Duncan Fletcher named India coach

img align="top" alt="Duncan Fletcher gives catching practice ahead of his last game in charge as England's coach, Barbados, April 20, 2007 " border="0" class="stryPhotoEn" hspace="0" src="http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/90700/90745.2.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="310">Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and former Zimbabwe captain, will take over from Gary Kirsten as India's coach. The BCCI announced the decision to give Fletcher a two-year contract after a Working Committee...

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PCB asks ICC to 'investigate' Sutherland comments

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has questioned the implementation of Qayyum recommendations © AFPEnlarge The PCB has taken umbrage at remarks made by Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland about the Justice Qayyum commission on matchfixing and asked the ICC to "investigate" the comments. In a recent story on corruption in cricket in the Age, Sutherland said that the spot-fixing scandal of last summer, after which three Pakistani players were banned for five years, might not have happened had the PCB acted properly in the aftermath of the Qayyum commission, whose recommendations were released in 2000. ''Ask yourself...

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Malinga blames Ranatunga-led board for injury

Colombo: Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga on Tuesday, blamed the country's cricket administration led by the former captain Arjuna Ranatunga for aggravating his knee injury that forced him to retire from Test cricket. Without naming Ranatunga he said,"The 2008 interim committee did not care for my well being," Malinga said adding that due to his knee injury he could not even climb the stairs of his house. He didn't hide his displeasure at being treated shabbily by the 2008 interim committee. "I was offered a basic contract when I deserved better." As Ranatunga led the committee, it is well understood that Malinga's grievance...

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Don't want to be talked about as potential India coach

Chennai: He is among the most talked about possible candidates for the Indian cricket coach's job, but New Zealander Stephen Fleming does not even want to discuss the prospect of taking up the post left vacant by Gary Kirsten. Fleming is currently incharge of IPL team Chennai Super Kings of which Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the captain. "I enjoy my relationship with all the Indian players and Dhoni is a special player I am involved with. He is a captain with free space. I have been working with Suresh Raina and others as well. Just about time that I do not want to be talked about as a potential Indian coach," Fleming said after CSK's 25-run...

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Sangakkara, Jayawardena also for early IPL exit

Colombo: After reports of Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan leaving the IPL to join the England-bound national team got rife, it is learnt that former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena are also packing their bags for an early exit. Sangakara and Jayawardena, who are currently in-charge of the Deccan Chargers and Kochi Tuskers Kerala respectively, will reportedly leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) early to start preparations for the first Test against England on 26th May. According to 'The Island', both the players are expected be in Colombo by May 16 and will leave the island a day later to join the squad for the...

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Nike extends Team India uniform sponsorship with BCCI for 5yrs

New Delhi: American sportswear maker Nike on Tuesday said it has extended its contract with BCCI for another five years to sponsor Indian cricket team's uniform. "Nike, the official apparel sponsors for the Indian National Cricket Team since December, 2005 has extended its contract for a period of five years with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)," the company said in a statement. Nike will continue to be the official kit supplier to the Indian cricket team, it added. The company did not comment on financials involved, but the deal size is estimated at about Rs. 270 crore. Nike's Rs. 200 crore earlier...

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I should take the blame for not finishing the game: Yuvraj

Chennai: Pune Warriors India captain Yuvraj Singh admitted that he should take the blame for not being able to finish the game as their team slumped to third defeat after CSK beat them by 25 runs at Chepauk on Monday. Yuvraj played an uncharacteristic knock of 34 off only 43 balls. "It's difficult to come back once you are four down inside the first six overs. I should also take a lot of blame for not being able to finish the match. This has happened for the third time now that I have started off well but couldn't finish off the match," Yuvraj said at the post-match presentation ceremony. The Warriors skipper however didn't regret the...

