Ganguly to play for MCC in Dubai Twenty20

MUMBAI: After being ignored by all ten IPL franchises at the players' auction a few months ago, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly will be playing in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 tournament in Dubai, next month.

Ganguly has been included in a star-studded MCC ( Marylebone Cricket Club) side that will take part in the event starting on April 1, a release said.

"It is an honour and a pleasure to represent MCC. I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to play for the club in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 competition," Ganguly was quoted as saying.

"I thoroughly enjoyed captaining the MCC side that took on the Pakistanis at Lord's last summer, and I am thrilled to get another opportunity to play for MCC."

"I am looking forward to continuing my relationship with MCC, and participating in this exciting new venture for the club," added the Bengal stalwart, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three IPL seasons but will not be seen in action in IPL-IV commencing next month.

MCC would be taking on English county champions Nottinghamshire, Durham, Sussex and defending champions Fly Emirates XI in the T20 tournament which would also feature current and former players like Monty Panesar, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Chris Read.

"It is a great honour to have Sourav Ganguly competing at the Emirates Airline Twenty20 and we are looking forward to welcoming this legend of the game to Dubai," said Tournament Director, Matthew Jackson.

"The Dubai crowd are certainly in for a treat with this kind of talent on display at Sevens cricket ground. With the likes of Sourav in their line-up, the MCC side look to be strong contenders for the title.

"They certainly won't have it all their way, however, with some top-class players and former internationals in the other teams as well," he added.

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Ban vs Ned: Bangladesh beat Netherlands by 6 wickets

CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh cruised closer to World Cup quarterfinal qualification on Monday with a six-wicket victory over the Netherlands.

Slow left armer Abdur Razzak took three wickets and opener Imrul Kayes stroked 73 not out to give Bangladesh its second victory in Chittagong in four days, keeping alive its chances of reaching the last eight.

Bangladesh will qualify if West Indies beat England on Thursday in Chennai. Otherwise, the entire population of 150 million will be cheering the team on when it plays South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.

The Bangladesh team opened the World Cup with a loss to co-host India in Dhaka, then beat Ireland by 27 runs. Any encouragement gained from that was lost in a nine-wicket defeat to the West Indies, when Bangladesh was bowled out for just 58 runs.

On Monday, the innocuous Dutch bowling attack presented few challenges on a flat Chittagong wicket and Bangladesh passed the total in the 42nd over.

Imrul shared a 92-run second wicket partnership with Zunaed Siddique. His unbeaten 73 came off 113 balls that included six boundaries, and he was declared man-of-the-match.

Tamim Iqbal was bowled for a duck in the fourth ball of the innings as Mudassar Bukhari struck.

Zunaed scored 35 off 52 balls before he was caught by Pieter Seelaar off Peter Borren in the 21st over.

Coming in at four, Shahriar Nafees added 37 runs from 60 balls before he was bowled by Tom Cooper.

For Netherlands, only Ryan ten Doeschate, with 53 not out, managed a decent innings as the Dutch fell victim to four runouts, a stumping and slow spin.

Bangladesh made the first breakthrough in the 10th over after captain Shakib al-Hasan trapped Wesley Barresi lbw for 10.

No. 3 batsman Mudassar Bukhari (6) was the second man to go, caught by Mushfiqur Rahim off Abdur Razzak. He also trapped Tom de Grooth lbw for 4 and took Atse Buurman for a duck, caught by Imrul Kayes.

But ten Doeschate, the best Dutch batsman, came in at number five and was left stranded when Bangladesh tore through the tail. His 50 took 65 balls and included two fours and a six.

Abdur Razzak took 3-29 but Shafiul Islam was the pick of Bangladesh's bowlers even though he didn't take a wicket. He finished with figures of 0-15 from 9.2 overs, starving the Dutch of run-making chances.

Bangladesh made two changes from the team that had a two-wicket win over England, bringing in Sohrawardy Shuvo and Shahriar Nafees in place of Naeem Islam and Raqibul Hassan.

Netherlands also made two changes, bringing in Atse Burrman and Adeel Raja.

Beckham launches last quest for MLS title

LOS ANGELES: David Beckham launches his last bid to add a Major League Soccer championship to titles won in England and Spain when the Los Angeles Galaxy kick off the 2011 season on Tuesday at Seattle.

Beckham, who won six English Premier League titles with Manchester United and a Spanish championship with Real Madrid, insists he is more interested in helping the club than seeking private glory.

"It's not about validating my time here with the Galaxy. It's not all about myself being a success," Beckham said. "Of course I want to win trophies and championships, but the most important thing is the club."

The Galaxy's hopes last season ended with a Western Conference finals loss to Dallas, who went on to fall to Colorado in the title match.

But once again Los Angeles appear to have the pieces they need to let Beckham leave America a winner.

The Galaxy have arguably the league's best player in Landon Donovan and one of its top coaches in Bruce Arena.

The departure of Edson Buddle to Europe has been offset with the acquisition of Juan Pablo Angel from the New York Red Bulls, and while the aging Angel is no doubt slowing down, he remains a lethal finisher.

