Pakistan, India favourites in World Twenty20: Misbah

Pakistan and India are favourites to win next month's World Twenty20 tournament, as both have shown good form in the rapid-fire version of the game, said Pakistan's stand-in captain Misbah-ul-Haq. "Both Pakistan and India have been doing very well in Twenty20 cricket, so I think both have a very good chance of winning the World Twenty20," Haq said after Pakistan's seven-wicket win over Australia in Dubai on Thursday.

Pakistan, led by Haq after regular captain Younus Khan pulled out due to fever, rode on a career-best 4-8 by paceman Umar Gul and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi (3-14) to dismiss Australia for a low score of 108.

In reply, Kamran Akmal hit a fiery 59 to help Pakistan reach their target with 3.5 overs to spare -- an emphatic win that Haq said would lift his team's spirits ahead of the World Twenty20 starting in England next month.

"I think this win is an indicator of where we stand," said Haq, who scored 24 and added 85 for the third wicket with Akmal. "This win will be a great morale booster for the team," which lost the preceding one-day series 3-2.

Thursday's victory was Pakistan's 17th out of 20 Twenty20 matches it has played since this popular brand of cricket was introduced in 2005.

Pakistan finished runners-up to India in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, held in South Africa two years ago.

Haq said he believed Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 championship had helped to build the team.

"We have been playing a Twenty20 tournament every year and that has matured us. Fortunately, we are again playing that event in Pakistan before going to England," said Haq.

Besides India and Pakistan, Haq also fancied the chances of South Africa and New Zealand in next month's tournament.

"Any team can win a Twenty20 game but you need discipline and luck. I think South Africa and New Zealand are also two very good teams," he said.

Australia's stand-in captain Brad Haddin said he hoped his team's defeat Thursday would not demoralise them.

"You can't judge the form of the team on one game," said Haddin, who replaced Michael Clarke as captain after Clarke returned home for a rest.

"We were progressing well in the first five overs but then we lost track and were totally outplayed by Pakistan," he said.

"But I hope it's not going to affect us as we have some 20-25 days to prepare," for the Twenty20 tournament.

IPL is blessing in disguise before T20 WC: Gambhir

The Indian Premier League T20 tournament in South Africa will provide India the perfect platform to prepare for their title defence in the World Twenty20 Championships in England in June, feels charismatic opener Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir said getting the opportunity to play some quality Twenty20 cricket during the IPL would definitely act in favour of the defending champions ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup.

"It`s a blessing in disguise for us to play IPL in South Africa before the Twenty20 World Cup. We hardly get to play Twenty20 matches. But to get the chance to play 14 to 15 games in IPL against world class players will definitely help us in our preparations for defending the crown," he said.
Gambhir, who has been in dream form in the recent past and was adjudged player of the tournament during India’s historic New Zealand tour, feels any player`s success in the international arena depends on his security in the team.

Meanwhile, Gambhir`s Delhi Daredevils teammate and opening partner Virender Sehwag feels the bouncy South African pitches will not only assist fast bowlers but batsmen too can derive benefits from them.

"Pacers will undoubtedly have an edge in South Africa because of pace and bounce but that`s good for batters too as they can play their shots on such conditions," Sehwag told reporters last night during a send-off event of the Delhi Daredevils team.

The swashbuckling opener, however, rued the opportunity of missing home crowd during the second edition of the IPL in South Africa, which was shifted out of the country this year as it clashes with the general elections.

"We will miss Delhi crowd in South Africa but hopefully, there will be sufficient support for us in South Africa."

Asked about the Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan`s controversial ‘multiple captaincy’ theory, Sehwag, who is also the vice-captain of the Indian team, said "No comments."

Interestingly, his team-mate and leg-spinner Amit Mishra ridiculed the concept and said a team should have one skipper for a series.

"There should be one captain for a whole series and I`m happy that we have captain in Viru (Sehwag)," he said.

Bond eyes return to international cricket

With New Zealand Cricket ready to welcome back players breaking away from the rebel Indian Cricket League, pacer Shane Bond says he may consider reviving his Test career.

Bond said he is working hard on his fitness to return to first-class cricket for Canterbury next season.

The pacer said it is up to the ICL to honour its contract with him as he wouldn't walk away first.

"I'm a firm believer in keeping the contracts (ICL) intact. If they can't fulfil their contract it's an opportunity to move, but if they can then I will stay with them," Bond was quoted as saying in the Dominion Post.

"There are a few issues (with the ICL) but I'm not going to go into them. Right now I'm contracted to them (ICL) and whether they want to release me or not is up to them.

"As far as the politics goes, it's out of my hands. Things can change pretty quick to be fair, so all I can do is keep myself in the best shape to make a decision one way or the other," Bond, who had vowed not to play for New Zealand again after being abandoned by NZC due to his joining the ICL, added.

Even if Bond decides to play for the Black Caps again, he knows it won't be easy to regain his berth in the squad, which will play in the Twenty20 World Championship in June before touring Sri Lanka in August.

"If I decided to play again (for New Zealand) I'd have to earn my spot, I wouldn't expect an open door policy to get me back in; you have to get there on merit."

Bond said he is working hard to be back in peak fitness for the domestic season.

