PCB arbitrator lifts ban on Malik

ISLAMABAD: Shoaib Malik's one-year ban from international cricket is over after the Pakistan Cricket Board arbitrator on Saturday quashed his suspension.

PCB advocate Talib Rizvi said the cricket board had recommended to arbitrator Irfan Qadir to rescind the ban, and he also agreed to halve the fine on the former Pakistan captain to one million rupees ($11,750).

"We (PCB) had watched Malik's attitude and conduct over the last three months and proposed that ban should be lifted," Rizvi told reporters after the hearing.

The PCB initially imposed the suspension and fine for ill-discipline during Pakistan's winless tour of Australia earlier this year.

"Both parties had a reasonable stand, but it's my decision (to lift the ban and reduce the fine)," Qadir said.

Malik is among six players who have filed appeals against the fines and suspensions.

The selectors have already included Malik among 35 probables for next month's Asia Cup and twin test series against Australia and England.

"Malik is now free to be selected in any squad of Pakistan team, but we want the players to follow discipline in future," Rizvi said.

Also on Saturday, Younis Khan's appeal against an indefinite ban was adjourned until June 9 to allow his lawyer Mohammad Ahmed Qayyum more time to consult his client.

Qayyum was not happy after arbitrator did not allow two independent observers to sit in Saturday's hearing.

"It was my client's request that two observers should be allowed to sit in the hearing, but the arbitrator did not allow it.

"I did try to contact Younis but couldn't contact him on telephone."

Qayyum said the proceedings were unnecessarily delayed and Younis was being victimized.

Younis and another former captain Mohammad Yousuf were indefinitely banned by the PCB for an alleged infighting which disturbed the team on the Australian tour.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and his younger brother Umar sent requests to Qadir on Saturday for adjournments in their hearings against fines.

The arbitrator said he wanted to wrap up the hearings of players as quickly as possible.

Afridi was fined three million rupees ($35,200) for ball tampering during the one-day series against Australia. wicketkeeper Akmal was fined three million rupees ($35,200) and his younger brother Umar was handed fine of two million rupees (US$23,500) for ill-discipline.

Srinivasan also altered auction rules, got backdated players'

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan kept mum on whether he would recuse from proceedings against Lalit Modi but lashed out at the suspended IPL commissioner for his "habit of leaking information" to the media.

In a 14-page letter to BCCI president Shashank Manohar, Modi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Srinivasan, saying the BCCI secretary should not be part of the panel adjudicating charges of financial irregularities against the suspended IPL commissioner.

Asked if he would stay away from the proceedings and oblige Modi, an annoyed Srinivasan said, "I'm afraid I cannot discuss these issues in the media.

"Mr Modi has this habit of leaking information and letters to selected press but I cannot comment on these issues," Srinivasan said over phone.

In his letter, Modi said Manohar too should stay away from the proceedings, since it would "tantamount to being a judge, witness and a potential co-notice" in the case.

Manohar, however, was not available for comments. Charged with allegations of bid-rigging and proxy investment, Modi first sent a staggering 15,000-page reply to the show cause notice served to him and he followed it up with another letter on Tuesday in which he targeted Manohar but came down more heavily on Srinivasan with a series of allegations including that of "match-fixing".

Modi, in fact, requested Manohar to serve a show cause notice to Srinivasan and also suspend him pending an investigation.

Modi alleged Srinivasan has grossly misused his power as BCCI secretary and said there was a clear case of "conflict of interests" since he was also owner of the Chennai Super Kings team in the IPL.

Modi said if allowed to be part of the panel deciding his fate, Srinivasan would have an axe to grind against him.

"This stems from the manner in which I have consistently frustrated and exposed his attempts at misusing his position as Honorary Secretary of the Board so as to confer a wrongful benefit to his team (Chennai Super Kings) at the cost and expense of other teams and the BCCI," Modi said.

Modi accused Srinivasan of trying to "fix" matches by hand-picking a panel of umpires to officiate Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) matches in the IPL.

"This constituted a clear attempt at umpire fixing/match fixing. Upon my coming to know this I objected to the same and removed them in the interest of the League," Modi said.

Srinivasan also pushed "tailor-made policies" to suit CSK's interest, Modi alleged.

According to Modi, Srinivasan ignored his objection and pushed for the proposal that would allow IPL teams retain seven players -- four Indians and three foreigners.

"The only reason for doing so was to ensure that Chennai Super Kings retained its players," Modi said.

The BCCI Secretary allowed a bank guaranty given by a broadcaster to lapse and tried to scuttle Mumbai Indians' signing of West Indian player Kieron Pollard, Modi alleged.

Srinivasan also altered auction rules, got backdated players' contract accepted and cancelled a player's contract to ensure that CSK retained their full purse of $2 million for players' auction, alleged Modi.

"I have consistently pointed out that the Honorary Secretary's wearing of two hats (administrator and team owner) had placed him in a clear conflict of interest position, which he had misused and exploited," Modi wrote.

"Since I have been opposed to this manner of functioning from the very inception, it is obvious that to protect his position, the Honorary Secretary has good reason not just to defame me but also to find me guilty of these imaginary wrongdoings alleged in the show cause notice," Modi added.

Hockey India's claims meaningless, says KPS Gill

NEW DELHI: KPS Gill, president of the court-reinstated Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), Sunday trained his guns at Hockey India (HI) after the ad hoc body decided to go ahead with the election, and said whatever the HI does after the Delhi High Court order is "meaningless."

HI secretary general Narendra Batra, who Saturday said that the court judgement would not in anyway affect HI's existence, reiterated his stand in a statement Sunday that the IHF was disaffiliated by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in 2000.

Gill, disagreeing with Batra, said the IHF was never disaffiliated by the international body.

"It is completely wrong. The IHF was never disaffiliated by the FIH, only its name was changed to Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC)," Gill said on Sunday.

Asked about HI getting ready to hold the election, Gill said: "Whatever they do is meaningless because there is something called the law of the land and it applies to everyone."

"I am told that there are a number of court cases against HI across the country. They have also been de-recognised by the government."

"Let us see what steps they take. We will do whatever is required," Gill said when asked whether the IHF would take legal course if the HI went ahead with the election.

Batra had said on Saturday that decks have been cleared for HI election in June or early July and the election notice will be issued in four-five days.

He said the Delhi High Court's order to reinstate the IHF does not affect the functioning of the HI.

"IHF was disaffiliated by the FIH in 2000 and the IHC was formed consisting of both men and women units. This was necessary since the FIH had made it clear that if both units are not merged as per the IOC Charter, India would not be allowed to participate in international events," Batra said.

"The IHC was disaffiliated by the FIH in 2008 and the HI took over from the IHC in 2009. As of today it is only the HI which has the affiliation of the IOA, AHF and FIH," Batra said.

"The court order has no bearing on HI status as it is recognised by the FIH after it disaffiliated the IHF," Batra added.

"The judgment deals with the fact that while suspending/ disaffiliating the IHF, the IOA and the sports ministry did not follow the course of natural justice. This issue can be best clarified by the IOA and the sports ministry as to how they plan to follow the course of natural justice again."

Nadal, Henin return to favourite stomping ground in Paris

Rafael Nadal will seek to erase his shock fourth-round exit last year from the memory banks when the mighty Mallorcan makes his tournament bow at the French Open on Tuesday.

