Azlan Shah Cup: Green Shirts down India, Australia go top

Round-up of matches on day 5 (11 May 2011)


Australia 4 (Timothy Deavin, Mark Paterson 2, Glenn Turner) beat South Korea 2 (You Hyo-Sik, Hyun Hye-Sung) - Half-Time 2-1

Top-ranked Australia beat South Korea 4-2 to reach at the top of the points table at Ipoh in the 20th Azlan Shah Cup. Timothy Deavin put Australia int0 lead as early as in the 12th minute. Mark Paterson made it 2-0 four minutes later.

You Hyo-Sik signaled South Korean fight back by scoring in the 15th minute. Glenn Turner score 3rd goal for his team to give them two goal’s advantage. Hyun Hye-Sung reduced the margin in the 39th minute, but despite valiant effort by Koreans, Australia sealed the win through Mark Paterson’s goal in the 67th minute.

Australia are now one-point clear of 2nd placed Britain, and they are the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far.

New Zealand 3 (Nicholas Wilson, Hugo Inglis, Stephen Edwards) beat Malaysia 2 (Mohammad Izzat, Faisal Saari) – Half-Time 1-1

Malaysia had heartbreak against spirited Black sticks, as they lost through a last-minute goal despite defending brilliantly throughout. Nicholas Wilson opened for New Zealand in the 16th minute, but Mohammad Izzat equalized in the 30th minute through a field goal. Hugo Inglis put his team into lead, but Malaysia came back on equal terms through Faisal Saari’s penalty corner goal. In the dying moments Izzat conceded an unnecessary penalty corner, and to Malysia’s worst fears Stephen Edwards converted in just seconds before the final whistle. The loss meant Malaysia are still without any point in the Cup.

Pakistan 3 (Umar Bhutta, Mohammad Imran, Sohail Abbas) beat India 1 (Rupinder Pal Singh) – Half-Time 1-0

Pakistan came into this crucial match, needing at least a point to stay in contention, hoping to break jinx of losing against India off late. In the last 18 months, India has three wins to nil against Arch rivals. Match started slowly but gathered pace as nerves eased up on both sides.

In the 16th minute, Shivendra put the ball into Pakistan’s goal after it had rebounded off a penalty corner shot from Mahadick but Umpires disallowed the goal. Six minutes later, penalty corner specialist, Rupinder Pal Singh gave India lead through his customary corner conversion.

Sohail Abbas wasted Pakistan’s first penalty corner in 26th minute, as his shot went wide of the side bar. Rupinder Pal was denied by Imran Shah at the stroke of half-time to keep India’s lead to a solitary goal. Pakistan started the second half in high speed and almost dictated terms, but missed a chance or two before equalizing through Umar Bhutta’s goal in the 49th minute.

In the 55th minute, Mohammad Imran converted a penalty corner to give Pakistan lead and put the crowd at Ipoh on their feet. Two minutes later, Sohail Abbas sealed victory for Pakistan as India failed to come back into the match.

Lackluster Mumbai upstaged by Punjab

Match Report – IPL: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians, Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh, 10 May 2011

Top of the table Mumbai Indians flopped against Kings XI Punjab, and flopped badly losing by a big margin. Despite lower order collapse, Punjab had built enough total to challenge Mumbai. But star-studded batting line-up collapsed in a heap. Bhargav Bhatt polished off the lower middle order with his canny left-arm spin after Praveen Kumar had sent the openers packing.

Tendulkar sent Gilchrist-led Punjab in to bat and got early reward when Munaf Patel nailed Valthaty cheaply. Australian duo of Gilly and Shaun Marsh first played themselves in and then cleverly upped the tempo to take the score to 92 in the 11th over. At this stage, Malinga’s lifter tangled Gilly to nick behind for 28 (28b, 2x4, 1x6).

Dinesh Karthik kept the pace going but at 128, Marsh left the scene after scoring 43 runs of 34 balls with five fours. He was caught brilliantly by Pollard off Munaf, who removed David Hussey four balls later to start the collapse. Punjab lost the way but were able to post 163 for 8 in the end; Munaf being the chief destroyer with 5 for 21.

For a batting line-up like Mumbai, the total was within grasp. It looked so as Blizzard got off to a flying start, caressing three fours in the first over bowled by Praveen Kumar. In his next over he made amends by removing Tendulkar who drove tamely to backward point. Sharma got Sharma when Rohit was stumped by Gilly off Bipul. Kumar then removed Blizzard to leave Mumbai reeling at 27 for 3.

As if it wasn’t bad enough a start, Symonds was run out as a result of bad calling. Wickets continue to tumble as Mumbai played recklessly and without any head. Bhatt speeded the collapse by getting last three wickets in one over to end with his best-ever figures of 4 for 22 in 2.5 overs. Mumbai were shot out for just 87 in the 13th over, losing by 76 runs and giving Punjab a remote hope and chance of qualifying for the knock-outs.

