India name Sehwag as captain in place of banned Dhoni

CHENNAI (Reuters) - Virender Sehwag will step in to captain India in two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka after Mahendra Singh Dhoni was hit with a two-match ban.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) handed down an immediate suspension on the regular skipper for his team's slow over rate in Friday's second one-dayer, the Indian cricket board said on Saturday.
The Indian players have been penalised 40 percent of their match fees, the BCCI statement added.
The hearing was conduced late on Friday after Sri Lanka won the match by three wickets with five deliveries to spare, levelling the five-match series at 1-1.
The match ended 45 minutes after the scheduled time due to frequent discussions between the Indian players.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has taken Dhoni's place in the team while paceman Ishant Sharma replaced Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who has yet to recover from a bout of swine flu.
The final game in the five-match series will be played in Delhi on Dec 27.
The board announced the following squad for the matches in Cuttack (Monday) and Kolkata (Thursday).

India:
Virender Sehwag (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Virat Kohli, Sudeep Tyagi, Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha.

Dilshan helps Sri Lanka beat India by three wickets

NAGPUR: Sri Lanka defeated India by three wickets in the second One-day International at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium on Friday. Sri Lanka achieved the target of 302 with five balls to spare after opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a flamboyant 123. For India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit 107 as the hosts made 301 for seven.
Chasing India's 301 for 7 built around a captain's knock of 107 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the visitors made up for their narrow defeat at Rajkot by overhauling the target with five balls to spare in a pulsating floodlit contest.
The explosive Dilshan notched up his second consecutive and fifth One-day hundred to lay the platform for the run chase for Sri Lanka.
India did well to recover from a rather sluggish start to post 301 mainly relying on Dhoni's fireworks in the end but a few fielding lapses in the very fag end in the Sri Lankan innings tilted the scale in the visitors' favour in a match which went down the wire.
The capacity crowd at VCA Stadium in Jamtha were treated to another run feast with both teams scoring over 300 runs but unlike the Rajkot feast the bowlers did get some assistance from the track.
The Indians, whose fielding has left a lot to be desired in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, were patchy in their bowling and the early dismissals of Virender Sehwag (4) and Gautam Gambhir (2) when they batted did have a bearing in the final outcome.
The two sides travel to Cuttack for the third One-dayer on December 21.
Pacer Zaheer Khan struck thrice in quick succession after Ashish Nehra got the prized wicket of Dilshan to raise visions of a second successive a second successive come-from-behind win for the hosts before Angelo Mathews, who remained unbeaten on 37, guided the visitors home.
Dilshan, who struck 12 fours and two sixes, and fellow opener Upul Tharanga (37) gave the Lankan innings a flying start scoring 102 in 14 overs to ease the job for the latter order batsmen.
Dilshan fell in the 36th over, yorked by Ashish Nehra bowling his second spell, and then Zaheer sent back Mahela Jayawardene (39), Thilina Kandamby (27) and Chamara Kapugedara (2), the latter two in the space of three balls.
But Mathews, who used a runner in the later part of his crucial knock, kept his cool and gathered runs after having lost Kandamby in the first over of the batting power play, taken after the 44th over when the visitors were 262 for four, and Lanka coasted home at 302 for seven in 49.1 overs.
Dhoni cracked his sixth hundred and strung together a breezy century stand with Suresh Raina to lift his side to an imposing 301 for seven after electing to bat first.
Dhoni, who faced 111 balls and struck eight fours and two sixes, had the proverbial cat's luck as he was let off on four occasions by the butter-fingered Lanka fielders, thrice by his counterpart Kumar Sangakkara before he reached 50.

ICC announces schedule for ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE

World-class venues confirmed as Abu Dhabi and Dubai Sports City will play host

The ICC today announced the schedule for the eight-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2010, which will be hosted by the Emirates Cricket Board in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 9 to 13 February 2010.

At stake will be a place in the ICC World Twenty20 2010 to be staged in the West Indies. Both finalists from this event will qualify for the big one which will take place at Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia from 30 April to 16 May.

