Flintoff to make comeback by next month

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, June 4 (ANI): England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who retired from test cricket in 2009 after helping England regain the Ashes from Australia, is expected to return to action for his county club Lancashire by July or August.

Flintoff, 32, has been recuperating since undergoing reconstructive knee surgery after the final test at the Oval and is still ambitious to represent England in one-day cricket.

He had initially targeted England’s one-day series in Bangladesh in February for his comeback, but had to abandon that plan while conducting his rehabilitation in Dubai, Stuff.co.nz reports.

“Fred was with us last week and he had a long interview with Mike Watkinson (the cricket manager at Lancashire) and he said he is on course,” Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes told reporters.

“He is full of enthusiasm. It’s amazing that with the time he has been out he is still able to plough on. We are hoping to have him back by the end of July or start of August,” Cumbers added. (ANI)

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‘Spoiler’ Malik vowed to transform into ‘team man’ to make it to national squad: Afridi

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, Jun.4 (ANI): Shoaib Malik’s inclusion in the 15-man squad for the Asia Cup just days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lifted the one-year ban imposed on him may have surprised many, but he was able to make it to the national squad only after he swore before skipper Shahid Afridi that he would completely transform himself into a ‘team man.’

Rejecting media reports that Malik was included in the squad under pressure from various political and other influential quarters, Afridi said Malik was a talented cricketer whom the team needed.

“I don’t take any pressure from anyone. The thing is that Shoaib Malik is a talented cricketer and there is no doubt about it. The team needs him. But I’ve told him clearly that I’m supporting you and I need your support for the sake of the team,” The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

The swashbuckling all rounder also revealed that he had a ‘heart-to-heart’ with Malik before the meeting with the national selectors and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt to pick the team for the Asia Cup.

“Malik has assured me of his complete support. He sounded really serious about making a successful international return and wants to help me in my efforts to put the team back on track,” Afridi said.

“I have no personal grudges against anybody including Malik. The thing is that I just want players who can contribute towards the team cause. I want to raise our performance graph and that can only happen through a team effort,” he added.

Afridi also rubbished reports regarding pacer Shoaib Akhtar failing a fitness test conducted just a day before the team was to be announced.

“Who said he (Akhtar) failed the fitness test? We have received reports from experts that he is fully fit after which we have decided to recall him,” he said.

Afridi, 30, backed the selectors’ decision to include Akhtar in the Sri Lanka bound 15-man squad, saying the speedster would add more firepower to Pakistan’s bowling line up.

“It’s true that Shoaib has been out of action for some time, but I’m sure that he still has a lot of cricket left in him. We can field him in our big matches which means he will get enough time to recover and maintain his form and fitness. I’m happy that he is back,” said Afridi. (ANI)

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PREVIEW – Tamim gives Bangladesh glimpse of hope

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a glimmer of hope for the first test against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday by promising to take his place at the top of the order despite a painful wrist injury.

The dashing left-hand opener has been told he can play with his left wrist taped, although he may eventually need surgery.

“I don’t want to take any chances but I’m batting okay in the nets and the pain is getting better day by day,” he told reporters.

Tamim, who scored three fluent half-centuries during the two-test home series against England this year, is one of Bangladesh’s two world-class players.

The other is captain and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who expects to play despite contracting chicken pox.

Cooler weather and showers predicted for the weekend after a brief burst of searingly hot weather in south-east England will also create the usual problems for visiting teams at the start of the English summer with assistance for the home bowlers.

England have rested their Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood and all-rounder Stuart Broad at the start of a hectic season, giving an opportunity to Eoin Morgan to show he can take his one-day form into the test arena.

Morgan does not have a great first-class record but the England management are impressed with his temperament under pressure and the Bangladesh attack provides as gentle an introduction to test cricket as anyone could wish.

England begin the home season buoyed by their win in the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and with an Ashes defence against losing finalists Australia to look forward to at the end of the year.

TURBULENT PAKISTAN

After the two-test Bangladesh series they play four tests against Pakistan, who are condemned to play their international cricket abroad because of the uncertain security situation at home.

