Saturday, February 04, 2012

Home News Articles Blogs Photo Gallery Wallpapers About Us GEO's Sports Relation Contact Us Feedback

It takes Two to Make the English Tango Not even in their wildest dreams, could the Barmy Army imagine that just two lads would spoil their desert party. Just for a moment imagine you are Andrew Strauss, it’s the eve before the third and final test and after all the nets, meetings, strategies and discussions you are finally relaxing your muscles in bed. What could you possibly be thinking, or as I would put it, what not would you want to be thinking. Just three weeks ago you were proudly leading the top team in the world, just like a Roman Centurion marching with his Legions. Ironically, it took two Pakistani warriors just seven days to brutally massacre the great Legion. Tonight, all your fame and triumphs lay buried under the desert sands. This can be a dejecting feeling. The series is lost along with a chance to avenge the opponent anytime soon. Your gladiators have surrendered twice without a brave fight and with one more test to go, the fear of another calamitous collapse is all you need to drain yourself of a sleepless night. January 2012 has been a horrible month for Strauss’s men; everything they have thought and done has boomeranged to hit back in their face. The much famed Number 1 position appears to be slipping and with a bunch of batsmen with low morale, the inescapable fear of a 3-0 white-wash catches up on you. Strauss will think hard while trying to solve to the spin riddles, and lastly, look towards the skies for divine help. I actually feel sorry for Strauss. Sorry, for it never makes for a good show to see a top act fall from grace. But the very next moment that melancholic feeling fizzles away as you realize that the Abu Dhabi debacle was a recipe for self-destruction. After being used to winning, it must have been devastating for a visibly drained Strauss to watch Pakistan enjoy wild celebrations in Abu Dhabi. How could England perform as bad as they have? Let’s admit it, for a good three innings of the test, England was in full control. All who have played cricket know that scoring anything around 140+ in the fourth innings, that to on a spin friendly wicket can be a nerve testing grind. Getting Pakistan dismissed for 257 and 214, the English bowlers showed little mercy in injecting their venom. Once again, it was their batsmen who decided to walk blindfolded in the dark tunnel. 145 was demanding, but manageable. I had mentioned in my previous blog that cricket is won in minds, not on the field. That’s exactly what happened with the English Lion in the fourth innings. Being in such a commanding position, the Lion somehow lost its courage to roar. Strauss and Cook let the axe fall on their feet with an unexplainable cagey approach. Managing just 21 from the first 15 overs, they sowed the seeds for collapse. Maybe they could have picked a trick or two from Broad whose positive knock in the first innings had left Misbah clueless and frustrated; fair to say Misbah at that point had lost the plot. He took the new ball when he shouldn’t have and almost handed victory to England. He’s a defensive captain who wants the opposition to block. But when England let him dictate in the second innings, he was easing off in his rocking chair. Someone, perhaps Coach Andy Flower needed to remind his batsmen to bring out the Sweep Shot. Interestingly, it was this very sweep that got them in trouble in Dubai when the ball wasn’t turning. But when it did turn in Abu Dhabi, they forgot to bring it. Jimmy Anderson did try his luck with the sweep but by then the match was over but in a way that was Jimmy showing England’s batsmen the smart way to negotiate spin. The English media did complain about Ajmal’s arm action, but they can certainly not blame the pitch. This was no Kandahar minefield. Instead it was the mindset of the English batsmen that brought the chastening defeat. Saeed-Rehman, Double Trouble for England. A lot has been said about England’s poor show with the bat, but there’s little mention of how brilliantly Pakistan bowled. Let’s start with Hafiz who has thrice in this series brought the early break. Not only did he dry up runs, but he also forced Cook to play against the spin and grabbed a wonderful dolly. This was the setting tone for Pakistan and paved the way for Ajmal and Saeed to rock the show. Pakistan cricket has always been surrounded by astounding facts, and the most amazing has been the presence of a match winning bowling pair. Even more surprising is to find a fascinating pair waiting to replace the performing one. It started off with ‘Imran-Sarfaraz’, next in line were the ‘Two W’s’, followed by ‘Shoaib-Razzaq’ and briefly ‘Aamir-Asif.’ Now the latest episode to this sequel is ‘Saeed-Rehman’, but surprisingly for the first time it’s a Spin Combo shouldering this tradition. Saeed & Rehman are a lethal bowling duo. Put them to work from both ends and they can destroy even the most formidable batting line up on planet Earth. Both are skillful, artistic and courageous bowlers who have for the moment, faded fast bowlers and started to capture young minds. These magical and mysterious men kept playing tricks with the English batsmen and in course engineered a dramatic win. So skillful was their sleight of hand that they might have shouted‘abracadabra’ to the umpires instead of ‘howzat?’ The spot fixing saga cuffed the Aamir-Asif express, but it paved the way for a new winning machine to shine. What to expect in Dubai? Dubai is likely to see the same script with some minor changes. Having lost the series England would want to play to safeguard their beloved No. 1 ranking and not to mention the $175,000 reward. Their bowling attack has all the reasons to smile but their abject batting is making a mockery of their World No.1 status. Coach Flower had hinted earlier that the dismantled KP has two more chances. One was exhausted in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai might be his last adventure. In all likelihood, Eoin Morgan appears to be the one to be replaced by the reserve Ravi Bopara. Let’s hope he is the answer to Strauss’s endless prayers. Stepping in a series with the No. 1 tag seems to be a bad omen for teams. It happened earlier with India and now the English find themselves on the receiving end. Their biggest trouble is that their weaknesses have been exposed. The Indians discovered their vulnerability against the moving and bouncing ball, England finds itself in a similar confusion against spin. England play seven more matches this year in similar conditions. Unless they don’t figure a solution to their spin confusion, Graeme Smith’s proteases won’t mind capturing their top seat. Pakistan would go for the kill. Misbah has nothing to lose, in fact this is his perfect chance to shed off the “Defensive Captain” trademark. With the series pocketed, Misbah should order his troops for an all out charge. If he wins, he creates history by bulldozing the top team with a demoralizing 3-0 white-wash. If he loses, the party doesn’t stop as damage has already been done. Pakistan has a lot of positive energy coming from the two tests. Younis has had a quiet series, but the openers and middle order have performed when required. After countless prayers, you finally have a dependable keeper, fielding has shown spark and the bowling; well words would fall short to praise their class act. Pakistan should enter the test unchanged and play with a free mind and no pressure. Their only target is to whip the Lion back in its cage. Fans would have their own way of approaching this match, if you are an English fan you would beg for your pride salvaged, if not, then your eyeballs would search for nothing less than a 3-0 score line. It should be a tough time for the Barmy Army but a good one for Dubai tourism; it’s a happening city with bundles of attraction, much more alluring than the fast building English graves inside the stadium.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   What’s Gone Wrong with the Indian Cricket Team? Winning is a habit, and so is losing … said the great Australian cricket Ian Chappell while commenting about India’s fall and fall as a test playing nation outside Asia. And the Australian great might have a point … They might have the best batsmen in world cricket but as a team, the Indian cricket team has touched rock-bottom, especially in Test matches played abroad. Some say their descent is because of the curse of ‘being world champions’ as all team go through a bad patch after lifting the trophy. Others feel that the Indian cricket team only plays well in front of their home crowd because they can’t stand the pressure of alien-crowd, alien-conditions. But the truth is that Indian cricket team doesn’t play well abroad because they are used to play on batting tracks in India, and anything different – like a bowlers’ paradise or a traditional bouncy track – will upset them. And then there is the case of ageing cricketers and their lack of form. It has been more than 10 months since master batsman Sachin Tendulkar scored his last international century for India. For a country which rates Tendulkar as God of cricket, this 10-month period has been agonizing. They have been traumatizing for the little master considering his next century would be his 100th ton in international cricket. Neither the current world number 1 England nor the former number 1 Australia had the bowling attack that would have troubled India in India. But they caused many problems for the visiting Indians in their own conditions where the ball spun less, and swung ferociously. The declining form of Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman is also a concern as is the brash nature of Virender Sehwag’s bat. Had they been in any other team outside the sub-continent, they would have been dropped for a younger batsman. But not in our countries because here, the game of cricket is due to the cricketers, and not vice versa. The Indian public knows that Rahul Dravid couldn’t judge the ball in Australia, VVS Laxman couldn’t bat to save his career, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were shadows of their selves, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni didn’t seem like the same World Cup winning captain he was and all Sachin Tendulkar could think of was reaching one more three-figure mark, even then they didn’t demand their ouster because they once had been match-winners. If the Indian cricket team is interested in getting back to its winning ways, they will have to induct young blood in the side. Players like Umesh Yadav and Suresh Raina were the heroes on the tour Down Under and the selectors should point out players like these two who could do well anywhere, anytime. India has found a good spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin, but they don’t have a fast bowler to complement Zaheer Khan. They should get rid of Ishant Sharma and Co, and either make Yadav the bowling partner of Zaheer Khan or find new one who can actually bowl fast. They should include batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ajankia Rahane in the side instead of used up cricketers like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and others. In fact, the selectors should also consider dropping Mahendra Singh Dhoni from Tests (or as captain) and give him time to find his true calling. If he gets back to his old form, it would help the Indians, otherwise WP Saha is waiting in wings to take over from the Super Skipper of Indian cricket and take it to a new level!     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan Stun England as the World Number Stutter! Led by an over the hill captain, featuring a team of quality-yet-inexperienced cricketers and with belief in their hearts, Pakistan team went to United Arab Emirates to give their best against the fathers of modern cricket – England. What they achieved was better than their recent outings as they managed to stun the world number 1 side twice in 7 days of Test cricket, as if making a statement to their media, their public and the rest of the world. The same thing happened exactly 20 years back, when Pakistan, led by another aging cricketer in Imran Khan, featuring untried-and-untested youngsters managed to beat England in the final of the Cricket World Cup to become World Champions. There is no comparison between the two sides – mainly because they did well in different formats – but what is common between them is their faith in themselves. I still remember Imran Khan’s comments ahead of the crucial match against Australia where he said that ‘We still have chances in the Cup.’ Nobody believed him, and that’s what helped Pakistan outplay Australia, New Zealand and England to win the event. The current team also has the same belief in its abilities. The spin attack of Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez covers up for the lack of pace, the junior-senior batting line up compliments each other with scoring runs whereas the fielding is better as well.Beating the world champions in first 3 and then 4 days was the last thing on the mind of Pakistani cricketers in UAE. They were busy in defending their teammates against Bob Willis’s stupid accusations regarding Saeed Ajmal’s full sleeves. The players were also hoping to avoid a repeat of the Spot-Fixing scandal of the last series as well as the ‘Oval Fiasco’ before that. Not only the team had pressure on it to play well, they also were being watched by the world media who considered its recent wins against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh a fluke. But all that changed when Pakistan downed the world’s best side for the second consecutive match, bowling them out for just 72 runs. Saeed Ajmal couldn’t have chosen an appropriate moment to complete his 100 Test wickets and same can be said for Abdur Rehman whose maiden ‘five-for’ broke the back of English batting. Kudos to the batsmen – especially Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali – for scoring vital runs when the English side was inching back into the match. Especially Asad whose place has been in question by none other than former captain Rameez Raja. Now a commentator, Rameez tweeted ahead of the match demanding Umar Akmal’s selection ahead of Asad, but the middle-order batsman from Karachi answered his critics with patient batting in both the innings. This is one of the best sides Pakistan has produced in many many years. The openers are doing a good job, the middle-order is scoring runs, the wicket-keeper is better than his predecessor (even if he shares the same surname), the spinners are bowling well in tandem, and the pacers are aiding them by bowling as per the instructions. The team needs only fine-tuning in certain areas, after which I am sure they will become one of the best in the world. My apologies to Pakistan cricket team, sorry boys for not believing in you!     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Perfect Mind Game After being Ajmaloided in Dubai, do the English lions have enough courage to roar back? Cricket is won in minds, not on the field The legendry Wasim Akram once said, “Cricket is a mind game, keep on reading your opponents’ mind and do exactly the opposite, victory will have no place to run”. That’s the beauty with Pakistan cricket; year after year it has produced highly skilled craftsmen who have performed miracles in the field, and while doing so, also mastered the art of mind games and speech wars. How to rattle your rivals with the smartly worded warnings that would capture headlines and in the process wreak havoc in their camp? This is a skill that has been mastered and then passed on generation to generation by the Pakistanis. I remember watching a television clip from the 80’s Thunder Down Under clash where Abdul Qadir would loft the ball in front of the camera and warn the Aussies of his surprise with a cunning smile. A perfectly pitched mental googly that helped Qadir create problems for the Aussie’s on their own soil. Many years later, the same confidence shattering skill can be seen in Ajmal. I won’t be surprised if Ajmal someday reveals that it was Wasim, Waqar, Aquib or maybe the maestro Qadir himself that sharpened Ajmal on these lines. The English dislike for spin is no hidden fact. They have invested all their technological edges and barrage of coaches just to learn how to play Ajmal. But even before they could wipe off their sweat, Ajmal injected the worst fear in their hearts with the warning of a ‘Mythical Teesra’. The result? Confidence of the English batsmen swirled away even before the first ball was bowled. What in the world is the ‘Teesra’? Did Ajmal use it and does it even exist? I guess we will need to keep guessing, but one thing is for sure, the mind game played by Ajmal did the trick once again. Saeed Ajmal, now the highest-ranked spinner in the world, has England just where he wants them. They are talking about him, analyzing him, and even fretting over him, while Ajmal is pampering himself with ayurvedic massages and basking in the desert sun. Déjà vu in Dubai If you are a Pakistani supporter or a supporter of good cricket, then the 3 day test in Dubai will be hard to forget. I had written off England’s chances in the series in my previous blog, but that they would capsize in just three days was beyond my wildest imagination. Winning the toss on a placid track and batting first, what else could have Strauss wished for? However if your top six batsmen manage only 143 runs in 12 innings against an unforgiving Pakistani attack, only God can help you. It would be fair to say that the shock-wave Ajmal sent through the batting spine on day one was something England will never be able to recover from. English bowlers on the other hand did a splendid job; they were not gifted with a class act like Ajmal but they still managed to restrict Pakistan to 338 on a moribund surface. Graeme Swann did his part by grabbing 4/107, while Broad 3 and Anderson 2 chipped in with their efforts. Sadly, it was their batsmen that spilled the beans. So the million dollar question, where does England go from here? The formula is very simple: hard work and belief in their abilities. Coach Andy Flower wasted little time before getting his boys back in the nets. Following the humiliating drubbing in Dubai, Flower put them through a series of punishing training drills just to remind them that their number 1 position cannot be taken for granted. Trying to over-come their fear of spin, England is giving the spin-bowling machine, Merlyn, a hefty workout just like its other players. With the beginning of the Abu Dhabi test, England needs to work out how to deal with Pakistan’s spin triplet, both technically and mentally. For me the biggest disappointment is and will be the maverick Kevin Pietersen. He might have scored two double centuries last year, but his statistics with Pakistan are lowest against any outfit. Managing a sluggish 690 runs from 21 innings at a listless avg of 32.86, Pakistan know KP’s weakness too well. To top that is his animosity towards spin. Flower would do himself good by resting KP and bringing in the gusty Ravi Bopara, who is a much better player of spin. England also needs to understand that tested recipes do not fit in every dish. The idea of playing four seamers’ might have worked on greener surfaces, but the same recipe caused indigestion on the Dubai track. Exposing Chris Tremlett on such a surface meant wasting two good talents, Chris himself and the talented Monty Panesar. With Swann grabbing four from one end, Monty could have exerted much needed pressure from the other, denying Pakistani tail-enders easy runs. What to do with Ajmal’s Doosra and possible Teesra? Do what Prior and Trott did, pick his line, watch his grip, define your shorts and play sensibly. Both these batsmen demonstrated that Ajmal is surely destructive, but he is certainly not un-playable. It’s that gnawing uncertainty with Ajmal’s deliveries that has kept the batsmen guessing which way is the ball going to bounce and where will it spin? They must be scrutinizing over his footage to answer the ever hunting question, that is how to play that imminent ‘Doosra’, knowing little that the answer might not be lying in their laptops, but rather in their minds. Pakistan’s 3 other Idiots Much has been talked, written and read about Ajmal, he was able to get into the English minds and engineer their destruction, but Pakistan had other acts to highlight. The first notable was one was Hafiz. After bulldozing England for 192, Pakistan needed a steady partnership to grip the match. Hafiz rose up to the demand and played a watchful yet classy innings to deny England any advantage. His 88 off 164 balls took the game further away from their reach. While a century could have helped him share headlines with Ajmal, a misjudged sweep against Swann swapped away that opportunity however his contribution remained vital in the win. When Broad removed Umar Gul early on the second morning, the score board read 289/8 and the balance seemed to be tilting towards England, but Adnan Akmal was steady at the other end and kept hopes alive. His impudent 61 converted a slender lead into a substantial one for Pakistan. Add seven brilliant catches to it and that would put a big smile on his sibling keeper. English batsmen lost their nerves facing Ajmal; imagine life keeping gloves on his mysteries. This third member of the Akmal clan has definitely beefed up much needed security behind the stumps. Then it was Umar Gul’s turn to draw last blood. After a wicket-less first innings his vitality in the presence of spinners might have raised questions. But Umar, with his tough guy reputation, mowed through the top order and left the English fighting for survival. With his swift and timely burst, Gul cemented the notion that a good bowler will perform on any type of wicket. Lots of Cricket still Left Have no doubts, the pride of the English Lion is hurt and it will do all it can to strike back. Even after a huge loss, it would be foolish to write them off. They know their potential and have overcome setbacks before, but do they possess enough will power to overturn the desert storm? Only their performance can provide an answer. Pakistan has tamed the Lion at the Dubai show, and I see them whipping the big cat again in Abu Dhabi, but they too are un-predictable and somewhere in my heart I have this fear of an unseen catastrophe. Pakistan has the ability to trigger carnage in one match and yet switch to their self-destructive mode in the very next. Just rewind yourself to last summer where they pounded West-Indies in the opening test but immediately succumbed to defeat in the next. This remains an un-explained vulnerable nature that forces even most ardent fans to shut their eyes. Both teams have a lot to prove and the series remains far from over. Although the stands at Dubai gave haunted looks the ground remained action-packed and generated a result. Let’s hope for far more exciting results but not just in three days, after all the beauty of test cricket lies in five hard fought days.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Hafeez-Taufeeq Hunt in pairs Pakistan might not be the best team in the world but it has all the right ingredients to become one. It has Saeed Ajmal, who according to legendary English batsman Geoff Boycott, is the best spinner in the world at the moment. Younis Khan is currently one of the most dependable batsmen in world cricket and luckily he is part of the national cricket team. Same can be said of Misbah ul Haq who has grown into an excellent batsman since becoming captain of Pakistan. But the foundations of any batting line up are laid by its opening batsmen, and no pair in Pakistan’s cricket history has been as successful as the dynamic duo of current openers Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar. They say that Hawks hunt in pairs. Same can be said of the best openers in world cricket. The reason why no opening pair in Pakistan’s cricket history had scored more than Hafeez-Taufeeq’s 5 century partnerships is inconsistent selection throughout the 60 years. The country has seen world-class openers like Hanif Mohammad (337 runs against West Indies), Nazar Mohammad and Mudassar Nazar (carrying the bat through a completed innings), Majid Khan (one of the four players to score century before lunch in Test cricket), Mohsin Khan (200 runs at Lord’s), Aamir Sohail (205 at Manchester in only his 3rd Test), Saeed Anwar (carrying the bat against India), Shoaib Mohammad (two double centuries in Tests) and many more but none have been consistently paired with a partner with whom he shares the cricketing understanding. The taboo was broken by the current management who are persisting with Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar and by scoring as many as 5 century partnerships for the first wicket, they have proved their mettle. They have outsmarted Aamir Sohail-Saeed Anwar and Majid Khan-Sadiq Mohammad who had provided as many as 4 century partnerships during their careers. While Saeed-Aamir did so in 37 innings, it took Majid-Sadiq 26 innings to provide Pakistan with an ideal opening start of 100 runs for the loss of no wicket. A look at the most successful opening pair ever in test cricket would be worthy at this moment. The title of the Best Opening Pair belongs to West Indian openers Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. They first opened the batting together in 1978 for 13 years, they were inseparable because they were part of a winning squad. In 148 innings they opened, they scored 6482 runs at an astounding average of 47.31. They had taken the score past 100 runs without being dismissed on 16 occasions which has not been bettered since. The English pair of Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe come second in terms of century partnerships. Between 1924 and 1930, they scored 3249 runs at an amazing average of 87.81 with as many as 15 century partnerships. In terms of runs, Australian pair of Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer come second. They scored 5655 runs in 113 innings together at an average of 51.88 per innings. They had 14 century partnerships to their name which helped a lot in Aussies domination of Test cricket during the first decade of the current millennium. Alistair Cook and Andrew Strauss of England may not have been opening for a long time but they are in their 6th year as a pair and have scored 4157 runs in 98 innings at 43 runs per innings, with 11 opening partnerships. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir of India have opened in 76 innings together and have scored 3939 runs at 53.95, with 10 century partnerships. They have bettered compatriots Chetan Chauhan and Sunil Gavaskar who, during 1973 and 1981, scored 3010 runs in their 59 innings as openers with 10 scores of 100 or more. Australia’s Michael Slater and Mark Taylor are the last pair to feature in this list of 10 or more partnerships as openers. Between the 1990s, they opened in 78 innings and scored 3887 runs at 51.14 runs per innings. Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar may not be the best in the world but they are Pakistan’s best. The way they are playing and scoring runs against tough oppositions, it seems that one day they will feature in the list of those who terrorized bowlers around the world and provided ideal opening start to their team.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   England vs Pakistan: Placing All Bets On Pakistan Logic might favor England but passion is eager to topple it down; let’s see who rules the deserts. Agreed, you are the number one test side in the world. Agreed, you have dominated your last six test series. Agreed, the world’s best have kneeled before your might, that you are gifted with some of the best performers in the game and you feel refreshed after a four months rest, but that doesn’t mean things will walk your way all the time. Sharpen your swords England, Misbahism is geared up for a showdown. England and Pakistan are two top teams. Try comparing them in any aspect and the equilibrium will hit the middle mark each time. That’s precisely the reason why fans and experts appear impatient for a mouth watering encounter, followed by the trickiest question of all, who will come out victorious? This is a tough question to answer. The bookies love England but ask me and I see this love affair as a well disguised googly. My hard-earned money is on Pakistan and I won’t risk it without rock-solid reasoning. Strauss has a world conquering squad just like Michael Vaughn did in 2005, but like the Indians, they are mostly back-yard heroes that can win in favorable conditions. Expose them to hostile terrain and they fall like autumn leaves. I remember England touring Pakistan in 2005 still basking in the euphoria of their Ashes triumph, only to see their top names licking injuries and Shoaib Akthar puncturing their batting sedans. With mud for UAE pitches flown in from Karachi, I can only see history repeating itself. So, here are six reasons why I believe England will return home with only Arabic hospitality to talk about. 1- Stepping into the Unknown It’s UAE, meaning it’s an arid-zone. Even in January the place can be devilishly humid, dusty and the scorching sun beats hard on your head. No coach in the world can teach you how to handle quickies while dry winds are slapping your face. Long days in the heat can drain life out of your legs and water alone would fail to quench the English thirst, instead tons of Gatorade would need to be gulped. For statistic devotees, England are yet to play a test match on UAE soil and the last ODI they played here was way back in 1999. As for Pakistan, UAE is their second home. The green shirts have played nine matches and are well versed with the conditions. Will the ball turn or skid on these placid wickets? England must have spent sleepless nights solving this enigma. For Pakistan, they have the perfect idea for mix and match. 2- Paki Pace Factory Fired Up They say a team is built around its fast bowling therefore it can’t possibly go wrong in Pakistan’s case. Pakistani spinners have been capturing bulk of headlines recently, somewhat over shadowing the brilliance pacers have shown with the ball. The likes of Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Tanveer Ahmed and Aizaz Cheema have largely been responsible for causing early dents and paving way for the spinners to wipe out the cake. These maverick quickies are equipped with a plethora of lethal deliveries, good enough to sink any batting line on Earth. To fine tune their every move is the bowling maestro Aquib Jawaid (Bowling coach) who himself has bowled countless memorable spells on these barren fields. Hard to forget would be his seven against Sri-Lanka in Sharjah. He is a living example for his militia to follow. England, on the other hand could have wished for a few better options. Let’s admit, Tim Bresnan was one bowler who could have extracted life out of Dubai’s moribund surface. But with him out of the picture the English pace battery appears vulnerable. Major work load will fall on James Anderson and Stuart Broad and don’t expect the likes of Grame Onions, Steven Finn and Chris Tremlett to cause Pakistanis much trouble. This will be the ideal setting for an unseen injury popping up to one of these pacers. If that happens, England is sure to lose heart. In most of their previous victories, it’s the combination of four fast bowlers that have guided them through; Dubai could be a different story. 3- Spin Fear We heard it before, now we have seen it. England doesn’t like to play spin. Take the two practice matches for example: M. Nabi, the off-spinner from Afghanistan bagged five while the Swabi born Leggie, Yasir Shah cleaned up eight in the second, exposing a huge feebleness in English defense. This is their fragility before second string spinners, and the big boys haven’t even stepped in. Both Saeed and Rehman are world class spinners and their fingers are itching to cast magic. The spot-light is on the tricky Ajmal who some see as the English tormentor, with 50 wickets in the calendar year, he is one player around whom the hype has been building. Ajmal is a darling character; he loves challenges and has a habit of cracking jokes. Remember the “Special Delivery” he warned about? It is now termed “The Teesra”. We have seen the traditional off-spin, then Shane Warne invented the “Seedha” while Saqulain brought out the “Doosra”. Where in the world Ajmal’s Teesra will spin is still a mystery! The spin night-mare doesn’t end here. Rehman and Hafiz are equally good supplements that give their Captain plenty of option to juggle. England on the other hand is pinning hopes on their Desert Rose, Grame Swann, but whether their vital cog can live up to expectations is another story. Ask me and I would say he is an over-rated bowler, simply because England doesn’t have another quality act. Just 27 wickets in 2011 and you expect him to make you shiver? C’mon, even a club bowler could do better. While some would argue that he is nurtured under Mushtaq Ahmed’s watchful eyes, let me remind you that Pakistani batsmen are best mediators of spin. As for Monty, let’s first see if he finds a place in the final 11. We can ponder about his vitality later on. 4- The Younis Factor Mince no words, Younis will be the difference between victory and defeat. While many credit Misbah for keeping the unit together and turning it into a winning lot, if you knew the dynamics of the Pakistan dressing-room you would know it’s Younis that has keeps the fabric knitted. On the field he is a classy batsman, an excellent exponent of classic stroke-play and a skilful fielder with a deadly accuracy of hitting the stumps. Back in the drawers, he is the best pitch reader, an astute thinker, motivator and a strategy genius for his side. The 34 year old Khan from Mardan is a tough nut to crack and possesses a dreadful appetite for runs. His mountainous 313 at Karachi and epic 267 at Bangalore are credible proof’s he can play really long innings and bat England out of the match. 2011 has been a fantastic year for Khan, cracking 765 runs in just 12 innings with a staggering avg of 85. England definitely won’t want him batting long and nursing the tail. 5- No Rating Fear, Only Hunger to Prove The brutal fact is that this is one horror Strauss can’t shy away from. Stepping in 2012 as the top ranked test side, the English have a lot at stake. They might have belted the Protease, Aussies and the Indians, but they are well aware of the un-predictability and destruction Pakistan can cause. If England loses, the Telegraph, Guardian and Times would cry that England succumbed on the first real litmus test. Pakistan are enjoying life out of any such fear. Their recent feats have been looked down as being against toothless opponents, so this is their proving stage. If they win, it will be a testimony of their metal. If they lose, Misbah would simply shake off the loss as it would be one against the best side in the world. 6- Pakistanis Don’t Break Under Pressure England reached summit No. 1 after thrashing India last summer. Apart from their prolific play England had two other factors to thank. India is a team of ageing legends and as Brad Haddin rightly pointed out, it’s a team that breaks down under pressure. Rest assured Strauss won’t find anything like-wise here. Even at 38 and 34, Misbah and Younis are the fittest horses in the stable and whenever stakes are down, even Ajmal can show heroics with the bat. It’s an All for one, and one for all equation. May the Best Team Win: And so my bragging comes to an end. Thankfully, Pakistanis are realistic and focused on the task ahead. Opener Taufiq Umar couldn’t be more candid admitting that his team would have to exceed their abilities to beat England. On the other hand, the placid tracks of UAE demonstrate the rarity of a positive result. This means a single session played loose could slip out the series. Have no doubt in mind; there will be loads of storms in the deserts.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Expendables – My best ODI 11 for 2011 What would life be without Cricket, and what would cricket be without the ODI’s? Miserable. Ever since Australia and England locked horns in Melbourne for the first ODI on 5th January 1971, this moody middle child of cricket formats has forced us to love it more and more with each game. 2011 was a wonderful year for One Day Cricket, a year that gave us the thrills of the World cup and countless exciting encounters Overall, 147 ODI matches were played last year, showcasing glittering performances from both bat and ball. It’s now time to pick the best entertainers that captivated our attention throughout the year. I decided to play Chief Selector myself and selected the best ODI team of 2011 based purely on performance and utility. You are welcome to disagree with my selection and argue your favorites in. Openers: 1-Shane Watson (Australia) Batting: Innings: 22, Runs: 1139, Avg: 56.95, 100’s: 2, 50’s: 8, SR: 108.89 Bowling: Wickets: 17, BBI: 3/25, Avg: 41.05, Economy Rate: 4.81 2-Muhammad Hafiz (Pakistan) Batting: Matches: 32, Runs: 1075, Avg: 37.06, 100’s: 3, 50’s: 5, SR: 76.34 Bowling: Wickets: 32, BBI: 3/27, Avg: 25.34, Economy Rate: 3.54 Selecting the openers was relatively easy as Watson and Hafiz make the cut due to their stupendous performance all around. Shane’s blisters and the patience and class of Hafiz give any team the perfect opening recipe. 29 year old Watson has had a wonderful year filled with extra workload. This however, is something he enjoys with his heart. In the very first match of the year, he cracked a chanceless 161 against England and then smashed the highest number of sixes (15) in an innings against Bangladesh scoring a career best of 185 runs. Named as the VC of Australia in April, Shane has decent scores that make him outshine all opposition. He is a must player for every team. 2011 was a resurgent year for Hafiz. The absence of Salman Butt created a vacuum for a reliable opener and Hafiz craftily filled this void with a string of consistent acts. The highest run grosser from Pakistan, Hafiz is one complete ODI batsmen with the capacity to both attack and defend at the same time. Close Calls: Virender Sehwag, Martin Guptill, Upul Tharanga Middle Order: 3-Kumar Sangakkara Batting: Innings: 25, Runs: 1127, Avg: 51.22, 100’s: 1, 50’s: 9, SR: 73.32 Kumar keeps getting better and better with each passing year. 2011 was no different. An elegant stroke maker, handy keeper and strategic genius, Kumar has been the architect of major Lankan victories. He took his team to the World Cup final and then stepped down to make way for Dilshan. With his sparkling performance, Sanga was declared the ICC ODI player of the year and was also the Captain for the ICC World Cup team. 4-Jonathan Trott Batting: Innings: 28, Runs: 1315, Avg: 52.60, 100’s: 2, 50’s: 10, SR: 80.03 What can you say about Jonathan Trott? He is a technically sound batsman who picks his techniques right from the book. He steps up to score when needed and holds one end when wickets are tumbling. Trott enjoyed a prolific World Cup where he scored five half centuries and his consistent performances throughout the year earned him ICC Cricketer of the year and ECB Cricketer of the year awards. 5-Virat Kohli Batting: Matches: 34, Runs: 1381, Avg: 47.62, 100’s: 4, 50’s:8, SR: 85.56 2011 brought tons of smiles for Kohli. With four centuries and eight half centuries, he was the highest run achiever of the year, proudly displaying 1,381 runs against his name. At the World Cup, Kohli was preferred ahead of Suresh Raina and became the first Indian to score a century in his World Cup debut against Bangladesh. Daring, tough and fiercely talented, Virat has been a constant performer with the bat and has cemented his place as a reliable middle-order batsman. With just 23 years of age, he is the future of Indian Cricket. Close Calls: Misbah-ul-Haq, Brendan Taylor, A.B DeVilliers, Mahela Jayawardene, Ross Taylor Wicket Keeper: 6-MS Dhoni Batting: innings: 22, Runs: 764, Avg: 58.76, 50’s: 6, SR: 89.88, Keeping: CT: 17, Stumps: 6 MS is my Choicest Captain and wicket-keeper, for one simple reason: He is brilliant. He is a crafty keeper, an astute skipper, a thorough gentleman and a role model. MS can do no wrong as he has proven himself to be a Captain who brings the best out of seniors and juniors alike. Everything he touched this year turned to gold. After winning the T-20 WC in 2007, he won a billion hearts by bringing the world cup back to India after 28 years. Under his dynamic leadership, Indian cricket found a renewed spirit that has turned them into a fearsome bunch. His Captains knock of 91 runs in the WC final added his name in Indian folklore. Bowlers: There are no selection nightmares with the bowlers as most became automatic selections due to their exceptional feats this year. I decided to have a powerful bowling arsenal comprising three quickies and two spinners. 7-Shahid Afridi Innings: 26, Wickets: 45, Runs: 937, BB: 5/16, Strike Rate: 29.8, Economy Rate: 4.18 A must have for every ODI side. 2011 was an eventful year for Boom Boom. He took his team to the WC Semi-final but then fell off from Captaincy after the West-Indies tour, citing disharmony with Waqar Younis. He then returned to have dazzling sessions against the Lankans in UAE. His bat remained silent managing merely 462 from 22 matches, but his wrist magic kept him in the headlines. 8-Lasith Malinga Innings: 23, Wickets: 48, Runs: 924, BB: 6/38, Strike Rate: 24.0, Economy Rate: 4.80 Fiery eyes, Zulu curls, fuming nostrils, slander arm action and that lethal “Toe-Crushing Yorker”, there is simply no other frightening sight in cricket than to see Malinga charging in to knock your stumps out of the ground. Nick-named “Slinga”, he was the highest wicket-taker of the year with 48 scalps. He also recorded two yorkery hat-tricks this year against Kenya and Australia. In the WC final he removed Sehwag and Tendulkar cheaply to give the Islanders an early hope of glory. 9-Mitchell Johnson Innings: 22, Wickets: 39, Runs: 817, BB: 6/31, Strike Rate: 28.3, Economy Rate: 4.43 Mitchell is Malinga’s new ball partner. He might not be remembered for any stunning performance in 2011, but a sting of consistent acts ranks him the third highest wicket-stealer of the year. A strong left arm bowler, Johnson has a habit of frequently clocking 150 kph and gives a valuable dimension to any bowling attack. 10-Zaheer Khan Innings: 14, Wickets: 30, Runs: 620, BB: 3/20, Strike Rate: 25.5, Economy Rate: 4.85 If Dhoni was to thank one man for helping lift the WC, it has to be Zaheer. The Maharashtra speedster had a terrific tournament where he bagged 21 scalps at a whopping Avg of 18.76. A perfect exponent of the new and old ball, Zaheer has the tendency of picking up wickets and strangling the run-rate. The WC final was his triumphant moment and also his last ODI of the year after which he kept nursing his injuries. 11-Saeed Ajmal Innings: 20, Wickets: 34, Runs: 581, BB: 4/35, Strike Rate: 29.4, Economy Rate: 3.48 Just when you thought about relaxing after seeing off my seamers, I toss the ball to my most trusted and destructive weapon, the “Master of Doosra”, Saeed Ajmal. Don’t you dare try your luck here because he will dry up your runs and before you know it, the un-pickable Doosra or the straighter one will clean you up. To add horrors to his already devastating reputation, Ajmal has threatened the Englishmen with his upcoming “Special Delivery”. Watch out Peterson! Close Calls: Brett Lee, Munaf Musa Patel, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampual. 12-Graeme Swann is the 12th Man.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   PCB & Spot Fixing Cases The newly appointed chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Zaka Ashraf has landed himself in the first controversy that led the ruling body ICC to take him head on, on a very sensitive issue of talented yet reportedly suspected all-rounder Wahab Riaz’s inclusion in Pakistan team for the series against England. The controversy arose from a statement of Chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf claiming Wahab Riaz was recalled in Pakistan team for the forthcoming series against England after ICC apparently gave the clearance that it had no proof of Wahab Raiz’s involvement in spot fixing. This statement from Chairman PCB, prompted ICC to issue the following statement ” The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday denied an alleged statement made by the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board that the fast bowler Wahab Riaz was selected in the Pakistan squad for the series against England after clearance from the game’s governing body. In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Mr Haroon Lorgat said: “I have said before and reiterate that the ICC has no part to play in the selection of any team. It remains the absolute right of a Member Board to decide which player it wishes to include in a squad or select in its team for any match.” Mr Lorgat further added: “Only if a player has been charged and/or provisionally suspended by the ICC and/or banned by an independent tribunal, will he will not be cleared for selection. In all other circumstances, it is the Member Board’s absolute right to select players.” This statement from ICC puts PCB in an embarrassing situation and it had to come out with a statement from it’s spokesman Nadeem Sarwar saying that,” The factual position is that in pursuing its zero tolerance policy towards corruption, PCB as a precautionary measure approached ICC’s anti corruption Unit regarding any such information on Wahab Riaz. The ball is now in ICC’s court again if PCB has sought any information from ICC’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit on Wahab Riaz or not. The new chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf, it seems, is following the foot steps of the former Chairman Ejaz Butt by publicly involving ICC in sensitive matters like spot fixing. One hopes that Mr. Zaka is well advised by his aides, that Mr. Ejaz Butt was perhaps not. One may recall, it was Ejaz Butt who, in a media conference had dropped a bomb shell by saying that ICC had provided match fixing proof against two players to PCB. It may be recalled that during Pakistan team’s tour to England in 2010, Wahab Riaz was shown wearing a jacked handed by bookie Mazhar Majeed containing money. Moreover, Wahab Raiaz’s and Kamran Akmal’s name was mentioned time and again during the criminal proceedings in spot fixing case in London that led to the jail terms for Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Amir and Mazhar Majeed. This was for this reason according to PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf that Wahab Riaz was kept out of Pakistan team for about 7 months and now he has been included in Pakistan team against England for a series to be played in UAE. Well if this is the case, then PCB should come out clean on Kamran Akmal whether has also sought information about Kamran from ICC or not? Similarly, leg spinner Danish Kanaria has also been a victim of PCB’s rigid policy and has not been cleared for selection. The PCB has not yet come out with concrete evidence against Kanaria. In order to avoid controversies and confusions, Mr. Zaka Ashraf should carry out clean and transparent policy . If ICC had not indicated any thing to PCB about Wahab Riaz, why was he kept out of Pakistan team for 7 months and why Kamran Akmal and Danish Kanaria are still out of Pakistan team. If ICC had not conveyed any thing to PCB , why did PCB chose to seek information from ICC Anti Corruption and Security Unit?. The appropriate way for PCB to deal the Wahab Riaz issue would have been or would be to carry out detailed investigation and grill Wahab Riaz that what the whole money filled jacket wearing incident was all about?. Had PCB done this, there would have been no need for PCB Chairman to seek information or clearance from ICC’s ACSU who in turn wasted no time to refute the PCB chairman’s statement referred above. Now since PCB is setting up its own vigilance committee, it should thoroughly investigate the matter of other reported suspects of Pakistan team before it is too late. For this purpose, the PCB should also investigate and get to the roots of a reported telephonic conversation between the acting chief selector Muhammad Ilyas and the then CEO Salim Altaf who have named a few players allegedly involved in Match Fixing. This reported conversation is available on Youtube but first credibility of the conversation has to be established. The Chairman PCB should get a detailed factual briefing from his office that who are the alleged suspects and what proofs are available against them. PCB should investigate them transparently and punish or acquit them on the basis of the investigation and not on the basis of suspicion. What is surprising is that Chairman Zaka Ashraf, a few weeks back, in a reported media talk said that he will reveal Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal the reasons of their non selection in Pakistan cricket team and now it’s shocking how Wahab Riaz is back for England series. The PCB Chairman was also quoted by some media reports that some thing fishy was there in Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal cases. There may not be some concrete and hard evidence against some players but at times, the circumstantial evidence is so strong that some kinds of precautionary measures have to be taken. If Wahab Riaz, Danish Kanaria and for that matter Kamran Akmal are in same boat in terms of no proof from the relevant quarters, then they should also be considered for selection otherwise the factual reasons for their ouster from the team may should be made public so that these players can take legal course of action if they so desire. One can not claim that corruption from the sport can be fully eradicated but keen vigilance and constant education about the menace can help minimize it.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   R moXièxiè dàjiā – Thank you for coming “A friend is one who walks in when others walk out” -Walter Winchell. Many would beat about but only one stood up to it. Brushing aside all fears, China once again proved their friendship is truly greater than the Himalayas. Journalism can rightly be called a strange profession as it can sometimes make you live witness to moments that leave a mark on you, whether good or bad. On 3rd March 2009, I came across a scathing incident in Lahore that left permanent scars on my heart and mind. After countless reassurance and promises from higher Pakistani authorities, the Sri-Lankans eventually agreed to honor our grounds. The ODI’s and the first test at Karachi were completed peacefully, but even after serious security threats the second test was kept as per schedule in Lahore. For the first two days the islanders pretty much dominated us and while we were having a short breakfast on the third day, all hell broke loose – our worst fears had come to life. Pakistani sports journalists have always been adamant on their stance that terrorism could never strike on the sports in their country. On 3rd March, the claim was put to shame. The death of traffic warden Tanveer Iqbal and the heroics of driver Mehar Khalil are all part of the haunting folklore. When the army helicopter carrying injured Thilan Samaraweera and Tharanga Paranavitana was taking off from Qaddafi Stadium, I had no doubts that we were also bidding farewell to international sports in Pakistan. Ask anyone to tour Pakistan post March 2009 and they would simply call it suicide. Pakistani authorities knocked at every forum, and used their argument skills to the best, but for all the obvious reasons these requests were plainly turned down. And then as always, our best friend forever, China stepped up to shoulder us in truly difficult times by sending their National Hockey team to Pakistan in an effort to clear out the ‘not safe to visit’ stereotype. Sitting at the picturesque Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) Stadium Karachi watching the two teams countering each other in their first match was one of those nostalgic moments. The last time the Hockey Club was seen in action was 24th September 2004 when India had last visited Pakistan. The cheers of 10,000 fans still echo in my ears, flooding in many old and cherished memories. Thanks to the herculean efforts of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) some hint of life could be seen at the HCP once again. And even though the draught of international events and security fears has kept hockey fans miles away from the stadium, the stir in the ground was definitely worth celebrating. It is always good to see a galaxy of former Olympians and Internationals stars mingling together. Most appeared emotional yet excited to see sticks flying around. Kamran Ashraf, the 1994 World Cup winner and scorer of over 100 international goals, was one of the many excited souls. “It’s really heartening to see Hockey back in our country, I am a regular visitor at HCP and it used to hurt to see the empty stands and depleted conditions of the turf. Hockey Federation deserves a high five for giving life to the stadium”. Champions Trophy and World Cup winner Qamar Ibrahim couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, “I used to hear from my seniors that it was Hockey that helped introduce Pakistan to the world map especially at the 1948 London Olympics, I feel very proud that it’s my game that is now bringing international sports back in the country and the federation and government deserve full credit for their tireless efforts.” It was a glorifying moment for PHF that tried to add as much color to the atmosphere as they could. It was particularly lovely to see energized school kids waving Chinese flags and chanting “Pak-Cheen Doosti Zindabad”. Interesting to see was the presence of more red flags than green. This was a small token of gesture towards the Chinese republic showing them how much their trip actually meant to us. PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa wore the proudest smile, “You can’t imagine the amount of sweat we shed to organize this event. We had asked everyone for help including the FIH but most were reluctant to visit due to security reasons. But when we turned to the Chinese they were more than willing to help restore international activities in Pakistan. I don’t have enough words to thank them.” After Karachi, the Chinese landed in Faisalabad and Lahore to enthrall the crowds with their fast paced game. Their international ranking might not be worth mentioning but the way they gave Green Shirts scares in each match is commendable. While most were expecting the hosts to thrash the men in Red, the Chinese out-played expectations and highlighted flaws in Pakistan’s approach. They might not have won games, but they did manage to steal hearts. Away from the field their humble attitude and simple life style impressed all. Their graciousness knows no boundaries as the leader of the team Li Gaochao left an impeccable impact on our minds by inviting the Pakistani team to visit China in April. He was also full praise for the hospitality and love received. So what effects will the Chinese trip have in revitalizing sports in Pakistan? Well, sensing the safety Argentineans have agreed to visit us in March. This news has multiplied the respect for the Chinese who have immensely helped us claw our way back into the international arena. PM Gilani recently described relations with the Chinese as: “Higher than mountains, deeper than oceans, stronger than steel and sweeter than honey” Beijing actually took out time to prove it right. On behalf of the people of Pakistan I would like to thank the Chinese and say, “Nǐ zàicì zhèngmíng nǐ shì yīgè zhēnzhèng de péngyǒu” (you have once again proved to be a true friend)     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Our Hockey Team’s Not-so-Impressive Performance Former hockey greats have been criticizing the present set up of Pakistan Federation for the poor show of Pakistan hockey team that appears quite satisfactory to the President PHF QasimZia and Secretary Asif Bajwa. Surprisingly, The PHF recently held PHF Congress also unanimously decided that it should take the legal action against the elements that are defaming and blemishing PHF by writing baseless letters to higher authorities. According to media reports PHF has issued legal notices to some 13 Olympians asking them to apologize or be prepared to be sued for Rs.500 Million each. It may be necessary to mention that former Olympians have not only been openly criticizing the poor performance of Pakistan team in the media but they have also been writing letters to Patron in chief, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and other relevant quarters requesting the removal of the present PHF office bearers. Some Olympians reportedly have accused PHF officials of being involved in human trafficking. While criticizing the PHF and Pakistan team performance is but a routine, one would tend to agree with PHF that such serious allegations of human trafficking should be backed by concrete and undeniable evidence other wise PHF has every right to take up the matter to the court of law which PHF should have done couple of years back when these allegations had cropped up. The present PHF set up is the luckiest in the sense that it has been blessed with the biggest cash flow every in the history by Govt of Pakistan but the results of Pakistan team have not justified the heavy funding that raises serious questions whether the funds have been spent in right direction or have been misused as being alleged by the former Olympians. The PHF has sucked approximately 700 Millions rupees from Govt and other sponsors in the last three years while according to PHF it needs Rs. 480 Millions with a short fall of Rs.220 Million for the budget of Olympics year of 2012. Now with this much spending, Pakistan hockey team should have been stood in top 4 teams of the world, had the money been spent wisely and in right direction The performance of PHF is unfortunately not only disgusting, demoralizing and shameful but on top of that the PHF officials are least bothered. They feel satisfied and content with their present lack of status. The only thing that bother the PHF officials is that how to extract more and more funds from Govt and then consume it. The PHF instead of focusing and improving the Pakistan team’s performance that could have easily kept the critics quite, is now bent on opening new frontiers such as suing their opponents in the court of law. They should do so but not at the expense of PHF funds. The PHF officials, it seems has got unanimous approval for suing their opponents at the expense of PHF coffers. The best option for PHF would be to put its house in order and should spend the money on the welfare of players instead of legal litigation. According to some players, they are yet to receive a part of the prize money of the Asian Games gold medal. The performance of Pakistan hockey team under the present PHF has been worst ever.For example, Pakistan hockey team had to play world cup qualifying rounds in 2009 in France but that qualification was also not without a controversy where Pakistan surprisingly lost it’s league match to Poland. The PHF secretary Asif Bajwa then told this scribe that losing to Poland was part of strategy and planning as Pakistan wanted to avoid hosts France, who the then team manager Asif Bajwa feared, could beat Pakistan in the final and Pakistan could have been forced to miss berth in the final rounds of 2010 WC. As per this planning, Pakistan after losing to Poland faced Japan in the final and qualified for the 2010 WC. Many eye browse were raised on this statement of Asif Bajaw as this amounted to deliberately losing a match that is against the spirit of the fair play and national interest. It is also worth pointing out that before the 2010 WC, PHF officials were requesting the global ruling body FIH to increase the number of teams from 12 to 16 so that Pakistan could face no threat of missing the bus for 2010 world cup. Although, Pakistan qualified for the 2010 WC but since the direction and planning of PHF was poor and ill organized, Pakistan hockey team finished at the bottom of the 12 teams event that is the worst ever showing by Pakistan in history. This result of finishing 12th also gave an idea that why PHF officials were emphasizing on FIH to increase the teams from 12 to 16. Thanks to the FIH who stuck to 12 teams other wise Pakistan team could have ended up 16th of 16 teams. The whole hockey scenario suggests that PHF and Pakistan team officials have missed the bus for induction of fresh blood and quicker legs for the forthcoming 2012 London Olympics. The PHF and team officials are in no position to induct fresh blood in the team as Olympics in July/Aug 2012 are round the corner so they will have to be content with more or less the same squad and left with no option but to be playing from 8/12 position. The only hope is a miracle that does not happen these days any often. The PHF officials know that their Titanic is sinking. On the other hand, former Olympians are demanding the removal of the PHF office bearers. In my humble opinion, the former Olympians should withdraw their demand of removal and let the PHF officials continue who have been claiming that Olympic gold was their target. So let see if Pakistan team under this PHF regime can achieve this target or not. In case of failure in 2012 London Olympics to be held in July/Aug, the PHF officials should have the guts and moral courage to leave the office as the worst performer ever. God save Pakistan Hockey     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Christian Sportsmen who Represented Pakistan When Sir Charles Napier occupied Sindh in 1843, many Christians living in the Indian port city of Goa didn’t wish to remain under the Portuguese, so they moved to Karachi and other parts of Pakistan to improve their living standards. By the time of partition, Pakistan boosted a sizeable Christian Community that was active in all fields of life and played a pivotal role in freedom movement. Christians traditionally love to have good times and their passion for sports is unquestionable, no wonder that after gaining independence, Christian sportsmen enriched the tapestry of Pakistan sports by producing players of out-standing class, of vibrant style and of stunning performances. As Christians around the world celebrate the arrival of Jesus Christ, I decided to find sportsmen who won sporting glory for their nation. My research was intense yet exciting and had it not been for the articles and memories revisited by eminent commentator Mr. Chishti Mujahid, this piece could never have materialized. Also worth mentioning is the time spent with Mr. Mennen Rodriguez Khalid ‘Billy’ Ibadulla Born in Lahore in 1935, Billy Ibadulla was an articulate right handed opening batsman who played four tests for Pakistan between 1964 and 1967. He was a member of the first team to step out of the county touring India in 1952 but never got a chance to pad in that series. However, Billy immediately made an impact with a crafty 166 on debut against Australia in Karachi. He went on to score 22 first class centuries and bagged 462 wickets. Regarded as a brilliant close in fielder he also pocketed 337 catches. But like every elite sportsman Billy had his lows, being dropped from the tour of England had both emotional and physiological effects. That disappointment led him to leave Pakistan and head to English county Warwickshire. He finally migrated to New Zealand in 1976 and started a career in coaching and cricket commentary. His love for fly fishing forced him to settle in the port city of Dunedin where he runs a private coaching academy till date. Ibadulla has helped some of New Zealand’s brightest cricketers hone their techniques. His most notable student was Glenn Turner who had an out- standing international career. Others to follow were former captain Ken Rutherford, all-rounder Chris Cairns and most recently wicketkeeper batsman Brendon McCullum. Wallis Mathias Wallis was the first Goan Christian to play for Pakistan and as Chishti Mujahid tags him, “The gentlest cricket you would ever see”. Born in Karachi in 1935, Wallis played 21 tests for Pakistan from 1955 till 1962. He was a middle order batsman who often engineered critical innings but is most remembered as a brilliant slip fielder who palmed 22 catches. His debut came against New Zealand in Dhaka in 1955 where he scored 41 not out. Wallis played a vital role in supporting Hanif Muhammad in his legendry 337 at Barbados in 1958 where he scored 17 in each innings. His love affair with Hanif Muhammad continued in Hanif’s world record 499 innings at Karachi in 1959 where he shouldered Hanif with a precious 103. His true moment came against West Indies at Dhaka in 1959 where his 64 and 45 helped Pakistan win a low scoring game. A finger injury sustained in nets forced him out of International cricket but he kept representing Karachi in domestic cricket till 1977. He expired in Karachi in 1994 at the age 59 due to brain haemorrhage. Duncan Albert Sharpe Born in Rawalpindi in 1937, Sharpe was an Anglo-Pakistani Christian who represented Pakistan in three tests in 1959. Sharpe made his Test debut against Australia on 13 November 1959. He top scored in both innings scoring 56 and 35. He was dropped for the next series and immigrated to Australia in 1960. He played Sheffield Shield cricket with South Australia alongside the likes of Gary Sobers. Sharpe today lives with his wife in the province of Victoria. Antao D’Souza Born in Goa in 1939, D’Souza later migrated to Pakistan and was the fourth Christian to don the Green Cap. He was a medium pacer and tail-end batsman. Antao toured England in 1962 heading the batting averages (53) as he remained not out in 5 of his 6 innings! His bowling was ineffective as his fellow bowler’s on that disastrous tour where Pakistan were humiliated 4-0. He migrated to Ontario- Canada in 1999 and lives there with his four children. And then there was the most illustrious of all Christian players in the face of Yousuf Youhana, the fifth Christian to play for Pakistan. Yousuf made his debut against South Africa in 1998 but later converted to Islam in 2005. Hockey Olympians While it was relatively easy to research men with bat and ball, I faced new set of challenges seeking info about men with Hockey sticks. It was time to turn to triple Olympian and Gold Medalist Anwar Ahmed Khan for help who was very excited to walk down the memory lane. We start off with Milton D’Mello from Karachi who played left half and represented Pakistan at the 1948 London Olympics where they lost to Holland and landed in the 4th place. The next Olympics at Helsinki in 1952 saw Jack Britto, a center and right half don the Green Shirt, Pakistan again managed a 4th position after defeats to Holland and Great Britain. 1960 Rome Olympics was a historic event for Pakistan where it won its first Olympic Gold medal. The team was gifted with the dependable and stylish goal keeper Rony Gardner. Mr. Anwar has found memories of those Olympics and Gardner who shared room with him. “Rona was a Sergeant in Punjab Police, yet he was a Jolly Good Fellow and a complete team man who was always there to support his collogues. Abdul Rasheed was in top form and that left little room for Gardner to step in, he however played two matches against South Africa in the next tour”. Mr. Anwar didn’t forget to add that hockey in those days (as of today) wasn’t about money as it was not a professional sports and we all played just for the love of the game. Mr. D’Mello is not with us anymore while Mr. Britto lives in the United Kingdom. Two other names worth mentioning are Peter Paul Fernandes who was born in Karachi but represented un-divided India at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the mastermind Oswald B. Nazareth, who went on to draft the first constitution of Pakistan Hockey Federation, being its Secretary for a long time and becoming the Co-Manager of the country’s first Hockey team to the 1948 London Olympics. There were others who represented Pakistan in various sports like Michael Rodriguez at the1965 World Table Tennis Championship in Yugoslavia. The list certainly does not end here but space does. Pakistan Sports has historically been struck by ethnic racism but thankfully never have we witnessed religious biasness. With the selection process being fair and opportunities in abundance, the chance for minorities making it to national squads is always on cards, all that’s required is ambition, hard work and dedication.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan's Most Memorable T20 Matches It came, it flourished and it conquered. With all the criticism and skepticism, T-20 is here to stay. Pakistan immediately fell in love with this blistering format but never forgot to carry their “unpredictable” tag along with them. Not many would be aware that the T-20 match Pakistan played against Bangladesh on 29th November at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium was their 50th outing – most by any international outfit – in this shortened layout. It has been a topsy turvy love affair between the Green Shirts and their fans, as the Green Shirts have gifted them both delights and heartbreaks. Here is a look at some of Pakistan’s exceptional games that remain stuck in one’s memory for one reason or another. Kingsmead Durban, India Vs Pakistan, the bowl-out thriller… 21 years after Miandad hit Chetan Sharma out on Sharjah highway, Pakistan and India played a thrilling tie at the inaugural T-20 World cup. The McGrath like Asif skittled the Indian batting giants with his classic mastery of the seam, reducing them to 36 for 4. In stepped Robin Uthappa shouldering the innings with a diligently crafted 50 but still India were restricted to 141. Pakistan’s story was no different when it came to their batting. Seemingly shaky at 47 for 4, once Afridi departed, they were in a hopeless situation needing 39 from 15 balls. This was however the time for a new star to be noticed. Misbah-ul-Haq emerged as the unlikely hero holding the fort when all was crumbling. A six and a four off Harbhajan Singh in the 18th over left the Indian crowds silent and gave Pakistan a fragile hope of winning. The last over required 13, Misbah did everything right till the last ball where Yuvraj refused to let him bat his crease. It was a tie and the result would come through a bowl-out. India prevailed with Sehwag, Harbhajan and Uthappa hitting the stumps with deadly accuracy while Yasir Arafat, Gul and Afridi forgot their target. As Captains, it was Shoaib Malik’s first heart-break and Dhoni’s first international win. 2007 World Cup final India Vs Pakistan, mission accomplished, almost… Just 10 days after the delirious scenes at Kingsmead, the Sub-continent giants locked arms in perhaps the best fought final in cricket history. India batted first and thanks to an inspirational 75 from Gautam Gambhir, managed a merely defendable 157. Malik’s men were merciless in the field with Gul denting the Indians thrice. With one hand on the cup, Pakistan fans relished themselves champions when Imran Nazir smacked two sixes and two fours from Sreesanth’s opening over. But wickets kept tumbling and at 77 for 6, Pakistan appeared out of contention needing a massive 54 from 24 balls. Misbah was still there and so were the hopes and when he smashed Harbhajan for three sixes in the 17th over, the improbable seemed possible. Once again Pakistan needed 13 off the last over and ice-cool Misbah was on strike. After lofting Joginder Sharma for six on long-off, Misbah did the unthinkable, moving across the stumps and handing Sreesanth at fine leg his most important catch ever. Indian fans went ecstatic while Pakistanis lost their pulse. Indian media slammed Misbah with the undesirable tag, “Mr. Almost”. 2009 World Cup Semi-Final, Pakistan vs South Africa, Boom Boom Blossoms… Trend Bridge turned out to be for Afridi what Eden Park served for Inzimam in the 92 World Cup. Pakistan had disastrous outings in both tournaments and barely made it to the last four, and once there they needed individual heroics to sail ashore. The unbeaten proteas were the favorites for the match and did everything to stand by their clinical approach; little did they know that heavens were finally ready to give Afridi his overdue recognition. Moved up in the order, Afridi made a clinical 51 off 34 balls. Even defying his own swashbuckling approach, and yes the famous flying kiss that left Kallis fuming his nostrils. South Africa fought hard to restrict Pakistan to 149. Kallis (64) gave the proteas a solid start and threatened to take the match away. Afridi once again blocked their way with his wrist magic shaking the stumps twice sending Gibbs and De Villiers packing, it was time to think about the final once again. 2009 World Cup Final, Pakistan vs Sri-Lanka, A Lord at the Lords.. 21st June 2009 was a time that was critical for both the team and the nation. A young team needed a win to establish its credentials while a nation needed it to come together. It happened for both. On the other side was Sangakara who had to fight 11 spirited souls, with Afridi once again waiting to be the knight in shining armor. The Islanders never actually stood up in the match. The moment Aamir removed Dilshan in the opening over; bugles were already blowing in streets back home. Restricted to 138, Sri-Lanka needed heaps of luck to stop the Pakistani juggernaut. Shahzaib and Kamran gave Pakistan the ideal start and Afridi with years of experience on his shoulders made sure he took the trophy home with a career best 54. The moment the winning run arrived, Afridi raised arms high in his trade mark style and a crowd of mostly Pakistani fans erupted fanatically, showing how much this victory meant to them, Lords had a new Lord. 2010 World Cup Semi-Final, Pakistan Vs Australia, Smiles for Hussey, tears for Ajmal.. This was a match that was supposed to be fought between two great teams, but in the final overs, it turned out to be about between two great players, the one with stronger nerves came out victorious. Pakistan started brilliantly with two dazzling 50’s from the Akmal brothers, Umar in particular showed the range of his talent by smacking Mitchell Johnson for three sixes. Pakistan posted a mountainous 191 for Clarke’s men to climb. In response, Aamir rocked the Aussie top order with sufficient support from Abdur Rehman. With six wickets down and 48 required off 18 balls, it was left to Mr. Dependable Michael Hussey to pull it off, and what a miraculous act he displayed. Afridi gambled the last over with Ajmal and Hussey with three thunderous sixes made the ground look small, reminding the crowds that T-20 is not always a young man’s game. Pakistani fans were deserted and people apart from his mother saw Ajmal break down in tears. Dubai 2010, Pakistan Vs England, Razzaq you beauty…. Having lost the earlier match to England, Pakistan was desperate to level the series. Their bowlers did a decent job by restricting England to 148 on a flat track with Yasir Arafat bagging three wickets. However, fellow batsmen made a mess of their efforts by slumping to 78 for 5, thanks to a brilliant spell from Graeme Swann. But Abdul Razzaq at the other end shifted games plans and showed his team mates that aggression was the best way to victory. Razzaq, nick-named Popeye for his love of spinach slammed five sixes to re-establish his role as a sheet anchor and give Pakistan their first victory in 11 international outings.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan Hockey: Are We Really Improving? While we are still trying to digest the shameful seventh position at the Champions Trophy, our team manager, Khawaja Junaid cracks the mother of all jokes while saying he is satisfied with the team’s performance. According to the manager and captain of the team, Pakistan kept improving with each game throughout the tournament. A 2-1 loss to England, 4-2 against Spain, 6-1 surrender to the Aussies and a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Germans. Indeed we improved each time! Even a blind eye can see the upgrading. In the Champions Trophy, Pakistan picked up right from where they had left off in the World Cup last year; rock bottom. And if they continue with the same pace of improvement, God help us at the Olympics. I was excited about the Champions Trophy. Pakistan had stepped up in the coveted event as the Asian Champions who had a four month long European tour and a triumph in Australia. Hockey fans had every reason to cheer for Pakistan. Sadly, most were only reading the results and not watching the action on TV. A clash with the big tigers of world hockey made us look like shivering lambs. You don’t need to be a hockey wizard to judge the performance. One look at the score line and even my 70 year old Dadi Jan would feel let down with such a dismal show. So what went wrong? “Everything”, says former great Waseem Feroz. “I was particularly disappointed with the forward line. Compared with the super fit and skilled Europeans, our boys appeared dead in speed and stamina. Forwards are expected to go for the kill in the first 15 minutes but here they appeared in defensive mode. Secondly the ball possession was largely captured by the opponents. Our forwards held the ball for hardly 20 minutes. You can’t expect to win matches with such loose control.” The role of goal-keepers Salman Akbar and Imran Shah was also criticized, but legendry custodian Mansoor Ahmed is quick to their defense. “No-doubt the goal-keeper is the back bone of any team, but tell me how many goals are you going to stop if you face attacks every second minute. Trust me both these guys did a great job otherwise the results could have been much worse. It’s the defense that needs to step up and stop the attacks before they enter the 25 yards.” Olympian Sameer Hussain stands right behind Mansoor and highlights another defense flaw, “With the off-side rule gone, an opponent forward always tries to remain inside your D in a scoring position. We failed to mark that forward in every game, Just look at the clips and you will see this deadly mistake. The forwards was left un-marked and scoring for them was as easy as eating an apple pie. M. Imran being the senior defender should have stepped up for marking. Sadly he didn’t, and the ball kept finding the net.” We saw all these mistakes happen but the troubling part was that they were all re-accruing ones, right from the first till the last game. So the big question is: Was there anyone out there telling the boys what was going wrong and how to correct it? Yes there was. Head coach Michel van den Heuvel. You would expect a coach to come out and accept defeats and cherish wins. Take Ric Charlesworth and Morris Hendricks for example. Interestingly the Hockey Federation has kept Michel well hidden while public relations expert, manager Khawaja Junaid is left to tackle the consequences. Hockey fans are hugely disappointed with the results and demand an answer for the below par performance. However, what sort of explanation do you expect when the captain and coach term such an outing satisfactory? Champions Trophy was a show piece event before the Olympics where all the major powers displayed their muscles. Where we stand in this race is for anyone to guess. We won the Asian Games, but is that the only prize to bag in world hockey? Team management has time and again reiterated its statement that we have learned a lot from the Trophy and have seven months to improve before the Olympics. I would humbly remind Khawaja Sb that the bracket of improvement is not just reserved for his team - Do you really think the Europeans would come to London unprepared? Experience has taught me that success is a result of hard work and consistent planning; you don’t just work hard for a few months and achieve accolades. The Europeans have been focused and determined with their planning while we are still juggling our options. Some of us die-hard fans will still show optimism and say that miracles do happen - let’s just hope God has one last miracle in stock for Pakistan Hockey. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ashar is a sports correspondent at Geo News. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   World Series Hockey: It's Time To Play For Money World Series Hockey (WSH) is giving the game what it has historically missed…money. The battle between a hefty check and national pride has put world stars in quandary. It’s like the re-birth of the Indian Cricket League that was banned by the ICC and yet, it attracted dozens of international stars. Millions were spent and the league succeeded in establishing its presence. It was like a run-away home for the discarded and forgotten cricketers and the league soon prompted ICC to turn its back on it. History seems to be repeating itself, but this time the sport is different. The game of stick and ball is fighting for its survival and recognition in the sub-continent where sports is defined by cricket alone. The big difference between the two being hard cash. Parents feel a little more secure if their kids are into cricket and gone are the days when fathers would ride their sons to a hockey field. In such a discouraging situation, WSH seems to be the answer to the prayers of players. Backed by the riches of an Indian sports management group, WSH aims to reinvigorate the sport and create a financially self sustaining ecosystem for hockey to thrive on and grow to become the sport of choice. Following the footsteps of the ICC, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) feels threatened by the league and terms it ill-legal, extending a life ban for those moving towards it. So the big question is, is this series good for the health of hockey and should the players go for it? Former Olympian Kashif Jawad is vocal about the financial stability: “ Look it’s not easy to represent your country, it's years and years of hard work and it’s only after fierce competition that you make it to the top, and even after that life doesn’t get any easier. The shelf life of a player is between 10 to 15 years and you want to earn enough in that period to keep your life afloat. ” Hockey is not a professional game where players depend hugely on the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) central contracts and departmental jobs. Only about 35 players are currently contracted while the rest rely on their departments. The interesting part is that PHF has put a ban on players over 30 to play domestic hockey. So this means that while you turn 30 the prospect of international appearances already seems bleak and to add salt to your wounds, department doors are banged on your face. Olympian Ghazanfar Ali is amused, “ PHF policy is comical, you stop players over 30 to play domestic hockey and you have three players over 30 (Sohail Abbas 36, Waseem Ahmed 34, M. Imran 32) playing in the Champions Trophy. If PHF doesn’t relax its stance and provide financial stability to its players, I see many more players quitting national duty and joining the series ”. Olympian Sameer Hussain shares identical thoughts, “ I have played hockey for years and it never gave a decent living. Most of us represent departments on contract jobs and the maximum a player earns is 25 to 30 thousand. An international player is expected to maintain a certain living standard and has a house to run. Hockey demands a hell of dedication and leaves you exhausted for any other work.” In such a gloomy situation, WSH is bound to attract attention. The classic example is of former Captain Zeeshan Ashraf who represented Pakistan for over 10 years and found employment at a bank on a contractual basis for just 35,000 per month. Trust me Umar Akmal wouldn’t even brush his teeth for that amount. The series would pay Zeeshan approximately $ 25,000 for one season. Who would have a heart to turn down that much money? PHF is clear about banning any player who moves to the series, but Zeeshan is least bothered. “ It’s because of the players that the game and federation shines. We brought home the Asian Games but it’s been months and we are still waiting for our reward money. What’s more disgracing is that I have been declared unfit and dropped from the national team. I am over 30 and can’t participate in domestic tournaments, how do you expect me to support my family? ” Zeeshan and Adnan Maqsood have already flown to India, with news of Salman Akbar, Shakeel Abbasi, Waseem Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Mohammad Zubair, Rehan Butt, Shafqat Rasool, Imran Warsi & Tariq Aziz to follow soon. This move will definitely jolt PHF’s quest for an Olympic glory. With so much money pouring in, it would be hard to keep players away from the WSH. The wise thing would be for FIH to work along WSH and frame a schedule that would avoid collision with major events. Otherwise world hockey is moving towards a crisis that would leave the game split into two groups. After all who doesn’t fancy a handsome earning? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ashar is a sports correspondent at Geo News Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Brilliant Sehwag Till about 2 years ago, a double century in the ODI’s was unheard of and deemed impossible given the number of overs available. But then came along the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar – some call him the greatest willow yielder to have ever graced the game – and stroked a masterful double hundred against South Africa. After that spectacular display of batsman-ship, everyone thought that it would be pretty difficult to break his record but some 20 months down the line, Tendulkar’s clone, Sehwag, shattered his record with such aplomb that it is hard to imagine why it took him so long. Characteristic of the batting approach that is associated with Sehwag, it was a brutal knock with 25 hits for four and 7 hits over the ropes. The only thing uncharacteristic in the whole knock was the dive he took to avoid being run out, considering that he never dives. Before the match, there were several questions being asked about Sehwag’s form as he hadn’t done anything noteworthy since March of this year. Sehwag however, shrugged those questions off with nonchalance as he raised his hundred off just 69 balls and finished with 219 off 149. It was not a chanceless innings by any stretch of imagination. Sehwag could have gotten out on at least 4 occasions but he survived two run out chances and two dropped catches; one of them was when he was batting on 170 as Darren Sammy put down a sitter. Unlike Tendulkar’s innings, Sehwag was never batting against time. He scored his double ton in the 44th over of the game and got out in the 47th. Had he lasted the full quota of 50 overs, a score of 250 would not have been out of sight for him. Sehwag has never batted out 50 overs in his ODI career. The last time he batted till the 47th over, he had scored 175. This time it was 219. One can just imagine what his score would be the time he ends up unbeaten. I still remember Saeed Anwer’s 194 against India back in 1997. That was a graceful innings as he managed to take apart the Indian bowling attack. But, his performance pales when compared to the brutal knock that Sehwag played yesterday. Another opener who likes to hit the leather hard - Chris Gayle - tweeted this about Sehwag: "Well I did watch some of that innings by Viru... Brilliant striking!! Congrats on your 219... That's child abuse! The Mask would say, Smoking!" For now the only man who can challenge the 219 in ODI's is Sehwag himself, and it may only be a matter of time before he goes about wreaking havoc again! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Amyn Malik is a Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan Cricket: A Review of this Years Performance 2011 has definitely been a good year for Team Green. Off the field, controversies continued to haunt them but on the field performance improved in all formats of the game. Under the astute leadership of Misbah ul Haq, Pakistan hasn’t lost a single test series this year, in fact they have also been able to beat a team higher in the ICC ranking. Pakistan’s stellar performance has showed us an opener scoring a double century for the first time in over 19 years. Furthermore, Saeed Ajmal’s antics with the ball have granted him the title of the highest wicket taker in the format thus far. The ODI’s also bear similar stats as the test series, but the picture is quite different in this format. Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the World Cup under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi, who was then unceremoniously removed following a row with the Chairman. He was replaced with Misbah, whose style of captaincy is quite opposite to that of Afridi, but the results continued to be favorable. Pakistan is now the leading ODI side of the year and has won more matches in this format, than any other team. We have had quite a few good performances in the ODI’s this year with a lot of players chipping in with their weight, but some have gleamed brighter than the others. Bowlers have been the cornerstone and architects of many of the wins, as Saeed Ajmal rises to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Bowler’s Rankings and Afridi leads the pack of highest wicket takers in the format. The new players brought into the team have performed marvelously as well. Aizaz Cheema and Junaid Khan have done their part by picking up a number of wickets and Azhar Ali has made a test match hundred. The beginning of the last series of the year has been good for us with Pakistan beating Bangladesh in the lone T20 match as well as the three match ODI series. Hopefully, we will be able to clean sweep this series and end the year with a bang. All this means that Pakistan is peaking just at the right time to take on the No. 1 test team in the world- England- early next year in the Middle East. If our players continue to perform as they are currently, I don’t see a reason why Pakistan cannot conquer the Englishmen in the coming year. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Amyn Malik is a Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [19] Comments               Post Your Commets   Hockey Champions Trophy- How Strong is the Pakistan Side? After conquering Asia, it is time for the green shirts to dribble the ball with the best in the world. But, even after pumping in millions of rupees and a barrage of coaches, Pakistan hockey remains dependent on a chosen few. While you are reading these lines, our boys are in Auckland sweating hard in search of glory. Their target is the Champions Trophy: the toughest hockey tournament behind the World Cup and Olympics. 2011 has been a wonderful year for Pakistan Hockey; we were able to bring home a major title (Asian Games) after a gap of almost 17 years. We stood second to India at the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy and thrashed the world champion Aussies in their own back-yard last year. So far so good, but now they are to face the most brutal forces in hockey, the Europeans. At the Asian level we are a force to reckon with, but internationally it’s a different story. The once power house of Hockey ranks a poor 9th today. We have been absent from the Champions Trophy since 2007 where the team managed a miserable 5th place and it was only after the graciousness of the IHF Chiefs that a wild card entry is giving Pakistan a chance to lock arms with the game’s best. Pakistan’s last international outing was a haunting nightmare. The Delhi World Cup 2010 where Pakistan finished last on the list, led to the ouster of coach Shahid Ali Khan. After his departure, in stepped Dutchman Michel van den Heuvel who is tasked to revive lost Glory. With the wild-card entry coming as a blessing in disguise, it will be interesting to see how the management makes the most of it. To start off, experienced Goal-Keeper Salman Akbar has been roped in. Architect of the Asian Games glory Salman, has immense experience in playing the Dutch league and has a good eye for European tactics. Olympian Sameer Hussain believes Salman's role is pivotal, “With the off-side rule gone, a team’s success hugely revolves around its Goal-Keeper. I would say the keeper plays around 80% part in winning or losing and this is one area you can’t dare to ignore. Salman has been a great custodian over the years and has shined in every major victory, be it the Asian Games or the 2005 Robocup and if he has a good tournament I have no doubt Pakistan can bag a medal.” With the goal-post secured, all eyes turn towards the scoring machine and blood line of Pakistan Hockey, Sohail Abbas. With almost 350 international goals, he is one player every team comes well prepared for. Former coach Tahir Zaman has been nurturing the ace flick from his early years and is fully aware of his substance. He says: “The equation is simple. Sohail scores and you win. Some critics rightly argue that he has failed to score at vital moments but I still believe he is your best call behind M. Imran. And with his vast experience you never know when his true moment might come. He is still the fastest drag flicker in the world and this is his perfect opportunity to show the world that he is a match winner.” Pakistan is placed in Pool A alongside England, Spain and defending champions Australia. Olympian Naveed Alam, member of the 94 trophy winning team sees them making the Semi-Finals comfortably. “Although England and Spain are two very good sides, the current Pakistan outfit is more skillful and high in morale after their recent wins. To reach the Semis they have to win 2 of their 3 matches and I don’t see any major obstacle in that.” Missing from the list is star forward Rehan Butt, whose exclusion is not without controversies. Naveed Alam who coached the team at Beijing Olympics, terms Rehan as a selfish player who plays for personal glory and has little respect for team-spirit. His absence would put the skills of Shakeel Abbasi, Haseem Khan and Shafqat Rasool to the utmost test. The Champions Trophy is the last International tournament before the London Olympics and it’s a good chance for teams to evaluate their preparations. Majority of the teams had finalized their squads much earlier, while we kept juggling our limited options. The Bajwa administration has pumped in millions for re-boosting hockey over the years, but every time a major assignment comes we only have three or four shoulders to tab. Salman, Sohail, Shakeel and Waseem are all remarkable players but they have just entered into the end stages of their careers and its time we start thinking of life after them. More on that later, its competition time now and we need to stand right behind our team… Go Green Shirts Go! ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ashar is a sports correspondent at Geo News Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan Survives A Self-Inflicted Scare! For those who thought that by taming the Lankan tigers in friendly territory of United Arab Emirates, the Pakistan Cricket team had passed its test, the Mirpur one dayer serves an eye-opener. An eye-opener because it has become certain that the coach of the Pakistan cricket team is useless, worthless and since in Bangladesh, luckless. Eye opener, because the loss of 15 wickets in 56 overs makes one look at the wicket with a doubt. Eye-opener because Pakistan cricket team was supposed to win the match even before the toss had taken place, making them overconfident and gullible. Shahid Afridi fully utilized the pitch and returned with figures of 5 wickets for 23 runs. But what does the coach of the Pakistan side has to do with all that? Nothing. He usually acts as manager of the side and once or twice gives the batsmen some tips which I am sure they already know. Had he been a competent individual, he would never have asked the curator in Sharjah to make a batting pitch (which he did and that nearly made Pakistan lose the match and the series!). Secondly, had he been a good coach, he would have asked Misbah to drop Shoaib Malik and persist with a genuine batsman like Asad Shafiq, but he didn't. In the end, the captain's confidence in Shoaib Malik's ability was evident as he was not even sent to bat despite Pakistan losing 5 wickets for 63 runs, chasing 92. What Pakistan needs to keep their winning streak alive is drop Shoaib Malik from the side. He has a shady past and a bleak future because he is past his best. With Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal in the side, no one needs a third off-spinner, especially one who can't bat. Asad Shafiq should be given a chance to cement his place in the side because he is a better batsman than the son-in-law (damaad) of India and can actually bat when required. Pakistan should also use either Sohail Tanvir or Mohammad Khalil who are both left-armers with more potential that the 32-year-old Aizaz Cheema. Their inclusion will not only bring variety in the bowling attack but will also trouble the long list of left-handers in the Bangladeshi side. Pakistan may have won the match but they haven't yet faced a side that comes from outside of Asia. That's not good because in Asia, the spinners are unplayable if they bowl according to a plan, batsman score runs heavily if they can set their minds to it and umpires get under pressure in jam-packed stadiums. Outside Asia, the pitches favour pacers, only that batsman scores runs who can both attack and defend, while the umpires are supported by UDRS. If Pakistan needs to prove its credentials as one of the better sides in world cricket, it will have to play outside Asia, and against worthy opposition. I am sure that this team, minus their coach Mohsin Khan, has the potential of even defeating a team composed of the best players in the world! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Foreign Freshness vs Homegrown Experience Should Intikhab Alam and his team search the globe for an illustrious foreign coach or juggle the bag of locals? Ashar Zaidi bats on this soggy wicket to target the right formula. To the naked eye Mohsin Hasan would appear to be the ideal coach for the Pakistan cricket team. Smartly groomed, proudly donning the green shirt, and scrutinizing each ball while sipping freshly brewed Arabic coffee, Mohsin Khan has a Test, ODI & lone Twenty20 victory in his pocket. Have a closer look, however, and you will see a different picture. The team had refused to go for the kill in the Sharjah test. Batsmen on average posted just two solid scores in the six test innings. In the field, especially in the area of catching, no one managed to make us proud. Apart from the third ODI we don’t have a mentionable opening stand or a single century in five outings. Sadly, Umar Akmal still hasn’t learned the art of finishing. Had it not been for the magic of boom boom’s wrist and the deadly doosras of Ajmal, the block buster hit could have easily turned into a disaster. Most of you reading this piece would brush away my analysis as absolute rubbish, arguing that despite the level of the team’s performance, both series have been pocketed. Let me remind you though, that this is not Ranatunga’s world conquering squad, instead these are Dilshan’s innocent angels that have allowed six of their last eight series to slip away. In the coming year we are to face the terrorizing Englishmen and this series is bound to be a back-breaking test for our boys. So while there is still time, Pakistan cricket needs to find someone experienced enough to do the fine tuning that is required for our team. After Waqar’s departure, we are hunting for the right head to fit the cap. The question is where to go shopping, home or abroad? This is a furious debate with no dearth of arguments on both sides. The homegrown would contend that a local understands the system, culture and conditions better as he himself has walked the same wire. Others would stand behind a foreigner, favoring the technological advancement, zero tolerance to indiscipline, unbiased selection and exciting coaching methods that would come along with the package. Keeping these arguments in mind, what would be the right way to go about it? For me India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka and Bangladesh fall in the same league as we all are similar in more ways than one. We love our cricket and hate defeats, we all have dead wickets and love spicy food. We cry over national corruption and selection and won’t mind walking on fire to grab a free pass. Living with matching attitudes, we should observe the choices of our neighbours on the matter of selecting the right coach. Sri-Lanka brought in Watmore in the mid 90’s and he managed to turn them into a fearsome bunch. John Wright and Gary Kirsten gave India the habit of winning. Bangladesh also depended on foreign aid and this surely helped them leave a mark. We too had our own fair share with Richard Pybuss, Bob Woolmer and Jeff Lawson, but there were no major achievements to their names. Woolmer met a tragic end, and the others were never really given a fair run. You can’t expect any coach to turn your fortunes over-night. It’s a slow and painstaking process which demands bundles of patience, something we always fall short off. Waqar claims he had a successful stint only because he came up through the system and hence understood it quite well. To this I would ask the Burrewala express: In the end wasn’t he himself bitten by this very system? Till today we are unsure as to why he quit. Explanations referred to conflicting reports on his health, demands in selection and differences with Afridi. Will another homegrown coach face similar obstacles or will he be able to sail with them? Our formers have a funny way of defining patriotism which comes alive only in talk shows or when offered the lucrative national post. I still dream of the day when one would see Jawaid Bhai adjusting youngsters' foot-work at Annu Bhai ground, M. Yousuf showing kids how to middle the ball in model town or Inzi fixing grips in Multan; all free of cost and for the love of the game and country. The Pakistan cricket team of today is any coaches’ dream. With one match winner after another, our current boys know their game well. We don’t need someone to teach Afridi how to grip a bat or show Gul the right seam positioning. What Pakistan needs is a sensible mind that could keep them gelled together, give and gain respect, adjust minute follies and enrich them with game plans. Observation reveals that locals haven’t been good at doing that. Ask me and I will continue to bat for a foreign coach. With our complex cricketing culture, only a powerful, yet neutral person can bring justice to all areas. Of course he would replace experience with something fresh, but that’s too small a price for shinning accolades. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ashar is a sports correspondent at Geo News Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [27] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is This The Best Pakistan Side Ever? The way Pakistan played in the United Arab Emirates to defeat Sri Lanka was the best way to answer critics. People wrote the greenshirts off because they have had their share of controversies, but Misbah ul Haq and his boys played as if they didn’t care, and came out victorious in the end. They won the Test, One day and Twenty20 series, making the tour their most successful in recent years! This Pakistan side may be better than the ones we have seen in recent years, but it needs to improve a lot. The squad for Bangladesh doesn’t have an express fast bowler who can scare the hell out of the opponents, ala Shoaib Akhtar. The spinners are the best there could be, but we need a solid opening batsman who can chase in the second innings as well as score in the first. Imran Farhat always proves to be the weak link when the team is batting second, and either he needs to improve or make way for many players waiting for their chance to serve the country. The captain Misbah ul Haq needs to act his age as well. At 37, he is not a young man who gets dismissed on reverse sweep. That shot fits the younger lot like Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq, and if Misbah can stay away from such shots, it will benefit the team. Sarfaraz Ahmed, the wicket-keeper did excellently in the one dayers and only if he could improve his batting, he could prove to the worthy successor of Rashid Latif. And then there is the coach who looks more of a filmstar than a coach! That’s true because Mohsin Hassan Khan acted in over 50 Bollywood and Lollywood movies combined, and was even nominated for the coveted Filmfare Awards for his acting skills in Batwaara (He lost to Nana Patekar’s Anna in Parinda). Mohsin Khan may be the only actor to bowl over maidens and play maidens as well, but his coaching skills need tuning. First of all, his ‘extremely boring’ meetings scare the players more than they are actually scared by the opposing side. The stale meetings – with a prayer in the end – have become more of a joke for the players than anything else. What Pakistan needs is a coach who understands the game, someone like Dav Whatmore. The former Australian cricketer and Sri Lankan coach single handedly took cricket to another level when he introduced pinch-hitters in the game 15 years back. His innovations changed the way cricket was played and one is sure that his appointment will help Pakistan cricket as well. The only problem is the players themselves because Whatmore is known to be a tough coach with a no-nonsense attitude. The last time Whatmore’s name came up as a potential coach, they made the board go for the inexperienced Geoff Lawson, mostly because he was inexperienced. If they want to make their country proud, they will not interfere in the selection procedure now!     [33] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Magic of Cricket Returns to Sharjah! What’s it about Sharjah that turned a regulation cricket match into an endless carnival? This Sunday, when Shahid Afridi, celebrating his haul of five wickets and a sensational win over Sri Lanka defiantly raised his arms, he did not just declare his return to doing what he does best, he heralded the return of big-time cricket to Sharjah--a venue that has produced some of the finest and most exciting encounters in the history of the game. Sharjah boasts a Guinness world record for hosting the maximum number of one-day internationals--200 of them. The Pak-Lanka clash on Sunday was its 201st. With his deadly knock of 75 runs setting the fabled stadium ablaze and later picking up a five-fer clinching the series for Pakistan, the Boom Boom Afridi recreated some of the magic that the Gulf emirate had produced in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Bored at one point during the second half of the match and deciding Pakistan had already lost the match, I switched channels. They were pathetically struggling to defend a humble total of 200. But when I switched back after a while I was stunned to see the Pakistanis hugging and slapping each other as they celebrated yet another implausible victory. For most of us Indians and Pakistanis growing up in the 80s, cricket meant Sharjah and vice versa. It was Sharjah, the Mecca of cricket during those heady days, which started it all some 30 years ago. Even though I never found myself sharing the fanatic enthusiasm of my cousins and friends and fellow South Asians for the game, watching the grand spectacle of cricket in Sharjah had often been fun even for the uninitiated like me. It became something else when the encounter involved India and Pakistan. Back home, thousands of miles away from Sharjah, watching the action on those fat television sets, we could feel the electrifying buzz and atmosphere of the stadium. It would be packed mostly with South Asians, with a sprinkling of local Arabs and whites here and there. Every ball and every stroke of the bat would be breathlessly followed and endlessly analysed by the more serious—and senior— enthusiasts of the game. We boys would however scour the audience for Bollywood superstars, glamorous, pretty faces–usually from the other side of the border--and other celebrities. You could even spot the harmless looking underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, with gorgeous starlets lolling on his arms. I’ve never understood the finer points of the wretched game but somehow Pakistan seemed to always win. With God on their side, as Avirook Sen puts it, and with the rapturous crowds, most of them Pakistanis and fierce looking Pathans, rooting for the men in green, the balance appeared to be tilted in favour of Pakistan. Especially on a Friday. To most Indians, an India-Pakistan encounter on Friday appeared to be a conspiracy between the Almighty and Abdurrahman Bukhatir, the Emirati businessman who introduced the game once played in the British midlands to the arid Middle East, making Sharjah a household name in the subcontinent and in cricket playing nations around the world. Some of my countrymen would blame it on the fact that unlike the Pakistanis, our players didn’t eat beef, which seemed to explain the singular lack of pace and the fighting spirit that endured until the ball of the last over. Pakistan seemed to routinely pull off impossible feats like the way it did this week, often coming back from the brink to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, as the cliche goes. All that changed a decade ago, just as everything else has after 9/11. Haunted by the stink of betting scandals and tensions between India and Pakistan, Sharjah lost its magic. Today, driving by the Sharjah stadium, I find it hard to believe this sleepy corner of the world had once witnessed such epic battles. For the most Indians and Pakistanis, it had never been a harmless sporting event. It was like a virtual war between the subcontinent twins fought far from home. At least, that’s what Pakistanis seemed to believe.The in-your-face religiosity and endless inshaallahs and mashaallahs and those solemn sajdahs (prostration) by Pakistani players didn’t help, often producing matching sentiments in the Indians. No wonder Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray loved to hate such encounters, promising dire consequences to those professing innocent admiration for the Pakistani side. Who said cricket is just a game? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Aijaz Zaka Syed is a Dubai-based writer and an op-ed writer for The News. He can be reached at aijaz.syed@hotmail.com Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Mother of All Comebacks! He is the golden boy of Pakistan cricket. For 15 years, he has been making his country proud, and still Shahid Afridi has a long way to go. The all-star Pakistani gave one of the best performances of his career as Pakistan revived the magic of Sharjah, and won the series against Sri Lanka. What makes Shahid Afridi different from the other players in the side? Never ever has his name been linked with match fixing, in fact it was he who blew the whistle on the whole scenario in England last year. It was Afridi’s bold decision to quit playing under former Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt that gave him the chance to stay back and assess his pros and cons, and that’s what helped him come back as a better player. So far in this series, he has scored 119 runs at a strike rate of 126 and an average of nearly 40 (better than his career strike rate of 114 and average of nearly 24) whereas has taken 12 wickets which is 2 more than Pakistan’s spin ace Saeed Ajmal. No cricketer has had a comeback like that of Shahid Afridi is enjoying. He was declared Man of the Match for his bowling in the first one dayer on his return, and in the fourth one, single handedly won the match for his team. His 65-ball 75 and later 5 wickets for 35 runs proved too hot for the Sri Lankans to handle. He also becomes the first all-rounder to achieve the ‘fifty and five wickets’ feat in one dayers for the second time in his career. The last time he did so was against England in Lahore 11 years back. Pakistan won both the matches, and Afridi won the man of the match! Shahid Afridi’s comeback performance brings out a million dollar question: Is captaincy really a burden on the skipper? Yes it is because since his twin centuries last year in the Asia Cup, Shahid Afridi’s batting form has gone down. Now it is Misbah ul Haq’s turn who looks a shadow of his old self ever since becoming captain. As for the series, Pakistan has taken an unassailable 3-1 lead, with one more match to go, after which the teams will play a T20 match. Pakistan is due to leave for Bangladesh directly from United Arab Emirates, and one thing is certain. Shahid Afridi will be on that plane! Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Thank God! It was Friday! It was a former Sri Lankan cricketer, Russell Arnold who said while commentating that it was impossible to beat Pakistan on a Friday. His words turned out to be true after Pakistan beat all odds to down Sri Lanka by 21 runs and take a 2-1 lead in the 5 match series. They say that lions hunt in pairs. The match belonged to the lion-hearted Pakistani openers who displayed their knack of scoring runs by batting sensibly. Both Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat complimented each other by scoring runs in tandem. They scored 83 and 70 runs respectively, adding as many as 151 runs for the first wicket. Useful contribution from Younis Khan helped Pakistan post a competitive 257 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 50 overs. In reply, Sri Lanka recovered from the loss in the form of Upul Tharanga as both captain Tillakaratne Dilshan and his predecessor Kumar Sangakkara took the score from 5 wickets for the loss of one wicket to 111. Dilshan top scored with 64 while Sangakkara made a useful contribution with 45. But as it has happened recently, the lower order batsman of the opposing side couldn’t handle the variety of Pakistani spinners. Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal took 5 wickets between them as the hosts pegged back the islanders. It was Umar Gul who did the rest. He bowled well in the final overs to bowl them out for 236, taking his personal tally of wickets to 3. Although the all-rounders Sohail Tanvir and Abdur Razzaq didn’t take a wicket, they helped in putting the breaks on the Sri Lankan express. Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez was declared Man of The Match for his all-round effort, but things could have been different. Had Angelo Matthews batted sensibly and rotated the strike just as he rotated his bats, Sri Lanka might have won the match. But that didn’t happen, because as they say, Thank God, It’s Friday! Pakistan will now play Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Monday, the 20th of November. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Vinod Kambli: A Truth Too Late Back at school I was taught there were four seasons in a year. Thanks to cricket, we now have a fifth and sixth as well. The fifth was in full swing during the 90’s when everyone wanted to bask in the match-fixing sun. The sixth season offered something new in the form of Hurricane Fixi-Leaks that is haunting the game even faster than the political Zulfi-leaks. Let’s joyfully admit that it was a huge relief to hear from Paul Condon’s own mouth that it was not only the brown men that had flourished in the fixing business. He claimed that at some point, every nation has hugged fixing in some form or the other. As if the world was waiting for Condon to blow the whistle, the long forgotten, former Indian batsman, Vinod Kambli suddenly woke up from hibernation to claim yesterday that the ‘96 world cup semi-final against Ranatunga’s men was fixed. I salute these guys as it takes a lot of courage to stand up and unearth such filth. Consequences of this can be life threatening, however, after taking a closer look you wonder what on earth these gentlemen are trying to unveil in the first place. What baffles me is that Condon, who was the ICC Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) chief for a good 10 years, did nothing to curb fixing during his time? He didn’t bring forward any legitimate fix, didn’t probe anything substantial and most importantly he did nothing to stop the fixing issue. Condon traces the birth of spot-fixing to the 2003 world cup and more shockingly reveals that match-fixing took roots in the English county setup. So what was it that stopped Mr. Condon from revealing this knowledge earlier? Perhaps it was the fear of disgracing the English and that too while clinging on to a high-profile job. This is the reason why many view the ACU as nothing more than a toothless tiger. Any efforts made by them were half-hearted and remained largely fruitless. At the end of the day cricket had to depend on a tabloid sting to punish the culprits and wash away its sins. Yesterday another cricket personality, Vinod Kambli spurted allegations against match fixing. According to him the ’96 India-Sri Lanka World Cup semi-final was fixed. It has now been 15 years since a crying Vinod walked out of Eden Gardens after a humiliating defeat against the Lankans. Why is that he has just now recalled that all was not well with the eventful semi? In his wisdom the match was fixed. Even if I do take his word for it, who was the party involved in the crime? Was it the Godly Sachin, the tongue spinning Sidhu, groomed Manjrekar, flamboyant Jadeja or the Boss Azharuddin? Frankly speaking I don’t find Kambli to be a brave man. For me, the courageous tag goes to Rashid Latif for whom even 15 hours were too much to lay on such a secret. So once again I ask, what was it that forced Kambli to open his mouth 15 years later? Two reasons pop-up in mind here: 1)The Delhi police have been actively investigating some matches allegedly thrown away by South Africans in the year 2000. Grabbing on to this opportunity, Kambli might have wanted to make an early impression. 2)The TRP hungry Indian media can stretch to un-imaginable limits in search for a sizzling controversy. Many will question Kambli’s claim and quite a few would advocate that if he wants to speak out, it should be with full force. All this leaves the game plagued with negativity. Cricket is a game Pakistani’s & Indians alike have cherished since childhood. The players are revered as our hero’s. They are idealized to the point where people not only try to emulate them but also go the extent of worshipping them. When such sour controversies step in from nowhere they not only shatter our pristine image of cricket they also defame our beloved idols. It’s actually quite sad because now even memorable performances come under our suspicion and you wonder whether every six and wicket you once jumped to, may have already been fiddled with. Kapil Dev had rightly wept on television while suggesting to stop cricket till the demon that is fixing was pulled out from its roots. While cricket works hard to rebuild its tarnished image such absurd revelations won’t do any good to a game which is already surviving on shackles. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ashar Zaidi is a sports correspondent at Geo New Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   Imran Khan: The Champion All Rounder Imran Khan is our equalizer. For a long while, he has been Pakistan’s sole beacon of pristine integrity on the international stage. He is a commoner’s compensation to incessant adversity. Post retirement from a magnificent cricketing career which was ordained with unparalleled all round performances, Imran has become the voice and soul for Pakistan's poor, sick and underprivileged. Yet, despite Khan's stellar achievements as a philanthropist and a political activist, it’s his cricketing exploits I wish to discuss. In the very recent past, cricket's premier website, ESPN cricinfo, undertook the monumental task of compiling an all time world eleven. Their task was to assemble a cricket team that combined freakish sporting skills with mind-numbing statistics. Some of the more distinguished former players and revered cricket authors were assigned this dream job. A valid question should be, was it really a Dream Job? Given the complexities involved in short listing eleven men from the list of greatest ever players to play the game it may as well be termed a very tough job. However, to someone like me who was sitting on the other side of the fence it was a dream job indeed. Frankly speaking, the world jury, as they were labeled, came up with a team closest to perfection. I don’t mean to dwell on the jury’s selection criterion and their eventual decision but my only point of contention is Imran’s exclusion from the world eleven. Of course he got an honorable mention in the second eleven chosen by the same jury, yet I believe this was simply not good enough for a once in a lifetime cricketer like Imran. Let me clarify that I pose this argument being as neutral as I can be. Any tinge of bias towards Pakistan is only natural, but my feverish proposal to induct Khan in the all-time playing eleven (and I do not care if the jury had bumped Marshall or Lille out) is based on pertinent reasoning and not bias alone. Imran was a unique, once in a lifetime cricketer. He was a mentor, a coach and a guide to an oft fractious team. Leading a group of men prone to infighting can be a nerve-wracking experience. Khan did it with unmatched serenity. Once, a doomed world cup campaign headed north was rotated 360 degrees east by his electrifying 'cornered tiger's' speech. India, England and Australia were rolled over in the test arena. The then mighty West-Indians were nudged all the way to the finishing line. Test matches contested in the hostile cauldrons of Antigua, Trinidad and Barbados were termed as some of the most epic games played in the modern era. The culmination of this fantastic episode in sport’s leadership annals was the incredible, come from behind world cup triumph in 1992. Imran, the skipper, had risen above all challenges, foreign and domestic. He had taken the best of the opposition teams head on, and pulverized them into submission. Statistically too, he bears little comparison in the history of the game. For a few magical years, he was arguably the greatest fast bowler in the game and a middle order batsman par excellence. In the last fifty one test matches of his illustrious career, Imran averaged a monumental fifty with the bat and a miserly nineteen with the ball. Amongst the four great all round cricketer's of the 1980's (Hadlee, Kapil and Botham being the other three), Imran's career statistics stand out. He ended with a test batting average of 38 and a bowling average of 22. Equally impressive were his one day statistics, averaging 33 with the bat and 26 with the ball. Name me another player in cricket history who can rival all round statistics of such 'bradmanesque' proportions? And then of course, Imran could have been selected into the best cricket team of all-time purely on the basis of his charisma, looks and dignified persona. Tim de Lisle, the famed Wisden editor, once aptly remarked, 'Imran should be made captain of an all-time eleven.' Instead, he was assigned a consolatory position in a second eleven. Quite Reminiscent of an Olympic sprinter denied a gold medal by 0.001 of a second. Label me a biased-zealot or whatever you like; Imran is certainly amongst the top ten cricketers of all time. He is our equalizer; the architect behind many a Pakistani triumph, on the field and off. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Safwan is a graduate from the universities of Manchester and Glamorgan. He is passionate about sports, current affairs and human rights Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   A Stellar Performance vs A Demoralizing Verdict What should have been a golden moment for Pakistani cricket, a moment of change, a ray of hope emerging from a disaster has been ruined. What should have been remembered as a series when Pakistan’s batting came of age and finally started setting targets for bowlers to defend will now be remembered as a series when the guilty verdict came against three Pakistani players on trial in the spot fixing case. All the focus has been lifted from the ongoing Pakistan – Sri Lanka series where Pakistan won the test series over a team ranked 5th in the ICC Test Ranking table. In great position, Pakistan now eyes to win the One-Day series with the return of former skipper Shahid Afridi. This has been a series of wonderful performances by both the batsmen and the bowlers. We have all come to appreciate the bowling abundance that Pakistan posses over time. One after the other, a fast bowling sensation keeps popping up and this series has seen Junaid Khan bamboozle the Sri Lankan batsmen on lifeless tracks. But that is something we have come to expect. What we hadn’t expected was the batting performances that have been put forth. Azhar Ali scored his maiden test century in the series and Taufiq Umar scored the first double century by a Pakistani opener since Amir Sohail crossed that mark back in 1992. All other batsmen have made significant contributions as well and have shown determination and perseverance making Sri Lankan bowlers work hard for wickets and so far they haven’t been able to take 20 wickets in the two completed tests. These are the achievements this series should have ideally been remembered for and the following ODI series for Afridi’s comeback. These should have been the talking points for the media and the public. But now it will be remembered forever for the three players being jailed in England after being found guilty of corruption charges! This must certainly have demoralized the current crop of players who even after playing so well will not get the praise they deserve and will now be playing with the knowledge that the ASCU will be investigating other matches of the past as well and that every move these young players make will be put under the scanner. The verdict could not have come at a worse time than this. Just when you thought Pakistan cricket has risen from its ashes, the fire has been fuelled once again. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Amyn Malik is a Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Spot-Fixing Scandal: Dear Amir… By the time this is published, you would have spent your first night at the Feltham prison with other criminals your age. How did it go? Did you sleep? How did the other criminals treat you? Yes. Criminals…for you committed the grave sin of betraying your nation and cheating the sport of the devout. You should be reprimanded because the nation you belong to has very low tolerance for crime and corruption. We Pakistanis have a strong and commendable track record of tackling corruption and punishing criminals. Not too long ago, we killed two criminal brothers in Sialkot and very often we burn dacoits who try to rob others. Yes, we take crime and punishment very seriously. Your biggest sin was to commit the crime in the UK. UK is pretty strict on crime too. So what if they give political asylum to our noted politicians despite them being proven criminals, murderers and goons. We also reserve the right to curse you, call for your public execution, burn your effigies, make jokes about you and call you names on the media because we have never been involved in the abuse of power, corruption or cheating on the expectations of others. Have you ever heard of a Pakistani who has watched pirated videos, used ‘sources’ to get a job, visa, passport, drivers license or admission in school? No. Thus we have every right to call you a criminal. To hell with your confession! You think it was a gutsy move? Us, Pakistani’s are known for accepting our mistakes, that is, if we make any. We don’t really care if you ran in enthusiastically to bowl every single ball in your career barring those no balls, neither do we care that in the very game you delivered these no balls you also took 6 wickets and celebrated like an ecstatic child. We don’t even remember your last wicket heroics against the Kiwis where you almost won us a game we so desperately wanted to lose. The other clean players in that match wanted to lose so that the captain could be changed but you were the stupid one who continued to fight. We don’t need to remember that you brought us joy and excitement a thousand times before you bowled two no-balls that destroyed the entire sanctity of the game. The game of the devout which you are guilty of betraying is the cleanest in the world of sports. The Indian Premier League is prime example of Cricket being a clean sport. Sharjah cricket and ICL too were as transparent as any sport can be. You are not the first one to go to jail either. Gibbs, Warne, Mark Waugh, Malik, Ata-ur-Rehman, Cronje, Samuel all went to prison. After all, they compromised on the sanctity of the game. The only difference is that they were much younger, naïve and immature than you are and had far less exposure to money, authorities’ pressure and match-fixing mafia. It doesn’t matter if you have been banned for five years by the governing body of the sport because this is not a sports issue. It’s a crime. You can’t deny that every single sportsman previously held for a positive dope test or use of banned substances has gone to prison, be it Shane Warne or Maradona. You can’t even blame the PCB or the Pakistani government for not being with you all through this controversy. They helped you understand the system of match-fixing and provided you with all the necessary equipment to handle the underworld behind match-fixing. The PCB and cricketing authorities did everything possible to protect the best thing that happened to Cricket lately i.e. its brightest young player. The PCB and ICC very well understand the mitigating circumstances where you say your captain tried to corrupt you. They even know off your humble background and the threats you received and choose not to reveal. In all likelihood, these were all lies and stories you fabricated. The fact that you have been sent to Feltham makes it all the more significant. In a few days, skinheads and drug addicts will throw racial slurs at you, call you a ‘Paki Cheat’, ridicule you and you will benefit from it as it will do wonders for your self-esteem. You will learn your lessons and come out of prison as a man more learned and schooled like everyone coming out of Feltham is. You will gain a lot from this imprisonment; therefore, you must take it as a favor from the UK and PCB. You must thank them as Feltham is a great place, known for its congenial environment and sociable crowd. Now that it’s all said and done, when you serve your three punishments; the prison sentence, the 9,000 pounds fine and ICC’s 5 year ban, we will see if you can be welcomed back into cricket and the nation. As I said earlier, we have very high moral values which don’t usually welcome crooks back, but you were never really good enough to be in the team in the first place and totally deserve what you got. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sami is a Dubai based Pakistani looking for excuses to write.     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   A Well- Deserved Punishment Not only as a lawyer possessing some credentials in sports, but also as a cricket fan from the public, I feel it is important that I share my thoughts on this most crucial topic of corruption amongst cricketers or those who control this game. What gives me a certain level of authority to form an opinion on the matter are perhaps my credentials. I was counsel in the country’s Supreme Court about the misdeeds of various former Boards for Cricket in Pakistan; I have also filed civil matters in courts involving the dealing of the PCB; indeed, I was also the counsel on behalf of the PCB in the proceedings before the Special Inquiry Tribunal set up by the Punjab government when the Sri Lankan team came under attack in Lahore. Years ago, I played this game at the national level in Pakistan and indeed internationally and for Oxford University in the county championship. With these preliminary comments, let me come straight to the point about corruption and court sentences. The fundamental point to be kept in mind is that when we speak of sentencing the crooks in any game or sport, it is really difficult to prove in a court of law the crooked conduct in question. The ICC established its first ant corruption unit in 2000. Lord Condon, the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, was the first head of the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit when it was well set up in that year following the match-fixing scandal surrounding the then South African captain Hansie Cronje. Sir Paul Condon had unique qualifications for this job being a police chief in London plus having experience of the game. Former International Cricket Council anti-corruption cricket unit believes countries who fail to control their players should be banned from international cricket. I feel that this is the essential foundation for achieving the goals of getting rid of the crooked elements from this game. But I would go a step ahead by suggesting that the Cricket Board officials who fail to take timely action must also be punished under statutory criminal offences. I may quote Condon who was speaking candidly in the wake of the jailing of three Pakistan players found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. He said: 'The ICC has to give out the harshest sentences it can.' Adding to it, he said, 'The ICC must get tougher. This is a big wake-up call. Cricket is at a credibility crossroads.' Moreover he asserted,'The ICC and national boards have to be tough and, if they are not, they have to face the consequences. ' As he continued in the same vein, he said 'I am like a lot of people.' Condon added, ' [in that] the lifetime ban is something I would like to see. You want to see the ICC being pro-active but, unless there is really strong evidence there was something involving the whole team, it would be really difficult to do(ban the country) How does one prove that the whole team be banned? As a lawyer, I realize the difficulty of establishing this burden. As such I strongly advocate that it be made a condition of becoming a Member of the ICC that every member country has domestic statutory authority to send guilty officials to jail. Quoting Lord Condon who continued,'They deserved the sentences they got. I have mixed reactions - sadness but I'm not surprised. They betrayed their country and millions of people around the world who love cricket.' I personally praise 'the News of the World' newspaper for their involvement in catching Butt, Asif and Amir, against whom the ICC also took action in February by banning them for five years. For ensuring the purity of the game, I feel that in addition to these punishments, punitive action is warranted against the PCB including the then chairman, who was largely instrumental in bringing this noble game into disrepute within Pakistan. Conclusively, what seems more obvious to everyone including myself is that there is nothing more than the fear of being actually caught that acts as a "deterrent" to the crooks of this game. And only such punitive measures against the guilty, brought to light, can help in keeping the evil in those, who may feel inclined to fall for the shallow monetary benefits, in check. ============================================== The writer is a former national cricketer, Barrister at Law (UK &US), Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, (QC) and four times Advisor to Pakistan’s Premier on International Affairs, Special UN Ambassador for Family, International Ambassador to UN for the Aged, Professor, Harvard. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Better Late than Never-on the Spot Fixing Case Finally, after a twenty days trial, the justice seems to have been served. The news of the jail sentence awarded to the trio has not only blazed all the channels but has also become a hot and staple topic of every next person’s discussion today. With Salman Butt awarded the strictest sentence of two and a half months jail, Mohammad Asif, one and a half month and Mohammad Amir, six months on pleading guilty before his partners in crime, the entire episode has set a new landmark, unfortunately not very glorious one, in the annals of the cricket world. Remember the 4th test match between England and Pakistan, at the home of cricket: Lords? Pakistan had an abysmal bowling session with England’s tail enders helping them amass a total exceeding 400. They ended up losing the match by more than an innings and conceding the series to England. As if the result was not humiliating enough, the tabloids following this match exposed three of the team’s most important players: Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir, as being involved in spot fixing. There on began the saga of this controversy that came to an embarrassing and devastating end today. It initially began as an ICC investigation in which all three players were suspended and this essentially ended Asif and Butt’s career but still provided a lifeline for Aamir. The cricketing world mourned and expressed their sadness on this fact and the Pakistani cricket team was left devastated not only due to the humiliation but due to the loss of three of the team’s most important assets, including former skipper Salman Butt. On November the 1st, the three players under court prosecution were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments. They now face prolonged sentences in prison. Even though both Butt and Asif pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, they have been found guilty by the English courts. Muhammad Aamir who pleaded guilty in an earlier court hearing pleaded that this was the only time it had happened but the judge rejected his claims and he was found guilty. Not only has this conspiracy and the decision finished the careers of Asif and Butt, it has also tainted the career of Muhammad Aamir who at the young age of 18 was tipped to be one of the greatest bowlers of his generation. I admit that they were wrong, and whether they admit it or not, they know they were wrong too. I have never been a big fan of Asif or Butt and think they deserved what they got. Aamir on the other hand was young and naive; he did not know what he was getting into. He was deceived by those on whom he should have been able to rely upon and in doing just that he might just have ended his cricketing career. When giving out their bans and sentences, the ICC and jury should have realized that Aamir was at a fallible and naive age but instead of protecting him they treated him very harshly. A punishment was due, but should not have been so harsh. Former Pakistani captain Imran Khan said that most players are involved in spot-fixing in their careers. He did not say that this is correct but he asked for there to be proper justice and investigations before convicting all players involved in this malpractice. Indian cricket too, is notorious for its gambling mafia and has been involved in many fixing controversies but I wonder why those were never brought to the forefront. (Maybe because a certain country is ruling the ICC.) All in all, November 3rd is a sad day for Pakistani cricket, as if it needed another. We are tainted once again in international headlines and our players are seen as corrupt, immoral and decadent. It is true that Pakistani cricket may never be the same and that the outcome of the world cup may have been different had this never happened but no matter how many conspiracy theories exist, the fact of the matter is that it happened and we have lost three of our best players due to their infallibility. We have however bounced back from much worse, and lets hope that this doesn’t kill our morale; and no matter what let’s never stop supporting our team. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rohail is student at LUMS pursuing a degree in sociology and anthropology. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Guilty as Charged- The Spot Fixing Case Never ever has a trial involving three leading cricketers received so much publicity than the recently concluded cricket corruption trial in England. The reason being that the gentleman’s game was dealt such a heavy blow by Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamir that it may never recover from the shock and its aftershocks. The news has taken the entire world and especially Pakistan by shock, and no matter how much the thrill gradient about the entire episode might be, it has certainly brought our country a great deal of humiliation. It all began when these three cricketers were found guilty of being involved in spot fixing, a way of fixing part of the match without having any effect cast on the result. The Pakistani’s all around the world blamed the British media for the biased reporting but this was the first ever time they were actually right. Salman Butt had made Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir deliver deliberate no-balls so that they could make some money out of their livelihood. They failed to realize that not only is Allah watching them but also doing something illegal always has its due repercussions. It was Salman Butt’s overconfidence, Mohammad Asif’s ability to attract trouble and Mohammad Aamir’s farm-boy innocence that got them trialed and sentenced. Banned by the International Cricket Council, hated by the cricket community around the world and loathed by those who loved the game, Salman Butt accepted a local channel’s offer to become a cricket expert, Mohammad Asif got himself married to a girl whose name was not Veena Malik, whereas Mohammad Aamir decided to help the Crown Prosecution Service in England by pleading guilty. The players were then asked to come to England to face the court in October 2011, more than a year after the Lord’s test where they sold the game. Salman Butt, who was warned by the ICC over his commentary contract, tried as many as three lawyers before finding the right one in England and began his defense separately, like Mohammad Asif. Both were found guilty after a 20-odd day long trial in which the Prosecution used points highlighted by Mohammad Aamir to trap his ex-teammates. Mazhar Majeed, the man behind the Spot Fixing scheme also appeared in court and finally, the ‘spot fixing team was charged for crimes they undeniably committed. Mazhar Majeed received the most severe sentence of 2 years and 8 months in jail; Salman has got 30 months of jail whereas Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir managed to get away with 1 year and 6 month jail term. They all were fined hefty amounts as well, to set an example for all those who either want to make cricketers fix matches or think they are smart enough to avoid the nemesis of their illicit and shameful actions. Why? Because that’s what Salman Butt and his band of brothers may have thought as well. All they got was humiliation, shame and jail terms in an alien country. The unfortunate fact however is, the shame is not restricted to them only but has trickled down to their families and sadly to their motherland as well.     [34] Comments               Post Your Commets   An Open Letter To Zaka Ashraf Dear Mr. Ashraf, I am one of those people who were pleased by your appointment as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board last month by the Patron In Chief, President Asif Ali Zardari. You have now idea how many people look up to you now for the restoration of Pakistan's image as a cricket playing nation and also as a safe haven for visiting teams. Every person who takes up a job has a set of guidelines to follow, yet you have a set of guidelines that you shouldn’t follow, because following them made your predecessor Ejaz Butt the enemy number one - both at home and abroad. Be it the mishandling of the security arrangements in Lahore in March 2009 or his outburst against the English cricketers, Ejaz Butt was the worst administrator ever witnessed by any organization anywhere in the world. People do credit him for breaking the player-power but I disagree since player-power can return anytime. Just last week, players like Mohammad Hafeez, Umer Gul and Wahab Riaz dropped simple catches off the bowling of Junaid Khan in Abu Dhabi, signaling the revival of player-power. They didn’t want Junaid to succeed but he did, without the help of the fielders. Similarly, Ejaz Butt ruined the careers of Mohammad Yousuf who in 2007 was the best batsman in the world, yet in 2010 was not even in the national side. He also halted Danish Kaneria's ascent as the best spinner produced by Pakistan ever by labeling him a cheat, and also ousted Shahid Afridi just months before his end of term. I am sure that you will provide justice to these players and help Pakistan become one of the leading test and limited overs playing side in the world by using common sense, something that your predecessor lacked. I am sure players will also remember you as a man of principles and no one would be able to criticize the board like Shoaib Akhtar who did so in his autobiography Controversially Yours. I also hope that by staying away from the players, you will begin a new era where administrators will do their work and let the cricket be played by those who are experts in their field. I wish you the best of luck for future endeavors. Sincerely Yours Omair Alavi --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.) Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Afridi is Back! Or is he? As was expected with the change in the PCB management, Shahid Afridi has taken his call for retirement back and will be available to represent Pakistan in the shorter versions of the game. Afridi, who led Pakistan to the semi-final of the World Cup 2011, had earlier announced that he will not play under the chairmanship of Ijaz Butt after a much publicized spat with the chairman and the then coach, Waqar Younus. But with their exit, Afridi announced his comeback today at the Karachi University Sports ceremony that he attended as Chief Guest. "I took the decision not to play under the previous board on principle and still stand by it. Now, the management has changed. I learned that the new PCB chairman is very professional and I believe he can handle the PCB's functioning in a similar fashion to the way he has worked in the cooperate sector." Afridi is a very dynamic cricketer and one of the few names in world cricket that fill stadiums. Enigma is the only word that comes to mind when describing him. No one knows what’s going through his brain; instinctive is the way he plays and is as capable of crushing oppositions in an instant as the spirit of his own team. Fans around the world would be delighted to hear of his comeback but according to our esteemed Interim Chief Selector he is not an automatic choice in the team. I choose to differ with this view. Not only does Afridi deserve to be in the team but he was and still is the best choice to lead Pakistan cricket in the shorter forms. Misbah ul Haq has done well in the short time he has had at the helm but is on the wrong side of thirty and very near retirement. He has to make way for a younger player soon, hence cannot seriously be a long term captain. This is where Afridi comes in. Afridi’s presence in the team gives the much needed aggression at the death and also gives the team the cushion of an extra bowling option. He is a frontline bowler and a wicket-taker at that. He has already shown that he is a capable captain who has the respect of his team and is willing to back his players through thick and thin. Captaining the Pakistani team is one of the toughest jobs that one can ask for. During his tenure as captain, Afridi was the only captain in world cricket who was appointed on a series by series basis and didn’t complain about it. The team gelled well under him and the result showed on the field, although off it Pakistan was going through a round patch of controversies. I am taking nothing away from Misbah here. Misbah has led the team just as well but it is his age (and fitness) that worries me. This is why I would prefer to see Afridi leading the ODI and T20 side as we prepare for the World Cup 2015. A man who should have been cherished and treated as a hero was, like many others before him, unceremoniously removed and forced into retirement by the incompetent board that was ‘looking after the interest’ of Pakistani cricket. I hope the current board realizes what Afridi brings to the table and treats him well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Amyn Malik is a Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   To Play or Not to Play Indian Premier League – the tournament that revamped the game of cricket; that helped Twenty20 become more popular than one day international and that made players from different nations to play as a team is once again in the news. For the fourth time in as many years, the question has come up once again regarding the participation of Pakistani players. Who can forget the brilliant performance of Sohail Tanvir for Rajasthan Royals in the first edition? Shoaib Akhtar undoubtedly delivered the best performance of the inaugural edition, yet no one remembers him. Shahid Afridi didn’t live up to his expectations yet after his World Cup-winning performance in 2009, he was destined to become the highest paid player of the second edition of IPL. But that didn’t happen and when the time came, all the franchises unanimously decided against going for Pakistani players as if they were directly responsible for the Mumbai Attacks. So the question once again is looking for an answer – should the Pakistani players go for Indian Premier League if the league decides to go for them. Yes, because the league will benefit from their presence, just like the rebel Indian Cricket League did from the participation of Lahore Badshahs. Yes, because then people in Pakistan will eagerly watch the matches and pray for their players. Yes, because then Pakistan and India will come closer on all fronts like the entertainment and trade industry. But there are reasons for Pakistani players not to go for the League. First of all, they are far better than players like Kieron Pollard and Co. who are bits and pieces cricketers, yet are paid as if they are the reincarnation of Vivian Richards and Garry Sobers. They demand respect and no country – be it the cash-rich India or Australia – has the right to insult them by not opting for them. I am sure that most of Pakistani viewers would agree that without Pakistani players, IPL is nothing more than an Indian event and they will not follow it because it deserves not to be followed. Although, the chairman of Indian Premier League Rajiv Shukla told Geo News that nothing is final as to the participation of Pakistani players, my question is … why did it come to this! Pakistani players are equal if not better than their Indian counterparts in every aspect, and we shouldn’t let others be the judge of their worth! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.) Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   End of a Nightmare Finally, one of the worst chapters of Pakistani cricket came to an end as Ijaz Butt was removed as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. An official announcement is still awaited but it is understood that President Asif Ali Zardari has already decided on Butt’s successor. Ijaz Butt’s tyrannical rule started in October 2008 and was shrouded in controversy as Pakistani cricket hit rock bottom. The armed attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore followed by Pakistan’s isolation from international cricket was just a start. No team deems it secure to visit Pakistan to date. As a result we also lost out as co-host of the ICC World Cup 2011. Then, there were spot fixing scandals during England’s tour last year that led to bans on three Pakistani cricketers, two of whom could have led us to the number 1 ranking in world cricket. In the aftermath of these scandals, Butt made some ill-advised accusations against the English team. This ensured Pakistan lost one of the few friends it had in the ECB. Lastly, there were much publicized clashes with current players especially Shahid Afridi. There were some high points however, as Pakistan won the T20 World Cup in 2009 and reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2010 and ODI World Cup in 2011. Pakistan’s on the field performances improved during this time and this included a Test victory over Australia after a span of 15 years. Younger players were introduced and some of them have succeeded and will form the backbone of Pakistani cricket in the years to come. Overall however, Butt’s term marked such a low point in Pakistani cricket that its memories are bound to haunt us for generations to come. Butt’s replacement is another political appointee; Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf. He is the president of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd. (on extension as his term expired in September 2011) and a very close confidante of Patron of the board, President Asif Ali Zardari. Apart from being a top banker, he is also the Co-Chairman of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Punjab division and a member of the Central Executive Committee of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party. Zaka Ashraf has already made tall claims in front of the media regarding his plans for the PCB: "I will work day and night to live up to President Zardari's confidence. My top priority will be to improve Pakistan's cricket image and stop bookies and match-fixers. "People in both Pakistan and India love cricket so I will try to resume ties." One would hope his term doesn’t turn out to be as disastrous as his predecessor’s and that he is able to live up to these claims. My only concern is that he has no experience in cricket management! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Amyn Malik is a Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shoaib Akhtar: Negligibly Yours Last weekend, the sporting world had been abuzz with stories and controversies about Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s autobiography, Controversially Yours. The book has made a lot of claims that are startling and have surprised the entire sporting world. It has gained a lot of attention in the sub-continent and has managed to bring retired Rawalpindi Express back into the limelight. The content of the book leads one to think, if this is what Shoaib wanted all along; the attention that he is getting right now. Throughout his career, Shoaib has been a walking, talking, high speeding controversy. From multiple doping charges, to ball tampering allegations; from sexually transmitted diseases to lashing out against his own cricket board, he acts like a magnet to all possible controversies. His new autobiography supports this very view itself. There is nothing wrong with a person speaking their mind or having a final word on what they have been through, but some of the facts that he states were the kind that were bound to bite back at him. For one, Shoaib claims that arguably the greatest batsmen and holder of almost all batting records, Sachin Tedulkar, is scared of his bowling. We can all agree that Shoaib is fast, in fact he is the fastest known bowler in the world, but to claim that a batsman of Tendulkar’s standards is afraid of him is committing cricketing blasphemy. This has caused uproar in India and very rightfully so. He claims that a bouncer he once bowled didn’t even touch Sachin yet he walked off because he was too scared before him. Sachin is renowned for his gentlemanly temperament in which he does not wait for the umpire to give the decision if he has nicked the ball. To claim that he walked away because he was scared is just spitting in the face of the respect that the great man shows his opponents during the game. After stating this he even goes on to say that Sachin and Dravid do not know how to win games. To counter that, Shoaib needs to be shown their batting records and consider the fact that they have lasted so long in the international arena because they know how to win games; Dravid is called The Wall for a reason. His game winning and never-give-up temperament is unmatched to others cricketers. Furthermore, the speedster goes on to criticize Wasim Akram for being a bad captain and forcing him out of the team. Shoaib is a good player, but Wasim, is a great player; a legend. He might have his share of flaws, but he was a man of character, and is respected throughout the country for not only the acclaim that he brought to Pakistan but also because he was a good human being. I don’t know how much of it is true, but Shoaib’s claims that Wasim threatened to walk out with half the team if Shoaib were selected seem unfounded. It is said Dr Nasim Ashraf, then Chairman of PCB supported Shoaib over Wasim but how much truth this news has is hard to say. If untrue, it would be appalling to know that Shoaib would go to such extents to be in the limelight. When Shoaib retired, it was an emotional moment for Pakistani cricket. He didn’t bow out in the greatest of fashions but he was surely going to be missed. His constant need for attention however, might tarnish his reputation or do the opposite and catapult it to stardom. All this remains to seen but barring the better parts of this negligible memoir it just goes to show Akhtar’s longing desire to gain attention, and that it has done; congratulations Shoaib! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rohail is a LUMS student studying sociology and anthropology. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [35] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shoaib Akhtar's Bouncer After a career packed with sensations and happenings, Shoaib Akhtar, renowned as the world’s fastest bowler, has again thrown a bouncer indeed. Interestingly, this out-of-field bouncer is not aimed at any batsman but towards his very own former team mate Ex-Captain Wasim Akram. Shoaib Akhtar, revealed in his auto-biography that Wasim Akram had attempted to destroy his career! He had threatened that he along with half the team members would break away from the team if Shoaib Akhtar were selected for it. Wasim Akram has been accused of destroying his fellows’ careers in the past as well. Jawed Miandad, Aqib Jawed , Atta-ur-Rehman and Waqar Younis have also been victimized by his reverse swings. Surely, Wasim Akram will deny the credibility of Shoaib Akhtar’s accusations, however since the famous above mentioned cricketers have also made such accusations against him , it can then be said that daal main zaroor kuch kala hay. Shoaib Akhtar mentioned that Tauqeer Zia as opposed to Wasim Akram, supported him tremendously. However, Tauqeer Zia had also fully supported his son Junaid Zia but sadly he wasn’t even successful in the club cricket let alone the International one. Shoaib akhtar confessing of ball tempering asserts that it should be allowed in the game. He also refuses to acknowledge Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar as match-winning cricketers. Shoaib Akhtar also mentions in his auto biography that Shahrukh Khan and Lalit Modi had deceived him. On several instances, ex- speed star had also clean bowled Tendulkar after giving him a really tough time . There’s no cricketer, including Sachin, who has not become a victim of his electric-fast balls. In a very short of time, he got himself recognized as world’s fastest bowler, however because of his involvement in certain relevant and irrelevant issues he himself destroyed his own career in an equally brief span of time. Now that he has come forth with his autobiography, many other clandestine secrets will be unveiled. As the excerpts of the book will be previewed, there will be as much sensation and turbulence across the cricket world as it used to be in the opposite team players and crowd facing Shoaib Akhtar. How do you think Shoaib Akhtar’s revealations are important at this point of time? Is it that any sensational revelations are a promotional tactic to sell a forthcoming book? Has Shoaib Akhtar’s confession of ball tempering gotten Pakistani team stuck in another controversy? (Translated) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fazil Jamili is the Editor, Web Division Jang Group Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   End of the Ponting era? There used to be a time when the first name written down in the Australian batting order was of Ricky ‘Punter’ Ponting at No. 3 and then the rest of the slots were filled. At one time he used to be the most feared batsman in the game to walk in at number 3, leaving bowlers and captains holding their heads in their hands. He would dismiss deliveries from his presence with disdain; a king of the batting world. He would pull anything short or driving anything full towards the boundary. But, alas, that time has passed. He is no longer a young player without fear but is approaching (and some even say is past) retirement age. The reflexes have slowed down and he is no longer the force he used to be. The mind is still at work but the body is not responding as it should and that shows up on the scorecard. He has failed to reach three figures in the test arena for over a year now. And today he lost the coveted number 3 spot to Shaun Marsh. Marsh took over the responsibility of coming one down in the second test match between Sri Lanka and Australia as Ponting was home attending the birth of his second child and scored a magnificent hundred. And that perhaps persuaded the management having one eye on the future to retain him at that spot, although Ponting is back for the third test. This marks the end of an era and is a sad day for cricket. Ponting was a majestic sight to behold for any cricket fan. His batting was easy on the eye and left one in awe. He became only the third Australian cricketer to have gone past the mark of 10,000 runs in test cricket after Border and Waugh and then overtook them as country’s leading run scorer. He is the most successful cricketer to ever play test cricket with 100 wins to his name and is the most successful captain to ever lead a test side. His ODI record is illustrious as well. But reputation counts for little when it comes to selection of the Australian team. Selectors are ruthless as former greats have found out. Ponting hasn’t been piling up scores of late and has looked a shadow of his former self. And today, a statement has been made. The best batsman of the side usually bats at number 3. Ponting is no longer regarded as the best batsman in the Australian lineup and has been told that in no uncertain terms! He has expressed his desire to play on but I think he should reconsider. It is always good to leave on a high rather than wait till the last nail has been hammered into your coffin. Dr. Amyn Malik is a Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010.     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Why do we need a Coach? After the resignation of Waqar Younis, PCB is now in trouble whether to choose a foreign coach or a local one for the team. PCB made a dedicated committee based on former Pakistani captains Intikhab Alamm, Zaheer Abbas and former Test wicketkeeper Col (retd) Naushad Ali without analyzing if they need a coach at this level and time? If yes, than that means there are serious problems in cricket structure on the domestic level. When a player is chosen for an international team out of 16 curore population, it means you have surely selected the best, and what we expect from is that he gives his best and not learn cricket while staying in the team. It’s a great idea to hire a foreign coach but not for international team. There should a proper coach from the ground level not only to help them improve their cricket-skills but also to teach them how to maintain discipline, how to interact with media, how to respect you seniors and moreover how to maintain one’s health and fitness. It should be a sure thing that when players come to international team from the domestic level they are well aware of rules and regulation. I must say that before hiring a new coach for the International team, we have to look at the history of coaches for Pakistani team, which clearly shows that none stayed with us for more than 3 years · Sept 1998: Legendary former captain Javed Miandad takes over from Haroon Rasheed, a former middle-order batsman. · April 1999: Miandad resigns after falling out with senior players and is replaced by former captain Mushtaq Mohammad for the 1999 World Cup. · Aug 1999: Mushtaq sacked after the World Cup. Wasim Raja, a former allrounder, steps in. · Nov 1999: English-born Richard Pybus becomes Pakistan's first foreign coach. · Dec 1999: Intikhab Alam takes over after Pybus is axed following Pakistan's 3-0 rout in a Test series in Australia. · Mar 2000: Miandad replaces Intikhab after Pakistan lost home series to Sri Lanka. · April 2001: Miandad sacked after Pakistan's tour of New Zealand and is replaced by Pybus. · Sept 2001: Pybus refuses to come to Pakistan for security reasons after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and Mudassar Nazar takes over. · Sept 2002: Mudassar summoned home midway through ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and Pybus returns for a third stint. · March 2003: Pybus says he does not want to stay on after Pakistan were knocked out in the first round of the World Cup held in South Africa. Miandad returns as coach. · June 2004: Miandad sacked after Pakistan lost one-day and Test series against Indiaat home. · July 2004: Former England batsman Bob Woolmer takes over. · March 2007: Woolmer dies in his Jamaica hotel room hours after Pakistan crash out in the first round of the World Cup in the West Indies. · July 2007: Lawson appointed as coach. · October 2008: Lawson sacked over poor results. Intikhab Alam appointed for three-day series against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi. This I suppose is self-explanatory. What do you think? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is haroon aejaz and i am online entrepreneur with SEO and SEM skills Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Poor Pitch’, really? Dr. Amyn Malik With the introductions of protective gears and laws that favor batsmen over the years, bowlers have been all but weeded out of the game. They cannot be banned from the stadium altogether as having a bowling unit is a necessary evil for the game to be played but officials have tried making sure that bowlers are rendered helpless by placing all sorts of restrictions on them. As far as the officials are concerned, bowlers just need to turn up and be smacked all around the park for it to make an interesting encounter. Big scores mean good matches. The phrase ‘balance between bat and ball’ is meaningless to them. Amidst this stepdaughter treatment at the hands of these guardians of the game, bowlers have always found a way to leave their mark on the game. Tricks like reverse swings and doosra have been developed to bamboozle the batsmen. But in the last few years, there has been another attack on the bowlers with the introduction of warnings, fines and bans on stadiums for poor pitches by the ICC. The definition of a poor pitch is the one that assists bowlers too much, in essence. Pitches that are totally dead and on which tons of runs are not even blinked at but God forbid if wickets start falling in heaps, eyebrows are raised in an instant. Example of this is the explanation asked for the Galle pitch used for the 1st test between Sri Lanka and Australia by the ICC. It has been called poor. Although wickets fell in a heap on the 2nd day and bowlers got some help from the pitch but it made for a compelling contest. Fast bowlers, medium pacers and spinners were helped alike and as Hussey, Clarke, Jayawardena and Mathews showed during their endeavors at the wicket that if you were willing to dig in and had the requisite set of skills, you could prosper. It was a pitch that provided a balanced contest. It wasn’t a dustbowl nor was it a featherbed like the Colombo SSC pitch during Sri Lanka-India match last year where both teams ended up making scores in the neighborhood of seven hundred in the first innings leading to a boring draw. This was a pitch that kept the spectators interested and rewarded the players for their skills, accordingly. Calling it a poor pitch is simply killing the game as I see it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Amyn Malik: Research Associate at IRD (Interactive Research and Development) and an AKU graduate of Class of 2010. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organization's stance on the subject.