Rain ends prospect of intriguing finish

Australia 311 (Hussey 73, Watson 56, Roach 5-105) and 160 for 8 dec (Ponting 41, Roach 5-41) drew with West Indies 257 (Chanderpaul 94, Lyon 5-68) and 53 for 2

As it had threatened to do the weather had the final say in Port-of-Spain and end the prospect of a fascinating finish after both captains took up each other's challenge to force a positive result. Michael Clarke declared to leave West Indies a target of 215 in 61 overs then Darren Sammy promoted himself to No. 3 as the hosts reached 53 for 2 when they were forced off which meant Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy.

The initial asking rate for West Indies of 3.52 was considerably more than had been managed for a sustained period at any stage of the game. However, Sammy's attacking mindset put his team ahead of the rate as he took on Australia's bowlers, especially Ben Hilfenhaus who he hit for 14 off three deliveries.

Hilfenhaus, though, had also given Australia their opening with a strong new-ball spell. He trapped Kieran Powell lbw, after he had been promoted to open, with a delivery that swung back (for the second time in the game Powell made the wrong decision over a review) then removed Adrian Barath with one that climbed from a length and took the edge to first slip.

But from 13 for 2 Sammy responded with two early boundaries off Shane Watson to show his mind was not turning towards the draw although some of his earlier fielding settings had suggested otherwise. Darren Bravo, who could have provided an anchor to the innings, was content to play quietly alongside his captain before the clouds rolled in.

Smart stats Kemar Roach became the first West Indian since Curtly Ambrose and the fifth West Indian overall to pick up aten-wicket match haul against Australia. Ambrose had done so in Adelaide (1993) when West Indies won by one run. Roach also became the fourth West Indian and the 11th bowler overall to pick up a ten-wicket haul inTrinidad. The last West Indian to achieve the feat was Ambrose in 1994 when West Indies bowled England out for 46. It is also the 17th occasion that a West Indies bowler has had twin five-wicket hauls in a Test. Kenny Benjamin was the previous bowler to do in Nottingham in 1995. Roach's 5for 41 is fifth on the list of best bowling performances by a West Indian bowler against Australiain Trinidad. The best is Vanburn Holder's 6 for 28 in 1978. Australia declared their third innings on 160 for 8. It is only the third time that Australia have declared at a total below 200 with seven or more wickets lost. However, on the previous two occasions they won the match. There were ten leg-before dismissals in the match. It is the seventh time in a West Indian-Australia Test that there have been ten or more lbw dismissals. Australia's run-rate in the match (2.39) is the second-lowest for them in a Test against West Indies since 1990 (min 1000 balls bowled). The lowest (2.30) in the same period also came in Trinidad in 1991.

Australia had signalled their intent immediately after lunch when Michael Hussey lofted the first ball of the second session over long-off against Narsingh Deonarine then slog-swept another boundary to signal the intent. Sammy immediately set his field deep as Hussey and Matthew Wade started to play tip-and-run cricket.

Hussey dragged Kemar Roach into his stumps, as he tried to glide the ball to third man, and three balls later Hilfenhaus had his off stump pegged back as Roach became the first West Indies bowler since Curtly Ambrose in 1993 to take ten in a match against Australia.

The visitors had found progress hard going during the morning session and after losing Clarke and Ricky Ponting in quick succession had to guard against a more damaging collapse. Australia's first boundary did not come until the 10th over of the day when Ponting flicked Fidel Edwards to fine leg and two balls later Ponting hooked a well-directed bouncer straight to deep square-leg.

It was due reward for Edwards, who had toiled without luck during this match while Roach picked up the wickets, and meant Ponting did not covert his hard work. His 41 was more than he had made in his previous eight international innings combined but the mode of dismissal was likely to start more debate.

Two overs later West Indies' morning got even better thanks to spark of fielding brilliance from Sammy. Clarke pushed fractionally early at a delivery that may have stopped in the surface, sending the ball back down the pitch but fair distance to Sammy's right in his follow through. However, Sammy stuck out his hand and with the ball almost past him clung onto the catch before a nonchalant celebration.

It left the intriguing situation of Australia being 149 ahead with 82 overs left in match and also having an injured James Pattinson in the dressing room. Shillingford began his latest exacting spell of the match as he teased and tested Hussey and Wade. The ball beat the outside edge and took the inside edge but nothing quite went to hand for West Indies.

Shortly before Australia started to release some of the pressure as Wade pulled Sammy for a boundary and Hussey swept Shillingford and that was sign of things to come but in the end the efforts of both sides were futile.

Bangladesh tour hit by logistical issues

The proposed Bangladesh tour of Pakistan, while agreed to in principle by the two countries' boards, is being threatened by logistical problems stemming from a lack of coordination at the political level. The PCB has delayed sending its security plan to the ICC because issues between the federal government and the state government of Punjab. Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, urged the Pakistan government to play its role in moving quickly for the tour to fall into place, "for the sake of national interest."

Pakistan and Bangladesh, after reaching a consensus on the short tour, had informed the ICC earlier this week that they will play one ODI and one Twenty20 International at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The matches are scheduled for April 29 and 30.

Ashraf returned to Pakistan on Tuesday night after attending the ICC board meeting in Dubai, calling for an immediate press conference to announce the Bangladesh visit. He did not however elaborate on any substantial plan ahead for Pakistan to host a foreign team for the first time in three years. Every question about the uncertainty surrounding the Bangladesh tour was responded to with a confident reply that all matters would be sorted out in time.

