India did a good job with the ball: Ojha

New Zealand came up with a good performance with the bat and thanks to Ross Taylor's aggressive hundred and Kruger van Wyk's solid fifty, were comfortably placed at 328/6 at stumps on Day 1 of the second Test in Bangalore. But left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha felt that the Indians did a good job by picking up 6 wickets on a pitch that was not much of a help to the bowlers.

"Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and myself supported each other well to pick wickets. Getting six wickets on a pitch which did not help bowlers is a good boost to the bowlers' confidence," Ojha told reporters at the end of the day's play.

Martin Guptill was put down early by Virat Kohli off Zaheer Khan and the opener went on to score a half-cetury. Ojha said had the catch been taken, it would have been a different story.

"Zak [Zaheer] bowled superbly in his first spell. There was one catch dropped, and if that had been taken then it would have been a different story as at that time the pitch was doing a bit."

Ojha, who picked up four of the six wickets to fall, said he was not surprised when Dhoni asked him to bowl the first over of the match. "I was told before the toss that I will be bowling the first over and I was ready for it. There was some moisture on the wicket in the morning and Dhoni decided to use it to India's advantage by asking me to open the attack."

New Zealand opener Guptill mentioned that the visitors will be looking to score in excess of 400 on Day 2 and put the pressure on India.

"The contest from here on would be interesting if my team put 400-450 on the board and pick a few wickets early on because there is a bit of swing and seam on this wicket. If we do that it will be great," he said.

Guptill said the team came out with a positive frame of mind and that worked well for his side. "Ross (Taylor) showed some excellent footwork. We got some interesting balls early on but we were able to get over it. We got enough boundaries that took the load off us," he said.

Afridi out as Australia bat in second one-day

Pakistan suffered an early loss when allrounder Shahid Afridi was ruled out with a back problem as Australia won the toss and opted to bat in the second one-day international here on Friday.

Afridi had a recurrence of a back injury which forced him to pull out of the Sri Lankan Premier League last week, although he managed to play in the first one-dayer which Australia won by four wickets in Sharjah on Monday.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman replaced Afridi while paceman Junaid Khan came in, in place of Aizaz Cheema.

Australia, who lead the three-match series 1-0, remained unchanged from the first match.

Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Dan Christian, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade (wkt)

Pakistan: Misbahul Haq (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Sohail Tanveer, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan

Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)

Tv umpire: Billy Bowden (NZL)

Match referee: Roshan Mahanama

Anderson and Dernbach skittle out South Africa

James Anderson and Jade Dernbach took seven wickets between them as England dismissed South Africa for a seemingly modest 211 in the third one-day international at The Oval on Friday.

Anderson finished with figures of four for 44 in 9.4 overs, including a spell of three for one in eight balls that polished off the Proteas innings with 20 balls left.

Meanwhile South Africa-born Jade Dernbach marked his return to England duty by taking three for 44 in nine overs on his Surrey home ground.

Dernbach's haul included the prize wicket of Hashim Amla, who made 150 in the Proteas' 80-run win at Southampton on Tuesday that put them 1-0 up in this five-match series following last week's washout in Cardiff and took them to the top of the world rankings in all three international formats.

Amla was again the tourists' top-scorer but the fact he was out for 43 on Friday said much about the difference between the two innings.

South Africa made a steady after AB de Villiers won the toss, with Amla and Graeme Smith sharing an opening partnership of 50 in 52 balls.

But Smith was bowled by Anderson for 18 after the left-hander charged down the pitch.

Amla looked in good touch as returned to the ground where, in July, he became the first South African to score a Test treble hundred.

However, England got him out relatively cheaply when Dernbach, in for the dropped Tim Bresnan, produced a full length delivery that nipped back and took the inside edge before hitting the stumps.

James Tredwell, replacing rested fellow off-spinner Graeme Swann, took two for 49 as both de Villiers (28) and JP Duminy (23) holed out to Ian Bell in the deep when well set.

Dean Elgar, in only his second innings at this level, batted well for his 42 until bowled by a slower ball from Dernbach, who last played for England in a one-dayer against Australia in July, that completely deceived the left-hander.

Dernbach, born in Johannesburg but who arrived in England as a schoolboy, struck again when Wayne Parnell edged to wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter, a former South Africa Under-19 international.

Unmukt Chand allowed to move to second year

New Delhi: Under-19 cricket World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand has been allowed to move to his second year at St. Stephen's College, but he has to clear his first year exams, Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh said on Friday.

Singh said Unmukt would have to clear his second semester exam of the first year after he is promoted to second year. He will also have to simultaneously clear his second year exams.

Unmukt, a BA student who had got admission in college in the sports category, was not allowed to give his second semester exams due to low attendance.

"Under the proposed structure - that is expected to be placed before the academic council in a couple of months - participation in sports activities will be accorded credit and the students will have the choice of replacing some of the academic courses with a structured recognition of participation towards his/her degree," Singh said.

However, the vice-chancellor made it clear that there would be no escape from studies for Unmukt. Giving an example, he said a student of mathematics honours can not say he wants the degree without studying the subject.

Earlier, the vice-chancellor had written to Sports Minister Ajay Maken assuring him that he would look into the case of Unmukt.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal had on Thursday spoken to the vice-chancellor and urged him to resolve the matter on priority.

According to Delhi University rules, a student must have at least 33.3 per cent attendance in an academic session after all exemptions.

Unmukt had earlier approached the Delhi High Court to sit for his exams. But since he was late in approaching the court, he could appear in only two exams out of four.

According to university rules, a student should pass 50 percent of all exams in both semesters combined to move on to the next year of the course.

The next hearing is slated for September 16. Unmukt's results have been withheld on the court's direction.

Trescothick slams Kartik's 'Mankad' run out in county game as 'against spirit of game'

Sydney, Aug 31: Former England opening batsman and Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick has slammed Indian spinner Murali Kartik's run out of Alex Barrow against the spirit of the game.

Controversy erupted on the third day of the English County Championship between Somerset and Surrey at Taunton.

With the hosts on 5-191 in reply to 317, Murali Kartik ran out Alex Barrow, as he was backing-up and Surrey skipper Gareth Batty turned down the opportunity to call the 20-year-old batsman back when umpire Peter Hartley offered it.

While it was a lawful dismissal, also known as The Mankad, it is considered against the spirit of the game.

The Mankad is named after Indian batsman Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia's Bill Brown in 1947.

Kartik and Batty were booed by the crowd for the remainder of the innings, which saw Somerset bowled out for 294.

"I'm very disappointed. It's not something you want to see in cricket. I've never witnessed anything like it before at any level. Theoretically, Alex was out, as we all know, but it was against the spirit of the game," The Telegraph quoted Trescothick, as saying.

There were fuming scenes beneath the visiting dressing room balcony at tea, with supporters of both teams directing vitriolic comments at Batty and Kartik.

Strauss can leave cricket with his head held high: Botham

London, Aug 31: Former Test captain Sir Ian Botham has saluted Andrew Strauss for his contribution to the England team, saying that he can leave the game with his head held high and with a sense of satisfaction that he has given it everything he could.

Strauss first captained England when he stood in for the injured Michael Vaughan in 2006 and led the team in 50 Tests winning 25, and the peak of his career was the 3-1 series win in Australia, England's first Ashes away win since 1986-87.

"You can't ask for any more from a player and for the years he has entertained us and fought tooth and nail for the England cause we can only say thank you. And above all we say thank you for giving those Aussies a bloody nose on three separate occasions," Botham wrote in his column for the Daily Mirror.

He said Staruss played his full part in the 2005 Ashes triumph, scoring two hundreds, and termed it to be one of the greatest series of Test cricket.
"All 12 of the men who played for England during that summer have something so special to look back on that will make all their careers seem worthwhile. But Strauss got much more than that.

"His captaincy of the side in 2009 was a stunning performance of grit and determination when Australia probably thought they should have won, especially after the match in Cardiff. I thought he out-foxed them brilliantly in a tight tense encounter.

"And then the big one. The tour Down Under that really was the culmination of a life's work. To go down there and triumph so spectacularly made us all proud to be English and he takes the deserved plaudits for that too."

Union ministers to Unmukt's rescue

UNMUKT Chand’s visibly bright future in sports is in stark contrast with his academic prospects at St Stephen’s College. Unmukt is struggling to retain his seat, his sporting achievements notwithstanding.

MAIL TODAY was the first to report on Unmukt’s clash with the college, which told the Delhi High Court on August 16 that Unmukt failed his first year exams. According to college officials, he cannot be promoted as he scored a zero in the internal assessment and did not have enough attendance to see himself through. His future at St Stephen’s College is likely to be decided by the court on September 14.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal is understood to have spoken to the Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh and said that Unmukt’s case should be considered as it is within the purview of the vice-chancellor. Unmukt had enrolled in the BA Programme course last year. He passed in three of the four papers in the first semester. He was not given an admit card to sit in the second semester exams as he had just eight per cent attendance.

