..::CRICKET::..

[chandikagunawardhana]

Pakistan recall a 'rebirth' for Asif

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has described his recall to international cricket as a "rebirth" after a tumultuous two-and-a-half years in which he failed dope tests and was embroiled in a detention case in Dubai. Asif was named in the 30-man probables squad for the Champions Trophy in South Africa this September.

Asif is currently banned from playing any form of cricket till September 22, after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid Nandrolone during the IPL last year. Pakistan play their first game of the Champions Trophy on September 23, against West Indies.

"You can say that it's a sort of rebirth for me," Asif told AFP. "I was performing well but then suddenly my career derailed and it was tough to get over those difficult days."

Asif's troubles began in October 2006 when he first tested positive for Nandrolone before the Champions Trophy in India. He had pleaded ignorance over the substances he was using and though he was initially banned for a year, that punishment was scrapped on appeal. In June 2008, he was detained at Dubai airport for allegedly possessing opium. He was deported after 19 days after prosecutors argued that the offense was a 'trivial' one and a case not worth pursuing. Asif was fined Rs 1 million (US$12,500) by the Pakistan board over his detention. He was banned by the IPL for the steroids offense this February but the one-year ban was back-dated to September last year, thereby making him eligible for the Champions Trophy.

Asif said he was determined to put the past behind him and also work on his fitness.

"Maybe these events happened so that I could learn my lesson," Asif said. "I would like to forget what happened to me over the last two years. I have learnt my lessons and will definitely do my best to avoid anything like this in the future.

"[The incidents] may have happened to teach me a lesson or to give me a chance to fully recover from an elbow injury which was hampering in bowling."

He added that he was shaping up well as far as his bowling was concerned. "I am fit and have been bowling in the best of rhythms," he said. "South Africa is my favourite place and I did well when we went there to play a Test series in 2007, so this time around, again I want to help my team win the Trophy."

Asif last played for Pakistan in a one-day international in Karachi in April 2008.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Injured Lee left out of tour game

Brett Lee's chances of returning for next week's third Test have been reduced after he was left out of Australia's tour match against Northamptonshire on Friday. There was an outside chance Lee would be picked in an attempt to prove his fitness from a stomach injury that ruled him out of the first two Tests, but the selectors have decided against rushing him back.

Australia, who are behind 1-0, missed Lee when Mitchell Johnson misfired at Lord's and the fast bowler must now prove he is ready for the intensity of back-to-back Tests through his work in the nets. Lee, who has taken 310 wickets in 76 matches, was under pressure entering the tour following ankle surgery, but he showed his form during the warm-up match in Worcester before succumbing to the stomach problem.

Lee's absence allows Stuart Clark a chance to push for a recall after he was left out in Cardiff and Lord's when Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus were preferred to support Johnson. It is expected that only one of Hilfenhaus, who performed strongly at Lord's, and Siddle will turn out in the three-day fixture.

Australia named a 12-man squad and have given the captain Ricky Ponting, deputy Michael Clarke and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin a break, leaving Michael Hussey to lead the side. The game will be no easy ride for Johnson or Phillip Hughes, who are fighting for form after disappointing starts to the series increased the pressure on their spots.

Hughes has been roughed up by Andrew Flintoff's short-pitched attack while Johnson was unable to hold a consistent line at Lord's. Despite the setbacks, which include some family issues back home, Johnson has still managed to take eight wickets and the Australians don't want to give up on him.

"I don't want to bowl him into the ground as there is just over a week until the Test starts," Hussey said. "I don't want him punching out 25 to 30 overs in an innings or anything like that. I'll communicate with him and see how he's feeling, and also take into account the situation of the game."

Hussey said Johnson seemed to be in a good frame of mind. "He seems comfortable and was focused at training," Hussey said. "He and [the bowling coach] Troy Cooley are very clear on what they need to work on."

The allrounders Shane Watson and Andrew McDonald will appear in their first matches of the tour alongside Graham Manou, the back-up gloveman. Ponting, Clarke and Haddin have scored a century each in the series and will turn their thoughts to rescuing the Ashes instead of facing Northamptonshire.

Australia squad Phil Hughes, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Shane Watson, Andrew McDonald, Graham Manou, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Stuart Clark, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Hauritz.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Langer breaks Bradman runs record

Justin Langer has surpassed the legendary Sir Don Bradman and become Australia's leading run-scorer in first-class cricket, while compiling his second century of the season, and 86th in total, during Somerset's County Championship clash with Worcester at New Road.

"I am very proud," Langer said. "Bradman is obviously in a league of his own but to achieve this, given how many great players are on the list, is very special. It means I have been around a long while, but as John Buchanan always said, you only judge champions on longevity and not on flash-in-the-pan brilliance."

