Sri Lanka ask Pakistan to bat in final Test

Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and sent Pakistan in to bat in the third and final Test at the Sinhalese sports club here on Monday.

Sri Lanka, having already taken a decisive 2-0 lead in the series, recalled veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas for his last Test match in place of spinner Ajantha Mendis.

Vaas, 35, had on Sunday announced his retirement from the five-day game after the series, but said he will continue to play limited-overs cricket.

Pakistan also made one change, bringing in seasoned leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in place of seamer Abdur Rauf.

Pakistan: Younus Khan (capt), Fawad Alam, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamer, Danish Kaneria.

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath, Chaminda Vaas, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera.

Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG)

TV umpire: Gamini Silva (SRI)

Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)

Rain sets Bangladesh back against Windies

Rain took a sizeable chunk out of the day, but Bangladesh still held all the aces with West Indies wobbly on 192 for eight in their second innings in the second and final Test on Sunday.

The Bangladesh spinners continued to torment the West Indies' batsmen, and the home team could only extend their lead to 197 in the time available on the third day at the Queen's Park Stadium Complex.

The entire evening session was lost to the weather, after rain had earlier stopped play about half-hour before lunch, and the afternoon session started about an hour and 10 minutes later than scheduled after the interval. The Tigers' spinners applied the pressure throughout the truncated day and the West Indies' batsmen - except for birthday boy Dave Bernard Jr - cracked.

Shakib Al Hasan has been Bangladesh's most successful bowler with four wickets for 61 runs from 22 overs, and fellow left-arm spinner Enamul Haque Jr has taken two for 42 from 15 overs.

But the Bangladeshis found Bernard hard to dislodge, and he reached 50 for the third time in the series, when he swung his 56th ball from Enamul over mid-wicket for his sixth four.

The Tigers spinners were never able to dominate him, and the lanky all-rounder struck six fours and one six in an unbeaten 61 from 71 balls in a little over two hours.

The weather intervened before lunch to set Bangladesh's effort back, after their spinners, led by Shakib, bowled them back into contention, when they reduced West Indies to 124 for five at the interval.

Shakib made the breakthrough in the eighth over of the morning, after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 56 for one.

The acting Bangladesh captain removed Omar Phillips, when the left-handed opener was caught at deep square leg for 29.

Four overs later, Shakib had Ryan Hinds caught at leg-slip for two, when the left-handed batsman gloved a sweep shot.

Off-spinner Mahmudullah, who has been the most successful bowler for Bangladesh in the series, then removed West Indies captain Floyd Reifer for three to a questionable lbw decision from New Zealand umpire Tony Hill.

Video replays suggested that Reifer was struck just outside the off-stump and the ball would have spun away from lanky left-hander.

Enamul Haque Jr then added to West Indies' pain, when he scalped Travis Dowlin for 49 to an incredulous lbw verdict from Hill to leave West Indies 110 for five.

The TV replays again suggested that the batsman was struck just outside the off-stump and the ball would have spun away past the stumps.

When play resumed after lunch, the Bangladesh spinners wheeled away, and Bernard and Darren Sammy spent the first 40 minutes putting up their best defence.

But things became undone, when Enamul had Sammy caught at mid-wicket for 22 to trigger a decline which saw West Indies lose three wickets for 21 runs in the space of 43 balls.

Shakib, leading Bangladesh in the absence of the injured Mashrafe Mortaza, had Chadwick Walton caught at slip for one edging a loose drive at a wide ball before Shahadat Hossain returned for a second spell and had Ryan Austin caught in the mid-wicket region for three.

Rain sent the players scampering for a slightly early tea break, and they never returned to the field, despite several attempts.

Bangladesh lead the two-Test series 1-0, after they won the opening Test which ended last Monday in St. Vincent by 95 runs.

The Tigers need only to draw the match to clinch their first-ever Test series victory overseas.
Scoreboard
West Indies 1st Innings 237 T. Dowlin 95, Mahmadullah 3-44
Bangladesh 1st Innings 232 Mushfiqur Rahim 48, K. Roach 6-48
West Indies 2nd Innings
D. Richards lbw b Shakib Al Hasan 12
O. Phillips c Ashraful b Shakib Al Hasan 29
T. Dowlin lbw b Enamul Haque 49
R. Hinds c Mahmudullah b Shakib Al Hasan 2
F. Reifer lbw b Mahmudullah 3
D. Bernard not out 61
D. Sammy c Raqibul b Enamul Haque 22
C. Walton c Mahmudullah b Shakib Al Hasan 1
R. Austin c Tamim b Shahadat Hossain 3
T. Best not out 4
Extras lb2, nb4 6
Total for 8 wkts 192
Fall of wkts 1-20, 2-72, 3-84, 4-95, 5-110, 6-166, 7-167, 8-187
Bowling
Rubel Hossain 8.2-1-32-0 (nb3), Shahadat Hossain 4-0-18-1, Enamul Haque Jr 15-2-42-2 (nb1), Shakib Al Hasan 22-3-61-4, Mahmudullah 15-1-37-1, Mohammad Ashraful 1-1-0-0

Rain fails to slow Bangladesh spinners down

Bangladesh's spinners continued to torment the West Indies' batsman in an afternoon session truncated by the weather and left the home team scrambling on 192 for eight at tea in the second and final Test on Sunday.

At the break, Dave Bernard Jr was unbeaten on 61 and Tino Best was not out on four, after the Tigers' spinners continued to apply the pressure on the West Indies batsmen and restricted the home team's lead to 197 on the third day at the Queen's Park Stadium Complex.

Shakib Al Hasan has been Bangladesh most successful bowler with four wickets for 61 runs from 22 overs, and fellow left-arm spinner Enamul Haque Jr has taken two for 42 from 15 overs.

But the Bangladeshis have found Bernard hard to dislodge, and the West Indies all-rounder reached 50 for the third time in the series, when he swung his 56th ball from Enamul over mid-wicket for his sixth four.

Play started after lunch an hour and 10 minutes later than scheduled because of rain before and during the interval.

When play resumed, the Bangladesh spinners wheeled away, and Bernard and Darren Sammy spent the first 40 minutes putting up their best defence.

But things became undone, when Enamul had Sammy caught at mid-wicket for 22 to trigger a decline which saw West Indies lose three wickets for 21 runs in the space of 43 balls.

Shakib, leading Bangladesh in the absence of the injured Mashrafe Mortaza, had Chadwick Walton caught at slip for one edging a loose drive at a wide ball before Shahadat Hossain returned for a second spell and had Ryan Austin caught in the mid-wicket region for three.

Rain had also prompted an early lunch and stalled Bangladesh's progress, after their spinners, led by Shakib, bowled them back into contention, when they reduced West Indies to 124 for five at the interval.

The weather intervened about half-hour before the interval to set Bangladesh back in their efforts, after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 56 for one.

Shakib made the breakthrough in the eighth over of the morning, when left-handed opener Omar Phillips swung at a shortish delivery, and was caught at deep square leg for 29.

Four overs later, Shakib had Ryan Hinds caught at leg-slip for two, when the left-handed batsman gloved a sweep shot.

Off-spinner Mahmudullah, who has been the most successful bowler for Bangladesh in the series, then removed West Indies captain Floyd Reifer for three to a questionable lbw decision from New Zealand umpire Tony Hill.

Video replays suggested that Reifer was struck just outside the off-stump and the ball would have spun away from lanky left-hander.

Enamul Haque Jr then added to West Indies' pain, when he scalped Travis Dowlin for 49 to an incredulous lbw verdict from Hill to leave West Indies 110 for five.

The TV replays again suggested that the batsman was struck just outside the off-stump and the ball would have spun away past the stumps. Bangladesh lead the two-Test series 1-0, after they won the opening Test which ended last Monday in St. Vincent by 95 runs.

The Tigers need only to draw the match to clinch their first-ever Test series victory overseas.

Clarke century revives Australia in second Test

Michael Clarke survived some fiery new-ball bowling to keep England at bay with an unbeaten century that gave Australia hope when all seemed lost in the second Ashes Test at Lord's here on Sunday.

Australia were 313 for five when bad light forced an early close on the fourth day with 12 overs left.

They needed a further 209 runs to achieve what would be a new Test record fourth innings victory total of 522 on Monday's final day.

England, by contrast required five more wickets if they were to beat Australia in a Test at Lord's for the first time in 75 years and so go 1-0 up in the five-match series following last week's drawn opener in Cardiff.

But first they needed to separate Clarke and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, 80 not out, who'd so far shared an unbroken stand of 185 for the sixth wicket.

If Australia reached their target they would surpass the current fourth innings record victory total of 418 for seven made by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.

After tea, Haddin - who made a hundred in Cardiff - completed a 95-ball fifty with a single against off-spinner Graeme Swann.

And next ball Clarke went to his 11th Test hundred and first at Lord's when he pushed Swann for two.

