Chanderpaul keeps Durham on top

Division One

Shivnarine Chanderpaul stood firm with an unbeaten century, as Durham were made to battle to keep the ascendancy on a tough day's cricket at Chester-le-Street. Having taken control of the match by bowling Somerset out for 174 on the first day, Durham were indebted to Chanderpaul who overcame a collapse of 3 for 5 in five overs to convert his overnight 49 into a vital 117. Charl Willoughby was the pick of the Somerset attack with 5 for 56, but Ben Phillips was equally impressive with 3 for 46, including his former team-mate, Ian Blackwell, for a second-ball duck. Trailing by 98 on first innings, Somerset had hauled themselves right back into the contest by the close, as Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah added 41 unbroken runs for the first wicket.

Fighting NZ overcome Dilshan blitz

New Zealand 141 for 8 (Taylor 60, Malinga 2-21) beat Sri Lanka 137 for 9 (Dilshan 57, Oram 3-32) by three runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

New Zealand put a small part of their tour blues behind them by clinching a thrilling three-run win over Sri Lanka in the first of two Twenty20s at the R Premadasa Stadium. The coloured clothing was out and with it a fresh look to New Zealand's Twenty20 unit, but it was Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram, with a hat-trick, who ultimately gave the tourists something to smile about.

With the openers dismissed early, the pressure was on Taylor, who carried the team almost single-handedly with a busy innings until the 18th over after which, Lasith Malinga returned to stifle the tail. A total of 141 appeared under-par when Tillakaratne Dilshan blazed to 57 off 28 balls, but Vettori reminded everyone of his worth in Twenty20s with a niggardly spell and, aided by some dedicated fielding, New Zealand hauled themselves back in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Dilshan's assault on Shane Bond in the first over had the crowd in raptures, and New Zealand almost cowering. What was touted to be a seminal moment in New Zealand's bid for a comeback was smashed in four deliveries as Dilshan welcomed Bond back to international cricket with disdain. After bouncing Dilshan first ball, Bond was slapped for four consecutive fours.

It didn't look good for New Zealand when Dilshan unfurled his patent scoop to Kyle Mills' second delivery and got four, but there was a moment of relief when Sanath Jayasuriya top-edged to Bond at fine leg three balls later. Bond's second over only cost four, but Dilshan resumed against Mills in the fourth over, pulling and lofting sixes.

Then New Zealand launched a stirring comeback. Jesse Ryder's direct hit got rid of Mahela Jayawardene, after which Vettori got Kumar Sangakkara in his first over. Ian Butler struck in successive overs as Ryder cupped an excellent catch at backward point to cut off Dilshan and Chamara Kapugedera missed an ugly slog. At this stage Sri Lanka were 85 for 5 with 57 needed from 60 balls.

Angelo Mathews took fours off Jacob Oram, but the pressure built up by Vettori was excruciating. Having given three runs in his first over, Vettori wheeled away off an nagging line and conceded five in his second and, crucially, just a single in his third. The debutant Gihan Rupasinghe found Vettori tough to score off and, backed by some alert close-in fielding, was frustrated into sweeping and missing. With his final delivery, Vettori trapped Rupasinghe lbw for 15 off 21 balls to finish with figures of 4-0-11-2.

With 20 needed off 19, Mathews popped a return catch to Oram. Suddenly New Zealand, who till now had been athletic in the field, started diving over the ball and failing to back-up errant throws. Scampered single and doubles kept Sri Lanka ticking. With 13 to defend off 12, Vettori called back Bond. It was a wicketless return for Bond, but four singles in the final over sure beat four fours. Two wickets in the first two balls of the final over - that gave Oram his hat-trick - left Sri Lanka's last pair too much to do.

New Zealand's bid to gain momentum after last week's Test series defeat looked like it had hit a potential roadblock as they were kept to 141. Brendon McCullum appeared in the mood to get back into form, slashing a wide delivery from Malinga over point, but the combination of Ryder's straight drive and Nuwan Kulasekara's fingertips cut short his nine-ball innings. Ryder couldn't lift the tempo in a lovely second over from Malinga, full of crafty changes of pace, and with Kulasekara cutting down the boundary options, he gave himself room and lofted a catch into the hands of Malinga Bandara running back from mid-off.

Taylor and Martin Guptill were left to consolidate matters, and when Sangakkara called on Mathews, Taylor weighed in with consecutive boundaries, slashing past point and driving wide of cover. Another fortuitous deflection followed off Ajantha Mendis, when Guptill drove and edged past slip. New Zealand took 38 off the Powerplay overs.

Taylor's entertaining 60, including five fours and a six, went well with the festive atmosphere at the ground but he lacked support. Guptill, who was dropped by Mathews in the deep off Jayasuriya, launched Bandara for a straight six but miscued the next delivery to deep midwicket for 29. Jayasuriya's left-arm spin was to Taylor's liking and he slog-swept for four and six in successive deliveries in the 15th over.

Oram looked as if he was at the wrong party before he fell for 8 off 13 deliveries, holing out to Kulasekara at mid-off in Mendis' final over. Trying to get some momentum going, Taylor fell in Mathews' next over, giving Kulasekara another catch in the deep. Mathews returned a flat throw to help run out Peter McGlashan and Malinga returned to york Kyle Mills and Vettori with consecutive deliveries in the 20th over.

But Malinga and Dilshan's efforts were not enough to deny a New Zealand side piloted to victory by three of their established stars.

Australia add Voges for England ODIs

Adam Voges has been added to Australia's squad for the seven one-day internationals against England as a replacement for Brad Haddin. Voges was already touring with the group as part of the Twenty20 squad and will now stay on for the ODIs, which begin on Friday.

The wicketkeeper Tim Paine was already in the squad and will take the gloves for the whole series after Haddin had surgery on a fractured finger last week. However, the loss of Haddin also left Australia light on batsmen and Voges was the logical choice after making 72 in the ODI against Scotland.

Although he was outscored in that match by the centurion David Hussey, Voges is, unlike Hussey, part of the squad for the Champions Trophy. As that tournament is being held straight after the England ODIs, the seven matches will give Voges a good opportunity to find his best form ahead of the Champions Trophy.

"With Brad Haddin's injury, the National Selection Panel has taken the opportunity to add Adam Voges to Australia's squad for the seven one-day internationals against England," the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said. "Adam will now stay with the squad for the remainder of the tour of England before travelling with the team to the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa."

