Scorecard

Pakistan made the most of their only warm-up game ahead of the five-match ODI series against India by easing to a seven-wicket win over Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Shoaib Malik’s decision to exploit conditions suited for swing movement worked in his favour, as his bowlers, inspired by surprise package Younis Khan, restricted Delhi to 213 for 9. Salman Butt then led the chase with a stylishly brisk 83 before he retired hurt, but the middle order knocked off the runs with 44 balls remaining.Umar Gul dealt the first blow when he had Gautam Gambhir caught in his crease in the second over, but it was Younis, bowling gentle slow-medium pace, who extracted good swing and shocked Delhi. Younis trapped opener Aakash Chopra leg-before for a 42-ball 16 and bowled captain Mithun Manhas first ball with one that pitched and came in. Imran Nazir ran out Virat Kohli for 8 and the hosts were 46 for 4.Delhi rallied around a 91-run fifth-wicket partnership between Rajat Bhatia and Shikhar Dhawan but a slew of wickets down the order brought the visitors right back into the game. Dhawan was watchful but confident, and looked set for a big score when Younis hit back to run him out for 52 from 80 balls. From here the spinners, Fawad Alam and Shahid Afridi, nipped out the lower order. Bhatia played the fast bowlers well, hooking and cutting Shoaib Akhtar for powerful boundaries. He was run out going for a suicidal single to short third man and it was left to Gaurav Chabra’s slogging to get the score above 200.In reply, Nazir slammed 34 from 22 balls even as out-of-form wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal endured another poor score. After Nazir was removed by Amit Bhandari, the medium-pacer with national experience, Butt and Misbah-ul-Haq added 116. Butt, who did not play any of Pakistan’s five ODIs against South Africa recently, was strong either side of the pitch. His cutting and driving were especially good, and he opened up with a flurry of boundaries against the medium-pacers.He did not slow down much after his half-century but left the field when on 83 from 84 balls. With victory in sight Misbah drove Pradeep Sangwan towards mid-off, where Gambhir plucked off an excellent catch, diving backwards to his right as the ball was passing him. Yasir Hameed finished the affair with an unbeaten 30 as Pakistan cashed in on their only chance to acclimatise themselves before the first one-dayer in Guwahati on Monday.

Scorecard

AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher struck belligerent hundreds to lead the South Africans to a convincing 176-run win over Pakistan Cricket Board XI in a warm-up match at the Bagh-e-Jinnah Stadium in Lahore.Boucher, opening the batting in place of the rested Graeme Smith, and de Villiers came together at 36 for 2 and added 165 runs for the third wicket to propel South Africa to a massive total. Boucher hit 14 boundaries and a six in his 106-ball innings while de Villiers was more aggressive, remaining not out on 113 off 95 balls.Earlier, Abdur Rauf began to justify captain Taufeeq Umar’s decision to field by removing Herschelle Gibbs and Jean-Paul Duminy early. But Shaun Pollock, playing his first game of the tour, made a mess of Rauf’s figures. He smashed sixes off the last four deliveries of the innings and finished not out on 33 off 11 balls.The PCB XI were never in the hunt, losing wickets at regular intervals before being bowled out for 152. Albie Morkel and Charl Langeveldt were the main beneficiaries of a poor batting display, claiming three wickets apiece. The only resistance came from Mansoor Amjad, who top-scored with 42, and Ahmed Shehzad, the 15-year old opener, who hit Pollock for two sixes on his way to 35″It is nice to get hundred in the warm-up match but the real match, the one-day international, is coming up and I look forward to that,” said de Villiers, ahead the first of five ODIs starting on October 18.

The BCCI’s Technical Committee has made a suggestion aimed at ensuring more exposure to the best teams from the Plate League. It has suggested that the knockout matches in the Plate League be done away with and the two best teams be included in the quarter-finals in the Super League.The recommendation, if approved by the BCCI’s Working Committee, will mean that the top three teams from each group in the Super League will enter the knockout stages.”At present, four teams in both groups play the semi-finals. What we have suggested is that the top three teams each from A and B groups of Super League along with the two finalists of Plate League play knockout quarter-finals,” a member of the technical committee told IANS. “This way the better teams in the Plate League will get more exposure against top teams of the Super League. We made this suggestion to the board in our previous meeting. Let’s see how the board takes it.”And if this team from the Plate League wins even one match in the quarter-finals, it will get another match to play, which means more exposure for them. Who knows, the Plate Group team could go on to win the Ranji Trophy.”Even if the Working Committee approves this proposal, it will come into effect only from the 2008-09 season.The BCCI has been grappling with how to reduce the difference in the qualities of the Super League and Plate League teams. Currently, the two worst teams from Super League are relegated to the Plate League, while the Plate League champions and runners-up are promoted. But this takes effect in the season after. The latest move will make sure the best teams in the Plate League get a taste of higher competition during that season itself.

