Former national captain and coach Javed Miandad has been handed the task of reviving Pakistan’s ailing cricket fortunes.

Javed Miandad is hoping to bring a more professional outlook to Pakistan cricket.

Javed Miandad is hoping to bring a more professional outlook to Pakistan cricket.

The 51-year-old was appointed director general by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday, and immediately outlined his goal to bring international matches back to the subcontinent nation following recent internal security problems.

“I will use my connections to convince teams to tour Pakistan and our cricket will be back to normal soon,” he said. “My priority will be to restore the image of Pakistan cricket, which has been hit by controversies in the recent past.”

This year’s ICC Champions Trophy was scheduled to be played in Pakistan but it has been postponed after countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa refused to take part due to violence stemming from political turmoil and terrorist attacks.

The PCB is also embroiled in a row with star fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who has received bans for breaching its code of conduct and also for taking banned drugs — as has fellow paceman Mohammad Asif.

Miandad, whose third stint as Pakistan coach ended in controversy in 2004 after a home series loss to India, has since had an acrimonious relationship with the PCB.

Controversial umpire Steve Bucknor’s surprise return to Australia has been cancelled because of what the International Cricket Council (ICC) describes as “travel difficulties”.South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen will take Bucknor’s place in Thursday’s first Test between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane and the second Test in Adelaide. Jamaica’s Bucknor was dropped by the ICC for the third Test between Australia and India in Perth in January this year after his poor performance in the tense second Test in Sydney. Indian officials were furious after their spin bowler Harbhajan Singh was handed a three-Test ban for racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan’s ban was later changed to a fine for a downgraded charge of using abusive and insulting language. With Bucknor facing criticism for some poor decisions during the Sydney Test, India started making noises about quitting their Australian tour and going home. Read the full story

It was Yuvraj Singh all the way as he stymied England once again to give India 2-0 lead in the ongoing seven One-Day International series. England went down by 54 runs without putting up much of a fight in the second ODI match of Hero Honda Cup 2008 here at the Maharani Usha Raje Cricket stadium yesterday.

Yuvraj, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his all round performance, once again became a thorn in the flesh of the Englishmen as he dashed their hopes of coming level in the series. This time he not only performed spectacularly with the bat, scoring another century (118 in 122 balls), but rattled their batting line up with his bowling to claim four valuable wickets for 28 runs in his ten overs.

India putting on 292 for nine in their allotted 50 overs dismissed England for 238 in 47 overs to register a 54 runs triumph. England were themselves to blame as they left India off the hook after pinning them down to 29 for three in 7.3 overs, courtesy their pacer Stuart Broad. He claimed all the three wickets and finished with four wickets for 55 runs in his quota of 10 overs.

With three wickets down for India the body language of Englishmen indicated that they were out to revenge after their annihilating defeat at Rajkot in the first ODI match.

While chasing India’s total of 292 England’s overcautious approach against double spin attack of Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh, who choked their innings, saw the required run rate keep climbs.

This was the time for English batsmen Owais Shah and Matt Prior to get on top of the Indian spinners but they probably thought that defensive approach was the best tactic in case of a big Indian total. They got bogged down for too long in the middle overs despite having wickets in hand and left too much to do during the third power play. Both Shah and Prior, however, departed in quick succession falling to the guile of Yuvraj.

Owais was the top scorer of the English team with 58 in 78 balls made with eight boundaries and one six while Prior posted 38 in 64 balls with four boundaries to his credit. Thereafter, England lost the way and India coasted to victory to go up 2-0 in the series. But all credit to India for applying the pressure.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni electing to bat after winning the toss and saw his team totter when England pacer Broad banished three batsmen opener Virendar Sehwag, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in his first, second and third over.

However, after the first drink interval taken when 15 overs were completed with India on 61 for three, complacency set in the England team and it was from here that Yuvraj and Gautam Gambhir put their heads down together to repair the damage. The partnership between the two left-handers Yuvraj and Gambhir flowered and they went on to put up 134 for the fourth wicket in 22.3 overs. Gambhir fell to England skipper Pietersen, walking across his stumps as he tried to force the ball from outside the off stump and work it to the on-side.

He tried to clip it away but got an inside edge which rolled on to his stumps. He garnered 70 runs off 76 deliveries with the help of six boundaries to the fence and two over it.

