ICC suspends six umpires accused of match fixing

ICC suspends umpires accused of match fixing

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday suspended the six umpires caught in a TV sting, which alleged that they were willing to fix Twenty20 matches, pending the completion of an inquiry against them.

"The International Cricket Council and its relevant Full Member Boards have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in a sting operation recently conducted by India TV to any domestic or international cricket matches pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the allegations made," the governing body said in a statement.

"The officials named are not contracted by the ICC and those Boards who employ and nominate the umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of urgency," it added.

The channel had shown video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ajith Jayasekara said that they are studying the tapes of the sting operation and the local anti-corruption unit will work with the ICC in the investigations.

The channel showed video clips, purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.

The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, were Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka.

All of them have denied the allegations, insisting that they were trapped by the channel.

Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in Chief of India TV, stood by the channel's expose and said it was open to any inquiry or public scrutiny of their journalistic work if the authenticity of the tapes is in question.

The fact that the umpires were willing to do a "criminal" thing is unfair to cricket, Sharma said.

According to the channel, Shah offered to give decisions like "out", "not out" in any format of the game. He has officiated in 40-plus ODIs, six Test matches as TV umpire and three Tests as reserve umpire.

Ghauri agreed to help Team India in all ways. As a quid pro quo, he agreed to take all amounts underhand in "black". He has stood in 43 ODIs, 14 Test matches and four T20 matches.

Gallage, a Sri Lankan premier panel umpire who was the fourth umpire at India-Pakistan T20 World Cup warm-up match on September 17, agreed to give information on the match pitch report, weather and even the playing elevens of both teams for a payment of Rs 50,000, according to the channel.

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IPL is one of biggest threats to international cricket: Carl Hooper

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IPL a threat to cricket: Carl Hooper

Melbourne: Former West Indies captain Carl Hooper feels the Indian Premier League is "one of the biggest threats" to international cricket right now.

"One of the biggest threats facing cricket is the IPL," Hooper told 'The Advertiser' in Melbourne.

Hooper said the West Indies team, which recently won the World Twenty20 (the team's first major trophy in 33 years), could lose its way if the Board does not hand out central contracts to the players, who are being lured by the cash-awash IPL.

Players, including superstar opener Chris Gayle, were at loggerheads with the Board for a long time and some of them like spinner Sunil Narine and allrounder Dwayne Bravo missed Test duty to play in the IPL.

"The spectators want to see the best players. If I looked up and saw no Gayle or key players named to play I would just say forget about it, stay home," said Hooper.

"They have to figure out a way to get our key players contracted."

Hooper said if players such as Narine get Board contract, they would be compelled to don national colours ahead of leagues such as IPL.

"If Narine has a central contract that would mean he would have to play for the West Indies," said Hooper.

"We want to have our best cricketers playing each and every time we take the park," he added.

"I am old fashioned, I believe in Test cricket. If you have a solid base in Test cricket you can adjust your game to suit any other format."

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Abdul Razzaq to consult lawyer before responding to PCB notice

Razzaq to consult lawyer on PCB notice

Lahore: Showcaused by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), veteran all-rounder Abdul Razzaq said he would consult his lawyers before responding to the notice sent to him for criticising national team captain Mohammed Hafeez recently.

The notice was given to Razzaq for criticising Hafeez after the team's semifinal ouster from the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Razzaq blamed Hafeez for dropping him for the semifinal and said the captain should have had the courage to admit this instead of shifting the blame on the team management.

"What Razzaq has done is a serious offence under the code of conduct and we have sent him a notice asking him to respond within seven days," confirmed a PCB official.

The all-rounder's remarks indicated conflict within the team.

"I will see the showcause notice and consult with my lawyer before deciding on my future course of action," Razzaq said.

"I will be looking into my options before deciding what to do about the notice," he added.

Razzaq does not feature in the PCB's list of centrally contracted players but an official said he was a signatory to the code of conduct and was bound by the rules. Meanwhile, another official close to the matter said a disciplinary hearing will be held if Razzaq fails to satisfy the PCB with his reply.

The all-rounder reiterated that he remains disappointed at being dropped from the team for the semifinal and was upset at Hafeez who said that the decision to include Sohail Tanvir in his place was taken by the team management which wanted to play an extra bowler.

A source close to the matter said as soon as the PCB Chairman returned home from Colombo, he would meet the manager and the coach to get their views before summoning Razzaq and Hafeez over the matter.

"The Chairman is not happy with this matter being made public," the source said.

Razzaq, 32, has played 265 one-day internationals and 30 T20 matches for Pakistan.

He has been in and out of the team for the last few years and has on many occasions voiced his disappointment with the selectors and management.

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MS Dhoni skips Territorial Army Day parade

Dhoni skips Territorial Army Day parade

New Delhi: Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is also an Honorary Lt Col in the Territorial Army, on Tuesday chose to give the organisation`s annual parade here a miss, sparking off a debate whether celebrities should be conferred such titles or not.

The incident comes in the backdrop of IAF`s unhappiness over both, Honorary Group Captain Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni, not availing its offer of flying in their premier Su-30MKI aircraft.

The IAF on Monday had suggested it would not be able to fly the duo in any of their fighter jets in near future as the service was "very busy".

Dhoni was conferred with the title of Honorary Lt Col in November last year while Tendulkar was inducted into the Air Force as an Honorary Group Captain in September 2010.

When Defence Minister AK Antony was asked about the commitment of celebrities such as Dhoni towards the volunteer Army, he said, "The fact is that most of them are devoting their time and energy for the Territorial Army battalions."

"They are inspiration to the young people and that is why more and more people are joining. The latest of them is Sachin Pilot and just now I saw Kapil Dev... We are not inducting everybody. After careful scrutiny only, we are entering people," Antony said.

