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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Apr 13, 2010 23:59
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/nsw-fast-bowler-doug-bollinger-keeps-chennais-indian-premier-league-hopes-bubbling/story-e6frey50-1225853460821
NSW fast bowler Doug Bollinger keeps Chennai's Indian Premier League hopes bubbling
A TIGHT spell of bowling from Australia fast bowler Doug Bollinger has helped Chennai Super Kings to an emphatic nine-wicket IPL victory over Kolkota Knight Riders.
Bollinger finished with figures of 2-15 from his four overs as the Knight Riders were restricted to a score of 8-139.
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took 3-16, including the key wickets of dangermen Chris Gayle (10) and Brendon McCullum (0), before Bollinger trapped Kolkota skipper Sourav Ganguly lbw for 10.
Ashwin also dismissed Australian one-day international David Hussey without scoring, with only Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews showing any real fight with the bat with a run-a-ball 48.
Matthew Hayden was bowled without scoring for Chennai, but a brilliant knock of 78 off 39 balls from Suresh Raina, and a half-century from Murali Vijay guided the Super Kings home with 6.2 overs to spare.
In the earlier game, West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard inspired Mumbai to a 39-run win over Delhi Daredevils.
Pollard hammered 45 runs off just 13 balls to help his side to a challenging total of 4-183.
Australian master blaster David Warner got Delhi off to a promising start, scoring 31 off less than four overs, before falling to Dilhara Fernando.
However, the Daredevils' powerful batting line-up failed to fire with Virender Sehwag (20), Gautam Gambhir (17), AB De Villiers (4) and Paul Collingwood (2) all falling cheaply.
Pollard also shone in the field, running out both Collingwood and Sehwag, with Ali Murtaza and Fernando taking two wickets each.
Former Australia Test all-rounder Andrew McDonald top scored for Delhi with an unbeaten 33 from 31 balls, but the visitors were only able to muster a disappointing 7-144.
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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Apr 14, 2010 00:02
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/cricketheadlines/Yorkshire-County-CC-Yorkshire-pair39s.6221106.jp
Yorkshire County CC: Yorkshire pair's rapid-fire stand sets up victory
STRAIGHT BAT: Yorkshire’s nightw*tchman Ajmal Shahzad fends away a delivery from Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes picture: Neil Pugh
Published Date: 13 April 2010
A CENTURY stand between Jacques Rudolph and Jonathan Bairstow eventually paved the way for Yorkshire to complete a roller-coaster victory over Warwickshire in their opening LV County Championship Division One match.
With Andrew Gale installed as a new captain after last year's struggle against relegation, the White Rose county stood up to be counted throughout a tightly-fought match before finally sprinting to a four-wicket victory with a session to spare.
Rudolph, unbeaten on 69 after completing his second half-century of the match, gave Yorkshire a base from which Bairstow was able to dominate with 81 out of 153 in a partnership spanning only 27 overs.
Set a target of 291 for victory, the odds seemed to be stacking up against Yorkshire as they slipped to 130-5 at lunch after Neil Carter and Imran Tahir had reached personal milestones with two wickets each.
Carter showed there was still something in the pitch for the seamers when Ajmal Shahzad, a defiant nightw*tchman through 16 overs, was leg-before to the left arm bowler's fourth delivery of the day.
When opener Adam Lyth was out for 67, flicking a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose, Carter claimed his 250th wicket in a 10-year first-class career that began with Boland in his native South Africa.
At this stage a seam-and-spin partnership was threatening to derail Yorkshire. While Carter made the initial breakthrough, Imran put Warwickshire into contention with two prime wickets in the space of three overs.
Anthony McGrath (16) stepped in front of his stumps and played across the line for a banker lbw decision and Gale failed to score before pushing forward and giving a routine catch to Jonathan Trott at second slip.
None of the early batsmen looked secure as Imran, born in Pakistan and qualified for South Africa at the end of the year, bagged his 100th wicket in 20 Championship matches since taking 12 on his debut for Hampshire in July 2008.
With five in his first outing for a new county, he could be the missing link in Warwickshire's bowling options, but his guile was not enough to knock Rudolph and Bairstow out of their stride.
After a cautious performance by Yorkshire up to lunch, the sixth-wicket pair changed the tactics in a guns-blazing counter attack.
With 161 still required, the Tykes were home and dry in less than two hours before tea.
Bairstow, compensating for two dropped chances in his wicketkeeping role, was only three short of his career-best when he drove Carter to Chris Woakes at mid-on after hitting 14 fours from 104 balls.
