'I truly believe we are ready for Champions Trophy' – de Villiers

March 4, 2017

AB de Villiers: ‘Tonight was a great way to show everyone we can handle pressure, that we can cross the line in tight games with tricky totals’ © AFP While AB de Villiers admitted South Africa enjoyed getting their own back at Eden Park, he stressed there was more to the series win than just erasing bad memories. Victory in the decider has put the Champions Trophy firmly in South…

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Issues raised over organisation of Bangladesh Test

March 4, 2017

Bangladesh played their first ever Test in India this February © AFP The absence of transparent tender processes, the large number of complimentary tickets distributed, the presence of ineligible office bearers, and problems with vendor contracts were among the issues highlighted by the BCCI observer Ratnakar Shetty against the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), which hosted the one-off India-Bangladesh Test in February. The HCA had conducted elections on January 17 after…

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Popularity soars for county-based T20, study suggests

March 4, 2017

Northants won the 2016 NatWest Blast at a sold-out Edgbaston © Getty Images A new report suggests the popularity of domestic T20 cricket in England rose sharply during 2016. The YouGov SportsIndex Report 2017 places the NatWest Blast among the top 10 sporting events in terms of public perception for the first time. The report comes as the ECB executive continue plans to launch a new T20 competition on top…

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Lahore prepares for PSL final amid high security

March 4, 2017

The Gaddafi Stadium will host the final of the second season of the PSL on March 5 © AFP Over the last fortnight the security presence in Lahore has increased significantly, after a spate of bombings rocked Pakistan’s second largest city and other parts of the country too in February. The Gaddafi Stadium, situated in the Nishtar sports complex, has been off limits to the general public over the last…

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Afridi ruled out of PSL final with finger injury

March 4, 2017

Shahid Afridi had announced earlier in the PSL that he will not be playing any more international cricket © PSL Peshawar Zalmi’s Shahid Afridi sustained a deep cut on his right index finger, which has ruled him out of Sunday’s Pakistan Super League final in Lahore. He picked up the injury while attempting a catch at cover off Kieron Pollard during the third playoff against Karachi Kings on Friday. The…

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Chase a breeze for Gunathilaka after Livingstone's toil

March 4, 2017

Sri Lanka A 201 for 0 (Gunathilaka 121*, Kusal 70*) beat England Lions 217 (Livingstone 94, Duckett 59, Siriwardana 4-40) by 119 runs (DLS method)Scorecard File photo – Danushka Gunathilaka sauntered to a hundred as Sri Lanka A went 2-0 up © Getty Images For Danushka Gunathilaka, there was the grand satisfaction of a dashing hundred to bring delight to a run-of-the-mill Dambulla day. A day that was not particularly…

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Afridi ruled out of PSL final with finger injury

March 4, 2017

Shahid Afridi had announced earlier in the PSL that he will not be playing any more international cricket © PSL Peshawar Zalmi’s Shahid Afridi sustained a deep cut on his right index finger, which has ruled him out of Sunday’s Pakistan Super League final in Lahore. He picked up the injury while attempting a catch at cover off Kieron Pollard during the third playoff against Karachi Kings on Friday. The…

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Issues raised over organisation of Bangladesh Test

March 4, 2017

Bangladesh played their first ever Test in India this February © AFP The absence of transparent tender processes, the large number of complimentary tickets distributed, the presence of ineligible office bearers, and problems with vendor contracts were among the issues highlighted by the BCCI observer Ratnakar Shetty against the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), which hosted the one-off India-Bangladesh Test in February. The HCA had conducted elections on January 17 after…

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Quetta fully revamp overseas-players roster

March 4, 2017

Former Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura is among the five overseas players who have agreed to join Quetta Gladiators for the PSL final in Lahore © AFP Quetta Gladiators will turn up on the field for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final with a significantly altered line-up to the one that has seen them through in the first place. On Saturday, the morning after they discovered their opponents for the game…

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New Zealand caught out in difficult Eden

March 4, 2017

Kane Williamson was run out during a dismal batting performance by New Zealand © Getty Images Kane Williamson lamented a New Zealand batting display which did not adjust to a challenging pitch at Eden Park in the deciding ODI. For the second time in the series they were bowled out well inside the 50 overs, and though Williamson said conditions were difficult he believed the batsman could have been smarter….

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