"I've told the Canterbury coach I want to play four-day cricket next season. I'm going to try to get as fit as I can over the winter and try to play for as long as I can."

"I miss that cricket; even though it's the hardest cricket, it's the most rewarding, and that's why I'd like to play again next summer here.

"Physically things went well this summer but I wasn't at the height of my fitness. So that's why I'm having this winter off, to get back to the same level of fitness I used to have, because I still think I can bowl quick and keep going for another couple of years."

The issue of officially recognising the ICL will be discussed when the ICC meets in Dubai later this month.

Pakistan named ICL players in squad for World Twenty20

The PCB has included Abdul Razzaq, Naved-ul-Hasan and Imran Nazir, all three of whom participated in the ICL, in the list of 30 players for the World Twenty20 to be held in England in June. Though the list features their names, whether or not they will play in the tournament is still subject to ICC approval. The PCB had earlier accepted the decision of the Sind High Court in February to temporarily lift the ban on 17 ICL-contracted players and permitted them to participate in domestic cricket. Razzaq, Naved and Nazir have been absent from the international scene for more than a year after opting to join the unauthorised league.

Also included in the squad is Shoaib Akhtar, who had earlier been named in a 15-man squad for the ODI series against Australia in the UAE. Shoaib returns to international cricket after being ruled out of the scheduled tour of Bangladesh, which was suspended due to security concerns, as a result of a knee injury.

Apart from the known faces in the Pakistan team, the squad for the World Twenty20 also includes allrounder Wahab Riaz, who impressed in the recently concluded RBS Cup domestic tournament, and Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad, also in the squad for the series against Australia.

Pakistan Squad: Younis Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hassan, Ahmed Shehzad, Umer Amin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Aizaz Cheema, Muhammad Aamir, Wahab Riaz, Imran Ali, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Yasir Shah, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Nazir

Strauss will miss World Twenty20

England skipper Andrew Strauss has been left out of a provisional 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

National selector Geoff Miller said Strauss was "better suited" to Test and 50-overs cricket.

A captain for the tournament, which begins on 1 June and which England will host, will not be named until a new team director is in place.

The squad includes five players yet to be capped by England - Joe Denly, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Graham Napier.

Explaining Strauss's absence, Miller said the Middlesex opener was "not comfortable" with the Twenty20 format.

"We've got to pick players who are Twenty20 specialists, and Andrew isn't one of those," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"All decisions we make about a individual are discussed with that individual and this has been discussed many times throughout the winter, prior to the winter as well, and certainly at a later stage before this announcement so he fully understands where we're coming from."

Miller said the decision to delay naming a Twenty20 captain had been taken because the selectors felt it was "important to comprehensively review the recent tour of the Caribbean and seek input from all relevant parties including the incoming England team director who is yet to be appointed."

Strauss's predecessor Kevin Pietersen is sure to be one of the names in the frame, although he has already indicated he feels it is too soon for him to take on the job again after quitting as captain in January after a rift with then coach Peter Moores.

Pietersen has, however, accepted the job of skippering Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, which begins later this month.

"We appreciate it was a difficult time in the winter but as as I'm concerned, the door always remains open. When the director of cricket is appointed, which will be in the next two or three weeks or so, we will sit down and discuss that because the captain is obviously going to be a vital part of that side," Miller said.

He indicated that other possibilities to lead England in the World Twenty20 would be Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff, who have also captained the team in the past, and that Kent skipper Rob Key was also "in the mix".


Of the new faces in the squad, Denly and Morgan were part of the Kent and Middlesex teams which won the 2007 and 2008 domestic Twenty20 Cup competitions, and Morgan also has international experience with Ireland, while Napier's efforts for Essex have won him an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians.

Yorkshire's Rashid was part of England's squad on the tour of the Caribbean, which ended on Friday, without making an appearance, while Woakes, from Warwickshire, is the youngest member of the squad at the age of 20.

The selectors have named three wicketkeepers in the squad with Essex's James Foster, who has not played international cricket for seven years, joining Matt Prior and Steven Davies.

There are also places for 40-year-old Middlesex skipper Shaun Udal and Notts all-rounder Samit Patel, who was recently left out of the squad for the Caribbean after "failing to reach acceptable standards of fitness for international cricket".

Miller said: "We have a wealth of talented players in the 30-man squad who have proved themselves adept at limited overs cricket so there are several options for the selectors to consider before reducing the squad to 15 players at the start of next month.

"We have an encouraging blend of experience and youth in this preliminary squad including a number of uncapped players who will be eager to make their international debut at home during what promises to be an fantastic tournament in June."

England have a poor record in Twenty20 cricket, winning only six of their 15 games so far.

At the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 two years ago, they made it through to the Super Eight stage by virtue of a win over Zimbabwe, but bowed out of the tournament after losing to hosts South Africa, New Zealand and India.

England squad: Kabir Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Gareth Batty (Worcestershire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Steve Davies (wk, Worcestershire), Joe Denly (Kent), James Foster (wk, Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Steve Harmison (Durham), Rob Key (Kent), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Graham Napier (Essex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Matt Prior (wk, Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Chris Tremlett (Hampshire), Shaun Udal (Middlesex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex).