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IPL qualification scenarios

Mumbai: With 16 matches left in the group stage of the IPL, no team is yet certain of qualification for the final four, while only Deccan Chargers have been eliminated. Here's a look at where the other nine teams stand, and in what scenarios they will either make the cut or miss out



Mumbai Indians are obviously the favourites at the moment - despite the heavy defeat to Punjab - but by no means are they a certainty for the last four. If they lose their remaining three games, there is a possibility four teams will overtake their points tally of 16, which will mean Mumbai will be eliminated without net run-rate coming into play. One example is the following: Rajasthan win their three remaining games, Chennai and Kolkata win two out of three and Bangalore win two out of four. Then Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Rajasthan will all have more points than Mumbai.



On the other hand, if Kochi win their remaining three games and Mumbai lose theirs, then they'll both be on 16. It's then possible that Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore will all have more points, with Kochi and Mumbai battling for the final slot on net run-rate.However, if Mumbai win one more game, they'll be through.



Chennai Super Kings are sitting pretty too with 14 points in 11 matches, but they too will need two wins from their remaining three matches to be sure of a spot in the final four. If they end up on 16, there's a possibility of four teams - Mumbai, Kolkata, Rajasthan and Bangalore - overtaking that number. Alternatively, Kochi could end up on 16 if they win their last three, in which case net run-rate could come into play, but Chennai's is much better than Kochi's.



Kolkata Knight Ridersnbsp;have numbers that are very similar to Chennai's, but two of their last three matches are against Bangalore and Mumbai, who are among the best teams in IPL 2011. Sixteen points may not be enough if Rajasthan win their last three, since Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore are all well-placed to go past 16.



Royal Challengers Bangalore are on 13 points, but they have played a game less than most other teams. Because of the washout against Rajasthan, these two teams are sitting on an odd number of points, which makes their situation a slightly tricky one. Depending on how the other results pan out, Bangalore could go through to the last four if they finish on 15 points, but on the other hand, they could also be eliminated if they end up with 17 points."



Say, for example, that Bangalore win two of their last four, Rajasthan win all three, Kolkata and Chennai win at least two and Mumbai one. Then, three teams will have more points than Bangalore, while Rajasthan will be tied with them on 17, bringing net run-rate into play. Bangalore are well clear of Rajasthan in that area, so two wins should most likely be enough.



On the other hand, 15 points could also be enough for Bangalore if Rajasthan win only one of their last three, and if Kochi win no more than two. Even if Rajasthan win two, they'll only be on 15, and net run-rate will decide which of Bangalore or Rajasthan make the cut. In fact, even if Bangalore lose all four, they could still be in contention if the following happens: Rajasthan win only one of their last three (against Bangalore), Kochi win no more than one, and Punjab no more than two. (A match-by-match iteration shows this scenario is possible.) Then, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata will be through, with Bangalore and Rajasthan tied on 13, fighting for the final slot.



"Rajasthan Royals have slipped up a bit after two successive losses to Chennai - they've played a game more than Bangalore, but are two points behind them. Like Bangalore, they could be eliminated despite finishing with 17: if Bangalore win their last three games, Kolkata beat Pune and Mumbai, Chennai beat Delhi and Kochi, and Mumbai beat Deccan, then Bangalore will finish with 19, while Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai will have 18 points each.



On the other hand, even with 13 points Rajasthan could have an outside chance if Bangalore lose all their remaining games, but given Rajasthan's poor run-rate, it's highly unlikely they can pip Bangalore and take the final spot."



"Kochi Tuskers have had a mixed campaign so far, losing six games and winning five. Victories in each of their last three matches will keep them in contention if other results go their way, but there's a very slim chance of making it with 14 points - they could be level with Chennai, Kolkata, or both, depending on how many of their last three matches Chennai and Kolkata win. However, Kochi's abysmal net run-rate of -0.624, the worst among all teams, means they're the least likely side to win a net run-rate battle, unless they win their remaining matches by huge margins, and Kolkata and Chennai lose badly."

Kings XI Punjab are one of three teams on eight points, but they have a game in hand. That means they could finish with as many as 16 points, but even that might not be enough if Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore win at least two matches each, which is a possibility given the schedules for the teams.



On the other hand, three wins and a tally of 14 could also give them a chance, if other results go their way - for example, if Chennai and Kolkata lose each of their last three games, it could come down to net run-rate for the last one or two slots. Punjab's net run-rate of -0.432, though, is among the poorer ones in the tournament so far.



Pune Warriors have lost seven out of 11 matches, but the silver lining is the fact that many of their defeats have been narrow while most of the wins have been convincing, because of which their net run-rate is a relatively healthy -0.003; they've lost four times with four or fewer balls to spare, and won three times with ten or more deliveries left.



However, the maximum points they can finish with is 14, and three teams already have 13 or more. For Pune to qualify, they'll obviously have to win all three and hope other results go their way: as mentioned in the example above, if Chennai and Kolkata lose each of their matches, and if Rajasthan win no more than one game, then three or more teams could be tied on 14 and vying for the last two slots.



Delhi Daredevils are in a similar position as Pune with four wins in 11 games, though with a poorer net run-rate. They'll have to win their last three games by convincing margins, and then hope at least one of Chennai or Kolkata lose all their remaining games.



Deccan Chargers aren't in contention any more, but with three games to play, they could still play spoilsport and mar the chances of one of the other teams trying to make the knockout stage.

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Confident of a good show against Pakistan in Tests: Sammy

Guyana: West Indies captain Darren Sammy said they are confident of defending their proud home record against Pakistan in the two-Test series.



