Pak not to use DRS in Tests vs SL, England

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided against using the Decision Review System in the Test series against Sri Lanka and England, but will have the technology in place for the ODI and Twenty20 matches.

A senior PCB official told PTI before leaving for the ICC awards ceremony and meetings, that the DRS would not be used in the six Tests scheduled against Sri Lanka and England due to the high costs of having it installed.

"We in principle support the use of the DRS and want it for both Tests and ODIs, but unfortunately we couldn't reach an understanding with our broadcasters for the Tests (in the United Arab Emirates)," PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad said.

"We have, however, reached a understanding with a company to bear the costs for the use of the UDRS technology in the one-day matches in both series," Ahmad said.

Pakistan play three Tests and five ODIs and T20 matches against Sri Lanka in October and November, and three Tests, four ODIs and two T20 matches against England in January and February next year.

Both the series have been confirmed at the UAE venues of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah due to the refusal of teams to tour Pakistan because of security concerns.

He said the board didn't include the use of DRS in its existing contract with its broadcaster, Ten Sports, as the deal was signed before the ICC approved the use of DRS in all international matches subject to both boards involved in a bilateral series agreeing to it.

"But when we sign our next contract for broadcasting rights we will try to ensure the broadcaster is willing to bear the costs of using the DRS system in our series, including Tests and ODIs," the official said.

Sources said the cost for having the DRS in an ODI was around USD 7,000 to 8,000

PCB agrees to tour Bangladesh

lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board seems to be working hard to improve the strained relationship with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as it agreed to tour Bangladesh for a full series in December this year.

A source in the Board told PTI that the PCB had recently approved a tentative itinerary sent by the Bangladesh board for the series that will include two Tests, three One-day Internationals and a T20 match in December.

The itinerary for the series has been tentatively agreed upon by both the boards.

"Pakistan has not played Bangladesh in a bilateral series since early 2008 as it believed that the Bangladesh board had let it down on many occasions, especially by not supporting Pakistan when the World Cup matches were moved out of the country. But now things seem to have settled down," the source said.

Stating that the tension between Pakistan and Bangladesh first surfaced in 2009, the source explained, "Pakistan board has not been very happy with BCB since 2009 when it cancelled a bilateral one-day series between the two nations to be held in Bangladesh, immediately after the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

"Pakistan team was to tour Bangladesh for the ODI series but after the attack took place, the BCB cancelled the series on security grounds, saying its government had not given clearance for the Pakistan team to play in Bangladesh."

Sri Lanka v Australia, 2nd Test, Pallekele, 5th day

Rain and Sri Lanka stand in Australia's way

Lunch Sri Lanka 174 and 288 for 4 (Samaraweera 37*, P Jayawardene 13*) lead Australia 411 for 7 by 51 runs

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Mahela Jayawardene made 51 © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Report : Solid Sangakkara fights for Sri Lanka Matches: Sri Lanka v Australia at Pallekele Teams: Australia | Sri Lanka

Australia got rid of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene on the fifth morning in Pallekele, but their chances of pushing for a series-winning victory were starting to look slim after yet another lengthy rain interruption. At lunch, Thilan Samaraweera was on 37 and Prasanna Jayawardene had 13, and Sri Lanka had taken a lead of 51 runs with six wickets in hand.

That meant Australia needed not only to run through the Sri Lankan middle and lower order quickly, but they would also have chase on their hands. The main problem, apart from getting the remaining wickets, was the wet weather; only 17.2 overs were bowled in the first session, as rain forced the players off the field an hour before the scheduled lunch break.

The Australians took the new ball in the second over of the day, and it didn't take long before Ryan Harris made use of it, squaring Sangakkara up with a delivery that straightened in the air and moved away a touch off the seam. The thick edge was snapped up Michael Clarke at second slip and with Sangakkara gone for 69, Australia's hopes brightened.

Things could have been even better for the visitors later in the same over, when Samaraweera edged to slip before he had scored, but Clarke grassed a chance he would usually have taken. Clarke was in the thick of the action again when Jayawardene, who had made a composed half-century, fell for the second time in the game to a stunning one-handed take in the cordon.

On 51, Jayawardene edged Trent Copeland to second slip and Clarke hurled himself to his left to snare the ball just above the turf. However, despite Clarke telling Jayawardene he was "100% certain" he had taken the catch cleanly, the batsman stood his ground until replays confirmed the ball had clearly not touched the ground.

Within four overs, the players were off for the rain, and although the weather cleared up enough for a brief resumption, the umpires called for the covers again after only one ball. The only thing gloomier than the Pallekele sky was the mood in the Australian camp, as their fine work over the past few days looked set to go unrewarded.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Zimbabwe v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Harare

Openers power Pakistan to series win

Pakistan 228 for 0 (Hafeez 139*, Farhat 75*) beat Zimbabwe 225 for 6 (Masakadza 68, Tanvir 2-33) by 10

 Pakistan strolled to victory with no trouble at all, chasing a below-par score on a batsman-friendly pitch in Harare. They won the three-match series in comprehensive style as Mohammad Hafeez scored his third ODI century and Imran Farhat came good as well, in the second match after making his comeback. The pair put on 228, Pakistan's highest opening partnership, to ensure an emphatic win.

It was a tough day for Zimbabwe's bowlers, who failed to threaten and were unable to stem the run-flow. By contrast, Pakistan's attack restricted Zimbabwe after Brendan Taylor mistakenly put his side in to bat. Taylor actually wanted to bowl, but asked to bat instead, and when he asked if he could reverse his decision, he was denied permission to do so.

With some assistance on offer for the seamers, Pakistan's left-arm pair of Sohail Tanvir and Junaid Khan gave little away. Tanvir extracted movement early on and both bowled around the off stump to deny Zimbabwe easy runs. Their opening pair, Chamu Chibhabha and Vusi Sibanda, gave in to frustration. Chibhabha was caught at mid-off while trying to go over the top and Sibanda perished, for the sixth time in 11 innings this summer, to the pull.

Junaid continued to impress as his spell went on and caused problems with the short ball. After seven overs, he injured his ankle while racing to square leg to field off his own bowling and had to go off, but returned to complete his spell.

Smart stats

    The 228-run partnership between Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat is the highest opening stand for Pakistan in ODIs and their fourth-highest overall.
    The 253 balls faced during the opening partnership is the highest ever for Pakistan in ODIs, surpassing the previous best of 243 balls between Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti against New Zealand in 1999.
    The double-hundred partnership is the 14th for Pakistan in ODIs, bringing them level second with Australia on the list of teams with the most 200-plus stands. India are on top with 17.
    The victory is Pakistan's fourth ten-wicket win in ODIs. Their previous such win came against West Indies in the World Cup game in Dhaka.
    Hafeez's 139 is the second-highest score by a Pakistan batsman against Zimbabwe in ODIs behind Mohammad Yousuf's 141 in 2002. Hafeez has now scored two centuries and two fifties in his last six ODI innings.
    The 47 balls remaining at the end of the win is the second-highest for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in ODIs, in games in which they have successfully chased 200-plus targets.
    The 104-run stand between Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor is the third-highest third-wicket stand for Zimbabwe against Pakistan in ODIs.

Spin was introduced from both ends after 20 overs and Zimbabwe eased into single scoring mode, with Hamilton Masakadza and Taylor putting on the team's best performance against Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal. Zimbabwe scored 52 runs in 10 overs with the bulk of them coming in singles. Masakadza played responsibly, spotting the gaps and doing most of the calling.

Cheema returned to try and break what was becoming a sizeable partnership but he did not succeed, though he kept the runs down. Masakadza brought up his half- century with a small nudge to fine leg and Taylor reached the milestone with a quick couple in the same area. They had crafted the platform to launch from, but neither were able to.

Taylor was caught at third man after upper-cutting a short and wide delivery, and Masakadza was run out by a direct throw from Misbah-ul-Haq, after he had started the acceleration with Tatenda Taibu at the other end. With the energy Taibu brought to the crease, Masakadza was encouraged to take on the bowling and smashed the biggest shot of the match, a six that landed in the rugby field.

Taibu swept confidently and was the most at ease with the attack, but could not provide the required impetus. Tanvir bowled him and it was up to Elton Chigumbura to finish strongly but it was a tough ask. Only at the end did Chigumbura launch and Zimbabwe finished with a 14-run over.

Zimbabwe's bowlers were always going to struggle to defend 225. Chris Mpofu and Brian Vitori were able to keep Pakistan to 36 in the first ten overs. The change bowlers, however, were ineffective and expensive, and Pakistan were running away with the chase at 70 without loss after 15 overs.

Ray Price tried his best to contain, but had no support from the other end. Hafeez played aggressively, the pull shot serving him well, while Farhat accumulated. The pair had to take few risks as they were rarely put under any sort of pressure.

Hafeez's century came with a slog-sweep for six. He then tore into Vitori, smacking him for three fours in his eighth over. Hafeez, fittingly, finished the match off with a trademark pull behind square to win the series for Pakistan.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 PP2 PP3 Last 10 overs NB/Wides Zimbabwe 181 16 3 22-1 18-1 37-3 74-3 0/7 Pakistan 134 19 1 36-0 34-0 49-0 23-0 0/11

CA, player's union heading for confrontation

Melbourne: Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) are heading towards a possible confrontation if the board chooses to follow Don Argus's key recommendations that it stops paying players a fixed 26 per cent share of total revenue.

The Age reported that ACA in its written response to the Argus review has refused to consider sacrificing the revenue-sharing model. The ACA has fought with CA for more than a decade ago for a more performance-based pay system.

"What's been overlooked in my view is the fact that our payment system is already extremely performance based. Player retainer values fluctuate from year to year based on player performances - and these fluctuations can be considerable. Players come on and go off contract lists and it would be fair to say that no other role in Australian cricket is subject to such cut-throat performance measures," ACA chief executive Paul Marsh wrote to the members.

Marsh said that it is important to note that player payments are not just a function of on-field performance.

"When signing contracts, players hand over various commercial rights to CA that CA exploit for the financial gain of Australian cricket. The players also agree to a range of other significant obligations and restrictions. There has to be a fixed value attached to this that isn't dependent on on-field performance.

"Quite simply the ACA and our members won't entertain a move away from the percentage share of revenue model we've had since 1999 nor our current 26 per cent share. We believe this has worked very well for Australian cricket and the players for the past 12 years and is not a reason for the recent decline in our on-field performances," he said.

Marsh said any changes to the contract system would be debated by ACA in the next round of pay negotiations, which could start as early as November.

"We are open to discussing how we can improve these models to make Australian cricket stronger but moving away from our percentage share of revenue model isn't open for discussion," he said.

4th ODI: Match tied (D/L), England win series

London: It was Bangalore revisited for India and England who played their second tie in six months as the fourth one day international (ODI) ended with honours shared when rain stopped play for the third and final time at Lord's on Sunday.

The hosts were 270/8 in 48.5 overs in reply to India's total of 280/5 off 50 overs when yet another downpour brought proceedings to a premature end, thereby handing the series to England as a result of their wins in the second and third ODIs at Southampton and Oval after the first match at Chester-le-Street was washed out.

Ravi Bopara (96) and Suresh Raina (84) shared the man of the match award as it was Deja Vu time for the two sides who played out a tie at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy stadium on 27th Februray in the World Cup earlier this year.

Earlier, Ian Bell and Bopara brought up their respective half centuries and put on 98 runs for the fourth wicket to lead England's recovery.

RP Singh got the wickets of both England openers, Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter as the hosts went about their chase of 281 for victory.

Kieswetter who made 12 was caught by Jadeja who took a comfortable running catch after the England wicketkeeper charged down the wicket to hit the bowler out of the ground.

Cook was caught by Virat Kohli at the extra-cover region when he played at one away from his body and failed to keep the ball on the ground. The England captain was also out for 12.

Jonathan Trott and Bell then shared a brief partnership for the third wicket before Trott was bowled by Praveen Kumar for 23 when he chopped one on to his stumps in an attempt to pull a short ball.

Ravindra Jadeja got the all important wicket of Bell when he had the England middle order batsman caught by Manoj Tiwary for 54. Bell faced 73 balls and struck three boundaries.

The hosts then lost half their side when Ben Stokes was caught and bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin for seven.

The next man to go was Tim Bresnan who was knocked over by RP Singh after smashing 27 off 22 balls.

England lost back to back wickets of Graeme Swann (31) and Bopara, who missed out on his maiden ton after the rain break as the world champions fought back bravely towards the fag end of the match.

However, the rain returned this time for the final time as the match was declared a tie.

Earlier, fine half centuries from skipper MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina boosted India's total to a healthy 280/5.

The Indian duo also added a record 169 runs, which was instrumental in helping India recover from twin blows and launch an offensive in the last 10 overs, which produced 109 runs.

Graeme Swann (2/49) and Stuart broad (2/52) were the main wicket-takers for England.