world in hand

Former England captain Andrew Flintoff has predicted a successfulreintegration into the team for Kevin Pietersen, saying the batsman will draw strength from recent adversity when England tour India in November. Flintoff said Pietersen had a track record of responding to strife with goodperformances, and expected him to turn the misgivings from his exile from the team into runs for England. "When people get on Kevin's case he comes out swinging and scores runs," Flintoff told BBC Sport. "I think Alastair Cook might benefit from this. He might get KP at his best."

Mumbai Indians 156 for 6 (Pollard37*, Smith 37) v Yorkshire No result Persistent rain has now washed out successive evening games in the Champions League Twenty20.Both involved Indian sides. The first, in Durban on Wednesday, sent IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders out of the tournament. The second, in Cape Town today, did not end Mumbai Indians' chances of making the semi-finals but it did force a no-result with the IPL side having worked itself into a strong position despite all their batsmen,barring the unbeaten Kieron Pollard, gifting their wickets away

Sydney Sixers 141 for 5 (Watson 47, Haddin 32) beat Lions 137 for9 (Bodi 61, Symes 23, Starc 3-19, Hazlewood 2-18) by five wickets Lions scored 56 runs off their last57 deliveries, losing seven wickets, to completely undo a quick start provided by Gulam Bodi, who scored 61 off 44. Although Jean Symes provided quick 23 in the end, Lions ended with an underwhelming 137, which Sydney Sixers chased with ease despite a middle-overs stumble of three wickets for 14 runs. With their third win out of three and superior net run rate, Sixers are now all but through to the semi-finals*.

A team led by former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya and managed by former West Indian batsman Alvin Kallicharan has arrived in Karachi on Thursday afternoon. The international XI team will play two exhibition Twenty20 matches against a Pakistan Stars XI at National Stadium in Karachi this weekend, ending a near four-year drought of international cricket in the country. Several other players including batsman Ricardo Powell, fast bowlers Jermaine Lawson and Adam Sanford from West Indies, and Andre Nel and Nantie Hayward from South Africa landed earlier in the morning. South Africa allrounder Justin Kemp has withdrawn due to his domestic cricket commitments while two Afghanistan players - Shapoor Zadran and Mohammad Shahzad - will reach Karachi tomorrow from Kabul.

Defending champions Rajshahi Division will hog half the attentionwhen they take on Dhaka Divisionin Mirpur in one of four opening-day matches in the National Cricket League on Saturday. The other half of the attention will be on several Bangladesh players who are expected to play the firsttwo rounds of matches after the Bangladesh Cricket Board made their NCL appearances obligatory ahead of the West Indies series. The most notable appearance would be that of Tamim Iqbal, captain of Chittagong Division that takes on Dhaka Metropolis at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium on the opening day. Tamim hasn't played in the domestic first-class competition for the past five years. In fact, Chittagong haven't availed his services since he madehis Test debut, the last time beingin November 2007. Tamim

Ricky Ponting laughs when asked whether or not he was a better captain of Australia than Michael Clarke. Eighteen months into the job, Clarke's leadership has helped push the national team to a point where they can glimpse the world No. 1 ranking, a summitthat will be achieved if they can defeat South Africa at home in November. When he gave up the captaincy, Ponting had said he hoped to give Clarke the best chance of putting his stamp on a new team,something the younger man has done. Irrespective of their relativemerits as tacticians, Ponting and Clarke both need each other still, especially if Ponting can bat with the authority he showed against India last summer. While a little envious of the support network Clarke has around him as a result of the Argus review, Ponting is generous

Beset by injuries and straddling the start of the Twenty20 era, Shane Bond's New Zealand careerwas all too brief. The lessons of it are not to be lost however, after Bond signed on to replace Damien Wright as the national team's bowling coach. Having retired from the game a little more than two years ago, Bond has spent the intervening time studying up as a coach, and will now bring his combination ofrecent experience, empathy and areputation as one of the most feared pace bowlers of the past decade to help add a greater edge to New Zealand's bowling stocks.

Richard Pybus has been given time till October 24 to decide if hewants to continue as the Bangladesh coach for the forthcoming West Indies series. The Bangladesh Cricket Board haswritten to him, the outgoing chiefMustafa Kamal said on his last dayat the board headquarters. "The BCB will write to him officially to come before our West Indies series. If he doesn't decide to come then we will take a decision based on his action," Kamal said, flanked by Nazmul Hassan, the man succeeding him as the BCB president, after a five-hour meeting on Friday. Kamal had to chair the meeting asissues such as the one concerning Pybus and the Bangladesh Premier League franchises' non-payment remain unresolved. Kamal, however, said that both issues will be tackled in the October 24 meeting, which he

How important is the ICC Champions Trophy for players? It's a very important tournament for the player when you consider that the 50-over game has been abit maligned over the last few years, with how big T20 cricket has become so quickly. The big tournaments you play in are the ICC World Cup and the Champions Trophy, so it's a very big and important event for the players. And the fans? I think the fans place it in the same regard as the players, especially the way the Champions Trophy is formatted now, with fewer teams than originally. I remember when I started playing Champions Trophy, almost all of the Associate nations were playing. In the UK in 2004, we played USA in the group stage - the game was over six overs, [us] chasing just 65. It was a pretty ordinary advertisement for the

How important is the ICC Champions Trophy for players? It's a very important tournament for the player when you consider that the 50-over game has been abit maligned over the last few years, with how big T20 cricket has become so quickly. The big tournaments you play in are the ICC World Cup and the Champions Trophy, so it's a very big and important event for the players. And the fans? I think the fans place it in the same regard as the players, especially the way the Champions Trophy is formatted now, with fewer teams than originally. I remember when I started playing Champions Trophy, almost all of the Associate nations were playing. In the UK in 2004, we played USA in the group stage - the game was over six overs, [us] chasing just 65. It was a pretty ordinary advertisement for the

The USA Cricket Association has suspended executive secretary Kenwyn Williams and is investigating his role in a protracted and angry exchange with journalists and stakeholders on the official USACA Facebook page, which was taken down shortly before 11 a.m. EST on Friday. USACA president GladstoneDainty confirmed the suspension to ESPNcricinfo pending a hearingat a board meeting on November 10 in Florida. "Based on what I've seen, what has been going on has not helped cricket in the United States. I don't think it has helped cricket at all," Dainty said. "That is so mindboggling. I don't think that US and world cricket deserved that, but I'm still waitingfor an attempt to justify it."

Brian Lara was made an offer to play for the International XI in thetwo unofficial Twenty20 matches in Karachi but he refused becausehe was concerned about the message his participation would send out, given that the PCB had disassociated itself from the games. "Yes, an offer was made to me," Lara told the Trinidad Guardian."Until such time as the governing body in Pakistan [PCB] is able to convince the rest of the world that the best safety mechanisms have been put in place, and the ICC agrees, I would have to say no."

Gerald Majola, the suspended Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive, has been dismissed from the board with immediate effect. He was found guilty on all nine charges laid against him at his disciplinary hearing, most notably misconduct but also including accepting bonuses, not declaring them to the board and wrongdoing around travel claims. Majola's hearing took place without him after he withdrew from proceedings last week. He was invited to appear before chairperson Karel Tip for the decision on October 17 but chosenot to. He had the option to makeanother appearance on Friday to present his version.

