Lee and Bracken stay in Twenty20 sights

Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee have points to prove after long lay-offs © Associated Press

Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken remain in Australia's plans despite long-term injuries after they were named in the preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. Lee retired from Teststhis week because his body can't cope with the workload, but he wants to return to national action in the limited-overs formats.

An elbow problem is Lee's current concern while Bracken is on the way back from surgery, but both have a tough task to win spots in the final 15-man squad for the tournament starting in April. Andrew Hilditch and his fellow selectors have also given hope to Brad Hodge, the 35-year-old batsman, who has not played for Australia since 2008.

There are four new players in the squad with George Bailey, the Tasmania captain, included as well as his state team-mate Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner. The Victoria allrounder John Hastings and Ben Cutting, the Queensland fast bowler, have also been given some encouragement after strong domestic campaigns.

"We consider the squad to contain a good blend of youth and experience with several players who have excelled in Twenty20 cricket both internationally and domestically this year," Hilditch said. "From this 30 we hope to pick a final World Twenty20 squad that if it plays to its ability will be a very exciting, entertaining and extremely competitive." Australia have been grouped with Pakistan and Bangladesh and must finish on top to avoid being knocked out in the first round for the second World Twenty20 in a row.

Australia men's squad Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Travis Birt, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Australia women's squad Jodie Fields (capt, wk), Sarah Andrews, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Kris Britt, Melissa Bulow, Jessica Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Lauren Ebsary, Sarah Elliott, Rene Farrell, Katelyn Fryett, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Julie Hunter, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Renee Melton, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Kirsten Pike, Leah Poulton, Angela Reakes, Lisa Sthalekar, Selena Tainton, Elyse Villani, Julie Woerner, Laura Wright.

India rest Sachin Tendulkar

Openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have been rested for India's final one-day international against SA on Saturday.

India have already sealed victory in the three-match one-day series against South Africa with wins in the first two games in Jaipur and Gwalior.

Tendulkar, 36, smashed a world record 200 not out in Gwalior yesterday.

With Saturday's game being a dead rubber, India's selectors have decided to give fringe players some international experience.

The India selectors have picked top-order batsman Murali Vijay and have also called up uncapped Karnataka fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun in place of medium-pacer Praveen Kumar.

Batsman Rohit Sharma, who had missed the first Test in Nagpur due to an ankle injury on the morning of the first day, also returns to the team.

Selectors have also named a 30-member long list for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

Team for final ODI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Sudeep Tyagi, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra.

Long list for the World Twenty20: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Sudeep Tyagi, Rohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Piyush Chawla, Abhimanyu Mithun, Manish Pandey, R P Singh, Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin.

British media praise Sachin Tendulkar

Tendulkar's feat of becoming the first cricketer to score a double century in one-dayers was hailed by the British media.

"Tendulkar underlined his sensational class with a double century in Gwalior. To have reached such a landmark, with a single in the final over, only serves to underline his class and add to the legacy that already surrounds arguably the finest batsman to have played the game," BBC Sports said.

"His innings, the 46th one-day century of his career, was typified by wristy strokes, trademark boundary shots and, above all, stamina as he batted through the entire innings," the report read.

Meanwhile, The Times tried to anticipate whether the Indian can complete a century of centuries in international cricket by the end of this year.

"All kneel down and praise whatever god you fancy for the mighty Sachin Tendulkar. This could just be turning into the greatest year of his international career, more than 20 years after it began," the report said.

"Tendulkar now has 93 hundreds in international cricket - 47 in Tests and 46 in ODIs - which is 25 more than the next best man, Ricky Ponting. At the age of 36 and in such great form, he could reach 100 hundreds by the end of the year," it added.

Tendulkar yesterday became the first batsman in the four-decade history of ODI to hammer a double ton as his 200 not out helped India pile up a mammoth 401 for three against South Africa and beat the visitors by 153 runs in the second one-dayer.

Daily Mail also termed the innings as "sensational" in their report.

"Sensational Sachin Tendulkar smashes world record one-day innings and first ever double hundred for India," the headline goes.

In another report, Guardian opined that the stormy knock has hit hard the notion that form of Tendulkar is on the wane.

"The blazing innings comes 10 months after his 36th birthday and four years after he was booed off his home ground in Mumbai, with his career apparently in terminal decline.

"Somewhat improbably given today's innings, the abuse had been for slow scoring," the daily said.

It was not only Tendulkar's 46th ODI century but also the highest score in one-dayers, eclipsing the previous record of 194 which was held jointly by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Conventry.

I'd like to bat another full 50 overs - Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar: "Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers"© Associated Press

Sachin Tendulkar, who broke the record for the highest individual ODI score, overtaking Saeed Anwar and Charles Coventry on his way to the format's first double-hundred, has said his ability to bat the entire 50 overs was a testament to his fitness after having played the game for more than 20 years.

"It feels good that I lasted for 50 overs, a good test of my fitness. I'd like to bat another 50 overs at some stage and see that the fitness level doesn't drop," Tendulkar said after his effort helped India take a unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. "The ball was coming onto the bat and I was striking the ball well. So when everything falls into its place, it feels nice. It was one of the innings where I felt I was moving well. Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers."

Tendulkar, while dedicating his feat to the people of India, credited coach Gary Kirsten for the team's success in both forms of the game after the debacle in the World Cup in the Caribbean. "I've enjoyed various challenges; after the 2007 World Cup things have looked different and I'm enjoying the game," he said. "The credit also goes to Gary [Kirsten], he has really held the team beautifully. It's about togetherness and playing for each other. You see during the practice sessions that Gary himself trains as hard as anyone else, or probably harder than anyone else as he's the one giving us practice all the time."

Tendulkar said he sensed an opportunity to break the record and reach a double-century when he had gone past 175 in the 42nd over. The record eventually came in the 46th over, and the 200 in the 50th. "When I was near 175-180, I thought I could get a 200 as there were quite a few overs left," he said. He added that he would prefer his achievement to be upstaged by an Indian. "I don't play for records, I play for enjoyment and play with lots of passion. That's how cricket started. I didn't start playing cricket to break all the records; it's happened along the way. The dream was to play for India and do my best.

"I don't think any record is unbreakable. Records are made to be broken. I hope that if this record is broken, it's done by an Indian."

This was India's third-highest score in ODIs, and Tendulkar said the 400-mark would not have reached if not for some big hitting by Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni. "I thought a target of 340-350 would be a good one, but Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni came in and hit the big shots and cleared the ropes consistently and helped us pass 400."

Tendulkar added that India were not relaxing despite having put up a mammoth score, for they were aware South Africa were the only team to have chased down a target in excess of 400. "This was the team that chased 434 against Australia. So we didn't get complacent and told ourselves that we had just got through the half-way stage by scoring 401. And what we did in the second half was extremely important. We were aiming at getting early wickets and putting them out of the game."

Dhoni, who witnessed Tendulkar surpass the record from the other end, said: "I think one of the best innings, you can say. It's always good to be on the other side, watching him score 200 runs. When he is tired and can't play the big shots, he was very clever to use the pace of the bowler and it's very difficult for the bowlers as they don't know where exactly to bowl."

India lost Virender Sehwag early, and Tendulkar was assisted in three sizable stands where runs came at a brisk pace, with Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf and Dhoni. "Once Viru got out, it was important to get some kind of a partnership going. They [Tendulkar and Karthik] went on with their innings, and they set a platform after which we were sure we would get 350-plus which would be a difficult target," Dhoni said. "Yusuf was sent up the order and with the talent he's got, he can be a great asset to the side."

Yusuf scored a quickfire 36 and was particularly lethal during the batting Powerplay, while Dhoni proved destructive at the death, bludgeoning 68 off 35 in a century-stand with Tendulkar in just 53 balls. "I have changed my batting a bit, but the situation demanded that kind [attacking] of innings," Dhoni said. "The ground is a small one, and we were a bit worried about the dew factor. But once they lost 3-4 early wickets, it was difficult for them to get back into the game."