Scorecard

Wickets continued to tumble in Siliguri as Debasis Mohanty and Preetamjit Das, Orissa’s new-ball bowlers, shot Bengal out for 124 in the second innings to give their side a great chance of an outright win. Orissa had conceded an eight-run lead, in a low-scoring battle, but fought back splendidly in the second innings. Mohanty added four wickets to the two he had picked up in the first innings and Preetamjit, in just his fifth first-class match, ended with five for the match. For Bengal only Arindam Das, Sourav Sarkar, the bowling hero in the first innings, and Ashok Dinda, the No.11, managed double figures. Left to get 133, Orissa were solidly placed at 82 for 3 with Bikas Pati, Niranjan Behera, and Rashmi Ranjan Parida steering the chase. With 51 runs to get and seven wickets in hand, Orissa were favourites to wrap up their second successive win.
Scorecard
Bowlers thrived in Uppal too as MP Arjun’s stunning six-wicket burst allowed Hyderabad to storm back into the contest against Andhra. Resuming on 52 for 5, Hyderabad fell short of Andhra’s 159, with captain Arjun Yadav playing a lone hand with 49. Having gained a 27-run lead, Andhra would have wished to close out the contest but medium-pacer Arjun, in only his sixth first-class match, claimed all the wickets to fall. He trapped Hemal Watekar in his third over but it was really his next, the eighth of the innings, which wrecked Andhra’s innings. He bowled ASK Varma for a duck in the third ball before nailing AG Pradeep and Shankara Rao off the fifth and sixth deliveries.
Scorecard
Saurashtra’s new-ball bowler Sandeep Jobanputra, scythed through Karnataka’s batting line-up with a six-wicket haul, giving his side a great chance to gain the first-innings lead in Mysore. Having ground out 245 in the first innings, Saurashtra responded through their bowlers, striking at regular intervals. Jobanputra removed the top four, including the dangerous Robin Uthappa, before returning to knock off two tailenders. KB Pawan waged a lone battle, grinding out 110, and was still out in the middle with No.11 KP Appanna. Karnataka still needed 29 to gain the first-innings lead but Saurashtra should be favourites to gain the advantage.
Scorecard
Oblivious to the bowler-friendly matches around the country, Punjab amassed 496 for 8 by the end of the second day against Baroda in Amritsar. Ravi Inder, one of the overnight batsmen, brought up his maiden century, going on to post 142, while the rest of the order chipped in too. Karan Goel, who had brought up his century yesterday, fell for 127 in the fifth over of the day but Sunny Sohal, who smashed a 64-ball 55, and Ankur Kakkar (56) continued the good work. Baroda’s bowlers managed only eight wickets in two days with Sumit Singh and Sankalp Vohra, the opening bowlers, sharing five wickets between them.
Scorecard
Ramesh Powar’s four wickets pegged back Rajasthan on the second day’s play in Jhalawar, allowing Mumbai to eye an outright win. Having been kept down to 295 in their first innings, Mumbai fought back through Powar’s offspin, claiming wickets at regular intervals. Rajesh Bishnoi and Nikhil Doru managed half-centuries but Rajasthan couldn’t sustain the fight.
ScorecardVijaykumar Yomahesh and P Amarnath snared six wickets between them as Tamil Nadu sneaked out a slender 11-run lead against Himachal Pradesh in Chennai. Paras Dogra (49) and Manvinder Bisla (61) powered Himachal forward, with good support from Sarandeep Singh and Vishal Bhatia in the lower order, but Yomahesh broke the partnership and mopped up the tail.
ScorecardAakash Chopra and Mithun Manhas struck half-centuries as Delhi gained the advantage in Nagothane. Read the full report here.

