Misbah-ul-Haq dropped from Pakistan’s World Cup T20 probables’ list, Kamran recalled

Test and ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq was on Wednesday dropped from Pakistan's provisional 30-man squad for this year's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, but the PCB recalled Kamran Akmal after the wicketkeeper-batsman was cleared of suspicions of spot-fixing, says a report in The Indian Express.

Misbah was also not considered for the two Twenty20s against Sri Lanka last month, which resulted in Mohammad Hafeez leading the side. As for Kamran, who has not played international cricket since last year's World Cup, he had claimed that he has a letter from the ICC that no inquiry is pending against him. Kamran's selection was approved after he appeared before PCB's integrity committee last week.

Kamran's name was mentioned in the spot-fixing trial involving three Pakistani Test players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer -- who were banned and jailed for bowling deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test against England in 2010. He was also accused of deliberately under-performing during Pakistan's shocking defeat against Australia in the 2010 Sydney Test.
Also on the list were all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and opening batsman Imran Nazir,

Ravi Bopara starred with bat and ball as England routed Australia by seven wickets in the fifth and final one-day international at Old Trafford to complete a 4-0 series win. It was the heaviest defeat ever suffered by Australia, still the world number one in the 50-over game, in any head-to-head limited overs series, says a report in The Indian Express.

Man-of-the-match Bopara took two wickets for eight runs in four overs with his medium-pacers as England’s attack held Australia to 145 for seven in an innings reduced by rain to 32 overs. Then, after a further rain break saw England set a revised victory target of 138 in 29 overs, Bopara made 52 not out off 56 balls with five fours.

Together with England captain Alastair Cook, who made 58, he shared a stand of 92 in 98 balls that took the team to the brink of victory. And when Eoin Morgan struck the winning runs England — who’ve now won 10 one-dayers in a row — had triumphed with 11 balls to spare.

Meanwhile, opener Murali Vijay slammed 186 (211b, 28x4, 5x6) as Jolly Rovers raced to 379 for two against Young Stars on the opening day of the second round in the TNCA first division league on Wednesday, says a report in The Hindu.

Vijay and R. Nilesh Subramanian (80, 157b, 13x4) put on 221 in 50.2 overs for the first wicket. Then Vijay and Anand Subramanian (68 batting, 119b, 9x4) raised 93 for the second wicket in 17.5 overs.