De Villiers, Kallis shape S. Africa's win

AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis hammered centuries to set up South Africa's consolation 90-run victory over India in the third and final one-day international on Saturday.

De Villiers cracked a quickfire 102 not out for his sixth hundred and skipper Kallis a solid unbeaten 104 for his 17th century as South Africa posted their highest one-day total of 365-2 against India.

De Villiers's century came off just 58 deliveries, the seventh-fastest in one-day cricket.

India, who rested openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, and pacemen Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra after gaining an unbeatable 2-0 lead on Wednesday, were all out for 275 in the day-night match in Ahmedabad.

South African paceman Dale Steyn did the maximum damage as he finished with three wickets for 37 runs, including those of well-set Virat Kohli (57) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (nine) in one over.

Seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe bagged three wickets, while spinners Johan Botha and Roelof van der Merwe took two wickets apiece.

The South African bowlers were superbly backed by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher, who finished with five dismissals.

Suresh Raina (49), Rohit Sharma (48) and Ravindra Jadeja (36) were the other main scorers for India.

De Villiers and Kallis made the most of India's depleted attack, adding 173 for the unfinished third wicket with a wide range of strokes. They built on impressive efforts from openers Hashim Amla (87) and Loots Bosman (68).

Kallis hit three sixes and five fours in his 94-ball knock, reaching his hundred in the penultimate over with a six off fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

De Villiers, who made an unbeaten 114 in the previous match in Gwalior on Wednesday, completed his second successive hundred with a four off part-timer Sharma in the final over. He hit three sixes and 11 boundaries.

Amla and Bosman set the pace after their team elected to bat on a good track, dominating the Indian attack to add 113 for the opening wicket.

Bosman was more aggressive, hitting seamer Sudeep Tyagi for three fours in an over and then pulling Sreesanth for the first six of the match.

He raced to his second half-century in one-day internationals in style, lofting off-spinner Yusuf Pathan over long-on for a six. He fell playing strokes, caught at long-off while attempting a big shot off Pathan.

Bosman hit four sixes and seven fours in his 46-ball knock.

Amla continued to gather runs comfortably against both pace and spin before being caught in the deep off spinner Jadeja.

Ramdin urges teammates to focus on victory

Denesh Ramdin has echoed the sentiment of new coach Ottis Gibson that West Indies need to forget about their wretched recent tour of Australia and focus on demoralising Zimbabwe.

West Indies were crushed 4-0 in the One-day Internationals, and were swept away 2-0 in the Twenty20 Internationals during their trip Down Under.

Ramdin will captain West Indies in the absence of Chris Gayle in the Twenty20 game against Zimbabwe on Sunday at Queen's Park Oval here, and he wants to condemn that trip to Australia as a bad and distant memory.

"We don't want to take Zimbabwe easy, they are competitive," said Ramdin at a news conference to launch the series on Saturday.

"It is for us to go out there and play our best cricket. The (Australia) series is gone. We are looking to the future. We have a new coach who is looking forward to great things from us."

Gibson on Friday had indicated the need for West Indies to move on from the winless debacle in Australia to prepare for success against the Zimbabweans.

He also warned his side against being complacent against one of the teams considered minnows in the international game.

Ramdin acknowledged that West Indies were slightly depleted without Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, and Jerome Taylor, but he felt their replacements were more than capable of taking the home team over the line.

"I think the young guys have to step up to the plate," said the West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman.

"Some of our established players are out of the team, so the young players have to step up, take the opportunities, and do great things for themselves and the team."

"We've done well (in the only T20I) on this ground, and we're hoping to continue this. The guys are looking forward to it, and we have a lot of guys who have played T20Is, and can go out there and execute."

Ramdin himself would love to make a significant contribution to the side.

His continued failures with the bat, if not behind the stumps has been a source of major disappointment in the Caribbean, and a promotion in the order could be the right tonic.

"I would like to bat higher in the order for West Indies. If given the opportunity, I will go out and do it.

"I've done it in the past for (my native) Trinidad & Tobago, and I've done it for a couple of games for West Indies.

"I got some results I wanted, some I didn't. If I have the opportunity again, I will go out there, and try and do the best for the team."

Waqar Younis accepts PCB's offer to don full time coach cap

Karachi, Feb.28 : Former Pakistan speedster Waqar Younis has accepted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) proposal to don the national cricket team’s chief coach’s cap.

“I have received a proper offer from the Pakistan board and I am ready to take on this challenge,” Younis who has settled in Sydney said,.

Describing the job as a ‘big challenge’, Younis said Pakistan has no dearth of talent and the national squad can challenge even the best teams in the world.

“That is fine with me. I see this job as a big challenge as Pakistan cricket has great talent and potential to deliver top results against all teams,” The Dawn quoted Younis, as saying.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was under tremendous pressure to replace Intikhab Alam, who had come under attack from various quarters following Pakistan’s disastrous tour Down Under.

Younis was appointed as Pakistan’s bowling and fielding coach for the series against Australia in which Pakistan suffered a humiliating whitewash in both the Test and one-day series.

Earlier, the former pacer had said that he was no longer interested in coaching the team, and that he would soon reveal the reasons behind the debacle in Australia.

Pakistan were swamped 3-0 in the Test series and 5-0 in the one-day series in Australia and Younis said there were some ‘non-cricketing reasons’ for the pitiable show.

Younis has been associated with the Pakistani team prior to the Australia series as well. During his previous tenure in 2006, he helped Pakistani bowlers to improve their techniques before resigning owing to differences with the board and officials.

Johnson warns New Zealand ahead of Christchurch Twenty20

Christchurch, Feb 28 : Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has warned the New Zealand team that Friday’s crushing six-wicket defeat for the home side in the Wellington Twenty20 is unlikely to be a one-off event.

Johnson, who took 3-19 in a man-of-the-match performance, said Australia''s pace attack will crush the life out of the Black Caps in the second and final game of the Twenty20 series in Christchurch on Sunday.

“They have got Shane Bond who can bowl pretty quick, but we have got a few guys in our side that can bowl 145-150kmh-plus, it does make a bit of a difference,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Johnson, as saying.

“You don''t get an easy run at it. It definitely makes it tougher for their guys. I''m pretty glad we are not facing us,” he added.

Johnson further said the Australians are satisfied that they will set the bar high for New Zealand.

“Definitely guys were a little bit nervous coming over, playing a new side again and we knew New Zealand love the shorter form of the game and do pretty well in it. There were nerves in the dressing room and I definitely felt it,” Johnson said.

Australians told that India is safe for IPL

Sydney, Feb.28 : Australian cricketers are set to play in the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official delivered a secret briefing to players in Christchurch yesterday.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the key piece of information is that the DFAT''s travel advice remains unchanged from last year when Australia visited India without any security issues.

Members of the Australian Twenty20 squad who are contracted to Indian franchises attended the 20-minute briefing session.

Independent security consultant Reg Dickason and Australian Cricketers'' Association boss Paul Marsh were on a telephone hook-up.

