'Yadav should have been in squad for England'

BANGALORE: Wasim Akram played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' title triumph in 2012 Indian Premier League. After opting out of the 2013 season, the former Pakistan speedster's return as a bowling coach this season seems to have had the desired effect. In Bangalore for the title decider against Kings XI Punjab, Akram shared his thoughts about Gautam Gambhir's captaincy and his impressions on batsman Robin Uthappa, pacer Umesh Yadav and spinner Sunil Narine.

How do you rate Gautam Gambhir's captaincy?

He is not getting many runs but his style has been very attacking. Most captains try to block runs but Gautam goes for the wickets. If you notice, from the eighth to the 15th overs most of the teams use their part-timers. But Gambhir gets Narine, Morkel and Shakib in. The idea is to get wickets and that is the only way you can stop runs.

On Uthappa's form.

He is scoring runs in every game. He is in the form of his life. He has got the hang of batting. There are times when he plays good deliveries for incredible shots inside out. He has very safe shots in his armory.

How do you assess medium-pacer Umesh Yadav's performance?

He has got the pace and the swing. He was spraying the ball around a bit and that was owing to lack of confidence. My job is more psychological than anything else, instilling confidence in them. I did that and it worked.

Do you think Umesh should have been in the Indian Test squad for England tour?

I am so happy for him that he got picked for the Bangladesh series. But I am a little saddened, with the way he is bowling, he should have been in the squad for the Test series against England. Having played a lot of cricket in England, I believe Umesh's pace and swing will suit English conditions.

How difficult is it for a batsman to read Narine?

With Murali (Muralitharan), you could tell by watching the release but with Sunil, it's difficult. People have figured out Ajantha Mendis but not Sunil. This was a great signing by KKR and it was Gautam's idea to bring him into the team.

How happy is your owner Shah Rukh Khan?

He met the boys; he hugged everyone. He is happy, he is over the moon. He's been tweeting a lot about KKR so I think he's been following the team's performance. I hope Shah Rukh comes for the final.

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'Yadav should have been in squad for England'

BANGALORE: Wasim Akram played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' title triumph in 2012 Indian Premier League. After opting out of the 2013 season, the former Pakistan speedster's return as a bowling coach this season seems to have had the desired effect. In Bangalore for the title decider against Kings XI Punjab, Akram shared his thoughts about Gautam Gambhir's captaincy and his impressions on batsman Robin Uthappa, pacer Umesh Yadav and spinner Sunil Narine.

How do you rate Gautam Gambhir's captaincy?

He is not getting many runs but his style has been very attacking. Most captains try to block runs but Gautam goes for the wickets. If you notice, from the eighth to the 15th overs most of the teams use their part-timers. But Gambhir gets Narine, Morkel and Shakib in. The idea is to get wickets and that is the only way you can stop runs.

On Uthappa's form.

He is scoring runs in every game. He is in the form of his life. He has got the hang of batting. There are times when he plays good deliveries for incredible shots inside out. He has very safe shots in his armory.

How do you assess medium-pacer Umesh Yadav's performance?

He has got the pace and the swing. He was spraying the ball around a bit and that was owing to lack of confidence. My job is more psychological than anything else, instilling confidence in them. I did that and it worked.

Do you think Umesh should have been in the Indian Test squad for England tour?

I am so happy for him that he got picked for the Bangladesh series. But I am a little saddened, with the way he is bowling, he should have been in the squad for the Test series against England. Having played a lot of cricket in England, I believe Umesh's pace and swing will suit English conditions.

How difficult is it for a batsman to read Narine?

With Murali (Muralitharan), you could tell by watching the release but with Sunil, it's difficult. People have figured out Ajantha Mendis but not Sunil. This was a great signing by KKR and it was Gautam's idea to bring him into the team.

How happy is your owner Shah Rukh Khan?

He met the boys; he hugged everyone. He is happy, he is over the moon. He's been tweeting a lot about KKR so I think he's been following the team's performance. I hope Shah Rukh comes for the final.

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MCC 'snub' sparked Flintoff's comeback

LONDON: Andrew Flintoff has revealed how being overlooked for the upcoming Lord's Bicentenary match between Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Rest of the World spurred him on to make a Twenty20 comeback with Lancashire.

The Red Rose county confirmed Friday that Flintoff, one of their favourite sons, had been included in the squad for the county's domestic Twenty20 campaign.

Former England captain Flintoff, in injury-induced retirement for five years, wasn't selected to play in the team that faced Warwickshire on Friday but is in line to return at home to Lancashire's arch-rivals Yorkshire at Old Trafford a week on Friday.

Before announcing his comeback, the 36-year-old said he'd hoped to have been chosen for the star-studded match marking the 200th anniversary of Lord's in July.

But pace bowling all-rounder Flintoff said the effect on his children of being told he wasn't wanted for the fixture had fuelled his desire to return to the middle.

"John Stephenson from the MCC phoned me up and I thought the call was to tell me where to turn up and who was in the side," Flintoff told BBC Radio Five in an interview broadcast Friday.

"The kids were in the car and he told me they didn't want me. He said they've got Brian Lara and all these other people.

"I saw my kids' faces and that's the first time they'd seen their dad told he can't do something. They said: 'Never mind, there will be other games'. And I thought: 'There will be actually.'"

Concerns have been expressed that, after such a long time out of the game, Flintoff risks tarnishing his reputation by not being able to perform at his best.

However, he said: "I'd sooner try and have it not come off than sit at home for the rest of my days thinking I should have tried this, I should have had a go."

"I feel young, I behave like I'm young," Flintoff added. "It's the easiest decision I've made in my career.

"Lancs think I can do it, I think I can do it. I can't guarantee performance but I'm going to have a go at this. I've got to prove myself."

A powerful batsman, as well as an aggressive bowler and assured slip fielder, Flintoff played 79 Tests, 141 one-day internationals and seven Twenty20 internationals for England.

Fans' favourite Flintoff's greatest all-round series came when he scored 402 runs at an average of just over 40 and took 24 wickets at under 28 apiece as England regained the Ashes 2-1 in 2005.

But the subsequent Ashes saw Flintoff, miscast as England captain, lead his country to a 5-0 series defeat in Australia in 2006/07.

Even so, his international career finished with a flourish when he ran out Australia captain Ricky Ponting in the fifth Test at The Oval in 2009, a match England won by 197 runs to regain the Ashes 2-1.

For Lancashire, for whom he made his debut as a 17-year-old, Flintoff scored 4,042 runs at 35.14 and took 92 wickets at 29.16 in 80 first-class matches.

In 16 county Twenty20 games he averaged 13.94 with the ball and 29.64 with the bat, with a highest score of 93 against Derbyshire in 2009.

Since retiring from cricket, Flintoff has appeared in a number of television programmes and even had one bout of professional boxing.

Now though he is set to go back to where it all started for him by playing for boyhood club St Annes against Penrith in the Northern League on Saturday as a means of 'warming-up' for his county return.

"Andrew is as fit as a fiddle," said St Annes captain Andy Kellett. "That is why Lancashire are so happy for him to play for them again.

"It will be a bit weird for me being captain of the side when there is a former England captain in the side, but I have done it before.

"We always knew when Andrew first played here as a youngster that he would go on to much better things, though not the superstar he became."

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Ton-up Sangakkara rallies Sri Lanka to 300/9

LONDON: Kumar Sangakkara's first century at Lord's saw Sri Lanka bounce back in the fourth one-day international against England on Saturday.

Just days after they'd been shot out for 67 at Old Trafford, Sri Lanka made 300 for nine after being sent into bat.

Sangakkara's 112 -- his first hundred at Lord's in any format -- was the centrepiece and together with Tillakaratne Dilshan (71), he put on 172 for the second wicket.

The duo had managed just 15 runs between them during the course of a 10-wicket defeat in Manchester on Wednesday that left England 2-1 up in the five-match series.

This innings also represented a reversal of fortune for England paceman Chris Jordan, who took a career best five for 29 at Old Trafford.

But his 10 overs, including eight wides, on a typically good Lord's pitch cost 67 runs as he struggled to bowl the correct length.

And Jordan's two wickets Saturday only came during his final over as Sri Lanka hit out.

Sangakkara's 19th ODI century had an unpromising start as the 36-year-old took 13 balls to get off the mark.

But such was the composure and experience of the left-hander, playing his 373rd match at this level, the number three batsman never looked flustered.

Kusal Perera, in for the dropped Dinesh Chandimal, signalled Sri Lanka's intention to put their Old Trafford nightmare behind them with two boundaries in the first over, from James Anderson.

Perera also pulled Harry Gurney for six. But left-arm seamer Gurney, who took career-best figures of four for 55 in his fifth ODI, had his revenge when Perera (19) was late on a pull and Jordan held a diving slip catch.

Sangakkara found his touch in the 18th over with three boundaries in successive balls from Joe Root.

He drove the occasional off-spinner straight down the ground and next ball lofted him over mid-on before cover-driving him for a superb four.

Dilshan fell when he was bowled leg stump by Anderson attempting a trademark 'Dilscoop' shot.

Sangakkara's two off Jordan then saw him to a perfectly-paced 95-ball hundred with 13 fours.

England finally saw the back of Sangakkara when off-spinner James Tredwell had him stumped by opposing wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews then chipped in with a run-a-ball 30 before he holed out off Jordan.

Gurney struck twice in the final over off the innings but, off the very last ball, Ajantha Mendis late cut him for four to take Sri Lanka to exactly 300.

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Mumbai lacked consistency, says Wright

MUMBAI: They did a magnificent job of bouncing back and reaching the playoffs despite losing their first five matches on the trot in the UAE, but coach John Wright still seemed a disappointed man after the Mumbai Indians crashed out of the tournament, losing the `Eliminator' to Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday night. Admitting that the team badly missed an `impact bowler' after Lankan ace Lasith Malinga's departure, Wright felt that the horrid start hurt the team's chances badly. "We haven't had the consistency that was needed, certainly not at the start.

Lendl Simmons did a magnificent job after coming into the team. He really turned things around for us. We juggled things a little bit. But the trouble with such a start is that sometimes you question your combinations and sometimes it takes a little while to get that right," Wright remarked.

Having said that, the former India coach was still full of praise for his boys for the way the defending champs staged a comeback in the tournament, with the miraculous 190-run chase in 14.4 overs against the Rajasthan Royals last Sunday being the standout effort. "We fought very hard since we have been back in India and I can't fault the boys from the position we were in," Wright said.

