<p>Indian captain Virat Kohli has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, besides bagging the top honour for ODI players in the ICC annual awards, announced in Dubai.</p>

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<p>&quot;It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year,&quot; Kohli was quoted as saying in an ICC statement.</p>

<p>&quot;I won that back in 2012 also but it&#39;s the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it&#39;s a huge honour for me. It&#39;s probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>The Indian captain had a prolific 2017&nbsp;scoring three double centuries in Tests.</p>

<p>Kohli hit one Test double century&nbsp;against Bangladesh and two against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded home series.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to ICC rules, the award lists the period between September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017 before announcing the award, in the same period Kohli scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of over 70.</p>

<p>In ODIs, the star batsman hit 1,818 runs at an average of 82.63 including seven centuries.</p>

<p>In T20s, the Indian captain scored 299 runs at a strike-rate of 153.</p>

<p>This is the second time in succession that an Indian won the overall cricketer of the year award. Off-spinner R Ashwin had claimed the honour last year.</p>

<p>It was Kohli&#39;s second gong at the 2017 ICC Awards, with the 29-year-old also being named the ODI Player of the Year.</p>

<p>Kohli was also named captain of the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year.</p>

<p>Australian captain Steve Smith claimed the Test Player of the Year honour after scoring 1875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s.</p>

<p>This is the first instance since 2013 that the ODI Cricketer of the Year award has been won by a non-South African, with Quinton de Kock receiving the accolade for 2016 and AB de Villiers winning it in 2014 and 2015.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


Indian captain Virat Kohli bags top ICC award.

Indian captain Virat Kohli has been awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year, besides bagging the top honour for ODI players in the ICC annual awards, announced in Dubai. × "It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for becoming the ICC Cricketer of the Year 2017 and also the ICC ODI Player of the Year," Kohli was quoted as saying in an ICC statement. "I won that back in 2012 also but it's the first time winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy, and it's a huge honour for me. It's probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special," he added. The Indian captain had a prolific 2017 scoring three double centuries in Tests. Kohli hit one Test double century against Bangladesh and two against Sri Lanka in the recently concluded home series. According to ICC rules, the award lists the period between September 21, 2016 to the end of 2017 before announcing the award, in the same period Kohli scored 2,203 Test runs at an average of over 70. In ODIs, the star batsman hit 1,818 runs at an average of 82.63 including seven centuries. In T20s, the Indian captain scored 299 runs at a strike-rate of 153. This is the second time in succession that an Indian won the overall cricketer of the year award. Off-spinner R Ashwin had claimed the honour last year. It was Kohli's second gong at the 2017 ICC Awards, with the 29-year-old also being named the ODI Player of the Year. Kohli was also named captain of the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year. Australian captain Steve Smith claimed the Test Player of the Year honour after scoring 1875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s. This is the first instance since 2013 that the ODI Cricketer of the Year award has been won by a non-South African, with Quinton de Kock receiving the accolade for 2016 and AB de Villiers winning it in 2014 and 2015. (With inputs from PTI)

Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year

<p>Afghanistan will play its maiden Test match in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on June 14, cricket officials announced Tuesday.</p>

<p>India&#39;s cricket board said it welcomed the opportunity to host its &quot;friends&quot; for their first Test since they gained full status last year.</p>

<p>The war-torn nation have played the majority of their home games in India, which has supported the minnows in their quest for Test status.</p>

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<h5>The Test will kick off on June 14</h5>
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<p>&quot;It will be a historic day for Afghanistan and everybody is waiting for it,&quot; Afghanistan cricket board chairman Atif Mashal said in New Delhi.</p>

<p>Afghanistan have emerged as a competitive international team, with strong performances in the limited-overs format including two one-day series victories in Zimbabwe.</p>

<p>Last year, spinner Rashid Khan and former captain Mohammad Nabi became the first Afghans to be picked in the lucrative Indian Premier League auction.</p>

<p>Afghanistan and Ireland were granted five-day status in June last year by the International Cricket Council, becoming the 11th and 12th Test-playing nations.<br />
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India's cricket board said it welcomed the opportunity to host its 'friends' for their first Test since they gained full status last year

Afghanistan will play its maiden Test match in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on June 14, cricket officials announced Tuesday. India's cricket board said it welcomed the opportunity to host its "friends" for their first Test since they gained full status last year. The war-torn nation have played the majority of their home games in India, which has supported the minnows in their quest for Test status. The Test will kick off on June 14 × "It will be a historic day for Afghanistan and everybody is waiting for it," Afghanistan cricket board chairman Atif Mashal said in New Delhi. Afghanistan have emerged as a competitive international team, with strong performances in the limited-overs format including two one-day series victories in Zimbabwe. Last year, spinner Rashid Khan and former captain Mohammad Nabi became the first Afghans to be picked in the lucrative Indian Premier League auction. Afghanistan and Ireland were granted five-day status in June last year by the International Cricket Council, becoming the 11th and 12th Test-playing nations.

