Berdych Defeats Hernych To Enter Halle Quarterfinals

Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych beat Jan Hernych 6-3, 7-6 (7) to reach the quarterfinals of the Gerry Weber Open on Wednesday.

Seventh ranked Berdych broke twice in the first set and closed out second round match against fellow turned a czech for his fourth match point of the grass-court tournament.

Tuesday, Berdych saved three match points before beating Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans.

“Missing two serves on match points, you just have to think about it after the match. But I got back into it and was mentally strong,” said Berdych, the 2007 champion.

Berdych will play 12th ranked Viktor Troicki, who ousted Igor Andreev of Russia 6-3, 6-1. Serbia's victory completed in 53 minutes, five times and losing just five points on his first serve.

“It will be a really tough game. Only the ranking position could make me the favorite. He is really playing well the last couple of weeks,” said Berdych.

South Korea 2-1 Victory Against Ghana in Friendly

Koo Ja-Cheol struck in stoppage time to give South Korea a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ghana at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Tuesday in an international friendly match.

The Wolfsburg midfielder, who finished 2011 as the Asian Cup as top scorer, was introduced as a substitute in the second half and maintained its objective impressive form from Korea, which came four days after a victory over Serbia by the same score.

Korea took the lead after 12 minutes when Ji Dong-won headed a corner into the network through the hands of Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson.

Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan was quickly overcome when he sent a penalty kick to put straight into the arms Jung Sung-ryeong.

The two teams that reached the second round of the 2010 World Cup, Ghana continued to attack and took a deserved draw after 65 minutes. Sulley Muntari and striker Gyan published English-based low shot into the net in Korea.

Gary Kirsten Selected As South Africa Coach

Gary Kirsten, who led India to their 50 over World Cup triumph this year, has been appointed coach of his native South Africa.

The opening batsman's first officially will take over in August before the two home series against Australia and Sri Lanka Cricket South Africa said on Monday.

Kirsten successful three-year stint as India coach ended in April when he turned down a lucrative contract extension.

The 43-year-old will take over from Corrie van Zyl at South Africa.

Kirsten played 101 Tests and 185 one-day internationals their country.

Chiefs 16-11 Victory Against Blues in Super 15

Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has done an excellent first half tries to help Waikato Chiefs beat Auckland Blues 16-11 in Super 15 rugby on Saturday.

The 38-year-old Umaga scored in the 26th minute to lift the Chiefs a 7-6 lead at halftime after playing the first 40 minutes in a strong wind.

Although Umaga field limped from the field in the 44 minute with an ankle injury, the leaders were able to maintain their sixth win of the season.

Both teams scored one try and the match was decided by goal kicking of former All Blacks flyhalves Luke McAlister for Auckland, and Stephen Donald for Waikato.

McAlister has launched its first two penalties, including a massive strike from 55 meters, but missed his next five attempts. Donald missed his first two, and he landed three penalties and a conversion.

French Open 2011: Rafael Nadal vs Andy Murray Live Highlights

Andy Murray vs Rafael Nadal Live French Open 2011 Highlights: Nadal’s outing at the Roland Garros may actually freak out opponentss.

The clay court king lost the title once in the last six years if they win this time, equals Bjorn Borg's record of 6 wins French Open. Can Andy Murray gives Nadal a run for ruining his dreams of Bjorn tied the record?

Nadal struggled to get back to form John Isner gave the Spanish period difficult in the first round at Roland Garros, Nadal has yet to yield a set. He seems to have sailed smoothly as it goes in the last 4. He’s slowly finding his midas touch and certainly in the game as a favorite.

Murray, on the other hand had shown the world what the class is determined by the player he is. There were doubts if he continues to play in the tournament after suffering an ankle injury. Yet he admits his best tennis is yet to come.

He said that, “I can definitely win. I feel I can do it. It’s just making sure that, come Friday, I play my best tennis. I have to play a very consistent match and I have to be mentally strong. Tactically, I’m going to have to be very good.”

He also admitted that it is the best it can be a challenge to beat Nadal. Statistics show that the variety and against Murray. Two took the chest 14 times and Nadal wins in 10 matches. The better you play on Friday, goes to the finals and fans.

Result: Rafael Nadal beats Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5 and 6-4 to reach 2011 French Open Finals

England Can Exact Revenge With Swiss Victory

After English football chiefs failed to defeat the Swiss president of FIFA, their players on Saturday can put a further dent in any hopes Sepp had of seeing Switzerland qualify for the 2012 European Championship.

Switch to Saturday's match, England has been the top of Group G halfway through qualifying and is already six points ahead of third placed Swiss who had expected to be its toughest rivals.

The FIFA crisis has proved a welcome distraction for England players as they mark a year since embarking World Cup tour journey which ended in a second round exits.

The FIFA crisis has proved a welcome distraction for England players as they mark a year ago started with a trip miserable World Cup, which ended in a second round exit.

The intense pre-match public focus they are used to has been on world football governing body rather than after the Football Association has decided to rebel against Blatter in the FIFA Congress, but was unable to stop his bid for re-election to fourth term.

Mexico 3-0 Victory Against New Zealand

Giovani Dos Santos scored two first half goals to power in Mexico to a 3-0 victory against New Zealand in a warm-up match for the Americans in front of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Dos Santos on Wednesday found the 22 minutes and scored again on 30 minutes to double Mexico's lead.

Aldo De Nigris scored in the 43rd minute to give Tricolores three goal lead at half time and the sides battled through a scoreless second half.

A crowd of 50,303, most of them cheering and Mexicans, packed house at the National Football League's Denver Broncos for the friendly.

The defending champions of Mexico are one of the best sides in the Gold Cup which starts on Sunday the United States.

The tournament brings together teams governed by CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football.

Dodgers 8-2 Victory 3rd Straight Against Rockies

Three games, three wins and 23 run of the Dodgers' offense that is finally catching up with the performance of the pitching staff.

Matt Kemp homered and drove in four runs, Casey Blake added a three-run shot and Los Angeles beat Colorado Rockies 8-2 on Tuesday night.

The Dodgers won the series winning streak for the second time this season, while tying their longes winning streak at three games.

“Over the last few days we’re starting to put some runs on the board. If we can do that consistently, we’re going to be tough,” said Don Mattingly.

Too often this season, the Dodgers' offense provided meager run support for the pitching staff. In their last three games, though, the Dodgers have scored nearly as many runs (23) as they did in their previous eight games (24).

Warriors Seeks Search For New Coach

Golden State Warriors search for a new head coach could extend beyond the NBA Finals Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwan when Casey became a finalist for the job.

Casey is part of a group of candidates that also includes the Boston Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank, the Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw, New Orleans Hornets assistant Mike Malone and former NBA point guard Mark Jackson, now an analyst on television.

Warriors hope to hire a coach after owner Joe lacob meet some of the candidates over the next 1-2 weeks, but league sources said that timeline could be extended beyond the final if Casey is a finalist.

Casey went 53-69 as head coach Minnesota Timberwolves coach from 2005-07. He 'was fired through the 2006-07 season with the Timberwolves owning a 20-20 record and still in playoff contention.

Casey was interviewed with Warriors general manager Larry Riley and Assistant General Manager Bob Myers Dallas when the Mavs played the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. Casey was also a finalist for the Houston Rockets' coaching vacancy that was recently filled by Kevin McHale.

“I had the initial meeting with the Warriors and I like the potential of the roster. But right now all my concentration is on the Miami Heat and preparing to play for the championship,” said Casey.

Heavy rain in Mohali before India Pakistan Semi Final

Mohali weather can play a spoil sport in the most crucial match of the ICC World Cup 2011 where India is all set to take on arch rivals Pakistan in the semi final. Heavy rains and thunderstorm welcomes both the teams at Mohali on the evening before the match is scheduled. The Meteorological Department has forecasted some rain in the evening today during the match.

If the rain washes out the day then the remaining match will be played tomorrow which is the reserve day, if the reserved day is also washed out then Pakistan will make it to the final based on their standings in the league stage matches.

Despite of the weather conditions, the skippers of the both the teams look composed and reasy for the battle of all battles. With the prime ministers of both countries set to be in attendance for the match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Wednesday, suddenly cricket is being roped in with diplomacy and politics. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, however, opted to stay out of such talk, choosing to focus on cricket.

“ We are not getting involved (in the hype) as we are expected to play good cricket.” Dhoni said. For the skipper, the best way to prepare for such games was to take it as another game, which is easier said than done.

“ We know it’s a big tournament but its better to take it one game at a time. We are playing the semi- finals but the important thing is how you prepare, irrespective of what stage it is. I think you need to prepare in the same way and that is what we have been doing,” Dhoni said.

Dhoni said that he was wary of the Pakistan bowling, especially skipper Shahid Afridi, who is the leading wicket- taker in the tournament.

