Younis wants captaincy till 2011 World Cup, more powers to retract resignation

arachi, Oct.16 (ANI): Enraged Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan, who resigned from the post earlier this week, has said that he would take back his resignation only after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) extends his tenure till the 2011 World Cup, and is given more powers as the skipper of the national squad.

During a meeting with PCB chief Ijaz Butt, Khan made it clear that he would roll back his resignation only if the board gives him a guarantee that he would not be sacked from captaincy until the 2011 World Cup.

Khan also stressed that he wanted more powers as a captain of the national team to ensure better results.

According to sources, Khan wants Butt to give the team management and the players a clear message that the Board will continue backing him as captain even in difficult times.

"What Younis wants is an end to all this uncertainty. He wants the players and the officials to know that he is their captain for at least the next two years so that they can stop conspiring against him," The News quoted sources, as saying.

Khan had tendered his resignation on Tuesday during a National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports hearing that was held to discuss the performance of the squad in the recently concluded ICCChampions Trophy in South Africa.

The PCB, however, later rejected his resignation, but not before the game's image was tarnished in the country yet again. (ANI)

For the Delhi team, it is all in the names

New Delhi, Oct. 16 -- Imagine a match where a 'Tower' comes to bowl, a 'Nariyal' is standing at the long on, a 'Chops' telling a 'Darshi' to come a little forward and a 'Jannu' or 'Bishtu' is behind the wicket. And then, there is the 'Brain' behind the whole experiment.

Any guesses?

These are the nicknames given to the Delhi players currently practicing at St. Stephens, Mori Gate in the ongoing Ranji camp. Ishant Sharma, standing tall at 6'4'', is the 'Tower' of the team while Aakash Chopra is 'Chops'.

So just what prompted this rather novel idea? For the answer, look no further than the 'Brain', coach Vijay Dahiya. "This is just for fun, we as a team are a very happy bunch and this is just another experiment, nothing serious about it," he said.

"We as a team are a very happy bunch and this is just another experiment, nothing serious about it."

Questions abound as Dravid is axed

Kolkata, Oct. 15 -- The India squad selected on Thursday for the first two ODIs against Australia is balanced but not without anomalies. Spotted a contradiction? You won't if you are familiar with the way Indian cricket runs.

About the good things first. Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh are back. With a certain Gautam Gambhir in the mix to go with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, that comprises a formidable batting line-up.

Problem is, even taking into consideration the batting abilities of allrounder Ravinder Jadeja, in terms of back-up there is just Virat Kohli. Will that be enough?

And why drop Rahul Dravid after digging him out of nowhere? The BCCI isn't exactly forthcoming with answers.

Another question is why have five medium-pacers in the XV. By naming Sudeep Tyagi in the squad, the quintet of selectors have unfurled a surprise that might catch the Australians unawares as well.

The other and more significant question is about Ishant Sharma. Last year, when Australia came over for a four-Test series, his presence was a major factor behind India's success. The same can't be said now because the 21-year-old has been overused since. Couldn't he be rested?

Here's hoping Ishant won't become the beast of burden from a promising, young bowler, contradicting the concept of preserving the ones of his kind. He has lost pace, everybody knows. Why risk losing more of his other qualities? The poser may have been dealt with but the answer certainly hasn't been made public.

There is also the curious case of Dravid. His exclusion is probably with an eye on the future. So why was such a retrograde step was taken in the first place.

Why was Dravid chosen for the trips to Sri Lanka and South Africa? Anomalies in selection? Well, they will exist. Dhoni & Co should still look forward to deliver the best. The selectors meet again in Nagpur on the day of the second ODI.

BCCI gives Robin, Prasad the boot

New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- In classic Board of Control for Cricket in India fashion, two integral members of the coaching staff - Venkatesh Prasad (bowling coach) and Robin Singh (fielding coach) were sacked with immediate effect on Thursday afternoon.

The Board did not offer any reasons for the sacking, and typically, did not even inform its two employees directly that they had been sacked.

With the seven-match ODI series against Australia starting just 10 days later on October 25, the Board's sudden move is baffling, to say the least.

"The decision was taken by office bearers of the Board on Wednesday and then put forth to the president and secretary, who ratified it," a senior Board official explained to the Hindustan Times.

He also confirmed that neither captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni nor coach Gary Kirsten were consulted in the matter. "The decision was taken based on the team's disappointing performance in the Twenty20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy."

Another source revealed that sections of the Board were irked by the fact that Robin and Prasad had continued involvement with IPL teams, and this was a practice they wanted to discourage.

Another sticking point was their demands that they be given contracts and a pay structure in line with Kirsten's.

The official added that the Board planned to fill the vacancies in due course, but possibly not before the Australia series had ended.

In the past, the Board has often preferred to handpick and appoint candidates rather than seek applicants and conduct an interview process.

Shockingly, both Prasad and Robin never received written contracts from the Board, despite asking for them repeatedly since they were appointed in 2007.

The two were on retainers and were appointed often on a series-by-series basis. In the period between 2007 and Kirsten's appointment in March 2008, they served alongside a series of 'cricket managers' including Ravi Shastri, Chandu Borde and Lalchand Rajput when India won a Test series in England, the World T20 in South Africa, the Perth Test and its first-ever triangular series ever on Australian soil.

It's particularly galling that the Board handled two of its former cricketers (between them, Prasad and Robin represented India 331 times) in such a shoddy manner, not even granting them the of a phone call explaining why they had been sacked.

"I am deeply disappointed and hurt by the way in which it has been handled," Prasad told HT. "All I can say, with a clear conscience, was that I gave it my hundred per cent, and I wasn't short on either commitment or effort." At the end of the day the Indian team will be minus two coaches when they take on the world's best team in 10 days' time.

'I still hope to play in Champions League'

Riddled with injuries to their foreign players even before their Champions League campaign began, Delhi Daredevils's stand-in coach David Saker had called for the domestic players to rise to the occasion.

Reeling at 47/4, with all the big names back in the dug out, Mithun Manhas answered his coach's call, steering his team towards a decent score against Victoria Bushrangers in their opener.

Just as Manhas got his eye in, a hamstring pull forced him to bat with a runner for the rest of the innings. Although he top-scored in a losing cause, Manhas's injury has made his availability doubtful for the rest of the tournament.

"The injury did occur at the wrong time. If not for the injury then maybe we could have topped the group and gone in with the advantage of carrying points into the next round," the 30-year-old said speaking to Sportline.

"Injuries are a part and parcel of the game and I am taking it in my stride. I see it as a part of life and hopefully the recovery is on its way," the batsman said.

Although Manhas sat out for the crucial fixture against Wayamba, he is hopeful that exercise and physiotherapy will get him back in the middle before tournament's conclusion.

