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Left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan has said he is not overawed at the prospect of making his international debut on the World Cup stage

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2011Left-arm pace bowler Junaid Khan, who replaced the injured fast bowler Sohail Tanvir in Pakistan’s World Cup squad, has said he is not overawed at the prospect of making his international debut on such a big stage.”I’ll treat it as just another game of cricket,” Junaid told . “I’ve represented my country at junior levels and Pakistan A, so I know what the responsibility of playing for your country is like. I don’t think I’ll have any nerves and I’m confident I can handle the situation.”Junaid was selected on the basis of his consistent showing on Pakistan’s domestic circuit. In 35 first-class games, he has picked up 167 wickets at an average of just above 21. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker for Pakistan A in the unofficial ODI series during their recent tour of West Indies where he picked up five wickets in three games.”I’ve been working so hard over the last couple of seasons and I feel that I have consistently improved as a bowler, “Junaid said. “I’ve also been working hard on my batting and I feel that my call-up for the World Cup is warranted as I have done consistently well at all levels for Pakistan.”There have been several high-voltage clashes between India and Pakistan in previous World Cups and Junaid said he was looking forward to another such encounter. “Just getting a chance to play in the World Cup is a dream come true for me,” he told . “But if we get to play against India in the World Cup, it would be a blast to bowl at [Sachin] Tendulkar and get him out. It is an ambition for me.”

The president of Cricket Canada has asked the ICC to step in and resolve the delay in granting Indian visas to three players in their World Cup squad

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2011The president of Cricket Canada, Ranjit Saini, has asked the ICC to step in and resolve the delay in granting India visas to three players of Pakistani origin in their World Cup squad. The team left for Dubai for a 10-day training camp ahead of the tournament, but vice-captain Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan and Hamza Tariq have still not received permission to travel to India.”We seek your kind help and attention to this matter in assisting our players to obtain their visa in Dubai, Dhaka or Colombo,” Saini wrote in a letter to ICC president Sharad Pawar. “We also do hope that the ICC has contingency plans to ensure that the matches are played elsewhere if the visa will not be processed on time or rejected all together.”Canada made a pre-World Cup preparatory visit to India in November and the visas were applied for before that. While the rest of the team had no trouble, the three Pakistan-born players were ruled out of the trip, forcing the team to go ahead without them. “We couldn’t take these players to India and as a result our training plans have suffered,” Saini told the Pakistan’s earlier this month. “[It’s] a source of distraction and is hurting team morale in general.”Canada will play practice matches against Ireland and Afghanistan in Dubai before heading to Bangladesh for their two official warm-up games against Bangladesh and England. They will face Sri Lanka in their opening game of the tournament on February 20 and their first game in India is scheduled for February 28 against Zimbabwe. While the ICC already assured Canada that the visa’s will be granted, the association said in a statement on its website that the current situation left it in an awkward position.

Imran Tahir, South Africa’s Pakistan-born legspinner, has been advised ten days’ rest to deal with a fractured left thumb

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2011Imran Tahir, South Africa’s Pakistan-born legspinner, will require ten days of rest after sustaining a chip fracture on his left thumb. He remains available for South Africa’s match against India on Saturday and could start his recovery after that.”The selection committee will decide whether that 10-day period will start before or after the game,” Mohammed Moosajee, the team manger said. “He will still be a part of the World Cup going forward.” Moosajee could not confirm when a final call will be taken on Tahir, saying that it may be “on the morning of the game.”Tahir sustained the injury during last Sunday’s six-run defeat to England, when he took a catch off his own bowling to dismiss Stuart Broad. His thumb has been immobilised, is in a splint, and he was X-rayed on Wednesday in Nagpur. The scans were sent back to South Africa, to hand specialist Dr Mike Solomons, who recommended the 10-day rest period.The fracture is not on Tahir’s bowling hand and he was able to bowl in the nets on Thursday, an indication that he may be considered for the match against India. Tahir was part of South Africa’s squad that defeated India 3-2 in January, but did not play a game because he was being preserved as a secret weapon for the World Cup. He has since impressed, with 11 wickets in three matches, and is the leading wicket-taker in the team.
In the ten-day period after the India game, South Africa play Ireland and Bangladesh – a possible opportunity to rest Tahir – before the knockout stage. Johan Botha is in line to replace Tahir when his rest period begins.Tahir is not South Africa’s only injury concern. AB de Villiers has been unable to keep wicket in the last two matches because of a stiff back but was seen practicing specific drills to test his flexibility on Thursday.

