ICC World Twenty20

India Mickey's choice

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, has said India is the team he will be keeping an eye on during the World Twenty20 because the defending champions have more game-breakers than most other teams. South Africa, he said, would be "very, very formidable" too because of their flexibility, unpredictability, batting depth and fielding.

He shied away from predicting who the semi-finalists would be in England, but said India, with explosive players like MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma and Yusuf Pathan, would be the team to beat.

"I think any team has the ability to win this competition," Arthur told Cricinfo. "Every team has game-breakers and you only have to have your game-breaker coming off once to win you a game, the game is so short that one major performance wins you a game. But obviously, a team like India has more game-breakers than most teams, so they are definitely going to be one to keep an eye on. We are in the same group as India in the Super Eights, so that's going to be vital and we see them as a side that could do well in England."

His own team has a few strengths he plans to bank on. "Our strengths will be our flexibility, unpredictability, our ability to bat deep and to have so many bowling options at any given point of time during the tournament," he said. "The other major strong point for us is we are going to be a really good fielding unit. Our theme has always been seven bowling options and batting very deep."

In fact, many players in this South African squad can be called on to bat or bowl in any given situation. "Flexibility is going to be one of the keys for us and we are going to be very, very formidable."

So much so, Arthur claimed that he could not really pick any particular weak spot. "I don't want to sound arrogant, but I don't think there are too many weak spots. It's going to be how we actually gel as a team and how we perform our cricket disciplines straight up. It will be vital for us to be getting some momentum, and that we can only do on the cricket field. So, in a way, that will be our test."

One name on the South African team list, though, has raised a few eyebrows - that of Jacques Kallis, who did not figure in South Africa's 2007 World Twenty20 team - but Arthur defended his selection.

"Jacques gives us two clear options, in batting and bowling," he said. "So he is two players rolled into one. From two years ago, when he was not in our World Cup team, Jacques has taken time to work his Twenty20 game out. He has shown what he is capable of in the Twenty20 format. In fact, he was in our team even before the IPL (where Kallis came good for Bangalore after flopping in 2008). We had picked our team before that tournament."

The South African coach also credited the IPL for some of his team's confidence going into the world event. Twelve of his 15-member World Twenty20 squad played for various franchises in the IPL - which ended last weekend - and, apart from the cricket, Arthur said, they returned with information from players of other international teams who were involved in the Indian league. These inputs have been added to the South African tournament blueprint during a short strategy-cum-bonding camp that the team, which leaves for England on Friday, assembled for after the IPL.

"The IPL has been very good for our players," Arthur said. "They have got stuck in and taken responsibility for their franchises. We have discussed what the guys did well and what they haven't. We will use that information on completing our eventual final blueprint.

"We wanted them to find out whether anything was being done differently by other teams. By and large, though, there isn't much of a difference from what we have on our original blueprint. But it's always good to get some outside information about other strategies. "

On the flip side, Arthur said, there is a bit of a worry about the mental fatigue factor for those who have played in the IPL and will start all over again in England next week, a concern India coach Gary Kirsten had raised about his players. "I think Gary is right, there could be a little bit of it," Arthur said. "I think there might be a bit of mental fatigue, which is why we have just gone away and re-energised the guys. We haven't gone to major cricket disciplines; we have rather gone to talk, set goals and build our team. That's how we planned it out. "

Finally, Arthur said, what would matter in the World Twenty20 tournament is the speed at which the teams adapt to conditions in England next month. "If the weather is dry in England then spin will definitely play a role."

South Africa missed out on a place in the semifinals of the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 after starting off brightly. There were poised for a semi-final spot after four victories in a row but suffered a massive slip-up against India in Durban, losing by 37 runs to bow out of the competition.

This time, South Africa open the tournament in Group D, along with New Zealand and Scotland. They play their first warm-up game against Pakistan at Trent Bridge on June 1 and take on Sri Lanka in another practice match at Lord's on June 3, before heading over to the Oval for their first match of the tournament against Scotland on June 7.

Ponting fires a shot

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has warned England that playing Andrew Flintoff in the forthcoming Ashes series could be fatal if the all-rounder is not fully fit.

Ponting and his teammates flew into England this week ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 tournament which precedes the Ashes and the combative batsman wasted little time turning up the heat on the old enemy.

While Ponting claims he feels refreshed and ready for battle after four weeks away from the game, England are fretting over the fitness of Flintoff, who has been ruled out of next month's Twenty20 event as he continues to recover from knee surgery on an injury suffering during his stint in the Indian Premier League.

Flintoff was a key figure when England regained the Ashes in 2005 and, although he has rarely reached those heights, he remains a talismanic figure for Andrew Strauss's team.

Ponting, whose side won back the Ashes in 2007, believes that dependency on Flintoff could force England to throw him in when the latest series starts in July even if he isn't completely ready.

