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[B][I][SIZE="4"][url=http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/jun2011-daily/30-06-2011/u74795.htm]1 - Number One Newspaper of Pakistan - Daily Jang- Jang Group[/url][/SIZE][/I][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Wimbledon: Nadal shatters Murray’s dream again[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

LONDON:

Defending champion Rafael Nadal reached his fifth Wimbledon final on Friday with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over an outclassed Andy Murray, leaving British hopes of a first champion since 1936 in tatters.

Top seed Nadal, the winner also in 2008, will take on Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final, the match given an extra edge by the Serb guaranteed to depose the Spaniard from the world number one spot.

Second seeded Australian Open champion Djokovic, beaten only once in his last 50 matches, reached his first Wimbledon final with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-7 (9/11), 6-3 win over French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

For Murray, it was a third successive semi-final loss at the All England Club.

The final statistics summed up Murray’s misery with Nadal committing just seven unforced errors – four of those in the first set to the Scot’s 39.

“It’s a dream to be back in the final. I feel sorry for Andy, he deserved to be in the final. It’s tough for him to lose this match today, but I wish him all the best for the rest of the year,” said Nadal.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/200857/wimbledon-nadal-shatters-murrays-dream-again/"]Wimbeldon[/URL][/B]

Kvitova beats Sharapova to win Wimbledon title
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Kvitova beats Sharapova to win Wimbledon title[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

LONDON:
Czech eighth seed Petra Kvitova kept her nerve to out-gun and out-play favourite Maria Sharapova and win the Wimbledon singles title for the first time with a convincing victory on Saturday.

The 21-year-old, who had not won a match on grass until last year, served consistently and maintained a barrage of powerful, attacking groundstrokes to become only the third left hander to win the women’s title after Anne Jones and Martina Navratilova.

Kvitova, appearing in her first grand slam final, dropped her serve in a nervous opening game but stormed back immediately and, having deservedly won the set, continued to go for her shots and reap the dividends.

Sharapova, who won the title as a 17-year-old in 2004, had reached the final without dropping a set but served raggedly and the Russian fifth seed had no answers to the uninhibited approach of her rival, the first Czech to triumph since Jana Novotna in 1998.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/201092/kvitova-beats-sharapova-to-win-wimbledon-title/"]Kvitova beats Sharapova[/URL][/B]

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[B][SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"][B]Wimbledon 2011: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in final[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]

Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title and proved himself the best player in the world with a stunning win over Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic came through 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 to end Nadal's reign as Wimbledon champion, before overtaking the Spaniard as world number one on Monday.

It was his 50th win in 51 matches and his fifth win over Nadal this year.:dry:

He becomes the first Serbian man to win Wimbledon, his third Grand Slam title after two Australian Open victories.

Djokovic had done enough before Sunday's final to guarantee himself the top ranking on Monday no matter what the result.

He came into the match having beaten the Spaniard in four finals already this year, but Nadal - on a 20-match winning streak at the All England Club - was still favoured by many to claim a third Wimbledon title as he had won all five Grand Slam meetings with Djokovic.

That record felt like anicent history as the Djokovic of 2011 overcame a slightly edgy start to take a stranglehold on the match.

In a desperately tight opening set, the pace and accuracy of the Serbian's groundstrokes began to draw errors from the usually faultless Nadal and earned him the first break point of the day at 5-4.

A Nadal forehand into the net gave Djokovic the set and the Spaniard appeared rattled, firing a smash over the baseline in a rare moment of promise at 30-30 at the start of the third.

Djokovic, brimming with energy and confidence, needed little encouragement and came haring in to chase down a drop shot in the next game, angling away the backhand to break before turning to his supporters to celebrate.

What followed was a breathtaking set that flew by as the Serbian fired 13 winners in what must rank among the best passages of play seen on Centre Court.

Nadal was in desperate trouble and needed a lifeline, which was handed to him when Djokovic played backhand into the net in the third to slip behind.

The champion grabbed the initiative, powering through a 6-1 set of his own and threatening a real comeback with a thumping forehand that made it 30-40 at the start of the fourth.

It was Djokovic who now had to change the momentum of the match and he saw off the danger with a forehand that Nadal just failed to return down the line.

The Nadal storm had passed for now and Djokovic sensed it, stealing into the net to play a beautiful drop volley and then forcing an error with some superb, deep groundstrokes to move 2-0 clear.

Victory was within sight for the Serbian but the match was quickly back in the balance in the cruellest of manners, when a Nadal return on break point clipped the net and rolled over.

The contest remained on a knife-edge but Nadal was always flirting with danger having dropped two sets, and a poor game at 4-3 down saw him broken to 15 and gave Djokovic the chance to serve for the title he had described beforehand as "a dream".

A very nervous forehand was hardly the way Djokovic would have chosen to start but two Nadal errors helped him out, and a brave serve volley at 30-30 brought up championship point.

Djokovic moved forward behind a heavy forehand and fell backwards onto the Centre Court turf in celebration as Nadal's desperate backhand flew long to give him the title. :cry:cry:cry[/B]

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/14006575.stm]BBC Sport - Wimbledon 2011: Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in final[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Special Olympics Summer Games 2011:
A medal shower for Pakistan[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s campaign at the Special Olympics Summer Games 2011 keeps getting better and better as they bagged nine more medals at the end of day six of the event in Athens, Greece.

Bakhtawar Gul claimed a gold medal while Ayesha Iftikhar ended with a bronze in the long jump event while the men’s team secured first place in the 400×100 relay event and the female athletes claimed a silver medal.

Suhail Ahmed Khan clinched the men’s singles badminton title and Arsalan Ahmed won a gold medal in the men’s singles table tennis competition. Pakistan women’s basketball team bagged a silver medal after losing the final to Turkey 17-13.

Meanwhile, 11-year-old Gul recorded a distance of 3.20 metres in the long jump event to finish first on the podium ahead of Indonesia’s Prisma S.Anisya and compatrriot Iftikhar. The athlete has now won two gold and two silver medals in the previous two days.

