YUVRAJ SINGH NAMED IN INDIAN SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP T20

 India batsman Yuvraj Singh has been named in India's T20 squad for the home series against New Zealand and the ICC World Twenty20 next month in Sri Lanka, marking a return to cricket after battling with cancer. VVS Laxman, Ishant Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Piyush Chawla and Ajinkya Rahane have been included for the home Tests against New Zealand later this month. Rohit Sharma has been left out of the Test squad after a lean period with the bat.

Yuvraj, who last played for India during the home Tests against West Indies, was passed fit when the selection committee met in Mumbai to pick the respective squads. During his recovery from cancer, Yuvraj said last month that Twenty20 would be ideal format to mark his return to competitive cricket. However, he was picked despite lacking in match practice.

The Twenty20 squad had a few surprises, most notably the recall of the legspinner Chawla (in both squads), offspinner Harbhajan Singh and the seamer L Balaji. Chawla last played for India during the 2011 World Cup, and his previous Test goes back a further three years. Balaji, who suffered career-threatening injuries through the previous decade, last played for India in 2009. What may have boosted his selection was a successful IPL 2012, during which he played a key role in Kolkata Knight Riders' title win.

Harbhajan was dropped after failing to make an impression on the tours of West Indies and England last year. His form in domestic cricket wasn't encouraging either. He was ignored for the Tests, but the T20s will give him a chance to stage a comeback in all three formats. He also lends experience to India's spin attack.

Laxman's future as a Test batsman was in doubt after a poor tour of Australia, where he only managed 155 runs in eight innings. Rohit did not get a chance in any of those games, but Rahul Dravid's retirement opened the door not just for him but for a few other young batsmen hoping to break into the Test team. However, Rohit failed to make a mark in the recently concluded limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, possibly jeopardising his Test selection. Pujara's batting for India A in the West Indies made it hard for the selectors to ignore him. He was already earmarked as a Test middle-order prospect.

Rahane, who sparkled during the IPL, was left out of the Twenty20 squad but included for the Tests as a reserve opener. Ishant too returns from a layoff, after skipping the IPL to recover from an ankle surgery. Suresh Raina is back in India's Test plans, after being ignored for the Australia tour.

Kris Srikkanth, in his last selection meeting as chairman of selectors, said: "We have picked the best possible Test team. We looked at the conditions (in Sri Lanka) for the World T20. We feel that we have picked a team that will win us the World Cup. We are very happy Yuvi (Yuvraj) has been declared fit. In 2011 World Cup, he was the Man of the Series. He is a crucial factor from India's point of view."

This selection marks the end of a long and traumatic period for Yuvraj. His began with breathing difficulties, nausea and bouts of vomiting blood during India's successful run through the 2011 World Cup, which he ended as the player of the tournament. Six months later he was diagnosed with a rare for of cancer - mediastinal seminoma - and subsequently underwent chemotherapy in the US. He returned to India in April and began training at the NCA in Bangalore in June.

India play two Tests and two Twenty20s against New Zealand before heading to Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20.

SQUAD:

MS.DHONI

VIRENDER SEWAGH

GAUTHAM GAMBHIR

SURESH RAINA

VIRAT KOLHI

YUVRAJ SINGH

ROHIT SHARMA

MANOJ TIWARY

IRFAN PATHAN

R.ASHWIN

ZAHEER KHAN

L.BALAJI

PIYUSH CHAWLA

HARBHAJAN SINGH

ASHOK DINDA

ALL ROUNDER IRFAN PATHAN GRABS HIS CHANCES

 Irfan Pathan is back. Again. With consecutive Man-of-the-Match awards. With a role in four of the five Indian wins on this tour. His previous comeback arrived after nearly three years, and lasted eight ODIs and one Twenty20 international before he was left out of the squad for this trip, despite very reasonable figures. Irfan was looking for a county deal; then Vinay Kumar got injured, and Irfan got a lifeline. And boy, he has grabbed it.