Asked if the motive behind inducting people such as Tendulkar and Dhoni was getting killed due to their lack of commitment, the Defence Minister said, "I am saying that most of the people are active. Even today you saw Kapil Dev, he is here. Why are you people not seeing this? Maj Sunil Sawant, Brig K P Singhdeo and many others come to the TA. Don`t forget their names."

Antony added that Malayalam cinestar Mohanlal was not just lending his name to the Territorial Army but "he is actively involved in the force attending all the training camps and all the parades."

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Information Technology Sachin Pilot, who was recently commissioned as a regular officer in the volunteer Army, was present on the occasion in his full ceremonial attire.

Former Test cricketer and 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, who was accorded the title of Honorary Lt Col in the Territorial Army in 2008, though defended his counterparts saying if the two had time they would certainly make themselves available for such occasions.

"If they (Sachin and Dhoni) have the time they will definitely attend all the functions. They are currently serving the nation through cricket and I believe once they end their cricketing careers they will like to be a part of all the events. They have lot many things to do and it sometimes become difficult to find time," Kapil, who was present on the occasion, told reporters.

The veteran cricketer, however, insisted that the presence of celebrities will motivate the younger generation to be a part of the unit.

"We should spend some time for all these activities as it motivates the new generation. But sometimes one doesn`t have the time, he has some prior commitments," Kapil said.

Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, who was also conferred the honorary rank of Lt Col along with Dhoni, also gave the occasion a miss.

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MP Sachin Tendulkar plans to integrate sports, education

Sachin plans to integrate sports, education

New Delhi: Batting maestro and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar has expressed his desire to work closely with the government to integrate sports into the education system.

39-year-old Tendulkar, in a letter to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal last week, has stressed on honing the potential of the younger generation and nurturing their talent as he felt that sports is being neglected in educational institutions, a senior HRD Ministry official said.

Tendulkar's suggestions include a roadmap for complete overhaul of the sports infrastructure at the university and college level, he said.

The batting legend has been invited by the Ministry to make a detailed presentation following which his suggestion on integration of sports with education would be looked into by NCERT and CBSE, he said.

The official said Sibal is keen on taking forward the proposal and is awaiting an early interaction with Tendulkar in this regard.

"We welcome Sachin Tendulkar's proposal and I have already written to him inviting him for a presentation," Sibal said.

One of the key suggestions could also include making sports a compulsory activity and infusing greater share of sports-related activities in the course curriculum to bring in more competitive spirit.

Ministry officials also seem to endorse Tendulkar's view on making sports a compulsory activity because at present it is only extra-curricular in nature.

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TV sting claims match fixing by six umpires, ICC promises stern action

WT20: Six umpires accused of fixing

New Delhi: A television sting operation on Monday claimed to have uncovered six international umpires allegedly willing to fix matches for money in the just concluded Twenty20 World Cup and Sri Lanka Premier League matches.

The channel India TV showed video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.

The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka.

Ghauri and Shah have rubbished the allegations while Bangladesh Cricket Board President Mustafa Kamal said it will investigate the matter after getting the details.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said the Council and its relevant members have been made aware of the allegations made by India TV and asked the Channel to turn over any information which can assist the ICC’s urgent investigations into this matter.

In a statement, the ICC reiterated its zero-tolerance towards corruption whether alleged against players or officials. The ICC also said that none of the umpires named were involved in any of the official games of the ICC World Twenty20 which ended on Tuesday.

Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in Chief of India TV, stood by the channel's expose and said it was open to any inquiry or public scrutiny of their journalistic work if the authenticity of the tapes is in question.    

The fact that the umpires were willing to do a "criminal" thing is unfair to cricket, he said.    Ghauri, who is an ICC International Panel umpire, has rubbished the allegations against him and claimed he has never officiated outside Pakistan.

Bangladesh umpire Nadir Shah has also strongly refuted the allegations against him.   Bangladesh Cricket Board President Mustafa Kamal said it will investigate the matter after getting the details.

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West Indies beat Sri Lanka to win 2012 World Twenty20 title

 West Indies won the ICC World Twenty20 after they defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the final at the R Premadasa Stadium here on Sunday.

Earlier batting first, Marlon Samuels played one of the best counter-attacking innings under pressure against an impressive Sri Lankan attack to guide West Indies to a reasonable 137 for six in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 here today.

Samuels, who hit five of his six 6’s off T20 specialist Lasith Malinga, made a brilliant 78 off 56 balls, even as Ajantha Mendis returned figures of four for 12.


Samuels alone spoiled Malinga’s figures as he went for 54 off four overs after Mendis pegged the West Indies back.

While only 32 runs came off the first 10 overs, the Caribbeans courtesy Samuels and skipper Darren Sammy (26 no, 15 balls, 3x4) managed 106 in the back 10.

The total might not be a challenging one but the manner in which Samuels batted having scored more than half the runs, the innings will be remembered for a long time to come especially as other West Indian batsmen looked like lambs ready to be slaughtered.

The pressure of playing a World Cup final was telling on Johnson Charles as he offered a simple catch to Nuwan Kulasekara at mid-off in Angelo Mathews’ opening over which was a wicket maiden.

The first run for West Indies came when Kulasekara bowled a wide after three dot balls in the second over. The first run off the bat came off the 17th legal delivery and the first boundary in the next over when Samuels punched one through covers.

Gayle, who has been predicting results like ‘Paul the Octopus’ in the last few days, was strangled by the Lankan bowlers and finally Mendis got him with a straighter one that looked like hitting the leg-stump.

The Powerplay yielded only 14 runs for West Indies and Sri Lanka had already got the opposition match-winner out of the equation.

There were no demons in the pitch and the ball was coming onto the bat nicely but Sri Lankan bowlers maintained discipline throughout.

While Mathews kept on pitching it up in the corridor of uncertainty, Mendis only added to the pressure with Samuels waging a lonely battle. The Caribbean batsmen haven’t seen much of Mendis before this tournament and were indecisive in their strokeplay and perished in the process.

Jayawardene marshalled his resources pretty well in the first 10 but somewhat lost the plot towards the end. While he completed Mathews’ quota of overs within the first 10, he ensured that schoolboy Akila Dananjaya, who replaced an in-form Rangana Herath was introduced when there was relatively less pressure.

Although Dwayne Bravo hit him for a six over the deep mid-wicket area, Akila gave only 13 runs in his first two overs.

The 13th over saw Samuels finally breaking the shackles as he hit Malinga for three sixes with 21 runs coming off that over. The first six was hit over mid-wicket when Malinga, watching Samuels move towards leg-stump, fired one into the block hole and the batsman flicked it into the stands.

The second one was also bowled in the block hole and this time it was spanked over extra cover. The third one was a length delivery that was hit over long-on.

The 50-partnership came off 43 balls while Samuels completed a well-deserved half century with a six off leggie Jeevan Mendis.

Bravo (19) was wrongly adjudged leg-before off Mendis by umpire Simon Taufel, standing in his last international game.

Kieron Pollard chased a wide delivery to be caught at short third man while Andre Russell tried a sweep shot and was adjudged leg before.

There was no stopping Samuels who hit another couple of sixes - a hook shot and one over long—on as the 100 came up in the 17th over. Samuels’ bravado came to an end when he holed out in the deep mid-wicket region by Jeevan. But that West Indies were able to reach some sort of score was simply due to the coolheaded Jamaican.

Brief scores:

West Indies: 137 for six in 20 overs (Marlon Samuels 78, Darren Sammy 26 not out; Ajantha Mendis 4/12).

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Australian eves beat England to win Women’s World T20 championship

Australian women produced an impressive performance to edge out their English counterparts by four runs in an exciting final of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 here on October 7.

Put into bat, Australia put up a competitive 142 for four in 20 overs with almost all the batswoman getting runs.

Jess Cameron with 45 was the top scorer but openers Meg Lanning (25), Alyssa Healey (26) and Lisa Sthalekar (23 not out) all chipped in with useful contributions.

In reply England could manage 138 for nine as Australian bowlers got wickets at regular intervals.

Needing 16 of the last over, England managed only 11 runs off spinner Erin Osborne’s over. England needed an over boundary of the last delivery but could manage a single as girls in canary yellow celebrated enthusiastically.

In a big ground like Premadasa (although boundaries were shortened), chasing a target of 143 is an uphill task in women’s cricket.

Although skipper Edwards showed positive intent but once she was dismissed for 28, the other batswomen could hardly make any impact.

They did get the boundaries but couldn’t stay long enough to get a decisive result in their favour.

Players like Sarah Taylor, Aaran Brindle all got starts but couldn’t carry on as left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen turned out to be the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 25.

She could have taken four had she not dropped a sharp return catch offered by Jenny Gunn.

The main wicket of Edwards was however taken by veteran Lisa Sthalekar.

While batting, Australia had two significant partnerships that clinched the issue in their favour. The opening partnership of 51 runs between Lanning and Healy and another of 51 runs in six overs between Sthalekar (23) and Cameron.

Cameron hit five fours and a six during his 34-ball knock.

Brief scores:

Australia: 142 for 4 in 20 overs (Jess Cameron 45, Alyssa Healey 26, Meg Lanning 25; Holly Colvin 2/21).

England: 138 for 9 in 20 overs (Charlotte Edwards 28; Jess Jonassen 3/25, Lisa Sthalekar 2/16).

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Wasim Akram criticises pitch for SL-Pak semifinal

Akram flays pitch for SL-Pak semifinal

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has lashed out at the authorities for preparing a unsporting track for the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

Wasim, who is in Colombo as a commentator and expert, described the pitch on which Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 16 runs on Thursday night in a low scoring game as "impossible pitch to bat on".

"I should say that this pitch certainly was not in the spirit of the game. It was an impossible pitch to bat on and I am surprised they had such a surface for such a big match," Akram said.

The former left-arm pacer said the dry and turning pitch was a test for the batsmen and he always knew that even chasing 140 on it would be a challenging job for any side.

"On this pitch 140 was like chasing 180. I don't know how you can have such a pitch for such a big match, it was disappointing," he said.

The former skipper also pointed out that the pitch was not meant for T20 cricket.

Wasim said that before the men's semifinal the women's semifinal was already been played on the pitch, which was already assisting the bowlers.

"When Pakistan batted 60 overs had been bowled on it. This is not acceptable for such a big match," Wasim, who has taken 414 Test and 502 one-day wickets, said.

The former pacer added that the "poor surface robbed the spectators of entertainment".

"He (Asad) is your most composed and technically sound player and he should have been in the team in this tournament where pitches were such that one had to bat sensibly instead of trying big hits all the time," Sohail said.

Pakistan's former captain Zaheer Abbas said Hafeez had taken some bad decisions, one of them being to leave out Razzaq and not try Kamran Akmal as an opener.

"The batsmen didn't play according to the situation and pitch conditions. I thought 140 was gettable in the match but the application was missing and Hafeez got out at a very crucial time he should have finished off the game," Zaheer said.

Zaheer said the Pakistan Cricket Board needs to think ahead what it wants to do for future tours and tournaments. Another former captain Rashid Latif said as usual the team had performed inconsistently just when it was close to the final.

"They could have got to 140 on this pitch but the management needed to take some bold decisions which they didn't take. In contrast Sri Lanka used their batsmen very well and rotated them well."