Meanwhile, Khan won the badminton final against Indonesia’s Alex Wiranata 2-1 in a close match. Earlier, Rabia Saeed had also won the women’s singles event to bag another gold for Pakistan.

Similarly Ahmed defeated Iran’s Javad Abbasiantabar 2-1 to clinch the table tennis title, while Maria won bronze in the women’s singles event yesterday.

Meanwhile, swimmers Syed Ahsan Ali and Amir Husain won bronze medals in the 25-metre freestyle event.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/201163/special-olympics-summer-games-2011-a-medal-shower-for-pakistan/"]Special Summer Olympics[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Pakistan out of Fifa World Cup 2014 qualifiers[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

LAHORE:
The football world cup qualifier match between Pakistan and Bangladesh ended in a draw.

Resultantly, the Pakistani team is out of the world cup qualifiers, and will not play the 2014 Fifa World Cup. The team needed to win with a four goal margin to qualify for the next round, which it did not manage to do.

Pakistan had lost the away-leg to Bangladesh 3-0 in Dhaka earlier this week. This second leg match of the qualifier was being held at the Punjab stadium in Lahore.

The Pakistan coach said the team had lodged a complaint against the conditions in Dhaka where rain had affected the team’s preparations and the pitch as well.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/201932/pakistan-out-of-fifa-world-cup-2014-qualifiers/"]Pakistan out of FIFA 2014[/URL][/B]

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[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Court dismisses banned trio’s appeal[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

KARACHI:

The Crown Court in London has dismissed the appeal of banned Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir to dismiss their corruption case in a preliminary hearing, which ended yesterday.

The trio, who were found guilty of spot-fixing by the International Cricket Council and are serving a minimum five-year ban, had filed an appeal asking the court to dismiss criminal charges that the Crown Prosecution had levelled against them. Amir and Asif attended the hearing, while Butt was represented by his lawyer. The trio were caught in a sting operation carried out by a British tabloid during Pakistan’s tour of England last year.

Khan knocks out Judah to win IBF crown
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Khan knocks out Judah to win IBF crown[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

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LAS VEGAS:
Britain’s Amir Khan knocked out Zab Judah in the fifth round to add the IBF junior welterweight title to his WBA super lightweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The end came with a bodyshot that crumpled Judah (41-7, 28 KOs) to his knees. The experienced American complained afterwards that the punch was low but replays showed it was on the belt line and legal.

Khan, earlier in an interview with The Express Tribune, expressed his love for Pakistan— the land of his ancestors—and promised to assist the sport in the country.

He added, [B]“Along with England, I also represent Pakistan and it is a great achievement for me. People ask me and I say I am a British Pakistani and that’s a great feeling.”[/B]

After winning the match, Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) said, “I knew he [Judah] was getting hurt because he kept moving away and ducking.”

“I kept hitting him in the face but the punch that dropped him was clean and on the belt.”

Khan, 24, was dominant from the first bell, punishing Judah with stiff left jabs and solid straight right hands.

Judah showed effective head movement for the first few rounds, meaning few of Khan’s punches landed cleanly, but the 33-year-old threw very few punches in return, even as Khan pursued him relentlessly.

Khan landed with just 61 of the 284 punches he threw during the fight but Judah threw only 115 punches in return, landing a mere 20, as Khan pursued him relentlessly.

Even with Judah’s evasive techniques, Khan scored with several solid flurries, backing Judah to the ropes and landing right hands that had the largely British crowd roaring with approval.

By the fifth, Judah was no longer able to escape the full force of Khan’s blows. Khan had by now found his range and was landing with increasing ease.

“If it had gone a few more rounds, I would have knocked him out with a clean shot,” said Khan. “It was just a matter of time. I think I overwhelmed him with my speed and power. I could have gone in with a plan to knock him out sooner, but I wanted to take my time.”

Khan had won all four completed rounds on every judge’s scorecard at the time of the stoppage but Judah insisted that the coup de grace had been a foul blow.

“It was a low blow,” he said. “I was trying to get myself together. When the referee started counting, I thought he was giving me a standing eight count. I thought I would have the chance to get up. I didn’t understand.”

Uruguay win record 15th Copa America title
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Uruguay win record 15th Copa America title[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

BUENOS AIRES:
Uruguay defeated Paraguay 3-0 on Sunday to win a record 15th Copa America with striker Diego Forlan grabbing two goals to take his international tally to 31.

Liverpool attacker Luis Suarez was also on target as Uruguay took a first continental crown since 1995 and broke their Copa title tie of 14 which they held with Argentina.

Suarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute when his drive took a deflection off Dario Veron and left goalkeeper Justo Villar wrong-footed.

Former Manchester United striker Forlan added the second three minutes from the interval when Egidio Arevalo cleverly intercepted the ball to release the Atletico Madrid attacker who confidently buried a left-footed strike.

It was Forlan’s 30th international goal, but first in 13 matches as Uruguay, who knocked out hosts Argentina in the quarter-finals, were in cruise control at River Plate’s famous Estadio Monumental.

Uruguay were well worth their lead having dominated the first half while Paraguay, who had reached the final without winning a game, were desperately short of ideas and inspiration.

They had been fortunate not to have been a goal down as early as the second minute, needing Villar to pull off a sensational, point-blank save to keep out a bullet header from Diego Lugano.

Paraguay, the champions in 1953 and 1979, had defeated Brazil and Venezuela in penalty shoot-outs in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals after the games ended 0-0 in extra-time.

But they came close to pulling a goal back in the 54th minute when Nelson Valdez crashed a right-foot volley off the crossbar with Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera getting a slight touch to deflect the ball towards the woodwork.

Just moments earlier, Suarez had muscled his way down the left, but his cutback for Forlan dropped just inches behind the Atletico Madrid man as he closed down on goal.

Paraguay again looked dangerous when Ivan Piris charged down the flank before crossing to Christian Riveros whose flick was saved by Muslera.

Uruguay remained in a positive frame of mind, bringing on prolific Napoli striker Edinson Cavani for Alvaro Pereira after 65 minutes.

