Jayawardene to build grassroot cricket in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene is set to take over a role with the country's cricket administration to develop the infrastructure of the local game at the feeder level.

Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake said that Jayawardene, 37, has consented to a futuristic role in restructuring the schools and junior level cricket.

Jayawardene, who retired from ODIs after the World Cup, was one of the finest batsmen to come through the highly competitive school cricket set up.

He was a brilliant batsman for Nalanda College in Colombo, which has produced so many Sri Lankan internationals, including Sri Lanka's first Test captain Bandula Warnapura.

In the recent years the school system has failed to produce outstanding cricketers to be fed in to the national team.

Introduction of T20 cricket at school level is being seen as a major reason.

In 2007 a similar role was thrust on Aravinda de Silva, a former captain and one of the finest batsmen produced by the country to revamp junior cricket.

Dissanayake, after Sri Lanka's exit from the quarterfinals of the 50-over showpiece event, has set out to revamp the local governing body administration by setting up an interim committee headed by the former Test opening batsman Sidath Wettimuny.

They are to take office from Wednesday.

Dissanayake's father Gamini was instrumental in developing Sri Lanka's local cricket infrastructure, which helped immensely in the island being admitted as a full Test nation in 1981.

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McCullum joins Birmingham Bears for T20 Blast

LONDON: New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum confirmed on Tuesday he has signed for the Birmingham Bears for the defence of their T20 Blast title.

McCullum joins the Bears -- Warwickshire's T20 name -- on a seven-match deal after playing a major role as New Zealand reached the World Cup final, where the Black Caps lost to co-hosts Australia.

"The Birmingham Bears had a great season last year, including winning the T20 Blast, and hopefully I can make a big contribution and ensure that we can progress in the tournament," said McCullum.

"Edgbaston is a fantastic ground to play at and hopefully it will be rocking for the big Friday night matches. I'm really excited about becoming a Bear and the challenge ahead."

McCullum will link up with the Bears after New Zealand's tour of England with his first game against Lancashire Lightning on June 26 at Old Trafford.

He played a starring role at the top of the order in the Black Caps' run to the World Cup final.

Among his four half-centuries in nine matches was a destructive 77 off just 25 balls against England in Wellington.

Birmingham Bears director of rugby Dougie Brown said: "Brendon's dynamic performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup have demonstrated once again exactly why he is one of the most feared batsmen in the game.

"Securing his availability for our last seven games has to make him one of the biggest overseas player signings in the competition's history.

"His power at the top of the order and experience of playing in big matches are great assets to bolster our already strong squad as we look to win through to the quarter-finals and defend our NatWest T20 Blast title."

McCullum is the leading run scorer in the history of T20 internationals, with 2,105 at an average over 35, with two centuries.

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Jayawardene to build grassroot cricket in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene is set to take over a role with the country's cricket administration to develop the infrastructure of the local game at the feeder level.

Sports Minister Navin Dissanayake said that Jayawardene, 37, has consented to a futuristic role in restructuring the schools and junior level cricket.

Jayawardene, who retired from ODIs after the World Cup, was one of the finest batsmen to come through the highly competitive school cricket set up.

He was a brilliant batsman for Nalanda College in Colombo, which has produced so many Sri Lankan internationals, including Sri Lanka's first Test captain Bandula Warnapura.

In the recent years the school system has failed to produce outstanding cricketers to be fed in to the national team.

Introduction of T20 cricket at school level is being seen as a major reason.

In 2007 a similar role was thrust on Aravinda de Silva, a former captain and one of the finest batsmen produced by the country to revamp junior cricket.

Dissanayake, after Sri Lanka's exit from the quarterfinals of the 50-over showpiece event, has set out to revamp the local governing body administration by setting up an interim committee headed by the former Test opening batsman Sidath Wettimuny.

They are to take office from Wednesday.

Dissanayake's father Gamini was instrumental in developing Sri Lanka's local cricket infrastructure, which helped immensely in the island being admitted as a full Test nation in 1981.

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McCullum joins Birmingham Bears for T20 Blast

LONDON: New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum confirmed on Tuesday he has signed for the Birmingham Bears for the defence of their T20 Blast title.

McCullum joins the Bears -- Warwickshire's T20 name -- on a seven-match deal after playing a major role as New Zealand reached the World Cup final, where the Black Caps lost to co-hosts Australia.

"The Birmingham Bears had a great season last year, including winning the T20 Blast, and hopefully I can make a big contribution and ensure that we can progress in the tournament," said McCullum.

"Edgbaston is a fantastic ground to play at and hopefully it will be rocking for the big Friday night matches. I'm really excited about becoming a Bear and the challenge ahead."

McCullum will link up with the Bears after New Zealand's tour of England with his first game against Lancashire Lightning on June 26 at Old Trafford.

He played a starring role at the top of the order in the Black Caps' run to the World Cup final.

Among his four half-centuries in nine matches was a destructive 77 off just 25 balls against England in Wellington.

Birmingham Bears director of rugby Dougie Brown said: "Brendon's dynamic performances in the ICC Cricket World Cup have demonstrated once again exactly why he is one of the most feared batsmen in the game.

"Securing his availability for our last seven games has to make him one of the biggest overseas player signings in the competition's history.

"His power at the top of the order and experience of playing in big matches are great assets to bolster our already strong squad as we look to win through to the quarter-finals and defend our NatWest T20 Blast title."

McCullum is the leading run scorer in the history of T20 internationals, with 2,105 at an average over 35, with two centuries.

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Kohli the leader must play more responsibly: Prasanna

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli is expected to captain India in all formats at some point but before that happens the star batsmen must start taking more responsibility towards his team, says spin great Erapalli Prasanna.

"In all probability, Kohli will captain the Indian team in the next World Cup. For that, he needs to start taking more responsibility towards his team and ensure he holds the unit together," Prasanna said.

Prasanna's comments come in the wake of Kohli's performance in a big-ticket tournament like the World Cup.

"It is okay to play with an aggressive approach but you always can't fight fire with fire. Kohli is a good player but at times he needs to respect the opposition. You can't always take on the bowlers," said the former off-spinner, referring to his mistimed pull shot off Mitchell Johnson in the World Cup semifinal.

Kohli had a quite World Cup by his high standards though he ended up scoring 305 runs from eight games at an average of 50.83. What disappointed many of his fans was that he could not fire in big games after hitting a hundred against Pakistan in the tournament opener.

"It is good to play with confidence but the fact of the matter is you have to respect other players. He needed to play the sheet anchor role in the tournament and especially in the semifinal, he should have taken more time before attempting a pull shot against high quality pace," said Prasanna, talking about the stroke that led to Kohli's downfall in the semifinal that India lost by 95 runs.

"He did so well in Test matches in Australia and should have shown similar temperament in World Cup," he added.

Kohli smashed four hundreds in the four-match Test series that preceded the tri-series and World Cup.

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Azhar Ali named new Pakistan ODI captain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's cricket chiefs on Monday named batsman Azhar Ali as the national side's new one-day international captain, despite the fact he has not made the 50-over team in more than two years.

The 30-year-old replaces Misbah-ul-Haq, who retired from ODIs following Pakistan's World Cup quarterfinal exit at the hands of eventual champions Australia.

Ali has played just 14 ODIs, the most recent in January 2013, when he contributed two with the bat as Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by 85 runs at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

He was not even included in the final 15-man World Cup squad, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan insisted he had proved himself in the domestic Pentangular Cup.

"Azhar Ali has been appointed captain because of his leadership skills, team spirit and character," Khan told reporters.

"I know Azhar Ali was not in the team in the last two years but his performance in the pentangular series proved that he deserves to be the captain."

Ali was also named as vice-captain for the Test side, which Misbah will continue to lead, while big-hitting allrounder Shahid Afridi stays on as Twenty20 skipper.

Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed was named vice-captain for both ODIs and T20s, a move that appears to cement his place in the side.

The 27-year-old was left out for the early matches of the World Cup but when he was finally called up, he responded with some dazzling glovework and Pakistan's first century in the tournament since 2007 in the last group game against Ireland.

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Kohli the leader must play more responsibly: Prasanna

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli is expected to captain India in all formats at some point but before that happens the star batsmen must start taking more responsibility towards his team, says spin great Erapalli Prasanna.

"In all probability, Kohli will captain the Indian team in the next World Cup. For that, he needs to start taking more responsibility towards his team and ensure he holds the unit together," Prasanna said.

Prasanna's comments come in the wake of Kohli's performance in a big-ticket tournament like the World Cup.

"It is okay to play with an aggressive approach but you always can't fight fire with fire. Kohli is a good player but at times he needs to respect the opposition. You can't always take on the bowlers," said the former off-spinner, referring to his mistimed pull shot off Mitchell Johnson in the World Cup semifinal.

