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Kevin Pietersen has copped a lot of flak in the past from South Africans angry at his decision to represent England, but it’s time they stopped their whining and applaud the man for making the right move.

I first saw Kevin Pietersen play in a domestic 50-over match during the 1998/99 season and oh boy was he rubbish – he looked like a part-time bowler marauding as a genuine spinner. And for the most part that is what Pietersen’s career in South African cricket was about; trying to fit into a role that wasn’t his strength. Whether he or the selectors knew that at the time is debatable.

A tournament deserves the final it gets, it is said sometimes. On the surface, the Asia Cup, with its long-drawn format featuring as many minnows as regular teams, got the final it deserved: another one-sided contest. But scratch the surface and you find a match that ebbed and flowed, one with three individual performances of sheer genius which the tournament badly needed.

“After the game it looked one-sided,” Mahela Jayawardene said. “Going into the game it wasn’t one-sided at all.”

Half-centuries from openers Nasir Jamshed and Salman Butt helped Pakistan ease to a 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh to round off their Asia Cup campaign on a high on Friday.

The hosts, who were playing for pride alone in the final Super Four match, bowled out Bangladesh for just 115 runs in 38.2 overs and then overhauled the target with 30 overs to spare.

Jamshed was unbeaten on 52, while Butt made 56 in Pakistan’s innings.

Bangladesh chose to bat first under overcast skies but Abdur Rauf soon took control with the ball, picking up three top order wickets including that of skipper Mohammad Ashraful.

Big Picture
After a frenetic 11-day period that saw 12 matches, Sri Lanka and India have survived the crammed schedule, the heat, and a few wobbles to make their way to yet another Asia Cup final. Historically, these two sides have been the strongest in the tournament, winning seven of the eight editions so far; Sunday’s game will be their sixth meeting in Asia Cup finals.

The excellent batting pitches have been a constant throughout the tournament, and the teams to survive have utilised these conditions better than others – India and Sri Lanka have easily been the best batting teams of the competition. Both have settled line-ups, with most of their top order in superb form, which points towards another run-fest on Sunday.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle admitted his dismissal had been crucial as his team tumbled to a fourth consecutive one-day international defeat to Australia on Friday.

Chasing 283 for victory, the Windies looked to be on course to clinch their first win of the five-match series in Basseterre at 188 for two in the 34th over.

But Gayle’s departure to Shane Watson for 92 slowed down the charge and the hosts finished their 50 overs on 281 for six as Australia claimed a one-run win.

“I thought myself and (Ramnaresh) Sarwan really set the foundation,” said Gayle.

Australia 282 for 8 (Symonds 87, D Hussey 50) beat West Indies 281 for 6 (Gayle 92, Sarwan 63, Chanderpaul 53, Lee 3-64) by 1 run

Australia snatched a victory that should never have been theirs as Shane Watson delivered a superb final over that consigned West Indies to a devastating one-run defeat. Chris Gayle’s 92 had set up what appeared certain to be a successful chase as West Indies pursued 283, but a string of late wickets ensured Michael Clarke tasted success in his first ODI as Australia’s captain.

After weeks of backroom manoeuvring and two days of boardroom negotiations, the Zimbabwe issue was resolved with a compromise that sees them pulling out of the 2009 World Twenty20 in England yet retaining their Full Member status with access to full funding from the ICC.

Zimbabwe, whose decision to pull out from the World Twenty20 cleared the roadblock for the competition to be staged in England, will receive its full participation fee for the tournament. The scenario prompted Ray Mali, whose term as ICC president ended today, to call it a “win-win solution”.

Scotland captain Ryan Watson could not conceal his frustration after his side were shot out for 101 by New Zealand in Aberdeen.

The Scots lost the one-day international by eight wickets as New Zealand reached their victory target inside 15 overs at Mannofield Park.

Watson’s team, who beat Ireland yesterday, faced an uphill struggle after New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and gave his bowlers first use of helpful, humid conditions.

Watson said: “When you play sides like New Zealand you need a bit of luck but everything went against us and the gulf between the teams got wider and wider.

England have named an unchanged Test squad for the start of the npower series against South Africa.

National selector Geoff Miller revealed the dozen names at Lord’s this lunchtime as those who have won four and drawn one of the past five matches against New Zealand were retained.

Captain Michael Vaughan has been troubled by soreness in his right knee but the selectors did not deem batting cover necessary.

Talismanic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, meanwhile, will have to wait at least a week longer to end his absence from Test cricket – he last played in the whitewash-sealing defeat to Australia in the 2006-07 Ashes.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni led from the front as India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets to secure their place in the final of the Asia Cup.

Dhoni cracked a rapid 67 runs from 62 deliveries in the Super Four match, and was well supported by Suresh Raina (54) as they capitalised on another flying start from openers Gautam Gambhir (68) and Virender Sehwag (42).

Half-centuries from Mahela Jayawardene (50), Chamara Kapugedera (75) and Chamara Silva (50), plus a breezy 43 from Sanath Jayasuriya, had earlier powered Sri Lanka to 308 for eight.