He reached the landmark in 159 balls, his first fifty coming in 58 but his second in 101 as Clarke concentrated hard.

It had looked Sunday as if England might wrap up victory with more than a day to spare as they reduced Australia to 128 for five.

But they encountered more than three hours of stylish resistance from the sixth-wicket pair, especially Clarke, who made 83 in Cardiff and 91 in the Lord's Ashes Test four years ago.

England took the new ball as soon as it became available after 80 overs with Australia 287 for five on a still-good batting pitch.

James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff both went close but the Lancashire duo were denied a breakthrough.

England, after captain Andrew Strauss declared on their overnight score of 311 for six, had the rub of the green with umpiring decisions.

Flintoff, who before this match said he would retire from Tests at the end of the Ashes, struck twice to reduce Australia to 34 for two before lunch.

But controversy surrounded both wickets, with veteran umpire Rudi Koertzen, standing in his 100th Test, missing a no-ball in the lead-up to Simon Katich's exit and then giving Phillip Hughes out to a disputed slip catch by Strauss.

Replays showed the fast bowler had overstepped the crease, an action which should have seen South Africa's Koertzen call no-ball and so cancel out the wicket.

Ashes-holders Australia then saw Hughes, their other left-handed opener, on 17 edge Flintoff to first slip Strauss.

The 20-year-old started to walk off but was told to stay by Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who on Saturday had seen England's Ravi Bopara reprieved after the umpires referred a low catch to TV umpire Nigel Llong.

But this time around Koertzen, after asking West Indies' Billy Doctrove if the ball had carried, gave the decision without calling for Llong's assistance.

There was no debate when Ponting played on to paceman Stuart Broad for 38.

It was all a far cry from Cardiff where Ponting made a majestic 150 and Australia were only denied victory by a last-wicket stand between tailenders Anderson and the now dropped Monty Panesar.

Swann then got in on the act with two wickets for two runs in 19 balls.

He removed left-hander Michael Hussey with the aid of Paul Collingwood's sharp slip catch.

Hussey was given out by Doctrove although replays suggested the ball may have missed the outside edge, although Swann's dismissal of Marcus North, bowled between bat and pad, was far more conclusive.

One concern for England, which could have consequences for the rest of the series, was that star batsman Pietersen, who has been troubled by an Achilles injury, spent much of Sunday off the field.

Ponting departs as England eye Test victory

England saw the back of Australia captain Ricky Ponting as they moved closer to winning their first Ashes Test at Lord's in 75 years here on Sunday.

Australia were 178 for five at tea on the fourth day of the second Test of this five-match series - still needing a further 344 runs to reach their world record victory target of 522.

But England were now just five wickets away from wrapping up this match with more than a day to spare and so taking a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.

Michael Clarke, who held firm with a typically stylish fifty in 58 balls, was 60 not out and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin 15 not out.

Ponting had added just one run to his lunch score, when 10 balls after the break, he tried to force the ball but played on to pace bowler Stuart Broad for 38.

His exit left Australia in dire straits at 78 for three and continued Ponting's poor run of Test scores at Lord's where his best is 42.

It was all a far cry from last week's drawn series opener in Cardiff where Ponting made a majestic 150 and Australia were only denied victory by a last-wicket stand between James Anderson and the now dropped Monty Panesar.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann then got in on the act with two wickets for two runs in 19 balls.

He removed left-hander Michael Hussey (27) with a ball that turned and bounce thanks to Paul Collingwood's sharp slip catch.

Hussey was given out by West Indies umpire Billy Doctrove although replays suggested the ball may have missed the outside edge - one of several umpiring decisions Sunday that went against Australia.

But there was no doubt about Swann's next wicket, with Marcus North bowled between bat and pad to leave Australia 128 for five.

Injury-hit all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who before this match said he would retire from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes, struck twice to reduce Australia to 34 for two before lunch.

But controversy surrounded both wickets, with veteran umpire Rudi Koertzen, standing in his 100th Test, missing a no-ball in the lead-up to Simon Katich's exit and then giving Phillip Hughes out to a disputed slip catch by England captain Andrew Strauss.

Fast bowler Flintoff, saw Katich guide his eighth ball Sunday to the gully where Kevin Pietersen safely held the catch.

But replays showed Flintoff had overstepped the crease.

That should have led to a call of no-ball from South Africa's Koertzen which in turn would have denied England their first wicket.

Ashes-holders Australia then saw Hughes, their other left-handed opener, on 17 edge Flintoff to first slip Strauss.

The 20-year-old started to walk off but was told to stay by Ponting, who on Saturday had seen England's Ravi Bopara reprieved after the umpires referred a low catch to TV umpire Nigel Llong.

But this time around Koertzen, after asking Doctrove if the ball had carried, gave the decision without calling for Llong's assistance.

Flintoff, the star of England's 2005 Ashes triumph, had taken two wickets for two runs in 20 balls.

Strauss, with rain in the air, declared before play Sunday on England's overnight second innings score of 311 for six.

That left Australia chasing a target that, were they to achieve it, would be a new world record for the highest fourth innings total to win a Test, surpassing the 418 for seven made by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03.
Scoreboard
England 1st Innings 425 A Strauss 161, A Cook 95, B Hilfenhaus 4-103, M Johnson 3-132
Australia 1st Innings 215 M Hussey 51, J Anderson 4-55, G Onions 3-41
England 2nd Innings
A. Strauss c Clarke b Hauritz 32
A. Cook lbw b Hauritz 32
R. Bopara c Katich b Hauritz 27
K. Pietersen c Haddin b Siddle 44
P. Collingwood c Haddin b Siddle 54
M. Prior run out 61
A. Flintoff not out 30
S. Broad not out 0
Extras b16, lb9, w1, nb5 31
Total for 6 wkts decl 311
Fall of wkts 1-61, 2-74, 3-147, 4-174, 5-260, 6-311
Bowling
Hilfenhaus 19-5-59-0 (3nb), Johnson 17-2-68-0 (1nb, 1w), Siddle 15.2-4-64-2, Hauritz 16-1-80-3 (1nb), Clarke 4-0-15-0

Australia 2nd Innings
P. Hughes c Strauss b Flintoff 17
S. Katich c Pietersen b Flintoff 6
R. Ponting b Broad 38
M. Hussey c Collingwood b Swann 27
M. Clarke not out 60
M. North b Swann 6
B. Haddin not out 15
Extras (lb5, nb4) 9
Total (5 wkts, 49 overs, 227 mins) 178

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-34, 3-78, 4-120, 5-128

Bowling:
Anderson 12-2-57-0
Flintoff 14-3-35-2
Onions 6-0-35-0
Broad 9-2-23-1
Swann 8-1-23-2

Match position: Australia need a further 344 runs to reach their victory target of 522 with five wickets standing

Toss: England

Umpires: Billy Doctrove (WIS) and Rudi Koertzen (RSA)

TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

India elect to field against Windies

India won the toss and decided to take the field on Friday in the third One-day International against West Indies at the Beausejour Cricket Ground.

There are two changes for India with Ishant Sharma and Abhishek Nayar replacing Praveen Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja, but West Indies are, predictably, unchanged.

The four-match series is level 1-1, after India won the high-scoring opening ODI by 20 runs last Friday at Sabina Park in Jamaica, and two days later, West Indies rebounded to secure an eight-wicket victory in a low-scoring second ODI at the same venue.

Whichever side wins the third ODI will be fortunate to take an unbeatable lead in the series, but India will be hoping it will be them, as they look to formalise a rare ODI series victory in the Caribbean before embarking on a much-anticipated two-month break from the game.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor, David Bernard Jr, Sulieman Benn, Ravi Rampaul

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ashish Nehra

UMPIRES: Clive Duncan, Nigel Llong

TV UMPIRE: Goaland Greaves

MATCH REFEREE: Chris Broad

Pak to host home series against Kiwis on neutral venue

Pakistan would host New Zealand for three Tests and five one-day internationals on a neutral venue, after all efforts by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to relocate the ‘home’ series against Kiwis to New Zealand failed.

Sources said the PCB proposed hosting the series in New Zealand itself , but issues regarding television rights and sharing of revenues could not be sorted out with the New Zealand cricket officials

The PCB is now considering hosting the series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), The News reports.

The series is likely to be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in October-November this year.

Ponting in search of missing Ashes triumph

Australia captain Ricky Ponting heads into the upcoming Ashes series against England looking to erase the one blot on a CV filled with outstanding achievements.

Ponting, one of the most talented batsmen of his and many another generation, has yet to captain his country to Ashes glory in England.

He was in charge when Australia lost their first Ashes series in nearly 20 years when England won 2-1 on home soil four years ago.

"I was disappointed to lose the Ashes in 2005 as the entire touring group were," said Ponting. "I've been lucky to play in an era of Australian cricket that's been very dominant.

"One thing I haven't been able to achieve as captain is to win an Ashes series in England and I'll make sure that I get that point across to the rest of the guys."