"That's going to be the great decision the England selectors are going to have to make come the First Test," Ponting said at Trent Bridge on Friday.

"Flintoff is obviously very important to their make-up and set-up. Maybe, as we saw in 2007, if he's not 100 percent fit then maybe that sort of impact he can have around the team is not there.

"2005 to 2007 we saw two completely different players and that had a lot to do with the level of fitness that he had under his belt going into each series.

"That's where they're going to have a tough decision to make.

"I don't know where Pietersen's at the moment, I'm not sure how bad his problem is, but they could face something similar there as well."

Flintoff isn't England's only fitness concern ahead of the Ashes.

Former captain Kevin Pietersen is also struggling to shake off an Achilles problem sustained during the IPL.

Although Ponting stopped short of condemning Flintoff and Pietersen's decision to play in the IPL, he believes he was right to stay away.

"There was obviously great incentive for those guys to go and play with the amount of money they went for and I guess they were always coming back from the IPL early for the Test matches," he said.

"For us it was a great opportunity to step away from cricket for a few weeks and make sure we're in the best shape we could be in.

"For me it was pretty simple, it was about how long our summer was and how much cricket we played.

"It was a good opportunity for me to have a couple of weeks off cricket and make sure that when I got here for the start of this tournament I was in the best physical and mental shape I could be."

England's Test side appear to be in good shape heading into the Ashes after a comfortable 2-0 series victory over West Indies, while Australia arrive with a slightly inexperienced team missing retired stars such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist.

However, the level of opposition offered by the West Indies was low and Ponting believes England will have to step up their game to have any chance against his men.

"From the England side, they played some very good cricket against the West Indies but the competition and opposition they'll be coming up against us is vastly stiffer than what they've faced in the last few weeks," he said.

Ponting is keen to put pressure on Strauss, who will be in charge of his first Ashes campaign and he added: "We haven't had the chance to see him against us as a leader and under intense pressure, and hopefully over the next few months we'll get to see that."

ICC World Twenty20

Fatigue India's worry

Tired limbs, jaded minds and a tricky draw have toughened India's path as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men defend their World Twenty20 title in England next month.

The June 5-21 tournament is the latest event for Team India in a non-stop roadshow that began with a full tour of New Zealand in February-April before a five-week sojourn in South Africa for the Indian Premier League.

Dhoni's team returned home for just three days after the IPL before setting off again for England to defend the title they won in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.

Coach Gary Kirsten admitted the heavy workload was a cause for worry, but the former South African opener was confident his wards will rise to the challenge in England.

"The Indian players have been on the road for a long time and the biggest challenge will be mental fatigue," Kirsten said recently.

"But they have enormous pride when representing India and have become a tight unit over the past few months. I am sure they will look forward to reuniting and playing for their country."

The gruelling schedule has already seen aggressive opener Virender Sehwag miss some IPL matches due to a finger injury, while pace spearhead Zaheer Khan is recovering from a sore shoulder.

Skipper Dhoni has been nursing a back strain as a result of being one of the world's busiest cricketers, who keeps wicket, bats and leads his team in all forms of the game.

"I am not worried at all," said Dhoni. "One gets used to the modern day schedule and I am sure we will all be raring to go once the tournament starts."

The road to the semi-finals is no joy ride for the defending champions even though they are drawn with lowly Bangladesh and Ireland in the preliminary round.

Three of the toughest rivals in the 12-nation tournament -- Australia, South Africa and hosts England -- await them in the Super Eights round where the real battle for semi-final places begins.

India had beaten all three in the space of four magical nights in Durban in 2007 to advance to the final against Pakistan, but few are willing to take an encore for granted.

"You can't afford to look too far ahead, there is the first round against Bangladesh and Ireland to get through," said the Indian captain. "We all know what can happen."

During the 50-overs-a-side World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007, India were sensationally knocked out by Bangladesh in the preliminary stage, while Ireland delivered Pakistan a killer blow at the same stage.

"When you are defending champions there will always be added pressure," said Kirsten.

"That goes with the territory of high-performing teams. This team has played in many pressure situations and has shown what they are capable of.

"There is certainly no danger of complacency within the Indian team. We pride ourselves in taking each game as it comes and giving 100 percent on a daily basis."

India have a good Twenty20 record, with eight wins in 13 matches so far.

ICC World Twenty20

Younus targets title

Pakistan captain Younus Khan is confident his team can go one better in the World Twenty20 after finishing runners-up last time to bitter rivals India.

Two years ago, Pakistan lost a nailbiting final against India by five runs in Johannesburg, a loss that Younus insists his team is eager to put behind them.

"We want to win the title," said Younus. "We have the talent, but it's a tough competition where other eleven teams will do their best to finish at the top."

Pakistan are in Group B, along with hosts England and the Netherlands, in first round of the competition which runs from June 5-21.