Collingwood faces planning challenge

Paul Collingwood has admitted it is a challenge to try and mould a Twenty20 side ahead of the next global tournament in the Caribbean with so few matches played at international level. The World Twenty20 will take place in April and May 2010, but although that is eight months away England have precious few games to hone their skills and put together a unit.

After the second of two matches against Australia at Old Trafford on Tuesday, their next Twenty20s aren't until the beginning of their South Africa tour in November. No more are currently confirmed before heading to West Indies, although the schedule for the Bangladesh tour in February has yet to be confirmed. Some of England's players may be able to warm up at the IPL, which has been brought forward to March and April, but that doesn't help Collingwood build team plans in the shortest format.

"We've only got four or five games before the Twenty20 World Cup so it's a tough one to keep chopping and changing," Collingwood said. "We don't play enough cricket to actually get something cemented down and in place. Hopefully we will have the attitude that players will get a good go in certain positions. But I thought the side [against Australia] looked very balanced on paper, I'm not saying that will be the side that takes us into the World Cup but it does look very balanced."

There is also uncertainty over Collingwood's position as captain. Currently he is being appointed on a series-by-series basis with Andrew Strauss having decided he isn't suited to Twenty20. Collingwood insists he is happy in his position and is planning as though he will lead the side in West Indies.

"I'm pretty clear on my role. I was captain for the World Twenty20 and I've been selected as captain for the two Twenty20s against Australia," he said. "So until I'm told otherwise, I want to lead England into the next Twenty20 World Cup. I'm happy with that arrangement - and unless someone tells me otherwise, I look forward to my job captaining the side."

England have been guilty of making numerous changes to their Twenty20 team, including 13 opening partnerships in 21 matches with the latest being Joe Denly and Ravi Bopara at Old Trafford. For the World Twenty20 in England this summer Luke Wright opened and started well before fading later in the event but now finds himself at No. 7. Collingwood feels that Wright's strong hitting ability will be better suited down the order, where England were severely lacking in the previous tournament and struggled to find the boundary in the closing overs.

"We came out of the World Twenty20 and looked at areas we could strengthen and one was the middle order," he said. "We are trying to have some bigger hitters at the back end of the innings so dropping Wrighty down we think we have that. Obviously with Denly's and [Jonathan] Trott's records in domestic Twenty20 it doesn't get much better than what they are doing."

It was far from an ideal start for England's latest pair, however, as they were both dismissed in the first seven balls of the innings before rain ended the contest. With Australia possessing the pace attack of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Dirk Nannes, Collingwood is aware that the top order will have to be at their best to repel them.

"That's something we're going to have to overcome, the pace they have in their side," he said. "They have three 90mph bowlers and that's something we are going to have to deal with, but I think we have the batsman to overcome that."

David Warner, Australia's opening batsman, has warned that it won't get any easier for England in the second Twenty20 encounter and throughout the remainder of the season. "We'll be targeting them from short of a length as we saw yesterday [on Sunday]," he said. "Binga [Lee] and Mitch are bowling quick and England can expect more of that."

New Zealand hope Bond return will change fortunes

After a Test series in which they were run ragged by Sri Lanka, two Twenty20 internationals will probably be a welcome release for some of the New Zealand players. There is little riding on the outcome of two Twenty20 internationals except perhaps the chance to take an edge into the ensuing 50-over tri-series and New Zealand have been talking serious business in the build-up.

On paper, a promising bat-versus-ball extravaganza is promised in either innings; Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan against Shane Bond - set for an international return - and Daniel Vettori, and, as the teams change over, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor against Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga. New Zealand will take some confidence from the fact that Muttiah Muralitharan won't be playing due to injury. Bond's return adds depth with the ball, so although Sri Lanka have been comfortably superior in recent weeks New Zealand may hope that changes in the coming days.

Failing to win the World Twenty20 in England this summer, having done so well to reach the final, frustrated Sri Lanka and being soundly beaten in the one-off against Pakistan at home was no balm. The last time these two met, during the World Twenty20, Sri Lanka came out with a 48-run win in a pressure situation at Trent Bridge. On that occasion New Zealand were bamboozled by a magical spell of 3 for 9 from Mendis and ousted from a tournament where their batting failed to fire. The way the batsmen have faced spin so far on tour, Vettori will hope history doesn't repeat itself.

Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka LLWWW

New Zealand LLWLW

Watch out for...

The return of Shane Bond. A spate of persistent injuries had already forced Bond to retire from Tests but in a dramatic turnaround of events he quit the ICL and is now on the verge of an international return. Bond's Twenty20 international record (12 wickets from nine games at 20.33) isn't the best and he'll be aiming to improve that rather than get overawed by the occasion. This is a crucial moment in New Zealand cricket.

Sanath Jayasuriya has been overshadowed by Dilshan's heroics in recent times but that doesn't mean the swashbuckler has necessarily run out of gas. After three patchy one-day games and a Twenty20 against Pakistan Jayasuriya is under pressure to justify his place in Sri Lanka's plans at the age of 40, so what better opportunity to remind everyone of his worth than against New Zealand? After all, he averages 56.00 with bat and 14.80 with ball against them, with two Man-of-the-Match awards.

It's been a low-key tour for Brendon McCullum and now is the time for New Zealand's most explosive batsman to stand up. The owner of the most famous century in Twenty20 cricket has had his share of troubles in the Tests and will look at the arena where he has been so successful to revive his fortunes. McCullum has yet to cross 39 in four matches against Sri Lanka, a stat that may just be at the back of his mind. After a poor Test series, McCullum is back for this contest, and may just take out his ire at the criticism he's attracted. Sufficed to say, this man is itching for another bout of big hitting.

Team news

Murali has been ruled out with a groin injury that flared up on day five at the SSC and the legspinner Malinga Bandara has been drafted in in his place. Opener Upul Tharanga has been rested and he has been replaced by the allrounder Farveez Maharoof. The other spinning allrounder, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, may also slot in. Angelo Mathews will return and there may be a debut for the rookie batsman Gihan Rupasinghe. Sri Lanka's fast bowling attack is boosted by Lasith Malinga.

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Thilan Thushara, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Kaushal Lokuarachichi/Malinga Bandara, 11 Lasith Malinga.

New Zealand are likely to draft in a number of players with Bond's return topping the bill. Bond and Kyle Mills will likely step into the role Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien filled during the Tests. Vettori didn't confirm Mills' selection but added that there will be a toss-up between Ian Butler and Nathan McCullum, who bowls offspin. Peter McGlashan will keep wickets to allow Brendon McCullum to clear his shoulders at the top. McCullum's opening partner is slotted to be Ryder, meaning a likely promotion to No. 5 for Jacob Oram. The other allrounder's spot will be contested between Neil Broom and Grant Elliott.