Kohli had a quite World Cup by his high standards though he ended up scoring 305 runs from eight games at an average of 50.83. What disappointed many of his fans was that he could not fire in big games after hitting a hundred against Pakistan in the tournament opener.

"It is good to play with confidence but the fact of the matter is you have to respect other players. He needed to play the sheet anchor role in the tournament and especially in the semifinal, he should have taken more time before attempting a pull shot against high quality pace," said Prasanna, talking about the stroke that led to Kohli's downfall in the semifinal that India lost by 95 runs.

"He did so well in Test matches in Australia and should have shown similar temperament in World Cup," he added.

Kohli smashed four hundreds in the four-match Test series that preceded the tri-series and World Cup.

Follow TOI Sports on Twitter >>> @TOISportsNews

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Azhar Ali named new Pakistan ODI captain

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's cricket chiefs on Monday named batsman Azhar Ali as the national side's new one-day international captain, despite the fact he has not made the 50-over team in more than two years.

The 30-year-old replaces Misbah-ul-Haq, who retired from ODIs following Pakistan's World Cup quarterfinal exit at the hands of eventual champions Australia.

Ali has played just 14 ODIs, the most recent in January 2013, when he contributed two with the bat as Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by 85 runs at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

He was not even included in the final 15-man World Cup squad, but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan insisted he had proved himself in the domestic Pentangular Cup.

"Azhar Ali has been appointed captain because of his leadership skills, team spirit and character," Khan told reporters.

"I know Azhar Ali was not in the team in the last two years but his performance in the pentangular series proved that he deserves to be the captain."

Ali was also named as vice-captain for the Test side, which Misbah will continue to lead, while big-hitting allrounder Shahid Afridi stays on as Twenty20 skipper.

Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed was named vice-captain for both ODIs and T20s, a move that appears to cement his place in the side.

The 27-year-old was left out for the early matches of the World Cup but when he was finally called up, he responded with some dazzling glovework and Pakistan's first century in the tournament since 2007 in the last group game against Ireland.

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World Cup 2015: Starc award defies trend in bat-dominated tournament

MELBOURNE: At a World Cup dominated by batsmen and huge scores, it was an old-fashioned fast bowler who ultimately played the biggest role in Australia's success.

Mitchell Starc, whose devastating pace and movement troubled almost every batsmen who faced him, was named player of the tournament after Australia wrapped up their fifth title with a seven-wicket over New Zealand on Sunday.

Glenn McGrath (2007) is the only other specialist bowler to have won the award but Starc was a popular choice after terrorising his opponents for the past six weeks.

"It's nice to see bat dominate ball every now and again," Starc told reporters. "There's been some fantastic performances with both. Obviously, it's been a couple of big scores, a couple of double tons... but it's just been fantastic the whole tournament."

Although New Zealand opener Martin Guptill and Chris Gayle scored double centuries during the World Cup, Starc was an obvious choice for the player of the tournament award.

He took 22 wickets, equal best with New Zealand seamer Trent Boult, but at a far better average of 10.18.

Perhaps the left-armer's most telling contribution, however, came in the first over of Sunday's final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when he cleaned bowled New Zealand's captain and most destructive batsman Brendon McCullum with a yorker.

The Black Caps never recovered and were bowled out for just 183 in the 45th over.

"He's been a key player for them right from the beginning, and he's been fantastic for the Kiwis to get them off to great starts," Starc said.

"We knew we had to sort of assess him as he went because he's very unpredictable. I think personally it was a bit of a planning game with (bowling coach) Craig McDermott about just bowling in pace and yorker to him first up.

"I'm not sure how that first one missed, but lucky the third one hit. There's a lot of luck involved, but just nice to see that plan come off."

For Starc, his award was also a vindication of his rising status in Australia's bowling ranks. One of three left-arm fast bowlers, he has often been overshadowed by Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner, who was named man of the match in the final.

He was also criticised this summer by Shane Warne for not being aggressive enough but proved all his doubters wrong and now hopes his form in the one-day game will help him play more tests.

"Over the last sort of 12 to 18 months I've really felt a part of the one-day team, really felt at home," he said.

"I'd like to push into test cricket now, but we've got a bit of a break now before any of the tests, but still a lot of work to do with white and red ball. Just going to really enjoy this moment."

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World Cup 2015: Starc award defies trend in bat-dominated tournament

MELBOURNE: At a World Cup dominated by batsmen and huge scores, it was an old-fashioned fast bowler who ultimately played the biggest role in Australia's success.

Mitchell Starc, whose devastating pace and movement troubled almost every batsmen who faced him, was named player of the tournament after Australia wrapped up their fifth title with a seven-wicket over New Zealand on Sunday.

Glenn McGrath (2007) is the only other specialist bowler to have won the award but Starc was a popular choice after terrorising his opponents for the past six weeks.

"It's nice to see bat dominate ball every now and again," Starc told reporters. "There's been some fantastic performances with both. Obviously, it's been a couple of big scores, a couple of double tons... but it's just been fantastic the whole tournament."

Although New Zealand opener Martin Guptill and Chris Gayle scored double centuries during the World Cup, Starc was an obvious choice for the player of the tournament award.

He took 22 wickets, equal best with New Zealand seamer Trent Boult, but at a far better average of 10.18.

Perhaps the left-armer's most telling contribution, however, came in the first over of Sunday's final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when he cleaned bowled New Zealand's captain and most destructive batsman Brendon McCullum with a yorker.

The Black Caps never recovered and were bowled out for just 183 in the 45th over.

"He's been a key player for them right from the beginning, and he's been fantastic for the Kiwis to get them off to great starts," Starc said.

"We knew we had to sort of assess him as he went because he's very unpredictable. I think personally it was a bit of a planning game with (bowling coach) Craig McDermott about just bowling in pace and yorker to him first up.

"I'm not sure how that first one missed, but lucky the third one hit. There's a lot of luck involved, but just nice to see that plan come off."

For Starc, his award was also a vindication of his rising status in Australia's bowling ranks. One of three left-arm fast bowlers, he has often been overshadowed by Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner, who was named man of the match in the final.

He was also criticised this summer by Shane Warne for not being aggressive enough but proved all his doubters wrong and now hopes his form in the one-day game will help him play more tests.

"Over the last sort of 12 to 18 months I've really felt a part of the one-day team, really felt at home," he said.

"I'd like to push into test cricket now, but we've got a bit of a break now before any of the tests, but still a lot of work to do with white and red ball. Just going to really enjoy this moment."

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World Cup 2015: Peeved ICC president Kamal leaves MCG before end of final

MELBOURNE: Peeved at not being given the opportunity to hand out the World Cup trophy to the champions, International Cricket Council (ICC) president Mustafa Kamal on Sunday left the Melbourne Cricket Ground even before the final between Australia and New Zealand finished.

It was ICC chairman N Srinivasan, who handed the World Cup to champion team's skipper Michael Clarke with tournament Brand Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar, ICC CEO Dave Richardson and Cricket Australia supremo Wally Edwards sharing the dais with the Tamil Nadu strongman.

According to reliable sources in the ICC, it was learnt that at an ICC meeting on Saturday, Kamal was categorically told that he won't be allowed to hand over the trophy.

It has been learnt that Srinivasan is extremely angry after Kamal voiced his concerns about "umpiring bias", which led to Rohit Sharma being given not-out to a Rubel Hossain delivery which apparently looked a "touch and go" decision.

Kamal, who is the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president had accused India of flexing its muscles, which had led to umpiring bias.

Srinivasan reportedly wasn't one bit amused after hearing Kamal's comments on record. While the former BCCI president didn't say anything in public, he did express his displeasure to the board members and questioned as to how can Kamal pinpoint on one wrong umpiring decision and take it as an isolated case.

Kamal reportedly didn't sit in the ICC Hospitality Box and after talking to elite group of people in Bangladesh government (he is a union minister also), Kamal decided to leave the venue as he felt that it was an insult to his position.

The ICC constitution states that head of the body will hand out the trophy but since the position of chairman has been created, there is some amount of confusion as to who is the head of the world cricket's governing body.

The president is the ceremonial head while executive powers lie with the chairman. However till 1996, the World Cup has been handed by various people and not necessarily the head of ICC. Kamal has another three months left in ICC.

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World Cup 2015: Peeved ICC president Kamal leaves MCG before end of final

MELBOURNE: Peeved at not being given the opportunity to hand out the World Cup trophy to the champions, International Cricket Council (ICC) president Mustafa Kamal on Sunday left the Melbourne Cricket Ground even before the final between Australia and New Zealand finished.

