Ponting stands down as Australia captain, to play on

SYDNEY: Ricky Ponting, the most successful captain in 134 years of test cricket, has resigned as Australia’s test and one-day skipper but will continue as a batsman with the teams, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

PM Gilani to visit India for Mohali semi-final

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will go to India to watch first semi-final of ICC World Cup being played between the teams of Pakistan and India on March 30.

According to Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar, PM Gilani held two-hour meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari and it was decided in the meeting that PM Gilani will go to India to watch Pakistan-India semi-final to be played in Mohali on March 30.

It should be mentioned here that Indian Premier Manmohan Singh invited President Zardari and PM Gilani to come over to watch ICC World Cup’s first semi-final between the teams of the two countries.

PM Gilani will not only watch the much-awaited match but also have a meeting with Indian Premier Manmohan Singh.

Farhatullah Babar confirmed that the visit was decided during a meeting between the two leaders.

The government of Pakistan will formally inform the Indian government about the visit of PM Gilani. TrendPK

Don’t underestimate us: Afridi

DHAKA: Captain Shahid Afridi warned World Cup rivals not to underestimate his team, saying the players had turned a new leaf after the match-fixing scandal.

Afridi admitted Pakistan had been blown away by the scandal, which saw former captain Salman Butt and two leading pacemen, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, punished for their alleged involvement.

All three were banned for a minimum of five years by the International Cricket Council, which ruled them out of the World Cup, and also face criminal proceedings in England.

“I think we’re really going through a very tough situation,” Afridi told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital on Saturday, ahead of the marquee tournament opening on February 19.

“But I am very happy because we are trying to rebuild the team and keep the morale high. I am confident the team is in very good shape now.

“We all know how important the World Cup is for us and for our country. The message for other teams is that no one should underestimate us.”

Afridi’s team will play practice matches against Bangladesh and England in Dhaka over the next few days, before their first Cup match against Kenya in the Sri Lankan town of Hambantota on February 23.

The Pakistan captain said his team was “focused and united” under his leadership.

“They feel hungry to win a big event and want to play good cricket,” he said, adding recent wins in New Zealand had bolstered the team’s morale.

“We have a very good bunch of youngsters and some experienced players,” said Afridi. “It is good to see Kamran Akmal back in the team. Misbah-ul Haq is in good form and Younis Khan is also batting well.

“I am also very happy with our bowling. We have two genuine spinners and some good fast bowlers, especially Shoaib Akhtar.” Afridi said fans would see a vastly improved Pakistan in the World Cup. “Inshallah (God willing), we will achieve our goal,” he said.

Afridi paid tribute to manager Intikhab Alam and coach Waqar Yunus for keeping the team in good spirits amid the controversy.

“They are really doing a very good job,” he said. “They have assured the atmosphere in the dressing room is healthy. We are trying to keep the boys together as a unit.”

Pakistan was initially due to co-host the tournament with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but were stripped of hosting rights after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team in March, 2009.

Afridi said he hoped international cricket would return to his country soon. “We are desperate to host the best teams. I am sure that will happen in the near future.”

Pakistan, World Cup winners in 1992, have been drawn with reigning champions Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Canada in group A of the preliminary league. Four teams from the group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Afridi said he wanted Pakistan to meet India in the April 2 final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

“That would be the perfect final for the cricket-loving people in both countries,” he said. AGENCIES

Pakistan army wins gold medal at annual British exercise

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan army won a gold medal in the Exercise Cambrian Patrol – 2010, held from October 11-13, 2010 in the United Kingdom. Exercise Cambrian Patrol is a prestigious British Army exercise which is organized annually in the United Kingdom in Wales.

According to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release, apart from the teams of the British army, military establishments from all over the world were also invited to participate. It was a three day exercise in which the teams, comprising of eight members, were required to infiltrate into simulated enemy lines and perform multiple tasks, including obstacle crossing, close target reconnaissance and infiltrate successfully in real time environments.

For 2010, a total of 86 teams participated in the exercise, including 70 British and 16 teams from other countries of the world

ICC plans to start Test league from 2013

The International Cricket Council in a bid to promote the traditional version of the game is contemplating of introducing a Test league from where top four teams would qualify for a quadrennial play-off event to begin in 2013.
Apart from the Test play-off, the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) also recommended an ODI league from next year.
The committee further recommended the introduction of Twenty20 International rankings. The CEC discussed the need to ensure a fair balance between bat and ball in a Test match and approved a revised guideline to the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Zardari visits Pak-China pavilions at Shahnghi Expo

SHANGHI: President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday visited the Pakistan and China pavilions at the Shahnghi Expo 2010.

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Zardari visits Pak-China pavilions at Shahnghi Expo

Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-months

BAGHDAD: Teams of veterinarians and police shooters have killed some 58,000 stray dogs in and around the Iraqi capital over the past three months as part of a campaign to curb an increasing number of strays blamed for attacks on residents.

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Baghdad kills 58,000 stray dogs in 3-months

mountain west conference

BOISE, Idaho — Boise State on Friday accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference as the two-time Fiesta Bowl winner seeks out a league that’s a better launching pad into lucrative bowl games.

Boise State, now with the Western Athletic Conference, would become the Mountain West Conference’s 10th member. The move would be effective July 1, 2011.

The announcement is part of a massive conference shuffle nationwide, where leagues like the Pac-10 have lured Colorado and Nebraska seeks membership in the Big Ten.

As Boise State aims to secure a clearer path to Bowl Championship Series games worth millions, Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson said his league is boosting its strength by adding a football program that’s captured the nation’s imagination, and prime-time television exposure. The league’s main goal is to make a better case to become the seventh college football conference awarded an automatic BCS postseason berth.
The Mountain West Conference is more concentrated. Boise State joins the Air Force Academy, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, TCU, UNLV, Utah and Wyoming.

“Membership in the Mountain West Conference is a milestone moment for the entire Bronco sports program,” said Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier. “The new alignment will help our student-athletes by minimizing distant travel and developing more intermountain competition.”

Dan Hawkins, head coach at Boise State until jumping to Colorado in 2006, said he doesn’t think the Mountain West is done adding teams as college football completes its current reshuffling.

“We’ll see how that whole thing shakes out and what happens to other teams in the Big 12,” Hawkins said. “There might be some other teams from…the Sun Belt, the Big 12, or somebody melded in there to complete the roster.”

Thompson all but ruled out adding more teams from the WAC.

PHF inter academy tournament from May 30

LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Inter Academy Hockey Tournament will begin from May 30 in Lahore.

The event will be played on single league basis. Director tournament Shafqat Malik in a press conference said tournament will be played till June 12 in National Hockey Stadium in which teams of 10 academies will take part. Five matches will be played daily in the single league basis tournament. Top four teams will qualify for the semifinals. Malik added that number of academies will be rise to 20 next year.

tendulkar

Tendulkar might be out of IPL3 Final, but Mumbai Indians Will Win the Cup for Sachin’s 37th Birthday!!
Mumbai Indians has always been streets ahead of other teams in IPL3. Be it in their march to the semifinals or booking a finals berth by knocking out Royal Challengers Bangalore – the stamp of authority has been palpable!

source:allvoices

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