England vs Pakistan 1st Test Match, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, On Jul 29, 2010 from 10:00 GMT | 15:30 IST Onwards

Pakistan will begin a four-Test series against England on Thursday in the belief that its young side is about to start a new era in the national game. Pakistan will be back in action just five days after securing a tense three-wicket triumph over Australia at Leeds which squared that Test series 1-1.

Many observers had predicted that Salman Butt’s team, playing as the ‘home’ side due to security concerns in Pakistan, would have collapsed in pursuit of a modest target of 180 on Saturday. Instead, his side came through for an exhilarating victory.

“It’s a new beginning for Pakistan cricket, and especially for a young side,” Butt said as he prepared for Thursday’s start. “To win against the world’s best is always an achievement. We would have loved to have done it in front of our home crowd, but we need to tell them that we love them and we hope we will be playing in front of them soon.”England’s selectors named a 12-man squad on Sunday and publicly stated a preference for six batsmen, meaning the only outstanding selection issue concerns which of the five bowlers will be the 12th man. Stuart Broad and Swann are certain to play on their home ground, which leaves James Anderson, Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan competing for the two remaining places.

As Bresnan was only drafted into the squad on Wednesday as a late replacement for Ajmal Shahzad, he is unlikely to feature, barring further injuries.Shahzad aggravated an ankle injury during practice on Monday, but his absence is expected to be short-term.

“Unfortunately Ajmal felt some discomfort following England practice on Tuesday and as a precautionary measure it is felt he is best to undergo rehabilitation work for the remainder of the week,” England’s chief medical officer Nick Peirce said. “We expect Ajmal to make a full recovery, he hasn’t been ruled out for the second test starting next week (at Edgbaston on Aug. 6).

Ian Bell’s broken foot, sustained in the one-day series with Bangladesh earlier in the month, means that both the South African-born Jonathan Trott and the Irishman Eoin Morgan will play in what is widely seen as an audition for a single place on the Ashes tour to Australia in November.

India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test Match, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo, On Jul 26, 2010 from 04:30 GMT | 09:00 IST Onwards

The dreaded duo of Lasith Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan would be missing from the Sri Lankan bowling attack but Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Sunday said their absence does not make his batsmen’s job any easy in the second cricket Test starting here on Monday.

Pacer Malinga and off-spin genius Muralitharan shared 15 of the 20 Indian wickets among them and played a major role in inflicting a crushing 10-wicket defeat on the visitors in the first Test in Galle.

Malinga has been ruled of the match due to a knee injury and Muralitharan has just retired from Test cricket. “Nothing is easy in international cricket. You may miss the most experienced bowler but at the same time there will be a youngster standing up saying that I will try to fill in the shoes and he may be a good talent,” Dhoni said at the pre-match press conference.

“So it is not about whom you are missing and that which matter is who is filling in the gap and who will be doing the job for you.” Ajantha Mendis, who was India’s tormentor in the last tour, will replace Muralitharan but Dhoni was confident of taking on the dangerous mystery spinner.

Mendis had also taken six wickets during India’s only practice game ahead of the Test series but Dhoni said his batsmen have got the measure of the bowler by playing against him consistently.
“There is definitely more exposure. Most of the cricketers who were part of the side have played him in the past quite a few times. So that really helps them in judging what kind of variation he has got. What is the kind of line he looks to bowl and the general strategy as well. I think it will be an interesting face off between the batting and the bowlers.

Dhoni said the Indians will look to minimise the mistakes they made in the opening Test. “That is crucial. I think you have to stick to the basics and do the basics right rather than thinking about the last game. Because we all knew what mistakes were committed on the field. The long the duration between two mistakes, that is what makes you a good player,” he said.

Pakistan vs Australia 2nd Test, Headingley, Leeds, On Jul 21, 2010 from 09:30 GMT | 15:00 IST Onwards

Michael Clarke may be Australia’s captain in waiting but for now the batsman is adamant his main priority is to focus on making a success of his new role at number four. Clarke was made captain of Australia’s Twenty20 side after star batsman and Test captain Ricky Ponting opted out of that format.