It is understood the players were told that a recent threat from the al-Qaeda-linked 313 Brigade was not credible.

''''As you know, the travel advisory for India hasn''t changed in 12 months. The purpose today was to give the players as much information as possible. It''s not just the cricketers involved. We''ve got staff going to the IPL, there''s a whole lot of state physios, coaches, state players,'''' Cricket Australia general manager Michael Brown, was quoted, as saying after the meeting.

''''Our position is just saying, ''Look, this is what we know''. The IPL isn''t an issue for us because we don''t have an Australian team - but we are privy to a whole lot of information that we get in our normal processes. DFAT said they would be happy to give the players a personal briefing. We said we would take the invitation,'''' he added.

Australia''s other IPL players and staff who are not in New Zealand, including retired stars such as Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, will receive the same information tomorrow.

''''The reality is we''re living in a world where terrorism is part of our lives. Right up until the day you depart, it can change. Who would have thought about London, who would have thought about Mumbai, Lahore? The reality is you''ve got to make your decisions based on the best information,” Brown said.

''''The advice simply from the government is that the travel advisory for India hasn''t changed. It doesn''t mean it can''t change between now and the start of the tournament. No decisions were made today. It was purely an information session. We want people to make informed decisions,'''' he said.

Marsh to miss one-day series in New Zealand

Sydney, Feb.28 : Opening batsman Shaun Marsh will miss Australia''s one-day international series in New Zealand because of ongoing back problems, Cricket Australia said on Sunday.

Australia''s two-match Twenty20 series against the Black Caps concludes on Sunday in Christchurch with a five-game ODI series starting in Napier on Wednesday.

Marsh, 26, injured his back during the warm-up for the third ODI against the West Indies in Sydney on February 12, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

His fellow West Australian Mike Hussey took Marsh''s place in the T20 squad.

The injury to Marsh leaves Australia with only 13 players in their squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Series, although T20 specialist opener David Warner is in excellent form and must be a chance to win a recall to the ODI squad.

Warner reached his half-century from 18 balls on his way to 67 runs from 29 deliveries against West Indies in a T20 match in Sydney on February 23.

It was the fastest 50 in a T20 match by an Australian.

The 23-year-old NSW left-hander''s T20 scores for Australia this summer have been 24 against Pakistan, 49 and 67 against the Windies and 19 from 10 balls against New Zealand on Friday in Wellington.

Vice-captain Michael Clarke and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin are also candidates to open the batting with Shane Watson in the ODI series.

Members of the ODI squad not participating in the T20 series are due to arrive in Napier on Sunday. They include Test and ODI skipper Ricky Ponting, Doug Bollinger, James Hopes, Clint McKay and Adam Voges.

T20 squad members Dirk Nannes, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Travis Birt, Daniel Christian and David Hussey are scheduled to return to Australia after Sunday''s second T20 clash.

Australia''s ODI squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (v-capt), Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, James Hopes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Ijaz Ahmed pitches for rookie spinner Raza Hasan's inclusion in T20 World Cup squad

Islamabad, Feb.28 : Describing the 17 year old left-arm spinner Raza Hasan as a ‘talented’ lad , Pakistan U-19 cricket coach Ijaz Ahmed has said he must be included in the 15 member squad for the ICC T20 World Championship, scheduled to be held in April in the Caribbean.

“The pitches in the West Indies are going to assist spin and Raza should be taken in the final squad. He''s a very talented boy and has ability that defies the fact that he is only 17 years of age. Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik and Raza Hasan could form a very powerful spin attack in the Caribbean,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed, who was recently in temporary charge of the Pakistan senior team that played two T20 matches in Dubai against England, is also of the opinion that Raza should be taken to England, where Pakistan would be playing against the hosts and Australia.

“Yes I firmly believe that Raza will be ready to play in England against Australia and England. He has the ability to perform well in one day cricket and the longer version of the game. He has control and most importantly knows when to defend and when to attack as a bowler,” Ahmed told PakPassion.net.

Raza has already been named in the list of 30 probables for the T20 World Cup.

Though the teenage spinner has played only two first class matches, he has impressed many with his control and variety.

He also performed brilliantly in the Under 19 World Cup, where Pakistan were defeated by Australia in the final.

England put Bangladesh in to bat

England captain Alastair Cook elected to field after winning the toss against Bangladesh in the opening one-day international on Sunday.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter made his one-day debut for England, who will play three one-dayers and two Tests on the tour.

England: Alastair Cook (capt), Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior, Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Ryan Sidebottom.

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Aftab Ahmed, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam.

Watson relishes playing the role of villain as Kiwi crowds get stuck in

Christchurch (New Zealand), Feb.28 : Kiwi supporters have already singled out Australian opener Shane Watson as public enemy No.1 on this tour, screaming the house down during the first Twenty20 clash at Wellington, but the man is relishing every minute of it.

It was deafening, complemented by foot stomping and clapping, reaching a crescendo between the fifth and sixth deliveries of Watson''s third over of Australia''s six-wicket win.

Having already triggered a slanging match with equally combative Kiwi batsman James Franklin, Watson ran in to bowl, enticed an edge from Gareth Hopkins, Brad Haddin took the catch, Watson punched the air and the locals had their villain.

Later, Franklin paid tribute to Watson''s competitiveness, saying he had no idea why the Australian all-rounder started ''''barking'''' at him - but welcoming a repeat in game two at Christchurch today.

Akmal undeterred by match-fixing allegations

Karachi: Accused of match-fixing, Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, Sunday said he is not bothered by the allegations and is focussing on his game to give his best in the World Twenty20 championship beginning April 30 in the West Indies.

The former Pakistan vice-captain said here at the National Stadium that such damaging reports are being spread by elements seeking to destabilise Pakistan cricket.

"These false reports do not bother me and I will continue to focus on my game. I want to give my best performance for my country," said the Lahore-based Akmal who is here to feature in the National Twenty20 championship which began here Sunday.

However, Akmal made it clear that he might consider suing the media organisations which accused him of being involved in match-fixing.

"It is a huge allegation and I will decide on my response after discussing the issue with my lawyer and the Pakistan Cricket Board."

Media reports over the last couple of days have suggested that Akmal and experienced Pakistan all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan are under investigation for match-fixing.

Rana Naved has also strongly denied the accusation and has threatened to take legal action over the issue.

Mumbai, Rhodes, a current fielding coach for Indian Premier League (IPL) team the Mumbai Indians, said he was optimistic about the team, especially its star player, Tendulkar.

"I think the makeup of the Mumbai Indians team for season number three is looking really strong and positive. Anybody who comes off a double century in a one day international 50-over game must be in very good form,” said Rhodes.

Tendulkar became the first batsman to hit 200 runs in a one-day international on Wednesday, and set up a 153-run win and a series victory for India over South Africa.

While Rhodes may not have any qualms about Tendulkar with the bat, he said he will be keeping a close eye on him on the field.

“I''m not worried about him with the bat because he''s a master. I''m not concerned. I''ll be watching him in the field and he knows that. I spoke to him on the phone two nights ago and I told him, ''No excuses, I don''t care how many runs you score in a one day game, you still got to be out there diving around'',” Rhodes said.

