Team Pakistan manager wants players to remain cool against England

Naveed Akram Cheema, the Pakistan team's manager, hopes that the upcoming series against England will be a controversy-free and friendly event; a series they want to play in the right spirit of the game, and avoid any sort of untoward incident. Cheema revealed that the Men in Green will be given special lessons regarding the International Cricket Council’s laws about spot-fixing during their training camp at Lahore. This is being done in order to avoid a repetition of the spot fixing scandal that emerged at Lord's. According to the manager, the players will also be told not to lose their cool, whether it be the pavilion or the ground, and to treat the English team with respect, dignity and create a peaceful atmosphere throughout the tour. He did emphasise that the Cornered Tiger should prove themselves via their performances.

The manager touched upon the atmosphere while speaking to the media. “I want this series to be played in the right spirit. In the training camp for the tour, we will be instructing our players to maintain their cool and not get provoked in any situation.” He further said, “What happened in the last series between the two teams is in the past and I am confident that the upcoming matches will be played in a friendly atmosphere. The players will be asked to show aggression only on the field through their performances and I'll be asking them to avoid any sledging to ensure a friendly atmosphere.” During the last Pakistan-England Test series in England, three Pakistani players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were implicated for spot-fixing, which brought dishonour to the Pakistani team. This left a bitter taste at the end of the tour. Controversy is no stranger to Pakistan-England series; from Shakoor Rana and Mike Gatting fighting on-field, to Inzimam refusing to re-enter the field of play after tea, in 2006 at the Oval, over allegations of ball tampering. The current series consists of 3 Tests, 4 One Day Internationals and 3 T20I; fans and the team management will be hoping that the tour can finish without any major controversy.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni praises his spinners

Indian skipper,Mahendra Singh Dhoni has lauded the work done by his spin bowlers, which helped the team to a easy win in the fourth One-Day International against England.
The two R’s, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were again among the wicket takers as the duo shared five important Poms scalp, which helped the team to restrict their opponents to a sub-par total.
Ashwin put the brakes on the scoring when he dismissed England skipper, Alastair Cook in his first over, despite Craig Kieswetter clobbering Ashwin for 15 from the first five balls.
The bowler than stuck to his task ably and took two more important breakthroughs, which included Kevin Pietersen, who was looking good on 41, while also sending Samit Patel back to the pavilion.
The player finished his full quota of overs with impressive figures of 3 for 38 and was duly appreciated by his skipper.
"Spinners have done a very good job in the series. In the first over Ashwin was expensive, but after that bowled brilliantly. He got a bit of spin. He has got a few variations. Not to forget he bowled three overs in the first Power Play and close to three in the second. Overall he did a very good job," he said.
The left-armer, Ravindra Jadeja has been a revelation after being recalled into the national team. The player has swiftly fitted as the fifth bowler in the team, while he also has been handy with the bat, which has given the team much needed balance in the absence of Yuvraj Singh.
In the fourth One Day International, he got the ball to turn, which made life difficult for his opponents. His middle-stage innings bowling helped the Indians grab important wickets of Ravi Bopara and Jonny Bairstow.
Dhoni also heaped praised on Jadeja by adding, “"The same (is the case) with Jadeja. We all know if it starts turning he's a difficult bowler (for the batsmen) to handle. It showed in this game."
The final one day game now takes place on the 25^th of October and the hosts will be gearing up to inflict a series whitewash.

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Yuvraj Singh wants an open-minded and understanding woman to marry