World number two Nadal, who won in Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid in the weeks leading up to the year's second slam, will be third on Court Suzanne Lenglen against French wildcard Gianni Mina, who reached the final in the boys tournament last year.

The French crowd will also be treated to another four-time champion when Belgian Justine Henin, back after 20 months in retirement, returns to Court Philippe Chatrier three years after her last title.

Dubbed the Queen of Roland Garros in her heyday, the 22nd seed will open proceedings against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova as storms are expected in the French capital after a couple of searingly hot days.

Former world number one Dinara Safina, finalist last year, will be on Lenglen as the Russian starts her campaign against Japan's Kimiko Date Krumm, who is four months short of her 40th birthday and made her debut here some 21 years ago.

Maria Sharapova, another former world number one, will be up against fellow Russian Ksenia Pervak as she chases the only grand slam to have eluded her, three days after winning the warmup event in Strasbourg.

Spain's Fernando Verdasco can expect a wary reception from the locals in his first-round match against Russian Igor Kunitsyn after waving ironically at the crowd in the Nice final he lost to home favourite Richard Gasquet on Saturday.

Ronaldinho, Adriano out of Brazil's initial squad

SAO PAULO: Ronaldinho, Adriano and Neymar have been left out of Brazil's preliminary World Cup squad.

Coach Dunga announced 23 players and will later on Tuesday include seven more to complete the squad. Ronaldinho, Adriano and Neymar may be among the seven chosen, but would only be on standby in case of injuries.

Kaka, Robinho, Maicon and Julio Cesar were picked in the squad, but three-time FIFA world player of the year Ronaldo and veteran left back Roberto Carlos were not included as expected.

Dunga is sticking to most of the players who helped Brazil win last year's Confederations Cup and finish top of South American World Cup qualifying.

"These players are winners," Dunga said. "There is no doubt that they are prepared to help Brazil reach its goal. They are ready to give their best for the country."

One of the biggest surprises was the absence of Adriano, who had been constantly called up by Dunga in recent matches. But there had been doubts because of recent off-the-field problems that caused him to miss several training sessions with Flamengo.

"We gave Adriano numerous chances," Dunga said. "But it came to a time when we had to make a decision."

Wolfsburg's Grafite was called up to take Adriano's place. Ronaldinho, a two-time FIFA world player of the year, hadn't been called up for the national team since April 2009, but had been playing reasonably well this season with AC Milan and many wanted him to be included in the squad.

Brazilian fans and local media had also been pushing for Dunga to summon Santos young sensations Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso, who have been among the hottest players in Brazilian football this year.

The 18-year-old striker Neymar has dazzled fans with his speed and balls skills, being called by many as the new Robinho. The 20-year-old Ganso, or Goose in Portuguese, attracted attention for his maturity and ability as a playmaker. Along with Robinho, they led Santos to more than 100 goals in some 30 matches this year.

"Some players are extremely talented, but we have to test them before taking them to a World Cup," Dunga said. "Maybe they are ready to play in a World Cup now, but maybe they are not."

None have been called up to the senior team so far. More than 500 Brazilian and international journalists were accredited for the announcement of Dunga's list in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham), Doni (AS Roma, Italy).

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Michel Bastos (Lyon), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Lucio (Inter Milan), Juan (AS Roma), Luisao (Benfica), Thiago Silva (AC Milan).

Midfielders: Elano (Galatasaray), Kaka (Real Madrid), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Ramires (Benfica), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Kleberson (Flamengo), Julio Baptista (AS Roma).

Forwards: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Villarreal), Robinho (Santos), Grafite (Wolfsburg).

Modi gets four evidences of 'wrongdoings' from BCCI

MUMBAI: Suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Tuesday received four documentary 'proofs' of his alleged wrongdoings from the BCCI, which said it could not offer other evidences since those were of verbal nature.

Modi's lawyer Mehmood S Abdi told reporters after receiving the documents from the BCCI headquarters that out of 10 references in the show-cause notice, for which the suspended IPL chief wanted documentary proof, only four were given while the rest, it has been told, were by nature of oral communications only.

"We had asked for some documents from the board. We needed documentary support for at least 10 references made in the show-cause notice out of which four have been provided to us today," Abdi said.

"Board secretary (N Srinivasan) has written in an email to Mr. Modi that other references made in the show-cause notice for which we wanted documentary support were oral transactions or verbal communications and there is no documentary proof for those," Modi's counsel said.

Modi had asked for documents from the BCCI for mounting his defense against the first show-cause notice that has charged him with financial irregularities and bid-rigging in IPL.

Abdi said the four documents handed over to him included an agreement, two letters, one email and a copy of shareholding pattern of an IPL franchisee.

It was learned that the letters and emails pertained to Nimbus communications who are the BCCI's broadcast right holders for international and domestic cricket organised in India.

Abdi also said that Modi, on his part, had handed over all the documents that were asked for by the BCCI following the voluminous second lot that he had delivered to the board on Monday.

"So far they have not asked for anything more. In fact only last evening I had given them the second lot of documents which, from our side, is full and final. Still if the BCCI want anything more from us we are ready to give," he said.

Modi, who was suspended by the BCCI on April 26, has been given an extra five days by the BCCI to reply to the charges that includes alleged irregularities in broadcast and internet deals.

The new deadline for Modi is May 15. Queried about Modi's future course, Abdi said, "Let's go through the documents what we have got right now and then we will decide. As of now, yes, we are ready to file by 15th."

"This development has given a very interesting twist to the story. This much I can say," he added.

Viswanathan Anand wins World Chess Championship

CHENNAI: The pressure should have been on world champion Viswanathan Anand. But in fact, it was challenger Veselin Topalov who showed nerves in the decisive game of the World Chess Championship duel to hand over the world champion the most important victory he needed to protect his title on Tuesday.

Game 12 proved to be the Game of Death and so the contest was decided in favour of Anand, who won 6.5-5.5 with a 60-move win over the Bulgarian in Sofia. Anand's victory was worth one million euros (around Rs 6.8 crore).

Game 12 looked destined to end in a draw from the start but Topalov, eager to seal his first match victory in his career, took risks with white pieces and lost in 56 moves. This was Anand's second consecutive World Championship victory in match format after he demolished Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in Bonn two years ago.

There is a saying in chess that if black is hell bent on going for a draw (of course, in top-flight competition), there is nothing white can do about it. The Bulgarian found a determined black in Anand, who was solid as a rock in defence. A draw was looming ever since Anand made his second move going for the extra-solid Queen's Gambit Declined, which has hundreds of lines analysed deep into the endgames.

But there was a dramatic turnaround in around move 30 when Topalov stretched the position by going all out.

With black, Anand did not want to do anything special, except bore Topalov to death. The Bulgarian, known for his attacking chess and also for scoring points in the last rounds when it mattered the most, tried to break through the Lasker Defence put up by Anand, a line that has been played time and again for a century. Expectedly, the players reeled off the first moves quite fast and then on move 16, Anand followed a road less travelled by posting the knight in the sixth rank. It was time for Topalov to take a break and analyse the position. Whether it surprised him or not, it was clear that Topalov was not completely comfortable with his preparation anymore.

