What links cricket and Bollywood

There are two things Indians are crazy about -- cricket and Bollywood.And when the two meet, fireworks are bound to happen. Just look at what followed after Om Shanti Om's Deepika Padukone cheered for the Indian cricket team at the recent Twenty-20 match against Australia held in Mumbai.Speculation was rife that she was there to cheer the captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Though Deepika claims to be just friends with the Indian captain, reports say the actress was invited by Dhoni after she asked him for a special Om Shanti Om preview.Whether there is any truth to that is debatable, but there is always been a strong romantic link between cricket and Bollywood. While some have 'run out' of steam, others are hoping to last at least half a century.

Indian cricket team sweats it out ahead of key series against Pakistan

The Indian cricket team practiced here ahead of the fourth bilateral series against Pakistan that begins on November 5.Net practice was held at Eden Gardens for three hours on Friday."The team had a full practice session. They wanted to have it in indoors but things looking bright, wicket is very good and the outfield is also good. So, they thought they will not do it indoors. They will practice again tomorrow and in the evening session," said D. Kumar, spokesperson of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).The Pakistan team landed in Delhi on Thursday for the series. The visitors have won their only warm-up one-day match against the Delhi Ranji Trophy team by seven wickets on Friday.Pakistan, which last won a Test series in India in 1986, is due to play five one-day internationals and three Tests.The Pakistan team squad for the series include, Shoaib Malik (Captain) Younis Khan (Vice Captain), Abdur Rehman, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal (Wicket Keeper), Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Salman Butt Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar Sohail Tanvir , Umar Gul Yasir Hameed.The teams have toured each other's country annually since 2004 when India went on a tour of Pakistan after a 14-years.

Cricket-Australia, Sri Lanka to play for Warne-Murali troph

Australia and Sri Lanka are to play for a new trophy named after the two most successful bowlers in test history, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Saturday.Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne retired this year with a world record 708 test wickets and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan is just eight behind going into the two-test series between the teams starting in Brisbane on Thursday.The series winners will collect the Warne-Muralitharan trophy for the first time."The two greatest bowlers in world cricket history have lent their names to a perpetual prize that will be played for in test Series between Australia and Sri Lanka," CA said in a statement.The trophy celebrates the 25th anniversary of Australia-Sri Lanka test cricket and features casts of Warne and Muralitharan's right hands."We've had some great battles in the past and helped raise each other's game to the heights that we've reached," Warne said."The rivalry between Australia and Sri Lanka has grown immeasurably over the last decade and I know my former Australian team mates will be super keen to be the first country to win the trophy when they do battle."Warne and off-spinner Muralitharan will unveil the trophy before the second test in Hobart starting on Nov. 16.

Cricket-Australia's Tait ruled out of first test

Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait has been ruled out of the first test against Sri Lanka with an elbow injury, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Saturday.Tait's place in the 13-man squad for the match starting in Brisbane on Thursday will be taken by seamer Ben Hilfenhaus."It's disappointing for Shaun to have suffered a slight aggravation to his elbow in the lead up to the first Test," chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said."Ben Hilfenhaus richly deserves his opportunity after a magnificent Pura Cup season last year. He also impressed all with his involvement around the Australian squad in the one-day international series in India last month."Hilfenhaus, left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson and spinners Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg are competing for two places in the Australian attack alongside Brett Lee and Stuart Clark.

We will play positive cricket on India tour: Younis Khan

Younis Khan has said that his team would concentrate on playing positive cricket in the series against India starting next week here."We will play positive cricket. We have not set any goal, we have no plans to go after Pathan or Sreesanth or something like that," said Khan.The Pakistan team landed in Delhi on November 1 for the series that kicks off on November 5.The visitors have won their only warm-up one-day match against the Delhi Ranji Trophy team by seven wickets on Friday.Pakistan, which last won a Test series in India in 1986, is due to play five one-day internationals and three Tests.The teams have toured each other's country annually since 2004 when India went on a tour of Pakistan after a 14-years. And here is the rest of it.

Pakistan appoint Younis vice captain for India tour

LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) — Pakistan appointed Younis Khan as deputy to captain Shoaib Malik for the tour of India starting later this week.Younis replaces opener Salman Butt, who lost his place in the final eleven because of poor batting form. Butt did not play in any of the five-match one-day series against South Africa which ended in tourists' 3-2 win on Monday.The 29-year-old Younis refused to lead Pakistan when he was offered the captaincy following Inzamam-ul Haq's resignation in March this year. He cited personal reasons for not accepting the role.

Inzamam resigned following Pakistan's first-round exit from the World Cup held in the Caribbean earlier this year.Younis accepted the vice captaincy role after meeting with the PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf last week. He has led Pakistan in two Tests, winning one and losing the other.Younis has also led Pakistan in six one-day internationals.Pakistan fly out to India on Thursday to play five one-day internationals and three Tests. The first one-day will be played at Guwahati on Monday..