As Beckham enters his final season with the Galaxy, former French international Thierry Henry begins his first full campaign with a Red Bulls team that are title contenders in the East.

The Red Bulls made one of the most dramatic turnarounds in MLS history last season, going from last in the league in 2009 to first in the Eastern Conference in 2010.

Manager Hans Backe, going into his second season with the club, said he and the players are now a comfortable unit.

"I think overall with the team, everyone is more aware of the foundation," he said, adding that it will be up to Henry and Rafael Marquez to lead the way now that they have had a full pre-season to tune their partnership.

"They have been a different class in the pre-season compared to when they arrived last year," Backe said.

"Those guys have tons of experience and they have to make a difference every game."

MLS commissioner Don Garber said signing Beckham has been a great success for the league and he wants to see more marquee names head Stateside to boost the league's profile.

But Garber said there are plenty of other players to be excited about, including US World Cup defender Jay DeMerit (Vancouver), US forward Charlie Davies (DC United), Mexican national team regular Omar Bravo ( Kansas City) and 18-year-old Colombian Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas).

But the biggest buzz as the season approaches was not about a player but a place: the Pacific Northwest where the addition of two new teams promises a three-way regional rivalry with the hugely successful Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders averaged more than 30,000 fans per match last season, and the expansion Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps are hoping to emulate that success.

Both of the new teams have sold out their season-ticket allotments.

The Whitecaps, with NBA star Steve Nash as one of their owners, have sold 16,500 season tickets, and before playing their first game are the league's leader in sponsorships.

The Timbers have sold all of their 12,500 season tickets with fans anticipating a rivalry with Seattle.

"Rivalries are a big part of the sport overseas," Garber said. "We hope we can learn some lessons from what is driving the interest of fans these three clubs have. We should be able to replicate some of that."

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World Cup: Slim chance India may miss the cut

KOLKATA: Twenty three days into the 2011 World Cup and with 15 matches in Group B already behind us, if there is still a lingering doubt about Team India's passage to the next round, blame it on those who jumped the gun, prompting skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to labour under the misconception that his team has already made the cut.

Contrary to general belief, India are not yet guaranteed of a place in the last eight, nor the Proteas, who held their nerves splendidly in Nagpur on Saturday to put it across the blundering hosts.

There is a very slim possibility that the Men in Blue - with seven points, from three wins and a tie, under their belt - may fail to make the cut under one particular scenario.

If India in their final match lose to the West Indies, who in turn lose to England; Bangladesh win their remaining two games against Netherlands and South Africa and Graeme Smith's side beats Ireland, it would leave three teams (WI, SA and Bangladesh) with eight points apiece, leaving India and England tied on seven points each.

The fourth and final spot will then be decided on Net Run Rate (NRR). India currently have a much better NRR (+0.768) than England (-0.013), but a big defeat to the Windies and a big win for England can mean end of the road for Dhoni's boys.

South Africa, too, have to win at least one of their remaining two games (Ireland and Bangladesh) to confirm their quarterfinal ticket. If South Africa and the West Indies win their remaining games, India will go through as the third team. On the other hand, if the calypso boys oust England and lose to India, Dhoni and Co will finish 2nd in the group. They may even top it, in case the Proteas falter in one of their matches.

Bangladesh must first beat the Netherlands and hope that Sammy's boys will pull the plug on England before taking on South Africa.

ICC's UDRS comes under scanner once again

MOHALI: The ICC on Friday faced an embarrassing situation when the Umpire Decision Review System yet again came under the scanner after well-set Ireland batsman Gary Wilson fell victim to the system at a crucial stage of a Group B World Cup match against West Indies.

Chasing 276 for victory, Ireland were in with a great chance, placed at 199 for five in 41.3 overs with Wilson batting on 61 off 62 deliveries and giving him company was all-rounder Alex Cusack.

But the complexion of the match changed completely when Wilson was given out LBW to Sammy by an erring Sri Lankan umpire Ashoka De Silva, who has messed up his verdicts in this tournament a couple of times.

De Silva adjudged Wilson lbw to Sammy with a ball that struck the batsman outside the off and was moving in with the seam.

Not convinced with the decision, Wilson immediately went for the review and TV replays later showed that the batsman was struck on the pad outside the stumps while he was attempting a late cut and the ball was just about kissing the off stump.

The third umpire in-charge Bruce Oxenford of Australia too was not convinced that Wilson fell at the wrong side of the decision and left the verdict on on-field official De Silva.

Even though, De Silva did not change his mind, an agitated Wilson refused to leave the ground which forced the Sri Lankan umpire to again go back upstairs. But in the end, after a review of the review of the original call, the Irish right-hander was given out, which clearly brought UDRS again under the scanner.

Wilson lbw dismissal did not go down well with Ireland skipper William Porterfiled, who said that the verdict eventually cost them the game.

"It cost us the match. The technology is supposed to eradicate mistakes, but in this case it didn't," a visibly upset Porterfield said in the post-match press conference.

"It was a pretty crucial decision. In my opinion they got it wrong. According to me, the UDRS was working so far but if you get decision like this I don't know," he added.