The highest wicket-taker in the ODI series. The most economical Indian fast bowler in the ODI series, ahead of even Zaheer Khan. Plus, two calm and decisive knocks with the bat when the team was in trouble. And a whole-hearted effort in the field. Twist the package any way you want, you will struggle to call it anything but all-round.

Before the series started, people were wondering how many games Irfan would get. The precedent was the way he had been treated in the ODI tri-series in Australia. He played half the number of games Ravindra Jadeja did and took twice as many wickets, and made almost as many runs. Irfan batted at No.9, Jadeja at No.7.

Fortunately for Irfan, Jadeja did not make this trip. But Irfan had to earn the team management's confidence, especially after MS Dhoni spoke about Jadeja's importance as a bowler before the first match. A first spell of 6-1-20-1 with the new ball in Hambantota set the tone for the series.

Irfan swung the ball regularly into the right-handers. His pace was steady, in the mid-to-late 120s, but he got the ball to bounce and zip off the pitch, which he has said creates opportunities for him. Importantly, he did not fall apart at the death. He was involved in two match-winning partnerships with Suresh Raina and Dhoni, sensibly rotating the strike during both stands.

Three games, he played as the allrounder, batting at No.7 with four specialist bowlers to follow. In the next three games, the team management developed enough confidence in Irfan's bowling to play an extra batsman in Manoj Tiwary.

Irfan was delighted to be back, and desperate to perform. He had gone through a phase where his back had troubled him so much that he had started to worry more about his body than his career. His action had been through so many ups and downs he had no clue where the Irfan of 2003-04 had disappeared.

He had bowled for hours in the nets and local games in his hometown Vadodara to try to get some of the shape back. People didn't believe him when he said he was prepared for a comeback. He returned to the side, did not get many opportunities, and was dropped again, but destiny probably owed him another chance.

Irfan wasn't going to let it go through want of preparation. Almost every game, he would walk to the side pitches before the start and bowl and bowl. He worked on his delivery stride and on his use of the crease. He did not face the best bowling in the nets as most of the India bowlers would be done by the time his turn came to bat, but he practiced his strokes against what was on offer. He stayed back on occasions after the rest had left to bat against throwdowns.

Despite his showing, he is still on trial, in a way. Duncan Fletcher, the India coach, said after the ODI series that Irfan had done a good job "at the moment". "I think he has got the potential," Fletcher had said. "We just have got to see him progress from here and see how he bowls in India and bats in India."

He will surely be tested in Indian conditions, and Jadeja could return into the equation as well. But for the moment, India can savour the return of someone who is the closest they have currently to a fast-bowling allrounder.

INJURY RULES CHRIS GAYLE OUT OF SRI LANKA PREMIER LEAGUE

 Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the inaugural season of the Sri Lanka Premier League due to a serious groin strain. Gayle, the icon player and captain for the Uva Next franchise, was among the marquee players for the tournament.

Gayle had injured his groin while playing in the Bangladesh Premier League in February, but the injury was aggravated during West Indies' second Test against New Zealand in Jamaica. The same injury had also prevented Gayle from playing in the MiWAY T20 Challenge in South Africa for the Dolphins franchise.

"Of course it's a blow to lose [Gayle]," CEO of the Uva Next franchise, Tushar Bedi said. "But we are very happy with the team that we've got and we're still going to win the competition." Gayle has signed a three-year deal with Uva, and will likely take part in the 2013 and 2014 tournaments, Bedi said.

Two other overseas players - Pakistan's Abdur Rehman and West Indies' Fidel Edwards - are also in the late withdrawals list that already includes Shakib Al Hasan, who was denied permission to play in the tournament by the Bangladesh Cricket Board last week. There is also speculation that Marlon Samuels will be unavailable, but this has not yet been confirmed.

It is understood that the WICB decided not to provide a "no objection certificate" for Edwards because they would like him to be fresh ahead of the World Twenty20, which begins in September. However, reasons for Rehman's withdrawal remain unclear. Uva have replaced Gayle and Rehman with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fawad Alam and Jacob Oram and the Uthura Rudras have drafted in Kyle Mills and Australia batsman Rob Quiney to replace Shakib and Edwards. 



