LAHORE: Former Pakistan test captains Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas and present skipper Shoaib Malik will be part of a 15-member committee set up to scrutinize the constitution of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), officials said.Former test players have been asked to submit any recommendations for improving the country’’s cricket set-up and constitution to the sports ministry.”The committee will look at ways to make the cricket board’’s constitution more democratic as in its present form it doesn”t encourage accountability,” law minister Farooq Naek said.

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday condemned the bomb blast in New Delhi and expressed grief at the loss of life in the terrorist attack. In a message, Zardari strongly condemned the menace of terrorism and extremism that had gripped many parts of the world. Pakistan, being a victim of terrorism itself, abhors the menace in all its forms and manifestations, Zardari said, adding the world should make joint efforts to eradicate this menace for sustainable peace. In a separate message, Gilani said Pakistan firmly believes that such acts of terrorism are against humanity. A 13-year-old boy was killed and 24 others were injured on Sunday when a bomb exploded in south Delhi, a fortnight after the national capital was rocked by serial blasts.

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COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Saturday named a 15-member squad Saturday for the inaugural four-nation Twenty20 tournament to be played in Toronto next month. The squad does not include a specialist wicket-keeper, with Tillakaratne Dilshan standing in for regular keeper Kumar Sangakkara, who recently underwent finger surgery in Australia and will miss the Canadian outing. The tournament, scheduled to run from October 10-13, pits Sri Lanka against Pakistan, Zimbabwe and hosts Canada. Sri Lanka squad follows Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Thilina Kandamby, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Kaushalya Weeraratne.

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DUBAI: Several top cricketers may not think very highly of the recently trialed umpire referral system but 65 of the world’’s top cricket officials have given a thumbs up to it, saying that the experiment should continue. “There was very positive feedback from the first trial (in the Sri Lanka v India series) and now we want to continue those trials and make a really in-depth analysis of the system,” Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires member Steve Davis said. “We need to be open-minded when considering the system and we are committed to being objective and giving it a real good try,” he added. The officials met in Dubai this week for an intensive three-day seminar designed to improve teamwork and raise the levels of performance. The meeting was attended by members of the Elite Panels of ICC Umpires and ICC Match Referees, members of the International Panel of ICC Umpires and the ICC Associate and Affiliate International Umpires” Panel as well as the five newly appointed Regional Umpire Performance Managers (RUPMs). “I think it went very well,” said ICC Umpires” and Referees” Manager Vince van der Bijl.

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MUMBAI: Shashank Manohar was on Saturday named as new president of the Indian cricket board while former Test opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth was elected as the chief selector.The new list of office bearers was unveiled at the annual general meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here. Manohar took over from Sharad Pawar who completed his three-year term as BCCI chief and is also the president-elect of the International Cricket Council. Pawar is set to head the world body from 2010 to 2012 after David Morgan completes his curent term. Srikkanth, who captained India on the 1989 tour of Pakistan, will head the country’’s first ever paid selection panel that will also include Yashpal Sharma, Raja Venkat, Surendra Bhave and Narendra Hirwani. N. Srinivasan was named as the new secretary in place of Niranjan Shah who was appointed as vice-chairman of the governing council of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Lalit Modi retained his post as one of the five vice-presidents and the chairman of the IPL’’s governing council.

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KARACHI: Gold moved up by Rs. 128 to Rs. 21,642 per 10 grams in the local market Saturday, as its international price also surged to $ 879 an ounce, market sources said. Silver slipped to Rs. 351.40 per 10 grams.

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LONDON: Michael Vaughan will be left out of England’’s Test squad to tour India, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) national selector Geoff Miller confirmed on Saturday. The 34-year-old former England captain, who resigned during his side’’s recent series defeat against South Africa, will not be in the Test squad, due to be announced on Monday, because of his poor batting form for Yorkshire recently. Vaughan will take a three-month break from international cricket in an attempt to rediscover his form in time for next year’’s Ashes series. “Michael has not been selected for the tour of India because his place in the Test squad cannot be justified based on recent form,” Miller said. “Our view is that it will be to England’’s benefit if he takes a break from international cricket in the period leading up to Christmas and spends time working on his game.”The ECB have discussed the situation at length with Vaughan and come to a mutually agreeable solution. The hope is that Vaughan, this month awarded a central contract, will be able to return to his best - and to the England team - either in the Caribbean next spring or in time for the 2009 Ashes. “We have discussed the situation with Michael,” Miller added. “He fully understands the reasons for the selectors” decision and has made clear to us that he is fully committed to winning back his place in the England Test side.

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NEW YORK: Afghan President Hamid Karzai Saturday said his country along with Pakistan will work on a joint strategy against terrorism and hoped that the U.S. and other allies will step forward to make it a success. Karzai, whose country faces a growing Taliban insurgency due to lack of governance and nexus between drugs and terrorism, said the Pakistani President has the right intentions. In an interview with U.S magazine, President Karzai who has had two meetings with President Zardari this month said, “We should all help President Zardari because he has the right intentions and the right policy for Pakistan and for the region.” The meetings between the two leaders helped break the ice and defuse tensions that had risen over the past few months between Pakistan and Afghanistan and they reaffirmed their commitment to jointly fight terrorism and to bring peace to the region. About his talks with President Zardari, the Afghan President said “We will work on a joint strategy against terrorism, and we hope that the United States and the rest of our allies will join us strongly in implementing that strategy to a successful completion.”President Karzai said his government fully backed the government of President Zardari in his resolve to fight terrorism as it was a legitimate government and need to be backed. “I have faith in Zardari, and I am sure he will deliver. I am hearing good things about Pak Cief of Army Staff Gen. Kayani as well. Afghanistan will do everything to give them a sense of confidence, “Karzai added. President Karzai also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the challenges facing his country. He said the Taliban were not gaining strength, however called for right concentration of political and diplomatic measures to handle the extremists. He did not agree that mere military means could be used to tackle the militants. “They should have used and kept open all options in order to bring security to Afghanistan and a successful conclusion to the war against terrorism,” Karzai said. In an apparent reference to the recent killing of around 90 civilians by US troops, Karzai said it was a very serious issue in Afghanistan. He described the United States as a friend of Afghanistan, but stressed that there have to be changes in the way they operate.He said the victory lies in training the Afghan police besides a meaningful input of economic assistance to Afghanistan through Afghan institutions. President Karzai said the Taliban were not being fueled by heroin money and have other sources of income.

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World powers held a first meeting on Pakistan here Friday and pledged development aid as a means of stabilizing the restive, nuclear-armed South Asian country.

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Pakistan sought to reassure Washington on Friday that it remained an ally in fighting terrorism, but it also warned the U.S. to stay out of Pakistani territory while hunting down militants along the volatile border with Afghanistan.

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