Alviro Petersen replaces injured Smith for South Africa

Alviro Petersen has replaced his Test opening partner, Graeme Smith in South Africa's Champions Trophy squad. Smith has been ruled out following the recurrence of an ankle injury that requires surgery. Petersen will partner Hashim Amla at the top of the order to bring stability to a South African line-up that will be without Smith and Jacques Kallis, after the latter opted out due to personal reasons. He was picked on the value of his experience, strong county form and a modest record in the format, despite not having played an ODI since January 2012.

In the last month, Petersen has scored 537 runs for Somerset across the county championship and the Yorkshire Bank 40 series to enjoy what convener of selectors, Andrew Hudson called the "form of his life." More importantly for Hudson, it proves Petersen has adjusted well to English conditions, which South Africa see as a challenge they must overcome if they hope to lift ICC silverware for the first time in 15 years.

"With the tournament being played early in the England summer, we envisage that bowling conditions will favour the seamers and getting good partnerships going up front is going to be paramount to success," Hudson said.

Patience is one of the hallmarks of Petersen's game, as he showed during his 182 at Headingley during South Africa's tour of England last year. "He is a proper, proven opening batter," Geoff Toyana, Peterson's coach at the Lions franchise in South Africa, said. "He is technically sound and he knows how to build an innings."

Although Petersen played only one 50-over game for the Lions last season, due to international commitments, Toyana chose to use him in the final when he was available. He scored 56, batting at No.4 in the washed-out encounter.

He also played an important part in the Lions Twenty20 campaign, which they won. In those matches, Petersen also batted in the middle-order as part of the Lions' plan to "see his other game". Toyana explained they wanted Petersen to show he could accelerate when needed.

"We wanted to show what he could do when the field was out, and he could clear boundaries and hit into gaps. He adapted to that very well, he showed he can hit the ball in the latter stages of the innings," Toyana said. "I think he can get that balance right for South Africa, as well. He is a smart guy and he will work it out. He knows it's a great opportunity for him especially because he has not played much one-day cricket."

While scoring runs will be Petersen's primary job, he will also have to fill in for Smith in the leadership role. South Africa's one-day squad is notably lacking in players of stature on whom AB de Villiers has leaned on heavily in the past to assist in decision-making. As captain of the Lions, and a regular member of the Test team, Petersen has earned the respect of his compatriots and will be in a position to assist de Villiers if needed.

Ramdin happy with “valuable preparation” ahead of Champions Trophy

CAVE HILL, Barbados – West Indies wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin says he is looking to get the most out of the preparation period as he and team-mates get ready for the ICC Champions Trophy next month.

The 28-year-old, who has kept wicket for the Windies in 97 One-Dayers since his debut in 2005, believes it is vitally important that the team uses the build-up time wisely as they bid to win the Champions Trophy for the second time.

The team is a camp which started on Monday and will end on Friday. They will depart from Barbados on Saturday and have another camp in Cardiff, Wales from May 25 to June 2 as they try to get acclimatised to the foreign conditions.

“A tour to England or a tournament in England …it is always important to get there early to get used to the conditions. The weather is always unpredictable. You have to go there early and get accustomed to the outdoor conditions. Two and a half weeks is good time to get ready. We have two matches before our first match of the competition so that will be very good for us,” Ramdin said.

“We have two new balls now [in One-Day Internationals], not just one. It’s very challenging in England at this time of the year so having the right kind of preparation is great and should do the team a world of good.”

The ICC Champions Trophy will feature eight teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The tournament will be played across three venues – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval – from June 6-23.

The Windies have been drawn in Group B alongside the Indians, the Pakistanis and the South Africans. They open against Pakistan on Friday, June 7 at the Oval and return to the famous venue on Tuesday, June 11 to take on India. The final preliminary match will be against the Proteas on Friday, June 14 in Cardiff.

“Hopefully we can get that in this tournament and get the chemistry right. The first game is very important. Once we can overcome in that game, it will give us some form of confidence,” Ramdin said.

“Pakistan is a team, you know, where anything can happen on the day with those guys. India is one of the best teams in the world along with Australia and South Africa. Those teams are playing really good one day cricket but with the conditions you never know.

India to play two practice matches before Champions Trophy opener

The Indian team is scheduled to play two warm-up games against Sri Lanka and Australia ahead of its ICC Champions Trophy Group B opener against South Africa next month in England.

The practice match against Sri Lanka is scheduled on June 1, followed by the tie against Australia on June 4, according to BCCI sources.

The 15-member Indian squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will leave for England from here on May 29, three days after the Pepsi Indian Premier League final match at Kolkata.

India would begin their campaign of the eight-team tournament against South Africa at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.

They are to clash with the West Indies at the Kennington Oval in London on June 11, and then conclude the four-team group engagement on June 15 against arch-rival Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are in Group A.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semifinals scheduled on June 19 and 20 at Kennington Oval and Sophia Gardens respectively with the winners advancing to the June 23 final to be played at Edgbaston.