The first Test will begin at the Guyana National Stadium on Thursday.



Pakistan beat West Indies 3-2 in the ODI series.



Pakistan have never won a Test series on six previous tours here. If the Windies win this series they will secure valuable ranking points to move up one place in the ICC Test ladder to sixth spot.



"We believe we can win the series. We have worked hard in the build-up to the series and we know we have the ability to perform on home turf. We saw an improved batting performance in the last two matches of the One-day series and everyone in the team is feeling confident and prepared," Sammy said.



"We hope all the hard work we have been doing in the nets and the two-day warm-up matches will help. The way our bowling has been coming along in the last six months in ODI tour of Sri Lanka - we know we are capable of getting 20 wickets."



Sammy said the team fought back well to win the last two ODIs



"We will take that momentum and belief into the Test matches. Test cricket is a different and we know we have to make the adjustment. We have to be patient as we execute. It is about occupying the crease and putting good totals on the board. When we bowl. It is about being patient and trying to get the ball in the right areas and build the pressure on the Pakistanis."



"The pitch looks similar to the one we played on in the One Day match here and I have faith in our attack to deliver against Pakistan."

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PCB still undecided on Afridi's future as skipper

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to take a call on Shahid Afridi's future as captain of the national team.



The PCB has show caused Afridi seeking an explanation for making his views public regarding his differences with chief coach Waqar Younis on the composition of the team during the recently concluded ODI series in the Caribbean.



Official sources in the PCB said that the flamboyant all-rounder would find it difficult to win back the confidence of board chairman Ijaz Butt.



"Afridi is expected to send his reply to our notice today and so far no decision has been taken on his future as captain," the source said.



"Ijaz Butt was not happy with Afridi's attitude and keenness to go public with team issues even before the World Cup. That was one reason why the board took so long to name the captain for the World Cup.



"Even than the board had warned Afridi to avoid giving too many statements in the media and not to discuss team issues. In fact during a meeting, the PCB Chairman had told Afridi to be careful in future. The delay in announcing the captain for the World Cup was to give a clear message to Afridi that he was not indispensable," the source added.



Afridi had criticised Younis for interfering in team selection during the 3-2 one-day series win over the West Indies.



"Waqar interferes with the team selection and everyone should do his job," Afridi said on his return from the West Indies on Sunday.



Television channels and newspapers have reported in the last 24 hours that the board has decided to sack Afridi as captain and he might not be in the squad that will play two one-day matches against Ireland later this month.



Afridi himself has now tried to downplay reports of a rift within the team management involving him and coach Waqar.



The all-rounder, in a damage control step yesterday, said he had spoken in general terms about job descriptions in the team and had not named Waqar Younis at all.



Afridi also added that he would respond to the board's notice today and try to meet with the chairman of the board in Lahore to convey his point of view to him.



The source said while there were no immediate plans to remove Afridi as captain, the board was planning to send players currently playing in the Tests against the West Indies to Ireland for the two-match ODI series on May 28 and 29th.



"In that case, there is every possibility that Misbah-ul-Haq will be asked to lead the team," the source said.

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Mitchell Johnson and his hush-hush wedding

New Delhi: According to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Jessica Bratich in a secret wedding ceremony.



The wedding has been confirmed by Johnson's manager Sam Halvorsen and is believed to have taken place last Friday. According to the same report, none of Johnson's teammates were invited for the ceremony though Halvorsen has not made any comments on the matter.



Johson proposed to Bratich over two years ago and the relationship has gone through troubled times with the Australian press even reporting earlier that Johnson's mother has accused Bratich of 'stealing my son from me.'



Bratich is a model and a karate black belt champion.

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It's back to the Tests as Pakistan face West Indies

Bridgetown, Guyana: We've been starved of Test cricket for nearly four months now. Ever since Pakistan drew in Wellington, to win the series against New Zealand, there's been a glut of limited-over matches - the World Cup, Australia in Bangladesh, the IPL and Pakistan in the West Indies. Re-adjusting attention spans to the pace of five-day cricket might take a while, for both players and us. It is in Guyana, at the other end of the cricket universe from where they last played, that Pakistan resume the Test calendar, in pursuit of a success they've never achieved before.



Pakistan have never won a Test series in the West Indies. They've beaten them at home and at neutral venues (UAE in 2001-02), but in six trips to the Caribbean, Pakistan have lost four series and drawn two. The most memorable of those battles was in 1987-88, when Imran Khan's team held its own against the champion side Viv Richards inherited from Clive Lloyd in three monumental Tests. One-all it finished. The last two were thrillers. Unfortunately, Pakistan and West Indies have regressed since that watershed tour, and it would be fanciful to expect Misbah-ul-Haq and Darren Sammy's teams to produce entertainment of comparable quality.



Whether Pakistan or West Indies are in greater disorder could make for protracted debate. About ten months ago, it would have been Pakistan. Their captain (Shahid Afridi) jumped ship and retired from Tests, while his successor (Salman Butt) and their two best fast bowlers (Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer) were embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal and then banned by the ICC. From the cold the selectors recalled Misbah and then made him captain. His chalice, however, hasn't been poisoned and Pakistan have been uncontroversial under his leadership. They also drew against South Africa and won in New Zealand. Pakistan, incredibly, appear well settled.



