Any match against India is always special: Hafeez Karachi: Pakistan allrounder 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 Pakistani reporters in Ireland, where the team is 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 to play every game in the tournament in the same manner and with same passion," Hafeez, who is Pakistan's T20 captain, said....more    
10:58 AM, May 21, 2013

Spot-fixing probe deals a blow to tainted players New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals on Monday suspended the tainted trio of Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal on a day when investigations moved with a breakneck speed and resulted in the detention of one more cricketer, Baburao Yadav, a former Ranji Trophy player. Rajasthan Royals cricketers Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested on May 16 on charges that they spot-fixed certain...  
09:38 PM, May 20, 2013

Spot-fixing: Baburao's family claims he is innocent

In latest development in the IPL spot-fixing case, Delhi Police have detained former Ranji Trophy player Baburao Yadav from Delhi as investigation moved forward frantically on the last day of the custody of three Rajasthan Royals' players. However, his family has rejected allegations that he was involved in fixing. ...
08:38 PM, May 20, 2013

Spot-fixing: Railways suspend Baburao Yadav New Delhi: The Railways on Monday suspended former Ranji Trophy player Baburao Yadav from its Signal and Telecom division after his detention in New Delhi in IPL spot-fixing case. Baburao, who was an operator in the division, joined Railways via sports quota seven years ago. Delhi Police sources have told CNN-IBN that police are current interrogating Baburao, who had introduced alleged bookie Sunil Bhatia to Rajasthan Royals player Ajit Chandila....  
08:30 PM, May 20, 2013

Technical committee suggests D/N games in Vijay Hazare Trophy New Delhi: The Anil Kumble-led technical committee of the BCCI on Monday discussed the proposal of introducing Day and Night games in the National One Day Championship for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The only domestic one-day tournament that is played under floodlights is the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, but the technical committee that met under Kumble's stewardship, also wants Vijay Hazare Trophy matches to be played under lights. "We even...  
07:55 PM, May 20, 2013

IPL spot-fixing: Arrested cricketers taken for recording voice samples, say sources

Sreesanth and other arrested cricketers along with the bookies have been taken out of the Special Cell. Sources say the cricketers have been taken to another location where they will be recording their voice samples for a forensic test. ...
02:50 PM, May 20, 2013

West Indies begin preparation for ICC Champions Trophy
by IANS
Bridgetown: The West Indies will kick off preparations for next month's Champions Trophy in England when they embark on a five-day camp at the High Performance Centre (HPC) at the 3Ws Oval starting here on Monday. The sessions will be overseen by West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson with assistant coach Tony Radford and the HPC's Andre Coley, also involved in the squad's preparation. The players are expected to begin...  
01:15 PM, May 20, 2013

Live: RR suspend contracts of all 3 accused players New Delhi: 7:58 pm: Railways suspend former Ranji Trophy player Baburao Yadav. He was an operator in the signal and telecom division and he joined Railways via sports quota seven years ago. 6:27 pm: Rajasthan Royals suspend contracts of all three players - Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - accused in IPL spot-fixing case, pending inquiry. 6:13 pm: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) backs the...  
11:25 AM, May 20, 2013

IPL spot-fixing: BCCI team likely to meet Delhi Police chief New Delhi: BCCI officials are expected to meet Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Monday over the Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal, according to sources. This comes as the role of other cricketers is also coming to light in the case. On Sunday, former Ranji Trophy player Manish Gundevar was arrested and the Delhi Police is now on the lookout for a sixth cricketer - Ranji Trophy player Babu Rao...  
11:07 AM, May 20, 2013

IPL spot-fixing scandal: Sreesanth's lawyer may apply for bail today New Delhi: Even as the arrested cricketers and bookies are being interrogated in the IPL spot-fixing scandal for the fourth day on Monday, CNN-IBN has learned that Rajasthan Royals player S Sreesanth's lawyer could be applying for bail. The five-day police custody of the three cricketers - S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan - and the bookies ends on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the probe continues to snare more and more...  
09:27 AM, May 20, 2013

There will be spot-fixing in Champions Trophy too: Ed Hawkins

Ed Hawkins is the author of the book 'Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy: A Journey Into the Heart of Cricket's Underworld'. ...
08:25 PM, May 17, 2013

Cannes Film Festival: Vidya Balan shares her experience

Actor Vidya Balan is a part of the Cannes Film Festival's nine-member jury that hands out the prestigious Palme d'Or trophy. ...
03:30 PM, May 17, 2013

ICC unlikely to probe Sivaramakrishnan's election: sources New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is unlikely to probe the election of former India legspinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan as the players' representative on the ICC Cricket Committee, sources told CNN-IBN on Thursday. Siva, as he is popularly known as an expert commentator, last week replaced Australia's Tim May on the committee in a voting process that involved votes of the 10 Test captains; however, May raised doubts over the...  
02:17 PM, May 15, 2013

India's Champions Trophy squad is strong : Steyn Mumbai: India might have left out seasoned campaigners Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir from their ICC Champions Trophy squad, but South African speedster Dale Steyn feels even without the trio, skipper Mahendera Singh Dhoni has a strong side at his disposal. "India have got a great side. If you look at the IPL, the highest run getters, the highest wicket takers are all Indian players and all of...  
12:59 PM, May 15, 2013

Visa issue delays Shoaib Malik's departure for Ireland Karachi: Pakistan's former captain, Shoaib Malik and the vigilance officer Major (retd) Asghar could not leave with the national team for Ireland early Tuesday morning due to visa problems. While the rest of the squad departed as per schedule from Lahore airport, Malik and Asghar were left behind and will now join the team in a couple of days in Ireland or Scotland. Sources in the board said that both...  
11:23 PM, May 14, 2013

Petersen to replace Smith for Champions Trophy Johannesburg: Alviro Petersen has replaced fellow opening batsman Graeme Smith in South Africa's squad for next month's Champions Trophy. Head selector Andrew Hudson says Petersen is "the obvious choice" to come in for former limited-overs captain Smith, who was ruled out of the ODI tournament to have surgery on his injured left ankle. Petersen is currently playing for Somerset in English county cricket and is familiar with local conditions ahead...  
02:58 PM, May 14, 2013

England tour 'very sensitive' : Naveed Cheema Islamabad: Returning to England for the Champions Trophy will be "very sensitive" for the Pakistan's players following the spot-fixing scandal three years ago, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema said Monday, urging his squad to just focus on the eight-team competition. Cheema took over as manager in 2010, soon after three Pakistan players were charged of spot-fixing in a Test match during Pakistan's last tour of England. Later fast bowlers Mohammad...  
02:27 PM, May 14, 2013

Brighter side of not being in IPL, Pak fresh for CT: Misbah Karachi: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq feels missing the IPL could be a blessing in disguise for his team's players as they would enter the upcoming Champions Trophy relatively fresh compared to those who are participating in the T20 league. "The IPL is a long event and the travelling can be taxing for players. We go to England fresh after a short break. The good thing is that we play one-day matches...  
10:37 AM, May 14, 2013

Pakistan face dual test in Champions Trophy
by AFP
Lahore: Pakistan's squad fly to Britain early on Tuesday, seeking to win next month's Champions Trophy and avoid any repetition of the scandal that marred their last British tour in 2010. The spot-fixing scandal, disclosed by the now defunct News of the World, was related to the deliberate bowling of no-balls in return for money during the Lord's Test against England. It resulted in bans on then-captain Salman Butt, Mohammad...  
09:03 AM, May 14, 2013

India deny ICC Champions Trophy pullout threat New Delhi: India have no plans to pull out of next month's Champions Trophy over a rumbling controversy surrounding a former Indian player's election to an International Cricket Council (ICC) panel, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday. The BCCI has been accused of using its clout to get former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan elected to the ICC Cricket Committee. Sivaramakrishnan beat Australian Tim May...  
09:57 PM, May 13, 2013