Australia win maiden Champions Trophy title
MUMBAI: Australia defeated the West Indies by eight wickets on Sunday to win the 10-nation Champions Trophy for the first time in five attempts.

Awesome Gayle powers West Indies into final
JAIPUR, India: Chris Gayle smashed 133 not out to power holders West Indies into their third International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy final with a six-wicket victory over South Africa at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Thursday.

WI beat SA in second semi-final
JAIPUR: South Africa made 258-8 and lost Thursday to West Indies 262-4.Chris Gayle hit an explosive 15th ODI century as West Indies surged to 224-1 after 37 overs in pursuit of 259 to win the Champions Trophy semi-final.

ICC takes a swipe at under-performing India
NEW DELHI: India's long-running dispute with the International Cricket Council (ICC) flared up Wednesday after the world governing body poked fun at the losing Indian team.

Pakistan bans dope-tainted Akhtar, Asif
LAHORE: A doping tribunal on Wednesday banned Pakistan's top fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar from international and domestic cricket for two years for using performance enhancing medicines, the tribunal's chief said.

Australia beat New Zealand to enter final
MOHALI: Australia secured a first appearance in a Champions Trophy final with a 34-run victory over New Zealand in Mohali.

Gayle talks about his batting success
Jaipur: In-form West Indies opener Chris Gayle said the key to his success in the ICC Champions Trophy was quick adjustment to Indian pitches.

Australia keen to clip New Zealand wings in slog overs
MOHALI: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said his team will need to restrict New Zealand's big-hitting batsmen in the slog overs of Wednesday's Champions Trophy semi-final.

Dwayne Bravo cleared over England ‘catch’
AHMEDABAD: The West Indies player Dwayne Bravo was on Sunday found not guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct after his controversial catch in the Champions Trophy match against England.

Bravo not guilty of code of conduct breach
New Delhi: West Indies player Dwayne Bravo has been found not guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during his team's ODI in the champions trophy against England, the ICC said today.

Afridi offers apology to the nation on poor showing
KARACHI: National cricket team’s all rounder Shahid Afridi has begged excuse from the nation for his failing to perform in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Aussies cruise into semifinals
Mohali: Australia cruised to a six-wicket win over India in their final league match at Mohali on Sunday to enter the semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Injured Agarkar out, India want Sreesanth as replacement
Medium pacer Ajit Agarkar was today ruled out of India's crucial Champions Trophy match against Australia after a fractured left thumb.

Ntini 'bounces' Pakistan out of Champions Trophy
Makhaya Ntini registered his fourth five-wicket haul in ODI cricket as South Africa joined New Zealand and the West Indies in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy by beating Pakistan by 124 runs at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.

SA team support UN fight against HIV/AIDS
INDIA: Members of the South African cricket team took time away from their busy training schedule as they prepare for next Tuesday’s must-win ICC Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka to lend their support to some young fans who are living with HIV and AIDS.

Harmison aiming for redemption
LONDON: England fast bowler Steve Harmison is viewing Saturday’s (today’s) ICC Champions Trophy clash against Australia as an opportunity for redemption.

Ponting, Flintoff downplay Ashes
JAIPUR: Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his England counterpart Andrew Flintoff do not believe their vital Champions Trophy match here on Saturday (today) is a prelude to next month’s Ashes.

Sri Lanka beat Kiwis to keep hopes alive
Mumbai: Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by seven wickets at Mumbai on Friday to keep their hopes alive of making to the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy.

India set to pardon Azharuddin
MUMBAI: India’s cricket chiefs said on Thursday they would go ahead and resurrect former captain Mohammad Azharuddin from a life of shame despite objections from the sport’s world governing body.

Harmison under no pressure ahead of vital Australia clash
JAIPUR, India: England fast bowler Steve Harmison says he will feel no extra pressure when his team clash with Ashes rivals Australia in a crucial Champions Trophy match here on Saturday.

ICC Champions Trophy springs to life as underdogs rule
MUMBAI: Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday warned his world beaters to shed their lethargy after the ICC Champions Trophy exploded with three successive shock results.

SL geared for do-or-die battle against Kiwis
MUMBAI, India: Sri Lanka can’t wait to take the field in Friday’s (today’s) key Champions Trophy match against New Zealand, a game they must win to stay in the tournament.

Yasir Arafat, Abdur Rehman reach India
LAHORE: Yasir Arafat and Abdur Rehman reached India Thursday to join the Pakistan cricket team in India for ICC Champions trophy.

Tribunal to decide pace duo’s doping case in two weeks
KARACHI: Pakistan on Wednesday named a three-member tribunal to investigate the doping scandal involving pace stars Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif.

