DRS, the flaws within

I remember when the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS or DRS as it’s more commonly known) was introduced to cricket back in November 2009; I was very excited at the prospect of seeing cricket decisions getting rectified in the correct manner. Has the DRS helped cricket in making the right calls? No, not in my view. Though, not a failure it has not been a scorching success it should have been. There are a few reasons behind this and the faults are in the hands of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the umpires, the cricket boards and captain and players alike.

If we solely focus on the present Pakistan V England series, there has been so many DRS errors, I have lost count. The players have taken some absolutely diabolical reviews; some were not even remotely close. The players need to realise, that the DRS system was introduced to rectify the blunders, not for them to review as and when. This was one reason, why the ODI’s quota of reviews available to each team reduced, to stop the useless time wasting. Captains and players alike need to be more careful on their reviews, though umpires do not help their cause whatsoever.

The umpires at this present time look to me over reliant on the DRS system. If they make an error, they know they won’t be crucified as much because the players have a chance to rectify that error, by using a review. The umpires, are human and prone to errors, though shouldn’t abuse their position of authority and think they are safe as a result of a system like this.

The ICC have had a major role to play in all this. They decided to bring in the DRS and its various aspects. Firstly, the Hot-spot is not 100% reliable. Apart from costing a large amount of money; in severe heat it doesn’t detect the faint nicks. The place that the Hot-Spot is available is limited, so apart from close in fielders blocking the view a long stride or a high bouncer can mean the point of contact (or non contact) is not in the picture. The snicko is a innovation that has not been used, but is a cheaper and more viable option in my opinion. The snicko would detect any sound if a edge was taken, why it has been ignored is most beyond my knowledge. To the ICC’s credit a laser innovation is in the process of getting made, which they claim is more reliable, but again the cost will be a huge factor.

DRS was innovated mostly for the edges and sorts, but has become a circus for leg before decisions. This is where the Hawk-Eye come’s into effect. Three reds and a batsman is out, one green and his not out. I have no problem with them two aspects, but the third light, the gold one, is a stinker. As I keep emphasising, the DRS was made to eradicate umpire errors, all the umpires call has done is made the umpire look as though he has made the correct call. In the Pakistan, England series we have seen number of decisions that have stayed on the umpires call when they should not have done. Take two identical deliveries, if the umpire says out to one it stays out and not-out to the other that decision also stays. Totally unfair, to say the least. Hawk-Eye is a great innovation, but needs to be used in the correct manner. Below are my recommendations for it, so it is used in eradicating mistakes and not simply trying to justify a umpire‘s decision:

1. Abolish the Umpires call completely and only use ‘out’ and ‘not out’.
2. If the ball is pitching / hitting inline and hitting the stumps by more than 50% of the size of the ball then it is out, otherwise it is not out. Any less than 50% of the ball, means we can’t be 100% sure that it is out.
3. The conversation between the on-field umpire and the third umpire should be made public, like it is in Rugby. This engages the viewers and we are clear on why a decision has been taken.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has taken a stance of complete non-approval of the DRS system. Though as highlighted, it has it’s flaws, the BCCI are not right in their stance. They have not given it a chance. The hawk-Eye is a must in sub-continent conditions. The bounce is low and the batsman can’t leave the ball on length like they would do in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or England. Batter’s have always looked to pad up and play long innings, the DRS stops this. What is the BCCI’s problem? Maybe knowing it doesn’t suit their batsman it might be. Whatever it is, it’s not good for the game. Neither is a half DRS, for that matter and until some changes are made to the present system, a debate will always arise. The correct decision, in my opinion, is more important than the integrity of a umpire. Once the decisions are made correct, more often, people will naturally start to support the umpires.

Pakistan is going to whitewash England: Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan's former captain and flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi feels the team is capable of handing out a 3-0 whitewash to world number one England given the way it dominated the first two Tests.

Pakistan enjoy an unassailable 2-0 lead over the English. "I think Pakistan will complete a clean sweep in the third Test. They can whitewash England," Afridi told reporters at a function to launch the autobiography of former chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed.

Afridi said Pakistan enjoyed a psychological hold over the English batsmen.

"I see this series as the best opportunity for Pakistan to win the series 3-0. As they keep on winning they are getting hungrier for success and that is always the first sign of a team turning into a top class side," he said.

"Another good thing is that all the players realise their responsibility and are contributing and supporting each other on the field."

The all-rounder, who will join the team for the one-day and Twenty20 matches against England from next week, said Pakistani players have made winning a habit.

"After winning the first two Tests, the morale and confidence in the team is very high," he added.

Afridi, who was captain of the one-day side until last May, said that the way Pakistan are improving, they could soon match the feats of other great teams.

"Pakistan has the potential to be as good as the Australians were at one time," he said.

The man of crises, the superman of Pakistan team - Younis Khan

After getting bundled out in the first innings for a paltry 99, Pakistan bounced back in the second with a commanding 180-run lead. The chief architect of this act Younis Khan, came into this game amid heavy scrutiny as he had failed to make a compelling impact on the series thus far.


Walking in with Pakistan hanging by the thread at 28 for 2, he got off the mark with an inside edge down to backward square. The enormity of the challenge he faced could be judged by the fact that it had been raining wickets since Day 1.


