Wasim Akram urges struggling Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq to say goodbye to ODIs

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram has urged struggling skipper Misbah-ul Haq to say good-bye to ODIs, while blaming a lack of international cricket and the absence of a system for developing young players for the team's disappointing defeats in recent months.

Pakistan lost the final ODI against Australia in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to complete a 3-0 rout, and the upcoming Test series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) looks likely to be a tough proposition.

The fast bowling legend Wasim urged struggling one-day and Test captain Misbah to take a positive approach with the team, or step aside. He said that the skipper should take brave and aggressive decisions but added that he is not doing that, The Dawn reported.

Akram said that if any vice captain is ready to lead then Pakistan must say goodbye to Misbah, who withdrew himself from the third and final ODI in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, as far as ODI is concerned.

The common complaint in international cricket is that teams play too many matches, but Akram said that Pakistan was suffering for precisely the opposite reason. He said that Australia was always favourites to win the one-day series, so he added that do not blame the Pakistan team, because they are playing so much less international cricket than other countries.

Pakistan lost one-day and Test series against Sri Lanka in August, their first international encounters in six months.

Akram said that India is playing too much cricket and so is Sri Lanka, and they are performing well. While hitting out at a lack of infrastructure and shortage of junior-level tours, Akram added that he thinks the PCB should arrange more Under-19 tours and Pakistan 'A' tours which would help groom youngsters but that is not there. 

Formula 1: McLaren boss Eric Boullier says Jenson Button not racing for place in 2015 team

McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has said that their racer Jenson Button is not racing for a place in the 2015 team despite uncertainty over the team's next season's line-up.

Boullier said that he would name the 2015 pairing before the end of the season with the futures of drivers Button and Kevin Magnussen under threat. Button produced his best performances of the season in the last two races.

Boullier said that they do not need Button to deliver an extra job on track to save his job, adding that they know the value of Button and know that he is a world champion-class driver and has been a world champion already, The BBC reported.

Double world champion Fernando Alonso has been linked with McLaren with the Spaniard set to leave Ferrari at the end of the season. Button has scored nearly double Magnussen's points this year, finishing fifth in Japan and fourth in Russia in his last two races. But the Dane's qualifying pace has impressed and he has started ahead of his teammate nine times to Button's seven in his rookie season. Boullier said that he understands that Button might obviously not feel comfortable and obviously he would be concerned about his future.

Boullier added that he is in charge of McLaren Racing and they have to build the best for the team. He said that drivers are obviously very important in the discussion and Button is more than considered to stay with them for the long term. But, Boullier added that they are still investigating what they want to do with their driver line-up, once they have all the data in their hands. 

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh asks umpire Darrell Hair to 'shut up' post controversial chucking comments

Harbhajan Singh has lashed out at Australian umpire Darrell Hair and asked him to 'shut up' post the latter's chucking comments.

After Darrell Hair recently made disparging comments against Harbhajan Singh and a host of other spin bowlers, the Indian has lashed out at the Australian by asking him to 'shut up' and defended his fellow counterparts.

Hair earlier had labeled Harbhajan, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq as 'role models', who have encouraged modern day chucking in international cricket. 

Harbhajan said that Hair has crossed the limit with his comments and also feels that he has gone 'mad'.

Hair, who infamously had called Muralitharan for chucking in the Melbourne Test in 1995, had stated that the ICC was too late in taking action against bowlers with suspect actions.

Harbhajan reiterated that he and Muralitharan were given the clean chit by the ICC and also said that Hair was afraid of 'losing his job' as an Elite Panel umpire.

The spinner concluded by saying that Hair should stop challenging the present day rules and standards of the ICC and must 'keep his mouth shut'.

For the record, the latest spinner to be reported for suspect action was West Indies' Sunil Narine, who has since then been withdrawn from the ongoing series against India. 

Dhoni the best man to lead India: Akram

Sydney: Under-fire Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni got much-needed support from former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram who said the "hullabaloo" about his leadership is "ill-timed" as speculated replacement Virender Sehwag is not qualified for the job.
"The entire hullabaloo around MS Dhoni's captaincy is extremely ill-timed. Captain-bashing is a favourite pastime of cricket pundits in the Indian sub-continent and the media just loves it," wrote Akram in his column for a sports website.

