India vs South Africa World T20 semifinal 'live' cricket coverage: Rain forecast; India have one leg in final

Rain forecast means India could advance by virtue of being group winners

India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin gestures as he bowls in nets at a training session during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the Khan Saheb Osman Ali Stadium at Fatullah in Dhaka on April 2, 2014.

India could advance into the final of the ICC World Twenty20 without a ball being in the second semifinal against South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Friday with the weather forecast predicting heavy rain.

Sri Lanka sailed into the World Twenty20 final after beating holders West Indies by 27 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-ruined contest on Thursday.

Chasing 161 for victory against the team they beat in the final of the 2012 tournament, West Indies were 80 for four in 13.5 overs when the players were forced off by a hailstorm and a wet outfield prevented any further action in the semi-final.

Sri Lanka now face the winners of Friday's game between India and South Africa in Sunday's final.

Even if a five-over per-side match is not possible, the team that is ranked higher in their respective group will be declared winner of the contest.

India have emerged as group champions, winning all their four matches in Group 2, while South Africa were second in their group with six points by virtue of three wins.

India have also replaced Sri Lanka as the top T20 side in the ICC rankings released on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, the second semifinal between unbeaten India and South Africa could also boil down to a spinners' showdown between Imran Tahir and Indian pair Amit Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Leg-spinner Mishra's nine-wicket haul in four games has been matched by off-break bowler Ashwin's seven wickets, helping India to become the only team to win all four Super-10 matches.

South Africa, branded chokers for their inability to win major titles, seem to have put the past behind them by scripting three narrow wins in Chittagong after losing their opening game to Sri Lanka by five runs.

The Proteas beat New Zealand by two runs, the Netherlands by six runs and England by three runs, giving all-rounder JP Duminy added confidence going into the second semi-final against India.

"We can take a lot of confidence from those wins," he said. "Two of those games we were not meant to win, but to win a game out of nothing is something very positive.

"India will be a huge challenge, but we are ready. Its a big game, a semi-final of a world event. It does not get bigger than this."

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said his team was peaking at the right time, but stressed that nothing could be taken for granted in the shortest format.

"We have to bat and bowl well again," he said. "In T20, a couple of overs can change the game so it is hard to predict how it will go."

Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale celebrate

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with teammates Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, Pepe (top) and Francisco "Isco" Alarcon after scoring a goal against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. (REUTERS)

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale celebrates with teammates Daniel Carvajal and Xabi Alonso after scoring a goal against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. (REUTERS)

Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates his goal against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. (REUTERS)

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (L) celebrates with teammates Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos (top) after scoring a goal against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu. (REUTERS)

(REUTERS)

Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid (L) falls over Henrikh Mkhitaryan of Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. (REUTERS)

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos (R) and Borussia Dortmund's Sokratis Papastathopoulos challenge for a high ball during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. (REUTERS)

Fabio Coentrao (L) tackles Borussia Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. (REUTERS)

Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller of Borussia Dortmund saves in front of Gareth Bale of Real Madrid (R) during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium. (REUTERS)

Cristiano Ronaldo controls the ball during their Champions League. (REUTERS)

Real Madrid's coach Carlo Ancelotti gestures during their Champions League quarter-final first leg soccer match against Borussia Dortmund at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid. (REUTERS)

World T20 semifinals: South Africa confident of taking on Indian spinners

India won all four group games on a turning wicket in Dhaka.

South Africa cricketer Quinton de Kock plays a shot in nets at a training session during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on April 2, 2014

South Africa feel they have the batting to take on what they expect to be a barrage of spin from India when they meet in the World Twenty20 semi-finals in Bangladesh on Friday.

"We know it's going to be a big challenge for us," all-rounder JP Duminy told a news conference in Dhaka on Tuesday.

"Their spinners have been doing exceptionally well in this tournament but I think we have the armoury to put in a big performance against their spinners.

"We know what to expect, we have played against them a number of times and we have had good success against them. We know its semi-final time in a World Cup, it doesn't get bigger than this; so we are going to have to produce something good."

India won all four group games on a turning wicket in Dhaka while South Africa finished second in group B in a seam friendly environment in Chittagong.

South Africa are often perceived to struggle against spin, especially on the Indian sub-continent.

"We are going to have to prepare accordingly, we know we are predominately going to face spin against India," added Duminy.

By the time they play India, South Africa will have had a six-day break since last Saturday's win over England which ensured their progress to the last four.

Pakistan v West Indies big clash on the ground tomorrow

ICC World Twenty20

tomorrow, 6:30 pm

Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka

32nd Match, Group 2 - Pakistan v West Indies

World T20: Saqlain's presence in West Indies camp makes Pakistan uneasy

The presence of former Pakistan spinner, Saqlain Mushtaq in the West Indies camp has made the Pakistan management and players uneasy ahead of a clash between the two teams in the World T20 which is expected to decide the semifinals line up.

Saqlain, 37, who took 208 Test and 288 one-day wickets for Pakistan has been working with the West Indies board as spin consultant and is with the West Indies team in Bangladesh.

His role has so far got praise from West Indian spinners, Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine.

And in return, Saqlain who has also worked with the Bangladesh and New Zealand teams has described Badree and Narine as world class operators.

Badree said Saqlain had a calming influence on the team and that helped their performance.

"To be honest Saqi has been a wonderfully calming influence on the team. He is one who does not get worked up or anxious over any situation. He does not panic at all and has a calming influence on us," Badree said ahead of the match against Australia that his team won yesterday.

Sources in the Pakistan team said that having played with Saqlain for a long time, head coach, Moin Khan was aware the influence the former off-spinner could have on the coming match.

"Moin has been advising his players to pay a lot of respect to the West Indian spinners because of Saqlain`s presence and has pointed out that with conditions helping slow bowlers in Bangladesh they must be well prepared for the coming match," one source told PTI.

"Moin is also aware that Saqlain could play a big role in helping the West Indians tackle the Pakistani spinners particularly, Saeed Ajmal and Zulfiqar Babar competently," he added.

Saqlain, who is seen as a trend setter and was perhaps the first off-spinner to fully master the "Doosra" delivery, said he was a professional and his primary job as spin consultant was to see the West Indian spinners deliver their best against any opponent.

"Yes, I am a Pakistani and obviously I follow Pakistan cricket and love to see them do well. But as a coaching professional when West Indies plays Pakistan in the tournament it will be my job and wish to see Badree, Narine and the other spinners do well and help the team win," Saqlain said.

Saqlain said he was now enjoying the challenge of coaching bowlers for T20 cricket as the format brought out the winning streak in every player. "When we played I went in with the desire to win and to win I knew I had to do well. That passion remained with me till the end. Today I see that sort of passion missing in some of the bowlers and in T20 cricket it is needed the most for bowlers," Saqlain told a Pakistani television channel.

The off-spinner, who rued that the Pakistan cricket Board had never tried to utilize his experience and coaching skills, said more than in any other format T20 cricket required the bowlers to be remain calm and composed at all times.

He said he was expecting a close match between the two teams.

"As a spinner it is great to see the slow bowlers dominating this tournament. Because in T20 cricket you still require lot of skill and a calm presence to deliver under pressure when the batsmen have lot of things in their favor," he said.