Langer resumed the day on 89 not out, just six runs shy of Bradman's tally of 28,067 runs, which has stood for more than 60 years. He needed 20 minutes and nine deliveries to surpass the mark with a cover-drive off Matt Mason, and his century soon followed in 126 balls, from 165 minutes, before Mason dismissed him for 107.

As Australia's young opener, Phillip Hughes, struggles to make an impact in this summer's Ashes, Langer's achievement serves as a reminder of the class and experience that Australia have lost in recent seasons. He retired from Test cricket at the end of the Sydney Test in 2006-07, after helping to wrap up an Ashes whitewash, while he was Australia's stand-out batsman in the 2005 series as well, top-scoring with 394 runs at 43.77 in five Tests.

Although Bradman reached his mark in almost half the number of innings - 338 to 615 - Langer's achievement is nevertheless testament to his remarkable durability. He made his first-class debut for Western Australia as a 21-year-old in 1991-92, and played the first of his 105 Tests against West Indies the following season, when he recovered from a withering blow to the helmet from Ian Bishop to make 54 in a gripping one-run defeat.

He played just eight Tests in the next six years, but having reinvented himself as an opening batsman at the end of the 2001 Ashes, he went to forge a formidable partnership with Matthew Hayden - with his pugnacious scrapping style the perfect counterpoint to Hayden's more aggressive, domineering approach.

Hayden paid tribute to his long-time former Test opening partner. "It is very fitting that a man of Justin's calibre takes this honor because when you break a record of one of the greatest individuals, that being Sir Donald Bradman, it has to be by a person of quality," he told AAP.

"He epitomises class, perseverance and persistence and the quality and culture of the baggy green and his work ethic is second to none. I'm very, very proud of Justin because these results are not a fluke... These qualities were the glue to our partnership."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Herath confident of clean sweep

Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath is confident about his team pulling off a victory the third and final Test, provided they bat the way they did in the final two sessions of play on the fourth day at the SSC. "The pitch is spinning but not alarmingly," Herath said. "You have to treat each ball on its merits. There is a little extra bounce at the press box end, otherwise there is no danger. It might take slow turn but it is not turning as much as it did at Galle and at Sara Oval."

The 31-year-old said the dismissal of Mahela Jayawardene was a 'big blow' but remained optimistic that the rest of the batting could chase down the massive total of 492. Sri Lanka finished the fourth day at 183 for 3, still requiring 309 on the final day with seven wickets in hand.

Herath, who took only his second five-for in an innings during a ten-year Test career since his debut in 1999, provided the little joy for Sri Lanka and was responsible for getting crucial breakthroughs. He also bagged his 50th Test wicket, dismissing Umar Gul for 46.

"If I had got similar opportunities the way I have in this series I would have obtained more Test wickets for my country," Herath said. "But, only 11 can play in a team and on most occasions there is room for only two spinners. I need to grab whatever opportunities come my way. This series has been the highlight of my career. My conscience says that I have been bowling well in the last 10-15 years.

"Even on occasions when I don't take a wicket I am confident that I have bowled well. It is because of the patience and belief that I have in myself I was able to take five wickets in the second innings although I went wicketless in the first."

Herath's wicket tally for the three-Test series stood at 15, at an average of 26.93. And given the dream run, he hoped for the best in the future. "Whether the selectors want to continue with me once Muralitharan is fit and they want to bring Mendis in is up to the selectors," Herath said. "All what I can say is if I am given the opportunity I am always ready to play for my country."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Hussey's sights set on more success

A corrected technical flaw has been behind Michael Hussey's confidence-boosting return at Lord's, which has helped him relax following an extended slump. Hussey realised during a chat with Ricky Ponting that he had a "blind spot" in his stance and the captain suggested a change in focus at delivery.

Hussey fixed the problem before the Ashes tour and is feeling more comfortable at the crease, something which showed during a double of 51 and 27 in the loss at Lord's. "I had really closed myself off and was really concentrating on my right shoulder," he said as he prepared to lead Australia in their tour match against Northamptonshire on Friday. "That was causing my eyes not to be level with the bowler - I was sort of looking out towards mid-off.

"There was a slight blind spot so it meant I could not quite catch the flight of the ball out of the bowler's hand as I would have liked. I have just tried to open my eyes up a bit to look straight at the bowler and it has helped me pick the ball up a little easier."

The Lord's half-century was only his third since Australia returned home from India last November and the streak became so bad there were even questions over his value to the side. A hundred in the tour game in Worcester reconfirmed his status, but he registered only 3 during a tense display in Cardiff.

