Atapattu wants to prove a point

Colombo: After being dramatically included in the Sri Lankan squad for the forthcoming Australian tour, former captain Marvan Atapattu wants to live up to the expectations during the Tour Down Under.

“I have been out of the game for sometime and I know I have to perform and prove myself because I was invited due to my ability,” Atapattu said on Sunday.

Chawla brought in for Kartik

Mumbai: Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has been inducted into the India Green side for the October 25-28 NKP Salve Challenger Trophy to be held in Ahmedabad. “Murali Kartik has been given a rest. His place will be taken up by Piyush Chawla,” chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar said on Monday.

The left-arm spinner from Railways appears a certainty when the team for the ODI series against Pakistan is picked in Ahmedabad on October 27.

Kaneria gets support

Faisalabad: Pakistan’s former leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed wants the selectors to give Danish Kaneria a fair chance in the ODI squad. “He is a very good bowler and gives you lot of attacking options. I am surprised he is not in the team for the South Africa series,” he said.

ICL can’t stop Yousuf: PCB

Faisalabad: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday said the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) cannot prevent Mohammed Yousuf from playing for the country during the upcoming India series by serving the player with a legal notice. PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf said the board was prepared to offer the best possible legal help to Yousuf.

CA initiative

Calcutta: Cricket Australia has given renowned cricket authors Gideon Haigh and David Frith full access to its archives and other records for a full and frank account of the governing body’s decisions of the past century. According to a press release, their resulting work — Inside Story: Unlocking Australian Cricket’s Archives, analyses the decision-making behind the Australian game’s major controversies.

CSA gesture

Durban: Cricket South Africa (CSA) will help Zimbabwe regain their cricketing strength by including the northern neighbour in the country’s major domestic competitions. This was disclosed by CSA’s cricket operations manager Brian Basson on Monday.

Sponsors

Calcutta: IndianOil will be the title sponsors for the India-Pakistan ODI series next month. The five-match series begins on November 5 in Guwahati.