Meanwhile, at a press conference at the National Cricket Academy, the Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, welcomed the Bangladesh tour but was himself not certain of the security arrangements in place. "Bangladesh are our brothers and I welcome them to come and play here in Pakistan," Sharif told reporters in Lahore. "But the federal [government] is not coordinating with us."

The PCB, whose headquarters are housed in Lahore, the capital of Punjab, wrote a letter to the chief secretary of the Punjab Government on April 16 regarding security arrangements and plans and was still awaiting a reply from the provincial government. "We had dispatched them the letter for the plan (on April 16) that they are yet to respond to, but we will send the plan to the ICC shortly," Ashraf said. "The ICC actually was asking us to hand them the plan during the [board] meeting but we didn't carry it. It's our mistake that it is delayed for some reason but it will be sorted out soon."

Ashraf said that ICC has already promised to send their officials and the security plan that was sought by the ICC was merely a formality. "ICC won't be sending any of its delegation to assess security. They sought the security plan which we will dispatch to them shortly but that isn't a big issue for ICC."

ESPNcricinfo understands, though, that the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, after receiving the plan from the PCB, may consider outsourcing a company for an independent security assessment of the measures in place for the short tour by Bangladesh.

The series broadcasters, Ten Sports, also had their qualms. "They earlier showed reservation about the series being very short," Ashraf said, "but we told them this is what we have planned and that they have to cover it."

The prospect of an end to Pakistan's three-year drought of international cricket, Ashraf said, counted as a big victory. "Cricket is a passion in Pakistan and convincing Bangladesh to tour is a victory for all of us," he said. "The tour will not only benefit the PCB. The whole economy of the country is linked, so it's about the country not about the federal and Punjab government. I think all should play their role for the one national interest."

The three-day tour, Ashraf said, "will break the ice" and he was also confident of the resumption of Indo-Pak cricket. "The breakthrough achieved during President Asif Ali Zardari's tour to India will also help in the revival of Indo-Pak cricket."

Ashraf said the situation had changed considerably since 2009. "I thank the ICC Board for the way they appreciated the revival of cricket and approved of it. The situation is not like it was in 2009. Since cricket was suspended in Pakistan our grounds were left deserted but things have improved and I hope more teams will come after the Bangladesh team's tour."

Roach gives West Indies a lift

Kemar Roach gave West Indies a timely boost with two quick wickets early in Australia's second innings as the visitors were made to sweat over extending their first-innings lead to 94. West Indies were dismissed in the opening over of the day and batting continued to be a tough task as David Warner and Shane Watson departed in quick succession.

Warner had made a brisk start to his innings with two boundaries off his pads and another through the covers before the run rate was hauled in by Fidel Edwards and Shane Shillingford, who like Michael Beer, had been given the new ball. That meant Roach had to wait for his opportunity but immediately made his mark.

Starting from round the wicket, a line that has troubled Australia's left-handers, he drew an edge from Warner which carried low to Darren Bravo at first slip. Then, three deliveries later, Roach beat Watson for pace with a ball that perhaps kept a fraction low and took out the off stump.

It meant another head-to-head between Roach and Ponting which the former won in the first innings. Ponting did not find life easy and could have been run out by Edwards from mid-off when he had given up the chance of making his ground only for the throw to miss and Carlton Baugh hadn't reached the stumps. A second chance was offered an over later when he lunged at Shillingford and an inside edge carried low to Adrian Barath at short leg who could not hold on.

Ed Cowan, who survived with Ponting until rain arrived, was also offered a life before he had scored and it was the simplest of the lot when he edged Edwards to Darren Sammy in the slips but it went to ground. Cowan was made to battle for his runs, his one release coming when he swept Shillingford for four but the offspinner caused him, and Ponting, plenty of problems.

Earlier, West Indies' first innings had lasted just four more deliveries when Baugh was lbw sweeping at Michael Beer although Australia had to use the DRS after the on-field decision had been not out. It gave Australia an advantage of 54 and they could yet be very grateful for that cushion.

Chanderpaul, Deonarine build momentum before rain

West Indies remained in contention on the third day in Port-of-Spain as Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine gave their first-innings substance with the home side reaching 188 for 4 when rain arrived to bring an early tea. Darren Bravo was the only additional batsman to fall, against the surprise package of Michael Hussey, and Australia's attack did not dictate terms as had been expected.

When Bravo departed, West Indies were in significant trouble at 100 for 4 so Chanderpaul, who had been given a life on 8, and Deonarine initially concentrated solely on survival to the extent that Deonarine had 4 off 43 balls. They scored at barely a run-an-over during the first 15 overs of their partnership, but shortly before the lunch the momentum began to switch when Deonarine took consecutive boundaries off Nathan Lyon.

After the interval Chanderpaul, having reached fifty off 140 balls, took 16 off James Pattinson's first over of the session with the fast bowler struggling for control. The over included two no-balls and three off-side boundaries and Pattinson's post-lunch spell was ended after two overs as Michael Clarke returned to Shane Watson to exert some control.

