Gift for nation, dedicated to Woolmer

Pakistan cricket came alive at Lord’s on Sunday evening in all its unpredictable glory and unrefined exquisiteness. They had come into this tournament burdened by troubles at home and blighted by lack of match practice. They had started their campaign playing as though in shackles, they finished it with a chest-thumping freedom that would’ve seemed more appropriate in the frenzied, drunken stands.

The evening that began with what must be one of the most intimidating overs in Twenty20 history, ended in a flurry of fours and sixes from Shahid Afridi’s free-spirited blade. In the three-and-a-half hours in between, there were only a few moments when Pakistan flirted with the uncertainty that so typifies their cricket.

And at the end, they had trumped a Sri Lankan team that had been clinical and unbeaten through the tournament by eight wickets — a margin of victory that indicated the difference between the teams on the day.

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Team India failed unit test

Their first match on this trip, the warm-up against New Zealand, India lost by nine runs, their last game of the campaign, against South Africa, they lost by 12. As a team though, they have taken more steps back in the last two weeks than those numbers suggest.

Of all the hits that MS Dhoni and his team have taken over the fortnight, this one probably hurt the most. Losing to South Africa on a turner (the track was more Kanpur than Trent Bridge), chasing an extremely chaseable 130 at that, definitely ticks the box marked embarrassing.

For the last three days, the Indian camp has been answering questions on what went wrong.

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First signs of thaw in India-Pakistan 26/11 freezeis

Six months after the Mumbai terror attacks put the peace process between India and Pakistan on “pause”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday directed their Foreign Secretaries to meet before the NAM summit in Egypt, where the two leaders are likely to meet again.

The summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries will take place mid-July in Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt, and indications are the FS-level meeting is likely to be held in the last week of June or early July.

Manmohan Singh on Tuesday told President Zardari to take action to stop terrorism against India emanating from his country’s soil. Setting the tone for the meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Singh, shaking hands with Zardari, bluntly told him in front of television cameras that “my mandate is to tell you that Pakistan territory should not be used for terrorism against India.”

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Couldn't connect, we lost our players during Indian Premier League: Coach

The Indian team arrived in London two weeks ago, punch drunk on success and the confidence that comes with it. Riding on 39 days of manic Indian Premier League action, they were the men in form, the side that had figured this format out. So what went wrong for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team? Bad form? Bad planning? Bad luck?

Coach Gary Kirsten had one answer today: the IPL.

He was quite clear that the scheduling of the IPL, squeezed in between the New Zealand tour and the world Twenty20 championships, had a lot to do with the team’s disappointing showing. “We came into a tournament without being able to connect with the players at all. We got two days with the players,” Kirsten said this evening.

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England quicks send India out of World Twenty20 championship, win by three runs

India’s World Twenty20 title defence came to an undignified end at Lord’s on Sunday night, with their batsmen crumbling to an aggressive English bowling performance. Chasing 154 to stay alive in the tournament, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team fell three runs short, their second straight defeat leaving them with nothing but pride to play for against South Africa on Tuesday.

I Over two weeks in England, including the warm-ups, India have beaten a ragged Pakistan, the inexperienced Ireland and a ridiculously poor Bangladesh. Against New Zealand, West Indies and England last night, they fell comfortably short. England’s victory margin did not reflect how far behind India were.

There will be time for post-mortems, but first impressions are that they should have seen it coming. The West Indian quicks had them hopping around on Friday night, and they got more of the same on Sunday.

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Ronaldo to Real for 80 million pounds

Manchester United have accepted a world record bid of 80 million pounds ($131.7 million) from Real Madrid for Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, the English champions said on Thursday.

United, who fended off the Spanish club’s interest in the World and European Player of the Year 12 months ago, have given the nine-time European champions the go-ahead.

“Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid,” the club said. “At Cristiano’s request who has again expressed his desire to leaveand after discussion with the player’s representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player. “Matters are expected to be concluded by June 30.”

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Peshawar hotel bombers first fired at guards

Footage captured by close circuit cameras minutes before the suicide attack on a five-star hotel in Peshawar shows terrorists storming the building’s compound after firing at the hotel guards.

The attackers, who drove up to the luxury hotel Pearl Continental’s gate in a white car and a mini truck shortly before 10.30 pm on Tuesday, opened fire after guards opened the gate and lowered a concrete barrier. The car and the truck then drove at high speed towards the parking lot of the hotel.

The CCTV footage, aired by Geo News channel, showed a flash caused by a massive explosion that followed minutes later and plumes of smoke rising into the air.

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