He had to move the High court, following which he managed to sit for two out of the four papers.

"On August 16, the college informed the court that Unmukt couldn’t get through in his first year without giving any reasons. We have asked for his scorecard to know how they have arrived at the result. A student can be promoted if he clears four out of eight papers in a year,” said Unmukt’s counsel Bikash Kargupta.

The lawyer said that Unmukt scored 62 marks in English, 55 marks each in Hindi B and English (Disciplinary) out of a total of 75 marks in each paper. He was absent in the economics paper. "Unmukt is a bright student.

He had got 84 per cent in class X and 75 per cent in class XII at Modern School. If a college gives admission to a student under sports quota, it should be ready to give enough relaxation in attendance,” Kargupta said.

St. Stephen’s principal Valson Thampu could not be contacted on Thursday even as sources in the college alleged that Unmukt was being harassed for no reason.

India's Kartik sparks row with backing-up run out

Former India spinner Murali Kartik caused controversy in the English County Championship on Thursday when he ran out a batsman who had backed up too far down the pitch.

Kartik, playing for Surrey against Somerset -- the county he left at the end of last season -- ran out 20-year-old Alex Barrow when the non-striker was out of his ground.

Surrey captain Gareth Batty was offered the chance to call the batsman back by umpire Peter Hartley but refused, leaving the official with no choice but to uphold the appeal and send the batsman on his way on the third day of this four-day First Division clash at Taunton, Somerset's headquarters.

Although a legitimate form of dismissal, running out a batsman backing up is widely considered to be against the spirit of cricket and is rarely seen in first-class matches.

Kartik, though, warned Barrow earlier in the over that he was backing up too far -- something he no longer needed to do, following a rewrite of the relevant section of cricket's rules last year.

Both the bowler and Batty were jeered by spectators and angry fans of both clubs made their feelings known to the Surrey duo during the tea interval.

Kartik, however, told his Twitter followers after stumps: "Everyone get a life please... if a batsman is out on a stroll, in spite of being warned, does that count as being in the spirit of the game?"

Somerset made 294 in reply to Surrey's 317 and by stumps the visitors were 58 without loss in their second innings, heading into what is sure to be a fiery final day.

"People obviously think the spirit of the game has been brought into disrepute -- that was not my intention and I thoroughly apologise for that," Batty said.

Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick, the former England opening batsman, said he had been saddened by the manner of Barrow's dismissal.
"I'm very disappointed. It's not something you want to see in cricket," he said.

"I have never witnessed anything like it before at any level. Theoretically, Alex was out, as we all know, but it was against the spirit of the game."

In February this year, India captain Virender Sehwag withdrew an appeal after the spinner Ravi Ashwin ran out Sri Lanka's Lahiru Thirimanne during a one-day international.

Such dismissals have been regarded as unsporting ever since India's Vinoo Mankad ran out Australia's Bill Brown at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1947 after Brown backed up too far at the bowler's end.

But even in Australia, attitudes towards 'Mankadding' are now changing, with former international Simon O'Donnell saying after the Thirimanne incident: "Where does this spirit of cricket issue come from when what we are talking about is a batsman breaking the rules?

"If a bowler puts his foot just over the line he is called for a no-ball, so how is this any different?"

Cook to now decide on Kevin Pietersen's England fate

London, Aug 31: New Test captain Alastair Cook along with England team bosses Andy Flower and Hugh Morris will now decide on Kevin Pietersen's fate, as reports appear that there will be no quick return for the disgruntled batsman following Andrew Strauss' retirement.

Pietersen must still confess all to Flower and Morris and come clean with reassurances about his future behaviour.

"He must still make a full apology for the text messages he sent. There is still a process we must go through, and he needs to explain himself at meetings with Andy and myself before we can go any further, and that will be behind closed doors," Morris said.

The Pietersen saga could see the announcement of the Test squad to tour India and the awarding of central contracts being pushed back until after the World T20.

England's selectors will be meeting before then and had wished to announce both the squad and the contracts before the players headed off to Sri Lanka, but that is far from guaranteed, The Daily Mirror reports.

Cook will also get involved in the discussions now.

"I've been on the outside for a lot of the saga. The issue hasn't changed though. Clearly I'll get involved over the coming weeks, but this will happen behind closed doors before we can move on," said Cook.

ECB needs to wake up to importance of IPL, Twenty20: Pietersen

London, Aug 31: Disgruntled batsman Kevin Pietersen has asked the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to wake up to the fact that the Indian Premier League and Twenty20 are a reality.

The South African-born batsman was not selected for the final Test of the South Africa series over a series of text messages that he had sent to his friends in the South African camp that allegedly attacked Andrew Strauss. He was also left out of the limited overs and Twenty20 matches against South Africa.

He had also explained that he did not really want to quit Twenty20 internationals, but his ECB contract did not allow him to pick and choose between 50 and 20-over cricket.

In a new interview to The Cricketer conducted before he was dumped from the team, Pietersen has criticised the ECB for their failure to embrace the tournament and the earning potential it offers players.

He said: "Test cricket is still right up there but IPL and Twenty20 cricket is a matter of fact now. Every board has accepted it apart from the ECB."
"Some part of international cricket may have to give as the IPL is not going away. No one in their right mind would turn down the contracts I've been offered. We put our bodies on the line. Why shouldn't we be remunerated well? Boards will have to keep up, it's simple," The Sun quoted him, as saying.

Pietersen, who would receive £1.3million from Delhi Daredevils plus spin-offs if he played a full IPL season, said: "The IPL is the best tournament to play in as a player, bar none. India buzzes for its players and that makes you feel special. Everything is magnificent off the field.
"The owners are passionate. They have guys to sort out restaurants for the teams; you fly brilliantly from city to city. Nothing is too much hassle."

Blindfold walking boosted U-19 team's confidence

BLINDFOLDED walks in the jungle, climbing cliffs, and going on a safari. Members of the India under-19 team underwent these and some other exercises as part of a boot camp to prepare for the World Cup that they won.

Also, two different sets of three words — 'Nothing Else Matters’, the mission statement of the team, and "self-belief, communication, and controlled aggression”, the qualities that kept the players remain focussed throughout the tournament.

Last month’s three-day boot camp, organised in the Nagarhole jungles where they walked blindfolded for 20 minutes, covering a pre-set distance, was crucial in many aspects. It inspired the players to give their best and clinch the title by beating hosts Australia last Sunday.

Disclosing this, team’s fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar modestly pointed out that when he suggested the words 'Nothing Else Matters’, all agreed that those were the most appropriate words that would motivate the team to win the World Cup.

Sridhar, a former Hyderabad left-arm spinner and also the fielding coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore, said that the team bonding developed during the three-day camp from July 16-18. That was just before a two-week high performance camp at the NCA here.

What is more interesting are the types of exercises that the players did in the jungle.

"The boot camp was team coach Bharat Arun’s idea as part of the 18-month World Cup programme called 'Road to the World Cup 2012’. We are thankful to the BCCI and the NCA that they not only agreed to it, but also to all the other series that were played as per the plan,” Sridhar told MAIL TODAY in an interview here.

ON THE first day of the camp, all the players were asked to come up with three most important words that describe the qualities which were required to win the World Cup. The 45 words thus collected were pruned down to nine by three groups of five players formed out of the 15-member team.

Eventually, everyone agreed that "self-belief, communication, and controlled aggression” were the three most important qualities required to win the title. Printouts of these words were pasted on the room walls of the 15 players and the five-member support staff – so that no one forgets about the mission they were on.

"And the boys lived by these qualities during the entire tournament,” says Sridhar proudly.

On the second day of the camp, the players were asked to do 'trust walks’ during which 15 players were divided into three equal groups and asked to do a 20-minute walk blindfolded in the jungle.

"Each group had a leader, who was barred from speaking, while the four other players were blindfolded.

The leader would give instructions to 'show’ them the way but only by making noise from his hands etc, and without speaking or touching his teammembers,” revealed Sridhar. "But the four blind-folded players could touch each other and walked in a train-like formation. All of them covered the designated distance in 20 minutes using their own innovative ways to communicate.” Sridhar, 42, said this exercise was done to develop trust and communication among the players.

"They had to trust their leader to 'show’ them the way,” he emphasised.

Another exercise was cliff climbing.

"The players also did rappelling.

They were made to climb a 50-foot vertical cliff. After some initial hesitation, it was a cakewalk for them. This exercise was done to remove fear factor from their minds,” said Sridhar.

And on the third day, all of them went on a safari and the youngsters got excited on seeing a tiger.

"We went on safari and were lucky to see a tiger. The boys got excited and couldn’t keep quiet, despite being told to remain quiet,” said the Mysore-born Sridhar, whose hobby is wildlife photography.

