In a volte-face, the Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday claimed that former skippers Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan were never banned and can be brought back to the side anytime.

Amidst strong opposition from the African bloc, John Howard’s ambition of becoming ICC president got a boost with president-elect Sharad Pawar backing the process of his nomination.

Tamim Iqbal’s typically dashing 42 not out led a Bangladesh counterattack on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord’s here on Friday.
At tea, Bangladesh were 67/0 but still 438 runs behind an England first innings 505 that featured Jonathan Trott’s Test best 226 and the Tigers needed a further 239 to avoid the follow-on in the first of a two-match series.

Zimbabwe stunned India by six wickets with 10 balls to spare to give the tri-nation one-day series with Sri Lanka a surprising opening here on Friday.
Zimbabwe showed they wouldn’t just be the amiable hosts for the pair of former World Cup champions, by overhauling India’s impressive 285/5 with the second highest successful chase in their history.

Despite India’s underwhelming performance in the World T20 Championships in West Indies recently, Sachin Tendulkar feels that the current bunch are more than adequate to make amends, and that there was no need for him to turn out for India in the shortest version of the game.

With the cricket boards of South Africa and Zimbabawe rejecting the nomination of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard for the ICC vice-president’s post, pressure is mounting on India to take a stand one way or the other.

A new-look Indian team will look to test their bench strength when they face Zimbabwe in the opening match of the triangular ODI series, also involving Sri Lanka, here on Friday.

Jonathan Trott’s second Test century left England in a strong position on the first day of their series opener against Bangladesh at Lord’s here on Thursday. England were 231/3 at tea with Trott 107 not out as he made his second successive Test century in England to go with the 119 he scored in the second innings of his debut against Australia at the Oval last year.

Pakistan former captain Mohammad Yousuf said he would revoke his decision to retire from international cricket only if his “elders” give him the permission to do this.
“If fate allows I will play for Pakistan again but only if my elders give me permission,” Yousuf said.

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has sent a carefully-worded reply to the cricket control board’s showcause notice, both apologising for his involvement in the incident at a St. Lucia pub shortly after India’s exit from the ICC World Twenty20 as well insisting that he had done nothing wrong.