Hussey's main moments of discomfort the following week in London came from Andrew Flintoff, who clipped the batsman's off stump in the first innings when he shouldered arms. "I don't know if we could have done a hell of a lot differently against him," Hussey said of Flintoff, the Lord's hero. In Hussey's second bat he was unfortunate to be given out caught behind to a Graeme Swann delivery he didn't hit.

While the returns were small by Hussey's standards, he is pleased with how he is going and is not feeling the stress he experienced during his drought. "I certainly struggle more when I put a lot of pressure on myself," he said. "When I was not getting the results I was after against South Africa, I was trying harder and harder and harder, so I am just trying to go the other way - keep the pressure off myself and relax."

The withdrawal of Kevin Pietersen from the rest of the series with an Achilles problem has also eased the demands on Australia, who enter next week's third Test in Birmingham needing a win to draw level. "They are definitely going to miss him," Hussey said. "He's played well against Australia and is probably the lynchpin in that batting order. To not have him there has got to be a plus for us."

Hussey is back in Northampton, which was home during a long county stint, and is in charge of the side for the next three days following the resting of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin. "I owe a lot really to Northampton because I learnt a lot of my cricket here, particularly playing against spin bowling," he said. "I came from the WACA where it was all pace and bounce and I had no idea about playing against spin." However, slow bowling is unlikely to be a major concern of the Australian batsmen over the next six weeks.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Dyson rallies West Indies for ODI series

West Indies coach John Dyson has said that despite his team losing the Test Series against Bangladesh, he expects competitive performances in the three-match ODI series. "This is a totally different game now," Dyson said. "We're playing 50-over cricket, not five-day cricket. The two Test matches were closely fought, it wasn't a case where we were thrashed in either of the matches. We could have won both so I don't think there's much in it."

Though the Test squad was made up of replacement players - following strike action by the more reputed names - Dyson said he was not disappointed with the way they performed. "For guys who had little experience in international cricket to come forward like that and play as well as they did, I think they did pretty well," Dyson said. "They've played some good cricket so far, unfortunately we weren't able to get across the line and win the Tests."

The first two ODIs will be played in Dominica on Sunday and Tuesday, and Dyson hoped the pitches would nullify the Bangladesh spinners and aid the West Indian pacemen. "I'm looking forward to the one-dayers. What I'd like to see is a hard, pacy, bouncy wicket," Dyson said.

Given the statistics from the two Test matches in St Vincent and Grenada, the Bangladeshi spinners - led by captain Shakib Al Hasan - have been dominant. They took 33 of the 40 wickets with Shakib and Mahmudullah, both picking five-wicket hauls. The duo along, with Enamul Haque jnr, who featured in the second Test, worked over the West Indies batsmen with relative ease.

Contrastingly, fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Darren Sammy were the standout performers for the hosts. Roach, who debuted in the first Test, was the highest wicket-taker for West Indies with 13. He bowled with disconcerting pace and bagged an impressive career best 6 for 48 in the first innings at Kingstown.

Sammy also had impressive returns by picking up back-to-back five wicket hauls. In the first match, Sammy took 5 for 70 in the Bangladesh second innings, and followed it up with identical figures in Grenada.

It is no surprise, therefore, that Dyson is keen on a pitch which will offer some assistance to the pacers with the West Indies squad comprising Roach, Sammy, David Bernard, Nelon Pascal and Gavin Tonge.

 

[amilazzz]

Tnx 4da in4...Keep updating !

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Tnx 4da in4...Keep updating !

Thanks.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Sangakkara helps Sri Lanka to a draw

In the end, neither team wanted it badly enough. Sri Lanka couldn't quite summon up the courage for one final dash, and Pakistan spent much of the afternoon merely going through the motions. When play was called off with the 15 mandatory overs to be bowled, Sri Lanka were 101 short of the 492-run target, and Pakistan had toiled all day for just one wicket. Kumar Sangakkara's 19th Test century was the story of the day, but even his performance was overshadowed by an utterly placid pitch. After 21 wickets fell in the opening two days, the bowlers on both sides could manage just 12 in the next nine sessions.

When Angelo Mathews struck a couple of boundaries soon after reaching his half-century after tea, there was the prospect of a Twenty20-like thrash in the final hour, but ultimately Sri Lanka decided to settle for the 2-0 series win.

With Sri Lanka resuming from their overnight 183 for 3, Pakistan would have fancied their chances of pulling off a consolation victory. But with Sangakkara remorselessly grinding the bowling into the SSC dust, and Thilan Samaraweera contributing a classy 73 to a partnership of 122, Younis Khan was left to forlornly shuffle a tiring bowling pack.

