Afridi named Pakistan T20 Skipper

Shahid Afridi's dream of leading the Pakistan team came true as the glitzy all-rounder was today appointed skipper for the Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka in next month.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today ready an announcement to this effect but there was no mention whether Afridi would continue at the rudder of the country's T20 team.

"The chairman of the board, Ejaz Butt, has selected Afridi to lead Pakistan for the international against Sri Lanka," a spokesman for the PCB said. "A decision on future Twenty20 matches would be taken later on."

Afridi's slot came as Younis Khan stepped down after leading Pakistan to the Twenty20 World Cup glory in England last month. Younis Khan made it clear that he considered himself too old for the T20 format of the game and would not take back his decision.

Afridi, who connected the touring squad for the ODI series and the T20 tie last week, had earlier made it clear that it was his lifetime ambition to lead Pakistan in at least one international match.

The five-match ODI series is starting in Dambulla tomorrow, while Pakistan will play the only T20 match on 12th August in Colombo.

Afridi has captained his city, local and departmental teams in domestic cricket with mixed success.

"The decision reflects that the board and selectors are concerned about future of regular vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq in the Pakistan team particularly for limited-over cricket," one source said.

He has played in 23 Twenty20 internationals, scoring 371 runs at an average of 19.52, as well as claiming 33 dismissals at an extraordinary average of 15.57.

Sourav Ganguly back as KKR captain

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is likely to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 3rd edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sourav Ganguly led in the inaugural tournament in 2008, but was controversially replaced by Brendon McCullum in 2009 - a decision that the then coach John Buchanan made.

Ganguly met authorization owner Shahrukh Khan in England when he was there to watch the ICC World Twenty20 Championship, and they talk about captaincy as well as appointment of the new coach of the team for the next season of the twenty20 IPL tournament.

According to sources, the KKR management will like to declare the decision later in the middle of August once the new coach is appointed. Though team management prefers Dave Whatmore for the job, Ganguly prefers John Wright.

The conclusion has come about because McCullum is likely to busy for a large part of the tournament since he will be on duty for New Zealand.

MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to play in Corporate Trophy

A galaxy of the country's peak players, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are likely to take part in the inaugural Corporate Trophy limited overs tournament to be held from September 1 to 8.

Six centres: Chennai, Bangalore, Mohali, Cuttack, Dharamsala and Delhi have been short listed as venues and the draw and fixtures are expected to be announced by the BCCI on July 27.

The BCCI has already finalized 12 teams, including two from Air India, and four more corporates could be added to the line-up, in a tournament that will be boost for the upcoming short tour of Sri Lanka.

The Lanka-bound cricketers are expected to feel a short conditioning camp, either in Bangalore or Chennai, lasting four or five days at the end of August before they stand for their respective companies in the Corporate Trophy, according to BCCI sources.

Among the AI players who are expected to play Dhoni, showy batsman Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh as well as Irfan Pathan.

Miandad: T20 is 'fast food' & a bad habit

T20 is a 'fast food', bad habit and is posturing a major threat to Test cricket in the sub-continent, feels former Pakistan Test captain Javed Miandad.

Miandad spoken concerns over suggestions from the ICC to decrease Test cricket matches to four-days and introduce colored balls and colored clothing under lights in the traditional format of the sport.

"There is no doubt that Twenty20 cricket is undermining Test cricket and they are many reasons for this, take India's example. Players like Yousuf Pathan are more popular than most of his more illustrious teammates because Twenty20 cricket is in these days. It is just like fast food, a bad habit," Javed Miandad said.

Miandad, however, felt that the future of Test cricket faced no threat in countries like England, South Africa, Australia where it was still popular.

"It is in countries like Pakistan and India where it is under threat. One reason for this is also economic conditions of the people. Everything is so expensive for our masses," he said.

There have been suggestions from the ICC President, David Morgan about reducing Tests to four day matches instead of the traditional five days.

Morgan has said that Test cricket faces a challenge from the growing popularity of twenty20 cricket and there is a need to look at revamping the traditional format of the game.

However, Miandad cautioned the ICC against trying to change the traditional format of the game.

"Any moves to reduce the number of days in a Test or introduce night matches and colored balls will only prove counter-productive," he said.

The former Test captain said instead of taking measures that can threaten the spirit of the game the ICC should be looking at other ways to ensure all forms of the game survive together properly.

"The ICC should involve more former players in consultations and find ways to keep interest in Test cricket alive. As it is now Test cricket is about 90 overs a day you can't do more to get results," he said.