Will he ever.

The fact the Tasmanian was in charge when Australia regained the Ashes 5-0 'Down Under' in 2006/07 won't lessen his determination to do well now.

His captaincy skills have been repeatedly 'bagged' with former Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson stinging in his criticisms again this week.

But Thomson also said Australia had the better line-up and that may yet prove to be true even though they are now without retired stars Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.

The loss of leg-spin great Warne and accurate paceman McGrath, who between them took 49 wickets in the last Ashes series, has made life harder for Ponting in the field, as it would for any captain.

Even so he still led Australia to a Test series win in South Africa after the Proteas had had to perform brilliantly to win the preceding series in Australia.

They don't have those legends they had but the guys that have come in have done a good job and they will be determined to make their own mark in Australian cricket," said England captain Andrew Strauss.

In left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson and the emerging Peter Siddle, Australia have a lively pair of fast bowlers.

Meanwhile the way veteran quick Brett Lee reverse-swung the ball to take five wickets against England Lions at Worcester on Thursday suggested a skill that proved their undoing in 2005 has been mastered by at least one Australian.

But the question is have Australia's batsmen got better at playing it? Left-hander Gilchrist was driven to distraction by Andrew Flintoff's bowling in 2005 and Australia's top order contains several of his fellow southpaws.

However, taking 20 wickets in a Test has proved a problem for England in recent times.

Flintoff, England's hero four years ago, is coming back from a knee injury while star batsman Kevin Pietersen heads into the Ashes under the cloud of an Achilles problem.

England do at least appear to have more and better spin options than Australia although it will be up to the home side's batsmen to give the likes of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar something to bowl at, even on a Cardiff pitch for next week's Ashes opener which has a reputation for taking turn.

Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, an unusually conservative selection by Australian standards, has rarely looked like taking a wicket so far on tour, a vindication of the damning assessment of former Australia captain Ian Chappell that containers should remain the preserve of the shipping industry.

"One of the great strengths of Australian cricket has been how adaptable we've been over a long period of time," said Ponting.

"Yes Swann has done a good job in the games he's played but I see him as being fairly similar to Nathan Hauritz. They are not overly big spinners."

If Australia do leave Hauritz out, it will mean Ponting having to fiddle overs from the likes of Michael Clarke and Marcus North if his quicks are not to run the risk of burnout.

Australia opener Phillip Hughes burst on the scene in South Africa with back-to-back hundreds in only his second Test but the unorthodox left-hander was roughed up by fast bowler Stephen Harmison against the Lions.

Having said that Harmison, equally capable of sending the ball to second slip as he is of sending down a blistering bouncer, is currently out of the England side and may not feature in the Ashes at all.

In Strauss, England have a captain who helped unify the side after the fall-out from Pietersen's enforced resignation from the post.

A sound opener it will be up to him and fellow left-hander Alastair Cook to give England a solid platform at the top of the order.

New England No 3 Ravi Bopara looked good against a lacklustre West Indies but how he goes during the Ashes remains to be seen - as indeed does the latest chapter in cricket's oldest international rivalry.

Sri Lanka name squad for first Test with Pakistan

Sri Lanka on Monday named a 15-man squad for the first of the three Test matches against Pakistan here.

Kumar Sangakkara (Captain), Muttiah Muralitharan, Malintha Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavithana, Mahela Jayawardena, Thilan Samaraweera, Tilakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Matthews, Chamara Kapugedara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilina Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Dhammika Prasad, Kaushal Silva and Suranga Lakmal.

Coach: Trevor Bayliss (ENG)

We got it all wrong, says Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that his side literally took their eyes off the ball in the second One-day International against West Indies on Sunday at Sabina Park.

India allowed West Indies to draw level in their four-match ODI series with an eight-wicket victory, after Dhoni almost single-handedly led an Indian revival with 95 to help them set their rivals a respectable target of 189.

Dhoni struck six fours and two sixes from 130 balls, but the target was never going to be treacherous for West Indies, and the Indian captain felt his side took things for granted.

"We could have done a bit better," Dhoni said. "We could have given the respect to the balls that really needed or demanded that respect, and by the time we realised, we had already lost three wickets.

He added: "I think it was a good pitch, but the batsmen just went with their strokes and before we knew it we had three down. Once you are in that situation, you are just playing catch-up.

"R.P. [Singh] and I had a partnership, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing."

India had only themselves to blame for their defeat, after they plunged to 82 for eight in the 22nd over after choosing to bat.

But Dhoni staged a rearguard action in the form of a 101-run, ninth-wicket stand with Singh before they both fell in the space of six balls as India were dismissed for 188 in 48.2 overs.

"I don't think there was that much in it for the bowlers, they bowled really well, they were swinging the ball well, and when it stopped swinging, they were able to get reverse swing," the India captain said.

"I think we made a mistake in our approach to batting rather than the decision of whether to bat or field."

He continued: "Later on, the pitch became better for batting. When you are batting first, initially you expect the pitch to do a bit, and after that you can capitalise if you get a good start."

At the same time, West Indies captain Chris Gayle praised Ravi Rampaul and Jerome Taylor for setting his side up for the victory.

"It's nice to square the series," he said.

"There were some good performances from the guys. Rampaul and Taylor set the game for us and from now we will look to go from strength to strength.

"There was moisture in the pitch early, and Taylor and Ravi utilised it well, and the catching was also good, so we just need to keep working on our game."

The series is now tied 1-1, after India won the high-scoring, opening match last Friday by 20 runs at the same venue.

The series concludes with a pair of ODIs - this coming Friday and Sunday - at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.

Pak selectors angry with PCB for ignoring them after T20 World Cup win

Lahore, June 29 (ANI): The national selectors, who picked the Pakistan squad that won the Twenty20 World Cup, are angry that they have been completely ignored in the celebrations for the team’s triumph.



Although former chief selector Abdul Qadir has resigned from his job, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not clarified the status of Saleem Jaffer and Shoaib Mohammad who were on the selection committee that picked the World Cup squad.



The board had appointed an interim selection committee headed by former captain Wasim Bari to pick the team for the Test tour of Sri Lanka.



“No one has the decency to even invite us for any celebratory event even though our contribution is clear that we picked the winning side,” one selector said.



Qadir, who resigned from his post in acrimonious circumstances while the team was playing in the Twenty20 World Cup, has also castigated the board for their treatment of the selectors.



“No matter what they do they can’t take away the credit from us that we picked the World Cup winning squad,” the Daily Times quoted Qadir, as saying.

We erred in reading the pitch: Dhoni

Dhoni (95) and Rudra Pratap Singh (23) added 101 runs for the ninth wicket to help India get to 188 after they were reduced to 82 for eight in the 22nd over.
"We should have paid a little more respect to the bowlers. The wicket was a bit difficult, it was swinging around a bit. We didn't judge the wicket well and just went around playing our strokes which really brought our downfall," Dhoni said.
Dhoni and Rudra Pratap's partnership was the fifth century-run stand for the ninth wicket in ODIs and it saved India from the ignominy of getting bowled out for less than 100 runs. West Indies openers Runako Morton (85) and skipper Chris Gayle (64) then blazed off to a 101-run opening wicket stand as they attained the target in 34.1 overs with eight wickets in hand.
"Once you lose too many wickets then the only thing that you are doing is catching up. Rudra Pratap and me had a partnership, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing," Dhoni said.
Dhoni blamed the top-order for India's failure to put up a challenging total.
"When you are batting first, initially you expect the wicket to do a bit and it is the first half an hour and after that you can capitalise if you get a good start," he said. "Later on, the wicket became better for batting."
Dhoni also defended Yuvraj Singh, who scored a match winning century in the first game, saying the left-handed batsman was not going to win them every match.
"Yuvraj is the man in form, he is getting the runs for us but we can't expect one individual to score in every game," he said.

Younis dedicates World Cup to nation

Pakistan captain Younis Khan dedicated his team's World Twenty20 title to their troubled homeland on Sunday.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets to claim their first major title in 17 years at a sell-out Lord's with all-rounder Shahid Afridi named man of the match for his unbeaten 54 off 40 balls.

"We were underdogs and had less pressure, but we came good in the big games. It's a credit to the country and to the team," said Younis.

"We hadn't won anything since Imran Khan's team at the World Cup in 1992. This is a gift to our nation. Hopefully, it will help cheer them up.

"Afridi knows he's a great cricketer. He's a match winner and he's been fantastic for us."

Afridi was hailed as 'awesome' after the mercurial star led his country to the title.

Afridi smashed his second consecutive half-century, while former captain Shoaib Malik made 24 not out during a match-winning partnership of 76 for the undefeated third wicket.

"It was a pressure match. When I walked out to the wicket I was thinking I have to stay until the 20th over," said Shoaib.

"Shahid was awesome today and all credit to him. I told him to stay at the wicket and I will get some runs, that we can finish the game. He's a great cricketer."