Heads up: Fashionistas' creative best at Dubai World Cup

Dubai based fascinator Hayley Morsden and her model Karolina took home the prize for the most creative hat. Designer Morsden is delighted and through her work she celebrated life and the vibrant colour of nature around her.

The short-list for ladies with the most creative hat ensembles below.

Pakistan aim to join India in World T20 semifinals

Refreshed Pakistan must defeat hosts Bangladesh on Sunday.

Pakistan will return to World Twenty20 action after a week’s break on Sunday charged up to make a move for the semi-finals by winning their two remaining games in the Super-10 round in Dhaka.

Mohammad Hafeez’s men, who lost their opening group two match to India by seven wickets on March 21, bounced back to beat Australia by 16 runs last Sunday and remain in contention.

Pakistan must defeat hosts Bangladesh on Sunday and the defending champions West Indies on Tuesday to join India in the semi-finals from the group.

“The picture is clear,” Hafeez said on Saturday. “We have to win both games to make sure we are in the last four. There is no scope to make mistakes now and we are eager to get back to the field.”

Hafeez said the team used the break to iron out shortcomings ahead of the crucial matches at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

“We have trained and worked hard for the last six days,” he said. “The management and the coaches worked on our weaknesses. The build-up for the crucial stage has gone off very well.”

Hafeez praised arch-rivals India, who won three consecutive games to ensure their place in the knock-out round even before their last league match against Australia on Sunday.

“India have played very good cricket so far in the tournament,” the Pakistan skipper said. 

“It’s good they are through, so the rest of the teams know what it will take to advance.

“Expectations should always remain high. Our target is not just the semi-finals, but also to win the tournament. I think we are destined to do well.”

Pakistan, champions in 2009, have an impressive record in World Twenty20, making the semi-finals of all four editions so far.

Pakistan’s batting, which faltered against India to be restricted to 130-7, came back strongly against Australia where they piled up 191-5 following Umar Akmal’s scintillating 94 off 54 balls.

Hafeez said Akmal, who strained a hamstring during that innings, was fit to play on Sunday.

“The break came as a blessing in disguise,” Hafeez said. “It gave time to the physios to work on him. He has been training for the last two days.”

Hafeez knows the tougher game will be against the West Indies on Tuesday, but refused to take Bangladesh lightly even though the hosts have lost both matches so far.

“No team is easy to beat in T20 cricket,” he said. “You have to do the basics right every time. We respect Bangladesh and will do our best to win.”

World T20: West Indies crush Bangladesh to revive semifinal hopes

Smith hit a sparkling 72 while the bowlers skittled Bangladesh for 98.

West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith plays a shot during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament Group 2 match between India and West Indies at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 23, 2014

West Indies revived their World Twenty20 title defence after Dwayne Smith hit a sparkling 72 and the bowlers wrecked a sorry Bangladesh to secure a 73-run victory in a lop-sided super 10 match on Tuesday.

Chris Gayle (48) seldom allows his partner to dominate a stand but Smith did just that in their 97-run opening partnership to help the holders to a commanding 171 for seven at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Bangladesh made four changes to the playing XI that lost to Hong Kong in the qualifiers but still folded for 98 in 19.1 overs as West Indies bounced back after Sunday's defeat against India to boost their semi-final hopes.

Paceman Krishmar Santokie's (3-17) early double strikes reduced the hosts to 16 for three in the fourth over and leg-spinner Samuel Badree (4-15) then claimed three wickets in one over to leave the hosts floundering.

"We were confident and this win will make us even more confident. I think we are back on track," Smith, adjudged man-of-the-match, told reporters.

Earlier, Gayle looked uncharacteristically subdued, preserving his aggression for a late assault that eventually did not materialise.

Smith was fluent at the other end, hitting off-spinner Sohag Gazi for four successive boundaries to bring up his half-century.

"I'm not worried about outscoring Chris. I'm just there to get partnership and get West Indies in a strong position," said the free-scoring right-hander.

Even his top edge cleared the mid-wicket boundary for his third six before Smith fell in the next ball to off spinner Mahmudullah, attempting a similar shot.

Gayle, then on 19 off 27 balls, went on to hit Shakib Al Hasan for a six and four in the same over but fell to a superb catch after a run-a-ball knock.

Tamim Iqbal took the catch on the boundary line and lobbed the ball as his momentum took him over the rope before returning to complete the catch.

The fielder took another stunning catch at short third man, leaping to his right to land with a one-handed blinder to dismiss the scoreless Dwayne Bravo in contrast to otherwise a sloppy fielding display by his team.

"Our bowling was OK but our fielding was not. We dropped a couple of catches and also conceded cheap boundaries. I think we gave away 20 more runs with our (poor) fielding," rued Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim who topscored for the hosts with 22.

West Indies had the perfect platform to launch a late assault to further swell the tally but they lost wickets in a heap towards the end, including four in the last over, to fall short of the 175-mark.

Live Pakistan vs Australia T20 World Cup Match – 23rd March 2014

Australia have an upper hand against Pakistan in World Twenty20 .

Dhaka: Australia will start their World Twenty20 campaign on Sunday by pitting against Pakistan at Shere Bangla Ntational Stadium, Mirpur. 

Though, Australia have never won a World Twenty20, they are certainly among the favourites to lift the trophy. In fact, they have arguably the best batting line up in the tournament. In David Warner and Aaron Finch, Australia have a dangerous opening pair. In the middle-order they have destructive batsmen in skipper George Bailey, Brad Hodge, Brad Haddin and Glenn Maxwell. That`s not all, they also have James Faulkner and Shane Watson who falls in the category of genuine all-rounders. 

Australia have quality bowlers in Mitchell Starc and Brad Hogg but they will definitely miss the services of deadly speedster Mitchell Johnson, who is out of the tournament due to infected toe. 

Pakistan, who have lost their first match against India, will be under immense pressure to win this game to keep their hopes alive to reach the next level of the tournament. 

Most of the Australian players have a fair idea of sub-continent tracks as they have been playing in Indian Premier League for quite some time now. So, on papers, Australia are clear favourites to win the match. But it would be interesting to watch whether the Australian team will start their campaign on a winning note or against all odds Pakistan will come out triumphant.       

Miandad, Yousuf want Afridi as Pak captain

Karachi: Pakistan`s loss to India in their World Twenty20 opener has sparked massive criticism of skipper Mohammed Hafeez with former captains such as Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf demanding that he be replaced by flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

"Hafeez needed to be more attacking with his bowlers and field placings once we were able to set them only a target of 130 runs," Miandad said after the seven-wicket loss in Mirpur, Bangladesh last night.

"The key to winning the match was to stop the runs if wickets were not falling so that the run rate increased and the Indians came under pressure. Unfortunately Hafeez failed to do that as captain. He should have used his bowlers more proactively," Miandad said.

Yousuf also criticised the body language of Hafeez who is said to be at loggerheads with coach Moin Khan and the other support staff.

"With better captaincy and the right pressure we could have made this total of 130 like 160 for India but this didn`t happen," Yousuf added.

Both of them said they felt that Shahid Afridi was a better choice to lead the team in limited overs cricket.
"Afridi is more aggressive and proactive and the responsibility could also force him to raise his own game," Miandad said.

Yousuf pointed out Pakistan needed positive leadership in limited overs cricket and Afridi appeared a good choice as he brought energy to the team.

