Pakistan Defeated Malaysia in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey 2011

Pakistan defeated Malaysia by scoring 3 goals in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament 2011 here on Saturday. Both teams played well in this season but Pakistan hockey team successfully managed to reach the tournament’s final.

So far in this season Pakistan have played 6 matches, winning 4 of them against South Korea, New Zealand, India and now Malaysia while losing two matches against Australia and Great Britain.
With this victory against Malaysia the man in green have 12 points in the Azlan Shah Cup 2011 points table.
The team has qualified for the final after 2004 in Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament and now they will face Australia in the Final on Sunday

Pakistan vs Malaysia Highlights
1st Half:
Malaysia 1 Pakistan 2
2nd Half:
Penalty corner to Malaysia (40th min).. Failed…
Penalty corner to Pakistan now (42nd min)… Suhail Abbas to take.. Saved.
Penalty corner to Malaysia (46th min).. saved again..
50th min: GOAL to Pakistan….field goal..to make it 3-1 to Pakistan now..
56th min: GOAL!!!! to Malaysia. Malaysia 2 Pakistan 3 now…
Penalty corner to Malaysia (66th min).. Nothing..
Final score : - Pakistan 3 – 2 Malaysia

Rahul Dravid to say goodbye to One day Cricket

Today when I heard the news that Rahul Dravid had been picked for the One day International Series in England I was baffled. I wondered what made the Indian selectors go a step backward. It was two years ago, when after the last series in South Africa Rahul Dravid was dumped from the Indian One Day team because they wanted young blood to represent them at the 2011 World Cup. Even more baffling was his selection for the lone 20-20 match against England. Rahul Dravid plays in the cash rich IPL but he has never represented India in a 20-20 match.
One probable reason for his inclusion was thought to be the injury to Yuvraj Singh or maybe because he was scoring so freely in the Test series against England when the other batsmen were struggling. But all this was not making sense.
Finally the news is out. It is rare for a player to speak to a press especially at the end of the day during a practice match. Although there was no mention about which player was going to speak to the press it was speculated that the news was a big one. When everyone saw Dravid at the press conference they knew what to expect. He finally announced his retirement from One day cricket after the India-England series. Goodbye Dravid but keep continuing to play in the Test matches

Pakistan, Malaysia announce squads as Asian qualifiers for 2012 Olympics begin

Pakistan's coach Tariq Lufi hopes Pakistani youngsters are not put under any pressure as they strive to develop into international-calibre players. "It's normal for the public to expect a lot from this game but it is not fair to judge these young players because they need time to develop. If you expect a lot, it will put a lot of pressure on them,”said Tariq "You can't have results without giving time for preparation and development." Pakistan will take on Malaysia in Olympic Qualifier first leg at Shah Alam Stadium on Wednesday, 23 February 2011 (8.45 PM Kick Off).

Malaysia are probably one of the finest U21 national teams in recent times, and coach Ong Kim Swee believes his boys have the experience and pedigree to qualify for the 2012 London Games if they play to their potential. In the training squad, Kim Swee has six players from the AFF Suzuki Cup-winning side and also trainees who have had short stints with the national senior squad over the past year.

The players have also become more confident after their stint in Slovakia, where they were exposed to high quality matches, playing 14 competitive matches in the Slovakian Division One – a rung lower than the Slovakian Super League. They also completed four matches in the ongoing Malaysian Super League .

Pakistan U21 team completed sixth visit of Thailand on Sunday with three warm up matches against clubs and U21 international friendly against Thailand U21 during two-week Camp from 7-20 February. The previous journeys of Pakistan were seen in 1981, 2001, 2004 and 2009 while Pakistan U16 team visited the country in 1992 for Coca Cola Cup. It turned out to be second ever visit of Thailand for Tariq Lutfi (PIA), after 1992 age-group event, as Pakistani coach who earned one-year coaching assignment for National Team from Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)'s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on 15 January 2011. “The deal is for full 2011 but hopefully it will lead to a longer term agreement,” said Tariq who is on verge of retirement from PIA, already appeared in his last Pakistan Premier Football League. He will also coached Pakistan in coming 4-test Series against Palestine.

The football atmosphere in the two countries cannot be more different, as the two teams - Pakistan, Malaysia - prepare for their Olympic qualifiers. Malaysia are on a high after being crowned Asean champions for the first time last month, while Pakistan  continue to search for answers after three penalty kick misses in as many events. Malaysia have been together for the best part of four years and they have had time to build a team of players able to take the international stage.

"This team have played regularly in the Malaysian league and they are very lucky that (national coach) K Rajagopal is exposing a lot of young players to international games. That really helps develop confidence, and confidence is very important," said Tariq.

Meanwhile Malaysian U21 coach  Ong Kim Swee said that "Playing against Pakistan is quite special, it brings back memories of the Merdeka Cup days where Pakistan faced Malaysia twice ... and because our senior team has done well recently, there is definitely pressure on us to do well," he said.

Both Tariq and Ong admitted that "The result will be important but we must look at player development, of course."