While Yuvraj Singh is away from cricket due to fitness problems, India’s star all-rounder has described the traits of his dream girl.
Appearing in his once-rumoured girlfriend, the Indian movie star Preity Zinta’s TV show, Up Close and Personal With PZ, Yuvraj said that he is in no hurry to get married, and he has been waiting for an understanding and broad-minded lady.
Meanwhile, he made it clear that he does not want a roman who is interested only in his popularity.
"I want someone who has an open mind to understand the background I come from. I don’t want anyone to marry me for the fact that I play for India or due to my popularity. She needs to be understanding given the fact that I would be travelling most of the time due to my game," said Yuvraj while talking about his ideal girl.
The Indian Southpaw is currently undergoing rehabilitation after a severe figure injury that he picked up during India’s recent tour to England.
Following an all-round performance, the Chandigarh-born cricket scooped the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award in the ICC World Cup 2011.
However, he failed to shine against England and missed the rest of the tour due to injury after playing in a single Test match.
Since he is yet to find hundred percent fitness, the left-hander is not in the present Indian squad for the imminent home ODI series against the Poms.
In his recent interaction with the media, Yuvraj, 29, aimed to marry only after the Bollywood superstar, Salman Khan who, according to Yuvraj, is the most eligible bachelor in the country.
Although, the Indian cricketer has no immediate plans for the marriage, he shared that if he ever has a son, he will not permit him to play profession cricket.
"Never. I would, in fact, request him to stay away from the game or else I will break his legs, because in a country like India there is too much pressure on cricketers and expectations are unrealistic," added the talented all-rounder who has served his country in 35 Tests plus 274 One-dayers.

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Zaheer Khan expects Harbhajan Singh to comeback strongly

India’s ace fast bowler, Zaheer Khan, has come up in support of Harbhajan Singh, and said that the off-spinner holds the potential to make a strong comeback into the national setup.
Despite his availability, Harbhajan was dropped out of the Indian squad for the upcoming five-match One Day International (ODI) series against England, starting from October 14, 2011.
The off-spinner’s exclusion from the national crew came as a result of his ordinary recital on the recent tour to England. After displaying a lacklustre show in opening two Tests, the Jalandhar-born spinner failed to maintain his fitness and missed the rest of the four-match series.
The right-arm off-spinner is currently leading his Indian Premier League (IPL) outfit, Mumbai Indians, in the in-progress Champions League Twenty20.
Although, he has proved his fitness by performing reasonably well so far in the ongoing tournament, the Indian selectors overlooked him and gave opportunity to young spinner, Rahul Sharma.
However, Zaheer is not worried about Harbhajan’s omission, saying that he has been undergoing a lean patch and will be back in action very soon.
"We all know that Harbhajan has done great things for the country and me as a fellow cricketer played alongside him, I am sure that he is going to be back. He is too good a bowler to be left out and I am sure the talent he has, he is going to be back. Personally (I have) gone through up's and downs in my career and I am sure that Harbhajan has also got that character, that fire in him to come back stronger than ever," said Zaheer, who along with the offie, was a key part of India’s World Cup winning team.
The left-arm pacer further dismissed all concerns over the bowling skills of Harbhajan, saying that the 31-year-old is a world-class bowler who has all the experience and quality to rejuvenate his form.
"Harbhajan was a champion bowler and he would definitely fight back for his place in the team," added the 32-year-old seamer who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury.

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You have to know your strengths, says Ravichandran Ashwin

Indian emerging spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, talking ahead of a crucial series against England, was adamant that his team will be a totally different proposition on their home soil, playing to their strenghts.
In a winless tour of England, where the Men In Blue failed to perform at their potential, Ashwin was particularly lauded for his ability to bowl under pressure situations. He was pleased to hear such notions and believed the success he achieved has been based purely on playing to his strengths.
"Any bowler can have an off-day but you can't sit and brood over it. You have to ensure mistakes are not repeated. If the opposition thinks I have a lot of mental strength, then half the battle is already won. You have to know your strengths," he said.
Despite underperforming throughout the tour, the Indians clawed back with some good showing in the limited over ties; however, luck did not favour the Men In Blue’s charge, who had to come home out of the trip empty handed.
In the 5 matches, Ashwin took six wickets at an impressive average of 25.16, with the best of 3 for 40.
Now with the Poms travelling to the sub-continent for 5 limited-over matches, Ashwin feels even though their opponents are good players of spin, the conditions in the sub-continent will be totally different as compared to England.
"Trott, Bell and Cook played well against our spin attack. However, it won't be the same when you are batting in the subcontinent," he added while talking to the Times of India.
Currently the spinner is performing in the Champions League T20 and in the two matches played so far, has again impressed while opening the attack. He took 2 for 23 in his first match against Mumbai Indians and followed it with another solid performance against Cape Cobras conceding just 26.
With Harbhajan Singh still far from getting back to his best, the emergence of Ashwin will be a boost for the Indian team looking to perform well at home against an inform English contingent.