Windies beat Australia by 10 runs
MUMBAI: In yet another upset result at the ICC Champions Trophy, pace bowler Jerome Taylor took a hat-trick towards the end of the innings and helped West Indies snatch a thrilling ten-run victory against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium here on Wednesday in a Group A fixture.

ICC: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by four wickets
Jaipur: Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in their ICC Champions Trophy match at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday.

Australia begin Champions Trophy quest against West here on Wednesday.
MUMBAI: Tournament favourites Australia will begin their quest for Champions Trophy honours against West Indies here on Wednesday.

Chappell backs Irfan
New Delhi: Unperturbed by the criticism of carrying out experiments, team India coach Greg Chappell has asserted that he would continue with his style of functioning.

Smith slams wicket as sub-standard
Mumbai: It almost looked like a question of sour grapes as South Africa captain Graeme Smith termed the wicket for yesterday's ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand as sub-standard and hit out at the schedule of the tournament.

Bad day for cricket: Strauss
LONDON: Andrew Strauss has been left dismayed by the latest blow to cricket’s reputation with Pakistan bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif having failed pre-tournament drug tests.

Woolmer, Younis expresses disappointment over dope case
JAIPUR: Pakistan's team management on Monday put a brave face on a drug row involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, saying the team were geared up for the Champions Trophy battle against Sri Lanka.

Abdul Rehman, Arafat named as replacements for Shoaib and Asif
Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board Monday nominated Yasir Arafat and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman as replacements for pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif.

Fleming leads New Zealand to convincing victory
MUMBAI: The trend of low scores and poor pitches continued at the ICC Champions Trophy, as New Zealand crushed South Africa by 87 runs in a Group B match at the Brabourne Stadium here on Monday.

West Indian paceman Collymore to miss Australia match
MUMBAI: West Indian fast bowler Corey Collymore will miss Wednesday's Champions Trophy Group A match against Australia.

Kiwis face stiff South Africans today
MUMBAI: New Zealand return to competitive cricket after a six month absence to take on formidable South Africa in their opening Champions Trophy match here today.

Shoaib and Asif fail PCB dope test
Mumbai: Two Pakistan speedstars tested positive for doping. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif failed an internal PCB dope test. Both players, according to the PCB, have been asked to return to Pakistan.

India beat England in Champions Trophy opener
JAIPUR, India: Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan shared five wickets in their incisive opening spells to set up India’s four-wicket win over a fighting England in an ICC Champions Trophy match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Sunday.

Pakistan win warm-up with bowlers failing yet again
KARACHI: The Pakistanis failed to dismiss their opponents all out for the second time in three days, although they again won a warm-up fixture against the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) President’s XI at the Neerja Modi School Ground in Jaipur on Saturday.

India face England in ICC Trophy opener today
JAIPUR: England and India will play opening match of the limited-overs ICC Champions Trophy today.

Sri Lanka thrash Windies by nine wickets
MUMBAI: Paceman Farveez Maharoof’s maiden five-wicket haul paved the way for Sri Lanka’s nine-wicket victory over the defending champions West Indies to top the qualifying phase of the Champions Trophy .

Extra burden on SL ahead of Windies clash
MUMBAI, India: Sri Lanka are desperate to cut down on troublesome extras as they prepare to take on the West Indies in the final qualifying showdown of the Champions Trophy on today.

Nafees ton bolsters Bangladesh
Led by Shariar Nafees, who created history on Friday, Bangladesh finally registered a victory in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and ensured that they would be traveling to Khwaja Moin ud-din Chisti’s tomb in Ajmer in buoyed spirits.

Gayle wants to carry on ‘good work’ in Champions Trophy main round
JAIPUR: West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle said he want to carry on his rich form of batting in main round of the Champions Trophy after his two impressive innings in the qualifying round.

Gibbs probe wont effect team’s morale, says Smith
MUMBAI: South African captain Graeme Smith said that probe of Herschelle Gibbs from Indian police would not effect the team’s morale.

ICC Champions Trophy: BD to confront Zimbabwe on Friday, 13
JAIPUR: Bangladesh will confront play Zimbabwe in Jaipur in a Champions Trophy qualifier but only pride is at stake because West Indies and Sri Lanka have taken the qualifying places for the main tournament.

Herschelle Gibbs appears before Delhi Police
New Delhi: South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs on Thursday appeared before the Delhi Police here for questioning in the match fixing scandal of 2000.