These were testing times for Pakistan. While all were busy making assumptions and predictions of a meagre total, Younis and Azhar silently resolved to take advantage of a pitch that was flattening out and take Pakistan to a secure position heading into Day 3.


It took Younis 20 balls to stroke his first boundary, an elegant straight drive presenting full face of the bat off Stuart Broad. Along with Azhar Ali, he showed true grit and determination in crafting an astounding revival in this innings.


Throughout his innings, he rarely gave the bowlers or DRS a chance to dislodge him. Younis presented the perfect technique of extricating yourself from frailties of the DRS system. Confidence was oozing from his stroke play as he punished anything short or wide from the bowlers. Younis was particularly good against spin bowlers, making use of his favorite sweep shot astutely.


Stauss’s applause for Younis Khan and Azhar Ali, as they marched off the ground clearly indicated a day bossed by the king who registered 20^th century under his belt with a strike rate of 58.97 in this innings.


In a broader perspective, Younis’s innings may well make Pakistan the first team since 1907, to win a test after being bundled out for less than a 100 runs in the first innings of a Test match. For now though, in a series which has failed to enchant the batsmen Younis Khan along with Azhar Ali has played a pivotal role in ascertaining Pakistan’s dominance over England.

Azhar 50 & Younis' century puts Pakistan in control

Close Pakistan 99 and 222 for 2 (Younis 115*, Azhar 75*) lead England 141 (Strauss 56, Rehman 5-40) by 180 runs

	Younis Khan scored the first century of this series to put Pakistan in the driving seat in the third Test © Getty Images
Related Links Matches: England v Pakistan at Dubai (DSC) Series/Tournaments: England tour of United Arab Emirates Teams: England | Pakistan Gallery: Younis, Azhar seize control for Pakistan

The first hundred of this Test series was a long time in coming but it was well worth the wait. It went to Younis Khan. His enduring talent has again lifted Pakistan's expectations that they can achieve their first whitewash in a Test series against England.

When Younis came to the crease shortly before lunch on the second day, he was out of form, 22 wickets had fallen for 268 runs and batsmen on both sides were in mental turmoil over a record number of lbw decisions in a three-Test series. Not another wicket fell all day.

By the close, Younis had 115, his third-wicket stand with Azhar Ali was worth 194 in 72 overs and Pakistan's lead was 180. Some Pakistan fans held aloft a banner stating that Pakistan's target was to be the No. 1 Test side in the world. England can confirm it is an uncomfortable place to be.

Whenever mutterings are heard that his Test career is nearing an end, Younis comes up with something special. England tried to bowl straight, seeking to add to the 37 lbws in the series (the record in any length of series is 43) but the pitch was slow and the sound of ball against pad was conspicuous by its absence as Younis worked the ball serenely through the leg side.

It is only two months since Younis took an unbeaten double hundred off Bangladesh in Chittagong and his serenity flooded back. Both he and Azhar, whose restrained unbeaten 75 again identified him as a talent in the making, read the line confidently, their footwork was crisp and on the rare occasions Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann matched the turn found by Pakistan's left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, they had the skill to adjust to the ball off the pitch.

England imagined they might have dismissed Azhar lbw, on 70, just before the close when Swann found turn around leg stump. Umpire Simon Taufel said no, England reviewed, more in hope than expectation, but to the consternation of the fielding side Hawk-Eye showed the ball going too high. Pakistan's lead was 168 and England had not got the break they desperately needed. Andrew Strauss, an England captain with no time to waste, even took the new ball two overs before the close.

Younis' second 50 took 60 balls and changed the complexion of the match. His gathering confidence was illustrated when he twice reverse-swept Swann as England's spinners resorted to bowling into the rough outside leg stump. Two short balls from Panesar helped him through the 90s. When he swept Panesar to reach his 20th Test hundred, two greats of India's past, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, were moved to rise from their seats in the VIP area and applaud.

But the incident that will most trouble England was one of the rare balls Younis missed: a delivery from Panesar that pitched on middle, dislodged a piece of turf as it spun past the outside edge, and cracked Anderson on the left shoulder at first slip. This is a dry pitch and it can be expected to turn extravagantly as the match progresses.

It all possessed a different feel to the pre-lunch session. Six more wickets tumbled on the second morning, with England scraping a first-innings lead of 42 and then removing Pakistan's openers. Taufeeq Umar's technical frailties were again evident as James Anderson bowled one from wide on the crease to have him caught by Strauss at first slip. Mohammad Hafeez, after striking Panesar cleanly for a straight six, fell lbw to an over-ambitious sweep.

England's batting frailties are now so extreme that their average of 17.84 runs per wicket is currently lower than in any completed series since the 19th century, an era when the roller was probably pulled by a horse, if they could find a horse, and the art of groundsmanship extended to little more than pushing the stumps in.

England began the series fretting about the mysterious spin bowling of Saeed Ajmal but they are ending it baffled by the conventional approach of Rehman, who took five wickets for the second successive innings as Pakistan restricted England's first-innings lead. This canny left-arm spinner, enjoying unforeseen riches in his late-blooming career, had performed the sajda on the outfield in Abu Dhabi when he took five Test wickets in an innings for the first time. Once again he fell to his knees.