"...I believe Dhoni is the best man to lead India and will remain so in the immediate future...In recent times, BCCI's planning has reflected poorly on India's overseas performances. So, it would be unfair to make Dhoni a scapegoat.
"There are two names - Sehwag and Virat Kohli -- doing the rounds as 'next' captains. In my book, none of them qualify for the job," he said.
Akram said while the pressure on Dhoni is understandable after consecutive Test whitewashes on foreign soil but Sehwag was not too impressive either when he got the chance to lead the side in the final Test against Australia.
"Sehwag was very unimpressive when he led the Indian team at Adelaide and Kohli is a kid who has just begun his career.
He can wait for another five years. I had expected better body language from Sehwag and his team during the Adelaide Test, but I was disappointed," he said.
"This 'I give-a-damn' attitude is counter-productive when the chips are down. What did Sehwag do to salvage India's pride at Adelaide? I sometimes see streaks of Shahid Afridi in Sehwag. That dreadful propensity to self-destruct!" he explained.
"Dhoni may not have done enough as skipper, but two bad series does not mean he should be derided and kicked out. Does the BCCI really have an option?"
Akram said he expects a "new" India to take the field in the shorter format starting tomorrow with a Twenty20 against Australia even though bowling remains an area of concern.
"There is still a lot to play for in Australia. With Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and Praveen Kumar coming in, India are a solid ODI and T20 team. I think India have the right mix to give high-flying Australia a run for their money and we shall see a 'new' India in the first T20," he said.
"India's bowling remains a concern. Ishant Sharma has been the biggest disappointment. He has talked about the 'luck factor'. All that is just a lame excuse. After playing 45 Test matches, Ishant has not learnt to take responsibility," he said.
"When a quick bowler can't make an impact on a Perth or MCG wicket, he never will. First things first, he must first learn to bowl on one side of the wicket."
Akram said Inda need to keep their confidence level up to get the results.
"Self-belief will be crucial going forward in the remainder of the Australian tour. India must not tamper with their batting order. Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir must open the innings because they already have a 'feel' of the conditions," he said.
"The more India back themselves, the better they will play. It's a brand new chapter and India must demonstrate the body language of a world champion. Hope Dhoni shows the way with his young brigade," he added.

Dhoni not bothered about losing captaincy

Sydney: Facing severe criticism for his unimpressive captaincy and performances in Test cricket, under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni has offered to quit the leadership role in the longer format of the game if the BCCI feels there is a better replacement waiting in the wings.

Dhoni said if somebody could do a better job than him in Tests, then he will be more than happy to step down as captain for the sake of the team.

"It (captaincy) doesn`t belong to anyone. It`s a position I hold, and it`s an added responsibility. I always like to do well till I am in job but it`s not something I want to stick to. If there is a better replacement, he can come in," Dhoni said today ahead of Wednesday first Twenty20 game Australia.

"At the end of the day, you want India to perform. If there is someone who can do a better job, captaincy should be given to him. It`s not something you have to cling on to," said Dhoni as speculation grew over his Test future both as a batsman and captain.

Dhoni now has lost seven straight Test matches abroad as captain and as a batsman, his stocks have really fallen low on foreign pitches.

While he made 220 at 31.43 from four Tests in England, he scored 102 from six innings of three Tests at 20.40 on the present tour.

"The responsibility was given to me three-and-a-half years ago. I am trying to fit into the shoes, get along with the team and perform well."

Dhoni had earlier dropped hints during the Test series that he might leave Test cricket altogether by 2013 to make himself available the 2015 World Cup.

"It`s two years to 2013. I don`t know whether I would still be alive! There would be IPL, Champions League, back-to-back series. It`s not a calendar you can decide in advance or if there is a lot of rest", Dhoni said.

"I would have to decide by 2013 but it`s two years away. I can`t say in 2014 that I am not playing next World Cup and give a player of 25-odd matches (a chance to prove)," he said.

Dhoni, however, made it clear that his journey as a Test cricketer was far from over but believed the decision was not entirely in his hands.

"I am still on my way (through the journey). I haven`t reached anywhere. But it`s not an individual who decides, it`s others who decide whether you are good enough or not.

"As a player, I am giving my 100 per cent. I am still doing what I was doing. Test cricket is real cricket, but I am not discarding other formats. Every format has its own challenges," he said.

The India captain made a tongue in cheek remark about the dressing room, which according to him is humming with the noise and bubble of the youngsters -- much in contrast to the staid, sober and solemn environment when the seniors were around.

