Ponting fights against Twenty20 threat

Ricky Ponting has taken another step in his crusade to ensure playing for Australia remains the pinnacle for his country's cricketers. Ponting, who guided a patched-up squad to a series win over India on Sunday, is concerned that the lucrative Twenty20 domestic leagues will sway emerging talent to push for dollars over international caps.

''I've made no secret that I'm a bit worried about some of the attitudes of younger players … with the amount of money that's around in Champions League and IPL,'' Ponting said in the Age. "'I've made it very common knowledge over the last couple of years that I just hope that the next generation of players coming through have the same sort of want and desire to play as much international cricket as I have, because that's what it's all about as far as I'm concerned."

Ponting, who has appeared in four IPL games for the Kolkata Knight Riders, has retired from Twenty20 internationals "to play more 50-over cricket and better Test cricket over the next few years". However, the younger guys are more likely to be persuaded by the huge sums available in the game's shortest form.

The situation is so delicate that Ponting reminds new recruits of the importance of being in the national side. ''One thing we always try and stress, as the more experienced players in this team, is just how much of an honour it is to get a chance to play for Australia," he said. "We really ram that home to the young guys coming in, and every young bloke I've seen come in has accepted just how big and special it is to play for Australia.

''That's my job and Huss' [Michael Hussey's] job and Michael Clarke's job, as the senior players in the side at the moment, just to keep reinforcing that to those blokes. Hopefully, they'll want to do what some of our older blokes have done.''

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Younis says may return to Twenty20

Karachi: Barely four months after quitting Twenty20, Pakistan captain Younis Khan said he might come out of his retirement to play the slam-bang format.

Younis, who announced his Twenty20 retirement after guiding Pakistan to the World Cup triumph in England in June, said he was giving it a thought and would come out of the retirement if he felt the urge to play this format.

"Yes. I have given it some thought," he said.

Meanwhile, everything seems alright between Younis and Shahid Afridi, who was named the next Twenty20 captain with both claiming that there was no rift within the team.

After Younis briefly quit captaincy, a section of Pakistan cricket did not want him back and lobbied to get Afridi selected for the captain's post.

Pakistan Cricket Board, however, brought back Younis and made him captain till 2011 World Cup, much to the chagrin of the Afridi-camp.

Afridi himself, however, claimed he had no issues with Younis.

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Afridi joins South Australia for Twenty20

South Australia have signed Shahid Afridi for the Twenty20 Big Bash this summer as a replacement for the spinner Ajantha Mendis. The Redbacks had announced the recruitment of Mendis in July but he is now unavailable due to Sri Lanka's planned tri-series with India and Bangladesh in January.

South Australia's Big Bash campaign begins on December 29, when Pakistan will be involved in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. However, Afridi has not played Test cricket since 2006 and is not expected to feature in their Test squad, which would leave him free to take part in the full Twenty20 competition.

"We narrowly missed out on finals last season and these signings are definitely a boost to our quest to qualify for the Champions League this year," South Australia's high performance manager Jamie Cox said. "I have made no secret of the fact that I view the Big Bash competition as the most commercial on the domestic calendar and the inaugural Champions' League also provides fantastic opportunities for young players to showcase their skills on the world stage."

Afridi should be a valuable Twenty20 asset for South Australia; he was the player of the tournament at the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and averages 21.05 with the bat and 15.73 with the ball from his 24 Twenty20 internationals. Other international signings for the Big Bash include Chris Gayle (Western Australia) and Dwayne Bravo (Victoria).

Lasith Malinga was to join Tasmania and Victoria had attracted Muttiah Muralitharan but both men are likely to be unavailable for the same reason as Mendis. The West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard is on New South Wales' radar and the states have until Christmas Eve to confirm up to two international recruits.

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Twenty20 cricket is a massive emotional rollercoaster: Langer

Bangalore, Oct. 16 (ANI): Former Australian opener Justin Langer, who now plays first class cricket for Sussex, has described Twenty20 cricket as a huge emotional, but brilliant exercise.

''It's a massive emotional rollercoaster, Twenty20 cricket, and that was highlighted again here. It's been amazing. Honestly, it's a great thing. Brilliant. Look at the people jumping around ... it's brilliant. I'm rooted, I've got to say,'' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Langer as saying on the sidelines of a Deccan Chargers Vs Trinidad and Tobago Campions League 20-20 clash.