"To be honest, I do hope to play a part in the Champions League once again despite the injury. I have been regularly hitting the gym and am also undergoing intense physiotherapy and rehabilitation with Daredevils physio Justin Steer. He has been a great help," he said.

This hope of recovering in time has seen Manhas fly with the Daredevils for the second round of the event.

"I will be travelling to Bangalore with the team and am not completely out of the picture. It's all about how fast I recover. I am feeling much better now," Manhas said.

With the selections already underway for the Delhi Ranji Trophy team, Manhas believes that his fitness will not be a hindrance for that long.

"I don't think I will be missing out on the Delhi camp. My injury should be ok in about a week or so. I will be completely alright by the time the Champions League ends to get started with the Ranji Trophy build-up," he said.

Even though he has led his state side for a few years in the past, Manhas feels that captaincy will be an exciting challenge if the selectors turn in his direction.

Praveen hopes to swing it in favour of Bangalore

In the Royal Challengers' dressing room, they call Praveen Kumar the street-smart swing master. But ask the pacer about his skills and he gives a simple explanation. Pointing his index finger to his temple he says with a big smile, "It is all here."

The day before the national selection committee meets to pick the ODI squad for the home series against Australia also happens to be the eve ofRoyal Challengers' Super 8 game against Victoria but there are no signs of anxiety on the face of the goofy pacer.

He doesn't indulge in false bravado that is generally associated with pre-match talk nor blows his own trumpet as many do before selection day; instead Praveen speaks about the new skills that he aspires to inculcate.

"I'm learning to bowl dot balls in final overs as it is very important in crunch games," he says. Praveen goes on to add how Venkatesh Prasad, India's bowling coach and also the man in-charge atRoyal Challengers, has been helping him.

"Venky bhai says, you can't be Imran or Akram in one day. He is right, one needs to work hard everyday to master the swing. Every day I try to learn something new. People say that I am fooling around as I always have a smile on my face. But I am very serious about my cricket," he explains.

Plan in hand

Praveen says that for a bowler like him, it is very important to have a plan all the time, especially in T20. "You know batsman will go after you, so one has to be ready all the time. Take the pace of the ball and try something different," he says.

Besides Prasad, Praveen gets advice from other seniors in the Royal Challengers' dressing room.

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis too gave some words of wisdom to Praveen.

"I'm not a bowler who can bowl at 140 kph consistently. So the other day Kallis told me to work on my shoulders so that I can generate more pace," he says.

Praveen says that the real test for a bowler is in the slog overs.

"When the ball is new it is easy to swing it. Moreover, there is not much pressure on bowlers since it is expected that the batsmen will hit big shots in the early overs. It's not easy to bowl last two overs of any game, you know batsmen will go after you," he says.

Devendra Pandey

Ready for the backlash, says Ganga

Hyderabad, Oct. 13 -- It doesn't take long to figure out that Trinidad & Tobago mean business. Business the way they do in the Caribbean anyway.

On a high after a 44-run victory over Somerset, as soon as the team unpacked at the Uppal stadium on Tuesday ahead of a Group A contest against theDeccan Chargers, the first thing they removed were not the bats but their footy shoes.

An hour of football, a victory dance by the winners and a lot of fun later, they got down to some hitting on the pitch. Right now, they are the most comfortably-placed team in their group, but they do not want to take chances.

"The last thing we want is people choking on a big occasion," captain Darren Ganga said about his team's animated practice session on the eve of the game. "We wanted the guys to take it easy. They are very relaxed at the moment. We play a lot of football and handball during practice sessions because that's the best way to build team spirit."

If not as famous as Usain Bolt, T&T have a world class 'celebrator' in Dave Mohammed. The slow left-arm bowler, who caused all sorts of problems for Somerset on Monday, has his ways of celebrating a wicket.

"We like people to express themselves," said Ganga.

About the match, Ganga said they'd be treating it as a 'final.' He said, "We will use the positives from the last match."

Deccan Chargers lose to Trinidad and Tobago, fail to qualify for Super Eight

Hyderabad, Oct 15 (IANS) Indian Premier League champions Deccan Chargers were knocked out of the Champions League Twenty20 after going down to Trinidad and Tobago by three runs in a last-over thriller here Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 150, Deccan Chargers lost their way in the death overs and finished at 146 for nine.

It was the second loss of Chargers in the tournament. England side Somerset and Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the Super Eight stage.

The see-saw match was set-up for a final over finish with Deccan Chargers needing eight runs, but Dwayne Bravo (3-24) once again gave the finishing touches, bowling a perfect last over to see the team through.

The first two balls went for three runs, before Bravo bowled RP Singh with his fourth delivery. Fidel Edwards was run out in the next ball and Tirumalsetti Suman (9 not out) was left to score 5 runs in the last ball.

Chargers were going strong when skipper Adam Gilchrist (51) and Rohit Sharma (25) were batting. The duo helped the home team recover from three for 30 and added 55 runs in quick time. Gilchrist stroked six fours and two sixes before Kieron Pollard took a brilliant diving catch at the deep to end his innings. Sharma followed next and the Trinidad and Tobago came back into the match.

Venugopal Rao made a quickfire 30 off 19 balls hitting two sixes, but his and Scot Styris' dismissal once again tilted the scales in favour of Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad skipper Darren Ganga made some smart bowling changes that worked well for the team. The visitors kept up their pressure on the lower order batsmen who looked a bundle of nerves.

Earlier Trinidad and Tobago, asked to bat first, put up a challenging total with some vital contributions from the lower order.

William Perkins made 32 and together with Darren Bravo put up 34 runs for the second wicket. Denesh Ramdin (15), Pollard (31 off 14 balls) and Sherwin Ganga all chipped in to give a late thrust to the score. R P Singh took three for 32.

IPL champions Deccan ousted from Champions League

Hyderabad: Reigning IPL Champions Deccan Chargers crashed out of the Champions League after suffering a narrow three-run defeat against Trinidad and Tobago in their do-or-die Group A match here today.

The see-saw match witnessed pulsating action till the last ball at Rajiv Gandhi stadium.

Chasing 150 to win, the hosts could manage just 146 for nine in their stipulated 20 overs. The hosts required eight runs off the last over but they had no recognized batsman at the crease and the tail-enders could fetch only four runs.

The victory of the Caribbean side also cleared the entry of Somerset into the quarter-final league from group A. Deccan had lost their first match to the English County Somerset early in the event. Skipper Adam Glichrist (51), Venugopal Rao (30) andRohit Sharma (25) batted well for their short knocks but that proved insufficient to pull through their side.

Opting to field, hosts did well to restrict Trinidad and Tobago to 149 for seven. William Perkins top scored for the Carbbean side with his 38 (32 ball, 6X4) at the top and Kieron Polard played a blazing 31 off 14 balls down the order.