Group A

After having taken a big first-innings lead, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) took another step towards a place in the final as they set Sialkot a rather steep target of 367 for victory in the first-round replay match at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Resuming on 163 for 6 overnight, Sialkot were bundled out for 203 courtesy of a Wahab Riaz five-for. With a lead of 141, NBP went for quick runs in their second innings, scoring 225 for 5 in just 41 overs before declaring. With a mammoth task at hand, Sialkot openers saw out the nine overs before close to reduce the target by 33 runs with Kamran Younis stroking a 21-ball 25. For NBP, opener Nasir Jamshed (48 off 31 with five fours and four sixes), Shahid Yousuf (46) and Fawad Alam (46) all provided quick runs in order to gain maximum points from the match. Mohammad Imran, meanwhile, picked up four wickets for 66 runs but his team is left with a stiff task of holding the NBP bowlers at bay as they throw everything at them for a final-day victory.A majestic unbeaten 167 by Ijaz Ahmed allowed Faisalabad to finish the day on 330 for 6 against Lahore Ravi at the Iqbal Stadium. Facing 232 balls for his 30th first-class century, Ijaz hit 23 fours and two sixes and was involved in a 187-run third-wicket partnership with Ammar Mahmood, whose 76 came off 118 balls with 10 fours. However, apart from this duo, none of the Faisalabad batsmen were able to contribute significantly as leg-spinner Imran Haider (4 for 105) wrested some initiative for Lahore, who lost four wickets for only 86 runs towards the end of the day.Table-leaders Habib Bank Limited (HBL) started their final round match well by scoring 329 for 7 on the opening day against Karachi Whites at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex. Needing a win to confirm their place in the final, Habib Bank made use of internationals such as Shahid Afridi and Hasan Raza to post a decent total. Afridi hammered a characteristic 70 off 78 deliveries with the help of seven fours and three sixes in his 122 runs stand for the fourth wicket with Raza (65 off 130 balls). HBL, in a rather strange start to the innings, sent in their fast bowler Fahad Masood to open the innings as well as sending Abdur Rehman, the left-arm spinner, at No. 3, both ploys that worked out well for the side. Fahad and Rehman put on 54 runs for the second wicket as Rehman’s 47 came off 90 balls with eight fours while Fahad hit three boundaries in his 33 off 45 deliveries. Rehman then added 53 runs for the third wicket with Raza before the in-form Aftab Khan (40) and Kamran Hussain (39) added 72 runs for the unbroken eighth-wicket stand to take Habib Bank beyond the 300-run mark.No play was possible on the first day of the match between Hyderabad and Pakistan Customs at Niaz Stadium as the pitch was unplayable due to wet conditions and overnight rain in the city.

Group B

Leaders Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) bowled out bottom-placed Quetta for 195 at the Gaddafi Stadium and had their openers put on 75 before close on the first day. Adil Raza and Adnan Rasool captured three wickets apiece as Quetta batsmen failed to build on their starts and Sabir Hussain managed to get into the 30s. In reply, Mohammad Hafeez, SNGPL’s captain, had scored an unbeaten 45 off 57 balls and Yasir Arafat (23*) gave their team a solid start to the last match before playing the final in their debut season.Put into bat first, Karachi Blues reached 260 for 8 against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the National Stadium courtesy of a century of debut by Sheharyar Ghani. After having been reduced to 62 for 4, Karachi owed much to a 69-run fifth-wicket partnership between Ghani and Tariq Haroon (34) for the recovery. Ghani smashed 22 boundaries in his 122 that came off 224 balls. He also added 67 for the eighth-wicket with Tabish Khan, who is unbeaten on 48 scored off only 63 deliveries. Anwar Ali captured four wickets for PIA to send the national selectors a timely reminder ahead of the Zimbabwe series.Rawalpindi‘s 18-year-old Fawad Hussain achieved a century on first-class debut and helped his team reach 255 for 6 against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) at the KRL Stadium. Coming in at No. 5, Fawad scored 102 off 206 balls with 14 boundaries as wickets fell regularly around him. Fourteen extras from the Rawalpindi bowlers helped KRL on their way as well as none of the batsmen, bar Fawad, were able to make a big impact on proceedings. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took three wickets for 26 runs for KRL as Bilal Asad and Sohail Tanvir grabbed two apiece.Abbottabad opening bowlers tore through the Lahore Shalimar line-up and had them reeling at an astonishing 19 for 6 at close at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground after having scored 236 in their first-innings. Junaid Khan and Armaghan Elahi captured three wickets apiece as Lahore face a daunting task of avoiding the follow-on. For Abbottabad, asked to bat first, opener Ghulam Mohammad (32) and captain Adnan Raees (39) contributed well with the bat but it was Khalid Usman, batting at No. 7, who took his side to respectability with an aggressive 66 off 76 balls. Usman’s effort nullified to some extent the good work of fast bowlers Mohammad Naved and Mohammad Saeed, who bagged four wickets each for 77 and 54 runs, respectively. However, the nine overs before close changed the complexion of the match as Abbottabad look set to finish with a big first-innings lead.At the Arbab Niaz Stadium, Islamabad dismissed Peshawar for 202 and had reached 86 for 3 in reply by close of play. In trouble at 105 for 7 at one stage, Islamabad were rescued by a 65-run eight-wicket partnership between Sajjad Ahmed (62*) and Riaz Afridi (44). For Islamabad, Rauf Akbar captured five wickets for 48 runs and was ably assisted by leg-spinner Ameer Khan who captured three wickets. Although Islamabad stumbled to 19 for 3, Mohammad Fayyaz (44) and Asadullah Sumari (20) steered them out of trouble.

