1st Test: Australia elect to bat against India

NEW DELHI: Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and opted to bat in the opening Test against India at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali on Friday.

Team India had serious major concerns ahead of the first Test with Harabhajan Singh rendered a doubtful starter, but the key spinner is fit to play.

Dhoni, who has just returned from South Africa after playing in the Champions League Twenty20, will also have to switch quickly to Test mode for the series which coincides with the Commonwealth Games from October 3 to 14 in Delhi.

The same is the case for Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina, who is set to play his third Test, though another CSK member Murali Vijay is expected to sit out.

With Mohali pitch predicted to be on the slower side with low bounce after heavy rains this monsoon season, slow bowlers, especially Harbhajan would be crucial to India's scheme of things.

In case of the feisty off-spinner's absence, who normally reserves his best against the Australians, Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra will have to take charge of the slow-bowling department.

On the other hand, Australia captain Ricky Ponting hopes to end his dismal run with the bat in India with an impressive performance in a two-Test series.

Ponting, who averages 54.66 overall, has rarely tasted success in India during his illustrious career.

Squad:

India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Cheteshwar Pujara, Murali Vijay.

Australia (from): Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Peter George, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Marcus North, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Shane Watson, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson.

Read more: 1st Test: Australia elect to bat against India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/australia-in-india

Skipper Butt dragged me into spot-fixing, Amir tells PCB

In what has come as a shock to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), budding fast bowler Mohammad Amir has said he was lured and dragged into spot-fixing by suspended Test skipper Salman Butt.

The young left-arm pacer is at present under suspension by the ICC for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord's last month. So are Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Sources in the PCB said that Amir had told chairman Ijaz Butt that he never wanted to be part of this "business" (spot-fixing) but was forced into it by Butt and Asif. "Aamir had gone to Butt and claimed he was innocent and a victim of the 'seniors' power lobby' in the team," a source said.

Another source revealed that Amir, regarded as one of Pakistan cricket's most promising young talent, had told manager Yawar Saeed about the pressure being exerted on him by Butt.

"Amir's claim is that he did what he was told to do. He is claiming innocence now and says he didn't even know Mazhar Majeed before Majeed was introduced to him by Butt and Asif," the source said.

Quite a few former Test captains, and even Pakistan's former President, Pervez Musharraf, have urged the ICC to show leniency towards Amir, all of 18. But chief selector, Mohsin Khan said he didn't agree with the viewpoint that Amir should be shown leniency because of his age.

"I don't buy this argument because if you can do something wrong at 18, you can keep on doing it later as well. If these three players are found guilty, they should be punished, including Amir," Mohsin had said.

The chief selector insisted that no cricketer was indispensable and there should be no compromise on discipline and commitment towards your team and country.

"Amir must be punished if he is guilty. I just hope that these three are eventually cleared because they have already damaged the reputaion of Pakistan cricket and the country," Mohsin said.

http://cricket.yahoo.com

Chennai Super Kings beat Warriors to win Champions League T20 title

JOHANNESBURG: Chennai Super Kings crushed the Eastern Cape Warriors by eight wickets in the final of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.

Spin bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan set up the win as the Warriors were restricted to 128 for seven in 20 overs.

Chennai opening batsmen Mike Hussey and Murali Vijay put on 103 for the first wicket without needing to take any risks.

The result was never in any real doubt although there were only six balls to spare when captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning runs.

The win earned Chennai a $2.5 million jackpot and completed a notable double after they won the Indian Premier League earlier this year. The Warriors took home $1.3 million.

Yet the Warriors got off to a flying start, with captain Davy Jacobs hitting 34 off 21 balls after winning the toss.

The South African team raced to 39 for no wicket in the first four overs before Ashwell Prince was bowled by Doug Bollinger for six.

Jacobs was out in the next over when he missed an attempted reverse sweep against Ashwin and was leg before wicket.

After that the scoring rate slowed to a trickle. Ashwin, the top wicket-taker in the tournament, took two for 16 in his four overs and fellow off-spinner Muralitharan took three for 16.

Jacobs hit eight boundaries but the rest of the batsmen could only manage five fours and a six between them, with two fours and a six hit by Craig Thyssen off successive balls in the 17th over.

Vijay made 58 and Hussey 51 not out as the methodically chased down the Warriors total.

Vijay, who finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer, had two let-offs, both from Mark Boucher, the most experienced player in the Warriors team.

The South African Test wicketkeeper missed an edge off Rusty Theron when Vijay was on 15 and fumbled a stumping chance off left-arm spin bowler Nicky Boje when the batsman had scored 34.

TOI

Harbhajan Singh doubtful for Mohali Test

MOHALI: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been advised rest by doctors here following a MRI test done on him for a calf injury on Monday evening.

Though the Indian cricket team management has not yet taken a decision, Harbhajan Singh could be a doubtful starter for the first Test match of the India- Australia Test series beginning at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here October 1.

The bowler had come to the Fortis Hospital here after he felt some discomfort due to a calf injury after the practice session with other team mates, hospital sources said.

After initial examination, he underwent the MRI test following which he was advised rest for the next few days, the hospital sources added.

TOI

Board President's XI bowlers finally come good

CHANDIGARH: After being outplayed for the better part of the first two days, there was some consolation for the Board President's XI on Tuesday, with their bowlers coming good and Ajinkya Rahane hitting a fluent ton as the three-day tour game against Australia ended in a draw.

However, Australia more then served their purpose of getting a feel of conditions ahead of the first Test, with Shane Watson getting centuries in both innings, the top order firing in unison and the faster bowlers too getting into rhythm.

