Entertainment, FunnyVideos, Download useful Softwares, Read Current News

Punjab Tour Slideshow Slideshow

2011-12-31T17:28:00.000+05:00

Punjab Tour Slideshow Slideshow: TripAdvisor™ TripWow ★ Punjab Tour Slideshow Slideshow ★ to Saangla Hill (near Jand), Sargodah (near Faisalabad) and Hāfizābād District (near Gujranwala). Stunning free travel slideshows on TripAdvisor

USB Disk Security

2011-10-31T18:34:00.000+05:00

USB Disk Security

Prevention Currently, USB storage is a common source of infection with potentially dangerous content, and malicious programs propagate so quickly that antivirus companies have to release updates as quickly as possible to minimize the amount of time that users will potentially be at risk. Unfortunately, many antivirus companies are unable to do this - users often receive updates once they are already infected. Our new technology blocks threats based on proactive protection and our solution can protect your computer against all threats trying to attack your computer via USB drive, no matter malicious programs are known or unknown.

USB Shield USBShield monitors in real time and protects your computer against all threats that can take over your computer via USB drive. It blocks threats based on our innovative proactive technology.

USB Scan USBScan uses heuristic analyzer to scan USB drive and checks for potential malicious behavior. Heuristic methods eliminates false positives and significantly increases detection rates for new and unknown malicious programs.

Data Protection
Deliver high level of protection against theft and accidental disclosure of confidential data. This feature can prevent unauthorized persons from copying your data to USB drives, and stop the threats from USB drive.

Quarantine Suspect malware can be safely locked away in the quarantine. Here the malware is stored in an encrypted format so that it cannot function nor do any harm to your computer.

System Tools Very often, malicious programs change registry and stay in the temporary internet directory. System tools can restore malicious changes on your computer and delete unnecessary files and malicious programs that stay in the temporary internet directory.

Download Link

Ek Tara very Sad Song

2011-08-18T17:15:00.000+05:00

ik tara - jeet bhogal

2011-08-18T16:16:00.000+05:00

Nokia N8, Cheaper Competitor of iPhone 4

2011-08-08T17:08:00.001+05:00

Apple iPhone has been renowned because of its rich features. But now, Nokia is one step ahead of it. Nokia N8 not only a rich featured mobile phone, it is also much cheaper than Apple iPhone. It made some new records of sale in its price category. Nokia Pakistan also released it so Pakistani people can also enjoy its great features. You can check Nokia N8 Price in Pakistan from this link. We hope that there will be so many other rich featured mobiles phones in the future as well & they will be affordable for most of the people.

Nokia E71 – Nice Smartphone

2011-08-08T17:01:00.000+05:00

Nokia E71 is one of the top selling E-Series Mobile Phone by Nokia Pakistan. The sleek and stylish makes it easy to stay on top of your email inbox with a full QWERTY keyboard and support for communication via Microsoft Exchange. It’s ready to run on 3G networks enabling fast downloads and streaming multimedia while on the go. Also includes integrated Wi-Fi connectivity for accessing open networks at work, at home, and on the road from a variety of wireless hotspots. The Nokia E71 comes fully equipped for easy-to-install and easy-to-use professional and personal email. People who use Microsoft Exchange at work can access their emails using the Mail for Exchange mobile email client, that comes pre-loaded with Nokia. Nokia E71 Price in Pakistan is not high as its features. You’ll enjoy reliable real-time access to your email, calendar, contacts and tasks, as well as be able to download attachments like Word, Excel, Power-point or PDF files directly to the device. It is a great mobile phone particularly for Pakistan Mobile Market.

The Nokia E72 comes equipped with a suite of enterprise grade features, including built-in encryption functionality for both the device memory and for the memory card. If the QWERTY keyboard didn’t give it away, the Nokia E71 is a messaging-centric smart-phone, though it’s certainly not limited to just e-mail. The E71 works with Microsoft Exchange Server, POP3, IMAP, and SMTP accounts and has a full attachment viewer. The device is also compatible with a number of push e-mail solutions. Nokia E71 is little expensive as compare to other Nokia Price.

Nokia N97 has a new wizard to help set up your e-mail as it automatically looks for the settings needed to access your account. There are no instant messaging clients preloaded on the device, though you can certainly download software to do so. In fact, there is a download catalog right on the device where you can find such titles. There is no reduction in price for phones lacking these features and a firmware update will not bring them back because the hardware itself is missing. The E71 is a great mobile phone my Nokia Mobile. The software bundled with the Chinese version is slightly different, as it also has a QQ client, along with some other Chinese specific programs. For this review, we took a look at the Nokia E71, which steps in to relieve the older Nokia E61i. What the company has done with the E71′s design is remarkable as compare to other mobile prices in Pakistan, as it’s taken the once-bulky smart-phone and turned it into an incredibly sleek QWERTY device. You do lose a bit in screen and keyboard size, but we feel it’s manageable. Plus, with its strong messaging, productivity. Click here to find other Mobile Prices to compare this mobile Pakistan. In the end, we much say that it is a great mobile phone by Nokia

Punjab Tour Slideshow

2011-06-23T17:05:00.000+05:00

Punjab Tour Slideshow: "TripAdvisor™ TripWow ★ Punjab Tour Slideshow ★ to Saangla Hill (near Jand), Sargodah (near Faisalabad) and Hāfizābād District (near Gujranwala). Stunning free travel slideshows on TripAdvisor"

Dilshan named new Sri Lanka captain

2011-04-19T00:39:00.000+05:00

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's cricket authorities on Monday named big-hitting all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan as captain for the upcoming tour of England.