But Pakistan`s former captain, Rameez Raja was not in agreement with Miandad and Yousuf.

"I don`t think we should put any more burden on Afridi than he can bear. And I don`t think his batting is up to the mark where he can also be given responsibility of the captaincy," he said.

Pakistan`s former captain Basit Ali also felt that instead of getting into the captaincy debate, it was better if Hafeez was given confidence and allowed to focus on the World T20 Cup campaign.

Interestingly, speculation is rife that the present Pakistan team management of coach Moin Khan and cricket consultant Zaheer Abbas are also in favour of bringing back Afridi as captain of the one-day side as they are not satisfied with Hafeez`s captaincy.

Afridi was Pakistan`s ODI and T20 captain until May 2011.

Yousuf also felt that Afridi should not be seen as a batsman but as a bowler who was capable of producing good batting sometimes.

"He hits one six and he is so popular he will be in the team for next two years. But I have always maintained he is not a batsman as he just doesn`t play like batsmen do. People take my views in a negative sense. But I am surprised that people still have expectations from him as a batsman," Yousuf said.

He pointed out that even Afridi himself had said he didn`t consider himself as a batsman but as a bowler.
"That is also my view for long now that Afridi is primarily a bowler now and he plays as a bowler alone as he brings energy to the team. My meaning is we shouldn`t expect him to play like a batsman and when he does get runs and hit sixes we should consider this as a bonus."

Former coach Mohsin Khan felt pressure got the better of Afridi last night.

"I think because of the Asia Cup expectations were high from Afridi but I don`t think he is still 100 percent fit and this could be a decisive factor if Pakistan is to move ahead in this tournament," Mohsin said.

Such has been Afridi`s popularity since his sixes in the Asia Cup that after the team returned home, a well known property estate magnate gifted him a plot in Islamabad.

Afridi has been struggling with a groin injury since the Asia Cup and also joined the team late. A reliable source in the team said Afridi might miss tomorrow`s game against Australia due to his groin strain.

Pakistan vs Australia World T20: Aussies set for Pak spin assault

Australia will miss all-rounder Faulkner for the opening match.

Pakistan bowler Saeed Ajmal celebrates taking a wicket during the ICC World Twenty20 tournament match between India and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 21, 2014.

Australian players (from left) Mitchell Starc, George Bailey and Cameron White attend a practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 22, 2014.

Injury-plagued Australia begin their quest for the only major title missing from their overflowing cupboard when they clash with shaky Pakistan in the World Twenty20 in Dhaka on Sunday.

Pakistan's seven-wicket drubbing at India's hands on Friday night should give Australia added confidence for the group two Super-10 game at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.

But skipper George Bailey refused to take victory for granted, insisting instead that it was spin-heavy Pakistan that held the advantage.

"I don't think we have any advantage," Bailey said. "If anything, they have probably got the advantage in terms of having played here and got used to the conditions.

"We have not played at this ground yet. It is going to be fresh for us. We have to adjust pretty quickly."

Australia, already missing premier fast bowler Mitchell Johnson due to a toe infection, will also be without all-rounder James Faulkner for the opening match.

Bailey said Faulkner, a hard-hitting right-hand batsman and left-arm seamer, had still not recovered from the knee injury that forced him to miss the recent tour of South Africa.

"We will just monitor him," the captain said. "He is an important player. He has certainly played a huge role for Australian sides in the T20 and one-day formats."

Australia, who have won the 50-over World Cup four times and are a leading Test side, have made the final of the World Twenty20 just once in four attempts, losing the title to England in 2010.

Bailey said the current squad was different from previous ones, but needed to be consistent to win a maiden T20 title.

"We have got more versatility just in terms of what we can do with the ball," he said. "And we are probably a little bit more powerful with the bat, and bat a little deeper.

"You just have to to play some good, consistent cricket to get to the semi-finals. And then you hope that you have carried some momentum there.

"Consistency is probably the key. There's are a whole different range of ways that a game can be won and lost in T20s and it can happen quickly - it can be one catch, might be one over, might be one wicket that's taken.

"But the better team is probably going to win their game. Every team that plays at their worst is going to lose. The challenge is to make sure that the gap is not too big."

Bailey conceded it would be a challenge to tackle Pakistan's spinners, led by the prolific Saeed Ajmal, but was hopeful his batsmen will stand up to the task.

"They are a very, very strong spinning side, but I think we have got a strong batting line-up that hopefully can overcome them," the Australian captain said.

"Spin plays a huge role in T20, wherever it is played in the world. But in these conditions, it tends to be match-winning. We know we are going to face lots of spin."

Bailey said it was important to start with a win in the group which also includes defending champions the West Indies, India and hosts Bangladesh.

"In a tournament like this, momentum is really important," he said. "Starting with a win gets you off and running and I don't think you can afford to drop many games. The more wins the better."

Two teams from the group will advance to the semi-finals.

T20 World Cup 2014: Pakistan to play India on March 21

Pakistan will play against its traditional rival India on March 21 in the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday announced the match schedules which will be staged from March 16 to April 6.

According to the ICC website, as many as 35 tournament matches will be played across Chittagong, Dhaka and Sylhet in the 22-day tournament.

The format for the event in next year’s tournament has been changed following an increase in teams from 12 to 16.
The prize money for the men’s event will be $3 million, with the winner receiving $1.1 million and the losing finalist collecting $550,000.

Format
As the teams’ seeding are based on the ICC T20 Team Rankings as on 8 October 2012, the top eight sides following the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012 will play directly in the Super 10 stage, while Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, which finished outside the top eight, will participate in the first round that will be held from 16-21 March.

The first round of the event will include eight sides that will be divided into two groups (Group A, B) of four teams each, with the table-toppers progressing to the Super 10 stage.

In the first round, Group A will feature host Bangladesh alongside three teams that will qualify from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier UAE 2013, to be staged from 15 to 30 November. Group B will include Zimbabwe, which will be joined by another three teams from the upcoming qualifiers. As such, the two groups will be finalised on 30 November.

The Super 10 stage will start with an evening match between former champions India and Pakistan in Dhaka on Friday 21 March.

The two groups of the Super 10 stage are:

Group 1 – Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Group B Qualifier 1 (Q1B)

Group 2 – West Indies, India, Pakistan, Australia, Group A Qualifier 1 (Q1A)

Nepal stun Afghanistan in World Twenty20

First-timers Nepal upset a higher ranked and more experienced Afghanistan by nine runs in Sylhet to record their second win in the World Twenty20 tournament on Thursday.

Nepal, sent in to bat, were lifted by opener Subash Khakurel's career-best 56 to 141-5 and restricted their opponents to 132-8 in a Group A match.

The defeat meant Afghanistan lost two of their three matches and failed to reach the next round.
Paceman Jitendra Mukhiya, who finished with 3-18 in four overs, jolted Afghanistan with two early wickets, while spinner Shakti Gauchan took two wickets in one over to leave Afghanistan in tatters on 50-5.
Shafiqullah Shafiq (36) and Asghar Stanikzai (49) did their best to stop the collapse. But a 24-run target in the last over proved way beyond Afghanistan's reach.

Earlier Khakurel anchored the Nepalese innings with some sensible batting, adding an invaluable 76 for the fourth wicket with Sharad Vesawkar who made 37.

