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DUBAI: ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that it would be disappointing if the ICC tribunal acquit the Pakistan players in the case of spot fixing. The players – former Pakistan captain Salman Butt, pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer – are facing the investigation over allegations of spot-fixing in the series against England earlier this year. A three-member ICC tribunal will hear their case in Qatar from January 6 to 11. However, it is strange that the ICC chief executive gave the statement before the hearing saying that he was confident of the case against the players. "We need to send out a strong message and that is part of what we want to achieve," Lorgat said. "We've worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand. I am confident that our guys have worked very hard in ensuring they have got a case they can present which should stand the test of scrutiny." The ICC tribunal, led by code of conduct commissioner Michael Beloff, will hear the case in Doha, Qatar from January 6 to 11. The two other members are Sharad Rao and Albie Sachs. The ICC provisionally suspended the three players in September following reports in British tabloid News of the World which claimed Pakistani players, including the suspended trio, took money to carry out orders from a bookmaker at specific stages in the Lord's Test in August.

DHAKA: Abdur Razzak took a hat-trick in his five-wicket haul as Bangladesh posted an easy six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international on Friday to level the five-match series 1-1.

The left-arm spinner finished with 5-30 for his third five-wicket haul in one-dayers to help the hosts dismiss Zimbabwe for 191 in 46.2 overs.

Razzak, who took four wickets in the previous match, removed Prosper Utseya with his last delivery of the ninth over before trapping Raymond Price and Christopher Mpofu leg-before with the first two balls of his 10th over.

He became only the second Bangladeshi to bag a hat-trick in one-day internationals after paceman Shahadat Hossain.

Left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan also played a big role in restricting the tourists to a modest total, marking his 100th one-day international with 4-39 off nine overs.

Bangladesh, who lost the first match by nine runs, faced no difficulty in achieving a 192-run target, winning with more than 10 overs to spare.

Opener Tamim Iqbal smashed a 48-ball 44 with the help of two sixes and five fours before Junaid Siddique (53) and Raqibul Hasan (65) ensured the victory with a 72-run stand for the third wicket.

Siddique hit one six and four boundaries in an 83-ball knock for his fifth half-century in one-day internationals.

Raqibul reached his eighth half-century in one-dayers in style, hitting off-spinner Utseya over mid-wicket for a six. He hit one six and six fours in his 79-ball knock.

The Bangladeshi spinners earlier never allowed Zimbabwe to build a big partnership with their disciplined bowling after skipper Shakib had won the toss and put the visitors in to bat.

The highest stand of the innings was 57 for the seventh wicket between Craig Ervine (42 not out) and Utseya (32). Ervine smashed four boundaries in his 41-ball knock, while Utseya hit one six and three fours.

ADELAIDE: England backed up a sensational three-wicket start to bowl out Australia for 245 on an extraordinary opening day of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. Australia got off to their worst Test start in 60 years at two for three in the opening three overs and then lost their last five wickets for 38 to hand England the inside running on a crucial early victory in the series. It was a horror performance by Australia, coming off the drawn first Gabba Test and needing to finish ahead of holders England to reclaim the Ashes. If not for Mike Hussey it would have been considerably worse for Australia with the senior number five batsman showing plenty of spirit in a fighting 93 before 38,615 spectators, one of the biggest Ashes crowds here in decades. James Anderson was the best of England's bowlers, taking 4-51 off 19 overs. At the close, England's openers had negotiated one over to be one without loss. England had a sensational start when they removed senior opener Simon Katich, skipper Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Michael Clarke in an amazing opening spell. Australia were reeling at 2-3 inside the third over with only Lindsay Hassett's team faring worst at 0-3 in the second innings of the 1950 Brisbane Ashes Test. Katich set off a calamitous day for Australia when he was run out by a direct hit from Jonathan Trott side on at square leg. Shane Watson hared off for a single off an lbw appeal on Anderson's fourth ball of the innings and Katich had the misfortune to be out without facing a ball, a victim of chaotic communication with his opening partner. There was more calamity to come for Australia when Ponting edged Anderson's outswinger to Graeme Swann at second slip for his fifth Test first-ball duck. The hosts plunged into deeper trouble when out-of-form Michael Clarke on two went hard after a moving Anderson delivery and snicked to Swann in the slips for the spinner's second catch. Three Australian wickets had tumbled in 10 balls. Watson was out in the second over after lunch, slicing his drive off Anderson to Kevin Pietersen in the gully for 51 leaving Australia at 96 for four. Marcus North (26) helped put on 60 runs with Hussey for the fifth wicket before he attempted a lazy late cut off Steven Finn and edged to Matt Prior. Offspinner Swann was on a hattrick after getting some turn to have Hussey dismissed seven runs short of his century and next ball had recalled paceman Ryan Harris lbw for a duck. Hussey was on track for his third consecutive Ashes century before he was deceived by a turner from Swann and was snapped up by Paul Collingwood at slip. The veteran left-hander, who scored 121 in the second innings at The Oval last year, hit 195 in the first Gabba Test last week and was looking in good touch to make it three in a row. Harris was struck on the back pad at the crease but called for a review by the third umpire, who confirmed South African umpire Marais Erasmus's decision. Xavier Doherty saw off the hattrick threat, but became the second run out victim of the day in a mix-up with Haddin, who went on to make 56.

