Misbah will continue as Pakistan captain, says PCB chief

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> The Pakistan Cricket Board put paid to all speculations about Misbah-ul-Haq being replaced as captain of the one-day side when its chairman, Najam Sethi made it clear that the senior batsman would remain at the helm because of his impressive record.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgQHHbkTERvjFN92P-XylVW9m54nV_iWaB2Y3OBGC9sXKvmNkyqg3JCNulR8vZbCpBje6vLeg_pV8S7_gqaThORctRNKqQ1-C-ocTIsRSTNlWlkxaiXZNymdeR2levHGl4Zhw9ylm_wYM/s1600/Misbah+will+continue+as+Pakistan+captain,+says+PCB+chief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgQHHbkTERvjFN92P-XylVW9m54nV_iWaB2Y3OBGC9sXKvmNkyqg3JCNulR8vZbCpBje6vLeg_pV8S7_gqaThORctRNKqQ1-C-ocTIsRSTNlWlkxaiXZNymdeR2levHGl4Zhw9ylm_wYM/s1600/Misbah+will+continue+as+Pakistan+captain,+says+PCB+chief.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <b><br /></b> <b>Misbah will continue as Pakistan captain, says PCB chief.</b> "Misbah has the better record compared to others so he will continue to remain the captain," Sethi told reporters in Dhaka when asked about speculations that the board was planning to change the captain for the 2015 World Cup. </div>

Misbah-ul-Haq Pakistan Pakistan Cricket Pakistan Cricket Board PCB Misbah will continue as Pakistan captain, says PCB chief

The Pakistan Cricket Board put paid to all speculations about Misbah-ul-Haq being replaced as captain of the one-day side when its chairman...

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It is the best knock of my career: Umar Akmal

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Umar Akmal struck a career-best 94 Sunday as Pakistan defeated Australia by 16 runs in a high-scoring game at the World Twenty20.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Put in to bat by Australia, Pakistan scored an intimidating 191-5 and then dismissed Australia for 175 in 20 overs.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Umar Akmal struck nine fours and four sixes during his sixth half-century. He shared a 96-run third-wicket stand with older brother Kamran Akmal, who scored a run-a-ball 31.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkeR8NfBu-B2j1abHo20SSOKSpFkYSCzGVC7QHik4dpUoRAuI2yFGwYQuTjfP8TiwbrRk3kWjNRtILMdpYO9jBrMKZZC8-wQqwyCINN1_UdDP2GOzvItB_TobwlEiHTaKbYVG1KN-gzJd/s1600/It+is+the+best+knock+of+my+career+Umar+Akmal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkeR8NfBu-B2j1abHo20SSOKSpFkYSCzGVC7QHik4dpUoRAuI2yFGwYQuTjfP8TiwbrRk3kWjNRtILMdpYO9jBrMKZZC8-wQqwyCINN1_UdDP2GOzvItB_TobwlEiHTaKbYVG1KN-gzJd/s1600/It+is+the+best+knock+of+my+career+Umar+Akmal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> The 23-year-old batting star termed the knock as his "best" yet.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> “It is the best knock of my career because the kind of stress our team was under after losing the first match, for us it was important to win this match,” Umar said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> “The kind of free hand the management gave me to go out and express my abilities, I am thankful to them for that. I played my natural game and I was rewarded with a good score. We are taking it match to match. Our aim is to win every match we play. We lost the first match but our morale was kept high by the management.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Umar also credited Pakistan's bowlers for the rousing win.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> “As a batting unit, we deserve a little bit of praise but it is the bowlers who did the job.”</div> </div>

ICC T20 Pakistan T20 World Cup T20 World Cup 2014 Twenty20 internationals Umar Akmal It is the best knock of my career: Umar Akmal

Umar Akmal struck a career-best 94 Sunday as Pakistan defeated Australia by 16 runs in a high-scoring game at the World Twenty20. Put in...