They take on England June 7 before facing the Netherlands two days later.

The second round Super Eight stages should give Pakistan an easy draw with likely rivals being New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

But Younus is not taking any team lightly.

"We need to be at our best even against the Netherlands because no team is small or big," said Younus who was referring to Pakistan's defeat to Ireland at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean which sent them packing from the tournament.

That defeat was the start of a dark chapter in Pakistan's cricket history.

Coach Bob Woolmer died at the tournament while captain Inzamam-ul-Haq retired.

Shoaib Malik, who was handed the captaincy after Younus refused to lead the team, restored some normalcy by taking Pakistan to the runners-up spot at the inaugural World Twenty20.

Malik then lost the captaincy after Pakistan's one-day defeat against Sri Lanka earlier this year. That led to Younus taking over the hot seat.

Under Younus, Pakistan lost 3-2 to Australia in a recent one-day series in the United Arab Emirates, but won the one-off Twenty20 match.

Younus said Pakistan's preparations have been satisfactory.

"We beat Australia in the Twenty20 match which was a good morale booster and then had a good conditioning camp and some practice matches which tuned us well for England," said Younus, whose team has the best win ratio in all Twenty20.

Pakistan have won eight of their 11 internationals with two defeats and one tied match.

Pakistan will heavily rely on paceman Umar Gul who has taken the most wickets (24 in 14 matches) in this newest form of the game and with injury-prone Shoaib Akhtar pulled out of the team, his responsibility has increased.

Rao Iftikhar, who replaced Akhtar in the squad, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat and rookie paceman Mohammad Aamir complete the fast bowling line-up.

The 17-year-old Aamir is tipped to surprise with his speed and swing in English conditions.

Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Malik lead the the spin department which has the ability to stop runs and take wickets.

Off-spinner Ajmal received a boost ahead of the event when his action was cleared by the International Cricket Council.

Younus hoped his own batting form improves to help lift an otherwise inconsistent line-up which also has opener Salman Butt, Misbah-ul-Haq, Malik Afridi and in-form Kamran Akmal.

Zaheer likely to recover

India's key paceman Zaheer Khan is likely to regain fitness for next month's Twenty20 World Championships in England, his captain said on Friday.

"Zaheer is not 100 percent fit now, but I am hopeful he will be available for our first match," skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters before the team's departure.

The left-arm fast bowler, with 210 wickets in Tests and 225 in one-dayers, was doubtful for the June 5-21 tournament when he suffered a shoulder injury playing in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa.

Defending champions India clash with Bangladesh in their opening Group-A league match at Trent Bridge on June 6 and then meet Ireland at the same venue on June 10.

ICL

Yousuf, Razzak cleared

Pakistan on Friday accepted the resignations of Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq from a rebel Indian cricket league, clearing the way for them to be selected for the national team, an official said.

The pair were among 23 players who defected to the unrecognised Indian Cricket League (ICL) and were thus barred from playing in and for Pakistan at any level.

Following their resignations, they "are now eligible to be selected for Pakistan's international series in future," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director human resources Wasim Bari told AFP.

Twenty-one players had their bans suspended by Sindh High Court in February, making them eligible to play domestic cricket.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is retired from international cricket and Saqlain Mushtaq, who now lives in England, did not seek to have their bans suspended.

The ICL, bankrolled by India's largest media group Zee telefilms, said it would no objection if some players represent their country.

Several countries have announced an umbrella amnesty for players quitting the ICL by May 31, but the PCB said it would consider selecting players on a case by case basis.

Razzaq and Yousuf were part of Pakistan team until they were axed for the inaugural World Twenty20 held in South Africa in 2007.

As protest both signed for the ICL -- which is not recognised by the ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India -- and were immediately banned.

Yousuf rescinded his decision in 2007 but rejoined the ICL in November last year after developing differences with then captain Shoaib Malik.

Razzaq said he was delighted at the prospect of playing for Pakistan.

"I am delighted," said Razzaq. "I am keen to return for Pakistan and hope my performances at domestic level will earn me a recall," Razzaq said.

Razzaq, 29, had played 46 Tests and 231 one-day internationals and was regarded as one of the leading allrounders in the world.

The 34-year-old Yousuf had played 79 Tests and 269 one-day internationals and was declared ICC's best batsman of the year in 2007. He scored a world record 1,788 runs -- the most in a calendar year in Test cricket --- in 2006.

ICC World Twenty20

An emotional return

Sri Lanka's cricketers will play together for the first time since surviving a horrific terror attack in March when they take part in the World Twenty20 tournament in England.

The June 5-21 event will be the Islanders' first official tournament since the team was attacked by armed militants in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while on their way to resume a Test match.

Seven Sri Lankan cricketers, including newly-appointed captain Kumar Sangakkara, and an assistant coach were injured in the attack, which left eight Pakistanis dead.