“I think there''s enough pressure on Sachin to be Sachin, so the coaching staff don''t worry about that. He just goes out there. He plays the best cricket he knows how to and let''s face it, that''s an amazing effort,” he added.

Ribery shoots Bayern Munich back to top of Bundesliga

Bayern started the day a point behind Leverkusen, who could only manage a 0-0 draw with Cologne Saturday, and it looked like Louis van Gaal's side would also fail to break down Hamburg until Ribery struck with a fine individual effort 12 minutes from time.

Bayern now have 52 points, two clear of Leverkusen and four ahead of third-placed Schalke 04, who enjoyed a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund Friday.

"I think that this is a very important result for us," said van Gaal. "This was a very tactical game and we deserved to win."

The last time the team from Bavaria topped the league was on May 17, 2008 although at times at the Allianz Arena in Munich the necessary win looked far from possible for the home side.

After a nervy opening quarter of an hour, Hamburg came closest to opening the scoring on 18 minutes when Piotr Trochowski unleashed a dipping shot from 25 metres that Bayern goalkeeper Joerg Butt did well to tip over the crossbar.

A minute later there were furious calls for a penalty for handball from Bayern captain Mark van Bommel when his shot was deflected by Jerome Boateng for a corner but referee Lutz Wagner waved away the midfielder's protests.

The game was flowing well at this stage and Trochowski had a great chance to put the visitors in front on 22 minutes but the German striker blasted over from the edge of the area.

Shortly afterwards Ribery found himself in shooting range but his weak shot was easily dealt with by Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost.

The chances for both sides began to dry up as the half progressed although Bayern's Arjen Robben caused problems down the flanks while Mladen Petric should have done better for Hamburg when firing over shortly before the break.

The contest remained evenly balanced in the second period with chances at a premium. Thomas Mueller should have done better shortly before the hour mark when Bayern broke with pace but the young striker failed to find a team-mate in the area.

Mario Gomez came close to collecting a Ribery pass on 62 minutes as Bayern upped the pressure while the Frenchman sent a shot just wide two minutes later.

However, despite the increased tempo Bayern never looked like opening up Hamburg until, with time running out, Ribery broke down the left before cutting inside Guy Demel and unleashing a fierce shot that flew past substitute goalkeeper Wolgang Hesl for his third goal of the season.

"Players like Ribery and Robben can decide matches with the quality they have," said van Gaal.

To their credit, Hamburg went all out for an equalizer and almost drew level on 82 minutes but substitute Tunay Torun's header landed on the top of Butt's crossbar.

In the day's other match, Hanover 96 remain in serious relegation trouble after losing 1-0 at home to champions VfL Wolfsburg to register a ninth league defeat in a row.

Zvjezdan Misimovic netted the only goal of the game for Wolfsburg on 78 minutes, firing home unchallenged from close range after a near-post header from Grafite landed at his feet.

Substitute Jan Bruggink had a glorious chance to equalize for Hanover four minutes from time when he found himself clear on goal but the Dutch midfielder fired straight at Wolfsburg goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz.

The result means Hanover remain second from bottom on 17 points, two clear of bottom club Hertha Berlin but three from the safety of 15th spot, currently occupied by SC Freiburg. (IANS)

Zimbabwe spinners shock West Indies

Zimbabwe 105 (Masakadza 44, Benn 4-6) beat West Indies 79 for 7 (Cremer 3-11) by 26 runs


At the halfway stage, West Indies' winless streak looked almost certain to be snapped after astonishing spells from Sulieman Benn and Darren Sammy, but Zimbabwe's spirited army of spinners scripted a memorable fightback to help the visitors clinch a low-scoring scrap. On a day when Australia and New Zealand blasted the highest Twenty20 match aggregate during a nailbiter in Christchurch, Prosper Utseya's team won a game in which both sides made their lowest ever Twenty20 scores.

The Queen's Park Oval pitch helped the spinners and was a trifle two-paced, but not so treacherous as to merit a record eight ducks, and it merely highlighted the limitations of the batsmen on both sides.

What makes the ultimately comfortable victory even more special for Zimbabwe was that they were seemingly down and out after just 14 deliveries, losing three wickets to the left-arm spin of Benn with no score on board. A late onslaught from Elton Chigumbura after Zimbabwe had hobbled to 76 for 6 in 18 overs initially seemed inconsequential, but his 19-ball 34 turned out to be crucial in a match where batsmen couldn't pull off the big hits. West Indies' entire innings had only three fours and a six.

Utseya had mentioned at the toss that the spinners were one of the side's big strengths, and with the ball turning significantly, he used the slow bowlers for 18 overs. They proved hard to get away, but there was no signs of the turnaround that lay ahead when Adrian Barath and Shivnarine Chanderpaul negotiated the first five overs, steering West Indies to 20 for 0.

Then in a flurry of attempted big hits from their young batsmen, the home side imploded. Barath was bowled in the sixth over after being beaten by the turn when looking to clear the legside boundary, Andre Fletcher picked out the deep square leg fielder with a powerful sweep in the next over, Pollard was foxed by the flight and dip of Graeme Cremer in his first attempt at a signature lofted on-drive, and Darren Bravo picked up a golden duck after the ball kept low when he was trying a Hollywood pull shot. West Indies had stumbled to 32 for 4 and it was game on.

Still, with West Indies' serial rescuer Chanderpaul unbeaten, and given a reprieve when Cremer grassed a sitter at long-on in the 10th over, they were slight favourites. Offspinner Greg Lamb, who had earlier played a completely un-Twenty20 innings consuming 28 deliveries for 11 (all in singles), tipped the game Zimbabwe's way by trapping Chanderpaul lbw in the 12th over with a delivery that spun a lot less than the batsman expected.

From that stage, it was almost all Zimbabwe. Dwayne Smith threatened briefly and stand-in captain Denesh Ramdin battled till the end, but West Indies never really mounted a serious challenge.

Ramdin, and the smattering of spectators who turned up, would hardly have expected such a result after the surprise move to open the bowling with Benn paid off spectacularly, with the left-arm spinner crushing Zimbabwe's top-order to end with 4 for 6. That was the third best bowling analysis in Twenty20s, but only for a short while, as Sammy snared three wickets in the final over to finish with a five-for.

Benn struck off the match's first delivery, when Vusi Sibanda was bowled after failing to read the arm-ball. No. 3 Tatenda Taibu looked to sweep everything that Benn sent down, without much success, and fell lbw in the third over after failing to connect with a full delivery while attempting yet another sweep. Two balls later Stuart Matsikenyeri wafted at an unthreatening ball outside off and nicked to the keeper.

Zimbabwe were 0 for 3 but Benn was not done yet, getting Brendan Taylor in his next over. With nine deliveries still remaining in Benn's spell, the record for the best Twenty20 bowling - Umar Gul's masterful 5 for 6 against New Zealand in the ICC World Twenty20 last year - was under attack. Zimbabwe's batsmen, though, managed to defend their way through the rest of Benn's bowling.

After surviving the opening burst from Benn and Kemar Roach, who got the ball to jag about at pace, Hamilton Masakadza started to gain in confidence, and stitched together a partnership with Greg Lamb. Masakadza tried to accelerate by smashing a couple of boundaries but the 40-run stand was broken by one of the softest dismissals: Lamb inexplicably missed a slower one from Sammy - looking to play the ball and then almost offering no stroke, only to see the delivery go on to knock over middle stump.

Zimbabwe had their best phase of the innings after that, with Chigumbura looking comfortable at the crease from the outset. He and Masakadza added 21 in three overs before the opener was foxed by a slower offcutter from Sammy. Chigumbura then slammed 22 off an erratic Ravi Rampaul over to boost the target towards triple digits, before he became one of Sammy's three final-over victims.

Clark to return from back injury

Stuart Clark is set to make his comeback after a near three-month lay-off due to a back injury that kept him out of contention for most of Australia's international matches this summer. Clark has been named to captain New South Wales in their second-last Sheffield Shield game of the season, against Tasmania in Hobart starting on Wednesday.

Although Clark has conceded his international career is all but over he is keen to take on more captaincy duties with the Blues and has signed a county deal with Kent. He will take the reins for New South Wales, who have rested their regular leader Simon Katich due to his heavy workload.

The Blues are also without Josh Hazlewood, who has a side strain, and Grant Lambert and Moises Henriques, who have been dropped. But their batting has been given a boost with the return of Usman Khawaja, who has averaged 60.62 this season but hasn't played since early January due to a thumb injury.

Steven Smith has also been named in the 12-man squad, having finished his duties with the Australia Twenty20 team in New Zealand. New South Wales would need to win their remaining two games outright and have a host of other results fall their way to even have a chance of making the Sheffield Shield final, as they sit second-last on the table.

Ravi Bopara delays departure to India

England batsman Ravi Bopara, who plays for the Kings XI Punjab, has delayed his departure to India for the IPL, which begins on March 12, due to security concerns. However Lalit Modi, the league's commissioner, said he had spoken to Bopara and the batsman had told him he was "looking forward to coming to India".

Bopara was concerned about the contents of security advisor Reg Dickason's report, which had named Al Qaeda group Brigade 313 as a possible threat to the IPL. "Cricket is my living and in many ways my life. But it is not worth dying for," Bopara told the Mail on Sunday. "This is a very tricky call. I have been in touch with the franchise and they are pretty positive that things will be okay. But Reg Dickason's report says something different.

"At the moment I'm nowhere with this decision. I've had some contact with other players. No one has said they are definitely not going, but no one has said they definitely are either. I have pushed back my flight so I can give myself a bit more time to see what happens and whether the security measures are implemented. The franchise will want an answer in the next few days, but I will not come to a hasty decision just because I have to. I need to weigh everything up and if I could buy myself even more time, I would."

Modi, however, responded on his Twitter account by saying reports about Bopara not coming "are completely false". Bopara, who was bought for $450,000 at the 2009 auction, is one of eight England cricketers involved in IPL 2010. Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Graham Napier and Michael Lumb are the others.

Meanwhile, the Australian players were told at a security briefing in Christchurch on Sunday that the terrorist threat from the 313 Brigade was not credible. However, Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, has said there could still be "mass withdrawals" unless players receive a commitment that the IPL's security plans will be implemented at all venues.

'Don't judge bench strength on one game' - Kirsten

After a new-look India were convincingly beaten by South Africa in Ahmedabad, coach Gary Kirsten has said the depth of talent in his side shouldn't be gauged based on just one performance. India fielded two debutants, opener M Vijay and fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun, and had only two players with more than 50 one-dayers under their belt in the dead rubber.

"It's difficult to judge the bench strength by one game," Kirsten said after the 90-run defeat. "I see it as an opportunity for the younger players but you cannot judge them by one performance."

With a core of experienced team members performing consistently, Kirsten said the reserve players were not getting enough chances at the international level. "We want to win every series and this does not give opportunities for the younger players to get the exposure. But this was a good learning experience for them."

The home side were without their entire first-choice bowling line-up of Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh, and the inexperienced bowling unit, led by Sreesanth, was taken for 365 runs by South Africa.

Captain MS Dhoni said India missed the variations of Zaheer and Nehra. "The three fast bowlers that we played, their strength was not change of pace," he said. "If we had somebody like Ashish Nehra or Zaheer, things would have been different."

India had a particularly tough time while bowling at the death, with the pair of Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers blasting 100 runs in the final seven overs. "With the kind of the start they got it would have been difficult to restrict them to 300," Dhoni said, "but I think 340 would have been competitive and we could have looked to get it."

Despite the defeat in the final ODI, Dhoni was happy with India's performance over the season, during which they beat Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Test series, before pulling off a memorable win in Kolkata earlier this month to draw the Tests with South Africa and retain their No. 1 ranking. He identified the fielding as one department that needed plenty of improvement.

"We have done well over the season, there have been injuries, we have missed key players, if you look at everything, we have done really well," he said. "Our bowling has improved in bits and pieces, we have done well. Youngsters are doing well. May be in one year we will also put up the best fielding side in the world."

Kallis calls for improvement from South Africa

After pulling off a consolation win in Ahmedabad, stand-in captain Jacques Kallis has expressed his disappointment at South Africa losing the one-day series in India.

It continues their poor run in the format: since impressive home-and-away series wins against Australia last year, they have crashed out early in the ICC Champions Trophy and have lost at home to England, the only series victory being over Zimbabwe.

"We know we are a lot better than we have played in the series," he said. "If we play to our strength, we are a very good one-day side."

However, Kallis felt the series would serve South Africa well when they return for the World Cup next year. "A lot of the guys have toured very little on the subcontinent, so we will take a lot with us from here, we will be a lot better cricketers."

He was satisfied with the performance against a depleted India in the third ODI, which a dominant South Africa won by 90 runs. Most things went right for the visitors, starting with the toss, followed by a power-packed batting display and a competent show from the bowlers.

"The wicket turned out to be much better than we thought, but it was also a better performance from the guys all around," Kallis said. "We had a good start at the top and that's vital in this form of the game. With wickets in hand at the death, you can cash in and hit some big scores."

The openers Loots Bosman and Hashim Amla piled on 113 in 16 overs, and centuries from Kallis and Man-of-the-Match AB de Villiers powered South Africa to a mammoth 365. The win in Ahmedabad held stave off a clean sweep, and Kallis praised the big-hitting from AB de Villiers, who lashed a 59-ball 102. "AB played a really special knock, taking the total from 300 to 360."

de Villiers, who made a Test double-century the last time he played at Sardar Patel Stadium, said it was good to finish the series with a win. "It's always nice coming to India, we have been pretty up and down in the series, but ending up on a high note is pleasing," he said. "Loots [Bosman] and Hashim [Amla] set a good foundation, and gave me the freedom to express myself in the end. I always love playing in Ahmedabad. Definitely becoming my favourite ground."

