Raina out Pujara in Action for the Asia Cup series announced

India will play against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the Asia Cup to be hosted in Dhaka and Fatullah from February 25 to March 8-2014. Ishant Sharma has been dropped from the Asia Cup and World T20 squads. Yuvraj and Raina have been named in the World T20 squad only.

Raina has paid the price for his patchy form in ODI, as the left-hander has been out of India’s squad for the forth coming Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh. Pujara has come in the squad instead of Raina, while Ishant has been axed not only from the Asia Cup but also from the World Twenty20 squad.

Yuvraj and Suresh Raina are however, part of the World Twenty20 squad that was named on Tuesday. Stuart Binny, who played in only one ODI in New Zealand, finds a place in both the squads.

Suresh Raina and Ishant Sharma were part of the India squad that was thrashed 0-4 by New Zealand in the ODI series that preceded the ongoing Test series, but surprisingly, they are the only casualties of that humiliation.

Raina, who has scored just one half-century in his last 24 ODI innings, was dropped from the last 2 ODIs against New Zealand, after scores of 18, 35 and 31 in the first 3 games. Ishant Sharma had figures of 9-0-72-1 and 6-0-46-1 in the first 2 ODIs, after which he warmed the bench for the remainder of the series. Ishant Sharma has taken 37 wickets in his last 24 ODIs, but they have come at an average of 30.02 and a high economy rate of 5.81.

Pujara has played only two ODIs, both against Zimbabwe in August 2013, where he had scores of 13 and 0 at the top of the order. Pujara, however, has an impressive List a record with 2947 runs (9 centuries and 18 half-centuries) at an average of 54.57 in 68 matches.

India played only one T20 International in 2013 - against Australia at Rajkot on October 10. Yuvraj blazed his way to a 35-ball 77* as India chased down the stiff target of 202 for the loss of 4 wickets and with 2 balls to spare.

India won the inaugural edition of the World Twenty20 in 2007, but hasn’t progressed beyond the Super 8 stage in the last 3 editions.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will stay back in Bangladesh for the World T20 that opens on March 16. India has been drawn alongside Pakistan, Australia, West Indies and a qualifier in group two.

Tri Series WI Won by 6 Wickets against SL

Gayle notched his 1st one-day hundred against Sri Lanka as he led West Indies to a crushing 6-wicket win with more than 12 overs to spare in the opening match of the tri-nation international series.

Replying to the visitors' modest total of 208 all out off 48.3 overs, the hard-hitting opening batsman delighted his fellow Jamaicans with another main effort on the way to his 21st ODI century. His 109 came off 100 deliveries and was embellished with 7 sixes and 9 fours. That pushed his team on to 209 for four off 37.5 overs and they earned a bonus point as well for reaching their target before the conclusion of the 40th over.

Earlier, Sunil Narine returned to his miserly, wicket-taking best, snaring 4 / 40 as Sri Lanka faltered after a dishonestly bright start to be dismissed for 208.

He had an instant impact on the match when he came on in the 18th over, removed the prolific and experienced pair of Mahela Jayawardene (52) and Kumar Sangakkara (17) in his 1st 3 overs to immediately put the brake on what had been a promising start by the Sri Lankans.

Jayawardene was at his fluent best, dominating an opening partnership of 62 with Upul Tharanga before they were separated by Bravo. In contrast, Sangakkara never really got going and the West Indies were reasonably delighted when he pushed a straightforward catch to Pollard at cover.

Ravi Rampaul backed up the spinner's effort with 3 wickets and it was left to Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews to hold the innings together following the demise of the 3 big hitters, his unbeaten 55 being the top score as he capitalized on an early bit of luck when put down by Gayle off the bowling of pacer Kemar Roach.

Speaking after the match, Mathews acknowledged that with Chris Gayle in such a mood, his team's total was never going to be enough. We needed early on wickets and that did not happen, he lamented. And when Chris Gayle is in that sort of mind-set, no bowling attack in the world can stop and no target is too much.

