No fitness worries for Asif

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board has dismissed reports that pacer Mohammed Asif suffered a recurrence of his elbow problem while playing in the Indian Premier League.

The board’s medical panel member Sohail Saleem said that Asif was completely fit and his present fitness problem in the IPL was not related to his elbow injury that had kept him out of cricket for six months.

“He has no elbow problem and he is fit to bowl,” Saleem said after the board came under fire for allowing Asif to play in the IPL soon after recovering from his chronic elbow problem that required a key hole surgery in Australia earlier this year. The board said Asif’s latest injury was due to a split webbing in his hand. Asif is playing for Delhi DareDevils.

Bopara threat to selectors

London: England’s middle order batsman, Ravi Bopara has threatened to join the cash rich IPL, if the selectors don’t reward his good form with a recall to the national side. The 23-year-old player of the Indian origin, who had earlier claimed to have refused a “six-figure” offer from one of the IPL franchises, said he would reconsider his decision if he fails to platform a comeback to the national side by the next season.

“The decision I made (not to join the IPL) was just based on this season... if things continue as they are, and the offer comes along again, then I’ll have to think about it,” he was quoted as saying in a daily.

Pak minister dilemma

Islamabad: Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is looking for a new team to root for in the Indian Premier League after his favourites Kolkata Knight Riders were virtually knocked out of the tourney. “The team I was rooting for — the Knight Riders — got knocked out last night,” Qureshi said. “I have to look for a new team to back now.”

ICC team happy with security

Karachi: After the International Cricket Council (ICC) delegation completed the final leg of its security tour of Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, the event director for the ICC Champions Trophy, Ahmed Farooq, told newsmen that they were happy with the arrangements for the tournament. Farooq, a senior bureaucrat, has said that security experts and officials of the world governing body have expressed satisfaction over the arrangements for the meet, to be held from September 11 in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Aussie fixtures

Calcutta: Australia’s triangular one-day cricket series, which has been played since the 1979-80 season, has been scrapped in favour of two five-match series against the visiting New Zealand and South African sides, says A Staff Reporter. The decision was confirmed when Cricket Australia (CA) announced its domestic international programme.

Ricky Ponting’s team will open the season with two Tests against New Zealand in Brisbane and Adelaide before Daniel Vettori’s side return home for their own programme. New Zealand will return for five one-day Internationals in early February.