For three hours, Langer hardly moved, admitting afterwards he had not ''watched that much cricket for ages''.

He had good reason to be on edge: a Chargers win would have sent him into retirement, effective immediately.

While the Sabres' last-ball victory over Deccan last weekend was dramatic, Langer said watching Wednesday night's match - the last of round one in the Champions League Twenty20 - was harder to cope with.

The Champions League is a fitting end to Langer's four-year stint at the English county side, which he's captained for three years.

''I've had a great time at Somerset. We've gone from bottom of everything in the second division three years ago, now we're playing on the big stage. So, it does make you proud, definitely,'' he said.

The left-hander was never favoured by Australia in the shorter form of the game - he played only eight one-day internationals - yet in Twenty20 he has proved to be a very effective opener, averaging 29.35 at a strike-rate of 138.8.

Langer said he had become a huge fan of Twenty20 since his international retirement.
Somerset's progression means they'll face South Africa's Diamond Eagles tonight and the formidable NSW side on Sunday.

It also means the team's prize money jumps from 100,000 dollars to 200,000 dollars - and will soar to 500,000 dollars for a semi-final berth.

The financial implications of this tournament are, Langer admitted, enormous for ''all of us''. (ANI)

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I would love to play in the IPL:New South Wales batsman Phillip Hughes

After a sensational Test debut against South Africa, which yielded two hundreds in his first two Tests, Hughes has been out in the cold, struggling for every breath.

All of 20 years, the southpaw from Macksville in New South Wales Blues is wiser for the entire storm he has gone through.

For now, all that matters for Hughes is playing cricket in any format. The lucrative Indian Premier is one of them.

“I would love to play in the IPL. It is a wonderful format and I understand it is a very thrilling format and playing in India will be a huge challenge.”

Hughes would know a thing or two about India. Currently in India for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 for the Blues, the youngster has been out on a mission since his omission from the Australian squad after the last of his five Tests against England in July this year.

The much talked about rendezvous with Sachin Tendulkar had its impact on Hughes alright. It showed all the more he glowed.
“Yeah, it was great meeting Sachin. We just had a general chat and it was nice of him to give me three hours of his time.

It was interesting to see the hunger Sachin still has for runs after two decades in the international arena. He is a true legend.”

Both men started playing for their countries at a very young age and it was not surprising to hear Hughes talk of his youth with Tendulkar.

“I did ask him questions about his youth and how he handled all the pressure of being a cricketer. His humility is incredible.”

Life does change in cricket and it has for Hughes. From being a well-talked about cricketer a year ago, the left-handed opener became hot property after his stunning debut.

A duck followed two hundreds. That was incredible too, is it not?

“Well, I think so mate. I was nervous after my first innings duck. I had a few nervous moments and I knew I had to perform.”

The pressure, understandably, would have been immense. South Africa had drubbed the Aussies Down Under, Matthew Hayden had retired and there was already no Justin Langer and Hughes was hailed as the best thing to happen to Australian cricket in this decade even before he had played his first Test!

“I went back to the dressing room after my four ball duck. Those moments at the crease were nerve wracking and I realised that it could not get worse than that. Things could only get better.”

They did until he hit the rocks and faced the heat. The first axe was followed by his first ever controversy (remember the Twitter saga?), but let us steer clear of that.

Now, here is. In India, global cricket stars get the adulations they deserve and Hughes will be no different as his team goes searching for more glory at the next stage of the Airtel CL T20.

The unbeaten 62 against the Sussex Sharks was a fine effort from a young man, trying to find his feet at the big league again. Somewhere in Australia, the selectors would have noted the knock down in their diaries.

The world needs to watch out for him. There will be more from Australia’s youngest Test debutant and if he does live up to it, that will herald a new dawn and a new generation of cricketers who thrive on the traditional format in the days of sizzling, fast cricket.

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Mahela Jayawardene: T20 has improved my game

The former Sri Lankan captain, who is in India with the Wayamba Elevens for the Airtel Champions League Twenty20, is regarded as one of the most elegant and stylish batsmen of his era?

He is not your usual slam-bang batsman. How exactly has he then been so successful in the shortest format of the game?