England, resuming on 104 for 6, lasted 12 overs. Anderson, the night-watchman, propped forward to the last ball of the first over and was bowled through the gate. It was the sort of respectable, turning delivery Rehman has produced on countless occasions and suddenly it looked unplayable.

Stuart Broad hinted at positive intent but he was lbw to Ajmal after Pakistan turned to DRS to overturn Steve Davis' not-out decision. Broad was straight back to the laptop, analysing his dismissal, seeking answers. Another centimetre and he would have been outside the line. Umpires would never give anybody out on such small margins; technology does.

Andrew Strauss' prolonged resistance ended at eight-down, to his most adventurous shot. He had extended his overnight 41 to 56 when he came down the pitch to hit Rehman over the legside and was stumped by Adnan Akmal.

Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

Barclays Premier League, Emirates Stadium
Saturday, February 04, 2012, 13:00

By Richard Clarke
"We have a good opportunity to come back into the top four now," said Arsène Wenger at the end of his interview with Arsenal Player on Friday.
"We have been in the Champions League for the last 14 years and I hope it will always stay like that.

"We accept the fans' feelings and we can understand that they are disappointed when you do not win every single game. But this is a chance to show that they are altogether and behind the team until the end of the season.

"We are in this fight. We can still turn it into a great season and, at the end, we will accept our judgment.

"But this club has been built on togetherness, on fighting together - that is what you want."

It was the Arsenal manager rolling up his sleeves for the final few months of the season - and asking supporters to do likewise.

Given that approach, perhaps it is fitting that Blackburn are the visitors to Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The 4-3 defeat at Ewood Park was a lowlight of the campaign and victory in the return game would be as redemptive as it would timely.

Chelsea (fourth) and Liverpool (fifth) play top-three teams later over the weekend. An early kick-off in North London allows Arsenal to place pressure on those directly above them. A difficult 2012 has created a gap, it must be closed quickly.

Of course the draw at Bolton on Wednesday actually sustained Arsenal's five-point deficit from that fourth and final Champions League place - even though they dropped a couple of places. The manager knows that the former is the most important issue right now.

"I don't look at the table," he said. "Never. Even when we are in front I never look at the table because I know where we are. It's very tight."

Aside from a minor knock to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wenger has no injury concerns from the game at the Reebok Stadium but the tight turnaround in fixtures means he may shuffle his side. At his pre-match press conference, the manager did not even rule out resting Robin van Persie - and the Dutchman is surely the first name on the teamsheet right now.

Blackburn have spent only two weeks out of the relegation zone all season and Steve Kean has shouldered his fair share of criticism. However they are showing relatively positive signs. In their last three away games in the Premier League they have beaten Manchester United and drawn at the Merseyside clubs. However the statistics suggest Arsenal will score; Blackburn are the only side who have failed to keep a clean sheet this season.

That will not be helped by the absence of towering defender Christopher Samba while Yakubu, whose goals have sparked a mini-revival, sees out the final game of his suspension after being sent off against Fulham on January 14.

"They have had a decent run," said Wenger. "But they have just lost against Newcastle so let's hope we can take advantage of that. Certainly it was a physical game for them as well and we will be highly focused to do well.

"It was a bad defeat for us up there [in September] because we were in a position where we were in front and, at the end, we lost the game. It cost us contact with the top four in that period."

A win in the return game could represent reattachment at one of the most crucial parts of the campaign. After this weekend, Arsenal's next six weeks will be filled with fixtures against rivals for a Champions League spot (Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle), two fixtures in two competitions against the Premier League's in-form side (Sunderland, assuming they get past Middlesbrough in an FA Cup reply) and a massive two-legged tie against Milan.

"Of course [February is crucial]," concluded Wenger. "But the next game is always the most important and it is a good opportunity for us to have a good weekend if we win the game.

"So let's focus on that."

Team news:

Arsenal: Jenkinson (back), Santos (ankle), Wilshere (ankle), Diaby (hamstring) Gervinho (Africa Cup of Nations duty).

Blackburn: Goodwillie (doubt - sick), Salgado (rib), Grella (hip), Yakubu (suspended).

Random facts:

In the 4-3 defeat at Ewood Park on September 17, Arsenal had 23 shots, nine on target. Blackburn had eight shots, four on target.

In the 14 games this season in which their opponents have scored first, Blackburn have gained just five points.

Blackburn have failed to score four times in 23 matches. The same record as Arsenal.

Robin van Persie has scored 10 goals in 12 games against Blackburn.

Blackburn have lost only five of their last 15 away games in the Premier League.

Novak Djokovic won Australian Open Final 2012

Novak Djokovic won his third Australian Open title when he beat Rafael Nadal 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 in an epic encounter on Sunday in Melbourne that lasted almost six hours.

After trading breaks early in the final set, Djokovic got the decisive break of serve in the 11th game and came out at 6-5 to serve for the match.

He finally closed out the match at 1:40am Melbourne time, after the longest grand slam final in history.