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Ravichandran Ashwin content with his performances on English soil

Indian off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, is content with his performances in the ODI series against England, and feels that the experience gained on this tour will help him in the future.
The Tamil-Nadu player has been the pick of the Indian bowlers on show, troubling the English batters with his wide range of varieties.
He has labeled his success on his ability to toss the ball up, and with the air helping his trajectory, he has been able to take regular wickets.
"I have tossed more because the ball hangs (in the air) a bit more here. It's better to look for help in the air than from wicket. It's better than I go after him (batsman) than he coming after me, he said.
In the 4 matches of the limited overs series, the player has taken 6 wickets at an impressive average of 21, with the best of 3 for 40. He has also been handy with the bat coming in the  lower order, where he scored a brisk unbeaten 36 off 32 balls in the third One Dayer at Southampton.
It was the spinner’s first outing in tough English conditions and he feels he has gained valuable lessons from the tour, which will facilitate him whenever the team visits the Poms again.
“I have loved every bit of experience,” he said. “They have hit out, I have picked wickets  I will treasure it all.” "If you attach to team than to yourself personally you'd have more success than failure. You would enjoy more success.”
The Chennai player will hope to bamboozle the English batters, when the two meet today in the final match of the tour at Cardiff.  The Day and Night encounter will be India’s last chance to claim a victory in the series, which so far has eluded them.
With good progress made by youngsters such as Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Ashwin himself, it has given the Men In Blue a breath of fresh air, which will hopefully turn the corners when their opponents tour India next month.

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Poonam Pandey wants God to be on India’s side in the fifth One Day International

Poonam Pandey, the Indian model after failing to motivate team India to grab a victory in the ongoing one-day series against England by making provocative offers regarding her semi-nude pictures has finally turned to religion for help as she seeks the hand of God in the fifth and final match of the one-day series against England on Friday, 15, September.
Pandey while wishing the team good luck for the final match of the disastrous English tour tweeted, “Beautiful Phrase From Guru Granth Sahib :- "Teri kismat da likha tere toh koi kho nahi sakda... je usdi mehar hove te tenu o v mil jaega jo tera ho nahi sakda.."  Wish My Team shud win Tmrw!! so Want "Gods Mehar" on the Men in Blue :).”
Earlier, the 20-year-old self proclaimed cricket fan had stated that she would be gifting her provocative pictures to the Indian team by posting them on her twitter page after India’s win in every match during the one-day series.
However, the team has failed to beat the English, which has left the model irritated and annoyed and now it is the final chance for the World Champions to see the model in her skimps.
She has once again promised to share her happiness on twitter every time the Indian players achieve something on the field.
She also praised the heroic efforts by middle-order batsman Rahul Dravid who will be playing his last one-day international on Friday.
“Dravid saved Team India a million times, let’s give the man a million-dollar farewell tomorrow. The one man who makes Blue look Regal without trying too hard: Rahul Dravid. We will miss you,” she tweeted.
Pandey made headlines during the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011, when she announced that she would strip for the national team if they lift the title.
However, due to the conservative Indian culture, she was not permitted to go ahead with her plan as her act was considered obscene by many circles in India.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also had its reservations on the matter and did not permit her to give the team a private show in their dressing room.

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Records set by me are not going to stay permanently reckons Sachin Tendulkar

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Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian batting maestro, wants to be remembered for not only his stats but for the value he has added to Indian cricket.

The Little Master believes that leaving behind an impression is more important than creating records. Tendulkar reckons that someday a cricketer will come along who’ll go one better, as records set by him are not permanent.

Tendulkar, who is part of the Indian team that is on tour of England, asserts, “For me, it's not about breaking records or creating new ones. It's about adding value to my team. The impression that I leave on people will last forever, I feel. The impression that I leave behind -- to me that is important. If I can motivate young cricketers, that will be a big contribution.”

The 38-year-old batsman advised young cricketers not to chase personal milestones rather focus on developing their game. Tendulkar holds firm that secret to success lies on how much someone enjoys their game.

“Records will be set by me, they might be broken by someone else. They're not going to stay permanently. The secret to any performance is not in chasing records. I think about, 'What is the best way to enjoy the game, and how can I enhance that enjoyment factor??” said Tendulkar.

The batting maestro concludes that he enjoys his cricket and this is the reason behind his success. He opines that in order to improve one’s cricket one should find ways to enhance the enjoyment.

