India thrash China in Champions Challenge hockey

Salta (Argentina), Dec 9: India played an attacking game to outplay China 4-1 in a pool A match of the Champions Challenge hockey tournament underway here.

Prabhjot Singh (7th minute) Rajpal Singh (35), Sarwanjit Singh (56) and Shivendra Singh (70) scored for India. China pulled one back through Yi Song in the 41st minute.

Having drawn their opening match against New Zealand, India showed intent against China right from the start on Tuesday.

India go down to SL in Nagpur T20

Nagpur, Dec 9: A buttered-finger India paid a heavy price for a slopping fielding display to allow Sri Lanka to clinch the first Twenty20 international with a comfortable 29-run run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series here today.

The visitors first rattled up an imposing 215 for five riding on captain Kumar Sangakkara's blistering 37-ball 78 before restricting the hosts to 186 for nine in a high-scoring contest.

The Indians dropped as many as five catches, missed a couple of run out chances and were generally pathetic with the ground fielding to allow the islanders to pile up a huge total on a good batting track at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

India pay price for poor fielding,lose by 29 runs

STAFF WRITER 20:52 HRS IST

S S Ramaswamy

Nagpur, Dec 9 (PTI) A butter-fingered India paid a heavy price for a slopping fielding display to allow Sri Lanka to clinch the first Twenty20 international with a comfortable 29-run run victory and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series here today.

The visitors first rattled up an imposing 215 for five riding on captain Kumar Sangakkara's blistering 37-ball 78 before restricting the hosts to 186 for nine in a high-scoring contest.

The Indians dropped as many as five catches, missed a couple of run out chances and were generally pathetic with the ground fielding to allow the islanders to pile up a huge total on a good batting track at the VCA stadium in Jamtha.

Apart from Sangakkara's assault, Chamara Kapudegera (47 off 20 balls), Tillakaratne Dilshan (34) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26) were the other notable scorers for the Sri Lankans.

Pakistan name Waqar Younis bowling, fielding coach

KARACHI: Pakistan have appointed former captain and renowned paceman Waqar Younis as a bowling and fielding coach for their tour
of Australia Waqar Younis starting later this month, an official said on Wednesday.

"Waqar has agreed to serve as fielding and bowling coach for the tour of Australia after we requested his services for the job," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said.

Pakistan dropped about half a dozen catches in their first Test defeat against New Zealand at Dunedin last month. They also grassed three crucial catches in their series-levelling win at Wellington
last week.

Pakistan play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and a Twenty20 international on the tour of Australia, starting December 26 in Melbourne.

Waqar, who has settled in Australia and works as a television commentator, left the bowling coach job in 2007 after a dispute with the former PCB leadership. He also blamed then-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq for his ouster.

During an illustrious career, Waqar took 373 wickets in 87 Tests and 416 in 262 One-Day Internationals. He also led Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup before retiring the next year.

TOI

Akthar's contract not to be renewed: PCB

Embattled Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar's career has been dealt another blow with the Cricket Board deciding not to renew his central contract as he is neither playing for the national team nor competing in the domestic circuit.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ejaz Butt said no fresh contract would be issued to the fast bowler, whose career has been marred by injury breakdowns, a dope scandal and disputes with the authorities.

Shoaib's current contract expires at the end of this month.

Butt said only those players are given contracts and monthly salaries who are playing for the country or competing at the domestic level.

"Unfortunately in both cases, Shoaib has not played for a while now so from next month he will not be getting anymore salary from the board," he said.

Shoaib is placed in the category A of the central contracts, which allows him to draw a salary of Rs 250,000 per month from the board.

The troubled bowler has kept a low profile since returning from England after undergoing a knee surgery two months ago.

He also had a liposuction in Islamabad to remove excess fat from his body but has not spoken to the media or played any competitive cricket.

Shoaib has had a troubled time in the past two-three years and has played only a handful of matches for Pakistan.

Butt said the fast bowler was given a central contract last time as he was active and the PCB wanted him to play regularly for the team provided he was fit and in form.

Talking about Younis Khan's non-availability for the Australian tour, Ejaz Butt said he was disappointed with the senior batsman.

The Pakistani selectors yesterday announced the squad for the tour, retaining Muhammad Yousuf as captain for the Test and one-day series in Australia.

Younus, who had pulled out of the ongoing tour of New Zealand due to personal reasons and lack of form, didn't make himself available for the Australian tour.

"I had spoken to Younus in England and had told him to play some domestic cricket and make himself available for the Australian tour," Ejaz Butt said.

"I am disappointed that he didn't listen to my advice because I feel he is our top batsman and should have been going to Australia. But since he didn't make himself available there is nothing the selectors could do," he added.

