Category: Sports

KARACHI, July 2, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan start their Test series against Sri Lanka Saturday riding the wave of a feel-good factor after winning the World Twenty20 and giving their country a much-needed respite from bombs and battles.When Pakistan won the championship in England last month, the victory renewed the country’s passion for the game, […]

July 1, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has stepped up security for the visiting Pakistan team and slapped new restrictions at match venues, officials said Wednesday. Fireworks, musical bands, glass bottles, tin cans, sharp objects, laser pointers and mirrors have all been banned from the grounds where the matches are slated to be played. “Other […]

LAHORE, June 27, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said his players’ fitness will be the key on their tour of Sri Lanka as the 15-man Pakistan team set off on Saturday.Alam, who led the team to the World Twenty20 title in England last week, warned that the biggest problem for the tourists will […]

NEW DELHI, June 27, 2009 (AFP) – India will play a triangular one-day international tournament in Sri Lanka in September with New Zealand as the third team, the country’s cricket board said on Saturday.The teams will play each other once with the top two advancing to the final, the Board of Control for Cricket in […]

KARACHI, June 22, 2009 (AFP) – World Twenty20 champions Pakistan on Monday unveiled the 15-man squad to tour Sri Lanka next week, including in the line-up pardoned rebel Indian league players Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq. Both Razzaq and Yousuf risked their international careers when they played in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is […]

LONDON, June 21, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan won their first major title in 17 years when they stunned Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the World Twenty20 final at a sell-out Lord’s here on Sunday. Seamer Abdur Razzaq claimed three wickets as Pakistan bowled and fielded aggressively to restrict Sri Lanka to 138-6, then coasted […]

LONDON, June 21, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was on Sunday named as the player of the tournament at the World Twenty20 despite being dismissed for nought in the eight-wicket final defeat to Pakistan. Opening the innings throughout the tournament, Dilshan scored a total of 317 runs at a strike-rate of 144.74 […]

LONDON, June 22, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara put aside the hype over Twenty20 on Monday and declared that Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport. “I think Twenty20 should enhance Test cricket; Tests should have prime importance,” said Sangakkara after his team lost by eight wickets to Pakistan in the […]

LONDON, June 20, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan cricket chiefs said on Saturday they will restart legal proceedings against the International Cricket Council after talks over hosting World Cup matches in 2011 broke down. “The PCB sought the support of its fellow Asian co-hosts for matches to be played under the aegis of the PCB in […]

LONDON, June 20, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara believes Pakistan’s major asset ahead of Sunday’s World Twenty20 final is their penchant for unpredictability.“Hopefully, there’ll not be much emotion.I think we’ve got to control that part if we want to be mentally strong enough to do what we have to do tomorrow (Sunday).I […]

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2009 (AFP) – Texan billionaire financier Allen Stanford has long had a love of luxury and the finer things in life, such as tropical islands, but he is also no stranger to controversy.When he unveiled his 20 million dollar winner takes all Twenty20 match between his Caribbean Superstars and England, many in […]

LONDON, June 19, 2009 (AFP) – Angelo Mathews’s astonishing first over treble strike and Tillekaratne Dilshan’s 96 not out helped see Sri Lanka into the World Twenty20 final with a 57-run win over the West Indies at the Oval Friday. Sri Lanka, the only unbeaten side still in the tournament, will face Pakistan – a […]