A few top stars took part in the Indian Premier League in South Africa, but the Twenty20 Worlds gives the Sri Lankan team a chance to shine again at the highest level.

"It has not been easy for us to deal with the events of Lahore," said Sangakkara, who took over as captain after good friend Mahela Jayawardene resigned to concentrate on his batting.

"The memories of what happened will last a long time, but with cricket comes a sense of normalcy and that old feeling of going out and doing your job.

"The IPL was great because we got a chance to mix with the cricket fraternity. Now we are prepared for the Twenty20 Worlds."

Sangakkara knows his team needs to focus fully on the game -- and find ways to beat Australia -- if they are to do well in the tournament.

The Sri Lankans lost to Australia in the final of the 50-overs-a side World Cup in 2007 and, a few months later, were denied a semi-final place by the same opponents in the inaugural Twenty20 Worlds.

Needing a win to move into the last four, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 101 by the fired-up Australians in a key Super Eights match in Cape Town and were trounced by 10 wickets.

This year, Sri Lanka have been drawn alongside Australia and the West Indies in the toughest preliminary group which sends two teams into the Super Eights.

"Ours is the only group of the four with three Test sides," said Sangakkara. "We will have to play consistently well to progress, but the boys are raring to begin the challenge."

Sri Lanka's 8-5 winning record against all comers in the unpredictable T20 format indicates they will be one of the most formidable sides in the 12-nation tournament.

A supremely-fit Sanath Jayasuriya, who turns 40 in June, proved during his IPL stint with the Mumbai Indians that age is no barrier when it comes to smashing sixes and fours.

The left-hander is expected to fire at the top of a formidable batting order that includes the under-rated but prolific Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jayawardene and Sangakkara himself.

Cricket's leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan and mystery man Ajantha Mendis comprise the spin attack, but sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga's return from a knee injury has boosted the Sri Lankan attack.

Malinga, who has not played a major international tournament since the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, showed during the IPL he was fully fit by bowling toe-crushing yorkers at will.

Sri Lanka meet Australia in their opening game in Nottingham on June 8, before playing the West Indies on June 10 at the same venue.

Dilip warns of excess cricket

Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India captain, has warned of a possible "cricket overkill" in India because of the long IPL schedule and fears that many players in the Indian team may be mentally tired as they leave on Friday for the ICC World Twenty20 in England just four days after the Indian league ended in South Africa.

Vengsarkar, who headed the selection panel that picked the World Twenty20-winning team in 2007, also said Gary Kirsten, the India coach, and his support staff now face a huge challenge in re-energising the team in the short period of time available. The only way to avoid such situations in the future, he said, was for India's cricket administrators to rework the IPL format and reduce its length - all the 15 members of India's World Twenty20 squad play for the eight IPL teams and Zaheer Khan, their strike bowler, is still recovering from a shoulder injury that he suffered during the IPL.

Tigers off to England

Bangladesh cricket team left here for England yesterday, reiterating that they have targeted defending champions India to fulfil their dream of making the Super Eights of the ICC World Twenty20.

Banking on their batting depth, the Tigers believe that it is not an impossible task to beat high-flying India as it's a T20 game, so that there will be no need to wait for the second group match against Ireland.

"It's a Twenty20 game where you can get knocked out anytime. But realistically we should be in the Super Eights. We can even make it to the semifinals because nothing is impossible in this format of the game. We will definitely try against India before the Ireland game," said Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons while talking with the reporters at the Zia International Airport.

The Australian pointed out his side's batting depth to make a mark in the second version of the tournament.

"We have batting depth in the team. Just look, Mushi [Mushfiqur Rahim] is batting at number six and he is followed by Riyad [Mahmudullah] and Mash [Mashrafe Bin Mortaza] and this is very important," he added.

Captain Mohammad Ashraful, who along with his deputy Mashrafe, leaves today to join the team in England and believes that nothing is impossible in Twenty20 cricket.

"The beauty of the T20 format is that you can win the match against India and lose a game against Ireland. It's always risky to tag someone favourites or minnows in this format of the game. We can even make it to the last four if we can beat India in the first game," said Ashraful, who returned home on Friday after a fruitless IPL trip in South Africa.

The Bangladesh skipper said that they might have lacked match practice before the World Cup because of one-match appearance in the IPL, but informed that they had been very much in practice.

"It was frustrating not to play too many matches there [in the IPL], but I did have a very good time as it gave me the opportunity to come across so many world stars. I learnt many things from this trip which I believe would be very helpful for me," he said.

Bangladesh will definitely be looking to number one all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to make their dream come true as the young man already made him a key performer for the Tigers.

"In Twenty20 game, any side can win the match. We have nothing to lose. The June 6 match [against India] may be ours if we can put up our best performance," said a confident Shakib before departure.