It is West Indies who appear to be in turmoil. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard turned down board contracts, preferring to remain unshackled to pursue lucrative assignments. And ever since West Indies were eliminated from the World Cup, by Pakistan, there's been a slanging match between the WICB on one side, and the WIPA and several players on the other, over how cricket is run in the region and how cricketers are treated by administrators. The upshot of the series of events is that West Indies will play the Test series against Pakistan without Gayle and Bravo, two players who would have walked into the starting XIs. Also missing is fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who's playing in the IPL.



West Indies have won only three series since Sri Lanka visited in 2003. Two of those were against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Their only success against a top side was the 1-0 result against England in 2009, a victory that was due to a searing spell from the now-absent Taylor.

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Roping in Gayle has changed RCB fortunes: Vettori

Jaipur: 

Having registered five wins on the trot with Chris Gayle playing a significant role in their success, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori acknowledged that the explosive West Indian batsman's entry into the team has completely changed their fortunes.



"We had started badly, losing three opening games but with Gayle coming in and his opening partnerships with (Tillakaratne) Dilshan have been able to put pressure on the opposition. Gayle has been in tremendous form and has bowled well too," said Vettori at the match-eve press conference.



Gayle had destroyed rival bowling attacks with utter disdain with his power-hitting on more than one occasion in the tournament. He has helped the team post big scores. But Vettori disagreed that has shielded the bowlers. "We were out for 120 and the bowlers were tested in that match. In fact, they are tested in every match because of shorter boundaries and flat wickets."



Defending Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, whose performance has been below par in the IPL 4 so far, the Bangalore skipper said "he bowls economically in the last overs".



"He is a key bowler for us and swung the match for us against Pune Warriors. He bowls economically in the last overs and he and I bear the brunt of the attack."



On his team's chances of reaching play-offs, Vettori said RCB could reach the knock-out stage but need to improve their fielding.



"With four games remaining, three victories can push us to top two. The current form is satisfying but need to improve on fielding.



"It was fielding which had cost us few initial matches but with batting and bowling coming good the confidence has trickled down to fielding too, which has improved," said Vettori.



"It is an important match and we need to win against Rajasthan Royals to consolidate our position," said Vettori.

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Sri Lanka Premier League to have seven teams

The first edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) will be a seven-team inter-provincial tournament played over approximately 18 days at the end of July and the beginning of August this year. The teams will play each other once, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. All the games will be played the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the winner of the tournament will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20.

ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the seven provinces that will be represented are Basnahira, Kandurata, Nagenahira, Ruhuna, Uthura, Uva and Wayamba. Sri Lanka Cricket will select the players for each team, with domestic players likely to be allotted to their home provinces, thereby ensuring the teams have local support.

Each team will have a mix of Sri Lanka and international players with total squad sizes between 16 and 18 players. The playing XI must consist of a minimum of seven Sri Lanka players and a maximum of four international players, with one Sri Lanka player being a current Under-21 cricketer. Each team will also have its share of icon or marquee players, as well as a prominent ex-Sri Lanka player as a mentor or coach.

International players will also be assigned to the various teams by the SLC national selection committee depending on the needs of each team. In this respect, SLC's approach differs from the IPL, in which teams were sold to franchises who then bid for players in an auction. Among the international players who will be taking part are Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori, Daniel Christian, Herschelle Gibbs and Kevin O'Brien.

The SLPL has also approached a number of Indian players apart from those likely to be playing the Test series against England, and is waiting for the BCCI to approve their participation. The BCCI has already stated it has no problems with the proposed league and that Indian players are free to take part as long as there is no conflict with India's international or domestic schedule.

The league will be run by the Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment, which has bought the rights for five years. The television rights for the tournament have already been sold in Sri Lanka and the goal is to broadcast the tournament across all mediums in every cricketing nation. The matches will be played at 4 pm and 8 pm on most days, although some days will see only an 8 pm game.

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Cracks appear in Afridi-Waqar relationship

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's limited overs captain, has hinted at differences with his coach Waqar Younisafter arriving in Karachi from the West Indies where he led the side to a victorious, but ultimately deflating 3-2 series win.

Speculation has grown in the last two days about problems between the pair, specifically over issues of team selection. Both, along with team manager Intikhab Alam, are members of the on-tour selection committee which decides on a playing XI. It has been reported that Afridi was unhappy with what he has seen as Waqar's interference in selection; ahead of the fourth ODI against West Indies, one report claimed Afridi almost walked out of a selection meeting and had to be persuaded by Intikhab to come back.

"Although the differences in team management are not such which could not be solved, I feel everyone should do his job and need not interfere in other's work," Afridi told reporters on arrival. He also said he would be meeting the board chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore next week to discuss the issue.

Board officials have downplayed the matter; one source telling ESPNcricinfo that "no such incident as described in those reports [Afridi walking away from a meeting] occurred during the series." He did concede, however, that there may have been "long-standing issues" over selection matters.

Another senior official confirmed to ESPNcricinfo, however, that differences between the pair had widened during the Caribbean trip. "They did have issues. Afridi believes he should have final say in the XI as he takes the heat when he goes out on the field and Waqar feels strongly that a coach should have input."

The official also confirmed that Intikhab did try to mediate between the two and stressed the need to keep matters within the team rather than leak them to the media as ultimately happened.

Afridi and Waqar went through the World Cup without huge problems but there are longer-term issues. For example, it is widely believed that before the World Cup, before a decision had been made on who would captain Pakistan in the tournament, Waqar was in favour of Misbah-ul-Haq ahead of Afridi as captain.

The matter is complicated by the recent threat to resign by chief selector Mohsin Khan. Although he eventuallyrelented after resolving the matter with Butt and never publicly disclosed who he was having problems with, some reports suggested that he was also unhappy with Waqar's role in selection, especially of the Test squad for the current tour.

