Confident of a good show against Pakistan in Tests: Sammy

Guyana: West Indies captain Darren Sammy said they are confident of defending their proud home record against Pakistan in the two-Test series.



The first Test will begin at the Guyana National Stadium on Thursday.



Pakistan beat West Indies 3-2 in the ODI series.



Pakistan have never won a Test series on six previous tours here. If the Windies win this series they will secure valuable ranking points to move up one place in the ICC Test ladder to sixth spot.



"We believe we can win the series. We have worked hard in the build-up to the series and we know we have the ability to perform on home turf. We saw an improved batting performance in the last two matches of the One-day series and everyone in the team is feeling confident and prepared," Sammy said.



"We hope all the hard work we have been doing in the nets and the two-day warm-up matches will help. The way our bowling has been coming along in the last six months in ODI tour of Sri Lanka - we know we are capable of getting 20 wickets."



Sammy said the team fought back well to win the last two ODIs



"We will take that momentum and belief into the Test matches. Test cricket is a different and we know we have to make the adjustment. We have to be patient as we execute. It is about occupying the crease and putting good totals on the board. When we bowl. It is about being patient and trying to get the ball in the right areas and build the pressure on the Pakistanis."



"The pitch looks similar to the one we played on in the One Day match here and I have faith in our attack to deliver against Pakistan."

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PCB still undecided on Afridi's future as skipper

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board is yet to take a call on Shahid Afridi's future as captain of the national team.



The PCB has show caused Afridi seeking an explanation for making his views public regarding his differences with chief coach Waqar Younis on the composition of the team during the recently concluded ODI series in the Caribbean.



Official sources in the PCB said that the flamboyant all-rounder would find it difficult to win back the confidence of board chairman Ijaz Butt.



"Afridi is expected to send his reply to our notice today and so far no decision has been taken on his future as captain," the source said.



"Ijaz Butt was not happy with Afridi's attitude and keenness to go public with team issues even before the World Cup. That was one reason why the board took so long to name the captain for the World Cup.



"Even than the board had warned Afridi to avoid giving too many statements in the media and not to discuss team issues. In fact during a meeting, the PCB Chairman had told Afridi to be careful in future. The delay in announcing the captain for the World Cup was to give a clear message to Afridi that he was not indispensable," the source added.



Afridi had criticised Younis for interfering in team selection during the 3-2 one-day series win over the West Indies.



"Waqar interferes with the team selection and everyone should do his job," Afridi said on his return from the West Indies on Sunday.



Television channels and newspapers have reported in the last 24 hours that the board has decided to sack Afridi as captain and he might not be in the squad that will play two one-day matches against Ireland later this month.



Afridi himself has now tried to downplay reports of a rift within the team management involving him and coach Waqar.



The all-rounder, in a damage control step yesterday, said he had spoken in general terms about job descriptions in the team and had not named Waqar Younis at all.



Afridi also added that he would respond to the board's notice today and try to meet with the chairman of the board in Lahore to convey his point of view to him.



The source said while there were no immediate plans to remove Afridi as captain, the board was planning to send players currently playing in the Tests against the West Indies to Ireland for the two-match ODI series on May 28 and 29th.



"In that case, there is every possibility that Misbah-ul-Haq will be asked to lead the team," the source said.

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Mitchell Johnson and his hush-hush wedding

New Delhi: According to reports in the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Jessica Bratich in a secret wedding ceremony.



The wedding has been confirmed by Johnson's manager Sam Halvorsen and is believed to have taken place last Friday. According to the same report, none of Johnson's teammates were invited for the ceremony though Halvorsen has not made any comments on the matter.



Johson proposed to Bratich over two years ago and the relationship has gone through troubled times with the Australian press even reporting earlier that Johnson's mother has accused Bratich of 'stealing my son from me.'



Bratich is a model and a karate black belt champion.

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It's back to the Tests as Pakistan face West Indies

Bridgetown, Guyana: We've been starved of Test cricket for nearly four months now. Ever since Pakistan drew in Wellington, to win the series against New Zealand, there's been a glut of limited-over matches - the World Cup, Australia in Bangladesh, the IPL and Pakistan in the West Indies. Re-adjusting attention spans to the pace of five-day cricket might take a while, for both players and us. It is in Guyana, at the other end of the cricket universe from where they last played, that Pakistan resume the Test calendar, in pursuit of a success they've never achieved before.



Pakistan have never won a Test series in the West Indies. They've beaten them at home and at neutral venues (UAE in 2001-02), but in six trips to the Caribbean, Pakistan have lost four series and drawn two. The most memorable of those battles was in 1987-88, when Imran Khan's team held its own against the champion side Viv Richards inherited from Clive Lloyd in three monumental Tests. One-all it finished. The last two were thrillers. Unfortunately, Pakistan and West Indies have regressed since that watershed tour, and it would be fanciful to expect Misbah-ul-Haq and Darren Sammy's teams to produce entertainment of comparable quality.



Whether Pakistan or West Indies are in greater disorder could make for protracted debate. About ten months ago, it would have been Pakistan. Their captain (Shahid Afridi) jumped ship and retired from Tests, while his successor (Salman Butt) and their two best fast bowlers (Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer) were embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal and then banned by the ICC. From the cold the selectors recalled Misbah and then made him captain. His chalice, however, hasn't been poisoned and Pakistan have been uncontroversial under his leadership. They also drew against South Africa and won in New Zealand. Pakistan, incredibly, appear well settled.



It is West Indies who appear to be in turmoil. Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard turned down board contracts, preferring to remain unshackled to pursue lucrative assignments. And ever since West Indies were eliminated from the World Cup, by Pakistan, there's been a slanging match between the WICB on one side, and the WIPA and several players on the other, over how cricket is run in the region and how cricketers are treated by administrators. The upshot of the series of events is that West Indies will play the Test series against Pakistan without Gayle and Bravo, two players who would have walked into the starting XIs. Also missing is fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who's playing in the IPL.



West Indies have won only three series since Sri Lanka visited in 2003. Two of those were against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Their only success against a top side was the 1-0 result against England in 2009, a victory that was due to a searing spell from the now-absent Taylor.

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Roping in Gayle has changed RCB fortunes: Vettori

Jaipur: 

Having registered five wins on the trot with Chris Gayle playing a significant role in their success, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori acknowledged that the explosive West Indian batsman's entry into the team has completely changed their fortunes.



"We had started badly, losing three opening games but with Gayle coming in and his opening partnerships with (Tillakaratne) Dilshan have been able to put pressure on the opposition. Gayle has been in tremendous form and has bowled well too," said Vettori at the match-eve press conference.



Gayle had destroyed rival bowling attacks with utter disdain with his power-hitting on more than one occasion in the tournament. He has helped the team post big scores. But Vettori disagreed that has shielded the bowlers. "We were out for 120 and the bowlers were tested in that match. In fact, they are tested in every match because of shorter boundaries and flat wickets."



Defending Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, whose performance has been below par in the IPL 4 so far, the Bangalore skipper said "he bowls economically in the last overs".



"He is a key bowler for us and swung the match for us against Pune Warriors. He bowls economically in the last overs and he and I bear the brunt of the attack."



On his team's chances of reaching play-offs, Vettori said RCB could reach the knock-out stage but need to improve their fielding.



"With four games remaining, three victories can push us to top two. The current form is satisfying but need to improve on fielding.



"It was fielding which had cost us few initial matches but with batting and bowling coming good the confidence has trickled down to fielding too, which has improved," said Vettori.



"It is an important match and we need to win against Rajasthan Royals to consolidate our position," said Vettori.

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