Tendulkar started his cricketing career at the age of 16. And for the past 22-years, he has been an indispensable part of the Indian team. The right-handed batsman has accomplished everything a cricketer would hope for.

The Little Master is highest run getter in both Tests and One-Day Internationals. He has also scored the most number of centuries, 48 in ODI and 51 Tests respectively.

With his current tally of international centuries standing at 99, the fans will be anticipating a big one coming soon from the iconic batsman.

India is scheduled to lock horns against England in a Test match at Lord’s on July 21, 2011. This would be an ample opportunity for Tendulkar to score his 100th century at the home of cricket.

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KEVIN PIETERSEN WANTS TO RETURN TO CRICKET

The English middle-order batsman, Kevin Pietersen, is aiming to make a comeback in Surrey’s three-day game against Cambridge MCCU next week, after recovering from his hernia Injury.

The right-handed player, Pietersen, has not been playing since his early dropout of the ICC Cricket World Cup, in March this year.

The 30-year-old batsman batted for first time since then, in a practice session with Surrey on Wednesday.

Pietersen is also hoping to make his place in the England squad for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from May 26, 2011.  

He was keen to return to the national squad but he claimed that he was not fully recovered yet. While talking to BBC London 94.9, he stated, "I'm not fully fit yet, I've got to get myself back into the swing of things. I'm targeting the game against Cambridge next week but I've got to do a few fitness tests before that."

It is also expected that the player could also feature in Surrey’s County Championship match with Essex, starting from May 18.

"I want to get some time in the middle and some fielding overs in my legs. You can't just go out and play in a Test match. It will just be nice to put some whites back on and to think about cricket. If I get some (runs), I get some. If I don't, I don't.”

He also shared that he is eyeing the first Test match against Sri Lanka, “I want to get all that out the way so that I'm ready for the first Test match."

Pietersen’s nomination for Captaincy was avoided by the England management despite his eagerness to take the charge.

Alastair Cook was appointed as the One Day International skipper after Andrew Strauss stepped down while the Twenty20 side was assigned to Stuart Broad.

Pietersen expressed his happiness regarding the English Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision and congratulated the new captains on his Twitter page, "Congrats to Cookie & Broady on the captaincies.. New era for ENG. Youngcaptains for the future.. Exciting times ahead!!"

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Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya, Canada protest against ICC World Cup 2015 decision

The Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya and Canada registered their protest against International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to keep non-Test playing nations out of the ICC cricket World Cup 2015.
The associate nations lashed out at the dictation of the ICC, which was to protect the weaker cricket nations, Bangladesh, and, Zimbabwe, instead of promotion of cricket in the world. The next meeting of the ICC will be held in June, 2011 at Hong Kong where the matter will be discussed.
Netherlands came out with a brilliant show of cricket in the English County, which has strengthened the case for minnows. They took part in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition and beat two strong teams, while they suffered a one run defeat against Middlesex at Lord s’.
They played against Yorkshire on 24^th April, 2011 at Headingley, Leeds, and won the close encounter by two runs, they beat Derbyshire by 13 runs on 25^th April at Derby. Third match was played against Middlesex on 1^st May, 2011, who scored 286 runs in 40 overs and Netherlands managed 285 runs and lost the thriller by just one run.
Netherlands gave a tremendous performance against England in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 on 22^nd February at Nagpur by scoring 292 runs batting first and almost made an upset but England managed 296 runs in 48.4 overs.
They gave a tough time to India on 9^th of March at Delhi but were disappointed with their performance against Ireland on 18^th March at Kolkata where they were defeated badly by six wickets.
They were unable to win a match in the tournament but learnt a lot and matured their cricket. Their captain, Peter Borren, was convinced that the associate members should be part of the World Cup, he told ESPN cricinfo:
"I think one of the other captains said he wasn't sure how much we learnt from going to the World Cup, well, I think our performances so far showed we learnt a lot. There's obviously a place for Associate teams at the World Cup. It's very disappointing they even considered going that way and hopefully the decision can be revisited”.
Ireland and Netherlands have come together to fight for their rights to be in the biggest cricket show. Borren believes that there has been lot of interest from the young generation of his country and they should be kept involved in the World Cup.
"It's a shame because cricket in Holland, and Associate cricket in general, has certainly developed over the last four years. I think we played pretty well at the World Cup. It's a step backwards, but hopefully our cricket here can keep our name up there".
The Netherlands is performing well in County cricket in the absence of their key players, such as Ryan ten Doeschate, who is currently involved in IPL-4, and came out with two centuries in the World Cup and Alexei Kervezee is also not accompanying the team.
Borren assured they can come out with a better show once they were given a chance to play against strong teams. Full members have a chance to play more competitive cricket amongst themselves and they come up with mature cricket and they are capable of grasping the same level if given fair chances.