The board official believes though that the problems are not something that cannot be resolved. "It is something that has happened before and does crop up every now and again. I don't feel they are irreconcilable differences between the two. Afridi has requested time with the chairman so let's see what happens beyond that."

Pakistan lost the last two games of the series, the last one by ten wickets, having given chances to a number of untried young players such as Hammad Azam, Usman Salahuddin and Junaid Khan through the matches. Afridi regretted his team lost a good chance to win all the matches, calling once again for the involvement of a batting coach with the side.

"We should have clean-swept West Indies but the defeat in the last two matches left a bad taste in the mouth; we flopped in batting and that's why I must say we need a batting coach," said Afridi, who also admitted he was below par in the series.

"I played average cricket because I was tired after the World Cup and only played the series on the advice of some friends and former players."

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Brilliant Bangalore demolish Kochi

Bangalore: If you aren't a fan of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, there's good news and bad news. The good news first: Tillakaratne Dilshan has found form late, and will not unleash any more violence in the IPL, since he is headed to England. The bad news is that Chris Gayle is in such form that you probably wouldn't notice Dilshan's absence. And then there is worse news - Bangalore are fielding like a team possessed. The hapless Kochi Tuskers Kerala ran into each of these facets of Bangalore's brilliance, and were brushed away by nine wickets, with 6.5 overs to spare.

Scorecard | Points Table

On a day when their franchise went green, Gayle and Dilshan did more than their bit for the environment, setting up a finish before the floodlights had to take full effect. Gayle began the mayhem by depositing RP Singh into the second tier behind long-off in the first over. Dilshan responded by looting 20 runs off Ramesh Powar in the second over. What followed was not for children and the faint-hearted.



At the start of Prasanth Parameswaran's over, if you had stopped him and said he was going to do worse than concede six sixes, he would have laughed it off. After all, he was a man who had stared Virender Sehwag in the face and nailed him in his first IPL over. Today was a different day, though.



Parameswaran chugged in and delivered a length ball first up, and Gayle carved it over point for a six. Parameswaran did not flinch; Sehwag had done likewise the other day before perishing. Today, Parameswaran's second ball was a slower ball. Bad idea. Even worse, it was a no-ball. Gayle slashed him for six more. The free-hit was thumped through midwicket. The next ball was thundered through the covers. By now, Parameswaran was clearly rattled, and he ran in robotically to delivery two more length balls. Six over cover, followed by a shimmy down the track and a 91m six over long off. The last ball was a high full toss, and Gayle inside-edged for four more. The over had gone for 37, and Parameswaran had a story his grandchildren would ask him to relate years from now. Kochi, meanwhile were looking at an early flight out. Dilshan ensured they would have enough time to beat the Bangalore traffic and make it to the airport in time.



Incredibly, Bangalore were just as brilliant on the field earlier in the day. Daniel Vettori sparkled with some masterly bowling changes on a sluggish track. He brought himself on after his fast bowlers had allowed Kochi to get off to a good start, and stalled them with two huge wickets. His fielders - from the usually nimble AB de Villiers, to the rarely agile Zaheer Khan - responded with sparks of brilliance on the field, and Kochi lurched from 64 for 1 in eight overs to 89 for 5 in 14, before finishing on an unconvincing 125 for 9.



Kochi's problems began with Brendon McCullum's inability to adapt to the slowness of the strip, though Michael Klinger's smart footwork got them early boundaries. Vettori switched to Plan B after four overs, bringing Chris Gayle and himself on. McCullum charged Gayle for two fours, but Vettori foxed him with a clever change of length, lulling him into an awry swipe.



Parthiv Patel kept looking for boundaries, and Kochi had managed at least one in each of the first eight overs. The party was about to end though: Bangalore struck in each of the next three overs. Klinger yorked himself by charging out to Gayle, before Vettori cracked the game open by getting Mahela Jayawardene's to edge behind. Bangalore's fielding then took centre-stage.



Brad Hodge nudged his first ball backward of point and took off for a non-existent single. Parthiv responded before pulling out of the run, and was soon running alongside Hodge towards the bowler's end. AB de Villiers pouched the very wide throw on the dive with his left glove and, not knowing that both batsmen were stranded close to the other end, threw down the stumps in one smooth motion as he tumbled.



Three overs later, Zaheer Khan bettered the effort: Hodge whipped S Aravind off the hips and the ball was hurtling towards the boundary when Zaheer jumped up full length and intercepted with one hand at short fine leg. Kochi were visibly stunned, and never looked like recovering. Bangalore's fielding kept bettering itself, right up to the last over where Kaif took a brilliant catch running forward, and de Villiers slung-shot another run-out. At that point, the home crowd already had seen a spectacle from their side. What followed after the break was just plain cartoonish violence.

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Harbhajan, Symonds in friendship with help from Sachin: Report

Melbourne: Bitter foes in the Sydney Test racial row, Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds have buried the hatchet and are friends now with Sachin Tendulkar helping his IPL side Mumbai Indians teammates in doing that, according to a report.



