Impending fatherhood won''t distract KP from cricket

Published Fri, May 07 10 01:52 PM

Barbados, May 7 (PTI) Kevin Pietersen would leave the English team the moment he is called home for the birth of his first child but as long as he is here, the hard-hitting batsman says he would not let it distract him from the cricket in the Twenty20 World Cup. "If it''s after the tournament that the baby comes, it''s after the tournament. If it''s during the tournament, I''ll still be giving it my best shot whenever I play for England - no matter where or in what situation," Pietersen said after guiding the team to a win over Pakistan with an unbeaten 73 last night. Pietersen could leave the Caribbean in the next 10 days to be with his pop star wife Jessica in London where she is expecting the birth of the couple''s first child. After some initial hiccups, Pietersen found his form with a 52-ball innings featuring two sixes and eight fours and set the stage for English team''s face off with a formidable South African side here tomorrow. "It was nice, a nice wicket to bat on, and the boys bowled well. Then we chased down a real gettable total, which was great," he said after the match. "To go out there and perform on a day when it was crucial was great. It''s two points for the boys and one more victory and maybe we can go to the semi-finals," he added. The number three batsman, who was born in South Africa, said he understands the importance of the match against the Proteas and insisted he will perform to his best. "I want to play for England and win games for England. I''ll play for England as long as I can. I will give my best. But anything can happen in Twenty20. I could get out first ball against South Africa," he said. Pietersen, who hit his ankle with the bat and needed several minutes of on-field treatment during yesterday''s match against Pakistan, said he is fine now and there is no concern. "The ankle is fine. When you win injuries you don''t worry about - it''s a great win by the boys. No concern - I just hit my bat on my ankle. It was bleeding a little bit, but no problem," he said. The former Test captain had missed most of last year''s Ashes series triumph due to an Achilles injury.

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Gambhir says India's vaunted spinners won't suffer against Australia

Published>Fri, May 07 10 01:48 PM

Barbados (West Indies), May 7 (ANI): Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir has rubbished claims that India's spin-heavy attack will suffer a murderous assault at the hands of Australia's batsmen on the pace-friendly Kensington Oval pitch during their Super Eights clash on Friday.

"We cannot plan for what the opposition has strategised for us, we will go with our own strengths," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Gambhir, as saying.

"We have a good-quality set of bowlers who can dismiss the opposition. We also have a set of spinners who are really good. I personally think that a quality spinner is an asset and the quality will show irrespective of what the surface is. Our bowling unit has performed well. Zaheer [Khan], Harbhajan [Singh] and Ashish [Nehra] have done really well. They look to dismiss the opposition," he added.

Australian captain Michael Clarke talked up the strength of his side's pace attack.

"I think these conditions are really going to help our fast bowlers; there was a lot of pace and bounce in that wicket," Clarke said after Dirk Nannes took 4-18 and Shaun Tait 1-15 against Bangladesh.

"Our fast bowlers will bowl as much short stuff as they like. We [the batsmen] cop it in the nets so we'll definitely see it in the game. We've got some pace up our sleeve and I'm sure in these conditions we'll be able to use it," Clarke added.

Australia are grouped with the three nations that orchestrated their exits from previous World Twenty20s: India, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

"Australia haven't done well in the T20s," Gambhir said.

"The first time they lost in the semis and the next year they did not qualify, so you can expect Australia to come back really strong. They have got some quality players in their side who can change the course of the match," he added. (ANI)

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Clarke hoping to dish out 'chin music to Indians, Johnson out with injury

Published>Fri, May 07 10 01:38 PM

Barbados (West Indies), May 7 (ANI): Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has said that he will be unleashing his pace battery on the Indians on the bouncy Kensington Oval pitch here in the World Twenty20 Super Eights match on Friday here, even as left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has probably ruled himself out with an elbow infection.

But skipper Michael Clarke has said that Australia has the required firepower to make life difficult for India's batsmen on the bouncy Kensington Oval pitch.

Australia will take on India on Friday and Sri Lanka on Sunday in Barbados. On Tuesday, they face hosts West Indies in St Lucia in a bid to progress to the semi-finals, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Clarke was licking his lips ahead of the opportunity to unleash his quick bowlers on India.

"These conditions are really going to help our fast bowlers. There was a lot of pace and bounce in that wicket," SMH quoted Clarke, as saying.

"I don't think I'll have too much of a say. Our fast bowlers will bowl as much short stuff as they like," he added.

"We cop it in the nets so we'll definitely see it in the game. We've got some pace up our sleeve and I'm sure in these conditions we'll be able to use it," he said further. (ANI)

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Gerrard's wife warns fellow WAGs to 'stop bitching about her marriage'

Published>Fri, May 07 10 01:08 PM

London, May 7 (ANI): Footballer Steven Gerrard's wife Alex has warned fellow WAGs to 'stop bitching about her marriage.'

English model Curran dismissed rumours that her relationship with Gerrard was on the rocks, when she arrived at a showbiz event with her hubby, reports The Daily Star.

Her friends have said that she is annoyed with her fellow WAGs who fuelled the split rumours.

"Quite a lot of other WAGs are bitching behind Alex's back. She is just ignoring them but she's not happy with it. Alex hates being called a WAG and hates what they stand for," a close friend said.

"She is a model and journalist and doesn't get the mentality that WAGs should stay at home or just go to lunch," the friend added.

"They have nothing better to do than gossip and be bitchy. But when they meet it's all air kisses and admiration for each other's latest outfits. It's all so false. Alex doesn't like that lifestyle and doesn't want any part of it," the friend further said. (ANI)

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Rules of cricket to change

Published>Fri, May 07 10 12:38 PM

The Marylebone Cricket Club ( MCC), guardian of the Laws of Cricket, is set to effect several changes in the rules. If passed, the changes will come into effect on October 1.

The proposed changes refer to Laws 3.8 and 3.9, which relate to the umpires suspending play as a result of the fitness of the ground, weather or light; Laws 12.4 and 12.5, involving the toss; Law 17, concerning practice on the field; Law 24.5, which pertains to fair delivery ( the feet); Law 28.1, which relates to wicket being put down; Law 29.1 that deals with a batsman out of his ground; and Law 42.14 that relates to batsman damaging the pitch.

But the most interesting of the proposed changes is a new law that involved spectacular catches near the boundary line.

" A new 19.4 has been created to clarify further when the ball is beyond the boundary. In recent years, increasingly athletic pieces of fielding on the boundary have brought this area of the Law into the spotlight," said MCC on its website.

" The Laws sub- committee felt that it would be wrong to allow a fielder, seeing a ball flying over his head and over the boundary, to retreat beyond the boundary and then to jump up and parry the ball back towards the field of play," it said.

" Consequently, Law 19.4( i) requires that the fielder's first contact with the ball must be when some part of his person is grounded within the boundary or, if he is airborne, that his final contact with the ground before touching the ball was within the boundary."

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

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