Afghanistan to play maiden Test against India at Bengaluru in June

<p>Medical experts are to examine whether India was right to hold a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/doctors-say-no-to-sport-in-delhi-as-cricketers-choke-in-smog-25923">Test match against Sri Lanka during hazardous smog in New Delhi</a>, the game`s world governing body said Friday.</p>

<p>The controversy will also be discussed at an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in February.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The ICC has noted the conditions in which the Delhi Test was played and has already requested the issue is considered by the medical committee for guidance should the situation arise in future,&quot; said an ICC statement.</p>

<p>Sri Lankan players wore masks while fielding during the match which ended in a draw on Wednesday. Bowlers from both sides were seen vomiting on the ground.</p>

<p>At its peak, concentrations of the smallest and most harmful pollution particles were at 18 times the World Health Organization`s safe limit, according to the US embassy website.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pollution-should-be-included-in-determining-playing-conditions-like-rain-poor-light-ima-to-bcci-26085">The Board of Control for Cricket in India has already said New Delhi</a> could be dropped from hosting internationals during its peak pollution season in November and December.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ICC medical committee can make recommendations to the world body`s executive on &quot;any medical issues affecting international cricket&quot;.</p>

<p>It can also &quot;evaluate&quot; medical plans of countries hosting ICC sanctioned events.</p>

<p>The ICC statement said that the pollution &quot;is likely to be discussed in February`s ICC meetings&quot;.</p>


Medical experts are to examine whether India was right to hold a Test match against Sri Lanka during hazardous smog in New Delhi, the game`s world governing body said Friday

Medical experts are to examine whether India was right to hold a Test match against Sri Lanka during hazardous smog in New Delhi, the game`s world governing body said Friday. The controversy will also be discussed at an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in February. "The ICC has noted the conditions in which the Delhi Test was played and has already requested the issue is considered by the medical committee for guidance should the situation arise in future," said an ICC statement. Sri Lankan players wore masks while fielding during the match which ended in a draw on Wednesday. Bowlers from both sides were seen vomiting on the ground. At its peak, concentrations of the smallest and most harmful pollution particles were at 18 times the World Health Organization`s safe limit, according to the US embassy website. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has already said New Delhi could be dropped from hosting internationals during its peak pollution season in November and December. The ICC medical committee can make recommendations to the world body`s executive on "any medical issues affecting international cricket". It can also "evaluate" medical plans of countries hosting ICC sanctioned events. The ICC statement said that the pollution "is likely to be discussed in February`s ICC meetings".

International Cricket Council to examine India pollution Test

<p>Condemning Pakistan Cricket Board&#39;s decision of compensation claim against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), &nbsp;former International Cricket Council (ICC) President Ehsan Mani on Thursday said the showdown will lead to bad blood and will hamper the future cricket relations between the two countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The PCB had filed a $70 million compensation claim against the Indian Cricket board before the ICC for breaching the bilateral cricket series agreement.</p>

<p>&quot;I have concerns about the consequences of this case whatever its outcome. What I am concerned about is the affect it is going to have on cricket relations between the two countries in the long run,&quot; Mani said to a Dubai based Pakistani sports channel.</p>

<p>Mani, who served as the ICC President between 2003- 2006, further slammed Pakistan for not exploring all the legal aspects before filing the compensation claim.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I just think all avenues of talks, discussions and backdoor diplomacy were not explored by the PCB before going ahead with its compensation claim in the ICC. I would have waited and first exhausted all options of trying to get something out of India for them not playing bilateral ties with Pakistan before opting for the compensation claim option,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Mani also went on to add that former BCCI President and ICC Chairman N. Srinivasan had a significant role to play in India not resuming bilateral cricket ties with its neighbouring nation Pakistan.</p>


PCB filed $70 million compensation claim for dishonouring a bilateral cricket series agreement

Condemning Pakistan Cricket Board's decision of compensation claim against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), former International Cricket Council (ICC) President Ehsan Mani on Thursday said the showdown will lead to bad blood and will hamper the future cricket relations between the two countries. The PCB had filed a $70 million compensation claim against the Indian Cricket board before the ICC for breaching the bilateral cricket series agreement. "I have concerns about the consequences of this case whatever its outcome. What I am concerned about is the affect it is going to have on cricket relations between the two countries in the long run," Mani said to a Dubai based Pakistani sports channel. Mani, who served as the ICC President between 2003- 2006, further slammed Pakistan for not exploring all the legal aspects before filing the compensation claim. "I just think all avenues of talks, discussions and backdoor diplomacy were not explored by the PCB before going ahead with its compensation claim in the ICC. I would have waited and first exhausted all options of trying to get something out of India for them not playing bilateral ties with Pakistan before opting for the compensation claim option," he added. Mani also went on to add that former BCCI President and ICC Chairman N. Srinivasan had a significant role to play in India not resuming bilateral cricket ties with its neighbouring nation Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board's compensation claim against BCCI will lead to 'bad blood': Ex-ICC Chief

