CHENNAI: Sahara has expressed its desire to the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to move its Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Pune Warriors India, out of the western city due to ongoing tensions between franchise bosses and the Maharashtra Cricket Association. It is understood that members of the PWI management, who were in Chennai during the IPL auctions on Feb 3, have asked the BCCI mandarins that they want their franchise to be based out of Kanpur.

MUMBAI: Seven and half hours of concentration, 359 deliveries, 65 boundaries, 16 sixes and loads of determination culminated into a record-breaking 473 for Rizvi Springfield's 14-year-old superbat Arman Jaffer.

The non-descript Matunga Gymkhana, venue of the Harris Shield final between Rizvi and IES VN Sule, buzzed with excitement on Thursday as Arman sailed from one century to the next, towards the big one. While being out-of-favour India opener Wasim Jaffer's nephew is a good enough reason to make him famous, he has carved out a name for himself as a batsman of immense hunger.

MUMBAI: Wasim Akram doesn't hesitate in conceding that he gets "as much love" in India as he does in Pakistan, and has even more friends here.

He has closely followed the Indian team's progress since his retirement and he will be back to give his expert views on the India-Australia series starting on February 22. For now, he believes India have the edge. Excerpts from an exclusive interview.

CHENNAI: Ambati Rayudu followed up his century in the Irani Trophy with a composed 87 against the Australians in the first warm-up match on Wednesday.

"I'm really happy that I batted well today. Just want to keep doing well in whatever games I get to play," Rayudu said, talking about his innings on Wednesday, where he played the likes of Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Jackson Bird with distinction.

LAUSANNE: Pakistan could soon join neighbours India as Olympic outcasts with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday considering suspending the country over what it said was government interference.

"We might soon consider a suspension as a protective measure," IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters.

CHENNAI: If their first outing is anything to go by, the Australian batsmen have some work to do if they are going to survive the onslaught of spin that they will face over the course of their upcoming four-Test series. Jammu & Kashmir off-spinner Parvez Rassol took 7-45 as the Australians were bowled out for 241 in 88.3 overs on the first day of their two-day warm-up match against the Board President's XI.

MUMBAI: Struggling opener Gautam Gambhir has been dropped from the squad for the first two Tests against Australia and been replaced by Delhi teammate Shikhar Dhawan, while veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is back in the fray. Gambhir's opening partner Virender Sehwag, who too is coping with indifferent form, has been retained.

NAGPUR: Shikhar Dhawan is a firm believer in destiny. The Delhi batsman-who was named Man of the Series in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004-had to wait a long time to get into the Indian team.

He was picked up in the one-day squad twice but couldn't make that count. The southpaw has now been included in the squad for the first two Tests against Australia, his first opportunity in the longer version.

Melbourne: Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will join the squad in place of Matthew Wade for the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) against the West Indies here Sunday.

Wade is departing for India Saturday ahead of the upcoming four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Sydney: Kieron Pollard scored an unbeaten 109 to lead the West Indies to 220 in their 50 overs against Australia in the fourth one-day international Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The visitors' competitive total looked unlikely after losing their second and third wickets for only 17 runs, and then being reduced to 55-6 despite electing to bat first.