Kings XI Punjab 163/8 (Shaun Marsh 43, Munaf Patel 4/21) beat Mumbai Indians 87/10 (Pollard 17, Bhatt 4/22) by 76 runs

Man of the match: Bhargav Bhatt (Kings XI Punjab)

Selectors include Chanderpaul, Edwards and Bishoo in Test squad

West Indies News: Team for the first Test announced

The 13-man squad for the first Test against Pakistan has been announced by West Indies selectors. Devendra Bishoo is the only specialist spinner, and he is expected to make his Test debut. As expected Chanderpaul returns along with fit-again Fidel Edwards who is coming back after two-year break due to a back injury.

West Indies are in a 17-Test win-less streak, as they hope Marlon Samuels and Brendon Nash bring some luck with their return to the Test squad. They will move from seventh to sixth place if they beat Pakistan in the series. Nash is named as vice-captain to Darren Sammy. Devon Smith and Lendl Simmons will open in all probability as the other opener Kraigg Brathwaite has been omitted from the team that played the practice game in Guyana.

Fast bowling line-up looks impressive with Kemar Roach, Rampaul and Edwards playing together. The first Test starts on 12th in Providence and the second Test is on 20th in St Kitts.

Test Squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Brendan Nash, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Devon Smith, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Marlon Samuels, Fidel Edwards, Devendra Bishoo, Carlton Baugh (wk), Kemar Roach

Azlan Shah Cup: Britain on top as sorry Pakistan slip further down

Round-up of matches on day 4

Australia 5 (Simon Orchard, Jason Wilson 2, Simon Orchard, Christopher Ciriello) beat Pakistan 1 (Sohail Abbas) - Half-Time 2-1

After starting the tournament on a high note by winning first two matches, Pakistan slumped to two defeats in two days. As if the loss against Britain yesterday was not enough, tournament favourites Australia thrashed Pakistan today with a 5-1 margin to give their title hopes a severe blow.

Australia scored through a controversial penalty stroke in the 23rd minute. Sohail Abbas scored the equalizer in the 29th minute by converting a penalty corner.

Jason Wilson ensured Australia go into the second half with a goal’s advantage by scoring at the stroke of the break. In the second half it was all Australia as they scored three more goals as Pakistan could not match their game.

Great Britain 3 (Richard Mantell, Jonty Clarke, Richard Alexander) beat New Zealand 1 (Shay Neal) - Half-Time 1-0

Great Britain played flawless hockey to reach at the top of the points table by toppling Black Sticks in the second match of the day. Mantell’s flick found its way into the goal when Britain was awarded a penalty corner in the 14th minute. Jonathan Clarke scored during a well-drilled penalty corner work-out in the 51st minute, while four minutes later; Richard Alexander made it 3-0 for Britons. New Zealand found a consolation goal through Shay Neal in the 60th minute of the match.

India 5 (Roshan Minz, Mandeep Antil, Rupinder Pal Singh, Sunil Sowmarpet, Antil) beat Malaysia 2 (Muhammad Azammi Adabi, Mohammad Shahrun Nabil) - Half-Time 4-1

India breezed passed hosts in a fast-paced match at Ipoh. After Indians had scored three goals within first 22 minutes, Malaysia had little chance to come back and win as Indians defended as efficiently as they attacked. Muhammad Azammi Adabi gave the home crowd something to celebrate when ho scored for his team in the 34th minute. Sunil Sowmarpet made it 4-1 at the stroke of half-time.

Mohammad Shahrun Nabil lifted hopes of his team when he scored in the 43rd minute for Malaysea. Saravanjit Singh’s yellow card meant India were reduced to ten men in the 48th minute, but Malaysia failed to capitalize on. Instead host’s Mohammad Razie Rahim was yellow-carded by the referee in the 57th minute as the match heated up. Antil rounded off a comprehensive win for India by scoring in the last minute.

After four days, the points table shows Great Britain on top with 9 points. Australia and India share 7 points to be on the 2nd and 3rd spots, while Pakistan is fourth with 6 points. Korea with 4 points and Australia have played only 3 matches apiece as opposed to other three teams who have played 4 matches. Tomorrow is the rest day.

Pakistan go down, India and Australia fight out a draw

Azlan Shah Cup: Round-up of matches on day 3

Great Britain 3 (Robert Moore, Jonathan Clarke 2) beat Pakistan 2 (Sohail Abbas, Abdul Haseem Khan) - Half-Time 1-1

Pakistan missed several chances to go down 2-3 against Britain on the 3rd day of the tournament. Moore opened for Britain in the 8th minute but Pakistan equalized through Sohail Abbas on their second penalty corner in the 31st minute. Pakistan missed two chances to gain lead before going for the break at level terms.

Jonathan Clarke put his team into the lead in the 39th minute, and then scored again in 63rd. Umar Bhutta missed an open goal chance in between Clarke’s two goals. Abdul Haseem Khan reduced the deficit in the 64th minute, but Pakistan failed to score in the remaining part of the match handing Britain a good victory.