Pakistan 232 (Misbah 52, Taylor 3-38, Powell 3-50) beat West Indies 208 (Chanderpaul 107*, Gul 3-44 ) by 24 runs

Unlike the manic fireworks of the first game, Friday was more of a slow-burning scrap. Pakistan were, once again, second-best at the halfway stage but survived a tight finish to win the match and seal the series. Like in the first match, there was a typical century from a senior West Indies batsman - a dogged one from Shivnarine Chanderpaul this time - but there wasn’t enough support from the rest. Sohail Tanvir’s menacing opening spell helped Pakistan fight back after a disciplined West Indies bowling had kept them down to a less-than-average total. He was the star performer but each member of the Pakistan attack played his part: Umar Gul hounded the batsmen with a mix of bouncers and yorkers, Iftikhar Anjum kept probing away just outside off stump and was unlucky to not get more than one wicket, Read the full story

India 387 for 5 (Yuvraj 138*, Sehwag 85, Gambhir 51) beat England 229 (Pietersen 63, Bopara 54*) by 158 runs

First days for an opposition captain in India don’t get much worse. Kevin Pietersen’s decision to field because of an early morning start in Rajkot backfired spectacularly as India galloped out of the blocks and never looked back. What seemed a brave decision turned into an utter disaster with India posting 387 for 5 in 50 overs of ballistic strokeplay. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag added 127 for the first wicket, after which Yuvraj Singh overcame a stiff back to slam an unbeaten 138 from only 78 balls.

It was the fastest ODI hundred against England, while India’s total beat the previous best against this team - Pakistan’s 353 in Karachi in 2005. It was also India’s best total at home and second highest anywhere. England could only reply with 229, and suffered their third heaviest ODI defeat ever.

The last time Yuvraj scored a hundred in a limited-overs game was on October 5 2007 against Australia. He began in the 24th over, after Sehwag had been brilliantly caught by Ian Bell at midwicket for a 73-ball 85. Shortly into his innings, Yuvraj had problems with his back and needed a brace. Steve Harmison decided to test him with some short balls and, though Yuvraj took his eyes off them, he pulled consecutive boundaries and rounded off the over with a steer past slip for four more. Those three strokes set the tone.

India took the third Powerplay after the 34th over, a move which prompted Pietersen to bring back Andrew Flintoff. Yuvraj, who had Gambhir running for him, took the opportunity to break free by hitting sixes off Flintoff and Harmison before raising his fifty with a classy off-drive. Yuvraj’s partnership with Suresh Raina for the third wicket had added 89 off 78 balls before his partner scooped Flintoff to backward point for 43.

Yusuf Pathan came and went for 0, but Yuvraj, not disturbed by the double blow, stood his ground and swatted a wayward Stuart Broad for six and four. He brought up the 300 - and the fifty partnership with Mahendra Singh Dhoni - by smashing Samit Patel out of the ground in the 44th over.

A 20-year-old Indian record for the fastest century (Mohammad Azharuddin’s 62-ball ton against New Zealand) was under threat but Yuvraj was probably unaware and turned the ball off his pads for a single when he was on 94 off 61 balls. He reached his ninth hundred off his 64th ball and lofted Flintoff for two sixes in the 47th over and took another 18 off him in the 49th. Yuvraj’s 138 was one shy of his career best.

Andrew Symonds could make his return to Test cricket next week after being named in Australia’s 13-man squad to take on New Zealand in the first Test in Brisbane. Symonds has been included alongside Jason Krejza, the offspinner who took 12 wickets on debut in Nagpur, and the Victoria fast bowler Peter Siddle.

But there was no place for Cameron White, the legspinning allrounder who played all four Tests in India. White was the preferred slow bowler for the first three Tests but he finished the series with only five wickets and Krejza’s success has bumped him down the list.

White was the only man who played in the India Tests who has not retained his place for the Gabba match. However, the selectors still have a couple of tough calls to make with Shane Watson, the allrounder who replaced Symonds at No. 6, performing solidly in India.

Watson made 170 runs at 24.28 but his seam bowling was particularly useful and among the Australians only Krejza and Mitchell Johnson collected more than Watson’s ten wickets at 32.10. Symonds has hardly been in convincing form at state level and in three Sheffield Shield outings for Queensland he has posted scores of 5, 5, 26, 0, 43 and 1.

But Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Symonds had done enough in the past to justify his place in the squad. “Over the previous 12 months, Andrew has cemented his place in the Test team with outstanding performances at home and in the West Indies,” Hilditch said, “and he now deserves to come back into the Australian squad.”

