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MELBOURNE – Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has retired from Twenty20 internationals and plans to have “set periods of rest” to prolong his Test and one-day career, but will not relinquish his lucrative Indian Premier League contract.

“After much thought and careful consideration I have informed Cricket Australia of my decision to retire from international Twenty20 cricket,” the 34-year-old Ponting said in a statement Monday.

“I have also spoken to (chief selector) Andrew Hilditch, (coach) Tim Nielsen and (vice captain) Michael Clarke and I feel this decision provides me the opportunity to prolong my Australian Test and one-day career.

“As I said after the fifth Test in London, I am hoping to continue playing Test cricket for as long as possible and retiring from the Twenty20 format gives me the best chance of doing this.”

“The last 10 or 12 days for me have been a lot about reflection, looking back to the Ashes and looking forward to my playing future,” said Ponting, Australia’s leading runscorer in Test and one-day cricket.

Ponting has played 136 Test matches for Australia, scoring 38 centuries, behind only India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who has 42.

He has scored 11,345 Test runs at an average of 55.88. He has also played 315 limited-over matches, scoring 11,523 runs at an average of 42.52.

Ponting’s captaincy has come under scrutiny in sports-mad Australia after his team’s Ashes series loss to England last month, but the batsman said he was determined to remain in charge of the side.

The 2-1 series defeat made Ponting only the second captain in more than 120 years to lose the Ashes on British soil twice.

Ponting, who will remain as Test and one day captain, said he would continue to play domestic cricket for Tasmania and would fulfill his contract with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.

Cricket Australia (CA), which has dismissed calls for Ponting to step down following the Ashes defeat, said it supported his decision.

Australia has posted a mediocre record under Ponting’s captaincy in the shortest format of the game, crashing out of the Twenty20 World Cup in June.

Clarke, who has been seen as Ponting’s eventual replacement, has deputised in his absence.

Cricket Australia said a new Twenty20 captain would be decided later this year.
Australia’s next Twenty20 international will be held on Feb. 5 against Pakistan in Melbourne.

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COLOMBO: New Zealand’s Jacob Oram said Thursday he was unaware he had taken a hat-trick during the thrilling three-run win over Sri Lanka in a Twenty20 international.

Oram’s three wickets in three balls, but in separate overs, was missed by almost everyone at the Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday night, including Oram’s team-mates, the Sri Lankans and television commentators. The tense finish and the helter-skelter nature of the Twenty20 game ensured the rare feat was forgotten, till Oram returned to the team hotel late at night after the match. “My parents had watched the match and the old man had e-mailed to say congratulations on the hat-trick. That was the first I had heard of it,” Oram said.

The tall all-rounder took a return catch off Angelo Mathews with the last ball of his third over, the 17th of the innings. He was then called on to bowl the final over with Sri Lanka needing nine runs with three wickets in hand to surpass New Zealand’s 141-8. Oram dismissed Malinga Bandara and Nuwan Kulasekara off the first two deliveries, both to catches in the deep, and conceded just five runs in the over to clinch victory for the Kiwis. It was only the second hat-trick in Twenty20 internationals after Australian fast bowler Brett Lee’s three in three against Bangladesh in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.

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Pakistan beat Netherlands by a big margin of runs and finish their status of competence back to a baby team. Pakistan batted first and scored 175 runs in 20 overs. Netherland bowled well but few good partnerships managed Pakistan to post a defendable total where they can challenge Netherlands to be away from that total atleast 25 runs. The bowlers made Netherland far behind from that total and ease to win by a big margin which ultimately gave a permit to enter to a next round and put Pakistan at the top of the pool.

Pakistan spiiners Afridi and Saeed ajmal spin the ball acurately and make it diffiult for the batsmen to play and good shot. This was the prformance which Pakistani supporters were looking for and they were successful to contain Netherlands under 100. Netherlands were all out for only 93 and all hopes to reach to the next round gone.