New Zealand: (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Neil Broom/Grant Elliott, 7 Peter McGlashan (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Nathan McCullum/ Ian Butler

Pitch and conditions

Scattered thunderstorms are forecast for game day. Only two Twenty20s have been played here and one both occasions the reputation of the Premadasa forced the team winning the toss to bat. Chasing under lights has always been difficult at the venue but India's Pathan brothers proved it could be done.

Stats and Trivia

McCullum is the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 internationals, with 689 in 26 games at an average of 31.31 and a strike rate of 123.69. The leader for Sri Lanka, and second in the world, is Jayasuriya, with 541 runs at 30.05 and a strike rate of 138.36.

Sri Lanka and New Zealand have met each other four times in Twenty20s, with Sri Lanka leading the head-to-head 3-1. New Zealand's only victory came in Auckland in December 2006 to share the series.

Sri Lanka have yet to win a Twenty20 at the Premadasa in two attempts.

Quotes

"He's over 40 but doesn't need any motivation. You look at him at practice, running around like a kid, full of enthusiasm and you realise just what a special player he is."
Kumar Sangakkara defends Sanath Jayasuriya's presence in the Twenty20 team

"Well, it just gets better!. That makes it easier because he's a quality bowler so those are the differences between the last game."
Vettori, when told during a press conference that Murali is not playing, points out a key difference from Trent Bridge.

Pawar questions action against IMG

Sharad Pawar, the former BCCI president, has questioned the Indian board's decision to terminate IMG's services for the IPL and warned that the unilateral move would put the board and its stakeholders' investments in jeopardy. Pawar's concerns have been echoed by Sony, the IPL's broadcasters, which said in a separate letter that the timing of the decision was awkward for them and would have far-reaching implications on the next season .

The letters - - could prove to be embarrassing to Shashank Manohar, the board president, and N Srinivasan, the secretary who wrote to IMG on Friday informing them of the contract termination. Pawar, who wrote the letter to Manohar in his capacity as president of the Mumbai Cricket Association, is a powerful federal minister and still enjoys a significant say in Indian cricket affairs; he is also the ICC vice-president and takes over the top job next year. Sony has signed a TV rights deal reported to be worth US$ 1.6 billion with IPL for the telecast rights over the next nine years.

In his letter dated August 30, Pawar said he was disturbed by the BCCI's decision, which could show it in bad light in the public eye. Man Jit Singh, the chief executive of Multi Screen Media Private Ltd (MSM), which broadcasts IPL under the Sony umbrella, conveyed his concerns in a letter - dated August 31 - addressed to Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman. Cricinfo has confirmed the contents of both letters with an IPL governing council member. When contacted, Modi and a Sony spokesperson declined to comment on the letters.

The IPL governing council is scheduled to meet in Mumbai on Wednesday, with Manohar and Srinivasan expected to attend. Seven out of the eight IPL franchises - except Chennai, which is owned by Srinivasan - have over the last three days written strongly-worded letters to the BCCI and Pawar questioning the IMG ouster, which they claimed would devalue and dilute the league.

"I am very disturbed to hear about the termination of IMG contract by the honorary secretary, BCCI," Pawar wrote in his letter. "Reading the contents of the termination, I feel that this unilateral move by the BCCI will put the BCCI in jeopardy. Not only will this lead to a prolonged legal battle but it will also show us in bad light in public."

Pawar said the 10-year contract with IMG, which he said was an integral part of IPL, was approved at all "appropriate levels" during his tenure as board president till September 2008. "I always believed that the Board believes in continuity and undoing what was done consciously and in the best interests of Indian cricket is neither desirable nor appropriate," Pawar wrote.

"After season one of the IPL and its tremendous success, the IPL revenues went up beyond our expectations and as a result the payout to IMG was going to be quite large. We all had at that time agreed to renegotiate the contract with IMG as a result of this tremendous success. Mr Shrinivasan (sic) along with (the) IPL chairman was entrusted with the task of doing the same. They successfully concluded their negotiations and the same was tabled by the honorary secretary in the finance committee and whose minutes were thereby approved by the working committee on the 3rd of January 2009.

"I am told that this matter was again raised at the last Governing Council meeting of the IPL and some members again suggested that we should come to a suitable arrangement with IMG. Further I understand issues regarding IPL were also being raised at the last working committee of the BCCI and you rightly told the members that the working committee was not the right forum for the same and such they should raise the same at the next AGM.

"In IPL there are many stakeholders and as such anything we do that may jeopardize their investments will show BCCI in a bad light. With the overwhelming success of the IPL it is our duty to protect not only BCCI but also its stakeholders. I got some calls and letters from stakeholders. I am attaching a letter which I received from Shri Mukesh Ambani. I want to bring on record my views and I hope you and the BCCI will take the right decision in the overall interest of BCCI."

The letter from Singh, the MSM CEO, warns that potential litigation over the issue would increase uncertainty over the tournament. "Unless this disagreement is resolved expeditiously, it is likely to have far-reaching repercussions on the smooth and efficient conduct of the next IPL season; the timing could not have come at a more awkward time for us as we are now in the market selling broadcast sponsorships," he wrote.

Singh said IMG had done an "exceedingly competent job" for the IPL and added: "While we do understand that the final decision on a service provider is a matter for the BCCI; however with the next season of the IPL only a few months away we believe it would be injudicious to experiment with a new agency at this critical juncture. Given our concerns we hope you will lay out your plans at the earliest so that we in turn can respond to the concerns of our stakeholders."

On Friday, Srinivasan had claimed in his letter to IMG that their fee was disproportionate to the services rendered. IMG played a key role in conceptualising the IPL and implementing it, including drafting the Indian and foreign players' contracts, putting the logistics in place and managing the day-to-day running of the tournament. The BCCI claimed to have paid IMG Rs 42.92 crore (US$ 9.54 million approx) for the inaugural IPL edition, with the fee for the second edition said to be around Rs 33 crore ($6.7 million approx).

In a reply to the BCCI's letter, Andrew Wildblood, a senior vice-president at the firm, has said that there was no grounds for termination. He also pointed out that IMG had a legally binding 10-year agreement with the BCCI and that it would "reserve all of our rights and remedies at law under and in respect of the contract".

Reports suggest that IMG's initial contract with the BCCI, which was signed in September 2007, stipulated a commission-based payment of 10% of the board's revenue. The contract was subsequently negotiated to a fixed retainer payment of roughly Rs 33 crore but this was objected to by some members of the BCCI's working committee, who are keen that the Indian board take over the running of the IPL entirely.

