ICC Championship Trophy

The Match Schedule Of ICC Championship Trophy

                      

 Team

Group-A	Group-B
Australia	India
England	Pakistan
New Zealand	South Africa
Sri Lanka	West Indies

Match Schedule:

Group Match:

Day	Date	Match	Team	Team	Venue
Thursday	6-June	01	India	South Africa	Cardiff
Friday	7-June	02	West Indies	Pakistan	The Oval
Saturday	8-June	03	England	Australia	Edgbaston
Sunday	9-June	04	Sri Lanka	New ZeaLand	Cardiff
Monday	10-June	05	Pakistan	South Africa	Edgbaston
Tuesday	11-June	06	India	West Indies	The Oval
Wenesday	12-June	07	Australia	New Zealand	Edgbaston
Thusday	13-June	08	England	Sri Lanka	The Oval
Friday	14-June	09	West Indies	South Africa	Cardiff
Saturday	15-June	10	Indai	Pakistan	Edgbaston
Sunday	16-June	11	England	New Zealand	Cardiff
Monday	17-June	12	Australia	Sri Lanka	The Oval

Semi-Final:

Wednesday 19 June:(1^st ) Semi-final -A1 v B2 - The Oval
Thursday 20 June:(2^nd ) Semi-final -A2 v B1 – Cardiff

Final:
Sunday 23 June: Final-Winner(1^st and 2^nd ) - Edgbaston

Pietersen out of Champions Trophy

Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy and could face a race to be fit in time for the Ashes as he continues his rehabilitation from a knee injury. The ECB said on Wednesday that it expected Pietersen to resume full training in mid-June, less than four weeks before the first Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on July 10.

Pietersen missed the third Test of England's tour of New Zealand after suffering bruising to his right knee and it had already been announced that the batsman would not be considered for the return series, starting next month. Playing in the Champions Trophy was the next target but it has been deemed that he will not be ready for the tournament, which runs from June 6-23.

An ECB statement read: "Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy following a repeat MRI scan on his right knee earlier today. The scan has shown some improvement in the bruising to the bone that occurred in the build up to the Test Series against New Zealand in February. However Pietersen will not have recovered sufficiently in time for the NatWest one-day series against New Zealand beginning May 31 and the Champions Trophy which follows. Pietersen will now start a graduated rehabilitation program with a view to resuming full training by the middle of June."

The news is not altogether unexpected, with England taking a cautious approach to managing Pietersen's knee problem ahead of back-to-back Ashes series, and comes shortly after the announcement of Australia's touring squad. Pietersen has been wearing a brace to aid his recovery, although there is currently no suggestion that surgery will be required.

When he flew home from New Zealand, where he was injured in a warm-up match at Queenstown, a timeframe of eight weeks was given, forcing his withdrawal from the entire IPL. The two home Tests against New Zealand, beginning on May 16, would also have come too soon but his absence for the Champions Trophy is a blow to England's hopes of winning a global 50-over competition for the first time.

Should his recovery progress as the ECB hopes, Pietersen could play for Surrey in the Championship against Yorkshire starting on June 21. England then have a four-day game against Essex starting on June 30 to prepare for the Ashes although even that schedule would only leave him a maximum eight days of first-class cricket since the middle of March.

Pietersen returned to England's ODI team for the first time in almost a year against India in January after his temporary retirement from limited-overs internationals in 2012. England's rotation policy meant Jonathan Trott was rested for that series, with Joe Root making an immediate impression in the middle order and when Pietersen sat out the ODIs in New Zealand, Root improved his record to 326 runs at 81.50.

With Trott, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell all expected to bat at the top of the order, England will now be heavily reliant on Eoin Morgan to provide the sort of impetus that Pietersen is capable of in one-day cricket. The priority of retaining the Ashes, however, is clearly of greater concern.

Sri Lanka A will tour West Indies in June

The Sri Lanka A team will tour the Caribbean in June to play a series of matches against the West Indies A in all formats, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced.

The Sri Lanka tour will involve two 'Tests' (4-day matches), three 50-over encounters and two T20s, a WICB release said Wednesday.

Warner Park in St. Kitts will host the first 'test' while the second will be played at Arnos Vale Cricket Field in St Vincent.

The two T20s will also be played at Arnos Vale before the three One Day matches conclude the tour in neighbouring Grenada.

The series against Sri Lanka is the first engagement of the year for the West Indies A who last played in 2012 when they faced India in three 'Tests,' three One Dayers and two T20s.

West Indies A won the 'Test' series 2-1 while the One Day Series was drawn 1-1 and the T20s evenly shared.