'No Pakistan team in Champions League' - Butt

Ijaz Butt, the chairman of PCB, has said no Pakistani team will participate in the Champions League Twenty20 this year.

"I have already spoken to Lalit Modi about this and there is no chance of any team from Pakistan playing in the Champions League this year," Butt was quoted as saying by PTI. "After the way our players were treated [in the IPL auction] I don't see our players or teams taking part in the Champions League this year."

The Champions League features the best domestic Twenty20 teams from across the world. The first edition of the tournament was held in India last year. Pakistan was originally included as one of the participating countries, but they were omitted due to the political fallout of the Mumbai terror attacks. The venue for the 2010 tournament is yet to be announced.

Despite the exclusion, and the subsequent IPL cold-shoulder, Lalit Modi had expressed confidence that Pakistan would return to future editions of the leagues. Butt, however, said that this was still undecided.

"Our future participation in the IPL and Champions League remains undecided but this year atleast we are not taking part in either event."

Mortaza uncertain of Test future

Mashrafe Mortaza, the most successful fast bowler in Bangladesh's Test history, believes that he too may be forced to follow the route chosen by the likes of Andrew Flintoff, Brett Lee and Shane Bond, and retire from Test cricket in order to preserve his injury-ravaged body for the shorter forms of the game.

After eight months on the sidelines, Mortaza has been named in a 13-man squad for the three one-dayers that get underway at Mirpur on Sunday, but he has already ruled himself out of contention for next month's Test series against England. He returned to competitive action for a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in Fatullah on Thursday, his first appearance in national colours since breaking down during the tour of West Indies in July.

"It would be very hard to come back straightaway into Test cricket," Mortaza told Cricinfo. "It will take some time, and you can't make a decision on Test cricket just from playing in three one-dayers. In Test cricket you have to bowl 20-25 overs a day, and you have to be 100% at all times. It's always difficult and against England massively so. You first have to play some proper cricket, and I'll only be back when I feel good."

Mortaza, 26, has claimed 78 wickets in 36 Tests since 2001, and is second on Bangladesh's list of wicket-takers, behind the spinner Mohammad Rafique. He was one of his country's stand-out players on England's last tour in 2003, claiming four wickets in consecutive innings at Dhaka and Chittagong, but it was during the last rites of the series that he suffered one of the many knee injuries that has plagued his career ever since.

In total, Mortaza has undergone six knee reconstructions in the space of eight years, but his latest return to fitness followed arguably the most demoralising setback yet. In July 2009, he was handed the captaincy for Bangladesh's tour of the Caribbean to allow Mohammad Ashraful to concentrate on his batting. But he was able to bowl just 6.3 overs of their famous Test victory at Kingstown, his first match in charge, before collapsing in his followthrough on the second day of the game.

"It was tough when I got injured in that first Test," said Mortaza. "It was a very difficult moment for me to survive out there, but straightway afterwards I flew to Australia to have the situation explained by my doctor. It would have been a great honour to have led the side to victory, but you can't do anything when you get injured and the first priority has always been the team."

To that end, Mortaza has no interest in reclaiming the captaincy, especially given the manner in which Shakib has been leading from the front. "I'd like to give this opportunity to Shakib because he's doing well so far, and I'd like to play in his team," said Mortaza. "But also, I'm not playing both forms of cricket right now - I'm only looking to one-day cricket - and if I don't do both, then the captaincy and the relationship with the team is difficult."

Nevertheless, there's no denying Mortaza's enduring popularity. In an otherwise low-key contest at Fatullah, his reappearance was the highlight for an enthusiastic crowd, who reserved the loudest cheer of the day for the moment he walked out to bat with the BCB XI floundering on 76 for 6 in the 20th over. He soon departed for a third-ball duck, but he showed enough glimpses of form in his eight subsequent overs with the ball to suggest he's on the right track.

"To make a comeback after so long against international players is hard, but I felt good today," said Mortaza. "England are a very good team right now. They were playing good cricket in South Africa and against West Indies in England, and this is a great opportunity for me after injury to come back and play cricket. My pace is not yet at 100%, but my line and length is still there, so I was happy. I think I can get better than this, and hopefully I will."

The selectors saw enough in his performance at Fatullah to recall him to the one-day squad, even though his most recent limited-overs appearances came against Zimbabwe back in January 2009. He was given the all-clear on a recent visit to Melbourne by his surgeon, Dr David Young, following a double knee operation back in July, but his progress will have to be monitored carefully in a series as prominent as an England campaign.

But there is no realistic prospect of Mortaza appearing in the two Tests at Chittagong and Dhaka, and in the long-term, it could well be that his final five-day match was the one that got away from him at Kingstown. "I am not going to make a decision exactly now, but my only choice is to play one-day cricket and see how it's going," he said. "If everything is alright then I'll be back in Tests. But if not, I'll have to make a different decision."

Lord's could host IPL matches

The MCC has confirmed it explored the possibility of joining a consortium bidding to buy an IPL franchise, and said matches could be held at Lord's if the MCC succeeds in buying a team.

"It's a logical conclusion that if the MCC were involved with an IPL side, to have that side playing at Lord's would be extremely exciting," Keith Bradshaw, the MCC chief executive, told BBC Sport.

There are two new franchises, which will be revealed on March 7, up for grabs with 12 Indian cities in the running. Bidding starts from a base price of US$225m, more than four times the US$50m base price that the original eight franchises were auctioned for in 2008. Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, previously announced that "a very famous football club in the UK is very interested in bidding" but that has so far proved little more than speculation.

It would be a major boon for the MCC, and Bradshaw travelled alongside Anthony Wreford, a trustee of the club, to India for a weekend of talks with consortium members and IPL officials. Discussions also included the ongoing partnership with the IPL to promote the MCC Spirit of Cricket campaign in the tournament.

"MCC has a proud history, is respectful of the game's traditions and always mindful of its role as guardian of the laws and spirit of cricket," said Bradshaw. "We would not pursue a path that we believed was contrary to the best interests of the sport or to the future health of Test match cricket.

"Undeniably, the game is changing. MCC, as an innovative, independent cricket club, wants to be at the heart of that change. Playing cricket is something that we have quite a bit of experience in - we compete in over 450 matches every year around the world and currently have a men's team in the UAE and a women's team in Trinidad & Tobago.

"The concept of MCC involvement in the IPL is something I believe is worthy of thorough investigation, and something that we'll take to our committee for their deliberation."

