Indian One-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is within touching distance of regaining the top spot in the ICC ODI Player Rankings after his consistent show with the bat in the just-concluded Asia Cup helped him jump two spots in the chart.
South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie surpassed 413 to set a world record for the opening wicket partnership.
Pakistan-born cricketer Sikander Raza, who recently made his debut against Bangladesh in a home series, has been named in the 16-member Zimbabwe squad, led by Brendon Taylor that will take on India in a five match ODI series starting July 24, in Harare.
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin slipped a place to take the third position in the latest ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers in Dubai on Thursday.
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between South Africa and Australia in Durban on Saturday.
Zimbabwe were seven wickets away from their maiden Test win over Sri Lanka on Monday after setting the hosts a target of 388 in their one-off match at the R. Premadasa Stadium.
South Africa were 140 for six wickets in their first innings when rain brought an early close to play on the second day of the first test at SuperSport Park on Thursday. Mitchell Johnson had figures of 4 for 51.
Leg-spinner Scott Borthwick and off-spinner James Tredwell have been added to the England Test squad for the remainder of the Ashes series following Graeme Swann's surprise retirement, the country's cricket board said on Monday.
Former England batsman Graeme Hick became on Thursday the first player to score 100 centuries for Worcestershire.
Graeme Smith attributed Rajasthan Royals' success in the IPL to team spirit and the showing of the up-and-coming Indian youngsters in the side.
AB de Villiers has resigned as South Africa's Test captain, opening the way for childhood friend Faf du Plessis to take over on a permanent basis.
Ross Taylor and BJ Watling shared an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 220 as New Zealand went to tea in complete command on 543 for five and a lead of 379 on day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe on Saturday.
"I think the margins are very small on wickets like these. Maybe we were 30 runs short in the first innings as we lost our way towards the end of that. And with India getting that lead - those were the two swinging points in the match. Once India got the lead it was always going to be tough for us and the wicket also deteriorated further but I don't blame anybody for the defeat," said the South African captain.
South Africa's in-form batsman Hashim Amla, who scored a fine 51 in his team's total of 265 all out on Day 1 of the third Test against India, reveals the secret of his success against spinners.
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final Test at the Green Park in Kanpur on Friday. India captain Anil Kumble ended all speculation over his chances of playing by handing over the mantle to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
'Experience is the key. There are basically two ways to read leg-break bowling. Either you pick up from the wrists or wait for the ball to pitch. No two batsmen would employ the same technique'
India were bowled out for 627 before South Africa replied with a solid 131 for one in their second innings to take a 44-run lead, on Day 4 of the first Test.
Neil McKenzie scored 94 and Hashim Amla was unbeaten on 85 as South Africa amassed 304 for 4 by the end of the first day in the first Test against India. India must be grateful to spinners Harbhajan (2 for 92) and Anil Kumble (2 for 61) for helping them fightback.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against India.
"We have a lot of respect for Shaun Pollock but the team that did really well in Pakistan deserves another chance," Graeme Smith told reporters on Wednesday.
A second place finish at the inaugural Ballantine's Championships in South Korea helped Jeev Milkha Singh climb 11 spots to be placed at 79th in the latest official world golf rankings.
Two runners-up finishes in five weeks have convinced Indian ace Jeev Milkha Singh that his game is going in the right direction and a title is just round the corner.
Graeme McDowell birdied the third sudden-death playoff hole against India's Jeev Milkha Singh to win the title in Korea.
A wild approach at the 18th hole cost Graeme McDowell the outright lead after the third round of the US $ 2.9 million Ballantine's Championship in Jeju, South Korea on Saturday. A double-bogey six gave the Northern Irishman a six-under 66, leaving him tied with India's Jeev Milkha Singh on 18-under 198. Singh fired a sparkling 64 in calm conditions on the honeymoon island of Jeju following two days of gusting winds.
Jeev Milkha Singh came up with a disciplined performance to card a six-under 66 in the second round and maintain his tied second spot in the $ 2.9 million Ballantine's Championship in Jeju on Friday.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith struck an unbeaten 103 on Sunday to guide his team to a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first one-day international.
South Africa has the opportunity to dethrone Australia and secure the top spot in the LG ICC ODI Championship Table at the April 1 cut-off if it sweeps the three-match series against Bangladesh starting in Chittagong on Sunday. Australia and South Africa are currently both sitting on 127 ratings points but Graeme Smith's side is behind Ricky Ponting's side by just 0.529 of a point when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
Spinner Robin Peterson took five wickets to lead South Africa to a crushing victory by an innings and 205 runs in the second Test against Bangladesh on Monday. The touring side bowled out their hosts for 119 on the fourth day to complete a 2-0 series win. South Africa captain Graeme Smith and fast bowler Dale Steyn were named man of the match and man of the series respectively.
Graeme Smith (223 not out) and Neil McKenzie (169 not out) put on a record opening stand as South Africa took command of the second cricket Test against Bangladesh on the opening day itself, finishing on 405 without loss at close.
South Africa were 178 for four, just 27 runs short of victory after bowling Bangladesh out for 182.
Meanwhile, Real Mallorca made a dream return to La Liga with a 2-1 victory over Eibar at the Estadi Son Moix on Saturday, less than two months after sealing back-to-back promotions to rejoin Spain's soccer elite.
Arjun Atwal remained on course to end a prolonged title drought while an upwardly mobile SSP Chowrasia joined the US-based Indian at tied fifth spot after the penultimate round of the Indian Masters in New Delhi on Saturday.
Herschelle Gibbs struck an imperious century to spur South Africa to an eight-wicket win over West Indies on Sunday and a clean sweep in the five-match series.
West Indies totalled 263 for nine, and South Africa replied with 266 for five in 47.5 overs in the fourth ODI.
Come February, the longstanding rivalry between Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar will be renewed but this time it will play out on an ice field rather than on a cricket ground.
Riding on a superb all-round show, Gemini Arabians registered a massive 78-run win over Libra Legends in the opening match of the Masters Champions League Twenty20 tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Put into bat, Gemini Arabians posted a massive 234 for three in their allotted 20 overs and in response the Libra Legends could manage only 156/8. The hero of the Gemini win was the pair of Kumar Sangakkara (86 runs 43 balls, 6x4, 7x6) and opener Richard Levi (62 runs, 43 balls, 4x4, 3x6). Together, they stitched together an 84-run partnership for the second wicket after skipper Virender Sehwag (21) got the tournament off to a rollicking start with a six off the first ball.
South Africa beat West Indies by 86 runs in the second one-day international on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Captain Graeme Smith led South Africa to their triumph, smashing an unbeaten 89 from 61 deliveries to steer the host nation past Australia's impressive total of 179-8.
Centuries by Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers put South Africa in a commanding position in the deciding third Test against West Indies on Friday.
Graeme Smith stroked a fluent 13th Test century to keep South Africa on top in the third and final Test against West Indies on Thursday.
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