Both batsmen continued to pick off boundaries - one whip through midwicket by Deonarine off Lyon stood out - and as Clarke rung the changes Deonarine also took a six off David Warner whose first ball had used up a review when Australia checked for an lbw. The momentum had shifted to the extent that the rain interruption probably favoured the visitors.

There had been a bizarre beginning to the day when play was delayed by 20 minutes due to a power failure at the ground which led the players leaving the field while the situation - including the availability of TV pictures and DRS - was discussed between the teams and officials.

When play began Lyon created an early opportunity when he found Chanderpaul's edge on 8, but it was a big deflection which made it tough for Matthew Wade to cling on while Clarke could not gather the rebound at slip either. Generally, however, West Indies were not overly troubled during the initial stages despite Lyon finding turn and Ben Hilfenhaus swing as they had done the previous evening. Chanderpaul drove a boundary off Hilfenhaus but the shots of the morning came from Bravo with a punch off the back foot and a rasping square drive.

Clarke, though, pulled off his latest piece of smart captaincy by the introduction of Hussey who ended Bravo's first Test innings on his homeground. With his frontline bowlers not providing an early breakthrough Clarke went through his box of tricks with by using Hussey, who has developed a golden-arm under Clarke's captaincy, and then Watson whose cutters were well suited to the conditions. Hussey, unsurprisingly given he is a part-time bowler, was less accurate than Watson but beat Bravo with late swing to trap him lbw and the batsman's use of the DRS was a waste.

West Indies had a nervous moment in the closing stages of the morning session when Deonarine was inches from being run out by Hussey from mid-on having been called through for a single. It was a matter of one frame between him being short and being safe and the narrow margin went in his favour.

No Champions Trophy after 2013

The 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, to be held in England, will be the last time the tournament is played as the ICC moves towards having one championship for each of the game's three formats from 2015. The tournament is part of the Future Tours Program in 2013 but does not appear after that, with the play-offs for the World Test Championship scheduled for June 2017.

"If you don't see it in the schedule, it means it is not planned for the future," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive, said at a press conference following the executive board meeting on Monday. "We have said for a while that we would like one championship event for each format. We are including the Test championship in there. We have the World Cup to have the champion for 50-overs cricket. So we are not planning to hold Champions Trophy in the future."

The World Test Championship was initially scheduled for 2013, but had to be postponed due to the ICC's commitments to its broadcaster and sponsors. The ICC's broadcast partner is ESPN STAR Sports*, with whom they have a contract till 2015. The ICC had initially hoped to convince all interested parties to switch the Champions Trophy, the ICC's second-biggest 50-over tournament, to play-offs between the top four Test teams as per the ICC Test rankings.

However, after the ICC's executive board meeting in October, 2011, it released a statement saying there would be significant commercial challenges in replacing the Champions Trophy without the support and consent of the ICC's broadcast partner. Changing the tournament's format from ODIs to Test play-offs would have required a substantial cut in the broadcast rights fee, which would have repercussions on the Members.

Inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998, the Champions Trophy was played every two years until 2009, switching to a round-robin format in 2002. Originally, all ten Full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) took part, together with (for the first four competitions) two Associate members. The 2013 event in England will feature the eight highest-ranked ODI teams calculated six months before the tournament.

Australia to chase 192 for victory

Lunch West Indies 449 for 9 dec and 148 (Hilfenhaus 4-27, Harris 3-31) lead Australia 406 for 9 dec by 191 runs

Australia will chase 192 to win the first Test in Barbados after they dismissed West Indies for 148 before lunch on the final day. Ben Hilfenhaus finished with four wickets and Ryan Harris ended up with three as the hosts added 77 to their overnight total for the loss of their last five wickets.

The last specialist batsman, Narsingh Deonarine, added only one run to his score and was the first to depart, lbw to Ryan Harris for 21. It was precisely the start the Australians needed if they were to give themselves time to chase down a target, and they had another perfect chance soon afterwards when Darren Sammy skied a chance to long-on.

Nathan Lyon put down the sitter to give Sammy a life on 12, and nobody was happier than Lyon when Sammy played on to Shane Watson for 14, accidentally kicking the ball on to his stumps as he tried to prevent it rolling back. Carlton Baugh chipped a catch to mid-on from the bowling of Hilfenhaus (4 for 27) for 23 and West Indies were in trouble at 116 for 8.

Fidel Edwards defended solidly for a while before he played a surprisingly rash stroke and skied a catch to mid off for 3 from 17 balls to give Peter Siddle his second wicket, and that brought the No.11 Devendra Bishoo to the crease. Bishoo defended calmly and together with Kemar Roach set about eating up time and adding some important runs to the total.

Their 23-run stand pushed the session beyond the scheduled lunch time but eventually ended when Roach was bowled by Harris for 25. That left the Australians with 192 to chase in two sessions and while the pitch had shown some variable bounce, they were firm favourites.

'It has been the toughest battle of my life' - Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh is confident he will return to playing cricket for India but says he is neither in a hurry nor anxious to do so, and that cancer changed his approach to both life and the sport.

In his first media conference on returning to India after receiving treatment in the USA for a rare germ-cell cancer called mediastinal seminoma, Yuvraj said his chemotherapy cycles often left him "depressed" and in tears, but having cancer had taught him a lot. "Cancer may be the best thing to have happened to me and maybe I will realise this in the future," he said. "There were more bad days than good. I haven't played cricket for one year, and it has been the toughest battle of my life."