Khakurel hit six boundaries and a six during his 53-ball knock before falling to paceman Shapoor Zadran, the best of the Afghan bowlers with 2-19.

Nepal will now await the outcome of the last match in the group, with hosts Bangladesh needing a win against the United Arab Emirates to go through to the next round.

Ireland, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe are in contention to qualify for the next round from Group B.
The top team from each group will join eight seeded teams in the Super-10 stage, starting Friday.

Brief scores:

Nepal 141 for 5 in 20 overs (S. Khakurel 56, S. Vesawkar 37; Shapoor Zadran 2-19)
Afghanistan 132-8 in 20 overs (Asghar Stanikzai 49, Shafiqullah Shafiq 36; J. Mukhiya 3-18)


Nepal won by nine runs.

Nadal, Federer bring box-office boost to Miami

Star cast includes world number one Serena, Sharapova, Murray and Djokovic.

Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return to Djokovic of Serbia during the men's final at the US Open tennis tournament in New York September 13, 2010. (REUTERS)

After missing last year's Sony Open, both world number one Rafa Nadal and 17-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer return to South Beach this week along with their box office punch.

There will be no shortage of tennis glitterati around Miami for the next fortnight with 19 of the top 20 men's and women's players in action at Crandon Park but perhaps none more welcome than Federer and Nadal as their absence last year left a hole that could not be filled.

Nadal and Federer are box office gold for any tournament and with the Spaniard missing due to a knee injury and the Swiss maestro on an extended break last year's attendance dropped 5.5 per cent to 308,000.

"Anytime you have two stars the size of Roger and Rafa, guys who are bigger than the sport, bigger than tennis, missing it hurts," tournament director Adam Barrett told Reuters on Monday.

"These guys are superstars, they draw crowds whether they are at the airport, a hotel or walking through a mall.

"Anywhere they go they are going to bring additional crowds both tennis and non-tennis folks."

With a promising weather forecast and lineup that includes world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, defending men's champion Andy Murray and three-time winner Novak Djokovic the Sony Open could set record ticket sales this year.

"A lot of it has to do with how the draw unfolds," Barrett said about a possible attendance record. "A lot of years when you set record attendance you get intriguing matches.

"Every year you wait, you let it unfold, we will be close to records every year. The only thing that really takes records out of the equation is rain."

The women's main draw gets underway with first-round matches on Tuesday while the men's main draw begins Wednesday.

After a first-round bye, Nadal will open action against the winner of Dutchman Robin Haase and Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who will be chasing his 600th career win.

Third-seeded Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka along with big hitters Canadian Milos Raonic and American John Isner lurk as danger men.

But it is the bottom half of the draw where the real intrigue lies with world number two Djokovic, fresh off a win at Indian Wells, two-time winner Federer and holder Murray all eager to add another Miami title to their resumes.

For Murray, who maintains a residence in Miami, the Sony Open will be a bit of a home game but his road back to the final is a daunting one with a possible last-eight clash with Djokovic and a semi-final meeting with a re-energised fifth seed Federer, coming off a runner-up finish in Indian Wells.

Williams, a six-time winner in Miami, will open her title defence in the second round against either Italian Francesca Schiavone or Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova.

Fourth seed Sharapova is on the same side of the draw as Williams along with in-form Italian Flavia Pennetta, who is carrying the momentum from her victory at Indian Wells.

The other side of the draw features second-seeded Australian Open champion Li Na of China, third seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, the 2012 champion and runner-up at Indian Wells, and Venus Williams, who has three Sony titles in her trophy case.

World T20: How strong is Australia’s attack without Mitchell Johnson?

Is Doug Bollinger good enough?

Australia will miss injured paceman Mitchell Johnson but their bowling attack remains potent enough to help them win a maiden World Twenty20 title in Bangladesh, captain George Bailey said on Tuesday.

The left-arm quick has been in the form of his life, bowling Australia to an Ashes whitewash of bitter rivals England followed by an impressive performance in the subsequent test series victory in South Africa.

A toe infection, however, means Australia will miss Johnson's unnerving pace and the disconcerting bounce he generates from difficult angles as they bid for the only major cricket trophy to have eluded them.

Fellow left-arm paceman Doug Bollinger has been called up as Johnson's replacement and Bailey backed him to be a success in Bangladesh.

"We'll miss Mitch, no doubt about that," Bailey told reporters.

"Just looking at his form over the last six months, he's been absolutely unbelievable for us. The last time he was in the subcontinent in the one-day series against India in October, he was really good there.

"But having said that, (in) Doug Bollinger, as his replacement, I think we're really lucky to have that sort of back up.

"I think Doug's in great touch. He has got some good Twenty20 form and pedigree behind himself and he has got good pace and swings the ball. These are the things which I think would be handy over here."

Good pace

Australia begin their Group B campaign against Pakistan on March 23, boasting a batting order replete with exciting stroke-makers including David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson and the captain himself.

Bailey was equally pleased with the variety in the bowling department.

"I'm really happy with the pace battery. In the subcontinent conditions, it's important to have really good pace, to have guys swing the ball.

"With the addition of Doug, I think in Mitchell Starc and Nathan Coulter-Nile, we've got three guys who bowl at really good pace and swing the ball. That's really important for us.

"I guess another important thing is you've to finish it well in the other end and all these guys have great skills at death (bowling)."

Spin bowlers are expected to play a crucial role in Bangladesh's slow and low wickets and Bailey said he was spoilt for choice in that department.

"I think we got all bases covered. Brad Hogg... guess he's been around for 30 years. James Muirhead is a really exciting leg-spinner for us.

"I love the option of having leg-spinners. I think they are match-winners, wicket-takers. They force batsmen to do something different.

"I think we've got a lot of part-time and back-up spinners. Glenn Maxwell has done a really good job for us in Twenty20 bowling. He's probably no longer a part-time spinner, plays a main role for us.

"Finch bowls a little bit of leg spin, Cameron White bowls a little bit of leg-spin... we've got plenty of options there." 

Afghanistan looks to stun Bangladesh again

Dhaka : Following a stunning victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, not-anymore-underdogs Afghanistan is now looking to stun the host in ICC World Twenty20 Championship opener here today (Sunday) at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

When you are hosting a world tournament and you want to be in the tournament and youre afraid of getting out of it, that is the sort of pressure that is on you, said Kabir Khan, the Afghanistan coach, as he set out the mind-games stall. I personally think they are facing more pressure than us.

Bangladesh is on a ten-match losing streak in the competition since the inaugural edition in 2007, and even though it has lost four of its last five Twenty20 Internationals. Meanwhile, Afghanistan has its tails up and its morale high following the 32-run triumph in the Asia Cup.

However, Bangladesh is the superior team, when man to man in the squad is compared, and is welcoming back three stalwarts who were missing from that Asia Cup disaster  Shakib Al Hasan, the former captain who was serving a suspension, and Tamim Iqbal and Sohag Gazi, who were both nursing injuries.
Nepal and Hong Kong form the other two teams in Group A, and they arent expected to pose a serious threat to Bangladesh or Afghanistan, so this effectively translates into a knockout fixture of sorts even at this early stage of the tournament.