The winner of the tournament will join South Africa and India in Group C while the losing finalist will join Group D which includes the West Indies and England.

The ICC WT20 Qualifier involves two groups of four teams with Ireland, Scotland, Afghanistan and the USA making up Group A while Kenya, the Netherlands, Canada and the UAE will fight it out for supremacy of Group B.

Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, the Netherlands, Afghanistan and Scotland have directly qualified for the qualifier on the basis of their ODI status while the UAE and the USA have been specially invited by the ICC to participate in the tournament.

A total of 17 matches will be played over five days with Abu Dhabi?s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium hosting six group stage matches and Dubai International Cricket Stadium at Dubai Sports City staging 11 matches, including six group stage matches, four Super Four matches and the final.

ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE

Groupings (In brackets are the seedings. The top five sides have been seeded on the basis of their final positions in the ICC WT20 Qualifier in Belfast in July 2008 while Afghanistan, the UAE and the USA have been seeded on the basis of their 50-over global rankings)

Group A
Ireland (1)
Scotland (3)
Afghanistan (6)
USA (8)

Group B
Netherlands (2)
Kenya (4)
Canada (5)
UAE (7)


Tournament schedule

	Start Time	Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Sports City	Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday 9 Feb	09.30	Ireland v Afghanistan>	Scotland v USA
	13.30	Netherlands v Canada	Kenya v UAE
Wednesday 10 Feb	09.30	Canada v Kenya	Afghanistan v Scotland
	13.30	UAE v Netherlands	USA v Ireland
Thursday 11 Feb	09.30	Afghanistan v USA	Canada v UAE
	13.30	Ireland v Scotland	Netherlands v Kenya
Friday 12 Feb	09.30	Super Four A1 v B2
	13.30	Super Four B1 v A2
Saturday 13 Feb	09.30	Super Four B1 v A1
	13.30	Super Four B2 v A2
	19	Final

Benn banned for two ODIs after being found guilty of conduct contrary to the Spirit of Cricket

West Indies spinner Sulieman Benn has received two suspension points while Australia's Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson have been fined 25 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively, of their match fees after being found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the third Test between the two teams in Perth.

Two suspension points in the enhanced code means a ban of one Test or two ODIs, depending whichever comes first for the player.

As such, Benn will miss the opening two ODIs against Australia in Melbourne and Adelaide on 7 and 9 February 2010.

Benn was charged with an article 2.2.11 offence while both Haddin and Johnson were charged with an article 2.1.8 offence. Both these offences prohibit players from conducting themselves in any way that is not in accordance with the spirit of the game.

The incident that led to the charges being laid took place during the 118th over of Australia's first innings. On the first ball of the over, Benn collided with non-striker Johnson while trying to stop the ball off his own bowling.

Two balls later, Haddin became involved when he pointed his bat at the bowler who had shaped to throw at the striker's end with the batsman standing in his crease.

The three players then got embroiled in a heated altercation at the end of the 118th over with the 28-year-old from Barbados pointing at the Australia wicketkeeper over the shoulder of Johnson.

The Australia players pleaded guilty at an early stage and, under the provisions of the new code, the matter was determined by Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees without the need for a full hearing. However, a hearing involving Benn was held at the close of the second day's play after the spinner pleaded not guilty to the charges laid against him.

Mr Broad handed down the punishment after looking at the video evidence of the incident and after conducting the hearing, which was attended by the on-field umpires Ian Gould and Billy Bowden, third umpire Asad Rauf and fourth umpire Rod Tucker (who all had laid the charges). The hearing was also attended by West Indies team manager Joel Garner and captain Chris Gayle.

Commenting on his findings, Mr Broad said: "It was an incident which could have been avoided. No one likes to see cricketers pointing bats at their opponents or pushing each other away.

"It is not the sort of example that players should be setting at any time, least of all in a series which is being played in a great spirit and being followed by millions around the world on television.