The bowlers dominated the opening day of the Logan Cup final between Mountaineers and Matabeleland Tuskers at Mutare Sports Club, with 14 wickets falling for 251 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2011Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The bowlers dominated the opening day of the Logan Cup final between Mountaineers and Matabeleland Tuskers at Mutare Sports Club, with 14 wickets falling for 251 runs in the course of the day. Mark Mabuza’s 54, and some stubborn lower-order resistance, took Tuskers to 195 after they had been reduced to 118 for 7. Mountaineers had the ascendancy after the first innings, but in less than a session swing bowler Keegan Meth brought his team strongly back into the game with four quick wickets to reduce Mountaineers to 56 for 4 at stumps.Mountaineers had their full team fit and available, but Matabeleland Tuskers were badly depleted, especially in their top-order batting. Their regular captain Gavin Ewing has a dislocated shoulder, so Keith Dabengwa took over the reins. Terry Duffin and Sean Williams are yet to recover from injuries they picked up during the World Cup, while the English professionals Paul Horton and Adam Wheater, who had both done outstanding jobs for the franchise this season, have gone back to England for the start of the county season. Williams has only played three matches for the team, but the others are the four leading run-scorers for Matabeleland Tuskers in 2010-11 – a very serious blow.After Tuskers won the toss and decided to bat on a hot, sunny day, the makeshift opening pair of Mark Mabuza and Brad Staddon began in defensive fashion, digging in deep, although both had lucky escapes when mistimed pulls dropped clear of the fielders. They seemed to have weathered the new ball and were starting to look actively for runs when, after almost an hour, Staddon’s forward defence was beaten by a ball from Shingi Masakadza that took the edge and was taken by the keeper. Charles Coventry took a single from his first ball and from his next, the first bowled in the match by Natsai Mushangwe, he went for an extravagant drive and was caught at the wicket, a soft dismissal.Wickets fell regularly thereafter, and 71 for 4 at lunch became 103 for 6 when Mabuza was finally out for 54, scored off 130 balls. He had played the anchor role very capably, but found no partner able to assist him for long. The seventh wicket went down at 118 and a total of 150 looked unlikely when Chris Mpofu came in at No. 9, but it proved to be the start of a fightback that was as good as anything that could be imagined considering the personnel involved. Mpofu played a good defensive role while Tawanda Mupariwa took any scoring opportunities on offer, choosing the right ball to hit and making 34 off 66 balls before being out just before tea.After the interval Njabulo Ncube swung merrily to reach 29 off only 17 balls, his best score in first-class cricket, and finally holed out on the long-on boundary playing the stroke that was intended to take his team past 200. Despite the low score, the pitch had given the bowlers little or no help: their success came partly due to their own determination and persistence, and partly due to the largely unnecessary disintegration of the depleted Tuskers batsmen.Mountaineers were also to make surprisingly heavy weather of their batting, as Tuskers bowlers fought back with great determination. Tino Mawoyo did not look comfortable and was struck on the helmet by a ball from Mpofu. Soon after, he edged a ball from Meth to second slip. Meth, in the opinion of the Tuskers coach Dave Houghton, has been the best bowler in the country this season (an opinion backed up by statistics), the only one who can swing the ball consistently either way, and he it was who brought Tuskers back into the game.Bernard Mlambo did a good job in scoring 22 runs until he was beaten playing forward to Meth and trapped lbw. Next ball, Jon Beukes unwisely padded up to a ball swinging in and was also adjudged lbw. Mountaineers were battling on 38 for 3, and not long afterwards Meth also removed Donald Tiripano before the close for 7, taking 4 for 14 in his nine-over spell. He did not remove Hamilton Masakadza who is still there on 18, however, and much will depend on how he continues on the second day.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai

The Preview by Nitin Sundar01-May-2011

Match facts

Monday, May 2 Mumbai
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Adam Gilchrist returns to the Wankhede, where he played one of his best Test innings back in 2001•AFP

Big picture

Having played only six games, Kings XI Punjab are in a far better position than their eighth place in the points table suggests. They will know, though, that they could have been much better off if not for defeats in their previous two games. The bowlers came a cropper in the run-fest against Delhi Daredevils, before the batting misfired against Kolkata Knight Riders. Punjab’s other problem is potential rustiness. They have played only twice in ten days, a luxury rarely afforded in a tournament with mind-bogglingly fast turn-arounds. Positions in the league have changed with the randomness of a top-end washing machine; the next few days could be Punjab’s chance to move up the ladder.Their defeat in Jaipur notwithstanding, Mumbai Indians have been a clinical and efficient juggernaut. If anything, they will be smarting from the drubbing at Rajasthan Royal’s hands. Sachin Tendulkar has had a couple of failures after a strong start to the tournament. Davy Jacobs and Ambati Rayudu have also gone off the boil in the last week. Punjab’s bowlers should brace for a strong resurgence. Their batsmen should find armoured toe-caps since Lasith Malinga will once again look to sling down those yorkers.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai: LWWWW (third in points table)
Punjab: LLWWW (eighth in points table)

Team talk

Abhishek Nayar’s place in the Punjab XI will come under scrutiny. Paras Dogra or Mandeep Singh could come in if they look to bolster the batting. They might also choose to bench one of their three spinners, in which case either Piyush Chawla or Bipul Sharma will sit out.Mumbai might have run out of reasons to retain R Sathish. T Suman will consider himself unlucky if he misses out again.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Paul Valthaty loves to get a half-step forward and hit cleanly through the line. Lasith Malinga loves to push batsmen like Valthaty into their crease with scorching yorkers. The former is from Mumbai. The latter plays for Mumbai. The real fans at the Wankhede will root for Valthaty. One way or the other, this mini-battle should be fun to watch.Adam Gilchrist played one of his most memorable Test innings at this very ground, back in 2001. He came up against Harbhajan Singh, on the threshold of greatness, and tamed him with an unforgettable assault. Ten years hence, Gilchrist has called time on an illustrious career, and enjoys himself in the IPL. Ten years hence, Harbhajan has managed to produce sparks of brilliance without reprising 2001. Expect fireworks when he runs in to Gilchrist on Monday.

Prime numbers

• Malinga has the most wickets (17), the best strike-rate (9.7) as well as the best average (9.64) in the tournament
• Harbhajan and Malinga have picked up two of the three five-fors in the tournament

The chatter

“They are the best team in the competition, no doubt about that. They have a star-studded line-up that includes some good Indian domestic talent.”

Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain, could be on his way out as Afghanistan coach as a result of differences that have arisen between him and certain board members and players

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2011Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain, could be on his way out as Afghanistan coach as a result of differences that have arisen between him and certain board members and players following the team’s recent tour of Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Latif suspects some of the players deliberately underperformed in an attempt to have him removed as coach, and may not be willing to extend his contract when it expires on July 31.Afghanistan were whitewashed 3-0 by Pakistan A and Latif expressed disappointment with the attitude and effort put in by some of the players, who he believes did not give 100% because they would like to see their former coach, Kabir Khan, back in the post. He had previously said the team’s poor results were down to a lack of regular international cricket.However, team manager Shafiq Aswat told ESPNcricinfo that while Latif was indeed unhappy with the performance of the team, he hadn’t noticed any signs of disagreements or general unhappiness. “Atmosphere is very pleasant in the dressing room. The players respect Latif as the coach.”Aswat said Latif and the Afghanistan board are still negotiating the terms of a new contract but hopes “both sides agree and we will bring him back”. Otherwise, he said, they would have to get a new coach.This is not the first time Afghanistan board officials have been rumoured to be meddling in team affairs. The team’s biggest win under Latif came in last year’s Asian Games, when they upset Pakistan in the T20 competition.