The ever-reliable Rudolph finished with 13 fours from 98 balls
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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Apr 14, 2010 00:07
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/cricketheadlines/Big-rookie-Ollie-gives-the.6218770.jp
Big rookie Ollie gives the Tykes a huge lift
A career-best intervention by Yorkshire's towering rookie Oliver Hannon-Dalby reined back a Warwickshire recovery in a gripping LV County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston yesterday.
The 6ft 8in pace bowler from Halifax removed England batsman Jonathan Trott for 88 and took 4-19 in 29 balls before Jim Troughton re-ignited the home side.
Left hander Troughton made 78 as Warwickshire – trailing by 57 after the first innings – reached 347 and set Yorkshire a target of 291 on a pitch that has given bowlers some encouragement throughout.
The game could have drifted away from the visitors as they put down three chances, two of these from Troughton in successive overs from Hannon-Dalby.
The lapses by Anthony McGrath – bumping into Tim Bresnan as they chased after a top edge – and wicketkeeper Jonathan Bairstow allowed Troughton to put on 64 with Naqaash Tahir for the eighth wicket.
They scored at nearly five runs an over until Steve Patterson bowled Troughton for the first of two wickets in five balls.
Hannon-Dalby then came back to finish off the innings with 5-68 when Naqaash was pinned leg-before after making 34.
In 19 overs before the close, Adam Lyth gave Yorkshire a solid platform with an unbeaten 34 as they made 57-1 and so reduced their requirement to 234. Joe Sayers was the man out, caught behind off Naqaash for 12.
Two England players dominated the first half of the day. Ian Bell played beautifully for 54 as the overnight stand with Varun Chopra eventually yielded 96.
Chopra was first to go, edging Bresnan to first slip, and Bell passed up the chance of something more substantial when he failed to control a drive off Ajmal Shahzad and gave a low catch to Adil Rashid at point.
Trott, strong off the back foot, took on the leading role from there, rattling along with 15 fours from 138 balls as Troughton contributed 29 to a stand of 105.
It was then that Yorkshire turned to Hannon-Dalby.
He was a member of the county's successful team in the Second XI Trophy last summer and was making only his second first-class appearance, nearly two years after dismissing Mark Ramprakash on his debut against Surrey.
Having taken one wicket in Warwickshire's first innings, he stepped up his output with two in his first over on the third afternoon. Trott fell at second slip and Tim Ambrose was lbw as he played across the line.
With confidence as high as his action, Hannon-Dalby took out Chris Woakes' off stump and picked up a bonus point when Neil Carter drove to mid-off.
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Mr Russell
Posts: 1726
Joined: 03 December 2009
Location: Somewhere (or Newcastle NSW Australia)
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Apr 14, 2010 00:49
good to hear that Yorkshire won 
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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Apr 14, 2010 01:17
http://www.cricinfo.com/ausvwi09/content/story/449342.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
Gayle sees Twenty20 as route to Windies' success
Brydon Coverdale
February 20, 2010
Chris Gayle believes that that Twenty20 cricket is West Indies' best chance of achieving major international success and sees the world tournament at home this year as a big opportunity to take a step up. Gayle won the Cricinfo Twenty20 batting award for 2009, but he is far from the only star West Indies have in a format in which they made last year's ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals before Trinidad & Tobago stormed into the Champions League final.
The powerful allrounders, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, are well suited to Twenty20 and even Lendl Simmons emerged in England last year as a dangerous batting allrounder. This year's World Twenty20 in the Caribbean begins in late April and Gayle will be aiming to take his side one stage further than last year.
"When you look at our team we've got a lot of allrounders in our team so the shorter form of the game definitely can suit us and we can be a bit more dangerous in the T20 games," Gayle said. "The guys have been playing more T20 cricket so they're getting more experience which is very good.
"It should be easier to go out there and chance their arm and take it to international level," he added. "All the guys are making good progress at this point in time and we have a World Cup coming up, so we'll see how well we can do in that."
West Indies' hopes will soar if Gayle produces another innings like the 88 against Australia at The Oval that won him Cricinfo's award. It was a display of strength, timing and judgment the likes of which The Oval had rarely witnessed. Brett Lee finished with 1 for 56 from his four overs and watched one of Gayle's six sixes land on the roof of the Bedser Stand.
"I remember it quite well," Gayle said. "It was a good innings. I'm happy to be the winner of the award and hopefully in the future I can get a few more. Also I heard that Jerome Taylor has won the best Test bowling as well so I must send my congratulations to him.