Australia 1 (Whetton) drew with India 1 (Rupinderpal Singh) - Half-Time 1-1

Indian defence played brilliantly to hold Australia 1-1, erasing the memories of their 0-8 thrashing at the hands of the world number 1 team. Australia gained lead when Whetton scored in the 14th minute. Rupinderpal Singh equalized through a penalty corner conversion in the 23rd minute, scoring his 4th goal of the tournament. Australia attacked relentlessly throughout the second half, but Indians kept them at bay till the final whistle.

South Korea 1 (Jang Jong Hyun) drew with New Zealand 1 (Benjamin Collier) - Half-Time 1-1

Benjamin Collier gave New Zealand lead in the 50th minute after both teams had played attacking hockey without any reward. Jang Jong Hyun converted a penalty corner in the 58th minute but both teams had to settle for a draw till the end.

Azlan Shah Cup: Pakistan go stronger, India and Australia win too

Round-up of matches on day 2

Pakistan 4 (Rehan Butt, Sohail Abbas, Abdul Haseem Khan, Waqas Akbar) beat South Korea 2 (Hyun Hya-sung 2) - Half-Time 1-1

Pakistan won their second game in a row by beating strong Korean side after going one goal down early in the match. Under coach Khwaja Junaid Pakistan showed tremendous mental strength to top the points table from their group.

Korea went ahead in the 13th minute through Hyun Hya-sung’s penalty corner flick. Pakistan failed to convert two penalty corners, but experienced striker Rehan Butt put Pakistan on level terms in the 21st minute.

After the break, Koreans attacked vociferously and reaped reward by getting two back-to-back penalty corners, Hya-sung scored his second goal from the second penalty corner. Sohail Abbas converted one of the penalty corners in the 61st minute, followed soon by a field goal from Abdul Haseem Khan. Waqas converted the fourth penalty corner to make it 4-2 in favor of Pakistan.

India 3 (Rupinder Pal Singh 3) beat England 1 (James Tindall) - Half-Time 1-0

Rupinder Pal Singh, who has recently graduated from the junior side, scored a hat-trick as India proved too strong for the Britons at Ipoh. Rupinder drag-flicked thrice in the 10th, 54th and 57th minutes to give India 3-0 lead before James Tindall reduced the margin by scoring for Britain in the 62nd minute. Indian goalkeeper Bharat Chhetri made a few valiant saves for his team as Britain tried several attempts to claw back into the game, but India prevailed in the end.

Australia 2 (Simon Ochard, Jason Wilson) beat Malaysia 1 (Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin) - Half-Time 1-0

Malaysia fought brilliantly but conceded a last minute goal to go down 2-1 to Australia. Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin scored a fine goal in the 23rd minute. Australia despite repeated efforts to score could not find the opening for almost quarter of an hour. Ochard converted a penalty stroke to bring Australia back into the game, but Malaysia squandered a golden opportunity when Faizal Saari could not convert a penalty stroke minutes later. Just a minute before close, Wilson sealed the match through penalty corner goal. It was excruciatingly close for Malaysia.

Pakistan march on, India’s title defense jolted by Korea

Azlan Shah Cup – Round-up of matches on day 1

The 20th Azlan Shah Hockey tournament got off to a rousing start for Pakistan as they won their opening match in style. On the first day of the 7-nation tournament, being held at Ipoh Malaysia, South Korea came from behind to topple the Indians who are here hoping for a hat-trick of triumphs.

Pakistan 4 (Rizwan Sr. Kashif, Haseem Khan, Umar Bhutta) beat New Zealand 2 (Andrew Hayward, Hugo Iglis) - Half-Time 2-0

The opening encounter, between Asian Games Champions Pakistan - the Green Shirts and New Zealand - the Black Sticks, was largely a one-sided affair. After Rizwan Senior had scored in the 3rd minute, Kashif made it 2-0 at the half time. In the second half, Haseem Khan’s brilliant solo effort gave Pakistan a 3-0 advantage in the 51st minute. The Black Sticks came back strongly in the last 20 minutes of the match scoring two goals to give respectability to the score line. Hayward Andrew and their main striker, Iglo were the goal scorers.

Korea 3 (Chun Suk Woon, Young Sung Hoon, Jang Jong Hyun) beat India 2 (Diwakar Ram, Danish Mujtaba) - Half-Time 1-2

In the second match, South Korea bounced back brilliantly after being down 2 goals to zero in the major part of the first half. Diwakar Ram and Danish Mujtaba netted to give India huge advantage. Koreans made it 1-2 before the half-time. At one time they protested against a decision by British umpire Marin Badden, threatening even to leave the field. Yoon Suk Hoon then scored the equalizer, followed by the winner by Jang Jong through a penalty stroke.