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Sachin mania stuns Aussie players

Hyderabad: Andrew Symonds, Davy Jacobs and Darren Lehmann have never witnessed anything like they did here on Sunday. After the game, people from different corners of the ground marched towards the players' enclosure, to try and get a glimpse of birthday boy, Sachin Tendulkar. Such was the chaos that Tendulkar's family had to stay back in the dressing room just as he was being escorted to the team vehicle. Symonds told MiD DAY: "I have never, ever, seen fans react in this way. I can't believe that a birthday of a cricketer could give so many people joy. It's unbelievable, mate," he said.Chargers coach Lehmann, who had just finished his...

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Zulqarnain Haider returns to Pakistan

Five and a half months after fleeing to London from the UAE on the morning of an ODI, Zulqarnain Haider, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper, has returned home, having secured security assurances from the government about his safety and that of his family.Haider landed at Islamabad airport on Monday morning and was swiftly escorted by security personnel to the office of Rehman Malik, the Interior Minister, who had convinced him to come back from London. Haider, who turned 25 on Saturday, had announced last week that he was prepared to revoke his application for asylum in the UK and return to Pakistan and resume his playing career. However,...

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BCCI unlikely to take decision on India coach on Apr 27

Mumbai: The BCCI is in no hurry to appoint a new cricket coach for the team and is unlikely to decide on the matter in its Working Committee's meeting on April 27 where the agenda would include various sub-committees' reports. "We are still in the process of doing so (finding a new coach). There's no hurry as the team is leaving for the West Indies only on June 1," BCCI President Shashank Manohar told PTI from Nagpur on Friday. A lot of names, including England's director of coaching Andy Flower and another Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher, are doing the rounds as the candidates likely to get the job. There are talks that an interim coach could...

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Simmons and Bishoo give West Indies victory

West Indies 150 for 7 (Simmons 65, Bravo 42, Rehman 2-22) beat Pakistan 143 for 9 (Umar 41, Bishoo 4-17) by seven runs Lendl Simmons led a positive West Indies innings by rushing to a 31-ball fifty © Getty Images Enlarge It's just one match, that will fade into obscurity by the end of the next, but West Indies began their latest New Era impressively, beating Pakistan by seven runs in the first ever Twenty20 match between the teams. Lendl Simmons made 65 to help West Indies set something competitive before Devendra Bishoo's four wickets brought them victory. Such has been...

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Bangladesh cricket board wants Dada as batting coach

Dhaka: While the speculation around Sourav Ganguly's inclusion in the IPL does not seem to find a conclusion, Bangladesh cricket has a different plan in mind. The Bangladesh national side has expressed its desire to appoint Dada as their batting coach following their disastrous series against Australia. The Bangladesh side had approached the Prince of Kolkata in 2010 but he had declined citing personal reasons. The prospects of him accepting the offer this time are slim as well considering Ganguly's desire to continue as a player in the Indian Premier League. Sourav Ganguly's inclusion in the IPL however, depends on the departure...

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TV Channels broadcasting Pakistan vs West Indies 2011 - Live

After the World Cup, Pakistan tours to West Indies for 1 T20, 5 ODIs and 2 Test matches starting from April 21. With IPL n one part of world, international matches like this may be more exciting. As this is going to be held in West Indies, Ten Sports has the broadcastng rights for the whole series. Australia : The matches are shown live in Fox Sports on Fox Sports 1. It is available in channel number 501 and channel no. 203 (for HD). Canada : not confirmed India : Ten Cricket - the sister channel of Ten Sports will broadcast all the matches of the series in India. Ten Cricket is available in major cable and DTH-platforms in India. Middle East : Ten Sports Nepal : Ten Cricket New Zealand : Sky Sport Pakistan : All the matches of series will be broadcast in Ten Sports...