The fielding of Pakistan was once again poor in early overs especially where Salman Butt and Shoaib malik dropped the catches and luckily the survived batsmen did not threat that much. Now time for Pakistan is to plan for next round where the teams they will face will be more competent. I think the combination which Pakistan was playing is a perfect for Twenty20.

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News, Pakistan 20 20 cricket, Twenty20, world cup 2009

Srilanka beat Australia to qualify for next round of Twenty20 world cup cricket. The nervous and under pressure Australian player were unable to perform a better cricket to stay in world cup contest. So Australia will join Andrew symmond back to home soon.

Australia batted first and hardly manage to put 159 on the board. The Srilankan bowling was tight enough for Australians to go for a big total. 159 is considered as low total in current Twenty20 situation where the boundries are short in some areas and wickets are too slow and perfect for batsmen to play easy strokes. None of the Australian batsman impressed with the bat.

Srilanka completed the target in 19 overs as they can do early too. Srilankan opener batsman Jayasuria fell cheaply but later Dilshan and Sangakara gave no chance to Australian a built a strong partnership which leads them to a victory and confirm booking for the next round.

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News, T-20 t20 world cup, Twenty20

There are few captains which does not seem to be fit for Twenty20 type of cricket game. The body language in the field is totally different and it looks they are playing like 50 over match. The strategies and plannings which experienced captains practice does not favour in such kind of quick game while the inexperienced one lack skills of leadership.

pakistan captain Younus Khan, Australian Captain Ricky Ponting are experienced as compare to others but i dont think they posess good leadership qualities for T20, as we had experience of watching the last T20 world cup in which he could hardly manage to play semi final and was out class by inexperieced Indians. It was due to the state of mind. Ricky ponting at that time was unable to adjust his mind to accept this game format. He failed to utilised his experienced players.

In the case of Younus Khan, he seem to be a conventional captain. If i am not mistaken i should put his captaincy like the captains do in 1980,s. I dont think some young players like Sohail Tanveer will manage to take his confidence and he is a key player of T20 format. Moreover he lacks quick decision making.

Sangakkara is a new captain but have experience of international cricket. Sangakkara totally does not fit to this job.  Srilankan board has given him a task which will put him under pressure and he will under perform, while good leader should show performance by himself  to boost the team morale.

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Articles, T-20 cricket captains, t20 world cup, Twenty20

Here is the schedule of t-20 world cup  2009. The tournament will start on June 6, 2009. All the matches will be played in England. There are 12 teams across the world.

Super 8 Schedule

Semi Final

18 June 2009,      Semi-Final                        Nottingham     17.30 UK
19 June 2009,      Semi-Final                         Oval         17.30 UK

Final

21 June 2009,      Final                                    Lords         15.00 UK

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T-20 t20, t20 world cup 2009, Twenty20, twenty20 world cup schedule

Indian cricket captain Singh Dhoni is adamant the mega-rich Twenty20 cricket leagues that have surfaced in his country have not been a distraction for him or his players.

Dhoni gave an assurance the international game was still the first priority after the Indians arrived in Christchurch for their first New Zealand tour in six years, starting with a Twenty20 international on Wednesday.

“I’m playing for my country so it’s not about money,” Dhoni said when asked if the huge cash incentives for playing Twenty20 cricket was threatening to overshadow one-day internationals and test cricket.

“With Indian cricket I know that if I’m playing for my country and doing well than I will get money that will be more than enough for me and my family so I don’t think it is a distraction.

“The money flows in but one thing for sure is that if you’re not playing good cricket then you won’t get the money.”

Indian Premier League side Chennai splashed out $US1.5 million ($A2.33 million) for Dhoni’s services when it launched last year, making him the top-paid player.

He was surpassed this year by Englishmen Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, who both fetched $US1.55 million at auction.

Such figures weren’t a distraction, Dhoni insisted.

“Playing cricket for your country is most important for us.