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   A Different Agenda – Talking sparkplugs, politics, and girls with Moin Khan By Maria Kari Physically, Moin Khan fits the archetypal Marlon Brandon-esque, leather jacket wearing, Triumph motorcycle riding rebel. But once he starts talking this biker-rebel archetype gets confused and replaced with that of a concerned nationalist slash nonchalant, down to earth guy looking to uphold the continuum between his dual American-Pakistani identities. I caught up with Khan when he landed in New York, having just ended the first leg of a journey that will continue on till the end of this year. As he hovered at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, waiting for a flight to take him across the pond to London, he let me in on what is public along with the undisclosed, unpublished details of what is quickly becoming recognized as a global and unprecedented adventure. On July 10th, Khan embarked from the Golden Gate Bridge in his city of San Francisco on a 25, 000 mile journey that will take him around the world, back to his hometown of Lahore, Pakistan. Now, nearly two months into his journey, Khan’s clocked 6300 miles on an odometer designed to collect that amount in a couple of years. He’s touched both the western and eastern coasts of North America – traversing both the US and Canada – with 110 pounds in addition to his own body weight. He’s done all this on a 2002 Honda CBR600 F4i - a small, quick sport bike built for racetrack racing. And, with half his journey remaining, once his bike’s shipped to Germany in mid-September, Khan will pick up where he’s left off, climbing down the Euro-Asia landscape towards Lahore. Just what compelled this 24 year old recent San Francisco State University grad to leave a comfy, well-paying position at a San Mateo start-up? “It was not just one thing” which spurred him into action, Khan says. “Everything feels like it’s going down the drain [back home]. In the last 6 years [abroad] I haven’t read one positive thing about Pakistan. Personally we [Pakistanis] know the good things” adding as a poignant example, “Coke Studio is doing a brilliant job – I have friends here I share links with and they love it – but Laal Masjid, to Zardari in power, to match-fixing, to suicide attacks - I haven’t seen one positive thing in the news”. But during his epic, solo journey, Khan isn’t just suffering from delusions of grandiosity. Instead, he recognizes the complexities of singlehandedly addressing the far too many negative impressions of Pakistan aired in front of a global audience in this year alone. “I wasn’t thinking it would be me. I wasn’t planning on this. All I was thinking: there has to be one thing - from such a large population - there has to be one person, one thing, that one time”. And for Khan, making amends and the patching up of reputations is a two-way street. “I’m not just doing this for a better image of Pakistan. There exists a degree of hatred [for some] towards America and the West [back home] and I want to set it straight.” This is why Khan, despite travelling up to twelve hours a day, video updates the thousands who are following his journey. By cataloguing encounters with absolute strangers who have along the way bestowed Khan with simple, unconditional acts of kindness, he showcases a North America that holds true to its image as bastion of hope and diversity. Whether it’s a family providing room and board for the night or a couple guiding an absolute stranger towards the Montana/Alberta border (by personally driving in front of him) for Khan these acts of generosity are not just one-dimensional, one-off experiences. “Everyone is so busy. You would think no one does these things,” Khan tells me noting that these encounters have made him “a lot more open and accepting…it’s not about a free night, free meal, it’s about taking a stranger into your home and letting them sit at your dining table…and I want to tell Pakistanis and those in the West this”. Born and raised in Lahore, in 2005 Khan moved to start university in San Francisco, just days after graduating high school. “In my family there is no planning – the way I came to the US was just a week before with my dad saying ‘here’s your ticket to America’.” Following Khan’s clues of his and his family’s impulsive aversion to planning, I start better understanding why this man crazily enough left everything and stepped out with no fixed place to stay at night, no GPS, minimal map-reading skills, a bike which tried to quit in Chicago and Seattle (but so far is forced into submission), and savings that are facing unexpected blows (Khan had not anticipated just how much water he’d be consuming daily and is now averaging $10 a day on water bottles). This nonchalant impulsiveness also explains Khan’s mode of transportation. During our interview he receives an email from the shipping company responsible for transporting his beloved sport bike, upon which the journey is contingent, across the Atlantic, causing me to wonder out loud how an affair with motorbikes began for a relatively preppy business student. “I was eleven when a carpenter came for woodwork estimates to our house. He forgot his key in the ignition, so I stole it and went all over Lahore until it ran out of gas, at which point I just left it somewhere and walked back” Khan tells me. (Feeling a little alarmed for the bicharah carpenter I’m told that Khan’s mother ended up driving him out to his bike). This young love continued to grow. When his kari saab would visit for Qu’ran lessons he “I would negotiate and would hold the keys while read[ing] the Qu’ran” after which the kari saab would permit a ride on his motorbike. Now that he’s finally gotten the bike, journey, and open road of his dreams, what will five months on the road look like, I ask. “I’m not a tourist. I hate sightseeing and all the famous things everyone wants to see. When I get off the bike I’m really tired,” he tells me. After a day on the road it seems that all energy is directed into food, social media updates, and sleep. But hours of solitude on a stretch of road – doesn’t that do all sorts of things to one’s mind? Even for a self-described positive guy who strongly adheres to the concept of maktub (‘it is all written’). Khan claims to tell me what he has told no one. “It’s really weird…I’m so excited when I am riding every day that I am just screaming in my helmet…I’ll just start singing the loudest I can” he laughs. What’s he singing (for the inquisitive minds out there)? Well, his playlist seems to be itemized from random to random with Pakistan’s cricket world cup anthem ‘Jazba-e-Junoon’ to Tupac’s ‘California Love’. At this point, I realize I’ve kept Khan talking for just under an hour – on what is his first day off since his journey began. Since he’s clearly too polite and chivalrous to remind me of our 20-minute-chat pact, I decide to pry and ask just how he’s responding to all the inevitable female attention that comes with being a social-activist-cum-world-touring-biker. I’m met with a fit of laughter and an awkward pause after which I’m told that “there is nothing like that, no crazy fans…just a lot of emails from different parts of the world with people telling me what I’m doing is inspiring and they want to do the same”. And, is that something he’s okay with, I ask - to which I’m met with a humble “I’m just one guy. I know I can’t change the whole country. But maybe if I can ignite a spark in five people, and they can inspire ten more - well, that’s how fires spread.” Follow Moin Khan’s journey here. Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organisation's stance on the subject.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   The International Face of Pakistan by Omair Alavi Pakistani sportsmen have done well whenever they have been given a chance at the international level. However, there have been some Pakistanis who have done well when they have been given chances to represent other nations. Amir Khan is probably the most recognized international athlete of Pakistani descent. Not only does he visit his native country but also wears the national colours when he is fighting the best boxers in the world. He may be an English professional boxer, but whenever he wins, he terms it as a win for his native and adopted country – Pakistan and England. He is currently the unified IBF and WBA World Light Welterweight Champion, and had the distinction of becoming the youngest British world champions ever, winning the WBA world title, aged only 22 Haroon Iqbal Khan is Amir Khan’s brother and also a British boxer of Pakistani origin. When he was not selected to represent his adopted country for the Commonwealth Games last year, he chose to represent Pakistan and managed to bag the bronze medal. Sajid Mehmood is an English cricketer who is related to Amir Khan and Haroon Iqbal. Born in England, he represented England in 8 Tests and 26 one dayers, taking as many as 20 Test wickets and 30 wickets in one day internationals. Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja is a talented cricketer who represented Australia despite being born in Pakistan. He holds the record of being awarded player of the Australian Under 19 Championship in 2005 despite not being a born Australian, and managed to play Test cricket when captain Ricky Ponting sustained injury and was ruled out of an Ashes Test in 2010-11. Owais Shah is one of the few players who have done well when given the chance. Born in Karachi in 1978, he migrated to England in the 80s and represented England in all forms of the game. Between 2001 and 2009, he played 71 ODIs, 17 Twenty20 Internationals as well as 6 tests. He has scored a century for his adopted country in one dayers where he has scored 1834 runs with the help of 12 fifties as well. Ajmal Shahzad is currently a member of the English cricket team and has represented his adopted country in all forms of the game. He holds the distinction of being the only bowler to take wickets in his first over in both Twenty20 internationals as well as one dayers. Adil Rashid is a leg spinner who graduated from England Under-19s to the senior team. He is a useful batsman as well and although he has taken 3 wickets in his 5 one day appearances, he has the potential to do more. Despite being talented and a match winner, Kabir Ali is not in the English side. He has represented England in Test cricket and one dayers, and hopes to make a comeback in the national side. Aftab Habib is a former English cricketer who represented England in 2 tests and later on went to coach the national team of Hong Kong. Usman Afzaal also played 3 matches for England in 2001. For his consistent performance in the domestic circuit, he was awarded the Denis Compton Award in 1996. Pakistanis have also done well in other sports. Rameez Junaid is an Australian Tennis player of Pakistani descent who has been representing his adopted country for the past 5 years. Rameez is one of the top 100 players double's player in the world and has also played doubles with Pakistan's Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi in 2007. Carla Khan is the first and so far only woman from the Khan Dynasty to play international squash. She is the granddaughter of former British Open champion Azam Khan and has won as many as five international titles so far. And last, but not the least, Zia Mahmood represent America in bridge and ranks number 10 among Open World Grand Masters. He is a World Bridge Federation and American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master and is regarded as one of the greatest players of the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.) Disclaimer: All views/opinions expressed in this blog don't necessarily reflect the organisation's stance on the subject.     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Contenders to Manchester United by Rumman Islam With Manchester United securing their 4th league crown in 5 years in May, it is up to the rest of the title contenders to knock the Old Trafford Giants off their perch in the new 2011/12 season. Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are all major challengers to become champions of the Barclays Premier League for the latest campaign. Traditional Top Guns: Arsenal- It is a season of reckoning for Arsenal after six consecutive years without a trophy. Fans are getting restless and the often-heard chant of “In Arsene we trust” seems to be dissipating fast. Fans and neutrals have both started doubting Wenger’s conservative policy of purchasing raw low-cost youngsters who lack the experience to instill thrust in the team. What’s more is that the future of the club’s two prized assets hangs in the balance. Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have both made it clear that they want to leave and are likely to follow left-back Gael Clichy- who joined Manchester City this summer- to the exit door. Fabregas, who for the last 4 years has been pulling the strings since the departure of Thierry Henry and who even signed an unusually lengthy 8-year contract in 2006 is clearly home-sick and the club finally seems to have given in to his long-running demand to rejoin his home club FC Barcelona. Nasri has been open about his desire to leave in order to fulfill his ambitions and be at a club where he’s winning trophies. The French midfielder has reportedly rejected an attractive new contract which runs out next year and has been strongly linked with both Manchester Clubs. It is still unclear whether Arsenal will cash in on him or see him play one more year and leave in 2012 for free. On the plus side, it wouldn’t be all doom and gloom if the pair is sold. It is not practical to keep players that do not have their heart in the club and have publicly expressed their wish to leave. The duo would roughly fetch a combined total of more than £50 million which could be used on purchasing new players and on repaying loans obtained for the construction of The Emirates Stadium. The sale of Fabregas would also end a long-running saga with Barcelona and would mean The Gunners would have to rely less on one man to do the job for them. The arrivals of Gervinho, Toral, Bellerin Jenkinson and most recently Chamberlain- a dazzling young winger from Southampton- should bolster their squad in Wenger’s attempts to vie on all fronts in the season. Chelsea- The managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge continued in the summer with Andre Villas-Boas becoming the sixth manager at the club in 4 years after replacing the harshly sacked Carlo Ancelotti who was unable to successfully defend the league title he won with Chelsea in 2010. Villas-Boas has excited everyone in football and seems like a Deja-Vu of Jose Mourinho all over again. At just 33, he has already achieved remarkable success with FC Porto as manager with a staggering treble of the Portuguese League, Portuguese Cup and Europa League all in his first and only season with the club. Having purchased three exciting youngsters in Oriol Romeu, Thibaud Courtois and Lucas Piazon, Villas-Boas appears to have already taken action against the ageing problem of the side with Lampard, Essien, Drogba and Malouda all in their 30s. Villas-Boas will still however have to deal with the problem of a pressurizing and demanding boss in Roman Abramovich and a strike-force headache in the form of getting the best out of the out-of-sorts Fernando Torres and accommodating him upfront with Anelka and Drogba. The main aim for and demand from Abramovich, however, still remains Chelsea’s unconquered summit; The European Cup. Dark Horses: Manchester City- The Blue Moon of Manchester City is rising and the big-spending neighbours of Manchester United are coming closer to matching their more illustrious rivals of whom they have been in the shadow of for decades. Roberto Mancini’s side has been fortified with the expensive signing of Argentine star Sergio Aguero in addition to Gael Clichy, Stefan Savic and Costel Pantilimon. Aguero’s arrival means that Mancini now has the luxury of not relying anymore on the former’s moody and disgruntled fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez who has been asking to leave the club since the start of the calendar year. Mancini’s major headache is likely to be trying to discipline the wayward and unruly Mario Balotelli who just always seems to be in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Joe Hart should have a free hand in goal now with the departure of Shay Given although the centre-midfield position may need some reinforcements with the sale of Boateng and the retirement of Vieira. With a large and modern stadium completed recently in 2003 and an unlimited cheque book, a constant air of optimism has been prevalent around the City of Manchester Stadium since the big-money takeover of the club in 2008. Having finally ended their 35-year long drought without a trophy after securing the FA Cup in May, City will now look to end 43 years without winning the league. Liverpool- It promises to be the most intriguing season for years at Liverpool with Kenny Dalglish using the summer to build up his squad considerably ahead of his first full season in charge of the club he played for. Dalglish- a true Anfield hero- guided the club from the bottom half of the table last season under Roy Hodgson to sixth place after replacing the latter for the last 5 months of the season. Having seen Manchester United finally overtake them after decades as the most successful team in English league football history, 2011/12 would be the ideal season for Liverpool to win the league for the first time since 1990. After the inconsistent years of Rafael Benitez and the brief, disastrous spell of Roy Hodgson, Liverpool finally seem to have the right manager who can bring back the glory days of the 70s and 80s to the red half of Merseyside. All the signings in the summer at the five-time European Champions have considerable pedigree to add substantial strength to a team that under Benitez revolved only around Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Stewart Downing’s arrival from Aston Villa offers a dangerous threat on the wing while Jordan Henderson is one of the most talented young midfielders at the moment in Britain. Alexander Doni’s signing from AS Roma provides back-up between the posts while Charlie Adam- acquired from Blackpool- has real potential to become the next darling of Anfield after Gerrard. Liverpool fans have first-hand experience of him after seeing him single-handedly defeat his new employers with Blackpool last season and his tremendous long-range passing, freekicks and corners are likely to invaluable assets. Having strengthened the nucleus of the team and with the formidable forward-line of Suarez, Rodriguez and Kuyt, Liverpool finally resembles a title-challenging team. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rumman is a freshman studying Social Sciences at Szabist     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Test cricket is the pinnacle form of the game Mushtaq Ahmed Subhani The first Test of the series between England and India, to be played from July 21 at Lord’s, will be the 2,000th Test match of the 135-year history of cricket. Test cricket began in March 1877 when Australia and England played each other at Melbourne. Both countries played Test matches for more than 20 years before South Africa joined them. Later the number of Test playing nations increased to six during the next 35 years as West Indies, New Zealand and India also began playing this form of cricket. After the World War II, Test cricket became more popular among various nations of the world and its importance continued up to 1971 when an experiment was made in this game and One-day cricket was introduced. Tests were comparatively rare events with 803 matches played in the first hundred years compared to 1,197 in the last 34 years. However, after the introduction of One-day International cricket and lately, Twenty20 International cricket. Test cricket has been losing its popularity. But all the lovers of the game agree that Test cricket is a serious form of this sport. Now, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering various options for making Test cricket more interesting and attractive. These include day-night matches, pink ball and coloured dress, etc. The ICC is also planning a tournament of Test matches in 2013. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the advent of a World Test Championship, scheduled to culminate in an inaugural tournament between the leading nations in England in 2013, would help revive the five-day game. He believes that "Test cricket is the pinnacle form of the game”. Lorgat added "history has proven that no other form of the game can create memorable and meaningful moments like Test cricket can.". Readers are invited to comment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Caught Out!!! by Omair Alavi - If someone were to come down from Mars today and watch Umar Gul bat, they would think he is a top Pakistani batsman.” – Michael Holding on Umar Gul’s batting in the first test against England, where he top scored with 65 runs! - It is not much different between the two sides in terms of batting. If we had held our chances they could've been out below 200. I fully trust my team will be back.” – Pakistan captain Salman Butt who failed to notice that England’s first innings score of 354 was more than Pakistan’s 182 and 80 combined - They're going to cry and go to bed and they'll wake up crying tomorrow. They're young kids with some talent on sub-continental pitches. But they don't have the technique...they're too naive on these sort of surfaces. If they get a flat pitch they might do better but I still think England will beat them.” – Former England skipper Geoff Boycott on Pakistan’s pathetic batting display in England - "There's a responsibility that comes with what we do. We have the [platform] to do more than hit tennis balls." — Tennis star Roger Federer, on why he organized a January 17 exhibition, Hit for Haiti, that raised $150,000 for earthquake victims - Every day I do media, I get asked it, so it doesn’t go away. Even when I’m at home paparazzi still follow us, helicopters still hover around. Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I’m out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number. And I didn’t do it.” — Tiger Woods refused to make excuse on his private life for his poor form - It is what it is. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good enough. — Tiger Woods at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, N.C., after he missed the cut for only the sixth time - I'm a little nervous about that... It would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there. — Tiger Woods on his return to golf on April 8 / March 22, 2010 - Just one is enough, and obviously that wasn't the case. I've done some pretty bad things” — Tiger Woods - He'll bring something to the table. Cluedo, perhaps.” Former Australian spinner Shane Warne on John Buchanan’s presence in the England camp this Ashes series - If fielders are there I can hit towards mid-off, midwicket or mid-on. Because I don't want to play boring Test cricket.” Who else than India’s Virender Sehwag on his batting - The captains... say it's a batting wicket, bowlers have no chance. They don't have the bowlers to have a chance.” Sri Lanka's national curator Anurudda Polonowita on the criticism on SSC wicket used for India-Sri Lanka high-scoring draw - I'm going to start working on my marriage after 40 years.” South African umpire Rudi Koertzen on his retirement plans - You don't become a dad when you become a captain,” Salman Butt on becoming dad … errr … captain of the Pakistan side. - I wasn't good enough”. Pakistan’s one-test skipper Shahid Afridi on his third and (so far) final Test retirement. - It's quite a few. I can't remember exactly.” Sir Ian Botham on the number of honorary degrees he has been awarded after receiving his latest from University of Exeter - Allah has given me two ears: I hear with one and throw it out with the other.” Shahid Afridi on Ricky Ponting's promise to "sort him out quickly" - The incumbent is a buffoon and cricket in Pakistan is a basket case.” Former ICC chief Malcolm Speed loses cool while talking about Ijaz Buffoon … Butt - They are friends and love each other. That brought them so close together.” Shahid Afridi on the altercation between Harbhajan Singh and Shoaib Akhtar during the India-Pakistan Asia Cup game - The golden goose ain't got too many eggs now.” Former Australian batsman Dean Jones believes the ODI format is on its last legs - They have not come here on holiday,” Pakistan’s limited overs skipper Shahid Afridi on the selection of Asad Shafiq, Shahzaib Hasan and Umar Amin for the Asia Cup “Everybody knows I can dance well and I can bowl fast too. There are only a few bowlers who can do that,” Indian pacer Sreesanth on his rare combination of talents - This gentleman here is an absolute freak,” Michael Clarke pays an apt tribute to Michael Hussey, who blasted a 24-ball 60 won Australia a semi-final they nearly lost - I learnt a lot about captaincy by being told that I was an idiot.” Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell on what made him a successful leader - Has your goalkeeping improved?”, the first thing Wasim Akram asked Kamran Akmal when the latter paid him a visit - It will be a disappointment if he doesn't end up with 35 Test hundreds.” Rahul Dravid on Kevin Pietersen - I have joked before that there is a good chance that I might retire before him.” Indian skipper MS Dhoni on Sachin Tendulkar going strong at 37 - When you can watch Inter Milan v Barcelona, why on earth would you want to watch Chennai Chunderers v Delhi Dipsticks?”, Former English cricketer David Lloyd on IPL - "The amount of games we are playing, it is very important to switch off from cricket because 365 days in a year, you can't be thinking only about cricket." Indian skipper MS Dhoni on coping with the relentless schedule - "The mind is important but I don't know what you do to improve the minds of the players," - English football coach Fabio Capello on England team's performance ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Proud Nation, Poor Athletes by Omair Alavi It was the Holy month of Ramadan in which Imran Khan’s tigers were crowned World Champions of one day international cricket in 1992. Two years later, the hockey team was crowned World Champion while Pakistan continued its success in squash with Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan into the 90s. Sadly, as soon as Jahangir and Jansher aged out of professional squash, the game went into a decline while occasional good performance is what Pakistan could give in cricket and hockey. Ever since coming into being, Pakistan has had a good rapport internationally in sports. Athletes from the newly-born country participated in the first Olympics Games held after its inception while the country gained Test status in cricket within 5 years of being independent. Yet after ruling the world in some games and doing well in others, the progress has come to a halt. Athletes have started moving abroad like Snooker player Saleh Mohammad who represented Afghanistan in the last Asian Games in Doha while hockey players like Sohail Abbas prefer playing league hockey in Europe over national commitments, since it pays well. There are many reasons for the decline in sports in the country, with education being one of them, since plays an important part in grooming athletes. A well educated, groomed athlete can have a different effect on those who participate against him/her or even come to watch them in action. A young girl in England is believed to have answered a question about Pakistan’s location in the 50s as the country where Fazal (Mahmood) lives. Such was the impact of the superstars of yesteryears, something which is missing in the current stalwarts. Former Pakistan captain, hockey Olympian and one of the greatest sportsmen produced by Pakistan, Samiullah Khan feels that the standard of sports in the country have gone down due to many reasons. “In the past, we were among the few nations in the world that were crowned champions in as many as 4 different games. We have won 3 Olympics Gold Medals, multiple World Cups, Asian Games, Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy while came at number 4 in Asia as well due to our achievements and standards. In those days, the government supported the federations and sincere and honest people used to head them. Sadly, the sincere people have been replaced by controversial individuals who are not at all interested in improving the standard of the game.” The Flying Horse might be right because in his days, losing a match was a big news. But now, winning against any side, be it strong or weak, is considered a bonus. “It is sad to see the game losing popularity due to the team’s recent performance,” continues Sami. “We came at the last position in the last World Cup, and despite that serving as a warning, the one responsible are still there, doing nothing and we are losing each and every event and tournament we are participating in. We don’t have any major title at the moment and if the government doesn’t appoint sincere administrators, we might never be able to regain lost glory in the game.” Badminton may not be one of the medal-winning games for Pakistan any more yet Pakistan’s past in the game has been good, if not great. Palwasha Bashir, last year’s national champion and international player concurs. “In the last 60 years, Badminton has been through ups and downs. Currently, the scenario is anything but ideal since we don’t have sponsors while lack of funds is the norm of the day. Our past was glorious due to quality players like Javed Iqbal, Hasan Shaheer and Naqi Mohsin who were supported by the government as well, yet due to unavailability of funds and proper sponsorships, we have failed to move forward. Currently, we can’t beat teams like Sri Lanka against whom we used to have a good record.” Although games are followed religiously in India and Pakistan, the pay standard is quite high in the former when/if compared. While the cricket stars in the country are getting paid in millions of rupees, the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are raking up in billions, because of their huge market, access and performance with the national side. Recently the Indian skipper signed up with an Indian sports management company that would handle his endorsements, merchandise, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, as well as visibility on social networking sites. All for $42 million, and such a deal can not even be dreamed in Pakistan, because of lack of financial support, as well as due to the failure of international teams visiting the war-torn country. Palwasha Bashir feels money as well as organizing events locally can benefit Badminton. “Badminton players like myself need to compete internationally to improve our rankings. Recently, we backed out of an international event since we couldn’t afford the lodging facilities, which very well can tell you the true picture of the game. We have good coaches and players as well, all we need is support - financially and morally - so that we can compete internationally. We need to have month long training camps where coaches of international repute can help us better our skills.” Golfer Shabbir Iqbal feels the game needs to be promoted in a better manner otherwise new players will not come forward. “Pakistan has many talented individuals who are capable of doing well for the country. Yet there is no respect for the current players, something that needs to be looked after. New players will not come forward if the seniors are treated shabbily, and the current situation of the game is far from being ideal.” The country has been grateful to the athletes by providing them a platform from which they can go and reach the sky. But sadly, some athletes haven’t been grateful to themselves as well as to the country in return. Athlete Naseem Hameed is one such example. After winning the gold medal in South Asia Games this year, she gave the victory-starved people of Pakistan a star, a reason to be proud of. Yet after receiving accolades from all quarters including the President and the Prime Minister, she forgot her duty to the nation and started pulling out of national and international events, the reason being lack of practice. Had she been in some other country than Pakistan, she would have been penalised for doing so, yet by winning once, she has immortalized herself as a superstar. No matter how she fares in the coming events, provided she participates, she will remain an athlete who could have done more. But she doesn’t know that the more you do for the country, the more it does for you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   There's Something about Afridi! by Omair Alavi Never judge a book by its cover. Similarly, never judge a Pakistani cricketer by the fan-following he commands because at the end of the day, things will turn out the way they always does - the PCB way! The case between Shahid Afridi and PCB has reached a point where the loss would be the player's, and the board will have the last laugh. Before we move ahead, there is something about Shahid Afridi you must know. If you want to tell something to the world, the best way to make it known to all is to tell this bloke. He knows every sports journalist (and now politicians as well) in the country and your message will get the best coverage possible. As for his comments about Karachi-Lahore rivalry, nonsense board officials, his damaged self-esteem and above all, injury-plagued team, nothing has changed in the last 2 weeks. The team is still comprised of the same old players, the coach and manager are still there, Karachi and Lahore rivalry hasn't been quashed and above all, the nonsense board officials are still working. What has changed (besides the suspension of the thick-headed Mohammad Ilyas from the selection panel!) is that Afridi’s self-esteem has suffered another dent. The moment he met PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt over a cup of tea (on the insistence of some high-ranking government officials), the media got the wind of the meet (and you must know by now who gave them that piece of information). Every news channel in the country claimed to have been told by reliable sources about the meeting, something we must now used to. The drop scene came a few hours later when the board finally admitted to the meeting, meaning the source was really very reliable. Shahid Afridi is not a new cricketer on the block. In fact he is one of the senior most cricketers around. But it seems his international career as a captain, a player and an all-rounder is as good as over since he has rubbed his colleagues the wrong way. He will get an NOC to play domestic Twenty20 cricket anywhere in the world, but he is likely not to represent Pakistan at the world level. Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf all had issues with board but they never made them as public as Afridi did. He must have known that his actions will please less people and irk more, but to err is Shahid Afridi. Or maybe he was carried away by the politician-like reception he got in Karachi on his return from England! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [14] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Butt & Afridi show by Omair Alavi Everything happens for a reason … but if we try to make things happen, the result is wayward, awkward and above all uncalled for. No one would have expected that Shahid Afridi would be fighting against the PCB when West Indies and Pakistan were playing in the one-day series last month. But the unthinkable has happened and now Shahid Afridi has moved court to get back his NOC, his central contract and his respect which he claims the board has managed to dent. The ball may be in the Sindh High Court but PCB is the party that will be laughing at the moment. Not only will they come clean but they might also manage to damage Shahid Afridi’s reputation. They have ‘allegedly’ leaked the tour report by the coach and the manager to dent the all-rounder’s reputation and they might ‘release’ some more harsher points from the report when (and if) the need arises. Secondly, with every passing day, Shahid Afridi is losing the money he could have earned had he gone for an amicable solution, rather than moving court. The Hampshire season will be over in no time – may be before the verdict is announced. There is a possibility that the court might ask the board to revoke his suspended NOC but there is one problem. Shahid Afridi accepted in an e-mail to the board that he has violated the Code of Conduct. Meaning he is already standing on thin ice, before the PCB has begun its defence! Had Afridi not sent the e-mail to the Board, his case may have been strong but since he did, it isn’t strong any more. The PCB still has the upper hand as they might suspend or axe the national selector Mohammad Ilyas over his outburst against Shahid Afridi, thus changing their status from the villain to the victim. They will relocate Ilyas to some other role, but the future of Shahid Afridi remains uncertain. He might get an NOC and even play for Hampshire, but his place in the national side will be in jeopardy due to his tussle with the board. Former captain Younis Khan did nothing against the board yet he was kept away from the national side for 6 whole months. Shahid Afridi’s crime is Jurassic park compared to Younis’s act. And finally, Shahid Afridi has a problem … he is very bad with keeping secrets and one shouldn’t be surprised if his exploits in court make it to the newspapers and media. He doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘sub-judice’ and that might hamper his case, if he can’t keep his mouth shut. For his sake and that of his friends, he must! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   The (un)Importance of Being Afridi! by Omair Alavi Every story has two sides – be it a news item, a film or a book you are reading. Pakistan’s sacked captain and ‘former’ all-rounder Shahid Afridi is a combo with all three features. He is a news item waiting to be covered, a film with enough twists and turns than a Hollywood flick and a book that unravels a new mystery on each page. Let me make myself clear, I am a Shahid Afridi-fan. No batsman can hit fastest centuries like he did. No one can bamboozle batsmen the way he does with the ball. He used to be a class act as a skipper since he single-handedly took a tooti phooti team into the semi finals of the World Cup. But his recent decisions have only made me look for an alternative because frankly, he doesn’t make sense. Just like his recent batting, he hits the ball without thinking of the outcome. Just like his bowling, he delivers a faster one when the wicket-keeper is standing up, near the stumps. And just like his captaincy, he makes bold decisions with thinking of the consequences. He has retired twice from test cricket so his ‘first’ retirement from the limited overs game shouldn’t be taken seriously. He says he wants to play county cricket without realizing that the board can cancel all NOCs granted to him (and newsflash … they have just done that!). He claims he will never play cricket under the current regime, yet he doesn’t realize what he will write in response to the show cause notice that has been sent to him. He may have taken more than 300 wickets in one day matches and scored more than 6000 runs but his bowling average is over 30, and batting average stays below 25 (when it should be the other way round!). He is a great player but nobody likes a rat. The board blames Shahid Afridi is the weak link in its information desk as he allegedly leaks sensitive information to the media to stay ‘in’ with his journalist friends. They may not be right, but Shahid Afridi has to answer that himself as that’s one of the reasons why he was sacked as captain. He may be a great cricketer but then, his dismissals in last few innings raise eyebrows to his commitment as a batsman. He may present himself with a halo over his head but he is no saint. No other cricketer has been saved back and forth by the board than him (after Shoaib Akhtar, may be). Afridi was fined and banned for damaging the pitch during a test match against England, he hit a spectator with the bat in South Africa during an international match, he foul-mouthed with players most notably from India when they played against each other and – the best of all – chewed the ball in a one-day match against Australia in order to make the ball move. All these incidents happened after he had made a name for himself in Test and one day arena, and also become a regular part of the team. Sadly, his supporters fail to realize that the damage he has done to his country is far more than the wickets he has taken, the runs he has scored and the catches he has held on to. Or does the verdict hang in balance? It’s up to you to decide.     [48] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Butt of All Problems! by Omair Alavi He has been labeled a buffoon by former ICC President Malcolm Speed. His compatriots consider him the biggest threat to the game. Yet Pakistan Cricket Board’s ‘retired and retarded’ Chairman Ijaz Butt continues to grow strong, despite his buffoonery and threatening attitude. The latest ‘adventure’ he enjoyed was the sacking of perhaps the only ‘sane’ person in Pakistan cricket – one day skipper Shahid Afridi. Yes Shahid Afridi has had his bad days but he single handedly led the side into the semi final of the World Cup. He would have won the match had Misbah ul Haq not batted the way he did, had the fielders held onto their catches and had Tendulkar not been given as many as 5 lives. But since we are talking about Pakistan cricket, Misbah ul Haq has been rewarded with the captaincy and Shahid Afridi is now an ordinary player of the squad. Everyone knows that when it comes to Ijaz Butt, you are either with him, or against him. But the issue is that there are more people against him than those with him. The day he was appointed the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, nearly three years back, Salahuddin Ahmed resigned as the Chairman of the Selection Committee. Ijaz Butt brought in Abdul Qadir who resigned within a year, despite selecting the team that went onto win the World Twenty20. In came Iqbal Qasim who quit after he became convinced that Ijaz Butt was the butt of all problems. Sacking of Shahid Afridi as skipper of the one day side shouldn’t come as a surprise. When he was appointed as Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt had no issues except minor problems. Yet he managed to steer Pakistan cricket into one trouble after another, and today it has reached a point of no return due to his indecisiveness. He has destroyed the careers of all those who have defied him, and Shahid Afridi is now one such individual. Ijaz Butt also has changed as many as 3 coaches during his tenure – Geoff Lawson, Intikhab Alam and current coach Waqar Younis – while has tested Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdur Razzaq, Salman Butt and Shahid Afridi as captain of the national side in either tests or one dayers. He continues to listen to his aged colleagues Yawar Saeed (who never played Test cricket for Pakistan), Intikhab Alam (who played before most of the current players were born), Mohammad Illyas (who doesn’t even remember when he last played cricket) and many others who had undistinguished career before joining the current set up. One hopes that someone gets the message and removed the ‘Butt’ of all issues before Pakistan cricket reaches rock bottom! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   Contrasting Sunday For Pakistan Sports! by Omair Alavi It may have come 2 days after Friday the 13th, yet Sunday the 15th of May, 2011 was horrific for cricket fans in Pakistan. They lost to a West Indian side that would have lost to itself had it played itself, yet the visitors self destructed again. While some might not agree but the Pakistan side has been like this for sometime now. Without Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, they have faltered against England and Australia whereas it was the presence of one or both batsmen that saved Pakistan from defeat against New Zealand and South Africa recently. Although no batsmen except Pakistan skipper Misbah ul Haq managed to cross 50 in the Guyana Test, the West Indian bowlers had an excellent match as they dismissed Pakistan for less than 180 for the second time in the match. Pakistan missed Tanvir Ahmed who not only can bat but is also an effective bowler compared to the out-of-sorts Umar Gul. They need to bring in an extra batsman as well – preferably Younis Khan – to give batting the stability it missed. On the other hand, the Pakistan hockey team had a better day comparatively. They gave the world champions Australia a tough time in the final of Azlan Shah Hockey tournament, played in Ipoh, Malaysia. For 70 minutes, they matched the Aussies in attack and defense, and drew the match 2-2, before the World Champions managed to sneak in the golden goal and deny Pakistan a win they poured their hearts out for. The turnaround for Pakistan hockey is due to the presence of coach Michel Van Dien from Holland who is the exact opposite of Pakistan cricket team’s coach Waqar Younis. May be the former captain needs to learn a few things from the Dutch who interferes in the selection matters with reasons, who enjoys a good rapport with the captain, and above all commands respect from the players. Sadly, Waqar Younis only cares about himself and hasn’t delivered much in the test arena. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s shocking defeat after winning ODI series against Windies (by Mushtaq A Subhani) Pakistan cricket team considered to be a fine blend of youth and experience won the first three one-day internationals on the tour of West Indies but later they were defeated in the last two games and earlier in the only Twenty20 International by the same poor team not having the services of its top experienced players. Winning a T20 and two ODIs against World Cup semifinalists Pakistan is a great achievement for the poor team of the West Indies. They recorded an impressive ten-wicket win in the fifth and the final ODI against Pakistan, after the visitors were restricted to a paltry total of 139 runs. West Indies had also won the fourth ODI of the series on Duckworth-Lewis calculations after the match was stopped due to rain. The hosts played without their experienced batsman Chris Gayle, seasoned Chanderpaul and Sarwan in the lone T20I and the five-match ODI series, winning three games and losing three. Former star batsman Zaheer Abbas says that it looks there is something wrong in the selection process of the Pakistan team as many selectors in the past has resigned from the post and now chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan had also nearly resigned from his post before getting issues resolved with the board. Iqbal Qasim, Abdul Qadir and Aamer Sohail all resigned from the post of selectors in the past and now Mohsin also nearly resigned before being persuaded by the board not to do so. Zaheer says all these facts show that there is a problem in our selection process and someone tries to trespass in selectors domain. Now the national team is going to play a series of two Test matches in the West Indies. Let’s see how it will perform in these matches. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Dilemma of Being Mohsin! (by Omair Alavi) Once an actor, always an actor! This is one phrase that will fit test batsman, former actor and currently the head of the selection committee in Pakistan, Mohsin Hasan Khan. It seems that despite quitting acting after a decade-long career, he has managed to keep his acting cells busy as an official of the current cricket board. No one takes Mohsin Khan seriously, more so after he quit acting for a position in the Pakistan Cricket Board. He may be a Pune-educated performer who had an actress as a wife – Indian actress Reena Roy – but even that doesn’t give him the right to use the media to get the attention of the cricket authorities. It is true that two Test cricketers he selected to represent Pakistan in the West Indies - Adnan Akmal and Khurram Manzoor - were not named in the final squad, but is that something new? No. This has happened to each and every team he has selected, making him more of a dummy selector than a chief selector. One fails to understand why he rang up the media of Karachi and told them that he was about to make an important announcement in the evening. If it was that important, why didn’t he make it in the morning or at noon, when the whole city (and country) is extremely busy or supremely free! The answer is that he didn’t have any announcement to make, and he used media as a tool to attract the attention of his employer, the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt. And he succeeded as well since he will be meeting the big man (or his henchmen) in Lahore to clear the air! The last thing one would expect from a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board is sanity since from head to toe, the setup is flawed. They have a non-serious Chairman in Ijaz Butt who gives more time to his personal business than he gives to cricket; they have selectors (Mohammad Ilyas, Farrukh Zaman etc.) who themselves were never selected much to represent their country; and they have a manager who was the coach a year before he decided to hone his managerial skills. This can only happen in Pakistan where we have an award-nominee (Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, Batwaara, 1989) posing as Chief Selector and a Chairman wanting to be an award-nominee (for best comedian, perhaps!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Dhoni amongst Times 100 most Influential People (by Omair Alavi) India has had a lot of captains when it comes to its cricket team. There was Tiger Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi followed by the world-cup winning Kapil Dev, the astute Mohammad Azharuddin and the charismatic Sourav Ganguly. Yet no captain has been able to match the feats of their current leader Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has done what no Indian has done before. He has won the World Cup for India and also found a place in the top 100 most influential people of the world, within the same month. A big feat indeed considering the list by Time’s magazine consists of Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Belgium’s Kim Clijsters – both reigning top football and tennis players. Why has Mahendra Singh Dhoni been named in the list of 100 most influential people of 2011? He is influential but wasn’t the captain of runners-up Sri Lankan team Kumar Sangakkara also influential? He may have been but the cup went to the more influential leader, hence Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Ever since making his test, one day and t20 debut between 2004 and 2006, he has been an integral part of the Indian setup. Be it under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or Anil Kumble, Dhoni has been an ace behind the wickets. His batting is an added advantage making him an all-rounder like Adam Gilchrist of Australia and South Africa’s Mark Boucher. His record of nearly 3000 runs in tests and over 6000 in one dayers show that he is no mug with the bat. His batting average of over 40 in 54 test matches and in 186 one day-ers suggest he is a better batsman than many others in his side. In addition he has held nearly 175 victims in tests and 250 in one day-ers whereas he has won the twenty20 World Cup in his 26 limited appearances at that level. Making India win matches is every player’s dream who dons the blue uniform. But the way in which Dhoni did, by hitting a six as the winning shot makes his deed even more memorable. He is one of the true great of Indian cricket and if he continues to do well, he might find himself as the most influential person in the world, soon. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [14] Comments               Post Your Commets   How Pakistan can beat West Indies in their first-ever T20 encounter!! (by Omair Alavi) The two teams may have played each other in tests and one dayers during the past 50 years but their first-ever Twenty20 match will be played at St. Lucia. Both the teams managed to reach the knock-out stage of the recently concluded World Cup, yet Pakistan hold the edge over their opponents who will miss senior players. While Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard are busy in the Indian Premier League, senior cricketers like Ramnaresh Sarawan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul have been axed for poor form. The lanky left-arm spinner Suleiman Benn has been overlooked for younger bowlers for no reason. This may be the best time for Pakistan to improve their rankings in one dayers but there are some errors which the visitors must not repeat this time round. They should first of all get used to using the Power Play effectively like the other teams if they are to win regularly. Secondly, they must innovate and use Umar Akmal as a wicket-keeper so that they can field both Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal in the line-up. Only then, Pakistan can use three openers – Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar and Ahmed Shehzad - at the top three positions. Asad Shafiq, Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal can form the middle-order whereas Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman and Wahab Riaz can fill the all-rounder spot left open by the exclusion of Abdur Razzaq. The batting will be strong if they stick to this plan, otherwise the management will have to drop one spinner or a batsman to accommodate newcomer Mohammad Salman as the wicket-keeper. Pakistan can open the bowling with either Junaid Khan and Tanvir Ahmed, with Wahab Riaz spearheading the attack in the absence of Umar Gul, who has been rested. Mohammad Hafeez, captain Shahid Afridi, Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal will share the spin duties against a side that has left-handers in abundance. This is a win-win formula on paper and if Pakistan sticks to it, they might win the Twenty20 match and who knows might go onto win the one dayers against the hosts as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s prospects in the tour to West Indies! (by Mushtaq A Subhani) Pakistan cricket team is on the tour of the West Indies after participating in the World Cup. It will play a Twenty20 International, five One-day Internationals and two Test matches during its 37-day stay there. Earlier, Pakistan was beaten by archrivals India in the semi-final of the World Cup 2011. However, their overall performance was satisfactory, as no body in the country had expected much from the team when it left the home for the mega event. For the series in the West Indies, certain changes have been made in the team as wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and allrounder Abdul Razzaq have been axed for their poor form in the tournament while veteran batsman Younis Khan and pace bowler Umar Gul have been given rest. Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has retired from international cricket after the World Cup. In the absence of Shoaib Akhtar and banned fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, our pace attack is looking weak as Umar Gul is being rested and Wahab Riaz has not much experience while Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan and Sadaf Hussain are newcomers. However, in this situation, we can rely on spin attack, which is very strong in presence of off-break bowlers Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, left-arm slow bowler Abdul Rehman and leg-spinner Sahhid Afridi. Our batting line-up is looking balanced as experienced batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq, Taufiq Umar and Afridi are there along with Hafeez, young Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq. Young all rounder Hammad Azam has been included in place of Abdul Razzaq. Hammad played a vital role in Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup last year. He was also selected for the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies but he returned home without playing a single match. A new batsman Usman Salahuddin has also been selected for the tour but Ahmed Shahzad’s inclusion in the team is strange in view of his failure in the World Cup. He made just 44 runs in six matches. Similarly, Mohamamd Salman will keep wickets on the tour in place of Kamran Akmal. He was not tried before in any series but it has been said that he is also a good batsman. Let’s see what he will do in the series. But the general feeling is that the team led by Shahid Afridi is expected to perform well in the T20I and the ODI series in the Caribbean. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Geo Super – Victim of Vendetta (by Omair Alavi) No channel has made its way into the hearts of viewers the way Geo Super has during the past few years. It may be the only channel covering sports in Pakistan, yet it is better than the rest of the ‘foreign’ channels in the country because it presents Pakistan’s perspective. Geo Super has given the viewers a chance to be with Pakistani athletes, no matter where they are playing. From World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 to the triumphant World Twenty20 in England two years later, from Pakistan’s loss to Australia in the knock-out stage of World Twenty20 in 2010 to the recent loss against India in the World Cup, Geo Super has been supporting the national team through good and bad times. The channel has given equal importance to other sports and has been involved in the resurgence of domestic hockey and football leagues, which have brought forth new and talented players like never before. It was Geo Super which broadcast the live fight of Amir Khan, Pakistan’s British-born boxer who was crowned World Champion later in the night at Las Vegas. It was the same channel which aired the crowning moment in Naseem Hameed’s career as well. The ascent of Geo Super was brought to a halt by the government which wants to hit the Jang group where it hurts the most. Not only has Geo Super been asked to move out of the country of its origin but the viewers are being deprived of quality entertainment. In an era ruled by fear and terrorism, Geo Super was like an escape pod for those who tuned into the channel to relieve themselves of their daily stress. And when the Indian Premier League matches were shown on Aag TV, Geo Super’s sister concern, it was also brought to a halt. Not only are now people unable to watch the IPL but also the youngsters have lost their only channel to the government’s persistence to deprive Geo TV of its beloved channels. But even the government doesn't know that there is a higher authority which can change the course of any proceedings. He will surely have the final say! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   One Right Step, Many Wrong Ones (by Omair Alavi) For once the selectors of the Pakistan Cricket Board made the right decision by dropping Kamran Akmal for dropping catches and ending the careers of bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria. But it seems the board isn't interested in making careers for it has chosen seniors over seniors, rather than going for young blood. It might seem nonsense to you but trust me, it has more sense than the selection of Pakistan cricket team for the tour of the West Indies. Why did they choose Tanvir Ahmed and Aizaz Cheema who are just a few years younger than coach Waqar Younis. Both are over 30s and can't bowl long spells as their legs are anything but young and same can be said about their blood. Similarly, the wicket keeper who has been chosen to replace Kamran Akmal is Mohammad Salman, who is nearly 150 days older to his predecessor. Mohammad Salman might be a very good wicket keeper but once fails to understand why he wasn't selected earlier. He will turn 30 during his maiden tour to Zimbabwe, if he gets selected for that because it seems the selectors would drop him for their favorite Akmal after the Caribbean tour! Then there is Misbah ul Haq, the baba jee of the side. For his batting in the semi final, he should have been axed (and axed again!) but he is in the side. He is not as senior as the players of his age in other sides yet he keeps his place for reasons only known to the management and selectors. All rounder Abdur Razzaq had the guts to question his exclusion but the fact remains that he gave gutless performance during the recently concluded World Cup. He should have been captain of the team by now, had he given his 100 percent during the last 7 years. Since he didn't, he isn't the captain but is out of the side! And finally, just 24 hours after being named in the side, PCB management found out that Aizaz Cheema wasn't fit to play in the first place! That is why the chose Sadaf Hussain as his replacement and the good thing about him is that he is really young. At 21, he is a rising pacer and if he succeeds, he might prove to be an asset for the future. It seems the board has to check the fitness of Mohammad Salman now. Who knows he might be unfit at his age, and a younger wicket keeper might don the gloves. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   World Cup goes to Asia!!! by Mushtaq A Subhani The 43-day long eventful tournament ended on a happy note that the tenth World Cup went to Asia as hosts India won the title defeating co-hosts Sri Lanka by six wickets in the All-Asia final, played at Mumbai on April 2. India became the World Cup champions for the second time as they had won the mega event some 28 years ago – beating the West Indies at Lord’s, London in 1983. They are the first Asian country who won the Cup twice. Australia won it for four and the West Indies for two times. Among other Asian countries, Pakistan and Sri Lanka also won the World Cup, in 1992 and 1996, respectively. This is interesting to note that both India and Sri Lanka reached the World Cup final for three times each (Sri Lanka played it for two successive times) whereas the other Asian country - Pakistan played the final twice, winning in1992 and losing in 1999. This time, Pakistan beyond the people’s expectations displayed fine performance making their way through to semi-finals where they were beaten by India at Mohali. Though they were in a position to beat India but poor fielding and slow batting by some experienced players let India snatch the win to qualify for the final and then go to the top of the world. Indeed, they are now the best team of the world and we must congratulate them. This is high time we take lessons from Pakistan’s defeat and India’s victory and rebuild our team for future endeavors.     [28] Comments               Post Your Commets   Poor fielding let down Pakistan at Mohali (by Omair Alavi) Some say India played better, some feel that Pakistan could have won the match. I say that it was déjà vu for the greenshirts. Nearly 12 years ago, they failed to rise to the challenge and faltered against Steve Waugh’s Australia at Lord’s and on 30th March, they once again broke the hearts of their fans at home by losing in dismal fashion. They were mauled by an Indian outfit that batted sensibly, fielded well under pressure and above all, bowled better to reach their third World Cup final. Pakistan may have fielded an unchanged side from their last matches but there was a vast difference from the XI that did the nation proud in the quarter final and the one that let them down in the next match. I know many would feel that my analysis is way too critical but let me assure you, were brought this on to ourselves. I know that had they applied themselves and given their best, no team in the world would be able to defeat Pakistan. They have the best bowlers, one of the best batsmen and an excellent captain, yet all except the captain were on a leave on 30th March. First of all, every player in the Pakistan camp was confident of a victory whereas no player from India uttered a word in the media. The media of both the nations was busy in creating hype but the involvement of players from Pakistan could have been avoided. Secondly, they had no surprise element in their lineup, and the closest thing to that – Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar – was kept out of the final XI for no reason. His replacement Wahad Riaz took 5 wickets on a lifeless track and proved that Pakistan has a bright future ahead. Yet it was the surprise decision of opening the bowling with Abdur Razzaq that should be criticised for its importance. Pakistan were playing against the best opening pair in the world and they opened with Abdur Razzaq … even when they had successfully used Mohammad Hafeez as their opening bowlers against the West Indies! The Man of The Match of the quarter final was asked to bowl as last change, after the captain had tried all the bowlers including himself. Secondly, Shoaib Akhtar’s inclusion would have given them an edge as he would most certainly have bowled more than Abdur Razzaq’s 12 deliveries and scored more than his 3 runs! Pakistan’s premier fast bowler Umar Gul seemed the shadow of his usual self and the captain’s decision to bring him back and back was more ridiculous than Pakistan’s fielding. If Shoaib Akhtar can be dropped for going for 70 runs in his 9 overs against New Zealand, what would happen to Umar Gul who went for 69 off his 8 overs. The youngsters in the Pakistan side were thee saving grace throughout the tournament. Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal did their bit both with the bat and as fielders. It was the seniors - Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq – who disappointed by being irresponsible when it mattered the most. While Younis Khan failed to justify his place in the side – both as a batsman and as a dependable fielder – Misbah ul Haq seemed a fish out of the water. The way he raised his bat after reaching a half century is enough to signal the end of his one-day career in which he has lost more battles than he has won for Pakistan. He not only dropped the all-important catch of Sachin Tendulkar who scored 85 important runs but also batted as if he had all the time and overs in the world to reach the target of 261 runs. Both Misbah and Younis should be asked as to why they fielded like novices and batted as if they were playing a test match! Some things never change for Pakistan. Just as they didn’t know what to do when the ‘Bowl Out’ was taken during their league match in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, they failed to grasp the importance of the Power Plays. While bowling, Afridi miscalculated Power Plays throughout the mega event whereas in the final, they took it when all was lost. I hope that the team is given a standing ovation when they come back as they reached the semi final of the World Cup after 12 years. But I don’t hope that the selectors stick to some of the players in the squad. Pakistan’s next mission is to play the West Indies on their ground, and it is an ideal time to send players who can do us proud in the future, rather than those who once upon a time did us proud! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [40] Comments               Post Your Commets   All await semis with bated breath! (by Mushtaq A Subhani) The World Cup has reached its peak after witnessing 42 action packed group matches and thrilling four quarter-finals since the mega even went underway 36 days ago. Now four best of the fourteen participants are left in the field to fight for moving into the final of the World Cup 2011. The first semi-final will be played between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Colombo on March 29 while arch rivals Pakistan and India will meet in the second a day later at Mohali. However, it is interesting to note that three of the four semi-finalists are Asian countries and one-time winners of the World Cup while the only non-Asian team is New Zealand who had never even reached the final. Who will be the two teams to play the final of the tournament to become the new World Cup champions is a question that will find its answer in due course. But India and Sri Lanka are being considered favourites and they will play the semis at their home grounds and before their own crowds whereas Pakistan and New Zealand will not enjoy such advantage. Apart from that, India are a batting powerhouse whereas Sri Lanka have a strong batting and bowling lines. Comparatively, Pakistan will rely on their fast bowling skill and New Zealand on their fielding ability. However, this is a fact that Pakistan are not playing international cricket at their home for more than two years due to security issues and thus it is a team with least exposure compared to the other three countries. The fever is reaching its peak as the tickets for the Mohali match have already been sold out. It is likely that Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani will also be present on the occasion along with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to support their respective teams. For Pakistan and India this will be a final before the final because it will be fought like a war by both sides. In the Colombo semi final, Sri Lanka are a stronger team on paper but in view of the fact that New Zealand performed outstandingly by beating Pakistan in their group match and South Afirca in the quarter finals, may also stun the Lankans. Nothing can be said about the outcome at this point, but one thing that is for sure is that both the encounters will be full of excitement, drama and action.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan poised for moving into World Cup final (by Mushtaq A Subhani) Pakistan, under Shahid Afridi, outplayed West Indies in the first quarter-finals of the ICC World Cup 2011. This is for the first time that Pakistan reached the World Cup semi-finals since 1999. The West Indies batsmen could not resist against the Pakistan spin attack, spearheaded by captain Shahid Afridi, who led from the front to dismiss the opponents for 112 runs. This was an easy target which Pakistan achieved in just 20.5 overs in Mirpur, Dhaka. The leg-spinner, already the tournament's leading wicket-taker, took his tally to 21 as he finished with four for 30, including two wickets off successive balls. Off-spinners Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets each as the West Indies collapsed after they elected to bat first on a sluggish pitch. The emphatic victory could hand Afridi's men a mouth-watering semi-final against arch-rivals India in Mohali on March 30, if the co-hosts beat Australia in Ahmedabad on Thursday. The Pakistanis, who won the World Cup in 1992 under Imran Khan, last entered the semi-finals of the premier event in England in 1999 when they finished runners-up behind Australia. It has been a remarkable comeback for a team that had been knocked out in the first round of the previous edition in the Caribbean four years ago. Afridi said after the match that the huge World Cup quarter-final victory over West Indies was the perfect present his team could give to fans back home on the country's national day.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Hafeez the Lionheart Steers Pakistan into the Semi Final! (by Omair Alavi) They went into the World Cup 2011 as the sixth best team, yet after the quarter final stage, Pakistan has emerged as undoubtedly the best side in the mega event. From a side that didn't have its main opening batsmen Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif, Shahid Afridi's men have come a long way by reaching the last four. It is how they reached the last four that is more interesting. Luck deserted the West Indian skipper Darren Sammy as soon as he decided to bat first on the pitch where they bowled out Bangladesh for just 58 runs. Despite the inclusion of Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kemar Roach, the West Indians fell like a pack of cards when they batted. Not only were they unable to match the guile of Umar Gul but were bamboozled by the spin trio of Pakistan. Mohammad Hafeez opened the bowling - as well as the batting later - and kept the batsmen in check. He accounted for Devon Smith and Darren Bravo to finish with figures of two for 16 in 10 overs. Umar Gul's 7 overs cost him 13 and got him the prized scalp of the danger man Chris Gayle. Saeed Ajmal claimed 2 wickets for 18 runs on his return while Abdur Razzaq got one in his 3 overs. The show was ruled by the Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi who took his 4th haul of four or more wickets during the event to dismantle the West Indian batting as well as take his tally of wickets to 21, the highest in the tournament this year. He was instrumental in restricting the clueless visitors from the Caribbean to just 112, their third lowest score in the history of the World Cup. Pakistan seemed like a changed team when it was their time to chase the modest target. Never a good chaser in one dayers, the two openers Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal stood still as if the very existence of Pakistan depended on them. They scored 113 runs without being dismissed, managing to keep the bad balls away and keeping themselves away from the good ones. For the first time in the history of the mega event, Pakistan defeated the former world champions by the margin of 10 wickets. They had lost 6 matches to them out of 8 before this match, but today they lessened the margin by batting with resolute and common sense. Mohammad Hafeez was declared the Man of The Match for his lion-hearted performance. He gave his best performance as did the other 10 members of the squad, and if they continue to do well, there is nothing in this world that could stop Pakistan from regaining the Cup that was once theirs! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   Green shirts end OZs record run! (by Mushtaq A Subhani) Pakistan in their final league match ended Australia's 34-match unbeaten World Cup run and secured the top spot on points table in Group A when they defeated the defending champions by four wickets with nine overs remaining at Colombo on Saturday. Pakistan finished with 10 points and will play the fourth-placed team in Group B, while the three-time World Cup winners, Australia (nine points) finished third behind Sri Lanka (nine-points) on run-rate. Saturday's loss was Australia's first in the World Cup since losing to Pakistan by 10 runs in Leeds in 1999. But the champions fought hard before Abdul Razzaq (20 not out) hit two boundaries in the 41st over to complete the victory. "We made some good plans against these guys and I think the boys all stuck to the plans," said Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi. "This victory was very, very important for us to keep a good position in the group and I think you can imagine now how we will play the quarter-final with good positive body language." Pakistan have come a long way in the World Cup to reach the quarter-finals, defeating Kenya, Sri Lanka, Canada, Zimbabwe and finally reigning champions Australia. They lost only to New Zealand. Now they have to play on knock-out basis in the next stages. Will Pakistan continue the winning spirit to reach the semi-finals and then win the final to lift the coveted World Cup trophy?     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan rob Aussies of invincibility!!! (by Omair Alavi) He had never lost a match as a captain in the World Cup. In fact, Ricky Ponting was part of 34 consecutive matches where world champions Australia may have faltered, but not lost. He ended 28 matches as a winning captain, but just when he thought that his team was invincible, the Aussies were deprived of their proud record, and were down to earth. After choosing to bat first, Australian captain Ricky Ponting may have fancied his chances against a side that didn’t have Shoaib Akhtar, was forced to field a wicket-keeper who dropped more catches than he held, and had fielders who were afraid of the ball if it came their way. It all changed on 19th March, just 4 years and 1 day after their former coach Bob Woolmer left for his heavenly abode. The zeal and fervor with which the fielders attacked the ball, the bowlers bowled at their opponents and butter-fingers Kamran Akmal held on to catches were the highlight of the day for the greenshirts. Umar Gul may have taken 3 wickets, yet it was Abdur Razzaq’s brilliant spell of 2 wickets for 8 runs that showed Pakistan the light at the end of the tunnel earlier in the day. It also showed the management that by making him open the attack, they were wasting the all-rounder. Hopefully, they will continue with Umar Gul as new-ball bowler and Razzaq as the first-change, and Abdur Rehman as the specialist spinner in the side, with captain Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez in supporting roles. Pakistan batting remains a concern as on Saturday, only youngsters Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal defied the Aussie attack. The rest failed miserably with the bat especially skipper Shahid Afridi whose dismissal for the second consecutive match bring forth his non-serious attitude towards batting. If Pakistan wants to go and qualify for the finals, the batsmen will have to put up a better display in the knock-out stage. Interestingly, it was Pakistan that defeated the Aussies 34 matches and 12 years back. Coincidentally, some of the players from that team were present in Colombo on Saturday. While Wasim Akram, the pacer who took 4 wickets in that encounter and led Pakistan from the front was in the commentary box, Waqar Younis, who was part of the World Cup squad, is now the coach of Pakistan. In that historic match at Headingley Leeds on 23rd May 1999, it was Abdur Razzaq's 60 runs that provided Pakistan a chance to post 275. Shoaib Akhtar took 1 wicket in the match and although he didn't play in the Colombo encounter, his presence would have considerably reduced the target for Pakistan. Pakistan has now topped the group A and it seems that they will get to play the worst of the top 4 teams in the other group. One hopes that Woolmer’s memory stays with the squad for another 15 days so that the greenshirts can do their former coach proud and bring the cup home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shoaib Akhtar- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly! (by Omair Alavi) Sergio Leone’s spaghetti-western titled ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ fits Shoaib Akhtar more than it did the main leads of the film. He was as cool as Clint Eastwood’s Blondie character, as calm as Lee Van Cleef’s Angel Eyes whereas was as brash as Eli Wallach’s Tuco character. The fast bowler is one of the few cricketers to have made headlines before he made his international debut. In fact, there is a possibility that he would continue to do so, once the dawn sets on his career in a couple of week’s time. The Good: Shoaib Akhtar impressed all those who saw him when he made his Test debut against the West Indies at his home ground in Rawalpindi. He took 2 wickets in the match but managed to bag a place in the squad bound for African Safari. It was against South Africa that his first match-winning performance earned him the nickname Rawalpindi Express. A year later, he took Indian greats Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar off successive deliveries in the Calcutta Test, helping Pakistan win the inaugural match of the Asian Test championship, which they won eventually. The same year, he bamboozled all his opponents with his express bowling at the Cricket World Cup and helped Pakistan reach the final of the mega event. During the next World Cup in 2003, he bowled the fastest delivery ever recorded in an international match, clocking 100mph in the group match against England at Cape Town. By doing so, he became the first bowler to break the 100mph barrier. The Bad: Shoaib Akhtar made his Pakistan debut in the latter half of 1997. Yet he could have made it a year earlier had he not been removed from the squad bound for Sahara Cup against India, on grounds of indiscipline. Just two years after making his international debut, his action was called for the first time, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) allowed him to carry on, since it was his bouncer that was the cause of concern. However, he was later called twice in the next 3 years before he was given the clean chit by the University of Western Australia. His off the field activities may have made him a heart-throb yet in March 2000, he was banned for one ODI and fined for reaching team hotel late. Two years later, he was reprimanded for ball-tampering and banned for one ODI after throwing water bottle at a spectator in Zimbabwe. Within 6 months, he was back in the news for the wrong reasons and was banned for two ODIs and fined 75 percent of match fee for ball-tampering during a match in Sri Lanka, which was followed by a ban of one test and two ODIs for abusing Paul Adams in the first Test against South Africa. In January 2008, he was banned for 5 years by the Pakistan Cricket Board for criticizing the selection process. The sentence was reduced to 18 months and a fine, he never paid. The Ugly: If the last segment surprised you, be ready to be flabbergasted. No cricketer was ever accused of feigning an injury during a Test match, before Shoaib Akhtar was after Pakistan lost the Test series to archrivals India 2-1. In 2006, he and Mohammad Asif became the first Pakistani cricketers to test positive for banned steroid nandrolone and were banned, which was eventually lifted. Two days before the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar hit Mohammad Asif with a bat. He was not only sent back from the tour but also fined and banned for 13 one-day matches. So here comes the end to the tale..perhaps... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Can Pakistan go on top in Group A? (by Mushtaq Subhani) Pakistan brushed aside Zimbabwe to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals as Bangladesh stayed on course for the knockout phase, cruising to a win against the Netherlands. All four qualifiers in Group A are now decided, with co-hosts Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand joining Pakistan in the last eight. In the tougher Group B, no team has yet reached the next stage but Bangladesh moved into the top four on Monday, pushing England into fifth spot. India, South Africa and West Indies currently occupy the other places. In a rain-affected match in Pallekele in Sri Lanka, Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 151-7 in 39.4 overs before a second rain interruption curtailed the innings. Man-of-the-match Umar Gul, with 3-36, was the pick of the bowlers as Zimbabwe's Craig Ervine fought a lone battle, hitting a patient 52 off 82 balls. Pakistan, set a revised 162-run target in 38 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis formula, finished on 164-3 after 34.1 overs on the back of an unbeaten 78 by Asad Shafiq and 49 from Mohammad Hafeez. Left-arm spinner Raymond Price (2-21) slowed Pakistan but they never looked remotely like falling short of the modest target. Pakistan have come a long way in the World Cup to reach the quarter-finals, despite a long run of controversies. They defeated Kenya, Sri Lanka, Canada and Zimbabwe but they were beaten by New Zealand. Skipper Shahid Afridi said Pakistan were targeting top spot in Group A to avoid a more tricky assignment in the last eight. A win over defending champions Australia in Colombo on Saturday will go a long way in helping that ambition. "We will definitely play well against Australia. It's a match which we'll take very seriously," said Afridi, whose side are a point better off than the champions but who have played a game more. The World Cup quarter-finals begin on March 23. Final group positions will determine who plays whom in the second round.     [87] Comments               Post Your Commets   Heavy Weights in Gyms Make Heavy Weights of Cricket Miss Crucial Catches By Rashid Latif Cricket fans want to see real competitive matches. Unfortunately, such games are not possible without world-class players. It is surprising to note that several top-notch players of various teams are grappling with injuries and are out of the ongoing World Cup 2011 (I can count at least 15 such players, including Kevin Pietersen, who is out due to Hernia). International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to take immediate notice of this, just like during the 1980s, when the world of fitness determined many safety procedures, as the number of injuries reported, ramped up.These injuries don't entirely owe to the advent of 20/20. There are multiple factors at work. Some of these were overtly highlighted by Dennis Lillee in December 2010. “I blame modern training methods for creating sculpted surfer physiques rather than hardened cricketers. I believe today's bowlers do not gain the core strength required to cope with the increased demands of the modern game. Fast bowlers Stuart Clark , Bret Lee, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle are usually on the injury list. I am not sure that fast bowlers in particular do enough distance running and heavy sprinting work. My gut feeling is that a lot of training is more about looking good rather than looking after the core, which is more essential than having a nice beach look. I think there are more soft tissue injuries now." Javed Miandad has also expressed his dissatisfaction with the modern training system; and I hold with both Lillee and Miandad. Lillee himself got injured in 1972, but that was due to his high jump action, while Imran Khan received an injury that almost prematurely finished his career in 1984 because of his excessive side-on bowling action. But now-a-days, the injuries are a result of spending too much time in the gyms; may be for the purpose pointed out by Lillee, that is to look robust and athletic,befitting the conventional idea of a sportsman . Injuries to Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones, Bret Lee, Shane Bond, and Shoaib Akhter, are because of excessive work-out in the gyms. Over the years new heavy weights in addition to all kinds of machines and equipments have been introduced in gyms. Many old exercise techniques have been replaced by new and more effective ones. It's true that Gym holds its due importance in keeping one fit. However, gym and the various exercise equipments in the Fitness centers should not become a fad or should not be considered as the only tools to keep one fit. The modus operandi employed; the pre-requisite skills to perform well as a cricketer , a batsman, a wicketkeeper, a spinner, or a fast bowler; are all very important to be acquainted with. Moreover, what is to be avoided, like, should one continue doing the same exercises and using the same machines day in and day out; or should one rotate various exercises over a period of time, for a complete and overall work-out regimen. For cricketers, especially fast bowlers, running regimen (sprints and long distance), better understanding of their own physique & body chemistry, knowing the right combination of machines for exercise, & taking proper rest between workouts to avoid fallouts like over training syndrome when they are playing a game or working-out in camps before any match or series. All needs to be carefully chalked out. I remember once listening to an interview of Late Fazal Mahmood - one of the best opening bowlers of Pakistan , on a local channel . Responding to, how come he used to continue bowling without any replacement consecutively for two or even three sessions in test cricket, he revealed that his training involved running after trains for miles! Another first- rate all-rounder Imran Khan has also mentioned in his book, that he developed strength in his legs, back, and overall body because he used to run after the kites in Zaman Park, Lahore. That is why as far as I can recall, Imran Khan in sweltering heat of Australia in 1976-77, once bowled for 5 hours without break/ continuously. Why have I given these examples? Because somethings never change.Yes. New ways and equipments should be made use of, but fundamentals like sprinting and jogging for long distances should never be discarded. Again, in gym, one needs to be very cautious. Any atypical joint activities can place one at higher risk of injury. Abnormal movements in gyms usually happen when one uses a device that is not meant for a particular body shape or size . All this is a complete science in itself; using appropriate and effective procedures, technical know-how, acquaintance with suitable advices, and of course continuous research to keep oneself updated. All this is beyond the capability and scope of an individual or a single Cricket Board or Institution. This demands collaborative effort at the highest level and ICC needs to take lead in this; seriously ponder about various issues related to these injuries & their link with the extensive use of gyms; and then be ready to spend generously in this area. This will indeed be a huge contribution and step taken by the present administration of ICC to Cricket, to the present & future generations of cricketers, and above all the millions-&-billions of cricket lovers of the present and future times, so that they are able to enjoy high quality cricket played by the most competitive cricketers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rashif Latif is the former Captain and Wicket keeper of Pakistani Team. He is currently coaching Afghan National Cricket Team and also trains burgeoning talent at RLCA (Rashid Latif Cricket Academy)     [27] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan proved their unpredictability yet again! (by Mushtaq Ahmad Subhani) Pakistan who were leading the World Cup Group A points table with three wins in a row has now slipped down to second place as New Zea land halted their winning streak crushing them by 110 runs in a ruthless display dominated by century-maker Ross Taylor. Taylor, celebrating his 27th birthday, scored 131 runs off just 124 balls with eight fours and seven sixes, to take New Zealand to 302 for seven in their 50 overs at Pallekele stadium in Sri Lanka on Tuesday. In an orgy of power-hitting Taylor took the bowling apart, helped by Nathan McCullum, with 19 from 10 balls, and Jacob Oram, who smashed 25 from just nine deliveries. Before he had even opened his account, Taylor received a huge let-off when an edge flew between wicket-keeper and first slip, and in the same over 'keeper Kamran Akmal put down a straightforward chance when he was on eight. Pakistan lost control as New Zealand went on the rampage, with pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar carted for 70 runs in his nine overs and Abdul Razzaq going for 49 runs from just four. Pakistan, who came into the match with a 100 percent record, never looked like getting anywhere near their target, slumping to 66-6 before a late rally led by Razzaq, who hit 62. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said: "I don't have any excuse but I know we didn't bowl well, we didn't field well, we missed opportunities and I think the fielding is the area where you can easily win a lot of games." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mushtaq is senior member of The News online editorial desk and has been contributing articles on sports for several years now.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Kamran Akmal gifts victory to New Zealand in the crucial World Cup tie! (by Omair Alavi) They had won three consecutive matches in style, but lost when it mattered the most. Pakistan cricket team invited self destruction during their Group A encounter against New Zealand in Sri Lanka’s Pallekele International Cricket stadium. They set a difficult target of 303 runs, yet unlike the teams in the event, they didn’t go for it and fell 110 runs short. The main reason for their defeat was the fortunate presence of Kamran ‘Butterfingers’ Akmal in two key positions – one as a wicket keeper and two, batting at the important number 3 position. There are some who think he may be of use to the team but I feel the team can do well with a non-regular keeper in his place since he will certainly drop less catches than Kamran, and hold more. Pakistan’s match against New Zealand is the prime example of how one bad fish can spoil the whole pond. In their earlier match against Sri Lanka, Kamran Akmal showed the youngsters how ‘not to keep wickets’ by missing 2 stampings off Abdur Rehman. The result was that Rehman dropped a sitter when the ball came to him. Same was the case in the match against Kiwis. Kamran Akmal gave New Zealand vice captain Ross Taylor the best gift on his 27th birthday by dropping him twice in one Shoaib Akhtar over. Till his 8th over, he had gone for 42 runs, yet he ended the match with 70 runs in 9 overs - including 28 in his last one. Had Kamran Akmal held onto either of the chances, things wouldn’t have been so gloomy for the green shirts. It was the drop that enabled Ross Taylor to score a career-saving century and also blast Abdur Razzaq for 30 runs in just one over! If Pakistan were miserable as a fielding unit, they were horrible with the bat. Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan came and went as if they were not even interested in scoring runs. Misbah ul Haq also failed to score much while Umar Akmal’s lone stand was not enough to save Pakistan from crashing to a humiliating defeat. Chasing 302 runs was never going to be easy for Pakistan under lights, yet they lost the battle at 4 for 23. Late cameos from Abdur Razzaq and Umar Gul proved that the wicket was good to bat on, the batsmen from Pakistan were just not good enough! There were two sets of brothers in both the sides. While Nathan and Brendon McCullum played to win, Pakistan’s Akmal brothers gave the management a chance to ponder over changes to be made in the next match. Pakistan must include Asad Shafiq in the top rank, get rid of Younis Khan, make Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal available and do away with Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad. Everyone knows that Umar Akmal can keep wickets better than his elder brother, it’s only the management who hasn’t realized it, yet! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [19] Comments               Post Your Commets   CRICKET CONCOCTION (by Haris Tohid) Hum tou 184 runs bana kar b jeet gaye Faraz (We managed to win the match even after making 184 runs) Kuch esi team b hain jo 338 kar k b nai jeete (there are teams who could nt pull the cord even after amassing 338 runs) Read this one after Pakistan's close encounter with cricket minnows Canada. A few hours earlier though, cricket enthusiasts were flinging betting accusations at the team. People were certain the match was fixed and talk of an early exit resounded almost every home and office. It soon faded away as Pakistani bowlers ripped through the Red shirts and bundled them out comfortably. Those counting odds at the betting fair and calculating how much money supporters of Canada would be minting, soon cheered their side to a narrow win. Just a day back, cricket lovers were treated to the biggest ever run chase in the World cup by the underdogs Ireland against the mighty England. It seemed more of a David and Goliath encounter which in the end went in favour of Irish who slung shot their way on the points table. Messages heralding Irish victory started to pour in as their batters thumped the newly crowned Ashes side. No accusations did rounds amongst the cricket crazy fans this time. No voices were raised as to why English side scored just 39 runs in the last 6 overs and lost 4 wickets. Also, two crucial catches dropped by English fielders did not qualify as something mischievous. What mattered to the fans back home was Ireland's emphatic win. English team had already raised brows with their drawn match against India but not enough to perturb the erratic Pakistani fans. Why? We all love cricket, infact that's probably one thing we would like to associate ourselves with the world outside. Well, that has been brutally hacked up by some of our brilliant cricketers who chose to bet their sporting lives off the field rather than on it. They lost and so did we. To top it off, relentless terrorists attacks and crumbling law and order situation has robbed us of hosting the only collective healthy activity in the country. Alas! We have become a nation full of cynics who like to believe in conspiracy theories. Our psyche has been structured by bitter experiences, welded by those enjoying power and stature. Fair play whether in politics, sports or public day-to-day dealings seem to be vanishing away from our society. Irony is that we don't even realize we are sinking into atrophy and continue with our lives concocting fictitious stories to satisfy ourselves. Good news is we as a nation suffer or choose to suffer from amnesia. We do not forgive but tend to forget. Politicians who wrought havoc in our lives are embraced in a few years time owing to the malady. And same goes for our passion - Cricket. One good win makes us forget the previous misdeeds. Plans are being made for the next match, big screens are setup for viewing the match to attract big crowd, prayers are held for team’s success and if some spoil sport shows pessimism, is silenced vociferously to ward off any bad omen. Perhaps we are a nation that needs a bit of good news in their lives. Cricket does provide that hope! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Haris is a correspondent of GEO TV Network     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   WCC- Superstitions 'n' Predictions (by Omair Alavi) Cricket fans in Pakistan happen to be very sensitive as well as superstitious when it comes to the World Cup. Some feel that just because 2011 ends with an Odd number (much like 2009), we will be able to win. Others think that since they are not playing the hosts, technically speaking, and have the experience to win the mega event held in known territory, they stand fair chances of success. However, the list doesn’t end here. In 1992, Pakistan had a Khan captain who felt no fear. He was not only the best player of the side but also commanded respect from his fellow players. Being the senior most player in the line; Imran was the incomparably productive. He won the World Cup for Pakistan with his sheer will power and shrewd leadership. Since then, many including Inzamam ul Haq and Younis Khan have tried to emulate him, but failed to match him. Talking about 2011, things are not much different. Like 1992, Pakistan is led by another Khan, 'the Lionheart' Shahid. He is not only the most experienced player in the team but also has what it takes to be able to lead the team successfully. He may not have Imran’s experience but he has played more one-day matches than any member of his squad. What makes Afridi the most lethal weapon on Pakistan’s side is his ability to change the course of the match with his heroics and unprecedented performance. With the willow in his hand, he can confront any attack; and with the ball he can defeat the best of the batting attempts. Who can forget the catch he took in the World Twenty20, running backwards and almost blindly catching the ball with his stretched hands. And not to forget, the current manager of the Pakistan cricket team, Intikhab Alam, has the honor of managing the World Cup winning squad earlier. It was he who kept the players together as a unit, something that would be required of him, once more. With all the right elements on our side, there’s apparently no reason that we lose it. (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team and writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Five-star Afridi saves Pakistan in Colombo Shahid Afridi produced another magical bowling display to almost single-handedly save Pakistan from what would have been an embarrassing defeat against World Cup minnows Canada at the Colombo R Premadasa Stadium on Thursday night. After flooring Pakistan for just 184 runs in 43 overs, Canada must have been sniffing an upset win at 104-3 needing 81 from 99 balls to slap Pakistan with their first loss of the tournament. But then Afridi began yet another demolition job. He ripped through the Canadian batting line-up, collecting four wickets from 11 balls to ensure that Pakistan will finish the day at the top of Pool A with three wins from three matches. They won by 46 runs after bowling out Canada for 138 in 42.5 overs. But the game wasn’t as easy as the result might suggest. Without Afridi’s heroics, it could have been a different story for Pakistanis. The Pakistan captain, who took five wickets against Kenya and four against Sri Lanka, took the vital wicket of Jimmy Hansra at a time when the Ludhiana-born allrounder was steering his team towards victory. Hansra followed his 2-23 with a 75-ball 43 that included four fours and a six. It was an innings that threatened to take the match away from Pakistan. Afridi, who also scalped Canada captain Ashish Bagai (16) was then almost unplayable as he got rid of Rizwan Cheema (4), Harvir Baidwan (0) and Tyson Gordon (9) before running Balaji Rao (1) run out with a sharp throw. The Flamboyant allrounder, who is the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 14 victims, finished with 5-23 and in the end saved the day for his team but not before Pakistan chose arguably the weakest team at World Cup 2011 to show their weak and vulnerable side. Going into what was expected to be a Pool A mismatch, Pakistan were brimming with confidence and looking set for a big win over the North Americans following impressive victories against Kenya and Sri Lanka. But they were bowled out for just 184 by a side that had even lost against fellow underdogs Zimbabwe by 175 runs earlier this week. Pakistan, who opted to bat first in overcast conditions, never really managed to pick themselves up after losing their openers cheaply. Mohammad Hafeez (11) was the first to go, falling to Henry Osinde. He challenged the umpire decision after being hit on the pad above the knee roll in front of leg and middle stump. But Hawk eye suggested it would have clipped the top of the leg stump. Ahmed Shehzad continued his poor form, becoming Baidwan’s first wicket while trying to go for a big one only to be caught at mid-on. Pakistan were 48-2 and looked towards Younis Khan to save them. But the former Pakistan captain, with fifties from his last two outings, didn’t last long and was trapped lbw by Baidwan. Kamran Akmal played a sedate 38-ball knock for his 16 but threw away his wicket, attempting a cut Rizwan Cheema only to hit it straight to Nitish Kumar at backward point. Pakistan were now in trouble at 67-4 in 15.3 overs. But as usual Misbah was there to steady the ship. He put on 73 off 117 balls with Umar Akmal, with the younger partner playing a dominant role in the fifth-wicket stand. Umar hit four delightful hits to the fence but fell in a bid to step on the gas. He was deceived by a straighter one from the seasoned Balaji that caught him plumb in front of the middle stump. His 48 came off 68 balls. Balaji returned to scalp Misbah in the 39th over. The Pakistan vice-captain chased one going way down legside only to nick it and Ashish Bagai gloved it smartly. Pakistan were now 6-165 and needed skipper Afridi to play a big one. But Afridi lost his wicket, swinging wildly at a juicy full toss and was caught at backward point off Cheema. Hansra then struck twice in the 42nd over to end Pakistan’s hopes of reaching a respectable total. Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan’s last big hope, was beaten by the off-spinner with a tossed up delivery before Wahab Riaz edged him to Balaji in the slip. The last six Pakistan wickets fell for just 44 runs while their last three could fetch just three. The Chandigarh-born Baidwan, 23, took 3-35. Hansra (2-23), Cheema (2-33) and Balaji (2-50) were the other wicket-takers for Canada.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Ireland stun England, make World Cup history (by Mushtaq Subhani) Ireland, a non-Test playing country, Wednesday shocked England and took the world by surprise by inflicting a humiliating three-wicket defeat to one of the favorite teams of World Cup 2011 in Bangalore. Kevin O'Brien smashed the fastest ever World Cup century to guide Ireland to clinch the incredible triumph. His astonishing knock, laced with 13 fours and six sixes to reach three figures in only 50 balls, helped the Irish to live up to their reputation as giant-killers as they overhauled England's total of 327-8 with five balls to spare. It was the highest successful run chase in the World Cup history. Four years after beating Pakistan in the group stage in the Caribbean, the Irish repeated the feat to dent England's hopes of progressing into the knockout stages of the 2011 tournament. At one time, Ireland were 111 for five and it was looking as England would easily win the match. But O’Brien and Alex Cusack steered their team to an astonishing victory, chasing successfully a huge target of 328 with five balls to spare. O’Brien displayed a breath-taking show of power hitting while the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium roared him on. The 26-year-old O'Brien dismantled the English bowling to score 113 runs in 63 balls and his knock helped produce the first upset in this year's showpiece. He was run-out -- the only way he could fall -- with 11 runs still required off as many balls. However, John Mooney (33 off 30 balls) kept his head and with three required to win off the last over, smashed a boundary to spark off the Irish celebrations. Inspired by O'Brien, Alex Cusak smashed 47 runs as they put turned on a breath-taking show of power hitting while the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium roared him on.on 162 runs for the sixth wicket before he was run out Ireland still requiring 55 runs to win. Ireland's victory also throws Group B, which includes India, West Indies and South Africa, wide open.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Butt wants inquiry into Warne’s prediction PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt has asked for a thorough inquiry into the Shane Warne’s predication of India-England match that the encounter was going to ‘tie’. He said the matter would be taken up in an ICC meeting to be held in Mumbai. The high-scoring India –England match was tied off the last ball and raised eyebrows given that Warne predicted it would end all-square on Twitter prior to the start of the match. “Looking forward to the game between India and England today, it should be a cracker,” said Warne’s tweet. “My prediction is a tie!” Talking to the reporters at a Lahore City Cricket Association function, the chairman looked puzzled as to how someone could forecast such a correct result before the match. “We will raise the matter and ask the ICC to conduct a fair inquiry into the matter,” he said. The PCB chief spoke positive about the fate of Pakistan cricket team in mega event. He said Pakistan, though going great, but still need improvement in fielding and bowling sections. To a question, Butt denied considering the matter of Shoaib Malik, saying that his issue would be taken up in a meeting of PCB’s Integrity Committee on March 4. The announcement of award of central contract to 19 players would soon be made, he said.     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   We want to reach Cup final: Younis Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan said on Monday that his team is fully focused on the task ahead, adding that it would go all out to reach the World Cup final penciled in for April 2 in Mumbai. Pakistan are placed on the top of Pool A after thrashing Kenya by 205 runs and co-hosts Sri Lanka by 11 runs in their first two World Cup matches. They will meet minnows Canada in their next game here on Thursday. “The spirit in our team in really encouraging and we will try our best to reach the World Cup final,” the experienced batsman told reporters. Younis said that he was pleased to regain his form at the start of the tournament. “It really feels good to have put some runs on the board,” he said. Younis began his World Cup with a solid 50 against Kenya in Hambontota on Wednesday and more importantly anchored Pakistan’s innings against co-hosts Sri Lanka on Saturday with a 76-ball 72. Meanwhile, the happy Pakistan continue to train hard, as they were seen at the P Sara Stadium on Monday morning a little ahead of their training session, which was scheduled at 10.00 am. But they took more half an hour before beginning their training ahead of Thursday’s Pool A game against minnows Canada. “We were having a team meeting before starting the training session,” Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan manager, told ‘The News’. “We meet as frequently as possible and discuss ways and means to improve our performance,” added the former Pakistan captain. For a change, Intikhab finds himself at the helm of a happy Pakistan team. As the team manager, he heads the tour selection committee which has been entrusted with the responsibility to pick playing elevens ahead of Pakistan’s World Cup matches. According to Intikhab, those meetings seldom last more than five minutes and always end with the team being picked on consensus. “We can agree or disagree. In fact, we always have a bit of a debate on a few players, but in the end the committee reaches a consensus on the playing eleven amicably all the time,” said Intikhab. The tour selection committee also includes Pakistan coach waqar Younis, skipper Shahid Afridi and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq. “It’s a happy atmosphere in the team and that’s a good sign,” he said. “The boys are really motivated and the team spirit is at a high. That’s one of the reasons why they’ve been really working very hard.”     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   The Greenshirts Defeat Lankan Lions! (by Omair Alavi) It is true that The World Cup may have started on 19th February, but for the fans of the Pakistan cricket team, the fever of the mega event has started just now. Shahid Afridi and his men played absolutely the right way they should have in such ideal circumstances, and won the hearts of all the Pakistanis, by defeating one of co-hosts Sri Lanka by 11 runs! From the toss to the last catch Pakistani team played like tigers. Not only were they able to beat batsmen like Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera, they also managed to take wickets when the competition grew tough. Shoaib Akhtar, as expected bowled like the Rawalpindi Express, while Shahid Afridi supported him by taking wickets at regular intervals. They managed to defend the total of 277 runs Pakistan made with the help of the in-form Younis Khan and Misbah ul Haq, as both of them managed to make half centuries back to back. There were a couple of performances that helped Sri Lanka more than they did Pakistan. However the greenshirts did not let the comic run out, the missed stumpings and the horrible fielding come in between their success. Although Kamran Akmal did what he always does in crucial matches - run out a set batsman (here it was Mohammad Hafeez) and drop a few sitters - the rest of the team members played sensibly. Shahid Afridi took 4 wickets in the match and now has 9 wickets from the two matches. The Pakistani captain led the front and kept the hopes of all his countrymen alive, when even his team mates had almost lost their hope. Abdur Rehman unfortunately dropped a catch and Umar Gul set himself more like an example of how a wicket keeper’s performance can affect a player, considering it was Rehman’s bowling that Kamran Akmal missed two simple stumpings in. Pakistan must revise their strategy before their next match. They must select one of the Akmal brothers since both of them are not needed in the final XI. Big brother Kamran is not only a bad runner between the wickets but also happens to be the worst wicket keeper amongst the 14 participants. It was his awful wicketkeeping that made Pakistan lose the Sydney Test last year, and the same thing would have happened here had it not been for Sri Lanka’s bad luck in losing wickets. Pakistan must choose one of the Akmal brothers and get an extra pacer or batsman if they want to win all their matches and top the group. Pakistan will now play against Canada on 3rd March, before facing New Zealand, Australia and Zimbabwe. If we manage to win against Canada and Zimbabwe (as the chances are very likely), Pakistan might be able to make it to either of the top two group A standings. If luck and team spirit supports them, it would be no surprise if Shahid Afridi and his men become the table toppers, which means they might face the weakest side from the other group in quarter finals, en route to a sure shot place in the last four. Go Pakistan! (Omair Alavi is a member of the Geo News team. He has been writing articles on sports and entertainment since 1995.)     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   M-factor doesn’t really intimidate Pakistan As Pakistan prepared for their crunch pool A game against Sri Lanka at the Colombo R Premadasa Stadium on Thursday, questions were being asked whether they will be able to tackle the ‘M-factor’ to keep intact their unblemished World Cup record against the co-hosts. Sri Lanka come across as a potent force with world-class batters like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne, but it’s their lethal bowling attack that makes them one of the serious contenders for the title. The wily Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga, with his slinging arm-action, form a formidable spin-pace partnership that can unsettle even the best batters of the world. And the fact that Sri Lanka will be enjoying the home advantage, not many critics are giving Pakistan much chance of winning tomorrow’s game. But ask Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan vice-captain, and he will tell you that the visitors know Sri Lanka’s game too well to fear them. “We know Sri Lanka’s game, just like they know ours,” Misbah said here as his teammates trained in the nets. “We have played a lot against each other, especially in the last few years which is why we know what to expect from them.” Before Misbah joined a group of Pakistani reporters for a chit-chat, Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam told ‘The News’ that Misbah will be his team’s key man against Murailtharan. “Misbah reads him (Muralitharan) really well,” said Intikhab, a former Pakistan captain. “He plays him solidly, perhaps even better than how Inzamam-ul-Haq used to tackle Murali.” Misbah, however, played down Intikhab’s comments, saying most of his team’s batters can tackle Murali, even on his home turf. “Both Murali and Malinga are world-class bowlers,” he said. “But the thing is that we are used to facing them. Many of our batters know how to tackle them. Younis Khan does it really well,” he added. Misbah stressed that the Pakistani batsmen tackle Murali better than most of the other teams because they regularly spar with good spinners back home. “Some of them bowl like Murali,” said Misbah. Misbah, 36, stressed that Pakistan will follow a simple plan to win tomorrow’s vital match. “It’s certainly a vital match for both the teams,” said the experienced batsman. “The team that wins it will have a great chance to finish among the top two from the group. “We have a simple plan for tomorrow’s match. Just play according to merit.” Pakistan have never lost any World Cup against Sri Lanka and their skipper Shahid Afridi wants to keep that record intact. “I am confident that we are up to the Sri Lankan challenge and ready for anything they throw at us, whether its Malinga or Muralitharan,” Afridi said after Pakistan massacred Kenya by 205 runs on Wednesday. “In Sri Lankan conditions and pitches, he (Muralitharan) is always very dangerous and he could probably turn the ball on the marble as well. He has so much experience and knows conditions well and that’s why he is the best,” said Afridi. Malinga, who missed the game against Canada because of a back strain, did not bowl when Sri Lanka trained here on Thursday. Afridi believes that the fast bowler could be rusty if he plays on tomorrow. “Malinga is a very good bowler but he is coming back from an injury, so let’s see how strong he is and how much he can adjust to the conditions,” said Afridi.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Captains say Cup wide open Graeme Smith of South Africa and India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined a chorus of World Cup skippers predicting a closely contested tournament that will thrill players and fans alike. At a rare assembly of all 14 captains for a photo-shoot and media conference in Dhaka on Thursday ahead of cricket’s showpiece event, the general refrain was that it was impossible to choose a winner. “I believe every team taking part has a chance to win, it is all very open,” Smith said at the function that took place a few hours before the opening ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Added Dhoni: “All teams are in good touch. The gap between matches will help players recover from niggles which are bound to happen. It means every team will be in good shape for their matches. “A side that plays consistently well over the next six weeks will do well.” Ricky Ponting, whose Australia won the last three World Cups, was the first off the blocks in making his opening remarks before the floor was thrown open to the media. “On behalf of the 13 other captains, I welcome the cricket fraternity to the World Cup,” said Ponting. “It is the pinnacle of our sport and we will make sure it is a spectacle to remember.” Dhoni, speaking on behalf of the three host nations — India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — said it was fitting the tournament was being held in South Asia where cricket was a major sport. “I welcome the other teams and hope they will enjoy our hospitality. The interest in cricket in this part of the world is unmatched. I am sure everyone will have a great time.” England’s Andrew Strauss said his team’s narrow 16-run win over minnows Canada in a practice match on Wednesday, showed how close this tournament could be. “The conditions here a lot different from what we faced in Australia recently,” he said. “The key will be how quickly a side can adapt to the conditions. “Our game against Canada showed there will be no easy fixtures at the World Cup, which will go to make a great tournament.” Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara said it was helpful to play in familiar conditions, but that did not guarantee a win. “One has to do better than all teams to win the tournament,” he said. “It is great playing at home and front of our own crowds. “The format is such that it you make the quarter-finals, you need to play great in two matches to reach a World Cup final.” The 14 teams are divided into two groups for the preliminary league, with the top four in each group advancing to the knock-out rounds. Reigning champions Australia are pooled with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada in group A. The other group comprises India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said there was no pressure on his team to beat India in Saturday’s opening match at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium on the outskirts of Dhaka. “Fans do expect a lot but there is no pressure on us,” he said. “It’s not just about winning the first game, but doing well in all our matches.”     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Afridi, Waqar eye redemption for Pakistan at WC Pakistan's World Cup captain and Coach believe an outstanding performance in the tournament will lead to the return of international cricket to the country and also redeem Pakistan's image in the cricket world. "In the last two years, our isolation as an international cricket venue and the spot-fixing controversies have badly hurt us and affected our performances," Coach Waqar Younis told a news conference in Lahore on Thursday. "This World Cup is very important for us. To me as a former captain and coach it has been a painful period. I honestly believe that this team has the potential to win the Cup and redeem Pakistan cricket in the eyes of the world." At the 2007 World Cup Pakistan's coach Bob Woolmer died in tragic circumstances and they suffered a humiliating loss to non-test playing nation Ireland en-route to a first-round exit. However manager Intikhab Alam felt things were on a more even keel now. "I am confident this will be a controversy-free event for us," he said. Waqar felt the team deserved a lot of credit for producing some fine performances since last year despite feeling the heat from the spot-fixing controversy. "I am proud of these boys and Afridi has led them superbly and I know they have the potential to win this event. We have got the momentum going and it is just a matter of the team clicking at the right time. "Since the tournament is being held in the sub-continent I would say the sub-continental teams have a definite edge," he added. Captain Afridi said it would be difficult to predict the outcome. "We have the players to adjust to all sorts of conditions and pressure situations in the tournament. But at the end of the day it is all about how you play. This is a long tournament and much will depend on how teams keep their momentum going, fit and motivated. This will be crucial," he said. The Pakistan squad leaves later on Thursday for Bangladesh where they play two warm-up matches and then move onto Sri Lanka for their Group A matches in the Feb. 19 - April 2 event.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   ICC bans Pakistan cricket trio Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were banned for at least five years on Saturday after they were found guilty of corruption by an International Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal. The 26-year-old Butt, who led the Pakistan team in last year’s Test series against England, was banned for 10 years, with five of them suspended, for his part in the spot-fixing scandal. Asif, 28, was ruled out for seven years — two of which are suspended — while 18-year-old Amir was banned for five. News of the punishment came a day after British prosecutors announced the trio would face criminal charges over their actions in the fourth cricket Test against England at Lord’s. Michael Beloff, the lawyer who headed the tribunal, said the suspended parts of the sentence were dependent on the players committing no further breach of the code and attending an anti-corruption programme run by the Pakistan Cricket Board. A three-man tribunal considered the case for six days last month following allegations in a British newspaper that the trio had arranged for deliberate no-balls to be delivered in the fourth Test at Lord’s last year. All three can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for sport after the tribunal. Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said the trio, along with 35-year-old sports agent Mazhar Majeed from Croydon, England, had been charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments and with conspiracy to cheat. The trio denied spot-fixing, the offence of pre-arranging individual events within a match which may not affect the result, said a news report. Mohammad Amir told media he was shocked and disappointed at being handed a five-year ban. “I am shocked and hugely disappointed. I wasn’t expecting that much of a ban,” Amir told, just minutes after the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC announced its verdict. Amir said he was still confident of being absolved. “I was confident that I will get away without any punishment, but this is very hard on me. I have just come out of the hearing and have told my family who have tried to console me. I will sit with my lawyer and decide about appealing against the verdict.” Amir’s lawyer Shahid Karim had hinted he would try to convince the tribunal that since his client was only 18, and had never committed any violation of the code before, he should be treated leniently. “It’s a sad day for Pakistan cricket,” Karim told. “I tried my level best, tried all the provisions which could have helped Amir but a five-year ban is too harsh.” “He is shocked, although he put on a brave face but it’s very tough to be consoled,” said Karim.     [28] Comments               Post Your Commets   PCB finally confirms Afridi as World Cup captain Shahid Afridi will lead Pakistan at the World Cup, cricket chiefs said on Friday, quashing rumours that he might be replaced by Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq. PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) last week announced a 15-man squad for the mega event, to be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from February 19, but had delayed the appointment of a captain. "PCB announces Afridi as captain of Pakistan team for the World Cup. Misbah has been announced as vice captain for the event," the board said in a statement. PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said the decision had widespread backing. "I had detailed discussions with team management and players in New Zealand regarding captain and vice captain and am pleased to state that everyone fully endorsed these decisions," Butt was quoted as saying in the PCB statement. The PCB's decision to delay naming the captain had been criticised by former players and fans. "It doesn't make a difference whether Misbah leads the side or I lead the side because we both are playing for our country, I have never been after captaincy," Afridi said earlier this week. Misbah had backed all-rounder Afridi as captain. "I think Afridi has done a great job as captain and he has kept the team together and every player is contributing and wants to do well. He has led well," Misbah said after his man-of-the-match performance in New Zealand on Tuesday. Afridi, 30, who was banned for two matches on charges of ball-tampering in only his second match as skipper in January last year, has led Pakistan in 20 one-day matches, winning nine, losing ten with one ending in no result because of rain. Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup and open their campaign with a match against Kenya at Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on February 23. They go into the tournament on good form after wrapping up the current six-match one-day series against New Zealand with a game to spare.     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   Misbah steers Pakistan to thrilling win over New Zealand Misbahul Haq overcame the loss of late wickets to keep his cool and guide Pakistan to a two-wicket victory over New Zealand in their fourth one-day international match in Napier on Tuesday. Misbah, who has anchored Pakistan’s batting throughout the tour of New Zealand, proved once again a thorn in the side of Daniel Vettori’s team scoring 93 not out as Pakistan finished on 264 for eight in 49 overs having chased down the host’s 262 for seven. The Pakistan test captain, who had been coasting to the victory target while batting with Younus Khan (42), was forced to take all the responsibility of getting his side home when Younus was run out in the 38th over. Umar Akmal then scratched around for 10 off 17 balls before he was well caught in the 43rd over by Nathan McCullum off Vettori, who trapped Shahid Afridi in front two balls later to give New Zealand a faint hope of running through the bowlers to win the match and take a 2-1 lead in the best of six series. Misbah, however, and Abdul Razzaq (23) managed to keep pace with the required run rate and while Razzaq was well caught by a hobbling Vettori, Misbah smashed 10 runs off two balls from Scott Styris and Sohail Tanvir (14) hit three boundaries off Tim Southee the next over to see their side home. Late call-up James Franklin had proved the saviour of New Zealand’s innings, which was about 30 runs short of a par total on a good batting wicket with short square boundaries. Franklin was only brought into the side after Jesse Ryder, who injured a finger while playing for Wellington at the weekend, withdrew before play began. The left-hander, who had scores of 72 not out, 98 not out and 17 not out in his previous three innings in India last December, top-scored with 62 to help arrest New Zealand’s mid-innings slump. The hosts had romped to 40 without loss but lost three wickets for four runs and then slumped to 79 for five before Franklin’s 62-run partnership with Brendon McCullum (37) and a stand of 64 runs with Nathan McCullum (53 not out) halted the slide.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   World Cup hopefuls, organisers on tightrope A promo of the upcoming World Cup by the host broadcasters shows players from the 14 participating nations walking a tightrope high in the air to achieve their goal. With reigning champions Australia shedding their prowess and evenly-matched teams facing a treacherous knock-out format, copywriters have already foreseen an unpredictable, wide-open tournament from February 19-April 2. Australia have dominated the World Cup stage in spectacular fashion, winning the last three editions in 1999, 2003 and 2007 to add to their first success under Allan Border in 1987. But rivals this time will fancy their chances against the new-look Aussies following the retirement of key stars like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds. Australia will still remain strong contenders to pick up a fifth title, but India and Sri Lanka - who co-host the World Cup with Bangladesh - and South Africa and England are regarded the frontrunners. With the unpredictable, but hugely talented, Pakistanis also in the mix alongside two-time champions West Indies and New Zealand, the race for the title is wide open. Adding to the excitement is the new format where teams face sudden-death after the preliminary league. Unlike the last three editions, where there were two league stages before the semi-finalists were determined, the upcoming tournament will see the knock-outs begin after the first round itself. The 14 teams have been divided into two groups for the initial round-robin league, with the top four from each half advancing to the quarter-finals. The quarter-final format, first used in 1996 before being discarded, was revived to ensure a team play a minimum of six matches even if they don't make the next round. In the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, crowd pullers India and Pakistan went out of the reckoning after just three matches as they failed to enter the second round. Reigning champions Australia have been drawn with Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya in Group A. India and Bangladesh, who play the tournament opener in Dhaka on February 19, will be joined by England, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland and the Netherlands in a relatively tougher Group B. The World Cup will be held in the sub-continent for the third time after India and Pakistan held it in 1987 and were joined by Sri Lanka in 1996. Pakistan were also due to co-host the 2011 party, but were stripped of their rights due to security concerns in the volatile nation in the aftermath of the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in 2009. India are using eight Test venues for their 29 matches, but they have already hit problems in a worrying echo of the troubles which dogged the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. The Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, the site of the April 2 final, has been reconstructed. But refurbishment work on the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata was so far behind schedule that the venue's first game of four - the February 27 clash between India and England - has had to be moved to another ground. Sri Lanka's 12 matches will be held at three venues, including two brand new 25,000-seater stadia in Pallekele near the hill resort of Kandy and Hambantota in the deep-south. The eight games allotted to Bangladesh will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla cricket stadium in Mirpur on the outskirts of Dhaka and the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chittagong. The World Cup contenders are set for a financial bonanza with a record prize purse of eight million dollars on offer, a rise of three million from the previous edition. The winners receive $3.25 million -- Australia took home $2.2 million in 2007 -- while the losing finalists get $1.5 million. With an additional $30,000 kept aside for the winners of each first round match, the champions stand to gain another $180,000 if they win all their six preliminary games. The two losing semi-finalists take home $500,000 each, while teams that are knocked out in the quarter-final stage will get $250,000 each. The prize money does not include the share of the profits the International Cricket Council dishes out to all the 14 participating teams from its joint revenue pool.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   New Zealand thrash Pakistan by nine wickets New Zealand ended an 11-match losing streak in emphatic fashion on Saturday, crushing Pakistan by nine wickets in their first one-day international at Westpac Stadium. New Zealand's opening combination of Jesse Ryder (55) and Martin Guptill (40 not out) made a mockery of the troubles Pakistan's batsmen had with the drop-in pitch as New Zealand raced to 125 for one in 17.2 overs. Ryder and Guptill brought up the first 50 runs inside six overs and were then forced to take the scheduled tea break after New Zealand had earlier bowled the visitors out for 124 in 37.3 overs. Tim Southee took a career-best 5-33, while wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum took five catches in an innings for the fourth time. New Zealand coach John Wright had said before the match he wanted to try some new batting combinations in the six-match series against Pakistan as they prepare for the World Cup, and that he would break up the normal opening combination of Ryder and McCullum and look at moving either down to the middle order. McCullum, who has relinquished the gloves in tests, was scheduled to come in at number six but he was not needed as Ryder and Guptill savaged the Pakistani bowlers. Ryder scored 32 of New Zealand's first 50 runs with three fours and two sixes prior to the break and continued afterwards bringing up his fourth one-day half century off 31 balls before he was caught on the boundary by Asad Shafiq off Sohail Tanvir. Ross Taylor was 23 not out with Guptill at the end of the game. Pakistan, who had won the toss and opted to bat, never looked comfortable with New Zealand's pace bowlers getting good bounce, shape and movement away, causing them to prod at deliveries. Test captain Misbah-ul-haq was again the mainstay of Pakistan's batting effort with 50, though the rest of the side failed to build any meaningful partnerships, with both Hamish Bennett and Jacob Oram flirted with hat-tricks. Bennett finished with three for 26 and Oram two for 33. The next match is on Wednesday in Queenstown.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Don`t write off Pakistan in World Cup, warns Ramiz Former captain and expert commentator Ramiz Raja on Thursday warned the competing teams and the critics of the game not to write off Pakistan in the forthcoming World Cup and said that the green shirts were still capable of springing a surprise despite not featuring among the favourites. ”Pakistan has a fairly settled and a very good one-day side now. They know the art of playing one-day cricket. They have struggled in Test cricket because some of the players simply don`t have the temperament to graft out long innings. But the 50-overs cricket format suits them and that is what makes them a dangerous outfit,” Ramiz said in an interview from Wellington. ”I don`t think Pakistan can be ruled out of title contention. There will be less pressure on them and for our players 50-over cricket is a pretty natural format as they are natural hitters of the ball. And with the World Cup being played on sub-continental pitches, I think the conditions will suit them,” the former opener said. Ramiz also observed that sub-continent wickets would suit the spinners and Pakistan had plenty of them in the side. “I think they have done a good job to pick two specialist spinners in the squad in Abdul Rehman and Saeed Ajmal who are in form and bowling well. And I think both of them can also play on the sub-continental pitches,” he said. Ramiz said the team would also be depending heavily on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. “They could be nearing the end of their careers but they remain heavyweights and the team would be depending heavily on them in this World Cup and if manage to fire things will be easier for Pakistan. ”With Shoaib you can`t rule out another strong comeback for him. And I think both of them know this is their last World Cup and final shot at glory in this tournament.” He also advised Pakistan cricket fans to stop hoping for a comeback by any of the suspended players — Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif — in the World Cup. “To me the case against them is an open and shut one and I think the writing is on the wall. The synchronization between what Mazhar Majeed says and what is happening on the field is damaging,” he said. The ICC anti-corruption tribunal is due to announce its verdict on the charges of spot-fixing against the suspended trio on February 5.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan seal series win with 2nd test draw Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-haq produced a man of the match performance to ensure his side batted out the final day to draw the second test against New Zealand on Wednesday and claim their first series victory since 2006. Misbah finished the day on 70 not out, following on from his 99 in the first innings, as Pakistan reached 226 for five at the close of play, 48 runs short of their victory target of 274, to wrap up the two-match series 1-0. Adnan Akmal was two not out as the visitors claimed their first series win since they beat the West Indies 2-0 at home five years ago. “It’s pretty pleasing, we’ve been through some rough times but we’ve played some really good cricket in this series, we’ve been very disciplined,” Pakistan coach Waqar Younis told reporters. “Full credit to Misbah and the boys, I think they all stuck to the task and managed to win the series.” Misbah had shared in an 118-run stand with Younus Khan (81) – their second century-stand of the match – after New Zealand had threatened to spoil the visitors’ day when they reduced them to 42-3 in the first session. Chris Martin was particularly aggressive in the first session, taking 2-24 off nine overs and had the Pakistani batsmen frantically trying to see him off. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori also provided some concerning moments for the visitors, introducing himself in the eighth over and getting bounce from the harder ball and some turn out of the footmarks. Misbah and Younus, however, slowly but assuredly ground down the attack and for long periods during the session between lunch and tea looked to have given up any pretence of chasing down the target before they slowly began to increase the scoring rate. New Zealand were given the slightest hope of a final session victory when Younus was caught by Reece Young off Tim Southee in the final over before tea. “That was the key partnership, Misbah and Younus Khan,” Vettori said. “They’re pretty experienced players and they know their game pretty well. “The wicket was good and we just couldn’t get that breakthrough early enough. “I think even when we got Younus out before tea there was a chance there but we just needed to keep getting those breakthroughs to get into their inexperienced middle and lower order and we didn’t get them.” Misbah, who faced 172 balls and hit his fifth boundary to bring up his 50 after 255 minutes at the crease, and Asad Shafiq, however, continued to combine stoic defence and flirting with the possibility of launching a frantic final assault. In the final hour, Vettori trapped Shafiq in front for 24 to leave Pakistan 215-5 and while the New Zealand bowlers attempted to rattle them with several vociferous appeals, Akmal and Misbah negotiated their way through until the close. Martin finished with 2-63 off 24 overs, leaving him on 199 test wickets.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan eye series whitewash against NZ In a perfect position to win their first Test series in more than four years, Pakistan believe they are all set to conquer New Zealand in their second and final Test which gets underway in Wellington from Saturday. Last week the depleted Pakistanis, who are without some of their key players including the new-ball partnership of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, crushed the hosts by ten wickets in the opening Test in Hamilton. They can’t lose this series now and a win in Wellington would give them a 2-0 series triumph, a result that should boost their morale ahead of World Cup 2011 which kicks off in the subcontinent from February 19. Buoyed up by the Hamilton triumph, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis says that the lead was a ‘big advantage’ for his side which will go all out for a whitewash against New Zealand in the series. But Waqar, a former Pakistan Test pacer, warned his players that they will have to be ready for more pace and bounce at the Basin Reserve in Wellington — the second Test’s venue. Pakistan conquered Black Caps on what was quite a placid wicket at Seddon Park in Hamilton but will have to quickly readjust to repeat that result on what is expected to be a fast track in Wellington. However, Waqar is confident that his team will shine in Wellington if his players continued to give their best. He is delighted over the fact that Pakistan’s tailenders have really shown gut in recent times. Pakistan were able to add 111 valuable runs for their last four wickets as Abdur Rehman (28), Tanvir Ahmed (18) and Umar Gul (17) helped their side take a vital 92-run lead in the first Test that Waqar believes was crucial in forcing a second innings meltdown from the hosts. “In this last year or so Pakistan cricket has started improving the batting in the middle to late order, the tailenders you would call it,” Waqar said on Tuesday. “It’s a big key for most of the teams; you need those 60 or 70 runs from the last four batsmen. All the batsmen down the order can bat and they’re really keen to, they want to do it, so that gave us the edge. “That 90-odd run lead was a big difference.” Waqar praised his bowling attack for its brilliant showing. “I never thought it was going to finish that quickly but the bowlers stuck to the task and bowled according to the situation and the pitch, they did a great job,” he said. Waqar was also pleased with left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who took six for 75 in the match. “In the last series against South Africa he was the key man to draw that series because he kept things tight, that’s exactly what he did in this match, and he picks up wickets, so he did a super job. We played much better cricket.”     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan outshine New Zealand Pakistan's left-arm attack of Abdur Rehman and Wahab Riaz destroyed the New Zealand second innings and set up a 10-wicket win inside three days in the first cricket Test at Hamilton Sunday. New Zealand's second turn at bat lasted less than 39 overs as they were rolled for 110 leaving Pakistan a mere 19 runs for victory which was achieved in 22 balls. At one stage New Zealand lost four wickets for one run, collapsing from two for 60 to four for 61 amid a baffling array of aggressive shot-making at a time when patience was required. Pakistan, who resumed the day at 235 for four in their first innings, were all out midway through the second session for 367, a 92-run lead. By the time New Zealand passed that target they were already eight wickets down, with most dismissals the result of poor decision-making by the batsmen. Man-of-the-match Rehman took three for 24 off 15 overs with his left-arm spin, while medium-quick Riaz took three for 38 in an unbroken 11-over spell. When New Zealand started their run chase, they reached 36 in 12 overs before the wickets started to tumble. Tim McIntosh -- who had survived three close leg-before appeals and being dropped at second slip -- was first to go when he charged down the wicket to Rehman, misread the ball and was stumped by Adnan Akmal. Brendon McCullum attacked when perseverance was required and reached 35, including five boundaries, before he was caught behind, although television replays showed the ball deflected off his thigh pad and not his glove. New Zealand had staggered through to 60 when their game fell apart completely in the space of 15 balls. Martin Guptill (11) tried to sweep Rehman out of the park but top-edged the ball to Taufeeq Umar at midwicket, Jesse Ryder went lbw to Riaz' first ball, Ross Taylor (8) was run out going for an unnecessary single, and Kane Williamson (1) was caught by Azhar Ali at second slip of Riaz. Tim Southee, who top scored for New Zealand with 56 in the first innings, reached 17 when he tried to hit Umar Gul over the boundary, but was caught at mid-on to have New Zealand eight for 90. All that the partisan crowd could find to cheer about was the batting of tailender Chris Martin, whose average of 2.47 is one of the worst in Test cricket, but he managed to make seven and reach his 100th Test run in his 60th international. Pakistan had earlier looked to be in trouble when they were four for 107 in their first innings before Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq put on 149 for the fifth wicket. When they fell in successive balls and Pakistan were six for 256, Adnan Akmal and Abdur Rehman added 76 for the seventh wicket and put the tourists in front. Akmal went for 44, caught by a diving Ryder in the gully off Southee and Rehman, whose 28 included two sixes and three fours, was out five balls later, bowled by Brent Arnel. Arnel finished with career-best figures of four for 95 while Martin took 3-86.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Upbeat Pakistan hope to shine in NZ Tests Pakistan are hoping to put themselves back on track by winning the two-Test series against New Zealand starting from January 7 at Seddon Park in Hamilton. The visitors flopped miserably in their tour opener against Auckland last month and then fell to New Zealand in the first two Twenty20 Internationals. But Thursday’s emphatic 103-run triumph over the Black Caps in their last T20 game in Christchurch has raised the team’s morale and Pakistan Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is urging his troops to show more aggression in the Tests. “We have to play attacking cricket,” said the seasoned batsman, who has taken over the team’s charge from one-day skipper Shahid Afridi. “With the World Cup just a few weeks away, we have to win maximum number of matches to boost the team’s morale and confidence,” he stressed. Under Misbah, Pakistan respectably drew a two-Test series 0-0 in the United Arab Emirates last November but the captain now wants his players to go a step further and win the series against New Zealand. In a bid to get fully ready for the Hamilton Test, Pakistan are planning to field their best eleven in a three-day match against a New Zealand 11 starting in Whangarei on Sunday (tomorrow). Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, wants his boys to make full use of the warm-up game. “We will utilise the maximum in that game and give the practice to the (new) guys who have come over,” said the former Pakistan Test pacer. Younis was upbeat about Pakistan’s hopes following the much-needed win in Hamilton. “To get momentum going into the Tests, we needed this victory,” he said, adding that he was pleased that the bowlers showed improvement after failing to impress in the first two games. “They kept it up and hit the seam more often more than trying to bowl too quick.” Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Test batsman Jesse Ryder has been ruled out of the game in Whangarei due to fitness-related issues. Ryder was part of the initial New Zealand 11 named on Wednesday but was later withdrawn on medical advice. Ryder is suffering from an inflamed shoulder from the third Twenty20 International. The experienced batter, who has been replaced by Canterbury batsman Dean Brownlie for the three-day match, is expected to be available for the first Test. Both sides are expected to field full-strength teams in Whangarei, making the game a Test rehearsal. The hosts look a much stronger unit than the usual mix of promising up-and-comers and experienced players. Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum return from injury to the New Zealand 11. They will be missing Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill, who will be featuring in New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 competition final, Tim Southee and Andy McKay, who has an injured rib. McKay’s absence gives 21-year-old Northern Districts paceman Trent Boult an opportunity at the top level again. The left armer was a surprise selection in the New Zealand one-day side that toured Australia two years ago but didn’t get a go in an ODI. He has impressed for Northern this season. BJ Watling also gets another chance at the top of the order with Guptill absent.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   New Zealand take 2-0 lead in Twenty20 three match series Spinner Nathan McCullum took four wickets to bowl New Zealand to a 39-run win over Pakistan in the second Twenty20 cricket international and to an insurmountable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. After New Zealand had made a competitive 185-7 having being sent in to bat in damp conditions, McCullum raced through the Pakistan middle order to finish with 4-16 from four overs. Pakistan was left 146-9 after its 20 overs, conceding the series ahead of the final match in Christchurch on Thursday. Earlier, Martin Guptill made 44 and James Franklin 40 to lead New Zealand’s recovery after it lost opener Jesse Ryder to the first ball of the match. McCullum dismissed Younis Khan for 3, Asad Shafiq for 6, Abdul Razzaq for 14 and Umar Gul for 0, then took two catches to provoke the collapse of the Pakistan innings after the tourists had been 68-1 in the eighth over. Swing bowler Tim Southee took two wickets with two balls at the end to finish with 2-26 and spinner Luke Woodcock bowled his four overs for 20 runs in a tidy debut to ensure Pakistan didn’t threaten the New Zealand total. Pakistan won a valuable toss and sent New Zealand in to bat on a ground on which a woman’s Twenty20 international between Australia and New Zealand had been abandoned earlier in the day because of rain. The loss of Ryder to the first ball of the match seemed a major blow but Guptill and Franklin formed a productive partnership, putting on 91 runs for the second wicket, to set the foundation for the New Zealand innings. Scott Styris made 34, captain Ross Taylor 30 not out and wicketkeeper Peter McGlashan hit 26, including 24 from one over from Umar Gul, to present Pakistan with a difficult run chase. “It was a good performance,” Taylor said. “The partnership between Guptill and Franklin after Jesse went early set a good platform for the other players to come out and express themselves.” Spinner Saeed Ajmal took 3-35 as the best of the Pakistan bowlers. Pakistan started its run chase strongly but when Younis Khan ran out Mohammad Hafeez for 26, the innings began to unravel. McCullum dashed through the middle order and the tourists slumped to 114-7 after 15.4 overs, with no hope of victory. “I’m disappointed from the bowling side,” captain Shahid Afridi said. “We didn’t bowl well, especially our experienced bowlers and put the ball in the right areas. “They played positively and we didn’t bowl to our strength which is the yorker.”     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   New Zealand beat Pakistan by five wickets in first T20 Tim Southee claimed a hat trick and Martin Guptill scored a rapid half-century as New Zealand beat Pakistan by five wickets Sunday in the first Twenty20 cricket international. Southee claimed five wickets in a period of eight balls, finishing with 5-17 -- the first five-wicket bag by a New Zealander in Twenty20 internationals -- as New Zealand held Pakistan to 143-9 after winning the toss. Guptill then made 54, including a 23-ball half century -- the fastest by a Kiwi in Twenty20s -- to guide New Zealand to victory with 17 balls to spare. Southee set up the win, which puts New Zealand 1-0 up in the three-match series, with an outstanding spell of swing bowling. He dismissed Ahmed Shahzad (14) with the last ball of his first over and then completed a hat trick when he removed Younis Khan (2), Mohammad Hafeez (24) and Umar Akmal (0) with the second, third and fourth deliveries of his second over. Khan was caught in the deep by Dean Brownlie who, with 18-year-old fast bowler Adam Milne, was one of two players to make their debuts for New Zealand at Eden Park on Sunday. Hafeez was caught by Peter McGlashan, who took over the wicketkeeping duties from the injured Brendon McCullum and claimed four catches, becoming only the seventh player to do so in Twenty20 internationals. Southee completed his hat trick when he trapped Umar Akmal lbw. ”It wasn’t too bad,” Southee said. ”It was one of those days when everything went my way. It was a good pitch and if you hit the right areas you got rewarded but if you missed you got hit.” When Southee dismissed Abdul Razzaq (1) with the second ball of his third over, he had taken five wickets for seven runs and Pakistan, which had been 37-1, was 68 for 6. Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz shared Pakistan’s top score of 30 to revive the innings. Guptill put New Zealand on the way to a comfortable win when he hit four fours and four sixes to rush his half century. He beat the record for the fastest half-century in Twenty20s for New Zealand held by Aaron Redmond. Guptill was finally run out for 54, having backed up too far, but Captain Ross Taylor, standing in for the injured Daniel Vettori, guided New Zealand home with an unbeaten 39. The victory gave New Zealand unaccustomed success after it recently extended its losing streak in one-day internationals to 11 matches with a 5-0 series loss in India. ”I guess anytime you start a series with a win, and with the way we’ve played in the last three or four months, it’s a good feeling,” Taylor said. Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi said his team would improve as it acclimatized to New Zealand conditions. ”I think the way we started we should have scored 160 or 165,” he said ”But Southee bowled really well, he put it in the right areas and we played some bad shots.” The second match of the series is scheduled for Hamilton on Tuesday.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan vow to bounce back Pakistan were confident of bouncing back in their series-opening Twenty20 International against New Zealand on Boxing Day after crashing to an embarrassing five-wicket defeat in a practice game against Auckland on Thursday. Looking to begin their tour with a bang at Colin Maiden Park in Auckland, Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 92 in 17.4 overs. Auckland then reached the victory target in the Twenty20 match with 40 balls to spare. “We played pretty badly today,” Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, told ‘The News’. “But it is a timely wake-up call and I’m sure the boys will bounce back when the series against New Zealand gets underway from Sunday,” he added. Afridi’s views were echoed by team coach Waqar Younis. The former Pakistan captain stressed that there is no need to worry in spite of the fact that Pakistan were miserable in their very first outing of what is their last international assignment in the lead up to World Cup 2011. “It wasn’t the ideal start but that happens sometimes when you’ve just arrived in the country and you don’t really know much about the pitch conditions,” said the former Test pacer. “I’m not really worried about it,” he added. Batting has been Pakistan’s Achilles heals in recent times as they have lost time and again because of their fragility in that area of the game. That is why Pakistan’s batsmen worked overtime with the legendary Javed Miandad at a training camp in Lahore before leaving for New Zealand earlier this month. However, there were no signs of any improvement in Auckland as neither of the Pakistani batters could stay on the crease for long against the Auckland attack. Waqar rued the fact that all of his batsmen flopped in the match. “The batting had been undergoing a good deal of work but the batsmen failed to click in the game and no one had taken responsibility to anchor the effort,” he stressed. However, Waqar was quick to add that Sunday’s Twenty20 International against the Black Caps will be a different ball game. “I think they’ve learned the lesson and hopefully in the next game it will be a different ball game,” he said. “We have done badly today, and we have spoken about it. We have to work hard over the next couple of days so we don’t repeat this type of performance.” Pakistan will carry out a couple of strenuous training sessions in the lead up to the first of their three Twenty20 Internationals. They will later feature in two Tests before a six-match One-day International series that will conclude early in February.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Butt to file protest against Lorgat Lawyers representing Pakistan’s suspended Test captain Salman Butt in the spot-fixing scandal have decided to file a protest letter against Haroon Lorgat to the three-man independent tribunal of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which will hear the case in Doha next month. Aftab Gul, one of the lawyers in Butt’s legal team, said on Sunday that a letter would be dispatched in the next few days to the tribunal, drawing its attention to the recent statement made by ICC chief executive on the case. Lorgat had recently said that he would be disappointed if the ICC anti-corruption unit failed to prove charges against Butt and two other suspended Pakistani players — Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. “We’ve worked hard at collecting all the evidence that we would require to make the charges stand,” Lorgat had said. Michael Beloff QC, who chairs the ICC’s Code of Conduct Commission, will head the tribunal that will hear the case, along with fellow code of conduct commissioners Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Kenya’s Sharad Rao. Lorgat also said that the ICC didn’t want to show any leniency in the case. Gul said that Lorgat’s remarks could be seen as a pressure-building tactic ahead of the hearing. “He basically is already trying to rule these players guilty, although the charges brought against them have yet to be proven by the ICC ACU,” Gul said. “We will ask the independent tribunal to take up the matter with Lorgat, who, as ICC CEO, has to remain neutral and avoid giving statements on the case which is yet to be decided,” Gul said. “Such statements have caused grievance to my client who is yet to be proven guilty,” he added.     [17] Comments               Post Your Commets   Afridi wants Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik in team Pakistan limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi wishes senior players Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were in the team for the tour of New Zealand. The selectors have ignored Malik and Akmal for next month’s three Twenty20s and two tests against New Zealand. The squad for six one-day internationals against the Black Caps will be named later. ”They (Malik and Akmal) are requirements of the team,” Afridi said on Friday in Karachi. ”I think you (reporters) should ask the Pakistan Cricket Board and the selection committee what’s the problem in the selection of Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal.” Malik’s exclusion from the tour has surprised because of his impressive form in the domestic first-class competition. Malik was also not named in the match-fixing or spot-fixing controversy that marred Pakistan’s tour of England. Three Pakistan cricketers are under suspension and four more were named in a video obtained and aired by Geo television on Tuesday, when players’ agent Mazhar Majeed fingered Akmal. Akmal averages more than 27 in 123 ODIs since 2002, but his glovework hasn’t been as good as his batting. Malik, who also played in the 2007 World Cup, was dropped for the recent series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates, and Afridi said it was due more to the allrounder’s poor form. ”Malik has always been good,” Afridi said. ”If he was dropped it doesn’t mean he was out of the national team forever. ”When a player stays away from international cricket for one or two series, it gives him good time to think about and realize his mistakes.” After Pakistan lost the Twenty20 and one-day series to South Africa in the UAE, Afridi said he needed experienced players for next year’s World Cup. ”You can’t take a new team to the World Cup,” he said. ”I know there’s not much expectations from our team, but I will continue to motivate my players.” Afridi said he wanted the pool of Pakistan’s World Cup players to be finalized as soon as possible so that he could have a fair idea about the composition of the team. ”I know it’s difficult (World Cup), but I am positive that we could do well.”     [29] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan overlook Yousuf, Malik and Kamran Pakistan on Tuesday named their Twenty20 and Test squads for the tour of New Zealand and chose to overlook the experienced trio of Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal. Chief selector Mohsin Khan said that while Yousuf has been ignored because of fitness-relate issues, Malik and Kamran were kept out after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided against clearing them for national duty. Though the PCB is yet to announce a clear-cut policy on the ‘clearance’ issue, it is believed that Malik and Kamran have been sidelined as they are under a cloud for possible links with match-fixers. Also bracketed in the same group, according to sources, is leg-spinner Danish Kaneria who has also been ignored for the tour of New Zealand that will kick off mid December. Misfiring opener Imran Farhat and fast bowler Mohammad Sami have been axed after an unimpressive series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates. Fit-again allrounder Sohail Tanvir is back in both the Twenty20 and Test squads while the selectors have also recalled young opener Ahmed Shahzad for the three T20 Internationals against the Blackcaps. With the axe falling on Yousuf even for Tests, it seems that the 36-year-old is now been seen by national selectors as a spent force. Yousuf pulled out of the Test series against the Proteas because of a groin problem but has recovered from the injury. However, Mohsin said that the selection committee wasn’t sure whether Yousuf was fully fit for tour of New Zealand. “There is no doubt about the fact that Yousuf is a great batsman,” said Mohsin, a former Test opener. “But he has had some fitness issues, which is why he is not in the team.” Apart from a question mark over his fitness, another factor that forced the selectors to overlook Yousuf is the fact that he hasn’t been playing well for the last three years during which he has just averaged around 35. Unlike Yousuf, Malik and Kamran are facing other problems. Both of them have been scoring prolifically on the domestic circuit, but seem to be on an unofficial blacklist. “We’ve only considered the players who have been cleared for Pakistan duty,” said Mohsin adding that Malik and Kamran were not cleared by the PCB. Malik was dropped after the Test series against England last August because of poor form, while Kamran was sidelined after that tour. He underwent a minor surgery in Lahore and is now playing domestic cricket. On Monday, the seasoned wicketkeeper even offered to play for Pakistan as a specialist batsman but to no avail. There have been reports in the past alleging that Kamran is a match-fixing suspect but so far the authorities are yet to confirm them. In fact, earlier this month Kamran received a written clearance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) that he can play for Pakistan. Kamran’s spot as wicketkeeper has been retained by his younger brother Adnan, who made his Test debut against South Africa in the UAE earlier this month. Pakistan have selected seven specialist batsmen including Younis Khan, the former Pakistan captain who is also a part of the Twenty20 squad though he had announced his retirement from the format last year. Allrounder Shahid Afridi has been retained as the Twenty20 captain, while Misbah-ul-Haq stays as the skipper for the Test series after drawing the two-match series against Proteas in the UAE. However, Misbah has been dropped from the Twenty20 squad. Pakistan have opted for two specialist spinners — Abdul Rehman and Saeed Ajmal but there is no place for Kaneria. The leggie, according to sources, is under a scanner because of his alleged involvement in a spot-fixing case while playing for Essex last year. The pace attack seems short of experience and sting because of the absence of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir. The two pacers are under suspension for alleged corruption along with former Test captain Salman Butt. Umar Gul heads the pace battery that includes rookie Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Tanvir Ahmed. The selection of Wahab, who suffered from injury in the UAE, is subject to fitness. The selectors have delayed naming the team for the six-match One-day International series against New Zealand till the second Test. “The upcoming tour of New Zealand is extremely important for us as it will help in the preparations of World Cup,” said Mohsin. Pakistan are scheduled to leave for New Zealand on December 17 and will begin the tour with a warm-up game against Auckland on December 23. They will play three Twenty20 Internationals, two Tests and six ODIs. Twenty20 squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Adnan Akmal (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanvir Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz (subject to fitness). Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan regain Asiad glory after 20 years Pakistan defeated Malaysia 2-0 convincingly in the final to win the Asian Games Men’s Hockey Tournament after twenty years at Aoti Hockey Center in GUANGZHOU on Thursday. Fired-up Pakistan bagged its third gold medal of the 2010 Asian Games, when specialist drag-flicker Sohail Abbas gave Pakistan the lead in the 28th minute as he converted from a penalty corner. Abbas slammed home the ball in the top right corner in Pakistan’s second attack of the first half. Striker Rehan Butt then consolidated the lead three minutes into the second half when he hit a close-range goal from open play (in the 38th minute). “With so many bad things happening in Pakistan, like terrorism and floods I think today we have given our countrymen something to smile,” Abbas, 35, said. Malaysian players had shaved their heads to ward off evil spirits in their first Asian Games final. But their penalty corner specialist Amin Rahim could not find the target off the three short corners. It was Pakistan’s eighth Asiad hockey gold, ending a drought that stretched back to Beijing in 1990, and handed them their first major title since winning the World Cup in Sydney in 1994. Pakistan ended the year on a high after a disappointing eight-month period in which they finished a humiliating last at the World Cup in March and took sixth place at the Commonwealth Games in October. “It’s simply out of this world for me and I have no words to describe how much happy all of us are,” said jubilant Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf, 33, who stood firm in the defence. The victory also secured Pakistan a spot at the 2012 London Olympics and Zeeshan said that was the other target which was achieved by senior players. “I think it’s now the right time that more juniors should come into the team,” he said. “Twenty years is a long gap and it would be jubilation everywhere in Pakistan. I am happier that we have also booked a place in the Olympics. What can I say about my team? They were just brilliant.” “We came here to win and achieved our target. Hopefully the past will be forgotten.” Sohail Abbas, meanwhile, said he had no intentions to quit and if he stayed fit he would be in London in two years. “Age is no barrier for a hockey player, fitness is what that counts and who knows if I stay fit I will be there,” he said. The Pakistanis kneeled in prayer after the final whistle while goalkeeper Salman Akbar threw his helmet and hockey stick in the air soon after the final hooter was blown as Pakistan players rushed and hugged each other. They even raised their coach Michel van den Heuvel and manager former Olympian Khawaja Junaid on their shoulders and chanted slogans “Pakistan Zindabad (long live)” in unison. They carried national flags in their hands and also approached a handful of fans at the Aoti Hockey Stadium stand to thank them for their support. Malaysia’s striker Faizal Saari was disappointed with his team’s loss, but said it was good to have its first silver in 12 Asian Games after winning six bronze medals. “We played a disappointing game today and of course expectations were high back home after we defeated India in the semifinal,” he said.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Salman lifts Pakistan into mens hockey final Pakistan goalkeeper Salman Akbar saved the last shot of a penalty shoot-out against South Korea to steer his team into the Asian Games men's hockey final on Tuesday. Both teams were locked 1-1 in 70 minutes of regulation time and failed to break the impasse after 15 minutes of extra-time in an absorbing semi-final at the Aoti Hockey Centre. Waqas Muhammad put Pakistan ahead in the 22nd minute, before Kang Moon-Kyu drew level four minutes into the second session. When the first five penalty shots produced a 3-3 deadlock, the sudden death rule was applied, which produced even more drama. Sohail Abbas and Jang Jong-hyun saw their shots saved, but Haseem Khan scored off the next to put Pakistan 4-3 ahead. Jang Jong-ho stepped in for the next shot amid mounting tension and his feeble push was easily saved by Salman Akbar to carry Pakistan into their first Asiad final since 1990. Pakistan now await the winner of Tuesday's second semi-final between India and Malaysia in Thursday's gold medal match. Pakistan, who won the last of their seven Asian Games gold medals in Beijing in 1990, have not bagged a major title since the World Cup triumph in Sydney in 1994. Zeeshan Ashraf's men are desperate to make amends in Guangzhou after finishing an embarrassing last at the World Cup and lowly sixth at the Commonwealth Games this year. South Korea, whose hopes of bagging a hat-trick of titles ended, will return on Thursday to fight for the bronze medal. The Koreans had the only penalty corner in the first half, which was wasted, and a swift Pakistani counter-attack saw Waqas pounce on a pass from the left and sound the boards from the top of the circle. Veteran Sohail Abbas, the world's leading scorer with 312 goals, missed three successive penalty corners early in the second half. Pakistan were reduced to 10 men when Muhammad Imran was sent off with a yellow card, and the Koreans seized the advantage when Kang pushed the ball in past Salman to make it 1-1. South Korea had a chance to seal victory when they earned a penalty corner in extra-time, but Jang's stinging shot was saved by defender Muhammad Rashid.