<p>Pakistan&#39;s Mohammad Hafeez&#39;s has been banned from bowling in international cricket after the ICC found his bowling action to be illegal.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The bowling action of Pakistan&#39;s Mohammad Hafeez has been found to be illegal and he has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect: ICC</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931172611970646016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Saddened to know the result of my bowling action from ICC , it would never pull me down , wil never give up , worked so hard to remodelled it &amp; wil work again twice harder to get better to serve my beloved country Pakistan ???? &amp; Achieve MORE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NO1allrounder?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NO1allrounder</a></p>
&mdash; Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) <a href="https://twitter.com/MHafeez22/status/931154682780807168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Match officials had reported Hafeez in last month&rsquo;s third one-day international against Sri Lanka.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The assessment revealed that the majority of his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations,&rdquo; the ICC said in a statement.</p>

<p>Hafeez is an off-spinner and an opening batsman.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hafeez, 37, has been suspended twice earlier.</p>

<p>He served a 12-month ban starting&nbsp;July, 2015 after his action was found to be illegal for the second time in a two-year period.&nbsp;<br />
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Hafeez has been suspended on two previous occasions for the same offence

Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez's has been banned from bowling in international cricket after the ICC found his bowling action to be illegal. The bowling action of Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez has been found to be illegal and he has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect: ICC — ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2017 × Saddened to know the result of my bowling action from ICC , it would never pull me down , wil never give up , worked so hard to remodelled it & wil work again twice harder to get better to serve my beloved country Pakistan ???? & Achieve MORE #NO1allrounder — Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) November 16, 2017 × Match officials had reported Hafeez in last month’s third one-day international against Sri Lanka. “The assessment revealed that the majority of his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations,” the ICC said in a statement. Hafeez is an off-spinner and an opening batsman. Hafeez, 37, has been suspended twice earlier. He served a 12-month ban starting July, 2015 after his action was found to be illegal for the second time in a two-year period.

Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez suspended after ICC finds bowling action illegal

<p>The International Cricket Council(ICC) has voted in favour of giving Afghanistan and Ireland full Test status.</p>

<p>As new full members of the ICC, Ireland and Afghanistan will take the total number of Test nations to 12. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Bangladesh was inducted as a full Test member back in 2000 after the then BCCI chief late Jagmohan Dalmiya pushed other Asian nations namely Sri Lanka and Pakistan to further the Asian block within the ICC. Sri Lanka was inducted as a member in 1982, Zimbabwe joined the elite club in 1992.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBofficials">@ACBofficials</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Irelandcricket">@Irelandcricket</a> confirmed as Full Members after a unanimous vote at ICC Full Council meeting.<br />
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More to follow... <a href="https://t.co/HXCw2HwDAW">pic.twitter.com/HXCw2HwDAW</a></p>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/877894746726952960">June 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Heartiest congratulations to Ireland and Afghanistan on test status. Really happy for both the countries.</p>
&mdash; Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/877915341271187456">June 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Afghanistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Shafiq Stanikzai elated at being granted full Test status, said,&quot;For a nation like Afghanistan it is a huge and remarkable achievement, the entire nation will be celebrating across all five regions and different provinces. It is the perfect Eid gift.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Everyone has waited for this news and has been so keen to hear this news. Afghanistan cricket has gone from strength to strength and we dared to dream that this would happen and today it has become a reality,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>&quot;It&rsquo;s fantastic news for all involved with Irish cricket and I&rsquo;d like to thank the ICC and the members for the positive outcome,&quot; said Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom in a statement.</p>

<p>&quot;Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport and it&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;ve all been aiming for,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Ireland captain William Porterfield added:&nbsp;&quot;It&rsquo;s wonderful news for all of Irish cricket, with all the players already talking about playing in a Test match for the first time.</p>

<p>&quot;We&rsquo;ve all played in World Cups and achieved some memorable results along the way, but to play in a Test would be a bit special.&quot;</p>

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The International Cricket Council(ICC) has voted in favour of giving Afghanistan and Ireland full Test status