Match facts October 20, 2012 Start time 1330 (1130 GMT) Big Picture With two wins and a game to play, Lions are just one victory away from joining Sydney Sixers as the other team from Group B in the semi-finals. Lions play the opening game of the Wanderers double-header on Saturday and their match against Yorkshire will be closely followed by Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, who face each other later in the evening. A Lions win will reduce the IPL derby to a dead rubber. It's been that kind of a tournament for the IPL teams, having to rely on other results to progress. If Yorkshire can sneak in a win, though, it opens up the group

Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has been fined one lakh rupees (approx $1050) for his criticism of the team's captain Mohammad Hafeez after the World Twenty20. The PCB had issued Razzaq a showcause notice last week asking him to explain his comments about Hafeez. Razzaq apologised for his remarks but was still fined by the PCB. Razzaq and Hafeez appeared before the PCB chairman to clarifyafter which Razzaq accepted his mistake He said he had no issues with the captain and what he said was in the heat of the moment. "I accept my mistake for breaching the code of conduct," Razzaq told reporters after the meeting. "I never had any problems with Hafeez and I accept that my outburst against him was unfair. Ihave already apologised for it," Razzaq added.

Auckland Aces v Delhi Daredevils Match abandoned without a ball bowledScorecard Rain seems to be following the IPL sides wherever they go. A third successive evening game in the Champions League Twenty20 was washed out today, in Durban.While some play had been possible in the previous no-results, even the toss could not take place at Kingsmead as a persistent, but not heavy, drizzle set in. It was Delhi Daredevils' turn to be satisfied with two points, after Kolkata Knight Ridersand Mumbai Indians on the previous two evenings.

New Delhi: One person died and two others were injured as clashed erupted between locals and police in East Delhi. Though police have denied firing at the mob and have claimed that they only used tear gas to disperse the crowd, bullet injuries have reportedly been found on the body of the dead and those injured. The incident was reported at 8 pm from Mayur Vihar Phase-III. Heavy police force has been deployed in the area. Fifteen police personnel were also injured in the incident and about six to seven locals are being treated at Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Hospital andGuru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB) Hospital. Two police post, half a dozen low-floor DTC buses, about a dozen two wheelers and four wheelers are reported to have been damaged in the incident. Earlier reports said that the violence erupted following a "rumour" of a death of a man after fal

New Delhi: The chopped body of a 23-year-old Bachelor of Business Administrative (BBA) student, with the head missing, were found neara railway track here, police said on Sunday. Police suspect suicide attempt while victim's family claim murder. Parts of Paras Bhasin's body were found scattered near east Delhi's Pandav Nagar railway track on Saturday afternoon. His father Sanjeev Bhasinsaid: "My son left home at around 3.30 p.m. Saturday and around 4.15 p.m. we received a call about his death froman unknown number." "I rushed to the Pandav Nagar track with my family and informed police," said Sanjeev. Police said victim's body parts have been sent to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital for post-mortemwhile his head is still missing. "Initial investigation suggest that it was a suicide attempt as victim's body parts were received within 100 metres radius. In 90 per cent cases it happens when someone comes in contact with a speeding train," said

New Delhi: Delhi's residential area of Mayur Vihar remained tense on Monday morning following mob violence on Sunday night. One person died and many including 15 policemen were injured in the clashes. Three people have suffered bullet injuries, but the police denied firing saying only tear gas was fired. Firing by miscreants to create panic has not been ruled out. Two police posts, six public transport buses and six private vehicles were damaged. A petrol pump was also targeted. The clashes happened after locals clashed with the police following reports that a policeman had beaten up a biker who had crashed into a police barricade. The police claim the manwas drunk but denied assaulting him. The localshave however accused the police of brutality."He's been shot in the heart. They only have authority to shoot in the legs, not the body," one of the locals said. Some eye witnesses claimed he ignored the signal and tried to flee but a police man tried to stop him and he f

New Delhi: The "threats" issued by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief RajThackeray against Hindi news channels were an"assault on roots of democracy", a body of editors of electronic news channels said on Sunday. The Broadcast Editors' Association in a release asked the Maharashtra Government to ensure protection to media personnel in Mumbai against "lumpen elements". "We take serious note of threats given by the MNSChief against Hindi news channels and feel that this is not a threat held out against media but anassault on the roots of democracy," it said in a release. "Such statements are notacceptable in a democratic society and reveal his contempt for Constitution, rule of law and society," the Association said. The BEA said it does not believe in reacting to"such aberrations with an element of vindictiveness" and demanded that the central and the Maharashtra governments "initiate legal action under IPC in larger int

England won the fourth one-day international against South Africa at Lord's on Sunday by six wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. England, set 221 for victory, made 224 for four with 20 balls to spare. Ian Bell top-scored with 88, with Eoin Morgan was 36 not out and Craig Kieswetter, who finished the match with a six off fast bowler Dale Steyn, unbeaten on 21. Earlier, South Africa's 220 for eight after losing the toss saw England off-spinner James Tredwell take three wickets for 35 runs in eight overs. The series concludes inNottingham on Wednesday. Brief scores South Africa 220-8, 50 overs (J Tredwell 3-35) England 224-4, 46.4 overs (I Bell 88) Result: England won by six wickets Series: England lead five-match series 2-1

2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi PAK vs AUS Pakistan won by 7 wickets 1st ODI, Sharjah PAK vs AUS Australia won by 4 wickets

Ian Bell made 88 as England beat South Africa by six wickets in the fourth one-day international at Lord's on Sunday to go 2-1 up with one match to play in the series. Man-of-the-match Bell's innings was the cornerstone of England's 224 for four as they won with 20 balls to spare after good work by their bowlers restricted South Africa to 220 for eight. Together with Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott (48), Bell shared a second-wicket stand of 141 after England lost captain Alastair Cook in the first over of their innings when he was lbw to a superb late inswinger from fast bowler Dale Steyn. However, the Proteas -- without rested paceman Morne Morkel-- couldn't make further early inroads despite Steyn hitting Trott, a former South Africa youth international, on the finger. As the floodlights took full effect on a gloomy day where the overcast conditions had prompted Cook to field first, Bell cover-drove left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell for four and advanced down the pi

England captain Alastair Cook believes the team's best limitedovers days are ahead of them even though they are now again the world's top-rankedside in 50-over international cricket. Cook's men briefly lost their place at the summit of the standings after a heavy defeat by South Africa in Southampton last week. But they bounced backin London following wins by four and six wickets in the one-dayinternationals (ODIs) atThe Oval and Lord's respectively. Sunday's success at Lord's gave England a 2-1 lead in a five-match campaign heading into Wednesday's finale in Nottingham and meant South Africa could no longer achieve the series victory they needed to extend their brief stay at number one. Meanwhile Australia's recent defeat by Pakistan in Abu Dhabi scuppered their hopes of overtaking England at the head of the standings before the year is out. "It's certainly not a badthing," Cook, who last week also became England's Test captain after t

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan seamer, has said he would pursue an appealagainst the seven-year banimposed on him by the ICC for spot-fixing. The ban (the last two years of which are suspended) was imposed on him for accepting money to bowl no-balls in the Lord's Test against England in 2010. "I had filed the appeal when I was banned by the ICC (in February 2011) and now I have decided to pursue my appeal through my counsel Ravi Gill and hope that a date is given to me very soon," Asif told AFP.

