West Indies made 132-8 after 20 overs in the Twenty20 international against Bangladesh on Tuesday.
Marlon Samuels held the innings together with a 42-ball 58, studded with two fours and four sixes.
Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Shafiul Islam grabbed two wickets each after Mushfiqur Rahim won his first toss as the full-time Bangladesh captain, and chose to bowl in the only Twenty20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Naeem Islam and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Mahmudullah doubtful for WI ODIs
Mahmudullah, who missed the Twenty20 against West Indies on Tuesday with a viral fever, has not been named in Bangladesh's 15-man squad for the three-match ODI series that follows.
He will join the squad during the course of the series though, a Bangladesh Cricket Board release stated on Tuesday, if he recovers from his illness, reports ESPNcricinfo.
Apart from vice-captain Mahmudullah, the only other omission from the Twenty20 squad is Elias Sunny, an all-rounder who had impressed with his left-arm spin in the recent Bangladesh Board Cup. Instead, left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo, batsman Shahriar Nafees and all-rounder Shuvagoto Hom have been brought in.
The board had earlier said that fast bowler Shahadat Hossain was being considered for the one-day series, but he did not make the cut.
The first ODI of the three-match series is on Thursday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
SQUAD:
Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Alok Kapali, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shahriar Nafees and Shuvagoto Hom.
He will join the squad during the course of the series though, a Bangladesh Cricket Board release stated on Tuesday, if he recovers from his illness, reports ESPNcricinfo.
Apart from vice-captain Mahmudullah, the only other omission from the Twenty20 squad is Elias Sunny, an all-rounder who had impressed with his left-arm spin in the recent Bangladesh Board Cup. Instead, left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo, batsman Shahriar Nafees and all-rounder Shuvagoto Hom have been brought in.
The board had earlier said that fast bowler Shahadat Hossain was being considered for the one-day series, but he did not make the cut.
The first ODI of the three-match series is on Thursday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
SQUAD:
Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Alok Kapali, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shahriar Nafees and Shuvagoto Hom.
It was a calculated shot: Rahim
Mushfiqur Rahim, who sealed Bangladesh's victory over West Indies on Tuesday with a six over midwicket, said it was a calculated shot he played to finish the game.
"I was targeting the smaller side of the ground, and I was confident that even a mis-hit could travel for six," he said, reports ESPNcricinfo.
During Bangladesh's recent tour of Zimbabwe, Rahim was in a similar position in the third ODI. Bangladesh needed eight to win off the last over with one wicket in hand, and Mushfiqur, batting on 99, hit a couple of the first ball and holed out off the next attempting a six.
Here, he said, he was not worried about repeating the mistake.
"In Harare, as we only had one wicket left, I knew that even if I took a single we would have lost the match; in other words it was all left up to me. Here, since we had three wickets left, I knew that even if I mis-hit the shot and we ran one or two there would still be a chance to win."
The match was Rahim's first as captain of Bangladesh and he was glad everything went to plan.
"Everyone wants the first match [of their stint in charge] to be memorable, and I couldn't have asked for more. We won the toss, it was the plan to bowl first because dew might have been a factor and our bowling is spin-reliant. We saved 10-12 runs in the field and made a concerted effort to restrict them as much as possible."
With Bangladesh 93 for 6 in the 16th over, chasing 133, West Indies appeared to have the edge, but Rahim found an able partner in debutant Nasir Hossain.
At that point, Rahim said, he was looking to play out 20 overs.
"I believed that if Nasir and I stayed till the last over, even if we needed 10 or 15 runs [in the 20th], we would win.
"We got some runs in the second-last over [14 off Carlos Brathwaite], which was a bonus for us. In the last over, I had the confidence that if I got the ball in my zone then I could hit it for a four or six. Fortunately, that is what happened."
The Bangladesh bowlers did well to restrict West Indies, he said.
"I think we bowled fantastically well to restrict West Indies to 132. It was not a difficult total [to chase]. Rubel [Hossain] got hit for two sixes, but these things can happen in the powerplays. What I liked was how he responded to the responsibility placed on him and came back well."
Darren Sammy, West Indies' captain, said his side had made too many errors.
"We could have scored more runs, and we could have stopped more balls in the field," Sammy said.
"In the end we made more mistakes than they did.
"We knew it was going to be an interesting series. They held their nerve better than we did. We never took them for granted."
"I was targeting the smaller side of the ground, and I was confident that even a mis-hit could travel for six," he said, reports ESPNcricinfo.
During Bangladesh's recent tour of Zimbabwe, Rahim was in a similar position in the third ODI. Bangladesh needed eight to win off the last over with one wicket in hand, and Mushfiqur, batting on 99, hit a couple of the first ball and holed out off the next attempting a six.
Here, he said, he was not worried about repeating the mistake.
"In Harare, as we only had one wicket left, I knew that even if I took a single we would have lost the match; in other words it was all left up to me. Here, since we had three wickets left, I knew that even if I mis-hit the shot and we ran one or two there would still be a chance to win."
The match was Rahim's first as captain of Bangladesh and he was glad everything went to plan.
"Everyone wants the first match [of their stint in charge] to be memorable, and I couldn't have asked for more. We won the toss, it was the plan to bowl first because dew might have been a factor and our bowling is spin-reliant. We saved 10-12 runs in the field and made a concerted effort to restrict them as much as possible."
With Bangladesh 93 for 6 in the 16th over, chasing 133, West Indies appeared to have the edge, but Rahim found an able partner in debutant Nasir Hossain.
At that point, Rahim said, he was looking to play out 20 overs.
"I believed that if Nasir and I stayed till the last over, even if we needed 10 or 15 runs [in the 20th], we would win.
"We got some runs in the second-last over [14 off Carlos Brathwaite], which was a bonus for us. In the last over, I had the confidence that if I got the ball in my zone then I could hit it for a four or six. Fortunately, that is what happened."
The Bangladesh bowlers did well to restrict West Indies, he said.
"I think we bowled fantastically well to restrict West Indies to 132. It was not a difficult total [to chase]. Rubel [Hossain] got hit for two sixes, but these things can happen in the powerplays. What I liked was how he responded to the responsibility placed on him and came back well."
Darren Sammy, West Indies' captain, said his side had made too many errors.
"We could have scored more runs, and we could have stopped more balls in the field," Sammy said.
"In the end we made more mistakes than they did.
"We knew it was going to be an interesting series. They held their nerve better than we did. We never took them for granted."
CSA unable to find sponsors for Australia T20 series
Cricket South Africa (CSA) have not been able to secure a sponsor for the Twenty20 series against Australia and have given the exclusive title rights to a charity organisation instead.
In the aftermath of the yet-to-be-resolved bonus scandal, corporates have veered away from associating themselves with the body, and only Castle Lager have remained as backers of the Test and ODI teams. As a result, the T20 team, all international events and two of the three domestic competitions are without sponsors, reports ESPNcricinfo.
Two of CSA's long-time sponsors, Standard Bank and the mobile communications company MTN opted out of their sponsorship agreements with cricket during the off-season. Standard Bank said the move was in line with their cancelling of all sports sponsorships, while MTN declined to give a reason for their withdrawal.
Since then, the bonus scandal has dragged into its second year and CSA have been unable to bring any new company on board.
Instead, CSA has given the Make a Difference (MAD) foundation the title rights for the series free of charge, and will allow the foundation to promote itself at both matches, as a way of giving back to the community.
The organisation seeks to give academically talented but disadvantaged children an opportunity to get a good education, something CSA sees as closely aligned to its own development goals.
"An important focus for CSA has always been in the mentoring and development of young players to become the very best cricketers in the world. And MAD shares a similar vision," Majola said.
South Africa's ODI and T20 captain, AB de Villiers, who is not playing in the series because of a finger injury is an ambassador for MAD, after being introduced to the organisation through former rugby hero Francois Pienaar.
