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Pakistan in New Zealand, 2010-11 Thu, Feb 03 2011, 03:00Seddon Park, HamiltonWest Indies in Sri Lanka ODI Series, 2011 Thu, Feb 03 2011, 06:00Sinhalese Sports Club, ColomboPakistan in New Zealand, 2010-11 Sat, Feb 05 2011, 00:00Eden Park, Auckl...

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Srilanka vs Westindies

Mon Jan 31 04:00 GMT | 09:30 local 09:00 PKT 1st ODI - Sri Lanka v West Indies Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo Thu Feb 3 04:00 GMT | 09:30 local 09:00 PKT 2nd ODI - Sri Lanka v West Indies Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo Sun Feb 6 04:00 GMT | 09:30 local 09:00 PKT 3rd ODI - Sri Lanka v West Indies Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colo...

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Australia vs England 6th odi

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World Cup will prove ODIs alive and well - Lorgat

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, has said next month's World Cup will prove that 50-over cricket can co-exist with the Test and Twenty20 formats. Since the inception of Twenty20 cricket and its raging success, the ODI format has been perceived to be under threat, but Lorgat said those fears were overstated. "I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket is overstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game will co-exist and in fact thrive at international level," Lorgat told ESPNSTAR.com. "To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricket is way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players, spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see great value in the ODIs. "I hope that the World Cup will...

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Watch live Australia vs England 6th odi

Watch live Australia vs England 6th ...

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Can New Zealand overcome form, injury woes?

New Zealand have reason to feel exasperated. They have attempted everything to turn around their string of losses; in fact, there can be a case that they have tried too hard. They have brought in a capable new coach, rotated their players faster than a revolving door spins, tinkered around with the batting order, and even broken one of their most successful opening combinations. But at least one of their many old failings continues to crop up at crucial junctures. If the misfiring top order manages to provide a good start, the middle order contrives to cave in. When the top order suffers one of its spectacular collapses after seemingly promising starts, the middle order gets involved in the repair job, and they end up with a below-par total....

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Carroll - I was pushed out

Andy Carroll is adamant he was not wanted by Newcastle United and that he was forced to hand in a transfer request before securing his move to Liverpool. The England striker completed a blockbuster £35million transfer to Liverpool on deadline day with the fee establishing the 22-year-old as the most expensive British player in history. However, the manner of the home-grown powerhouse's departure from St James' Park has prompted contrasting versions of events from the club and player. Magpies boss Alan Pardew claimed that the club did not push Carroll towards the exit door and accepted Liverpool's second offer after the player asked for a new contract. Carroll, though, disputes this version and insists that he never wanted to leave...

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Sehwag is a game changer: Pietersen

Himself a game changer who pioneered the controversial switch-hit, England batsman Kevin Pietersen feels destructive Indian opener Virender Sehwag and West Indian Chris Gayle are the other two batsmen capable of turning a match on its head. "There are a few players I admire as game changers today. Virender Sehwag is one of them, he opens the batting and you know as an opposing player that within 10-15 overs of a Test match or 10-15 overs of a one-day international, the man can change the game," Pietersen said. "Another game changer is Chris Gayle from the Caribbean, who does a similar job as Sehwag. These are the two guys I love watching and love playing against," he added. The flamboyant 30-year-old, whose switch-hit gets him...

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Misbah-ul-Haq masterminds narrow win

Pakistan continued to show they are masters of making mountains out of molehills, but Misbah-ul-Haq's supremely paced innings and Sohail Tanvir's nerveless hitting took them to a tense win in Napier that puts them 2-1 up. New Zealand had earlier showed the benefits of stacking their side with allrounders as they recovered from an all-too-familiar top-order collapse to post a respectable total but it didn't prove enough. On a pancake-flat track and with McLean Park's short boundaries and a quick outfield to assist them, Pakistan looked to be gliding towards victory when Misbah and Younis Khan played safety-first cricket to take them to 173 for 3 in 37 overs. With the batting Powerplay in hand, two set batsmen at the crease and a host of heavy-hitters...

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Defensive problems mount for Celtic

Celtic have a defensive crisis as they aim to move eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League tomorrow when they face Aberdeen at Pittodrie for their third meeting in nine days. The Hoops have triumphed in the two previous meetings, the latest a 4-1 thrashing at Hampden Park in their League Cup semi-final clash last Saturday. Neil Lennon's side had only one recognised centre-half for the match at the national stadium with injuries to Glenn Loovens and Daniel Majstorovic, and Jos Hooiveld's loan deal to Copenhagen, leaving just Thomas Rogne. But Celtic were dealt another blow when the 20-year-old Norwegian limped out of the match with a calf strain and could struggle to make the trip to Pittodrie. That could leave...

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Bangalore to host India-England game

The ICC has confirmed the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore as the venue for the India-England World Cup game that was originally supposed to be held in Kolkata. There was no change in the date of the match - it will be held on February 27. "This decision now clarifies and gives us certainty over the fixture," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. "We can now work with our various partners and stakeholders to make sure that the match - along with the rest of the tournament - is all it should be." In a letter to the BCCI, the ICC also outlined the pending work that had to be done to get Eden Gardens ready for the World Cup. Kolkata was originally allotted three other matches for the tournament, the first of which is on March 15....

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The curious case of Younis and Misbah

Christchurch witnessed a quintessentially Pakistani style of play: start slow, build a base, retain wickets, and explode in the end. It used to be the norm in 1980s before Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail changed that in the 90's, but once again, without a settled opening pair, Pakistan are returning to the roots. Not many teams can launch into a frenzied and mesmerising attack in the end overs like Pakistan can. Abdul Razzaq swinging like there is no tomorrow, Shahid Afridi swinging like there is no next moment, and the scarred opposition living on the boundary's edge, waiting for the violence to end. As Luke Woodcock put it: "I've seen a bit of it on TV but to actually see it first hand, playing against him [Afridi] for the first...

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