South Africa's Hashim Amlaand Vernon Philander, Australia's Michael Clarke and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara are in the running for the ICC Cricketer of the Year awardfor 2011-12. The ICC announced the shortlists for the annual awards on Thursday, and the winners will be announced at a function ahead of the World Twenty20, on September 15, in Colombo. The four cricketers have also been nominated for ICC Test Cricketer of the Year, while Lasith Malinga, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli join Sangakkara as the contenders for ODI Cricketer of the year.

A contrite Gareth Batty effectively admitted that he made a mistake "in the heat of battle" in not withdrawing the appeal that resulted in Somerset's Alex Barrow being run out for backing-up too far - a practice known outside England at least as 'Mankading.' The Surrey captain accepted full responsibility for the decision and said:"The last thing I wanted was to bring the spirit of cricket into disrepute." Although it has always been strictly acceptable within the laws, 'Mankading' is regarded bymany within the English game as being a breach of etiquette and is an unpalatable act for many players, as well as fans.

It was probably fitting thatAlastair Cook did not take the spot light even in the moment that he was unveiled as England's new Test captain. No, instead ofbeing allowed to bask in the success of another stepin a remarkable career, Cook was happy to allow Andrew Strauss to say goodbye in typically decent and self-effacing style and leave questions about Kevin Pietersen as he might balls outside his off stump. Cook is, in many ways, an unremarkable cricketer. Hecan talk without you recalling a word, score centuries without you remembering a stroke and has achieved great feats ofrun-scoring without ever being accepted as a great. In an age of sporting prima-donnas he is refreshingly short on style and reassuringly full of substance.

Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited (DCHL), the owner of the IPL team Deccan Chargers, is in advanced talks to sell the franchise, its chairman T Venkatram Reddy has said. The group has been forced to consider selling the team to raise funds to help it tide over a liquidity crisis brought on by a poor expansion strategy. "We will sell our cricket team Deccan Chargers, which will sort out most ofthe immediate requirements," Reddy told the Economic Times in an interview. "We are at an advanced stage of negotiations to sell DeccanChargers. And then the company will be back in action. The newspaper business will not be sold." The group reportedly needs an infusion of about Rs 500 crore (US$90 million approx.) to get through the current crisis.

Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan has said that his left knee requires surgery but he hasn't decided when to perform the operation. Earlier this month, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had declined him permission toplay in the Sri Lanka Premier League as a precautionary measure. "The problem (in my left knee) won't be fixed without an operation. But Ihaven't decided when it will be," Shakib told Bangla daily Prothom Alo."It may be after the World Cup (T20) but if it means that I will miss the West Indies series, I will do it afterwards."

England 212 for 6 (Morgan 73, Trott 71) beat South Africa 211 (Amla 43, Elgar 42, Anderson 4-44, Dernbach 3-44) by four wickets Eoin Morgan swore allegiance to England's Test team this week aheadof all other temptations. Inthe current climate he would be foolish to suggest anything else. There may be suitors from the IPL who do not entirely believe it and theirappetite to find out more will only have been whetted by his dashing intervention at The Oval which took England back to the top of the ODI rankings.

Like Idi Amin declaring himself the winner of a general election, so England's return to the topof the ODI rankings should be viewed with a certain cynicism. While any victory over a decent South Africa side is to be praised, particularly avictory that showed such an improvement on the dismal performance in Southampton, the ranking flatters and misleads. England have a long way to go as an ODI side. In truth, this ODI series - like so many - is about building for the future. ODIteams are not judged on rankings, particularly ones that appear quite so arbitrary. No, ODI teams are judged on trophies. Global trophies, at that: World Cups and, to a lesserextent, the Champions Trophy. Whatever happensin the next week or so, whichever team wins this series, few will remember by the time the

Pakistan 249 for 3 (Jamshed 97, Azhar 59*) beat Australia 248 for 9 (M Hussey 61, Ajmal 4-32, Junaid 3-52) by 7 wickets Nasir Jamshed batted across two months to deliver Pakistan a series-levelling victory in Abu Dhabi, where the extreme humidity left Australia's players dripping, and in some cases dropping, by the time the match finally finished at 2.27am local time. Despite being confounded by Saeed Ajmal again, Australia's batsmen posted a reasonable total of 248 for9, but Jamshed and Azhar Ali helped Pakistan secure a seven-wicket win that meant the series would be decided in the final match.

Kevin Pietersen could find a dated interview comes back to haunt him when he tries to patch up his differences with England. The ECB hierarchy will try to reach an understanding with Pietersen this weekend when Hugh Morris, England's managing director, and thedirector of cricket Andy Flower hold what is expected to be the first of several meetings. As they seek confirmation of Pietersen's absolute commitment to England, they will be met with"fresh" criticism of their negative attitude towards IPL and read that he is revelling in his one-day retirement.

New Zealand 365 & 29 for 0 lead India 353 (Kohli 103, Dhoni 62, Raina 55, Southee 7-64) by 41 runs Tim Southee led the New Zealand charge against India on the third morningin Bangalore, taking 7 for 64 as the hosts were dismissed for 353 half an hour before lunch. At the break, New Zealand were 29 for no loss, with Brendon McCullum batting on 21, Martin Guptill on 4, and 41 runs ahead overall. Most of the morning was dominated by the fine spell of new-ball bowling by Southee; these are his best bowling figures in an innings and took him past 50 Test wickets. If the remaining India batsmen could put together 70 runsthis morning, after being five down overnight, it was only because of a handy tenth-wicket partnership of 33 betweenR Ashwin and Umesh Yadav.

Match Facts Lord's, September 2 Start time: 10.15am (0915GMT) The Big Picture It was not quite a new era for English cricket at The Oval on Friday, but AlastairCook's first match since being confirmed as the new Test captain was a much-needed victory for the home side as they levelled the one-day serieswith their first win over South Africa this season. The four-wicket success was not flashy or especially thrilling, but very efficient and effective which, after a difficult few weeks, was just what England needed to get themselves back on track. It also confirmed that there is not an awful lot between the two teams. The series will now go to the wire in Nottingham next week, but whoever takes the honours at Lord'son Sunday knows they cannot lose.

Pakistan has sought a postponement of its tour of Zimbabwe later this year, as it clashes with a proposed tour of India. Pakistan are scheduled to tour Zimbabwe for a seriesof two Tests, three ODIs and two T20s from December to January but, having agreed to resume bilateral ties with India earlier this year, their winter schedule is likely to need some tweaking. The dates for the India visit haven't been announced but the respective cricket boards had agreed to a short series over the Christmas period, between the Test and one-day legs of England's tour of India. It will form the first bilateral series between the two sides since Pakistan touredIndia in end-2007

1. Dilshan Munaweera (UvaNext) (212 runs @ strike-rate 144.21) Came to the tournament as one of the most hyped young talents in the country, and unlike severalothers, justified that hype with several scorching innings. He saved his best for the final, clubbing five sixes and two fours to catapult Uva Next beyond the Duckworth-Lewis par score and into the Champions League. In doing so, he became the tournament's highest run getter and finished with the second best strike-rate among batsmen who havescored more than 100 runs. The Sri Lankan selectors will now be ecstatic at having picked him for the World Twenty20 after he had hada good start to the SLPL, but had not yet proved himself completely worthyof international selection. 2. Kamran Akmal (wk) (Wayamba United) (203 runs @ 121.48)

