New Zealand cut test match to play IPL

major crisis in New Zealand cricket was averted when six of the country's leading players agreed to sign new contracts with the cricket board, but only after they were assured of playing a major part in the Indian Premier League, a newspaper report said here today.

Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor, who were among the 20 players who signed contracts with NZC yesterday, can play in the IPL for at least three weeks as Australia's Test tour of New Zealand has been cut short to two matches from three.

The move will also benefit the Australians contracted to the franchisees for the March 12 to April 25 IPL-III, the 'Dominion Post' reported.

It means that McCullum, for example, can still earn USD 350,000 for playing three weeks in the IPL.

"A crisis was averted after a draft copy of the schedule showed stumps will be pulled on March 31, effectively turning the traditional end-of-summer six-week tour into a furious month-long experience comprising just two Tests," the newspaper said.

"The first Test will be held at the Basin Reserve in Wellington from March 19-23 and the second in Hamilton from March 27-31. After that, the star players will high-tail it to India to play the final three weeks of the six-week IPL," the report said.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justine Vaughan refused to admit that Test cricket has been sacrificed by this move but said it was difficult to spin the schedule around.

"This summer we have three home Tests against Pakistan and Tests against Bangladesh. We are not going to be short of Test cricket, but I agree three Tests against Australia is what you aim for.

"This year we get the squeeze. Hopefully, it is a one-off aberration, we'd hate to see the IPL move into March on a regular basis," Vaughan said.

Australia are hosting the West Indies until February 23 while the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies starts from April 28.

With the IPL scheduled between March 12 and April 25, New Zealand were only left with the month of March to host Australia.

© PTI

No comebacks for Justin Langer

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Justin Langer isn't thinking about making a Test comeback, despite reports to the contrary in the press today.

In an interview about his passing of Don Bradman to become Australia's leading first-class run scorer, Langer was asked if he would play in next week's third Test if approached.

"I'm certainly not interested in making a Test comeback," Langer was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia's official website.

"There was a bit of a tongue in cheek conversation between myself and Marcus Trescothick in the (Somerset) change-rooms about what it would take for him to play next week with Pietersen injured."

"He said he wasn't interested and the point I was making was as a kid in the backyard all you want to do is play in an Ashes Test. I mean who wouldn't? It's the greatest thing in the world."

"But that was it, it was just a tongue in cheek comment."

Langer, who retired from International Cricket in 2007 after 105 Tests and 7696 runs for Australia, has continued playing for English County side Somerset even after his retirement from Australian domestic cricket in 2008.

Langer, whose comments touched on the role of the English media and the ability to deal with them, said, "One of the things that this relatively inexperienced Australian squad is going to have to deal with is the English media. You're constantly under the spotlight and it's something we found really hard in 2005."

"Not only were England playing really good cricket and public expectation was flowing against us, we also had the constant, relentless battery of the English press to deal with, and it's something that Punter and the boys will have to deal with over the next few weeks."

"I guess that's how the press works over here and that's fine, it's an institution, but there's definitely no chance of me making a comeback for Australia."

© Cricbuzz

Sangakkara ranked no 1 in Tests

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Gautam Gambhir's stay at the top of the ICC rankings for Test batsmen lasted just 10 days as Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara grabbed the coveted position from the Indian opener.

Gambhir had replaced Pakistani run-machine Mohammad Yousuf as the number one Test batsmen on July 15 but Sangakkara's match-saving knock of 130 in the third Test against Pakistan propelled him to the top.

By virtue of his performance in the third and final Test against Pakistan, the 31-year-old Sri Lankan wicket-keeper gained two places to secure the number one position with 862 points while Gambhir dropped to the second place with 847 points.

Apart from Gambhir, no other Indian finds a place in the top-10 chart and the next in the list is Sachin Tendulkar, who dropped a place to find himself in the 15th spot.

Among Indian bowlers, Harbhajan Singh has dropped a spot to the sixth while Zaheer Khan gained one rung to be ninth.

South African Dale Steyn leads the bowlers chart, followed by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and Aussie pacer Mitchell Johnson.

