PCB probe panel summons Afridi, Yousuf, Alam

Shahid Afridi will appear before a six-member inquiry committee on Friday to explain his ball-biting antic in Perth, while captain Mohammad Yousuf and coach Intikhab Alam would depose with their versions of the team's comprehensive rout in Australia.

"Yes, we have also summoned Shahid Afridi on Friday. We have been directed by the board chairman to treat this inquiry very seriously and not spare anyone found guilty of not doing his duty in Australia," Pakistan Cricket Board's chief operating officer Wasim Bari said.

Leading the team in Yousuf's absence, Afridi was seen biting the ball in the final ODI at Perth, which earned him a two-match ban.

Apart from Afridi, Yousuf and Alam, the PCB inquiry committee led by Bari has also summoned team manager Abdul Raquib for its first hearing.

The committee also includes former Test captain Wasim Akram who has requested the board to appoint Afridi as captain for all three forms of the game despite his ball-tampering indiscretion.

Bari said the committee would speak to all the team officials and players and also get feedback from the media and other independent sources in Australia during the course of its probe.

"The idea behind this probe is to suggest ways to put Pakistan cricket back on the right track," Bari said.

We were completely outplayed: Dhoni

A humbled Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded that his side had no answer to Dale Steyn's devastating pace in the first Test against South Africa but vowed to bounce back for a series-levelling win in the second match in Kolkata.

"We were completely outplayed in all departments of the game. It was a good wicket to bat on the first two days and Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla played brilliantly for South Africa to put up a huge total. Then Dale Steyn produced a sensational fast bowling spell," Dhoni said after the home side were handed an innings and six run defeat.

"Steyn's bowling, I think was the best I have seen in the last two years, at least as far as conventional swing bowling goes. Seven of the 14 dismissals of our batsmen were great deliveries," he added.

He said the change of ball after tea yesterday was the turning point of the match.

"The ball was changed at tea break and we lost five quick wickets. It changed everything. Once we lost Virender Sehwag, I got out immediately and the ball was reversing. After that it was difficult for the tail-enders," Dhoni said.

Dhoni refused to blame his bowlers for allowing South Africa to pile on a huge score in their first innings but said even on the flattest of pitches, international bowlers are expected to take wickets.

"I think it is unfair to blame the bowlers because it was a batting pitch. But we could have bowled better. In international cricket even on the flattest of pitches you can get wickets. But overall I would put that way that we have been outplayed," Dhoni said.

India will have to win the second and final Test starting in Kolkata on February 14 if they want to remain world number one and Dhoni conceded that his side is on the backfoot.

"We are on the backfoot no doubt. They (south Africa) can't lose the series now. So, we are under the pressure but we are always are under pressure. Last time when South Africa toured India it was the same position, they were ahead. So we are expecting to bounce back under pressure."

Visiting captain Graeme Smith was a delighted man considering the controversial incidents that happened at home before the tour.

"It has been outstanding performance from the players. To win here, you need lots of discipline and hard work and the guys have showed it. There were a few special individual performances like from Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn but it's a good team-effort," he said.

"It was an emotional last two weeks with what all the changes going around (coach and selectors being sacked). The guys showed how much they want to contribute for South African cricket," he added.

Praising Dale Steyn for his sensational fast bowling performance, Smith said, "It's nice to have a someone like Steyn, to run in Indian batsmen like that and bowl as he did. It all happened so quickly even for us, it was great to watch."

On left-arm spinner Paul Harris, Smith said, "He bowled well, he is not a fancied cricketer but he knows his role and he has come back well."

Man-of-the-match Hashim Amla, who made 253 not out, said his experience of sharing some big partnerships with Jacques Kallis earlier helped him.

"It was one of my best knocks. It was a crucial time when I came into the crease and I got the team into a great position. Everybody feels a bit of pressure and I am just grateful that I got an opportunity to put the team in a good position," he said.

"I have had a few good partnerships with Kallis. Once we both got in we complimented each other. When I wasn't scoring he was (scoring) and vice versa. With the ball turning, anything can happen with the new guy coming in. So, I just tried to keep it as risk-free as possible and concentrated not on hitting anything in the air," he said.

Saha, Mithun dropped for the 2nd Test

Wriddhiman Saha, Sudeep Tyagi and Abhimanyu Mithun have been dropped from the Indian squad for the second Test against South Africa while Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina and Sreesanth have been included in the squad for the Kolkata Test.

India, who are 1-0 down in the series, require a win at Kolkata to retain their No.1 Test position.

The second Test would take place at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata starting from the 14th Feb.

Indian Squad: MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Dinesh Kartik, Suresh Raina.

No threat to Oz cricketers, promises Sena

Mumbai: A day after Union Minister Sharad Pawar and BCCI President Shashank Manohar met Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in his residence here, the crisis over IPL seems to be over.

For the last week, it's been Shiv Sena versus Shah Rukh Khan over the actor's comment that he would have liked Pakistani players in the IPL.

But when it came to the crunch, it was not SRK but Pawar who made his way to the Thackeray residence to buy peace.

Pawar along with Manohar, pleaded with the Sena leader not to disrupt the IPL matches and not to target Australian players in particular.

"We requested him to allow Australia players to play and not to oppose them to which he said he would be considerate," said Manohar.

However, officially the Sena was putting up a brave front that they hadn't made another U-turn.

But CNN IBN has learnt that the Sena supremo has agreed not to ask his supporters to protest during the IPL. The two-hour meeting was enough for Thackeray's ego to be mollified.

Many would ask why should the BCCI chief and Pawar have to go to Thackeray's house to seek his support for IPL? And in spite of elaborate security promised by the Home Ministry, why did the BCCI bend before Thackerays?

Indeed, while the visit of a BCCI delegation will only give the Thackerays an opportunity to retain their larger than life image, it's Mr Pawar, as a senior minister in the UPA government, who may have to answer some uncomfortable questions.