Davison's 'withdrawal' undermines Canada's WC plans

Faraz Sarwat

December 30, 2010

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John Davison has sought an explanation for the absence of Ian Billcliff and Geoff Barnett © Getty Images Enlarge

Canada's World Cup preparations have been dealt a significant blow with opener John Davison, one of their key players, withdrawing from the World Cup squad over the exclusion of fellow batsmen Geoff Barnett and Ian Billcliff. He has told Cricket Canada he would be withdrawing until the pair are given the reasons for their exclusion from Canada's 30-man preliminary line-up for the tournament.

In an e-mail to Cricket Canada, where he called into question the competence of Canada's chairman of selectors Chris James, Davison wrote, "I am embarrassed to be selected in the squad of 30 when players who have been long-time servants have been omitted, and given no valid reason for their non-selection. It is with great regret that I have to withdraw my availability until these players have been given answers to some very simple questions."

Billcliff and Barnett played a significant role in Canada's qualification for the World Cup. However, commitments outside of cricket, as well as distance - Davison lives in Australia, while Barnett and Billcliff live in New Zealand - have limited the trio's availability, something that has contributed to Canada's inconsistent performances over the years.

In November, Canada undertook a preparatory tour of India to play against club teams. It was initially envisaged that this tour was compulsory for players wishing to be considered for World Cup selection. Billcliff's work commitments prevented him from going on tour, but Barnett was available for the final leg. As the tour progressed Cricket Canada re-evaluated the weight it wished to give to the tour, considering that Canadian players of Pakistani origin could not make the trip to India due to visa issues. With key players missing all around, Canada advised Barnett and Davison that they were not required to be on the tour. Yet it appears that not going on the India tour is what is being held against Billcliff.

"In regards to Ian Billcliff, if Barnett and myself were not required to be in India for selection, then surely he doesn't need to be?" asked Davision in his e-mail. Barnett did not receive any official communication from Cricket Canada about his non-selection in the 30-man squad.

Cricket Canada's president Ranjit Saini, who maintains that he stays out of team selection, has asked the vice-president in charge of the senior men's team to submit a complete report on the matter. "Without having a complete briefing on all of this, I do feel that we owe Geoff Barnett an explanation (for his non-selection). He has performed really well for us over the years."

Regarding Davison's potential withdrawal from the team Saini said that it was something that would be discussed with the player. "This is an internal matter and it's normal for a player to ask for an explanation about selection. I think JD's (Davison) position is that he just wants the communication gap closed with the two players (Barnett and Billcliff)."

Saini went on to say that if Davison is available he has a lot to offer Canadian cricket at the World Cup and beyond. "At the World Cup we see him as having a leadership role with the younger players in the team. We've selected players like JD and Balaji Rao who are

Cricket Kenya has announced preparations for next year

Cricket Kenya has announced preparations for next year's World Cup will conclude in India by playing friendly matches against regional teams including Gujarat and Baroda.

They will then head to the UAE to take part in a training camp organised by the ICC which starts on January 28.

Cricket Kenya's chief executive Tom Sears said he hoped Jonty Rhodes, who worked successfully with the Kenyans earlier this year, would be in Dubai to link up again. "There's no doubt our players have learnt a tremendous amount from him and his input can make a real difference to our overall performance."

The team returns to India after Dubai for the tournament proper, and is likely to face West Indies and Netherlands in warm-up matches.

Cricket Australia

Cricket (CA) has appointed Rugby Football Union Team Operations Manager Gavin Dovey, an expatriate Australian, to be new team manager of the Australian cricket team from April 2011.

Dovey will replace long-serving Australian team manager Steve ("Brute") Bernard, who will be retiring from the role after the ICC Cricket World Cup early next year.

Bernard and Dovey will conduct a handover during the tour to Bangladesh which is scheduled immediately after the CWC.

Announcing the appointment on Monday, CA General Manager Cricket Michael Brown said he was excited to have recruited an appointee of Dovey's background and sports management expertise to fill the role, which is critical to the smooth operation of the team and its support group.

"Not surprisingly, we had a large field of strong candidates when we sought a replacement for Steve but Gavin was the stand-out candidate," Brown said.

"Steve Bernard has been an outstanding Australian team manager, is one of the most popular identities in world cricket and we knew his would be big shoes to fill.

Canberra-educated, Dovey worked for the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority before moving to a role managing anti-doping with the RFU, which in turn preceded his promotion into his current role.

He said he was looking forward to returning to to take up a position he expected to be challenging but fulfilling.

"The RFU has been great to me and I will always be grateful for the opportunities they offered me - I have learned a lot. I now look forward to taking up the challenge of replacing Steve and of doing my part to help support the sporting team that the whole nation follows".

Who'll play at No.7 for India?

52 DAYS away from the World Cup, India are no closer to finding the elusive allrounder for a vital spot in the order

It's 52 DAYS go to the World Cup - a long time if you are preparing for the staging of the Commonwealth Games, not quite if you are looking at the best possible combination to put together for the biggest cricket event in the world। Coaches and selectors must be hoping to have at least 10 or 11 names finalised by now, and really should have a fair idea of who the other four or five will be. A wish list would be in every coach's back pocket

India's wish list is pretty obvious really, and a first reading will expose the biggest problem with it. Ideally this is what I suspect Kirsten and Dhoni and Srikkanth would be looking at the evening before the first game: SachinTendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar or Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha. Eleven of those 12 names look settled, but for India to be strong at the World Cup, No. 7 needs to be identified, and at the moment Irfan Pathan has gone underground.

So if Pathan Jr is not on the radar, who bats after the batsmen and above the bowlers and gives you a few, if not 10, overs? India have tried Pathan Sr - and I suspect he is still an option - and currently are investing heavily in Ravindra Jadeja, who has so far given little indication of becoming the rock star Shane Warne thought he could be. "Could be" is the operative phrase here. Early in his career Jadeja seems to have stagnated, and I suspect people will start looking for returns on investment very shortly.

I also suspect India's think tank will have started thinking seriously about a Plan B. They will need one because there is no No. 7 who answers to the job description anywhere in sight in India. You'd think the IPL would have thrown up a couple of names, but really, apart from R Ashwin, who seems better with the new ball than with the old at the moment, the canvas is blank.