Former Test batsman Basit Ali had no doubt that Shahid Afridi now needed to retire and focus on playing foreign T20 leagues.

"I think he should retire now because he was a big disappointment in the tournament. Hafeez also made a blunder by insisting on opening the innings throughout the tournament. He spoilt the momentum of the team."

Pakistan's former Test player and coach Mohsin Khan said it was disappointing that Pakistan lost a match it should have won after restricting Sri Lanka to 140 runs.

"I felt there was lack of understanding between the captain and management and players and if it is true that Hafeez unilaterally insisted on playing Sohail Tanvir on Thursday than he should be questioned and so should the management," he said

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Sachin Tendulkar to re-assess his future in November

Tendulkar to take call on retirement in Nov

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar has for the first time admitted that at 39 he may not have much cricket left in him and will reassess his cricketing future next month.

Tendulkar's retirement has been a topic of debate for quite some time now and the batting great said though he does not have any immediate plans, the thought of retirement has been on his mind.

He said that taking a decision on retirement after playing the game for close to 23 years will be a "hard one" and he will go by what his heart says.

"The moment of retirement is going to be hard because I haven't experienced anything close to what I might go through when I retire. It depends on what my heart tells me then.

I need not take a call right now. When I play in November, I will reassess things," he said.

"I am 39 and I don't think I have plenty of cricket left in me. But it depends on my frame of mind and my physical ability to deliver. When I feel that I am not delivering what is needed, and then I will re-look at the scheme of things. I am already 39 and no one expects me to go on playing forever," Tendulkar told a news channel.

India play a four-match home Test series against England starting on November 15 in Ahmedabad.

Tendulkar, who holds almost all the records in world cricket after playing 190 Tests and 463 ODIs, said that it would be a tough call for him to hang his bat and he will go by what his heart says.

"I don't know. It is going to be hard because I haven't experienced anything close to what I might go through when I retire. I cannot relate this moment with any other moment in my life. It will be a tough call. I will go with what my heart says," said Tendulkar, who has scored 15,533 in Tests and 18,426 runs in ODIs.

"But I am still the best judge of what happens to my mind and body. When I feel it is time, I will take a call. It is going to be a tough call nevertheless. It is going to be tough because this is what I have been doing all my life. It is going to be difficult to suddenly hang my boots one day," Tendulkar said.

The champion batsman also said he has been thinking about the moment of retirement for some time.

"Of course, I have been (thinking about it). I am 39 plus and it is not abnormal for me to think of it. At that moment, I will go by what my heart says. At this moment, my heart says I am okay. But you will have to look at series by series."

One of his most cherished dreams was realised last year when India won the 50-over World Cup. Asked if he was game for competing in the 2015 edition, Tendulkar ruled out the possibility.

"At this stage, I don't think it is possible. I am being very honest and straightforward. I am going series by series because it is also about what the team feels and what I feel inside...whether I have the motivation to continue," he said.

Asked if he was pushing himself too hard to stay competitive and in top form at this stage of career, Tendulkar said, "I have always been pushing myself, for the last 22 years and more, to play for India. It had always been a dream.

There is no reason why I should not be pushing myself too hard. In fact, if I don't, then you should question me on why I am not pushing myself hard enough.

"When you play for India, you are playing a team sport. The team wants you to move in the right direction as everyone is striving to achieve something unique, especially because it is a matter of pride and honour to play for India.

"Playing cricket for India is something I am not willing to make a compromise on. The day I stop playing, I do not want to feel that I did not give it my best shot," he added.

Tendulkar, however, refused to give a specific time frame for his retirement.

"Nobody decides in this manner. I do not know what is in store. I wish I knew. If I did know, I wouldn't have had to wait for 22 years to lift the World Cup. Perhaps, I would have done it in the first instance in Australia in 91-92 then.

"I am looking at it series by series. As long as I feel that I can deliver, I will continue playing. It also depends on what the team feels and whether I am motivated enough to continue being on top of the game."

Asked if his retirement would be from all forms of the game, he said, "It again depends on what my heart tells me then. I need not take a call right now."

Sunil Gavaskar had suggested that age has caught up with Tendulkar after he was bowled thrice in the recent home Test series against New Zealand, but he conceded that it was natural for others to raise such questions.

"Sunil Gavaskar has also said positive things about me. When there have been a lot of positive feedback as well, why keep harping only on the negative comments?" he asked.

"Ultimately, if I am out, I am out. I can't get stuck on one article about me and try to create something that the person is hoping to create out of it. I need to stay focused on the game and constantly keep finding ways to improve myself," he said.

"There are two different things - scoring runs and what I feel. For instance, if this three-wicket ordeal had happened when I was 25, no one would have questioned it. Incidentally, it happened when I am 39, so questions were raised. This is natural," he added.

Asked about another former captain Mohammed Azharuddin's comments that his reflexes have slowed down with age, Tendulkar said, "When I met Sir Don Bradman in 1998-99 on his 90th birthday, he told me that it is natural for a batsman to change after he is 30. I have played quite well for nine years after I turned 30. It is natural for any person to slow down as he grows older."

Tendulkar said he stays away from opinion of others about him to avoid getting affected.

"I have always stayed away from what people say about me, right from my younger days. My brother always told me that I need to keep away from all this to stay focused on the game.

Irrespective of criticisms or praises that come your way, it is important to stay focused and keep improving your game.

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Has the time come for Sachin Tendulkar to retire?

Sachin Tendulkar contemplating retirement?

New Delhi: Has the time come for the master blaster to retire from international cricket? Sachin Tendulkar may take a decision in this regard in November.

In an interview given to a news channel, Sachin said he would be analysing his fitness level series by series and thereafter take a decision in this regard. However he also said that if he feels fit and motivated he would carry on playing for India. He further said that he will go by what his heart says and at this moment he feels he can deliver but it has to be taken series by series.