Defender Muhammad Muslim Ahmed will lead Malaysia U21, as Olympic Qualifiers will commence with ten matches at various countries. With up to eight players from the AFF-winning side eligible to play for the Olympic team, Ong Kim Swee-coached Kim Swee is not short of experienced hands.

"We will give it a good go and fight for it. It is good that everyone now is believing in the Pakistan U21 team and to target Olympic qualification is a positive move," answered Pakistan coach Tariq Lutfi. Pakistan U21 have been pitted against Malaysia U21 team, also known as the Harimau Muda ‘A’,  with the first leg to be played in Kuala Lumpur on 23 Feb and the return leg at Lahore on 9 March.

Malaysia’s current Olympic side are probably one of the finest U21 teams in recent times, and coach Ong  believes his boys have the experience and pedigree to face Tariq Litfi-coached Pakistan. But Ong does not want his boys to take their South Asian opponents lightly. “Although Pakistan have not registered exceptional results over the years due to vital penalty-kick misses, it does not mean they would be easy opponents. I need my boys to stay focused and serious about the match," said Ong.

"I've done my homework on Pakistan. I've watched their matches on video recordings and also checked their background. They are a decent side. “Their preparations show that every team is very serious in wanting to qualify for the Olympics. We have to fully use our home ground advantage because I have been told that this can be quite difficult in Lahore,”

In the training squad, Ong has six players from the AFF Suzuki Cup-winning side and also trainees who have had short stints with the national senior squad over the past year.The players have also become more confident after their stint in Slovakia, where they were exposed to high quality matches against second division teams. "My boys did not have the best starts in Slovakia but slowly improved and went on to record good results. The stint taught the boys to play more confident football and have been progressing steadily since that Slovakia stint.," Ong added.

The road to the 2012 London Olympics is long and tedious as 35 teams have entered the fray to grab the three-and-a-half slots reserved for the continent for the Olympics. The winner of Pakistan/Malaysia clash will advance to the second round of 24 teams on June 19 and June 23. where Asia's 13 highest ranked teams Australia, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia etc. will join the eleven winners from round 1.The twelve winners from the second round will be drawn into three groups of four teams each, playing six matches from 21 Sep 2011 to 14 March 2012.

The top team in each group will automatically earn a place in the 2012 London Olympics while the runners-up in each group will then compete in a  playoff at neutral venue.The playoff winners will advance to another playoff against the fourth-ranked African team for a berth at London 2012.

Meanwhile, FIFA and AFC  have jointly decided that the Wednesday match between Yemen and Singapore is to be postponed by one week, namely for 2 March 2011. The joint decision was taken in order to ensure that all parties concerned can organise this match and play it in a totally safe and secure environment. In the event that the situation in Yemen does not clearly improve in the next days, the match would need to take place on neutral ground; in such case, the venue would be selected in consultation with all the parties concerned, including the national associations of Yemen and Singapore. Other matches to be played on Wednesday are Thailand vs Palestine, Jordan vs Chinese Taipei, Kuwait vs Bangladesh, Malaysia vs Pakistan, UAE vs Sri Lanka (postponed), India vs Myanmar, Oman vs Tajikistan, Indonesia vs Turkmenistan, Iran vs Kyrgyzstan and Hong Kong vs Maldives

The coaches of U21 football teams Pakistan and Malaysia – Tariq Lutfi, Ong Kim Swee– have announced their squads for Wednesday, 23 February clash in  London Olympics Football Qualifier at Shah Alam Stadium, Selangor State.

Following are two teams:

Pakistan U21 Team

Goal keepers: Yousuf Ejaz Butt (Birkerod IF Skjold, Denmark), Amir Gul (NBP), Muhammad Omar (KESC)

Defenders: Manzoor Ahmed (WAPDA), Alamgir Khan (Police), Ahsan Ullah (PEL), Obaid Majeed (KPT), Ansar Abbas (Army)

Midfielders: Faisal Iqbal (NBP), Syed Arif Hussain (WAPDA), Muhammad Tauseef (WAPDA), Muhammad Adil (KRL), Mahmood Khan (KRL), Irfan Khan (Bradford Park Avenue Association Football Club, England)

Strikers: Saddam Hussain (PIA), Fahad Ullah Khan (PTV), Jadeed Khan Pathan (WAPDA) CAP, Rizwan Asif (KRL) VC, Kalim Ullah ( KRL)

Malaysia U21 Team:

Goal Keepers : Khairul Fahmi Che Mat (Kelantan), Mohd Izham Tarmizi Roslan (Harimau Muda A)

Defenders: Mohamad Muslim Ahmad CAP, Mohd Affize Faisal Mamat, Mohd Faizal Muhamad, Mahalli Jasuli, Mohamad Fadhli Mohd Shas, Mohd Fandi Othman (Harimau Muda A)

Midfielders:  K. Gurusamy VC, Wan Zaharulnizam, Mohd Irfan Fazail, Robbat Gary Steven, S. Sivanesan, Wan Zack Haikal (Harimau Muda A), Mohamad Faizal Abu Bakar (Kedah)

Strikers: Mohd Ferris Daniel Mat Nasir )Harimau Muda A), Ahmad Shakir Ali (Kedah), Ahmad Fakri Saarani (Negeri Sembilan)

Stand byes: V. Kavi Chelvan,  Muhammad Zamir Selamat, Nazirul Naim Che Hashim, A. Thamil Arasu, Wan Nor Wan Zakarian, Muhammad Nazmi Faiz, D. Saarvindran, Abdul Shukor Jusoh.

