Raina completes a decade
New delhi: Indian batsman Suresh Raina on Thursday completed a decade in international cricket and said he is happy with way his career has progressed so far. He made his international debut on July 30, 2005 against Sri lanka in Dambulla in a one-day international match. Speaking on completing a decade in international cricket Suresh Raina said, “It has been a really exciting journey for me completing a decade in international cricket.” “I would like to thank my family, BCCI, selectors, teammates, friends and fans for making this unbelievable journey incredible. I am happy the way I have paced my career so far and I will continue to give my best to bring all the laurels to the country,” he added.
Pak tame sl in first T20
Colombo: Umar Akmal smashed 46 off 24 balls and Sohail Tanvir grabbed three wickets as Pakistan beat top-ranked Sri lanka by 29 runs in the first Twenty20 international in Colombo on Thursday. Pakistan piled up 175-5 after electing to bat and then restricted the reigning World Twenty20 champions to 146-7 in the day-night match at the Premadasa stadium. Akmal hit three boundaries and as many sixes during an entertaining fourth wicket stand of 81 from just 45 deliveries with Shoaib Malik, who remained unbeaten on a 31-ball 46. The hosts were dealt early blows as Kusal Perera fell off the third ball of the innings and Tillakaratne Dilshan was dismissed in the next over to make it 13-2. Brief Scores Pakistan: 175/5 in 20 overs (Shoaib Malik 46 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 46, Umar Akmal 46; Thisara Perera 2/30) beat Sri lanka: 146/7 in 20 overs (Milinda Siriwardana 35, Dhananjaya de Silva 31; Tanvir 3/29, Anwar Ali 2/27) by 29 runs.
‘No appeal from Hr CA’
New delhi: The BCCI treasurer and secretary of Haryana Cricket Association Aniruddh Chaudhary on Thursday made it clear that his state association would not make any plea to the Baord to revoke the ban imposed on tainted cricketer Ajit Chandila. Chandila, S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan were recently acquitted by Patiala House Court here which dropped the MCOCA charges levelled against them by the Delhi Police in IPl 2013 spot-fixing scandal but BCCI’s life ban continues to remain.
‘T20 leagues threatening’
london: The ICC chief executive David Richardson on Thursday warned that the growing popularity of the domestic Twenty20 leagues like the IPl, Big Bash and CPl are threatening the survival of bilateral series with the exception of Ashes and big-ticket tours involving India. To arrest the decline of bilateral series, Richardson said a number of possibilities were discussed at the ICC annual conference and would again be one of the highlights at the next Board meeting."Apart from series such as the Ashes — has an iconic, traditional status — and series between India and the top Full Members, many bilateral series are perceived as having little relevance. Attendances in most series, especially for Tests, have fallen and the revenues generated from these series are not growing." he said.