The first One-Day International to be held on October 25 at Vadodara for seven-match ODI series in against India. Australia had recently lifted the Champions Trophy in South Africa and they are confident to put good show here too.

According to BCCI, Aussies will play two warm-up matches in Mumbai on October 21 and 22. Later team will leave for Vadodara.

<p>Johannesburg: England defeated <a href=”http://cricket.yahoo.com/team-profile/Sri-Lanka_8″>Sri Lanka</a> by six wickets in their Group B ICC <a href=”http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/series/home?series_id=1192″>Champions Trophy</a> match at New Wanderers stadium here on Friday.</p>
<p>Chasing 213 to win, England reached the target in 45 overs after Eoin Morgan remained unbeaten on 62.</p>
<p>England slipped to 19 for two before Paul Collingwood launched a counter-attack, dominating a 63-run partnership with Owais Shah (44).</p>
<p>Collingwood breezed to 46 off 51 balls with five fours and three sixes before he chopped a delivery from fast bowler Lasith Malinga on to his stumps.</p>
<p>Earlier, Thilina Kandamby (53) and Angelo Mathews (52) struck defiant half-centuries to steer <a href=”http://cricket.yahoo.com/team-profile/Sri-Lanka_8″>Sri Lanka</a> to a modest 212 against England in their ICC <a href=”http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/series/home?series_id=1192″>Champions Trophy</a> match at the New Wanderers Stadium here today. </p>
<p>Both the batsmen showed immense resilience and guts while batting on a zippy track after England pace duo of James Anderson and Graham Onions had polished off their top order.</p>
<p>Taking full advantage of a juicy seaming track, Anderson and Onions made life difficult for Sri Lankan batsmen, sent in to bat by England skipper Andrew Strauss. </p>
<p>Anderson (3/20) and Stuart Broad (3/49) took three wickets each while Onions claimed two as England innings folded in 47.3 overs.</p>
<p>Within first six overs, <a href=”http://cricket.yahoo.com/team-profile/Sri-Lanka_8″>Sri Lanka</a> were reduced to 17 for four as hostile conditions made batting extremely difficult. </p>
<p>The left-handed Kandambi first raised a stand of 64 with Thilan Samaraweera (30) for the fifth wicket and then reinvigorated the Lankans innings with a 82-run partnership with next man in Mathews.</p>
<p>Realising that stroke-making was not easy, Kandambi and Mathwes played according to the merit of the ball and waited patiently for loose deliveries to score boundaries. </p>
<p>They stuck to the basics and rotated the strike to get a feel of the pitch and started picking boundaries as the track started to ease out as the game progressed.

</p>

CHESTER-LE-STREET, England: England avoided the indignity of becoming the first international side to lose a one-day series 7-0 by recording a four-wicket victory over Australia at the Riverside on Sunday.

Spinner Graeme Swann proved the match-winner, taking five wickets for 28 runs from his 10 overs as England, who won the toss and chose to field, dismissed the tourists for just 176.

Swann took the key wicket of captain Ricky Ponting (53), who chipped a catch to Paul Collingwood at mid-wicket, sparking an Australian collapse as they lost their last eight wickets for 80 runs.

England began their chase brightly with captain Andrew Strauss (47) and Joe Denly (53) putting on 106 for the first wicket and the hosts appeared to be cruising to the modest total.

However, Australia rallied with three wickets in 13 balls as England wobbled on 141 for five and 162 for six, before Tim Bresnan (10 not out) and Collingwood (13 not out) steered the hosts home with more than nine overs to spare.

The teams now travel to South Africa for the Champions Trophy with England playing Sri Lanka in Johannesburg on Friday

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – West Indies will be given up until the latest possible moment to make changes to its Champions Trophy squad as the board tries to resolve a contracts dispute with leading players, cricket’s ruling body said on Wednesday.

The Caribbean body was forced to select a weakened squad for the premier one-day event starting in South Africa on Tuesday due to the protracted row.

The side is already in South Africa but concerns remain that the absence of big names such as skipper Chris Gayle and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo would tarnish the event.

“The West Indies cricket board and the player situation is quite complex,” the ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a teleconference from its Dubai headquarters.

“We’ve accepted it is absolutely their right to determine the team based on whatever the challenges are that they face, who is available and who is not,” he said.

“We have indicated to them that we understand the extent of the challenge they are facing, and if there is an opportunity for them, if they resolve the issue and wish to change the team, we will try and do it as late in the day as possible.”

The former champions open against Pakistan on Sept. 23. Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, England and hosts South Africa complete the line-up.

The Champions Trophy will be a crucial test on whether the 50-over game was still relevant in the wake of the popularity of the Twenty20 format.

Lorgat compared the raging debate on the issue to concerns raised a year ago on the future of test cricket. The ICC was open to innovations to boost the format but was against any radical changes, he said.

India’s Sachin Tendulkar has suggested splitting the match into two 25-over innings to make them more evenly matched.

KARACHI (Reuters) – The International Cricket Council should give serious consideration to organising a proper break before major tournaments, Pakistan captain Younis Khan said on Wednesday.

The Champions Trophy starts in South Africa next week and some teams are still involved in international series.

“There is too much cricket being played before the Champions Trophy. I think it is only fair that before such a major event players should get a break from international matches,” Younis told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

Australia and England finish a one-day series just two days before the start of the eight-nation Champions Trophy, while a tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand ended only on Sunday.

Younis said international cricketers were under great pressure because of the packed calendar, adding that the quality of the sport was suffering.

“It would be ideal if the ICC and its boards can agree to say a 10-day break in the international calendar before a World Cup or Champions Trophy which are major events,” he said.