After move 18, it was almost an endgame: just the Queen, rooks and knight versus bishop with six pawns each. It looked a draw but Topalov had other ideas. He started chasing the white bishop and got himself into a mess. Around the first time control, Anand got a good counter-attack with his Queen and rook chasing away the white King to a corner and in the process, Topalov had to give his Queen for Anand's rook and bishop.

Anand had already achieved what he wanted and the rest was a matter of technique. The Queen was deadly and by move 56, Anand was about to win a piece. Topalov gave up and shook hands.

Australia humble Windies as hosts bow out

GROS ISLET: Australia knocked hosts West Indies out of the World Twenty20 and kept alive the possibility of an Anglo-Australian final with a dominating six-wicket win on Tuesday.

West Indies, in a match they had to win by 24 runs to reach the semifinals were bowled out for just 105 at the Beausejour Stadium.

Australia, in reply, lost two wickets on 31.

But Brad Haddin (42) saw Australia to the verge of victory before he got out with two runs needed to West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

The occasional off-spinner then ended the match with a ball that went for five wides, a delivery that summed up his team's performance on the day.

Australia, who finished on 109 for four, won with 22 balls to spare.

Their win ensured Sri Lanka, last year's losing finalists, also went through to the semi-finals as Group F runners-up.

England will play Sri Lanka, who earlier on Tuesday knocked out India with a five-wicket win, in the first semifinal on Thursday.

The second semifinal will see Australia playing defending champions Pakistan, also at Beausejour, on Friday.

The final takes place at Barbados's Kensington Oval on Sunday.

West Indies, who saw Gayle win the toss, suffered a dramatic collapse.

From the relative safety of 52 for two, they lost their next five wickets for 25 runs as they slumped to 77 for five.

Only Ramnaresh Sarwan (26) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (24) made it past 20.

Australia leg-spinner Steven Smith, the man-of-the-match, took two wickets in two balls on his way to figures of three wickets for 20 runs as West Indies failed to sparkle under the Beausejour floodlights.

West Indies saw star batsman Gayle out second ball, clean bowled by left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, the tournament's leading wicket-taker.

Then the experienced Chanderpaul, having flicked Mitchell Johnson's second and fifth balls for four was out to the left-arm quick's sixth.

The left-handed batsman launched Johnson high over the bowler's head but didn't quite time his shot and David Hussey, running back from mid-on, took a superbly judged catch.

The slump really took hold in unlucky fashion when all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (six) was run out, backing up, after Johnson touched a Sarwan drive onto the stumps at the bowler's end.

Smith then got in on the act as recalled batsman Narsingh Deonarine holed out for a duck, caught by Michael Hussey at deep midwicket.

And he followed up with two wickets in two balls.

Kieron Pollard (13) tried to work the ball legside but was beaten by the turn and wicketkeeper Haddin completed a neat stumping.

Next ball Darren Sammy, in front of his St Lucia home crowd, chipped a simple return catch back to Smith. Jerome Taylor survived the hat-trick.

Sarwan, the last of the specialist batsmen, tried to clear long-off but simply holed out off part-time spinner David Hussey to David Warner.

In reply, Warner made a typically brisk 25 off 12 balls before he edged paceman Taylor to Gayle at slip.

And next ball 31 for one became 31 for two when Watson gloved an intended sweep off left-arm spinner Benn onto his stumps.

Australia captain Michael Clarke helped Haddin add 47 for the third wicket before he was brilliantly run out by Bravo, following an athletic stop and direct hit from short third man.

But that was an all too rare highlight for the West Indies.

Parties, travelling during IPL took a toll on fitness: Dhoni

ST LUCIA: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni refused to blame the IPL for the team's Twenty20 World Cup debacle but conceded that after-match parties and hectic travelling during the glitzy league did take a toll on the players' fitness.

"Most of the players were fit and fresh. Players also need to be smart, not only about cricket but about other things going around in the IPL. We have to respect your body and give some time for it to recover because there is more to it than playing matches. Attending parties and travelling takes a toll," Dhoni said after India's five-wicket loss against Sri Lanka on Tuesday that knocked them out of the event.

The defeat was also India's third successive in the Super Eights stage, a disappointing low for the inaugural champions.

Dhoni said the six-week-long IPL was in itself not responsible for the debacle.

"Our performance does not have anything to do with IPL," said Dhoni.

"I wouldn't say the IPL was a set back for our preparation. In fact, it has helped us in match preparation for the World Cup. It has thrown up players like (Suresh) Raina, Rohit (Sharma), (Ravindra) Jadeja, (Pragyan) Ohja and (Amit) Mishra. It has groomed a lot of talent."

Dhoni rejected criticism of the team and said he is least affected by what is said about it.

"As Far as the sloganeering goes, I am not bothered about that. We try and do our best. We play for our country and we are more respectful to our country than those who do these sort of things. They can do whatever they want to," fumed Dhoni.

He said Indian had done their best although the results have not been too good.

"Whenever we go out there we try to do well. But you won't do well every time. We tried our best and did whatever we could have, but we still ended up being on the losing side," said a despondent Dhoni.

The wicketkeeper-batsman commended the Sri Lankans for their all-round show yesterday.

"They batted really well in the end overs. Also, they bowled very well after the 13th over and made it difficult for us to score.

"They were looking to bowl yorkers and to keep the ball outside off stump. You can't do much when someone bowls perfect yorkers. Me and Raina were out there in the middle. It was really tough. But we were looking to slog everything thing," he said.

Dhoni said he did not regret batting first on Tuesday. "I don't really regret batting first. If we had chased 150 batting second, it would not have been less than 10 runs an over which is tough. Defending 163 was difficult. We fell short by a few runs. Had we scored 180 or more, the target would have been 160-170 and that would have been a good target to defend," said Dhoni.

Dhoni said this was the best Twenty20 side that India could field.

"We are not performing to our potential. I can't say why. But at the end of the day this is the best T20 side we have. It gets tough without players like Virender (Sehwag), Zaheer Khan (he suffered a blow on the right thumb) and Praveen Kumar," he said.

Asked if the Indians' vulnerability to the rising ball proved to be their downfall, Dhoni said, "I can't comment on that as you really can't stretch a tournament for too long. It required a bit of adaptation as we have played in similar conditions quite often. I can't say the wicket was such and we didn't perform well."

He said Indian batsmen had technical problem when it came to playing the short ball.

"Most of us have the problem of playing short pitched balls. So it is not just the youngsters who had problems. We can't neglect it any more. But we don't have bowlers who consistently at 145-50 kph and most of wickets in India don't have that kind of bounce," he said.

"But we should also remember we are good players of spin. So we shouldn't be ashamed that we can't play short-pitch bowling. We have to play even against short-pitch but we can't be ducking and leaving all the time in Twenty20," he added.

On whether he was feeling the pressure of captaincy, Dhoni said, "You are always under pressure when you play for India. It is part and parcel of the game. I have not played any game till now when there is no pressure."

Notwithstanding the debacle in the World Cup, Dhoni said he had faith in his side.

"I have a side with lot of potential to do well, wherever we play. We had two or three poor tournaments. But other than that we have been consistent," said Dhoni.

T20 WC Super 8s: West Indies knock India out of World Twenty20

BRIDGETOWN: 2007 Champions India were on the brink of elimination from the Twenty20 World Cup after suffering a 14-run defeat against West Indies in their Group F Super Eight match on Sunday.

