Australia post 157-4 in 1st T20I

Updated at: 1603 PST,  Wednesday, January 12, 2011
 ADELAIDE: Australia failed to build on the foundation provided by opener Shane Watson in the Twenty20 international against England at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

In their first clash since the tourists completed the historic 3-1 Ashes win over Australia in Sydney last week, the home side looked set for a big total after reaching 76-0 after eight overs in the replay of last year's World Twenty20 final won by England.

However, the home side battled from there to finish on 157-4.

On what appeared a perfect batting wicket, Watson set the scene for a much bigger score by hitting 59 off just 31 balls.

The right-hander smashed Graeme Swann for three successive sixes from the first three balls of the eighth over, taking 26 off the spinner's first over.

Watson and David Warner, who made 30 from 28 but never looked in good touch, put on 83 at the top of the order.

However, when Watson was clean bowled as he backed away against spinner Michael Yardy, Australia lost their momentum.

With Yardy picking up 2-28, none of the other Australian batsmen were able to master the English attack.

David Hussey struggled with his timing before falling for 28, while new captain Cameron White, taking over from Michael Clarke, made just six.

England are aiming for a record eighth straight T20 international win in the match.

In-form batsman Ian Bell was recalled to play his first T20 match for England since 2008, while Chris Woakes made his debut, with Australia naming Aaron Finch for his debut and the Victorian making 15 not out.

The two teams meet again on Friday at the MCG, before playing a seven-match one-day series.

Team for NZ ODI series named, Afridi retained as captain

LAHORE: Allrounder Shahid Afridi has been retained as captain of the Pakistan cricket team while batsman Misbah-ul-Haq has been made his deputy for the six-match One-day International series in new Zealand.

The 16-man squad has been announced by PCB chief selector Mohsin Khan here on Wednesday at the Gaddafi Stadium. 

The squad for the World Cup is likely to be announced later for which the International Cricket Council (ICC) has set a deadline of January 19.

Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has returned in the team while star batsman Mohammad Yousuf has not been included in the team.

Following are the players selected for the series:
Shahid Afridi (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Umer Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanveer Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Razzaq and Abdur Rehman.

Verdict delayed in Pak trio case till Feb 5

DOHA: An anti-corruption tribunal against Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer that ended Tuesday reached no decision with a further hearing scheduled for February 5.

"The tribunal have throughout been very conscious of the importance of these proceedings to the three players and the wider world of cricket," said Michael Beloff, commissioner of the three-man independent hearing.

"Representations have been made to it to reserve any decision on the charges still before it until it has had sufficient time to give the issues careful consideration and until it is able, at the same time as handing down its decision, to provide written reasons.

"This would not be feasible in the timeframe agreed for this hearing in Doha.

"The tribunal has therefore determined to continue its deliberations and hold a further hearing in Doha on the fifth of February of this year, at which its decisions will be handed down to the parties and any consequential matters will be dealt with.

"Until that date, all three players will remain suspended from all cricketing activities."

The hearing was held behind closed doors at the Qatar Financial Centre since January 6. But after six-day hearing the tribunal could not reach any decision. 

The three-man independent hearing was led by code of conduct commissioner and leading lawyer Michael Beloff of England, aided by Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Kenyan Sharad Rao.

The trio faced charges of spot-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year in a scandal that rocked the sport. It was alleged that they conspired in the bowling of deliberate no-balls - claims they all deny. 

Spot-fixing hearing endgame begins

DOHA (Agencies) - The endgame has begun at the ICC's hearing into the spot-fixing inquiry involving three players from Pakistan. 

The anti-corruption tribunal will hear closing statements from the ICC and lawyers for Salman Butt, M Asif and Aamir and is expected to reach a verdict today (Tuesday). 

Sunday, day four of the hearings taking place in Doha, Qatar, began with the completion of the cross-examination of former captain Butt by the ICC's lawyers. 

The focus then shifted to Aamir who presented his defence, questioned first by his lawyer Shahid Karim before Jonathon Taylor and Ian Higgins, the ICC's lawyers, began their questioning; Aamir used an interpreter, who was present through the hearings. 

It is believed that the broad strategy of Aamir's defence relies on the burden of proof being on the ICC to prove their case. Indications throughout, reinforced by those familiar with the case, have been that a previously unblemished disciplinary record, and his youth, might be played upon to buffer against potential sanctions; the possibility of precisely such mitigating circumstances is present in the ICC's anti-corruption code of conduct. 

Such a strategy would be, legal practitioners in Pakistan observe, entirely in keeping with Karim's reputation as an astute litigation expert. Nevertheless, Aamir's day of questioning is thought to have been middling, neither disastrous nor outstanding for his prospects. 

But as the days pass and a picture of proceedings slowly emerges from a hearing which has, in the fullest sense, been held behind closed doors, it appears that the equation between Butt and Asif could be vital to how events pan out. Already it has played a part. 

