India needs different captains for the three formats: Ganguly

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly isn't impressed with current captain MS Dhoni's comments that the senior players are being rotated in the ongoing Commonwealth Bank Series because they are 'slow fielders' and also said the time has come for different captains to be appointed for the three formats of the game.

Video: Seniors = Bad fielders?

"Time has come for the selectors to decide three captains for three formats. At the moment there is too much cricket, too many formats," Ganguly said, and added though fielding is important in ODIs, scoring runs in tough conditions is also equally important in the 50-over format.

Ganguly also took a dig at Dhoni continuing to support a player like Suresh Raina, despite the southpaw failing to justify that backing. "I agree (Suresh) Raina has to go but the problem with Dhoni is that he is thinking too far ahead, the 2015 World Cup," Ganguly said, and added if Raina doesn't improve his technique by then he is bound to struggle in the 2015 World Cup. "The selectors will have to look at young players who can perform," he stated.

Virender Sehwag, one of the three seniors who are considered to be 'slow fielders' by Dhoni added fuel to the fire on Tuesday when he said, they had been told the rotation policy has been put in place to ensure the youngsters in the team get a chance to bat on the Australian pitches. "Dhoni told us he wanted to give chance to the youngsters who are expected to play vital roles in the 2015 World Cup. He never told us that slow fielding is an issue.” said Sehwag after India's 51-run loss to Sri Lanka at Brisbane in the CB Series.

Sehwag pointed out to the catch he took to dismiss Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene at the Gabba; before adding he has no issues with the rotation policy and is available for all the matches in the CB Series. "I am putting this on record that I am available for all the matches. It depends on the captain and coach what eleven they pick. If they give me a reason that we are giving chance to youngsters and we need to take a break, I am happy with that," he said.

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketers like Bishan Singh Bedi, Dilip Vengsarkar, Maninder Singh, Chetan Chauhan and Kapil Dev, have also slammed the controversial rotation policy. While Bedi said it make sense to rotate players only if they are in form; Vengsarkar opined it was fine to rotate players as long as team's winning prospects were not jeopardised.

Former India spinner Maninder Singh branded the rotation policy "utter nonsense" and said, "He (Dhoni) was forced to have a rotation policy because it is not easy to drop a Sachin Tendulkar or aVirender Sehwag. This is a forced rotation policy, I don't agree with it. Rotation policy is okay when there is a winning streak. This is utter nonsense," Maninder said.

Chauhan not only completely disagrees with Dhoni's statement but has also questioned the timing of the policy at a time when the team is going through a tough phase. "I completely disagree with what Dhoni has said. These three guys were an important part of the team during your World Cup campaign only nine months back. And in nine months they suddenly cannot become worse as fielders," he said. Chauhan feels Dhoni's statement is an attempt at diverting attention away fromIndia's comprehensive whitewashes in the Test series in England and Australia. "I believe that Dhoni is trying to divert attention from his failures of the last two Test tours. This is a time when everyone should stick to each other rather than casting aspersions," he stated.

India's 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev accused Dhoni of favouritism in the team and said he was bewildered at the decision to not bowl Ravindra Jadeja in the crushing 110-run defeat against Australia in Brisbane on Sunday. "If you are an Indian captain, you cannot be partial. I was surprised when Rudra Pratap Singh was drafted into the Test side in England. One must find out why all rounder Jadeja was not used as a bowler even for a single over in the ODI against Australia at Brisbane," Kapil was quoted as saying by Aaj Tak.

Daredevil Pietersen relishes 'best one-day knock'

Nevertheless, Pietersen said he still has a lot to learn "You need a lot of confidence in your ability. I am not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination. But wow, I thoroughly enjoyed it (the innings)."

Dubai, February 22, 2012 (AFP) - Swashbuckling England batsman Kevin Pietersen hailed his century on Kevin Pietersen plays a shot during the fourth and final ODITuesday as his best in one-day cricket, saying his hard work with spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed helped him overcome batting blues.

The 31-year-old hit a match-winning 130 to steer England to a four-wicket win after being set a 239-run target by Pakistan, giving his team a 4-0 clean sweep of the series.

Pietersen's knock was a total contrast from his tally of 67 during the 3-0 rout in the preceding three-Tests during which he struggled against Pakistan's spin duo of Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman.

But since his transfer to Indian Premier League side Delhi Daredevils for this year's tournament was announced in January, Pietersen has hit back-to-back hundreds in England's wins.

Pietersen termed this week's as his best, surpassing his previous highest one-day score of 116 made against South Africa at Centurion in 2005. "I am allowed to say it was probably the best one I've played," Pietersen said on Tuesday.

"The hard work I've been putting in with Mushy has paid off. I've spent hours and hours with him. I came in early today, early the other day (to practise)," he said of his work with the former Pakistan leg-spinner.

Pietersen said he knew he had to bat through the innings after England lost captain Alastair Cook for four in the first over in their run-chase. "I like to really calm things down and just watch the ball and play it. I thought that the total they had, if I batted for 50 overs and took the game deep and batted with a bit of experience, we could come close. I just wanted to take the game deep, and I wanted to target bowlers as well. I think that was the key to the success. You need experience, lots of it, in order to keep the situation very simple -- and back your ability."

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Pakistan and England now play three Twenty20 internationals, with the first here on Thursday. The remaining two matches will be played in Dubai (February 25) and Abu Dhabi (February 27).

ECB chief Clarke settles libel case

London, February 22 (AFP): England cricket chief Giles Clarke has settled a libel case against him stemming from allegations about secret plans for a rebel Twenty20 league in England, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Clarke had been sued by international sports marketing giant IMG over suggestions in a 2010 email about plans for a breakaway T20 league that would "destroy world cricket's structure."

However a statement from the ECB on Wednesday said the case had now been settled after Clarke accepted IMG had not broken any ICC regulations.

"This statement confirms that Mr Clarke accepts that IMG did not act in breach of ICC rules and intended to act within the official structures of world cricket," an ECB statement said.

"IMG accepts that Giles Clarke was not intending deliberately to damage its reputation. On that basis the parties have agreed to settle the litigation on confidential terms."

Clarke, who is bidding to win a third term as ECB chairman, still faces legal action from former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi over the claims.