India opener Gautam Gambhir, who was hit on his wrist by a rising Ben Hilfenhaus bouncer on Sunday, did not take the field, raising doubts over his fitness. However, the doctor attending him here said it was just a precautionary measure and there was nothing to worry about.

In the morning, Australian seamer Ben Hilfenhaus scalped 5-47 to skittle BP XI out for a paltry 177. Gambhir's men could only add 34 runs to their overnight total before the Aussie pacers ran through the tail. Piyush Chawla's brisk 82 (103b; 10x4, 3x6) was the only saving grace in their effort.

Batting second, Australia couldn't quite make use of the time they earned by dismissing BP XI cheaply. Promoting himself to open with Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (9) struck two crisp bounderies before mistiming a pull shot off Jaidev Unadkat to Umesh Yadav at square leg. After their poor show in the first innings, the Indian bowlers came up with an improved performance, not allowing the Australian batsmen to score freely.

However, Shane Watson continued his good form and slammed his second century of the match. The Queenslander clobbered an unbeaten 104 (121b; 18x4) which should give the Indians enough reason to worry.

Piyush Chawla finally extracted good turn from the flat turf to scalp 3-64 while Pragyan Ojha, Jaidev Unadkat and Umesh Yadav picked up one wicket each as the visitors declared at 187/6. Chasing an improbable target of 516 runs in 41 overs, BP XI scored 174 without losing any wicket as Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara frustrated the Australian bowlers.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan (5) retired hurt after a Hilfenhaus bouncer hit him close to his ear, but thereafter Rahane and Pujara stitched 165 runs together as the Aussie bowlers failed to repeat their first-innings performance. Rahane remained unbeaten on a classy 113 (141b; 18x4, 1x6), clobbering the Aussie spinners, while Pujara justified his selection in the Test squad by scoring 52 with the help of nine boundaries.

Brief scores: Australians 505/8 decl (Watson 115, Katich 104 retd*, North 124 retd*) and 187/6 decl (Watson 104*, Chawla 3-64) drew with Board President's XI 177 (Chawla 82, Hilfenhaus 5-47) and 174 for 0 (Rahane 113*, Pujara 52*)

TOI

ICC unhappy with Tony Hill's comments

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rebuked New Zealand umpire Tony Hill for publicly airing his belief that Pakistan players deliberately bowled no-balls, a report said Friday.

Hill and compatriot Billy Bowden officiated in Pakistan's Test against England at Lord's last month, which is at the centre of newspaper allegations of a betting scam in which no-balls were bowled to order.

Hill told Wellington's Dominion Post this week that he suspected Pakistan bowlers sent down no-balls on purpose against England last month but did not link the tactic to corruption.

Radio New Zealand on Friday said the ICC had reprimanded Hill over his comments and told him not to discuss the matter further until investigations were complete.

The ICC has suspended Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer as it investigates the corruption claims, first published in Britain's News of the World newspaper.

Hill told the Dominion Post that during the match he and Bowden discussed the possibility that Aamer and Asif were deliberately bowling no-balls by overstepping the crease.

But he said they thought it was simply a tactic to unsettle in-form England batsman Jonathan Trott, rather than anything to do with betting.

AFP

BCCI admits Pathan approached by a stranger

NEW DELHI: The Cricket Board on Friday admitted that Irfan Pathan was approached by a "stranger" a few years back and said the discarded pacer had done the right thing by informing it to the team manager.

Pathan did not disclose when exactly the incident happened and which team he was playing against at that time but said expensive gifts were sent to his hotel room during a series, reportedly in Pakistan in 2006, and he brought the matter to the team manager's notice.

"I was in a team hotel when a stranger approached me. He sent three expensive gifts to my room. He later sent me two more expensive gifts. I thought it was wrong as I didn't know this person. I reported to the team manager who then alerted the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit Officer," Pathan said.

BCCI Finance and Media Committee Chairman Rajiv Shukla said Pathan had done the right thing by informing the matter to the team management.

"That's the normal procedure. What he (Pathan) had done was a normal procedure," Shukla said when asked about this.

"If any stranger approaches any player they should be very careful. I think Irfan has done the right thing (by reporting to the team management," he added.

Shukla said that Indian players have been given awareness sessions by the ICC ACSU on how to go about it if they are approached by strangers.

"We keep on organising sessions by ICC Anti-Corruption Unit for the benefit of players. There they are taught that they should be away from such things ... if any stranger approaches them to offer some consideration ... they should maintain a distance from that person and report it (to the team management)," said Shukla.

"Players worldwide can be approached but it is the players job to maintain distance from these people," he said.

Pathan said he never saw the "stranger" again and is proud to have reported the matter to the concerned authorities promptly.

"I haven't seen the stranger since then. I think I have done the right thing and I am proud of it. As a player you are expected to report any such thing as per the code of conduct," said the 25-year-old, whose last Test appearance for India was in April 2008 against South Africa.

Pathan's disclosures came amid the raging spot-fixing controversy which has led to the suspension of the Pakistani trio of Test skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

The three players were provisionally suspended by the ICC for allegedly conspiring to bowl no balls to order during the Lord's Test against England last month.

TOI

Bopanna loses thrilling five-setter to Bellucci

CHENNAI: Rohan Bopanna let slip a famous win out of his hands as he squandered three match points to lose the marathon first singles to world number 27 Thomaz Bellucci on the opening day of the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie on Friday.

Coming into the tie after his amazing run at the US Open, Bopanna almost had the match in his pocket but nerves got the better of him as he lost 7-6 (2), 6-7 (7), 5-7, 6-4, 10-8 after slogging for four-and-a-half hours.

With Bopanna's defeat, India have conceded a 1-0 lead and now Somdev Devvarman will have to win the second singles against Ricardo Melo to save the day for the hosts.

Bellucci, who struggled with his first serve throughout, braved cramps and turned it around amazingly for Brazil, justifying his top-30 rank and also saving himself from an embarrassing defeat against a player, who is ranked 479.

With a comfortable 5-2 lead in the final set, Bopanna had three match points in game eight but squandered all as the big moment overwhelmed him.

Bopanna was egged on by his teammates and little crowd in attendance but never recovered from the setback and dropped his serve in the next game.

His confidence, with which he dominated his superior ranked early on, gradually waned away and another break of serve in the 17th game ended all his hopes.

Before that Bopanna was comfortably placed to win the second set tie-break as he was up 5-2 but allowed Bellucci to make a comeback and lost the set.

At the start, Bopanna used his lethal serve and big strokes quite effectively and was also aided by some erratic shot-making by lean-built Bellucci.

Left-handed Bellucci was erratic with his serve and paid a big price, as it had a bearing on the outcome of the first set.

Bopanna, mostly playing from the baseline and approaching the net occasionally, did not concede much points on his serve which was too hot to handle for the Brazilian.

Bopanna created two break opportunities in the first set - second and sixth games - but could not convert any as he tried too hard, looking over-anxious on those big points.

Bellucci got into the groove gradually but there was hardly a long rally as both the players fetched points with their serve game.

With no player able to garner a break, the first set was stretched to a tie break in which the Indian shot to a comfortable 5-1 lead when Bellucci committed two double faults. Those were unpardonable errors and Bopanna latched on the opportunity to take lead.

The second set could not have started in a better way for Bopanna as he cashed in on the second breakpoint to get the first break of the match.

However, a string of unforced errors by Bopanna gave Bellucci a chance to break back and the Brazilian accepted the offer gleefully.

Bopanna, down 4-5, saved a set-point in the 10th game but failed to convert any of the three chances in the next game, forcing another tie-break to break the deadlock.

It was a seesaw tie-break as Bopanna was all over Bellucci with a comfortable 5-2 lead but the Brazilian turned it around amazingly by saving three set points and went on to win it, bringing the match to level terms.

Having made a comeback, Bellucci grew in confidence and got a mini-break by breaking Bopanna in the first game of the third set and held his serve in the next.

Two silly mistakes almost cost Belluci the set when he failed to put ball in an open court on his first set-point and then fumbled on an attempted drop shot.

Another unforced error handed Bopanna the crucial break, making the scoreline 5-5 but the Indian dropped the next game to trail again.

Having escaped the turnaround, Bellucci wrapped up the set on his serve to take a 2-1 lead.

Another feeble attempt by Bellucci to play a drop shot handed Bopanna all important breakpoint in the 10th game in the fourth set and the Indian hit a stunning backhand winner to make it two-set all.

Bopanna rode on a double break to create a 4-1 lead in the decisive set but still ended on the wrong side of the result.

TOI

Mary Kom continues to shine at World Championships

BRIDGETOWN: MC Mary Kom (48kg) remained firmly on course for a historic fifth successive gold by advancing to the semifinals along with Kavita (+81kg) to assure India of two medals in the sixth Women's World Championships.

Mary Kom beat Lynsey Holdaway from Wales 9-2 in the quarter-final to set up a clash with Alice Appari of the Philippines, whom she had beaten in their only face off six years ago.

The mother-of-two from Manipur took a narrow 2-1 lead in the opening round and built on it in the next two rounds to be 6-2 ahead by the third round. In the final round, Mary Kom launched an all-out attack to seal the issue in her favour.

"It was not all that tough for me. I had never faced her before but didn't have to slog too much. So far so good," the 27-year-old said after the bout.

"Despite the increased competition, I think I can still dominate my category. I am not bragging but it hasn't been very tough for me despite the fact that I have already played three rounds. My body is also feeling great," she said.

Talking about her next-round opponent, Mary Kom, who was conferred the Khel Ratna award last year, said, "I know this girl. I beat her in 2004 and hopefully even this time I would win. I will try my best. I have my fingers crossed for a fifth consecutive gold."

Dubbed 'Magnificent Mary' by the International Boxing Association, the Indian has the unique feat of having won a medal in each of the previous World Championships. She was silver-medallist in the inaugural edition and has not settled for anything less then a gold after that.

Among other Indians, Kavita too advanced to the semifinals by beating Adriana Hosu of Romania 9-6. She will face Kateryna Kuzhel of the Ukraine in the last-four stage on Friday.

But there was disappointment as well, with Laxmi Padiya (81kg) losing 4-18 to Kazakh Marina Volnova on Wednesday night.

The current edition of the World Championship features 72 countries. The increased competition has hit 2006 overall champions India rather hard with just two medals assured this time.

TOI

Andrew Flintoff retires from all forms of cricket

LONDON: Andrew Flintoff announced on Thursday his retirement from all cricket in a statement released by the player's management company.

"It is with both disappointment and sadness that I am today (Thursday) announcing my retirement from all forms of cricket," former England captain Flintoff said in a statement released by International Sports Management.

"The decision to end my career came yesterday (Wednesday) after consultation with medical advisers," added the 32-year-old all-rounder, who quit the Test format after helping England regain the Ashes last year.

"I was told that the problems I have been trying to overcome in re-hab for the last year following the latest in a series of operations would not recover sufficiently to allow a comeback.