Wednesday Fixture :

Iran  v  Kyrgyzstan (Azadi Stadium, Tehran 3 PM)

Indonesia  v  Turkmenistan (Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Palembang 5 PM)

Thailand  v  Palestine (Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok 6 PM)

Kuwait  v  Bangladesh (Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium, Hawally 6.20 PM)

Oman  v  Tajikistan (Seeb Stadium, Muscat 6.30 PM)

Jordan  v  Chinese Taipei (King Abdullah Stadium, Amman 7 PM)

India  v  Myanmar (Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune 7 PM)

Hong Kong  v  Maldives (Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong 8 PM )

Malaysia  v  Pakistan (Shah Alam Stadium, Selangor 8.45 PM)

Note : Yemen  v  Singapore (Ali Muhesen Stadium, Sana'a) will be played on 2 March and United Arab Emirates  v  Sri Lanka (Baniyas Stadium, Bani Yas) on 8 March

Wayne Parnell Reverted to Islam(Details)

Johannesburg—Wayne Parnell, the South Africa left-arm seamer, has announced that he has reverted to Islam.
Parnell confirmed in a statement that he converted to Islamic faith in January this year and is considering to change his name to Waleed, which means ‘Newborn Son’.       

Parnell confirmed that he will “continue to respect the team’s endorsement of alcoholic beverages.” South Africa’s Test team is sponsored by Castle Lager, a local beer. Hashim Amla, also of Muslim faith, does not wear the beer logo on his playing kit after making a special arrangement with CSA because of his religious beliefs.

Proteas team manager Mohamed Moosajee, himself a Muslim, said Parnell’s Muslim teammates Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir had not influenced his decision to convert from Christianity.

Supporting Moosajee’s denial of influence by Amla, the players said he had never attempted to convert them to his religion, although they had all been very impressed by the discipline and strict adherence that Amla showed to his religion, by refusing to participate in celebrations with them that involved liquor, staying steadfast in his daily prayers even while on tour, and refusing to wear the kit sponsored by South African beer brand Castle Lager.—Agencies

world's Richest International Football Clubs 2011 and their Earning review

1. Real Madrid, Spain

The Spanish Giants might be second in the League at the moment, but they are the clear winners at top of the charts for the Richest Clubs in Europe with a staggering revenue of €438.6 million till the 30th June 2010.

2.Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona Spain worlds second richest football club 201

The Catalanian giants might be comfortable on top of the league, but trail their traditional rivals as they earned €398.1 million to retain the 2nd spot on the list.

Manchester United, England

Manchester United england worlds third richest football clur

The English clubs were not to be left behind their Spanish counter-parts as League leaders Manchester United came third on the list with an earning of 349.8 million.

Bayern Munich, Germany

Bayern Munich, Germany fourth richest club

The 22 time German Giants stuck to their fourth spot on the list with an earning of €323.0 million.

Arsenal, England

Arsenal, England fifth richest club

The lack of silverware for the Gunners has reflected on their earnings as they remain on the 5th spot on the earnings list with a total revenue of €274.1 million.

Chelsea, England

Chelsea, England six richest club

Though Chelsea's season has been highlighted by dismal displays, their revenue hasn't dipped down as they collected €255.9 million to stay on the 6th spot. The amount however, was not enough as Roman Abramovich owned Chelsea ended 2010 on heavy losses.
AC Milan, Italy

AC Milan, Italy  seventh richest club

The Italian Giants might be without any silverware since 2007, but they have climbed four spots from their previous ranking after earning €235.8 million.
Liverpool, England

Liverpool, England  eight richest football club

Failing to qualify for the Champions League and ending the 2009-10 season at a dismal seventh position has affected Liverpool in all aspects. They have gone down a place on the revenue list as they earned about €225.3 million.
Inter Milan, Italy

Inter Milan, Italy  ninth richest club

The ups and downs on the field have not affected their revenue; Inter Milan's revenue has been stable as they racked up €224.8 million.
Juventus, Italy

Juventus, Italy world tenth richest football club

The Old Lady might have been resurgent on their climb in the Serie A standings, but Juventus has lost 2 spots from last year as they could only stack up €205.0 million as their revenue.

Zimbabwe crush Canada by 175 runs

 NAGPUR: Zimbabwe recorded their first victory in the World Cup 2011 when they demolished Canada by a huge margin of 175 runs in their Group A match here at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on Monday.