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Abu Dhabi truck driver picked to be groomed as national team pacer A 25-year-old truck driver in Abu Dhabi has impressed Pakistan cricket officials to the point that some of them are talking about calling him for training in Lahore. Abdul Haq, a heavy-duty vehicle driver-cum-supervisor at a construction company in Abu Dhabi, rattled the stumps of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, opener Imran Farhat and rookie wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal during a training session on the sidelines of the second and final Test against South Africa, impressing Pakistan’s coaches Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed, both former Test pacers. Pakistan manager Intikhab Alam, a former Test captain, also praised Haq for his express pace and said that he would make efforts to invite the bowler to Lahore for proper training. “He showed a lot of pace and was very impressive. We would try to groom him,” said Intikhab adding that Haq can improve if he gets to train at the elite National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Haq said in an interview that he has always dreamt about playing for Pakistan. “It is my greatest desire to play for my country,” said Haq, who hails from Pakistan’s troubled tribal region of North Waziristan. Haq, who was one of the few local bowlers requested by Pakistan to bowl at their nets session, played domestic cricket in Pakistan at the Under-19 level, but was forced to move to UAE because of poverty. “I was playing cricket in Pakistan but was not making any money for my family. Now I earn about 100,000 rupees monthly here in UAE,” he said.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan women beat Bangladesh; win first Asiad gold Pakistan created history Friday in crushing Bangladesh by 10 wickets to win the first-ever Asian Games women's cricket tournament. Captain Sana Mir invited Bangladesh to bat first after winning the toss and her players dismissed them for 92 runs in the allotted 20 overs, with off-spinner Nida taking four wickets for 16 runs. Nida Rashid’s brilliant all-round performance guided Pakistan to this momentous victory, as she then scored a superb unbeaten 51 to guide her team to 93-0 in 15.4 overs. Javeria Wadood hit the winning boundary and was not out 39. For Bangladesh, Salma Khatoon scored 27 and Romana made 17, while for Pakistan, Nida Rashid captured four and Sana Mir took two wickets. It was Pakistan's first gold in Guangzhou, after collecting silver in wushu and a bronze in snooker. Earlier, Japan defeated hosts China by seven wickets to win bronze medal.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   It’s our sole prerogative to select World Cup squad: PCB Pakistan’s cricket chiefs on Saturday rejected the impression that they will follow International Cricket Council’s instructions while selecting the country’s provisional squad for next year’s World Cup. Following growing speculations that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had forwarded a 45-man list to the ICC for its ‘clearance’ ahead of World Cup 2011, the Board declared that all such reports were ‘incorrect’. “The PCB wishes to clarify that it is the PCB’s sole prerogative to select the squad for next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup. The impression in a section of media that the PCB will submit a list of 45 players to the ICC for its sign-off is incorrect,” said a statement issued by the PCB. Earlier this month, a report in ‘The News’ said that the PCB will not include the country’s top wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and legspinner Danish Kaneria in Pakistan’s preliminary squad for the World Cup because they are on the Board’s radar for possible links with match-fixers. Meanwhile, a British newspaper has claimed that Scotland Yard police may recall Pakistani trio in UK who have been suspended from International cricket due to spot-fixing allegations, Geo News reported late Saturday. The newspaper in its report claimed that allegedly involved in match and spot-fixing scandal, the Pakistani trio – left handed batsman Salman Butt, rising star and fast bowler Mohammed Aamir and calm pacer Mohammed Asif – back in UK on account of investigation process, as the police handed over the investigation report of players to prosecution. While suspended Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt suffered a blow on Saturday in his fight to have his name cleared over spot-fixing allegations after his lawyer withdrew from the case. “I don’t think the suspended players will get justice, so I have withdrawn from the case,” Aftab Gul told Pakistani media of the case which will be heard in Qatar from January 6-11 next year. Perhaps in this backdrop, PCB has now confirmed that it will keep any match-fixing suspects out of its World Cup squad. “However, the PCB having a zero-tolerance towards corruption, would review all players through its Integrity committee and may seek the guidance of ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Safety Unit (ACSU) on any player it wishes to select. The decision as to which players will be included in the 30-man provisional squad will remain with PCB,” concluded the statement. According to ICC regulations all the participating teams have to submit their 30-player provisional squads 60 days before the start of the tournament and the final 15-man squad 30 days before the quadrennial spectacle tees off in the sub-continent. Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka will host the World Cup during February-March next year     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   What made Zulqarnain stage Dubai no-show, escape to London? Was it planned or panicky? Pakistan cricket team’s missing wicketkeeper Zulqarnain late Monday was found in a hotel at Heathrow airport London, when he phoned Geo News to tell, “I received death threats to loose 4th and 5th ODIs against South Africa, but I could not compromise dignity of my country, so I rather fled away than selling out dignity and respect of my motherland.” He said he couldn’t further speak out over the issue until my family is given protection back in Pakistan. Zulqarnain Haider had arrived in England after mysteriously disappearing hours before the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa in Dubai. "I have come here on my own expenses on a one month visa. I will be staying at a hotel on my own expenses," Zulqarnain told Geo news after spending nearly four hours with immigration authorities at Heathrow Airport. Earlier, Pakistan's team management said the keeper was last seen at the team's hotel in Dubai early in the morning. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Zulqarnain had not informed them he was planning to leave the hotel nor had he told them the reason for his sudden decision. "A full inquiry will be held into the circumstances surrounding this incident and no further comment will be made until the facts are known," the PCB said in a statement. In a message on his Facebook account, Zulqarnain appeared to suggest he was worried about his personal safety after receiving threats. "Leaving Pakistan cricket because get bad messages for lose the match in last game," he wrote. Pakistan officials reported Zulqarnain's disappearance to the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security unit, as well as local police. The 24-year-old scored an unbeaten 19 and hit the winning runs as Pakistan levelled the five-match series 2-2 in the fourth one-dayer on Friday. His brother Reza told media from Lahore that Zulqarnain had expressed fears after receiving threatening messages. "The last time I spoke to him he told me he was getting threatening messages after the fourth match and to pray for him," said Reza before adding his family was in touch with Zulqarnain and concerned about his safety. "We would like to know a lot of things like why did PCB management gave him his passport, were they aware of the threats he had got," Reza asked. The PCB said Zulqarnain had asked Pakistan officials for his passport. "Zulqarnain was in possession of his passport at the time he left the hotel, which he had taken from the team management the previous evening for personal use," said the board. PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi told that Zulqarnain had breached his central contract. "He will definitely face an inquiry and disciplinary action whenever he contacts us. But we are concerned about this whole situation," said Rizvi. Lahore police official Rana Faisal said they were investigating Zulqarnain's disappearance. "We have received no official complaint but taking note of the media reports we have sent some officers to his house (in Lahore) to find out details," Faisal said. Zulqarnain has played one test, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20 games for Pakistan.     [19] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan overwhelm South Africa to level series Pakistan tail-end batsman Zulqarnain Haider and Wahab Riaz pulled off a sensational one wicket win for their team over South Africa in the fourth one-day match after Younis Khan’s fifty here on Friday. Younis’s sedate 73 built Pakistan’s run-chase but they owed it to their tail-enders Haider (19 not out) and Riaz (18) as they put on 28 runs for the ninth wicket to help their team chase down a challenging 275-run target. Fit-again Graeme Smith played a captain’s knock of 92 to steer South Africa to a challenging 274-6 but once again his team choked in the final moments despite having grabbed all top wickets. Pakistan still needed 31 when they lost Abdul Razzaq (33) but Haider and Riaz held their nerves. Even when Riaz was run out with three needed off as many deliveries, Haider kept his cool, scoring two off paceman Wayne Parnell and then pulled the penultimate delivery for a single, much to the delight of a 25,000 capacity crowd. The win helped Pakistan level the series at 2-2 and set up an intriguing fifth and final match in Dubai on Monday. It was Younis whose half-cenury put Pakistan on course for a tight run-chase, adding 58 for the second wicket with Mohammad Hafeez (42) and 56 with Asad Shafiq (36). Younis kept Pakistan on course with another 49 for the sixth wicket with Razzaq before paceman Morne Morkel dismissed both to finish with 3-48. Captain Shahid Afridi also bolstered the run-chase with a swift 25-ball 29 studded with four boundaries. Earlier Smith missed his ninth one-day century by just eight runs. Smith put on a 94-run stand with AB de Villiers (49) to put South African on course for a big total before he was trapped leg-before by off-spinner Hafeez in the 31st over. De Villiers then took charge along with Jean-Paul Duminy (36) as South African added 84 in the last ten overs. De Villiers’s 70-ball knock was without a boundary but he batted sensibly after Smith’s departure. Smith said his team put up a good total but didn’t bowl well. Paceman Riaz briefly put brakes on the South African innings by dismissing Duminy and David Miller (nought) off successive delveries but Colin Ingram (27 not out) and Johan Botha (28 not out) lifted the total in the last five overs. The two added an invaluable 54 runs in the batting power-play. It was Smith who gave South African innings the required pace, putting 35 for the first wicket with Hashim Amla (10) before Shoaib Akhtar removed Amla in the seventh over.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Salman and Amir hit out at ICC Suspended Pakistani duo of Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday of treating them unfairly and said it had no evidence against them regarding spot-fixing allegations. The two players have returned to Lahore from Dubai where their appeals over their provisional suspensions were rejected by the chairman of the ICC code of conduct commission, Michael Beloff, after a two-day hearing that ended on Sunday. The pair, who were suspended on September 2 by the ICC along with team mate Mohammad Asif, have been told to prepare for a full hearing of the case as they are facing serious allegations of spot fixing. “They have no evidence and it appears they are just trying to corner Pakistan,” angry former Test captain Butt told reporters at the airport. “They have no evidence except for what has appeared in the News of the World and they didn’t even give us a date for the full hearing, we are totally disappointed.” A report in British newspaper the News of the World alleged Amir and Asif deliberately bowled no-balls to order in a Test against England at Lord’s in August, with the involvement of Butt who was then Pakistan captain. Left arm pace bowler Amir said the allegations against them were a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket. “To me it appeared as if this is a conspiracy to defame Pakistan cricket. I am hurt and sad because we want the truth to come out,” the 18-year-old said. “I am disappointed because they didn’t even tell us the reason for rejecting our appeals. It appeared to be as if the decision of the hearing had been made before hand.” Butt’s lawyer Aftab Gul said after Sunday’s decision that while the hearing was fair he was disappointed by the outcome. The two players said they would wait for the ICC to send them a date for the hearing before deciding on their next step. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt said the spot-fixing allegations were damaging attempts to revive international cricket in the country. Foreign teams have refused to tour Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March 2009. “Zimbabwe was lined up to tour Pakistan and the International Cricket Council and Marylebone Cricket Club were also planning to send a world XI to play a couple of matches, but this scandal put us back,” Ijaz Butt told a news conference.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Razzaq blasts Pakistan to victory Abdul Razzaq hit a belligerent unbeaten hundred to help Pakistan pull off an incredible win in the second one-day international against South Africa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The dashing 30-year-old all-rounder hit 109 off just 72 balls studded with ten towering sixes and seven fours to help Pakistan overhaul a daunting 288-run target with just one wicket and one delivery to spare. Razzaq’s third one-day hundred — crossing the fifty mark for the first time since making 75 not out against England four years ago — helped Pakistan level the five-match series 1-1 at the Abu Dhabi Stadium. South Africa won the first match by eight wickets here on Friday. The third match will be played in Dubai on Tuesday. Razzaq, who came to the crease at 5-136, added 81 for the sixth wicket with Fawad Alam (48) to raise hopes of Pakistan win and even after Alam fell, he did not lose heart despite Pakistan needing 87 in the last ten overs. He hit Charl Langeveldt for three sixes in 47th over before taking a six and a boundary off the same bowler in the 49th. Pakistan needed 14 off the last over as Razzaq cut loose, hitting sixes off the second and third balls from Albie Morkel to raise his third hundred in one-day cricket, which came off just 70 balls. He then cut through the point for boundary to bring Pakistan’s win. Langeveldt, who completed his 100 wickets in the match, provided his team with early breakthroughs, removing opener Asad Shafiq (one) and Younis Khan for 18. Pakistan struggled to 70-4 before Alam and skipper Shahid Afridi (49) added 66 for the fifth wicket to lift the stuttering innings. Afridi hit two sixes and three boundaries off 40 balls before passing the buck to Razzaq. Man-of-the-match Razzaq said he was happy to play lead role in the victory. “I am elated,” he said after the match. “I am sure this win will lift our morale which was down after Twenty20 series defeat and first one-day loss. “I thought the match turned South Africa’s way when we lost the eighth wicket and it became a game of fours and sixes. I am happy that I was able to hit those. It is the best innings of my career.” Earlier, the 25-year-old Ingram scored exactly 100 for his second century in three weeks after achieving hundred on his debut at home against Zimbabwe just two weeks ago. The left-hander put on 84 for the second wicket with opener Amla (65) and then another 86 for the third wicket with AB de Villiers (29) as Pakistan bowlers found it hard to put brakes on the South African innings. Jean-Paul Duminy chipped in with a swift 43-ball 54. Graeme Smith, who missed the match along with Jacques Kallis due to injury, praised Razzaq. “We were in a position to shut the match close and it needed a massive individual effort to turn the tables which Razzaq did,” said Smith. It was Ingram who built the innings, hitting ten boundaries and a six off paceman Razzaq before he was trapped leg-before by fast bowler Wahab Riaz who replaced Umar Gul in the Pakistan squad for the only change. He faced 119 balls. Amla started the run feast with three boundaries in paceman Shoaib Akhtar’s first over of the match, before fellow opener Robin Peterson fell leg-before to Razzaq in the fourth over. Ingram then took charge and in company of Amla took the score to 108. Pakistan broke through captain Shahid Afridi who trapped Amla leg-before. The bearded opener hit eight boundaries off 62 balls. Duminy’s knock contained three fours and a six before he fell in the last over.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   PCB may sue British tabloid Pakistan cricket authorities said on Tuesday they were weighing up legal action against British tabloid The Sun over allegations of spot-fixing after an investigation cleared their players. The Sun tipped off the International Cricket Council (ICC) that it had evidence that the scoring pattern of Pakistan’s innings in the Oval one-day against England on September 17 was pre-arranged with bookmakers. The ICC launched an immediate inquiry, but on October 13 cleared the Pakistan team, saying they did not find any corroborative evidence. “We have been weighing our legal options,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi told media. “According to British law there is a period of one year to charge someone with a defamation case.” Rizvi said there will be no rushed action. “We think that The Sun has a case to answer, but we will not take any hasty decision.” Furious over the decision to launch the inquiry, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt accused England players of match-fixing, a charge which irked the England and Wales Cricket Board, which demanded an apology and threatened legal action. Butt later withdrew his statement and apologised. British newspaper the News of the World separately alleged seven Pakistani players were involved in spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in August. Scotland Yard raided the Pakistan team’s hotel, and questioned Test captain Salman Butt, bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and player Wahab Riaz. The ICC suspended Salman, Asif and Amir from all international and national crickets. Appeals from Salman and Amir against their suspensions will be heard by an ICC commissioner in Dubai on October 30 and 31. Asif, who initially decided to challenge the sanction, withdrew his appeal.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   ‘Let young players make a difference’ Former hockey star Samiullah said that by recalling the players who have reached the twilight of their careers would not help lift Pakistan hockey as it would only frustrate youngsters hoping to make their presence felt. “Those players who have failed in World Cup and Commonwealth Games would not be able to pull worthwhile achievements at Asian Games, which is obvious. So it is time that the federation makes changes and induct young blood in the team,” Samiullah told the news agency. Looking for some worthwhile achievements in Asian Games after failures at World Cup and Commonwealth Games, PHF recalled senior penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas to boost Pakistan’s hopes in the upcoming event. “It is the time the federation should say farewell to senior players and induct young players in the national team so that they could form some effective combinations and understanding among them in time to come,” he said. Samiullah said that by persisting with the players who are well off their peak would only frustrate and waste the younger players. “I don’t think it is good idea to recall Sohail (Abbas). Not only Sohail, they (PHF) should also drop other senior players. “The young talent should be realized and should be given a chance. It is now their time to represent the country. By carrying on with the senior players, who have lost their gloss, would only discourage our youth,” Samiullah explained Meanwhile, Sohail Abbas a man of few words said, “I’m always ready to play for Pakistan,” Sohail said when asked whether he was ready to make yet another international comeback after spending several months on the sidelines. “I’m fit and have been training while I was out of the team,” he added. Sohail was axed from the national team after Pakistan flopped miserably in the 2010 World Cup in March. The four-time champions suffered the ignominy of finishing last in the tournament that was played in New Delhi. Following the debacle, Sohail was singled out as one of the biggest failures of the World Cup and wasn’t considered for the team when the country’s hockey chiefs began making plans for two back-to-back events — the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. However, they were forced to recall Sohail after Pakistan slumped to a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Commonwealth Games following defeats at the hands of India and South Africa in New Delhi earlier this month. Sohail is now a part of a 25-man preliminary squad which will begin training for the Asian Games in Islamabad from October 25.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Bangladesh sweep ODI series against New Zealand Rubel Hossain grabbed four wickets as Bangladesh completed a sweep with a thrilling three-run victory over New Zealand in the fifth and final one-day international on Sunday. The fast bowler finished with 4-25 off 9.3 sharp overs as New Zealand, chasing a 175-run target, were bowled out for 171 in the last over. Bangladesh clinched the series 4-0, their first sweep against a major team. The second match was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. New Zealand needed eight runs to win in the final over with just one wicket in hand but Rubel, who had taken three wickets in his opening three overs, sparked celebrations in Bangladesh's camp when he bowled Kyle Mills (33). He jolted New Zealand in his first over, dismissing openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder in the space of five deliveries. He then had Kane Williamson caught at second slip by Raqibul Hasan in his third over. Bradley-John Watling was run out, while Ross Taylor was bowled by left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak as New Zealand's top five batsmen failed to reach double figures. New Zealand were in danger of falling below their lowest one-day total of 64 after being reduced to 20-5, but skipper Daniel Vettori (43) and all-rounder Grant Elliott (59) added 86 runs for the sixth wicket. Vettori, dropped by Junaid Siddique at first slip off spinner Mohammad Mahmudullah when on 12, hit one six and one four in his 78-ball knock. Elliott cracked seven fours in a 105-ball knock for his fourth half-century in one-dayers, but Mills kept alive his team's hopes before falling in the final over. Mills hit two sixes in his 47-ball knock. Left-arm spinner Vettori (3-32) and fast bowler Mills (3-36) earlier bowled tight to restrict Bangladesh to a modest total. New Zealand did not allow the hosts to build a big partnership after the hosts elected to bat on a slow pitch. The highest stand was 55 for the fifth wicket between skipper Shakib Al Hasan (36) and Mushfiqur Rahim (29). Vettori removed opener Imrul Kayes (34) and Raqibul (six) before accounting for Mahmudullah (19). Kayes was trapped leg-before while attempting to sweep, hitting two sixes and three fours in his 50-ball knock. Andy McKay and Elliott each finished with two wickets.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Winner or loser — Misbah has much to prove Last June, Misbah-ul-Haq was so frustrated by the national selectors’ decision to continue ignoring him for Pakistan duty that he even thought about burning his cricket kit. “It is very disappointing, you find yourself in the eleven and suddenly you are not even in a preliminary squad of 35, it prompts you to burn all your cricket equipment in anger,” the experienced batsman said in an interview after he was ignored for all three formats of the game last summer. Just over three months later, the 36-year-old from Mianwali has been recalled to represent Pakistan in all three formats during the ‘home’ series against South Africa getting underway in the United Arab Emirates from October 26. More importantly he has been named as Pakistan’s Test captain, making him the fourth man to lead the team this year. Misbah track record in recent seasons has been pretty unimpressive, prompting critics to question the wisdom behind selecting an aging, out-of-form player and then installing him as the team’s captain. However, Misbah believes that people underestimating him should do it at their own peril. “I do not agree with what they are saying, doubting my abilities as a captain, and saying I am not capable of delivering,” says Misbah. “I know the task assigned to me is not easy. However, underestimating me as a captain and batsman is not fair as one always learns with time and improves,” adds the batsman, who was dropped from Pakistan’s Test squad after flopping miserably in the Sydney Test against Australia last January. Former greats like Wasim Akram were shocked by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to appoint Misbah as captain. “He has been out of the team since the beginning of the year and to bring him back as a captain was a bit shocking,” Akram said in an interview. But Misbah is confident that a lot of hard work that he has carried out while out of the national team will pay off in the UAE. “I did not give up. I used to train to keep myself in prime form,” he says. “And I was engaged in cricket because I was confident that I can make a comeback, which eventually happened.” Misbah’s recall might have triggered a wave of criticism, but not everybody is rejecting him as a poor choice. Ask Geoff Lawson, the former Pakistan coach, and he will tell you that Misbah is a winner. “He definitely has the best cricket brain and intellect in Pakistan cricket,” Lawson said in an interview. “He has a statesman-like demeanour, which so many Pakistan captains have lacked and he handles adversity analytically not emotionally. He knows how to get the best out of players and he is a winner, note his outstanding domestic record as a leader,” added the former Australian Test fast bowler. Just hours after Misbah was appointed as Pakistan’s Test captain, chief selector Mohsin Khan told that he wasn’t Pakistan’s first choice. “We needed a senior player to strengthen our batting line-up,” Mohsin said. “Our first choice was Younis Khan, but we didn’t get any clearance, after which we discussed the option of recalling Misbah and decided to go for it.” Younis Khan, a former Pakistan captain with a far more impressive career record than Misbah, was ignored for the series against South Africa because of his ongoing tussle with the PCB chiefs. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, refused to clear Younis for national duty after which the selectors opted to pick Misbah in the touring party. However, Misbah refuses to comment on the Younis saga. “It’s one matter that’s completely out of my domain,” he says. Pakistan were crushed 3-1 in their last Test series against England and with some of their leading players unavailable they are expected to face a tough time against the Proteas in the two-Test series next month. Pakistan are without top fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and experienced opener Salman Butt. The trio are under suspension for their alleged role in a ‘spot-fixing’ scandal. However, Misbah is still confident that Pakistan will give South Africa a run for their money. “We have some top quality spinners and I’m sure they would be our trump card,” he stresses----Khalid Hussain     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Misbah named Test captain, Shahid remains ODI, T20 skipper Test cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq has been named the new Test Captain of Pakistan, while Shahid Afridi would lead One-day and T20 teams, Geo News reported Friday. Earlier on Thursday PCB in a surprise move had announced the captain-less squad against South Africa, which had given rise to the suspicion that Afridi being replaced by Misbah. National selectors came out with quite a few surprises on Thursday, recalling senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq and once again overlooking former captain Shoaib Malik for the limited-overs series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates. Kamran Akmal was replaced with Zulqarnain Haider, while former captain Younis Khan was ignored once again. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) added another twist to the story when it decided against naming the captain even though it had earlier earmarked experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi to continue as skipper till World Cup 2011. Afidi, who has been leading Pakistan in ODIs and Twenty20s since this year’s ICC World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean, has been included in the 15-man touring party. Misbah’s stunning return and a delay in naming the captain has raised quite a few eyebrows. According to media report, during a marathon meeting with national selectors in Lahore on Thursday, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt declared that the team’s captain will be named later. It is reported that one of the prime reasons why Misbah has been recalled is because he could lead Pakistan if Butt agrees to sack Afridi as captain. However, a top official has insisted that Misbah’s recall is based purely on cricketing merit. Mohsin Hasan Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, defended the decision to recall Misbah, who last played a One-day International in September 2009. “We needed a senior batsman in the team,” Mohsin told. “Due to the unavailability of Salman Butt, there weren’t many experienced batters in the side,” he added. Salman Butt together with fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last month after being accused of accepting bribes from match-fixers during the Lord’s Test against England. But why was Misbah, who is already 36 and was discarded as a spent force almost a year ago, preferred over younger and fitter batters like Faisal Iqbal, Aamer Sajjad, Khurram Manzoor and Taufeeq Umar — all prolific run-getters on the domestic circuit last season.” “Misbah was really successful in the Pentangular Cup,” said Mohsin. But Misbah played just two matches in the Pentangular Cup, scoring 176 runs. The Mianwali-based batsman, however, top scored in the National One-day Cup with 490 runs at 163.33. There was no room for the experienced Younis Khan in the team. Mohsin said that the PCB is yet to clear Younis for national duty. “We didn’t get any clearance as far as Younis is concerned.” Mohsin, a former Pakistan Test opener, said that Shoaib Malik will have to prove his form before earning a recall. “He needs to come back in form. There was a lot of discussion about him but in the end we decided to give him more time to win back a place in the team.” Mohsin said that Kamran Akmal, who recently underwent an appendicitis operation in Lahore, can regain his place in the team once he attains full fitness. “We have dropped him because of health reasons,” he said adding that the selectors want to groom wicketkeepers like Zulqarnain Haider and Sarfraz Ahmed. “We are trying to make an all-round combination of youth and experience which is why Zulqarnain and Sarfraz will be given ample chances.” Zulqarnain has replaced Akmal as the team’s stumper for the limited-overs series against South Africa, while Sarfraz has been included in the Pakistan ‘A’ squad for the tour of West Indies getting underway from November 3. Meanwhile, Imran Farhat has been recalled to the ODI squad at the expense of big-hitting opener Shahzaib Hasan. Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul will lead the pace attack in the absence of Asif and Amir. Veteran all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and rookie fast bowler Tanveer Ahmed complete the pace quartet. But it will be there spin quartet that is likely to trouble South Africa on pitches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which are expected to assist spinners. Pakistan have included two specialist spinner — Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman — in the squad. With Afridi and Muhammad Hafeez, also in the squad, they will have ample spin options during the series, which will kick off with a Twenty20 International in Abu Dhabi on October 26. “We have some really good spinners and I’m sure they will do well in UAE,” said Mohsin. Pakistan squad: Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Tanveer Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Loud cheers welcome Pakistan contingent---peace efforts working wonders Pakistani contingent was accorded a warm welcome by the cheering crowd when they marched into the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on Sunday----giving enough credence and encouragement to the peace campaign under the banner of Aman ki Asha launched by The Times of India and Pakistan’s Jang Group, which seems fast taking roots with passage of time. Dressed in white shirt and trouser and accompanied by green blazers, the 54-member strong contingent was treated to a thunderous applause from the capacity 60,000 crowd. The moment they walked into the arena, the crowd roared and waved towards them, much to the amusement of many present in the stadium. The athletes were bowled over by the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the nation. Some of them were even seen taking snaps of the group of drummers that played the rhythm of India. The fascinating mix of culture and modernity enthralled the Pakistani contingent during their walk. Each nation was led by an Indian woman, draping a unique design and style of ‘saree’.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Aisam-Bopanna to play for flood victims It’s not easy for one to get attention in Pakistan, if you are standing next to Shahid Afridi. But that’s what Aisam-ul-Haq precisely did as he attended a luncheon reception hosted in his honour by the Jang Group under the banner of its Aman ki Asha campaign at the Karachi Marriott on Tuesday. Afridi turned up for the reception along with a galaxy of former cricket greats like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad and Moin Khan. But it was Aisam, who stole the limelight as he continues to bask in the glory of his stunning show at this month’s US Open where he teamed up with India’s Rohan Bopanna to reach the doubles final. The Pakistan-India duo lost to Bryan Brothers, Bob and Mike, in the title clash, but were still hailed as heroes across the sub-continent. Now the Aisam-Rohan team could get an opportunity to play the Bryans again — for a good cause. At a meeting with senior Jang Group officials here, Aisam happily agreed to the idea of playing a doubles match together with Bopanna to raise funds for millions of his countrymen affected by the worst floods in Pakistan’s history. The idea is to have a doubles match between Aisam-Bopanna and the Bryan brothers in Dubai this December. Other top tennis stars like Roger Federer and Sania Mirza would also be invited to be a part of the show. Aisam is all for it, Bopanna should have no problems while the Bryan brothers are also thought to be keen to do their bit for the flood victims. “It’s a great cause,” Aisam told ‘The News’. “Millions have been affected by the floods and need our help. I’m ready to do my bit.” Aisam also welcomed the idea of playing a match against Bopanna at the Wagah Border in a bid to promote peace between Pakistan and India. “I am an ambassador for peace,” said Aisam. “I believe that our region can only progress if we have lasting peace here and if I can play a role I would happily do it.” Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain, was all praise for Aisam. “What Aisam has achieved is a great boost for Pakistan sports,” said the legendary batsman. Miandad agreed with his former teammate. “It’s really good to see that one of our countrymen is now doing so well in the field of international tennis,” said Miandad. Aisam’s parents, Ehitsham and Nausheen, expressed their pride over his achievements. “Aisam has always been a hardworking boy, completely focused. He has made our entire country proud,” said Nausheen, a former Pakistan champion.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Butt will not apologise for match-fixing allegations: PCB Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will not apologise or pay any compensation for alleging that England players were engaged in match-fixing, an official source close to the chief said. “The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) not only wants an unconditional apology from Butt but also financial compensation for (damaging the reputation of) its players,” the source said on Saturday. “The letter states that the PCB should also compensate the ECB for the damages it suffered during the ODI series after Butt's remarks.” The source added that the PCB Chairman was adamant he would not apologise for his remarks - in which he said there had been “loud and clear talk in bookies' circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose (the third one-dayer) - and told his legal advisors the PCB would not pay any compensation to the ECB. Butt made the allegations after the International Cricket Council said it was investigating the third ODI for suspicious “scoring patterns” by the Pakistan team. PCB media manager Nadeem Sarwar told the “Jang” newspaper that there was no question of Butt apologising because he had not accused the English players of match fixing. “Everyone should listen carefully to what the chairman said in his interview he never directly accused anyone of match fixing,” Sarwar said. The ECB could not be reached for comment. Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered in the fourth test at Lord's.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan wants review system in ODIs Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi has called for the introduction of a system to review umpire decisions in one-day matches, saying that one wrong decision can decide the outcome. The International Cricket Council introduced the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) on a trial basis in Tests in June 2008, allowing teams to challenge on-field umpire decisions and refer them to a television umpire. Teams have two opportunities per innings to contest an on-field decision, but the most contentious issue with the system is that hosts have to pay for the technology costs — unacceptable to several countries. But Afridi said DRS should be implemented in one-day matches to eliminate umpiring errors. “I think the referral system is a must in one-day matches,” Afridi told a television channel after his team’s 121-run loss against England in the fifth and final one-day at Southampton, England on Wednesday. During that match, opener Kamran Akmal’s controversial leg-before decision from English umpire Ian Gould derailed Pakistan’s run-chase of 257. The television replays showed Kamran edged the ball onto his pads. England took the series 3-2. “One decision can change the whole match, some leg-befores... and I am not talking of this match only, also in previous matches, and if such things (wrong umpiring decisions) happen then it changes the whole match,” said Afridi. England captain Andrew Strauss was given not out by West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove, in spite of a strong appeal by bowler Umar Gul and wicketkeeper Kamran. Strauss, then 38, went on to make 126 as England, replying to Pakistan’s 294 for eight, finished on 295 for six. Afridi described the tour to England as one of the most difficult of his cricket career. “It was one of the most difficult tours of my 14-year career. It was difficult to even venture out of the hotel, there were people hooting at us and there was lot of pressure on the players,” Afridi said. “It was a difficult tour because of the allegations. Players were not comfortable as there were so many negative reports about the team.” Nevertheless, he gave lot of credit to his players for still leveling the one-day series at 2-2. “The players were down and it was not easy lifting them up. It was very difficult but they responded well.” Afridi also did not rule out the possibility of coming out of retirement to return to the Test team again for the forthcoming series against South Africa in the UAE. He had stepped down as Test captain after Pakistan lost the first test to Australia in July. “I will speak to the chairman of the board but there is no doubt Pakistan cricket is going through a difficult phase and we seniors have to play our role in getting the team out of this crisis,” he said.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan beat England, level series to meet in the deciding fifth Pakistan took the one-day series against England into a deciding fifth match after winning by 38 runs Monday. Having set England 266 to win the fourth one-dayer and take an unassailable lead in the series, Pakistan bowled the home side out for 227 in 46.1 overs at Lord's to level it at 2-2. Pakistan paceman Umar Gul had the best bowling figures of 4-32, while England captain Andrew Strauss top-scored with 68. The match went ahead despite England's outrage at Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt's accusation that England players threw Friday's match at The Oval, which Pakistan won to keep the series alive. The last match is in Southampton on Wednesday. Abdul Razzaq's entertaining end-of-innings flourish, during which he bludgeoned eight fours and a six to score 44 off 20 balls, gave Pakistan a challenging total of 265-7 to defend. England got off to a flyer in its reply thanks to a 113-run opening partnership between Strauss and Steven Davies (49). The stand came off 123 balls, ending when Davies chopped a ball from Saeed Ajmal onto his own stumps. Jonathan Trott followed him after playing on off Shahid Afridi for 4. The jitters really set in when Strauss slashed a wide ball from Shoaib Akhtar straight to Fawad Alam at point in the next over. With Afridi looking menacing and Akhtar steaming in under the floodlights, Pakistan was in the ascendancy. And when Gul bowled Collingwood for 4 and Bell drove straight at Azhar Ali for 27, England was on the ropes having lost four wickets for 36 runs and with the required run-rate up to 7.75 an over. England still had hope with limited-overs specialist Eoin Morgan at the crease, but he was running out of partners, Michael Yardy becoming the third England batsman to play onto his own stumps, out for 9. When Morgan departed for 28, the game was up for the hosts as the tail surrendered. Earlier, Graeme Swann helped England stem the tide after a strong start from Pakistan but Razzaq's late blitz had given the tourists a slight edge. Pakistan's first wicket fell on 62 when Kamran Akmal hooked Stuart Broad to Strauss on 28. Swann then entered the scene to slow the run rate and take the next four wickets. Swann bowled Asad Shafiq for 11 and then had Mohammad Yousuf on 3 caught behind in his next over to leave the score at 94-3. A rash heave by Hafeez, frustrated at England slowing Pakistan's run rate, was caught from a top-edge off Swann to end a 100-ball knock that included five fours and a six. Swann bowled Alam for 29 in his last over but Pakistan prospered in the spinner's absence _ Afridi hitting 37 off 22 balls and Razzaq coming to the fore in the final 12 overs. Razzaq's cameo featured five successive fours off Bresnan to finish the innings.     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Controversies against Pak cricket team? Pakistan cricket team has come into attack by match-fixing allegations despite winning the third One-day International by 23 runs against England. The team is the subject of a new corruption probe after suspected irregularities in the third one-day international with England, officials confirmed on Saturday. It is looking as a foreign lobby is targeting Pakistan cricket team under a well-knitted plan. However, it is evident in the Oval match that the English players rather than Pakistanis were in connection with match-fixers as their captain Andrew Strauss did not opt power play when it was needed at a crucial stage. They could easily reach the target which was looking easy at that moment. The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it had launched an investivation into a "certain scoring pattern" that emerged during Pakistan's victory over England at the Oval on Friday. It followed a report by The Sun newspaper, which claimed to have been made aware of details of Pakistan's innings before the match had got underway. The paper tipped off cricket authorities, who then watched as the scoring patterns in two suspect overs emerged as predicted, The Sun report said. The overall result of the match was not believed to be fixed, the report added. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the new allegations -- which follow the suspension of three Pakistan players for alleged involvement in 'spot-fixing' -- warranted further investigation. According to The Sun, the latest allegations emerged after the paper was notified of calls between a Dubai-based match-fixer and a New Delhi bookmaker. The newspaper immediately notified the ICC's anti-corruption unit headed by former police chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan. The investigation is another body-blow to Pakistan, who have been under the spotlight this summer amid allegations of spot-fixing against members of the touring party. Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif have all been questioned by police over an alleged plot to bowl deliberate no-balls during last month's Test series while a fourth player -- seamer Wahab Riaz -- was also interviewed by the authorities on Tuesday. All deny any wrongdoing.     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   Gul causes mayhem as Pakistan beat England Umar Gul produced a devastating spell of swing bowling taking six for 42 as Pakistan won the third one-day international against England here at The Oval by 23 runs on Friday. Set 242 to win, England were in control as Eoin Morgan (61) and Luke Wright (48 not out) put on 98 for the sixth wicket. But when Morgan chipped Gul to midwicket, panic set in. Gul then ripped out Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad, and Graeme Swann then holed out to the last ball of Gul’s tenth over, giving him his last four wickets for six runs in 18 balls. The win keeps the five-match series alive with Pakistan now trailing 2-1. James Anderson was the pick of the England bowlers in the Pakistan total of 241 all out, which looked around 20 runs below par. Anderson took three for 26 and conceded just one boundary in his stint whilst Bresnan also took three wickets, wrapping up the innings when he bowled Gul in the last over. Fawad Alam top-scored with 64 and Asad Shafiq made 40 but Pakistan could not accelerate significantly towards the end of their innings apart from a brief flurry from Abdul Razzaq (31).     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Mani blasts PCB over corruption Pakistan cricket chiefs have had the finger of blame for the latest corruption scandal pointed at them by Ehsan Mani, the Pakistani former president of the International Cricket Council. Mani claims the Pakistan Cricket Board need to explain why they have "clearly failed" to get their anti-corruption message across to players. Mani, ICC president from 2003 to 2006, also blamed "sheer greed" for corruption and called for the Indian government to legalise gambling as part of efforts to crack down on match-fixing and spot-fixing. His comments came as the ICC announced a wide-ranging review of their anti-corruption measures following allegations against three Pakistan players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. Mani told the latest issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine: "When players first come into the international game, they are given a one-to-one induction (by the ICC) on how they might be compromised. "But the Pakistan board is clearly not getting the message through to its players. The onus is on the PCB to explain how players under its control could behave like this." Mani, who was also Pakistan's representative to the ICC for seven years, said he was "very sad, disappointed and hurt" as the corruption allegations involving several Pakistan players emerged during the Lord's Test. He also disputed that Pakistan's cricketers have an excuse in that they are poorly paid compared to other internationals. Mani added: "All cricketers round the world get paid well. Even Pakistani players are exceedingly well paid relative to the standard of living in their country. There is no excuse (for corruption) apart from sheer greed. "There are cultural issues. If a player comes from a very underprivileged background and makes the big time, he needs a lot of mentoring, a lot of support and education. We have to be honest - there has been a failure in the system in Pakistan here and certainly Pakistan should be accountable to the ICC to explain how it's gone so wrong."     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Bad management responsible for below par performance: Qadir No game plan and inappropriate selection of the team are the reasons behind Pakistan’s failure against England in the ongoing ODI series, feels former Test cricketer Abdul Qadir. “I don’t think it is the players who should be blamed for the below par performance in the ongoing ODI series. It is the team management who has completely failed the side,” Abdul Qadir told. Qadir feels that the batting order did the havoc in the second ODI. “They should have sent Kamran Akmal lower so that he could have knocked a few boundaries in the end. Fawad Alam should be sent up the order as he is incapable of scoring some quick boundaries.” He said that pacer Mohammad Irfan is crude and he needs sometime to get his talent polished. “He is not yet ready for international matches and he needs to learn few more things. He may prove himself an asset for the country in the coming years, but right now he is not ready.” He also observed that Umar Gul might be sustaining an injury, which is very obvious from the way he is bowling in the ongoing series. He also said that seasoned player Abdul Razzaq should have been in the team as he is well acquainted with the English conditions. However, Qadir said that he has been voting for a major change in the team ahead of the World Cup. “Players like Hammad Azam and Aamir Sajjad, who are playing in Pakistan A, should be brought in keeping in focus the World Cup 2011.”     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan may lose neutral UK matches Pakistan's cricket future has grown significantly more clouded after it emerged that English administrators may rule out further neutral matches in Britain. Test skipper Salman Butt and seam bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif returned home on Friday after they were suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following allegations of deliberate no-balls in last month's Test at Lord's as part of a betting scam. The claims have sparked an international furore and vastly overshadowed the subsequent action on the field. All the suspended trio have been interviewed by British police and Pakistan seamer Wahab Riaz, still in the one-day squad, is due to be questioned by detectives next week. While ICC and police investigations continue, the dual effect of negative headlines and poor gate receipts has pushed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) towards blocking the use of their venues for more matches to follow Pakistan's series against Australia earlier this year. This would leave the Pakistani team with nowhere else to play "home" fixtures other than Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where they are scheduled to meet South Africa next year. The ECB had harboured thoughts of hosting matches between Pakistan and India in the British Isles, but those plans, alongside more modest ones to host a one day series between the Pakistanis and Sri Lanka, have now been shelved. "Nobody is thinking about that one any more," an ECB official told London's Sunday Telegraph. Although a number of figures including Australian captain Ricky Ponting have urged the international community to not shun Pakistan for the alleged corruption of four players, it seems inevitable that the country will be treated harshly. Despite the fact, security problems and the disastrous consequences of recent flooding have left Pakistan in more need of support than ever. Gone is much of the goodwill that allowed the scheduling of the Tests against Australia, dubbed the "spirit of cricket series" by an optimistic ICC earlier in the year. Pakistan's torturous tour of England goes on, meanwhile, with Captain Shahid Afridi arguing that there was still time to salvage some respect from the rubble. "We all want to go home with respect," said Afridi, ahead of the second one-day international at Headingley on Sunday. "We want to play some good cricket and get some victories. "Yesterday (Friday) the performance was much better, not 100 per cent, but I was quite happy with the efforts from the boys." But he admitted it was difficult to remain upbeat with such a pall hanging over the squad. "We all know we are playing in a very tough situation, but we are trying to forget everything that is going on. "It's not easy, but everyone is looking to us and we need to keep our image."     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Western media hails Aisam, Bopanna as peace envoys The US and Canadian media have been heaping praise on Pakistan’s tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and India’s Rohan Bopanna, hailing them as ambassadors of peace for their countries “whose officials have difficulty talking to each other”. “The tennis players, the Indo-Pak Express, are also sending a political message,” noted America’s largest radio network, National Public Radio. “Over 7,000 miles away, peace has been discovered in the Indo-Pakistani conflict on the courts of the US Open in Flushing, Queens,” Chase Yutzy, a blogger, remarked. “The men’s doubles semi-final at the US Open attracted an unusual pair of spectators: ambassadors from Pakistan and India, sitting together, cheering for the same team,” Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper said. “It was a rare display of friendship between countries whose officials still have difficulty talking to each other, making their victory a double success for the players --- one from India, the other from Pakistan --- who use their growing fame to campaign for peace.” The CNN noted that the unlikely pairing of an Indian and a Pakistani at the highest level of tennis has captured imagination around the world and fostered a growing feeling that their success can help inspire an era of a better understanding between two nuclear nations with a long and bloody history of acrimony. “I have one question for everyone: if Bopanna-Qureshi can play together, why cannot India and Pakistan?” India’s sports minister M. S. Gill said in a statement after Bopanna and Qureshi defeated Argentine pair Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zaballos in the semi-finals on Wednesday. The match at New York’s Flushing Meadows was watched by the United Nations ambassadors from their two countries --- who sat side by side in the stands --- as well as large portions of the US city’s Indian and Pakistani communities. “They’re all mixed together sitting in the crowd,” Qureshi told reporters in a press conference carried by the US Open official website. “You can’t tell who Pakistani is and who is Indian. That’s the beauty about sports. Before our pairing you would never see that in any sports, fighting for one cause. It’s really good to be part of it.” He noted that “sports can reach places where no religion or politics can. If you can change a few people’s minds on the Indian or Pakistan side, I think it’s a great thing.” Amina Yaqin, a lecturer in South Asia at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, told CNN the “good news” tennis story may help change attitudes. “After the Mumbai attacks something like this was probably needed to show not everyone from one country is out to injure the other,” she said. “People are very passionate about sport and this gets a very strong and positive message across.”     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Aisam loses, but hopes pinned on today’s match Pakistan’s newly found sports star Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Kveta Peschke, his Czech partner, lost the mixed doubles final of the US Open tennis championship in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) on Thursday to Americans Bob Bryan and Liezel Huber. But a second shot at glory still awaits the tenacious Aisam in the shape of a men’s doubles final against the formidable brother duo of Bob and Mike Bryan on Friday. Even after losing the match, Aisam Qureshi won praise from Bob Bryan. “Mr Qureshi is a great player. What he and (Rohan) Bopanna (Aisam’s partner in men’s doubles) are doing for world peace is incredible,” Bryan said. “Those guys are great guys. Everyone in the locker room likes them.” Aisam said he was overawed by playing in front of a ‘huge crowd’. He thanked fans back home for backing him all the way. Aisam also made an appeal for helping the flood survivors. He expressed hopes of a better performance in the men’s doubles final against the Bryan brothers. The victory earned Bob Bryan his fourth US Open mixed doubles title in eight years, each of them coming with a different partner. “Too good, they were the better team,” Qureshi said. Qureshi had hoped to win both the men’s and mixed doubles titles for bringing some cheer to a nation reeling from the catastrophic floods and terror strikes. “It has been tough times at home due to the flooding and the terrorist attacks,” Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi said in a post-match interview. “I’m glad Kveta was able to help me bring some good news to the people back home.” Qureshi, looking up towards fans at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis arena in the world, said: “I never ever will forget this moment for the rest of my life.” Kveta Peschke, whom Aisam called the most famous Czech woman in Pakistan, was proud of the effort by the duo in a first-time pairing. “It was amazing. It was a really great experience, first time together,” she said. “Let’s hope the next times are even better than this one.” Bob Bryan said after the match he and his brother would donate to Pakistan’s flood relief fund. “Qureshi didn’t know about it. I talked it over with my brother and my dad and we decided to do it,” Bryan said. “I’ll write a cheque right after the tournament.” Bopanna and Aisam’s quest has won them many friends in the world of professional tennis. But the India-Pakistan combination has also earned respect for skills on the court as well as humanitarian goals. “This is a tough team. They are going to be around for a long time,” said Bob Bryan. “I expect this to be one of our big rivals in the future. This is a sign of things to come.” Liezel Huber praised the peace duo as well. “I commend the boys (Aisam and Bopanna) for truly reaching out.”     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Aisam reaches US Open mixed doubles final Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi reached the final of the mixed doubles at the US Open for the first time in New York on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. Qureshi is the first Pakistani to qualify for the final of any Grand Slam competition. Qureshi teamed up with Kveta Peschke of Czech Republic and defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Mark Knowles of Bahamas, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), in the semi finals.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Yasir comments put denial protagonists on the back foot Pakistan’s officials were busy doing damage control in London after their opener Yasir Hameed added more fuel to fire by getting caught on the camera saying that some of his teammates did fix matches. Though Yasir later denied giving any such interview, his comments, which were splashed by the News of The World in its Sunday’s edition, were enough to cast more doubts over the credibility of several Pakistani cricketers. The batsman, who made his international return after three years in the Test series against England last month, was summoned to London by Pakistan’s High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt. During the meeting, sources, said that Yasir received a dressing down from the officials, who were already facing a major headache as a controversy continues to rage following allegations of corruption against three Pakistani cricketers — Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir — by the NOTW a week ago. “They’ve been caught. Only the ones that get caught are branded crooks,” Yasir could be seen saying while talking to under cover NOTW reporter Mazhar Mehmood. “They were doing it (fixing) in almost every match. God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages,” the Peshawar-based player goes on to say in a video, which was recorded in a bar in Nottingham last week and was posted by the tabloid on its website late on Saturday night. However, just after the video appeared on the internet, Yasir denied accusing his teammates of corruption. “I can never think of blaming my teammates in match-fixing. I have just told the team management that the newspaper is claiming I have given them an interview. This is not correct,” he said. However, in his conversation with the NOTW reporter who Yasir claimed was posing as an airline man, the player did a lot of talking. “It makes me angry because I’m playing my best and they are trying to lose,” he says. “If you sat here and said, ‘I’m a bookie and I want you to fix the match tomorrow’ — I’ve met lots of people like that in the past and I refused. They offered me handsome money,” says Yasir, who also claims that he was offered up to 150,000 pounds to help fix matches. Yasir also spoke about an alleged disparity between his and Asif’s wealth. “I’m having a house built and it’s stopped halfway. I’m building it from legitimate money and work has stopped,” he says. “Asif — how many matches has he played and how many have I played? I’ve played 80 matches and he’s played around 50. He has four mansions. Where did they come from?” His remarks could prove damaging for the tainted Pakistan trio, who were interrogated by the Scotland Yard last Friday, and can also place Yasir in trouble as he will now be facing action from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for failing to report about the offers made to him by match-fixers. ICC’s anti-corruption code clearly states that players have to report any contacts made by match-fixers.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s Butt, Asif, Aamer suspended by ICC The International Cricket Council said on Thursday it has charged Pakistan's Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif with various offences under its anti-corruption code. The players “have been officially notified of the offences they are alleged to have committed and have been provisionally suspended pending a decision on those charges”, the ICC said in a statement on its website. “In accordance with the provisions of the code, this means they are immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded.” Test captain Butt and fast bowlers Aamer and Asif were all named in News of the World report which alleged they were involved in a “spot-fixing” scam by bowling deliberate no-balls in last week's Test match with England in exchange for cash. The trio has protested their innocence and the ICC said they have the right to contest their suspension, and have two weeks to request a hearing before anti-corruption tribunal where they can defend themselves. However, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “We will not tolerate corruption in cricket - simple as that. “We must be decisive with such matters and if proven, these offences carry serious penalties up to a life ban. “The ICC will do everything possible to keep such conduct out of the game and we will stop at nothing to protect the sport’s integrity. While we believe the problem is not widespread, we must always be vigilant.” Earlier, bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and test captain Salman Butt – accused in a Sunday newspaper of being involved in a betting scam – proclaimed their innocence in a meeting with Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan in London. “The three players have said they are extremely disturbed with what has happened in the past one week, especially with regard to their alleged involvement in the scam,” Hasan said in a statement on behalf of the players. “They mention that they are entirely innocent in the whole episode and shall defend their innocence as such.” Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said earlier Thursday the players had been omitted from the squad for the rest of the tour, which comprises two Twenty20 and five one-day international matches. While Hasan said the players had volunteered not to play. “They further maintain that on account of the mental torture which has deeply affected them all, they are not in the right frame of mind to play the remaining matches,” Hasan said. Hasan, who said he believed in the players’ innocence, insisted there had been no pressure from the England and Wales Cricket Board to drop them from the squad. “They want to clear their names first,” Hasan told reporters outside the high commission. “We wait for the result of the investigations. I am not in the habit of insinuating or involving anyone.” Hasan said Saeed was holding the players’ passports. Butt, Asif and Amir had to be given a police escort as they entered the High Commission in Knightsbridge. About 10 police officers guided the trio into the building amid a throng of reporters and TV crews. British newspaper the News of the World alleged Sunday that Amir and Asif were paid to deliberately bowl no-balls in the opening day of the fourth test against England at Lord’s last week. Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were also implicated in the story. Asif, Amir and Butt had their mobile phones confiscated by police, who also searched hotel rooms and questioned players on Saturday as part of an investigation also involving the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit. Saeed, speaking prior to the start of Pakistan’s warmup match against English county side Somerset in Taunton, said the three players had not been suspended by the PCB. With no charges filed in the case, any official sanctions against the players would be considered premature. But ECB officials did not want the one-day matches to go ahead against a Pakistan team that included the implicated players. The omission of the three players for the rest of the tour appeared to be a compromise between the ECB, PCB and ICC. Saeed said 13 players would be available for the two T20 matches before three replacements arrive to bolster the squad for the one-day series. “The T20 squad will remain what it is here this morning, i.e. 13 people,” Saeed said. “When we play the one-day internationals, we will be asking for replacements to make the squad up to 16.” Saeed, who had earlier said the trio would continue playing unless police laid criminal charges against them, did not say who the replacements would be. The ECB welcomed the decision by Pakistan not to include Asif, Amir and Butt in its limited-overs squads.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Whither Pakistan cricket---shouldn’t the corrupt cricketers be sacked from top to bottom? The world of cricket woke up Sunday morning to a set of allegations made in a British newspaper that will have shaken it to its foundations. Evidence was presented that members of the Pakistan team currently on tour in the UK took money in exchange for ‘fixing’ details of play within the match in such a way as to benefit crooked punters. The man who set up the fix, Mazhar Majeed, was secretly filmed accepting 150,000 pounds and was caught on tape detailing what he would be able to do by way of influencing the game and the players. There seems little doubt that he has committed a serious offence under British law, he has been arrested and we must await the outcome of legal proceedings. Four of our team, including the captain was named in the revelations made by the newspaper and another three are alleged to be involved. Majeed claimed that he could influence future games, and had influenced games in the past. The evidence appears conclusive and we are exposed to the world as cheats and frauds once again. There is never a right time for revelations such as this but there can be little doubt that this was as wrong as it could get. The spectre of cheating has been hanging over Pakistan cricket for years. Our cricketers should have been ambassadors for us at this time – instead they have stabbed us in the back. There can be no running away from this one, no sweeping under the carpet because this may end up in an English court of law and we could even see our players in the dock – certainly as witnesses and possibly as accused. Our own cricket-governing body will be contemplating action today as will the world governing body of cricket. We can expect little mercy. Some of our players could face a lifetime ban. We have lost face and reputation worldwide – and what team will want to play against us, if they are unsure whether we are playing a straight bat or not? This is, for professional cricket in Pakistan, a very uncertain future. Perhaps the only way forward now is to literally start from scratch. Sack the lot, top to bottom. Anything less and the stink generated by these allegations will stick to us forever.     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Arrest in England-Pakistan 'match-fixing' probe British police said Saturday they had arrested a man on suspicion on conspiracy to defraud bookmakers following newspaper allegations of match-fixing in the ongoing cricket Test between England and Pakistan. The News of the World alleged that some members of the Pakistan team were involved in a scam in the fourth and final Test at Lord's. "Following information received from the News of the World we have arrested a 35-year old man on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers," a spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police told media. Meanwhile, Manager Pakistan cricket team Yawar Saeed, denying media reports of arrests of some Pakistani players, said: “No Pakistani player had been arrested and the team will go ahead with fourth day’s play on Sunday.” News of the World, Britain's biggest-selling newspaper, alleged that two Pakistan bowlers delivered three blatant no-balls. The weekly tabloid said it gave 150,000 pounds to a middleman who correctly told them in advance precisely when the deliveries would be bowled. The newspaper published images and dialogue from the encounter and a picture of what it said was one of the promised no-balls on Friday. It also ran a photograph of Pakistan captain Salman Butt standing with the man they claimed was the middleman, and one of their reporters. Yawar Saeed told a television the allegations were being investigated. He was cited as saying that none of his players had been arrested and the Test would continue Sunday as planned. The newspaper claimed they had posed as front men for an Asian gambling cartel, paying 10,000 pounds to the alleged fixer as an upfront deposit. They met again on Wednesday in a west London hotel room to hand over the rest of the money as their "entry ticket" into what they claimed was a "huge betting syndicate". They claimed the middleman then correctly predicted when the no-balls would be bowled. Pakistan collapsed spectacularly yet again in the series as England closed in on an innings victory on Saturday. At stumps, Pakistan, following-on, were 41 for four in their second innings, having been made to follow-on after they were dismissed for just 74 first time around. That left them still 331 runs adrift of England's first innings 446 as the home team eyed a victory that would give them a 3-1 win in their last series before they begin the defence of the Ashes in Australia in November.     [17] Comments               Post Your Commets   Isn’t revamped Pakistan squad for next month’s one-day England series look fairly balanced? Shahid Afridi has given a glimpse of the sort of one-day team he wants for next year’s World Cup as the Pakistan captain managed to get senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf included in the 16-man squad for next month’s England series. Afridi, who received a renewed vote of trust from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt, was instrumental in getting Shoaib Malik axed because of the allrounder’s below-par form on Tuesday. The flamboyant allrounder also threw his weight behind enigmatic fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar as Pakistan opted to have a six-man pace attack for the limited overs series against England to be played from September 5-22. But he failed to convince Butt to recall Younis Khan, another senior batsman who is at odds with the game’s officialdom. “We want batsmen capable enough to bat for fifty overs,” Afridi told ‘The News’. “That is why we need players like Yousuf in our one-day squad as well,” he added. Yousuf, 35, made an impressive comeback to Test cricket at The Oval last week where he scored 56 and 33 to help Pakistan record a four-wicket win in the third Test against England. The former captain, who retired after being banned by the PCB in the aftermath of the Australian tour, went into the Test without any worthwhile match practice, but managed to find his form. Malik, however, was dropped from the third Test after managing only 53 runs and two wickets in the two Tests he played against England. The thorniest issue was the decision to keep Younis out of the squad. Reports, in recent days, had suggested that Younis might return for the one-day series but in the end Butt refused to clear the player. “We can only select a player who is cleared by the board and who is 100 percent fit, both are issues with Younis,” said chief selector Mohsin Khan. “At the moment, Younis’s name was not cleared by the PCB chairman so he was not considered.” Meanwhile, Shoaib Akhtar is back even after failing to impress on his last two international outings — June’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and last month’s Twenty20 Internationals against Australia. In the Asia Cup, he took four wickets from three games and later returned with figures of 2-0-34-0 and 4-0-29-1 in the two T20 games against Australia in Birmingham. Seasoned allrounder Abdul Razzaq is back and with Mohammad Hafeez also earning a recall, Pakistan have three experienced allrounders in the squad. Hafeez was overlooked for the England tour after failing to cement his place during the ICC World Twenty20 championship in the West Indies earlier this year. He replaces Malik in the squad. Also back in the line-up are Fawad Alam and Shahzaib Hasan. Azhar Ali, initially seen as a specialist Test batsman, has also been picked for the one-day squad following his impressive 92 at The Oval last week. Also winning the selectors’ nod is pacer Wahab Riaz, who has been rewarded for his five-wicket haul on debut in the third Test. Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Umar Amin and Tanvir Ahmed will return home ahead of the limited-overs series, which will begin with Cardiff hosting both Twenty20 Internationals on September 5 and 7 September. The five-match One-day International series starts from September at Chester-le-Street. Pakistan squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Wahab Riaz. Reserves: Sarfraz Ahmed, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Irfan, Abdur Rehman.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Has the decision to include Yousuf put pressure on batsmen? Aamir Sohail, the former Pakistan captain, believes that the decision of the country’s cricket think-tank to recall Mohammad Yousuf just before the second Test against England has backfired. Aamir told ‘The News’ in an interview on Friday that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) added extra pressure on the team’s struggling batters by including Yousuf in the squad so close to the Test. “It was a message to the batsmen that anybody who fails to score will be axed for the third Test. It added more pressure on our batters, who’ve flopped miserably today,” said Aamir, who is working as an expert commentator for Geo Super, which is telecasting the series live in Pakistan. Pakistan crumbled for just 72 — their lowest ever total against England — at Edgaston after winning the toss. Aamir said that Yousuf should have played the Test. “If you recall a senior batsman in such a manner, then you have to play him. What’s the use of sending Yousuf to England and then leaving him out for the Test? It turned out to be counter-productive.” Aamir said that Pakistan’s coaches also erred by reshuffling the batting order without any clear planning. “It caused more harm than good,” he said. The former Test batsman said that the team management failed to read the conditions properly. “It’s a positive decision when you bat first after winning the toss,” he said. “But in this case, our coaches failed to read the conditions well. There is so much moisture in this wicket and it was bound to help fast bowlers on the opening morning.” Aamir also criticised Pakistan for failing to take the initiative on the opening morning. “Once you won the toss and decided to bat, you should have shown more confidence. But our body language was completely negative. It seems that we were scared to face the English bowlers.” Although Yousuf, 35, averages 53 in tests, he has only played Twenty20 cricket in the past six months and bringing him back into the squad risks re-opening the bitter wounds exposed in May, when a video of an inquiry into player behavior was leaked to Geo Super. Shoaib Malik, one of many former Pakistan captains still haunting the current set-up, was seen saying: “His (Yousuf’s) captaincy in Australia was pathetic.” Malik in turn was accused of refusing to perform for Yousuf, while the new captain Salman Butt may struggle to forget the public admonition he received from Yousuf after running him out against Australia in Hobart in January. In the immediate aftermath of the capitulation at Trent Bridge, Butt had pleaded for more time for his young teammates. “Whoever is in the Pakistan side is there because of ability,” he said. “They need to be given time to show what they are capable of.” Butt was openly skeptical about the idea of tinkering with the line-up. “Having seen the past results can anybody over here tell me how many wins Pakistan had with the people who were previously playing?” he said. Coach Waqar Younis also seemed to rule out a recall for either Yousuf or Younis Khan, another former captain. “One (Yousuf) is retired,” he said. “We can’t bring back someone who is retired and the other (Younis) has serious issues with the Pakistan Cricket Board.” With or without Yousuf, Pakistan risks losing the series 4-0 and although Pakistan lost and lost badly at Trent Bridge, Butt at least seemed to be rebuilding team unity.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Changed Pakistan bat first in second Test Pakistan captain Salman Butt chose to bat against England in the second Test at Edgbaston on Friday. The visitors have made two changes to the side that lost the first match at Trent Bridge. Out-of-form leg-spinner Danish Kanera has given way to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, while faltering wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has been replaced by debutant Zulqarnain Haider, There was no spot in the side for former captain and experienced batsman Mohammad Yousuf. England are playing with the same eleven that played the first match. Teams: Pakistan: Imran Farhat, Salman Butt (capt), Azhar Ali, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Zulqarnain Haider (wkt), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Asif England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wkt), Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steven Finn     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Butt vows to come out fighting Pakistan captain Salman Butt admitted that their massive defeat to England at Trent Bridge here on Sunday has forced them to look back to where they have gone wrong. Talking to media after one of Pakistan’s worst-ever performance, Butt said that the defeat has made them think seriously as what to do next and show a better performance in the second Test. “I admit that we have not played the best cricket here. We will go back to the drawing-board and see what we can do better to bounce back in the series. I think we would be able to overcome our flaws before the second Test at Edgbaston.” Butt, however, defended his side saying that they have a habit of bouncing back in the series. “Even against Australia we did that. After suffering a heavy defeat against them at Lord’s, we fought back brilliantly to win the second Test and I think we can stage a fightback. “It is the same team which managed to defeat Australia.” The Pakistan captain defended wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for whom the tour has so far proved to be a nightmare. “I think he is a good player and has the ability to bounce back in the series. Even he knows what to do and how to get out of this lean period. All I could say at this time is he would probably make a comeback in style in the second Test at Edgbaston. “He has got all the potential to improve his performance.” Butt vowed not to repeat a disappointing performance on the field, blaming it the reason for their loss. “Those missed chances in the first innings proved the turning point. We would do all we could not to repeat that performance again during the rest of the series.” Meanwhile, Pakistan in panic has called up Yousuf for England series. The report said that Mohammad Yousuf and uncapped left-arm spinner Raza Hassan have been called up to strengthen Pakistan for the remainder of the England series after the visitors suffered a humiliating 354-run loss at Trent Bridge. The move seems a little illogical but little logic is expected when it’s the Pakistan Cricket Board making the decisions. Younis Khan, who is already in England playing county cricket with Surrey, has once again been ignored and it seems almost certain now that the reasons are other than cricket.