Hafeez admits to poor showing in Tests

Mohammad Hafeez is quite likely to be axed from Pakistan's Test squad given his poor showing in the format this year but, Hafeez said, he couldn't complain if that happened and it would be part and parcel of the game. A lack of first-class game time, he said, has contributed to his woes, but he still believes he is "one big innings" away from establishing himself in Test cricket.

"It's not a bad patch, it's not form too," Hafeez said in Lahore. "It happens in cricket, you try your best but sometimes you can't perform in a particular format. It's not a matter of technique even, the ball is coming on to my bat but I am not able to play a big innings. It happens with any big cricketer."

Hafeez has aggregated 102 runs in 10 Test innings this year, and his biggest struggle was the three-match Test series against South Africa in February. That signaled the start of his current slump, as he was doing reasonably well since being recalled in 2010 after a three-year gap. In South Africa, he was exposed against moving ball and became Dale Steyn's bunny. On the recent trip to Zimbabwe, he remained off-color in the Tests, scoring 59 in four innings despite being the Man of the Series in the ODIs.

He cited Pakistan's lack of Test matches as a major hurdle for him to turn his form around: "If you look at Test series we played against South Africa six months ago, we didn't play first-class cricket [until the Zimbabwe series this month], so it's a lengthy gap and it's not easy to adapt yourself in the format after such lengthy gap. But yes it's not an excuse, I admit that in the previous five Test matches my performance has not been good and I am concerned about it."

Given his current form, Hafeez says he will accept his fate - whatever it be - when the squad is announced. "I am playing well in the other formats and it's not like that I am not doing the handwork, but maybe I need to be doing more handwork. I am just one big inning away from being settled in the format. But the selectors' job is to pick the best team for Pakistan, if they think my place is there in the team, they will pick me, otherwise I will accept their decision."

Hafeez, 32, is currently the captain of Pakistan's Twenty20 team. He scored 665 runs at 23.75 as a T20 opener but his batting average started to rise after dropping to No. 3 - this year, in four matches at the position he has averaged 52.00. When asked if he would bat down the order to find his rhythm in Tests, Hafeez said: "It's not my decision, to decide whether to bat lower down the order. I am always ready to play at whatever the number they want me to play at, but it's the decision of team management."

PCB wants British legal advice on Amir case

The PCB has sought advice from the Queen's Counsel in England, with regards to getting Mohammad Amir's five-year ban reduced. The interim PCB chairman, Najam Sethi, is intent on having Amir back in domestic cricket as soon as possible.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC has no clause in their procedure to reduce Amir's ban, but the PCB want to seek legal opinion - an attempt to find a way for the cricketer to return to competitive cricket ahead of schedule. The PCB want to ensure Amir is completely ready to make a comeback as soon as his ban ends, instead of beginning training only after it ends and further delaying his return. It was understood that a reduction was not possible as a five-year penalty is the minimum sentence under the ICC code.

The PCB, during this year's annual conference, had already requested the ICC to consider a few concessions, especially with regard to Amir using the board's facilities for training. There is a five-member ICC sub-committee, which was set up in July to review the anti-corruption code, looking into relaxing certain conditions of the five-year ban imposed on Amir. The sub-committee is yet to meet, but the most stringent stipulations of the ban will remain . The Pakistan board was looking to get permission from the ICC for Amir to train and play club cricket, rather than first-class or List A cricket. This is just one of the recommendations the sub-committee will look into, but there is no guarantee the committee will reach any consensus to offer relief.

Any recommendation, if made, is only likely to be granted in the final six to eight months of his ban. The current recommendations ensure that he is not allowed to train alongside his former, national team-mates.

Sri Lanka v South Africa, 2nd T20I, Hambantota - Miller and Duminy lead SA to 145

South Africa 145/6 (20/20 ov)

Sri Lanka 123/7 (20.0/20 ov)

South Africa won by 22 runs

South Africa's top and middle order were marginally improved as they posted a challenging score in a bid to win the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka. Though with Sri Lanka's attack pegging them back all too frequently, none of their batsmen managed a half-century.