Spurs topple Toffees to go fourth

Tottenham ensured this week's virus at the club did not derail their Champions League hopes as they beat Everton 2-1 at White Hart Lane.Roman Pavlyuchenko scored his sixth goal in four games when he netted the opener in Sunday's Premier League encounter at White Hart Lane, then Luka Modric doubled the lead with a fine second against David Moyes' men.
Harry Redknapp's side, however, had to survive a second-half comeback from the visitors, who scored through Ayegbeni Yakubu and then saw substitute Landon Donovan miss an open goal.
However, defeat dents the visitors' own top-four aspirations, following recent wins over Chelsea and Manchester United.
Spurs are still in the hunt to join the elite but after illness caused them to shut the indoor facilities at their training ground this week, there were memories of four years ago when their hopes were hit by a norovirus on the final day of the season.
On that day, Spurs players could barely make it onto the pitch at West Ham - but against Everton they looked anything but sluggish and did their damage in the first half.
Key performers for Redknapp were Gareth Bale, marauding down the left from full-back, Wilson Palacios crashing into tackles in central midfield and Modric pulling the strings cutting in behind the forwards.
In Pavlyuchenko, Redknapp has a striker who wanted to leave during the January transfer window but now looks like one of the in-form strikers in the country.
He added to his tally in the 11th minute with the opener, set up by strike-partner Jermain Defoe. Defoe chased Tom Huddlestone's long ball down and Sylvain Distin failed to get close enough, allowing the England striker to turn and set his sights on goal.
Whether it was a cross or a shot, Defoe's effort went between John Heitinga and Tim Howard perfectly, allowing Pavlyuchenko to tap in.
The visitors were almost handed an equaliser five minutes later when Leighton Baines' corner was dropped by Heurelho Gomes - Yakubu latched onto the ball but Michael Dawson blocked bravely on the line.
It was a rare opportunity in the first half for Moyes' men, who did not have Louis Saha in the matchday squad and saw Yakubu and Victor Anichebe struggle to impose themselves on Spurs' defence.
Spurs continued to attack after the opener, with Howard kept busy with further efforts from Pavlyuchenko and Niko Kranjcar before Modric struck.
Modric's goal, just before the half-hour mark, was a fine finish to cap off a slick move involving all three of Redknapp's Croatia players.
It started with Modric interchanging passes with Vedran Corluka. Kranjcar then fed Modric just inside the penalty area and he curled an effort went in off the underside of the crossbar.
Jack Rodwell came close with a header for Everton just before the break, while Bale had an effort deflected wide at the other end to bring an end to an entertaining first half.
Moyes changed things at half-time, bringing on Phil Jagielka for Leon Osman, then he saw Heitinga test Gomes with a powerful drive just after the restart.
Huddlestone went close with a volley but he caught Heitinga with his follow-through and was carried off on a stretcher after appearing to hurt his shin.
With Younes Kaboul brought on, Everton pulled a goal back shortly afterwards. Mikel Arteta's corner went to the far post, Rodwell headed back across goal, with Anichebe holding off Gomes and allowing Yakubu to tap in.
Everton could have been level a minute later when Rodwell caught Phil Neville's cross with a first-time volley - but Gomes was down sharply to save.
Sensing the game being there for the taking, Moyes took off Anichebe and brought on Donovan.
Everton had an opportunity to level in the latter stages when Palacios gave the ball away and Steven Pienaar raced on - but Gomes was equal to the finish.
Donovan also embarrassingly missed his open goal, when he got on the end of Rodwell's cross.
Palacios stuck the ball in the net at the death - but it was after the final whistle.

Southee and McCullum seal super NZ win

New Zealand 214 for 6 (McCullum 116*) tied with Australia 214 for 4 (Clarke 67, White 64*). New Zealand won after Super Over

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendon McCullum for his amazing century. McCullum became the second-highest scorer in a Twenty20 international with an unbeaten 116, but after Michael Clarke and Cameron White exploded in the reply the scores were tied at 214 after 40 overs.

A six-ball tiebreaker was required and the calm Tim Southee delivered another tight over to allow only six runs for White, David Warner and Brad Haddin. Shaun Tait's waywardness, including two wides, assisted the locals and Martin Guptill finished the game with a four over point from the third legitimate delivery.

The hosts were upset by a meek performance in Friday's one-sided defeat, but McCullum showed his might with an unforgettable 56-ball demolition on a small ground that was rocking at the start and the end. Things were much quieter as Clarke organised the chase with 67 from 45 and White provided some much-needed muscle with 64 off 26 in a pursuit that was almost perfectly timed. However, Clarke and White could only scurry two from the final ball when three were required, with Clarke run out well short of his ground.

Needing two off almost every delivery throughout the second innings, the Australians managed to stay on track after Warner departed for a McCullum-style 20 off 10. Haddin (47 off 37) and Clarke, who was travelling much quicker than his usual pace, were able to stay close to the rate so they required 125 from the final 60 balls.

James Franklin slowed things down briefly with the wickets of Haddin and David Hussey (10) before White's brute force arrived. White warmed up with a six over cover off Daniel Vettori, then caressed an inside-out clearance in the same area and was dropped on the boundary attempting a third.

He then powered two fours and a six off Franklin before flicking Shane Bond into the spectators at square leg. The 13 that came from Bond's final over left Australia wanting 36 off 18 deliveries, but the first of three magically controlled Southee efforts made it 30 from 12.

White survived a run-out and found two boundaries and a six down the ground off Jacob Oram to cut the margin to 12. In Southee's final over the bowler showed the maturity of a 30-year-old, not a boy who is 21, by delivering more pin-point yorkers to keep his side in the game.

And he proved it wasn't a fluke by doing it again in the Super Over. The result levelled the series and delivered Australia their first loss of their summer while setting up an intriguing five-match one-day contest beginning on Wednesday.

Despite the flurry of absorbing action at the end, it was McCullum's fireworks over the first half of the match that were the highlight. He showered boundaries around the tiny stadium and the change in attitude left the Australians, who had rested Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, wondering if there was any way to stop the run avalanche. They were able to slow it a couple of times, but McCullum carried his team through the loss of six wickets and achieved the side's highest total.

His hundred came up in 50 balls, equalling the record of Chris Gayle, the only other century-maker in this format. It was achieved with a single to deep cover, at which point the batsman ripped off his helmet to take in the applause, but he was not finished and carried his bat. Nathan McCullum joined his brother at the end, getting 14 in a 50-run stand in 3.2 overs on an afternoon that stunned everyone.

The big crowd of 26,148 was sprinkled by McCullum's eight sixes and he backed up with a dozen fours during the barrage. Four of the boundaries came with "McScoops" past or over the wicketkeeper, but that was nothing compared to the two sixes he managed to shovel behind himself off Tait. It was brave and brutal - one of the clearances off Tait came from a 155kph thunderbolt.

McCullum proved he wouldn't be intimidated by Australia's quick bowlers when he charged the third ball of the day from Tait (2 for 40) and bashed him for four through cover. There were 10 runs from the eventful over, which also contained the ugly bowled of the out-classed Peter Ingram for 0 and Tait sending a finger signal to McCullum.

In the second over McCullum planted a six through cover off Dirk Nannes' opening delivery, was almost caught next ball top edging a pull, and quickly flicked him to fine leg for a boundary. The new-ball bowlers couldn't match Friday's performance as they gave up 42 in the first four overs.

McCullum ended up on his back after his first attempt to scoop Nannes over the wicketkeeper, but he managed it the second time, with the ball just missing Haddin on the way to the boundary. He followed up by unleashing a huge six to midwicket to show he could mix the unorthodox and the traditional. Nannes returned for the 16th over and McCullum enjoyed swinging him twice into the stands on the legside as the bowler went for 51 off four.

