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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