India’s bowling unit has been been badly hit by injuries in the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka. The team is without pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who is nursing a shoulder injury, while Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra are recuperating from niggles and are doubtful for Monday’s ODI tri-series match against Sri Lanka.

Dhoni advocated a more frequent rotational plan for the bowlers, given the workload on them. “Bowling department needs a bit more rotation compared to batting department. You have to see where exactly the bowler or the batsman is. Whether he plays a few more games or if he is given rest in the next few games. What will be the impact,” Dhoni said at the pre-match press conference.

“So, accordingly you decide if rest is needed. Then you give rest to the players so that they do not get injured and get some time to recover from niggles. That is the criterion when it comes to giving rest to someone. It has worked for us so far and I am just hoping that it will work for us in the near future,” he said. ”The workload on the bowler can be too much, if you see, specially those playing both the Test matches and the ODIs. That really challenges the limit. For batsmen, they don’t have to put in the same amount of effort compared to a bowler.”

Asked whether the burden needs to reduced at the domestic level, Dhoni said it is upto the individual player to decide on that.

“I think it is upto the individuals to do their best in whatever opportunities they get, whether it is domestic cricket, like the Duleep Trophy, the Challengers and the Deodhar Trophy. It is better, personally, if you can rest someone and prevent him from getting injured. You know that actually does not hamper his form. The kind of momentum that one gets because of good performances can just continue and he will always be in a positive frame of mind,” he said.

It has been a frustrating trip to Sri Lanka for the Indians so far. They laboured to a 1-1 draw in the Test series and lost by 200 runs to New Zealand in the opening match of the ODI tri-series, but Dhoni said the dressing room is still lively.

“We had some time off. So we tried to make the most of it. We had a few days off. I don’t think the spirit has been affected that much. Of course, it was a disappointing loss. So, hopefully, we will turn up on the field well prepared for the challenges,” he said.

Dhoni reiterated his displeasure over the practice wickets at the stadium. ”As far as the wicket is concerned, the players who went for practice during the last three days were not really happy with the kind of wicket that was provided. So, we are just hoping that the weather clears today and we get some time to practice. And hopefully, the wickets will be good,” he said.

Dhoni said the struggling Ravindra Jadeja could be replaced with a specialist batsman.

“One thing that Jadeja was really doing well for us was he was bowling really well. In fact, at times it seemed that we were playing with five specialist bowlers. So, if he is not doing that well with the ball, definitely we can offer to have one more specialist batsmen,” he said. ”If that number seven slot is not bowling that well, then it is always better to have a specialist batsman, but still I think Jadeja can do the job for us. I am just hoping he comes back to form and it is always good to have five bowlers, considering the majority of his performances that he has done with the ball.”

Dhoni said given the tight schedule it was vital to keep off cricket during the short breaks. ”It is important to switch on and switch off,” he said.

The Indians were bowled out for an embarrassing 88 in the tri-series opener and Dhoni hoped the young batsmen in the side have learnt their lesson as far as handling bounce is concerned.

“I think the youngsters who went for practice would have certainly got a bit of seam bowling because the wickets were very damp and there was lush green grass on the wicket. They must have seen that. I think whoever is part of the national side is talented enough to deal with any kind of condition or situation. I think it is just the mental side that we need to train a bit,” he said.

Dhoni said back-up pacer Munaf Patel, who has been called in as cover for Ishant Sharma, could get a game if he did well in the nets. “It is better to have a back up bowler. That is one of the reasons why Munaf is here. But we treat him as a part of the side, not a back up bowler. He also qualifies if he does well in the net sessions you know,” he said.

“Yuvraj Singh is not available for this game. He has dengue. But he is out of danger,” Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni revealed at the pre-match press conference.

Yuvraj has been battling poor form and fitness for quite some while and the latest setback just adds to his miseries. He missed the second Test against Sri Lanka due to flu and was taunted as “water boy” by fans when he came to the field to hand out drinks to his teammates.

Others on the doubtful starters’ list are pacers Ashish Nehra, nursing a thigh strain, and Ishant Sharma, who is recuperating from a knee injury.