Cavani then teed-up Sebastian Eguren 10 minutes later but Villar pulled off a one-handed save despite being off-balance.

Forlan then hit his 31st international goal in the last minute after being set-up by Cavani and Suarez.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/216834/uruguay-win-record-15th-copa-america-title/"]Uruguay Won Copa America Title[/URL][/B]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="4"]Anderson claims five-wicket haul as England beat India at Lords[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated 25th July 2011[/B]

England took a step towards conquering the world as they beat India in the first Test at Lords. Resuming on 81-1, India struggled to get going and were bowled out for 261.

New-ball pair Chris Tremlett and James Anderson did the damage, removing Mahendra Singh Dhoni (16) and Harbhajan Singh (12) within an hour of the restart to leave the tourists' on 243 for seven.

Set a world record 458, the target had long been an irrelevance, India`s only concern preventing England claiming the three scalps they needed to wrap up an impressive win and take a 1-0 series lead.

[url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-2018607/England-beat-India-Test-Lords.html?ito=feeds-newsxml]England beat India in first Test at Lord's | Mail Online[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]India left bruised and battered[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

NOTTINGHAM:

England crushed India by 319 runs to win the second Test at Trent Bridge with more than a day to spare and go 2-0 up in the four-match series.

India, set what would have been a record total of 478 to win, collapsed to 158 all out with Tim Bresnan taking a Test-best five for 48. Sachin Tendulkar top-scored for India in their second-innings with 56 but that meant he still has 99 international hundreds.

With the second loss in a row, India captain MS Dhoni admitted his team’s batting form was a worry. “It is a bit of a concern that we haven’t made 300 and it’s a continuation of the series in West Indies. My form is a worry too because if you are the leader you need to perform.”

[B]Strauss pleased[/B]

On the other side was an ecstatic England captain Andrew Strauss. “There have been some outstanding performances in the two Tests,” said Strauss. “It was a fantastic turnaround and I’m proud on what we’ve done. Bresnan was unlucky not to be playing in the first Test and he keeps putting his credentials in place making it harder and harder.

“I didn’t tell Graeme Swann and Broad to do anything other than play their natural games. Ian Bell, too, was outstanding. To score that freely in tough conditions was outstanding.”

[B]The collapse[/B]

Before lunch England saw the back of Rahul Dravid, who made 117 in India’s first-innings, for just six when he was caught behind off Stuart Broad who was named man of the match after taking eight wickets and scoring 64 and 44 in two innings. After the interval VVS Laxman was bowled by a James Anderson delivery.

Opener Abhinav Mukund fell to Bresnan’s fifth ball. And Bresnan succeeded with the short ball again when Suresh Raina miscued to substitute Scott Elstone.

Yuvraj Singh gloved another rising delivery before Dhoni, inexplicably playing no shot, was lbw to leave the tourists 55 for six and Bresnan on a hat-trick. Harbhajan survived but it was scant consolation.

The post-tea session did not last long either as England’s fast-bowling trio of Anderson, Broad and Bresnan cleaned up the tail.

England will replace India at the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table if they win this series by at least a two-Test margin.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/222057/india-left-bruised-and-battered/"]Defeat of India[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Celebrating Test return with a win[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

HARARE:

Zimbabwe celebrated in style after ending their six-year absence from Test cricket with a 130-run victory over Bangladesh.

The jubilant home team had set the tourists a daunting target of 375 to win, and secured the win when Kyle Jarvis trapped Robiul Islam lbw for 12 to end Bangladesh’s second innings on 244.

Zimbabwe had made 370 in their first-innings, helped on their way by a fine 104 from Hamilton Masakadza. After ending Bangladesh’s reply on 287, the hosts then reached 291 for five in their second-innings, including an unbeaten century from Brendan Taylor, before declaring at tea on Sunday.

The result was of major significance to Zimbabwe on their return to Test cricket after a self-imposed six year absence from the game, and the players cracked open the champagne bottles in celebration as they made their way off the field.

“We feel totally justified now at returning to Tests,” said Taylor, who was named man of the match in his first Test as captain after following up his first innings 71 with 105 not out in the second-innings. “It has been a long, hard haul. I believe we won mainly because we have worked so hard during the last 12 months.

“The fact is we wanted to win more than Bangladesh did. Our team really put themselves on the line. We had some setbacks, but we had the strength to recover,” continued Taylor, who becomes only the seventh player in cricket history to score a century in his first Test as captain.

This victory may have been recorded against the lowest-ranked Test-playing nation, but Zimbabwe can now look forward to further Test matches at home to Pakistan next month and in New Zealand in the New Year.

Bangladesh began the day on 112 for three, still chasing another 263 for victory, and they retained some hope of pulling off a stunning fight back on a wicket that remained ideal for batting. However, their task began to look like an impossible one when Mohammad Ashraful was bowled by Brian Vitori for 39. Mushfiqur Rahim also offered some resistance before being caught by Craig Ervine off Chris Mpofu, who ended with figures of three for 51 from ten overs.

The only other score of note was a stunning knock of 43 off just 17 balls by Abdur Razzak, including an incredible 19 from one Ray Price over, but Bangladeshi captain Shakibal Hasan accepted that the best team won.

“We were outplayed in both bowling and batting departments, partly because we would have preferred to have had a bit more time to prepare after arriving in Harare,” he said. “Nonetheless, I was disappointed with our performance overall. I’m sure it will be very different in the ODI series.”

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/227039/celebrating-test-return-with-a-win/"]Zimbabwe returns in Test Cricket with a victory[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]England seal rout to take top ranking[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

BIRMINGHAM:

James Anderson took four wickets as England became the world’s number one Test side with a crushing innings-and-242-run victory against India at Edgbaston.

England’s second successive win inside four days saw them take the third Test in emphatic fashion and gave them an unbeatable 3-0 lead in this four-match series.

It also meant they would win this series by the two-match margin they needed to replace India at the top of the ICC’s Test Championship table.