Turbulent West Indies look towards future

Match FactsApril 21, Gros Islet Start time 2pm (1800 GMT) Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi are used to dealing with controversies surrounding their teams © AFP Enlarge The Big Picture A meeting between Pakistan and West Indies should be just the sort of combination of volatile elements that makes for an absorbing contest. One simply can't know what to expect from two teams famous for displays of talent and inconsistency in equal measure. Off-field disturbances can add to the soap opera, but there haven't been many occasions in the recent past when Pakistan have entered a series...

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Playing for Sri Lanka bigger than IPL - Dilshan

The blond streaks and the ear-rings are gone © Manoj Ridimahaliyadda Sri Lanka's newly appointed captain Tillakaratne Dilshan has said he doesn't mind leaving the IPL early in order to prepare for the upcoming tour of England. Dilshan is among the 11 Sri Lankan players who have been asked by Sri Lanka Cricket to return by May 5, in order to attend a training camp before leaving for England on May 11. "Personally, I am not unhappy to return early," said Dilshan, who is on a brief visit to Colombo amid his IPL commitments with Royal Challengers Bangalore. "Playing for my country is more...

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Sri Lanka board to ask Malinga to return from IPL

Lasith Malinga has continued to play in the IPL despite telling Sri Lanka Cricket he is not fit for the Tests in England © AFP Sri Lanka Cricket will ask fast bowler Lasith Malinga to return from the IPL and undergo a rehabilitation programme after he made himself unavailable for the upcoming Test series in England. Malinga had stated that he is suffering from an injury, but continues to play for Mumbai Indians in the Twenty20 tournament. Malinga did not figure in the Sri Lanka squad of 16 players named for the three-Test series against England starting on May 26 in Cardiff. "It looks...

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Windies, Pakistan set to launch T20 series

Gros-Islet: Old foes West Indies and Pakistan face each other in a Twenty20 International for the first time on Thursday. The Beausejour Cricket Ground in this coastal town on the northern circumference of this volcanic island of St Lucia forms a picturesque backdrop for the occasion. It is hard to believe that though Twenty20 matches have become popular in the modern game that the two sides have not been fortunate enough to cross each other's paths in this version before now. Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam said there were great expectations of his side, following a strong, if not successful show in the World Cup. "We've brought...

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Sehwag defends Irfan Pathan

New Delhi: Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag came in defence of Irfan Pathan, who was bought for a whopping USD 1.9 million, after his team's 16-run defeat to Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday. Pathan conceded 28 runs for a solitary wicket in his four overs and could score only five runs as the Daredevils crashed to their second defeat at the Ferozshah Kotla stadium, their home ground, and third in the tournament.The Baroda player's performance in the IPL so far has been anything but impressive."He is coming from injury and will take some time. He is coming back after a one-and-a-half-year lay-off year...

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Warner's wicket was the turning point: Christian

New Delhi: Deccan Chargers pacer Daniel Christian on Tuesday said opener David Warner's wicket was the one, which turned the match in his team's favour against Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League. "Warner's wicket was a huge one. We took the gamble by giving the ball to Shikhar. We wanted someone to bowl off-spin that would go away. It was a lucky one and it worked," Christian said after his team's 16-run win at the Feroz shah Kotla stadium on Tuesday. Warner scored 51 and looked on cousre to lead Daredevils to a win till he was at the crease.Talking about the wicket, Christian said, "That was a really good wicket. We...

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Daredevils, a pale shadow of their past

New Delhi: It is not the kind of start Delhi Daredevils would have liked to their fourth season in the Indian Premier League. Semifinalists in the first two years, the Delhi team is no longer the most balanced side in the competition and appears a bit flaky with the new set of players from a fresh auction struggling to jell as a unit. The most-feared team in the last three years now has only skipper Virender Sehwag and his fellow-opener Australian David Warner from among the old guard. The batting today depends heavily on the two openers as was evident from the four games they have played, winning only one. Daredevils, in the...