"Having been told that my body would no longer stand up to the rigours of cricket, I had no alternative but to retire.

"I would like to thank my family, Lancashire Cricket Club, England, all my sponsors, friends and advisers for all the help and support they have given me throughout my career.

"Last, but by no means least, I am indebted to the encouragement and support I have always received from England's magnificent supporters."

Flintoff, who has been widely tipped to follow the path of fellow ex-England skippers Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan by pursuing a media career, added: "I will now be taking a break before deciding which future direction to take."

TOI

Desperate Mumbai face Guyana in must-win game

Stunned by two back-to-back defeats, Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians will be desperate to find their winning ways when they take on a low-profile Guyana in a Champions League Group B match here on Thursday.

The IPL runner-up side had a forgettable start in the show-piece event as they first went down to Lions by just nine runs in the tournament-opener and then fell prey to South Australia, who comprehensively beat them by five wickets on Tuesday.

The two consecutive defeats has put the Mumbai team on the brink of an early elimination and it will now need an inspired effort from Tendulkar and his men to bounce back.

Their performance have only showed a downward graph and although Tendulkar tried his best to lead from the front, he is yet to instill the confidence among his teammates.

After a breezy 62-ball 69 in the first match, Tendulkar failed to deliver yesterday while the so-called strong batting order of Mumbai failed to provide much resistance against the South Australia attack.

lthough Guyana bowling department does not have any big names, Mumbai batting order, including South African J P Duminy and hard-hitting West Indian Kieron Pollard, have to show more consistency tomorrow and in their coming encounters as well.

Young batsman Sourav Tiwary cracked a brilliant 44 off 36 balls on Tuesday and the team would expect another good knock from the talented Jharkhand guy on Thursday.

In bowling department Mumbai's new-ball pair of Zaheer Khan and Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga have to live upto expectation.

Zaheer scalped one wicket in the last match but was too expensive, while his India teammate and seasoned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also proved quite ineffective against South Australia.

Guyana have also lost their campaign-opener to another IPL side Royal Challenger Bangalore by nine wickets and will find Mumbai Indians a tough nut to crack.

Skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan is the only big name in their batting line-up which somehow managed to cross 100-run mark against RCB's mighty bowling attack.

But Mumbai is unlikely to take the West Indian side lightly because the players like Christopher Barnwell, who helped Guyana to cross 100-run mark with a 54-ball 30, and Sewnarine Chattergoon are capable of changing the equation of any match just in a few overs.

But support from the lower-middle order including Esuan Crandon, Jonathan Foo and Derwin Christian will also play crucial role.

http://www.indianexpress.com

India take on Brazil to reclaim berth in Davis Cup

India will look to exploit a favourable surface, weather conditions and form of its players to reclaim a berth in the Davis Cup World Group as the hosts take on formidable Brazil in the play-off tie here from tomorrow.

India came to this tie after losing the World Group first round to Russia in March this year while Brazil whitewashed Uruguay 5-0 in the Americas Zone group I semifinals in May.

India have tasted success consistently in the Asia-Oceania Group and went on to break the World Group jinx after 11 years following a win over South Africa in 2009.

Brazil, a clay court specialist nation, last played in World Group in 2003 against Sweden and have been trying ever since to make it to the elite club.

September has been an unlucky month in the last few years for them as they lost to Ecuador, Croatia, Austria and Sweden in the play-off ties.

Traditionally India have chosen grass courts to host a Davis Cup tie but due to liking of Somdev Devvarman, its best singles players currently, it preferred hard courts for the tie, first at home in two years.

The last time India hosted a tie on a non-grass surface was in 1979 when it played against Australia on clay.

Comparing the two sides ranking wise, India do not have a single top-100 player with Somdev being the best at 113 and Rohan Bopanna a distant 479 but the doubles team Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi is undoubtedly a class apart, unbeaten in the last 23 ties. Paes will, infact, mark 20 years in the Davis Cup circuit when he takes the court on Saturday.

Brazil boast world number 27 Thomaz Belluci and 75th ranked Ricardo Mello and also have a solid doubles team in Bruno Soares and Marcelo Melo, who are ranked 16th.

Yet, a few things go in favour of India as its players, specially Somdev, have done exceedingly well on hard courts to turn the ties in his team’s favour while Brazil have not won a Davis Cup tie on hard court since 1991 and have played on the surface just eight times in its 62-year history.

The rankings may show a wide gulf between the players of the two nations, but Somdev and Bopanna have time and again proved their disdain for them.

Bopanna, despite concentrating more on doubles, has done well in Davis Cup singles of late. In India’s WG play-off win over South Africa, Bopanna had played an important role by beating Rik De Voest.

In the lost tie against Russia, the only singles win came from Bopanna when he beat Teimuraz Gabashvili.

His confidence, after a historic performance at the just concluded US Open will also be sky high.

Somdev on his day can beat any player in the world, hence despite having superiorly ranked players, Brazil will face a tough job.

Adding to their disadvantage would be the hot and humid conditions here.

In the end, it will be an intense tie in which both teams will go with equal chances to win. The losing team will play its respective Zone in 2011.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/

Hyderabad ready to host NZ test

Hyderabad has reportedly said it is ready to host the test match between India and New Zealand after both Kanpur and Kolkata said they will not be able to stage the test match.

The second test match of the three test series will be played from November 12 to the 16th. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has staged three ODIs since 2005 and was conferred Test status by the BCCI and the ICC in June this year.

