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Michael Clarke has defended Australia’s reputation against spin after Shahid Afridi’s career-best figures gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the five-game one-day series. Australia tumbled from 95 for 1 in the 19th over to 168 all out, a total Pakistan overhauled with four wickets in hand.Afridi picked up 6 for 38 while the offspinner Saeed Ajmal captured 2 for 19 from his 10 overs. Clarke, who fell to Saeed for 4, called on his batsmen to be more disciplined in Friday’s second game in Dubai.”I certainly don’t think we have a weakness against spin but we haven’t been performing as well as we would have liked against them,” Clarke told AAP. “Whether we like it or not we are going to be facing a lot of it so we have to practice hard against it and probably have to be a little more disciplined, especially on a wicket that is spinning.”Only four players reached double figures and Australia relied on an unbeaten 48 from James Hopes to extend the innings to 38.5 overs. “Again our middle order, four to six, didn’t perform as well as we would have liked,” Clarke said. “Full credit has to go to the Pakistan bowlers, especially the spinners, I thought they did a fantastic job and put us under pressure, got wickets at vital times. So we’ve got some work to do in the nets in preparation for Friday’s game.”Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain, expects Australia, the No. 2 team in the world, to hit back quickly, but also predicted his side would improve. “Sometimes you miss that experience, especially in batting, because we are not playing one-day international games in the last couple of months,” he said. “So that’s why we struggled a little in the batting, but I think we will get better.”Pakistan have also been hurt by Afridi’s poor batting form – he has only one half-century in nearly two years, and the allrounder said he was focusing on a return to form with the bat. “My fans like me for my batting,” he told AFP. “I would love to score more runs because this is my trademark and people want me to hit more fours and sixes.”That would also add to Australia’s problems, which included an injured hamstring for the opener Shaun Marsh, who had returned from a long lay-off for a similar complaint. Marsh scored 16 before being run out and will be examined again on Thursday.

Gus Logie has defended his criticism of Bermuda’s side and remains tight-lipped over his future as coach of the team. Last week, Bermuda failed to qualify for the World Cup Qualifiers and, more importantly, lost their international standing as an ODI nation.”I said on record that we had not shown the desire nor the professionalism and played poor cricket in the beginning, and that’s the end of the story. People were just not focused and I will say it again,” he told following his interview with Cricinfo.”I wasn’t over critical and I told the players this to their faces and so they know that. What do you want me to tell them? That they are very professional and that they were focused and lost games the way they did?”I met with them last night [Friday] and told them exactly what I said in the interview.”Logie intimated that he may not extend his contract when it expires in September, but has rejected calls for his resignation.”At the end of the day people can call for whatever they want. I am contracted to the Bermuda Cricket Board and I am not going to be swayed by anyone calling for my resignation,” he said. “When you win, everybody says you are the greatest. But when you lose, people say you are the worst.”I have always said that at the end of the day coaches don’t win matches, players do. We just prepare players who must then go out there and perform. When the players perform well, of course, they receive accolades. But when they perform poorly the coach gets the blame. That’s just life.”

South Africa will host the 2009 Champions Trophy in Johannesburg and Centurion from September 24 to October 5, Cricket South Africa has confirmed. The decision was taken after a teleconference on Wednesday during which the CSA board approved the ICC’s financial terms to host the tournament.”The CSA Board’s decision to accept the financial model from the ICC to host the ICC Champions Trophy means that South Africa has yet another jewel in its crown of hosting a major international sports event,” CSA chief Gerald Majola said. “The confirmation of Supersport Park and Liberty Life Wanderers as the two venues of this tournament is just reward for the outstanding cricket events that they have hosted over the past decade.”The Champions Trophy was originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2008 but it was postponed to 2009 because of problems regarding security. In February 2009, the ICC removed the tournament from Pakistan because of safety concerns and said that Sri Lanka, which was the reserve venue, would be the host. However, in March, the ICC’s chief executives committee recommended that the Champions Trophy be shifted to South Africa following concerns over weather conditions in Sri Lanka in September.

Ireland will play West Indies as part of their preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 in England next June. They will meet at The Oval on June 2 at 1.30pm.Ireland’s other warm-up game sees them face fellow Associates the Netherlands. That game will take place at Lord’s on Monday June 1 at 1.30pm.The two matches are followed by higher-profile clashes. At The Oval, India take on New Zealand at 5.30pm while the day before at Lord’s, New Zealand meet Australia.