We executed our plans perfectly: Jayawardene

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene was delighted with his team's showing in the 51-run win over India at Brisbane on Tuesday in the ongoing Commonwealth Bank Series. Jayawardene also praised his new ball bowlers and said the team has been getting better as the tournament has progressed.Sri Lankan players celebrate the dismissal of Virender Sehwag. (AFP/Getty Images)

"We are getting better and better. We played smart cricket, kept wickets in hand and put up a good score. But we are still making some mistakes, hope we don’t make them in the bigger games," Jayawardene said, while also lauding the efforts of his fielders. Jayawardene was also happy that Sri Lanka were able to execute their plans perfectly against India. "It was a crucial game for us. We didn’t have a good start but we have come back strongly. We played some consistent cricket. We now need to take this momentum forward and get ourselves in the finals," the Sri Lanka captain said.

The win has taken Sri Lanka to second place in the points table, and Jayawardene said, though there were a couple of dropped catches in the Indian innings, he was happy with the manner in which his team responded to pressure situations while batting and defending the target they had set India.

Jayawardene also said his bowlers stuck to the plan of concentrating on the off stump line as a ploy. "The Indian team has a strong batting line-up and how we restrict them is by creating the opportunities. We are not letting them get away. We did drop a few catches but still it's not the end of the world for us. We put up 289 on the board so we had a good total," he said.

Jayawardene though criticised Indian spinner R Ashwin for running out Lahiru Thirimanne in the 40th over of the Sri Lankan innings when the batsman had backed up too far. Thirimanne had backed way out at the non-strikers' end and Ashwin removed the bails to claim a run-out appeal against the batsman. The tense situation was resolved when India's stand-in captain Virender Sehwag withdrew the appeal.

"I know the rules have changed. I also felt that there was a little fault in our guy as well. But honestly, I don't play that way. I would not have got the bails off in the first place. If a batsman keeps doing it regularly and tries to take advantage of it, then maybe. But I think the Indians did the right thing. The seniors got along and took the right call," Jayawardene said.

The new ICC rules state that a bowler can run-out a batsman even as the bowling arm is poised to release the ball.

Sehwag said Ashwin had warned Thirimanne earlier, and added though Sachin Tendulkar also joined the discussion with himself and the umpires, he took the decision to withdraw the appeal. "Ashwin had warned the non-striker once and in the next over he took the bails off and appealed. The umpires then asked me, and I said okay we'll give him one more warning and if he does it again then we'll go for it. It was my decision, we all were discussing but I decided," Sehwag was quoted as saying by Times of India.

IPL asks Pune Warriors to get others' nod on foreign players

Mumbai, Feb 22 (IANS) The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council has asked Sahara'sPune Warriors franchise to "get consent" of the other franchisees for playing five foreign players in the fifth edition.

"Sahara has to get the consent of all other franchises and then the matter will be put before the working committee, which will take the final call," IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said after the league's Governing Council meeting here Wednesday.

"All the issues which were discussed with Sahara were ratified by the Governing Council," Shukla added.

Sahara and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called truce last week after the group pulled out of India's team sponsorship and withdrew Pune Warriors from the IPL over differences with the board.

Pakistan look to redress balance in T20

England captain Stuart Broad and Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq pose with the T20 series trophy in Dubai. (Getty …

Dubai, February 22 : Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said his side are desperate to redress the balance in a Twenty20 international against England on Thursday after a one-day series whitewash by the tourists.

Pakistan were on Tuesday routed 4-0 by England, who showed a big improvement from their 3-0
defeat in the preceding three-Test series.

Misbah wants his side to regain the upper hand, but also wants to use the match as a stepping stone towards the World Twenty20 series later this year.

"This is a very important series for us, more so because we won the Tests, they won the ODIs and now it's almost the decider," said Misbah.

"And if you consider that this is World Twenty20 year, it's very important for us to come back."

England will defend the title they won in the West Indies in 2010 when Sri Lanka host the fourth edition of the World Twenty20.

"I think we need to learn from England on how they transformed their fortunes in ODIs, and I am confident that my boys can do that," added Misbah.

"I don't think we were dispirited, because the team wants a win desparately and that's why we were like that. Everybody was trying to give one hundred percent and when it slips out of your hand it seems you are disjointed."

Pakistan will ring some changes, with experienced batsman Younis Khan and Azhar Ali returning home while dashing uncapped left-handed opener Awais Zia joins the Twenty20 squad.

England have retained Alastair Cook, originally not named in the Twenty20 squad, after he showed great form in scoring back-to-back hundreds in the first two one-day matches.

England paceman Stuart Broad meanwhile said his side would be using every opportunity possible to help prepare them for the defence of their World Twenty20 title.

"Of course, we need to make use of every game we have because there isn't many leading to the World Twenty20. And that being in the sub-continent we need to really make use of these conditions," said Broad.

"It makes these games pretty important. We are not looking to these matches as a warm-up, we are looking to win this series and that is what we will be focusing on," added Broad.

"Cookie is keen to play Twenty20 cricket. He has made that pretty obvious. He has been kept on in the squad because obviously we have got some injury concerns in the squad," said Broad of Cook, retained as cover-up for injured Ravi Bopara.

South Africa clinch T20 series in thriller

Johan Botha (L) hugs AB de Villiers after South Africa wo the T20 series. (Sandra Mu/Getty Images)

Auckland, February 22 : South Africa battled to a thrilling three-run win over New Zealandto claim the Twenty20 series 2-1 after the Black Caps suffered a dramatic late batting collapse in Auckland on Wednesday.

New Zealand restricted South Africa to seven for 165 and went into the last two overs needing just 10 runs for victory, only to fall short after losing three wickets, including ducks for Nathan McCullum and Doug Bracewell.

Adding to the tension, James Franklin and Tim Southee both had chances to snatch victory at the death off the bowling off Marchant de Lange but could not connect bat with ball.

Franklin needed a six off de Lange's last ball but missed, scampering down the wicket for a run as the Proteas celebrated, then realised to their horror that the delivery had been ruled a no ball.

That gave Southee the opportunity to be the hero with a boundary but his air swing went nowhere near the ball, stranding New Zealand on seven for 162.

It was a disappointing end for New Zealand after Jesse Ryder marked his return from injury with 52 and openers Rob Nicol (33) and Martin Guptill (26) started their run chase brightly.

But the result was also testament to South Africa's never-say-die attitude after man-of-the match Johan Botha picked up the crucial wickets of Guptill and Ryder to swing the match their way.

"It was an amazing team effort, I'm really proud of the men," captain AB de Villiers said. "We hung on at the end there."

De Villiers admitted South Africa lost momentum when batting first and he was unsure if 165 runs would be enough on the short boundaries at Eden Park.