Yuvraj was speaking at his academy, the Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence, at a Pathways School outside Delhi, turning up bald following his hair loss due to chemotherapy. He was accompanied by his doctor, Nitesh Rohatgi, a senior medical oncologist. Yuvraj wore sunglasses indoors, not as a style statement, but to handle the extreme glare from camera lights. Over the course of what was nearly an hour-long conference, he spoke openly of his two months in the USA, when he avoided watching cricket on TV ("there was a little bit of frustration when I watched the team play") and found himself inspired by the practical approach of fellow chemotherapy patients. He discovered he now belonged to another larger group of people, a group he called "the cancer family".

When asked about his return to competitive cricket, Yuvraj said, "I don't know what I will come back and be able to do. Getting back on the field will be a big achievement for me. My body needs to recuperate, and to deal with all that pressure, and to play for India again will be a very big achievement for me. What happens after that, I don't know. As a sportsman you can only say, I'm going to work hard - one thing I always think about is that I want to put the cap with the India logo back on my head. I can't say what I will do when I come back, but I am sure I will come back to cricket."

He made it clear that he had no targets or ambitions related to cricket. "At the moment it is very important that I look after my health, eat the best diet, have the best surroundings. The focus will be on my health, and what the priorities are with regards to my health. Rather than being emotional and saying 'oh people want me back quickly'. I've gone through a very tough time, when I come back on the field I want it to be when I am absolutely fit, not to rush, even if it takes me an extra month. But I'm sure that I will return."

Yuvraj's treatment in the USA had involved working with Dr Lawrence Einhorn, the doctor who helped Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong recover from a form of cancer that had been considered terminal. A few years ago, Yuvraj had left Armstrong's book It's Not About The Bike half-finished. "Maybe I had to come back to it this way and finish the book," he said. "He also had a young mother who helped him through the illness, he also had close friends who helped him survive … To me, Lance is a real life hero; he is a great sportsman but his achievements in life are much greater."

The disease, Yuvraj said, had made him appreciate friends, family, health and happiness over fame, popularity, success or money. "My thoughts have changed … Ever since I have played for India, I would get up thinking, will I score runs today or won't I, will I field properly, will I take catches, what will X or Y say about me, what will the press say about me. For ten years, I got into the pressure getting up every day thinking that I wanted to prove them wrong. But now that is gone, it doesn't matter and I am content. I have my friends around; I have my family. Definitely, I want to play cricket but I am sure I will play it with less stress on my mind … Playing cricket after this, looks a lot easier."

The disease may have left his body, Yuvraj said, "but the scar has not gone," and he wanted to be involved in working with cancer patients. "I don't have any specific plans now, but in the coming time, I will definitely do something for people with cancer… now patients struggling with cancer are like a family to me. I can understand their pain and I feel more connected to anyone who is going through it."

Cancer "hit him very bad" and at the start Yuvraj had found it hard to believe he had it. "This illness, it was hard to believe that a person like me can go through this. First of all, I am an athlete, I run six hours a day and I am playing from morning to evening. How can I have any illness?"

Yuvraj's problems had begun with difficulties in breathing during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, during which he emerged as the player of the tournament. During the World Cup he found he could not breathe comfortably on his left side, had bouts of nausea and had coughed blood on a few occasions. Yuvraj said the delay in undergoing chemotherapy had risen due to the difficulty in diagnosing the cancer he was suffering from. Mediastinal seminoma is a rare tumour which forms less than 1% of cancers on the whole.

"For six months we had wondered is this cancer or is it not. It was tough to diagnose. Maybe I responded late by two months. It was hard to accept you have cancer. I was in denial most of the time, I was afraid. But once I knew what I need to do, what was the right thing to do about it, I went to the US straightaway for my treatment."

Yuvraj also had a message for others who have difficulty accepting their affliction. "Awareness is very important. I wanted to portray to everyone who had the same illness, that don't be afraid. I was also in denial, I was also afraid, if you have any issue, get it checked. I ignored the coughing which was not the right thing to do. The World Cup was coming, there was a lot of pressure on us to do well, so there were other issues … but get yourself checked. Fight it out, be strong. It's not easy, but if I can do it, they can do it."

In Indianapolis, Yuvraj said he had watched joggers go past his apartment window and wondered whether he would ever be able to run around again or return to his family and friends in India. He was home now, he said, "with a lot of happiness inside me, that I can now live like any normal man, that I am breathing normally, there is no stress."

Grateful to god, Yuvraj Singh eyes early comeback

Gurgaon: "I am thankful to God that I got my life back," said Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh in his first media interaction after undergoing treatment for a rare germ cell cancer, conceding that it would take at least two more months before he returns to the field.

Back in the country after spending more than two months in the United States and London to recuperate from a malignant tumour between his lungs, Yuvraj addressed the media to talk about the "toughest" phase of his life.

The 30-year-old batsman, who was adjudged man of the tournament at last year's World Cup before the ailment put a stop on his playing, coughed a bit during the interaction during which his Indian doctor Nitesh Rohtagi was by his side. 

"I am thankful to God that I got back my life. Everybody faces such issues. I am very happy and thankful to everyone that I am out of it," said the flamboyant left-hander, who admitted to that there were times when he broke down. 

Asked when it would be possible for him to return to action, a smiling Yuvraj said not before a couple of months at least.

