Afridi, Razzaq planning Test retirement?

Karachi: Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi, who has not played a Test since 2006, is planning to retire from the longer version of the game along with fellow all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Sources said both the players would be meeting Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt next week to convey their decision.
"They are not interested in playing Test matches any longer and just want to concentrate on extending their international careers in the one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches," a source said. Both Afridi and Razzaq last played a Test match in 2006.
He pointed out that both the players were not interested in touring England for the Test matches against Australia and England because they wanted to spend more time with their families. "Afridi and Razzaq feel that there is too much cricket being played these days and they are not in a condition to take part in this non-stop calendar of events.
Which is why they have decided to step down from Tests and allow the selectors to pick younger players," another source added. The PCB and its national selectors are due to meet next week to finalise the squads for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the Test tour to England.
Sources said that Afridi and Razzaq were keen on playing the Asia Cup and one-dayers and Twenty20 matches in England and are also targetting the 2011 World Cup. "They want to continue their careers in these short forms of the game," one source added.
Pakistan are due to tour England from last week of June to play two tests against Australia and four against England. With Afridi and Razzaq out of contention and other senior players like Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik banned, the selectors are expected to announce several new faces in the touring squad next week.

Dilshan to captain Sri Lanka on Zimbabwe tour

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka have named Tillkaratne Dilshan as captain after deciding to rest several senior players for their tri-series in Zimbabwe in June.
Normal captain Kumar Sangakkara, vice-captain Muttiah Muralitharan, former captain Mahela Jayawardene and fast bowler Lasith Malinga were all rested for the three-nation tournament.
All-rounder Angelo Mathews, 22, has been appointed as Dilshan's deputy as Sri Lanka seek to trial young players ahead of the 2011 World Cup. India will also take part in the tri-series.
Leg spinning all rounder Jeewan Mendis and batsman Dines Chandimal are the uncapped players in the squad.
Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Capt), Angelo Mathews (Vice-Captain), Upul Tharanga, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirimanne, Chamara Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Ajantha Mendis, Jeewan Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Chamara Silva, Thisera Perera

Pakistan lack quality Test players

At present there is dearth of quality Test players in Pakistan and in such circumstances it is unfortunate to see the board's extra emphasis on Twenty20 cricket, former captain Mohammad Yousuf said.
"Pakistan presently does not have any worthy Test player.
Our team is only good for T20 cricket and the board has also been laying lot of importance only on T20 cricket which is unfortunate," Yousuf said appearing in front of the inquiry committee looking into Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia earlier this year.
The right-handed batsman warned the committee members that if remedial steps are not taken immediately then Pakistan's Test future will be in serious jeopardy.
He pointed out that many of the present players are also interested only in playing limited overs cricket and not Tests.
Incidentally, the former skipper was the only player to question the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to set up an inquiry committee after the tour of Australia.
The video recordings of his hearing show on plenty of occasions Yousuf exchanged words with the committee members, forcing PCB legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi to ask him not to dictate terms.
"I am not dictating to anyone. What I am saying is for the betterment of Pakistan cricket," Yousuf responded.
From the outset of the hearing, Yousuf expressed his said serious objections over the setting up of the inquiry committee.
"In last three years we have lost to South Africa, India, Sri Lanka. Why was an inquiry committee not set up then why only now?" he questioned.
"If you understand cricket then you will know this was not our best team on the New Zealand and Australia tours," he said.
Yousuf, who was sacked as captain and banned for an indefinite period on the recommendations of the inquiry committee after the twin tours of New Zealand and Australia, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
He accepted that he made some mistakes as captain during the tour but said he cannot do anything if fielders drop catches constantly.
"I can also suggest to the board to bring about sanity and order in the team. Name the captain for atleast a year or two not on series-to-series basis. If you have a long-term captain then the players know they have to go by what he says," Yousuf said.

