provide such leadership to an ailing outfit.

Broken finger rules Ricky Ponting out of

Ricky Ponting may never play another Test after being withdrawn from next week's Ashes contest in Sydney due to his broken left finger. Ponting's absence creates a raft of issues, including the appointment of Michael Clarke as Australia's 43rd Test captain later this afternoon, and whether he will add to his 152 appearances in a baggy green.

Australia delayed naming their squad for Sydney - Usman Khawaja will be included - after learning Ponting's fracture had deteriorated during the fourth Test at the MCG. That result ensured England retained the Ashes and meant Ponting has failed to win them for a record third time.

"I'm devastated to tell you the truth, it was the news I was dreading," Ponting said after landing in Sydney. "During the game I didn't think I'd done too much more to it."

When asked if he was considering retirement he said: "I'm not thinking about it at all." Ponting, who scored only 113 runs in the first four games, could face surgery on his finger, but is expected to be fit to guide Australia in their push to win a fourth consecutive World Cup. He had an x-ray on the final day of the Melbourne defeat and it showed the fracture had moved during the match.

"He needs to commence treatment immediately to achieve a satisfactory outcome," Alex Kountouris, the team's physiotherapist, said. "The treatment options include surgery or aggressive splinting and immobilisation of the injured finger."

He will see a specialist again over the next day to decide on the best option. "His return to cricket will be based on how quickly the fracture heals and he will hopefully commence training in the later part of the Australian summer," Kountouris said. "He is expected to be fully fit for the World Cup."

Ponting's Test future is less clear as Australia's next five-day engagement is currently scheduled for Sri Lanka in August, although there is a talk of a series against Bangladesh after the World Cup. He is already 36 and Australia have realised during their poor Ashes performance that they have to start rebuilding through young players.

The deputy Clarke will replace Ponting, who took over the captaincy in 2004. However, Clarke has had a poor campaign with the bat as well and there are lingering questions over his suitability to control the team at such a crucial period.

Khawaja was on standby for Ponting in Melbourne and was also called late into the squad for the opening game in Brisbane when Clarke had a bad back. He started the season well for New South Wales, scoring a double-century, and leads the Sheffield Shield run list with 598 at 74.75.

Despite his strong overall record, he hasn't posted a first-class hundred since his 214, although he has produced some useful half-centuries. The past four Tests have shown that Australia need big scores from their top six to survive against England and it is a tough ask for a debutant to provide such leadership to an ailing outfit.

Broken finger rules Ricky Ponting out of Sydney Test ESPNcricinfo staff

Broken finger rules Ricky Ponting out of Sydney Test ESPNcricinfo staff

Ricky Ponting may never play another Test after being withdrawn from next week's Ashes contest in Sydney due to his broken left finger. Ponting's absence creates a raft of issues, including the appointment of Michael Clarke as Australia's 43rd Test captain later this afternoon, and whether he will add to his 152 appearances in a baggy green.

Australia delayed naming their squad for Sydney - Usman Khawaja will be included - after learning Ponting's fracture had deteriorated during the fourth Test at the MCG. That result ensured England retained the Ashes and meant Ponting has failed to win them for a record third time.

"I'm devastated to tell you the truth, it was the news I was dreading," Ponting said after landing in Sydney. "During the game I didn't think I'd done too much more to it."

When asked if he was considering retirement he said: "I'm not thinking about it at all." Ponting, who scored only 113 runs in the first four games, could face surgery on his finger, but is expected to be fit to guide Australia in their push to win a fourth consecutive World Cup. He had an x-ray on the final day of the Melbourne defeat and it showed the fracture had moved during the match.

"He needs to commence treatment immediately to achieve a satisfactory outcome," Alex Kountouris, the team's physiotherapist, said. "The treatment options include surgery or aggressive splinting and immobilisation of the injured finger."

He will see a specialist again over the next day to decide on the best option. "His return to cricket will be based on how quickly the fracture heals and he will hopefully commence training in the later part of the Australian summer," Kountouris said. "He is expected to be fully fit for the World Cup."

Ponting's Test future is less clear as Australia's next five-day engagement is currently scheduled for Sri Lanka in August, although there is a talk of a series against Bangladesh after the World Cup. He is already 36 and Australia have realised during their poor Ashes performance that they have to start rebuilding through young players.

The deputy Clarke will replace Ponting, who took over the captaincy in 2004. However, Clarke has had a poor campaign with the bat as well and there are lingering questions over his suitability to control the team at such a crucial period.

Khawaja was on standby for Ponting in Melbourne and was also called late into the squad for the opening game in Brisbane when Clarke had a bad back. He started the season well for New South Wales, scoring a double-century, and leads the Sheffield Shield run list with 598 at 74.75.

Despite his strong overall record, he hasn't posted a first-class hundred since his 214, although he has produced some useful half-centuries. The past four Tests have shown that Australia need big scores from their top six to survive against England and it is a tough ask for a debutant to provide such leadership to an ailing outfit.

Read more at: http://cricket.ndtv.com/ashes10/news_story.aspx?ID=SPOEN20100164877&keyword=news&nid=75811&cp

Injured Sehwag out of South Africa one-dayers Press Trust of India

Injured Sehwag out of South Africa one-dayers Press Trust of India

India were on Thursday dealt a massive blow ahead of next month's ODI series against South Africa with aggressive opener Virender Sehwag ruled out due to a shoulder injury.

Sehwag, who had nursed a shoulder injury a few months ago as well, will be replaced by Rohit Sharma in the squad for the five-match series starting here on January 12.

"Virender Sehwag has been advised to withdraw from the ODI series against South Africa to tend to his shoulder. Rohit Sharma will replace him in the squad," the BCCI said in a statement.

"Murali Vijay will stay back in South Africa for the ODI series, as the 17th playing member of the squad," Board secretary N Srinivasan added.

The previous shoulder problem had forced the 32-year-old out of the ICC World Twenty20 Championships in May.

India is currently playing a three-Test series against the Proteas, which is locked 1-1 after the visitors notched up 87 run win in the second Test yesterday.

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Clarke replaces Ponting as Test captain ESPNcricinfo staff

Clarke replaces Ponting as Test captain ESPNcricinfo staff

Michael Clarke is Australia's 43rd Test captain after succeeding the injured Ricky Ponting for Monday's fifth Ashes Test in Sydney. Clarke, who has been the deputy since 2008, takes the coveted job at a time when the team is at its nadir and the 29-year-old is in a severe batting rut.

Ponting's broken left pinky not only means he may never add to his 152 Tests, but it accelerates the transition to Clarke during a summer in which his performances have indicated he is not ready for the role. He now has no choice after his appointment - and the elevation of Brad Haddin to vice-captain - was stamped by Cricket Australia's board on Thursday afternoon.

Clarke is in charge of a 12-man squad as it attempts to draw the series with England, who retained the Ashes with their innings victory in Melbourne on Wednesday. Usman Khawaja has been included to make his debut at No. 3 while Doug Bollinger was recalled after he was dropped for being unfit in Adelaide.

But the major focus is on how Clarke will deal with his switch from energetic lieutenant to the man who has to juggle his own game with all the extra commitments required to run a team. He has led Australia in 18 ODIs and another 18 Twenty20s and has usually enjoyed giving the captaincy back to Ponting.

In his dream Clarke would have taken the job in peak form, but he has experienced a poor campaign against England with 148 runs at 21.14 and only one half-century. Even that came with criticism after he tweeted an apology for not walking when he was dismissed late on the penultimate day in Adelaide.

Clarke is a modern cricketer and his metrosexual tendencies and A-list activities have created lingering questions over his suitability for the leadership. His on-field moves will now be analysed intently as he hopes for a way out of such a dire period for Australia.

Ponting's fractured finger deteriorated during the fourth Test that finished with him failing to win the Ashes for a record third time. If the urn was still up for grabs he would have pushed to play but gave into medical advice.

"I'm devastated to tell you the truth, it was the news I was dreading," Ponting said after landing in Sydney. "During the game I didn't think I'd done too much more to it." When asked if he was considering retirement he said: "I'm not thinking about it at all."

Ponting, who scored only 113 runs in the first four games, could face surgery on his finger, but is expected to be fit to guide Australia in their push to win a fourth consecutive World Cup. He had an x-ray on the final day of the Melbourne defeat and it showed the fracture had moved during the match.

"What I need right at the moment is just as much time as I possibly can to let it heal and make sure that I'm 100% right for the start of the World Cup," he said. "That's really how the decision was made, so I've just got to do everything in my power over the next little bit to look after it as well as I can."

He will see a specialist again over the next day to decide on the best way forward. "Hopefully he will commence training in the later part of the Australian summer," Alex Kountouris, the team's physiotherapist, said. "He is expected to be fully fit for the World Cup."

Ponting's Test future is less clear as Australia's next five-day engagement is currently scheduled for Sri Lanka in August, although there is a talk of a series against Bangladesh after the World Cup. He is already 36 and Australia have realised during their poor Ashes performance that they have to start rebuilding through young players.

Australia squad: Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Michael Beer.

Red-hot Pakistan crush New Zealand in final T20

Pakistan humiliated New Zealand in the third and final Twenty20 International in Christchurch on Thursday as the Black Caps slumped to their lowest ever total in the ultra-short form of the game.

New Zealand collapsed spectacularly chasing Pakistan's six for 183, with the top four batsmen all out for ducks as the mercurial tourists shrugged off a form slump that cost them the first two games of the three-match series.

Scott Styris was the only New Zealander who offered any resistance, scoring 45 off 34 balls as Abdul Razzaq and Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi tore through the batting line up.

None of Styris' team mates reached double figures, dispelling the optimism that lifted the New Zealand camp after coach John Wright's appointment before the series.

"It's a very disappointing way to end the series... when your four top batsmen get out for nothing it's pretty tough chasing a total," captain Ross Taylor said, who was among those dismissed for zero.

New Zealand's total of 80 after 15.5 overs was its lowest in Twenty20 Internationals and Pakistan's 103-run winning margin was the largest ever between two Test playing nations.

Taylor denied the Black Caps' early victories against Pakistan had made them complacent, saying they had hoped to build momentum after a dismal run of form, which included one-day series losses against Bangladesh and India.

A buoyant Afridi said he wanted to set an imposing target after winning the toss and electing to bat on a dry wicket.

His batsmen backed him up with a sparkling display, while Afridi himself led from the front, scoring a rapid-fire 14 before snaring four for 14, including the dogged Styris.

Read more at: http://cricket.ndtv.com/storypage.aspx?id=SPOEN20100164926&nid=75920&cp