As he showed in Hobart not so long ago, Sangakkara is capable of dazzling counter-attacks in pressure situations. This, on a day when survival rather than urgency was the priority, was all rearguard and little flair, with occupation of the crease the main mantra. The odd languid drive through the covers, or the precise sweep to the spinners would occasionally reveal some intent, but by and large, circumspection was the name of the game.

With Mathews showing only brief glimpses of his shotmaking potential, the run-rate slowed quite a bit after Samaraweera's dismissal soon after lunch. He had been afflicted with cramp, and was then struck a glancing blow on the helmet by Mohammad Aamer before a doosra from Saeed Ajmal was nicked behind.

Apart from a brain-fade where he nearly handled the ball after digging out a yorker from Younis, Samaraweera had constantly challenged the bowlers, never allowing them to settle into a rhythm. Danish Kaneria, the scourge of Sri Lanka's first innings, was attacked and only Ajmal managed to exercise any real control.

Younis was also badly let down by Umar Gul, who struggled with no-balls and served up dross with the second new-ball. Each mistake was pounced on by Samaraweera, whose classical drives invoked another age. Pakistan still had a slight edge, but with no Flintoff-like talisman to turn to, Younis' brow became increasingly furrowed as the afternoon wore on. Sangakkara's smile only grew wider.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

391
Sri Lanka's score in the second innings at the SSC, which is their second-highest in the last innings of a Test. They'd scored 410 against Australia in Hobart in 2007.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Lee rules himself out for Edgbaston

Brett Lee has conceded he will be unavailable for the third Test next week and is instead focusing on a potential return in the fourth Test at Leeds. Lee had hoped to recover from his side strain in time for the Edgbaston match, starting next Thursday, but the selectors chose not to rush him back and he will sit out of this weekend's tour match in Northampton.

"I'd be lying if I said I was available for the third Test because it's going to be very, very tight," Lee told the Australian. "I don't want to put the team in jeopardy because there is a chance something might happen. It's not a great outcome if I'm out there bowling and I tear it again."

Lee's delayed return will ease some of the immediate pressure on Mitchell Johnson, who has bowled poorly in the first two Tests. Lee picked up seven wickets in the match against the England Lions before being ruled out of the opening two Tests and he said his sights were now firmly set on the fourth Test at Headingley, starting on August 7.

"The way I'm looking now I'm focused on aiming for the fourth Test and making sure I'm right," Lee said. "Even if this is a three or four-week injury, that's three or four weeks before you start bowling. Then you've got your preparation time after that. A batsman can come straight back in and bat but a bowler has to build up their pace again.

"So I need a week and a half or two weeks to get myself ready. The way I've planned it is I hope to start bowling in the next day or two, which will leave me exactly two weeks of bowling to get up to full pace again. That is an ample amount of time to ensure I'll be available for the fourth Test."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Samaraweera recalled to ODI squad

Thilan Samaraweera has been recalled to the Sri Lankan one-day international side after a four-year absence, but there was no space for Chaminda Vaas for the upcoming series against Pakistan. The leg spinner Malinga Bandara has also been included in a 15-man squad that includes Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan, passed fit after missing the Tests against Pakistan.

Samaraweera, 32, played his last ODI in 2005 but targeted a return to the limited-overs frame during an excellent run of form in Tests earlier this year. Vaas had announced his retirement from Test cricket before the final match against Pakistan, citing his desire to continue until the 2011 World Cup, but his non-selection leaves a question mark over his future. Vaas managed just one wicket in the SSC Test and was dropped last year from Sri Lanka's Twenty20 squad.

The opener Upul Tharanga takes up a top-order batting slot with Tillakaratne Dilshan, who sustained injuries to the finger and head in the third Test in Colombo, ruled out. Chamara Kapugedera has been included after being overlooked for the ICC World Twenty20.

Sri Lanka's bowling is in sound health. While the focus has been on the return of Murali and Malinga their seamers, especially Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, have performed consistently. Bandara makes a return to the ODI side having played his last game in 2007.

The series begins in Dambulla on July 30.

Sri Lanka squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Thilina Kandamby, Malinga Bandara, Thilan Thushara Isuru Udana, Upul Tharanga.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Proud to have contributed to Sri Lanka's growth - Vaas

Chaminda Vaas, Sri Lanka's most successful fast bowler, ended his Test career during an emotional farewell at the SSC after the third and final Test against Pakistan ended in a draw with the hosts winning the series 2-0.

Vaas, a 111-Test veteran, was given a standing ovation by the spectators, who stayed behind after the end of the match, when he was presented with a memento and one million rupees by Sri Lanka Cricket chairman DS de Silva.