Abandonment deepens Lancashire's gloom Cricinfo staff

Old Trafford's damaged reputation as an international venue suffered a further setback on Tuesday evening, when the second Twenty20 international between England and Australia was abandoned without a ball being bowled, due to waterlogged bowlers' run-ups at the Brian Statham End of the ground.

Heavy afternoon rain in Manchester meant that the match was always likely to be under threat, just as Sunday's first Twenty20 had been, which was abandoned after seven balls of England's reply. Umpires Nigel Llong and Peter Hartley conducted their first inspection at the scheduled start time of 7pm, and though the weather cleared sufficiently for all the covers to be removed from the pitch, they announced the abandonment one hour later, after a second inspection, much to the frustration of a capacity Lancashire crowd.

"We as the two teams wanted to get out there and play but you have to be realistic," England's captain, Paul Collingwood, told Sky Sports. "It's unfit for international cricket and the umpires have made a brave decision to call it off early. The run-ups are the crucial area on any pitch, but a lot of water has got onto there and it's pretty soggy."

Australia's captain, Michael Clarke, shared Collingwood's sentiments. "It's very disappointing for both teams," he said. "We both wanted to play but for the safety of the players, it's the right decision. That area at the far end is the worst part of the ground, but there's an area at backward point as well. For me, only 75 kilos, it doesn't feel sturdy underfoot, so I can't imagine Brett Lee running in."

Nevertheless, the decision drew a furious response from Lancashire's beleaguered chief executive, Jim Cumbes, who is already struggling to ensure that Old Trafford remains a top-class international venue amid stiff competition from rival counties.

"It's a disaster that could have been avoided," Cumbes told Sky Sports. "I think the covers were good enough, but we've had so much rain that the pitch was bound to sweat. If this was a domestic game between Lancashire and Yorkshire in front of 16,000 people, this match would have taken place. There are people who paid £50 to come to this game, and I'm bitterly disappointed for them. In my view, you've got to play Twenty20 cricket in these conditions. We've got to rethink how we treat our public in cricket."

White and Paul Collingwood discuss

Cameron White and Paul Collingwood discuss conditions at Old Trafford but soggy run-ups forced the abandonment of the second Twenty20

Sidebottom seeks to reignite career

With the Ashes secured and rain helping England escape the first Twenty20 at Old Trafford after a rocky start to the run chase, their aim is now to leave Australia empty-handed throughout their tour. Next on the list is victory on Tuesday to take the Twenty20 series then the focus will shift to the seven-match ODI campaign.

Often when England have enjoyed Test success in the past their one-day form has tailed off as players lose focus with the major prize secured. However, since the urn was recaptured at The Oval the talk from the England camp has been about becoming a dominant force in all formats and the next Test is not until the middle of December at Centurion Park. Until then, it's limited overs all the way.

"We're all pretty close as a team. It would be an ideal situation to beat Australia in all forms of the game and send them home not winning everything, which is a great determination in the team to do that," Ryan Sidebottom said. "We want to be number one in all areas of the game. I suppose we're a young side and we've got to do well in all forms of the game. We're the ones with the responsibility of going out there and putting on a performance. Obviously we know Australia are very strong and are a good side, but we've got some good players."

For Sidebottom, success in the one-day arena over the next few weeks takes on even greater personal significance. In the past 12 months he has only appeared in three Tests and a single ODI after a series of injuries. He first struggled against South Africa last year then subsequently picked up further problems in India and West Indies, leaving him fighting to regain a spot, and he has admitted he played when not fully fit. However, he impressed during the World Twenty20 and will travel to South Africa for the Champions Trophy at the end of September.

The nearest Sidebottom came to being part of the Ashes action was a place in the squads for the Tests at Headingley and The Oval. He was close to playing in Leeds before the selectors opted for the pace of Steve Harmison and Sidebottom admits watching from outside hasn't been easy.

"It's been really tough, really frustrating being at home sitting watching games with England winning and bowlers performing well. You don't want injuries or guys not to do well, but from a selfish point of view it was pretty gutting. I want to play as much as possible like any other player. I want to do well for England.

"From a jealous point of view I would have loved to have been a part of that, but I wasn't and you have to get on with it. I've got some great mates and I'm happy for them they've done fantastically well so it's pleasing to see."

There is one school of thought that Sidebottom may have peaked as a Test bowler during his memorable 18 months following a recall in 2007, six years after his debut, when he became England's leading weapon and their player of the year. However, the man himself still believes he has plenty to offer if he gets another opportunity and in the next few weeks he will find out whether he will retain a central contract.

His chances could be boosted as the selectors look to fill the pace-bowling slot vacated by Andrew Flintoff, and possibly another if Harmison also retires. After returning to Nottinghamshire, losing a few pounds and working on his fitness, he feels his body can stand up the rigours of a full international calendar.

"I still feel as though I've got a lot to offer. In the Twenty20 World Cup I bowled really well, I performed pretty well during that time," he said. "The Test arena guys have done well, it's been a great team performance. There's nothing I can do about that, all I can do is my job and keep plugging away.

"To be honest what will be, will be. I've done all I can really. Injuries have not helped of course, but I suppose with Freddie's retirement and maybe Harmy thinking about it that might help me in some sense. But I'm not going to worry about it. All I can do is if I get selected for England in these one-dayers which are vitally important, the Champions Trophy is important for me to do well, if I do well in those competitions then that is going to help my cause. The rewards are great with being centrally contracted, but that's not the be all and end all."

Quaid-i-Azam Trophy

The Qaid-i-Azam Trophy (aka Quaid-e-Azam Trophy) is the premier first-class domestic cricket competition in Pakistan.

History

Named after Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, the Trophy was introduced in 1953 to help pick the squad for Pakistan's Test tour of England in the forthcoming year. The competition has been contested sometimes by regional teams, sometimes by departments, and sometimes by a mixture of the two. Seven regional teams competed in the first competition. However, in 1956-57, it was decided that Karachi and Punjab would have to enter three teams each, in order to make the teams more evenly matched. Karachi teams have dominated the trophy, winning 17 times.

