Tag: India

NEW DELHI - India on Monday sought voice samples of suspected Mumbai terrorist attack plotters believed to be in Pakistan as home secretaries of the two countries met in New Delhi for two days of broad-ranging talks on issues including counter-terrorism and relaxation of visa rules. The talks are due to end on Tuesday, but the focus has already turned to Wednesday's World Cup cricket semi-final between the two old rivals after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited Prime

NEW DELHI - India will bank on the stroke-makers while Pakistan will pin hopes on their bowlers in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday which has gripped the sub-continent's imagination. Cricket fever will hit crescendo when the neighbours, who have fought three wars since their 1947 independence, meet in Mohali with the dreams of two cricket-crazy nations resting on their shoulders. Watching them from the stands would be Prime Ministers of both the countries, along with a large

As the build-up to the semi-final reaches a crescendo, here are 12 gems to whet your appetite prior to Wednesday's blockbuster. It's a trip down memory as we look back at some of the most high-profile and memorable matches between the arch-rivals down the years. (part II)
Pepsi Independence Cup Group Game, Chennai (21 May 1997) Pakistan won by 35 runs The 90s generation of Pakistani cricketers made it a habit of saving their best for their bitter rivals. None more so than Saeed

ISLAMABAD - With Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and his entourage, which may include important political leaders, all set to land in Mohali on Wednesday morning to watch the India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup semi-final clash, the Foreign Office and other official quarters on Monday finalised Pakistan's agenda for the two prime ministers' meeting with the Kashmir dispute and terrorism at the top of the list of issues to be discussed.
Nonetheless, President Asif Ali Zardari and

ISLAMABAD - The commerce secretaries of India and Pakistan will be holding a two-day dialogue by the end of April in which Pakistan will again try to convince India not to oppose the European Union trade concessions, to be discussed at the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) General Council on May 3, the Commerce Ministry said on Monday.
Commerce Secretary Zafar Mehmood told reporters that a date for the Indian commerce secretary's visit was being finalised and was most likely to

NEW DELHI - India and Pakistani officials began their first formal peace talks since the 2008 Mumbai attacks in a meeting pushed into the background by the decision of their leaders to meet during a World Cup cricket match between the two countries.
The two home secretaries, the top civil servants in charge of security issues, met in New Delhi to repair relations between nuclear rivals broken off after the Mumbai attacks when Pakistani militants killed 166 people in a three-day

MOHALI - Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq believes fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has a key role to play in the World Cup semi-final against India -- even if the paceman doesn't take the field.
The 35-year-old Akhtar has said he will retire after the World Cup and has only featured in three matches at the tournament to date. But he remains capable of working up fearsome speed and may have one last shot at India when Pakistan face their arch-rivals on Wednesday.
"Shoaib Akhtar is a

NEW DELHI - Pakistan and India kicked-off the mind games ahead of their World Cup semi-final blockbuster on Sunday while New Zealand attempted to halt a three-pronged Asian assault on the title.
Pakistan, the 1992 champions, insist all the pressure will be on India in Mohali on Wednesday where the hosts' status as tournament favourites will come under scrutiny from a 30,000 crowd made up almost entirely of home support.
"If India were going to win the World Cup, this is

NEW DELHI - Australia's Simon Taufel and Ian Gould of England were on Sunday named as the umpires for Wednesday's highly-charged World Cup semi-final between India Pakistan.
Sri Lanka's Ranjan Madugalle will be match referee with New Zealand's Billy Bowden and Australian Rod Tucker acting as the third and fourth umpires respectively. For Tuesday's first semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo, Steve Davis of Australia and Aleem Dar of Pakistan will be the on-field

MUMBAI - World Cup fever struck India seriously the moment it became apparent that the co-hosts would meet Pakistan in the second semi-final in Mohali this Wednesday. Yuvraj Singh's boundary off Brett Lee to win India's quarter-final against defending champions Australia last Thursday sparked national euphoria.
It also relegated Tuesday's first semi-final between 1996 champions Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo to the status of a sideshow. For the first time three Asian teams

As the build-up to the semi-final reaches a crescendo, here are 12 gems to whet your appetite prior to Wednesday's blockbuster. It's a trip down memory as we look back at some of the most high-profile and memorable matches between the arch-rivals down the years.
Benson & Hedges World Championship
of Cricket Final (10 March, 1985)
India won by 8 wickets
This was the first time the neighbours had met in the final of a major ICC tournament and the atmosphere at the

LAHORE - Senator Pervaiz Rashid of the Pakistan Muslim League-N has expressed his surprise and anguish over the statement of Imran Khan declaring Indian cricket team as favorite for the forthcoming semi-final of World Cup 2011.
He said that it does not behoove a Pakistani politician to predict victory of Indian cricket team over Pakistan. He said that former Pakistan cricket team captain Imran Khan has hurt the sentiments of 160 million people of Pakistan by showing his lack of

LAHORE - There are still four days left for the battle of nerves in Wednesday's semi final between India and Pakistan but the cyber battle between the two countries has already been begun on the Facebook and Twitter. Pakistanis and Indians are in a competition to create exciting graphics, catchy massages and amazing wall-posts on the social networking websites.
"To all the Indian fans out there....the weather forecast for March 30 is that a storm is coming and it is green in

ISLAMABAD - PML-Q Secretary-General Mushahid Hussain Sayed Sunday urged Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to grasp any opportunity while adopting a visionary approach in talks with Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh if any meeting is held on the sidelines of the Pak-India ICC World Cup semi-final clash.
"Prime Minister Gilani should look for an innovative approach in talks with his Indian counterpart and he should go India after proper briefings and homework on India, Pak

MOHALI - Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq believes fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has a key role to play in the World Cup semi-final against India -- even if the paceman doesn't take the field.
The 35-year-old Akhtar has said he will retire after the World Cup and has only featured in three matches at the tournament to date.
But he remains capable of working up fearsome speed and may have one last shot at India when Pakistan face their arch-rivals on Wednesday.
"Shoaib Akhtar

ISLAMABAD - Interior Secretary Chaudhry Qamar Zaman on Saturday took Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani into confidence on his forthcoming meeting with the Indian counterpart. He called Gilani at Prime Minister's House to seek guidance in connection with his meeting with the Indian counterpart. Proposed agenda of the scheduled meeting between interior secretaries of the two countries was also discussed during the meeting.

NEW DELHI - India "stands ready" to give assistance to earthquake-hit neighbouring Myanmar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday. The Indian leader said he was "deeply saddened" at the news of the powerful 6.8-magnitude quake on Thursday that left 75 dead and reduced homes to rubble. "India stands ready to render any assistance that your government may require of us," Singh said in his message to Myanmar's military regime.
The quake struck in the east of the country