"Test cricket must remain the way it is or else cricket will lose its special appeal to the people as well. Cricket lovers want to see Test matches," he said.

Yuvraj Six Sixes

New South Wales to approach Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, who guided Pakistan to magnificence in the Twenty20 World Cup, may shortly receive an offer to play in Sheffield Shield for the Australian domestic side New South Wales.

The 29-year-old all-rounder helped Pakistan win their 1st major title in 17 years by thumping their sub-continental opponent Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final at Lord's.

"Afridi is clearly one of the world's best T20 player, but also he would be precious addition to our dressing room, our young players would learn a lot from him."

"We would surely consider if he could be used for other formats," a NSW Cricket official was lined as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Afridi set up an excellent all-round performance through the tournament; scoring 176 runs in seven matches included two half-centuries and also gets 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.32.

If the contract materialises, Shahid Afridi would become one of the high-profile players to join an Australian side, after NSW's selection of Kiwi Brendon McCullum for last season's Big Bash final alongside Victoria, the report said.

Younis Khan will not to reconsider Twenty20 retirement

The rising pressure on him to reconsider retirement from T20 cricket despite, Pakistan skipper Younis Khan on Tuesday made it clear that he not go back on his decision.

"I had determined before going to the World Cup I would leave no matter what the result. I don't want to be in a condition where I am left out of the team," Younis, who was mobbed by fans at the Karachi airport, said.

"I think now Twenty20 cricket is a very hard form of the game. It saps your energy in 40 overs. It is not easy cricket. I am also old for this type of cricket," he said.

"I became a more serious skipper after the early losses. I realized I had to be serious. I am happy that we could take so much joy to the people," he said.

"Our plan was simple. I decided to take the force and let the others to play freely. We gave a free license to Kamran and Afridi. It was decided that if they botched I would go into bat and take the pressure."

"I am always motivated by challenges and I perform better under pressure," he said.

Fired-up Pakistan lifted World T20 title

Pakistan won their 1st major title in 17 years when they stunned Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the World Twenty20 final at Lord's on Sunday.

Shahid Afridi hit an unbeaten 54 off 40 balls, his second following half-century, and former skipper Shoaib Malik made 24 not out through a match-winning partnership of 76 for the undefeated third wicket.

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected bat first. The Lankans slumped to 2-2 in the first nine balls and that became 34-4 before Skipper Sangakkara himself led the save act with a defiant unbeaten 64 from 52 balls. Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews put on 68 for the unbroken seventh wicket as Sri Lanka plundered 59 runs in the final five overs. Mathews returned unbeaten on 35 off 24 balls.

Pakistan got off to a amazing start when teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamir sent back the in-form Tillekaratne Dilshan with the 5th ball of the match.

Dilshan, the tournament's leading scorer with 317 runs, miscued a pull shot off the speedy left-armer and was caught at toward the back square-leg by Shahzaib Hasan for zero.

Four balls later, Shahzaib grabbed his second catch at mid-off as Jehan Mubarak skied a leading edge off Razzaq, who shared the new ball with Aamir.

Jayasuriya counter-attacked with a six and four in Razzaq's second over, but the bowler hit back two balls later as the left-handed veteran edged a ball on to his stumps after making 17.

Razzaq, who replaced the injured Yasir Arafat after ending his links with the rebel Indian Cricket League, struck again in his third over when Misbah-ul Haq dived to his right at slip to remove Mahela Jayawardene for one.

Player of the Match: Shahid Afridi
Player of the Tournament: Tillekaratne Dilshan

Oval on high alert for India-Pakistan match

Security around the Oval cricket ground has been stepped up in view of the India-Pakistan Twenty20 warm-up match to be held on 03-jun-2009 with extra night watchmen and snuffer dogs pressed into service around the location.

It will be the first Indian-Pakistan cricket meet since the November Mumbai attacks, and officials are taking no chances to make sure that the match passes off peacefully.

Tournament director Steve Elworthy said, "The sporting landscape has changed hugely since the tragedies in Mumbai and Lahore. We need to be confident we're on top of the situation, which we are."

Security has also been stepped up in venues where the Sri Lankan Cricket team is scheduled to play, given the recent events in the island nation and expressions in London against the Sri Lankan government's offensive against the Tamil Tigers.

A dedicated Police Intelligence Cell headed by the former chief constable Sir John Evans, has been set up, with the mandate to supervise security arrangements for the whole Twenty20 World Cup tournament.