India's marauding cricket team will be aiming to reclaim the No 1 spot in ICC rankings when it takes on an unsettled New Zealand in the second Test starting, in Kolkata, on Friday.
Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara eye top 10 places while Ravindra Jadeja jumps to career-best third position among Test all-rounders.
In its 'Right of Reply', India also rejected the 'fanciful and misleading' remarks by the Pakistani envoy to the United Nations.
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.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said a fund-raising match has been planned to help survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
The 70-year-old L Ramdas bagged the award for peace and international understanding.
Meanwhile, the test drew strong criticism from North Korea's neighbours and the West which warned of a robust response to its "grave provocations".
"Like any committed cricketer, Irfan likes to take wickets while I try to make runs," said the Pakistan vice-captain.
Dressed in military overalls, the general waved to the crowd from a glass-panelled enclosure when the 31st over was being bowled in the day-night clash.
India will begin their campaign in the 2004 tournament with a match against Germany.
Addressing his first press conference after taking over as foreign minister, Singh said the new government is committed to take the Indo-Pak peace process forward.
Moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq on Saturday blasted his hardline counterpart for accusing him of having a secret meeting with emissaries of Narendra Modi, saying Syed Ali Shah Geelani was making irresponsible statements aimed at creating confusion among people.
The event is considered to be the first major challenge for the British after they had become the dominant power in the Indian sub-continent.
The proposals include holding of talks for bus links between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, and Khokrapar (Rajasthan) and Munabao (Sindh province).
Having played a stellar role many a time in India-Pakistan clashes, all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels that the defending champions have a far superior unit and will do well against the arch-rivals in the high-voltage opening World Cup encounter on February 15 in Adelaide.
'The onus is now on China to explain to the world why it feels Pakistan should accompany India on the question of NSG Membership!! China's not so covert help for Pakistan's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes will stand exposed,' says former ambassador G Parthasarathy.
Pakistan can break World Cup jinx against underperforming India, believes former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas.
India can be called "more Islamic than Pakistan" as more Muslims live here than that country, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the chief of Pakistan Rangers who called on him to discuss ways to keep the border peaceful.
India's Test captain Virat Kohli is a 'phenomenal player and a treat to watch', feels legendary New Zealand fast bowler Sir Richard Hadlee.
However, dialogue and terrorism do not go hand in hand, he told Russian journalists.
"We had a tough series in Australia and we'd like to use that to our advantage in Pakistan," the Indian vice-captain said.
Pakistan are to follow England and South Africa by the truncated version of the one-day game where both teams play for 20 overs.
The PCB will rest the fast bowler to allow him to recover from his rib-cage stress fracture injury.
'The US will continue to play an important role in the revival of the Pakistan-India dialogue process,' Jamali said.
A cricket ground in the Netherlands is to be inspected for a ODI series involving Pakistan, India and Australia later this year.
India is actively considering the Pakistani proposal on the talk schedule for remaining secretary-level meetings in the third round of resumed dialogue with dates on the crucial issue of water and Sir Creek being suggested ahead of the meeting between their prime ministers in New York in September.
During their visits to Islamabad, they will discuss with officials 'bilateral and regional issues' with particular focus on the Indo-Pak standoff.
India skipper Sourav Ganguly hinted that Parthiv Patel would be one of them in Tuesday's crucial Asia Cup tie against Sri Lanka.\n\n
India and Iran on Monday decided to jointly combat terror, radicalism and cyber crime as the two strategic partners signed 12 agreements including a "milestone" pact on developing the key Chabahar port for which India will provide $500 million.
Malaysian coach Paul Lissek feels that India's decision to play agressively would help his side.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India in a letter to the prime minister said India ran the risk of being isolated in world cricket by not playing with Pakistan.
It is important the SCO focus strongly on economic development and regional integration that leads to greater benefits for the least developed regions of member-countries, writes Sana Hashmi.
Pakistan-India Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Ilyas Ahmad Bilour has urged Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to restore air service between the two countries to promote bilateral trade.