Score Details

Sri Lanka: 208/10 (48.3)
A Mathews (C)-55(77)
M Jayawardena –52(52)

Best Bowling
S Narine-4(40)
R Rampaul-3(38)

West Indies: 209/4 (37.5)
C Gayle -109(100)
J Charles -29(58)

Men of the match-C Gayle (WI)

Gul, Sami Stunning.Pakistan wins by 6 wickets

Pakistan made a triumphant start to the One-day series as they registered an easy 6-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI at Pallekele, on Thursday.

Mohammad Hafeez top-scored with 37 in a chase of 135, as the visitors secured their 9th win in 11 matches over Sri Lanka. The match was interrupted several times by rain, as Umar gul harness the conditions to grab 3 wickets in a sharp opening spell, restricting the home team to 135-8 after Mahela Jayawardene selected to bat.

The fast bowler (3-24) removed captain Jayawardene, Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal to send Sri Lanka reeling at 23-3 in 9 overs, in the rain-curtained encounter which was eventually reduced to 42-overs-a-side.Although Pakistan lost Azhar Ali and Younis Khan early in the chase, Hafeez, captain Misbah-ul-Haq (30) and Umar Akmal (36 n.o.) ensured that there were no further hiccoughs for the visitors, as they romped home in the 35th over with 6 wickets to spare.

Earlier, Gul was superbly back by paceman Mohammad Sami, who dismiss Kumar Sangakkara and all-rounder Mathews in his first 2 overs to reduce the hosts to 41-5. Sami finished with 3-19 off 6 overs. Lahiru Thirimanne, who added 50 for the 8th wicket with Nuwan Kulasekara (18), top-scored for Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 42 while extras contributed 31, the 2nd-highest tally of the innings.

Thisara Perera (17) and Upul Tharanga (10) were the other batsmen to reach double-figures.Sangakkara, who took 20 deliveries to open his account, complete just nine runs before being trapped leg-before while Mathews was caught at 1st slip by captain Misbah-ul-Haq for no score. Off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez bagged 2 of the last 3 wickets to finish with an impressive 2-20 off 10 overs. Gul struck in his 3rd over when he had opener Dilshan (five) caught by Saeed Ajmal at mid-on and then trapped Jayawardene (three) leg-before in his next over.

He put more pressure on Sri Lanka when he bowled Chandimal for no score in his 5th over.

The second ODI will also be played in Pallekele on Saturday and the last 3 games in Colombo on June 13, 16 and 18. The one-dayers will be followed by a 3-test series starting on June 22.

Man of the match

Umar Gul

Today Starting Sri lanka vs Pakistan ODI Series Match

Sri Lanka will look to improve their recent ODI record against Pakistan when they clash in a 5-match series starting in Pallekele on {07-06-12} Thursday.

The World Cup runners-up have lost 5of their last 6 ODI against Pakistan, 4 in the United Arab Emirates last November and one in the Asia Cup in Dhaka in March. The key to Sri Lanka's victory will be a solid batting feat by Mahela Jayewardene’s men against a side that boast a rich diversity in both spin and pace bowling.

The spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez has proved a handful for the majority rivals, helping Pakistan win 16 of their last 22 ODIs. The pace attack will be spearhead by Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami and Sohail Tanvir, who was drafted into the ODI squad in place of injured batsman Nasir Jam shed.

Sri Lanka will rely heavily on their trusted trio of Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan to test the resurgent tourists, led by middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq.Pakistan will be a challenge and what makes them gung ho is the sort of bowling options available, apart from the specialists, Jayawardene said in front of the series.

The rivals shared the preceding T20 series in the southern town of Hambantota as Pakistan bounced back to draw level after Sri Lanka had win the opening match. Afridi, who scored a brisk half-century and grab 2 wickets in Pakistan's series-leveling win last Sunday, will once again play a central role in the 50-overs-a-side games.