Three years of seething animosity triggered by the "Monkeygate" scandal of the 2008 Sydney Test has ended thanks to the Indian Premier League, with both the feisty players forming a bond at Mumbai Indians playing environment, 'The Australian' reported.
The newspaper said Tendulkar played a part in ending one of the most talked-about feuds in world cricket.
"India's Test legend Sachin Tendulkar has been front and centre in healing their wounds as Symonds relishes his role of small fish in the big Mumbai pond next to World Cup heroes Tendulkar and Harbhajan," the report said.
Symonds, who was stinging in his criticism of Harbhajan as recently as last October, refused to speak much about the new bonding but his manager confirmed the truce.
"I'm not really doing any interviews, sorry - but it's all good here," Symonds was quoted as saying by the newspaper when asked about his relationship with Harbhajan.
35-year-old Symonds has been living away from the spotlight for some time in far north Queensland after retiring from international cricket in 2009.<
His manager Matt Fearon said Symonds has left the "Monkeygate" wounds behind.
"That's definitely the case. They've left everything in the past. The auction for the IPL was in January. I remember calling him and saying, well, you're going to Mumbai - with Harbhajan. He said two words: 'Aw, true?'
"That said it all. He was a bit speechless. It would be fair to say there was a bit of uncertainty about how it would play out. There was an unknown there but yes, they are getting on great. They are both competitive animals. When two people like that are on different teams, there can be some very real tension. But put them in the same team and it's a different story," Fearon said.
"We all know how much tension there was before, but that's one of the beauties of the IPL."
Symonds and Harbhajan became sworn enemies when the fourth Test of the 2007-2008 series exploded after Harbhajan was charged for calling Symonds a monkey. The Indian team denied the charge, saying that Harbhajan had only uttered a native word that sounds like monkey.
India threatened to quit the tour when Harbhajan was suspended for three matches. On appeal, an ICC-appointed judge overturned the ban. Symonds was furious and accused Cricket Australia of failing to back its own players.
Symonds's close friend and former Test teammate Matthew Hayden was pleased to hear that the two had made up. "There was probably a time when I thought Symonds and Harbhajan would never be on speaking terms. But they've moved on now and I'm not surprised to hear it. That's the way it should be. But there's no point in any of us looking back to what happened in 2008," Hayden said.
"The IPL has been tremendous in making two competitive cricketing nations much closer. There are highly competitive players from both countries and there's always going to be tensions on the field because that's the nature of the sport."
"I've always said you never really know someone until you play with them. All the things about someone you hate because they're on the other side, you love it when they're on your team. That's what has happened with Roy and Harbhajan."
Mumbai Indians coach Shaun Pollock said he expected the two players to get on with it regardless of personal feelings.
A three-day initiation camp in February, involving team dinners and promotional work, had done little to lessen worries about Mumbai Indians imploding around another Symonds-Harbhajan dispute but it did not happen and the two finally got along.

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Duncan Fletcher named India coach

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and former Zimbabwe captain, will take over from Gary Kirsten as India's coach. The BCCI announced the decision to give Fletcher a two-year contract after a Working Committee meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. Eric Simons' tenure as the team's bowling coach was also extended.

Fletcher, though, is unlikely to be part of the team during the tour of the West Indies in June. "The contract with Fletcher is for two years," N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, told reporters after the meeting. "He may not join the team in the West Indies as he has some prior commitments."

Fletcher was in charge of the England team when they beat Australia in 2005 to win the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87, and was credited with turning around England's fortunes in Tests, first with Nasser Hussain and then with Michael Vaughan.

He was England's first foreign coach and took over in 1999 when they were officially ranked as the worst team in the world; soon enough, he oversaw Test series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, though Australia thrashed England 4-1 in the Ashes in 2001. Later, with Vaughan, he helped England win their first Test series in South Africa post apartheid and the pair played a critical role in moulding a team that was to win the Ashes the next year.

One of Fletcher's problems during his England reign was a tetchy relationship with the media, something which Vaughan felt could be a hindrance in his India job as well. "Duncan will work well with all the talent," Vaughan tweeted. "His biggest challenge will come from the media..he has never really understood how it works."

However, Fletcher, who coached England for eight years, was unable to revive their ODI form and his tenure reached its lowest ebb during a 0-5 drubbing in Australia in 2006-07. Following a disappointing 2007 World Cup campaign, Fletcher resigned. He joined South Africa as a consultant in 2008 and was most recently in a similar role with New Zealand on their tour of India last yea

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PCB asks ICC to 'investigate' Sutherland comments

	Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has questioned the implementation of Qayyum recommendations © AFP Enlarge

The PCB has taken umbrage at remarks made by Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland about the Justice Qayyum commission on matchfixing and asked the ICC to "investigate" the comments.

In a recent story on corruption in cricket in the Age, Sutherland said that the spot-fixing scandal of last summer, after which three Pakistani players were banned for five years, might not have happened had the PCB acted properly in the aftermath of the Qayyum commission, whose recommendations were released in 2000.

''Ask yourself whether Pakistan Cricket Board actually went through and implemented those recommendations," Sutherland said. "Well, I can't say for sure but I would have big question marks about whether those things would have happened last year if those recommendations had been fully implemented,'' said Sutherland.

The statement has irked current and former officials in Pakistan alike. "We felt it was totally unnecessary to make the remarks," a senior board official told ESPNcricinfo. "We have sent a letter to the ICC asking them to investigate his statement and come back to us. We have implemented that report in toto and are disappointed that it is being brought up again now when the PCB has done so much to fight corruption and set things right. It was not needed."

Much the same line was taken by Tauqir Zia, the board chairman at the time of the Qayyum commission. "James Sutherland should not give any irresponsible statement in the press as one of the key officials of Cricket Australia," Zia told Dawn. "And as far as the matter is concerned, I believe I took all the measures to ensure 100 per cent implementation of all the recommendations of Justice Qayyum."