It was ICC chairman N Srinivasan, who handed the World Cup to champion team's skipper Michael Clarke with tournament Brand Ambassador Sachin Tendulkar, ICC CEO Dave Richardson and Cricket Australia supremo Wally Edwards sharing the dais with the Tamil Nadu strongman.

According to reliable sources in the ICC, it was learnt that at an ICC meeting on Saturday, Kamal was categorically told that he won't be allowed to hand over the trophy.

It has been learnt that Srinivasan is extremely angry after Kamal voiced his concerns about "umpiring bias", which led to Rohit Sharma being given not-out to a Rubel Hossain delivery which apparently looked a "touch and go" decision.

Kamal, who is the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president had accused India of flexing its muscles, which had led to umpiring bias.

Srinivasan reportedly wasn't one bit amused after hearing Kamal's comments on record. While the former BCCI president didn't say anything in public, he did express his displeasure to the board members and questioned as to how can Kamal pinpoint on one wrong umpiring decision and take it as an isolated case.

Kamal reportedly didn't sit in the ICC Hospitality Box and after talking to elite group of people in Bangladesh government (he is a union minister also), Kamal decided to leave the venue as he felt that it was an insult to his position.

The ICC constitution states that head of the body will hand out the trophy but since the position of chairman has been created, there is some amount of confusion as to who is the head of the world cricket's governing body.

The president is the ceremonial head while executive powers lie with the chairman. However till 1996, the World Cup has been handed by various people and not necessarily the head of ICC. Kamal has another three months left in ICC.

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Moments that defined the Cup Down Under

Double? No trouble

This World Cup has shown that a double century is the new milestone. Chris Gayle took Zimbabwe apart in the group league, smashing an exhilarating 215. The West Indian shattered South African Gary Kirsten's 188 not out from the 1996 World Cup match against United Arab Emirates, thus posting the highest individual score in the tournament's history. New Zealand's Martin Guptill followed it up in style after he hit a marauding 237 not out against the West Indies in the quarterfinals. The Kiwi became the highest ever World Cup scorer. David Warner hit a 178, Sanga got four tons on the trot... basically, batsmen have never had it so good.

Blimey! England blown away

This is not a World Cup the Englishmen would want to remember for long. They invented the game and here they were, being given a royal sendoff by minnows Bangladesh. Crikey! Winning by 15 runs, Bangladesh moved into the quarters for the first time, where they lost to India. Mohammad Mahmudullah also became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century in the England match. To rub some more salt into English wounds, let's not forget that Bangladesh won three out of their last four matches.

Heroes gone

Two heroes strolled into folklore this World Cup. With their loss to South Africa in the quarterfinals, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara bowed out of ODIs. A wave, a nod and it was all over! "Well done on glorious ODI careers @KumarSanga2 and @MahelaJay," tweeted Sachin Tendulkar. We'll miss their grace and poise on and off the pitch.

Ruthless de Villiers

It was his day and AB de Villiers made the most out of it. Some crazy power hitting by the South African skipper saw him scoring the fastest 150 in ODI history as West Indies lost by a massive 257 runs in a one-sided contest. De Villiers struck 17 fours and eight sixes in an awesome exhibition of power hitting. But then, one man's genius is not enough to carry forward an entire team, as we saw in the semis.

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Team India members arrive home; Kohli, Anushka land in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The Indian World Cup team members, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and star batsman Virat Kohli, arrived home from Australia in batches and left for their respective destinations, cricket board sources said.

While Dhoni landed in Delhi, Kohli, along with his actress girlfriend Anushka Sharma, and five players besides Team Director Ravi Shastri, touched down at the Mumbai International Airport.

Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel also returned to Mumbai from Australia after India's semifinal loss in the cricket's showpiece event on March 26, the sources said.

"By tonight all others, who have remained behind, would be back in India," they informed.

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Team India members arrive home; Kohli, Anushka land in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The Indian World Cup team members, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and star batsman Virat Kohli, arrived home from Australia in batches and left for their respective destinations, cricket board sources said.

While Dhoni landed in Delhi, Kohli, along with his actress girlfriend Anushka Sharma, and five players besides Team Director Ravi Shastri, touched down at the Mumbai International Airport.

Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel also returned to Mumbai from Australia after India's semifinal loss in the cricket's showpiece event on March 26, the sources said.

"By tonight all others, who have remained behind, would be back in India," they informed.

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Moments that defined the Cup Down Under

Double? No trouble

This World Cup has shown that a double century is the new milestone. Chris Gayle took Zimbabwe apart in the group league, smashing an exhilarating 215. The West Indian shattered South African Gary Kirsten's 188 not out from the 1996 World Cup match against United Arab Emirates, thus posting the highest individual score in the tournament's history. New Zealand's Martin Guptill followed it up in style after he hit a marauding 237 not out against the West Indies in the quarterfinals. The Kiwi became the highest ever World Cup scorer. David Warner hit a 178, Sanga got four tons on the trot... basically, batsmen have never had it so good.

Blimey! England blown away

This is not a World Cup the Englishmen would want to remember for long. They invented the game and here they were, being given a royal sendoff by minnows Bangladesh. Crikey! Winning by 15 runs, Bangladesh moved into the quarters for the first time, where they lost to India. Mohammad Mahmudullah also became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a World Cup century in the England match. To rub some more salt into English wounds, let's not forget that Bangladesh won three out of their last four matches.

Heroes gone

Two heroes strolled into folklore this World Cup. With their loss to South Africa in the quarterfinals, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara bowed out of ODIs. A wave, a nod and it was all over! "Well done on glorious ODI careers @KumarSanga2 and @MahelaJay," tweeted Sachin Tendulkar. We'll miss their grace and poise on and off the pitch.

Ruthless de Villiers

It was his day and AB de Villiers made the most out of it. Some crazy power hitting by the South African skipper saw him scoring the fastest 150 in ODI history as West Indies lost by a massive 257 runs in a one-sided contest. De Villiers struck 17 fours and eight sixes in an awesome exhibition of power hitting. But then, one man's genius is not enough to carry forward an entire team, as we saw in the semis.

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Vettori's performance key in determining WC final fate: Dhoni

SYDNEY: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has identified New Zealand's veteran spinner Daniel Vettori as the key man on whose performance the outcome of the ICC World Cup 2015 final against Australia will depend.

Dhoni on Thursday said it may be the team with a specialist spinner who will win the World Cup. Tournament co-hosts Australia take on New Zealand in a trans-Tasman rivalry in the title round at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

New Zealand were the first team to enter the final after beating South Africa by four wickets in a thrilling encounter at the Eden Park in Auckland Tuesday.

Australia thumped defending champions India by 95 runs in a comprehensive victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground here on Thursday.

"I think (New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel) Vettori's performance will be crucial," Dhoni was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Despite Australia's impressive form in the build-up to the final, some experts have identified the team's lack of a quality spinner as the only weakness, which opponents could exploit.

However, Vettori is not as fit as he used to be. His activity in recent years has been hampered by a troublesome back and a sore finger.

The 36-year-old has left his best years behind but would be keen to write the last chapter of a long and illustrious career story on his own.

"He is somebody who, in the middle overs, can really get wickets and he's not someone you can easily score off. So he will be the key factor," Dhoni said.

The left-arm orthodox spinner has picked up 15 wickets in eight matches so far. In 294 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Vettori has bagged 305 wickets.
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World Cup 2015: MCG holds no fears for Black Caps, says Southee

MELBOURNE: New Zealand seamer Tim Southee believes the Black Caps have the experience and the firepower to topple Australia in Sunday's ICC World Cup 2015 final in Melbourne.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

Southee said the Black Caps were relishing the opportunity of playing in their maiden World Cup final -- a match that will also mark New Zealand's first appearance at the vast Melbourne Cricket Ground in six years.

New Zealand are the form side of the tournament having won all eight of their matches at this World Cup, a sequence that includes two dramatic clashes in Auckland -- a one-wicket win over Australia in the pool phase and Tuesday's semifinal defeat of South Africa sealed by Grant Elliott's six off the second-last ball.

Australia captain Michael Clarke reckons his side's knowledge of playing at the MCG will be a major factor in the final as the home team chase a fifth World Cup title following their emphatic 95-run semifinal victory over defending champions India in Sydney on Thursday.

But that doesn't wash with Southee, who has claimed 15 wickets at 27.13 in the tournament and formed a potent new-ball combination with left-armer Trent Boult, the tournament's leading bowler with 21 wickets at 15.76.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden suggested the sheer side of the MCG for a New Zealand team who'd played all their previous matches at this World Cup on their own, much smaller grounds - sparking a tide of derisive comments on social media from Black Caps fans.

