Category: Sports

KARACHI, February 25, 2009 (AFP) – Younus Khan fell for 313, agonisingly short of the national and world Test records, after steering Pakistan to safety in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.Younus, who resumed at 306, played on to Sri Lanka’s Dilhara Fernando in the ninth over of the final day, disappointing the […]

KARACHI, February 25, 2009 (AFP) – The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw after some late excitement when the tourists lost quick wickets briefly raising hopes of an unlikely result here on Wednesday.The tourists averted defeat after losing five wickets for just 120 runs, finishing the match with the score […]

KARACHI, February 24, 2009 (AFP) – Younus Khan notched a spectacular double hundred to help Pakistan avoid following on against Sri Lanka as the first Test headed towards a draw here on Tuesday. The new captain was unbeaten on 243 for his second Test double hundred which helped Pakistan move to 453-4 at tea on […]

KARACHI, February 23, 2009 (AFP) – Debutant captain Younus Khan completed a fighting hundred as Pakistan kept Sri Lanka at bay on the third day of the opening Test here on Monday.Younus was unbeaten on 101 as the home team, replying to Sri Lanka’s mammoth first innings total of 644-7, reached 213-2 at tea.The other […]

KARACHI, February 22, 2009 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera smashed double hundreds during a world record stand of 437 as Sri Lanka left Pakistan with a mountain to climb in the opening Test here on Sunday.Jayawardene ended on 240 and Samaraweera struck a career-best 231 as the tourists declared their first innings at […]

KARACHI, February 21, 2009 (AFP) – Kumar Sangakkara and Malinda Warnapura hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka reach 120-2 by lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan here on Saturday.Sangakkara was unbeaten at the break on 51 with skipper Mahela Jayawardene on five not out after Sri Lanka won the toss […]

LONDON, February 21, 2009 (AFP) – Money has been the “ruination” of cricket, former Test umpire Dickie Bird said Saturday, after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) terminated all contracts with alleged fraudster Allen Stanford.Bird called for a return to “old traditions and principles” in a comment piece in The Sun tabloid and said […]

KARACHI, February 21, 2009 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera hit punishing hundreds to lead Sri Lanka’s run charge against Pakistan on the opening day of the first Test here on Saturday as the tourists reached 406-3.Jayawardene was unbeaten on 136 — his 25th Test hundred — while Samaraweera notched 130 not out for […]

February 11, 2009 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene on Wednesday decided to step down as Sri Lanka’s cricket captain after the upcoming Tests in Pakistan, saying he was doing it “in the best interests” of the team.“This is something I have been considering for some time as it has been my long-held belief that my successor […]

KARACHI, February 8, 2009 (AFP) – A parliamentary committee on sports is to probe Monday the falling standards of Pakistan cricket and the controversy behind the resignation of the director general of the cricket board, a top official said.The committee has summoned team management, former director general Javed Miandad and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials […]

February 9, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene on Monday predicted a more competitive Twenty20 world championships in England this year, saying teams were getting used to the new format. “We have learnt how to approach this game, so it will be much tougher this time,” said Jayawardene after launching a world-wide tour of […]

February 8, 2009 (AFP) – Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with a solid 97 as Sri Lanka prevented an Indian clean sweep with an emphatic 68-run win in the fifth and final one-day international here on Sunday.The hosts posted 320-8 following impressive knocks from opener Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara (84) and then dismissed the tourists for 252 […]