Of ramzan and tape ball cricket

Cricket fanatics it is that time of the year when the passion for the game touches its zenith, the time when the fans get to play the game, the time when the fever for cricket especially in the night hits an all-time high! The month of Ramazan is, as always set to be nothing less than a sporting carnival all across the country; youngsters are eager to drive home their passion for football, volleyball and carom amongst others and of course the game of glorious uncertainties, one we all are in love with.

While there are numerous tournaments with the actual cricket ball all across the country, there remains one variety that is popular with almost every Pakistani, tape ball cricket; legend has it that taping a tennis ball was introduced to Karachi some three decades ago.

The transition from tennis to tape tennis ball came around the time the Kerry Packer revolution hit international cricket, the introduction of white balls, coloured clothing, black sight screens and floodlit cricket brought a new dimension and thrill. While closer to home, tape ball generated a new interest in players and fans alike.

In the earlier days, the areas of Nazimabad, Malir, and PNT Colony were the bases of tape ball cricket, the drama gripped every one in these localities and soon tournaments started taking place in Ramazan. Nazimabad had the best tape ball talent of the country; teams like Bombay Town, Nazimabad Town and Metroville dominated as the leading outfits of the area.

Amongst themselves they were fiercely competitive, with the batsmen and bowlers fighting tooth and nail till the end. In areas like PNT Colony near Gizri, young and old were hooked onto the game, the biggest thrill for them was the low cost of playing. The most popular brand of tape in the early days was ‘Nito’ available for as low as five rupees in many colours, of which the more popular have always been red and white.

A player of the PNT area Nadir, now in his 40′s recalls a typical match at the PNT Ground, “In the 80s we had a great team; our battles with the Nazimabad outfits were always intriguing and exciting. In Ramazan it used to be nothing less than a carnival, while normally as soon as afternoon sat-in we started playing. Our ground was flocked by area residents, even the elderly used to be glued to the action. Most of them used to have a cigarette in one hand, with the other hand gesturing at the players and we were often greeted by a hurl of abuses every time we failed to live up to their expectations”.

Interestingly, tape ball cricket has also remained immensely popular in the posh areas of Karachi; youngsters from affluent backgrounds have also been playing the game for ever! In the 80s and 90s, tape teenaged boys were seen playing almost every where in Defence and Clifton, one such player was Ilyas Bashir.

He recalls that the evenings back then were spent playing cricket with the sole emphasis being on making the best of the short two-hour window after school and tuition hours. “Our parents used to allow us only two hours to play, tape ball cricket was the best way to spend those hours. The players used to contribute in buying the equipment and were often banished from an area after shattering a neighbour’s window. In Ramazan we held tournaments, but were often sent packing in the first round as better teams from other areas whipped us with consummate ease”.

So here is what makes tape ball cricket compelling; generally an electrical tape is wrapped on a tennis ball; this way the ball hardens and swings, seams and spins like a proper cricket ball besides traveling faster and longer off the bat.

The ‘ground’ is often a street, a narrow passage in a neighbourhood or if one is lucky, an open field with boundaries. A tape ball match is generally of 8-12 overs which means that everything takes place at frenetic speed, be it the search for runs or wickets. The pitch is around 18 meters, supporters of both teams are glued to the action as they place themselves in close proximity to the pitch, yelling and shouting as they guide the men in the middle. Batsmen generally enjoy the tape ball as it travels a long way and at times even a half decent connection clears the boundary.

On the other hand, a bowler who can bowl at a genuine pace loves the challenge of stifling the willow wielders; the aim is to bowl at the batsman’s feet, yorker after yorker or deceive him with a slower ball or a ‘finger’. The drama is pulsating for players and spectators alike.
Cricketing experts and former players have varying opinions on the merits of tape ball cricket especially for youngsters who want to make an impression in regular cricket.

The current head of the national selection committee Mohsin Khan who played 48 tests for Pakistan thinks that tape ball is meant for fun only and should not be taken seriously by professional cricketers. “Tape ball is pure entertainment, however it can have an adverse affect on the technique of the batsmen as the challenges posed by a cricket ball are totally different to a taped one, professional cricketers can have the odd indulgence especially during Ramazan, however they should not play this version regularly”.

He recalled that the national team used to practice with a wet tennis ball before tours of the West Indies and Australia in a bid to cope with the pace and bounce on the wickets there, “We used to soak tennis balls in water and play on cement wickets, this way the batsmen learnt to cope with the pace and bounce abroad, the practice paid rich dividends,” Mohsin stated.

Pakistan’s leading test spinner Danish Kaneria also had a passion for tape ball cricket in his early days, “I used to love playing cricket and tape ball was what I was introduced to first, I remember making a big impact for the Don Bosco club during a tournament played at the St. Patrick Cathedral, Karachi in 1996. I bowled a leg-spin in that event and my performance made me believe in my ability and helped me pursue my cricketing ambitions”. Kaneria revealed that his coach stopped him from bowling with a tape ball at that juncture; he felt that the softer, smaller ball would make it tough for his pupil to master the hard cricket ball. Most Pakistani fast bowlers who give batsmen a run for their money, have famously honed their skills on the streets playing tape ball.

Another Pakistani quick who is aiming to follow in their footsteps is left-armer Sohail Tanvir, the lanky southpaw is also a decent batsman. Like his predecessors, Sohail first took up tape ball cricket. He stole the show in a tournament held in Gujranwala some six years ago, Sohail recalls that he dazzled with both bat and ball and led his team to victory in the event, even pocketing the Man of the Tournament Award.

I ran into the then Pakistan captain Moin Khan in a tape ball match in 2000, I was the proud opening bowler of my team and my first over was taken for 20 runs; the experience was miserable for an average yet passionate tape ball bowler, never mind though, the thrill must never stop.

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Wasim akram should get his facts right before making statement: Mohsin

Chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan on Tuesday said that former captain Wasim Akram had no business to make half-baked statements about matters like national team selection, and advised him to spare some time to know more about the policies of the selectors instead of criticising them without much sense and knowledge.

Replying to Wasim’s recent criticism of the selectors’ decision to rest Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, Mohsin said: “I was surprised and disappointed over Wasim’s criticism of the selectors over resting some players.

I know that Wasim is very busy with his commitments abroad, but it is very unfair that he comes back to the country after three or four months and without knowing the facts, give statements about the team, about the players and the policy, which can be very damaging.”

“A player of his calibre should realise that such statements can spoil the team spirit and create misunderstanding between the players and the management,” said Mohsin while talking to Dawn on Tuesday.

Mohsin, obviously miffed at Wasim’s comments about the need of consistency in the matters of selection, added: “As far as Wasim’s comments on the consistency in selection are concerned, let me tell him that selection committee knows its job much better than what he thinks.”

“I treat Wasim like my younger brother and undoubtedly he is one of the finest cricketers Pakistan has produced, but if he is so much concerned for Pakistan cricket, then he should be serving our cricket rather than other countries in different capacities,” said Mohsin, a veteran of 48 Tests and 75 ODIs.

“I know he has been approached by the PCB in the past to come and serve Pakistan cricket, but he could not spare time for this national cause,” he recalled.

“I think Wasim does not understand that we have adopted a certain policy to form a solid combination of senior and younger players for the future and this tour of Zimbabwe is the best opportunity for us to try out this combination.”