Chasing 299, Canada were all out for 123 runs in 42.1 overs. Their main scorers were Zubin Surkari (26), Gunasekeara (24) and Jimmi Hansra (20).

Ray Price (3-16) and Graeme Cremer (3-31) were the most successful bowlers for Zimbabwe,.

This is Zimbabwe’s largest victory in World Cups and the fourth largest in One-day Internationals.

Batting first after their captain Elton Chigumbura won the toss, Tatenda Taibu and Craig Ervine helped Zimbabwe set Canada a daunting 299-run target for victory.

Taibu was unfortunate to miss his third ODI century by just two runs as he was dismissed by Balaji Rao for 98. He hit nine boundaries in his 99-ball innings.

Craig Ervine also batted very well to make 85 from 81 balls with two sixes and six fours.

He and Taibu made together 181 runs for the third wicket partnership which helped Zimbabwe compile a big score but no other batsman except Sean Williams (30), Graeme Cremer (26) and Prosper Utseya (22) could make any significant score.

The 181-run partnership between Taibu and Craig Irvine is the highest partnership for Zimbabwe in World Cups, surpassing the 166-run stand between Grant Flower and Craig Wishart against Namibia in 2003.

After skipper Elton Chigumbura won the toss and elected to bat, Zimbabwe lost both their openers for only seven runs before Taibu and Ervine came to rescue.

Leg-spinner Balaji Rao was the most successful bowler capturing four for 57.while seamers Khurram Chohan and Harvir Baidwan claimed two wickets each.

Pakistan win crucial match against Sri Lanka

 COLOMBO: Pakistan after a tough fight defeated Sri Lanka by 11 runs in their crucial Group A match in the ICC World Cup here at the Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.

Shahid Afridi came up with another superb bowling performance after taking his first World Cup five-wicket haul in the previous match against Kenya.

He captured four for 34 runs which included his 300th one-day international wicket when he dismissed Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara for 49.

Sri Lanka, chasing Pakistan's total of 277-7, replied with 266-9.

They have now lost seven times to their sub-continental neighbours in the World Cup, falling in 1975, 1983 (twice), 1987 (twice) and 1992.

After captain Shahid Afridi won the toss, Pakistan stalwarts Younus Khan (72) and Misbah-ul-Haq (83) not out) shared a century partnership to set co-hosts Sri Lanka a challenging target to chase under lights.

But Pakistan spinners strangled the Sri Lankan batsmen, capturing six of the nine wickets to fall.

Sri Lanka got off to a good start with openers Upul Tharanga (33) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (41) putting together 76, but got bogged down in the middle overs and despite a late spurt towards the target fell agonisingly short.

Chamara Silva led a late onslaught with a top score of 57 and Nuwan Kulasekara hit a quick 24 off 14 balls, but Sri Lanka had left their run chase a little too late.

Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga provided a sound start of 76 runs but Sri Lanka lost four quick wickets for 20 runs, reeling at 96 for four.

Then, captain Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera took the score to 167 before Sangakkara departed. They added 71 runs for the fifth wicket.

Other batsmen could not resist the accurate Pakistan bowling despite fielding lapses. But Chamara Silva batted aggressively to become top scorer for Sri Lanka with 57 off 78 balls.

Pakistan stalwarts Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq shared a century partnership after Afridi had won the toss and chose to bat first.

The pair came together after Pakistan were reduced to 105 for three and they provided a solid foundation for Pakistan's eventual testing target.

Roach hat-trick as Windies beat Dutch

NEW DELHI: West Indies seamer Kemar Roach grabbed a hat-trick as his team crushed the Netherlands by 215 runs in the World Cup here on Monday.

Roach, who became the fifth bowler to take a World Cup hat-trick, finished with 6-27 as the Dutch were dismissed for 115 in 31.3 overs.

West Indies capitalised on a strong start to post a commanding 330-8 against the Netherlands in a World Cup Group B match.

Put into bat at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium where they went down to South Africa on Thursday, the twice champions got off to a rollicking start with Chris Gayle (80) and Devon Smith (53) stitching together a century opening stand.

Down the order, Kieron Pollard (60) celebrated his promotion in the batting line-up with a 27-ball blitz to guide the team past the 300-mark.

Smith dominated the initial stage of the opening partnership, hitting Mudassar Bukhari for three boundaries in the first over before offering the same treatment off Berend Westdijk.

Gayle followed suit, hitting three boundaries off Ryan ten Doeschate's first over and went on to help himself to some more but his second World Cup century would eventually elude him.

Bernard Loots earned the breakthrough for the Netherlands in the 17th over when he had Smith caught behind but West Indies had reached the 100-mark by then.

Next man in Darren Bravo (30) proved why people compare him to Brian Lara, wowing the sparse crowd with a fluent 38-ball cameo that included two sweetly-timed sixes before spinner Pieter Seelar cut short his stay.

Pollard continued punishing the Dutch bowlers, hitting four sixes and five fours in his entertaining knock.