Operating in fierce winds, the bowlers stuck to their disciplines and kept South Africa in check even though their spinners did not tie the opposition up as much as they have in other matches. On a surface that is not as slow and low as Colombo's, there was more opportunity for the seamers to make an impression and Sri Lanka's returning one, Nuwan Kulasekara, did.

He found inswing from the get-go and bowled Henry Davids with the first ball of his second over when the opener could not counter the movement. South Africa's opening stand failed again but Quinton de Kock showed a change in approach that could bode well for the future. His footwork was significantly better used and he made an obvious decision to move forward, especially to the spinners.

He hit three boundaries with that strategy but then came out too far and was stumped of Sachithra Senanayake. That wicket brought a wobble when Faf du Plessis was yorked by Lasith Malinga to further extend the South Africa captain's lean run.

JP Duminy, who found form in the last match, and AB de Villiers posted the highest partnership of the innings. Duminy read Ajantha Mednis better than the South African batsmen have done so far but de VIlliers was a little slower to settle. Just as he did - with a pull off Angelo Mathews for four - he was run-out after chancing Kusal Perera's arm.

Duminy was caught at extra cover trying to accelerate so it was up to David Miller to do the finishing. He hit Mathews and Mendis down the ground but miscued an attempt to do the same to Kulasekara and Dinesh Chandimal took a well-judged catch running from cover.

South Africa put on 43 runs in the last five overs and would have wanted a few more but will bank on their bowlers to repeat their defending skills from Friday.

Australia in England - The Investec Ashes - Bad light call angers Clarke

Bad light Australia 527 for 7 dec and 172 or 7 (Clarke 30*, Harris 0*) lead England 368 (Pietersen 113, Cook 62, Bell 60, Siddle 4-63, Starc 3-76) by 331 runs

Australia's captain Michael Clarke fumed as the umpires made the unilateral decision to take the teams off for bad light with the tourists leading by 331 runs on the fourth evening of the Old Trafford Test. Tony Hill and Marais Erasmus judged conditions to be unsafe for play, to the obvious disgust of Clarke but the barely concealed relief of his opposite number Alastair Cook, as England need only a draw in Manchester to retain the Ashes.

No side has chased more than 294 to win in the fourth innings at the ground, but Clarke appeared to be pushing towards a lead of around 350 with more than 30 overs still scheduled to be bowled on the fourth evening. The hosts had reduced Australia's chances of forcing the victory they need to keep the series alive with doughty lower order batting on the fourth morning, but were then conspicuous in their time-wasting tactics in the field.

Matt Prior and Stuart Broad put together a critical stand of 58 that averted the follow-on, before the last man James Anderson aided England's wicketkeeper in another pesky union that pared back the tourists' first innings advantage to 159. From there England played the situation with pragmatism but little imagination, letting their over rate sag and then being happy when Hill and Erasmus made a ruling that left spectators almost as nonplussed as Clarke himself.

A series of cameos by Chris Rogers, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Shane Watson and Steve Smith had kept Australia's runs ticking over, though a wicket fell every time they threatened to go from a canter to a charge. Watson's absence at the top of the order reflected his lack of batting confidence in the first innings, but also allowed Warner the chance to make a decent contribution to the match after his brief and less than illustrious visit to the middle on the second day.

Rogers appeared fluent again but sacrificed his wicket to an attempted ODI dab towards third man, resulting only in an edge off Broad, well held by Prior. Warner played with good sense after lunch, finding gaps on the off side and behind square leg, though England felt they had him snicking a Broad bouncer behind. A review was used, but amid scant evidence to overturn the original decision Warner stayed, leading to a petulant reaction by Cook's men.

Eventually Warner would fall, hooking into the hands of his Birmingham Walkabout target Joe Root at deep square-leg. Khawaja played neatly until being bowled around his legs by a Swann delivery that drifted and spun, Watson made his usual start before upper cutting to third man, and Smith unfurled a pair of handsome lofted straight drives before falling victim to a run out as Clarke forgot to run the first one hard.

Broad and Prior resumed in the morning with a simple goal - avoid the follow-on and then let a bleak weather forecast conspire with them to thwart Australia. Clarke opened up with a weary-looking Ryan Harris, his usual vim sapped by the previous day. Prior and Broad seemed wise to this and attacked, while at the other end Broad kept Nathan Lyon out.