The chief selector pointed out that Wasim was quite off the mark when insisting on the inclusion of Umar Gul and Wahab and said that the two pacers along with left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman had been involved in all forms of cricket since last one-and-a-half years and, therefore, it was the appropriate time to give them some rest.

“This is an ideal series to rest them and test some budding youngsters since there will be much tougher assignments against Sri Lanka and England ahead and the selectors feel that they will not have any better chance to groom the back up players than against Zimbabwe,” reasoned Mohsin, known as the Lord’s hero for his dazzling double hundred in the 1982 series.

“In order to build a nice, balanced combination with a back up for the future, we are trying to utilise this tour of Zimbabwe because after this tour there are two very tough series ahead,” he said.

“I have no fear or reservations in trying out any young or talented player because I have full support of the PCB on this policy,” emphasised Mohsin.

“I am trying my level best to serve Pakistan cricket because Allah has given me a lot of honour and respect by playing for Pakistan,” said the former opener.

“I played my cricket for Pakistan with courage and honour and strongly believe that for every big achievement, you have to be brave enough to take a calculated risk,” said Mohsin.

When reminded that both Umar and Wahab were still playing county cricket and not exactly taking rest, Mohsin said that the PCB had instructed them not to play the longer version in the county championship and, secondly, there was a huge difference between the demands of county and international cricket.

Mohsin insisted that as chief selector he was constantly in touch with his cricketers, both at home and abroad, and he and his entire selection committee knew it fully well where and when the players could play or rest.

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India face to another tough task as England eye top spot

England head into the third Test against India at Edgbaston here on Wednesday knowing another victory will give then both an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the four-match series and see them replace their opponents at the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table.

India, beset by injuries, have rarely had their best team on the field and came straight into the series on the back of a tour of the Caribbean with just one practice match in English conditions.

What cannot be denied is Strauss’s men have played some excellent cricket during a 196-run first Test win at Lord’s that was followed by an even more emphatic 319-run success at Trent Bridge.

Their bowlers have prevented the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up, albeit one where dynamic opener Virender Sehwag has only just joined the squad following shoulder surgery, from once getting to 300 in four innings.

Meanwhile England’s batting depth has proved too much for an India attack where left-arm quick Zaheer Khan’s series came to an end midway through his 14th over at Lord’s.

“It’s a mental thing as well because for some of us it’s been a seven-match Test series with hardly any gap,” admitted India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the wicketkeeper/batsman, who looked close to both physical and mental exhaustion at Trent Bridge.

Medium-pacer Praveen Kumar has done his best to shoulder a heavy workload but with off-spinner Harbhajan Singh breaking down with a series-ending stomach injury at Trent Bridge, recalled England seamer Tim Bresnan made 90 batting at No 8 before taking a Test-best five for 44 with the ball.

Bresnan was only playing at Trent Bridge because of the hamstring and back problems that again has sidelined fast bowler Chris Tremlett from appearing at Edgbaston as well.

Yuvraj was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the series with a broken finger.

India have called up spinner Pragyan Ojha and batsman Virat Kohli as cover for Harbhajan and Yuvraj respectively while R.P. Singh, a like-for-like replacement, recently joined the squad in Zaheer’s absence.

Few England fans at Edgbaston, would begrudge seeing India great Sachin Tendulkar become the first batsman to score 100 international hundreds.

Tendulkar’s already stellar reputation, and indeed that of the India team as a whole, may well have gone up a few notches after it emerged he played a key role in helping persuade his side to withdraw their second Test run-out appeal against Ian Bell when the batsman mistakenly assumed the ball was dead.

Trott’s injury has paved the way for a Test return for Ravi Bopara, the man whose lack of form against Australia two years ago cleared a path for his South Africa-born rival to score a hundred on debut in the 2009 Ashes finale.

England, under coach Andy Flower, have stuck to a policy of playing six specialist batsmen. That means Bopara and Eoin Morgan could both yet play at Edgbaston despite the all-round form of Bresnan and fellow seamer Stuart Broad, who took a hat-trick at Trent Bridge as well as scoring valuable runs.

Teams (from):
ENGLAND: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Steven Finn.

INDIA: Abhinav Mukund, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina, Vangipurappu Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virat Kohli, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, R.P. Singh, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Munaf Patel, Wriddhiman Saha.

Umpires: Simon Taufel and Steve Davis (both Australia).
TV umpire: Rod Tucker (Australia).
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).—

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PCB, Misbah keen to groom younger player as vice-captain

 The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in a quandary over finding a suitable candidate for the post of vice-captain for Pakistan team’s tour of Zimbabwe scheduled later this month.

The importance of appointing a vice-captain was felt after a non-cricketer Naveed Akram Cheema was named as the manager of the national team in place of former Test captain Intikhab Alam.

An important meeting was held in the PCB on Thursday to decide the next vice-captain as well as finalising the team management for the tour.

Though the tour of Zimbabwe is a low-profile assignment and can be completed without a vice-captain, the PCB deems it appropriate to have a vice-captain in order to complete the quorum for the tour selection committee.

First three options for the post of Misbah-ul-Haq’s deputy appear to be Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar and Imran Farhat.

However, since none of the three are exactly ‘young’ cricketers and cannot be groomed as future captain, the PCB may look for some other candidate to fulfil its long-term planning.

Moreover, sources said captain Misbah was ken to have a junior player groomed as his deputy in Test cricket and may prefer talented Azhar Ali for the vice-captain’s post.

Furthermore, Hafeez’s performance has not been exemplary, especially in the Test matches, and he has only cemented his place in the One-day team, mainly because of his utility as an all-rounder.

In the last six months, Hafeez has played four Test matches and in the eight innings he has scored just 88 runs at the average 12.57. In ODIs, he has played 21 matches in the same period and has accumulated 700 runs at 36.84 averages besides claiming 19 wickets at the average 27.21.

Taufiq, however, has fared better. He has played 31 Tests scoring 2167 at the averages 39.40 while Imran Farhat is the most experienced among the three with 39 Test to his credit, scoring 2327 at the average 31.87.

A PCB official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that in the past some incidents involving Hafeez had not gone down well with the PCB.

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India's Dravid makes surprise ODI comeback

 Rahul Dravid on Saturday was recalled to the Indian squad for next month’s one-day series against England, while injured Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were left out.

Middle-order batsman Dravid played his last one-dayer in September 2009, but got the selectors’ nod following his impressive performances in the ongoing four-Test series in England.

The 38-year-old, who has scored 10,765 runs in 339 one-day internationals with 12 centuries, is the most successful Indian batsman on the tour with two hundreds in the opening two Tests.

India will play a one-off Twenty20 match against England at Old Trafford on August 31 before the five-match one-day series starts at Chester-le-Street on September 3.

Off-spinner Harbhajan (abdominal strain) and all-rounder Yuvraj (finger injury) were not part of the limited-overs squad, to be led by World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The duo have already been ruled out of the remaining two Tests of the four-match series due to injuries, suffered during the second Test at Trent Bridge.

The Indian cricket board on Wednesday said in a statement that Yuvraj’s injury could take around four weeks to mend, while Harbhajan was likely to recover in three weeks’ time.

They were replaced by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and middle-order batsman Virat Kohli. India currently trail 2-0 in the Test series.

Middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, paceman Vinay Kumar and wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, who are not part of the Test squad, returned for one-dayers.

India twenty20 and one-day squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, Parthiv Patel

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India playing like schoolboys' teams: Gavasker

 Batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Thursday blamed poor technique for India’s dismal show in the Test series in England, saying the tourists looked like a ‘schoolboys’ team’.

“India were totally outplayed by England in the second Test so much so that it looked like a contest between a professional team and a schoolboys team,” the former opener wrote in The Hindu newspaper. “The batting has failed to get to 300 in four innings and the bowling in both Tests has faded away after a bright beginning.”

India trail 2-0 in the four-Test series following a 196-run defeat in the first match at Lord’s and a 319-run loss in the second at Trent Bridge.

Drawn games in the last two matches will enable England to dethrone Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Indians as the top-ranked Test team.

“India’s lower order is just not technically good enough, and if a player knows he is technically struggling then mentally too he stops fighting,” wrote Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs.

“Not that the top order has shown any great technique, especially the youngsters who plunder millions of runs on Indian pitches getting onto the front foot and then suddenly find that when it comes to overseas pitches and the quicker bowlers, they just don’t know how to play off the back foot.”

Rahul Dravid has looked the best Indian batsman on the tour with two hundreds, while Vangipurappu Laxman has made two half-centuries and Sachin Tendulkar one.

“The guys scoring the runs are those who have honed their technique on the longer version of the game,” Gavaskar wrote.

“Those others who are destroyers of bowling where the ball does not come above the waist are finding how tough Test cricket is.

“There will be talk about preparation etc, but even if this Indian team had played five first-class games before the Test series they would have struggled as the technique is not there.”

India played just one warm-up match before the Test series

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Visa applications for pakistani fans to be processed swiftly

Visa applications of Pakistani fans wishing to visit London for next year’s Olympic Games will be processed speedily, a British High Commission official said on Thursday.

“We have a very excellent visa processing system. Anyone who wishes to witness the Games and applies for visa after fulfilling the pre-requisites it would be a very speedy process,” Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner Dr Peter Tibber told Dawn while highlighting the arrangements being made to hold Olympic Games successfully.

Dr Tibber suggested Pakistan’s fans, intending to attend London Olympics, to apply for visa three months in advance.

However, at High Commission media official said: “Even if anyone fails to purchase a ticket it should not be a worry for them because giant screens would also be installed at different parks and localities across London where the sports lovers could enjoy any sport.”

Meanwhile, praising Pakistan’s hockey team, Dr Tibber wished they win the silver medal in London.

“I know Pakistan’s hockey team looks very good but still we hope Great Britain win the gold medal [in hockey],” he stated.

Pakistan, whose lone medal hope is hockey – also their national game, have already qualified for the Olympics after winning the gold medal in the Asian Games at Guangzhou, China last year.

Pakistan may also get a few wild card entries for the London extravaganza in athletics, shooting and swimming. Pakistan may also get places in rowing, wrestling, weightlifting and boxing if they win Asian qualifiers for the Olympics.

Dr Tibber further said Britain’s economy was set for revival with the Olympic Games.

“Definitely, there will be an economic revival with the 2012 Olympics. The Games are being held in the east of London [a poor neighbourhood of the city] and most of the venues are being developed there for which a comprehensive communication system was also being established,” said Dr Tibber, adding all this would give a huge boost to the British economy.

Britain with the 2012 Games will become the only country in the world to have hosted the Olympics — world’s biggest sporting show — for the third time. Britain also hosted the Olympic Games back in 1908 and 1948.

“We are developing the Olympic structures with an aim to maintain a legacy,” he said, adding most of the Olympics structures are nearing completion.

Dr Tibber said along with Olympic Games preparations his government was also running an international inspiration programme for the youth.

The programme aims to use the power of physical education, sport and play to enrich the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities.

According to London Olympic Games Committee some four billion people would watch the Games opening ceremony on
television.

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India look towards sehwag to lift morale

 Former India players are united in their belief that Virender Sehwag’s return from injury will stabilise the team’s fragile batting order and lift morale in the remaining two tests against a dominant England.

The dashing opener has been sidelined since undergoing shoulder surgery in May, keeping the 32-year-old out of the tour of the West Indies and India’s first two tests against England.

India, 2-0 down in the four-match series, had looked nothing like the world’s number one-ranked team in the Lord’s and Trent Bridge tests but that could change with the return of the explosive right-hander, according to Anshuman Gaekwad.

“It is almost going to be like a new series. To have Sehwag and (Gautam) Gambhir back… It will give a lot of confidence to the team,” the former India international and coach told Reuters.

Sehwag’s opening partner Gambhir injured his elbow while fielding at Lord’s and missed the 319-run defeat at Trent Bridge but is likely to return to the starting lineup for the third test beginning on Aug. 10 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The injuries to the top order forced India to tinker with the batting lineup, placing Rahul Dravid in a makeshift opener’s role and Vangipurappu Laxman up the order at number three.

“In a test match, it is of utmost necessity to have a good start. Their return will be a big relief for the captain and the team,” emphasised the former India opener, who played 40 test matches from 1975-85.

Sehwag has 22 hundreds in 87 test appearances but it his strike rate of almost 82 runs per 100 deliveries that make him one of the most intimidating batsmen in cricket.

Former captain Ajit Wadekar said Sehwag’s return would ease the pressure on India’s “Big Three” — Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman.

“Sehwag coming back itself is enough to boost the morale of the team. We never had a solid opening partnership in the series,” Wadekar, the former chief of national selectors, said by phone.

“If our openers do their bit, batsmen down the order will start gaining in confidence.”

MATCH PRACTICE

Sehwag’s audacious strokeplay might be the ideal counter-attacking ploy the team needed to recover from the heavy defeats and avoid a two-clear test series defeat that would enable England to leapfrog India at the top of the rankings.
“The opposition bowlers also get disheartened by Sehwag’s presence,” the 70-year old Wadekar said.

India will play a two-day tour game against Northamptonshire starting on Friday and it will be Sehwag’s only chance to acclimatise himself to the conditions before the third test starts on Aug. 10.

“I don’t know how much practice he will get. He has been out for so long after the injury. Hope he acclimatises quickly with the conditions there,” Wadekar, who led India to series victories in West Indies and England in 1971, said.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also doubted whether Sehwag had enough time to get match fit.

“It has to be seen whether the dynamic opener has had enough cricket or whether the Northants game is enough to get him ready for Birmingham,” Ganguly wrote in a column which was published in the Hindustan Times on Thursday.

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Aaqib removed as assistant coach for zimbabwe tour

Former Test fast bowler Aaqib Javed was removed as Pakistan’s assistant coach for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the team management for the tour.

Assistant manager Shahid Aslam could also not retain his position. In his place, the PCB has named Col Wasim Ahmed as security manager with the additional charge of assistant manager for the Zimbabwe tour starting from Aug 26.

While a PCB press release issued on Thursday contained the messages about outgoing and incoming manager of the squad, the statement did not give any reason about Aaqib’s exclusion from the team management.

However, sources told Dawn that former limited-overs skipper Shahid Afridi was a big supporter of Aaqib as part of the team management. But now as Afridi has announced retirement from international cricket and that too after developing differences with the PCB management, it was difficult for Aaqib to retain his post.

