Loss to India not behind quitting: Mahela

Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene believes Kumara Sangakkara is the right choice to lead Sri Lanka in the lead up to the 2011 World Cup. A day after he stepped down Jayawardene spoke exclusively to CNN-IBN on Thursday.

On his successor
The obvious choice is my deputy (Kumar Sangakkara) but at the the end of the day the decision will be made by the selectors. Let's hope they make a wise decision.

On giving up captaincy
It's been in my mind for quite some time and I always knew that I won't go all the way to the next World Cup.

For me it was about the timing and giving it up at the right time so that the other guy has enough time to do whatever he wants with the team combinations or whatever for the World Cup.

So, it's purely a cricketing decision keeping in mind the future of Sri Lankan cricket as well as what I wanted to achieve as a cricketer in the future.

Whether series loss to India forced Jayawardene to quit
It was difficult when we lost to India. We are disappointed with the loss. They played some really good cricket and beat us. It had no impact whatsoever on my decision because I had been thinking about it for quite some time.

On achieving his goals as captain
I always wanted to give more freedom to the youngsters in the team and make sure that they work for themselves and to be better cricketers we need an environment like that.

For players to be individually dependent on themselves: to work harder for their success rather than waiting for somebody else to come and tell you to do something. Those are few things that I wanted to come into our team.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/loss-to-india-not-behind-quitting-mahela/38232-14.html

South Africa eyeing No. 1 spot in Test rankings

Durban: After displacing Australia from the top spot in one-day rankings, South Africa coach Micky Arthur is now getting ready for a double as he attempts to snatch the number one position in Tests from Ricky Ponting's men when they clash at home from February 26.


Australia will visit South Africa for three Tests, two Twenty20 matches and five one-dayers and at stake is the number one position in Test rankings.


Despite losing the Test series at home to South Africa, Australia, at 126 points, still maintain a five-point slender lead at the top and Arthur believes his team has the depth in batting and bowling to overcome the visitors.


"The recent tour to Australia has demonstrated the depth that we have developed in both our batting and bowling departments and this augurs well for the Castle Test squad going forward into another tough series against Australia," said Arthur, who is looking for an encore after completing Australia's humiliation in both Tests and ODIs at their own backyard.


And with the number one spot in Tests up for grabs, Arthur feels it will make his players more charged up.


"There is also the No. 1 Reliance Mobile ICC Test ranking at stake which will make the upcoming series even more special for players and supporters," he said.


South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who missed the ODI series due to injury, said their recent success will give them a slight edge over Australia in the home series. "We are all looking forward to getting back into the five-day game and the particular challenges that it poses. It will also be wonderful to be playing on our own grounds again in front of our own supporters," he said.


Cricket South Africa selection committee, who kept faith in the same squad that did duty in the Test series in Australia, admitted it was a tough call to leave out Ashwell Prince from the team.


"It was a difficult decision," said selection committee convener Mike Procter.


"We are in the fortunate position of having seven world-class batsmen competing for six positions. It is a very healthy position for South African cricket. Ashwell is understandably bitterly disappointed but he appreciates that he has not had the opportunity to play much cricket since his injury," he said.

The selectors also decided to retain fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe for the Test series despite the fact that he got limited opportunity Down Under.


"Tsotsobe performed very impressively from limited opportunities in Australia and he gives us extra bowling variety and depth," said Procter. Wicket-keeper batsman Mark Boucher, who missed the last two ODIs against Australia after suffering a broken toe, was retained in the squad as CSA felt he would recover in time for the Test series.


"We are monitoring Mark Boucher's recovery from injury and we are confident that he will be fit to play by the time the series starts," said Procter.


CSA, meanwhile, has rejected claims in the local media here that a decision has been taken to appoint separate captains for Tests and ODIs.


"This is pure media speculation and does not emanate from Cricket South Africa," said CEO, Gerald Majola following reports that separate captains would be in the country's interest.


The speculation came to the fore after Johan Botha guided South Africa to the ODI series victory against Australia in the absence of the injured Smith, who lead the team to the Test series triumph Down Under.


"Cricket South Africa's position is straight forward and has not changed. The Board appoints its captains and vice-captains at the start of every season and those individuals remain in charge for the duration of that season unless they retire, resign or become unavailable for some other reason such as a long-term injury. "This has clearly not happened in this case and CSA has full confidence in its leadership group who did a brilliant job in all formats of the game during the recent tour of Australia. The current media speculation is unfounded and has no factual basis," said Majola.


The Test squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/south-africa-eyeing-no-1-spot-in-test-rankings/38220-13-1.html

South Africa eyeing No. 1 spot in Test rankings

Durban: After displacing Australia from the top spot in one-day rankings, South Africa coach Micky Arthur is now getting ready for a double as he attempts to snatch the number one position in Tests from Ricky Ponting's men when they clash at home from February 26.


Australia will visit South Africa for three Tests, two Twenty20 matches and five one-dayers and at stake is the number one position in Test rankings.


Despite losing the Test series at home to South Africa, Australia, at 126 points, still maintain a five-point slender lead at the top and Arthur believes his team has the depth in batting and bowling to overcome the visitors.


"The recent tour to Australia has demonstrated the depth that we have developed in both our batting and bowling departments and this augurs well for the Castle Test squad going forward into another tough series against Australia," said Arthur, who is looking for an encore after completing Australia's humiliation in both Tests and ODIs at their own backyard.


And with the number one spot in Tests up for grabs, Arthur feels it will make his players more charged up.


"There is also the No. 1 Reliance Mobile ICC Test ranking at stake which will make the upcoming series even more special for players and supporters," he said.


South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who missed the ODI series due to injury, said their recent success will give them a slight edge over Australia in the home series. "We are all looking forward to getting back into the five-day game and the particular challenges that it poses. It will also be wonderful to be playing on our own grounds again in front of our own supporters," he said.


