India enact media drama to show unity

India's cricketers held an unique media conference here on Friday to dismiss reports of dissension in the team ahead of the World Twenty20.
The entire squad turned up for the pre-match briefing, instead of just the captain and coach, before their opening match against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni read out a prepared statement and then walked out with his team-mates in front of a large group of stunned media persons before any questions could be asked.
The defending champions were peeved at media reports back home that Dhoni had clashed with vice-captain Virender Sehwag last week which prompted the aggressive opener to miss two practice matches.
Dhoni had told reporters a few days back that Sehwag had suffered a shoulder injury soon after the team's arrival in London and was doubtful for Saturday's opener against Bangladesh.
The Indian captain's statement on Friday stressed on a "superbly unified team with each individual supporting each other, both on and off the field."
"This message is for the people of India, and for Indian cricket fans worldwide, and comes from the whole team," the statement read by Dhoni began.
"That's why we are all here.
"As we prepare for the World Twenty20, we are a superbly unified team. The team spirit is good as it has ever been, with each individual supporting each other, both on and off the field.
"Recent reports in the Indian media of a rift between myself and Sehwag amount to nothing but false and irresponsible media.
"Our fans and supporters can take confidence from the wonderful unity that continues to exist in this team.
"We thank our fans for their continued support and look forward to entertaining you during this tournament, which we go into well-prepared, unified as Team India and confident.
"Thank you," the statement ended.

England fail to build on Wright stuff

The Netherlands staged a gutsy fightback as England made 162 for five in the the opening match of the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's here on Friday.
England had been on a course for a huge total during a century first-wicket stand between Ravi Bopara (46) and Luke Wright, who top scored with 71.
But from 102 for none in the 12th over, England lost five wickets for 51 runs as their innings petered out.
Essex all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate took two for 35 in his four overs as England, 89 without loss at the half-way mark, only managed 73 in the final 10 overs during an innings without a single six.
Bopara got England off to an ideal start by carving the first ball of the innings from left-arm quick Dirk Nannes, who has played at Lord's for Middlesex, for four before square driving him to the boundary later that over.
The duo shared a century stand in 71 balls before Bopara, in sight of his fifty, gave his Essex team-mate ten Doeschate a wicket when he holed out to Seelaar at long-on.
Bopara's runs had come in 36 balls with seven fours.
Wright though did get to his fifty, off 37 balls with five fours.
The Netherlands turned 102 for one into 113 for two when Owais Shah went cheaply but Wright, giving himslf room outside leg-stump, flayed Nannes through the offside for four.
But Eoin Morgan, like Shah playing on his Middlesex home ground, also fell cheaply when he reverse-swept Peter Borren straight to Bas Zuiderent and England were eroding their fine start.
Wright then holed out to give paceman ten Doeschate a second wicket, his exit bringing in Robert Key, a late replacement for Kevin Pietersen, who was ruled out with an recurrence of an Achilles injury

Pakistan unscathed by T20 warm-up defeats: coach

Pakistan's two morale-sapping losses in practice matches will count for little once the action starts in the World Twenty20, coach Intikhab Alam said on Friday.
Finalists in the inaugural event two years ago, Pakistan crashed to a 59-run defeat against South Africa in their first warm-up match, before arch-rivals India crushed them by nine wickets two days later.
"What happened in those two matches will not matter once the real thing starts," Alam told AFP from London where Pakistan take on hosts England in their first match on Sunday.
"We may be slow starters but there is a lot of talent in the team that gives me confidence we will do well.
"We tried a lot of new things and new combinations in the two matches to get the mix right for the tournament, so the results there don't matter."
The Netherlands, whom Pakistan play on Tuesday, are the third team in group B from where two will advance to the Super Eights round.
"England have the advantage of playing at home and I don't want us to take the Dutch likely," said Alam.
"We can't afford to blink even one moment. The boys know they have to be on their toes all the time."
Alam, 67, a former Pakistan leg-spinner and Test captain who played for many years for Surrey in English county cricket, said he expected spinners to play an important role in the tournament.
"It will seam a bit but the slow bowlers can go a long way in restricting the run-rate," he said. "We have ensured we have a good mix of seamers and spinners to choose from."
One interesting selection is 31-year-old Saeed Ajmal, who was reported for a suspect action while bowling the 'doosra' -- the off-spinner's version of a googly -- during the recent one-day series against Australia.
Independent tests cleared Ajmal's action two weeks ago, and Alam believed the off-spinner could play a crucial role in shaping Pakistan's fortunes.
"It is wrong to think spinners have no role in Twenty20 cricket," the coach said. "They take wickets, they are economical, what else can one want from a bowler."

Pakistan Current Squad for world cup T20 2009

*Ahmed Shehzad
*Fawad Alam
*Kamran Akmal (wk)
*Misbah-ul Haq
*Mohammad Aamer
*Rao Iftikhar
*Saeed Ajmal
*Salman Butt
*Shahid Afridi
*Shahzaib Hasan
*Shoaib Malik
*Sohail Tanvir
*Umar Gul
*Yasir Arafat
*Younis Khan (c)