Sridhar pointed out said that the players fielded well throughout the World Cup and effected one run out per match on an average.

He especially picked Akshdeep Nath for his "agility and anticipation”, Baba Aparajith for "a great pair of hands” and wicket-keeper Smit Patel for 14 dismissals, the second-highest in the tournament.

Offence is the best defence, says NZ captain Taylor

REUTERS - Attacking the Indian spinners is the best possible way to survive against them, according to New Zealand captain Ross Taylor.

The visitors lost by an innings and 115 runs in the first test in Hyderabad with the Indian spin duo of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha sharing 18 of the 20 wickets.

New Zealand were bundled out for 159 and 164 in their first and second innings respectively and need to tackle the spinners better if they are to avoid a whitewash in the two-test series.

"It's never easy when you lose a test by over an innings," Taylor told reporters on the eve of the final test in Bangalore.

"We need to forget about it as quickly as possible, talk amongst the group and find ways of playing Ashwin and Ojha.

"We have to be brave and courageous and attack them and hopefully put pressure back on them.

"And when we attack them, there hopefully won't be many men around the bat."

Ashwin picked up 12 wickets while Ojha bagged six as the match finished within four days in Hyderabad.

But Taylor ruled out making any hasty changes for the second test.

"We gave them faith in the first game and we're going to give them a go in the next game as well," Taylor said.

"We didn't play as well as we would have liked, but this is another opportunity to show how good we are as a team."

Taylor's counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni will just try to stick to the tried and tested formula that worked perfectly for them in Hyderabad.

"We don't need to be overconfident... and whatever we did right in the first test, we have to repeat everything and try to stick to the basics and keep things simple," Dhoni said.

This is the first test series for India post the retirements of batting stalwarts Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman and the hosts chose Cheteshwar Pujara and Suresh Raina to fill the vacant spots in the batting order.

While Pujara scored his maiden test hundred, Raina, who averages under 29 in the 16 tests he has played so far, could score only three.
Dhoni threw his weight behind left-handed batsman, who is an integral part of India's one-day side.

"He has played just one game after Laxman has retired, so we have to give a fair amount of time to every individual who becomes the part of the side," Dhoni said.

Rain threat looms large over Bangalore Test

As on Wednesday, rain, and not New Zealand, looked the biggest threat to prevent India from winning the two-Test series 2-0.

Almost throughout the day, it rained intermittently — it has been raining here for the last few days, and the forecast is not encouraging either: the weatherman says showers and thunderstorms are likely in the next few days.

Before and between the showers over the M Chinnasawamy Stadium on Wednesday afternoon and evening, the Indian and New Zealand teams got just enough time to eke out practice sessions.

New Zealand, trailing 0-1 in the series, had a session in the morning when Daniel Vettori, who has been ruled out of the Test series with a shoulder injury, also turned his arm over, though gingerly.

Although the turf at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), housed within the stadium, was damp, the Indian team had a long practice session in the afternoon, with Sachin Tendulkar having two stints, both as diligently as ever.

The pitch should not be affected as it was extensively covered. The damp weather may play a role in influencing the teams’ combinations.

It is expected that spinners would again rule the roost, but if the weather remains like this the two captains — Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ross Taylor — may be forced to re-think about their XIs.

On Wednesday, players worked on their bodies and bats. While Tendulkar, watched by a few young NCA trainees from close quarters, polished a few shots all alone in the nets after a long and proper stint against teammates Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma, Gautam Gambhir got his back massaged by the physiotherapist.

Tendulkar’s long stint also seemed to have made Anil Kumble, former captain and now president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, who probably wanted to meet him. After his first stint, the maestro went to the empty net where he made someone throw balls from less than 22 yards. Soon people gathered at the back of the nets to see the 39-year-old veteran prepare diligently for his 190th Test match.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored his maiden Test century in the first Test, too was as serious as Tendulkar. Before and after his stint, the new No. 3 batsman chatted with coach Duncan Fletcher and his seniors – all along looking as studious as Rahul Dravid used to be at the net practice.

Like his consistent scores, Pujara, who is seen as an ideal replacement for the Bangalore-based Dravid, has been the scourge of bowlers using the same prolific blade of his for a while.

"The weight of my bat is around 1170-1180 gms. Though I am not too sure about the exact weight, it is around that. I have not changed the weight for a couple of years,” Pujara told Mail Today.

The Indian team’s practice session had some familiar guests. Leg-spinners Amit Mishra and Rahul Sharma, who are at the NCA at the moment, joined the lone leg-spinner in the Indian team, Piyush Chawla, at the nets.

Spin, of course, remains the flavour of the series, with R Ashwin terminating the Kiwis’ flight with a career-best 12-wicket haul in the first Test in Hyderabad that India won by an innings and 115 runs to go 1-0 up in the series.

On the other side of the fence, New Zealand are now realising how important Vettori is for them to be competitive at the international level.

Even though the left-arm spinner is expected to play only two Twenty20 Internationals after the Tests, he is clearly guiding the younger players in the team with his vast experience of playing on helpful Indian pitches.

Apart from bowling for New Zealand he has also represented Delhi Daredevils and Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League. And he would know the M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch like the back of his hand as it is the home of the Royal Challengers.

Clarke expects more Pakistan spin in second ODI

Abu Dhabi: Australian captain Michael Clarke hopes his batsmen will continue to show improvement against Pakistan's spinners when the teams clash in the second one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Australia negotiated the high-profile Pakistan spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez to the best effect to win the first one-day in Sharjah by four wickets on Tuesday, taking a 1-0 lead in three-match series.

And Clarke, 31, hopes his batsmen show improvement with each game.

"Playing spin bowling is an area of our game that we need to continue to improve. It's something that we've focused on when we've played away from home," said Clarke, who led the modest run chase of 199 with a sedate 66.

George Bailey hit a patient 88-ball 57 not out to steer Australia home in the 49th over after Ajmal (3-30) and Hafeez (2-29) threatened to catch Australia in a spin web.

Clarke was delighted with the opening win.

"Apart from myself, I think it's everyone's first time playing cricket here in this heat in these conditions so that's why it's more pleasing to have won," said Clarke who led Australia to a 3-2 series win against Pakistan here in 2009.

Australia considerd the option of bringing in left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty or spinning allrounder Steve Smith for the Abu Dhabi game.

"There's enough there for both fast bowlers and spin (on the Abdu Dhabi pitch). I'd love to see somebody in our top four go on and make a big score, make a hundred.

"I've got two starts and I haven't been able to go on (to score a hundred). I think heat is certainly a factor," said Clarke, who also made 75 in Australia's 66-run win over Afghanistan in Sharjah on Saturday.

Clarke praised Bailey for his responsible innings.

"The most pleasing thing was that George was there at the end. These days in one-day cricket, a lot is spoken about your strike-rate. George wasn't concerned about how many balls he was facing. He's the T20 captain and I know he's looking forward to hopefully winning that World Cup in Sri Lanka.

"It's a really positive sign for the T20 team that the captain is in really good form leading up to that tournament," said Clarke of the World Twenty20 to be held in Sri Lanka next month.

Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to improve their batting, after being bowled out in 45.1 overs with left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc taking a career best 5-42.

Captain Misbah-ul Haq said he was disappointed over his side's batting failure, despite packing the XI with seven batsmen.

Sangakkara in race for four ICC awards

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara was on Thursday nominated in four categories for the International Cricket Council awards, including player of the year.

India had two major nominations: their captain MS Dhoni and vice-captain Virat Kohli are in the running for the ODI player of the year award. Sachin Tendulkar has been nominated for the people's choice award. No women's cricketer from India features in this year's shortlist.

India had a disastrous year in Test cricket in which they lost eight matches on the trot in England and Australia. Subsequently, no Indian has been named in the nominal Test team of the year.

The 34-year-old batsman-wicketkeeper will compete with South Africans Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander and Australian Test captain Michael Clarke for the Garfield Sobers Trophy.

All four have also been nominated for the Test cricketer of the year, while Sangakkara also features in the shortlist for the one-day and people's awards.
The winners will be announced in Colombo on September 15.

Sangakkara's rivals for the one-day cricketer of the year include team-mate Lasith Malinga, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli of India.

An independent 32-person panel comprising former players and representatives from the media, match referees and umpires drew up the shortlists.

Cricketers receiving the highest number of votes from the panel will be adjudged the winners.

Performances over a 12-month period that ended on August 6, 2012 were taken into account.

Doug Bracewell of New Zealand, Sri Lanka's Dinesh Chandimal, Sunil Narine of the West Indies and Australia's James Pattinson were nominated for the emerging cricketer of the year award.