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NEIL DEXTER AND JOHN SIMPSON LEAD MIDDLESEX TO AN EASY VICTORY OVER SURREY

Middlesex crushed Surrey by an innings and 42 runs in a match of the County Championship Division Two, at Lord’s, London in England. The home team batted just once in the match, scoring 445 runs, whereas Surrey were bowled out for 203 and 200 respectively, in both their innings.

The captain of the visitors, Rory Hamilton-Brown, elected to field first after winning the toss. There was some moisture beneath the surface of the pitch, but batting became easier as the game progressed.

The start to the Middlesex innings wasn’t an ideal one, as three wickets fell for just 28 runs. Dawid Malan was joined by his captain Neil Dexter and the pair put together 60 runs for the fourth wicket. However, Malan got out after getting a start and the hosts were struggling at 88 for four.

Things weren’t looking good for the hosts at that stage, but wicketkeeper-batsman John Simpson and the home team’s captain rescued their team from trouble, batting sensibly. The pair amassed 254 runs for the fifth wicket, guiding the team’s total to 342. Dexter got out after scoring a terrific innings of 145 runs with the help of 17 fours and two sixes.

Simpson also batted brilliantly, piling 143 runs in his knock. He smashed 21 fours and one massive six.

Gareth Batty was the pick of the bowlers for Surrey, taking five wickets. He got good support from Yasir Arafat, who dismissed three batsmen.

The visitors got off to a terrible start to their innings, losing four wickets for just 19 runs. Hamilton-Brown and Tom Maynard offered some resistance, scoring a 70-run stand for the fifth wicket. However, the Surrey captain was dismissed after adding 47 runs to the total.

There was no other batsman in the lower-order, who made an impression and wickets kept on tumbling. Maynard batted exceptionally well though, scoring an unbeaten 98 runs. He deserved a century, but was left without partners at the other end.

Ollie Rayner bowled well for the hosts, picking up three wickets. He was assisted by tall seamer Steven Finn, who sent two batsmen back to the pavilion.

Following on, the Surrey team was unable to cope with the pressure and the batsmen failed to bat with responsibility. Wicketkeeper batsman Steve Davies was the only one to cause some problems for the bowlers. He top scored the innings with 94 runs, before the whole team was out for 200.

Toby Roland-Jones bowled exceptionally well for his team, taking four wickets in the innings. He was supported well by Middlesex’s captain, who scalped three wickets.

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ADAM GILCHRIST CITES DUNCAN FLETCHER’S VAST COACHING EXPERIENCE AS ADVANTAGE FOR INDIA

Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist has said that newly-appointed, Duncan Fletcher’s huge coaching experience will work as an additional advantage for the Indian side when they compete England later this year.

Wishing the former Zimbabwean captain best of luck for his term as a coach with the World Champions, the former Aussie opener stated that Fletcher holds extraordinary coaching skills.

"He has obviously got great skills as coach and all the players from his previous teams seem to be supporting him and saying it's a pretty good appointment. So I wish him all the best," Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist, however, avoided to respond to the question that whether Fletcher will be able to replicate the success he accomplished as England team’s coach.

After Gary Kirsten's exit, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Fletcher as Indian national coach for the next two years.

The decision has started a controversial debate about the suitability of a foreign coach for India. The legends like Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar slammed BCCI for appointing a foreign coach while the cricket maestros such as Wasim Akramand Nasser Hussain have been appreciating the decision.

Although, Duncan has never played Test cricket, he is credited of lifting English team to their historic 2005 Ashes series triumph.

Fletcher, who will not be able to join the Men in Blue in their upcoming tour to Zimbabwe because of his personal commitments. However he will with the team when India locks it horns with England later this year.

