World Best Sports Site

Ipl T20 Live !!

2010-04-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Women's Soccer Fight

2009-11-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Synchronized Cycling

2009-10-24T12:58:00.001-07:00

Stunning Fee Kick Goals

2009-10-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Funny Soccer Moments

2009-09-24T09:58:00.001-07:00

Freestyle Motocross

2009-09-24T09:40:00.001-07:00

Bike Stunt

2009-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Ending ;)

2009-09-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Best of Beckham's Free Kicks

2009-09-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tight Angels Goals

2009-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Awesome Acrobat

2009-09-19T11:07:00.001-07:00

Wasim Akram- The King Of Swing !!

2009-09-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Afridi's Kiss to Kallis T20 Semi Final

2009-09-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Shahid Afridi 49 off 18 balls - Twenty20

2009-09-11T09:34:00.000-07:00

Shoaib Akhtar Bouncer To Sachin Tendulkar

2009-09-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Afridi Six-its Twelve

2009-09-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

Afridi's Big Six to Andre Nel - Out of the Stadium

2009-09-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

SHOAIB AKHTAR BOWLING WITH 100,2 MPH!!!

2009-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Best Ball of the Decade - So far (By Murali)

2009-09-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Cricket - The best runout

2009-09-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Dhoni's Amazing Six

2009-09-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Amazing Football Skills and Tricks

2009-09-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Amazing football misses!

2009-09-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Amazing Cricket Catches

2009-09-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sampras hails Federer as greatest

2009-07-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

LONDON: A jetlagged Pete Sampras paid a surprise first visit to Wimbledon for seven years on Sunday to watch Roger Federer overtake his record for grand slam wins, and then hailed the Swiss as the game's best-ever player.Sampras, returning to the club where he won seven titles in a decorated career, arrived unannounced from the U.S. hours before the final showdown and made his unexpected entrance to the club as Federer and American Andy Roddick were knocking up.Federer's exhausting five-set victory game him his 15th grand slam title, against 14 for Sampras, and the American said the Swiss had settled the debate about the game's greatest."The critics say (Rod) Laver, and (Rafa) Nadal beat him a few times in majors, but he's won all the majors, he's going to win a few more here, so in my book he is."Roger's a friend, he's a great player, he's a good guy. He's got 15 now, he can get 17 or 18 majors. If he just keeps it going and stays healthy, he could go to 18, 19, actually."The guy's a legend and now he's an icon. He's got 15 majors, that's a lot of majors, that's a lot of work. He's a credit to the game."FRONT ROWSampras entered the Royal Box with Roddick leading 2-1 in the opening set, waved to acknowledge the crowd's applause and took his place in the front row, a few seats away from other former champions Bjorn Borg and Laver.Over four breathless hours later, Federer had secured his place at the top of the slams pile and made certain of returning to the world number one spot."He's a great guy, he's humble, which I like," Sampras said. "He's sort of effortless, he doesn't seem like he's working that hard out there."He plays at that level so easily, he serves big, he's got a great forehand, his backhand's solid, he's got everything and he's got the belief."Sampras, sporting a grey suit, light blue shirt and tie, was joined by his wife Bridgette Wilson. They were welcomed by officials at the players' entrance at the All England Club and he was also greeted by women's champion Serena Williams.Sampras won the Wimbledon title three straight years from 1993 before winning it four times in a row from 1997.He had not returned to the club since his second-round exit against unseeded Swiss George Bastl on Court Two seven years ago.The American retired after winning his 14th grand slam title at the 2002 U.S. Open.

India clinch series after fourth ODI abandoned

2009-07-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

GROS ISLET, St.Lucia : India won the one-day series against West Indies 2-1 after Sunday's fourth and final match was abandoned due to heavy rain.After West Indies were put into bat, skipper Chris Gayle went from the second ball of the day caught behind off Ishant Sharma for a duck.Against some good Indian bowling, the home side reached 27 for one in the eighth over when play was stopped by a downpour.Although the rainfall later ceased, there was too much water in the outfield for play to resume and after over two hours of waiting the game was abandoned.

Pak defeat England despite partial umpiring

2009-07-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

LAHORE: The national hockey team returned home after bagging great victory of test series against England, Geo News reported Sunday.National team Coach Shahid Ali Khan said despite partial umpiring, Pakistan defeated England at their home ground.The national hockey team including 17 players, three officials including Coach Shahid Ali, arrived home in Lahore this morning by Pakistan International Airlines. While, Goalkeeper Salman Akbar and Asif Bajwah did not accompany the team from London.Talking to media at Allama Iqbal International Airport, Shahid Ali said the team played very well, adding the combination of junior and senior players turned out very good.The future of hockey is bright in Pakistan, he added.Captain Zeeshan Ashraf Pakistan Hockey Federation should hold matches with strong teams of Holland and Germany, so that the fitness and game of the players could be enhanced.

Pakistan need 97 to beat Sri Lanka in first Test

2009-07-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

GALLE: Debutants Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal combined to wreck Sri Lanka's batting and put Pakistan on the road to victory in the first cricket Test here on Monday.The pace-spin duo grabbed three wickets each as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 217 in their second innings on the third day, leaving Pakistan a modest victory target of 168 runs.The tourists, who have never lost a Test series in Sri Lanka, ended the day at 71-2 and have two days to score the remaining 97 runs with eight wickets in hand for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Sri Lanka removed Khurram Manzoor and skipper Younus Khan in the space of three runs to make Pakistan 39-2, but opener Salman Butt (28 not out) and veteran Mohammad Yousuf (12 not out) saw out the day.Teenage left-arm fast bowler Aamer broke the back of Sri Lanka's batting with three wickets for two runs, before off-spinner Ajmal polished off the tail in front of 5,000 stunned home fans here.The 17-year-old Aamer followed his three wickets in the first innings with a hostile burst soon after lunch.He had Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Kumar Sangakkara caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal in the space of 16 deliveries on a lively wicket freshened up by early morning rain.Paranavitana, top scorer in Sri Lanka's first innings with 72, once again held the innings together with 49, but found little support from the top order.Jayawardene failed to score and Sangakkara, leading Sri Lanka for the first time in a Test series, made nine and 14 in the two innings.Sri Lanka were reduced to 101-5 when Thilan Samaraweera (34) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (22) put on 37 for the sixth wicket.Sri Lanka's last three wickets added 61 valuable runs after the seventh wicket had fallen at 156 with the hosts just 106 runs ahead.The three-match series is the first between the two nations since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while the squad was en route to resume a Test match.The attack left seven Sri Lankan players injured and eight Pakistani security forces dead.The two teams recently contested the World Twenty20 final in England, in which Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets.

Pakistan need 97 to beat Sri Lanka in first Test

2009-07-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

GALLE: Pakistan chasing 168 runs to win the first Test after bowling Sri Lanka out for 217 in their second innings after tea on the third day here on Monday.Pakistan were 71 for two at stumps on third day, still needing 97 runs to beat Sri Lanka, with opener Salman Butt (28) and experienced batsman Mohammad Yousuf (12) at the crease.The two Pakistan batsmen dismissed were Khurram Manzoor (15) and captain Younis Khan (3).Earlier, teenaged fast bowler Mohammad Aamer ripped through Sri Lanka's middle-order. The 17-year-old left-armer, playing his first Test match, grabbed three wickets for two runs as Sri Lanka collapsed from their lunch score of 70-2 to 101-5 soon after resumption.The hosts went to tea on the third day struggling at 182-7 in their second innings, an overall lead of 132 runs with three wickets in hand at the Galle International Stadium.Aamer, who hero-worships Pakistan's left-arm pace legend Wasim Akram, followed his three wickets in the first innings with a hostile burst soon after lunch.He had Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Kumar Sangakkara caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal in the space of 16 deliveries on a lively wicket freshened up by early morning rain.Paranavitana, top scorer in Sri Lanka's first innings with 72, once again held the innings together with 49, but found little support from the top order.Jayawardene failed to score and Sangakkara, leading Sri Lanka for the first time in a Test series, made nine and 14 in the two innings.Sri Lanka were just 51 runs ahead with half the side back in the pavilion when Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan put on 37 for the sixth wicket.Dilshan looked set while making 22 when he fell to Pakistan captain Younus Khan's part-time seam bowling, edging a catch to Khurram Manzoor in the slips.Samaraweera was dismissed soon after for 34, beaten by the flight and turn from off-spinner Saeed Ajmal to give Misbah-ul Haq a low catch in the slips.Rangana Herath, who opened the innings late Sunday as a nightwatchman and played out the lone over from Aamer, batted for an hour and 28 minutes to make 15.

Vaas to retire from Test cricket, says chief selector

2009-07-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

GALLE: Veteran Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas has decided to retire from Test cricket, the country's chief selector Asantha de Mel said on Saturday.The 35-year-old left-armer, who has served Sri Lanka at the top level for 15 years, will, however, still be available for one-day and Twenty20 cricket, the official said."Chaminda has told me he does not want to play Test cricket anymore, but he will continue in the shorter formats," de Mel, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler, said.Vaas, a 110-Test veteran, was overlooked for the Test series against Pakistan which began at the Galle International Stadium on Saturday.The selectors did not pick him even after spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out of the first Test due to a knee injury, leaving the Sri Lankan attack short of experience.Vaas, who made his Test debut against Pakistan at Kandy in 1994, claimed 354 wickets at an average of 29.40 with 12 five-wicket hauls and twice took 10 wickets in a match.He also has 400 wickets from 322 one-day internationals, including a hat-trick off the first three balls of the match against Bangladesh during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.De Mel, asked if Vaas will be picked in the one-day team after being ignored for the World Twenty20 in England last month, said no player could be guaranteed a place in the side.