But Southee told reporters at the MCG on Friday: "We are not too worried about the size of the ground.

"It's a dream come true for all the guys. This is as good as it gets, taking on Australia in Australia on one of the best cricket grounds in the world."

Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has more experience of the MCG than his New Zealand team-mates, having played there seven times since 1997, while skipper Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor have played there twice with Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Southee and Kyle Mills all having had one MCG appearance each.

All seven played in New Zealand's last visit to the ground, when they beat Australia by six wickets in 2009.

"We haven't played here for a long time. We have good memories from that (2009) game as well," Southee said.

"A lot of the guys have played in front of pretty big crowds in India. There will be close to 100,000 people screaming (on Sunday).

"It will be interesting to see what it's like here."

Southee added: "The rivalry between Australia and New Zealand does pretty much cover every sport and it is massive.

"We're probably seen as the 'little brothers from across the ditch' and we do quite well in other sports (such as both rugby codes) to compete.

"Australia have had the wood on us over the last couple of years in cricket.

"As a kid growing up it was always Australia that you wanted to play against...You're always wanting to have one-up over the 'big brothers'."

Boult was the destroyer with five for 27 when the Black Caps beat Australia in Auckland during the pool stages on February 28, while Southee grabbed a career-best seven for 33 in the celebrated win over England in Wellington.

"To do what he's done over the last couple of months has been amazing," Southee said of Boult. "We do have a great partnership.

"A bit of swing would be nice. It hasn't swung for us in every game but we've found ways to take wickets.

"If it does swing we do become a big more dangerous." The MCG is also etched deep in New Zealand's sporting psyche as it was where the infamous 'underarm' delivery took place in 1981.

To prevent New Zealand from having any chance of scoring the six they needed to tie, Australia captain Greg Chappell instructed younger brother Trevor to bowl the last ball underarm along the ground to Brian McKechnie, who hurled his bat away in disgust at Australia's lack of sportsmanship.

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World Cup 2015: MCG holds no fears for Black Caps, says Southee

MELBOURNE: New Zealand seamer Tim Southee believes the Black Caps have the experience and the firepower to topple Australia in Sunday's ICC World Cup 2015 final in Melbourne.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

Southee said the Black Caps were relishing the opportunity of playing in their maiden World Cup final -- a match that will also mark New Zealand's first appearance at the vast Melbourne Cricket Ground in six years.

New Zealand are the form side of the tournament having won all eight of their matches at this World Cup, a sequence that includes two dramatic clashes in Auckland -- a one-wicket win over Australia in the pool phase and Tuesday's semifinal defeat of South Africa sealed by Grant Elliott's six off the second-last ball.

Australia captain Michael Clarke reckons his side's knowledge of playing at the MCG will be a major factor in the final as the home team chase a fifth World Cup title following their emphatic 95-run semifinal victory over defending champions India in Sydney on Thursday.

But that doesn't wash with Southee, who has claimed 15 wickets at 27.13 in the tournament and formed a potent new-ball combination with left-armer Trent Boult, the tournament's leading bowler with 21 wickets at 15.76.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden suggested the sheer side of the MCG for a New Zealand team who'd played all their previous matches at this World Cup on their own, much smaller grounds - sparking a tide of derisive comments on social media from Black Caps fans.

But Southee told reporters at the MCG on Friday: "We are not too worried about the size of the ground.

"It's a dream come true for all the guys. This is as good as it gets, taking on Australia in Australia on one of the best cricket grounds in the world."

Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has more experience of the MCG than his New Zealand team-mates, having played there seven times since 1997, while skipper Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor have played there twice with Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Southee and Kyle Mills all having had one MCG appearance each.

All seven played in New Zealand's last visit to the ground, when they beat Australia by six wickets in 2009.

"We haven't played here for a long time. We have good memories from that (2009) game as well," Southee said.

"A lot of the guys have played in front of pretty big crowds in India. There will be close to 100,000 people screaming (on Sunday).

"It will be interesting to see what it's like here."

Southee added: "The rivalry between Australia and New Zealand does pretty much cover every sport and it is massive.

"We're probably seen as the 'little brothers from across the ditch' and we do quite well in other sports (such as both rugby codes) to compete.

"Australia have had the wood on us over the last couple of years in cricket.

"As a kid growing up it was always Australia that you wanted to play against...You're always wanting to have one-up over the 'big brothers'."

Boult was the destroyer with five for 27 when the Black Caps beat Australia in Auckland during the pool stages on February 28, while Southee grabbed a career-best seven for 33 in the celebrated win over England in Wellington.

"To do what he's done over the last couple of months has been amazing," Southee said of Boult. "We do have a great partnership.

"A bit of swing would be nice. It hasn't swung for us in every game but we've found ways to take wickets.

"If it does swing we do become a big more dangerous." The MCG is also etched deep in New Zealand's sporting psyche as it was where the infamous 'underarm' delivery took place in 1981.

To prevent New Zealand from having any chance of scoring the six they needed to tie, Australia captain Greg Chappell instructed younger brother Trevor to bowl the last ball underarm along the ground to Brian McKechnie, who hurled his bat away in disgust at Australia's lack of sportsmanship.

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Vettori's performance key in determining WC final fate: Dhoni

SYDNEY: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has identified New Zealand's veteran spinner Daniel Vettori as the key man on whose performance the outcome of the ICC World Cup 2015 final against Australia will depend.

Dhoni on Thursday said it may be the team with a specialist spinner who will win the World Cup. Tournament co-hosts Australia take on New Zealand in a trans-Tasman rivalry in the title round at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

New Zealand were the first team to enter the final after beating South Africa by four wickets in a thrilling encounter at the Eden Park in Auckland Tuesday.

Australia thumped defending champions India by 95 runs in a comprehensive victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground here on Thursday.

"I think (New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel) Vettori's performance will be crucial," Dhoni was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Despite Australia's impressive form in the build-up to the final, some experts have identified the team's lack of a quality spinner as the only weakness, which opponents could exploit.

However, Vettori is not as fit as he used to be. His activity in recent years has been hampered by a troublesome back and a sore finger.

The 36-year-old has left his best years behind but would be keen to write the last chapter of a long and illustrious career story on his own.

"He is somebody who, in the middle overs, can really get wickets and he's not someone you can easily score off. So he will be the key factor," Dhoni said.

The left-arm orthodox spinner has picked up 15 wickets in eight matches so far. In 294 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Vettori has bagged 305 wickets.
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World Cup 2015: Pressure of semifinals got to India, says Sunil Gavaskar

SYDNEY: Dejected with Indian batsmen's poor shot selection in their 329-run chase, former skipper Sunil Gavaskar said that the pressure of the cricket World Cup semifinal got to the team as it was outplayed by Australia on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Australia beat India to set up final clash with New Zealand

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's run-a-ball 65 stood tall amid a disappointing show as Shikhar Dhawan (45) and Rohit Sharma (34) failed to capitalised on a 76-run opening stand before the rest of the batting fell apart.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

"Team India succumbed under the pressure of big finals. Team India today lost in all departments, especially in batting as they failed to build one strong partnership throughout the innings. The batsmen played irresponsibly and got out to some sloppy shots," said Gavaskar, who is a part of Star Sports Hindi commentary panel.

"While full marks to the Australian team who kept India silent throughout the match and never let them have an upper hand," he added.

Virat Kohli's (1) mistimed pull shot off Mitchell Johnson was also a big blow to India's chances of chasing down the big score as Australia kept chipping away with wickets.

"What disappointed me the most today was their poor shot selection. Virat (Kohli) needs to improvise on this pull shots. The pressure of chasing 329 runs clearly showed off on the Indian batsmen as the Indian batsmen failed to set themselves at the crease and got out to poor shots in order to accelerate the scoring," said a disappointed Gavaskar.

Gavaskar, though, opined that Australian skipper Michael Clarke had the liberty to experiment on the fielding front after their batsmen, led by Steven Smith's 105, had posted 328 for seven after electing to bat first.

"Clarke had a liberty to experiment today. Australia had put up a big score today which gave them room to experiment with their bowling and fielding today," said the cricketer-turned-analyst.

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Clarke salutes Smith as Australia power into World Cup final

SYDNEY: Australia captain Michael Clarke praised the "exceptional" Steve Smith after his side beat defending champions India by 95 runs on Thursday to set a ICC World Cup 2015 final with New Zealand.

READ ALSO: Australia beat India to set up final clash with NZ

Smith's 105 and his second-wicket stand of 182 with opener Aaron Finch (81) powered Australia to 328 for seven after Clarke won the toss.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

India were only briefly in the hunt and were eventually dismissed for 233, despite a run-a-ball 65 from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who produced a match-winning fifty in the final against Sri Lanka four years ago.