Full Schedule:

West Indies A v Sri Lanka A:

June 5 - 8 - First 'Test' - Warner Park, St Kitts
June 12 - 15 - Second 'Test' - Arnos Vale Cricket Field, St Vincent
June 18 - First T20 - Arnos Vale Cricket Field, St Vincent
June 19 - Second T20 - Arnos Vale Cricket Field, St Vincent
June 23 - First One-Day - Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
June 25 - Second One-Day - Grenada National Stadium, Grenada
June 27 - Third One-Day - Grenada National Stadium, Grenada.

McCullum knew Gayle would break record

Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum always suspected his 158 in the inaugural IPL match would one day be broken and if it was ever going to be surpassed it really could only ever be one man.
And so it proved when West Indian juggernaut Chris Gayle once again mesmerised the cricketing world with a brutal 175 not out off 66 balls batting for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in an IPL match against the Pune Warriors.
In an innings which included 17 sixes and 13 fours, the 33-year-old Jamaican also shattered the record for the fastest century in all of cricket, breaking the 34-ball hundred scored by Australian Andrew Symonds for Kent against Middlesex in 2004.
But if that was record was thought to be nigh-on-impossible to break, McCullum's sensational innings for the Kolkata Knightriders in 2008 was another mark which many observers thought would stand the test of time.
"I have been honoured to hold that record [highest IPL individual score] and far more delighted that some body as destructive as Chris (Gayle) has now taken over," McCullum told the Times of India five years and six days after his own innings set the cricketing world alight.
"I was following Chris' innings on the bus while coming back from practice. It's an unbelievable inning. He is the most powerful batsman in T20 and deserves that record."
"I knew all along that it would be broken and that it had to be Chris."
The highly respected cricinfo website rated MCullum's 158 [off 73 balls] as the best IPL innings of all time in 2012 and that is completely understandable when you consider he scored 71% of his team's runs, hit 13 sixes [which was a record before today] and had a strike rate of 216.43.
In comparison Gayle hit 67% of his team's runs, hit 17 sixes and had a strike rate of 265.15. Advantage Gayle.
"Words can't explain how I feel, I think later on tonight when I am by myself I can look back and reflect on what I've done today," Gayle said.
"I'm grateful, overall from a team point of view, I'm really happy with the win, that put us on top of the table, just one of those innings, one of these days when you come out and things go according to how you want it to."

'We're good but we won't be legends'

West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has cast a realistic eye over the current team, saying that while they are a good T20 side, and have many talented players, he doesn't see them emulating the legends of the 1980s.
The Windies, under the leadership of skipper Darren Sammy, have begun to climb their way back up the various rankings and even won the World Twenty20 last year, and while Chanderpaul is proud to be part of the side, he thinks it will take a long time for the side to resemble Walsh, Ambrose, Lara and company.
Chanderpaul told ecb.co.uk of the current side: "It's pretty good. We have a pretty good T20 squad but we still have a lot of good players for all the formats. We have some young guys who are talented. Because they are young they'll improve.
"I don't know if it can be like what it was 20 years ago, but it will take some time to get back up. It will take some time to be in the top five again.
"I don't know if it will get back to where it was. I don't think it will get back there. Not that level of the legends of the past. I don't think you will get there and if it happens it's not going to be for now."
Another of the younger generation looking to stake their claim is Chanderpaul's son, Tagenarine, who plays for the Guyana senior side and is only 16. The junior Chanderpaul is also looking to play in England soon.
The Derbyshire batsman continued: "I'm pretty much excited about it. He finished high school last year and he said he didn't want to do his A-Levels. He wants to play some cricket. So I said 'no problem'.
"He's done a lot of hard work and he's got into the senior team. He's 16 and he's also coming here to play some cricket. It could only benefit him, coming out here to play some cricket."

Who will captain Pune Warriors?

Five of the nine franchises are captained by foreign players, leading to the debate about whether foreign captains are a liability when they don't perform well. Seven games into this tournament, Pune Warriors have already had three captains - Angelo Mathews, Ross Taylor and Aaron Finch (all foreigners). One was an enforced change, with Mathews forced to sit out a game in Chennai, leaving Taylor to lead. However, Mathews' poor form (5 matches, 52 runs, 1 wicket) has upset the team's plans and hence he was left out of Warriors' last game against Kings XI Punjab, handing the captaincy to the inexperienced Aaron Finch.