“We are monitoring Ashish Nehra. He has got a bit of problem with his glute. So we will take the exact decision before the game. Ishant is shaping well. As of now these are the two players who may be missing out,” Dhoni said. ”Hopefully there won’t be any addition to the list by tomorrow.”

Dhoni, however, dismissed reports that Dinesh Karthik, who hurt his hand during the practice session on Saturday, is doubtful for Monday. ”Dinesh Karthik got hit on his thumb but he is fine and it is not a major concern,” he said. The injury-ravaged team is already without pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and opener Gautam Gambhir.

India lost the opening match to New Zealand by a massive 200 runs and need to win on Monday to remain afloat in the series.

“It shouldn’t matter which country they belong to. But we want to be in a position where we can sign on the best available players,” Bhattacharya told the Geo Super channel last night.

Kolkata Knight Riders recently entered into an MOU with Irfan, who is yet to play for Pakistan, after watching him bowl in a couple of practice matches in Sri Lanka. Irfan was invited to play in Sri Lanka by the KKR management on the recommendation of former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who is on the coaching staff of the team.

The KKR CEO, however, said that although the franchise had entered into an agreement with Irfan but his participation in the fourth edition of the IPL was totally dependent on the official rules and regulations of the league.

“We have signed an MOU with Irfan but so far the IPL franchises have not been told about any policy regarding participation of Pakistani players in the IPL,” he said.

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board felt that there were bright chances of Pakistani players finally playing again in the IPL next year because of some significant changes in the management of the IPL.

“For one, Lalit Modi is no longer on the IPL management board and he played an instrumental role in including our players names for the players auction this year and then influencing the franchises to ignore them completely,” a source said.

“With Modi no longer in power and a new set up running IPL affairs directly under the control of the Indian board, we are pretty confident this time our players will get a chance to play in the IPL. Our government is also now more responsive to sporting ties with India,” another source stated.

A number of Pakistani players took part in the IPL first season but didn’t feature in the next two editions because of strained political and diplomatic ties between the two countries. No Pakistani team or player is part of the Champions League, being held in South Africa from next month, either.

The same situation prevailed in the league when it was launched last year in India although Sialkot Stallions, led by former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, have twice won the right to represent the country in the league by virtue of being the national T20 champions.

According to a report published in The Telegraph, Pietersen was approached by ECB’s senior management after the second Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston where he scored an innings of 80 runs.

“Kevin Pietersen has been warned by the England and Wales Cricket Board against having more meetings with Lalit Modi, the defrocked former commissioner of the Indian Premier League, after they were seen together in London before the first Test with Pakistan at Trent Bridge,” the report said.

In May, ECB chairman Giles Clarke had circulated an email warning county chairman and chief executives against meeting Modi until he is cleared by the BCCI disciplinary committee.

When asked about his meeting with Modi, Pietersen, who had first met him while playing for Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL, told the ECB that he had simply hooked up with an old mate for a beer, the report said.

The Baroda fast bowler was also a member of the squad for the preceding three-Test series against Sri Lanka bur did not get to play any of the match.

“Munaf Patel is joining the Indian team in Sri Lanka as an additional member of the squad. He will reach Dambulla tomorrow,” said BCCI secretary N Srinivasan in a media release today.

The 27-year-old bowler played the last of his 43 ODIs against Australia at Guwahati in November, 2009. He has been given a chance to resume his stop-start career in which he has taken 47 wickets at just under 33.

The Indian team, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, started its campaign on a poor note two days ago by crashing to a massive 200-run defeat against New Zealand at Dambulla.

The event runs up to August 28 with all the matches to be played at the same venue.

India squad: 1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), 2. Virender Sehwag, 3. Suresh Raina, 4. Virat Kohli, 5. Dinesh Karthik, 6. Yuvraj Singh, 7. Rohit Sharma, 8. Saurabh Tiwary, 9. Ravindra Jadeja, 10. Ashish Nehra, 11. Praveen Kumar, 12. Pragyan Ojha, 13. R Ashwin, 14. Abhimanyu Mithun, 15. Ishant Sharma, 16. Munaf Patel.