But the responsibility of leading at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean did not appear to do too much for his run-scoring, with Clarke averaging 15.33 in a tournament where Australia lost to England in the final in Barbados in May.

Clarke has spent the bulk of his Test career at five but, such has been his form over the past 12 months, Ponting has asked him to move up a spot and so swap with Michael Hussey.

His previous experience of life at four was not a successful one, with a top score of 39 in five innings after the 2005 Ashes before he was dropped from the Australia team. When he returned, six months later, it was at number five.
“Ricky came and grabbed Michael Hussey and myself at training the morning of the Derby game and told us what was happening,” Clarke told reporters at Headingley here on Monday ahead of the second Test against Pakistan.

“For me it hasn’t fazed me. When I was younger I cared more about the position I batted. After getting dropped from the Australian team, for me it was always just about being the team, it doesn’t matter where I bat.

Clarke has enjoyed success at Headingley, where the Pakistan finale starts on Wednesday, having scored 93 at Yorkshire’s headquarters during Australia’s innings win in the fourth Test against England here last year. But given his own experience of being dropped, and the fact his career has been played out against the backdrop of a degenerative back condition, Clarke is taking nothing for granted.

Scotland vs Bangladesh 1st ODI Match, Titwood, Glasgow, On Jul 19, 2010 from 09:45 GMT | 15:15 IST Onwards

Mashrafe Mortaza the Bangladesh allrounder, has been named captain of the squad for the ODI tour of the United Kingdom in place of Shakib Al Hasan, who will be the squad’s vice-captain.

The surprise move was announced in a BCB press release on the eve of the team’s departure from Dhaka, two days after the squad for the tour had been released, and comes as a significant snub to Shakib, who led the team with determination during an arduous Test series against England last month.

So we are now bringing him back to his former position,” Enayat Hossain Siraj, a Bangladesh board official, told AFP.

India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test Match, Galle International Stadium, Galle, On Jul 18, 2010 from 04:30 GMT | 09:00 IST Onwards

India on Sunday embark on a third Test series in two years against Sri Lanka, with the world’s top-rated side hoping to end their 17-year drought in the island nation. The Indians have not won a Test series in Sri Lanka since a 1-0 success by Mohammad Azharuddin’s team in 1993, despite playing on similar slow wickets at home.

India lost 2-1 the last time they played in Sri Lanka, in August 2008, but gained revenge with a 2-0 victory at home a year later that propelled Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men to the top of the official Test rankings.

India’s new-found love for Test cricket over the more lucrative one-day matches saw them pencil in the three-Test series against Sri Lanka — and another chance to defend their ranking. It was an offer too good to refuse for Sri Lanka, whose only scheduled Test series this year would have been at home against the West Indies in November.

“The boys were desperate to play Test cricket, which is the pinnacle of the sport, and I am grateful that India agreed to this series,” Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said. Sri Lanka, currently fourth in the Test rankings behind India, Australia and South Africa, are hoping to showcase their prowess in home conditions, where they have proved almost invincible.

The Sri Lankans have won eight of their last nine series at home, the only setback coming in 2006, when Pakistan won a two-match series 1-0. Their success has mainly been down to the prolific work by world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan, backed by a strong batting line-up led by Sangakkara and former captain Mahela Jayawardene.

India are bolstered by the return of batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar, who missed last month’s Asia Cup limited-overs tournament in Sri Lanka, which Dhoni’s men won beating the hosts in the final. Also back are the seasoned trio of Rahul Dravid, Venkatsai Laxman and Yuvraj Singh to complete a formidable middle-order to follow openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.

But injuries to pace spearheads Zaheer Khan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth have blunted India’s bowling attack, leaving off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to shoulder the burden. The Galle International Stadium has happy memories for Sehwag, whose unbeaten double-century inspired India to a massive 170-run victory two years ago.

The action then shifts to Colombo, where the second Test will be played at the Sinhalese sports club from July 26, and the third at the P Sara Oval from August 3.