Younis said too much international cricket also tended to dilute interest in tournaments.

“Every board and team naturally has it own way of looking at how the international cricket calendar should be run or organizing their commitments before a major event. But I think the ICC can enforce a uniform policy when it comes to a World Cup or Champions Trophy,” he added.

“One series ends and the next one begins soon after and the players don’t get a chance to take a proper break to recharge themselves. It is also adding to the fitness problems of players.”

Pakistan, who won this year’s World Twenty20 tournament, have had a long break to prepare for the Champions Trophy with their last match on Aug. 12.

“The last time we went to the T20 World Cup in England in June we had not played much cricket. But the players were fresh and it worked for us. This time also we have done our preparations for the Champions Trophy,” he said.

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Dubai: Amid growing concerns about One-day cricket’s future, ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat has said the upcoming Champions Trophy will prove there is enough space for the 50-over format as it battles the Twenty20 onslaught. “In the context of 50-over cricket this is an important tournament,” Lorgat said.

“It reminds me of a year ago when people were talking about the death of Test cricket, with no crowds being there and so on. Similarly with the ODIs, I think we are maybe running ahead of ourselves.”

“Look at England where there is a lot of interest still in the ODI series despite England being so far behind Australia, crowds are still turning up. Similarly in the recent tri-series in Sri Lanka. We will see here, with the Champions Trophy, that there is a place for the ODI format in cricket,” he added.

Eight nations will compete in the Champions Trophy which begins September 22 in Johannesburg, amid increasing speculation that the format will not survive.

England has already scrapped its domestic 50-over tournament and according to the ICC’s cricket manager Dave Richardson, South Africa is also toying with the idea of a four-innings format domestically. Many former and current cricketers have also come out with different formulae to save the game.

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has suggested breaking the ODIs into four innings of 25 overs each.

Karachi: Confident that the conditions in South Africa will favour Pakistan, senior batsman Misbah-ul Haq today said his team is all geared up to clinch the Champions Trophy, a title which has so far eluded it.

“I believe the conditions in South Africa will favor us and I believe we have the combination to win the tournament,” Misbah told reporters during a training session at the National stadium.

“Because the conditions in South Africa are good for us we are confident of doing well in the tournament this time. The fact that we have never won the Champions Trophy is also at the back of the minds of the players who want to do well and win the competition this time,” Misbah said.

The stylish batsman, who was replaced as vice-captain by Shahid Afridi for the Champions trophy scheduled September from 22, said Pakistan has developed a winning combination.

“At this level you can only remain in the team if you perform. They are no favors given or asked for. Whether you are a senior player or junior player there is always pressure on you to perform,” Misbah added.

Misbah also praised the contribution of former captain and batting consultant Javed Miandad. “Miandad is a very experienced and sharp cricketer and his tips have been very helpful to us in the camp. He has given us tips on how to come out of a pressure situation and how to handle pressure which is very important for any batsman,” he stated.

Karachi, Sep.15 (ANI): Leading his team in a full-fledged series against India and defeating the arch rivals in that is one of Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan’s biggest aspirations.

“I would love to lead the team in a full series against India as beating them would be a big achievement for me and a big plus in my career,” Khan said.

Talking to media persons at the sidelines of a training camp here, Khan said he is targeting to win at least one of the next two ICC one-day tournaments.

“Every captain has certain targets in mind, mine is that we must win either of these two major ICC events until I am captain,” The Daily Times quoted Khan, as saying.

He also expressed hope of wining a Test series in Australia, which Pakistan has failed to do so far. Khan said his team has the ability to create upsets, but players needed to click at crucial junctures and perform to their potential.

“We have the players to win the Champions Trophy or World Cup and even beat Australia in Australia but we need to combine and click together,” he said.

Pakistan, which shares the group with India and Australia in the Champions Trophy, would kick start its campaign in the eight nation tournament against West Indies on September 23 in Johannesburg. (ANI)

Lahore, Sep.15 (ANI): After being sidelined from the Champions Trophy squad, out of form Pakistani fast bowler Sohail Tanvir is now working to improve his ability with the bat to force his way into the national team.

Acknowledging the severe competition in the team, Tanvir said he needed the abilities of an all-rounder to cement his place in the national squad.

“There is a lot of competition in Pakistan in the pace bowling department these days and if you can bat usefully in the middle or late order, this will always give you an edge over your competitors,” Tanvir said.

“There are so many one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches being played these days that it always helps your career to be recognised as a genuine all-rounder. I will do more justice with my batting,” he added.

Tanvir said he has the capability to become a good all-rounder, but regretted paying more attention towards his bowling while neglecting his skills with the bat.

“I think my batting fell away after the first T20 World Cup in South Africa. There was a lot of load on me as a bowler and I totally focused on that area which was a mistake,” The Daily Times quoted Tanvir, as saying. (ANI)

Karachi, Sep 15 (IANS) Pakistan’s Test discard Faisal Iqbal will lead the national team in the Hong Kong Sixes Tournament 2009 starting Oct 31.

A nephew of former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad, Faisal recently led Pakistan A team on its tour of Sri Lanka.

The Pakistan team for the two-day Hong Kong Sixes event also includes former Pakistan Test opener Yasir Hameed.

Mian Munir, a veteran cricket administrator who is widely expected to take over as Pakistan team’s manager after the Champions Trophy, has been appointed the manager for the Hong Kong-bound team.

The Squad: Faisal Iqbal (captain), Yasir Hameed, Ahmed Shahzad, Abdur Rauf, Anwar Ali, Junaid Zia, Sohail Khan.