It is the first time England have occupied pole position since the table’s creation in 2003. India were dismissed for 244 in their second-innings after man-of-the-match Alastair Cook’s career-best 294 had propelled England to a massive first-innings 710 for seven declared — their highest Test total in 73 years.

Only Sachin Tendulkar offered any top-order resistance with 40 before his latest quest to score an unprecedented 100th international hundred ended in unlucky fashion when he was run-out backing up.

India captain MS Dhoni finished on 74 not out and shared a stand of 75 with Praveen Kumar for the eighth wicket. Kumar made 40, his Test-best score coming in just 18 balls with three sixes – all against off-spinner Graeme Swann – and five fours. But the gutsy number nine was merely delaying the inevitable.

Earlier, India resumed on 35 for one after losing Virender Sehwag for a ‘king pair’ to Anderson late on Friday.

Anderson then struck twice early yesterday to remove Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid for their overnight scores of 14 and 18 respectively.

Dravid, caught behind, seemed uncertain as to whether he had edged the ball but walked off without reviewing the decision.

New batsman VVS Laxman could only manage two before, pushing tentatively outside off-stump, he too fell to Anderson. That meant the 29-year-old Lancastrian had taken three wickets for 16 runs in 27 balls to leave India 56 for four.

Laxman’s exit gave Anderson his 237th Test wicket, one more than the late Sir Alec Bedser, also a fast-medium bowler, as he moved up into seventh place in England’s all-time list. Suresh Raina was then lbw for 10 as he misread Swann’s arm-ball.

Raina summed up India’s mental, as well as physical, tiredness by asking for a review of his dismissal even though, thanks to Indian objections to ball-tracking technology, lbw’s cannot be referred in this series.

Tendulkar, who had looked in good touch while striking eight fours, was then run-out after Dhoni drove at Swann only for the bowler to deflect the ball onto the non-striker’s stumps with the ‘Little Master’ just shy of his ground.

India reached lunch on 116 for six, having lost five wickets for 81 runs during the morning session. And that became 130 for seven when Amit Mishra was well caught by a leaping Stuart Broad at mid-off following a drive against Swann.

Kumar was eventually out when he top-edged a pull off seamer Broad and was caught by Ravi Bopara.

Tim Bresnan then ensured an India side boasting one of the world’s strongest top-orders, who have yet to make 300 this series, were bowled out inside 56 overs when he dismissed last man Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

[URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/230733/england-seal-rout-to-take-top-ranking/"]England on Top[/URL]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Brazil clinch under-20 football World Cup[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

BOGOTA:
A hat-trick from Oscar lifted Brazil to a 3-2 extra-time triumph over Portugal in the under-20 World Cup final.

After opening the scoring in the fifth minute, Oscar struck a second-half equaliser that sent the match to extra-time after the teams were deadlocked 2-2 at the whistle. Oscar got the winner in the 111th minute, lofting a ball from the right that arched over Portugal goal-keeper Mika and gave Brazil a fifth under-20 World Cup title.

Although Brazil started as favourites over Portugal, the match was tightly contested throughout.

Oscar broke through in the fifth with a free kick that caught Mika napping. Nelson Oliveira set up Portugal’s equaliser with a cross that Alex fired home in the ninth minute.

Oliveira then put Portugal ahead in the 59th minute, breaking free on the right and running past a defender to beat Brazil goal-keeper Gabriel with an angled shot.

Brazil’s equaliser came in the 78th minute when Mika blocked a shot by Dudu, only for Oscar to turn and slot the ball home.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/236487/brazil-clinch-under-20-football-world-cup/"]Brazil Under-20 Football Champion[/URL][/B]

[B][SIZE="4"][FONT="Georgia"][CENTER]England complete India Test whitewash[/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/B]

[COLOR="Silver"]Mon, 22 Aug 2011[/COLOR]

LONDON — England beat India by an innings and eight runs to win the fourth Test on the fifth and final day at The Oval here on Monday and so complete a 4-0 whitewash in the four-match series.

India, following-on, needed 291 to make England bat again.

But having been 262 for three, they lost their last seven wickets for 21 runs including Sachin Tendulkar for 91 as the 'Little Master' fell short of an unprecedented 100th international hundred.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann did the bulk of the damage with six wickets for 106 runs as India were dismissed for 283 before tea.

This was the first time England, who recently replaced India as the world's top-ranked Test team, had swept a four-match series 4-0 since a clean sweep at home to the West Indies in 2004.

[url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i-G5G98VZg39Io0cRJ_zgX3-48TQ?docId=CNG.0497408f3906e966284470ac4a190494.3d1]AFP: England complete India Test whitewash[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Pakistan hold nerve in tense finish[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Pakistan defended a modest total on a flat and dry pitch in Bulawayo, in a match that simmered softly for 90 overs, before bubbling into life in the last ten. Zimbabwe were kept to well below the required run-rate for majority of their innings, but had wickets in hand for an onslaught at the end. However, Junaid Khan, Pakistan's most expensive bowler, produced a gem of a last over, bowling five low full tosses to win the match for his team.

Despite being well set up by Vusi Sibanda's 73 and anchored by Brendan Taylor's 84, Zimbabwe made heavy weather of their chase. Pakistan's spinners, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, were difficult to get away, while debutant Aizaz Cheema and comeback man Sohail Tanvir also did their bit to keep the run flow in check.

Pakistan [B]247 for 7 [/B](Younis 78, Misbah 54, Price 2-39) beat Zimbabwe [B]242 for 7[/B] (Sibanda 73, Taylor 84, Cheema 3-36) by five runs.

[B]Source: [URL="http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe-v-pakistan-2011/content/current/story/531567.html"]Pak vs Zim, 1st ODI[/URL][/B]

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[B][I][SIZE="4"][url=http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/sep2011-daily/09-09-2011/u81262.htm]1 - Number One Newspaper of Pakistan - Daily Jang- Jang Group[/url][/SIZE][/I][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Aisam and Bopanna cruise into US Open men's doubles semis[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

NEW YORK:
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna reached the semi-finals of the US Open on Friday.