Dilshan will lead the side in all three formats of the game -- Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s -- on the tour, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

The 34-year-old, renowned for an over-the-head scoop shot dubbed the "Dilscoop", replaces Kumar Sangakkara, who stepped down after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to India earlier this month.

Fitness worries meant the five-member national selection panel headed by Duleep Mendis, a former Sri Lanka skipper, did not name a vice-captain.

"The prospective candidates are nursing injuries and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question," the statement said.

All-rounder Angelo Mathews, 23, has been tipped for the role, but he is nursing a side strain suffered during the World Cup semi-final.

Dilshan, a right-handed batsman currently playing in the Indian Premier League, is expected to travel to Colombo this week to meet the selectors and pick the squad for England.

The tour runs from May to July and includes three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 match.

The son of a police officer, Dilshan is the 11th full-time Sri Lankan skipper. He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 1999 and hit an unbeaten 163 in his second Test match in Harare.

His career took off in 2009 when he volunteered to open in all three forms of the game in Pakistan, exploiting attacking fields and amassing huge scores in all formats.

He scored 11 international hundreds in the year and won the World Twenty20 Player of the Series prize.

Dilshan also had an excellent World Cup, where he was the tournament's highest scorer with 500 runs.

His appointment is expected to be a short-term move because he is not expected to be a candidate for the 2015 World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.

Sachin v Murali -- a farewell battle to cherish

2011-03-31T14:40:00.000+05:00

MUMBAI: Legends Sachin Tendulkar and Muttiah Muralitharan face-off in a mouth-watering duel for the last time when India and Sri Lanka clash in the World Cup final on Saturday.

The contest between the world's leading batsman and highest wicket-taker in their final appearance in cricket's showpiece event will add spice to the big game at the Wankhede stadium.

Muralitharan, who turns 39 next month, will leave international cricket after the World Cup with more Test (800) and one-day (534 so far) wickets than any bowler in history.

Tendulkar's batting skills have not diminished even as he celebrates his 38th birthday next month, but he is unlikely to make a record seventh World Cup appearance in 2015.

A World Cup title has eluded the Indian star despite being the sport's most successful batsman with a record 32,785 runs and 99 centuries in Test and one-day cricket.

Muralitharan tasted World Cup glory in his maiden appearance in 1996 when Arjuna Ranatunga's men stunned Australia in the final in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

The ageing superstars have led from the front in this tournament to carry their teams into the final.

Tendulkar's 464 runs in eight matches are just three behind Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's record tally of 467, while the wily Muralitharan has claimed 15 wickets despite battling injuries.

Muralitharan has soldiered on bravely over the past six weeks despite being afflicted by hamstring and groin injuries, a side strain and a troublesome knee.

Tendulkar was 10 years old when India won the tournament under Kapil Dev in 1983, while five of his current team-mates -- Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel -- were not even born.

Pakistan outplay Windies to storm into semis

2011-03-24T01:49:00.001+05:00

DHAKA: Pakistan thrashed West Indies by ten wickets to move into the World Cup semi-finals here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on Wednesday.
Chasing an easy target of 113 runs, openers Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez completed the Pakistan victory without being separated, in just 20.5 overs.
Kamran contributed 47 and Hafeez 61 as both made 113 runs together, Pakistan’s biggest opening stand of this tournament.
Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, the West Indies could not resist against the Pakistan spin attack, led by Shahid Afridi, and were bundled out for 112 in 43.3 overs.
Leg-spinner Afridi, already the tournament's leading wicket-taker, took his tally to 21 as he finished with four for 30, including two wickets off successive balls.
Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets each for 16 and 18, respectively, while pacers Umar Gul and Abdul Razzaq took a wicket each.
Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul, brought back to the team after being dropped in the previous match against India, was the only batsman to defy the spinners with a dour unbeaten 44 off 106 balls.
Except Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan (24) and Kemar Roach (16), no West Indian batsman could get into double figures
The West Indies were reduced to 71-8 before a 40-run stand between Chanderpaul and Roach, which helped the former champions surpass their lowest World Cup total of 93 against Kenya in Pune in 1996.
The West Indies never recovered from the disastrous start when they lost three top batsmen, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith and Darren Bravo, by the sixth over.
Gayle, returning to the side after recovering from an abdominal strain, made eight when he drove Umar Gul to mid-off where Afridi accepted the catch.
Hafeez, who shared the new ball with Gul, trapped Smith and Bravo leg-before in the space of four deliveries to open up the middle-order.
Shell-shocked by the early reverses, the West Indies groped to 36-3 after 15 overs, with Chanderpaul making just three runs off his first 27 deliveries.
Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul put on 42 for the fourth wicket before Afridi destroyed the innings with three wickets in 11 balls.
Sarwan, dropped by Gul at mid-off when he was on 14, added 10 more to his score before Afridi gained revenge by having him caught at point by Umar Akmal.