For South Africa and their stand-in captain Jacques Kallis, it was a case of the basics gone wrong. "The toss was quite vital. Our basics were just weren't good enough today. We were outplayed," Kallis said. "We lost wickets at crucial stages, our basics let us down. A fantastic innings by Sachin; he took advantage of some good conditions and he played superbly. We let ourselves down in some areas."

Lee an 'all-time express great'

"I don't think the public would appreciate how much pain he bowled in" © AFP

Brett Lee has retired from Tests after 76 games and 310 wickets in the hope of prolonging his one-day and Twenty20 careers. Here are some tributes from current and former players and administrators.

Dennis Lillee
"Brett is going to go down as one of the great all-time express bowlers in the world ... 150-plus kph puts a huge strain on the body and it can only take so much. For him to play 76 Tests and 300-odd wickets doing what he does is a credit to him."

Andrew Flintoff
"It is very sad to hear the news that Brett is to retire from Test cricket. Everyone will remember our little moment we shared after the Edgbaston Test in 2005, but for me the great battles with bat and ball against Brett will live with me for a long time."

Richie Benaud
"I hope Brett is able to continue to play for Australia in limited-overs internationals, he is a master of orthodox and reverse-swing and no one has ever been more proud to represent his country in Test cricket. Lee and Glenn McGrath formed a splendid partnership with the new ball in both forms of the game from 1999 to 2007 and being one of only nine Australian pace bowlers to take 200 Test wickets is a great achievement."

Damien Fleming
''Of the genuine quicks [of his era], he would have played twice as much as the other guys. We just thought we had discovered the Shane Warne of fast bowling [when he emerged]. That probably put unrealistic expectations on him, but that was my thinking because he actually bowled in really good areas in those first couple of Tests, and he was lightning.''

Jason Gillespie
"To always come back fitter, hungrier, stronger and bowling the pace that he bowled, I just think is a testament to his character. I don't think the public would appreciate how much pain he bowled in … and he always wanted another over.''

Justin Langer
"There are few better sights in the game of cricket than Brett Lee in white, sweat band pumping, high leap, poetic follow through and then a smile. Test cricket will be poorer without Brett, who apart from his fitness and skill, is one of the most likeable people I have met in the game of cricket."

Merv Hughes
"You look at Shoaib Akhtar and Shaun Tait and certainly Brett Lee was right up there in pace, his longevity at that pace was superb and I really can't believe that people questioned his ability."

Andrew Hilditch, Australia's chairman of selectors
"Brett has made an outstanding contribution to the Australian Test team over a long period and it has been a great pleasure to see him develop as a person and a cricketer over that period. He's been one of the world's quickest bowlers in Test cricket for a long period of time and a key member of Australia's squad during a very successful era in Australian cricket. While Brett has announced his retirement from Test cricket, we will continue to monitor his progress as he returns from injury and will be keeping a close eye on his form in the shorter formats."

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive
"Brett's had a fantastic career in Test match cricket for Australia over a long period and I take this opportunity to congratulate him on the way he has represented his country and the outstanding contribution he has made. Brett has played a key role in helping the Australian team be one of the most successful Test teams in history. But it's also the way he went about his cricket, with a readiness to smile and a clear enjoyment of what he was doing, which also helped lift the team's popularity and won the support of fans in Australia and throughout the world."

Lee desperate to keep going despite Test exit

Brett Lee is preparing for a new lifestyle after stepping down from the five-day game © Getty Images

"This is not the end of me. It's a cricket choice and it's a lifestyle choice."

Brett Lee has said goodbye to the Test arena but at 33 is desperate to recover from elbow surgery to represent his country again in the game's shorter forms. Lee has not added to his 76 Tests since he fractured a bone in his left foot late in 2008 and if he thought his aching body could deal with the demands he would be pushing for more time under a baggy green.