Serena Williams wins Wimbledon title

2009-07-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

LONDON: Serena Williams clinched her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam crown with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 victory over sister Venus, the defending champion, here on Saturday.The victory added to her 2002 and 2003 wins at the All England Club and shattered Venus's hopes of a hat-trick of titles and sixth overall which would have taken her level with Billie Jean King.Saturday's final was the fourth all-Williams title match-up at Wimbledon and eighth in all Grand Slams with the win giving Serena the edge in head-to-head meetings at 11-10.Of the eight major finals the sisters have faced each other in, Serena has won six."It feels so amazing. I'm so blessed. I feel like I shouldn't really be holding the trophy, Venus should be holding it, she always wins," said Serena who currently holds three of the four Grand Slam titles."I can't believe I have won 11 majors. It's a real honour."Venus, 29, admitted Serena had been the better player of the two."She was just too good today. She had an answer for everything and played the best tennis," said Venus after a final fittingly staged on US Independence Day."I don't think the loss has set in yet, that's why I'm still smiling. But I have had some great times here and I'm looking forward to coming back next year."Serve dominated the first set with 27-year-old Serena fighting off the only two break points in the eighth game and it was the younger of the two sisters who seized control of the tiebreak.Serena went to three set points by forcing Venus to scramble from side to side before putting away a powerful crosscourt forehand.Venus saved the first set point but was powerless when a pinpoint lob from her sister left her stranded at the net.It was the first set Venus had dropped at Wimbledon since the third round in 2007, a run of 34 consecutive winning sets.Serena, who had saved match point in her marathon semi-final win over Elena Dementieva, carved out her first set point when Venus double-faulted to hand her a 4-2 lead and revenge for last year's final defeat to her sister looked likely.Second seed Serena held to love, backed-up by her 12th ace of the match, to lead 5-2.She then wasted three match points in the eighth game but clinched the title when Venus netted with a forehand.

Pakistan's young brigade rattles Sri Lanka

2009-07-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

GALLE, Sri Lanka: Teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamer led Pakistan's spirited new-look attack to bowl out Sri Lanka for 292 on the opening day of the first cricket Test here on Saturday.Pakistan were 15-2 in reply at stumps with skipper Younus Khan on seven and nightwatchman Abdur Rauf yet to score after openers Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor had fallen in the first four overs.Butt was bowled by Nuwan Kulasekera off the second ball of the innings and Manzoor was trapped leg-before by Thilan Thushara to set up a thrilling contest ahead.Aamer, a 17-year-old left-armer, grabbed three wickets and fellow debutant Rauf picked up two after Younus sent Sri Lanka in to bat on a wicket freshened up by early morning rain.Younus himself took 2-23 while wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal claimed four catches and a stumping as Sri Lanka slipped to 194-6 before the lower order fought back.Left-handed opener Tharanga Paranavitana was Sri Lanka's saviour with 72, adding 75 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (30) and 43 for the fourth with Thilan Samaraweera (31).Sri Lanka's lone debutant, Angelo Mathews, boosted the tail with a sparkling 42 off 57 balls during a 47-run stand for the seventh wicket with Kulasekera, who made 38.The three-match series is the first between the two nations since armed gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while the squad was en route to resume a Test match.The attack injured seven Sri Lankan players and eight local security men were killed.The match began less than a fortnight after Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final in England on June 21.Aamer, one of Pakistan's heroes in the triumphant World Twenty20 campaign, justified his Test debut at the expense of seasoned all-rounder Abdur Razzaq.The left-armer struck with the last ball of his first over in Test cricket when he bowled opener Malinda Warnapura for two as the batsman was beaten by pace and chopped the ball on his off-stump.The hosts slipped to 21-2 as Aamer removed skipper Kumar Sangakkara in his third over, forcing the star batsman to edge a short ball to Shoaib Malik at third slip.Aamer should have had two more wickets but Malik dropped Paranavitana, then on four, and Akmal let off Jayawardene before the batsman had scored a run.Akmal made amends 90 minutes later when he snapped up Jayawardene off Rauf, but not before the former Sri Lankan captain had partnered Paranavitana in the rescue act.Rauf had Paranavitana caught by Misbah-ul Haq at first slip midway through the post-lunch session, before Younus dismissed Samaraweera through a catch by the wicket-keeper.Aamer removed Tillakaratne Dilshan (28) with the first delivery after tea as Malik took a smart catch at gully to end a 34-run stand with Mathews.Umar Gul, the only specialist bowler in Pakistan's ranks with previous Test experience, earned his first success soon after and debutant off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed the last two wickets.

Lanka take control as bowlers dominate the day

2009-07-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

GALLE: A well executed first day of the first Test by Pakistan bowlers against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium converted into a pitiable eve as Pakistan lost their both openers cheaply in reply of Sri Lanka's first innings total of 292.It was a caution pursue by Pakistan as opener Khurrum Manzoor off the mark with single and Salman Butt left a nippy Nuwan Kulasekara’s delivery which dislodged his stumps for a duck to give Sri Lanka an early advantage. Manzoor composed two runs off 12 balls before was trapped lbw by Thilan Thushara to rattled Pakistan top order. Skipper Younis Khan along with tail-ender Abdur Rauf remained unbeaten before umpires call off the day with Pakistan at 15 for 2 and a trail of 281 runs.Earlier, Younis asked Sri Lanka to bat first the decision turned out to be a useful as debutant Mohammad Aamer took 3-74 on his Pakistan debut as the hosts were bowled out after tea, Tharanga Paranavitana making 72 which help Sri Lanka to built as he was later edged Abdur Rauf to Misbah-ul-Haq at first slip.Aamer struck two early blows in the morning to reduce the home side to 21 for 2 and picked up a third wicket in the first over after tea, while Rauf claimed two vital wickets as Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 292.Young Aamer shared the new ball with Umar Gul and had troubled the both left-hand openers with pace and movement as some moisture due to early shower gave bowlers a edge. Malinda Warnapura got off the mark with a miscued lofted drive which fell just wide of mid-on, but failed keep a wickedly swerving delivery from crashing into his off stump.Aamer thereafter claimed the prize scalp of Kumar Sangakkara, inducing a thick edge and having the Sri Lanka captain caught by Shoaib Malik at third slip. Paranavitana was dropped on four by Shoaib Malik, while wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal put down a sitter offered by Mahela Jayawardene while the former skipper had not ticked his score otherwise the scenario would have been the more worst.A 75-run third wicket stand between the pair led Sri Lanka to recovered and help Sri Lanka to flourish before Jayawardene edged back to keeper for 30 of 48 balls, which was a vital break through for Pakistan. Man of the ICC World Twenty20 Tillakaratne Dilshan batted for 43 balls to add 28 before falling to Aamer.Sri Lanka however lost wickets in regularly intervals of the day but some confrontation was there too, as Angelo Mathews scored a brave 42 off 57 balls and Nuwan Kulasekara composed 38 off 62 with 5 fours and a six with help Sri Lanka to post a respectable total.

Debutant Aamer rocks Sri Lanka in first Test

2009-07-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

GALLE: Pakistan's teenaged fast bowler Mohammad Aamer grabbed two quick wickets before Sri Lanka recovered from a shaky start in the first cricket Test here Saturday.The hosts went to lunch on the opening day at 104-3 after being sent in to bat by Pakistani captain Younus Khan on a wicket freshened up by early morning rain in this coastal town.Sri Lanka slipped to 21-2 before Tharanga Paranavitana (57 not out) and Mahela Jayawardene (30) retrieved the situation by adding 75 for the third wicket.The 17-year-old Aamer, who was one of Pakistan's heroes in their triumphant World Twenty20 campaign in England last month, justified his Test debut at the expense of seasoned all-rounder Abdur Razzaq.The left-armer struck with the last ball of his first over in Test cricket when he bowled opener Malinda Warnapura for two as the batsman was beaten by pace and chopped the ball on his off-stump.Aamer then removed Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara in his third over, forcing the star batsman to edge a short ball to Shoaib Malik at third slip.Aamer should have taken two more wickets but Malik dropped Paranavitana, then on four, and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal let off Jayawardene before the batsman had scored a run.Akmal made amends 90 minutes later when he snapped up Jayawardene off fast bowler Abdur Rauf, but not before the former Sri Lankan captain had partnered Paranavitana in the rescue act.The three-match series is the first between the two nations since armed gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while on way to resume a Test match.The attack injured seven Sri Lankan players and killed eight local security men.The first Test began 13 days after Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final at Lord's on June 21.Pakistan opted for a lone specialist spinner in Saeed Ajmal, while veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf returned to the Test side after 18 months, having broken links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League.Aamer was one of the three debutants for Pakistan alongside Ajmal and Rauf.Sri Lanka brought in left-arm spinner Rangana Herath to partner Ajantha Mendis in the absence of world record holder Muttiah Muralitharan, who was ruled out with a knee injury.

Draw sees England avoid Pakistan whitewash

2009-07-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

LONDON: England drew their third and the final match against Pakistan 1-1 on Friday but the visitors still took the series 2-0.England salvaged some pride with a 1-1 draw in their final match of a three-Test series against Pakistan at Cannock when Reading's Iain McKay scored his first international goal with a well-taken reverse-stick shot on 14th minute.However, nine minutes after half-time Syed Abbas Haider's fierce strike beat goalkeeper James Fair.Both teams played in a tense atmosphere and four players were shown yellow cards.Pakistan winning the first two matches obtained the series 2-0.

Pakistan's young brigade rattles Sri Lanka

2009-07-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

GALLE: Teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamer led Pakistan's spirited new-look attack to bowl out Sri Lanka for 292 on the opening day of the first cricket Test here on Saturday.Pakistan were 15-2 in reply at stumps with skipper Younis Khan on seven and nightwatchman Abdur Rauf yet to score after openers Salman Butt and Khurram Manzoor had fallen in the first four overs.Butt was bowled by Nuwan Kulasekera off the second ball of the innings and Manzoor was trapped leg-before by Thilan Thushara to set up a thrilling contest ahead.Aamer, a 17-year-old left-armer, grabbed three wickets and fellow debutant Rauf picked up two after Younis sent Sri Lanka in to bat on a wicket freshened up by early morning rain.Younus himself took 2-23 while wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal claimed four catches and a stumping as Sri Lanka slipped to 194-6 before the lower order fought back.Left-handed opener Tharanga Paranavitana was Sri Lanka's saviour with 72, adding 75 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (30) and 43 for the fourth with Thilan Samaraweera (31).Sri Lanka's lone debutant, Angelo Mathews, boosted the tail with a sparkling 42 off 57 balls during a 47-run stand for the seventh wicket with Kulasekera, who made 38.The three-match series is the first between the two nations since armed gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while the squad was en route to resume a Test match.The attack injured seven Sri Lankan players and eight local security men were killed.The match began less than a fortnight after Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final in England on June 21.Aamer, one of Pakistan's heroes in the triumphant World Twenty20 campaign, justified his Test debut at the expense of seasoned all-rounder Abdur Razzaq.The left-armer struck with the last ball of his first over in Test cricket when he bowled opener Malinda Warnapura for two as the batsman was beaten by pace and chopped the ball on his off-stump.The hosts slipped to 21-2 as Aamer removed skipper Kumar Sangakkara in his third over, forcing the star batsman to edge a short ball to Shoaib Malik at third slip.

