ICC World Twenty20, 2009

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New Zealand score 198 for 5 against Ireland

NOTTINGHAM: New Zealand made 198-5 against Ireland in the World Twenty20 Super Eights Group F match at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

Late entrant Aaron Redmond smashed 63 off 30 balls for Kiwis.

Redmond, drafted into the injury-hit Black Caps squad on Wednesday night to replace the sick Jesse Ryder, made an immediate impact with a hurricane knock that contained 10 boundaries.

The 29-year-old contributed 40 in a first-wicket stand of 51 with stand-in captain Brendon McCullum after scoring 30 runs in the first two overs of the innings.

Scott Styris continued Ireland''s leather hunt with 42 off 23 balls, adding 61 for the third wicket with Martin Guptill, who remained unbeaten on 45 with four sixes.

The Black Caps were once again without captain Daniel Vettori, who has yet to play in the tournament due to a shoulder injury, while frontline batsman Ross Taylor missed out due to a hamstring strain.

Ireland, a non-Test playing nation coached by former West Indian opener Phil Simmons, quaified for the Super Eights after a shock win over Bangladesh in the first round.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are the other two teams in the group from which two will advance to the semi-finals.

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New Zealand crush Ireland by 83 runs

NOTTINGHAM: New Zealand beat Ireland by 83 runs in the World Twenty20 Super Eights Group F match at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

[Sadaf Gondal]

T20 Super 8s: New Zealand crush Ireland by 83 runs
NOTTINGHAM: Late entrant Aaron Redmond proved his credentials as injury-stricken New Zealand thrashed hapless Ireland by 83 runs in the World Twenty20 Super Eights on Thursday.

Redmond, drafted into the Black Caps squad on Wednesday night to replace the sick Jesse Ryder, made an immediate impact with a hurricane 63 off 30 balls at the top of the order.

New Zealand, sent in to bat on an even-paced wicket, rode on Redmond's belligerence to pile up 198-5 before bowling the minnows out for 115 in 16.4 overs to record their first Super Eight points.

Four Irish batsmen ran themselves out with New Zealand's stand-in captain Brendon McCullum effecting two of them with direct hits while elder brother Nathan claimed three wickets.

The Kiwis play Sri Lanka and Pakistan in their remaining second round matches with the top two teams in the group set to advance to the semi-finals.

The Black Caps were once again without captain Daniel Vettori, who has yet to play in the tournament due to a shoulder injury, while frontline batsman Ross Taylor missed out due to a hamstring strain.

Redmond, a 29-year-old from Otago, was playing club cricket in England when he was called up to replace Ryder, who was hospitalised in London with a mysterious illness and was ruled out of the tournament.

The seven-Test veteran showed no signs of nerves in his first Twenty20 international as he hammered 30 runs in the first two overs and contributed 40 in an opening stand of 51 with stand-in captain Brendon McCullum.

Scott Styris continued Ireland's leather hunt with 42 off 23 balls, adding 61 for the third wicket with Martin Guptill, who remained unbeaten on 45 with four sixes.

Ireland, a non-Test playing nation coached by former West Indian opener Phil Simmons, qualified for the Super Eights after a shock win over Bangladesh in the first round.

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South Africa skittle England for 111 in Super-8

NOTTINGHAM: South Africa unleashed their awesome bowling power to bowl England out for 111 in the World Twenty20 Super Eights at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

Owais Shah was the lone Englishman to withstand the Proteas'' onslaught with 38 off 33 balls after four of the top seven batsmen managed only four runs between them.

All the six bowlers used by South African captain Graeme Smith were among the wickets, with left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell grabbing three and Jacques Kallis and Roelof van der Merwe two each.

England, electing to take first strike in good batting conditions, crashed to 25-3 by the sixth over in an inspired display by the South Africans in the field.

Openers Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright were dismissed by the second over and Kevin Pietersen, who made 19 of the first 25 runs, was caught superbly at mid-on by van der Merwe off Albie Morkel.

The over ended without Morkel conceding a run, the first maiden over of the tournament, but Shah made amends by taking 14 runs in three balls from the 12th over bowled by spinner van der Merwe.

England captain Paul Collingwood put on 53 for the fourth wicket with Shah before he was bowled by Kallis for 19 to make it 78-4 in the 13th over.

Van der Merwe finished his spell with two wickets in his final over as James Foster fell to a low catch by Morkel before Dmitri Mascarenhas was bowled four balls later.

Defending champions India and the West Indies are the other teams in the group from where two will advance to the semi-finals.