“Whatever fame or whatever status we have now is all because of that. It’s about going onto the field and giving a 100 per cent, day in-day out for India.”

While India boasts such proven test batsmen as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag, Dhoni said India’s rise to the top had come through a team effort and that had been a focal point for the last year.

They are coming off home test series wins over Australia and England and, most recently, a 4-1 one-day series defeat of Sri Lanka.

“I’m proud to say that this Indian team is not relying on any individual. Everybody is contributing and everyone has a definite role to play in the side and that’s what they are doing.

“If we fail to get a good start from the openers someone in the middle order stands up.

“If the batsmen don’t score too many runs then it’s the bowlers who stand up and take the opportunity to prove themselves and that’s why we are winning more games.”

Dhoni said while he hoped the retirement of world-class players such as Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman would be later rather than sooner, he believed India had a strong nucleus of emerging players who would serve India proudly.

“There are people who can fill the gaps who won’t really be a Sachin Tendulkar or a Rahul Dravid, but they accept they have been given a chance.

“Whoever comes in needs to be himself and play the kind of cricket he loves to play.”

Dhoni said New Zealand would have benefited from playing one of cricket’s world powers, Australia, in a limited overs series across the Tasman in recent weeks.

However, he believed India had the resources to justify their tag at favourites for a tour that comprises two Twenty20 matches, five one-day internationals and three Tests.

“We have more firepower now to exploit whatever conditions we strike, whether it is a seaming pitch or a batting paradise,” he said.

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The Indian cricket team, buoyed by recent series victories over England and Sri Lanka is off to New Zealand for its first series in six years. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men will play two Twenty20 matches, five One-Day International and two Tests over the next six weeks.

On the last tour of New Zealand in 2002, India lost both Tests inside three days before losing the one-day series 2-5. In fact, it’s been 33 years and 13 Tests since India won a Test in New Zealand. The score on the ODI front too is as gloomy: just six wins in 20 bilateral ODIs there.

This time though the team is better prepared for the seaming wickets, and conditions New Zealand venues offer, and looking to set the record straight.

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Tendulkar, the all-time leading run scorer in both Tests and ODIs, has only appeared once in the shortest format of the international game, against South Africa in 2006.

India’s visit to New Zealand starts with two Twenty20 fixtures on February 25 and 27, followed by five ODIs and three Tests.

“I will continue not to play Twenty20 internationals,” Tendulkar said.

“When I had decided not to play the Twenty20 World Cup after the England tour in 2007, my body was a bit tired and I needed rest.

“It was a conscious decision and I thought it wasn’t appropriate to go and not give my best. After that the team did well.

“The team is now settled and I don’t want to disturb it.”

Tendulkar thinks the toughest challenge in New Zealand will be to adjust to the conditions.

“It’s going to be a challenge playing New Zealand in New Zealand, especially for the ones who have not played there before,” he added.

“It’s a fairly new team and the conditions there will be an entirely new experience.

“It’s going to be a learning experience for them.”

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COLOMBO: Mahela Jayawardene has announced here on Wednesday to resign as captain of the Sri Lanka’s cricket team and said that the upcoming Test series in Pakistan would be his last series as captain.The 31-year-old batsman said he has decided to resign in the best interest of the Sri Lankan cricket.

Jayawardene said that the two-Test series in Pakistan would be his last series as captain.

Mahela Jayawardene’s decision to quit came after India completed a 4-1 rout of Sri Lanka in the recent one-day series.

The middle-order batsman, who led Sri Lanka for the first time in April 2004, did not play in Tuesday’s Twenty20 international here, which India won by three wickets.

Jayawardene however made it clear he was not quitting the team altogether.

Jayawardene guided Sri Lanka to the World Cup final in the West Indies in 2007, where they lost to Australia.

He captained Sri Lanka in 26 Tests, winning 15, losing seven with four draws.

In 94 one-day internationals under him, Sri Lanka won 54 and lost 35 while the rest ended in no-results.

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