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This new-look team is displaying the kind of consistency that is indeed rare for Pakistani outfit. So far it has maintained its unbeaten run, winning three matches out of three. That when it has been made to play back-to-back matches. What is more it has notched these wins in some style. The one against Sri Lanka on Friday in front of a packed-to-capacity, mostly partisan and deafeningly vociferous, crowd was no exception. And it has landed them a place in the ARY Gold Cup final, leaving the Lankans and the Kiwis to fight it out between them for the second slot.It was the duo of Saeed Anwar – named ARY Man of the Match – and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who refused to be dismissed, put on 172 for the third wicket before being separated. Each of them failed to reach the three-figure mark when it seemed a mere handshake away but their stand gave Pakistan impetus to post 278, the highest first innings total.Once Pakistan had put 278 on the board, with the asking rate 5.58 runs per over from the outset, what the Lankans needed was a really flamboyant start, something like the one Shahid Afridi produced the other day against the Kiwis. Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana are both capable of such blazing stuff and they started in the right vein, going after the weaker link, the rookie Kashif Raza. They gave him a baptism by fire, with Jayasuriya hitting him out of the ground at extra cover.But their fireworks didn’t last long, as under extreme pressure to winkle out a wicket, Waqar Younis produced a beauty to bowl Jayasuriya neck and crop, and then Kaluwitharana dragged Kashif on to his stumps to give the debutant his first wicket.Despite that the Lankans, at 139 for three, were not all that badly placed at the half-way mark. Here Younis made two inspired changes, bringing on Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik to bowl in tandem. So inspired was this double change that for the next 20 overs he didn’t have to consider making another, as in the meanwhile five wickets fell for the addition of only 80 runs.Afridi struck early, in his very first over, getting the resolute Russell Arnold, and following it up with Marvan Atapattu’s scalp in the next over. Malik got Kumar Dharmasena and a while later Afridi got his third, Indika de Saram. I felt the decisions of caught behind on Arnold and Dharmasena were questionable based on television replays but neutral umpires gave both and this is part of the game these days.The rest only delayed the inevitable, with Chaminda Vaas’s resistance landing him an unbeaten 50 – and that fell in the realm of too little too late.A word about Anwar: In this tournament, he has made a fifty — and a big one at that, with scores of 90, unbeaten 81 and 88 — in every outing. Yet he has been unable to convert these into centuries – and one knows for sure that deep down he really resents not getting the elusive 20th hundred.Against Sri Lanka, he was involved in a silly run out, that of Afridi, on his call. To atone for that, he had to make a substantive contribution and at a fast clip. He did just that, the only blemish being that he and Inzamam couldn’t take it to the end. But in the ultimate analysis it didn’t matter for their effort was good enough to carry the day for their team.

Alastair Cook has revealed that meetings between Kevin Pietersen and the England management will continue during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka but was unable to provide any hopes of an immediate reconciliation between the player and the ECB.England will begin their attempt to retain the World T20 title, without the services of Pietersen, on Friday. David Collier, the ECB chief executive, and Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, are both in the country, where Pietersen is working as a television summariser.Pietersen was not considered for selection for the Test tour of India after it emerged that there was a breakdown in trust and respect between him and the rest of the team and Cook, England’s new Test captain, admitted that the team would miss his batting.”Time is a great healer,” said Cook, who sits on the selection panel but does not have a vote. “Kevin has proved in all conditions around the world that he is a world-class player. He will be missed. It’s a sad circumstance.”I did have a meeting with Kev. Clearly the issues haven’t been resolved and that is why he is not available for selection at the moment. Time, hopefully, will be a healer and we’ll be able to move on. At the present time, though, the issues haven’t been resolved so he can’t be selected.”Meetings are still going on in Sri Lanka at the moment. Hugh Morris and David Collier are out there. But we’re trying to conduct this behind closed doors so we can get the best possible outcome for the English cricket team. It’s sad that this has happened and that we’re not taking Kevin to India, but that is the reality.”We are trying to do what is best for English cricket. There is nothing else in our minds. We always try and do that and we are trying to resolve these issues.”I think he can play for England again, certainly, but there are still issues to be resolved and until that happens he is unavailable.”Pietersen is not the only familiar face missing from the India tour squad. England are also without Andrew Strauss who, after 7,000 Test runs and 21 centuries, has retired. Bearing in mind that England are also likely to be without Ian Bell for at least one Test, as he returns