Akram nails two in two

'Wasim's World Cup ripper of rippers came with a sequel hot on its heels'
Melbourne, 25 March 1992


The first World Cup final to be played under lights, the only one to take place in Australia, and the last one not to feature the Australian team. The two finalists are the team that did best in the group stage - England, astonishingly - and the one that came roaring into form just in time - Pakistan.

The game ebbs and flows nicely. Derek Pringle's tidy outswing puts England on top before two grizzled maestros, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, fight back with a stand of 139. With a fluent 40 from their latest discovery Inzamam-ul-Haq, and a buccaneering 33 from Wasim Akram, Pakistan set a target of 250.

England stumble to 69 for 4 in the twilight, but then Neil Fairbrother and Allan Lamb drag them back into it. They put on 72 and Imran is forced to turn to his sole spearhead, Wasim (Imran himself is bowling with a bad shoulder, and Waqar Younis has missed the whole tournament). Wasim has to find something special. It helps that his speciality is reverse swing at high pace. He ambles in to Lamb, round the wicket, and fires one in towards his pads. It shapes in, then darts away, beating Lamb's baffled prod and taking out the off stump.

Chris Lewis comes in at No.7. Wasim goes wider on the crease and greets him with what appears to be an off-side wide, but it curls back wickedly late and takes out the off stump again. Wasim went on to play one-day international cricket for longer than any other bowler - 18 years, 356 games, 502 wickets - but he never bettered those two balls.

'The battle is not over' - Greig

Tony Greig: "I always thought that a compromise would resolve the issues and I am still of the view that the BCCI are missing an opportunity with Zee." © Getty Images


Related Links News: BCCI amnesty for 79 players
News: Gillespie saddened by exodus from ICL
News: Kemp terminates ICL contract
News: The loyal blues
News: We've shortlisted ICL players for Knight Riders - Buchanan
Analysis: Where do we go from here?
Analysis: Will the ICL survive?
In Focus: ICL vs BCCI
Player/Officials: Subhash Chandra | Tony Greig
Series/Tournaments: ICL 20-20 Indian Championship
Teams: England | India


Though the ICL has received a major setback with the mass exodus of 79 of its Indian cricketers, Tony Greig, a senior member of the ICL board, has said though the time is not right for the league to fight the situation, it did not mean that the battle is over for them.

"If the players are seeking reinstatement in order to play first-class cricket in India and are also trying to break into the IPL then it's natural that there will be a view that the ICL is winding down," Greig told Cricinfo. "(But) I don't think Subhash Chandra (who owns the ICL) sees it that way. He is being realistic, the financial crisis has hit the media industry hard and cash is tight. He has obligations to the ICL players which he is working through. This is not the time to be fighting but that does not mean the battle is over."

Greig, who played a key role in setting up the league in 2007, also said that the players' decision to leave was "perfectly understandable" and added that the league will now have to recruit replacements if it plans to hold a "meaningful" event in the near future.

"This all seemed to me to be perfectly understandable but the ICL will now have to face the prospect of recruiting other players or there is no prospect in the short term of a meaningful tournament," he said. "There is however one other important point that needs to be made and that is the issue of the 'restraint of trade' and 'inducement to breach contract' court actions being brought by the ICL against the BCCI and the ICC. These actions need to run their course and until they have its not appropriate to speculate on what will happen to the ICL."

The ICL plans to restart its international schedule in October after cancelling its March tournament due to the global financial crisis that left the players with little cricket, leading to the mass exodus.

"The ICL has encouraged the players to go down this path," he said. "When the financial crises hit it was decided to cancel the planned March tournament and as a result the short term prospect of cricket for many of the ICL players diminished. At this point it became difficult for the ICL to insist that players stayed. This particularly applied to the ICL Indian players. As a result the ICL have encouraged its players to take advantage of the situation and try and get themselves back into the establishment game."

Greig also claimed that the Indian board's amnesty scheme was a bit of a compromise, considering that they had originally banned the ICL players "forever". "The BCCI has been pushed by the ICC to resolve the ICL issue," he said. "There have been meetings between the BCCI, the ICC and the ICL but they didn't resolve the issue. In fact, it got to a point where someone had to do something and so the BCCI set a date. This move was a bit of compromise, as there was a time when they were saying that the ICL players would be banned forever."

He pointed out that the BCCI was missing an opportunity by not arriving at an understanding with Zee, the media group that owns the ICL, and hoped that the situation will change "in the best interests of all cricketers".

"I always thought that a compromise would resolve the issues and I am still of the view that the BCCI are missing an opportunity with Zee," he said. "There is always a chance that there will be a change in attitude because one should always remember that cricket administrators move on far more quickly than those who run big businesses. Who knows what will happen in the next year or two. Hopefully, whatever it is in the best interests of all cricketers."

Kemp terminates ICL contract

Justin Kemp, the South Africa allrounder, has become eligible to participate in official cricket after terminating his contract with the ICL. Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO, Gerald Majola, said Kemp - who represented Hyderabad Heroes - complied with the amnesty offer by the board, where the players associated with the unauthorised league were given till May 31 to end their contracts.

"Justin Kemp is the first ICL player to meet these conditions and he is now eligible to play South African franchise cricket after the six-month cooling off period," Majola said. "We are very happy to welcome Justin back into the fold, and wish him all the best for the future".

Kemp last played in the ICL in November 2008, and will be available for selection when the South African cricketing season begins in September this year.

Kemp's decision comes after CSA unveiled an amnesty offer for ICL players in May, after the BCCI had started the trend, offering its players a chance to return to the official fold on April 29.

Other South African players who had joined the ICL include Nicky Boje, Dale Benkenstein, Andrew Hall and Johan van der Wath.

Meanwhile, senior England officials have confirmed the vast majority of the nation's ICL-contracted players have severed ties with the unsanctioned league. Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, told the Telegraph "pretty much everyone has cut links with the ICL," while Giles Clarke, the ECB's chairman, predicted the demise of the tournament could bolster the county game.

"If ICL is shown to be at an end then this is good news for international cricket," Clarke told the Guardian. "I have been vehemently against unauthorised cricket from the outset. It causes great problems for the game. The collapse of ICL might well increase the number of international players available for English counties"

Gillespie saddened by exodus from ICL

Jason Gillespie, the former Australia fast bowler, has been saddened by the mass exodus of players from the ICL and believes the unofficial Twenty20 league will continue to struggle for traction in the mainstream cricketing market until it is officially recognised by the ICC. He does not expect the cash-strapped ICL to conduct a tournament in 2009, but remains hopeful that a successful legal challenge to the ICC could pave the way for a return the following year.

"It's incredibly sad but it all comes down to that issue of recognition," Gillespie told Cricinfo. "With my team, the [Ahmedabad] Rockets, we have already lost quite a few young Indian players back to official cricket. I don't begrudge them that. They have to make a living and they don't want to be ostracised anymore.

"What is killing the ICL is that the ICC refuses to give it recognition. They are being squeezed by the BCCI, so the ICC's fall-back position is to label it a domestic tournament. That's their get-out-of-jail-free card. The ICL is going to struggle until it is recognised by the ICC. The players involved in the ICL just want to play cricket. That has been quite hard for some of them, especially the younger guys, when they've had their status taken away."

Gillespie, like many of the ICL's high-profile players, has yet to be paid in full for his two seasons of service to the ICL. But while younger cricketers have rushed to take up the BCCI's amnesty offer, Gillespie, who has retired from first-class cricket, has pledged to remain loyal to the Zee Telefilms-backed league.

"I'm not giving up hope on the ICL," he said. "If I'm to be completely honest, I'm not convinced that there will be a tournament this year, but hopefully they'll get it back together for 2010. There's still a chance. I know the ICL is keen to explore the legal route, the restraint of trade argument. They've been advised that legally they have a pretty strong case. But at the end of the day, until we get recognition it will be an uphill battle.

"It's no secret that they've fallen a bit behind in their payments. The ICL management have been in contact with me and they have reassured me that they will settle their dues as soon as they can. I trust in that correspondence. I have a contract with them, and I would like to see it out."

We've shortlisted ICL players for Knight Riders - Buchanan

Kolkata Knight Riders have been actively scouting ICL batsmen and John Buchanan, the franchise coach, believes an influx of players from the unsanctioned Twenty20 league could solve many of his team's problems. While it's not yet clear how or when ICL players will be incorporated into the league, Buchanan said KKR were ready to snap up a number of batsmen whom they have been monitoring for several seasons.

"I said right from the outset that we were short of quality Indian top-order batsmen and that is still the case," Buchanan told Cricinfo. "The ICL has released quite a few players in the last little while. There are quite a lot of good, young Indian batsmen among them and I think that is a situation that could work well for KKR.

"We've shortlisted about half a dozen Indian batsmen in the ICL. Now we're just waiting to hear back from the IPL as to how they will approach this issue of letting players in - if there will be a draft or an open market."

Whether Buchanan is around to oversee the purchase of ICL players remains a matter of conjecture, with recent media reports in India suggesting the former Australian coach is facing the sack in the wake of KKR's last-placed finish in 2009. When asked whether he expected to return with Kolkata next season, Buchanan offered a qualified answer - "I do at the moment" - but admitted to uncertainty over his future.

"It's all under review at the moment," he said. "There's lots of conjecture out there at the moment, but it will come down to what the team wants and how the owners feel. Nothing is finalised. Shah Rukh was not over there for the final stages of the tournament. I have spoken with Jai Mehta, but he said he had been finding it difficult to get in touch with Shah Rukh."

van der Wath, Hayward back in South African fold

South African fast bowlers Nantie Hayward and Johan van der Wath will be available to play under the auspices of CSA again after having terminated their ICL contracts. "Hayward, Van der Wath and Kemp are all high-level products of CSA's system, and we are glad that they have decided to rejoin," Gerald Majola, the South African board's chief executive, said.

Hayward, who played for Chennai Superstars and Royal Bengal Tigers, and Mumbai Champs' van der Wath join Justin Kemp among those who have complied with CSA's newly announced amnesty conditions for players associated with the unofficial league. The amnesty followed a ruling by the ICC that it would accept those players and officials who terminated their ICL contracts back into their fold.

The ICC also proposed a "cooling off" period between the termination of the ICL contracts and the resumption of official cricket, and has left it to the member countries to decide on the appropriate timeline.

Majola said CSA had introduced a six-month period from the time of the player's last appearance in the ICL provided he has terminated his contract, and franchises would be able to contract players under the terms of the current Memorandum of Understanding or on a pay-for-play basis. "Players must terminate their contracts by May 31, 2009 if they wish to be eligible to play in next year's Champions League or IPL," Majola said.

Both Hayward and van der Wath have met the conditions and are now eligible to play under the CSA after the six-month cooling off period.

Wright and Bopara crush West Indies

England have comfortably had the better of West Indies throughout their early-season exchanges and the theme continued at Lord's. They raced to a nine-wicket win with 32 balls remaining on the back of an electric opening stand of 119 between Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara. Wright finished with 75 from 38 deliveries after giving the stands a peppering, and confirming his position for the tournament opener, against Netherlands, on Friday.

England's opening combination has never been settled in Twenty20s, but after this effort it's difficult to see these two being separated in the next couple of weeks. The team performance against Scotland was far from convincing, but here England hit their stride with the bowlers and fielders also doing their jobs to hold West Indies to 144.

As the openers did against Scotland they played themselves in for a couple of overs, but the difference was this time they kicked on. Wright struggled initially and the pressure was building, but he found his range as he tucked into Lionel Baker, then Bopara opened up as he took four crunching boundaries off Dwayne Bravo's opening over.

West Indies' fielding again let them down when Sulieman Benn dropped a regulation chance at midwicket when Bopara was on 29 and the match was soon out of reach. England are often criticised for not clearing the boundary often enough, but Wright unleashed three consecutive leg-side sixes in Kieron Pollard's first over which cost 22 with a show of brutal strength and moved to fifty off 36 balls. It was the style of batting that he produces at county level but hasn't been consistently able to translate to the next level. He won't always be successful, but the England management appear ready to trust his ability.

Bopara's talent is already clear and some of his boundary-striking was a joy as he played with uninhibited ease. His half century took 31 deliveries and it was looking as though England would cross the winning line without loss until Bopara picked out deep midwicket against Shivnarine Chanderpaul's occasional spinners.

Wright hurried the game to a conclusion in style as he crunched Chanderpaul for another six and showed that he could hit proper pace as well by creaming Fidel Edwards down the ground. It was a highly satisfactory outing throughout by England, who were also sharp in the field and consistent with the ball.

Chris Gayle handed the captaincy to Denesh Ramdin and didn't bother to bat despite being named in the 13 and West Indies struggled for any real momentum. Only Ramnaresh Sarwan's unbeaten 46 from No. 6 lifted them over 140 as England fielded their three main quicks, with Stuart Broad the most economical as he went through his variations, and Adil Rashid conceding just five-an-over during his four overs.

The only blot on England's evening was the opening-over drop by Graeme Swann at second slip that reprieved Xavier Marshall. West Indies' opening partnership was beginning to increase the tempo, with Andre Fletcher launching James Anderson over mid-off for six, before the first horrendous misunderstanding left Fletcher stranded as he tried to come back for a second.

Fletcher's wicket came in an over that encapsulated Twenty20 cricket with 16 runs being traded for two wickets. Two balls later Chanderpaul was brilliantly held at third man by Ryan Sidebottom, who sprinted around to hold the top-edged pull, and showed that his fitness concerns are well behind him. West Indies didn't help themselves with some of their running when Pollard was the second to fall to poor calling as he sprinted up the pitch only to find Marshall hadn't moved an inch.

Rashid was given a bowl ahead of Swann, while Wright was also handed his turn and provided the next breakthrough when Marshall gloved his pull to James Foster. Rashid had looked understandably nervous against Scotland, but after a big first ball wide was more settled in this innings. Helped by the fact West Indies had lost wickets he conceded just a single boundary in his four overs and picked up Bravo who carved down to long-off.

Lendl Simmons should have gone when he had 3 but Asoka de Silva failed to pick up the outside edge off Broad, however he could only add four more before picking out deep-square leg against Swann. Sarwan ran hard towards the end of the innings, but boundaries were difficult to come by throughout the innings. That wasn't a problem England experienced.

Goodwin quits ICL to commit to Sussex

Former Zimbabwe batsman Murray Goodwin has cut ties with the ICL in order to commit himself solely for county duty with Sussex. Goodwin, who has plied his trade across the world, with his most success coming at Sussex, felt it was time to commit to official cricket.

"It's been a busy year with the benefit year [2009, with Sussex] going on, but a very enjoyable one," said Goodwin. "It's the right move to resign my ICL contract and I want to give Sussex every opportunity of progressing as far as we can in cricket."

Goodwin played eight matches for the Ahmedabad Rockets in the last season of the unofficial ICL. He top-scored with 270 runs at 45.00 with four half-centuries.

Counties with ICL-contracted players have been banned from playing in the Champions League should they qualify by winning their national competition. If Sussex qualify for the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, set to start in October, Goowin will not be allowed to participate. He will be eligible to play in the competition in 2010.

Goodwin played 19 Tests between 1998 and 2000 and was one of the first in the country to turn his back on international cricket.

India sound ominous warning

The world champions of the Twenty20 format made an emphatic statement against their fellow finalists from 2007, brushing aside Pakistan by nine wickets at The Oval. In an ominous sign for the competition, India were not at their strongest - Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan are still carrying shoulder injuries - yet still produced an imperious performance before a raucous south London crowd.

Rohit Sharma slotted so seamlessly into the opener's role that India might be tempted to continue with him at the top even when Sehwag returns to the side. Rohit had success opening against New Zealand as well, smacking 36 off 20 balls, and on Wednseday he managed one better, staying the distance with a match-winning 53-ball 80.

Rohit has taken to the role of opener with relish, however the captain, MS Dhoni, remained non-committal as to whether he would be retained at the top of the order when Sehwag makes his return.

"Frankly speaking I don't know [whether Sehwag will bat in the middle]," Dhoni said. "I think it's always better to have a problem of plenty than having nobody to fill in the space. It's good to have Rohit Sharma in form. As of now I don't know what will happen when it comes to the batting order."

Rohit was a key member in Deccan Chargers' triumphant IPL campaign, and was one of that tournament's most consistent performers. But unlike in England, where he is being relied upon to lead the Indian innings, Rohit earned the reputation as one of the IPL's better finishers, coming in at No. 5 for Deccan to accelerate scoring rates and polish off a run-chases. His versatility was on show on Wednesday, displaying both poise and power as he pierced gaps in the infield while seldom risking the airborne route.

"We discussed it with him [Rohit] during the practice sessions and he was quite keen," Dhoni said of the decision to elevate Rohit in the batting order. "When you ask a guy, you always watch for his response, how quick it is and whether he has thought twice about it or not. Rohit was very keen on opening and with Viru [Sehwag] injured, he was the best option available. Rohit always has time, even when he plays quickest bowlers he has got the time and talent. Gary also played a part in the decision."