"This is an emotional time for me. I have played international cricket for the last 16 years with pride and performed at the best of my ability," Vaas said. "I can confidentially say that I have given my 100 % to my country. In return cricket has made me what I am today. I am grateful for all that I have received. I've always adopted a non-confrontational and non-controversial approach in my Test career and I do not intend doing things differently today."

Vaas said he began his Test career at a time when Sri Lanka was nowhere in the top league and was proud to have contributed to his country's progress. "After 15 years Sri Lanka has made giant strides and is able to rub shoulders with the best. While many people have contributed to this transformation, I am proud to have played my own little part in this process," he said. "I may not have been the most talented cricketer to play for Sri Lanka but I've worked hard on my game and was able to produce good results. There is no substitute for hard work."

While thanking the past captains he had the privilege of playing under, Vaas singled out Arjuna Ranatunga as one who had a strong influence on his career. "He was such a strong leader and had a great influence in me." Vaas also said current captain Kumar Sangakkara was already showing signs of becoming 'a great captain' in the short time he had been in charge.

Vaas also thanked the support staff for enabling him to play international cricket continuously without any serious injury.

"No one forced me to retire from Test cricket. I am thankful that I got the opportunity to play in my last Test. This is the best time to retire from Test cricket and concentrate on ODIs and Twenty20s because the young fast bowlers who are emerging are doing pretty well.

Vaas said taking 14 wickets in a Test at the SSC against Brian Lara's West Indies in 2001 was the most memorable moment of his career. He picked Wasim Akram as his role model and chose Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as the two most difficult batsmen to bowl at in world cricket.

Vaas said that if he was to start his Test career all over again he would prefer to be a batsman and lamented his lack of focus on his batting in the early part of his career. "I realised how important batting was only in the latter part of my career and I enjoyed batting in the last four to five years."

Bowling in tandem with Muttiah Muralitharan, Vaas said, was a privilege. "I should say that most of Murali's success was due to me bowling at the other end and keeping things very tight. It was an honour to play with such a world-class bowler."

Having been overlooked for the ODI series against Pakistan, Vaas said that he would fight his way back into the team. "I haven't played ODI cricket for 11 months and during that time all the young fast bowlers have played very well and grabbed the opportunities with both hands. I am going to work hard to fight for my place. I'll be back very soon."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Langer talks comeback as Hughes struggles

The pressure is mounting on Phillip Hughes. No sooner had Australia's embattled opener fallen cheaply to David Wigley, Northamptonshire's journeyman seamer, than reports were surfacing of Justin Langer's proposed comeback to Test cricket.

A day removed from usurping Don Bradman as Australia's high first-class run scorer, Langer revealed he would be prepared to "play the third Test for Australia next week for nothing". The likelihood of Australia's selectors accepting his offer may well be infinitesimal but the stir it caused at Wantage Road on Friday said much about the concerns harboured for Hughes and his diminishing returns.

Since arriving in England with the Australian team, the 20-year-old has scored just 82 first-class runs at 13.66. Never before in his 28-game first class career has he endured a stretch this long without registering a half century; his prolific feats for Middlesex now resembling little more than a false dawn.

Hughes' efforts in South Africa, as well as his brisk 78 in the unofficial match against Sussex, have presumably provided him with enough selection credits to carry his bat through this Ashes series, but should his struggles continue Phil Jaques and Chris Rogers will certainly enter the frame for Australia's next Test assignment against West Indies. Langer may present a fair case with a typically solid 529 at 44.08 for Somerset this season, but at 38, and with no Tests to his name since the fifth and final match of the 2006-07 Ashes, his prospects are remote in the extreme.

"One of the boys in the Somerset changing room asked me 'if they asked you to play tomorrow, how much would it take?' and I said I would play the third Test for Australia next week for nothing," Langer told the Press Association on Friday. "When you have played that much, you miss the big Tests. I miss the hype of the Ashes series.

"I also miss the challenge of playing against Andrew Flintoff. That is what it is all about. That is the great test for batsmen. I really miss being in those sort of battles. I miss Test cricket. There is a lot I don't miss about it but these big series, I'd play tomorrow if I was asked."

Langer has previously likened Hughes to Steve Waugh in terms of temperament, but the out-of-sorts opener appeared anything but assured during his brief stint at the crease on Friday. The left-hander opened the day with a firmly struck cover drive to the boundary, but was promptly reined in and eventually fell to a short-of-a-length delivery, continuing a worrying trend on this tour.

Wigley, who possesses a modest first class average of 34.72 across stints with three counties, rocked Hughes onto the back-foot with a rib-high delivery around off-stump. Hughes fended at the ball but succeeded only in making contact with the shoulder of his bat, resulting in a simple catch to Alex Wakely in the gully for 10.