"I feel really excited. Smithy was exceptional once again, and I was really proud of the execution of our bowlers," said Clarke after a convincing win at the Sydney Cricket Ground where the impressive Mitchell Starc took two for 28 in 8.5 overs and James Faulkner three for 59 in nine.

Sunday's final in Melbourne will give Australia the chance to avenge their one-wicket loss to New Zealand in a pool-phase thriller at Auckland's Eden Park last month.

"Losing to New Zealand really gave us a kick up the backside," said Clarke. "Mentally I think the guys are ready to walk into the final.

"New Zealand have been playing some great cricket, (captain) Brendon (McCullum) has done a great job."

Smith added: "We thought 330 was around par, we knew we had to bowl and field well and the boys did a great job, so roll on Melbourne. It's nice to contribute to a few wins.

"I hope I have more runs in the bank -- a big hundred would be nice."

India made a bold start to their chase, with the highest score ever made by a side batting second to win a one-dayer at the SCG the 334 for six made by Australia against England in 2011.

But once opener Shikhar Dhawan holed out for 45 off Josh Hazlewood, India struggled and even Dhoni's brisk innings came too late to turn the tide.

"Overall Australia played very good cricket. Over 300 is a very big score to chase, but I thought it was just over par," said Dhoni.

"Shikhar Dhawan was batting freely, he didn't need to play the big shot. It was too many for me to chase.

"Our lower order really needs to work hard on their batting."

The 33-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman hinted this may have been his last appearance at the World Cup by saying: "I'm not sure whether it will be my last World Cup."

But with India having an enjoyed an unbeaten run to the semifinals, Clarke said: "Huge congratulations to MS Dhoni and his team, I think they've competed really well in this World Cup.

"I'm pretty sure it won't be his last World Cup, he's got a lot of cricket left in him."

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No Asian team in World Cup final for first time since 1987

SYDNEY: Sunday's World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand will be the first title clash without an Asian team since 1987.

The last final without an Asian challenger was played in 1987 when Australia beat England by seven runs at the Eden Gardens.

From 1992 to 2011, either India, Sri Lanka or Pakistan reached the title clash of the 50-over showpiece event.

Pakistan's maiden triumph came Down Under in 1992 before they finished runners-up to Australia at Lord's seven year later.

India won the title at home four years ago and finished second to Australia in the 2003 edition held in South Africa.

Sri Lanka, who lifted the coveted crown in 1996, did well to reach the summit clash in 2007 and 2011.

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Gloom shrouds India after World Cup exit

SYDNEY/NEW DELHI: A pall of gloom descended on the Indian dressing room after the team's campaign in the World Cup came to an agonising end on Thursday, and the pain of losing the semifinals engulfed the entire cricket-crazy nation that was left grief-stricken.

READ ALSO: Australia beat India to set up final clash with New Zealand

Disappointment was writ large on the faces of players and their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after they succumbed to pressure against the clinical Australians, who decimated the defending champions by 95 runs to romp into the finals and break a million Indian hearts.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

While Dhoni and his men managed to put up a brave face at the post-match presentation ceremony, many broke down at the Sydney Cricket Ground and miles away from the hallowed turf.

Angst was also one of emotions on display in a country that lives by the cliche 'cricket is religion and cricketers are God'.

A man reportedly broke his television set in Ranchi, the hometown of Dhoni, while a few of them were learnt to have burnt the posters of their favourite icons.

While a family in the capital has gone into mourning cancelling a planned weekend celebration, in Mumbai and Kolkata, supporters of the Men in Blue were seen consoling each other with a hug after the defeat.

Heavy security was deployed at MS Dhoni's house after Indian team lost the World Cup semifinal against Australia. (TOI Photo)

The Indians in Australia and back in India had planned their Sunday keeping the grand finale in mind, only to see their hopes being dashed by this loss.

"I had planned a leave on Sunday hoping to watch the match in the comforts of my home. I begged my boss to grant me leave... now I am feeling shattered, so badly I wanted them to win," said Trisha, a young journalist.

Shiny, a software professional, also had her plans chalked out in advance.

"After such a great run, losing in this manner was something we could never imagine. It is definitely a very sad moment for all of us," she said, flanked by her team members.

Similar was the reaction of Debolina and Shoumik, a doctor couple.

It was not only the youngsters but the elderly ones were also affected by the reverse.

The build-up to the mega event had raised more apprehension than hope amid rumours of all not being well in the dressing room, but the team's stunning turnaround after the winless Test and ODI campaign Down Under raised hopes of a second successive world title.

"I don't know whether I will live to see India win an ODI World Cup title again, the most prized achievement in cricket," said 79-year-old Gulshan Lal Khanna, a retired professor.

In an engrossing semifinal clash, four-time champions Australia rode on Steve Smith's classy 105 to post an imposing 328/7 before bundling out India for 233 in 46.5 overs to set up a summit clash with trans-Tasmanian rivals and co-hosts New Zealand in Melbourne on Sunday.

After a dream run which saw them win seven matches on the trot, India's quest for a second successive World Cup title was finally thwarted by the formidable Australians, who outplayed Mahendra Singh Dhoni's bravehearts in every department at the fully-packed SCG.

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World Cup 2015: Dhoni, Maxwell most searched players ahead of 2nd semifinal

GUWAHATI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Glenn Maxwell have emerged as the two most searched players from India and Australia ahead of their semifinal clash on Thursday in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

According to study by global IT giant Google, the Indian skipper is leading the chart of most searches player of his team before the crucial match.

He is followed by Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, Google said in a statement.

Interestingly, Dhoni's search rankings have improved post the crucial India-Zimbabwe match in comparison to Kohli, who has consistently been topping search trends since the beginning of the tournament, it added.

Going by online search trends, notwithstanding some really good performances by the India pace attack, fans are banking upon the strong Indian batting line up.

Among the Indian bowlers, pacer Mohammed Shami remains the most searched followed by Umesh Yadav, R Ashwin and Mohit Sharma.

Similarly, Australian fans continue to show strong support for their team with a surge in searches around their national team a day before the clash.

"Indian fans seem to agree with their Australian counterparts that the biggest threat to India is Australian striker Glenn Maxwell, who tops the search charts for the baggy greens both from India and Australia," it added.

Compared to Indian fans favouring batsmen, search trends by Aussie fans highlights a good balance with trends being a mix of their top batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders.

Maxwell is followed by Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Starc, Google said.

Sydney, which will host the second semifinal match, has also gained large search interest.

"Top related searches included Sydney Cricket Ground, Time in Sydney and Sydney weather," the search engine said.

The Sydney Cricket Ground pitch also drew large search interest online following the recent focus on the pitch preparation for the India-Australia clash, it added.

The two rivals are all set to battle it out at the historic SCG to book a spot in the World Cup final against New Zealand on Sunday.

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Ball that hit Hughes has been destroyed by Cricket NSW

SYDNEY: Phillip Hughes' demise will haunt the cricket world for years and to get over the tragedy the New South Wales cricket association did something unique by destroying the ball that fatally struck the young Australian during a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG last year.

The 25-year-old Hughes passed away on November 27, two days after he got hit during the fateful Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

On being asked about the six-and-half ounce of red kookaburra that was delivered by Sean Abbott on that day, the Cricket NSW official said that the ball has been destroyed.

"The ball that was used that day has been destroyed. It is a sensitive issue. We didn't want any trace that would hurt anyone. It was a collective decision taken by the Cricket New South Wales. Now if you ask me how it was destroyed, I won't be able to tell you. All I know is that the ball will never be seen again," Cricket NSW media manager Jodie Hawkins said on Wednesday.

Had that particular piece of leather been preserved, it could have probably hurt the sentiments of innumerable number of people who were close to the cricketer.

When asked what happened to gears that Hughes was wearing, Hawkins said that "those were returned to his parents."

There was another piece of information that was provided by Hawkins regarding the playing strip at the SCG where the incident happened.

"Pitch No.5 of SCG where the incident took place was retired for the season. Not a single match (first class or international) took place on pitch No5. However it has been decided that from the next season, we will again be having matches on pitch No.5," Hawkins, who was also associated with BBL side Sydney Sixers, added.

Hughes was batting on 63 when he couldn't connect a pull shot off a short delivery from Abbott as it hit on the back of his head. He was rushed to the hospital in unconscious condition and he was declared dead on the third day.

There was a wave of emotions in Australia following the young man's death as he was declared the "12th man" during India's first Test against hosts at Adelaide.

Almost all the Australian players had a silent prayer and tribute on their lips when they reached the score of 63 during that particular match.

National captain Michael Clarke, who went through an emotionally turbulent phase post Hughes' death, still wears a black armband as a mark of tribute.

