Former Pak cricketers blame poor team spirit for defeat against Sri Lanka

September 15th, 2009 CHENNAI - The Indian cricket team, which clinched the Compaq Cup tri-series in Sri Lanka late on Monday night, was given a rousing welcome at Chennai Airport by fans and officials early on Tuesday morning. The cricketers left for their respective home cities soon after their arrival.

August 19th, 2009 LAHORE - In an apparent damage control move, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ijaz Butt is trying to garner the support of as many former cricketers as he can. Butt met several former Test cricketers including Mohsin Khan and Zaheer Abbas recently amid reports that the PCB is planning to engage former cricketers to build up a team of coaches for various levels.

August 13th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan has stepped in support of middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf, saying he needs time to settle down after staging a comeback following a long lay-off from international cricket. "He is back in the team and before that he was out of international cricket for quite a while.

August 6th, 2009 KARACHI - The dismal and pathetic performance of the Pakistan cricket team in the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka has confused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and team management so much that cricketers played the first two one-day internationals without the logo of their official sponsor. Pepsi Cola International is the official sponsor of the Pakistan cricket team and its logo is displayed on the shirts of players.

August 5th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistani skipper Younis Khan has blamed the flawed domestic set-up for Pakistan cricket team's dismal ODI series loss to Sri Lanka. "Instead, the poor structure back home is to blame.

August 5th, 2009 KARACHI - Following the Pakistan cricket team's dismal ODI series loss to Sri Lanka, former Pakistani cricketers have called for a major overhaul in the national side. Sri Lanka won the five-match one-day series against Pakistan 3-0, after crushing Pakistan by six wickets on Monday.

August 4th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan's inconsistency has saddened former captains, who blame it on the absence of a scientific cricket structure in the country after the team suffered Tests and ODI defeats at hands of Sri Lanka. Legendary all-rounder Imran Khan, who captained the team to the 1992 World Cup triumph and is now an active politician, said he wouldn't blame the players for the losses in Sri Lanka because they are the same set who won the World Twenty20 in June.

July 29th, 2009 KARACHI - The menace of match-fixing reared its ugly head again Wednesday with a media report claiming that Pakistani cricketers were approached by bookmakers in Colombo during the recently-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka. Express, a mainstream Urdu daily, claimed in a report that some unidentified Indian bookies approached several Pakistani players during the second and third Tests against Sri Lanka in Colombo earlier this week.

July 16th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan is aghast with the way several former cricketers have criticized him after losing two consecutive Test matches against Sri Lanka, and blamed poor team spirit for humiliating defeats. In an interview with a private television channel, a visibly upset Khan said he should not be blamed for the below par performance of senior players.

July 15th, 2009 LONDON - Australian cricketers haven't received the guidelines set by Cricket Australia (CA) to uphold the spirit of the game during the Ashes. Last month, CA commissioned a survey among fans, who asked Ricky Pontings team not to sledge, swear, cheat and spit during the ongoing Ashes Test series.

July 15th, 2009 COLOMBO - Upset over his team's defeat in the second Test match against Sri Lanka, Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said he needs more time to 'rebuild' the team which has played "very little cricket over the last 18 months". Talking to media persons here, Khan said the players needed more time to adapt and blamed the lack of international exposure for the team's lackluster performance in both Test matches "Give this team some time, don't point fingers too early.

July 8th, 2009 KARACHI - A fortnight after their team's World Twenty20 triumph at Lords, Pakistan cricket fans had a rude awakening Tuesday when Younis Khans men crashed to a 50-run defeat in their first Test against Sri Lanka from a seemingly winning position at Galle. The defeat means that Pakistan's poor run in Test cricket continues as it has failed to win a single Test in the last 30 months.

July 1st, 2009 KARACHI - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given the green signal to the security arrangements being made for the safety of its cricketers in Sri Lanka. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Wednesday that he was personally satisfied with the security cover being offered to the national team which begins its 45-day tour of Sri Lanka June 29.

June 30th, 2009 LAHORE - The bus driver of the Sri Lankan cricket team, Meher Mohammad Khalil, who by his presence of mind and prompt action saved the lives of the Lankan cricketers during the Lahore terror strike, has said that he would be praying for Pakistan's victory during the forthcoming Test and one-day series between both the countries. Khalil has been invited by the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) to watch the series, but will not be able to visit Sri Lanka as he is going for a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

June 26th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan captain Younis Khan Friday asked his team to put behind the celebrations of their World Twenty20 triumph and focus on the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka that begins June 27. We will have to leave our World Cup win behind and focus on what is a very tough assignment against Sri Lanka, Younis, who led Pakistan to the World Twenty20 championship win in England earlier this month, said at a reception hosted by Habib Bank Limited (HBL).