The controversial UDRS came under flak from the onset of the World Cup and as the tournament progressed the situation only became worse for the ICC.

Ironically, UDRS was at the receiving end on numerous occasions in this tournament, including India's matches against England and Ireland.

During the tied India-England Group B match at the same venue on February 27, on-field umpire Billy Bowden stuck to his decision of ruling England's Ian Bell not out for a leg before appeal against him by the Indian team when he was rapped on the pad by Yuvraj.

India called for a review of the decision and technology showed that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps but for the pad coming in the way. But the point of impact was more than 2.5m from the stumps and the batsman stayed on as Bowden stuck to his original call.

Even batsman Bell felt he was out and started walking back to the dressing room before he was asked to come back to the crease and continue his innings, and the incident created a major furore with India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni going to the extent of criticising DRS and the International Cricket Council (ICC) for introducing it in the mega-event.

In the India-Ireland match also Irish batsman Alex Cusack was given out out LBW to Yuvraj Singh even though the point of impact of the ball on the pad was more than 2.5 metres from stumps.

Australian umpire Rod Tucker initially ruled Cusack not out off Yuvraj in the 44th over but after a review appeal by India, he reversed his decision and gave the batsman out though TV replays showed the point of impact at the pad would have been more than 2.5 meters from the stumps.

Cusack, the eighth Ireland batsman to be out and Yuvraj's fifth victim in the match, was well down the track, his backfoot nearly a foot outside the crease and his front foot also well down the track though HawkEye showed the ball would have hit off and middle at a comfortable height.

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Piyush Chawla needed extra game: MS Dhoni

NAGPUR: Having achieved the first target of qualifying for the knockout stage, India should now be looking to turn the rest of the group matches for some useful practice and ward off the weaknesses that have plagued them on the way. The league tie against South Africa will show India their weaknesses and also what to expect when the tournament enters the next phase.

"We are already in the quarterfinals but getting two big games always helps you to get that bit of momentum going your way. But as I have always stressed, doing well on that particular day is more important," MS Dhoni said after the team's only practice session at the VCA Jamtha Stadium on Friday.

Although, India's passage into the quarterfinals was not as smooth as expected, the Indian skipper is pleased with the performance so far.

"We have had a tie. We have batted first and scored runs and also chased successfully in the last two matches. We have played on good batting tracks and also on pitches which are slow in nature. So we have had a lot of exposure," he explained.

He firmly defended the decision to persist with Piyush Chawla ahead of R Ashwin despite the leggie not in the best of form. He also took a dig at the journalists for criticising the youngster heavily. "Frankly, I am not bothered by what others say. When I select a team, I try to look at it as how honest I am. Piyush needed a game more than Ashwin because of the kind of applause he has received from you people," he said.

The captain played down the 'expectation factor' saying the team is more concerned about the process of doing well continuously rather than winning. "We are not thinking about the expectations. We are focusing on improving the performance all the time. There are areas for improvement and we are aware of that. Fielding cannot improve overnight but I think we haven't done too badly," he said. He expected bigger starts from the openers because it will help the middle and lower order to carry the momentum further. "If our openers can bat as long as possible, it will be good for us. Because, from what we have seen, if Sachin and Viru get going, it is difficult to stop them," he said.

Dhoni had hit back-to-back hundreds at VCA Jamtha ground when he promoted himself to No.3 position last year. Will he push himself up the order this time also? "Records are fine but that doesn't mean that I will again come up. It all depends on the match situation," he clarified.

We look for a big partnership, says Smith

South African captain Graeme Smith is surprised that his spinners have come to the fore and caused some confusion in the minds of the opposition. "Our spinners were quite successful in this World Cup. It is a welcome thing for us. Our fast bowling attack was predictable. With spinners coming to the fore, our opponents will be little more careful now. They will have to do more thinking to tackle us," said Smith during the press conference on Friday.

Smith also had a word of praise for MS Dhoni. "I have got a lot of respect for MS. I like him as a person and as a captain. A team has its own philosophy. India have a powerful batting line-up and they have used their part-timers well. The key to success against India is to have a partnership going," he said.

The SA captain did not think game against India is the biggest match of the World Cup. "I don't look at it that way. There is lot of cricket to be played. One thing in our mind is that we would want to win tomorrow," said Smith.

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Serena makes plans for July return

WASHINGTON: Serena Williams, recovering from the removal of a blood clot in her lung as well as a nagging foot injury, plans to play tennis in July for the Washington Kastles of World TeamTennis.

The nine-team US league, which will stage a 36th season from July 4-24, announced on Thursday that Williams is scheduled to play in Washington on July 7 against the Boston Lobsters and when the Kastles visit Sacramento on July 9.

The reigning Wimbledon champion had said after her surgery for a blood clot that travelled from a leg into her lungs that she was hopeful of a summer return, but was unsure exactly when she might be back on the court.

The former world number one, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, would need to be ready by June 20 to defend her Wimbledon title. The women's final is set for July 2.

Williams has not played a top-level match since last year's Wimbledon final after cutting her right foot on broken glass at a restaurant last July.

