A sad day indeed - while it seems to be a case of "where there is smoke there is fire" - 3 no balls at given times is certainly not a co-incedence... it seems players no longer have high regard for representing their country. The lure of flashy cars and riches is far too compelling.

Sadly though, The News of The World reap all the financial rewards. They could have dealt with their suspicions in an honourable manner with respect to all the people involved in cricket.

I believe they should have gone to the proper authorities with their suspicions instead of cashing in on controversial headlines. Certainly the police are more suited to setting up a sting operation? Did the News of The World inform the police of their actions beforehand?

Just months ago, the 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) Irfan was working in a plastic pipe factory for about $96 a month, playing club cricket in eastern Pakistan.

And at the age of 27, the left-arm paceman only completed his second first-class match on the weekend _ taking an impressive nine wickets for KRL against a Habib Bank lineup containing test batsmen Imran Farhat, Hasan Raza and Salim Elahi.

Yet if predictions that he'll keep growing are accurate, if expectations that his bowling will get quicker come to fruition and if national selectors allow his meteoric rise to keep gathering momentum, he could join or even replace Joel ‘Big Bird’ Garner and Bruce Reid _ both 6-foot-8 _ as the tallest players ever in international cricket.

Garner, the West Indies paceman who terrorized batsmen in the late 1970s and 1980s, is the player Irfan has been studying most.

‘I have seen quite a lot of videos how Garner used to bowl,’ Irfan said in a telephone interview Monday with The Associated Press. ‘The videos help... [MORE]

With the different types of cricket around nowadays, would it be better to have just Twenty20 and Test matches as Imran Kahn suggested?

Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has signed a whopping Rs 200 crore endorsement deal with a talent management company, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar in the corporate contract sweepstakes.

Dhoni has entered into a two-year deal with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes, which will manage the Indian skipper’s long list of endorsements and brand associations, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, images, visibility on social networking sites and merchandise through a joint venture.

Tendulkar’s three-year deal with sports management firm Iconix, signed in 2006, was worth Rs 180 crore.

Confirming the development, Rhiti Sports General Manager (Operations) Sanjay Pandey said as per the agreement, the company will be looking after Dhoni’s entire spectrum of endorsements.

“Yes, we have entered into a two-year contract with Dhoni for Rs 200 crore. We have signed the contract a week back. From now onwards we will be handling Dhoni’s endorsements,” Pandey told PTI.

Apart from Dhoni, Rhiti Sports also manages his teammates R P Singh and Harbhajan Singh.

Umar Akmal is the MoM for his swashbuckling 64 runs in just 31 balls.

Afridi: We were waiting for this sort of a win for a long long time. Umar Akmal batted sensationally, Gul was brilliant as well, he has been amazing with the ball, he bowls the best yorkers. Ajmal is a class bowler, one of our main bowlers who has performed well in the past and he did that today. Great support from the crowd as well so a thank you to them.

Clarke: Pak bowled really well, the total was gettable but they were the better team. Gul was fantastic at the death. We’ve to execute better with the bat, the ... [MORE]

India could not reach the semifinals of the Twenty20 World Cup and skipper Dhoni said late night parties and continuous travelling during the Indian Premier League took a toll on the players' body.

Tendulkar, however, begged to differ and said every player should be aware of their responsibilities.

"Parties and performance are two different things that cannot be related and every player should know his responsibility," Tendulkar told reporters after laying foundation stone of an extension of Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital here.

Besides, Tendulkar said parties are not new in cricket.

"Parties used to be held even in the past," he said, laying stress on observing individual's discretion in the matter.

Tendulkar, who led Mumbai Indians to the final of IPL III, said he avoided the parties since he wanted to be fresh for the next day's match.

"I did not go for any of the IPL parties. I always wanted to be ready for the next match," he said.

Tendulkar said every player should know how his body reacts and follow certain ... [MORE]

In a keynote speech at a major CA seminar, Sutherland said the day is not far when Australia will have specialist players for both Twenty20 and Test playing simultaneously on opposite sides of the world.

"While hosting Tests here, Australia could have its Twenty20 team touring somewhere else," Sutherland was quoted as saying in the Australian.

"It is difficult not to see a generation of players coming through with an eye to becoming Twenty20 specialists. As more Twenty20 cricket is played there are clearly opportunities for players to choose to be specialists.”

"Taking it through to its natural extension, if you have a specialist team then why can`t you have a specialist Twenty20 team and a specialist Test team (playing) at the same time?" he asked.