No replacement was announced in place of Aaqib. Meanwhile, chairman PCB Ijaz Butt issued a statement, thanking former team manager Intikhab Alam for his role. Intikhab and new manager Naveed Akram Cheema also issued statements.

The PCB chief in his statement said: “Intikhab has done a commendable job as national team manager. His experience as a cricketer and cricket administrator is always a great help. As the director game development he is needed in Pakistan to execute the game development plans.”

Intikhab said: “I am thankful to PCB management for trusting me with responsibilities of team manager in the past. “While I enjoyed working as the team manager, I feel that I now need to dedicate more time to the academies programme which we have restarted after some years. I wish my successor Naveed all the best in his new assignment,” Intikhab added.

Meanwhile, Naveed said: “I am grateful for the confidence reposed in me by the PCB. I will be seeking advice from my predecessor Intikhab Alam. Our collective aim is to ensure that the team do well on the tour and that there is harmony and unity among the squad members.”

Team management:
Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Waqar Younis (coach), Col. Wasim Ahmed (security/assistant manager), Dr Sohail Saleem (doctor-cum-physio), Saboor Ahmed (trainer), Umar Farooq (analyst), Mohammad Akhtar (masseur).

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Rise to the top will not be over night: Clarke

 Australia’s journey back up the test world rankings is not going to happen overnight but the upcoming series in Sri Lanka will be an indication of their current status, captain Michael Clarke said on Thursday.

Australia are fifth in the rankings after the humiliating Ashes defeat at the turn of the year and take on the fourth-placed Sri Lankans in three tests starting at the end of the month after a one-day series.

Clarke, speaking before boarding the plane for his first tour in charge of the side, said he would like to promise Australian cricket fans no more pain but conceded that any improvement would be hard-earned.

“I really hope we can turn things around straight away (but) I think it is going to take time for us to work our way back up the rankings,” Clarke told reporters at Sydney airport.

“I’m confident with the talent we have, not just in our squad but around domestic cricket, if we keep the same attitude as we’ve had over the last few months with our training and our dedication, I can see us having some success.”

The 30-year-old faces a difficult introduction to test captaincy with tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa followed by a home series against New Zealand and then India, who are battling it out for number one status with England.

“We’re certainly not blinded by the fact we have two of the best teams in the world in their own conditions coming up in Sri Lanka and South Africa, so it’s going to be a tough start for us,” he said.

“But it’s a good test for us to see where we’re at, and if we can have some success against both these teams, playing away from home, I think that will give us some real confidence coming to the summer to play against India.”

Four uncapped players boarded the plane for Colombo on Thursday and Clarke admitted he had never met offspinner Nathan Lyon, although he had received “great reports” about the 23-year-old’s bowling on an Australia A tour of Zimbabwe.

“He’s got an opportunity to grab it with both hands and, by all reports, I’m pretty confident he’ll do that, so he’s certainly got a lot of talent,” Clarke said.

“Now it’s about giving him a go and seeing how he handles playing cricket for Australia.”

Clarke said he was confident of the security measures in place for the tour and was certain the team would be treated “like gold” in Sri Lanka.

Batsman Shaun Marsh and quick bowlers James Pattinson and Trent Copeland are the other uncapped players in the party and were desperate to take their chance at the top level, Clarke said.

“I love the fact we’ve got some new fresh faces that are excited and itching for their opportunity. I think that’s a great thing to have around the group,” Clarke concluded.

“But the facts are we have to have some success, we have to play good cricket, we have to improve from our recent results throughout the last Australian summer.

“We need to get better, and we know that as players, and I can guarantee we’re working as hard as I’ve ever worked in my career, so hopefully we can turn that around sooner rather than later.”

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PHF imposes two-year ban on umpire waqar after he turns up azerbaijan

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has imposed two-year ban on umpire Waqas Ahmed Butt for participating in the Euro Hockey Nations Championship as a regular member of the Azerbaijan hockey team without first obtaining a NOC from the PHF.

Waqas is an international umpire, who was elevated last year to the rank of FIH International panel of umpires.

“For the violation of constitution of his parent body, the PHF has banned umpire Waqas Ahmed Butt for two years with effect from Aug 3 from participating in all domestic and international activities as a player and as an umpire,” a PHF statement said

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Pakistan reach south asian football semis

Four goals by Mohammad Bilal and two by Sher Ali helped Pakistan U-16 team reach the semi-finals of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship after earning a convincing 6-0 win against Maldives in their second Group ‘A’ match in Kathmandu.

According to the information released by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Pakistan led the first half 1-0 as Bilal put his side ahead from a Mansoor Khan corner in the 19th minute.

The second half saw full domination of Pakistan as Bilal slammed his second goal in the 56th minute followed by Sher Ali’s goals in the 79th and 80th minutes to make it 4-0.

In the 84th minute, Bilal completed his hat-trick with a superb solo run making it 5-0. Bilal then added his fourth goal in the 88th minute to complete the tally

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Shoaib trumps Sania in tennis match

Former captain of the national cricket team Shoaib Malik has taken to playing tennis and defeated his wife, tennis ace Sania Mirza, on a mini court.

“I play tennis with Sania twice a week. I beat her at a mini court recently,” Malik was reported as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Malik, who developed an interest in the game after his marriage to Mirza, said he was now aiming to beat her on a full sized court and said that the tennis star’s game had improved after their marriage.

“I now want to win a game on a full-sized court,” he said.

He revealed that Sania was passionate about cricket and they (the couple) supported their respective countries during matches between the arch-rivals, Pakistan and India.

“We watch the game together, she supports India and I support Pakistan,” he said.

About their marriage, the cricketer said both were happy. They are based out in Dubai but visit their countries frequently.

“We live in Dubai but keep visiting both India and Pakistan. The High Commissions of the two countries have been very cooperative in issuing us visas,” he said.

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Warne likens England to the australia of his time

Shane Warne has likened England to the successful Australia side of which he was a key member after seeing Andrew Strauss’s men thrash India in the second Test.

England crushed their opponents by 319 runs with more than a day to spare at Trent Bridge on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series following a 196-run first Test triumph at Lord’s.

If England at the very least maintain that advantage over the next two Tests they will replace India as leaders of the ICC’s Test Championship table and leg-spin great Warne is an admirer of the ‘Poms’ recent performances.

“England are improving and have a hunger for victory,” Warne, 41, wrote in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Telegraph.

“They have a good team spirit and, as Andrew Strauss says, they can still improve. Don’t forget they were 124 for eight on day one of this game.

“But most impressive about England was how aggressively they approached the situation,” he added.

“When Australia were on top and dominating world cricket, the things we wanted to do were score fast, take the game away from the opposition and intimidate the tail.

“England are doing all those and showing qualities that will make them number one if they continue to play like this.

“At times the pitch looked flat when India were bowling but, by showing intensity, aggression and a lot of hunger to be the best in the world, England demonstrated what could be achieved.”

Meanwhile former England captain Nasser Hussain was in no doubt about the quality of the current side, proclaiming in the Daily Mail: “They are the best England team I have ever seen.”

Hussain cited Tim Bresnan, only called up at Trent Bridge after fast bowler Chris Tremlett was injured, as proof of England’s progress.

