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Pak fans get 1000 tickets for Bangalore test

     Kolkata: The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar M Khan has said that nearly 1000 tickets for the third and final Test in Bangalore had been dispatched to Pakistan for sale to those interested in watching the match. "We have received some 1000 tickets from the Karnataka cricket association for sale in Pakistan and we are also in contact with other associations through the Indian board to obtain advance tickets for the other matches so that people in Pakistan wanting to visit India for the matches don't face problems getting visas from the Indian High Commission," The News quoted Shaharyar as saying. An official of the PCB, who left for Lahore, however, said that he was taking only 500 tickets with him, while another 500 would reach the board offices by courier in the next 24 hours.

      "We have held discussions with the state associations organising the last Test and the six One-day Internationals. And hopefully now we will not face any problems in getting tickets well in advance for these matches," he said. The PCB has been unhappy over the manner in which the Indian board has handled the tickets issue, apart from the Indian High Commission's refusal to issue any visas to Pakistanis without them having physical possession of a ticket. The PCB chief, however, defended the Indian cricket board by saying that the problem had been created because of the Supreme Court orders, which didn't allow the Indian board to start preparations like printing of tickets for the series until the eleventh hour. "I spoke to the Indian board officials about this problem and they explained they had only started preparations for the series very late which is why there were problems in coordinating with us and sending us tickets in time for the second Test in Kolkata", he added.

Harbhajan to bowl `doosra' despite `throwing' report (Go To Top)

     Bangalore: Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will bowl his `doosra' in the third and final Test against Pakistan despite being called over the delivery for the second time in three months, coach John Wright said today. The 24-year-old bowler was reported to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for `throwing' on Sunday, just three weeks after being cleared following bio-mechanical tests in Australia.

    "We expect him to carry on bowling the way he has over the last 40-odd tests. The doosra (a delivery turning away from the right- hander) is a very important part of his bowling and I'm sure it will be equally effective in this match as well," Wright told reporters in southern Bangalore. The Indian coach further said that he was already in touch with experts in Perth, particularly Australian bowling coach Daryl Foster. According to the ICC's new rules, spinners are allowed to bend their elbow up to 15 degrees. Harbhajan can continue to play until an independent analysis is conducted within the next 21 days. On the other hand, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer felt that the debate over Harbhajan's action might benefit his team. But, he did not feel Harbhajan was `throwing'. "All the four wickets he got in Kolkata were with the `doosra'. But my view, let me put it clearly on the table, I think its metamorphic change in cricket taking place because batsmen are playing spin well. So, my feeling is that following Saqlain Mushtaq's style and tradition other off spinners in order to bowl that ball, in order to get wrist in to a different shape there is an element of elbow involved. So, I do not think it's a throw, it's a new style," Woolmer told reporters.

     Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team along with Harbhajan Singh held a practice session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the third and final test starts Thursday. India leads the series 1-0 after winning the Kolkata Test. Under the current laws, anyone who bowls the `doosra' is likely to come under the scanner. The doosra was first developed by Pakistan bowler Saqlain Mushtaq and picked up by off spinners around the globe. The debate over Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan's action also centres on the same delivery. Harbhajan was also reported early in his career in 1998 before undergoing work on his action.

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