Team mate Ramnaresh Sarwan fell one run shy of the half-century mark despite two reprieves from his butter-finger opponents. (AFP)

Aussies dismiss New Zealand for 206

NAGPUR: New Zealand batsmen could not resist the pace attack by Australia and were all out for 206 runs in 45.1 overs in a World Cup Group A match here at the Vidarbha Cricket Ground on Friday.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and invited New Zealand in the daytime match overshadowed by the devastating earthquake in Christchurch.

At least 113 people have been killed as a result of tremors in the New Zealand city and the teams wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence before the start of play.

New Zealand were in trouble right from the start and all their top order batsmen were gone before the 15 overs were completed. They were 73-6 in 17 overs.

Later, Nathan McCullum and captain Daniel Vettori tried to make some recovery and both added 54 valuable runs for the eight wicket.

However, Nathan fell after scoring 52 from 76 balls when New Zealand were 175.

Vettori then fought the battle against Aussie pace bowlers but could notcontinue it long and was after making 44 off 43 balls.

For Australia, Mitchell Johnson captured four wickets for 33 runs and Shaun Tait claimed three for 35.

Both defending champions Australia and New Zealand won their opening matches following comprehensive wins over Zimbabwe and Kenya respectively.

Australia were unchanged for the game at the VCA Ground but New Zealand brought in batsman Jamie How for all-rounder Jacob Oram in a tactical switch

Pakistan crush Kenya to make flying start in WC

 HAMBANTOTA: Pakistan outclassed Kenya by a huge margin of 205 runs in their opening World Cup Group A match here at the Mahinda Rajapakse Stadium on Wednesday.

Set an improbable target of 318 runs, Kenya were bundled out for a mere 112 runs in 33.1 overs.

Captain Shahid Afridi was the main destroyer capturing five wickets for only 16 runs while Umar Gul claimed two for 12 and Mohammad Hafeez took one for 26.

Collins Obuya was the main scorer for Kenya with 47 as only three other top order batsmen could enter into double figures.

Earlier, captain Shahid Afridi won the toss and decided to bat but Pakistan made a disastrous start losing both their openers in seven overs.

Mohammad Hafeez was the first to go, failing to keep a drive down as a diving Seren Waters picked up a beautiful catch at short mid-wicket.

Two overs later, Ahmed Shahzad, who scored his first run after 13 deliveries, was caught by skipper Jimmy Kamande off Odoyo to leave Pakistan struggling at 12-2.

However, wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal and veteran batsman Younis Khan came to rescue and revived the innings through a solid 98-run stand.

Kamran made 55, his ninth ODI fifty and Younis scored 50, his 40th ODI fifty.

Later, Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal gave the innings the final flourish with a rapid fire 118-run stand for the fifth wicket adding 118 runs for the fifth wicket partnership.

Misbah hit 65 from 69 balls with two sixes. This was his 13th ODI half-century.

Umar Akmal, playing his first World Cup match, reached his seventh ODI fifty. He top scored with a 52-ball 71 with eight fours and a six.

This was the fourth half century in Pakistan innings.

Afridi made just seven runs and was dismissed lbw by Odoyo who finished with 3-41, conceding 20 in wides in a total of 46 extras

England win after Netherlands set huge target

NAGPUR: Captain Andrew Strauss guided England to a six-wicket win by achieving a huge target set by the Netherlands in a Group B match of the World Cup here at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground on Tuesday.

Chasing a difficult target of 293, England openers Strauss and Kevin Pietersen provided a solid start of 105 runs.

Strauss made 88 from 83 balls and Pietersen scored 39 while John Trott scored 62, adding 61 for the second wicket with Stauss.

Later, Trott and Ian Bell (33) made together 58 for the third wicket.

Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara made 30 runs each and added 54 runs of rthe unbeaten fifth wicket partnership to see England win their opening match in the tournament.

Earlier, a superb century by Ryan ten Doeschate powered the Netherlands to an astonishing total of 292 runs for six wickets against a strong England side after captain Peter Borren had won the toss and elected to bat first.

The 30-year-old South Africa-born right-hander hit three sixes and nine fours in his 110-ball 119 that was the cornerstone of the Netherlands's innings.

It was his fourth hundred in One-day Internationals and the first in the World Cup.

Ten Doeschate added 78 runs with Tom Cooper (47), 64 with Tom de Grooth (28) and 61 with skipper Peter Borren (35 not out) to set a target that should be quite a test for England's tweaked batting order.

Doeschate also claimed two wickets to earn the Man-of-the-Match award for his fine allround performance.

Earlier, The Dutch openers provided a bright start of 36 from only six overs but the English bowlers soon got rid off them..

Tim Bresnan got Alexei Kervezee caught behind for 16 when Netherlands were 36 and
Graeme Swann got Wesley Barresi stumped out for 29, again by wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Then, Ten Doeschate ensured there was no panic in the Dutch camp. He offered dogged resistance in the company of former Australia under-19 player Cooper, consolidated the innings with his smart association with de Grooth before providing the late charge with Borren

Sri Lanka crush Canada by 210 runs

 HAMBANTOTA: Sri Lanka recorded victory by a huge margin of 210 runs over Canada in their opening Group A day-night match on the second day of the ICC World Cup 2011 here at the at the Mahinda Rajapakse stadium on Sunday.