Afridi paid tribute to skipper Younis Khan.

"I asked the captain to send me up the order and that's what he did," said Afridi.

"He just said don't worry about anything, just go out and play your natural game. The guys were really motivated. The captain and coaches tell us to enjoy our cricket and entertain. That's great motivation."

It was Sri Lanka's first defeat of the tournament, but skipper Kumar Sangakkara insisted his team will recover and become a better side.

"I'm proud of the way we competed. We enjoy our cricket and I believe we can go forward from here," said Sangakkara.

"We'll take this and come back stronger in next year's tournament. We have the best bowling unit in the world.

"We'll get better, we'll learn. We look forward to getting tougher mentally and physically."

source - indiatimes.com

For the latest betting odds visit Ladbrookes for live in game betting, online sports and event betting.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to lift World Twenty20 title at Lord's

Younis Khan's Pakistan were crowned the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 champions on Sunday evening as they decimated Sri Lanka in the final at Lord’s. With it, Pakistan exorcised the ghost of the 2007 final which they had lost narrowly to India.

* Score | In-depth: World T20
* Brief scores: SL 138-6 (Sangakkara 64*; Razzaq 3-20) lost to
Pak 139-2 (Afridi 54*; Jayasuriya 1-8) by 8 wickets.
* Man of the match: Shahid Afridi
* Man of the series: Tillakaratne Dilshan

Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Abdul Razzaq, restricted Sri Lanka to a measly 138-6 after they elected to bat. Pakistan went after the target slowly but assuredly. Shahid Afridi hit the winning runs — a leg bye through point — when they still had 1.2 overs and eight wickets left. The win would bring cheers to Pakistan’s millions who’ve been saddened by the perennial state of strife in their nation.

Once Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan added 48 in seven overs to get their chase going, Pakistan never looked like they were going to lose. Sri Lanka’s best chance was when they quickly dismissed both openers at the halfway mark with the spinners operating.

But Shahid Afridi played the innings of an elder statesman. In 2007, he had made a duck against India, but in this final his part-cool part-violent 54 brought calm to the Pakistan camp and set the win up in the company of Shoaib Malik, who made 24.

Earlier, Razzaq’s new ball strikes floored his opponents and never allowed them to get back up. Skipper Kumar Sangakkara’s 64 provided stability and Angelo Mathews’ happy hour swinging fetched him 35 as they rescued Sri Lanka from 70-6.

They were unbeaten in the tournament, but even with their Three Ms — Muralitharan, Mendis and Malinga — Sri Lanka were going to struggle to defend this score against a Pakistani side that began the tournament as no-hopers, started peaking in the Super Eights, and completed their story with the world title that had eluded them so narrowly earlier.

Sangakkara called heads and decided to bat on an even-looking surface. His side was straightaway in trouble as Tillakaratne Dilshan added nothing to his tally of 317 runs in the tournament. Bombared by short balls in the first over by Mohammad Aamer, Dilshan responded with a pull off the fifth ball but it only lobbed to Shahzaib Hasan. His tournament reads three fifties, two forties and two ducks.

Jehan Mubarak was promoted up to push the tempo but the move failed. The left-hander tried to clear midwicket but mistimed the shot to mid off where Hasan took his second catch.

Sanath Jayasuriya was beginning to cut loose. Having shovelled a six over off Razzaq, he attempted another one in the same over but played it on.

Mahela Jayawardene then ended his scratchy existence with a poke outside off-stump that Misbah-ul Haq caught at the only slip.

Umar Gul, who has finished the tournament as the leading wicket taker, came on to bowl his first, bowled a short ball at Chamara Silva, who slapped it straight to mid wicket. Three runs later, Shahid Afridi bowled a googly and Isuru Udana chopped it on. Sri Lanka were 70-6 in 13 full overs.

Sri Lanka still fought till the end, and nearly doubled their score in the last seven overs. But it wasn’t enough and it allowed Pakistan to script a turnaround that’s going to be talked about for some time.

Man of the match: Shahid Afridi, 54 not out, 1-20.

Man of the series: Tillakaratne Dilshan, 317 runs.

PAKISTAN WON T-20 WORLD CUP 2009

PAKISTAN WON THE WORLD CUP T-20 CHAMPIONSHIP.
Toss: Sri Lanka (Elected to Bat)
Summary: Pakistan won by 8 wickets
PAKISTAN:-
Pakistan : 139 / 2 in 18.4 overs (RR: 7.38)
Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR
Shoaib Malik * 24 22 1 0 109.09
Shahid Afridi 54 40 2 2 135.00

Session: 2nd innings

SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka : 138 / 6 in 20.0 overs (RR: 6.90)
Bowlers O M R W Nb Wd Eco.
Malinga * 3.4 0 14 0 0 0 3.82
Udana 4.0 0 44 0 1 2 11.00

Pakistan stop Sri Lanka at 138-6 in T20 final

Abdul Razzaq claimed three wickets as a fired-up Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to 138-6 in the World Twenty20 final at Lord's here on Sunday.

Sri Lanka, the only unbeaten team in the tournament, were dealt quick blows after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to take first strike on a slow wicket.

The Lankans slumped to 2-2 in the first nine balls and that became 34-4 before Sangakkara himself led the rescue act with a defiant unbeaten 64 from 52 balls.

Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews put on 68 valuable runs for the unbroken seventh wicket as Sri Lanka plundered 59 runs in the final five overs.

Mathews returned unbeaten on 35 off 24 balls.

"I kept bowling at the stumps. I knew their guys would go for me so I bowled a full length," said Razzaq.

Pakistan got off to a sensational start in the sell-out final when teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamir sent back the in-form Tillekaratne Dilshan with the fifth ball of the match.

Dilshan, the tournament's leading scorer with 317 runs, miscued a pull shot off the speedy left-armer and was caught at backward square-leg by Shahzaib Hasan for zero.

Four balls later, Shahzaib grabbed his second catch at mid-off as Jehan Mubarak skied a leading edge off Razzaq, who shared the new ball with Aamir.

Sanath Jayasuriya counter-attacked with a six and four in Razzaq's second over, but the bowler hit back two balls later as the left-handed veteran edged a ball on to his stumps after making 17.

Razzaq, who replaced the injured Yasir Arafat after ending his links with the rebel Indian Cricket League, struck again in his third over when Misbah-ul Haq dived to his right at slip to remove Mahela Jayawardene for one.

Chamara Silva brought up Sri Lanka's 50 in the 10th over when he pulled off-spinner Shoaib Malik to the square-leg fence, and then helped Sangakkara take 11 runs in the next over from Shahid Afridi.

The total moved to 67-4 in the 12th when seamer Umar Gul struck with his third ball to have Silva tapping a catch to Saeed Ajmal at mid-wicket after making 14.

Tailender Isuru Udana, who was surprisingly promoted to number seven, lasted only five balls when Afridi breached his defence to peg pack the stumps and make Sri Lanka 70-6 in 13 overs.

New Zealand bear Brunt of England assault

England quick Katherine Brunt took three wickets as New Zealand were bowled out for just 85 in the women's World Twenty20 final at Lord's here on Sunday.

Brunt finished with superb figures of three wickets for six runs in her maximum four overs to put England, who beat New Zealand in the 50-over World Cup final in Sydney in March, on course for a notable double.

Amy Satterthwaite's 19 was the top score in an innings where only four batsmen made double figures.

England, after captain Charlotte Edwards won the toss and elected to field, took their first wicket with the fifth ball of the innings

Off-spinner Laura Marsh deceived Suzie Bates with a flighted delivery and she was stumped, well out of her ground, by England wicket-keeper Sarah Taylor.

New Zealand then saw captain Aimee Watkins, who made 89 not out in their semi-final win over India, clean bowled by Brunt for just two on the drive.

The White Ferns then suffered two setbacks in the eighth as Brunt finished with a double-wicket maiden.

Lucy Doolan had struck a couple of elegant fours on her way to 14 but, trying to play a 'ramp' shot off Brunt she got an edge and was caught brilliantly by diving wicket-keeper Taylor.

Three balls later, Rachel Priest miscued a pull and was caught and bowled for nought to leave New Zealand in dire straits at 23 for four.

The collapse continued as Nicola Browne played on to Nicky Shaw and pace bowler Jenny Gunn (two for 19) took a wicket with her third ball to remove Sara McGlashan, sister of New Zealand men's international Peter.