AFRID HIT A 12 RUN SHOT

2009-07-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

AUS VS SAF HIGHLIGHT OF THE WORLD RECORD TOTAL 434

2009-07-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

PART 01

PART 02

PART 03

Shahid Afridi 100 off 45 vs India

2009-07-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Afridi hitting 8 runs in one ball

2009-07-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Cricket World Record Of 27 Sixes

2009-07-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Cricket World Record,Saeed Anwar's 194 vs India

2009-07-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Afridi`s 100 of 37 - fastest ODI hundred

2009-07-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Dhoni tells team to be on guard against Rampaul, Taylor

2009-07-01T06:52:00.001-07:00

Gros Islet, July 01: Ahead of the third one-day international against the West Indies Friday, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his batsmen need to be cautious in handling new-ball bowlers Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor who scripted the visitors downfall in the second ODI.Dhoni said what separates the two bowlers from the pack is their ability to extract pace and swing even from a docile surface.Comeback man Rampaul picked up a career best 4-37 while Taylor bagged three for 35 to reduce India to 82 for eight before Dhoni`s valiant 95 saved them the blushes.
However, the fiery spell from the two bowlers upfront was enough for the hosts to level the four-match series 1-1.Dhoni said Taylor and Rampaul bowled well on a pitch that had nothing for the bowlers.“I don`t think there was much of a help for the bowlers in the pitch. They bowled really well, they were swinging the ball well and, after that they were able to get reverse swing,” Dhoni said Wednesday.The 24-year-old Rampaul has battled multiple injuries throughout his career. He has played 34 ODIs scattered over a six-year period and has claimed 30 wickets. His potential, though, was never in doubt.“Rampaul swings the ball really well, bowls in the right areas. He forces you to play a big shot like the cover drive,” said Dhoni.While Rampaul relied more on swing, Taylor had the Indian batsmen in trouble with the short stuff.Rampaul said he has grown in confidence after the performance at Sabina Park Sunday.“It was a good return to international cricket with a performance like this. It has really helped me to come back and improve my confidence a lot,” Rampaul said.“I have been working hard in trying to return to the team. I felt good bowling with the new ball. I got a bit of swing and picked up a couple of wickets,” said Rampaul, who is likely to get a call for the Test series against Bangladesh later this month.West Indies will play the last two ODIs against India at the Beausejour Stadium, Friday and Sunday.

I have seen enough to write a book on Pakistan cricket: Qadir

2009-07-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Karachi, July 01: He might have resigned as Pakistan`s chief selector last month but Abdul Qadir says he has seen enough during his seven month stint at the helm that he could easily write a best selling book now.The former Test leg-spinner who resigned on June 8 while the Pakistan team was playing in the T20 World Cup in England said the things he had witnessed in the board and team, he could easily write a book about it."I will consider it when the time comes but there is a definite need to clean up Pakistan cricket from pressure groups," he said.
Qadir had resigned claiming that he and his fellow selectors, Saleem Jaffer and Shoaib Mohammad were not being allowed to work independently.He spoke about the interference of coach Intikhab Alam and manager Yawar Saeed in selection matters and how they had influenced the board Chairman to send out show cause notices to him and even captain Younis Khan.The PCB on Tuesday disbanded its senior and junior selection committees and made it clear they would now appoint one committee to select all level of teams.Former Test spinner, Iqbal Qasim has been tipped to be named the new chief selector.

Honoring wounded soldiers make tourney special for Tiger

2009-07-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Bethesda, July 01: Growing up the son of a Green Beret soldier, Eldrick Woods appreciated the sacrifices involved in military life long before he became the world's number one golfer. That's why Woods, better known as Tiger after the nickname of a Vietnamese soldier who befriended his late father Earl, has a special feeling for the wounded soldiers who will join him in opening ceremonies for the PGA National. "Having the service men and women out there makes for such a special week," Woods said yesterday. "They do truly put their lives on the line and a lot of them have gotten hurt." Woods has fought to recover from several knee operations but seeing soldiers who have lost limbs or the ability to walk gives the 14-time major winner a perspective on problems far greater than any golf course could ever offer. "It hits home when you see one of them come out and to see what they are dealing with on a daily basis and what they have to go through because they are putting their lives on the line for us and unfortunately had something happen," Woods said. "It's the nature of war. That's what happens and the grim reality of it when you see one of the Wounded Warriors is that is what does happen in war and in combat." It's why Woods offers free tickets to soldiers for his six million-dollar event that tees off tomorrow, one which benefits his foundation and its youth work. Woods doubles as star attraction and host this week, a double duty mix of practice, playing and meetings. "We have a few more meetings, a few more appearances you don't normally do, but that's something that you get used to," Woods said. "You learn how to balance your time and try and be as ready as you possibly can. Your workout schedule is kind of thrown off a little bit. Your rest periods are thrown off a little bit.” "But then again, I'll be ready." Woods, who hosts a charity event in Southern California every December that attracts top players, would enjoy winning this week as host like he has at the World Challenge. "Certainly I love being the greedy host. It is fun winning your own event. No doubt," Woods said. "Hopefully I can do that again this week." Woods has the course set up with testing rough and firm greens. "I'm very pleased with how it's set up," Woods said. "If we can get some dry weather, this golf course will be playing the way all the guys want." Defending champion Anthony Kim has won his two PGA titles in events where Woods did not play, but he is less concerned about Woods than himself this week. "Whenever you have a chance to play against the best, it's a tremendous feeling, but I'm not playing against Tiger. I'm playing against everybody in the field," Kim said. "I know a lot of people say that but I believe it. So it's about me playing the best I can." Kim is already well aware of how well Woods can perform. "He is, in my mind, the greatest player that's ever played the game," said Kim. "That's no disrespect to Jack Nicklaus. But in my generation he is. That's part of the reason I really wanted to play golf. He made golf OK to play.” "He made golf cool - all the fist pumping and the yelling and the people getting excited - that was part of the reason I wanted to be a professional golfer."

Kaka receives roaring welcome from Real Madrid fans

2009-07-01T06:46:00.002-07:00

MADRID: With the crowd chanting his name, Kaka received a roaring welcome Tuesday when he was introduced at his new home of Real Madrid before at least 50,000 fans.The 27-year-old Brazilian playmaker, acquired from AC Milan for $92 million, was presented by team president Florentino Perez at Santiago Bernabeu. Kaka shook his head in delight at the response by the fans.Kaka, who passed his medical earlier Tuesday, and Cristiano Ronaldo are Perez's major summer signings as the team tries to make up for a season without a trophy.Kaka agreed to a six-year contract with Madrid and will team with Cristiano Ronaldo, the world player of the year who was acquired by Madrid for a record transfer of $131 million.

Pakistan beat England in first hockey Test

2009-07-01T06:46:00.001-07:00

CANNOCK: England slipped to defeat in the first of a three-match series against Pakistan, going down 2-1 in Cannock.Akhtar Ali put Pakistan ahead before Ashley Jackson's drag-flick equalised. However, the set-piece again proved pivotal in producing Pakistan's winner three minutes after half-time when Muhammad Irfan rounded off a neat penalty-corner move to beat Cannock goalkeeper James Fair."I'm disappointed," said coach Jason Lee. "It was a tired and lethargic display and our basics let us down."We're trying to integrate new players and trying to be a better team, but this can lead to mistakes being made."The second match of the series takes place in Cannock on Thursday.

I am number one, says Safina

2009-07-01T06:45:00.001-07:00

LONDON : Dinara Safina insisted nobody could now question her world number one status as she made it into the Wimbledon semifinals.The Russian, who has never won a Grand Slam title, has now reached at least the semifinals in all of the last four majors and is adamant that fact alone proves she has consistently been a top player over the last 12 months.And she insisted she had the "weapons" to shoot down defending champion Venus Williams in the semifinals.The top seed reached the Wimbledon last four for the first time on Tuesday with a 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1 win over unseeded German teenager Sabine Lisicki."I guess now the people cannot say why I'm the number one without a Grand Slam title," the 23-year-old said."All four Grand Slams I have been in the semis, so I think it's something impressive."Lisicki backed up Safina's assessment."She's the number one in the world. She has been in Grand Slam finals, so she has earned the top spot in the rankings. She has worked very hard for it. I respect her a lot," the 19-year-old said.Safina said she was not daunted by facing five-time Wimbledon champion Williams next."Definitely this is her best surface. She loves playing here in Wimbledon," the Muscovite said."I have nothing to lose. I played her in Rome and I beat her in Rome. So I know what she's doing. I know her weapons. I have my weapons. So I just want to go out there, play my best."Don't misunderstand that I have nothing to lose because I am playing her."I cannot go on court thinking I lost already. No, definitely I think I have a chance there. And, I know what I have to do on the court, and I want to do it next match."If I play my best and she plays the best, it's 50-50 who going to win the match. I don't think if I play my best tennis and she plays her best tennis that she's the favourite. I think I still have a chance."Despite losing the first set by double-faulting on a tie-break, Safina recovered to beat world number 41 Lisicki in two hours, 28 minutes on Centre Court.Safina sent down 15 double faults in total."Sometimes even I don't know what I'm doing with my serve," she said."I say, OK, go down, go up, do this. Then I toss the ball and I'm already by the fence running."It's just my brain sometimes doesn't do the things that I have to do."I don't know what's exactly there, what problems."Lisicki, had an impressive run to the quarter-finals. She knocked out 32nd seed Anna Chakvetadze, French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova then ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki.The emerging youngster, who had never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam or the first round at Wimbledon before, said she bowed out on a high note."I had a great tournament. Nobody expected it to happen, including myself. Of course, I'm sad that I lost. But I gave it all that I had and I fought hard," she said.