to England to be with his wife, who is expecting their first child in late November, and England may have to field a very inexperienced batting line-up. But it is perhaps Strauss who Cook will miss most.”I have spoken to Straussy and I will more over the coming months and years,” Cook said. “There will be times when I pick up the phone to him, so I hope he doesn’t just let it go to answerphone! I feel I have a really good relationship with Straussy. He was the best captain I played under in the way he led men. If I can lead men like he did, I’ll be very happy.”He was so genuine in what he said. He just commanded respect in what he said. When he spoke, people listened. He would never expect anyone to do anything he wouldn’t do. He was just a bloody fine man.”The best advice I could give the new players is that the game doesn’t change. Sometimes people pull on the England shirt and think you have to play a different way. You don’t. I know we have a challenge in front of us in India. We know they have an amazing home record. But I’m not leading a team out there to lose. We’re going out there to win. We’ve nothing to fear. If we play as well as we can, I can see no reason why we can’t win.”Alastair Cook is supporting Buxton’s Less Is Best campaign. Pledge to lessen your environmental impact and win 2013 Ashes tickets at www.buxtonwater.co.uk

Is summer here? I’m not going to harp on about the weather every time I write but this last week has seen a change in the climate – it’s now dry!The dry weather has enabled some cricket to be played and we started our one-day campaign off with a last ball win at Lord’s. It was a reduced over match and we did well defending our score of 146 in 31 overs.That’s not the only game we have played with this week’s schedule being pretty hectic and an indication of what lies ahead. We have had two double-headers with a day off in between. Mix a fair bit of travel with that and you being to understand why they call it a grind.After our first win we have had mixed results wining two and losing two. The results in some way reflect my batting which has also been a mixed bag.It’s taking time to adjust to the pace and movement of the early season wickets. It hasn’t helped that most practice has been indoors which is a markedly different surface to what we get outside.The other thing I have to get used to is batting on the slope at Lord’s. Ironically, the show piece ground of world cricket is not at all flat. In fact, it has a very obvious slope that does affect movement of the ball.I’ve nicked twice now with the ball moving away down the hill and it’s something I will need to be aware of as the season progresses.There are many features around Lord’s that make the place so special, the sloped playing surface, the Long Room, the art collection and, of course, a Lord’s lunch!As an international player you only get to experience a Lord’s lunch for one week during a tour that only occurs every four years.So with this in mind I’ve just had 12 years worth in the short time I’ve been here. The lunch room is actually closer to the visitors’ change room which means a small walk down the corridors to get your share. It does mean you get the chance to walk a little lunch off on your return.You have a menu to choose from and the food ranges from the rack of lamb through to scampi (seafood dish).It’s served by a number of the kitchen staff who seem to constantly be on duty. It’s what follows that does the damage and that is dessert of the highest quality. The house special being hot treacle pudding with custard and ice cream.During the wet start there wasn’t a problem although the physio placing the cycling machines in the changing room sent a strong message.Now that we are underway some serious discipline must be shown, that is unless it’s a fielding day! One thing is for sure, if we’re always tempted being the home side, imagine what the visitors do. All I can say is Bon Appetite!

Rajiv Shukla, the IPL chairman, and Arun Jaitley, the BCCI vice-president, have met the federal law minister, Kapil Sibal, in Delhi over the planned legislation to deal with corruption in sports. The two are also likely to meet the sports minister, Jitendra Singh.”Today Arun Jaitley, who is chairman of the disciplinary committee and I met the law minister and requested that the strongest possible law be made to crack down on match-fixing,” Shukla said. “We want a law to be enacted as quickly as possible because people are taking advantage of the absence of a law.”The sports minister had said on Thursday that a sports bill was being drafted and it should be ready by June 30. Speaking at a conference on Friday, Singh said a “long-term” plan to curb corruption in sports was being prepared.”We are talking about ways to bring about transparency in all sports. We have a long-term plan and we will use this opportunity with the ministers as well as bureaucrats in the states to work out some sort of plan to try and curb this menace,” Singh said.”My ministry has no control over the BCCI or the IPL but we need to think about the bigger picture. We are all ashamed, we are all worried and it is not just me, the players and the citizens of this country are ashamed. Hence, we will have to try and figure out a solution together.”One more person was arrested by the Delhi police on suspicion of betting on Friday. “Yahya Mohammad has been picked up from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport [in Hyderabad] in connection with the cricket betting racket by the Delhi Police team,” an official said.