He further agreed that his reflexes have slowed down which is a natural process and to expect him to play as a 19-year-old boy would not be justified. He stressed on the fact that the decision of taking retirement will solely be his call and till the time he feels he can contribute for the team he will continue playing.

In the interview he clarified that he has no plans to retire at the moment but may think over it after playing in November.

Speaking about the criticism faced in the Newzeland series where he was bowled out a number of times, the master blaster said that he doesn’t care about what people say.

When asked about the comments made by Sunil Gavaskar over his slowing reflexes, Sachin said that at times he has received some great reactions from Gavaskar and we should not keep harping on the negative comments.

I need to stay focused on the game and constantly keep finding ways to improve myself. Even Don Bradman had told me that it’s natural for a batsman to change after he is 30 said Tendulkar

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Roger Federer gets online death threat in China

Roger Federer gets online death threat

Shanghai: An unknown blogger said he planned to "assassinate" Roger Federer in a bizarre posting on a popular Chinese website.

Shanghai Masters organisers have tightened security around Roger Federer after the top-ranked men's tennis player was targeted by an online death threat, a report said on Thursday.

Extra precautions for Federer, who has arrived in Shanghai with his family, were taken after an unknown blogger said he planned to "assassinate" the player, in a bizarre posting on a popular Chinese website.

"On October 6, I plan to assassinate Federer for the purpose of tennis extermination," read the message, posted under the name 'Blue Cat Polytheistic Religion Founder 07' on baidu.com.

The user also posted a doctored image showing a decapitated Federer on his knees on a tennis court, with a masked executioner dressed in black and holding an axe posing next to him.

Police and other government agencies have been contacted to increase security around Federer, an official with the tournament's organising committee told the Shanghai Youth Daily.

"We hope that it was an oral threat only, and the fan won't take substantive action. However, we have to take it seriously," Yang Yibin was quoted as saying.

"We have contacted the local police and we will upgrade the level of security for Roger. Meanwhile, we will also protect other players' security."

Yang gave few details of the extra security, but he said Federer's arrival time was not disclosed to media and that he and his family were ushered through a VIP channel and driven straight to their hotel after flying in to Shanghai.

Attacks on tennis players are rare, but in 1993 Monica Seles was stabbed by a deranged fan during a match in Hamburg.

In the 2009 French Open final, a fan invaded the court and tried to put a beret on Federer, before being tackled by security officials

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England in final of Women's T20 World Cup

England in Women's T20 World Cup final

Colombo: England stormed into the final of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 after an all-round effort saw them post a convincing seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the first semifinal here on Thursday.

Skipper Charlotte Edwards led the chase with a knock of 33 after English bowlers restricted the Kiwis to a mere 93 for eight in 20 overs at the R Premadasa Stadium here.

Edwards was named player of the match for her batting and astute captaincy.

Chasing a not-so-challenging total, Edwards started in earnest scoring her runs in 37 balls, and with the help of five fours.

After the skipper's dismissal, wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor (22 off 32 balls) and Lydia Greenway's brisk 19-ball 22 completed the task with as many as 16 balls to spare.

Left-arm medium-pacer Sian Ruck returned figures of two for 22 in her four overs for New Zealand.

Sent into bat, the Kiwis could never really challenge their English counterparts from the moment the Greenway-Taylor combo ran out New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates in the very first over of the match.

The Kiwis failed to recover from Bates' early dismissal, losing wickets at regular intervals against some disciplined bowling.

For England, Danielle Wyatt and Holly Colvin finished with two wickets apiece, while there was one each for Anya Shrubsole and Laura Marsh.

"It's our best performance with the ball so far. It turned a lot more here. It was tough, but I'm really pleased we got over the line. Lydia sets the standard for us in the field and it was a good all-round effort," Edwards said.

Bates said: "We knew we'd come up a few short but I'm proud of the way we tried to defend it. When the pitch was slower we didn't adjust. England are the No. 1 side and we knew we'd have to play well."

Brief scores:

New Zealand Women: 93 for eight in 20 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 30; Danielle Wyatt 2/15, Holly Colvin 2/15).

England Women: 94 for three in 17.2 overs (Charlotte Edwards 33, Lydia Greenway 22; Sian Ruck 2/22).

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Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 16 runs to enter T20 WC final

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan to enter T20 WC final

Colombo: Sri Lanka produced a clinical bowling display to beat Pakistan by 16 runs and storm into the final of the ICC World Twenty20 at R Premadasa Stadium here on Thursday.

After managing a modest 139 for four on a slow Premadasa track, Sri Lankan duo of Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis stifled the Pakistan batsmen in the final overs to restrict them to 123 for seven.

Pakistan needed 32 runs off last three overs which is considered to be quite achievable by Twenty20 standards but Mendis and Malinga held their nerves giving only five and four runs respectively of the 18th and 19th over.

Nuwan Kulasekara, who bowled the 20th over, didn't have any pressure on him as he gave only seven runs to sent the capacity crowd into a tizzy.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath used the conditions to perfection as he recorded the best figures of three for 25 in four overs. Malinga gave only 19 runs in his four overs while Mendis was also impressive with figures two for 27.

Chasing a target of 140 was a tricky one on the slow Premadasa track as batsmen often got confused whether to attack or rotate the strike.

Imran Nazir was in his element as he tried to hit each and every ball out of the sight but failed to connect most of them before he dragged one off Mendis onto his stumps. Nazir made 20 with the help of three fours.

Then it was Angelo Mathews who got Sri Lanka back into the game trapping in-form Nasir Jamshed leg before and then deceived Kamran Akmal with a slower one.