Williams suffered a pulmonary embolism and underwent an emergency operation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles last week, a health scare she called "the scariest moment in my life".

"Luckily enough, I was able to catch it soon enough that my career won't be affected," Williams told NBC on Wednesday. "I love tennis and now more than anything I have so much to look forward to just playing.

"I really just want to come back and do well."

Venus Williams, Serena's elder sister and a five-time Wimbledon winner who has seven Grand Slam titles overall, plans to play for the Kastles on July 5 against visiting Kansas City despite being sidelined currently with an injury.

Venus Williams withdrew from the Australian Open with a right hip injury and has not played since, unable to defend her only titles from 2010 last month at Dubai and Acapulco.

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Federer primed for another run at top spot

INDIAN WELLS: Roger Federer says his priority in the coming months is to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, but before he can achieve that the Swiss star knows he has to start winning Grand Slam titles again.

"I have really been playing well the last six months and that is what I look at, not that I didn't make it to the final of the last four Grand Slams," Federer said.

Second-seeded Federer is fully primed for his first match on the weekend after being awarded a first-round bye at the $9 million Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament.

The 16-time Grand Slam winner lost in the final of his last tournament to Novak Djokovic in Dubai. Federer has only played three tournaments this year and hasn't made the final of the last four Grand Slams.

That is a far cry from 2006-2007 when he won six of eight Grand Slam events. Djokovic has been especially troublesome for Federer of late, beating Federer in the Australian Open final in January.

"It is part of my big goal this year to get back to No. 1 because I like being world No. 1 more than No. 2," said the three-time Indian Wells champion, who held the top ranking for 285 weeks.

"I was happy about the way I played in Dubai. I won four in a row. I didn't play my best against Novak. Even though I lost the finals, I haven't thought about that match for two weeks."

Federer has reached two finals in three tournaments this year, winning in Doha. This is the first time in eight years Federer hasn't held a Grand Slam title. He has 14 wins this year and just two defeats, both losses being to Serbia's Djokovic.

Clearly if he is to reclaim the No. 1 ranking, Federer is going to have to figure out a way to solve Djokovic, who is seeded third at Indian Wells.

Federer and Djokovic are in the bottom half of the 96-player men's draw and so could be headed for a semi-final showdown.

"He is in a good spell right now," Federer said of Djokovic. "He is playing well so. It will be interesting to see how he plays here."

Federer was relaxed and calm Thursday as he met with reporters for the first time since arriving in Indian Wells.

He said he tries not to dwell on defeats even if someone has his number like Djokovic obviously does.

"Losing doesn't rattle me much," Federer said. "For me after a loss it is time to move on. Of course, it is difficult when you lose but you have to move on.

"It is OK to look at a lost match but I prefer to get over it as quickly as possible because this is an important time of the season."

Federer hasn't played as much at this point in the season compared to previous years but he says he is in a good frame of mind.

"I am confident," he said. "I played three tournaments and it is a good start. I don't have any injuries and I am fresh.

"I am now going into an important stretch of the season."

Federer says one aspect he appreciates more about competing in the California desert is the relaxing pace of life in the laid-back retirement community.

"I remember coming here (in 1999) and I was always being mistaken for other players so I have come a long way," Federer said.

"I have had some good years here at Indian Wells. At first I thought it was a bit slow here. As a teenager I thought I needed a bit more New York and London atmosphere. But now it is nice to get a calm tournament before going to Europe and so forth."

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I faced better batsmen than Sehwag: Holding

NEW DELHI: Virender Sehwag might be one of the most destructive batsman in modern day cricket, but former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding says he played against better batsmen than the India opener during his playing days.

"I think I came up against better batsmen than Sehwag ever can be. I think people like Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas - I have gone up against better batsman than Sehwag. Sehwag hammers the ball all around, though his technique is a bit ordinary," Holding said.

Holding said if he was bowling to Sehwag, he would never give him room outside the off-stump.

"He loves the ball outside his off stump. If I was to bowl at Sehwag, he would not see a ball outside his off stump unless he was sleeping and dreaming.

"You would see every ball in line with his body and that is how you've got to bowl to Sehwag. Don't give him room outside his off-stump for him to extend those arms and we'll see how he scores. I am not saying that he will not score runs at all but he certainly won't score as fluently as he is scoring now," the legendary pacer, who has 249 wickets from 60 Tests and 142 from 102 ODIs, said.

Talking about the ongoing World Cup, Holding admitted that pitches for the tournament are heavily in favour of the batsmen, but added that if one has the pace, he can be successful on any surface.

"If you have pace, you can be successful as we have seen," he was quoted as saying by pakpassion.com.

"I don't think I would have been too worried about bowling on them. I went to India in 1983. I got thirty wickets in five Test matches. If you have pace, you can be successful," Holding corroborated his claim.

About India's chances in the World Cup, he reckoned that the only way they can win the title is by chasing.

"India have fantastic batting, and I think their best chance of winning is to chase targets, not to set targets. That's because their bowling is not the type of bowling that's going to prevent teams from getting big targets as we saw when they made 338 (against England)."

