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Melbourne will host the final of World Cup 2015 , while semi-finals will be held at Sydney and Auckland just as they did in 1992. Christchurch will host the opening match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka on February 14 at Hagley Oval, on the same day Australia will play against England at the MCG. " The ICC Cricket World Cup is the flagship tournament of the 50-over game. The 2015 tournament will mark 40 years since the first World Cup in 1975 and that history of great contests and heroes helps make the tournament what it is - the most sought after prize in our increasingly global game, " Richardson said. The world cup 2015 will feature 49 matches in 44 days in 14 cities throughout February and March of 2015. Pool A : England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Qualifier 2 and Qualifier 3 Pool B : South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies Zimbabwe, Ireland and Qualifier 4 Venue : Adelaide (Aus), Auckland (NZ), Brisbane (Aus), Canberra (Aus), Chri

Zimbabwe left-arm spinner, Ray Price has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 37-year-old player said: " I was going to wait until my contract expired to call it a day but, yes, I've decided to retire from international cricket, I won't be going with the guys to Bulawayo. I'm retired. " In his career, Price took 100 wickets in 102 ODIs and 80 dismissals in 22 Tests and 13 scalps in 16 T20 Internationals. At the age of 23, Price played his debut against Sri Lanka at Harare Sports Club in 1999.

England's right-handed batsman, Kevin Pietersen has been included in a 14-man squad for the next and third Ashes Test match against Australia at Old Trafford, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Sunday. England have also selected Nottinghamshire's James Taylor to the squad, whereas, left-armer Monty Panesar is also added to the squad as a spinner and fast bowler Chris Tremlett in place of Steven Finn and Graham Onions. The 3rd Ashes will be played at Emirates Old Trafford on 1-5 August. England squad : Alastair Cook (Capt.), Joe Root, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, James Taylor, Chris Tremlett, Stuart Broad, Monty Panesar.

Pakistan skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq has signed the St Lucia Zouks side for the inaugural season of Caribbean Premier League . He will replace Australia's Luke Pomersbach , who has been forced to pull out of the tournament. Matthew Maynard, the Zouks assistant coach, said: " Although it is unfortunate that Luke Pomersbach will not be joining us, we have a high-quality replacement in Misbah-ul-Haq, He brings with him a vast amount of experience of international cricket, something that will only be of benefit to our younger players, and his latest Twenty20 performance speaks for itself. On top of that he has been in excellent form during the recent ODI series against West Indies so he is completely acclimatised and match-ready and that is an added plus for us and for him. " The 39-year-old Right-handed batsman will join Darren Sammy and Tino Best, as well as overseas players Albie Morkel, Herschelle Gibbs and Tamim Iqbal at the Zouks. The Caribbean Premier League wi

Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif has admitted to spot-fixing during a meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board in Lahore. PCB said that Asif met with Subhan Ahmad, the chief operating officer of PCB and confessed that he had indulged in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lords in 2010. "He (Asif) said he was ashamed of what he had done and his conscience had been troubling him for the last many months but he was scared to speak out the truth,"  " Asif said he finally gathered courage to admit his guilt as he wanted to revive his cricketing career and also salvage his image, " the source added. The 30-year-old, Asif is one of the most controversial personality among the banned players and has also been found guilty of failing a dope test, carrying marijuana and other problems in the past.

West Indies have announced the 13-man T20 squad for the two-match series against Pakistan , scheduled on July 27 and 28 in St Vincent. Batsman Devon Smith along with fast bowlers Jason Holder and Kemar Roach have been omitted from the 13-man T20 squad. whereas, Darren Sammy returns to the role of skipper and Kieron Pollard was retained to the squad. West Indies T20 squad : Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Christopher Barnwell, Tino Best, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Johnson Charles (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Sunil Narine, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons.

