Selectors meet on Sunday to pick squad for series against Pak

Mumbai: National cricket selectors will meet here on Sunday to pick the Indian squad for the limited-overs series against Pakistan amid speculation that struggling senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar has made himself available for ODI selection.

The panel, headed by Sandeep Patil, will be meeting for the first time after the humiliating Test debacle against England.

The T20 matches against Pakistan are scheduled on December 25 and 28 in Bangalore and Ahmedabad respectively and the squad is unlikely to see many changes from the one playing against England in a T20 rubber that concludes here on Saturday.

It is the ODI squad that would draw more attention as there are unconfirmed reports that veteran batsman Sachin Tendulkar has made himself available for the three-match rubber starting in Chennai on December 30.


The senior cricketer had been part of the last ODI squad during the failed campaign in Bangladesh in the Asia Cup where he completed his unprecedented feat of 100 international hundreds.

Tendulkar, whose retirement has been speculated endlessly in the media and by former cricketers, has been in and out of ODIs in the last few years by choice, but with his form dipping in Tests, the 39-year-old could be eager to rediscover his successful run through the 50-over game for the upcoming four-match Test rubber at home against Australia.

The second and third one-day games against Pakistan are to be held in Kolkata on January 3 followed by the last game on January 6 in the Capital.

This three-match series will be followed by the five-match ODI rubber against England that commences on January 11 at Rajkot. The tourists will return to India after taking a break for Christmas and New Year.

The other four games are to be held at Kochi (January 15), Ranchi (January 19), Mohali (January 23) and Dharamsala (January 27).

The other focus in the selection meeting would be captaincy and as per current indications, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is expected to keep his job though his success record in the ODI format too, like the one in Tests, has taken a steep dip after he piloted the country to the World Cup title last year.

India have had mixed results since that heady April 2, 2011 day in Mumbai with the reversals coming in England, Australia and in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

Zaheer Khan is another senior cricketer who is battling fitness concerns and dipping form in international cricket. He is playing for Mumbai in the Ranji game against MP at Indore from today and it remains to be seen whether the selectors will pick him for the ODIs against Pakistan and later England.

The other point of interest in the selection would be Virender Sehwag who opted out of the Twenty20 series against England. It is not known whether he has declared himself available to play in the T20 format against Pakistan that follows in three days` time.

A number of T20 squad members are likely to gain selection for the 50-over series against Pakistan too.

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English county Nottinghamshire bars its players from IPL

English county Nottinghamshire bars its players from IPL

London: English county side Nottinghamshire has decided to not allow its players to participate in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

"The players asked me to consider releasing them to enable them to take part in the IPL, but they are key members of the squad and I explained that we wouldn`t be able to allow them to take part," the club`s director of cricket, Mick Newell was quoted as saying by a news agency.

Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Samit Patel among other Nottinghamshire players are reportedly on the radars of various IPL teams.

The sixth edition of IPL is slated to begin by April 3 as per the schedule announced on Friday

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India vs England 2012, 2nd T20I: Preview

India vs England 2012, 2nd T20I: Preview

SCORECARD

Mumbai: After rebounding superbly from the Test loss to England with a convincing victory in the Twenty20 series opener, India would be keen to complete a clean sweep of the shortest format by winning the second and final game here tomorrow.

Having gained the winning momentum again, the hosts would be eager not to let it go out of grasp especially with the high-profile series against Pakistan to follow immediately after the conclusion of the T20 stint at the Wankhede Stadium.

India will take on Pakistan in a two-match T20 series from December 25 to be followed by a three-game ODI series.

England, who have suffered their first reversal to India in a bilateral T20 game after having lost two others in the World T20 events, would also look forward to squaring the rubber and returning home for Christmas and New Year on a high note.

Though India cantered home last night, the home team has some issues to solve immediately in both batting and bowling to achieve their aim of a 2-0 whitewash

In bowling, the beginning and end overs are still a worry with debutant Parvinder Awana, who had a poor game, and Ashok Dinda bowling too short yesterday to be punished by the hard-hitting Alex Hales who blitzed his way to 56 with seven fours and two sixes.

Though Dinda came back later to bowl well and take two wickets, Awana`s nervousness cost him 29 runs in two overs at either end of the innings and he is expected to give way to Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Abhimanyu Mithun tomorrow.

Even R Ashwin, who started off well and bowled a maiden over to the left-handed Michael Lumb before taking his wicket too, was carted around later to concede 33 runs. Ravindra Jadeja gave away 22 runs in three and Piyush 24 in the same number of overs.

But for Yuvraj Singh`s brilliant stint in the middle overs, when he got 3 for 19 to halt Hales and Luke Wright from running away with the game, India could have conceded 15-20 more runs, a fact not lost on rival skipper Eoin Morgan.

"We got off to a fantastic start - Alex and Luke really came together as a pair - but from there we didn`t really kick on," said Morgan.

Hales and Wright added 68 runs in quick time, thrashing the Indian bowlers, before Yuvraj turned the match around with a 3-19 spell that included both these batsmen`s wickets as well as Morgan`s.

In batting too, India started off brilliantly before openers Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane threw away their wickets in close succession by trying to hit big.

It was Yuvraj`s experience and his ability to clear the rope at will that helped the home country steady the innings and then surge to a comfortable victory with 13 balls to spare.

The left-handed dasher smashed 38 in 21 balls to help India regain the early advantage. Then useful contributions from Virat Kohli (21), Suresh Raina, who was also needlessly run out for 26 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (24 not out), saw the home team cross the finish line.