Richard Glover, CSA's commercial manager, said that many companies had expressed interest in sponsoring various cricket properties but have asked to hold off until a 'line had been drawn under the bonus scandal'.
As the season drew close, with only Castle Lager continuing their relationship, Glover remained confident that CSA would secure sponsors before the season started. On September 20, he told ESPNcricinfo that a "sponsor will definitely be announced for the T20 series" against Australia.
However, the CSA's infighting has continued, and no sponsor has been unveiled. Reliable sources have confirmed that four companies have been asked to put their negotiations with CSA on hold until their issues have been resolved.
That could happen as soon as this Saturday, when president Mtutuzeli Nyoka faces a second vote of no confidence.
Five of the eleven provincial unions - Gauteng, Free State, Boland, Easterns and Eastern Province - have confirmed that they will support the motion against Nyoka. Northerns has said they will vote against it, but it is understood that at least one other union is in favour of the motion, and Nyoka is set to be removed from office.
That should end the ongoing battle between him and chief executive Gerald Majola which started when 4.7 million Rand ($671,428) was paid in bonuses after South Africa hosted the 2009 IPL and the Champions Trophy.
The payments were not processed through CSA's remunerations committee (Remco) and Nyoka asked for an external audit to be carried out to investigate them.
CSA held an internal audit, which cleared Majola and voted Nyoka out of office unlawfully three months later. Nyoka challenged them in court and, when he was reinstated, also won the right to have CSA's financials examined. KPMG, who conducted the inquiry, recommended that CSA seek legal advice after finding that Majola may have breached the Companies' Act on four occasions, and opinion was sought from Advocate Azhar Bham.
Majola was severely reprimanded at the AGM in August and CSA vowed to improve their corporate governance methods but denied Nyoka's request for copies of the audit report and legal advice.
They have since met Nyoka and his lawyer to show him both documents, but have also claimed that he has breached media protocol and is no longer fit to be their president.
If he is removed on Saturday, CSA's 15-month-long saga will come to an end, albeit unsatisfactorily for some, the day before the second T20 against Australia. That leaves too short a time frame to rubber-stamp the sponsorship.
There is, as yet, no indication of when CSA will announce sponsors for the ODI series against Australia or the domestic one-day and twenty-over competitions. SuperSport have continued to back the first-class competition in accordance with their television rights deal.
In the aftermath of the yet-to-be-resolved bonus scandal, corporates have veered away from associating themselves with the body, and only Castle Lager have remained as backers of the Test and ODI teams. As a result, the T20 team, all international events and two of the three domestic competitions are without sponsors, reports ESPNcricinfo.
Two of CSA's long-time sponsors, Standard Bank and the mobile communications company MTN opted out of their sponsorship agreements with cricket during the off-season. Standard Bank said the move was in line with their cancelling of all sports sponsorships, while MTN declined to give a reason for their withdrawal.
Since then, the bonus scandal has dragged into its second year and CSA have been unable to bring any new company on board.
Instead, CSA has given the Make a Difference (MAD) foundation the title rights for the series free of charge, and will allow the foundation to promote itself at both matches, as a way of giving back to the community.
The organisation seeks to give academically talented but disadvantaged children an opportunity to get a good education, something CSA sees as closely aligned to its own development goals.
"An important focus for CSA has always been in the mentoring and development of young players to become the very best cricketers in the world. And MAD shares a similar vision," Majola said.
South Africa's ODI and T20 captain, AB de Villiers, who is not playing in the series because of a finger injury is an ambassador for MAD, after being introduced to the organisation through former rugby hero Francois Pienaar.
Richard Glover, CSA's commercial manager, said that many companies had expressed interest in sponsoring various cricket properties but have asked to hold off until a 'line had been drawn under the bonus scandal'.
As the season drew close, with only Castle Lager continuing their relationship, Glover remained confident that CSA would secure sponsors before the season started. On September 20, he told ESPNcricinfo that a "sponsor will definitely be announced for the T20 series" against Australia.
However, the CSA's infighting has continued, and no sponsor has been unveiled. Reliable sources have confirmed that four companies have been asked to put their negotiations with CSA on hold until their issues have been resolved.
That could happen as soon as this Saturday, when president Mtutuzeli Nyoka faces a second vote of no confidence.
Five of the eleven provincial unions - Gauteng, Free State, Boland, Easterns and Eastern Province - have confirmed that they will support the motion against Nyoka. Northerns has said they will vote against it, but it is understood that at least one other union is in favour of the motion, and Nyoka is set to be removed from office.
That should end the ongoing battle between him and chief executive Gerald Majola which started when 4.7 million Rand ($671,428) was paid in bonuses after South Africa hosted the 2009 IPL and the Champions Trophy.
The payments were not processed through CSA's remunerations committee (Remco) and Nyoka asked for an external audit to be carried out to investigate them.
CSA held an internal audit, which cleared Majola and voted Nyoka out of office unlawfully three months later. Nyoka challenged them in court and, when he was reinstated, also won the right to have CSA's financials examined. KPMG, who conducted the inquiry, recommended that CSA seek legal advice after finding that Majola may have breached the Companies' Act on four occasions, and opinion was sought from Advocate Azhar Bham.
Majola was severely reprimanded at the AGM in August and CSA vowed to improve their corporate governance methods but denied Nyoka's request for copies of the audit report and legal advice.
They have since met Nyoka and his lawyer to show him both documents, but have also claimed that he has breached media protocol and is no longer fit to be their president.
If he is removed on Saturday, CSA's 15-month-long saga will come to an end, albeit unsatisfactorily for some, the day before the second T20 against Australia. That leaves too short a time frame to rubber-stamp the sponsorship.
There is, as yet, no indication of when CSA will announce sponsors for the ODI series against Australia or the domestic one-day and twenty-over competitions. SuperSport have continued to back the first-class competition in accordance with their television rights deal.
Rhodes appeals to ICC
Former South African cricketer and current Mumbai Indians fielding coach Jonty Rhodes on Tuesday said that the ICC should make every effort to keep the game clean.
Rhodes was a part of the national team that was led by late Hansie Cronje who was later found guilty of match-fixing and involvement with bookies.
"Hansie Cronje was my colleague and we had no idea he was doing something like that. The ICC has put the mechanism in place. I'm sure ICC is doing enough and should make every effort to keep this game clean," said Rhodes who was renowned for his brilliant fielding, reports PTI.
Rhodes's retort came in the wake of the fresh allegations that have surfaced during the spot-fixing trial which is on in London in which three Pakistan cricketers are the accused.
The former Test and ODI player, who has joined hands with Omtex Sports Academy to launch 'Jonty's Way' - an initiative aimed at improving young Indian cricketers' fielding standards - also praised Harbhajan Singh's inputs as captain and player in the triumphant run of Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Champions T20 League.
"As a player, when you are left out either you can sulk or participate to fight on. Harbhajan Singh is a fighter. He has made a huge contribution (in MI's triumph) and he has put things behind," said Rhodes.
Looking ahead to the five-match ODI rubber between the reigning World Cup champions and England, Rhodes felt that the hosts would come back strongly.
"I don't know what happened in England but England are now in India and I'm sure India will bounce back," said Rhodes.
Rhodes emphasised on the importance of fielding in the modern game.
"I will give you the example of the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka. Notwithstanding the great knock of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India skipper), it was the first five overs that changed the game. Indian fielders did not allow anything to get past them. That made a major difference to the outcome," said Rhodes.
"I had no illusion when I was picked for the 1992 World Cup that it was because I was a pretty good fielder. Just see (West Indian and MI player) Kieron Pollard who takes catches on the boundary like a basketball player dunking the ball back in play," he said.
He also praised the young Mumbai Indians players for having contributed to the IPL franchise team's victory in CLT20.