If Symonds does make the cut it will be his first Test appearance since the tour of the Caribbean this year. He was axed from the national squad in Darwin following his now infamous fishing trip but after completing a welfare process he made the first steps back to the international scene earlier this week when he was picked for Friday’s Twenty20 match against an All-Stars line-up.

His chances of playing the Test might depend on the health of Michael Clarke, who has been selected subject to fitness. Clarke was struck down with a stomach virus in the fourth Test in Nagpur but there is still a week before the Test starts next Thursday and he is expected to be available.

The selectors will also have to make a call on the makeup of the attack with the fast men struggling for impact in India. Stuart Clark is likely to force his way back into the starting line-up and Siddle will probably miss out, while the exact balance of the bowling group could depend on whether either Watson or Symonds are squeezed out.

Despite the conventional wisdom that the Gabba does not favour spin bowlers, it would be difficult to leave out Krejza after his sensational debut. He could also be helped by the past performances of Shane Warne, who defied the theory that Brisbane was better for the seamers. The Gabba was Warne’s favourite venue and he collected 68 wickets there at 20.31.

“Jason Krejza richly deserves to retain his place in the side after such an outstanding debut in Nagpur,” Hilditch said. “It will now be a significant challenge for him to adapt back to Australian conditions and continue his development.”

The squad will be trimmed to 12 next Tuesday and the player who is not needed will be free to return to his home state. Shaun Marsh and Doug Bollinger, who were part of the touring party in India but did not play a Test, were not required for the Brisbane game.

Squad Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Peter Siddle

Those who say 50-overs cricket has lost its ticker needed to look no further than the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi for a humdinger. In a throwback to the days of Sharjah classics, Pakistan overcame a sluggish start and a middle-order wobble to sneak the most thrilling of last-over wins over West Indies. Khurram Manzoor and Younis Khan helped Pakistan overcome a jittery start and gather some steam, but it was Shoaib Malik’s whirlwind 66 and a stunning last-over assault from Kamran Akmal that pulled the carpet from beneath West Indies’ feet.

After winning the toss and batting, West Indies settled for a below-par 294, which owed mostly to Chris Gayle’s glorious 113, his 17th one-day hundred and second on the trot after an unbeaten 110 against Canada in August. Just 96 runs were scored since Gayle departed in the 35th over, and only 71 in the last ten overs, credit to Pakistan for sticking to their guns on a hard pitch. Ultimately, that made a big difference.

The last 15 minutes of the match were nerve-wracking. Akmal amazingly swept the last ball of the 48th off, by Jerome Taylor, for six, but a miserly penultimate over from Gayle seemed to have sealed it West Indies’ way. Fawad Alam failed to put away a full toss, Gayle bowled Akmal with a no-ball, and Akmal then survived a stumping appeal. The over cost only six runs.

Needing 17 from the last over, Akmal slashed the second and third deliveries for six, backing away: cue hysteria in the ground. A scampered two became three with an overthrow, and Alam clipped the fifth delivery of the final over for a single to seal victory. Akmal’s 24 from nine balls, however, was the clincher.

When Pakistan struggled initially under lights in the first 15 overs, this was hard to envision. In the absence of any fluency from Salman Butt, it was left to Manzoor to keep the score ticking over. Manzoor played himself in, reaching his second half-century in two ODIs played for Pakistan, one full of punchy back-foot play. Younis Khan, Pakistan’s most experienced batsman after Mohammad Yousuf joined the ICL, hit consecutive boundaries in the 23rd over - one driven off the back foot, the other lapped very fine - to up the rate.

Taylor was brought back in the 28th over to do a job, and he succeeded. Taylor dropped short, Manzoor tried to run it fine, and Carlton Baugh held on to the thin outside edge (142 for 2). Younis swept his way to half-century from 50 balls, but the pressure told on Misbah-ul-Haq, way too early into a reverse-sweep against Nikita Miller’s left-arm spin.

As per the new rules, the batting side can choose one Powerplay and Pakistan left the third one until the 38th over. It was a critical phase and Pakistan lost two wickets for 38. Unable to pierce the field like Malik, Younis slogged Baker into the starry night while Shahid Afridi pulled Baker to a tumbling Shivnarine Chanderpaul at deep midwicket. Malik made sure to hit the ball as straight as possible and went past 50 from 36 balls, but when Pakistan needed 33 from 18 balls, he pulled Taylor to midwicket.