Misbah-ul-Haq has been appointed Pakistan’s vice-captain, capping a remarkable six-month rise from near-obscurity to one of the country’s senior players. As a result, Misbah has also moved into the top category of Pakistan’s new central contracts, announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today.This time last year Misbah wasn’t even on the fringes of the national squad, but a surprise call-up for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa began a dramatic turnaround in fortunes. Heroic performances in the tournament and a fantastic Test series in India subsequently cemented his middle-order spot.”The board’s governing committee decided to appoint Misbah as vice-captain after a very detailed discussion,” Nasim Ashraf, chairman PCB, said at a press conference. “He is both a junior and senior player. He has a great relationship with the captain and is very much part of the team’s think-tank.”Misbah’s appointment will last till December 2008, an attempt to stabilize a post that saw three different candidates in six months last year. It might also be seen as a snub to Younis Khan, who was vice-captain – and stand-in leader – during Pakistan’s tour to India. Younis subsequently announced his willingness to lead Pakistan, having turned it down earlier last year and been a reluctant leader in India.The news is not so good for a couple of other senior players, most notably Shoaib Akhtar, with whom the board has apparently run out of patience. He has been demoted from the top category to a retainership, especially created for players who have suffered from fitness, form and disciplinary problems, but who have represented Pakistan over the last couple of years.There had been speculation in the days leading up to the announcement that Shoaib would miss out, a result of the manager’s report of the India tour, in which both his attitude and fitness were criticised. As such, his demotion to a retainership means he is now in the same boat as players such as Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal and Yasir HameedBut Ashraf denied that Shoaib – or any other senior player – had been targeted. “We have a format by which we judge every player, in which things like fitness and discipline are very important. We didn’t discuss individuals but a system. Obviously our aim is that every player moves to category A, which means that they are all performing well.”Shahid Afridi and Danish Kaneria also find themselves pushed down after indifferent performances over the last six months, which formed the basis of the new year-long contracts. Abdur Rehman and Sohail Tanvir have been rewarded with their first contracts, as the PCB cut down the number of contracted players from 20 to 15.The board insists they have applied a formula which takes into account a number of weighted factors, including performance over the last six months, fitness, discipline and seniority. The retention of Mohammad Asif in the top category on this basis will undoubtedly raise questions: injuries have meant he has played only one ODI and two Tests since the last contracts were announced in July 2007.As well as the three basic categories, another has been created to recognise the achievements of players who have impressed in domestic cricket or are emerging prospects on the fringes of national selection. Category A players will receive a Rs 250,000 (US$4016) monthly retainer, category B players Rs 175,000 (US$2811), category C players Rs 100,000 (US$1606) and category D players Rs 75,000 (US$1204). Retainerships are also of Rs 75,000 a month.Category A: Shoaib Malik (capt), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Asif, Misbah-ul-HaqCategory B: Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi, Sohail TanvirCategory C: Abdur Rehman, Yasir Arafat, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Danish Kaneria, Fawad AlamCategory D (emerging players): Sarfraz Ahmed, Nasir Jamshed, Afaq Raheem, Khurram Manzoor, Naumanullah, Sohail Khan, Zulfiqar Jan, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Khan, Samiullah Khan

