Saturday, June 25, 2011
India, Pakistan discuss starting women's cricket series
ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan discussed suggestions for a women's cricket series and setting up a women's forum as part of talks between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries on the promotion of friendly exchanges.
The two-day talks, which ended on Friday, focussed on the dragging Kashmir dispute, peace and security, including confidence-building measures, and friendly exchanges.
"There was a suggestion for a women's cricket series," said an Indian official.
"There was also talk of creating a women's forum between the two countries," the official said.
The suggestions were part of several proposals mooted by both sides to promote friendly exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
The two countries have had limited sports contacts since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which were blamed on the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Foreign cricket teams stopped touring Pakistan due to security concerns after the Sri Lankan team was attacked by terrorists in the eastern city of Lahore in March 2009.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited Mohali at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in March to watch the India-Pakistan semi-final of the cricket World Cup.
Mani lashes out at incompetent PCB officials
Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing a lot of difficulties and standing alone at international level as well as in the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to its non-effective policies and no one is ready to listen them in the ICC meetings.
Mani while exclusively talking to Nawa-i-Waqt on telephone from London on Friday said: "India is arch-rival of Pakistan which wants to exclude Pakistan from every game especially in cricket and to conquer major games of the world by investing money on them."
He said that BCCI's newly-elected president did not want Pakistan players to take part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and in no mood to give chance to Pakistan in the IPL in future. He held the current officials of the PCB responsible for this and said till they were part of the board no betterment could be seen in the board. The incompetency of the board brought the game back to many years, and it would take a lot of time to revive in the country.
In replying a question, Mani said: "No team is ready to visit Pakistan and this situation will continue till the internal situation of Pakistan will not get better." He said that I personally requested the ICC to bring cricket back to Pakistan in order to revive cricket in the country and asked for ICC's assistance as well, but no response from the PCB made this matter dull and then it was totally thrown into dustbin. Pakistan cricket would continue to face decline till the political interference will not be eliminated from the game, he added.
Tharanga gets three-month doping ban
Sri Lanka cricket team’s opener Upul Tharanga was handed a three-month ban from all forms of cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after an inquiry on Friday.
Tharanga was found guilty for violating Article 2.1 of the ICC anti-doping code after proving guilty for using a banned substance during the World Cup 2011.
A urine sample obtained from the southpaw opener after the semi-final match against New Zealand tested positive to have contained metabolites of two banned drugs – Prednisone and Prednisolone.
The inquiry was held at the ICC headquarters in Dubai by an independent anti-doping panel headed by Tim Kerr, Dr Anik Sax and Professor Peter Sever.
The tribunal heard the case via video conference and found Thranaga guilty.
Tharanga’s ban which began on May 9 according to the tribunal will end on August 8, 2011.
Shahid Afridi shows Hampshire what he can do with five-wicket blitz
Shahid Afridi celebrated his home debut for Hampshire by taking five wickets in a 16-run Friends Life t20 victory over Gloucestershire at the Rose Bowl.
The former Pakistan captain, freed to play after resolving his dispute with the Pakistan Cricket Board, finished with figures of five for 20 as the holders Hampshire went joint top of the South Group with Sussex after recording their sixth win this season.
In a rain-affected match, Hampshire made 139 for seven and Gloucestershire, chasing a revised target of 124 from 17 overs, fell short.
In Hampshire's innings, Afridi, whose debut against Essex on Thursday coincided with the defending champions' first t20 loss of the season, managed to score only five before he was caught off the bowling of the visitors' acting captain, Kane Williamson.
But when Gloucestershire began their pursuit of a target of seven runs an over, they were soon in trouble against the pacy spin of Afridi.
Gloucestershire had reached 54 for two when Afridi struck for the first time, bowling Ian Cockbain for 24, an innings that included four boundaries.
Afridi struck again in his next over when he lured Chris Taylor from his crease to give Nic Pothas a stumping, and he then bowled Will Gidman for seven.
But Afridi made his most crucial contribution when he came on for the 15th over of the innings, with Gloucestershire still requiring another 27 for victory.
With his fourth delivery, Afridi bowled Richard Coughtrie with a quicker delivery, and then two balls later induced Ian Saxelby to sky a catch to Neil McKenzie at third man.
Gloucestershire's hopes depended on their stand-in skipper, Williamson, who had made 50 from 42 deliveries when he was ninth out to Sean Ervine in the penultimate over.
Williamson had struck six fours before lifting a catch to Imran Tahir, who clutched it at the second attempt.
Muttiah Muralitharan was last out three balls from the end of the match, bowled by Dominic Cork to ensure Hampshire's victory.
In the Hampshire innings, opener Jimmy Adams was top scorer with 47 before he was bowled by Muralitharan, who returned later to trap McKenzie for eight on his way to economic figures of two for 15 from his four-over allocation.
Hampshire were in trouble at 97 for six after Afridi had perished to a catch at long-on, but the seventh-wicket pair of Pothas and Dimitri Mascarenhas ensured a competitive total with a stand of 40 from 21 balls.
Pakistan and India polo final today
LAHORE: Pakistan is set to take on archrivals India in the final of the FIP Polo World Cup Zone D playoffs to be held at Royal Pahang Polo Grounds on Saturday (today). The two teams have had a great run in the tournament and the final is expected to be a thrilling affair.
Pakistan on their way to the final, struck unmatched performance winning their all three back-to-back matches against Nigeria, South Africa and Australia.
The team’s high spirit, training and dedicated efforts saw them finishing at the top of the points table in the event underway in Malaysia.
Pakistan and India the archrivals would facing each other in the final today. Pakistan team is at the top in respect of goal average, scoring 28 goals, while 17 goals were against it. Indian team reeling behind with goals averaging 17.5, while 10 goals against it.
Pakistan’s Raja Samiullah shined in the event giving excellent performance and he has been nominated for the best
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