He was however not ready to focus on the past success. "We upset India in the 2007 World Cup but in a one-day match. This time we will play in a totally different format. We have to perform to our best if we want to beat the inform team," he added.

Bangladesh, who have been pitted in Group A along with India and Ireland, will be based in Wormsley until the end of this month. Bangladesh have additional practice matches lined up against New Zealand at Wormsley on May 26 and against the Netherlands on May 28. They then face Scotland on May 29.

Their official practice games are against Australia on June 1 and Sri Lanka the next day at Nottingham.

Bashar fooling no one

A little over seven months after a dramatic retirement and subsequent defection to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), one-time Bangladesh skipper Habibul Bashar 'realized' the value of national pride.

After leading the mass mutiny against the BCB in September last year, it has taken Bashar about half a year and a drastic change in circumstances to mellow his stance and proclaim his love and support for a national side he felt no qualms about deserting not so long ago. 

But contradiction is not out of character for the man, who had proclaimed that the public had not understood his stance properly back then.

As a player, Bashar had been invaluable during the infancy of Bangladesh cricket. His consistent showings gained him the tag of Mr. Fifty and he was repeatedly one of our top performers. 

Post-World Cup 2007 however, there was a noticeable decline in his performances (he did not make a Test fifty for almost two years before his last Test) and his reactive, defensive captaincy only added to the voices of discontent. 

This was a cricketer past his best. And so fell the axe, and with it were sown the roots of his angst. 

Understandably Bashar did not take the decision well. Six months after being discarded from the side, Bashar had handed in his resignation and moved to the greener pastures of the ICL. 

And now six months later, he wants back. 

No matter how he sugarcoats it, Bashar's choices are self-interested. There is nothing wrong in that, but his continual disregard for the general public is shocking. 

Upon joining the ICL, Bashar seemed utterly surprised to be labelled a 'rebel'. "We joined the ICL only because they never asked us to stop playing for our country," said Bashar. Such comments would have made sense if only Bashar had not just a few days earlier handed in his resignation to the board citing 'improper structure.'

'I did not feel wanted,' he later added and justified his defect by grossly misquoting earning figures of national players in an interview with the Times of India. He would stoop to nothing to justify his cause, it seemed. 

But then, his cause deserted him and Bashar was left high and dry. 

As talks with the ICC failed, the ICL increasingly looked like a dead-end destination. And the Mumbai attacks further clouded its very existence. Bashar realized that his hopes of riding into the sunset seemed to hang by a thread.

So what does a self-respecting 36 year old, who knows only how to play cricket, do in such a circumstance?

Make a simple net present value calculation, that's what. 

Bashar realized that with the ICL facing the prospect of extinction, his “Indian summer” had come to an end. He realised his next best alternative was possibly some non-playing role with the national team that he had made his name with. 

That would be impossible with the ten-year ban imposed upon him by the BCB. Luckily, cricket boards across the world were at that very time, putting out amnesty windows for all their players. Bashar just had to wait for his one. 

And when it came, the former national captain, and more recently rebel and critic of the national “structure”, duly rediscovered his love for the country and rejoined the national fold. 

And what of the improper structure that he had cited?

Coach Jamie Siddons, said by Bashar himself to be a chief cause of chagrin, still remains in charge. Rafiqul Alam, chief selector at the time of the defect is also incumbent. And Mohammad Ashraful is also still captain. The alleged root of Bashar's discontent remains absolutely unchanged and active. 

The only thing that's changed is Bashar's circumstances. 

At the press conference to announce his 'comeback', Bashar urged the country's 

young players to think twice before going down his path. 

Pride stopped him short from making an apology to the nation or the public, but he can rest assured that his example will be one most youngsters would be loathe to follow. 

Money is not everything, said the 're-born nationalist' at the press conference. For once he is being truthful. Because for Bashar, it is the only thing.

Indian Premier League

It's Bangalore v Deccan

Indian stalwart Rahul Dravid and two of the country's rising stars took the Royal Challengers Bangalore to victory in their Indian Premier League semifinal against the Chennai Super Kings at the Wanderers Stadium on Saturday.

Bangalore will meet the Deccan Chargers in the final at the same ground Sunday in a contest between the teams that filled the bottom two places on the log in the first IPL in 2008.

Dravid (44) and 19-year-old Manish Pandey (48) put on 72 for the third wicket to lay the foundation for Bangalore's six-wicket win, then Virat Kohli, 20, finished the match off by hitting 24 not out off 17 balls.

As in the first semifinal, when Deccan beat the Delhi Daredevils Friday, the team finishing lower on the log won the knock-out match. 

Chennai made a good start after being sent in, with Matthew Hayden, the tournament's leading scorer, and Parthiv Patel putting on 61 for the first wicket.

But the innings lost momentum when Hayden lofted Vinay Kumar to deep mid-wicket off the last ball of the seventh over after making 26. 