Bresnan scored 90 batting at number eight in the hosts’ second innings on Monday and then the Yorkshire seamer took a Test-best five for 48 as India collapsed to 158 all out.

“Tim Bresnan is the perfect example of how outstanding England have become,” Hussain said.

“When he was first picked he was thought of as a good, honest trier and a bits-and-pieces player. Now look at him… He is bowling quickly and with nous, and he looked like a proper batsman yesterday (Monday) too.

“These are good times for England. And they will last for a while yet.”

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Amir Atlas khan improves international ranking by five places

Pakistan’s No 1 squash player Aamir Atlas Khan has improved his international standing by five places, according to the rankings published by the Professional Squash Association (PSA) for the month of August.

Aamir, who was ranked at No 28 in the month of July, leapfrogged five places up to occupy the 23rd spot.

Aamir featured in two tournaments in the month of July and performed brilliantly in the first tournament, the CIMB Malaysian Open, where he reached the final after beating World No 10 Malaysian Mohammad Azlan Iskandar and World No 17 Australian Cameron Pilley.

After playing the events final against World No 6 Gregory Gaultier, Aamir left for Egypt, where he featured in Sportsmax Squash Open in Cairo. He fell in the quarterfinals of the event to Egyptian qualifier Marwan El Shorbagy, who has recently been crowned the World Junior Champion.

“It was a bad decision to play back to back tournaments. I played some tough matches in Malaysia and left the same day for Egypt after playing the final of the Egyptian Open. I played the first round of Sportsmax Open only 24 hours after having played the final of the Malaysian Open.

“The quarterfinal, which I lost, was also in the next 24 hours of the first round. I was exhausted and needed a rest while Marwan was in form and played well in the quartefinal,” Aamir told PPI.

Aamir, who will represent Pakistan in the World Team Championship later in this month in Germany, said that he was expecting improvement in his rankings and he is delighted to jump to the 23rd spot.

“Improvement in my rankings may help Pakistan to feature in World Team Championship as a seeded side.

“This would help us face weak teams in the beginning and may help us advance in the tournament and achieve a worthwhile place at the end of the event,” he explained.

However, Aamir is the only player in the World Team Championship squad who is ranked in the top 100 and other than him no other Pakistan player going to Germany is ranked among the top 100 elite squash players of the world.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s No 2 Farhan Mehboob, fell five places down and is now ranked at No 41. Farhan was not selected for the World Team Championship event after the left-hander fell early in the trials.

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Pakistan announce squad for Zimbabwe tour

 Pakistan on Thursday named Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for the test, one-day and Twenty20 teams against Zimbabwe.

The selectors also picked three uncapped players – middle-order batsman Ramiz Raja, legspinner Yasir Shah and fast bowler Aizaz Cheema – in a 16-member squad.

Chief selector Mohsin Khan said senior players Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and Abdur Rehman have been rested for the tour of Zimbabwe in September during which Pakistan plays one test match, three ODIs and two Twenty20 games.

“We have to bring in young players along with seniors so that they could be groomed,” Khan said.

Left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir, wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal and opening batsman Imran Farhat, who all missed the series against West Indies, have been recalled.

Shoaib Malik was named among six standby players, but Khan said the former captain has to get clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s integrity committee.

Malik had been sidelined since playing his last test against England in August 2010 and was reportedly asked to submit details of bank accounts and assets from the last three years to the integrity committee.

“We will welcome any player if he gets clearance from the PCB and performs well in the domestic first class competitions,” Khan said.

“If Malik gets clearance we will welcome him.”

Left-arm fast bowler Tanvir impressed with his fitness and form during Pakistan’s Twenty20 event last month and led Rawalpindi to victory in the final against much experienced Karachi.

Tanvir has not played a test match in four years and had been struggling to regain fitness from his knee surgery which also ruled him out of the World Cup.

Khan said all 16 players had gone through a fitness test before being named for the Zimbabwe tour.

Squad:

Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Rameez Raja Junior, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanveer, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema

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India opt to field in second England test

India won the toss and elected to bowl on the first day of the second test against England at Trent Bridge on Friday, as the hosts recalled paceman Tim Bresnan for the injured Chris Tremlett.

India were forced into making two changes to their side as fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth replaced hamstring injury victim Zaheer Khan, while batsman Yuvraj Singh came in for Gautam Gambhir, who was still feeling the effects of a bruised arm from the first test on Monday.

Tremlett was also ruled out because of a hamstring injury added to a back spasm sustained on Thursday. It handed Yorkshire fast bowler Bresnan his first test start since January.

Bresnan claimed 11 wickets in his last two tests, when England twice won by an innings against Australia.

“We would probably have had a bowl as well but I don’t think it is a bad pitch to bat on,” England captain Andrew Strauss said in a television interview at the toss. “I don’t think there are any demons in it.”

England lead the four-match series 1-0 after winning by 196 runs at Lord’s on Monday.
India fared well in Nottingham four years ago when they won by seven wickets, a result which eventually won them the series.

England: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graham Swann, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

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Zaheer khan out of second Test

India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the second Test against England at Trent Bridge with a hamstring injury, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Thursday.

Left-arm quick Zaheer broke down in the first Test at Lord’s, which India lost by 196 runs, after taking two wickets for 18 runs in 13.3 first innings overs and didn’t bowl again in the match.

The 32-year-old was instrumental in India’s seven-wicket win in the corresponding Trent Bridge Test against England four years ago, taking nine wickets for 134 runs in the match.

Now his place is set to go to either fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth or seamer Munaf Patel.

“I think he is ruled out of this game,” Dhoni speaking to reporters at Trent Bridge on Thursday, the day before the second Test starts, said of Zaheer.

“It’s always good to have him in the side because he is our most experienced bowler, especially when it comes to England, he has played a lot of cricket over here for counties and the last time India were here (in 2007) he bowled really well.

“It’s a bit disappointing not to have him for selection in the first XI but it is something that is beyond our control and it gives a chance to the other bowlers to prove their mettle when it comes to international cricket.”Dhoni added: “Overall it’s a win-win situation for the Indian team because we can’t really sit and say Zaheer is not there. We have to look at the positive, which is some of the other bowlers will get to have a look at international cricket.”

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni, who refused to divulge the identity of Zaheer’s replacement at Trent Bridge, said he hoped India’s spearhead would be fit in time for the third Test of this four-match series, starting at Edgbaston on August 10.

“We are expecting that. He started light training yesterday (Wednesday) but again it is something we can’t 100 percent be sure about but most likely it seems he will.”

India also have a doubt over opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, who suffered an elbow injury when hit fielding at short leg at Lord’s.

“We’ll give him some time, and see how he goes through the net sessions today (Thursday),” Dhoni said of Gambhir.

“He’s the only person who can judge the right amount of pain he can go through and still be able to perform.”

If Gambhir were ruled out Rahul Dravid, as happened in the second innings at Lord’s, would be promoted to open the innings with Yuvraj Singh in line to fill the vacancy in an XI where opener Virender Sehwag is still missing as he recovers from a shoulder injury

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Maracana set to host 2014 world cup final--FIFA

RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana stadium will host the final of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke indicated on Thursday, pending formal ratification of the decision at a FIFA executive committee meeting in October.

