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The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which takes place in New Zealand from January 15-30, 2010

Cricinfo staff15-Dec-2009The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which takes place in New Zealand from January 15-30, 2010. Talented batsman Azeem Ghumman, who lead the side to the final of a tri-series in Sri Lanka involving the hosts and Bangladesh recently, will continue to captain.The bi-annual tournament involves 16 teams with Pakistan facing West Indies, Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh in the group stages. Pakistan’s first match in the group stages will be against West Indies on January 15, followed by Papua New Guinea on January 18 and Bangladesh on January 20. The top two teams in each group will progress to the quarter-finals.The squad will leave for New Zealand on December 30. Prior to that it will assemble for a training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from December 16-27 under the supervision of coach Ijaz Ahmed.Pakistan’s best result at the U-19 World Cup was in 2003 when they defeated West Indies to win the tournament and then in 2006 when they trumped India in a thrilling final.Squad: Azeem Ghumman (capt), Babar Azam, Ahsan Ali, Ahmed Shahzad, Rameez Aziz, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Waqas, Hammad Azam, Sarmad Bhatti, Anop Ravi, Raza Hassan, Usman Qadir, Shahzaib Ahmed, Kaleem Sana, Fayyaz Butt.

Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, has lashed out against some of his players, whom he has accused of pursuing “individual goals” and not performing as a unit

Cricinfo staff28-Nov-2009Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, has lashed out at some of his players, whom he said were pursuing “individual goals” and not performing as a unit, following his team’s drawn game against Saurashtra in Kolkata. Saurashtra piled up 650 in their first innings and bowled out Bengal for 456 to enforce the follow-on.Reacting to the below-par performance, Tiwary said: “It’s time to bid goodbye
to our reputation and play as a unit now in the present context. Instead of playing for individual goals, our players need to focus on the team goal. There is a room for improvement in that area.”Saurashtra gained three points from the game as a result of their first-innings lead while Bengal had to settle with one. The teams are separated by just one point on the Group B table, with Bengal ahead.Tiwary asserted the need for introspection among the players in the side. “We need to sit together, discuss what is going wrong and rectify our mistakes,” he said. “We have tough two matches ahead (against Uttar Pradesh and Delhi).”Tiwary led a team that included former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who managed just 16 in Bengal’s first innings. When asked if Ganguly will participate in Bengal’s upcoming fixture against UP, Tiwary said: “I don’t know. He is in the best position to answer this.”

Ricky Ponting believes his pulling will become less risky as soon as his injured elbow heals properly

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2010Ricky Ponting believes his pulling will become less risky as soon as his injured elbow heals properly. Ponting has been dismissed twice to the shot during the Pakistan series and there have been calls for him to shelve it to extend his outstanding career.However, Ponting, 35, is determined to keep playing the way that has gained him 11,561 runs at 54.79 in 141 Tests. “Wait until I get fit again and we’ll see if everyone is still saying the same thing about it then,” Ponting said in the Sunday Telegraph. “They are such reactive shots, they are instinctive. I’m not sure how people in the past have gone about putting them away.”I think I have been out twice this summer pulling, but it is a shot that keeps bringing me runs so we’ll see how we go with that. But as I said, if I get my elbow right then I think you’ll see me playing with a lot more freedom and not only those shots, but a lot of other shots around the ground as well.”Ponting is having his worst home Test summer in more than a decade after picking up 216 runs in the five games against West Indies and Pakistan. The problems stem from his sore left elbow, which was tenderised by a Kemar Roach bouncer at the WACA last month, and there have also been suggestions that he step down from his preferred No.3.”I read it for the first time the other day midway through the Test match, when all the negative stuff was in the papers about the team and about certain individuals and selecting of the team,” Ponting said. “I haven’t thought about that.”But if the day comes where I think there is someone better in the order to bat at No. 3 than myself, then by all means I will give it some thought, but I still think I’m the best equipped to be batting at No. 3 in the Test side. Hopefully I can show everybody that over the next few weeks.”Ponting has the summer’s final Test on his home ground in Hobart to find some form before the start of limited-overs campaigns against Pakistan and West Indies. He felt the extra rest between the second and third matches would help his elbow.”Where I’ve struggled with it is I’ve had two or three days at a time in between batting days and I’ve just needed a little bit longer than that,” he said. “From where I batted in the second innings in the Sydney Test, I’ll have had about six or seven days without batting. So when I hit the nets on Monday it will be better than it has been in the last couple of weeks.”