The fifth-seeded pair beat the British pair of Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins in the match, which was delayed due to rain, by 7-5, 2-6 and 7-5.

The Indo-Pak Express will face the Polish pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski for a place in the final on September 10.

Qureshi and Bopanna had finished as runners-up in the men’s doubles event at last year’s US Open.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/249196/aisam-and-bopanna-cruise-into-us-open-mens-doubles-semis/"]Aisam and Bhopana[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Openers power Pakistan to series win[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Pakistan [B]228 for 0[/B] (Hafeez 139*, Farhat 75*) beat Zimbabwe [B]225 for 6[/B] (Masakadza 68, Tanvir 2-33) by 10 wickets

Pakistan strolled to victory after being untroubled, chasing a below-par score on a batsmen friendly pitch in Harare. They sealed the three-match series in comprehensive style as Mohammad Hafeez scored the third century of his career and Imran Farhat came good as well, in the second match after making his comeback. The pair put on Pakistan's highest first-wicket partnership to ensure an emphatic win.

It was a tough day for Zimbabwe's bowlers who failed to threaten and were unable to stem the run-flow. By contrast, Pakistan's attack did well to restrict Zimbabwe after Brendan Taylor mistakingly put his side in to bat. The captain actually wanted to bowl, but asked to bat, and when he asked to reverse his decision was denied permission to do so.

[B]Source: [URL="http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe-v-pakistan-2011/content/current/story/531973.html"]Pakistan vs Zimbabwe[/URL][/B]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"][FONT="Georgia"]India beat Pakistan to lift Asian Champions Trophy[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]Updated Sep 11, 2011[/B]

Ordos, China: Indian men beat Pakistan 4-2 via penalthy shootout in a nerve-wrecking final here on Sunday to lift the Asian Champions Trophy.

The match ended in a stalemate after the regulation 70 minutes and the extra time of 15 minutes failed to produce any goal, forcing the matching into a penalty shootout, where India's goalie S Sreejeesh became the hero with two crucial saves to lead India to triumph.

Pakistan's Haseem Khan and Shafqat Rasool missed the mark for Pakistan, to hand India the trophy.

[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-beat-pakistan-to-lift-asian-ct-hockey/183184-5-136.html]India beat Pakistan to lift Asian CT hockey - Sports - Hockey - ibnlive[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][COLOR="DarkGreen"][SIZE="5"][FONT="Georgia"]Aleem Dar wins the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year 2011[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/CENTER][/U][/B]


[B]ICC Media Release
Tue, Sep 13, 2011 12:30 AM[/B]

Umpire Aleem Dar has won the David Shepherd Trophy for third time after being named ICC Umpire of the Year at the LG ICC Awards in London tonight.

Dar, who is 43 and from Pakistan, was voted to this award by the 10 Full Member captains as well as the eight-man Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, based on his decision statistics and officiating skills over the past 12 months.

It is the third year in a row that he has received the ICC award which was renamed last year after the late England umpire David Shepherd*.

Dar accepted his award from ICC Hall of Fame 2011 inductee Alan Davidson and said: "It's a great honour and I'm thankful to everyone at the ICC and also my colleagues on the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires along with the Pakistan Cricket Board. I'd like to also thank all my family for all their support since I'm away nearly eight months of the year umpiring."

Dar beat off strong competition from his colleagues on the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires Steve Davis, Ian Gould and five-time ICC Umpire of the Year Simon Taufel.

Dar, who made his international debut as an umpire in 2000, joined the Emirates Elite Panel in 2004. In the voting period of these awards, Dar stood in five Tests and 13 ODIs. He stood in the ICC Cricket World Cup in the India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, where he was an on-field umpire in eight of the matches, including the final between India and Sri Lanka.

Based on the period between 11 August 2010 and 3 August 2011, the LG ICC Awards 2011 – presented in association with FICA – take into account performances by players and officials in a remarkable period for the game.

For all the individual awards (with the exceptions of the Women's Cricketer of the Year and the Umpire of the Year), a long-list compiled by the selection panel was forwarded to a 25-person Voting Academy made up of former players, respected members of the media, an elite umpire and an elite match referee. They voted on a three, two, one basis (with three being the highest value) and the winners emerged.

That period includes such high-profile events as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the ICC Intercontinental Cup final, several ICC World Cricket Leagues as well as several bilateral Test and ODI series.

The LG ICC Awards ceremony is now in its eighth year and this year it will be held in London, England. Previous ceremonies were held in London (2004), Sydney (2005), Mumbai (2006), Johannesburg (2007 and 2009), Dubai (2008) and Bengaluru (2010)

[url=http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/newsdetails.php?newsId=17051_1315845000]International Cricket Council - News[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Green shirts sweep Zimbabwe ODI series[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

[B]Pakistan 270/5 (50 ov)
Zimbabwe 242/9 (50.0 ov)[/B]

Pakistan clean sweeped the One Day International series against Zimbabwe in style on Wednesday by winning the third and final match.

With this victory, Pakistan has not only won the three match ODI series but also the one-off test match played earlier in the month.

The touring side set a target of 270 for the hosts, which they failed to reach after batting out all their 50 overs, scoring 242 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in reply.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/252124/zimbabwe-put-pakistan-in-to-bat-in-third-odi/"]Pakistan Wins[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]All-round Hafeez sets up big win[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Pakistan [B]198 for 4[/B] (Hafeez 71, Shafiq 38) beat Zimbabwe [B]113[/B] (Coventry 30, Hafeez 4-10) by 85 runs

Pakistan continued their winning streak in Zimbabwe with a crushing victory in the first Twenty20 international. Their batsmen treated the opposition attack with utter disdain and smashed Zimbabwe for the highest total they have ever conceded in a Twenty20. Pakistan bowled with precision, fielded with energy and commitment, and skittled Zimbabwe out in the 16th over to register a comprehensive win. Mohammad Hafeez stole the headlines in both departments, scoring 71 with the bat and taking four wickets.