FOURTH SET

Rafael Nadal saved three break points in the eighth game of the fourth set then waited out a 10-minute rain break before he levelled the Australian Open final against Novak Djokovic on Sunday by taking the fourth set 7-6.

Nadal had been facing the distinct possibility of defeat within five minutes when he was reduced to 0-40 while trailling 3-4 in the set but produced a fantastic backhand pass and three massive serves to claw his way back into the match, which prompted the crowd to break into tumultuous chants of "Rafa".

The players were then forced off the court as officials shut the roof on Rod Laver Arena after rain swept across central Melbourne and the ball boys and girls scrambled around on their knees with towels to dry the court.

Nadal then fed off the crowd that had swung behind him and, after seemingly being down and out, returned to his fist-pumping, competitive best and took the tiebreak 7-5 to send the match into a decider.

There will be no tie-breaker in the fifth set.

THIRD SET

Djokovic had raced through the third set 6-2 as he began to wear the Spaniard down.

Djokovic set the tone when he blasted through the first game and held serve to love and while he had no break points on Nadal's first service game of the set, the Spaniard was forced to battle as the Serb forced three deuce points.

The world No 1 continued the pressure on Nadal's serve in the fourth game when he sealed the important break and then consolidated for a 4-1 lead when he again held his own serve to love.

Djokovic, who was stepping inside the court and attacking Nadal's top-spin forehand while compelling the Spaniard to play from deep behind the baseline, again pressured Nadal on serve then held his own serve to love to take a 5-2 lead.

He sealed the set when he broke Nadal to love in the next game and the momentum had definitely swung towards the defending champion.

Djokovic only dropped two points on serve in the 45-minute third set.

SECOND SET

Djokovic's powerful forehand finally started to find its range as grabbed the second set 6-4 to level the match.

The Serb also put pressure on Nadal's serve at every opportunity and broke in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.

Nadal, though, had won the point of the match when he produced a stunning running backhand top-spin drive down the line that brought the crowd to their feet after a 15-shot rally that swept back and forth across the court.

Djokovic was serving for the set but was broken when he held two set points before he seized back the initiative in the next game and broke Nadal again to level when the Spaniard served his second double fault.

FIRST SET

Nadal broke the world No 1 twice in an error-ridden first set before he won it 7-5 to take the early lead.

Djokovic suffered a slight scare in the fourth game when he went over on his right ankle after attempting a slide, and went down to his haunches before he began to flex and roll it in circles at the end of the game.

Both players failed to really settle or stamp their authority on the match, though Djokovic had more opportunities to break the Spaniard's serve.

After breaking in the fifth game Nadal had to fight off Djokovic twice before the Serb broke in the eighth game, though Nadal seized back the advantage in the 11th game and sealed the opener on his third set point when a backhand return floated long.

پاکستانی فتح،برطانوی و بھارتی میڈیاکی تعریف

لندن: ٹیسٹ کرکٹ کی سرفہرست انگلینڈ  اور ورلڈ کپ فاتح   بھارت  کی ٹیموں  کی پاکستان اور آسٹریلیا  کے ہاتھوں بدترین شکست  کھلاڑیوں کے لئے بدنامی کا سبب بن گئی برطانوی اور بھارتی میڈیا  نے  گرین شرٹ سے  سبق سیکھنے کی تلقین کردیں ۔

برطانوی اخباردی سن کا کہنا ہے کہ دنیا کی نمبر ون ٹیم انگلینڈ کے بلے باز عبدالرحمان کے سامنے بھیگی بلی بنے رہے، انہیں اس کی گھومتی ہوئی گیندوں کی بالکل سمجھ نہیں آ رہی تھی۔

بھارتی اخبار ٹائمز اف انڈیا کا کہنا ہے کہ انگلش کھلاڑیوں نے پاکستانی سپنرز کے سامنے گھٹنے ٹیک دیئے، اخبار کا کہنا ہے کہ مسلسل نو سریز جیت کر نمبر ون انگلینڈ کیلئے یہ ایک بھیانک شکست ہے۔

برطانوی اخبار ٹیلی گراف نے لکھا ہے کہ ٹیسٹ میچوں میں پاکستان کے خلاف انگلینڈ کا یہ ابتک کا سب سے کم ترین سکور ہے۔

اخبار گارڈین کا کہنا ہے کہ عام خیال تھا کہ انگلینڈ میچ جیت جائے گا لیکن جس طرح اس کی اخری پانچ وکٹیں صرف چار رنز پر گر گیئں وہ حیران کن ہے۔

بھارتی اخبارات  نے دھونی الیون کو مشورہ دیا کہ وہ  پاکستان کی  موجودہ کارکردگی سے سبق حاصل کرئے کہ اس نے کس طرح  انگلینڈ کی ٹیم کو شکست سے دوچار کیا ہے۔

یاد رہے کہ بھارت  کو آسٹریلیا  نے وائٹ واش  شکست سے دوچار کیا ہے جس کے باعث کئی سپر اسٹار کھلاڑیوں  کو تنقید کا سامنا کرنا پڑ رہاہے۔
Courtesy The News Tribe

Impenitent Maya Khan fired !