Kanpur was originally scheduled to host the test match, but withdrew citing construction of a 10,000 seater stand. Kolkata's Eden Gardens then said it would not be able to host the match as renovation work was going on for next year's World Cup.

Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president, Arshad Ayub said "Hyderabad would certainly and absolutely be ready to stage the India-New Zealand Test. We haven't been contacted, but I believe the BCCI may be considering it".

Ayub said Hyderabad was "already in the line" to host a Test as it wrote to the BCCI asking to be allotted one, depending on, "the rotation of the Test match grounds or whose turn it was."

On the 4th of December, the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium will host an ODI between the 2 countries Ayub said the prospect of hosting two international matches within the space of three weeks was, "not a problem at all".

The two confirmed venues for the India-New Zealand Test series are Ahmedabad (November 4 to 8) and Nagpur (November 20 to 24). Scheduling issues have been ongoing since starting in July when the Mumbai Cricket Association said no staging the third Test, due to the renovation of the Wankhede Stadium for the World Cup in July, followed by Kanpur's constructions problems and Kolkata's refusal to host the match.

Latif quits Pakistan academy, becomes Afghan coach

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif resigned Tuesday as a coach at the national cricket academy over spot-fixing comments and said that he had taken up a new job with the Afghan team.

The former wicket-keeper batsman resigned after authorities handed him notice over a statement he made about spot-fixing.

"This is to inform you all that after having discussions with the Afghan cricket authorities I have accepted their offer to become the head coach of the Afghan cricket team," he said.

Latif, who was until last month Afghanistan's batting coach, is taking over from fellow Pakistani Kabir Khan, who was coach until last month's tour of Scotland. He resigned over differences with the Afghan cricket authority.

Pakistani cricket has been rocked by an investigation against three of its top cricketers in Britain over the latest spot-fixing scandal.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir after a tabloid newspaper said they had taken money to bowl no-balls during a Test against England in August.

Scotland Yard, London's police headquarters, is investigating the claims in Britain's News of the World newspaper, and has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the ICC not to give statements about them until the inquiry is finished.

But Latif, who blew the whistle on match-fixing among Pakistan's national team in 1994 and testified against his fellow players in an inquiry four years later, spoke out last week.

Latif said the ICC and its anti-corruption unit were "powerless" in the fight against betting scams.

He also suggested that the ICC change its rules to curb corruption, and described the News of the World report as a "joint money-making exercise" by the newspaper reporter and the alleged bookie, Mazhar Majeed.

After his resignation Latif said in a statement, "As a former player and captain, people look up to me and expect me to speak honestly and without bias, and that I have done without meaning anything personal against anyone.

"I have taken the decision to resign after being issued a notice by the (Pakistan Cricket) Board for having given statements on the spot-fixing issue.

"I would like to make it clear here that while it is an honour to serve Pakistan cricket in any position, I can?t remain quiet on a key cricket issue that could determine the future of our cricket."

Latif, 41, played 37 Tests and 166 one-day internationals in an illustrious career that also saw him campaign against corruption in the game.

He had been wicket-keeping coach at the academy since late 2008.

ICC recommends Test league

The ICC Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) met in Cape Town on Monday and Tuesday with the following results.

Context and Content of International Cricket, schedule of ICC events post-2015 and the proposed Future Tours Programme 2012-2020.

The CEC endorsed a series of recommendations from a CEC working group which was set up to identify ways of introducing context for international cricket within the Future Tours Programme (FTP) after 2012 and also to consider future ICC events.

Coming from this meeting, the CEC will make some key recommendations to the ICC Board to consider. They are:

1) The FTP should consist of a Test league to provide context for all Test matches. The league would determine the top four teams to qualify for an ICC Test play-off.

2)The play-off should be held once every four years to determine the Test champion team with a request to hold the first such play-off in 2013.

3)The FTP should also consist of a One-Day International league, the first to run from April 2011 until April 2014, culminating in the crowning of an ODI league champion. This would run separate to the ICC Cricket World Cup.

4)That the ICC Board should consider a 10-team format for the ICC's flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup, from 2015.

5)That the ICC Board should consider a 16-team format for the men's ICC World Twenty20 from 2012, with the women's event continuing to run alongside.

6)The introduction of Twenty20 International rankings table as soon as this is justifiable.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "I am really excited by what the CEC has proposed.

"Restructuring international cricket is a significant strategic challenge and one that must be dealt with. I am grateful to the CEC and its working group for making such far-reaching proposals to tackle this important issue.

"Achieving balance and unanimous agreement is not easy but it is a very important piece of work that requires a strategic response. The holistic set of proposals, especially introducing more meaningful context, means we now have the potential to follow international cricket that is even more exciting.

"Protecting and promoting all three formats at international level is viable and I believe the CEC has shown itself to be forward thinking in tackling the challenges. I am now encouraged to engage with the ICC Executive Board to consider these proposals as soon as possible."

Bad light

The CEC continues to support the promotion of Test cricket by promoting initiatives to enhance play. In this regard, the CEC received a clarification from David Richardson (ICC General Manager - Cricket) following recent discussions at the Elite Umpires and Match Referees Seminar on the question of when players should leave the field due to bad light.

Mr Richardson said: "There is a clear instruction to match officials that the players should only go off the field when conditions are considered dangerous or unreasonable. In addition, players should not go off the field when the ground floodlights are switched on and these were deemed before the series to be adequate."

Balance between bat and ball

The CEC also discussed the need to ensure that Test match pitches provide a fair balance between bat and ball and approved a revised guideline to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Mr Lorgat said: "In recent years there have been many more results in Test matches but there are still a few instances where the pitches do not provide a fair balance between bat and ball. This must be addressed to ensure that the enduring charm and attraction of Test match cricket is not endangered by pitches which do not produce a true contest."