Sister act on the cards

2009-07-01T06:44:00.001-07:00

LONDON : Venus and Serena Williams' stranglehold on Wimbledon is poised to tighten even further on Thursday as the United States takes on Russia in the corner of south-west London.Five-time champion Venus faces top seed Dinara Safina in what will be her eighth All England Club semifinal in 10 years while Serena, a two-time winner, tackles Elena Dementieva.History favours the sisters.They have already played each other in three finals while there has been a Williams sister in a Wimbledon final in seven of the last eight years.World number one Safina is still searching for a first Grand Slam title after finishing runner-up in the 2008 and 2009 French Opens as well as the Australian Open this year.Dementieva, a semifinalist in 2008, has been runner-up at the 2004 French and US Opens and, like Safina, is still missing a Grand Slam breakthrough title."Do I feel invincible? I'd like to say yes, but I really do work at it," said Venus who is bidding for three Wimbledon titles in a row and hasn't lost a set since the third round in 2007.The 29-year-old saw off Poland's 11th seed Agniezska Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 to make the semifinals.Serena was equally brutal with a 6-2, 6-3 dimissal of highly-regarded Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka who had beaten the American in the final in Miami in April."I feel that Serena and I work really hard," said Venus. "That's the first point. And second, if it was so easy, we'd win everything. But it's not that easy."I think we are definitely the frontrunners in tennis as far as being some of the best players out there. But if there were just two players, it would just be a final. There's got to be 128. So that's the way it's got to be."I look forward to the challenge of whoever's across the net."Serena, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, holds a 5-4 career record over Dementieva and insists she and her sister are reaping the rewards for talent and work."I definitely put most of it down to hard work and good training. I feel like I do have talent and I've been really blessed to have talent, but also I feel like I'm not sitting down on my couch never training," she said."I actually work pretty hard at what I do to turn that talent into more talent."Top seed Safina reached her first Wimbledon semifinal with a 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-1 win over unseeded German teenager Sabine Lisicki and insisted she is not daunted by facing Venus whom she beat on clay in Rome in May."I have nothing to lose. I played her in Rome and I beat her in Rome. I know her weapons. I have my weapons. So I just want to go out there, play my best," said the Russian.Dementieva, meanwhile has a 4-5 career record against Serena. Their first match-up was at Wimbledon in the fourth round six years ago with Williams coasting to a straight sets win.But fourth seed Dementieva, who has lost just 20 games in five rounds this year, insists she will relish the challenge of facing Serena."She's a great champion, and it's going to be a good experience for me," said the 27-year-old who saw off Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-2 to make the last four."I just want to see how tough I can be out there against her."

Serena ready for more

2009-07-01T06:43:00.001-07:00

LONDON : Serena Williams admitted on Wednesday that she would be happy to play five sets at Grand Slams as new questions arose over the credibility of the women's game.Williams, sister Venus, as well as Russian duo Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva will contest the Wimbledon semifinals on Thursday, all having virtually coasted into the last four.Serena, a double Wimbledon champion, five-time winner Venus and fourth seed Dementieva have reached the semi-finals without dropping a set; world number one Safina has dropped two but still came through.The total time it took the Williams sisters and Dementieva to negotiate their quarter-finals was half an hour less than it took Britain's Andy Murray to get past Stanislas Wawrinka in a cliffhanger men's fourth round on Monday."I'm ready for five-set matches. On grass it would be fine. I can definitely play five sets," said Serena Williams who cruised past Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 in her quarterfinal.Serena insists that Wimbledon fans are getting value for money despite a raft of lob-sided matches."You get to see these female players playing their best tennis not losing a set. I think that's tremendous," she said."The top four seeds are in the semi-finals. Those top players are really playing their top game so definitely (fans are) getting their money's worth."There has been a Williams sister in the Wimbledon final in seven of the last eight years; they have played each other in three of them.Venus, who brushed aside Poland's Agniezska Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 in her quarterfinal, believes she and her sister have simply discovered the secret of playing on grass."I think that the style of game that Serena and I play, we play better than the other women. If you're talking about another style, maybe we don't play that as well," she said.Serena insists that despite a decade of virtual dominance at the All England Club, the sisters' work ethic should not be under-estimated."I definitely put most of it to hard work and good training," she said."I feel like I do have talent but also feel like I'm not sitting down on my couch never training. I actually work pretty hard at what I do to turn that talent into more talent."Despite Serena's willingness to play five sets on grass from the quarterfinal stage, outgoing WTA chief Larry Scott said that women's tennis is not yet moving in that direction."It's something I have discussed with players. We discussed it over the years during the equal prize money debate," said Scott."We always said that if it's determined that the women should play five sets or are asked to play five sets, the players would support that."I don't personally believe that's the direction that the sport is going in or that that's the best format for television or for fans. I think it would present all kinds of scheduling issues."

Australia to play seven ODIs in India

2009-07-01T06:42:00.001-07:00

CHENNAI: Australia will tour India for seven one-day internationals in October and November this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday.The matches will be played at Guwahati, New Delhi, Mumbai, Mohali, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Jaipur, the BCCI said in a statement after a meeting of its tour programme and fixtures committee."The match schedule will be finalized after the logistics are worked out."

Ponting plots his final act of revenge

2009-07-01T06:41:00.002-07:00

SYDNEY : There is very little that Australia captain Ricky Ponting has failed to achieve in his distinguished career, either as an individual player or as a leader.There is, however, one major achievement that has eluded him -- captaining his country to an Ashes series win in England.Ponting will get the chance to rectify that over the next few months and he cannot hide his excitement."It's something very dear to my heart," he recently told reporters in Australia.Ponting is undoubtedly one of the greatest batsmen to have played the game and could well finish up as the leading run-scorer of all time when he finally retires.Only Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Allan Border have scored more test runs than Ponting but the Tasmanian boasts a higher batting average than them all and, at 34 years of age, he still has time to overtake them.Ponting's success with the bat has not gone unrecognised. He he twice been chosen as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Player of the Year and has won the award for test player of the year three times and the one-day player of the year once.

ICC ponder four-day tests as part of innovations

2009-07-01T06:41:00.001-07:00

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering four-day tests as part of a series of innovations to keep the oldest form of the sport exciting to spectators in the wake of Twenty20's growing popularity."The board of the ICC is determined to ensure that test match cricket is seen as the pinnacle of our great game," ICC president David Morgan told India Today magazine while elaborating on changes needed."We need better over-rates, better pitches that give a good balance between bat and ball and we need to consider day-night test match cricket ... the issue is the colour of the ball and the quality of the ball," he said."It would be a pity if day-night test match cricket had to be played with a white ball and, therefore, coloured clothing."Another thought that many people have, that we are examining is whether test match cricket can be played over four days rather than five."Morgan expected some of the innovations to be introduced within a year."The mental shift has been made, it has been talked about and examined. I would be very surprised if within a year you haven't seen some significant changes in test cricket," he said."Over rates, pitches, day-night tests... in a year's time you will see for yourself changes that have occurred in test cricket."The ICC has been investigating alternatives to the traditional red ball which would not be suitable under lights for day-night tests.The sport's governing body last week announced tougher measures on boards providing "poor" pitches and also doubled fines for slow over-rates.

Pak hockey team leave for London

2009-06-30T08:05:00.001-07:00

LAHORE: Pakistan hockey team left for London to play three test matches series against England.The 18-member team captained by Zeeshan Ashraf left for London from Allama Iqbal airport on Saturday.Pakistan will play first match on June 30, second on July 2 and third match on July 3. Pakistan would play a practice match on June 29 before start of the series.

Jayasuriya eyes World Cup

2009-06-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's veteran batsman Sanath Jayasuriya turns 40 on Tuesday, with a vow to carry on until the 2011 World Cup despite his being the oldest cricketer still playing at the top level."Age is not a problem, it is how you stay mentally and physically fit to remain on top of the game, to try out new variations in the bat and ball," Jayasuriya told French news agency.The dashing batsman, who also bowls left-arm spin, made his international debut against Australia in Melbourne in 1989 and won praise as an all-rounder during Sri Lanka's victorious World Cup campaign in 1996.Jayasuriya is only the second batsman after India's Sachin Tendulkar to pass 13,000 runs in one-day internationals. He is also the oldest batsman to score a one-day century, at 39 years and 212 days."I don't really worry about records anymore these days," the left-hander said. "I focus on putting runs on the board, to help the team win matches."Jayasuriya retired from Test matches in 2007, but continues to shine in the physically challenging shorter version of the game, determined to prove he has a few more miles left on the clock.The short but powerfully-built batsman is virtually unstoppable when on song, and scored freely during the recent World Twenty20 in England where Sri Lanka won six successive matches before losing to Pakistan in the final.Jayasuriya said the emergence of talented young players meant he could never take his place for granted in the national team."Playing with youngsters is extra hard these days," said the all-rounder who led Sri Lanka from 1999 to April 2003."There is an abundance of raw talent constantly knocking at the door for a berth in the team. And that puts pressure on me. I have to perform to retain my place."However, he added, life is not easy for younger players, either."They also need to live up to expectations, sometimes the pressure on them is much more than what it was when I was starting out," he said.Jayasuriya announced his retirement in 2006, but made a comeback during Sri Lanka's tour of England that year.Asked if he will play the World Cup to be held in the sub-continent in 2011, Jayasuriya said: "I would love to. I am taking each series at a time. Hopefully I will get there."His next outing will be against World Twenty20 champions Pakistan, who will play five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game after the three-Test series that starts in Sri Lanka on July 4."Pakistan has variety in batting and bowling and we are also working on a few things. Let's see, it should be an interesting contest," said Jayasuriya.