South Africa missing twin pillars

Take 45% away from a house and you could be without the foundations, some of the walls and maybe even the roof. Take 45% out a car and it will be minus the engine, the gearbox and perhaps the safety belts. Take 45% out of South Africa's one-day squad and it is missing Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.

Between them, the pair have played 514 ODIs. The remaining squad members have only amassed 652. Had Smith been fit and Kallis not opted out, they would have made up almost half of the experience and would have more games to their name than all the remaining batsmen collectively.

Kallis alone has played more matches than all of the bowlers combined. He is one of a handful of survivors in the international game from the inaugural Champions Trophy. He was part of the 1998 South Africa team that won what was then called the Wills International Cup but has not been able to add major tournament silverware to his CV since then.

Neither have South Africa. Now they will attempt to break the 15 year trophy drought without two of their sturdiest pillars. But what do they miss out on besides experience? After all, in 12 tournaments after that - four World Cups, four World Twenty20s and four Champions Trophies - South Africa returned empty handed despite having the services of both Smith and Kallis for all but one event. Smith did not play the last World T20 in Sri Lanka but Kallis was recalled to the format specifically for the competition.

In fact, some of the time the two heavyweights were deemed the cause of the team's shortcomings at major tournaments, especially the 2007 one. Smith and Kallis were among those accused of being unfit in West Indies and Kallis was blamed for dramatically slowing down the chase in a group stage match against Australia in that World Cup.

But those examples are exceptions. More often than not, the pair are credited for forming the consistent base that has allowed South Africa to win matches and series, albeit not the most important ones.

On reputation alone, they would earn a place in most teams. Kallis' two-in-one ability has given South Africa what Gary Kirsten often calls a 12th man who does more than carry drinks. Smith has frequently come under the spotlight for being out of form in the 50-over game but he always rectifies that with important innings at important times. Since January last year, he has notched up three half-centuries and two hundreds but it is not the numbers that illustrate his real worth, especially not this time.

It is Smith's value as a captain without the title that will be missed most because AB de Villiers is still uncertain in the job. De Villiers has admitted he is still finding his feet and that is obvious in some of his decision-making, such as fielding positions and bowling changes. Over the last summer, Smith was obviously assisting him with both despite having relinquished the leadership role after the 2011 World Cup.

There won't be time to relax in Champions Trophy: Misbah

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq on Tuesday said there won't be time to relax for any team in the upcoming Champions Trophy and none of the side can be labelled as favourite.

Pakistan along with India, South Africa and the West Indies will feature in group B in the eight-team competition.

"This is a tournament the top eight teams are playing, so no team is an easy team here. You have to take every game as a tough game. Top eight teams, you never know who's going to beat who. So you need to be 100 percent all the time. You can't relax in this sort of tournament," Misbah said at the press conference.

ICC Champions Trophy : Any match against India is always special: Hafeez

KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is all geared up for the upcoming Champions Trophy clash against India, and said any encounter between the traditional rivals on the cricketing field is ‘always very special’. Hafeez told Pakistan reporters in Ireland, where the team are preparing for a one-day series against the hosts, that the players were eagerly awaiting the match against India, as it would also determine their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament.

Pakistan and India will clash on June 15 at Edgbaston in one of the most awaited fixtures of the ICC event. “A match against India is always very special and as usual we are awaiting the match. But we will be trying to play every game in the tournament in the same manner and with same passion,” Hafeez, who is Pakistan’s T20 captain, said. “The match against India should be electric and I always enjoy playing against India because the atmosphere is different and the environment is charged. Both the teams give more than 100 per cent to do well,” he added.

He said he was expecting an exciting clash against India in the Champions Trophy and it would be a different experience playing in English conditions. Hafeez said the good thing about the present Pakistan team was that most of the players have previously played in England either in league or county cricket or for the national team. “That experience will come in very handy for us and it is good we are already playing Scotland and Ireland prior to the tournament in England,” Hafeez said.

He recalled that when Pakistan last toured England in 2010, they had done well in the ODI that followed the spot-fixing scandal. “The good thing was that despite everything the people were always supporting us at every ground. The good thing about playing in England is that we have a large Pakistani community supporting us strongly,” he said. The 32-year old said despite the absence of senior players like Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan, the Champions Trophy-bound team was a good blend of youth and experience and the bowling attack was its strongest point. “I think Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan will prove to be a handful in English conditions with the new ball and than we have great backup and a quality spinner in Saeed Ajmal,” he noted.

Can Team India conquer the last Champions Trophy crown?

It was a great finish to the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite the fixing saga that has dented the image of the tournament to a great extent. The star-studded Mumbai Indians team has finally lifted the IPL trophy under their young captain Rohit Sharma. Cricket fans have been so engrossed with the IPL for the last seven or eight weeks that they ignored the other cricket matches happening across the globe.