Great Britain 3 (James Tindell, Richard Smith, Robert Moore) beat Malaysia 1 (Tenku Tajuddin) – Half-Time 2-0

Britain played powerful hockey to ease past the hosts who were held back to their half for most of the match. In the 17th minute as James Tindall deflected the ball into the goal during a penalty corner exercise. They went into the second half with 2-0 advantage. Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin gave Malaysia hope by scoring through a reverse flick in the 41st minute. It was all that the hosts could get as Robert Moore in the 51st minute sealed the win for Great Britain.

Punjab annihilated by Gayle as Bangalore find semis opening

Match Result – IPL4: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 6 May 2011


Chris Gayle once again showed why he loves the T20 format so much by bludgeoning a gusty hundred on a day when no one came close to matching him. He did not end there, as he helped blew away Punjab’s batting line-up by grabbing 3 wickets in their lackluster pursuit.

Adam Gilchrist decided to have a bat first, seeing some grass on the wicket. There was some early movement but Dilshan and Gayle went about playing their shots freely and succeeded in essaying a quick opening strand of 43 in less than 5 overs. Fourth over bowled by Ryan Harris yielded 21 as after Gayle hit him for two sixes, Dilshan smashed him for two fours.

McLaren got Dilshan who scored 16, all in fours. After a few quiet overs, Gayle’s wrath fell on Praveen Kumar who was dispatched for two fours and two sixes. His 50 took just 28 balls. Piyush Chawla was welcomed into the attack with a couple of pugnacious sixes. Virat Kohli was going unnoticed at the other end, as hundred was up in 10 overs for Bangalore.

Fours and sixes continued to galore till Gayle brought up his second IPL hundred in style by hitting McLaren for four. 46-ball hundred was laced with 9 fours and equal number of sixes. Punjab’s misery ended when Gayle departed for a whirlwind 107 (49b, 10x4, 9x6). Kohli (27) and de Villiers (27 off just 14 balls) helped Bangalore post a intimidating total of 205 for 6.

In reply Punjab lost their skipper Gilchrist on the very first ball when Asad Pathan ran him out through a direct hit. Valthaty showed glimpse of a counter-attack by smashing Zaheer Khan for 3 successive fours, but was the third man out when Gayle cut short his stay. Sreenath Aravind was bowling well as he deceived Shaun Marsh into handing him a return catch.

At 34 for 4 in the 6th over, the chase was effectively over for Punjab. Little contributions from Karthik and McLaren ensured they cross hundred before ending at 120 for 9 at the end of 20 overs. It was a dismal and forgettable chase for Punjab. Aravind had brilliant figures of 4 for 14, while Gayle had more reasons to smile after his century by getting 3 scalps with his off spin.

Brilliant, maverick and all-round Gayle was undoubtedly the man of the match.

Royal Challengers Bangalore 205/6 (Gayle 107, Harris 3/38) beat Kings XI Punjab 120/9 (McLaren 28, Aravind 4/14, Gayle 3/21) by 85 runs

Man of the match: Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook handed England’s captaincy roles

England News: Andrew Strauss decides to focus on Test captaincy and career

England have decided to reshuffle their limited-overs teams by naming new captains for both ODI and T20 formats; meaning they have separate captains for all the three formats. Andrew Strauss has relinquished ODI captaincy to solely focus on his Test career, while Paul Collingwood has been removed from the T20 role as a plan to build for the future.

Alastair Cook is the new one-day international captain and Stuart Broad has been elevated to the captaincy of T20 side. While Cook has tasted that role before as he was the captain of the side that toured Bangladesh last year, Broad has never captained at the highest level.

"It has never been tried before so I am excited by the opportunity it provides us with," Andy Flower, the England team director said. "We don't know 100% whether it will work and be the most efficient system but we're going to give it a try."

England will miss Strauss’s batting abilities at the top. Cook will have to fill those shoes by improving on his mediocre limited-overs record. "I've worked hard on my limited overs cricket in recent times - I've never seen myself as a Test batsman exclusively and I know I have a lot to offer strategically and as a top order batsman in one-day cricket," Cook said. "I'm excited by the challenge of taking our 50-over cricket to new heights and I believe I can play an integral role with the bat as well as captain.

He further said: "I will continue to work closely with Andrew and also Stuart as we form a leadership team across all forms of the game. We have the chance to work together and share ideas which will benefit our cricket in all three formats."

Broad will make his captaincy debut against Sri Lanka in Bristol on June 25. He real test is not far away as England are to defend their Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka next year. Paul Collingwood, who had won England the T20 title in the West Indies last year, had already retired from Test side to focus on his limited overs career. He will continue to be available for selection as a player.

"It's a huge privilege to be named England Twenty20 captain and form part of a leadership team that I've no doubt will work well together with a great deal of synergy," Broad said. "I've always enjoyed playing the shortest form of the game and I relish the opportunity to develop my leadership skills as England's Twenty20 captain. As captain the chance to work closely with Andy Flower is an extremely exciting one and as current World Twenty20 champions I know there is a real responsibility to continue the team's recent success."