Pakistan also play two tests against Australia and for the first time since the rain-drenched 1912 Triangular series between England, Australia and South Africa, Lord’s will stage three tests.

Even by their own turbulent standards, Pakistan have endured a spectacularly troubled year.

The International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit is investigating their woeful performances in Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned former captains Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik after an internal inquiry.

The pair were still included in a preliminary tour party on Tuesday pending their appeals against the bans along with fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who has had more than his share of brushes with the Pakistan authorities.

They will be captained by the flamboyant wrist-spinning all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who ended a four-year self-imposed exile from test cricket at the weekend and who is, himself, appealing against a fine for ball-tampering.

The clear indication is that the PCB is determined to field the best side it can muster regardless of its own sanctions, a team who at their mercurial best can fully test both England and Australia and give useful hints to the course of the subsequent Ashes series.

(Editing by Ed Osmond; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Cairns mulls suit against Modi for match fixing slur

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wellington, May 23 (IANS) Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns says he has taken the legal course against suspended Indian Premier Legal Commissioner Lalit Modi over allegations of match fixing.

Cairns was not allowed to participate in the IPL auction after he quit the rebel Indian Cricket League, with Modi claiming that the cricketer was involved in match-fixing during his ICL days.

‘I’m currently an interested bystander,’ Cairns was quoted as saying in the New Zealand Herald Sunday.

‘We are still trying to have Modi served with papers. We’re going through that process in India but it takes time to get through the court system. We’re waiting for him, though.’

‘If he decides to go to the UK, we’ll have him served there but it is so difficult to know his movements – especially with all the turmoil he’s embroiled in. It’s frustrating but we’ve initiated the process and just have to wait,’ Cairns said.

The irony is that Modi, the founder of the IPL empire estimated, is fighting allegations of financial irregularities.

‘We will continue to pursue justice but at the moment he’s also going through a process which needs to reach its conclusion before any judgement is passed.’

‘We need to go through the proper channels to find out what to do next. I’m as interested as anybody to see how this pans out,’ said Cairns.

He said that he lost a vital opportunity to play for IPL.

‘The opportunity is gone now. I’m finished. There was that one window of opportunity in the IPL when I was asked to put my name forward but I’m 40 in three weeks (June 13) so reality dictates, even though a return was a romantic notion.’

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South Africa thrash Windies by 66 runs in ODI

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

South Africa eased to a 66-run victory over West Indies thanks to centuries by Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers and some aggressive bowling in the first one-day international on Saturday.

West Indies’ batsmen wilted to 215 all out from 44.1 overs as they chased the tourists’ total of 280-7 from 48 overs which was powered by Amla and de Villiers who both scored 102.

Amla registered his second career ODI century while de Villiers struck his third ODI ton on the trot as they put on 129 for the third wicket to lay the foundation for a big total.

Amla struck eight fours at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds from 109 deliveries while de Villiers hit five fours and two sixes off 101 balls.

All-rounder Dwayne Bravo bowled with control to finish with figures of three for 40 from 10 overs.

In the run chase Chris Gayle top scored for the hosts with 45 from 39 balls including eight powerful fours while Kieron Pollard blasted 44 from 37 deliveries with five fours and a six.

Their efforts were not nearly adequate enough to threaten South Africa’s total as lanky pacer Morne Morkel captured three for 40 from eight overs. He was supported by Dale Steyn and Ryan McLaren (both two for 37) and Johan Botha (two for 47).

The second game in the five-match series will take place on Monday at the same venue before the teams move to Dominica for a double header and Jamaica for the final game.

(Editing by Ken Ferris and Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Kiwi cricketers get master class in throwing baseball curve balls

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Florida, May 20(ANI): New Zealand cricketers could be throwing curve balls during the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in Florida, having trained with Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Florida Marlins.

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori and all-rounder Jacob Oram were also given an opportunity to throw the first pitches before the Marlins’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Vettori said players and coaching staff had been able to exchange notes with Marlins players, and hoped both sides had found it a valuable experience.