[B][SIZE="4"][FONT="Georgia"][CENTER]5th ODI: England defeat India by 6 wickets; whitewash complete [/CENTER][/FONT][/SIZE][/B]

[B][COLOR="Silver"]Saturday, 17 September 2011[/COLOR][/B]

Cardiff : India's miserable tour of England ended without a win as the home side spanked them by six wickets under Duckworth-Lewis method in the rain-affected fifth and final cricket One-Dayer with Rahul Dravid finishing his illustrious ODI career on a losing side here on Friday.

Put into bat, India rode on a fluent century from Virat Kohli (107) and substantial contributions from Dravid (69) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (50 not out) to post an impressive 304 for six on a batting friendly Sophia Gardens pitch.

Chasing the challenging target and their innings interrupted by intermittent rain, England stuttered to 166 for four in the 26th over but recovered to race to the revised target of 241 with 10 balls to spare with Jonathan Trott (63) and captain Alastair Cook (50) being the main contributors.

Debutant Jonny Bairstow and Ravi Bopara, who knocked off the winning runs, also chipped in with unbeaten knocks of 41 and 37 respectively.

The target was revised twice earlier as the start of England run chase was delayed due to rain. First it was revised to 295 from 47 overs and then to 270 from 40 overs. It was finally revised to 241 from 34 overs and England reached the target comfortably.

With the loss, India had to return home without any win in the disastrous tour. They were whitewashed 0-4 in the four-match Test series, beaten in the one-off Twenty20 International before ending the tour by losing the five-match ODI series 0-3.

[url=http://sports.ndtv.com/ind-eng-2011/news/item/178508-5th-odi-england-defeat-india-by-6-wickets-whitewash-complete]5th ODI: England defeat India by 6 wickets; whitewash complete | News | NDTVSports.com[/url]

Hafeez sets up another Pakistan win
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Hafeez sets up another Pakistan win[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Pakistan [B]141 for 7[/B] (Hafeez 51, Jarvis 3-14) v Zimbabwe [B]136 for 7[/B] (Taibu 37*, Hafeez 3-11) by 5 runs

Pakistan completed a clean sweep of Zimbabwe in all three formats of the game, with a victory in the second Twenty20 in an exciting, last-ball finish in Harare. Zimbabwe's chase - thanks to controlled bowling from Pakistan - did not have any momentum until the final over, when Tatenda Taibu attacked.

With 20 runs required off six balls, Taibu smacked the first delivery for a six over long-on to set the tone for a fighting finish. His feisty running ensured two runs off each of the next four deliveries and left him with six to get off the last ball. Sohail Khan held his nerve and bowled a low, full toss wide outside off stump. Taibu had backed away to the leg side and was not even able to play a shot. It brought an anti-climatic end to a chase that Zimbabwe allowed to get too big for them, when it should not have.

[B]Source: [URL="http://www.espncricinfo.com/zimbabwe-v-pakistan-2011/content/current/story/532874.html"]Win of Pakistan[/URL][/B]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm136/adeesaha/11_15.gif[/IMG][/CENTER]

[url=http://ejang.jang.com.pk/09-30-2011/Karachi/pic.asp?picname=11_15.gif]Jang Multimedia[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Pakistan’s coach hunt:
PCB shortlists five ‘foreign and local’ candidates[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

KARACHI:
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) committee, formed to pick the country’s next cricket coach, has shortlisted five candidates from the 37 applications received following the resignation of Waqar Younis for personal reasons.

The committee, headed by former captain, manager and coach Intikhab Alam, met in Karachi yesterday to consider the names of all candidates who applied for the job after the advert was placed on the PCB’s website with September 26 being the deadline.

Former captain Zaheer Abbas and Col (retd) Naushad Ali are the other two members of the committee and were also present in the meeting. The PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed missed the meeting due to illness while former captain Ramiz Raja, who is assisting the committee with the massive task, was consulted over telephone from England.

Alam confirmed that the PCB’s advertisement for the job received a positive response from coaches from all over the world as well as individuals interested locally.

“We received a total of 37 entries,” Alam told reporters in Karachi after the meeting. “As many as 12 foreign coaches showed interest in the job with 22 local applicants, including former Test cricketers, also sending in their details.

“We had a comprehensive meeting after which we have shortlisted five candidates and that list includes local and foreign candidates,” added Alam before refusing to reveal details about the interested coaches.

Alam said the committee will forward its suggestion to the PCB which will then make a decision after chairman Ijaz Butt’s return to Pakistan on October 2.

Interim coach likely

However, Alam refused to rule out the possibility of appointing an interim coach for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

“There is little time left for the series,” said Alam. “The process may take more time but it will be up to the board to decide on the interim coach.”

Pakistan play a full-fledged series against Sri Lanka in the UAE that will start from October 18 including three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and a one-off Twenty20.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/263149/new-coach-pcb-committee-short-lists-five-candidates/"]Pakistan's Coach Hunt[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Aisam-ul-Haq enters into Thai Open doubles final[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Karachi: Pakistani tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq and Oliver Marach of Australia have qualified for final of Thai Open men’s doubles.

Top seed Pak-Australian pair defeated Italian pair Simone bolelli and Fabio Fognini in straight sets with score 6-4 and 6-1.

Earlier on Thursday, Aisam and Marach defeated Brit Jamie Murray and Andre Sa of Brazil with score 6-4, 2-6 and 10-7 to reach into semifinals.

Aisam and Marach will take on the Spanish duo Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske in the final.

[B]Source: [URL="http://www.thenewstribe.com/2011/09/30/aisam-ul-haq-enters-into-thai-open-doubles-final/"]Aisam-ul-Haq in Final[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Aisam, Oliver win Thailand Open doubles final[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

BANGKOK:
Pakistan’s top tennis star Aisamul Haq and Austrian Oliver Marach won the final match of Thailand Open doubles on Sunday, reported Express 24/7.

The duo bagged the victory against German pair Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske with a 7-6, 7-6 closely contested match. Qureshi and Marach take home prize money worth US$ 644,500 for the win.