Satterthwaite, going for a big shot, was eighth out at 62 when caught of Nicky Shaw and the White Ferns were all out when Sophie Devine was run out off the last ball of the innings.
New Zealand
S. Bates st S Taylor b Marsh 1
L. Doolan c S Taylor b Brunt 14
A. Watkins b Brunt 2
A. Satterthwaite c C Taylor b Shaw 19
R. Priest c and b Brunt 0
N. Browne b Shaw 1
S. McGlashan c Greenway b Gunn 9
S. Tsukigawa c S Taylor b Gunn 5
S. Devine run out (Greenway) 10
K. Pulford c Taylor b Edwards 14
S. Ruck not out 0
Extras b1, lb4, w4, nb1 10
Total all out, 20 overs 85
Fall of wkts 1-2, 2-10, 3-23, 4-23, 5-31, 6-48, 7-58, 8-62, 9-84, 10-85
Bowling
Marsh 4-0-16-1 (1w), Brunt 4-2-6-3, Shaw 4-0-17-2, Colvin 4-0-16-0 (3w), Gunn 3-0-19-2 (1nb), Edwards 1-0-6-1
Toss England
Scoreboard

Flair all round as Sri Lanka face Windies

West Indies are confident of chasing nearly any total in this event; Sri Lanka believe there is no score they can't defend. Clearly, something will have to give in their World Twenty20 semi-final.

Friday's match at the Oval sees two exciting sides up against one another and, while Sri Lanka will start favourites, the West Indies have shown that they are not to under-estimated.

Sri Lanka, who have an admirably well balanced side for cricket's shortest format, have yet to lose a match at this tournament.

In Sanath Jayasuriya, the man for whom the phrase 'explosive opener' might have been created, and the inventive Tillekaratne Dilshan, who every time he plays the 'Dilscoop' delights spectators and infuriates opponents in equal measure, they have a first-wicket partnership that can score rapidly.

Behind them come the likes of captain and wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, a pair of class batsmen.

But it is their bowling attack which has really proved a problem for most of their opponents at this tournament.

For years now batsmen around the world have found that scoring quickly against off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is easier said than done.

But he has now been joined by Ajantha Mendis, a spinner who flicks the ball out of his fingers in a way not seen in international cricket since Australia's John Gleeson in the early 1970s and whose 'carrom ball' has left countless batsmen bemused.

"Murali can turn the ball on any surface," Jayawardene said of the star off-spinner, who is the world's highest wicket-taker in both Tests and one-day cricket. "And if Ajantha sticks to his plans, we have a fairly good chance of going all the way."

That bowlers are restricted to four overs each in this tournament works in Mendis's favour in that by the time batsmen have evolved some sort of plan to combat him, his spell is over.

He took three for nine against New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Tuesday in a match Sri Lanka won by 48 runs to secure their last four spot.

"Ajantha was brilliant," said Sangakkara. "He is very difficult to read and he has an attacking mindset. It's a great ability to have."

But it was at the Oval, a happy hunting ground for West Indies down the decades, that the men from the Caribbean beat Australia by seven wickets in their tournament opener.

That victory owed much to a quite brilliant 88 from West Indies captain Chris Gayle, the left-handed opener striking some of the biggest sixes ever seen at the south London venue.

Gayle has yet to hit such heights again at this competition but the knowledge of what he can do is enough to make most opponents pause for thought, although Sri Lanka's unorthodox Lasith Malinga is unlikely to be as easy to 'tee off' against on a bouncy pitch as was Australia fast bowler Brett Lee.

In the likes of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, West Indies have batsmen capable of plugging the gap if Gayle fails, while Dwayne Bravo is a talented all-rounder and the leader in the field of a team capable of taking some spectacular catches.

No wonder Gayle said after his side's five-wicket Super Eights win over England at the Oval, a victory which took them into the last four: "To be honest with you, a lot of teams fear us.

"We were written off from the start of the tournament and we are actually in the semi-final. If you look at each and every one of our players, we are actually winners."

India keep England down to 153-7 in must-win game

Steady bowling by India restricted hosts England to 153-7 in a key Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at Lord's here on Sunday.

Kevin Pietersen top-scored with 46 off 27 balls, with three fours and a six, after sharing a second-wicket stand of 71 with opener Ravi Bopara (37).

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh picked up three wickets, but England's lower order retrieved the situation by adding 53 runs in the last five overs.

England's total was boosted by 16 extras, that included 14 wides.

India, the defending champions, need a win to stay in the tournament after losing their opening Super Eights match against the West Indies at Lord's on Friday.

England, who also lost their first match to South Africa, will remain in contention even if they lose, provided they beat the West Indies and hope the Proteas defeat India in the last match.

South Africa will then advance to the semi-finals with three wins, with England, India and the West Indies tied with one win each and left to battle net run-rates.

Pietersen and Bopara took charge after Luke Wright had fallen in the second over, top-edging a pull off Rudra Pratap Singh.

The duo brought up their 50 partnership off 35 balls before left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke the stand in his first over by bowling Bopara.

Jadeja, playing his first match in the tournament in place of Irfan Pathan, then claimed the dangerous Pietersen leg-before as the batsman attempted to sweep.

Harbhajan lured Owais Shah (12) to hole out to Jadeja on the mid-wicket fence before removing James Foster and Graeme Swann off successive deliveries.

"It's a good wicket to bat on and it's a total we can chase," said Harbhajan.

"The wicket is a little slower than the one we played on against the West Indies here, but in the evening the ball should come onto the bat."

Harbhajan said he was delighted to bowl the 'death' overs for India.

"You have to vary your pace, line and length in Twenty20 otherwise you will go for a lot of runs."

Yuvraj, Pietersen set to reignite war of words

India's Yuvraj Singh and England's Kevin Pietersen are poised to write a new chapter in their fierce on-field rivalry Sunday with a place in the World Twenty20 semi-finals at stake.

The two, big personalities have exchanged a series of verbal barbs with Pietersen describing Yuvraj as a "pie-chucker" and his bowling as "filth" during last year's Test and ODI series.

Big-hitting Yuvraj hit back by claiming that his ability to dismiss Pietersen five times meant he was a "useless batsman."

"If I get the chance I would love to bowl to him again and I am sure he would love to call me a pie-chucker again," said Yuvraj ahead of Sunday's match at Lord's.

It's a game both teams need to win after opening Super Eights defeats to South Africa and West Indies respectively.

"He's a great batsman and we always look forward to playing against each other and we're great friends off the field. We spur each other on, we both love doing that."

Yuvraj has enjoyed facing England.

He scored two centuries in last November's one-day series and famously smashed six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad at the last World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.

Westindies Vs India Photoes

Five-wicket Gul wrecks Kiwis

Umar Gul became the first bowler to claim five wickets in Twenty20 internationals as Pakistan shot New Zealand out for 99 in a must-win game at the world championships on Saturday.

Seamer Gul finished with amazing figures of five wickets for six runs in three overs to build on Abdur Razzaq's memorable return to official cricket after two years.

Scott Styris' 22 was New Zealand's top score on the easy-paced Oval wicket as eight batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Pakistan, who lost their first Super Eights match to Sri Lanka on Friday, need a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

New Zealand thrashed Ireland by 83 runs at Trent Bridge on Thursday and will virtually book a place in the last four if they beat Pakistan.

"It is important for me, the team and my country to perform well," said Gul.

"In Twenty20, you have to be able to bowl the yorker, bouncer and the slower ball. Now I want to be the highest wicket-taker in the tournament."

Razzaq, who last played for Pakistan in May 2007, grabbed a wicket off his fourth delivery and another one in his third over to reduce New Zealand to 37-3.

The 29-year-old was called up as a replacement for the injured Yasir Arafat after breaking links with the rebel Indian Cricket League.

Asked to open the bowling by captain Younus Khan, Razzaq had the dangerous Brendon McCullum caught at point before trapping Martin Guptill leg-before.

Gul, brought on as the sixth bowler, struck immediately as Shahid Afridi sprinted back from mid-on to catch Scott Styris (22) near the boundary.

The steady seamer claimed four of the last five wickets to leave Pakistan chasing a modest target of 5.5 runs an over.

Pakistan omitted opener Salman Butt to play 19-year-old rookie Shahzaib Hasan and brought in Razzaq in place of Sohail Tanvir.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori made his first appearance in the tournament following a shoulder injury, but batsman Ross Taylor again missed out with a hamstring strain.

South Africa's Parnell ahead of his time

Wayne Parnell's long-term aim when he was a junior international cricketer was to make sure he was in South Africa's 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup in Asia.

It was fair to say, after the 19-year-old left-arm quick took four wickets for 13 runs in the Proteas' World Twenty20 win over the West Indies at the Oval here on Saturday, that the teenager was on course to achieve that goal.

Reflecting on his latest impressive display - which saw Parnell record the equal fifth-best Twenty20 international figures of all time - the modest paceman told reporters: "I was just backing my skills and staying calm."

He added there had been nothing spectacular about his introduction to cricket.

"I played in the park, played in the yard and then I moved on to the hard ball."

But Parnell was not just any old - or indeed young - schoolboy cricketer.

Educated at Port Elizabeth's Grey High School - whose former pupils also include South Africa greats Graeme and Peter Pollock, as well as current Proteas' off-spinner Johan Botha - much has long been expected of Parnell.

The leading South African schoolboy cricketer of his generation, Parnell captained South African schools for two years and in the process had to skipper players older than himself.