The Sri Lankan sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, has named a three-member panel to look into Upul Tharanga’s failed doping test

ESPNcricinfo staff30-May-2011The Sri Lankan sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, has named a three-member panel to look into Upul Tharanga’s failed doping test.”The minister appointed the ministry secretary Udaya Seneviratne, Dr. Geethanjana Mendis and Dr. Maiya Gunasekera to investigate,” Harsha Abeykoon, the sports ministry media spokesman, said. “They will be recording a statement from Tharanga,” .Tharanga is also set to face an ICC inquiry, after testing positive during the 2011 World Cup for the banned substance prednisolone – a drug for asthma, a condition from which he is said to suffer.According to the ICC’s anti-doping code, “It is each player’s personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substance enters his/her body. A player is responsible for any prohibited substance found to be present in his or her sample. Accordingly, it is not necessary that intent, fault, negligence or knowing use on the player’s part be demonstrated in order to establish an anti-doping violation under Article 2.1; nor is the player’s lack of intent, fault, negligence or knowledge a defence to a charge that an anti-doping rule violation has been committed under Article 2.1.”However, if a player needs to take a drug that is on the World Anti-Doping Authority’s (WADA’s) banned list in order to treat an illness, he is required to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). The Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee (TUEC) evaluates all applications for TUEs received by ICC.Under the dope-testing process, if a player’s A sample is found to contain a banned substance, he will have the option of asking for his B sample to be tested as well. If his B sample is also found to be positive, then the player could face a provisional suspension until the ICC carries out its inquiry; if the B sample is negative, the investigation is discontinued. It is uncertain how far into the process the ICC is with regard to the Sri Lanka cricketer.

A late collapse left a frustrated Netherlands 15 runs short of Scotland’s 255 in the first of two one-day internationals to be played at Mannofield Park in Aberdeen

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA late collapse left a frustrated Netherlands 15 runs short of Scotland’s 255 in the first of two one-day internationals to be played at Mannofield Park in Aberdeen. After rain marred the Intercontinental Cup tie between the two at the same venue from June 21 to June 24, the sun was finally out in Scotland and the teams’ moods would have brightened even more when they heard the news from the ICC annual conference that the Associates had been reinstated to the 2015 World Cup.By the end of the game, though, Netherlands would have been disappointed, as for the majority of their chase they looked favourites to win. Alexei Kervezee’s 49 off 52 balls had led them to a strong position before offspinner Majid Haq struck thrice to give Scotland the edge. Netherlands recovered from that phase though and it looked like Tom Cooper and Mudassar Bukhari would take them home. With 27 required off 35 balls, and four wickets in hand, Bukhari, who had smashed 41 runs off 23 balls, could not get out of big-hitting mode and swung at a delivery from seamer Josh Davey. The ball went off the toe of the bat, Neil McCallum held the catch at extra cover, and Netherlands panicked.Cooper, with only the tail for company now, looked to finish the game quickly but couldn’t middle the ball. Majid came back on in the 46th over, and conceded just two runs while dismissing Tom Heggelman. Pieter Seelaar just couldn’t get off strike and Cooper, batting on 71, had to watch 10 deliveries go for just three runs from the other end. Seelaar was finally removed by Davey, and when Cooper finally got to the right end he couldn’t get Majid away. The required-rate kept climbing and eventually forced Cooper into an improvised shot, which he missed to lose his leg stump. That gave Davey his third wicket and Scotland the win.Scotland had elected to bat and were given a solid start by openers Kyle Coetzer and Fraser Watts. The two rotated the strike well in a partnership of 86 from 17.5 overs. Coetzer went on to complete his half-century and contributions from Calum MacLeod and Preston Mommsen put Scotland in a position to make a big score. Netherlands pulled thing back a bit, though they owed the Scotland batsmen some gratitude for some poor shots. Coetzer and Macleod were both dismissed trying rash shots off Heggelman, who finished with three wickets. Seelaar kept things tight from one end but a late charge from Gordon Drummond, who scored 20 off just nine balls, took Scotland to a competitive total.Netherlands’ innings seemed to shadow Scotland’s till the 37th over. They built a solid base, lost wickets in the middle and after 37 overs were 167 for 5 compared to Scotland’s 165 for 4 at the same stage. That’s when Cooper and Bukhari looked like they were going to take the game away from Scotland. Bukhari, in particular, was ruthless; he smashed 17 runs off an over from Gordon Goudie, including a six that went over square leg and into the parking lot. Scotland, though, held their nerve through that assault, and when they broke the partnership they immediately put the squeeze on and Netherlands crumbled.

