England team arrives in Chennai

1st Test England v India at Chennai - Dec 11-15, 2008 (09:30 local , 04:00 GMT)


2nd Test Englaind v India at Mohali - Dec 19-23, 2008 (09:30 local, 04:00 GMT)

India Squad

MS Dhoni
Rahul Dravid
Harbhajan Singh
VVS Laxman
Pragyan Ojha
Virender Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar
Yuvraj Singh
Subramaniam Badrinath
Gautam Gambhir
Zaheer Khan
Amit Mishra
Munaf Patel
Ishant Sharma
Murali Vijay

England Squad



Kevin Pietersen (c)
James Anderson
Stuart Broad
Alastair Cook
Steve Harmison
Monty Panesar
Owais Shah
Graeme Swann
Ravi Bopara
Robbie Joseph
Samit Patel
Adil Rashid
Alan Richardson
Tim Ambrose (wk)
Ian Bell
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Amjad Khan
Matt Prior (wk)
Andrew Strauss
Ryan Sidebottom
Mark Davies
Sajid Mahmood
Liam Plunkett
Ollie Rayner

India-Pakistan test in Mumabi

Former great Wasim Akram Monday called on India not to break cricketing ties with Pakistan, suggesting both countries should instead play a test match in terrorist-hit Mumbai to show solidarity.

The former Pakistan cricket captain made his remarks amid reports that the Indian government has denied its cricket team permission to tour Pakistan early next year following last week's attacks on Mumbai which left more than 170 dead.

"Cricket is not on anyone's mind at the moment, but after three to four days both the countries must take a positive step. I suggest Pakistan and India play a Test in Mumbai so to give a clear message that we will not give in," Wasim told AFP.

"India is like a second home for me, so whatever has happened there has hurt everyone in Pakistan including me," said Wasim, who holds the world record of most one-day wickets with 502.

"But if this hits our relations and cricket, it would mean that we have given in to terrorists."

He cited his own experiences when captaining Pakistan on a tour of India in 1999 despite threats from Hindu fundamentalists, playing the first cricket series between the two countries after a decade-long deadlock due to political tension.

"Cricket means everything in the sub-continent. It has built bridges and has averted wars on several occasions. People love and worship cricket, so it would be a great loss if cricket is halted. I hope it isn't," Wasim said.

India had been scheduled to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match during a five-week tour from January 4 to February 19.

The tour was first put in doubt last month when the Indian government refused its national junior hockey team permission to visit Pakistan due to security concerns.

If India cancels its tour, it would be the latest in a string of recent blows to cricket in Pakistan caused by terrorism fears.

Australia cancelled a Test tour of Pakistan in March and the International Cricket Council postponed the high-profile Champions Trophy there in September due to security concerns caused by Islamic militant activity.

Wasim said the Mumbai attacks have derailed the peace process between longtime rivals India and Pakistan.

"A week ago our President (Asif Ali Zardari) was suggesting there should be no visas for travelling between the two countries and suddenly we have this tragic incident and the whole thing is derailed," Wasim said.

Indian tour of Pakistan 2008/09 Cricket Series

India in Pakistan 2008-09 Cricket Series

India's tour of Pakistan likely to be called off

Dec 01, 2008

After the chilling terror attacks on Mumbai's landmark hotels that stretched for 3 days from the 26th of November 2008, the BCCI is being forced to consider the cancellation of India's upcoming cricket tour or Pakistan.
While Mumbai, India and the indeed the world are reeling from the barbaric terror acts that lead to over 200 deaths, India's tour of Pakistan is likely to be the next casualty.
India was slated to play on Pakistan soil in the coming weeks. BCCI chief and senior officials maintain that the BCCI has no objection to the tour going ahead per se but cannot allow the safety of the cricketers lives to be jeopardized in any way. In the current scenario, even the possibility of the tour being played on a neutral third party country is likey to be ruled out.
However, a formal decision is yet to be made and is likely to be announced in the next few days.