[LoViNg IrFaN]

T20 super 8



South Africa beat England by 7 wickets

[Sadaf Gondal]

Razzaq flies London to partake World T20
LONDON: The stunning all-rounder of Pakistan cricket team Abdul Razzaq early on Friday departed to London from Lahore airport to participate in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup replacing unfit all-rounder Yasir Arafat, Geo news reported.

Talking to media persons at Allama Iqbal airport before departure, Razzaq said, “I will make all-out efforts, giving hundred percent, to hand Pakistan World T20 cup”.

His chances of inclusion in national team to play against Sri Lanka today are bleak, sources said.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Pakistan meet Sri Lanka in Super Eights of T20 World Cup
LONDON: Pakistan would take on Sri Lanka in its first match of Super Eights stage of Twenty20 World Cup today.

Geo Super will telecast the match live at 6:30 PST from Trent Bridge, Nottingham. In another match of the day, defending champion India will face West Indies. The match would be telecast live on Geo Super at 10:30 PST.

Pakistan is in group ‘F’ of Super Eights along with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Ireland.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Younis happy to have Razzaq back
Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain, has welcomed the return of allrounder Abdul Razzaq to the Pakistan side after a two-year exile caused by his decision to opt for the Indian Cricket League. Razzaq was fast-tracked into the national Twenty20 squad in England shortly after quitting the ICL, but his participation in the opening Super Eights match against Sri Lanka at Lord's today is highly unlikely as he arrives just hours before the game.
"This game is not possible but I think he will manage the last two games," Younis said on the eve of the game. "He is a good name in world cricket and in Twenty20 he is a fantastic allrounder.
"He is a senior guy and his return will be good for Pakistan cricket. He would be in any team in the world."
Razzaq was one of several former ICL players granted amnesty by the Pakistan Cricket Board a few weeks ago shortly after the Indian board took the initiative to allow players to return from the unofficial league. Razzaq was named in the original list of 30 probables the PCB had sent to the ICC in early April - before the BCCI announced the amnesty - but the board made a U-turn and scratched his name off because the ICC objected to his ICL status. However, when Razzaq confirmed that he had snapped ties with the ICL, the PCB named him as an emergency replacement for the injured seamer Yasir Arafat.
Razzaq is likely to play the next Super Eights match against New Zealand at The Oval on Saturday.
Younis also took the opportunity to clarify some unusual comments he had earlier made on Twenty20 cricket, comparing it to "WWF" and saying that it was better to take it easy and have fun in this format. He defended his comments and urged everyone not to take them too seriously.
"I am a simple guy. Sometimes people think I am wrong because when we lose I am still laughing," Younis said. "You must look forward, if you lose or win. This is life. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days."

[Sadaf Gondal]

Younis happy to have Razzaq back
Younis Khan, the Pakistan captain, has welcomed the return of allrounder Abdul Razzaq to the Pakistan side after a two-year exile caused by his decision to opt for the Indian Cricket League. Razzaq was fast-tracked into the national Twenty20 squad in England shortly after quitting the ICL, but his participation in the opening Super Eights match against Sri Lanka at Lord's today is highly unlikely as he arrives just hours before the game.
"This game is not possible but I think he will manage the last two games," Younis said on the eve of the game. "He is a good name in world cricket and in Twenty20 he is a fantastic allrounder.
"He is a senior guy and his return will be good for Pakistan cricket. He would be in any team in the world."
Razzaq was one of several former ICL players granted amnesty by the Pakistan Cricket Board a few weeks ago shortly after the Indian board took the initiative to allow players to return from the unofficial league. Razzaq was named in the original list of 30 probables the PCB had sent to the ICC in early April - before the BCCI announced the amnesty - but the board made a U-turn and scratched his name off because the ICC objected to his ICL status. However, when Razzaq confirmed that he had snapped ties with the ICL, the PCB named him as an emergency replacement for the injured seamer Yasir Arafat.
Razzaq is likely to play the next Super Eights match against New Zealand at The Oval on Saturday.
Younis also took the opportunity to clarify some unusual comments he had earlier made on Twenty20 cricket, comparing it to "WWF" and saying that it was better to take it easy and have fun in this format. He defended his comments and urged everyone not to take them too seriously.
"I am a simple guy. Sometimes people think I am wrong because when we lose I am still laughing," Younis said. "You must look forward, if you lose or win. This is life. Sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days."

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Sri Lanka win toss, bat against Pakistan

LONDON: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan in their first match in the Super Eights stage of the World Twenty20 here at Lord’s on Friday.

Nuwan Kulasekera has replaced Udana for Sri Lanka. Abdul Razzaq is not playing as Pakistan are unchanged.

Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (captain/wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan

Pakistan: Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wk), Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan (captain), Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal.