Malik dropped because of Super Sixes loss?

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik being ignored for the New Zealand tour could be a result of the team's unlikely loss in the Super Sixes Tournament final in Hong Kong under his captaincy last month.

Sources said Malik, who was ignored by the selectors on Tuesday for the New Zealand tour despite his terrific form in domestic cricket, may have been sidelined because of the Hong Kong tournament.

Pakistan selectors leave out Yousuf for New Zealand tour

"Malik was captain and in the final opponents Australia required 48 runs in the final over to win the match. Imran Nazir a part time bowler was given the ball and incredibly even in the super sixes format he conceded 48 runs bowling number of wides and no-balls in the decisive over," one source said.

He said the final over had raised eyebrows in the Pakistan Cricket Board and given Malik's disciplinary record as well the selectors decided to play it safe.

"If a player has scored three big hundreds in succession in domestic cricket he is always a serious contender but in Malik's case his ouster may also be linked to non-cricketing reasons," the source said.

Malik himself told the media that he was extremely disappointed at not making the team.

World Cup 2011

"What more do I have to do to prove myself. I have scored nearly 580 runs in five innings with three centuries and I have taken 14 wickets for PIA in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and if this not enough to win me a place back in the team I don't know what is," Malik said.

"If the selectors are not considering me when I am in prime form then I think I am within my right to at least ask them to tell me on what grounds I have not been picked in the touring squad," Malik said.

Afridi not happy with axing of Kamran, Malik

Karachi: Pakistan's one-day captain Shahid Afridi on Friday questioned national selectors' decision to drop senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal from the squad for New Zealand tour, saying that it would affect preparations for the 2011 World Cup.

"I am definitely not happy with the way we are preparing for this mega event. I think we need to have experienced players like Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik in the team (for the New Zealand tour)," Afridi told reporters.

Controversies will not affect us in World Cup: Afridi

The outspoken all-rounder said that the media should ask the Pakistan Cricket Board and selectors why Kamran and Malik were not included in the squad.

"I think the media should ask the board because we need experience players for a major tournament like the World Cup and you can't expect to go into such a big event with a young and inexperienced side," Afridi said.

The national selectors ignored senior players Kamran, Malik, Rana Naved and Danish Kaneria while announcing the Test and Twenty20 teams for the New Zealand tour starting this month.

Afridi also urged the selectors to announce a pool of players for the World Cup as soon as possible so that the players could gel together and start preparing for the mega event.

"We need to work with a pool of players as soon as possible," he said.

Afridi declined to make any predictions about how Pakistan would perform in the World Cup next year being held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"In modern day cricket, it is very difficult to make any predictions about who will win the World Cup. I know people don't have much expectations from us in the World Cup but I am positive about our performance and I will back my players to do well, even the younger ones," he stated.

World Cup 2011

Asked about the exclusion of Mohammad Yousuf from the Pakistan Twenty20 and Test squads for the New Zealand tour, the flamboyant all-rounder was quick to point out that the senior batsman did not deserve a place in the T20 team while as far as why he was not selected in the Test team, he (Afridi) had nothing to do with Test cricket.

Asked about bookmaker Mazhar Majeed's claims of having ties with Pakistan players, Afridi pointed out that he had no issues at all since he had never done anything wrong in his cricket career.

"When I have done nothing wrong why should I be worried about Mazhar Majeed is saying or has to say I am not bothered at all."

Miandad and Waqar in war of words

Karachi: Former captains Javed Miandad and Waqar Younis have started a war of words after PCB offered Pakistan's batting and fielding consultant job for the New Zealand team to the former.

Pakistan team's head coach Waqar Younis who is these days in Sydney made it loud and clear that he would remain in charge and Miandad's role would be restricted in the team.

Afridi not happy with axing of Kamran, Malik

Miandad on Friday hit back warning Waqar to be careful while choosing his words.

"I think Waqar should realize my stature as a player and director general of cricket in the PCB before making any such comments. He should also realize that we are both employees of the board and not allowed to make such statements against each other. I can easily enough get a show cause notice issued to him for his remarks," Miandad said.

He also made it clear that he had turned down the offer from the board in a letter sent to the board Chairman, Ijaz Butt since he couldn't work under the supervision of Waqar who had played under him and was much junior to him.

"I am not going to be answerable to Waqar as far as my work is concerned I am only answerable to the board Chairman and I can't work under such restrictions," Miandad said.

After making him an offer the board sent another agreement letter to Miandad outlining the terms and conditions under which he would work in the Pakistan team on the New Zealand tour.

The conditions included that he would report to Waqar Younis, discuss all plans and schedules with him and not undertake any coaching session without approval of the head coach.

Let the tweeters tweet, says 'boring' Strauss

Waqar also added fuel to fire from Sydney when he said that Miandad's addition to the panel of coaches will not affect his role with the team.