"All my fans want me to come back soon, I am sure you people will understand that my body will take time. I will have to take care of my health. I will try to return as soon as possible, in the next two months. I have been through a very tough time," he said.

Yuvraj said his mother, Shabnam, was his biggest support system during the last few months.

"My biggest support my mother was there. I don't think without her I would have made this journey. (Cycling legend) Lance Armstrong was very inspiring. 5-6 years back I was reading his book and left it midway for some reason. I had to complete it this way may be. He had similar cancer but his was in the last stage and mine was detected at early stage," he said.

Yuvraj said it was hard for him to come to terms with the illness when it was first diagnosed in October last year. 

"It was tough for me. Six months it took to diagnose whether I had cancer. I think it was tough because I had lot of trouble breathing, I used to cough a lot. There used to be blood in my cough," he recalled.

"I didn't tell anyone, I never showed it to anyone what I was going through. I was always cheerful and kept telling myself that I will be fine but I knew there was a serious issue. I just had to come out of it somehow," he said when asked whether he shared the details of his ailment with his teammates at first.

The cricketer said despite the ordeal he has been through, he remains an optimistic person.

"Mentally, I think I have to be positive. There is lot of happiness inside me. At the moment, I am really happy. So I am very positive. I am just thinking about things and just happy to be back," he said.

Yuvraj also hinted at doing something for cancer patients given what he himself went through.
"Obviously this thing hit me very hard. Cancer is out of my system but the scar remains. In future I will definitely do something for the people," he said.

Recalling the time he spent recuperating from the ailment, Yuvraj said he would avoid watching cricket as it left him frustrated.

"I would stay away from cricket because whenever I saw a match, I used to feel frustrated. Just staying in the house, to get up and do anything was a tough job. I used to try and walk. I played video games, watched movies. My mother would cook for me. I was not able to do much. It was tough to get out of the house and move around," he said.

On the Armstrong influence on him during the treatment, Yuvraj said the cycling legend, who was given less than 40 per cent survival chance at the time of his diagnosis, was immensely inspiring.

"I can't compare much. For me Lance is a real-life hero. He is a great sportsman and his achievements in life are great. To me, just to recuperate and get back would be a big achievement," Yuvraj said.

"I don't know what I would do in future. I am going to work hard. Earlier, I I always felt that I want that India logo back on my forehead. Right now, I just want to be back, I don't know what I will do after that but I will be back very soon," he said.

Yuvraj also rejected suggestions that he erred in going for alternate therapy while he was being diagnosed.

"The diagnose for cancer was very hard. It takes time. Once I knew what I needed to do, I went straight to doing that," he clarified.

Talking about his mother, Yuvraj said he would often cry and seek comfort in her during the recovery time.

"For two months, my mother didn't shed a tear. She was always there. She would wake up at 4 to see when I would cough or throw up. I used to cry like a kid and she would comfort me. She was stronger than me," he said. 

Another person who inspired Yuvraj was senior teammate Sachin Tendulkar, who even met him in London.

"I was in touch with Sachin while he was in Australia. I also wanted his 100th hundred. He has always inspired him. It was great to see him in London. I didn't want this to come out but media would have known. I was delighted to see him," he said.

"I wanted to be part of the team when Sachin got his 200 in ODIs, got his 100th hundred but unfortunately I was not there. I was there in thoughts and congratulated him.”

"It's a very big achievement. It's just amazing that he has played for so many years. I have developed a cherished friendship with him. Unfortunate that I wasn't there when he got the 100th hundred," he said.


Having been through a tough phase, Yuvraj said he has realised that it was important to get niggles checked. "I always wanted that I conduct myself in a way that the people who are battling this, get confidence from me. I was very scared myself.”

"As a sportsman, you play with niggles and don't get ourselves checked. But we should get ourselves checked. When I started coughing, I ignored it. It wasn't right but I did that because of the World Cup," he said.

"It's part and parcel of life. You fall down and get up. I am feeling better," he added.

Yuvraj is also planning to pen his experience and change of thought process during the treatment in a book. 

"I am writing about it, what I went through, the people who were around me. I am writing a book which will come out someday. My thoughts have changed, because you get everything in life but the most important thing is happiness.”

"Money is important, but it's important that you are happy in life. When I started playing for India, I always wondered whether I would score runs, field well...these questions were there. But now, I am happy in life, I am content. Definitely I will play cricket but with less stress on my mind," he explained.

On why he was active on twitter even while being down physically, Yuvraj said he did that to "avoid speculation" and keep his fans updated about his condition.

Asked about his immediate goal, Yuvraj said, "Immediate goal is to feel healthy, I am happy. There is no reason why I shouldn't be back soon. Just feel better."

Watching from the sidelines as the IPL unfolds, Yuvraj said, "I miss playing the IPL, I wish (my team) Pune (Warriors) all the best." 

"I just want to rest and get better. May be in May I will go and watch a few (IPL) games."

Yuvraj said from now on he would have to work on fitness a lot more but he would not change from being the fun-loving person he is perceived to be.

"I was always fun loving and I would always be like that. I won't hide myself. I know I am a good person at heart. I am not 20 anymore, I have to work harder on my fitness," he said.

"It has definitely been the toughest battle of my life. I can't compare it to the World Cup triumph but playing cricket is easier than fighting cancer.”