Additional update reports

The CEC received a detailed progress report on preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, including the release of the next phase of match tickets on 15 October.

Mr Lorgat said: "It is satisfying to see all the hard work undertaken by the host nations paying off. I am not expecting the ICC final inspections to reveal any significant concerns."

The CEC also received an update presentation on the progress in developing the ICC Strategic Plan 2011-15.

© ICC

Nadal completes career Slam by winning US Open title Read more: Nadal completes career Slam by winning US Open title

NEW YORK: World number one Rafael Nadal completed a career Grand Slam title sweep on Monday by capturing his first US Open crown, defeating Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

The 24-year-old Spanish left-hander overwhelmed Djokovic with uncanny shotmaking to win the 1.7 million-dollar top prize as well as his third consecutive Grand Slam crown and his ninth Grand Slam title overall.

Nadal became the seventh man to complete a career Grand Slam sweep, joining Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry in having won Wimbledon and the US, French and Australian Open titles.

"That's more than what I dreamt," Nadal said. "Just to be in this final was amazing."

Showers pushed the final to Monday for the third year in a row and halted the match for one hour and 48 minutes, but rain only delayed Nadal's reign on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts despite losing his lone set of the fortnight.

"To have the trophy right here in my hands in a few seconds is going to be unbelievable," Nadal said at the on-court award ceremony. Seconds later, he was smiling and hoisting the trophy above his head.

A ninth Slam title moved Nadal alone into seventh on the all-time list, passing Agassi, Perry, Ken Rosewall and Ivan Lendl and moving only seven shy of Federer's all-time record, three crowns ahead of Federer's Slam-title pace.

"Right now he's the best player in the world and he absolutely deserves this title," Djokovic said.

After winning Wimbledon and the French Open earlier this year, Nadal joined Federer, Laver and Pete Sampras as the only men to win three Slams in a row in the Open Era that began in 1968.

Nadal, third-youngest on the Slam sweep list, would join Laver and Budge as the only men to hold all four Slam crowns at once by winning the 2011 Australian Open.

No Spanish man had won the US Open title since Manuel Orantes in 1975 and the only other Spanish US Open champion was Manuel Santana in 1965. Not since John McEnroe in 1984 had a left-hander had won the US Open men's title.

Nadal was broken only five times in the tournament, matching the mark for fewest broken serves by a US Open men's champion set by Andy Roddick in 2003.

Djokovic, whose lone Grand Slam title came at the 2008 Australian Open, had won his three prior matches against Nadal, all on hardcourts, but has still never defeated the Spaniard in a final or at a Grand Slam event.

Nadal improved to 9-2 in Slam finals, his only losses coming to Federer at Wimbledon in 2006 and 2007, and 15-7 lifetime against Djokovic, who could not combat the top seed's relentless performance.

After dropping a set for the first time in the tournament, Nadal responded with exceptional shotmaking in the third set, breaking Djokovic for a 2-1 lead when the Serb sent a forehand wide.

Djokovic fought off three break points in the fifth game and five more in an epic seventh game as each man fired impressive shots time and again, those who stayed through the rain giving both men a standing ovation after Djokovic held.

Nadal held twice more to claim the third set, forced Djokovic to save a break point to open the fourth set and then broke Djokovic in the third game, his forehand winner setting up a break that came when the Serb's forehand hit the net cord and landed beyond the baseline.

Djokovic netted a forehand to surrender a break that handed Nadal a 4-1 lead but the speedy Serb kept fighting and had a break chance in the sixth game, missing long with a forehand, before Nadal held to reach the brink of history.

Nadal swatted a forehand on the baseline to reach match point and the magical moment came after three hours and 43 minutes when Djokovic hit a forehand wide.

The Spaniard put his face in his hands and fell to the ground on his back, then rolled over and savored the moment. After receiving congratulations from Djokovic at the net, Nadal dropped to his knees on the court and raised his hands in victory.

Nadal fired a forehand winner to break Djokovic in the opening game of the match, but Djokovic answered by breaking back to 2-2, the Spaniard swatting a forehand wide to surrender his serve for only the third time in the tournament.

Djokovic, who will rise to second in the world rankings, denied Nadal on five break points in the fifth game but succumbed on the sixth, the Serb smashing his racket in anger after Nadal's serve-swiping winner.

Nadal held his serve from there to claim the first set, an ominous note for Djokovic as the Spanish star was 107-1 in prior Grand Slam matches when winning the first set and 91-0 when taking the first two sets.

His urgency aroused, Djokovic broke Nadal at love for a 3-1 lead in the second set but saw his lead erased in a pivotal seventh game, Nadal denying him on two game points then firing a forehand winner on his third break chance.

The second set was at 4-4 with Djokovic serving at 30-all after one hour and 41 minutes of play when rains returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium, halting the match for one hour and 48 minutes.

When play resumed, Djokovic battled through deuce three times before holding to 5-4, then broke Nadal to claim the second set, the Spaniard spraying a backhand wide and netting a forehand for his first lost set of the tournament.

TOI

ICC chargesheeted Butt and Akmal after rejecting their replies Read more: ICC chargesheeted Butt and Akmal after rejecting their replies

KARACHI: The International Cricket Council charge-sheeted Test captain Salman Butt and stumper batsman Kamran Akmal after getting unsatisfactory replies on the show cause notices served on them last month, media reports said on Tuesday.