Flintoff has had two knee operations in the last 12 months and will be out of action for the entire season. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led Super Kings to their maiden IPL triumph this year, will continue to captain the side.

The foreign players who found a place in the squad are retired Sri Lankan spin-wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and Thilan Thushara, Australia’s Michael Hussey, Doug Bollinger and retired Matthew Hayden, and Albie Morkel of South Africa.

Three players from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will play for their ‘away’ team rather than their ‘home’ teams. Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor and Cameron White will line up for RCB in South Africa from September 10 after being named by their home teams as well as their IPL franchise.

Dean Kino, CLT20 Governing Council Member and Director of Legal and Business Affairs, said RCB will compensate the respective home teams for taking away the players.

“CLT20 regulations stipulate that with Jacques Kallis, Ross Taylor and Cameron White playing for their IPL franchise instead of their home teams, RCB must compensate the Warriors, Central Stags and Victorian Bushrangers USD 200,000 each respectively,” he said.

The 10 teams are loaded with stars, including Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shaun Tait, Mahela Jayawardene, Dale Steyn, Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh and Mike Hussey.

Airtel Champions League Twenty20 Final Squads:

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, S Badrinath, M Vijay, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin, Shadab Jakati, A Srikkanth, L Balaji, Muttiah Muralitharan, Michael Hussey, Doug Bollinger, Thilan Thushara, Albie Morkel, Matthew Hayden, Joginder Sharma. Warriors: Davy Jacobs, Ashwell Prince, Colin Ingram, Mark Boucher, Johan Botha, Nicky Boje, Craig Thyssen, Juan Theron, Makhaya Ntini, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Justin Kreusch, Garnett Kruger, Arno Jacobs, Lyall Meyer, Jon Jon Smuts.

Victoria Bushrangers: David Hussey, Ryan Carters, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Brad Hodge, Andrew McDonald, Bryce McGain, Clint McKay, Glenn Maxwell, Dirk Nannes, James Pattison, Rob Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade.

Wayamba: Jehan Mubarak, Mahela Udawatte, Mahela Jayawardene, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Kushal Janith Perera, Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara, Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof, Thissara Perera, Damitha Hunukumbura, Shalika Karunanayake, Isuru Udana, Sameera Zoysa.

Central Districts: Adam Milne, Bevan Griggs, Brad Patton, Brendon Diamanti, Doug Bracewell, George Worker, Jacob Oram, Jamie How, Kieran Noema-Barnett, Matthew Sinclair, Michael Mason, Mitchell McClenaghan, Peter Ingram, Seth Rance, Tim Weston.

Mumbai Indians: Shikhar Dhawan, Sachin Tendulkar, Ambati Rayudu, Saurabh Tiwary, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R Sathish, Ali Murtaza, Dhawal Kulkarni, Aditya Tare, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, JP Duminy, Lasith Malinga, Ryan McLaren.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, Virat Kohli, Cameron White, Ross Taylor, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, Dillon du Preez, B Akhil, Abhimanyu Mithun, Nayan Doshi.

South Australia: Cullen Bailey, Daniel Harris, Graham Manou, Daniel Christian, Gary Putland, Peter George, Callum Ferguson, Michael Klinger, Jake Haberfield, Tim Ludeman, Shaun Tait, Tom Cooper, Chris Duval, Cameron Borgas, Aaron O’Brien, Cullen Bailey.

Guyana: Ramnaresh Sarwan, Royston Crandon, Lennox Crush, Travis Dowlin, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Narsingh Deonarine, Jonathan Foo, Derwin Christian, Christopher Barnwell, Esuan Crandon, Devendra Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs, Richard Ramdeen.

Lions: Alviro Peterson, Thami Tsolekile, Craig Alexander, Shane Burger, Richard Cameron, Werner Coetsee, Cliffe Deacon, Zander de Bruyn, Robert Frylinck, Neil McKenzie, Ethan O’Rielly, Aaron Phangiso, Jean Symes, Jonathan Vandiar, Vaughn van Jaarsveld.