Vaughan announces cricket retirement

2009-06-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

LONDON: England's most successful test captain Michael Vaughan said on Tuesday he was retiring from the game, after failing to regain his place in the team for next month's Ashes series against Australia."After a great deal of consideration, I've decided that now is the right time to retire from cricket. It has been an enormous privilege to have played for and captained my country and this is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make," Vaughan said in a media release issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Younis says team need performance, not big names

2009-06-30T08:01:00.002-07:00

COLOMBO: Pakistani skipper Younis Khan said he believes on performance rather than big names and optimistic that his team will produce positive results during Sri Lanka tour."The Sri Lanka tour will be a big challenge," Younis said. " We will have to leave our World Cup win behind and focus on what is a very tough assignment against Sri Lanka," said Younis while addressing a press conference here after a launching ceremony of the trophy.Younis admitted there was more pressure on Pakistan after their success in England but said his squad had the potential to take whatever came their way."In Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka have a wise captain and their team is balanced with quality players, so we will have to be at our best to get positive results," he said."It will be double pressure on us because our people want wins in every match and after the Twenty20 success they want more success and that can put pressure on us, but we are ready for it. "Twenty20 cricket was different and now Test cricket is different, it seriously tests the abilities of a player whereas I don't think the abilities of a player can be gauged in a Twenty20 match." "Kaneria gives us variety and along with Saeed Ajmal supplements our spin bowling," said Younis, "so it will be a keen contest between two balanced teams and I hope it will be a great series." Pakistan will play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20. The tour begins with a three-day warm-up match in Colombo on June 29.

Murray, Federer and Serena into semis of Wimbledon Tennis

2009-06-30T08:01:00.001-07:00

LONDON: Andy Murray of Britain finally finished off a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over No. 19 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon Tennis.Five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer won easily, as did two-time runner-up Andy Roddick and No. 4 Novak Djokovic. Venus Williams, like Federer chasing a sixth title at the All England Club, was way ahead when her opponent, former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, quit with a thigh injury. Williams’ younger sister, Serena, herself a two-time Wimbledon champion, and No. 4 Elena Dementieva were never challenged in their straight-set victories.One surprising run ended in the fourth round. Melanie Oudin, a 17-year-old qualifier from Marietta, Ga., who never won a Grand Slam match before last week, lost to No. 11 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 7-5.Tuesday’s other matches are No. 2 Serena Williams against No. 8 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, Dementieva against unseeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy, and Safina against unseeded Sabine Lisicki of Germany.The men get a day off before their quarterfinals Wednesday, when the match ups will be No. 2 Federer vs. No. 22 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, Murray vs. 2003 French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, Djokovic vs. No. 24 Tommy Haas, and Roddick vs. 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, who lost the first two sets but came back to beat No. 23 Radek Stepanek 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.

Irfan Pathan set to marry diplomat’s daughter

2009-06-30T08:00:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Left arm seamer Irfan Pathan Tuesday admitted that he is set to marry his girlfriend Shivangi Dev soon.Irfan's family members have approved his yet-to-be-scheduled marriage to Shivangi, a Canberra-based chartered accountant. The wedding ceremony would be held in Vadodara.Shivangi is the daughter of Virendra Dev, a diplomat working with Indian High Commission in Australia.The love birds met for the first time during India's tour of Australia in 2003.Left arm seamer Irfan Pathan made his international cricket debut in 2003 against Australia. Irfan has played 29 tests for India so far and clinched 100 wickets. In the 107 ODI matches he has appeared in, Irfan has dismissed 152 batsmen.Irfan, who can also bat well, has 1,105 runs under his belt in tests with 102 being his top score. In 50-over games, he has 1,368 runs to his credit.Irfan was the Man of the Match in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup final in which India defeated Pakistan to clinch the inaugural tournament.

Pakistan 301-5 in practice match against SLC XI

2009-06-30T07:58:00.001-07:00

COLOMBO: Pakistan made 301 runs for the loss of five wickets by the end of the second day of the three-day practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket Eleven here on Tuesday.Khurram Manzoor and Salman Butt set an opening partnership of 153 runs after the hosts declared their first innings at 345-5.Khurram Manzoor scored 83 and Salman Butt made 82 while captain Younis Khan played an innings of 37 runs.Middle-order batsmen Mohammad Yousuf (14) and Misbah-ul-Haq (15) also returned to pavilion.When the play ended, Faisal Iqbal and Fawad Alam were at the crease with 21 and 40 runs, respectively.Earlier, SLC XI added 67 runs to their overnight total of 278-3 before the declaration. Chamara Kapugedera who was batting on 90 at the close of first day, reached his century before he retired on 115.For Pakistan, pacer Abdul Rauf claimed two wickets while spinners Danish Kaeria and Fawad Alam took one wicket each.

I'll give 110 percent for Pakistan in Sri Lanka series: Gul

2009-06-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

Karachi, June 28: After a brilliant show in the ICC Twenty20 World Championship, Pakistan fast bowler, Umar Gul is all set to dazzle in the Sri Lanka tour as well.Talking to reporters before leaving for Sri Lanka here, Gul said he missed the player of the tournament in the World Twenty20 Championship, but would try his best to grab the title in the Sri Lanka series."I feel really confident because of my current form and fitness. It is because of that I`m targeting the man of the series award in Sri Lanka where I`ll give my 110 percent for Pakistan," a newspaper quoted Gul, as saying.Gul, who is the leading Twenty20 wicket taker with 37 wickets from 21 T20 matches, admitted that he would have to toil hard on the tour as the playing condition in Sri Lanka would be much different from England.
"Things will be entirely different in Sri Lanka.The weather will be different and so will be the format," he said.He expressed hope that the players would switch on to the Test mode fast, and the three-day warm-up game scheduled to start in Colombo from Monday would help them to acclimatize to the hot and humid condition of the country."The warm-up game would be very important for us because will we be aiming to switch to the longer version of the game and to acclimatize to the weather conditions," he said.Commenting on the return of Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq in the team, Gul said the return of such experienced players in the team would benefit the squad, and has increased chances of winning the series."Yousuf is world class batsman and we are all very happy that he is back," Gul added.

Siddle will play first Ashes Test, says Tim Nielsen

2009-06-28T05:37:00.002-07:00

Worcester, June 28: Australian cricket team coach Tim Nielsen has confirmed that in-form quick Peter Siddle will play the first Ashes Test at Cardiff.Siddle was the outstanding quick in the four-man pace bowl-off with Sussex as Australia’s bowlers failed to finish off the resilient county side in the drawn match. The Victoria quick combined accuracy with serious menace in Hove to shift the pressure on Stuart Clark and Brett Lee to capture the last guaranteed pacer’s spot for the first at Sophia Gardens starting July 8. Nielsen said he had thought Siddle was a no-brainer to line up in the first Test alongside Mitchell Johnson even before the recently completed practice match on England’s south coast.
“I think Peter Siddle is a lock, he is bowling beautifully. All things being equal, his body being in good shape, he is ready to go. He is one of our two outstanding bowlers in my opinion,” Nielsen was quoted as saying.Nielsen maintained his stance that the Australia side could field four quicks in Wales before his catch up this week with chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch in Worcester. “I really am pretty open to the idea of waiting to see what we get in Cardiff as far as the wicket is concerned,” Nielsen said. “The quicks have had a lot of success there, just looking at the stats over the last couple of years, the opening bowlers have had some success. They perceive it to be a bit more of a seaming wicket at times,” he added. Clark and Lee, both on the comeback trail from injuries, had their moments in Hove but still looked short of a gallop and in need of playing in this week’s hit-out in Worcester against a formidable England Lions outfit. Swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus seems to have slipped to the back of the fast bowling queue after playing in all three Tests in South Africa this year. The main question surrounds the selection of spinner Nathan Hauritz for Cardiff as that impacts whether there is room for both Clark and Lee. Hauritz sharpened up his act considerably in the second innings against Sussex following a poor first-up performance. There is a chance Siddle will be rested from the Worcester clash to be fresh for the back-to-back Ashes Tests at Cardiff and Lord’s.

PCB should acknowledge we selected T20 WC squad: Selectors

2009-06-28T05:37:00.001-07:00

Karachi, June 28: The national selectors who picked the Pakistani squad that won the Twenty20 World Cup are angry that they have been completely ignored in the celebrations for the team`s triumph.Although former chief selector Abdul Qadir has resigned from his job, the PCB has not clarified the status of Saleem Jaffer and Shoaib Mohammad who were on the selection committee that picked the Twenty20 World Cup squad.The board had appointed an interim selection committee headed by former captain Wasim Bari to pick the team for the Test tour of Sri Lanka.
"No one has the decency to even invite us for any celebratory event even though our contribution is clear that we picked the winning side," one selector said.Qadir, who resigned from his post in acrimonious circumstances while the team was playing in the Twenty20 World Cup, has also castigated the board for their treatment of the selectors."No matter what they do they can`t take away the credit from us that we picked the World Cup winning squad," he said.

I'm not an alcoholic, says Andrew Symonds

2009-06-28T05:36:00.001-07:00

Melbourne, June 28: He denies being an alcoholic, but troubled Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds concedes he is a binge drinker and struggles to cope with the attention that comes with being an international cricketer."I`m not an alcoholic. I`ve been diagnosed as a binge drinker. I`d go out and drink too much, too fast," Symonds revealed in an interview."I`m not proud of the times that I`ve drunk too much and been rude to someone or broken team rules," the burly Queenslander said.Symonds was called back home from the Twenty20 World Cup in England and Cricket Australia dumped him from its central contract for an alcohol-related indiscretion.
He had undergone rehabilitation before being picked for the Twenty20 World Cup. That was after he missed team meetings, turned up drunk for a match and had been involved in drunken brawls among other controversies.Looking back, the 34-year-old says he is glad to be free of the pressure."Now I`m out of that environment, that won`t happen anymore for those people in that team and for me," he said.

KP claims gruelling fitness regime caused his Achilles injury

2009-06-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

London, June 28: England middle-order bat Kevin Pietersen has said that his gruelling self-imposed Caribbean fitness regime caused his Achilles injury.With the First Test against Australia just 10 days away, Pietersen is still not 100 per cent fit. According to a British newspaper, Pietersen has already had a cortisone jab injected into the nerve in his spine to treat the injury.He admits that too much running during England’s winter tour of the West Indies fuelled his current fitness problems.
KP’s personal training schedule included:
3.5mile sprints on a treadmill the night before Test matches.
Running six miles from the ground in St Kitts to the England hotel instead of catching the team bus.
Mile-long shuttle runs up and down hills near the team hotel.“Road running is what I absolutely love, but I did too much. I was doing huge runs in the Caribbean - too much - which hurt my back and was linked to the problems I’ve since had,” he was quoted, as saying.