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan set to take England banking on their pace bowlers Fresh from an exciting victory against Australia at Leeds, Pakistan go into their opening Test against England banking heavily on their seam attack to deliver the goods under the traditional seaming skies of Nottingham. It was their pace trio that won them the Leeds Test and if Pakistan stand any chance to topple the favourites, their bowlers will have to lead the way once again. It was in 2006 when Pakistan were last in England and lost the series 3-0 after the controversial Oval Test was declared in England’s favour. When the two teams meet here in the opener, it would be the first time that Pakistan and England meet in a Test after that incident. “We want to forget that controversy as it is history now. What happened is a thing of the past. Who was at fault is not for us to decide,” England captain Andrew Strauss said. Pakistan captain Salman Butt too preferred to see ahead instead of the past. “I think it is better to see ahead. What happened is now part of history.” The England captain has predicted his side has a very good chance of going 1-0 up in the series by virtue of the fact that they are better-suited to conditions in Nottingham. “I know they have a victory on their backs. But I think Australia is a team on the down. Since we have a more competitive outfit and know conditions well, we have a good chance of going one-up in the series,” Strauss said. Butt, meanwhile, is looking forward to his pace attack to provide them the upper hand against England. “There is no doubt that Pakistan has got one of the best attacks in the world. We have got three different types of bowlers with us. Mohammad Aamer bowls fast and has the ability to swing the ball at the same time. Mohammad Asif is probably the best seam bowler in the world while Umar Gul has got all the ability to exploit the old ball. And he can make the ball reverse swing to good affect.” The Nottingham track is perfectly suited to swing bowlers. If the wicket here stays as it was on Wednesday, the ball would definitely seam and swing. There is a bit of grass on the wicket and according to experts here tends to provide help to the seam bowlers. ìI think there are very bright chances of a result here as bowlers can exploit the conditions. The pitch has a bit in it,” Strauss said. Salman Butt was also confident about his batting lineup. “We have got a young side, quite capable of delivering. Our batting especially the middle-order is new but hopefully it would do well here. Azhar Ali and Umar Amin are talented and expected to make the occasion a memorable one,” Butt said. Pakistan’s biggest worry, however, is the form of Akmal brothers — Umar and Kamran. England are depending heavily on Strauss and Kevin Petersen to keep Pakistan’s bowlers at bay. “We have got an experienced side, one that can handle Pakistan’s bowling,” Strauss, said. A good crowd is expected to watch the opener in action as unlike the previous series against Australia, ticket sales are very encouraging. In all, Pakistan have played 67 Tests against England, winning 12 and losing 19 while as many as 36 have ended in a draw.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Youngsters proved their worth: Butt Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt declared on Sunday that it is time to move forward with Pakistan’s current crop of youngsters. Butt said this in the wake of Pakistan’s historic victory against Australia inside four days at the Headingley cricket ground here the other day. In an exclusive interview with ‘The News’, the PCB chairman was responding to a question whether Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan will be recalled for the series against England. “I don’t think it is time to look back. In fact, it is time to move forward and give the youngsters their due respect. We trusted the new-look team and they have responded well by beating Australia. We have been waiting for this historic occasion for the last 15 years and even the best teams with best players could not do so what the youngsters have done in Leeds.” Butt’s response was a clear indication that Yousuf and Younis would not be recalled for the England tour and it is almost curtains for them. “I think the youngsters have given us a very positive response and it would be unjust on them to recall any of the tried and tested players now.” He said it was Shahid Afridi who suggested him that the youngsters should be given the opportunity instead of tested players. “I think he was right. Now we have to move forward with a young team.” He was all praise for Azhar Ali for showing tremendous potential as a Test player. “Look at the way he carried Pakistan to safety on the third day. He was playing as if he had been in the business for a couple of years. He has all the potential to provide an answer to one down spot.” The PCB chairman was even happy with Umar Amin for showing the temperament required for the Test cricket. “I think Umar has the true technique of a Test player.” He also predicted that in six months time, the team could emerge as one of the best in the world. Butt also declared that negotiations are on with the three to four English counties to include Pakistani batsmen in their lineup for the next season. “Playing for counties is not that easy these days. What we want is that our youngsters should get the opportunity to play in such conditions. We are in touch with some of the counties on the matter and hopefully from the next season onward we would be sending a few players, especially batsmen, to train under these conditions,” the chairman said.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan breaks losing streak against Australia Pakistan held their nerve to claim a first Test victory against Australia in 15 years during a tense fourth-day finish at Headingley on Saturday. Pakistan, set 180 to win, lost four wickets for 40 runs before finishing on 180 for seven and a three-wicket win as they levelled this two-Test series at 1-1. Left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer was five not out and Umar Gul, who hit the winning run off Mitchell Johnson, one not out as Pakistan ended a run of 13 straight Test defeats by Australia — a record for one country against another. Pakistan were still five short when Australia’s Michael Hussey appealed for a gully catch against Kamran Akmal on 13, off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson but replays were inconclusive. And then left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, who took seven wickets in the match, edged Ben Hilfehnaus through the slips for four to tie the scores. But there was one more twist with Kamran Akmal brilliantly caught by Hussey off Johnson and this time there was no doubt. Gul, though, hammered his first ball from Johnson through the offside and Pakistan had won with more than a day and two sessions to spare. It meant Salman Butt, who replaced Shahid Afridi as skipper after the all-rounder quit Tests after the 150-run series-opening loss at Lord’s last week, tasted victory in his first Test as Pakistan captain. “It was a bit nerve-wracking, when you have this added responsibility,” Butt told reporters. “You tend to think more, thank God it went positively and we won. “It means a lot, it’s a new beginning for Pakistan.” Left-arm quick Doug Bollinger, starting on Friday, took three wickets for five runs in 17 balls on his way to three for 51 and Ben Hilfenhaus three for 39 but even Australia could not turn this match around. Ultimately, Australia paid the price for being bowled out for just 88 in their first innings — their lowest Test total since they were dismissed for 76 by the West Indies at Perth in 1984. Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who chose to bat after winning the toss, said: “At the end of the day, that’s had a big impact. It’s my responsibility to get those sorts of things right. “I think everyone was surprised at how much it seemed on the first day. Any decision like that is the captain’s and when you have a loss like that, it’s the responsibility of the captain as well. Obviously, the buck stops with me.” Australia ‘held’ Pakistan to 258, with medium-pacer Watson taking a Test-best six for 33, following his previous best of five for 40 at Lord’s, after the frontline quicks had been mostly ineffective. And Australia then made 349 with Michael Clarke and Steven Smith, in his second Test, both making 77. Ponting contributed 66 as he became only the second batsman, after India’s Sachin Tendulkar, to score 12,000 Test runs. But Aamer still managed to take four for 86, giving the 18-year-old left-arm quick Test best match figures of seven for 106. Aamer and Watson won their teams’ respective man-of-the-match awards. Pakistan resumed on Saturday on 140 for three, needing 40 more runs to win with Australia requiring seven wickets. However, as recently as the Sydney Test in January, Australia bowled Pakistan out for 139, chasing a victory target of 176. Azhar Ali resumed on 47 not out, with Umar Akmal unbeaten on two. Ali, off Bollinger’s third ball Saturday, cover-drove a full toss to the boundary to complete a maiden Test fifty off 108 balls with six fours. But next ball, he could only edge Bollinger to keeper Tim Paine. Ali was out for 51 and Pakistan were 146 for four. Bollinger appealed for caught behind and lbw against Kamran Akmal, still on naught, in successive balls but Rudi Koertzen, in the South African umpire’s 108th and last Test before retirement, correctly rejected both pleas. Shoaib Malik — on 10 — was brilliantly caught at the second attempt off a well-hit drive by Marcus North at short extra-cover off Hilfenhaus and Pakistan still needed 19 to win, with four wickets standing. Kamran Akmal, with three boundaries, took Pakistan to the brink of victory. Pakistan now have a short turnaround before a four-Test series against England starts at Trent Bridge on July 29.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan hope to defy odds Pakistan’s fortunes will be in the hands of young Salman Butt as he makes his debut as captain in the second Test against Australia here at Headingley on Wednesday (today). Butt’s task at hand is not eased by the fact that he knows well that he has to defeat history on one hand and odds on the other to make impossible possible. Pakistan are already one down in the series and with Australia favourites to win the match, Butt’s side needs nothing less than a miracle to pull off a memorable upset. Australia have already created history by winning their 13 straight Test against Pakistan at Lord’s last week, and would be looking to make it 14 in a row. Pakistan have had a remarkable turnaround of events over the last week. On July 13, they had a new Test captain in Shahid Afridi. Afridi retired in the aftermath of the Lord’s debacle and now a week later, Pakistan start afresh again as Butt takes over as the country’s fifth Test captain in the last 18 months. A confident Butt admitted that he had a tough job ahead of him but said he was well prepared for that. “When you are a vice-captain of the team, you have to have in mind that you may have to lead the team at one stage. I have been captaining the junior sides as well. Leading a side is nothing new to me. Being vice-captain meant that if anything goes wrong, you are the next man,” said Butt at a pre-match press conference here on Monday. The 25-year-old admitted that there would be no second chances for his team to defeat Australia and square the series. “This is our last chance to defeat Australia and end up drawing the series 1-1. So we have to give our best. “We would take the field with a well-versed game-plan and every player has to play his role to execute that.” With the ball likely to swing in the heavy Leeds conditions, Pakistan would again be relying heavily on their three-pronged pace attack. Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif swung the ball impressively at Lord’s but Pakistan’s main problem lies with their suspect batting. “We definitely have to improve our batting in order to give a tough time to the Australians,” Butt added. For Australia, the venue has always been their favourite hunting ground. Australian captain Ricky Ponting hit his first Test hundred here and averages over 105 in three Tests he has played here. “We would try not to play loose cricket against Pakistan as we did in patches at Lord’s. We would try to play a more professional game,” Ponting said on Monday. Ponting said Australia would be eager to win again as it would provide a perfect platform for launching their Ashes campaign later this year. “We want to keep the winning streak intact as it would place us on the track for Ashes.” Peter George is on standby to make his Test debut if pacer Ben Hilfenhaus fails to recover, although Clint McKay is also in contention. Usman Khawaja, an uncapped 23-year-old who was born in Pakistan, is in line to replace Marcus North, meaning Australia’s lineup could be almost as inexperienced as Pakistan’s. Pakistan have won just won one Test here at Leeds (in 1987), losing five and drawing the other three against England. Shoaib Malik will replace the retired Afridi. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal too would be making a comeback, filling in for leggie Danish Kaneria.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   My main objective now is to win World Cup: Afridi Former Pakistan Test captain Shahid Afridi vowed to return to England on Sunday, saying the limited over series starting next month will be the launch pad for his ambitions to win the 2011 World Cup. The 30-year-old announced he would retire from Test cricket after the second and final Test against Australia at Leeds starting Wednesday, citing a lack of temperament for the five-day game. His announcement came minutes after he led Pakistan to a 150-run defeat against Australia in the first Test on Friday, where Afridi slogged 31 in the first innings and hold out for two in the second. But a side strain meant the batsman was ruled out of the second Test and he was released from the Pakistan squad which, after the Australia series, will stay on to play four Tests against England. However, Afridi — who led Pakistan to the 2009 World Twenty20 title — is determined to return for the subsequent limited over series against England. “I took a decision which I felt was right and now all my concentration is on the limited overs series against England which will be our first step towards winning next year’s World Cup,” Afridi told. “I have won the World Twenty20, beaten England and India in Tests at home and have achieved some other milestones as well, but before I leave the game I want to win the World Cup,” he added ahead of next year’s tournament in Asia, where Pakistan will try to add to their lone World Cup title won in 1992. Opener Salman Butt will lead Pakistan at Leeds and in the Tests against England. “Butt must take coach Waqar Younis and others with him because this team will be tested against England,” said Afridi who may join English county side Hampshire if they qualify for the domestic Twenty20 quarter-finals. “I had to abandon the contract with Hampshire because I was here for the Test series but now they want me to play the last three matches of the Twenty20, provided they qualify,” said Afridi, known as a Twenty20 specialist. Afridi rubbished speculation his Test retirement came after differences with Pakistan team-mates. “This team was unified and there were no problems, nothing. I took the decision in the best interest of the team and hope a youngster with a Test temperament takes my position. “I also feel that there are other players who are not fit for the longer version of the game and my advice to them is to concentrate on the shorter forms,” said Afridi, without naming names. Afridi hopes a month’s break will revive him for the two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against World Twenty20 champions England which follow the Test series. “I will be fresh for the limited over series which will be very tough because England have been doing very well in both ODIs and T20s, so if we could beat them it would be good for the progress of the team,” said Afridi. Pakistan’s one-day squad is due to be announced next month.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Butt replaces Afridi, Kamran named vice-captain; no place for Yousuf, Younis in touring party The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday appointed Salman Butt as captain and Kamran Akmal as his deputy and decided against recalling Younis Khan or Mohammad Yousuf following an hour-long meeting. “We have decided to appoint Salman Butt captain and Kamran Akmal as his deputy for the remaining five Test matches scheduled to be played in this ongoing England tour. The decision was unanimous,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said. The meeting was convened to discuss the situation after Shahid Afridi’s decision to quit Test cricket. Apart from the PCB chairman, manager Yawar Saeed, Salman Butt, coach Waqar Younis, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul and Kamran Akmal attended the meeting. Butt will assume the duties from the second Test against Australia starting from July 21 in Leeds (Headingley). Afridi will not be in the team as he is set to return home on Monday (tomorrow). “It was a unanimous decision backed by all the players present in the meeting. We hailed the services of Afridi and feel that Test cricket will miss him. However, since it is totally his personal decision, the PCB stands by him,” manager Yawar Saeed said. He said Butt has been named captain only for the current England tour. When asked whether the management has requested for any reinforcement now that Afridi would be flying back home, Yawar said they already have 16 players with them and as such there was no need for any further reinforcement. “We have decided against calling up any reinforcement as we already have 16 players here.” The meeting also decided against recalling ageing cricketer Yousuf and Younis. “It has also been decided that the team does not need Younis and Yousuf at the moment and a decision on them has been deferred for the time being. News circulating on these developments has no reality,” Yawar said. Meanwhile, all the senior players have backed Butt’s elevation to the national team’s captaincy. “All the seniors were unanimous that Butt should take over as the captain. He has all the qualities to lead the team and has been doing so at the junior and ‘A’ levels. Even Shahid Afridi backed him as captain for the Test team,” Yawar said. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that Salman Butt was not interested in recalling Younis and Yousuf. “Butt feels that the youngsters in the side are capable of delivering and chances should be provided to them,” he said. When Salman was approached he said the decision was unanimous. “I am really thankful to Allah Almighty for giving me the opportunity. I will try my best to do justice with the new role,” he said.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Butt accepts Afridi’s retirement, whom would you recommend to succeed? Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ejaz Butt, accepting retirement of Test captain Pakistan cricket team Shahid Khan Afridi, has said the new captain will be decided after meeting to be held between players and PCB officials, Geo news reported. Talking to Geo News Chairman PCB Ejaz Butt rebuffing Salman Butt being automatic choice of captainship following Afridi’s retirement, said new captain will be decided in board meeting. Earlier, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said on Friday he would retire from Test cricket following the second Test against Australia at Headingley starting next Wednesday. Afridi made his announcement after leading Pakistan to a 150-run defeat by Australia in the first Test at Lord’s here on Friday. The batsman, out slogging for two on Friday, said he no longer had the temperament for the five-day game after what was his first Test in four years. “I’ve not been fully fit with a side strain and so I will not play Test cricket after the match in Leeds,” Afridi said. “I did the wrong thing,” he told BBC’s Test Match Special when asked about his decision to return to Test cricket after concentrating on one-dayers and Twenty20s in recent years. “I think my temperament is not good enough for Test cricket and I am struggling with a side injury. I think may be the next Test will be my last. “The Pakistan Cricket Board asked me to play Test cricket, I wasn’t thinking about it.” Afridi’s announcement means Pakistan were preparing for their sixth Test captain in three years. Since Inzamam-ul-Haq retired in 2007, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Afridi have all led Pakistan, infamous for their instability, in the five-day format. By contrast, Australia have had just four regular Test captains in 25 years — Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and current skipper Ricky Ponting. A perplexed Ponting told reporters: “I don’t know exactly what has happened. Funny things happen around the Pakistan side.” Afridi was parachuted into the leadership after Yousuf and Younis were both omitted from the squad for this tour following bans imposed in the wake of Pakistan’s 3-0 series loss in Australia earlier this year. Afridi slogged what was just his fourth ball, from part-time off-spinner Marcus North — who finished with a Test-best six wickets for 55 runs - and was caught on the boundary on Friday. Afterwards Afridi, nicknamed ‘Boom Boom’ for his hard-hitting approach to batting, told a news conference it had been an irresponsible shot. “The captain should be an example for the youngsters but that was not an example. I was in two minds whether to play my natural game or whether to take my time,” added Afridi, who captained Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title at Lord’s in 2009. “You can say I was weak mentally...I’m not good enough for Test cricket.” Asked when he decided to quit Test cricket, Afridi replied bluntly: “When I got out.”     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Young Pakistan set for tough Aussie On one hand, the Pakistan cricket team is facing the cruel facts of history while on the other, loom the formidable Aussies. Pakistan plan to field a young side in the opening match of their two-match ‘home’ series at Lord’s on Tuesday (today) as they look for their first Test win against their opponents in fifteen years. It was in 1995 when Pakistan last defeated Australia at the Sydney cricket ground (SCG) and since then, lady luck has eluded them. Moreover, the Australians have continuously beaten Pakistan since 1999, winning 12 Tests on the trot. The best chance coming Pakistan way to halt the Australian winning streak was in January 2010, when they failed to chase a 176-run target on a batting track, also at the SCG. Since then, though, things have changed. Pakistan have got a new captain and a young team, which geared up with an exciting 2-0 win in the Twenty20 series. However, at the same time they are missing the services of top Test cricketers — a weakness pointed out by Australian skipper Ricky Pointing when asked about the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. “I think they would miss Mohammad Yousuf badly here as he is a Test specialist. He is the only one who has the quality to stay long at the crease and has scored heavily against Australia in the past,” Pointing said. He admitted, though, that Pakistan continued to carry the tag of unpredictability. “You cannot guess on how they would play. They have a young side and a new captain. They have had their problems in the past. How much they are prepared to get out of that would remain to be seen,” he added. The short series here against Australia would be a real Test for Pakistan’s fragile batting lineup. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is interested in fielding two youngsters in the batting lineup. Apart from Umar Amin, who is set to make Test debut, Azhar Ali also has good chances of playing his first Test at Lord’s. “Both are really good and I want to include both in the first Test against Australia at Lord’s. However, the final team would be named after the meeting late in the evening,” Afridi said when asked about the squad for the first Test. In case Pakistan induct Azhar, which looks almost a certainty now, Shoaib Malik will have to sit out. Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif would form Pakistan’s pace attack while Danish Kaneria would be the only specialist spinner in the team. For Australia, Time Paine (wicketkeeper) and Steven Smith (leg-spinner) are all set to get their first Test cap. Australia would rely on their pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson. The wicket at Lord’s gives a dull look and is likely be batsmen-friendly. “It is a good track and batsmen would have their opportunities. It is a good Test track,” Afridi said. Around 12 thousand spectators are expected to see the opening day’s play on Tuesday as ticket sales picked up momentum on Monday. According to organisers, they had sold 12000 tickets for the opening day, 11500 for the second day, 10000 for the third and another eight thousand for the fourth day. “Majority of the earning would be given to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who are hosting the series,” one of the organisers when contacted said.     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Bangladesh beat England in shock victory Bangladesh won for the first time in 25 matches and enjoyed their first victory over England in any format with a stunning five-run success in the second one-day international here on Saturday. They defended a seemingly below par total of 236 to bowl England out for 231 with three balls to spare. Bangladesh had lost 24 matches in all formats since beating Zimbabwe by one wicket in a one-day international in Chittagong in November and came into this match on the back of Thursday’s six-wicket series-opening loss at Trent Bridge. But now they can dream of winning the three-match campaign 2-1 in the concluding match at Edgbaston on Monday. England nearly avoided an embarrassing defeat thanks to Jonathan Trott’s career-best 94. However, Trott, in his first ODI since playing against his native South Africa in Port Elizabeth in November, was last man out when caught behind off Shafiul Islam. The paceman held his nerve to finish with two wickets for 38 runs. Admittedly Ian Bell did not come out to bat until England were nine wickets down and needing 10 off the last over, after breaking his foot while diving to try to take a catch during Bangladesh’s innings. But the Tigers were without Raqibul Hasan, who top-scored for them with 76 at Trent Bridge, but had his toe broken by a James Anderson yorker in the process and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, who was ruled out after being hit in the face during the same match. England were 166 for seven in the 40th over when Stuart Broad joined Trott. The duo got the target down to 36 off five overs. But their stand of 43 was broken when Broad, on 21, was well caught by a leaping Shakib at backward point off a flashing square drive from Mortaza’s first ball back. England needed 23 off the last two overs and then Trott inside edged a four off Mortaza before, next ball, driving the seamerdown the ground for a boundary. However, off the final ball of the penultimate over, Anderson was caught and bowled for two by Mortaza. Bell, with Eoin Morgan as a runner, came out to bat but Trott was on strike. Trott took twos off the first two balls but was caught behind off the next to end a 129-ball innings that featured just eight fours. England saw Strauss (33) and Craig Kieswetter (20) make a rapid start. But paceman Rubel Hossain, in for dropped spinner Faisal Hossain, struck twice as both openers, as happened on Thursday, fell in quick succession. Strauss tried to uppercut Rubel but steered him to stand-in wicketkeeper Jahurul Islam. And 49 for one became 58 for two when the same duo dismissed Kieswetter. Next ball, England might have been 58 for three. But Paul Collingwood, whom replays suggested should have been given out caught behind for a golden duck, had made just 10 when he was lbw to spinner Abdur Razzak. Morgan was then lbw for one to Razzaq before Michael Yardy (10) was bowled by Shakib. Earlier Bangladesh had been restricted to a modest total of 236 for seven after Strauss won the toss. But Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes made a valuable 76 in an innings where the next best contribution was Mahmudullah’s 24 not out.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   World Cup soccer Octopus receives death threats? He was once the most popular sea-creature in Germany. But since that nation's loss yesterday, a psychic octopus has received death threats from angry soccer fans. Paul, or as he's referred to in Germany, Das Krakenorakel, has incurred the wrath of a nation by correctly predicting that Spain would defeat Germany in the World Cup semi-final. Octopus handler Daniel Fey reports that: "People send us recipes in threats." And German newspapers report angry crowds converging in Berlin after the game, chanting anti-octopus songs. How they came to know the lyrics to any anti-octopus songs is not immediately clear. But, according to a spokeswoman for Sea Life Aquariums, Paul's home, "he has very good people looking after him". Fey adds, "He's definitely safe." Paul is as beloved in Spain as he is reviled in Germany. "Pulpo Paul", Spanish for Paul the Octopus, is a Twitter trending topic. And at least one restaurant in Spain has removed octopus from its menu, in honor of the prognosticating sea critter. He'll next be called into action to predict a winner of Saturday's runner-up match between Germany and Uruguay, then the final between the Netherlands and Spain.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Aamer helps Pakistan to 2-0 Twenty20 win Pakistan’s Twenty20 efforts over the past two days augur well for next week's first Test. A day after they ended their 12-match losing stretch against Australia across all formats, Mohammad Aamer helped them begin their own winning streak with an 11-run victory that brought 2-0 series triumph. Tests are a very different story, but their Twenty20 form has given the group a spark. There was a distinct sense of déjà vu after Monday's game; again there was a big crowd of Pakistan fans, Pakistan scored around the 160 mark and again Australia's batsmen were tied down and couldn't lift their tempo for a successful chase. The last pair was left needing 19 from the final over and despite a six from Dirk Nannes, they came up short. Aamer made important late runs and then removed Australia's openers, but Pakistan had useful contributions from all their key men. Shahid Afridi made a quick 18 and grabbed two wickets, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt and Umar Akmal all chipped in at the top of the order, and Shoaib Akhtar and Saeed Ajmal were hard to get away. The Rawalpindi Express was out of steam on Monday, but had gained momentum 24 hours later. Akhtar has been driving around Birmingham in a red Ferrari over the past few days and perhaps the speedy number inspired him, for he was comfortably the quickest bowler in the match and hovered around 95mph. A couple of sizzling bouncers whizzed past the faces of Australian batsmen, but the only man to fall to Akhtar was Tim Paine, who skewed an ugly swipe to mid-off. Akhtar had begun by conceding a pair of fours in his opening over as Michael Clarke showed the sort of Twenty20 form he has not displayed in recent times. Australia had rested Shane Watson, so Clarke took it upon himself to open the innings, finding the gaps and clearing the infield several times with well-judged chips and drives. Clarke had motored to 30 from 17 deliveries when he played on to Aamer, and the bowler was so pumped at his success that in his follow through he leapt in celebration and crashed into the departing Clarke. Aamer immediately apologised and the men exchanged a friendly pat on the arm, but Clarke was frustrated with himself for failing to push on. It was Aamer's second wicket - he had already trapped David Warner lbw for 1 - and he went on to finish with 3 for 27. James Hopes (30) and David Hussey (33) worked the ball around through the middle overs, but boundaries were few and far between, and too much work was left too late. Australia had set themselves a task by allowing Pakistan to reach almost the same score as won them the game on Monday. A late 20 not out from Aamer was especially valuable and included a pair of sixes off the debutant spinner Steve O'Keefe and David Hussey. The spinners bowled well, and O'Keefe finished with 3 for 29, which was an impressive return for a man who hadn't played a Twenty20 for his state for nearly 18 months. Afridi and Umar Akmal provided a key partnership for Pakistan; their 30-run stand included one monstrous six from Afridi, who slapped Shaun Tait straight back over the bowler's head. The ball cleared the construction area, put a cameraman at risk, and exited the stadium to the roars of the Pakistan fans. Nannes (3 for 30) collected them both in consecutive balls in the 17th over, Umar (25) caught and bowled when his top edge flew so high that almost any member of the infield could have run in and claimed it, and Afridi caught behind for 18. Already, Butt and Kamran Akmal had given them a strong start with a 61-run combination. The left-arm spinner O'Keefe struck in his first over when Butt top-edged a sweep and was caught at short fine leg for 31. Kamran followed soon afterwards for 33, when he skied a pull off Mitchell Johnson and was caught by Clarke running back at midwicket. O'Keefe had helped give Australia a way into the middle order, but they couldn't make it count. If Pakistan were surprised by the selection of O'Keefe, they must have been even more taken aback at Clarke's choice of opening bowler. David Hussey sent down the first over - the first time Australia had opened with a spinner in a Twenty20 international - and it was a success, a wicket-maiden that included Shahzaib Hasan lbw trying to slog-sweep. The day began in triumph for Australia; it ended in jubilation for Pakistan. It has also set the scene for a fascinating Test series.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Europeans well poised to lift World Cup 2010 David Villa and Miroslav Klose confirmed they rank among the finest football predators as the chances of a first European World Cup triumph outside the continent rocketed this weekend. Netherlands are favoured to defeat Uruguay in the first semi-final Tuesday while Spain and Germany clash a day later in a repeat of the 2008 Euro final settled by a Fernando Torres strike. Only South American countries have lifted the trophy outside their continent but that seems likely to end with a Uruguay side hit by injuries and bannings looking weakest on paper of the four survivors. Torres is having a bittersweet tournament as he helps Spain move within two victories of a first World Cup triumph while unable to regain the scoring touch that made him a feared marksman. But there were no goals nor glory for reigning World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi of Argentina, whose team suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to Germany and left the future of coach Diego Maradona uncertain. A Villa goal seven minutes from full-time broke the resistance of well organised Paraguay in Johannesburg late Saturday after Klose twice, Thomas Mueller and Arne Friedrich had scored for rampant Germany in Cape Town. Villa became the leading scorer in the tournament with five after an effort that went in off a post and needs just one more to match the 44-goal Spanish record of Raul Gonzalez. The close-season Barcelona signing from Valencia has also become the top Spanish World Cup scorer with eight goals, leaving behind Emilio Butragueno, Fernando Hierro, Fernando Morientes and Raul who netted five each. Klose celebrated a century of international appearances by raising his World Cup goal haul to 14 - one less than record-holder Ronaldo of Brazil with a third-place play-off or final to come after facing Spain.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Time is right for floodlit Tests, says Waugh Australia great Steve Waugh has endorsed a proposal from Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) world cricket committee for the immediate introduction of day/night Test cricket. “I think it will be great, there is always going to be resistance to change, because it takes people out of their comfort zone,” former Australia captain Waugh, said on Friday. “But I think as a player I would love it, embrace it — a day/night Test match, and the chance to be part of history,” he added. While crowds for the five-day game have held up well in England, in countries such as India attendances for Test matches have been in decline for several years. One long-proposed solution is day/night Test cricket where spectators can attend once the working day is finished, with One-day Internationals under lights having proved popular with crowds all round the world since they were pioneered in Australia some 30 years ago. “Test cricket needs these things to get people back watching it,” insisted Waugh who, along with his MCC colleagues, clearly believes there is no need for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to insist on the further research the global governing body has said is needed before giving the go-ahead. An argument against day/night Tests has been that, with a standard red ball too difficult to see under the floodlights, the white ball now used in all One-day Internationals would not stand up to the rigours of a five-day game. But MCC assistant secretary John Stephenson insisted the successful trial of day-night four-day cricket with a pink ball in this year’s English season curtain-raiser champion county fixture in Abu Dhabi, had solved that problem. “We should not delay in presenting day-night Test cricket as an option for those Test-playing countries that are struggling to attract an audience,” Stephenson said. “We say this form of the game is viable now,” the former England batsman added. “We proved it in Abu Dhabi with the four-day game under lights. It was the perfect experiment, and demonstrated this game should go ahead now. We don’t need another 18 months of research. The world of cricket is ready. It should not wait; the time is now,” added Stephenson.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Aisam, Rohan plan cross-border match Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and India’s Rohan Bopanna are aiming to play an extraordinary tennis match to promote peace between the two countries — using the famous Wagah border as the net. The duo were knocked out of the Wimbledon’s men’s doubles quarter-finals here on Wednesday — their best-ever Grand Slam performance — but caused a stir by wearing jackets emblazoned with the slogan ‘Stop War, Start Tennis’. The pair will be wearing the tracksuit tops when they play at the US Open and are mulling over a new logo to decorate them with in New York. And now they are seeking permission to face each other with the net on the Radcliffe Line that has divided the village of Wagah since 1947, with Aisam playing on the Indian side and Rohan on the Pakistani side. “It is an idea we have had but there is a lot of time before we get to it because both countries have to approve it first and that is the process that is going on,” Bopanna told the media. “The idea is there for him to play in India and me to play in Pakistan. “That is the idea but it needs to be approved and until that happens nothing can be done.” Wagah is the only road border crossing between India and Pakistan. Every evening, thousands gather to watch the colourful flag-lowering ceremonies there and the energetic soldiers’ parade. The border post is often seen as a symbol of the tension between the two countries. But Aisam and Rohan hope their continuing friendship, on and off the tennis court, will help encourage a more peaceful relationship between the neighbours. “The first time I went to India I was 16 and Rohan was their top junior,” Qureshi said. “I have played with a lot of Indians before but there are no Pakistanis on the tour and India is definitely the closest to Pakistan and he has been my best friend on the tour. “We share the same language, we share the same culture and concepts so it makes life much easier on the road. “In the beginning we didn’t realise the importance of our relationship and partnership. “But we realised that looking at the bigger picture, if we could send a positive message to the people in Pakistan and in India, then it is a really good thing. “We have had three wars against each other. We used to be one country but we got separated — there are still a lot of diplomatic tensions but at the end of the day on either side the people are very, very friendly and loving. “Every time I have gone to India I have been treated with respect and people really like me there. “It has been a great experience every time I go there and the message is not to bring politics, culture and religion into sports. “That is what we are trying to give out to the people. If we can both get along well then I am sure a lot of other Pakistanis and Indians can get along as well. If we can change a few people’s minds it is a very positive thing. “Here you could see Indian and Pakistani people sitting together supporting one team. It is a nice thing to see.”     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Say, ‘Stop War, Start Tennis’ Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his doubles partner India’s Rohan Bopanna will face Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, after their victory on Tuesday. The unusual Indian-Pakistani pairing have been going around the All England Club wearing tracksuit tops reading ‘Stop War, Start Tennis’ on the back. Reaching the quarter-finals is the best-ever Grand Slam performance for either Bopanna or Qureshi. “When we started out in tennis the tension between India and Pakistan wasn’t something I cared about, I was playing with my friend,” Qureshi told the BBC. “Over the passage of time, we’ve seen a bigger picture apart from tennis, and it’s about changing people’s views. If we can change even one person’s view, we’ll take it as a positive. “It’s really nice to see Indians and Pakistanis sitting together supporting one team. You don’t see that anywhere else, in any sport. Our on-court and off-court relationship proves that Indians and Pakistanis can get on fine.”     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan, India look to resume cricketing ties--politics should have no parts in sports The revival of Pakistan-India Test series is very much on the cards as the matter came under discussion on the sidelines of respective foreign secretaries meeting in Islamabad and is expected to be the focus of discussion of officials from both countries when they meet at the end of the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual meeting in Singapore. A well-placed government source confirmed that following Mumbai attacks India for the very first time has expressed interest of renewing Test series with Pakistan. “Though it is something directly involving the cricket boards of the respective countries, for the first time following the Mumbai attack Indian Government has given all clear to the Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) to restart cricketing ties with Pakistan. The issue, however, was not part of any agenda during the recently held meeting of the foreign secretaries of both countries,” a government official confirmed. The Indian Government, it has been learnt, has given all clear to BCCI to negotiate with the PCB on the restarting Test matches. “It is now up to the respective boards to negotiate on the formalities of the Test series. Most probably the series between the two countries would be played any time in the coming season.” India had abandoned their scheduled return tour to Pakistan following terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Since then efforts have been on from the PCB to arrange a series. However, there had been no positive response from the BCCI more due to the fact that Indian Government had shown little interest in organising such a series. Doubts, however, remain over whether BCCI would agree to send its team to Pakistan under prevailing situation. The series most probably would be held on neutral venue, while chances are that Pakistan may travel to India to play the series. “Both options are under consideration,” a PCB official when contacted said.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   S America – threat to Europe’s supremacy in football? Argentina coach Diego Maradona believes South America will never catch up with Europe despite the continent's stunning success at the World Cup in South Africa. South America had five representatives in the competition and all five made it to the knock-out stages, with four of them winning their groups. Meanwhile European heavyweights Italy and France were not only knocked out but also finished bottom of groups including such minnows as New Zealand and hosts South Africa. Seven of the 13 European teams bit the dust in the group stages and only Germany, Spain and Holland won their groups. Even so, the club game in Europe is so much stronger and there is so much more money in competitions like the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, that Maradona believes South America will always lag behind. "I don't think we will ever be a bigger powerhouse than Europe," he said. "What we have to do is build America and make coaches of lesser countries understand that we must have a clear line for kids coming up. "We'll never be bigger than Europe but we will have good players and we must also pay attention to youth leagues and make kids dream of playing in Europe and being ready. "But they should be in the right condition and (Europeans) shouldn't be grabbing kids at 15 years old who have no idea of what it takes to play in the (European) leagues. "Even 16 and 17 year-olds can't do that but in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay everyone accelerates things. "But a child must know what a football player must know because otherwise this is like stealing money from people. "South America must go on doing what it's doing and the premium is knowing that we are giving great players to teams of clubs all over the world and they are making great money. "But you should also know that these players, when they make it to their own national team, they have our support and affection."     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Lyari FIFA World Cup- craze puts the gang war on hold BRAZILIAN flags flutter from homes across one battle-scarred Pakistani suburb, as gang warfare is set aside for the World Cup and fans, painted in the Brazil colours, vow allegiance to the South Americans. The Karachi suburb of Lyari is known for two things: unremitting gang violence and for producing Pakistan's best football players. The neighbourhood has a strong footballing tradition having produced some of the country's top players, despite chronic law and order problems, rampant unemployment and miserable facilities. It has however become a no-go area. Hundreds of people have died over the last decade as a result of bloody clashes between rival criminal groups; fighting broke out between police and gangs earlier this month. The majority of the population comes from Balochistan, an oil and gas-rich southwestern province where insurgents are fighting for self-determination. They live in small houses on narrow streets, providing easy escape routes for criminals. Pakistan may not be playing in the Cup, but hundreds of fans stayed up late to watch Brazil outgun Ivory Coast 3-1 on Sunday as an unusual lull came to Lyari, the most populous and oldest part of the country's biggest city. 'Lyari is Brazil's den and people seek happiness in football, especially Brazil, because they love this team and its players,' said local resident and former footballer Aurengzeb Shahmir. As Brazil is poised to play its last match of the Group today (Friday), Lyari is humming with activities preparing itself for watching their most favorite team winning through for making a brilliant entry into the quarter-final, which they would be later celebrating for the whole night discussing finer points of their favorite team Brazilian players. Shamir is among hundreds of locals who love Brazil and paint their faces in the colours of a team known for regular displays of World Cup magic. Hours before kick-off, they throng a stadium where giant screens have been erected to watch the tournament and share dinner with fellow fans. 'Watching football is our only enjoyment. We forget all the pain and suffering in the 90-minute action and everyone want Brazil to win the sixth title on July 11,' said Mr Shahmir of the five-time champions. Noted local journalist Nadir Shah Adil said the neighbourhood saw the Brazilians as spiritual cousins. 'The people of this area see racial similarities with Brazil, like if they are black and have curly hair they feel they are like South Americans and they play with the same style,' said Mr Adil. Little wonder then that Javed Carlos, a local Pakistani footballer, who plays for Karachi Port Trust, wears a Brazilian shirt these days. 'We live for Brazil, eat for Brazil and breathe for Brazil,' said Mr. Javed. 'We wish them the best of luck in this World Cup and hope they bring joys for Lyari by winning the World Cup. 'It's our lifetime dream that one day the Brazil team will visit Pakistan. We live for that day.'     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Despite big win against BD, Pakistan’s failure to reach final of Asia Cup 'a warning bell' Former Pakistan cricket greats said Pakistan's failure to reach the final of the Asia Cup was "a warning bell" for problems that needed urgent attention before next year's World Cup. Skipper Shahid Afridi smashed a glorious 124 off 60 balls as Pakistan ended their Asia Cup campaign with a 139-run rout of Bangladesh on Monday. Afridi plundered 17 boundaries and four sixes to lead Pakistan to their highest one-day total of 385-7, before Bangladesh replied with 246-5 in the day-night match. Junaid Siddique top-scored for Bangladesh with 97 after sharing a second-wicket stand of 160 with Imrul Kayes, who made 66. It was Pakistan's lone victory in the four-nation tournament and came after India and defending champions Sri Lanka had already qualified for Thursday's final with two wins each. Pakistan did play well in both the matches, but the fact is that we are still number three, behind Sri Lanka and India, which is a warning bell for next year's World Cup," former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas told. The four-nation Asia Cup, being played in the Sri Lankan resort of Dambullah, is seen as a build-up for next year's World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Abbas said the results showed that Pakistan was performing poorly. "Against India our batting did well, but bowling and fielding were not up to the mark," said Abbas. Pakistan also failed to reach the final of the 2008 Asia Cup, when the tournament was held in their country. Abbas said there were "too many coaches" in the Pakistan camp, which he found "hard to understand," referring to head coach Waqar Younis, assistant coach Aqib Javed and batting-fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed. "Too many coaches are spoiling the broth," Abbas said. Former chief selector Iqbal Qasim, who resigned in February after Pakistan's winless tour of Australia, said Pakistan had to confront its problems before next year's World Cup. "Fielding is our main problem, which again failed us on Saturday," said Qasim, a former left-arm spinner. "We also need to know when to utilise our batting power-play, which is being spoiled every time." Qasim said fast-rising batsman Umar Akmal and paceman Mohammad Amir needed guidance to turn their huge talent into better performances. "Umar is creating panic when he comes on to bat," which led to run-outs for his batting partners which he survived, Qasim said. "It's a big problem which needs to sorted out." Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi will lead the team on the tour of England starting next week. Pakistan will play two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia and four Tests, two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan hockey gets Dutch coach for fortune revival The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Saturday finally received approval from the federal sports ministry to hire a foreign coach. The new coach is Netherlands’ Michel Van Den Heuvel. The Dutchman will join the Pakistan squad on June 21 at a training camp at Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium in Karachi. The contract between the PHF and Heuvel is until London Olympics 2012. Heuvel will be Pakistan’s third foreign coach. It was under Dutch coach Hans Jorritsma that Pakistan won the 1994 World Cup in Sydney, Australia, while another Dutch man Roelant Oltmans coached Pakistan in 2004 with the green shirts gaining better ranking at the international level during his tenure. Heuvel guided Holland to a bronze medal in the World Cup in New Delhi earlier this year. PHF secretary general Mohammad Asif Bajwa said the decision to appoint Heuvel was taken after serious deliberations. “The PHF has decided to take every measure to revive our fortune and providing a foreign coach was one of them. So we have taken this decision in the best interest of the game,” Asif Bajwa, a former Olympian, said. Asif Bajwa defended Heuvel’s appointment against criticism from former players opposed to a foreign coach. “The PHF thinks that this is the only way to get back to the top and we will give him (Heuvel) complete support and are sure that he is capable of delivering the goods,” he added. The PHF official said ample chances were given to many experienced former Olympians in recent years, but desired results were not achieved to improve the overall performance of the national team. Winners of three Olympic gold medals, Pakistan remained up in the clouds for more than three decades and are record four times world champions. The green shirts are striving hard for a big title since winning the 1994 World Cup in Australia. They have not won any Asian title since winning the Asian Games in China 19 years ago. Pakistan finished a poor 8th at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and 12th at the World Cup in India earlier this year – their worst ever showing in both mega events. They have also missed out on the elite six-nation Champions Trophy in 2008 and 2009. After finishing at bottom in the Word Cup, the PHF sacked coach Shahid Ali Khan amid furious criticism from former Olympians, officials and fans. Former Olympian Khawaja Junaid was temporarily appointed coach for the last month’s seven-nation Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, in which Pakistan finished fifth. Asif Bajwa said it was the right time to have a foreign expert because the team needed rebuilding and had to participate in many international events in coming years. “Majority of hockey playing nations have foreign coaches with their respective teams and the coaches have shown good results.” When asked to comment on the expertise and potential of home coaches, Asif Bajwa replied all knew their performance and no one can deny the fact that all of them served the national game in the past with tall claims. “I am not criticising anyone or challenging anybody’s credentials, but the PHF executive board is of the view that new options and era be explored to bring improvement in the performance of the team,” he said. Hiring a good foreign coach is vital as well as the most immediate step for the PHF to cope with the physical fitness and technique mythology of the national squad. It will also help the federation to bail itself out from the severe criticism it has had to face from former Olympians since the World Cup debacle. Pakistan will tour Spain next month before competing in October’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi and November’s Asian Games in China.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Afridi wants his team to play attacking cricket against India Pakistan will target India’s ‘strong points’ when they take on their traditional rivals in a do-or-die clash of the Asia Cup in Dambulla on Saturday today. Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, told from Dambulla on Friday that he has asked his bowlers to go all out for the scalps of India’s prolific openers — Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir — and his counterpart MS Dhoni in what is a mouth-watering clash between the Asian giants. The Flamboyant all-rounder, who smashed a brilliant 109 in a lost cause against Sri Lanka earlier this week, said that he wants his boys to play aggressive cricket. “India’s strength is in their batting,” said Afridi. “In fact their openers and then Dhoni in the middle-order are their most dangerous players. They are India’s strong points and I want to neutralise them. We can beat them at their own game,” he added. While India began the quadrangular with a bang by crushing Bangladesh, Pakistan crashed to a 16-run defeat against the hosts in the tournament opener last Tuesday. Pakistan desperately need to beat India to stay alive and Afridi is confident that his unpredictable team can conquer MS Dhoni’s men. “It’s a do-or-die match and we have to play attacking cricket because that’s the only way we can stay in the hunt for the final,” said Afridi. It’s the first time that Afridi will be captaining Pakistan against India and the skipper is hoping to make it a memorable match. “It’s a huge match whenever we play against India and as captain it would be even more important one for me. I’m confident that we will raise our game tomorrow.” Most of Afridi’s key batsmen including vice-captain Salman Butt, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal flopped in the game against Sri Lanka, but the captain is hoping that they will bounce back against India. “Most of our boys played foolishly against Sri Lanka. They committed unnecessary mistakes but I’m sure that they will do much better against India.” Some critics have questioned Pakistan’s decision to play their opening game against Sri Lanka without any specialist spinner though they have Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman in the touring party. Afridi, however, made it clear that the team management will not come under any kind of pressure and will pick the line-up after closely inspecting the pitch and playing conditions. “We will decide the playing eleven tomorrow after inspecting the wicket. For the time being our options are open.” He hinted that Pakistan might replace Mohammad Asif with Saeed Ajmal for today’s match. “The (Dambulla) pitch is wearing out a bit and there is a good chance that it will offer more assistance to spinners in the coming matches. “We will take a look at the wicket tomorrow and may be go for Saeed Ajmal instead of Asif.” Afridi, who braved severe cramps on his way to a stunning century, said he is fully fit and will try to give his best against India. “Actually I was suffering from severe dehydration in the last match and cramps made batting really painful for me,” he said. “But I’m fine now and looking forward to giving my best against India.”     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Asia’s big four launch World Cup preparations Asia’s Test-playing nations begin their preparations for next year’s World Cup, when they contest the region’s top one-day prize from Tuesday (today). Away from the global spotlight on the football World Cup in South Africa, the four-nation Asia Cup will be played in Sri Lanka over the next 10 days. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who co-host the cricket World Cup in February-April, will be joined by Pakistan in a round-robin preliminary league with the top two teams contesting the final on June 24. “This is a good chance to test our strengths and weaknesses and also see how the others are faring on the way to the World Cup,” Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. India go into the tournament in the central town of Dambulla hoping to make amends for their failure to reach the semifinals of the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. A second-string side then lost twice to hosts Zimbabwe in a recent one-day tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, exposing a weak bench that does not augur well for the World Cup. India, who face Bangladesh in their first match on Wednesday, are without veteran Sachin Tendulkar, the world’s most prolific Test and one-day batsman, who opted to rest ahead of a busy season. Also missing is one-day regular Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped due to poor form after scoring just 74 runs in five World Twenty20 matches. In five One-day Internationals this year, the left-hander has managed only 96 runs. Pakistan, preparing to clash with holders Sri Lanka in Tuesday’s opener, have recalled mercurial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for the first time since May last year when he was sidelined with a knee injury. Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi leads a talented Pakistani squad, which includes three promising batsmen in Umar Amin, 21, Shahzaib Hasan, 20, and Asad Shafiq, 24. Sri Lanka, who won the last Asia Cup in Pakistan two years ago, have left out ageing batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis for the tournament. Jayasuriya, who turns 41 later this month, is the most experienced one-day batsman in the world with 444 appearances and second in the leading scorers’ list with 13,428 runs behind Tendulkar’s 17,598. But a woeful average of 3.75 in six matches at the World Twenty20 forced his exclusion for the Asia Cup and raised doubts over the left-hander’s future ahead of the World Cup. Bangladesh hopes to re-group on the slow Dambulla wickets after being beaten by England in both Tests on seam-friendly tracks at Lord’s and Old Trafford.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   ‘Fans will follow Asia Cup’ Pakistan’s cricket squad left for Sri Lanka on Saturday to compete in the Asia Cup, optimistic that the event will not be upstaged by the football World Cup now under way in South Africa. “Football is huge, but I hope after the 90 minutes of excitement (of a World Cup game) fans will give cricket its due attention and follow the Asia Cup,” said Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi before his team left for Colombo. The tenth Asia Cup will be played from June 15-24 in Dambulla, in central Sri Lanka, about 150 kilometres northeast of Colombo, coinciding with the month-long football tournament that opened in South Africa on Friday. Besides Pakistan, the Asia Cup will also include India, Bangladesh and hosts and defending champions Sri Lanka. Afridi said that his team would follow the football World Cup while in Sri Lanka, but mostly on rest days. “Like millions of Asians I also follow football and my favorite team is Brazil, so like my teammates I will follow World Cup matches as and when we have time, but the focus remains the Asia Cup,” said Afridi.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   South Africa ride wave of emotion in Cup opener South Africa's World Cup party was launched Friday amid emotional scenes at Soccer City stadium after President Jacob Zuma announced, "The time for Africa has come." Fifteen years after lifting the rugby world cup, the Rainbow Nation was once again at the centre of the sporting world as a crowd of nearly 85,000 willed on Bafana Bafana in the opening Group A clash against Mexico which ended 1-1. The host nation sent excitement levels among the yellow-and-green-clad crowd soaring to fever pitch as they took the lead 10 minutes into the second half through a stunning goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala. But South Africa were pegged back when Rafael Marquez equalised with just over 10 minutes to go. The host nation thought they had won it in the closing stages but Katlego Mphela saw a shot come off the post. The teams earlier emerged to an unceasing wall of noise from thousands of vuvuzela horns, which intensified as the match wore on with the passionate fans undaunted by a strong first half from Mexico. President Zuma, opening the first World Cup on African soil, paid tribute to grief-stricken Nelson Mandela, missing from the historic occasion following the death of his great granddaughter in a car crash. With a wait of more than six years since the nation was awarded the World Cup finally over, Zuma said: "The time for Africa has come. It has arrived." South Africa were up against it from the start as Mexico, appearing in their 14th World Cup made a bright start, dominating possession and creating the better chances. The second half was another story as Bafana Bafana drew energy from the crowd, who refused to countenance defeat. Earlier, fans wept as five planes swept over the stadium at the start of a lavish opening ceremony before 1,500 performers took to the pitch for a dance routine, which saw them create a map of the continent. The 91-year-old Mandela, still the nation's moral inspiration more than a decade after he stood down, did appear on a giant screen with his words interspersed in a song that implored fans to "overcome all adversity".     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   South Africa's World Cup a testament to Mandela's legacy As South Africa counts down the final days to Friday's World Cup kick-off, Nelson Mandela's name is everywhere. The country spent a tense week waiting for definitive word on whether the former president, who is increasingly frail at 91, would attend the opening ceremony. After days of conflicting statements from family and organisers, the tournament got the ultimate boost Tuesday with news from his family that he would attend -- if only for a short while. Preparations for the World Cup began in earnest only after his presidency and were led largely by others. But for South Africans, the World Cup bears the indelible imprint of Mandela's legacy. "It is through his tireless efforts to achieve reconciliation and to build a thriving rainbow nation that the world bestowed South Africa with this honour of hosting the games," President Jacob Zuma said Sunday. "He also worked hard personally to bring us to this glorious moment." Mandela's involvement proved critical at key moments in South Africa's campaign to win the games. In April 2004, the month before world football governing body FIFA was due to announce the 2010 World Cup host; Mandela visited Trinidad and Tobago to meet Jack Warner, the president of the region's football association and a key member of FIFA's executive committee. "Jack bluntly told us that if we wanted his vote, we must bring Mandela to the Caribbean," said Irvin Khoza, chair of South Africa's World Cup organising committee. Mandela was 85 at the time, and his doctor had instructed him not to travel. But the Nobel Peace Prize winner made the trip anyway, winning Warner's crucial support. Mandela broke his doctor's orders again the next month to be in Zurich for the announcement of the winning World Cup bid. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called Mandela "the person who got the World Cup for South Africa". "Madiba became a critical symbolic presence when crunch time came," said Verne Harris, a historian with The Mandela Foundation, using the clan name by which Mandela is affectionately known. "It wasn't a foregone conclusion before he went (to Zurich). It went down to that final vote." But Mandela's larger role has been in using sport to unite a nation that still feels the wounds of apartheid 16 years after the end of white-minority rule. A year after taking office as South Africa's first black president, Mandela famously threw his support behind the national rugby team, the Springboks, as the country hosted the 1995 rugby World Cup. His embrace of the traditionally white sport helped bring the country together in the tense early days of democracy, a theme explored recently in the Clint Eastwood film "Invictus". "I think he's identified the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa as another moment that could be really useful for South Africa in terms of nation-building," said Harris. "A sports tournament is a sports tournament, but does that feed into people's commitment to addressing social challenges?" Mandela's personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, said Madiba is a "great strategist" who always understood the political value of sport. "Sport is a medium that speaks to people across racial and religious divides," she said. "It was a very shrewd political move of him to grasp the opportunity that comes with sport to talk to people and convince them of reconciliation through rugby," she said. "I think we'll see a re-occurrence of that attempt at reconciliation during the World Cup."     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Selection committee should have consulted me: Miandad Former cricket captain and Director General Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Javed Mianded feels sorry for the selection committee for not getting his feedback while naming the team for the Asia Cup. A dejected Miandad in an exclusive interview with ‘The News’ said that he had spent a crucial time with budding cricketers at the summer camp and feels that a couple of them deserved places on the team. “I have spent my entire life serving the game in different capacities and it is the country and national interest that is of utmost important for me. I had been deputed with the up and coming cricketers and I worked hard with them. “Considering that, I think I was in a position to give some really helpful input to the selectors. Sadly no selector contacted or even consulted me,” Miandad lamented. Without naming any of the selectors, Miandad said most of them have played with him and knew well about his credentials. The former Pakistan captain said that one could well imagine the selection process adopted for the team’s selection. “A coach who was running the training camp was not even asked to share his experience. Had I been the selector of the team, I would have taken the feedback of all those who had worked on the probable. “I believe that I was in a position to show the selectors the real potential of a player.” Though he refused to reveal the name of all of those players who deserve a chance on the team, Miandad spoke highly of opener Azhar Ali, saying he had got big future ahead of him. “He should have been in the team as he is a sort of player who could prove to be an asset for any team.” “If we care for country’s prestige there should be no room for favouritism,” Miandad concluded.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   PHF secretary believes new changes in world hockey to benefit Asian teams? For years, Pakistan’s hockey chiefs have tried to pass the buck over the steady decline of the sport in the country by constantly blaming the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for making ‘anti-Asia’ rules and regulations. The popular view in Pakistan and in India has been that the Europeans run the FIH, which is why it continues to conspire against Asian hockey so that teams like Germany, Netherlands and Spain can dominate at the international level. The introduction of synthetics turf and a series of new rules implemented in the sport over the years are seen as the major reasons why the so-called Asian giants — Pakistan and India — have been reduced to the role of also-rans in the hockey world during the last three decades. But ask Asif Bajwa, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary, and he will tell you a completely different story. “They say that hockey in the sub-continent has suffered mainly because FIH took decisions that were aimed against Asia. I don’t buy it,” Bajwa told ‘The News’ in an interview on Tuesday. “In fact, I believe that it’s in FIH’s interest that countries like Pakistan and India bounce back and they know it which is why they are favouring us. They are keen to lift the sport in our part of the world because that would give hockey a huge boost at the international level.” To back his point, Bajwa gives the example of a recently held meeting in Singapore where the FIH’s influential competitions committee backed the idea of raising the number of teams for the Champions Trophy from six to eight. The committee also called for the scrapping for qualifying events for the World Cup and Olympics and instead voted in favour of launching an all-new ‘World Series’. “The FIH is planning moves that will benefit teams like Pakistan and India,” said Bajwa, a former OIympian, who attended the Singapore moot. “We have been pushing for them since last year and have complete support from key nations in the FIH,” he added. According to Bajwa, in future (after this year’s event) the Champions Trophy will have two additional teams that will be included through wild-card entries. Teams like former champions Pakistan and their old rivals India, who have been unable to qualify for the elite event in recent times, are expected to get those wild cards. After this year’s edition to be hosted by Germany, the Champions Trophy will be made a biennial event and will be next played in 2012. The FIH is also set to launch a World Series that will help avoid setbacks like India’s failure to qualify for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. India the most successful hockey nation in Olympic history failed to win a qualifying event in Chile to crash out of the race for Beijing.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will Malik inclusion really not affect team? Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed believes the return of former captains Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik in the squad for Asia Cup and England tour will not affect the dressing-room environment. Both the former captains Younis and Malik faced disciplinary action from the PCB with the former still waiting to get his indefinite ban overturned. Malik had his one-year ban lifted last week and was already selected in the 35-man preliminary squad for the two tours starting June 15 with the Asia Cup. The manager played down suggestions that presence of former skippers would fuel controversies among the players. “I don’t foresee any issues due to presence of Younis and Malik in the upcoming tours and I am confident the assignments would be free of controversies,” said the manager. The manager felt that decision to include banned players in the squad was taken in the best interest of team, saying Pakistan will need seasoned players in the assignments, especially on tour of England. However, the 75-year old said he would keep a vigilant eye on the players during the tours and would not tolerate any discipline breach.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Can Younis Khan, Shoaib Akhtar give Pakistan a big boost? Shahid Afridi on Tuesday took over as Pakistan’s captain for all three formats and then declared that he would not tolerate the sort of ‘conspiracies’ that have dogged the country’s cricket in recent years. According to a press report, the dashing all-rounder in an interview told that he has forced himself to come out of a self-imposed Test exile for the sake of Pakistan cricket and will make all out efforts to lift it out of the prevailing crisis. “My main task is to make a team out of this talented bunch of players,” he stressed. “I also want to promote unity and harmony among the boys because that’s the only way to get the best out of them.” Pakistan cricket was rocked by a major controversy when the players got involved in a lot of mud-slinging during a probe conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board in the aftermath of a catastrophic tour of Australia that concluded last February. Several leading players accused each other of indiscipline during the proceedings of the probe committee after which seven of the country’s leading cricketers were slapped with strict penalties. Afridi, 30, said that as Pakistan’s new captain he would crack down on such negative behaviour. “I will not tolerate any sort of conspiracies in my team,” he said. “I will encourage the boys to discuss their problems openly and I will tell them to bury their differences each time they play for Pakistan. When we leave on a tour I will ask them to leave all their problems behind and just focus on giving their best for the country.” Afridi, who will be leading Pakistan in next month’s Asia Cup and more importantly during the challenging tour of England, made it clear that his is very demanding task. “It’s a very tough task. I haven’t played Test cricket for quite some time but will have to somehow lead the team from the front on the tour of England. “To play against Australia and England in English conditions would need a lot of guts. But I’m hopeful that the boys will rise to the challenge.” Afridi, however, was quick to warn his fans against raising their expectations. “It would be unwise to raise our expectations, especially for Tests,” he said. “We are good in limited-overs cricket, but will take time to settle down in Tests, which is why we need to be patient.” That said Afridi is hopeful that a likely return of experienced players like Younis Khan and Shoaib Akhtar will boost Pakistan’s chances in the Asia Cup and in England where his team will play back-to-back series against Australia and the hosts from July to September. “Younis is coming back, Shoaib is coming back and that’s going to help me a lot.” Afridi is also optimistic that a few youngsters whom Pakistan are likely to include for the two assignments will also shine in Sri Lanka and in England. “Almost as important as senior players are the newcomers because they hold the key to our team’s future,” he said. “We are planning to try out a few youngsters in the forthcoming events and I’m hopeful that they will not disappoint us.” Afridi played the last of his 26 Tests almost four years back in Manchester and his critics doubt his chances of making a successful comeback in the longest version of the game. But Afridi is confident he can be the sort of Test all-rounder, Pakistan has been looking for quite some time now. “I will focus on my batting and my bowling because that’s the way I can contribute properly in Tests. It won’t be easy but I’m mentally prepared to take up this challenge for the sake of the team.”     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Ijaz Butt terms match-fixing allegations nonsense, what do you think? Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt on Sunday dismissed allegations of match-fixing against his national team players. Butt added that if any of his subordinates raises the issue of match-fixing, “he is talking nonsense”. In a leaked video recording of an inquiry committee hearing, Pakistan team coaches Intikhab Alam and Aqib Javed raised suspicions about the performance of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal during the winless tour of Australia earlier this year. Alam said that he was flabbergasted when Akmal missed a run out of Shane Watson in the Sydney Test and later came across suggestions of match-fixing. However, Butt said the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit has instigated strict security measures for all international matches. “Nobody is allowed to enter into players’ dressing room, only the manager carries a mobile phone with him during international matches and there are several other security measures which they take,” Butt said. “It’s (match-fixing) all media hype and nothing else.” Butt said former captain Younis Khan’s career was ruined by false match-fixing allegations, when a parliamentarian accused Pakistan of throwing the semifinal of the Champions Trophy in South Africa last year. The PCB fined and suspended seven cricketers — including Younis — on an inquiry committee recommendation for a lack of discipline and poor performance during the tour of Australia. Butt said he approved all the fines and suspensions. Six players have since appealed against suspensions and fines. The PCB chief said that arbitrator Irfan Qadir will submit his report to the cricket board’s governing board, which will take the final decision. “Let the appeals be completed and I will not comment until we get the final report from the arbitrator,” Butt said. Akmal, meanwhile, demanded an unconditional apology from Alam and Javed for accusing him of match-fixing. “They should produce evidence of match-fixing against me, otherwise they should apologise to me unconditionally,” Akmal told leading Urdu-language ‘Daily Jang’. Akmal said he was going through tough times since the accusation was made. “It’s difficult for me to go out of home because people pass various remarks,” he said. “The accusations have tarnished my image and put a stain on it.” Akmal plans to meet Butt after he returns from a trip to England and will seek his approval to take legal action against Alam and Javed. “If they don’t apologise on these fabricated allegations, I will certainly go to the court.” He said that in the past great wicketkeepers like Wasim Bari, Moin Khan and Rashid Latif also dropped catches in international matches, “but it doesn’t mean that whenever a player dropped a catch he is involved in match-fixing”.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will faith healer get Shoaib Akhtar back into the team? Eager to make a comeback to the national team, Pakistan’s controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has approached a spiritual healer for the treatment of his chronic knee pain, which could not be cured even after a major surgery in England last year. According to sources close to the bowler, Shoaib went to see a spiritual/faith healer in Karachi who specialises in treating people with orthopaedic and muscular problems. A source said the healer has attributed the pain to a nerve being trapped inside the knee resulting in blockage of normal blood circulation. According to the source Shoaib had admitted taking injections regularly and medications to fight the pain. “The knee used to get stiff and painful but he is feeling great now and is back to normal. There is no pain in the knee at all. “He has been targeting a comeback to the team for a while and now he is confident that if called to the camp, he can prove his fitness to the selectors,” the source said. Akhtar has not played for Pakistan since May 2009 due to fitness and disciplinary issues though he played some domestic cricket recently to prove his fitness and form to the selectors. Chief selector Mohsin Khan has said the fast bowler’s case will be considered when the selectors finalise the team for the Asia Cup and England tour. “Shoaib, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, have all recovered from fitness issues and we will have a close look at them before final selection in the camp. “If he is ready, definitely it will be good for the team because he is an experienced performer, particularly in English conditions,” Khan had said on Monday.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is T20 saviour of cricket or potential spoiler? Twenty20 may have spawned movie star-backed franchises and a frantic dash for cash, but the world championship is a reminder of how nation against nation contests remain central to cricket. When Twenty20 was launched as a professional format in England, in 2003, the emphasis was on “fun” and attracting new audiences to the sport. However, the combination of a game played by professionals and the creation of a World Twenty20 in 2007 has led the format to become an increasingly serious business. Twenty20 has found itself hailed as both the saviour of cricket and its potential ruination. Texan billionaire Allen Stanford, who now faces fraud and money-laundering charges in the United States, used Twenty20 as a vehicle for his own tournament in the West Indies. And the ongoing tax probe into the seemingly more stable and ‘official’ Indian Premier League (IPL) threatens to unravel that tournament too. Officials in England and at the International Cricket Council (ICC) have repeatedly insisted they will not kill the golden goose that is Twenty20. An increasing number of Twenty20 fixtures, at all levels, have been shoehorned into already stuffed calendars. Twenty20 may be the “future” of cricket but it’s a future the likes of Australia captain Ricky Ponting, England skipper Andrew Strauss and India great Sachin Tendulkar have decided they want no part of, having opted out of the format in a bid to preserve themselves for Tests and one-dayers. Critics claim the currency of big-hitting, so much a feature of Twenty20, has been devalued by the frequency with which sixes are struck on grounds where boundaries are brought in further and further.