Polard uncorked some lusty shots towards the fag end to lift his side to a competitive total, hitting four sixes in his crucial cameo. Fidel Edwards, who was barred from bowling in the last match for firing two beamers, made amends by taking three wickets forDeccan Chargers.

Sourav Ganguly to play practice match for Bengal

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly will play a practice match for Bengal before the team departs for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 (East Zone) tournament in Dhanbad.

"Bengal will play two practice matches among themselves on October 16 and 18. Ganguly will play the second match on October 18," chairman of Bengal selectors Sambaran Banerjee said. The Bengal left-hander had earlier given his consent to play for Bengal in a few Ranji Trophy matches.

He will also represent Bengal in the one-dayers for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Ganguly is expected to return as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of the Indian Premier League scheduled to be held from March 12-April 25.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla will lead Bengal who will play Assam to open their zonal Twenty20 campaign in Dhanbad on October 21 followed by their match against Jharkhand the next day. On October 23, Bengal will take on Orissa, while they face Tripura on the next day.

Trinidad and Tobago set 150-run target for Deccan Chargers

Hyderabad, Oct 14 (IANS) Trinidad and Tobago set a winning target of 150 runs for Deccan Chargers in a Group A match of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket match here Thursday.

The West Indian team made 149 for seven in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.

William Perkins scored 38 off 32 balls while Kieron Pollard made 31 off just 14 deliveries.

Pacer Fidel Edwards took three wickets for 32.

Top 20 cricket websites | Full2Cricket

1. Stick Sports

What used to be known as Stick Cricket has branched out to include Stick Football, Tennis, Baseball and Motorsports as the world’s most addictive online game threatens to infiltrate every sport on the planet. Stick Cricket, though, remains the best of the lot. The World Domination game will have you glued.

2. ESPNCricinfo

The world’s most popular cricket website - and rightly so. Its stats database remains one of the best tools for uncovering vital nuggets of information for any Test match ever played. Elsewhere, news, features, blogs, ball-by-ball coverage and archives keep the site unrivalled from any oncoming competitor.

3. The Corridor

Run by a former Cricinfo employee who brings cricket’s intricacies and nuances to life. One of the longest-running blogs, its success came off the back of the 2005 Ashes when blogging was still in its infancy. Occasionally adds humour away from cricket by expressing views on Britain and world politics.

4. Cricket 365

Has been a mainstay on the internet with little change over the years. Good global news service and easily navigated. Site is enhanced by fun features including cricketing lookalikes, daily quiz and its popular Soap Box.

5. Cricket World

The magazine may have dwindled, but its website keeps readers widely informed on the world game. Popular forum suggests significant users from the sub-continent. Gives decent coverage to women’s game and has its own audio and video coverage.

6. Line and Length

The best cricket blog out there by a distance, written by The Times staffer Patrick Kidd. The PG Wodehouse-loving Kidd mixes his wit, wisdom and understanding of the game to great effect, posting musings on current state of English cricket as well as delving into the sport’s rich history.

7. Full2Cricket.Com

This is a blog for cricket strategics, News, Updates, Tips, Tricks, Information, Latest Scheduled, Tours etc.Guest contributions to This blog are most welcome. Contribute to this blog if you have something constructive or intelligent to say about Indian also world cricket.

8. Cricket Archive

Independent and comprehensive cricket archive with “details of as many matches, players, grounds, leagues, tournaments etc as possible”. Its Player and Scorecard Oracle is thorough.

9. King Cricket

One of the current leaders in cricket blogging, its views are unlikely to see it welcomed into the MCC World Cricket Committee anytime soon. King Cricket is a highly knowledgable poster who mainly deals in humour and the appreciation of Rob Key. Became Wisden Cricketer’s first ‘best of blogs’ winner.

10. Cricket With Balls

A no holds-barred site and does what it says on the tin. Has a classic Heroes and Villains section dealing with a plethora of cricketers, from Sourav Ganguly to Rikki Clarke. Well worth visiting regularly.

11. After Grog Blog

Could only be written by an Australian, who offers his own forthright insights on the international game with more than the occasional dig at the Poms.

12. Are you a left-arm Chinaman?

Hasn’t been as prominent in 2009 as in previous years, but came to the fore during England’s tour to New Zealand when Morph-style videos were posted of each day’s play using plasticine as players. In similar vein to King Cricket for its comedy values.

13. Cricket Web

Unheralded website which grows in quality each year. Written by a multitude of cricket tragics, focusing on features, Fantasy Cricket and an exhaustive section on cricket book reviews.

14. Caribbean Cricket

The independent voice on West Indian cricket. Invariably deals with the latest rumblings surrounding the West Indian Cricket Board, sponsor deals and disgruntled players. Its popularblog usually garners some great rants from long-suffering supporters.

15. Test Catch Cricket

Second to Stick Cricket for addiction and to relieve boredom. Don the wicket-keeping gloves to catch the ball before it smashes your screen.

16. Wisden Cricketer

The sport's fabled magazine of the same name took a while to build its own website. However, no qualms over its current state which is full of the magazine's content, blogs and a detailed microsite for the much-admired npower Village Cup.

17. How Stat

Another stats-based site run by Aussie archive aficionados. Prides itself in upcoming milestones and recent records. A must if you want to get one over your mates.

18. Test Match Extra

Relatively-new cricket site, featuring contributions from writers on the English domestic circuit and opinion from Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Jonathan Agnew and Vic Marks. Will be interesting to see how the site develops.

19. Beige Brigade

Prominent for its refreshing pranks and bets, notably former Kiwi opener Mark Richardson running in his Beige Brigade lycra suit. Read the story to date and peruse photo galleries of recent and past tours.

20. Lord’s

The home of cricket is a must for England fans looking to bag seats for the first Test of the summer. Lords.org gives information on every aspect of the famous ground – includinghonours boards – although with all its history, the site is not yet exhaustive.

PCB hopes Khan resumes captaincy | Full2Cricket

Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt will attempt to talk Younis Khan into resuming the captaincy, after quitting in protest at allegations of match-fixing.

"I have planned a meeting with him in a couple of days and I hope to convince him," Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Butt told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Khan resigned Tuesday soon after a Pakistan parliamentary standing committee on sports exonerated the Pakistan team of match-fixing charges during the recentChampions Trophy.

"Younis gave me the resignation when I was leaving in my car (after attending the meeting), but I have not accepted it," Butt said.

The PCB chief said Khan was disturbed by the allegations which first surfaced in Indian media soon after Pakistan lost the Champions Trophy match against Australia.

Later, the chairman of the parliamentary committee Jamshed Dasti also alleged that Pakistan deliberately lost to Australia in order to prevent India qualifying for the semifinals.