In many ways, Twenty20 cricket is less forgiving than the 50-over format, 120 balls per innings substantially bridging the gulf between the sides. Zimbabwe had beaten Australia convincingly in the first World T20, so an Afghanistan win over Bangladesh isnt in the realms of the impossible, though despite its recent travails that have left Mushfiqur Rahim, the captain, hanging somewhere between exasperated and irate, its Bangladesh who still begin the strong favourite in its own patch.

Afghanistans big problem has been its batting, which has at best been patchy. It needs Mohammad Nabi, their powerful leader, and Samiullah Shenwari to score and score rapidly, while Mohammad Shahzad, both the wicketkeeper and the one with the helicopter shot  would do well to shed his diffidence of the recent past.

Its bowling is almost as good as any attack going, but unless it addresses its batting woes, Afghanistan will continue to pull off the odd surprise while possessing the potential to do so much more damage.
All of Bangladesh will be hoping, indeed praying, that Sunday isnt the day when Afghan batting attains full bloom. To lose once in their backyard, in the Asia Cup, was bad enough; another defeat, with a spot in the Super 10 of the World T20 at stake, will be calamitous for a country that has rolled out the neon lights and the red carpet for this biennial slugfest.

Teams:
Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (capt, wk), Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Mahmudullah, Farhad Reza, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Sohag Gazi, Al-Amin Hossain, Shamsur Rahman.

Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Nawroz Mangal, Karim Sadiq, Shafiqullah, Mohammad Nabi (capt), Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Samiullah Shenwari, Dawlat Zadran, Shappoor Zadran, Hamza Hotak, Najeeb Tarakai, Asghar Stanikzai, Mirwais Ashraf, Aftab Alam.

World T20: Pakistan captain Hafeez unfazed by India pressure

India play Pakistan in opening game Mirpur's Shere Bangla National Stadium.

Far from being daunted by the prospect of facing India in their World Twenty20 opener on Friday, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez is rather happy his team will kick off their campaign in Bangladesh against the arch-rivals.

The bitter South Asian rivals have fought three wars in their brief independent history and remain deeply mistrustful of each other and there has been tremendous pressure on the cricketers whenever they met each other.

Hafeez, however, was determined not to get swayed by the emotion that would surround the match at Mirpur's Shere Bangla National Stadium.

"India-Pakistan game is always full of pressure," the 33-year-old told reporters on Saturday.
"We as a team are very happy. I'm happy that our first match is such that if we do well in it, subsequent matches would seem easier, as far as pressure is concerned.

"Of course you can't underestimate any team in this tournament, but we'd like to take off well from there."
Hafeez insisted Pakistan could not afford to get distracted by their rivalry against India if they are to replicate their 2009 triumph from a group also containing defending champions West Indies and tournament favourite Australia.

"Media is always excited about India-Pakistan match but we are not targeting just one team. We have plans for Australia and West Indies as well, both are good sides. We are ready for all," he said.
"It seems our group has all the favourites in it. It's again a good challenge for the team. You can't take things easy. You have to give your best to win the game."

All-rounder Shahid Afridi, recovering from a hamstring injury, did not arrive with the team but Hafeez assured the talismanic all-rounder would reach Monday.

"I think our team manager cleared the position before we left Pakistan. He is fit, we've just given him some extra time for his rehab, so that he joins us fully fit. I think he is joining us on (March) 17th."

Five all-rounders to watch out for in World Twenty20

The fifth edition of cricket's World Twenty20, featuring 16 teams, will start in Bangladesh on Sunday.
Following is a factbox on the all-rounders to watch out for during the tournament:

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan

An aura of unpredictability always hangs around Shahid Afridi when he takes the cricket field.
His swashbuckling batting and fiery legspin make him an exciting player in the shortest format of the game but there is always a chance for him to self-destruct, by throwing away his wicket at a crucial juncture or by means of wayward bowling.
On his day, however, the 34-year-old former captain can win a match single-handedly and Pakistan will hope that he can continue his Asia Cup form into the World Twenty20.
Afridi who hurt his hamstring during the 50-over tournament in Bangladesh, was at his adventurous best when he took Pakistan to the Asia Cup final with close wins against arch-rivals India and hosts Bangladesh.

Shane Watson, Australia

The highest run-scorer and player of the tournament in the last edition of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, Watson has the power to pummel any opposition attack and is particularly harsh against the spinners.
The burly all-rounder's ability of hit the spinners out of the ground will make sure Australia do not get tied down in the middle overs against the slow bowlers.
Watson's tight line and length is an added bonus for the team and he often reposes that faith by picking up vital wickets.

Marlon Samuels, West Indies

Samuels has already proved his worth by digging West Indies out of a hole to the World Twenty20 title with a brilliant half-century against hosts Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2012.
The classy stroke-player can play all the shots in the book and is almost unstoppable when he is on song with the bat. A part-time off-spinner who can fire in deliveries in the block hole, Samuels has great control in varying the pace of his deliveries and could be a vital weapon for the defending champions on the low and slow Bangladesh wickets.

Yuvraj Singh, India

The left-hander was the hero of India's Twenty20 World Cup victory in 2007 and was the player of the tournament during the home triumph in the 50-over format in 2011.
One of the hardest hitters of the cricket ball, as England's Stuart Broad found out when he was hit for six consecutive sixes in an over In 2007, Yuvraj can change the complexion of a match in the spate of a few deliveries.
A crowd favourite, more so after his successful battle against cancer, Yuvraj's gentle left-arm can also be very effective on the slow surfaces in Bangladesh.

Corey Anderson, New Zealand

The new kid on the block, Anderson grabbed eyeballs when he broke the record for the fastest century in international cricket with his 36-ball hundred against West Indies on the first day of 2014.
The 23-year-old has played just eight Twenty20 matches for New Zealand but the left-hander's big-hitting ability is tailor-made for the format.
He has a five-wicket haul with his left-arm medium pace bowling in the 50-over format and will be a decent bowling option for captain Brendon McCullum in Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka thump Pakistan to win Asia Cup title

Thirimanne hits magnificent century to steer Lanka to five-wicket victory.

Sri Lanka's cricketers celebrate with the tournament trophy as they pose for a group photo following the presentation ceremony after winning the final match of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 8, 2014.

Sri Lankan batsman Lahiru Thirimanne celebrates after scoring a century as Pakistani fielder Fawad Alam claps during the final match of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 8, 2014.

Pakistan batsman Fawad Alam reacts after scoring a century during the final of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 8, 2014

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal plays a shot during the final match of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 8, 2014

Pakistani batsman Misbah-ul-Haq plays a shot during the final of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 8, 2014

Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga (second right) celebrates with his teammates after the dismissal of Pakistan cricketer Sharjeel Khan during the final of the Asia Cup one-day cricket tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 8, 2014

Opener Lahiru Thirimanne hit a magnificent century to help Sri Lanka thump Pakistan by five wickets to regain the Asia Cup title in Dhaka on Saturday.

The left-hander notched 101 for his third one-day hundred to anchor Sri Lanka's successful chase of a 261-run target in 46.2 overs for his country's fifth Asia Cup title at Dhaka's Shere Bangla stadium.

Thirimanne, who also scored a hundred in the tournament's opening match against the same opponents, hit 13 boundaries during his 108-ball knock and steadied the chase during a solid 156-run third-wicket partnership with veteran team-mate Mahela Jayawardene, who made 75.