The promoters of the first professional US Twenty20 league will begin the tender process for the six inaugural franchises later this month. The league - staged by Cricket Holdings America, a joint venture headed by the USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket - is likely tobe held in June and July 2013 with reports suggesting the matches will be played in New Yorkand San Francisco. CHA has also declared ambitions for the USA to apply and secure hosting rights for future ICC events,including the ICC World Twenty20 within the next 10 years. In addition to taking bids for franchises starting this month, CHA also plans to host exhibition matches in the USA next year between international players and local talent.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul Chris Gayle Narsingh Deonarine Marlon Samuels Carlton Baugh Shane Shillingford Darren Sammy Lendl Simmons Dwayne Bravo Ravi Rampaul Tino Best Dwayne Smith Samuel Badree Fidel Edwards Assad Fudadin Kirk Edwards Denesh Ramdin Danza Hyatt Kemar Roach Sunil Narine Kieron Pollard Devon Thomas Kieran Powell Adrian Barath Andre Russell Darren Bravo Johnson Charles Devendra Bishoo Kraigg Brathwaite Shannon Gabriel

Grant Flower Ray Price Greg Lamb Tatenda Taibu Hamilton Masakadza Charles Coventry Stuart Matsikenyeri Keith Dabengwa Tino Mawoyo Vusi Sibanda Elton Chigumbura Brendan Taylor Prosper Utseya Craig Ervine Sean Williams Tinashe Panyangara Chris Mpofu Graeme Cremer Forster Mutizwa Chamu Chibhabha Ian Nicolson Malcolm Waller Keegan Meth Brian Vitori Cephas Zhuwao Regis Chakabva Kyle Jarvis Njabulo Ncube Shingi Masakadza Natsai M'shangwe

Sachin Tendulkar Rahul Dravid VVS Laxman MS Dhoni Zaheer Khan Yuvraj Singh Gautam Gambhir Virender Sehwag Robin Uthappa Parthiv Patel Vinay Kumar Irfan Pathan Ravichandran Ashwin Yusuf Pathan Suresh Raina RP Singh Manoj Tiwary Praveen Kumar Rohit Sharma Pragyan Ojha Ashok Dinda Ravindra Jadeja Ishant Sharma Virat Kohli Rahul Sharma Ajinkya Rahane Wriddhiman Saha Abhimanyu Mithun Varun Aaron Umesh Yadav

Graeme Swann Andrew Strauss Ian Bell Kevin Pietersen Jonathan Trott Monty Panesar James Anderson James Tredwell Chris Tremlett Matt Prior Samit Patel Tim Bresnan Luke Wright Ravi Bopara Alastair Cook Graham Onions Jade Dernbach Eoin Morgan Stuart Broad Steven Finn Craig Kieswetter Chris Woakes Alex Hales Jonny Bairstow Stuart Meaker James Taylor Jos Buttler Danny Briggs Scott Borthwick Ben Stokes

Ricky Ponting Brad Hogg Brett Lee Michael Hussey Michael Clarke Ed Cowan Shane Watson Shaun Marsh Mitchell Johnson David Hussey Travis Birt Ryan Harris Xavier Doherty George Bailey Aaron Finch Daniel Christian Ben Hilfenhaus Peter Siddle Clint McKay David Warner Matthew Wade Peter Forrest Steven Smith James Faulkner Nathan Lyon Mitchell Marsh James Pattinson Michael Beer Mitchell Starc Pat Cummins

Mohammad Ashraful Mashrafe Mortaza Alok Kapali Faisal Hossain Nazimuddin Abdur Razzak Aftab Ahmed Syed Rasel Jahurul Islam Naeem Islam Ziaur Rahman Nazmul Hossain Junaid Siddique Elias Sunny Mahmudullah Shahadat Hossain Shahriar Nafees Mushfiqur Rahim Shakib Al Hasan Farhad Reza Suhrawadi Shuvo Tamim Iqbal Raqibul Hasan Robiul Islam Imrul Kayes Shafiul Islam Nasir Hossain Rubel Hossain Abul Hasan Shuvagata Hom

Daniel Vettori James Franklin Chris Martin Jacob Oram Kyle Mills Reece Young Brendon McCullum Nathan McCullum Brent Arnel Mark Gillespie Kruger van Wyk Rob Nicol Ross Taylor Michael Bates Jesse Ryder Andrew Ellis Dean Brownlie Andy McKay Colin de Grandhomme Daniel Flynn BJ Watling Martin Guptill Ronnie Hira Tim Southee Neil Wagner Kane Williamson Trent Boult Doug Bracewell Tarun Nethula Tom Latham

Shahid Afridi Abdul Razzaq Shoaib Malik Taufeeq Umar Imran Farhat Yasir Arafat Younis Khan Abdur Rehman Mohammad Sami Azhar Ali Khalid Latif Adnan Akmal Misbah-ul-Haq Mohammad Hafeez Saeed Ajmal Shakeel Ansar Wahab Riaz Mohammad Ayub Umar Gul Aizaz Cheema Sohail Tanvir Nasir Jamshed Sarfraz Ahmed Ahmed Shehzad Junaid Khan Awais Zia Asad Shafiq Umar Akmal Rahat Ali Hammad Azam

Jacques Kallis Mark Boucher Makhaya Ntini Ashwell Prince Morne van Wyk Justin Ontong Robin Peterson Albie Morkel Jacques Rudolph Hashim Amla Johan Botha Graeme Smith Imran Tahir Alviro Petersen Jean-Paul Duminy AB de Villiers Faf du Plessis Vernon Philander Dale Steyn Morne Morkel Farhaan Behardien Colin Ingram Lonwabo Tsotsobe Heino Kuhn Richard Levi Rusty Theron Dane Vilas Wayne Parnell David Miller Marchant de Lange

Mahela Jayawardene Tillakaratne Dilshan Thilan Samaraweera Prasanna Jayawardene Rangana Herath Kumar Sangakkara Kaushal Lokuarachchi Dilhara Fernando Upul Tharanga Farveez Maharoof Suraj Randiv Sajeewa Weerakoon Jeevan Mendis Dhammika Prasad Chanaka Welegedara Tharanga Paranavitana Lasith Malinga Nuwan Kulasekara Kosala Kulasekara Suranga Lakmal Angelo Mathews Chamara Kapugedera Thisara Perera Shaminda Eranga Seekkuge Prasanna Sachithra Senanayake Dinesh Chandimal Lahiru Thirimanne Nuwan Pradeep Isuru Udana

Mahela Jayawardene Tillakaratne Dilshan Thilan Samaraweera Prasanna Jayawardene Rangana Herath Kumar Sangakkara Kaushal Lokuarachchi Dilhara Fernando Upul Tharanga Farveez Maharoof Suraj Randiv Sajeewa Weerakoon Jeevan Mendis Dhammika Prasad Chanaka Welegedara Tharanga Paranavitana Lasith Malinga Nuwan Kulasekara Kosala Kulasekara Suranga Lakmal Angelo Mathews Chamara Kapugedera Thisara Perera Shaminda Eranga Seekkuge Prasanna Sachithra Senanayake Dinesh Chandimal Lahiru Thirimanne Nuwan Pradeep Isuru Udana

Australia A 308 for 9 (Cowan 73, Paine 59, Hughes 51, Harris 6-102) v England Lions Scorecard Curiously for someone whose name suggests a secure, grounded quality, Joe Root was at a loose end on Wednesday afternoon. Heavy rain had ruled out any possibility ofplay on the second day of the England Lions match against Australia A and soon only the groundsmenand some security staff would be left at Edgbaston. "I don't know what I'm going to do now," the young Yorkshireman said."I can't play golf because it's too wet and windy, and I'll spend too much money if I go shopping, so I might have to spend the rest of the day in the hotel."