Spare Dhoni, he's still one of the best skippers: Murali

New Delhi: India's Twenty20 World Cup flop show notwithstanding, MS Dhoni remains one of the best skippers in international cricket and it is unfair to criticise him on the basis of just one bad tournament, said Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.
World's highest Test wicket-taker both in Tests and ODIs, who plays under Dhoni in the Indian Premier League champion side Chennai Super Kings, said he was amused to see the outrage that greeted India's early exit from the showpiece event in the West Indies.
"He is one of the best captains. He won the IPL for Chennai Super Kings. A week later India were knocked out of the World Cup and in India when you win you are the best but when you lose you become the worst," Muralitharan quipped.
"But you cannot become the worst in just a week. The media cannot bring him down like that," the off-spinner said.
Apart from the team's poor batting and fitness, critics attributed India's dismal show to Dhoni's uninspiring captaincy as well. Muralitharan said India cannot be overnight labelled a bad team as it has proved itself in the Test and ODI arena.
"They don't lack skill. They are the number one in Tests and number two in ODIs. You cannot reach there if you don't have the skills," he reasoned on the sidelines of a function to announce the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) awards which would be held in Sri Lanka this year.
"Twenty20 is a game anybody can win on his day. While in Tests and ODIs, there is time for you to come back. There is no such thing in Twenty20. India had a good team but they lost the grip after winning two matches initially. In Twenty20 you need a bit of luck also."
"England was the best team and they won the title but Australia won all their matches and lost in the final. It just shows that you need some luck too. Like in IPL, the game can change in just one over," he said.
As for the IPL post-match parties, which Dhoni had blamed for exhausting players, Muralitharan said he never attended any of them. "No, I don't think it's fair to blame the IPL. I never attended the parties. As a franchisee, we never attended those parties. So, I cannot say," he said.
Nursing a groin now, the ace off-spinner is all set for a comeback in next month's Asia Cup. "I will be there at Asia Cup. I am fine now," he said.
Muralitharan will quit the game after 2011 ODI World Cup in the sub-continent and the 38-year-old veteran of 132 Tests and 334 One-dayers said he wants to sign off on a high. "I never dreamt of getting what I have got. I have everything and I want to go on a high, instead of when I am down," he said.

Perry stars as Aussie women win final thriller

Bridgetown: Ellyse Perry took three wickets and held her nerve in a tense last over as Australia beat New Zealand by just three runs in a thrilling ICC Women's World Twenty20 final.
With the White Ferns needing 14 off the last over, Perry - backed up by fine fielding from Rene Farrell and Shelley Nitschke - didn't give up a boundary and the pace bowler finished with impressive figures of three wickets for 18 runs from her maximum four overs. Victory came just hours after Australia's men's team had lost in the corresponding final to archrivals England.
The result was tough on Sophie Devine, whose 38 not out off 35 balls rescued New Zealand from a top order collapse to give them a shot at victory just a year after they were beaten in the final to England at Lord's. New Zealand, chasing a modest 109 for victory after holding their rivals to 103 for six, slumped to 29 for four inside eight overs.
"We believed our total was going to be enough," said Australia captain Alex Blackwell. "I know our bowling attack has the level-mindedness to get through whatever challenge was in front of them," she added.
Perry, the player of the match, said: "From all the games we've played against New Zealand, they never give up and nor do we so we were all expecting it to go down to the wire."
Also an Australian international football player, Perry said of her final over: "It's a fantastic opportunity to win a World Cup for your country rather than lose it. That's how you have to approach things like that. I feel very grateful to Alex for believing I could do it and I felt I had the support of my team which was really obvious in the fielding of Rene and Shelley down on the boundary."
Australia men's captain Michael Clarke put aside his own disappointment to watch the women's final along with some of his team-mates and Blackwell said: "That was fantastic, to have Michael Clarke and a lot the boys watching us. I think that really helped us stay in the game and fight to win this world cup for Australia."
New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins was left to rue her side's batting after fine work by the White Ferns' attack. "It's obviously disappointing. We bowled really well and I thought after that we deserved to win the game. But we lost early wickets, had too many dot balls through the middle period and we dug ourselves into a hole. We just left our launch too late."
By the time Rachel Priest was out, New Zealand were in dire straits at 36 for five. However, Nicola Browne (20) helped Devine add 41 for the sixth wicket. And when she exited, Devine kept going, striking Farrell for four and six off the last two balls of the 19th over. That left New Zealand with 14 to win, off the final over from Perry.
A single got Devine back on strike and she then took several twos to leave the target down to seven off the last two balls. Another two left the Kiwis needing five off the last ball but they could only manage a single.
Earlier, Browne rocked Australia with a new-ball burst of two wickets for 11 runs during an innings where the top score was Leah Poulton's 20. Browne forced opener Ellyse Villani (six) to spoon a drive to cover and then dismissed Australia captain Alex Blackwell for nought, with the aid of a fine catch in the gully by Devine. In the end, Australia were grateful for a late stand of 27 between Sarah Elliott and Lisa Sthalekar.