”You have to adapt yourself to different ways of playing. At the same time, if you can be innovative and consolidating, then there is nothing like it.

“That’s where all batsmen try to adjust. I think T20 has improved my game and made me understand my strengths better,” Mahela said.

Jayawardene, who relinquished the Lankan captaincy earlier this year to concentrate on his batting, was a distraught man after his team’s appalling first round exit from the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

“It was very disappointing. We were playing good cricket in the lead up to the Champions Trophy but we made some serious mistakes in South Africa.

Our fielding wasn’t where it should have been and we failed to click.”

However, Jaywardene has a lot of hope for the future and that glint in his eyes gave it away. Sri Lankan cricket after all is in safe hands, rather the safe gloves of Kumar Sangakkara.

“Sanga is taking us to the next level. The team puts in everything for him and he is a tough nut too.”

Jayawardene believed that the Champions Trophy show was just a ‘blip’ in the radar and exuded confidence in the team learning from its mistakes.

For a player of Jayawardene’s class, it would not be too misplaced to look for young talent that reminds him of his style but no, Mahela refuses to get there.

“I have always encouraged players to inculcate their own style and following their own instincts on the field. My hope is that they will achieve what we have and take Sri Lankan cricket to even greater glories.”

The professional that he is, Jaywaredene knows he cannot take things for granted in the CL T20, where the competition will be no less than on an international arena.

“We just need to focus as the conditions will be different and we do have a very young group of players,” Jayawardene said of Wayamaba.

He did concede that the IPL teams will have the advantage of home conditions but that did not worry the team a lot.

“It is a great opportunity for some of our younger players to compete against some of the best teams in the world.”

Jayawardene is not just a man of words. He likes to act and let his bat talk, as gracefully as he does. Wayamba, rest assured are going to be tough challenge. They have kept a low profile so far but when they cross the white line, the opposition could be in for a surprise.

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Meet the Champions League teams

The first-ever global club cricket tournament brings together some big names, some not-so-famous players and some familiar faces in unfamiliar colours. Cricinfo's primer makes it easy for you.

Group A

Deccan Chargers

How they made it Winners of IPL 2009
Captain Adam Gilchrist
Headliner Andrew Symonds
Odds $7.4
Deccan Chargers went from zeroes to heroes in this year's IPL, and are now one of the favourites for the Champions League. They swaggered into the inaugural IPL with an array of bludgeoning batsmen, tipped by many for the title, only to flop dramatically and wind up in last spot. This year, with lesser expectations, and Gilchrist as captain, they sneaked into the semi-finals before bulldozing their way to the title. They have an incisive bowling attack led by Fidel Edwards and RP Singh, who took the most wickets in IPL 2009, with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha providing back-up. They need performances from their lesser-known Indian batsmen when their big three - Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma - stumble.


Somerset

How they made it Runners-up in the Twenty20 Cup 2009
Captain Justin Langer
Headliner Marcus Trescothick
Star import Langer
Odds $16.5
Much of the attention surrounding Somerset's campaign will centre on their star batsman, Marcus Trescothick. This will be his first overseas assignment since pulling out of Somerset's pre-season visit to Dubai in 2008 with a recurrence of his stress-related illness that originally occurred in 2006. Trescothick has been in sparkling form all season, and was rewarded with the Most Valuable Player award by the Professional Cricketers' Association for 2934 runs across all competitions. He is part of a redoubtable top order, which also has Justin Langer, the promising wicketkeeper-batsman Craig Kieswetter, and James Hildreth. The bowling inspires less confidence, though, with the spin department being particularly weak.

Trinidad & Tobago

How they made it Winners of Stanford 20/20 2008
Captain Daren Ganga
Headliner Dwayne Bravo
Odds $21
Victory in the Stanford 20/20 in early 2008 has proved to be the gift that keeps on giving for T&T. Besides the million dollars they pocketed for the title, it gave them entry to the Stanford Super Series last year and now the Champions Twenty20 League. The batting is their strong suit with a mix of some of the Caribbean's most exciting youngsters - Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Adrian Barath and Kieron Pollard - and the experience of Daren Ganga and Dwayne Bravo. The bowling attack looks shaky though, one of the main reasons they are viewed as long shots for the title.