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Fixing claims 'absurd, bizarre, scary': Cairns

WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns reiterated on Friday he was innocent of any involvement in match-fixing and described the accusations against him as "absurd, bizarre and scary".

Cairns read out a statement at Auckland airport after returning from London, where he was interviewed at his own request by London police, English cricketing authorities and the anti-corruption unit of cricket's world governing body, the ICC.

"I have never match-fixed, sought to have others match-fix, or otherwise play the game of cricket in anything other than the spirit it so richly deserves to be played in," he said.

"Knowing what I now know of these allegations against me, I find the situation truly absurd, bizarre and scary.

"I now wait to see what happens next. Whatever happens, I am hopeful that proper process will be followed and that I will be cleared of these allegations."

The 43-year-old said former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent, who has admitted corruption and is assisting the ICC probe, had "betrayed" his friendship and the allegations he and his ex-wife had made against Cairns were "despicable lies".

He also hit out at New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, saying it was "misleading" to say he had reported an alleged approach by Cairns about match-fixing in a "timely fashion" given he made the allegation in 2011, three years after it was supposed to have taken place.

McCullum's evidence to the ICC's Anti-Corruption Security Unit (ACSU), where he described being twice approached by a "Player X", was leaked to a British newspaper earlier this month.

Cairns later said he thought he was "Player X" but completely denied the allegations.

The ICC has said that McCullum is not under investigation for match-fixing and has commended his conduct in coming forward to give the evidence.

Cairns also said none of the three cricketers who were allegedly told by McCullum of the approach - Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills - had made "a direct accusation" against him.

The involvement of London police results from a 2012 libel trial in the British High Court, when Cairns won damages from Indian cricket administrator Lalit Modi over accusations of corruption.

Cairns said that after his London trip he was confident there were no allegations that he had "received any monies for my alleged activities, nor paid any monies to any person".

"Over the last few years I have felt the influence of nameless, faceless people casting aspersions about me through the world of cricket and perhaps beyond," he added.

"I have a small team of people in my corner who have believed in me throughout and are helping me now.

"I have said that there are dark forces at play here. The just concluded trip to England has not persuaded me to think any differently."

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Mumbai lacked consistency, says Wright

MUMBAI: They did a magnificent job of bouncing back and reaching the playoffs despite losing their first five matches on the trot in the UAE, but coach John Wright still seemed a disappointed man after the Mumbai Indians crashed out of the tournament, losing the `Eliminator' to Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday night. Admitting that the team badly missed an `impact bowler' after Lankan ace Lasith Malinga's departure, Wright felt that the horrid start hurt the team's chances badly. "We haven't had the consistency that was needed, certainly not at the start.

Lendl Simmons did a magnificent job after coming into the team. He really turned things around for us. We juggled things a little bit. But the trouble with such a start is that sometimes you question your combinations and sometimes it takes a little while to get that right," Wright remarked.

Having said that, the former India coach was still full of praise for his boys for the way the defending champs staged a comeback in the tournament, with the miraculous 190-run chase in 14.4 overs against the Rajasthan Royals last Sunday being the standout effort. "We fought very hard since we have been back in India and I can't fault the boys from the position we were in," Wright said.

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Fixing claims 'absurd, bizarre, scary': Cairns

WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns reiterated on Friday he was innocent of any involvement in match-fixing and described the accusations against him as "absurd, bizarre and scary".

Cairns read out a statement at Auckland airport after returning from London, where he was interviewed at his own request by London police, English cricketing authorities and the anti-corruption unit of cricket's world governing body, the ICC.

"I have never match-fixed, sought to have others match-fix, or otherwise play the game of cricket in anything other than the spirit it so richly deserves to be played in," he said.

"Knowing what I now know of these allegations against me, I find the situation truly absurd, bizarre and scary.

"I now wait to see what happens next. Whatever happens, I am hopeful that proper process will be followed and that I will be cleared of these allegations."

The 43-year-old said former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent, who has admitted corruption and is assisting the ICC probe, had "betrayed" his friendship and the allegations he and his ex-wife had made against Cairns were "despicable lies".

He also hit out at New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, saying it was "misleading" to say he had reported an alleged approach by Cairns about match-fixing in a "timely fashion" given he made the allegation in 2011, three years after it was supposed to have taken place.

McCullum's evidence to the ICC's Anti-Corruption Security Unit (ACSU), where he described being twice approached by a "Player X", was leaked to a British newspaper earlier this month.

Cairns later said he thought he was "Player X" but completely denied the allegations.

The ICC has said that McCullum is not under investigation for match-fixing and has commended his conduct in coming forward to give the evidence.

Cairns also said none of the three cricketers who were allegedly told by McCullum of the approach - Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori and Kyle Mills - had made "a direct accusation" against him.

The involvement of London police results from a 2012 libel trial in the British High Court, when Cairns won damages from Indian cricket administrator Lalit Modi over accusations of corruption.

Cairns said that after his London trip he was confident there were no allegations that he had "received any monies for my alleged activities, nor paid any monies to any person".

"Over the last few years I have felt the influence of nameless, faceless people casting aspersions about me through the world of cricket and perhaps beyond," he added.

"I have a small team of people in my corner who have believed in me throughout and are helping me now.

"I have said that there are dark forces at play here. The just concluded trip to England has not persuaded me to think any differently."

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I never lost hope, says Pankaj Singh

JAIPUR: It has been a long wait for Rajasthan's Pankaj Singh.

The tall medium-pacer has been one of Indian domestic circuit's most consistent performers for quite some time. In fact, he has been among the highest wicket-takers in Ranji Trophy for the past five years. Yet, a berth in the Indian team had been eluding him.

Finally on Wednesday, the hard-working Pankaj was rewarded for his efforts with a place in the 18-member squad for July's tour of England.

"I think I deserve it," Pankaj told TOI. "I had been performing quiet well in the domestic circuit, yet wasn't being considered good enough for the Indian squad. Now that I have got this opportunity, I will strive to make it count."

It is also quite significant that Pankaj's parent association, Rajasthan Cricket Association, is currently suspended by the BCCI.

It recalls that while handing out the suspension, the BCCI had made it clear that players from the state will not suffer.

With Deepak Chahar making the Emerging squad a few days ago and now with Pankaj finding a place in the India squad, the BCCI could well be reaching out to the players, assuring that they will be taken care of, despite the standoff among administrators.

"There was an obvious tension when the RCA was suspended," Pankaj said.

"We players were not quite sure how we will be treated. Whether we would be made to suffer or not. However, the BCCI had provided hope when it had said that the players will be looked after. It is good to see that the players are getting their due, despite everything that has happened recently."

Pankaj's selection might have come out of the blue for many, but the selectors clearly had an eye on him since last year, when he was selected in the Rest Of India squad in the Irani Cup tie against Karnataka.

Although ROI suffered an innings defeat, Pankaj was the highest wicket-taker for the team with a six-for-122.

"I had been hoping that my performances are being noticed, but when I wasn't getting called up for India, a kind of frustration was setting in," Pankaj said. "I was wondering what more I had to do."

The frustration was telling on the field too, although with his vast experience, he continued to lead the Rajasthan attack. "I never lost hope," he added.

"Every time an Indian team was being selected, I hoped that I would get a mention."

Pankaj was in the India Test squad that toured Australia in 2008, but did not get to play in any match. He made his India debut in One-Day Internationals in 2010 in Harare against Sri Lanka under Suresh Raina's captaincy. Pankaj went wicketless in his seven overs, conceding 45 runs.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Pankaj said.

Conditions in England would suit his style of bowling, as he banks more on seam than pace. He has never played in England before, but is not worried about that. "I will try to utilize the conditions and give of my best," he said.

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I never lost hope, says Pankaj Singh

JAIPUR: It has been a long wait for Rajasthan's Pankaj Singh.

The tall medium-pacer has been one of Indian domestic circuit's most consistent performers for quite some time. In fact, he has been among the highest wicket-takers in Ranji Trophy for the past five years. Yet, a berth in the Indian team had been eluding him.

Finally on Wednesday, the hard-working Pankaj was rewarded for his efforts with a place in the 18-member squad for July's tour of England.

"I think I deserve it," Pankaj told TOI. "I had been performing quiet well in the domestic circuit, yet wasn't being considered good enough for the Indian squad. Now that I have got this opportunity, I will strive to make it count."

It is also quite significant that Pankaj's parent association, Rajasthan Cricket Association, is currently suspended by the BCCI.

It recalls that while handing out the suspension, the BCCI had made it clear that players from the state will not suffer.

With Deepak Chahar making the Emerging squad a few days ago and now with Pankaj finding a place in the India squad, the BCCI could well be reaching out to the players, assuring that they will be taken care of, despite the standoff among administrators.

"There was an obvious tension when the RCA was suspended," Pankaj said.

"We players were not quite sure how we will be treated. Whether we would be made to suffer or not. However, the BCCI had provided hope when it had said that the players will be looked after. It is good to see that the players are getting their due, despite everything that has happened recently."

Pankaj's selection might have come out of the blue for many, but the selectors clearly had an eye on him since last year, when he was selected in the Rest Of India squad in the Irani Cup tie against Karnataka.

Although ROI suffered an innings defeat, Pankaj was the highest wicket-taker for the team with a six-for-122.

"I had been hoping that my performances are being noticed, but when I wasn't getting called up for India, a kind of frustration was setting in," Pankaj said. "I was wondering what more I had to do."

The frustration was telling on the field too, although with his vast experience, he continued to lead the Rajasthan attack. "I never lost hope," he added.

"Every time an Indian team was being selected, I hoped that I would get a mention."

Pankaj was in the India Test squad that toured Australia in 2008, but did not get to play in any match. He made his India debut in One-Day Internationals in 2010 in Harare against Sri Lanka under Suresh Raina's captaincy. Pankaj went wicketless in his seven overs, conceding 45 runs.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Pankaj said.

Conditions in England would suit his style of bowling, as he banks more on seam than pace. He has never played in England before, but is not worried about that. "I will try to utilize the conditions and give of my best," he said.

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Robin Uthappa is all set to fly again

BANGALORE: Robin Uthappa seems to have hit cruise mode after touching dizzying heights and enduring heart-breaking lows in a topsy-turvy career.