Winners RUNER UP

1957/58	Bahawalpur	Karachi C
1958/59	Karachi	Pakistan Combined Services
1959/60	Karachi	Lahore
1961/62	Karachi Blues	Pakistan Combined Services
1962/63	Karachi A	Karachi B
1963/64	Karachi Blues	Karachi Whites
1964/65	Karachi Blues	Lahore
1965/66	Karachi Blues	Lahore Greens
1966/67	Karachi	Pakistan Railways
1967/68	Karachi	Pakistan Railways
1968/69	Lahore	Karachi
1969/70	PIA	PWD
1970/71	Karachi Blues	Punjab University
1972/73	Pakistan Railways	Sind
1973/74	Pakistan Railways	Sind
1974/75	Punjab A	Sind A
1975/76	National Bank	Punjab A
1976/77	United Bank	National Bank
1977/78	Habib Bank	National Bank
1978/79	National Bank	Habib Bank
1979/80	National Bank	PIA
1980/81	United Bank	PIA
1981/82	National Bank	United Bank
1982/83	United Bank	National Bank
1983/84	National Bank	United Bank
1984/85	United Bank	Pakistan Railways
1985/86	Karachi	Pakistan Railways
1986/87	National Bank	United Bank
1987/88	PIA	United Bank
1988/89	ADBP	Habib Bank
1989/90	PIA	United Bank
1990/91	Karachi Whites	Bahawalpur
1991/92	Karachi Whites	Lahore
1992/93	Karachi Whites	Sargodha
1993/94	Lahore	Karachi Whites
1994/95	Karachi WBlues	Lahore
1995/96	Karachi Blues	Karachi Whites
1996/97	Lahore	Karachi Whites
1997/98	Karachi Blues	Peshawar
1998/99	Peshawar	Karachi Whites
1999/00	PIA	Habib Bank
2000/01	Lahore Blues	Karachi Whites
2001/02	Karachi Whites	Peshawar
2002/03	PIA	KRL
2003/04	Faisalabad	Sialkot
2004/05	Peshawar	Faisalabad
2005/06	Sialkot	Faisalabad
2006/07	Karachi Urban	Sialkot
2007/08	SNGPL	Habib Bank

Karachi teams have won the Qaid-i-Azam Trophy 17 times, PIA 6, National Bank 5, Lahore teams and United Bank 4, Bahawalpur, Punjab and Railways 2, ADBP, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Habib Bank and Peshawar 1.

Cricket World County Player Of The Week - A Rashid

Yorkshire all-rounder Adil Rashid has been named as the Cricket World County Player Of The Week for the second week in a row following another excellent performance in the LV County Championship.

Rashid followed up his century and five-wicket haul against Hampshire last week with an unbeaten 157 and six wickets during the draw with rivals Lancashire.

Rashid's unbeaten innings again came after early wickets left his side in some trouble; he shared a stand of 168 with Gerard Brophy (99) and Yorkshire gained a first innings lead of 153.

Rashid had already picked up five for 97 when Lancashire batted, claiming the notable scalp of Indian batsman VVS Laxman and although the match petered out into a draw, Rashid was able to dismiss Lancashire opener Paul Horton in the second innings to cap a brilliant fortnight for him.

Rashid will now join up with the England squad for Twenty20 and One-Day International duty and it can be only a matter of time before he is handed a Test cap.

Other contenders for the award included Murray Goodwin, who scored a triple-century for Sussex against Somerset, and Michael Lumb, who scored a double-century for Hampshire against Nottinghamshire.

Cricket World County Player Of The Week - Adil Rashid

Yorkshire all rounder Adil Rashid has been chose as this week’s Cricket World county Player of the Week after a brilliant all round performance in the county championship.

Yorkshire had waited the entire season to date for a win in the county championship but finally triumphed against Hampshire this week. And the Tykes were somewhat struggling in their first innings as the match was looking like it could be a tight encounter as they were teetering on the brink being bowled out at 268 for seven.

However, Adil Rashid came to the crease and hit an unbeaten 117 in partnership with Ajmal Shahzad as they pushed Yorkshire’s score to 524 all out. Rashid then starred with the ball aswell in the second innings as they bowled out Hampshire for 252 to win by an innings and 22 runs, Rashid finishing with a haul of 5 for 41.

Rashid’s all round performance meant that Yorkshire not only claim their first win of the season, but they move out of the bottom three in the county championship aswell. This has helped their survival chances no end, and Rashid’s heroics may well be looked upon as a turning point in Yorkshire’s season.

There were a number of performances of high quality this week, notably Dwayne Smith smashing 59 from 26 balls to help Sussex win the Twenty20 Cup, but for his feat, in the face of adversity, Rashid receives the prize.

County Cricket Round-Up

LV County Championship Division One, day two

Hampshire's innings against Somerset at The Rose Bowl finally came to an end when they were bowled out for 548. The runs came from Jimmy Adams, who made 147 while there were half-centuries for Liam Dawson (55), Michael Lumb (68), Dominic Cork (52) and Imran Tahir (77 not out). Off-spinner Omari Banks picked up four wickets and Somerset were struggling at stumps, stumbling to 98 for three, all three wickets falling to Imran Tahir.

LV County Championship Division One, day three

Yorkshire produced another staggering fightback against Warwickshire at Scarborough. Reduced to 99 for seven in reply to 320, 102 not out from David Wainwright and 85 from Gerard Brophy enabled them to take a first innings lead by being bowled out for 328 despite Shanthakumaran Sreesanth returning five for 93. Warwickshire closed on 111 for three, Ian Westwood unbeaten on 58.

LV County Championship Division One, day four

Nottinghamshire's title bid suffeed a hit when they closed against Worcestershire just seven runs short of victory, although reaching 351 for seven was an admirable achievement in itself. Worcestershire set up the run chase by declaring their second innings on 242 for six, Moeen Ali making 84 not out and Alexei Kervezee a brisk 30. Worcestershire reduced Nottinghamshire to 15 for two but weren't able to continue to take wickets, being denied victory by half-centuries from Alex Hales (55), Samit Patel (55), Ali Brown (84) and Chris Read (70 not out). Andre Adams almost forced the win with an unbeaten 29 in 19 balls at the death but it wasn't to be.

LV County Championship Division Two, day one

At Centerbury, Surrey batted well to close on 261 for four against Kent. The platform was set by an opening partnership of 171 between Jon Batty (96) and MIchael Brown (88) before Kent hit back, two wickets apiece from Amjad Khan and Phil Edwards ensuring that four wickets fell for 90 runs.

LV County Championship Division Two, day two

Middlesex took control against Gloucestershire by bowling them out for 196 at Lord's. Gloucestershire were never in the hunt in reply to Middlesex's 342, only Chris Taylor, with 47, resisting. Murali Kartik led the way with three wickets.