"We lacked experience in the Champions League T20 but we had younger guys running and diving around. Nowadays, you cannot hide anyone on the field even at fine leg or third man with the scoops and reverse hits that are being played," he said.
"T20 cricket is not only about hitting fours and sixes but also about saving runs, field with dives and slides. One run saved can make a difference to the ultimate result as we have found. There's a technique to diving. That's what I want to focus on (at Jonty's Way)," he explained.
Rhodes was a part of the national team that was led by late Hansie Cronje who was later found guilty of match-fixing and involvement with bookies.
"Hansie Cronje was my colleague and we had no idea he was doing something like that. The ICC has put the mechanism in place. I'm sure ICC is doing enough and should make every effort to keep this game clean," said Rhodes who was renowned for his brilliant fielding, reports PTI.
Rhodes's retort came in the wake of the fresh allegations that have surfaced during the spot-fixing trial which is on in London in which three Pakistan cricketers are the accused.
The former Test and ODI player, who has joined hands with Omtex Sports Academy to launch 'Jonty's Way' - an initiative aimed at improving young Indian cricketers' fielding standards - also praised Harbhajan Singh's inputs as captain and player in the triumphant run of Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Champions T20 League.
"As a player, when you are left out either you can sulk or participate to fight on. Harbhajan Singh is a fighter. He has made a huge contribution (in MI's triumph) and he has put things behind," said Rhodes.
Looking ahead to the five-match ODI rubber between the reigning World Cup champions and England, Rhodes felt that the hosts would come back strongly.
"I don't know what happened in England but England are now in India and I'm sure India will bounce back," said Rhodes.
Rhodes emphasised on the importance of fielding in the modern game.
"I will give you the example of the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka. Notwithstanding the great knock of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India skipper), it was the first five overs that changed the game. Indian fielders did not allow anything to get past them. That made a major difference to the outcome," said Rhodes.
"I had no illusion when I was picked for the 1992 World Cup that it was because I was a pretty good fielder. Just see (West Indian and MI player) Kieron Pollard who takes catches on the boundary like a basketball player dunking the ball back in play," he said.
He also praised the young Mumbai Indians players for having contributed to the IPL franchise team's victory in CLT20.
"We lacked experience in the Champions League T20 but we had younger guys running and diving around. Nowadays, you cannot hide anyone on the field even at fine leg or third man with the scoops and reverse hits that are being played," he said.
"T20 cricket is not only about hitting fours and sixes but also about saving runs, field with dives and slides. One run saved can make a difference to the ultimate result as we have found. There's a technique to diving. That's what I want to focus on (at Jonty's Way)," he explained.
Pak players wanted Afridi out, court hears
Members of Pakistan's team cooked up plans to underperform in an effort to remove former Twenty20 and one-day captain Shahid Afridi from his position, a court heard on Tuesday.
During day five of the alleged spot-fixing trial of former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif at Southwark Crown Court, a jury heard recordings of how Pakistan players wanted Butt to be their captain in all formats of the game, reports ESPNcricinfo.
The comments were made by the agent at the centre of the allegations Mazhar Majeed. Secret recordings from a covert sting operation by an undercover journalist were being played to the court when the comments of the anti-Afridi plan were heard.
"There's a thing going on with the players," Majeed was heard to say.
"A lot of the boys want to f*** up Afridi because he is trying to f*** up things for them and he's the captain of the Twenty20 and one-day (side). They all want Butt to be captain."
Majeed explained that Butt and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal would "waste two or three overs" to slow Pakistan's run rate.
The jury has already learned of how Majeed didn't want to fix Test matches for Pakistan to lose because he wanted Butt to be successful so that he would stay in his position.
The court was also told on Monday of plans to lose a match in either the Twenty20 or 50-over series in England, matches that followed the Test matches last year.
During day five of the alleged spot-fixing trial of former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif at Southwark Crown Court, a jury heard recordings of how Pakistan players wanted Butt to be their captain in all formats of the game, reports ESPNcricinfo.
The comments were made by the agent at the centre of the allegations Mazhar Majeed. Secret recordings from a covert sting operation by an undercover journalist were being played to the court when the comments of the anti-Afridi plan were heard.
"There's a thing going on with the players," Majeed was heard to say.
"A lot of the boys want to f*** up Afridi because he is trying to f*** up things for them and he's the captain of the Twenty20 and one-day (side). They all want Butt to be captain."
Majeed explained that Butt and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal would "waste two or three overs" to slow Pakistan's run rate.
The jury has already learned of how Majeed didn't want to fix Test matches for Pakistan to lose because he wanted Butt to be successful so that he would stay in his position.
The court was also told on Monday of plans to lose a match in either the Twenty20 or 50-over series in England, matches that followed the Test matches last year.
ICC withdraws mandatory DRS rule
The controversial decision review system (DRS) will no longer be mandatory and its use will be left to bilateral agreements between participating boards, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.
"Although the DRS improves correct umpire decisions by around five percent and corrects any blatant errors, there are some who are not convinced by its reliability," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with interested parties to improve the system while permitting the participating teams to decide whether they wish to use it or not."
The ICC, at its annual conference in June, had made the use of Hot Spot technology - which indicates the ball's point of contact - mandatory, subject to availability, and left the use of ball-tracking technology up to the boards.
The ICC had even won over the Indian cricket board (BCCI), which had strongly opposed the ball-tracking technology in DRS, with its modified version of a system which allows teams to challenge umpire decisions.
The new version of DRS, minus the ball-tracking technology but including Hot Spot, was used during India's recent tour of England but drew flak for inconsistent results.
"This decision is a recognition that Hot Spot was not as reliable as we'd have liked it to be," Lorgat told reporters following a two-day ICC executive board meeting in Dubai.
"The evidence that came out of the series was not comforting. There were a number of occasions where Hot Spot did not detect a traceable mark."
The executive board said it would continue using the DRS in its global events and would support the use of technology and its continued development.
BCCI SALVO
The change in the ICC's stance on DRS followed criticism last month by the BCCI's new president N. Srinivasan, who said the Indian board "did not believe in the ball-tracking technology at all."
Lorgat, however, dismissed the idea that the BCCI had forced its decision on the other members.
"This was a board decision that came out through a considered debate and eventually there was unanimity that we need to revert and let those who are comfortable in using it, use it, and those who are not have the option to decide not to use it," he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said the system will be used in the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka and England being played in the United Arab Emirates.
It has even obtained sponsorship for the use of the technology.
"PCB is probably the first cricket board to obtain sponsorship to enable our broadcasters to use the technology in the series," Subhan Ahmad, chief operating officer of the board, told Reuters.
"The PCB is in support of using the technology in all cricket as it has definitely helped add value to the game and assist the umpires."
The ICC also said that the decision on whether or not a world test championship would start in 2013 would be delayed while it sought agreement from its commercial partners.
The governing body has a contract with broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports which includes the coverage of the Champions Trophy tournament that year.
"We've got existing commitments in terms of the rights agreement with a one-day international tournament that we would need to convert that to a test format and that has got implications for the broadcast partner," Lorgat said.
"Although the DRS improves correct umpire decisions by around five percent and corrects any blatant errors, there are some who are not convinced by its reliability," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.
"We will continue to work with interested parties to improve the system while permitting the participating teams to decide whether they wish to use it or not."
The ICC, at its annual conference in June, had made the use of Hot Spot technology - which indicates the ball's point of contact - mandatory, subject to availability, and left the use of ball-tracking technology up to the boards.
The ICC had even won over the Indian cricket board (BCCI), which had strongly opposed the ball-tracking technology in DRS, with its modified version of a system which allows teams to challenge umpire decisions.
The new version of DRS, minus the ball-tracking technology but including Hot Spot, was used during India's recent tour of England but drew flak for inconsistent results.
"This decision is a recognition that Hot Spot was not as reliable as we'd have liked it to be," Lorgat told reporters following a two-day ICC executive board meeting in Dubai.