A report in the 'Dawn' said the two players were served the notices on August 21, the day Pakistan won the Oval Test against England.

The PCB, though, ignored the notices and went onto announce special victory bonuses for the players and the team management.

Sources said that the ICC was tipped off about the suspicious activities of the two players after the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the governing body also had some information on the conversations between them and the alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed.

The report said both Salman and Akmal were asked to reply to notice within 14 days, asking them to provide their mobile phone numbers which they used during the World T20 besides some other information.

After finding their replies unsatisfactory, the ICC sent charge-sheets to the two players and were delivered at their personal addresses and not through the PCB.

The report quoting sources said although the PCB had some reports about the suspicious activities of Akmal, it was unaware about the activities of Butt, who was elevated to the post of Test captain after Shahid Afridi quit job.

Butt along with pacers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer is under investigation by Scotland Yard for the alleged spot-fixing and betting racket carried out by their agent Mazhar Majeed.

Butt, Asif and Aamer were suspended by the ICC following an expose by British tabloid 'News of the World', which claimed that the players took bribe for bowling no-balls during the Lord's Test.

Sources said PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt had apparently made a quiet return to Pakistan on Wednesday but there was no official confirmation on his return.

Ejaz, who has maintained a distance from media during the entire spot-fixing episode in London, is expected to brief the chief patron of the board President Asif Zardari on what sort of situation Pakistan cricket is facing, what punishments the players could face and what steps could be taken by the Board to contest the ICC investigations against the players.

Sources also said there were no immediate plans to recall the trained players from England.

"Scotland Yard has put no restriction on their travel but logistically it is not feasible to call them back now when they can be required for questioning by the police any day that is why they are based in London," one PCB source said.

Another source said Butt is also likely to consult his governing council members on immediately cancelling the central contracts given out to the players under suspension.

TOI

Indian men in Archery World Cup final

KOLKATA: Indian men erased bitter memory of the past by sailing into the final of the recurve team event in the Archery World Cup Stage IV, ousting hosts China in the semifinal at Shanghai on Friday.

India will face Japan in the summit-clash for the gold medal on Saturday.

Indian men's recurve side comprising Jayanta Talukdar, Tarundeep Rai and Rahul Banerjee, ensured a final berth with a thumping 222-214 win over China, according to information received here from the Archery Association of India (AAI).

The men's team had returned empty-handed from the World Cup Stage III at Ogden after losing the quarterfinal to the hosts USA.

This time India's first round victim was Great Britain, one of the strong contenders at the Commonwealth Games, as they notched a 218-215 victory.

Incidentally, India beat USA 225-208 in the quarterfinal to avenge their loss in the last edition.

Japan shocked world champion Korea 224-216 to make the final.

Meanwhile, Indian women's recurve side, consisting of Deepika Kumari, Laishram Bombayla Devi and Dola Banerjee, went down to Japan 212-213 in the initial round.

The women's trio had won silver at Ogden. In the compound section, the men's team of C Srither, Ch Jagnas and Ritul Chatterjee, were ousted by Malaysia 218-224.

The women's outfit of Jhano Hansdah, Bheigyabati Chanu and Gagandeep Kaur made a quarterfinal exit after going down to the USA 218-226.

The women's trio defeated New Zealand 216-200 in their opening round clash.

Indian recurve mixed pair of Talukdar and Deepika, seeded third, went down to 14th seed Mexico 142-145.

Compound duo of K Ratan Singh and Hansdah, ranked 10th, ousted Italy 153-151 in the first round but lost to the USA 150-154 in the last eight.

TOI

ICC suspends Pakistan's Butt, Asif, Aamer

LONDON: Cricket's world governing body charged three Pakistan stars accused in a betting scam with anti-corruption offences and provisionally suspended them Thursday, as the trio protested their innocence.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were barred from taking part in all cricket matches with immediate effect, although they can appeal the suspension.

Earlier, Pakistan's ambassador to Britain said after meeting the trio that they had asked to miss the rest of the team's tour of England because of the scandal, but said he believed their insistence that they were innocent.

The ICC said it had charged the three stars with offences under its anti-corruption code and they had been provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges.

"We will not tolerate corruption in cricket - simple as that," said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

"We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban.

"The ICC will do everything possible to keep such conduct out of the game and we will stop at nothing to protect the sport's integrity. While we believe the problem is not widespread, we must always be vigilant.

"It is important, however, that we do not pre-judge the guilt of these three players. That is for the independent tribunal alone to decide."

Earlier, Butt, Aamer and Asif met with Pakistan Cricket Board ( PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and Pakistan's ambassador to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, at the diplomat's London office.

Speaking afterwards, Hasan said: "The three players have said that they are extremely disturbed by what has happened in the past week, especially in regard of their alleged involvement in the crime.

"They mentioned that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such.

"They maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches."

Asked later if he believed the trio were innocent, Hasan replied: "Yes, I believe in their innocence."

Butt, Aamer and Asif were all named in a News of the World report which alleged they were involved in a "spot-fixing" scam by bowling deliberate no-balls in last week's Test match with England in exchange for cash.

However Hasan later questioned the authenticity of video footage shot by the newspaper, saying the players may have been framed.

"The video wasn't timed or dated. It could have been filmed before or after the match, or at a different time," he told the BBC.

Asked specifically whether he believed the players may have been set up, he replied: "Yes, I would say that. Yes."

The revelations have shocked the cricket world and led to calls from figures within the game that the players involved should be banned for life.

The trio were quizzed by police during the Lord's Test and had their mobile phones confiscated. Sky News reported they would be questioned again Friday, but Scotland Yard refused to confirm this.