Paistan skipper Shahid Afridi admits that almost no one expected his team to be playing a semi-final and such lack of expectations was a blessing in disguise for his side. “We weren’t the favourites coming into the tournament but we have played above expectations. That’s why we are enjoying our game and have no pressure on us,” Afridi said.

He was pleased that his team had done so well in this tournament, especially after the fixing saga of last year.

“The guys are doing a great job, especially considering the tough time we have had in the last six to eight months.” Afridi said that due to the international glare on the match, it was imperative to perform well and also add to the reconciliation process between the countries.

“ It’s a great sign for both the countries (that the prime ministers would be present). Cricket always brings these two countries together.” Afridi also Afridi said he never declared that he would stop Sachin Tendulkar from scoring his 100th century.

Czechs Defeat Liechtenstein 2-0 in Euro Qualifying

Milan Baros and Michal Kadlec scored to lead the Czech Republic to a 2-0 win against Liechtenstein in qualifying for the 2012 European Championship on Tuesday.

Baros captain Tomas Rosicky will be collected three minutes into the game and scored a low shot from the edge of the area to beat goalkeeper Peter Jehle. It was the 39th goal for Baros in 81 international matches.

Kadlec in the second in the 70th minute on a corner kick by Jaroslav Plasil.

The Czechs are second in Group I with nine points from five matches, while Liechtenstein is last with no points.

"It was a must-win match," said Michal Bilek Czech. "We are delighted to win, even if it was not our best game."

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand : First semi final of ICC World Cup 2011 today

Kumar Sangakkara has always been a smart talker, and his press conference before the semi-final against New Zealand was no different. Confronted with the prospect of playing the crucial match without the talismanic Muttiah Muralitharan, the Sri Lankan skipper put on a brave face.

“In terms of injuries, we have to make sure that the team and the player are both comfortable with the situation. We are hoping he (Murali) would be fine but if he’s not, it’s something that we will accept and get on with it,” Sangakkara told reporters.

“There’s no room for complacency, no chance of that happening in anyone’s mind. You understand the gravity of the situation and the challenge that has come our way. You have to accept it and enjoy. The guys have done that pretty well and tomorrow’s not going to be any different. It is not a question of playing for the crowd and showing off. We need to play good solid cricket.”

The skipper believes his inform opening batsmen, Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan, could make the difference against New Zealand, as they did against England in the quarter- final, which Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets. “The reason why it seemed like an easier match was because our openers put up a magnificent partnership. Those kinds of partnerships don’t come around very often.

That kind of overshadowed the contest as such. England were a side we were wary of, we expected nothing less than the best from them. On starting as favourites against New Zealand, Sangakkara said: “I think all New Zealand players have done well. They bat deep and have quality bowling and they are a quality fielding side. They are not an opposition anybody would take lightly.

“We are going to expect the stiffest competition tomorrow. Dan (Vettori) is a great captain, he has been around the scene for such a long time and he understands everything. They are going to be a formidable side. We should make sure that our focus is 100 per cent tomorrow,” he said.

Kiwi skipper Vettori, on the other hand, said it was time his team stopped falling at the semi-final hurdle, as they have done on five previous occasions.

“We are ecstatic to be here and going to try and win rather than trying to think the job’s been done. It is an amazing achievement for a small country to have the record of reaching the semi-finals so many times and our recent experience at ICC tournaments — we reached the Champions Trophy final against Australia — may be a starting point for us in getting past the semis. We’ve got to buck the trend of inconsistency and put two strong performances together,” he said.

Vettori was surprised to learn that the match will be played on the same wicket that was used for the quarter-final.

“It’s surprising that we have to play the semi-final on a used wicket. I would’ve thought it was mandatory to prepare a fresh wicket but apparently not. We assume Sri Lanka are going to go in with the same sort of team as the quarter-final because of the wicket, and it may allow us to play three spinners.

“But they have grown up playing spin, so we’ll have a long look at (fast bowlers Andy) McKay and (Daryl) Tuffey too. We’ll make that decision tomorrow," he said.

Alex Ovechkin Returns To Practice With Capitals

Alex Ovechkin practice again with the Washington Capitals after taking a week off to recover from an undisclosed injury.

Ovechkin was back on the ice Monday and said he was "ready to go" for Tuesday night's game against Carolina.

Coach Bruce Boudreau is safer, "said Ovechkin skated well and can be left at the end of the week.

Ovechkin has missed three games with the injury, which Boudreau is described as a "nagging ailment." The Capitals have decided to sit so he could be healthy for the playoffs.