Rohit's innings, and Gambhir's supporting half-century, denied the match of an exciting finish that would have done justice to the feverish atmosphere at The Oval. The ICC wanted everyone to 'Catch the Spirit' and it was impossible not to. Celebrations were adrenalin-filled and every ball - be it dot, six or out - was cheered by an emotionally-charged full house, evenly divided in support between the teams. This was more than a warm-up game.

The players felt the same way, with India shelving all thoughts of experimentation. Dhoni said the bowlers had attempted a back-of-a-length approach in the previous game but merely tried to stick to basics today. "We were not experimenting," Dhoni said. "An India-Pakistan game, even though it's a warm-up, is a tough game to play. We were looking to do the basics, bowl yorkers."

One bowler who wasn't looking to bowl yorkers was Ishant Sharma, and he turned the game India's way. Pakistan had raced to 45 after four overs when Ishant came on and completed a rare double-wicket maiden, which included a run-out, to wrestle back the momentum. Ishant bowled the fifth, 14th and 17th overs and finished with 3 for 11. Dhoni said that he was looking to use Ishant during the middle overs, when he could bowl to his strengths.

"It's about how you want to use him. More often than not he has been used with the new ball while the field restrictions are on and later on in the slog," Dhoni said. "I feel it's important to use him in the middle overs when batsmen are not really looking to go after the bowlers, so he doesn't have to bowl those yorkers. He can then bowl to his strengths; he's the kind of bowler who likes to hit the deck hard."

Twenty20 victory margins are rarely more emphatic than nine wickets and 18 balls to spare and Dhoni said that it would be "tough to replicate the performance". Perhaps it was fitting, though, for he felt that today's crowd at The Oval would also be the best the tournament gets.

More than just a warm-up

Charity matches are normally about being nice, but if that theory was ever to be tested, it was when India clashed with Pakistan on Wednesday.

History and emotions run deep in contests between the two nations; sentiments that intensified further after India's last-over victory over Pakistan in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 two years ago. Indeed, the tournament director, Steve Elworthy, placed the "warm-up" match into perspective when he told Cricinfo prior to play: "This is the biggest game in the tournament." There is nothing quaint about matches between the Asian neighbours.

Pakistan coach Inthikab Alam suggested as much during the week when, with an inscrutable smile, he responded to a question about whether both teams would treat the contest more seriously than a centre-wicket practice. "Even if it is a practice game both sides will take it seriously," he said, "That has always been the case." Nothing betrayed that sentiment on Wednesday.

With tensions between India and Pakistan still inflamed in the wake of the 26/11 terrorist strikes in Mumbai last year, it seems unlikely the two teams will meet in the near future outside of ICC events. Given the prevailing political climate, this warm-up game was immensely significant.

The crowds came in big numbers, the players displayed their usual aggro, the Oval swayed back and forth as the Indian and Pakistan fans drummed up support for their respective teams. The most important element in any Indo-Pak tussle is the crowd: take them out and the oval becomes an arid zone. And when the fans started to pour into the Kennington complex four hours before the schedule start, another intense affair seemed assured. Not even the unseasonably cold weather could deter them.

MS Dhoni and co. had been asked throughout IPL2 - relocated to South Africa at the eleventh hour - if they had been missing the throbbing crowds which filled stadia across India during the first edition of the tournament. The answer, emphatically, was yes. But for three hours on Wednesday, Kennington's oval resembled Kolkata's gardens, and the match was played with all the passion and fervour of a true local contest. A homecoming of sorts.

Anticipating the enormity of the event, tournament organisers left little to chance. "The people in charge of security had already briefed us that they had beefed up the security ahead of such a big game," Elworthy said. Still, with relations between the cricketing nations deteriorating of late, emotions were always likely to fray, and scuffles and evictions were witnessed in at least three sections of the ground. These, however, did not spoil the over all atmosphere, which some supporters described as being "like a jalsa" (festive).

From the moment Praveen Kumar unleashed his first delivery of the match, The Oval reverberated with the chants of "Indiaaaaa, Indiaaaa". And when the athletic and proactive Suresh Raina ran out the dangerous Kamran Akmal, the decibel levels increased ten-fold, particularly after Raina's extravagant celebration, in which he galloped towards the dugout as if he had won an Olympic medal.

Critics have suggested India and Pakistan matches are scheduled too frequently, and thus have become devalued in the public eye. Not on the evidence of Wednesday. "It always has such an intensity," Dhoni said of his side's rivalry with Pakistan. "This was expected, a big crowd. This will be the best crowd you will get a tournament. We played New Zealand in front of hardly any crowds. It helps us to give your best."

Amidst the party-like atmosphere - the air was full of bubbling excitement - the fans did not neglect to show their appreciation for good cricket: the Indians fans acknowledged the brilliant efforts of Ahmed Shehzad who ran backwards to hold on to a brilliant catch and cut short Rohit Sharma's stunning innings on 80.

"Shrunk format has expanded cricket's boundaries," read a placard, held by an Indian fan in the Jack Hobbs stand. On the evidence of Wednesday, it also crossed borders.

NZC opens door for Bond comeback

Shane Bond's potential international comeback remains on track following New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) decision that former ICL players will be eligible for national selection. Players including Bond, Daryl Tuffey and Lou Vincent need only prove they have severed all ties with the unofficial ICL and they will be immediately available for New Zealand selection.

The NZC announcement came after a board meeting on Thursday and opens the door for the players to be selected for New Zealand's next international engagement, a tour of Sri Lanka in August. Bond and Tuffey, both of whom performed strongly in the recent New Zealand domestic season, would be the most likely candidates for a recall.

"We understand both of these players wish to return to international cricket, which is great news for cricket in New Zealand," Justin Vaughan, the NZC chief executive, said. However, he said the board's decision was "about policy rather than any player's particular circumstance".

"Today's decision is by no means a guarantee of selection for any player," Vaughan said. "All former ICL players would need to earn their way back into the national side on merit.

"There's no question that New Zealand suffered heavily from the ICL - our national side lost a significant number of top players. New Zealand wants to have a top-ranked national team and this is very hard when you are unable to select from all your best players."

Tuffey has reportedly already severed ties with the ICL, with Bond and Vincent likely to follow suit. Other New Zealand players who took part in the most recent ICL tournament included Hamish Marshall, Andre Adams, Chris Harris and the retired Craig McMillan and Nathan Astle.

Rohit and Gambhir script emphatic win

Finally India and Pakistan played out a one-sided Twenty20 game. Filling in for Virender Sehwag as opener, Rohit Sharma continued to give India a combination dilemma and made the chase seem like an afternoon walk in a London park. A target of 159, with extra bowlers available by the virtue of this being a 13-a-side game, was by no means an easy one, but Gautam Gambhir and Rohit managed with the ease that belies the tension an India-Pakistan match brings.

Nothing about this encounter suggested it was a warm-up game. The sell-out crowd, and the intensity in the first innings was something even the final of the actual tournament will be proud of. But in the second innings, Pakistan went into the experiment mode. They went in with an interesting strategy, interchanging the usual roles between Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir. Gul, who usually bowls in the last 10 overs, opened the bowling, and Tanvir came on to bowl in the 10th over - none of the moves worked.

Nothing about Rohit's innings suggested that he was a makeshift opener. Although Gambhir kickstarted things with three boundaries in the first three overs, including one off Gul's first ball, it was Rohit who took the match away from Pakistan. He got going with a heave over mid-on in the third over, but the slogs were conspicuous by absence in the rest of his innings.

Yasir Arafat, who bowled three overs at the top of the innings, went for a six in his second and two boundaries in his third. The 17-year-old prodigy Mohammad Aamer produced good pace in his first over, but he too was pulled for four by Rohit. By the end of the seventh over, when Pakistan threw the final roll of the dice - the spinners - India had already reached 65.

The batsmen played out Saeed Ajmal's first over quietly, but in Shahid Afridi's first over Gautam Gambhir joined the party, with a short-arm-pull over midwicket. Tanvir, in his first over, was hit for perhaps the shot of the day, a yorker flicked to fine leg. By the time captain Younis Khan called the spinners back, Rohit was in the mood for some fun, hitting Ajmal inside-out and pulling Afridi over midwicket. When he got out for a 53-ball 80, India needed only 19 runs in four overs.

Lack of discipline and a few big hits from MS Dhoni and Gambhir meant the game ended in the next over. Quite fittingly, Pakistan finished the match with a wide.

It wasn't as facile when the old sparring partners started off for the first time since last year's Asia Cup in Karachi. They wasted little time in going for punches and counter-punches during a frenetically-paced first innings. A wicket in the first over didn't deter Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal from counterattacking spectacularly with a 25-ball 43-run stand. They stumbled just as sensationally, losing the next three wickets on the same score before the two coolest heads in the team, Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq, rebuilt and took Pakistan to what seemed a fighting total.

Praveen Kumar and Shehzad set the agenda early. Praveen followed two bouncers with an outswinger to clean up Shahzaib Hasan. Akmal then crashed the first ball after the wicket through the covers for four. In the next over, Shehzad hit RP Singh for three boundaries, an over during which he was also dropped by Harbhajan Singh at short midwicket.

Dhoni quickly called on the raw pace of Ishant Sharma and the effect was immediate. First Suresh Raina ran out Akmal through superb work at cover, and Shehzad top-edged a pull in the same over. The panic set in when a promoted Shahid Afridi went boom first ball he faced from Irfan and managed just an outside edge to Dhoni - 45 for 1 had become 45 for 4.

Shoaib Malik counterattacked, but fell soon. Either side of Malik's dismissal, no boundary was hit for 42 balls until Misbah made room and lofted Ojha to wide long-on in the 13th over. By the time Younis fell for a run-a-ball 32, the two had been added 50 in 45 balls. Arafat and Misbah provided the final impetus, scoring 29 in the last two overs, but it proved to be way below-par on the night.

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Tait and Krejza earn Australia A call-up

Shaun Tait's confusing few weeks has continued with his selection in the Australia A side to take on Pakistan A in Queensland in June and July. Less than three weeks after losing his Cricket Australia contract, Tait was chosen for the limited-overs portion of the series in a squad that will be captained by Cameron White.

Bryce McGain's quick slide following his Test debut continued as the selectors turned instead to White and two other slow bowlers. Jason Krejza had fallen off the radar after his two Test appearances but is back in the mix alongside the young Victoria left-arm spinner Jon Holland.

There has also been a shift in the wicketkeeping ranks with Tasmania's Tim Paine chosen ahead of Luke Ronchi. It is less than five months since Ronchi played for Australia, yet he has now disappeared below Paine and the Ashes-bound Graham Manou as the backup glovemen to Brad Haddin.

The series begins with two four-day matches in Townsville before heading to Brisbane's Allan Border Field for a Twenty20 and three one-dayers. Tait, Moises Henriques and David Warner have been included only for the shorter games while Ryan Broad, Michael Klinger and Burt Cockley have been picked as specialists in the longer version.

The pace attack for the four-day matches will be made up of the emerging Cockley and Clint McKay, alongside the established Doug Bollinger and Brett Geeves. The vice-captain Adam Voges, 29, is the oldest member of the group and the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said it was a deliberate decision to choose a youthful squad with the one-day focus already on the 2011 World Cup.

"The National Selection Panel has, with view to the future of Australian cricket, selected a very young squad to play both the four-day and one-day games," Hilditch said. "The selection recognises the performances of these young talented players in the domestic season last year whilst concentrating on those players we have identified as having the ability to play a significant role in the development of Australian cricket in the future."

Australia A squad Cameron White (capt), Adam Voges, George Bailey, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Broad, Burt Cockley, Callum Ferguson, Brett Geeves, Moises Henriques, Jon Holland, Michael Klinger, Jason Krejza, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Tim Paine, Shaun Tait, David Warner.

Why Australia, Sri Lanka and West Indies are in one group

How the groups were made

The 12 teams competing in this year's World Twenty20 are the nine Full-Member countries and three Associates who made it to England through the qualifying tournament, which was held in Belfast. They have been divided into four groups of three each based on their seeding, which depended on their standings in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 (for the teams that took part in it). Since India were champions they were seeded first, their opponents in the final, Pakistan, were ranked second, while the losing semi-finalists Australia and New Zealand were seeded third and fourth. The top four seeds were then put in four different groups for this year's tournament.

The best among the rest, South Africa, were seeded fifth and put in the same group, D, as the team seeded fourth -New Zealand - while Sri Lanka and England, the 6th and 7th seed, were placed in groups C and B. Had West Indies at least finished eighth in 2007, there would not have been a 'group of death' this year. But they did not even win a single game, losing to Bangladesh because of an inspired innings from Mohammad Ashraful, and were seeded 11 and placed in Group C. Bangladesh, who qualified for the Super Eights in 2007 but didn't win a game in that round, were eighth and put in India's group.

Group A - India (1), Bangladesh (8), Ireland (9) Group B - Pakistan (2), England (7). Netherlands (10) Group C - Australia (3), Sri Lanka (6) West Indies (11) Group D - New Zealand (4), South Africa (5), Scotland (12)

Each team will play the other in its group during the preliminary round and the top two will qualify for the Super Eights. What this means is that either Bangladesh or Ireland, or both, are assured of a place in the second stage, while one of Australia, Sri Lanka and West Indies will crash out after round one, leading to the possibility of another group of death in the next World Twenty20, in the Caribbean in 2010.

If two teams in a group have equal points at the end of the first round, the one with more wins will be placed higher. If they have equal points and the same number of wins, a likely scenario, then the team with the higher net run-rate will be ranked higher. Should net run-rate also fail to separate the sides, then the one with the higher number of wickets taken per balls bowled in the group stage in which results were achieved, will be preferred. And if the teams remain in a deadlock, then the winner of the group match between the sides will prevail. If all of the aforementioned tie-breakers fail, the teams will be separated by drawing lots.

And should the weather in England wreck all the three matches of a particular group, the top two seeded teams in the group will progress. No points, however, will be carried forward from the group stage into the Super Eights.

The Super Eights

The teams in the Super Eight will be designated as A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 C2, D1, D2 depending on which group they qualified from. If the top two seeds from a group qualify, they will be seeded 1 and 2 respectively for the Super Eight regardless of which team actually finished first and second in a group during the first round. For example, if Bangladesh are first and India are second in Group A, Bangladesh will still be A2 while India will remain A1 for the Super Eight because India were seeded 1 while Bangladesh were 8. However, if the third seeded team in the group knocks out a higher seed, it will take the place of the knocked-out opponent. For example, if Bangladesh and Ireland qualify from Group A, then Ireland will be A1 for the Super Eight stage. If India and Ireland qualify, then Ireland will be A2.

During the Super Eight, the teams will be split into two groups of four - A1, B2, C1 and D2 are in the first group, while A2, B1, C2 and D1 are in the second. Each team will play the others in its pool with the top two from each group qualifying for the semi-finals. If teams are tied on points in a Super Eight group then the same parameters which were used to break a tie in the preliminary stage will be used, the difference being that only the Super Eight matches will be taken into consideration for most wins, net run-rate etc.

If all of the matches of a Super Eight group are ruined by rain, the teams will be ranked on basis of most points, most wins, net run-rate during the group stage and the top two will go through. If the teams still cannot be separated the semi-finalists will be picked based on the original seeding for the tournament.

A one-over eliminator, or Super Over, will be used to break a tie in a semi-final, if one should occur. However, if weather prevents the Super Over from taking place after a tie, the team which progresses to the final will be determined by looking at who has the most wins, better net run-rate, higher number of wickets per balls, the only difference being that this time both group and Super Eight matches will be taken into consideration.

The final, however, has no such provisions. If the final is tied, the match will be decided by a one-over eliminator. If the eliminator cannot take place because of bad weather, then the two finalists will be declared joint winners.

Collingwood calls for 'brave' campaign

England captains have been two-a-penny in the past few months, but if Paul Collingwood looked a little nervous as he faced the media on the eve of his return to the role, it was not because he has taken over a sinking ship in the manner of his immediate predecessors, Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen. Quite the opposite in fact.

For the first time in a long time, England have rediscovered that winning habit, and as the Ashes begin to loom, so too does the invidious nature of Collingwood's three-week tenancy. On his watch, England's precious momentum could conceivably be boosted by a glorious maiden triumph in a major global event. More likely, however, it stands to be dented by another ignominious failure to match the skills and chutzpah of the more established limited-overs nations.

Collingwood was at the helm in South Africa two years ago, when England's only victory in five attempts came against the underdogs of Zimbabwe. With Andrew Strauss stepping aside to let his harder-hitting colleagues take centre stage, Colly's back in the hot seat, and to judge by these early impressions, he's finding it hard to inject his words with the right measure of confidence.

"We've got to be brave to win a tournament like this," Collingwood told reporters at Lord's. "We have to have the belief that we can win as a team, but we also have to have belief in our own ability in the middle. Twenty20 cricket is not an exact science, so you have to think on your feet in the middle. Sometimes it only takes one person, and we've got a lot of matchwinners, so I really do believe we can surprise a few people. I'm not going to say we are going to win it, but we have to believe we can win it."