"Our one-day squad looks very different. It`s lot more noisy and lift the dressing room atmosphere. People pull each other`s legs and it`s livelier. It`s very, very different," he said.

"It`s like you have come from Kishore Kumar to Sean Paul! It`s that kind of difference. It`s very noisy. It`s a very different generation of players.

"As for me, I keep adjusting. A mix of everything is good. From classical to rap music of latest version," he said.

Without mentioning any names, Dhoni also took pains to emphasise the importance of senior players in the team and said the criticism coming at their door after the Test debacle was unjust.

"Age is just a number. If people keep scoring runs, nobody would talk about it. When you don`t score runs, everything comes out? - how fast you can run, your turning speed. But we don`t get worried about it."

Looking ahead, Dhoni expects good performances from the team in the shorter formats of the game over the next few weeks.

"(Suresh) Raina and (Virat) Kohli have been around. Then there is Rohit Sharma who is very talented but not part of our Test side, we are not able to give him adequate chances," he said.

Despite the presence of promising youngsters in the team, India fared miserably in the last two Twenty20 World Cups, losing all super league games in England and the West Indies. The next one is due in Sri Lanka later this year. And Dhoni singled out the absence of a seaming-allrounder as the sole missing link in his team.

"A lot depends on where you are playing. If you are playing in the sub-continent, spinners become vital. The wicket slows down a bit and even part-timers can have a bowl.

"When it comes to England and Australia, it changes. We don`t have a perfect seam bowling all-rounder and it would have really balanced out the side. Then we could have five bowlers who can be really effective," he viewed.

Dhoni was full of praise for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has started to make his impression felt as a multidimensional player, but said it would be wrong to compare the Saurashtra player with Yuvraj Singh.

"Jadeja has begun to contribute (like Yuvraj). He gives us a similar kind of balance. He more often than not bowls his 10 overs and is good enough to bat at number 6 of 7. We can play three fast bowlers and two spinners," he said.

"But it`s difficult to replace Yuvraj Singh who changes his batting style according to the situation in the game," Dhoni said.

The skipper also feels that India is a better fielding side in limited overs games.

"We have improved as a fielding side, especially in ODIs. To stop batsmen from taking a quick single and the opportunity to run him out is critical in T20s and ODIs," Dhoni said.

"Fortunately, I have players who from infield go to boundary in slog overs without a hassle. I am not too worried about the right fielder at the right position."

Dhoni underlined the importance his team attaches to the two Twenty20 games in Sydney and Melbourne this week.

"We don`t get to play too many Twenty20 Internationals. We need to make the most of it. We must not yet think about the ODIs. We would look to win this game (Sydney)."

The Indians were thwarted in their bid to get ready for the game as they found out damp practice pitches at the venue, ANZ Stadium, on Monday.

"We would have liked to go out there and spend more time. The wickets were damp and we were not able to practice. The outfield will be very important. It`s not a cricket ground and the sand content is more (in the outfield)," Dhoni said.

India`s World Cup-winning captain also emphasised that it is not easy to shift from one format to another in a short space of time.

"It`s not easy to shift to a different format. The five-day format to T20 over game or vice versa is difficult. It`s a different challenge," Dhoni insisted.

"You have to adapt really well in this game. You have to be ahead of the bowler, what he`s looking to do and be the first one to play shots and score runs."

Dhoni believed it wasn`t easy to be on the top of your game always in cricket.

"It`s a sport where you will not be at the top always. There are constant phases of ups and downs, our sport has a lot of variables. Just one mistake and you could be out. You may be in best of form but it`s no guarantee. All players are the top level are good enough to perform at international level," he said.

Asked about Australia`s present Twenty20 unit, especially Brett Lee, 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg and captain George Bailey who was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL, Dhoni had good things to say about the trio.

"He`s (Lee) a very good bowler with plenty of experience. He`s always experimenting, always trying to come up with deliveries which can help contain (the batsmen). He bowled well in Big Bash (League) and he`s quick and also has variations when it`s needed.

"He`s among the top few. (Lasith) Malinga would be up there with his slinging action too which is very difficult to pick," Dhoni said.
"Bailey has been with Chennai Super King. I`ve interacted with him and he`s an interesting character. He plays strokes, is intelligent and understands the game well.

"(As for Hogg), the spinners are like wine. They more they age, the better they get. It would be a nice contest between youngsters and him."