England outplayed us: Clarke

Bridgetown: Australian captain Michael Clarke conceded that his side had been outplayed by a better side in the ICC World Twenty20 final against England at the Kensington Oval.
"We got beaten by a good side. England outplayed us. We got to credit them for the performance, though we are disappointed not to win. They are a great Twenty20 side, with a lot of talent," said Clarke after his side's seven-wicket defeat in the summit clash here.
Clarke said England had executed their bowling plans very well to restrict Australia to 147 for six. "England executed their bowling strategy very well. We lost three wickets very early in the innings and struggled there on. Though we eventually made 147, we were definitely 50 runs short against them," said Clarke.
He said Australia could hold their head high despite the defeat as they had played some outstanding cricket throughout the tournament.
"We could be disappointed, but we could hold out heads high. They boys have done very well and played good cricket through the championship. We had one of the greatest games in Twenty20 internationals in the semi-final against Pakistan," he said.
"We got so much individual talent that I am certain that Australia could improve in this format of the game. We have worked hard over the last 12 months, so we are getting there. We can only get better from now on," he added.
Clarke conceded that he was not in great form during this ICC World Twenty20 but said it is for the selectors to decide on his batting slot or on the captaincy.
"I know I haven't been in great nick during this competition. It is for the selectors to sit and decide whether I am the best number three batsman in the Twenty20 format or good enough to continue as captain," he said.

Buzz Up England beat Australia to win ICC World Twenty20 title

Bridgetown: South Africa born batsmen Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen starred as England won their first major title in a seven-wicket victory over Australia in Sunday's ICC World Twenty20 final.
England, chasing 148 to win, after reducing a previously unbeaten Australian side at this tournament to eight for three, saw Kieswetter (63) and Pietersen (47) put on 111 for the second wicket at the Kensington Oval.
They eventually won with three overs to spare when captain Paul Collingwood struck Shane Watson for a boundary as his side finished on 151 for three. It was the first time England had won a major international one-day event after losing in three World Cup finals (1979, 1987 and 1992) and the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.
Pietersen, who completed an 8,000 mile round trip back to England to attend the birth of his first child during the event, was named man-of-the-tournament after several matchwinning innings, and Kieswetter the man-of-the-match.
"I had a little kid on Monday and this trophy here," Pietersen said. "But this trophy goes to all the lads." "The more you play, the more you win and the more it becomes a habit, like the great Australians. This team is hungry for success, we want to win."
Kieswetter, who made his Twenty20 international debut at this event, said: "It's been a great experience, to play against the Australians in the final makes it all much better."
Australia captain Michael Clarke said his side had failed to post a competitive total. "I don't think we scored enough runs," said Clarke. "I think you've got to give credit to England, they outplayed us today. We've played really well throughout the whole tournament. We're obviously disappointed in the final to not get the result but I think we should hold our heads high.
England, who held Australia to 147 for six, saw Kieswetter and Pietersen dominate the Aussie quicks after Michael Lumb's early exit. Pietersen, who faced 31 balls, with a six and four fours, was out when he hoisted leg-spinner Steven Smith to David Warner on the long-off boundary.
And, worryingly for England, 118 for two became 121 for three when Kieswetter was bowled by left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson, having faced 49 balls, with two sixes and seven fours. But Collingwood and former Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan (both 15 not out) saw England home.
Earlier, David Hussey's 59 kept Australia in the match during an innings where the next best score was Cameron White's 30. Kieswetter and Pietersen were in commanding form against Australia's quicks, with Kieswetter, a former South Africa Under-19 international, striking two fours in as many balls off left-armer Dirk Nannes and cover-driving express quick Shaun Tait.
At the 10-over halfway mark, England were 73 for one compared to Australia's 47 for four. Australia badly needed a breakthrough but, in Tait's comeback over, Pietersen drove him over his head for a boundary and then struck an even more impressive six high over long-off to bring up England's hundred.
David Hussey's 59 kept Australia in the match during an innings where the next best score was Cameron White's 30. Together with White, David Hussey - missed on 25 - put on fifty for the fifth wicket and then shared a stand of 47 with his brother.
David Hussey was run out in the last over, going for a second run, by Luke Wright's throw from long-on to Kieswetter. He faced 54 balls with two sixes and two fours.
Left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom took two wickets for 26 runs from his maximum four overs and off-spinner Graeme Swann a miserly one for 17. England had a sensational start after Collingwood won the toss.
Sidebottom struck third ball when Watson edged an intended cut, which was dropped by Kieswetter only for first slip Swann to hold the rebound. Then two for one became seven for two when Warner was run out having made just two after failing to beat Lumb's under-arm direct hit.
The collapse continued when Brad Haddin (one) was caught down the legside by diving opposing gloveman Kieswetter off Sidebottom. Haddin then risked disciplinary action by pointing to his thigh after being given out by umpire Billy Doctrove.