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Centuries from Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke pushed the game towards astalemate, but the story of the fourth day was Adam Gilchrist, and mostlikely the final innings of an exceptional career. He didn’t make much ofa dent on the scoreboard, but those that witnessed a little cameo willnever forget the glimpses of greatness. Amid the outpouring of emotion,Australia gathered a valuable 37-run lead and then picked up the wicket ofIrfan Pathan, leg before to Mitchell Johnson, before India had wiped offthe arrears.Virender Sehwag was dropped by Clarke off Brett Lee, and survived two vociferousleg-before appeals as well before ending the day with a six and four offAndrew Symonds. India’s lead was a mere eight, and they faced the samestick-or-twist conundrum that was England’s undoing in the last AdelaideTest.All of that was peripheral though in the face of a hero’s last stand.Walking out to bat after Clarke’s innings of 118 had ended with a stunningcatch from VVS Laxman at second slip, Gilchrist received a standingovation from a crowd of 19,407. He was also clapped to the middle by theIndians, but the generosity ended there. Ishant Sharma was in the middleof a superb spell, and there was a sense of relief when Gilchrist struckone sweetly past him to get off the mark.A straight smack for four that nearly decapitated Billy Bowden was athrowback to the halcyon years, and there was a deft cut or two before hedrove Pathan straight to Sehwag at cover. As disappointmentstarted to seep through the stands, Ishant ran all the way from third manto shake his hand, and the rest of the Indians gathered in a group toapplaud him off.In the midst of all the sentiment, two superb hundreds were almostforgotten. Ponting had got to his before lunch, but after experiencingback spasms, he soon had Michael Hussey come out as a runner. The runs -there had been 103 in the morning – just kept coming though, with Clarkeeager to get to his own hundred. He got there with a single to cover offSehwag, and though it hadn’t been the usual ebullient and stroke-filledknock, it was vital in virtually eliminating any possibility of anAustralian defeat.Ponting got as far as 140 before an attempt to guide Sehwag past pointresulted in an inside edge on to the stumps. The partnership was worth 210by then, and India’s hopes of a series-equalling win were evaporating inthe afternoon heat.That didn’t stop Ishant from tormenting Symonds with some sensationalswing bowling. Two edges flew down to third man, and the ball whizzed pastthe outside edge on other occasions. Had he not got the wicket of Clarke,it would truly have been rough justice. After tea, he got Symonds too,chopping one on right after Australia had taken the lead.Pathan then picked up his 100th Test wicket by having Lee caught behind,before Harbhajan Singh and Sehwag wrapped up the innings. Anil Kumble,perhaps nursing a sore shoulder, bowled just nine overs in the day, and itwas noticeable that Sehwag was the more potent of the two offspinners onview.The morning session had been all about Australia grinding the bowlingdown. On a pitch that showed no great signs of deterioration, the new ballfailed to do the trick and the spinners got little purchase either.Ponting and Clarke went about run-making in steady rather than spectacularfashion, and India’s best chance of ending the partnership came a quarterof an hour before lunch, when Clarke moved away to cut Sehwag.The edge was travelling fast, but all Rahul Dravid could do was palm theball away from him at first slip. Clarke was on 84 at the time. Pontinghad enjoyed his slice of luck early in the morning, when a miscued hookoff Ishant just eluded Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s leap on the leg side. Ishantwasn’t as accurate or threatening in the morning as he was on Saturday,and with Pathan also unable to break through, Kumble turned to Harbhajan.Heroics with the bat aside, Ponting’s tormentor has had a poor game, andthe batsmen easily picked up singles and twos with pushes and drives intothe gaps. It took Clarke all of 126 balls to bring up his half-century,and he celebrated by clipping Ishant through midwicket.After all the criticism of the past few weeks and sly jibes about beingHarbhajan’s bunny, it was perhaps fitting that Ponting should get to a34th century off his bowling. After taking 114 balls for the first 50, thesecond had spanned just 69 deliveries.Kumble brought himself on soon after, but India’s fortunes didn’t changeon a baking hot morning. While Clarke slog-swept both spinners for four,Ponting did damage with the pull, effortlessly piercing the field whenKumble dragged it short.After the euphoria of the first two days, it was India’s turn to feel thepain and appear lost for answers. A soft ball didn’t help, but neither didtwo premier Australian batsmen determined not to cede an inch. The thirdcouldn’t make the same impact, but it was his 21-minute stint that manyfolk might talk about years from now when the I-was-there stories aredusted off.