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South Africa captain Du Plessis to undergo fitness test

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsP1BxbwdpJN05dhJp54Mk7BnQg2RROnR8C8KkJvMO_ajm3bPNPSsZMP6PMomhHKXxxvygl71NpA5BSiW2g5Vy2lRtuzC6XtYjyAMozM56mYZlhrHvNm_5SOR6Ib12zB9N_w1SnWshVsl/s1600/South+Africa+captain+Du+Plessis+to+undergo+fitness+test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsP1BxbwdpJN05dhJp54Mk7BnQg2RROnR8C8KkJvMO_ajm3bPNPSsZMP6PMomhHKXxxvygl71NpA5BSiW2g5Vy2lRtuzC6XtYjyAMozM56mYZlhrHvNm_5SOR6Ib12zB9N_w1SnWshVsl/s1600/South+Africa+captain+Du+Plessis+to+undergo+fitness+test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> CAPE TOWN: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will undergo a fitness test before Monday's World Twenty20 match against New Zealand after missing the opening game with a hamstring injury, Cricket South Africa said on Sunday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> He continues to make "positive progress" after sitting out Saturday's loss to Sri Lanka and South Africa need to win their last three matches in Group One to keep alive their chances of making the semi-finals in Bangladesh.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "In the first game you are trying to feel your way in the tournament, trying to figure out what the conditions are going to be like," all-rounder JP Duminy said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "The conditions here are totally different to what we experienced in the warm-up matches so it's important that we adapt and adjust quickly."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> New Zealand made a winning start to the tournament by beating England in a rain-affected match on Saturday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "If you look at the way they have been playing over the last few months they come into the tournament with a lot of confidence," Duminy said of Monday's opponents.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "It's going to be an uphill battle for us but I'm confident that we have the armoury to make sure we give ourselves the best chance. They are a good side in the shorter format of the game so we are going to have to bring our A game tomorrow."</div> </div>

Cricket News South Africa South Africa captain Du Plessis to undergo fitness test

CAPE TOWN: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will undergo a fitness test before Monday's World Twenty20 match against New Zealand ...

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Boundary or a single? Confusion over winning runs continues in World T20

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_214386" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; width: 604px;"> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-size: 10pt; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Suresh Raina looks happy after hitting the winning runs against West Indies. Selfless cricketer that he is, does he mind losing out on 6 runs in 2 matches?</div> </div> <div class="first" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Twice in a row now in the ongoing World T20, India has completed a 7-wicket win. Twice in a row now Suresh Raina has hit the winnings runs. And twice in a row now Suresh Raina and India have been deprived of a boundary.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlf3O0jvcHQ1Rv0aP_5-04kbAqRqnbMaA7kv_F-cxaVI46bEr8KkAMvWuwsx1nfnzm-uxv0ZlJ2kmCNwnMw1Pz_rASYt0uUqAhWs0eNGdbtcFmRCyPGJvsi_tc9StCWseRj-oH3cjUpDEb/s1600/Boundary+or+a+single.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlf3O0jvcHQ1Rv0aP_5-04kbAqRqnbMaA7kv_F-cxaVI46bEr8KkAMvWuwsx1nfnzm-uxv0ZlJ2kmCNwnMw1Pz_rASYt0uUqAhWs0eNGdbtcFmRCyPGJvsi_tc9StCWseRj-oH3cjUpDEb/s1600/Boundary+or+a+single.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Against Pakistan, it was a flick [<span cricket="" http:="" india-pakistan-world-t20-score-error-net-run-rate="" target="_blank" www.sportskeeda.com="">The India-Pakistan scorecard confusion</span>]. On Sunday against West Indies, Suresh Raina’s full blooded cut through point reached the boundary, and though cameras cut away from the batsmen, in the highlights it looks like Rohit Sharma stopped midway after Raina’s hit and didn’t make his ground at the striker’s end. India and Raina were awarded 1 run, and India finished its innings at 130/3 when it should have been 133/3 instead.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Just like popular cricket statistician Mohandas Menon’s reply earlier, the reason for counting the last hit as a single is given by <span 682929.html="" engine="" http:="" innings="2;page=1;view=commentary'" match="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" world-t20="" www.espncricinfo.com="">ESPNcricinfo in its text commentary</span> as the crossing over of batsmen, meaning that Raina and Rohit crossed each other before the ball reached the boundary and hence only a single was scored.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> But clearly, Law 18 in MCC Laws of Cricket, states that a run is scored “so often as the batsmen, at any time while the ball is in play, have crossed <strong>and made good their ground from end to end</strong>.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> “Made good their ground from end to end”? Kohli surely didn’t do that against Pakistan and just watched the ball reach the boundary halfway down the pitch. Today, Rohit too let out a sigh of relief before turning around mid-pitch and celebrating with Raina.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> 3 runs were probably too less to create a hue and cry. But what about 6 now? Can 6 runs, and more importantly, their affect on India’s Net Run Rate be simply ignored? What if this happens in the next match too?</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> And if after all, everyone is interpreting the winning runs as the crossing over of batsmen, then let’s recall a small controversy that happened in the <span 587475.html="" bangladesh-v-west-indies-2012="" engine="" http:="" match="" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" www.espncricinfo.com="">5th ODI between Bangladesh and West Indies</span> in December 2012 at Mirpur.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> With the series tied 2-2, Bangladesh needed 1 run off 38 balls to win it all. Nasir Hossain chipped a delivery over covers and started celebrating. <strong>The batsmen crossed each other too</strong>, but Elias Sunny, seeing his partner celebrate, did not complete the run and turned back to join the celebrations, thinking the ball had reached the boundary.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> <strong>But it hadn’t</strong>. Though Bangladesh players invaded the ground, umpires called back Hossain and Sunny and told them the match wasn’t over, that they hadn’t completed the winning run. Everyone returned to their places, Andre Russell bowled the next ball and this time Nasir Hossain cut it away, making sure it crossed the ropes. The winning hit was counted as a four.</div> </div>