Adams blasts Auckland home

Andre Adams' brutal 82 not out gave Auckland the ideal precursor to its domestic campaign with a two-wicket warm-up win over Wellington.Set 238 for victory after Luke Woodcock (104) and Lee Edwards' (44 not out) defiant 10th wicket stand of 138 was finally ended by Kyle Mills to wrap up Wellington's innings on 258, Adams slammed seven sixes and five fours in a breath-taking 66-ball knock following a collapse by Auckland's middle order.Captain Richard Jones completed a strong performance by scoring 92 at the top of the order after he top scored with 54 in the first innings, and when he and opening partner Tim McIntosh (22) put on 72 for the first wicket,Auckland seemed well on its way to victory.However, a slump to 143-6 left an uphill battle before Adams came to the crease, adding 53 with Mills before he and Lance Shaw nursed their side across the line.James Franklin showed promising form in taking 2-17 and showed he is ready for the Black Caps' ODI tour to South Africa in late November. Rookie paceman Edwards backed up his effort with the bat in taking 2-40.In the other match played at New Zealand Cricket headquarters in Lincoln, Otago's clash with Canterbury petered out to a draw as 10 half-centuries were scored on a batting haven at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval.

Otago took the opportunity to spend some valuable time at the crease after Canterbury had replied with 359-8 to its first innings total of 313. Neil Broom, Greg Todd and Nathan McCullum were the main benefactors as the Cantabrians toiled away on a benign wicket.McCullum notched 107, his first century at domestic level, while Broom scored his second fifty of the match with 63 and Todd, a stand-in captain while Craig Cumming is on Test duty in South Africa, put together a classy 86.Todd Astle took his second three-wicket bag in snaring 3-95 in combination with fellow spinner Iain Robertson, who took 2-31 off 14 economical overs.
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Cook shrugs off Fletcher storm

England batsman Alastair Cook insists he is not interested in any of the sensational revelations in former head coach Duncan Fletcher's new book.Fletcher, who was succeeded by Peter Moores in May, claimed in 'Behind the Shades', which has been serialised by a national newspaper, that Andrew Flintoff had once been too drunk to take part in a fielding session during last winter's disastrous tour of Australia.The then-skipper went on to embark on another alcohol-fuelled escapade during the World Cup in the Caribbean - news of which did immediately reach the public domain - and Fletcher used his book to pronounce himself 'let down' by the all-rounder.But Cook insisted the only headlines he wanted to read about Flintoff were ones announcing his comeback from the ankle injury that has forced him to miss the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka."I haven't read it but obviously I have heard about it. To be honest, I'm really not that interested in Duncan Fletcher's book. It is just a book isn't it? We are not bothered about what people are writing," he told PA Sport."What is in the book is in the past and we have moved on. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but personally I am not bothered what he has written now because we are under Peter Moores."

"It doesn't affect the squad as a whole and we are more worried about how we are going to play against Sri Lanka in two weeks' time."Of the Australian drinking allegations, he added: "I wasn't there at the time because I wasn't in that one-day series so it is hard for me to comment when I don't know the facts.""All I know is when I was playing under Freddie for England, he was my leader. He gave everything for England and I just wish him successful rehab on that ankle.""It's his third time, which must be tough, but we hope he gets back as soon as possible because a fully-fit, firing Freddie Flintoff is what we need for English cricket."Cook was speaking at an off-road demonstration event held by Volkswagen, who have supplied England players with 4x4 Toureg models.Cook's Essex team-mate Ravi Bopara, also part of the England touring party having made his mark in one-day internationals and Twenty20 fixtures, crashed one of the cars on farmland at Longfield near the famous Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in Kent.The 22-year-old suffered minor injuries to his right arm after the vehicle he was driving flipped over while turning, with broken glass then having to be removed from a wound on his wrist.

An air ambulance was mobilised at one point but it was quickly established that Bopara did not require hospital treatment."I'm fine. I wouldn't even call it a cut. It's more of a graze - I usually get worse cuts and bruises diving around the outfield," he said."I'm not sure how it happened. We were burning it down a hill and hit a bump at the end. But they are such good cars we hardly felt a thing."

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Cumming fills contract spot

Black Caps opening batsman Craig Cumming has been confirmed as the player to receive the national contract vacated by retired veteran Craig McMillan.The 32-year-old Otago captain was overlooked for fellow openers Michael Papps and Jamie How, along
with Mathew Sinclair - who was not named in either the Test or ODI squad - when New Zealand Cricket named their initial 20-man list, but McMillan's sudden departure left a gap and Cumming was the logical choice to fill it.He was named ahead of How to the Black Caps' Test tour of South Africa which kicks off next week, where he will make his eight Test appearance alongside seven ODI's.Black Caps general manager Lindsay Crocker said Cumming was a welcome addition to the national contract list after being unfortunate to miss out the first time around."Craig was one of the unlucky ones when the first 20 contractors were announced, so we are delighted to be able to include him at this time.".

Siddons targets Bangladesh Test improvement

DHAKA (AFP) — Bangladesh's new coach Jamie Siddons said his goal was to transform the team into a highly competitive unit in both Test and one-day cricket."I've got some visions for the team. Everything we do will be towards improving the team and see it gets better day by day," said the Australian, who signed a two-year contract late Tuesday.Siddons, 43, will formally take over the side on November 25, just a month before Bangladesh'sDHAKA (AFP) — Bangladesh's new coach Jamie Siddons said his goal was to transform the team into a highly competitive unit in both Test and one-day cricket."I've got some visions for the team. Everything we do will be towards improving the team and see it gets better day by day," said the Australian, who signed a two-year contract late Tuesday.Siddons, 43, will formally take over the side on November 25, just a month before Bangladesh's.