An impressive run in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare limited overs tournaments this season followed by a remarkable show for KKR in the IPL has helped him return to the Indian ODI squad after a gap of six years.

The 28-year-old Kodava lad, who last played an ODI for India against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup at Karachi in 2008, was on Wednesday included in the Indian ODI team that will travel to Bangladesh for a three-match series, starting June 15.

Incidentally, Uthappa was part of the team which traveled to Bangladesh in 2007 for a three-match ODI series but did not make it to the playing squad.

"I am grateful for this opportunity and it has come at the right time. This will be a great chance for me to prove myself and help India win matches," said a delighted Uthappa, who has emerged as the top-scorer of this year's IPL with 655 runs.

"Everything is going well and I want continue without making changes to my game and my approach. I am looking forward to a good tournament in Bangladesh. If I perform well there, everything else will automatically fall into place. So, I want to stick to my plans and keep things simple. Before that, my focus is to do well in the IPL final," said Uthappa, whose last international appearance was in the rain-affected T20 game in South Africa in March 2012.

After a slump in form, the 28-year-old took tough decisions two seasons ago, changing his attitude and lifestyle in a bid to resurrect his career. He also hired former India cricketer Pravin Amre to help him fine-tune his technique. "After the IPL, I am back in Mumbai to train with Amre," he said.

Uthappa's Karnataka and KKR teammate Vinay Kumar, who too is in the ODI squad, said his inclusion was a reward for hard work. "I was in and out of the Indian team but the selectors have taken notice of my performance in domestic cricket," said Kumar, 30, who last figured in the Indian team during its home series against Australia in November last year. "I will give my best in Bangladesh and will aim to stay in the national reckoning," said Vinay, who has figured in 31 ODIs.

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Robin Uthappa is all set to fly again

BANGALORE: Robin Uthappa seems to have hit cruise mode after touching dizzying heights and enduring heart-breaking lows in a topsy-turvy career.

An impressive run in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare limited overs tournaments this season followed by a remarkable show for KKR in the IPL has helped him return to the Indian ODI squad after a gap of six years.

The 28-year-old Kodava lad, who last played an ODI for India against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup at Karachi in 2008, was on Wednesday included in the Indian ODI team that will travel to Bangladesh for a three-match series, starting June 15.

Incidentally, Uthappa was part of the team which traveled to Bangladesh in 2007 for a three-match ODI series but did not make it to the playing squad.

"I am grateful for this opportunity and it has come at the right time. This will be a great chance for me to prove myself and help India win matches," said a delighted Uthappa, who has emerged as the top-scorer of this year's IPL with 655 runs.

"Everything is going well and I want continue without making changes to my game and my approach. I am looking forward to a good tournament in Bangladesh. If I perform well there, everything else will automatically fall into place. So, I want to stick to my plans and keep things simple. Before that, my focus is to do well in the IPL final," said Uthappa, whose last international appearance was in the rain-affected T20 game in South Africa in March 2012.

After a slump in form, the 28-year-old took tough decisions two seasons ago, changing his attitude and lifestyle in a bid to resurrect his career. He also hired former India cricketer Pravin Amre to help him fine-tune his technique. "After the IPL, I am back in Mumbai to train with Amre," he said.

Uthappa's Karnataka and KKR teammate Vinay Kumar, who too is in the ODI squad, said his inclusion was a reward for hard work. "I was in and out of the Indian team but the selectors have taken notice of my performance in domestic cricket," said Kumar, 30, who last figured in the Indian team during its home series against Australia in November last year. "I will give my best in Bangladesh and will aim to stay in the national reckoning," said Vinay, who has figured in 31 ODIs.

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Punjab bowl out Daredevils for 115

CHANDIGARH: Delhi Daredevils' final innings was as woeful as their opening one as they managed only a below-par 115 in 18.1 overs against table-toppers Kings XI Punjab in an inconsequential IPL encounter, on Sunday.

Kevin Pietersen (58) finally got a half-century that had nine boundaries with a few bearing testimony of the vintage 'KP' but his teammates again showed that most of them didn't have the application nor the zeal to finish with their heads held high.

In the end, they were all-out with as many as 11 balls to spare. Parvinder Awana, Mitchell Johnson, Akshar Patel and Karanveer Singh got two wickets each.

Save their skipper, none of the other Delhi batsmen scored above 15 leave alone a quickfire 20 plus score.

Mayank Agarwal (2) once again played an irresponsible shot as has been the case with him in this edition and was caught by Virender Sehwag off Johnson.

With 115 runs from eight games, there would always be questions raised whether the Bangalore boy deserved a chance in the playing XI after so many failures.

Dinesh Karthik (13) had three boundaries but closed his bat face off Awana to give a simple catch to Akshar Patel.

Save an odd performance here and there, the Tamil Nadu stumper didn't inspire any confidence whatsoever infront or behind the stumps.

Kedar Jadhav (0) being promoted up the order tried to hit Awana over mid-off but Manan Vohra took a smart overhead catch to reduce Daredevils to 44 for three at the end of Powerplay.

Manoj Tiwary (8) was a victim of a mix-up as non-striker Kevin Pietersen ran straight to the batsman's end without looking at the point fielder, who lobbed it back to the bowler at the non-striker's end to do the needful.

JP Duminy (8) tried a sweep shot when a delivery from leggie Karanveer bounced a tad too much and an easy catch was taken by Akshar Patel at short cover.

Pietersen was then adjudged leg-before trying to play Rishi Dhawan across the line although replays showed that the ball might have drifted down leg-side. The former England captain faced 41 balls for his 58.

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Punjab opt to field against Daredevils

NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab captain George Bailey opted to field after winning the toss against Delhi Daredevils in the final group league encounter of the IPL 7 on Sunday.

Both teams made three changes in their playing XI. Delhi Daredevils have dropped Murali Vijay, Siddharth Kaul and Wayne Parnell. In their place, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammed Shami and Jimmy Neesham have come in.

Kings XI Punjab dropped last match's man-of-the-match Shaun Marsh as the dangerous Glenn Maxwell comes back in his place. Parvinder Awana comes in place of Lakshmipathy Balaji while Mitchell Johnson is back in place of Beuran Hendricks.

Teams:

Delhi Daredevils: Mayank Agarwal, Kevin Pietersen, Dinesh Karthik, JP Duminy, Manoj Tiwary, Jimmy Neesham, Kedar Jadhav, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Shami, Jaydev Unadkat, Imran Tahir

KXIP: Virender Sehwag, Manan Vohra, Glenn Maxwell, Wriddhiman Saha, David Miller, George Bailey, Akashar Patel, Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan, Karanveer Singh, Parvinder Awana.

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Punjab bowl out Daredevils for 115

CHANDIGARH: Delhi Daredevils' final innings was as woeful as their opening one as they managed only a below-par 115 in 18.1 overs against table-toppers Kings XI Punjab in an inconsequential IPL encounter, on Sunday.

Kevin Pietersen (58) finally got a half-century that had nine boundaries with a few bearing testimony of the vintage 'KP' but his teammates again showed that most of them didn't have the application nor the zeal to finish with their heads held high.

In the end, they were all-out with as many as 11 balls to spare. Parvinder Awana, Mitchell Johnson, Akshar Patel and Karanveer Singh got two wickets each.

Save their skipper, none of the other Delhi batsmen scored above 15 leave alone a quickfire 20 plus score.

Mayank Agarwal (2) once again played an irresponsible shot as has been the case with him in this edition and was caught by Virender Sehwag off Johnson.

With 115 runs from eight games, there would always be questions raised whether the Bangalore boy deserved a chance in the playing XI after so many failures.

Dinesh Karthik (13) had three boundaries but closed his bat face off Awana to give a simple catch to Akshar Patel.

Save an odd performance here and there, the Tamil Nadu stumper didn't inspire any confidence whatsoever infront or behind the stumps.

Kedar Jadhav (0) being promoted up the order tried to hit Awana over mid-off but Manan Vohra took a smart overhead catch to reduce Daredevils to 44 for three at the end of Powerplay.

Manoj Tiwary (8) was a victim of a mix-up as non-striker Kevin Pietersen ran straight to the batsman's end without looking at the point fielder, who lobbed it back to the bowler at the non-striker's end to do the needful.

JP Duminy (8) tried a sweep shot when a delivery from leggie Karanveer bounced a tad too much and an easy catch was taken by Akshar Patel at short cover.

Pietersen was then adjudged leg-before trying to play Rishi Dhawan across the line although replays showed that the ball might have drifted down leg-side. The former England captain faced 41 balls for his 58.

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Kings XI stroll to 7-wicket win over DD

MOHALI: Kings XI Punjab ended their IPL league-stage campaign on a high, beating Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium on Sunday.

Punjab's latest win took them to 22 points, four ahead of second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders, who will be their opponents in Qualifier 1.

Both teams will have two bites of the cherry, with the winner directly making it to the final while the loser will take on the winners of the Eliminator.

Daredevils, with their ninth consecutive loss, ended the Indian Premier League (IPL) seventh season without a win on Indian soil. Their two solitary wins in 14 matches came in the UAE leg. They failed to register a win in nine matches in India.

Captain Kevin Pietersen's 58 off 41 balls was the saving grace for Delhi Daredevils as another poor showing with the bat saw them being shot out for 115 runs in 18.1.

Such was the dismal performance by the Daredevils that barring Pietersen, Dinesh Karthik (13) and Jimmy Neesham (12), the rest of the batsman failed to even reach double figures.

Parvinder Awana, Akshar Patel, Mitchell Johnson and Karanveer Singh took two wickets each while Rishi Dhawan chipped in with one.

In reply, Kings XI strolled to their 11th win of the campaign with Manan Vohra (47) and David Miller (47 not out) stringing together a 96-run third wicket stand off just 60 balls that helped them reach 119 for three in 13.5 overs.

Kings XI's chase, though, got off on a disastrous note. Virender Sehwag (7) and Glenn Maxwell (0) were both dismissed early, giving Delhi a bit of a chance.

At 16 for two, Pietersen would have hoped for a couple of more quick wickets to really put some pressure on their opponents.

Vohra led a stunning counter-attack that saw him smash four boundaries and two sixes. Miller, initially, played the perfect sheet anchor role before flexing his muscles as the target neared.