"The evidence that came out of the series was not comforting. There were a number of occasions where Hot Spot did not detect a traceable mark."
The executive board said it would continue using the DRS in its global events and would support the use of technology and its continued development.
BCCI SALVO
The change in the ICC's stance on DRS followed criticism last month by the BCCI's new president N. Srinivasan, who said the Indian board "did not believe in the ball-tracking technology at all."
Lorgat, however, dismissed the idea that the BCCI had forced its decision on the other members.
"This was a board decision that came out through a considered debate and eventually there was unanimity that we need to revert and let those who are comfortable in using it, use it, and those who are not have the option to decide not to use it," he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said the system will be used in the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka and England being played in the United Arab Emirates.
It has even obtained sponsorship for the use of the technology.
"PCB is probably the first cricket board to obtain sponsorship to enable our broadcasters to use the technology in the series," Subhan Ahmad, chief operating officer of the board, told Reuters.
"The PCB is in support of using the technology in all cricket as it has definitely helped add value to the game and assist the umpires."
The ICC also said that the decision on whether or not a world test championship would start in 2013 would be delayed while it sought agreement from its commercial partners.
The governing body has a contract with broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports which includes the coverage of the Champions Trophy tournament that year.
"We've got existing commitments in terms of the rights agreement with a one-day international tournament that we would need to convert that to a test format and that has got implications for the broadcast partner," Lorgat said.
Butt not retained as PCB chairman
The Pakistani government has not retained Ijaz Butt as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and has appointed Zaka Ashraf to replace him.
Ashraf, a senior banker, will take over as PCB chairman with immediate effect, replacing Butt who completed his three-year tenure on October 8.
Butt's tenure, which began in 2008, was plagued by controversy including last year's spot-fixing scandal in England which led to bans on players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and he was also in charge of the PCB when the Sri Lanka team were attacked in Lahore in 2009.
Cricket is a passion in Pakistan with millions of people scrutinising the board's every move and the national team's performances.
Butt returned home on Monday from Dubai after attending the executive board meeting of the International Cricket Council.
Ashraf, a senior banker, will take over as PCB chairman with immediate effect, replacing Butt who completed his three-year tenure on October 8.
Butt's tenure, which began in 2008, was plagued by controversy including last year's spot-fixing scandal in England which led to bans on players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and he was also in charge of the PCB when the Sri Lanka team were attacked in Lahore in 2009.
Cricket is a passion in Pakistan with millions of people scrutinising the board's every move and the national team's performances.
Butt returned home on Monday from Dubai after attending the executive board meeting of the International Cricket Council.
Rahim reign starts in style
Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim's dramatic six off the penultimate ball secured the Tigers a tense three-wicket win over West Indies on Tuesday.
It ended a miserable sequence of results for Bangladesh, who had previously beaten Zimbabwe and Kenya in this type of cricket in the last four years.
Needing 133 runs for victory in the lone Twenty20 international, Bangladesh scored 135-7 in 19.5 overs. Rahim remained unbeaten on 41 off 26 balls.
He featured in a match-winning stand of 35 runs for the seventh wicket with Nasir Hossain, who contributed 18.
The Tigers got off to decent start before Tamim Iqbal (11) fell in the third over.
Although Imrul Kayes (22), Shakib Al Hasan (0), Mohammad Ashraful (24) and Alok Kapali (2) came and went, it only drove Rahim to play his shots with gusto.
The turning point of the match came in the 19th over bowled by right-arm pacer Carlos Brathwaite. He was asked to defend 22 runs, but ended up conceding 14 runs.
Even the dismissal of Nasir Hossain, with three balls to go, failed to stem the Rahim's momentum. His captain's knock earning the player of the match award.
Abdur Razzak managed to squeeze a single, leaving Rahim two balls to find a boundary off Ravi Rampaul.
And the Bangladesh captain's eyes lit up seeing a length ball which the pint-sized Rahim duly dispatched over the deep midwicket boundary sending Mirpur into raptures.
It was only Bangladesh's fourth overall success in 17 T20 matches and second against West Indies.
Earlier, after Rahim won his first toss as the full-time Bangladesh captain, and chose to bowl on a slow Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium wicket West Indies struggled to make 132-8.
Marlon Samuels once again showed his prowess with a 42-ball 58, studded with two fours and four sixes.
Apart from Samuels, opener Lendl Simmons made 23, Adrian Barath 15 and Denesh Ramdin 10 were only batsmen to contribute for the tourists who would have fancied their chances after winning both warm-up games going into the lone T20 match.
Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Shafiul Islam grabbed two wickets each.
Naeem Islam and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each.
Both sides will now turn their attention to the three-match one-day series that kicks off on Thursday. All matches will be day-nighters.
It ended a miserable sequence of results for Bangladesh, who had previously beaten Zimbabwe and Kenya in this type of cricket in the last four years.
Needing 133 runs for victory in the lone Twenty20 international, Bangladesh scored 135-7 in 19.5 overs. Rahim remained unbeaten on 41 off 26 balls.
He featured in a match-winning stand of 35 runs for the seventh wicket with Nasir Hossain, who contributed 18.
The Tigers got off to decent start before Tamim Iqbal (11) fell in the third over.
Although Imrul Kayes (22), Shakib Al Hasan (0), Mohammad Ashraful (24) and Alok Kapali (2) came and went, it only drove Rahim to play his shots with gusto.
The turning point of the match came in the 19th over bowled by right-arm pacer Carlos Brathwaite. He was asked to defend 22 runs, but ended up conceding 14 runs.
Even the dismissal of Nasir Hossain, with three balls to go, failed to stem the Rahim's momentum. His captain's knock earning the player of the match award.
Abdur Razzak managed to squeeze a single, leaving Rahim two balls to find a boundary off Ravi Rampaul.
And the Bangladesh captain's eyes lit up seeing a length ball which the pint-sized Rahim duly dispatched over the deep midwicket boundary sending Mirpur into raptures.
It was only Bangladesh's fourth overall success in 17 T20 matches and second against West Indies.
Earlier, after Rahim won his first toss as the full-time Bangladesh captain, and chose to bowl on a slow Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium wicket West Indies struggled to make 132-8.
Marlon Samuels once again showed his prowess with a 42-ball 58, studded with two fours and four sixes.
Apart from Samuels, opener Lendl Simmons made 23, Adrian Barath 15 and Denesh Ramdin 10 were only batsmen to contribute for the tourists who would have fancied their chances after winning both warm-up games going into the lone T20 match.
Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Shafiul Islam grabbed two wickets each.
Naeem Islam and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each.
Both sides will now turn their attention to the three-match one-day series that kicks off on Thursday. All matches will be day-nighters.
Rooney pens apology letter
England striker Wayne Rooney has written a letter to UEFA apologising for his red card against Montonegro last Friday, in the hope that a personal demonstration of repentance will see the organisation's disciplinary committee take a lenient approach when deciding the length of his ban.
Rooney, 25, was sent off for a petulant kick at Miodrag Dzudovic during the 2-2 draw in Podgorica, which secured the Three Lions' passage to Euro 2012, reports ESPNsoccernet.
The Manchester United star faces the prospect of missing up to three matches at next summer's finals, though the written apology coupled with comments from referee Wolfgang Stark, who praised Rooney's behaviour when leaving the pitch, has given England some hope that he will only be given a one-match ban.
Uefa will announce the length of Rooney's ban, along with other outstanding Euro 2012 qualifying issues, after its Control and Disciplinary Body meets on Thursday in Nyon, Switzerland.
Rooney, 25, was sent off for a petulant kick at Miodrag Dzudovic during the 2-2 draw in Podgorica, which secured the Three Lions' passage to Euro 2012, reports ESPNsoccernet.