The West Indies Cricket Board was responsible for the shambles of the abandoned Test at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium, according to the ICC chief executives’ committee. The announcement came after the second day of their meeting in Johannesburg.The executive committee reconfirmed that the responsibility for ensuring the delivery of a venue fit for the purpose of international cricket rested with the host member board. Until now, the WICB has been reluctant to accept that it and not the local board was at fault for not ensuring the venue was up to standard.The committee recommended that from now on all boards would be required to notify the ICC in February of each year the identity of all venues they intended to use for international matches in the following 12 months. This would need to be accompanied by a declaration that the grounds were up to standards already agreed by the ICC.With regards to the outfield in Antigua, this is currently the subject of an ICC investigation and the WICB has been asked to submit its own report. The ICC has the power to impose a sanction ranging from a warning or a fine up to a suspension of international status for the venue.

Kenya’s 16-man squad have finished a five-day camp ahead of their forthcoming ODI series at home to Zimbabwe, with coach Andy Kirsten declaring himself content with the results.”On the whole I was very happy that the camp was a success and that everyone involved gained valuable information and participated well,” he said. “The initial purpose of an intensive training camp in preparation for Zimbabwe was certainly achieved.”The more important fixtures for Kenya come in April when they participate in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers, with four places in the 2011 World Cup up for grabs as well as one-day status for the next four years. After the Zimbabwe matches the team will head to South Africa to begin preparing in earnest.Kenya are boosted by the return of youngster Seren Waters for the Zimbabwe series. Waters, who made such a marked impression in both the Intercontinental Cup and the subsequent ODI series against South Africa, was travelling around Africa with his girlfriend but arrived back in Nairobi in time to take part in the last couple of days of practice.

Australia’s entire line-up today could not bat as long as South Africa’s last three pairs survived on Sunday. For the 19,847 fans who turned up at the MCG on the fourth day it was a stark reminder that cricket’s world order is changing. By the close of play South Africa were in sight of a historic series win and Ricky Ponting was left wondering what could be done to stem the bleeding.Brett Lee has been all but ruled out of the Sydney Test with a foot injury but there are also questions over Matthew Hayden’s form, Andrew Symonds’ fitness, and the penetration of an attack that is still learning. Ponting has not given up on pulling out a surprise Melbourne victory but should the miracle not arrive, he knows he could be leading a new-look side into the third Test.”If we win I don’t think so,” Ponting said of potential changes to the line-up. “If we lose they [selectors] might be thinking about it a little bit more. I’m really not sure exactly what’s going through the selectors’ minds. Changes seem to be made more when you’re losing games, when you’re winning games changes tend not to be made.”The man under the most pressure is Hayden, who again failed with 23, and Ponting said there was no indication of whether Hayden would be part of the batting order in Sydney. “We’ll leave that up to the selectors to decide,” he said. “We haven’t spoken about any selections for next week just yet. That’ll be done at the end of the game.”Hayden was one of several men who contributed to their own demise in the second innings when he drove Dale Steyn to a short cover who had been moved there two deliveries earlier. Ricky Ponting was again concerned about “a few loose shots” from his batsmen; Simon Katich flashed at a wide ball he should have left, Michael Clarke drove to cover and Ponting himself, although he batted superbly for 99, also picked out the man at short cover.It was a trend that was greatly appreciated by Steyn, who collected 5 for 67. “I was gifted probably somebody like Michael Clarke’s wicket today,” Steyn said. “It was a really old ball, bad ball off the back foot, caught at cover. Really it’s a gift. That ball could have easily gone for four as well. But it’s the way they play, they like to score and sometimes that can be their biggest downfall.”A duck from Symonds was also a concern for Ponting, who had been criticised for not using Symonds at the bowling crease until on the third day. Symonds entered the match carrying a knee injury and Ponting said it would be reassessed after the game to determine whether he could play in Sydney.”He’s actually getting around the field okay at the moment,” Ponting said. “I don’t think his knee’s gotten worse as the game has gone on but we’ll have to obviously assess him at the end of this game and see how fit he is.”Having someone very similar in Hauritz bowling for extended periods of time yesterday I went for the change-up of Michael Clarke and Hussey rather than going to another offspinner. As we saw with Andrew, he didn’t look like getting a wicket for us yesterday.”A sore shoulder prevented Simon Katich bowling in South Africa’s first innings but it won’t be the part-timers who Ponting has to rely on for a come-from-behind victory in this match. South Africa need 153 with ten wickets in hand after surviving a six-over period late in the day. With Brett Lee’s participation uncertain – he bowled three oversbefore stumps – Ponting needs something special from Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson.”In their first innings we had them 7 for 190,” Ponting said. “There’s no reason why we can’t create something very similar in the second innings if we execute everything as well as we can and we have a littler bit go our way as well. That’s the only option we’ve got.”