The PCB Chairman said despite several attempts by the PCB to contact Younus, nothing had come out of it.

"At present we don't even know where Younus is as he has not gotten back to us as yet," he stated.

© PTI

ICC might scrap the home-and-away system

As per the new details of the post-2012 FTP, ICC President David Morgan said that the current home-and-away concept could be scrapped.

The present FTP works on a system of all teams playing each other twice in Test and one-day series over a six-year cycle.

Speaking to Cricinfo, Morgan said that the cycle could be reduced to one series and can be either a home or an away series.

"The process is similar but the results will be different. I can't elaborate, but at the moment it's a requirement that in any six year cycle each full member has to play the other home and away in a minimum of two Tests and three one-day internationals," Morgan said.

"I believe there will be a relaxation of that. Perhaps not in the number of games, but there's the possibility of instead having to play everybody home and away in a fixed cycle, you may either play them away or home."

"The FTP essentially is a basket of bilateral agreements between the ten full members with some consideration given to the more proficient associate countries like Ireland and the Netherlands. That set of bilateral arrangements is continuing."

"I firmly believe that it is very important to consult with the players. Where FICA [Federation of International Cricketers' Associations] is recognised, which is in the majority of countries, we are very happy to liaise and discuss things with Tim May and his team. I find them a responsible body," added the ICC president.

Last month, the FICA had advised the ICC to do away with the FTP system and had asked them to create a new scheduling system.

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Yousuf retained as captain for Australia series

Pakistan were forced to retain Mohammad Yousuf as captain for their three-Test series in Australia after Younus Khan remained unavailable, selectors announced Tuesday.

Younus, appointed captain until the 2011 World Cup, pulled out of Pakistan's tour to New Zealand over lack of form and has since been unavailable. He did not play in any domestic match, which was a prerequisite for his selection.

"He (Younus) has not been in touch with us at all since returning home and he didn't inform us about his availability for the Australian tour. So we didn't consider him for the series," chief selector Iqbal Qasim said.

Qasim said Younus would have to play some domestic cricket in order to prove his form before being considered for national selection again in the future.

"He had withdrawn from the test tour of New Zealand because of his poor form, so he has to play in some domestic matches to get his touch back," Qasim said.

Last month, PCB had asked Yousuf to lead the side in the ongoing test series against New Zealand after Younus withdrew his name from the tour citing poor form with the bat.

Younus had said that he wants to take a break from the international cricket to recoup his form and passion for the sport.

But since returning from Abu Dhabi where the team lost the ODI series to New Zealand under his captaincy, Younus had maintained distance from the media and was also not in touch with the board or selectors.

"Yousuf has done enough to be made captain for tests and ODIs as the Chairman of the board didn't agree at the thought to have separate captains for tests and ODIs," a board official said.

Yousuf will also lead the team in the five-match one-day series that follows the Tests. Shahid Afridi, not in the Test squad, will lead the team in the one Twenty20 to be played after the one-day matches.

Two players on the current New Zealand Test tour -- Yasir Arafat and Sarfraz Ahmed -- will return home to trim the squad for the Australia tour to 16.

The first Test starts in Melbourne from December 26.

Squad: Mohammad Yousuf (captain), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Abdur Rauf, Umer Akmal.

© AFP

No Pakistan players in IPL-3

Pakistani cricketers will not play in the Indian Premier League III as their board has failed to obtain their visas before the deadline for confirmation of participation, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi said on Monday.

"We have been informed by PCB that they have not been able to obtain the visas as of now. So we are not being able to extend the deadline. Today is the absolute deadline for confirmation of Pakistani players (to take part in IPL). The exchange window is day after tomorrow," Modi said.

"Unfortunately, the Pakistani players are out and they will not be allowed to take part in the next IPL because we are handicapped by the fact that the exchange window is day after tomorrow. We are informing the teams that they now can go for the replacement of the Pakistani players," he told the Times Now channel.

The Indian Premier League III will be played at various venues in the country in March-April.

© PTI

Yuvraj sacked as Kings XI captain

There have been reports doing rounds that the Kings XI skipper Yuvraj Singh has been sacked from the captaincy by the team management.

Reports said that the team coach Tom Moody was unhappy with Yuvraj's attitude which apparently led to his sacking. The report also stated that Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara would take over as the captain of the Punjab team during the 3rd edition of the IPL.

Sangakkara, however, rubbished these reports and said, "I already have my hands full with the Sri Lanka job. I cannot take another one and I feel an Indian should lead an Indian franchise."

Praising Yuvraj Singh, Sangakkara said, "He is a very good captain and I enjoyed playing under his leadership in the IPL. I haven't heard anything of this sort"

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