Sutherland also cited the example of rugby. "In rugby union, for example, the ARU has a sevens team and a Wallabies team," he said.

The advent of the lucrative Indian Premier League and Australia`s state-based Big Bash competition have triggered a Twenty20 revolution, giving players the chance to choose the shortest version of the game as their core area of competence.

Examples of Twenty20 specialists have also been galore, with Australia`s team in the recent T20 World Cup in the West Indies having three specialist players in opener ... [MORE]

Dominica — Hashim Amla struck a magnificent 129 off 115 balls Sunday as South Africa defeated West Indies off the last ball in a high-scoring fourth one-day cricket international at Windsor Park.

The in-form opener struck nine fours and two sixes to anchor South Africa's winning total of 304-3 off 50 overs. South Africa had already clinched the five-match series, and increased it's lead to 4-0.

A.B. de Villiers contributed an unbeaten 57 including a scampered single off the final ball to seal the win.

South Africa seemed well on course with just seven runs needed from the last two overs.

But pacer Ravi Rampaul limited the visitors to four off the penultimate over and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo delivered an awesome final s... [MORE]

Dominica — Morne Morkel and Charl Langeveldt shared seven wickets to bowl South Africa to a 67-run victory over West Indies in the third One-day International on Friday.

Morkel captured an ODI career-best four wickets for 21 runs from seven overs, and Langeveldt took three for 30 from the same number of overs, as the South Africans successfully defended a victory target of 225 to win the match at Windsor Park with 72 balls to spare.

Morkel formalised the result, when Ravi Rampaul essayed an indescribable off-side stroke, and skied the ball to deep extra cover, where Johan Botha held a fine catch running backwards.

The victory gave the Proteas an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, following a 66-run victory, under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, in the rain-marred opening match last Saturday at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, where ... [MORE]

BULAWAYO: Statistical highlights of the first one-dayer of the tri-series between India and Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Friday. 

# Greg Lamb (27) has recorded his best ever innings in ODIs, bettering the 23 against West Indies at Providence on March 6, 2010. 

# Craig Ervine's unbeaten 67 off 60 balls is the best innings score on debut for Zimbabwe against India in ODIs. 

# Ervine's aforesaid innings is the fourth best on debut for Zimbabwe in limited-overs internationals. 

# Rohit Sharma (114 off 119 balls) has recorded his career-best score - his maiden hundred in ODIs. 

# Zimbabwe have registered their ninth triumph against India in 50 ODIs (Lost 39 and Tied 2) - winning % 20.00 

# Zimbabwe's convincing six-wicket win is their third in eleven ODIs against India in Zimbabwe. 

# Zimbabwe (289 for four) have registered their highest total against India in ODIs. 

# Ravindra Jadeja (61 not out) has posted his career-best innings, obliterating the 60 not out on his ODI debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS on February 8, 2009. 

# Brendan Taylor (81) has recorded the second highest innings by a wicketkeeper for Zimbabwe against India in ODIs. Andy Flower had registered 145 at Colombo RPS on September 14, 2002. 

# Taylor has... [MORE]

Scoreline: 

SA 280/7

Amla 102 (109), AB de Villiers 102 (101) |

Bravo 10-40-3, Rampaul 10-1-46-2

WI 215 all out

Gayle 45 (39), Pollard 44 (37) |

Morkel 3, McLaren, Steyn, Botha 2 each

The India Squad for Zimbabwe tri-series: Suresh Raina (Captain), Virat Kohli (Vice-Captain), Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik (Wicket Keeper), Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Pankaj Singh, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Naman Ojha.

India v Zimbabwe 2010 Fixtures (All timings are mentioned in GMT+05:30)

It seems that Ravindra Jadeja was the reason for the altercation between some Indian cricketers and fans at a nightclub in the West Indies. A group of drunk Indian fans had heaped a volley of abuse at Jadeja as they were unhappy with his performance at the World Cup.

The incident happened after India had lost to Sri Lanka in their last Super Eight match and been ousted from the tournament. Jadeja, it seems, was the fall guy as he had performed badly both with bat and ball.