Ever since England's near-miss at the 1992 World Cup, their one-day cricket has struggled to cope with the national preference for the five-day version, and in this summer of all summers the disparity seems even more stark than ever - no other national captain, for instance, would have to field questions on the eve of such a prestigious competition about a star player's fitness for a still-distant Test series - as Collingwood did of Andrew Flintoff.

"Freddie is a world-class player, simple as that," said Collingwood. "He'll be coming back into the England side, and he'll be welcomed back because we'll need him 100% come the Ashes. But right now we're concentrating on a major World Cup tournament. If we go all the way and win it, it's certainly going to give us some major confidence, but this is a one-off. The Ashes is something we've been building up to for a long time now. The next three weeks shouldn't affect the way we approach that."

It shouldn't affect anything … but as Collingwood's demeanour suggested, it just might. "A lot of our momentum comes from results, because when you're winning things are very easy," he said. "It's [difficult] when the losses come along, and we will have losses in this kind of tournament, that's the nature of Twenty20 cricket. But what we've got is a strong team ethos, and it's not just me that has to drive that, we'll have to filter that team ethos through to the new guys. They know what is expected of them and the England team."

For the second time in two Twenty20 tournaments, England's clutch of new boys could make the difference between success and failure. In 2007, the selectors took a punt on the likes of Darren Maddy, Jeremy Snape, Chris Schofield and James Kirtley - men who had performed with aplomb in the domestic Twenty20 Cup, but who, to a greater or lesser degree, had been found out at the highest level. Sure enough, the experiment failed.

This time, however, Collingwood has far more faith in the men at his disposal. Of the two uncapped members of the original squad, one - Graham Napier - has just returned from an educational stint with the IPL, while the other - Eoin Morgan - justified his call-up with an exceptionally inventive innings of 161 for Middlesex at Kent in the Friends Provident Trophy earlier this month. Despite the innate fatalism that tends to accompany English one-day campaigns, there are genuine reasons why the story could be different this time.

"You look at Ravi Bopara at the top of the order, he's going to be crucial for us, and Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have developed as bowlers," said Collingwood. "We have players who are in crucial positions who have gained a lot of international experience since 2007 and I think they're better players now.

"There are obviously concerns when you meet up as a team that the new guys will not be brought into the side as well as they could be," he said. "This time around that isn't a concern, because I think we have a really strong culture in the side, and the guys get on really well. The boys have got the skills and are very confident, and we just want to take that out into the middle."

Whether the brave talk translates into brave deeds, however, remains to be seen. A fear-free Dutch team, bolstered by the IPL star Dirk Nannes and Essex's uncompromising allrounder, Ryan ten Doeschate, await in the tournament opener, and then it's over to Pakistan, beaten finalists in 2007, and a side who are just glad to be back on the international stage after the horrors of Lahore.

"Playing at home could be an added pressure but we're not taking it like that," said Collingwood. "We've got an advantage in many ways, we know what the wickets are all about here, and we're very excited about playing in front of our own crowds. No England cricket team has won an ICC tournament before so we have a three-week period here for us as a team to hopefully put that right."

Our main goal is to reach the Super Eights - Ashraful

Mohammad Ashraful has said Bangladesh's main objective is to qualify for the Super Eights of the World Twenty20 which begins on June 5. They play their first game on June 6 against India, the current champions, whom they famously beat in the 2007 World Cup.

"In this form of the game any side can beat the other," Ashraful told reporters at Lord's. "We defeated the West Indies in the last World T20 in South Africa and progressed to the Super Eight. Our main goal is to repeat that and if we beat India, who are the world champions, in the first match then we will fancy our chances of doing well against the top sides and making the semi-finals even."

Barring the upset win over West Indies in the last World Twenty20, Bangladesh had a disappointing tournament, losing their other four games by fairly convincing margins. However, Ashraful, who had a poor run himself, averaging 17.40 in five games, was confident of putting up a better show this time. "We have come here one week early, had three games against New Zealand, Holland and Scotland and the boys have done well," he said. "We are confident and there are two tough games against Australia tomorrow and Sri Lanka the day after. So that's a nice build-up to the main tournament."

One of the Bangladesh players who has impressed in the warm-ups has been the seamer, Rubel Hossain. He returned figures of 4 for 19 against Holland, and 5 for 16 against Scotland. "He has taken nine wickets in two matches and is bowling really well. He has an awkward action and has bit of extra pace," Ashraful said of Rubel.

He also backed his deputy Mashrafe Mortaza to come good after a disappointing solitary game in the IPL, where he conceded 58 runs in four overs for Kolkata Knight Riders, including 27 in the decisive final over of the contest. "It was only in the last over that he did badly. Otherwise I thought he was okay. But I know he'll be back. He is that type of a player. He always does well against India."

Ireland is the other team that Bangladesh must face in the group stage, and having lost to them at the 2007 World Cup they might have reason to be cautious. But Ashfraful was confident of averting a repeat. "I think if we play our best cricket then we should not have a problem against Ireland because we have more quality in the side."

We have "moved on" after Lahore - Sangakkara

kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain, believes his team is now mentally prepared to return to international cricket following the Lahore bus attack on March 3, but admitted that some apprehensions still remain, as shown by the recent decision to withdraw - along with Muttiah Muralitharan and manager Brendon Kuruppu - from a speaking engagement in Oxford due to security fears.

"Returning to cricket is the sign of normalcy for us, getting back to our normal lives," Sangakkara told Cricinfo. "The guys have moved on very well from Lahore. It is great to be back playing cricket and hope we can make a challenge in the World Twenty20. The side is really looking forward to doing well."

Sangakkara was one of the seven players injured in the attacks after terrorists fired and hurled grenades at the Sri Lankan team bus as it made its way to the Gadaffi Stadium on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan.

The team had its first practice nets at Lord's on Saturday afternoon and the players seemed happy to be back in action. "We remember the Lahore attack. There is a lot of emotion tied up with it, but we've got to move on," Sangakkara said. "Life moves on, cricket goes on. The guys have realised that and they are prepared mentally now."

Even if Sangakkara was happy with the security arrangements put in place by the ICC for the event, the aftermath of Sri Lanka's victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - which brought to an end to a 26-year-old civil war - has brought with it new concerns.

Sangakkara said they had been alerted to the perceived security risks and players had been asked to keep the management informed of their movements. On Friday, he and Muralitharan were supposed to take part in a debate organised by the Oxford University Union but the visit was cancelled at the last minute as the organisers failed to put the required security arrangements in place.

"Our movements are a bit restricted at the moment but the security people have allowed us to keep our focus on the game," Sangakkara said.

Asked what the mood was like before the team boarded the bus for the first time after Lahore, Sangakkara said it was full of optimism and the usual banter. "Getting back together, going on a bus you know sometimes you look around and you feel how vulnerable you are in the bus if anyone wants to do any harm. At the same time it is great to get back on it as a team and play your first major tournament after Lahore. That feeling of togetherness, being through tough situations, and playing the game we love brings us a lot closer together."

Cricketers love routines and are superstitious when it comes to matters such as sitting on a particular seat. The Sri Lankans are no different. "Everyone just fell into their places. Lots of players have seats they are really fond of: Sanath [Jayasuriya] always sits on the right three to four rows from the front and Mahela [Jayawardene] likes to sit at the back. So the guys are back in their usual positions. Life is back to normal."

	Lots of players have seats they are really fond of: Sanath [Jayasuriya] always sits on the right three to four rows from the front and Mahela [Jayawardene] likes to sit at the back. So the guys are back in their usual positions

Quite a few of the players, including Sangakkara, Muralitharan, Jayawardene, Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lasith Malinga and Farveez Maharoof played during the IPL in South Africa and are expected to carry the momentum into England. "We are trying to play on our unpredictability and our unorthodox make-up and hopefully be able to come up with the unexpected and surprising," Sangakkara said.

Unlike teams like India and Pakistan, who have landed relatively easy groups, Sri Lanka are paired with Australia and West Indies. Sangakkara is aware of the threat but is confident his team can make the second round as long as the batsmen can construct formidable scores for his in-form bowlers to defend.

"We start off in a very tough group so we need to win at least one, if not both of our opening games," he said. "We have got probably one of the best bowling attacks, but we've just got to make sure our batting complements that and gets totals we can defend. Guys like Jayasuriya, Dilshan and Mahela are in good form and can win games on their own, so it is going to be a good experience. It is also a good way to judge how far we need to go before becoming a force in Twenty20 cricket. We've got the depth in both bowling and batting."

Sangakkara has also put the onus on his young allrounders Maharoof and Angelo Mathews to perform and make an impact in the lower-middle order, which Sangakkara feels is the team's Achilles heel. "Angelo Mathews and Farveez Maharoof will have to take that responsibility of making that difference," he said. "We have lot more strengths than weaknesses."