According to him, Australia and South Africa are the other teams to watch for in the tournament.

Asked about the ICC's decision to limit the number of teams from the next World Cup to 10, Holding said the game's apex body would do well to keep at least two associate members in megaevent.

"I do not agree with four associate teams playing in the World Cup. I said that in 2007 but people ridiculed me. What you need to do is reward the two that go into the finals of their tournament. No more than that. But you can't take them all out as the ICC have now done for the next World Cup. I think that's ridiculous."

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Harbhajan's form a worry for India

NEW DELHI: After two scratchy wins over minnows Ireland and the Netherlands, and their inability to force a win over England despite rustling up a total of 338, India's halo as World Cup favourites has dimmed considerably.

Fans are already suffering from frayed nerves, critics have kept their knives sheathed out and the media has brought down expectancy quotient by several notches.

The authority of a side boasting champion class is lacking. There are obvious weaknesses in some areas, especially fielding and bowling. Then, the logic behind team composition has also come under the scanner. Are India playing the best possible XI? Are they sure about their game plan? Is the strategy working?

Skipper MS Dhoni's answers to some vexed questions have not really silenced the skeptics. But what has added weight to growing disenchantment is the performance of the batsmen who made heavy weather of modest targets against Ireland and the Netherlands.

But is the situation really so bad that desperate measures need to be applied at once? Can't we believe Dhoni when he says his team would peak at the right moment in the World Cup? Well, Dhoni's positivism has not been matched by the show on the turf. But since every cloud has a silver lining, let's look out for some.

Coming to India's batting woes, very clearly the absence of a challenging environment caused a lowering of guard in recent games. That's why Sachin Tendulkar, of all batsmen, lost patience and committed hara-kiri against both Ireland and the Dutch. Virender Sehwag played like he does. But his recent ODI record suggests that he would have been just a bit more restrained if he was playing against one of the major teams.

There is a strong chance that we will see a slightly more responsible Sehwag against South Africa and West Indies. Gautam Gambhir has been a bit unlucky with his dismissals but can hope to ride on the law of averages now. Of course, Yuvraj Singh is proving to be the all-rounder India were always looking for. His confidence in the stratosphere, Yuvraj can be the engine to India's flight.

About Harbhajan Singh's lack of wickets, Dhoni had an interesting theory: "Teams are simply blocking him out, not wanting to give him wickets."

This is something Sourav Ganguly had also said on TV a few days back. This line of thinking has merit as teams do tend to be defensive against top bowlers. But Harbhajan will have to step up when bigger teams confront India. The good thing with the feisty sardar is that he loves a good scrap and may show his true colours when it's crunch time.

India also have R Ashwin up their sleeves. He has not been played despite a clamour for his inclusion in the XI. But, it may prove to be a blessing in disguise for India for his novelty value will be high as and when he is unleashed.

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Jayawardene dismisses Dilshan's dope rumour

Sri Lanka vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene on Wednesday dismissed media reports that star batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan has failed a dope test conducted during the ongoing ICC World Cup 2011.

Addressing a press conference one the eve of their group A match against Zimbabwe on Thursday, Jayawardene said there was no truth in the story as Dilshan was not among the Sri Lankan players who gave sample for dope tests.

"We have had two players tested. Dilshan is not one of them. The players are Ajantha Mendis and Chamara Silva. I am not too sure about where this story has come from but there is no truth in it," Jayawardene told reporters ahead of Sri Lanka's match against Zimbabwe.

Early in the day, the media circle was abuzz with the story that Dilshan has failed a dope test conducted by the International Cricket Council.
© PTI

Bangladesh tense but ready for England, says Shakib

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has admitted his team-mates were tense ahead of Friday's crucial World Cup match against England, but said the task was not beyond them.

The Tigers, who have just one win from three games, will almost certainly drop out of the race for the quarter-finals from Group B if they lose the day-night game at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium.

"The boys are tense, but they are also confident that they can put up a good show," said Shakib.

"We have prepared well for the game. We have worked hard in the last few days. I have tried to take the pressure on myself, so it eases the pressure on them.

"I think we have a very good chance in this match. We have to play good, positive hard cricket. If we play our best cricket, we can beat any side in the world."

Bangladesh, who began the tournament ranked eighth in one-day cricket, have played uninspiring cricket so far, leaving millions of their fans angry and frustrated.

The Tigers crashed to their lowest one-day total of 58 against the West Indies in Dhaka last Friday, losing the game by nine wickets in the first session itself.

Shakib, whose home was attacked by angry fans after the match, was at a loss to describe the feeling after the embarrassing defeat.

"I can't really put a finger on what happened, except that we batted poorly," the captain said.

"Hopefully, such a performance happens only once in a lifetime. We have learnt our lessons."

Shakib said Bangladesh had not batted well in the tournament, putting the side in a precarious position.

Batting form deserted the tournament co-hosts after a brave, but unsuccessful chase of India's 370-4 in the opening match when they replied with 283-9.

They were shot out for 205 by Ireland, fought back to restrict the non-Test nation for 178 under the Dhaka lights, before hitting a new low against the West Indies.

