Amir Khan knocks Out Zab Judah

Amir Khan knocked out Zab Judah in the fifth round to add the IBF junior welterweight title to his WBA super lightweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Khan and Zab Judah trade punches

Judah throws a right at the head of Khan during their super lightweight world championship unification bout.

Judah and Khan battle during the 140-pound championship fight

Referee Vic Drakulich counts out Judah in the fifth round

Khan celebrates his victory over Judah.

Zaheer Dismisses Cook Cheaply In First Test At Lord’s

 Left-armer Zaheer struck Cook in line with the stumps after the England opener had scored 12 in 45 minutes. Cook scored 96 and 106 in the drawn second test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in June.

At lunch, after play had started 30 minutes late because of a wet outfield, England were 43 for one with Andrew Strauss on 20 and Jonathan Trott on nine.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked the home side to bat on a pitch with tinges of green after persistent showers during the week and his opening bowlers responded with three consecutive maiden overs.
Cook finally opened England’s account with a boundary to third man off Praveen Kumar from the 19th delivery but batting proved hard work with the ball moving through the air and off the seam.

Strauss received a life on three when Ishant Sharma missed with a shy at the stumps as the England captain scrambled to make his ground at the bowler’s end.

Cook had pushed the ball firmly to mid-on and Strauss, setting off for a non-existent single, was forced to change direction suddenly. He was still short of his ground when Sharma’s throw hurtled past the stumps.




Zaheer was rested after an opening spell of seven overs for nine runs including three maidens and Sharma took up the attack.

Strauss responded by slashing the pace bowler’s fifth delivery in the air for his first boundary and Trott picked up another four with a deft leg-glance off the same bowler.

Trott had reached eight when Rahul Dravid at slip failed to grasp a sharp chance to his right off the first ball of Harbhajan Singh’s opening over 10 minutes before the lunch break.

The match is the 2,000th test match and the 100th between the two countries. England can overtake India as the world’s top-ranked side if they win the four-test series by at least a two-match margin.

Teams:
England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wkt), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson

India: Gautam Gambhir, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wkt), Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma

Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Asad Rauf (PAK)
TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)

Strauss aims for ‘special’ India series

The first of a four-match series starts at Lord’s – Strauss’s home ground – on Thursday and England will go top of the ICC’s Test table if they win by two matches.

“We have a great opportunity to play some really good cricket and hopefully pull off something special in the next five weeks,” Strauss said.

“India are a very, very good cricket side, they have been for a while now, and if you want to be the best in the world you have to beat sides like India.

“We have home advantage, which I think counts for a lot, and I think we have to use that wisely.

“Being number one is a long-term goal for us. It’s not necessarily just what the statistics say, it’s more about being regarded number one by the other sides as well.

“We are going to go out and be determined to win every match in this series and if we get in a winning position it’s important we’re ruthless and make that count,” the opening batsman added ahead of a series that sees England up against former coach Duncan Fletcher, now in charge of India.

England would appear to have just the one selection headache with the fit-again Tim Bresnan challenging fellow seamer Stuart Broad for a place in a four-man attack featuring off-spinner Graeme Swann.

“Someone is going to miss out, but I am very happy with the balance of squad we have,” Strauss added.

“All our bowlers offer us something slightly different.

“What we have to decide is what’s the best combination to take 20 wickets on this pitch.

“No-one has a God-given right to play in the XI. We know both Stuart and Tim Bresnan have offered a lot for us over the last 12 months or so.

“It’s not going to be an easy selection to make, but in a way it’s a good thing for us.”

Dhoni has the ammunition to stop any team

Minutes after sealing India’s 50-over World Cup victory with a six in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, a drained Dhoni was already discussing how to sustain the dominance of the team who have been the number one test side since December 2009.

The biggest hurdle since that crazy, humid April night await them in England in the form of a four-test series starting at Lord’s on Thursday, to be followed by five one-day internationals with a Twenty20 match thrown in.

Dhoni would like to believe that he has ticked most of the boxes.

Sachin Tendulkar is not just back in the squad but he made it a point to reach England early to get accustomed to the conditions, dropping in briefly at Wimbledon to watch Roger Federer.

Such meticulous preparation for someone who has spent 22 years in international cricket does not surprise former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

“I’m not surprised he’s out there trying to acclimatise and get some practice…also having had a word with Roger Federer, be prepared for the pull shot past mid-on,” Gavaskar said.

Tendulkar’s demanding fans will be expecting more than few nice shots.