Chasing 170 to win, India made 155 for nine as their top order once against collapsed against sustained fast bowling.

Suresh Raina hit a 25-ball 32 but it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29) and Harbhajan Singh (14) who raised India hopes in the death overs, but some outstanding fielding and bowling by Dwayne Bravo fizzled out India's challenge.

Bravo produced an outstanding direct hit from long on to get rid off Dhoni and then held a catch in the deep off Harbhajan before dismissing Ashish Nehra at short mid-wicket by Suleiman Benn to put the last nail in Indian coffin.

Earlier, Chris Gayle butchered the Indian bowlers with a whirlwind 66-ball 98 as West Indies posted a competitive 169 for six after India skipper Dhoni put West Indies to bat.

India would need a miracle to reach the semis now as a win for Sri Lanka over Australia in the other Group F match at the Kensington Oval would mean they no longer had a chance of reaching the final four.

If Australia defeats Sri Lanka and West Indies in their next two matches and India beats the Islanders in their last encounter, then it will come down to run-rate which will be the only slight chance that India will have to make to the semis.

Earlier, Gayle slammed five fours and seven sixes and involved in three crucial partnerships with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (23), Darren Sammy (19) and Keiron Pollard (17) to take his team to a competitive score.

Gayle mixed aggression with caution to single-handedly anchor the West Indies innings on a damp but drying wicket which wasn't conducive for stroke making at the Kensington Oval here.

Gayle piously defended his citadel when the bowlers demanded respect and treated them with casual disdain when they begged to be punished.

He was calm and resolute when Harbhajan Singh (4-0-16-0) was in operation and ensured his side did not lose wickets even when the Indian had the game in control after five overs which yielded just 26 for no loss.

But the moment the off-spinner went off the attack, he opened his broad, muscular shoulders to annihilate the rest of the Indian bowlers.

He was in no hurry to rotate the strike while raising 80 runs for the first wicket with Chanderpaul.

Gayle lashed out at the bowlers with power and precision and showed scant respect to Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Ravindra Jadeja as all his sixes sailed over the pickets to the utter delight of the local fans.

The Indian fielding lived up to its billing. Ravindra Jadeja spilled Chanderpaul at 12 when West Indies had made 43 in 7.4 overs.

A little later, Gayle watched Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan collide with each other and drop what should have been a simple catch at short square. Gayle was on 46 in a score of 73 for no loss in 11.1 overs. He lived to flay the Indian attack in the death overs, adding 52 runs after the reprieve.

Forget the dropped catches, the out-fielding also left much to be desired. Jadeja seemed to have not got over his nightmare against Australia, as he floundered in the deep, letting the ball slip under his knees.

The 21-year-old was also to concede 16 runs in his first over, with Gayle and Darren Sammy slamming him for sixes.

The score could have been much more but pacer Ashish Nehra, who bagged three wickets for 35 runs, bowled a brilliant last over to restrict West Indies to 169.

Teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Murali Vijay, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (Capt.), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor.

South Africa badly need a win against Pakistan

GROS ISLET: Their title defence virtually over, a beleaguered Pakistan will be out to salvage some pride, while South Africa will hope to put their Twenty20 World Cup campaign back on track in the Group E Super Eights stage match at the Beausejour Stadium on Monday.

With none of their players featuring in the third edition of the Indian Premier League, defending champions Pakistan entered the tournament as the only side without any fatigue factor but they looked rusty and now risk an early return home after losing their first two Super Eight stage matches to England and New Zealand.

The 2009 champions looked a rudderless lot under Shahid Afridi's timid captaincy and the burden of leading seemed to have bogged down the all-rounder who looked far from his flamboyance self.

The Pakistani batting order, barring Salman Butt, has looked patchy with batsmen like Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq coming a cropper while the Akmal brothers -- Kamran and Umar -- also lacking consistency.

Their inability to chase down a meagre victory target of 134 runs in yesterday's cliff-hanger against New Zealand virtually put paid to their semifinal hopes and the batsmen would have to shoulder the blame for the team's pathetic display.

In contrast, their bowlers did a better job and restricting New Zealand to 133 was a commendable effort.

Unlike Pakistan, South Africa have everything to play for as a win might clear their semifinal passage.

Having beaten New Zealand by 13 runs in their first Super Eight match, South Africa showed a batting frailty against England yesterday that would keep them worried.

Chasing 169 for a win, only four batsmen reached double digit scores before they collapsed in 19 overs for just 129.

In the match against New Zealand, the entire top order had fired in unison but the same batsmen looked helpless against England's disciplined attack and it is something the Protea think-tank would have to sort out tomorrow.

One would expect the Protea bowlers to bend their back tomorrow and come to the aid of the team.

For South Africa, off-spinner Johan Botha has been virtually unplayable, taking wickets and hardly conceding boundaries but the Protea would need a big contribution from Dale Steyn and Charl Langeveldt up front to see them through against Pakistan.

BCCI extends Lalit Modi's deadline for defense

NEW DELHI: The Board of Cricket Control in India on Monday extended the time for suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi to respond to the show-cause notice served to him on April 26, till Saturday May 15.

Earlier on Monday, Lalit Modi reportedly sought time to respond to the BCCI to ensure that he prepares an appropriate defense. Lalit Modi has been meeting his lawyer and other consultants over the past few days, as he was preparing his defense.

Modi was given a show-cause notice by the BCCI on charges of financial irregularity. Modi has since maintained that all decisions were taken collectively by the governing council and he has nothing to hide. Even as the entire governing council seem to be pitting their guns against him.

There are five main charges against Lalit Modi ranging from receiving kickbacks for allotting TV broadcast rights to indiscipline and leveling baseless charges against the BCCI. He is also facing the charges of rigging the bidding of two new IPL teams which were eventually won by Sahara and the Kochi IPL consortium and also for being a ghost owner in three IPL teams.

But in his defense Modi is likely to have prepared a 1000 page reply document to all the charges levelled against him by the BCCI. He is also likely to present evidence of all agreements signed by the IPL, when he meets the board on Saturday.

However, the BCCI maintains that Modi is still with-holding crucial documents of the IPL. Ratnakar Shetty, CAO, BCCI laying the charge to which Modi replied said that he has been BCCI's enemy number one.

I've been enemy No.1 for BCCI for long: Modi

NEW DELHI: Suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi on Saturday ridiculed the BCCI's second show-cause notice for allegedly planning a 'rebel' Twenty20 league in England, saying it has become a part of life for him to be treated as "public enemy number one" by the board.

"It's a part of life. I have been public enemy number one for the BCCI for a long time now," Modi said when asked for his reaction to the notice issued to him a couple of days ago.

"I won't react to it, the world has reacted to it on the basis of which the notice has been served. I still have 15 days to respond to it. We all know what it is," he told reporters at the airport.

In the capital to consult his lawyers for a reply to the first show-cause notice issued to him for alleged bid-rigging and murky financial deals in the IPL, Modi said he would personally hand over his response to the accusations on Monday.

"I have just come to wrap up my reply to the show-cause that I have to submit on Monday. I am going to reply personally because there is nothing to hide," he said.

The IPL boss' fall has been sensational but he tried to put a brave face in front of the media and said, "I have not gone anywhere. I have only been suspended and that's about it."

