A senior Pakistan board official has said Sri Lanka have confirmed they will tour Pakistan next month in place of India, who called off their scheduled tour to the country on Thursday.

Saleem Altaf, the PCB’s chief operating officer, said Sri Lanka are expected to play three Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 game against Pakistan following their tour of Bangladesh, which ends on January 14.

“We thank Sri Lankan Cricket for confirming a tour in place of India,” Altaf told AFP. “We have sent a full itinerary to Sri Lanka and as soon as it is finalised we will announce it.”

Earlier this week, Arjuna Ranatunga, the SLC chairman, said the board was confident of the security measures in place in Pakistan and would not hesitate to send a team there.

The BCCI’s decision, which was prompted following advice from the Indian government, has led to huge disappointment in Pakistan and some concern over the future of the game there. “Pakistan will suffer both financially and cricket-wise,” Ramiz Raja, a former captain and administrator, said. “But India in a way is also dependent on Pakistan, and when the two countries play each other, they improve and the following of the game increases.”

The Indian government’s directive said it was not feasible “in the prevailing circumstances”, a reference to the fallout of the Mumbai attacks which India alleges had links to elements in Pakistan. Ramiz, though, felt cricket would have helped improve the current volatile situation between the two countries.

Wasim Akram, another former captain, said the cancellation would lessen the charm of Test cricket which was already under pressure from the Twenty20 format. “Deep inside we feel for the victims of Mumbai and hope such incidents do not take place again,” Wasim said. “We toured India in 1999 despite tensions and death threats. Now I hope the temperature will go down and cricket will resume because it is very important that India and Pakistan play each other.”

© Cricinfo

Shoaib Malik, the Sialkot Stallions captain, took 2 for 26 and was involved in two important partnerships during a seven-wicket win over the Karachi Dolphins in Lahore. As a result, Sialkot also earn a place in the Champions Twenty20 League in December.

Karachi, after choosing to bat, failed to get partnerships going as Sialkot made frequent inroads. Left-arm seamer Sarfraz Ahmed took 2 for 23 and Malik, who dismissed Khalid Latif and Naumanullah in quick time, ensured Karachi did not get off to a brisk start. Fawad Alam top scored with 40 but with wickets falling regularly at the other end, Karachi could only post 125.

Sialkot lost opener Faisal Naved early but, unlike Karachi, their batsmen built partnerships. Mansoor Amjad, who made 39, added 41 for the second wicket with Kamran Younis, and 33 for the third with Malik. However, Amjad was retired hurt with the score on 91 and Qaiser Abbas fell cheaply as Sialkot slipped to 97 for 3 in the 17th over. But Adeel Malik scored 23 off 11 balls, with two sixes, to take his team past Karachi’s total with two balls to spare. Shoaib Malik’s 19 off 23 balls, and his bowling performance, fetched him the Player-of-the-match award

© Cricinfo

Pakistan have “formally invited” West Indies to play two Tests in November in another attempt to fill the gap created by the postponement of the Champions Trophy.

“We have formally invited the West Indies board to send their team to play two Tests in Pakistan immediately after the three-match one-day series ends in Abu Dhabi,” Shafqat Naghmi, the PCB’s chief operating officer, told PTI. “We are hopeful West Indies will respond positively or else this year we just have the one-day series in Abu Dhabi and a Twenty20 four-nation event in Toronto in October.”

The Pakistan board had initially proposed a tri-series in South Africa but the plan fell through after Cricket South Africa said their players were fatigued following a long tour of England. They then tried to set up an ODI series against Sri Lanka but had received “ridiculously low figures” for the television rights.

Pakistan have been deprived of Test cricket in 2008 after Australia postponed their tour of the country for Test and ODI series, scheduled for March, because of security concerns. They hosted the Asia Cup in June-July, but the Champions Trophy, which was supposed to begin on September 12, was also postponed after five countries said they wouldn’t participate in the tournament due to security fears.

Pakistan’s last Test was in India in December 2007 and their next Test series is in January 2009 when they host India. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much cricket in coming months,” Naghmi said, “but 2009 is going to be a packed season for us and our team will not have enough breathing space.”

Their next international assignment is a four-day Twenty20 quadrangular in Toronto next month with Sri Lanka, West Indies and hosts Canada.

© Cricinfo

Pietersen says, “I’m not going to be a wimp and say I’m not going to do it. I’m going to accept this challenge and give it a go like I give everything a go.”

I believe that he is going to be a great captain for the English cricket team.

He will lead out the side for the fourth Test against South Africa this week and promised to lead on gut instinct but ask for advice, after making a decision he described as “very, very emotional”.

Pietersen said: “I am very thrilled and excited to have been given the opportunity to captain England. It’s a huge honour for me and a terrific challenge for me at this stage of my international career.”

Good Luck Kevin!!!

LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) — The International Cricket Council decided Thursday to keep September’s Champions Trophy in troubled Pakistan but it will appoint a commission to ensure security, officials said.

The decision came after the ICC’s executive board held a teleconference to discuss the possibility of moving the biennial tournament because of security fears raised by Australia, England and New Zealand.

“The Champions Trophy will stay in Pakistan and we thank all member countries for their kind support,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Naseem Ashraf told a news conference.

“The ICC will be appointing a special taskforce to ensure that the implementation of the recommendations of the (ICC-commissioned) security report are indeed being met,” Ashraf said.

The year’s biggest one-day tournament, featuring the top eight one-day nations, is due to be held in Pakistan from September 11 to 28, with Australia as the defending champions.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat sought to allay fears players might pull out of the event, saying the council would do all in its power to ensure their safety.

“It’s not something that I treat lightly, but I think it’s something that we can manage,” Lorgat told reporters in Sri Lanka.

“We have to separate perception from reality. While those concerns exist, we will do our utmost to assure them (players) we would not go in a tournament where safety or security is going to be compromised.”

Ashraf said the security commission would comprise ICC president David Morgan, vice president Sharad Pawar, Lorgat, principal advisor Inderjeet Bindra and himself.

It would also feature a representative from the tournament’s official broadcasters, ESPN-Star, and a member of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association, he said.

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik hailed the decision and vowed to make the tournament a success.

“I congratulate the people of Pakistan, who will now witness the best players playing in the event and we will all combine our efforts with the PCB and the government to make this tournament a great success,” Malik told AFP.

Pakistan’s fate as tournament host was left hanging in the balance on Sunday after a security briefing in Dubai featuring all participating nations decided to wait for the ICC teleconference to announce a decision.

Players from Australia, England and New Zealand had raised security concerns Wednesday.

Pakistan is fighting Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants in its northwestern tribal regions bordering Afghanistan and has suffered a string of deadly suicide bomb attacks in the last year which have killed more than 1,000 people.

ICC delegates at Sunday’s meeting were briefed over security arrangements made during the incident-free six-nation Asia Cup competition which Pakistan hosted from June 24 to July 6.

However, a bomb blast in the capital Islamabad on July 6 killed 19 people, mostly police, and there was a series of minor blasts in Karachi the following day which killed one person and wounded dozens.

Rawalpindi, which adjoins Islamabad, is one of three venues for the Champions Trophy along with Lahore and Karachi.

Several foreign teams have refused to tour Pakistan since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and the ensuing US-led invasion of Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime.

Pakistan had to relocate two of its home series to Sri Lanka and Sharjah after the West Indies and Australia refused to tour in 2002.

New Zealand also had to cut short a tour of Pakistan after a bomb blast outside their hotel in Karachi killed 19 people, including 14 French naval staff, in May 2002.

Australia also postponed a full tour of Pakistan in March-April this year due to the security situation. However, they agreed to reschedule the tour in two visits — one-dayers in 2009 and Tests in 2010.

Australia are due to defend the title they won in 2006 against the West Indies. Hosts Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies, England, India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the other teams taking part.

Nasim Ashraf, the Pakistan board chairman, has been appointed president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Ashraf, who was elected unanimously for a two-year term, succeeds Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan captain. P Krisnasamh from Malaysia has been appointed vice-president.

Ashraf said his priority would be to expand cricket in Asia and indicated the next edition of the Asia Cup would be held in a non Test-playing country. Currently, there are four Asian Test-playing nations: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. “The ACC has many associate member countries as candidates for the 2010 Asia Cup,” Ashraf said. “Hopefully one will be selected in the next six months.”

Ashraf also mentioned of a possible revival of the Asian Test Championship, a round-robin Test tournament. The first edition was held in 1999 and the second in 2001-02, before it was scrapped. India had pulled out of the second edition due to political tensions with Pakistan. With an African delegation also present in Karachi, he spoke of strengthening relations with Africa by making the Afro-Asia Cup a regular event. The next edition is scheduled for 2009 in Kenya.

Ashraf also called for support from the Asian bloc to push for cricket to be included in the forthcoming Olympics. “Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world and deserves to be in the Olympics. We will try our level best to get it included in the London Olympics (2012).”

© Cricinfo

Government must take initiative – Sohail

Australia returned from their tour of the West Indies, and two Queensland allrounders had different answers on playing in Pakistan.

• Andrew Symonds: “My feelings haven’t changed a great deal. I don’t mind the odd game of cricket for Australia, but it is only a game at the end of the day, and putting yourself in a position where you’re not safe, to me is ridiculous.”
• Shane Watson: “Personally, I’d go anywhere, I’ll play anywhere, I just want to play for my country. That’s what I’ve worked so hard for, the injuries I’ve had, pretty up and down times over the last year, so I’d do anything to play for my country so wherever we have to go, I’ll go.”

 

As concerns grow over whether or not the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan, there is a feeling Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf should convince nations such as Australia and England not to give the event a miss if it is staged here.

Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi are scheduled to host the tournament in September but growing fears over the turbulence have led to some players expressing unease about playing here. The boards of Australia, England and New Zealand are awaiting the assessment of a team of security experts that was in Pakistan during the just-concluded Asia Cup before they make a final decision. Sri Lanka is the official alternative venue should the tournament be moved away.