For a brief period in Townsville, India had a fright in a game they had to win to avoid being sent to the Plate Championship of the Under-19 World Cup. From the boondocks of 30 for 4, Zimbabwe's Malcolm Lake resurrected the chase of 262. He singlehandedly dragged his team along with his clean, long-handled hittingbut cricket isn't supposed to be played by one man against 11. Lake was the last man out in the 45th over, having scored 118 out of 198, with the next highest contribution being 29. Lake, only just 18, is a tall allrounder from Harare who bowls right-arm medium pace but bats left-handed, like other illustrious Zimbabwe allrounders Neil Johnson, Sean Ervine and Andy Blignaut did.

When Kamal Passi was asked after his Man-of-the-Match performance against Zimbabwe whether he considered himself an allrounder, his response was: "bilkul (totally), and I'll prove it too." He had already done his bit to prove it: 24 blitzed off five balls and a career-best 6 for 23 to put India on course for the quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup. Passi did not play in the defeat against West Indies on Sunday because India picked three spinners and preferred Sandeep Sharma and Rush Kalaria as the seamers. He was chosen over Kalaria today. When Passi had his first opportunity to make an impact on the game, at No.8 in the batting order, India were 237 for 6 and time was running out: there were five balls left inthe innings.

India Under-19s 204 (Zol 72, Soper 5-32) beat PapuaNew Guinea Under-19s 97 (Ravikant 5-21) by 107 runsScorecard India secured second place in Group C of the Under-19 World Cup with a comfortable victory against Papua New Guinea,their second in three games. Ravikant Singh led the efficient bowling performance, taking 5 for 21, which made up for a weak effort with the bat against inexperienced opposition. India will now face Pakistan in a quarterfinal at the Tony Ireland Stadium. After a disappointing effortagainst West Indies and anaverage one against Zimbabwe, India's batsman had one last chance to find fluency ahead of the quarterfinals. However, the team was shot out for 204 off 45.1 overs, with Chad Soper, a Papua New Guinea medium-pacer who lives inSydney, picking up a

Ruhuna Royals 145 for 3 (Finch 65, Rupasinghe 50) beat Uthura Rudras 118 (Maharoof 32, Malinga 4-21) by 35 runs by D/L Method For the third consecutive night in the SLPL, a brutal opening stand was the bedrock of a comfortable win as fifties to Aaron Finch and Gihan Rupasinghe helped Ruhuna Royals crush Uthura Rudras by 35 runs in a rain-curtailed 16-overs-a-side encounter.Finch made 65 and Rupasinghe 50 as the pair struck 11 fours and four sixes between them. LasithMalinga's 4 for 21 then ensured Uthura never looked like chasing down the revised target of 154 at any stage.

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who played the lastof his three Tests in January 2011 in South Africa, is eager to make a comeback to the Test side and following his injury problems, his focus is on fitness. "I am very conscious aboutmy fitness now. I am aware and try my best to avoid injuries," Pujara told DNA. "I have a fitness routine and I follow it religiously. It hurts when I miss a training session. Thebest chance to avoid injuries in cricket, where you throw yourself on the field, is by trying and following certain training programmes." "I am following a schedule prepared by the NCA physios. I am working on strength and stability."

The IPL governing council has set August 31 as the deadline for the owners of Deccan Chargers franchise to clear player payments and sort out the financial problems with the banks to avoid any stringent action. In an emergency meeting called on Tuesdayin New Delhi, the governing council confronted the owners of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, who hold the rights for the Hyderabad-based franchise, to explain in detail as to why the company had mortgaged the team ownership rights with two leading Indian banks. According to the BCCI officials, the board owns the ownership rights and that no franchise could mortgage the rights on its own.

Kevin Pietersen's chances of being reconciled to the England set-up and winning a place in their World Twenty20 squad appear to have receded after the ECB and Andrew Strauss confirmed that further discussions between the parties were needed, despite Pietersen'sapology for sending"provocative" texts. Strauss, England's captain and the subject of the allegedly derogatory texts sent by Pietersen to members of the South Africa squad, said"underlying issues on trustand respect" had to be addressed but that this was unlikely to take place until after the third Test against South Africa, for which Pietersen has been dropped. The deadline for England to submit their World T20 squad is Saturday, the third day of the Test, suggesting that Pietersen will not be recalled, as he desires.

When South Africa were reintroduced into international cricket in 1991, Graeme Smith was 10 years old. He was too young to understand the changes that were taking place in the society aroundhim and, as part of the privileged few, he would not be able to see the effect of those changes until years later. Years suchas 2003 when he took over as captain and 2012 when South Africa are about to benefit from those changes. "We've been blessed that someone has harnessed the talent and brought it all together," Smith said at Lord's, when talking about the strength of the current South African side. "We arereaping the rewards now of a lot of hard work in theearly days. There would have been a lot different decisions to get to this point where we are now."

Under normal circumstances, the camera crews crowding around Andrew Strauss might have been at Lord's to ask him about becoming only the ninth England player to appear in 100 Tests. In normal circumstances, Strauss might have expected to be asked to reflect on his career, his achievements and, perhapshis future. But these are not normal circumstances. Instead Strauss has spent the run-up to an important game that will settle, for now, the title of the best Test team in the world, embroiled in an increasingly unseemly dispute between the ECB and Kevin Pietersen.

Jonny Bairstow, who will be charged with the unenviable task of replacing Kevin Pietersen in the series-deciding Test against South Africa at Lord's, is not the sort to buckle under the pressure according to his Yorkshire and England team-mate Tim Bresnan. Memories of an uncertain Test series against West Indies when he was unsettled by short-pitched bowling from Kemar Roachwill be quite enough to cope with as he faces Dale Steyn and Co. and to replace Pietersen, whose absence has attracted suchattention, will not make his task any easier.

The alleged incident of corruption in Sri Lanka, revolving around a taped conversation, occurred before the SLPL started and will not affect its integrity, the league's organisers said on Tuesday. The comments came on a day when a Sri Lankan paper said it had received the tape but chose not to publish its contents following doubts over its authenticity. Sandiip Bhammer, CEO of Somerset Entertainment Ventures, the league's promoters, said the corruption allegations had not cast aspersions on the tournament's integrity."The allegations were made and the anti-corruption people alerted prior to the tournament launching, so if anything, the anti-corruption will be even more vigilant during the tournament," he said."They are just allegations at this point. Nothing has been confirmed."

South Africa's bowlers, led by Corné Dry, put in a commanding performance to skittle Sri Lanka out for 150 and set up a comfortable win for their side in their Group D encounter at the Peter Burge Oval in Brisbane. South Africa suffered a fewjitters in their chase beforethey overhauled the targetin 33 overs to top their group with three wins. South Africa captain Chad Bowes won the toss and elected to field and the decision paid immediate dividends as Dry struck with the first ball of the game to dismiss Sebastian Perera. Sri Lanka struggled to recover from the disastrous start and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. At 98 for 9, they looked in danger of being bowled out for less than 100. However a dogged last-wicket partnership of 52 between No. 9 Pulina Tharanga and No. 11

Kevin Pietersen has apologised to the ECB over the derogatory text messages that he sent about members of the England dressing room to South Africa players in a last-ditch attempt to gain forgiveness and be selected for World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Pietersen and his representatives were waiting on Tuesday evening for the ECB to respond to his gesture with Saturday's deadline for naming England's World Twenty20 party looming ever closer. The apology presumably constituted an admission of guilt and as such leaves him at risk of a heavy fine, a suspension or both. If England's managing director, Hugh Morris, continues to pursue a hardline it could automatically rule him out of a tournament in which he desperately wants to take part.