But after dealing with long-term foot, ankle, side and elbow injuries over the past 15 months he knows his body can't take the strain. Despite his decision to focus on the one-day and Twenty20 formats - he hasn't decided whether he will go to the IPL yet - Lee does not want younger fast men to give up on Tests.

"Obviously, there's specialist one-day and Twenty20 bowlers," he said at the SCG. "But for me, Test cricket is where it's at. There's a lot of luck in Twenty 20, a lot of skill and a bit of luck in one-dayers. But Test cricket is a test for the bowlers and a test for the batsmen."

Lee said his best memory was his first Test wicket, which came when he bowled Sadagoppan Ramesh in his opening over on debut at the MCG in 1999-2000. "At that point I could've hung up the boots just then," he said.

He exploded on to the scene with 46 wickets in seven Tests before needing surgery following a severe elbow injury that threatened his career. After his recovery he went on to support Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie before becoming a first-choice weapon for Australia between 2005 and 2008.

After surgery early in 2009 he was committed to coming back for the Ashes campaign and made the tour squad, but strained his side having proved his potency in the final warm-up match. Another elbow operation was required when he was sent home from the one-day tour of India and he spent the summer working out what to do next.

"This hasn't happened overnight," he said. "This has been a long process. I've had the time to step away from cricket and what I want to achieve. It's been about a three- to four-month decision that I've made and finally I went with it."

Ricky Ponting said Lee, the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Australia, should be remembered as one of the game's greats. "If we all just take a minute and think about what he's put himself through in that 10 or 12 years," he said. "Running 35 metres to bowl every ball, bowling every ball at close to 150kph, and putting his heart on the line every ball he bowls, this bloke deserves a massive pat on the back."

Lee is still not sure when he will be back and is in no hurry to decide on whether he goes to India for the IPL. The security situation in India has led to the Australian Cricketers' Association combining with other player unions to demand more information from the IPL.

"It's just waiting and seeing," Lee said. "We're not in a rushed situation to make a call. We are not experts in that field." Lee has a US$900,000 contract with the Kings XI Punjab franchise and is a popular figure in India.

Lee set to announce Test retirement

Australia paceman Brett Lee is expected to announce his retirement from Test cricket in Sydney later on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old intimated last week he had been considering walking away from the longer format of the game as he faces a lengthy rehabilitation following elbow surgery in December.

Lee has described the injury as the "most painful" of a 76-Test career that has yielded 310 wickets but has been undermined by injury in recent years.

The quick missed last year's Ashes series after suffering a side strain on the eve of the first Test and has not worn the baggy green since the 2008 Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

A press conference has been called at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday morning local time (2215GMT on Tuesday).

Speaking last week Lee, the fastest bowler in the world at his peak, revealed he was considering his future following his latest setback.

"As far as my cricket goes, anything is possible - I may play one-dayers, or no cricket at all," he said.

"I may never bowl another ball and if that's the case, I'm so satisfied with my career and my longevity. I'm not saying it's definitely over, but I'm not sure what I want to be just yet.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what I still want to do in my cricketing life. I need to get to the stage where, if I want to, I can do what I need to do on the field.

"If it's the case that I don't play again, well, that's the case. There is a part of me that would like to play some sort of cricket again."

India aim to prove ODI superiority

After the Test stalemate, a depleted India and a scarred South Africa will begin their battle of ODI supremacy in Jaipur.

The three-match ODI series gets underway at a fortified Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.

The Indian team arrived on Friday, high on morale and low on resource, and it would require more than a nip and a tuck to fill the void created by the absence of some of their key players.

The hosts's bowling unit will lack the firepower of Zaheer Khan after the pace spearhead strained a leg muscle during the Kolkata Test against the Proteas. Zaheer's absence would sorely be felt not just because he leads the attack but also because he has been virtually India's bowling captain, mentoring fellow pacers with his elder-brotherly concern.