Pakistan's main spin weapon Saeed Ajmal had broken through after Sri Lanka's confident start of 56, dismissing Kusal Perera (42) and dangerman Kumar Sangakkara (nought) off successive deliveries.

Jayawardene, who had a poor run of scores with 13, nine, 14 and nought in the tournament, benefitted when wicket-keeper Umar Akmal dropped a regulation catch off Shahid Afridi.

Jayawardene, then 36, hit nine boundaries and a six before he holed out off paceman Mohammad Talha.

Sri Lanka also lost Ashan Prinyanjan (13) to Junaid Khan and Thirimanne to Ajmal but skipper Angelo Mathews (16 not out) hit the winning runs.

Thirimanne, who reached his hundred with a single off Khan, was finally bowled by Ajmal who finished with 3-26.

Sri Lanka had also won the Asia Cup in 1986, 1997, 2004 and 2008.

"We wanted to break the barrier between us and finals," said Mathews of Sri Lanka's failure to win the World Cup finals of 2007 and 2011 and the Twenty20 finals of 2009 and 2012.

"The credit goes to the whole team. It was a very good run chase and big victory not only for me but for the whole team," said Mathews whose team won all the five matches in the event.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq blamed defeat on his side's loss of early wickets.

"I think losing the first three wickets quickly put us under pressure and although we managed to reach 260, it was some 20-30 short," said Misbah.

Pakistan, who decided to bat after winning the toss, were helped to 260-5 by a brilliant unbeaten 114 by Fawad Alam and a solid 65 by Misbah.

Alam's knock helped Pakistan recover from early devastation caused by paceman Lasith Malinga, who took the first three wickets to force Pakistan on to the back foot, before he finished with 5-56.

Alam added an invaluable 122 for the fourth wicket with Misbah and then another 115 for the fifth wicket with Umar Akmal who made a 42-ball 59.

Alam, who returned to the team with a brilliant 74 against Bangladesh on Tuesday after a four-year absence, hit eight boundaries and three sixes off 134 balls.

Alam became the first left-handed Pakistan batsman, other than openers, to hit a one-day century. He hit paceman Thisara Perera over long-on for a six to reach his century off 126 balls.

Akmal hit seven boundaries to give impetus to the innings as Pakistan scored 101 in the last ten overs.

Earlier, Malinga rocked the innings with the wickets of Sharjeel Khan (eight), Ahmed Shehzad (five) and Mohammad Hafeez (three) in his incisive four-over spell, pushing Pakistan to 18-3 by the fifth over.

Misbah and Alam played steadily during their 122-run partnership and were lucky to survive some close chances.

Misbah was ruled not out on 19 by Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford when action replays suggested he edged Mathews to wicket-keeper Sangakkara.

Misbah hit three boundaries and two sixes during his solid 98-ball knock before Malinga returned for his second spell and had the Pakistan captain caught in the deep.

Five-times champions India, hosts Bangladesh and Afghanistan were the other teams in the competition.
SRI LANKA INNINGS
A mercurial century by Lahiru Thirimanne (101) steered Sri Lanka to a comprehensive five-wicket win against Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup in Dhaka on Saturday.
It was the fifth time Sri Lanka have emerged champions winning it with an unbeaten record.

Sri Lanka suffered a hiccup when Ajmal struck twice in consecutive balls in the 11th over after Kusal Perera had given them an ideal start with a brisk knock of 42 off 37 balls with six boundaries and a six.

Sri Lanka slipped to 56-2 when they lost Kusal and leading run-scorer Sangakkara for a first-ball duck.

Mahela survived the hat-trick ball and made a timely return to form scoring 75 off 93 balls with nine boundaries and a six during a 156-run stand for the fourth wicket with Thirimanne to lay the foundation for victory.

Thirimanne cracked 101 off 108 balls with 13 fours, his second century of the tournament which also came against Pakistan, before falling with 14 runs needed for victory.

Skipper Mathews kept his nerve after they lost another wicket, hitting two boundaries in his unbeaten 16 of 13 balls.

Ajmal had an excellent return of three for 26 but lack support from the other end with Gul going for 44 in six overs and Talha for 56 in 6.2 overs despite picking up a wicket.
Chasing a stiff target of 261, Sri Lanka romped home with 22 balls to spare making 261-5 in 46.2 overs.

Mathews pulls Talha to square leg and hits the winning run as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by five wickets.

Chathuranga flicks Junaid to long leg for a boundary as Sri Lanka need six to win off the last four overs.

Ajmal completes his quota with figures of 10-2-26-3. SL 248-5 in 45 overs.

Ajmal returns to beat centurion Thirimanne through the gate in his final over. SL 247-5 in 44.1 overs.

Lahiru Thirimanne b Saeed Ajmal 101 (108b 13x4 0x6)

Thirimanne completes his third ODI century and second in the tournament off 106 balls with 13 fours. SL 247-4 in 44 overs.

Thirimanne is on 99 as Sri Lanka are doing it in singles. SL 239-4 in 43 overs.

Lanka need 28 from 48 balls with skipper Mathews joining Thirimanne who is batting on 96. SL 233-4 in 42 overs.

Priyanjan slams Junaid over long-on but perishes in the same over edging behind. SL 233-4 in 41.4 overs.

Ashan Priyanjan c Umar Akmal b Junaid Khan 13 (18b 2x4 0x6)

Sri Lanka are 229-3 in 41 overs and require 32 from 54 balls.

New batsman Priyanjan plays out Ajmal's ninth over. SL 218-3 in 39 overs.

Priyanjan smashes Talha to third man boundary to open his account. SL 217-3 in 38 overs.

Mahela hits Talha high up in the air for Sharjeel to take the catch as the 156-run stand with Thirimanne comes to an end. SL 212-3 in 37.2 overs.

Mahela Jayawardene c Sharjeel Khan b Mohammad Talha 75 (93b 9x4 1x6)

Mahela sweeps Ajmal to the square leg fence. SL 212-2 in 37 overs.

Talha goes for 13 in the first over of Batting Powerplay with Mahela slamming consecutive boundaries. SL 206-2 in 36 overs.

Mahela cracks Gul past point to reach his 71st ODI half century after 13 innings and survives a dropped effort from Hafeez at midwicket which runs away to the fence. SL 190-2 in 34 overs.

Thirimanne crashes Afridi through the covers for a boundary. SL 180-2 in 33 overs.

Thirimanne uses the pace of Gul to open the face of the bat and steer him to the third man fence. SL 174-2 in 32 overs.

Afridi is back into the attack replacing Ajmal who has figures of 6-2-15-2. SL 168-2 in 31 overs.

Sri Lanka need 97 off 120 balls with the Batting Powerplay yet to come. SL 164-2 in 30 overs.

Thirimanne slams Junaid past point for a boundary with an exquisite shot and brings up the 100-run partnership with Mahela off 103 balls. SL 157-2 in 28 overs.

Thirimanne stands tall and flicks Talha off his hips to square leg for another boundary. SL 145-2 in 25 overs.

Thirimanne deliberately edges Talha to third man and brings up his seventh ODI fifty with a single. SL 130-2 in 23 overs.

Mahela caresses Afridi for a boundary to third man with an exquisite late cut. SL 122-2 in 22 overs.