The International Cricket Council(ICC) has voted in favour of giving Afghanistan and Ireland full Test status. As new full members of the ICC, Ireland and Afghanistan will take the total number of Test nations to 12. Bangladesh was inducted as a full Test member back in 2000 after the then BCCI chief late Jagmohan Dalmiya pushed other Asian nations namely Sri Lanka and Pakistan to further the Asian block within the ICC. Sri Lanka was inducted as a member in 1982, Zimbabwe joined the elite club in 1992. BREAKING: @ACBofficials and @Irelandcricket confirmed as Full Members after a unanimous vote at ICC Full Council meeting. More to follow... pic.twitter.com/HXCw2HwDAW — ICC (@ICC) June 22, 2017 × Heartiest congratulations to Ireland and Afghanistan on test status. Really happy for both the countries. — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) June 22, 2017 × Afghanistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Shafiq Stanikzai elated at being granted full Test status, said,"For a nation like Afghanistan it is a huge and remarkable achievement, the entire nation will be celebrating across all five regions and different provinces. It is the perfect Eid gift." "Everyone has waited for this news and has been so keen to hear this news. Afghanistan cricket has gone from strength to strength and we dared to dream that this would happen and today it has become a reality," he added. "It’s fantastic news for all involved with Irish cricket and I’d like to thank the ICC and the members for the positive outcome," said Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom in a statement. "Test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport and it’s what we’ve all been aiming for," he added. Ireland captain William Porterfield added: "It’s wonderful news for all of Irish cricket, with all the players already talking about playing in a Test match for the first time. "We’ve all played in World Cups and achieved some memorable results along the way, but to play in a Test would be a bit special."

ICC unanimously votes for Afghanistan, Ireland as Test playing nations

<p>The game that always &#39;stops two nations&#39; comes again to a third when title-holders India face Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final at London&#39;s Oval ground on Sunday.</p>

<p>And the question millions of cricket fans around the world, possibly even a billion, are all asking is &quot;which Pakistan will turn up?&quot;.</p>

<p>Will it be the team of their opening group match at Edgbaston on June 4, a 124-run thrashing by arch-rivals India, where their inept bowling and batting were outdone only by woeful fielding in what Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur labelled a &quot;shambolic&quot; display?</p>

<p>Or will it be the slick, skilled side who hammered England by eight wickets in the semi-finals, with Hasan Ali, the competition&#39;s leading wicket-taker, spearheading a brilliant bowling effort as the previously unbeaten tournament hosts were dismissed for just 211 before the likes of Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman helped knock off the runs in dashing style?</p>

<p>Arthur is confident the India &quot;aberration&quot; is now behind Pakistan, who&#39;ve also lost all three of their previous knockout matches at International Cricket Council tournaments against their fiercest foes.</p>

<p>&quot;What we&#39;ve produced after that doesn&#39;t come as any surprise, because that&#39;s how we trained, and that&#39;s what we worked at,&quot; Arthur told reporters at The Oval on Saturday. &quot;It was very disappointing to see that go wrong in the Indian game...That was an aberration. We&#39;re now moving forward.&quot;</p>

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<h5>&#39;At the same time, neither are we too intimidated nor are we too arrogant about what we are doing&#39;, said Kohli</h5>
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<p><strong>&#39;History can change&#39;&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The South African&#39;s comments echoed those of Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, who insisted: &quot;History can change, and I hope we can (change it).&quot;</p>

<p>The Oval was where, in 1882, England&#39;s defeat by Australia led to a mock obituary in a newspaper referring to the &quot;ashes&quot; of English cricket and hence the name for all future Anglo-Australian Test series.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But few would dispute that India-Pakistan is now the world game&#39;s premier contest -- certainly not the ICC who, by their own admission, now fix the draw at their events to ensure the Asian giants meet in the group phase.</p>

<p>&quot;It is massive,&quot; insisted Azhar. &quot;It is bigger than the Ashes -- and expectation is high from both nations, crazy about cricket.&quot;</p>

<p>Arthur confirmed Saturday that Mohammad Amir, who missed the semi-final with a back spasm, would return against India. &quot;He&#39;s fit to play, and he will play,&quot; said Arthur in answer to a question from AFP.</p>

<p>Amir&#39;s replacement left-arm quick Rumman Raees, who marked his ODI debut with two wickets against England, may now miss out. But &nbsp;Pakistan could also find a place for Amir by leaving out a spinner in either Shadab Khan or Imad Wasim.</p>

<p>India, whose skipper Virat Kohli heads the tournament batting averages with a stratospheric 253, are a formidable outfit. As well as Kohli, their top order boasts the likes of dynamic opening pair of Rohit Sharma, fresh from a hundred in a nine-wicket semi-final rout of Bangladesh, and Shikhar Dhawan.</p>

<p>But their middle-order has rarely been tested and Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed believed his bowlers could pose problems for India, even late in the innings.</p>

<p>&quot;After the India game we have bowled with an attacking mindset and that is why we have taken wickets,&quot; he said. &quot;The final overs usually involve a lot of pressure and especially if you are playing against India.&quot;</p>