Opener Tamim Iqbal and captain Shakib Al Hasan are the only batsmen to score half-centuries in the tournament.

The loss to the West Indies saw angry reaction from fans and local media, with newspapers blaming "arrogant" Shakib for the poor show so far.

But the captain played down the media criticism and fans' behaviour after stones were thrown at the West Indies and Bangladesh team buses last Friday.

"The good thing is that we try not to read newspapers, or worry what is written in them," said Shakib.

"How do I describe the crowd? When we play well, they cheer us. When we do badly, they abuse us. It will be better not to think of the crowd."

England, with five points from four games, will book an early ticket to the quarter-finals if they beat Bangladesh and the West Indies down Ireland in Mohali earlier on Friday.

But the tourists will take the field without the injured duo of Kevin Pietersen and fast bowler Stuart Broad, who have been replaced by Eoin Morgan and Chris Tremlett.

"England will obviously miss Pietersen and Broad," said Shakib. "But Morgan is a very good player who has done very well against us in the past.

"But we have to guard against all the players and do our home work well."
© AFP

Pakistan still puzzled by Kamran conundrum

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said that blundering wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal will not be made a scapegoat and fans should expect a traditional World Cup rollercoaster ride.

The 29-year-old Akmal has endured a blitz of criticism after his calamitous performance against New Zealand where two horror blunders allowed Ross Taylor to escape on nought and eight before the batsman smashed an unbeaten 131.

New Zealand's 110-run win was Pakistan's first defeat in the tournament and prompted calls for Akmal's younger brother Umar to be handed the gloves for the remaining group games against Zimbabwe and Australia.

That would leave Kamran to play as a specialist batsman, even being promoted to open.

Umar, who kept wicket in three Twenty20 internationals and a one-dayer last year, was seen practising keeping in the team's net session on Thursday.

"Kamran has done a lot of hard work for this World Cup, but he has not lived up to that level, and we suffered a lot after he couldn't perform," said Afridi.

His lapses allowed New Zealand to post a challenging 302-7 in Tuesday's game, after mustering a whopping 100 runs off the last five overs, after struggling at 202-4 in 45 overs.

Afridi stressed that Pakistan, who face Zimbabwe on Monday, should not panic as they are still well-placed to reach the quarter-finals.

"Kamran has won lots of matches for Pakistan in the past, he is a very talented cricketer, and I think we are at a stage where we shouldn't panic. There are other players who are not performing - it's not only Kamran.

"We need to back them. If we make several changes we can face problems in future matches, so we will see if Kamran plays the next game or not. From my side, I think we should give Kamran confidence.

"He is a good player and we expect that he will do better."

Afridi urged fans back home to forget the defeat to New Zealand and that following Pakistan is always a nerve-racking affair.

"Because of the way we have batted, bowled and fielded everyone should get angry but then we have to forget this anger and we should have confidence for the next match," said the captain.

"Everyone realises that we have made big mistakes but if you look at Pakistan cricket over the last 50-60 years it's quite normal for our team."

Afridi said Pakistan still need to solve their problems with their opening pair.

"We are here with perfect openers and I don't think we can take a chance on Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez. But we might open with Kamran, that's one of the options," said Afridi.

Pakistan's best opening partnership in four matches was just 28 against Sri Lanka.
© AFP

India still World Cup favourites: Clarke

BANGALORE: India are still favourites to win the World Cup according to Australia's Michael Clarke despite being held to a tie by England and pushed hard before beating Ireland in the group stage.

Co-hosts India have yet to lose in this World Cup as indeed do defending champions Australia, although they had to make-do with a no-result washout against Sri Lanka last weekend.

India and Australia have been kept apart in a World Cup first round where the 14 competing teams are split into two pools of seven, with the top four in each going through to the quarterfinals.

But that hasn't stopped Australia vice-captain Clarke keeping a close eye on India's progress.

"India are still the favourites because they are playing games in their home conditions, I think they have got a very strong squad," said Clarke.

"India playing at home are always favourites."

Australia, bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in all, have not lost a match at the tournament since 1999 but top-order batsman Clarke was cautious as to whether they could maintain that unbeaten run.

"We are happy with the way we have been playing but it is a long, long way to go in the tournament."

Australia have welcomed experienced Michael Hussey into their squad after the batsman, left out on account of a hamstring problem from which he has now recovered, was called-up to replace fast bowler Doug Bollinger.

"Having a left-hander in the squad will surely help," Clarke said of Hussey. "You have to be experienced no matter what the conditions are.

"He has played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent and he is going to play a huge part (in the World Cup).

"So far the guys in the middle-order haven't had much of an opportunity but this is just the start of the tournament and experience in the middle-order will surely help as the tournament goes on.

"In the past he has shown us he can go out and win games on his own in any form of the game. So I am very confident that having Hussey around is going to help us."

By the time Australia face Kenya at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday it will be a week since they took the field for their rain-affected clash against Sri Lanka.

However, Clarke insisted having time to spend honing your game was always a plus point when in India.