Chasing an improbable target of 333 runs, Canada were all out for 122 runs in 36.5 overs as only three players could get into double-figures.

Rizwan Cheema was the top-scorer with 37 off 35 balls with two sixes and four boundaries while captain Ashish Bagai made 22 and Harvir Baidwan remained not out on 16.

Sri Lankan pacers Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera claimed three wickets each while off-break bowler Muttiah Muralitharan captured two wickets.

Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene hit his second World Cup hundred to lead Sri Lanka to 332-7.

The 33-year-old right-hander scored his 100 off 80 balls for his 13th one-day hundred and added an invaluable 179 for the third wicket with skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who made 92.

Jayawardene and Sangakkara built on the platform set by opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (50) after Sri Lanka won the toss before a near-capacity 35,000 crowd at the new ground which became the 177th one-day venue.

Jayawardene completed his hundred with a single off spinner John Davison after facing just 80 deliveries - the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the World Cup, beating Sanath Jayasuriya's 85-ball ton against Bangladesh at Port of Spain four years ago.

But Davison dismissed him in the same over, caught at short fine-leg after Jayawardene had hit nine boundaries and a six.

Sri Lanka lost a cluster of wickets in the death overs, but Angelo Mathews (21) and Thilan Samarwaweera (18 not out) ensured they got past 300.

Earlier, Dilshan and Upul Tharanga put on a quick 63 for the first wicket by the 12th over before a mix-up between the two sent Tharanga back, run out for 19.

Dilshan fell just after scoring his third World Cup half-century, holing out at deep cover to Davison as he failed to control a shot off medium-pacer Rizwan Cheema.

It was then left to Jayawardene and Sangakkara to punish a hapless Canadian attack, depleted by an injury to spearhead Henry Osinde who walked off the field due to a hamstring problem after bowling only 2.1 overs

Australia beat Zimbabwe by 91 runs

AHMEDABAD: Defending champions Australia recorded a 91-run victory over Zimbabwe in their opening World Cup match on Monday.

Chasing 263 runs, Zimbabwe were all out for 171 in 46.2 overs after their bowlers made the Aussies struggle in the early overs.

Main scorers for Zimbabwe were Graeme Cremer (37), Sean Williams (28) and Prosper Utseya (24).

For Australia, Mitchell Johnson was the most successful bowler taking three wickets for 19 runs while Shaun Tait and Jason Krezja captured two wickets each.

Earlier, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke hit half-centuries as Australia overcame early struggles against spin.

In-form Watson, who cracked one six and eight fours in a 92-ball 79, added 61 for the first wicket with Brad Haddin (29) and 79 for the second with skipper Ricky Ponting (28).

Clarke provided the late flourish with a 55-ball 58 not out as Australia plundered 90 runs in the closing 10 overs to set a challenging target for Zimbabwe after electing to bat in the day-night match.

Zimbabwe's specialist spinners Ray Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer tied the Australian batsmen down, preventing them from scoring freely.

Left-arm spinner Price, who shared the new ball with seamer Christopher Mpofu, was instrumental in keeping the run-rate low early in the innings with a tidy line and length. He finished with 1-43 off 10 overs.

Off-spinner Utseya and leg-spinner Cremer bagged one wicket apiece, conceding 84 runs in a combined tally of 20 overs.

In a rare show of aggression in the early overs, Watson and Haddin smashed two fours apiece in a Mpofu over, but skipper Elton Chigumbura promptly turned to spin.

Utseya provided the breakthrough when he trapped Haddin lbw, with Zimbabwe asking for a review of the umpire's decision after the batsman had initially been given not out.

Watson was also ruled out lbw off Cremer following a referral, but not before he had set the stage for the final onslaught.

Ponting was run out after a brilliant piece of fielding by Mpofu, who hit the stumps at the non-striker's end from deep midwicket.

Clijsters moves up world rankings

 














































PARIS: Australian Open winner Kim Clijsters has risen to second place in the world rankings and within close range of Caroline Wozniacki who holds on to the top spot despite once again failing to win a Grand Slam title.

China's Li Na, who lost in Saturday's final in Melbourne, moves up to a career-best seventh place with Francesca Schiavone of Italy up to fourth behind Vera Zvonareva.

Former world number one Serena Williams, who has not played since winning the Wimbledon title last year, falls out of the top 10.