Misbah, who remains the Test and ODI captain despite being dropped from the Twenty20 team, called for a group display from his side to tackle the Sri Lankans. It’s not about 1 or 2 players, the whole team has to contribute, because Sri Lanka is tough opponent anywhere, especially at home, Misbah said.

Pakistan's batting has been bolstering with the return of Misbah and veteran Younis Khan, who was also not part of the Twenty20 squad. The 2nd ODI players will also be played in Pallekele on Saturday before the action shifts to Colombo for the last 3 games on June 13, 16 and 18.

The ODI Players will be followed by a 3-Test series starting on June 22.

SRI LANKA	PAKISTAN
Mahela Jayawardene	Misbah-ul-Haq
Tillakaratne Dilshan	Mohammad Hafeez
Kumar Sangakkara	Younis Khan
Dinesh Chandimal	Umar Akmal
Angelo Mathews	Sarfraz Ahmed
Lahiru Thirimanne	Shahid Afridi
Jeevan Mendis	Umar Gul
Thisara Perera	Rahat Ali
Nuwan Kulasekara	Saeed Ajmal
Sachithra Senanayake	Abdur Rehman
Lasith Malinga	Mohammad Sami
Rangana Herath	Asad Shafiq
Upul Tharanga	Aizaz Cheema
Nuwan Pradeep	Azhar Ali
Dilhara Fernando	Imran Farhat and Sohail Tanvir

ICC dismisses match-fixing claims

March 12.The I C C on Monday dismissed a claim in a British newspaper that Indian bookmakers were fixing the results of English county games and abroad fixtures.

The chief executives of the sport’s world major body, Harpoon Lorgat, describe a report in Britain's Sunday Times that it was probing last year's World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan as baseless and misleading.

The ICC has no reason or proof to require an investigation into this match, he said in an emailed testimonial to media. It is indeed sad for false claims to be made which only serve to cause doubt on the semi-final of one of the all most successful ICC Cricket World Cups ever.

The weekly claim on Sunday that it had uncovered evidence that tens of 1000 of pounds (dollars) was on offer to players to throw part or all of international matches, together with the crunch semi-final between the bitter South Asian rivals.

India won the match and went on to beat Sri Lanka in the final.

One New Delhi-based bookmaker was quoted as saying that English county cricket was a "good new market" because match was low-profile. Money was on offer to batsmen to score gradually and bowlers to forfeit runs in a set pattern, the report said.

Shaun Marsh out of Australia's ODI squad

Sydney: Struggling opener Shaun Marsh was Monday left out of Australia's one-day team to face India and Sri Lanka series, while wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has been rested in support of Matthew Wade.

Australia go into the tri-nations series buoy by a 4-0 Test whitewash of India, and with players such as beginner Peter Forrest show strong form in the domestic Twenty20 league and Sheffield shelter.

Marsh, put in a poor concert during the Test series, scoring just 17 runs after returning to the side follow a back injury. "Shaun Marsh is apparently disappointed with his own form in recent weeks and is out of the side, but remainder in our thinking for the future while his workings at state level," said national selector John Inveracity."As they say, class is undying but form can be passing."

Inveracity said Haddin will be rested after "a heavy plan of Test cricket" in favor of debutant Wade. "The workload for a wicketkeeper and batsman is accurate and resting him for the start of the series will invigorate him for coming international commitment, while also giving us a chance to look at Matt Wade at this level," he said.

Clarke's warning to Marsh

Australia have not named a vice-captain for the first 3 games as Haddin is resting and all-rounder Shane Watson is still occupied due to injury. Brett Lee is built-in in a bowling attack which also skin tone Ryan Harris and Xavier Daugherty.

Australia and India boot off the tri-nations game on Feb- 5 with a match at the squad

Australian squad: Michael Clarke (captain), Dan Christian, Xavier Daugherty, Peter Forrest, Ryan Harris, David Hussy, Mike Hussy, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Clint McKay, Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.