Group B

New South Wales

How they made it Winners of the Big Bash 2008-09
Captain Simon Katich
Headliner Brett Lee
Odds $7
The sheer depth of their international talent makes New South Wales one of the tournament favourites. Even without Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken and Brad Haddin, the Blues still boast a squad featuring eight men who have played for Australia. David Warner and Phillip Hughes are a potentially explosive and unconventional opening pair, while Simon Katich gives the middle order valuable experience. An attack consisting of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger and Nathan Hauritz is of Test quality but their challenge here is containing in foreign conditions. In any case, they are certainly one of the main teams to beat.

Sussex

How they made it Winners of the Twenty20 Cup 2009 Captain Michael Yardy
Headliners Luke Wright
Star imports Dwayne Smith, Piyush Chawla
Odds $12.5
Sussex may have been relegated to the second division for the first time but they have been the stand-out team in England's limited-overs competitions this season: storming to both the Pro40 Division One and the Twenty20 Cup titles, and finishing runners-up in the Friends Provident Trophy. Their middle order is boosted by hard-hitting allrounders, Dwayne Smith and Luke Wright. The fast bowling is in safe hands of James Kirtley and Yasir Arafat (the only Pakistan player in the tournament), and the spin department has been bolstered by the smart swoop for Indian legspinner Piyush Chawla.

Eagles

How they made it Runners-up in the Standard Bank Pro 2008-09
Captain Boeta Dippenaar
Headliner Er.. Ryan McLaren?
Odds $17.5
Eagles have never let the lack of marquee names in their line-up stop them from succeeding, winning the Pro20 twice and making the finals this year. Morne van Wyk, who provided some rare bright sparks in a dreary Kolkata Knight Riders IPL campaign, is among their best Twenty20 batsmen. Much is also expected from the young duo of Dean Elgar and Rilee Rossouw. Like many a South African team, they are packed with fast-bowling allrounders - including Ryan McLaren, Dillon du Preez, Alan Kruger - giving them great balance. Two problems that could derail Eagles' campaign are the presence of only one frontline spinner (Thandi Tshabalala) and the lack of experience in subcontinental conditions.

Royal Challengers Bangalore

How they made it Runners-up in IPL 2009
Captain Anil Kumble
Headliners Kumble, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis
Odds $8.2
Royal Challengers Bangalore are another solid IPL team. Anil Kumble inspired them to the finals of this year's IPL after a dispiriting start, losing four of the first five matches to bring back memories of an abysmal campaign the previous year. The dynamic Ross Taylor will be a vital cog in a batting line-up strewn with players not renowned for their big hits - Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli. It will also be a big test for young opener Manish Pandey, who sparkled in his limited chances this year. Bangalore's main drawback is an attack which has struggled to contain the runs; barring Kumble, the rest of their regular bowlers leaked at least seven.


Cape Cobras

How they made it Winners of the Standard Bank Pro 2008-09
Captain Andrew Puttick
Headliners Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy
Odds $13
Cape Cobras are seen to be the stronger of the two South African teams in the tournament, despite the loss of captain Graeme Smith. Herschelle Gibbs and JP Duminy may be their drawcards but their most important player is likely to be death-overs specialist Charl Langeveldt. He already saved Cobras twice during a stop-start Pro20 campaign; once grabbing wickets off the final two deliveries to force a tie, and in the deciding leg of the semi-finals, he gave away only three runs in the Superover. Veteran offspinner Claude Henderson is another bowler to watch out for. The close-in fielding should also be a treat, with Gibbs and Duminy joined by the electric Sybrand Englebrecht.

Otago

How they made it Winners of State Twenty20 2008-09
Captain Craig Cumming
Headliner Brendon McCullum
Star import Dimitri Mascarenhas
Odds $25
New Zealand's only representatives are widely considered to be a team with little chance to hit the US$2.5m jackpot on offer, but their string of power-hitters (Otgao made 189 or more in five of their seven Twenty20 games last season) could spring a surprise or two. How Twenty20 experts, Brendon McCullum and Dimitri Mascarenhas, fare will have a huge bearing on Otago's progress. Other batsmen likely to make an impact are Aaron Redmond (who though uninspiring at the Test level, has proved competent in Twenty20s, topping the run charts in the domestic tournament) and 20-year-old Hamish Rutherford (who bludgeoned a 38-ball 87 against Wellington). The bowling looks a bit thin, despite the presence of a rejuvenated Ian Butler and the crafty Nathan McCullum.