Irfan, who was on the verge of making it into the Pakistan team in place of the injured Umar Gul two months back, said he had inked an MoU with KKR, pending clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The lanky left-arm pacer, who is nearly seven feet tall, is among the tallest cricketers in the world and he impressed Kolkata with performances on a development tour of Sri Lanka with them. He said that he was already inked a MoU for the fourth edition of the IPL and he had been recommended by former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who is a consultant and coach for Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan owned KKR.

“I have signed for KKR for the fourth edition of IPL,” Irfan told PTI from Lahore where he is training at the National cricket academy. “I had to travel to Sri Lanka to meet with the KKR officials and they saw me bowl in the nets there. I went there because of Wasim Bhai. They were impressed by my performances and offered me the contract.”

Irfan said he had also played a couple of matches in Sri Lanka, including two Twenty20s and an one-day match against a side that included a number of Sri Lankan international and A team players.

Irfan took nine wickets in three games with economical figures that were enough to impress the KKR management, who decided to offer the fast bowler a contract. “All of them were impressed with my bowling. My height helped me as well,” added Irfan.

He said that obviously his participation in the KKR would depend entirely on what policy the PCB and government take for Pakistani players participating in the IPL next year.

Pakistan players have not played in the last two editions of the IPL because of the tense relations between India and Pakistan and the PCB has also refused to allow them to play in the IPL or Champions League since last year because of the relations.

The participation of Pakistan players in the last IPL drew much controversy after the 11 players put up for auction were snubbed by the franchises amid concerns that the Pakistan government would refuse to give them clearance to play in India.

Sangakkara last month questioned the system and said it was not fair as the ICC had not devised a proper home-and-away format in its Future Tour Programme, hinting that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men had not won series abroad against Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa.

Muralitharan, who retired last month as Test cricket’s highest wicket taker, had a completely different view on the system and said it was not necessary for a team to beat all other sides on tours before becoming number one.

“India deserve to be the number one Test side because they have won a lot of matches. They won against Australia in Australia, they won against England in England and they drew the recent series in Sri Lanka 1-1,” he told reporters on the eve of the launch of Champions League Twenty20 here.

“You can’t criticise by saying that the point system is not good. That means you are trying to find fault with everyone. When some team deserves credit it should be given, you have to be honest,” Muralitharan said. “I think you can’t justify by saying that you have to win home and away and then only you can be the number one. When Australia was the number one Test side, they had lost a series against us in Sri Lanka. Only in 2004, Australia won a series against us in Sri Lanka. I think the ICC have got a system in place and they have done it to the best of their ability. It is fair enough and whoever is number one under this, they deserve it. No system can be perfect. There are nine Test playing countries and if you try to play home and away matches by each country, it will take five-six years to rotate and it is impractical.”

Muralitharan refused to dwell much on his recent attack on former Indian captain and his untiring critic Bishen Singh Bedi and said, “I don’t care what the reaction is from other people” after his outburst.

“Whatever I have said, I have said. That’s it,” he replied when asked if he had planned the verbal attack on Bedi.

Asked if he was surprised by the criticism from former Indian cricketers like Erapalli Prasanna and Maninder Singh for his criticism of Bedi, he said, “I don’t care what anybody says. Whatever I have said is said. Whether they take it or not I don’t care.”

Muralitharan retired from Test cricket at 37 and he feels age should not be a criteria in judging an athlete.

“I don’t think age should not be the criteria as long as you are fit. Performance is the criteria. Sachin Tendulkar is 37 and he is getting a century, double hundred and everything. I also took lots of wickets before retiring. Experience is the advantage in Test cricket, though there should be balance. A mixture of youth and experience is ideal,” he said.

Muralitharan said Harbhajan Singh should not be put under undue pressure for failing to perform in the recent Sri Lanka Test series and young tweakers like Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra should be given some time to settle down.

“You cannot take the performance of only one tournament to judge Harbhajan. He is going through a rough patch. Before the last two Tests, he took wickets against us in Mumbai. He is a great bowler and he will come back and take wickets. The other spinners, Ojha, Mishra and even R Ashwin, are good bowlers. It is very hard to criticise them from one or two matches. You can’t compare them with Anil Kumble who is a legend. Give some time to them and with experience they will do well,” he said.