And so I suspect India might have to go the way they did during that very successful run from 2002 to 2004, when the selfless Rahul Dravid took the gloves and allowed India to play a seventh batsman. Straightaway you can see Rohit Sharma playing the role that Mohammad Kaif did then, with the license to bat freely in case the team is in a good situation, and instructed to douse the fires if there is a batting collapse.

But what looks good in the mind and on paper need not necessarily be the same way on the field. So who bowls the other 10 overs? Or more if one of the bowlers has had a bad day? It's time, then, to ask the batsmen to start rolling their arms over. In home conditions that isn't such a daunting task. Sehwag is a very competent offspinner (remember Aravinda De Silva bowling 10 overs quite often in 1996?) and Yuvraj Singh is much underrated. But I think it is time to look even further afield and start throwing the ball to Suresh Raina, who seems to possess a pretty cool head when bowling in the 20-overs game. Or, for that matter, to Rohit Sharma, who can be good for a few overs.

A bits-and-pieces player policy tends to be fraught with danger because you run the risk of getting neither a bowler nor a batsman, and so India need to play to their strength, which on Indian pitches is batting. Four players to generate 10 overs between them shouldn't be a huge issue.

I am not sure that is the way the think tank is thinking at the moment, but if No. 7 remains elusive even after the Sri Lanka tri-series, it might be the right time to start asking the batsmen if they fancy six-over spells in limited-overs cricket. My gut feel is that they will jump at the opportunity.

India have eight one-day games in home conditions before the World Cup. They must know what they want at the World Cup before those games begin.

Pakistan coach and former Test captain

coach and former Test captain Waqar Younis on Tuesday said no team could be dubbed as hot favourite for next year's ICC Cricket World Cup, but said India was looking extremely good at this stage in international cricket.

"Yes, India is looking good and performing well in international cricket," said Waqar.

"But I would say is not far behind. In fact, no team is hot favourite for this World Cup since the mega event is a different kind of tournament. In the past, many teams with great names failed to do well in the World Cup while those showing fitness and form excelled," the former pace ace pointed out," the Dawn quoted him, as saying further.

"And the way our team is improving, it has a fair chance of performing well in the mega event, although fitness level of the players and improved fielding standards will be the key factors in deciding our fate," he said.

Waqar was speaking just days before the team leaves for New Zealand to play three T20s, two Test matches and six One-day Internationals.

The International Cricket

The International Cricket Council and Gullivers Sports Travel are gearing up cricket fans in for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which starts on 19 February.

Hailed as 'The Cup That Counts', the cricket team go into the tournament with high expectations after winning the ICC World Twenty20 2010 in the West Indies while also beginning its Ashes retention campaign in a positive manner Down Under.

Gullivers, which is the official UK travel agent for the event, is urging fans to get behind the team and support its mission to bring back the ICC Cricket World Cup from the Asian sub-continent.

It is also offering packages to supporters of all the 13 other teams, with thousands of people from the UK expected to travel to the event.

To drive the point home, more than 150 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011-branded black cabs are hitting the cities of London, Manchester and Birmingham, calling on fans to make sure they book official packages with appointed provider, Gullivers Sports Travel.

Gullivers has been working with the ICC since 1995 and its range of ICC Cricket World Cup travel 2011 packages starts at just GBP 169 per person and guarantee official match tickets. Gullivers can also arrange tailor-made holidays, combining the cricket with some of the region's many tourist highlights, including visiting tea plantations in Kerala, a houseboat stay, elephant spotting in Periyar National Park and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka.

The ICC has announced that Sachin Tendulkar

The ICC has announced that will star in a special ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 marketing campaign.

The campaign, which will be launched next month, will see Tendulkar, who was announced in November as an ambassador for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, feature in a series of advertisements to raise the profile of cricket's flagship event.

In his role as tournament ambassador, he will be called upon to promote and support a variety of ICC initiatives for the tournament, which is the third biggest sporting event in the world and will take place in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from 19 February to 2 April next year.

"When I got to know that the ICC wanted me to be the event ambassador for the 2011 World Cup, I was really excited and I didn't know how to react," said Tendulkar.

"I grew up watching various World Cup matches and when you actually get approached by the ICC and they want you to play a special role in this event it is absolutely flattering. I am truly honoured and I am looking forward to this event."

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said that he was delighted to have Tendulkar involved in promoting the ICC Cricket World Cup.

"Sachin is perhaps the top player in the world today. He is revered not just in India but across the globe. The World Cup is the World Cup - it is the flagship event, the cup that counts, and if you match the player, , with the event, then you have a fantastic fit," said Lorgat.

The England selectors named the

The selectors named the 30-man preliminary squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which will be held in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 - April 2.

The squad - which will be halved by January 19 - includes all of those players named in the ODI squad for the series against as well as eight members of the Lions squad set to tour the next year. Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), who has been ruled out of the current tour of due to an abdominal injury, is included and is joined in the squad by Test squad members Alastair Cook (Essex), Steven Finn (Middlesex) and Matt Prior (Sussex).

National Selector, Geoff Miller, said: "We have selected a squad of players with a strong track record in limited overs cricket either for or in the domestic game.

"Recent series have shown we have made progress in one-day cricket and we will be looking to continue this form during next year's World Cup and challenge for another global title.

"Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett continue to impress with their development after strong performances domestically and with the team at international level.

"Samit Patel has also been included in this preliminary squad and - along with every other player named - will be required to meet individual fitness criteria before the squad is finalised. There is still some time to pass before the final squad is selected so all 30 players have sufficient time to press for selection."

has been drawn in a group alongside Bangladesh, India, , , South Africa and . The team will play two warm-up games against and Pakistan before beginning their World Cup campaign on February 22 against in Nagpur, India.

Squad Andrew Strauss (Middlesex, captain), James Adams (Hampshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Steven Davies (Surrey), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), James Hildreth (Somerset), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Michael Lumb (Hampshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Chris Tremlett (Surrey), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex), Michael Yardy (Sussex)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India

The Board of Control for Cricket in (BCCI) named a 30-man preliminary squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on Saturday.

At its meeting in Mumbai, the national selection panel named three wicketkeepers as a back-up for skipper . The squad features all the players who have been part of the ODI mix for the last couple of years.

Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara has also been named alongwith Mumbai's Ajinkya Rahane as the only two uncapped players in the squad.

The final date for submission of squad of XV for CWC 2011 is 19 January.