Patel followed two overs later when he was leg before to Jacques Kallis for 36.

Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the left-handed Suresh Raina added 35 for the third wicket.

Raina hit a four and six off successive balls against Vinay Kumar but the threatened acceleration was cut short in the next over when he top- edged a pull against Praveen Kumar and was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for 20.

Dhoni reached 28 without hitting a boundary before he hit Roelof van der Merwe high to long-on and fell to a well-judged catch by Vinay Kumar who managed to maintain his balance just inside the rope. 

With the pitch playing slower as the innings progressed even the normally free-scoring Albie Morkel could only manage an unbeaten 20 off 17 balls.

Bangalore started their innings aggressively, with Pandey hitting Morkel through the covers for two fours in the first over, with Kallis punching Manpreet Gony past point for two more boundaries in the next over before eding a drive to be caught behind.

Van der Merwe was sent in as a pinch hitter but after being dropped by Muttiah Muralatharan back-pedalling at mid-off against Morkel in the third over he was bowled next ball.

But Pandey continued to bat fluently and found ideal support from Dravid as the pair added 72 for the third wicket before Pandey missed a sweep against left-arm spinner Shadap Jakati in the 13th over. 

Dravid was leg before to Muralitharan, who bowled superbly to take one for 15 in four overs, but Kohli and New Zealander Ross Taylor both hit sixes as Bangalore won with seven balls to spare.

SCORES IN BRIEF

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS:146-5 in 20 overs (Patel 36, Dhoni 28, Hayden 26, Raina 20, Morkel 20 not out; Kumar 2-38). 

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: 149-4 in 18.5 overs (Pandey 48, Dravid 44, Kohli 24 not out, Taylor 17 not out)

Result: Bangalore won by six wickets.

Man-of-the-match: Manish Pandey.

Akhtar to play domestic 20/20 despite infection

Pakistan's fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will lead the Islamabad Leopards in the domestic Twenty20 Cup, just three days after his country cut him from the World Twenty20 squad due to a skin infection.

"He (Akhtar) has told us that he is fit so we have no reason to drop him," Islamabad Cricket Association president Shakil Shaikh told the Associated Press.

"We have not received any medical report of Akhtar from the Pakistan Cricket Board."

The PCB on Wednesday replaced Akhtar with fast bowler Rao Iftikhar for the World Twenty20 after a three-member medical board advised treatment for another 10 days on Akhtar's ailment.

"It's the basic fundamental right of the player that if he says he is fit you can't stop him from playing," Shaikh said.

Pakistan's domestic Twenty20 Cup begins at Lahore from Monday with Islamabad Leopards taking on Peshawar Panthers - led by Pakistan captain Younis Khan.

Akhtar, the 33-year-old once fiery paceman, has struggled over the last five months to keep his place in the national team.

He made a comeback to international cricket after 14 months in January but was sidelined with a knee injury after playing only two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka.

He also struggled in the one-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month. He could not bowl his full quota of 10 overs in any of the four games he played and got only three wickets.

Bashar gets ICL NOC, submits to BCB today

Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar will submit his ICL no objection certificate (NOC) to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) today to facilitate his comeback to the mainstream.

"I got the NOC from ICL [Indian Cricket League] authority and submit it to BCB tomorrow [Sunday]. Hope everything will be clear for me after submitting this certificate. I am looking forward to starting afresh," expected Bashar.

The 36-year-old former skipper was the first to come forward to take the opportunity of "amnesty" announced by BCB for the players associated with the unapproved ICL.

No other player has yet followed his footsteps and Bashar questioned whether the other rebels could understand what the future held for them.

"It's now clear that there is no problem from the ICL as they are ready to release any player. I don't know whether other players could realise the situation. But I wish they did," he said.

BCB has decided to allow Bangladeshi cricketers under contract with the ICL to participate in domestic cricket subject to the termination of their contracts by June 15 this year.

Hughes confident

Australian Test opener Phillip Hughes said Friday he will head into this year's Ashes series full of confidence after his 'Bradmanesque' stint in English county cricket.

The adventurous 20-year-old left-hander, named this week in Australia's 16-man squad for the upcoming five-Test series against England, earned comparisons with the immortal Donald Bradman following four hundreds for Middlesex in four weeks.

Hughes arrived home on Friday, saying he had benefited from playing at three of the five Ashes venues ahead of the Test series in July and August.

"I thoroughly enjoyed it and the preparation has been great to be honest," Hughes told reporters.

"Lord's was obviously my home ground for Middlesex and I played at the Oval and Edgbaston as well. It couldn't have really worked out any better," he said.

"The big thing was just going over there to experience the whole different culture, the weather, the wickets and the bowlers as well."

He downplayed suggestions his time at Middlesex could also have worked in England's favour by giving them a chance to assess him before the series and allowing them to identify weaknesses.