Asked if the IPL would suffer due to his suspension, Modi said the league's structure was strong enough to weather the current storm.

"We have built a strong organisation. I don't think the IPL will suffer. I think we have enough competent people to run the organisation.

"It's a very strong brand. It's important to understand that IPL is a global brand and hopefully we will be able to prove it. Everybody is behind me," he said.

Modi is facing allegations of financial wrongdoings and favouring friends and family in the IPL's bidding process.

His problems have only compounded after it was alleged that he was in talks with English counties to start a parallel Twenty20 league without the knowledge of the England and Wales Cricket Board and the IPL Governing Council.

Sachin tweets, Bollywood's a fan..

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has joined Twitter, and film personalities went all out to welcome the ace cricketer on the micro blogging site.

One of Sachin's early tweets were: "By the way this time its real me. No more wrong information..."

Soon after, many actors posted messages on their Twitter pages welcoming him.

"The original rock star is here. Welcome Sachin Tendulkar. He is here. Give him all the love he deserves," posted Arjun Rampal.

Deepika Padukone wrote: "The only record left for him to break is maximum number of followers. Welcome the one and only and my favourite Sachin Tendulkar."

Karan Johar: "A big welcome shout for the Sachin Tendulkar himself. Enjoy!"

Shilpa Shetty: "Finally on twitter, the god of cricket himself. A big welcome shout for Sachin Tendulkar himself. Spread the word."

Riteish Deshmukh: "Sachin Tendulkar is on Twitter. We want him to beat Ashton Kutcher hollow. Spread the word. Follow Sachin."

Rahul Bose: "Welcome Sachin. What a pleasure!"

Arbaaz Khan: "Amcha Sachin tendulkar aala re (Our Sachin Tendulkar has come)... Welcome India's favourite son on twitter!!!"

Even internationally popular Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur said: "Welcome Sachin."

Sameera Reddy: "Twitter got more awesome. Let's welcome the undisputed king of cricket! We Love u Sachin! Sachin Tendulkar."

Atul Kasbekar: "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my proud privilege to introduce finally to Twitter, Sachin Tendulkar, follow the King now, go go go!!! Let's get Sachin on top of the Twitter verse in world record time, how cool to have an Indian displace Ashton Kutcher."

Houghton quits as India's soccer coach, AIFF denies

NEW DELHI: National coach Bob Houghton has quit following a tiff with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) over the extension of his contract, according to sources.

"Bob has sent his resignation on Saturday and has given three months' notice," a source said on condition of anonymity.

AIFF General Secretary Alberto Colaco, however, denied that the Englishman has put in his papers.

"It is not true. There is nothing like that as yet," he said.

Colaco had only on Sunday said that the AIFF had written to Houghton's agent that the federation was willing to extend his contract beyond the Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in January next year.

"Bob's agent communicated to us Bob's willingness to extend his contract. After consulting AIFF President Praful Patel and some of the committee members we have written to the agent that we are willing to renew the contract," Colaco had said.

Houghton had threatened to resign if his contract was not renewed till 2013, besides demanding a hike of $10,000 per month after his current tenure ends in January 2011. The coach was apparently ticked off by the fact that AIFF was looking for a new coach.

Sources close to Houghton, who reportedly is earning $2,40,000 per year as salary, said it was a top AIFF official who told the English coach's agent that it was looking for a coach after his contract ends in January next year.

A miffed Houghton, through his agent, informed the AIFF that he would resign if his contract was not renewed till 2013.

Other officials of the AIFF felt that Houghton has been doing all sorts of pressure tactics to get what he wanted.

"He has been getting so many things what other coaches have not got in the past. He has been using pressure tactics for some time," a top AIFF official said.

AIFF president Praful Patel vehemently denied that Houghton had resigned and insisted that it was just a speculation.

"He has not resigned. We have not got his resignation, why are you speculating? He is still the India football coach," Patel said when contacted.

Asked if he would ask Houghton to reconsider his decision if he had resigned, Patel said, "He has not resigned at the first place and where is the question of asking him to reconsider? That is hypothetical."

Kalmadi, NSF chiefs hit out at sports minister

NEW DELHI: Government's bid to limit the tenure of sports administrators met with stiff resistance with IOA president Suresh Kalmadi and other angry bosses of sports bodies vowing to do everything to protect their autonomy.

Miffed administrators, many of whom are politicians who have occupied the post for more than a decade, made it clear that they would oppose the directive, setting the stage for a bitter standoff with the sports ministry.

"We are surprised by the government order and we would do everything to protect our autonomy," Kalmadi told reporters on Monday.

"We have called an IOA Executive Committee meeting on May 18 and may convene a General Assembly meeting as well (to discuss the issue)," Kalmadi said.

Cracking down on the sports administrators who have monopolised most of the NSFs, the sports ministry on Sunday announced a new regulation which says federation presidents cannot continue more than 12 years, with or without break, while secretaries or treasurers can serve two terms of four years at a stretch and would have to take a four-year gap before they seek a re-election.

The regulation hurts Kalmadi, who has been at IOA's helm since 1996, while it also seeks to end the reigns of NSF chiefs V K Malhotra (archery), Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa (cycling), VK Verma (badminton), captain Satish K Sharma (aero club) and BS Adityan (volleyball), who have been occupying the top posts for more than a decade.

Insisting that the autonomy of the IOA and NSFs are paramount, a defiant Kalmadi said, "Our constitution goes to the International Olympic Council (IOC) and no one can meddle with that. All NSFs also send their constitution to the respective international bodies and no one can interfere there either."

Kalmadi also dismissed sports minister MS Gill's assertion that the guideline would help bring transparency to the functioning of IOA and NSFs.

"As far as transparency is concerned, IOA was brought under RTI (Right To Information) Act by the Ministry and we accepted it with a smile because we have nothing to hide.

"The Sports Minister himself has given a letter to the court that all the federations have given their accounts properly. So why this about-turn and that too on the eve of the Commonwealth Games?" he asked.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary general Randhir Singh said the government regulation has been forwarded to Olympic Council of Asia and IOC.

"We are expecting a positive reply from them because this government regulation infringes on the working of the national Olympic committee," Singh said.

Rowing Federation of India president KP Singh Deo criticised the timing of the guideline.

"It is rather strange that it came out when the (Commonwealth Games) Coordination Commission is here," he said.

Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by 14 runs via Duckworth-Lewis method

PROVIDENCE (Guyana): Mahela Jayawardene's classy century and Guyanese rains combined to give Sri Lanka a 14-run win over Zimbabwe on the Duckworth-Lewis method in their World Twenty20 Group B match on Monday.

This was a match Sri Lanka, beaten first up by New Zealand, had to win to stay in the tournament.

But it was a close run thing for last year's losing finalists with the five overs needed in Zimbabwe's reply to constitute a match only just completed before rain ended the game.

Veteran batsman Jayawardene's innings was the cornerstone of Sri Lanka's 173 for seven, made after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss.

Zimbabwe, playing their first match of the tournament after encouraging warm-up wins over defending champions Pakistan and Australia, saw their innings halted by rain in the first over.

That left them with a revised target of 104 off 11 overs before rain halted the match at the five-over mark with Zimbabwe on 29 for one, rather than the 43 for one they needed for victory, following the early loss of Hamilton Masakadza to a farcical run-out.