<p>But Sarfraz, who has had a fine tournament in his triple role of captain, wicket-keeper and batsman added: &quot;You saw how well we bowled in the &#39;death overs&#39; against South Africa and also Sri Lanka&quot;.</p>

<p>India too have a well-balanced attack, with the new-ball duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah supported by contrasting spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and left-armer Ravindra Jadeja.</p>

<p>Ashwin is expected to be fit despite suffering a blow to his right knee from a wayward throw in during fielding practice at The Oval on Saturday.</p>

<p>Meanwhile Kohli too insisted the group clash was no longer of any relevance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;On their day they can beat any side in the world,&quot; the India captain said of Pakistan. &quot;That&#39;s the kind of players they have, we&#39;re quite aware of that.&quot;</p>

<p>Kohli, however, added: &quot;At the same time, neither are we too intimidated nor are we too arrogant about what we are doing.&quot;</p>


Pakistan are thought of as 'unpredictable', there are days when they are spectacular and other days when they are shambolic

The game that always 'stops two nations' comes again to a third when title-holders India face Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final at London's Oval ground on Sunday. And the question millions of cricket fans around the world, possibly even a billion, are all asking is "which Pakistan will turn up?". Will it be the team of their opening group match at Edgbaston on June 4, a 124-run thrashing by arch-rivals India, where their inept bowling and batting were outdone only by woeful fielding in what Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur labelled a "shambolic" display? Or will it be the slick, skilled side who hammered England by eight wickets in the semi-finals, with Hasan Ali, the competition's leading wicket-taker, spearheading a brilliant bowling effort as the previously unbeaten tournament hosts were dismissed for just 211 before the likes of Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman helped knock off the runs in dashing style? Arthur is confident the India "aberration" is now behind Pakistan, who've also lost all three of their previous knockout matches at International Cricket Council tournaments against their fiercest foes. "What we've produced after that doesn't come as any surprise, because that's how we trained, and that's what we worked at," Arthur told reporters at The Oval on Saturday. "It was very disappointing to see that go wrong in the Indian game...That was an aberration. We're now moving forward." 'At the same time, neither are we too intimidated nor are we too arrogant about what we are doing', said Kohli × 'History can change' The South African's comments echoed those of Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood, who insisted: "History can change, and I hope we can (change it)." The Oval was where, in 1882, England's defeat by Australia led to a mock obituary in a newspaper referring to the "ashes" of English cricket and hence the name for all future Anglo-Australian Test series. But few would dispute that India-Pakistan is now the world game's premier contest -- certainly not the ICC who, by their own admission, now fix the draw at their events to ensure the Asian giants meet in the group phase. "It is massive," insisted Azhar. "It is bigger than the Ashes -- and expectation is high from both nations, crazy about cricket." Arthur confirmed Saturday that Mohammad Amir, who missed the semi-final with a back spasm, would return against India. "He's fit to play, and he will play," said Arthur in answer to a question from AFP. Amir's replacement left-arm quick Rumman Raees, who marked his ODI debut with two wickets against England, may now miss out. But Pakistan could also find a place for Amir by leaving out a spinner in either Shadab Khan or Imad Wasim. India, whose skipper Virat Kohli heads the tournament batting averages with a stratospheric 253, are a formidable outfit. As well as Kohli, their top order boasts the likes of dynamic opening pair of Rohit Sharma, fresh from a hundred in a nine-wicket semi-final rout of Bangladesh, and Shikhar Dhawan. But their middle-order has rarely been tested and Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed believed his bowlers could pose problems for India, even late in the innings. "After the India game we have bowled with an attacking mindset and that is why we have taken wickets," he said. "The final overs usually involve a lot of pressure and especially if you are playing against India." But Sarfraz, who has had a fine tournament in his triple role of captain, wicket-keeper and batsman added: "You saw how well we bowled in the 'death overs' against South Africa and also Sri Lanka". India too have a well-balanced attack, with the new-ball duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah supported by contrasting spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and left-armer Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin is expected to be fit despite suffering a blow to his right knee from a wayward throw in during fielding practice at The Oval on Saturday. Meanwhile Kohli too insisted the group clash was no longer of any relevance. "On their day they can beat any side in the world," the India captain said of Pakistan. "That's the kind of players they have, we're quite aware of that." Kohli, however, added: "At the same time, neither are we too intimidated nor are we too arrogant about what we are doing."

Champions Trophy final: Which Pakistan will turn up against India?