JP Duminy top scored for the tourists on 38 and there were decent contributions from Hashim Amla (33) and AB de Villiers (29).

But the Proteas never fired and needed a 22-run cameo from tail-ender Wayne Parnell to edge them towards a competitive total.

New Zealand's top priority early in the innings was to defuse the threat from opener Richard Levi, fresh from a record-breaking unbeaten 117 in the second match, in which he smashed 13 sixes and scored a 45-ball century.

The dangerman helped himself to one six from Michael Bates but was dismissed for 11 trying for a second off the next ball, failing to get enough power onto his shot and sending the ball sailing to Nicol.

Nicol was the stand-out performer for New Zealand, taking two wickets and two catches as well as being involved in a run out.

There's no rift in the Indian team, says BCCI

There is nothing to be concerned about: N Srinivasan.

Amid intense speculation of a rift between India captain MS Dhoni and his deputy Virender Sehwag, the BCCI said there is nothing to be concerned about. BCCI President N Srinivasan also termed media reports alluding to the rift as "exaggerated".

Srinivasan said there is no rift in the team, adding he has checked with the team's media manager inAustralia. "You have no knowledge of it. I don't think there is any rift in the team. There is nothing to be concerned about," Srinivasan told reporters after a meeting of the IPL Governing Council in New Delhi.

BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla said Sehwag had been misquoted and added the alleged rift was speculation on part of the media. "Sehwag has been misquoted. That's what we came to understand. There is no rift in the team. It is only a speculation by a section of media. I don't think there is any problem. BCCI is in constant touch with the team," Shukla said.

Talking about the rotation policy, Shukla said the playing XI in the ongoing Commonwealth Bank Series is decided by the manager, captain and coach.

The bad blood between Dhoni and Sehwag appeared to spill out when the latter accused his skipper of not being truthful on the team's controversial rotation policy. Talking to reporters after India weredefeated by Sri Lanka at Brisbane, Sehwag said the senior players had not been informed that their 'slow fielding' was an issue and added Dhoni had said the rotation policy has been put in place to ensure the youngsters in the team get a chance to bat on the Australian pitches. On Sunday, afterIndia’s 110-run loss to Australia, Dhoni had said the top three batsmen were not playing every game because they are slow on the field.

Dhoni had said on Sunday the top three are not being played together as it would affect India's fielding, adding that they could break down fielding in the big grounds of Australia. “They are safe fielders, but on the slower side... The pressure would be on them. There would be breakdowns… You can pull a muscle or hamstring," Dhoni said.

Sehwag, who has been struggling for runs in the Commonwealth Bank Series, said he is available for all matches, but denied there was any rift in the team. "We are one unit and a happy unit. He (Dhoni) is the captain… He can say whatever he wants. He addresses the media, has been doing it for the last two years, and we are okay with it," he said.

ICC hopes disabled cricket gains momentum

Pakistan disabled cricketer Farhan Saeed (R) delivers the ball as England disabled cricketer Gordon Laidlaw looks …

Dubai (AFP): The first-ever physically disabled cricket series between Pakistan and England has taken the sport into new territory and will gain momentum in time, an International Cricket Councilofficial said on Sunday.

The physically challenged cricketers played two Twenty20 and three one-day matches at the ICC Global Academy here between February 11 and 19. Pakistan won the T20 2-0 and the one-day series 2-1.

Haroon Lorgat, chief executive of the ICC, said he was impressed with the amazing talent of the disabled players.

"It was an historic series in the sense that it created a huge amount of awareness for many of us," Lorgat told AFP at the series prize giving ceremony.

"It is an area we have not focused much on in the past, but certainly with the efforts of these players and organisers in this series it has certainly created awareness," said Lorgat.

Lorgat said disabled cricket will have to go through the normal process to get recognition.

"I would liken it to women's cricket in the past, the ICC was not involved with women's cricket but it went through a process and is now under the ICC, so disabled cricket will also have to go through a process," he said.

Lorgat said the Chief Executive Committee (CEC) meeting next month will also discuss this recent brand of the game.

"Disabled cricket is on the agenda albeit still in a small way and in the upcoming CEC meeting we are again having it on the agenda, so we can start to form a framework as we did for women's cricket and hopefully it will gain momentum," said Lorgat.

Lorgat said the skill levels seen during the series were amazing.

"It was fascinating to watch, the skill level and the type of cricket these players played notwithstanding their disability was a treat to watch," said Lorgat, praising the talent of Pakistan's Matloob Qureshi.

Qureshi, who bats left handed after he lost his right one in an accident, scored a century in the first one-day and was named man of the series.

Ian Martin, manager of disabled cricket for the England and Wales Cricket Board welcomed the ICC's support.

"We have played an historic series and now we welcome the support of the ICC because we need that in order to get recognition," said Martin.

Pakistan Disabled Cricket Association secretary Amiruddin Ansari said disabled cricket has a future.

"With the successful holding of this series I think we have proved that disabled cricket has a future and I hope more and more countries will join this brand of cricket to help us gain momentum," said Ansari.

Get captain and deputy on same page

There has been an upward swing in India’s performance in the triangular series in Australia, but talk of splitting captaincy is again making news at home.

Now that Sahara’s sponsorship deal with the Indian cricket board has been sorted out and the Pune Warriors’ woes in the Indian Premier League have been addressed, some of the wise men in the selection committee are said to be thinking. Not about how they can take credit for the better showing in the ODIs, but how split captaincy could actually become a reality.

For all of us who saw the action live on television in the Test series where India lost 0-4, it was clear that there were several reasons for the thrashing.

Yet, one facet which hasn’t been dwelt upon too much in the public domain is the seeming disconnect between the captain and the vice-captain — MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag.

It is well-known that in a team sport like hockey or football, it is the coach and the manager who play a big role.

Then again, if you take up Davis Cup captaincy, it does involve strategic planning for the players to get onto the tennis court.

But cricket is different — there has to be good understanding between the captain and the vice-captain.

That seemed missing between Dhoni and Sehwag in the Tests, though in the ODIs the good run till now camouflages the distance between the two men.

In cricket, when a team has done well, there has been a great connect between the captain and his deputy.

One of the examples of it is how Imran Khan and Javed Miandad handled the Pakistan team at its prime.

And if you look at results in our own country, when Sourav Ganguly was the captain, Rahul Dravid was an able deputy.

So what is it that the captain and vice-captain do on the cricket field that we can all see? From field placing to bowling changes and even changes in the batting order, a captain makes the decision. In the case of Dhoni, his record outside the subcontinent in Tests has been average.