David Villa Seeks Twin Wins To See Spain Through

The Spanish striker David Villa is convinced that victory in their next match against the Czech Republic and Lithuania virtually ensure the defending champions a place in the Championship in Euro 2012.

Who won the competition and previous World Cup last summer in South Africa, Spain, is the team to beat in international football with talent in abundance.

The first coach Luis Aragones and now Vicente Del Bosque, Spain have developed a rapid movement of passage that brought much success in Barcelona and so many of the players of the Catalan club have grown at home have intensified their national team with ease.

Spain has an exemplary record of meeting so far with three wins from three to ten goals.

Now play the Czech Republic, second in the group with three points less, in Grenada on Friday, then travel to Lithuania next week.

Villa said-to-back victories would see them book their final berth.

Yuvraj Singh is playing his best cricket in world cup

Having played one of the most mature match- winning innings of his career, Yuvraj Singh feels beating Australia in the quarter- final of the World Cup meant more to him that anything else he had felt before.

Guiding the team to victory, along with Suresh Raina, at a time when the match could have gone either way, Yuvraj said playing straight and on the ground was the main aim. “ The pressure was something else today. I don’t know if I have hit the purple- patch, but this was definitely the best cricket I have played in a while. After Raina came in, I asked him to play straight and down the ground. Beating Australia in the quarter- final is something special,” he said.

Raina on his part said that it was little master Sachin Tendulkar who had inspired him to play such a clam knock under pressure.

“ When I was sitting in the dressing room, Sachin came up to me and gave me a high- five and said that he expected me to play calmly and do well. I just wanted to follow what he had said,” he said.

India’s brilliant show on the field finally brought a smile to Dhoni’s face. “ We are not known for our fielding, but I think we had the best fielders on the ground today. We all gave in more than a 100 per cent,” the skipper said.

Ponting almost chocked as he bid adieu to his dreams of lifting his third successive World Cup trophy for Australia as captain. “ We competed hard, but India was a better side. We have had moments in the tournament and it is disappointing to bow out at this stage,” he said.

Score settled with Australia, India Pakistan Semi Final Next

Pouty, punchy and aggressive as ever, his all-round brilliance shone through at the right time for India. Australia’s 12-year-long unconquered reign in the ICC World Cup was over. India successfully chased down Australia’s challenging total of 260 for six at a jam-packed Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera that cheered the home team all the way to the five-wicket win which dethroned the champions and set-up a mouth-watering semi-final clash against Pakistan in Mohali.


Fittingly, Yuvraj hit a perfect cover drive in the 48th over to a bruised Brett Lee ball as the vociferous crowd of 43,000 erupted in jubilation to celebrate the Indian victory with the tricolour in their hands. There were useful contributions from Sachin Tendulkar (53) and Gautam Gambhir (50) but it was Yuvraj who stole the show with his temperament in the company of Suresh Raina despite a few hiccups in India’s runchase.

Bleed for Ponting. Out of form and under fire to quit before the match, the Aussie skipper played possibly his greatest World Cup innings, singlehandedly, bloody-mindedly dragging Australia to the brink of possible victory with a century.

But the boys in blue had other plans. Yuvraj first grabbed a couple of wickets in the Australian innings and then followed it with an unbeaten 57 to Turn to claim his fourth man-of-the match award in the tournament.

The attacking left-hander has become a valuable cog in India’s success wheel and his evolution as a match-winner was once again decisively demonstrated in the crucial quarter-final clash against the three-time defending champions. Yuvraj saw Gambhir and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni perish in quick succession but he remained unmoved and made sure he punished the Australian bowlers every time he got an opportunity on a two-paced Motera wicket.

Ponting relied too much on his pacers and with just one frontline spinner in Jason Krejza, his options were limited. In Suresh Raina, Yuvraj found an able ally. The two were involved in an unbroken 74-run stand for the sixth wicket, to see India through. Ponting finally ended his run drought with his 30th century, his first in over a year. But his brilliant knock was not enough against an inspired Indian team.

Chasing 261 for a win, Tendulkar looked in great touch. He looked good for his 100th international ton even as Virender Sehwag (15) was dismissed by Shane Watson. A push towards the cover off Brett Lee took Tendulkar past 18,000 runs in One-Day Internationals.

The maestro completed his half-century off 61 balls. The Sardar Patel Stadium, where he scored his maiden double century in Test cricket, looked set for another masterpiece until he was caught behind for 53 off Shaun Tait with India needing 176 runs more.