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World Cup 2015: Dhoni, Maxwell most searched players ahead of 2nd semifinal

GUWAHATI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Glenn Maxwell have emerged as the two most searched players from India and Australia ahead of their semifinal clash on Thursday in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

According to study by global IT giant Google, the Indian skipper is leading the chart of most searches player of his team before the crucial match.

He is followed by Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan, Google said in a statement.

Interestingly, Dhoni's search rankings have improved post the crucial India-Zimbabwe match in comparison to Kohli, who has consistently been topping search trends since the beginning of the tournament, it added.

Going by online search trends, notwithstanding some really good performances by the India pace attack, fans are banking upon the strong Indian batting line up.

Among the Indian bowlers, pacer Mohammed Shami remains the most searched followed by Umesh Yadav, R Ashwin and Mohit Sharma.

Similarly, Australian fans continue to show strong support for their team with a surge in searches around their national team a day before the clash.

"Indian fans seem to agree with their Australian counterparts that the biggest threat to India is Australian striker Glenn Maxwell, who tops the search charts for the baggy greens both from India and Australia," it added.

Compared to Indian fans favouring batsmen, search trends by Aussie fans highlights a good balance with trends being a mix of their top batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders.

Maxwell is followed by Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Starc, Google said.

Sydney, which will host the second semifinal match, has also gained large search interest.

"Top related searches included Sydney Cricket Ground, Time in Sydney and Sydney weather," the search engine said.

The Sydney Cricket Ground pitch also drew large search interest online following the recent focus on the pitch preparation for the India-Australia clash, it added.

The two rivals are all set to battle it out at the historic SCG to book a spot in the World Cup final against New Zealand on Sunday.

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Ball that hit Hughes has been destroyed by Cricket NSW

SYDNEY: Phillip Hughes' demise will haunt the cricket world for years and to get over the tragedy the New South Wales cricket association did something unique by destroying the ball that fatally struck the young Australian during a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG last year.

The 25-year-old Hughes passed away on November 27, two days after he got hit during the fateful Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

On being asked about the six-and-half ounce of red kookaburra that was delivered by Sean Abbott on that day, the Cricket NSW official said that the ball has been destroyed.

"The ball that was used that day has been destroyed. It is a sensitive issue. We didn't want any trace that would hurt anyone. It was a collective decision taken by the Cricket New South Wales. Now if you ask me how it was destroyed, I won't be able to tell you. All I know is that the ball will never be seen again," Cricket NSW media manager Jodie Hawkins said on Wednesday.

Had that particular piece of leather been preserved, it could have probably hurt the sentiments of innumerable number of people who were close to the cricketer.

When asked what happened to gears that Hughes was wearing, Hawkins said that "those were returned to his parents."

There was another piece of information that was provided by Hawkins regarding the playing strip at the SCG where the incident happened.

"Pitch No.5 of SCG where the incident took place was retired for the season. Not a single match (first class or international) took place on pitch No5. However it has been decided that from the next season, we will again be having matches on pitch No.5," Hawkins, who was also associated with BBL side Sydney Sixers, added.

Hughes was batting on 63 when he couldn't connect a pull shot off a short delivery from Abbott as it hit on the back of his head. He was rushed to the hospital in unconscious condition and he was declared dead on the third day.

There was a wave of emotions in Australia following the young man's death as he was declared the "12th man" during India's first Test against hosts at Adelaide.

Almost all the Australian players had a silent prayer and tribute on their lips when they reached the score of 63 during that particular match.

National captain Michael Clarke, who went through an emotionally turbulent phase post Hughes' death, still wears a black armband as a mark of tribute.

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Court rejects life ban petition for Pakistan's Aamer

KARACHI: A Pakistani court on Tuesday dismissed a legal petition seeking a life ban on fast bowler Mohammad Aamer, just weeks after he returned to domestic cricket following a spot-fixing suspension.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) gave permission for the left-armer to return early to domestic cricket from his five-year ban over the infamous spot-fixing episode in a Test against England in 2010.

Lawyer Rana Faizul Hassan filed a petition in the Sindh High Court in February calling for the 22-year-old to be banned for life to stop him damaging the image of Pakistan and cricket.

But on Tuesday the court threw out the application after Hassan repeatedly failed to show up for hearings.

"The Sindh High Court today rejected my petition of demanding lifetime ban on Mohammad Aamer on non-persecution basis," Hassan told AFP.

Hassan said he had not been able to appear before the court because of his "busy" schedule and a two-judge bench dismissed the case.

Aamer made his comeback in Pakistani grade-two cricket, one rung below first class, on March 13, taking three wickets in his first spell of bowling.

He was one of three Pakistani players banned from cricket for at least five years for arranging no-balls to order, in the Lord's Test against England in 2010.

He was also jailed in Britain in 2011, along with former capital Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Aamer's ban was due to expire on September 2 2015, but the International Cricket Council used discretionary powers to allow him to return to domestic cricket early.

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Court rejects life ban petition for Pakistan's Aamer

KARACHI: A Pakistani court on Tuesday dismissed a legal petition seeking a life ban on fast bowler Mohammad Aamer, just weeks after he returned to domestic cricket following a spot-fixing suspension.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) gave permission for the left-armer to return early to domestic cricket from his five-year ban over the infamous spot-fixing episode in a Test against England in 2010.

Lawyer Rana Faizul Hassan filed a petition in the Sindh High Court in February calling for the 22-year-old to be banned for life to stop him damaging the image of Pakistan and cricket.

But on Tuesday the court threw out the application after Hassan repeatedly failed to show up for hearings.

"The Sindh High Court today rejected my petition of demanding lifetime ban on Mohammad Aamer on non-persecution basis," Hassan told AFP.

Hassan said he had not been able to appear before the court because of his "busy" schedule and a two-judge bench dismissed the case.

Aamer made his comeback in Pakistani grade-two cricket, one rung below first class, on March 13, taking three wickets in his first spell of bowling.

He was one of three Pakistani players banned from cricket for at least five years for arranging no-balls to order, in the Lord's Test against England in 2010.

He was also jailed in Britain in 2011, along with former capital Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Aamer's ban was due to expire on September 2 2015, but the International Cricket Council used discretionary powers to allow him to return to domestic cricket early.

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World Cup 2015: Sachin Tendulkar congratulates New Zealand

AUCKLAND: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar congratulated New Zealand for making it to the World Cup final after the Black Caps beat South Africa by four wickets (Duckworth/Lewis) in the semifinal at the Eden Park here on Tuesday.

"Big Congratulations to New Zealand for making the ICC World Cup finals and playing amazing cricket... #CWC15. Its tough to see a side lose in a match like the semis. Well played South Africa," Tendulkar tweeted.

Middle-order batsman Grant Elliot (84 not out) helped New Zealand achieve the 298-run target with one ball and four wickets to spare via the Duckworth/Lewis method in a thrilling and rain-curtailed match. India and co-hosts Australia will play the other semifinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.

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World Cup 2015: Perfect time to beat Australia, says Virat Kohli

SYDNEY: Crediting bowlers for Indian team's remarkable turnaround after a winless show preceding the World Cup, star batsman Virat Kohli feels it is the perfect time to beat Australia in Thursday's semifinal and do justice to their performance in the showpiece event.

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

"There couldn't be a better time for us (to beat Australia). It is an opportunity for us to do justice to the way we have played so far in Australia, and we haven't had the results," Kohli told cricket.com.au.

India have won all their seven games going into the semifinal at the Sydney Cricket Ground, after losing the Test series 0-2 and turning up last in the tri-nation event in early part of the Australian summer.

Glenn Maxwell, earlier in the week, reminded the Indians that they are yet to beat Australia during the long tour.

Kohli spoke about how the team prepared in the little time it got leading up to the 50-over showpiece event.

"We felt as a group that we need to step up and make corrections now. We don't really have too much time because we can't afford to go into the World Cup thinking 'okay fine, we have things to work on but we can do that over the period of time'.

Kohli wants to do justice to the bowlers' performance in the showpiece event. (AFP Photo)

"So we immediately went to work, wrote things down, what are the things we need to improve on," said Kohli, who has not crossed the 50-run mark since hitting a fine hundred in the tournament opener against Pakistan.

If the batsmen have played their part then the bowlers, ably led by Mohammed Shami (17 wickets in 6 games), got their act together in the quadrennial extravaganza. Kohli said the bowlers' stand-out show has made the biggest difference.

"The way the bowlers have reacted and the way they have performed with the composure and the confidence and the aggression all together, it has been wonderful to watch.

"So we expect the bowlers to step up if you want to beat quality sides in the world and the way they have done this in this World Cup has been commendable.

"We have played the right kind of cricket and the difference now is how our bowling attack has come into play in this World Cup taking 70 wickets in seven games. That's probably been the difference, and if we continue to do that we have a great chance come game day," added Kohli.

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Mohammed Shami takes a break from training

SYDNEY: India's leading fast bowler in the tournament Mohammed Shami on Monday took a break from training session as a part of the recovery process after bowling full tilt in the quarterfinal match against Bangladesh in Melbourne last week.

While there were some murmurs about the state of his knee, which has taken a lot of pounding on the hard Australian grounds, but team's media manager RN Baba clarified that there are no reasons for worry as far as the Bengal pacer is concerned.

"Shami is 100 hundred percent fit and is available for selection in the semifinal against Australia," Baba said.

Asked as to why Shami neither played football nor did he bowl at the nets like Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav, Baba replied, "He had requested for an extra day's rest and his wish was granted."

Shami has so far taken 17 wickets from seven World Cup matches so far.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled an extended session at the nets.

India take on co-hosts Australia in the second semifinal at the SCG on Thursday.

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Difference between India and Australia is Ashwin: Clark

SYDNEY: Former Australia pacer Stuart Clark feels the advantage India have going into Thursday's semifinal is that they have "world class" off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in their ranks with the Michael Clarke-led side lacking a quality spinner.

"I think one place where India has advantage over Australia in this game is presence of Ravi Ashwin in their side. He is a world-class bowler and Australia, particularly don't have a world-class spinner. Conversely, Australia will have guys who could be a bit quicker than their Indian counterparts," Clark, who played 24 Tests and 39 ODIs for Australia said during an interaction at the SCG, on Monday.

The 39-year-old, who had a dream Test debut for the Baggy Greens against South Africa, back in 2006, feels that in hindsight it might seem that Australia could have picked a specialist spinner.

"You can look at it in hindsight but they have picked their best 15. One has to understand that Australia do not have a frontline ODI spinner. Nathan Lyon has been a good Test spinner but has had very limited opportunities in one dayers," said Clark, who made his Test debut at the age of 30.

Clark, who had played his first-class cricket in Australia for New South Wales, possesses a good knowledge about the nature of the SCG wicket.

"It has more bounce than it used to be earlier with a lot more life now. No matter which team wins the toss, it should put up a big score as it will be hard to chase over here," he pointed out.

The Indian bowlers according to Clark showed a lot more intent after going through the motions in the tri-series.

"The Indian attack is much better than what we saw during the ODI series. There are numerous reasons for that. Firstly, there has been more intent in their performance. During tri-series, it looked as if they were going through the motions a bit. With World Cup starting, there is lot more intent in their bowlers.

"Secondly, Mohit Sharma is the real find for India, who has bowled well at different stages of the game. (Umesh) Yadav has also bowled well. Mohammed Shami has come into life in this tournament. (Mitchell) Starc and (Mitchell) Johnson are fractionally quicker but Indian bowlers are good in their own right," Clark, who now is the COO of New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), said.

Clark also said that it will be a test for Australian team as he feels that majority of 45,000 capacity crowd at the SCG will be Indians

"SCG will have 45,000 people and majority will be Indian fans," Clark said.

On the Clarke and George Bailey issue, Clark's vote went in favour of the current captain. He feels that Clarke is still the undisputed leader of this Australian team at the moment.

"He (Clarke) is still the leader of the team and they want him. Michael has batted well at different periods. The only problem he had coming into the World Cup is that he was out of action for some time due to injury. Michael had to come back into the team and it's unfortunate that George has to miss out."

Asked where his vote would regarding captaincy once Clarke calls it quits, the paceman said, "I suppose George Bailey has done a wonderful job with the ODI team. But he is not in the team at the moment. You have got to look at it like this -- first you come in as a batsman and then become a captain. If you don't find your place in the side as a batsman, then it is hard to be captain of the side. My vote would go to Steve Smith."

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Difference between India and Australia is Ashwin: Clark

SYDNEY: Former Australia pacer Stuart Clark feels the advantage India have going into Thursday's semifinal is that they have "world class" off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in their ranks with the Michael Clarke-led side lacking a quality spinner.

"I think one place where India has advantage over Australia in this game is presence of Ravi Ashwin in their side. He is a world-class bowler and Australia, particularly don't have a world-class spinner. Conversely, Australia will have guys who could be a bit quicker than their Indian counterparts," Clark, who played 24 Tests and 39 ODIs for Australia said during an interaction at the SCG, on Monday.

The 39-year-old, who had a dream Test debut for the Baggy Greens against South Africa, back in 2006, feels that in hindsight it might seem that Australia could have picked a specialist spinner.

"You can look at it in hindsight but they have picked their best 15. One has to understand that Australia do not have a frontline ODI spinner. Nathan Lyon has been a good Test spinner but has had very limited opportunities in one dayers," said Clark, who made his Test debut at the age of 30.

Clark, who had played his first-class cricket in Australia for New South Wales, possesses a good knowledge about the nature of the SCG wicket.

"It has more bounce than it used to be earlier with a lot more life now. No matter which team wins the toss, it should put up a big score as it will be hard to chase over here," he pointed out.

The Indian bowlers according to Clark showed a lot more intent after going through the motions in the tri-series.

"The Indian attack is much better than what we saw during the ODI series. There are numerous reasons for that. Firstly, there has been more intent in their performance. During tri-series, it looked as if they were going through the motions a bit. With World Cup starting, there is lot more intent in their bowlers.

"Secondly, Mohit Sharma is the real find for India, who has bowled well at different stages of the game. (Umesh) Yadav has also bowled well. Mohammed Shami has come into life in this tournament. (Mitchell) Starc and (Mitchell) Johnson are fractionally quicker but Indian bowlers are good in their own right," Clark, who now is the COO of New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), said.

Clark also said that it will be a test for Australian team as he feels that majority of 45,000 capacity crowd at the SCG will be Indians

"SCG will have 45,000 people and majority will be Indian fans," Clark said.

On the Clarke and George Bailey issue, Clark's vote went in favour of the current captain. He feels that Clarke is still the undisputed leader of this Australian team at the moment.

"He (Clarke) is still the leader of the team and they want him. Michael has batted well at different periods. The only problem he had coming into the World Cup is that he was out of action for some time due to injury. Michael had to come back into the team and it's unfortunate that George has to miss out."

Asked where his vote would regarding captaincy once Clarke calls it quits, the paceman said, "I suppose George Bailey has done a wonderful job with the ODI team. But he is not in the team at the moment. You have got to look at it like this -- first you come in as a batsman and then become a captain. If you don't find your place in the side as a batsman, then it is hard to be captain of the side. My vote would go to Steve Smith."

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Mohammed Shami takes a break from training

SYDNEY: India's leading fast bowler in the tournament Mohammed Shami on Monday took a break from training session as a part of the recovery process after bowling full tilt in the quarterfinal match against Bangladesh in Melbourne last week.

While there were some murmurs about the state of his knee, which has taken a lot of pounding on the hard Australian grounds, but team's media manager RN Baba clarified that there are no reasons for worry as far as the Bengal pacer is concerned.

"Shami is 100 hundred percent fit and is available for selection in the semifinal against Australia," Baba said.

Asked as to why Shami neither played football nor did he bowl at the nets like Mohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav, Baba replied, "He had requested for an extra day's rest and his wish was granted."

Shami has so far taken 17 wickets from seven World Cup matches so far.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled an extended session at the nets.

India take on co-hosts Australia in the second semifinal at the SCG on Thursday.

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Umpires, technology and close calls this World Cup

Both, the umpires and the technology used at the ICC World Cup 2015 have been under fire for taking some wrong decisions. Another erroneous call was made during Australia's crucial quarterfinal match against Pakistan. Misbah-ul-Haq was saved by the fancy lights on the stumps. But even as the use of fancy technology used to make crucial cricketing decisions has been receiving both, appreciation and criticism, here's a look at some of the close calls this World Cup...

Full Coverage: ICC World Cup 2015

Flashing bails!

Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood might have had Pakistan reeling at three wickets in the sixth over itself, but for the latest technology. The hefty Australian let one fly down the leg side to the Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq which clipped the batsman's thigh pad, slipped to the stumps, and budged the bails. Lights flashed on the stumps and bails, but the high-on-tech bails, being heavier than they usually are, slid back into position - something that might not have happened had the bails been lighter. Misbah was saved, but the debates on technology have started again.

Snicko snub

Earlier on, during the India vs Pakistan match, Umar Akmal was given 'out' by the third umpire as the ball was neatly collected by the wicketkeeper despite the snickometer not confirming an edge off the bat. While the batsman was initially ruled 'not out' by the on-field umpire, the decision was reversed after MS Dhoni opted for the Decision Review System (DRS).