Virat Kohli has received a compliment from Viv Richards, the former West Indies batsman, as he said that the Indian batsman reminds him of himself when he goes out to bat. Richards, largely acknowledged as the game’s most destructive batsman, was recently appointed by the Delhi Daredevils as team ambassador.”I love watching Virat Kohli bat. He looks to me like an individual of my own heart. I love his aggression, and [he has] serious passion that I used to have. He reminds me of myself,” Richards told . “He is an individual who doesn’t back off from confrontation; someone who can stand his ground under pressure. I love that as you can’t teach these instinctive aspects.”Richards also praised Kohli’s attitude towards fielding, and how he looks to be positive. “Just like me, he loves the ball to come to him. He wants to dive, stop the runs. He is a livewire unlike some fielders, who would just dig a hole and dive in it rather than dive to stop the ball.”Richards, however, believes that with Sachin Tendulkar continuing to play beyond 40, the country’s expectations on Kohli will be high. “I believe till Tendulkar is there, you need to give him respect,” Richards said. “Obviously, once Sachin retires, you can bank on Kohli as he is young enough and has a lot of time on his side. He will only improve and continue to get better.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has apologised for the generator failures that halted play for 99 minutes in the first ODI in Hambantota, and said an investigation into the problem will be launched tomorrow.One floodlight tower lost power after the 41st over of the Bangladesh innings, before both the towers on the western side of the ground went out during the innings break, causing the major 85-minute delay. Sri Lanka’s innings was curtailed to 41 overs as a result, and their target adjusted to 238 according to the Duckworth-Lewis method.”Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to apologize to the millions of viewers & the general public for the inconvenience caused due to this technical fault,” a release said. “Two of the four light towers at the ground had failed. It should be noted that these generators were tested the day before and were fully functional during the said testing period.”One generator provides electricity to two floodlight towers, and each of those primary generators has a back-up generator that kicks in if the first one fails. The first generator on the western side failed during the Bangladesh innings, causing the first delay, but although the backup generator took over after a short break, that too failed during the innings break.The generator that provides electricity for the southern grandstand was then brought in to provide power for the floodlights.SLC has contracted state owned power company Ceylon Electricity Board, to provide and maintain the generators required for cricket matches, but an SLC engineer is employed to oversee the electricity arrangements for each match. The investigation into the failures will be carried out by the power company.There have been several instances of floodlight failures affecting international matches, with the Twenty20 between South Africa and New Zealand in East London last year being the most recent example. This is the first time a floodlight failure has stopped play in Sri Lanka.Hambantota hosts the second ODI on Monday, and SLC said two new generators would be brought from Colombo on Sunday, to replace the faulty ones.

Umesh Yadav, the India fast bowler, will return to competitive cricket when he takes the field for Vidarbha in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Odisha on Thursday in Indore. He last played for India in the Ahmedabad Test in November 2012 before a stress reaction of the back sidelined him. Yadav said he will be selective and will manage his workload in the IPL that follows.”This will be my first competitive game in four months,” Yadav told PTI. “Irrespective of the amount of effort you put in at the nets, there is no substitute to match practice. Tomorrow, I will get an idea about how I am shaping up. I am planning to play all the group league games, which are on successive days, which will provide me with an idea as to how my body is holding up.”Yadav also said he will take it easy during the IPL and will monitor his workload properly, lest he puts his back under too much pressure too soon. “I have fully recovered from my lower-back injury. I will be available from the first match for Delhi Daredevils, but considering the number of matches and the amount of travel involved, I need to be careful about the workload and will speak to the coaches regarding that.” The Daredevils play their first match on April 3.Yadav resumed bowling in the first week of March, and has been under the supervision of the specialists at the National Cricket Academy. “I didn’t want to rush my comeback,” Yadav said. “When I first started bowling, it was off a four-step run-up. Gradually, I increased it to eight steps, and from there to 12 steps. Now I am bowling with my full run-up, which is 16 steps.”