At the age of 38, Tendulkar is unlikely to return to England and he has yet to score a century at Lord’s, venue of the first test starting on Thursday. If he does reach his century he will the first person to score 100 international centuries.

Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid (38) and VVS Laxman (36) share 99 centuries and 35,000 runs in tests and Gavaskar said they would do anything to make their final England tour memorable.

FRINGE PLAYER

Yuvraj Singh is also not short of motivation.

The architect of India’s Twenty20 (2007) and 50 overs (2011) World Cups remains a fringe test player, even after 11 years of international cricket, and this would be one of his few remaining opportunities to cement his place or else watch someone like Suresh Raina slam the door on his face.

“In terms of one-day cricket everything has been good for me but in terms of test cricket I suppose the graph reads a bit up and down,” Yuvraj said before leaving for England.

“Cricket is my game though and I am going to give this test series my level best. I will give my 100 percent,”

Dhoni was criticised for not pressing for a    victory in the Dominica test again West Indies where India needed 86 runs from the final 15 overs with seven wickets in hand. He decided instead to settle for a draw and a 1-0 victory in the three-match test series against a West Indian side ranked six places lower.

There, were, however some other positives, including Ishant Sharma’s return to form.

The lanky right-arm pace bowler struck his rhythm and claimed 22 wickets in three tests to signal he has put a bad patch behind him and is ready to share the new ball attack with Zaheer Khan.

Dhoni would also hope to benefit from the battles within the battle.

For instance, Yuvraj has already announced that he was looking forward to renewing his rivalry with Kevin Pietersen who famously called the southpaw a “pie-chucker” and dubbed his brand of spin as “left-arm filth” in 2008.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE

Being the character he is, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh can also be trusted to give everything in his duel with English counterpart Graeme Swann.

Dhoni will also have access to the insider knowledge of coach Duncan Fletcher.

The eight years he spent coaching the England team gave Fletcher first hand knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the players who form the core of the current squad.

Dhoni’s only worry seems to be the absence of opener Virender Sehwag, who is recovering from a shoulder surgery and is set to miss the first two tests.

“We, as a side, rely on our openers quite a bit. A good start helps our middle-order capitalise on it. As far as Virender Sehwag is concerned, there aren’t many cricketers in the world who can have the impact he can,” Dhoni conceded.

In Sehwag’s absence, Abhinav Mukund, who made his test debut in West Indies last month, would open the innings with Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir, himself, is back in action after missing the West Indies tour with a shoulder injury and the onus would be on the left-handed pair to see off the new ball and lay the foundation before the seniors take charge.

May The Better Team Win

Afridi & Dhoni

The semi-final clash between Pakistan and India today at Mohali will keep people everywhere out of office and detached from their normal pursuits. The build up by the media — even more notably on the Indian side than the Pakistani one — has been quite extraordinary. While hype and frenzied excitement have always been a part of Pakistan-India encounters, and are not entirely unwelcome, this time round things seem to have gone over the top.

Shahid Afridi

It is worth remembering that we are preparing for a sporting encounter, and not World War III. There needs to be some degree of rationality. We need to see things in some kind of perspective. Sports should not be taken to levels of insanity.

Dhoni

The extent to which the event has become wrapped up with politics is also telling. It is ironic that it took a cricketing encounter to bring the leaders of both countries to the talks table. We should be able to expect greater maturity from those elected to represent millions of people. 

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They should not need the draw of a sporting encounter to bring them together. Surely the needs of people, concern for their welfare and for the future of the region should be the prime consideration of politicians, regardless of whether a game of cricket is to be played or not.

Ms.Dhoni

The upcoming match has temporarily driven away thoughts of their many concerns from the minds of people. This is the formidable power of sports. It also generates a kind of unity we rarely see in other times. The entire nation will come together today to cheer on Shahid Afridi and his men, who carry on their shoulders the enormous weight of the expectations of millions. We all hope, of course, that they can make their way into the final. Our country needs the joy such a triumph would bring. But we must also set our sights on seeing a match played well, in the right spirit and without the retort to cries of foul play or even violence that have in the past marred some Pakistan-India contests.

Shahid Khan Afridi

The team that holds its nerve and is mentally stronger is in all likelihood going to emerge the winner. May the better side win.

