Zaheer Khan likely to miss second Test: MS Dhoni

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that given the hectic schedule of the England series, he would not risk the fitness of his pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who might miss the second Test at Trent Bridge starting on Friday.

"I feel with the kind of cricket we are playing it is important to get people fit and not risk someone for one individual game. We have three days but I am not 100 percent sure he (Zaheer) will play or not," said Dhoni on Monday after India lost the first Test by 196 runs.

"It is a long series and we do not want to risk any further injury. If we feel he is close to 80 or 90 percent fit but playing the game may increase his chances of being injured we will call someone else in," he added.

Khan pulled his hamstring after just three hours of play on the first day of the Test, leaving India a bowler short in the match.

Khan's injury was followed by that of Gautam Gambhir, who had a bruised elbow, whileSachin Tendulkar was feeling the effects of a virus.

“Most of the things that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Batsmen were batting in different slots and it became tough for us to manage the bowlers. There was no Yuvraj Singh, who can bowl spin, and Virender Sehwag, who can bowl off spin so we were limited with resources but I felt the fast bowlers did a very good job,” said Dhoni.

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Umar Gul Yorker to Sarwan

England v India, 1st Test, Lord's 5th day Review

Queue of the day
Fans were outside the ground from 2am and tickets were sold out well before play started. Many were left disappointed as the 'house full' signs went up and announcements were made over Twitter telling people to turn around before getting to St John's Wood. The photos and TV pictures of the queues snaking around Lord's brought back memories of Old Trafford during the 2005 Ashes when it was a final-day sell-out. The cricket was just as intense, too.

Waft of the day
England wanted an early wicket but when two chances went begging - an edge through the vacant third slip area and a tough catch to Ian Bell at short leg - it appeared that it was going to be a frustrating morning. Then, out of nowhere, Rahul Dravid played his worst shot of the match as he fished away from his body at James Anderson and was furious with himself as he swished his bat a second time in anger. As with Sachin Tendulkar on the third day, though, Dravid's departure owed much to the pressure built up by Chris Tremlett from the Pavilion End and this time it was Anderson who took advantage.

(Lack of) DRS moment of the day I
The umpiring in this match has, for the most part, been outstanding with Asad Rauf having a perfect game. The tight on-field decisions had all been called correctly until, that is, Stuart Broad had a huge lbw shout against Tendulkar. He implored Billy Bowden to raise his finger but it didn't budge. The one full-time replay on the big screen didn't give a clear picture, but the full set on TV did with the ball hitting middle stump a few inches from the top. It would have been reversed if DRS had been in use and Broad soon got a signal from the dressing room.

(Lack of) DRS moment of the day II
It's possible to argue, though, that Tendulkar's decision wasn't the complete howler DRS was made for - it was towards the top of the stumps. The same can't be said of the appeal against Suresh Raina on 63 when he played back to a ball from Broad - who, the delivery before, had seen a catch put down at point - that didn't bounce much and was struck below the knee roll. Broad almost made his mistake of not turning around and when he did Bowden's finger was still down. Broad ended up on his haunches around a good length and Bowden's brief explanation didn't placate him much, either.

Thankful fielder of the day
Andrew Strauss didn't have a good game at first slip and he's owes his bowlers for not making it even more costly. In the first innings it was a dolly from VVS Laxman and second time around he did what no fielder wants to do - drop Tendulkar. Anderson was in the middle of an outstanding spell and Tendulkar went to leave a delivery but was late pulling the bat away. He almost guided a catch towards Strauss - a tougher chance than the first innings offering, but the England captain spilled it as he dived to his right. However, two balls later it was all forgotten as Anderson swung one back in to Tendulkar's pads and this time Bowden raised his finger. In the midst of the celebrations, Anderson had drawn level as the most successful pace bowler against Tendulkar with his sixth dismissal of him.

Non match-saving innings of the day
Harbhajan Singh was always unlikely to block it for three hours, but his innings won't have gone down well in India. An on-the-up drive off Tremlett showed his mindset, however he did prove he had restraint with a few well-judged leaves outside off. An implosion, though, was always around the corner especially with England chirping in his ear. Having been spilled by Eoin Morgan he went for an ugly pull against Anderson and spliced a simple catch to mid-on

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Players better educated against corruption - Lorgat

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive, has said that the increase in the number of players reporting illegal approaches by bookmakers was because cricketers were now better educated against the dangers of corruption.