Cricket South Africa selection committee, who kept faith in the same squad that did duty in the Test series in Australia, admitted it was a tough call to leave out Ashwell Prince from the team.


"It was a difficult decision," said selection committee convener Mike Procter.


"We are in the fortunate position of having seven world-class batsmen competing for six positions. It is a very healthy position for South African cricket. Ashwell is understandably bitterly disappointed but he appreciates that he has not had the opportunity to play much cricket since his injury," he said.

The selectors also decided to retain fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe for the Test series despite the fact that he got limited opportunity Down Under.


"Tsotsobe performed very impressively from limited opportunities in Australia and he gives us extra bowling variety and depth," said Procter. Wicket-keeper batsman Mark Boucher, who missed the last two ODIs against Australia after suffering a broken toe, was retained in the squad as CSA felt he would recover in time for the Test series.


"We are monitoring Mark Boucher's recovery from injury and we are confident that he will be fit to play by the time the series starts," said Procter.


CSA, meanwhile, has rejected claims in the local media here that a decision has been taken to appoint separate captains for Tests and ODIs.


"This is pure media speculation and does not emanate from Cricket South Africa," said CEO, Gerald Majola following reports that separate captains would be in the country's interest.


The speculation came to the fore after Johan Botha guided South Africa to the ODI series victory against Australia in the absence of the injured Smith, who lead the team to the Test series triumph Down Under.


"Cricket South Africa's position is straight forward and has not changed. The Board appoints its captains and vice-captains at the start of every season and those individuals remain in charge for the duration of that season unless they retire, resign or become unavailable for some other reason such as a long-term injury. "This has clearly not happened in this case and CSA has full confidence in its leadership group who did a brilliant job in all formats of the game during the recent tour of Australia. The current media speculation is unfounded and has no factual basis," said Majola.


The Test squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/south-africa-eyeing-no-1-spot-in-test-rankings/38220-13-1.html

Rain threatens series decider in Brisbane

Brisbane: Start of the fifth and final one-day international of the Chappell-Hadlee series between Australia and New Zealand has been delayed due to heavy showers here on Friday.

The series is tied 2-2 after two impressive fightbacks from the home team.

While the Gabba has an excellent drainage system, the weather is very overcast and does paint a particularly gloomy picture.


If Friday's match is abandoned due to rain, Australia will retain the Chappell-Hadlee series trophy as the defending champions.

Source: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/rain-threatens-series-decider-in-brisbane/38245-13.html

Sardar, Hari in Indian squad

NEW DELHI: Wingers Sarwanjit Singh and Hari Prasad and midfielder Sardar Singh have been included in the hockey squad that will tour Australia and New Zealand from Thursday.

The two forwards have come in place of Prabhjot Singh and Bharat Chhikara while Sardar Singh will bolster the midfield although he replaces Deepak Thakur in the 18-member squad.

Thakur and Chhikara are nursing injuries sustained in the Punjab Gold Cup while Prabhjot is getting married.

Team:
Goalkeepers: Baljit Singh, Adrian D'Souza.
Fullbacks: Dilip Tirkey, Sandeep Singh, VR Raghunath.
Midfielders: Gurbaj Singh, VS Vinay, Vikram Pillay, Prabodh Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Sardar Singh.
Forwards: Hari Prasad, Sarwanjit Singh, Shivendra Singh, Rajpal Singh, Arjun Halappa, Tushar Khandekar, SV Sunil.

Soruce: http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sardar-Hari-in-Indian-squad-/articleshow/4115074.cms

Harbhajan, Munaf to return in ODI, T20 squads

Chennai, Feb 12 (PTI) Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and pacer Munaf Patel are set to return for the New Zealand tour when the selectors meet here tomorrow to pick the Indian cricket squad for the one-day series and two Twenty20 matches.

The national selectors are likely to retain most of the players who played in the just-concluded one-day series against Sri Lanka. The Indians won the series by an emphatic 4-1 margin and most of the players chipped in with useful contributions.

Sachin Tendulkar has pulled out of the two Twenty20 matches as the star batsman has always prefered to stay away from the shortest format of the game.

The squad for the Test series which starts in Hamilton from March 18 will be picked later.

Harbhajan, who did not tour Sri Lanka due to a hamstring injury, and Munaf, who injured himself after playing the first ODI in Dambulla, are certain to make it to the ODI squad.

The duo will most probably replace Saurashtra all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Tamil Nadu pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji.

Jadeja, who made 60 not out in his debut match in Colombo against Sri Lanka, will have to wait for his next call up while Balaji failed to impress the selectors with his wicketless performance in the fifth ODI against Sri Lanka.

PTI

Referral system should be implemented in ODIs also: Harbhajan

Jalandhar, Feb 12 (PTI) India's temperamental spinner Harbhajan Singh wants the umpire referral system to be implemented in one-dayers also to avoid dubious umpiring decisions like the ones Sachin Tendulkar got in the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka.

"The umpire referral system is good for the game, which is aimed at making the game more fair as both batsmen and bowler can refer any controversial decision for its correction," Harbhajan said about the rule which the International Cricket Council has tried out on an experimental basis in Test matches since last year.

"I think the system should also be there in ODIs. If it would have been implemented in the ODIs then Sachin Tendulkar would have benefited in Sri Lanka," he told PTI in an interview today.

During the ODI series against the Lankans which India won 4-1, Tendulkar fell victim to dubious umpiring decisions in all the three matches he played.

"Such types of rules always benefit the game as well as the players," Harbhajan said.

However, the referral system has its share of detractors with England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Giles Clarke demanding the removal of the system, citing the reason that it undermines the authority of on-field officials.

PTI