Gambhir (50 off 64 balls) and Yuvraj Singh survived some anxious moments with some horrendous running between the wickets. Their lack of communication finally bore fruit for the Australians when Gambhir ran for a non-existent single and was run-out soon after reaching the50-run mark.

Earlier, after electing to bat, Ponting paced his innings to perfection and announced his return to form with his first century in over a year after his first five innings in the World Cup yielded just 102 runs. Ponting, 36, was well supported by wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin (53 off 62 balls) and David Hussey (38 off 26 balls).

The toss was always crucial, especially in a pressure game like this and Ponting had the luck on his side to call the coin correctly. The Tasmanian, however, did not get much support from his batsmen, some of whom were out to reckless shots. He crafted his innings brilliantly, holding one end on a two-paced Motera pitch where his teammates found the going tough as India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni marshaled his troops really well – at least till the 44th over of the Australian innings.

It was a reverse hit, which isn’t too common with Ponting, off Ashwin that brought an end to his magnificent knock which was studded with seven fours and a six. But Ponting wasn’t the one to join them in the pavilion so soon and produced a special knock, which was not as authoritative as the one in Johannesburg in the 2003 World Cup final. But it still had brilliance stamped on it. His century fetched him accolades and applause from the spectators, which later called him a “ cheat” for an appeal for a catch.

The Australian captain claimed a catch off Gambhir but replays showed that the ball bounced before he took the catch and the batsman stood his ground. As expected, Dhoni opened the bowling with Ashwin and by the ninth over, it was spin from both the ends with Harbhajan joining in. Shane Watson (25) and Brad Haddin were cautious to start with but Ashwin ended their resistance when he had Watson out bowled in the 10th over.

Haddin’s calculated risks fetched him good results before Yuvraj had him caught by Raina, ending his 70-run stand for the second wicket with Ponting. Michael Clarke (8) didn’t give his captain the support he needed and perished cheaply. Zaheer’s knack of getting wickets with the old ball again came to the fore when he dismissed Michael Hussey (3) and Cameron White (12). David Hussey gave Australia just the kind of impetus they needed at the end of the innings. Zaheer, Yuvraj and Ashwin got two wickets each.

Germany, England Boost European Qualifiers

Germany's serene progress at the European Championship qualification is unlikely to be interrupted by Kazakhstan on Saturday, while an injury to one of the rising stars has boosted England’s hopes of maintaining its unbeaten start.

With four straight wins, Germany is already the leader in group A and a home game against the pool's bottom side, which is yet to score a goal in qualifying, should not cause problems.

England will go to top Group G with a win in Cardiff against Wales, which was a major blow on Thursday when winger Gareth Bale has been eliminated from a thigh injury.

Russia, Norway and Croatia are the leaders of other groups on Saturday, according to Euro 2012 Qualifying will continue after the break.

India vs Australia today in Quarter Final: Ponting’s form holds the key

Will the Motera pitch have been doctored to blunt Australia’s pacemen and suit India’s slow bowlers? Who will MS Dhoni choose between Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina? Will Sachin Tendulkar score his hundredth hundred in this match? Can Ricky Ponting rediscover his form in the nick of time?

Of these four most-asked queries on the eve of the quarter-final between India and Australia at the Motera, I reckon the answer to the last could have the most bearing on the match. The Australians have not fared too badly in the tournament yet, but the fragility of their captain – in the middle and outside it – has made the team vulnerable nonetheless.


Ponting has run into all kinds of problems during this World Cup. His footwork has looked sluggish and awry – except when he is throwing a tantrum on the field – and his poor form has become a drag on the entire team: if not in terms of runs, psychologically certainly.

This will not have been lost on MS Dhoni and I expect some drama involving Ponting in the game tomorrow. Recent history between the Indian team and the Australian captain has been turbulent to say the least, and I would be very surprised if no attempt is made to needle Ponting into indiscretion.

The Australians have been past masters at what is euphemistically called ‘mental disintegration’ of the opponent — except now the shoe appears to be on the other foot. Within limits, such tactics are fair dinkum. Any team looks to exploit weaknesses in the opposition, and currently Ponting appears to be the soft spot of his team.

In fact, Ponting’s slump in form and fortune began with the contentious series in 2007-08 played Down Under, memories of which should inspire and energise the Indian players. Since then, India have enjoyed the better of the contests between the two teams in both Tests and limited overs cricket. The trend, therefore, indicates that India hold the upper hand in this match.