Hughes's three first-class hundreds and a one-day century enabled him to top another milestone set by Bradman.

Last year, the New South Wales youngster bettered Bradman's Sheffield Shield record for the greatest two-innings contribution to a team's game total and scored his first 1,000 domestic first-class runs at a younger age than "The Don."

Hughes also surpassed Bradman's debut season in England.

Hughes scored 118 on debut against Glamorgan, 139 against Leicestershire and 195 against Surrey at the Oval to become the first Australian player to score centuries in his opening three first-class games in England.

He plundered 574 runs from just five first-class innings, while a 21-year-old Bradman amassed 556 runs in as many knocks in 1930.

"It is flattering (to be compared with) the world's best player and the best player anyone's ever seen," Hughes said.

Duminy learns from the Master

Superstar Sachin Tendulkar limits his private time to just 'five or six friends', according to Mumbai Indians teammate JP Duminy.

Writing in the Cape Times newspaper Friday, Duminy said the most valuable lesson he learnt from Tendulkar, his franchise captain, was how the man he described as the "Little Master" conducted himself off the field.

The South African left-hander, who justified a 950,000-dollar price tag by being the leading run-scorer for the Mumbai team, said the highlight of his first Indian Premier League stint was playing alongside legends like Tendulkar and Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya.

Duminy wrote that he admired Tendulkar's 'exemplary' off-field record.

"I will cherish a conversation I had with him where he revealed that he only has about five or six friends, along with his close-knit family, who he spends his precious free time with.

"The fact that he can trust them 100 per cent is very important to him and that is something I have really taken to heart."

Duminy said the IPL had been an exhilarating experience, but Mumbai lost too many games in failing to qualify for the semi-finals.

"We really tried our best, but in the end we needed to be on the right side of a few close matches. The entire team are very disappointed, as we have built a big fan base in South Africa, let alone the millions in India.

"To let so many people down is a bad feeling."

IPL

Modi hints at two IPLs

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has hinted that the Twenty20 tournament could be held twice a year, once in India and a shorter one overseas.

"The IPL will be based in India, but the second season (of a year) we are planning gives us the chance to see if a market exists and we are seriously looking at what we can do with it," he told the Daily Telegraph.

He said he had been encouraged by the response from fans in South Africa, where the IPL was shifted for the 2009 season due to concerns over security as the competition clashed with general elections in India. "We have turned the challenges and adversities in moving to South Africa into an opportunity," he said. "It is fans who determine if you are successful or not and they have come out in force here. It has shown that the tournament can be in any region, in any country. This opens up many different opportunities for us."

The USA, where the ICC has advised cricket officials to install an IPL-style Twenty20 league, is one of the countries Modi considers a potential host. "America throws up challenges but the format we have developed works," he said. "Apart from watching great cricket they have an enjoyable evening out. That will work anywhere.

"Before this tournament we did not know if we could do it. But we do know now. We have to satisfy an appetite across the world and build a fan base across the world. "

The IPL and the huge money it offers players has had many worrying about the primacy of Test cricket, and West Indies captain Chris Gayle's comments earlier this month that he "wouldn't be so sad" if Tests vanished in favour of Twenty20s had sparked a furore.

Indian Premier League

Gilchrist in full flow

It was once said of Brian Lara's batting that the opposing captain's only hope was to place his fielders in the gaps. Roughly the same thought would have gone through Virender Sehwag's mind as he watched his bowlers being taken apart, brilliantly and brutally, by Adam Gilchrist . To reduce a Gilchrist knock to statistics is a crime but one number last night tells a story: There were five dot balls in his 85. Just five. Within 17 balls, by when he had reached his fifty, he had killed the game and knocked out Delhi, the strongest team in the competition.

Gilchrist in full flow has to be one of the most pleasing sights in cricket. There is not a single ugly shot; the smooth arc of the bat swing and the clean hitting is what you take away. Through his career he has done the improbable - made happy both the purists and those who seek instant gratification.

Tonight, he exhibited his best, which was lapped up by a strong Centurion crowd. The white ball kept flying everywhere but the shot of the day was the one that never left the ground. He leaned forward to time a full length delivery from Ashish Nehra and it raced away through wide mid-off. Not that any of the other shots, barring a drag-pull, were anything but gorgeous.

The thing that most catches the eye is his extension of the arms. Where the traditional batsmen stop their arm-swing, Gilchrist's arms go cleanly through the line of the ball. You can only marvel at the absence of any self-doubt that allows him to play like that.

For, rest assured, any self-doubt in the mind would inevitably raise questions. What if the ball cuts away fractionally? What if it keeps slightly low or higher than what one expected? What if the length is fractionally shorter or fuller than what one thought? What if the pace is slower than anticipated? This is where it gets fascinating. Gilchrist has admitted that he is a very sensitive type prone to doubting himself in life; you can only gasp at the transformation when he has bat in hand. He is not a Keith Miller; with Miller or Sobers or Richards, the batting seemed a logical extension of their personality. Not so with Gilchrist. Perhaps it's the release from himself that he seeks while at the crease.