The head of India&#39;s powerful cricket board has voiced opposition to controversial plans for a two-tier Test system being considered by the game&#39;s governing body, a report said today.<br />
<br />
Anurag Thakur, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told a newspaper that smaller nations would lose out on revenue and the chance to compete against the top teams.<br />
<br />
&quot;The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out, and the BCCI wants to take care of them. It is necessary to protect their interests,&quot; a Chennai-based daily, quoted him as saying.<br />
<br />
&quot;In the two-tier system, they will lose out on a lot, including revenue and the opportunity to play against top teams. We don&#39;t want that to happen.&nbsp;We want to work in the best interests of world cricket and that is why our team plays against all the countries.&quot;<br />
<br />
The International Cricket Council (ICC) first discussed the proposal to split Test cricket into two divisions at a meeting in Edinburgh last month, and is due to debate the plan further in September.<br />
<br />
Under the scheme being considered, the top seven-ranked teams would join a de facto premier league designed to boost interest in Test cricket.&nbsp;The other three lowest ranked sides which are currently the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, would then join a second division, which would also include the likes of Afghanistan and Ireland.<br />
<br />
Although England, Australia and New Zealand have all come out in favour of the proposal, India&#39;s opposition could well mean it is now dead in the water.<br />
<br />
Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar is head of the ICC and India, which is the game&#39;s financial powerhouse, has a history of ensuring that its stance prevails on key debates within the global body.<br />
<br />
The plan has been fiercely opposed by the likes of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which is at risk of falling outside the top seven after sliding down the rankings in the last year.<br />
<br />
The smaller Test teams financial survival largely depends on their ability to sell television rights to matches against teams such as India and England.<br />
<br />
(AFP)

Although England, Australia and New Zealand all favour the proposal, India's opposition could well mean it is now dead in the water

The head of India's powerful cricket board has voiced opposition to controversial plans for a two-tier Test system being considered by the game's governing body, a report said today. Anurag Thakur, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told a newspaper that smaller nations would lose out on revenue and the chance to compete against the top teams. "The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out, and the BCCI wants to take care of them. It is necessary to protect their interests," a Chennai-based daily, quoted him as saying. "In the two-tier system, they will lose out on a lot, including revenue and the opportunity to play against top teams. We don't want that to happen. We want to work in the best interests of world cricket and that is why our team plays against all the countries." The International Cricket Council (ICC) first discussed the proposal to split Test cricket into two divisions at a meeting in Edinburgh last month, and is due to debate the plan further in September. Under the scheme being considered, the top seven-ranked teams would join a de facto premier league designed to boost interest in Test cricket. The other three lowest ranked sides which are currently the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, would then join a second division, which would also include the likes of Afghanistan and Ireland. Although England, Australia and New Zealand have all come out in favour of the proposal, India's opposition could well mean it is now dead in the water. Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar is head of the ICC and India, which is the game's financial powerhouse, has a history of ensuring that its stance prevails on key debates within the global body. The plan has been fiercely opposed by the likes of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, which is at risk of falling outside the top seven after sliding down the rankings in the last year. The smaller Test teams financial survival largely depends on their ability to sell television rights to matches against teams such as India and England. (AFP)

India's cricket board opposes two-tier Test plan: report

Bangladesh has ruled out playing England&#39;s cricket team in a third country in September, an idea floated after a deadly terror attack in the capital killed 18 foreigners last week.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
England are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals.<br />
<br />
England&#39;s limited-over captain Eion Morgan voiced &quot;big concern&quot; after last Saturday&#39;s attack by Islamist extremists at an upmarket restaurant, saying a neutral venue could be an option for the series.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
And an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman hinted at a possible cancellation of the Bangladesh tour saying that &quot;if the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps&quot;.<br />
<br />
However, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka today that Bangladesh wanted the matches to go ahead on home turf.<br />
<br />
&quot;We always believe suspending cricket in a particular country will not bring any solution,&quot; Chowdhury said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;Our all-out effort will be fulfilling our commitment of hosting the series here,&quot; he added.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
He also noted that a security delegation from England would be coming to inspect the security measures in place ahead of the games.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&quot;England security delegate was supposed to visit last month. But they are taking time,&quot; he said.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;They will also tour India after Bangladesh series. Perhaps,they will do the security inspection both in India and Bangladesh together.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Australia pulled out of a tour of Bangladesh last year due to security concerns. The West Indies Under-19 side also aborted a tour in 2013 after an explosion near their hotel in the southern city of Chittagong.<br />
<br />
Chowdhury said the International Cricket Council is working on updated security protocol to deal with the problem globally.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;It`s not just a problem of Bangladesh. Many developed countries in the world, who have strong security barriers, face some incidents too.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;Still, whenever we host an international series, we take special security measures. We have hosted many major ICC events, despite many challenges,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
(AFP)<br />
&nbsp;

England are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two tests and three one-day internationals