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Clarke will make a great captain with time: Haddin

Kolkata: Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin feels Michael Clarke is lucky to have former skipper Ricky Ponting by his side and said he would develop into a great captain with time. "Since the time he (Clarke) was appointed as Australia captain, he has been doing a very good job," said Haddin, who has been roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the Indian Premier League. "He (Clarke) has been lucky to have the class of Ponting in his apprenticeship. I think he will take somethings from what Ricky did well and move into his captaincy. "Ricky has been a tremendous leader for a long long time. Mike is going to develop into a very...

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Kochi Tuskers Kerala shock Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets

Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene during the IPL Twenty20 match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhade stadium. (TOI Photo) NEW DELHI: Brendon McCullum (81) and Mahela Jayawardene (56) helped Kochi Tuskers stun Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets to register their maiden IPL victory at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Friday. Late charge by Ravindra Jadeja (25 not out) and Brad Hodge (11 not out) powered Kochi Tuskers to victory with an over to spare. Jadeja smacked two sixes and two fours in his 11-ball cameo. Chasing 183-run target, skipper Jayawardene added 128 runs for the opening wicket with McCullum to lead the Kochi run-chase. Skipper...

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John Buchanan takes key role with New Zealand

John Buchanan oversaw a golden era of Australian cricket, and now he is joining New Zealand © Getty Images Enlarge John Buchanan, the former coach of Australia, has been confirmed as New Zealand's director of cricket. Buchanan will take on the role with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in May, and will be in charge of the high-performance programme, while also overseeing the selection panel and implementing a talent identification system. The wide-ranging brief is Buchanan's first major job in international cricket since he resigned as Australia's coach following the 2007 World Cup...

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Australia can't waste talent like India: Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell, Cricket Australia's national talent manager, has said, on returning from a "reconnaissance exercise" to the US, that Australia do not have as large a talent pool for cricket as some other countries, and hence have to be careful not to waste any of the talent they have. He said the key for Australian cricket was giving young players enough opportunities so they develop mental strength early. Chappell and four other Cricket Australia officials had visited the US to study the functioning of two American teams - the Boston Red Sox and the University of Texas football team - and explore, among other things, the way they identified and...

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India Vs West Indies 2011 - Fixtures and Schedule

After the IPL 2011, the World Cup Champions India will travel all across to West Indies for International cricket series. The team will play 1 T20, 5 ODIs then followed by 3 tests in West Indies. By the time, West Indies would have just finished another home series against Pakistan.This will be the first series after the World Cup 2011 for India. It starts from June 4 when the two teams meet up for the only T20i of the tour. All the venues have been declared and you can get the complete fixtures of India's Tour of West Indies 2011 : Date Match Venue Jun 04 - Sat West Indies v India, Only T20I Queen's Park Oval Port of Spain, Trinidad Jun 06 - Mon West Indies v India, 1st ODI Queen's Park Oval Port of Spain, Trinidad Jun 08 - Wed West Indies v India, 2nd ODI Queen's Park...

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No India-Pakistan series till March 2012, says BCCI

New Delhi/Islamabad: The cricket fans will have to wait till next year for an India-Pakistan bilateral series since the cricket calendar is completely full till March 2012.Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, said: "There are no free slots available on the cricket tour calendar to accommodate an India-Pakistan series until the end of March 2012."Shukla's statement negates the reports of India-Pakistan playing a three-match ODI series this year. However, as a follow-up to the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, India has decided in-principle to resume bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan....

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Sri Lanka recalls players from IPL

Colombo: Sri Lankan sports ministry's decision to call back its cricketers from the ongoing IPL could lead to "a potentially explosive situation" as far as the board's ties with the BCCI - world cricket's financial powerhouse - is concerned, a leading newspaper here said. The ministry had on Tuesday asked the Sri Lankan cricketers participating in the hugely popular Twenty20 league to return home early to prepare for the national team's tour of England that gets underway on May 14. "The latest development is almost certain to create a tense situation in Sri Lanka's ties with the world cricket's financial power house, the BCCI which more or less...

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