Maya Khan, a morning show host who won the anger of people across the country when she approach ''immoral'' couples dating in Karachi's parks has been fired by her channel, Samaa TV. The channel took action against Maya Khan after she failed to give an unconditional apology for her show that was criticized by ordinary Pakistanis and media analysts. Scores of people signed petitions asking Samaa to take action against her for harassing dating couples on her show "Subha Savera Maya Khan Ke Saath".
In response to numerous complaints against Khan over the week, Samaa's chairman Zafar Siddiqi wrote in an email: "We asked Maya to apologise unconditionally which she did not. The CEO asked her to do that on Friday which she refused". Siddiqi, also the founder of CNBC Africa and CNBC Pakistan, said Khan and her team would "receive termination notices" on January 30 and her show would be stopped the same day. Khan initially refused to apologise for her show against dating, in which she was seen asking couples to prove they were married by showing their 'nikahnama' or marriage certificate. Samaa subsequently aired a formal apology for the show and beamed a short clip in which Khan said she had never intended to hurt anyone. Many noted that Khan had shown no remorse for her actions. She was also quoted by the media as saying that the "elite" who do not watch her show were the ones objecting to it. Media analysts said Khan's actions were probably driven by the race for ratings among Pakistan's dozens of TV channels. Some NGOs highlighted the lack of media regulations and said they intended to approach the courts to take action against Samaa TV. Khan invited the wrath of hundreds of Pakistanis when she and her team tried to drill moral sense into young couples dating in parks. She chased couples along with a posse of young and not-so-young women and two "analysts" who gave insight into the dating behaviour of couples and commented on their body language. While most couples made good their escape seeing a horde of women approach them, some countered them bravely. "Do your parents know that you are here?" Maya Khan asked a couple perched on a bench. "Do you know what people think of couples who date like this? Do you know how bad it is for the reputation of girls to be seen like this?" she charged. Samaa chairman Siddiqi said he hoped the action taken by his channel against Khan would settle the issue. But media analysts said the episode had only highlighted the need for self-regulation by Pakistan's news and entertainment channels.

شاندار کامیابی پر آفریدی کی ٹیم کو مبارکباد

 پاکستانی کرکٹ ٹیم کے سابق کپتان شاہد آفریدی نے انگلینڈ کے خلاف شاندار کامیابی پر قومی کرکٹ کو مبارکباد پیش کی ہے۔

پاکستان کے نجی ٹیلی ویژن چینل کے اینکر نے شاہد آفریدی کو بوم بوم آفریدی کہہ کر ثاثرات جانے کی کوشش کی تو انہوں کہاکہ یہ وقت بوم بوم آفریدی نہیں بلکہ بوم بوم پاکستان کا ہے۔

شابق کپتان نے کہاکہ ٹیم کی کامیابی کے لئے تمام کھلاڑیوں نے محنت کی تاہم سیریز کی جیت کا سحرا اسپن بالرز کے سر جاتا ہے جنہوں نے ٹیم کو تاریخی فتح سے ہمکنار کیا۔

آفریدی نے مزید کہاکہ وہ امید کرتے ہیں کہ پاکستانی ٹیم اپنی کامیابی کا تسلسل آنے میچوں میں بھی برقرار رکھی گی، اور کھلاڑی بہترین  کارکرگی دکھائیں گے۔

Saeed Ajmal mark his 100 test wickets and in 2nd test against England

Saeed Ajmal has taken his 100th test wickets and has achieved the great milestone in the 2nd test against ICC ranked top team England. He played only 19 matches while achieving this landmark in 37 innings.He took his 100th test wicket of Matt Prior who was caught by Asad Shafiq. Saeed Ajmal is feeling very blessed after driving Pakistan to victory against no. 1 test side England . He hopes for to continue this performance in future and dedicated this performance to his nation.

Pakistan beat England in 2nd test by 72 runs in Dubai

Pakistan beat England with a sensational second innings bowling performance at Abu Dhabi.Pakistan defeated England by 72 runs.Pakistan has now undefeated lead 2-0 over England. Pakistan win by 72 runs You can criticise England, and that certainly has its part to play, but what a fantastic bowling effort by Pakistan. Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal were brilliant. With some turn in the pitch, superb control and variation, and the DRS, that was an incredibly tough examination for any side. England failed it miserably. A lot of English batsmen played back when they should be going forward, and again they look unsure of the length - let alone picking the dreaded doosra.

It was a superb Test match, England were on top for large parts of it, but it only takes a few minutes of mayhem. England are still no closer to solving their woes against spin in subcontinental-style conditions, but let's not dwell too much on that. It was a real treat to watch two spinners of that quality doing their thang. Honourable mention goes to the two onfield umpires, who were both magnificent, and hardly put a foot wrong all match.

Crazy presentation ceremony, by the way: there's an award for most sixes, most boundaries, one for performance of the match and one for man of the match. Baffling. All the winners of these mini awards get a 500 dollar cheque. Woop. Don't spend it all at once.

Strauss pays tribute to Pakistan, but doesn't say much of note. He admits that maybe they should have tried to get going a bit quicker.

England were beaten fair and square by a well-led side who batted quite attritionally and backed their spinners to get it done in the second innings. Congratulations to Misbah and his boys, they are 2-0 up in the series with one to play. That kicks off on February 3, please do join us for it. Thanks for following this one with us, have a great weekend of sport. Cheers.