Pakistan Aiming For More Than Just The WC Trophy

Pakistan will play India in the border state of Punjab on Wednesday for a place in the World Cup final at Mumbai on April2

It will be Pakistan’s first cricket match in India since before the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which killed 166 people in India’s financial and entertainment hub and has been blamed on Pakistan-based extremists.Pakistan was stripped of its rights to co-host this World Cup after a separate terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team’s convoy en route to a test match at Lahore in 2009, and no international team has toured there since.Hafeez hopes a win at Mohali can change that.

“Obviously, not having the World Cup in Pakistan is a big disappointment for the people of Pakistan and for the players as well, but whatever decision the ICC has taken, we are doing what we can do as players,” the 30-year-old all-rounder said Saturday.“We want to play good cricket and put in good performances so that we can present the strong nation that Pakistan is to the world.

“We want to tell the world that as a nation, we are strong enough and, God willing, international cricket will resume in Pakistan. That’s what we are trying to do _ send out a strong message.”

Hafeez, who has played an influential role as an opening batsman and in his relatively unfamiliar capacity of bowling off-spin with the new ball, doesn’t think there’s any extra pressure on Pakistan in India.

Wins over Sri Lanka and Australia in the group stage and a thumping quarterfinal win over the West Indies have silenced the critics who thought Shahid Afridi’s Pakistan squad would be too burdened by a tumultuous buildup.

Three key players were banned for their part in a spot-fixing scandal, sparked by a British tabloid newspaper expose in the test series against England last August. But the remaining players have rallied around Afridi and coach Waqar Younis and, Hafeez says, worked extra hard in the buildup to the tournament.

“If you are playing the semifinal of the World Cup, there will be pressure, but since we have worked really hard, I don’t think there is any extra pressure on me or on the team because we are playing against India,” he said.

“We have made things easier by thinking only about that particular day and trying to make sure we win the day,” he added.

“We are enjoying our cricket and supporting each other. It’s that unity and backing each other which is the key to our success.”

Pakistan, the 1992 World Cup winners, have lost all four World Cup games against India, but Hafeez chose to reflect on the positives.

“Whatever has happened is history,” he said.

“Yes, Pakistan has not defeated India in the World Cup, but in the last 11-12 years, Australia also had not lost a single World Cup game … then they lost to us and to India successively.

The semifinal has been billed as a clash between Pakistan’s bowling and India’s batting.

Afridi leads the wicket takers during the tournament, and has excellent support from seamer Umar Gul. The Indian batting contains the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, two of the stars of the tournament.

“We rely on (bowling) heavily, but our batting too has met the requirements in this tournament,” he said. “We may not have scored big runs, but the team wins when the batsman delivered what was required.

“Just because you make big runs doesn’t mean your team will win. If all batsmen play their roles according to the situation, that’s when you win matches.”

Vettori Eyes Big Finale For Little Guys

Daniel Vettori

New Zealand came from behind to upset South Africa by 49 runs in Friday’s quarter-final at the Shere Bangla stadium, their fourth win over the fancied rivals in six World Cup encounters.“I look at it as an achievement for a country so small that we make so many semi-finals,” he said. “That’s a better way to look at it for a country of four million people. People may put negative stamps on it but I think it’s an achievement for a country like ours.”

Celebrating Kivis

It will be New Zealand’s sixth appearance in the semi-finals, where they will take on Sri Lanka who beat England in the last quarter- final, in Colombo.“I think the reputation we have is that we can beat any team on a given day. But consistency has avoided us a lot of the time, so it’s our big chance in the semi-finals to go one or two better.”

Vettori

Mills limps out of World Cup.New Zealand seamer Kyle Mills was ruled out of the World Cup through injury, just hours after being  heavily fined for an angry bust-up in the quarter-final win.

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Paceman Andy McKay has been called up as a replacement who is due to arrive in Sri Lanka today, two days before New Zealand’s semi-final.Vettori, Mills, du Plessis fined for bust-up.Vettori and Mills along with South Africa’s Faf du Plessis were slapped with heavy fines for their ugly bust-up during the quarter-final.

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The fines followed a stormy clash at the end of the 28th over of the South Africa innings when du Plessis and the Kiwis exchanged angry words following the fall of AB de Villiers. Mills, who was not part of the playing eleven, was on the field at the time, carrying drinks for his teammates.“Mills has been fined 60 per cent of his match fee for an offence relating to inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between players,” said the International Cricket Council.“He has also been fined a further 60 per cent of his fee for an offence which relates to conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game or brings the game into disrepute.”

Daniel Vettori Fined

Vettori was fined 50 per cent of his match fee for a similar offence and another 40 per cent for bringing the game into disrepute. Du Plessis was fined 50 per cent of his match fee.