Losses to England and Australia and a huge dip in his own batting form makes Dhoni vulnerable today. So if people are thinking of naming Sehwag as the next Test captain, it definitely could mean Dhoni’s own spot in the team coming under the scanner.

While I am not really in favour of split captaincy in Indian cricket, there certainly are ‘developments’ taking place.

Then again, this is not the first time we have a situation where the relationship between the captain and the vice-captain is frosty.

When Sunil Gavaskar was the captain and Kapil Dev his deputy, it wasn’t a very comfortable situation. Later, the same problem cropped up when Mohammad Azharuddin was the skipper and Sachin Tendulkar the vice-captain.

Dhoni and Sehwag don’t seem to share the same wave length. At one point of time in 2009, when Sehwag’s team Delhi Daredevils had missed out on the IPL final two years in a row, he stepped aside to let someone else have a go at it. As a result, Gautam Gambhir became the Daredevils’ captain in 2010.

However, it is understood Sehwag is not averse to Test captaincy now and we may see again a new phase in Indian cricket — that of split captaincy.

People who swore by Dhoni’s captaincy when he won us the ICC World Cup will agree he makes his own decisions. It has worked for the team in the ODIs and even now in the tri-series, Mr Midas seems happy.

He has been unconventional so many times, but as far as Test cricket goes, Dhoni certainly cannot continue in an autocratic manner.

At a time when the role of coach Duncan Fletcher is also under the scanner, it would make sense for those who run Indian cricket to ensure the captain, the vice-captain and the coach can work as a unit.

Much as cricket captains would like to resist inputs from outside and make their own bold decisions on the field, there is no scope for disconnect between Dhoni and Sehwag.

It is not as if these two men are from different generations like Anil Kumble and Dhoni. In the interest of Indian cricket, it would make sense to ensure we can have a leader and his deputy who will think together.

Captains have traditionally relied on their deputies for inputs on the team and what their own players talk among themselves. And for all of us who believe our selectors are professionals and do a sincere job, why not make an approach to get Dhoni and Sehwag together? It was bad enough to see egos and tough posturing come into play between the BCCI and Sahara over the last fortnight.

Surely, chairman of selection committee K Srikkanth needs to tell us what exactly his own ‘team’ is thinking on the apparent differences between Dhoni and Sehwag.

Pakistan seek lift to avoid England clean-sweep

Dubai, February 20 (AFP): Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan said his team will need to raise their standards in all three departments to stop England from a clean sweep of the one-day series in the fourth match here on Tuesday.Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq reacts after his team's loss in the third ODI against England. (AFP/Getty Image …

Pakistan are on the receiving end in the one-day series after blanking England 3-0 in the preceding Test series, with Khan stressing his team needed improvement.

"We have not played well as we did in the Tests. I will not take any credit away from England but we have to look at ourselves and we need to raise our standards in all three departments to avoid defeat," Khan said on Monday.

Pakistan have been outsmarted by England who rode on back-to-back hundreds by skipper Alastair
Cook to win the first two matches in Abu Dhabi and then Kevin Pietersen hammered an unbeaten century - his first since 2008 - to win the third match here on Saturday.

Paceman Steven Finn has taken 11 wickets in three matches to destroy Pakistan's batting.

England have whitewashed Pakistan in a 3-0 series once, on their 1987 tour.

Khan pinpointed fielding as the major difference between the two teams.

"We give away 20-30 runs in every match while England save 20-30 with their fielding so it comes to a 40 run difference. Our batsmen have not been able to capitalise on the good starts while England's batsmen did that," said Khan.

Asked was he disappointed at the prospects of being replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whatmore next month, Khan said: "There is nothing to be disappointed. I will be there to helpPakistan cricket in any capacity."

Appointed on an interim basis after Waqar Younis quit in September last year, Khan guided the team to series wins against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (Tests and one-day) and England (Tests).

"I don't need any coaching qualification or need to do courses because I helped the team with my experience so I have no disappointments," said Khan, who is likely to take back his post as chairman of the selection committee.

Eoin Morgan admitted England have a good opportunity to blank Pakistan.

"There’s certainly an opportunity to do that. We do want to win 4-0 and if the opportunity arises we could give players (reserves) a bit of experience, but the priority is to win the game," said Morgan.

Morgan said England have progressed well in one-day cricket after being thrashed 5-0 in India last year.

"In our last summer we’ve come a long way. But the stint we did in India - when I wasn’t there - pegged us back a long way. So we’re starting from scratch in terms of playing in this part of the world."

"We’ve got off to a fantastic start. But it comes back to a case of not getting carried away with where we are or where we want to be. Where we are is fifth in the world; where we want to be is number one in the world by the World Cup in 2015," said Morgan.

Dumped Ponting hopes to cling to test spot

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Whether it be pulling a short delivery to the fence or plucking a lightning-quick catch in the slips, Ricky Ponting's formidable powers of anticipation have rarely been questioned throughout his storied career.

So it is something of a surprise that the former Australian skipper, who scored just 18 runs in five games in the ongoing Tri-series against India and Sri Lanka, failed to spot the selectors' axe swinging at him.

Ponting, the second-most prolific scorer in the format after Sachin Tendulkar, said Monday's decision to drop him from Australia's one-day international side had come out of the blue but that he accepted his ODI career was over.

The axe fell a day after Ponting, standing in as skipper for the injured Michael Clarke, led Australia to an emphatic 110-run win over India in Brisbane to regain top spot in the triangular one-day tournament.

Darting around the field to chop off singles and cajole his team mates into wrapping up victory quickly, the spry 37-year-old appeared in no hurry to call time on a career of 375 one-day matches and three World Cup victories.

Despite the praise lavished on him by selectors as a brilliant fielder and mentor to the next generation in a re-building team, his 165th win as captain could not gloss over his fifth consecutive failure with the bat.

'NO BITTERNESS'

Ponting had been bowled over when chief selector John Inverarity delivered the decision but the defiant Tasmanian quickly regained his composure and is now focused on keeping his test career alive.

"I've got no bitterness at all as to what's happened," said Ponting, who will return to the domestic Sheffield Shield competition to prepare for Australia's tour of West Indies.

"I'm still firmly of the belief that I've got a lot to offer any cricket team that I play with, any team I'm a part of.

"Did the thought of (retirement) come into my mind? The thing that I thought about most yesterday was just how I was going to manage my time and to be well prepared to play every test match I play for the rest of my career.