Ireland vs Bangladesh 2nd ODI Match, Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast, On Jul 16, 2010 from 09:45 GMT | 15:15 IST Onwards

Bangladesh will have to wait and see how many of the reserves arrive in Bristol in time for the game. Mohammad Ashraful, Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain are jetting over and without them the squad is down to the bare bones.

If Saghir doesn’t reach in time for the match, Jahurul Islam will keep wicket.
Bangladesh have defeated England in the 2nd ODI and it was the first win for Bangladesh against England in any format and also they are in good form to face Ireland.

Bangladesh failed to secure a dream series win after they were thrashed in the deciding ODI by 144 runs, after conceding 347. Bangladesh team will be led by Mortaze, as Mortaza regained the captaincy for the limited-overs leg of the tour and he said he was settling in well to his new role after a long injury battle.

Ireland vs Bangladesh 1st ODI Match, Civil Service Cricket Club, Stormont, Belfast, On Jul 15, 2010 from 09:45 GMT | 15:15 IST Onwards

Bangladesh takes on Ireland in 1st ODI match on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at Belfast. Bangladesh have lost the ODI series against England recently and they need to overcome by winning the 2 match ODI series against Ireland.

While Ireland have won the last match against Scotland by six wickets and they will be looking forward to defeat Bangladesh in the 1st ODI also on Thursday.

Bangladesh have defeated England in the 2nd ODI and it was the first win for Bangladesh against England in any format and also they are in good form to face Ireland.

Bangladesh failed to secure a dream series win after they were thrashed in the deciding ODI by 144 runs, after conceding 347. Bangladesh team will be led by Mortaze, as Mortaza regained the captaincy for the limited-overs leg of the tour and he said he was settling in well to his new role after a long injury battle.

Pakistan vs Australia 1st Test, Lords, London, On Jul 13, 2010 from 09:30 GMT | 15:00 IST Onwards

On the eve of his first test match as captain, Shahid Afridi insisted on Monday that his Pakistan side is united and that the disciplinary issues that marred its Australia tour seven months ago are a thing of the past.

Pakistan meets Australia — which has not lost a test to Pakistan for 15 years — at Lord’s on Tuesday in the first of two test matches. The matches will be played at a neutral venue, but are considered a home series for Pakistan, which is playing its home internationals on neutral territory because of ongoing concerns about the security of teams touring the country.

As a captain I am trying to keep the guys as close as I can,” Afridi said. “Normally, I will take the boys for a dinner together. The communication problem is not any more now.

We are all sitting together, talking to each other. They come to me or the coach with their problems. It is not easy (keeping the unity), especially as they all come from different cultures and cities, but I respect the guys and they are feeling good under my captaincy.

For Afridi and Pakistan it is a fresh start. Afridi is playing his first test match in four years while Pakistan’s previous test series was a 3-0 defeat in Australia. Several sanctions were meted out to players following that tour for disciplinary infractions.
Batsmen Mohammed Yousuf, Pakistan’s third-highest run-scorer in tests, and Younis Khan, Pakistan’s fifth-highest run-scorer in tests, were given indefinite bans for alleged infighting. Younis, who quit the captaincy before the Australia tour, has subsequently had his ban overturned on appeal but has not been selected for this tour.

Yousuf, who captained the side in Australia, retired in protest at the ban but is still wanted in the team by Afridi. Shoaib Malik is in the squad after his one-year ban was overturned.

Afridi acknowledged his team’s lack of experience but is confident the youngsters can perform given an opportunity. Although Afridi said the team will not be named until Tuesday, Azhar Ali and Umar Amin are expected to make their test debuts.
Australia is building toward the Ashes series against England in November, Ponting said, and will give test debuts to leg-spinner Steven Smith and reserve wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

Afridi admitted it is easier to play Australia since the retirements of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and “especially Matthew Hayden” but was less certain about playing a home series in England.