WTA world top 20:
1. Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 8655 pts,
2. Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 8515 (+1)
3. Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 7405 (-1)
4. Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 5055 (+3)
5. Samantha Stosur (Australia) 4862 (+1)
6. Venus Williams (USA) 4645 (-1)
7. Li Na (China) 4450 (+4)
8. Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 4385
9. Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 3935
10. Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 3340 (+4)
11. Shahar Peer (Israel) 3225 (-1)
12. Serena Williams (USA) 3035 (-8)
13. Maria Sharapova (Russia) 2936 (-3)
14. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 2645 (+4)
15. Marion Bartoli (France) 2595 (+2)
16. Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 2535 (+9)
17. Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 2460 (+4)
18. Petra Kvitova (Czechoslovakia) 2418 (+10)
19. Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 2405 (+1)
20. Nadia Petrova (Russia) 2362 (-5)

Misbah guides Pakistan to tight win over New Zealand

NAPIER: Misbah-ul-haq overcame the loss of late wickets to keep his cool and guide Pakistan to a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in their fourth one-day international match in Napier on Tuesday.

Misbah, who has anchored Pakistan's batting throughout the tour of New Zealand, proved once again a thorn in the side of Daniel Vettori's team, scoring 93 not out as Pakistan finished on 264 for eight in 49 overs having chased down the host's 262 for seven.

The Pakistan test captain, who had been coasting to the victory target while batting with Younus Khan (42), was forced to take all the responsibility of getting his side home when
Younus was run out in the 38th over.

Umar Akmal then scratched around for 10 off 17 balls before he was well caught in the 43rd over by Nathan McCullum off Vettori, who trapped Shahid Afridi in front two balls later to give New Zealand a faint hope of running through the bowlers to win the match and take a 2-1 lead in the best of six series.

Misbah, however, and Abdul Razzaq (23) managed to keep pace with the required run rate and while Razzaq was well caught by a hobbling Vettori, Misbah smashed 10 runs off two balls from Scott Styris and Sohail Tanvir (14) hit three boundaries off Tim Southee the next over to see their side home.

Late call-up James Franklin had proved the saviour of New Zealand's innings, which was about 30 runs short of a par total on a good batting wicket with short square boundaries.

Franklin was only brought into the side after Jesse Ryder, who injured a finger while playing for Wellington at the weekend, withdrew before play began.

The left-hander, who had scores of 72 not out, 98 not out and 17 not out in his previous three innings in India last December, top-scored with 62 to help arrest New Zealand's
mid-innings slump.

The hosts had romped to 40 without loss but lost three wickets for four runs and then slumped to 79 for five before Franklin's 62-run partnership with Brendon McCullum (37) and a stand of 64 runs with Nathan McCullum (53 not out) halted the slide

Kolkata says can be ready for World Cup

NEW DELHI: The bosses of Kolkata's Eden Gardens insisted Friday they could be ready to host next month's India-England World Cup clash after the venue was ruled out because of unfinished renovation work.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) sparked a logistical nightmare for organisers on Thursday by asking for an alternative stadium for the February 27 match because of concerns about unfinished facilities at the famous ground.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which runs the stadium, asked the the ICC to reconsider its controversial ruling, which raised further questions about India's ability to host major sporting events.

CAB chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former ICC president and himself a construction company owner, wrote to the Indian cricket board on Friday to convince the governing body to stick to the original schedule.

"(The ICC's decision) comes as a shock because when their inspection team was in Kolkata, we were given to understand that they were happy with the progress of the work and had suggested only a few minor modifications," said the letter.

CAB chiefs promised they would hand over a completed Eden Gardens to the ICC on February 7, "provided we are given an extension."

"Finally, we also state that we will address the bulk of the ICC concerns by January 31, 2011 itself and the remaining little, if any, in another seven days," the letter said.

World Cup organisers were struggling to find a different venue and organise travel, ticketing and security.

"It's a challenge for sure, but we are working on solving the issue at the earliest," tournament director Ratnakar Shetty told reporters at the World Cup headquarters in Mumbai.

The ICC was concerned about work in the renovated stands of Eden Gardens, as well as corporate boxes, the media centre and the location of the radio commentary boxes.

The problems echoed similar trouble before the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October that were marred by severe delays in construction work and shoddy finishing.

Tour operators said they hoped the matter would be resolved soon with the tournament looming.

"England v India is the biggest of all the group games," Shirley Rattray of Cricket Logistics, the ICC's official travel partner, told a cricket website.

"It is the most popular because Eden Gardens is such an iconic venue to watch cricket. A match there is regarded as one of the sporting things to do before you die.

"So it's a big shame that the game has had to be moved."

Rattray said tickets needed to be relocated and fresh flights and hotels booked.

"It's never easy when things like this happen, but it will get done. That's the way things work in India, things can be turned around at the last minute very quickly."

Eden Gardens, which hosted the World Cup final in 1987 and a semi-final in 1996, is due to host three other matches. A decision on whether they will go ahead will be taken by the ICC at a later date.

The three games are South Africa v Ireland on March 15, Ireland v the Netherlands on March 18 and Zimbabwe v Kenya on March 20.

The World Cup is being co-hosted by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2

New Zealand name squad for World Cup

 WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricket chiefs backed their struggling one-day team to reverse a dramatic form slump, avoiding wholesale changes in the World Cup squad named on Wednesday.

