New Zealand tour is important for me: Tanvir

Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir, who has made a comeback to the national team for the New Zealand tour, says that at one stage he feared a knee problem would have ended his flourishing cricket career.

Tanvir told PTI that he had serious doubts of ever playing cricket again after he underwent a major knee operation last year in Australia.

"I can't express the feelings at seeing my name back again in the Pakistan team because it has been a long and lonely journey for me to get back and recover from the knee injury," he said.

"Honestly speaking, even after I had the operation, I had lot of doubt whether I would be able to make a comeback. At one stage, it looked as if my cricket career was over as I was on crutches for two months and I could not walk without them."

"But I worked hard because cricket has always been the biggest passion in my life," he added.

The left-arm pacer, who had won the best bowler award in the first edition of Indian Premier League while playing for Rajasthan Royals, said he had to put in a lot of hard work and effort to complete his rehabilitation process.

"When I started playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and took a bagful of wickets and also scored runs, I was very disappointed when the selectors did not play me in the series against South Africa."

"But now I feel it was a sensible and correct decision from them as it allowed me more time to complete my recovery," Tanvir said, adding the doctors had also advised him to avoid playing in the series held in UAE as the conditions were not conducive for bowlers.

Tanvir said it had been a very difficult period of over nine months for him since the knee operation.

"It is not easy for a professional sportsman to recover from a major injury. There is lot of pain and self doubt involved in this process. At times it's been a very lonely journey and difficult experience. Recovering from this serious injury has been a huge relief for me," he said.

The knee injury that surfaced late last year saw Tanvir lose a lucrative contract to play Twenty20 cricket in Australia for Victoria and also miss out on his Pakistan national team duty.

"Today I am more confident and I know I can do a lot for Pakistan cricket. This New Zealand tour is going to be very important one for me because eventually I want to perform to a level where the selectors pick me in the World Cup squad because playing in that tournament is my biggest ambition right now," he said.

He pointed out that playing domestic cricket had helped him gain back his confidence and bowling rhythm.

Tanvir's last appearance for Pakistan was in a Twenty20 international against New Zealand in Dubai in November 2009.

© PTI

Sri Lanka slips two places to fifth

Sri Lanka has dropped two places to fifth spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table following its drawn series with the West Indies, which concluded in Pallekele on Sunday.

The three-match series ended 0-0 after a combination of bad weather and a resurgent West Indies performance with both bat and ball deprived the home team of a single victory. With the men from the Caribbean ranked four places below Kumar Sangakkara's side prior to the first match, a drawn series has knocked SL down to 109 ratings points, behind England and Australia, which in turn both gain one place as a result.

The ICC Test Championship table is updated only at the end of each series so the effect that the ongoing Ashes series will have on the ladder will only be known after the fifth and final Test early in January.

Meanwhile, the West Indies has gained points for managing to avoid defeat in the series and is now placed just three ratings points behind Pakistan in seventh position.

© ICC

England set Australia 375 runs to save Test

England declared their first innings at 620 for five leaving the leg-weary Australians 375 runs to save the second Ashes Test on the fourth day at the Adelaide Oval on Monday.

Skipper Andrew Strauss finally called a halt to the run onslaught with Ian Bell unbeaten on 68 and wicketkeeper Matt Prior not out 27.

England only lost the wicket of Kevin Pietersen for his highest Test score of 227 in the 40 minutes of free scoring where the tourists added 69 off nine overs.

Pietersen smashed spinner Xavier Doherty's first ball of the day through midwicket for four but he went for a big swing at the next ball which turned sharply out of the rough to Simon Katich at slip.

It was Pietersen's highest Test score off 308 balls with 34 fours and a six and he shared in a 116-run partnership with Ian Bell in 125 minutes.

Pietersen surpassed his previous his highest Test score of 226 against the West Indies in May 2007.

England have amassed 1,137 runs runs for six wickets in their last two innings in this series.

On Sunday Pietersen became the fifth Englishman to score a double century in Australia and his first century in 28 Test innings since his 102 against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in March last year.

Prior had a life when he overturned an lbw decision against him on three off Peter Siddle by an umpire's review.

Australia's plight bordered on the comical when Ricky Ponting and Marcus North came hurtling in for a high catch off Prior at deep midwicket but they both pulled out to avoid a collision and the ball plopped safely to ground much to the mirth of England's Barmy Army fans.

To add to Australia's woes, Katich was limping from an Achilles injury and had to be managed by skipper Ponting to prevent England's batsmen from capitalising on his immobility.

The forecast was for afternoon rain.
© AFP