After leading South Africa to the Under-19 World Cup final in Malaysia last year, where they were beaten by India, Parnell was stunned to hear team coach Ray Jennings say his captain was ready for senior international cricket.

But the judgment of Jennings, a former coach of the South Africa Test side, was not long in being proved correct.

Parnell played the first of his four one-day internationals, all so far against Australia, in January this year.

And in only in his second match at that level he took four for 25 at Centurion - a haul including Australia captain Ricky Ponting and fellow top order batsmen Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey - in a seven-wicket win.

Earlier this season, a stint with English county side Kent - where former South Africa coach Graham Ford is in charge - saw Parnell familiarise himself with English conditions.

"Having played here prior to this tournament helped me get used to the pitches. But generally the white ball doesn't swing here so obviously I had to drag the length back a bit."

Parnell, who for several years has been logging the details of all the overs he's bowled, put that knowledge to good use earlier this week.

He took three wickets for just 14 runs against England as South Africa, unbeaten at the tournament so far, began their second round Super Eights programme with a crushing seven-wicket win over the hosts at Trent Bridge.

But new visa rules introduced by Britain's Home Office may prove a tougher nut to crack if Parnell is to play for Kent again this season - that is if South Africa let him.

"At the moment something has been put forward by Kent but the whole visa issue is probably the biggest challenge now," Parnell said.

Meanwhile, there remains one notable omission on Parnell's otherwise impressive CV.

He has yet to play Test cricket although a debut for the strong South Africa side in the five-day game would appear to be merely a matter of time.

"The biggest challenge for me will be bowling against the likes of Ricky Ponting (in a Test match)," he said. "Then I will see where I am."

Collingwood backs Broad in Yuvraj rematch

England skipper Paul Collingwood believes Stuart Broad will not be intimidated by India's Yuvraj Singh, the man who blasted six sixes in an over off him at the last World Twenty20 in 2007.

England and India clash at Lord's on Sunday in a crucial Super Eights match with both sides desperate for victory if they are to keep alive their semi-final hopes.

Broad's battle with Yuvraj will be key with memories still fresh of the mauling the Englishman received in Durban.

Yuvraj warmed up for Sunday's match by hammering 67 off 43 balls during the defending champions' shock defeat to West Indies on Friday.

"I saw some highlights the other day (of the Durban match) and it proved how raw he was at the time, but what he's done in the last couple of years has been exceptional," said Collingwood.

"Stuart's grown as a man, his skills are much better and his execution is much better. I'm sure he's absolutely relishing this competition that's going to come up tomorrow and I've got no doubts he'll be desperate to come on and bowl when he comes in.

"The last time he was trying to have an answer, but his execution on the day wasn't right.

"He was trying to get those yorkers in and didn't actually get it right, but I think he's proven over the last couple of years how versatile he is as a bowler.

"He can be a really good wicket-taking option but he can also stem the flow of runs. At the moment he's one of the most economical bowlers in the competition, which shows how far he's come as a bowler."

Both England and India need to win on Sunday.

England lost to South Africa in their Super Eights opener while India slumped to the West Indies.

England have a poor recent record against India with their last success in September 2007, when they claimed a seven-wicket victory at Lord's to claim a 4-3 series success as preparation for the 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa.

Since then India have not lost to England in eight international matches in all forms, but Collingwood will be drawing inspiration from that victory at Lord's.

Asked why he believed England could end that losing run, Collingwood said: "We'll probably take our minds back to a performance we put in against them during that one-day series.

"I know it's a completely different format of the game but we were 3-3 at the time, it was a big pressure game and we came out and won well on that day.

"Sometimes we play our best cricket when we put ourselves under this sort of pressure. We take our minds back to that Pakistan game, the boys were so desperate to do well and stayed very calm about it.

"As a team we're very confident. I know we've had an up and down tournament so far but we're still in with a shout and we know we've got the players in the dressing room to put the performances in on the day."

Gibbs stars before Windies recover against Proteas

Herschelle Gibbs's 55 was the cornerstone of South Africa's 183 for seven against the West Indies in their World Twenty20 Super Eights match at the Oval here on Saturday.

South Africa, unbeaten at the tournament so far, were on course for a huge total while Jacques Kallis (45) and Gibbs were at the crease.

But they lost five wickets for 34 runs in 25 balls to give the West Indies hope of chasing down their score on a good batting pitch and fast outfield.

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, whose second over cost 16 runs, fought back well to finish with three wickets for 30 runs in his maximum four overs.

West Indies, who'd beaten defending champions India by seven wickets in Friday's late game at Lord's, saw their seamers suffer early on

But spin, as it has so often done at this tournament, yielded a wicket.

Left-armer Sulieman Benn troubled Graeme Smith before the South Africa captain steered him straight to Andre Fletcher at point. Smith's 31 came off 18 balls with six fours.

Another fifty stand, between Kallis and Gibbs kept the runs coming briskly before Kallis holed out off medium-pacer Lendl Simmons to Kieron Pollard for a 31-ball 45.

Gibbs pressed on, hoisting Simmons for a huge six over wide long-on. But soon after completing a 33-ball fifty, featuring that six and seven fours, Gibbs exited when he chipped Pollard to Taylor at mid-on.

That left South Africa 136 for three in the 15th over but the West Indies' revival saw them fall short of 200.

"The wicket was a little on the slow side, back of a length, but generally it was quite a good wicket," said Gibbs who said the run spree dried up later due to his lower order colleagues having had little time in the middle.

"Some of the guys haven't batted that much so they may have been rusty. Maybe some of us went too early."

SCOREBOARD

South Africa
G. Smith c Fletcher b Benn 31
J. Kallis c Pollard b Simmons 45
H. Gibbs c Taylor b Pollard 55
AB de Villiers c Gayle b Taylor 17
A. Morkel b Taylor 10
M. Boucher not out 17
JP Duminy c Sarwan b Edwards 0
R. van der Merwe c Ramdin b Taylor 1
J. Botha not out 4
Extras (lb1, w2) 3
Total (7 wkts, 20 overs) 183

Did not bat: W Parnell, D Steyn

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-105, 3-136, 4-155, 5-159, 6-163, 7-166

Bowling:
Taylor 4-0-30-3
Edwards 4-0-34-1
Bravo 2-0-24-0
Benn 4-0-36-1
Pollard 3-0-29-1
Gayle 1-0-7-0
Simmons 2-0-22-1

Toss: West Indies

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Mark Benson (ENG)

TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

West Indies field against South Africa

West Indies captain Chris Gayle won the toss and elected to field against South Africa in their ICC World Twenty20 Group E Super Eights match at the Oval here on Saturday.

South Africa, unbeaten at the tournament so far, were unchanged from the side that defeated England by seven wickets at Trent Bridge on Thursday while the West Indies retained the same side that beat defending champions India, also by seven wickets, at Lord's on Friday.

Teams

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Albie Morkel, Mark Boucher (wkt), Johan Botha, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe

West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Andre Fletcher, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin (wkt), Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Mark Benson (ENG)

TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

Bravo inspired by IPL pyrotechnics

West Indies star Dwayne Bravo believes skills picked up at the Indian Premier League, while his teammates were suffering a Test mauling in England, will be crucial in their World Twenty20 title push.

Bravo took four wickets and then smashed a stylish, unbeaten 66 as West Indies cruised to a seven-wicket victory over defending champions India at Lord's to boost their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

He was promoted up the order to No 4 on Friday and was glad to have seized his chance.

"I just have a love and passion for the game," Bravo said. "I enjoy playing cricket. This is what I was born to do. I was given the opportunity by the captain to go up the order, I grabbed it with both hands."

Bravo came into this tournament on the back of a stint with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, having missed West Indies' unsuccessful tour of England because he wasn't deemed fit enough for Tests following an ankle injury.

"This is my second stint in the IPL, I gained a lot of experience both times. Sharing the same dressing room with some of the best players in the world, you've got to learn a lot. I think that's what I did.

"Since I returned from injury, I have been working very hard at my game and it is nice to see the hard work paying off."

"We are a young team but this is a team that is willing to learn and really looking forward to this tournament."

Meanwhile West Indies captain Chris Gayle challenged his side to overcome the handicap of a congested fixture schedule and repeat their win over India against South Africa.

The West Indies held India to 153 for seven before Bravo saw them home.

But having played in Friday's late game at Lord's they will find themselves in action again in the earlier of two fixtures across London at the Oval on Saturday.

By contrast, tournament favourites South Africa had a day off Friday.

"It would be nice if we could have another evening game," said Gayle.

"We'll just have to set our minds, put this behind us and focus on tomorrow. It's difficult. You might look at it and say it's a Twenty20 but this format of the game is draining mentally.

"We will just have to switch on as quickly as possible."

Medium-pacer Bravo took four for 38 after fast bowler Fidel Edwards had put India on the backfoot with early wickets on his way to fine figures of three for 24.

Hearteningly for the West Indies, this match also showed they could win matches in this format without a major contribution from opening batsman Gayle, dismissed for 22 against India.

Bravo added: "It's nice to see someone actually put up their hand, take the game into their own hands.

"Yes we depend on Chris to get a good start but this is cricket, it doesn't happen all the time. He's in good form and we know before this tournament is over he's going to come good again.

"Our captain had the confidence to shuffle the batting order and we still got the job done. It doesn't matter what number I bat."

Gayle, who hammered 88 in the group win over Australia, said the sometimes wayward Edwards had played a crucial role.

"We had that tremendous start from Fidel Edwards, picking up wickets at the top of the order made it difficult for them to get off to a flyer."

There was also a marked improvement in West Indies' fielding. Not only did Lendl Simmons, who later weighed in with 44, take a brilliant catch running backwards to get rid of Gautam Gambhir, but West Indies' ground fielding was impressive too.

"We have had a discussion about our fielding," Gayle revealed. "We did more catching drills during our warm-up. It's not like we are not working on our fielding, we know it's our downfall. We just have to keep working."

India, Pakistan united in defeat

India, the defending champions, slumped to a seven-wicket defeat to unpredictable West Indies

Cricket superpowers India and Pakistan were united in defeat on Friday as their World Twenty20 title hopes took a battering.

India, the defending champions, slumped to a seven-wicket defeat to unpredictable West Indies while Pakistan lost by 19 runs to Sri Lanka at Lord's.

The losses mean the two Asian giants may need to win their both their remaining Super Eights matches to be sure of reaching the semi-finals.

India will have the toughest task with England and tournament favourites South Africa to come while Pakistan tackle injury-hit New Zealand and minnows Ireland.

"It's the kind of format where you have to dominate from the start and we didn't get a good start," said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Dwayne Bravo was India's chief tormentor with bat and ball as he claimed four wickets in India's 153-7 before smashing 66 not out off 36 balls to lead his team home with eight balls to spare.

The West Indies won despite a modest contribution from captain and star batsman, Chris Gayle, who made 22 off 28 balls and played out a maiden over from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh.

When Gayle departed in the eighth over, top-edging a catch off Yusuf Pathan, the West Indies had moved to 42-2 and reached 61 without further loss at the half-way stage.

Lendl Simmons and Bravo put on 58 for the third wicket, Simmons making 44 off 37 balls before holing out in the deep off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha.

The West Indies raced home by taking 16 runs off the 17th over by seamer Ishant Sharma and 15 from the next by Harbhajan.

Earlier, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan staged a late rally with 64 off 35 balls for the fifth wicket after India had managed only 66 by the 12th over for the loss of four wickets.

Left-handed Yuvraj hit 67 off 43 balls with six fours and two sixes.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle believes his unpredictable team can get better.

"There's always room for improvement, but it was brilliant tonight. We always thought 154 was a gettable target and it was a superb innings from Dwayne."

Earlier, Sri Lanka, defending a total of just 150 for seven, held Pakistan to 131 for nine with fast bowler Lasith Malinga taking three for 18.

"We struggled at the start and we didn't have any good partnerships," said Pakistan captain Younus Khan.

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara praised his team's performance.

"It was a great, all-round effort to defend that total when we should have had 170 or 175. With better options and partnerships, we could have had a more comfortable total," he said.

Younus made 50 and put on 66 for the fourth wicket with Misbah-ul-Haq.

Sri Lanka had been 81 without loss before leg-spinner Shahid Afridi took two for three in six balls to reduce them to 89 for two.

Openers Tillekaratne Dilshan (46) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26) got Sri Lanka off to a flyer with fast bowler Sohail Tanvir enduring a nightmare start as he conceded 29 runs in his two overs.

Sri Lankan bowling inspires Sangakkara

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara believes his side's varied attack is the reason they've remained unbeaten so far at the World Twenty20.

The team have long been known for the quality of their spin bowling yet Pakistan were 35 for three at Lord's on Friday before the likes of off-break ace Muttiah Muralitharan and mystery bowler Ajantha Mendis had come on.

Sri Lanka, despite being restricted to a modest 150 for seven, held Pakistan to 131 for nine as they won their opening Super Eights encounter by 19 runs.

Muralitharan did take two wickets in two balls to get rid of Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi but unorthodox paceman Lasith Malinga weighed in with an impressive three for 17.

Minnows Ireland will try to stop the Lankans in their tracks at Lord's on Sunday with Sangakkara confident the best is yet to come from his side.

"It was a great, all-round effort to defend that total when we should have had 170 or 175," said Sangakkara. "With better options and partnerships, we could have had a more comfortable total."

All-rounder Tillekaratne Dilshan, man-of-the-match against Pakistan for his 46 off 39 balls, added: "It was important we got a good start and we went on from there. We're confident we can finish (the Super Eights) well.

"We're playing very good cricket, we know with Mendis and Murali we can defend 160 against any team. This was always a very important match, a great result and this has given us confidence."

Pakistan captain Younus Khan tried to lead from the front with 50 off 37 balls but was undone by his side side's indisciplined display in the field which saw 20 extras conceded.

"We had a couple of early no-balls and you can't do that in this sort of cricket," he said.

"You then get a free hit and four runs so it's not very good - we had 20 extras today and we lost by 19 runs so it shows how crucial it is in this form of cricket.

"At one stage I was thinking they'd score 200 or something like that, but our spinners did a good job. It's all been about the start for us in this tournament and we've struggled with that for the whole tournament.

"We also struggled with our batting and we only had one good partnership but in a match like this you have to go all the way and not just score twenties and things like that."

Dhoni backs India to bounce back

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni rallied his side following their seven-wicket World Twenty20 loss to the West Indies by saying history proved they could come back from a reverse at this stage.

Defeat in their Super Eights opener left India on the backfoot. But that was equally the case in South Africa two years ago when a team captained by Dhoni were beaten in the corresponding fixture by New Zealand.

But from then on India went through the rest of the tournament unbeaten and defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling final.

India next face England at the Oval on Sunday before completing the second round against tournament favourites South Africa - who earlier this week pulverised the hosts at Trent Bridge.

Against the West Indies, India collapsed to 29 for three before an innings of 67 from Yuvraj Singh helped them recover to 153 for seven.

But they were left powerless in the field by all-rounder Dwayne Bravo's unbeaten 66.

Asked about India's situation, Dhoni told reporters: "This brings the best out of us.

"We'll be under pressure to perform in the next game but that was the story in the last World Cup," the wicket-keeper added.

"After the first (Super Eights) game, every other game was a do-or-die situation for us and we played some of the toughest teams and got through to the finals to win the Cup so it's not like we can't do it again.

"You have to be at your best because some of the teams are playing really good cricket.

Looking ahead, Dhoni said: "Hopefully everyone will come through this and when we're under pressure that's often when India's best performances happen, so when we turn up next for the game against England we will be at our best.

"We are still at the same place we were before this game. We still have two more games and nothing much changes. We're concentrating on the next game because whatever is gone is gone.

"We'll just consider it an off day for us but in this format we have seen some of the best sides losing so we're not worried too much about it.

"Even though we didn't bat well, we still had the firepower to make a game out of it and it ran until the second last over."

Dhoni, who admitted Bravo had "taken the game away from us", said India's batsmen had let the side down.

"On these sort of tracks it (your score) should be at least 160 because the wickets are nice.

"We still really fancied our chances with 153 on the board if we could contain them in the first six overs when Chris Gayle was batting because he can really take the game away from you.

"I think the bowlers did well to contain him but in the middle overs they batted really well and scored runs off the spinners."

Long-term planning pays off for South Africa, says Arthur

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur believes his team's impressive start to the World Twenty20, where they already have one foot in the semi-finals, is due to planning, not luck.

The Proteas beat Scotland and New Zealand in the first round before cruising impressively past England by seven wickets in their Super Eights opener to take pole position in a pool which also includes champions India and West Indies.

"We have been planning for this for a year now, it has not just happened," said Arthur.

"It has been a strategy of ours when we looked at what was happening with the domestic Twenty20 in England knowing full well we would be over here playing this time. We kept an eye on it all."

South Africa have also shone by playing two spinners, Roelof van der Merwe and Johan Botha.

"We knew spinners were going to be key, we went that route against Australia, believing that in Twenty20 cricket pace off the ball is vital, so we have moulded an attack which gives us some variation."

South Africa, who have never won a one-day tournament, have already been tipped as likely winners of the World Twenty20 when the final takes place at Lord's on June 21.

"The mood is fantastic and it is looking good. However, we are realistic enough to know that it is about taking it one game at a time," Arthur told The Press Association.

"We are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We know we have to play to the best of our ability for the next four games if we are to have any hope of winning this trophy.

"The favourites tag does sit quite nicely because it shows what you have been doing is good and how we have been playing is right, but ultimately it counts for nothing.