Sutherland's comments are not new and as a CA spokesman confirmed, have "been his position in public discussion for a long while." In fact, that position appears to be the same one taken by Qayyum himself. Immediately after the spot-fixing scandal emerged last August, Qayyum said the PCB had not been "strong enough" in implementing some recommendations in his report. Incidentally, in 2006, Qayyum had also admitted to ESPNcricinfo that he had been lenient on some of the players because he had a "soft corner" for them.

In the report, a number of recommendations were made. The main ones involved banning for life players such as Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman, and fining a host of others, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saeed Anwar. Some of these players, such as Akram, were prevented from holding any positions of responsibility in or around the team, as was Mushtaq. The legspinner was an assistant coach of the Pakistan side in 2006-07 when Bob Woolmer was coach and Inzamam the captain, against the recommendations of the report. He is now on the coaching staff of the ECB, with the England team.

One of the key recommendations Qayyum complained was not fully implemented was having players declare all their assets publicly at the start of their career and then do so annually thereafter. One board official admitted that this "hadn't been followed up on in the years after the report" but it had been done since and that, in any case, "it is difficult to make a case of corruption purely from assets coming into an account."

In all, nearly 30 recommendations, some specific to the cases then but a number of longer-term ones as well, were made by the commission which is the report itself], including calls for a tighter code of conduct on players and that an independently-headed Review committee be set up to investigate all cases of possible corruption in the future.

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Malinga blames Ranatunga-led board for injury

Colombo: Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga on Tuesday, blamed the country's cricket administration led by the former captain Arjuna Ranatunga for aggravating his knee injury that forced him to retire from Test cricket.



Without naming Ranatunga he said,"The 2008 interim committee did not care for my well being," Malinga said adding that due to his knee injury he could not even climb the stairs of his house.



He didn't hide his displeasure at being treated shabbily by the 2008 interim committee. "I was offered a basic contract when I deserved better."



As Ranatunga led the committee, it is well understood that Malinga's grievance is pointed towards whom.



"My knees are getting weaker," Malinga said explaining his decision to quit playing Test cricket.



He was addressing reporters here having returned from playing in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. He will rejoin Sachin Tendulkar's team on Thursday.

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Don't want to be talked about as potential India coach

Chennai: He is among the most talked about possible candidates for the Indian cricket coach's job, but New Zealander Stephen Fleming does not even want to discuss the prospect of taking up the post left vacant by Gary Kirsten.



Fleming is currently incharge of IPL team Chennai Super Kings of which Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the captain.



"I enjoy my relationship with all the Indian players and Dhoni is a special player I am involved with. He is a captain with free space. I have been working with Suresh Raina and others as well. Just about time that I do not want to be talked about as a potential Indian coach," Fleming said after CSK's 25-run win over Pune Warriors here last night.



On Dhoni's captaincy and instincts, Fleming said, "he is not too much on planning. His captaincy is based on information on the field like how the pitch plays and the manner in which the opposition is batting. There is a gut feel about his captaincy.



Asked about his relationship with the World Cup winning Indian skipper, Fleming said, "We just have a relationship where we the players are talked about behind the scenes. He is always free on the field and that gives us an edge."

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Sangakkara, Jayawardena also for early IPL exit

Colombo: After reports of Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan leaving the IPL to join the England-bound national team got rife, it is learnt that former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena are also packing their bags for an early exit.



Sangakara and Jayawardena, who are currently in-charge of the Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerala respectively, will reportedly leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) early to start preparations for the first Test against England on 26th May.



According to 'The Island', both the players are expected be in Colombo by May 16 and will leave the island a day later to join the squad for the second warm-up game scheduled for May 19 against England Lions at Derby.



The newspaper also reported that both players have received the necessary consent of their franchises to make an early exit.



The newly appointed skipper, meanwhile, is expected join the national squad before it takes-off to England on the May 10.



Sri Lanka Cricket last week allowed seven players from the 16-member squad to arrive in England before May 19, the day their second warm-up game, against England Lions, starts. The board had earlier asked the players to return on May 5 in order to prepare for the England tour.

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Nike extends Team India uniform sponsorship with BCCI for 5yrs

New Delhi: American sportswear maker Nike on Tuesday said it has extended its contract with BCCI for another five years to sponsor Indian cricket team's uniform.



"Nike, the official apparel sponsors for the Indian National Cricket Team since December, 2005 has extended its contract for a period of five years with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)," the company said in a statement. Nike will continue to be the official kit supplier to the Indian cricket team, it added.



The company did not comment on financials involved, but the deal size is estimated at about Rs. 270 crore.



Nike's Rs. 200 crore earlier contract with the BCCI for supplying the team uniform for five years expired in December last year, which was extended till March this year in view of the cricket World Cup.



According to industry sources, the BCCI did not opt for a bidding process for the uniform sponsorship and decided to extend the contract with Nike, thus keeping out rivals Reebok and Adidas.



"Nike had the first right of refusal in this case. The BCCI did not go into the market to see if others were interested," said a senior official from a sportswear firm, who did not wish to be identified.



Commenting on the contract extension Nike India Managing Director Tarun Puri said: "The extension of our contract for apparel sponsorship with the BCCI is testimony to Nike's commitment to providing the most innovative products to the Indian national cricket team and to the BCCI".

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I should take the blame for not finishing the game: Yuvraj

Chennai: Pune Warriors India captain Yuvraj Singh admitted that he should take the blame for not being able to finish the game as their team slumped to third defeat after CSK beat them by 25 runs at Chepauk on Monday. Yuvraj played an uncharacteristic knock of 34 off only 43 balls.