Squad: , , , , Virat Kohli, , , , Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, , , , Vinay Kumar, M Vijay, , Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Saurabh Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, , Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, , Cheteshwar Pujara, Pragyan Ojha, .

Cricket Kenya has named a provisional

Cricket has named a provisional 30-man squad to participate in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. A final squad of 15 players will be chosen before 19 January 2011.

National Coach Eldine Baptiste was very pleased with the make-up of the squad.

"I am very pleased with the squad we have been able to name, we have a good blend of experienced players and some very exciting youngsters who have emerged over the last 12 months. There is still time for any one of these 30 players to force his way into the final 15 man squad that will travel to the World Cup. Maybe a year ago we would have struggled to find 30 names that were worthy of consideration for a World event but what is really encouraging is how many young players have come through our A team and Under 19 squad in the last year and there are quite a few more who were unlucky not to make this list," said Baptiste.

Squad: Ragheb Aga, Duncan Allen, RunishGudhka, Jimmy Kamande, Irfan Karim, Karan Kaul, Peter Kituku, Alfred Luseno, Tamnay Mishra, James Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, David Obuya, Collins Obuya, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Nelson Odhiambo, Thomas Odoyo, Lucas Oluoch, Peter Ongondo, Joseph Onyango, LameckOnyango, Elijah Otieno, Morris Ouma, Ken Owino, Rakep Patel, VinitShikotra, Steve Tikolo, HirenVaraiya, Seren Waters, Dominic Wesonga.

Jamshedpur: India's only World Cup-winning

Jamshedpur: India's only World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev said with a combination of experience and youth and a little bit of luck, 's men could win the 2011 quadrennial event to be hosted jointly by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"The present Indian team has good track record. The combination of experienced and young players would help the team to win the ICC World Cup," the legendary all-rounder, who led India to its only world title way back in 1983, said during a promotional event.

When apprised that none of the World Cup organising country could win the trophy at home ground till date, Kapil said perhaps, India will break the jinx this time.

"No team can win the World Cup depending on a particular player. A total team effort is required to emerge champion," he said when asked to name one dependable player in the Indian team.

To a query whether India skipper Dhoni could repeat his 1983 feat, he said, "He could achieve much more than me."

Kapil was of the view that all the participating teams are strong contenders and whoever, performs during the mega-event would emerge as the winner.

Asked whether Test cricket would survive in the wake of Twenty20 format's popularity, Kapil said the traditional version of the game will never die.

About local lad Saurav Tiwary, who has been named in 30-men ICC World Cup probables list, he said: "If he could perform, he will get a chance and prosper like Dhoni."

Sarwan, Ramdin make the

Sarwan, Ramdin make the cut for CWC preliminary squad

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Leg spinning duo Devendra Bishoo and Anthony Martin along with the young fast bowler Jason Holder and feisty batsman Jonathan Carter are some of the new faces named in the West Indies preliminary 30-man squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

The squad also includes batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin who missed out on selection for the recent tour to Sri Lanka. Seasoned pace duo of Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, who have just begun their comeback from prolonged injuries have not been included, announced the Cricket Board (WICB).

Jamaica batsman Brenadan Nash is the only player on the WICB Central Retainer Contract who has not been included in the preliminary 30-man squad.

Three of the eight players on WICB Developmental Contracts are a part of the squad. They are Kirk Edwards, Gavin Tonge and Bishoo.

Kieran Powell is one of three players from the High Performance Center who is in the squad with the other two being Antigua wicketkeeper-batsman Devon Thomas and Holder.

The 30-man squad will be trimmed by half for the tournament which starts on 19 February and will be played in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.

Squad: Lionel Baker, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh Jr, Sulieman Benn, Dave Bernard Jr, Tino Best, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Shiv Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Jason Holder, Anthony Martin, Nikita Miller, Nelon Pascal, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Devon Thomas.

Stumpy v Batty, and the PM's intervention

The BCCI reveals the logic behind the naming of the World Cup mascot, and unveils its new behaviour coaches

Anand Ramachandran

August 5, 2010

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The BCCI hopes with a safe name like "Stumpy", the World Cup mascot might escape such treatment © Getty Images Enlarge

When the ICC revealed the elephant "Stumpy" as the mascot for the 2011 Cricket World Cup, the public reacted with what can only be described as "the opposite of unbridled excitement". However, the ICC has been quick to defend its choice, insisting that Stumpy is the ideal mascot for the occasion.

Speaking to the press, CWC director Ratnakar Shetty said, "The elephant has been chosen since it is an iconic animal that truly represents cricket in the subcontinent. It's a lumbering, inflexible and inconveniently powerful beast, just like the BCCI. It doesn't bite and shows absolutely no signs of bouncing, just like the SSC wicket. It does not even remotely resemble the Bengal Tiger, just like the Bangladesh cricket team. It's a perfect symbol for a tournament hosted by these three great cricketing nations."

Shetty also defended the widely panned choice of name. "The name Stumpy was chosen after lengthy deliberations by a panel of creative experts, including professionals from the advertising and marketing fields, and, for some reason, Ravi Shastri, who seems to be on every single panel and committee constituted by the BCCI. We carefully considered and rejected many outstanding alternatives - including "Pitchy" (mildly obscene), "Batty" (insanity connotation), "Bally" (hoo), "Paddy" (too Irish) and "Abdomen Guardy" (rhymes with Michael Yardy)."

"Stumpy is just perfect. Other than the fact that it conjures up some vaguely disturbing imagery of ICC officials without hands or feet, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Besides, with all the other options ruled out, it was the only cheesy, obvious cricket reference left," concluded Shetty.

The appointment of Anil Kumble by the BCCI as an "off-field behaviour" coach for the Indian team has been closely followed by another, even more ridiculous, initiative by the Indian board - they're looking for a coach to train millions of cricket fans around the world in proper in-stadium behaviour. Apparently the BCCI believes that teaching huge numbers of fans not to irk their players is far easier than teaching players like Yuvraj Singh not to act like immature, overgrown schoolboys and take offence at random jibes from the stands.

"It's clear that spectators all over the world are in dire need of instruction on how to behave towards the Indian team. Can't have ill-mannered fans calling our dear players all sorts of nasty things like 'water boy', 'tax collector' and 'history professor'. Further, these louts in the stands keep making rude and boorish comments about our inept fast bowling, pathetic fitness levels and tendency to collapse so that Virender Sehwag's percentage contribution to the team total remains in the high fifties. Not done. They need to be taught a lesson," thundered Ravi Shastri, chairman of the BCCI's newly constituted fan management committee.