The South African batsman who has been a key component of the Punjab juggernaut hit four fours and cleared the boundary twice.

Delhi's bowling again lacked the penetrating power with the spinners going for plenty. However, left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat bowled brilliantly giving away just three runs and picking up a wicket from his two overs.

Brief Scores:

Delhi Daredevils: 115 all out in 18.1 overs (Kevin Pietersen 58, Dinesh Karthik 13; Parvinder Awana 2-15, Karanveer Singh 2-22).

Kings XI Punjab: 119 for three in 13.5 overs (Manan Vohra 47, David Miller 47 not out; Jaydev Unadkat 1-3, Mohammed Shami 1-26)

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IPL: CSK elect to bowl against RCB

BANGALORE: Chennai Super Kings decided to field after winning the toss against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 14th and final round IPL group league encounter here on Saturday.

Veteran seamer Ashish Nehra, who was dropped after the first game came back into the side along with leggie Samuel Badree. The ones dropped are John Hastings and Pawan Negi.

RCB made wholesale changes with Chris Gayle, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ashoke Dinda and Abu Nechim Ahmed also being kept out of the playing XI.

The ones replacing them are Ravi Rampaul, Rilee Russouw, Vijay Zol and Shadab Zakati.

Teams

Chennai Super Kings: Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, David Hussey, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Mithun Manhas, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Samuel Badree, Ashish Nehra

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Vijay Zol, Yogesh Takawale, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, AB de Villiers, Rilee Rossouw, Mitchell Starc, Sachin Rana, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Rampaul, Sahdab Jakati.

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IPL: CSK elect to bowl against RCB

BANGALORE: Chennai Super Kings decided to field after winning the toss against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 14th and final round IPL group league encounter here on Saturday.

Veteran seamer Ashish Nehra, who was dropped after the first game came back into the side along with leggie Samuel Badree. The ones dropped are John Hastings and Pawan Negi.

RCB made wholesale changes with Chris Gayle, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ashoke Dinda and Abu Nechim Ahmed also being kept out of the playing XI.

The ones replacing them are Ravi Rampaul, Rilee Russouw, Vijay Zol and Shadab Zakati.

Teams

Chennai Super Kings: Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, David Hussey, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Mithun Manhas, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Samuel Badree, Ashish Nehra

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Vijay Zol, Yogesh Takawale, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, AB de Villiers, Rilee Rossouw, Mitchell Starc, Sachin Rana, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Rampaul, Sahdab Jakati.

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Kohli smashes 73 but RCB manage 154/6

BANGALORE: Virat Kohli stood tall among his struggling teammates with a stroke-filled half-century as Royal Challengers Bangalore managed a below-par 154 for six against Chennai Super Kings in the final group league encounter of the two teams in the seventh edition of IPL.

Kohli struck 73 off 49 balls with two fours and five sixes as some of the other batsmen failed to get going against a disciplined CSK attack.

Veteran left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra impressed one and all with figures of three for 33 including two beautiful deliveries to dismiss Rilee Russouw (1) and AB de Villiers (10). He got the South Africa's limited overs captain with a perfect yorker that pegged the middle-stump back.

In his final over, Nehra removed rival skipper Kohli to show that Dhoni's decision to field him after a gap of 12 matches (he played the first match) was correct.

Save Kohli, none of other batsmen could find their feet and he fought a lone battle against CSK.

Out of his five sixes, four were hit over the deep mid-wicket region while the other was hit in the long-off region. Kohli was finally out when Nehra bowled a well disguised slower delivery that rolled into the stumps.

Kohli had a 55-run partnership for fourth wicket with Yuvraj and scripted a 42-run partnership for fifth wicket with De Villiers, before the mercurial South African was castled by Nehra.

With three down for 33 in sixth over, Yuvraj and Kohli out their heads down to build the innings. In tenth over, Kohli cut lose and plundered 10 runs along with Yuvraj , which also included a six off Ashwin over long-on.

In the next 18 deliveries, Yuvraj and Kohli cracked 27 runs with flurry of boundaries against Sures Raina and Ashwin. However, the Rs 14-crore baby was out to a woeful shot off to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for 25 off 24 balls with two boundaries, leaving Bangalore struggling at 88 for four in 14 overs.

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Kohli smashes 73 but RCB manage 154/6

BANGALORE: Virat Kohli stood tall among his struggling teammates with a stroke-filled half-century as Royal Challengers Bangalore managed a below-par 154 for six against Chennai Super Kings in the final group league encounter of the two teams in the seventh edition of IPL.

Kohli struck 73 off 49 balls with two fours and five sixes as some of the other batsmen failed to get going against a disciplined CSK attack.

Veteran left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra impressed one and all with figures of three for 33 including two beautiful deliveries to dismiss Rilee Russouw (1) and AB de Villiers (10). He got the South Africa's limited overs captain with a perfect yorker that pegged the middle-stump back.

In his final over, Nehra removed rival skipper Kohli to show that Dhoni's decision to field him after a gap of 12 matches (he played the first match) was correct.

Save Kohli, none of other batsmen could find their feet and he fought a lone battle against CSK.

Out of his five sixes, four were hit over the deep mid-wicket region while the other was hit in the long-off region. Kohli was finally out when Nehra bowled a well disguised slower delivery that rolled into the stumps.

Kohli had a 55-run partnership for fourth wicket with Yuvraj and scripted a 42-run partnership for fifth wicket with De Villiers, before the mercurial South African was castled by Nehra.

With three down for 33 in sixth over, Yuvraj and Kohli out their heads down to build the innings. In tenth over, Kohli cut lose and plundered 10 runs along with Yuvraj , which also included a six off Ashwin over long-on.

In the next 18 deliveries, Yuvraj and Kohli cracked 27 runs with flurry of boundaries against Sures Raina and Ashwin. However, the Rs 14-crore baby was out to a woeful shot off to left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for 25 off 24 balls with two boundaries, leaving Bangalore struggling at 88 for four in 14 overs.

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'ECB to charge Vincent and Arif over fixing'

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board are set to charge Lou Vincent and his former Sussex teammate Naved Arif with fixing the outcome of a county match, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Telegraph said former New Zealand batsman Vincent, who has already confessed to fixing, and Arif, a Pakistani, were being charged in connection with a 40-over match between Sussex and Kent played at Hove in August 2011.

If the pair are found guilty, it would be the first proven case of the result of a county match being fixed.

The Sussex-Kent match which was televised live and, which the Telegraph said attracted bets totalling more than £12 million ($20m) on one regulated gambling website alone, the highest total for any match of its kind in the past three years, and millions more on illegal markets in India.

It emerged last week, in leaked testimony to an International Cricket Council probe, that Vincent told investigators he was approached by his fixer "NG" the day before the match in a hotel in Brighton and that he received £40,000 to throw the game.

The Telegraph added there were suspicions at the time the match was corrupt but it was cleared by the ICC's much-criticised anti-corruption unit, under fire for its failure to bring to book a major fixer, following an investigation.

But the paper added the case was reopened in August 2012 by the ECB's own security unit, led by former Metropolitan Police detective Chris Watts.

The 32 year-old Arif was born in Pakistan and qualified as a non-overseas player for Sussex through his wife's Danish passport. He was released by Sussex in 2012.

There is no suggestion any other player from either team was involved in the alleged fix.

Sussex were cruising to victory despite Arif's expensive bowling. He took the new ball but only bowled six overs and conceded 41 runs with two wides, an economy rate of 6.83.

In reply, Sussex looked set for a win at 76 for no wicket, chasing a target of 217.

But they lost four wickets for seven runs in four overs including that of Vincent who, batting at three, was run out for one off six balls.

Arif batted at nine and scored 11 off 29 balls as Sussex were bowled out for 202 to lose by 14 runs.

Arif was dropped for the next match against Middlesex and played only three more one day matches for Sussex before being released.

If the charges against the pair are proven, bans issued by the ECB would apply globally because of a reciprocal agreement between all the major cricket-playing countries.

The controversial Lord's Test of 2011 led to three Pakistan players -- Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer -- being banned and jailed for their roles in a spot-fixing scam.

Meanwhile former Essex paceman Mervyn Westfield was also jailed for his role in spot-fixing, where an incident during the match rather than the result of a game is manipulated for a betting scam, during a county match that led to a life ban for former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

However whether Vincent, who is now in Auckland, and Arif will face criminal charges will depend upon whether British prosecutors decide if such action is the best use of taxpayers' money.

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Uthappa, Shakib take KKR to big total

KOLKATA: Overcoming initial hiccups, Robin Uthappa and Shakib Al Hassan powered Kolkata Knight Riders to an imposing 195/4 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.

The Uthappa juggernaut rolled on as he partnered Shakib 60 (38b 5x4 3x6) to stitch a 121-run partnership to enable the mammoth score for the Knights who are just a win away from securing a berth for the play-offs. Uthappa 83 (51b 10x4 1x6) and Ryan ten Doeschate (6) remained unbeaten.

For the visitors, Mitchell Starc (1/32), Ashok Dinda (1/38) and Abu Nechim (1/33) were the wicket takers.

After having won their last five encounters chasing, the Knights's applecart was upset a bit when RCB captain Virat Kohli asked them to bat first. The start for the home team turned inauspicious after skipper Gautam Gambhir (4) had to depart in the very first over nicking Mitchell Starc to be caught behind.

Uthappa, who has been in terrific form, played cautiously to repair the damage but Manish Pandey 13 (12b 3x4) starting to look good, was snared by Starc off the bowling of Ashok Dinda to put the Knights' at 23/2 in the fourth over.

There was further disaster for the Knights, when Yusuf Pathan, who looked in ominous touch belting two sixes and a four to quickly race to 22, was run out attempting for a non-existent single. A desperate dive could not save the burly all-rounder from taking the long walk back to the dugout as his team looked in trouble with 56/3 after seven overs.

Unfazed by the dismissals, Uthappa continued his brilliant show with bat, hitting some crisp boundaries including a towering six down the ground off spinner Yujavendra Chahal.

With the wicket keeping low and affording turn, Kohli brought in his spinners to make further inroads. But Uthappa joining hands with Shakib scored at a brisk rate to take the score past 100 in the 12th over.

Even as Uthappa reached his fifth half century of the season, Shakib tore into leggie Chahal scoring 24 runs of his last over, including three massive hits into the crowd, as KKR galloped to 150/3 in the 16 over.