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES:

Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, Vernon Philander, Kumar Sangakkara

Test Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, Vernon Philander, Kumar Sangakkara

ODI Cricketer of the Year: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Lasith Malinga, Kumar Sangakkara

T20I Performance of the Year: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle, Richard Levi, Ajantha Mendis

Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year: Lydia Greenway (Eng), Anisa Mohammed (WI), Sarah Taylor (Eng), Stafanie Taylor (WI)

Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year: Alyssa Healy (Aus), Lisa Sthalekar (Aus), Sarah Taylor (Eng), Stafanie Taylor (WI)

Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Doug Bracewell, Dinesh Chandimal, Sunil Narine, James Pattinson

Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year: Kevin O'Brien, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Paul Stirling (all four Ireland), Dawlat Zadran (Afg)

Umpire of the Year: Billy Bowden, Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Kettleborough, Simon Taufel, Rodney Tucker

Spirit of Cricket: Mohammad Hafeez, Jacques Kallis, Daniel Vettori, AB de Villiers

People's Choice Award: James Anderson, Jacques Kallis, Vernon Philander, Kumar Sangakkara, Sachin Tendulkar

Emotional Yuvraj happy to receive Arjuna Award

This has been a tough year for Yuvi. So when the first question was fired at him by a group of mediamen and it was on cancer, Yuvraj was a bit flustered.

"That’s a thing of the past, let’s talk about these awards and the achievements of the athletes from the London Olympics,” he shot back.

Flanked by friends and mother Shabnam, Yuvraj was emotional.

When you look at 18-year-old archer Deepika Kumari winning the Arjuna Award, you sense that for Yuvraj, it has been a long time coming. "I know I came close to nominations before and am very happy now,” said the 2011 World Cup player of the tournament, who has been selected for the forthcoming Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand and the subsequent World Twenty20.

Yuvraj made his international debut in the ICC Knockout in Nairobi in 2000. He has proved his worth repeatedly in ODIs and T20s, so it’s surprising that he has got the Arjuna Award after 12 years of service. However, the southpaw is enjoying the attention again and has been training hard for the last three months in Bangalore.

His hair has grown again and for someone who battled lung cancer so spiritedly, his fighting abilities are clear. "I have been training hard at the NCA for three months now. I am peaking now and looking forward to playing my first match after almost one year,” said Yuvraj.

The conversation veered to doubts raised in some quarters over his fitness. "Experts are not watching me every day. I have been working hard and I know what I am doing,” he said.

Then came a topic away from cricket — Lance Armstrong.

When Yuvraj was battling lung cancer and getting treated in the United States, Armstrong had reached out to him.

And from Yuvraj’s reply, it’s clear that even as Armstrong faces the drug cheat taint, he has a great fan. "For me, Lance will always be my hero. He fought cancer hard and came out of it. I will always see him as my hero,” said Yuvraj.

Dope tests in Indian domestic ties this year

With the menace of doping in sports rearing its ugly head and dispatching American cyclist Lance Amstrong's feat of seven Tour de France titles into a black hole of shame, cricket in India is taking steps to root out the danger at the domestic level.

Though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been reluctant to fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) 'whereabouts rule', it has decided to start dope testing for domestic players.

The BCCI chief adminstrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, told HT on Tuesday that testing would be done from the 2012-2013 season.

"We are planning to introduce dope testing from this season," said Shetty. "For the past two years, the BCCI, through its state associations, has been educating cricketers on anti-doping and how to improve their performances the right way."

He also revealed that Dr Vece Paes, the BCCI consultant on anti-doping, would lead the team and work out the modalities to start the testing process.

Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar on sports medicine conducted by the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Shetty said sports federations in the country should educate their athletes on sports medicine, especially to sustain India's performance in the London Olympics.

"Sports federations must come together on a platform to create an atmosphere of learning and create an easy knowledge base to help sportspersons understand what needs to be done in case of an injury," Shetty said, highlighting BCCI's initiative in providing rehabilitation facilities to its players.

In addition to BCCI's rehabilitation centre at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore which caters to the 30 contracted cricketers, it has added three more centres at Chennai, Mohali and Mumbai to cater to Ranji Trophy players, Shetty said.

'Fitter while resting'

Heath Matthews, consultant sports physiotherapist at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital, stressed the importance for athletes to have an idea of "what to do and when to do" and the perils of overdoing things while training for matches and tournaments. "Too much intensity in training sessions can be detrimental," Matthews said.

"It's important to have a proper warm-up routine to avoid injuries."

Matthews also threw light on the importance of adequate rest and a proper rehabilitation process for athletes saying "the human body gets fitter during the rest period after exercises and not during it."

Captain Cook surprised by speed of Test ascent

He might have been the heir apparent for more than a year but Alastair Cook insisted he'd been taken aback by his elevation to the England Test captaincy following Andrew Strauss's retirement on Wednesday.

Cook insisted he had no idea his Test match opening partner was considering not just giving up the captaincy but quitting all cricket, until told on Tuesday of his fellow left-hander's decision.

Asked if his elevation to the job he'd long been tipped to inherit had come earlier than expected Cook, who replaced Strauss as England's one-day captain following the latter's one-day retirement after last year's World Cup, replied: "Yes I think it has. It's been a bit of a strange 24 hours for me personally."

"I'm incredibly proud to be sitting here now as captain of England," said the 27-year-old Essex batsman, who scored a century on his Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2006.

"It's a huge honour for me. I'm very excited about the challenge."

Strauss was one of England's most successful Test captains winning 24 of his 50 matches in charge and leading the side to home and away Ashes series wins.

The Middlesex batsman, who took charge in 2009, also guided England to the top of the world Test rankings -- a position they lost to South Africa after the Proteas completed a 51-run win in Strauss's 100th, and as it turned out, last Test at Lord's earlier his month.

"Obviously I've got huge boots to fill following Straussy," said Cook. "He's done an incredible job. Speaking for the players, it was a sad dressing room when we found out.

"I think that speaks volumes for Straussy and what he has done for the side."

If England had an obvious replacement for Strauss as a captain, the question of Cook's opening partner when England play their first Test under their new skipper in India in November is far from clear-cut.

"You take people for granted don't you?," said Cook, who deputised as England Test skipper when Strauss was rested from the 2010 tour of Bangladesh.

"Andrew's played 100 Test matches and scored 7,000 runs. It feels like all my England career I've walked out to bat with him. That's a huge hole to fill and that's a huge compliment to Andrew Strauss."

Cook, who saw England's run of 10 straight wins in completed one-dayers end with Tuesday's 80-run defeat by South Africa in Southampton on Tuesday, added: "We've got India away and we've got two Ashes series in the next 18 months.

"We have got a lot of cricket to play and hopefully I can do a good job."

The closing weeks of Strauss's time as England captain were overshadowed by the controversy surrounding his predecessor Kevin Pietersen, undoubtedly the most talented of England's current batsmen.

Pietersen has been in England exile since the drawn second Test against his native South Africa, despite a brilliant 149 in Leeds, after it was revealed he'd sent "provocative texts" to Proteas players, some of which were alleged to be critical of Strauss.

England have still to get to the bottom of what the messages actually said and so Pietersen remains barred from international duty.

But if he does not return soon, England could find themselves in India with a decidedly coltish-looking top order.

"I've been on the outside for a lot of the saga," said Cook, set to lead England in the third one-dayer at The Oval on Friday. "The issue hasn't changed. Clearly I'll get involved over the coming weeks.

Strauss, asked what advice he had for his successor, replied: "My advice to Alastair is to really savour and enjoy captaining your country and throw yourself into it with everything you've got.

"Manage your time carefully because it is an all-encompassing job at times and have no regrets. I have every confidence that's what Alastair will do. I'm absolutely certain, with the type of person he is, that he will do a great job."

Unmukt may lose college seat for low attendance

He might have won India the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, but right now captain Unmukt Chand is struggling to retain his seat as a BA student of St Stephen’s College.

Barred from taking the second semester exams because of low attendance, Chand earlier approached the Delhi High Court, which ordered the college to allow him to write his exams. But as he was a little late in approaching the court, he was able to write only two exams out of four.

The university mandates that a student should pass 50% of all exams in both semesters combined.

“He is a bright boy and has made the country proud but he had just 8% attendance in college. I am just following university guidelines and he is not fulfilling the conditions for promotion,” said Valson Thampu, principal, St Stephen’s College.

The college has had a number of international level players on its rolls, but most have escaped such harsh penalty.

The result of Unmukt’s second semester exams, as per rules, will be declared by the High Court now. The next hearing for the case is on September 14.

University officials, however, say his second semester result will not matter as he has passed all exams in the first semester.

Since the principal has made his stand clear, it is now up to the court to decide whether Unmukt will be able to get admission in the second semester or not.

Pak T20 Premier League plans shelved to next year

Karachi, Aug30: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf has said Pakistan's plans to launch its own international Twenty20 Premier League have been shelved to next year.