After losing the strike in the middle stages when some of his team-mates disappeared, McCullum focused by blasting a fierce straight four off Steven Smith and brought up his half-century in the same over when he pulled to midwicket. He dusted off the scoop to surprise Daniel Christian and then pulled him for six behind square - 57 of his runs came in that segment.

Gareth Hopkins (36 off 17) was the perfect ally for McCullum as they put on 68 in five overs to regain their explosive momentum. McCullum kept going till the end and had a chance to seal the game in the Super Over, but he was as happy as every other local when Guptill squared the series.

Marsh ruled out of New Zealand ODI tour

Shaun Marsh has failed to recover from a back injury in time to take part in the Chappell-Hadlee Series starting in New Zealand on Wednesday. Marsh suffered the injury before an ODI in Sydney on February 12, but the treatment hasn't worked and he will stay home.

Australia had hoped Marsh, who was originally in the Twenty20 unit, would be back in time for the five-match ODI series. His injury means the squad currently has only 13 players, although there is the option of keeping someone in New Zealand from the Twenty20 side.

David Warner has been in brutal touch against New Zealand and West Indies, including 67 from 29 in Sydney last week, and is a leading contender to add to his seven ODIs. Brad Haddin and Adam Voges also opened during the home campaign, giving Australia some flexibility ahead of Wednesday's opening game in Napier.

Australia's ODI squad Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Cameron White, Adam Voges, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.

Australian players told IPL threat 'not credible'

Australia's players could be a step closer to taking part in the IPL after receiving advice that the terrorist threat from the 313 Brigade was not credible. However, Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, has said there could still be "mass withdrawals" unless players receive a commitment that the IPL's security plans will be implemented at all venues.

The Australian IPL players currently on tour in New Zealand were given a briefing by a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official at the team hotel in Christchurch on Saturday. The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has now been told by the security adviser Reg Dickason that the 313 Brigade threat is not credible but that does not mean the issues are resolved.

"Reg is comfortable that the threat is not credible but we still haven't received a commitment that the security plans will be implemented as laid out," Marsh told the Age. "The ball is in the IPL's court at the moment.

"They can give us the commitment to implement the plans or they can't. Let's hope that they can. Our understanding is it that they've done it before, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has done it. We keep saying, our players want to go."

May agreed that it was now in the hands of the organisers and local police to commit to implementing the security plans. "If the security situation does not improve, there could be mass withdrawals," May told the BBC. "There are just 13 days before the start of the tournament and security arrangements have still not been agreed.

"We would love to tell the players it is okay for them to go. But we can't give that assurance at the moment, because no one will say definitively that the security plan will be implemented at each of the venues."

Stats and trivia

Zimbabwe have never beaten West Indies in a bilateral ODI series. They've never played West Indies in a Twenty20 international and have won just two out of seven games.
Hamilton Masakadza was the fourth-highest run-getter in 2009 in ODIs, behind MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey.

Form Guide

Watch out for

Adrian Barath is back in the West Indies squad and will look to build on the bright start he's had to his international career as an explosive opener. In the absence of Chris Gayle for Sunday's game, he'll take the lead at the top of the order.

Barath's counterpart in the opening slot, Hamilton Masakadza enjoyed a prolific 2009 with 1087 runs at 43.48, including three centuries. He was also the highest run-getter in the Stanbic Cup, Zimbabwe's domestic Twenty20 tournament. Along with Tatenda Taibu, who launched his tour of West Indies with a match-winning century against UWI Vice Chancellor's XI, Masakadza is Zimbabwe's most relied-on batsman.

Team news

West Indies are boosted by the return of several injured players: Barath (hamstring), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (thumb), Sulieman Benn (knee) and Darren Bravo (shoulder). Allrounder Dave Bernard jnr and batsman Andre Fletcher have also been recalled.

West Indies (probable) - 1 Adrian Barath, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Darren Bravo, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Denesh Ramdin (capt and wk), 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Dwayne Smith, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sulieman Benn, 11 Nikita Miller

Zimbabwe prevailed by five runs in their 50-over tour match, thanks to Taibu and a combined bowling effort, with the trio of Chris Mpofu, Kyle Jarvis and Elton Chigumbura bagged two wickets each.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Charles Coventry, 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 6 Greg Lamb, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Timycen Maruma, 9 Shingirai Masakadza, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Chris Mpofu.

Zimbabwe's chance to showcase progress

Big Picture

West Indies and Zimbabwe begin a fresh phase in international cricket under newly-appointed coaches, though the mood is more upbeat in the tourists' camp. While West Indies will expect to kick start a season of favourable results after a winless tour of Australia, Zimbabwe will have their eyes set on a goal far more significant - a return to Test cricket after their self-imposed exile in 2006.

Alan Butcher is expected to join his team midway through the tour but Zimbabwe will be, in the interim, under the supervision of current coach Walter Chawaguta and former captain Dave Houghton, who has targeted a return to the five-day format before the end of this year. Heath Streak will be supporting him as bowling coach, and Grant Flower resumes his duty as batting coach in October.

The return of distinguished former players in coaching roles to boost the team, a refurbished domestic structure based on five regional franchises to better administer first-class cricket, the organisation of a domestic Twenty20 league and the participation of a Zimbabwe XI in the Intercontinental Cup - these are all measures indicating a committed plan to facilitate Zimbabwe's transition to the cricketing mainstream.

However, Zimbabwe's exposure to limited-overs cricket in the recent past has been largely confined to playing Bangladesh - they've won three and lost ten ODIs against them since 2009 - and Kenya. They haven't played a Twenty20 international since October 2008. To realise their goal, they need to challenge superior teams and a demoralised West Indies, who, among other disappointments, were also beaten comprehensively in the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia, are a good place to start.

Stats and Trivia

In eight ODIs against Bangladesh, England have not really come close to a defeat. On the 2003-04 tour they won all three matches by seven wickets. The closest they came to slipping up was in the most recent meeting, at the 2007 World Cup, when England made heavy work of chasing 144.
In that last meeting, Shakib hit an unbeaten 57 and Abdur Razzaq, who could play here, caused problems with his left-arm spin as he took 2 for 30 - his scalps being Strauss and Pietersen.
Only two of the England side have played against Bangladesh before - Pietersen and Paul Collingwood.

Pitch and conditions

Cook expects a "fair wicket" with scoring likely to be easier when the ball is hard. Stuart Broad has said he will use plenty of slower balls and cutters, as he did in Sri Lanka in 2007, so it could turn into a battle of attrition. Dew could be issue later in the evening and it was often a problem during the recent tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka.

Form guide (last five completed matches)

Watch out for...