Waqar promises Pakistan will get ‘better and better’

2011-03-20T23:45:00.001+05:00

COLOMBO: Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, believes that things will get better for his struggling batsmen when they go to Bangladesh or India for the knock-out stage of the World Cup.
The former Pakistan captain told reporters here at the R Premadasa Stadium after his team’s four-wicket win against defending champions Australia, that conditions would be easier for the batters out of Sri Lanka.
“Batting has been tough during most (World Cup) games here in Sri Lanka as compared to matches in other countries,” he said referring to the other two co-hosts of the World Cup — India and Bangladesh.
“Things will be easier for the batsmen when we go and play on venues where pitches are easier.”
Pakistan went through a few hiccups before chasing 177 to win their big World Cup game against Australia and Waqar believes that the result has put his team on the right course ahead of next week’s quarterfinals.
“It’s a big achievement beating Australia, who have been on a big winning streak in World Cups,” said the legendary pacer. “It wasn’t an easy wicket but I thought 177 were gettable.”
He praised Pakistan for their team effort. “The credit must go to the entire team because we played superbly.”
Waqar was pleased with the fact that his team displayed much-improved fielding and stressed that Pakistan will get better and better.
“Today we were much better in the field. We took our catches. I’m confident that it will get better and better as the big games are right ahead of us.”
He heaped praise on young batters Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal.
“Asad Shafiq is maturing fast,” he said. “He is a steady player. He is not a big hitter but can score runs and can pick up boundaries.”
[Courtesy The News International]

India beat Windies in final group match

2011-03-20T23:43:00.001+05:00

CHENNAI: India set their clash with Australia in quarter-finals after beating West Indies by 80 runs in the final World Cup Group B match here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a tough target of 269, the West Indies were all out for 188 runs in 43 overs after opener Devon Smith’s fighting innings of 81 ended in the 31st over.
For India, paceman Zaheer Khan was the most successful bowler with three for 26 while Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets each.
India's victory in the last match of the group phase means they will face Australia, bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in total, in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
West Indies will face Pakistan in Bangladesh in their last eight clash on Wednesday.
Earlier, a brilliant hundred by Yuvraj Singh steered India to 268 after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first.
India got a major blow in the very first over when star batsman Sachan Tendulkar was dismissed by Ravi Rampaul for a mere two.
However, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli repaired the damage upto some extent but Gambhir went for 22 when India reached 51.
Then Kohli was joined by Yuvraj and both added 122 runs for the third wicket before Kohli departed for 59.
Later, Yuvraj completed his 13th one-day century from 112 balls but he was caught and bowled by Kieron Pollard for 113. His innings was laced with ten fours and two sixes.
But no other batsman could make any significant score except Dhoni (22) as India were all out for 268 in 49.1 overs.
Rampaul bowled splendidly well to grab five wickets for 51 in his ten overs while Andre Russell claimed two.

Pakistan halt Aussies winning streak, take top spot

2011-03-20T01:32:00.001+05:00

COLOMBO: Pakistan stopped Australia’s unbeaten 34-match run in the World Cup and secured top spot on their group table, beating the defending champions by four wickets in their final match of the Group A here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing an easy target of 177 runs, Pakistan completed victory with nine overs to spare but they lost six wickets in the process.
Umar Gul took three for 30 to help Pakistan dismiss Australia for 176 -- their lowest World Cup total since 1992 -- before Umar Akmal hit an unbeaten 44 to steer Pakistan to victory in 41 overs, finishing top of the pool with 10 points.
Pakistan, champions in 1992, will play the fourth placed team in Group B, while Australia (nine points) finished third behind Sri Lanka (nine points) on run-rate and will play the second placed team from Group B.
This was Australia's first defeat in the World Cup since losing to Pakistan by 10 runs in Leeds in 1999.
But the champions, led by spearhead Brett Lee (4-28), fought hard and twice raised hopes of an unlikely win.
Pakistan were cruising along on 98-2 before Lee derailed the chase in his first over of his second spell, dismissing Younis Khan (31) and Misbah-ul-Haq for a first-ball duck -- both caught by keeper Brad Haddin.
Mitchell Johnson removed Asad Shafiq (46) while Jason Krejza tempted skipper Shahid Afridi (two) to hole out in the deep, but Umar and Abdul Razzaq (20 not out) saw their team home with a cautious 36-run stand for the seventh wicket.
Razzaq hit two boundaries off spinner Jason Krejza to complete the victory.
Lee had taken two wickets in his first spell, taking a smart catch off his own bowling to dismiss opener Mohammad Hafeez (five) before trapping Kamran Akmal lbw for 23.
Shafiq, who hit five boundaries during his 81-ball knock, added 53 with Younis and 41 with Umar to keep Pakistan on track.
Earlier, Gul and Razzaq (2-8) exposed the untested Australian batting after Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided to bat on a seemingly flat R. Premadasa stadium pitch.
Haddin (42), Michael Clarke (34) and Steve Smith (25) offered some resistance as Pakistan applied relentless pressure to take the last seven Australian wickets for a mere 59 runs after they were 117-3.
Pakistan, who opened the attack with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman from one end, forced an early breakthrough when Gul bowled opener Shane Watson for nine.
Haddin added 63 for the second wicket with Ponting (19) before Pakistan struck twice, with Hafeez removing the Australian skipper off a miscued cut, caught by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
Left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz then had Haddin caught behind by Kamran in the 24th over. Haddin hit three boundaries and a six during his 80-ball knock.
Pakistan then took four wickets in the space of 30 runs to reduce the Aussies to 147-7 and later Gul removed Krejza and Lee cheaply to wrap the Australian innings for their sixth lowest World Cup total.