While welcoming the PCB move to approach Miandad, Waqar, however, made it clear that he was fine as long as Miandad's role did not clash with his as head coach.

"I will send players to him whenever he wants them. He can work on their technique and sort out their difficulties. But when it comes to match strategy, that's my job," Younis said.

Dhoni signs Rs.26 crore endorsement deal with UB Group

New Delhi: Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni signed one of the largest single endorsement deals with the liquor to airlines conglomerate, the UB Group, valued at approximately Rs.26 crore for three years, according to a person privy to the deal.

The deal puts the Indian captain in the select league of top Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan who charge anywhere near Rs.6 crore to Rs.8 crore per product's endorsements in a year.


A official with the talent management firm Rhiti Sports Management, through which the deal was struck, told IANS: 'Yes, Dhoni has entered into a deal with the UB Group and is now in the exclusive league of stars like Shah Rukh and Aamir.'


According to the official, the Indian cricket captain will endorse the company's McDowell soda.

'Right now, Dhoni is one of the most sort-after persons for endorsements, which is majorly due to the fact that the Indian team has been performing very well,' the official added.


Earlier, Dhoni's most expensive deal was signed at a price of Rs.6 crore per year with Reebok, which comes down to Rs.30 crore for a 5-year period.


Currently, he is associated with 22 brands -- among them beverages and snacks major PepsiCo, reality company Amrapali, telecom operator Aircel and retail chain Big Bazaar.

Siddle strikes but Cook fights for England

Tea England 4 for 172 (Cook 60*, Bell 26*) v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Jonathan Trott misses his drive against Shane Watson © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Australia v England at Brisbane Series/Tournaments: England tour of Australia Teams: Australia | England

Peter Siddle gave England a mid-afternoon shock with two quick wickets after the visitors had fought back from the first-over loss of Andrew Strauss in Brisbane. Siddle bustled in on a slow surface to extract Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood in consecutive overs, leaving Alastair Cook to anchor the innings with a solid half-century which guided England to tea at 4 for 172 alongside a confident Ian Bell.

Cook and Pietersen added 76 to take England into the period where batsmen traditionally dominate in Australia once the ball has gone soft. However, Siddle, playing his first Test since January after suffering a stress fracture of his back, had been picked because of his ability to unsettle batsmen on good pitches and proved his worth. Pitching on a fuller length than his fellow quicks he made one move a fraction to find the edge of Pietersen's drive and produced a very similar delivery to have Paul Collingwood taken low at third slip.

Collingwood is known to be a dodgy starter but Pietersen had looked in fine fettle, as good as he has at Test level since before his Achillies injury. Pietersen's first boundary was a sweet straight drive and he wore the expression of a man on a mission as he picked off a further five fours. He also seemed intent on attack Xavier Doherty during an intriguing mini-battle and Australia were relieved to end it when they did.

Cook was one of England's batsmen to enter this series with an unflattering record against Australia and shouldn't have survived the first session when he was dropped at point on 26 by Doherty. That, though, was his only mistake as he refused to chase anything wide and waited for the bowlers to drift towards the pads.

 He pulled Mitchell Johnson through midwicket for his first boundary then started after lunch with a sweet clip and picked off Doherty with ease.

Bell, fresh from his superb 192 against Australia, began with two crunching cuts off Siddle and showed his intent by coming down at Doherty. Australia used up their second review when Simon Katich - fielding at short leg - was convinced Bell had edged behind off Johnson but there was no TV evidence to support him.

The beginning to such an eagerly anticipated series was always likely to be a nervous affair but England added another instalment to their list of horror starts. 

After events on this ground four years ago all eyes were on the first ball of the day and the opening delivery from Ben Hilfenhaus sailed harmlessly past off stump. However, it didn't take long for the series to burst into life as two balls later Strauss tried to cut one that was a little too close to his body and picked out Mike Hussey at gully.

The England captain stood there, head in hand for a moment, before turning for the dressing room as the Gabba erupted to the cheers of the home support. Strauss had made two hundreds during England's near-perfect warm-up period and Australia knew how vital the scalp was. It took the visitors until the third over to open their account and that was an edge to third man by Trott, who then had to survive a heart-stopping referral when Siddle's lbw shout was sent to the third umpire but pictures confirmed it was just clipping leg stump.

However, steadily he and Cook evened the scales. Trott provided some impetus with a neat flick through the leg side and two swivel-pulls to fine leg, but was also rather skittish at stages as he edged short of second slip and got a leading edge towards point trying to work through midwicket.

He had appeared to survive the examination when the ball was thrown to Shane Watson who started loosely, but Trott gave his innings away with a loose drive against an inswinger which took off stump. England believe they can target Watson as a weak link in the Australian attack so providing him an early wicket will have been a disappointment, but Watson's full length was a lesson to heed on this pitch.