The dead ball debate

On day one of the WC, when England took on Australia, English batsman James Taylor was denied a century by an umpiring error. The confusion arose when an LBW appeal from Josh Hazlewood went against Taylor. Meanwhile, the Australian had also tried to run-out James Anderson at the other end. While Taylor called for a review and the LBW was overruled, Anderson was give a run out. But according to cricketing rules, a ball is considered 'dead' once a batsman is given out.

Creased out

England's World Cup dreams came to an early end, but the team had their share of a controversial decisions going against them. All rounder Chris Jordan dived to reach his crease after an aborted attempt at a single in the dying stages of a tense showdown with Bangladesh. A close call for the third umpire to make! Television replays showed that his bat had bounced off the ground after his dive, but the replays weren't conclusive as to whether the bat had completely off the ground or not, and he was given an out.

Bailed out, again!

This is a pre-Misbah event. In one of the unusual scenes on cricket field, Ireland's Ed Joyce survived a dismissal after the ball hit the stumps, the bails didn't budge from its position. In a match against the UAE, Joyce missed Amjad Javed's delivery and the ball grazed the left-hander's off-stump. While the bail was in the air, the off-stump bail lit up, but settled back into its groove on the stumps.

Some call, this

Indian opener Rohit Sharma got a reprieve when he was on 90 and tried to smack a full toss from Rubel Hossain. The 'no-ball' call went in favour of the Indian opener, denying the Bangladesh bowler a crucial wicket. Replays showed that it was a real touch-and-go situation - the decision could have gone either way. Now, whether you agree with the decision or not depends on whether you are an India supporter or a Bangladesh one.

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I can be frontline spinner for Aussies against India: Maxwell

SYDNEY: As the SCG wicket is expected to help the spinners, Glenn Maxwell says he was ready to play the role of frontline spinner for Australia in World Cup semifinal against India.

The semifinal between India and Australia will be played at the same wicket where seven Sri Lankan wickets fell to spinners against South Africa in the quarterfinal.

Australia do not have a regular spinner in their ranks as they heavily rely on their pacers, led by Mitchell Starc, while India have R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"I've taken a couple of wickets this tournament which has been nice, and I feel like I've been doing the job that Michael Clarke has been asking of me whenever I've come to the crease," Maxwell said.

"I had a chat to John Davison (Australian spin bowling coach) last night and he said my shape was looking really good. It's starting to become a bit more of a frontline spinner's action as well and not so much just a run-stopping option but it's actually becoming semi-threatening, compared to just going and putting the ball on a tee," Maxwell was quoted as saying by Australian media.

Maxwell, who was used quite well by his skipper in the quarter-final against Pakistan, said his in the recent past he has developed into a good spin option for his side.

"I think after that UAE series against Pakistan last year I worked out a few things with my bowling. As soon as I came back to Australia I worked really hard on it and I felt like I was starting to get signs of what I wanted to do with my off-spin and what other coaches had been looking for me to do as well which was to get that drop and a bit more energy on the ball," he said.

"Coming from a fast bowler's background growing up I have a long bowling stride for an off-spinner and I've been trying to shorten that but still have the same energy through the crease. It's been a long work in progress, I've had to change my action about six or seven times since the academy which has been frustrating but hopefully with this change there's only an upward curve now.

"I've been working with everyone. I have a chat with whoever wants to listen basically, whoever can put up with me for the longest," he said.

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I can be frontline spinner for Aussies against India: Maxwell

SYDNEY: As the SCG wicket is expected to help the spinners, Glenn Maxwell says he was ready to play the role of frontline spinner for Australia in World Cup semifinal against India.

The semifinal between India and Australia will be played at the same wicket where seven Sri Lankan wickets fell to spinners against South Africa in the quarterfinal.

Australia do not have a regular spinner in their ranks as they heavily rely on their pacers, led by Mitchell Starc, while India have R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

"I've taken a couple of wickets this tournament which has been nice, and I feel like I've been doing the job that Michael Clarke has been asking of me whenever I've come to the crease," Maxwell said.

"I had a chat to John Davison (Australian spin bowling coach) last night and he said my shape was looking really good. It's starting to become a bit more of a frontline spinner's action as well and not so much just a run-stopping option but it's actually becoming semi-threatening, compared to just going and putting the ball on a tee," Maxwell was quoted as saying by Australian media.

Maxwell, who was used quite well by his skipper in the quarter-final against Pakistan, said his in the recent past he has developed into a good spin option for his side.

"I think after that UAE series against Pakistan last year I worked out a few things with my bowling. As soon as I came back to Australia I worked really hard on it and I felt like I was starting to get signs of what I wanted to do with my off-spin and what other coaches had been looking for me to do as well which was to get that drop and a bit more energy on the ball," he said.

"Coming from a fast bowler's background growing up I have a long bowling stride for an off-spinner and I've been trying to shorten that but still have the same energy through the crease. It's been a long work in progress, I've had to change my action about six or seven times since the academy which has been frustrating but hopefully with this change there's only an upward curve now.

"I've been working with everyone. I have a chat with whoever wants to listen basically, whoever can put up with me for the longest," he said.

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World Cup 2015: Srinivasan, Thakur to attend India-Australia semifinal, Dalmiya to stay away

SYDNEY: ICC chairman and former BCCI president N Srinivasan will watch India's World Cup semifinal against hosts Australia along with BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur while current president Jagmohan Dalmiya will not be in attendance due to health reasons.

Full coverage: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

According to BCCI sources, Srinivasan, Thakur and treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary will arrive before the match on Thursday but it is highly unlikely that Dalmiya would make it even if India reaches the final.

"Srinivasan, Thakur and Chaudhary will be coming either on March 24 or 25th. Srinivasan in any case will be staying till March 29 in capacity of ICC president. Chaudhary and Thakur are the representatives of BCCI," a senior BCCI official said on Sunday.

However, Dalmiya's case is a bit interesting as it is believed that he cannot meet the physically demanding travel schedule of flying into Australia.

"Jaggu da is an old man now. He is not fit enough to travel 12 hours from Kolkata to Melbourne and back. It will be physically demanding and it won't be possible for him to attend the World Cup matches. As of now it's more than 90 percent assured that he won't be travelling to Australia," a Dalmiya confidant said.

However, there are rumours that Dalmiya and Srinivasan are not on the same page regarding some board-related issues and the Kolkata-based administrator does not want to meet the Tamil Nadu strongman.

Meanwhile, another new development happened in BCCI since the change of guard with Usha Nath Banerjee being appointed as the chief legal advisor of the board.

Banerjee, a legal luminary from Kolkata has been a Dalmiya loyalist for long and used to fight the BCCI cases during his earlier stint in the board and was replaced once Sharad Pawar came into power.

With Dalmiya's comeback, Banerjee also made a comeback in BCCI on Sunday.

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World Cup 2015: Pakistan to head home in batches

KARACHI: Despite being no strong reaction to the defeat in the World Cup quarterfinals to Australia, the Pakistan squad will return home in batches from Sunday.

Head coach Waqar Younis and senior batsmen Younis Khan will not be returning home with the team. Waqar has taken a vacation to be with his family in Sydney while Younis is also staying for a few days in Melbourne.

"The first batch of players will arrive in Karachi on Sunday night including Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed while the second batch will come to Lahore on Monday morning," a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board said.

He said all the foreign coaching staff have also taken vacations to go to their homes.

"Waqar and the other coaching staff will reach Pakistan in first week of April to start preparations for the tour to Bangladesh in mid-April," the source added.

Normally in the past defeats in the World Cup have led to angry protests and embarrassing welcome for the players and only recently chief selector Moin Khan returned to protests after he was called back by the board for visiting a Casino on the night of the match against West Indies in Christchurch.

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World Cup 2015: Pakistan to head home in batches

KARACHI: Despite being no strong reaction to the defeat in the World Cup quarterfinals to Australia, the Pakistan squad will return home in batches from Sunday.

Head coach Waqar Younis and senior batsmen Younis Khan will not be returning home with the team. Waqar has taken a vacation to be with his family in Sydney while Younis is also staying for a few days in Melbourne.

"The first batch of players will arrive in Karachi on Sunday night including Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed while the second batch will come to Lahore on Monday morning," a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board said.

He said all the foreign coaching staff have also taken vacations to go to their homes.

"Waqar and the other coaching staff will reach Pakistan in first week of April to start preparations for the tour to Bangladesh in mid-April," the source added.

Normally in the past defeats in the World Cup have led to angry protests and embarrassing welcome for the players and only recently chief selector Moin Khan returned to protests after he was called back by the board for visiting a Casino on the night of the match against West Indies in Christchurch.

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