ADELAIDE: Mike Hussey was keeping Australia afloat after a horror start against England in the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. Hussey, who bounced back to form with a knock of 195 in the Brisbane Test, recovered from an early scare to restore the Australians after the loss of three wickets in the opening three overs of the Test. He lost his fellow West Australian batting partner Marcus North just before tea and was joined by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who shared in a record 307-run stand with Hussey in the first innings of the drawn Gabba Test. At tea, Australia were 159 for five after winning the toss with Hussey leading the way on 71 and Haddin not out for two. England were ruing their missed opportunity when Hussey had a life on three after James Anderson dropped a low left-handed return catch in his fourth over. England made a dream start when they dismissed senior opener Simon Katich, skipper Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Michael Clarke in a sensational opening spell. Katich was run out by a direct hit from Jonathan Trott at square leg after he went late when Shane Watson ran for a scrambled single off an lbw appeal on James Anderson's fourth ball of the innings. Katich had the misfortune to be out without facing a ball, a victim of chaotic communication with his opening partner Watson, to bring Ponting to the crease. There was more calamity for Australia when Ponting edged Anderson's outswinger to Swann at second slip for a first-ball duck and Australia were rocking at two wickets down without scoring. The hosts plunged into deeper trouble when out-of-form Clarke on two went hard to a moving Anderson delivery and snicked to Swann in the slips for the spinner's second catch. Australia were 2-3, with the three wickets tumbling in 10 balls. The shaken home side had more heart flutters when Watson on seven survived a third umpire's review of a turned-down lbw appeal from Anderson. Replays showed the delivery was pitching outside off-stump and projected to be going over the stumps and Watson stayed at the crease. Watson was out in the second over after lunch, slicing an intended drive off Anderson to Kevin Pietersen in the gully for 51 leaving Australia 96 for four. The notoriously inconsistent North looked to have played himself in before he attempted a late cut off Steven Finn and got a touch for Matt Prior to take the catch. North helped put on 60 runs with Hussey for the fifth wicket during his 93-ball knock.

LAHORE: The unveiling ceremony of cricket World Cup 2011 trophy will be held here today. Pakistani cricket team players among Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials will attend the ceremony, which is to be held at Royal Palm Golf Club. The press conference will also be arranged on the occasion. All the matches of cricket World Cup 2011 will be played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

MUMBAI: The Decision Review System (DRS) has been extended to bilateral one-day internationals to help teams get used to it in time for next year's World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday. The ICC currently allows the use of DRS, which permits players a set number of challenges per innings through a third umpire watching on a video monitor, only in test matches. "This will provide further opportunities for players, match officials and the technology suppliers to experience the use of the system," the sport's governing body said in a statement. "The long-term use of DRS in one-day internationals will, however, be considered by the ICC cricket committee at its meeting following the Cricket World Cup." Currently, the jury remains out on DRS with a number of cricketers, including India's Sachin Tendulkar and Australia captain Ricky Ponting, unsure about the system's accuracy. The powerful Indian Cricket Board have also opposed its use and opted against using the system in the recent test matches against Australia and New Zealand. The ICC added that its chief executives' committee (CEC) had begun the process of drawing up rules, regulations and a points system for proposed test and ODI leagues. "With the ODI league commencing immediately after the Cricket World Cup 2011, the ICC board will need to confirm the rules and regulations at its February meeting," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said.

DHAKA: Paceman Christopher Mpofu and spinner Raymond Price shared five wickets as Zimbabwe surprised Bangladesh by nine runs in their opening one-day international on Wednesday.

Mpofu finished with 3-25 and left-arm spinner Price took 2-29 off 10 disciplined overs as the tourists bowled Bangladesh out for 200 after scoring 209 for a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Bangladesh's left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak played a key role in restricting Zimbabwe, finishing with 4-41. He also completed 150 wickets in one-day internationals.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan kept alive Bangladesh's hopes with an impressive 63 for his 16th half-century in one-dayers, adding 54 for the seventh wicket with Mohammad Mahmudullah (14).

He was the ninth batsman out at 195 and his team could add only five more runs before being all out. He hit eight fours in his 65-ball knock.

Four batsmen were run out in Bangladesh's innings.

Bangladesh were seeking their fifth successive one-day victory, having beaten New Zealand 4-0 at home in October.

Zimbabwe, put in to bat, faltered against Bangladesh's spinners after making a sound start through Brendan Taylor and Chamu Chibhabha, who added 53 for the opening wicket in 10 overs.

Razzak did the maximum damage when he removed Taylor (27), Chibhabha (24) and skipper Elton Chigumbura (seven) in his three overs to reduce the tourists to 71-3 in the 14th over.

Regis Chakabva (45), playing only his second one-day international, steadied the innings with a 65-run stand for the fifth wicket with Craig Ervine (41) before giving a return catch to off-spinner Mahmudullah.

Zimbabwe lost their last five wickets for 25 runs, with left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo and Mahmudullah finishing with two wickets apiece. Left-arm spinner Shakib took one wicket.

Gautam Gambhir's bowlers responded well to his call of bowling first, restricting New Zealand with smart, accurate bowling, and the captain reciprocated with a fluent 138 off 116 balls to make the chase look easy.

Gambhir, capping off a return to form that began with a struggling Test fifty in Hyderabad last month, never let his strike-rate come under 100 once he crossed the mark in the sixth over. He had for company an equally hungry Virat Kohli, who now has two centuries and a fifty in his last three international outings.