Urooj Mumtaz will lead Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the Tri-Nation Series in Bangladesh, from February 3 to 18, and the subsequent Women’s World Cup in Australia from March 7 to 22.Sana Mir will be Mumtaz’s deputy in the touring party, which includes four uncapped players in Nahida Khan, Armaan Khan, Sania Khan and Sukhan Faiz. Among those missing from the squad are former captain Sana Javed as well as opener Tasqeen Qadeer.Pakistan qualified for the World Cup, which will have eight teams, by finishing second in last year’s qualifiers in South Africa – they lost in the final to the hosts. They have been drawn in the same group as India, England and Sri Lanka.The top three teams will make it to the Super Six round, a tough ask for Pakistan, given England are the pre-tournament favourites, and that both India and Sri Lanka beat them convincingly in the Asia Cup in May 2008. Pakistan have also not played any international cricket since the tournament, with West Indies having cancelled a visit to the country over security concerns.However, they will gain match practice before the World Cup in a triangular contest in Bangladesh, involving the hosts and Sri Lanka.Pakistan squad Urooj Mumtaz (capt), Sana Mir (vice-captain), Bismah Maroof, Nain Abidi, Sajjida Shah, Javeria Khan, Armaan Khan, Batool Fatima, Nahida Khan, Almas Akram, Asmavia Iqbal, Sania Khan, Qanita Jalil, Naila Nazir, Sukhan Faiz.

Kapil Dev, the former Indian captain, has appeared in the Delhi High Courtand urged that the BCCI be directed to release pensions to former Indianplayers now associated with the ICL. The hearing, however, was adjourneduntil January 16 because the BCCI said that the Mumbai terror attack andthe uncertainty over the Test series against England had left it withlittle time to prepare for the case.”BCCI is not concerned about cricketers who served the nation and showsmore concern about the [ongoing] series between India and England,” KapilDev said. “I just seek that the pensions of my colleagues be released.They are suffering due to the board’s action.”The registrar heard arguments from the ICL’s promoter and the BCCI butthe hearing was adjourned before cross-examination of six witnesses including Kapiland former India wicketkeeper Kiran More.

West Indies coach John Dyson has criticised the standard of their domestic game after Pakistan completed a 3-0 whitewash of the one-day series in Abu Dhabi.Dyson watched as West Indies let strong positions slip in all three matches and doesn’t think the inter-island tournaments in the Caribbean are producing players ready for international level.”Unfortunately the frustrating part is that international sport is about winning, the frustration as coach is that the newcomers don’t have the basic skills for this kind of cricket,” he said.In the final ODI on Sunday, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan put West Indies into a promising position with a stand of 151, but West Indies then fell apart and lost nine for 74. It followed their final-over defeat in the opening game – where Jerome Taylor conceded 17 in the last over – and a batting collapse in the second match as Shivnarine Chanderpaul was left stranded on 107.”If you look at the Australian system, by the time a player comes into the Australian team he has played umpteen number of matches in the Sheffield Shield cricket which is very good quality…so he is ready to play internationally.”Dyson added that the quality of regional West Indies cricket was “nowhere near” the standard of the Australian structure, and was generating players that “are unprepared to play against international teams.”Of the new faces tried by West Indies during their week in Abu Dhabi, the most encouraging performances came from fast bowler Lionel Baker who took five wickets in the three matches. But Dyson said there is a lot of hard work ahead if the players are to catch up with the standard of other countries”At this level it’s about trying to win matches, it shouldn’t be about trying to teach the players how to play international matches. Our newcomers will have to learn the basics of international cricket, other countries have strong systems and have very very strong basics, so they are doing well.”West Indies’ next international commitment is a month-long tour of New Zealand which starts in December and includes two Tests, two Twenty20 internationals and five ODIs.