Kohli continued to juggle round his bowlers but in vain as Uthappa and Shakib, who have been revelations for the Knights notched up their century stand in just 61 balls. Continuing his good run, Shakib scored his first half century of the season in just 32 balls.

The 121 run partnership for the fourth wicket was broken when Shakib was bowled by Nechim for 60. The Knights scored an impressive 45 runs in the last four overs losing just a wicket.

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Uthappa, Shakib take KKR to big total

KOLKATA: Overcoming initial hiccups, Robin Uthappa and Shakib Al Hassan powered Kolkata Knight Riders to an imposing 195/4 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.

The Uthappa juggernaut rolled on as he partnered Shakib 60 (38b 5x4 3x6) to stitch a 121-run partnership to enable the mammoth score for the Knights who are just a win away from securing a berth for the play-offs. Uthappa 83 (51b 10x4 1x6) and Ryan ten Doeschate (6) remained unbeaten.

For the visitors, Mitchell Starc (1/32), Ashok Dinda (1/38) and Abu Nechim (1/33) were the wicket takers.

After having won their last five encounters chasing, the Knights's applecart was upset a bit when RCB captain Virat Kohli asked them to bat first. The start for the home team turned inauspicious after skipper Gautam Gambhir (4) had to depart in the very first over nicking Mitchell Starc to be caught behind.

Uthappa, who has been in terrific form, played cautiously to repair the damage but Manish Pandey 13 (12b 3x4) starting to look good, was snared by Starc off the bowling of Ashok Dinda to put the Knights' at 23/2 in the fourth over.

There was further disaster for the Knights, when Yusuf Pathan, who looked in ominous touch belting two sixes and a four to quickly race to 22, was run out attempting for a non-existent single. A desperate dive could not save the burly all-rounder from taking the long walk back to the dugout as his team looked in trouble with 56/3 after seven overs.

Unfazed by the dismissals, Uthappa continued his brilliant show with bat, hitting some crisp boundaries including a towering six down the ground off spinner Yujavendra Chahal.

With the wicket keeping low and affording turn, Kohli brought in his spinners to make further inroads. But Uthappa joining hands with Shakib scored at a brisk rate to take the score past 100 in the 12th over.

Even as Uthappa reached his fifth half century of the season, Shakib tore into leggie Chahal scoring 24 runs of his last over, including three massive hits into the crowd, as KKR galloped to 150/3 in the 16 over.

Kohli continued to juggle round his bowlers but in vain as Uthappa and Shakib, who have been revelations for the Knights notched up their century stand in just 61 balls. Continuing his good run, Shakib scored his first half century of the season in just 32 balls.

The 121 run partnership for the fourth wicket was broken when Shakib was bowled by Nechim for 60. The Knights scored an impressive 45 runs in the last four overs losing just a wicket.

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'ECB to charge Vincent and Arif over fixing'

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board are set to charge Lou Vincent and his former Sussex teammate Naved Arif with fixing the outcome of a county match, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Telegraph said former New Zealand batsman Vincent, who has already confessed to fixing, and Arif, a Pakistani, were being charged in connection with a 40-over match between Sussex and Kent played at Hove in August 2011.

If the pair are found guilty, it would be the first proven case of the result of a county match being fixed.

The Sussex-Kent match which was televised live and, which the Telegraph said attracted bets totalling more than £12 million ($20m) on one regulated gambling website alone, the highest total for any match of its kind in the past three years, and millions more on illegal markets in India.

It emerged last week, in leaked testimony to an International Cricket Council probe, that Vincent told investigators he was approached by his fixer "NG" the day before the match in a hotel in Brighton and that he received £40,000 to throw the game.

The Telegraph added there were suspicions at the time the match was corrupt but it was cleared by the ICC's much-criticised anti-corruption unit, under fire for its failure to bring to book a major fixer, following an investigation.

But the paper added the case was reopened in August 2012 by the ECB's own security unit, led by former Metropolitan Police detective Chris Watts.

The 32 year-old Arif was born in Pakistan and qualified as a non-overseas player for Sussex through his wife's Danish passport. He was released by Sussex in 2012.

There is no suggestion any other player from either team was involved in the alleged fix.

Sussex were cruising to victory despite Arif's expensive bowling. He took the new ball but only bowled six overs and conceded 41 runs with two wides, an economy rate of 6.83.

In reply, Sussex looked set for a win at 76 for no wicket, chasing a target of 217.

But they lost four wickets for seven runs in four overs including that of Vincent who, batting at three, was run out for one off six balls.

Arif batted at nine and scored 11 off 29 balls as Sussex were bowled out for 202 to lose by 14 runs.

Arif was dropped for the next match against Middlesex and played only three more one day matches for Sussex before being released.

If the charges against the pair are proven, bans issued by the ECB would apply globally because of a reciprocal agreement between all the major cricket-playing countries.

The controversial Lord's Test of 2011 led to three Pakistan players -- Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer -- being banned and jailed for their roles in a spot-fixing scam.

Meanwhile former Essex paceman Mervyn Westfield was also jailed for his role in spot-fixing, where an incident during the match rather than the result of a game is manipulated for a betting scam, during a county match that led to a life ban for former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

However whether Vincent, who is now in Auckland, and Arif will face criminal charges will depend upon whether British prosecutors decide if such action is the best use of taxpayers' money.

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Bangalore opt to bat against Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.

Bangalore are playing an unchanged side, while Parvez Rasool and Venugopal Rao have come in place of Amit Mishra and Lokesh Rahul for Hyderabad.

Teams:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle, Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Rana, Mitchell Starc, Muttiah Muralitharan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Varun Aaron.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Aaron Finch, Naman Ojha, David Warner, Y Venugopal Rao, Darren Sammy (c), Irfan Pathan, Karn Sharma, Parvez Rasool, Dale Steyn, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

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Kohli fires as RCB score 160 for six

HYDERABAD: Skipper Virat Kohli was back in form at the nick of time as Royal Challengers Bangalore scored a respectable 160 for six against Sunrisers Hyderabad on a difficult track in an IPL encounter on Tuesday.

Kohli struck his first half century of the seventh edition with a free-stroking 67 off 41 balls studded with four boundaries and as many sixes. AB de Villiers (29, 17 balls) and Yuvraj Singh (21) made small contributions.

It was largely due to Kohli's contribution that RCB scored 112 runs in the back 10 having crawled to 48 for two in the first 10 overs.

'Purple Cap' holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar again was the prime performer for the Sunrisers with two for 27 in four overs. Pervez Rasool, playing his first game of the tournament replacing Amit Mishra, also had more than a decent outing with figures of one for 26.

The first half certainly belonged to Kohli, who came early after Parthiv Patel was caught plumb in-front by Bhuvneshwar. He took a few balls to settle down but then played some signature shots through the off-side.

Out of his four sixes, two were hit off one over from Karn Sharma. Kohli charged down the track and hit him over straight boundary for a six while the other one was an inside out over extra cover for the second six. The other two sixes came off Darren Sammy and Irfan Pathan.

The two significant partnership that Kohli was involved were 57 for the third wicket with Yuvraj and more importantly 61 in only 5.1 overs with De Villiers.

Kohli's highest score this season till the current match was 35. He got to his 50 off 34 balls. He was finally out in the 18th over trying to hit Irfan Pathan out of the ground and was caught by Dale Steyn.

De Villiers also followed suit but Sachin Rana (12 no) hit a couple of boundaries to take the score to 160.

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Bangalore opt to bat against Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.

Bangalore are playing an unchanged side, while Parvez Rasool and Venugopal Rao have come in place of Amit Mishra and Lokesh Rahul for Hyderabad.

Teams:

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle, Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Rana, Mitchell Starc, Muttiah Muralitharan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Varun Aaron.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Aaron Finch, Naman Ojha, David Warner, Y Venugopal Rao, Darren Sammy (c), Irfan Pathan, Karn Sharma, Parvez Rasool, Dale Steyn, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

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Kohli fires as RCB score 160 for six

HYDERABAD: Skipper Virat Kohli was back in form at the nick of time as Royal Challengers Bangalore scored a respectable 160 for six against Sunrisers Hyderabad on a difficult track in an IPL encounter on Tuesday.

Kohli struck his first half century of the seventh edition with a free-stroking 67 off 41 balls studded with four boundaries and as many sixes. AB de Villiers (29, 17 balls) and Yuvraj Singh (21) made small contributions.

It was largely due to Kohli's contribution that RCB scored 112 runs in the back 10 having crawled to 48 for two in the first 10 overs.

'Purple Cap' holder Bhuvneshwar Kumar again was the prime performer for the Sunrisers with two for 27 in four overs. Pervez Rasool, playing his first game of the tournament replacing Amit Mishra, also had more than a decent outing with figures of one for 26.

The first half certainly belonged to Kohli, who came early after Parthiv Patel was caught plumb in-front by Bhuvneshwar. He took a few balls to settle down but then played some signature shots through the off-side.

Out of his four sixes, two were hit off one over from Karn Sharma. Kohli charged down the track and hit him over straight boundary for a six while the other one was an inside out over extra cover for the second six. The other two sixes came off Darren Sammy and Irfan Pathan.

The two significant partnership that Kohli was involved were 57 for the third wicket with Yuvraj and more importantly 61 in only 5.1 overs with De Villiers.

Kohli's highest score this season till the current match was 35. He got to his 50 off 34 balls. He was finally out in the 18th over trying to hit Irfan Pathan out of the ground and was caught by Dale Steyn.

De Villiers also followed suit but Sachin Rana (12 no) hit a couple of boundaries to take the score to 160.

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Ashraf takes charge, setback for Younis

LAHORE: Pakistan's reinstated cricket chief Zaka Ashraf took charge of the national board Monday, with the future of national head coach Waqar Younis and batting coach Grant Flower hanging in the balance.

Ashraf was restored to the chairmanship of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by a court ruling on Saturday, reigniting the chaos that has raged for month's among the game's administrators.

Ashraf has said he will review all decisions taken in the last three months by Najam Sethi, the man thrown out as chairman by the Islamabad High Court order.

In a detailed ruling issued Monday, the court cancelled all decisions taken by the Sethi's team, including the appointment of Waqar and Flower, as well as chief selector Moin Khan and spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

"The court judgment says that all decisions in my absence are nullified but I will review them," Ashraf told reporters at PCB headquarters in Lahore.