“There”s a lot of similarities between cricket and baseball and it”s one of America”s favourite sports and a lot of the guys just really enjoy watching it,” The New Zealand Herald quoted Vettori, as saying.

Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said the opportunity to train and talk shop with a MLB team had been a dream come true.

“As in any different sport there”s an opportunity to learn and I think all of us have watched baseball as young kids and a lot of us enjoy it, so it”s just nice to be here and have an opportunity to do it,” Greatbatch said.

New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in two exhibition Twenty20 games on Sunday and Monday. (ANI)

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Loss to Australia in T20 WC semi-final still hard to believe: Mohammed Hafeez

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, May 20 (ANI): Pakistan all rounder Mohammed Hafeez and his other teammates are still shocked at their stunning defeat against Australia in the semi-final of the just concluded ICC T20 World Championship in Caribbean.

Hafeez told PakPassion.net that his fellow cricketers are still finding it hard to come to terms with having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

“We played so well, we gave absolutely everything and it was hard to believe at the end of the day that we actually lost. We were upset with the defeat and I believe that we should have won the match against Australia,” he said.

Hafeez denied there being any complacency on part of the players during the all important match, and stressed that the whole team was absolutely focussed on its job even after posting a challenging total of 192 for Australia to chase.

“The captain and coach told us to give our all till the very last ball of the match. There was absolutely no chance of us taking things easy or thinking we had already won the match. Against Australia you can never let your guard slip and that”s what the captain and coach emphasised to all of us,” he said.

Hafeez, however, did not take away any credit from Michael Hussey for producing a breathtaking innings of 60 off 24 balls, which saw the Kangaroos seal their berth in the final of the tournament.

“Hussey did not make any mistakes. To come in that late in the batting order and play an innings like that was just simply brilliant. It was a magical innings by Hussey, he played really well and he planned his strokes to perfection,” he said.

Hafeez, who has played 15 T20 internationals for Pakistan, also expressed the hope that he would be recalled in the one-day team for the upcoming Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.

“The defeat to Australia is hard to take, but we all need to look ahead and to look forward to the Asia Cup. I hope I am given a chance in Sri Lanka and given the opportunity once again in the 50 over format of the game,” said Hafeez, who last played a 50-over match in October 2007 against South Africa in Lahore. (ANI)

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Cricket in UK schools ‘less elitist and more ethnically diverse than in past’: Survey

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 20(ANI): A new survey has revealed that cricket in the UK has become less elitist and more ethnically diverse than in the past, with it growing in popularity among kids in state schools.

The survey was conducted by the ‘Chance to Shine’ foundation, which has brought cricket to a million schoolchildren across the UK. The results were based on an online YouGov survey of 993 parents of children aged 8 to 17.

When asked whether ‘cricket has become less elitist’ than when they were at school, three times as many parents of children at state schools polled strongly agreed (42 percent), compared to those that strongly disagreed with the statement (13 percent).

Twenty-four mums polled said that cricket is now offered as a team sport to girls at their child’s school, twice the number that say the “gentleman’s game” was an option for them when they were at school (11 percent).

It also showed that a whopping 72 percent of parents believed playing cricket could improve their child’s grades.

Meanwhile, England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff explained why he has been backing the foundation.

“Cricket in state schools was in real danger of dying out before Chance to shine launched in 2005,” The Sun quoted Flintoff, as saying.

“I believe every child has the right to play competitive cricket at school and to learn skills that they can use throughout their lives,” he added. (ANI)

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Afridi says aggression, ending ‘mental hang up’ critical for Pak success against Oz

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, May 20 (ANI): Flamboyant Pakistan T20 skipper Shahid Afridi believes that his team suffers from a ‘mental hang up’ when it comes to competing with the World Champions Australia, and he wants to help players break that ‘jinx’ concerning the Kangaroos.

In the recent years, Pakistan have had a nightmarish record against Australia, with the latest being the January-February tour where Pakistan failed to register even a single win against the hosts.

It came close to defeating Australia in the semifinal of the just concluded ICC T20 World Championship in the West Indies, but faltered at the last moment.

Afridi said the loss almost shattered his heart, but he pointed towards the positive aspect of the loss that at least Pakistan played some tough and competitive cricket.