Australia produced a commanding all-round performance to take a 2-0 lead with a 140-run demolition of Pakistan at the SCG

The Bulletin by Peter English24-Jan-2010Australia 6 for 267 (Watson 69, White 55, Aamer 3-53) beat Pakistan 127 (Yousuf 58, McKay 3-15) by 140 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Cameron White scored 55 and took two catches as Pakistan were over-run at the SCG•Getty Images

Australia produced a commanding all-round performance to take a 2-0 lead with a 140-run demolition of Pakistan at the SCG. After being led by Shane Watson and Cameron White in their 6 for 267, the hosts delivered a stinging bowling display to knock over the tourists for 127 in 37.3 overs.Pakistan lost their first five wickets for 42 in an awful opening and the result added further to the troubles of the captain Mohammad Yousuf, who is being replaced after the series. Yousuf had mistakenly chosen to bowl first in the hope of getting an advantage from the overcast conditions in the afternoon, but all the support came for the fast men as the sun started to go down. The ball seamed and bounced dangerously for Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle and Clint McKay and the tourists could not cope.Salman Butt (2) went in the fifth over nicking a shorter one from Bollinger and was taken at second slip by White. Three balls later the combination repeated the dismissal, dropping Pakistan to 2 for 7, when White dived to his left to catch the edge of Younis Khan.Kamran Akmal was soon run out for 16 after chasing a quick single, having been sent back eventually by Yousuf and then beaten by McKay’s direct hit in his follow through. Akmal’s brother Umar joined him in the dressing room two deliveries later after his off stump was clipped by Siddle.The hosts would not allow a recovery and lost their fifth man when Ricky Ponting leaped to his left at point for the superb one-handed take of Shoaib Malik (2). Yousuf was watching all the damage from the other end but was ultimately helpless, although he struck a strong six to long-on off Watson and was committed in his 58 off 94.Rana Naved-ul-Hasan kept him company for an explosive 27 before being stumped off Nathan Hauritz, who caught Yousuf at short fine leg. There were few highlights for Pakistan on a night dominated by the hosts. Bollinger had 2 for 19 off nine, Siddle and McKay (3 for 15) also gave up less than three runs an over, and Hauritz collected 2 for 45.Australia were challenged in Brisbane on Friday but they controlled most of match from the moment Watson struck the opening ball for four through point. While Watson lit up the innings with 69 off 71 balls and dominated a 100-run stand in 19.5 overs with Shaun Marsh, the chances of a massive total were upset by the frugal Afridi. In the end it didn’t matter.Afridi removed both openers and it was difficult for the hosts to increase the pace until White led the final thrust. White followed his century at the Gabba with 55 off 58 and benefited from delaying the batting Powerplay until the last five overs.White belted a six and a four in an over from Naved-ul-Hasan and scrambled to the finish, bringing up his fifty with a drive over point. He departed on the fourth-last ball – the wicket went to Mohammad Aamer, who returned 3 for 53 – and Brad Haddin helped out with an unbeaten 27 off 14.Afridi was central in regaining control for Pakistan after the opening burst and gave up only 35 from 10, including a crucial eight-over spell of 2 for 25 after coming on in the bowling Powerplay. He picked up Watson and Marsh while Saeed Ajmal and Malik were also tight, going at slightly more than four an over.Watson muscled nine boundaries and a six off Naved-ul-Hasan that landed not far from the dressing room at midwicket. After five overs he was 34 off 22 – Australia were soon speeding at 65 off 10 – and brought up his fifty from 42 deliveries before accepting a standing ovation.Yousuf called for the bowling Powerplay as soon as possible and Watson was held back by the spin as Afridi arrived. Afridi struck when Watson tried for another clearance and was well taken by Malik at deep midwicket.Marsh (41) also fell to Afridi when he attempted to hit to the leg side and got a leading edge to long-on in a troubling period for the home side. Ponting (13) lacked fluency for the second match in a row and Australia were 4 for 166 when Michael Clarke fell on 25. White rallied and the bowlers backed up his charge, giving Australia the chance to claim the five-match series in Adelaide on Tuesday.