On Friday, the duo had won the semi-finals against their Italian opponents Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini with a 6-4, 6-1 win.

Earlier in the quarter finals, Aisam and Oliver beat Jamie Murray of UK and Andre SA of Brazil after a gruelling fight 6-4, 2-6, 10-7.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/265184/aisam-oliver-win-thailand-open-doubles-final/"]Aisam Wins Thailand Open[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Champions again: [COLOR="Sienna"]Sialkot clinch T20 Cup[/COLOR][/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

Sialkot Stallions added a sixth title to their bag when they defeated Rawalpindi Rams by 10 runs in the final of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup. Sunday night’s match was witnessed by thousands at the National Stadium, Karachi, including Sania Mirza, Indian tennis star and wife of Stallions captain Shoaib Malik.

Sialkot racked up 180 for six in their allotted overs before Rawalpindi were restricted to 170 for eight.

Deprived of international cricket, fans thronged the stadium and were repaid in kind by the players who ensured a run-fiesta. Also in attendance were the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt and Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad.

Malik hit a 27-ball knock off 43 while Shahid Yousuf contributed 32 off just 19 deliveries to lead Sialkot to their competitive total before Naved Malik ensured Rawalpindi were in the hunt until his dismissal in the 17th over after a well-made 67.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/265711/champions-again-sialkot-clinch-t20-cup/"]Sialkot Stallions[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Mohsin Khan appointed as interim coach for National Team[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

KARACHI:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to send its incumbent chief selector Mohsin Khan as interim coach of the national team for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.

The decision was taken after the PCB committee, led by former coach and manager Intikhab Alam, sought more time to bring in a new coach as Waqar Younis’ replacement, who left the key post after the recently-concluded tour of Zimbabwe.

The Express Tribune has learnt that Khan will accompany the team in UAE for the series and will also supervise the team’s training camp in Lahore from October 10.

Meanwhile, Nadeem Akram Cheema who accompanied the team as manager in Zimbabwe will not be available for the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka as he will be leaving to perform Hajj.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/265888/mohsin-khan-appointed-as-interim-coach-for-national-team/"]Mohsin Khan as Interim Coach[/URL][/B]

Spot-fixing controversy
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"][FONT="Georgia"]More matches were to be fixed[/FONT][/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court
October 10, 2011[/B]

Pakistan were to throw at least one limited-over international on the 2010 tour of England, a court was told on Monday, and only the timing of the News of the World's expose seemed to prevent such a result from occurring.

Mazhar Mahmood, the undercover investigative journalist who sparked the alleged spot-fixing controversy, was appearing as a prosecution witness at Southwark Crown Court on the fourth day in the trial involving former captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif, who are alleged to have bowled pre-determined no balls. They deny the charges.

A recording from secret microphones of agent and alleged conspirator Mazhar Majeed was played in chunks throughout Monday and one aspect dealt with the intention to fix results during either the five-match 50-over series or the two Twenty20 games.

It can be safely assumed he was not referring to Test matches because in earlier recordings Majeed had told of how important it was that his "best friend" and key client Salman Butt won Tests so he remained in his position for a long time. Shahid Afridi was Pakistan captain in the 20 and 50-over formats at that time.

Those matches followed the four-match Test series that England won 3-1. The newspaper, though, exposed the alleged corruption on the Saturday of the fourth and final Test at Lord's. The jury, also following the recording with a written transcript, heard Majeed's vague boasts about his corrupt intentions.

"We have been working towards the next month for a long time," Majeed was heard saying in one segment.

And in a previous sequence on the same recording, he had said to the reporter while chatting in a parked car off the Gloucester Road in London: "We're doing two results soon, within a month."

The journalist confirmed his intentions by asking: "So Pakistan will lose and then what?"

Majeed replied: "Pakistan will lose but you know when Pakistan, like a game, you know as a cricket game it goes backwards and forwards, yeah, it's your responsibility to put it on at the right times because there's gonna be times in that game, it doesn't matter what the odds are before, there's gonna be times in that game when Pakistan are the favourites."

When Mahmood inquired whether there would be any mistakes and if there was a danger that his (fictitious) Far East backers would lose their money on false information, Majeed said: "They will do their job, don't worry."

Majeed was also heard to earlier promise the journalist "four or five brackets for the Lord's Test" and two no-balls, which were meant as a tester for Majeed to demonstrate his influence over the players he controlled.

A bracket is a ten-over sequence when bettors might punt on a certain amount of runs in a set period or a number of no-balls, for instance. Majeed said a fixed bracket cost between £50,000 and £80,000. The jury was told last week that Majeed priced a fixed Test result at £1 million, a fixed one-day international at £450,000 and a Twenty20 international at £400,000.

The case continues.

[url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/535890.html]Spot-fixing controversy: More matches were to be fixed | Pakistan Cricket News | ESPN Cricinfo[/url]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Zaka Ashraf appointed PCB chairman[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

The President of Zarai Taraqiyati Bank Zaka Ashraf has been appointed the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday, reported Express 24/7.

The decision was taken after a meeting between President Zardari and Ashraf. A notification of his appointment will be issued soon.

Ashraf was appointed after the completion of service tenure of Ijaz Butt, the former PCB chairman.

Express 24/7 correspondent Sohail Chaudhry reported that Ashraf was a close friend and a class fellow of President Zardari.

Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has also earlier added his name to the list of individuals interested in the coveted post.

Butt’s tenure came to end on October 8 but some reports indicated that his tenure may extend after a notice from the presidency.

It was learnt that the PCB chief was seeking an extension and was looking to take into confidence President Asif Ali Zardari, the board’s patron-in-chief. But former players and PCB officials stressed for a new man to run the board and concluded that Butt’s three-year stint brought unprecedented miseries.

Butt’s three-year tenure drew heavy criticism due to various unwanted incidents and controversies from former PCB bosses and ex-Test cricketers. However, the chairman also enjoyed support from many given his strict disciplinary policy and the introduction of new players in the squad.