Unless Zimbabwe beat New Zealand by a huge margin on Tuesday, Sri Lanka should go through to the Super Eights with the Kiwis.

Former captain Jayawardene, who made 81 in Sri Lanka's two-wicket loss to New Zealand, scored exactly 100.

Jayawardene's hundred was only the fourth in all Twenty20 internationals but the second in this competition in as many days after India's Suresh Raina scored 101 against South Africa in Saint Lucia on Sunday.

Stylish right-hander Jayawardene faced 64 balls with four sixes and 10 fours, concentrating mainly on classical cricket shots.

Zimbabwe kept taking wickets at the other end but could do little about opening batsman Jayawardene.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament at last year's World Twenty20 in England, has not looked anything like the same player at this edition and he made just two before a miscued drive off Elton Chigumbura went straight to mid-off.

Twenty20 debutant Thissara Perera helped Jayawardene add 56 in six overs before he was well caught in the deep by Chigumbura.

Several batsmen then failed to get going but Jayawardene carried on serenely before he was finally caught at long-on off left-arm spinner Ray Price.

T20 WC: West Indies beat England by 8 wickets (D/L)

PROVIDENCE: West Indies won through to the second round of the World Twenty20 after beating England by eight wickets in a match whose context was completely changed by rain on Monday.

England made a challenging total of 191 for five, featuring 55 from former Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan, after being sent-in to bat by West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

But rain, which had interrupted Sri Lanka's match against Zimbabwe here earlier in the day, returned after the West Indies had started their reply in barnstorming fashion to be 30 without loss at the Guyana National Stadium.

And when play resumed, the West Indies were left with a revised target of 60 in six overs, under the Duckworth/Lewis method for rain-affected matches.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (15 not out) and Andre Fletcher (12 not out) saw the hosts to victory with a ball to spare as they scored the eight runs they needed off the last over, from fast bowler Stuart Broad.

England now have a winner-takes-all clash against Ireland, who suffered a 70-run Group D thrashing by the West Indies last week, here on Tuesday to decide which team will join the hosts in the Super Eights.

Left-hander Morgan faced just 35 balls and struck three sixes and six fours.

Together with Luke Wright, unbeaten on 45 off 27 balls, he put on 95 for the fifth wicket.

England started well thanks to their new South Africa born opening pair of Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter.

Lumb, on his international debut, took 16 off one Ravi Rampaul over.

Fast bowler Rampaul's three overs cost a hugely expensive 52 runs in total.

Wicketkeeper Kieswetter struck three sixes in as many balls, one off Rampaul and two off Nikita Miller.

But in-form West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy checked England's progress with two wickets in the tenth over, bowling England captain Paul Collingwood for six and inducing Kevin Pietersen (24) to hole out to midwicket.

With England 88 for four at the halfway mark, Morgan and Wright consolidated before going for their shots, Wright striking two sixes off Kieron Pollard's first over.

Morgan then demonstrated his dexterity by sweeping Dwayne Bravo for six, with England scoring 76 runs in the final five overs of their innings.

New Zealand cautious ahead of their clash against Zimbabwe

GUYANA: A confident New Zealand will be eyeing a Super Eight berth when they take on Zimbabwe in a Group B match of World Twenty20 at the Providence stadium on Tuesday.

The Black Caps pulled off a thrilling two-wicket win with a ball to spare against Sri Lanka in their opening match on Saturday and they would be eager to qualify for the next round.

New Zealand strike bowler Shane Bond said it is unlikely that they will tinker with the lineup that clinched a victory in the opening match.

Bond, however, said his side is far from being complacent against Zimbabwe.

"In this sort of format, the shorter it is, the more even it gets, so I think there are no favourites in the tournament," he was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald.

"I suppose we will be fielding the same team (to the one that beat Sri Lanka) as it is a must-win game for us. You want to carry momentum forward into the next stage, so I expect similar lineup to the first game."

Bond, who took two for 35 against Sri Lanka, is well aware of Zimbabwe's ability to create upsets, having already beaten Australia and defending champions Pakistan in the warm-up matches last week.

"Zimbabwe are capable of upsetting, especially if they get surfaces that suit them," he said.

Referring to all-rounder Andy Blignauht's return to the side after five years, Bond said Zimbabwe have a lot of experienced players back in the side.

"They are an experienced team that's been together for a long time so in this format they are going to be very tough and we have to show them due respect."

The low and slow pitches in the Caribbean will force Black Caps to make the most of their spin options.

In the warm up matches, Zimbabwe opened their bowling with off-spinner and captain Prosper Utseya and orthodox left-arm spinner Ray Price against Australia. Against Pakistan, they opened with legspinner Graeme Cremer and another offie, Greg Lamb, who were successful.

"We're trying to work a method out to play on these surfaces," New Zealand coach Mark Greatbatch said. "They are a bit low and slow and turning and it's not easy to score boundaries all the time, so it's important we come up with an effective method."

"We have got a bit of work to do playing the spin, and Zimbabwe have got plenty of that. We need to get the ball into the outfield, which is nice and big, and put pressure on their fielders, and we're going to get more runs like that."

Chelsea closer to title triumph after sinking Liverpool

LIVERPOOL: Chelsea are on the brink of their first Premier League title in four years after Steven Gerrard's mistake helped the leaders secure a vital 2-0 win at Liverpool on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are now four points clear of second-placed Manchester United and, even if the champions keep the title race alive with a win at Sunderland later on Sunday, the Blues will be crowned kings of English football if they beat Wigan at home next weekend.

Gerrard had used his programme notes to insist that the hosts would not throw in the towel against Chelsea, even though a Liverpool victory would have aided the title aspirations of bitter rivals United.

Yet the England midfielder's horrendous back pass allowed Didier Drogba to score his 26th Premier League goal of the campaign before Frank Lampard wrapped up a comfortable victory after more lacklustre defending from Rafa Benitez's team.

This game had long since been earmarked as a must-win for Chelsea and a match that would test both their title-winning mentality and mettle. They delivered on both counts.

Rumours of a conspiracy had been sweeping Merseyside in the days before that Liverpool would not mind losing to Chelsea as it would help prevent United from winning a record 19th title.

A banner draped over the Centenary Stand at Anfield before the game "Cockneys For A Day" did little to dispel that theory.

But those suggestions should have been laid to rest inside the opening three minutes, Javier Mascherano's shot from 25-yards deflecting narrowly wide for a corner as Liverpool made the brighter start.

Chelsea were strangely lethargic considering the prize that was at stake.

Despite early attempts by Salomon Kalou and Nicolas Anelka, it was Liverpool who came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening exchanges as Alberto Aquilani went close to delivering a crushing blow to Ancelotti with a cracking 25-yard effort that clipped the top of the bar.

Aquilani then crumpled under a challenge from Branislav Ivanovic in the area but the referee adjudged there was no foul before Gerrard's clanger 12 minutes before half time brought Chelsea within touching distance of the title.

Gerrard, under no pressure whatsoever, attempted a needless back pass that provided Drogba with an open invitation to pounce, round Jose Reina and slot home in front of the Kop.