If you mention the name Glenn Maxwell to the casual Australian cricket fan you can expect one of two responses. Either they'll think they've heard him commentating on the radio (no, that's Glenn Mitchell and Jim Maxwell), or they won't know the name at all. But the more dedicated followers of Australia's domestic cricketare well aware of Maxwell,and have no doubt kept aneye on his progress since February 9 last year. That was the night when Maxwell rewrote the record books with a 19-ball half-century for Victoria against Tasmania, the fastest fifty ever scoredin Australia's domestic one-day history. He demolished a pretty good attack featuring Ben Hilfenhaus and James Faulkner, and most impressively set Victoria onthe path to victory having come to the crease with 66runs needed at

The fast bowler Adam Milne has been named in New Zealand's squad for the ICC World Twenty20, 18 months after he last played for his country. Daniel Vettori has also been included after being ruled out of the upcoming Test series in India due to a groin problem, and he will have the chance to test his injury early next month with the same squad to play two T20s in India on September 8 and 11. There was no room for Andrew Ellis, Tom Latham, Daniel Flynn or Dean Brownlie, all of whom were part of New Zealand's squad for their most recent T20s, in the West Indies. As expected, James Franklin is part of the final 15, having missedthe West Indies games because the team management wanted to allow him an extended runin the T20 format in county cricket instead of flying in to the Caribbean for

London: England offspinner Graeme Swann has said that the absence of Kevin Pietersen will not affect their preparation for the third and final Test against South Africa at Lord's. We need to pull in the same direction, not 10 ofus doing it and one of us not. Just because you lose one player, it doesn't necessarily make you a weaker team, Swann said in his columnfor the Sun. In fact, since Kevin retired from limited-overs cricket, we are unbeaten in all matches in the shorter formats, he added. Pietersen was dropped by England after he allegedly sent some 'derogatory' text messages about his team-mates to some of his South African counterparts after the Headingley Test. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) delayed the England team selection by five hours on Sunday so that Pietersen could clarify hisstand or apologise if he had sent those messages.But no answer from the 32-year-old prompted ECB to take a stern actionof axing him from the third Test, setting a precede

Lord's – the spiritual home of cricket – has seen many, many landmarks, and plenty of these have been etched onto the honor's board at the hallowed venue. On Thursday, when the toss between the captains of the English and South African teams gets underway, Lord's will bare witness to another landmark – that of the most-capped Test captain in the game's history. That honor will go to Graeme Craig Smith, a 31-year old who has captained his country since the age of 22 and who has been credited with, more than the 8277 runs he has scored in Test cricket, instilling in the South African teama sense of belief, on and off the field, which has now carried them to the doorstep of the ICC's No. 1 ranking. Smith – who played his 100th match in the victory at The Oval – will captain South Africa for the 94th time, going pastAustralia's Allan Border as the player to have led his country the most times. His success rate is 46.23, higher than Border's 34.40. He has led his

Drafted into the side as alast-minute replacement,Kamal Passi put in a performance to remember as India bounced back from defeat in their campaign opener with a 63-run win over Zimbabwe on day four of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville. Having walked out at No.8 in the final over of India's innings, the 19-year-old proceeded to slam the remaining five balls for 24 runs and then, in his prime role as new-ball operator, prizedout four early wickets to leave Zimbabwe floundering. His outstanding was capped with two more wickets at the end, including thatof Zimbabwe's brillia

South Africa's Jacques Kallis believes Kevin Pietersen will bounce back after his dramatic omission from the England Test side for thisweek's series finale against the Proteas at Lord's. England's selectors made their decision to drop Pietersen following reports he sent text messages to several South Africa players during the drawn secondTest at Headingley that were believed to contain derogatory comments about captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower. Pietersen made a superb 149 at Headingley and averages nearly 50 in Test cricket yet neither ofthese factors were enough to spare him the axe. However, Kallis - theoutstanding allrounder of his generation and whose Test batting average of 57.30 puts him among the all-time elite - is certain this is not the end of South Africa-born Pietersen's international career. I'm sure they'll sort it out, Kallis said at Lord's on Tuesday. He's too good a player to stay out of the international scene. I've

London: England's Stuart Broad has insisted he'd no role in a parody Twitter account for KevinPietersen as the fall out from the batsman's axing for the third Test against South Africa continued on Tuesday. The account - KP Genius -was set up by a friend of Broad, Richard Bailey, and had been thought tohave contributed to the strained relations Pietersen felt within the England dressing room amid suggestions some of his team-mates were involved. But Broad, in a statementissued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday, just two days before the startof the third and final Testagainst South Africa at Lord's, said it was nothing to do with him. Following last (Monday) night's statement by Mr Richard Bailey that he was responsible for creating a parody Twitteraccount in Kevin Pietersen's name, I would like to confirm that I had no involvement in this whatsoever, Broad said. I met with the Managing Director, England Cricket, Hugh Morris this morningand

London: Rarely has all the talk in the build-up to a Test been dominated by a man who will not be playing in the match. Yet England's dramatic decision to drop Kevin Pietersen from the third Test at Lord's starting on Thursday, allegedly over text messages he sent to South African players during the drawn secondTest at Headingley, has inevitably put the focus on their absent star batsman. The South Africa-born shotmaker averages nearly 50 in Tests and made a superb 149 at Headingley, where he drove South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn back over his head for six. By contrast Jonathan Bairstow, the man who will replace Pietersen, was dropped after playing his first three Tests against the West Indies earlier this season and has an average of under 13 with a top score of 18. Yet England have decided there are bigger issues than the possible loss of their world number one Test ranking, which they will surrender to South Africa unless they win at Lord's. Bairstow struggled with t

Wellington: Young fast bowler Adam Milne has earned a surprise recall to the New Zealand squad to compete at next month's Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. Milne played two Twenty20 internationals for New Zealand against Pakistan in 2010, aged 18, but has since been unable to reclaim a national team place in any format. Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been named in the 15-man squad announced Wednesday, but allrounders Tom Latham and Andy Ellis, and batsman Dean Brownlie -who played in New Zealand's most-recent Twenty20 series against the West Indies - have missed selection. As well as the September18 to October 7 World Cup, the team will also play T20 internationals against India in India on September 8 and September 11. National selection manager Kim Littlejohn said the squad has a good balance for Twenty20 cricket with explosive batsmen and a good mix of pace and spin bowlers. Vettori will share the spin duties with young offspinner Roneel Hira, while Milne joins a

India in Sri Lanka, Only T20 International, 2012,T20 Sri Lanka vs India Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, One-off Twenty20 International Result India beat Sri Lanka by 39 runs Toss Sri Lanka,MatchEnded, MOM Irfan Pathan 1st innings: India 155 for 3 in 20.0 (R/R: 7.75)

The alleged incident of corruption in Sri Lanka, revolving around a taped conversation, occurred before the SLPL started and will not affect its integrity, the league's organisers said on Tuesday. The comments came on a day when a Sri Lankan paper said it had received the tape but chose not to publish its contents following doubts over its authenticity. Sandiip Bhammer, CEO of Somerset Entertainment Ventures, the league's promoters, said the corruption allegations had not cast aspersions on the tournament's integrity."The allegations were made and the anti-corruption people alerted prior to the tournament launching, so if anything, the anti-corruption will be even more vigilant during the tournament," he said."They are just allegations at this point. Nothing has been confirmed."