"Up against the best team, the attack was very good as well. It was Mitchell Johnson from the other end, Bracken, Brett Lee, so it was a good strong bowling line-up. To get the runs against such an attack is good. That's the format of the game. When it's early it's good to capitalise on. From a batting point of view I won that battle against Australia and Brett Lee got hammered but he came back and got me out, so that's the game."
Nobody handles the Twenty20 game better than Gayle, who remains the only man to have struck an international century in the format. Once he starts firing he can be nearly impossible to stop and he said the way he begins an innings is the key to how well he will perform.
"The start is very important and it's more a momentum thing," he said. "Once you're on the go, sometimes as a batter it doesn't matter what comes at you, you can close the eyes sometimes and play a particular shot when things are going your way. It's just a matter of time before you get another century. Dilshan went close in the semi-final with his 96 and Herschelle Gibbs got 90s and Smith and those guys."
Gayle was speaking after West Indies' loss in the fifth ODI against Australia and despite a record low crowd for MCG one-dayers between the teams, he said five ODIs was not too many in a series and it would be hard to squeeze in many more Twenty20 internationals. However, he is keen to see a separate window created for the IPL.
"It's jam-packed at the moment," he said. "We're not playing a lot of T20s, most tours you get one or two T20s. More international and Test matches take over. I don't know what will happen in the future but it's up to the ICC to debate what they can fit in.
"It has been said since the first IPL that there should be a window for that, so everyone can take part in it. Maybe that's something they will look in to. All players should be able to participate in that so I'm sure they can work with the boards and come up with something."
Brydon Coverdale is a staff writer at Cricinfo
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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Jun 22, 2010 01:34
A Phoney War with focus
http://www.cricinfo.com/englan...64122.html
Match facts
June 22, 2010
Start time 2.30pm (13.30GMT)
Big Picture
If there is a future for 50-over cricket, then surely it lies in contests such as this: a five-match hors d'oeuvre that is decidedly and unashamedly geared towards more significant encounters in the not-so-distant future.
Everything that England and Australia have done in their recent outings - whether it's thumping Pakistan or labouring past Bangladesh - has been assessed in the context of their Ashes preparations.
So here we go then.
Here's a proper Phoney War to be getting on with. May the best team steal the momentum and land the psychological blows.
Whatever happens in the coming five games, it is hard to envisage a scoreline as one-sided as last September's 6-1 drubbing. England have come on in leaps and bounds since that ignominious thrashing - their gameplans have been liberated by key personnel such as Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter - while Australia, regardless of their status as World Cup and Champions Trophy-holders, are in an undeniable period of transition, and beset by a raft of injuries to many of their first-choice seam attack, most notably Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and the fading Brett Lee.
But the real reason why this series could and should be a humdinger lies in its timing.
Ever since the days of the Texaco Trophy, English teams have invariably performed better when the one-dayers have preceded the Tests.
In 2005, England produced some of their best 50-over form of the decade to share the NatWest Series courtesy of a tied final against Australia (before slumping 3-0 in the subsequent NatWest Challenge, but that's another story), while their achievement in beating South Africa in South Africa back in November gave them vital self-belief ahead of the tough Test series that followed.
Whether the public interest will match the expected commitment from the teams is a moot point - although given how woeful both England and Australia have been in the football World Cup to date, many sports fans might quite enjoy the chance to recapture some bragging rights.
Form guide (last five completed matches)
England WWWWW
Australia WLWWW
Watch out for...
Ricky Ponting is back in England and bristling for vengeance once again. His last two visits have not been among the most enjoyable memories of his illustrious career, seeing as he surrendered the Ashes in both 2005 and 2009, but the indignities will only have strengthened his resolve. He's now the elder statesman of a new-look team, and his talents may not be as razor-edged as they once were, but his presence on a cricket field remains inspirational nonetheless.
Paul Collingwood was a part of the England side that thrashed Australia by 100 runs on this very ground in 2005, in the first Twenty20 international between the two teams. While the prospect of once again reducing the Aussies to 31 for 7 may be improbable, Collingwood knows full well how critical it is to attack from the outset, just as they did five years ago. After his break during the Bangladesh series, he's fit and refreshed, and ready to resume hostilities.
Team news
Cameron White scored a century on this ground when the teams met last September, and he is now the fulcrum of the batting line-up at No. 5. Tim Paine resumes his wicketkeeping duties following the injury to Brad Haddin, while Doug Bollinger leads an inexperienced seam attack, in the absence of Johnson and Hilfenhaus.
Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Doug Bollinger.
England eased to victory over Scotland at the weekend, and it's hard to envisage many changes to the side for that game. Andrew Strauss and Craig Kieswetter gelled as an opening partnership at the first time of asking, while Stuart Broad will be better for his first outing since the World Twenty20 final.
England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Ajmal Shahzad, 11 James Anderson.
Pitch and conditions
The Rose Bowl had a reputation as a seamer's paradise in its early years, but the pitch has settled down considerably since then. With fine weather in prospect, the challenge of batting under lights will be less daunting than it might otherwise have been, although White and Co. weren't exactly unsettled by the autumnal chill they experienced on their last visit.
Stats and Trivia
The Rose Bowl match will be the 3000th ODI, and it will feature the same two teams who contested the first, at Melbourne in January 1971.
Despite defeating Australia in the Ashes and the final of the World Twenty20, England's recent record in ODIs against them is woeful. They've lost eight of their last nine fixtures, dating back to the World Cup in March 2007, and most recently were crushed by nine wickets in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy last October.
Australia have a 100% record in ODIs at the Rose Bowl, albeit they've played just two matches, against England in 2009 and the USA in 2004. England have won two, lost two in four visits.
Quotes
"We all remember that Twenty20 game at Hampshire where we kept nipping them out. You've got to go hard at them. We've learnt that over the last five or six years."
Paul Collingwood wants no quarter given as England begin their Ashes preparations in earnest
"Whenever there is a big series coming up the build-up starts a fair way out - and for the Ashes it's already started. Pretty much from now until the Ashes are over and done with in the middle of January, everything we do will have some sort of focus on the Ashes series. There will be no excuses for us come late November."
Ricky Ponting is quite focused, it would appear.
A Phoney War with focus
http://www.cricinfo.com/englan...64122.html
Match facts
June 22, 2010
Start time 2.30pm (13.30GMT)
Big Picture
If there is a future for 50-over cricket, then surely it lies in contests such as this: a five-match hors d'oeuvre that is decidedly and unashamedly geared towards more significant encounters in the not-so-distant future.
Everything that England and Australia have done in their recent outings - whether it's thumping Pakistan or labouring past Bangladesh - has been assessed in the context of their Ashes preparations.
So here we go then.
Here's a proper Phoney War to be getting on with. May the best team steal the momentum and land the psychological blows.
Whatever happens in the coming five games, it is hard to envisage a scoreline as one-sided as last September's 6-1 drubbing. England have come on in leaps and bounds since that ignominious thrashing - their gameplans have been liberated by key personnel such as Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter - while Australia, regardless of their status as World Cup and Champions Trophy-holders, are in an undeniable period of transition, and beset by a raft of injuries to many of their first-choice seam attack, most notably Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and the fading Brett Lee.
But the real reason why this series could and should be a humdinger lies in its timing.
Ever since the days of the Texaco Trophy, English teams have invariably performed better when the one-dayers have preceded the Tests.
In 2005, England produced some of their best 50-over form of the decade to share the NatWest Series courtesy of a tied final against Australia (before slumping 3-0 in the subsequent NatWest Challenge, but that's another story), while their achievement in beating South Africa in South Africa back in November gave them vital self-belief ahead of the tough Test series that followed.
Whether the public interest will match the expected commitment from the teams is a moot point - although given how woeful both England and Australia have been in the football World Cup to date, many sports fans might quite enjoy the chance to recapture some bragging rights.
Form guide (last five completed matches)
England WWWWW
Australia WLWWW
Watch out for...
Ricky Ponting is back in England and bristling for vengeance once again. His last two visits have not been among the most enjoyable memories of his illustrious career, seeing as he surrendered the Ashes in both 2005 and 2009, but the indignities will only have strengthened his resolve. He's now the elder statesman of a new-look team, and his talents may not be as razor-edged as they once were, but his presence on a cricket field remains inspirational nonetheless.
Paul Collingwood was a part of the England side that thrashed Australia by 100 runs on this very ground in 2005, in the first Twenty20 international between the two teams. While the prospect of once again reducing the Aussies to 31 for 7 may be improbable, Collingwood knows full well how critical it is to attack from the outset, just as they did five years ago. After his break during the Bangladesh series, he's fit and refreshed, and ready to resume hostilities.