"I think the most important thing while playing in the subcontinent is to improve your skill to play in these conditions.

"As the tournament goes on I think spin is going to play an important part and obviously we have seen reverse-swing as well. I think, as a batsman, when you get to a training session you are working on those sorts of things."

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Dutch pressure game will help India: Dhoni

NEW DELHI: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team had a good workout against the Netherlands and the pressure they faced would stand them in good stead for tougher World Cup challenges ahead.

India laboured to a five-wicket win at New Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla stadium after bowling the Dutch out cheaply for 189, virtually sealing their place in the quarterfinals.

Openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar tore into the Dutch bowling, reaching 69 in the eighth over before Sehwag was the first to go, sparking a mini-collapse that reduced India to 99/4.

But Dhoni said losing wickets meant batsmen lower down the order, including Yuvraj Singh (51 not out) had enjoyed crucial time in the middle ahead of matches against more powerful nations.

It was a almost a carbon copy of the win against Ireland, where India also found themselves in trouble at 100-4 in reply to a modest total of 207, with Yuvraj also hitting a half-century in that game.

"Any side you're playing, if you're 100/4 you are under a bit of pressure, especially if the wickets are slow and low and if you are expected to win easily, so that was a decent win for us," Dhoni said after Wednesday's victory against the Dutch.

"It's a good experience to have because you're all of a sudden in the quarterfinals or against a stronger side," he added.

"You don't want your middle order, your lower middle order, to get exposed. It's good that most of the batsmen have got a decent hit in the games they have played."

The skipper said the quick start when batting had been a bid to improve their run rate.

"When you're playing some of the so-called weaker sides in the world you try to get as many runs as possible with the new ball and when you're trying to do that your batsmen play aggressive shots and it's not all the time you'll be successful," he said.

Dhoni said it was important to take wickets with the new ball as a way of slowing the opposition but backed his bowlers to perform.

India have struggled to force early breakthroughs in their matches so far with the exception of the Ireland game, where paceman Zaheer Khan took two early wickets.

"I think we've got quite a few talented bowlers who can really swing the ball and even if there's no swing for them they can bowl a tight line and get the batsmen out."

And the skipper said off-spinner Harbhajan Singh would come into his own as the tournament progressed. So far he has taken just two wickets in four matches.

"I think as the tournament heats up in the coming few games you'll see a different Harbhajan Singh," adding that better opponents would bring out the best in him.

Dhoni said it was important for the team to pick up momentum with matches against South Africa and the West Indies to come before the quarterfinals.

"You may have a bad day or one individual has a brilliant day and you may be out of the tournament so I think you have to be at your best, especially in that part of the tournament."

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India hope to trade on Kirsten's inside knowledge

NAGPUR: India will be relying on South African coach Gary Kirsten for crucial inside knowledge when the two sides meet in the World Cup on Saturday.

India are virtually assured of a quarterfinal berth ahead of their blockbuster Group B clash, but Kirsten is aware of the dangers posed by his compatriots, still smarting from their six-run loss to England.

All the Indian players have lauded Kirsten's role in improving the dressing-room atmosphere, with record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar saying the team owed their successes to the coach.

"Gary has been instrumental in making our batters play plenty of deliveries in the practice session. During net practice, he himself bowls thousands and thousands of balls," said Tendulkar.

"He has been an important member of the Indian squad along with the other support staff. I have enjoyed my game under him. He is really putting in a lot of effort."

Indian cricket has been improving since former Proteas opener Kirsten took over in 2007 after a turbulent era under Australian coach Greg Chappell.

The South African was appointed at a time when fans in the cricket-crazy nation were fast losing faith in the team, especially after a humiliating first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup under Chappell.

It is a tribute to Kirsten's skill and professionalism that India has been improving each year, eventually securing the number-one ranking in Tests and number two in one-day internationals.

India became a formidable force both at home and away under Kirsten, having recently drawn for the first time a tough three-Test series in South Africa and been involved in a close one-day series against the same opposition.

"They have got very different ideas and very different thinking. I have enjoyed bringing the Indian style and a South African influence and connecting the two," Kirsten had said before the World Cup.

"It is important that they know I'm there and that I will work as hard as possible on helping them prepare for games.

"After all it is the player who needs to be clear in his head in the pressure situation during game time. He can't call to the coach to think for him."

As Kirsten is unlikely to continue as coach after the World Cup due to family commitments, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team will be determined to cap his stint with a major success.

"Apart from having good players in the side, he (Kirsten) was the one thing, you can say the best thing that happened to Indian cricket," said Dhoni.

"He has given the Indian team whatever he could, the best he could, and of course it was a pleasure to have him in the side."

India's best under a foreign coach at the World Cup came in 2003 when former New Zealand captain John Wright played a key role in the team's march to the final in South Africa with Sourav Ganguly as captain.

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Ind vs Ned: Yuvraj helps India beat Netherlands by 5 wickets

NEW DELHI: As twilight merged into night at Ferozeshah Kotla, the din became louder. The party was on and the raucous crowd was having its fill as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag tore into the modest Netherlands attack. Just 190 needed to wrap this one up against the minnows, it was celebration time. Suddenly, the grand march towards victory became a painful lurch towards the post as profligate Indian batsmen gave new sheen to the expression, "cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties."


