!!!!!CRICKETER BLOG !!!!!!

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly does not read much into India's failure in the second ICC World Twenty20 and says Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co. will erase their bitter memories by bouncing back in the four-match ODI series in the West Indies beginning tomorrow.

Fresh from his commentary assignment in the T20 World Cup in England, Ganguly differed with the views of coach Gary Kirsten who had blamed "fatigue" for the team's pathetic show.

"You must remember that Indians have been doing well for last one and half months. You should not look much into their failure in T20 World Cup," the left-hander told reporters.

He further said India would have to deal with the "setback" of losing Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan for the series.

While Tendulkar and Zaheer have been rested, Sehwag is nursing a shoulder injury.

Asked whether Indians should worry about containing destructive opener Chris Gayle, Ganguly said, "Not only Gayle, (Ramnaresh) Sarwan, (Dwayne) Bravo... everyone is capable of playing good so it will be a tight contest."

About the recent controversy regarding "hiding injury" as Dhoni has warned teammates post-Sehwag episode, Ganguly chose to differ and said he had never heard of a player not disclosing his injury.

"I don't think if there is anything like that. At this level, every player is honest while representing his country.

I have never heard of anybody hiding injury during my tenure as captain," the most successful Indian captain said.

Disagreeing on Kirsten's view that fatigue was a factor, Ganguly said, "I don't think fatigue is a concern for cricketers these days who are professional to meet the demands of international cricket. Also, the ICC prepares the Future Tours Programme taking care of the busy schedule.

Asked about the ouster of controversial John Buchanan as Kolkata Knight Riders coach, Ganguly said, "It was a team decision and I know as much as you do. I can't comment further."

On Buchanan's replacement, Ganguly said, "There are many names doing rounds, but I have no knowledge."

Ganguly was talking to reporters at his Videocon School of Cricket in Salt Lake at a function to felicitate sub-junior cricketers who won the Amber Roy tournament conducted by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

Three cricketers selected in the Indian squad for the four-match ODI series in the West Indies are yet to depart for the Caribbean because of transit visa problems.

Mumbai's Abhishek Nayar and Tamil Nadu's Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath are the three players who are waiting for their UK transit visas to proceed for the West Indies via London, it was learnt on Tuesday.

"They will get their visas today and are set to leave tonight. They are scheduled to reach Jamaica (venue of the first two ODIs) by tomorrow evening local time," Cricket Board sources told PTI.

The delayed departure will leave the trio, which has not played any top-level cricket after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League on May 24, with very little time to get adjusted to the conditions in the Caribbean prior to the series opener on June 26 at Kingston, Jamaica.

The selection of the 15-strong team was done in London on June 19 and the rest of the team members, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have already reached Jamaica and started practising after India's early elimination from the ICC World T20 competition in England.

India are to play their second to fourth ODIs on June 28 (Kingston, Jamaica), April 3 and 5 (both at Gros Islet, St Lucia).

Last time around, they were the toast of the nation, this time not even their own families would have raised a toast to them - at least not in public.

From being defending champions to not having a single player in the World Eleven announced by the ICC for the World T20 Cup, the Indian team's wheel of fortune has turned a full revolution.

The ICC named its eleven on Monday and after losing three consecutive matches in the Super Eights, no Indian player made the cut.

Four Pakistanis feature, including captain Younis Khan who has been named skipper of this team, other than Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal.

However, there was one Indian face figuring in the Women's XI announced by cricket's governing body and it was that of bowler Rumeli Dhar.

The men's team, including 12th man Lasith Maligna, contained four players from Pakistan, three each from South Africa and Sri Lanka and two from the West Indies.

The women's team, led by England skipper Charlotte Edwards, included five players from the winner, England, four from beaten finalist New Zealand and one each from Australia, India and Sri Lanka.

The men's team was chosen by a select group of experts, including former England pacer Jonathan Agnew, cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop, Twenty20 World Cup Tournament Director Steve Elworthy, ICC Match Referee Alan Hurst and Indian journalist Sharda Ugra.

