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World Cup final a dream - Tendulkar

Every time Sachin Tendulkar walks out to bat he has the hopes of billions rested on his shoulders, yet when India co-host the World Cup next year expectations will reach even greater levels. The final will be hosted in Mumbai, Tendulkar's home town, but he is refusing to let his mind wander towards the prospect of a moment that would crown his career.

"As far as the World Cup is concerned it is a process. We don't want to jump to the 50th floor straight away, we must start on the ground floor," he said. "We must take it step-by-step but to get there would be a fascinating journey. It is our dream, not just mine but the entire nation, to get there. To play the final in Mumbai is something you can only dream of and everything has to come together.

"But if we can play to the best of our potential then I think we can do something we have been longing to do for quite some time."

Tendulkar is currently taking a break from the game but will return to Indian colours for the Test series against Sri Lanka next month. The five-day format has suddenly taken on a much greater priority in India - although Tendulkar, himself, has always been adamant it is the main brand of the game - after the team reached No. 1 in the world.

They will look to consolidate that position against Sri Lanka before a mouth-watering contest in South Africa at the end of the year as the top two ranked teams go head-to-head over three Tests at Centurion, Durban and Cape Town. It will be a huge challenge for India to compete in foreign conditions against the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, but Tendulkar doesn't want to let the top spot slip away after working so hard for the honour.

"To be number one is special, it was our dream and our target to get to the number one spot in Test cricket," he said. "We have had a good run in the last 20 months. Everyone wants to be number one and we cannot relax because there are other countries who want to be number one. It means a lot to us."

At 37, it won't be too long before Tendulkar calls time on his stellar career. He has already cut back his Twenty20 commitments and doesn't play that format internationally, while he also declined a deal with Middlesex this season to spend more time with his family. However, for the time being he has no plans to end his Test or one-day days.

"I want to play for as long as possible and as long as I have the desire and the hunger I will carry on," he said. "The day I do not want to get out of bed and do anything then I know it will be time to go in another direction."

SMS' between bookie, Butt, Akmal revealed

Karachi, Nov 18: In the latest development in the spot-fixing case, the conversations of tainted Pakistani players - former skipper Salman Butt and wicket keeper Kamran Akmal - with alleged bookmaker, Mazhar Majeed, via SMS have been revealed. Akmal also has now become the part of the spot-fixing controversy after the suspended Pakistani trio- Butt, Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif, The News reported.

According to details, Mazhar sent SMS' to Butt on three numbers, which were registered from England, Dubai and West Indies. It is learnt that the ICC Anti-corruption unit believes the contact number registered from West Indies was provided to Butt by the team management, the paper said.

In his first SMS, Mazhar asked Butt if he talked with that person, to which the latter replied: "yes".
In the second SMS, Mazhar asked (Butt) what he thought about the second thing, first in seventh and second in eighth, and this will only be possible after scoring in first two overs without losing any wicket.

Mazhar in his third SMS asked Butt to confirm about seventh and eighth, one wicket each in both. Afterwards, Mazhar sent SMS to Akmal's number, and the latter has confirmed the usage of that number, the paper said. The exchange of SMS allegedly took place before the ICC World Twenty20 against South Africa, it added.

Bangladesh complete clean sweep

The Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium may have been operating at a fraction of its full capacity due to World Cup renovations, but another nail-biting victory to Bangladesh in the final ODI against New Zealand sparked rapturous celebrations in the Mirpur crowd as the home team stormed to a 4-0 whitewash. Bangladesh had been bowled out for just 174 by a spirited New Zealand attack that showed plenty fire in the first half of the dead rubber, but a catastrophic top-order collapse ensured that not even a trademark New Zealand fightback from the lower-order could restore some pride to an outfit that was thoroughly outplayed throughout the series.

The rot began with Brendon McCullum's wicket, when he top-edged a Rubel Hossain delivery that was far too wide to pull in the second over before Jesse Ryder capped what has been a torrid tour for him, playing all around one that kept low in Rubel's next over. BJ Watling was then run out after Ross Taylor called for an ill-advised second run, and when Kane Williamson and Taylor himself were undone by two terrific deliveries in consecutive overs to leave New Zealand reeling at 20 for 5. The visitors seemed headed towards their most humiliating defeat in what has already been a disheartening series for them. Bangladesh were on the attack, and nothing short of a gutsy lower-order fightback could prevent the hosts from inflicting an embarrassing defeat.

Grant Elliott and Daniel Vettori combined following Taylor's exit and set about quietly repairing the damage wreaked upon the New Zealand run chase with a partnership worth 86 runs. The pair battled through the initial tough period, taking few risks and picking up the singles on offer to keep the score moving along, albeit at a snail's pace. The batsmen rode their luck early on too. Vettori offered a regulation chance off Mahmudullah but Junaid Siddique at slip made a hash of it, and Vettori was lucky to survive an excellent lbw shout off the same bowler in his next over. Elliott was also rapped on the pads by a Shakib Al Hasan delivery that was heading towards middle stump, but may have just been hit outside the line, which created enough doubt in the umpire's mind to rule not out.

The pair became more adventurous as they spent more time at the crease however, picking up the occasional boundary and hitting the gaps with ease as the field began to spread. Vettori even waltzed down the pitch to loft Abdur Razzak over long-on for six in the 26th over, but fell attempting to swing Shakib over midwicket soon after, as Shafiul Islam made good ground to take a fantastic diving catch.

New Zealand still required 69 to win with four wickets remaining when Vettori perished and Nathan McCullum's dismissal not long after made things even tougher for the visitors. Kyle Mills provided support for Elliott in a 26-run stand, but when Elliott departed for a determined 59 with 30 runs still to get, the game swung once more in Bangladesh's favour.

Mills wasn't about to give up without a fight however, as he set about shepherding the sole remaining tailender, Hamish Bennett, while slamming the Bangladesh bowlers to all parts during the batting Powerplay. He crashed boundaries down the ground and over cover in the final overs to set up a nerve-wracking finish. When eight runs were required from the very last over with Mill on strike, the match was poised for a thoroughly gripping finale.

Rubel Hossain bowled a full toss on the pads in his first delivery of the final over and Mills swung it around to the fine leg boundary to make it four needed from five. The match had ebbed and flowed throughout the chase and it seemed that New Zealand were once again in the ascendancy with Mills having plenty of deliveries to hit just one more boundary with the field restrictions in play. Rubel made sure he had the last word however, following up the errant first ball with two terrific yorkers, the second of which took out Mills' leg stump, sparking a thunderous ovation from the Mirpur crowd.

The match had been set up by an excellent bowling performance from the New Zealand attack, who dismissed the hosts for 174 in 44.2 overs. New Zealand made early breakthroughs through Kyle Mills and Andy McKay before choking the runs in the middle period to trigger a lower-order collapse that left Bangladesh with a meagre total to defend.

Daniel Vettori was at his miserly best through the middle overs, giving away just 32 runs and claiming three wickets. His double-strike in consecutive overs to get rid of Raqibul Hasan and Imrul Kayes put the hosts firmly on the back foot at 77 for 4, before Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim came together for a 55-run stand that rescued the Bangladesh innings from an embarrassing collapse.

Allrounder Elliott dismissed both batsmen in quick succession however, and combined well with young fast bowler Hamish Bennett, in just his second game, to put together a parsimonious six-over patch where just five runs were scored for the loss of one wicket. Elliott's short spell effectively summed up New Zealand's tight bowling performance during the middle period - his four overs costing just seven runs and yielding two valuable wickets.

The Bangladesh lower-order failed to offer any sort of resistance, succumbing meekly to some intelligent bowling from the tourists and losing their last six wickets for just 42 runs. The modest total proved to be enough for the hosts however, who completed a whitewash that will be talked about in Bangladesh for years to come.

Attention ICC