"Cancer has taught me a lot of things. May be it is the best thing that has happened to me, I can't say right now but may be some years down the line, I would realise. When I was taking chemotherapy, there were a lot of elderly patients, and that would inspire me. I thought, if they can be cured, why can't I be," he said.

Pietersen warned for switch hit

Kevin Pietersen has insisted that he will not abandon his switch hit after receiving a formal warning by the umpires for misusing the stroke during the second Test at the P Sara Oval.

Pietersen, en route to one of the most flamboyant of his 20 Test hundreds, shaped to play the switch hit before Tillakaratne Dilshan was in his delivery stride and later admitted he was not aware of the regulation that prevents him moving prematurely. Pietersen, who made his 20th Test hundred, began to get into place for the shot as Dilshan started his run-up and the bowler twice aborted his run up.

The incident occurred during an enthralling head-to-head between Pietersen and Dilshan, which had already seen Pietersen switch his grip around to strike the bowler through the off side. However, Pietersen then began to set himself earlier for the shot and Dilshan refused to deliver which led to a stalemate.

Asad Rauf, the umpire at the bowler's end, signalled the warning to Pietersen after the second aborted delivery after consulting with his colleague Bruce Oxenford. Pietersen gesticulated towards the officials, clearly unsure about what he was being penalised for. The immediate consequence was that if Pietersen, or any other England batsman, did it again during the innings Sri Lanka would be awarded five penalty runs.

"There's no issue, I just got my timing wrong," Pietersen said. "He said it was a warning because I moved my hands a bit too quick. I don't understand the rules, it's something I found out today, mid-innings, at a pretty unfortunate time. I've just got to switch my hands a little later, which I didn't know. You learn something new every day. Once I'd been warned I enquired about it."

Andy Flower, the England team director, immediately went to the match referee's room for clarification over the issue, his second visit of the match following his questioning of a review against Thilan Samaraweera on the first day. The ball after the official warning, Pietersen reverse-swept again and brought up his hundred. He went on to make 151 from 165 balls as England pushed for their first victory of the winter.

Oxenford, who was at square leg when the warning was given, spoke to Sky Sports after the day's play. "The ICC think switch-hitting is an excellent innovation," he said. "But when the bowler sees intent [in the batsman altering his stance] prior to delivering the ball and stops what can happen is we can get a stalemate situation...the bowler won't deliver because he wants to change his field if he thinks the batsman is going to switch-hit.

"When we get to that situation the way to move forward is to give the batsman an informal warning, then a formal one for time-wasting. If it happens again it's a team warning under time-wasting by the batting side and it's an automatic five-run penalty."

An ICC statement in May 2010 said: "The ICC Cricket Committee adopted the updated directive introduced earlier in the year which prevents the batsman from altering his grip or stance before the bowler enters his delivery stride. Should the bowler see a batsman change his grip or stance prior to the delivery stride the bowler can decide not to bowl the ball."

Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach and a mentor to Pietersen, appeared more to speed with the regulation. "The rule is quite clear: if the batsman sets himself up prior to the bowler's release and the bowler sees him and is able to stop the warning is issued. I think for about every single one he set himself up before the release except for the ones straight after the warning. I think it was all handled pretty well."

When Pietersen first unveiled the switch hit against New Zealand in 2008 it provoked debate about the legality of the shot because, for example, if a bowler wants to change from right to left arm (however rare that occurrence may be) he has to inform the umpire and the batsman. There are also implications for what fairly constitues a wide delivery or lbw. However, the MCC approved the shot, citing the difficultly level as a main reason, and hailed it as a good innovation for cricket.

"MCC believes that the 'switch-hit' stroke is exciting for the game of cricket," was the conclusion. "Indeed, the stroke conforms to the Laws of Cricket and will not be legislated against...MCC believes that the 'switch-hit' stroke is a difficult shot to execute and that it incurs a great deal of risk for the batsman. It also offers bowlers a good chance of taking a wicket and therefore MCC believes that the shot is fair to both batsman and bowler."

After this latest incident, the MCC added: "A batsman is still entitled to play the switch-hit stroke but he is only allowed to alter from one stance or grip to another once the bowler has entered his delivery stride. Pietersen should therefore have only been warned if the umpire was certain that Dilshan had not entered his bowling stride before the batsman shaped to play the switch-hit."

Pietersen believes there is more danger for the batsman and says it is a shot he will continue to play - if with slightly different timing.

"Like I said when I played it against New Zealand, I don't think the batsman should get penalised because I'm taking the biggest risk," he observed. "I've always said I'll play to that side of the field when there's no one there. I don't find it a hard shot, I can just manipulate the field when they bowl a leg-stump line. It's a shot worth playing."

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Sri Lanka dig in at start of rearguard

Lunch Sri Lanka 275 and 84 for 2 (Dilshan 25*, Sangakkara 8*) trail England 460 by 101 runs

It was a Poya Day in Sri Lanka and a rudimentary sign at the P Sara Stadium told England supporters the awful truth: no alcohol would be served. They have watched England lose Test matches in Asia all winter and the moment they feel that a celebration might be on hand they might have to do it stone-cold sober. Still, it would be good for the soul, never mind the body shape.

Perhaps an England victory will be delayed until the final day when normal behaviour can be resumed; perhaps they will not win it at all. Sri Lanka retain hopes of wriggling out of this one, 101 behind at lunch on the fourth day with eight wickets remaining after England picked up the wickets of Dhammika Prasad, the nightwatchman, and Lahiru Thirimanne in the morning session. And with memories still fresh of England's collapse to 72 all out against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, in pursuit of 145, Sri Lanka might even imagine they can win it.

Prasad's presence at the crease did not please the purists who like their opening batsmen to don the pads without fear or favour. Recourse to a nightwatchman for an opening batsman is unusual, although far from unknown. Sri Lanka have taken the option before, with Rangana Herath opening against Pakistan in Galle three years ago under Kumar Sangakkara's captaincy. A draining climate makes it perfectly understandable.

Dilshan, who had a taxing third day in the field yesterday, bowling 20 overs and becoming embroiled in a psychological stand-off with Kevin Pietersen over his contentious use of the switch hit, had an allrounder's right to a bit of protection, but having drawn attention to himself in more ways than one he received a predictable amount of chirruping from England's fielders.

At one stage the umpire, Asad Rauf, told the England captain, Andrew Strauss, that enough was enough. With England's fielders also causing irritation by strolling across the crease with faux innocence, so often that it resembled Oxford Street at rush hour, there was plenty of bite in the morning.

Graeme Swann's offspin held most threat for England on a wearing pitch with occasional deliveries rearing and turning, but the two wickets fell to the quicker bowlers. James Anderson has the measure of Thirimanne and he slanted a ball across the left-hander in the ninth over for Strauss to hold the catch at first slip. Matt Prior, who had missed a routine stumping off Swann in the previous over, was mightily relieved.

Prasad acquitted himself well, surviving past drinks and reaching 34 before Steven Finn set him up for a short ball which he pulled obligingly to Tim Bresnan at deep backward square. Dilshan, often so adventurous, was subdued. He reached lunch on 25, fortunate to survive a testing spell by Swann, who also had Prasad dropped by the sprawling Finn at mid-off.

commercialization of Cricket

Now a days you can notice that cricket is not just a sport now. It is used like a business now. It is used to make money. Every part of cricket is now used as advertising spot. When the game started there was only a white jersey for every team, then it got colored and after that name of the main sponsor printed on it but now the whole jersey is printed with the name of different companies. First the bat was used had no stickers but now it have. The boundary rope was naked at some time but now even it is covered by some ads. Ads printed on grass, Behind the boundary, on the side screen, stumps, everywhere.
As in IPL you can see every term of cricket is used as to new name, like the one which was called a SIX is now a DLF maximum, a wicket is a city moment of success, a catch is Karbbon kamal catch even if its a loly on mid onn.....But they say ITS IPL BOSS.... but we shouldn't forget that ITS CRICKET BOSS...  

Don't look back, live strong buddy: Armstrong's message to Yuvraj

New Delhi: Recuperating after undergoing three cycles of chemotherapy for a malignant tumour between his lungs, Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh received an inspiring video message from his "real life hero" Lance Armstrong - the cycling legend whose own successful battle with cancer is well-documented.

"Very special and inspiring message from my real life hero," tweeted Yuvraj along with a link to the message from the cyclist, who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times after having survived testicular cancer.

In the 19-second video, Armstrong urged Yuvraj to keep going forward optimistically. "Hi Yuvi, I am Lance Armstrong and welcome home. Man you have got one big following, I have heard about you every hour of every day since you have been diagnosed. We are pulling for you, so glad you are healthy now. Have a great life, don't look back, live strong buddy," said the 40-year-old American.

Armstrong was 25 when was diagnosed with stage three testicular cancer, which spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. Armstrong had an orchiectomy to remove his diseased testicle and was given less than a 40 percent survival chance by his doctors. But he battled out of it successfully to not just survive but also renew his career as a cyclist.

The 30-year-old Yuvraj, who will return to the country on Monday, was discharged on March 18 from a hospital in the United States. Thousands of well-wishers have sent messages to cricketer, who is known for his aggressive batting and disciplined spin bowling. Yuvraj, has scored 8,051 runs in 274 one-dayers and 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000.

off the pitch News

Sydney: The last time India flew in to Sydney, immediately after losing the Boxing Day Test, captain MS Dhoni was not a happy man. It wasn't just the loss in Melbourne that left him peeved, the captain had a larger issue that he wasn't pleased about - his limited say in the selection panel.

Speaking to HT before boarding the flight to Sydney, Dhoni lamented how he would give a list of players to the selectors only to find many of them he wanted not named in the squad. “I don't have a say in selection. I ask for certain players, send it in writing to the selectors and when the squad is announced their names are missing,” said Dhoni.

After his fine showing in the ODI series in the Caribbean, India coach Duncan Fletcher went up to Rohit Sharma and said he wanted him in the Test side. “After that innings (match-winning knock of 86 in Antigua), Duncan came up to me and said, 'I can't believe you're not in the Test squad',” Rohit told HT in an interview soon after that tour. India has played 11 Tests since then, and he is still to make his Test debut, despite the repeated batting failures overseas.