An Uthura Rudras spokesperson said the loss of two overseas players days before the tournament had come as a surprise. "When we sat down and discussed strategy, we based our team selection on the basis of availability. One of the things that [coach] Tom Moody said was 'There's no point selecting fancy names if they're not going to turn up', so it's not ideal." 



The spokesman said that despite the late withdrawals, Uthura remained upbeat about their chances in the tournament. "Mills and Quiney are sound names for us and they're T20 specialists, so we're happy with that."



A total of 56 overseas players had initially been signed across seven franchises, with some of those players only due to be called into the squads if other overseas players became unavailable. The first matches of the three-week SLPL will be played on Saturday, August 11, with the final scheduled for August 31. Four overseas players are allowed to play in each team per match.

BOUCHER UNLIKELY TO PLAY CRICKET IN FUTURE

Mark Boucher, former South Africa wicketkeeper, has said that it is "unlikely" he will play professional cricket in the near future as the healing process to his left eye continues. Boucher's eyeball was lacerated last month on the first day of South Africa's tour to England, when a bail ricocheted off the stumps and hit him during the tour match against Somerset in Taunton.

He was forced to move his intended retirement, which he had planned after the Lord's Test, forward and returned home to South Africa to begin treatment. Boucher underwent one operation in England followed up by five more procedures in Cape Town.

Although it was initially reported that he could pick up movement and detect light with the injured eye and he was hopeful of making a return at franchise or amateur level, Boucher's cricket playing days seem over, for the foreseeable future at least.

"I have lost the lens, iris and pupil in my left eye. There was severe damage to my retina. I have had two major operations and four blood draining operations in the past three weeks and physically, at times, I have been in a lot of pain," Boucher said at his first press conference since the incident, at Newlands, where he also revealed how much his life had changed in recent weeks.

"It does get uncomfortable at times and being a sportsman, I want to be active and outdoors but, without a pupil, I find any amount of sunlight very harsh and have thus been restricted to the confines of my home. It is unlikely that I will play any professional cricket again in the near future, which is very unfortunate as I was looking forward to contributing as a player for the Cobras. The risk of additional damage to my left eye or even damage to the other eye, doesn't warrant it."

Having already considered the end of his career before the tour to England, Boucher had future projects in the works some of which have now been fast-forwarded. He has invested in his "passion for wildlife" with South African Breweries and launched the SAB Boucher Non-Profit Company, which aims to help fund the fight against rhino poaching in Africa.

Boucher has been vocal in his support for saving the rhino, which has come under severe threat in recent years. More than 900 rhinos have been killed across Africa in the last three years and the species is facing extinction in some areas. Boucher and team-mates past and present, such as Paul Harris, Dale Steyn and Justin Kemp, took part in a conservation event at the end of June to raise awareness for the rhino and Boucher's involvement will continue through his new foundation.

He has also started a wine-label with long-time friend Jacques Kallis. The wine, called the Innings, went on shelves in South African stores last weekend and reported good sales. Kallis also had the label stuck on his bat and pointed to it in celebration, along with gesturing to his eye, after his century at the Oval.

Boucher's role in the Test XI has been taken up by AB de Villiers in the interim which has allowed South Africa to play the extra batsmen in JP Duminy. Wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile is expected to eventually take over as Boucher's permanent replacement.

Boucher has been monitoring the on-going series between South Africa and England and tweeting his thoughts. He has also been in contact with the squad and captain Graeme Smith hinted that they would seek Boucher's advice on occasions, given the experience he gained over the years and the fighting way he approached the game.

That fight lives on in Boucher and his parting words to the media were ones of hope, despite his current circumstances.

"I don't want people to feel sorry for me. Injuries happen and this could have happened earlier on in my career. I am incredibly grateful for the length of career that I have had and the amazing things I have experienced and people I have met during that time. This is just another challenge in my life and something that I will be working to overcome."