Flower and Ahmed were appointed only last week, while confirmation of Waqar's return for a second spell as head coach came on May 6.

Pakistan face a busy summer of preparations as they look to build their talented but raw side into serious contenders for next year's World Cup.

This is the third time Ashraf has been reinstated as PCB chairman since being suspended last May over doubts about his election -- all decisions taken by the Islamabad high court.

He has alternated with Sethi in the post, throwing the running of Pakistani cricket into turmoil at a crucial time for the sport internationally.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced major changes to the sport's governance and financing earlier this year, handing significant powers to the so-called "Big Three" of India, England and Australia.

Pakistan abstained on the matter at an ICC meeting in February but last month offered "conditional support" for the plan, a move Ashraf said he would now look at again.

"My principle stance was that the revamp is not good for international cricket but now if the PCB (led by Sethi) has signed the draft we will only look into it and not make Pakistan a laughing stock," he said.

The proposal will be formally approved at ICC Annual conference in Australia next month.

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Simmons, Hussey guide Mumbai to 178

AHMEDABAD: Mumbai Indians top-order fired in one of the rare occasions as they put up a competitive 178 for three against Rajasthan Royals after a century-plus opening stand, in an IPL encounter here today.

Comeback man Mike Hussey (56) and Lendl Simmons (62) put on 120 runs for the opening stand, which incidentally was the first three-figure partnership for MI in 30 games.

The last time MI had a century stand was when Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith conjured 163 runs against the same opposition during the 2012 edition.

Hussey scored his runs in 39 balls with three fours and two sixes while Simmons took 51 balls, which included six fours and two sixes.

Skipper Rohit Sharma showed his big-hitting prowess during a 19-ball cameo that fetched him 40 runs with three fours and four sixes. Rohit and a subdued Kieron Pollard (14 no) added 56 for the third wicket in five overs.

Hussey and Simmons started cautiously trying to get a measure of the slow Motera track. Hussey, coming back to the team after a disastrous UAE leg, looked confident as he played some fluent drives and cuts peppering the in-field.

Simmons also proved to be an able partner as he started slowly but picked up the pace as time progressed. Both ran well between the wickets converting a couple of singles into twos.

MI's opening stand yielded 50 runs in 6.4 overs with Simmons racing to 30.

When Faulkner dropped one short, Hussey was quickly on backfoot to pull it in front of square for a six.

Hussey's second six was a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma into the mid-wicket stands.

Simmons also joined the fun as he lofted an ultra-slow delivery from Rajat Bhatia into the deep mid-wicket stands while lofting Kevon Cooper over long-off for his second six.

Hussey was the first to reach the half-century of 32 balls while Simmons took 43 balls to attain the individual landmark.

Their 100-run partnership, MI's first of the season came in the 13th over.

Royals drew the first blood immediately after the second strategic time-out as Ankit got both Simmons (62) and Hussey (56) within a space of two deliveries--- both caught in the deep by Cooper.

Ankit ended with impressive figures of two for 23 in four overs.

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Simmons, Hussey guide Mumbai to 178

AHMEDABAD: Mumbai Indians top-order fired in one of the rare occasions as they put up a competitive 178 for three against Rajasthan Royals after a century-plus opening stand, in an IPL encounter here today.

Comeback man Mike Hussey (56) and Lendl Simmons (62) put on 120 runs for the opening stand, which incidentally was the first three-figure partnership for MI in 30 games.

The last time MI had a century stand was when Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith conjured 163 runs against the same opposition during the 2012 edition.

Hussey scored his runs in 39 balls with three fours and two sixes while Simmons took 51 balls, which included six fours and two sixes.

Skipper Rohit Sharma showed his big-hitting prowess during a 19-ball cameo that fetched him 40 runs with three fours and four sixes. Rohit and a subdued Kieron Pollard (14 no) added 56 for the third wicket in five overs.

Hussey and Simmons started cautiously trying to get a measure of the slow Motera track. Hussey, coming back to the team after a disastrous UAE leg, looked confident as he played some fluent drives and cuts peppering the in-field.

Simmons also proved to be an able partner as he started slowly but picked up the pace as time progressed. Both ran well between the wickets converting a couple of singles into twos.

MI's opening stand yielded 50 runs in 6.4 overs with Simmons racing to 30.

When Faulkner dropped one short, Hussey was quickly on backfoot to pull it in front of square for a six.

Hussey's second six was a slog sweep off left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma into the mid-wicket stands.

Simmons also joined the fun as he lofted an ultra-slow delivery from Rajat Bhatia into the deep mid-wicket stands while lofting Kevon Cooper over long-off for his second six.

Hussey was the first to reach the half-century of 32 balls while Simmons took 43 balls to attain the individual landmark.

Their 100-run partnership, MI's first of the season came in the 13th over.

Royals drew the first blood immediately after the second strategic time-out as Ankit got both Simmons (62) and Hussey (56) within a space of two deliveries--- both caught in the deep by Cooper.

Ankit ended with impressive figures of two for 23 in four overs.

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Ashraf takes charge, setback for Younis

LAHORE: Pakistan's reinstated cricket chief Zaka Ashraf took charge of the national board Monday, with the future of national head coach Waqar Younis and batting coach Grant Flower hanging in the balance.

Ashraf was restored to the chairmanship of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by a court ruling on Saturday, reigniting the chaos that has raged for month's among the game's administrators.

Ashraf has said he will review all decisions taken in the last three months by Najam Sethi, the man thrown out as chairman by the Islamabad High Court order.

In a detailed ruling issued Monday, the court cancelled all decisions taken by the Sethi's team, including the appointment of Waqar and Flower, as well as chief selector Moin Khan and spin bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed.

"The court judgment says that all decisions in my absence are nullified but I will review them," Ashraf told reporters at PCB headquarters in Lahore.

Flower and Ahmed were appointed only last week, while confirmation of Waqar's return for a second spell as head coach came on May 6.

Pakistan face a busy summer of preparations as they look to build their talented but raw side into serious contenders for next year's World Cup.

This is the third time Ashraf has been reinstated as PCB chairman since being suspended last May over doubts about his election -- all decisions taken by the Islamabad high court.

He has alternated with Sethi in the post, throwing the running of Pakistani cricket into turmoil at a crucial time for the sport internationally.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced major changes to the sport's governance and financing earlier this year, handing significant powers to the so-called "Big Three" of India, England and Australia.

Pakistan abstained on the matter at an ICC meeting in February but last month offered "conditional support" for the plan, a move Ashraf said he would now look at again.

"My principle stance was that the revamp is not good for international cricket but now if the PCB (led by Sethi) has signed the draft we will only look into it and not make Pakistan a laughing stock," he said.

The proposal will be formally approved at ICC Annual conference in Australia next month.

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CSK win toss, elect to bat against RCB

RANCHI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match on Sunday.

Teams:

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, David Hussey, Mithun Manhas, R Ashwin, Ishwar Pandey, Mohit Sharma, Samuel Badree

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Chris Gayle, Parthiv Patel, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh, S Rana, Mitchell Starc, Muttiah Muralitharan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Abu Ahmed, Varun Aaron.

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Raina takes CSK to a modest 138/4

RANCHI: Suresh Raina overcame early jitters to hit an unbeaten half-century and guide Chennai Super Kings to a modest 138 for four in their Indian Premier League match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.

During his 48-ball 62-run knock, Raina struck a six and six boundaries to help his team to a decent total after they struggled to force the pace for a major part of the innings at the JSCA International Stadium Complex here.

Bangalore bowlers were very economical with Varun Aaron being the most impressive with figures of two for 29 from three overs.

Opting to bat, Chennai did not have an ideal start as they lost both their openers within the first five overs, with Aaron accounting for Dwayne Smith (9) and Brendon McCullum (19).

Raina walked into the middle when Chennai were in the spot of bother after losing two wickets in the same over with just 29 runs on the board in 4.4 overs.

Along with David Hussey, Raina rebuilt the Chennai innings, putting on 75 runs together for the third wicket.

Raina was more dominating of the two batsmen as he hit all the loose balls that came his way, even as Hussey struggled to get going. Finally it was Muttiah Muralitharan who saw Hussey off for a 29-ball 25.

Even Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to take off despite hitting an early boundary off Yuzvendra Chahal.

In the final overs, Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a nine-ball 10, putting on an unbroken 23 runs for the fifth wicket with Raina.

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CSK win toss, elect to bat against RCB

RANCHI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match on Sunday.

Teams:

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c), Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, David Hussey, Mithun Manhas, R Ashwin, Ishwar Pandey, Mohit Sharma, Samuel Badree

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (c), Chris Gayle, Parthiv Patel, AB de Villiers, Yuvraj Singh, S Rana, Mitchell Starc, Muttiah Muralitharan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Abu Ahmed, Varun Aaron.

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Raina takes CSK to a modest 138/4

RANCHI: Suresh Raina overcame early jitters to hit an unbeaten half-century and guide Chennai Super Kings to a modest 138 for four in their Indian Premier League match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.

During his 48-ball 62-run knock, Raina struck a six and six boundaries to help his team to a decent total after they struggled to force the pace for a major part of the innings at the JSCA International Stadium Complex here.

Bangalore bowlers were very economical with Varun Aaron being the most impressive with figures of two for 29 from three overs.

Opting to bat, Chennai did not have an ideal start as they lost both their openers within the first five overs, with Aaron accounting for Dwayne Smith (9) and Brendon McCullum (19).

Raina walked into the middle when Chennai were in the spot of bother after losing two wickets in the same over with just 29 runs on the board in 4.4 overs.

Along with David Hussey, Raina rebuilt the Chennai innings, putting on 75 runs together for the third wicket.

Raina was more dominating of the two batsmen as he hit all the loose balls that came his way, even as Hussey struggled to get going. Finally it was Muttiah Muralitharan who saw Hussey off for a 29-ball 25.

Even Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to take off despite hitting an early boundary off Yuzvendra Chahal.

In the final overs, Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with a nine-ball 10, putting on an unbroken 23 runs for the fifth wicket with Raina.

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The stupor cricketing superstars in IPL 7

As the Indian Premier League heads for an exciting climax, a look at the big-ticket players who have failed to live up to the hype:

Chris Gayle (RCB): The Jamaican big-hitter had sizzled for RCB after he had smoked a record 51 sixes to accumulate 708 runs last season. This year, however, a hamstring injury and poor form has restrained him. He has played six matches and has hit just nine sixes.