Shakib apologises for Bangladesh exit

2011-03-20T01:31:00.001+05:00

DHAKA: Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan apologised to his nation's cricket-crazy fans after the Tigers crashed out of the World Cup in disgrace on Saturday.
Bangladesh were shot out for 78 by South Africa to lose their last league match by 206 runs in front of 25,000 stunned home fans at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium and millions watching on TV across the country.
"Our fans deserved more," Shakib said after Bangladesh finished with six points in Group B, just above minnows Ireland and the Netherlands.
"The expectations were high among our people because we had played so well over the past 12 months, but we let them down.
"We have not played good cricket at the World Cup and I feel very sorry for our fans. They deserved much more that what we gave them."
Lonwabo Tsotsobe grabbed 3-14 on his World Cup debut and Robin Peterson took 4-12 after half-centuries from Jacques Kallis and Faf du Plessis had lifted South Africa to 284-8.
Bangladesh's batting fell apart in a match they had to win to qualify for the quarter-finals from Group B.
Shakib made 30 but none of the other 10 batsmen reached double figures as Bangladesh almost matched their lowest one-day total of 58 against the West Indies earlier in the tournament.
"There is no other reason for our failure than bad batting," the captain said. "We did not bat well throughout the tournament.
"We should probably have given away 20 runs less, but the match was over once we lost four wickets quickly. You can't find excuses once you are bowled out for 78."
Shakib said the pressure of living up to everyone's expectations got to the team.
"This was a pressure match for us. We knew we had to win. The team just could not take the pressure," he said.
The emphatic win not only cemented South Africa's place as Group B winners with 10 points, but also carried India and England into the quarter-finals with the West Indies taking the last spot.
Bangladesh ended the league with six points, the same as the West Indies, but their run-rate is so poor that even a massive win by India over Darren Sammy's men on Sunday will not help.
Shakib conceded he was not looking for miracles anymore.
"We have no chance of qualifying because our run-rate is so low," he said. "The way we have batted, we probably do not deserve to be in the quarter-finals."

We'd like to finish top of the table: Ponting

2011-03-19T01:38:00.001+05:00

COLOMBO: Ricky Ponting said Australia were proud of their unbeaten World Cup run, but warned the defending champions were facing their first big challenge against Pakistan on Saturday.
"We are very proud of our record in World Cups, there's no doubt about that," said Ponting of Australia's unbeaten 34-match streak which started after their 10-run defeat against Pakistan at Leeds in 1999.
Since then Australia have won three World Cups, the last two under Ponting, who has yet to lose a match as captain.
"Whether it's World Cups or the Champions Trophy, Australian players get really excited to be part of them. I've been lucky over the years to play in a lot of good teams.
"But tomorrow is another good challenge for us. We don't talk about what's happened in the past as far as how many games we've won or the fact that we haven't lost a game.
"Now it's all about making sure we are prepared for the next game and the next challenge against Pakistan who have played well so far. We are going to make sure that we start to put our print on the tournament."
Australia and Pakistan have already qualified from a Group A which Ponting described as "boring because there is nothing happeining".
"We'd like to finish top of the table which means we want to win the game on Saturday. That's what we are setting out to do, we are setting out to play our best game.
"If we win and that means we finish on top, great; if we don't win the game we will finish somewhere else and I'm not concerned about that either. To win a World Cup you have to beat the best team - it's as simple as that."
Australia have nine points from five matches with Pakistan on eight, also from five matches.
"I think we will be negligent if we try to single one (Pakistan) player out," said Ponting.
"They have got a number of match-winning players... Afridi and Umar Gul are the two guys who've probably been their standout players."
Gul took three wickets in Pakistan's last win over Zimbabwe, while Afridi is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 16.
"Afridi tends to control the middle of their bowling particularly well, he doesn't go for a lot of runs either. He builds pressure and is a world class bowler, so hopefully our skills hold against him," added Ponting.
"As a team we really feel that the tournament is kicking off now. We've had our games along the way and the big game here against Sri Lanka which was washed out unfortunately. We're excited to play against Pakistan.
"I think we will get a better feel at the end of the game just where we are and how well we are placed in this World Cup. I think it's a good challenge for us."