Meanwhile, there was no change in the top-five of the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with South African Jacques Kallis still leading the pack, followed by Johnson and New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

© PTI

I can't tolerate SRK insulting Gavaskar: Miandad

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New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has lashed out at Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan for his "verbal volleys" at Sunil Gavaskar on multiple captain theory prior to the start of IPL-II.Shah Rukh had backed his Kolkata Knight Riders' coach John Buchanan's multiple captain idea and had criticised Gavaskar for his remarks against the Australian's coaching method.And Miandad, paying tribute to Gavaskar on the occasion of his 60th birthday, wondered if the legendary batsman was yet to win the respect of his "rich and famous" compatriots despite his contributions to the country."It happened before the Indian Premier League-2 got under way in South Africa, but it still rankles me. I simply cannot tolerate the insult Shah Rukh Khan heaped on our icon," Miandad wrote in a book compiled by veteran journalist Debashish Dutta."Even my fellow cricketers in Pakistan were shocked...

PTI

Ganguly captain, Wright coach of KKR in 2010

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Kolkata, Jul 25 (PTI) Sourav Ganguly is almost certain to be reinstated as the captain while John Wright is likely to take over as the coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of the Indian Premier League in 2010, team sources said today.

Even as an official announcement is awaited, sources said that there could be a major reshuffle with former India coach Wright likely to replace John Buchanan as Knight Riders coach, while former Australian middle-order batsman Michael Bevan will be in the coaching panel.

Sources said Ganguly would be back at the helm in 2010 when his contract with the Kolkata team ends and the iconic Bengal cricketer had a one-on-one with prinicipal owner Shah Rukh Khan when the duo met in London to receive doctorates by the University of Central Lancashire last week.

PTI

Randhawa, Chowrasia miss cut at SAS Masters

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Malmo (Sweden), July 25 (PTI) The Indian challenge at the European Tour's SAS Masters golf tournament came to an abrupt end after both Jyoti Randhawa (77) and SSP Chowrasia (72) missed the halfway cut here.

While Randhawa stuttered to a four-over 77, Chowrasia was only slightly better with a one-under 72 in the second round here.

Chowrasia, who carded an 82 yesterday, and Randhawa were way down the cut line which was decided at 148.

Overnight tied 36th, Randhawa dropped a bogey on the first hole followed by another on the eighth hole to take the turn at two-over.

He tried to make amends by stroking in a birdie on the 10th, but a bogey on the 15th hole brought him back to square one.

Federer becomes father of twin girls

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GENEVA: Roger Federer is the father of twin girls after his wife Mirka gave birth on Thursday. More Pictures


In a statement released on his personal Web site and Facebook page, tennis' world No. 1 said the girls had been named Charlene Riva and Myla Rose.

"I have some exciting news to share with you," Federer's Facebook page said.

"Late last night, in Switzerland, Mirka and I became proud parents of twin girls.

"We named them Myla Rose and Charlene Riva and they are both healthy and along with their mother they are doing great.

"This is the best day of our lives." It was the first children for the couple, who were married in April.

Earlier this month, Mirka sat courtside through the nerve-wracking Wimbledon final in which Federer beat American Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 to clinch his 15th grand slam title, breaking the previous record held by Pete Sampras.

The 27-year-old Federer met his wife-to-be - born Miroslava Vavrinec in Slovakia - in 2000 when they were competing for Switzerland in the Sydney Olympic Games.

Mirka, 31, emigrated with her family to Switzerland as a small child, and after playing on the WTA Tour and retiring prematurely due to injury, she became one of Federer's managers.

TOI

Sania in semis of Lexington Challenger event

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NEW DELHI: Preparing herself for the gruelling hard court season ahead, Sania Mirza advanced to the semi-finals of the $50,000 ITF Challenger tournament in Lexington, USA, after Lindsay Lee-Waters withdrew from the contest, on Saturday.

The second seed Indian was leading 5-2 in the first set when her American opponent opted out of quarter-final contest.

Sania will next meet sixth seeded Chinese Meg Yhuan, ranked 195th, who defeated American fourth seed Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-3 in another quarter-final match.

TOI