The giant arena previously hosted the deciding match of the World Cup in 1950, when hosts Brazil were stunned 2-1 by Uruguay.

“The final is already certain, even though we think that lots of other cities could have hosted this match,” said Valcke.

“This stadium already hosted the final 61 years ago. What we have to decide now is where the semi-finals and the opening match will take place.”

Following Valcke’s comments, FIFA stressed the decision was not yet official.

“No official decision has been taken,” FIFA communications director Nicolas Maingot told reporters.

The stadium was built as the centrepiece of the 1950 tournament, which saw some 200,000 people cram in to see Brazil suffer a shock final loss to Uruguay.

Since then, Brazilians refer to such shock defeats as a ‘Maracanazo’.

It was only in 1958, inspired by a teenage Pele in Sweden, that Brazil lifted the first of their record five World Cup crowns.

The Maracana was the scene for Pele’s 1000th career goal, a penalty, for Brazilian outfit Santos against Vasco de Gama on 19 November 1969.

He also netted his first goal for the national side at the venue, in a 2-1 loss to Argentina in July, 1957.

The race to get 12 venues ready for three years time is posing a monumental logistical challenge for Brazil.

In particular, the process of giving the Maracana in downtown Rio a massive facelift has been a daily topic of conversation among fans as the bill has risen inexorably, though the official estimate is some 700 million dollars.

Vying with Rio for the honour of hosting the trophy match were Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Salvador.

The World Cup will open on June 12, 2014 and end on July 13

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India not good enough to worry England: Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott has said India’s defeat by England in the first Test at Lord’s marked the ‘beginning of the end’ of their time as the world’s No 1 Test team.

England, who won the first Test by 196 runs, will replace India at the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table if they win the ongoing four-match
series by a margin of at least two Tests.

Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald believes Andrew Strauss’s side ‘deserve’ to be at the summit of Test cricket.

Boycott, writing in The Daily Telegraph, said the tourists’ bowling was “not good enough to worry England”.

Zaheer Khan, India’s strike bowler, broke down early on at Lord’s with a hamstring strain and is struggling to be fit for the second Test.

Former England opener Boycott was not surprised, saying: “Zaheer Khan is a quality bowler but even before the series started I never expected him to survive bowling in four Test matches in five weeks.

“His ability has never been in doubt but his fitness has always been a worry,” he added.

“The great thing for England is they have two good back up seamers queuing up to take places.

“Tim Bresnan has done wonders when he has played. He has surprised me and probably deserved to play at Lord’s. And then there is Graham Onions who is back bowling for Durham and was a raving success against Australia in England.

“India do not have back up seamers like that and that is where England’s advantage lies.

“Now they all have self-belief as well. They have confidence in each other and they also know if they don’t perform somebody else will get their place.”

Donald told BBC Radio: “England deserve to be the number one, there’s no question about it.”—

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British council hold sports festival to mark olympic countdown

Wednesday marked exactly 365 days from the 2012 London Olympics and the British Council Pakistan celebrated the occasion by holding a sports festival with various sports celebrities from across the country.

Also present were children from various local schools invited over as part of the British Council’s International Inspiration project, which is all about getting young people interested in sports.

The event was also attended by Provincial Minister of Education and Literacy, Sindh, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq who signed an MoU with British Council Pakistan Director David Martin for making sports activities a necessary requirement in all schools here.

Meanwhile, there were plenty of opportunities to gather inspiration from such as the impressive stamp collection that among other things also boasted of sports stamps issued from the UK and the rest of the world, a nice big ground for participating in various sports and games themselves besides watching the matches between formal and current professionals from Pakistan and Europe on the other ground right next to it.

That was also the ground that changed to suit the games played on it every now and then. From serving as a rugby field, it converted into a cricket ground, followed by a football ground and then the hockey field.

It was here that the Pakistan football team comprising several international club players beat the German team 4-1 for the first time in history.

Later, the Habib Public School boys took on the Pakistan hockey team of Flying Horse Samiullah, Wasim Feroz, Sohail Abbas, Qamar Ibrahim, Adnan Ashraf and goalkeeper Abuzar in a friendly hockey match that was also watched by former Test cricketers Hanif Mohammad and Shoaib Mohammad. The Pakistan team beat the boys easily.

The music selected for the occasion too added to the electric atmosphere with the 1992 World Cup song “Who’ll rule the world?” playing in the background during the cricket match, Right Said Fred’s “Stand up for the champions” in the Hall of Fame and “The final countdown” by Europe reminding everyone present of the countdown to the Olympics.

The stamp collection on display in the main building belonged to Sindh Sports Minister Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who had it flown all the way from his home in England.

“My collection has the largest (issued by Hungary) and the smallest (issued by South Africa) stamp of the world along with stamps worth five thousand to 17 thousand pounds including the first three stamps issued by the British government in the 1800s and many commemorative sports stamps,” said the sports minister who has been collecting stamps since 1957.

But the ones that captured the children’s attention were the sports stamps that included the one issued on the occasion of the 1948 Olympics and the father of cricket W.G. Grace stamps.

“You will also notice that the stamps issued from England don’t carry the country’s name. Britain happens to be the only country in the world that doesn’t put its name on its stamps because they are after all the ones who started this way of post paid mail in the first place,” he explained.

Then there was the Olympic Hall of Fame celebrating the inspiring achievements of Pakistani and British Olympians. Thus hockey greats
Islahuddin, Hasan Sardar, Samiullah, boxer Hussain Shah and special athlete Haider Ali shared a wall with Daley Thomson, Rebecca Adlington, Goldie Sayers, Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave and Sir Chris Hoy.

Celebrating the 2012 Olympics host city London, there was also a speakers’ corner like that at Hyde Park for the youngsters to speak their mind.

A wall in the Hall of Fame also gave a bit of Olympic history about the city as London first stood in as host city for the Games in place of Rome following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1908. London again stepped in at the last minute in 1948 to host the first Olympic Games after World War II. And now the much anticipated 2012 Games are expected to have four billion people tuning in to watch the opening ceremony alone.

Finally, a digital countdown that officially marked 365 days to London 2012 was started by squash legend Jahangir Khan, the chief guest at the festival’s closing ceremony

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Imran demolishes sohail to lift snooker cup

International Imran Shehzad of Punjab maintained his ascendancy while ruthlessly defeating Sindh’s Sohail Shahzad 8-0 in the final to win the third NBP ranking snooker title at Karachi Club on Wednesday.

Imran, 36, coasted to 92-24, 55-11, 74-10, 68-10, 62-4, 59-36, 65-28, 54-28 victory over his opponent in the three-and-a-half hour lacklustre final.

Contrary to the Del Monte Cup final that Imran won against Sohail 8-6 in Oct last year, the NBP event fell short of expectations to the sheer disappointment of spectators.

It is pertinent to mention that both Imran and Sohail were members of Pakistan team that won a snooker team event bronze at the Guangzhou Asian Games last year. Shahram Changezi was the third member of the team.

In the run-up to the final, Imran propelled to the knockout stage by emerging group ‘B’ champion and went on to beat former world amateur snooker champion Mohammad Yousuf 5-3 in the pre quarter-final, gets the better of Naveen Perwani 5-4 in the quarters and swept aside Mohammad Asif 6-2 in the semis.