Team news
Cameron White scored a century on this ground when the teams met last September, and he is now the fulcrum of the batting line-up at No. 5. Tim Paine resumes his wicketkeeping duties following the injury to Brad Haddin, while Doug Bollinger leads an inexperienced seam attack, in the absence of Johnson and Hilfenhaus.
Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Ryan Harris, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Doug Bollinger.
England eased to victory over Scotland at the weekend, and it's hard to envisage many changes to the side for that game. Andrew Strauss and Craig Kieswetter gelled as an opening partnership at the first time of asking, while Stuart Broad will be better for his first outing since the World Twenty20 final.
England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Ajmal Shahzad, 11 James Anderson.
Pitch and conditions
The Rose Bowl had a reputation as a seamer's paradise in its early years, but the pitch has settled down considerably since then. With fine weather in prospect, the challenge of batting under lights will be less daunting than it might otherwise have been, although White and Co. weren't exactly unsettled by the autumnal chill they experienced on their last visit.
Stats and Trivia
The Rose Bowl match will be the 3000th ODI, and it will feature the same two teams who contested the first, at Melbourne in January 1971.
Despite defeating Australia in the Ashes and the final of the World Twenty20, England's recent record in ODIs against them is woeful. They've lost eight of their last nine fixtures, dating back to the World Cup in March 2007, and most recently were crushed by nine wickets in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy last October.
Australia have a 100% record in ODIs at the Rose Bowl, albeit they've played just two matches, against England in 2009 and the USA in 2004. England have won two, lost two in four visits.
Quotes
"We all remember that Twenty20 game at Hampshire where we kept nipping them out. You've got to go hard at them. We've learnt that over the last five or six years."
Paul Collingwood wants no quarter given as England begin their Ashes preparations in earnest
"Whenever there is a big series coming up the build-up starts a fair way out - and for the Ashes it's already started. Pretty much from now until the Ashes are over and done with in the middle of January, everything we do will have some sort of focus on the Ashes series. There will be no excuses for us come late November."
Ricky Ponting is quite focused, it would appear.
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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Jun 22, 2010 03:19
http://cricket.com.au/news-display/A...n-Series/21298
22 June, 2010
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel (NSP) today announced a 14-man Test squad for the two-Test VB Pakistan Series.
The 14-man squad is:
Ricky Ponting(c) TAS 35
Michael Clarke (vc) NSW 29
Doug Bollinger NSW 28
Brad Haddin NSW 32
Ryan Harris QLD 30
Nathan Hauritz NSW 28
Ben Hilfenhaus TAS 27
Mike Hussey WA 35
Mitchell Johnson WA 28
Simon Katich NSW 34
Usman Khawaja NSW 23
Marcus North WA 30
Steven Smith NSW 21
Shane Watson NSW 29
NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said:
“The Test squad for the VB Pakistan Series contains two changes from the squad which recently toured New Zealand with great success.
“Ben Hilfenhaus has successfully returned from injury during the current Australia A series in Queensland.
Ben was a critical member of our 2009 Ashes bowling group and it is very pleasing to see him back in the Test squad with the next Vodafone Ashes series just around the corner.
“The unfortunate injury to Phillip Hughes has created an opportunity for another batsman to join the squad for these two Test matches against Pakistan.
“Usman Khawaja has been selected on the back of some very strong Weet-Bix Sheffield Shield performances.
He is seen by the National Selection Panel as being capable of batting anywhere in the order in Test cricket, but importantly for this particular series a top-order batsman who could bat in the top four should the opportunity arise.
“We are very pleased with the squad which has an exciting blend of youth and experience and look forward to what should be an exciting Test series against Pakistan.”
Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said:
“With the Test squad not departing for the UK until late next week it has been decided Brad Haddin will continue his rehabilitation from an elbow tendon injury in Sydney and his availability for these Test matches will be determined over the next week.
“Mitchell Johnson has trained strongly over the past four days with no adverse effect to his elbow. He has been cleared by medical staff to step up his training in preparation for both the Twenty20 and Test series against Pakistan.”
Johnson will depart for the UK later this week while members of the Test squad not currently in the UK will depart on Friday week.
The two Tests against Pakistan will take place at Lords (13-17 July) and Headingley (21-25 July).
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Jun 22, 2010 08:01
It's the weakest Aussie bowling line up for many a year but you just know they will give us a really good test. No matter how they play the Aussies always seem to have another gear when needed and I think they play for their cap more than any other team.