"I think, we should be able to launch it sometime in March next year and we will be inviting overseas players to participate in the event and make it successful," the Daily Times quoted Ashraf, as saying.

Ashraf said although a lot of planning had already gone into the proposed Premier League event, it would not be possible to hold it this year.

The PCB has been working on launching its Premier League and had also recently advertised for the post of League's commissioner.

Dhoni named Castrol Indian cricketer of the year

The Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence in 2011 were given away at a star studded awards ceremony held in Bengaluru today. The ceremony was attended by eminent cricketers like Erapalli Prasanna, Ajit Wadekar, Syed Kirmani, Gundappa Vishwanath, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Venkatesh Prasad, Ravinchandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, and junior cricketer Unmukt Chand.

The Castrol Awards for Cricketing Excellence are the premier cricketing awards recognizing outstanding performances by Indian cricketers - past, present and future.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was declared the Castrol Indian Cricketer of the Year 2011 whilst Ajit Wadekar received the Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award and India's Under 19 World Cup winning Captain Unmukt Chand was awarded the Castrol Junior Cricketer of the Year Award.

Commenting on the Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed upon him, Ajit Wadekar said: "It is indeed an honour to receive the Castrol Lifetime Achievement Award. I am delighted that Castrol is not just focusing on the present but also on the past and future cricketers."

India Under 19 Captain, Unmukt Chand, fresh from his Under 19 World Cup win, was delighted to receive the Castrol Junior Cricketer of the Year Award for 2011. Commenting on the Award, Unmukt said: "It is my privilege to receive the Castrol Junior Cricketer of the Year Award specially as it was handed over to me by Virat who has been an Under 19 World Cup winning Captain himself and a real inspiration not just to me but my team mates as well."

The other prestigious awards given away during the evening included:

Sachin Tendulkar (Castrol Batsman of the Year)

Ravichandran Ashwin (Castrol Bowler of the Year)

Rahul Dravid (Castrol Test Cricketer of the Year)

Suresh Raina (Castrol ODI Cricketer of the Year

Castrol Special Achievement Awards were also given away to Yuvraj Singh (for outstanding performance during the ICC World Cup 2011), Virender Sehwag (Highest run scorer in ODIs) and Sachin Tendulkar (for his 100th century).

Two new awards were also instituted this year for performance under pressure. The Castrol stand-out Performance Under Pressure Award was presented to Gautam Gambhir for his outstanding performance in the ICC 2011 World Cup final. The Castrol Performance Under Pressure Award for the player who consistently delivered under pressure throughout the year, was won by Virat Kohli.

Former skipper Atherton says Strauss right to go

Former England captain Michael Atherton said Andrew Strauss had picked the right time to go as he ended his reign as England Test skipper by announcing his retirement from all cricket on Wednesday.

Atherton, also a former opening batsman, said the Middlesex left-hander's loss of form had been the key factor in his decision rather than the fall-out from Kevin Pietersen's controversial texts, alleged to contain criticisms of Strauss, which have seen the shotmaker exiled from the England side.

"I believe him when he says he has been having these thoughts for a while," Atherton said. "He's been in gentle decline for a year or so.

"The time is right for someone else to take over," he added, after Alastair Cook, Strauss's opening partner, was announced as England's new Test captain.

Meanwhile, experienced England seamer James Anderson took to Twitter to salute Strauss.

"Really sad to hear Straussy has called it a day," said Anderson. "He's done so much for this England team not just as captain but also as a player.

"He will be missed but he hands over to a very fine replacement in Alastair Cook. Best of luck to Cooky and to Straussy in his future."

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke hailed the 100-Test career of the 35-year-old opener and insisted the controversy over text messages from England exile Kevin Pietersen to South African players had not been a catalyst for retirement.

"I think it was very clear from his (Strauss's) comments prior to the last Test match that this matter has only recently reached a serious position and, therefore, it was no part of his decision-making process," said Clarke.

He added: "Andrew Strauss has embodied everything that the nation expects from the England cricket captain. For us all, it has been a rare privilege to work with such a remarkable man.

"But the game must move on and we must congratulate Alastair Cook as Andrew's successor."

Calm exit sums up England's Strauss

Composure was the hallmark of Andrew Strauss as a batsman and it was much in evidence as the England Test captain announced his retirement from all cricket on Wednesday.

Strauss's batting didn't excite crowds in the manner of Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, two of his predecessors as England captain, but neither was as well suited to the task of leadership as the Middlesex opener.

And when going well left-hander Strauss, who announced his retirement without any of the tears that accompanied Michael Vaughan's farewell to the captaincy, was a wonderfully re-assuring sight for his team-mates.

Strauss took to Test cricket instantly, scoring a hundred on his debut eight years ago against New Zealand at Lord's -- the ground where he started his career with Middlesex and, appropriately enough, ended it on Wednesday.

England were in turmoil when Strauss, belatedly, was given a shot at becoming full-time captain in 2009 following the resignation of Pietersen and the sacking of then coach Peter Moores.

But under Strauss and coach Andy Flower, England enjoyed a revival that eventually saw the side rise to number one in the world rankings and enjoy home and away Ashes triumphs.

A key factor in that ascent was Strauss's form and a popularity and respect from his team-mates that trumped concerns about how someone educated at Radley boarding school would relate to players from less privileged backgrounds.

For much of Strauss's three-and-a-half-years at the helm, Pietersen too had no problems in being skippered by the usually phlegmatic and cheerful opener, whose sympathetic handling of his predecessor kept the undeniably talented shotmaker on board.

It is this knowledge that makes the allegation the now exiled Pietersen's "provocative" texts to South African cricketers contained criticisms of Strauss all the more alarming to England officials, players and fans alike.

Typically, Strauss refused to 'blame' Pietersen for his retirement at the age of 35, and insisted his mind had been made up long before the text furore.

Strauss had previously been equally certain in quitting one-day internationals following the 2011 World Cup where, belying his reputation as a 'stodgy' player, he made a superb 158 -- the highest score by an England player in the tournament's history -- in a tie with India in Bangalore.

As a captain, he was conservative in the field but a record of 24 wins from 50 Tests in charge, with just 11 defeats, proved the wisdom of a policy of trying to frustrate batsmen into error.

But, as many recent England skippers have found, the job 'gets' you in the end and, confronted by a superb South Africa top order, the old plans didn't work as the Proteas deprived Strauss's side of top spot in the Test rankings.

Meanwhile his own form, briefly bolstered by a couple of hundreds against the West Indies, fell away to leave him with an average of just above 40 in exactly 100 Tests, although who now takes his place as a Test opener is far from clear.

Strauss has bucked a recent trend among England captains by opting for a completely clean break with professional cricket, even though new skipper Alastair Cook might well want him on board, and his recent struggles should not obscure his huge contribution to the English game.

England's Swann gets South Africa break

England spinner Graeme Swann has been rested from the final three one-day internationals against South Africa, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Wednesday.

Fellow off-break bowler James Tredwell has been called up as cover.

Swann is one of a select group of England players who feature in all three international formats.

Officials are keen to manage Swann's workload in light of a longstanding elbow injury, especially as England defend their World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka next month.

Swann was one of England's better bowlers, taking two for 50, in their 80-run defeat by South Africa in the second one-day international in Southampton on Tuesday, a result that gave the Proteas a 1-0 lead in the five-match series following last week's no-result washout in Cardiff.

The series continues at The Oval on Friday.

A captaincy hat-trick : Smith and his England conquests

What is with Graeme Smith and the England captains? With the retirement of Andrew Strauss, the tally of England captains he has forced into retirement moves up to three. The story goes back to as long as 2003. Fresh from the World Cup debacle, South Africa rung in major changes. One such change was the installation of a 22 year old rookie, Graeme Smith, as the new captain of South Africa.

It was supposed to be a fresh start to a new chapter in the cricket annals of South Africa. Little did the then England management realize that he would prove 'Terminator' to each of their skippers on every such tour.

"Who's Graeme Smith?" smirked the then England captain Nasser Hussain when South Africa led by the young captain arrived on English soil in 2003, reminding some, of a famous question posed by Ayn Rand in her novel "Atlas Shrugged". It was meant to be a sarcastic jibe, one that would spectacularly rebound on the English skipper.

Smith replied with a series to remember, not just with the bat but also as the young leader of the Proteas. It took just one Test for Hussain to call it quits, Smith had psyched out the England captain in a battle of wits at Edgbaston. His career best 277, the then highest individual score by a South African player had left Nasser emotionally drained. Smith had announced himself to the English crowd with a bang, a new leaf had been turned over.

Hussain knew his time at the top was over, he quit captaincy and at the 2nd Test at Lord's, there was a new leader for the Englishmen, Michael Vaughan.