LV County Championship Division Two, day three

Essex remained firmly in control of their fixture against Leicestershire, asking the Foxes to follow on. Despite an unbeaten century from James Taylor, who made 112, Leicestershire's 344 was inadequate after Essex's day two declaration at 517. Danish Kaneria returned figures of eight for 116. Leicestershire lost the wickets of Paul Nixon (4) and Matthew Boyce (14) to give Essex hope of a victory on the final day.

All to play for at Northampton but the draw has to the most likely outcome in the match between Northamptonshire and Glamorgan. Replying to the home side's 350, Glamorgan reached 383, James Allenby and Michael Powell both making 55 before Monty Panesar picked up three for 55. Northamptonshire had yet to gain a lead when they lost Rob White for nine to close on 19 for one in their second innings.

NatWest Pro40 Division One

Sussex smashed their way to a very competitive score of 277 for six against Durham. Murray Goodwin led the way with 77 after running out captain Mike Yardy but the real fireworks came from Dwayne Smith, who crashed three fours and four sixes on his way to 54 in just 30 balls. Ed Joyce also weighed in with 49 as Will Gidman and Ian Blackwell both picked up two wickets. The home side then pulled off a staggering 193-run win by bowling the Dynamos out for just 84, James Kirtley grabbing five for 26; Durham's innings only lasting 24.1 overs.

Pakistani spinner on top of English county cricket

With the last round of the English County Cricket Championship coming up on Thursday (September 16), and Warwickshire already having been declared the 2004 summer's winners, Pakistan's veteran leg-break and googly bowler Mushtaq Ahmed leads the table of top wicket-takers in first-class matches during the current season. His tally from 16 appearances is 81 wickets, taken at 26.98 runs apiece.

Last summer too, the now 34-year-old Mushtaq was the leading wicket-taker in England, bagging a total of 103 in first-class games and leading his county Sussex to an ultimate Championship victory. So far in 2004, Sussex have only been able to attain the fifth position in the Division One points table

ALL Nations Test States

Test Cricket

Test matches are a subset of first-class cricket. However, the step up in required skill from normal first-class cricket to Test cricket is considerable, with many players who excel in the first-class game proving unable to handle Test cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams which have "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council (ICC). As of 2007, ten national teams have been given Test status, the most recent being Bangladesh in 2000.

• A list of matches defined as Tests was first drawn up by Australian Clarence Moody in the 1890s.
• Representative matches played by simultaneous England touring sides of 1891-92 (in Australia and South Africa) and 1929-30 (in the West Indies and New Zealand) are deemed to have Test status.
• In 1970, a series of five "Test matches" were played in England between England and a Rest of the World XI. Although initially given unofficial Test status (and included as Test matches in some record books, notably Wisden), this was later withdrawn and a principle was established which states that official Test matches can only be between national sides.
• The series of "Test matches" played in Australia between Australia and a World XI in 1971/72 do not have Test status.
• The commercial "Supertests" organised by Kerry Packer as part of his World Series Cricket enterprise and played between "WSC Australia", "WSC World XI" and "WSC West Indies" from 1977 to 1979 have never been regarded as having official Test match status.
• In 2005 the ICC ruled that the six-day Super Series match that took place in October 2005 between Australia and a World XI was an official Test match. This ICC decision was taken despite precedent (e.g. the ICC's earlier ruling on the 1970 England v Rest of the World series) that only matches between nations should be given Test match status. Many cricket writers and statisticians, particularly Bill Frindall, have decided to ignore the ICC's ruling and have excluded the 2005 match from their records.

Test Cricket Playing Nations

Order	National team	Date of first Test Match	Notes
1	Australia	March 15, 1877
	England		Consists of players from England and Wales.
3	South Africa	March 12, 1889	Did not participate in international cricket between March 10, 1970 and April 18, 1992 due to the international reaction to apartheid.
4	West Indies	June 23, 1928	Consists of players from a number of Caribbean nations and dependencies.
5	New Zealand	January 10, 1930
6	India	June 25, 1932	Before Indian independence in 1947, consisted of territory of the Indian subcontinent that are now Pakistan and Bangladesh.
7	Pakistan	October 16, 1952	Before Bangladeshi independence in 1971, included territory that is now Bangladesh.
8	Sri Lanka	February 17, 1982
9	Zimbabwe	October 18, 1992	Suspended from involvement in test cricket between June 10, 2004 and January 6, 2005, and currently since January 18, 2006.
10	Bangladesh	November 10, 2000

2009 Scotland v Australia [ODI], 1st ODI - Grange CC, Edinburgh, SCO

Scotland v Australia

Toss: Scotland won the toss and elected to bowl.
Umpires: Hill, AL (NZL) - Ramage, IN (SCO) - Third Umpire: Unknown
Man of Match: Hussey, DJ (AUS)

1st Innings - Australia batting

Australia batting

BATSMAN	HOW OUT	MEDIA	RUNS	BALLS	4s	6s	S/RATE
Watson, SR	c Watson, RR b Nel, JD		68	43	9	2	158.14
Warner, DA	c Petrie, MJ b Nel, JD		0	5	0	0	0
Clarke, MJ	b Goudie, G		16	28	2	0	57.14
Hussey, DJ	c McCallum, NFI b Berrington, RD		111	83	10	5	133.73
White, CL	c Goudie, G b Watson, RR		19	30	0	1	63.33
Voges, AC	c Sheikh, MQ b Drummond, GD		72	64	0	4	112.5
Paine, TD	not out		29	38	5	0	76.32
Johnson, MG	b Goudie, G		1	2	0	0	50
Lee, B	c Haq, RM b Goudie, G		5	3	1	0	166.67
Hauritz, NM	c Berrington, RD b Goudie, G		9	5	0	1	180
Nannes, DP	b Goudie, G		1	2	0	0	50
Extras	b: 4, lb: 1, wd: 6, nb: 3		14
Total	All Out, 50.0 Overs		345	6.90 runs/over

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Warner, DA), 2-67 (Clarke, MJ), 3-104 (Watson, SR), 4-143 (White, CL), 5-257 (Hussey, DJ), 6-319 (Voges, AC), 7-323 (Johnson, MG), 8-330 (Lee, B), 9-342 (Hauritz, NM), 10-345 (Nannes, DP)

Scotland bowling

BOWLER	OVERS	MAIDENS	WICKETS	RUNS	WIDES	NO-BALLS	ECON. RATE
Nel, JD	8.0	0	2	74	2	3	9.25
Goudie, G	10.0	0	5	73	0	0	7.3
Berrington, RD	7.0	0	1	55	1	0	7.86
Drummond, GD	10.0	2	1	35	0	0	3.5
Watson, RR	5.0	0	1	28	0	0	5.6
Haq, RM	10.0	0	0	75	1	0	7.5