"The decision to find Sulieman guilty of a Level 2 offence is indicative of the fact that conduct contrary to the spirit of the game is completely unacceptable. I hope he has learnt his lesson and will be careful in the future."

Sanctions included in Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct can range from an official reprimand to a fine of up to 50 per cent of a player's match fee, while the penalty for a Level 2 offence ranges from a fine of between 50 and 100 per cent of the player's match fee and/or two suspension points.

For Level 2 offences players have the right to appeal against match referee's decision within 48 hours of notification of that decision, while for a first Level 1 offence the match referee's decision is final and binding.

South Africa aims to regain number-one Test ranking

South Africa aims to regain the number-one Test ranking in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship when it goes head to head with England in the four-Test series at Centurion on Wednesday.

South Africa, which lost its coveted position to India on 6 December, will need to beat England by 2-0 or better to reclaim the top spot which it had taken over from Australia after Ricky Ponting's side lost the Ashes earlier this summer.

A 2-0 or 3-1 series win will put South Africa on par with India but ahead of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point while a 4-0 series win will take Graeme Smith's side to 127 ratings points.

In contrast, England has a chance to leapfrog South Africa into fourth position but for that to happen, Andrew Strauss's side will need to win all its matches in the series. A 4-0 series win will put England alongside South Africa on 113 ratings points but ahead of the Proteas when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

While a convincing 2-0 or 3-1 series win will strengthen England's hold on fifth position, it will affect South Africa's ranking the hosts would drop to 116 ratings points and possibly in third position, depending how the Perth Test between Australia and the West Indies pans out.

Meanwhile, rain has thwarted New Zealand's chances of swapping places with Pakistan after the Napier Test ended in a draw. New Zealand, chasing 208 to win the Test and the series 2-1 in a minimum of 43 overs, was 90 for no wicket and required another 118 runs from a minimum of 23 overs when steady rain ended the contest.

A victory in Napier would have lifted New Zealand to fifth place on 84 ratings points while pushing Pakistan to sixth position on 78 ratings point. But in the end, the Black Caps had to settle for gaining one ratings point while Pakistan stayed sixth on 83 ratings points.

In the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen issued on Tuesday, Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf and New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor have slipped one place each to sixth and 10th respectively.

The batsmen to gain most from the Napier Test include New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who has achieved his career-best 25th ranking after improving by two places, Umar Akmal 38th (up by five places), Imran Farhat 39th (up by 10 places) and Faisal Iqbal 71st (up by nine places) while the batsmen to lose ground are Misbah-ul-Haq 45th (down by seven places) and Daniel Flynn 74th (down by four places).

South Africa boasts Graeme Smith (seventh), Jacques Kallis (11th), Ashwell Prince (13th) and AB de Villiers (14th) while England only has Strauss (14th) and Kevin Pietersen (17th) inside the top 20.

Batsmen from both the sides out of the top 20 and eyeing an upward movement include Hashim Amla (27th), Alastair Cook (28th), Paul Collingwood (31st), Matt Prior (35th), Ian Bell (36th) and Mark Boucher (50th).

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, Pakistan's Danish Kaneria has climbed two places to 13th after match figures of 7-189 while New Zealand fast bowler Iain O'Brien has retired in 21st position after rising five places following match figures of 6-143.

Those failing to maintain their rankings include Mohammad Asif, who has dropped one place to fifth, Vettori, who has slipped two places to 13th, and Umar Gul who has dropped three places to 24th.

The bowlers' list is headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn while Makhaya Ntini, who will be playing in his 100th Test, is in fourth position followed by Paul Harris (ninth), James Anderson (11th), Graeme Swann (12th), Stuart Broad (14th), Ryan Sidebottom (16th) and Kallis (19th).

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Player Rankings for all-rounders, Kallis leads the field with England's Broad in fifth position.

The series schedule is

16-20 Dec - First Test, Centurion

26-30 Dec - Second Test, Durban

3-7 Jan - Third Test, Cape Town

14-18 Jan - Fourth Test, Johannesburg

Dennis Lillee inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

                                           Dennis lillee 9 slips

One of Australia's greatest fast bowlers, Dennis Lillee, was formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame at the tea interval on the second day of the third Test between Australia and the West Indies in Perth.

The Hall of Fame, run in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), recognises some of the truly great players from cricket's long and illustrious history.

A commemorative cap was presented to Lillee by the International Cricket Council (ICC) Director and Cricket Australia Chairman Jack Clarke in front of large and appreciative crowd at the Western Australia Cricket Association Ground (WACA). He was then driven around the oval in an open top vehicle to allow his home fans to show their appreciation for the legendary fast bowler.

Lillee was the heart of Australia bowling attack for more than a decade after making his debut in January 1971 against England in Adelaide where he made his mark by taking 5-124.

He went on to play 70 Tests for Australia, taking 355 Test wickets. He took five wickets in an innings 23 times and 10 wickets in a match seven times.

He bowled with much hostility and unrelenting determination. It was this determination that enabled him to recover from serious stress fractures he suffered early in his career. Together with Jeff Thomson, he formed one of the most feared and lethal bowling combinations of all-time.

He was an enigma for England as he took 167 Test wickets at an average of 21.00 in the Ashes.

As tail-ender, who played with a straight bat, his best Test innings was 73 not out against England at Lord's in 1975.

After retiring from international cricket, he became a noted fast bowling coach and currently works with youngsters at an academy in Chennai.

Upon receiving his commemorative cap, Lillee said: "To be adjudged or put in the same stratosphere as the initial 55 ICC Hall of Famers, whom I idolised and read about as a kid is incredible and not something I would have thought possible.

"It's also a real pleasure to be receiving my cap in front of my home crowd here at the WACA who have always been so supportive of my career."

The cap presentation ceremony is a key part of the celebrations to mark the ICC's centenary year as it acknowledges the greats of the game and the contributions they have made to ensure cricket is a great sport with a great spirit.

Pakistan recall fast bowler Sami for Australia tour

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan have recalled fast bowler Mohammad Sami for their tour of Australia starting this week.
Sami, 28, played the last of his 33 tests and 83 one-day internationals in 2007 before joining the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).
"He has to submit a clearance from the ICL that he is no longer affiliated with them after which he will be sent to Australia to join the team," a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman said.
"I have asked the ICL for the clearance but they still have to clear my outstanding dues as yet and that needs to be sorted out," Sami told Reuters.
Sami would be the sixth player from the ICL to return to the Pakistan national team after Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Rana Naved and Imran Farhat.
Pakistan have four fast bowlers in their squad in New Zealand from where they fly to Australia to play three tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match.
The first test starts on Boxing Day in Melbourne.

Sehwag leads India to 3-run win over Sri Lanka leads India to 3-run win over Sri Lanka