When you have traveled the world, won Olympic gold, and gone through a very public court battle against your parents all by the age of seventeen, surprises don’t comeeasy. Discovering my sister Jennifer, though— that was a surprise. On December 10, 2007, I found out that I had a second sister. I was nine months pregnant and about to take my college semester finals. With swollen feet and body parts bigger thanI had ever imagined possible, I couldn’t even squeeze into a school desk anymore. But earning a college degree was a promise I had made to myself—and third trimester or not, I was going to get those finals done. Cleveland was cold, rainy, and gray in a bona fide Ohio winter way. All I wanted to do was finish my exams, cuddle up under a blanket with some hot chocolate, and wait for the imminent arrival of my firstborn.But alas, that was not yet in the cards. I was headed for a study session right after a quick stop at the post office. Earlier in the week, I’d missed the delivery of

Investigators from Strike Force Ruskin are planning to travel to the UK. The strike force was set up after Sarah Monahan, the actress who played Hughes's on-screen daughter first raised the allegations via the media. Monahan alleged Hughes touched her inappropriately while on the set of the show. Hughes denied the accusations at the time. Yahoo!7 News: London arrest over Sydney sex assault OUR SOCIAL SITES Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest Explore More Hey Dad! star arrested over sex offences Play Video Robert Hughes dead at 74 Hey Dad! 'abuser' named Australian art critic and writer Robert Hughes dies Australian art critic and writer Robert Hughes dies AFP Hey Dad star behind bars Art critic Robert Hughes dies inNew York London arrest over Sydney sexassaults Australian critic Robert Hughesdead SPECIAL PROMOTION Win $10,000 for your community project! Sunrise and Toyota are giving you a chance to win $10,000 foryour local community. The prize could help kick start

BANGKOK (AP) — As the super-pimp who once ranThailand's biggest brothelempire and then exposedthe police kickbacks he had to pay for it to flourish, Chuvit Kamolvisitfeels uniquely qualified tolead the country's fight against corruption. And in his quest to win a parliament seat in elections Sunday, the 49-year-old one-time massage parlor king is betting a public tired of divisive, hypocritical leaders will agree. Politicians "are like diapers — you have to change them," Chuvit toldThe Associated Press in an interview, referring to a campaign poster that features him cradling a toddler. "Otherwise it's too dirty." Chuvit's bid to become a lawmaker is no joke. He first won a national assembly seat back in 2005, only to be disqualified the followingyear because he had not been a member of his party long enough beforethe poll. He's also run for Bangkok governor twice, coming in a distant third both times. His last campaign nose-dived after he punche

Istanbul, Aug. 12 (dk): U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have said that their countries are creating a formal structure to plan for the worst-case scenarios in Syria, including a possiblechemical weapons attack on the regime's opponents. Clinton and Davutoglu said their countries would set up a working group to respond to the crisis in Syria as conditions in the country deteriorate. They said the group would coordinate military, intelligence and political responses to the potential fallout in the case of a chemical attack, which would result in medical emergencies and a likely rise in the number of refugees fleeing Syria. "We have been closely co-ordinating over the course of this conflict, butnow we need to get into the real details of such operational planning. It needs to be across both of our governments," News 24 quoted Clinton, as saying. She said the U.S. State Department and Turkey's foreign ministry had alre

London, Aug 12 (dk) India's Sushil Kumar muscled his way into the semifinals of the Olympics men' 66 kg freestyle wrestling beating Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan here Sunday. Sushil, bronze medallist in Beijing four years ago, got past the gritty Uzbek 3-1 to enter the last four at the ExCel Arena. He faces Akzhurek Tanatarov of Kazakhstan for a place in the gold medal play-off later in the day. The Indian could have wrapped up the fight in period 2 but Navruzov turned the tables on him with six seconds remaining. Sushil got the measure ofhis opponent in period 3, winning it 2-0 to seal the contest. He looks on course for hissecond successive Olympic medal. The 2010 World Champion dismissed Beijing gold medallist, Turkey's Ramazan Sahin, in the opening round held earlier in the day

London, August 12 (dk): The sailor and nurse, whowon may hearts in America with their passionate kiss signifying the end of World War II, have reunited at the location of the famous smooch to reflect on the photograph that that has become an epic moment in U.S history. After decades of dispute, the couple in the 1945 photograph were revealed to be 89-year-olds George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman. "It was the moment. You come back from the Pacific, and finally, the war ends," the Daily Mail quoted Mendonsa as telling CBS. Mendonsa told how he was on a date with another woman named Rita Petry at Radio City Music Hall on August 14 when news of the Japanese surrender was announced. "They stopped the show and they said, "The war isover. The Japanese have surrendered"," he said. Mendonsa and his date, who would become his future wife, rushed to a nearby bar where the sailor admits he 'popped quite a few drinks.' As they set on their way, Mendonsa s

ISTANBUL (dk) - The United States and Turkey are looking at all measures to help Syrian rebel forces fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, includinga no-fly zone, as the conflict there deepens, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday. Clinton told reporters after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that their countries needed to get into detailed operational planning on how to assistthe rebels and bring a halt to the violence. Overnight Syrian and Jordanian forces clashed along the border in an incident that highlighted international concerns that the civil war in Syria could ignite a wider regional conflict. The clashes also emphasised the urgent need for planning on what could follow Assad's fall. "Our intelligence services,our military have very important responsibilitiesand roles to play so we are going to be setting up a working group to doexactly that," Clinton said. Asked if such discussions included options such as impos

JERUSALEM (dk) - Iran has stepped up workto develop a nuclear warhead, Israeli newspapers said on Sunday, citing officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and leaked U.S. intelligence. The front-page reports in the liberal Haaretz, a frequent Netanyahu critic,and in the conservative, pro-government Israel Hayom could intensify Israeli debate about whether to go to war against Iran - and soon - over its disputed atomic projects. Doing so would defy appeals by U.S. President Barack Obama, seeking re-election in November, to allow more time for international diplomacy. Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and has threatened wide-ranging reprisals if attacked. Citing an unnamed seniorIsraeli official, Haaretz said a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) compiled by the Obama administration included a "last-minute update" about significant Iranian progress in the development of a nuclearwarhead "far beyond the scope known" to U.N. inspe

New Delhi, Aug 10 (dk India could have won a gold if the Olympics gave a medal for corruption, yoga guru Baba Ramdev said Friday and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demonstrate his "politicalhonesty and will" and acton getting back black money stashed abroad. Addressing thousands of supporters at the Ramlila Maidan here on the penultimate day of his three-day fast against corruption, the yoga gurusaid, "India could have won gold if there was a competition for corruption in the Olympics", to loud cheers and clapping by his supporters. Ramdev then told his supporters: "This is not a matter to applaud" and asked all Indians to support his agitation against black money and graft. Directing his demand to the prime minister, Ramdev said: "Why is theprime minister not actingon the issue of black money? The government should reveal the names of those who have black money stashed abroad Stop making excuses." "The prime minister should demonstr