Smith aims to overcome World Cup hurdle

South African sports fans are spoilt for choice at the moment. No sooner has the IPL finished than the British and Irish Lions have started their tour and now their cricket team is in England preparing for the ICC World Twenty20. Such is South Africa's passion for rugby the progress of Graeme Smith's side over the next three weeks may struggle to grab the attention. But they have the chance to cap off a period where they have caused some significant shifts in the world order.

They are now the No. 1 team in one-day cricket after taking that crown off Australia and also pushed them close for the top spot in Tests. With a host of their players having experienced the IPL first hand, they are primed to challenge in the ICC World Twenty20. But South Africa have a history of stalling on the big stage. Their continued success over the last year has helped loosen the chokers tag, yet it will linger until they conquer their World Cup problems.

"It would be lovely if we could be successful in this tournament or any ICC tournament that is coming up," Smith said. "We have had an incredible period in the last 16 months and the team has achieved so much. The confidence is good and we are excited about playing this tournament with the chance to go out and express ourselves. I think there is a lot more talent, flair and confidence among this team than ever before."

South Africa's preparations didn't get off to the best start when they arrived at Southgate, in north London, only to find they were not expected for a training session and had to relocate to Lord's. Smith said he would raise a few issues with the technical committee, but added that the way the team responded shows how focussed they are. "Even today with the not-so-great training facilities we have had all over the place the guys have still applied themselves. There's a good, mature attitude among the squad."

And Smith hopes the IPL experience will benefit his team, especially as a number of players were senior figures with their franchises. "A lot of our players had prominent roles in a number of the teams, which probably wouldn't have happened if it had been in India, and they had good leadership roles among their teams."

During the first World Twenty20 two years ago, in South Africa, one of the most controversial selections by the hosts was to omit allrounder Jacques Kallis. This year he is part of the squad and comes off the back of a useful spell at the IPL where he made 361 runs at 27.76 for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

"Jacques is the one player who arrives here with a point to prove," Smith said. "He had a decent performance in the IPL so is confidence his high and tactically how we use him is important. He's an allrounder and needs to contribute in all forms."

However, Smith himself didn't enjoy as productive a tournament managing 212 runs at 19.27 in his 12 matches for Rajasthan Royals. But he has masses of Twenty20 experience to fall back on including captaining Somerset to the English Twenty20 Cup title in 2005, winning the Pro20 with the Cape Cobras and last year's success with Rajasthan in the inaugural IPL.

"I have a few really good ideas on how to play the game," he said. "The experience as captain plays a key role and I think I have a good grip on the game."

This tournament is the final point in a marathon spell of cricket for the team which has included last year's trips to India and England, back-to-back series against Australia, plus six weeks at the IPL for many of its players, and Smith has called for one last effort from his squad.

"It's been a lengthy period and mental fatigue is probably our biggest challenge and something we have addressed as a team," he said. "Something that we've been really good on is responsibility and professionalism throughout this period. At different times you feel a little jaded, but I think we can find it within us to pick ourselves up for three more weeks."

Pakistan's pace battery raring to go

Pakistan's bowling attack for the ICC World Twenty20 could provide some anxious moments to opposition batsmen with the addition of the country's newest fast bowling sensation Mohammad Aamer to its pace battery. The attack already includes Umar Gul, the leading wicket-taker at the last World Twenty20.

Gul said he wanted to do better than last time and would attack the batsmen right from the first ball. "We have a balanced attack and if we bowl to a tight line and length, then we can get teams out or restrict them to gettable totals."

Gul said he preferred bowling first change since more swing could be obtained. "It's the ideal time to not only stop the flow of runs but to take wickets. We came so close to winning the title in 2007 but it was bad luck. This time round we want to finish it without a blemish. The title, nothing less, is the aim."

Aamer, a 17-year old left-arm fast bowler from Rawalpindi, has said he wants to emulate his idol Wasim Akram's success in the 1992 World Cup when he plays in the World Twenty20.

"I want fairytale success, and will do my best for it," Aamer said.

Aamer, a protégé of Akram who had called for his selection to the national side in July last year, was born only two weeks after Akram's feats at the 1992 World Cup but said he had watched videos of his idol and that attracted him to cricket. "I was never interested in joining the army. I was attracted by cricket and by Wasim Akram," he said. In his maiden first-class season, Aamer took 56 wickets in 10 matches for Rawalpindi. He also picked up 15 wickets in List A games and was picked for the Bangladesh tour which was postponed. Along with Mohammad Talha, Aamer is regarded as Pakistan's latest pace sensation.

Shakil Shaikh, the official who spotted Aamer, said his swing and pace was handy. "Aamer's strong point is that he can judge a batsman after a few deliveries and then plan his deliveries," Shaikh said.

Akram has tipped him to be a revelation in the World Twenty20. "I have watched him more than once and he's impressive with over 140kmh speed and can swing the ball both ways."

Success will cheer up Pakistan - Younis

Pakistan's captain, Younis Khan, is ready to turn England into his team's home away from home, and views success in the World Twenty20 as the best way to make his troubled nation smile again.

Since the atrocities outside the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in March, in which eight security and transport personnel were killed in a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus, Pakistan's cricketers have been forced into exile. They were barred from competing in the IPL, and their only action since the attack was a low-key ODI series against Australia in the UAE.

Now, however, they are on the world stage in a big way, lining up alongside England and Netherlands in the group stage of a competition that, but for a moment's aberration from Misbah-ul-Haq against India in September 2007, they might well have won at the first attempt.

"It is special to be back on the world stage," Younis told reporters at Lord's. "Especially in Twenty20s, and especially in England. We are suffering from not playing regularly, and no-one is coming to Pakistan, but all the time in the last few months I have been talking to the boys, and telling them to do well [in this tournament]. There are a lot of media here, and [if we succeed] we'll be well on our way to our mission, so to speak. It's very important for us."

There has been much talk in recent weeks about overkill of the Twenty20 format, and burn-out of the game's star players, but such issues couldn't be less of a problem for Pakistan, who are desperate to get stuck into some meaningful cricket. "If you don't play regularly, you don't have that match fitness," said Younis. "But the beauty of international cricket is that it is changing all the time in different conditions, so we feel fresh and will do well in England, in'shallah."

Younis admitted his team's security for this tournament had been stepped up from previous visits to England, but added that such a situation had become common-place for Pakistan. Of greater importance was the opportunity that the visit provides his young players, especially with the prospect of a return to England next summer to play a Test series against Australia.

"Playing in England is everyone's dream," said Younis. "I have been over here for county cricket [with Yorkshire], and my first Test at Lord's was fantastic for me. Playing cricket in Pakistan would be better, but we have problems as everyone knows. England is the home of cricket, it will be good for our youngsters to learn to play in any conditions. Sometimes here it rains, sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold."

With that in mind, Younis said that his team's tactics would revolve around a more patient game that has sometimes been witnessed in Twenty20 cricket. "I have a couple of plans," he said. "T20 looks short, but it's not - 120 balls is enough. If you bat normally but with energy, especially in the middle order where you need good running between the wickets, [a score of] 180-190 is very easy.

"In English conditions the new ball does seam, so you need someone like Salman Butt who can play for 20 overs. But in the middle order, we have big hitters like Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, he's a top Twenty20 batsman. So we are not lacking in players."

Afridi's power-hitting game might have been designed with Twenty20 cricket in mind, but Younis was careful not to expect him to shred the opposition every innings. "Afridi was one of best players of the last tournament," he said. "As a captain I have a few good players, but the main thing is everyone respects him. He'll come in and though it's not possible to hit every ball for six, the expectation is there. He's always done a good job for me, and he'll do good for Pakistan."

Reflecting on the near-miss in 2007, Younis admitted that there had been a few players in tears at the end of the final in Johannesburg. When five runs were needed for victory, Misbah mistimed an attempted scoop over fine leg and lobbed a simple chance to Sreesanth on the edge of the circle. But he remained confident that his team could achieve at least a top-four finish this time, and maybe even go one better than two years ago.

"The finishing touches were not there in 2007," said Younis. "But it was fantastic to be a part of that team in the final. Some guys were crying at the end, but in T20 everything can change. My confidence is that I'll take this trophy to Pakistan, but if the plan works ins'hallah it'll be an achievement for us to finish in the top four.

"We have a lot of followers all the time in England, and a lot of cities here have Pakistanis and Indians," he said. "That's the main reason I'm happy to be in England. Our fans are fantastic back home, they are lovers of T20, and now it's dependent on us to prove ourselves. If we play good cricket it will be good for our nation. These days the whole nation is depressed, and only cricket [can lift it]. If we play good and win something, they will cheer. To finish in the top four, my nation will come again and start cheering."