"Younis' life got disturbed after these false allegations, his family members _ including his brother _ are also not talking to him," Butt said.

The parliamentary sports committee frequently summons PCB officials, but only has only the power to give recommendations to the prime minister and the president.

"It is their (parliamentarians) right to ask questions from us, but my only request to them is they should not call up players," Butt said.

"We (the PCB officials) are more than willing to attend such meetings and answer their questions."

Pakistan is scheduled to play three one-day and two Twenty20 games against New Zealand early next month in the United Arab Emirates before playing three tests in New Zealand.

"Younis has done a tremendous job over the last eight months and we really want continuity in the team," Butt said.

Pakistan won the Twenty20 World Cup under Khan's captaincy before the Pakistan skipper quit from the shortest form of the game and Shahid Afridi was made Pakistan's T20 captain.

Disputing West Indies parties make peace | Full2Cricket

By Simon Evans

MIAMI (Reuters) - The bitter dispute between West Indies players and officials, which led to a strike by senior players, has come to an end, according to a joint statement by the two parties released on Tuesday.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), who have been at loggerheads over players' contracts, payments and image rights, among other matters, said in the statement that "all outstanding matters in dispute between the two bodies have been settled amicably".

"Both parties are pleased that the agreement reached creates an environment to engage in building a genuine partnership that can ensure the long term development and progress of West Indies cricket," read the statement.

Although the two bodies said that issues relating to the one-day series with India earlier this year would still be referred to arbitration, they intend to begin talks on a long term deal to cover future tours.

The long-running conflict between the players and the board escalated in July when the selected squad for the two-test series with Bangladesh boycotted it in protest over payment and contractual matters.

Although the senior players, including top run getters Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and captain Chris Gayle, made themselves available for the subsequent one-day series with the Bangladeshis, while the WIPA entered talks, they were not selected.

A makeshift West Indies team, having lost the test and the ODI series to Bangladesh, was then sent to the Champions Trophy in South Africa, losing both their games in the group stage.

West Indies begin a tour of Australia next month and play the first test in Brisbane on Nov. 26.

Zaheer to play in West Zone T20 league | Full2Cricket

Mumbai: Ace speedster Zaheer Khan, who underwent a shoulder surgery in mid-July, is to return to cricket action during the West Zone Twenty20 league to be held at Pune from October 20-25.

Khan was today named in the 15-strong Mumbai squad, to be led by Wasim Jaffer, along with young wicket keeper batsman Aditya Tare who earned his berth after hitting a century in the under-22 tie against Karnataka here yesterday.

Khan was in the Mumbai Indians camp that was held recently at Vadodara and started bowling there.

The Mumbai T20 squad is: Wasim Jaffer (c), Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Ramesh Powar, Abhishek Nayar, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Sushant Marathe, Siddharth Chitnis, Aditya Tare, Dhaval Kulkarni, Saurabh Netravalkar, Abhishek Raut, Ankit Chavan, Iqbal Abdulla.

Coach: Pravin Amre.

We will convince Younus to take back resignation: PCB

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board is confident that Younus Khan will take back his resignation as the decision was made in the heat of the moment.

Younus today left captaincy after being called to explain match fixing allegations on him.

"I think rig

ht now Younus is very upset and he has taken his decision because he is hurt. But I am confident that after a few days he will reconsider his decision," Wasim Bari, PCB chief operating officer, said.

"I am confident that we will be able to convince him to take back his resignation. Younus is a very emotional person as we have seen in the past.

But he will be convinced to take back his resignation," Bari added.

The former Test captain also made it clear that the Chairman of the Board Ejaz Butt had not accepted Younus' resignation as yet.We will convince Younus to take back resignation: PCB

This is not the first time that Younus has resigned to protest against something.

In 2006 just before the Champions Trophy in India, he had resigned to protest the behavior of former PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan but was later convinced by new Chairman Nasim Ashraf to take back his resignation.

We have not accepted Younus Khan's resignation: Butt | Full2Cricket

Karachi: PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt today said the Board has not accepted Younus Khan's resignation from the post of skipper and the matter will not be discussed in the governing council, rather he will discuss it personally with the 'hurt' player.

Butt told PTI that he would meet Younus in the next two or three days to have a detailed talk with him.

"Younus is a man of integrity and he is very hurt by the remarks credited to the NA body Chairman. But even today when he gave me his resignation I didn''t accept it and I told him thrice I am not accepting it because I see it as an emotional decision from him," he said.

Butt made it clear that it was a wrong impression that he had said that Younus' resignation would be discussed at the governing council meeting on October 19. "I am the supreme authority in the Board and I appoint the captain.

So I will sort out this issue myself. I will meet Younus and will hopefully we will convince him to take back his resignation," he said.

Butt also felt that the Jamshed Dasti, Chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sport, adopted the wrong method to express concerns over match-fixing reports.

"This body is a representative body of the government and has every right to question us if they feel something is wrong in Pakistan cricket.

But I think the method they adopted to raise this issue was not right. It hurt players' integrity.

"He said the Chairman and members of the NA body had later clarified at the hearing that they had no intention of hurting anyone and had trust in Younus and the team.

Champions League: Eagles eliminate Sharks in Super Over | Full2Cricket

New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) Fast bowler Cornelius de Villiers bowled a sensational Super Over as Diamond Eagles qualified for the next stage of the Champions League Twenty20, knocking out Sussex Sharks in a thrilling Group B match at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Tuesday.

After Diamond Eagles set a target of 10 runs, De Villiers rattled the stumps off Dwayne Smith and Rory Hamilton Brown in successive deliveries in the Super Over as Eagles qualified for the league stage.

Chasing 120 to win, opener Rilee Rossouw struck a flamboyant 65 off 62 balls and Ryan McLaren (17 not out) hit a last ball four off Yasir Arafat as Eagles made 119 for four in 20 overs and tie the match.

In the Super Over, Man of the Match Rossouw hit a huge six off Arafat as Eagles made nine runs. But it was all over for Sussex in two balls as De Villiers bowled an impeccable line to knock off the stumps.

The credit, however, should be given to the 20-year-old Rossouw, who completely dominated the innings with some crispy shots. His matured innings was studded with seven fours and two sixes as Diamond Eagles looked on course for an easy win.

Spinners Piyush Chawla and skipper Michael Yardy bowled a tight line to keep Sussex in the hunt. Chawla picked up two for 17 from his four overs while Yardy gave away just 13 runs from his quota to set-up a tight finish.

Eagles needed 12 runs off the last over and Ryan hit two fours in the last three balls to raise their hopes of staying alive in the tournament.

Opting to bat first, Sussex Sharks batsmen paid the price of reckless batting as their innings folded up at 119 for seven in 20 overs. Joe Gatting was the top scorer with 25 off 22 balls while Ed Joyce made 21.