Kenya’s fall from Associate powerhouse to also-rans continued with their seven-wicket defeat to Netherlands at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Cricinfo staff11-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Kenya’s fall from Associate powerhouse to also-rans continued with their seven-wicket defeat to Netherlands at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Rocked by Steve Tikolo’s first ball dismissal, Kenya never fully recovered and were bowled out two balls short of their allotted overs for 130. Eric Szwarczynski’s 45 led Netherlands’ reply, and they chased down the target with five balls to spare.With a place in the Super Fours at stake for the winner of this game, Kenya would have been hoping for a strong performance from their top order. Tikolo’s 126-run opening stand with Alex Obanda steamrollered Canada on Wednesday, but they had added only a single run today when Tikolo hit Mudassar Bukhari’s second ball to Szwarczynski to depart for a duck.Pieter Seelaar, Netherlands’ left-arm spinner, distinguished himself with a tight spell under pressure in the win over Canada, and he performed superbly again to finish with 4 for 19 in his four overs. After Bukhari removed Obanda for 5, Seelaar worked his way through the middle order, dismissing captain Maurice Ouma, Collins Obuya, Rakep Patel and Tony Suji in consecutive overs as Kenya slipped to 67 for 6.Kenya’s final total owed a lot to Jimmy Kamande’s enterprising innings. His 42 contained three sixes, and carried Kenya to 126 before he fell to Mohammad Kashif in the penultimate over. After his dismissal, Bukhar had Shem Obado caught by Seelaar, and bowled Lameck Onyango to wrap up the innings.Kenya needed to replicate Netherlands’ early breakthroughs to give themselves a chance of victory, but Szwarczynski and Alexei Kervezee stole the game with a 72-run partnership in the first half of the innings. Kervezee eventually fell after he had compiled a domineering 33, and Szwarczynski departed five short of what would have been a well-deserved half-century, but their dismissals came too late for Kenya. Although Onyango’s effort with the ball took the match into the final over, the reality was that Netherlands won at a canter.Their reward is a place in the Super Fours, and with it the chance to make it to the World Twenty20 in West Indies. In the absence of the experienced Thomas Odoyo, the lack of incisiveness in Kenya’s bowling attack was exposed in this tournament, and they will also be left ruing the disappointing defeat to UAE in their opening game, where pedestrian batting scuppered their pursuit of 165.

Victoria will head into the Sheffield Shield final as the favourite after finishing the regular rounds with a nine-point advantage

Cricinfo staff12-Mar-2010
ScorecardDamien Wright had eight wickets for the game in an important warm-up for the decider•Getty Images

Victoria will head into the Sheffield Shield final as the favourite after finishing the regular rounds with a nine-point advantage. The Bushrangers warmed up for Wednesday’s decider with an innings-and-46-run victory over Tasmania, who were brushed aside for 114.The Tigers, who are currently fifth, suffered a horrible start to be 6 for 18 after Darren Pattinson and Damien Wright grabbed three wickets each. Alex Doolan’s 7 was the highest score of the top five and three wickets went on 16, including the retiring Dan Marsh. Tim Paine gained some ground and was last out for 28, while Brendan Drew (40) and Xavier Doherty (19) helped out.Wright had 3 for 11 off seven overs, giving him eight wickets for the game, and Pattinson returned 3 for 15 off 12 in impressive displays. Bryce McGain, the legspinner, chipped in at the end with 3 for 57 as he hopes to hold his spot ahead of Jon Holland for the final.Matthew Wade’s 50 pushed Victoria to 382 in the morning and they now have an extra day to prepare for the decider against Queensland at the MCG. It will be a repeat of last year’s final, when a draw gave the Bushrangers the trophy.