Sri Lanka spin Kiwis out to go on top

2011-03-19T01:37:00.001+05:00

MUMBAI: Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis mesmerized New Zealand batsmen to bowl them out for 153 runs in 35 overs as Sri Lanka recorded a 112-run victory in their last match of the World Cup Group A here at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
Muralitharan captured four for 25 and Mendis claimed two for 24 to bundle the Black Caps out to take Sri Lanka to the top of the group with nine points but their final position will be determined only after Saturday's match between Australia and Pakistan.
New Zealand stand-in captain Ross Taylor top-scored with 33 whereas no other Kiwi batsmen could make more than 20.
Earlier, captain Kumar Sangakkara hit a brilliant century to help Sri Lanka set a modest target of 266 runs for New Zealand after electing to bat first.
They made 265 for nine in their 50 overs with the help of a 145-run partnership for the third wicket between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, which pulled the team out of early trouble.
Sangakkara made 111 off 128 balls with twelve fours and two sixes while Jayawardene hit 66 with six boundaries.

Dramatic win keeps England’s World Cup hopes alive

2011-03-18T01:32:00.001+05:00

CHENNAI: England kept their World Cup hopes alive with a dramatic 18-run win over the West Indies in a Group B day-night match here at the MA MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
Chasing 244, the West Indies were in sight of a certain victory needing 22 runs from 52 balls. They were 222 for six after a stand of 72 between Ramnaresh Sarwan (31) and all-rounder Andre Russell (49) rescued them from the depths of 150 for six.
But they lost their final four wickets for three runs to finish on 225 all out in 44.4 overs, with Sulieman Benn the last man dismissed when he was run out by Jonathan Trott's throw to wicketkeeper Matt Prior with more than five overs left.
Off-spinners James Tredwell and Graeme Swann took seven wickets between them.
England now need Bangladesh to lose to South Africa on Saturday.
If Bangladesh win, England can still go through if India beat West Indies on Sunday in the final match of Group B.
However, a West Indies win would see them into the last eight.
Russell, caught on 39 at long-on by Trott only to be awarded a six after the diving fielder just glanced the boundary marker, saw his 46-ball innings end when he was lbw to World Cup debutant Tredwell.
The spinner was named man-of-the-match for his four for 48 to spark the climatic slump.
England then saw Sarwan turn Swann (three for 36) straight to Ian Bell at short leg.
Two balls later Kemar Roach was caught by a diving Chris Tremlett off Swann to leave West Indies 223 for nine.
West Indies had seen fit-again opener Chris Gayle (43) make a typically rapid start as their fifty came up inside five overs.
But Tredwell took his first one-day international wicket when, fifth ball, he had Gayle, pushing half-forward, lbw to end a 21-ball innings featuring a six and eight fours.
Tredwell, in only his fourth ODI, then had Devon Smith stumped by wicketkeeper Prior as he took two wickets for nine runs in eight balls.
Tredwell then had Darren Bravo edging to England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip.
Sammy struck several sixes off Tredwell before playing onto Ravi Bopara for 41 off 29 balls.
And when Devon Thomas also played on to Bopara, West Indies were 118 for five.
Swann had the big-hitting Kieron Pollard plumb lbw for 24, despite a desperate review, and West Indies were six down.
Earlier, Luke Wright kept England's hopes alive with 44 after they'd slumped to 134 for five.
Trott (47) was the only other England batsman who made more than Strauss's 31 in an innings where debutant leg-spinner Davendra Bishoo took three wickets and Russell claimed four.

Shoaib Akhtar announces to quit

2011-03-17T19:06:00.001+05:00

COLOMBO: Pakistan's maverick paceman Shoaib Akhtar, whose colourful career has been a heady mix of on-field brilliance and off-field controversy, will quit international cricket after the World Cup.
"I have decided to retire. Mentally I wanted to go on forever but I have decided to make way for the youngsters," the 35-year-old said on Thursday. "I have no regrets. I made lots of friends but some people have misunderstood me. I thank all the players who played with me and against me.
"It was an honour to have played with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. I never imagined I would play for Pakistan. It was my greatest moment.
Akhtar, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India at Bangalore in 2007. He is three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and has taken 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.
Pakistan squad members hugged him in the dressing room on Thursday before captain Shahid Afridi embraced him as the players entered the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo for practice.
"I want to be remembered as an honest and patriotic player who never trod a wrong path," said Akhtar. Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express during his tearaway days as one of Test cricket's most feared if unpredictable talents, once cracked the 100mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.
At this World Cup, which was always likely to be his swansong, he looked neat and tidy with figures of 0-10 and 2-42 against Kenya and Sri Lanka respectively. He missed the win over Canada before being smashed all over the park at Pallekele against New Zealand -- including 28 runs off his last over -- and was dropped for the game with Zimbabwe.
Akhtar's last delivery against New Zealand -- which may prove his final one at international level if he doesn't get another chance at the World Cup -- was hit for six by Ross Taylor.