Runs accrued quickly, to a combination of decent shots and fortunate edges, the vacant third slip region getting particular attention. Australia's lead was quickly diminished, and with a slashing Broad drive off Harris the follow-on was saved. Now sensing his primary task had been achieved, Broad had no qualms about turning on his heels to the pavilion after Lyon procured the thinnest of edges through to Brad Haddin.

Prior continued to attack and was dropped at shortish midwicket by a lunging Smith from Lyon. Graeme Swann did not last long, also walking after doing well to inside edge a searing delivery in Siddle's first over of the morning, but Prior and Anderson then did their best to prolong England's innings and thus reduce the time available for Australia.

This resulted in some curious shot choices and equally odd field settings, the crowd growing restless as Prior farmed the strike and Anderson looked safe enough against the few deliveries he did have to face. Drinks arrived after 67 runs had been added for the loss of two wickets - a ledger most favourable to England.

Prior did not last too much longer, skying Siddle to hand him a deserved fourth wicket. From there Cook's team would take on a decidedly defensive posture, until Hill and Erasmus joined them in reducing the chances of an outright result.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - World Cup final returns to Melbourne

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - World Cup final returns to Melbourne

Twenty-three years after Imran Khan led Pakistan to victory over England, Melbourne will again host the World Cup final in 2015, while Sydney and Auckland will hosts semi-finals just as they did in 1992.

A wide range of alternative options for the major matches of a tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand had been discussed in the lead-up to the formal announcement of the official fixtures in Melbourne on Tuesday, including the prospect of a semi or final at Sydney's Olympic Stadium and even Adelaide Oval.

But the organisers ultimately retained the same formula as 1992, handing matches to the SCG and Eden Park before the event's show-piece takes place on March 29 at the MCG, where a crowd of more than 87,000 had watched Imran's team triumph.

Among other key fixtures, the previously earthquake-stricken Christchurch will host the tournament's opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on February 14 at Hagley Oval, while later that same day Australia will play England at the MCG. The cup holders India will commence their tournament by facing Pakistan in Adelaide the following day.

Having been drawn together in Pool A, Australia will travel to Auckland to meet New Zealand on February 28. Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Wellington will each host a quarter-final.

Many luminaries were on hand in Melbourne's Docklands for the announcement, including the ICC chief executive Dave Richardson who kept wicket for South Africa at the 1992 event, alongside Dennis Lillee, Ian Chappell, Kapil Dev, Sanath Jayasuriya, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup is the flagship tournament of the 50-over game. The 2015 tournament will mark 40 years since the first World Cup in 1975 and that history of great contests and heroes helps make the tournament what it is - the most sought after prize in our increasingly global game," Richardson said.

"The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be returning to Australia and New Zealand after 23 years and will be staged at the back of two outstanding 50-over ICC events - the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013. I'm absolutely confident that the success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will further strengthen the status of 50-over cricket as a successful and viable format alongside Tests and Twenty20 Internationals."

Several tournament venues have undergone major redevelopments with 2015 in mind, not least the SCG with a projected capacity of 48,000, and Adelaide Oval's expansion to accommodate 50,000. Eden Park has also undergone a considerable facelift to also be capable of hosting 50,000 spectators.

The tournament will feature 49 matches across 44 days in 14 cities throughout February and March of 2015. Australia's 2014-15 Test summer has been shortened to a mere four matches against India in order to leave room for the cup's lengthy schedule. A 14-team format has the competitors pitted in two groups of seven, each to play six pool matches before the top four in each group advance to the quarter-finals, semis and final.

Pool A: England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Qualifier 2 and Qualifier 3

Pool B: South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies Zimbabwe, Ireland and Qualifier 4

Venue cities: Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Canberra, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier, Nelson, Hamilton, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Wellington

Pakistan tour of West Indies, 2nd T20I: West Indies v Pakistan at Kingstown, Jul 28, 2013

Pakistan 135/7 (20/20 ov)

West Indies 124/9 (20.0/20 ov)

Pakistan won by 11 runs

Umar Akmal's 46 off 36 gave Pakistan the final surge to take them to 135, which their bowlers made look like 185 on a slow, dry and used pitch to give them the Twenty20 series to go with the ODI spoils. Pakistan threatened to leave Ahmed Shehzad's platform of 44 off 46 to waste, but Akmal did just enough - with 38 in the last four overs - for the bowlers, who were soon all over the West Indies batting.