Denying that the authorities had overreacted in arresting the fans who called Yuvraj Singh a "water boy", Shastri retorted: "Nobody, with the possible exception of lookalike Michael Bevan, likes being associated with Adam Sandler. How do you think Kumar Sangakkara would react if I suddenly walked up to him and called him 'Happy Gilmore'? In fact, they're lucky that they only called Yuvi a water boy. If they'd called him 'The Last Airbender' or 'Raavan', it would have meant the death penalty."

Commenting on who will perform the role of "in-stadium" behaviour coach, Shastri said, "It's got to be a really nice guy, well respected, and with a lot of time on his hands. Perhaps the prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh?"

Kohli brings versatility to India

He can bat high or low. If the selectors could pick the World Cup 15 today, there are question marks only against the second spinner, fourth seamer and eighth batsman

December 3, 2010

Virat Kohli can anchor the innings at No. 3 or be the finisher at No. 7 © AFP Enlarge

Barring what those who draft contracts call "an act of God", has sealed his place in India's World Cup squad. He has shown a calm head and a solid temperament, qualities for long considered a challenge for him, and by embracing them has revealed his ambition. Hitherto a temper and an ego, both dreadful cancers, were thought of as his best friends. Hopefully they have been shown the door. With the possible exception of Suresh Raina, no young Indian player has done more in the last two years. A Test place will soon beckon and, like with Cheteshwar Pujara, I believe he is ready. The challenge from the fast short-pitched ball is still to be encountered but that is part of the finishing process.

For now, though, the Kohli story is about batting in limited-overs cricket and he has shown his versatility; batting at No. 3 in 50-overs cricket and as a finisher for the Royal Challengers. As much as he is impressive at No. 3, it was his ability to play the fiery innings at the death in the Champions League that caught the eye. It means he can bat wherever the side needs him and it is this versatility that could put him in the playing XI in the World Cup even after all the stars return.

It would be tempting, given his performances this year, to give him his due and present him with the No. 3 slot, but Gautam Gambhir has a claim on that position as well, and as we saw in Jaipur, he paces an innings remarkably well. So Kohli can play the role of the finisher, with him and Raina at Nos. 6 and 7. Alternately of course, if either Tendulkar or Sehwag has to miss a game, Gambhir moves up and Kohli can slip into No. 3. There is a fluidity to the batting order that gives it strength, and with the allrounder at no. 7 still elusive, seven batsmen looks like the way to go. It will be a batting line-up to rival, or indeed even to outshine, any other team in Indian conditions.

Well as Kohli has played - and remember he also makes India a better fielding side - there is another equally significant event that has tended to slip under the radar. India have played four bowlers in both games so far and Yuvraj Singh has picked up three wickets at under five an over from his 19 overs. Each time, the captain has preferred him to Yusuf Pathan, making it clear who he regards as the allrounder in the side. If India can get six overs out of Yuvraj in every game - and anything more can be a bonus - he provides the balance that India have been looking for over the last 12 months.

And in doing so he not only negates the need for a Ravindra Jadeja, or indeed even a Yusuf Pathan, who is the more effective batsman of the two, but also ensures that Kohli comes into the side. It is a balance that will work better in subcontinental conditions than, say, in South Africa, where you want a top-order batsman to bowl seam-up. But with the World Cup being the focus, it makes the selectors' job much easier.

In fact, with two and a half months to go, India's World Cup squad looks settled in spite of the player rotation that you see. And over the next three games, and the form that players show in South Africa, the remaining four spots can be filled. There is the little, often irrelevant, issue of naming 30 players, but really, India could name the final 15 today with the selectors taking a call on the fourth seamer, second spinner and eighth batsman.

I believe there is still the comfort factor of having a Pathan in the side in Indian conditions and that means R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha fight it out for the second spinner's slot. Given that Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar have done enough, it's going to be a job choosing between Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth and the quietly effective Munaf Patel for the last seamer's place. And if India do indeed commit to the seven-batsmen route, as seems likely, they will need a back-up; ideally someone who can play the role of a finisher from No. 7, and I suspect it could come down to Saurabh Tiwary or even Rohit Sharma.

There is still a long time to go for that World Cup, and much water can flow under the bridge, but Kohli and Yuvraj have started filling troublesome spots.

Sad, but it's the right call

The ICC's decision to remove Pakistan from the list of World Cup hosts was inevitable; now Pakistan must focus on finding an alternate base for their future home contests

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Pakistan's players must get used to playing away from home © AFP Enlarge

It was only a matter of time before such a decision had to be made. A global event, cricket's showpiece no less, cannot be organised on ifs and buts, on what may or may not happen. Though it is difficult to imagine it now, the situation in Pakistan may well improve by 2011, but the ICC cannot wait. It has to work on as much certainty as it can, for preparing with anything less is preparing for disaster.

In such darkness, sadness is understandable, even desirable if it brings introspection, but there should be no place for anger. To pretend, as some ex-players seem to be doing that this is a shock, that Pakistan has been somehow cheated is misguided. It is hollow posturing. Could any team seriously be expected to tour Pakistan after what happened in Lahore? The very point of Sri Lanka's visit was to prove that cricket can go on even as Pakistan burns. The only thing the tour finally proved was that the fires within threaten to take everything down with it, cricket being just one relatively insignificant victim.

If that message has not gotten through now, day after deteriorating day, then we can only be embedded in a deep state of denial and that is even more worrying. Ijaz Butt's tasteless attack on Chris Broad and needless defence of the indefensible in the immediate aftermath of Lahore was merely one more drop in this vast ocean of denial. Perhaps it is just that the sheer barbarism, the volume and velocity of atrocity over the last two years has desensitised us. We may be numb to it, but the wounds around the rest of the world are still fresh.

Anyway, believing now that the situation here is no worse than the rest of the region, or that security will be better next time, is to miss the point. It isn't the argument any longer that such an attack can happen anywhere: it has only happened here and nowhere else. In Pakistan, cricket is now a target and given the problems various security forces have had against the threat, given the fact that security institutions themselves are repeated targets, can any international team feel safe here?

The quicker Pakistan moves on from such emotions the better and the quicker the PCB accept that there will be no international cricket here in the near future the better. An alternate home, or a few, must be found. In appearance the Dubai Sports City stadium is magnificent. Younis Khan and his team have been suitably impressed by the facilities. Maybe it will lack soul but people thought that of Sharjah's early days too. Alternatives are present and the board claims it is working on a number of them, but the Middle East is feasible and workable. Some kind of semi-permanent arrangement must be inked in and soon.

These ideas are not new. Until now, however, they have mostly been floated by people outside of Pakistan. It would be considerable service if the PCB and the wider Pakistan cricket fraternity tried now to make a case for why they must seek such options; why we must now, even at this late hour, be pragmatic and rational about it and not be slaves to emotion.

Pakistan cannot come out of this alone. The ICC and the cricket world must ensure that Pakistan doesn't continue to meander away like some unruly, sulking misfit. Financially there will be blood; who knows what repercussions there are now for the PCB's recently-inked in TV rights deal? Wealth is concentrated in world cricket, but there is considerable wealth nonetheless and some of it must be spread to make sure Pakistan doesn't wither away. If some kind of compensation can be agreed upon and paid for the potential loss of revenue from the loss of the World Cup, the gesture will be a potent one.

FTP home commitments must now be reworked and flexibility shown in working Pakistan into future schedules. The current FTP mess Pakistan is in is admittedly a result of the incompetence of its own administrations, fumblings it can ill afford to repeat. A year such as 2008 must never come again.

It wouldn't hurt if somehow Pakistan got their team right either. The last two years have been doubly troubling because the team has been poor. Pakistan sides have always been free and easy with focus, direction and discipline, but wherever they were headed they went with an in-your-face, screw-you gusto, difficult not to admire. Recently, they have meekly drifted into a bland, colourless mediocrity, without a fight, without so much as a yelp.

Victory is victory, home, away or in the middle of a desert. And nothing, not even the deepest pockets, eases the pain of so much else - or guarantees relevance globally - quite like sustained success.

People must say that Sri Lanka treated us the best'

Cricinfo speaks to Suraj Dandeniya, the confident 2011 World Cup tournament director, close on the heels of the visit to Sri Lanka by an ICC delegation

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Suraj Dandeniya's previous association with Sri Lankan cricket had been very limited, with brief stints for St Thomas College, Mt Lavinia in 1975-76, and with SSC in 1977-78. Dandeniya, the nephew of the present interim chairman of Sri Lanka cricket, departed for the US to pursue a career in banking but has now assumed centrestage in executing Sri Lanka's leg of the 2011 World Cup with his role as tournament director. Cricinfo caught up with the reputed businessman, who runs around 15 varied operations, close on the heels of the visit to Sri Lanka by a delegation of ICC officials for a venue inspection tour last week.

	Aravinda de Silva gets ready to face the first ball at the Pallekele Stadium © ESPNcricinfo Ltd Enlarge

How have the preparations of stadiums - Pallakelle, Hambantota and the R Premadasa Stadium - for the 2011 World Cup gone so far?

Somewhere around May we identified the three stadiums. Once they were identified, there were two main sectors of the stadia that had to be worked on. One was the ground, which is most important, then the infrastructure of the stadia. When we started, the grounds were not ready at all, but I am very happy with the progress. We have already played matches in Pallakelle and by January-February we will have games in Hambantota. We are unlikely to have any problems with the Premadasa. Then comes the infrastructure, which we hope to start within the first and third weeks of January. We feel there is enough time and though we say that there is always a time limit for the infrastructure, we can go on till somewhere round January 15, 2011.

Do you think all three venues will be ready in time for the World Cup?

I am 100% sure they will be ready.

How did venues like Pallakelle and Hambantota get the nod ahead of other reputed grounds in Sri Lanka?

There are many reasons for that. When you have a World Cup, you've got to have a legacy behind it. Between 2004-2007, SLC brought the Pallakelle Stadium for about Rs 350 million and it was just lying there and going to waste. When we looked at the World Cup budget, we foresaw there were certain amounts that certain infrastructure developments could utilise. Hence we decided on Pallakelle.

The chairman wants to take cricket to the villages as much as possible. If you travel south from Colombo, once you pass Moratuwa there is no ground other than the Galle Stadium. There is nothing you can do with the Galle Stadium because of the heritage problems. It is very difficult to stage a one-day match because the maximum capacity is 7000 and you also cannot put up lights. With regard to Dambulla, we will have to spend at least Rs 800-1000 million to upgrade it with lights. The SSC and P Sara Oval, on the other hand, do not belong to SLC. The previous administrators had also looked at Hambantota as an international venue. Hambantota is a developing town. It is a place where there is easy access to the Uva Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and the Southern Province. We got 47 acres of land from the Board of Investment (BOI) and we looked at all the facilities before deciding to put up a stadium there.

Continuity is India's strength and weakness

Six survivors from India's 2003 World Cup campaign are likely to play in the 2011 edition. And going by the younger talent at hand, the nation's hopes will rest on these six

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	Among those in the current Indian set-up who weren't part of the 2003 World Cup, MS Dhoni is the only one who inspires confidence © Associated Press Enlarge

It was the after the most inauspicious of starts. A flatline opener against the Netherlands was followed by a thrashing at Australian hands, and it wasn't until the team crossed the border into Zimbabwe that India's 2003 World Cup campaign sputtered to life. Seven more victories followed before a legendary Australian side, and Ricky Ponting in particular, handed out the harshest of one-day lessons. The heroes of '83 may not have been emulated, but there's little doubt that the run to the final at remains one of Indian cricket's biggest achievements of the modern era.

Astonishingly, six of those who came within a 100 overs of immortality that day could line up for India's opening game of the 2011 World Cup in Dhaka next February. Fitness permitting, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are certain starters. Ashish Nehra too should get an opportunity to reprise his heroics of 2003 - perhaps without the spewed bananas - and it's hard to see Yuvraj Singh being away from the fray, no matter what the state of his waistline.

This continuity, if you call it that, is India's greatest strength, and also a sign of weakness. In sporting terms, it's as rare as a maiden over in a Twenty20 game, and it raises serious questions about Indian cricket's talent-production line.

To put things into perspective, let's take a look at two of the greatest one-day sides of all. West Indies reached the first three World Cup finals, winning two of them. When India upset them in 1983, there were four survivors from the class of 1975 - Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Andy Roberts. With the exception of Lloyd, who lasted nearly two decades at the top, the other three had been young men looking to make a reputation in '75. By 1983, Roberts was the leader of the greatest pace attack ever, while Richards and Greenidge had established themselves as two of the most destructive batsmen of their age.

Nearly a quarter-century later, Australia took to for the 2007 World Cup final with three survivors from the side that had made short work . In that time Ponting and Adam Gilchrist had established themselves as candidates for the all-time one-day XI, while Glenn McGrath had carried on with his metronomic ways, spearheading an attack that was both parsimonious and penetrative.

Both teams, though, had strengthened in different ways over time. West Indies hadn't adequately replaced Alvin Kallicharran and Rohan Kanhai in the middle order, but the pace foursome of Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner was immeasurably stronger. Australia had moved on from Steve Waugh and Shane Warne, and unearthed the high-impact pace of Shaun Tait and the imposing all-round talent of Andrew Symonds. There was also Matthew Hayden Mark II, a punishing run-machine to complement Gilchrist at the top of the order.

India's six-man core now possesses more than 1400 one-day caps - Tendulkar alone has 442, and Nehra, the least experienced, has 101 - but the replacements for those who have departed the stage have yet to scale the same heights. Both Gautam Gambhir (99 caps) and Suresh Raina (97) have enjoyed a fair bit of success in recent times, but it would be a brave man who put them in the same class as Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, who had more than 20,000 runs between them.

The one great improvement comes in the shape of MS Dhoni, whose captaincy and improved wicketkeeping skills sometimes obscure the fact that he has evolved into one of the consummate 50-over batsmen. There are great expectations too from Virat Kohli (30 caps) and Rohit Sharma (49), but neither man has yet played a defining innings in a high-pressure situation.

It's not the batting that's the concern though. Teams that win the big tournaments do so by consistently bowling the opposition out. The Indian side that won the World Championship of Cricket dismissed every team they came across, except Pakistan, who limped to 176 for 9 . In 2003, India's attack also had Javagal Srinath, and the luxury of Anil Kumble on the bench.

There are few such options when you look ahead to 2011. Zaheer, Harbhajan and Nehra remain the most important performers, and the remarkable decline in Irfan Pathan's fortunes - he hasn't added to his 107 caps in the last 16 months - has deprived the team of an all-round talent who should have been in his prime.

The other pace contenders are just as callow. RP Singh, Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar have all taken the new ball in recent seasons, but RP is the most experienced of the quartet, with just 55 caps. On the slow-bowling front, the situation is even more alarming. Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha have 23 matches between them, while Ravindra Jadeja has 29. Murali Kartik continues to take wickets in England, but he must surely be resigned to the fact that his India days are over.

The selectors and an expectant nation can only hope that wealth of experience triumphs over the relative lack of fresh options. Saurabh Tiwary and R Ashwin could prove to be interesting wild cards over the coming months, and the likes of Ishant and Sreesanth may get their groove back, but for the moment, the long-cherished dream of winning a World Cup on home soil rests very much on the shoulders of those who have been there and done that.

Kapali in Bangladesh preliminary World Cup list

ESPNcricinfo staff

December 15, 2010

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Bangladesh have announced their preliminary squad for the World Cup, and there were no major surprises in the 30-man pool. They have included allrounder Alok Kapali, who last played international cricket in 2008 before defecting to the ICL, and 21-year-old fast bowler Dolar Mahmud, who has not played for Bangladesh since October 2009.

With 65 caps, Kapali is an experienced player, but was erratic in his six years of international cricket, averaging 19.83 with the bat and 49.75 with his legspinners, before becoming part of the exodus to the ICL. It was that exodus that opened the doors for Mahmud to made his international debut, though he couldn't cement his place in the limited opportunities he got.

Bangladesh are riding high after two series wins on the trot - a 4-0 drubbing of New Zealand in October and a 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in a series which ended on Sunday. They have no further international matches scheduled before February 19, when the global tournament starts.

Sri Lanka were the first team to announce their preliminary squad, doing so on December 13. All 14 teams participating in the tournament have to announce their preliminary line-ups by December 19, and zero in on the final fifteen before January 19 next year.

Preliminary Squad: Shakib Al Hasan, Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Roqibul Hassan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Abdur Razzak, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shahriar Nafees, Nazimuddin, Shamsur Rahman, Jahirul Islam, Sahagir Hossain, Syed Rasel, Shahadat Hossain, Mahbubul Alam, Dolar Mahmud, Mithun Ali, Nasir Hossain, Shuvogoto Chowdhury, Shabbir Rahman, Alok Kapali, Enamul Haque Jr.

Australia pick Hodge in initial World Cup squad

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Brad Hodge has made the squad of 30 for the World Cup © Getty Images Enlarge

Brad Hodge has been given some hope of playing for Australia again, after being named in the preliminary 30-man squad for next year's World Cup. Brett Lee is also in the running for Australia's title defence, while James Pattinson is the only man in the group who hasn't played for Australia in any format.

The squad will be pruned to 15 by January 19, giving the selectors just one ODI against England to answer any remaining questions they have about their players. Lee has a strong chance of being part of the tournament, which starts in February, as he has 15 Ryobi Cup wickets at 21.73 this summer, while Hodge is the form batsman in the competition with three hundreds from seven games.

"There is blend of youth and experience in this extended group with exciting young talent like David Warner, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Stephen O'Keefe all pushing for inclusion in the final fifteen," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. "These players have some opportunity between now and January 19 to push for a spot in the final squad of 15.

"Australia is the reigning world champion and also holds the ICC Champions Trophy in the 50-over game. We've selected an initial squad with conditions in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in mind and expect this group to be equal to the challenge ahead."

Squad Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Steve O'Keefe, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Rahane, Pujara in World Cup preliminary squad

ESPNcricinfo staff

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This is Ajinkya Rahane's first call-up to an India squad, even if it is a preliminary list © Associated Press Enlarge

Mumbai middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane is the only uncapped player to be included in India's 30-member preliminary World Cup squad. Cheteshwar Pujara, who made a promising half-century on Test debut against Australia, has also been picked, as have opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan, legspinner Piyush Chawla and allrounder Yusuf Pathan. There was, however, no place for Yusuf's brother Irfan, who has missed the initial stages of the Ranji Trophy with an injury.

The list, which will be trimmed to 15 players by January 19, also included three wicketkeepers in addition to MS Dhoni - Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Wriddhiman Saha. Karthik used to be India's first-choice wicketkeeper as a back-up for Dhoni, but he was left out of the recent one-day series against New Zealand, where Saha took over for the first three matches. Parthiv was handed a couple of games as well - when Saha left early as a part of the Test squad for South Africa - and scored two half-centuries, making use of his first chance at the highest level in six years.

Yusuf forced his way back into the reckoning when he won the fourth one-dayer against New Zealand with a brutal 123 off 96 balls after India were reduced to 188 for 5 chasing 316. Ravindra Jadeja, who was the preferred all-round option for the majority of last season was also included in the squad. Irfan's absence from the list, however, highlighted just how far he has fallen in the eyes of India's selectors.

While the one-day side has looked settled in recent times, Dhoni has said a few places are still up for grabs, including one for a fast bowler and another for either an allrounder or a big-hitting lower-order batsman. India have not yet selected their side for the one-day series against South Africa, and with the first game to be played on January 12, the make-up of that squad should be an indication of the composition of the final 15 for the World Cup.

Kris Srikkanth, chairman of the selection committee, said it was a team without surprises and expected a strong performance in home conditions. "This is a probables team and everyone selects himself," Srikkanth said. "There is one more month to go to select the final team and we will sit down and think calmly before finalising the team. They have been doing well in one-day cricket. The World Cup is happening in the subcontinent and I am confident that the team will do well."

Preliminary squad: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Saurabh Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha, Dinesh Karthik, Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar

No surprises in preliminary Ireland squad

ESPNcricinfo staff

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With an average of 26.60 in one-day internationals, left-arm spinner George Dockrell could be vital to Ireland's World Cup campaign © Getty Images Enlarge

There were no surprises in Ireland's preliminary 22-man squad for the World Cup, with Will Porterfield to captain and Ed Joyce set to return to international cricket with Ireland more than five years after his last match for the country of his birth.

Ireland's emphasis appeared to be on experience, with seven of the players currently attached to English counties and eight members of the squad having participated in the last World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.

"There's a lot of experience in the squad, but that's balanced by the fact we've got a few exciting youngsters as well," explained coach Phil Simmons. "Both Paul Stirling and George Dockrell have turned in some great performances in 2010, and the World Cup will be a great stage for them.

"Our training camp in India last month went well and it was fantastic preparation for the conditions which we'll be facing when the tournament starts."

Questions do however remain over the fitness of two members of the squad. Fast bowler Boyd Rankin is suffering from a long-term foot injury that first flared up in January this year and, after a short recovery, ruled him out of Ireland's World Cup training camp in India. Left-arm spinner Regan West is recovering from a shoulder injury.

"Boyd is bowling again and on track to be fully fit for the tournament," said Simmons. "Regan is working hard after his shoulder operations, and will undergo a final fitness assessment before the final squad is announced. We're still hopeful that he'll make it."

Ireland will travel to Dubai in January for a pre-World Cup training camp, and have scheduled warm-up games against New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Nagpur before their first game in the competition proper against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 25. India, England, Netherlands, South Africa and West Indies are the other teams in Ireland's group.

Preliminary Ireland squad: William Porterfield (capt), Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Phil Eaglestone, Allan Eastwood, James Hall, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, Andrew Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert van der Merwe, Regan West, Gary Wilson, Andrew White, Craig Young.

Lorgat urges World Cup organisers to monitor Pakis

Lorgat urges World Cup organisers to monitor Pakistan

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	Haroon Lorgat: "We [the ICC] are planning a World Cup for all four countries." © AFP Enlarge

The ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has asked the 2011 World Cup organising committee to consider shifting venues if the political climate in Pakistan worsens. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are to co-host the World Cup in February-March 2011 but Lorgat said security concerns in Pakistan need to be monitored.

"It [alternate venues] is a consideration we have to give attention to," Lorgat said at a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament. "This is not something we discussed today, except to ask the organisers to consider alternate host city venues within the country as well as alternate country venues in the event something is not favourable in one of the particular host countries."

Pakistan has struggled to attract touring teams for a number of years because of security concerns. Australia postponed their full tour of Pakistan last year and India pulled out of a tour starting in January this year in the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist strikes, following which Sri Lanka agreed to a split tour. Earlier this month the ICC decided not to stage the postponed 2009 Champions Trophy in Pakistan after several members expressed reservations about touring the country.

Lorgat did not think it was time to panic about 2011. "I think it's still a long way off to [the] World Cup," he said. "It is certainly a consideration to keep note of but it's way too early to be already concerned at this particular stage."

Relations have deteriorated between India and Pakistan after last year's Mumbai attacks but Lorgat did not think that would affect the World Cup. "This issue must be approached with an optimistic viewpoint, certainly because we still have some time in hand. I think it's way too early to be presumptuous and assume that things won't work," he said. "When we come close to the event, obviously we have to pay much more attention to the issues like safety, security and relation between the countries. But I can assure you at this stage we are planning a World Cup for all four countries."

Among other things, it was decided that, subject to a final approval from the ICC board, the opening ceremony for the event would take place in Bangladesh on February 19, 2011 and the tournament would be spread over six weeks, shorter than in the West Indies in 2007.

The planning committee has appointed Salim Butt as its managing director. Lorgat said a number of groups had also been created "so that we can deliver a successful, world-class event."

"I am pleased to see that planning arrangements are gathering speed," said Lorgat. "It is no secret that from an organisational point of view we are a little behind the clock at the moment, but I'm pleased to say the pace has now quickened and the various parties are stepping up to deliver what I fully believe will be a great celebration of world cricket."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

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Inzamam slams 'unprofessional' Pakistan board

Ajay S Shankar

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	Inzamam-ul-Haq: "If the PCB didn't have an ICC clearance, it had no right to name these players in the list and then tell them after a day that 'Look, we don't respect you'" © ICL Enlarge
Related Links News : Waqar doubts ICL players' commitment In Focus: ICL vs BCCI Players/Officials: Abdul Razzaq | Imran Nazir | Inzamam-ul-Haq | Naved-ul-Hasan Series/Tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup | ICL 20-20 Indian Championship Teams: Pakistan

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain, has slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board's "unprofessional thinking" for dropping three ICL players from its list of probables for the World Twenty20 in June after initially naming them in the squad. Inzamam, who is also captain of ICL's Lahore Badshahs, said the Pakistan board and the selectors should have shown more respect to the three players who have represented the country.

Inzamam also criticised the ICC's move to implement stringent guidelines on unofficial cricket from June 1 to prevent future ICL models, and said the governing body was only scared of losing sponsorship money to independent organisers.

On Tuesday, the PCB backed out of a potential face-off with the ICC by dropping three ICL players - Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan - from its list of 30 probables for the ICC World Twenty20 in June. Nazir and Naved-ul-Hasan played under Inzamam last season and Razzaq appeared for ICL's Hyderabad Heroes.

"The Pakistan board should not have announced the list if they were not clear about all aspects of the selection," Inzamam told Cricinfo. "One day they announced the list, and the next day they reversed it. This is the result of unprofessional thinking by the board and the selectors. If the PCB didn't have an ICC clearance, it had no right to name these players in the list and then tell them after a day that 'Look, we don't respect you'."

Asked about the ICC's move to crack down on unofficial cricket, including imposing stricter rules and a proposed cooling period for players who want to return, Inzamam accused the governing body of adopting double standards.

"The ICC is just scared that the money they generate from the game should not go to others," Inzamam said. "The ICC is bothered only about that. During the days when there was not so much money in cricket, players used to play in tournaments which had no official status in countries like Bangladesh; the ICC had no problems. The ICC is just worried that their sponsorship money would splinter. The ICC is worried about ICL only because of the money, otherwise they know these players are only playing cricket and not committing any crime."

Reacting to reports in the Pakistani media that Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain, was keen to include ICL players in the national team, Inzamam said it was the right way for a leader to think. "If Younis feels that with the return of ICL players, his team will get better or stronger, it's absolutely the right thought," he said. "The presence of players like Mohammed Yousuf, Nazir, Razzaq and Naved-ul Hasan will only strengthen the Pakistan team."

Pakistan's next international engagement is a five-match ODI series and a Twenty20 against Australia in Abu Dhabi from April 22-May 7.

Ajay Shankar is deputy editor of Cricinfo

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World Cup matches moved out of Pakistan

Cricinfo staff

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Pakistan has been stripped of hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup because of the "uncertain security situation" in the country, the ICC said.

"It is a regrettable decision (but) our number one priority is to create certainty and...deliver a safe, secure and successful event," ICC president David Morgan said in a statement.

"However, our number one priority was and is to deliver a safe, secure and successful event and the uncertainty created by events within Pakistan created a huge question mark over our ability to do just that."

The ICC added that Pakistan was unlikely to resume hosting any cricket at all until 2011. It also said the World Cup secretariat would be moved out of Pakistan to a location to be decided by the organising committee. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the other co-hosts, will now share the 16 matches that were to be held in Pakistan.

Ijaz Butt, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, expressed regret. "It's a disappointing decision but it can't be helped. Nobody wants to play in Pakistan following the attacks in Lahore," Butt said. He was referring to the attack on Sri Lanka's touring cricketers in Lahore on March 3, in which eight Pakistanis were killed and seven Sri Lankan players injured.

Pakistan were due to co-host the event with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but the deteriorating security situation has posed a serious problem for the PCB. The news came during the first day of the ICC board meeting in Dubai.

Pakistan's status as a host of international matches has been uncertain for some time - the Champions Trophy was shifted out last year and, in January, India became the latest country to cancel a tour when they pulled out of a bilateral series. However, the Lahore attack seemed to have sealed their fate on hosting the World Cup.

The attack itself also came up for discussion at the meeting, with match referee Chris Broad, who was on duty for the Test, and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jaywardane (via telephone) giving their version of what happened.

It was decided that Lord Condon, chairman of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, would lead a task team - including ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and directors Jack Clarke and Shashank Manohar - would conduct a review of security arrangements for all international cricket.

The review, Lorgat said, would include an assessment of whether current security protocols employed by ICC Members were adequate and, if not, how they could be improved. It would also, if necessary, approach other sports to see if there was scope for information-sharing in the way security is conducted across major events around the world.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

ICC decision unjust - Intikhab Alam

Cricinfo staff

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Apprehension over touring Pakistan reached its peak following the Lahore attack © AFP Enlarge

Related Links News : Chairman did not abstain from World Cup vote - PCB News : Miandad slams 'hasty' ICC decision News : Pakistan lodge protest over World Cup shift News : Pakistan sports minister urges ICC to reconsider decision Osman Samiuddin : Sad, but it's the right call News : World Cup matches moved out of Pakistan In Focus: Security concerns Players/Officials: Intikhab Alam Series/Tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup Teams: Pakistan

Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan coach, has said that the move to strip Pakistan of the rights to host the 2011 World Cup is "unjust" and a blow that, he said, would be hard to overcome.

"I am hugely disappointed," Alam said in Dubai. "Pakistan has been singled out for security, which is unjust and has hit our cricket with a big, big blow that will be hard to overcome for years."

The ICC executive board made its decision following a meeting on Friday, citing the "uncertain security situation" in Pakistan in the aftermath of the Lahore attack on March 3, when six policemen and two civilians were killed as gunmen fired at the Sri Lankan team bus. The ICC had also added that Pakistan was unlikely to resume hosting any tournament at all until 2011. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who are the other co-hosts for the World Cup, will now stage all the matches.

Alam, however, said this was unfair as he felt the security situation in the three other countries hosting the competition was also "not good", and that the scenario in Pakistan could improve with two years still to go.

"India had to move their high-profile league because of security fears," he said, referring to the IPL, which was moved to South Africa as the competition clashed with India's parliamentary elections. "We couldn't tour Bangladesh as there were security fears in the wake of military mutiny. The situation in Sri Lanka is not good, either, with Tamil (rebels) fighting a war against the Sri Lankan army. So why does only Pakistan suffer?

"[The ICC made] a hasty decision because the World Cup is still two years away and things are getting better in Pakistan... They should have waited for a few months."

Alam, who is currently in the UAE for Pakistan's ODI and Twenty20 series against Australia, said his players were shocked at the ICC's decision. "When the players got to know about it, they were shocked. They are sad to play their cricket away from their home, away from their fans and now they will have to play their World Cup matches elsewhere."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

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