Sehwag's career-best 146 led India to a three-run victory Tuesday as Sri Lanka fell just short of successfully recording the second-highest run chase in one-day international history.
Sehwag smashed six sixes and 17 fours in 102 balls at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground to help India total 414-7 in 50 overs _ its highest ever ODI total _ in the first of five matches against Sri Lanka.
Tillakratne Dilshan hit a career-best 160 but three late run outs left Sri Lanka on 411-8 _ the second-highest total for a team batting second by 61 runs and only behind South Africa's 438 against Australia in 2006 at the relatively small Wanderers Stadium.
"It's quite tough when you score 400 and almost lose it," said captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 72. "We weren't up to the mark during the first 35 overs of Sri Lanka's innings, but the way we bowled and fielded after that was awesome."
India's previous best was 413-5 against Bermuda, during the 2007 World Cup at Port of Spain, Trinidad. Its previous highest score against Sri Lanka was 373-6, at the 1999 World Cup in England.
India's total is the fifth highest, behind Sri Lanka's leading 443 against the Netherlands in 2006, but the third best against a test-playing nation.
Sehwag featured in two big partnerships on way to a 12th ODI century, putting on an opening 153 with Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 69, and 156 for the second wicket with Dhoni.
"I kept telling myself that I'm in good form and I've got to make the most of it," Sehwag said. "Tendulkar and I were initially aiming at a total of 350, but Dhoni played really well and raised the bar."
Tendulkar hit 10 boundaries in 63 balls before being bowled by an in-cutter from paceman Dilhara Fernando in the 20th over.
Sehwag's innings ended when he misjudged a delivery from pace bowler Chanaka Welegedara and lobbed it to Tillakratne Dilshan at point.
Fernando also dismissed Dhoni to finish with 2-66. Dhoni hit three sixes and seven boundaries before lofting a slower ball from Fernando to Angelo Mathews in the covers.
Paceman Nuwan Kulasekara snared Gautam Gambhir for 11 and Suresh Raina for 16 to have figures of 2-65 and slow India's extraordinary run-rate.
Welegedara dismissed Virat Kohli for 27 before Ravindra Jadeja hit 30 not out to take India past the 400-run mark. Welegedara had the best figures for Sri Lanka, taking 2-63.
Dilshan and Upul Tharanga put on opening stand of 188 to give Sri Lanka a flying start.
Tharanga, who opened with Sanath Jayasuriya dropping down the order, hit four sixes and three boundaries in 60 balls before being stumped by Dhoni for 67 off part-time spinner Raina.
Dilshan and captain Kumar Sangakkara then put together a brisk 128-run stand for the second wicket that seemed to turn the game in Sri Lanka's favor.
Sangakkara top-edged seamer Praveen Kumar to Ravindra Jadeja at deep square-leg to be out for 90, while Dilshan was bowled by offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who then had Jayasuriya stumped for 5 by Dhoni to return figures of 2-58.
Dilshan struck three sixes and 20 fours off 120 deliveries, and Sangakkara hit five sixes and 10 boundaries.
India's fielders, after having dropped several catches, then produced three run-outs as Sri Lanka fell just short of an improbable victory.
"It's shattering when you come this close and then lose," Sangakkara said. "We should've batted smarter after 35 overs. India held their nerve better than us."
The second game is Friday in Nagpur.

Sreesanth recovers from swine flu, discharged from hospital

Mohali (Punjab), Dec 15 (IANS) Indian fast-bowler S. Sreesanth was discharged from Fortis Hospital here Tuesday evening after recovering from influenza A (H1N1) virus, officials said.
Sreesanth was admitted in this hospital last week Thursday with symptoms of body ache, fever and sore throat. The hospital authorities took his throat and nasal swab samples and his test report came positive.

'Sreesanth has now recovered from swine flu after being administered a full course of Tamiflu and hence has been discharged from hospital,' said Ashish Banerji, director of Fortis Hospital, here Tuesday.

Sreesanth had come here last week along with the Indian cricket team to play in a Twenty-20 match against Sri Lanka at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium. However, he could not play the match due to the infection.

'Sreesanth will board a flight to Kochi from Chandigarh airport tomorrow (Wednesday) at around 10.35 a.m.,' said an official spokesperson of PCA here Tuesday.

Mohali town is around 10 km from the state capital Chandigarh.

ICC Cricket World Cup - 2011 Groups

Group A	Group B
Australia	India
Pakistan	South Africa
New Zealand	England
Sri Lanka	West Indies
Zimbabwe	Bangladesh
Canada	Ireland
Kenya	Netherlands

Yuvraj spurs India to victory on his birthday

Birthday boy Yuvraj Singh gave a stunning all-round display to spur India to a record six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second and final Twenty20 international on Saturday.

India reached the highest chasing total, amassing 211 for four in 19.1 overs after Sri Lanka had made a daunting 206 for seven. The series was drawn 1-1.

Yuvraj, who turned 28 on Saturday, smashed a 25-ball 60 not out after he had grabbed three for 23 bowling left-arm spin on his home ground.

