Steven Finn available for third Test

England fast bowler Steven Finn, who missed the first two Test matches against India due to thigh injury, on Monday declared himself available for the third Test beginning on Wednesday. "If I'm needed, I'll be ready for the (third) Test. I've bowled about six overs at the nets and feeling quite okay," Finn, who proved his fitness bowling England's Performance Programme team to victory against DY Patil Academy XI with impressive figures of four for 50 at Mumbai last week, said.
"It feels really nice if your bowling coach is impressed. But I'm not the one who is going to read too much into it. I would stay in my bubble," he added. There was some concern that the key English pacer would be ruled out of the entire four-Test series after he missed the first Test in Ahmedabad but he stayed with the team for a rehab before proving his fitness in a three-day match against DY Patil Academy XI from November 27 to 29."For sometime, I felt I would have to leave early. Previously I thought to be back by the second Test, but it took longer than I expected," he added. The tall pacer may come into the team in place of a struggling Stuart Board who went wicketless and did not bowl in the second innings in England's 10-wicket win over India in the second Test at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Finn, however, defended Board, saying he was going through a bad patch. "It's not that he is drifted away a million miles. He is a world class bowler with more than 50 Tests under his belt. I'm sure he will be out of this slump," said Finn. "For fast bowlers, you need the attitude anywhere you bowl. We have done well so far and the attitude has been spot on. It's showing in the series also," he insisted.
Stating that he loves bowling in the sub-continental conditions, Finn said, "It poses different challenges and skills, like getting the reverse swing." Finn, who last bowled in an international match in Sri Lanka during the World T20, said it was frustrating not to be part of the victory celebrations after the Mumbai Test.
"It was quite frustrating to be not part of the celebration (in the middle) after the Wankhede Test victory. It was not a nice feeling as I was at the other end." On whether Sri Lanka and Pakistan have served preparations for the India series, he said, "It's nothing like that. But yes, this series was always on the back of our mind. India always pose a great challenge. We are obviously trying to win it here."

Abul Hasan ruled out of remaining Windies matches

Bangladesh pace bowler Abul Hasan has been ruled out of the remaining three one-day internationals of a five-match series against West Indies due to a side strain, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) said on Monday.
Abul sustained the injury during the second match in Khulna when he could bowl just one over before leaving the field. He has been replaced by all-rounder Ziaur Rahman.

Tendulkar the best but I feared Lara more, admits Ricky Ponting

Cricketing great Ricky Ponting, who retired from all forms of the game after playing his last Test match at Perth against South Africa, on Monday said India's Sachin Tendulkar is the best player he has played against. On being asked about the most supreme batsmen of his era, Ponting said: "I feel Sachin was the best player I played against and that's coming from more of a captain's point of view as well, knowing he had so much success against us in our conditions and their conditions."
Ponting hung his boots after playing 168 Test matches, scoring 13,378 runs at an average of 51.85 with a highest of 257. He also scored 41 centuries and 62 half-centuries. In One-Day Internationals (ODI), the former Australia skipper played 375 matches scoring 13,704 runs, including 30 centuries with a highest score of 164.Commenting further about other great batsmen he played against, as reported by cricinfo, he said: "I probably lost more sleep on the eve of games against [Brian] Lara because I knew he could single-handedly win games. The way I judge players has always been on their ability to win games by themselves. Lara could certainly do that and he did it probably more than what Sachin's done for India.
"You've got to put [Jacques] Kallis in that bracket as well. You put his wickets on top of what he's done with the bat. He came out the other day to bat and I looked at the board and he was averaging 57 in Test cricket. That's remarkable considering the amount he's had to bowl and all that sort of stuff. I've been pretty blessed to play in the era with so many great batsmen, and if my name gets mentioned among them, then that's great."
Ponting, who was part of three World Cup-winning squads in 1999, 2003 and 2007, having led in the latter two, said former pacers Curtly Ambrose of the West Indies and Pakistani Wasim Akram and India spinner Harbhajan Singh were the best bowlers he faced in his career.
"I think Curtly Ambrose and Wasim Akram were probably the two outstanding quicks that I faced, and for different reasons. Ambrose for his ability to just make you feel like you couldn't score off him for long periods of time, never felt like he was going to bowl you a bad ball. Akram for the exact opposite, you could get a few runs off him, but you just knew there was an unplayable ball around the corner, be it with an old ball or with a new ball.
"Harbhajan's probably the other one who caused me as much grief as anything. He got me out a lot of times and caused me a lot of grief. Those guys through their careers can all put their hand up and say they had my measure," said Ponting of Harbhajan, who dismissed the Tasmanian 10 times, including three ducks in Tests, more than any bowler Ponting's confronted.

