PCB against playing 2011 World Cup matches in India

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is against playing its matches in India during the 2011 World Cup, and has reportedly asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift its matches to Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.

Sources said PCB chief Ijaz Butt, during the recent ICC executive board meeting, had apprised the game's governing body regarding its stance.

Champions League 2009

"Even the ICC is aware of the tense relation between the two countries and not keen to take any risks. Pakistan has also indicated it would be more comfortable playing maximum number of matches in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh," The Nation quoted PCB insiders, as saying.

Butt, however, has expressed the hope that the soured relationship between India and Pakistan would improve by 2011 World Cup, but made it clear that it will follow the government's directives on allowing players to visit India.

"We will do whatever the government tells us to do in this regard. But hopefully by 2011 relations between the two countries would have improved quite a bit," Butt said.

The ICC had recently announced the groupings of the 2011 World Cup, saying the schedule and venues of the matches will be finalized by next year.

'India had a hand in Pakistan's defeat against Kiwis'

While is India in placed in Group B along with South Africa, England and the West Indies. Pakistan will be in 'Group A' along world champions Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada.

Netherlands, Ireland and Bangladesh are also in Group B.

Brett Lee hopes for a World Cup comeback

Melbourne: Constant run with injuries forced Brett Lee to retire from Test cricket but the Aussie speedster is still determined to make a comeback in the limited overs format of the game, at least in time for the 2011 World Cup.

Lee Sunday expressed disappointment at being left out of Australia's Twenty20 and One-day International side for the series against Sri Lanka and said he is now aiming for the big event in the sub-continent.

"That is definitely what I am aiming for, that is the reason I am training so hard," Lee was quoted as saying by the Sunday Telegraph.

In a comeback match after an elbow injury, Lee playing for New South Wales (NSW) picked up two wickets and was instrumental in his team's victory against Queensland in a one-day match Friday.

Lee next plays a one-day game not before Nov 26 and he says the long gap will not help his cause of getting back to being match-fit at the earliest.

"I have got a few weeks off, which is not ideal preparation," Lee said.

"It is disappointing but it is the way it goes. They told me they wanted me to play some more cricket. Unfortunately, I do not have any more cricket to play. I would have loved to have been playing (for Australia) but I am not. So, it is back to the drawing board and keep trying to do well whenever I get the opportunity," he summed up.

BCCI to give students free tickets for World Cup

New Delhi: To ensure capacity crowd at the stadiums, the organising committee of the 2011 cricket World Cup has decided to distribute free tickets to school and college students.

Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty told reporters here Thursday that the organising committee is in talks with the sponsors and the host associations to work out how many tickets can be distributed among the students.

"We have decided to distribute free tickets among students. We have lots of sponsorship programmes through which we will be distributing the tickets. State associations will also have some quota for the students. We want the state associations to throw their gates open for the students," said Shetty.

World Cup 2011

Shetty, who is also the chief administrative officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that free tickets will be given to draw crowds, specially for the non-India matches.

"The real challenge is to bring in people for non-India games and one of the suggestions is to bring in school and college children," he said.

Shetty said that ICC officials have visited Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata to inspect the stadia, which have been renovated.

"All the three stadiums in Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata have undergone massive renovation. We have made sure that the stadiums have better spectator services, media facilities and proper set-up for the broadcaster," he said.

Vettori firm on quitting captaincy after World Cup

Wellington, Dec 27 (IANS) New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori Monday reaffirmed that he would step down from the post after the 2011 cricket World Cup.

Vettori, who has opted out of the ongoing T20 Internationals against Pakistan for resting his back, said he would stand by his decision irrespective of the team's performance in the tournament co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.


'I still stand by those words of finishing up after the World Cup,' Vettori was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.


'I understand things can change and there may be a chance for that, but at this point I will finish after the cup.'


New Zealand have been struggling for form and most recently had disastrous tours of India and Bangladesh. The slump in form also led to John Wright taking over as the coach from Mark Greatbatch last Monday.


Vettori and team mate Ross Taylor were all praise for the new coach.

'His real skills are getting around players and making them feel confident,' Vettori said.

'After that many losses (11 straight ODI defeats) guys tend to question their game, but he is a positive guy and that will rub off on the players.'

Taylor talked about Wright's ethos.

'That is the first thing he has instilled in us,' Taylor said.

'Every time he talks, it is that if we play as a collective we give ourselves the best chance. He is trying to get everyone to trust himself.'

Ponting ruled of final Test due to finger injury

Ricky Ponting has been ruled out of the Australia Test squad for the fifth Ashes Test through injury.
Commenting on the injury Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said: "Ricky Ponting had a repeat x-ray after the fourth Test which showed evidence that the fracture of his fifth finger has moved during the course of the Melbourne Test.

"As such he needs to commence treatment immediately to achieve a satisfactory outcome. The treatment options include surgery or aggressive splinting and immobilisation of the injured finger. A decision on the treatment option will be made in the next 24 hours after further consultation with the hand specialist.

His return to cricket will be based on how quickly the fracture heals and he will hopefully commence training in the later part of the Australian summer. He is expected to be fully fit for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011."