Graeme Smith had announced himself and would later go on to become the longest serving captain ever in the history of Test cricket. The new world order had arrived, something Hussain gracefully conceded.

Four years later, it was the turn of the incumbent England skipper, Michael Vaughan. Vaughan was undoubtedly being hailed as one of the best tactical captains England ever had. His reign started with an embarrassing defeat at Lord's but managed to pick up the pieces to draw the five Test series 2-2.

The 2004 home summer turned to be a watershed moment for Vaughan and his England team as they whitewashed both New Zealand and West Indies. The 2005 Ashes marked him for greatness, the Windies were dismissed contemptuously in the early summer of 2007, a surprise loss against Dravid's India later that season was termed as a small bump on the road to greatness.

Michael Vaughan was hailed as the man who would lead England to unlimited success, all that remained was vanquishing Graeme Smith and his South Africa to confirm Vaughan's greatness.

The first Test of the 2008 Basil D'Oliveria trophy set the seeds for the fall of the English empire. Smith led a battling effort in which South Africa batted for most part of the last two days to salvage a draw from the jaws of defeat. South Africa went on to win the next two Tests, at Leeds and Birmingham to seal a series victory, their first since 1965 in England.

South Africa had conquered England, more importantly Smith had stopped Vaughan in his tracks, it was just fitting that Smith led from the front, an unbeaten 154 in the 3rd Test at Birmingham while chasing 281 sealing the series victory. The aura around Vaughan had vanished, he resigned from captaincy on 3rd August, 2008 in an emotional press conference. He thanked his supporters for their encouragement and in a flood of tears, asked if anyone had a tissue.

Smith had successfully ventured deep into the hearts of the English management, they had lost a second successive skipper at the hands of the marauder popularly named as 'Biff'.

The 2012 tour was tipped as the contest of the year, this was going to be a series of significance, the battle for the No. 1 Test ranking was to be decided during the course of the three Tests that would follow, it was the battle between two of the strongest bowling line-ups of the current era, it was also a fight between the skippers.

Strauss knew he was on thin ice after the defeats at the hands of Pakistan and an average series against Sri Lanka. He was up against perhaps the best captain in the world today, Graeme Smith. And add to the small battle, Strauss was to face the hat-trick attempt by Smith. The onus was on Strauss to prove that Smith was not an enigma to England.

Before the series started, the nation was engrossed by the Olympics, Great Britain ended up with one of their biggest hauls ever to finish third in the standings. Sadly for the cricketers, they could derive very little inspiration from their sporting bravado at the Olympics. The first Test at the Kennington Oval set the mark for the remainder of the series, Strauss was dismissed in the first over of the match by his old nemesis, Morne Morkel, and the much hyped England bowlers took a mere 2 wickets after 189 tiring overs.

England were demolished and Strauss' captaincy came under intense scrutiny. The pattern had been set and try as they might, England never ever came close to getting into a winning position for the remainder of the series.

It did not help Strauss that the internal bickering in the team came out in the open during the latter stages of the Test series. Kevin Pietersen was axed from the squad after having accepted charges of sending derogatory messages about his team-mates including skipper Strauss.

The saga left Strauss physically and emotionally drained, his padding up to a straight one in what was to be his final ball in international cricket just proved to be the final straw that would go on to break Strauss' back.

Smith had gate-crashed the party of yet another England captain. He has almost cultivated an envious persona that England cricket has failed to decode so far. 'Graeme Smith-who' turned out to be 'Smith-the party-pooper' for Hussain, Vaughan and Strauss. Smith is just 31 and might have one more England tour up his sleeves. Will he still be the Test captain then? Considering his exploits, it doesn't look out of the equation.

England will be silently hoping that it will not be the case. The next time, an England skipper who goes out for the toss against South Africa will be silently hoping that he will not see a certain Mr. Graeme Smith at the other end.

Excellent planning by BCCI helped win WC: Bharat Arun

India's triumph at the U-19 World Cup has made names like Unmukt Chand, Baba Aparajith and Harmeet Singh a part of every household. What has however, escaped notice, is that a dedicated support staff has been working rigorously with these set of players for the past one year. This team was led by a burly former Tamil Nadu and India all-rounder, Bharat Arun, the coach of the World Cup winning side.

India has had a history of successful coaches like John Wright and Gary Kirsten who preferred to stay in background, while the players basked in the success. Arun, who is spoken about as the unsung hero of this victory, seems to be of a similar kind. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with him:

What was going through the mind of the support staff and players immediately after the victory in the finals?

Absolute sheer happiness. That's it. It cannot be described in words.

There were a lot of matches which went down to the wire. During which particular match was the atmosphere in the dressing room the most tense?

Undoubtedly the India Pakistan match.

Was it because of the history between the two nations? Or because of the match situation?

The match itself was really exciting. We got them out for just 137 and our last wicket added 12 runs to win the game. It was a close match, could have gone either way. The win from that game gave a much needed boost and fillip to our team.

There was a statistical analysis comparing the 2008 U-19 World Cup winning squad and this team. Lots of similarities were seen, with regards to the composition of the side. Is it something the management has worked towards or did it just happen by chance?

The composition of the team is decided by the captain and the management. The fact that we had Baba Aparajith, a superb batsman who could also bowl his quota of overs economically was a big plus for us. He is a genuine all-rounder. The highlight of this campaign was that the bowling was exceptional and also extremely consistent.

As a coach, what is your role and how do you go about it? Are you overbearing or the friendly, mentor type?

Coach dons a different role at a different time. So you really can't pin-point one particular style. You've got to be friendly sometimes and stern at other times. Different situations demand different roles. You got to be a friend and sometimes you need to be their philosopher.

There is a debate going around regarding Harmeet Singh and Unmukt Chand. Some feel that they should be fast-tracked to the senior squad. As a person who has observed them at close quarters, what's your take on that?

People can say what they like. My opinion is that they have the potential and ability to make it big at the highest level. To succeed at the highest level, they need to work and move up the ladder rather than pushed straightaway to the biggest stage.

How important was the quadrangular series played in Australia, early in the year, helpful in the preparation for the World Cup?

One major reason for us doing well in this World Cup is the excellent planning by the BCCI. Because, the lead-up to the World Cup started with the quadrangular series in India and progressed with the series in Australia and later we played the Asia Cup. The timing of these tourneys was outstanding which helped us realize our strengths and weakness and gave us a chance to do a proper SWOT analysis. We were much better prepared for the World Cup than the other sides.

Your thoughts on the skipper Unmukt Chand?

The captain Unmukt is far more mature beyond his years. Cricket, as you go up the ladder, is more of a mind game. You need to have the talent, but the one who can be level-headed and control his mind will succeed. Belief in your abilities is very important. Unmukt has depicted that the bigger the game, better is his game. 3 finals and 3 centuries and each has been better than the previous, the best being in the biggest stage, the World Cup final. That shows his tremendous mental toughness, which I think is the secret of his success.

India's catching in this tournament was excellent and by far the best. What is the secret behind that?

Of course, the fielding coach R Sridhar, did an exceptional job. We had a tuned all-rounder Baba Aparajith, who is a brilliant catcher and has really soft hands. Akshdeep Nath was another special talent in the field. We had probably one of the best fielding units in the world. A lot of work went into making them the best fielding unit. I think a lot of credit must go to the fielding coach.

Do you leave the on-field decisions to the skipper, or do you perform the role ala a football manager who has a say while the match is going on?

I think Unmukt is a very intelligent kid. I personally believe that the hallmark of a coach is to empower the players and allow them the confidence to take their own decisions on the field. On most occasions he was right. If he felt otherwise and needed some advice, he would send in a message. But those occasions were very few in number. I think Unmukt's captaincy was also brilliant.

What is next for Bharat Arun? What is your next assignment?

I am going to chill for the next 10 days. After that, I rejoin work at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). There is a lot of work to be done at the NCA. We will probably plan something for the junior development program and the U-19 substitute force.

Reactions on Strauss retirement

@StuartBroad8: Awesome guy, great leader, dependable batsman and a solid 1 slip catcher. Cheers Straussy you'll be playing scratch golf within a year. Best Straussy knock for me was his 100 on the 1st day of the Ashes Test at Lords, allowed us bowlers to have a massive lunch!

@BumbleCricket: A Captain/Player retiring should be a time to celebrate achievements ...#Dravid/Strauss

@7Polly7: Big news in England, Strauss quits international cricket !! Well done on a great career!

@adamhollioke: Congrats Andrew Strauss on an amazing career...very good player & outstanding captain...the best English captain I've seen."

@vaughancricket: A.Strauss....3 Ashes wins...2 as Captain.. 21 Test 100s... Debut at Lords.. 100th Test at Lords.. 50th as Captain at Lords.. #righttouch"

Eoin Morgan: Sad news that Straussy is retiring but I would like to congratulate him on an amazing career. A great leader and a pleasure to play with!!