Gilchrist himself put it eloquently after the game. "All I have asked my team in the tournament is to make whatever is happening in that moment [while you are in middle] the most important moment in your life. The next delivery is the most important thing in your life because there is nothing else going around at that moment."

Nothing else but the sound of nerves shredding among the Delhi bowlers as they ran in. Yet you couldn't blame them. There weren't too many bad balls in the conventional sense; just a couple of full tosses, nothing wide or too short or too full. Even the two full tosses came at the free hits. The pressure to bowl the yorker or the unhittable ball must have eventually strangled them.

Only high-quality spin could have saved the day, as it did the other when Ramesh Powar bowled a magical ball to dismiss Gilchrist. Pace plays to his strength; to force the error, you have to make the adrenalin rush to his head by slowing it up and making him go after it. Delhi, though, didn't dare use Amit Mishra during the Powerplays. It was their only chance but Sehwag didn't want to take that risk. Perhaps it's a trick he missed; there's no guarantee it would have been effective - he could have disappeared for plenty - but given the seamers were so shell-shocked they didn't try a single slower one, that's the only thing he could have done.

Spare a thought, though, for Delhi. They were the strongest team in the competition, comfortably ahead in the league table and winning nearly everything in sight, but came undone in the semi-final. Gautam Gambhir and David Warner couldn't deliver when it mattered; nor could their quality seamers produce the one special ball that could have made the difference. They couldn't raise their game under pressure.

Their innings started off like Sri Lanka's game against India in the 1996 World Cup semi-final. Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana fell as soon as they arrived at the crease then; today Gambhir and Warner went early. Aravinda de Silva played one of the best innings in World Cup history to turn things around for them, then. Sehwag looked like he was on his way to reprise that knock but couldn't survive the strategy break. That killed the momentum and the innings, despite Tillakaratne Dilshan's efforts, fell short of a matchwinning total.

But when Gilchrist is such a mood, who can say what is a match-winning total? There is no shame in losing to a dazzling act like this. It doesn't happen every day. Or could it? We have to wait for the final to find out whether Gilchrist has more fuel left in his tank.

  
Gilchrist blasts Deccan into IPL final  


 Australian Adam Gilchrist blasted 85 off 35 balls to lead Deccan Chargers into the Indian Premier League final with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils on Friday.

The Deccan captain reached his half-century off just 17 deliveries, an IPL record beating the previous mark of 21 balls set by Yusuf Pathan of the Rajasthan Royals last year.

Deccan were chasing 154 for victory and left-hander Gilchrist, opening the batting, smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his innings to help the underdogs recover from the early loss of Herschelle Gibbs for a duck in the second over.

He eventually fell to the leg spin of Amit Mishra the ball before the strategic timeout at the halfway mark.

With Deccan needing 52 more runs in 10 overs and seven wickets in hand, the outcome was obvious. Tirumalsetti Suman and Andrew Symonds both scored 24 as victory was completed in the 18th over.

Mishra was the one bowler to shine for Delhi, taking three for 19 in four overs.

Another Australian, Ryan Harris, had given Deccan an early advantage in the field, removing Delhi openers Gautam Gambhir and David Warner for ducks with the innings only an over old.
Virender Sehwag and Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan produced an impressive stand of 85 off 60 balls before Sehwag was trapped leg-before by Symonds for 39.

Dilshan pressed on and was finally run out for 65 off 50 deliveries in the final over. Four wickets fell for eight runs in the last seven balls to leave Delhi on 153 for eight.

Deccan will meet the winners of the second semi between Chennai Super Kings and Bangalore Royal Challengers in Sunday's final. 

 South Africa restore relations with Zimbabwe  

   
 South Africa have restored cricket relations with Zimbabwe, Cricket South Africa said on Friday.

A CSA statement said the decision had been made at a board meeting attended by Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) president Peter Chingoka and chief executive officer Ozias Bvute.

Last year CSA decided to suspend bilateral relations with the ZCU because of the deteriorating political and economic situation in the country.

Since then, Zimbabwe has formed a government of national unity and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have asked their members to assist the development of Zimbabwean cricket.

A co-ordinating committee has been set up by CSA to help restore relations between the two countries and assist Zimbabwe achieve its goal of returning to test cricket. The ZCU suspended Zimbabwe's test status indefinitely in January, 2006
Gerald Majola, the chief executive officer of CSA, will be the chairman of the committee, with Ray Mali, the former ICC president, also a member.

The board also decided that players and officials who were contracted by the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and wished to return to official cricket could do so after cancelling their contracts with the ICL and serving a six-month "cooling off" period after their last appearance.