Aamir Sohail, former Test opener and captain, believes Musharraf, who is also patron of the PCB, should be more proactive. “It is the president’s duty to speak to individual countries and convince them to come over and play in Pakistan,” Sohail told Cricinfo.

“What is happening in the country is basically the result of Pakistan leading this war against terror,” Sohail said. “We are paying for fighting it. Countries such as Australia and England are our allies in this war on terror, yet they are not supporting us here. Are we real allies or are we just being used?”

Earlier in the year, Australia pulled out of a full tour to the country due to security fears but the successful, untroubled hosting of the Asia Cup in Lahore and Karachi was supposed to have eased the way for the Champions Trophy. A spate of bombings since, however, have once again cast doubt over the tournament, the ICC saying that they too were awaiting a report from their security consultants before taking a final decision on the venue. A bomb in Islamabad on the night of the final – in Karachi – killed ten people, while Karachi experienced seven low-intensity blasts the very next day.

“If the tournament isn’t held here because of these reasons,” Sohail said, “it will be a really sad day for Pakistan cricket. It is an unfair price for us to pay. This tournament is a real test of our role in this war: after eight years in the front-line, is this our reward – that we miss out on hosting this tournament? The onus is on the president to convince countries that it is safe to play in Pakistan and that sport has never been targeted here. The ICC and PCB are going the whole hog in ensuring it happens here but the president can really help with his involvement.”

A board official also backed the idea, further arguing that the country’s foreign office should play a role. “The ICC and PCB will try their level best to make sure it happens in Pakistan, but it is upto individual governments to ensure their teams come. And the president’s input here can really help.”

Musharraf attended the Asia Cup final between India and Sri Lanka, where he spoke at the post-match ceremony about the need for cricket to go on despite the bombings. “But the fight against terrorism must go on and life must continue. We have to fight terrorism together,” he said. “Such healthy competitions are important and necessary for Pakistan and in this region. I congratulate the Pakistan board and the Asian Cricket Council for organising this event successfully.”

© Cricinfo

Sri Lanka deserved to win the Asia Cup.

They batted first and they were all out on 273 in 49.5 overs. This was certainly not a decent target on a fast batting track. Jayasuria contributed very well in this innings as he scored a marvellous century scoring 125 runs off 114 balls.

India was in a very good condition to win this match due to a good start but as soon as Sehwag went back in the pavilion, the Indian team was in a big trouble because of great spin bowling by Mendis.

The Indian team was all out on 173 runs in just 39.3 overs.

Mendis took 6 wickets conceding only 13 runs in 8 overs including a maiden over.

So……,,,,

CONGRATULATIONS TO SRI LANKA!

Shoaib Akhtar’s ban on playing for Pakistan has been temporarily suspended by the Lahore High Court pending a full and final judgement, which technically means the fast bowler is eligible to play for Pakistan. The fine imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the original punishment remains however.

Shoaib was banned on April 1 from playing cricket for Pakistan for five years by the board’s disciplinary committee, for comments he made to the media about the board earlier in the year. He had criticised the board’s policy on central contracts, as well as playing conditions in a domestic tournament.

After the ban was announced, Shoaib went on to level serious allegations against Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, in a series of TV interviews. The charges led to a defamation lawsuit being slapped against him by Ashraf and the board though the lawsuit was eventually dropped.

A subsequent appellate tribunal reduced his sentence to 18 months but imposed a hefty financial fine on him of Rs 7 million ($105,000 approximately). Unhappy with the judgement of the three-man tribunal, headed by a retired chief justice, Shoaib then filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court last month.

“Akhtar’s appeal of stay against the ban was upheld,” Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB lawyer said. “This means he is temporarily allowed to play until the writ petition is fully heard.”

According to a source close to Shoaib’s legal team, the judgement is only an interim one until the court hears out the whole case. It is unlikely that the case will proceed at any pace until at least September, after the summer break. “He is technically allowed to play for Pakistan now,” said the source.

Understandably, Shoaib was pleased with the decision. “I am relieved. I want to play for my country and my fitness is up to the level,” Shoaib said. “I might go to England to play a few county or league games to gain match fitness.

“I want to play in the Champions Trophy and win it for my people. I am thankful to the PCB chairman for his support in the last two months.”

Ashraf said only that the decision of the court will be respected. “We have to establish what the court has said but we will always respect the decision of the court. It is up to the selectors to see whether he will be picked.”

Whether or not he will have an opportunity to play is another question. It is unlikely that the selection committee will pick him, despite the paucity of pace resources in the current side, given his recent run-ins with the board. “We respect the court’s decision,” Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, told Cricinfo. “Shoaib’s selection in the future will be based on his fitness and his match fitness.”

The future of Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s other leading fast bowler, is also unclear: he is the subject of an internal three-man board inquiry after he was detained in Dubai for 20 days for allegedly being caught in possession with a drug at Dubai airport.

In any case, Pakistan have no international assignments until late August, when New Zealand are scheduled to visit for three ODIs, though even that is yet to be confirmed. In September, Pakistan is scheduled to host the ICC Champions Trophy.

© Cricinfo