Andrew Strauss has set his goals on next Ashes assignments, as at 34 now he will not be available for the next ODI world cup in 2015. "Retiring from one-day cricket will also enable me to focus solely on the Test captaincy and our ongoing development in the Test arena as we also strive to be the top ranked team in world cricket.

"I look forward to working closely with both Alastair and Stuart as we work together to progress England's development across all forms of the game. Both Alastair and Stuart are proven world-class cricketers and both have outstanding leadership qualities which will ensure England's success for many years to come."
Two days ago, Andy Flower was confirmed as England team director in a permanent capacity, after his contract was renewed. Interesting times ahead for England and their fans!

Miserable Pune Warriors out of sums

Match Report – IPL4: Pune Warriors v Mumbai Indians, Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai, 4 May 2011

Pune Warriors lost seventh match in a row to sink at the bottom of the table, while Mumbai Indians touched the summit with another impressive performance. Although Rahul Sharma bowled one of the most economic spells in the IPL, Pune batsmen failed to overcome a chase-able target against Malinga and co.

Yuvraj Singh chose to bowl as Pune’s newest inductee Saurav Ganguly sat out. Robin Uthappa took a blinder behind stumps to remove Aiden Blizzard. At the score of 58, Ryder took another good catch to give Yuvraj prized scalp of Tendulkar who scored a run-a-ball 24. Rayudu (27) played a good hand but real acceleration came when Trimulasetti Suman played a blinder in the middle. He hit 3 sixes in his 16-ball 36. The penultimate over bowled by Alfonso Thomas hurt Pune badly as Pollard 28 (21b, 2x4, 2x6) and Harbhajan plundered 27 runs from that over. Mumbai finished at 160 for 7, with leg-spinner Rahul Sharma taking 2 for just 7 runs in his 4 overs.

Harbhajan started and struck a crucial blow when Jesse Ryder went for a golden duck. Graeme Smith continued to fail, while Yuvraj was the 4th wicket down at the score of 77 in the 13th over. Manish Pandey was holding the innings at his end, but got no support till Uthappa arrived at the crease following dismissal of Yuvraj who was bounced-out brilliantly by Malinga. He had hit two towering sixes in his 20 but left his team in gasping state.

Pandey and Uthappa swatted a few sixes but continued loss of wickets, especially of Pandey, meant they lost their pace and ended well short at 139 for 7 after 20 overs. Pandey top scored with 59 off 47 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes. Malinga was once again awesome with his change of pace and clever use of short balls, taking 3 for 25 and reaching milestone of 50 IPL wickets. Mumbai won by 21 runs, Rahul Sharma of Pune being the man of the match for his miserly bowling.

Mumbai Indians 160/7 (T Suman 36, R Sharma 2/7) beat Pune warriors 139/7 (Pandey 59, Malinga 3/25) by 21 runs

Man of the Match: Rahul Sharma (Pune Warriors)

No big surprises in Pakistan’s Test squad

Pakistan News: Younis and Gul return along with three new faces

Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies has been announced by the selection committee. Apart from inclusion of Mohammad Salman ahead of Adnan Akmal, there are no surprises in 15-member squad. As expected, Umar Gul and Younis Khan have been recalled after being rested from the ODI series.

Hammad Azam, Salman and Junaid Khan are the uncapped players who are given chance on the basis of their potential. Salman has been preferred over Adnan Akmal, who had replaced his elder brother Kamran as Test wicketkeeper after he was sacked last year. In four Tests against South Africa and New Zealand, Adnan performed OK with the taking of 17 dismissals.

Hammad Azam is seen as a potential batting all-rounder, which Pakistan has been looking for a long time. Junaid has been rewarded for his brilliant showings in the domestic first class season.

Misbah-ul-Haq continues to lead the side, after he had handled the responsibility proficiently in the aftermath of the spot-fixing saga. Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali are being seen as long-term prospects for the middle order. Taufeeq Umar will partner Hafeez upfront, with no other specialist opener in the squad. Khurram Manzoor and Fawad Alam are continued to be ignored by the selectors, while Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik remain out of favor.

Pakistan, who are yet to win a Test series in West Indies, stand more than a decent chance to break that sequence against a weakened Caribbean side. Bowling comprises of four fast bowlers with two spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, apart from all-round abilities of Hammad and Hafeez.

The first Test starts on May 12 at Providence Stadium in Guyana while the second and last will be played at Warner Park in St Kitts from May 20.

Test Squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Umar Gul, Mohammad Salman (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Tanvir Ahmed

Sehwag blitzkrieg keeps Delhi afloat

Match Report – IPL4: Kochi Tuskers Kerala v Delhi Daredevils, Nehru Stadium, Kochi, 30 April 2011

Virender Sehwag led from the front with a blistering innings on a difficult Kochi track to keep his team afloat in the competition. Then South African pair of Morne Morkel and van der Merwe helped bowl Koch out cheaply pushing the home team low down on the points table.