Akmal’s heroics, though, spoiled what should have been Gayle’s party. The venue changed from Antigua to Abu Dhabi, the format from Twenty20 to 50-overs, but what did Gayle care? After five overs West Indies were 11 for 0; that’s when Gayle moved up a gear, stepping outside the line of a delivery from Abdur Rauf and swinging it over midwicket for six.

Rauf, who opened the attack in the absence of an injured Shoaib Akhtar, was then taken for 17 in one over. A whip over mid-on was followed by a flick off the pads. Then Rauf pitched outside off stump and craned his neck as Gayle biffed him over his head. Shoaib Malik removed third man and Gayle smartly steered the ball past the wicketkeeper. Having hit a 33-ball half-century in the Stanford 20/20 for 20 earlier this month, Gayle enjoyed his first trip to Abu Dhabi. Sohail Tanvir was cracked past point and West Indies’ fifty was up in the tenth over with consecutive pulled sixes in Umar Gul’s first over. In five overs, 48 had been scored, and Gayle’s half-century needed 36 balls.

Sewnarine Chattergoon contributed 33 to an opening stand of 125, the sixth-best for West Indies against Pakistan, content to play second fiddle before an attempted heave against the turn went to mid-on. Ramnaresh Sarwan partnered Gayle past his century - in a 73-run stand - and watched him get out for 113 after a series of attacking shots, the last of which went straight to midwicket (198 for 2) in an over in which he had been dropped by Gul. Sarwan used his wrists well and leapt on to anything short, hitting five boundaries before he tickled Afridi down the pads in the 38th over. But Gul came back well to take 3 for 66 and Tanvir took two in two balls during the last over as West Indies failed to build on Gayle’s innings.

A cricket-starved Pakistan came to Abu Dhabi wanting to win. They’ve certainly started well.

West Indian captain Chris Gayle said Tuesday fit-again paceman Shoaib Akhtar will be the key factor for Pakistan in the three-match series starting here from Wednesday. Read the full story

Stuart Broad has been declared fit for the first ODI against India in Rajkot on Friday after recovering from a knee injury picked up during a warm-up match in Mumbai. Ravi Bopara earned a recall to the side with Luke Wright missing out following a poor summer.

Broad’s recovery will be a relief to England, who are already without Ryan Sidebottom, ruled out with an Achilles problem. Peter Moores, the England coach, said Sidebottom could be considered for the second ODI in Indore though the management will be conscious not to play him too early.

England have decided to go with one spinner, Samit Patel, with fast bowler James Anderson recalled in place of Graeme Swann.

Kevin Pietersen, the England captain, expected Bopara - whose last ODI was against South Africa in August - to succeed on the Indian pitches, though he hasn’t bowled yet on this tour. “He’s been on the sidelines for a lot of the cricket we’ve played for the last however long,” Pietersen said. “He’s a very quick learner, he wants to learn and he’s also willing to ask questions. He’s really impressed me in the short term I’ve been captain and also when I’ve played alongside him as a player.”

England lost their second warm-up game after being bowled out for an embarrassing 98 by a Mumbai Cricket Association XI and Pietersen said the lesson to be learnt was not to take anything for granted. “Maybe there was an assumption that somebody would get a partnership and we’d go on and do it and it didn’t happen.”

Moores said the players were keen to take on India, who beat them 5-1 in the ODIs on the last tour in 2006. “They want to show how much they have matured as a team. I think we are ready and up for the challenge,” said Moores. “We are looking to get off to a good start, put some pressure on India and build some confidence.”

England squad for 1st ODI: Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wk), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Samit Patel, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson.

India 613 for 7 dec and 43 for 2 (Gambhir 21*, Dravid 5*) lead Australia 577 (Clarke 112, Sehwag 5-104) by 79 runs

A fighting century from Michael Clarke gave Australia a strong chance of heading into the final Test with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy still theirs to defend as a draw appeared likely in Delhi. Clarke’s 112 was his eighth Test hundred; it guided Australia to within 36 runs of India’s enormous 613 and completed a valiant group response from a side that had been all but batted out of the game within two days.

India’s second innings began poorly when an exhausted Virender Sehwag, who had bowled 40 overs and collected five wickets, played on to Brett Lee for 16. The loss of the night-watchman Ishant Sharma, who bunted a Stuart Clark bouncer to the close-in off-side fielder, meant Australia finished the day with the momentum as India closed at 43 for 2.