That brought the Ivory Coast striker level with Wayne Rooney at the top of the Premier League scoring charts - more importantly it left Chelsea on the verge of their third title in six seasons.

Suddenly, Chelsea were going for the kill. It required a superb challege by Liverpool's Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos to prevented Nicolas Anelka from making it 2-0, while the visitors felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the dying moments of the first half after claiming that Lucas had clipped Kalou.

Liverpool had started the day with an outside chance of securing a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds, but Benitez's side struggled to recover from falling behind.

Kalou and Florent Malouda, who were both magnificent, were causing all sorts of problems and both had chances to extend Chelsea's lead before Lampard sealed a priceless victory in the 54th minute.

At least Chelsea were not handed the goal on a plate this time, although the defending that led to England midfielder Lampard sliding home to meet Anelka's low cross was poor to say the least.

Liverpool never threatened to mount a fightback and although Chelsea's celebrations on the pitch at the final whistle were subdued, the title is almost theirs.

Nadal matches Agassi record with Rome win

ROME: Rafael Nadal, the world number three, won a record equalling 17th Masters title with a 7-5, 6-2 defeat of 13th-seeded Spanish compatriot David Ferrer at the Rome Masters 1000 at the Foro Italico on Sunday.

In a match that finished four and a half hours after it started due to two rain delays, clay court king Nadal was never troubled.

His victory matched the mark of 17 Masters wins set by Andre Agassi, although the American was 34 when he won the last of his while the Spaniard is still just 23.

Nadal clearly coped better than Ferrer, who was aiming for a first ever Masters title, with the rain as until the first break it was 4-4 and 40-15 to Ferrer on his own serve.

However, he won only three more games after the heavens opened and Nadal, who has dropped only one set on clay this year, proved that he is in great shape ahead of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year.

Two weeks ago he stormed to victory at the Monte Carlo Masters and here he was only troubled in his three-set epic against Latvia's Ernests Gulbis in the semi-finals.

It was his fifth win in Rome in the last six years.

Over the last six years he has won Monte Carlo six times, here and Barcelona five times and at Roland Garros will also be aiming for a fifth title.

The players were forced off by rain at 4-4 in the first set and when they came back out, Ferrer seemed to have lost focus.

He had already been under pressure on his serve before the break but at 5-5 he finally gave up a break after netting a forehand when facing his sixth break point of the set.

However, he almost broke straight back as he earned his first and only break point of the first set but he went long on a backhand return.

Nadal's deep hitting in the next point allowed him to come forward and bury a volley before another backhand error on the return from Ferrer allowed the world number three to seal the set.

Things looked ominous for Ferrer at the beginning of the second as he dropped to 15-40 on his serve but he dug deep to hold.

However on his very next game he dropped to 0-40 only to save all three before a forehand wide and a backhand long gave up the break.

Play was then immediately suspended for the second time and the players were off court for an hour and a half but when they came back Ferrer put up little resistance.

He held his first service game but then at 2-4 he gave up a break point with a double fault and then hit a wild forehand long to allow Nadal to serve for the title.

Watson stars as Australia beat Pakistan by 34 runs

GROS ISLET: Shane Watson top-scored with 81 as Australia punished lax Pakistan fielding to win their opening World Twenty20 match by a convincing 34-run margin on Sunday.

Man-of-the-match Watson's innings was the cornerstone of Australia's 191 all out, made after captain Michael Clarke won the toss.

But the all-rounder was dropped twice and Watson made defending champions Pakistan pay by striking four sixes and seven fours in his blistering 49-ball innings.

Together with David Hussey, he put on 98 in under nine overs for the third wicket.

Hussey dropped on 18 at long-off by Salman Butt, a relatively easy chance, went on to make 53 off 29 balls with five sixes and two fours.

Hussey was especially severe on seamer Mohammad Sami, striking him for 28 runs in the 16th over with the batsman striking four sixes, including three in a row.

Pakistan lost Kamran Akmal for nought to the first legitimate ball of their reply when he sliced Dirk Nannes to Steven Smith at short third man.

Salman Butt (15) miscued an attempted hook off fast bowler Shaun Tait and was caught by David Hussey before left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson's second ball proved too much for Mohammad Hafeez, who pulled straight to deep square leg.

Australia, holding their catches, had reduced Pakistan to 34 for three inside five overs and they never looked like recovering from such a start.

Tait then had the satisfaction of bowling Pakistan captain and hard-hitting batsman Shahid Afridi for 33 before finishing the match by bowling Saeed Ajmal off the last ball.

Misbah-ul-Haq top-scored for Pakistan with 41 but that was never going to be enough by itself.

Afridi had only inherited the Pakistan captaincy after the fall-out from the team's disastrous recent tour of Australia where they failed to win in three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20.

Earlier, David Hussey holed out off Ajmal and, three balls later, the off-spinner had Watson lbw.

There was an extraordinary end to the Australia innings with a five-wicket maiden during the last over from Mohammad Aamer.

Brad Haddin was caught off the over's first ball, Mitchell Johnson clean bowled off the second with both Michael Hussey and Steven Smith run out by direct hits from wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal as they tried to run byes.

Tait survived the fifth ball but was bowled off the last for nought.

Left-arm quick Aamer finished with three wickets for 23 runs, with Ajmal taking three for 34.

Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 21 runs in the first Group A match here on Saturday and both Pakistan and Australia will qualify for the second round of if the Aussies beat Bangladesh in Barbados on Wednesday.

Atletico oust Liverpool to reach Europa final

LIVERPOOL: Diego Forlan's extra-time effort sent Atletico Madrid into the Europa League final on away goals at the expense of Liverpool after a 2-2 aggregate draw on Thursday.

Liverpool, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, drew level just before the end of the first half through Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani's low curling shot from inside the box.

A quiet second half set up extra time and the hosts took a 2-0 lead on the night through Yossi Benayoun's angled strike only for Forlan to smash home the ball a few minutes later.

Atletico will meet Fulham in the May 12 final in Hamburg where they will bid to win their first major European trophy since the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962.

The Spanish side, who face Sevilla in the King's Cup next month, also reached the European Cup final in 1974.

"We have done really well," Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores told reporters.

"Today we got stronger as the match went on and over the two legs I think we deserved to go through.I've not known too many better moments."

For Rafa Benitez's Liverpool, Europa League silverware represented a last chance to salvage a dismal season which featured an early Champions League exit and a failed Premier League title challenge.

Liverpool started with all the attacking intent Benitez wanted from a side including Steven Gerrard, Aquilani, Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt and they forced three corners inside the first two minutes to raise Anfield hopes.

However, the visitors have been dangerous on their travels and as Liverpool lost their passing game Raul Garcia tested goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a dipping shot that was turned around the post.

The hosts' inability to keep the ball up front frustrated the Liverpool fans but with halftime approaching Aquilani came to their rescue, stretching to meet Benayoun's cross and curl home a low shot.

Atletico enjoyed more of the possession after the break but it was Liverpool who almost doubled their lead on 80 minutes when England fullback Glen Johnson skipped past two players before seeing his 20-metre drive tipped over.

Five-times European champions and three-times UEFA Cup winners Liverpool had produced second-leg victories twice already in the competition this season following first-leg defeats and they went ahead early in extra time.

A delightfully-chipped Lucas pass was met by Benayoun who finished well from a tight angle.

