'When it comes to strategy or planning for a match, there is nobody better than Dhoni.' 'Whether he is uncapped or capped, every franchise would want to pick Dhoni, no matter what price he is available for.'
South Africa need seven wickets on the last day to secure victory in the first Test and go ahead in the two-match series as Bangladesh struggled on a rain-curtailed fourth day at Senwes Park on Sunday.
A change from spin-friendly wickets in India to ones favouring seamers means South Africa's pace attack are keenly looking forward to the Test series against England, which starts on Saturday.
Chennai Super Kings' pacer Tushar Deshpande said bowling during the death overs is not an easy skill and he is still learning the tricks of the trade.
Meanwhile, the sports ministry has asked the PCB not to offer a long-term contract to its incumbent director of cricket Mohammad Hafeez yet, who came into the role after the 50-overs World Cup last year.
The endless chain of fast bowlers that Pakistan has produced over the years has been the envy point of other cricketing nations. Zaman Khan is the latest to join that illustrious line.
Pakistan might have heaved a sigh of relief to see that Shaheen Shah Afridi did not show any signs of a draining fever that had gripped the team upon its arrival in Bengaluru.
India's vulnerability to short pitched bowling was exposed as South Africa speedsters Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel exploited seaming conditions to leave the visitors in tatters on a rain-hit opening day of the first Test in Centurion on Thursday.
Former South African batsman HD Ackerman has said that the team's familiarity with the Indian bowlers due to their exposure to the Indian Premier League (IPL) may be an advantage for them in the semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Friday.
Morne Morkel's penultimate over, which yielded just three runs and a wicket, helped table-toppers Delhi Daredevils snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, said a disappointed Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid after his side slumped to an unexpected one-run loss in an Indian Premier League match in New Delhi on Sunday.
Morne Morkel and Charl Langeveldt shared seven wickets to bowl South Africa to a 67-run victory over West Indies in the third One-day International.
Senior Delhi Daredevils batsman Virender Sehwag batted for around 25 minutes during the team's net session as pacer Morne Morkel hinted that the batsman might just be ready to play his first match of the sixth edition of Indian Premier League.
The squad includes representatives from seven nations for the games, which will have international status, in Lahore on September 12, 13 and 15.
Check out the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League.
With Delhi Daredevils leading the pack in the current edition of the Indian Premier League, South African recruit Morne Morkel credited coach Eric Simmons for the team's turn around.
South African bowling great Allan Donald believes the pace attack of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel which will take on Australia in a three-Test series next month is the best the country has ever produced.
South Africa expect to have all-rounder JP Duminy and fast bowler Morne Morkel back for the second Test against India but will assess the fitness of leading paceman Dale Steyn on Thursday.
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between India and South Africa in Nagpur, on Wednesday.
Ajinkya Rahane's superb 84-run knock went in vain as Delhi Daredevils pulled off a dramatic one-run win over Rajasthan Royals to open up a three-point lead at the top of the Indian Premier League table in New Delhi on Sunday.
Images from the World Cup match between South Africa and Ireland being played at Eden Gardens.
The paceman had injury problems in the recent ICC Champions Trophy in England, forcing him to miss the semi-final defeat by the hosts, and that has weighed heavily on the minds of the selectors with Test series coming up against Pakistan, India and Australia.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said the pitch for the third Test between India and South Africa was unfair on the batsmen and called for ICC's intervention into the matter.
The flat decks in India no longer worry pacers, said South Africa captain Graeme Smith as he attributed Dale Steyn's devastating form in the first cricket Test against India to a changed mindset of not letting conditions dictate bowling.
England, replying to South Africa's 291, were 241 for seven at close on the second day of the third Test thanks to battling innings by Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt Prior.
Their morale on the upswing after back-to-back victories, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will aim to continue the winning run when they take on the inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in their fifth IPL cricket match in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
"I don't think Morne is fit enough to play tomorrow. He bowled a bit in the nets and probably we will take the final call tomorrow, but I don't think he will be fit," Amla told reporters at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Opener Quinton de Kock smashed 84 as a weakened South Africa crushed Zimbabwe by seven wickets to complete a whitewash in their three-match ODI series at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Thursday.
England were skittled for 180 on the stroke of tea, having no answer to the pace of Dale Steyn on the first day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa on Thursday.
Pakistan cricketers floored by 'unexpected' welcome, hit nets 12 hours after arrival
With no team as yet assured of a last four play-off berth, Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Wasim Akram described this Indian Premier League (IPL) season as the most interesting in its eight-year history.
Uncapped spinners Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi were named in South Africa's squad for next month's three-match test series in Australia on Monday as the Proteas seek to exploit a perceived weaknesses in their hosts' batting. Faf du Plessis will again captain the team in the absence of injured AB de Villiers after leading the side in the two-test series against New Zealand last month, which they won 1-0. "Basically, we are following a horses for courses policy as we feel that spinners who turn the ball away from the right-hander are going to be particularly useful under Australian conditions and against the test batsmen we are likely to face," selector Linda Zondi said in a statement.
J P Duminy blasted an unbeaten 86 and Dale Steyn bowled a sensational last over as South Africa pulled of a dramatic two-run victory over New Zealand to bring their ICC World Twenty20 campaign back on track, in Chittagong, on Monday.
Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell from New Zealand. Travis Head from Australia. Gerald Coetzee from South Africa. Harry Brook from England.
India's batting sensation Cheteshwar Pujara says the upcoming Test series in New Zealand should be a little easier than the recent one against South Africa, where the team was beaten 1-0 in the two-match series.
Team India faces an uphill task in the upcoming Test series against South Africa, beginning at the Wanderers on Wednesday, and no one is more pragmatic about it than MS Dhoni, the team captain.
Images from Wednesday's first IPL play-off between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab at the Eden Gardens.
Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers have been recalled to South Africa's One-day international side for the visit of New Zealand later this month, but young wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been axed after a poor run of form in Bangladesh.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 3rd Test played between South Africa and India at the Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg on Friday
When Ryan Harris hobbled into Newlands for the final day of the third Test against South Africa on Wednesday, it seemed unlikely he would end up being the man to clinch the series for Australia.
Australia won the third and final Test against South Africa by 245 runs at Newlands in a nailbiting finish with just 27 balls to spare after a day of epic home resistance.
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