'I've loved every minute of it'

It's been more than 48 hours since the Mumbai Indians lost to Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals in Durban. Standing on the metal steps that lead up to the press-conference area at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, Sachin Tendulkar is looking somewhere far away. His team have been all but eliminated from semi-final contention after a loss to the Chennai Super Kings, but it's the one that got away at Kingsmead that continues to haunt Tendulkar. "There's no way you should lose a game when you need just six to win with nine balls to go," he says, voice shot through with disbelief.

"We lost to the Kings XI by two runs as well. I can understand a team being bowled out for 85 when chasing 120, but to bat through the overs and not get the runs... that's inexcusable."

Like most of the greats, Tendulkar hates losing. And as the security guard watches nervously, he talks to me with an earnestness that is almost vehement. There's a perception that many players are on the IPL gravy train for the big-fat pay cheque; players who "shouldn't be here", as Ray Jennings put it in his wonderfully candid way. Tendulkar is not one of them. Some players prefer to walk out to Kylie Minogue's music. In his present mood, you sense that Tendulkar would opt for REM's "Everybody Hurts".

For Tendulkar, like for Glenn McGrath, who spent the entire second season of the IPL on the bench, winning is pretty much everything. This is, after all, the man who once admitted that he found it tough to let his son win when they played with a little bat and ball.

A week after our meeting in windy Port Elizabeth, I see him again. The mood isn't any better. Mumbai have been thrashed by Delhi Daredevils. A campaign that started promisingly with victory in the opening game at Newlands against the fancied Chennai lies in tatters. Five wins and eight defeats, seventh on the table.

At the press conference he bites down on some words, tries hard not to point fingers. But his disappointment is an open wound. Here for the money? You must be joking. As he prepares to leave the stadium and the 40-minute drive from Centurion to the team hotel in Sandton, we arrange to talk. Over the phone. I still have another game to watch, and Manish Pandey, a 19-year-old with a baby face, pounds out a heady century.

I slip unnoticed into the press-conference room and dial the number. It makes sense to ask Tendulkar about the IPL experience. After all, most of the South African contingent has grilled him about the way their nation has embraced the tournament. And when we first chatted, a fortnight into the competition, he had mentioned just how much of a strain the interminable travel was. "It's been very good but it was tough as well, especially to lose so many close games," he says after a small pause. "We should have won them, but we just didn't finish the job.

	"That was a decision I took two years ago, not to play Twenty20 cricket for India. I felt my body was struggling and I wasn't able to give 100%. I didn't want to be a burden on the team. If you have one loose link, it's unfair on the other guys"

"Also, playing away from home has been different. People back home, not just in Mumbai but right across India, had been looking forward to this IPL season. That it didn't happen at home must have been hard on them. It's always different when you can't watch it live. The home games are very big back home. The atmosphere is something else. And you get pretty much everyone backing the home team. But I sort of knew that people would turn up and appreciate good cricket in South Africa. The crowds have been fantastic."

Given how well some of the senior players have done in the IPL, it's hardly surprising that there has been innuendo about how useful their experience would be in English conditions. But Tendulkar himself has no regrets about missing out on the World Twenty20. Sure, he'll be at some of the games, but he'll also be at Wimbledon, enjoying some time away from the spotlight that has been his lot for two decades now.

"That was a decision I took two years ago, not to play Twenty20 cricket for India," he says. "I felt my body was struggling and I wasn't able to give 100%. I didn't want to be a burden on the team. If you have one loose link, it's unfair on the other guys.

"The team did well, more than well, in South Africa [2007]. It's a settled side now. I felt I should not disturb the combination. One-day cricket and Test cricket are different, because I've been part of the team for so long. But if I was to force myself into the Twenty20 team, it would mean a reshuffle that I don't want."

Even after such a gruelling IPL season - each of India's 15-man squad played a part - he remains confident that MS Dhoni's team can retain the trophy they won in improbable circumstances in the Highveld two years ago. "I think we've definitely got a tournament-winning squad," he says. "It looks fantastic, in all respects. The batting, bowling and fielding are equally strong, and the morale is very high."

Along with the seniors' debate, there have been young players catching the eye. Before Pandey's brilliant innings, there was Sudeep Tyagi with his seam bowling, and Pragyan Ojha with his left-arm spin. But when you ask Tendulkar about the young players that he has watched in the tournament, and their long-term potential, he shies away from judgments. "I don't think this is the right format to judge a player," he says. "One-day cricket or Tests reveal far more about a player's ability. With Twenty20 you can sometimes have days when everything you try just comes off."

His own career has revived spectacularly after the struggles with injury. There were two Test centuries in Australia, and though he failed in Sri Lanka, centuries in Chennai and Hamilton played a huge part in series victories over England and New Zealand. There were also two magnificent innings in the CB Series finals against Australia in March 2008, when he rewound the clock to Desert Storm times and single-handedly tilted games India's way.

A few more straight-drives and paddle sweeps and he'll have 30,000 runs in international cricket. Barring Don Bradman's, which acquire a near-mythical status as the years pass, Tendulkar owns practically every batting record in the game. What makes the man tick, what makes him get out of bed every morning and choose the less-than-easy option?

"I enjoy playing cricket," he says with a laugh. "It's the simplest answer and the one people seem to find hardest to believe. I love being out there. I have a lot of fun. There are always various challenges to occupy you, and also the pride that comes with playing for India. That's still a huge thing, because it's all I ever wanted as a child. I don't think my feelings are any less strong now."

Ever since he was a teenager scoring hundreds for fun in Mumbai, it's his sense of calm that has set him apart. Few events have shaken that composure down the years, and none quite like the terror attacks in Mumbai last November. The siege at the Taj Mahal Hotel took place just around the corner from his restaurant, with its cricket-themed walls and personally chosen menu.

"That was a tragic experience," he says after a long pause. "I don't think anyone expected that something of that nature could happen. It was just terrible. I dedicated the victory against England [Chennai] to the victims and their families, because I felt it was the least we could do. Winning a cricket match was not going to make people forget what had happened to them, but if they smiled even for a second, we had been able to do something. It was only about diverting minds, however briefly. It was a huge loss for everyone, and not something that can ever be measured in terms of wins and losses."

In that context, was that century the one he cherishes most? "Definitely," he says. "The mood of the entire nation was so low. And on that last day, we finished so strongly. It was my most important hundred."

	"Right now, things have been going well. I want to focus on the next engagement. Winning the World Cup is the ambition of every cricketer. I'm not alone in that. But it would be special

In his wonderful biography of Sunil Gavaskar, the late Dom Moraes titled one chapter "The Halcyon Years". These are such days for Tendulkar, for whom the finish line is in sight. But even as he approaches it, he's enjoying every moment of being part of a side that appears equipped to take on all-comers, home and away. Having spent much of his career as part of a team that struggled, especially away from home, what does it now feel like to be senior statesman and a member of a side that's challenging for top honours in every form of the game?

"It's terrific," he says, the mood lifting. "I find it a real pleasure to be part of this team. We've got the quality to compete with the best, and it's exciting when you do so well." The emphasis is on enjoying the moment, rather than worrying about which boxes still remain to be ticked. "I don't look to set targets, honestly," he says. "I play as hard as possible, and when things happen it's a great feeling. I don't disclose targets. But for example, it's nice when you go to Australia and do well there."

For most people connected with Indian cricket, though, the World Cup remains a Holy Grail. Tendulkar, who grew up watching the Kapil Dev generation, has mixed memories of both 1996 and 2003, when mountains of runs off his own bat weren't enough to cover for inadequacies elsewhere. And he insists that he won't put pressure on himself by over-egging the World-Cup pudding. "I don't want to look that far ahead," he says. "Right now, things have been going well. I want to focus on the next engagement. Winning the World Cup is the ambition of every cricketer. I'm not alone in that. But it would be special."

His children, Sara and Arjun, are now old enough to nurture ambitions of their own, and the time spent away from them is accepted with something approaching resignation. "I guess you have no choice," he says of the touring life. "When the children grow up, they'll know why their father was away for so long. And hopefully, they'll be proud of me and what I did."

For 20 years now the team has been his surrogate family, and there have been those that have left a deeper impression than others. "There have been many that I've shared the Indian dressing room with, but I'd make special mention of Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri," he says when asked about those who helped shape him. "My coach, Ramakant Achrekar, my brother Ajit, and my father were the others that have given me the most."

