Sydney, Nov. 15 : Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, team coach Tim Nielsen and the cricket selectors ignored the basics of the game, and that is why they lost the series to India in India two nil, claims former player and noted commentator Peter Roebuck.

Responding to Ponting’s criticism of his write-ups during the series, Roebuck said that Ponting’s leadership was questionable and his field settings were contrived, but added that the pitches were also partly to blame for the final result.

Washington, Nov 15 : Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has expressed the hope that the G20 summit on the global economy and financial markets would end with a communiqué that makes a strong statement of support for fiscal stimulus actions that would boost confidence in the global economic situation

He said that most important thing to counter is the recessionary tendencies and there should be coordinated efforts by all nations.

London, Nov 15 : Pakistan has accused the United States of pushing it closer to bankruptcy by witholding up to 1 billion dollar in aid in military contributions despite the country’s efforts to fight terrorism.

Pakistan’s crucial role in the US-led war on terror has not been reflected in US revenue transfers at a time when Islamabad is desperately seeking an International Monetary Fund bailout; The Telegraph quoted a senior official Shaukat Tarin, as saying.

New Delhi/Washington  - India expressed hope that leaders at the G20 summit would agree on an economic stimulus package to arrest recessionary tendencies and restore normalcy in major economies, news reports said Saturday.

Actions should be taken to mitigate the effects of a global economic downturn, and protectionist policies should be avoided as a solution, India's Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia was quoted as saying in Washington by IANS and PTI news agencies.