Sehwag opted to bat first, thinking a total around 140 would be competitive. Van der Merwe had a go in place of Hopes who was injured. Sreesanth gave Delhi horrors upfront on two accounts, first that he removed Warner and Naman Ojha in one over, and second that the ball kept low on both occasions. When Jadeja removed Rao, Delhi were in trouble at 35 for 3 in the 7th over.

Sehwag was scoring at less than run a ball as Yogesh Nagar gave him good company reaching 60 at the end of 12th over. Sehwag then decided to take off, and he did that in style by hitting Jadeja for two lovely sixes. He continued to hammer the bowling till he was holed out in the deep off Vinay Kumar for a breath-taking 80 off 47 balls that included 8 fours and 5 sixes, scoring 49 off his last 15 balls.

Delhi posted a challenging total of 157 for 7. Sreesanth was sensational with figures of 2 for 10 in his 4 overs.

Kochi too started horribly, as Morkel and Irfan Pathan removed the openers cheaply. Jayewardene departed for a sluggish 18, leaving his team tottering at 50 for 4 in the 10th over. Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja tried to resurrect the innings, but they could not go on to make big enough contributions. First Morkel came back to jolt the Kochi innings, then van der Merwe got three in one over to finish off the innings in embarrassing style for Kochi.

Kochi were all out for 119 in the 19th over, losing by 38 runs. Morkel and Merwe bagged 3 wickets each. Sehwag was undoubtedly the man of the match.

Delhi Daredevils 157/7 (Sehwag 80, Sreesanth 2/10) beat Kochi Tuskers Kerala 119/10 (Jadeja 31, Morkel 3/18, Merwe 3/20) by 38 runs

Man of the match: Virender Sehwag (Delhi)

Hashan Tillakaratne: Fixing is rampant in Sri Lankan cricket, stops short of saying final was fixed

Sri Lanka News: Is Hashan Tillakaratne the whistle-blower from Sri Lanka?

Hashan Tillakaratne, former Sri Lanka captain and a politician, has sent shock-waves across the cricketing fraternity by revealing that match-fixing is a common practice in Sri Lankan cricket and has been going on for the last 20 years. He has vowed to unmask all those who have been involved in this menace.

While talking to Sri Lankan Daily Mirror, he appeared to have expressed doubt over the result of the World Cup final that was held in Mumbai. "I am not saying that this match (The world cup final) was fixed. But anyway match fixing is something which has been in this country over a period of time. This has spread like a cancer today". He said.

"I can tell this in agreement with my conscience. Match fixing is not something that started happening yesterday or today. According to my knowledge, it happened since 1992. I say this with great responsibility" said Tillakaratne. His words can trigger a huge uproar as he has 'blamed' IPL if one reads his comments - in between the lines - about selection of Sri Lankan squad for the World Cup.

"The world cup team was selected on the (January) 7th. I questioned at a TV show why this team was picked on the day before the IPL auction. The IPL auction was on the (January) 8th. Then it was said that we have time when we pick the team before the IPL auction and it was said that we have enough time as there were ten more days. Those were the excuses given". "Also at the provincial tournament on the (January) 11th, 12th and 13th, we had the quarter finals, semi finals and the finals. If Sri Lanka Cricket conducted a tournament, we could have watched those tournaments and picked the team two or three days later. If that happened, I believe another two or three players could have replaced some of the players. I had my doubts whether it was the best team that was picked" Tillakaratne said.

Expanding his point further, he raised the question of why there were four changes in the team that played the final. "Why were four players changed for this match? Those are questions that should be asked. Arjuna (Ranatunga) spoke about this, we who have played cricket talk about this. We were playing an entirely different side"

"Why was Mendis removed to put another spinner, Kapugedara was never among runs but he was chosen to replace Chamara Silva. It is not fair, is it?" he observed.

Tillakaratne has led Sri Lanka in Ten Tests between 2003 and 2004 and has represented in 83 test matches as well as 200 ODIs. Talking in a talk show after the final, he said: "There were threats of this issue being exposed during various times. But it was pushed down by giving money to various people. If the people who were responsible for that are listening to this, I state this today with great responsibility, I will shortly reveal the names of those responsible."

"This situation was always there. When it came out from time to time, it was quietly swept under the carpet. If someone doesn't intervene and stop this menace, within another two-three years in this country, with these politics, with these corrupt administrators, I believe this country won't be second to Pakistan in the near future," Tillakaratne said.

This is the first time reverberations about match-fixing are echoing in Sri Lanka. Hashan has always been known as a calm, sensible man with a calculated approach while talking to media. Whether he successfully unearths the 'mafia' behind corruption in his country is another matter, but by saying what he has said, he has embarked on a path which is both difficult as well as dreadful.

Bangalore overcome Delhi at their backyard

Match Report – IPL4: Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi, 26 April 2011

Delhi needed to win almost all of their remaining home matches if they were to have any chance of qualifying for the play-offs. But Bangalore proved too hard to beat, who in the process moved up to the second place on the points table. Daniel Vettori won the toss and batted first.