Looking forward to the game today at the Rose Bowl. England have at last, it seems, started to play some aggressive one day stuff and it's paid off recently.
And the weather is superb!!
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RamseyWhite
LUFCTALK MODERATOR
Posts: 4258
Joined: 08 December 2008
Location: Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
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Jun 22, 2010 23:31
Pleased we won & Yorks thrashed Worcestershire so a good day all round for our cricketers.
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Whites Fanatic
Posts: 341
Joined: 29 July 2009
Location: Sydney
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Jun 22, 2010 23:46
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/australias-first-muslim-test-cricketer/story-e6frey50-1225882933602
Australia's first Muslim Test cricketer
Ben Dorries and Laine Clark
From: The Daily Telegraph June 23, 2010 12:00AM
LOYALTIES are set to be divided in Usman Khawaja's family after the talented NSW batsman earned Australian Test squad selection yesterday.
Sure, his relatives couldn't be more proud of the classy left-hander following his promotion to the 14-man squad along with paceman Ben Hilfenhaus for next month's two-Test series against Pakistan in England.
But Pakistan-born Khawaja isn't certain who his family, based on the sub-continent, will be rooting for if he earns a baggy green in the UK.
"Hopefully me," the 23-year-old laughed. "My grandmother's there [Pakistan] on my mum's side.
"I haven't gone back there for about four years, but I have a few relatives up there.
"I haven't thought about it [family loyalties] like that.
"I am just very happy being in the Australian squad."
Selection bolter Khawaja, a practising Muslim who prays every Friday at his local Mosque, is quick to downplay his background and the significance of possibly becoming Australia's first Muslim Test cricketer.
"I'm with the boys all the time and never once do I feel like I'm different," Khawaja said.
When I first got told I was going to England, that [his background] didn't even cross my mind. It never does cross my mind until everyone else brings it up.
"To me, I'm just happy to be playing for Australia. I'm very excited right now - I'm over the moon and I'm trying to keep my emotions intact."
Khawaja boasts an average of 48 after 19 first-class games but has also been keeping busy outside of cricket.
He has completed a bachelor of aviation at the University of NSW and is likely to pursue his flying career once his playing days are over. But cricket is his primary love.
The biggest influence on his cricket career has been his father, Tariq, who moved the family to Sydney in 1990.
"I woke him up this morning and told him I was in the squad. He was really happy," Khawaja said.
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sheepy
Posts: 10537
Joined: 08 October 2008
Location: Rothwell
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Jun 23, 2010 07:18
I might be going to Headlingley to watch Yorkshire play one of their T20 matches this week.. quite looking forward to it.
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18longleeds
Posts: 7727
Joined: 24 October 2008
Location: Bingley
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Jun 23, 2010 09:24
ive been to headingley once got there at about 11 and it was raining didnt even get started til 4 , then we didnt even watch derbyshire innings , left after yorkshire ones 
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Jun 23, 2010 19:31
A good day at the cricket is always a good day out..
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Jun 24, 2010 21:54
England beat Aus in Cardiff to go 2 up in a 5 game series. The margin was 4 wickets with 5 overs to go.
England's 7th win on the spin.
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Jun 29, 2010 21:46
Forgot to add...3-0 now 
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RamseyWhite
LUFCTALK MODERATOR
Posts: 4258
Joined: 08 December 2008
Location: Ramsey, Cambridgeshire
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Jun 29, 2010 22:45
Stockport White
Forgot to add...3-0 now
& our very own Tim Bresnan struck two heafty blows to guarantee the win & the series.
Pity our footballers do not show the same determination.
Well done England
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Jul 01, 2010 20:03
Would be churlish not to mention that the Aussies have pulled one back
3-1 now, 1 game to play.
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Jul 04, 2010 17:33
Yorkshire have just been thumped by Warwickshire in the 20/20
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Aug 22, 2010 10:13
England 2-1 up against Pakistan with one to play.
That's our first defeat in 8 but Pakistan were the better team even if they scraped home by 4 wickets.
Yorkshire 3rd in the league but there are only 6/7 points betweenn the top 3 so will be a good run in.
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Stockport White
Posts: 1620
Joined: 06 December 2009
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Aug 29, 2010 09:32
Huge match-fixing row has erupted overnight involving the Pakistan team.
News of The World has footage of the person involved telling under cover reporters exactly when a no-ball would be delivered and the tv footage shows he is 100% correct. He takes £10K from the reporter, puts it in a jacket pocket which he then hands over to one of the Pakistan players...all on film.
Damn....
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