Group D

Delhi Daredevils

How they made it Topping the group phase of IPL 2009
Captain Gautam Gambhir
Headliners Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virender Sehwag
Odds $6.8
If any other team had lost the services players of the calibre of AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Paul Collingwood in the space of a week, it would have been a crippling blow. Delhi, however, have the luxury of calling on Glenn McGrath as back-up; this depth is one of the reasons they have the shortest odds for winning the Champions Twenty20 League. They were by far the most impressive team in the IPL group phase this year, and were only knocked out in the semi-finals by a vintage Adam Gilchrist onslaught. An electric top order and a capable bowling attack (including Dirk Nannes from group stage opponents Victoria) make them title contenders. The one question over Delhi is their middle-order: can the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Manoj Tiwary and Mithun Manhas step up if the big names at the top fail?

Victoria

How they made it Runners-up of the Big Bash 2008-09
Captain Cameron White
Headliner Brad Hodge
Odds $9
A team that could slip under the radar, Victoria are not the Australian champions but have won the Big Bash three of the four years it has been held. They have also only ever lost three domestic Twenty20 matches. It is a remarkable record built on powerful batting from Cameron White, David Hussey and Brad Hodge, who is one of the most prolific Twenty20 batsmen in the world, even if he can't get a game for Australia. The loss of the fearsome fast man Dirk Nannes to Delhi Daredevils is a blow but there is plenty of depth in the attack, which still boasts Peter Siddle, Shane Harwood, the under-rated Clint McKay and Bryce McGain, who is surprisingly effective in Twenty20. If they can adapt to the conditions, they are a genuine chance for the title.

Wayamba

How they made it Winners of inter-provincial Twenty20 2008-09
Captain Jehan Mubarak
Headliners Mahela Jayawardene, Ajantha Mendis
Odds $16
Wayamba seem a good bet with a squad chock-a-block with players who have international experience. Their bowling line-up looks dependable, including the likes of Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof, Isuru Udana (the standout bowler in Sri Lanka's domestic Twenty20 tournament with 16 wickets at 8.12, economy 6.09) and a new-and-improved Rangana Herath. However, they are possibly in the toughest pool, grouped with Delhi and Victoria. Also, their batting seems a touch under-powered, lacking a lethal-hitter who can really turn on the fireworks. Maharoof is likely to be a key player; he can make big contributions with bat and ball, and his inside knowledge of the Delhi team (with whom he played two IPL seasons) and the Kotla pitch will prove handy.

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Stage set for cricket's latest twist

The inaugural Champions League Twenty20 gets underway at Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday with hosts and IPL runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Cape Cobras from South Africa. Cricket's first global inter-club tournament, it is the latest twist in a format that is only seven years but has established itself as the game's main money-spinner.

A mix of state, county, regional and franchise teams will battle it out for a US$ 6 million cash prize, with $2.5 million going to the winners. The unpredictability of the format is enhanced by the fact that there is little history between the teams, though many of the players would be familiar to each other as team-mates at some level.

That element of uncertainty was summed up by Herschelle Gibbs, a key player for the Cobras. "We have a good team and a lot of the guys have been around for a while but this is Twenty20 and anything can happen. As I said earlier it is about the team performing well on a given day that wins matches, but I think Royal Challengers will be one of the favourites."

There will certainly be a lot of anticipation in Bangalore, where the game itself is to be preceded by what the organisers claim will be a lavish ceremony featuring legendary Grammy award winner Chaka Khan and British pop star Jamelia. "It has been a while since Royal Challengers have played at home", Anil Kumble, the Bangalore captain, said. "It's almost a year now... more than a year. Everybody is looking forward to that and we will certainly take advantage of home support."

The 23 matches in the 16-day tournament are spread between Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad. The 12 teams have been divided into four groups of three each with IPL runners-up Bangalore grouped with Cape Cobras and Otago, while IPL champions Deccan Chargers are in a pool with Stanford 20/20 winners Trinidad and Tobago and the Somerset, runners-up of England's Twenty20 Cup.