Sussex made a bright start with the Luke Wright blasting 19 runs off 12 balls. The all-rounder whacked the first ball he faced for a huge six over bowler Victor Mpitsang.

In the next over, Wright smashed De Villiers for a six and four in consecutive deliveries before being bowled. Wright's dismissal triggered a collapse as the English county team lost four wickets for just 26 runs.

New South Wales is the other team from the group to qualify for the next stage.

India Green caught Red-handed | Full2Cricket

Nagpur, Oct. 10 -- Shreyas Manohar, a ninth standard student, gave running commentary of an imaginary match between Australia and India at the VCA Stadium here. Words flew fluently from the youngster's mouth.

Inspired by Tony Greig, Shreyas wants to follow in the footsteps of Harsha Bhogle. He sought advice from TV commentators here on how to go about it and improve further.

As much as Shreyas was fluent, the scene in the middle was just the opposite on Friday afternoon.

The Suresh Raina-led India Green's batting performance against Red was nothing but lackadaisical.

The captain himself played an irresponsible shot. Trying to pull Munaf Patel early and missing the angle of the delivery, he was bowled in the 14th over.

The approach of the other Green batsmen was similar, allowing the Red bowlers to show impressive figures at the end of the innings.

India Green made a disappointing 223 for seven, 17 fours and two sixes making up 35 per cent of the total.

India Red openers Shikhar Dhawan (68) and Murali Vijay (104) made light work of the

target, helping the team win by eight wickets in 38.4 overs. Their 155-run partnership helped their side win with a bonus point, having met the target inside 40 overs, and enter Sunday's final with 5 points. They will face Saturday's winner between India Blue (4 points) and Green (-1 point) in the final.

Vijay, whose only Test appearance was at the same venue against Australia last year, has only enhanced his claims for an ODI slot against Australia later this month.

But the question is where to slot him? His fourth List A hundred is proof good enough to show that he is suitable for the limited overs too.

Crowds keep away from cricket, cheer for Bipasha

New Delhi, Oct. 10 -- Friday night fever was failing to grip the Delhi crowd at the Ferozeshah Kotla. But then, something magical happened. Queen of hearts and our very own billo rani, Bipasha Basu, took the field soon after the one-sided match between the New South Wales Blues and Diamond Eagles got over. Wearing a pink dress, the Bong bombshell had the fans screaming. Amazingly, even a star likeBrett Lee wasn't cheered as much as Bipasha. And we live in a cricket mad country! Bips was here to wish the Delhi Daredevils team, who were warming up for their game, all the best. Call it a co-incidence or shall we term it a promotional gimmick, her upcoming movie too is called All The Best. Good job Bips!

ICC announces World Cup 2011 groups | Full2Cricket

Dubai, Oct 7 (ANI): The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced the groups for the 2011 World Cup to be held in the sub-continent.

India is placed in Group B along with South Africa, England and the West Indies. Netherlands, Ireland and Bangladesh were the other three teams in India’s group.

While, Pakistan is staying in ‘Group A’ along world champions Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada. (ANI)

GROUP A:

Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada

GROUP B:

India, South Africa, England and the West Indies. Netherlands, Ireland and Bangladesh

Selectors plan to rest senior Pak players against NZ | Full2Cricket

Karachi: Feeling let down by the senior players in the ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistani selectors are contemplating resting some of them and drafting in new faces in the one-day series against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said the selectors would be sitting down to finalise the team for the ODI series after the second round matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy are completed.

"That is why we have asked all the senior and Pakistan team players to play in the Quaid Trophy, it is mandatory," Qasim, a former Test spinner, said.

Pressure has mounted on the board and selectors to look at fresh blood after the inconsistent form of senior players including Imran Nazir, Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Gul.

The success of youngsters Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer has bolstered the argument that Pakistan cricket is in dire need of fresh blood.

But Qasim said the selectors would not panic and start dropping the senior players.

"That is not going to happen but yes, we do want a gradual induction of some new players and we also want to have another look at players who have been dropped from the team recently," he added.

India Blue pip India Red by one wicket | Full2Cricket

Nagpur: Suresh Kumar scored a match-winning 87 to help India Blue beat India Red by one-wicket in a nail-bitting contest at the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy cricket tournament here today.

Suresh first shared a crucial 57-run fourth wicket stand with pinch-hitter Harbhajan (36 off 36) and then added 55 alongwith Mahendra Singh Dhoni (37 off 40) to set the platform for the run chase.

Out-of-form Ishant Sharma and leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja were the pick of the bowlers for India Red.

Ishant answered his detractors in style, picking up four wickets for 56 runs from his 10 overs, while Jadeja scalped two victims, giving away 36 runs.

Earlier, riding on Harshad Khadiwale's 51-ball 55 and Ishant Jaggi's 54, India Red posted a competitive 248 runs on the board.

For India Blue, Ashok Dinda and Harbhajan Singh picked up three wickets apiece, giving away 52 and 40 runs respectively to bowl out the Red team in 44.4 overs.

India Blue's run chase, however, did not start on a good note as they lost their first three wickets with team score at 49.

But then came in Harbhajan, who used his long handle to great effect and together with Suresh set the stage for the others to follow.

Harbhajan was the aggressor among the two as he found the fence six times, while Suresh struck seven boundaries and a six in his 113-ball innings.

Kumble blames poor fielding for defeat

Bangalore: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble held his team's poor fielding responsible for the five-wicket defeat against Cape Cobras in the opening Champions League Twenty20 Group C match here.

A disappointed Kumble also heaped praise on J P Duminy, whose brilliant unbeaten 52-ball 99 saw the South African team through in the first match of the USD six million tournament.

"When you have 180 on scoreboard, it's always disappointing to lose. JP Duminy batted really brilliantly.

We dropped number of catches that might be one of the reason, but there are other things to be looked after," Kumble said after the match yesterday.

"The ball was coming lot quicker on the pitch. We thought that the pitch may play slower and it will spin later, but Duminy put up a great fight," he added.

Deccan Chargers lose T20 practice match | Full2Cricket

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) XI today defeated Indian Premier League-II winners Deccan Chargers in a Twenty20 practice match by six wickets with nine balls to spare at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here.

Chasing the target of 161, HCA XI made 162 for four in 18.3 overs with important contributions from Anirudh Singh (75), Arjun Yadav (26) and S Anoop Pai (25).

Deccan Chargers made 161 runs for six in 20 overs with the help of some good batting from VVS Laxman (48) and Scott Styris (49).

Butt unhappy with Sindh minister's comments on umpiring

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt has expressed displeasure over the comments made by senior Sindh minister Muhammad Ali Shah, who accused India of influencing umpires to get the country ousted from ICCChampions Trophy semi-final.