We’ve no fear playing in India: Afridi

2011-03-16T21:44:00.000+05:00

COLOMBO: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi denied on Wednesday that he feared playing a World Cup quarter-final in India, insisting a potential clash between the two neighbours can help ease strained relations.

"I have never said anything along the lines that we don't want to go to India. I never said that," said Afridi, hitting back at media reports that Pakistan wants to avoid playing their last-eight game in India.

"We are here to play the World Cup, so wherever we have to play we will go and we have no fears over going to India," said Afridi of the possibility of a mouth-watering quarter-final against their South Asian rivals at Ahmedabad.

"I think a cricket match has always brought the people of both countries together and has the capacity to improve the relations between the two," said Afridi.

The relationship between the nuclear rivals has been at breaking point since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008, which New Delhi blamed on extremists based in Pakistan.

Those attacks also forced India to stall bi-lateral cricket series with Pakistan, although both countries played against each other in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in 2009.

Afridi said he and his team-mates have always enjoyed playing cricket in India.

"I have always enjoyed cricket in India, never enjoyed anywhere more than in India, I get maximum enjoyment there," said Afridi, whose first Test century came at Chennai in 1999.

He also hit one-day cricket's fourth fastest century off just 45 balls, against India at Kanpur in 2005.

Pakistan have eight points from their five matches and could top Group A if they beat defending champions Australia in their last match on Saturday.

Afridi says his team fear no opposition.

"The kind of cricket we are playing we fear no venue and no opposition, so India in India, and Australia in the last group match are no problems," said Afridi, who played down threats from extremists groups in India.

"What ever is the response, we will get to know it when we go there because we will be going there after a long time," said Afridi.

"We have played in India in worse situations," added Afridi, referring to Pakistan's tour in 1999 where Hindu militants dug up the pitch in New Delhi.

"For both teams, the pressure is always there and whoever handles the pressure wins the match. But before that we have an important match against Australia and I think we have the capacity to beat them," said Afridi.

Australia beat Canada in interesting clash

2011-03-16T21:42:00.000+05:00

BANGALORE: Defending champions Australia defeated Canada by seven wickets with 15.1 overs remaining in their World Cup Group A match here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Already through to the quarter-finals, now Australia have extended their unbeaten run in the World Cup to 34 matches stretching back to 1999. They have also gone top of the group.

Chasing a modest total of 212, Australia achieved the winning target in 34.5 overs for the loss of only three wickets after openers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin provided a 183-run opening stand.

Later, Ricky Ponting fell cheaply for only seven runs when Australia’s victory was just five runs away.

Michael Clarke and Cameron White remained not out on 16 and four, respectively.

Watson hammered 94 off 90 balls with four sixes and nine fours while his partner Haddin made 88 from 84 balls with eleven fours and two sixes.

Earlier, Aussie bowlers restricted Canada for 211 runs all out in 45.4 overs after the minnows’ top-order batsmen provided a brave fight.

The 19-year-old opener, Hiral Patel, faced Aussie pacers boldly, blasting a career-best 54 after Canada captain Ashish Bagai won the toss.

But Brett Lee took four for 46 as the North Americans were bowled out with 26 balls to spare.

Canada were well-placed at 150 for two but Australia then took five wickets for 19 runs.

Canada had promoted 40-year-old off-spinner John Davison, playing his last match before international retirement, to open the innings.

Davison looked good making 14 before fast bowler Lee out-thought him with a slow bouncer the batsman could only feather to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as he attempted a hook.

The undaunted Patel took Canada to the fastest fifty of any team this tournament -- in 29 balls -- when he miscued a six off Mitchell Johnson high over third man.

But Patel, whose highest score in 13 previous one-day internationals was 43, made no mistake in hooking a Lee bouncer for six.

Patel completed his personal fifty in just 37 balls, including three sixes and five fours.

However, his blistering innings ended when he slashed medium-pacer Shane Watson to Johnson at third man, leaving Canada 82-2 in the 12th over.

Zubin Surkari and Bagai kept Australia at bay with a stand of 68 until the captain, on 39, edged a cut off Tait to Haddin.

Jimmy Hansra gifted off-spinner Jason Krejza only his third wicket of the tournament when he holed out to long-on and Surkari (34), one ball after being hit on the hip by a Tait full toss, was bowled by the speedster.

Canada want World Cup, Ponting rethink

2011-03-16T03:44:00.001+05:00

BANGALORE: Canada captain Ashish Bagai said the way his side played against champions Australia on Wednesday could force a change in plans to cut the number of teams at future World Cups.
The International Cricket Council aim to have only 10 nations competing at the 2015 World Cup, compared to the current 14.
As there are 10 Test sides, this has left second-tier nations such as Canada, who have also appeared in the 1979, 2003 and 2007 editions, fearful they could be frozen out.
Wednesday's match is Canada's final Group A fixture of a tournament where they have beaten fellow associates Kenya by five wickets but suffered convincing defeats in all of their other five first round fixtures.
What could be Canada's final-ever World Cup match has been given added spice by Australia captain Ricky Ponting's assertion that "the World Cup should be a place only for the best eight or 10 teams".
Bagai said: "I don't think it's just a point to prove to Ricky.
"It's for us to put on a good show to give reasons to the ICC to rethink their decision, not just for Ricky but for ourselves as well. To prove a point to ourselves and the people watching us."
Canada off-spinner John Davison said the way the North Americans' leg-spinner Balaji Rao had taken nine wickets at a respectable 28.11 was an example of how exposure to top-class opposition could raise standards.
"I think the performance of Balaji shows that if we get a lot of opportunity to train in good conditions and play against good teams, you can see how someone can lift their game to the standard required," said Davison.
The veteran player won't, however, be part of any future international plans as he'll retire after Wednesday's match.