The spin department would also not be the same without the feisty Harbhajan Singh, who would miss the first two ODIs to attend his sister's wedding.

The volatile offie, who had just regained his mojo in Kolkata, would have been quite a handful for the South Africans with his bag of tricks and reckless slogging down the order, not to mention of his confrontational approach.

India's batting also loses some of its formidability because of the absence of left-handed duo of Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir, the first is nursing an injury in his left wrist and the second a groin.

Like the recent Test series, here also India has more than just a bunch of personal reputations at stake.

India need to win the three-match ODI series to remain the number two one day side in the world which would entitle them to USD 75,000 from the ICC.

To stave off the South Africans, India would expect the substitute players to come to the party on Sunday.

S Sreesanth, Zaheer's replacement, is expected to share the new ball withAshish Nehra and the Kerala speedster would have to ensure that he is upto the mark. Uttar Pradesh teammates Sudeep Tyagi and Praveen Kumarwould vie for the third pacer's slot tomorrow.

In the slow bowling department, Amit Mishra is almost certain to play and he is expected to share the spin burden with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, whose utility in one day cricket has been proven beyond doubt.

In the batting line-up, Gambhir and Yuvraj's absence could be compensated only if the top order fire in unison.

Irrespective of whether India set a total or chase one, Virender Sehwag andSachin Tendulkar would have to provide the start they are expected of and Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina need to continue the good work.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has fond memories of the venue. In 2005, it was at the same venue that the star stumper-batsman, then with flowing tresses, had hit a devastating unbeaten 245-ball 183 which remains his highest ODI score so far.

Since then, the Indian captain has modelled himself more into a finisher but the crowd would assemble here tomorrow to see glimpse of the old Dhoni.

A product of the same power-hitting school, Baroda all-rounder Yousuf Pathan is also set to make it to the playing XI, hoping to continue his red hot form that has won him a recall to the side.

Fortunately for Dhoni, India is not the only team grappling with injuries.

South Africa has already lost their charismatic captain Graeme Smith and even though stop-gap leader Jacques Kallis has an enviable record against India, how much inspiration this burly all-rounder manages to provide remains to be seen.

Prolific top order batsman Hashim Amla has been asked to stay back and fill Smith's void. Amla may have been a run-machine in the drawn Test series but one day cricket is a different kettle of fish altogether and the bearded batsman might struggle to adjust to the ODI mode.

Their bowling, especially Dale Steyn, looked too hot to handle in the Nagpur Test but was pretty pedestrian in Kolkata. Steyn's pace, Morne Morkel'sbounce and Wayne Parnell's angles remain a worry but the Indian line-up is capable enough to blunt them all.

The match would be played amid unprecedented security after reports of potential terror attacks on the city surfaced.

The stadium has already been turned into a fortress with CCTV cameras, metal detectors, sniffer dogs and a sea of security personnel taking care of the venue and the Indian Air Force has been entrusted with aerial surveillance.

Teams (From):

India: MS Dhoni (Captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, S Sreesanth, Ashish Nehra, Sudeep Tyagi, Praveen Kumar, Abhishek Nayar, Yusuf Pathan and Amit Mishra.

South Africa: Jacques Kallis (C), Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Loots Bosman, AB de Villiers, J P Duminy, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Roelof van der Merwe.

Approaching milestones:

- Sachin Tendulkar has recorded three hundreds against South Africa, sharing a record for most hundreds with Sourav Ganguly for India. He needs just one hundred to equal Gary Kirsten's feat of most centuries in India-South Africa ODIs.

- Jacques Kallis (248) needs two wickets to complete his 250 wickets and to become the fourth South African to achieve the feat. Shaun Pollock (393) heads the table, followed by Allan Donald (272) and Makhaya Ntini (266)

- Kallis (107) requires two catches to become the leading South African fielder and to surpass the tally of Shaun Pollock (108).

