Putting an end to the uncertainty on the fate of the series, Sri Lanka, on Friday, decided to go ahead with its cricket tour of Pakistan to fill in for a cancelled Indian trip.  

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa discussed the issue with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollgama, who recommended that the tour should advance as scheduled from January 20 to February 25.

The series will feature three Tests, as many ODIs and a Twenty20 match. It may be here recalled that due to Mumbai terror attacks, India called off its tour of Pakistan.

Master batsman, Sachin Tendulkar today supported the government's decision to call off India's cricket tour to Pakistan, following the terror attacks in Mumbai last month.  Tendulkar, who is on vacation at the hill resort Mussorie, with wife Anjali and two children, appreciated the government's decision as the incident of the loss of lives was immensely painful and of greater importance than cricket. About 173 persons lost their lives in the terror strike in the country's financial capital.

Melbourne, Dec 27 : Australia's struggling opener Mathew Hayden's career can be finished in just four days if his team fails to win against South Africa in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

Hayden's cricket future now hinges on the result of the second Test after he sliced a loose drive to backward point and fell to his nemesis Makhaya Ntini for just eight runs on Friday, the Courier Mail reported.

The prospects of the opener batting on past the South African series appear bleak as he has a grand total of just 56 Test runs at 9.33 this summer.

Kuala Lumpur, Dec. 26 : The fate of the proposed Sri Lanka tour to Pakistan will be decided on Saturday, December 27 as the officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLCB) will meet here to take the final decision.

Melbourne, Dec 26 : Proteas pace spearhead Makhaya Ntini has said that it's a war between South Africa and Australia after Boxing Day landed him another couple of wickets.

After dismissing Australian opener Matthew Hayden for the ninth time, Ntini said the Proteas deserved first-day honours in the second Test at the MCG.

"You must understand this is a war between two countries. Every single country wants to win every day," The Age quoted Ntini, as saying.

Melbourne, Dec 26 : Poking fun at Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, his South African counterpart Graeme Smith has given him a crash course on the etiquette of body language.

In a week during which Ponting has faced strong criticism on several fronts, Smith strapped on the Boxing Day gloves by claiming his opposite number had been a captain under pressure for some time, the Daily Telegraph reported.