From 57 for three, Pakistan soon became 64 for four, as Herath bowled Shoaib Malik with a classical left-armer's delivery. He flighted one to invite Malik for a drive and the ball turned a shade after pitching to knock the batsman's off-stump.

Having got a reprieve at 24, Hafeez who till now was happy to play the waiting game, chanced his arms. First he pulled Mathews for a boundary and then reverse swept Herath.

He followed it up with a straight six. But Hafeez finally departed for 42 when he was stumped trying to give Herath the charge.
Shahid Afridi's woeful time with the bat continued as Herath cleaned up in the next ball to register his third wicket.

Pakistan were tottering at 91 for six at that stage and from there victory became out of question.

Earlier, electing to bat, some scratchy batting by opener Tillekaratne Dilshan hampered Sri Lanka's chances of putting up a big total as they managed only 139 for four in their stipulated 20 overs.

While skipper Mahela Jayawardene had provided the right start with a 36-ball-42, Dilshan struggled throughout the middle overs as he managed only 35 off 42 balls.

The Lankans managed 16 runs of the final over when Thisara Perera hit a couple of fours while Angelo Mathews also managed a thickish edge.

Shahid Afridi, Mohammed Hafeez, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal got a wicket each but more importantly didn't go for too many runs.

The decision to promote left-hander Jeevan Mendis above Mathews and Perrera was baffling as the former played a lot of dot balls that added to the pressure on Dilshan.

Jayawardene's batting was a treat to watch. He perished trying to play the sweep shot one too many but till he was executing it with ease in the first 10 overs, there was no better sight.

A shrewd thinker, Jayawardene saw that off-spinner Ajmal, with his doosras, leg-spinner Afridi and slow left-arm orthodox Raza Hassan were all spinning the ball away from him.

In the circumstances, he found the reverse sweep as the safest option and he played it with consummate ease

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Sunil Gavaskar to help PCB in holding PPL: Report

Gavaskar to help PCB in holding PPL?

Lahore: Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has pledged his support to Pakistan Cricket Board in organising its proposed Pakistan Premier League Twenty20 tournament and he has accepted the PCB's invitation to visit the country, a media report said on Wednesday.

Ashraf, who is now in Sri Lanka for the ongoing World Twenty20, held meetings with Gavaskar and former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram to seek their expertise in the holding the proposed Twenty20 league.

"Zaka Ashraf discussed at length the holding of the PPL with Gavaskar who assured his all out support to make the event a big success," according to a report by Pakistan media.

"It is a good step for the development of cricket in Pakistan and the holding of PPL will be a step forward for bringing international cricket to Pakistan," Gavaskar was quoted as saying in the report.

The report said that Ashraf invited Gavaskar to visit Pakistan and the Indian batting great has accepted the invitation while also assuring the PCB chief that he would try to bring former Test cricketers to Pakistan to help in PPL.

For some time, the PCB has been making efforts for the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan and the Board plans to organise PPL to ensure the participation of foreign cricketers in it.

Akram has also assured Ashraf that he would help the Baord in holding the PPL and termed the league a positive effort for bringing back international cricket in Pakistan, the report said.

The PCB chief also met Chief Executive Officer of International Cricket Council, Dave Richardson who accepted his invitation for visiting Pakistan in the coming months, most likely in November.

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No bonus scandal in CLT20 hosting, assures CSA

No bonus scandal in CLT20 hosting: CSA

Johannesburg: The irregular bonus scandal which followed their hosting of the 2009 IPL will not be repeated when South Africa host this year's Champions League Twenty20, the country's Cricket Board has assured.

Tournament Director Naasei Appiah insisted that no financial irregularities would happen this time.

Cricket South Africa is still grappling with the scandal for which its former CEO Gerald Majola is currently facing a disciplinary hearing for paying himself and other top staff huge bonuses after IPL 2 and the Champions League hosted in South Africa a few years ago.

"The Champions League is a venture between the cricket boards of South Africa, India and Australia, so we don't receive bonuses for events that are part of our normal operations," Appiah said.

CLT20 CEO Sundar Raman said although South Africa was chosen for second time, other countries could also host the Champions League.

"I think we need to be very certain about the ability to host a tournament with sufficient logistical support as well as the ability to host sufficient crowds turning up.

"South Africa has hosted some of the biggest sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2012 and there is no reason to believe that there is any other reason except that there is a sport-loving public and the infrastructure is there," Raman said.

"We were pretty delighted with the response that we got with the second edition that was played in South Africa in 2010 and after much deliberation we thought it's only fair that we come back to South Africa after having the 2011 edition in India and to take this tournament to different markets to ensure that people get to enjoy high-class domestic T20 talent," Raman added.

Raman said the 14 teams and USD 6 million prize money this year are the biggest in the history of the tournament.

"What it does for local cricket is what we are very happy about. There is a re-energised interest in domestic cricket that we have noticed all over the world. Every team is interested in winning the local domestic championship in their country to get into the Champions League," he said.

CSA acting CEO Jacques Faul said the Champions League would also provide a platform for players who do not have the opportunity to compete on the international circuit to display their talents.

Appiah said of the 3,80,000 tickets available for the games, 70,000 have already been sold.

"But most will be sold on the day of the match and when people know the schedules. 30 percent of tickets for the Wanderers final have been sold without having team names already," Appiah said

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Dhoni captaincy and form of seniors come under scrutiny

Dhoni’s captaincy under scrutiny

New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "tactical errors" and the poor form of some senior players were the main reasons for India's early exit from the World Twenty20, according to former cricketers who said that there was no need for making drastic changes in the team despite the debacle.

While Dhoni came under fire for some of his "tactical blunders", some former cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar were not in favour of changing the captain or making too many changes in the team.