“I was confident of winning the honours and Sohail’s unforced errors made my task easier,” a jubilant Imran told Dawn soon after the triumph.

Imran, who is set to succeed Mohammad Shahid at the top of next national ranking, said he adjusted quickly and his aggressive approach brought Sohail under pressure.

Answering a question, the seasoned cueist said his preference was to win the title instead of going for break building.

Talking to Dawn, Sohail attributed his defeat to breaking of rhythm after the semi-final. He had defeated Abdul Sattar 6-3 in the first semi-final on Monday.

Imran, the losing finalists of this year’s national championship to Mohammad Shahid, allowed no room to his opponent to penetrate and extend him in the best of 15 frames battle.

He build up small breaks –– 22 and 30 in the opener and 46, 30, 43 and 53 in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth frames.

A beaming Imran received a winning purse of Rs60,000 and a glittering trophy from the chief guest, Dr Mirza Abrar Baig, senior executive vice president and group chief, human resource, National Bank of Pakistan at the prize distribution ceremony that followed the final.

Sohail Shahzad was awarded prize of Rs35,000 and runner-up trophy.

Umair Alam of Sindh was presented highest break (128) award of Rs5,000. Cash prizes amounting to rupees 150,000 were distributed.

President of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA), Alamgir Shaikh, and sports chief of the NBP, Iqbal Qasim, were also present on the occasion.

Result:
Final: Imran Shehzad (Punjab) bt Sohail Shahzad (Sindh) 8-0 (92-24, 55-11, 74-10, 68-10, 62-4, 59-36, 65-28, 54-28)
Referee: Shabbir Daruwala

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HBL, PEL triumph in PPFL matches

Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) won their Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) matches while Muslim FC was given a walkover against opponents Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday.

HBL beat PMC Athletico 1-0 at the Peoples Sports Complex in Karachi with the golden goal coming through Khayal Mohammad in the 19th minute.

At the Sadiq Shaheed Stadium in Quetta, Ghulam Raza’s goal in the ninth minute of play enabled PEL to edge out Navy.

Meanwhile, PAF never showed up for their match with Muslim FC at the Sadiq Shaheed Stadium in Quetta due to which the latter were awarded a walkover along with three valuable points.

Thursday’s fixtures:

Police v Army at Sadiq Shaheed Football Stadium, Quetta; KPT v Wapda at KPT Sports Complex, Karachi; NBP v KRL at Peoples Football Stadium, Karachi. Matches kick off at 5.00pm.

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ICC lacks ledership:Flower

England coach Andy Flower on Wednesday accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of lacking leadership over its failure to issue clear rules about the use of the Decision Review System.

Under existing rules, either side in a series can veto the use of the DRS to determine lbw decisions, something India has elected to do in its ongoing series against England, who defeated the tourists at Lord’s on Monday.

However the lack of the DRS during the first Test has cast the spotlight on umpiring in the game, with Billy Bowden twice denying Stuart Broad plumb lbw decisions which would have snared Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina.

Although the decisions did not prove costly for England, Flower believes the absence of the DRS in the remaining three Test matches could fan the flames of controversy.

Asked if he was concerned about the possibility of trouble in the remainder of the series Flower admitted: “Yes, I am actually. We almost saw it happen in this Test match.

“It would have been wrong if the outcome of the game had been seriously affected by a couple of those decisions and it was quite right that, luckily, we did continue to create chances. It’s unsatisfactory the way it is, there is no doubt about that.”

Flower pointed the finger at ICC chiefs for allowing the current situation to arise, where DRS is used in some Test series but not in others.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do, but I think the ICC should be stronger in taking a lead on these issues,” said Flower.

“They are the world governing body and they should lead. I don’t think it’s unfair to say they haven’t led on this topic.

“We all know that it is not going to be 100% accurate, but we also know you get more right decisions using it, so let’s not quibble about millimetres here when we know you get more right than wrong. That’s why most Test-playing nations want to use it.

“(Umpiring) is a very difficult job. We all know that, and I think they would be happier with it too.”

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Doubts about Keneria's integrity remain:PCB

Pakistan test spinner Danish Kaneria will not be considered for national selection until the Pakistan Cricket Board have no remaining doubts about his integrity, the PCB told tbe Sindh High Court hearing (SHC) on Tuesday.

The board’s legal counsel, Tafazzul Rizvi, made the statement at a hearing of the SHC that is hearing a petition filed by Kaneria against the PCB’s refusal to clear him to play international cricket.

Kaneria claims the PCB should not consider him ineligible.

The leg-spinner had his contract terminated by English county Essex last season after he had come under investigation in a spot-fixing case involving a Pro-40 match.

Essex police cleared Kaneria, 30, who submitted letters to the PCB from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and his  county team to prove he was not under investigation.

“Kaneria cannot be considered for selection unless he produces the documents and material related to his questioning by the police last year,” Rizvi told the court after Kaneria asked the court to direct the PCB to consider him for next month’s tour of Zimbabwe.

“I told the court we don’t want to mislead anyone but after the embarassment Pakistan cricket faced last year in the spot-fixing case involving three of our players we are taking no chances at all on this issue,” Rizvi later told Reuters.

Rizvi said he had told the court the PCB had formed its integrity commitee as per the new anti-corruption laws of the ICC and until the player submitted transcript and tapes of the statement he gave to Essex police the commitee would not clear him.

“He was investigated in a spot-fixing case and the committee wants to be absolutely sure he is in the clear once for all,” Rizvi added.

Kaneria, who has taken 261 wickets in 61 tests, last appeared for Pakistan against England in Nottingham in August 2010.

The court set a date of Aug. 18 for the next hearing.

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Can Man U and Real transform international football?

Former German international Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has launched a scathing attack on football’s rulers and wants clubs to be given a bigger say in running the sport, it was reported Wednesday.

Rummenigge, the chairman of the European Club Association and chief executive of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, told The Guardian he had lost confidence in FIFA following a string of recent corruption scandals.

The 55-year-old said ECA clubs such as Bayern, Manchester United and Real Madrid should launch a “revolution” to transform football if necessary.

“I don’t accept any longer that we should be guided by people who are not serious and clean,” he told the Guardian.

“Now is the moment to intervene. Because knowing something is wrong is an obligation to change.”

Rummenigge said clubs around the world supported reform of football’s power structure.

“It’s not just the top clubs, it’s all the clubs,” he said.

“Sepp Blatter is saying that he is cleaning up but the fact that no one believes him tells you everything you need to know.

“I’m not optimistic because they believe the system is working perfectly as it is. It’s a money machine, World Cup after World Cup. And for them, that’s more important than serious and clean governance.”

Rummenigge said he doubted whether national associations would be able to change FIFA from within.

“The current system is tailor-made for the associations and voted for by the associations. They won’t go against (Fifa),” he said.

“All stakeholders — clubs, associations, players, referees, and women’s football — have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.”

I will give them a chance but I’m ready for a revolution if that’s the only way to come to a solution,” he said.

Rummenigge is also scathing of the rapid expansion in size of tournaments like the World Cup and the European Championship.

“When I won the European Championship [in 1980], there were eight teams in the finals. That figure will treble by 2016,” he said.

“In the World Cup, it used to be 16 teams, now it’s 32. The clubs pay the players but are not part of the decision-making process. We are not treated respectfully.”