NO VOICE

The above two examples illustrate how little say the India captain and coach have in team selection. It has long been known how much influence the market forces have in the players who do and don't get selected, with the bigger brand names given more weightage than actual performance. After being whitewashed in back-to-back away series, shouldn't the BCCI review its selection policy? The issue that Ian Chappell raised on the star culture prevailing in the Indian dressing room is a pertinent one. What makes it all the worse is that India has a captain and coach who have in the past made bold decisions.

It was here four years ago that Dhoni, fresh off leading India to triumph in the inaugural T20 world championships, asked the selectors that he didn't want ageing heroes Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in the ODI tri-series that followed the Test series, instead opting for younger faces. The ploy worked well as India won that series with many new names emerging. In his time with England, Fletcher opted for a host of unknowns, but with a vision that they had what it takes. Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick, Steve Harmison and Simon Jones are just a few examples of players who flourished under his regime.

NOT PROACTIVE

Compare BCCI's methods with the revamped selection policy of Cricket Australia after the Argus Review which followed last year's embarrassing Ashes loss in its own backyard. One of recommendations was to have both the captain and coach as part of a five-man selection panel.

In the limited time that it has been implemented it has worked well. Just think of the new names Australia has unearthed over the past six months. Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, David Warner, Ed Cowan and Mitchell Starc are among the many new faces who've earned their Baggy Greens since the new policy was implemented.

Speaking of his own role in the selection panel, Australian captain Michael Clarke said, “I think it's been good to be able to voice my opinion. Obviously, you're only one of five votes. More than being a selector, it's the communication with the selectors that I've really enjoyed.”

As Dhoni said, at present there is a complete communication breakdown between the selectors and the team, which is why a team that has lost eight straight away Tests hasn't changed the batting order, much less the team.

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Sachin Tendulkar gets injured in IPL 5 opener

Chennai: Sachin Tendulkar sustained a finger injury in his left hand and retired hurt when he tried to fend off a rising delivery from Chennai Super Kings' bowler Doug Bollinger in the opener of the Indian Premier League's fifth season here on Wednesday. However, it is still not clear whether it is a fracture or a simple bruise.

It was the fifth ball of the ninth over and Tendulkar, who was batting on 15, got a short ball from Bollinger. The ball climbed onto him as the delivery hit one of the green patches and reared up uncomfortably. Tendulkar could just fend it off as it hit him on the glove.

Tendulkar, however, faced the next delivery and got a single to go onto 16. But at the end of the over, he sought medical attention and was advised to retire, following which he was seen returning to the dug-out looking in considerable pain. He had scored 16 off 15 balls with a four and a six off Albie Morkel.

Mumbai play their next match against Pune Warriors India on Friday.

Cook and Trott keep England in control

Alastair Cook, six runs short of a century, was the only England batsman to fall as Sri Lanka struggled to fight back on the third morning at the P Sara Oval. It was Tillakaratne Dilshan who did the trick and the fact that Sri Lanka's back-up spinner was bowling with the new ball less than five overs old told the extent of their problems.

Dilshan found modest turn to have Cook caught by Mahela Jayawardene at slip and he was the only bowler to pose much threat as England, 154 for 1 overnight, collected another 85 runs in the morning session. At lunch, Jonathan Trott was 62 not out, a picture of tranquillity as he had been during his Test hundred in a losing cause in Galle. It was a session of untold riches in what has been a largely attritional contest.

England trailed by 121 with nine wickets remaining at the start of the third day and Sri Lanka's need was for at least some breakthrough before the second new ball, still 14 overs away. They did not achieve it and instead wasted both their umpiring reviews in consecutive overs as Jayawardene, normally so composed, succumbed to desperation.

Sri Lanka's unsuccessful challenges came during the last two overs before the new ball was available. Cook had 84, but it was still a surprise to see him dust off a reverse sweep, especially as he had eschewed the conventional sweep throughout his innings. The ball deflected off the pad to Jayawardene at leg slip, umpire Asad Rauf showed no interest, and despite innumerable replays the third umpire could discern no sign of a flick of the glove for which Sri Lanka's captain had appealed.

For Sri Lanka to follow up with a review when Suraj Randiv's appeal was refused for leg before against Trott, on 42, was more wasteful. Replays showed an obvious inside edge. Trott communicated this to the umpire with a subtle quizzical look and a peaceful examination of his inside edge, his alibis presented as peacefully as his strokeplay.

There was early encouragement for Sri Lanka - a grubber from Dhammika Prasad that suggested the pitch might reveal its crabbier side; a hint of turn and bounce for Randiv, but England's batsman played with as much authority as at any time in their Asian winter, Trott having the confidence to beat Jaywardene's packed leg side fields by reverse sweeping for four.

When Sri Lanka got the new ball, taken immediately at 193 for 1, they did not like it and soon succeeded in having it changed. They would have been better changing their opening attack - neither new-ball bowler found any purchase from the pitch. The next ball from Suranga Lakmal was an inviting half volley that Cook drove to the extra cover boundary.

Dilshan was also refused an impassioned appeal against Trott, rushing down the pitch on the assumption that there had been an inside edge to short leg. Again umpire Rauf turned it down and again replays vindicated him. When Dilshan did find the inside edge onto pad, the ball flew over Lahiru Thirimanne at short leg.

Nothing was going right for Sri Lanka. Appeal began to follow appeal, each one of them increasingly absurd. Sri Lanka entered lunch with one more wicket and an urge to study TV replays that would have only brought more disappointment.

News by espncricinfo.com