Cheerleading: The most dangerous sport

2009-06-28T05:33:00.001-07:00

Washington, June 28: Cheerleading - which involves tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting - has been named the most dangerous of all sports. Even though through the years safety efforts have led to fewer mishaps, a new report suggests that the sport still continues to cause more serious and deadly injuries than other sports. The researchers behind this study have found from records between 1982 and 2007, that there were 103 fatal, disabling or serious injuries recorded among female high school athletes, with the vast majority (67) occurring in cheerleading. The next most dangerous sports: gymnastics (nine such injuries) and track (seven). The National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released its 26th annual report on the topic. As per the latest figures from the 2007-2008 academic year for college and high school sports, male and female, catastrophic injuries have been defined as any severe or fatal injury incurred during participation in the sport. Statistics for the 26-year period from the fall of 1982 through the spring of 2008 show that there were 1,116 direct catastrophic injuries in high school (905) and college sports (211). They further reveal that high school sports were associated with 152 fatalities, 379 non-fatal injuries and 374 serious injuries. The figures show that college sports accounted for 22 fatalities, 63 non-fatal injuries and 126 serious injuries. According to them, cheerleading accounted for 65.2 percent of high school and 70.5 percent of college catastrophic injuries among all female sports. The number of cheerleading injuries fell slightly in the 2007-08 academic year. "Progress has been slow, but there has been an increased emphasis on cheerleading safety," Live Science quoted the study’s author Frederick O. Mueller as saying. "Continued data collection on all types of cheerleading injuries will hopefully show that these safety measures are working to reduce injuries," he added.

Tiger Woods’ niece Cheyenne makes her LPGA debut

2009-06-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

London, June 28: Tiger Wood’s niece Cheyenne Woods made her LPGA debut on Thursday at Rochester, New York. However, the debutant revealed that she was not in touch with the golf icon moments before the game, she said: “I talked to him about a month and a half ago when I got the exemption and he was really excited for me to be playing in this. “He was just excited and looking forward to seeing how I would do.” She also added that she was nervous before the game began. “I was a little nervous warming up and getting ready but as I teed off my stomach got a little better,” she said. Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, she birdied the second hole, ending her first round in a tie for 121st place. On a rain-affected second day, Woods improved her position, with one-over through 10 holes, though she was still battling to make the cut. Woods is the daughter of Earl Woods jnr, Tiger’s half-brother through Earl snr’s previous marriage.

Kuznetsova, Jankovic out as Venus gets Wimbledon revenge

2009-06-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

London, June 28: French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and former world number one Jelena Jankovic crashed out of Wimbledon on Saturday, while Venus Williams avenged one of her most embarrassing defeats. Kuznetsova won her second Grand Slam at Roland Garros 21 days ago, but that triumph in Paris must already seem a lifetime ago as unseeded German Sabine Lisicki defeated the fifth seed 6-2, 7-5. While the Russian was enduring a 24th birthday to forget, sixth seed Jankovic was also on the wrong end of a shock result as American qualifier Melanie Oudin, 17, beat the injury-hit Serb 6-7 (8/10), 7-5, 6-2. Two star names to progress were defending champion Williams, a 6-0, 6-4 winner over Carla Suarez Navarro, and world number one Dinara Safina, who defeated Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-1. Top seed Safina, who has yet to win a Grand Slam, said: “Sometimes people criticise me because I’m number one but I don’t have a Grand Slam. It is annoying. But I’m sure one day I will get the Grand Slam and nobody can talk anymore.” Venus was unceremoniously bundled out of the Australian Open by unseeded Spaniard Suarez Navarro in the second round in January despite holding a 5-2 lead in the final set. But Venus, the third seed, made amends in clinical fashion to keep alive her bid to become the first woman to win a hat-trick of Wimbledon singles’ titles since Steffi Graf claimed three in a row from 1991 to 1993. Venus once again played with her left knee swathed in bandages but was hardly restricted as she eased past Suarez Navarro in one hour and 21 minutes. The five-time Wimbledon champion has yet to drop a set in three rounds this year and her winning streak at the All England Club has now reached 17 matches. Williams said: “I was really enjoying myself out there. She’s a fast and competitive player so I was happy to close it out.” “When you’re winning at Wimbledon there’s not much better than that.”Kuznetsova has never been fond of playing on grass and she lived down to her pre-tournament prediction of an early exit. Lisicki, a 19-year German ranked 41 in the world, wasted four match points before finally claiming the best win of her short career. “I had a few nerves but I just kept fighting,” said Lisicki, who plays Caroline Wozniacki next. “I missed some opportunities at 5-4, but I managed to serve well to go 6-5 up and just fought to finish up the match.” Meanwhile, Jankovic, the world number one only last August, was knocked out by Oudin, the world number 124. Jankovic, who has been struggling with blisters and a broken toenail, was hampered by injury and heat exhaustion during a gruelling match on Court Three. She called for treatment three times before finally cracking in the final set to continue a disappointing year for the Serb. Oudin, playing in her first Wimbledon, will face 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat China’s Li Na 6-4, 7-5, in her first Grand Slam fourth round appearance.

“This is my first year in the pros in Wimbledon and I’m actually in the fourth round. It’s unbelievable,” Oudin said. “I definitely did not see that coming at all.” Jankovic added: “After the first set I felt really dizzy and thought I would end up in the hospital. I was scared. I felt like a ghost.” While Jankovic struggled, 13th seed Ivanovic showed signs of recapturing her former glories during an impressive 7-5, 6-2 victory over Australian 18th seed Samantha Stosur. Former Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo, seeded 17th, takes on Safina, after beating 15th seed Flavia Pennetta 7-5, 6-3. Wozniacki, the ninth seed, reached the fourth round for the first time as the Danish teenager defeated Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2, 6-2.

Looking for opportunities for Formula 1: Narain

2009-06-28T05:30:00.001-07:00

Coimbatore, June 26: Former F1 racer Narain Karthikeyan today said he was looking for opportunities to return to Formula One series. "As such I am at present doing Le Mans series and A1GP races. I am definitely looking for more opportunities for Formula 1 race," Narain told reporters, after flagging of Indian National Rally Championship here today. Asked about conducting International rally in India, he said, "So far only one international race -- Asian Go Karting -- was held in India. Seeing the response and enthusiasm of the drivers, the day would not be too far for an international rally in this part of the country." "As such motorsports was becoming more popular in India and more drivers were emerging from Southern parts of the country," Narain said.

Rossi wins Dutch Moto GP for record 10Rossi wins Dutch Moto GP for record 100th title0th title

2009-06-28T05:28:00.000-07:00

Assen, June 27: Italian rider Valentino Rossi won the Dutch MotoGp on Saturday to record his 100th career win and take the overall lead in the world championship standings. The eight-time world champion beat home his Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo while Australia's 2007 world champion Casey Stoner was third on a Ducati. Rossi might have been on pole but it was Stoner who seized the initiative from the off as he took the lead, while Lorenzo was stuck in sixth after the first of the 26 laps despite starting from third. The major casualty of the race was Dani Pedrosa, who crashed out with 22 laps remaining as the Spaniard - who is recovering from injury - overdid it on a corner. However, Lorenzo fought his way up the field and was challenging Rossi with seven laps remaining while Stoner was back in third. Rossi had a lead of over four seconds with four laps remaining over his team-mate, Lorenzo, and was never troubled to go on and take the race.

Bhaichung signs one-year contract with East Bengal

2009-06-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

Soccer star Bhaichung Bhutia on Monday inked a year-long contract with East Bengal, days after being slapped with a six-month suspension by his previous club Mohun Bagan.

Bhutia's move came even as his appeal against the suspension was pending with West Bengal's soccer governing body Indian Football Association (IFA), and without Bagan giving him a release order.
The national team captain said if he could not turn up for East Bengal due to the tight schedule of the Indian team, the contract will automatically spill over into the next year.
Hundreds of East Bengal officials, members and supporters were present to welcome Bhutia, who had started his journey in the Kolkata league donning the club's red and yellow jersey.

Sharapova sent packing by Dulko

2009-06-26T08:12:00.001-07:00

LONDON: Former champion Maria Sharapova had her lack of match practice exposed by unseeded Argentine Gisela Dulko who claimed a nailbiting 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory in the second round at Wimbledon on Wednesday.Sharapova, ranked 60 after suffering with a shoulder injury but given a special seeding of 24 here, had battered Dulko for the loss of three games in two previous meetings.But the Russian struggled to find an answer to the world number 45's scurrying array of groundstrokes and changes of pace in the sunshine on Centre Court."It's a great day for me I feel really happy," said the 24-year-old from Buenos Aires."I didn't play well in that second set but in the third I kept fighting. I was really nervous at the end, I wanted to finish there and not go 5-all, she's very competitive but I am so happy."The crowd were great, I hope they will be there for the next match."

Sania out of Wimbledon singles

2009-06-26T08:11:00.001-07:00

An inconsistent Sania Mirza's Wimbledon hopes ended with a second round exit at the hands of her friend Sorana Cristea 4-6, 4-6 at the All England Club here Wednesday.The Romanian teenager continued her cruise in women's tennis as she dispatched Sania in an hour and 22 minutes to reach the third round.

Cricket and Olympics need each other: Gilchrist

2009-06-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Cricket and Olympic need each other to spread wings and Twenty20 is the tailormade format "to achieve the common goal" said former Australia cricketer Adam Gilchrist.In his 2009 Cowdrey Lecture lecture at MCC, the stumper-batsman made a passionate appeal for Twenty20 cricket's Olympic inclusion, saying it would serve the purpose of both the International Olympic Council (IOC) and the International Cricket Council (ICC)."...the Olympic movement's only remaining dead pocket in the world happens to coincide with cricket's strongest - the sub-continent," Gilchrist pointed out.