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara top-scored for the second game in a row, making 59 off 31 balls as a sloppy India dropped five catches.

Sangakkara hammered eight fours and two sixes after stroking a match-winning 78 in the opening game in Nagpur on Wednesday.

Sehwag hit 64 off 35 balls and added 58 runs with fellow opener Gautam Gambhir (21) and 50 for the next wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (46).

Yuvraj took over, adding 80 runs with Dhoni for the third wicket, hammering five sixes and three fours, and finishing off with a six.

India surpassed the 208 for two South Africa made while beating West Indies at Johannesburg in 2007.

The teams play a five-match one-day series from Tuesday

Gabba defeat motivated Windies to turn things around: Sarwan

West Indies middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has said the harsh criticism coming the team's way after the first Test in Brisbane hurt him personally, but it also helped the side as a whole to turn things around during the Adelaide Test.

He said the visitors did a lot of soul searching and even engaged in heated arguments after the Gabba Test defeat, but the sum total at the end, was the emergence of a mentally stronger side.

"From a personal point of view it really hurt to know that we came under that sort of scrutiny," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Sarwan, as saying.

"But nevertheless we are professionals. I think everyone took it to heart and that kind of motivated us for the second Test," he added.

Sarwan said that he is confident that the West Indies can replicate the Adelaide effort in Perth next week.

"It's important that we try and do this on a consistent basis. I don't want to jump too far ahead and say that we're turning the corner," he said.

"I think what is more important to us is that we play consistent cricket, and be able to do that at a high level at all times. If we play really well on the first day, whether we are batting or bowling, I think we have a good chance," he concluded.

Sreesanth to miss first two ODIs against Sri Lanka

Mohali, Dec 12 (ANI): Indian pacer Sreesanth, who was down with swine flu, has been ruled out of the first two One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka, starting from December 15 in Rajkot.

Sreesanth, who was admitted to the Fortis Hospital late on Thursday night with symptoms of H1N1, tested positive for the disease. He will be discharged from hospital tomorrow.

Indian team manager Mayank Parikh has also been admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. His reports are still awaited.

Both Sreesanth and Parikh will not travel with the team.

With mercury dipping, Chandigarh in the past ten days has seen a sharp increase in number of swine flu cases and has already registered ten deaths. (ANI)

India beats Sri Lanka to level T20 series

Yuvraj Singh smashed an unbeaten 60 off 25 balls after taking three wickets Saturday to lead India to a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and level the two-match Twenty20 International series.

Yuvraj claimed 3-23 from three overs as Sri Lanka was restricted to 206-7 at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

He then scored his fifth Twenty20 half-century to help India reach 211-4 with five balls remaining. Virender Sehwag hit 64 from 36 balls and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni made 46 off 28 deliveries.

For Sri Lanka, captain Kumar Sangakkara made 59, Chinthaka Jayasinghe 38 and Sanath Jayasuriya 31.

Sri Lanka won the first match by 29 runs at Nagpur on Wednesday

Sehwag, Taylor, Gayle, Asif and Danish on the charge

India opener Virender Sehwag has stormed into the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after scoring a superlative double-century against Sri Lanka in the third Test in Mumbai.

Sehwag's 293, which turned out to be the cornerstone of his side's victory that ultimately gave India the number-one position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table for the first time, has rocketed him 14 places to fifth position which he now shares with Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf.

It is the first time since October 2006 that Sehwag has returned to the top five. From the Mumbai Test alone, the 31-year-old from New Delhi has gained 91 points which makes him one of the six batsmen above the 800-point mark.

It has been an outstanding and memorable series for Sehwag who not only scored 491 runs in four innings but also gained 16 places in the batting table after starting the series in 21st position.