The Manchester United star faces the prospect of missing up to three matches at next summer's finals, though the written apology coupled with comments from referee Wolfgang Stark, who praised Rooney's behaviour when leaving the pitch, has given England some hope that he will only be given a one-match ban.
Uefa will announce the length of Rooney's ban, along with other outstanding Euro 2012 qualifying issues, after its Control and Disciplinary Body meets on Thursday in Nyon, Switzerland.
Uefa has no authority to reinstate Sion
Uefa is unable to comply with a Swiss court order that Sion be reinstated to the Europa League, European football's governing body said on Tuesday.
Uefa also reiterated that the case should be settled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), not in a civil court.
The Swiss club, kicked out of the competition for fielding ineligible players and replaced by Celtic, said last week that a civil court in Vaud canton, where Uefa headquarters is based, had ruled that it should be reinstated.
But Uefa said it could not reverse a decision made by its independent disciplinary body.
"The Uefa executive committee unanimously stated that it had no statutory authority to reinstate FC Sion," said the statement.
"This (is) the sole prerogative of the disciplinary instances of Uefa, which operate under the statutes in an independent manner with no influence whatsoever from the Uefa administration or Uefa executive committee.
"As the Uefa disciplinary bodies have twice ruled on this case, the Uefa executive committee unanimously decided to await the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on the merits of the case.
"Uefa wishes to state strongly that, of course, it respects the law and that national law itself recognises the competence of the disciplinary structures that are specific to sport.
"This includes the role of the CAS in Lausanne, whose independence has been recognized by the Tribunal Federal of Switzerland. In this specific case, Uefa is constitutionally unable to apply to the letter of the super provisional and provisional measures decided by the civil court."
Uefa added that last week's civil court ruling was effectively an injunction valid for 60 days and that Sion would have to ask for a full legal hearing if they wanted to make it permanent.
"Uefa noted that the Tribunal Cantonal de Vaud also recognizes the role of the CAS as the competent entity able to decide on the merits of such a case, and gave FC Sion 60 days to initiate proceedings to do so," said Uefa.
Uefa added that Sion had signed an agreement recognising Uefa and CAS as the sole authorities for decisions on sporting matters.
Sion signed six new players in the summer despite being subject to a transfer ban imposed by Fifa after being found guilty of inducing an Egyptian player to break his contract with his previous club to join them in 2008.
Sion then fielded some of the players in a Europa League qualifier against Celtic which they won 3-1 on aggregate.
Uefa also reiterated that the case should be settled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), not in a civil court.
The Swiss club, kicked out of the competition for fielding ineligible players and replaced by Celtic, said last week that a civil court in Vaud canton, where Uefa headquarters is based, had ruled that it should be reinstated.
But Uefa said it could not reverse a decision made by its independent disciplinary body.
"The Uefa executive committee unanimously stated that it had no statutory authority to reinstate FC Sion," said the statement.
"This (is) the sole prerogative of the disciplinary instances of Uefa, which operate under the statutes in an independent manner with no influence whatsoever from the Uefa administration or Uefa executive committee.
"As the Uefa disciplinary bodies have twice ruled on this case, the Uefa executive committee unanimously decided to await the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on the merits of the case.
"Uefa wishes to state strongly that, of course, it respects the law and that national law itself recognises the competence of the disciplinary structures that are specific to sport.
"This includes the role of the CAS in Lausanne, whose independence has been recognized by the Tribunal Federal of Switzerland. In this specific case, Uefa is constitutionally unable to apply to the letter of the super provisional and provisional measures decided by the civil court."
Uefa added that last week's civil court ruling was effectively an injunction valid for 60 days and that Sion would have to ask for a full legal hearing if they wanted to make it permanent.
"Uefa noted that the Tribunal Cantonal de Vaud also recognizes the role of the CAS as the competent entity able to decide on the merits of such a case, and gave FC Sion 60 days to initiate proceedings to do so," said Uefa.
Uefa added that Sion had signed an agreement recognising Uefa and CAS as the sole authorities for decisions on sporting matters.
Sion signed six new players in the summer despite being subject to a transfer ban imposed by Fifa after being found guilty of inducing an Egyptian player to break his contract with his previous club to join them in 2008.
Sion then fielded some of the players in a Europa League qualifier against Celtic which they won 3-1 on aggregate.
Perfect 10 for Germany, Belgium fail
Former champions Germany completed a perfect Euro 2012 qualifying campaign on Tuesday by beating Belgium 3-1 to claim their 10th win in as many matches.
Belgium failed to qualify after finishing third in Group A. Germany were top on 30 points while second-placed Turkey booked a playoff spot following their 1-0 win over Azerbaijan.
Mesut Ozil and Andre Schuerrle struck late in the first half and Mario Gomez added another goal just after the restart, dashing Belgium's hopes of recording their first victory against Germany since 1954.
Marouane Fellaini pulled a goal back for the visitors after 86 minutes.
Triple European champions Germany set a record by improving on the eight wins out of eight they notched in qualifying for the 1982 World Cup.
Coach Joachim Loew left out Bayern Munich duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Jerome Boateng after they picked up knocks in Friday's 3-1 win over Turkey and made four more changes to his starting lineup.
The hosts survived early pressure from Belgium but should have taken the lead on the half hour when Gomez was denied by keeper Simon Mignolet from close range.
Ozil, who did not play against Turkey, opened the scoring when he rifled the ball in from 19 metres on the half hour.
Three minutes later Schuerrle, starting instead of Lukas Podolski, chipped Mignolet to notch his fifth goal in 10 international appearances.
Bundesliga top scorer Gomez squandered another golden opportunity seconds before the break but the striker, who was also on target against Turkey, made amends three minutes into the second period after combining well with Ozil.
Belgium failed to qualify after finishing third in Group A. Germany were top on 30 points while second-placed Turkey booked a playoff spot following their 1-0 win over Azerbaijan.
Mesut Ozil and Andre Schuerrle struck late in the first half and Mario Gomez added another goal just after the restart, dashing Belgium's hopes of recording their first victory against Germany since 1954.
Marouane Fellaini pulled a goal back for the visitors after 86 minutes.
Triple European champions Germany set a record by improving on the eight wins out of eight they notched in qualifying for the 1982 World Cup.
Coach Joachim Loew left out Bayern Munich duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Jerome Boateng after they picked up knocks in Friday's 3-1 win over Turkey and made four more changes to his starting lineup.
The hosts survived early pressure from Belgium but should have taken the lead on the half hour when Gomez was denied by keeper Simon Mignolet from close range.
Ozil, who did not play against Turkey, opened the scoring when he rifled the ball in from 19 metres on the half hour.
Three minutes later Schuerrle, starting instead of Lukas Podolski, chipped Mignolet to notch his fifth goal in 10 international appearances.
Bundesliga top scorer Gomez squandered another golden opportunity seconds before the break but the striker, who was also on target against Turkey, made amends three minutes into the second period after combining well with Ozil.
Fifa must be put in its place: Romario
Fifa must not be allowed to ride roughshod over Brazilian law when it stages the 2014 World Cup, former Brazil striker Romario, now a federal Congressman, said on Monday.
Romario told reporters that Brazilian laws which guarantee half-price entry to football matches for the elderly and ban on alcohol in stadiums should not be swept away for Fifa's benefit.
"If FIFA is not put in its rightful place, Fifa will soon have more power than our president and the World Cup will be the way FIFA wants it and not the way we should do it," Romario told reporters.
"They have to respect the laws for old age pensioners, supporters and students. Fifa has to understand that things have changed.
"According to FIFA's calculations, they would lose 180 million real ($101 million) with the half-price entry.
"We don't have to pay this. FIFA could earn a little bit less so that the Brazilians can take part."
World Cup host nations must agree a series of conditions imposed by FIFA before staging the event.
These cover, among others, ticket sales and pricing, protection of trademarks and a ban on vendors not licensed by FIFA in and around stadiums.