Australian Fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle have signed Melbourne Renegades for the forthcoming season of the T20 Big Bash League . " I want to get back into playing short-form cricket, "Siddle said. " To have that opportunity again in four over bursts, having a crack and getting the pace up there. I think it'll be a lot of fun. " Melbourne Renegades have also re-signed the former Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan for one year and completed two-year deals with Pakistan -born legspinner Fawad Ahmed and Tasmanian batsman Alex Doolan . The 34-year-old, Ahmed who has recently got Australian citizenship, clearing the way for a possible call-up to the Test squad for the Ashes . " I worked really hard with the Renegades last season. It was a good six or seven weeks and they really helped me through BBL 2, " Ahmed said. " I [then] got an opportunity with the (Victoria) Bushrangers and it really clicked. For me, I was n

James Pattinson , Australia's Right arm fast medium bowler has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series due to a stress fracture in his lower back, Cricket Australia confirmed. The 23-year-old, Pattinson was diagnosed with the lower back problem "hip and back soreness" after the defeat in the second Test at Lord's. "J ames Pattinson reported some hip and back soreness on the final day of the second Ashes Test, " said Team doctor Peter Brukner said. "We had some scans done today (Monday) in London that have identified an early stage low back stress fracture. "Unfortunately he will not take any further part in this Test series and will commence a rehabilitation program with the aim to have him back for the Australian summer." Pat Howard, the Cricket Australia team performance manager said: " While we are obviously disappointed for James, the selectors have five bowlers fit and ready to perform in England, providin

Former Australian spin legend Shane Warne has ended his competitive cricket career by announcing his retirement from the Big Bash Twenty20 League , citing business, family and commentary commitments across two continents. " I think the time is right for me to hang up my Big Bash boots - juggling business, family and commentary commitments across two continents is not easy, " Warne said. "I've always loved the game but now it's time to observe. It's going to be a huge summer for Australian cricket. I'm really looking forward to it and will be closely following the Melbourne Stars," he added. The 43-year-old, who quit Test cricket in 2007. In his IPL stint, He captained the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural Indian Premier League in 2008. After great four seasons in the IPL, Warne signed up for Melbourne Stars in the inaugural 2011-12 BBL season. Clint Cooper , The Melbourne Stars's CEO said, " With increasing business and fa

Former Australian left-handed batsman, Mike Hussey has signed Sydney Thunder in the Australian Twenty20 Big Bash League , where he will join his mate Michael Clarke . The 38-year-old, who quit international cricket in January 2013 said: " I'm extremely excited about joining the Sydney Thunder and having the opportunity to be part of a young, energetic side that will represent the west of Sydney with pride. " " The team and the area have enormous potential and I hope that I can bring my experience to help get the best out of the side and develop the talented playing group that we have. " The Australian Twenty20 Big Bash League gets underway in December 2013.

Cricket South Africa has appointed Haroon Lorgat as its new CEO. Gerald Majola, the previous CEO was sacked in last year due to the IPL bonus-payments controversy. " Mr. Lorgat's appointment follows a thorough and rigorous process to fill this important position, " CSA President Chris Nenzani said in a statement. "The quality of the candidates was exceptional and I would like to express my appreciation to the sub-committee of the Board as well as my colleagues on the Board who have brought this matter to a highly satisfactory conclusion."

Dinesh Chandimal the youngest skipper of Sri Lanka at the age of 23, will lead the side for the first two matches against South Africa in Colombo. Whereas, Lahiru Thirimanne was named vice-captain. Regular captain Angelo Mathews is on a two-match suspension for an over-rate offence in the recent West Indies tri-nation series. The first two ODI's will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium, The series include five ODIs and three Twenty20s. Sri Lanka squad : Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice capt), Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake, Angelo Perera, Jehan Mubarak, Shaminda Eranga, Thisara Perera, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal

Sri Lanka Cricket has cancelled the Sri Lanka Premier League 2013 due to lack of investors to pay the tournament fee and the bank guarantees for player payments, an official release confirmed. The tournament was due to take place between August 10 and September 7. " We want to maintain the integrity of the board and the integrity of the tournament, so we had to take a stand, " SLPL director Ajit Jayasekara said. " We can't have a situation where the franchises say, 'We will pay if the other franchises pay'. "Player payments are a major factor in this. We are the only league in the world not to have defaulted on our player payments, and the franchises failed to provide those bank guarantees. We have given them enough chances and we can't stand this nonsense."