Also on the charge in the latest player rankings released on Tuesday are New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor and the West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

Taylor, who scored 30 and 97 in a losing cause to Pakistan in the Wellington Test earlier this week, has vaulted eight places to achieve a career-best ninth position while Gayle, who scored 26 and 165 not out, has jumped six places to share 22nd spot with Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Also moving in the right direction are the India pair of Rahul Dravid, 16th (up by two places), and VVS Laxman, 19th (up by one place) while Australia's vice-captain Michael Clarke, who scored 71 and 61 not out, has also climbed one position to fourth spot.

However, the news is not very good for Australia captain Ricky Ponting who has dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since October 2002. Ponting, who started in ninth position, has slipped three places to 12th spot after scores of 36 and 20 in Adelaide.

India maestro Sachin Tendulkar has also conceded two spots and now sits in 18th position after scoring 53 in his only outing on his home ground.

Other notable batsmen outside the top 20 to make upward movements are Mahendra Singh Dhoni 30th (up by two places), Dwayne Bravo, 40th (up by five places), Umar Akmal 43rd (up by nine places), Brendan Nash 51st (up by 12 places), and Shane Watson 58th (up by 12 places).

Gautam Gambhir of India leads the batting table with Sri Lanka duo of Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara second and third.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, Pakistan pace and spin combination of Mohammad Asif and Danish Kaneria are on the charge.

Asif, who rattled New Zealand in Wellington with match figures of 9-107, has jumped five places to achieve a career-best fourth ranking to date while Danish has lifted six places to 15th after figures of 6-80.

India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who took match figures of 6-142 in the Mumbai Test, has also gained a valuable place which has now put him inside the top 10 while Peter Siddle, who was the ICC Emerging Player of the Year 2009, has slipped seven places to 23rd after claiming just one wicket in Adelaide.

Also on the slide are Rangana Herath 30th (down by three places) and Nathan Hauritz 49th (down by 10 places).

The list is still headed by South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn with Australia's Mitchell Johnson second and Muttiah Muralidaran of Sri Lanka third.

There is no change in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with South Africa's Jacques Kallis leading the field by a comfortable margin.

Meanwhile, Australia needs to beat the West Indies in the third and final Test starting in Perth from 16 December if it wants to end 2009 in third position.

Having started the year in number-one spot, Australia will slip behind Sri Lanka in fourth position if it loses the Test or the West Indies holds it to another draw. If the series ends in a 1-1 draw, Australia will drop to 112 ratings points (three behind Sri Lanka) while a 1-0 series result will leave Ponting's side on 114 ratings points (one behind Sri Lanka).

Pak players get India visa but not Modi's IPL nod

Four Pakistan players with existing Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts were granted visas by the Indian government on Thursday but the League's commissioner Lalit Modi said they could still not play in the tournament's third season next March because they had missed the December 7 deadline to submit documents.

The players in question are Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal of Rajasthan Royals, Umar Gul of Kolkata Knight Riders and Misbah-ul-Haq of Bangalore Royal Challengers. Gul, Misbah and Akmal were granted visas by the Indian High Commission in New Zealand, where they are currently doing Test duty, and Tanvir by the Indian mission in Islamabad. The status of Abdul Razzaq, who had reportedly signed with the Kolkata franchise, is still unclear.

"A deadline is a deadline whether it is by a couple of hours or couple of days," Modi said. "Our trading finalisation window closed two days ago, and yesterday all the teams were required to submit their replacement strategy for players who weren't part of IPL III," he said, not budging from the stand he had taken two days ago when he announced that no Pakistan player would be part of the next event.

Slim chance

While chances of the participation of these four players with existing contracts remained slim, a few other players from across the border stand a better chance to play in the event via the IPL's annual auction if any of the eight franchises show interest in them.

"Currently, these four players cannot be allowed even for the auction. I don't know where they fall in terms of replacement strategy, I will need to check the rules. But there are a number of Pakistan players who want to participate, like Shahid Afridi for example. If these players get their visas and other papers sorted by January 1, they can enter the auction pool. I have spoken to Minister Shashi Tharoor and he has assured me that the Pakistan players will get visas," Modi said.

