ATN acquire Asia Cup rights in Canada

Asian Television Network International Limited (ATN), which broadcasts to Canada’s three million people of South Asian, East Asian and Arabic heritage, has acquired exclusive broadcast rights in Canada for cricket’s Asia Cup 2008, in a deal with ESPN Star Sports.

The competition, hosted in Pakistan, begins on June 24, and features teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Hong Kong. The matches will be broadcast live and rebroadcast on ATN channels CBN and ATN Cricket Plus. The six teams are split into two groups of three, from which the top two progress to a second group stage. The top two teams from the second group stage contest the final.

source : www.sportbusiness.com

Sreesanth to sit out of ASIA CUP

India medium pacer Manpreet Gony will keep his place in the one-day side for the Asia Cup after Sri Sreesanth was ruled out due to injury.

Sreesanth, who played for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League, suffered a side strain in their final league match against Rajasthan Royals.

He was replaced by Gony for the recent tri-series against Pakistan and Bangladesh, but has now failed a further fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

Although Gony joined the team just before India's first match against Pakistan in the one-day tournament in Dhaka, he did not play a match and has yet to make his one-day debut.

Pakistan will host the Asia Cup, which will take place from June 24 to July 6 and also includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

source : The Press Association

Pakistan beat India, lift Kitply Cup

An all-round performance helped Pakistan beat India by 25 runs to clinch the Kitply Cup one-day tri-series here Saturday. For Pakistan, centuries by Man of the Match Salman Butt (129 retired hurt) and Younis Khan (108) helped it pile a formidable 315 runs for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 50 overs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

In reply, India gave a tough fight but were bowled out for 290 runs in 48.2 overs. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni waged a lonely fight with his brilliant 64 after his deputy Yuvraj Singh (56) departed the scene.

It was a good toss to win for Pakistan and captain Shoaib Malik wasted no time in opting to bat to exploit the excellent batting conditions. The Pakistan batsmen responded well and despite losing wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal early in ninth over played cautiously to stabilise their innings.

Akmal’s loss brought experienced Younis in the middle and he along with Butt added fluency to the Pakistan’s innings. Both batsmen went on to go past the century mark as they smacked Indian bowlers all over the ground for their 205-run second wicket partnership.

Dhoni did try to shuffle his bowlers and tried as many as eight bowlers but to no avail.

Even the move to bring young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla backfired as he ended up being the most expensive Indian spinner in an ODI, conceding 85 runs in his 10 overs. Only Irfan Pathan proved to be effective snapping two wickets for 59 runs.

Even the wicket of Younis in 42nd over and Butt’s getting retired hurt didn’t arrest the flow of runs, with Misbah-ul-Haq accelerating the damage making a quickfire 21 ball 33.

India got off to a bad start losing Virender Sehwag for two in the second over. Gautam Gambhir (40) and Rohit Sharma (24) tried to build the innings. But their 59-run stand was broken after Rohit mistimed a hook off Umar Gul and was caught by substitute Nasir Jamshed in deep-backward square leg.

A 59-ball 56 by Yuvraj kept India in the hunt but he too couldn’t convert his innings into a big one that could save the team. Dhoni made a last ditch effort to take India through but started losing partners at the other end.

With nine chips down, Dhoni charged Shahid Afridi in the 49th over with a huge six before being caught at deep mid-wicket.

Source : www.thaindian.com

India beat Bangladesh, to play Pak in final

Powered by an unbeaten century by Gautam Gambhir India on Thursday defeated Bangladesh comprehensively by seven-wickets in the last league match of the tri-series to set up a summit clash against archrivals Pakistan on Saturday.

Set 223 to win, India overhauled the modest target with 14.5 overs to spare as the demolishing Indian opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir scorched the Sher-e-Bangla stadium with thundering shots all around the park.

Sehwag (58), who hit a blazing half-century, put up 85 runs in just 10 overs for the first wicket along with Gambhir, setting a firm foundation for the convincing victory.

Earlier, Raqibul Hasan hit a brilliant 89-run knock to steer Bangladesh to 222 all out in 49.5 overs, after electing to bat on a good bating track. India emerged as superiors side in the tournament, finishing the league match engagements with two victories in as many matches and qualified for the final in style.

Pakistan by virtue of their win against Bangladesh entered the summit clash, slated for Saturday.

It was Gambhir's second successive hundred against Bangladesh and fifth overall, which was studded with 13 boundaries and one shot over the fence. After Ferhad Reza and Mashrafe Mortaza failed to stop merciless Delhi duo, skipper Mohammed Ashraful introduce young Dolar Mahmud into the attack in the 10th over. However, Ashraful had no idea what was in store for Mahmud as the Najafgarh marauder creamed him for 22 runs, hitting him for two extra-cover sixes and two leg-side boundaries.

In the process, Sehwag completed his 27th One-day half century consuming just 27 balls, though he succumbed on the last ball of the over while trying to hook Mahmud for another big shot. Gambhir, who did not get much strike earlier, had reeled off three boundaries in a Reza over, before Sehwag unleashed a flurry of strokes.

source : cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India defeat Pakistan by a record margin of 140 runs

Praveen Kumar continues to impress with the new ball in one-dayers.

Man of the Match in the last ODI India played — against Australia — Kumar produced another outstanding performance to bowl India to a 140-run rout over Pakistan in the Kitply Cup here on Tuesday. This was India's biggest margin of victory by runs against Pakistan.

Pakistan, chasing 331, were undone by Praveen’s opening spell of four for 42, slipping to 81 for four by the 13th over. They were bowled out for 190 in only 35.4 overs, with leg-spinner Piyush Chawla (4 for 40) running through the tail.

The Indian bowlers were ably supported by their fielders. The first wicket, of Salman Butt, fell after Rohit Sharma pulled off a brilliant catch at short point.

Rohit's effort was yet another example of the importance of having fresh legs in the outfield.
Earlier, Delhi mates Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir put on a century partnership of 155 in 21.3 overs to lay the foundation of a massive total.

Sehwag (89, 76b, 13x4, 1x6) was cautious to begin with, allowing the in-form Gambhir (62, 62b, 6x4) to dictate.

Gambhir was dropped twice by Younis Khan at slip, on 4 and 29. At the other end, boundaries poured at Sehwag’s will.

Pakistan's choice of four medium-pacers, adding Rao Iftikhar to their attack at left-arm spinner Fawad Alam's expense, bore no fruit.

Sehwag, too, was lucky when Kamran Akmal floored an outside edge off Iftikhar when he was on 43.

Unperturbed, Sehwag carried on with the carnage. Left-arm medium-pacer Wahab Riaz, who impressed against Bangladesh two nights ago, could do precious little after breaking the opening partnership, removing Gambhir and Sehwag off successive overs, bounce doing the trick.
It was Riaz again who was the centre of attention at the death when he was removed from the attack for bowling his second full toss above the waist.

It was not understandable why Yusuf Pathan was sent at number four when more reputed batsmen were waiting in the dressing room. The momentum was lost for a brief period as the debutant half-brother of Irfan Pathan, making it a rare case of brothers playing in the same ODI for India, looked lost in his maiden visit at this level. He did not last long either as did Rohit Sharma before Yuvraj Singh's swashbuckling 54-ball 55 (3x4, 3x6) and Dhoni's cameo brought India back on track.

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Kitply Cup - Triangular International Series in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In what could be a warm up before the final, India and Pakistan clash with each other after a long time on 10 Jun in Bangladesh in the Kitply Cup.

The Indian team is overworked with the recently concluded IPL. The Pakistan team is returning after a long rest.

India and Pakistan ODI Cricket matches have traditionally been the nation’s frenzy. The matches played at neutral venues used to attract best TRPs. Sharjah days can be fondly remembered.

The players to watch in the match are many. India is without Sachin Tendulkar and Sreesanth. Yusuf Pathan is likely to debut after the brilliant showing in the IPL. Wahab Riaz is to be watched for Pakistan. It is going to be an exciting encounter.

source : http://www.newsline365.com/

Rajasthan Royals are IPL 2008 champs

Yusuf Pathan's phenomenal all-round act helped Rajasthan Royals win the Indian Premier League 2008 in a thrilling last-ball finish against Chennai Super Kings. After an absorbing 44-day period, the outcome of the tournament was fittingly decided off the last possible ball, as Rajasthan chased 164. You couldn't chose between two teams in a last-ball finish. MS Dhoni had had a phenomenal run in these last over finishes but his luck ran out on Sunday night at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.

With one run needed off the last ball, on strike was Sohail Tanvir, Rajasthan's best bowler in the IPL, and his captain Shane Warne. Laxmipathy Balaji had the ball; he banged it in and Tanvir pulled it past mid-on for four. The Royals, who were everyone's underdogs in the beginning, won by three wickets to wrap up a remarkable campaign.

Yusuf Pathan the hero

In what must be one of the finest all-round performances in recent times, Pathan turned the match on its head twice --- first with the ball, then with the bat.

Chennai were off to an assuring start. Parthiv Patel and S. Vidyut added 39 for the first wicket when Pathan struck. In fact, he went on to take the first three wickets, bowling his stump-to-stump spin.

Then, with Rajasthan under the burner at 42-3 Pathan struck a characteristically brutal 56 (39 balls, 3 fours, 4 sixes) to bring his team at the doorsteps of a famous win. When Yusuf was run out by a blinding direct hit from point by Suresh Raina, the Royals needed 21 from 14 balls.

The Kapil Dev moment

A pivotal moment in the game was the introduction of Muttiah Muralitharan in the 11th over. Pathan was in unfamiliar territory, having to defend more than attack. But he tried to break free against Murali and mistimed his loft. The ball hung in the air and Raina ran back from midwicket to long on. He got to the ball, cupped it, let it slip, caught it again, and finally dropped it.

Twenty-five years ago, Kapil Dev had memorably hung on to a similar catch to turn another final on its head. After Raina's miss, Pathan went into overdrive and that, in the end, was the difference between the two sides.

After benefitting from that drop, Yusuf had two other chances --- both equally difficult. On 33, Manpreet Gony couldn't close his hands on a catch that came to him on his follow through. Later in the innings, Balaji dropped a similar catch off his bowling.

source : ndtv.com