London, Aug 11 (IANS) Yogeshwar Dutt will lead India's challenge in the Olympic wrestling competition Saturday after Amit Kumar and Narsingh Pancham Yadavcrashed out of the competition here. Dutt will take on Bulgaria's Anatolie Ilarionovitch Guidea in the opening round of the men's 60 kg freestyle wrestling event. India's best bet in the sport, Sushil Kumar, will fight it out in the 66 kg category on the concluding day of the London Olympics Sunday. The Indian wrestlers started their Olympic campaign on a disappointing note with Amit and Pancham Yadavfailing to win any medals. Narsingh Yadav also bowed out of the Olympics, losing his opening fight in the men's 74 kg event. Eighteen-year-old Amit, the youngest-ever Indian wrestler in the Olympics, raised hopes of a bronze medal after he moved into Repechage 2. But there he lost 0-3 to Bulgarian Radoslav Marinov Velikov, a BeijingGames bronze medallist, failing to qualify for the 55 kg category's bronze medal mat

New Delhi, Aug 12 (ANI): Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who is all set to end his 'symbolic' three-day fast on Sunday, will make a 'big announcement' on the next course of his agitation on black moneyand Lokpal Bill. The yoga guru, who is all prepared to take his ongoing agitation in a new direction, is expected to make the announcement in the presence of former Army Chief General V. K. Singh, who will be joining him in the protest today. It may be recalled here that General (retired) Singh also spoke at Team Anna's indefinite fast before it ended. Baba Ramdev had earlier on Saturday said that he had decided on his plans for the next phase of his agitation, but did not specify whether his fast would be extended. "Tomorrow, there will be an announcement on the big revolution to be staged in the country. Weare waiting (for the government response) tillthis evening. Many thingswill happen tomorrow, not only in the Ram Lila Maidan here, but across the country," he tol

New Delhi, Aug 12 (ANI): RTI crusader Arvind Kejriwal has said that it was Anna Hazare's decision to go political, and added that the decision was not a thrust on the veteran social activist. "A malicious campaign is being run that Anna is against political party and that Team thrust it on Anna. Truth is it was Anna's decision," tweetedKejriwal. "Anna clearly directed us to start forming political party. If he says even once that he doesn't want us to do that, we will immediately withdraw. Let Anna say once that he is against pol (itical) party formation, we will immediately withdraw," he adds. Kejriwal, a member of now disbanded Team Anna, further said Hazare is convinced that there was no road left other than providing political alternative. "Anna has been fighting corrupt for last 30 years. He is extremely sharp politically n (sic) fiercely independent. Those projecting Anna as a gullible man may try getting Anna to say a single line against his

Mumbai, Aug 12 (ANI): Security has been strengthened in Mumbai on Sunday after the protests organised by Muslim organisations in wake of the recent ethnicclashes in Myanmar and Assam turned violent, claiming two lives and injuring 55 others. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavanhas strongly condemned the Assam violence protests at Azad Maidan, and ordered a crime branch probe into the violence that took place in the city claiming two lives and injuring 55 others. Chavan, who was talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, also mentionedthat among those injuredare 45 police personnel. "In the firing, till now two persons are dead and around 55 are injured out of which 45 are police personnel. The injured are being treated at different hospitals in the city. Why the people who had gathered there turned violent will be probed," said Chavan. "The investigations are being handed over to theCrime Branch of Mumbai Police. They have started their work," he added. Chava

Monsoon showers do come as a relief but also bring with them health irritants like allergies, infections and indigestion. There's no need to panic, say experts, who suggest small variations in eatinghabits to keep problems at bay. The increased humidity in atmosphere takes a toll on the body'sdigestion. Some dietary changes can help sort this out.Click on to know the dos and don'ts suggested by experts for the monsoon season. Go for green leafy vegetablesGreater intakeof green leafy vegetablesbuilds immunity. Green leafy vegetables are also light on the stomach. < > Properly wash fruits and vegetablesMost vegetables and fruits carry the risk of infection and, therefore, should bewashed properly before use Don't ignore skin problems and allergies asthis could be a sign of dengue.Source: IANSPlus:This monsoon rainproof your lifestyle with right dietMumbai's best monsoon hangoutsHot buys for monsoon

...a home-wrecker! It looked like she had it all as one half of Hollywood's hottest couple, with millions of fans worldwide and all designers begging to dress her for red carpets. But it seemed life was too good for the Twilightstar who was caught cheating on R-Patz with the married director of 'The Snow White and theHuntsman'. Is Kristen juststarting her bout of bad-girl behavior?

Some young starlets have no problem showing the world their wild sides. From Disney hopefuls to child stars, these women wanted to shed their squeaky-clean images for something a little edgier, and in the process some lost their heads for a while...From A-List to D-List (some making it back to B-List): See which of these female celebs survived their very own naughty sides. >

Since his Test debut in 2004, Lasith Malinga has been one of the most discussed bowlers in international cricket, his unusual action causing great curiosity, though it has never been formally questioned. Like most players, Malinga is a product of his environment. His youth was spent playing tennis-ball cricket on the beach, where he adapted his skill and action to suit his environment, producing a delivery that limited the bounce a tennis ball produced, allowing him tohit the target. The only time I faced Malinga was in a three-day warm-up match on India A's tour to Sri Lanka in 2002. On seeing his low-slung action, Gautam Gambhir and I realised we had to watch his hand closely and keenly, for there seemed to be very little conventional methodto his bowling

Mumbai: Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was surprised but not shocked when confronted with co-accused Abu Jundal at high security Arthur Roadjail on Thursday, police said on Friday. "How a student reacts seeing his teacher after along time? Kasab was not shocked. Or rather we could say he was surprised to see Jundal...," said a crime branch official, who was part of the team of a dozen present during theencounter. According to sources, Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime Branch) Ambadas Pote asked a volley of questions as Kasab and Jundal sat facing each other inside the bomb-proof cell monitored by the CCTVs. "We got what we wanted and that includesKasab identifying Jundal. Kasab also stated Jundal taught him Hindi during the terror training in Pakistan, looking straightinto his teacher's eyes," the official said. The interrogation was stopped for sometime as the duo wanted to offer evening prayers, the official said. Near

New Delhi: The RSS added grist to the mill tothe Nitish Kumar versus Narendra Modi debate when its chief Mohan Bhagwat reportedly rated Bihar's performance ahead of Gujarat. At an interaction with foreign correspondents in the national capital onThursday, Bhagwat was asked which state governments are role models of good governance. "Bihar, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh to some extent, MP to some extent, some parts of Maharashtra," he responded, according to one of those present at the interaction. Asked "Bihar first", he said, "Aisa log kahte hain(this is what people say)." When asked to commenton this, RSS spokesman Manmohan Vaidya merely said, "The story about Shri Mohanji Bhagwat doing rounds inmedia today is totally false."

London: Newly-crowned"greatest-ever sprinter" Usain Bolt said on Thursday he had lost all respect for Carl Lewis, theman whose on-track exploits he has surpassedwith his unique Olympic double-double but who still leads the way in self-regard. American Lewis is the only other man to win two Olympic 100m gold medals, the second coming in 1988 when hewas promoted from second place after the disqualification of Ben Johnson. He won the 200m in 1984 but managed only silver four years later. He did, however, have a remarkable run of success in the long jump, winning that event in four successive Games fora tally of nine golds in all. In the wake of Bolt's triple-gold record successin Beijing Lewis was quick to point the finger of suspicion at him and Jamaica in general. "I think there are some issues," he said at the time. "Countries like Jamaica do not have a random (drugs testing) program, so they can go months without being tested. I'mnot saying anyone is o