The leadership crisis hasn't helped Warriors as they stay at No.8 in the points table, above Delhi Daredevils. If Warriors decide to go with an Indian captain, the only logical option is Yuvraj Singh, who returned after missing two games to injury. Ross Taylor didn't feature against Kings XI, in order to accommodate Luke Wright. The questions remain - if not Mathews, who will walk out for the toss in Bangalore? Will they settle on an Indian captain once and for all?

They've been dogged by inconsistency all season. In Mohali, they had the upper hand at the start of the final over with 15 to defend, but Wright's horrid over handed the game to Kings XI. Warriors had positives to draw from the defeat, but against Royal Challengers Bangalore, their bowlers will have to step up.

Royal Challengers are the team with the best home record this season, having not conceded a single game at Chinnaswamy. Their match against Warriors will be their last at home before they embark on a six-matches tour. Their next home fixture is on May 14. Against Rajasthan Royals, their seamers did well to keep the total to an underwhelming 117. The chase was measured, with Chris Gayle scoring a patient 49. It may not have been the most entertaining chase, but Royal Challengers were determined to keep wickets in hand and not choke.

Brendon McCullum drops legal threat after apology

New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum on Tuesday scrapped plans to sue former skipper John Parker after receiving an apology over claims he said attacked his integrity.

Parker alleged earlier this month that McCullum, 31, was aware his predecessor Ross Taylor was going to be axed as skipper late last year, despite the batsman's insistence he knew nothing about the decision.

McCullum, who is currently playing in the Indian Premier League, said last week that he would sue Parker for defamation unless the 62-year-old retracted the claims.

Parker complied in a statement issued Tuesday through McCullum's lawyers which said he had not meant to imply McCullum was dishonest or had put his own interests ahead of the team's.

"John Parker did not intend to discredit Brendon McCullum and sincerely apologises to him for any harm to his reputation which may have been caused," it said, adding: "No legal proceedings by either party will occur."

Taylor's demotion opened deep rifts within New Zealand cricketing circles, with many former players saying he had been poorly treated.

Parker is part of a group said to include several former captains who have been lobbying for change at New Zealand Cricket, arguing the game is being run by bureaucrats with little playing experience.

Mervyn Westfield slams ECB for not checking spot-fixing

The England Cricket Board on Monday, brought former Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield to testify against Danish Kaneria who is fighting against a life-ban. A court order summoning Westfield has left him fuming and he has accused ECB of not doing enough to prevent players from getting embroiled in spot-fixing in the first place.

Westfield and Kaneria were accused of spot-fixing during their County stint with Essex in 2010. While Kaneria has appealed against the punishment imposed on him in the London Court of International Arbitration, an angry Westfield - already found guilty and imprisoned for two months - issued a statement through his lawyer that ECB and Essex "did not do enough to prevent the crime."

"I am here today not because of the summons, nor because of any other party," Westfield said in his statement. "My family have stood by me throughout the torture I have been made to live with this. No one else has given me any support despite all the promises a year ago. I am here to bring to an end the pain and suffering that I am forced to continuously suffer."

The 24-year-old cricketer testified against Kaneria but his anger was directed towards ECB for imposing a harsh penalty on him. Westfield has been banned from first-class cricket apart from his stint in prison. Kaneria remains hopeful of reversing the ban imposed on him. The current legal case is likely to be heard until Thursday of this week.

Zimbabwe thrashing highlights Bangladesh woes

When Zimbabwe return to the ICC Test rankings after Thursday's second Test against Bangladesh, they will enter the table above their opponents regardless of the result.

For Bangladesh, this is a damning indictment on their lack of progress since they entered the Test arena in November 2000, and raises further questions on why a nation of 150 million people has been unable to rise to the level of even the mediocre Test teams.

To put Bangladesh's woes into context, it is worth pointing out the state of the nation that thrashed them by 335 runs in the first Test on Saturday.

Zimbabwe have just 75 professional cricketers, most of whom are on part-time contracts, and only returned to Test cricket in August 2011 after a six-year exile from the five-day game.

The African side went into the current Test series smarting from a dismal tour of the Caribbean, where they lost every match against the West Indies, and dispirited after their latest contract dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket, who are laden with debt.

Bangladesh, on the other hand, enjoyed an encouraging tour of Sri Lanka where they amassed their highest ever score in a Test, yet Saturday's result was a reminder that for every step forward they have managed over the years there seems to have been an equal step back.

While the Harare Sports Club wicket had an even layer of green grass which ensured there was always something in it for the pace bowlers, too often Bangladesh's batsmen were impatient and contributed to their own demise as they were bowled out for 134 and 147.

"We were expecting difficult conditions and good bowling," captain Mushfiqur Rahim said afterwards, yet he offered no real answers as to why his side were unable to counter them.

The manner of defeat drew heavy criticism from everyone back home, but coach Shane Jurgensen suggested before the series began that what his side needs is a bit of sympathy if they are to handle the regular beatings and move forward.

"It's a combination of a few things: media, general public, high expectations," Jurgensen said. "Everyone wants success, but what a lot of people forget sometimes is that we want success as well.

"When we have a bad day, we don't mean to. Some people forget the boys are human beings and they are all very young and they have been learning."

Jurgensen also suggested that many of Bangladesh's players should make the step up over the coming years as they come into their prime.

"There's a shift where you've got a group of guys hitting their mid-20s and some slightly older guys who are still very young in cricketing age," he said.

"That's when sometimes you hit the prime of your career - when your experience and your physical strength all come into one."

While it is true that the majority of Bangladesh's team are yet to reach the age at which most cricketers peak, the call for more time is one that the cricket public has heard many times before.

Defeats by more than an innings may have become scarcer over the past five years, yet Bangladesh have still not won a Test since 2009 - and that was against a West Indian side who had lost an entire team to a contract crisis.

Test cricket is not healthy enough that it can cast teams aside without concern for its own future, but at some stage Bangladesh's Test cricketers need to start showing the sort of patience on the field that their prolonged stagnation has demanded from a discouraged public.

IPL 6: Sir Viv Richards joins Delhi Daredevils as advisor

Beleaguered Delhi Daredevils outfit on Saturday a got a pep talk from legendary Sir Vivian Richards as the legendary West Indian batsman joined the franchise in the role of an ambassador as well as advisor.

"I am looking forward to working with the Delhi Daredevils this season," Richards said after his maiden interaction with the team which has lost six straight matches.

"I know the team has many players of proven quality and others who have immense talent and hunger to succeed at this level and higher. It will be a great experience for me to be their sounding board and inspire them to deliver quality performances."

GMR Sports chairman Kiran K Grandhi said the decision to rope in Sir Viv was in keeping with the policy to give the squad the best support it can possibly get.

"As owners of the Delhi Daredevils, we have always got together the best support staff. I'm sure our fans will also be very excited that Sir Viv is with the squad."

"There are a number of youngsters in the squad who can make the most of the opportunity to interact with Viv and evolve as cricketers. He was keen to be with the team at the start of the season but he had prior commitments and could join us only now," Mentor TA Sekar stated.

'I'm not a Magician"-Akram

Wasim Akram has said he will encourage Pakistan's latest breed of fast bowlers to adopt an aggressive approach in order to be successful but he can't magically bring rewards.

Akram, a former captain, has started working with the country's quicks after coming to a short-term agreement with the PCB. He commenced a 10-day training camp at the National Stadium in Karachi for 18 of Pakistan's top fast bowlers, including members of the national team and some new, raw talent.

The camp was set up ahead of the Champions Trophy in June in England and Akram said that the change to regulations in one-day cricket were tough for bowlers.

"You need to be aggressive and learn how to adapt to these rule changes. Pakistani bowlers have a lot of talent but they need to learn and adapt to the demands of international cricket.

With the change in ODI cricket, that you can't keep more than four fielders outside the circle in a 50-over match at any time, and the rising popularity of T20 cricket means pace bowlers now need to be more adaptable.

"I will advise these bowlers that to be successful in this scenario, aggression is a must with top grade fitness, pace and the ability to have length variation. T20 cricket has changed the mentality of batsmen. The odds are stacked against the bowlers. First I will tell them how to swing the ball, then reverse swing and how to make use of the yorkers.

"I am not a magician able to work wonders in ten days but I will try my level best to help them in phases and hope that the same training camp is staged after a break of three to four months," he added. "I will be there in the camp and then at the Champions Trophy so will do my best to help them to learn and mature."

Prior to the Champions Trophy, Pakistan will tour Scotland and Ireland to play a two-match ODI series each. After the South Africa tour which ended in March there is feeling prevailing around the country that Pakistan's pace-bowling resources are declining but Akram is not too concerned about the future."

"I don't think it's a serious concern. The talent is definitely there but these kids need experience and must learn to adapt to the demands of international cricket where they are found wanting," he said."It's not easy to found someone with 145kph pace, you need to do scouting and hunting for fast bowlers and I am sure there will be talent.

"The grounds in South Africa were green but you need a certain strategy to bowl, so until and unless they learn it they will not be able to turn their potential into performances."