“I would have been left completely shattered but what gave me hope was the fact that we played aggressive cricket and a victory against Australia was within our reach,” The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

“It would have been great had we go on to win that match but once again the Australians proved that they are still the best in the world,” he added.

The hard hitting all-rounder pointed out that defeating Australia has never been easy, but the teams competing against the world champions would have to match the aggression of the Kangaroos to stand any chance.

“I must make it clear that beating Australia will never be easy. But I’m also confident that we can do it. What we need is to overcome our mental hang up and just play brave cricket. The thing is that the Aussies are mentally very tough and the only way to beat them is by going out there and giving it our best shot. You have to be really aggressive against that team because there is no other way to tackle them,” Afridi said.

Afridi said he is eagerly waiting for the two T20 encounters against Australia during the upcoming series in England, as the best chance of ending the team’s poor run against Australia is to defeat them in the game in which they are considered to be the best.

“It would take a gigantic effort to beat Australia in the Test series but Twenty20 cricket is a different story. We have a very good team for the shortest format and can beat any opposition on our day,” he said. (ANI)

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Afridi says aggression, ending ‘mental hang up’ critical for Pak success against Oz

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, May 20 (ANI): Flamboyant Pakistan T20 skipper Shahid Afridi believes that his team suffers from a ‘mental hang up’ when it comes to competing with the World Champions Australia, and he wants to help players break that ‘jinx’ concerning the Kangaroos.

In the recent years, Pakistan have had a nightmarish record against Australia, with the latest being the January-February tour where Pakistan failed to register even a single win against the hosts.

It came close to defeating Australia in the semifinal of the just concluded ICC T20 World Championship in the West Indies, but faltered at the last moment.

Afridi said the loss almost shattered his heart, but he pointed towards the positive aspect of the loss that at least Pakistan played some tough and competitive cricket.

“I would have been left completely shattered but what gave me hope was the fact that we played aggressive cricket and a victory against Australia was within our reach,” The News quoted Afridi, as saying.

“It would have been great had we go on to win that match but once again the Australians proved that they are still the best in the world,” he added.

The hard hitting all-rounder pointed out that defeating Australia has never been easy, but the teams competing against the world champions would have to match the aggression of the Kangaroos to stand any chance.

“I must make it clear that beating Australia will never be easy. But I’m also confident that we can do it. What we need is to overcome our mental hang up and just play brave cricket. The thing is that the Aussies are mentally very tough and the only way to beat them is by going out there and giving it our best shot. You have to be really aggressive against that team because there is no other way to tackle them,” Afridi said.

Afridi said he is eagerly waiting for the two T20 encounters against Australia during the upcoming series in England, as the best chance of ending the team’s poor run against Australia is to defeat them in the game in which they are considered to be the best.

“It would take a gigantic effort to beat Australia in the Test series but Twenty20 cricket is a different story. We have a very good team for the shortest format and can beat any opposition on our day,” he said. (ANI)

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‘Termite’ Shoaib Malik blamed for infighting in team during disastrous Oz tour

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, May 19 (ANI): Banned Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who was blamed for politics and infighting in the team during the winless Australia tour, was even described as a “termite” by a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) inquiry commission formed to probe the disastrous tour, a leaked video of a hearing of the commission has revealed.

The video, which is said to have been deliberately leaked by some of the PCB officials, show a member of the six-member committee using the word ‘termite’ for Malik after being told by some of the fellow cricketers and coaches Intikhab Alam and Aqib Javed that the former captain was the only person to be blamed for the lack of team spirit in the team.

The video also shows Alam and Javed alleging that they suspected that wicket keeper Akmal was involved in match fixing, which was evident from his shoddy performance throughout the tour Down Under.

“I have reservations over the way he missed the run out. When I saw it I couldn’t believe it. How he could miss such a big run out? I can’t say 100 percent that there is match-fixing, but I have my strong suspicions,” The Daily Times quoted Javed, as saying in the video.