"That obviously, now with no one-day international cricket, that becomes a little bit more difficult for me, but there are other players around Australia at the moment who play test cricket only."

A poor run of form at test level coming into the Australian summer had the knives out for Ponting, who merely gritted his teeth and got on with the job of crushing India as the hosts charged to 4-0 whitewash in the test series.

Ponting blasted 544 runs at an average of 108 for the series, but appeared strangely out-of-sorts from the start of the one-day tournament.

His coach Mickey Arthur, also a selector, said he was "jaded" and in need of a rest and warned him to make runs in his final match against India.

Ponting brushed off notions that fatigue after a long summer of cricket had taken its toll, saying his body was fine and that it was his mind that had failed to keep pace.

COLD-BLOODED EXECUTION

Despite being denied the chance to choose the manner of his exit, or even play a farewell ODI in front of home fans in Hobart against Sri Lanka Friday, Ponting was philosophical as he addressed reporters, relaxed and looking dapper in a sports jacket and white shirt.

"Of course I felt there was still room in the team (for me)," he said, smiling. "But when you don't make runs in five consecutive games you understand that there's an opportunity for selectors to leave you out."

Their decision was unanimous, according to panel chief Inverarity, meaning Clarke and Arthur both had a hand in pushing him toward the exit.

For all the raging debate in Australia about his place in the side in recent months, it is unlikely to be a popular decision.

"Ricky Pontings Omission from the National 1 Day side is an outrage!" former Australia Open Matthew Hayden said on his Twitter site.

While the decision to drop him will not sit well with Ponting, he may well respect the selectors' cold-blooded execution, having been nurtured in a succession of champion teams and carrying on their culture of winning, at all costs, into his time as captain.

"Everyone understands where they sit now in the Australian cricket team," said Ponting, who smashed 30 ODI centuries, including an unbeaten 140 against India in the final of the 2003 World Cup to win Australia a second successive trophy.

"I think in international sport, if you're not performing for a short period of time now you're a chance to be left out of the side.

"And that's the way it should be."

Gayle's groin injury makes RCB sweat

Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle, who plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, sustained a groin injury on Thursday during his innings for Barisal Burners in their Bangladesh Premier League match against Chittagong Kings. This is bound to come as a blow to RCB, with the fifth season of the IPL, set to start in the first week of April.

Gayle, who retired hurt on 30 as Barisal Burners lost that match by eight wickets to Chittagong Kings, is expected to be out of action for three weeks. Gayle has scored 288 runs, including two centuries, in five matches for Barisal Burners at an average of 96 and strike rate of 187.01. The injury also means he can't play for the Dolphins in the South African domestic T20 event, according to the Times of India.

Sidhartha Mallya, team director of the RCB, hopes that Gayle will be back in two weeks. “Gayle's MRI revealed that he will be out from cricket for two weeks. Speedy recovery @henrygayle,” Mallya tweeted.

Gayle has scored seven centuries in Twenty20 matches - the most by any batsman in the shortest format of the game.

RCB bought Muttiah Muralitharan for $220,000 and Vinay Kumar for $1 million in the IPL players' auction in the first week of February 2012. Gayle was retained by RCB for $550,000; while Australia all-rounder Andrew McDonald transferred from Delhi Daredevils to Royal Challengers Bangalore during the trading window for the fifth season.

Gayle hasn't played for his country since the 2011 World Cup because of a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board as the southpaw has refused to apologise for statements he made against the board and their officials.

Warner urged to adopt Gilchrist's 'carefree batting approach' to overcome form slump

Melbourne, Feb 19: David Warner has been urged to adopt Adam Gilchrist's carefree approach to batting in the wake of his luke-warm performance in the ongoing one-day tri series featuring India and Sri Lanka besides the home team.

"The one thing that players like David can't afford to do is second guess themselves.illy was exactly the same. They're hand-eye players. They've got to see the ball, hit the ball and not really think too much about it," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted stand-in skipper Ricky Ponting, as saying.

"But we all know what it's like as batsmen when you're not getting the results that you're after. Sometimes it's the stuff between your ears that gets a little bit clouded and makes playing your natural game that little bit hard," he added.

Warner averages just 20 after 14 one-day internationals, well down on his Test and Twenty20 international numbers. He has just 71 runs at an average of 17.75 from four matches this series.

Dhoni suspended due to slow over rate

Brisbane, (AFP): Indian captain MS Dhoni was suspended for one match Sunday after his side's over rate was ruled to be too slow in their tri-series one-day international against Australia in Brisbane.

The Indians were two overs short of their target on Sunday, their second such offence within a year.

"As this was India's second minor over-rate offence after it was fined for a slow over-rate in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on 2 April, Dhoni has also been suspended from India's next game on Tuesday against Sri Lanka in Brisbane," the ICC said in a statement.

The slow over rate charge was laid by on-field umpires Steve Davis and Billy Bowden, as well as third umpire Bruce Oxenford and fourth umpire Paul Reiffel.

"Dhoni pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted both by Dhoni and India," the ICC added.

Match referee Andy Pycroft also fined Dhoni 40 percent of his match fee while each of the Indian players received 20 percent fines.

Levi sets records as South Africa hammer New Zealand

Hamilton (Reuters): Opening batsman Richard Levi took advantage of the small boundaries at Seddon Park to blast a world record 13 sixes and guide South Africa to an eight wicket win over New Zealand to level their Twenty20 series in Hamilton on Sunday.

Levi, who only made his debut on Friday in Wellington, also brought up the fastest international Twenty20 century off 45 balls as he scored 117 not out to help the visitors chase down New Zealand's 173 for four with four overs to spare.

The powerfully-built Levi was brutal to a wayward New Zealand attack who bowled into his arc allowing him to smash the ball across the ropes from mid-off around to deep backward square-leg.

Captain AB de Villiers (39 not out) simply ticked the strike over to the 24-year-old who wasted little time in bringing up his century when he pushed the ball into the covers for a rare single.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle had held the previous record for sixes in a Twenty20 international with 10, while Gayle and Brendon McCullum had shared the record for fastest century. Both had achieved the mark in 50 balls.

Martin Guptill top-scored for New Zealand with 47 from 35 balls though the South Africans would be pleased to have stopped him passing 50.

The 25-year-old Guptill had plundered the much weaker Zimbabwean attack in the first series of New Zealand's summer, scoring 51 in the only test, 232 runs at 77.33 in the three one-day internationals before he smashed 91 not out in his only Twenty20 appearance.