INDIA TRASH SRILANKA IN ONE OFF T20

 Virat Kohli continued to be imperious, and Irfan Pathan impressed once again, as India completed a successful limited-overs campaign in Sri Lanka with a comfortable win in the only T20 international on the tour. Kohli was in complete command, picking gaps at will, finding boundaries with minimum effort, even off the occasional mistimed shot, and helped take India to 155. Irfan, who found considerable swing, undermined a Sri Lankan fightback with the ball in the death overs by dismissing three senior Sri Lanka batsmen and was backed up by a containing effort by the rest.

The game began brightly for Sri Lanka, with Shaminda Eranga completing a unique achievement; his wicket off Gautam Gambhir meant he's now picked up a wicket in the first over of his debuts in Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals. But Kohli's entry to the crease ensured that early high was short-lived.

Sri Lanka's bowlers targeted the off side, Kohli's preferred areas being through square leg and midwicket, and bowled to their field, but such was his dominance that no part of the ground was secure. A short ball from Angelo Mathews was clubbed over midwicket, a good length delivery next ball was guided through point and Eranga was taken for fours to each part of the off side - point, extra cover and then mid-off, though two of those shots were mistimed.

When Thisara Perera was brought on in the sixth over, he made the mistake of bowling too straight and was promptly struck for three fours in a row, two past short fine leg. His low backlift helped Kohli to adapt easily to deliveries that were pushed in fuller and his wristwork, as always, was his primary weapon. Thirty-six off his first 38 runs came in boundaries.

The introduction of spin after the field restrictions slowed India down, and accounted for Rahane's wicket as he drove one straight back at Jeevan Mendis. Overs nine to 12 yielded only 25, though they included a six and a four from Kohli as he charged out of the crease on each occasion.

Suresh Raina walked in ahead of Rohit Sharma and picked up a couple of neatly-clipped fours off Eranga and Perera through the leg side. Kohli survived a close run-out chance but following a stand of 48, he timed one shot a touch too well, smacking a slower one from Eranga straight to deep midwicket. There were some hits and misses from MS Dhoni that gave him some frustrating moments and even though Raina dispatched Lasith Malinga over long-off, the Sri Lankan seamers were largely accurate in their lengths in the final few overs. Only 31 came off the last five, but India were not made to rue that slip.

Irfan was off target on occasion - his first ball was wide and cut for four - but got the ball to move in through the air and castled Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over. The ball curved away from the left-handed Upul Tharaga and he chased a wide one in Irfan's next over to be caught at slip. Mahela Jayawardene, who opened the batting, threatened a counter-attack, targeting Umesh Yadav. He used Yadav's pace to guide him for fours through third man and point, then cut and whipped him in the same over to collect 17 runs off it. But his stay, too, was ended by an Irfan inswinger in the fifth over. Jayawardene moved back and closed the face but was struck on the pads just in line with leg stump.

Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews tried to maintain the tempo, stepping out and going over the top and adding 33 in quick time. But Thirimanne's attempt to reverse-sweep a straight ball from R Ashwin failed and cost him his wicket. The run-rate slipped, the pressure grew and wickets continued to tumble. Mathews nicked Ashok Dinda - who also cleaned up the tail to finish with four wickets - to the keeper, Jeevan Mendis spooned a catch to extra cover and Perera was run out by a direct hit from Manoj Tiwary, all in a space of 15 deliveries.

Seven down and with 54 needed off 28, Sri Lanka had to attack and their efforts to do so hastened their end. They'll now look to the Sri Lanka Premier League to sharpen their T20 skills while India await New Zealand before they return to this country for the World T20.

INDIA WIN ODI SERIES AGAINST SRILANKA

 It was a low-key series that was overshadowed by the Olympics, but it resulted in a dramatic change in the rankings as India climbed up to No. 2 after shutting out Sri Lanka 4-1. India seemed to have the final one-dayer in the bag after running up 294 and then reducing Sri Lanka to 102 for 5, but a spirited stand between the inexperienced Lahiru Thirimanne and Jeevan Mendis kept the visitors sweating till the end.

