London, June 15: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said Twenty20 cricket was now a bowlers’ game after his side were given a major scare by Ireland.
The only non-Test team left in the World Twenty20, Ireland held Sangakkara’s side to 144 for nine at Lord’s on Sunday before tight bowling from the likes of Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga restricted the minnows to 135 for seven.
Mumbai, June 15: Noted Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, who essayed the role of villager and cricketer in Oscar nominated classic film ‘Lagaan’, expressed disappointment on Team India’s heart-breaking early ouster from the T20 World Cup at Lords.
Aamir aka Mr Perfectionist dubbed the defeat as ‘disappointing’ after England won yesterday match by three runs and knocked out last year’s champion India from ICC World Twenty20. The actor was surprised on the decision of sending Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Yuvraj Singh in Super 8 match against England.
New Delhi, June 15: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the India captain, bore the brunt of fan and media anger back home after the defending champions were unceremoniously dumped out of the World Twenty20 on Sunday.
Security was increased around Dhoni’s home in the eastern city of Ranchi on Monday after scores of fans burnt his effigy, shouted slogans and accused the captain of underestimating England in a must-win situation.
Ranchi, June 15: Angry over Team India’s defeat in the ICC World Twenty, the cricket fans in Ranchi, the home town of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni burnt his effigy to protest India’s exit from the T20 World Cup.
The defending champions are out of the title race following successive defeats in matches against the West Indies and England. Around 50 cricket fans, mostly youth, gathered near Siddo Kanhu park and shouted slogans against Dhoni and burnt his effigy.
London, June 15: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni apologised to the thousands of disappointed fans who watched their side exit the Twenty20 World Cup at Lord’s on Sunday and promised to make amends in the West Indies next year.
The defending champions were eliminated after they lost by three runs to England in their Super Eight clash on Sunday. They also lost to West Indies on Friday.
“We are sorry for what happened but we can say we gave our best,” Dhoni told a news conference. “I think we have the guys who can handle the pressure, it was a day when nothing really worked for us.”
London, June 15: Manchester United may be receiving a world-record fee of 80 million pounds (94 million euros, 130 million dollars) for the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, but the amount is dwarfed by the club’s huge debt.
“It’s no wonder they’re getting this sort of money” from Real Madrid for arguably the world’s best player, said Philip Long, football industry specialist at British accountancy firm PKF, recalling that United’s parent company spent almost 69 million pounds on interest repayments in 2007/08.
London, June 15: Defending champions India bowed out of the World Twenty20 after losing to hosts England by three runs in a key Super Eights match at a
England packed Lord’s on Sunday.
India restricted England to 153-7 after electing to field in good batting conditions, but then fumbled their reply to be stopped at 150-5 despite scoring 56 runs in the last five overs.
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London, June 14: Pakistan’s cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has expressed fear that the ongoing military operation against the Taliban in Swat could backfire and fuel extremism and terror attacks in the country.
‘Pakistan is on a suicidal course,’ said Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) party was quoted by Online news agency Sunday.
He criticised the Pakistani government for luanching an all-out war against the Taliban in the northwest on the advice of the United States.
London, June 14: Umar Gul bulldozed New Zealand with a sensational five-wicket haul as Pakistan defeated New Zealand by six-wicket to keep their semifinals hopes alive in the World Twenty20 here on Saturday.
Gul’s incredible fast bowling spell resulted in Kiwi’s complete demolition as they were all out for a paltry 99 in 18.3 overs after deciding to bat in this Super Eight match.
Gul, introduced as late as in the 13th over, wreaked havoc in his three-over spell and emerged as the first bowler to claim five wickets in T20 Internationals.
New Delhi, June 23: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni believed his batters and fielders were found wanting against West Indies in a Super Eight match against West Indies here on Friday. However, he didn’t give the credit where it was due the West Indian fast bowlers who wreaked havoc in Indian innings.
London, June 13: Defending champions India will need to improve all aspects of their game following their upset loss to West Indies on Friday if they are to get past the second round of the Twenty20 World Cup.
India meet England at Lord`s on Sunday evening in their second Super Eight match before playing a confident South Africa side at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday.
London, June 13: Let down by their much-vaunted top order, defending champions India flunked their first Super Eight test and sunk to a seven-wicket defeat against the West Indies in the Twenty20 World Cup on Friday.
Dwayne Bravo scalped four Indian wickets with the ball and then returned to hit an unbeaten 36-ball 66, studded with three sixes, to seal the match.
Earlier, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision to bat first boomeranged as the Indian top order crumbled and it required Yuvraj Singh’s (67) 43-ball blitzkrieg and Yusuf Pathan’s (31) cameo to reach a competitive 153 for seven.
Poutchek at the Aegon Classic on Tuesday, shrugging off a persistent wrist injury that had threatened to end her career.
The 22-year-old from India hit the ball well and moved superbly. She made a rampaging start, breaking serve immediately and then winning a third game that went to eight deuces and which lasted more than a quarter of an hour.
“After what I have been through I am thankful to God that I am back,” she said, referring to the multiple problems with the wrist which required surgery and prolonged rehab.