Shakib Al Hasan is Bangladesh's star man, but their top-order batting also packs quite a punch. Tamim Iqbal can be a destructive batsman on his day, as he showed when crashing India for 151 last month, and the one-day game is made for his flamboyant strokeplay. However, as with most Bangladesh batsmen, it's about moulding attack with defence and that's an area Tamim doesn't always get right. Often Jamie Siddons, the coach, is left exasperated with a soft dismissal but there is immense talent oozing through that flashing blade.

For England, boundary-hitting early in the innings remains a problem yet to be solved and Craig Kieswetter is set for his chance to show he's the answer. It's been a rapid elevation for a man who wasn't in the squad a week ago and is now on the verge of an international debut. His form for the England Lions was strong, but it was the 143 in the first warm-up match which has made his case irresistible. However, his call-up has provided a headache over the wicketkeeping position although Matt Prior is unlikely to be dumped from the line-up just yet.

Team news

Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh's leading pace bowler, may not be risked for the opening match despite coming through the warm-up game against England for the BCB XI following his latest knee injury. Spin is likely to play a key role in their plans as they aim to exploit a traditional weakness of England in one-day cricket. The top order is missing Ashraful, but Shakib and Mahmudullah have both been in productive form of late.

Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Zunaed Siddique, 4 Aftab Ahmed, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Abdur Razzaq, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Rubel Hossain

How quickly England's one-day plans change. Despite a victorious series in South Africa they are set to have another new opening duo. One change is forced with Cook leading the team in place of Strauss, but Kieswetter's form has put the cat amongst the pigeons and he will force Jonathan Trott out of the XI. With Prior probably retaining the gloves - for now, at least - the only other major question is one spinner or two.

England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Craig Kieswetter, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 Ryan Sidebottom

Bangladesh can cause England problems

Big Picture

Given England's less-than-stunning one-day international record it is an oddity that they are the only nation not to have come a cropper against Bangladesh in any international fixture. They have been tested on occasions, although each time have managed to overpower their opposition. They will expect to do the same again, but may not find it the easiest of tasks against a side becoming more of a threat on home soil and showing some encouraging signs of development.

Of course that has been said of Bangladesh before only for them to slip back into bad habits and they do need to support the feeling of improvement with some results. A tour of New Zealand and the seamer-friendly conditions on offer there is hardly the ideal preparation, but conditions in Dhaka won't provide any surprises for Shakib Al Hasan's men.

In Shakib, Bangladesh have an outstanding cricketer and one of premier allrounders in the world game. He now carries a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders - as does every player in this country - but unlike the team's previous star name, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib appears to have the mental strength to cope with the demands.

In one-day cricket Bangladesh have enough skill to upset England if the visitors don't hit the ground running and take the contest seriously. With Andy Flower in charge complacency won't be an issue, but this isn't the strongest possible England team and Alastair Cook, the stand-in captain, is under pressure to ensure against any upsets. A defeat in any of the internationals will heap pressure on Andrew Strauss's decision to skip the tour.

England, though, have prepared reasonably well with, as in 2003-04, a focus on fitness along with skills. The two warm-up matches were won with ease as the batsmen, apart from Kevin Pietersen, spent useful time in the middle and the fringe bowlers were given a chance to stake their claim. They should have enough to withstand the Bangladesh challenge, but it isn't the foregone conclusion it has been in the past.

Kiwis will bounce back in Christchurch Twenty 20 against Aussies: Franklin

Wellington : New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin is adamant that his team will bounce back against the Aussies, despite the tourists comfortably winning the opening Twenty-20 cricket international in Wellington.

New Zealand were bowled out for 118, and lost the game by six-wickets.

Franklin, who top-scored with 43 with only three Kiwis reaching double figures, said that the team needed good performances from Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor who failed to fire in the game, and made a huge dent to their chances.

“Ross’ record in T20 is world class and he’s our leading batsman in this format with Brendon McCullum,” The New Zealand Herald quoted Franklin, as saying.

“We know if those guys put good performances on the board then we will compete. The rest of us have got to do a job and hopefully if it''s not their night, it''s our night,” he added.

Australia, fresh from an unbeaten home summer against West Indies and Pakistan, are keen to keep the ball rolling on the tour.

However, with the rapidly changing nature of the Twenty20s, Franklin insisted the hosts still backed themselves and were undaunted.

“With Twenty20 it comes down to a few guys doing exceptionally well on the night and we just didn''t have that,” Franklin said.

“We know if we can turn up as a group then three or four of us really stand up and contribute,” he added.

New Zealand and Australia will play the second Twenty20 international in Christchurch on Sunday.

Shah Rukh to sing, dance for KKR during IPL

Kolkata : Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said he would sing and dance to cheer his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team during all the seven matches at Eden Gardens in the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month.

"I will sing, I will dance, I will be there to cheer up the boys," KKR co-owner King Khan told reporters via video-conference.

SRK, as Shah Rukh is popularly known, had gone to South Africa to encourage his side during the first five matches of the IPL last year.

He said KKR, in association with Nokia, will host Para (neighbourhood) cricket to create a platform for a new generation of cricketers.

Pakistan include Akmal in probables for Twenty20 World Cup

Pakistan Friday announced its 30-man preliminary squad for the ICC World Twenty20 championship, opting to retain wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal despite reports that he is being investigated for match-fixing.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to include two more glovesmen -- Sarfaraz Ahmed and Zulqarnain Haider -- in the provisional squad.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt refused to comment on reports that the board is investigation Akmal for suspected match-fixing. He said the board will only comment on the issue once its probe committee completes its report on the reasons behind Pakistan's poor showing in Australia.

A report in The News has suggested that Kamran Akmal is suspected of involvement in match-fixing mainly because of his dismal showing in the second Test against Australia in Sydney last month, which Pakistan lost by 36 runs from a seemingly winning position.

The PCB chairman made a startling revelation that two of the Pakistani players are involved in match-fixing, and added that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has provided evidence against them. However, Butt refused to name them.

The provisional Pakistan squad for the World Twenty20 championship includes three players from the national under-19 team that played in the final of the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand last month.

The squad:

Openers: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Muhammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hassan.

Middle Order Batsmen: Shoaib Malik, Umer Akmal, Naveed Yasin, Hassan Raza, Kamran Younis, Misbah ul Haq, Babar Azam.

All Rounders: Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Rana Naveed.

Fast Bowlers: Umar Gul, Muhammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Sami.

Spinners: Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hassan and Abdul Rehman.

Wicket-keepers: Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed and Zulqarnain Haider.

Pakistan players in match-fixing investigation

Two Pakistan cricketers are under investigation for suspected match-fixing, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt said on Saturday.

"We suspect two of our players are involved in match-fixing but until we get a report from our inquiry committee I will not say anything more on this subject," Butt told a news conference in Lahore.

The PCB set up a six-member inquiry committee this month to investigate the Pakistan team's dismal performances on their recent tour of Australia. Pakistan lost each of their three tests as well as all the five one-day matches and the one Twenty20 international.

The committee is headed by former test captain and PCB chief operating officer Wasim Bari and also includes former test captain, Wasim Akram who was fined 10 years ago by a judicial commission investigating match-fixing.

Another former captain Salim Malik has been banned for life for match-fixing.