Last five ODIs in Jaipur:

Date	Toss	Teams & Scores	Result/MOM
15.10.06	India	Eng 125 (37) Ind 126/6 (29.3)	Ind won by 4 wkts Munaf Patel (Ind)
17.10.06	Sri Lanka	SL 253 (49.2) Pak 255/6 (48.1)	Pak won by 4 wkts Abdul Razzaq (Pak)
21.10.06	Australia	Eng 169 (45) Aus 170/4 (36.5)	Aus won by 6 wkts Damien Martyn (Aus)
2.11.06	South Africa	SA 258/8 (50) WI 262/4 (44)	WI won by 6 wkts Chris Gayle (WI)
18.11.07	India	Pak 306/6 (50) Ind 275 (49.5)	Pak won by 31 runs Shoaib Malik (Pak)

India and South Africa have played only one ODI at this venue on October 23, 1996. South Africa won the game by 27 runs. Batting first South Africa had made 249 for six off 50 overs thanks to Daryll Cullinan's 106 and Hansie Cronje 58. In response, India could score 222 for seven off 50 overs with a fifty each from Sachin Tendulkar (64), Mohammad Azharuddin (56 not out) and Sourav Ganguly (54). For South Africa, Brian McMillan claimed three wickets for 32 runs.

Impressive Morgan leads England to victory

	Eoin Morgan showed all his class with a match-winning innings against Pakistan © Getty Images
Related Links News : Collingwood pleased with England's dominance Players/Officials: Stuart Broad | Eoin Morgan | Kevin Pietersen Matches: England v Pakistan at Dubai Series/Tournaments: England tour of United Arab Emirates |Pakistan tour of United Arab Emirates Teams: England | Pakistan

Kevin Pietersen produced arguably his most composed innings since his return from Achilles surgery, while Eoin Morgan continued the improvisatory form that has made him an instant veteran of England's limited-overs squads, as Pakistan were overwhelmed by an unbeaten 112-run partnership in the first Twenty20 in Dubai.

The stand was England's highest for any wicket in Twenty20s, and fittingly it was Morgan who sealed the match with a six - a monstrous hoist over deep backward square - as England rattled to victory with nine balls to spare. It was an impressive way to bounce back after the disappointment of losing to the England Lions in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, and the victory was on the cards from the moment that Pakistan were restricted to 129 for 8 despite winning the toss and batting first.

England being England, they made heavy weather of their run-chase at first, slumping to 18 for 3 in 4.2 overs before Pietersen and Morgan turned the tide to impressive effect. Jonathan Trott and Joe Denly strode out to form their country's 15th opening partnership in 24 Twenty20 matches, but between them they mustered five runs from 13 balls.

Denly, whose first two appearances in the format had both resulted in first-ball ducks, this time made it to his third delivery before spooning a high-elbowed drive to mid-on for 1, shortly before Trott was cramped for room by Abdul Razzaq and bowled off an inside-edge for 4. When Paul Collingwood followed 10 balls later, run out for a duck as he dived in vain after taking on a second run to deep midwicket, England were in all sorts of trouble.

But following a chastening tour of South Africa, Pietersen was arguably the most motivated man in the stadium, and with Morgan deflecting all the pressure by steaming along in his own ultra-confident bubble, he set about launching a personal quest for redemption.

A nine-ball over from Shoaib Malik gave Pietersen the leg-up he needed in his innings, as he swept powerfully through fine leg for his second four of the innings, and though the ever-impressive Umar Gul maintained a disciplined approach to keep England's momentum in check, Morgan sashayed superbly inside the line of the last ball of his second over, to hoist an effortless six over the head of fine leg.

Pietersen responded with a flick through midwicket as he advanced down the track in Malik's next over, but it was Morgan who really turned the tide of the contest with three fours in four balls from Razzaq - all from sweetly timed leg-side strokes - as the required rate plummeted from 52 in 42 balls, to 38 in 36.