Proteas into quarters, crush Ireland

2011-03-16T03:42:00.001+05:00

KOLKATA: South Africa have become the first country in Group B to qualify for the quarterfinals in the World Cup 2011 after they outclassed Ireland by 131 runs in day-night match here at the Eden Garden on Tuesday.
Chasing a difficult target of 273, Ireland could not bat at ease as they were losing wickets at regular intervals and the whole team was out for 141 in 33.2 overs.
Gary Wilson was the top scorer with 31 with four boundaries and a six as no other Irish batsman could reach even 20.
For South Africa, Robin Peterson and Morne Morkel captured three wickets each for 32 and 33, respectively while Jacques Kallis claimed two for 20.
Earlier, South Africa managed to score 272 runs for the loss of seven wickets despite tight bowling from the minnows.
Sent into bat by Ireland captain William Porterfield, South Africa were facing difficulty in scoring fast against the minnows as they lost their top order batsmen for 117 runs in about 27 overs.
However, Jean-Paul Duminy and Collin Ingram rescued the team and took the score to 204 before Ingram was bowled by Trent Johnston for 46.
Then, Duminy found another good partner in Johan Botha (21) to add further 65 runs for the seventh wicket.
But he was unfortunate to miss his third ODI century by just one run as he was superbly caught by Kevin O'Brien off John Mooney. He hit six fours and a six in his 103-ball innings.
Among others, Morne van Wyk was the only significant contributor with a fluent 46 from 41 balls with seven fours and a six.
South Africa made one change from the side which beat India by three wickets in Nagpur on Saturday, bringing in Colin Ingram in place of their most prolific batsman AB de Villiers, who suffered a thigh strain during their win against India.
Ireland brought in fit again pace-man Trent Johnston in place of all-rounder Andre Botha, who was down with a stomach bug. This is the only change Ireland made from the team which lost to the West Indies by 44 runs.

Pakistan book quarters berth, beating Zimbabwe

2011-03-15T02:02:00.001+05:00

PALLEKELE: Pakistan qualified for playing the quarterfinals in the World Cup 2011, defeating Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the rain-shortened Group A match here at the Pallekele International Stadium on Monday.
Pakistan, set a revised 162-run target in 38 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis formula, successfully achieved that in 34.1 overs on the back of an unbeaten 78 by Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Hafeez (49).
The victory gave the 1992 winners eight points from five matches and a place in the last eight, sending Zimbabwe packing after the first round.
New Zealand, Sri Lanka and defending champions Australia make up the other qualifiers from Group A.
The final group standings will depend on the results of the remaining matches in the first phase. The top four teams will also qualify from Group B.
Pakistan's target looked tricky as Zimbabwe bowled a tight line and length. Left-arm spinner Raymond Price (2-21), opening the attack, dismissed opener Ahmed Shahzad (eight) in his second over.
Price and Utseya then bowled two maiden overs before Hafeez and Shafiq -- playing his first World Cup match in place of injured Umar Akmal -- opened up with some attractive drives.
Hafeez fell one short of his half-century, caught off Utseya after hitting six boundaries during his 65-ball knock.
Shahid Afridi promoted himself to number four but managed just three runs. Shafiq and Younis Khan (13 not out) saw Pakistan home.
Shafiq hit seven boundaries during his sedate 97-ball knock.
Earlier, seamers Umar Gul (3-36), Abdul Razzaq (1-24) and Wahab Riaz (1-21) removed Zimbabwe's top four for just 43 after Elton Chigumbura won the toss and chose to bat in overcast conditions.
Spinners Afridi and Hafeez, with a wicket each, further derailed Zimbabwe, who at the first rain break were 96-5.
Left-hander Craig Ervine fought a lone battle, hitting a patient 52 off 82 balls with five boundaries for his third ODI fifty, before Hafeez bowled him in his first over.
Chigumbura (32 not out) and Prosper Utseya (18) added 48 for the seventh wicket.
Zimbabwe made a disastrous start, losing in-form Brendan Taylor off the fifth ball of the innings, caught off Razzaq by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
Gul made it 5-2 when he dismissed Regis Chakabva off the last ball of the second over, before removing Vusimuzi Sibanda (five) shortly afterwards.
Ervine and Tatenda Taibu added 30 for the fourth wicket before Wahab Riaz, in for Shoaib Akhtar, had Taibu caught off a miscued drive at mid-off by Afridi for 19.
Zimbabwe play their last match against Kenya on March 20.

