Murali Vijay over Gautam Gambhir is a shocking choice

The BCCI selectors on Saturday kept Gautam Gambhir out of the Champions Trophy squad without explaining their decision to exclude him. ...
06:19 PM, May 04, 2013

India to play two practice games before Champions Trophy opener
by
Mumbai: The Indian team is scheduled to play two warm-up games against Sri Lanka and Australia ahead of their 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...  
04:45 PM, May 04, 2013

I have been waiting for this day: Dinesh Karthik
by IANS
New Delhi: Hardwork and belief finally ended cricketer Dinesh Karthik's three-year-long wait to return to the national fold. The 27-year-old wicketkeeper batsman heaved a sigh of relief on Saturday after he was selected in India's 15-member squad for next months' Champions Trophy in England and Wales. "I am really happy at the moment. I was waiting for this day for sometime now. It means a lot to me," Karthik told...  
03:23 PM, May 04, 2013

Twitterview: Reactions to Yuvraj and Gambhir's ouster The Indian selectors on Saturday excluded Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir from India's 15-man Champions Trophy squad. The All-India Senior Selection Committee met at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai, where it recalled Shikhar Dhawan to the squad in place of Gambhir who was part of the team for the home series against Pakistan. Yuvraj too featured in the series against Pakistan and did fairly well but was still left out....  
03:06 PM, May 04, 2013

Yuvraj, Gambhir dropped; Vinay, Karthik back for Champions Trophy New Delhi: The Sandip Patil-led BCCI selection committee on Saturday awarded medium pacer Vinay Kumar and wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik for their good show in IPL 6 with a call-up to India's ODI squad for the Champions Trophy in England next month. However, veteran opener Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh didn't find a place in the 15-member touring party. The All-India Senior Selection Committee met at the Cricket Centre in...  
12:59 PM, May 04, 2013

Swann, Bresnan back after injury for England in Champions Trophy London: Offspinner Graeme Swann has been called up by England for next month's Champions Trophy after making his recovery from an elbow injury that ruled him out of the recent tour of New Zealand. Pacer Tim Bresnan is also in the 15-man squad following his comeback from a similar injury, with selectors happy to throw the bowlers straight back into action rather than keep them fresh for the Ashes series...  
03:32 PM, May 03, 2013

Vinay, Mishra likely for Champions Trophy The bustling form of several Indian pace bowlers in the ongoing IPL looks to be the only major discussion point on Saturday in the corridors of the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, when India's squad for the ICC Champions Trophy is announced. This summer's tournament will be held in England where seam and swing bowling will find favour and that India's selectors have several names to ponder over can only be...  
11:59 AM, May 03, 2013

Chetan Narula

Hot Spot |

In October 2000, most fans in this country were united in their loss of love for the game. The shadow of match fixing loomed large, ...
11:36 AM, May 03, 2013

Ajantha Mendis omitted from Sri Lanka's 15-member squad Colombo: Sri Lanka Thursday named a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in England next month with the selectors continuing to snub spinner Ajantha Mendis. Besides Mendis, batsman Upul Tharanga also failed to find a place in the squad for the June 6-23 tournament. Angelo Mathews, who captained Pune Warriors in the ongoing IPL before dropping himself, will lead the Sri Lankan squad with Dinesh Chandimal...  
04:14 PM, May 02, 2013

No Kallis in SA Champions Trophy squad, Duminy returns Cape Town: Jacques Kallis was left out of South Africa's squad for the Champions Trophy on Thursday after making himself unavailable for personal reasons, and for the first time in years the veteran all-rounder won't play at a major one-day tournament for his country. Head selector Andrew Hudson said South Africa's management respected Kallis' wish to be left out of the 15-man group for what are so far undisclosed reasons....  
03:05 PM, May 02, 2013

Afridi's interview on Champions Trophy squad riles up PCB Karachi: Shahid Afridi has irked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for giving an interview to the media after his omission from the 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England, following which the board is contemplating a disciplinary action against the flamboyant allrounder. Afridi told the Jang newspaper that it was captain Misbah-ul-Haq who didn't want him in the team. "It's the captain's decision to drop me," he told...  
08:59 AM, May 02, 2013

Trent who? Pakistan baffled by new batting coach
by AFP
Karachi: Pakistan's appointment of Trent Woodhill as batting coach for next month's Champions Trophy has been met with bafflement, with former greats saying they had never even heard of the Australian. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday appointed the 42-year-old Woodhill for three weeks after the team's disastrous performance with the bat on their recent tour of South Africa. Woodhill is currently assistant coach at Delhi Daredevils, second bottom...  
05:14 PM, May 01, 2013

Axed Shahid Afridi hopeful of Pakistan comeback
by AFP
Karachi: Struggling allrounder Shahid Afridi vowed on Wednesday to work hard to return to the Pakistan team after being axed from the 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy. "Being in and out is a one-off thing. It happens to every cricket player and I will soon stage a comeback because I believe in hard work and performance, so I don't want to be bitter," Afridi said. The big-hitting all-rounder was...  
04:15 PM, May 01, 2013

Shahid Afridi blames Misbah for exclusion: reports Islamabad: Shahid Afridi has blamed Pakistan's one-day cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq for his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad, and has vowed to return to the national team. "It's the captain's decision to drop me," Afridi told the local newspaper Daily Jang on Wednesday. "It's no big deal for me if a captain doesn't want a certain player in the team." In announcing the squad earlier this week, selectors said Afridi,...  
01:00 PM, May 01, 2013

India to open Champions Trophy campaign against South Africa
by IANS
New Delhi: India will begin their campaign in the the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy with their Group B match against South Africa at Cardiff on June 6. The biennial tournament is being wound up as the ICC is unable to slot it in the crowded cricketing calendar. India play their second group game against the West Indies at the Oval on June 11 before running into neighbours...  
12:28 PM, May 01, 2013

Mikkhail Vaswani

Clean Bold |

It's the hits, the heaves and the "Yes maximums" that makes any T20 match an exciting and entertaining one. So if IPL 6 is high ...
12:18 PM, May 01, 2013

Australia recall Mitchell Marsh for ICC Champions Trophy Australia recalled all-rounder Mitchell Marsh to the squad for their Champions Trophy defence and named George Bailey as vice captain on Wednesday. The 21-year-old Marsh, who played his only one-day international in 2011 against South Africa, was rewarded with a place in the 15-member squad for his strong domestic limited over performance for Western Australia. "Mitchell's domestic season was interrupted by (hamstring) injury but there's no doubt he has the...  
11:10 AM, May 01, 2013

Australia's Woodhill named Pakistan batting coach
by AFP
Lahore: Pakistan on Monday appointed Australian coach Trent Woodhill to help solve their perennial batting problems during June's Champions Trophy in England. The 42-year-old was involved with the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League in Australia and is part of the Delhi Daredevils' support staff in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He was also New Zealand cricket team's assistant until last year. Pakistan Cricket Board's director of international...  
09:33 AM, Apr 30, 2013

Riccardo Meggiorini facing probe over racism claim in derby Milan: Torino striker Riccardo Meggiorini will face an investigation after allegations he racially abused Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Meggiorini denies any wrongdoing during Torino's 2-0 derby loss to Juventus in Serie A on Sunday, saying "there was an insult but it was a perfectly normal one. The kind you get in football, nothing to do with racism." On Monday, the Italian football league says it will send the match officials'...  
01:24 AM, Apr 30, 2013