"It wasn't a nightclub as some sections of the media have reported. It so happened that Ravindra Jadeja was having food when some drunk Indian fans arrived and used four letter words. They asked the cricketer to find some other corner in the restaurant. This was vehemently protested by M... [MORE]

South Africa just about managed to keep their nerve under pressure and restrict the West Indies to snatch victory in a last-ball thriller at Antigua. At one stage, the West Indies seemed to be down and out of the game. But a remarkable recovery in the middle overs, led by Dwayne Bravo and Shvnarine Chanderpaul, and some good striking by Darren Sammy in the final over took them to the doorstep of victory, but in the end it was heart-break for the home fans as their team fell short by just a single run.

The South Africans were dealt a big blow before the toss as the previous match's half-centurion, Jacques Kallis was ruled out with a slight niggle. This paved the way for a debut for the youngster David Miller, who had come to the Caribbean with a repu... [MORE]

BRIDGETOWN: World cricket's top administrator is convinced it "won't be too long" before day/night Tests are being played in either Australia or India.

David Morgan, the president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), in an interview with a French news agency in Barbados, also said a "context" for Test and one-day international matches was on its way.

While Tests in England are generally sold out and England or South Africa Test tours of Australia also attract large crowds, elsewhere other series in the five-day format struggle to attract spectators.

Ever since floodlit fixtures were pioneered in Australia more than 30 years ago as part of the 'rebel' World Series Cricket, there have been suggestions day/night Tests could draw in spectators who are at work during normal playing hours.

But so far, in part because of concerns the white ball used for floodlit cricket won't stand up to the wear and tear of a five-day match, they have yet to become a reality.

Morgan, speaking ahead of an ICC meeting at Lord's this week, insisted day/night Tests were on the horizon.

"I talked to administrators in Australia whom I expected to be so conservative as to be against day/night Test cricket but they are very much for it and I believe it won't be too long before we see day/night Test cricket in Australia or India," he said.

One complaint is that too... [MORE]

McLaren, who took the key scalps of Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, finished with five for 19 as the tourists bowled out the West Indies for 123.

South Africa had earlier made 136 for seven on a testing pitch, Jacques Kallis leading the way with 53 off 45 balls.

The West Indies reply never really got going, Gayle falling for 14, Dwayne Bravo for 20 and Pollard for an explosive 27 off 17 balls.

Their last realistic chance of victory disappeared with the loss of Pollard, who was bowled between bat and pads, which left the hosts 88 for six.

McLaren wrapped up the victory with the wicket of Sulieman Benn, caught at long off with one ball remaining, to become only the fourth player to take five wickets in a Twenty20 international.

The September 10-26 date for Airtel Champions League Twenty20 clashes with crucial fixtures of English county season which runs until September 16.

At that time England will be playing Pakistan in an ODI series. To add to it the final two rounds of the County Championship will be on as well as the semifinals and final of ECB40 competition.

"It is extremely improbable that any English county will be taking part in the Champions League. The sanctity of the domestic season is of the utmost importance, as all the clubs agree," Collier said.

Collier, instead, said he has proposed matches between Champions League Twenty20 winners and runners-up and their English counterparts.

"We are awaiting a response from the BCCI on a number of proposals. One of them is for the winners and runners up of the Champions League to play our winners and runners-up. Now that the IPL is over we hope to hear from them soon," he was quoted as saying by The Independent.

Sussex and Somerset took part in the inaugural tournament last year in India.

England, who have never won a major limited-overs tournament in 35 years of trying, until now...

They won the ICC World Twenty20 final against Australia in Barbados:
England scored 148-3 (17 overs) to beat Australia, who scored, 147-6 (20 overs), by seven wickets.

This victory surely bodes well for the future of the 20Twenty format... [MORE]

Michael Hussey produced an astonishing late onslaught to sneak Australia past champions Pakistan and into an ICC World Twenty20 final against England.

Australia had rarely looked likely to better Pakistan's mammoth 191 for six - but after Hussey hit three sixes and a four from four Saeed Ajmal deliveries, they did so with one ball and three wickets to spare at Beausejour Stadium.

Hussey (60 not out) dominated an unbroken stand of 53 with Mitchell Johnson, and made a mockery of expectations after Ajmal began the final over needing only to stop Australia making 18 more runs to carry Pakistan into a third successive final in this competition.

Brothers ... [MORE]

Sri Lanka will face England in the World Twenty20 semi-finals on Thursday after eliminating India in a thrilling Super Eights match in St Lucia.

Sri Lanka, chasing 163-5 to win, sent India home when they reached 144 and sealed a five-wicket victory thanks to Chamara Kapugedera's last-ball six.

Their place in the last four was later confirmed when Australia thrashed hosts West Indies in Tuesday's second match.