He made 78 not out in the first Twenty20 against South Africa in Wellington on Friday.

South African offspinner Johan Botha was the pick of the visitors' attack on Sunday as he mixed the speed, width and loop on his deliveries to finish with one for 22 from four overs.

The final match of the Twenty20 series is on Wednesday at Eden Park in Auckland.

Australia humiliate insipid India, claim bonus point

Brett Lee and Ben Hilfenhaus celebrate Australia's comprehensive win. 

Australia bounced back from their thumping at the hands of Sri Lanka on Friday in style as they hammered India by 110 runs in the seventh match of the Commonwealth Bank Series at the Gabba in Brisbane today to collect yet another bonus point in the tournament. With this win, Australia also avoided a hat-trick of losses in the tournament.

David Warner and Matthew Wade gave Australia their best start of the tournament and justified stand-in captain Ricky Ponting's decision to bat first on a batsman-friendly pitch as the hosts scored 288 for 5 with Michael Hussey and Peter Forrest scoring half-centuries and they then bundled India out for 178 in the 44th over with only skipper MS Dhoni putting up any sort of resistance in a one-sided match. Both teams made one change each with Ben Hilfenhaus (5-33), playing his first one-day international since November 2009 replacing the ill Clint McKay for Australia; while Zaheer Khan replaced R Ashwin in India's playing XI. And, as Virender Sehwag continued to be troubled with a back spasm, Gautam Gambhir avoided being rested for this match under India's much-criticised rotational policy.

Warner and Wade got off to a slow start, but the former got into his groove after a while and hit some well-struck boundaries, as the openers added 70 runs for the first wicket.

Wade (45) should have been out off the second ball of the match, but Rohit Sharma at second slip dived in front of Sachin Tendulkar at first slip with Zaheer being the unlucky bowler. Zaheer andVinay Kumar, who was warned by the umpires a couple of times for running on the pitch, kept a tight line in the initial overs, and checked the scoring rate, with the first boundary of the match coming only in the fifth over. Australia scored only 31 runs off the first eight overs, but Warner exploded into action hiting two boundaries and a massive six in the ninth over of the match bowled by Zaheer; while Wade was growing in confidence at the other end.

Warner has struggled for runs in the CB Series, and just when it looked he was set for a big score, theDhoni talks with umpires after the decision to give Mike Hussey out was reversed. dashing southpaw spooned a catch to Tendulkar at midwicket to give Irfan Pathan his first wicket of the match, as he walked back to the pavilion after scoring 43 off 46 balls. Ponting has had a torrid time in the CB Series, and things didn't get any better for him at the Gabba as he was dismissed for his fifth consecutive single digit score - the first such sequence in his illustrious career. Australia's stand-in skipper took 13 balls to get off the mark and his uncomfortable stay in the middle was ended by Zaheer who had him caught by Irfan at deep backward square leg as India conceded only 12 runs in the bowling powwerplay. This latest failure is bound to increase the pressure on Ponting.

Wade was troubled by Zaheer and Vinay, but he got through the tough phase, and took runs off Suresh Raina and Umesh Yadav, before he chipped a return catch to Rohit Sharma in his first over. Dhoni is considered an astute captain in the shorter formats, but three of his decisions - not bowling Ravindra Jadeja, introducing Umesh only in the 23rd over and bowling out Zaheer in the 40th over - are bound to come under criticism, especially as Australia scored 101 runs in the last 10 overs of their innings.

Mike Hussey (59) and the impressive Forrest then got Australia's innings back on track with their 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket as they kept the scoreboard ticking over by rotating the strike and hitting boundaries at regular intervals. The senior Hussey had three reprieves though - one thanks to a comical error by the third umpire and then when Rohit and Umesh failed to hold on to catches. Mike Hussey had just come to the crease when he survived a stumping off Raina's bowling after the third umpire Bruce
Oxenford pressed the wrong button and the batsman was called back by the umpires even while he was trudging off the field to leave Dhoni incensed. Hussey became the 13th Australian to score 5,000 ODI runs during his knock and Forrest scored his second half-century in three matches before both were dismissed by Pathan in the 44th over of the match.

David Hussey, who remained not out on 26 off 20 balls and Dan Christian (30* off 18 balls), then gave a grandstand finish to Australia's innings with their 65-run unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket in only six overs. Christian hit four consecutive boundaries off Vinay (0-60) in the 49th over of the innings to spoil his figures. Irfan took three wickets but also conceded 61 runs, with India's best bowlers being Zaheer and Raina.

India's run chase got off to a horror start as their top-order failed to counter the pace and bounce generated by Lee and Hilfenhaus as they were reduced to 36 for 4 in the 11th over with Hilfenhaus and Brett Lee taking two wickets each. Lee had both Gambhir and Rohit caught behind by Wade with the in-form southpaw being done in by a peach of a delivery and India's No. 4 played a casual shot as he registered another failure in the tournament. There was some drama though when Rohit exchanged words with some of Australia's players before waking back.

Brett Lee is ecstatic after dismissing Gautam Gambhir.Tendulkar, who was forced off from the field at the end of the 25th over after he was struck a painful blow on the left shin while fielding at first slip, also fell in single figures, when he was caught by Xavier Doherty at third man off Hilfenhaus in the fifth over just a delivery after the same fielder had dropped a sitter to give a reprieve to Virat Kohli. Tendulkar had survived a confident appeal for a catch at mid-on off the last delivery of the fourth over, but umpire Steve Davis ruled it had come off the batsman's helmet, and he was proved right. Kohli was the next man to be dismissed when David Hussey took an excellent low catch at slip off Hilfenhaus's bowling; the umpires confirmed the catch was clean with the third umpire, and though the batsman was clearly unhappy with the final decision, he had to go back to the dressing room as it was a well-held catch.

Dhoni and Raina (28) then tried to consolidate India's faltering run chase in the face of some excellent bowling by Australia's bowlers as they added 46 runs for the fourth wicket - their team's best partnership of the match - before the latter chased a wide ball and edged a catch to Wade as Christian took his only wicket of the innings. Jadeja and Irfan tried to support their skipper, but India was always playing catch-up in the run chase. And, when Dhoni became Hilfenhaus's third victim and the seventh Indian wicket to fall with the score at 149 in the 38th over, only the final rites were left. Dhoni continued his good form with the bat in the tournament and hit two boundaries and a massive six in his 84-ball 56, but he has a lot of to worry about with his top order failing time and again.