"It's difficult to come back once you are four down inside the first six overs. I should also take a lot of blame for not being able to finish the match. This has happened for the third time now that I have started off well but couldn't finish off the match," Yuvraj said at the post-match presentation ceremony.



The Warriors skipper however didn't regret the decision to bowl first. "I have no regrets for opting to field first. Our bowlers Jerome (Taylor), Rahul (Sharma) and Alfonso (Thomas) bowled. I believed that 143 was not that big a score."



Yuvraj's counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni was happy that his team was back to winning ways. "This was very important win for us. We can't afford to lose too many games in a row. Hopefully, we can continue the winning momentum," he said.



Asked whether he is an instinctive captain or does a lot of planning, the Indian captain said that he does not believe in too much of planning. "I don't do too much of planning. I don't attend bowlers' meetings. I believe every wicket is different, every situation is different. I always go without any pre-planned ideas in the mind. It helps me. Our bowlers generally do have a meeting but I don't attend them. As it may just restrict my decisions."



The skipper lauded his fielders who made a modest total look even more difficult. "We didn't have too many runs on the board. The fielders did an exceptional job and the total of 142 now looks like 155 which was difficult total on this track."



Man of the match Michael Hussey's assessment was that the pitch was on the slower side. "It certainly was a lot slower than Bangalore. We had to make adjustments quickly. The fielding was outstanding. We had a just-below-par score. Every time we wanted to kick on, we lost a wicket, but that was the nature of the wicket. We just wanted to try and take it as deep as possible."

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Sachin mania stuns Aussie players

Hyderabad: Andrew Symonds, Davy Jacobs and Darren Lehmann have never witnessed anything like they did here on Sunday. After the game, people from different corners of the ground marched towards the players' enclosure, to try and get a glimpse of birthday boy, Sachin Tendulkar.



Such was the chaos that Tendulkar's family had to stay back in the dressing room just as he was being escorted to the team vehicle. Symonds told MiD DAY: "I have never, ever, seen fans react in this way. I can't believe that a birthday of a cricketer could give so many people joy. It's unbelievable, mate," he said.
Chargers coach Lehmann, who had just finished his post-match media briefing, had to walk past the door of the Mumbai Indians dressing room, en route to the hosts' section. Just then, hundreds of fans were standing outside, trying to get a sight of the little master. Lehmann asked: "Why are all these people standing here?
Don't people have to go home?" "They are here to try and get a glimpse of Tendulkar," he was told. Lehmann replied: "If there was a statue of Tendulkar, there'd be people who could perform their ceremony there."
Jacobs, the young wicketkeeper-batsman wanted to enter the Chargers change room, as he wanted to meet his friends in the opposite camp. Cops who were strictly placed to ensure Tendulkar reaches the team bus without any problems asked Jacobs to wait inside till the little master has left the building.  "It's hard to believe. He's (Tendulkar) definitely not some normal human being. It appears like everyone came to this ground today to watch him, and only him.

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Zulqarnain Haider returns to Pakistan

Five and a half months after fleeing to London from the UAE on the morning of an ODI, Zulqarnain Haider, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper, has returned home, having secured security assurances from the government about his safety and that of his family.

Haider landed at Islamabad airport on Monday morning and was swiftly escorted by security personnel to the office of Rehman Malik, the Interior Minister, who had convinced him to come back from London. Haider, who turned 25 on Saturday, had announced last week that he was prepared to revoke his application for asylum in the UK and return to Pakistan and resume his playing career. However, soon after that, there was confusion; some channels reported that he was reconsidering his decision after receiving threatening phone calls in the aftermath of his decision to return.

But later he clarified to other channels - as well as leaving an update on his Facebook page - confirming that he would be returning as planned. Haider also recorded the threatening calls he had received, parts of which were aired on some Pakistani channels.

"I am happy to return," he said on Monday afternoon, after a meeting with Malik. "I have met Rehman Malik and the sports minister and they have provided me foolproof security," he said.

"When I landed at the airport everything was superb. They have given me superb accommodation and have lived upto their promise. I have just talked to them and briefed them on what happened to me. When I meet Ijaz Butt [PCB chairman] I will share with him too. I think no one will put his future on line and there were some reasons when I left the team and went to Britain."

Haider had gone missing from the Pakistan team's hotel in Dubai on the morning of the fifth and final ODI against South Africa on November 8, saying he had received death threats from unidentified people seeking to draw him into match-fixing. He fled to the UK to seek protection and placed an application for asylum that hinged on the nature of the information he was able to divulge, as the extraordinary nature of his case appeared to fall outside the usual conditions required of a person seeking refugee status.

In the aftermath of his flight, Haider announced his international retirement and his contract with the PCB was suspended. A fact-finding committee subsequently set-up by the PCB to look into the affair failed to find any clear motives behind his actions.

But the committee was told by some of the national team's support staff that Haider had a complex personality, was a "weak nerve" person and "a person who is easily convinced into believing whatever is said to him." The committee, which spoke to Haider by phone, asked the PCB to write to Haider and ask him what happened in Dubai which forced him to fly to London.

The report tapped into increasing public scepticism over the motives for Haider's flight, not helped by a growing number of statements by the player promising much in the fight against corruption but delivering little. When one channel said last week that he was considering not returning, Haider threatened them with legal action.

What happens now remains unclear. A board official told ESPNcricinfo that there was no "official next step," as far as Haider was concerned. "The fact-finding committee's last communication with him was to seek some more details, but they never heard back from him. The board will do nothing now until he gets in touch with us. After that we can decide on a future course of action, whether disciplinary because he breached the code of conduct, or otherwise."