FIFA argues that profits are reinvested in football.
The Brazilian Congress is currently debating a so-called World Cup law which needs to be passed for FIFA's conditions to come into effect.
Romario added that the urban transport remained one of the biggest worries for the staging of the World Cup.
"Urban transport is the biggest problem," he said. "There are a lot of paralised projects.
"There are problems in all venue cities," he added. "Brazil is certainly not going to stage the best World Cup in history as some have said.
"It's not going to be the World Cup for the Brazilian people."
Romario, 45, led the attack when Brazil won the World Cup in 1994 and was one of the country's most prolific goalscorers during a career which took him to Netherlands, Spain, Qatar, United States and Australia.
He claimed to have scored more than 1,000 goals during his career although that total includes goals scored in youth, friendly and testimonial games.
Romario told reporters that Brazilian laws which guarantee half-price entry to football matches for the elderly and ban on alcohol in stadiums should not be swept away for Fifa's benefit.
"If FIFA is not put in its rightful place, Fifa will soon have more power than our president and the World Cup will be the way FIFA wants it and not the way we should do it," Romario told reporters.
"They have to respect the laws for old age pensioners, supporters and students. Fifa has to understand that things have changed.
"According to FIFA's calculations, they would lose 180 million real ($101 million) with the half-price entry.
"We don't have to pay this. FIFA could earn a little bit less so that the Brazilians can take part."
World Cup host nations must agree a series of conditions imposed by FIFA before staging the event.
These cover, among others, ticket sales and pricing, protection of trademarks and a ban on vendors not licensed by FIFA in and around stadiums.
FIFA argues that profits are reinvested in football.
The Brazilian Congress is currently debating a so-called World Cup law which needs to be passed for FIFA's conditions to come into effect.
Romario added that the urban transport remained one of the biggest worries for the staging of the World Cup.
"Urban transport is the biggest problem," he said. "There are a lot of paralised projects.
"There are problems in all venue cities," he added. "Brazil is certainly not going to stage the best World Cup in history as some have said.
"It's not going to be the World Cup for the Brazilian people."
Romario, 45, led the attack when Brazil won the World Cup in 1994 and was one of the country's most prolific goalscorers during a career which took him to Netherlands, Spain, Qatar, United States and Australia.
He claimed to have scored more than 1,000 goals during his career although that total includes goals scored in youth, friendly and testimonial games.
West Ham stadium deal falls through: report
A deal to award preferred bidder status for London's main 2012 Olympic stadium to English soccer club West Ham United has collapsed, according to a BBC report on Tuesday.
The report said the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) had brought negotiations to an end amid a protracted dispute with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham Hotspur had been given a three-week ultimatum to accept a 17 million pound package to stay in north London and drop the legal battle over the future of the main Olympic stadium.
The BBC report said the stadium would be held in public ownership with a new winning bidder renting the venue instead of buying it.
Second-tier West Ham were selected to inherit the stadium, the centrepiece of the July 27-August 12 Games, in February.
The report said the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) had brought negotiations to an end amid a protracted dispute with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham Hotspur had been given a three-week ultimatum to accept a 17 million pound package to stay in north London and drop the legal battle over the future of the main Olympic stadium.
The BBC report said the stadium would be held in public ownership with a new winning bidder renting the venue instead of buying it.
Second-tier West Ham were selected to inherit the stadium, the centrepiece of the July 27-August 12 Games, in February.
We are going to Denmark to win: Ronaldo
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo insists that his side will aim for a victory against Denmark in their final Euro 2012 group qualifier on Tuesday evening.
The Euro 2004 finalists need just a draw in Copenhagen to progress directly to next summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine, as they currently lead Group H on goal difference, reports goal.com
Both Portugal and Denmark have collected 16 points from seven rounds of matches, and Tuesday's clash at the Parken Stadion will effectively decide who between them will qualify automatically as group winners.
And even though a draw will be enough to seal top spot for Portugal, Ronaldo wants his team-mates to give their all for a victory on Danish soil.
"Portugal are going to Denmark to win the game, that's our thinking," the Real Madrid forward told Spanish sports daily AS.
"We know there are conditions but we want to win the game for direct qualification. That is always the mentality of the team and I am sure we will make it a good match."
Ronaldo, though, concedes that they needed to tighten up at the back following their 5-3 defeat of Iceland on Friday.
"We very much need Pepe," stated the 26-year-old. "But those who are here now are the most important.
"We can talk about Pepe, but Ricardo Carvalho did not come to Portugal."
Third-placed Norway are three points behind both Portugal and Denmark, and need to register a big win against Cyprus at home to remain in contention for a play-off spot.
The Euro 2004 finalists need just a draw in Copenhagen to progress directly to next summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine, as they currently lead Group H on goal difference, reports goal.com
Both Portugal and Denmark have collected 16 points from seven rounds of matches, and Tuesday's clash at the Parken Stadion will effectively decide who between them will qualify automatically as group winners.
And even though a draw will be enough to seal top spot for Portugal, Ronaldo wants his team-mates to give their all for a victory on Danish soil.
"Portugal are going to Denmark to win the game, that's our thinking," the Real Madrid forward told Spanish sports daily AS.
"We know there are conditions but we want to win the game for direct qualification. That is always the mentality of the team and I am sure we will make it a good match."
Ronaldo, though, concedes that they needed to tighten up at the back following their 5-3 defeat of Iceland on Friday.
"We very much need Pepe," stated the 26-year-old. "But those who are here now are the most important.
"We can talk about Pepe, but Ricardo Carvalho did not come to Portugal."
Third-placed Norway are three points behind both Portugal and Denmark, and need to register a big win against Cyprus at home to remain in contention for a play-off spot.
Ibrahimovic will stay with AC Milan: Allegri
AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri is confident that Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants to continue playing for his team and is still hungry to win more titles.
Allegri was speaking in the wake of the 30-year-old striker's revelation last week that he was "starting to get old" and that "playing football has become more and more of a routine job" for him, goal.com reports.
Ibrahimovic's statements have since sparked rumours that he could be the subject of a bid from Spanish giants Real Madrid during the January transfer window, but Allegri is confident that he will retain the services of the Sweden international.
"Sometimes words can be misinterpreted," the Italian is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't believe that Ibrahimovic is tired because the season has only just started.
"He and everyone else at Milan want to return to get results like last season. I am convinced that Zlatan wants to remain at Milan and return to win with this club."
Ibrahimovic was instrumental in Milan's first Serie A triumph since 2004 last season and has a contract with the club that lasts until June 2015.
Allegri was speaking in the wake of the 30-year-old striker's revelation last week that he was "starting to get old" and that "playing football has become more and more of a routine job" for him, goal.com reports.
Ibrahimovic's statements have since sparked rumours that he could be the subject of a bid from Spanish giants Real Madrid during the January transfer window, but Allegri is confident that he will retain the services of the Sweden international.
"Sometimes words can be misinterpreted," the Italian is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't believe that Ibrahimovic is tired because the season has only just started.
"He and everyone else at Milan want to return to get results like last season. I am convinced that Zlatan wants to remain at Milan and return to win with this club."
Ibrahimovic was instrumental in Milan's first Serie A triumph since 2004 last season and has a contract with the club that lasts until June 2015.
WC QUALIFIERS Japan, Socceroos show their class
Continental powerhouses Japan and Australia stamped their authority on Asian World Cup qualifying with comfortable victories in the third round of matches on Tuesday.
Japan, who scraped past North Korea 1-0 at home and drew 1-1 in Uzbekistan in their opening two Group C games, crushed Tajikistan 8-0 in Osaka with Mike Havenaar, Shinji Okazaki and midfielder Shinji Kagawa scoring two goals each.
"We knew we were expected to win but it felt good to win in such emphatic fashion," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told reporters.
In the other Group C match, Uzbekistan maintained their unbeaten run as Alexander Geynrikh's first-half goal secured a 1-0 win over North Korea in Pyongyang.
Australia beat Oman 3-0 in Sydney and took a big step towards the next stage with their third successive victory, cementing their place at the top of Group D.
Brett Holman's goal after seven minutes and second-half strikes from Josh Kennedy and Mile Jedinak sank Oman.
"I always keep saying the 11 players on the pitch are all key players, if they don't have the quality or the potential they don't have the right to play in the Socceroos," Australia coach Holger Osieck said.
"It was important for us to win but it's not a finished situation. We still have to win games, gain points... the boys are all aware of that."
Younis Mahmoud scored the winner in the 45th minute as China lost 1-0 to 10-man Iraq, coached by Brazilian Zico, in Shenzhen.
China, coached by Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho, failed to take advantage of Basem Abbas's sending-off for a second yellow card in the 64th minute and suffered their second Group A defeat in a row.
JAKARTA THRILLER
2022 World Cup hosts Qatar had to dig deep in Jakarta to win 3-2 against a resilient Indonesian side, who twice came from behind to level.
Qatar, who drew their first two matches in Group D, took the lead through Abdulaziz Al Sulaiti in the 14th minute before Uruguay-born striker Cristian Gonzales, who became an Indonesian citizen last November, equalised 12 minutes later.
Qatar took the lead again in the 32nd minute through Khalfan Ibrahim, only for Gonzales to score his second goal three minutes later.
Mohammed Razak's 59th-minute strike turned out to be the winning goal as the Gulf side maintained their unbeaten run.
Saudi Arabia, three-time Asian champions, continued to disappoint with a goalless draw against Thailand in the other Group D match.
The Frank Rijkaard-coached side needed a win to close the gap on Australia and Thailand but they struggled in front of goal and continued to languish in third spot with two points from three matches.
An own goal from Hamdan Al Kamali and skipper Park Chu-young's fifth goal in the qualifiers gave South Korea a narrow 2-1 home win over United Arab Emirates.
Park opened the scoring five minutes into the second half and the home side went 2-0 up in the 63rd minute courtesy of the own goal.
Ismaeil Matar scored a consolation during second-half stoppage-time for the Gulf side who suffered their third consecutive defeat.
Jordan continued their rich vein of form as they made it three wins in a row, defeating bottom-placed Singapore 3-0 away to sit pretty at the top of Group A.
Japan, who scraped past North Korea 1-0 at home and drew 1-1 in Uzbekistan in their opening two Group C games, crushed Tajikistan 8-0 in Osaka with Mike Havenaar, Shinji Okazaki and midfielder Shinji Kagawa scoring two goals each.
"We knew we were expected to win but it felt good to win in such emphatic fashion," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told reporters.
In the other Group C match, Uzbekistan maintained their unbeaten run as Alexander Geynrikh's first-half goal secured a 1-0 win over North Korea in Pyongyang.
Australia beat Oman 3-0 in Sydney and took a big step towards the next stage with their third successive victory, cementing their place at the top of Group D.
Brett Holman's goal after seven minutes and second-half strikes from Josh Kennedy and Mile Jedinak sank Oman.
"I always keep saying the 11 players on the pitch are all key players, if they don't have the quality or the potential they don't have the right to play in the Socceroos," Australia coach Holger Osieck said.
"It was important for us to win but it's not a finished situation. We still have to win games, gain points... the boys are all aware of that."
Younis Mahmoud scored the winner in the 45th minute as China lost 1-0 to 10-man Iraq, coached by Brazilian Zico, in Shenzhen.
China, coached by Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho, failed to take advantage of Basem Abbas's sending-off for a second yellow card in the 64th minute and suffered their second Group A defeat in a row.
JAKARTA THRILLER
2022 World Cup hosts Qatar had to dig deep in Jakarta to win 3-2 against a resilient Indonesian side, who twice came from behind to level.
Qatar, who drew their first two matches in Group D, took the lead through Abdulaziz Al Sulaiti in the 14th minute before Uruguay-born striker Cristian Gonzales, who became an Indonesian citizen last November, equalised 12 minutes later.
Qatar took the lead again in the 32nd minute through Khalfan Ibrahim, only for Gonzales to score his second goal three minutes later.
Mohammed Razak's 59th-minute strike turned out to be the winning goal as the Gulf side maintained their unbeaten run.
Saudi Arabia, three-time Asian champions, continued to disappoint with a goalless draw against Thailand in the other Group D match.
The Frank Rijkaard-coached side needed a win to close the gap on Australia and Thailand but they struggled in front of goal and continued to languish in third spot with two points from three matches.
An own goal from Hamdan Al Kamali and skipper Park Chu-young's fifth goal in the qualifiers gave South Korea a narrow 2-1 home win over United Arab Emirates.
Park opened the scoring five minutes into the second half and the home side went 2-0 up in the 63rd minute courtesy of the own goal.
Ismaeil Matar scored a consolation during second-half stoppage-time for the Gulf side who suffered their third consecutive defeat.
Jordan continued their rich vein of form as they made it three wins in a row, defeating bottom-placed Singapore 3-0 away to sit pretty at the top of Group A.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Final Euro qualifiers promise rare drama
The largely predictable Euro 2012 qualifying tournament could throw up real late drama Tuesday with France and Portugal involved in make-or-break matches.
France host Bosnia in a game which will send one of the teams to Poland and Ukraine and condemn the other to trying their luck in a two-legged playoff next month.
Denmark and Portugal will be playing for a direct spot at next year's tournament when they meet in Copenhagen, with the visitors at risk of missing out altogether if they lose.
There have been precious few such matches in the marathon nine-group qualifying competition, which has consisted largely of embarrassingly easy wins for the top teams.
Germany, Italy, England, Spain and Netherlands have all qualified, joining co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, without losing a match between them.
UEFA president Michel Platini has expressed concern for the future of international football although he does not see the Euro qualifying tournament as the problem, saying the small nations have a right to meet the top sides.
However, he will take little comfort for Tuesday's program where 27 of the 44 teams in action have nothing to play for apart from pride and nine of the 22 matches are effectively dead rubbers.
The Moldova v San Marino, Switzerland v Montenegro, Hungary v Finland, Kazakhstan v Austria and Macedonia v Slovakia games, all featuring teams whose fate is sealed one way or the other, are hardly likely to set pulses racing.
Five more teams -- the final four group winners and the best runners-up -- will ensure their places Tuesday while the other eight second-placed sides will go into the playoffs to decide the last four qualifiers.
The most attractive fixture pits Denmark and Portugal, level on 16 points at the top of Group H.
One point would be enough for Portugal, who have won their last five games in the group, thanks to their better head-to-head record.
PORTUGAL RISK
However, while Denmark are assured of a top-two finish, defeat for Portugal could lead to them being overtaken by Norway, who face Cyprus and are three points behind, and missing out on the playoffs as well.
"I don't plan draws or wins," said coach Paulo Bento after Friday's 5-3 win over Iceland. "One or three points will give us top spot and we're going to Denmark to win."
France, one point ahead of Bosnia at the top of Group D, need a draw in Paris to qualify but can take nothing for granted against a team who earlier this year were on the point of being kicked out of the competition due to a political dispute in the federation.
Since losing 3-0 in Romania in June, Bosnia have bounced back with four wins in a row and no goals conceded.
The team who miss out will have the consolation of finishing second and a playoff spot.
Russia face what should be a formality to qualify, needing a point at home to Andorra to top Group B, and are leaving Ireland and Armenia to fight for second spot in Dublin.
The Irish, one point ahead of their opponents, need a draw.
Group F leaders Greece also require a draw in Georgia to qualify, otherwise Croatia could pip them by beating Latvia at home.
Greece and Croatia are already sure of at least a playoff place.