“I was flabbergasted when Kamran missed the run out. I have serious doubts about him. I have heard stories about match-fixing,” said Alam. (ANI)

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Surrey hopes to shine with Younis Khan in current county season

May 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, May 19 (ANI): Banned former Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan has been signed by the English county team Surrey for the ongoing domestic season.

Younis, who is Surrey’s second overseas player after Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, would play for the county side in all tournaments until July.

Surrey’s Professional Cricket Manager Chris Adams hoped that bringing in Younis, who has an impressive average of 50.09 in 63 Tests, would have some positive effect on the team’s performance.

“I am confident that bringing a world class player such as Younus to Surrey will have a very positive effect on the side. As well as benefiting from the weight of runs we hope he will bring, we have a number of young batsman who will doubtless benefit greatly from being able to train and play alongside him,” The Daily Times quoted Adams, as saying.

Younis is expected to join the team in a week’s time. (ANI)

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Flintoff likely to play for Queensland in Australia’s T20 Big Bash

May 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 18 (ANI): Injured all rounder Andrew Flintoff, who has still not given up hope of returning to England’s limited-overs team, is all set to play in an Australian domestic Twenty20 tournament.

Flintoff, 32, who watched England secure a historic win over the Aussies in the World Twenty20 final, is scheduled to play for Lancashire in late July.

He has been approached by three Australian states to play in the Big Bash tournament, with Queensland being his likely destination, The Sun reports.

The tournament clashes with the one-day series versus Australia in January, which builds up to the 2011 World Cup in Indian subcontinent.

But Flintoff admitted that he faces a battle to get into the England’s side following their recent success. (ANI)

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Pak’s good show in T20 WC ‘perfect launch pad’ for tough assignments ahead: Bari

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, May 16 (ANI): Though defending champions Pakistan have crashed out of the ICC World T20 Championship, Wasim Bari, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Chief Operating Officer (COO) believes that the team’s performance in the Caribbean has given itself a perfect ‘launch pad’ ahead of a busy calendar this year.

Bari said he was ‘impressed’ by Pakistan’s performance in West Indies, adding that it would help them prepare better for some tough encounters ahead which includes the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the Test Series against England and Australia.

“We may have lost in the semifinal, but I believe that the way we’ve played in the event has provided us with a great launch pad and will help us do well during the rest of the year,” The News quoted Bari, as saying.

“We have a very tough season coming up and the team will benefit from the confidence it will derive from its performance in the West Indies,” he added.

Pakistan looked all set for a third consecutive appearance in the World T20 final after posting a challenging total of 191 runs against Australia in the semi-final, but Michael Hussey’s breathtaking knock of 60 off 24 balls denied Afridi’s men a chance of a clash with England in the final of the coveted tournament.

Bari, however, denied commenting on whether the PCB would retain Afridi as captain for the upcoming Asia Cup, as the flamboyant all-rounder has been criticised for some of his decisions during the T20 World Championship.

“The thing is that the team is still in the West Indies and we will only sit down and talk about such issues once its back home,” he said.

He also refrained from commenting about reports regarding leg-spinner Danish Kaneria being arrested in London over match-fixing charges, saying the PCB is yet to receive any official report regarding the case from English authorities.

“We’ve heard about it from media reports today but haven’t received anything in writing from the authorities in England. The Board is monitoring the case but will only decide its course of action after getting something in black and white from the concerned people,” Bari said. (ANI)

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Critics, ex-players want to axe Smith, Kallis and Boucher from Proteas 20-20 squad

May 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cape Town (South Africa), May 13 (ANI): Critics have said that it is time for South African cricketing stalwarts Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher to make way for better performers in the Tweny20 format.

Former South African convenor of selectors Omar Henry is demanding the heads of the trio in the country’s Twenty20 side.

“I would axe Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and even Graeme Smith from the T20 team. I believe we need to build a new side and head in a new direction,” Sports24 quoted Henry, as saying.

Even though he was very critical of Smith’s captaincy in the tournament, he would keep the captain and Kallis in the squad until next year’s World Cup on the subcontinent.

“Kallis is worth a lot as an all-rounder in 50-over cricket. I would retain Smith as captain, but he would have to agree to a number of changes in how he goes about his job,” added Henry.