From that point onwards, there was no stopping England - especially Morgan, whose only blemish came in the undignified manner in which he reached his half-century ( from 43 balls) with a sprawled dive for the crease. Gul, who is so often unplayable in this format, was creamed for five fours and a six from his last eight balls of the match, including 14 runs in three deliveries as the match was sealed at a canter.

It simply wasn't Pakistan's night. On a pitch that offered a touch of unsettling bounce, they faltered from the start of their innings, with Imran Nazir produced a fretful 2 from 15 balls before top-edging a loose pull to Denly at deep square-leg. At the other end, his opening partner, Imran Farhat, squandered a promising start with a wasteful run-out, as Pietersen swooped at mid-off to ping down the stumps at the non-striker's end with a sharp under-arm shy.

After the six Powerplay overs, Pakistan had limped along to 25 for 2, their slowest start in any Twenty20 match, and their predicament soon worsened when Khalid Latif snicked Luke Wright's third delivery through to the keeper, Matt Prior. One over later, Umar Akmal joined the procession as Graeme Swann - a man with a penchant for striking early in a spell - found some extra bounce with his third delivery, and Broad at backward point leapt impressively to his left to cling onto a top-edged cut.

Malik and Fawad Alam did their best to regroup in a 47-run stand for the fifth wicket, the highlight of which was Fawad's effortless flick off Collingwood to notch up the first six of the match in the 13th over. But just when their stand was beginning to look imposing, Swann returned for his second over of the match, and Malik obliged by clipping nonchalantly to midwicket.

Razzaq picked up the momentum by bludgeoning a Broad long-hop into the midwicket boundary boards for six, but England's bowlers held their nerves impressively as the closing overs loomed. On 12, Razzaq was dropped by Morgan on the midwicket boundary, but four balls later, Fawad's cameo came to an end for a run-a-ball 23, as Broad banged in a bouncer and Prior gathered a wafer-thin top-edge behind the stumps.

Pakistan tried to accelerate in the closing overs, but continued to lose wickets as Bresnan claimed Sarfraz Ahmed then the dangerous Razzaq, with a cunning slower-ball bouncer, to quell any late charge and England believed their target was attainable. Despite a dodgy start, it proved to be well within their capabilities.

Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo

Feeds: Andrew Miller

Bond recalled by New Zealand

Veteran fast bowler Shane Bond has been recalled to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming limited-overs games against Australia.

The teams will meet in two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals between February 26 and March 13.

The 34-year-old Bond has impressed for Canterbury this season and is joined in selection by experienced all-rounder Scott Styris. Styris and batsman Neil Broom appear in the 13-man party for the 50-over games only, while Gareth Hopkins is included solely in a 12-strong Twenty20 squad.

Coach Mark Greatbatch said: "We're very happy with Shane's progress, he's had a few games for Canterbury in club cricket and he's ready to go.

"He's very excited about playing for New Zealand again in the one-dayers and Twenty20s against Australia and he's always saved his best for them.

"He offers a lot, he's a professional, he's experienced, he bowls quick and he's a real asset to Daniel (Vettori, captain) as far as the bowling's concerned.

"Scotty's had pretty good domestic form, we asked him to go away and try to extend his game and we feel that he's done that and he gets an opportunity in the first two one-dayers."

The Kiwis this morning completed a 121-run Test win over minnows Bangladesh, and coach Mark Greatbatch admits the trans-Tasman series will represent a far tougher challenge.

He continued: "There's no doubt about that, Australia are a top side. We feel we've got a good blend of experience and youth, we've got a pretty good fielding unit - we're going to have to play at our best to compete against Australia but when you play the Yellows across the ditch it inspires guys to try to achieve a series win against them.

"It's about putting in a performance on the day - probably six or seven guys, in a one-day or Twenty20 game, have to produce match-winning performances, whether it's with bat, ball or in the field."

The New Zealand squad for the Twenty20s is: Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Gareth Hopkins, Peter Ingram, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey.

The New Zealand squad for the One-Day Internationals is: Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, Neil Broom, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Peter Ingram, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Daryl Tuffey.