Explosive opening pair of Sehwag and Warner could only muster 33 for the first wicket, as Zaheer Khan cleaned up the former with a beauty. James Hopes was promoted to number three, but had to watch his captain depart through a crucial run out for just 25. Hopes kept his team’s hopes alive by playing sensibly, as wickets fell regularly from the other end.

Only Venugopal Rao sparkled for while as Vettori accounted for him after he was looking dangerous having scored 24 off 21 balls with 2 fours and a six. Naman Ojha hit a six each off Vettori and Zaheer, as hopes completed his 50 at the other end. Mithun took the prized scalp of Hopes who was caught behind for a fine 52 (43b 7x4). Irfan Pathan’s two late strikes enabled Delhi to post a challenging total of 160 for 6.

Dilshan skied second ball from Ashok Dinda to depart for zero, but Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli put on a quick partnership of 83 runs in just over 7 overs. Kohli was in devastating mood, as after hitting Dinda for back-to-back boundaries, he punished Irfan Pathan with four fours in his over. Gayle announced himself by putting Morkel over long-on. He then took on Dinda with two sumptuous fours sandwiched by a stunning six from Kohli.

Hopes was the man who brought his team back into reckoning once again by getting Gayle out 26 (14b, 4x4, 1x6) who miscued a pull. Delhi were soon celebrating again when AB de Villiers was run out by Warner’s stunning direct-hit from deep. They were well and truly back, when Morkel disturbed Kohli’s stumps leaving Bangalore 96 for 4 in the 10th over. His brilliant 56 came off just 38 balls and included 8 fours and 2 sixes.

The contest had become absorbing as Delhi got 3 more scalps reducing Royal Challengers requiring 22 runs from 3 overs with 3 wickets in hand. Syed Mohammad hit two fours in the 18th over, and with the calm presence of Vettori carried his team home with 3 balls to spare. Bangalore held their nerves better than Delhi in a tense chase, which at one stage could have gone either way.

Royal Challengers Bangalore 161/7 (Kohli 56, Morkel 3/25) beat Delhi Daredevils 160/6 (Hopes 54, Mithun 2/37) by 3 wickets

Man of the match: V Kohli (Royal Challengers Bangalo

Return of Zulqarnain Haider – There are questions to be answered

As he returns, will Zulqarnain prove to be a whistle-blower or a drama queen?

After having fled from Pakistan team's hotel in Dubai on November 8, on the morning of the final ODI against South Africa, Zulqarnain is finally back in his homeland. He spent five and a half months in exile in London, seeking asylum. He has said he would withdraw the asylum papers soon, as he has been assured of security in Pakistan. What is next on the agenda now?

He had fled to UK on the pretext that he had received death threats from unknown people who wanted to drag him into match-fixing. His actions drew immense media coverage as well as criticism from different quarters. He said that he wanted to expose corruption in cricket.

Immediately after landing in UK, he had announced his retirement which led to the suspension of his central contract by the PCB. Pakistan Cricket board (PCB) then set up a fact-finding committee which could not specifically find any clear motives behind his adventure. But some members of the team staff told the committee that Zulqarnain had a complex personality having weak nerves, and "a person who is easily convinced into believing whatever is said to him." Intikhab Alam and Afridi were convinced that he had some weaknesses as far as mind and decision-making were concerned.

After landing at Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport in the morning today, he was taken to Rehman Malik's office by the security personnel. Malik, the Interior Minister, had persuaded him to come back. "I am happy to return," Zulqarnain said after meeting with Malik. "I have met Rehman Malik and the Sports Minister Shaukatullah and they have provided me foolproof security," he said.

He further said: "When I landed at the airport everything was superb. They have given me superb accommodation and have lived up to their promise. I have just talked to them and briefed them on what happened to me. When I meet Ijaz Butt, I will share with him too. I think no one will put his future on line and there were some reasons when I left the team and went to Britain."

"I had my reasons for doing what I did. I have conveyed my issues to the government now," he stated.

Zulqarnain had vowed to return after meeting with Malik in London, but there was confusion amid reports that he may reconsider his decision to return after receiving fresh threats. He had taped the calls threatening him not to return and be quiet, some excerpts of which were aired on some news channels.

According to Rehman Malik, threatening telephone calls to Zulqarnain had been traced, as reported by a Pakistani TV channel on Friday. He assured that Zulqarnain Haider and his family would be provided foolproof security upon his return. "I have told him we will take care of his security but he must focus on resolving his issues with the board so that he can resume playing cricket again," Malik said.

He claimed that he got two fresh death threats as he was preparing to return last week. On Sunday night, Zulqarnain revealed to the "Duniya" news channel that the man who threatened him was an Indian national. The accused has been traced but motives behind the threat have not been discovered as yet.