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   World T20: Miracle again did happen, but much to the distress of Pakistanis favoured Aussies? The entire nation—the young and old---men and women including our clerics and the astrologists, who attributed Pakistan’s miraculous sneak into the semi-final of World Twenty20 to their prayers and predictions, and hoping against hope prayed for yet another miracle that would take Pakistan into final and win the championship, but this time the lady luck in the last minute betrayed, perhaps the prayers fell short of convincing the destiny acceding to their wishes—or the destiny decided to side with the fittest--- be careful in future relying only on prayers. Mike Hussey played the innings of his life to snatch victory from Pakistan in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20. Michael Hussey smashed three sixes in four balls to lead Australia to a remarkable three-wicket win over Pakistan in the last over of Friday's Twenty20 World Cup semi-final in St Lucia. Hussey hit six sixes in all to finish with an unbeaten 60 in just 24 deliveries as Australia passed Pakistan's 191 for six, the joint second highest score of this tournament, with a ball to spare to clinch a final meeting with England on Sunday. Australia were in trouble at 62 for four in the ninth over but then Cameron White blasted five sixes in his 43 off 31 balls to get his side back in the game. When White went in the 17th over it still looked a long shot for Michael Clarke's men with 53 needed from 3.3 overs. That was reduced to 34 off two overs and then 18 from the final over by spinner Saeed Ajmal. Mitchell Johnson pushed a single to give Hussey the strike and the left-hander responded with some astonishing batting. He pulled a quicker short ball over the mid-wicket boundary and then blasted the next delivery way over long-on. Hussey followed up by slashing a four backward of point before whacking the penultimate delivery for another six over long-on. “By the end I was just swinging through the ball there ... it was probably one of the best innings of my life,” said Hussey. Earlier, brothers Kamran and Umar Akmal both scored fifties as defending champions Pakistan set Australia an imposing 192 to win their World Twenty20 semi-final. In an innings that began with a Dirk Nannes maiden, opener Kamran made exactly 50 before big-hitting younger brother Umar followed up with a blistering 56 not out as Pakistan made 191 for six. Kamran Akmal and left-hander Salman Butt (32) shared a first-wicket stand of 82 as Australia’s pace trio of Nannes, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson failed to make an early breakthrough. That gave Pakistan the platform to cash in against Australia’s second-string bowlers with all-rounder Shane Watson’s two overs costing 26 runs and leg-spinner Steven Smith conceding 23 from two. Even Australia’s normally fine fielding became ragged by the end, with usually tidy keeper Brad Haddin conceding 10 byes in an extras total of 20. Nannes’s second over saw the match’s first boundaries when Kamran Akmal, stepping away to leg, lofted him high over the covers. Next ball Akmal drove Nannes straight down the ground for another four. Butt then twice square cut Tait for two boundaries in as many balls. Akmal then pulled Tait down to fine leg as 13 runs came in the fourth over. First change Johnson, like Nannes a left-arm quick, was then carved high over point by Butt. At the end of the six-over powerplay, Pakistan were 40 without loss. It was then that Clarke turned to Smith and his third ball was edged over short third man for four by Akmal. But a far cleaner strike off the bowler’s fifth delivery saw Akmal clear long-off with a six as Pakistan took 15 runs off the over. Smith was replaced after an over by Watson but his first ball back was driven for a huge straight six by Akmal. Akmal, giving himself room, then cover-drove the fifth ball of the over from the all-rounder for four and, off the last, cut the medium-pacer for another boundary to complete a fine fifty, his fifth at this level, off just 32 balls with two sixes and six fours. But Akmal was out for exactly 50 after David Warner, running round from the extra-cover boundary, took a fine diving catch off Johnson. At the halfway mark Pakistan were well-placed for a large total at 85 for one and it, seemed that, at the very least, this would now be a closer match than the first round group fixture between the side that Australia won by 34 runs on this ground. After Butt was out, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and Khalid Latif both fell cheaply, but it scarcely mattered as 106 runs came in the second 10 overs. Umar Akmal smashed Johnson for two enormous sixes, the second a crunching pull over midwicket that saw him to fifty in just 32 balls.     [17] Comments               Post Your Commets   World T20: Afridi says he has some plans for Australia; what really it could be, will it work? Shahid Afridi’s team even lost the first two of their three matches in the Super-Eight-stage, but still made it into the last-four, thanks to a victory over South Africa and other results going their way. Now Pakistan face favourites Australia with a place in the final up for grabs and an opportunity to defend the title they won last year in England. As was the case in England last year, Pakistan have had a less than smooth journey to the semifinals, having been well beaten early on by Australia, losing by six wickets to England in the Super Eights and then going down by one run in the second round to New Zealand. But in a match they had to win to stay in the tournament, Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs on Monday. “We had a very similar situation in England, but we are focused on beating Australia,” leg-spinning all-rounder Afridi said. “I think we are feeling good. “Overall the guys are very confident after the last game and I think it will be a great game against Australia,” he added. “We have played well but just missed some opportunities, against England and then just losing (on the last ball) against New Zealand. “Australia have now learnt how to play T20 cricket. They have a strong batting and bowling line-up. As we have played them at this ground in the first round, we know the areas where Shane Watson and David Warner play their shots. We have plans for them,” said Afridi. “We will play to our strengths. We have three genuine spinners who could use the conditions here very well. Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal have been bowling well. We are confident that they will perform in this crucial game,” added Afridi. For now though, Afridi’s thoughts are purely about beating Australia, the only team to have won every game in the tournament. “We have some plans, we will show them on Friday (today),” he said.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   World T20: Lucky Pakistan through to semis Defending champions Pakistan beat South Africa by 11 runs to knock the Proteas out of the World Twenty20 and will thank England who beat New Zealand to make sure Pakistan, incredibly, got its semi-final berth. England defeated New Zealand by three wickets and although Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa had two points each in Group E, Pakistan went through to the semi-finals on a better run-rate. England are the other side to have qualified for the last-four stage. Earlier, in a must-win game for both sides, Pakistan were in dire straits at 18 for three against South Africa but made 148 for seven thanks mainly to man-of-the-match Umar Akmal’s 51. South Africa, chasing a relatively modest target, were then held to 137 for seven with spin, primarily off-break bowler Saeed Ajmal (four wickets for 26 runs), proving their undoing. The Proteas slumped to 68 for four and despite a fifty from AB de Villiers couldn’t break the Pakistan slow bowlers’ stranglehold. Pakistan had an early wicket when Herschelle Gibbs (three) was caught at mid-on by Misbah-ul-Haq off all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. It looked as if the batsman was early on the shot, undone by the slower pace of a Beausejour pitch slower than the one South Africa had grown used to in Barbados. South Africa were now 12 for one and that became 23 for two when captain Graeme Smith chipped spinner Abdur Rehman to rival skipper Shahid Afridi at mid-off. Jacques Kallis was caught in the deep off Ajmal for 22 and Rehman struck again to get rid of JP Duminy after Umar Akmal, running in from long-on, took a fine catch. De Villiers though was still there. But his 53 off 41 balls came to an end when he tried to play an audacious scoop shot off Ajmal and skied a simple catch to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to leave the Proteas 101 for five. South Africa, who needed 51 off the last five overs, then saw the experienced Mark Boucher lbw to Ajmal for 12. They eventually got the target down to 17 off the last over, from Ajmal. Four singles followed before wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal stumped Botha and that left South Africa needing an impossible 14 runs off two balls. Earlier, a stand of 51 in six overs between Umar Akmal and brother Kamran (37) revived the innings before Umar put on 61 with Afridi (30), who’d won the toss. Fast-medium bowler Charl Langeveldt, maintaining an admirable line, took a career-best four wickets for just 19 runs from his maximum four overs. South Africa’s seamers had early success but the Akmal brothers got the innings going again, Kamran slog-sweeping Roel of van der Merwe and Umar playing a similar stroke for six against the left-arm spinner. Umar Akmal reached his 31-ball fifty in style with a fourth six, driven straight off Langeveldt. But, two balls later, he failed to clear the boundary and was caught by Gibbs off Langeveldt.     [106] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is there any more chance of Pakistan surviving in T20 World Cup? Two back-to-back defeats in the Super Eight have left defending champions Pakistan with only a slim mathematical chance of making the semifinals of the World Twenty20. When they face South Africa in their last Group Eight match in St Lucia on Monday (today), Pakistan will not only be hoping for a big victory, but will also have a prayer on their lips. On Saturday, Pakistan lost their thrilling Super Eight match to New Zealand by just one run at the Kensington Oval. When they take the field Monday, Pakistan will not only have to win by a big margin, but also hope that New Zealand convincingly beat England in the other Group E match. The defending champions have looked a hapless outfit under Shahid Afridi, who has come under fire for his team selection. Afridi has failed to live up to his reputation of being one of the most destructive batsmen. His 11 against New Zealand took his series tally to 53 in four matches It is high time for Afridi to lead with example for the inconsistent batting line-up. Barring Salman Butt all the batsmen have looked patchy. Their bowlers have done a good job by restricting New Zealand to 133. But it is the batsmen, who have to fire against the strong South African batting. South Africa, however, are on the verge of a semifinal berth and will go for a win. The only thing that would worry South African captain Graeme Smith is the team’s batting. But he would expect his bowlers to bend their back and restrict Pakistan to a small total. But the slow bowlers will be the key and off-spinner Johan Botha will have big role to play alongside pace spearhead Dale Steyn and Charl Langeveldt.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   World T20: Pak face exit after one-run loss; haven’t they proved Inti true hold them mentally retarded? Defending champions Pakistan were on the brink of elimination from the World Twenty20 after losing to New Zealand by just one run in a thrilling Super Eights match at BRIDGETOWN, Barbados on Saturday. Victory for South Africa over England in Saturday’s other Group E match at the Kensington Oval would mean Pakistan no longer had a chance of reaching the semifinals. Pakistan, chasing 134 to win, finished on 132 for seven in reply to the 133 for seven New Zealand made after losing the toss It seems Pakistan has developed a specialty in throwing away cheaply almost a winning match, as it did against the Kiwis. Opener Salman Butt in his efforts to get the match-win in his name, unfortunately, didn’t play as aggressively as the situation demanded in the last two/three overs, when Pakistan had still four wickets in hand. Besides the top three timidly collapsed for 25 only had also made it quite difficult for Butt and Razzaque to cope with. Sending Abdur Rehman after Razzaque was also not a good decision on the part of the captain. The title-holders began the final over, bowled by Butler, needing 11 to win. Left-hander Butt couldn’t make contact with the first ball, but slashed the second down to third man for four. He also missed the third delivery before crashing the fourth through point for another boundary. Off the fifth ball, Pakistan ran a bye and that left Abdur Rehman, who’d earlier taken two wickets for just 19 runs in his first Twenty20 International for nearly three years, on strike with two needed off the final ball. Rehman, also a left-hander, made good contact as he swung at a legside delivery from Butler, but the ball flew straight to Martin Guptill to spark joyous celebrations amongst the New Zealand team. Recalled New Zealand fast bowler Ian Butler took an impressive three wickets for 19 runs as opener Salman Butt, who finished on 67 not out, so nearly saw Pakistan to victory after a top-order collapse. The Black Caps, who lost their opening Super Eights match to South Africa as Pakistan went down to England, needed a victory every bit as much as the title-holders to revive their hopes of a semifinal spot. Pakistan collapsed to 25 for three in the face of hostile fast bowling from Shane Bond and the recalled Kyle Mills. Man-of-the-match Butler, selected along with Mills after fellow seamers Jacob Oram and Tim Southee were dropped, then struck twice to reduce Pakistan to 58 for five in his first match of the tournament. Butler had Misbah-ul-Haq lbw for three and then, after digging in a short ball on a lively pitch, saw Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi caught pulling for 11 by a diving Nathan McCullum, running in from deep midwicket. Replays were not conclusive as to whether the ball had carried but Afridi walked off and the catch stood. Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan renewed hope by driving New Zealand captain and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori for a six and a four off successive balls. Razzaq then finished a 15th over from Vettori that cost 16 runs with another huge six, this time lofted over deep midwicket, to leave Pakistan in the far more healthy position of 94 for five. He then failed to connect several times against Bond before flat-batting the bowler for a massive six over long-on that landed on top of the pavilion. However, when Razzaq holed to off-spinner Nathan McCullum for a 28-ball 29 it meant Pakistan were 111 for six and needed 23 off 13 balls for victory. That became 22 off two overs and then Butt, giving himself room, drove Mills for a superb six over long-off. Butt, only one of three batsmen in the Pakistani innings to make it into double figures, faced 54 balls for his undefeated 67, with one six and eight fours. Vettori led the way for New Zealand with 38. Only opener Brendon McCullum (33) also made it past 30.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan in a do or die match against Kiwis After their respective World Twenty20 Super Eight campaigns began with a loss, neither Pakistan nor New Zealand can afford to let another one slip, making today’s (Saturday) match a must-win encounter for both sides. Pakistan, who were in the same position in the last edition of the tournament and made a strong comeback all the way to the title were true to form in their loss against England. They alternated between the flair of Kamran Akmal’s six from the first ball of their innings to the embarrassingly sloppy with a number of fielding fumbles, including five dropped catches. Improving on that aspect of their game will be key for Shahid Afridi’s side against New Zealand. Afridi can be just as unpredictable as his side, but the all-rounder will need to take a more measured approach to his batting to ensure Pakistan the best possible chance of victory against a less flamboyant, but far more consistent New Zealand side. Pakistan will be looking for it’s batting to click in this do-or-die match. Bowling is also a concern for the current champions where they will look towards their captain to find his rhythm along with the other bowlers, and if the bowling does not get tighter Greenshirts will find it difficult to restrict opposition. For the Blackcaps, Daniel Vettori will be looking to his bowlers to tighten up in the closing stages of Pakistan’s innings, after they allowed runs to flow far too freely against South Africa in their opening match. On a fast Bridgetown pitch that should have left Shane Bond licking his lips in anticipation, the pace spearhead failed to have an impact and he’ll want to improve on his 0-33 against the Proteas, as will fellow paceman Tim Southee (1-39 from three overs). New Zealand will be looking to Brendan McCullum to produce the game-changing knock he couldn’t manage against South Africa to provide the platform for the rest of their innings, but they’ll be pleased with the form of Jesse Ryder on his return from injury at the World Twenty20, and will be hoping he can remain consistent against Pakistan. The Kiwis may have let themselves down in the last five overs of the South African innings, but by and large, they deliver what’s expected and can be relied upon to play to the best of their collective abilities, and in doing so quite often exceed observer’s expectations.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   T20 World Cup: Can Pakistan with thus far given performance make it even to semis? The defending Champion Pakistan with its as usual poor fielding and the Captain Shahid Afridi, who on departure for the Caribbean promised moon, when the time actually came to deliver, miserably failing to give his hundred percent, which saw Pakistan first being defeated by Australia and now by not so high-rated England. Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 73 saw England to a six wicket win over defending champions Pakistan in the opening Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval on Thursday. Pietersen, who put on 60 for the third wicket with captain Paul Collingwood (16), gave England a scare when he clipped his leg with his bat on 16 and he was dropped on 34. Pakistan put down five catches, with Saeed Ajmal dropping three, in an error-strewn display. In total, Pietersen faced 52 balls with two sixes and eight fours as his side finished on 151 for four in reply to Pakistan’s 147 for nine. England won with three balls to spare with their star batsman ended with a boundary, off Ajmal. The off-spinner wasn’t bowled out until the final over in spite of troubling England. England had a huge slice of luck early in their reply when in the first over of their innings Craig Kieswetter, on nought, struck Abdul Razzaq straight to mid-on only for Ajmal, who appeared to have caught the ball, to drop it as he tried to throw it up in celebration. But it was left-hander Michael Lumb who did the early damage for England. However, both batsmen cashed in as 19 runs came off the fourth over, from left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer. Ajmal then gave Lumb, on 23, a reprieve, when he dropped another catch hit straight to him. But the spinner did help end a first-wicket stand of 44 when he had Lumb (25) stumped by Kamran Akmal for 25. Kieswetter also fell for 25, well caught by Umar Akmal at long-on off Razzaq. Pietersen recovered from his injury to strike Razzaq for two fours and he was given a life on 34 when a drive off Ajmal was tipped over the boundary for six by Fawad Alam. He completed a 37-ball fifty with a straight six off Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi. Earlier, Pakistan started well after being sent in but lost three wickets for six runs as they collapsed from 71 for one to 77 for four with the hard-hitting Afridi run out first ball for nought. They might have been in even worse trouble had not Umar Akmal been given a life on five when wicketkeeper Kieswetter missed a stumping chance off left-arm spinner Michael Yardy. Umar Akmal went on to make 30 before he was well caught on the boundary by Pietersen, running round from long-on, off left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom. England put the break on Pakistan’s scoring rate until an expensive final over from seamer Tim Bresnan went for 15 runs, with tailender Ajmal striking a six over the wicketkeeper’s head. Afridi’s first ball run out summed up Pakistan’s day. He pushed the ball straight to cover, set off for a non-existent single and was sent back before giving up as Kieswetter collected Luke Wright’s throw. Both sides are back in action on Saturday when Pakistan face New Zealand and England play South Africa.     [43] Comments               Post Your Commets   Poor fielding, unimaginative captaincy let Pakistan down against Australia? Australia beat Pakistan by 34 runs in their World Twenty20 match on Sunday in an encounter marred by poor fielding and unimaginative captaincy on the part of Shahid Afridi. The defending champions put up a poor showing with the ball as Shane Watson and Michael Hussey took the Pakistani attack apart with half-centuries apiece. Pacer Aamer and spinner Hafeez were the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets each. Man-of-the-match Watson's innings was the cornerstone of Australia's 191 all out, made after captain Michael Clarke won the toss. But the all-rounder was dropped on 11 by Misbah-ul-Haq and missed on 20, again by Misbah, who couldn't get a hand on a skied chance after running back at long-on, with Mohammad Hafeez the unlucky bowler on both occasions. Watson made defending champions Pakistan pay by striking four sixes and seven fours in his blistering 49-ball innings and with David Hussey he put on 98 in under nine overs for the third wicket. Hussey dropped on 18 at long-off by Salman Butt, a relatively easy chance, went on to make 53 off 29 balls with five sixes and two fours. Hussey was especially severe on seamer Mohammad Sami, striking him for 28 runs in the 16th over with the batsman striking four sixes, including three in a row. Australia's total was effectively made off 19 overs as their innings ended in extraordinary fashion with a five-wicket maiden from Mohammad Aamer, but by then the damage had been done. "It's a very good start from the boys, 191 runs in 19 overs," said Clarke "The bowlers then did a great job in the first six overs and the boys caught really well as well." Watson added: "It's nice when you do get a life, especially in Twenty20, it's nice to get a reprieve." Captain Shahid Afridi said his team had been outplayed in all departments. "We missed some opportunities and the pacers struggled with their line. "They (Australia) played very well, they batted, bowled and fielded well." Pakistan lost Kamran Akmal for nought to the first legitimate ball of their reply, when he sliced Dirk Nannes to Steven Smith at short third man. Salman Butt (15) miscued an attempted hook off fast bowler Shaun Tait and was caught by David Hussey before left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson's second ball proved too much for Mohammad Hafeez, who pulled straight to deep square leg. Australia, holding their catches, had reduced Pakistan to 34 for three inside five overs and they never looked like recovering from such a start. Tait then had the satisfaction of bowling hard-hitting batsman Afridi for 33 before finishing the match by dismissing Saeed Ajmal off the last ball to finish with figures of three wickets for 20 runs. Misbah top-scored for Pakistan with 41 in a total of 157 all out. Earlier, David Hussey holed out off Ajmal and, three balls later, the off-spinner had Watson lbw. There was a bizarre finish to the Australia innings as five wickets fell for no runs in the final over, from left-arm quick Aamer. Brad Haddin was caught off the first ball, Mitchell Johnson clean bowled off the second with both Michael Hussey and Steven Smith run out by direct hits from wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal as they tried to run byes. Tait survived the fifth ball but was bowled off the last for nought. Aamer finished with three for 23, with Ajmal taking three for 34. Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by 21 runs in the first Group A match on Saturday and both Pakistan and Australia will qualify for the second round, if the Aussies beat Bangladesh in Barbados on Wednesday.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan edge past Bangladesh to make a sound start in defence of their World Cup T20 title Pakistan got the defence of their World Twenty20 title off to a sound start with a 21-run win over Bangladesh on Saturday. Victory was built around a huge opening stand of 142 between Kamran Akmal and man-of-the-match Salman Butt, who both made 73. It was the third highest opening stand in all Twenty20 internationals and just shy of the tournament record posted by the West Indies duo of Chris Gayle and Devon Smith against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2007. The win more than atoned for Pakistan's warm-up loss to Zimbabwe and set them up nicely for their Group A match on Sunday against Australia, who also lost to the Africans in the preliminaries. This match looked all over, when Bangladesh were 31 for two in the sixth over of their reply. But Mohammad Ashraful (65) and captain Shakib Al Hasan (47) kept Bangladesh in the game with a third-wicket stand of 91 in 10 overs. Ashraful, whose fifty came off 38 balls, struck Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi for six high over long-off and Shakib struck Hafeez for two big sixes over long-on. With five overs left, Bangladesh needed 53 runs for an improbable win. But, two balls later, Shakib holed out off Mohammad Sami to long-off. Sami then turned 122 for three into 123 for four, when he had Mahmudullah caught at point. Ashraful though was undaunted driving Afridi for six and Bangladesh's target was down to 38 off 18 balls. However, his innings ended when he was caught behind by diving wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, having faced 49 balls with three sixes and six fours. But a target of 32 off 12 balls proved just beyond Bangladesh, who finished on 151 for seven. Sami took three wickets for 29 runs and Aamer two for 16. Earlier, Kamran Akmal dropped on 13 by Ashraful, running back at mid-on, off Mashrafe Mortaza, whose four overs cost 39 runs. Fellow paceman Abdur Razzak's four overs were even more expensive, going for 41 runs and Bangladesh's spinners were unable to repair the early damage. Butt's stylish fifty took just 29 balls, with two sixes and six fours, while Akmal, who looked to be scoring quicker of the pair, reached the landmark in 43 balls, with six boundaries. Shakib did though take two wickets for 27 runs with his slow left-armers. Akmal was the initial aggressor, pulling Shafiul Islam for four and then somehow striking a low leg-stump full toss from the same bowler through the covers for another boundary. But Butt was soon into his stride, going down on one knee to hoist Abdur Razzak over midwicket for six Akmal exited by slapping a Shakib full toss to cover while Butt was clean bowled by Shafiul Islam as he tried to reverse sweep a straight ball. Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes's dismissed for nought in the first over as an attempted drive off the lively Aaamer saw him sky to Misbah-ul-Haq at short third man. And spinner Mohammad Hafeez then struck third ball to have Tamim Iaqbal caught and bowled off a soft return catch. Bangladesh finish the group phase against Australia in Barbados on May 5.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   World T20: Pakistan look to restore pride Pakistan will look to bounce back from an embarrassing warm-up loss to Zimbabwe when they begin the defence of their World Twenty20 title against Bangladesh here on Saturday (today). It says much about what has happened to Pakistan cricket in the intervening months since they beat Sri Lanka in the 2009 World Twenty20 final at Lord’s that a defeat by Bangladesh this weekend is not unthinkable. Against Zimbabwe, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq managed just nine runs between them. Failing in a warm-up match is no barrier to the duo coming good when it matters most, but Pakistan have lost the steadying influence of Younis Khan, their captain at last year’s World Twenty20: he was one of several players punished after the team’s poor tours of Australia, New Zealand and the UAE. In his case, it was an indefinite ban. The fall-out has meant they have come to the Caribbean without Shoaib Malik, newly married to Indian tennis pin-up Sania Mirza, and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, both banned for a year. The net effect has been to up the expectations on Afridi and Razzaq. Leg-spinner Afridi did at least take four wickets against Zimbabwe and few bowlers can match his ability to cause batting collapses in this format. And Pakistan great Wasim Akram, speaking before Thursday’s match, was adamant Afridi was the right man to lead the side in this type of cricket. “You need someone like Afridi as captain in Twenty20 cricket. He has aggression needed in a leader and in a short Twenty20 match he will always sparkle,” said Wasim, a member of Pakistan’s 50-over World Cup winning team in 1992. For all Pakistan’s problems, the odds are still against Bangladesh who won just three matches — against Kenya, Zimbabwe and the West Indies — out of their 14 T20 internationals in 2006 and 2007. In their seven matches at the two previous World Twenty20 events, the Tigers have won just one match: against the West Indies. A seven-wicket loss to England in a warm-up in Barbados on Wednesday did little for Bangladesh’s hopes of beating either Pakistan or Australia and so qualifying for the second round.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   ICC World T20: Hopes high but apprehensions abound? Hopes are high but apprehensions abound as Pakistan flew out of Lahore on Saturday morning for the Caribbean where they will begin their ICC World Twenty20 title defence with a Pool A game against Bangladesh on May 1 in St Lucia. Pakistan are the most successful team in the Twenty20 format with Shahid Afridi — arguably the most destructive allrounder in the slam bang version of the game — now at the helm of their campaign to retain the crown on May 16. But the Greenshirts have had a rough time in recent months, having whitewashed by Australia in Tests and limited-over matches and then losing several key players due to suspension or injury. Just days before the team’s departure, Pakistan lost their most successful Twenty20 bowler — Umar Gul — because of a shoulder injury. Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, however, remains confident that his charges will shine in the West Indies which will be hosting 12 nations in St Lucia, Guyana and Barbados for the third edition of the ICC World Twenty20 from April 30-May 16. “We have prepared hard for the Twenty20 World Cup,” said Waqar, for whom the World Twenty20 is the first international assignment as Pakistan coach. “The boys are all pumped up and want to give their best in the West Indies which is why I’m confident that we will do well there,” he added before leaving for St Lucia via Dubai and London. Afridi said that his team would not be taking anything for granted during the Caribbean spectacle. “The fact that we are the world champions won’t matter much once the event gets underway. We will be taking each and every match including the one against Bangladesh very seriously,” he said. Experts, meanwhile, are predicting that Pakistan could face a tough time in their title defence. Aamir Sohail, the Pakistan captain, warned Afridi to be ware of teams like Australia and South Africa, saying that the big two have improved immensely in the Twenty20 format in recent times. Aamir, a former Test opener, said that Pakistan could improve their title hopes, if the team management reads the conditions well. “For us it would be really important to read the conditions properly. We should carefully study the wicket and take our decisions accordingly,” he stressed.     [58] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shoaib’s return to Pakistan cricket brightens, as Shoaib-Sania get VVIP protocol? Newlywed and hailed as cross-border peace ambassadors, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik arrived Thursday afternoon in Karachi and later in the evening in Islamabad to a frenzied reception. The couple was provided a VVIP protocol as they left the Benazir International Airport for a five-star hotel where arrangements have been made for their daylong stay. A jubilant crowd gathered outside the airport to welcome the couple. However, Shoaib and Sania left in a coaster from the VIP exit. The roads were blocked for free movement of the convoy of the couple who are being treated as state guests during their visit to the city. Till posting of this blog, Shoaib and Sania this morning were paying a courtesy call on the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad and later expected to meet senior officials in the federal capital. Earlier, on her arrival at the Jinnah International Airport Karachi from India Sania Mirza said it was for the first time in her life that she had come to the city. “It feels great to have arrived here in Pakistan,” she said. Shoaib Malik said he would stay in Pakistan with his bride for a week. Sania Mirza’s mother is accompanying the couple. It is expected that the Indian guests will start arriving in Pakistan in a day or two to attend the Walima reception. Shoaib and Sania will return to India after the reception on April 28. Malik and Mirza’s sporting marriage is unprecedented in the perennial rivalry between the South Asian nations, and some right-wing Hindu groups in India had denounced the union, accusing Mirza of betraying her country. Twenty-eight-year-old Malik married Mirza, 23, in the Indian city of Hyderabad on April 12 after divorcing another Indian woman, Ayesha Siddiqui, who said she wed the former Pakistan cricket captain in 2002. Sadly, both Sania and Shoaib are going through a bad phase of their careers. Shoaib is appealing against a suspension by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) at a time when Pakistan cricket is at its nadir, and Pak players are not welcome into the Alladin’s Cave called Indian Premier League. Sania has assumed the additional and heavy burden of a difficult marriage. Apart from bridging the Punjabi-Hyderabadi cultural gulf, each have to continue pursuing their careers and keep succeeding in their respective sports. Tennis tournaments and cricket matches seldom, if at all, are held at the same venues.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   ICC World T20: Pakistan suffer double blow as Umar, Yasir out of squad Defending champions Pakistan on Sunday suffered a double blow when pacer Umar Gul and all-rounder Yasir Arafat were ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 after failing to recover from injuries sustained during the ongoing preparatory camp at the Lahore Gaddafi Stadium. The tournament is due to be held in the West Indies from April 30 to May 16. Coach Waqar Younis, captain Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan told at a press conference that both Umar and Yasir failed to clear the final fitness test. “We have recommended the names of fast bowlers Mohammad Sami and uncapped Mohammad Irfan as replacements for the injured players. We have picked Sami from the list of five reserves we had kept for the World Cup,” Mohsin said. “In mutual agreement with captain and coach, we have decided that we will not take a chance with half-fit players,” Mohsin added. Umar, Pakistan’s most successful bowler in the Twenty20 format and their leading wicket-taker at the last two World Cups has a shoulder injury while Yasir has a calf problem. But the announcement of replacements was as confusing as Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) 76-year-old chief Ijaz Butt. As the Board after the press conference hurriedly issued a media release clarifying that “the decision for replacement of two players in Pakistan squad for Twenty20 World Cup has yet to be approved by the PCB chief.” Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup, along with Australia and Bangladesh. Pakistan won the last Twenty20 World Cup in England, defeating Sri Lanka in the final. Umar’s absence will be a severe blow to Pakistan’s title defence. The right arm fast bowler is the world’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest form of the game, taking 43 wickets in 26 matches. “Umar is our best bowler but we have to cope with it and now Sami has to replace him and perform,” said Afridi. Sami, who has played 34 Tests and 83 one-day matches for Pakistan, has yet to play a Twenty20 international. Afridi is also looking forward to ‘unleashing’ rookie fast bowler Mohammad Irfan as a ‘surprise weapon’ in the ICC World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean next month. If the Chairman approves both the replacements, Irfan’s will be one of the stories of the tournament. He will be the tallest bowler there: his height is approximately 7 foot. The paceman’s rise to national selection is nothing short of remarkable. Pakistan play their first match against Bangladesh on May 1 in St Lucia before taking on Australia the next day at the same venue.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shoaib Malik, Sania Mirza tie the knot Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza married Monday after a troubled engagement in a union that bridges the two nations' bitter sporting and political divide. The wedding was the final chapter in a complex and often contradictory saga during which Shoaib consistently denied claims by an Indian woman, Ayesha Siddiqui, that she had married the cricketer in 2002. The ceremony took place in the presence of family and friends at a hotel in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, Sania’s spokeswoman Rucha Naik told reporters. "The (wedding) has just been completed. Please pray for the couple," Rucha said. Last week, Farisa Siddiqui, Ayesha's mother, announced that a settlement had been reached and "divorce papers signed," allowing the marriage with Mirza to go ahead. Ayesha had initially lodged a complaint with police in Hyderabad, prompting officers to quiz Malik over the saga and confiscate his passport. Muslim elders in Hyderabad, where both Siddiqui and Mirza live, were understood to have negotiated the settlement after days of frenzied press coverage and lurid speculations. Malik had admitted beginning a telephone relationship with Siddiqui in 2001 after she sent him photographs -- but said he later believed the pictures were of another woman. The sporting marriage, apparently unprecedented in the perennial rivalry between the south Asian nations, was first announced just months after Mirza broke off her engagement to a childhood friend. Mirza, whose short tennis skirts have drawn the ire of extremist groups in India, is recovering from a wrist injury that has seen her world ranking slip from 27 in 2007 to 89. She has been a nationwide celebrity since 2005 when, aged 18, she became the first Indian woman to win a WTA Tour title. The lovely couple both Muslims are thought likely to base themselves in Dubai. Malik, a former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, is serving a yearlong ban for indiscipline.     [34] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shouldn’t Pakistan and India avoid mixing up politics with sports? Pakistan’s cricket chiefs are no more optimistic about the prospects of hosting a money-spinning bilateral series against traditional rivals India even on neutral soil because of strained relations between the two neighbours. The stumbling block for the proposed series is once again the strained relations between Pakistan and India, which show little signs of improvement since taking a lethal blow in the shape of the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, had on various occasions expressed his hope of lining up a full-fledged series against India on offshore venues like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. His idea is to host India for Tests, One-day Internationals and a couple of Twenty20 games in a bid to recover losses of over US$40 million suffered by the PCB after India’s refusal to tour Pakistan for a series scheduled for early last year. Butt appeared confident till a few months back that such a series is possible in 2010. But ask Wasim Bari, the PCB chief operating officer, and he will tell you that such hopes now seem to be a bit unrealistic. “There has been no development on the idea of having matches against India on neutral venues,” Bari told ‘The News’ in an interview on Saturday. “The thing is that we can’t line up anything with India unless there is a go-ahead from the two governments. For the time being I’m not too hopeful of getting that,” added the former Pakistan Test wicketkeeper. Bari said that otherwise relations between the PCB and the Indian cricket board (BCCI) were perfectly fine. “There are no problems between the two boards and if given the go-ahead by the governments we can work on a bilateral series.” The PCB had raised its hopes about hosting India on neutral soil after getting support from the International Cricket Council (ICC) last year. The ICC had backed the idea of keeping regular slots for Pakistan-India matches in its Future Tour Programme (FTP) from 2012 to 2016 and to 2020.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Marriages are arranged in heaven, hawks won’t succeed, Shoaib-Sania wedding as scheduled on April 15 The hawks in the Indian media seem working overtime spinning all sorts of speculative stories relating to Shoaib- Sania wedding in their efforts making the situation worst confounded, perhaps not knowing that the marriages are arranged in heaven and the lovely couple are destined to be tied in the wedlock as scheduled on April 15. The family of tennis star Sania Mirza denied on Friday that they had moved up the date of her wedding to former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik. Sania’s aunt, Hameeda Usman, denied the wedding date had been changed. “There is no function today (Friday),” she said. “It is scheduled to take place on April 15 according to the original program.” Earlier in the day, a cleric reportedly slated to perform the ceremony, Azamatullah Jafri, said the family had asked him to marry the pair on Friday night, instead of April 15 as scheduled. But the Chief Qazi of Hyderabad Deccan, Najamuddin corroborating the statement of Sania’s family said that the Nikah of Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza is not going to take place today (Friday) and the statement of Azmatullah Jafri in this regard has no substance. He said Azmatullah couldn’t execute Nikah of the couple without his permission. Najamuddin Hussain said he himself would carry out Nikah of Shoaib and Sania. Meanwhile, the father of Sania Mirza said the wedding celebrations would be kicked off from April 13. The proposed marriage had stirred controversy when another woman Ayesha claimed she was already married to Malik. Muslim elders brokered a divorce between the pair earlier this week, clearing the way for the wedding. But the hawks in the Indian media would not rest playing spoiler keep churning out negative stories giving twists and turns to the facts and brewing storm of global proportions creating a sense of uncertainty to this Pakistan-India love saga—a new hope for peace.     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Relieved Malik heads to wed Sania on April 15 The celebrity wedding of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was back on track Wednesday after he "divorced" another woman. Preparations for the high-profile couple's upcoming nuptials had been marred by claims by Ayesha Siddiqui that she and Malik were married in 2002 -- sparking a scandal that captivated millions across south Asia. "Divorce papers have been signed," Farisa Siddiqui, Ayesha's mother, told a press conference in Hyderabad. "The settlement is done." The deal apparently ends a complex and often contradictory tale during which Malik consistently denied ever being married to Ayesha. After Malik and Mirza, both Muslims, announced they would get married on April 15, Siddiqui made a range of accusations including that she and Malik had signed a "nikahnama" (wedding agreement). She also lodged a complaint with police in Hyderabad, prompting officers to quiz Malik over the saga and confiscate his passport. Muslim elders in the city, where both Siddiqui and Mirza live, negotiated the deal after days of frenzied press coverage and lurid speculation. The agreement involved a nominal sum of 15,000 rupees (340 dollars) being paid to Ayesha, the elders told reporters. Malik, 28, has also been in Hyderabad, where he is scheduled to marry 23-year-old Mirza, since the weekend trying to clear up confusion over his marital status. On Monday he accused Siddiqui of lying in order to gain "cheap popularity" and again claimed that he had never been married to her. Before the deal, Siddiqui appeared on television news channels to denounce Malik as a cheat who dumped her because his teammates said she was overweight. Malik has admitted he began a telephone relationship with Siddiqui in 2001 after she sent him photographs -- but he says he now believes the pictures were of another woman. Mirza, whose short tennis skirts have drawn the ire of groups in India, is recovering from a wrist injury that has seen her world ranking slip from 27 in 2007 to 90. She has been a nationwide celebrity since 2005 when, aged 18, she became the first Indian woman to win a WTA Tour title. The sporting marriage, apparently unprecedented in the perennial rivalry between the south Asian nations, is planned just months after Mirza broke off her engagement to a childhood friend. Hundreds of Malik's fans danced and celebrated in his hometown Sialkot when the marriage was announced last week, saying they would welcome the bride to Pakistan. However the couple are thought likely to base themselves in Dubai. Malik, a former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, is serving a year-long ban for indiscipline. On getting divorces, Ayesha is happy, Shoaib is relieved, Sania is ..? You are invited to comment.     [28] Comments               Post Your Commets   Yousuf quits international cricket Former Pakistan captain and world record holder batsman Mohammad Yousuf on Monday announced to quit international cricket in protest against an indefinite ban. Yousuf was banned earlier this month in a crackdown on players by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) following a disastrous tour of Australia. Pakistan lost all three Tests, five one-days and a Twenty20 match. The dismal performance resulted in bans and fines on seven leading players -- Younus was captain for most of the games. "I received a letter from the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) that my staying in the team is harmful for the team, so I announce my retirement from international cricket," he said while announcing his retirement. "I thank the fans around the world, all the senior players and family members for supporting me throughout my 12-year career," said Yousuf. "I always played for my country and if my playing is harmful for the team then I don't want to play". Yousuf played 88 Tests, nine as captain and scored 7,431 runs at an average of 53.07, including 24 centuries. He also scored 9,624 runs in 282 one-day internationals. Yousuf was third behind Javed Miandad (8,832 in 124) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (8,829 in 119) in all time run-getters for Pakistan in Tests and second behind Inzamam (11,701 in 375 matches) in one-day cricket. But his greatest achievement was 1,788 Test runs in 2006 with nine hundreds -- the world record for most runs scored and hundreds in a calendar year, beating Viv Richards' 1976 record of 1,710 for the West Indies. He also won International Cricket Council (ICC) Test player of the year in 2007. Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20, has called on Mohammad Yousuf to reconsider his decision to retire from international cricket. Pakistan Cricket Team coach Waqar Younis said Muhammed Yousuf could play cricket for about two years more. He said the retirement of Yousuf is quite deplorable. How justified do you think is Yousuf’s decision of retirement?     [21] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will new-look Pakistan retain T20 crown? When Pakistan’s cricketers assemble in Lahore from March 29 for a strenuous three-week preparatory camp, their captain Shahid Afridi will be looking forward to getting them both physically and mentally ready for the ICC World Twenty20 championship in the West Indies. More importantly, Afridi is hoping that his players to spend some quality time together as he wants them to bond well ahead of the World Twenty20 which the all-rounder believes will be a great platform to put his under-achieving team back on track. Pakistan are to defend the title they won in England last summer when this year’s spectacle begins from April 30 but because of a spate of poor performances together with recent turmoil in Pakistan cricket, many doubt whether Afridi’s men will shine in the Caribbean. Their catastrophic tour of Australia that concluded last month and the country’s cricket board’s decision to ban and fine seven of the team’s leading players including Afridi are some of the major reasons that have forced many critics to almost rule out Pakistan’s chances of retaining the World Twenty20 title. They fear that there is too much disharmony within their ranks and believe it will seriously hamper Pakistan’s progress in the Caribbean. However, Afridi doesn’t believe that there is disunity in his team but says that he is ready to take steps to help promote a healthier atmosphere in the Pakistani dressing room. On the technical side, Afridi said that his biggest task ahead of the World Twenty20 is to ensure that his players improve their fielding before leaving for the Caribbean. Afridi, 30, said that he has great faith in the capabilities of Ijaz Ahmed, the team’s assistant coach entrusted with the responsibility of helping Pakistani players improve their batting and fielding skills. “Ijaz is really very good when it comes to fielding drills and I’m sure with his help there will be noticeable improvement in that area,” said Afridi, who is regarded among the world’s best all-rounders in limited-overs cricket. Afridi said that he also wants his teammates to curb their tendency of giving too many extras, especially through no-balls. When the last time Pakistan went to the Caribbean — in 2007 for the ICC World Cup — they crashed to a humiliating first-round exit following a stunning defeat against minnows Ireland. They also lost their coach — Bob Woolmer — who died mysteriously a day after that loss. Afridi, however, is confident that his boys will leave those terrible memories behind and will send back good news to “160 million of their countrymen” from there. Please, share your views.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   PCB snubs senior players Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ignored senior cricketers Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved ul Hasan and Shoaib Akhtar while awarding central contracts for 37 players. The PCB placed 18 players in three categories while 19 cricketers succeeded in getting special monthly stipends. Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Salman Butt, Abdul Razzaq, Mohamamd Asif and Danish Kaneria were placed in "A" category and they will earn Rs250,000 a month. Umer Akmal, Mohammad Aamir, Saeed Ajmal, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat have been given "B" category and they are entitled to a monthly salary of Rs175,000. Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Abdul Rehman have been placed in "C" category, which brings a monthly salary of Rs100,000. Nineteen promising cricketers will receive special monthly stipends of Rs50,000. They include Test cricketers Khalid Lateef, Khurram Manzoor and Sarfaraz Ahmed along with the players of under-19 team Azeem Ghumman, Hammad Azam, Babar Azam, Raza hasan, Sarmad Bhatti and Usman Qadir. The central contracts will be effective for one year starting from January 1, 2010. Senior cricketers Shoaib Akhtar, Rana Naved, Imran Nazir and Sohail Tanvir besides former captains Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were deprived of central contracts. Younus and Yousuf were banned indefinitely for "infighting which resulted in bringing down" the team but the PCB said they could return after a review. Former captain Shoaib Malik and all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were also banned for a year on charges of violating the code of conduct, widely reported in the local media as match-fixing. Three other penalised cricketers -- Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umer Akmal -- were lucky to retain their contracts after they were heavily fined and put on a six-month probation by the inquiry committee. Paceman Mohammad Asif won back his contract following a failed doping test in the Indian Premier League in 2008 which resulted in a one-year ban. Dope-tainted paceman Shoaib Akhtar was excluded from the list and missed most of Pakistan matches last year due to injury and discipline problems.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan cricket players face bans, fines After the crushing defeat by Australia, meted out to the National cricket team, the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has imposed bans, fines on various cricket players, held responsible for their poor performance. In the light of recommendations by inquiry committee, PCB has imposed one-year ban on playing of all-rounder Shoaib Malik and Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, alongwith a fine for Rs 2 million each. Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Omar Akmal have been issued final warnings to improve their disciplinary behavior; while both Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal has been fined Rs. three million and Omar Akmal has been fined Rs. two million. These three have also been placed on a six-month probational period. Sources have also said that a 15-member National squad for the forthcoming 20/20 cricket world cup has also been finalized by the National Selection Committee. Shoaib Malik, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, Younas Khan and Muhammad Yousaf have not been included in the squad, while Muhammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Khalid Lateef, Omar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Omar Gul, Muhammad Aamir, Muhammad Asif, Saeed Ajmal, and Kamran Akmal, are included. The selection committee has also finalized the names of 5 reserved players, which include, Shahzeb, Muhammad Sami, Raza Hassan, Naveed Yasin, and Sarfaraz Ahmad. PCB would be making the enquiry report public within the next few days. Muhammed Yousuf and Younis Khan have been banned from international cricket for indefinite period. Can this action by PCB bring any kind of improvement in the national team’s performance? Please, share your views on this latest development on the cricket front.     [27] Comments               Post Your Commets   Peace Through Cricket Our congratulations to Sachin Tendulkar for creating a unique world record, of scoring a double century in an innings in an ODI. It is a well-deserved honour earned by a batsman adored by the followers of the game, transcending the geographical boundaries of their nations. Without doubt, the feats of Sachin are a testimony to the fact, that he is the greatest player, ever produced, by the glorious game of cricket. In fact, cricket is truly a game of peace. It is the only game where player of one team, ties the shoelaces of the opponent member of the team. Under the circumstances, millions of cricket lovers of Pakistan and India have been denied, for more than sufficient gap of time, the pleasure of witnessing high-class cricket duels between one of the finest cricketers, the game has ever produced. We the cricket lovers, demand from both the governments and their respective cricket boards, to immediately restore cricketing ties between the two teams. Initially, we can play three tests five ODI’s and two T20 matches series in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai stadiums in the first available slot of time. Both the teams can also experimentally, play a night test match in the proposed series. Thus turning a new leaf in the annals of the game. We are confident that, by the resumption of cricketing ties between Pakistan and India, a lot of animosity will also be removed in their current tension riddled ties. In this regard, it is very aptly said that the most ailing nations have developed a functional blindness to their own defects. They are not suffering because they can't resolve their problems, but because they can't see their problems. The leadership of both the countries must realize that only peace and friendship, not war, can break the shackles of poverty and terrorism, so rampant in the sub-continent. -- Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad, Lahore     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan Hockey coach says his team is fully ready for the World Cup Pakistan Hockey coach, Shahid Ali Khan has conceded that his team will begin the prestigious World Cup getting underway in New Delhi from February 28 as one of the underdogs, but warned competing teams that Pakistan may well be the dark horse of the tournament, which they’ve won on a record four occasions. “What happened to Pakistan in Beijing is now history,” Shahid told as reported. “Our team has since then showed heartening improvement and I’m confident that we will do well in New Delhi,” he stressed. Pakistan made the cut for the World Cup by winning a qualifying tournament in Lille (France) last November, but failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy after falling to New Zealand in the final of the Champions Challenge in Salta (Argentina) in December. Their loss to the Kiwis in Salta where Pakistan were also beaten by hosts Argentina gave the national team’s critics enough ammunition to write off the Greenshirts’ chances of doing well in the World Cup, which is likely to be dominated by teams like defending champions Germany and Australia. But Shahid stressed that critics should think again before writing off his team’s World Cup chances. “We may be one of the underdogs, but I have faith in my boys and am confident that we would prove our critics wrong,” he said. “I’m not saying that we are going to win the World Cup, but only that with this team anything is possible.” Shahid’s confidence springs from his assessment that the team has shown a lot of improvement during an extensive training camp in Lahore. He and fellow team coaches have been working on a few key areas in which the team showed problems in Lille and Salta. “We have worked really hard on some of the crucial areas like penalty corners, deep defence and tackling pressure especially in the last minutes of a close match,” he said. According to Shahid, his boys have shown marked improvement in deep defence besides doing better in short corner defence as well as offence. “We have also worked a lot of different kinds of variations in the forward line and the results have been good,” he said. The coaches have been focusing on helping their charges improve their fitness ahead of the World Cup. “Fitness has been on the top of our targets and I must say that there has been enormous improvement in that area as well.” Shahid said that Pakistan’s hockey fans would see a “much better side” in New Delhi as compared to Salta. “We will certainly raise our level because it will be a different ball game in the World Cup. It is the biggest event in international hockey and we have to be at our best and I’m sure the boys are ready for it.” Pakistan are in Group B along with Australia, England, India, South Africa and Spain. Holders Germany, Argentina, New Zealand, the Netherlands, South Korea and Canada form Group A. Squad: Nasir Ahmad and Salman Akbar (goalkeepers), Zeeshan Ashraf (captain), Sohail Abbas and Muhammad Rashid (defenders), Mohammad Irfan, Waseem Ahmad, Mohammad Imran, Fareed Ahmad and Sajjad Anwar (midfielders), Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Abdul Haseem Khan, Mohammad Zubair, Akhtar Ali, Omer Bhutta, Abbas Haider and Muhammad Rizwan (forwards).     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s Naseem becomes fastest woman in South Asia Pakistan’s Naseem Akhtar created history on Monday by becoming the fastest woman of the region when she won the 100-metre sprint gold medal at the South Asian Games in Dhaka (Bangladesh). The 22-year-old from Rawalpindi clocked 11.81seconds, 0.12seconds ahead of Sri Lanka’s Pramila Priyadarshani, to bag her first gold medal before a strong crowd at Bangabandhu National Stadium. Wearing national green tights, she led the field among the eight runners after her easy qualification for the finals. “I had forgotten the world for six months and trained really very, very hard under my coach Maqood Ahmed to achieve this,” Naseem Akhtar said. “It is a great moment for me to have brought glory to the country in my event after the poor showing by our national cricket team and especially since our athletics standards have been poor of late,” she added. “I hope my performance will inspire the young athletes to become professionals.” For Naseem Akhtar to win the 100-metre sprint was a historic moment as no Pakistani woman had achieved this feat in 26-year history of the regional games. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Chief Lt. Gen (Rtd) Syed Arif Hassan congratulated Naseem for her historic performance and announced a one-lakh-rupee (Rs.100,000) cash prize for her remarkable achievement.     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan squad for T20 against England, let us hope they are better tuned this time Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was dropped from the Pakistan squad Monday for two Twenty20 internationals against England in Dubai later this month. Akmal came under severe criticism for his poor performance in recent test series against Australia. Sarfraz Ahmed, who replaced Akmal for the third test in Australia, but did not feature in either five one-day internationals or the T20 game, was named as Pakistan wicketkeeper Monday. Pakistan's regular Twenty20 captain, Shahid Afridi, will miss the first game in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after he was banned for two matches for ball tampering during the fifth one-day international against Australia. Shoaib Malik, who led Pakistan in the only T20 game against Australia, was retained as captain for the short series against England to be played on Feb. 19 and 20. ''If Afridi was not banned for two matches, he would have led the side,'' Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Wasim Bari told media. Bari said Afridi would lead Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies in April-May. Chief selector Iqbal Qasim resigned after Australia whitewashed Pakistan in both test (3-0) and one-day series (5-0), and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt finalized the T20 squad in consultation with other selectors. ''The chairman chaired the meeting which was attended by (selectors) Mohammad Ilyas and Azhar Khan,'' PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said. The consent of two other selectors Salim Jaffar and Farrukh Zaman was taken via a teleconference. Pakistan will also be without in-form fast bowler Mohammad Asif, who is barred from entering into the UAE after he was deported from Dubai when a small quantity of opium was found in his wallet while he was traveling back to Pakistan in 2008 after playing in the first edition of Indian Premier League. Coach Intikhab Alam will not accompany with the team, but Bari refrained from commenting on the future of the Pakistan team coach. ''It's the unanimous decision of the PCB that Alam will not go with the team,'' Bari said. ''I cannot comment on the long term future of the coach.'' Former test batsman Ijaz Ahmed, who coached the U-19 team to the World Cup final in New Zealand, was named as batting and fielding coach of the Twenty20 squad. Ahmed will join the squad on Feb. 18 as he will be with the Pakistan A team in the United Arab Emirates competing against England A. The rest of the squad includes, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Lateef, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmad, Umer Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Muhammad Talha, with Abdur Razzaq and Yasir Arafat making a comeback.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Rashid Latif’s dream of launching a city-based Twenty20 league comes true next week Rashid Latif has long been thinking of launching a city-based Twenty20 league, but finally decided it was time to act when Pakistan’s leading cricketers were snubbed at an Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction in Mumbai last month. The former Pakistan captain told himself that it was time to initiate a project that would initially cater to local players and could then be broadened into a national and even international league in the future. Rashid sought a meeting with City Nazir Mustafa Kamal, who took a keen interest in his idea of launching a Twenty20 tournament and within days the Karachi Champions League was launched offering a record prize basket of Rs17 million for the competing clubs. “The way our players were shabbily treated by the IPL forced me to get into action,” said Rashid, who played 37 Tests and 166 One-day Internationals during illustrious career that concluded in 2003. “It was evident that Pakistan needed to have its own Twenty20 league. I can’t do that alone but I told myself that I could play my role in initiating a local league,” he stressed. Rashid said he firmly believes that “actions speak louder than words”, adding that it’s time for all stakeholders associated with Pakistan cricket to come forward and do their bit to lift the sport out of the current crises. “As a former Test cricketer, I regularly write and comment about the game, but now I’m convinced that it is time for actions. Everybody talks about how the PCB has failed, but is anyone ready to come forward to do anything concrete for Pakistan cricket? I must say that if all of us decide to do our bit, then our cricket can really make great progress,” he said. Rashid said he was overwhelmed by the support extended by City Nazim Mustafa Kamal for the project. “It took him (Kamal) just two minutes to approve my idea of having a city-based Twenty20 league,” said Rashid, who will be supervising the Karachi Champions League that gets underway next week. The inaugural edition of the Champions League will only feature local clubs, but there are plans to convert it into a Pakistan Champions League in 2011. “We can do it,” said Rashid. “In fact, we are hoping that this project will attract enough support from all quarters to enable us to turn into an international league in the future.” The inaugural event is likely to feature top Karachi-based stars like Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Fawad Alam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Khurram Manzoor and Khalid Latif. The team winning the title after what will be a month-long tournament will walk away with Rs10 million — easily the biggest-ever prize in the history of club cricket in Pakistan. The runners-up will get Rs 5 million the semi-finalists Rs 500,000 each and the quarter-finalists Rs 250,000 apiece. Each competing team will be allowed just one international player. The Rashid Latif Cricket Academy (RLCA) will conduct matches at various grounds, while Geo Super will televise the tournament.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   What future holds for Afridi being banned for second-time on ball-tampering? Pakistan’s stand-in captain Shahid Afridi bit the ball and ran his teeth along the seam in an extraordinary finale to Australia’s action-packed two-wicket victory at the WACA on Sunday night and was later banned for two Twenty20 Internationals after being found guilty of ball-tampering for the second time. He had already been in strife for ball tampering, suspended for one Test and two one-dayers in 2005. Afridi, leading Pakistan for the second time in an ODI, in the absence of Mohammad Yousuf, was caught on TV cameras apparently biting the ball on a couple of occasions. The incident was reported to the on-field umpires by the TV umpire and after a chat with Afridi, the umpires changed the ball immediately. Afridi was called into a hearing with the match referee Ranjan Madugalle immediately after the match. Afridi was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct that relates to “changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket”. Ball-tampering normally results from fingernails being run down the seam, but Afridi, for reasons only he could explain, seemed intent on putting the entire ball in his mouth. “We’ve seen a few replays of it — I don’t know what to say,” Ponting said of Afridi’s incident. “I’ve never seen that before. I’m sure that will be dealt with. I really don’t know what to say about it.” “It’s unacceptable,” Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan coach, said. “It shouldn’t have happened but it happened and I feel sorry for him. Being a captain you should be above everything but unfortunately it’s happened.” The punishment puts Pakistan into a quandary because Afridi is their Twenty20 captain and they end their tour of Australia with a Twenty20 in Melbourne on February 5. Yousuf, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, is not part of the Twenty20 squad and Younus Khan, who was captain before the tour of New Zealand, has retired from the format. Shoaib Malik, who is part of all three formats, might be one of those in the running. Afridi will also now miss the first Twenty20 against England in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this month.     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Amid strained sporting relations, should Pakistan Hockey boycott World Cup in India? Pakistani hockey authorities have sought government security clearance to take part in next month’s World Cup in India, amid strained sporting relations between the neighbours. Pakistan’s government has said the team will not boycott the event in spite of a spat last week after an auction in Mumbai for the Indian Premier League (IPL) ended without any of the 11 Pakistani cricketers snapped up for the teams. Players and officials have alleged that the snub of world-class cricketers such as Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul was politically motivated and a number of former hockey players have said the team should boycott the hockey World Cup. Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary Asif Bajwa said he has sought clearance from the foreign office and interior ministry for the February 28 to March 13 tournament in New Delhi. “The latest situation demands full security assurances for our players and that’s why I have sought clearance from the government,” Bajwa told. “We fear security problems in India.” Pakistan’s sports minister Ijaz Jakhrani has rejected calls for a World Cup boycott, saying it was a global event and the national team will compete. Bajwa said the International Hockey Federation has assured them of full security for the event, but government guarantees were also needed. “I have heard that Australia and England are bringing their own security personnel, so it would be better if we too take some security staff with us because we want a peaceful event,” said Bajwa, a former Olympian. Pakistan are in Group B of the 12-team competition along with Australia, England, India, South Africa and Spain. The four-time world and three-time Olympic champions have not won a major title since their World Cup win in Australia in 1994. They finished eighth — the worst result in their history — at the Beijing Olympics.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   What is wrong with the present Pakistan cricket team? Pakistan lost the third Test with a big margin of 231 runs as Australia completed a clean sweep of the three-Test series, for four times in a row against our team. This was also Pakistan’s 12th successive defeat in a Test against the Aussies since 1999 and 27th overall in 55 Tests so far played between the two countries. Pakistan beat Australia for only eleven times, while 17 matches ended in a draw. Australia equalled the record for the most consecutive Test wins by any side over any other team, matching the 12-game streak currently held by Sri Lanka over Bangladesh. Australia’s victory at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval came after lunch of the fifth and final day, when they broke through some stubborn batting to bowl the tourists out for 206. Prior to this series, Pakistan had leveled the three-Test series against New Zealand and early in 2009 played a drawn Test and an incomplete Test against Sri Lanka at home, which was marred by an incident of terrorists attack on the visitors’ bus. Pakistan recorded only a solo Test victory in the past two years. What is the problem with the present Pakistan cricket team, as it has no dearth of talent and experience, then what are the factors behind this deteriorating performance?     [33] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan once again proved they are the most unpredictable side in the world of cricket. After gaining an impressive lead of 206 runs in the first innings of the second Test match in Sydney, they restricted Australia to 257 for eight. Then, Michael Hussey and Peter Siddle, with a 123-run ninth wicket stand, brought their team into game setting a 176-run target, not a difficult task for Pakistan, with almost five sessions remaining in the match. However, it is surprising to see that Pakistani batsmen could not achieve the easy target and lost the match by 36 runs. Thus, Australia made one of the most remarkable comebacks in cricket history to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The win seals the three-match Test series for Australia, who have two wins, with one match remaining in Hobart, to be played from January 14. There may be various factors involved in Pakistan’s defeat – poor fielding, irresponsible batting, defensive captaincy and inefficient wicket-keeping. However, Pakistan showed excellence only in one department of the game – bowling - as all their pacers and the only regular spinner did tremendous job in both innings. But their batsmen could not perform well despite having experience and talent. What measures would you suggest for surmounting this unpredictability of the Pakistan team that very often been giving shocks to the nation?     [22] Comments               Post Your Commets   Poor fielding let Pakistan down against Aussies in first Test Pakistan were beaten by Australia by a big margin of 170 runs in the second session on final day of the first cricket Test match at the MCG. Australia needed barely a session to hammer home their advantage on the final day as they picked up seven wickets for just 81 runs to coast to a 170 run win. The wrecker-in-chief on day five was Nathan Hauritz, who picked up an impressive five-wicket haul using guile rather than a decaying pitch to run through the lower order. Pakistan's sole resistance came from skipper Mohammad Yousuf who blocked right through the opening adding just 16 runs from 70 deliveries to his overnight score before becoming Hauritz's fourth victim and the penultimate wicket to fall in the innings. Pakistan's hopes of batting through the day to record an improbable win were shattered in the very first over of the morning as Mitchell Johnson struck with consecutive deliveries to remove Umar Akmal (27) and Misbah-ul-Haq (0), both caught behind. New man in Kamran Akmal, did his bit to keep his skipper company as the last recognized pair kept the Australian bowlers at bay for over an hour. Hauritz beat Kamran Akmal in flight and Brad Haddin did the rest behind the stumps. Akmal's decision to use his feet to attack the off-spinner cost his team dear as Hauritz too struck a double blow removing the stubborn Mohammad Aamer for a first ball duck. Abdur Rauf, whose selection ahead of Umar Gul has more than a fair share of eyebrows raised, averted the second hat-trick prospect of the morning. However, Rauf did not last long. After being dropped by Haddin off the fifth ball in Bollinger's next over, he was cleaned up by the paceman off the very next ball. Mohammad Yousuf and Saeed Ajmal took their team through till lunch, but Hauritz completed the last rites in just the second over thereafter, dismissing first Yousuf and then Ajmal to claim his fifer. A good end for Australia to a year that has seen them lose the Ashes and struggle through injuries as they continue to attempt to rebuild a great team without the array of match winners they were blessed with through most of the 90s and the early part of this decade. For Pakistan, 2009 could not have ended sooner, they lost their home status for cricket matches following the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, and one wonders how long it will be before the likes of Lahore and Rawalpindi will once again bear witness to the pleasures that only cricket can provide.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is beating Australia in the backyard looms a big hurdle? Pakistan cricket team led by Mohammad Yousuf is on the 52-day tour of Australia to play three Test matches, five One-day Internationals and the only Twenty20 International. The team has recently held its three-Test series to 1-1 draw after being beaten in the three-match ODI series. The Pakistan squad contains its share of precocious talent - batsman Umar Akmal is 19 years old with a Test batting average of 63, while 17-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Aamer hopes to one day emulate his hero, Wasim Akram - but beating Australia in their backyard looms a big hurdle. In an era where everything must go right for touring teams to upset Australia at home - South Africa last season broke the trend through brilliant batting, Graeme Smith's inspirational leadership and Dale Steyn's fast bowling - Pakistan's recent cricketing history has been marked by upheaval. The series against Australia will be just the fourth Pakistan have played anywhere in the past two years, which is encouraging if the best way of building a strong team is through regular internationals. But Australia has not been a happy venue for Pakistan, who have won only four of 29 Tests on these shores. Australia have whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 in the past three series, won 10 of their past 12 matches and have not been beaten since 1995, when a bowling attack comprising Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed won a dead rubber in Sydney. The squad of 2009 contains a class spinner in Danish Kaneria, now fourth on the list of his country's wicket takers, and some promising pacemen in Aamer, Mohammad Asif - back bowling well after doping issues in 2008 - Umar Gul, who played with Western Australia in last summer's domestic Twenty20 competition and Mohammad Sami, recalled after a long absence. The bowlers generally impressed in the recent drawn series in New Zealand, where Asif took nine wickets in the second-Test win and Kaneria seven in in the drawn third. The quicks are virtually untried in Tests on Australian pitches, although some respected judges have liked what they have seen. Captain Mohammad Yousuf admits bowling is his side's strength, and that the batting and fielding must improve. The Pakistan batsmen will at least feel a bit more comfortable at the MCG, SCG (second Test, starting January 3) and Bellerive Oval (third, starting January 14) than they would at the bouncy WACA Ground or Australia's Gabba fortress. But aside from Yousuf, who boasts a career average of 54 from 85 matches, the tourists lack an established world-class batsmen, and even the skipper's numbers are well down against Australia (29.60). Openers Imran Farhat and Salman Butt were here in 2004-05, but apart from the latter's 108 in the last Test, have struggled against Australia's quicks. Middle-order options Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal all average under 24 against Ricky Ponting's side. Umar Akmal is the exception among the mediocre figures, as he marked his entry into Test cricket with a hundred and three half-centuries in the series against the Black Caps. Younus Khan provides the possible assurance in the batting to help Yousuf if drafted into the touring squad, as he is about to resume playing at home after a tumultuous past few months. Younus led Pakistan to the Twenty20 world title in England in June, but offered to quit the captaincy when accused of match fixing by a Pakistan politician after the Champions Trophy tournament in October (he was cleared of any wrongdoing by his Board). He eventually stood down as skipper after the one-day series against New Zealand in November, when he claimed he no longer had the support of the team. Colourful and unpredictable, yes. But unless the likes of Umar Amkal, Asif or Aamer emerge as superstars over the next month, it is difficult to envisage the world's sixth-ranked side beating Australia at home.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Younis Khan confirms plans for comeback Younis Khan has confirmed that he would return to action next week after taking a break from international cricket. “I will definitely play for my country again as it is always an honour to play in national colours,” Younis said on Friday. “I will return to action in a couple of days,” said the middle-order batsman, who is set to lead Habib Bank Limited (HBL) in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy — Pakistan’s premier domestic tournament — starting in Karachi from December 21. He has also shown an interest in featuring in the Pentangular Cup, getting underway from January 1. Younis opted out of the Test tour of New Zealand after leading Pakistan to a disappointing 1-2 defeat in the one-day series against the Kiwis in Abu Dhabi last month. He was later overlooked for the Test series against Australia, but national selectors are now considering the idea of recalling Younis for the one-day series against Australia. Younis also showered praise on Mohammad Yousuf, the man who replaced him as Pakistan captain, for his performance in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand. Yousuf, who was named captain only for the Test series against New Zealand, was later asked to lead Pakistan in Australia as well. “Yousuf did a great job as a captain in New Zealand and he was also looking more responsible as a senior batsman,” Younis said.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Jansher on bleak squash future says only professionals can raise squash standard Former player Jansher Khan sees a bleak future for squash in the country unless the Pakistan Squash Federation utilises services of former greats. ‘It’s quite unfortunate that the country, which ruled the game for decades in the past, has no player even in the top 20 now,’ Jansher said on Saturday. ‘But it does not mean that there is scarcity of talent. I am confident that the guys we have at present can be as great as we were in the past. But what they lack is proper coaching, guidance and provision of facilities,’ he added. Referring to Egypt, he said that they had four to five players in top seedings and that was mainly because they were taking advantage from the services of their former players. ‘We are fortunate enough to have the likes of Jahangir Khan, Qamar Zaman, Mohibullah and Gogi Alauddin, who are internationally regarded as squash legends. They have a very rich history, but unfortunately their services are not being utilised,’ he said. To a question Jansher said he was also ready to disseminate his skills to youngsters. ‘I have been made several offers from other countries to train their boys, but so far I have rejected all these. I want to serve my own country and wish to see it at the same height where it was in the past,’ he added. Jansher, who won the World Open for a record eight times and the British Open for six times, said he would be a proud man if someone in the country excelled in the game due to his guidance. ‘Squash gave me respect and it hurts when I see Pakistan squash on the decline,’ he said. He advised the squash federation to seek guidance from any player of its choice if it did not want his (Jansher’s) services. He noted Pakistan was the only country, which produced seven world champions and there could be many more if the affairs of the game were handed over to professionals. Jansher said his nine-year-old son, Ali Sher Khan, had great talent and interest for the game and would be a true professional in the future.