India failed to qualify for the semifinals of World Twenty20 on net run rate and former cricketers said the team's repeated failures in this format should be analysed and corrective measures should be taken.

Former Indian captains like Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, Dilip Vengsarkar and Ajit Wadekar and a host of other ex-cricketers felt that a combination of factors led to India's ouster from the World T20. Some of Dhoni's decisions also evoked criticism from the former players.

"Indian cricket is now at the crossroads. We have not been able to do well in the two shorter formats which we have dominated. We won the World Twenty20 in 2007 and then won the longer 50-over World Cup last year. After that we have been struggling. This is something we have to look into. We have to put our heads together and find out why this has been happening," Gavaskar said.

"I am not saying that there should be an inquiry or a report being sought from the coach. I am also not saying that heads will have to be rolled and there is need for change captaincy. Absolutely, there is no need for all these things," he added.

Former India opener Chetan Chauhan said that Dhoni had to take responsibility for the team's failure and also felt that pacer Zaheer Khan should not play for India in T20 cricket. "The tournament is played in the sub-continent. We are used to these conditions. We have been to Sri Lanka, we played very well against them. Keeping this fact, I thought that we should have reached the semifinals. Unfortunately, we did not.

"A captain has to take responsibility, he is the captain. I would not blame him alone, I would blame the entire team. A captain is as good as the team. If you don't perform, a captain could not do anything. Unfortunately, they did not perform there," Chauhan said.

"These are all the factors, plus at few stages Dhoni did make mistakes in decisions, like against Australia, there was no need to rest Virender Sehwag," he added.

Chauhan said except for Virat Kohli, none of the batsmen were consistent in the tournament and that was one of the reasons for India's early exit.

"We have Rohit Sharma, he did not perform. Leave aside Virat Kohli, few games Suresh Raina, the others were struggling. Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Dhoni himself, the batters did not perform that well. The bowlers did not have enough runs on the board."

"As far as bowling is concerned, Zaheer was struggling. There is no need to continue with him. We could have easily played Ashok Dinda. Not only Zaheer was struggling in bowling, he was also struggling in fielding," said Chauhan.

Former captain Anil Kumble was at a loss or words as to why Dhoni brought in R Ashwin late in the South African run chase when India needed to restrict them within 122 runs.

"There is no point when your best bowlers bowls when there are only 25 runs to defend. So that was surprising," he said.

Kumble also agreed that one of the main reasons for India's debacle was the poor form of the top-order batsmen.

"Out of five top batsmen, you expect one to fire and make impact, score a 18-ball 50 but it did not happen.

"Expectation on Virat were huge and he did live up to those. But Virender Sehwag was not in form. You want your top four to fire in T20 format and when three out of your four top batsmen are not in great always trying to settle in then get big score, it does not work," said Kumble.

Former spinner Murali Karthik felt that Dhoni should have promoted himself up the order as India needed to post a big total after being asked to bat by South Africa.

"In a situation like that where you need to kick on and post a big target, I was wondering if Dhoni could come up. He has done it when India were 120/1 or 140/1, Dhoni has taken charge and I was thinking he would promote himself up," said Karthik.

Former opener Aakash Chopra was also critical of Dhoni for not promoting the in-form batsmen up the order.

"There is consensus that top was not in great form but then the guys who were in form batsmen did not step up, they were not pushed up the batting order, which was surprising. Dhoni is an astute captain somehow he left a lot to be desired in this tournament," said Chopra.

Former batsman Anshuman Gaekwad said that the failure of the bowlers, except for spinner R Ashwin, and the top-order batsmen were the two main reasons for India's debacle.

"Bowling was not up to the mark, that was the number one reason. Ashwin bowled well but with four-bowler strategy, we expected all of them to contribute. Second, the openers did not get us the desired start. In most of the games, we did not get to good starts," he said.

"In T20, there is hardly any time to settle down. Overall, we were severely let down by the openers while the bowlers barring Ashwin were not up to mark," he added.

The former India coach refused to blame Dhoni while also not in favour of making too many changes in the team.

"Why blame the captain? What can a captain do if his bowlers and batters don't do well?" he asked.

"Chopping and changing after a poor tournament is not the solution. If we decide to remove our openers then who would be their replacements. It's the same cricketers who have performed well. It's difficult to understand why the same players do so well in IPL but they flopped so miserably in the World Twenty20," he said.

Former opener Arun Lal said that India had a "terrific side that promised to go all the way but one bad match did the damage".

Former captain Chandu Borde attributed India's ouster to lady luck and also refused to blame Dhoni for this.

"T20 is a format where you can't say much. It was bad luck that we were knocked out. I don't want to be critical of Dhoni as I believe he opted for one spinner on the basis of the wicket," he said.

Former stumper Kiran More agreed with Borde that bad luck played a part in India's ouster.

"We had one bad match and it was all over. It's very difficult to predict the outcome of a T20 match. It was pure bad luck. There is no ifs and buts. Every team is struggling in this format," he said.

"Against South Africa, it's always going to be difficult. More so because of the wicket. The pitch was not ideal for a 200 total. Expecting a team to win by 30-40 run margin is a bit too much in a format like T20."

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Virender Sehwag out for 2 weeks with ankle injury, may miss CLT20

Injured Virender Sehwag may skip CLT20

Colombo: Virender Sehwag is in doubt for the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 after he has been advised two weeks of rest because of ligament injury he sustained during India's last Super Eights game in the ICC World Twenty20 against South Africa in Colombo.

Sehwag strained a ligament in his left ankle during South Africa's innings last night and according to the Indian team's media manager Dr R N Baba, the right-hander has been advised rest for 14 days.

Sehwag, who had a poor World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, scoring only 54 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 112, suffered the injury while celebrating Jacques Kallis' dismissal off Irfan Pathan in the fourth over.