Asked if the move to bar the four players was unfair to them, Modi said he was looking at the bigger picture. "We have a system in place and we can't abuse it. Everybody was given a fair chance to go out there and present their NOCs and visas. Since these players missed the deadline, the replacements have signed new contracts. Now we are bound by contractual obligations," he said.

Modi said Bangalore Royal Challengers had replaced Misbah with Roelof van der Merwe, Kolkata Knight Riders had brought in Charl Langeveldt for Gul, while Rajasthan Royals, who played Akmal and Tanvir in the first IPL, had signed up Johan Botha. These replacements had all played in IPL II in South Africa.

India's No.1 ranking must be seen with sense of history

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1. NZ vs PAK, 10th Dec 2009

India have not set foot on the summit by stepping off a helicopter, they have got there after establishing several base camps and making steady, sometimes hazardous, progress. India's ascent is not a point, it is the current status of a curve; it is not a moment in time but part of a phase. Any attempt to think otherwise would be unfair and shortsighted.

And so while India must celebrate, it must be with a sense of history. This lot of players have put the ribbon on the box but the cake was baked by many; they have scored a goal but you cannot do so unless someone has passed the ball to you. And that is why the only aspect of this moment that disturbs me is the cash award to this team. I am not a huge fan of cash awards to professional players, they are presumably paid to win anyway, but this announcement ignores the fact that various others set it up over the last five years.

In particular, India have been served by three very fine captains before the hugely impressive current incumbent. Very few good teams win with inadequate leaders anyway. Under Sourav Ganguly, India realised that winning overseas was an option and India have much to thank a player the world found very convenient to misunderstand. Rahul Dravid was the perfect captain to follow with his strong commitment to the team and to the cause. It is easily forgotten that under him India won in the West Indies for the first time in thirty five years and in England for the first time in twenty one. And Anil Kumble was leader at a decisive moment in Indian cricket; in Australia in 2008 where the Test win in Perth must rank as significant as the win at Kolkata in 2001.

Don't forget too that Mahendra Singh Dhoni's current record reads played 10, won seven, lost zero. Included in that is a series win against Australia, an away win in New Zealand and now against Sri Lanka. There are no freebies there. Something is right in Indian cricket.

Indeed India's current position is good for world cricket, as indeed South Africa's little reign at the top was. Three teams competing for number one is always better for the sport than a giant blocking everyone's path. But I am a little concerned at the state of denial in some parts of the world, with the difficulty in acknowledging this, with the continued devaluation of India winning in India not accompanied by a similar status to Australia winning at home or for that matter South Africa or England. India's winning streak has not been due to financial jugglery, which is a convenient myth in itself, but due to good cricket. To assign other reasons, and what a pity that is being attempted, is to undermine players of extraordinary pedigree.

And these are not just batsmen. True, Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly, Yuvraj, Dhoni (even Jaffer and Karthik at key moments) are extraordinary players and they have set up many victories but to focus on them would be unfair to those who take twenty wickets. Against England, home and away, Zaheer Khan was player of the series, against Australia it was the very impressive Ishant Sharma who will soon be leading India's attack again. Amit Mishra and Sreesanth have had their moments in the sun and Harbhajan has taken more wickets than many of us think he has.

But as with all success, India must celebrate the moment and move on. Australia and South Africa are fine teams and Sri Lanka have just the man to drive their transition. And as business leaders will tell you it is more difficult to stay on top than to get there. India need to groom batting replacements and there are only two on the horizon, the scarcely tested Murali Vijay and the untested Cheteshwar Pujara. Harbhajan Singh desperately needs competition to take him to another level but more important, India will have to find a way to ensure that players of serious ability like Rohit Sharma, Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and RP Singh don't lose their way. And it will call for people with vision at the top. They exist but they are in a bit of a melee at the moment with others of various hues and political colour.

Isn't it ironic though that for a country accused of devaluing the game, India are struggling in T20 cricket but are atop the summit of the most traditional form of the game. Maybe there is a story there.