Bangladesh has ruled out playing England's cricket team in a third country in September, an idea floated after a deadly terror attack in the capital killed 18 foreigners last week. England are scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on September 30 to play two Tests and three one-day internationals. England's limited-over captain Eion Morgan voiced "big concern" after last Saturday's attack by Islamist extremists at an upmarket restaurant, saying a neutral venue could be an option for the series. And an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman hinted at a possible cancellation of the Bangladesh tour saying that "if the environment is not acceptably safe or the right measures not in place, we would take the appropriate steps". However, Bangladesh Cricket Board chief executive officer Nizamuddin Chowdhury told reporters in Dhaka today that Bangladesh wanted the matches to go ahead on home turf. "We always believe suspending cricket in a particular country will not bring any solution," Chowdhury said. "Our all-out effort will be fulfilling our commitment of hosting the series here," he added. He also noted that a security delegation from England would be coming to inspect the security measures in place ahead of the games. "England security delegate was supposed to visit last month. But they are taking time," he said. "They will also tour India after Bangladesh series. Perhaps,they will do the security inspection both in India and Bangladesh together." Australia pulled out of a tour of Bangladesh last year due to security concerns. The West Indies Under-19 side also aborted a tour in 2013 after an explosion near their hotel in the southern city of Chittagong. Chowdhury said the International Cricket Council is working on updated security protocol to deal with the problem globally. "It`s not just a problem of Bangladesh. Many developed countries in the world, who have strong security barriers, face some incidents too. "Still, whenever we host an international series, we take special security measures. We have hosted many major ICC events, despite many challenges," he said. (AFP)

Bangladesh rule out playing England in neutral venue

<p>The International&nbsp;Cricket&nbsp;Council (ICC) will apply for the inclusion of women&#39;s&nbsp;cricket at the&nbsp;2022&nbsp;Commonwealth&nbsp;Games&nbsp;in Durban, South Africa, the governing body has said.</p>

<p>Cricket&nbsp;has struggled to venture into new markets away from its traditional strongholds and the influential Indian board&#39;s reluctance to embrace multi-sports events as a means to increase exposure has hindered growth.</p>

<p>Following a presentation by the&nbsp;Commonwealth&nbsp;Games&nbsp;Federation, the&nbsp;ICC&nbsp;board agreed to apply for a women&#39;s competition at the Durban&nbsp;Games&nbsp;during its annual conference in Edinburgh on Saturday.</p>

<p>&quot;It will enhance the profile of the sport and create additional exposure and experiences for female&nbsp;cricketers,&quot;&nbsp;ICC&nbsp;chairman Shashank Manohar, a former head of the Indian board, said in a statement.</p>

<p>South Africa won the men&#39;s event when&nbsp;cricket&nbsp;took place at the 1998&nbsp;Commonwealth&nbsp;Games in Malaysia, the only time the sport has been included in the programme.</p>

<p>The Asian&nbsp;Games&nbsp;remains the largest multi-sports event that features&nbsp;cricket&nbsp;and the last two editions included both men&#39;s and women&#39;s competitions.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;ICC&nbsp;has also been exploring the possibility of getting&nbsp;cricket&nbsp;added to the Olympic programme.</p>

<p>&quot;There will be further discussions on&nbsp;cricket&#39;s potential participation in the Olympic&nbsp;Games following further meetings with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later in the year,&quot; the governing body said.</p>

<p>President of the Italian board Simone Gambino told ESPN Cricinfo on Friday that&nbsp;cricket&nbsp;would be included in the 2024 Olympics should Rome win the bid to host the&nbsp;Games.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)</p>


The?ICC?has also been exploring the possibility of getting?cricket?added to the Olympic programme

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will apply for the inclusion of women's cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Durban, South Africa, the governing body has said. Cricket has struggled to venture into new markets away from its traditional strongholds and the influential Indian board's reluctance to embrace multi-sports events as a means to increase exposure has hindered growth. Following a presentation by the Commonwealth Games Federation, the ICC board agreed to apply for a women's competition at the Durban Games during its annual conference in Edinburgh on Saturday. "It will enhance the profile of the sport and create additional exposure and experiences for female cricketers," ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, a former head of the Indian board, said in a statement. South Africa won the men's event when cricket took place at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, the only time the sport has been included in the programme. The Asian Games remains the largest multi-sports event that features cricket and the last two editions included both men's and women's competitions. The ICC has also been exploring the possibility of getting cricket added to the Olympic programme. "There will be further discussions on cricket's potential participation in the Olympic Games following further meetings with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later in the year," the governing body said. President of the Italian board Simone Gambino told ESPN Cricinfo on Friday that cricket would be included in the 2024 Olympics should Rome win the bid to host the Games. (Reuters)