The Cape Cobras were the big movers during the latest week of the MTN Domestic Championship with two wins putting them firmly in the shake-up for a semi-finals place. The Titans continued to run away with the league stage after a washout and a victory consolidated their position at the top.There is plenty of congestion for the remaining three semi-final berths with the Cobras hitting form at the right time. They comfortably overcame the Lions by seven wickets as Herschelle Gibbs found touch with an unbeaten 74, but faced a much closer encounter against the Warriors.Defending 176 the Cobras appeared out of the game with the Warriors on 109 for 1 in the 31st over, however Con de Lange produced a superb spell to claim 3 for 31. The international trio of Charl Langeveldt, Vernon Philander and Monde Zondeki also played their part as the Cobras held on by three runs.The Eagles maintained their slim hold on second place despite a 61-run defeat against the Titans where Albie Morkel starred with 50 and 4 for 27. Earlier they demolished the Lions by 116 runs in Bloemfontein as Morne van Wyk crunched 125 off 141 balls and Ryan McLaren claimed four wickets.It was a shocking week for the Lions as, along with their defeats against the Cobras and the Eagles, they also slumped against Zimbabwe and fell to the bottom of the table. Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha led Zimbabwe’s run chase against a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target and they won with nine balls to spare. That victory followed up a three-wicket success against the Dolphins where Stuart Matsikenyeri’s unbeaten 58 edged them home.The Dolphins suffered three defeats as their semi-final hopes took a hammering and although they are still in fourth place their form is only going one way. The Warriors may yet catch them with three games remaining and their 10-run win in Pietermaritzburg could prove crucial in the final outcome.

Imran Khan, the former Pakistan captain, has blamed the country’s president, Pervez Musharraf, for Australia’s decision to postpone their tour to Pakistan. “Musharraf blindly follows the United States in the war against terror and we are paying the price,” Imran told AFP. “Because of that we are now at a stage when no one is ready to play cricket here.”Australia, who were scheduled to tour Pakistan this month for Tests and one-dayers, were unlikely to make the trip following former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and continued violence in the country.”People feel the Australians are unjustified in pulling out, but Australia’s decision is understandable as everything that happens in Pakistan is magnified to larger proportions abroad,” Imran said. “Australians don’t live here and they don’t know that bombings are not aimed at sportsmen but terrorists’ targets are specific. No one has ever targeted sportsmen in Pakistan.”Australia haven’t visited Pakistan since 1998 and Ricky Ponting is the only member of that touring party who is currently playing. “Had they [Australia] toured it would have created a lot of interest as everyone wants to see them play here. That is gone now for at least until the tour is rescheduled.”Imran said Pakistan had come to a point where they could only host weaker opposition like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. “Pakistan will also lose revenue by not hosting a high-profile series.”

Even before the start of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League, the organisers have announced that the second edition is tentatively scheduled between April 10 and May 29 next year.According to the Future Tours Programme, Australia are slated to be touring South Africa in April, 2009, India are set to be in New Zealand, and West Indies in Bangladesh. India haven’t toured New Zealand since early 2003 with their scheduled trip in 2007 put of because plans to prepare for the World Cup.The announcement comes in the wake of comments from David Collier, the ECB chief executive, who said the board was planning to adapt their domestic Twenty20 Cup to attract more leading players and offer an alternative to the IPL.”It is a question of finding periods of the year for this [the IPL] to take place,” Collier had said. “We are one of the few countries who play in June, that is why our competitions are so successful because we can attract the best players in the world. That is why we believe that an English Premier League will be very successful including a broad range of cricketers.”Lalit Modi, the IPL Chairman, said the format of the tournament would remain unchanged in its second season. The eight franchisees will first play against one another in a league on home-and-away basis. The top four teams will then figure in the two semi-finals and a final.The first edition of the IPL kicks off on April 18 in Bangalore and the final is scheduled for June 1. “The dates of the second season of the DLF Indian Premier League were decided at a meeting of the Governing Council of the DLF Indian Premier League held inMumbai,” said Modi. “I am confident of the inaugural season becoming a huge success and the second season will be even a bigger success.”