Alam pleased with Twenty20 conditioning camp

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam has said he was pleased with the results of the conditioning camp his players participated in as part of their preparations for the World Twenty20 in England in June.

The members of the Pakistan squad were in Bhurban for a high-altitude camp supervised by the team's fitness trainer David Dwyer and Alam said the exercise was a success. "The idea behind this camp was to help the players improve their speed, strength, agility and mental toughness and the test results on the players show that the exercise was a success," Alam told the News. "We really needed such a camp to get fully prepared for the England assignment."

The team's assistant coach Aaqib Javed singled out four players for their exemplary fitness. "Quite a few of the players have proven to be very fit but there are four that have really stood out. Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Fawad Alam are the four fittest players in the camp," Aaqib told Pakpassion. "They set the standard for the others to follow but everyone in the squad has worked really hard. We've also organised other fitness related activities like hiking to keep them focused and entertained."

The players will now assemble in Lahore to play practice Twenty20 games at the Gaddafi Stadium from May 20-22 after which they will compete in the National Twenty20 Cup which begins on May 25. Pakistan captain Younis Khan will captain the Patron's XI in three games against a Chairman's XI that will be led by Misbah-ul-Haq.

Pakistan need batting coach, not psychologist - Zaheer Abbas

Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain, has said his country will be better served with a specialist batting coach rather than a sports psychologist to help them perform better and cope with pressure situations, starting from the World Twenty20 in England next month. The Pakistan Cricket Board had, earlier this week, appointed psychologist Maqbool Babri to work with the team in the pre-tournament conditioning camp at a hill resort in Bhurban.

"I don't understand what purpose it will serve to have a sports psychologist give lectures to the players," Abbas told Dawn. "Because it is obvious that the team's main problem is the batting not clicking consistently as it should. The board should think about having a full-time batting coach with the team. And it is clear their fielding also needs to improve."

The poor batting was primarily responsible for the ODI series defeat against Australia in the UAE recently. They were bowled out for 207, 171 and 197 in the three games they lost and that cost them the series. They were well-placed for victory in the third ODI but collapsed due to shoddy shot selection and lost ten wickets for only 76 runs. They rebounded in the fifth ODI, winning the dead rubber by seven wickets before winning the one-off Twenty20 international

McCullum steers New Zealand to last-ball win

The opening shots of the ICC World Twenty20 were fired in the beautiful setting of Wormsley as New Zealand edged a last-ball four-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first warm-up match ahead of the tournament proper which starts in ten days.

The conditions were not ideal for either side, the weekend heat giving way to overnight drizzle which left the pitch with a hint of dampness, and a chilly wind blowing down the valley. Although the sun did come out later, sweaters were very much in evidence.

Bangladesh, who chose to bat, appeared well placed on 87 for 3 after 11 overs but rather lost their way thereafter. Several batsmen got starts without going on to play a major innings, and only Mahmudullah (43 off 41 balls) really forced the bowlers onto the back foot. He seemed set to press on when superbly caught by a diving Nathan McCullum at long-on

Taylor blitz buries Ireland

Ross Taylor laid a marker ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 with a thumping 74 off 36 balls as New Zealand moved through the gears to beat Ireland by seven wickets with three overs to spare at Derby.

After their last-ball win against Bangladesh the previous day this was a more convincing effort by New Zealand. However, Ireland made them work hard early on as they reached 70 without loss in the ninth over, but were held to 152 before being blown away by Taylor who launched eight sixes in his powerful assault.

He added 103 in 11 overs with Martin Guptill, who finished on a far more leisurely 45 from 42 deliveries, after Peter Connell had claimed two early wickets. He removed Brendon McCullum for 9 in the second over and then bagged Jesse Ryder in the sixth, but the other bowlers came in for some punishment from Taylor.

Ryder had earlier played an important role with the ball as he claimed 3 for 4 from two overs to slow Ireland's innings after they were well placed for a more demanding total. Jeremy Bray, who has been recalled for this tournament after two years out the side following a fall-out with the board, hit 48 off 43 balls, adding 70 with Paul Stirling to set the early pace, and Ireland were 106 for 1 before Ryder struck.

He removed Kevin O'Brien, Bray and Andrew Poynter as four wickets fell for 17 runs and although John Mooney lifted the total over 150 it was no match for Taylor's display.

World T20 won't repeat mistakes of World Cup

Steve Elworthy, the ICC's tournament director, believes that the allure of international competition will enable the forthcoming World Twenty20 to rise above the fears of overkill that are currently circulating in English cricket, but warned that the ECB will have missed a trick if they fail to use the three-week event to attract a new audience to the game.

Speaking to Cricinfo on the eve of the tournament, Elworthy admitted that the game's administrators had learnt their lessons from the disastrous Caribbean World Cup in 2007, and were also mindful of overloading the calendar with too many marquee events. But regardless of the hype and glamour of the recently completed Indian Premier League, he insisted that tickets for the World Twenty20 were proving extremely popular in what he described as a "unique summer" for the ECB.

"The key point with any product is the exclusivity," said Elworthy. "You want people walking away at the end of a match wanting more, you want them to say: 'I can't wait for next season because I can't wait for the next Twenty20 competition'.

England have the necessary experience - Flower

Having earned themselves some valuable momentum in an otherwise low-key Test and ODI series against West Indies, England launch the ICC World Twenty20 next Friday when they take on Netherlands in the opening fixture at Lord's. For their coach, Andy Flower, the tournament represents an opportunity to correct a poor record in the shortest format of the game.