1st Innings - Scotland batting

Scotland batting

BATSMAN	HOW OUT	MEDIA	RUNS	BALLS	4s	6s	S/RATE
Hamilton, GM	c Watson, SR b Hussey, DJ		38	50	5	1	76
Watts, DF	b Nannes, DP		24	28	3	1	85.71
Watson, RR	b Lee, B		10	15	1	0	66.67
Sheikh, MQ	c White, CL b Hauritz, NM		2	11	0	0	18.18
Berrington, RD	b Lee, B		25	30	5	0	83.33
McCallum, NFI	c Paine, TD b Johnson, MG		24	41	3	0	58.54
Haq, RM	c White, CL b Watson, SR		7	13	0	0	53.85
Drummond, GD	c White, CL b Watson, SR		12	35	2	0	34.29
Petrie, MJ	c Lee, B b Watson, SR		0	6	0	0	0
Goudie, G	b White, CL		3	7	0	0	42.86
Nel, JD	not out		0	2	0	0	0
Extras	b: 0, lb: 5, wd: 5, nb: 1		11
Total	All Out, 39.3 Overs		156	3.95 runs/over

Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Watts, DF), 2-68 (Watson, RR), 3-82 (Sheikh, MQ), 4-82 (Hamilton, GM), 5-130 (Berrington, RD), 6-133 (McCallum, NFI), 7-151 (Haq, RM), 8-153 (Petrie, MJ), 9-156 (Drummond, GD), 10-156 (Goudie, G)

Australia bowling

BOWLER	OVERS	MAIDENS	WICKETS	RUNS	WIDES	NO-BALLS	ECON. RATE
Lee, B	9.0	1	2	38	2	1	4.22
Johnson, MG	7.0	1	1	27	0	0	3.86
Nannes, DP	7.0	1	1	20	2	0	2.86
Watson, SR	6.0	0	3	29	1	0	4.83
Hauritz, NM	5.0	0	1	13	0	0	2.6
Hussey, DJ	2.0	0	1	6	0	0	3
Voges, AC	3.0	0	0	18	0	0	6
White, CL	0.3	0	1	0	0	0	0

Result: Australia won by 189 runs

Clock ticking for 50-over cricket

When one-day cricket first hit Australia in the late 1970s, some were suggesting it would spell the end of the traditional longer form of the game.

The brain-child of businessman Kerry Packer, it was a massive jolt to cricket administrators, who scrambled to shore up the long form of the game.

But now it is the 50-over format that is under pressure, with the resurgence of Test cricket and more particularly, the impact of Twenty20 since it recently exploded on to the world scene.

The latest blow has been delivered by the England and Wales Cricket Board, which has abandoned its domestic 50-over competition from next year and replaced it with a 40-over format.

Former Australian coach John Buchanan knows well all forms of the game, but he remains positive about the prognosis for the 50-over format.

"There's no doubt that the 50-over competition has been in serious need of revamping for some time and that's now been accelerated by the advent of 20-over cricket," Buchanan said.

"I personally believe that there's still room for all three forms of the game.

"But that would only be the case if indeed the 50-over game became more like the 20-over game.

"In other words, more back into a derivative of 20-over cricket as opposed to being a derivative of Test cricket."

Buchanan says he does see a future for international 50-over cricket, but it needs some tinkering.

"When Packer revitalised the game through the 50-over format in the late '70s, it was a breath of fresh air for everybody," he said.

"But that format has continued to service the game for the last 30 years and there's no doubt that it does need change. I think if it doesn't change then it's on its way to extinction."

Buchanan notes that in the Twenty20 format, teams are based around cities, regions or franchises, whereas 50-over and Test matches are international competitions.

He sees that as a crucial difference that must be retained for 50-overs to survive.

"It will face extinction if administrators don't understand that they've actually got three separate products which they can bring to the market place and that you can cater for a whole range of different market segments," Buchanan said.

"The argument against it at the moment has been player workloads and how can players manage to cope with all those demands.

"That's where administrators need to carefully step in and work out all the scheduling, how that will all work, because I think it can work."

It does seem the administrators, like Cricket Australia spokesperson Phillip Pope, are taking notice.

Pope says there is still a lucrative market for the 50-over game despite the meteoric rise of Twenty20.

"Fifty-over cricket's been very good to the world of cricket. It is the format that the broadcasters have loved for the past 30 years and we believe will continue to enjoy loving," he said.

"Television viewers still love watching one-day international cricket. During a summer's afternoon, the majority of people watching television are watching one-day international cricket," he said.

"Internationally, the kind of sponsorships that you see coming into the International Cricket Council for events like the upcoming Championships Trophy and the World Cup, held in the Indian sub-continent in 2011, are massive and important for grass roots cricket all over the world.

"So cricket is in an enviable position in that it has a number of formats that complement one another, the newest of which is the Twenty20.

"But it's still fair to say that 50-over cricket is exceptionally successful, from a commercial point of view and in terms of interest in the game."

Haris Ayaz spins Medicam to victory

KARACHI: Off-spinner Haris Ayaz turned out to be the star for Medicam Cricket Club once more enabling his team to register a three-wicket win over Cantt Sports in their Group B fixture of the 24th PPL Trophy Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament here at the Gymkhana's Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Haris, operating with the new ball, returned the exceptional figures of three for 10 off four overs to skittle the top-order of Cantt Sports who could only managfe 113 for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Medicam CC survived some anxious moments before romping home in the 17th over.

Cantt Sports opted to bat after winning the toss but they lost early wickets and were unable to score briskly. Number four Sharjeel Ashraf held their innings together with a defiant 36 off 43 balls but he didn't receive any support from the other end.

Naeem Tayyab's little cameo at the end lifted Cantt Sports total in the excess of 100 something that looked unlikely after the top-order collapse.Besides Haris, fellow off-spinner Salman Ali also bowled well to pick up a coiuple of wickets for 24 runs in his four overs.

The target of 114 in 20 overs didn't look challenging one for Medicam CC, who have been playing quite well of late. But some fine bowling by the trio of S M Zafar, Naeem Tayyeb and Mohammad Nasir pegged them back and the match became wide open after those early wickets. Cantt Sports sensed an unlikely victory when Medicam CC lost their seventh wicket with 16 runs away from their target. Ariz Kamal kept a cool head, scoring an unbeaten 21 off 22 balls with number nine Tanvir Ahmed keeping his company till the end to prevent any more drama.

Fast Bowler M.Asif Is Back

Karachi: Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif has gone from bright new hope to fallen star in the space of just two years and his latest troubles could spell the end of his career.

The 25-year-old paceman was on Monday identified as the player who failed a drugs test during the April-June Indian Premier League (IPL) and now faces a lengthy ban from the game.

It may prove to be the last twist in a career which was tainted by a first doping row in 2006, a fight with fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar in September last year and a 19-day detention in Dubai on charges of possessing an illegal drug last month.

Former captain Wasim Akram said Asif is another example of a career which has spiralled out of control.

"Boys like Asif come from small towns and they are unable to handle the fame and money so they get distracted and I'm disappointed at the fate such a talented bowler has met," said Wasim.

When cricket lost some of its innocence...

There has never been any doubt over Asif's talents with the ball.

When he dismissed legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar during his match and series-winning seven-wicket haul in Karachi in January 2006, he was instantly compared with Australian master quick Glenn McGrath.

Asif followed it up with 17 wickets to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 2-0 two months later.

Nominated as one of the International Cricket Council's emerging players of 2006, he was hailed as the "bowler of this generation" by none other than legendary Pakistani all-rounder Imran Khan.

Asif hails from a village called Machikay, near Sheikhupura, a small town in central Punjab which also produced medium fast bowler Rana Naved-ul Hasan.

He caught the selectors' eye with a burst of 7/35 for Sialkot in a first-class match in 2005 and was handed a ticket to Australia with the Pakistan national team.

His first international outing at Sydney proved a forgettable experience as his 18 overs in Pakistan's third loss in as many Tests went wicketless.

But the determined novice worked hard to ensure it was not his last, undergoing a short stint at India's MRF pace academy under the eagle eye of former Australian legend Dennis Lillee.

He showed signs of improvement by taking ten wickets in a first-class match against Ashes-winning Michael Vaughan's England in November 2005.

Injuries to his back and elbow stopped him showing his true potential, however and he missed Pakistan's first three Tests in England in the summer of 2006.

He finally arrived with a bang at the Oval, grabbing 4-56 to help Pakistan gain the upper hand before his team ended up forfeiting the game in a protest over ball-tampering allegations.

He was expected to lead Pakistan's attack on Indian pitches during the Champions Trophy before the dope test saga unfurled.

He and fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar tested positive for nandrolone.

Akhtar was banned for two years and Asif for one year but the bans were however overturned on appeals.

Asif promised that he would learn from the first pitfall, but recent developments suggest otherwise.

Alam backs Pakistan to win Champions Trophy, says momentum is with team

KARACHI - Pakistan cricket coach Intikhab Alam has backed his team as favourites for winning the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to be held in South Africa in September.

Despite the disastrous tour of Sri Lanka, Alam said the momentum is with Pakistan.

“We lost the Test and one-day series in Sri Lanka but won the last three games of the tour. Those results were very important and now the momentum is with us ahead of the Champions Trophy,” said Alam.

However, Alam admitted that Pakistan would have to play really well to succeed in the eight nation tournament, in which it shares the group with India and Australia.

“Australia and India are two of the world’s best teams but in a way it’s good for us that both of them are in our group,” The News quoted Alam, as saying.

Alam said his boys were looking forward for battle against arch rivals India.

“A match against India is always a big one and the team is planning to go all out for a win against them,” he said.

Pakistan has never won a game in ICC tournaments like the World Cup and the Champions Trophy against India.

Alam believed that Australia would be vulnerable in the tournament, particularly after their morale-shattering Ashes defeat against England.

“For Australia, Ashes is the ultimate thing. Their morale would be really low and I believe that would be good for our cause,” he added.

Commenting on the selection committee’s controversial decision to include tainted fast bowler Mohammad Asif omitting experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from the 15-man squad, Alam said Asif will add strength to bowling line-up.

“We certainly need a bowler like him. Asif will add to our team’s strength. He is fully fit and has played plenty of cricket in the last five or six months,” he said.

Clarke happy to play with Ponting

Michael Clarke is happy to continue playing for Australia as Ricky Ponting"s deputy.Ponting fuelled debate over his long-term future as skipper upon returning to Australia after his team"s Ashes defeat by suggesting he would be prepared to play on even if he was stripped of the leadership.Clarke will captain the side in Friday"s (today"s) one-day match against Scotland in Edinburgh, plus two Twenty20 matches and three one-dayers against England while Ponting takes a break.Ponting is expected to return to England for the last four matches of the series."At the end of the day, he"s our leader and has been for my whole career," Clarke said."I"m blessed that I get this opportunity when he"s not here to do that fill-in role, but Punter"s our leader and I"m more than happy to keep playing under him."Ponting, Australia"s all-time leading Test run-scorer, has said he is open to the idea of Australia having two captains, with Clarke leading the one-day and Twenty20 teams.Ponting has experience of the two-captain scenario himself, having led Australia to World Cup glory in South Africa in 2003 when Steve Waugh was still Test skipper.Asked if he would fall on his sword if he felt Clarke was a better Test captaincy candidate, Ponting said he would.But Clarke did not believe any of those scenarios were on the cards at the moment."To me, we don"t have to worry about that because Ricky"s our captain," Clarke said."I"m lucky with the relationship I"ve got with Punt. No doubt he"s our leader, but when he needs to have time off or misses a game, as vice-captain I get this chance.""I"ve spent a lot of time with Rick over the last couple of years of being vice-captain. I"ve tried to get as close to him as possible and I"m blessed that I get this opportunity to captain for the two Twenty20s and three one-dayers."My goal is to try and get five wins, so when the skipper comes back we"re in good form for him."While heartened by support from Cricket Australia following his team"s 2-1 Ashes series defeat in England last weekend, Ponting admitted the buck stops with him and, after surrendering the urn in 2005 and 2009, he has to be prepared for criticism.But Clarke said it should be the entire team copping the flak."The criticism of us as a team is probably fair enough, we didn"t get the result we wanted," Clarke said. "It"s the whole team out there on the field and there was times we all didn"t perform individually and as a team as well as we"d like, so I think the criticism needs to go to the team."I know it"s not one person"s fault. Ricky"s been a fantastic leader throughout my whole career. He was inspirational at times during this Ashes series and he wanted to win as much as anybody."Personally his performances were outstanding, so I think criticism is fair, but it needs to be towards the whole team, certainly not one person."