Jacques Kallis (KKR): In the early half of his career, Jacques Kallis' South African teammates had named him 'Dozy' for his dream like, 'not here right now' attitude on the field. The legendary all-rounder seems to have gone into a snooze cruise this season. Kallis is 33rd on the list of run-getters and ranked 38 in the wicket-takers' chart.

Virat Kohli (RCB): For those accustomed to see Virat Kohli score prolifically for India, will be shocked to know that he's still to get a fifty. What's worse he's got three ducks this season. All the hard work for India must have left him jaded, but there's some merit in the talk that captaincy has chained him up.

Dinesh Karthik (DD): For a team that was built from scratch, the folks at Delhi Daredevils must be scratching their heads for the astronomical sum (Rs 12 crore) they paid for Dinesh Karthik. The man from Tamil Nadu hasn't lived up to his team's and fans' expectations after a fruitful season with Mumbai Indians last year.

Shikhar Dhawan (SRH): As a captain, Shikhar Dhawan hasn't really inspired his team to raise their game. As an opener, too, his strike rate hovers around 115. The Sunrisers have suffered, at times, due to his lack of imagination as a leader. David Warner batting down the order is an example of that.

Corey Anderson (MI): Mumbai Indians let go Dwayne Smith to bring Corey Anderson on board after the New Zealander scored a 36-ball hundred against West Indies on the New Year's day. The 23-year-old did back his claims of being the hottest kid on the block by doing well against the Indians at home. But the all-rounder's inability to handle spinners has only backfired on MI.

Kevin Pietersen (DD): Before he turned into a gun for hire, Kevin Pietersen had wowed the crowds with his derring-do. But the burden of leading the side this year seems to have affected his batting big-time as he hasn't scripted an innings of note after eight games. It would have been great had he chosen to not saddle himself with the captaincy.

Mohammad Shami (DD): If the ICC World T20 wasn't good enough to prove that Mohammad Shami isn't cut out for the shortest form, IPL 7 has endorsed that belief. In the 10 games that he has played, Shami has conceded 304 runs and picked just five wickets for his efforts.

R Ashwin (CSK): R Ashwin has had an indifferent time in the middle. The offie, who has an answer for everything hurled at him, has struggled to respond to Glenn Maxwell's bludgeoning bat. Since September 2012, Maxwell has scored 162 runs off Ashwin in international cricket and IPL (11x4, 13x6) and has dismissed him thrice. Overall, Ashwin is 12th on the wicket-taker's list, which is well below his standards.

Dale Steyn (SRH): The South African speedster hasn't really come into his own till now. The batsmen seem to have got the wood over him in this edition and it reflects in his economy rate of 7.45. The 30year-old has picked 10 wickets in as many games and he appeared helpless after the hiding he took (23 runs in one over) from AB de Villiers.

Amit Mishra (SRH): With a nine-plus economy rate, Amit Mishra qualifies to be the official whipping boy of the league. The leg-spinner, who looked in great form in the ICC World T20 not a very long time ago, seems to have lost his mojo of late. He's been bowling half trackers and full tosses consistently and that has only damaged his team's chances.

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Chennai look to consolidate top-4 spot

RANCHI: Former champions Chennai Super Kings would look to consolidate their position inside the top-four for a place in the play-offs even as Royal Challengers Bangalore try to stay afloat when the two sides clash for the first time this IPL season on Sunday.

Chennai, the 2010 and 2011 winners, are currently second on the points table with eight wins from 10 matches, while Bangalore are third from bottom after managing four wins in their 10 games.

CSK were disappointed when their home matches were shifted here following the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's failure to get government clearances for conducting the games at their home stadium in Chennai.

But Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men have not endured much trouble in making themselves comfortable in the city, notching up wins in the two matches that have been played here so far.

Their most recent triumph came on May 13 against Rajasthan Royals when the team romped home with ease after restricting the visiting side to 148.

Boasting of power-hitters such as Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis and Dhoni himself, CSK are among the favourites to go the distance and lift the trophy.

The setbacks they have suffered this season have come against table-toppers Kings XI Punjab, who have been steered by the extraordinary batting form of Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. But against all other teams, CSK have pulled off victories without much hassle.

Their bowling attack is not exactly star-studded but it has done the job, complementing their aggressive batsmen quite well so far.

Pacer Mohit Sharma has been a consistent performer and is currently the joint leader in the top wicket-takers list with 18 scalps to his credit along with Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

In Ravindra Jadeja and Samuel Badree, CSK have the spin options which have proved to be handy in the tournament so far.
Bangalore, on the other hand, have been erratic to say the least. The team managed to get the better of the down-in-the-dumps Delhi Daredevils in their previous match after being drubbed thrice in succession.

The Virat Kohli-led side was boosted by Yuvraj Singh's return to form. His 29-ball 69 against Delhi put an end to RCB's woes as the maverick all-rounder also answered back his critics, who were gunning for him.

Chris Gayle too showed glimpses of the destructive batting he is famed for but more would be expected of Kohli and AB de Villiers against the formidable CSK.

On the bowling front, pacer Mitchell Starc and veteran spinner Muttiah Muralitharan have been delivering the goods and would be expected to continue the good form.

Teams (from):

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (captain), AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh, Mitchell Starc, Albie Morkel, Varun Aaron, Ashok Dinda, Parthiv Patel, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ravi Rampaul, Rilee Rossouw, Harshal Patel, Vijay Zol, Abu Nechim, Sachin Rana, Shadab Jakati, Sandeep Warrier, Tanmay Mishra, Yogesh Takawale, Yuzwendra Chahal.

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c), Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Samuel Badree, Ben Hilfenhaus, Matt Henry, B Aparajith, Mithun Manhas, Ishwar Pandey, Pawan Negi, Vijay Shankar, Ronit More, John Hastings.

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The stupor cricketing superstars in IPL 7

As the Indian Premier League heads for an exciting climax, a look at the big-ticket players who have failed to live up to the hype:

Chris Gayle (RCB): The Jamaican big-hitter had sizzled for RCB after he had smoked a record 51 sixes to accumulate 708 runs last season. This year, however, a hamstring injury and poor form has restrained him. He has played six matches and has hit just nine sixes.

Jacques Kallis (KKR): In the early half of his career, Jacques Kallis' South African teammates had named him 'Dozy' for his dream like, 'not here right now' attitude on the field. The legendary all-rounder seems to have gone into a snooze cruise this season. Kallis is 33rd on the list of run-getters and ranked 38 in the wicket-takers' chart.

Virat Kohli (RCB): For those accustomed to see Virat Kohli score prolifically for India, will be shocked to know that he's still to get a fifty. What's worse he's got three ducks this season. All the hard work for India must have left him jaded, but there's some merit in the talk that captaincy has chained him up.

Dinesh Karthik (DD): For a team that was built from scratch, the folks at Delhi Daredevils must be scratching their heads for the astronomical sum (Rs 12 crore) they paid for Dinesh Karthik. The man from Tamil Nadu hasn't lived up to his team's and fans' expectations after a fruitful season with Mumbai Indians last year.

Shikhar Dhawan (SRH): As a captain, Shikhar Dhawan hasn't really inspired his team to raise their game. As an opener, too, his strike rate hovers around 115. The Sunrisers have suffered, at times, due to his lack of imagination as a leader. David Warner batting down the order is an example of that.

Corey Anderson (MI): Mumbai Indians let go Dwayne Smith to bring Corey Anderson on board after the New Zealander scored a 36-ball hundred against West Indies on the New Year's day. The 23-year-old did back his claims of being the hottest kid on the block by doing well against the Indians at home. But the all-rounder's inability to handle spinners has only backfired on MI.

Kevin Pietersen (DD): Before he turned into a gun for hire, Kevin Pietersen had wowed the crowds with his derring-do. But the burden of leading the side this year seems to have affected his batting big-time as he hasn't scripted an innings of note after eight games. It would have been great had he chosen to not saddle himself with the captaincy.

Mohammad Shami (DD): If the ICC World T20 wasn't good enough to prove that Mohammad Shami isn't cut out for the shortest form, IPL 7 has endorsed that belief. In the 10 games that he has played, Shami has conceded 304 runs and picked just five wickets for his efforts.

R Ashwin (CSK): R Ashwin has had an indifferent time in the middle. The offie, who has an answer for everything hurled at him, has struggled to respond to Glenn Maxwell's bludgeoning bat. Since September 2012, Maxwell has scored 162 runs off Ashwin in international cricket and IPL (11x4, 13x6) and has dismissed him thrice. Overall, Ashwin is 12th on the wicket-taker's list, which is well below his standards.

Dale Steyn (SRH): The South African speedster hasn't really come into his own till now. The batsmen seem to have got the wood over him in this edition and it reflects in his economy rate of 7.45. The 30year-old has picked 10 wickets in as many games and he appeared helpless after the hiding he took (23 runs in one over) from AB de Villiers.

Amit Mishra (SRH): With a nine-plus economy rate, Amit Mishra qualifies to be the official whipping boy of the league. The leg-spinner, who looked in great form in the ICC World T20 not a very long time ago, seems to have lost his mojo of late. He's been bowling half trackers and full tosses consistently and that has only damaged his team's chances.

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Chennai look to consolidate top-4 spot

RANCHI: Former champions Chennai Super Kings would look to consolidate their position inside the top-four for a place in the play-offs even as Royal Challengers Bangalore try to stay afloat when the two sides clash for the first time this IPL season on Sunday.

Chennai, the 2010 and 2011 winners, are currently second on the points table with eight wins from 10 matches, while Bangalore are third from bottom after managing four wins in their 10 games.

CSK were disappointed when their home matches were shifted here following the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's failure to get government clearances for conducting the games at their home stadium in Chennai.

But Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men have not endured much trouble in making themselves comfortable in the city, notching up wins in the two matches that have been played here so far.

Their most recent triumph came on May 13 against Rajasthan Royals when the team romped home with ease after restricting the visiting side to 148.

Boasting of power-hitters such as Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Faf du Plessis and Dhoni himself, CSK are among the favourites to go the distance and lift the trophy.

