JAIPUR, Apr 3 (UNI): Warning that Sourav Ganguly's poor form with the bat can jeopardise his captaincy, former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas advised the Indian skipper to correct some technical flaws that plague his batting.
Zaheer, who was in the city for a TV show, told UNI that Sourav needed a big score to get back his confidence and for that he would have to correct some technical flaws.
"He (Sourav) should concentrate hard on every ball and play his natural game, disregarding the psychological pressure he is facing," Zaheer said.
Called "Asian Bradman" in his days, Zaheer advised Sourav to play freely in order to come out of the bad patch.
In the past, Zaheer had also come to the rescue of Mohammed Azharuddin sorting out his grip problem which saw the latter striking form.
Replying to a question, Zaheer said despite yesterday's defeat at Kochi, Pakistan was a very unpredictable side and on their day, they could outplay any team in the world.
Talking on the current India-Pakistan one day series, Zaheer said toss would play an important role in the remaining one dayers also.
Fellow panelist Syed Kirmani, meanwhile, said that he was not impressed by the present lot of Indian wicketkeepers.
Himself one of the best stumpers of his era, Kirmani rued that in those days, most were gifted wicketkeepers while majority of the present day are merely groomed.
He cited the instance of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who, he found, was not a born wicketkeeper but a groomed one.
Perhaps, the secret to success lies in numerology as it seemed to happen to Indian captain Sourav Ganguly in the first of the six One Day International match series for the Pepsi Cup against Pakistan here yesterday.
Sourav, having a lean time with the bat, was hoping to break the jinx of poor form in the crucial match.
Apparantly, he failed again because he was not wearing the jersy with the number 99, which has been proving lucky for him.
While leaving the hotel for the stadium, Sourav, however, forgot to pick up this lucky jersy of his.
On reaching the ground, the Indian captain sent somebody to go back to the hotel and fetch the shirt.
However, as luck would have it, by the time this person, accompanied by the Indian team's security officer could fetch the lucky shirt, Sourav's innings ended off just the only ball he faced from Pakistan fast bowler Rana Naved! Shoaib's comeback hinges on physio's report LAHORE, Apr 3 (UNI): Tearaway pacer Shoaib Akhtar said though he felt fit after bowling in the Twenty 20 match against Leicestershire, it was upto Pakistan physio Grant Compton to decide when he can join the national squad.
"I am feeling fit but it is up to Compton to determine when I would be able to gain full match fitness," Shoaib told reporters after the match here.
Shoaib bowled four overs in two spells of three overs and one in the match at the Gaddafi stadium.
It was a familiar sight with the pacer bowling from his full run up but he concentrated more on length and avoided pace.
"I bowled with my full run up today and felt no pain or pressure in my leg muscles," he said.
Hailing the team's win in the Bangalore Test, he said, "It was my sheer bad luck that I was not a part of the victorious team.
I always felt pride in playing for my country." Talking about injuries plaguing his career, Shoaib said they were part and parcel of every fast bowler.
"I have a long run up and it consumes my full energy to bowl at a speed of 100 miles per hour.
Therefore, it is very difficult for me to remain fit in the whole series," he said.
He also took a dig at his detractors and said, "Fast bowlers are injury prone everywhere but in my case all the hue and cry is made only to upset me." PCB chief to brief foreign office on Musharraf's security at Kotla LAHORE, Apr 3 (UNI) Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan will brief the foreign office on security arrangements being made for President Pervez Musharraf's visit to Ferozeshah Kotla stadium in Delhi for the last one-dayer against India.
"They have shown me two or three spots where they plan to arrange the seating for President Musharraf and the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the match and I will be briefing the foreign office on everything including the security arrangements being made at the stadium," "The News" quoted Shaharyar Khan as saying.
The PCB chief met government, Delhi and District Cricket Association (BCCI) officials in Delhi in the last two days and also visited the Ferozeshah Kotla.
"After these meetings what has been conveyed to me is that the match will now be held at the Ferozeshah Kotla and we are only concerned about is where will they seat President Musharraf," shaharyar added.
Tickets for the match is another crucial issue due to limited seating capacity in the under-construction Kotla.
The PCB chief said, "The fact is that if they have limited capacity for the match then obviously they are not going to give us many tickets for visitors from Pakistan." New Zealand look for redemption against Sri Lanka WELLINGTON, Apr 3 (Reuters): New Zealand's cricketers are hoping to redeem themselves after their heavy loss to Australia when the first test against Sri Lanka starts at McLean Park in Napier tomorrow.
With Muttiah Muralitharan unavailable as he recovers from injury and Sri Lanka playing their first test since October, the New Zealanders are hoping for an easier time than the mauling they received from the Australians.
"We've had a tough month," coach John Bracewell told the New Zealand Herald.
"(But) I think we've probably got to take advantage of the fact that they might be slightly underdone.
That's the edge we should be carrying in to Napier.
"We need to go into the test with a hard attitude, determined to cut down our error rate and not let the pressure affect our inexperience." The two-test series was originally due to be played in January but was postponed because of the devastating Asian tsunami.
The second test will be played in Wellington from April 11.
The Sri Lankans have played only a handful of first-class matches since then and their only warm-up match in New Zealand was hit by rain.
"We'll really have to take advantage of the fact that we're match-hardened," Bracewell said.
"Our guys are looking forward to it.
I've heard no one talking negatively, they really want to play these games and get stuck into it." New Zealand will be without Daniel Vettori for the opening test after the left-arm spinner was ordered to rest.
He was replaced by Kyle Mills in the 12-man squad.
Vettori was New Zealand's outstanding player against Australia but his heavy workload took its toll and he complained of a sore back.
New Zealand have struggled with injuries all season and will be without a host of frontline players for the series including Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Ian Butler and Daryl Tuffey.
The Sri Lankans will also be under strength but do have one thing in their favour: the last time any test was played at McLean Park, a decade ago, Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by 241 runs.
Teams: New Zealand - Stephen Fleming (captain), Craig Cumming, James Marshall, Hamish Marshall, Nathan Astle, Lou Vincent, Brendon McCullum, Iain O'Brien, Kyle Mills, Paul Wiseman, James Franklin, Chris Martin (12th man to be named) Sri Lanka (from) - Marvan Atapattu (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Shantha Kalavitigoda, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Rangana Herath, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ruchira Perera .