"We haven't played good Twenty20 cricket [in the past] but that doesn't mean we can't do well in this competition," Flower said in an interview with Big Hitter magazine. "We have guys with more Twenty20 experience now and we have the talent and variety of player necessary."

Aside from a trio of victories over New Zealand last year, England have not beaten a major nation over 20 overs since they squared their two-match series against West Indies at The Oval in June 2007. At the inaugural World Twenty20 three months later, their solitary victory came against Zimbabwe, before defeats to South Africa, New Zealand and India ended their participation.

In total, England have won six and lost nine of their 15 Twenty20 internationals since defeating Australia by 100 runs in their maiden fixture in 2005. Only two players - Kevin Pietersen and the captain, Paul Collingwood - have been ever-present in the side, although their international commitments have meant they have often been unavailable to play in the domestic Twenty20 Cup.

Five-star Hossain sees off the Scots

Bangladesh overcame a spirited display from Scotland to continue their successful build-up to the World Twenty20 with a six-wicket victory at Wormsley. Their main man was the teenage fast bowler, Rubel Hossain, who proved almost unplayable in his four overs as he claimed the remarkable figures of 5 for 16.

Despite Rubel's efforts, however, Scotland were still able to bat through their 20 overs, and posted a respectable 141 for 7 thanks to 45 from 41 balls from their captain, Gavin Hamilton, and a 37-ball 50 from Neil McCallum in the middle order.

In reply, Scotland landed two early blows when Shamsur Rahman was caught behind off Gordon Drummond for 1, before Dewald Nel extracted the big wicket of Mohammad Ashraful for 3.

But at the other end, Tamim Iqbal kept the scoreboard moving by blazing 33 from 21 balls, to pave the way for Shakib Al Hasan (36 from 29 balls) and Mahmudullah (46 not out from 35) to ease Bangladesh to victory with eight balls to spare.

Bangladesh's bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake was all praise for Rubel's effort. "He is improving all the time," he said. "He trains hard and has so far managed to execute what he is doing in training. His natural pace and slightly unusual action makes him an interesting proposition."

Mahmudullah, too, was in a confident mood after his brisk innings. "I am going out there with a very positive mind," he said. "I am looking to hit the ball hard and score runs all the time. I guess the mindset is helping me a lot.

"I also started this tour very confident because I am coming off a successful domestic season where I made runs. Also, I had worked on my technique, especially on my backlift with Jamie (Siddons) and it has paid o

'Fatigue is a part of Indian cricket' - Dhoni

MS Dhoni, the captain of the Indian team which is defending the World Twenty20 title, has admitted that his players were tired after the IPL, but also said the hectic schedule was something his team was used to.

"When you play so many matches you do get tired, after all it's a human body. There was no time to rest for the players. But fatigue is a part of Indian cricket. Till now Indian players have done well with it."

Sachin Tendulkar, Gary Kirsten and Dilip Vengsarkar, the former chairman of selectors, have all spoken out against the packed schedule, saying the players could suffer injuries and be mentally fatigued. The 37-day IPL ended on May 24, and there's only a 11-day gap before the start of the World Twenty20, raising concerns about players not getting sufficient time to rest.

Quiet Australia slip into England

The Australians' low-key arrival into Birmingham on Thursday belied the enormity of the summer that lies in wait. It also contrasted sharply with the team's entry four years ago, when an expectant England and a ravenous media created an intimidatory atmosphere that started the moment the players cleared customs and lasted until they boarded their return flight - urn-less - several months later.

A turgid series against West Indies and a spate of dispiriting controversies involving the national team has spoiled England's cricketing appetite of late, although the intensity of the nation will inevitably lift when the World Twenty20 and, more notably, the Ashes approach. But for the veterans of Australia's last Ashes campaign in England, the subdued nature of Thursday's team arrival was both surprising and bemusing. And for Justin Langer, currently based in Taunton with Somerset, the lack of fanfare that accompanied Ricky Ponting's men this time around was particularly jarring.

"I suppose my recollection of last time is especially vivid, because I arrived on the day of the London bombings," Langer told Cricinfo. "I got into Heathrow at 7am, and within a few hours the bombs had gone off. It was an eerie feeling. The entire city felt like a ghost town. But well before that, the guys who arrived for the one-dayers (which preceded the Tests), said it was fever pitch from the moment they stepped off the plane. I'm not quite sure what the reasons are, but this time it seems much more low-key."

Ponting warns England against half-fit Flintoff

Australia's captain Ricky Ponting believes that England will be taking a massive gamble if they risk playing a half-fit Andrew Flintoff in the Ashes later this summer, and offered a veiled criticism of the decisions of both Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen to take part in the recently concluded Indian Premier League in South Africa.

Facing the media at Trent Bridge following the Australian squad's arrival in England on Thursday morning, Ponting spoke of how "relaxed and rejuvenated" he felt after opting out of the IPL and taking a four-week break from the game, and suggested that in hindsight England's star players might have been better off following his example.

Instead, Flintoff is facing an anxious race against the clock after requiring surgery on a knee injury sustained while playing for the Chennai Super Kings at the IPL, while Pietersen, who captained Bangalore Royal Challengers in the opening rounds, last week missed his first international cricket for two years when he decided to rest an Achilles injury during the ODI series against West Indies.