“It’s totally different playing your home series away from home because of the conditions,” Afridi said. “We have seen a couple of games in England like the matches between England and Bangladesh and one or two against Australia also and the pitches looked good. We are lucky we have had good weather here.”

Marylebone Cricket Club said it has sold just over 11,000 tickets for each of the first two days and about 10,000 for the third day. Lord’s has a capacity of around 29,000.

England vs Bangladesh 3rd ODI Match, Edgbaston, Birmingham, On Jul 12, 2010 from 09:45 GMT | 15:15 IST Onwards

Andrew Strauss insisted he felt no shame at being the first England captain to lose to Bangladesh after the Tigers at last won a match in 2010. Bangladesh’s dramatic five-run success in the second one-day international at Nevil Road here on Saturday, saw them level the three-match series at 1-1 and end a run of 24 consecutive defeats across all formats stretching back to November last year.

It also meant they had defeated England for the first time, having lost all of the previous eight Tests and 20 ODIs between the two countries. “They were going to beat us at some stage and we were just hoping it would be some stage in the future,” Strauss, who had the meagre consolation of knowing England were the last major nation to succumb to Bangladesh, told a post-match news conference.

“That has been and done now.” And he was adamant losing to Bangladesh was not as bad as being captain of the England side skittled out for just 51 in an innings and 23-run Test defeat by the West Indies in Jamaica last year. Strauss, asked if Saturday’s loss represented his worst day in cricket, replied: “No is the answer to that.

“Getting bowled out for 51 in Jamaica was worse than this but it’s not fun to stand up here after losing in this fashion. England failed to chase down a modest target of 237 runs set by Bangladesh.” All we can do now is go forward and make amends,” the opening batsman added ahead of the series finale at Edgbaston on Monday.

“We’ve only got ourselves to blame but we also have to give credit to Bangladesh. They were able to take wickets throughout the innings and keep the pressure on. They thoroughly deserved their victory.” Strauss added: “I’m still very buoyant but you need to learn from your mistakes. There are a few to learn from today.”

England vs Bangladesh 1st ODI Match, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, On Jul 8, 2010 from 13:30 GMT | 19:00 IST Onwards

England captain Andrew Strauss insists he has no qualms about leading a side without Kevin Pietersen. The star batsman will miss the three one-dayers against Bangladesh, starting at Trent Bridge here on Thursday, with a thigh injury – although England selection chief Geoff Miller said the South Africa-born shotmaker would have been rested in any event.

Pietersen has gone 16 ODI innings without a fifty and while his place, when fit, is not yet under threat, the loss of arguably their most talented player means England are set to give one of the Warwickshire duo of Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott a chance to fill the gap.

“He (Pietersen) is a loss because he’s a world-class player but he’s being replaced by people with proven track records in international cricket,” Strauss told reporters at Trent Bridge here on Wednesday. “It’s not as if we’re blooding a youngster on the back of losing our biggest player. I’m entirely confident we’ve got the reserves in place to cope with that loss,” Strauss added.

Bell, 28, has played 79 one-dayers for England but hasn’t featured in one since facing India in Bangalore back in November 2008. However, he restated his one-day case with a limited overs best 158, off 143 balls, for the second string England Lions in their dramatic triangular series tied match against India A in Worcester on Tuesday.

Bell, who averages just over 35 in ODIS, has been accused of scoring too slowly to be an effective batsman in the one-day game.
Strauss though said: “His form this year has been excellent. He’s played, by all accounts, very positively and very aggressively for both Warwickshire and the Lions.”
He’s a good package and potentially he is a world-class player. It’s fantastic to have the likes of him to call upon and Jonathan Trott as well, who has never let anyone down in an England shirt in one-day cricket and has been in outstanding form for Warwickshire as well.

“They are two very, very high-quality replacements and that bodes well. “Turning to Bell, who has also played 57 Tests, opening batsman Strauss added: “I think he has made a conscious effort to be more aggressive.” He’s always had the shots, the key is always when to use them. At the moment, he’s taking on the shots more and finding he’s a good enough player they’ll come off more times than not.