Sehwag, Tendulkar and Pathan sacrificed their wickets while trying to finish the game before the waiters stopped serving evening tea in the dressing room. Virat Kohli's expansive drive only helped the ball hit the off-stump and Gautam Gambhir was unlucky to see his leg-stump clipped around his legs.

From 69 without loss to 99 for four and then 139 for five was almost surreal. The tension in the air was palpable, just as it was in the last game against Ireland. The old firm of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni then took charge and sanity was restored. India won the World Cup Group B game on Wednesday by five wickets with more than 13 overs remaining, also making to the quarterfinals in the process. But with tougher tests coming up, doubters would still be shouting from the roof tops, such was the display overall.

Yuvraj turned in another remarkably saviour-like, man-of-the-match performance to soothe nerves and see India home. He was nagging with ball (9-1-43-2) and resolute with the bat (51 not out, 73 balls, 7x4). One was reminded of what Dhoni said on Tuesday in the pre-match press meet: "I'm a great fan of Yuvraj Singh."

In the first half of the day, the script went the way India's spin doctors would have wanted it to. A web of spin on a low, slow and turning Kotla track, not your 'ideal' One-day wicket by any means, suffocated the life out of Dutch batsmen. The visitors huffed and puffed their way to 189 all out in 46.4 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

That spin would be the order of the day was established quite early when Pathan replaced Ashish Nehra after the comeback man had bowled just one over of his medium pace. Star off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was in operation by the seventh over and soon, Piyush Chawla too was creating confusion in the Dutch ranks with his assortment of leg-spinners, googlies and flippers.

All this while, Yuvraj, fresh from a five-wicket haul in the last game against Ireland, was rubbing his hands in anticipation. It was not long before he also got his chance to make hay in the sun, which he did immediately by picking up a wicket in his first over.

The medium-pacers, especially Zaheer Khan, also benefited from the pressure applied by the spinners. Zaheer picked up three in his second spell to help India wrap up the innings in a hurry. The Netherlands essay, which had a promising start, began misfiring as soon as the tweakers came on. The Dutch batsmen did not have the wherewithal to counter quality spin in these conditions. Thus, the 56-run opening stand proved a flash in the pan as wickets fell at regular intervals.

It was left to skipper Peter Borren to launch a late riposte with a breezy 38 off 36 balls. He crashed Yuvraj for two fours in the 42nd over of the innings and then whack two sixes off Chawla in the 43rd to bring some substance to the total.

Chawla finally found a track where he could turn the ball and hoodwink the batters. Of course, the Dutch could not exert too much pressure on him but his confidence would have got a fillip nonetheless. He could even turn his googlies which normally do not turn much.

A wickets, though, eluded Harbhajan once again, despite the sardar bowling his full quota. In the field, the hosts looked flat. They might be saving the fire for the bigger tests. But it's fielding which exhibits the collective attitude of a group. And since skipper Dhoni has himself thrown the towel — he said India's fielding can't improve — one cannot hope for anything better. Besides a lack of quality effort from many in the field, two return catches were fluffed, one each by Chawla and Yuvraj, though both were tough ones.

In tight games, this lack of intent may cost India dearly.

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Tendulkar first to reach 2,000 World Cup runs

NEW DELHI: Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday became the first batsman to score 2,000 World Cup runs, reaching the mark by hitting three consecutive fours in front of legions of fans in New Delhi.

Tendulkar opened the batting with Virender Sehwag at Ferozeshah Kotla stadium, and they put on 69 for the first wicket in reply to the Netherlands' total of 189 before Sehwag was out for 39.

Tendulkar was dismissed for 27 off 22 balls, caught near the long-off boundary by Bradley Kruger off the bowling of Pieter Seelaar.

The 37-year-old, playing his 40th match at his sixth World Cup, made his bow at cricket's showpiece tournament in 1992.

Before Wednesday's match he had hit five centuries and 13 fifties in World Cups.

The next player on the list is Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who has 1,577 runs in 42 matches.

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Spain lead FIFA rankings, Argentina head Brazil

ZURICH: World Cup-winner Spain stays atop the FIFA monthly rankings and Argentina rises above Brazil to be South America's best.

Spain leads an unchanged all-European top three from the Netherlands and Germany. Argentina is up one place at no. 4 and Brazil slips to no. 5.

Argentina was rewarded for a 2-1 victory over Portugal in a friendly, while Brazil lost 1-0 to France.

Croatia climbs one to no. 8, trading places with Portugal. Greece completes the top 10.

Italy rose two to no. 11 and Asian champion Japan is also up two at no. 15.

Ghana leads African countries at no. 16. The United States dropped one to no. 19 but still leads CONCACAF region teams.

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Gautam Gambhir

Country: India

IPL Team: Kolkata Knight Riders

Cover (Rs crore): 32.4

Gautam Gambhir from Kolkata Knight Riders is getting the highest individual insurance of 32 crore.