Terrific Victory

 ‘South Africa will rise from ashes’South Africa’s outgoing one-day captain Graeme Smith, devastated by his side’s sudden World Cup exit at the hands of New Zealand, has predicted the national team will quickly overcome their latest debacle.South Africa, often regarded as the best team never to have won the World Cup, have now lost in three semi-finals, two quarter-finals and once in the first round. But Smith, who will stand down as one-day captain but remain the leader in Test cricket, was confident the team will taste success again.“This is an exciting period for South African cricket,” he said after his side’s exit in Bangladesh. “We have the players and the talent. Hopefully in the future we will go all the way and win. We had the opportunity to close out the game but we let ourselves down, we let our fans down.”

Sri Lanka Thrash England By 10 Wickets To Reach Semis

Dilshan

The 1996 champions restricted England to 229 for six before romping home on the back of a fiery unfinished opening stand of 231 in a one-sided finish, much to the delight of a packed 35,000 crowd at R Premadasa stadium.

Dilshan Century

Dilshan finished with a 115-ball 108 not out, spiced with 10 boundaries and two sixes, while Tharanga notched an unbeaten 102 off 122 deliveries, studded with 12 fours and one hit over the ropes, as Sri Lanka won with 10.3 overs to spare.

Sri Lanka will now play the first of two semi-finals on March 29 against New Zealand who knocked out South Africa in Dhaka on Friday. It will be Sri Lanka’s third successive World Cup semi-final, having finished runners-up to Australia in the last edition held in the Caribbean four years ago. Arch-rivals Pakistan and India meet in the second semi-final in Mohali a day later.

Tharanga Fifty

Tharanga hit Graeme Swann for a six as early as the fourth over and when captain Andrew Strauss brought in another off-spinner James Tredwell, it was Dilshan who hit him over the fence.

Celebrating

Dilshan was the first to reach his hundred, his 10th in one-day cricket and second in this tournament, cutting Swann to the cover boundary for his ninth boundary. Tharanga completed his 11th century, and also his second in this World Cup, with the winning boundary off Chris Tremlett.The pair also scored 282 for the first wicket against Zimbabwe in the group stages at Pallekele.

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England’s innings was built around a patient yet under-achieving innings of 86 from Jonathan Trott who added 91 for the fourth wicket with Eoin Morgan (50) after Strauss won the toss and batted on a slow, flat pitch.But when the Trott-Morgan partnership was broken, Trott failed to lift the innings as England managed just 23 in the batting Powerplay.

Winning Moment

Trott fell in the 49th over, caught off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan who finished with two for 54. He added 64 for the third wicket with Ravi Bopara (31) after England lost Strauss (five) and make-shift opener Ian Bell (25) by the ninth over.

Morgan, dropped at 16 off Ajantha Mendis, got two more lives when Angelo Mathews and Rangana Herath dropped him in the space of three balls in one Muralitharan over. The 24-year-old left-hander fell soon after completing his half-century when he miscued a drive off Lasith Malinga and was caught in the covers by Mathews.That was curtains for England who failed to size up a worthy total and head home ruing defeats against the minnows in their group as well.

My Fate In Selectors’ Hands: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting

MELBOURNE:Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his fate was in the hands of the selectors after Australia’s shattering early exit from the World Cup.

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Ponting, whose captaincy has been under attack since Australia’s Ashes series debacle against England in January, scored a fighting 104 but it was not enough to prevent India from knocking the champions out in Wednesday’s quarter-final in Ahmedabad.

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Australia’s greatest Test run-scorer has endured a torrid time and a majority of cricket fans, according to newspaper polls, want him to step down as team leader in a rebuilding phase. Ponting, 36, confirmed in his column in The Australian newspaper that he has played in his last World Cup and that his immediate playing future was up to the discretion of the national selectors.

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“I’m not retiring,” Ponting wrote in his column. “It is my intention to keep playing cricket, I might not be the best judge of what my contribution to Australian cricket is. There is a panel of selectors who have that job and I am happy to accept their judgment.”

Ponting

Ponting was “shattered” at Australia’s earliest exit from the World Cup since 1992.

“In some ways we performed to expectations in this World Cup. People did not expect us to win and we didn’t. It is fair to say that we need to examine our performances in depth and begin to plan for the future. A clear-the-decks policy is fraught with danger. Young players need to be nurtured and the best way for that to be done is with senior guys around them.”