Delhi Daredevils are grouped with Victoria, the runners-up in the Australian domestic competition, and the Sri Lanka champions Wayamba. The other group comprises the Australian title-holders New South Wales, South Africa's Eagles and Sussex, winner of England's Twenty20 Cup.

The top two teams will qualify for the second round where two groups of four each will compete in a round-robin league. The top four teams will make it to the semi-finals, which will be played in New Delhi, on October 21, and Hyderabad, on October 22.

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Domestic players will play a crucial role, says Gambhir

New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) Delhi Daredevils captain Gautam Gambhir feels domestic players will play a major role in the Champions League Twenty20, beginning Thursday.
'It is a good opportunity for the local players to prove themselves. The domestic players are going to prove useful in the Indian conditions,' Gambhir said in an open media session of Delhi Daredevils Tuesday.

'Daredevils have been the most consistent team. Reaching semifinals twice in Indian Premier League (IPL) is a big thing. Hope we can improve in the Champions League.'
Gambhir strongly defended out-of-form pacer Ishant Sharma, saying the youngster need to be encouraged and not criticised.

'He has been playing cricket from a long time. He is a young kid and in my opinion will be spearheading the Indian attack in the next two-three years. It is not fair to criticise him.'

The 28-year-old Delhi player said the format will be beneficial for the national teams.

'We saw after the Indian Premier League (IPL) that quite a few players got the call to play for the country while it helped others to make a comeback. The Champions League format will add to the pool of the players which would be good for the national team. It will also boost the confidence of the domestic players,' he said.
Gambhir, who was recently conferred the ICC Test Player of the Year award, feels the competition can be as big as the IPL.

'It is tough to say at this moment. But the amount of excitement the format has generated among the teams and the viewers, it seems it is going to be as big as IPL.'

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McGrath may replace Vettori

Delhi Daredevils plan to replace the injured Daniel Vettori and Paul Collingwood with Glen McGrath and Yogesh Nagar respectively.

While New Zealand skipper Vettori suffered a hamstring injury and sat out of his team’s ICC Champions Trophy final loss against Australia, Collingwood will have to miss the Champions League Twenty20 with a strained buttock.

McGrath, who was signed by the two time IPL semi-finalists in 2008 played a crucial role in the Daredevils’ success in the first edition but sat out the entire second edition in South Africa.

A team source said they have ‘requested’ the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 Organising Committee according to ‘protocol’.

“We have placed a request with the organisers and nothing has been confirmed yet,” the source said.

The Daredevils, besides Vettori and England batsman Collingwood, will also miss South African batting sensation AB deVilliers.

The team, according to a New South Wales source, had refused to retain David Warner and let him play on for the Big Bash Twenty20 winners.

An ECB medical team had issued a release earlier today, saying Collingwood will be unable to participate.

"The scan revealed a grade-two tear and Paul has been withdrawn from the forthcoming Champions League in India in which he was due to play for Delhi Daredevils," the release said.

The Daredevils are placed in probably the toughest group of the Championship, with the Victorian Bushrangers and Wayamba.

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Robin Singh to coach Mumbai Indians

Former India all-rounder Robin Singh was appointed as the new chief coach of the Mumbai Indians outfit for the 2009-10 season.
Former India Paras Mhambrey has been named as his deputy.

South African Jonty Rhodes, one of the best fielders the world has ever seen, would continue his association with the Indian Premier League team as a fielding coach, an MI media release said today.

Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock, who has been an integral part of the squad for the last two years, would also continue to contribute his vast cricketing knowledge and international experience for its benefit, the release said.

The other members of the support staff of Mumbai Indians include Praveen Amre, Nitin Patel, Dhananjay, Ramji Srinivasan and Donald Shugg.

The team has organised a short five-day camp starting here today with 70 players, including captain Sachin Tendulkar taking part.

Commenting on the camp, Nita Ambani of Mumbai Indians said it would provide an opportunity for the players and the support staff to interact with one another.

"We are excited about the camp for Mumbai Indians. Many young players associated with Mumbai Indians are expected to participate in the camp. The camp presents a good opportunity for the players and support staff to interact with each other," she said.

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Pakistan keen to host 2014 Twenty20

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is interested in hosting the 2014 World Twenty20.

Pakistan has missed out on two global ICC events in recent times due to security concerns; the 2008 Champions Trophy and the 2011 World Cup. The first was taken away last year after a number of teams expressed strong reservations about touring the country.