The 2012 Asia Cup has been rescheduled to avoid conflicting with the ODI tri-series in Australia that also includes Sri Lanka and India

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2011The 2012 Asia Cup has been rescheduled to avoid conflicting with the ODI tri-series in Australia that also includes Sri Lanka and India, the Asian Cricket Council has said. The tournament was originally supposed to be played from March 1 to March 11, but with the tri-series ending on March 8, the tournament will now be played from March 12 to March 22. The venue, Dhaka, remains unchanged.The 2012 Asia Cup will be the 11th edition of a tournament that has had something of a rocky existence, being played at irregular intervals and tacked on as an afterthought to the already jam-packed schedules of the big four teams of Asian cricket – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India are the defending champions, having beaten Sri Lanka in the final of the 2010 edition in Dambulla.

England Lions pair James Taylor and James Harris were the stars of the third day of Glamorgan’s County Championship Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay

19-Aug-2011
Scorecard
England Lions pair James Taylor and James Harris were the stars of the third day of Glamorgan’s County Championship Division Two clash against Leicestershire at Colwyn Bay.Taylor scored 127 not out, his first Championship century of the season, while Harris claimed 5 wickets for 45 runs from 27 overs – this third five-wicket haul of the summer. Leicestershire declared their first innings on 309 for 7 in a bid to force a positive result. And with an 83-run first innings advantage Glamorgan finished their second innings on 146 for 4 – an overall lead of 229.Glamorgan will probably leave Leicestershire a chase of something in the region of 320-330 runs from 60-70 overs. Leicestershire had resumed the third morning on 140 for 4 requiring a further 103 to avoid the follow-on.In a morning session relatively free of incident, Glamorgan managed to take just the one wicket when Harris claimed his fourth wicket accounting for Wayne White – who had reached his 50 from 80 balls. When Paul Dixey joined Taylor the east Midlands county still wanted 82 to save the the follow-on.Taylor had been very watchful throughout his innings until on 72 he played his first shot in anger –
driving Robert Croft for six over long-on, a shot which should have been caught by Will Owen on the boundary but it went through his hands. Dixey went to his 50 from 95 balls, but in the next over he edged Harris into Wallace’s gloves to give the seamer his fifth victim – his third five-wicket haul of the summer.Taylor went to his first Championship century of the season. It was a marathon effort taking six hours 21 minutes. He faced 255 balls. Just before the declaration Nick James took his first Championship scalp with his second ball, bowling Jigar Naik.After Taylor saw Leicestershire to their third batting point Hoggard declared. Either side of tea Glamorgan lost a wicket – Petersen edged an attempted cut behind off Buck. From 25 for one the home side slumped to 29 for two when Rees was caught down the leg-side in the first over after tea off White.Will Bragg and Stewart Walters steadied the Glamorgan ship in a third wicket partnership of 76 to take the overall lead to 159 before Walters chipped off spinner Naik to midwicket. James became Naik’s second wicket, trapped lbw, before Bragg reached his half-century from 98 balls just before the close.