Haider said he hadn't decided whether or not to take back his retirement, saying he wanted to "spend some time with my family," first.

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BCCI unlikely to take decision on India coach on Apr 27

Mumbai: The BCCI is in no hurry to appoint a new cricket coach for the team and is unlikely to decide on the matter in its Working Committee's meeting on April 27 where the agenda would include various sub-committees' reports.



"We are still in the process of doing so (finding a new coach). There's no hurry as the team is leaving for the West Indies only on June 1," BCCI President Shashank Manohar told PTI from Nagpur on Friday.



A lot of names, including England's director of coaching Andy Flower and another Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher, are doing the rounds as the candidates likely to get the job.



There are talks that an interim coach could be appointed by the BCCI for the Windies tour in case it is unable to find a suitable candidate to replace Gary Kirsten who quit the job after guiding India to the World Cup triumph on April 2.



"The reports of various sub committees would be tabled at the meeting," the BCCI chief said about the agenda for the April 27 meet.



Manohar confirmed that an understanding has been reached by the BCCI with its Sri Lanka counterpart, which allows the players from the island nation to stay on and represent their franchises in the ongoing Indian Premier League till May 18. "They will be here till the 18th and then directly go to England from Mumbai," said Manohar.



The BCCI Chief, however, could not confirm whether the same understanding will apply to speedster Lasith Malinga who has been excluded from Lanka's Test outfit to tour England as he had cited an injury to stay on and play for Mumbai Indians.

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Simmons and Bishoo give West Indies victory

West Indies 150 for 7 (Simmons 65, Bravo 42, Rehman 2-22) beat Pakistan 143 for 9 (Umar 41, Bishoo 4-17) by seven runs

	Lendl Simmons led a positive West Indies innings by rushing to a 31-ball fifty © Getty Images Enlarge

It's just one match, that will fade into obscurity by the end of the next, but West Indies began their latest New Era impressively, beating Pakistan by seven runs in the first ever Twenty20 match between the teams.

Lendl Simmons made 65 to help West Indies set something competitive before Devendra Bishoo's four wickets brought them victory.

Such has been Ottis Gibson's desperation for renewal after a disappointing World Cup campaign that five debutants were fielded. Critics, though, could point to a desire for greater control as much as freshness after a clutch of senior players were jettisoned from the squad.

That certainly seemed to be the view held by Chris Gayle, the former captain, who vented his frustration with Gibson and the WICB by joining Royal Challengers Bangalore and issuing a withering assessment of both in a radio interview. The off-field wranglings dominated the build-up to the match and are likely to rumble on for some time to come but West Indies fans could at least enjoy a moment of on-field catharsis.

Such drama is familiar to Pakistan but of late they have been alarmingly stable. Their last game was a passionate spectacle against India in the World Cup semi-final against in Mohali, so they could be forgiven for looking a little underwhelmed by St Lucia.

Barely a smattering of spectators showed up but those who did were treated to an entertaining opening from Simmons. Filling the immense hole left by Gayle's absence he cracked 65 from 44 balls and shared a 99-run stand for the second wicket with a fluent Darren Bravo, who made 42. The pair struck 15 boundaries between them which proved crucial as West Indies collapsed in familiar fashion after they were separated.

Luckily for them the bowlers, led by legspinner Bishoo, masked the errors in an energetic display. The six no-balls and pointed to performance lacking polish but the attack used a tiring pitch to good effect.

Darren Sammy ensured Pakistan's chase got off on the wrong foot as he had Mohammad Hafeez caught at fine leg for 3 before Ahmed Shehzad spooned Ravi Rampaul to mid-on for 12. Asad Shafiq threatened a revival with Umar Akmal before Bishoo intervened with two wickets in his first over. Shafiq was brilliantly caught for 25 by Danza Hyatt diving forward from midwicket after looping a leading edge before Misbah-ul-Haq was dismissed for a duck treading on his stumps a ball later.

Even modest legspinners have proved potent in 20-over cricket and Bishoo, who impressed on international debut in the World Cup, is better than that. Mixing his pace and flight nicely he got his third wicket when Shahid Afridi scythed a cut to point for 12 to leave Pakistan's hopes entirely with Umar.

Having reached a run-a-ball 41 Umar fell victim to his own misunderstanding. The previous delivery he had alerted the umpires to a no-ball caused by West Indies not having the required three men in the ring but, thinking the following ball was a free-hit, swung Rampaul to Marlon Samuels on the square-leg rope. Umar lingered but the umpires this time knew better.

What should have been a doddle from there became fought with tension as Rampaul's no-ball-ridden penultimate over cost 15 but Andre Russell held his nerve in the final over to sealed victory.

The lacklustre showing from Pakistan's batsmen was in sharp contrast to Simmons and Bravo. Happy to use their feet, both were proficient against the pace and spin and used the small boundaries to good effect. The 100 was crossed in the 13th over and at that stage West Indies looked set to post something really significant but a trademark collapse punctured the optimism.

Bravo holed out long-on off Abdur Rehman before Simmons was run out by Samuels two overs later. Samuels, on his comeback after serving a two-match ban for alleged involvement with illegal bookmakers, endured a torrid return as he laboured to 4 from 11 balls before running past a Saeed Ajmal doosra. Sammy followed quickly for 1 and it needed a last-over boundary to take the total past 150. Pakistan looked to have the edge but Bishoo ensured otherwise.

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