England too have their problems, the prominent among them is to find an effective spinner in the middle overs as Danny Briggs` left-arm spin was taken to the cleaners along with James Tredwell`s off spin.

Stuart Meaker provided the extra pace to trouble the Indian batsmen, including Yuvraj, and Tim Bresnan was also impressive, while Wright was effective with his slow medium bowling.

In batting, Hales, who had flopped in his previous three games against India, came good yesterday with his forthright batting. England would hope the others ? that includes their hard-hitting captain Morgan ? deliver in the last game of the first half of their visit.


The rival teams (from):

India: M.S. Dhoni (Capt.), Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and Parvinder Awana

England: Eoin Morgan (Capt.), James Harris, Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Butler, Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Samit Patel, Joe Root, James Tredwell and Luke Wright.

On-field umpires: S Ravi and Vineet Kulkarni

3rd umpire: Sudhir Asnani

Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.

Match starts at 7 pm (IST).

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India vs England 2012: We hope to carry the momentum forward, says Yuvraj

we hope to carry the momemtum forward

Mumbai: Off to a good start in Twenty20s after the "shattering" Test debacle, India batsman Yuvraj Sigh said he was confident that the team would carry the momentum not only into the second and final tie against England here on Saturday but also into the upcoming series against arch-foes Pakistan.

"In Twenty20s and ODIs, we have done well against them hopefully, we can carry the momentum, particularly with the important series against Pakistan coming up," said Yuvraj after India`s five-wicket win over England in Pune last night.

The all-rounder played a key role, taking 3 for 19 to half England`s progress in batting and then smashed 38 in 21 balls with three sixes and two fours to help India overhaul the visitors` score of 157 for 6 with five wickets to spare.

India will take on Pakistan in a two-match T20 series commencing at Bangalore on December 25. The second game of that series is scheduled at Ahmedabad on December 28.


This would be followed by a three-match ODI series against the neighbours from December 30 this year to January 6, 2013 after which India would engage England in a best-of-five ODI series from January 11 to 27.

"Losing 4-0 (in Test series in England last year) and 2-1 (recently in the four-match Test series at home) was quite shattering. England played better cricket but we beat them 5-0 in the one-dayers (last year)," said Yuvraj who was part of the Test squad that got beaten by England.

Yuvraj said the younger lot of players improved the fielding of the team.

"It`s important to win the first game and get a good start. If we lose we are again trying to win back. With youngsters coming in the fielding is much better and this win also gives momentum and more confidence for the rest of the series and Pakistan," he added.

Yuvraj, who has been unable to replicate his superb show in T20s and ODIs at the Test level, said the shortest form of the game offered him a chance to play freely.

"When T20 comes I play a bit openly. I enjoyed my batting and my bowling was effective and contributed to the team."

The left-handed player, who resumed his cricket career after undergoing treatment for cancer, said the spinners, including himself, had applied the brakes in time to halt England`s flying start in the first game in Pune.

"When the openers start hitting it`s always a worry. May be we could have chased 180?190 but our spinners did a good job I also bowled well and the 2-3 wickets broke the momentum," Yuvraj said.

He was as flummoxed as many how his part-time left arm spin is so effective, but gave a clue saying he slowed down the pace of his bowling to reap rich rewards last night.

"Even I am not sure why I take so many wickets. I do my best. I was bowling faster initially and it was easier for the batsmen so I slowed it down a bit."

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We fell 10-15 runs short, concedes England skipper Morgan

10-15 runs short,concedesEngland skipper Morgan

Mumbai: England Twenty20 captain Eoin Morgan conceded that his side fell short by 10-15 runs after getting off to a blistering start in the lost opening Twenty20 International against India in Pune.

"We got off to a fantastic start -- Alex (Hales) and Luke (Wright) really came together as a pair -- but from there we didn`t really kick on," said Morgan.

"We lost wickets continuously which halted our momentum and didn`t do us any favours. The total we did creep up to was probably about 10 or 15 short of par," said Morgan who is standing in for the injured regular skipper Stuart Broad who has returned home.

Morgan praised the whirlwind 56 scored by Hales, off just 30 balls with seven fours and two sixes and his stand of 68 runs in quick time with Wright (34) before India`s Yuvraj Singh, later named the man of the match, halted his side`s progress with a three-wicket haul in 10 balls.


Yuvraj`s victims included the second-wicket pair and Morgan himself as England fell off from 89 for 2 to be contained to 157 for 6.

Later, Yuvraj smashed 38 in 21 balls to give impetus to the successful run-chase following the dismissals of openers Gautam Gambhir and Ajinkya Rahane in close succession.

"We said at the halfway stage we would have to do things exceptionally well to win this game, because the wicket did play so well, and we just lacked a bit of discipline really," said Morgan.

Morgan rued the mid-innings stutter followed by some poor bowling.

"Losing wickets in Twenty20 cricket doesn`t help -- and batting first, you never know how much is enough because you play on a small ground on a good wicket. We didn`t compensate for the wickets and again didn`t set it up for the finish. We lost wickets at the wrong times," said Morgan.

But he said he would continue to encourage his batsmen to go for their shots on good tracks.

"I`ll continue to encourage the guys to play positively and again build partnerships and continue momentum if the wicket is good," he said.

Morgan also praised Yuvraj for his match-changing all round display.

"He`s a very clean striker of a cricket ball, and again always has that danger factor. He can clear the ropes and he did that tonight - he had one over when he went berserk.

"...All credit to him; he bowled well. He does a great job, and has done for years," added the England captain when asked about how Yuvraj`s part-time spin has been so effective in the limited overs.

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