Henry was unimpressed with the decision to let Kallis open the batting.

Kallis managed an impressive 171 runs in the tournament, but his strike rate was only 116.32, Some of the other opening batsmen that performed well scored their runs at a faster rate.

Majola said it would be dangerous to jump to conclusions in the heat of the moment.

“I don’t recognise the South African team that played there. We weren’t even close to being in the picture in this tournament. It was a shock to see those performances. I’m looking for answers,” he said.

Former South African coach Ray Jennings said that the question needed to be asked who was calling the shots in the team. (ANI)

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Cool Bresnan is England’s most improved player of the year

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 12 (ANI): Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan is cool as a cucumber, and it has shown in his latest performance.

So much so, that he is being projected as England’s most improved player of the year. Not bad for a lad who not too long ago was seen as a daft personality from Pontefract.

According to Bresnan, there is a novel way to dealing with pressure – not accepting that it exists at all.

As he contemplates a global semi-final here versus Pakistan in St Lucia tomorrow, he said: “Craig White, my old captain at Yorkshire, summed it up. We were going out to bowl at the start of the season and I said, ””Chalks, the ball””s not coming out that well””.

“He replied, ””Mate, who cares? You can only bowl as well as you can, you might be in a box tomorrow””.

“That””s what he said – and it takes the pressure off.

“My mentality is that I could be doing something totally different that I wouldn””t enjoy as much as playing cricket. I am playing cricket, staying in St Lucia, in a magnificent hotel. Life is not exactly a hardship,” The Sun quoted Bresnan, as saying.

Bresnan, 25, is already pencilled in for next winter””s Ashes as an all-rounder.

“I think I””ve always been good enough to perform at international level. One of these days you will see how good I am. You are seeing little glimpses now but I still have a lot more.”

“If we keep playing the same brand of cricket, we should win this tournament,” he concludes. (ANI)

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Smith `taking the piss, doing extremely well,’ says Johnson

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Barbados (West Indies), May 12 (ANI): Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson believes that emerging leg-spinning all-rounder Steven Smith is fitting in nicely with the national squad, and adds that he already he appears so relaxed that he almost looks like he”s taking a nap.

Twice in Sunday”s World Twenty20 Super Eights win over Sri Lanka in Barbados, Smith made taking a catch in the outfield seem so easy. He also claimed the brilliant figures of 2-12 from four overs, just two games after his mature knock of 27 from 18 balls helped Australia recover from 6-65 to 7-141 for a 27-run victory against Bangladesh.

“Smithy bowled well today (against Sri Lanka). He”s a good thinker, at such a young age. Takes catches very easily, it”s like he”s taking the piss. He”s doing extremely well. He”s doing the job we need him to do. He”s enjoying it out there as well,” Fox Sports quoted Johnson, as saying.

Michael Clarke endorsed the view.

“He”s a huge talent, no doubt. He batted well the other day and he has been bowling really well. He”s getting used to the conditions more every single game,” Clarke said. (ANI)

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Gayle says he”ll sledge Watto and other Aussies in 20-20 decider

May 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

St. Lucia (West Indies), May 11 (ANI): West Indian cricket captain Chris Gayle has said that he intends to sledge Australian opener Shane Watson and other members of his team when the two sides engage in a Super Eight World Twenty20 encounter at the Beausejour Cricket Ground tomorrow.

“I”m definitely looking forward to a victory, but I”m not going to get personal with anyone. I”ll stick to what I can do and try to get my team up and ready against Australia and get the guys confident. I”m not going to target anyone. But I might well just be doing some sledging of them,” Gayle said.

Gayle and Watson clashed heatedly when the Australia all-rounder comically celebrated after taking the prized wicket of the Windies skipper in the Perth Test in the summer.

Gayle later said: “I didn”t expect anything better. That”s typically Shane Watson.”

Both opening batsmen will play crucial hands in a match that looms as the best of the tournament to date.

Australia must win to ensure a semi-final berth – potentially against England – even though they remain undefeated after their 81-run win against Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval. (ANI)

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