London-based businessman Mazhar Majeed was arrested on Sunday but released without charge on police bail.

Meanwhile Australian Test legend Shane Warne added his voice to the chorus of condemnation, saying authorities should choose the ultimate punishment if the three players were found guilty.

"If it is true and they have been found (guilty of) match-fixing and throwing games and spot-betting with the no-balls and stuff, if that's the case they should be thrown out," Warne told reporters. "It's as simple as that."

Former England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher also adopted a hard line, writing in The Guardian newspaper that life bans were the only way to send a clear message to players who compromised the integrity of the sport.

"We must be ruthless and put the fear of God into people. Even the smallest transgression must mean that a career is over," he said.

TOI

Saina slips to third place in world rankings Read more: Saina slips to third place in world rankings

NEW DELHI: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal on Thursday slipped one place from her career-best position of world number two to the third place in the latest international rankings release on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Saina had made a meteoric rise following her back-to-back title triumphs at the India Open Grand Prix, Singapore Open Super Series and Indonesian Open Super Series to reach the world number two spot.

But a quarterfinal finish at the recently-concluded World badminton Championship in Paris left her one place down the rung at the third position.

Saina has 64791.2637 points, while Xin Wang of China rose to the second spot after finishing second in the World Championship in women's singles. Compatriot Yihan Wang is still the number one in the ranking.

In March, Saina had attained the fifth position after becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the prestigious All England Super Series Championships.

However, she dropped to the sixth position in the subsequent weeks.

Saina's next engagement will be the all-important Commonwealth Games in Delhi from October 3 to 14, before playing the Asian Games in November.

In the men's ranking, the Indian trio of Chetan Anand, P Kashyap and Arvind Bhatt were at 17th, 29th and 31th spot respectively, while mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju were at the 13th place.

TOI

4 wrestlers, shotputter in CWG squad fail dope test Read more: 4 wrestlers, shotputter in CWG squad fail dope test - Top Stories - Commonwealth Games

BANGALORE: In a major embarrassment for the country ahead of the Commonwealth Games, eight Indian sportspersons, including five who were selected for the event, have tested positive for a banned substance.

Heading the list of the tainted is Olympian wrestler Rajiv Tomar, who was being seen as a bright prospect for a Commonwealth gold medal and had received the Arjuna Award barely five days ago.

Among the dope offenders, six are wrestlers and two athletes. Of them, four wrestlers and Sourabh Vij of Delhi had been named in the national squads for the Games.

The drug they tested positive for was methylhexaneamine, a stimulant in the non-specified category, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2010. Intended to be a nasal decongestant, it is being marketed as a dietary supplement and a party pill.

Days earlier, another CWG probable, netball player Megha Chaudhary, tested positive for steroids. The wrestlers' urine samples were collected by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) officials during the selection trials at Sonepat last month.

Tomar, who won the gold in the 120kg category in the Commonwealth championship in Jalandhar in December 2009 before following it up with another gold at an international meet in Madrid in July, was seen as a "sure shot" medal prospect at the Commonwealth Games next month. Now, he may be forced to watch the action from the sidelines, having been slapped with a provisional suspension pending a 'B' sample test and inquiry by the anti-doping disciplinary panel.

Shotputter Sourabh Vij tested positive for the drug at the inter-state athletics meet in Patiala last month, as did discus thrower Akash Antil of Haryana. "They are provisionally suspended with immediate effect pending inquiry," Ravinder Chaudhry, officiating secretary of Athletics Federation of India, said.

Wrestling has been the worst affected by the NADA crackdown in which eight Indian sportspersons have tested positive for a banned substance, methylhexaneamine.

Besides gold medal hope Rajiv Tomar, three others headed for the Games - Sumit (74kg) and Mausam Khatri (96kg) and Gursharanpreet Kaur (women's 72kg) - tested positive. The other two grapplers who failed the dope test are Rahul Mann (60kg) and Joginder Kumar (120kg), gold and silver medallists, respectively, at the Commonwealth Championships last year. Joginder, along with Mausam, had been selected for the senior World Wrestling Championships to be held in Moscow from October 6 to 12.

The positive tests have emerged only in the freestyle category. All Greco-Roman wrestlers tested negative. In fact, in the freestyle category, Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar (66kg), Anil Kumar (55kg), Yogeshwar Dutt (55kg) and Anuj Kumar (84kg), who are part of the squad, also emerged clean.

The orders for provisional suspension, issued on Wednesday, forced the Wrestling Federation of India to name replacements for the Commonwealth Games. They include Narsingh Pancham Yadav (74kg), Anil Mann (96kg) and Praveen (120kg) as well as Anshu Tomar (72kg; women).

When contacted, NADA director general Rahul Bhatnagar confirmed the positive tests. "It is unfortunate, but we are bound by WADA rules and have to take stringent action. We have issued the provisional suspensions as per WADA rules."

WFI president G S Mander said he was "surprised and shocked" by the positive dope tests. "Our wrestlers are clean and have been undergoing periodic dope tests. This is thoroughly disappointing," he told TOI.

Asked whether the wrestlers would opt for a 'B' sample test, he said: "The law will take its course. It all depends on the wrestlers whether they want a 'B' sample test in a different laboratory. But we would like to get to the bottom of this affair."

Mander was not willing to comment on whether contaminated dietary supplements could have led to the positive dope tests. "I am no expert. SAI deals with that, and we are confident the wrestlers were being provided with the best stuff. However, from what I hear, this drug is available over the counter."

TOI