Jeremy Snape: #Strauss retires with the world of cricket singing his praises. Results + Respect leave a strong leadership legacy

Luke Wright: Sad to see Strauss retires from cricket! Fantastic career, best captain England have ever had! Good luck to Cookie, perfect replacement!

Paul Collingwood: Andrew Strauss should be very proud what he's done for English cricket and everything he's achieved, great team man and great leader #strauss

Geraint Jones: Many congrats to Andrew Strauss on a fantastic career. Great honour to have played with him. Above all he is a true gent.

@MickeyArthur: Sad to hear the news that Andrew Strauss has retired from professional cricket-he was a great leader for England.

@dimimascarenhas Many congrats to Andrew Strauss on an amazing career.. It was great to have played with him..

Alec Stewart: A.Strauss should be very proud of his outstanding career & achievements. As a player & captain one of the very best to wear the Eng shirt.

Starc says Australia 'stuck to plan' vs Pakistan

Lanky paceman Mitchell Starc Wednesday said Australia stuck to their plans during their hard-fought four wicket win over Pakistan, negotiating rival spinners very well.

Australia edged out Pakistan in the first limited overs international here Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with man-of-the-match Starc returning career best figures of 5-42.

He was ably assisted by new-ball partner James Pattinson (3-19) as Australia bundled Pakistan out for a low score of 198 in 45.1 overs.

Australia then fought hard through Michael Clarke (66) and George Bailey (57 not out) to overcome a threat from Pakistani spinners led by Saeed Ajmal (3-30) to win in 48.2 overs.

Starc said Australia were ready for Pakistani spinners.

"We knew it was going to be difficult coming here with the spinners. They know the conditions well and use it to their advantage. We knew if we took it right to the end with that total to chase, we had a good chance," said Starc.

"The three spinners, we knew they were going to be their key bowlers. With our team, we had a majority of quick bowlers. We just stuck to our plans really well on the day," said Starc, who took 4-47 in Australia's 66-run win over Afghanistan here on Saturday.

Starc hoped Australia would continue to negotiate spinners wisely.

"They are three bowlers we're going to have to look at and as we did on Tuesday, try to minimise the damage they cause on us. If we can find a way to score as many as we can off them without losing too many wickets, it would be nice and it would probably go a long way to winning a game.

"We were keyed-up with all our sweatbands and everything to try to hold onto the ball a bit more. We took 3-16 in that power play (36th to 40th overs). We knew to keep it simple and not give them any width," said Starc.

The second match will be played in Abu Dhabi on Friday followed by the third here on Monday.

Both teams will play three Twenty20 internationals in Dubai on September 5, 7 and 10.

Misbah rues Pakistan batting failure vs Aussies

Skipper Misbah-ul Haq Wednesday regretted his team's long term problems in batting and said he hoped his players learned quickly to avoid another series defeat.

Pakistan lost the first limited overs internationals against Australia by four wickets here on Tuesday after another batting collapse saw them bowled out for 198 in 45.1 overs, their last six wickets going for 38 runs.

In contrast Australia fought hard through skipper Michael Clarke's resolute 96-ball 66 and George Bailey's responsible unbeaten 57 off 88 deliveries, winning in 48.2 overs after Pakistan spinners threatened to spoil the chase.

Misbah showed disappointment over not scoring big despite including seven regular batsmen in the side.

"I think the strategy (to include seven batsmen) was obvious from the collapse, we are struggling in batting since the England series and then in Sri Lanka so that is why we kept seven batsmen," said Misbah.

Pakistan are now 1-0 down in the three-match series. They have lost their last two one-day series 4-1 against England here and 3-1 in Sri Lanka.

Misbah said Pakistan were 30 runs short.

"At one point we thought we can make 230 and considering our spin bowling it's a good total but a lot of players are new and, maybe, because some senior players are not there so we couldn't reach that point," said Misbah.

Pakistan left out experienced batsman Younis Khan from the series after he managed just ten runs in four one-day innings in Sri Lanka in June.

Misbah singled out lower order batting as the main cause of concern.

"We are not able to read the match situation well. Our lower order is not contributing which is essential. We needed 30-40 from the lower order and that is why we kept Kamran Akmal and Shahid Afridi in lower order," said Misbah.

Pakistan were cruising along nicely at 159-4 with Asad Shafiq (56) and Umar Akmal (52) at the crease but lost three wickets in the five batting power-play overs, scoring just 16.

Lanky left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc returned career best figures of 5-42 to derail Pakistan batting.

Pakistan hit back through off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who took 3-30 and when Mohammad Hafeez (2-29) dismissed Clarke with Australia still needing 78, they were in with a chance.

But Baily and Glenn Maxwell (38) added an invaluable 63 for the sixth wicket which helped Australia achieve the target.

"When we got Clarke we tried everything, kept attacking fielding but credit must be given to them. The way Bailey and Maxwell batted, it showed maturity even though they were playing their third fourth matches," said Misbah.

The second match will be played in Abu Dhabi on Friday followed by the third in Sharjah on Monday.

Both teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals -- all in Dubai -- on September 5, 7 and 10.

Strauss resigns, Cook to captain after Pietersen saga

After England lost their number one Test ranking to South Africa following a 51-run defeat by the Proteas at Lord's earlier this month that took place almost a year to the day since they ascended to top spot, Strauss was uncertain regarding his future

"It's probably hard to answer that after the week that's just gone by. It's been a tiring week," said Strauss after what was his 100th Test.

"We all need to sit down -- myself and (coach) Andy Flower in particular -- and try and map out the way forward," added the left-hander, who reached his century of Test appearances on his Middlesex home ground.

Talk of a "tiring week" was a direct reference to England's decision to drop Pietersen, who hasn't played international cricket in any format since making 149 in the drawn second Test at Headingley after he admitted sending "provocative" texts to South African players.

Some of these were alleged to have been critical of Strauss, who succeeded South Africa-born and raised Pietersen as England captain in 2009.

Andrew Strauss resigned as England's Test captain and annnounced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect on Wednesday in the latest twist to the Kevin Pietersen saga that has rocked the side.

"After much thought over the last few weeks, I have decided to step down as England Test captain and announce my retirement from all forms of cricket," Strauss said in an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement issued ahead of a news conference at Lord's.

Alastair Cook, already England's one-day captain and Strauss's opening partner in the five-day game, was announced as the new skipper of the Test team.

Cook's first Test as captain will be the first of a four-match series in India in November.

Andrew Strauss retires from professional cricket

England's Andrew Strauss has announced his retirement from professional cricket. Alastair Cook, the ODI team's captain, will take over from Strauss in Test cricket as well.

Strauss, 35, was set to play for county side Middlesex against Worcestershire following the Test series loss to South Africa but withdrew from the team on the morning of the match starting Tuesday, leading to speculations in the media that he was about to resign from his post as Test captain. Strauss went one step further and called it quits with immediate effect.

"After much thought over the last few weeks, I have decided to step down as England Test captain and announce my retirement from all forms of cricket.

"It has clearly been a tough decision to make, but I believe that it is both in the best interests of the England cricket team and myself to step down at this stage.

"There are too many people who have helped me on this incredible journey to mention them all by name, but I would like to thank all the Middlesex and England players I have played alongside, as well as the phenomenal coaches and support staff with whom I have been fortunate enough to work.

"Particular mention has to go to Andy Flower and Duncan Fletcher in that regard. It would also be remiss of me not to thank Middlesex county cricket club, the ECB and the PCA for their support and guidance over the years.

"No-one can play international cricket for any length of time without having an incredibly strong support network around them, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family for going through it all alongside me over the course of my England career.

"I am extremely proud of everything I have achieved as a cricketer, and I have found myself very fortunate to play in an era when some of English cricket's greatest moments have occurred.

"I have loved every minute of it and all that remains is for me to wish Andy, Alastair and the rest of the team the very best for the coming months. I will be an interested spectator."

The new captain Alastair Cook paid rich tribute to Strauss, saying the latter was a skipper who led from the front.

"Andrew's contribution to England cricket in recent years is evident to everyone who follows the sport, but only those of us who have been lucky enough to share a dressing room with him are fully aware of his immense contribution to our success.

"He has been a fantastic captain, has led from the front for three and a half years and is a true ambassador for the game.

"To have played 100 Tests for your country is a phenomenal achievement and I want to congratulate him on a superb career.

"I know this can't have been an easy decision for him and everyone in the dressing room will be sad to see him go.

"I'm very excited by this new challenge, it is a huge honour to be appointed Test captain and I am very much looking forward to captaining the side in India this winter and beyond, but my immediate focus is on this current NatWest one-day series.

"Once the series is over I will turn my attention to the Test captaincy and building on the work Andrew has started."