Mathew Sinclair , Australian-born New Zealand cricketer has announced his retirement from all cricket at the age of 37. Central Districts batsman, who played 33 Tests, 54 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals, with more than 15,000 runs across all formats and made a double century on his Test debut for New Zealand against the West Indies in 1999. Sinclair was dropped from the New Zealand contract list in 2007, though he was recalled for one Test against Australia in 2010. " Having taken a few months since the end of last season to consider my options I have decided that the timing is right to call time on my playing career, " Sinclair said. " I have two young children and a wife who I want to spend more time with and the constant travel that the Stags endure each year makes that pretty tough. "I am also at the stage where I want to get into a career outside of cricket and unless you are in a position to totally devote yourself, it&

Mickey Arthur , Australia 's first foreign head coach is seeking up to $4 million in compensation or his job back from Cricket Australia , claiming he was racially discriminated against local media reported on Tuesday. Arthur, South African -born was fired just before the Ashes 2013 series after CA said he failed to turn around declining standards of discipline in the team. His salary was reportedly $400,000 per year plus some $200,000 a year in bonuses. Arthur also allegedly reported in the documents that Watson had told him about David Warner's punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham pub during the Champions Trophy , which led to Warner's suspension. Watson previously stated that he was not responsible for passing the information on to Arthur. The Seven Network also reported that in the documents Arthur claimed Cricket Australia did not support him over the decision to suspend four players on the tour of India over the so-called homework incident. Arthur alleged tha

Chris Wright , the Warwickshire Right-arm fast-medium bowler has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a stress fracture of his back. The 27-year-old, Wright has confirmed the diagnosis over Twitter: " Good luck 2 @CricketingBears 2day & 4 rest of season. Bad news will miss it due 2a stress fracture but will return stronger & better! " During this season, Warwickshire's bowling attack has been badly hit by injuries. They are currently sixth in the point table, 50 points behind leaders Sussex , with seven matches remaining.

The former Pakistan captain, Moin Khan has been appointed as the chief selector of the Pakistan national team, PCB announced. He will replace former chief selector Iqbal Qasim . " It is an honour and a privilege to be offered the position of chairman of national selection committee - a position held by many greats in the past and most recently by legendary Iqbal Qasim, " Moin said. " I have accepted this as a challenge and I am glad that PCB and my own vision correspond in terms of preparing a pool of talented cricketers who can mount an effective challenge in the 2015 World Cup . " The 41-year-old has represented Pakistan in 219 ODIs and he is one of the most successful wicketkeeper for Pakistan in ODIs with 287 dismissals.

Former Ireland skipper Trent Johnston confirmed that he plans to retire from international cricket in December 2013. Australian born Johnston has played 186 times for Ireland, appearing in both the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. The 39-year-old, Johnston said: " It's becoming harder to recover after matches now, so much so that I can hardly walk for a couple of days. " "After a tour to the United Arab Emirates, it took me a full week to recover and my young son Charlie and daughter Claudia were having to pull on and off my socks, so that was quite embarrassing! "I knew then my time was limited and, although it would have been great to play in another World Cup in Australia, it was just beyond me. "It's time to move on to new things and gives (coach) Phil (Simmons) the chance to find somebody to replace me."

The 87-years-old, Queen Elizabeth II will attend the first day of the second Ashes Test between England and Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground on Thursday. The Queen will be introduced to the players and match officials on the pitch, before meeting management staff of the two teams and watching part of the match. The last Test attended by the Queen was also between England and Australia at Lord's, in July 2009. Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Queen-Elizabeth-II-to-attend-2nd-Ashes-Test/articleshow/21043312.cms

West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin has been ruled out from their squad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan . Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul remains sidelined due to his injury on his ankle. The first ODI of series will begins on Sunday in Guyana. Pakistan to play five ODIs and two Twenty20s. West Indies Squad for first two ODIs : Dwayne Bravo (captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith

The former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, Mahela Jayawardene will be the third cricketer to reach 400th ODI milestone after playing the today's tri-series final against India in Trinidad, followed by Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya . The 36-years-old, Right-handed batsman has played 57% of Sri Lanka's ODIs games- 394 out of 692 matches. In his career, Jayawardene has 19 Man-of-the-Match awards despite playing 399 ODIs, the sixth highest for any Sri Lankan cricketer.