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Hockey team's preparations for olympic hits snags

The PHF is getting worried about final preparations for next year’s Olympic Games as both federal and Punjab governments are yet to start work on laying down astroturf in Islamabad and Lahore.

The turfs are necessary as the same kinds of pitches will be used in London. Sources told Dawn that the federal government has not taken a single step to lay down the turf at the Islamabad Sports Complex despite the approval given by the prime minister.

The sources, on the other hand, claimed the provincial government had allocated the funds of Rs30 million to lay down the turf at the National Hockey Stadium but the Punjab Sports Directorate has not taken any step to get the funds.

“Despite the fact that time is running short as a tedious process is required to import turf, no concrete steps are being taken at the government levels to lay down the pitch to provide an opportunity to the players to have maximum training,” a PHF official told Dawn on request of anonymity.

The official said the PHF had done its job by getting approval from the prime minister and Punjab chief minister, and now it is the task of the respective sports authorities to take necessary action to complete the projects.

The astroturf at the National Hockey Stadium has already expired but as no foreign team is touring Pakistan due to security problems the Punjab government is yet to take interest in changing the turf.

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Imran displays superb control to trounce Asif

Displaying his potting ability and cue control, second seed Imran Shehzad notched up a convincing 6-2 victory over eighth seed Mohammad Asif to reach the final of third NBP ranking snooker championship at Karachi Club on Tuesday.

Imran, 36, won the all-Punjab battle 96-0, 61-19, 70-32, 45-92, 104-0, 21-90, 72-14, 72-71 that lasted for some two-and-a-half hour. The highlight of the triumph was a splendid century break (104) which is fourth of the event and two elegant breaks of 70 and 57. Asif had two breaks of 67 and 42 to his credit.

This is Imran’s back-to-back final in the domestic circuit this year. Earlier, he had lost the final of 36th national championship to qualifier Shahid Aftab in February.

Imran will be up against local player Sohail Shahzad in the best of 15 frames final which gets into action at 11am on Wednesday. Imran’s consistent performance has secured him top slot in the next national ranking no matter he wins or lose the final. Presently, he is ranked second.

Imran, a member of Pakistan’s bronze medal winning team at the Guangzhou Asian Games last year, set the pace right from the word go despite repeated power interruption.

He seized a commendable 3-0 lead winning the first three frames 96-0, 61-19, 70-32 with a break of 70 in the opener. Imran had no answer to Asif’s break of 67 as he loses the fourth frame 45-92 that reduced his lead to 1-3.

Imran delighted fraternity of the game by chalking up a century break (104) as he won the fifth frame 104-0 to take 4-1 lead. He again conceded the sixth 21-90 only to bounce back to win the following two 72-14 and 72-71 and the match.

Imran build up a break of 57 in the seventh while Asif compiled a break of 42 in the concluding frame.

Result:
Second semi-final: Imran Shehzad (Punjab) bt Mohammad Asif (Punjab) 6-2 (96-0, 61-19, 70-32, 45-92, 104-0, 21-90, 72-14, 72-71).

Wednesday’s fixtures:
Best of 15 frames final. Imran Shehzad (Punjab) v Sohail Shahzad (Sindh) at 11am.

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Amir khan ready to assist pakistani boxers

WBA champion Amir Khan has announced that he is ready to assist Pakistani boxers, especially in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics.

Khan, who defeated Zad Judah of the US on Saturday night in Las Vegas, said he was in talks with Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) President Doda Khan about the prospect of hosting five boxers in Bolton, England.

He said he had a special place in his heart for Pakistan and was ready to assist the sport in the country.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help Pakistan boxing,” said Khan.

“I’m in touch with the PBF President Doda Khan and I’m ready to provide any assistance,” he said while adding that the Pakistan boxers will be trained at his academy in UK ahead of the London Olympics qualifiers.

“We’ll be extending our boxing facility to Pakistan during the camp.”

The boxer also hinted at visiting the Pakistan during the second edition of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing event in October.

“I’d like to visit Pakistan every year or twice a year and this time I’m likely to come after Ramazan.”

‘King Khan’ added that he felt proud over representing England and Pakistan.

“Along with England, I also represent Pakistan and it is a great achievement for me. People ask me and I say I am a British Pakistani and that’s a great feeling.”

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Sharma credits Zaheer for loard's rally

 Zaheer Khan may have spent most of the first Test against England off the field with a hamstring injury but fellow India seamer Ishant Sharma credited him with a key role in his own Lord’s revival.

The 22-year-old Sharma, a fast-medium bowler, looked decidedly unthreatening during a return of none for 128 in 32 overs as England piled up 474 for eight declared in their first innings.

But the tall paceman was a bowler transformed in the second innings as, with left-armer Zaheer still sidelined, he took four for 59 in 22 overs.

That included a dramatic spell before lunch Sunday of three for one in 16 balls that featured a double-wicket maiden.

Kevin Pietersen, who made a double century in the first innings, was caught behind for one and Ian Bell went for a duck after also nicking to India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Sharma, asked to explain his personal turnaround, said he’d struggled initially with the eight foot slope that runs across the ground.

But he added Zaheer’s suggestion of switching to the Nursery End, which helps take the ball down the slope and away from right-handed batsmen, had been the key to his success.

“I am playing my first match at Lord’s so I was not used to the slope and how to use it,” Sharma told reporters.

“My natural ball is in the inswinger but the odd ball was holding its line and I did not know much how it was happening.

“Before the second innings I spoke to Zak, who helped me with some ideas, including bowling from the Nursery End.”

However, Sharma added: “I would have been more happy if I bowled similar lines and with the same energy in the first innings as then we could have been in a different position in the match.”

Thanks mainly to Sharma, England collapsed to 62 for five on Sunday.

But they ended up making 269 for six declared on the back of Matt Prior’s 103 not out and an unbeaten 74 from Stuart Broad, with the duo’s unbroken seventh-wicket stand worth 162 at nearly a run-a-ball.

That enabled England to set India 458 for victory — and no side in what is now the 2,000 match history of Test cricket has made more to win in the fourth innings than the 418 for seven posted by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.

India, at Sunday’s close, were 80 for one needing a further 378 runs to win in a minimum 98 overs on Monday’s final day.

Rahul Dravid, who made a first innings century, was 34 not out and Venkatsai Laxman unbeaten on 32.

Prior, whose hundred was his second in as many Tests at Lord’s following his 126 against Sri Lanka last month, said: “I think we’re probably just ahead.”

The wicketkeeper, playing his natural game, faced just 120 balls, including a six and five fours.

It was Prior’s sixth century in 44 Tests and third in all at Lord’s where he made 126 not out on debut against the West Indies in 2007.

“I wasn’t really expecting to be batting before lunch,” said Prior who bats at number seven.

“I was looking at the menu and thinking ‘I’ll have the rack of lamb, that’ll be nice’ and there I was taking guard.”

The likes of India’s Sachin Tendulkar and Australia’s Ricky Ponting have yet to make a Test hundred at Lord’s but Prior now has three of them to his credit.

“What’s not to love about it?,” said the 29-year-old Sussex gloveman.

“It’s a flat deck, a quick outfield, the sun shines whenever I walk out to bat here,” Prior added.

“It’s a special place. I made my debut here and started pretty well, I always love coming back.”

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