Lloyd hopeful ICL and IPL will co-exist

Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and ICC cricket committee chairman, is hopeful the ICL and IPL can co-exist and believes similar leagues in the West Indies will boost the game in the region.
"There's nothing like having a discussion to break the ice," Lloyd told the Times of India. "Just like the United States president Barack Obama said 'you have to speak to people'. They [IPL and ICL] both need to understand their agendas and work accordingly." At present, the ICC and the Indian board have not recognised the ICL, and most national bodies have banned players contracted with the league from playing international or domestic cricket.

Power-packed Pakistan hot favourites

The Big Picture

The ICL World Series is a battle between teams led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, Chris Harris, Habibul Bashar and R Sathish. Inzamam and Bashar have the advantage of playing with the same team that featured in the ICL 20s Indian Championship whereas Harris will lead the best of the world and Sathish will take charge of the best of the Indian players.

Format

This premium ICL tournament features the top players from a talent pool of over 150 Indian and international players in the recently concluded ICL 20s Indian Championship. The four teams will now take each other on, once in a round-robin format, and then a final between the two top teams. Interestingly, the white ball can be changed after the 15th over if it loses colour.

Prize money

There is Rs 2.74 crore (US$552,931) up for grabs. Winners of this tournament stand to gain Rs 1.25 crore (US$252,250) and the runner-up will cash in Rs 75 lakh (US$151,350). The financial incentive for every win at the league stage will be Rs 10 lakh while the Man of the Match will collect Rs 2 lakh.

Klusener show ensures World XI win

Lance Klusener's all-round effort helped World XI to two points against Bangladesh XI in the opening match of the ICL World Series. His 63 from 49 balls ensured the team reached a competitive 167. Klusener decimated the Bangladesh XI attack hitting four boundaries and two sixes. In an equally impressive display with the ball, he crippled the opposition during their chase, accounting for Alok Kapali, Habibul Bashar and Mahbubul Karim in quick succession.
Bashar may have been a touch nervous over his decision to invite World XI to bat as Murray Goodwin launched into Mohammad Sharif in the opening over, dispatching him for four consecutive fours. But Tapash Baisya struck in the next as Ian Harvey holed out to Kapali at backward point. An early introduction of spin in just the third over paid off immediately as Mohammad Rafique castled Damien Martyn.

'We could not apply ourselves properly' - Ashraful

Not for the first time in his career, Mohammad Ashraful has blamed another defeat on Bangladesh's inability to cope with pace . Bangladesh crashed to an innings-and-29-run loss in the first Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein, following which Ashraful criticised the batsmen's failure to apply themselves.
"We knew they have a very good bowling attack with world-class pacers in operation. However, I still think we could have played them better," he said. "It's true that we are not used to playing on wickets that have bounce but we tried to prepare the best we could. It is difficult for any visiting team in South Africa and not just us."

Bangladesh confirm visits of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka will play two Tests against Bangladesh in December followed by a triangular ODI tournament also involving Zimbabwe, who will then play the hosts in a separate three-match one-day series.
Sri Lanka arrive in Dhaka on December 19 and the first Test starts on Boxing Day. The venue for the second Test, starting on January 3, is still to be confirmed between Bogra and Chittagong due to domestic matches taking place.
The triangular tournament begins on January 10 with the final seven days later in Dhaka. Zimbabwe then remain in the country for three further ODIs beginning on January 19.

'You will see a few changes' - Dhoni

With his side sealing the seven-match series 4-0, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain, has said the team will look to field the unused players in the squad for the upcoming games against England.
"You will see a few changes in the side in the next three matches. Some of the people who have not played in the series so far will play but we still look to win games," he said. "Three more matches to come and we want to win those games."
The game in Bangalore was reduced to a 22-over contest, and Dhoni felt his fast bowlers stood up on a day when the spinners found it tough in wet conditions. "Because of the wet outfield, the ball became soggy and it was not easy to grip the ball," he said. "We have one specialist spinner [Harbhajan Singh] and part-time spinners, it was really difficult for them. But then Zaheer [Khan] bowled very well, along with Ishant [Sharma] and Munaf [Patel]. Overall it was a very good team effort."

Selection-meeting leaks 'disgusting' - Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has described as "disgusting and disrespectful" the fact that matters discussed in selection meetings are leaked and reported in the media. India's selectors chose Irfan Pathan over RP Singh for the next two ODIs against England, and reports of a serious disagreement over the choice cast a cloud over India's preparations for the fourth ODI against England in Bangalore.
"I don't know where the report came from. What happens inside a meeting where the selectors, the captain and the coaches are there, when it comes out it is disgusting and disrespectful," Dhoni said, after India's training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. "Things like this should not be happening. I'm not saying something happened at the meeting, but over the years we have seen things being leaked from meetings."

India win by 16 runs in fading light

India made heavy work of an under-par England total in the first evenly-contested match between the two sides, but edged ahead thanks to a superior run-rate under the Duckworth/Lewis method when bad light curtailed their chase after 40 overs.
Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh produced some fireworks during India's chase, and that ultimately proved crucial as the umpires were forced to stop play in murky conditions, with India ahead by 16 runs. The toss, scheduled at 8:30 am local, had been put back 45 minutes because of the thick haze and overcast conditions in smoggy Kanpur, but only one over was docked from each innings, and to top it off, the lunch interval was not shortened.
The win could not have been possible without India's spinners, who had made the most of the pitch with 22 tidy overs that derailed England after a strong start. Harbhajan Singh picked up 3 for 31, his best returns since April 2006, which incidentally also came against England at home.

CSA name Australia tour squad

Cricket South Africa on Saturday named a 15-man Castle test squad for the three-match series in Australia in December and January.
The squad consists of the 13 players named for the current Castle test series against Bangladesh plus Chevrolet Warriors left arm spinner Robin Peterson and Chevrolet Warriors left arm swing bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Andre Nel was not considered because of injury. Nel recently underwent surgery to repair knee ligament damage.
Peterson has also been included in the squad for the second Castle test against Bangladesh, starting at SuperSport Park, Centurion, next Wednesday, following the fractured thumb injury suffered by Paul Harris.

Proteas Castle Test squad for Australia: Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras, capt), Ashwell Prince (Chevrolet Warriors, vice-capt), Hashim Amla (Nashua Dolphins), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), AB de Villiers (Nashua Titans), JP Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Paul Harris (Nashua Titans), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Neil McKenzie (bizhub Highveld Lions), Morne Morkel (Nashua Titans), Makhaya Ntini (Chevrolet Warriors), Robin Peterson (Chevrolet Warriors), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Lonwabo Tsotsobe (Chevrolet Warriors), Monde Zondeki (Nashua Cape Cobras).

Smith, Steyn set for unique double

Graeme Smith goes into the second Castle test match against Bangladesh at SuperSport Park, Centurion, on Wednesday, needing just 18 runs to overtake India's Virender Sehwag as the leading Test runs scorer this year.
Both batsman have played 12 matches although Sehwag has had an extra three innings and this is reflected in their averages: Sehwag (1353 at 61.50 with three centuries and five 50s) and Smith (1336 at 74.22 with five centuries and four 50s).
If Smith does achieve that landmark, then it will represent a unique occurrence for Cricket South Africa as never before has this country had both the leading runs scorer and leading wicket taker in the same year.
Dale Steyn is the leading bowler with 59 wickets at an average of 18 and a strike rate of 33.1.