Hughes' opening partner, Simon Katich, represented the only other Australian wicket to fall during a rain-interrupted first two sessions. Katich pushed at a fuller, seaming delivery from David Willey, the son of the former England batsman Peter, for 25, but Shane Watson spared Australia's blushes with a brisk 35 that featured six boundaries and an array of powerfully-struck hooks and pulls.

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Dilshan's injuries prompted draw - Sangakkara

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara has said that though there was the temptation to go for a clean sweep in the Test series against Pakistan, he opted for the draw. With 15 overs remaining and Sri Lanka needing a further 101 to win on the final day at the SSC, he said his decision was largely dictated by the injury concerns over Tillakaratne Dilshan.

"If Dilshan was fit we could have tried a few things out," Sangakkara said. "We could have gone for a few more runs after tea, although they [Pakistan] bowled wide off the crease to cut the run supply and set defensive fields. When the 15 overs came up, we were in a position where we couldn't say either way, so we took the option of drawing the match."

Dilshan had broken his finger while keeping on the first day and sustained a cut above his left eye while batting the next day. He was scheduled to come in, had the fifth-wicket partnership of 114 between Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews been broken.

"We planned to bat out session by session," Sangakkara said. "The closer we were getting to their total, time was also running out and it became slightly easier to manage. I am pretty happy the way everyone played. This whole innings of ours as a team showed that we were starting to play proper Test cricket.

"We weren't really thinking about going for totals, we were trying to bat and enjoy our time out in the middle. If you are batting to save a game you really can't go too negative, that plays into the opposition's hands."

Though Sri Lanka opted to go into the match with a spinner short, Sangakkara believed that picking up a lead in the first innings may have turned the tide in the hosts' favour. Instead, they were bowled out, 66 runs adrift of Pakistan's effort in the first essay. Sri Lanka's task got even tougher as they were left to chase down a mammoth 492.

"It doesn't matter what bowling combinations we played in this match," Sangakkara said. "We should have won with our batting, had we got a 150-200 run lead over them. On a very good batting track, I think we could have put enough pressure on them with our bowling to make them crack again. We still had a chance when they were 67 for 4 [in the second innings] but a couple of chances went abegging. Even if we had kept them down to 360 just under 400 it could have been an interesting match again."

Sangakkara said the comprehensive 2-0 series win was mainly due to the bowlers. Fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara, who was adjudged Man of the Series for his incisive fast bowling, ended as Sri Lanka's highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets. Spinner Rangana Herath, who also impressed during the three-match series, followed with 15 wickets, while Thilan Thushara bagged 12.

However, Sangakkara called for a more improved showing from the batsmen. "The efforts of Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Rangana Herath and Mathews enabled us to win the series. As batsmen we didn't play to our potential until the final innings of this Test. You can't ask for more than a series win but you've got to understand although we won it we always let the opposition in at certain times. When we could have really put them out of the game we let them have a slip. That is an area we really got to look at and change as a team.

"When you have the advantage you've got to make sure we run with it and put the opposition out of the game. We could have done it in the first innings at the P Sara Oval and we could have done it here in our first innings. Those are the areas that make life difficult for us."

 

[chandikagunawardhana]

Younis dwells on positives

Despite being denied a win at the SSC, Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes there are positives his team can carry forward into the rest of the Sri Lanka tour. "It would have been nice for Pakistan, if we had won," Younis said. "We can draw some positives from this match, especially in the second innings where we scored 400. There were special innings from Misbah [ul-Haq], Kamran [Akmal] and [Shoaib] Malik, and their hitting form is crucial for us. With the ODIs and the Twenty20 approaching, I'm relieved that they got runs."

Play was called off on the final day at the SSC with the 15 mandatory overs to be bowled, and Sri Lanka 101 short of the 492-run target. Younis Khan though, was surprised that Sri Lanka did not press for a win.

"In the subcontinent you expect a wicket like this to get slower and slower. I'm surprised why Sri Lanka didn't go after the target. You can't blame them because they had already won the series. Everybody knew if we could have grabbed one or two wickets, we could have put them under pressure."

Even though Pakistan had a sniff of victory with the dismissal of Thilan Samaraweera on the last day, Younis believed the fifth-wicket partnership of 114 between Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews effectively put paid to hopes of a consolation win.

"Although our main bowlers tried everything and we took our chances, we couldn't make it because of Sangakkara and Samaraweera's partnership," Younis said. "It was a crucial period of saving the Test. All credit to Sangakkara, he was fantastic. He was there for his team and he scored a hundred. It was a special one from him for his side."