"It is true that one or two decisions didn't go in our favour. But we can't protest because the International Cricket Council works under a system which all the member boards, including Pakistan have accepted," Butt said on his return from South Africa yesterday.

Butt said that the ICC had its own system of holding an inquiry if there was some glaring umpiring mistakes in a match and Pakistan was one of those countries who have accepted the system.

"The ICC formally complained to me about Shah's statement and asked me that if he has any evidence of any hanky panky taking place in the semifinal he should produce the same to the ICC. That is why we have asked Shah to give an explanation in writing within three days," Butt said.

Shah, who is also the President of Karachi City Cricket Association and a member of the PCB governing council, was earlier showcaused by the cricket board after the ICC took exception to the statement.

PCB Chairman also rubbished the match fixing allegations doing the rounds.

Daredevils plot a Victorian ambush

New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- They have tasted the shami kebabs, the dal frys and the biryanis. But the Victoria Bushrangers, in town for over a week now, will get a real taste of Delhi when they take on the Daredevils in their first match of the Champions League Twenty20 on Friday.

Let's get real. They might not have met each other on the field before, but both teams should know each other inside out.

After all, the two coaches, Greg Shipperd (Victoria) and David Saker (Delhi), have worked with each other's team, pacer Dirk Nannes, who has played all his club cricket for Victoria, will be plotting their downfall along with his Delhi teammates, and both teams gave some very exciting domestic players.

But yes, who can forget the heavyweights, the ball-bludgeoners in the Dilli team? From our very own fully explosive, and now fully fit, NawabVirender Sehwag, the world's best Test batsman at the moment, Gautam Gambhir and that maverick, Sri Lankan Tilakratne Dilshan, Delhi sure look like they mean business.

As for the bowling, Ashish Nehra and Nannes will undoubtedly make for a pataka pace factory.

The Victorians will bank on the experience of captain and Australia's new star Cameron White, the old head of Brad Hodge and the all-action approach of David Hussey.

This tournament with a fat paycheque of $6 million, however, is also a chance for the domestic players to earn a sliver of the limelight. Let's give them some space too.

These almost-there men like the ever-dependable Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia for the Daredevils and power-hitters Aiden Blizzard, Bryce McGain are some of the jewels for Victoria.

During a nets session on Thursday evening, Saker, who could know more than a few Victoria secrets, said the match would be intense.

"I know a lot about the Victoria team and Shipperd knows a lot about Delhi. It is going to be a very tricky situation," he said.

Shipperd, meanwhile, was pinning his hopes on the young Victorians. "It is our one big opportunity. We have the younger boys who are desperate to play their best," he said.

So will the daring Delhi devils down the desperados from Victoria?

We don't know. What we do is, Friday is going to be a good night.

Blues v Diamonds

One can give the opponents some 'Blues' and the other is like uncut diamonds. Billed as title contenders, the New South Wales Blues will look to get off to a flying start against the Diamond Eagles from South Africa. For the Eagles, captain Boeta Dippenaar will look to give the team the perfect flight. Playing first on the Kotla wicket, the match could pull off a few surprises.

Lee loves life in the fast lane | Full2Cricket

India, Oct. 9 -- Brett Lee loves to bowl fast. And he doesn't want to make any compromises.

Looking a fatigued man on Thursday morning after the long journey from South Africa after the Champions Trophy, Lee said he would not cut on his pace for anything. "I enjoy bowling fast and it means a lot to me to be the world's fastest bowler."

"If you think I will bowl outswingers at 130 kph, sorry that's not going to happen. If it happens that I am not going at 150 kph, then I will think of an alternate plan," said Lee, who joined his team New South Wales Blues for the Champions League on Thursday.

Lee also said that despite the age factor and injuries, he still has it in him to carry on with the game.

"I have worked very hard to reach this level. Even at 30 I love and enjoy cricket. As long as I have the fire in the belly I will keep going," said Lee.

On playing for the NSW Blues, Lee said it would bring back fond memories.

"It is my home team. I will try to give my 100 per cent. I have so many fun memories with team."

"This team is a very strong and sound side. I have a lot of faith in them," he added.

Talking about the lucrative Champions League, Lee stressed on the importance of 'proper research'. On the T20 format of the game, the Aussie speedster said: "There was a time when parents took their kids to Tests. And now, kids take their parents to Twenty20 games."

Injury-depleted Australia team for India

Michael Clarke and Callum Ferguson will be missing from Australia's Champions Trophy-winning one-day squad when it visits India for seven limited-overs internationals later this month.

Australia beat New Zealand by six wickets in South Africa on Monday to become the first team to retain the Champions Trophy title. Vice-captain Clarke was sent home from that series with back soreness, while veteran paceman Nathan Bracken (knee) and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (broken finger) were also sidelined.

Young batsman Ferguson picked up a knee injury during the series and will receive treatment in Australia.

All four were missing when the squad for the India series was announced Friday, making room for 22-year-old left-arm spinner Jon Holland to gain his first selection and a recall for Shaun Marsh.

Ricky Ponting will be captain and Mike Hussey his deputy for the series, which starts Oct. 25 at Vadodara and finishes Nov. 11 at Mumbai.

Tim Paine, who stood in for Haddin as wicketkeeper after Australia lost the Ashes test series in England, held his place in the squad on the back of some solid ODI performances in the 6-1 series win over the English, then theChampions Trophy.

Selectors are "delighted with Australia's recent success at the ICC Champions Trophy, which came off the back of a very solid ODI series performance in England," selection committee chairman Andrew Hilditch said in a statement. "To reclaim our No. 1 world ranking was recognition of this squad's recent achievements but we recognize we have to continue to improve and to establish a winning culture within this young group of players on tough tours, like this, to India.

"We expect the Indian series to be extremely testing, but the young squad is looking forward to the challenge."

Hilditch said Marsh deserved a recall after recovering from a hamstring injury, having previously been a key contributor to the one-day team. Holland was in the squad for experience, both within the Australia team and in Indian conditions, after impressive performances in a recent Australia A series against Pakistan.

Australia squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Mike Hussey (vice-captain), Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Trescothick named players' player of the year

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON (Reuters) - Somerset opener Marcus Trescothick was named English cricket's player of the year by his fellow professionals on Thursday after another prolific batting season.

The former England batsman scored 2,934 runs in all cricket, including 1,817 first-class runs at an average of 75.70.

Trescothick, who will take over the Somerset captaincy next season, had already won the Most Valuable Player award, which was given automatically on a points tally secured by his runs but Thursday's honour was the result of a vote by his fellow professionals in the Professional Cricketer's Association.

Leicestershire's 19-year-old batsman James Taylor, who also topped the 1,000 runs mark, was named the young player of the year.