Amir Khan to wed 20yr old girl he's only met 4 times in his life

BOXING champ Amir Khan is planning to marry a student who he has met only four times in a six-month whirlwind romance.

Amir, 24, plans to pop the question to 20-year-old Faryal Makhdoom next year.

He then wants to get hitched in 2013. Faryal — who studies political science and journalism in New York — recently posted a picture of Amir on Facebook and wrote: "My soon 2b fiancé!"

Last night a source close to the couple said: "Amir has always kept his love life quiet, but he wants to get engaged next year and they'd probably marry the following year.

"We knew it was serious when he suddenly changed his Facebook status to 'in a relationship'."

Amir — the WBA Super and IBF Light Welterweight Champion — was introduced to Faryal by pals in London.The boxer, from Bolton, arranged for both sets of parents to meet in Washington DC last month.

Amir Khan's engagement set with US-Pakistani beauty

Amir's Fiancee

LONDON: British Pakistani boxing star Amir Khan is all set to get engaged with the American Pakistani student Faryal Makhdoom when he gives her the £100,000 three diamond rings on 29th January.

According to The Sun newspaper, the second generation Pakistanis will be swapping the rings in front of 1,000 people at a lavish £150,000 engagement party at Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium where rich footballers such as Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ricky Hatton, David Haye are just some of people on the guest list.

The love struck couple have strong traditional values, as Faryal, 20, said:" I'm very family oriented even though I was born and raised in New York but my grandparents are in Pakistan - and a lot of my dad's family are there."

"My parents are already treating Amir like a son," she added and that was quite apparent when the bride-to-be's father, Shaukat, and mum Zia gave the couple a BMW 750Li as a gift when the engagement was announced.

The pretty and petite Faryal - just 5ft 3in - has been bowled over by messages of support from Amir's army of fans. "I get a lot of messages from Amir's fans and quite a few say I look like Kate Middleton. That's so nice because so many people admire her and I think she's very stylish - so the comparison is really very flattering for me."

Husband-to-be Amir rushed to praise her too, in an interview with The Sun newspaper, adding: "A lot of girls have said to me, 'Your girl is beautiful' - and that's great because people can be so jealous. But Faryal is so humble. Anybody who meets her is going to fall in love with her. She's got no edge, she's just a terrific person."

Faryal will be flying to England on Friday for their engagement party and spend a week here where Amir will be taking her out to show her around Bolton.

"I'm going to introduce her to a pasty barm, fish and chips - maybe even an ice cream if she's lucky!" Amir said jokingly. "I might also try to squeeze in a Bolton match just so that she cans see the venue before the big day - and make sure she likes it."

Faryal revealed how their relationship was almost teetering on the edges initially as she had a lot of trouble understanding Amir's broad Bolton accent.

"In the beginning I really couldn't understand him. I was used to London accents and thought that's how everyone spoke in Britain. But when Amir opened his mouth it was as if he was speaking a foreign tongue - so I just used to nod, agree with whatever he was talking about and say, 'Yeah'.

"He'd say things like 'daft' and 'innit' and I had no idea what they meant. He'd say, 'Don't be daft!' - and I'd be wondering what 'daft' was supposed to be!" But she broke down the language barrier when she visited Amir's family at their home in Bolton and spent five days meeting his nieces, nephews and cousins. Speaking of the future Amir said: "I know New York is an amazing city but our future lies in Bolton - she can't wait to live there!"

Indian Media: Indian team should learn from Pakistan

The Indian media has lashed out at the national cricket team for their dismal show on their tour to Australia following Pakistan’s emphatic win over the No. 1 test side, England. Several news channels have added extra burden on the weak and ageing shoulders
of top players such as Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Virendar Sehwag.
This Indian team suffered a 4-0 whitewash on their tour to England last year in June, and the pattern has been followed by the ruthless Aussies. The Kangaroos have been all over Mahinder Singh Dhoni’s men since the start of their tour which also includes
two successive innings defeat.
Having recently suffered an embarrassing loss at Perth, the Indian media is continuously targeting its World Cup winners, and especially the senior pros’. Some of the former players have already called for the induction of youth cricketers into the Indian
test side which hints at the dropping out of senior players including Tendulkar.
On the other hand, India’s fierce rivals and neighbours, Pakistan, are hosting England in the Emirates for a complete tour which include three tests, four ODI’s and three T20’s. Pakistan have already gone one up in the test series with a comprehensive win
over the English side inside three days. This is the same English team which humiliated India, and this is probably why the Indian media is continuously criticizing its national side.
 One of the Indian news channels have urged Dhoni’s men to learn a few lessons from the youthful Pakistan side, who embarrassed England in the first test at the Dubai Cricket Stadium. According to the media report, a team which has the hands on experience
should learn from a team which only has Younis Khan as the most experienced test cricketer with 74 tests, where as the rest have not even crossed the 40 mark.
The Indian team are to play one more test match against the Kangaroos, while the Green Shirts have to play two more before both countries bring the test series to an end. The Indian team can at least survive their second consecutive whitewash by drawing
or winning the last test in Adelaide to have some sort of consolation under their belt. Pakistan, though, can rejoice by drawing the remaining two tests in order to invite some more criticism of the Men in Blue by their own media.