Strauss, in charge since 2009, saw England lose their number one ranked Test status to South Africa this month following a 2-0 defeat in a three-match series where the opening batsman struggled for runs.

He has enjoyed modest returns with the bat in recent years and his 122 against the West Indies in May was his first Test century since November 2010.

He followed up with another century, his 21st and one shy of the England all-time record, at Trent Bridge but averaged just 17.83 in six innings against the South Africans.

He is now the third England skipper to be 'seen off' in as many tours of England by South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

Nasser Hussain resigned during the England-South Africa series in 2003, Smith's first series as Proteas skipper, with Michael Vaughan standing down five years later.

My focus is on A tour to New Zealand: Unmukt Chand

Mumbai: India’s Under-19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand on Tuesday said his players always had immense self-belief that they would win the trophy despite their initial setbacks.

“The best thing about the tournament is we faltered initially and then we got into the groove slightly later in the tournament. We stumbled a bit, but peaked at the right time,” said the Delhi youngster at a media conference here.

“The best part was, we didn’t know what was happening in India, that really kept us on target. The belief was very strong among the guys and we always felt we will go and lift the trophy. The self-belief only helped us to win the tournament.”

Chand, who top-scored for India with 246 runs from six games, including a match-winning 111 not out in the final against Australia on Sunday, said the team members carried on with a positive mindset after losing the tournament opener against West Indies when the batting flopped.

“All the batsmen go out to score runs but most of the time it does not happen. We lost the first match against the West Indies, but we took the positives from that match... We carried that in the matches that followed,” Chand said.

“It is not like I didn’t want to score earlier, but I was fortunate to score in the final when the team wanted me the most.”

Chand also hailed the tips given by Sachin Tendulkar to the team members before the players left for Australia. “We had a half-an-hour session with him before leaving. The session was helpful... He told what we would face there and how we need to tackle it. He helped us a lot and told us the dos and don’ts,” said Chand.

The India colts skipper, who smashed a match-winning unbeaten century in the summit clash at Townsville, played down the talks about his imminent inclusion in the seniors team.

“I just take one tournament at a time and I am really happy that we did well at the World Cup as a unit… The next step (for me) is India A and I will be looking forward to doing well over there. It’s too early to say anything about playing for India. I do want to play for India but at the moment I want to focus on wherever I go and play."

“(Berth in the) senior team is a long way away. Now there is an India A team (tour to New Zealand) where I have to perform. If I perform well, then let’s see,” he said earlier on arrival at the airport.

Chand, who has followed in the footsteps of Mohammed Kaif and Virat Kohli to lead the country to the Under-19 World Cup title, is in the India A squad to be led by Abhinav Mukund, which is to tour New Zealand. The tour begins next month.

Cricket: India aim to wrap it up with spin trick

A buoyant India will bank on their spin twins to sweep the short series against struggling New Zealand when the second and final Test starts in Bangalore on Friday.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 12 wickets and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha six as India underlined their supremacy on home soil by winning the first Test in Hyderabad by an innings and 115 runs.

Ross Taylor's Black Caps collapsed twice against the spin duo, managing just 159 in the first innings and 164 in the second, with only Kane Williamson (52) scoring a half-century in the match for the out-played tourists.

Ashwin and Ojha, both 25, also played major roles in India's victory in the last home Test series, against the West Indies in November 2011, sharing 42 wickets in three matches.

India broke little sweat in Hyderabad, their first Test after the retirement of batting veterans Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, as the batsmen posted 438 in the first innings before their spinners took over.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's home team will be hot favourites to start the new season with a 2-0 series win, following their dismal show in the past 12 months when they lost eight successive overseas Tests in England and Australia.

India expect Ashwin and Ojha to continue their excellent form and build on the early success in the busy home season, which also features four Test matches each against England and Australia.

"We had a tough last year, but it happens with every team," said Ashwin. "We have put that behind. Hopefully, we can continue and have a great season. There are still nine more Tests to go this season."

Ashwin credited his success to Ojha's steady bowling at the other end.

"Ojha is someone who I have played with since I was 16 and we have always enjoyed each other's company," he said. "We bowl well together because we build pressure very well."

Cheteshwar Pujara's form ahead of tougher assignments against England and Australia also augurs well for India, who are looking for Dravid's replacement at the vital number-three position.

Pujara, 24, impressed with his temperament and technique in only his fourth Test, as he hit a maiden Test century (159) in Hyderabad to help his side post a big total.

But middle-order batsman Suresh Raina, who replaced Laxman, needs to deliver in Bangalore after contributing just three in the last match.

New Zealand will hope for a much improved performance from their batsmen against spin if they are to avoid a second successive Test series defeat. They lost both Tests in the West Indies before this tour.

Only Williamson and opener Brendon McCullum offered any resistance in the second innings at Hyderabad, allowing India to win comfortably with a day to spare.

The Black Caps will also be keen to put in a better bowling performance in what will be their bowling coach Damien Wright's last Test.
Wright, an Australian who was only appointed in July last year, announced Tuesday he would quit after next month's World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka for family reasons.

It was a further blow to the tourists, who have lost four of their seven Tests this year, with just one win and two draws.

Harbhajan deserves to play in all formats: Ganguly

New Delhi: Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly feels that off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been kept away from the national team for too long and he deserves to play for it in all three formats.

Harbhajan was named in the side for the Twenty20 World Cup earlier in the month and Ganguly thinks the selectors should recall him for the Tests and One-day Internationals (ODI).

"I feel he is still one of the top-three spinners in India. He should not have been out for more than six months. He has been playing domestic cricket for too long now. Someone who has almost 700 international wickets to his name would walk into any side," Ganguly said of the spinner, who last played for India in July 2011.

Ganguly said the selectors could have handled the issue better.

"The selectors should have spoken to him and told him that 'we are giving you six months to improve your bowling' and that should have sorted out the matter. You are bound to have a bad season after playing for India for almost 14 years," he added.

Harbhajan has taken 406 Test wickets, 259 scalps in ODIS and captured 18 in T20 Internationals.

Ganguly apprehensive about Yuvraj's comeback

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is nervously hoping for Yuvraj Singh's success in the Twenty20 World Cup and says two Internationals against New Zealand before the mega event should give a fair idea of how much the southpaw has recovered from cancer.

"The two matches against New Zealand will give us an idea of how much he has recovered. It would be wrong if I say I am not worried about his health. However, I am really happy that he has come back from a tough phase. I am sure he must be thrilled too," said Ganguly at a promotional event for the World T20 beginning in Sri Lanka Sep 18.

Many former cricketers, including Ganguly, had raised fears about Yuvraj's fitness in the wake of his surprise selection in the T20 side announced earlier in the month.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjerekar, who also attended the event, said Yuvraj's presence will inspire the team.

"Let's be honest, it was an emotional decision to bring him back. It is difficult to imagine the trauma he has gone through. But the good thing is that he has shown eagerness to come back and will certainly boost the team's morale," said Manjrekar.

Yuvraj will get the chance of some serious match practice in the two matches against New Zealand scheduled Sep 8 and 11. The World T20 will take place in Sri Lanka from Sep 18 to Oct 12.

Ganguly picks India World T20 favourites, Windies dark horses

Sourav Ganguly said India have the firepower to win the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka next month and chose the West Indies as the dark horses. "When you have players like Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh it is very difficult to count India out.

There is a lot of firepower there," said the former India captain.

Asked about Piyush Chawla and Lakshmipathy Balaji's selection, Ganguly quipped that Chawla is proving to be a lucky mascot as India won the World Cup with him in the squad. As for Balaji, he said, the Tamil Nadu medium-pacer bowled exceedingly well in Pakistan under his captaincy and he looked good playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League last season.

"India have most things going in their favour. The tournament is going to be held in the sub-continent and they will be confident after their performance in the one-day series in Sri Lanka. Having said that, the tournament format is short and India are in a tough group," said Ganguly, adding that it will be difficult to stop India if Sehwag fires at the top.

India are pooled with Afghanistan and England in the group stages and will need to win seven matches to get their hands on the trophy for the second time.

Talking about the other teams, Ganguly sai, "The West Indies are a powerhouse. They are very dangerous in the shortest format with the presence of Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Dwayne Smith and they have pacers who bowl at 150 kmph plus.

In addition, they have a very talented spinner in Sunil Narine. South Africa are also a good side and are rightly ranked the top test team. England have the advantage of having a world class spinner in Graeme Swann, though they are bound to miss Kevin Pietersen," said he.

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, also part of the channel's commentary team, agreed with Ganguly about the West Indies beiung the dark horse.

"As Ganguly said, the West Indies look a formidable unit. They have a good chance of winning the competition as it is a bit of a lottery. Considering the format, there are bound to be upsets and surprises," said Manjrekar talking about the tight scheduling of the 27 matches involving 12 teams.

The World T20 runs from Sep 18 to Oct 12.