 

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McGrath wants Johnson to keep things simple

Glenn McGrath, the former Australian fast bowler, has said that Mitchell Johnson's failure in the first two Ashes Tests was due to "mental issues rather than technical ones" and wants the bowler to keep things simple for the remainder of the series.

"A lot of people will be giving Mitch all kinds of technical advice, saying his bowling arm is too low when delivering the ball or his wrist position is wrong, but in my experience, these losses of form are nearly always mental issues, rather than technical ones," McGrath told The Australian.

"He had a bit of a lay-off before the Australians came over here, and you cannot always just pick up from where you left off."

Johnson came into the Ashes as Australia's spearhead but was inaccurate and expensive during the first two Tests and, although he picked up eight wickets, he was unable to build any sort of pressure on England's batsmen.

McGrath, however, felt that Johnson had not lost the skills that made him so successful in South Africa. "What I would say to Mitch is that he hasn't lost any of the ability that makes him one of the most talented all-round cricketers in the world," McGrath said. "Look at the ball he bowled to dismiss Matt Prior in England's first innings. It was almost perfect: his fingers were in the right position on the seam, and the swing he found was excellent.

"If Mitch can sort out the mental side of things, I'm convinced everything else would fall into place. Cricketers around the world would kill to have half of his potential."

Johnson is not bereft of advice in England. Brett Lee, the only Australian bowler with Test experience in England, has been talking to him about his form, as are the others. "Everyone's been chatting to him and offering their advice. I've been offering my advice," Lee, who missed the first two Tests because of injury, said. "Mitch is running ideas around. Everyone's in it together. He's obviously searching for a lot more wickets, but it's not a matter of everyone being panicked and stressed out, saying what's going on.

"The key word over here is patience," Lee said. "Playing in Australia and South Africa, it's more conducive to fast bowling, particularly in South Africa. It's just so important when you're on wickets that are benign and aren't conducive to fast bowling, you've got to find a way to get around that. In 2001 that's the big thing I learnt. You can't try and blast batsmen out."

Help, if wanted, was also forthcoming from Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan fast bowler based in Manchester, who felt that Johnson could sacrifice swing for accuracy early in his spells.

"If you don't have a straight arm it's very difficult to get wickets in England because everything is swinging away from the right-hander and going down the leg side to the left-hander," Akram told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"He should stick to his natural strength as a left-armer and when he gets his rhythm, then he should try different things … I have been through this patch, Glenn McGrath has been through this patch. It's very simple, just get his arm straight in the nets and he will come back to it."

 

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Impressive Watson stakes Ashes claim

Shane Watson believes a series of coaching sessions with Greg Chappell has prepared his technique for the rigours of top-order batting. While recovering from back stress fractures during the Australian summer, Watson worked closely with Chappell, the head coach of the Centre of Excellence, to streamline his strokeplay and steady his trigger movements.

Watson batted with freedom during his 96-ball stay at the crease on Friday, plundering a thunderous 84 that included 15 boundaries and a six against Northamptonshire. Elevated to No. 3 in the Australian order, Watson had few problems negotiating the short-pitched deliveries that accounted for embattled Phillip Hughes, hooking and pulling with assuredness in just his first outing of the tour.

Watson's Test record - 257 runs at 19.76, including single-digit totals in his last four dismissals - hardly makes for impressive reading, but recent performances at first-class and one-day international level suggest he is a batsman improved. Two centuries atop the Australian ODI order in the past 12 months were convincing enough to prompt selectors to install him as the team's sole reserve batsman for the Ashes tour, and his dashing innings at Wantage Road will maintain the pressure on Hughes and Marcus North ahead of the Edgbaston Test.

Those performances, coupled with Chappell's tuition, have convinced Watson he is ready to accept the call should it arrive in the coming weeks.

"It's definitely helped my game a lot to be able to try and eradicated all the complex things that used to go in with my technique and in my mind," Watson said of his sessions with Chappell. "Just simplify them to give myself the best chance of performing consistently.

"It's my pre-movement. I used to have a forward press and was on my heels a bit more. Now it's just loading up on my toes - keeping still and loading up on my toes to make sure I'm in a really powerful position."

As impressive as his efforts at Wantage Road were, the selection of Watson in the top-order would represent a sizeable leap into the unknown for Australia. In eight Tests, he has never batted higher than No. 6 and passed 50 just once in 13 innings. Should Hughes' batting deteriorate further, selectors could opt to elevate Michael Hussey - who has averaged in excess of 55 in eight innings as a Test opener - while slotting Watson into the middle order.

But the likelihood of such moves being made for Edgbaston appears remote. Australia posted imposing totals in two of three innings at Sophia Gardens and Lord's, and selectors have more pressing issues to address in the fast bowling department. Presumably, they would be anxious to avoid making major changes at both ends of the XI mid-series.