Anfield went from raptures to stunned silence shortly afterwards when Jose Antonio Reyes easily beat Johnson to set up first-leg scorer Forlan, who smashed home from five metres for the decisive away goal.

Benitez said: "We were on top for a long time. We lost the game with a late goal but it was a good game.

"It was a pity the way they scored."

We cannot take Afghanistan lightly: Dhoni

ST LUCIA: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday warned his team-mates against taking unheralded Afghanistan lightly in their Twenty20 World Cup opening match on Saturday, saying any slip-up against them can put his side out of contention for super eights.

"If you ask me, I would not consider our opening match against Afghanistan as a practice game. I don't take my opponents lightly. At the end of the day you have to win whichever team you play," said Dhoni, ruling out complacency in the Indian camp.

"I don't know much about them. It is good in a way because if we know too much about a side then you are thinking too much about them. However, our preparation will remain the same as if you are playing the best opponent in world cricket," he said.

"We can't really relax against whichever team you are playing. At the end of the day you are representing India and you have to be at your best when you turn up on the field," Dhoni added.

Afghanistan have risen from the depths of the fifth division league to rub shoulders with the best in the cricket world. Their attitude, confidence and determination are aspects that India and South Africa, who have been drawn in Group C along with them, should be wary about.

On the criticism for not playing any warm-up game before the start of the tournament, Dhoni said his side does not need such matches as they have shaped up well.

"We don't actually need to play a warm-up game as the way we have shaped up after the long journey, there wouldn't have been any good coming out of it. It is good that we can rest and have a rigorous practice session tomorrow and get back into the groove and prepare for the match against them," said Dhoni.

India's most successful captain was not worried much about the injuries to some of his key players.

"It is part and parcel of cricket that people get injured. But at the end of the day we have replaced them (Sehwag) with the best possible players available.

"We are just hoping that we won't miss them on the field. We are hopeful that people who have come as replacements would step up to the occasion and perform," he said.

Delving on Yuvraj Singh's injury-riddled form, Dhoni said, "He bats at number four and the individual he is, he can easily play the big shots. There aren't enough grounds in the world that are big enough for him not to clear."

"These big hitters have a big impact on the game. Somebody like Kieron Pollard or (Andrew) Symonds are the kind of players who can take the game away from the opponents in three or four overs. It is a big stage for him (Yuvraj) and, as we have seen of him, he loves challenges.

"His utility as a bowler also comes into play. He did well against some of the best teams in the IPL. So it is good that you have more part timers in the bowling department as it gives us more options than just playing five bowlers," he added.

The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman said he likes to be in the present than look at the past and into the future.

"Rather than thinking too much of the past and into the future, it is very important to be in the present. We have a couple of days before we play the first game. It is important to get the most out of it. We have to adapt to the conditions here and be prepared for the matches ahead," Dhoni said.

The Indian skipper said they know the conditions here pretty well and are not bothered if wickets behave differently at the Caribbean.

"Right now we are keen to play the games here (St Lucia). We are not looking too far. It is the not first time that we are touring West Indies. So we know what the conditions would be like and are mentally prepared for it," he said.

Asked if the IPL had left his players fatigued, Dhoni said, "The last couple of hours we spent on the bus were much worse than the cricket we played in the IPL. If you look at our schedule, it is not something that has changed drastically over the last ten years.

"We have played almost the same amount of matches. Of course, with IPL being part of the schedule it gets a little tough. The players look good. They are quite fresh. Some of them sustained injuries during the IPL and have used time well. It looks good and we are hoping that we will perform to our potential," he said.

Dhoni said there was little or no room for errors in the Twenty20 format of the game.

"In this format you have to be at your best throughout. Every step you take or every six deliveries that you bowl have a great impact on the game. In the same way every run and catch that you save or miss will impact the performance. It is going to be a tough tournament. But then it is a sport, so let's go out and enjoy our cricket," he said.

I owe a lot to Yuvraj: Rohit Sharma

India's young batting star Rohit Sharma talks about learning from Yuvraj, the importance of domestic cricket and the dislike for the dilscoop. Excerpts:

Your selection came out of the blue...

Yes it was. I didn't even know that the team selection was on March 26th. I was so focused on the IPL that it just skipped my mind. Then, on that day I was in the team bus going to the ground when a reporter called and told me that I was there in the World Cup squad. I hope I can help the team repeat what we did in 2007 in South Africa .

But how can someone be so non-chalant about a team selection?

I don't think that 'I should be in this team or that team'. If I am a part of a team it's fine, if not, it's OK. Earlier, I'd worry about these things and put unnecessary pressure but now I deliberately look the other way.

How you feel when Ian Chappell says that you can replace Sachin Tendulkar at No. 4 in Tests?

I have learnt that these things are irrelevant. If you do well people will put you on a pedestal and if you don't, you are gone (laughs).

With so much talent and promise, why haven't you been able to cement your place as yet?

I think I'm not consistent enough. There have been patches where I have been good and at times I have been really bad. Having said that I'd also like to add that I was been constantly shuffled up and down the batting order. One day I was batting at 3, 4 or 5 and other days I was batting at 7 or 8 and in between also opening the innings.

What's ideal batting slot for you?

In the middle-order. That's where I have played all my cricket.

In reaching for consistency, have you stopped playing some strokes?

I stopped playing that flick and other lofted strokes on the leg-side as my feet were not moving that well. I was focusing more on the off-side.

In the T20 World Cup, your role could be of a finisher. Your Deccan Chargers' teammate Andrew Symonds and coach Darren Lehmann have excelled in that role. Did you pick anything from them?

I have, but majority of my tricks came from Yuvraj Singh. When I was dropped, Yuvi paa cited his own example and told me that every cricketer has gone through this phase. He advised me to enjoy this period as it can be mentally draining. He is the real force behind my batting. I don't think anyone apart from Yuvi paa can help me in my batting. He told me that the most important thing as a finisher is to read the situation of the match. He said that you have to think like an opposition captain.

And what about Sachin Tendulkar? What did you pick up from him?

Whenever I have played alongside Sachin paaji he has always emphasised on the body position. He'd always stress that the head should be still. I have noticed in the IPL and even prior to that that whenever he'd hit a big shot, his body position and head would be extremely still. And if it is not then you can not middle the ball. This is what I have learnt from Sachin paaji, how to keep my head and body still.

Do you also train for big shots in the nets?

I do practise the swing of my bat. I try to keep it as straight as possible right from the back-lift to the final follow through. Also, towards the end of each practice session, I ask bowlers to bowl 25 balls and I try to hit at least 20 for a four or a six. I do not get 20 all the time, but around 17-18.

What about those cute strokes - reverse sweep, Dilscoop etc?

I don't like these strokes, I think they are far too risky for me. I concentrate on playing orthodox strokes and so far most of my runs have come through them. Also, if you look at Sachin paaji's batting in the IPL you'd realise he played hardly any of these strokes.

Was the Ranji triple ton turning point of your career?

A triple ton is a triple ton but I won't rate it that high as it came on an easier wicket (at CCI, Mumbai). I think the hundred I got against Railways in Delhi was the turning point of my career. It came on a wicket where the ball was turning from the Day 1. When I came into bat we were some 40 odd for 4 and by the end of the first innings, we took the lead in the first innings.