[B]Source:[URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/271675/zaka-ashraf-appointed-pcb-chairman/"]Zaka Ashraf new PCB chief[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Indian offered Pakistanis $1m to throw Test: Court[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

LONDON:
A shadowy Indian contact offered the agent of several Pakistan cricketers $1 million to ensure they threw a Test match against England, a London court heard Tuesday.

The jury in the trial of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif saw video footage of meetings between the players’ agent Mazhar Majeed and undercover News of the World reporter Mazher Mahmood.

The former investigations editor for Rupert Murdoch’s now-defunct tabloid was posing as an Indian frontman for a Far East gambling syndicate.

In an August 21 meeting in Majeed’s house in south London, the reporter recorded the agent on the telephone with the unidentified man in India, discussing deliberately throwing the Test match between England and Pakistan at The Oval, which was under way at the time, Southwark Crown Court was told.

Referring to the number of Pakistan players under his wing, Majeed was heard saying it was “not a problem” to fix the match result, as “you know how many I’ve got, you know that they do it.”

Majeed called his Indian contact and told him: “You know what we spoke about last night, what offer can you give me for today’s game? Tell me, just give me a figure now, we haven’t got long.

“There’s a possibility, I’m just telling you that now, they’re talking at least 1.2, at least. In dollars.”

The prosecution alleged that Majeed and the mysterious contact were floating the possibility of Pakistan deliberately losing the game.

Majeed said: “Boss, you know how many I’ve got, you know that they do it. So of course that’s not a problem. But you just give me the figure and I’m going to get back to you. We haven’t got much time. One million, yeah?”

The Indian contact replied: “I give you one (million dollars). One I give you, but has to be a definite game score.”

After the call, Majeed told the reporter: “There’s big, big money in results, I tell you, you can see that.”

In the event, Pakistan beat England by four wickets to secure a memorable Test victory.

The court heard that Majeed previously told the journalist that Pakistan were trying to win the match at The Oval because the players wanted Butt to remain as Test captain.

Prosecutors allege Butt and Asif agreed for no-balls to be bowled as part of a spot-fixing scam.

The two players have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling.

Majeed and young Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir have also been charged with the same offences but are not standing trial alongside Butt and Asif.

Mahmood gave evidence from behind a screen after the judge banned descriptions of his appearance because his security could be compromised. He could be seen by the judge and the jury.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/271656/indian-offered-pakistanis-1m-to-throw-test-court/"]Spot Fixing Scandal[/URL][/B]

First Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test drawn
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]First Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test drawn[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

ABU DHABI:
The first cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw at Abu Dhabi stadium on Saturday after Kumar Sangakkara hit a match-saving 211 in his team’s total of 483.

Sangakkara scored 211 during a marathon near eleven-hour stay while Prasanna made 120, for his fourth century, as Sri Lanka piled on 483 to frustrate Pakistan on the fifth and final day at Abu Dhabi stadium.

A cluster of wickets in the final session, with Umar Gul taking 4-64, left Pakistan with a target of 170 in a maximum 20 overs, but they called it quits on 21-1 after 10 overs.

Sangakkara finally fell in the last over before tea, when he was trapped leg-before by the part-time leg-spinner Azhar Ali for his first wicket in Test cricket but not before he had frustrated Pakistan for almost two sessions.

Sangakkara batted for 651 minutes, faced 431 deliveries and hit 18 boundaries during an epic knock.


Together with Prasanna, Sangakkara added 201 for the sixth wicket stand, erasing the previous best of 169 in Pakistan-Sri Lanka Tests for this wicket between Kamran Akmal and Yasir Arafat at Karachi two years ago.

Sangakkara, 33, has also achieved a personal landmark by scoring a double hundred as he is now third behind Sir Donald Bradman (12) and West Indian Brian Lara (nine) in terms of scoring Test double hundreds.

“It was nice to bat under pressure and get us out of the hole,” said a delighted Sangakkara afterwards. “Prasanna batted equally well as he came out with the second new ball and batted brilliantly.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq praised Sri Lanka.

“They are a good team and showed that wonderfully by their effort and full marks to Sangakkara and Prasanna, but we let down quite a few chances which we needed to improve upon,” he said.

[B]Score: [/B][B][COLOR="Sienna"]Sri Lanka[/COLOR][/B] 197 & 483

[B][COLOR="sienna"]Pakistan[/COLOR][/B] 511/6d & 21/1 (10.0 ov)

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/279569/sangakkara-prasanna-help-sri-lanka-take-lead-against-pakistan/"]Pakistan vs Srilanka[/URL][/B]

Indo-Pak Express win Stockholm Open
 

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Indo-Pak Express win Stockholm Open[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

[CENTER][IMG]http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j374/madeel206/AisamBopanna23Oct2011.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

STOCKHOLM:
Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna won the Stockholm Open on Sunday, their second ATP doubles title of the season and third overall together.

The Indo-Pak Express defeated their Brazilian opponents in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3 in a match that barely lasted an hour.

Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares were no match for the duo in the €60,000 hard court final. Qureshi and Bopanna split the prize money €29400 each, also gaining 250 ranking points each.

[B]Source: [URL="http://tribune.com.pk/story/280225/indo-pak-express-win-stockholm-open/"]Aisaam and Bopanna Won Stockholm Open[/URL][/B]

[B][U][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Spinners condemn England to 5-0 whitewash[/SIZE][/CENTER][/U][/B]

England chose a particularly humiliating route to their second 5-0 whitewash in consecutive ODI tours of India, as they allowed their resolve to collapse twice in one match - first with the ball, as MS Dhoni walloped 75 not out from 69 balls to take his series tally to 212 runs without loss - and then with the bat, as they squandered a 20-over scoreline of 129 for 0 to lose all ten of their wickets for 47 runs in exactly 100 balls.

India 271 for 8 (Dhoni 75*) beat England 176 (Jadeja 4-33, Kieswetter 63) by 95 runs

[B]Source: [URL="http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-england-2011/content/current/story/537853.html"]India beat England[/URL][/B]