Gilchrist, who is leading Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing Indian Premier League, uttered that Fletcher was the best choice for the post as he holds a lot of coaching experience under his belt.

When asked to comment on the appointment of a 62-year old coach, Gilchrist stated, "I won't pass comments on his age. It's more what skill he brings and the level of enthusiasm. He had all that in abundance when he was coaching other teams."

Kings XI Punjab’s skipper further described that Fletcher has huge expectations to meet as Gary Kirsten left the Indian side after taking it to the peak of International cricket.

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Zulqarnain Haider wants assets of cricketers to be checked by the Government

Pakistan’s former wicketkeeper, Zulqarnain Haider, wants the government of Pakistan to keep close tabs on the income of cricketers to make sure there is no foul play in their earnings.
While talking to media men in Pakistan he said, “Assets of the cricketers [in Pakistan] should be examined every year and the income tax department can play a vital role in this regard.” Haider accused certain cricketers of having 15 different houses in a country where the majority of the people are living below the poverty line. The former runaway cricketer reckoned that the people of the country need to take such steps that will help decrease the difference between the rich and poor.
Haider declined to name any players of being involved in match-fixing as he clarified that since the government authorities were already investigating the matter, it would be inappropriate for him to reveal the names at this point in time.
This week the law enforcement agencies arrested eight bookies, from the city of Sialkot, who had made threatening phone calls to Haider. According to investigators, the eight bookies have links with international gamblers and efforts are underway to arrest them with the help of Interpol.
According to Haider, the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and the ICC (International Cricket Council) are investigating the existence of corruption in the sport and the culprits will soon be unmasked. He urged cricketers from other countries to rally behind those who want to eradicate the menace of match and spot-fixing from cricket.
The renegade wicketkeeper stressed that if he had not fled to the United Kingdom, no action would have been taken to stamp out corruption from the game. According to him, he sacrificed his career to cleanse the game from corrupt practices.
He also revealed that he had given vital information regarding match-fixing to the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Rehman Malik. However, he did not disclose the nature of the information. Haider returned to Pakistan on April 25, from self-exile for nearly six months in England after he was assured highest security by the Interior Minister of Pakistan.
Last year, Haider shocked the cricket world by deserting his national team which was playing a One-Day series against South Africa in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates. The wicketkeeper fled to the United Kingdom and revealed that his life was under threat from bookies who wanted him to lose the fourth and fifth One Day International against the Proteas.
He immediately announced his retirement from international cricket and pledged to live in England with peace, away from cricket. However, he rattled everyone by stating that he will soon disclose the names of corrupt individuals in cricket. He retracted from his statement after his family in Pakistan received threat calls.

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Zulqarnain Haider claims that fleeing from Dubai was a bold step on his part

Pakistan’s renegade wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has reiterated that it was a bold decision on his part to have fled to England from Dubai last year after getting life threats.
Haider while talking to media at his house in Lahore, insisted that had he not slipped to London he might not have lived to blow the whistle on match-fixing and corruption in cricket.
However, he insisted that he was not in a position to disclose the names of individuals involved as it will cause problems for him and his family.
He expressed his jubilation at the arrest of eight bookmakers earlier this week, suspected of giving him threat calls. The perpetrators were arrested from Pakistan’s city of Sialkot.
The runaway wicketkeeper also revealed that the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and the ICC (International Cricket Council) were investigating the charges of match-fixing leveled by him and the identities of those involved in the crime will soon be disclosed.
The former wicketkeeper returned to Pakistan on 25 April, 2011, after he was assured of top security by the government of Pakistan.
According to details, earlier this month, Haider met the interior minister of Pakistan, Rehman Malik, at the minister’s residence in London and expressed his desire to return to his homeland after nearly six months of self exile.
Malik assured the former wicketkeeper of full security and pledged to bring the culprits to justice.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Wajid Shamsul Hasan also assured the lanky wicketkeeper of state level security. After these developments, Haider decided not to pursue seeking asylum in UK and returned to Pakistan.
After the news of his return broke out, he received two threatening calls while he was still in England. According to him the calls came from Pakistan. He immediately informed the local police and there were rumours that he might reconsider coming back home.
However, Haider did not cancel his plans and finally made his return.
Last year in November, Haider who was selected for the national team in place of Kamran Akmal, bailed on his team during a One Day series in the United Arab Emirates against South Africa.
Haider, disappeared just before the fifth and the last match of the series and later resurfaced in London, where in his first press conference he disclosed that he had fled to save his life as he was under constant threat from a bookie.
He also announced his retirement from international cricket and expressed his desire to seek permanent residence in England.
However, after a week he pledged to reveal the names of the culprits involved in match fixing. This brought trouble at his door step as his family in Pakistan started receiving life threats from unknown people. He later withdrew his statement for the sake of his family’s well-being.