The women's team was selected by ICC Match Referee Chris Broad, former England captain Clare Connor, Steve Elworthy, commentator Alison Mitchell and journalist Jenny Roesler.

ICC World XI (Men): Chris Gayle (West Indies), Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Younis Khan (Pakistan, captain), Dwayne Bravo (West Indies), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Kamran Akmal (Pakistan, wicketkeeper), Wayne Parnell (South Africa), Umar Gul (Pakistan), Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka). 12th man: Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)

ICC World XI (Women): Shelley Nitschke (Australia), Charlotte Edwards (England, captain), Claire Taylor (England), Aimee Watkins (New Zealand), Sarah Taylor (England, wicketkeeper), Suzi Bates (New Zealand), Lucy Doolan (New Zealand), Rumeli Dhar (India), Laura Marsh (England), Holly Colvin (England), Sian Ruck (New Zealand). 12th player: Eshani Kaushalya (Sri Lanka)

Pakistan won their first major title in 17 years when they stunned Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the World Twenty20 final at a sell-out Lord's here on Sunday.

Seamer Abdur Razzaq claimed three wickets as Pakistan bowled and fielded aggressively to restrict Sri Lanka to 138-6, then coasted home easily with eight deliveries to spare.

Shahid Afridi hit an unbeaten 54 off 40 balls, his second consecutive half-century, and former captain Shoaib Malik made 24 not out during a match-winning partnership of 76 for the undefeated third wicket.

Pakistan, runners-up to India in the final of the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago, ended Sri Lanka's unbeaten run in the tournament with style. Pakistan last won an official multi-nation tournament in 1992 when Imran Khan's team lifted the World Cup by beating England in the final at the Melbourne cricket ground in Australia. Sunday's win by Younus Khan's team gave Pakistanis back home reason to cheer as the cricket-mad nation has been deprived of international tours due to security concerns in the volatile nation.

The International Cricket Council has already ruled out holding World Cup matches in Pakistan in 2011 following the militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore on March 3.

Pakistani openers Kamran Akmal and Shahzaib Hasan ensured there were no early scares as they put on 48 for the first wicket in seven overs. Sanath Jayasuriya broke through with his first delivery in the next over when he beat Akmal in the air with his left-arm spin and had him stumped for 37 off 28 balls.

Jayasuriya then took a catch to get rid of Shahzaib off Muttiah Muralitharan for 19, but Afridi and Malik took Pakistan home amid loud celebrations from their fans in the stands.

Sri Lanka were dealt quick blows after captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to take first strike on a slow wicket. The Lankans slumped to 2-2 in the first nine balls and that became 34-4 before Sangakkara himself led the rescue act with a defiant unbeaten 64 from 52 balls. Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews put on 68 for the unbroken seventh wicket as Sri Lanka plundered 59 runs in the final five overs.

Mathews returned unbeaten on 35 off 24 balls.

Pakistan got off to a sensational start when teenage fast bowler Mohammad Aamir sent back the in-form Tillekaratne Dilshan with the fifth ball of the match.

Dilshan, the tournament's leading scorer with 317 runs, miscued a pull shot off the speedy left-armer and was caught at backward square-leg by Shahzaib Hasan for zero.

Four balls later, Shahzaib grabbed his second catch at mid-off as Jehan Mubarak skied a leading edge off Razzaq, who shared the new ball with Aamir.

Jayasuriya counter-attacked with a six and four in Razzaq's second over, but the bowler hit back two balls later as the left-handed veteran edged a ball on to his stumps after making 17.

Razzaq, who replaced the injured Yasir Arafat after ending his links with the rebel Indian Cricket League, struck again in his third over when Misbah-ul Haq dived to his right at slip to remove Mahela Jayawardene for one.

While Shahid Afridi bagged the 'Player of the Match' award, Tillekaratne Dilshan was declared the 'Player of the Tournament'.