But it would be foolish in the extreme to believe that the Australians have no fight left in them and can be tossed aside easily. The gap between the top three ODI teams is narrow — and it is pertinent to remember that Australia still occupy the No. 1 position. Despite losing the Ashes, Australia struck back with a vengeance to win the one-day series by a whopping 6-1 margin when even their most ardent fans were beginning to give up on them.

In this tournament, they’ve got four wins out of six games (the match against Sri Lanka was rained off), which makes it 10 wins out of 13. Not a bad record for a team on the wane! With the World Cup offering scope for redemption — to the captain and the team — it hardly needs telling that Australia would be going full throttle at Dhoni and Co.

How well-prepared is India to quell the Aussie challenge? In batting and bowling, I think India have revealed more class if not depth.

Australia’s batting — especially because of Ponting’s meagre contributions — has looked wobbly despite Shane Watson, Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey and Steven Smith, and the bowling one-dimensional with neither Jason Krejza nor Smith reaping the rewards that other spinners in the tournament have.

The sheer pace of Tait and Johnson — if ill-directed — could be fodder for the likes of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. Brett Lee’s been magnificent, but he’ll need major support.

True, India’s batsmen have thrice muffed things up during the batting Powerplay, but hopefully some lessons have been learnt. Barring that, Tendulkar, Sewhag, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have been in such splendid nick that India have looked consistently good for 330-340 runs.

The much-maligned bowling has looked capable enough to defend such totals. The success of R Ashwin in the previous match has also given Dhoni his best possible bowling combination. In fielding, however, India remain below par. India may hold the advantage, yet the margin for error is wafer thin. How they exloit this margin will tell us whether Ponting has got a lifeline or been sunk.

Miller Stops 31 Shots As Sabres Blank Habs

The penalty shootout to the Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres 31-24, Tuesday night, but Montreal was in the short term a number of 2-0, as they have enough quality opportunities against the Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller.

“The key to scoring goals in this league, with the goalies being so good is to penetrate and get in those dirty areas.

We didn’t get those second and third chances.“You have to give them credit but for half the game, two periods, we just weren’t there,” saidGionta.

Canadiens were coming into the game off an g8-1 win that leaves the road team in Minnesota, which saw its playoff hopes evaporate, but Gionta said the offensive explosion was a mistake.

Pakistan vs West Indies, ICC World Cup 2011 first quarter final today

Pakistan have more than one reason to be riding high on confidence, going into the first World Cup quarter- final against the West Indies here on Wednesday. Shahid Afridi’s team defeated defending champions Australia in their final league game to enter the second stage on a confident note. The other aspect that gives Pakistan an edge is their recent head- to- head record against the Windies, though their exchanges have lately been very infrequent.


Even in normal circumstances, Afridi is always assured of himself. And on Tuesday, the hard- hitting batsman, who is interestingly the competition’s leading bowler currently, was oozing self- belief. He can afford to be bullish, especially after Pakistan’s four- wicket win over Australia. That is one reason why he clearly said that he would persist with the winning combination against the West Indies.

For Afridi, sentiments and emotions count for little when he is on the field. He is not moved even when it comes to senior fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who has announced his retirement after the World Cup. Akhtar wasn’t played in the Australia game following his arguments with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal in an earlier game, leading to a fine (and the incident may have contributed to his decision to retire), and his skipper effectively dashed his hopes of playing in the quarters.

In other words, if Pakistan lose to the West Indies, the league match against New Zealand would turn out be Akhtar’s last of his 163 ODIs.

But Afridi is focussing on the team rather than individuals. And that is why he insisted that he would be happy to retain the XI that earned that morale- boosting win over Australia, though that result did not have any bearing on both teams’ qualification for quarter- finals. The winner of this game will play the team that emerges from the India- Australia quarterfinal encounter to be played in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

West Indies, at the other end, have looked tentative so far and are fresh from a defeat suffered at the hands of India. They must be low on confidence after failing to capitalise on India’s batting collapse as their own batting disintegrated under pressure.

So, captain Darren Sammy has a few problems to resolve before the big day- night encounter at Sher- e- Bangla Stadium. Consistency, from both batsmen and bowlers, is what he would be expecting on Wednesday.

Sammy said paceman Kemar Roach and batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle, who all missed the India game, were fit and in contention for the crucial game. While Roach and Gayle have recovered from injuries, out- of- form Chanderpaul may be included considering the significance of the contest.

Interestingly, Pakistan and the West Indies have played each other sporadically in the recent past. They didn’t play a single ODI last year, and their last game was exactly 18 months, in the Champions Trophy in South Africa, where Pakistan won.