Brazil beat South Africa at Confederations Cup

2009-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

JOHANNESBURG: Daniel Alves scored with two minutes left to give Brazil a 1-0 win over South Africa and a place in the Confederations Cup final against the United States.South Africa had unsettled Brazil with a frantic hustling game of quick challenges and tight marking from a packed midfield and attentive defence, but the substitute right back curled in a shot from the edge of the area to give his team a chance of a record third title after Ramires tumbled right on the edge of the area under a challenge from South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena."The game was very closed so I put on a very quick player, a very aggressive player, who is strong on set pieces," Brazil coach Dunga said. "It was one of the few opportunities we were going to have. The foul was right in front of the goal area, so it was perfect for us."South Africa had displayed far more energy and guile than Brazil and was denied a famous victory only by the lack of a finishing touch up front. But Brazil held on for a seventh straight win and a place in Sunday's final at Ellis Park against the United States, which upset European champion Spain 2-0 Wednesday.Dunga said he had not watched the United States since the group stage, where Brazil beat the Americans 3-0."I didn't watch the game last night because I was more concerned with the game today," Dunga said. "We will watch that game tomorrow to prepare ourselves for the final."Just four days after routing World Cup holder Italy 3-0, Brazil looked short of ideas and laboured in its efforts to find an opening - largely trying to play through the middle.But that was mostly due to a vastly improved home team, which covered almost 10 per cent more ground throughout the game and matched their opponents' 12 shots on goal.Only former world player of the year Kaka seemed able to direct his passes with any regular accuracy as South Africa equaled its illustrious opponents' skill and surpassed their work rate.

Serena powers into Wimbledon fourth round

2009-06-26T07:59:00.001-07:00

LONDON: Second seed Serena Williams powered into the fourth round at Wimbledon with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Italy's Roberta Vinci on Friday.Williams, a two-time Wimbledon champion, gave a masterclass in baseline play to bury Vinci under a barrage of brutal ground-strokes and set up a last 16 match against Japan's Ai Sugiyama or Daniela Hantuchova.Serena has yet to drop a set at Wimbledon this year and never looked likely to lose that impressive record in her 200th Grand Slam match.It is six years since Serena last won Wimbledon and, with last year's final defeat to her sister Venus in mind, the Australian Open champion has the look of a woman on a mission to regain her crown.A brief glance at Vinci's under-whelming CV suggested there was little in her game to frighten Serena.The world number 53 had never been past the third round of a Grand Slam in 17 attempts and Serena, who took just 58 minutes to dispose of Jarmila Groth in the second round, seemed determined to make short work of Vinci.She broke for an early 2-0 lead then, after dropping her own serve, extinguished the Italian's hopes with another morale-crushing break.The 27-year-old revealed after beating Groth that she is working on a television script, but cliffhanger moments were in short supply after that.Serena's power hitting was too much for Vinci. With almost every ball racing back at Vinci, it was a surprise when Serena won a point with a more subtle touch.When Vinci scampered to the net to retrieve a Williams drop-shot, she was left horribly exposed, but instead of blasting the ball at her opponent, Serena simply clipped a gentle winner down the line.While some of her less famous female contemporaries had been granted a spot on Wimbledon's two main show courts on Friday, Serena was surprisingly shunted out to the new Court Two.If she was unsettled by the less glamourous surroudings, she didn't show it.The first set was secured with the minimum fuss and she broke in the first game of the second set to take complete control.Another break put Serena 4-1 ahead. It was all too easy and she briefly let her concentration waver before closing out the match in emphatic style.

Younis ready to take back retirement

2009-06-26T07:55:00.001-07:00

KARACHI: Captain Pakistan cricket team Younis khan said here on Saturday that he can back his decision of retirement from twenty20 cricket if people insist.In an exclusive talk with Geo News, Younis Khan said that he had accepted the captaincy in the past on public demand and if the people still insist him to continue as captain of the twenty20 team he would be ready for this in the interest of his nation and the country.

New South Wales to approach Afridi

2009-06-23T09:43:00.002-07:00

SYDNEY: Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi who guided Pakistan to glory in the ICC World Twenty20 in England may soon receive an offer to play in Sheffield Shield for the Australian domestic side New South Wales.The 29-year-old cricketer helped Pakistan win their first major title in 17 years by beating their sub-continental rival Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final at Lord's on Sunday."He is clearly one of the world's best Twenty20 players, but also he would be a valuable addition to our dressing room, our young players would learn a lot from him."We would certainly consider if he could be used for other formats," a NSW Cricket official was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.Afridi put up an excellent all-round performance during the tournament, scoring 176 runs in seven matches, which included two half-centuries and also scalped 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.32.If the deal materialises, Afridi would become one of the high-profile players to join an Australian side, after NSW's selection of Kiwi Brendon McCullum for last season's Big Bash final against Victoria, the report said.

I’m proud of my WC performance: Akmal

2009-06-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

KARACHI: Wicketkeeper batsman of Pakistan cricket team Kamran Akmal said that he is proud of his performance in the World Twenty20 Cup.In an exclusive talk with Mansoor Ali Masood of Geo News, Kamran Akmal congratulated the nation on Pakistan victory in the World Cup.He said that special tips from Wasim Bari before the mega event played an important role in enhancing his game.

Sharapova, Federer happy to go green

2009-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

LONDON: Marcelo Rios famously decried Wimbledon's manicured lawns as being fit only for cow fodder while an armada of Spanish men once set sail for Europe's beaches to escape the brief grasscourt season.But for Maria Sharapova, Wimbledon means being able to cook her own breakfast while Roger Federer enjoys Centre Court's appreciation for a point well-played."It feels like this is where tennis is meant to be played. It feels very traditional," said Sharapova, the 2004 champion."We only play a couple tournaments on grass. When you get on it, it's just a feeling of excitement because I've definitely had wonderful memories here and good results ever since I was a junior. Winning definitely helps."It's also the little things like living in a house, having a normal key instead of the hotel key, cooking your own breakfast, making your own tea. It's a little homely."

Younis Khan receives hero's welcome in Karachi

2009-06-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

KARACHI: A jubilant crowd gathered at Jinnah international airport to greet Pakistan cricket team’s skipper Younis Khan.Younis’ family members, friends and large number of cricket lovers were present at the airport to welcome victorious captain. Fans showered flower petals as soon as Younis came out from the airport. They chanted sologans in Younis Khan and Pakistan’s favour. Younis at this occasion avoid media.

Holder Venus cruises through opening match

2009-06-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Wimbledon champion Venus Williams eases through to the second round of the women's singles with a comfortable straight sets victory over Swiss teenager Stefanie Voegele under beautiful blue skies on Center Court.full story

Watch Andy Murray's interview with CNN
Watch Tim Henman's interview with CNN

Win, best father’s day gift: Afridi’s father

2009-06-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

KARACHI: Pakistan's swashbuckling all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Monday became the toast of the troubled nation after his performance with both bat and ball lifted his team to World Twenty20 success.

The 29-year-old rose to the occasion at the tournaments' key moments, with successive half-centuries in the semi-final and final and taking three crucial wickets -- performances which earned him two man-of-the-match awards.

Afridi hit an unbeaten 54 to help Pakistan successfully chase down a modest 139-run target set by Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's on Sunday.

Hundreds of fans gathered on Monday at Afridi's house in the southern port city of Karachi, keen to congratulate his family.

‘I am the proudest of all the Pakistani fathers because my son has given me the best gift on father's day,’ said Afridi's father Sahibzada Fazl-ur Rehman.

‘What I always tell him is that he should play for the country and for the people who adore him. I am elated that he gave the whole nation moments of happiness,’ Rehman added.

Afridi, who hails from the tribal Khyber district in the North West Frontier Province, is the most popular Pakistani player, especially among ethnic Pashtuns in the northwest area troubled by Taliban-linked violence.

‘I am really happy, Afridi played an excellent innings. I feel proud of my country,’ said Abdul Jalal, a young student displaced by fighting in the northwest who is now living in a cramped refugee camp.

Afridi is equally popular in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city.

‘We are delighted for the Pakistan team winning the cup and the joy is doubled because Afridi was man-of-the-match,’ said Shirin Khan, a vendor who sells tea in the commercial Saddar area.

When not playing cricket, Afridi works with the Islamic Relief Fund and often visits the United States to drum up funds for people displaced by Taliban violence and army offensives in his insurgency-stricken home region.

‘Why is he the most popular Pakistani player? He has a heart of gold ... so apart from his cricketing abilities he is loved for his deeds,’ said Khan.

The all-rounder also helped with relief work in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, visiting far-flung areas with aid workers.

‘Whenever I have time, I go for relief work and it gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction. It touches me how people suffer and if I can do anything for them it's great,’ Afridi has said.

Afridi's batting form had dwindled since the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago where he finished as ‘player of the tournament.’
Pakistan, however, lost the final to India by a five-run margin.
He was also part of Pakistan's team which lost to Australia in the 50-over World Cup final at Lord's in 1999.

World champions return home amid tight security

2009-06-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

LAHORE: Hundreds of fans waiting for the return of the Twenty20 World Cup-winning Pakistan team at Lahore Airport were left disappointed in the early hours of Tuesday after security officials bypassed the well wishers and whisked the squad away from another terminal.
‘We changed the (travel) plan due to security reasons and drove players and team officials in a bus to the National Cricket Academy,’ police official Umar Virk told media, who did not mention any specific threat to the team.
Fans started to gather at the airport hours ahead of the 3:30 a.m. arrival time after watching Pakistan win the inaugural T20 World Cup by eight wickets over Sri Lanka in the final at Lord’s on Monday.
The excited fans – mostly youngsters – danced to the beat of drums and chanted slogans ‘Pakistan zindabad’ (long live Pakistan) before they realised the cricketers had already left from another terminal.
‘Our hearts are broken as we could not greet our heroes,’ 20-year-old Danish Shams said.
‘We came here only to have a glimpse of them, but now the police officials are saying that they (players) have already left in a bus.’
Zeeshan Qaiser, another fan said he was ‘deeply hurt’ after not getting to welcome of any of the Pakistan team.
‘Not only me, every one present here is hurt,’ he said. ‘We just wanted to have a glimpse of them, we are tired from shouting slogans in praise of them and now they didn’t show up.’
An official of the Pakistan Cricket Board said that four players – captain Younis Khan, final’s man of the match Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam and Abdul Razzaq – did not accompany the team to Lahore and will be arriving later.
The Pakistan players were elated over their victory – the country’s biggest since winning the 1992 World Cup – but were also disappointed that fans could not greet them at the airport.
‘I apologise to the whole nation as a large number of people kept waiting for us at the airport, but we could not come out due to security reasons,’ left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir told local media after arriving at the cricket academy amid tight security.
Coach Intikhab Alam described the victory as the ‘best gift’ for the nation after a long time, but said it was ‘unfortunate’ that fans could not greet their heroes.
‘People have not slept for the last two days, but unfortunately such things do happen and I want to thank them,’ Alam, who was also the coach of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup team, said.
‘We should win more laurels for the country and I don’t think we can give a better gift than this to the whole nation.