Thirimanne gets another boundary courtesy of misfield by Gul as he sweeps Hafeez. SL 114-2 in 21 overs.

The 50-run partnership between Thirimanne and Mahela comes off 58 balls as Sri Lanka steady after the loss of quick wickets.

Mahela is turning it on chipping Hafeez to midwicket for a boundary to midwicket one-bounce to bring up the 100 of the innings. SL 102-2 in 19 overs.

Mahela slams Afridi with a pick-up over midwicket which would have given him loads of confidence. SL 96-2 in 18 overs.

Afridi comes into the attack and Mahela is fortunate edging him past the vacant slip for a boundary. SL 86-2 in 16 overs.

Mahela hits his first boundary with a crafty late cut to third man. SL 80-2 in 15 overs.

Thirimanne is continue to play his shots unfazed by the dismissal of Kusal and Sangakkara, swinging Talha to backward square leg and flicking to fine leg for a couple of boundaries. SL 76-2 in 14 overs.

Thirimanne pulls a short ball from Junaid to the square leg fence. SL 68-2 in 12 overs.

Mahela survives after being beaten by a doosra but is hit high on the pad while Thirimanne glances Ajmal to fine leg for a boundary. SL 62-2 in 11 overs.

Double strike by Ajmal who is on hat-trick after trapping the leading run scorer of the tournament Sangakkara for a first-ball duck. SL 56-2 in 10.2 overs.

Kumar Sangakkara lbw b Saeed Ajmal 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

Pakistan finally get a breakthrough as Ajmal strikes to remove the dangerous Kusal jumps out and is beaten by the turn. SL 56-1 in 10.2 overs.

Kusal Perera st Umar Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 42 (37b 6x4 1x6)  

Kusal gets another boundary with a crisp pull shot almost swatting Talha to midwicket and just manages to clear the ropes as Sharjeel goes over the line after catching it. SL 56-0 in 10 overs.

Ajmal begins with a maiden to Kusal survives a confident shout for a leg before. SL 44-0 in 9 overs.

Ajmal into the attack replacing Hafeez whose opening spell reads 4-0-16-0.

First bowling change as Junaid replaces Gul who has gone for 24 in his first three overs.

Kusal is leading Sri Lanka's run-chase punching Hafeez through the covers for his fifth boundary. SL 40-0 in 7 overs.

Kusal is on song cracking a couple of boundaries off Gul through midwicket and flicking to fine leg. SL 35-0 in 6 overs.

Thirimanne edges Gul over slip for his second boundary in the over from Gul. SL 22-0 in 4 overs.

Thirimanne gets his first boundary slamming Gul uppishly to the cover boundary.

Kusal jabs Hafeez through midwicket for his second boundary displaying ominous form. SL 14-0 in 3 overs.

Shehzad stops a certain boundary from Kusal but is in agony having hurt his hand in the process. SL 7-0 in 2 overs.

Kusal hits the first boundary of the innings off the first ball from Gul who gives him a little and the ball is sent racing liking a tracer bullet to the cover boundary as Sri Lanka begin the run-chase.

PAKISTAN INNINGS

A maiden unbeaten century from Fawad Alam (114) helped Pakistan make a magnificent recovery to post a formidable total of 260-5 in the final of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Alam strode into the middle when Pakistan's innings was in tatters at 18 for three in the fifth over.

But the diminutive left-hander stood tall batting with great determination and aplomb stroking eight boundaries and three sixes facing 134 balls, to resurrect Pakistan after slinger Lasith Malinga had caused carnage.

Malinga appeared to continue from where he left off in the last game against Pakistan in which he claimed a five for 11 in 14 balls during a deadly final spell.

Sri Lanka's pace ace struck in each of his first three overs to have figures of 4-0-13-3 in his opening spell.

But Alam dropped anchor with his skipper Misbah ul Haq to weather the storm and put Pakistan's back on track with a dogged stand of 122 off 198 balls.

Malinga struck again to break the partnership as Misbah miscued as he attempted to step on the accelerator after making 65 off 98 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.

Sri Lanka's joy was shortlived as Umar Akmal joined Alam during a blazing 115-run stand for the fifth wicket in just 78 balls.

Akmal cracked seven boundaries in his 42-ball 59 before falling in the last over as Pakistan plundered 101 in the last 10 overs.

Malinga finished with figures of five for 56 claiming his seventh five-wicket haul in ODIs.

Lakmal (10-0-56-5) also bowled well, Mathews (7-1-23-0) was miserly but Thisara (10-1-66-0) and Senanayake (9-0-54-0) took a beating.

Alam hits a boundary of the penultimate ball of the innings from Malinga and deny Afridi a hit as Pakistan finish strongly on 260-5 in 50 overs.

Malinga claims his seventh five-wicket haul in ODI as Priyanjan holds onto the a skier from Akmal. Paki 255-5 in 49.4 overs.

Umar Akmal c Priyanjan b Malinga 59 (42b 7x4 0x6)

Alam smashes another boundary off a full toss to spoil a good over from Lakmal. Pak 251-4 in 49 overs.

Thisara goes for 17 as Akmal hammers consecutive boundaries to complete his 19th ODI half century and also bring up the 100 partnership off 68 balls. Pak 243-4 in 48 overs.

Alam flicks a low full toss from Thisara for a six over midwicket to reach his maiden ODI century in style.

Big over for Pakistan as Malinga goes for 15 with Akmal smashing three boundaries, the final one a delicate jab past the keeper. Pak 226-4 in 47 overs.

Alam (92) gets a life after miscuing Malinga into the covers with Chathuranga failing to grab it.

Alam have moved into the 90s as Pakistan are 211-4 in 46 overs.

Another good over from Malinga as Pakistan are 201-4 in 45 overs with five to go.

Thisara bowls a tight over restricint the batsmen to singles. Pak 196-4 in 44 overs.

The 50-run partnership between Alam and Akmal comes in 38 balls. Pak 190-4 in 43 overs.

Alam sizzles blasting Lakmal with a flat batted shot over long-on for his second six and then sweeps to square leg for a boundary. Pak 184-4 in 42 overs.

Akmal opens out cracking consecutive boundaries off Thisara lofting over mid-off and square cutting past point. Pak 170-4 in 41 overs.

Pakistan get 34 for the loss of skipper Misbah in the Batting Powerplay. Pak 159-5 in 40 overs.

Sri Lanka must be rueing not selecting mystery spinner Mendis ahead of Senanayake who has gone for 54 in nine overs.

Senanayake continues to leak runs with Alam pulling one to the mid-on fence. Pak 150-4 in 38 overs.

Malinga seems to be bogey man for Pakistan breaking the second wicket partnership of 122 in the first over his second spell as Misbah miscues a lofted shot. Pak 140-4 in 36.4 overs.

Misbah-ul-Haq c Kusal Perera b Malinga 65 (98b 3x4 2x6)

Senanayake goes for 13 in the first over of Batting Powerplay as Alam lofts him for a boundary while Misbah goes one better smashing him over midwicket for his second six. Pak 138-3 in 36 overs.

Lakmal bowls an excellent over conceding just a single to Misbah before the beginning of the Batting Powerplay overs. Pak 125-3 in 35 overs.

Thisara returns to the attack but Alam launches him into space for a six over long-on for his first six and completes his second consecutive half century with a single.