"I honestly do not think there is a favourite. Things happen so quickly and it takes just one individual moment of brilliance to change a game.

"Some teams could be the form sides going into the games, but that counts for nothing on the day.

"You have still got to go and play to the standards you have set yourselves day in and day out - that is something we have prided ourselves on doing for a while now."

Arthur, whose team face West Indies at The Oval on Saturday, added: "Any team is still a threat and you write off anyone at your own peril.

"We know complacency is something which has tripped sides up, so we certainly won't be doing that and know there will be a lot of other teams plotting our downfall.

"That will give us the motivation to try to stay one step ahead.

"We are just controlling what we can, which is the brand of cricket we want to play.

"We can't do any more than that, and hopefully that will stand us in good stead going down the line."

Yuvraj, Yusuf fight back for India

Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan staged a late rally to help India post 153-7 in the World Twenty20 Super Eights match at Lord's here on Friday.

India, electing to bat on a slow wicket, had managed only 66 on the board by the 12th over for the loss of four wickets before Yuvraj and Yusuf put on 64 off 35 balls for the fifth wicket.

Left-handed Yuvraj, who hit England's Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in the inaugural T20 Worlds in South Africa two years ago, smashed a valuable 67 off 43 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Yusuf, elder brother of team-mate Irfan Pathan, made 31 as India plundered 87 runs in the final eight overs, including 56 in the last five.

Dwayne Bravo claimed four wickets, but at a cost of 38 runs from his four overs. Paceman Jerome Taylor went for 44 runs from his four.

The West Indies took early charge by claiming three wickets by the fifth over with just 29 on the board.

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards had Rohit Sharma top-edging a hook to Lendl Simmons at square-leg before forcing Suresh Raina to give a low catch to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

Simmons then sprinted back from square-leg to remove Gautam Gambhir with a superb catch in Bravo's first over.

When Bravo returned for his second over, the 12th of the innings, he claimed the wicket of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with his first delivery to make it 66-4.

Dhoni, who made 11, put on 37 for the fourth wicket with Yuvraj before slashing a catch to Andre Fletcher on the point fence.

Yuvraj's knock included an imperious six over mid-wicket with a flick of his wrists off Taylor.

South Africa and hosts England are the other teams in the group from which two will advance to the semi-finals.

Pakistan put Sri Lanka in a spin

Pakistan's spinners came to their rescue as they restricted Sri Lanka to 150 for seven in their World Twenty20 Super Eights opener at Lord's here on Friday.

Sri Lanka were 81 without loss before leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (two wickets for 23 runs off four overs), took two for three in six balls to reduce them to 89 for two.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (two for 26) took the key wickets of Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, stumped by Kamran Akmal, and Mahela Jayawardene, caught in the covers by Afridi.

Ajmal's double strike helped see Sri Lanka, 65 without loss at the end of the powerplay, slump to 132 for five in the 18th over.

"Sri Lanka played well in the first eight overs and the spinners were our last chance," said Afridi.

"Myself and Ajmal bowled well. I have worked hard on my bowling over the last two, three years. I started my career as a bowler and I want to continue like that."

Openers Tillekaratne Dilshan (46) and Sanath Jayasuriya (26), aided by wayward pace bowling, got Sri Lanka off to a flyer before they fell to Afridi. Left-arm fast bowler Sohail Tanvir endured a nightmare start as he conceded 29 runs, including six wides and three no-balls, in his two overs.

Jayasuriya pulled paceman Mohammad Amir for six before Dilshan played his trademark scoop shot over his head for four.

But Jayasuriya miscued a sweep to Pakistan captain Younus Khan and Dilshan was bowled trying to cut, having faced 39 balls with eight fours.

Flintoff continues impressive comeback

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff claimed two more wickets for Lancashire as he continued to prove his fitness for the forthcoming Ashes series in his side's County Championship match against Durham at the Riverside.

Flintoff is playing in first-class cricket for the first time since knee surgery six weeks ago and he finished Durham's first innings with figures of four for 47.

Pace bowler Flintoff, who had taken two wickets for 30 runs in 12 overs on the first day, removed Phil Mustard then ended Durham's innings on 244 by dismissing England colleague Steve Harmison.

Flintoff is now confident of being involved when England play the first Test against Australia at Cardiff starting on July 8.

He was also out to bat quicker than expected as England bowler Graham Onions claimed three wickets to reduce Lancashire to 51 for four, with Flintoff three not out from 11 balls at lunch.

Sri Lanka win toss and bat against Pakistan

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan in their World Twenty20 Group F Super Eights match at Lord's here on Friday.

Sri Lanka, unbeaten at the tournament so far, recalled pace bowler Nuwan Kulasekera in place of fellow seamer Isuru Udana.

Pakistan were unchanged from the side that defeated the Netherlands in their final group match.

This was both sides' first match of the second phase Super Eights.

Pakistan: Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Shoaib Malik, Younus Khan (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamir

Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wkt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis

Umpires: Mark Benson (ENG) and Rudi Koertzen (RSA)

TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

Pakistan selector resigned over meddling

The chairman of Pakistan's cricket selectors said Friday he resigned from the post earlier this week because of "unacceptable" interference by the squad's coach and captain.

Abdul Qadir, who had been appointed to the post only six months ago, also told a news conference he would not have chosen Younus Khan, who is currently playing with the squad in the Twenty20 tournament in England, as captain.

"When I was appointed chief selector I was told that I will be allowed to work freely but that was not the case, so I quit as interference was not acceptable to me," Qadir told a news conference.

The 53-year-old former leg-spinner announced his resignation Monday and his decision was immediately accepted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which has yet to announce his replacement.

Qadir said the PCB had not accepted his selections, nor his proposal that Pakistan should have two captains, one each for the Test and limited-overs teams.

"I would never have selected Younus Khan in World Twenty20 and would have chosen young Twenty20 expert players," said Qadir.

Reports in Pakistan's media suggested Qadir and Younus were not on speaking terms since Younus replaced Shoaib Malik as captain in February this year.

Qadir said he would also have ousted Malik from the team.

"What I noticed was that there was some politics between Malik and Younus during the series in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), so I would have ousted Malik from the team as well," said Qadir.

He said the PCB took arbitrary decisions without consulting the selection committee and that "the captain (Younus) and coach (Intikhab Alam) were given the powers to have their say in picking 15 players.

"So there was no use to having a selection committee," Qadir said, adding he would never again accept an offer to work for the PCB under its current set-up.

Pakistan play their first Super Eight match in the Twenty20 tournament against Sri Lanka in London later Friday.

India wary of Gayle force

India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan rates West Indian captain Chris Gayle the main threat when the two teams clash in the World Twenty20 Super Eights on Friday.

"It will be good if we can get early wickets against the West Indies," Zaheer said after roaring back from a shoulder injury to take four wickets against Ireland on Wednesday.

"Removing Gayle will be a great advantage for us. I am hopeful because we are clicking as a bowling unit and each bowler understands his role.

"We are chipping in with wickets at the right time."

India meet the West Indies at Lord's on Friday, followed by the England clash at the same venue on Sunday, before ending the Super Eights against South Africa at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

Zaheer discounted suggestions the defending champions faced tougher Super Eight matches as compared to the other group which has Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland.

"There is no such thing as weak opposition in Twenty20 cricket," he said. "It is such an unpredictable game. Just look at how the Netherlands beat England.

"Any team on any day can be dangerous. Our focus now is only on the West Indies. We are not looking at England or South Africa yet."

The left-arm seamer claimed four for 19, including three wickets in seven balls, to restrict Ireland to 112-8 in a match reduced to 18-overs-a-side due to rain.

Young opener Rohit Sharma then hit an unbeaten 52 off 45 balls as India romped home with 15 balls to spare to end the preliminary league with two successive wins.

Zaheer said he enjoyed the four-wicket boost as he continued his rehabilitation from the shoulder injury.

"I had not played for four or five weeks so it's great to be back in the wickets," he said. "It's a real confidence-booster. I'm very pleased with my performance.

"The shoulder is coming along well. I feel better day by day and I am improving, I feel 100-percent now."

Zaheer had missed most of the Indian Premier League in South Africa and the two practice matches ahead of the World Twenty20 due to the injury in his left shoulder.

"It was a narrow escape for me," he said. "The injury could have been worse. I worked really hard on strengthening my shoulder. The good thing is the injury was not major."

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the team was still to hit peak form despite the eight-wicket win against Ireland after beating Bangladesh by 25 runs.

"Every game you start from scratch," he said. "The bowlers did very well and it's a real positive that they are doing their jobs. But we can do better in the field. It was not our best day.

"I am talking about 85-90 percent efficiency, but we can do it."

With swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag ruled out of the tournament due to a shoulder injury, Dhoni said Zaheer's return to wicket-taking form boosted the champions.

"We thought he would need a few games to get back in the groove. He is bowling in the right areas and he is a very good asset to have."