Chief selector Mark Greatbatch said the Black Caps had a point to prove after losing their past 11 one-day internationals, including series whitewashes against Bangladesh and India.

"We have kept faith with the bulk of the team which played the five-match ODI series in India and believe that, despite recent one-day form, the squad is very capable," he said.

"(They) owe it to themselves and the New Zealand fans to put in a huge performance at the World Cup."

Cricket's showpiece event in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka runs from February 19 to April 2.

Greatbatch said the squad, captained by Daniel Vettori, had an experienced core, with six players who helped New Zealand reach the semi-finals for the fifth time at the last World Cup in 2007.

All-rounder Luke Woodcock, 28, is the only uncapped ODI player in the squad, securing his berth with his strong domestic form for Wellington.

"He has a good head on his shoulders and his selection provides the option of playing three spinners, which could be useful in the subcontinent," Greatbatch said.

Injury-prone all-rounder Jacob Oram was also named, with Greatbatch saying his domestic performances after returning from a stint on the sidelines made the fitness gamble worthwhile.

Greatbatch singled out Jamie How as a batsman who needed to improve after failing against India but said his ability to provide wicketkeeping back-up to Brendon McCullum had helped sway selectors.

"Some might think he's a bit lucky after the last few innings in India but over the last 15 months he's actually performed in the limited forms of the game at various levels," he said.

Bowler Daryl Tuffey was the highest-profile omission from the squad.

New Zealand's 15-man World Cup squad: Daniel Vettori (captain), Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Luke Woodcock.

Muralitharan to quit after World Cup

 COLOMBO: Record-breaking Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said Friday he would retire from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup.

"This World Cup will be my last outing," Muralitharan, 38, told reporters on the sidelines of a training session in Colombo.

"I am retiring totally from international cricket thereafter."

The mega one-day event, co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starts on February 19.

Muralitharan, the world's leading wicket-taker in both Tests (800) and one-dayers (517), bowed out of Test matches in July last year after the opening match against India in Galle.

"My time is up. I have signed up to play for two years in the IPL (Indian Premier League). I am also looking at similar work in New Zealand and perhaps England," the off-spinner said.

Muralitharan said that he was currently focusing on the World Cup, which ends on April 2.

"This is my fourth World Cup. We won in 1996 and came close in 2007 by reaching the final. This would be a memorable one for me and for Sri Lankan fans," he said.

Sri Lanka will host 12 Cup matches, including three at a new 22,000-seater stadium in Murali's home district of Kandy.

The other nine matches will be played at the renovated Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and a new cricket facility in Hambantota in the island's south.

Muralitharan said he had no immediate plans to switch to coaching despite reports last year that he was planning to team up with retired Indian spinner Anil Kumble to start a spin academy for youngsters.

"There are plenty of coaches and lots of talented people out there. I will take things as they come. For the moment, no coaching stints."

Aisam, Bopanna advance at Australian Open

 MELBOURNE: Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq-Qureshi and India's Rohan Bopanna had advanced for the second round after easy win against Brazilian pair Franco Ferreiro and Andre Sa at 6-3, 6-0 in the first round on Thursday.

Bopanna and Qureshi, the runners-up at 2010 US Open, next play Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Arnaud Clement.

Unfit Ponting, Hussey in Australia’s World Cup squad

 SYDNEY: Defending champions Australia Tuesday unveiled their squad for next month's World Cup, banking on the fitness of a pair of injury-prone pacemen and elder statesmen Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey.

Veteran Brett Lee and enigmatic short-form specialist Shaun Tait were both included in the 15-man squad for the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which they are trying to win for the fourth successive time.

Ponting was named as skipper, but is still recovering from a broken finger, while Hussey made the squad but is a major doubt after a severe hamstring tear in the six-wicket win over England at the MCG on Sunday.

Hussey is expected to be sidelined for at last six weeks, with Australia's first game on February 21, and chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch conceded he was a doubt for the showpiece event.

By selecting Lee and Tait, as well as erratic duo Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger, Australia will rely heavily on their pace bowlers to be at their best.

Lee performed well in Australia's win over England on Sunday, but the 34-year-old and Tait are both on the comeback trail after serious elbow injuries.

Sunday's game was Lee's first one-day international for Australia since October 2009 and he missed the 2007 World Cup triumph due to injury.

Tait, who played in the 2007 final but mainly plays Twenty20 cricket these days, was ruled out of Sunday's game with a back problem.

The 27-year-old has only played three ODIs since February 2009, but taken eight wickets in those three matches.

The shock selection was Victorian all-rounder John Hastings, who has played just two one-day internationals, while David Hussey, Mike's younger brother, also made the squad.

Tasmanian wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Paine, touted by many as a future Australian captain, is part of the 15. 

Left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty, who played on Sunday, was overlooked in favour of the returning Nathan Hauritz, who was ignored for the entire Ashes series but has been in top form in domestic first-class cricket this season.

Victorian paceman Peter Siddle was not included, despite being one of the better Ashes performers for Australia with ball and bat.

Squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Steve Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White