Irfan Pathan more or less guaranteed the result in the 43rd over as he removed Mendis and Thisara Perera on his way to his second ODI five-for, capping a match in which he had already made an important contribution with the bat. A late replacement for the injured Vinay Kumar, Irfan has sealed his place as a bowling allrounder with his eight wickets at 26.37 and two vital performances with the bat.

He troubled Sri Lanka in his first over itself, getting Tillakaratne Dilshan to hole out to third man. In the absence of the injured Kumar Sangakkara and the resting Mahela Jayawardene - the first time in two years that the pair were missing an ODI - Dilshan had a big role to play, but fell for a duck.

Sri Lanka maintained a scorching pace early on, but lost their way once Upul Tharanga chipped a catch to cover in the eighth over. Dinesh Chandimal's forgettable series continued as he fell lbw to Ashok Dinda for 8, Angelo Mathews' first innings as one-day captain was ended by a direct hit from Manoj Tiwary, and Chamara Kapugedera wasted his umpteenth international comeback, walking after an lbw appeal.

That looked like game, set and match India but Sri Lanka weren't done yet. Thirimanne played his second responsible knock at No. 3 in five days, and Jeevan Mendis continued to prompt questions over why he had been offered such scattered opportunities with the national team so far after another battling innings. The two patiently resurrected the innings, and through some sensible cricket brought Sri Lanka back into the game, and when the part-time spin of Manoj Tiwary was caned for 14 in the 34th over, Sri Lanka were 187 for 5. With the big-hitting Perera still to come, they had a great chance of pulling off a consolation comeback victory.

Thirimanne, though, was run-out after a mix-up, and though Mendis kept Sri Lanka afloat, Perera slugged a catch to deep point. When Mendis' outstanding innings ended on 72 with a nick to the keeper off Irfan, Sri Lanka's hopes evaporated.

India's top order gave a better account of themselves than Sri Lanka's. There were half-centuries for Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni but the most significant innings in the dead rubber could be Manoj Tiwary's 65. For the second match in a row, he turned in a solid performance, strengthening his credentials for a hotly contested spot in the India's middle-order, most likely at the expense of Rohit Sharma.

Rohit, given a remarkably long rope by the team management, flopped for the fifth game in a row; his tally of 13 runs in the series is the lowest by a specialist India batsman in a five-match series and the chorus for his axing is only going to get louder.

Tiwary's debut was famously delayed by a shoulder injury in 2007, and he has had seven ODIs in the five years since. A match-winning century in another dead rubber last December only led to a long spell on the bench, but a four-for with some part-time leg spin in the previous match and a steadying 110-run partnership with Gambhir should earn him a few matches in the upcoming New Zealand series at home.

For the second time in three games, Malinga began an over in the batting Powerplay with two wickets in two balls, as he removed Tiwary and then the in-form Suresh Raina as India slid to 197 for 5. But, as in the third ODI, Irfan showed off his improved batting, and gave the specialist batsman enough of the strike to take apart the Sri Lanka bowling. That day it had been Raina, today it was Dhoni, who has had little to do in this series as players above him in the order have repeatedly done the job for the side. Dhoni began by carving Malinga for consecutive boundaries through cover and a typically busy innings, interspersed with boundaries, helped India take 75 off the final 10 overs.

While Dhoni piloted India at the end, Gambhir did it at the start. Even as Ajinkya Rahane failed to grab his chance, Virat Kohli had a rare failure and Rohit's horror run extended, Gambhir was unperturbed. Once again, he managed to score at almost a run a ball without seeming to play any big hits as he made his way to his third fifty-plus score of the series. He was closing in on his seventh ODI hundred against Sri Lanka before he was done in by the extra bounce from Senanayake.

It didn't matter, though as Irfan and Dhoni powered India to a big score, one which proved too tall for an inexperienced Sri Lanka line-up.