He limped off the field to be replaced by Manoj Tiwary, and did not return to the field again.

The injury comes as a big blow for Delhi Daredevils of whom Sehwag remains a key player despite relinquishing captaincy duties for CLT20 to be held in South Africa from October 9.

The Daredevils are scheduled to open their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on October 13 in Centurion

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T20 WC 1st Semifinal Preview: Mercurial Pakistan face stern Lanka test

Mercurial Pakistan face stern Lanka test

Colombo: Their confidence on a high after the big win over Australia, a supremely talented Pakistan will come out all guns blazing against hosts Sri Lanka in the first semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 in Colombo on Thursday.

It will be a battle of attrition between the two sides who had met in the final of the 2009 edition of the tournament in England where Pakistan emerged victorious.

The scene is entirely different this time around as Mohammed Hafeez and his boys will be facing a formidable Sri Lankan outfit in their own backyard.

What will be the most interesting thing to see is battle between the top quality spin departments of both sides.

The most intriguing of the battles will be between two mystery spinners -- Ajantha Mendis and Saeed Ajmal.

While Mendis has roared back to form during this edition of World T20 having taken nine wickets in five games which also include an astonishing six for eight against Zimbabwe, Ajmal has been a consistent performer for Pakistan in the past few years.

However, Pakistan, which has the likes of Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed and the Akmal brothers, are better players of spin bowling. And it will be interesting to watch as to what tricks can pull out Mendis of his bag on a slow R Premadasa track that has been assisting spinners.

Pakistan, on the otherhand, will be expecting the trio of Ajmal, Hafeez and young left-arm spinner Raza Hassan to ask difficult questions to Sri Lankan top order that has three world class batsmen in Tillekaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara.

Dishan, Jayawardene and Sangakkara all have been among runs and know the Premadasa track like the back of their hand.

The only advantage that Pakistan will have over Sri Lanka is the number of matches that they have played at this venue.

Having played three matches and won two, Hafeez and his men have an idea of what to expect from the Premadasa surface.

The Lankans, on the other hand, have played all their matches at Hambantota and Pallekele, where the seamers got more help due to the conditions.

On the slow Premadasa track, one would expect Lasith Malinga to bowl blockhole deliveries more often as length balls are likely to get punished.

The only concern for Pakistan will be Shahid Afridi's form. The all-rounder has batted quite irresponsibly in the tournament so far. Even Hafeez's ploy of sending him up the order hasn't worked as he has thrown away his wicket.

Afridi's bowling also hasn't been upto the mark. Although he has got a few wickets, his bowling has been pretty inconsistent and the batsmen have went after him using the pace of his deliveries.

As for the Lankans, the only weak link has been all-rounder Thisara Perera and vice-captain Angelo Mathews.

Mathews has bowled 12 overs in the tournament so far and has claimed only one wicket giving away 81 runs. In batting too, he hasn't got much chance to show his prowess as Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan have done bulk of the job.

But come on Thursday, the Sri Lanka will expect to Mathews to fire as there is a chance that law of averages can catch up with the top three of the Lankan line-up.

In all, there is little to choose between the two teams as they lock horns for a place in Sunday's final.

Teams (from):

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Akila Dananjaya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shaminda Eranga, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera, Thisara Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Nasir Jamshed, Raza Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat.

Match Starts at 19:00 IST

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India move up to 2nd T20 International team ranking table

India move up to 2nd T20 ranking table

Colombo: India might failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC World Twenty20, but four wins out of five matches have pushed the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side up by one place to the second spot in the latest T20 International team rankings, released on Wednesday.

India now trail Sri Lanka (129) by nine points and are followed by Pakistan (118) and England (118).

South Africa has lost its number-one position in the championship table after failing to qualify for the semi-finals.

Virat Kohli's good run catapulted him to the 10th position with a jump of nine places. The young Delhi batsman scored 185 in five matches and is fourth highest run-getter among all batsmen so far.

Among bowlers, Harbhajan Singh dropped out of top-20 as he slipped to 23rd with a loss of six places. R Ashwin zoomed to 25th spot after gaining 17 places.

Australia's Shane Watson continued to make an upward movement with his all-round exploits as he moved up one place to second in the T20 rankings for batsmen after becoming the highest run-getter in the tournament to date with 242 runs.

He is also the leading wicket-taker in the event with 11 wickets and this effort has helped him move up a place to sixth in the rankings for bowlers.

A combined effort with the bat and ball ensures that he remains the number-one ranked all-rounder in the world in this format.

New Zealand wicket-keeper batsman Brendon McCullum has retained his number-one batting spot but Chris Gayle has slipped down a place to third, while Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has moved up three places to fourth.

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Eoin Morgan have moved up to share seventh position. The Sri Lanka opener has gained three places while the Englishman has climbed four positions.

Other batsmen to make upward movements include Umar Akmal in 15th (up by two), while Mike Hussey has broken into the top 20 for the first time, moving up four places to 19th.

Among the batsmen to move downwards in the top 20 are David Warner in sixth (down by two), Kumar Sangakkara in ninth (down by one), Martin Guptill in 10th (down by four), Jacques Kallis in 14th (down by five) and Yuvraj Singh in 17th (down by two).

There is no change in the top three positions in the T20I Rankings for bowlers headed by Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal, with England off-spinner Graeme Swann in second position and Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis in third.

The bowlers to lose ground include Johan Botha in fifth (down by one), Shahid Afridi in seventh (down by two), Daniel Vettori in 14th (down by one), Morne Morkel in 15th (down by three) and Tim Southee in 17th (down by one).

In the all-rounders' list, Shakib Al Hasan has moved up a place to fourth. Chris Gayle is now fifth (up by two), while Yuvraj in eighth (up by three) has moved into the top 10

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