Watson, though, is doing his chances no harm. And a strong performance with the ball over the final two days against Northamptonshire could set the stage for an intriguing selection duel with North for the allrounder's berth over the final three Ashes Tests.

"In the end, all I can do is perform and see what the selectors are going to do with the team," he said. "I'm not targeting one specific spot. I've just got to go out there and perform when I get the opportunity and see what happens.

"I feel like I've got the game and the technique and the mental side of things in the order to be able to give myself the best chance to combat (England's fast bowlers). They're some of the best bowlers in the world and it's one of the biggest challenges you could really face in world cricket facing those guys with a brand new ball on a fresh pitch. But I feel like I've got the game to handle that and it would be an awesome to challenge to have that opportunity."

 

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Bell set to be unchallenged on recall

England will give themselves bowling options ahead of the third Test against Australia at Edgbaston, but the batting line-up is likely to be set in stone when the selectors announce their squad on Sunday. Ian Bell will be confirmed as Kevin Pietersen's replacement with no further batting cover expected to be included while Steve Harmison, who the Daily Mirror reports will announce his international retirement after the Ashes, and Monty Panesar are set to retain their places.

Bell has been the spare batsman in the previous Tests and Andy Flower confirmed after the Lord's victory that he was next in line for a berth. Now that Pietersen has been ruled out for the series he will return to the side for the first time since being dropped following England's defeat against West Indies, at Sabina Park, in February.

He paid the price for an unconvincing run at No. 3 and a particularly limp shot in the second innings collapse in Jamaica. At the start of the summer he was told to show "more hunger" for a recall and has subsequently made 647 runs in the Championship at 64.70, although his haul was dented by a double failure in the recent match against Hampshire where he made 7 and 0.

The selectors may have been tempted to include another batting option in the party, but Bell is set to be unchallenged. "There are no injury problems as such, so we probably won't need to do that," national selector Geoff Miller said. "We had question marks to cover in the last squad but I don't foresee needing to do that here."

However, Bell's position is partly eased due to the lack of outstanding candidates elsewhere. If further injuries were to deplete the batting order, Robert Key, Joe Denly, Stephen Moore and Owais Shah would be the likely names for a call-up. Key has recently returned to form with a career-best 270, Denly and Moore impressed for England Lions against the Australians and Shah made a hundred for Middlesex last week.

There is still the question of where Bell will bat, but the least disruption would come with a straight swap for Pietersen at No.4. The other options are to return at first drop and push the struggling Ravi Bopara down the order or promote Paul Collingwood and put Bell at No. 5.

Although England's attack performed impressively at Lord's there is still a chance changes will be made. Andrew Flintoff's knee will be assessed when the team meets up in Birmingham although the allrounder has said he is confident of being available.

Steve Rouse, the Edgbaston groundsman, described the pitch has being like "jelly" earlier in the week, and said it would be a challenge to bring it up to standard for the Test after recent poor weather, so the inclusion of Harmison and Panesar will allow England to cover all bases.

However, a slow, low surface would decrease the chances of a recall for Harmison, who according to the newspaper reports, wants a final opportunity against Australia before ending his England career for a life in county cricket with Durham.

Likely squad Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wk), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Graham Onions, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar

 

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IPL franchises get home support for Champions League

Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi will host the inaugural Champions Twenty20 League between October 8 and 23 this year. The cities are the home venues of the three IPL teams taking part in the tournament - Deccan Chargers, the winners of IPL 2009, Royal Challengers Bangalore, the runners-up, and Delhi Daredevils, who qualified by virtue of finishing first in the group stage.

The Indian franchises will be competing against domestic Twenty20 teams from other countries: Victoria and New South Wales from Australia, Cape Cobras and Eagles from South Africa, Otago Volts from New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago from West Indies and Wayamba from Sri Lanka. The English teams will be determined after their Twenty20 Cup ends in August.

The 12 teams will be split into four groups of three and, after a league phase, the top two from each group will progress to the second round. The top four teams from the second round will then qualify for the semi-finals. The schedule for the 23-match event, though, will be announced only on July 30.

Lalit Modi, the Champions Twenty20 League chairman, said the IPL's success in South Africa proved the club concept would be accepted by cricket fans across the world. "The Champions Twenty20 League is thus the ideal tournament to crown the best-of-the-best in club cricket from across the cricketing world," Modi said. "This time around we are fully equipped to conduct an extremely successful tournament in India and given the cooperation of our fellow cricket boards from Australia and South Africa, I am confident that the Champions Twenty20 League will truly be a global event."

An initiative of three founding members - the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa (CSA) - the tournament will have prize money of US$6 million.