Scotland and Belgium need to end the 100 percent records of Spain and Germany respectively to take second spot in their groups.
Scotland's 1-0 win over Liechtenstein Saturday took them second in Group I but they have only a one-point advantage over Czech Republic, who visit eliminated Lithuania.
Even one point against the rampant world and European champions appears a tall order for Scotland, who have not qualified since 1996.
Belgium are one point clear of Turkey in Group A but need to win in Germany to have any realistic chance of finishing above Guus Hiddink's team.
The Turks have the bonus of hosting an Azerbaijan side who have conceded 15 goals in losing their four away games.
Estonia, who have completed their matches attempting to qualify for their first major tournament, will have a nervous wait to see if they can hold on to second place in Group C as Serbia can still pip them with a win in Slovenia.
France host Bosnia in a game which will send one of the teams to Poland and Ukraine and condemn the other to trying their luck in a two-legged playoff next month.
Denmark and Portugal will be playing for a direct spot at next year's tournament when they meet in Copenhagen, with the visitors at risk of missing out altogether if they lose.
There have been precious few such matches in the marathon nine-group qualifying competition, which has consisted largely of embarrassingly easy wins for the top teams.
Germany, Italy, England, Spain and Netherlands have all qualified, joining co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, without losing a match between them.
UEFA president Michel Platini has expressed concern for the future of international football although he does not see the Euro qualifying tournament as the problem, saying the small nations have a right to meet the top sides.
However, he will take little comfort for Tuesday's program where 27 of the 44 teams in action have nothing to play for apart from pride and nine of the 22 matches are effectively dead rubbers.
The Moldova v San Marino, Switzerland v Montenegro, Hungary v Finland, Kazakhstan v Austria and Macedonia v Slovakia games, all featuring teams whose fate is sealed one way or the other, are hardly likely to set pulses racing.
Five more teams -- the final four group winners and the best runners-up -- will ensure their places Tuesday while the other eight second-placed sides will go into the playoffs to decide the last four qualifiers.
The most attractive fixture pits Denmark and Portugal, level on 16 points at the top of Group H.
One point would be enough for Portugal, who have won their last five games in the group, thanks to their better head-to-head record.
PORTUGAL RISK
However, while Denmark are assured of a top-two finish, defeat for Portugal could lead to them being overtaken by Norway, who face Cyprus and are three points behind, and missing out on the playoffs as well.
"I don't plan draws or wins," said coach Paulo Bento after Friday's 5-3 win over Iceland. "One or three points will give us top spot and we're going to Denmark to win."
France, one point ahead of Bosnia at the top of Group D, need a draw in Paris to qualify but can take nothing for granted against a team who earlier this year were on the point of being kicked out of the competition due to a political dispute in the federation.
Since losing 3-0 in Romania in June, Bosnia have bounced back with four wins in a row and no goals conceded.
The team who miss out will have the consolation of finishing second and a playoff spot.
Russia face what should be a formality to qualify, needing a point at home to Andorra to top Group B, and are leaving Ireland and Armenia to fight for second spot in Dublin.
The Irish, one point ahead of their opponents, need a draw.
Group F leaders Greece also require a draw in Georgia to qualify, otherwise Croatia could pip them by beating Latvia at home.
Greece and Croatia are already sure of at least a playoff place.
Scotland and Belgium need to end the 100 percent records of Spain and Germany respectively to take second spot in their groups.
Scotland's 1-0 win over Liechtenstein Saturday took them second in Group I but they have only a one-point advantage over Czech Republic, who visit eliminated Lithuania.
Even one point against the rampant world and European champions appears a tall order for Scotland, who have not qualified since 1996.
Belgium are one point clear of Turkey in Group A but need to win in Germany to have any realistic chance of finishing above Guus Hiddink's team.
The Turks have the bonus of hosting an Azerbaijan side who have conceded 15 goals in losing their four away games.
Estonia, who have completed their matches attempting to qualify for their first major tournament, will have a nervous wait to see if they can hold on to second place in Group C as Serbia can still pip them with a win in Slovenia.
Higuain thrilled by excellent form
Real Madrid and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain is delighted with his current form for club and country after scoring two hat-tricks in six days.
The 23-year-old put three past Espanyol in Real Madrid's last game before the international break, sending Los Blancos to third place with a 4-0 win, reports ESPNstar.
He then scored another hat-trick, this time for Argentina against Chile, and set up one more for Lionel Messi as they beat their neighbours 4-1 in the 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Higuain expressed delight with his performance, but insists that getting the result for his nation was more important than his personal performance.
He told AS: "You can say this was a perfect week. I am very happy with how things have turned out, but more than happy with my goals, I am happy with Argentina's victory against a very tough opponent such as Chile."
"It was very good to get off on the right foot. It was very important to begin the road to the World Cup with a victory, and doing it with this result was even better.
"We could have scored more goals, but we are very happy with our display. We have to continue like this to get what we want."
Higuain ended off with high praise for his team-mate Lionel Messi, saying: "It is impossible to play badly alongside him. We are very lucky that he plays for us, we got along very well. It is a pleasure to play with him, because everything makes much more sense."
The 23-year-old put three past Espanyol in Real Madrid's last game before the international break, sending Los Blancos to third place with a 4-0 win, reports ESPNstar.
He then scored another hat-trick, this time for Argentina against Chile, and set up one more for Lionel Messi as they beat their neighbours 4-1 in the 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Higuain expressed delight with his performance, but insists that getting the result for his nation was more important than his personal performance.
He told AS: "You can say this was a perfect week. I am very happy with how things have turned out, but more than happy with my goals, I am happy with Argentina's victory against a very tough opponent such as Chile."
"It was very good to get off on the right foot. It was very important to begin the road to the World Cup with a victory, and doing it with this result was even better.
"We could have scored more goals, but we are very happy with our display. We have to continue like this to get what we want."
Higuain ended off with high praise for his team-mate Lionel Messi, saying: "It is impossible to play badly alongside him. We are very lucky that he plays for us, we got along very well. It is a pleasure to play with him, because everything makes much more sense."
Puyol unsure if he will retire after Euro 2012
Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has refused to confirm whether he will retire from international football with Spain after next summer's European Championships.
Vicente del Bosque's men have already secured their place at Euro 2012, where they will look to defend the title they won in Austria and Switzerland back in 2008.
Puyol, meanwhile, has endured an injury-plagued six months, and the experienced centre-back is unsure whether this will force him to retire from the international stage in the near future.
"I do not know if I will retire from [international] selection. First of all we have to go there [Euro 2012] and see what happens," the 33-year-old told reporters at a press conference, reports goal.com.
The Barcelona captain then spoke of his injury woes and how he had struggled with the uncertainty as he waited to discover what the problem was.
"The first three months were the toughest as there was no clear diagnosis. We did everything, then I began to train and I broke down," he added.
Puyol is expected to start for the national side in their final Euro 2012 qualifier against Scotland on Tuesday, particularly after it was revealed that Raul Albiol will miss the encounter due to a fractured cheekbone.
Vicente del Bosque's men have already secured their place at Euro 2012, where they will look to defend the title they won in Austria and Switzerland back in 2008.
Puyol, meanwhile, has endured an injury-plagued six months, and the experienced centre-back is unsure whether this will force him to retire from the international stage in the near future.
"I do not know if I will retire from [international] selection. First of all we have to go there [Euro 2012] and see what happens," the 33-year-old told reporters at a press conference, reports goal.com.
The Barcelona captain then spoke of his injury woes and how he had struggled with the uncertainty as he waited to discover what the problem was.
"The first three months were the toughest as there was no clear diagnosis. We did everything, then I began to train and I broke down," he added.
Puyol is expected to start for the national side in their final Euro 2012 qualifier against Scotland on Tuesday, particularly after it was revealed that Raul Albiol will miss the encounter due to a fractured cheekbone.
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