He also advised Dhoni not to use Virender Sehwag’s part-time spin excessively in Test cricket as it may affect the dashing opener’s batting. “If Sehwag is used more, his batting may come down, as it is hard to bowl and score. If Sehwag is used more in Test cricket as a slow bowler, it may affect his batting. It is very hard to be a bowler in Test cricket.”

Muralitharan also revealed that he has been told by Sri Lankan Cricket Chairman of selectors Aravinda de Silva to prepare for the one-day tour of Australia in November.

The spin wizard would also play another three years in the Indian Premier League.

“I have been told by Aravinda to be prepared for the ODI tour of Australia. I have not stopped training and going to the gym. I will not change my earlier routine and will train my hardest. Everyday I bowl and bat with whatever facilities I am getting in Sri Lanka. I want to play the next three years of IPL before retiring totally from cricket. So I have to practice, and definitely I would like to play in England or some other place,” he said.

He said he gave up Test cricket to play a little longer in the two formats of the game and vacate a seat for the youngsters.

“I have had enough and I have nothing to achieve anymore. So I took up the challenge of taking eight wickets in my last Test (against India in Galle last month). Everything went my way and I retired happily. If I were to play all three formats, I think I will have just one or one-and-half year left. But if I play only shorter versions of the game, I can play two to three more years,” he added.

Talking about the Champions League, Muralitharan agreed with former India captain Sourav Ganguly who had said that it would be tough for the three IPL Teams to win the September 10-26 event to be played at four venues in South Africa.

“Last time, an Australian team won the tournament and it is not going to be easy for IPL teams because the other teams have good players. It is hard to pick the favourite, as in Twenty20 anything can happen. The team which plays best in the two weeks will win. I hope Chennai Super Kings play well and take the trophy like we did in the IPL. It is not going to be easy but we have players who can win the tournament,” he said.

New Zealand toppled India to grab the second position in the ICC ODI rankings. New Zealand are just one point ahead of India that stand at third position with 116 points after fourth biggest margin defeat at Dambulla on Tuesday.

Australia remains on top with 132 points. South Africa (115) and England (113) are at fifth and sixth position, according to the latest ICC ODI Ranking released on Tuesday.

In a scathing two-page letter written to the President, Ali argues that Butt’s administration has seen the team reduced to the status of “minnows.”

The last year has been a particularly torrid one for Pakistan, their win in the ICC World Twenty20 last year followed by a disastrous tour of Australia. Several senior players were either fined or banned by the PCB in the aftermath of that tour, though most of the punishments were overturned soon after. Currently, after beating Australia in the Headingley Test in their ongoing tour of England, they capitulated to scores of 80 and 72 in their two Tests against England which they lost comprehensively.

“The chairman and his close aides have shoddily let down your confidence in them by making a mockery of management ethics at the board,” wrote Ali, who also heads the national assembly’s standing committee on sports. The standing committees of the upper and lower houses cannot take direct action against any organisation, but they can pass on suggestions to the government.

“It is therefore recommended that a very dynamic and energetic administrator be made the chairman of the board so that the affairs of cricket in Pakistan are run professionally. (The) incompetence of Mr. Ijaz Butt has already brought enough shame for our country at international level.”

Former players like Aamer Sohail, Abdul Qadir and Iqbal Qasim held senior positions in the PCB but resigned and Ali blamed Butt for their departure. He said they quit “due to egocentric and autocratic attitude of Mr. Ijaz Butt.”

The board has also seen through five different Test captains in just over a year – Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Salman Butt – and Ali said Butt and the management were responsible for such a “comedy of errors.”

Ali also alleged that the present team manager, Yawar Saeed, whom he said was close to Butt, was supporting certain “groups of players in the team, which is destroying the unity.” However, he didn’t elaborate on the players involved.

The parliamentarian reminded the president that Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992 and the team’s present low standing “is very painful for cricket lovers of this country”.

Butt replaced Nasim Ashraf as PCB chairman in 2008 and since then he has been severely criticised by members of standing committees of sports in both upper and lower houses of parliament.