The fate of the 2011 World Cup, to be jointly hosted in the subcontinent, was decided this year, after the terrorist attacks on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore in March. After the attacks the ICC ruled out international cricket in Pakistan till 2011, though it has set up a task force, working with the PCB, to find ways for international cricket to return to the country.

But Pakistan are quietly confident that the recent improvement in the situation within the country, following military action in northern areas, may lead to more stability.

"We are interested in making a bid for the tournament," Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo. "It is very early right now but we are interested. Hopefully the situation will have improved and stabilised in the country by then."

Butt is in Johannesburg currently, where he will be attending the ICC executive board's meeting on October 6-7. It is believed, however, that the ICC hasn't yet begun considering bids for the event and may not do so until the end of the year or early next year.

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Mendis joins South Australia for Twenty20

Australia's state cricketers are in for a rapid lesson in handling world-class spin after Sri Lanka's mystery tweaker Ajantha Mendis signed for South Australia in next season's Twenty20 competition. But the Redbacks players will be equally tested on the field with the news that Victoria are close to securing Mendis' record-holding team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan.

Mendis was South Australia's No. 1 target and his success in confusing Australia's top batsmen in the World Twenty20 only enhanced his reputation. Part of his power is the mystery nature of his deliveries but his manager Roshan Abeysinghe hoped that in the shortest format Mendis would not give away too many of his secrets.

"The mystery can be found out anyway with technology but it can't be mastered like facing him in a match," Abeysinghe told Cricinfo. "We are concerned about it. We don't want him to be overexposed at any cost but maybe the Twenty20 is fine, where he can only bowl four overs at the most."

Part of the attraction for Mendis was the chance to gain experience in unfamiliar conditions. Although Adelaide is one of the more spin-friendly surfaces in Australia, it will be a vast change from the subcontinental pitches on which Mendis has played most of his cricket.

"He is very excited at the opportunity because it's extra exposure for him and a learning opportunity to bowl on Australian tracks," Abeysinghe said. "He hasn't played in Australia so it will be a great opportunity and a chance to learn a different style because he has played a lot of cricket on the subcontinent."

Like his Sri Lankan colleague Lasith Malinga, who has agreed to play for Tasmania, Mendis' participation is dependent on Sri Lanka's schedule being clear when the Big Bash is held. Jamie Cox, South Australia's high-performance manager, said Mendis would be a terrific addition to the Redbacks.

"Mendis is a proven Twenty20 player famous for his unique bowling style that routinely confounds batsmen," Cox said. "With three home games and one in Sydney and with the importance of quality slow bowling highlighted at the recent World Twenty20, we believe this gives our playing group a massive boost in their quest to qualify for the Champions League."

Mendis follows Malinga and the West Indians Chris Gayle (Western Australia) and Dwayne Bravo (Victoria) in joining the Australian domestic scene for the Twenty20 tournament. Each state is allowed to sign two international players and Victoria are keen on Muralitharan, whose manager Kushil Gunasekera said a deal was likely to be struck.

"It is a matter of fine-tuning some of the terms and conditions," Gunasekera said. "Both parties have mutually consented that they would go ahead and make this contract materialise but the contract has not been signed yet. It looks like it will happen. Cricket Victoria is interested in Murali and Murali is keen to play for them."

The prospect of Muralitharan returning to Melbourne, where he was no-balled for throwing 14 years ago, is an intriguing one. Gunasekera said Muralitharan was looking forward to the possibility of heading back to the MCG to erase the negative memories and believed his presence would help Australia's disappointing spin situation.

"It would be really good for him to go back to Australia and play cricket for Victoria and erase the past," Gunasekera said. "Unless you have forgotten the past you can never look ahead to a brighter future.

"I'm sure it would work well for him and Australia both. It might well add Murali's expertise in resurrecting some of the spin bowling in Australia. That will also work well for them. It might create a lot of goodwill by Murali going back to Victoria to play cricket there."

New South Wales have expressed their interest in attracting the Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara for the Big Bash, while Queensland are believed to be using their former player and current West Indies batsman Brendan Nash to sound out potential signings from the Caribbean. The teams have until Christmas Eve to confirm their Twenty20 lists.