Australia coach Mickey Arthur has said Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith will both be strongly considered for the third Test in Mohali after the team’s innings defeat in Hyderabad. However, Arthur also said the group of batsmen on tour in India was the best Australian cricket had to offer and it was important to provide them with as much experience as possible in different conditions to allow them to develop into more rounded Test players.Australia’s batting in Hyderabad was so poor that they couldn’t even manage in both innings what Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay compiled in their 370-run partnership. Australia were back at the ground in Hyderabad on Wednesday for a centre-wicket training session on what should have been the fifth day of the Test and the batsmen spent plenty of time working against spin.Arthur, Michael Clarke and new selector on duty Rod Marsh have a week to decide on the line-up for the third Test but having been flummoxed by spin in both Tests and the tour match, Phillip Hughes is the man whose position appears in most danger. With Clarke’s move up the order now confirmed, if Smith or Khawaja was to play it would likely be at No. 5.”Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith have got to come into the reckoning at some stage,” Arthur said. “When we have more of the same it will probably give us the same result. We are certainly going to have to have a look at what is our best top-six combination. We’d be silly if we didn’t think about them. Whether they both play, whether one plays, whether none plays I’m not 100% sure but they’ve got to come very much into our thinking.”Despite the potential for changes, Arthur believes the struggles of the batsmen in India does not change the fact that the selectors have assembled the best group available. Hughes is the leading run-scorer this Sheffield Shield season and at the age of 24 has accumulated 21 first-class centuries, Ed Cowan continually makes starts at Test level, David Warner is a potential match-winner and Shane Watson’s ability is vast, but so is the drought since his last Test hundred.”I see that for us as our greatest challenge, making these guys the best we can possibly be,” Arthur said. “If you looked at how we went in Australia, Eddie Cowan is a fighter. He has continually done enough. Is he going to win us games? Not sure. We need more runs out of Shane Watson. Phillip Hughes came back into the side and was successful in conditions that he was used to. It was always going to be tough for him here.”Davey Warner averaged 47 in our international Test series in Australia. It’s a challenge for him playing outside. We’ve just got to get as much experience into these players as we possibly can, because I do think they’re the best players. There’s absolutely no doubt. I’ve looked at a lot of players. This is our best young crop of batsmen that we have. We’ve just got to make them the best they can possibly be and try to fast-track them.”I think they’re realising some harsh lessons about playing in India. When I stood up at the start of the tour and said to them ‘this is going to be the toughest cricket you’ve ever played’, they looked and said ‘yeah yeah right’. They’re now realising it and they’re like leeches for information. They’re shocked at how hard it is.”As part of their strategies against spin, Hughes and Warner both tried to sweep R Ashwin early in their second innings in Hyderabad and perished doing so. After the match, Clarke said he was disappointed at the amount of cross-batted shots that had cost batsmen their wickets early in their innings and Arthur said those two dismissals in particular had raised his ire.”Our whole conversation around this second Test match was about playing with a vertical bat not a horizontal bat,” Arthur said. “So when we lost two wickets to the sweep I wasn’t best pleased, put it that way, our first two wickets. Especially as our briefing that morning had been ‘I hope you all noticed about how Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay went about their business’.”Until they learn the harsh lessons of getting out and possibly losing their place because of it, they’re not going to realise it. When you’re batting and there’s a lot of fielders around the bat, there’s a massive TV audience and you can’t score a run, you feel as if you can’t get away. When there’s no fielder there it’s very easy to think ‘I’m going to play my cards here because if I get on there, I score’. I keep telling them there’s a reason why there’s no fielders there. They want you to hit there. You’re putting yourself in danger.”But as well as the younger members of the batting order, Australia desperately need more from their vice-captain, Watson, whose top score so far in the Test series is 28. Watson’s last Test century came when Australia last visited Mohali on the 2010 tour. While Watson might benefit from the return to a productive venue with more in it for the fast men, Arthur said he didn’t feel that Watson had been in bad form.”I don’t think it’s a technique thing at all,” he said. “Every time he has gone to the wicket, he has looked brilliant. But he’s been getting out for 20s. I just pray every time he goes to the wicket there’s a big score because I think once he gets that one big score, that will unlock the shackles. We really need Shane Watson firing now. Michael Clarke needs a lot of support in the batting.”After the Hyderabad loss, Clarke said that he had no choice but to move up from No. 5 and Arthur said while Clarke’s new position was not decided, he would be comfortable with the best player of spin at No. 3 or No. 4 in the Indian conditions.”It has to happen and Michael [Clarke] and I have been discussing it often,” Arthur said. “It was fine when he was at five and we had Michael Hussey at six, there was batting down. He likes batting five, he’s got a great record batting at five but when it starts impacting on our first innings and he starts running out of partners, then we thought it was time for us to have a look at it and he ran out of partners in the first innings. I don’t mind if he bats three in the subcontinent. I would like Michael four in conditions outside of the subcontinent. He’s good enough to bat anywhere, that’s a given.”