Sohail Tanvir's extra bounce accounted for Johnson Charles and Marlon Samuels, Mohammad Hafeez got Chris Gayle for the second time in two afternoons, and before you knew West Indies were 17 for 4. A strategic promotion for Sunil Narine injected some life into the chase as he scored 28 off 16, Kieron Pollard gave them late hope with 23 off 10, but they were fighting too much quality.

After Charles edged Tanvir to Akmal, Gayle's horror home season continued as he fell to a leading edge; since his century in the first ODI of the tri-series earlier in the season, Gayle has not crossed 30 in 10 international innings, and has averaged 10.2. Samuels got a bit of a brute that kicked at him just outside off, and took the gove. Lendl Simmons soon played for a Shahid Afridi legbreak, but it didn't turn and took the middle stumps.

As Dwayne Bravo fought hard, Narine swung merrily, and enjoyed some good timing and some good luck. The two added 47 in 5.3 overs, and brought the target down 72 off 39. Pollard took time to get going, and by the time he decided everything needed to go as West Indies needed 62 in four overs. Over the next four balls, he brought out some savage hits against the 34-year-old rookie Zulfiqar Babar, losing two balls and scoring 20 runs. Babar, though, went over the wicket, and managed to get the outer edge, which still carried to deep cover. Immediately, he got rid of Bravo, who also wanted to go over the off side but found long-off.

In those two balls, the brief life in the chase had frizzled out. Not even a shambolic no-ball call - for the front foot cutting the side crease - could make any difference. In contrast, Pakistan might not have had any such spells of brilliant hitting, but they stayed around the six-an-over mark before going for the big runs in the end.

West Indies seemed to have learned their lesson from having failed to defend 152 in the first game. They didn't give Pakistan any pace to hit. When the visitors ended the Powerplay at 39 for 1, it was the last time their run rate would reach 6.5 before Akmal's hitting in the 19th over. They had to fight a controlled West Indies effort throughout.

Shehzad, who scored 44 off 46, found little support from the other end. Hafeez, opening in the absence of the dropped Nasir Jamshed, was caught on the late cut again. Umar Amin was done in trying to drive on the up. Haris Sohail swung before he got used to the pace of the pitch. Shahid Afridi hit Narine into the strong wind and in the air. Shehzad perished trying to pull Pollard, who had dug the ball in and provided no pace to go with.

At 96 for 5 in the 16th over, it seemed Pakistan would struggle to get to a defendable total, but Akmal kept them in the game. Most of his good work came in the 19th over when Bravo went round the stumps and angled the ball across Akmal with little cover on the cover boundary. He was taken for a four and a six in the 16-run over, but Narine ended his good spell with just six runs in the 20th. As it turned out, Akmal had done enough damage by then.

Pakistan tour of West Indies, 2nd T20I: West Indies v Pakistan at Kingstown, Jul 28, 2013

Pakistan 135/7 (20.0/20 ov)

West Indies

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat

Innings break

In the last international of West Indies' home season, Pakistan chose to bat first on a dry pitch that had assisted spin in the first game. Leading 1-0, Pakistan made three changes including dropping Nasir Jamshed, who has had a disappointing tour. Jamshed was replaced by debutant Haris Sohail. The seam department had an overhaul, with Sohail Tanvir and Asad Ali replacing Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan. Asad was also making his Twenty20 international debut. Mohammad Hafeez was likely to open the innings.

West Indies, who didn't make it to the final of their home tri-series, lost the bilateral ODI series, and were trailing 1-0 in this Twenty20 series, had one last chance to salvage something from a disappointing home season during which they played Tests only against Zimbabwe. They made one change, dropping Shannon Gabriel, who was ordinary in the first game. Christopher Barnwell came in for him.