London, June 12: Pakistan captain Younis Khan is looking forward to welcome back Abdul Razzaq into the fold after the all-rounder’s late call up into the World Twenty20 squad in England.
Razzaq has been given his chance after Yasir Arafat was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with a hamstring injury.
His return also marks his re-integration into the Pakistan side following an amnesty for former players in the Indian Cricket League – the rival Twenty20 event to the officially sanctioned Indian Premier League.
London, June 12: Sri Lanka kept their composure to beat Pakistan by 19 runs in their opening Super Eights match in the World Twenty20 at Lord’s on Friday.
Defending a total of 150 for seven, Sri Lanka remained unbeaten at the tournament as they held Pakistan to a total of 131 for nine. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga took three wickets for 18 runs.
Blogs: The Dhoni Debate – II | Game, Shame and Name
Trent Bridge, June 11: Zaheer Khan wreaked havoc while Rohit Sharma continued his purple patch as a ruthless India decimated Ireland by eight wickets in a rain-marred Group A tie of the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.
Scorecard | In Pics | Points Table | Schedule | Women T20 WC ’09
Zaheer Khan (4/19) led the rout as India restricted a hapless Ireland to a mere 112 for eight in 18 overs and then went on to overwhelm the target in 15.3 overs with Rohit (52 not out) and Gautam Gambhir (37) making merry against the toothless Irish attack.
Mumbai, June 11: If Saeed Mirza has seen images of a finger-wagging Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the press conference the other night, he would believe that there is no one better than the Indian captain to play the lead role if his 1980 classic Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai was to be remade today.
Nottingham, June 11:Zaheer Khan claimed four wickets as India routed Ireland by eight wickets in the concluding Group A match of the World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge here Wednesday.
Zaheer (4-19), who is coming back from a shoulder injury, ripped through the Irish top order, taking three wickets from just seven balls to restrict Ireland to 112 for eight in the rain-shortened 18-over-a-side match.
Chasing the meagre total, Gautam Gambhir (37) and Rohit Sharma (52 not out) batted with caution, adding 77 runs from 65 balls for the opening wicket.
London, June 10: Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who was named the man-of-the-match after his team’s 82-run victory over the Dutch, said he was relieved after the Greenshirts managed to qualify for the Super Eights in the ongoing World T20 Championship here.
Akmal, who struck a 30-ball 41 and then set a new T20 International record with four stumpings at the Lord’s yesterday, attributed his match-winning performance in Pakistan’s do-or-die game against the Netherlands to ”hard work”.
Nottingham, June 10: India’s cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday refused to take any questions from the media on his deputy Virender Sehwag’s fitness.
Sehwag has been ruled out of the World Twenty20 due to an apparent shoulder injury and will return home.
On the eve of the match against Ireland, Dhoni was asked about Sehwag’s fitness and he said: “Whatever is related to fitness, you will get it from the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).”
London, June 10: South Africa rode on some excellent bowling to clinch a one-run win over New Zealand in a thrilling Group D clash of the ICC World
Merwe Twenty20 at Lord’s.
With both teams having already qualified for the Super Eight stage, this was about keeping the momentum going and South Africa earned the bragging rights as they restricted New Zealand to 127 for five.
But things didn’t go as planned for Graeme Smith’s men as they managed just 128 for seven after they were put into bat by New Zealand stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum.
Shahid Afridi carried Pakistan into the Super Eights at the expense of a spirited but outclassed Dutch side at Lord’s, as he ripped his top-spinning legbreaks through a succession of bamboozled defences to deliver his team a thumping 82-run victory with the superb figures of 4 for 11 from four overs. For the Netherlands, the end came with unseemly haste as they lost their last nine wickets for 52 in 10.2 overs, but they still left the tournament with their heads held high after last week’s unforgettable floodlit triumph over England.
London, June 09: Shahid Afridi took 4 wickets as Pakistan bundled out Netherlands for 93 runs to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Pakistan set their opponents 175-5 in their innings after captain Younis Khan won the toss and elected to bat first.
The Netherlands were only required to score 151 runs in their innings due to Pakistan needing to win by at least 25 runs having started the day bottom of the group after losing to England in their opening match.
Shahid Afridi starred with the ball for Pakistan, finishing his four overs with figures of 4-11.
New Delhi, June 09: India’s opening batsman Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the ongoing ICC Twenty20 World Cup in England due to a shoulder injury.
Sehwag was advised to undergo a surgery for his shoulder injury, sources said.
The hard-hitting batsman, earlier, had to skip the opening match against Bangladesh including all the practice matches.
New Delhi, June 09: Sri Lanka dump Australia from T20 Worlds Skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan hit robust half-centuries as Sri Lanka sent Australia packing from the World Twenty20 with a six-wicket win.
Australia, asked to bat by Sangakkara in his first match as captain, managed only 159-9 in good batting conditions as mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis and fast bowler Lasith Malinga claimed three wickets each.
Opener Dilshan then plundered 53 off 32 balls and left-handed Sangakkara made an unbeaten 55 to fire Sri Lanka home with six deliveries to spare.