Now that Team India’s next international fixture is the upcoming Champions Trophy 2013 in England, the focus and attention shifts to the country in which the game was invented. It is always exciting to watch cricket in England, especially in the conditions where the contest between bat and the ball will be even as the wickets there provide an equal opportunity for the batsmen and the bowlers to dominate each other.

The Indian selection committee had picked the squad for the Champions Trophy a month before the start of the tournament and that must have given the players adequate time to erase any technical flaws in their game to adjust their playing style as per the conditions in England. However, all the players in the squad have been playing in the IPL which probably is not the best way to prepare themselves for England. We all know that the amount of swing the bowlers can extract on the English soil which could make batting difficult in bowler-friendly conditions. It’s essential for the team to have technically well-equipped batsmen who can adjust to the conditions and score runs at a free flow.

Some of the most experienced batsmen of the Indian team have retired recently and a few are out of form and hence, they could not be a part of the squad that is touring England. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul David have retired and they were amongst the very few batsmen who could adjust quickly and play very well on the English soil. Remember India included Rahul Dravid in the ODI team in the 2011 England tour as many players struggled to score runs. Players such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh have been left out due to their poor form. Considering the team that India has got, it’s going to be a challenge for the batsmen to perform well in the Champions Trophy.

Dilhara Lokuhettige replaces injured Welegedara

Sri Lankan fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara is unlikely to travel to England for the Champions Trophy, after failing to recover sufficiently from an ankle injury he sustained on May 18. Welegedara failed a fitness test on Wednesday morning, and Sri Lanka Cricket have since named seam bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige as a replacement. The selection was cleared by the sports minister, but has not yet been approved by the ICC.

Lokuhettige, 32, played eight ODIs for Sri Lanka in 2005, and two Twenty20 internationals in 2008. He has six ODI wickets at 36.83. He has largely been picked on his form in the recently concluded List A tri-series in Pallekele, where he was the joint highest wicket-taker: nine scalps at an average of 17.66. If approved, he will be one of four pace specialists on tour, with Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga and Nuwan Kulasekara also traveling. Allrounders Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews are part of the squad as well.

"SLC have written to the ICC Event Technical Committee regarding this replacement," an SLC statement said. "The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad."

Welegedara had picked up the injury during the penultimate match of the tri-series, which he left, in pain, during his third over. His chances of traveling to England had looked promising on Tuesday after scans revealed no breaks or fractures, but inflammation persisted and he was unable to put sufficient weight on his landing foot.

Welegedara, also 32, was the leader of Sri Lanka's Test pace attack, but has been plagued by injury in the last 12 months, in which he only completed one Test match. He strained his groin playing England in March last year, before tearing a shoulder muscle before the Pakistan series in July. He recovered in time to travel to Australia at the end of the year, but tore a hamstring early in the second Test in Melbourne, and has not played any international cricket since. Largely regarded a Test specialist, Welegedara has not played limited-overs international cricket since June 2010.

ICC announces schedule of warm-up matches ahead of Champions Trophy

Dubai:  The ICC has announced the schedule of warm-up matches to be played in the lead-up to the Champions Trophy, to be staged at Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval from June 6 to 23.

Schedule | Stats

The warm-up matches will be played from May 30 to June 4 at the three tournament venues. In line with previous ICC events, none of these matches will carry official ODI status.

On May 30, 2002 edition winner Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan in a day/night fixture at Edgbaston. This will be the first of the four warm-up matches, which will be televised live by STAR Sports, ICC's host broadcaster and global broadcast partner.

On June 1, India and Sri Lanka go head to head at Edgbaston in a day fixture. On the same day at Cardiff, defending champion Australia will take on 2004 winner West Indies in a day/night match.

On June 3, South Africa and Pakistan will lock horns at The Oval in a day match.

On June 4, Sri Lanka will square off against the West Indies at Edgbaston, and Australia will take on India.

In addition to the warm-up match, there will be captains' pre-tournament media conferences.

Following is the schedule of warm-up matches:

Thursday, 30 May - Pakistan v Sri Lanka (d/n), Edgbaston

Saturday, 1 June - India v Sri Lanka (d), Edgbaston

Saturday, 1 June - Australia v West Indies (d/n), Cardiff

Monday, 3 June - Pakistan v South Africa (d), The Oval

Tuesday, 4 June - Sri Lanka v West Indies (d), Edgbaston

ICC withdraws umpire Asad Rauf from Champions Trophy in wake of investigation by Mumbai Police in IPL spot fixing

International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced that it has withdrawn umpire Asad Rauf from the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 after media reports on Wednesday indicated that the 57-year-old umpire was under investigation by Mumbai Police.

David Richardson, ICC Chief Executive said, "In the wake of reports that the Mumbai Police are conducting an investigation into Asad Rauf's activities, we feel that it is in Asad's best interests as well as those of the sport and the event itself, that he is withdrawn from participating in the ICC Champions Trophy."

ICC Champions Trophy 2013 will be staged in England and Wales from 6-23 June.

Currently the Mumbai Police is questioning him.

Reports suggest that tainted actor Vindoo Dara Singh disclosed Rauf's name.

Meanwhile,according to media reports, Kolkata Police arrested ten bookies on Thursday from Kolkata. They will now be produced in the Sealdah court today.

Earlier in the day, Mumbai Police reached Chennai with the objective of questioning Chennai Super Kings 'principal' Gurunath Meiyappan, the son-in-law of team owner and Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan, in connection with the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal.

Meiyappan's name is figuring prominently in the interrogation of all those arrested so far, including Bollywood and television actor Vindoo Dara Singh.

Gurunath Meiyappan's questioning would revolve around his links with Vindoo and if he was involved in betting or was passing inside information about matches.

"Based on the outcome of the questioning, we will decide whether his actions fall under the domain of impropriety or invite legal action," the officer said yesterday.

ICC launches Champions Trophy website

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday launched an official event website for the ICC Champions Trophy to be staged in England and Wales between June 6 and 23.

The website will have short form match highlights from all matches in the tournament as well as exclusive behind the scenes content with all the teams and leading players, as well as special pieces around the event, says a press release issued here on Thursday.

The site will allow fans to follow live ball-by-ball coverage, including an exclusive interactive video scorecard, of all warm-up and event matches. A new and unique feature of the site will also allow fans to enter the special `Hot or Not' contest to choose the `hottest' moment in ODI cricket from among a selection of the 50 best moments in the format.

The supporters of the game will receive an opportunity to pick, for example, whether Javed Miandad's last ball six to seal Pakistan's famous win against India at Sharjah in 1986 is hotter than Sachin Tendulkar of India's double hundred in February 2010 against South Africa in an ODI.

Campbell Jamieson, the ICC's General Manager Commercial, said, "The Champions Trophy is of course the best versus best in the ODI format and this seems an ideal time for us to have launched the opportunity for fans to pick their best moment in the ODI format."

Pakistan has been placed in Group B of the Champions Trophy besides India, South Africa and West Indies. On the other hand Group A includes Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England.

Pakistan will be playing its opener against West Indies on June 7, second match on June 10 against South Africa and the third match against arch-rivals India on June 15.

Batting holds key for Pakistan in Champions Trophy: Rashid Latif

KARACHI: After reviewing Pakistan's batsmen show against Scotland and Ireland, batting may be problem for Misbah-ul- Haq's team and it holds the key, former captain Rashid Latif said on Monday.

"Though on the papers, Pakistan batting looked very experienced in Misbah, Hafeez, Imran, Malik, Kamran. But its lacking consistency", he said in an interview.

"Though, Scotland and Ireland are not very highly rated team. But even against top batting slopped which was a bit worry," he commented.

He said Champions Trophy event which goes into action from June 6 is going very tough and competitive with world's best eight teams in action.

"It will be altogether different proposition in Champions Trophy and Pakistan top order batting should be consistent. Otherwise it may put a lot of pressure on the middle order," he said.

"Our batsmen like Hafeez, Asad, Misbah, Kamran were got in patches which may making thing difficult for them", he pointed.

He openers like Nasir Jamshed and Imran Farhat were unable to come up with big knocks.

"Good scoring by these two could have raised their confidence. Lets hope that Nasir, Imran, Asad gain some boost with good showing in warm-up matches," he emphasized.

He said all three team's grouped with Pakistan like West Indies, South Africa and India are tough team's.

"Batting holds the key for the Pakistan team and their chances for place in semi-final hinges on them," he maintained.

Clarke set to make Ashes dream 'a reality' with Champions Trophy success

Sydney, May 26 (ANI): Australian captain Michael Clarke has said that the time has come to make their Ashes dream a reality, adding that the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy will be part of an ideal lead in for the Ashes.

Insisting that they have set their own high standards in pursuit of the Ashes, Clarke said that for Australian cricketers, nothing is bigger than an Ashes tour, adding that for many of their young players, it will be their first experience of Test matches in England, News.com.au reports.

According to Clarke, the anticipation for the five-Test series has built up during the past month as they trained with white balls for the Champions Trophy and English Dukes for the Ashes.

Stating that winning the Champions Trophy will enable them to carry that momentum into the Ashes as success breeds success, Clarke said that he is looking forward to playing against England at Edgbaston on June 8 in the eight-nation tournament, adding that it will provide them an early look at their Test opponents.

Clarke further said that he has a good feeling about the Champions Trophy having won the last two, adding that this tournament is extra special because it is the last Champions Trophy, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) introducing a four-yearly World Test Championship from 2017.

According to the Australian skipper, although it may be easy to dismiss the Champions Trophy match against England in context of the Ashes, he would rather beat England than lose to them, adding that a player gets confidence if he is making a good performance in a game, no matter what the format is.

Clarke also dismissed fears of being upstaged by England in terms of preparation, saying that his team will have plenty of time to prepare even though England may already be underway with their international season, playing a Test series against New Zealand.

Expressing his pleasure that many of his players have come back from injuries fit and fine in time for a heavy workload, Clarke said that high standards set by their coaching and fitness staff have been met, adding that Cricket Australia's high performance manager Pat Howard also deserved credit for some very good forward planning.(ANI)

Champions Trophy team profile: India

Overview
The World Champions have won the tournament once before, but that was on sub-continental conditions in 2002. They will strive to be only the second team, after Australia, to hold both the World Cup and Champions Trophy simultaneously. If they manage to achieve this feat, they will under-line their status as the best ODI team in the world.

Strengths
The captaincy of MS Dhoni is one of India's greatest strengths. He has a calming influence which will be vital in extracting the best out of his young squad.

Raw talent is the greatest strength in a team that has not been over-coached (a flaw often associated with England and South Africa). The talent is evenly distributed between the young batsmen and the spin bowlers, all of whom are very good limited overs players.

Weaknesses
Similar to the other sub-continental teams, India have struggled to put together a squad that will flourish in the English conditions. Their best bowlers are undoubtedly the spinners who will receive very little help from the surfaces.

The other worry that team management must have is the lack of experience in the batting ranks. The days of Tendulkar, Dravid and Sehwag are sadly over and they have left very large shoes to fill. The likes of Kohli and Raina have all the talent in the world, but will be unfamiliar with the conditions. By the time the young batting order get accustomed to the foreign wickets, the tournament may already be over for the World Champions.

One To Watch
He is young, talented and one of the most competitive men in the world of cricket. India will probably find themselves in the unenviable position of losing early wickets, and it will be up to Virat Kohlito dig them out of trouble. If India is going to compete in this tournament then Kohli is going to have to score heaps of runs.

Probable Bench-Warmer
It is clear by the amount of pace bowlers in the squad that some of them will sit out, but it is almost impossible to know who will miss out. The one unfortunate member of the squad who is sure to spend most of his time on the bench is Dhoni's understudy, Dinesh Karthik. The only way that he will get a run is if one of the front line batsmen is injured and he is called up as a specialist batsman.

Last Three Tournament Finishers
2009: Group A exit to Australia
2006: Group A exit to Australia
2004: Group C exit to Pakistan

Cricket365 Prediction
India are the current World Champions and therefore cannot be ignored. This however, is a very different Indian team to the one that conquered the world in 2010. The inexperience of the squad coupled with the alien conditions suggests that they will be making an early exit in the final instalment of the Champions Trophy.

Squad
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav.

Boult doubtful for Champions Trophy

New Zealand's need to regroup after their Test defeatagainst England before the Champions Trophy has been made doubly difficult by the possibility that they will lose Trent Boult for the tournament because of injury.

Boult has carried the fight for New Zealand with 19 wickets at 25.47 in five Tests, home and away, against England, but his side strain is not responding to treatment and he will have a scan in London on Wednesday to assess the damage.

"He's not looking great," New Zealand's captain,Brendon McCullum, lamented. "He is still not moving that freely which is a shame because he's been a revelation for us this season."

Until a fateful Sunday at Lord's, New Zealand had pressed England all the way, but their capitulation for 68 in only 22.3 overs against Stuart Broad and James Anderson was an experience from which they never recovered.

"Right up until that point our self-belief was very high and that ripped our hearts out and just started to create some self-doubt among us, which is a horrible thing in this game," McCullum said. "That's what unfolded in this Test. We still had periods where we dominated but they didn't last long enough and the periods of England dominating seemed to last a lot longer.

"We saw in this Test match England flexing their muscles and us not being able to respond. It's incredibly disappointing. If you look back on the last five Test matches we've played some good cricket and taken some strides forward but it's fair to say this one was a step backwards."

McCullum has seen enough to favour England in the Ashes later this summer. "England are red-hot favourites at home, their ability to swing the Dukes ball is huge," he said. "Any team that plays at home is familiar with the surroundings."

There will be no overreaction to New Zealand's batting failures if McCullum gets his way. He insisted that he retained faith in the potential of the group that, until the past ten days, had begun to promise a brighter Test future.

"If you fast forward 18 months, we've got the makings of a very good cricket team," he said. "I'm a big fan of protecting the people who have performed for a period of time and that's what we've seen from this group of players. We've got the right mix and the right balance in this group and we need to keep improving as a team and smooth out some of our rough edges."

Michael Clarke targets Champions Trophy to lever Australia into Ashes

Sydney:  Skipper Michael Clarke said on Sunday he is looking for success in next month's Champions Trophy to gain Ashes series momentum for his side against England.

Clarke and several players left on Sunday for England to prepare for the June 6-23 Champions Trophy in England and Wales as a prelude to the five-Test Ashes series in July-August.

While interest has centred on the Ashes starting at Nottingham's Trent Bridge ground on July 10, Clarke said is prioritising what is immediately ahead of his team in the Champions Trophy.

"Obviously the build-up and the talk is going to be about the Ashes, but for us as a team we're very focused on the Champions Trophy," Clarke told reporters at Sydney Airport.

"We know already that if you are not 100 percent focused, you've got no chance.

"I think you'll see a really focused one-day outfit in this Champions Trophy tournament.

"I think the extra motivation if we can have success in this one-day tournament, and drag that confidence and momentum into the first Test, I think that will be very handy.

"We've got a really good squad and some good options to win the Champions Trophy and I'm confident if we can play our best we can have some success in this tournament."

Clarke nominated England, South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan as Australia's major rivals for the Champions Trophy.

Australia are chasing their third straight Champions Trophy after winning in India (2006) and South Africa (2009).

Three veterans of the Champions Trophy

Dubai: The ICC Champions Trophy has, over the years, seen spectacular individual performances from some of the finest cricketers in the game.

Though, as a team, Australia has stood tall and are now aiming for a hat-trick of titles, players from other nations have also stolen the thunder with their batting and bowling exploits.

Very few have managed to play in all the six editions of the tournament: Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Rahul Dravid (India), Ricky Ponting (Australia), Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis (both South Africa) share this honour having played from 1998 to the last edition in 2009.

This edition will have three cricketers joining this illustrious group to have appeared in this tournament six times: Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori.

Michael Clarke says the Champions Trophy, not the Ashes, is Australia's first point of focus

Australian captain Michael Clarke says success at the Champions Trophy one-day tournament would be a big boost for his side going into the Ashes.

Clarke and several players left from different cities on Sunday bound for the United Kingdom to start an arduous campaign.

While much of the attention has centred on the five-Test series starting in July and Australia's quest to regain the Ashes, Clarke is prioritising the Champions Trophy tournament being held in England and Wales through the first three weeks of June.

"At this stage I haven't thought about the batting order for the Ashes, I haven't thought about their first XI for the Ashes," Clarke said at Sydney Airport.

"My focus is wholly and solely on this Champions Trophy tournament.

"Obviously the build-up and the talk is going to be about the Ashes, but for us as a team we're very focused on the Champions Trophy.

"I think the extra motivation if we can have success in this one-day tournament, and drag that confidence and momentum into the first Test, I think that will be very handy.

"We've got a really good squad and some good options to win the Champions Trophy and I'm confident if we can play our best we can have some success in this tournament."

Clarke said he had no idea about where he would bat in the Test team, but would come in at number four in the one-day side.

Ranked number three in one-day cricket, Australia has won the two most recent Champions Trophy tournaments and the team is determined to win this one.

Clarke nominated several contenders for the title.

"Obviously England know the conditions so well," Clarke said.

"I think the conditions will probably suit the likes of South Africa, West Indies fast bowling attack.

"I think Pakistan has got a very good one-day team as well, so there's so many good one-day teams involved in this tournament.

"I think you have to be at your best from the first ball of the tournament."

He hoped his captaincy tenure would not be defined by more than just the next few months, which contains back-to-back Ashes series as well as the Champions Trophy.

"I've been captain for nearly two years, for me it's a huge opportunity, there's no doubt about," Clarke said.

He would not be drawn on talk Pakistan-born spinner Fawad Ahmed could be rushed into the Test squad if he received his Australian citizenship in time.

Can India win the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy?

Sporting teams mired in fixing controversies, historically, end up outperforming in a subsequent sporting event, the flag bearer being Italian football in 2006. Can India replicate the same and bring back smiles on a billion plus faces?

Relevant Form

The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 will be played during the early summer in the United Kingdom. In a bid to avoid low scoring games on seaming fresh pitches, excess swing early or under lights, and for peak  television slots, the organisers have agreed on a 10:30 am start for day games.

This move was necessary as the 50 over format is getting the slow death treatment. Incidentally, this is the last edition of the Champions Trophy. Yet, since Indian batsmen develop cold feet versus any bowler jogging in from a distance, especially when it is overseas, it’s pertinent to dissect their performance in the recent past in similar conditions.

Since the start of 2011, India played 22 matches outside the subcontinent, winning 7 and losing 12. While the 30% win percentage doesn’t make good reading, it’s a fair reflection, considering India locked horns with five different teams in four different continents.

Yet, they will land on the shores of England and Wales as the World Champion in the longest limited over format of the game. Add the lenses, scribes and anti-corruption blokes (who will now be stalking them more than ever), and MS Dhoni’s boys will continue being the most popular sporting team on earth during the month.

Indian cricket team departs for ICC Champions Trophy

Mumbai, May 29 (ANI): The Indian cricket team left for England on Wednesday morning to participate in the ICC Champions Trophy.

The ICC Champions Trophy is the second biggest one-day tournament after the World Cup that is, played by all Test playing nations.

Two groups with four teams each participate in a round-robin format in the first round with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-final.

India is placed in Group B, along with South Africa, arch-rival Pakistan and the West Indies.

The Indian team plays its first match on June 6 against South Africa. The final will be played on June 23. (ANI)

Proteas coach Gary Kirsten banking on IPL experience to boost Champions Trophy campaign

Johannesburg:  South Africa's coach Gary Kirsten has said the Proteas will be banking on the intensity gained by its players from playing in the Indian Premier League to boost their chances in the upcoming Champions Trophy in England.

"It's going to be really important for our players who have been playing in the IPL to bring their intensity to our squad," Kirsten told 'Business Day'.

"The IPL is very intense, and we are probably going to rely heavily on them in our warm-up games," he said before leaving for Amsterdam, where South Africa will play a one-day international against the Netherlands on Friday.

Of the 15-member South African squad for the Champions Trophy, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Faf du Plessis, Morne Morkel, Ryan McLaren and David Miller were part of the seven-week long league in India.

Kirsten conceded that it would be challenging to bring together players, who would be tired after the IPL, and those who have played little of late."It's not something we're unused to; that is the cricket landscape at the moment, and that's how we operate," he said.

"The guys adjust and adapt quickly. We're used to that space and we know it's each one's responsibility to make sure he's ready to go," he added.

It is an ideal opportunity for us to lift the Champions Trophy: MS Dhoni

Hours before team India leaves for the tour of United Kingdom to participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy a confident captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that side has a right mix of players that gives them an ideal opportunity to lift the title.

Dhoni while addressing the Press Conference said they have got the “right mix” in the fast bowling department that could exploit the seamer-friendly conditions during the Champions Trophy in England.

Bhuvaneshvar Kumar has impressed in a few opportunities he has got to play for the country. Umesh Yadav has regained fitness and Ishant Sharma did well for his side Sunrisers Hyderabad during the just-concluded IPL.

The trio will have a crucial role to play in the favourable conditions in England.

“When it comes to the fast bowling department, there are people who can exploit the conditions. Someone like Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) can swing the ball, there is Umesh (Yadav) who has pace. It’s a good department,” Dhoni told reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The team is leaving for England later on Tuesday for the June 6-23 tournament.

“They need to adjust to the new (ODI) rules. it’s important how quickly they adjust to the length and bowl in the right areas. We have got the right mix,” he added.

The India skipper indicated that the team was free of injuries.

“There is no official report from the physio so it’s a good sign.”

India are clubbed with Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies in group B, but it is the match against the arch-rival on June 15 that is most eagerly awaited.

“Both sides are balanced, (Saeed) Ajmal is a mystery bowler, we need to figure him out,” Dhoni said. Dhoni also wants openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan to utilise the opportunity.

“Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have done well in Tests, ODIs is different but as (coach) Duncan (Fletcher) said, it’s a good opportunity for them to capitalise.”

Talking about modifications in ODI rules, Dhoni said, “There are a few challenges, especially with the rule changes in ODIs. It will be the first time we will be playing outside the sub-continent after the rule change.”

And about the tournament, he said, “We have never won a Champions Trophy, this is a good opportunity for us, the tournament is being played for the last time so this is our last opportunity.”

India and Sri Lanka were joint winners in 2002 when rain had washed out the summit clash.

“We have got a balanced side. We will have a lot of time to prepare ourselves… there are also two warm-up matches.

“Lot depends on the conditions. It’s a good platform for youngsters to prove themselves in international level, there are few places up for grabs. Everything looking good now, there are lot of time in between the three matches in the league stage.

Asked about the team’s last tour of England where India lost all the ODIs after being whitewashed in the Test series, he said, “The last time in England we didn’t do well in the Test series, but in the ODIs we were decent, rain was a big factor and then losing all the tosses… it was difficult for the spinners to use the wet ball.”

However, the CSK skipper remained silent when questioned about the IPL  spot-fixing scandal that tainted the image of Indian cricket.

ICC Champions Trophy origins: 1998

After the conclusion of the showpiece that is the Indian Premier League, it is time to switch focus to the second shortest format of cricket – One Day Internationals (ODIs). With the advent of Twenty20, ODIs – which comprise 50 overs – do seem a tad boring to the new generation of fans that has sprouted around the world. Even so, this format has seen so many momentous occasions that it is almost impossible to imagine life without this avatar – thanks to Kerry Packer.

One of the historic occasions in this format was the conception of a short cricket tournament by the ICC in 1998 in order to raise funds for the development of cricket in the non-Test playing nations. It was dubbed as the Mini World Cup (and later officially renamed as the Wills International Cup) since all full members of the ICC were involved. A key aspect of this tournament was that it was planned as a knock-out competition, so that it was short and did not take away the sheen of the quadrennial World Cup tournament.

Since the entire contest was conceived for the benefit of non-Test playing countries, it was only fitting that the host country would be one of them, and Bangladesh was awarded that honour. Initially, it was announced that all nine ICC member nations would be ranked according to the seedings of the recently-concluded 1996 World Cup, meaning two teams had to play a qualifier to determine the final set of eight teams that would eventually play in the tournament. These two teams turned out to be New Zealand and  Zimbabwe, and the tourney took off with a knockout qualifier between them.

On October 24, 1998, the Mini World Cup took off, with Kiwi pacer Simon Doull delivering the first ever legal ball of the tournament. This pre-quarter Final saw a wonderful century from Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell and a composed knock of 77 from veteran wicket-keeper batsman Andy Flower. NZ left-arm seamer Geoff Allott picked up three key wickets to restrict the opposition to 258/7. Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming led a remarkable fightback with a brilliant 96, but it was all-rounder Chris Harris and pacer Alex Tait who scored the remaining 14 runs off the last over bowled by a wayward Neil Johnson – Harris hitting the winning boundary that sent the Zimbabweans packing. A thriller to say the least.

While the first couple of games had the captains performing extremely well for their sides, the match of October 28 changed that trend. The reason? Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was on the prowl. Though the game was a record 300th appearance in ODIs for Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin, it was the Little Master who stole the show with a rampaging 141 and a four-wicket haul against the mighty Australians. In reply to India’s mammoth 307/8, the Aussies collapsed for 263, with opener Mark Waugh delivering a fitting riposte with his knock of 74 off 79 balls and future skipper Ricky Ponting scoring 41.

As the tournament entered its final stages, there were some memorable performances from many players. Notable among them include SL skipper Arjuna Ranatunga’s magnificent unbeaten 90 against the high-flying Kiwis, West Indies opener Philo Wallace’s power-packed, match-winning 79 against Pakistan – the list is endless. In the process, the competition registered its first four semi-finalists in South Africa, West Indies, India and Sri Lanka.

Both the penultimate games turned out to be lopsided encounters. Young pacer Mervyn Dillon wrecked the Indian batting lineup with his fast deliveries, and only Sourav Ganguly (83) & all-rounder Robin Singh (73*) were able to offer any resistance. In reply, the crowd were treated to a vintage performance from southpaws and WI stalwarts Shivnarine Chanderpaul (74) & captain Brian Lara (60*). India, in quest of a major tournament title since winning the World Cup in 1983, were thus knocked out.

The other semi-final witnessed a magnificent century from the young all-rounder Jacques Kallis as he helped the Proteas to a decent score of 240 in 39 overs. Fast bowler Steve Elworthy then unleashed a magnificent display as he snared 3 important wickets – Sanath Jayasuriya, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Aravinda de Silva – as the Emerald Islanders collapsed for 132. Pat Symcox, the 38-year old off-spinner, also took out three Lankan batsmen and assisted in his side’s entry into the finals.

The final also belonged to Kallis as he picked up a five-wicket haul to restrict the Caribbean side to 245, despite opener Wallace’s blazing hundred. Captain Hansie Cronje, who would soon fall into disgrace, scored an unbeaten 61, and along with decent contributions from Kallis and Mike Rindel, pulled off the win, thus securing the first ever major title for his country. For the Proteas, it was a moment to cherish forever, as they were outdone by Lara’s brilliance in the 1996 World Cup. It was also the beginning of Kallis’s golden period as he became one of the lynch-pins of the South African line up.

Ajmal excited about India-Pak clash in Champions Trophy

Karachi: The showdown is still some days away but Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal is already geared up for the lash against India in the upcoming Champions Trophy, saying the match is as big and as eagerly anticipated as the final.

The India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for June 15 in the event starting June 6. The wily Pakistani spinner insisted that playing a match against India is always fantastic.

"The atmosphere, wherever we play, is always electric and I`m sure the fans lucky enough to be at Edgbaston and all those watching the telecast around the world will not be disappointed by this match. It`s like a mini-final within the tournament," he said.

Ajmal pointed out that both sides are very strong and at the end of the day, the team which handles the pressure will be victorious.

"We have the psychological advantage having defeated India in their own backyard in the one-day series and I`m confident that we can defeat them in Birmingham," he said in an interview.

Asked about the absence of big names from the Indian team Ajmal said it was pretty normal for the players to come and go.

"Big names are replaced by lesser known players who then turn into big names and then they get replaced. The cycle of cricket goes on, no cricketer lasts forever and no cricketer has a God-given right to be picked again and again.

"If a player is out of form or struggling for form then it`s only right that they are replaced by a player who is in form," he explained.


Speaking on the continued exclusion of Pakistani players from the Indian Premier League, Ajmal said there was no hard feeling among the players.

"It`s not as if we are being stopped from playing cricket everywhere around the world. Whether Pakistani cricketers are allowed to play in the IPL is a matter for those that organise the tournament and not for the cricketers.

"If the organisers invite us to play in the future, we will play, but if they don`t invite us then good luck to them. Of course I`d like to play in the IPL, but it`s a decision that`s out of my hands at the moment," he said.

Ajmal, meanwhile, revealed that he had been told by the Pakistan Cricket Board to lose some weight.

"Well I was given a training and dietary plan by the PCB which I`ve had to follow. Generally it was OK, but I had to stop the parathas and eating the sweetmeats which was the toughest part of the routine.

"I love my parathas and sweetmeats, but as a professional sportsman you have to make some sacrifices sometimes," he said.