Hilfenhaus, India's tormentor-in-chief in the Test series, then dismissed Irfan and Zaheer - both caught behind by Wade - to wrap up the match as Australia cantered to an easy win. Lee (3-49) and Starc (1-36) were the other successful bowlers, while Doherty was miserly conceding only 29 runs in his 10 overs.

India will need to put in a vastly improved show when they take on Sri Lanka at the same ground on Tuesday.

Gooch handed role as England batting coach

London, (AFP): Graham Gooch has been appointed England batting coach on a full-time basis, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Saturday.

Gooch, 58, had been a consultant batting coach with England since November 2009 and will start the permanent role on March 5 when his team begin their preparations for the Test series against Sri Lanka.

"I am delighted to be taking on the role of England batting coach on a full-time basis," former England batsman Gooch said.

"I will now have the opportunity to spend a lot more time with the players and other coaches both in the build-up to series and during the series themselves. I firmly believe that with the talent we have at the moment within the batting unit and those pressing for places, we can continue to develop and improve as a side, which is a very exciting prospect."

Graham Thorpe will continue in his role as ECB lead batting coach, which involves working with batsmen on the England performance programme and those selected for England Lions, and will aid Gooch in aiming to ensure a smooth transition for batsmen between the England performance programme and the senior side.

England team director Andy Flower said: "Graham has an excellent relationship with our batsmen and is already an important part of our management team so I am very pleased that he will be joining us on a full-time basis."

Brand IPL can’t be taken for granted: Lalit Modi

Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi with co-owner of Kings XI Punjab Priety Zinta (R) and co-owner of Rajasthan …

Calcutta (The Telegraph): Lalit Kumar Modi has been tweeting pretty often over the past 22 months, ever since his ouster as the Indian Premier League (IPL)’s chairman and commissioner. On Friday evening, he spoke to The Telegraph at some length from London, his first one-on-one with the print media since the abrupt end of his innings as head of a game-changing T20 league.

While Modi didn’t say so, those close to him believe that he is paying the price for (among other things) his closeness to a top leader of the BJP and for having cocked a snook at Union home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram by shifting IPL-II to South Africa.

For most of the 22 months, Modi has been based in London.

The following are excerpts

Q What’s your take on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-Sahara deal?

A It’s good that Sahara will continue to sponsor Team India and the Pune Warriors are going to remain in the IPL. Sahara has been a valuable partner of Indian cricket and, so, there’s reason to be happy that their association will continue.

But should an IPL franchise go around trying to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the others? Isn’t it highly unusual?

I agree with you completely… I’m not privy to what transpired between the BCCI and Sahara, but there has been quid pro quo… When the IPL was conceived (2007), we were quite clear that it had to be the Indian Premier League, which is why a restriction on no more than four overseas players in the XI. I can’t understand how the onus is on Sahara to go about seeking the permission of others to field five instead of four.

Could a Pandora’s box be opened after this precedent?

Indeed. Now, what stops the nine franchises from getting NOCs from each other and informing the BCCI that nobody has a problem fielding eight overseas players in the XI? Will the IPL then still remain the Indian Premier League? One way or the other, the issue of a fifth player should have been settled exclusively by the BCCI/the IPL’s governing council by calling a meeting of the franchises instead of leaving it to one.

How would you have handled this situation?

(Laughs) It would never have got to the stage it did… Sahara do have a point in calling for a level-playing field and, I wish to place it on record, that I’d specifically recommended to the IPL’s governing council that the January 2011 auction, after the first three seasons and before the debut of the new franchises, should be an open one with no franchise allowed to retain even a single player. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), as it turned out, were the only ones to oppose this.

Did the Mumbai Indians agree?

Initially, they did have reservations, but it was okay with them later on… You’ve got to remember that the IPL model is something I’d worked out after studying some of the most successful leagues over a 14-year period. You can never have a situation where everybody is satisfied… But the idea should be to stay away from third-party pressures. The IPL model will not work if the rules governing players keep getting changed from time to time. You can’t have ad-hocism.

Given that you called the shots till your ouster, it’s a little difficult believing that you were actually overruled…

When the governing council met, after a workshop in Bangkok (in October 2009), Mr Srinivasan and Mr Manohar were the only ones who opposed an open auction, which would have ensured a level-playing field.

[Narayanswamy Srinivasan, who is one of the owners of CSK, is now the BCCI president. Shashank Manohar is the immediate past president.]

You were accused of not being transparent, but the recent BCCI-Sahara meetings were held behind firmly closed doors and nobody really knows what was discussed. Even a press conference wasn’t called after the two parties reached a settlement on Thursday. Ironical, isn’t it?

You only have to go back to the time after November 2005, when Mr Sharad Pawar became the BCCI president, to see how we functioned… Press conferences were held regularly and I, at least, took the difficult questions head on… This regime hardly has any interaction with the media, except through press releases. Why? Surely, there’s no harm in putting more things out in the public domain.

Have you, at times, chuckled that the IPL began running into problems after your removal as its Czar?

I didn’t try to play favourites (with the franchises), with all the owners being my friends… I had the interest of the brand at heart and you will be interested to know that, despite supposedly being close to the Rajasthan Royals, I served them a notice when they under-spent in the first auction (February 2008).

Today, what would be your advice to the BCCI/the IPL’s governing council?

Whether it’s the BCCI or the governing council, they’ve got to remember that the IPL was created after plenty of thought and tinkering with the fundamentals will cause heartaches to the franchises and the commercial partners. I accept that there may not be one solution to satisfy everybody, but stop tinkering with the golden goose… I suppose it will continue as long as there is a conflict of interest, with the BCCI president also being one of the owners of a franchise… (After a pause) I’m amazed that the BCCI recently cancelled its contract with Nimbus without encashing the bank guarantee! Surely, Mr Srinivasan should have known better and, in my view, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

This conflict of interest business in not new…

But nobody is doing anything about it, with the issue being brushed under the carpet… Isn’t it
strange that a lot of people connected with the BCCI and the IPL are also employees of India Cements? Will they do anything which adversely affects CSK?

[Srinivasan is the vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements, which runs CSK.]

Do you stand by your startling revelation that the limited auction in February 2009 was rigged to favour CSK?

Absolutely. Mr Srinivasan has said that everything was above board at the auction table. I agree, but the rigging was done back stage. If that hadn’t happened, Andrew Flintoff wouldn’t have gone to CSK.

If it was rigged, then aren’t you as guilty as anybody else?

I accept my guilt… I shouldn’t have allowed it.

In your book, was IPL-IV, the first edition after your ouster, a success?