Cricket News ICC T20 T20 World Cup T20 World Cup 2014 Boundary or a single? Confusion over winning runs continues in World T20

Suresh Raina looks happy after hitting the winning runs against West Indies. Selfless cricketer that he is, does he mind losing out on 6 ...

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South Africa captain Du Plessis to undergo fitness test

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="first" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> CAPE TOWN (Reuters):South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will undergo a fitness test before Monday's World Twenty20 match against New Zealand after missing the opening game with a hamstring injury, Cricket South Africa said on Sunday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> He continues to make "positive progress" after sitting out Saturday's loss to Sri Lanka and South Africa need to win their last three matches in Group One to keep alive their chances of making the semi-finals in Bangladesh.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "In the first game you are trying to feel your way in the tournament, trying to figure out what the conditions are going to be like," all-rounder JP Duminy said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "The conditions here are totally different to what we experienced in the warm-up matches so it's important that we adapt and adjust quickly."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> New Zealand made a winning start to the tournament by beating England in a rain-affected match on Saturday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "If you look at the way they have been playing over the last few months they come into the tournament with a lot of confidence," Duminy said of Monday's opponents.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> "It's going to be an uphill battle for us but I'm confident that we have the armoury to make sure we give ourselves the best chance. They are a good side in the shorter format of the game so we are going to have to bring our A game tomorrow."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ed Osmond; mark.gleeson@thomsonreuters.com; +27 82 8257807; Reuters Messaging: mark.gleeson.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; To sign up for our Global Sports Forum chatroom, click on https://forms.thomsonreuters.com/global_sports_forum) nL4N0MK07V</div> </div>

Cricket News South Africa South Africa captain Du Plessis to undergo fitness test

CAPE TOWN (Reuters):South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will undergo a fitness test before Monday's World Twenty20 match against New Z...

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Spinners wreck havoc on West Indies in India's easy victory in World T20 tournament

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="first" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Johannesburg, Mar. 24 (ANI): India's spinners helped in bagging the team's victory over defending champions West Indies in the World Twenty20 Super-10 group two match in Dhaka.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> West Indies managed to score only 129-7 as leg-spinner Amit Mishra claimed two for 18 in four overs, while Ravindra Jadeja bagged three wickets and Ravichandran Ashwin picked up one.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> According to Sport24, India won the match with two deliveries to spare with Virat Kohli hitting 54 off 41 balls and Rohit Sharma remained unbeaten on 62.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> The batting duo put on 106 for the second wicket to take their team to victory against West Indies and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men now need one more win from their remaining two matches against Australia and hosts Bangladesh to make it to the semi-finals as they have already defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, the report added.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> However, skipper Dhoni said India is not looking at the semi-finals yet and added that they will take it one game at a time as there is no point thinking too far ahead.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> Brief scores from the match:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> West Indies: 129-7 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 34, Mishra 2-18, Jadeja 3-48)</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> India 130-3: in 19.4 overs (Kohli 54, Sharma 62 not out). (ANI)</div> </div>

Cricket News ICC T20 T20 World Cup T20 World Cup 2014 West Indies Spinners wreck havoc on West Indies in India's easy victory in World T20 tournament

Johannesburg, Mar. 24 (ANI): India's spinners helped in bagging the team's victory over defending champions West Indies in the Wor...

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