The setbacks they have suffered this season have come against table-toppers Kings XI Punjab, who have been steered by the extraordinary batting form of Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. But against all other teams, CSK have pulled off victories without much hassle.

Their bowling attack is not exactly star-studded but it has done the job, complementing their aggressive batsmen quite well so far.

Pacer Mohit Sharma has been a consistent performer and is currently the joint leader in the top wicket-takers list with 18 scalps to his credit along with Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

In Ravindra Jadeja and Samuel Badree, CSK have the spin options which have proved to be handy in the tournament so far.

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Pacers need to be stronger, Walsh says

MUMBAI: Courtney Walsh was one of the most prolific and durable pacer cricket has ever seen. The gentle giant from Jamaica is the only fast bowler to have bowled 5000 overs in a 132-Test career that spanned for almost 17 years and this doesn't include his work in limited overs cricket and his long stint at Gloucestershire.

This kind of durability is unheard of these days where fast bowlers fade away as quickly as they appear. Walsh, who is the chief mentor for the BCCL Navbharat Times Superpacer -an initiative to unearth fast bowlers in the country -says the key to longevity is proper preparation keeping in mind the volume of work.

"Couple of years ago, you had some young fast bowlers that burst on the scene and within a year, the injuries started creeping in," Walsh said at the MIG on Thursday .

"Bowlers like Umesh Yadav and some others whom I saw looked promising. But after a Test series or two, they started to get injured. That is where we have to manage these guys so that they get fit and strong and can go through the rigours of international cricket."

Asked about the reason for these injuries, he said, "I personally feel they are not fully prepared for the work load.

There is a lot of cricket being played and as a fast bowler you have to work twice as hard as some of the batsmen would. I don't think some of the fast bowlers realise how important it is and by the time they realise the workload that is required, they have already picked up an injury or two. In today's game, you have to be strong. That is the demand."

Walsh also blamed the flatter pitches and meatier bats for hastening the bowlers' decline.

"When I started in (1984) there were good wickets to play on. Over the years cricket has become a batsman's game. There were times when the bowlers would bowl six or seven overs on the trot and bowl just two spells in the day. But now bowlers are required to bowl three spells due to the nature of the pitches. The wickets have become flatter and that is why the bowlers have to work twice as hard. The bats these days too are different. The bowlers in their bid to get wickets strive to bowl too fast and at times injure themselves. There definitely needs to be some balance between the bat and the ball," said Walsh.

The West Indies legend, famous for his sportsman spirit, played down the Kieron Pollard-Mitchell Starc spat.

"It didn't look a pretty sight when you saw it but in the heat of the moment, these things sometimes do happen. That is not what you want to see on field and that is what you don't want youngsters to watch and think that is the norm. Hopefully, things have been sorted out and whatever action needs to be taken has been taken and we can return to normalcy ," said Walsh.

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Time to raise a toast for Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa's intelligent display of batsmanship, mixed with flicks and superbly timed drives on both flanks against the Mumbai Indians, on a typical Cuttack pitch (which is known to be slow and low) has exhibited one vital aspect.

Batsmanship of manners, as Sir Neville Cardus wrote after watching a Lancashire schoolboy RH Spooner score 83 against Middlesex at Lord's in 1899.

"It was a pleasure to bowl to Maister Spooner," said an old player to Sir Neville Cardus, "his batting were as nice as he were himself." Cardus added, it was batsmanship of manners.

Could this expression be borrowed for describing Uthappa's batting in various formats? At the Barabati Stadium on Wednesday, the technicalities of batsmanship were put on show by him without a fuss. Ever since he began to open for KKR, his approach was evident.

But a day before the s match against MI, he hurt his left big toe in the nets after getting struck by a yorker from Pat Cummins. The pain was excruciating. The physio Andrew Leipus was doing his best.

But Uthappa said, "Against MI, I crossed the mental and physical barrier. So big was the injured toe, I couldn't put, on my shoes. My shoe size is s UK 10. I requested Morkel for his shoes which are UK 12 f size. But the shoes were a bit too big to move around in. Then I tried UK 11 of Kallis.

"It was okay. My toe could breathe, but I was very uncomfortable while running. I was worried about Malinga's yorkers. I decided to hang around because for me, the team always comes first. I knew running between the wickets was going to be a big problem, but in the end, I could overcome the problem."

After he went out of the Indian team in 2008, Uthappa seems to have realised that whichever the format one plays, one has to have the basics right.

The boy from Suntikoppa in Coorg, Robin has always been an aggressive batsman from his Under-14 days. To him, defending a ball was a waste of time and energy. His simple philosophy seemed to be `when you have shots, why not play them'.

He is an opener because his mental makeup is ideally suited to that slot. If the national selectors are watching these matches, Uthappa ought to be on the tour to Bangladesh and England.

21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Time to raise a toast for Robin Uthappa

Robin Uthappa's intelligent display of batsmanship, mixed with flicks and superbly timed drives on both flanks against the Mumbai Indians, on a typical Cuttack pitch (which is known to be slow and low) has exhibited one vital aspect.

Batsmanship of manners, as Sir Neville Cardus wrote after watching a Lancashire schoolboy RH Spooner score 83 against Middlesex at Lord's in 1899.

"It was a pleasure to bowl to Maister Spooner," said an old player to Sir Neville Cardus, "his batting were as nice as he were himself." Cardus added, it was batsmanship of manners.

Could this expression be borrowed for describing Uthappa's batting in various formats? At the Barabati Stadium on Wednesday, the technicalities of batsmanship were put on show by him without a fuss. Ever since he began to open for KKR, his approach was evident.

But a day before the s match against MI, he hurt his left big toe in the nets after getting struck by a yorker from Pat Cummins. The pain was excruciating. The physio Andrew Leipus was doing his best.

But Uthappa said, "Against MI, I crossed the mental and physical barrier. So big was the injured toe, I couldn't put, on my shoes. My shoe size is s UK 10. I requested Morkel for his shoes which are UK 12 f size. But the shoes were a bit too big to move around in. Then I tried UK 11 of Kallis.

"It was okay. My toe could breathe, but I was very uncomfortable while running. I was worried about Malinga's yorkers. I decided to hang around because for me, the team always comes first. I knew running between the wickets was going to be a big problem, but in the end, I could overcome the problem."

After he went out of the Indian team in 2008, Uthappa seems to have realised that whichever the format one plays, one has to have the basics right.

The boy from Suntikoppa in Coorg, Robin has always been an aggressive batsman from his Under-14 days. To him, defending a ball was a waste of time and energy. His simple philosophy seemed to be `when you have shots, why not play them'.

He is an opener because his mental makeup is ideally suited to that slot. If the national selectors are watching these matches, Uthappa ought to be on the tour to Bangladesh and England.

21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pacers need to be stronger, Walsh says

MUMBAI: Courtney Walsh was one of the most prolific and durable pacer cricket has ever seen. The gentle giant from Jamaica is the only fast bowler to have bowled 5000 overs in a 132-Test career that spanned for almost 17 years and this doesn't include his work in limited overs cricket and his long stint at Gloucestershire.

This kind of durability is unheard of these days where fast bowlers fade away as quickly as they appear. Walsh, who is the chief mentor for the BCCL Navbharat Times Superpacer -an initiative to unearth fast bowlers in the country -says the key to longevity is proper preparation keeping in mind the volume of work.

"Couple of years ago, you had some young fast bowlers that burst on the scene and within a year, the injuries started creeping in," Walsh said at the MIG on Thursday .

"Bowlers like Umesh Yadav and some others whom I saw looked promising. But after a Test series or two, they started to get injured. That is where we have to manage these guys so that they get fit and strong and can go through the rigours of international cricket."

Asked about the reason for these injuries, he said, "I personally feel they are not fully prepared for the work load.

There is a lot of cricket being played and as a fast bowler you have to work twice as hard as some of the batsmen would. I don't think some of the fast bowlers realise how important it is and by the time they realise the workload that is required, they have already picked up an injury or two. In today's game, you have to be strong. That is the demand."

Walsh also blamed the flatter pitches and meatier bats for hastening the bowlers' decline.

"When I started in (1984) there were good wickets to play on. Over the years cricket has become a batsman's game. There were times when the bowlers would bowl six or seven overs on the trot and bowl just two spells in the day. But now bowlers are required to bowl three spells due to the nature of the pitches. The wickets have become flatter and that is why the bowlers have to work twice as hard. The bats these days too are different. The bowlers in their bid to get wickets strive to bowl too fast and at times injure themselves. There definitely needs to be some balance between the bat and the ball," said Walsh.

The West Indies legend, famous for his sportsman spirit, played down the Kieron Pollard-Mitchell Starc spat.

"It didn't look a pretty sight when you saw it but in the heat of the moment, these things sometimes do happen. That is not what you want to see on field and that is what you don't want youngsters to watch and think that is the norm. Hopefully, things have been sorted out and whatever action needs to be taken has been taken and we can return to normalcy ," said Walsh.

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Not thinking about WC 2015: Gambhir

NEW DELHI: After regaining form with hat-trick of half centuries in the ongoing IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir says he is focused on the tournament ahead and not thinking about the Indian team's upcoming England tour or the 2015 World Cup.

The Indian team discard started this IPL season with three consecutive ducks but has certainly led by example in the last few games. He, however, said that he doesn't take IPL as a comeback platform.

"I still stand by my thought that the IPL is not a platform for comebacks but it is a great tournament, which I thoroughly enjoy playing and I am doing my best for the team," Gambhir, who last played an international match against England in Dharamshala in January 2013, told PTI in an interview.

When asked if India's tour of England in June and the World Cup Down Under are on his radar to make a comeback, he said he was not thinking about it right now.

"Right now I am only focused on the immediate future and doing well for the team. If my performances are good enough I am sure people in charge - selectors - will make the right decision," he said.

He also said that he believes in responding through performance as far as critics are concerned.

"As a player you realise that criticism is always going to be there especially if the results are not going your way. I personally feel the best way to respond to it is by going out there and performing to the best of your ability," said the opener, who has scored 4021 and 5238 runs in 54 Tests and 147 ODIs, respectively.

The Kolkata opener is also confident of contributing to the team's cause once he gets a good start.

"It is a good feeling to have a few runs under my belt now. I was always confident that once I got a good start I would be able to convert those into scores that would help the team and I am glad that I have been able to do that in last few games. Looking forward to continue the good run for the rest of the tournament," he said.

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