Playing in India helped me: Anderson
New Delhi: James Anderson, the England fast bowler, believes his prior experience in India has helped him become a better bowler ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Warne to work under Terry Jenner for pre-Ashes tuneup
SYDNEY: Shane Warne is lining up for a pre-Ashes refresher with his spin bowling mentor Terry Jenner ahead of the opening cricket Test against England in Brisbane on November 23.

West Indies qualify with crushing win
JAIPUR: The West Indies advanced to the main draw of the Champions Trophy when they thrashed Bangladesh by 10 wickets in a qualifying match here on Wednesday.

Mohammad Asif uses McGrath comparisons as motivation
NEW DELHI: Pakistan bowling prospect Mohammad Asif is perfectly happy to hear people comparing him to the great Australian paceman Glenn McGrath.

ICC Champions trophy: Bangladesh to face West Indies today
JAIPUR: West Indies skipper Brian Lara cautioned his players against complacency when they face Bangladesh in a Champions Trophy qualifier today (Wednesday) aiming to seal a second victory to reach the main rounds.

Sri Lanka defeat Zimbabwe by 144 runs
AHMEDABAD: Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by 144 runs on Tuesday to virtually assure themselves of playing in the main rounds of the Champions Trophy with their second consecutive win.

Spinners under pressure, says Vettori
LONDON: New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori says slow bowlers are under pressure as never before in one-day cricket due to power-plays.

England can win ICC Champions Trophy: Harmison
LONDON: Fast bowler Steve Harmison insists England have what it takes to upset the form book and win this month’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy in India.

PCB reaffirms Inzamam as Captain in West Indies tour
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to appoint Inzamam-ul-Haq as Skipper for West Indies Tour starting from November 06.

Pakistan determined to put best efforts in ICC: Younus
NEW DELHI: Pakistan were determined to put weeks of off-pitch drama and a damaging captaincy row behind them at the ICC Champions Trophy, stand-in captain Younis Khan said on Saturday.

ICC Champions Trophy: Sri Lanka to confront Zimbabwe today
AHMEDABAD: Sri Lanka cricket coach Tom Moody will raise Zimbabwe to the same league as Australia and India when they clash in Tuesday’s International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy qualifier here.

Forget about Ashes for now says Flintoff
Although this coming Ashes is the most eagerly anticipated of series, the England captain Andrew Flintoff was yesterday trying to urge his team to concentrate on the here and now: the Champions Trophy in India.

Ashes not a distraction for us, says Ponting
New Delhi: Australian captain Ricky Ponting said his team was not worried about the Ashes series later this year and they were aiming to do their best in the Champions Trophy.

Sehwag comfortable batting in middle order
New Delhi:Indian vice captain Virender Sehwag Sunday said that he was comfortable batting in the middle order as India goes into the ICC Champions Trophy.

Gayle force destroys Zimbabwe as WI triumph
AHMEDABAD, India: Chris Gayle grabbed three wickets in 13 balls and hammered 41 off 34 balls as the West Indies whipped Zimbabwe by nine wickets in a Champions Trophy qualifying match here on Sunday.

Fearless Flintoff confident England can win Champions Trophy
Andrew Flintoff arrived in India bristling with confidence that he can lead England to success in the Champions Trophy. "We don't fear anything," the England skipper told a press conference here on Saturday. "We go out to express ourselves.

Sri Lanka brush Bangladesh aside
MOHALI, India: Led by a fluent century by Upul Tharanga, Sri Lanka started their Champions Trophy campaign in fine style beating Bangladesh by 37 runs in the first qualifying match here at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.

Jayawardene warns his team against complacency
Mohali: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene has asked his teammates to guard against complacency when they take on lowly Bangladesh in a qualifying match of the Champions Trophy, saying a slip-up could prove disastrous for his team.

South Africa skipper Smith fancies chances in Champions Trophy
New Delhi: South African captain Graeme Smith said that his team was one of the favourites to lift the Champions Trophy and that his players were raring to go.

Windies Keen To Build Momentum
The West Indies will have more than damaged pride to play for when they open the defence of their ICC Champions Trophy with an unwanted qualifying match against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Indian Police to Quiz Gibbs Over 2000 Tour Scam
NEW DELHI: South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs is likely to be questioned by Indian police over a 2000 match-fixing scandal during the Champion’s Trophy which starts tomorrow, officials said.

Cullen replaces injured Clark for Australia
Off-spinner Daniel Cullen has been drafted in to replace the injured Stuart Clark in Australia's Champions Trophy side. Cullen learnt of his selection during a practice match between South Australia and Tasmania and was over the moon.

Australia's Stuart Clark out of Champions Trophy
Australian pace bowler Stuart Clark will miss the ICC Champions Trophy in India after suffering a thigh injury playing club cricket last weekend.