Girls Basketball: Anna Bell Lansdowne’s career-high lifts York

Elmhurst, 01/21/12--Oak Park-River Forest's Stekara Hall drives toward the basket around York's Alex Harrell during Saturday's game. | Jeff Krage~for Sun-Times Media

By George M. Wilcox~gwilcox@pioneerlocal.com

Caroline Kelty’s back-to-back three-pointers ended the first half and opened the second half. York’s Anna Bell Lansdowne made sure that was the end of Oak Park-River Forest’s momentum.

Lansdowne scored the first 12 points of the second half for York on the way to a career-high 24-points Saturday in a 66-52 West Suburban Silver victory over the visiting Huskies.

York swept both games in the season series and ended OPRF’s four-game win streak. Lansdowne’s run in the third quarter gave the Dukes (10-10, 5-2) a 43-26 lead.

Lansdowne, a junior guard, shot 6-for-15 from the floor and 11-for-12 at the free-throw line. York shot 23-for-27 at the line compared to OPRF’s 14-for-24.

“With free throws, I’ve been working hard in practice,” Lansdowne said. “It does not always go for me, but this year it has paid off.”

Kelty (11 points, seven rebounds) pulled off a shocker to the end the second quarter with a half-court basket at the buzzer. York led 31-17 at the break after limiting the Huskies (9-15, 4-5) to 5-for-23 shooting in the first half, 2-for-12 in the second quarter. Until Kelty’s miracle shot, the Huskies had shot 1-for-11 in the quarter. Kelty made the first basket of the third quarter with another three in just nine seconds.

Illinois State-bound Stekara Hall (14 rebounds) led OPRF with 19 points — 12 in the first half. Hall scored 12 of OPRF’s first 14 points in the game. Jasmin Walker made a layup in the first quarter. Cuyla Hall, who is not related to Stekara, had 13 points off the bench for OPRF.

York outscored the Huskies 23-9 in the second quarter. Until Kelty’s half-court shot, Stekara Hall’s alley-oop layup was OPRF’s only basket in the second quarter. The Dukes answered with a 16-2 run to open a 27-12 lead.

“In the second quarter, I think we could have played harder, but we didn’t,” Hall said. “That’s what happens.”

Lansdowne’s previous career high was 23 points in a 72-51 victory over Hinsdale Central Dec. 10.

“We relied on our bench players coming in,” Lansdowne said. “They set the bar high and kept our energy up.”

Tawny Tucci added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Dukes. Megan Holmes scored five points in her first game since suffering a broken hand during York’s Naperville North-Benet Christmas tournament. Holmes’ sister, Molly, remains out with a broken collarbone.

“[The second quarter] was the difference in the game,” York coach Jason Reinecke said. “It was the feeling we had watching the team from the beginning of the season. We pushed the ball up the floor, shared it and get easy layups.”

York started the season with a 7-2 record, but lost six consecutive games in December.

UCLA basketball: Ducks chase down Bruins for 75-68 victory

UCLA continued down the slippery slope in Oregon, blowing a 15-point lead in the first half during a 75-68 loss to the Ducks on Saturday.
The Bruins led, 37-24, at halftime, but Oregon scored the first nine points of the second half and methodically wore down UCLA.
E.J. Singler scored a career-high 26 points, with 23 in the second half. His rebound and layup with 7 minutes 46 seconds left gave the Ducks a 52-50 lead. They never trailed again.
UCLA falls to 10-9 overall and 3-4 in Pac-12 Conference play. Oregon is 15-5 and 6-2.

Missouri men's basketball chalks up road win against Baylor

Missouri 's Kim English, 24, looks on as teammates Phil Pressey, 1, and Ricardo Ratliffe, 10, celebrate after Baylor's Pierre Jackson, 55, fouled Pressey in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday in Waco, Texas. Missouri won 89-88.   ¦  Tony Gutierrez/The Associated Press

BY Amy Backes, Matt Beezley

COLUMBIA – In front of Baylor’s first ever advanced sell-out crowd of 10,617 at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, No. 5 Missouri handed No. 3 Baylor its second consecutive loss of the season, beating the Bears 89-88.
Ricardo Ratliffe broke his previous career high of 22 points, scoring 27, grabbing eight rebounds and adding two blocks for the Tigers.