In a startling revelation, He blamed Kamran Akmal’s father-in-law to be involved in gambling and asked for probing in that regard. He specifically named Umar Akmal as the person who had an inappropriate and harsh conduct towards him.

Now that he is back, many new questions have arisen:

- What course of action will PCB adopt? As he had broken the contract, what punishment is meted out is the immediate query.

- Will he be allowed to play domestic cricket and then be considered for national selection again?

- If all what he has said about the threats from the fixing mafia is true, then would he get sufficient security from the interior ministry?

- Can Rehman Malik, who has failed to provide security to his own fellows in the cabinet, be trusted to provide adequate security?

- If Zulqarnain unmasks the mafia behind match-fixing, as he had promised, what actions will be taken by the PCB and government to eradicate that from the game?

- If he fails to justify his actions, what kind of exemplary punishment will he be handed, so that no one tries to play with the emotions of cricket lovers in the future?

- The big question is, has he been trapped into returning home?

It seems Pakistan cricket is going to fascinate the world for some more length of time, as the Zulqarnain soap opera may unfold a few mini-serials along the way. Will he be remembered as a ‘whistle-blower’ on the menace of match-fixing like Rashid Latif, or proven to be a disgraceful drama-queen; the next few days will tell us. The future, hopefully, will unmask his real face; hero or villain, cricket fans need to know.

Clinical Pakistan beat West Indies, go 1-0 up

Match Report – 1st ODI: West Indies v Pakistan, Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia, April 23, 2011

As predicted, Pakistan breezed past West Indies in the first of the five ODIs without any wobble. First they did not let West Indies post a reasonable total by bowling tightly on a flat surface, and then raced towards the target riding on the half-centuries from Hafeez, Asad and Misbah.

Darren Sammy opted to bat first after winning the toss. Ravi Rampaul and Anthony Martin were replaced by Dwayne Bravo and Kemar Roach. Pakistan gave ODI caps to Mohammad Salman, Junaid Khan and Hammad Azam. West Indies started cautiously against Wahab and Junaid. First wicket fell to Hafeez, who got Devon Smith LBW, with 30 on the board.

Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo, the pair who had shined in the T20, took the score to 67 in the 20th over, when Simmons was undone by a Saeed Ajmal doosra for a patient 24. Samuels could not get a move on, and his painstaking stay was ended by Salman who ran him out after a terrible mix up. Hundred was brought up by the Windies as late as 31st over, although both Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards were well set.

Edwards tried to break free from the noose tightened by the spinners, and in doing so he chose to slog-pull Wahab only to see the ball land in the palm of the debutant Hammad. He could not hit a boundary in his 49-ball 28. Bravo brought up his 50 on the 97th ball he faced, but just when he needed to have a move on with his half-brother Dwayne at the other end, he was run out by Shehzad from the deep. He earlier had hit Junaid for a six and a four and had seen the other Bravo fall to Wahab. He made 67 off 109 balls with a four and a six. It was a body blow for West Indies.

West Indies were scoring at just under 4 an over till the last over of batting powerplay, the 47th, when Sammy took on Afridi hitting him for a six and a four. He followed that up with a huge six over midwicket off Wahab and then a crunchy four off the back foot. His late cameo (29* off 17 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes) lifted West Indies to 221 for 6 after 50 overs. Ajmal was the pick of the bowlers, with 1 for 24 in his 10 overs, while Wahab gave away 62 for his 2 wickets. Surprisingly, Hammad was not bowled at all.

Pakistan came out to chase the modest target with a positive intent. Ahmed Shehzad and Hafeez played some delightful strokes in their opening partnership of 68 at more than 5 an over. Both dominated Windies attack with Hafeez looking to walk away with the match. It all changed when Devendra Bishoo was introduced into the attack.

Bishoo first had Shehzad brilliantly stumped for 22 by Baugh, and then Hafeez, who had brought up his 50 with a six of him, gifted him his wicket by hitting straight to Sammy at midwicket. He made attractive 54 off just 45 balls with 7 fours and a six. From 88 for 2, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq carried Pakistan home without any hiccup in the 42nd over.

Both batsmen negotiated the spin and seam unrestrained, and contributed unbeaten 134 for the 3rd wicket. Misbah remained not out on 73 off 90 balls with 7 fours and a six off Bishoo, while Asad continued to impress with an unbeaten 61 (). Pakistan won comfortably by 8 wickets, Hafeez being the Man of the Match for his all-round performance.

T20 loss proved to be a good wake-up call for Pakistan, as evident from their performance in this match. They were clinical, an attribute which rarely reflects their execution on the field. If they continue the way they have started, West Indies will have to lift their game remarkably well to avoid a white-wash.

Match Result: Pakistan 222/8 in 41.3 overs (Misbah 73, Asad 61; Bishoo 2/42) beat West Indies 221/6 (Darren Bravo 67, Wahab 2/62) by 8 wickets

Man of the match: Mohammad Hafeez

Notable debutant: Hammad Azam