NEW DELHI: India should play South
Africa on turning tracks in the forthcoming two-match home Test series rather
than playing on pace-friendly pitches, feels former captain Kapil Dev.

Observing that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men don’t possess a formidable
fast bowling line-up, except for left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan, Kapil said India
should rely on their spin department in the home series.

“Our
strength is spin bowling and the wickets for the upcoming two Tests have to be
prepared accordingly. Also, we don’t have a quality pacer other than Zaheer Khan
right now who can make an impact,” Kapil said.

“There is no point in
having a pitch, which assists fast bowlers more than the spinners since South
Africa has a much better pace attack in comparison to the hosts,” Kapil said
during a panel discussion on Aaj Tak.

Nagpur will host the first
Test commencing from February 6, followed by the second Test in Kolkata from
February 14.

Kapil was also worried with lanky pacer Ishant Sharma’s
recent loss of form.

“Ishant’s strength is his in-swinging delivery
and if you lose your natural ability, then definitely, it is a cause for
concern. Maybe batsmen have started reading him better now but he has to find
ways to outwit them,” Kapil observed.

Meanwhile, New Zealand pace
legend Richard Hadlee, who also took part in the discussion, said Indian fast
bowlers should focus on Test cricket rather than playing all the three formats.

“My observation of the Indian pace attack is that they are certainly
quality bowlers and have it in them to take wickets and win games. However, they
have to get out of this rut very quickly. It is actually very tough for pace
bowlers to play all the three formats and deliver goods consistently,” Hadlee
said.

“They will be a little bit tired, injured or jaded and there
will be a loss of form. They need to be better managed, perhaps miss a few games
to freshen up and be fired up for Test cricket,” he added.

“Some
pacers perform exceptionally well in their debut year and then fade away.
However, some of them stay in like Zaheer Khan and Glenn McGrath. Those who fade
can also blame the amount of cricket that they play these days. They have to
perform day in and day out, which is certainly not an easy task,” said another
fast bowling great Denis Lillee of Australia.

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League
chairman Lalit Modi on Saturday rejected safety concerns raised by Players’
Associations of Australia and New Zealand, saying that the IPL is in touch with
the respective boards on the security arrangements for the event.

The
players’ bodies of both Australia and New Zealand have criticised the IPL for
not sharing its security plan for the event with them.

But Modi said
the IPL does not even recognise players’ association and is coordinating with
the respective boards on security arrangements.

“This is a concern
that has been raised by the Players’ Associations and not Cricket Boards. We are
in touch with Boards. We don’t recognise Players’ Associations. There is no
security concerns from the Boards. Top security would be there at the IPL,” he
told Times Now.

The security concerns of Australian cricketers
emanate from a threat issued by Shiv Sena, which has vowed to stop them from
playing in the city.

Sena’s threat has come in the aftermath of the
violent attacks on Indians in Australia.

KARACHI: Hailing Iqbal Qasim’s
decision to step down as Pakistan chief selector, former skipper Moin Khan on
Sunday said the PCB chairman Ejaz Butt should also show “moral courage” and
resign from his post.

“The way Pakistan Cricket Board has taken
decisions pertaining to the important issues and has promoted players’ power,
Butt is equally responsible. He should also show the moral courage and resign
immediately,” Moin said.

Taking the moral responsibility of the
national team’s “shameful” performance against Australia, Qasim on Sunday
resigned after Pakistan lost fifth and final One-dayer by two wickets at Perth,
which also completed a 0-5 whitewash in the series.

Meanwhile,
former chief selector Abdul Qadir also lauded Qasim’s decision and said Butt
should also do the same.

“It is time to move on and build a new team
for future and this can only be done with a new set-up,” Qadir said.

Not only the former Pakistan cricketers, but member of the National
Assembly Standing Committee on Sports Iqbal Muhammad also expressed the same
view.

“Qasim has shown moral courage and I think it is only fitting
that the PCB Chairman and his men should display the same courage and resign as
they are equally responsible for the chaos in the cricket set up and the team,”
Muhammad said.

Qasim was the third chief selector to go within
Butt’s tenure as PCB chief, who took charge in October, 2008.

Qadir
and Salahuddin Ahmed had earlier resigned from the selection committee for
different reasons.

KARACHI: Pakistani all-rounder Shahid
Afridi was on Sunday banned for two Twenty20 Internationals after pleading
guilty to a ball-tampering charge during the fifth and final ODI against
Australia in Perth.

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam confirmed that
Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle has banned Afridi for two matches after holding a
hearing on the complaint by on-field umpires Asoka De Silva and Paul Reiffel
immediately after the match.

“It is unfortunate what has happened
because Afridi was due to lead Pakistan in the Twenty20 match next week against
Australia,” Alam said from Perth.

Afridi, who led Pakistan in the
final ODI in place of the unfit Mohammad Yousuf, was caught on camera chewing on
one side of the ball while walking to the run up with bowler Mohammad Asif.

Trying to change the condition of the ball through illegal means
prompts strict penalties from the ICC.

In 2005, Afridi was banned
for twisting his spikes and trying to change condition of pitch during a Test
match in Faisalabad against England.