Wednesday's game

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Missouri (18-1, 5-1 Big 12) 
at Oklahoma State (9-10, 2-4 Big 12)
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.
RADIO: KTGR/ 1580 AM, 100.5 FM; KCMQ 96.7 FM
TV: ESPN2

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Related Articles

• PHOTO GALLERY: No. 5 Missouri defeats No. 3 Baylor
• PHOTO GALLERY: No. 5 Missouri takes down No. 3 Baylor

“He was outstanding,” Missouri head coach Frank Haith said of Ratliffe in a radio interview. “He finished, he made his free throws, he rebounded. He had a tremendous game.”
With 10 minutes left in the second half, Missouri went on a 11-2 run to stretch its lead to 71-60, and Ratliffe was responsible for eight of those points.
With less than 30 seconds left in the game, Kim English fouled Baylor's Quincy Miller on a layup that made it 85-81. Miller made his free throw to complete the 3-point play to pull Baylor within three.
On the ensuing inbound, senior guard Marcus Denmon launched the ball over the half-court line, and, for a moment, the ball looked as if it were going to trickle out of bounds, which could have given Baylor one last chance at a comeback. But the speedy Phil Pressey sprinted after the ball and caught it with two Baylor players on his heels. A.J. Waltonfouled Pressey intentionally with 22 seconds left. Pressey, who finished with 18 points, missed his first shot but drained his second attempt to give Missouri a two-possession lead. Pressey shot only 50 percent from the line.
“From folks looking at our ball club, our basketball IQ has gotten better and better," Haith said. "We talk about it all the time. We get to that one-and-one, it’s now time to be aggressive, not to settle and put the ball on people, and we did that.”
Pressey had a game-high seven assists and six steals for the Tigers who were able to convert those steals into six points. Denmon added 15 points and three rebounds, helping Missouri outrebound Baylor 32-26.
“I thought we did a great job on the backboard against a team that’s very athletic and very lengthy,” Haith said.
With the win, Missouri improves to 18-1 on the season and 5-1 in conference play and will move to second in the Big 12, just behind Kansas, which has a 6-0 conference record.
“I thought our guys showed tremendous, tremendous toughness throughout that ball game,” Haith said. “We executed very well offensively, and defensively, we were good enough.”

BASKETBALL / NBA: Howard leads Magic over struggling Lakers

ORLANDO: Orlando star Dwight Howard scored 21 points with 23 rebounds on Friday to lead the Magic to a 92-80 NBA victory over the struggling Los Angeles Lakers.

Orlando star Dwight Howard (right).

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   Howard, who early in this lockout-shortened season made it clear he wanted to be traded, with the Lakers one of his possible destinations, delivered a solid performance to drop the Lakers to 1-6 on the road.

   "We're a little raggedy right now," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "We're a little tired."

    Just as they did in a defeat in Miami on Thursday, the Lakers endured a miserable shooting night, missing 23 of their first 28 shots.

   They scored just 10 points in the first quarter and shot 38.2 per cent overall.

   It marked their ninth straight game of less than 100 points, the third-longest such streak in club history since the shot-clock was introduced in 1954.

   RESULTS: Philadelphia 90 Atlanta 76, Portland 94 Toronto  84, Denver 108 Washington 104, Chicago 114 Cleveland 75,      Milwaukee 100 NY Knicks 86, Memphis 98 Detroit 81,      Phoenix 79 Boston 71, Orlando 92 LA Lakers 80, Sacramento    88 San Antonio 86, Indiana 94 Golden State 91, Minnesota    101 LA Clippers 98. AFP

Aisam Ul Haq First Time In The Third Round of Australian Open Grand Slam

Aisam Ul Haq First Time In The Third Round of Australian Open Grand Slam

Aisam Ul Haq First Time In The Third Round of Australian Open Grand Slam: He achieved it once again after his marriage back in December 2012 (Aisam Ul Haq Wedding Pictures & Video). This marriage proved to be lucky for Aisam as Aisam Ul Haq First Time In The Third Round of Australian Open Grand Slam. Achieving the new heights of success Aisam is very happy for entering into the third round of Australian Open Grand Slam and is very proud of himself.

Aisam Ul Haq First Time In The Third Round of Australian Open Grand Slam

Aisam ul Haq of Pakistan and his new partner Julian Roger have reached the third round of Australian Open Grand Slam. In Saturday’s match in Melbourne Aisam and Julian beat the pair of German Philips Marks and Canadian Adil Shams by seven – six and six – four in street sets.
This is the first time that Aisam ul Haq has reached in the third round of Australian Open Last year he could not even reach in the second round. Pair of Aisam and Julian has been ranked at number eight in this tournament aur they have won the matches against Coatia’s Evan Lotch and German Sedrick Stab in the street sets in first round.
Aisam is also participating in the mixed doubles in this tournament and has also reached in the second round of mixed doubles. This is the first time that Aisam is playing Grand Slam with the Julian Rodger.
Since 2007, he has been played with the Indian partner Rohan Bopanna and have recently separated. The reason of separation was Bopana’s pair with another Indian tennis player and husband of Lara Dutta Mahesh Bhupathi who has recently became father of a baby girl. You can see Lara Dutta Gives Birth To Baby Girl here.

Voskoboyeva eliminated in Australian Open

 MELBOURNE, Australia – Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboyeva January 20 lost to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 2-6, 2-6 in third-round women’s singles.
In second-round women’s doubles, her compatriot Yaroslava Shvedova and Vania King of the United States, swept Australia’s Bojana Bobusic and Sacha Jones 6-1, 6-0.
In first-round mixed doubles, Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and the Czech Republic’s Andrea Hlavackova swept Australia’s Jelena Dokic and Paul Hanley 6-3, 6-1.
In second-round men’s doubles, Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin and Italy’s Flavio Cipolla lost to the United States’ Eric Butorac and Brazil’s Bruno Soares 2-6, 3-6.