It was, because the IPL is a strong brand and when we started off, I signed long-term contracts. However, I didn’t see any innovation in IPL-IV and I don’t believe anything innovative is going to be done in IPL-V either. The BCCI must remember that Brand IPL can’t be taken for granted. You’ve got to innovate.

The IPL formula has really caught on, with T20 leagues being held just about everywhere…

It does make me happy… It has caught on because of strong fundamentals… Having said that, if there’s no innovation (going forward), then the IPL maybe threatened by some league which isn’t that big at this point in time.

As we speak, where do you stand vis-à-vis coming back to India?

There are security concerns and everybody is privy to those issues… Then, there’s a witch-hunt by certain people in the (Union) government… Investigations are on and I’m fully co-operating with the authorities… Twenty-two months have passed since my removal, but not one agency has charged me with anything associated with the IPL.

How do you keep yourself busy?

I’m part of the family business and I’m in regular touch with the people I need to be in contact with… There are so many cases… I’m facing a lawsuit filed by Chris Cairns, for not allowing him to play in the IPL… That’s going to come up for hearing in the first week of March… I’ve myself filed a lawsuit against Giles Clarke (the England and Wales Cricket Board chairman), which is going to come up in June… There’s much on my plate.

The last one… Is there something about India that you’ve really missed over the past 22 months?

(Emotionally) India is in my blood, it’s in my DNA… One misses so many things… Once the security issues are resolved, I hope to be back.

Jaded Ponting needs a break, admits coach Arthur

Sydney, February 18 (AFP): Ricky Ponting needs a rest but he cannot afford to leave the senior batsman out of the Australia team with regular skipper Michael Clarke injured, coach Mickey Arthur said on Saturday.

Ponting, 37, has played in all six of Australia's Tests this season as well as four one-day internationals but he has yet to pass 10 in the tri ODI series.

Ponting failed again with just two runs in Friday's thumping eight-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in Sydney.

Arthur said in an ideal world Ponting would be taking a break rather than preparing to lead Australia against India in Sunday's tri series match at Brisbane's Gabba ground.

"If I have to be totally honest, Ricky is a little bit jaded, like a couple of our Test players who have played all summer," Arthur told reporters in Brisbane.

"But that is the treadmill of international cricket and they have to find a way to make their performances count and have an impact on the team."

Ponting conceded after Friday's loss that his own form was not satisfactory but said he had no intention of calling time on his 374 one-day international career.

Arthur said there was no doubt Ponting's experience and knowledge were vital to Australia but that wouldn't ensure a future at ODI level unless his performances start to improve.

"Every cricketer's currency is performance, that's what gets you into the Australian team," he said.

"A character like Ricky Ponting is someone you want around the team all the time because he's so inspirational, he's still our fittest player and hardest trainer and he trains with the most intensity, he's a fantastic example to every guy who comes into this team."

"Ricky is a class act, there is no way you can write off a champion like Ricky Ponting."

"He faced those same issues around the first couple of Test matches and he came through the Test series, had a great series against India and I hope he turns it around tomorrow."

Ponting admits his form is unacceptable, but said he hadn't considered avoiding the captaincy in Clarke's absence even though that leadership role is set to extend a game further with Clarke ruled out of Sunday's ODI.

"This week is nothing different for me, just got a little bit of added responsibility that I've had 170 times before," he said.

"It's nothing new to me but being able to make the team bounce back strongly for Sunday is something that we've all got to take on board."

"I'm going to have a leading role in that and I'm going to make sure I do everything I can to get the boys up on Sunday."

George Bailey joined the international squad in Brisbane on Saturday as cover in the absence of Clarke.

Spinner Jon Holland was also with the squad in a covering role following Xavier Doherty's back spasms in the lead-up to Friday's match.

If Malik and Farhat can be included in Pak national sqad, why can't I, asks Sami

Islamabad, Feb 19 (ANI): Discarded Pakistani fast-bowler Mohammad Sami has expressed disappointment over his repeated snub from the team despite performing well on the domestic circuit, questioning the inclusion of Shoaib Malik and Imran Farhat in the national squad.

"I've performed outstandingly, but am still out of the squad," The Express Tribune quoted Sami, currently representing Duronto Rajshahi in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), as saying.

"On the other hand, Malik was included in the national team despite hitting just one century in domestic events, while Farhat has failed to justify his inclusion despite the various chances he's been given. Both of them are in the national squad," he added. he selection committee is headed by Mohammad Ilyas, who is Farhat's father-in law, while Azhar Khan, Asif Baloch and Farrukh Zaman are assisting him.

Sami, who captained Karachi Blues in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, was in fine form during the tournament, picking up 39 wickets at an average of 19.8, while scoring 579 runs. He carried his good run into the Pentangular Cup, bagging 17 wickets in two matches before leaving for BPL, where he registered the event's first hat-trick.

Despite his consistent good performance, Sami has been ignored for the national duty since November 2010. 

Bailey replaces Clarke for Sunday's ODI against India

Sydney, Feb 17 (IANS) Australian skipper Michael Clarke will miss Sunday's ODI against India inBrisbane and has been replaced by George Bailey in the 14-member squad announced by Cricket Australia's National Selection Panel (NSP) Friday.

Clarke injured his hamstring in Adelaide last week and had to miss Friday's ODI clash with Sri Lanka here.

Clarke says he may not recover in time for the match against India at the Gabba.

"I've got a little hamstring strain. It's on the mend. It's probably unlikely I'll be picked for Brisbane, though," said Clarke.

"I've done a lot of work over the last couple of days and team physio Alex Kountouris would prefer me to rest but I'm not far away at all," he added.

Former captain Ricky Ponting, who led the team Friday against Sri Lanka, will be in charge against India as well.

"George Bailey has been added to the Australian squad as a standby batsman for this match in Brisbane. While it is not ideal having to take George away from the Sheffield Shield match currently underway in Hobart, we feel it is important we have sufficient batting cover in our squad," said Australian coach Mickey Arthur.

"This selection is reward for George's excellent form with Tasmania this season and recognition that the NSP consider him the next batsman in line for Australian one-day selection.

Bailey, who captained the Twenty20 squad against India, will depart for Brisbane Saturday which will allow him to play in day two of the Sheffield Shield game against Queensland.

The Australian squad for Sunday's ODI:

Ricky Ponting (captain), David Warner (vice captain), George Bailey, Daniel Christian, Xavier Doherty, Peter Forrest, Ben Hilfenhaus, Jon Holland, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade.