Cricket

Rahane, Samson ease Rajasthan past sloppy Punjab

Mohali: Rajasthan Royals moved closer to sealing a place in the IPL 6 play-offs after emphatically brushing aside Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets at the PCA Stadium on Thursday. The visitors came to Mohali chasing two points to move nearer to 20 and did just that, keeping Punjab to 145 and then having Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson to thank for a breezy chase. Crucial to Rajasthan's win was...  

Domestic cricket is the way for Gambhir, Sehwag and Yuvraj: Srikkanth

New Delhi: To force their way back into the national side, the axed trio of Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag should keep the fighting spirit alive and get back through good performances in domestic cricket, former captain and chairman of selector Kris Srikkanth on Thursday. Srikkanth said not losing self belief was key to any struggling player looking for a comeback. "They are young players with lot of...  

As it happened: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals, Game 55 , IPL 6

Live updates from match number 55 between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals at Mohali. Rajasthan Royals innings: End of over 19, Rajasthan Royals for 1: Rajasthan Royals won by 8 wickets! Sanju Samson hit Manpreet Gony for a boundary towards extra cover to clinch Rajasthan's victory in Mohali. End of over 18, Rajasthan Royals 135 for 1: Praveen Kumar tried to put some pressure on Rajasthan Royals as he...  

Graeme Smith ruled out of Champions Trophy

Johannesburg: Graeme Smith has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy in order to have surgery on a chronic left ankle problem, leaving South Africa without two senior batsmen at next month's tournament after Jacques Kallis made himself unavailable for personal reasons. Smith needs surgery after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his ankle and will also have to rest for four to six months, South Africa team manager...  

May asks ICC to 'stand up to the cancer of stand-over tactics'

Sydney: Removed from an ICC committee following allegations of pressure from India, Tim May has said it was time someone "stood up to the cancer of stand-over tactics" that defines cricket's governing body. May was replaced on the ICC cricket committee by the former India legspinner, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who is employed by the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) as a commentator. The furore was caused following allegations that BCCI forced a...  

Latif to move court against Ashraf's election as PCB chief

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has said that he would challenge the manner in which Zaka Ashraf was elected Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman under the new Constitution by filing a petition in the High Court. "After my first petition, the PCB introduced a few amendments to its constitution. However, it is not as democratic as it should be. There are loopholes [in the new constitution] which I want...  

Shah Rukh's Wankhede ban: Are we being hypocrites?

New Delhi: This year's IPL is more about explosive batting, first it was Chris Gayle and then it's David Miller, but things were not the same with last year's IPL. IPL 5 saw everything from a drugs scandal to sting operation, but one event that fetched a whole lot of negative publicity for the tournament was Shah Rukh Khan's infamous fight with a security personnel. Following the controversy, Mumbai Cricket...  

Purple and Orange Caps do not mean anything: Ashwin

New Delhi: Michael Husssey with 574 runs and Dwayne Bravo with his 21 wickets are the proud owners of the Orange and Purple caps, respectively, but their Chennai Super Kings' team-mate R Ashwin says that's not the focus of his in-form team-mates. Hussey scored his fifth half-century (67) of the season and Bravo took a wicket in Chennai's 77-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. That helped Hussey reclaim the...  

Mushfiqur Rahim to step down as Bangladesh captain

Bulawayo: Mushfiqur Rahim will quit as captain of Bangladesh after two Twenty20 internationals against Zimbabwe this weekend. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur made the announcement after Bangladesh lost the third one-day international by seven wickets on Wednesday, conceding a one-day series to Zimbabwe despite beating them by a record margin in the first match. Bangladesh began their tour of Zimbabwe as favourites after an encouraging trip to Sri Lanka, but lost the first...  

Suresh Raina leads Chennai to another big victory

Hyderabad: Suresh Raina on Wednesday reminded everyone yet again how clean a striker he is of the cricket ball as he smashed an unbeaten 99 off just 52 balls to hand Sunrisers Hyderbad their first loss (77 runs) at home, ensuring Chennai Super Kings a place in the play-offs. Had Raina got one more run, he would have equalled David Warner's record of scoring two centuries in a single edition...  

Zaka Ashraf's appointment as PCB chairman challenged

Islamabad: A former member of the PCB's board of governors filed a petition in Lahore High Court on Wednesday against the election of Zaka Ashraf as the new Pakistan Cricket Board chairman. Mohammad Anwar said in his petition that "unbridled powers are conferred upon the patron for the appointment of the chairman without following the open and transparent selection process." The PCB's 11-member board of governors earlier chose Ashraf after...  

ECB warns county cricketers against spitting

London: County cricketers have been warned to stop spitting on the field of play or face disciplinary action from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Spitting, which is fairly common among cricketers around the world, is currently not among the offences that can attract penalty points under the strict ECB's disciplinary code. But the chairman of the ECB's Cricket Discipline Commission is concerned about the habit. "Two years ago,...  

T20 has given cricket new lease of life: Viv Richards

Mumbai: West Indies bating great Sir Viv Richards had once feared that Test cricket will die down a slow death due to low turnout of fans but the advent of Twenty20 format has instilled a fresh lease of life into the game. "At one point, I felt that Test cricket was dying a death all around the world and especially in India. India was one of the front-runners where attendance...  

Zaka Ashraf becomes Pakistan's first elected chief

Islamabad: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf on Wednesday became the country's first elected head of the sport, winning a four-year term under a new constitution approved earlier this year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) directed all its members to run their boards democratically and without government interference, threatening sanctions for any board that did not meet its requirements by June 2013. Ashraf, 60, has been PCB chairman since...  

Tendulkar makes Alec Stewart's Test dream team

London: Sachin Tendulkar is the only Indian to make it to the Test dream team drawn up by former England captain Alec Stewart from among players against whom he had played in his career. "The 'Little Master' is a no-brainer for his extraordinary run-scoring over such a long period of time and the way he has dealt with the pressure of being India's number one sporting icon," Stewart told BBC...  

81-year-old footage used to restore Bradman home

Sydney: Architects have studied 81-year-old footage of Don Bradman at his childhood home to complete an award-winning restoration of the property. Bradman is said to have honed his batting skills in the Australian country town of Bowral by spending hours hitting a golf ball against the base of his home's metal water tank using a cricket stump as a bat. Architects from Sydney firm Clive Lucas Stapleton & Partners won...  

Kolkata Knight Riders: where did it all go wrong?

Eleven matches. Eight defeats. Kolkata Knight Riders, defending champions and regarded as one of the strongest teams in the league, are almost certifiably out of IPL 6. The stage has been reached where it is almost easier to say "insert previous match comments here" in describing how KKR have stumbled through IPL 6 like zombies, walking in circles with their groans getting louder as their hunger for success increases. Unfortunately...  

Let Shah Rukh Khan enter Wankhede: Raj Thackeray

Mumbai: After the Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray Tuesday demanded that Mumbai Cricket Association lift its five-year ban on actor Shah Rukh Khan from entering Wankhede Stadium. Khan's Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians were set to face off at the Wankhede Stadium here Tuesday and the star would miss the match if the ban is not lifted. Thackeray said it was...  

I don't know whether it's a jinx: Gambhir on KKR's exit

Mumbai: Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL title defence fell by the wayside on Tuesday when a 65-run away loss at Mumbai Indians ended their hopes of entering the play-offs, but Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir refused to admit that his team is jinxed when playing away from home. "I don't know whether it's [playing away] a jinx, but if you don't play proper cricket, this is what is going to happen," Gambhir,...