Dilshan's superb innings of 96

2009-06-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

A superb innings of 96 from Tillekeratne Dilshan sent Sri Lanka into Sunday's World Twenty20 final with an emphatic 57-run semifinal victory over West Indies at The Oval on Friday.

pener Dilshan faced only 57 balls in his knock, the highest of the tournament to date and third-highest total in Twenty20 international history, as he led Sri Lanka to 158 for five having been inserted in by West Indies captain Chris Gayle.
It took his tally for the tournament to 317 runs in six matches, the most in the competition, and set up a meeting with Pakistan at Lord's on Sunday -- three months after Sri Lanka's team bus was attacked by terrorists in Lahore on its way to the Gaddafi Stadium for the second Test.
The finale to the competition is bound to be emotional for both sides, but particularly so for Sri Lanka after several of their players suffered injuries in the attack.

The West Indies were always up against it on Friday as three wickets from Angelo Mathews in the first over of their reply, at the cost of a single run, put Sri Lanka firmly in control.
Muttiah Muralitharan weighed in with three wickets of his own while Ajantha Mendis recorded remarkable figures of 4-0-9-2 as the Windies were bowled out for just 101 -- only five runs more than Dilshan scored on his own. Afterwards the match, captain Sangakkara was full of praise for Dilshan, telling reporters: "I've run out of superlatives to describe him. He's been a pioneering strokemaker in the T20 World Cup.
"The best thing about him is over the past year-and-a-half is he has understood his role, he has become very responsible and very mature, and has finally come to understand just how just good he is."

Pakistan, Sri Lanka rise again in World T20 final

2009-06-20T07:06:00.001-07:00

LONDON: Pakistan and Sri Lanka will contest the World Twenty20 final at Lord's on Sunday.Pakistan, who beat favourites South Africa by seven runs in Thursday's semi-final, have bounced back in style at this tournament.They will face unbeaten Sri Lanka in the final after their Asian rivals thrashed the West Indies by 57 runs at the Oval on Friday.Despite the events in Lahore, Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said relations between the two sides had remained friendly."What Lahore really brought home to us was we are just the same as anyone else," he said.Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 19 runs in a Super Eights match earlier at this tournament but Sangakkara said: "We've played Pakistan many times before but in T20 you must take every game in isolation. Different players come into form at different times."Hopefully, we can put in a good performance and walk away with a trophy."The dangerous Shahid Afridi produced a brilliant all-round display in Pakistan's semi-final triumph, scoring 51 and then taking two wickets for 16 runs with his leg-spinners."He is a guy who can take the game away in few overs, but we can't just concentrate on him," said Sangakkara.In Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, Sangakkara has two star spinners of his own although Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal should not be disregarded."Mendis, the way he's bowled in the middle overs had been a charm," Sangakkara said. "Even Pakistan watch him closely, they know he can get their wickets."Sri Lanka's semi-final victory was built on a brilliant innings from Tillekaratne Dilshan, the leading scorer at the tournament with 317 runs, who carried his bat for 96 not out in a total of 158 for five.Then came a sensational first over in the West Indies' reply, which saw seam bowler Angelo Mathews take three wickets as Xavier Marshall, Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Bravo all played on for ducks.Chris Gayle made 63 not out but none of the West Indies captain's colleagues could stay with the left-handed opener long enough to mount a serious chase as Sri Lanka won with 14 balls to spare.Dilshan decided not to employ the 'Dilscoop' shot where he flicks the ball over the wicket-keeper's head and settled for more orthodox strokes."Now we've one more match, hopefully I can stay strong. I think I'll keep the paddle for the final," Dilshan explained.Sangakkara, who said he expected something special from veteran batsman Sanath Jayasuriya in the final, added: "I have run out of superlatives for Dilshan. He is a pioneer stroke-maker in Twenty20."The best thing is that he understands his role and has become very responsible and mature. He has finally understood how good he is."And as for Mathews, the captain said: "It's Mathews's first major international tour and you can't ask for much more than three wickets in the first over."Now we will take this confidence into the final against Pakistan."Pakistan, who lost by just five runs to arch-rivals India in the inaugural 2007 World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg, are desperate to go one better this time.The dark horses of this tournament, they have justified veteran coach Intikhab Alam's belief that they would be at their best when it mattered most."We want to make people back home happy," Pakistan captain Younus Khan said. "Winning the title will mean a lot to them and that will inspire us in the final. One more game and the World Cup will be ours."West Indies captain Chris Gayle said: "You couldn't ask for a better final, they are two quality teams."

Younis wants to win T20 World title for Woolmer

2009-06-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

Nottingham, June 17: Just two wins away from the title, Pakistan skipper Younis Khan is determined to claim the Twenty20 World Cup for their former coach Bob Woolmer, who died in mysterious circumstances after the team’s loss to Ireland during the 2007 ODI World Cup in the Caribbean.“He was an inspiring person, a father figure for me and the team. We all still miss him and if we win the World Cup I will dedicate that final game to him,” Younis told reporters ahead of their Thursday`s semifinal against South Africa.Younis followed Woolmer’s advice in their final Super Eight match against Ireland by shuffling the batting order. He had sent Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi up the order in their comfortable 39-run win against the minnows.
“I learned a lot of things from Bob and he was always flexible, especially in the batting order. I thought we needed a couple of in-form batsmen for big games like the semi-final and final,” he said.Younis admitted that Pakistan are slow starters but felt his side was peaking at right time.“Everybody knows we`re slow starters. We take some time and we need some time for ourselves and now we are just two wins away from winning the World Cup,” he said.“I still believe we were 20 runs short (against Ireland). It would be good if we could put 180 or 200 on the board because in the semifinals there will be good teams against us and it`s not possible to win all the time scoring 150,” he added.

Sri Lanka and South Africa favourites for final

2009-06-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

London, June 17: In keeping with a captivating tournament where sustained excellence has been consistently rewarded the Twenty20 World Cup semi-finalists have been the best teams in the competition.South Africa meet Pakistan in Nottingham on Thursday followed by Sri Lanka against West Indies at the Oval on Friday. The final will be staged at Lord`s on Sunday.A Sri Lanka-Pakistan final would provide an emotional climax to the tournament following the armed attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March. Captain Kumar Sangakkara was one of six Sri Lanka players wounded by a small group of heavily armed men who killed six Pakistani policemen and the driver of the bus carrying the match officials.
The more likely outcome is an enticing clash of cultures and styles between the innovative and intelligent Sri Lankans and the rigorously drilled and athletic South Africans.After grinding their way to a narrow victory over New Zealand in the first round, South Africa have gone from strength to strength.They cover all bases in attack and defence with high pace from Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell, effective spin from Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe, sharp fielding and lengthy batting headed by Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.Kallis epitomises the team`s ambition and spirit. Derided as too conservative for one-day cricket, he has proven an effective opening partner for captain Smith and at 34 he is bowling with the zest of a man 10 years younger.Sri Lanka, as they did in the 50-over game at the 1996 World Cup, are setting the pace in Twenty20 cricket.

Indian squad for WI tour announced; key players missing

2009-06-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

Indian squad for WI tour announced; key players missing

Mumbai, June 17: The Indian cricket selectors on Wednesday announced the team for the upcoming tour of the West Indies. While master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and ace paceman Zaheer Khan have been rested, the selectors have recalled left arm seamer Ashish Nehra in the 16 member squad. Virender Sehwag, who could not take part in the T20 World Cup in England due to a shoulder injury has been ruled out of the team while Suresh Raina has also been left out due to injury.Abhishek Nayar is the only new face in the team. Team India is scheduled to play a four match ODI series in the West Indies, beginning June 26th.The entire team is as under:MS Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Ashish Nehra, M Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, Abhishek Nayar, Ravindra Jadeja.

Man Utd start against Birmingham

2009-06-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

Man Utd start against Birmingham
Manchester United open the defence of their Premier League title against newly promoted Birmingham at Old Trafford as the 2009/2010 fixtures are announced.

Sri Lanka cruise into semi-finals

2009-06-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

Sri Lanka cruise into semi-finals
Sri Lanka thrash New Zealand by 48 runs at Trent Bridge to reach the semi-finals of the World Twenty20.

Watch Live GEO Super

2009-06-10T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wait 1 to 2 minute to view. Double click to view in full screen mode

Katsidis still wants Hatton fight

2009-05-07T04:43:00.000-07:00

Australian Michael Katsidis could still fight Ricky Hatton in Manchester later this year, Katsidis's manager tells BBC Sport.
Beaten Hatton to consider future

Italian Open leaderboard

2009-05-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

This week's European Tour event is taking place at Royal Park I Roveri in Turin.

Ivanovic suffers defeat in Rome

2009-05-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic suffers a setback in her preparations for the defence of her French Open title as she is knocked out of the Italian Open.

Young hopeful on Shanklin injury

2009-05-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

Dai Young is confident Blues centre Tom Shanklin will recover from a dislocated shoulder in time to be fit for the Lions' tour of South Africa.
Blues 26-12 Dragons
Video - Shanklin injury mars Blues victory
Cardiff chief unsure over Shanklin injury

Badminton to celebrate 60 years

2009-05-07T04:32:00.000-07:00

Badminton celebrates its 60th anniversary with the return of reigning world champion Zara Phillips.
Badminton 60 years on

Drogba rages at ref for Euro exit

2009-05-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba labels referee Tom Henning Ovrebo a "disgrace" after the Blues miss out on a Champions League final place at the hands of Barcelona.
Poll dismisses conspiracy theories
Pique plays down ref influence
Referee got it wrong - Hiddink
Lampard queries ref's decisions

Live text - England v West Indies

2009-05-07T04:27:00.000-07:00

Play resumes after bad light stops play on day two of the first Test between England and West Indies at Lord's.
Live TMS commentary
Match scorecard