Rawalpindi to host India Test

Sep 23, 2008

Rawalpindi will host its first cricket Test in more than four years when India tours Pakistan in January.
India will play Pakistan in the second Test and third limited-overs match of the series at Rawalpindi, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board's tour itinerary released Tuesday. India played Pakistan the last time Rawalpindi hosted a Test match in April 2004.
Former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated at Rawalpindi in December, and the city has been the scene of several violent incidents in past years. The city is also located near the federal capital Islamabad where at least 53 people died after a powerful blast at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday. "As of now Rawalpindi is the venue," PCB spokesman Mansoor Suhail said, adding that the schedule was finalized before the Marriott blast.
The Indian team arrives in Pakistan on Jan. 4 and is scheduled to play a three-day warm-up match at Hyderabad before the first Test at Karachi. Lahore will host the third and final Test starting Jan. 29. The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was extensively renovated for the Champions Trophy before being excluded as one of the limited-overs tournament's three venues. The Champions Trophy was eventually postponed for a year due to security concerns held by the participating teams.

Lee sings his way to World Cup stardom

Brett Lee missed this year’s World Cup with an ankle injury but he is guaranteed to star at the next one. As David Sygall reports in the Sun-Herald, Lee has been asked to produce and perform the theme song for the 2011 World Cup to be held on the subcontinent.

Lee had other things to think about at the Gabba, where he spearheaded Australia's solid bowling effort against Sri Lanka. His team-mate Stuart MacGill, on the other hand, would have been disappointed to finish the first innings with just one wicket, according to Peter Roebuck in the Sunday Age.

In the same paper Damien Fleming compares MacGill to the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield – both “don’t get no respect”.

Also in the Sunday Age Amanda Dunn chats to Richie Benaud, Bill Lawry and co about the 30 years they have spent in the Channel 9 commentary box.

And in the Sunday Telegraph Terry Jenner calls for Muttiah Muralitharan's action to be tested in Test-match conditions, while Arjuna Ranatunga hands out some rare praise for Ricky Ponting's captaincy.

World Cup dream for twelve nations

Afghanistan will be one of 12 nations dreaming of a place in the 2011 World Cup when the World Cricket League Division Five begins in Jersey later this month.

Germany, Mozambique, Nepal, Norway, USA, Vanuatu, Botswana, Japan, Jersey, Bahamas and Singapore are the 11 other teams who will take part in the event from May 23-31, with the possibility of a World Cup place at the end of the road.

Realistically the chances of any of them making it to the subcontinent in 2011 are very slim. They would have to progress through all the WCL Divisions and compete against strong Associate nations such as Kenya, Ireland and Scotland, but it provides a chance for these smaller cricket nations to develop.

"This gives every side a clear pathway for progression and the chance to compete at the very highest level," the ICC global development manager Matthew Kennedy said. "So even though a team might be competing in the WCL Division Five tournament this month, there is the chance it could make it all the way to the next World Cup.

"More realistically, though, it gives those teams a structure and a long-term goal to aim at so that even if they don't get there this time, they could target 2015, 2019 or 2023.

"On another level, WCL Division Five also gives these sides the opportunity to play against similarly ranked sides from around the world in conditions that perhaps they are not used to. It is very much part of the development process to give players the chance to perform outside their home environment."

This tournament also marks the return of USA to ICC events, more than a year after they were suspended from international cricket. The finalists will be promoted to the World Cricket League Division Four and join Hong Kong, Fiji, Tanzania and Italy in a six-team event that will take place in the Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam from October 4 to 11.

The opening day of Division Five on 23 May will see the USA take on Mozambique in Group A at the picturesque Farmer's Field ground. In the same group Nepal play Germany at Les Quennevais and Norway face Vanuatu at FB Fields. In Group B Afghanistan begin their campaign underway with a match against Japan at Victoria College.

Meanwhile, hosts Jersey play Singapore at Grainville and the Bahamas will line up against Botswana on the second pitch at Les Quennevais.

Group A Germany, Mozambique, Nepal, Norway, USA, Vanuatu
Group B Afghanistan, Botswana, Japan, Jersey, Bahamas, Singapore

ICC set to move World Cup Qualifiers

A little more than a week after the postponement of the Champions Trophy, Cricinfo can reveal that the ICC will have to either move or postpone its next high-profile event, the World Cup Qualifiers.

The tournament, which involves the leading Associates, is due to be staged in the UAE next April, with the top four countries winning a place at the 2011 World Cup. The event will also be used to establish which six Associates will be granted one-day status for the next four years.

Read the full story here and leave your comments below.

UAE eye spot in 2011 World Cup

Mazhar Khan, the chief administrator of the Emirates Cricket Board, says UAE's aim is to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in an interview to Gulf News. Khan, also the manager of UAE's national team, suggests the game is no longer dominated by those from the subcontinent, with more home-grown players as well as Australians and South Africans showing interest.