Auckland: Daniel Vettori ignored his team’s disastrous start and compiled a lightning 70 but it was not enough to secure New Zealand victory in the second one-day international in Auckland on Saturday.

Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson brought pain and the weather delivered rain to cut short the Black Caps’ reduced run chase at Eden Park.
The visitors posted 7 for 273 but showers in Auckland that halted play in the ninth over saw the Black Caps’ target reduced to 266 from 45 overs, a total that looked to be too great …

Dubai: American and United Arab Emirates authorities are exchanging information on a handful of credit-card accounts, issued through two U.S. firms, that Dubai police say were used by suspects in the killing of a top Hamas official in Dubai, according to a person familiar with the situation.

For years, U.S. government officials have flown into the U.A.E. and other Persian Gulf states, asking for assistance in terror-financing probes. The investigation of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh’s death appears to be the highest-profile case in which the roles are reversed: The U.A.E. is turning to …

DUBAI: Pressure mounted on Israel on Thursday as Australia joined a growing list of countries angered by the use of their passports in the Dubai killing by suspected Mossad agents of a top Hamas militant.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said his government was “very angry” over the suspected use of forged Irish passports by the assassins. France said the killers had used three forged French passports to travel to Dubai.
“We are very angry at the fraudulent use of information that was stolen from valid Irish passports to make forged passports,” …

MELBOURNE: Pakistan ended their disappointing tour losing all matches in the series of three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 match as Australia also won their last match by two wickets on the last ball of the match here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Chasing an easy target of 128 runs, Pakistan started disastrously by losing both their openers, Imran Nazir (naught) and Imran Farhat (8), for just 10 runs on the board.
However, wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal came to rescue to take his team out of trouble. He held …

MELBOURNE: Allrounder Shoaib Malik has been appointed captain for the only Twenty20 International which will be played against Australia here at the MCG on February 5.

Pakistan team will not have the services of T20 captain Shahid Afridi as he is facing a ban for two T20 matches for his ball-biting in the fifth and final One-day International at Perth.
This may be recalled that Shoaib Malik was removed from captaincy after the ODI home series against Sri Lanka in January last year.
- Staff Reporter

PERTH: Pakistan could not avoid the whitewash after making a great fight back as Australia won the thrilling contest by two wickets with four balls remaining in the fifth and the final One-day International here at the WACA ground on Sunday.

Needing only three runs in the final over with two wickets in hand, Australia lost Nathan Hauritz on the first ball by Rao Iftikhar Anjum for 18.
Then Ryan Harris playing next ball was caught in the covers by Shahid Afridi but umpire Asoka de Silva called no-ball and thus Australia …