Commonwealth Games 2022: Women's cricket may feature in Durban

Unperturbed over the length of his contract as India&#39;s new head coach, former spinner Anil Kumble believes he has enough time and matches to make an impact.<br />
<br />
Kumble, whose only coaching experience has been as mentor of the Mumbai and Bangalore teams in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, was given a one-year term last week.<br />
<br />
For the post, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) received 57 applications which were made available to an advisory panel that included former captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly and former batsman VVS Laxman.<br />
<br />
The BCCI said Kumble was handed a one-year contract so they could review their options for one of world cricket&#39;s most challenging jobs at the end of that period.<br />
<br />
&quot;I am talking about a journey,&quot; former India skipper Kumble told reporters in his first press conference on Wednesday after bagging the job. &quot;There are 17 test matches in the next 12 months.<br />
<br />
&quot;I just look at that as an opportunity to gain experience and contribute to Indian cricket,&quot; he asserted.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<strong>Confident about team&#39;s potential as he braces up for upcoming&nbsp;</strong><strong>assignment&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
Kumble&#39;s first assignment will be a four-test series in West Indies, after which India is set for a bumper season of home action when they will be playing 13 test matches, eight ODIs and three T20 internationals.<br />
<br />
These start with three tests against New Zealand, while England and Australia will play five and four matches respectively. Bangladesh will also play a one-off test.<br />
<br />
India won their last test series in the Caribbean 1-0 and Kumble was confident they would return victorious again.<br />
<br />
&quot;When I became captain, I never thought if I will be captain for a year or longer,&quot; the 45-year-old said. &quot;This team has potential and we will go for wins in those 17 matches.<br />
<br />
&quot;There will be some hard moments but I am sure we will come out of those.&quot;<br />
<br />
Former leg-spinner Kumble, who heads the International Cricket Council&#39;s (ICC) cricket committee, is believed to be India&#39;s most successful bowler, capturing 619 wickets in 132 tests and 337 from 271 one-day internationals.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Kumble hopes to assist captain in terms of &#39;strategy&#39;, &#39;progression&#39;&nbsp;</strong><br />
<br />
Taking 20 wickets in tests have always been a challenge for touring India side and Kumble hoped his experience would come in handy.<br />
<br />
&quot;It&#39;s important the bowling group believe that they are leaders, which they are... just the mindset and whatever needs to be done,&quot; he added. &quot;The experiences I have had as a captain or as a player will certainly help in sharing those.<br />
<br />
He further added saying, &quot;It&#39; s a different role... I understand the role of staying in the background and it&#39;s the captain who takes all the calls on the field.&quot;&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&quot;I will only assist him by giving him whatever necessary information there is in terms of strategy, progression,&quot; Kumble stressed.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Former leg-spinner Kumble, who heads the ICC cricket committee, is believed to be India's most successful bowler

Unperturbed over the length of his contract as India's new head coach, former spinner Anil Kumble believes he has enough time and matches to make an impact. Kumble, whose only coaching experience has been as mentor of the Mumbai and Bangalore teams in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, was given a one-year term last week. For the post, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) received 57 applications which were made available to an advisory panel that included former captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly and former batsman VVS Laxman. The BCCI said Kumble was handed a one-year contract so they could review their options for one of world cricket's most challenging jobs at the end of that period. "I am talking about a journey," former India skipper Kumble told reporters in his first press conference on Wednesday after bagging the job. "There are 17 test matches in the next 12 months. "I just look at that as an opportunity to gain experience and contribute to Indian cricket," he asserted. Confident about team's potential as he braces up for upcoming assignment Kumble's first assignment will be a four-test series in West Indies, after which India is set for a bumper season of home action when they will be playing 13 test matches, eight ODIs and three T20 internationals. These start with three tests against New Zealand, while England and Australia will play five and four matches respectively. Bangladesh will also play a one-off test. India won their last test series in the Caribbean 1-0 and Kumble was confident they would return victorious again. "When I became captain, I never thought if I will be captain for a year or longer," the 45-year-old said. "This team has potential and we will go for wins in those 17 matches. "There will be some hard moments but I am sure we will come out of those." Former leg-spinner Kumble, who heads the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee, is believed to be India's most successful bowler, capturing 619 wickets in 132 tests and 337 from 271 one-day internationals. Kumble hopes to assist captain in terms of 'strategy', 'progression' Taking 20 wickets in tests have always been a challenge for touring India side and Kumble hoped his experience would come in handy. "It's important the bowling group believe that they are leaders, which they are... just the mindset and whatever needs to be done," he added. "The experiences I have had as a captain or as a player will certainly help in sharing those. He further added saying, "It' s a different role... I understand the role of staying in the background and it's the captain who takes all the calls on the field." "I will only assist him by giving him whatever necessary information there is in terms of strategy, progression," Kumble stressed. (Reuters)

Indian coach Kumble: Enough time, matches for me to make impact

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