Clarke eyes Australia clean sweep against England

BRIDGETOWN: Australia head into the ICC World Twenty20 final against arch-rivals England at the Kensington Oval here on Sunday desperate to win the lone major title that has so far eluded them.
It was at Kensington that Australia won the fourth, and third on the trot, of its ICC trophies, three years ago when they beat Sri Lanka.
Until recently Australia -- who last year won the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa -- rather like England, have tended to regard Twenty20 as something of a sideshow.
Test skipper Ricky Ponting has now opted out of international Twenty20s while last year's first round loss under the star batsman at the ICC World Twenty20 in England was brushed aside by coming during an Ashes tour.
However, Michael Clarke's team - which features several Twenty20 specialists - are determined to set the record straight and that, rather than the prospect of getting one over on England ahead of the Ashes series that starts in Australia in November, appears to be their main motivation.
"I'm stoked we are in the final," Clarke said Saturday. "We have come a long way in this form of the game. But we didn't come here to make the final; we came here to win the final.
"I think we have achieved a lot as a team, but it would be extra special tomorrow to top it off with a victory. It would be fantastic.
"There's no doubt we'd be much happier leaving Barbados with that one last trophy we don't have just yet."
However, Clarke stressed victory on Sunday would be no consolation for Australia's 2-1 Ashes series loss in England last year.
"It won't make up for it, but it would be a fantastic start to what is going to be a great summer back at home," he said.
"I'm certain every Australian and every English person loves seeing that battle. It's always tough cricket, in any form of the game.
"I'm certain tomorrow will be no different. So for now, it's about focusing on a huge game - a final - against a very good team."
Australia were all but out of the tournament during Friday's semi-final against defending champions Pakistan in St Lucia yet won by three wickets thanks to a remarkable late run-spree led by Michael Hussey's boundary-laden 60 not out.
Afterwards, Clarke said the win was proof that Australia "never know when we are beaten" and the captain said his side could draw strength from that result, if required, on Sunday.
"I think we need to understand and accept that game's gone. But just keep in the back of your mind that what we showed the other day could happen out here as well.
"In our minds, we need to be very confident that we're never out of the game; we always have a chance."

Buzz Up England ready to break final duck, says captain

BRIDGETOWN: Paul Collingwood has said his England team are ready to win the country's first major one-day trophy in the ICC World Twenty20 final against Australia at the Kensington Oval here on Sunday.
England have reached four finals -- three in the ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy when they were beaten by the West Indies at the Oval -- and lost the lot.
But Collingwood is convinced he can go one better than celebrated predecessors Mike Brearley, Mike Gatting, Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan by leading England to limited overs glory, even though Australia are unbeaten at this tournament.
Collingwood is the only survivor from England's last final loss, six years ago, in the Twenty20 side and the all-rounder said: "There are a lot of guys in our side that haven't experienced finals - but I really do sense they are ready.
"I think if you have played in big matches it does help. But if you are fresh into a side and you don't know what it's all about it can sometimes help."
England watched on television as Australia secured an astonishing three-wicket win against defending champions Pakistan in St Lucia on Friday, thanks mainly to Michael Hussey's blistering 60 not out.
That Hussey comes in at No 7 says much about the quality of Australia's batting line-up but Collingwood was adamant England had not been frightened by the latest performance of their oldest cricket rivals.
"We always knew what Australia were capable of. Whoever we played against in the final were going to be a strong side," Collingwood said.
"Nothing surprised us yesterday. All we can concentrate on is our game.
"There's plenty of confidence in our side, the way we've played throughout this tournament has given us a lot of belief.
"We believe we've got the skills to beat any side on the day."
Pakistan openers Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt showed Australia's pace trio of Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson could be mastered.
Now, Collingwood hopes the new and in-form England first-wicket partnership of Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb, also a right-hand/left-hand combination, can be similarly bold on Sunday.
"We've got a plan of action against every team," he explained. "Right the way through the tournament, we have been very aggressive - and I don't want to change our mind-set going into the final.
"That's why the guys are going to go out with confidence and belief and keep doing the things they have been doing well throughout this tournament.
"We have done it against fast bowlers, against (South Africa's Dale) Steyn and (Morne) Morkel - they are two very fast bowlers."
The fact this match pits England against Australia ahead of the former's defence of the Ashes 'Down Under' later this year adds extra spice, as Collingwood acknowledged.
"This is literally the ultimate. You've got through to a 'ICC World Twenty20' final; you're playing against the old enemy, Australia. It doesn't get much better than this.
"But we haven't won anything yet - that's the thing. We've got to a final, but it means nothing until we win a 'World Cup'."
- Julian Guyer