The Pakistan Cricket Board have announced the schedule for its series against South Africa to be held in October 2013, that includes two Tests, five one-day international and two Twenty20 games. The entire series will be played in United Arab Emirates . The PCB have announced all the matches will be played between October 14 and November 15 and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will be the venue. South Africa will open the tour with a three-day warm-up match before the first Test in Abu Dhabi on October 14. Pakistan and South Africa schedule 2013: 8-10 Oct - three-day warm-up match (venue to be decided) 14-18 Oct -1st Test - Abu Dhabi 23-27 Oct - 2nd Test - Dubai 30 Oct - 1st one-day international - Sharjah 1 Nov - 2nd one-day international - Dubai 6 Nov - 3rd one-day international - Abu Dhabi 8 Nov - 4th one-day international - Abu Dhabi 11 Nov - 5th one-day international - Sharjah 13 Nov - 1st T20 - Dubai 15 Nov - 2nd T20 Dubai

England have boosted their bowling line by confirming five seamers in a 13-man squad for the first Test of the Ashes 2013 against Australia at Trent Bridge. Durham paceman Onions, Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan and the pace trio James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn have been added to the squad. England's most controversial star batsman Kevin Pietersen has made a return to the Test squad since March following a knee injury. England 13-man squad : Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Tim Bresnan

Zimbabwe fast bowler Shingi Masakadza and the wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva, both have been dropped from ODI squad for the five-match series against India starting from July 24. The squad features only five seamers, including Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Brian Vitori, Elton Chigumbura and the uncapped Michael Chinouya. Zimbabwe squad : Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), Sikandar Raza, Michael Chinouya, Elton Chigumbura, Tendai Chatara, Graeme Cremer, Hamilton Masakadza, Natsai M'shangwe, Kyle Jarvis, Timycen Maruma, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams

The PCB have imposed a life ban on Pakistan's disgraced spinner Danish Kaneria's career for indulging in spot-fixing during the 2009 English county season.by the England and Wales Cricket Board this week. The PCB said it was handing down the punishment after Kaneria lost his appeal against the life ban imposed on him by the England and Wales Cricket Board this week. " The ECB appeals panel has upheld the life ban on Kaneria and the PCB is bound to recognise, respect and enforce the ban in Pakistan, " the statement said. The PCB said Kaneria would be suspended for life from any involvement in the playing, organisation or administration of cricket in any form or manner under the jurisdiction of PCB.

Australia to play seven ODIs and a Twenty20 International against India in October and November. The series will begin on October 10 with the T20 in Rajkot followed by the 7 ODIs day-night matches. Schedule for limited-overs series T20I - October 10, Rajkot 1st ODI - October 13, Pune 2nd ODI - October 16, Jaipur 3rd ODI - October 19, Mohali 4th ODI - October 23, Ranchi 5th ODI - October 26, Cuttack 6th ODI - October 30, Nagpur 7th ODI - November 2, Bangalore

Pakistan's Right-handed batsman Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been selected to the ODI and T20 squads for the West Indies tour later on this month. The uncapped 21-year-old wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan , has been added to the squad as a backup of Akmal. ODI squad : Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal (wk), Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Amin, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Abdur Rehman, Haris Sohail Twenty-20 squad : Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal (wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Hammad Azam, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Umar Amin, Junaid Khan

The New Zealand fast bowler, Chris Martin has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. The 38-years old, Martin played 71 Tests, 20 ODIs and six Twenty20s for New Zealand. In his career, He bagged 233 Test wickets at 33.81, which makes him third-highest Test wicket taker for his country, behind only Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori. He leaves New Zealand with some talented young fast bowlers, with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell all having made their mark over the past couple of years. " It feels like the right time to step down, " Martin said. "I have loved every second and given it everything when playing for the Black Caps, but after 15 years of professional cricket, it's time to pursue a new challenge. Representing the Black Caps has been a massive privilege, and playing with a group of guys who're so passionate about doing well for their country has been very special. I wish [captain] Brendon [McCullum] and the team all t