Tigers down Dutch, keeping quarters hopes alive

2011-03-15T02:00:00.001+05:00

CHITTAGONG: Imrul Kais guided Bangladesh to an easy six-wicket victory against the Netherlands in Group B match, keeping alive their hopes of playing the World Cup quarter-finals, here at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday.
The Dutch were shot out for 160 in 46.2 overs after electing to bat first on the slow wicket, a target Bangladesh surpassed in the 42nd over with left-handed batsman Imrul Kayes making 73 not out.
Bangladesh's three left-arm spinners shared five of the six wickets to fall to bowlers with Abdur Razzak leading the way with 3-29 in 10 steady overs.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan and Suhrawadi Shuvo, who was brought in to replace off-spinner Naeem Islam, claimed one wicket apiece.
Kayes put on 92 for the second-wicket with Junaid Siddique (35) after opening partner Tamim Iqbal was bowled by Mudassar Bukhari off the fourth ball of the innings without scoring.
Shahriar Nafees, one of the five left-handers at the top of the batting order who replaced right-handed Raqibul Hasan, made 37 in a third-wicket stand of 59 with Kayes.
Kayes, who followed his 60 against England with another half-century, was named man of the match for the second time in a row.
Bangladesh joined the West Indies and South Africa on six points, one behind Group B leaders India and a point ahead of England.
A West Indies win over England in Chennai on Thursday will enable Bangladesh ease into the last eight even before their final league match against South Africa in Dhaka on Saturday.
But an unlikely Irish win over the Proteas in Kolkata on Tuesday will once again throw open the quarter-final race from the pool.
Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored for the Netherlands with an unbeaten 53, but none of the other batsmen managed 30, six failed to reach double figures and four ran themselves out.
Openers Wesley Barrisi and Eric Szwaraczynski plodded to 28 runs in nine overs, following a tidy opening spell by seamer Shafiul Islam, who conceded just seven runs in his first six overs.
Tom Cooper (29) and Szwaraczynski carried the score to 66-2 by the 23rd over when both batsmen were run out in the space of 13 runs to set the Dutch back again.
Szwaraczynski, who made 28, was unfortunate to be dismissed at the non-striker's end when Shakib deflected a straight drive from Cooper onto the stumps.
Wicket-keeper Musfiqur Rahim, who had dropped Cooper on six, made amends when he lunged for a wide throw from the deep and threw the ball at the stumps before the batsman had regained his crease.
Shuvo had Alexei Kervezee stumped by Rahim for 18, before Razzak dismissed Tom de Grooth and Atse Buurman in three deliveries to reduce the Netherlands to 127-7 in the 38th over.
Skipper Peter Borren and Adeel Raja also ran themselves out, leaving ten Doeschate stranded at the other end.

Aussies thrash Kenya by 60 runs

2011-03-13T23:24:00.001+05:00

BANGALORE: Holders Australia claimed their place in the last eight of the World Cup on Sunday but they were made to work surprisingly hard by Kenya who restored pride with a defiant performance despite losing by 60 runs.
Michael Clarke (93) and the returning Mike Hussey (54) bailed their team out of trouble to help set up a daunting 324-6 but Kenya defied the much-vaunted Australian fast bowling unit to score a respectable 264-6 in Group A.
Earlier, opener Brad Haddin had made 65 but Australia found themselves under unexpected pressure at one stage at 143-4.
After four straight losses, Kenya had clearly decided not to go down without a fight and Tanmay Mishra (72) along with Collins Obuya (98 not out) resisted with a stubborn stand of 115 for the fourth wicket.
The pace trio of Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson regularly generated speeds in excess of 140 kmph but the Kenyan batsmen gave as good as they got and notched up their highest score in the tournament so far.
Three of the six Kenyan wickets to fall were by run-outs as the Australian fast bowlers and spinners almost ran out of ideas to dismiss a batting side which was skittled out in their previous four matches.
It had seemed as if the match was headed for a fast finish as Kenya slumped to 46-3 in the 10th over. But as the pitch lost its pace, Mishra took on the role of the aggressor and clobbered eight boundaries and one huge six.
Obuya, however, was more restrained at the start of his innings but accelerated towards the end and singled out Shane Watson for some especially harsh treatment.
Thomas Odoyo joined the African party with a 38-ball 35 at the end but the Kenyans always were well behind the asking run-rate and their valiant attempt fell short.
Earlier, Clarke (93 off 80 balls) paced his innings to perfection to avoid a middle-order collapse after Australia lost three quick wickets in the space of 15 balls at the end of the
27th over.
Clarke and Hussey (54 in 43 balls), who celebrated his return to the World Cup squad with a typically industrious innings, came together with Australia in a spot of bother and
with a 300 plus score looking a long way off.
They immediately put the Kenyan fielders under pressure with singles and twos and the odd boundary to wrest the initiative back with a 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket at better than a run a ball.
Shane Watson (21) and captain Ricky Ponting (36) also got some runs under their belt.