"What I can say is that we have substantially more players coming forward and reporting approaches made to them and I think that's a result of the education process, the awareness that we've created among all of the international players," Lorgat told Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme.

"Who's to say there were not as many [approaches by bookmakers] in years gone by that were not reported? The fact is players are far more conscious today. The vast majority certainly play the game in the right spirit and they have the integrity to play the game properly, and they are coming forward and reporting such approaches; so that's a good thing."

Earlier this week Steve Waugh had revealed that substantially more cricketers were reporting illegal approaches compared to 2009, when only five players came forward. Waugh also suggested that players willingly submit to a polygraph test to prove their innocence, a proposal that was soundly criticised by FICA.

"I don't know if the ICC is doing enough. I'd like to have some conversations with them," Waugh told BBC Sport. "They are doing some good work because last year 56 players reported an approach by a bookmaker and the year before it was only five, so that suggests the players have confidence in the system and confidence that it will work."

Lorgat, however, did not know how Waugh had come by the information that 56 players had reported approaches.

"I'm not sure where Steve Waugh gets that figure from because we do not publish any such information," Lorgat said. "In fact there's one individual in the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit that maintains such records and he does not even know the figure himself, simply because he had not compiled it. So I'm not sure where Steve Waugh gets that figure from."

PCB FAST TRACK COACHING PROGRAMME

As criticism gained momentum over the selection of certain players at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Fast Track Coaching Programme, the selection committee attempted to distance itself from the controversy.

A member of the national selection committee, in a response to allegations that certain players were included in the camp undeservedly, said that the National Cricket Academy (NCA) finalised the list of the players for the second phase of the camp comprising all-rounders, middle-order batsmen and spinners.

The phase, currently underway at the NCA, has become a centre of controversy over the last-minute inclusion of some players with influential backgrounds.

This was alleged by a senior official of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) who said that many deserving players were overlooked to pave way for these “favoured ones”.

“The PCB has shown a biased attitude while selecting the players,” the official told The Express Tribune. “Some deserving players have been ignored and this time it is not only Karachi players who have been targeted.

“The governing board members have been obliged,” added the official pointing out the late inclusion of Ali Talpur, son of PCB Governing Board member Mir Haider Talpur.

While the official alleged that Ali was favoured, he also stated that the player had an unimpressive record in domestic cricket and could not be classified as an all-rounder.

“If it’s a programme to hone talented, but struggling, players then why Fawad Alam, who scored a century on debut, has been excluded?”

“They ignored Ramiz Raja, the highest scorer at the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20, and included him after we pressurised them.”

‘NCA chose players for the second phase’

However, a selection committee member, while admitting the glitch, said it was the NCA management that finalised the players for the second phase.

“NCA is responsible for the selection in the second phase,” said the selector.

“There may be some flaws but only the NCA management can answer those queries.

“The selection committee wasn’t consulted when players were being finalised for the second phase.

Meanwhile, when contacted, NCA Director Intikhab Alam was not available to comment.

Mohsin downplays controversy

However, the PCB Chief Selector Mohsin Khan downplayed the issue.

“Although the selection committee hasn’t finalised the players, each one in the programme is there for a purpose,” said Mohsin.

“There is no such thing like favouritism and deserving players will get their chances.

“This programme will become a regular feature and players, who have missed out, will get a chance in the future.

“It is easy to focus on a fewer players at a time and that’s why not all the cricketers were included.”

New By: Express Tribune

Pakistan Cricket team's schedule for tour of Zimbabwe

1-Sep-2011-Only Test:
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Bulawayo.
------------------------------​------------------------------​---------------------------
8-Sep-2011-1st ODI:
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Bulawayo.
------------------------------​------------------------------​---------------------------11-Sep-2011-2nd ODI:
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare.
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14-Sep-2011-3rd ODI:
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare.
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16-Sep-2011-1st T20I:
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare.
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17-Sep-2011-2nd T20I:
Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare, 2nd T20

amir khan vs zab judah part 3 of 3