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VIRENDER SEHWAG PLEASED WITH DUNCAN FLETCHER’S EARLY APPOINTMENT AS INDIAN COACH

The Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who is leading Delhi Daredevils in the ongoing Indian Premier League, has endorsed Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision of appointing Duncan Fletcher as nation team's coach soon after Gary Kirsten’s departure. 

Sehwag stated that an early appointment has given Fletcher enough time to understand players and settle down with the team before that start of India’s series against England.

"It's good for India. It's a good thing that the BCCI has found a replacement in quick time. It will obviously help the players and the new coach to settle down early. He (Fletcher) will get enough time to do home work before our series against England starts," Sehwag said.

After Kirsten’s exit, BCCI appointed the former Zimbabwean skipper, Fletcher, as Indian national team’s coach for next two years.

The decision faced a mix response from cricketing circles. The Indian cricket legends, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, slammed BCCI’s decision to appoint a foreign coach whereas the gurus like Nasser Hussain, Harsha Bhogle and Michael Vaughan believed that Fletcher can carry forward the legacy of Kirsten.

Fletcher, who did a fantastic job as England’ coach by guiding them to historic 2005 Ashes victory, would not be able to accompany Indian team for their next month’s tour to Zimbabwe because of his personal commitments. However, Fletcher will be there when Mahendra Singh Dhoni and company tours England later this year.

Avoiding to make any comment on Fletcher’ selection, Sehwag said that he does not know him much, thus, it is inappropriate to say anything on his coaching.

Sehwag’s team-mate, Gautam Gambhir, on the other hand, said that he has not yet thought about the new coach as his complete focus is on his IPL outfit, Kolkata Knight Riders.

"Right now, my concentration and focus is totally on the IPL. I am not thinking about all these things. I will only think about all this once the IPL ends," Gambhir said.

Fletcher, as Kirsten’s successor, has huge expectations to come up to as the great South African left after taking Indian side to the heights of international cricket.

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PAKISTAN POLICE ARRESTS BOOKIES BEHIND THREATS TO ZULQARNAIN HAIDER

Pakistan police has arrested eight bookies, who were believed to be behind death threats to wicketkeeper-batsman Zulqarnain Haider. The bookmakers were taken in custody from Sialkot and four of them have also been presented before a local judge for initial investigations.

A police official, Nasir Qureshi, stated, “We have arrested eight bookies and some of them have revealed they were behind threats to Haider. We have confiscated their data which has a number of international contacts and the investigation is still on.”

Qureshi further added, “We have found a number of satellite telephones and diaries which have international contacts and we hope to get further details in the next 24 hours.”

Haider had fled to London during Pakistan’s series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The keeper-batsman had claimed that his life was in danger and had to leave the team immediately. He was due to represent his team in the final One Day International (ODI) of the five-match series, but escaped without informing any teammates or officials.

There was a lot of uncertainty in the Pakistan dressing room, as no one was aware of Haider’s whereabouts. However, the 25-year-old appeared before the media after landing in London, where he claimed asylum. He revealed the situation to the press and said that his family was also in danger in Pakistan.

The Pakistan government took notice of the situation and assured complete security to Haider and his family. This was satisfactory for the troubled keeper, as he decided to return to his country on Monday, April 25, 2011. He had announced retirement from international cricket, but claimed to resume talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over his future.

After his return to Pakistan, Haider revealed that he received fresh life threats. He also accused fellow teammate, Kamran Akmal’s father-in-law of being involved in the entire situation, which sparked more controversy.

This allegation was a shock for Akmal and his family and the veteran keeper demanded thorough investigation into the matter. He expressed his displeasure over the scenario and threatened to take legal action against Haider, who apparently had no proof of what he said

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