Alam survives after slashing at Lakmal with Sangakkara failing to latch onto a tough one despite making an acrobatic leap. Pak 114-3 in 33 overs.

Misbah sweeps a couple of boundaries off Chathuranga to bring up his 37th ODI fifty and 10th against Sri Lanka off 78 balls. Pak 106-3 in 31 overs.

Misbah sweeps Chathuranga to fine leg to bring up the 100 of the innings in 30.1 overs.

Misbah and Alam are frustrating Sri Lanka who seem to have let Pakistan off the hook after Malinga's triple strike although runs are not coming easily. Pak 96-3 in 30 overs.

All spin attack now with Chathuranga coming in after Thisara (6-1-22-0) and Mathews (6-1-14-0) bowled excellent opening spells. Pak 81-3 in 25 overs.

Alam scoops one over the keeper as Senanayake returns to the attack as Pakistan begin to shift gears. Pak 79-3 in 24 overs.

Alam punches Mathews down the ground for a boundary to bring up the 50 partnership with Misbah off 106 balls. Pak 73-3 in 23 overs.

Misbah finally decides to get out of shell as he clubs Thisara over midwicket for the first six of the match. Pak 67-3 in 22 overs.

Misbah survives a caught behind appeal off Mathews with replays suggesting he got a faint edge. Pak 58-3 in 21 overs.

Boundaries are difficult to come by as Sri Lanka tighten the screws making even singles difficult for Misbah and Alam. Pak 56-3 in 20 overs.

Misbah and Alam have put on 22 in 63 balls as the Pakistan begin to rebuild the innings after the carnage cause by Malinga. Pak 40-3 in 15 overs.

Mathews also begins with a maiden as he replaces Senanayake who goes for 13 in two overs. Pak 37-3 in 13 overs.

Thisara begins by bowling a maiden to Fawad. Pak 37-3 in 12 overs.

Thisara into the attack replacing Lakmal whose opening spell reads 5-2-10-0.

Alam smashes a short ball from Senanayake through the covers for another boundary while Misbah gets his first with an exquisite cover drive. Pak 37-3 in 11 overs.

Malinga has rocked Pakistan who manage 28 for the loss of three wicket in the first 10 overs.

Alam caresses Senanayake through the covers for his first boundary. Pak 24-3 in 9 overs.

First bowling change as spin introduced and Senanayake comes into the attack replacing Malinga whose opening spell reads 4-0-13-3.

Lakmal is cranking up the pressure at the other end by bowling a second consecutive maiden. Pak 20-3 in 8 overs.

Misbah survives as Lakmal narrowly misses the stumps with a beautiful in-dipper. Pak 19-3 in 6 overs.

Malinga has rocked Pakistan with a wicket in each of his first three overs continuing from his five wickets in 14 balls during his deadly final in their last outing.

Malinga is on fire as he picks up his third wicket as he gets the in-form Hafeez who hangs his bat out to be caught behind. Pak 18-3 in 4.3 overs.    

Mohammad Hafeez c Sangakkara b Malinga 3 (13b 0x4 0x6)

Senanayake almost took a blinder at cover point as Hafeez cuts Lakmal uppishly with the fielder making a valiant diving effort. Pak 17-2 in 4 overs.

Double strike by Malinga as Shehzad flails his bat at a loose delivery only to nick behind. Pak 17-2 in 3 overs.

Ahmed Shehzad c Sangakkara b Malinga 5 (7b 1x4 0x6)

Hafeez opens his account with a flick to midwicket for three runs off Malinga. Pak 17-1 in 3 overs.

Shehzad gets cracking slashing Lakmal behind point for his first boundary. Pak 14-1 in 2 overs.
Malinga has picked up a wicket in the first over of the innings on 15 occasions, more than any other bowler.

Malinga has the last laugh with Sharjeel being undone by the change of angle and chipping straight to mid-on. A soft dismissal for Pakistan. Pak 8-1 in 1 over.

Sharjeel Khan c Thisara Perera b Malinga 8 (6b 2x4 0x6)

Malinga is hammered for another boundary as Sharjeel sends him crashing through the covers pouncing a widish delivery.

Sharjeel hits the first boundary of the match driving the first ball from Malinga through point.

Pakistan have won the toss and are batting first with the good news being Afridi is playing.
Pakistan have made two changes with Sharjeel Khan and Junaid Khan returning.

Sri Lanka have one change with Suranga Lakmal coming in for Ajantha Mendis.
PLAYING XI

Pakistan: Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Talha, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan
   
Sri Lanka: Kusal Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Angelo Mathews, Chathuranga de Silva, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga

Pakistan have a few injury concerns but Sharjeel and Gul are fit as is 'Boom Boom' Afridi.

The last five Asia Cup finals won by team batting fist.

Mahela Jayawardene's last 13 ODI innings: 218 runs at an average of 16.77.

PREVIEW

Rampaging Shahid Afridi and prolific Kumar Sangakkara have set the stage for a rousing contest when Pakistan face Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup one-day final in Dhaka on Saturday.

Angelo Mathews' Sri Lanka have been the dominant team in the five-nation event with four straight victories in the league, including a 12-run win over Pakistan in the tournament opener on February 25.

The charge was led by Sangakkara, the 36-year-old left-hander who has been in prime form during his team's current tour of Bangladesh which began with a bilateral series in January.

Sangakkara scored 75, 319 and 105 in two Test matches and 128 in the second one-day international to steer Sri Lanka to series wins in all three formats against the hosts.

The veteran has also played three match-winning innings in the Asia Cup, making 67 against Pakistan, 103 versus World Cup champions India and 76 against minnows Afghanistan.

He remains the leading scorer in the tournament with 248 runs despite falling cheaply for two in Thursday's last league match against Bangladesh.

“It is great to have Sangakkara in such good form, but the others will also need to step up and rally around him if we are to win,” Mathews said.

“Pakistan have shown how tough a side they are to beat. But we have our plans and are confident of doing well if we execute them well.”

Pakistan, the defending champions, bounced back after the loss against Sri Lanka to qualify for the final with three successive victories against Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh.

The mercurial Afridi fashioned two tense last-over wins, slamming an 18-ball 34 against India before making an astonishing 59 off 25 balls against Bangladesh.

Short boundaries at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium where even mis-hits land over the fence appear tailor-made for Afridi, and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq hoped for another power-packed display in the final.

“Afridi is our main player,” a grateful Misbah said.

“The kind of form he is in and the kind of confidence he shows, it's good for the Pakistan team.

“We just tell him to make sure he bats for at least 25-30 balls. If he does that he can score a 50. I'm really happy with the way he's playing.”

Pakistan Cricket Board official Zakir Khan said Afridi, Umar Gul, Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad were suffering from injury niggles, but he expected them to be fit for the final.

“Afridi has a hip strain and the others have minor niggles, but all of them have responded well to rest and treatment and should be available to play tomorrow,” Khan said in Dhaka on Friday.

Both teams boast of destructive bowling attacks with Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis the tournament's joint leader with nine wickets and Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal in second place with eight.

Sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga, who has taken six wickets, said Afridi's explosive game-changing form did not worry him.

“I am more concerned about how I bowl,” Malinga said.

“Afridi does not worry me and I don't think they (Pakistan) are thinking too much about me either.”