There were faint echoes of the Adelaide Test of 2006-07, when England went to stumps on the fourth day at 1 for 59, were bundled out by tea and watched Australia chase down 168. But if such echoes existed in Ricky Ponting’s head they must have been drowned out by the repeated “I’m retired” messages that have come from the Adelaide game-turner Shane Warne.

And without Warne in Australia’s armoury, it was hard to see how they could manufacture a final-day victory. India, with the very act of sending out a night-watchman when they had a 65-run lead and nine wickets in hand, gave a strong suggestion that they are in no hurry to set Australia a target.

And so ended a drifting sort of day - one that unfortunately for India saw the game drift out of their grasp. Or more specifically, out of Ishant’s grasp. There are moments that change matches and it was easy to pinpoint the instant that it occurred on the fourth day at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

It came in the fourth over of the morning when Clarke drove Amit Mishra airily towards mid-off. For a shorter man it might have been a tough chance; for Ishant it was a regulation opportunity and it slipped through the hands that reached only slightly above his head. Clarke was on 21 at the time; he went on to add another 91.

Occasional wickets fell at the other end but as Clarke became more resolute, Indian heads started to sink and minds began to wander. Mishra was below his best and lacked any real zip. Too often he dropped short and was duly dispatched and he also spent a while bowling around the wicket into the footmarks outside Clarke’s leg-stump, a tactic that pleased Clarke, who simply kicked most of the balls away.

Ishant was also less than threatening on a day he will rather forget. He sprayed a few too many deliveries down leg side and then alternated to off side. Kumble toiled valiantly with 11 stitches in his left hand and was unlucky not to pick up a couple of tight lbw decisions but for the second day running it was Sehwag who was by far the most dangerous bowler.

He collected Shane Watson and Cameron White and finished with his first five-wicket haul - not just in Test cricket but in 124 first-class appearances. And he could have had Clarke out in the 90s - twice. VVS Laxman’s mind must have been on his 34th birthday celebrations when Clarke top-edged an attempted sweep to midwicket, where the ball bounced out of Laxman’s hands like they were a trampoline. When Mishra grassed Clarke at deep midwicket in Sehwag’s next over it was clear it was Clarke’s day.

In fairness, he had done the hard work. It was a calm and measured innings from Clarke, whose maturity has lifted since he was handed the vice-captaincy. He reached his milestone from 219 deliveries with the final ball before tea, when he went back and cut Sehwag forward of point for two. He fell soon after the break for 112 when he lofted Mishra into the outfield as Australia tried to lift their rate but his job was well and truly done.

Clarke used his feet superbly to the spinners and was not afraid to drive over the infield when it was safe. When the wearying bowlers erred, he looked for value, and a pulled six over midwicket when Mishra dropped short was a perfectly sensible stroke. But the majority of Clarke’s runs were just that - run - as he coolly guided balls through gaps and pushed Australia past the follow-on mark and towards safety.

He had excellent support from White, who contributed 44 in a 106-run partnership and for the first time looked genuinely comfortable batting at Test level. That was not altogether unexpected; White averages more than 40 in first-class cricket and typically comes in at No. 5 for Victoria.

White watched the ball closely, picked wrong’uns and legbreaks and drove confidently when the spinners overpitched. There were brief moments of brutality and a lofted six over long-on off Kumble to bring up Australia’s 500 was reminiscent of the White who has pillaged domestic attacks in the shorter formats.

Eventually White succumbed and under-edged an attempted sweep on to his stumps off Sehwag. But he had done his job. All of Australia’s batsmen had done a job. The top five each passed fifty, Watson contributed 36 before he lost his leg stump to a Sehwag offbreak, and even Brad Haddin did enough in his 17 to help ease the danger of a lower-order collapse.

When Haddin was stumped he became Kumble’s first Test wicket in nearly three months and almost 85 overs. There was a certain steeliness about Kumble, whose hand problem was so severe he had the stitching done under general anaesthetic. Had he dropped his head it would have been understandable but he didn’t, and at times he was visibly annoyed with the lethargic fielding from his team-mates.

He returned to finish the Australians off with a courageous catch off his own bowling when Mitchell Johnson skied one between mid-on and mid-off. But despite Kumble’s resilience, the match had all but slipped away. He can hope for a final-day miracle but in all likelihood he will have to wait for Nagpur next week to potentially get his hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.