BAHAWALPUR STAGS V KARACHI DOLPHINS – FAYSAL BANK T-20 CUP, 2012/13 (GROUP B) – MATCH UPDATE – STAGS SECURE NARROW 2-WICKET WIN

A close-fought match between the Bahawalpur Stags and the Karachi Dolphins culminated in a 2-wicket win for the Stags in their Group B match during the ongoing Faysal Bank T-20 Cup, played at the Bagh-e-Jinnah in Lahore, today on December 3.

The Stags won the toss and chose to field first, with Mohammad Talha (4-0-43-3) and Ataullah (4-0-17-2) going on to lead the team’s attack. The Dolphins, on their part, put up an average batting display. Opener Shahzaib Hasan (11) made an early exit in the second over, at the hands of Mohammad Talha, but his fellow opening batsman Khurram Manzoor (13) went on to set up a 51-run second wicket stand with wicketkeeper batsman Amin-ur-Rehman (44), who remained the top-scorer for the team.

Their efforts got the team total up to 63, but then a flurry of wickets ensued. Khurran Manzoor was dismissed by Ataullah, Asad Shafiq (1) fell prey to Kashif Siddiq, and Amin-ur-Rehman was finally dislodged, also at the hands of Ataullah, leaving the team at 76 for 4 in the 9th over.

However, the innings was steadied, to a considerable degree, by Fawad Alam (43) and Khalid Latif (29*), both of whom joined forces for a 66-run stand for the fifth wicket. The partnership was eventually broken up with the dismissal of Fawad Alam off Mohammad Talha in the 19th over, who followed it up in the very same over with the wicket of Dolphins’ skipper Shahid Afridi, on duck.

By this point, the team was at 142 for 6, and some final contributions from Latif and Tanvir Ahmed (2*) led their team up to a final total of 152 by the end of 20 overs, at the expense of 6 wickets.

The Stags’ batsmen did not fare any better, but a series of small contributions eventually got the team over the finish line, despite the efforts of Afridi (4-0-16-2), and Misbah Khan, Tanvir Ahmed, and Mohammad Sami, all of whom picked up one wicket each.

Opener Imranullah Aslam top-scored with 48, while Kamran Hussain (18), Usman Tariq (18), Hamid Ali (15), and Moinuddin (14) chipped in with minor contributions. The small efforts coupled together ensured that, with 2 wickets still in hand, and only 3 deliveries remaining, the Stags narrowly made it up to 153 and secured their victory.

RICKY PONTING’S RETIREMENT IS WELL-TIMED, SAYS IAN CHAPPELL – CRICKET NEWS UPDATE

Ricky Ponting’s retirement is well-timed, says Ian Chappell – Cricket News Update

Ian Chappell, the former Australia captain, is all praise for Ricky Ponting and believes that the right-handed top-order batsman has been a great servant of the Baggy Greens over the years.

The Tasmanian announced his retirement from international cricket before the start of the third Test against South Africa at Perth. Ponting had already called it a day from the limited-over sport earlier this year, after a run of poor performances in the triangular series at home, which included India and Sri Lanka.

Chappell, in his article for ESPNcricinfo, praised the former Australian skipper’s decision and feels that the right-hander has a great chance of playing a big innings at Perth and quit the game in an ideal fashion.

After the important series, the former cricketer believes that the national selectors can give a chance to a younger batsman in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, as their bowling attack is not as potent as South Africa’s.

“Ponting's decision to retire was like one of his punched on-drives - well timed. He gets the opportunity to have a final fond farewell and the selectors can then introduce a younger player into the batting order to face Sri Lanka's moderate attack,” the former captain wrote.

The three-match series between Australia and Sri Lanka starts from December 14, at Hobart.

At the end of an illustrious career, Ponting has earned immense praise from one of the legends of the game. Chappell feels that the 37-year-old cricketer has been an integral part of Australia’s success in the last couple of decades.

He mentioned, “For much of his career Ponting has been a top-class player and the lynchpin of Australia's batting. If he took charge of the opposition bowlers Australia generally won, because he scored heavily and at a quick rate. If the opposition took Ponting's wicket early, they were buoyant and felt like they had a chance to win.”

With more than 27 thousand runs at the highest stage of the game and 71 centuries, Ponting is surely one of the all-time greats of the game, who led his country to two consecutive World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007.

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