On the field, not much has changed. Abdul Qadir once mentioned milk, before he was smashed for sixes in Peshawar, and there was the uncomfortable task of testifying in the Harbhajan Singh "racism inquiry" not so long ago. Banter has been part of the game ever since the good Doctor Grace told a bowler that the crowds had come to watch him bat, and not to see him bowl. Tendulkar wouldn't have it any other way. "I'd like to think that I've been friendly with everyone," he says. "Whatever happens is only on the field and you don't need to get too personal. I don't expect friendship out there. They are competing as hard as you are, and looking to win against you. As long as you bear no grudges, I have no problems."

Jack Fingleton immortalised Victor Trumper with Never Another Like Victor. The Archie Jackson story lives on through the words of David Frith. In Tendulkar's case words aren't even necessary. There are so many thousands of hours of archival footage, and even those born years after Waqar Younis bloodied his nose on debut have watched his finest hours on youtube and commemorative DVDs. But what if it was possible for him to choose how he's remembered after leaving the game? He thinks for a while. "As somebody who enjoyed the game as much as he could," he says. "I've played fair and hard and loved every minute of it. That would be the best way to be remembered. And also as a team man. While you're achieving team goals, your own milestones will pass by."

PCB panel ends work on Asif case

The PCB committee looking into fast bowler Mohammad Asif's 19-day detention at the Dubai Airport for drug possession has concluded its work and will pass on its recommendations to the board chairman Ijaz Butt.

"We concluded our work into this case today after meeting Asif," Wasim Bari, PCB director HR and head of the three-man committee, told Cricinfo. "In a day or so, our recommendations will be passed on to the board chairman and they will take further action."

Though the committee has remained silent on the possible punishment - unconfirmed reports in recent days suggest he might receive a heavy financial penalty only - it is now clear that Asif was deported from Dubai and might not find it easy to travel there again. As Pakistan are likely to be playing in the UAE regularly in the future, it is a concern for the board.

"Asif didn't provide any document to us as he had said he would about his deportation and future entry into Dubai," Bari said. "We have given him plenty of time to hand it in and given him flexibility but he didn't provide us with anything. He did turn up today and we thanked him for his cooperation." The committee itself has a letter from the Dubai public prosecutor stating that Asif was deported.

Asif turned up for the final hearing today with his lawyer, but the lawyer was not allowed to attend, the committee arguing it was an internal board hearing and not a legal matter as such. Asif did not insist on the lawyer's presence.

Asif was detained in Dubai last June on his way back from the first season of the IPL. In documents in the possession of Cricinfo, prosecutors in Dubai confirmed that he was found with a small quantity of opium; he was let off without a charge ultimately, local authorities arguing that the offence was a 'trivial' one and a case not worth pursuing. But in the documents it clearly states that Asif was deported.

Asif is currently banned from playing any form of cricket till September, after he tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Nandrolone during the IPL last year. That was already the second time in his brief international career that he has tested positive for the same steroid, having once done so just before the Champions Trophy in 2006.

Gayle must walk the talk

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, has made no secret of his enjoyment of Twenty20. In his own words, it "wouldn't be so sad" if Test cricket gave way to the 20-over version and he was considering giving up the longer formats to focus on Twenty20. The way his men played in the Tests and ODIs in England it looked as though he wasn't the only one whose attention span was suited to three-hour games. Expectations will therefore be raised that West Indies can lift for the World Twenty20.

They are in a difficult group along with Australia and Sri Lanka - it's the only group that doesn't feature an Associate side - and therefore they must hit top form from day one. They beat Australia the only time the teams have met in a Twenty20 and they have never faced Sri Lanka.

West Indies have the quite remarkable record of having tied two of their 11 Twenty20 internationals - both against New Zealand - and they have won four and lost five. At the 2007 World Twenty20 they went down to both South Africa and Bangladesh in the group stage and were bundled out in the space of three days.

Strengths

A batting line-up boasting Gayle, Xavier Marshall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Andre Fletcher, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard should score its runs quickly. They are all capable of demolishing an attack with clean strikes and opposition bowlers must keep the wickets falling to stop West Indies posting a big score. Throw in Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the man who can anchor one end should wickets tumble and it's a batting order with the potential to scare any bowling group.

Weaknesses

Those who live by the sword die by the sword. West Indies' batsmen can be destructive but they can be just as liable to capitulate dramatically. And it's impossible to predict which version of the side will arrive on any given day. At their best Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor are fine fast bowlers but opposition batsmen's eyes will light up when they see the backup brigade of Lionel Baker, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy.

X-factor

The X-man is the X-factor. Nobody highlights the disparity between potential and consistent performance in West Indies' squad quite like Xavier Marshall. Never one to back down, he has the ability to dominate even the best attacks, as he proved when Australia visited the Caribbean last year. His 36 off 15 balls in the Twenty20 in Barbados set up West Indies' victory over Ricky Ponting's men. Far too many failures fill the gaps between his triumphs but even one matchwinning effort in this tournament will justify his place.

Key players

Gayle is the only man to have scored a century in a Twenty20 international and it came at the previous World Twenty20. Having shown little interest in the Test series in England, he has no excuse now that his preferred format is taking centre stage. At his best, he can win a game in a handful of overs. The question is, after such a lean patch in England, can he reach his best?

Twenty20 form guide

Over the past 12 months, West Indies have won two Twenty20s, lost one and tied one. Importantly, they beat Australia - who they meet in the group stage - in Barbados last year. But their matches have been infrequent and it's impossible to ignore their failure to win a Test or ODI in England this year - much of the personnel remains the same from those longer formats.

Squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Jerome Taylor.

All eyes on New Zealand's new crop

First, the good news. The shorter the format the more competitive New Zealand become. Despite slumping to eighth on the Test rankings they have been World Cup semi-finalists in two of the past three tournaments and matched that achievement at the inaugural World Twenty20, where they were denied a place in the decider by Pakistan.

Now the bad news. Their leading performers two years ago included Craig McMillan, Shane Bond and Mark Gillespie, none of whom are there this time around. But there is an upside: since 2007 they have added a couple of more than handy names to their team with Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill proving dangerous at international level.

And the other plus is that New Zealand have found themselves in a group with Scotland, meaning along with South Africa they should have no trouble progressing past the opening stage. Then things become less clear-cut. Will a few powerful hitters and an economical A-grade slow-bowler be enough for them to move past more imposing line-ups? Only time will tell. But it's a fool who writes off New Zealand when the 50- or 20-over tournaments arrive.

Strengths

Crafty, high-quality spin is a major weapon in Twenty20 and slow bowlers don't come any cannier than Daniel Vettori. New Zealand can all but guarantee that he will deliver four thrifty overs each match; he has done that in every one of his 14 Twenty20 internationals and the most he has ever gone for is 6.75 an over. Of men who have played ten Twenty20s for their country, only Umar Gul has a better economy rate than Vettori's 5.35.

Weaknesses

While Vettori contains at one end, the fast men will be required to keep things tight at the other. And that is New Zealand's biggest challenge. Bond, Gillespie and Chris Martin did adequately in 2007 but none is in this squad. A pace attack based around the likes of Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, James Franklin, Ian Butler and Jacob Oram won't strike fear into many Twenty20 batting line-ups. To compensate for a lack of firepower they'll need to bowl smart - changes of pace, yorkers, cutters - or else risk an early exit.

X-factor

According to the online Wiktionary, an x-factor is that which has "unknown or unforeseeable consequences". That's pretty much how New Zealand Cricket would define Jesse Ryder. Despite having had behavioural issues in the past and being one of the big flops of the recent IPL, Ryder hasn't often let his country down with the bat. A Twenty20 strike-rate of 137.61 shows his power and if he and the equally dangerous Brendon McCullum can get their side off to a couple of quick starts, it could be the difference between an early departure and a place in the finals.

Key players

Vettori is the most important with the ball, Ryder and McCullum could destroy attacks and Oram has the ability to finish an innings in style. But it's hard to argue that any of those men are more important to New Zealand's chances than Ross Taylor. No. 4 is a key position in Twenty20. If the openers have failed he must be steady without stalling; if they have thrived he needs to maintain or increase the momentum immediately. Taylor has the game to fill that role. He had a good IPL and his barely believable 81 off 33 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders was a highlight.

Twenty20 form guide

Warm-up wins against Bangladesh and Ireland don't reveal much, although the form of Taylor and Guptill in those games was a pleasing sign. More of a positive was New Zealand winning their two most recent Twenty20s, against the reigning champions India in February. Since then it has been an up-and-down time for their squad members. Taylor thrived at Royal Challengers Bangalore, McCullum played a couple of strong innings as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders but was in the firing line as his team failed, while Ryder, Oram and Scott Styris had largely forgettable tournaments. In the meantime, Franklin has enjoyed a productive stint with Gloucestershire and O'Brien has been acclimatising with Leicestershire.

Squad: Daniel Vettori (capt), Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (wk), Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan (wk), Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.