ScorecardSylhet Royals finally ran out of steam as they lost their first match after five wins, to Dhaka Gladiators by 31 runs. Royals had previously won four matches chasing more than 140 with ease, but fell comfortably below the target this time.Three Royals batsmen were run out, starting with Dwayne Smith, who slippedin the middle of the pitch in the second over. Mohammad Nabi and NazmulHossain Milon also ended up short of the crease, reducing Royals to 47 for 5 in the ninth over. Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim made 41 off 37 balls, but couldn’t take the team past the three-figure mark. The team limped to 127 for 8 in 20 overs.After Smith’s run out, Gladiators captain Mashrafe Mortaza took his firstwicket of the tournament. Alfonso Thomas and left-arm spinner SaqlainSajib took two wickets each to stifle the middle-order further.Gladiators had put together a competitive total, though it wasshort of the scores put up the previous night in front of a full-house. They had some luck initially when Sohag Gazi dropped a simple chance at mid-on to let off Josh Cobb. But Mohammad Ashraful was the first to go, falling to Sulieman Benn in the fourth over. Shakib Al Hasan and Cobb also fell in the next four overs, before two fifty-plus partnerships rescued the Gladiators.Stevens cracked two sixes in his unbeaten 35-ball 55, adding 53 for thefourth wicket with Owais Shah and another 52 for the fifth wicket with theaggressive Anamul Haque, who smashed three sixes and a boundary in his18-ball 32.

Scorecard
Trinidad and Tobago have now won four out of their five games in the Caribbean T20 and are at the top of the table. Their latest win came against Windward Islands in St Lucia, and a comprehensive one at that. Windwards batted first and were restricted to 125 for 6, thanks to economical spells from most of T&T’s bowlers. Keddy Lesporis top-scored with 31, but it came off 33 balls, and even Darren Sammy scored at less than a run a ball, making an unbeaten 25 off 27. Legspinner Samuel Badree was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 15 in four overs.T&T lost openers Lendl Simmons and William Perkins inside the first five overs but Dwayne Bravo and Darren Bravo ensured there were no further hiccups. Both struck half-centuries, Darren striking four fours and three sixes, and Dwayne finishing with 62, with five fours and four sixes. Their unbeaten stand of 112 in just 68 balls sealed victory with 22 balls to spare.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jamaica picked up their third win in the Caribbean T20, beating Guyana by five wickets in St Lucia. Jamaica chose to field and they had Guyana in trouble very early in the innings, the fast-bowling combination of Sheldon Cotterrell and Andre Russell rattling the Guyana top order. The pair shared six wickets between them, Russell taking four of them, and reduced Guyana to 41 for 6. Christopher Barnwell and Royston Crandon added 33 for the seventh wicket, Nikita Miller picked up two wickets and the innings folded for just 93.Jamaica’s chase suffered an early setback with the loss of two wickets inside the first three overs but Danza Hyatt, Krishmar Santokie followed by Russell chipped in with valuable 20s to see their team home with 11 balls to spare.