ICC CWC history recorded in definitive television series

The ICC Cricket World Cup (ICC CWC), the game's flagship tournament, now has a definitive visual history thanks to a new series of 12 television programmes.

The programmes produced by ESPN STAR Sports, the ICC's global production and broadcast partner, looks back at the event's rich history through stories told by the players who experienced the highs and the lows. This audio-visual history beautifully captures the precious moments that will stand the test of time.

They feature extensive interviews with all seven ICC CWC-winning captains - Clive Lloyd, Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga, Stephen Waugh and Ricky Ponting.
And they also include the views of some other pivotal figures from each tournament, including Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Ian Botham, Mike Gatting, Wasim Akram, Sanath Jayasuriya, Martin Crowe and Brett Lee.

Broadcast by ESPN STAR Sports and other official ICC broadcasters, they are the perfect lead-in for cricket fans ahead of next year's ICC CWC in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that begins on 19 February.

The programmes chart the evolution of the ICC CWC from humble beginnings in 1975 through to its current status as The Cup That Counts.

Each of the nine previous tournaments are recalled and analysed, and the seven victorious captains also have a programme devoted to their own personal recollections of achieving the ultimate honour in the game - lifting the ICC Cricket World Cup.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "The ICC Cricket World Cup is cricket's flagship tournament - it's The Cup That Counts - so we are delighted that, for the first time, a definitive series of programmes charting its history has been produced.

"The programmes feature the key players from the first nine editions dating back to the inaugural event in 1975 and will serve as the essential historical record of the ICC Cricket World Cup. The timing of its release is also a perfect lead in to the 2011 tournament.

"It is a must-watch television show, not only for those who love and watch the game but also for those who have no real knowledge of our great sport. The programmes capture vividly the fantastic national drama that only the ICC Cricket World Cup can produce.

"These documentaries are the best possible illustration of why the ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest and best tournament in the game."

Manu Sawhney, ESPN STAR Sports Managing Director, said: "The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will draw massive interest from around the globe as cricket's flagship event, and this compelling cricket programming is a must watch for all cricket fans in the lead up to next year's showpiece event.
"As the global production and broadcast rights holder for ICC events, this documentary was produced to highlight the proud history and traditions of the Cricket World Cup in perspective to the upcoming blockbuster event next February, and we hope that cricket fans will enjoy every minute of it."

Imtiaz Patel, Group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa, one the ICC's official broadcasters for the ICC CWC, said: "The ICC Cricket World Cup is full of extraordinary feats, intense rivalries and gripping human drama, and we look forward to highlight the many personalities and teams that have made this stellar event so well celebrated around the world.

"SuperSport is delighted to be showing every match of the 2011 edition live to its subscribers and this additional content will complement the live transmissions superbly. With the extensive research and value put into the production of these documentaries, this cricket programming will certainly bolster the interest leading up to this remarkable global sports event."

In total, there are 12 programmes - two devoted to an overall history of the ICC CWC, a further nine on each edition of the tournament (1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007) and one in which the captains provide their memories of what it took to lift cricket's greatest prize.

Haddin backs Clarke as captain

Brad Haddin spent his first full day as Australia's vice-captain insisting Michael Clarke, his new master, is the right man for the top job. A new cricket leader is usually a time for celebration in this country, but Clarke's appointment for Monday's fifth Ashes Test at the SCG has been greeted with extreme caution. 

Ricky Ponting is missing the match due to a broken finger and Clarke enters the fixture in poor form and with only pockets of public support. None of that matters to Haddin, who says the team is 100% behind the leader. 

"He is ready to do this job," Haddin said at the SCG. "He'd be excited about the prospect of captaining Australia and he will do a very, very good job. We're 100% behind him and, being a good mate of mine, I'll support him in any way I can. He deserves to be in this position ... he's the best man for the job." 

Haddin, 33, said the public reaction to all the Australian players changed from week to week. However, Clarke's rating among large sections of the community, particularly in his home state of New South Wales, has been more consistent. His lack of runs in the series - 148 in eight innings - hasn't helped endear Clarke to the detractors and the lukewarm response adds to the pressure on the country's 43rd Test captain. 

"You are one good innings away, or sometimes one good cover drive away, from the support being with you," Haddin said. "Michael is a very strong character so things will be okay. He has got a very good cricket brain and you saw that through the T20 World Cup [when Australia made the final]. He thinks a lot about the game, he is going to do a very good job." 

Haddin, who hopes his elevation is temporary, has played 31 Tests since replacing the retired Adam Gilchrist in the middle of 2008. He has leadership experience with New South Wales and gets a close-up view of the game as wicketkeeper. It will be interesting to watch how he juggles his post as one of the team's verbal enforcers with his new responsibilities. 

The first aim for Australia is to show some signs of collective improvement after being thoroughly out-played in three of the four matches. The hosts are upset to have failed in their push to regather the urn - Haddin said the results were "unacceptable" - but they will aim to take comfort in a victory in Sydney.

"It's disappointing we have lost the Ashes and we are disappointed in our own performance, but you have to move on pretty quick in sport," he said. "We have to win this Test match to make this series 2-all."