Champions League Scoreboard: Royal challengers vs Cape Cobras

Bangalore, Oct 9 (IANS) Scoreboard of the Champions League match between Royal Challengers and Cape Cobras here Thursday.

Royal Challengers:

Jacques Kallis c Canning b Langeveldt 8

Robin Uthappa c Gibbs b Zondeki 51

Rahul Dravid run out (Philander/Canning) 28

Virat Kohli st Canning b Henderson 17

Ross Taylor not out 53

Manish Pandey not out 10

Extras (lb 4, w 9) 13

Total (for four wickets in 20 overs) 180

Fall of wickets 1-14 (Kallis, 2.6 ov), 2-82 (Uthappa, 10.5), 3-97 (Dravid, 12.6), 4-115 (Kohli, 15.2)

Bowling

Charl Langeveldt 3 0 12 1 (1w)

Rory Kleinveldt 4 0 45 0 (1w)

Vernon Philander 2 0 21 0 (1w)

Monde Zondeki 4 0 39 1 (1w)

Claude Henderson 4 0 34 1

Justin Ontong 3 0 25 0 (1w)

Cape Cobras:

Andrew Puttick c Kohli b Kumar 11

Herschelle Gibbs c Boucher b Kumar 0

Henry Davids c Kohli b Vinay Kumar 27

JP Duminy not out 99

Justin Ontong b van der Merwe 19

R Canning c Kumble b Kumar 20

R Kleinveldt not out 5

Extras (b 1, lb 1, nb 1) 3

Total (for five wickets in 19.4 overs) 184

Fall of wickets 1-5 (Gibbs, 0.6 ov), 2-14 (Puttick, 2.4), 3-62 (Davids, 7.6), 4-103 (Ontong, 12.2), 5-164 (Canning, 18.2)

Bowling

Praveen Kumar 4 0 32 3

Jacques Kallis 2 0 18 0

R Vinay Kumar 3.4 0 40 1

Anil Kumble 4 0 35 0 8.75

RE van der Merwe 4 0 34 1

Virat Kohli 2 0 23 0

Toss: Royal Challengers Bangalore, who chose to bat

Points: Cape Cobras 2, Royal Challengers Bangalore 0

Man of the match: JP Duminy (Cape Cobras)

Umpires: BG Jerling (South Africa) and R Tiffin (Zimbabwe)

TV umpire: SK Tarapore

Match referee: S Venkataraghavan

Duminy stars in Cape Cobras victory over Royal Challengers

Bangalore, Oct 9 (IANS) J.P Duminy smashed 99 off 52 deliveries as Cape Cobras scored a thrilling five wicket victory over Royal Challengers in the opening Champions League match here Thursday.

The South African team, chasing 181, stunned the home crowd as they reached the target with just two balls to spare.

After the sparkling fireworks at the spectacular opening ceremony, Duminy provided the entertainment with the bat taking his team home single handedly. The next best contribution for Cobras was 20 runs from R. Canning.

The start of Champions League was reminiscent of the inaugural Indian Premier League match at the same venue where Royal Challengers lost the opener to Kolkata Knight riders after a similar enthralling knock that came from Brendon McCullum. Tonight Royal Challengers were at the receiving end of a Duminy onslaught. He stroked five sixes and six fours.

Royal Challengers, however, would have thought that they have enough runs on the board.

Robin Uthappa (53) and Ross Taylor (51 not out) scored belligerent half centuries after skipper Anil Kumble chose to bat. Uthappa after being dropped on 18 hit seven fours and two sixes while Taylor provided the late thrust to the innings hitting four fours and two sixes in just 24 balls.

The Cobras contributed their part in Challengers innings, dropping some easy catches as they looked nervous while playing in front of a packed stadium.

The start of the chase was also not great and Cobras were soon reduced 62 for three. Herschelle Gibbs edged Praveen Kumar behind in the first over before captain Andrew Puttick gave a leading edge to point. Henry Davids played some impressive strokes but Vinay Kumar removed him.

Duminy remained calm and waited for the opportunity to strike the boundaries. He got a life when Taylor dropped him, and then took time to unleash his array of shots.

He raced to 50 in 30 deliveries even as Challengers kept themselves in the hunt, but they too dropped some catches.

The game was wide open when the Cobras required 61 off six overs. Duminy stepped up the attack and hit Kohli for for 13 in the 16th over. Kumble and van der Merwe faced the heat and were struck for big sixes.

He then struck two successive boundaries off Praveen Kumar in the 19th over and that eased off the pressure. With nine required in the last over, Duminy hit Vinay kumar for a six, but took a run in the next ball. R. Kleinveldt scored the winning runs and Duminy remained a run short of a deserving century.

Duminy helps Cape Cobras beat Bangalore

Brilliant JP Duminy struck 99 runs in 52 balls to help Cape Cobras stun Royal Challengers Bangalore by 5 wickets in a Champions League Twenty20 match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Unbeaten Duminy hammered 8 fours and 5 sixes in his match-winning innings.

Chasing a huge 181, Cape Cobras lost flamboyant opener Herschelle Gibbs for a duck to Praveen Kumar in the first over. Kumar then removed skipper Andrew Puttick for 11 runs for the second jolt.

However, Duminy held the wicket at one end and continued to play freely and single-handedly took the Cobras home.

Earlier, Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor scored quickfire half-centuries as Royal challengers set Cape Cobras a victory target of 181 runs in the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 match.

After electing to bat, Royal Challengers scored 180 for four in their allotted 20 overs.

Uthappa knocked 51 runs off 39 deliveries while Taylor remained not out for 53 in 24 balls. Rahul Dravid contributed 28 runs.

Anil Kumble won the toss and elected to bat against Cape Cobras in the inaugural match.

Champions League will boost club cricket, says Lalit Modi

Bangalore, Oct 8(ANI): Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi on Thursday said that the launch of the league matches would lead to a rapid growth of the game at the club level around the world.

Talking to media in Bangalore before the start of the Champions League, Modi said: "Launch of the Champions League definitely is going to result in growth of club level cricket. It has been there, but it will lead to a rapid growth of club cricket around the world."

In the inaugural match of the Champions League, which will be held at Bangalore, the host team Royal Challengers will take on Cape Cobras.

The league will witness 12 teams of which three are Indian squads, sweating it out for the trophy by contesting against world's best domestic teams.

On being asked whether the tournament earnings will be donated for flood relief operations in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Modi said that they have been discussing it with their counterparts in Australia and S, outh Africa and a decision as to how the flood victims could be helped would be known in the coming days.