In their opening remarks on the first day, it was reported by the BBC, Asif and Butt's reasons behind the deliberate, pre-planned no-balls allegedly bowled in the Lord's Test last year differed. It also emerged that Butt, as well as being cross-examined by the ICC's lawyers, was also questioned by Asif's lawyer Alexander Cameron. 

Significantly, Aamir was not questioned by either Butt's or Asif's lawyer on Sunday. 

Butt's own defence had what was described as a "tough" cross-examination on Saturday. 

There are suggestions also that the questioning of one particular witness by Butt's lawyer Yasin Patel earlier in the hearing may have hurt his client's stance. 

In any case, the equation is likely to become clearer on Monday, when Asif begins his defence and will presumably be open to questioning by the ICC as well as Patel. Butt and Aamir left together at the end of a day that extended nearly half an hour beyond its scheduled time.

Bihar outplay Khada in KESC Soccer

LAHORE - Bihar Colony outplayed Khada 14-1 on Monday in Group-D of the PFF-KESC Lyari Football League at Kalakot's Shaheed Abdul Rehman Park, Lyari Town Karachi.

The winners were 7-0 up at interval. M Sarfraz and Amjad Hussain returned from the pitch as hat-trick maker in mammoth 14-1 win. Front-runner Sarfraz collected five goals in the 9th, 15th, 16th, 31st and 63rd minute while winger Amjad netted his four goals in the second session with strikes in the 41st, 46th, 50th and 69th minute. Midfielder Siraj Ahmed earned brace (44th, 68th min) while full back Zubair Umar, stopper Muhammad Saqib, winger Muhammad Junaid hit once in the 12th, 13th, 28th minute respectively. Striker Harris Ahmed replied consolation goal for Khada in the 67th minute. The match was supervised by Jalal Ahmed under Match Commissioner Yaqoob Baloch. The assistants were Farid Ahmed, Muhammad Yasin and Abdul Karim. 

Earlier man of the match Karam Hussian paved the way for Baghdadi to brush aside Kalri 3-0 in Group-B. Karam fired 15th minute opener, followed by goals from Shahzaib (28th min) and Rehan Hanif (33rd min). M Amir-led Kalri failed to show anything of worthy. 

Today's fixtures: Singolane v Winder, Balochistan at Abdul Rehman Park at 2:30 pm and Agra Taj v Uthal, Balochistan at Abdul Rehman Park at 4 pm.

Sachin sets example, industry supports!

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar may have made headlines for signing a Rs.20 crore deal to endorse a cola, but not many know that he also turned down a Rs.20 crore offer to endorse a leading liquor brand. “I will never endorse alcohol,” he had said at the age of 16, and hasn’t changed his mind at 37.

Actor Sanjay Dutt also refused a tobacco commercial this week. Their decision has set an example among celebs. “It is a reflection of values. If I were in their place, I’d have done the same,” says actor Dia Mirza.

Sachin TendulkarOlympian boxer Vijender Singh reiterates Mirza’s views, “I am proud of Sachin. I too will never endorse alcohol, cigarettes or gutka.” Cricketer Irfan Pathan and actors Celina Jaitly, Soha Ali Khan and Irrfan Khan are among others who insist they will say no to liquor or cigarettes.

Actor Kareena Kapoor says that she will never endorse non-vegetarian products. Actors, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham, were approached for an aphrodisiac for a huge sum, but they declined. Bipasha will also never consider a condom ad.

However, not everyone have such moral issues. “What is wrong with endorsing a liquor or cigarette brand if the actor drinks or smokes?” argues adman Prahlad Kakkar. In the past, actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and cricketers such as Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni have endorsed liquor brands. If reports are to be believed, actor Abhay Deol, too, is set to feature in a campaign for a leading whisky brand.

Top endorsers of 2010

Men
1. Shah Rukh Khan
2.Aamir Khan
3.MS Dhoni

Women
1.Priyanka Chopra
2.Kareena Kapoor
3.Katrina Kaif

*Source: Alchemist Talent Solutions

They didn’t mind endorsing...Alcohol
Shilpa Shetty, Saif Ali Khan Dharmendra, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shah Rukh Khan

Gutka/ Paan Masala
Govinda, Zayed, Feroz and Fardeen Khan, Sanjay Dutt

Fairness Creams
Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Genelia D’Souza, John Abraham, Sonam Kapoor, Katrina Kaif

Cigarettes
Akshay Kumar, Jackie Shroff, Kay Kay Menon

N. Zealand media irate after Pakistan thrashing

WELLINGTON: New Zealand media lashed the nation's "embarrassingly bad" cricket team Monday after Pakistan routed the Black Caps within three days in the first Test at Hamilton.