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.