"The objective (aid of flood and drought victims) is yes. This is a calamity that has hit our nation and we will seriously examine it and how we can give back to the community and our people. This is something that is on the cards for discussion in the next few days," Modi said. (ANI)

WSG signs up Gambhir in a three-year deal

Mumbai: Indian opener and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Gautam Gambhir has been signed up by leading Asian sports marketing firm World Sport Group for three years.

The exact figures that the left-handed Delhi cricketer would reap from the deal with WSG, which has Sachin Tendulkar among its clients, were not mentioned in the statement issued by the company, but it’s understood to be worth in crores.

WSG CEO Venu Nair said Gambhir is the second Indian cricketer after champion batsman Tendulkar to be signed up by the group. “Gautam Gambhir – India’s opening batsman in all forms of the game currently adds a left hander dimension to the master right hander we already represent. The association is a long term one and is for Gautam’s worldwide representation rights,” Nair said in a media release.

“In the last year or so, with the advent of the IPL, players and their earnings are at the centre of all the media attention. Truth be told, the scale of the IPL notwithstanding, the real heavy hitters among the cricketers are still driven by endorsements and salaries constitute a relatively smaller portion of their income.”

“Recognizing this, and building upon the solid body of work we have done with Sachin Tendulkar, World Sport Group has in India added a second cricketer to its portfolio,” he said.

President declares ICC Champions Trophy 2009 a huge success

ICC President David Morgan today termed the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 that has just concluded in Johannesburg as "a huge success" and has praised the efforts of the large number of people who made it possible.

Mr. Morgan said he was pleased that the short and sharp event had been appreciated by the players, spectators and other observers.

"I'm delighted with the quality of the tournament and the level of cricket that has been played throughout this competition. It has been a huge success," said Mr Morgan.

"The cricket was enthralling and the feedback on the event from the players and followers of the game has been overwhelmingly positive. I believe the cricketing world thoroughly enjoyed this re-branded competition as I did.

"I think it's fair to say that, we have been royally treated over the past 14 days in Johannesburg and Pretoria which provided five-star facilities for the players and spectators at The Wanderers and Centurion. The players brought this tournament alive with their passion, commitment and will to win," Mr Morgan said.

"The level of organisation and the praise the event has received from the all the top cricketers speaks volumes of the success of the event. I think most experts of the game and the opinion-makers are now convinced the ICC Champions Trophy definitely has a place in the cricket calendar.

"It also gives me immense pleasure to say the quality of cricket we have seen in the last 14 days proves that 50-over format can comfortably co-exist with the traditional five-day Test and the short 20-over formats.

"In that light I would like to congratulate Ricky Ponting's side for successfully defending the title. Congratulations are also due to New Zealand which played excellent cricket and despite missing top players due to injuries produced excellent performances to reach the final.

"The spirit in which the games were played was magnificent with no instances of players overstepping the mark of what is deemed acceptable behaviour in our great game. England captain Andrew Strauss recalling Angelo Mathews and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori withdrawing the run-out appeal against Paul Collingwood reflect the spirit in which the matches were played.

Royal Challengers to take advantage of home support: Kumble

Bangalore, Oct 6 (ANI): Royal Challengers skipper Anil Kumble today stated that his team would take advantage of home support during the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) tournament.

The Champions League T20 tournament will commence from Thursday (October 8).

Kumble, while addressing a news conference in Bangalore on Tuesday ahead of forthcoming league, said that it has been more than a year since the team has played together.

“It has been a while since Royal Challengers have played in Bangalore. It’s almost a year now…. more than a year. Everybody is looking forward to that and we will certainly take advantage of the home support,” said Anil Kumble.

Kumble further said that as such League tournaments are squeezed in between the international tournaments; they are forced to go with the format of the games.

“Whether you take IPL (Indian Premiere League) or Champion’s League, it’s invariably squeezed in between international tournament. So you can’t really do much. Whatever possible time that you have, you would like to regroup and go ahead. So it’s just the format of the game, you can’t do much about that but we are happy with the way things are,” said Anil Kumble.

The league will see 12 teams of which three teams are Indian sweating it out for the trophy with world’s best domestic teams participating.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will take on Cape Cobras in the opening match of Champions League T20.

The final match will be held on October 23. (ANI)

‘Losing Vettori was a huge blow to us’

Centurion, Oct. 7 — If the loss of Daniel Vettori was one of the major factors that set New Zealand back in the final, the other was the performance of stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum. A quick duck and a crucial dropped catch meant McCullum could well be blaming himself for the way things went.

“Losing Dan was a huge blow,” McCullum said. “He has been instrumental in the way he has performed both with bat and ball, and also his captaincy. He is a huge player that we all look to for not only performance but also inspiration. To lose him was disappointing.

“The dropped catch was obviously crucial. The score was roughly 40 at that time. If I had grabbed it, it would have been three for 40. Had we got another couple of quick wickets at 5 for 100, we certainly would have been right on top at that stage. Any time you drop a catch is crucial, and that certainly was as well. No one tries to drop catches. But unfortunately, one went down today and I was responsible for it.”

That Kiwis even got as far as the final, particularly after injuries ruled out Jesse Ryder, Jacob Oram and Daryl Tuffey early in the competition, was a major achievement. “It’s certainly a step forward for us,” said McCullum. “We have had a tough time in the last couple of years — not just losing players here through injury but also retirements and obviously the ICL as well. But what that did was give other guys opportunities. Now as a squad of 20-25 players, we have guys capable of performing on the international stage, a number of match-winners within the group.

“Whilst we are disappointed with what happened today, we are certainly proud of what we have achieved. We are proud of the desire and the passion that the team has shown through some tough times. If we can continue to capture that in tournaments and series that we play, this team will certainly move forward.”

Shane & his gain from IPL

The much-maligned Indian Premier League, blamed for a plethora of injuries to players from around the world received a most ironic endorsement at the end of the Champions League. Shane Watson, who has suffered more through injury and been in and out of the team since his debut seven years ago, emphatically credited the IPL as the turning point in his career.

Watson, who scored back-to-back tons in the semifinals and final of the Champions Trophy, spoke honestly about different things in his career. “There no doubt that the IPL is what has got me back on the field,” said Watson.

“That’s what really got my confidence up. It also got me back in the Australian team quicker than I thought. The IPL was a massive turning point in my career. It has helped me in bigger games as well to control my emotions.

“The IPL played a big role in my development. I’d been in and out through injuries and it came along at the perfect time. It was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever been involved in, but today is another amazing opportunity as well.”

Watson admitted earlier that he had lost it mentally on big occasions but this time around there were no slip-ups. “The thing I have learned playing in the bigger games so far is that in the end, it is just another game,” he said. “Today, to be involved in such a great win is one of the better feelings I have had in my career as a group because for us to come together with so many more inexperienced players compared to teams I have been lucky enough to play with in the past is very, very special for everyone in the team.”