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan on way to lift Champions Challenge Cup, as it crushes archrival India in semi Pakistan hockey team crushed archrival India by 6-3 in the semi-final encounter of Champions Challenge Cup, thus qualifying for final to be played with New Zealand, Geo News reported. Rehan Butt scored 3, Sohail Abbas 2 and Haseem Khan added one goal to Pakistan score as Pakistan managed to take lead in the 3ed minute of the first half – thanks to Rehan Butt, but it was equalized soon in the 8th minute, when Indian team took the advantage of penalty corner. Rehan Butt and Sohail Abbas again brought Pakistan on the driving seat with back-to-back goals in 29th and 32nd minute of the match taking lead to 3-1 at the close of first half. The beginning of the second half was too lucky for Pakistan as the team succeeded to make two more goals and took the lead to 5-1, but late India got momentum, scoring two more goals and reducing Pakistan lead to 5-3. At the dying moments of the match, it was the penalty corner specialist – Sohail Abbas, who added one more goal on the penalty stroke, which remained decisive until the match was finished. The final event of the tournament will be played between Pakistan and New Zealand hockey teams.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s bowling attacks brighten its chances of winning series against Kiwis Pakistan thrashed New Zealand by 141 runs in second cricket Test match to level the series by 1-1 here at Wellington on Sunday, Geo news reported. New Zealand was all-out for 263 runs in their second innings falling short of 141 runs of 405-run target. Muhammad Asif claimed five wickets in second innings, 9 wickets in match and was awarded man of the match. New Zealand, chasing an unlikely 405 to win, were bowled out for 263, Mohammad Asif doing most of the damage with 5-67. Pakistan, who lost the first Test by 32 runs, led by 165 in the first innings in this Test after bowling New Zealand out for 99. But they then teased the home side with their own batting collapses before reasserting control of the second Test on day three yesterday. Their second innings folded between lunch and tea for 239 - seven wickets toppled for 42 runs - although it barely offered a glimmer of hope to a New Zealand side who managed only 99 in their first innings. The Kiwis were left chasing 405 to win and by stumps were 3-70, still 335 adrift. The only consolation was Ross Taylor's continued presence at the crease. Taylor was not out 15 and Peter Fulton has 12, although both had lives on 13 and three respectively as Pakistan's catching woes continue. With two days remaining, yet again the exploits of a weary bowling attack - deprived of first-Test hero Shane Bond - appear destined to go unrewarded. Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien added four wicket hauls to Daryl Tuffey and Daniel Vettori's identical returns in the first innings. Martin improved from 0-44 to 4-52 as Pakistan deteriorated, O'Brien bristled with aggression throughout to record four for 66 - sterling service considering the duo barely had their feet up between bowling assignments after New Zealand's first innings lasted only 36.5 overs. Medium pacer Grant Elliott also made a belated and inspired arrival in the 72nd over, having Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal caught behind with his fifth and sixth deliveries. Martin also found himself on a hat-trick with the second new ball by ending captain Mohammad Yousuf's stout resistance after a failed leg before wicket appeal was overturned. Tailender Danish Kaneria then snicked to Taylor at slip. Yousuf produced the only bedrock innings of the day -- and one New Zealand's remaining batsmen will need to emulate if Friday's third test in Napier is not to be a decider. Yousuf took his time making 83 from 200 deliveries, a top score and 30th test fifty made between the 17th and 86th overs. With the benefit of a 229-run advantage when play began, Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq were in no hurry. Since combining late yesterday they added 77 for the third wicket in 35 overs at a snail paced 2.20 runs per over. O'Brien was instrumental in accelerating Pakistan's scoring rate. Misbah's demise caught at the wicket for 33 was the catalyst for the continuation of Umar Akmal's stunning debut series. Only five boundaries were recorded in the 23 overs before the 19-year-old arrived and instantly set about mangling Daniel Vettori's figures. The New Zealand captain conceded just 21 runs from his first 17 overs; Umar then proceeded to crack 27 from Vettori's next four through a trio of boundaries, brace of sixes and three singles. Umar passed fifty for the third time in his four-test career in just 32 balls though his audacity got the better of him a ball later when a lofted drive was collected by Vettori retreating at deep mid-off. He thudded his pad in disgust but still has the consolation of 302 runs in the series at 75.50. The third Test starts on Friday in Napier.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan superbly placed to level the series It's a venue that Pakistan's bowlers have enjoyed more than those from any other side over the last two decades, and they celebrated the Basin Reserve's fiftieth Test in fitting style, destroying New Zealand's top order with another clinical performance that left them superbly placed to level the series. After extending their first innings to 264, thanks largely to Kamran Akmal's enterprising 70, the bowlers immediately got down to business, exploiting the conditions and the huge flaws in the techniques of the New Zealand batsmen, bundling them out for 99 and taking their overall lead to 229 by stumps. Save for a brief four-over period when New Zealand took the last three Pakistan wickets and a spell just before close of play, the day belonged entirely to the visitors. Mohammad Aamer did his now customary trick of taking a wicket in his first over - is he the new first-over specialist after Daryl Tuffey - and consistently bowled in the mid-140s, Mohammad Asif operated in his usual channel around off and seamed the ball both ways, Umar Gul was the perfect first-change bowler offering New Zealand no respite, while Danish Kaneria befuddled the lower order with his bag of tricks. While the four-pronged bowling attack gave little away, New Zealand put in yet another shamble batting display, as their poor defensive techniques and shot selection were ruthlessly exposed. None of their batsmen came to terms with the ball seaming around in both directions, and they made it worse for themselves with some poor stroke-play. None was guiltier than Brendon McCullum, who chased his first ball - a wide one - and edged to second slip when New Zealand had already lost five wickets with little on the board. From the moment Aamer started his first over, it was clear, New Zealand would have their hands full. His fourth ball to Guptill swung back and rapped him on the pads; the next one left him, clipped the edge, and New Zealand's opening pair had failed to last the first over for the third time in three innings. That was one of two overs Pakistan bowled before lunch and the slide continued after the break. Asif flummoxed Tim McIntosh and forced an inside edge to short leg, and should have had Daniel Flynn in similar fashion had Salman Butt not dropped a regulation catch. Ross Taylor was the only batsman to play with confidence - he raced to 30 from 40 balls, showing decisive footwork and driving confidently through the off side off the fast bowlers. His judgment failed him, though, when Gul slipped in an in-dipper that took the off stump after Taylor left it alone. Peter Fulton was a walking wicket once again, shuffling indecisively to a straight and full one on the stumps, but New Zealand really crumbled after tea, going from 85 for 4 to 99 all out in the space of six overs. It's a fate that has often befallen New Zealand sides of the past against Pakistan, and this time it was Asif who started the slide. Vettori was, for once, unable to lead another rearguard effort as Kaneria snuffed out the tail in a trice. More than just the three wickets he got, what would have worried Vetorri was the amount of turn he extracted from the second-day pitch.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will Pakistan return from Argentine winning Champions Challenge Cup? The national hockey team squad, comprising 18 members, led by captain, Zeeshan Ashraf has departed for Argentine to partake Champions Challenge Cup-I, Geo News reported Sunday. National players flew to Dubai at 3 A.M. on a flight of a private airline from Allama Iqbal international airport and they will leave for Argentine through to Brazil from Dubai. Before departure, coach Shahid Ali Khan and captain Zeeshan Ashraf told media they are hopeful of winning tournament. Earlier, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Monday named an 18-member squad that will take part in the Champions Challenge-I Hockey Tournament to be held from December 6 to 13 in Salta, Argentina. The competition will be participated by eight teams divided into two pools. Pool A comprises of Belgium, China, India and New Zealand while Pakistan, hosts Argentina, South Africa and Canada are in Pool B. The announced outfit has two new faces in Umar Bhutta and Mohammad Rizwan, who have replaced forwards Shafqat Rasool and Abbas Haider. The team was selected after one day trials held at the Lahore National Hockey Stadium. Addressing a news conference, chief selector Hassan Sardar said the selectors were following a policy to select only those players who were enjoying prime fitness and form. “ Once Shafqat and Abbas regain form they will be considered for coming events.” He said Champions Challenge Cup would be a test of the team to determine their progress and to qualify for next year’s Champions Trophy. “It will be a tough assignment for our team who have the talent to win it and qualify for the elite Champions Trophy,” he maintained. Pakistan recently qualified for the World Cup 2010, to be held in New Delhi, India after winning a six-team competition in Lille, France. Pakistan, winners of three Olympic gold medals, failed to earn a place in the World Cup when they were defeated in the Asia Cup 2009 final. The green shirts, who remained up in the clouds for more than three decades and were record four times world champions, have been striving hard for a big title since winning the 1994 World Cup in Australia. Squad: Salman Akbar and Nasir Ahmad (goalkeepers), Zeeshan Ashraf (captain), Sohail Abbas and Muhammad Imran (full-backs), Waseem Ahmad, Sajjad Anwar, Fareed Ahmad, Muhammad Irfan and Muhammad Rashid (Halve-backs), Shakeel Abbasi, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Zubair, Rehan Butt, Abdul Haseem Khan, Akhtar Ali, Omar Bhutta and Mohammad Rizwan (Forwards).     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   First Test against New Zealand: Pakistan look to unleash potent bowling attack Pakistan and New Zealand start round two of their disrupted cricket series in Dunedin on Tuesday (tomorrow) searching for respectability amid a background of upheaval. The world’s sixth and seventh ranked sides are two of the sport’s most prominent underachievers, the result of mixing remarkable successes with spectacular collapses. Both teams enter this three-Test series, following the one-day series in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, wrestling with internal leadership crises and with parallel strengths and weaknesses. For the first Test starting on Tuesday, both sides have strong bowling armouries, which will relish attacking batting line ups that have struggled in recent series to consistently control the middle for more than four sessions. New Zealand are without a coach, entrusting both on-field leadership and off-field planning to captain Daniel Vettori after player criticism forced the resignation last month of coach Andy Moles. Pakistan, meanwhile, have seen captain Younis Khan drop out of the tour over dissatisfaction with performances in the one-day series in Abu Dhabi earlier this month. Reports also indicate coach Intikhab Alam is under pressure. The Tests in New Zealand follow the one-day series in the United Arab Emirates, which New Zealand won 2-1, and the Twenty20 series won by Pakistan 2-0. Even without home track advantage, Pakistan still believe their bowling attack including Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif can make life a misery for New Zealand. “We have a bowling attack that can get 20 wickets,” said coach Intikhab Alam, while conceding that batting “will be a big challenge.” Much will depend on stand-in captain Mohammad Yousuf, who boasts a Test average of 54.86 from 82 Tests. New Zealand’s inconsistent batting reputation has been further hampered by the loss of Jesse Ryder through injury and Jacob Oram retiring from Test play. Peter Fulton and Grant Elliott have been recalled to fill the batting void, but neither has set the world alight previously. Shane Bond returns from two years in the cricket wilderness to share the new ball with Chris Martin. Daryl Tuffey, who like Bond has been playing in the renegade Indian Cricket League, is likely to head Iain O’Brien as the third seamer given his record of 24 wickets in six Tests against Pakistan. Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Yousuf (captain) Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Abdur Rauf, Umer Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed. New Zealand Squad: Daniel Vettori (captain), Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Grant Elliott, Brendon McCullum, Shane Bond, Iain O’Brien, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Martin, Jeetan Patel.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pak squad off to New Zealand, Inti wants improved batting Coach Intikhab Alam identified batting as the key area for improvement as a 17-member Pakistan squad minus Younis Khan flew to New Zealand early on Sunday to play a three-match Test series. Younis opted to sit out the New Zealand tour and hand the captaincy to Mohammad Yousuf after his side’s one-day series defeat in Abu Dhabi last week, saying he wanted to rest after suffering poor batting form. Yet it was not only he, the batsmen faltering badly in the one-day series that New Zealand won 2-1. Pakistan won the two-match Twenty20 series 2-0 on Friday. “Our batting must click and show improvement because it will be tough to switch from one-day and Twenty20,” Alam told. “Our bowling has the capacity to bowl New Zealand out twice, but we must put runs on the board first.” Alam, who took over as coach after Australian Geoff Lawson was sacked in October last year, said Younis’s absence was a blow, but appeared to harbour no bitterness. “Naturally, Younis is a senior batsman and although he had a poor batting form, he is a world class player, who can come good any time, but you miss players through injuries as well and Younis’s replacement will have a chance to prove his worth. “Batsmen will have to show temperament because you need to stay longer at the wicket, which is the real test of a batsman.” Pakistan open the tour with a three-day game against a New Zealand invitational XI at Queenstown from Wednesday before the first Test starts at Dunedin from November 24. Alam said conditions in New Zealand would also test his players. “It is an early start to the season and conditions will be tough because the weather will be very cold, but I hope all the players show professionalism and adjust to the conditions,” said Alam, a former captain. The three-Test series, like the limited-overs series played in the United Arab Emirates, was scheduled for Pakistan, but had to be relocated after New Zealand refused to tour over security fears. Alam said New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori would be key for the home team. “Vettori is a seasoned player and we have to play him well, without giving him too many wickets. “But if New Zealand prepares wickets conducive to spin, then we too have quality spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Danish Kaneria,” said Alam, a leg-spinner in his playing days. After the New Zealand tour, Pakistan will move to Australia to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20. Squad: Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Yousuf (captain), Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Abdur Rauf, Umer Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmad.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan wins the second Twenty20, taking the two-match series 2-0 Pakistan overcame a late order flurry from New Zealand to win the second Twenty20 international by seven runs at Dubai Stadium on Friday, taking the two-match series 2-0. Teenager Umer Akmal lifted Pakistan to 153-5 before they survived a late charge by Brendon McCullum (47) and Scott Styris (43) to maintain their 100-per cent record against New Zealand. Pakistan, who won the first match by 49 runs on Thursday, has now won all four Twenty20 matches against the Black Caps. McCullum and Styris kept New Zealand in the hunt during a 66-run partnership as New Zealand needed 51 off the last five overs and 38 in the last three. But once big-hitting McCullum holed out to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the 19th over, New Zealand's task of making 18 in the last over proved too difficult. McCullum hit three fours and six off 41 balls. Paceman Umar Gul dismissed Styris off the last ball to finish with 2-29. Styris's 33-ball knock had two fours and as many sixes. Styris and McCullum repaired the innings after New Zealand were 66-3 after 11 overs. BJ Watling (seven), Martin Guptill (17) and Ross Taylor (13) fell in quick succession as Pakistan kept the pressure on from the start. Earlier, Pakistan were lifted by Umer Akmal's maiden half-century, which kept his team in the hunt for a good total despite paceman Ian Butler's 3-28. Akmal, whose 49-ball knock included five boundaries and a six, added 45 for the third wicket with captain Shahid Afridi (22) after Pakistan lost the quick wickets of Imran Nazir (19) and Kamran Akmal (26) to Butler. Butler then dismissed Shoaib Malik (seven) and James Franklin captured Abdul Razzaq (nought) before Umer and Fawad Alam (17 not out) added a quickfire 39 for the fifth wicket. Nazir and Akmal gave Pakistan a robust start of 40 with Nazir hitting three fours and six, while Kamran hit four boundaries and a six before New Zealand's bowlers slammed on the brakes.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   How Pakistan squads expected to show up in their upcoming series against Kiwis? Pakistan have dropped senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq from the squad to play New Zealand and recalled opener Imran Farhat after nearly three years out of the team. Pakistan are scheduled to play four one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches against the Kiwis in Abu Dhabi and Dubai before travelling to New Zealand for a Test series. "We have decided to give Misbah a rest and he will be considered for the tour of Australia and can concentrate on playing domestic cricket," chief selector Iqbal Qasim said while announcing the team. It is the first time Misbah has been dropped since he returned to the national team before the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, while Farhat last played for Pakistan in 2007. "We have problems with finding a reliable opening pair and we have decided to give Farhat another chance," Qasim said. Fast bowler Mohammad Asif, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, openers Salman Butt and Khalid Latif have also been recalled. Pakistan one-day squad for series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai: Younus Khan (captain), Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Muhammad Aamer, Rao Iftikhar, Wahab Riaz. Twenty20 squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Khalid Latif, Imran Nazir, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved, Umar Gul, Muhammad Aamer, Rao Iftikhar, Saeed Ajmal, Imran Farhat, Fawad Alam, Sohail Tanvir Test squad: Younus Khan (captain), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Aamer, Abdul Rauf, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed.     [26] Comments               Post Your Commets   Younis to stay skipper till World Cup 2011 The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected Younis Khan’s resignation and appointed him skipper of the national team until the 2011 World Cup, provided he remains fit till then. “He will continue as captain until the World Cup in 2011, if he stays fit,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters after a PCB governing council meeting here on Monday. “With so many performances this year do you think he should be changed?” he asked, pointing to Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup triumph in England, victory over India and reaching the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. Upset and annoyed Younis submitted his resignation during a hearing of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports in Islamabad last week. The hearing was convened after committee chairman Jamshed Dasti accused the Pakistan team of tanking matches against Australia and New Zealand ‘on purpose’. Dasti said he would investigate reports that Pakistan had deliberately under-performed against Australia and New Zealand in the Champions Trophy that concluded on October 5. Dasti later denied making match-fixing allegations and said his remarks had been misunderstood. Ijaz, however, rejected the resignation and opted to meet Younis privately instead, in a bid to change his mind. It is believed that at the meeting Younis laid down conditions which had to be accepted before he could return: he wanted to streamline the selection process, an assurance of a lengthier tenure than just on a series-by-series basis, and also changes in the team management. Pakistan cricket was also abuzz with stories that some senior players were against Younis, who, they believe, had become arrogant and behaved like a dictator. Though Ijaz did not speak of any such conditions or stories of players revolt against Younis, he was unequivocal in his support for Younis. “When I first appointed him in January 2009, there was no tenure for his captaincy but obviously sometimes security is needed. He is definitely our captain till the 2011 World Cup provided he remains fit. His performance has been excellent, he is fit, he has won a World Cup and as long as the selectors keep picking him, he is our choice as captain.” Though Younis could not be reached for comment, Ijaz said Younis had agreed to take up the captaincy once again.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Younis’s resignation—yet another controversy to badly hit the team spirit Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan offered to resign on Tuesday in protest at a meeting called to investigate the team’s defeats by Australia and New Zealand in the recent Champions Trophy. The 31-year-old said he was appalled and disappointed at being summoned by the Pakistan National Assembly’s committee on sports. “I tender my resignation and if captains are summoned like this, no one will be eager to lead the Pakistan team,” Younis said at the start of the meeting. “I have resigned as a captain,” he later told reporters. “I won’t say a word more.” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Ijaz Butt has rejected the initial offer of Yunus’s resignation. “It’s an emotional decision and I reject it,” Butt said during the meeting, but Younis stuck to his guns. “I had absolutely no idea that he had the resignation letter in his jacket and I was surprised when he produced it,” said Butt. “The matter will be discussed at a governing board meeting on October 19.” Pakistan’s close, one-wicket loss to Australia in a group match last month and their defeat by New Zealand in the semifinal earlier this month sparked allegations from a lawmaker that the team threw the matches. Australia won the tournament, which was held in South Africa. Jamshed Dasti, chairman of the sports committee, alleged last week that Pakistan deliberately lost the match against Australia, a result, which threw archrivals India out of the Champions Trophy. Australia’s win sent them and Pakistan into the semifinals, while India was eliminated in the first round. Dasti later withdrew his allegations, which the PCB had already rejected, but Younis defended his performance and said he felt disappointed at being summoned for investigation. “I set an example and led the team from the front in spite of having an injured finger,” said Younis, who suffered the injury during a warm-up match and had to miss the Champions Trophy’s opening match against the West Indies. He then played in Pakistan’s 58-run win against India and also featured in the match against Australia and New Zealand. Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam said Younis’s decision to resign was a knee-jerk reaction to the allegations. “Naturally, Younis got emotional and resigned, but there has been no decision taken by the PCB,” Alam told. “The fixing allegations were first raised by Indian media, which were shameful and unacceptable.” Dasti said that no proof had been found of any match fixing. “The committee analysed the reasons of the defeats and found no proof of any wrongdoing,” he told reporters. “All were mere speculation, but it was the job of the committee to analyse them and as far as Younis’s resignation is concerned, the PCB will deal with it,” he added.     [37] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan captain’s participation in ODI series against New Zealand hangs in the balance Younis Khan will meet with Pakistan’s cricket chiefs next week to decide whether he would be leading the national team in its limited overs series against New Zealand starting from November 3 in Abu Dhabi. Wasim Bari, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer, told on Saturday that Younis will be meeting with Board chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore and will brief him about his finger injury that has raised a big question mark over his availability for the series against New Zealand. There have been speculations that the Board has already made up its mind to give the captaincy to vice-captain Shahid Afridi for the series against New Zealand, as Younis will not be able to play in it because of the injury that he sustained before the start of the Champions Trophy in South Africa. However, Bari made it clear that Younis is still in the run to play in the series against New Zealand that will include three One-day Internationals in Abu Dhabi and two Twenty20 games in Dubai. Younis will not be playing in the Twenty20 matches as he has already retired from the shortest version of the game. Afridi is Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain. “Younis knows best about his injury,” said Bari. “He would be meeting us next week after which it will be decided whether he would be playing in the series against New Zealand,” said Bari, a former Pakistan Test wicketkeeper. Bari rejected rumours that Afridi has been offered to take over as Pakistan’s one-day captain, saying that senior all-rounder just had a routine meeting with Butt the other day. Meanwhile, Shahid Afridi on Saturday prayed for Younis Khan’s early recovery, saying that he would love to play under Pakistan captain in the one-day series against New Zealand in UAE next month. Afridi told that Younis might take two more weeks to recover from a fractured finger that dogged the senior batsman during the Champions Trophy in South Africa. “I’m expecting Younis to get fit in the next two weeks,” he said. “It would be great for us because he is really a good captain and we enjoy playing under him,” he added.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan need consistency like cricket stars of the past Pakistan's hopes of lifting the Champion's Trophy were shattered by its semi-final loss to the Kiwis. The fact that Pakistan had been favoured to win added to the sense of distress experienced by followers of the game across the country. The giant screens installed at various locations and the parties thrown to enable friends to view the contest collectively also showed just how much significance good news from the sporting field has come to mean in a country where news has rarely been good over the past few years. Winning and losing are of course part of any game. This goes without saying. But what is true too is that the Pakistan team did possess the ability to defeat the Kiwis and could have prevented an all-Antipodean final. This ability though was almost never visible through the semi-final encounter. The 233 runs put together by a shaky batting line up were never likely to be enough. A vital catch dropped by the captain added to the difficulties. Pakistan now needs to look to the future. Under Muhammad Younis, we have seen a new fighting spirit in the team, a renewed willingness to strive together for success. But the contours of the team are still somewhat hazy. We need a clearly defined batting order and a stable opening pair. It is also true that extraordinary players produce the magic that can inspire teams at key moments. Today, the stars of the past are missing. We need to find a way to usher in players who can rise above the ordinary and produce the bowling spells and stints at the crease that can truly turn matches around on a more consistent basis besides many more suggestions that the cricket buffs would put forth as under.     [22] Comments               Post Your Commets   Umpires say sorry to Umar Umpires Simon Taufel (Australia) and Ian Gould (England) said ‘sorry to Umar Akmal’ after their sub-standard and biased umpiring in the Champions Trophy semifinal lead to Pakistan’s unexpected defeat against New Zealand on Saturday. A source in the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed to that heated arguments were exchanged between Pakistan coach Inrtikhab Alam and the umpires during a hearing conducted after the semifinal at Wanderers. Match referee Javagal Srinath called up Umar and Intikhab for a hearing after the match, over what umpires blamed the batsman for showing dissent over the lbw decision. Taufel ruled Umar lbw at a time, when he had played the ball on to his pads. Umar’s fall at a crucial stage robbed Pakistan of a chance to post a big total. The Pakistan camp defended Umar and was very critical of the umpiring standard during the match. Srinath repeated the slides in front of field umpires and later conducted a separate hearing with the umpires. According to the sources, the match referee later cleared Umar of showing any dissent and conveyed that the umpire who had made the decision said ‘sorry’ to Umar for the wrong judgment. That was not the only biased decision by the umpires who faltered on no less than four occasions to help New Zealand make it to the final. Grant Elliott, who went on to play a match-winning knock was let off twice during his stay at the wicket. Shahid Afridi almost got him, when he was new at the crease. Rana Naveed had him plumb on a full toss, when again he was ruled not out. Even Daniel Vettori got a lucky break off Saeed Ajmal. The worst of all that the two field umpires were so strict on Pakistan bowlers that they ruled most of short pitched deliveries as wide ball and at the same time extended full luxury to New Zealand bowlers to hurl such deliveries. The general impression here is that since the ICC is being fully controlled by the Indian lobby, they were not happy with Pakistan approach during their match against Australia. Some of the Indians believe that Pakistan had deliberately kept India out of the semis race, as they did not go all out to achieve win against Australia that could have enabled them make it to the semis. The Indians didn’t want Pakistan to win the Trophy and that whole biased umpiring decision were very much part of that campaign. For the ICC, the Indian market is moneymaking machine and they believe that cricket has got much attraction and following because of the sponsors they get from that country.     [34] Comments               Post Your Commets   Toss or pitch, which will be more crucial in the outcome of match against Kiwis? As Pakistan prepare to make their first ever Champions Trophy final, captain Younis Khan admitted the toss would go on to play an important role in the outcome of the match against New Zealand on Saturday (tomorrow). The Wanderers pitch has proved to be a nightmare for teams batting first. "I think if the wicket plays the way it has been behaving so far, the toss could play an important role in the outcome of the semi, said Younis. It all depends on who wins the toss and what type of pitch we get for the match. The pitch provides assistance to bowlers and even facing the part-timers becomes all the more difficult," Younis said. "So it all depends on luck. Whichever team wins the toss would turn out favourite to win the semis. However, we are adamant not to leave everything to luck. We would fight to the end even if we lose on the spin of the coin," he said. He reiterated that his team is here to win the Trophy and would not be content with anything short of title. "We are just two wins away from winning the event and as such every player is fully geared up to perform to his best." Victory against Australia in the last pool match would have given Pakistan top spot in Pool A and a chance of playing in the first semi against England at Centurion. On the contrary, it is Australia that would go on to play in the first semi. "There is very little difference in the strengths of all the four teams. In spite of resting some players, we were almost there against Australia in the last match. I think any team can beat the other in the semis and the one that holds on to their nerves better is expected to go ahead." On the other hand, Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam was optimistic about the behaviour of the pitch prepared for their semifinal against New Zealand, saying it would be a good track. The organisers have decided to prepare the same track for the semifinal clash at Wanderers that had been used during the match between India and West Indies on Wednesday. "The semifinals will be played on the same pitch that was used for the match between West Indies and India. The track is void of grass and would be a sporting one provided the sky stays clear and weather remains bright." "I think it would be much better surface than on what we have witnessed during the last week. Those pitches, where we saw teams scoring less than 150, were a bit wet. Now when there is enough time for the curators to roll the surface, it would be a much improved surface." Regarding New Zealand's strength, he said they had a balanced side. "They have got some good batsmen up front and it is their fast bowling that could be considered as their strongest point. They have got all the ingredients to give a tough time to Pakistan." Intikhab called on the Pakistan supporters to storm the Wanderers on Saturday as their presence would be of great help for the players.     [70] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan through to semis after beating India Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf shared a record fourth-wicket stand to help Pakistan beat India by 54 runs on Saturday to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals. Pakistan compiled 302 for nine after winning the toss and batting before restricting their archrivals to 248 all out. The victory led Pakistan to the top of Group A with four points from two matches ahead of Australia on two. India and West Indies have no points. Shoaib (128) and Yousuf (87) put on 206 in 193 balls, the biggest stand for any wicket in the Champions Trophy and a fourth-wicket record for Pakistan. The previous record in the competition was 192 for the first wicket, shared by Indians Virender Sehwag and Saurav Ganguly against England in Colombo in 2002 and Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds for West Indies against Bangladesh in Southampton in 2004. Pakistan's previous best for the fourth wicket was an unbroken stand of 198 between Kamran Akmal and Misbah ul-Haq against Australia in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. Shoaib cracked 128 in 126 deliveries, with 16 fours, to record his seventh ODI century. The 27-year-old really hit form in the latter stages of his innings, needing just 27 deliveries for his second 50. Yousuf's 87 featured seven fours in a classy display of wristy stroke making. Left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra struck twice with the new ball for India and finished with four for 55. However he had little support, with only Ishant Sharma pegging back the Pakistan batsmen with two for 39. Rahul Dravid top-scored for India with 76 before being runout in the 42nd over, Umar Gul's fine throw from the cover boundary beating him after Harbhajan Singh had called for a third run. India were given a powerful start by Gautam Gambhir, who lashed 57 off 46 balls, while Suresh Raina added 46 in 41deliveries. Pakistan, though, eventually cruised to victory after claiming the last five wickets for 43 runs. Naved ul-Hasan, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal all picked up two wickets. Seventeen-year-old fast bowler Mohammad Aamer also grabbed two for 46 including Sachin Tendulkar for eight.     [127] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will Pakistan be able to build on its Twenty20 World Cup success in Champions Trophy? Led by Younis Khan, a 15-man Pakistan squad left for Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday to participate in the elite eight-nation ICC Champions Trophy to be played there from September 22 to October 5. Pakistan are in Pool A with holders Australia, India and West Indies, while Pool B comprises of England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and hosts South Africa. For the first time the Champions Trophy is featuring only the top eight sides in the world in the only global multi-team 50-over-a-side tournament between the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean and the next edition of that event, in the Asian sub-continent in two years’ time. The event begins on Sept. 22 with the home side in action against Sri Lanka in a day-night encounter in Centurion and it will end with a day-night final at the same venue on October 5. Pakistan launch their campaign when they take on West Indies in their opening match on 23 and clash with archrivals India in Centurion on 26. They will play their last pool match on 29 against Australia. Top two teams from each pool will progress to the semi-finals. Having already won the Twenty20 World Cup, Pakistan are targeting a second major 2009 title at the upcoming Champions Trophy despite a less-than-impressive history in the competition. Pakistan has not reached the final in any of the five previous editions of the Champions Trophy — the biggest 50-over tournament behind the World Cup. “Our World Twenty20 win has given us confidence and I think we can build on that success in the Champions Trophy. Maybe there is a difference of overs, but the style remains the same and now a team can chase 350-plus,” Younis told reporters before departure to South Africa. Pakistan have kept faith on its experienced middle-order batsmen Shoaib Malik, Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousauf despite a 3-2 loss in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Mohammad Asif will join the squad when his one-year doping ban ends on 22, while all-rounder Rana Navedul Hasan returns after severing his ties with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL). Asif’s return will compensate for Shoaib Akhtar’s failure to make the squad due to lack of fitness. The ever-improving seamer Umar Gul, fast rising Mohammad Aamir and hard working pacer Rao Iftikhar Anjum make up a potent bowling attack with Afridi’s leg-spin and Saeed Ajmal’s off-spin adding variety. Pakistan squad: Younis Khan (captain), Imran Nazir, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi (vice captain), Rana Naveedul Hasan, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Muhammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Saeed Ajmal.     [98] Comments               Post Your Commets   Lawyers need to purge rogues from its ranks Police arrested lawyer Hassan and his accomplice on Friday for "falsely" implicating former Test player Abdul Qadir in a rape case. Mahmoodul Hasan, a lawyer who was the tenant of the leg spin wizard, had on Thursday filed an application with police in which he alleged that Qadir had raped his maid Noreen. Hasan claimed Noreen had told him that Qadir raped her, when she was alone at home. Qadir, in his statement to police, denied the charge and asked for Noreen to be produced so that her statement could be recorded. "Hasan filed a false complaint to extract Rs1 million from me and because he had not paid me rent for one-and-a-half-years. He even sent a man named Liaquat to convey his message that I should pay the money or face the rape charge," Qadir said. Police on Friday raided the house of Noreen, who said that Hasan had forced her to level a charge of rape against Qadir, but she had refused to do so. After her statement was recorded, police arrested Hasan and his accomplice Liaquat. Meanwhile, Qadir has requested the police chief of Punjab province to provide him security as Hasan and his men were threatening him with dire consequences. Speaking to the media, Noreen too dismissed the charges levelled against Qadir, whom she described as a "pious man".     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will any change in format of Test or ODI rob its real charm? Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s idea of changing the one-day international format doesn’t impress former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, who believes the 50-over game has its own charm and there is no need to tinker with it. “Every format of the sport has its own utility and charm and it is better not to try to change these formats,” said Imran. “I don’t think the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket poses any threat to Test or 50-over matches if the international calendar is balanced properly,” said the cricketer-turned-politician. Tendulkar had recently suggested splitting the 50-over matches into two innings of 25-overs each. Imran said after Test matches, ODIs provided toughest challenge for a players and the International Cricket Council (ICC) or its member boards should not try to reduce the number of overs to 40 or less. “That will rob one-day matches of its real charm. Then it is better the ICC just focus on further popularising Twenty20 cricket,” Imran said. He, however, did not see any harm in the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket since it filled the coffers and was good value for money for the spectators. “But at the same time no one should try to change the format of Test or one-day matches. Let them co-exist,” he said. Imran felt the Champions Trophy in South Africa would prove a success and remove any doubts over the future of 50-over cricket.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Younis plans founding players’ association, will it serve the purpose? Younis Khan aims to launch a players' association in Pakistan and has already contacted the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA), a report said Friday. The Pakistan captain met FICA chief Tim May in London during the T20 World Cup in June and “had sought details about the formation of players' association.'' Khan has discussed the issue with current and former players in Pakistan and plans to meet Pakistan Cricket Board officials. “I want to work for the betterment of cricketers in Pakistan because there are several players who are in a lot of financial problems,'' Khan told daily newspaper Jang without mentioning the names of players. “I don't want any confrontation with the PCB and we are not making a group against the board.'' Khan, who led Pakistan to victory in the T20 World Cup, said, “We just want to gather the players for their own rights.'' Khan is expected to have another meeting with May during the Champions Trophy, which begins from Sept. 22 in South Africa. Pakistan's former Test captain Majid Khan had formed a players association during the 1980s, but it did not last long.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Golf: Pakistan qualifies for World Cup, makes history Muhammad Shabbir and Muhammad Munir etched their names in the history books as they guided Pakistan to their first Omega Mission Hills World Cup on Saturday. The unheralded Pakistani duo shot a superb three-under-par 68 in the final round foursomes at Seri Selangor Golf Club to finish third at the Asian qualifier, which was won by pre-tournament favourites Singapore. "Pakistan have played in the cricket World Cup, hockey World Cup and squash World Cup, but never before in our history that we've been in golf's World Cup," said a delighted Munir. "I don't know how to describe how we feel right now. I'm sure everyone in Pakistan will be very happy," he added. Pakistan mixed their scorecard with four birdies against two bogeys before nailing a crucial final birdie on the 18th hole to seal a historic debut against the world's best. Represented by Lam Chih Bing and Mardan Mamat, Singapore carded a closing 72 for a four-day total of 15-under-par 269 to finish one shot ahead of Philippines pair Mars Pucay and Angelo Que. The top three qualify for the World Cup, which takes place in China in November. A World Cup appearance continues to elude the Malaysian pair of Iain Steel and Danny Chia as they ended fourth after a battling 71 while Myanmar finished a further three strokes behind following a 74.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is the named Pakistan squad best combination, as claimed by Qasim? Pakistan cricket chief selector, Iqbal Qasim Friday said that the named outfit was the best combination available in the country keeping in view the toughness and seriousness of the Champions Trophy. He said that Pakistan had no option but to look towards their experienced players for a tough event like the Champions Trophy. "The Champions Trophy has the world's best eight teams," said Qasim, who took over as the chief selector early this month. "We will need all the experience we have to do well in it as there are top teams like Australia and India in our group." Pakistan made an embarrassing first round exit from the previous edition of the Champions Trophy in India after suffering defeats at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa. Qasim made it clear that the senior players had to perform otherwise there were many youngsters full of potential who can fill their places. When asked about Pakistan’s chances in the event, the former leg spinner said if Pakistan were able to defeat West Indies in their opening match, then the team would be on the right track to make ‘step by step progress’ in their quest to win the coveted title. Pakistan team selectors, headed by former Test spinner Iqbal Qasim, have dropped experienced and seasoned all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and opener Salman Butt. Opener Nasir Jamshed, who was part of the one-day international squad in Sri Lanka, has also been excluded, while the controversial fast bowler Mohammad Asif in a 15-member squad named for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. Asif had served his time for the mistakes he made and the board felt he could be a big asset for the team in such a big tournament, said Qasim. But despite his selection, Asif can’t take part in Pakistan’s conditioning camp leading up to the Champions Trophy because his ban expires after the camp finishes. The selectors have stuck with the batting line-up that performed poorly against Sri Lanka. The experienced batting quartet of Shoaib Malik, Misbahul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan forms the basis of the batting line-up. All-rounder Shahid Afridi has been appointed vice captain keeping in view his performance as captain in the only Twenty20 international during the Sri Lanka tour. The Pakistan squad has only one specialist opener in Imran Nazir, who returned to the side in Sri Lanka after leaving the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL). Many eyes will be on Umar Akmal, wicketkeeper Kamran’s 19-year-old brother, who made such an impact in Sri Lanka and was Pakistan’s highest scorer in that series. Squad: Younis Khan (captain), Imran Nazir, Misbahul Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Rana Navedul Hasan, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Saeed Ajmal.     [30] Comments               Post Your Commets   Let’s hope psychologist will cure our mental cricketers Pakistan captain Younis Khan in an interview said he had asked the Pakistan cricket board to arrange more time with a psychologist during a short conditioning camp to be arranged for the Champions Trophy in mid-September. “We will have two proper counseling sessions because there is a problem with us that we tend to suffer from a mental block, when it comes to handling pressure or finishing off matches,” he said. Pakistan will again seek the help of a sports psychologist to inspire them to repeat their Twenty20 World Cup success in the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. Pakistani players had several counseling sessions with sports psychologist Maqbool Bari before heading to England, where they upset a string of more-fancied sides to clinch the T20 World Cup in May. The team faltered badly, however, immediately after during their recent tour to Sri Lanka, where they lost both the Test and one-day series. “There is no doubt that the sessions with the psychologist helped improve the self belief and focus of the players before the T20 World Cup,” Pakistan captain Younis Khan told The Pakistan board has also appointed former captain and batting great, Javed Miandad as batting consultant for the Champions Trophy. Younis said that former captains, Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar would also visit the conditioning camp to work with the players. “I think our players can gain a lot by seeking advice from these former greats and a psychologist. We need these things to do well in the Champions Trophy which is a mega event.”     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Isn’t all is well that ends well? Pakistan has reached an out-of-court settlement with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the country being stripped of co-hosting rights for the 2011 cricket World Cup, local media reported on Friday. Pakistani media reported that Ijaz Butt, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, received authorization from the PCB governing board on Thursday to reach a cash-settlement with the ICC. The amount of the final settlement was not disclosed, reported The News. Pakistan had already secured a $10.5 million payment for the 14 games it was initially scheduled to hold before the country was removed as co-host on security grounds. The ICC’s move to remove Pakistan - leaving India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as co-hosts - came after last year’s terrorist attack on Sri Lanka’s test team and security detail in which six policemen and a van driver were killed. Pakistan had considered lobbying to have its game moved to another venue, such as the United Arab Emirates, but that the ICC ruled out.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   We will either win Champions Trophy or WC: Younus The disastrous tour of Sri Lanka and rumours of discord in the team notwithstanding, Pakistan captain Younus Khan is confident that his mercurial side will either win the Champions Trophy next month or the 2011 World Cup. After his team notched a consolation win over Sri Lanka in the fifth and final one-day international in Colombo yesterday, Younus said he had a pool of 20 players in mind who will win either the Champions Trophy this year or the 2011 World Cup. "The pool of players includes some talented players and if things go well and everyone including the board, selectors, team management and players fulfill their roles properly I am sure we can win one of the two big tournaments coming up," he added. There is no harm in hoping against hope. We can only wish Yunus well in achieving his target, do you agree/disagree, why?     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Politics in sports galore, Saqlain faces possible ban Former Pakistan captain Muhammad Saqlain is facing a possible ban following his accusation that a top hockey federation official is forcing him to retire. Saqlain was on Friday issued a show cause notice by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) over his media outburst against its secretary Asif Bajwa. The notice was issued by Shahid Parvez Bhandara, chairman of PHF’s disciplinary committee for “commenting against the PHF in the media”. Saqlain has been asked to submit his explanation by August 11 and to appear before the seven-man committee the next day. Saqlain launched a scathing attack against Bajwa after he was left out of a 31-man training squad for the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers. The Lahore-based midfielder alleged that Bajwa held a personal grudge against him and was conspiring to end his international career. He has been accused by the PHF committee of bringing a bad name for the game’s governing body in Pakistan. The committee includes Iqbal Qasim, Rana Mujahid Ali, Sagheer Ahmad, Gulfraz Ahmad, Rana Shakir and Zahir Shah. Pakistan sports lovers were already deeply hurt on the Pakistan cricket debacle in Sri Lanka allegedly due to internal rifts in the team and now this unfortunate development in the Pakistan hockey has come as a bolt from the blue, will Pakistan sports ever come out of such intrigues within?     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   How justified is the firing of PCB bosses for Sri Lanka debacle? Former players on Tuesday called for a major shake-up in Pakistani cricket after the national side lost the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka 3-0. Sri Lanka, who won the preceding three-Test series 2-0 to post their first home series win against Pakistan, crushed Pakistan by six wickets on Monday to secure the limited-overs contest as well. Sri Lanka has never won a home one-day series against Pakistan before and are now eyeing a clean sweep. Former captain Zaheer Abbas said the defeat stressed the need for a major overhaul. "The World Twenty20 win had hid all the weaknesses in the team and the cricket board," said Abbas, referring to Pakistan's triumph in England in June. "The top man doesn't know much about the intricacies of cricket and is taking decisions to please his friends," Abbas said of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt. "From top to bottom we need changes. "Since this board has taken over we have lost the Champions Trophy, we have been stripped of World Cup 2011 matches and we have failed to handle the team, so this is total mismanagement, which is unacceptable," said Abbas. "The coach (Intikhab Alam) must go, and the captain (Younis Khan) also lacks the qualities of a good leader," said Abbas. Security fears in Pakistan forced the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate the biennial Champions Trophy to South Africa in February. Two months later, the ICC also had to move World Cup 2011 matches out of Pakistan. Former chief selector Abdul Qadir demanded resignations from the board and the team. "They should feel ashamed," said Qadir, who resigned in June after alleging interference in selection matters from the PCB and Alam. Former captain Aamer Sohail, who last month resigned as the PCB's development director after differences with management, also slammed the Pakistani setup. "No one, from the board officials to the team management, seems to have a clear plan in mind," he said. But another former captain, Rashid Latif, differed. "Changes are not the solution," said Latif. "I think the team needs to go back to basics and there should be no interference in team planning. The team must play to its own plan."     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Younus to try win at least one match on this tour Following dismal performance of Pakistan cricket team in Sri Lanka, defeated 0-2 in the three-Test series, Pakistan has also lost the One-day International series as the hosts are leading the five match series 3-0. In the third One-day International at Dambulla, Pakistan lost despite putting up their best total in the series. The former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene made 123 and shared an opening stand of 202 with Upul Tharanga (76) as the hosts cruised past Pakistan’s challenging 288-8 in the 47th over of the high-scoring match. Sri Lanka, who had won the preceding Test series 2-0, made light work of an improved batting display by Pakistan in which teenager Umar Akmal led the way with 66 off 65 balls. The 19-year-old, whose elder brother Kamran Akmal is the team’s wicketkeeper, propelled Pakistan to the highest total ever at the Rangiri International Stadium. But Jayawardene, opening the batting in place of the indisposed Sanath Jayasuriya, and Tharanga gave Sri Lanka the perfect start in good batting conditions. Pakistan captain Younus Khan conceded the Sri Lankan openers took the game away from his side. "I thought we put up a good total, but we had no answer to the way Jayawardene and Tharanga batted. We could have fielded better. "Now I wish we can win at least one match on this tour." The action shifts to Colombo where the last two one-dayers will be played on Friday and Sunday. Meanwhile, you are welcome to put up some suggestions that may help Younus in his efforts of winning at least on match and save a complete whitewash on this tour.     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is Pakistan against Sri Lanka heading to a complete whitewash? On a lively Dambulla track on Saturday, Pakistani batters were once again spooked by a determined Sri Lankan pace battery. It was the same old story as the touring party lost one batsman after the other and was bowled out for a mere 168 in 47 overs before going on to lose the second One-day International by six wickets. Batting collapses have become a mere routine for the Pakistanis, who entered the one-day series in a confident mood even after a 0-2 rout in the three-Test contest earlier on the tour. The return of their World Twenty20 campaign hero Shahid Afridi and the recall of former Indian Cricket League (ICL) rebels — Imran Nazir and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan — was supposed to work as a shot in the arm for the Pakistanis, who had last month suffered the ignominy of becoming the first tourists from their country to lose a Test series in Sri Lanka. But things seem to have hardly changed for Younis Khan’s men, who have so far batted like novices on most occasions during this nightmarish tour of Sri Lanka. Though with three games still to go, Pakistan have a slim chance of winning the series, but the way they are playing at the moment one would bet on a 5-0 triumph for Sri Lanka instead of a 3-2 series victory for the struggling visitors. Do you agree or disagree--why?     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s nightmare—isn’t getting mysterious? Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ejaz Butt has rejected the reports, which suggested that the main reason for their defeat in the second test was division within the Pakistan team. After collapse of Pakistan batting order the conjectures about division within the team were raised and the former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq also gave his consent stating that he could sense that there was division within the team. The former skipper Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt were among the players who disliked the strategies of skipper Younus. However the PCB chairman termed these rumors baseless saying that their team player have failed to deliver, as they did not have played much cricket in the past two years, which led to their batting collapse. Corroborating the statement of PCB chairman, Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said he needs more time to 'rebuild' the team, which has played "very little cricket over the last 18 months". "Give this team some time, don't point fingers too early. It will be very easy for me too to blame particular players, even myself. But the reality is we haven't been playing any Test cricket. It's very easy for me to give up, to say I can't captain this team. But somebody will have to stand up and fix the situation. Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketers have blamed poor team spirit for the team's defeat to Sri Lanka in the Colombo Test. Former leg-spinner and chief selector, Abdul Qadir said factionalism and poor team spirit were responsible for the team's meek surrender before an ordinary Sri Lankan bowling line-up. Younus doesn't have leadership qualities, said Nawaz. Inzamam-ul-Haq also blamed the captain for the team's poor show. Could you resolve this mystery amid conflicting views of the authorities and those of the experts still pouring in?     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will new-look Pakistan meet ODI challenge? Pakistan are banking on a fresh set of players to deliver as they seek to avenge Sri Lanka’s Test victory in a one-day series starting Thursday. Pakistan were beaten in a Test series for the first time on Sri Lankan soil when Younis Khan’s men lost the first two matches before drawing the final game in Colombo last week. But Younis is confident a change in personnel and infusion of new blood for the five one-day matches will revive the tourists and provide entertaining cricket for fans. “There are many players in the team who did not play the Test series, and they are keen to prove that Pakistan are one of the best one-day teams in the world,” he said. All-rounder Shahid Afridi, who was man of the match in both the semifinal and final of the World Twenty20, returns to bolster the tourists after opting out of the Test series. Pakistan will also welcome back seamer Rana Naved, 31, and opening batsman Imran Nazir, 27, who will represent the country once again after breaking links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League. All eyes, however, will be on talented 19-year-old batsman Umar Akmal, younger brother of wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who forced his way onto the side with impressive scores in domestic cricket. Umar hit an unbeaten 103 in a warm-up match in Kurunegala on Monday when Pakistan failed to chase down Sri Lanka ‘A’s 348-6 by just 15 runs. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be boosted by the return of world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan and fiery fast bowler Lasith Malinga after they both missed the Test series with knee injuries. Muralitharan, who has taken more Test (770) and one-day (505) wickets than any other bowler, will lend experience to the hosts’ bowling attack in the absence of veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas. Middle-order batsman Thilan Samaraweera returns to the one-day arena after four years, but dashing Tillakaratne Dilshan will miss the series after sustaining finger and eye injuries during the third Test. Upul Tharanga is expected to open the innings with veteran Sanath Jayasuriya.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   PHF visa scam smears Pakistan’s image The parliament’s standing committee on sports is to investigate allegations that hockey federation officials misused the governing body’s authority to help obtain visas for people looking to emigrate. Jamshed Khan Dasti, who heads the National Assembly standing committee on sports, said it wanted to get to the bottom of the serious allegations from officials and former players. ‘Such allegations are badly damaging the image of the country and its sports team. We want to know the truth,’ he said. Former Pakistan captain Mansoor Ahmed and ex-national coach Naveed Alam have alleged that some PHF officials misused the federation to obtain visas for European countries and encouraged some people to slip away in Italy while going there as members of official delegations. The federation last week slapped a lifetime ban on Ahmed, a member of Pakistan’s gold medal teams at the 1994 Champions Trophy and World Cup, charging him with posing as a federation official to obtain visas from the United States embassy for a private team. Alam, a former national team player, was also given a lifetime ban by the federation alleging he misappropriated funds when he was Pakistan manager and coach last year. Both former players have rejected the charges and vowed to contest the bans. A PHF spokesman said, “We will clear the misconception of people slipping away in Europe, while on official hockey tours. The committee will look at evidence and recommend strong action against such people,” he added. Dasti claimed whoever was found guilty would not be spared. We can only hope and wait, isn’t it?     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan tails off in Asian Jr. TT Pakistan secured 10th position in the boys’ team event of the 15th Asian Juniors Table Tennis Championship, which is currently in progress in Indian city of Jaipur, according to results made available here on Friday. Pakistan lost all but one matches in the first stage of group A to finish fifth among the six-team group. They went down to Iran, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore by an identical margin of 0-3 besides winning straight against Kazakhstan. The group B consisted of five teams, namely, Chinese Taipei, India, Thailand, North Korea and Bahrain. In the playoff matches for 9th to 12th position, Pakistan gave a 3-1 drubbing to Thailand apart from losing 1-3 to Singapore to finish 10th among 11 nations. Table Tennis is a game, which doesn’t require much of investment and it could easily be promoted in every educational institutions located in every nook and corner of the country for grooming up players of international standard and thus saving us from such embarassment. Will the authorities here wake up after such a poor showing of Pakistan at the Asian Jr. TT?     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan rebuild after early shocks in final Test Khurram Manzoor and Mohammad Yousuf lifted Pakistan with an unbeaten 67-run stand after Sri Lanka's Thilan Thushara struck quick blows at the start of the third Test here on Monday. Pakistan, sent in to bat in overcast conditions by Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, recovered from a shaky 34-2 to post 103 without further loss by lunch on the first day at the Sinhalese sports club. Left-arm seamer Thushara grabbed two wickets in four balls to give Sri Lanka a solid start in their bid to sweep the three-match series after winning the previous two matches. But the third-wicket pair of Manzoor and Yousuf denied Sri Lanka further success till lunch on a barren wicket that appeared full of runs. Manzoor, playing his fifth Test, was unbeaten at the break on 42, while the 82-match veteran Yousuf was on a fluent 36. Openers Fawad Alam and Manzoor had put on 34 within the first hour, when Thushara struck in his third over after replacing Nuwan Kulasekera. Left-handed Alam, who hit a brilliant 168 on debut in the previous Test, made 16 when he edged Thushara to wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan. Three balls later, Pakistan captain Younus Khan chopped a delivery wide of the off-stump on to his stumps after making two. Yousuf hit the best shot of the morning session, when he stepped out and lofted left-arm spinner Rangana Herath over the long-on fence for six. Later, he punched the same bowler off the backfoot to the point fence. Veteran seamer Chaminda Vaas, playing his final Test match after announcing his retirement from the five-day game on Sunday, bowled an opening spell of five overs in which he conceded 14 runs. Pakistan also made one change, bringing in seasoned leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in place of seamer Abdur Rauf.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Aftab sees Indo-Pak cricket revival The recent meeting between prime ministers of Pakistan and India could break the ice and we might have revival of cricket series very soon," Federal Sports Minister, Pir Aftab Hussain Jilani told reporters. "Let me assure you that the Government of Pakistan is very eager for the resumption of sporting ties, but our Indian counterparts have yet not reciprocated in the same manner," he said. He said cricket is the most popular game in both the country and in his opinion it didn't make sense to deny the people of watching the two most exciting teams in the cricketing world in action on their own soil. "It is heartening however to note that contacts are being revived in other games and we are hoping cricket turn will come sooner than later," he believed. He said Sports Ministry and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) allowing various teams to visit India on case-to-case basis and wanted similar gesture from Indian sports authorities.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   What is behind our cricketers’ erratic performance? There were many explanations for Pakistan's sorry plight in Sri Lanka where Younis Khan's men became the first visitors from their country to suffer a Test series defeat on Tuesday. "You can expect anything from Pakistan. They are so unpredictable," the experts kept telling you as the Pakistanis lost wicket after wickets on the third day of their second Test in Colombo to finally lose the match by seven wickets. Unpredictability alone, however, cannot explain why Pakistan could throw away nine wickets for a mere 35 runs after having dominated the same Sri Lankan attack for almost two preceding sessions and at times plundered it for runs, almost at will. It cannot explain why a rookie, on Test debut, could master both the pacers and slow bowlers to muster up 168 with an enviable ease, while most of his more experienced and illustrious team-mates couldn't even reach the double figures. Neither Younis Khan's explanation that his team has gone through three horrific batting collapses in four innings because it lacks Test exposure. There has to be much more to it than just the shortage of Test practice why in the first two Tests of the series against Sri Lanka, three of the team's senior batters have managed a combined score of just 198 runs. Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal - three of the key players in the batting-line have almost completely flopped in the series. Take a look at Misbah's stats. The 35-year-old has scored 779 runs from 14 Tests at an average of 37.09. But in the last two Tests, he has just scored 66 runs at 16.50. He started off well in Galle with a 56 in the first innings, but has since fell for 7, 0 and 3. Shoaib Malik, who relinquished captaincy to Younis earlier this year, has fared little better. He has scored 83 at 27.66, which is lower than his career average of 35.73 from 25 Tests (1215 runs). Malik was one of the most prolific run-getters, when Pakistan toured Sri Lanka in 2006. Kamran Akmal has been the worst, just 29 runs from four outings, in the current series at 12.25. The wicketkeeper-batsman has a much better career record, having accumulated 2151 runs from 42 Tests at 33.09. The trio's below-par showing has added fuel to conspiracy theories, which suggest that even a morale-boosting triumph in the World Twenty20 championship in England last month has failed to unite the team, which many believe stays bitterly divided. Former Pakistan Test pacer Sarfraz Nawaz is convinced that there are 'groupings' within the team with senior players like Malik and Misbah unwilling to give their best under Younis. Inzamam-ul-Haq has raised similar fears. The former Pakistan captain also believes that Younis is doing little to erase this menace. Even if such theories are off the mark, Pakistan cricket's think-tank has to find solutions for the team's perennial problem - inconsistency.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan post-lunch queer collapse puts Sri Lanka in command A match of wildly fluctuating fortunes took another incredible turn in the afternoon session as Pakistan, cruising at 294 for 2 at lunch, collapsed in a heap to be bundled out for 320, losing their last nine wickets for 35 to leave Sri Lanka a target of 171 to wrap up their first home series win against Pakistan. There was no indication of such a monumental shift in momentum when the teams went in to lunch - the pitch was flat, offering little assistance for pace or spin. All that changed, though, when Kumar Sangakkara took the second new ball immediately after lunch. Surprisingly, it was Rangana Herath who took it, and equally surprisingly, he struck immediately, removing Yousuf with his second ball. That triggered off a spectacular collapse, as seven more wickets fell in the next 92 deliveries. Nuwan Kulasekara had struggled for seam and swing in the first 80 overs, but armed with the second new ball in overcast conditions, he suddenly obtained exaggerated inswing, trapping four batsmen lbw. Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Abdur Rauf and Saeed Ajmal all got their front foot too far across, though Misbah was unfortunate as the ball seemed to be missing leg stump. Is it all lost or any scope still left for optimism?     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan strongly bounces back Debutant Fawad Alam scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan produced a remarkable turnaround to claw their way back in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Monday. The tourists, who were bowled out for 90 in their first innings, hit back to dismiss Sri Lanka for 240 and then cruised to 178-1 in their second knock by stumps on the second day. Left-handed Alam led the way with a determined 102 not out to give Pakistan a lead of 28 runs with nine wickets in hand on a dry pitch that appeared to have eased out under the hot sun. The fearless 23-year-old from Karachi moved to 98 by lofting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a six over mid-wicket and then flicked the next ball for two runs to reach the coveted century. He is the first Pakistani to score a century on debut away from home. Alam put on 85 for the first wicket with Khurram Manzoor, who made 38 before he was caught behind by wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan off Herath.Skipper Younis Khan, who was dismissed for zero in the first innings, was unbeaten on 35 at stumps after adding 93 for the unbroken second wicket with Alam. Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara rotated his seam and spin attack in short bursts to gain quick breakthroughs, but Pakistan’s batsmen were not found wanting a second time. Seamer Umar Gul and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal launched Pakistan’s fight back taking four wickets each to keep Sri Lanka’s first innings in check. The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 63 runs after starting the day at a comfortable 164-3.Gul extracted reverse swing with the old ball on the dry wicket to rip through the innings, including the wickets of Nuwan Kulasekera and Herath off successive deliveries. Thilan Thushara denied Gul a hat-trick and Angelo Mathews hit a defiant 27 towards the end to boost Sri Lanka’s total from 220-8 before the innings ended 20 minutes after lunch. The hosts lost the overnight pair of Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera within the first hour for the addition of 24 runs. Samaraweera, who made 21 in a fourth-wicket stand of 44 with his captain, was run out by a direct throw from Mohammad Aamer at mid-off while trying to attempt a cheeky single. Sangakkara plodded from his overnight score of 81 to 87 but was denied a 19th Test century when Gul pegged back his off-stump with a reverse-swinging delivery that came in sharply. Ajmal, who had claimed two wickets on Sunday, earned another crucial break when umpire Daryl Harper ruled Dilshan caught at the wicket by Kamran Akmal for 20 to make Sri Lanka 203-6. The hosts tripped to 220-8 soon after, when Gul had Kulasekera edging a wild heave to Misbah-ul Haq at first slip before taking a return catch off Herath with the next delivery. Thushara was leg-before to Abdur Rauf in the first over after lunch before Ajmal terminated the innings by having Mathews caught in the covers by Mohammad Yousuf. Sri Lanka won the first Test in Galle by 50 runs last week to take the lead in the three-match series.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Does Pakistan crash in Colombo 1st inning sink all hopes? Pakistan team collapsed for a mere total of 90 runs against Sri Lanka after lunch on first day of the second Test match here on Sunday. This was Pakistan’s lowest ever Test score against Sri Lanka, eclipsing previous total 117 made recently in the first Test played at Galle. Sri Lanka's pace duo of Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilan Thushara ripped through Pakistan's batting line after Pakistan elected to bat on a wicket that gave early assistance to the seamers, slumped to 19-4 within the first seven overs before going to lunch on the first day struggling at 74-6. Kulasekera, playing his eighth Test, grabbed four wickets for 21 runs and left-armer Thushara chipped in with three scalps in a dramatic Pakistani collapse at the P. Sara Oval. Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers as he returned unbeaten at the end of the innings with 39. Only two other batsmen, Fawad Alam (16) and Mohammad Yousuf (10) could enter into double figures whereas four batsmen, captain Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, opener Khurram Manzoor and Abdul Rauf, got out for naught. It was not the start the tourists were looking for after losing the first Test in Galle last week to trail 1-0 in the three-match series.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   PHF unable to host Asian Champions Trophy this year The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) informed the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) that it is unable to hold the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy in September this year, due to the pressing assignments of the national senior team in future and the security situation in the country as well. PHF secretary Asif Bajwa said that he had suggested the AHF to allocate new dates for the event after the World Cup next year. Asif Bajwa, who recently returned home as manager of the Pakistan team from England, said the federation was negotiating with various European and Asian countries to prepare the team for this year’s qualifying round of the World Cup. The PHF had itself suggested to AHF hosting the Champions Trophy. Though the AHF had allowed the event, it has given no surety about the participation of any team, since it was the responsibility of the PHF. As no team has confirmed the participation so far, the PHF considered it better to ask the AHF to postpone it for the next year, with the hope the security situation in the country would have been improved. Isn’t a set back to the Pakistani team preparing for this year’s qualifying round of the World Cup?     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Love is blind, Sania Mirza fans be treated with compassion After Mohammad Ashraf from Kerala, it was turn of Ajay Singh Yadav from UP to serve a love volley to Sania on Thursday — just a day before her engagement. Ajay desperately sought to meet Sania, but the cops, who were already on a high alert after the Ashraf episode on Tuesday night, stepped in to end the game quickly. Cops said that Ajay, a 20-year-old BTech II-year student of Dronacharya Engineering College in Gurgaon, had come down to Hyderabad two days ago after coming to know of Sania's engagement through media reports. He had been staying at a relative's place in Nampally. At about 11.30 am on Thursday, Ajay went to Road Number 9, Banjara Hills, and enquired with locals about the location of Sania's house. After zeroing in on the residence, Ajay tried to gate-crash, but was stopped in his tracks by security personnel. He told them that he liked Sania and wanted to meet her. Instead of getting to meet her, Ajay was pinned down and frisked. And out tumbled a letter written by him to the tennis star. "We found a letter written in Hindi inside the bag. He had written some poetry expressing his admiration and love for Sania," DCP West Zone C Ravi Varma said. Like Ashraf, Ajay had also never met Sania. He told reporters that he was in love with her since the past five years. Ajay is from Etah in Uttar Pradesh and his father, Om Prakash Yadav, is a schoolteacher. Cases under Section 509 (uttering any word or making any gesture with an intent to outrage the modesty of a woman) were slapped against Ashraf and Ajay. Don’t these fans of Sania Mirza be treated with compassion, as love is said to be blind? Send your comments.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s shocking defeat in first Test vs Sri Lanka After outplaying Sri Lanka for the first three days, Pakistan cricket team was surprisingly all out on the fourth day when it lost their last eight batsmen for 46 runs, giving the visitors a dramatic 50-run victory in the first cricket Test at the Galle International Stadium. Chasing a modest target of 168, Pakistan were collapsed from a seemingly impregnable 71-2 to 117 all out in their second innings before lunch on the fourth day. Pakistan’s astonishing defeat gave Sri Lanka a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, the first between the two nations since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3. A stunned Pakistan captain Younis Khan said the team's lack of Test cricket -- just three Tests in the last 18 months -- had proved costly. The team who a few days ago emerged as the champions of the World Twenty20 Cup could not achieve an easy target despite dominating the game for three successive days. What do you think were the factors behind this defeat?     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   How Pakistan can stage a comeback, after poor show in Lanka first test? Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 50 runs in the first cricket Test on Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan, chasing a modest target of 168, collapsed from their overnight total of 71-2 to 117 all out just before lunch on the fourth day at the Galle International Stadium. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 292 and 217-- Pakistan 342 and 117. Pakistan losing so soon against Sri Lanka, one could never expect, especially when the euphoria of T20 victory had not yet died down. Yet, the poor performance of Pakistan squad particularly in the second inning of the first test gave Sri Lankan a chance to avenge their defeat at Lords. The second Test starts at the P. Sara stadium in Colombo on July 12.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shortening Test matches from five to four days The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering shortening Test matches from five to four days in a bid to revamp the game's traditional format and save it from the rise of the popular Twenty20 version. The idea of four-day Tests was raised in strategy discussions during ICC meetings in London last month. ICC president David Morgan has floated the idea of having four-day Tests saying that Test cricket will have to be made more exciting through a series of steps. Responding to this idea, some people feared that such steps would achieve little other than ruining the traditional format of the game. "To have four-day Tests played with coloured balls and under floodlights will be the sort of experimentation, which Test cricket doesn't need," said Javed Miandad, regarded among the greatest batsmen of all time. He also suggested that the ICC should form a think-tank involving the big names of world cricket, which should come out with comprehensive suggestions over issues like the survival of Test cricket. You are invited to comment on this issue.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Who is responsible for shifting of World Cup matches? The government of Pakistan has blamed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s decision to shift 2011 World Cup matches from the country. Pointing fingers towards the PCB chief Ijaz Butt, Sports Minister, Pir Aftab Jilani said those who run the matters of PCB are responsible for losing the rights of hosting World Cup 2011 matches. Of course, the one who is running the show of Pakistan cricket is responsible for this shift, media quoted Jilani saying. The ICC had decided not to host any World Cup matches in Pakistan following the brazen terrorist attack on the visiting Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore in March. Later, the apex cricket committee awarded all the 14 matches, which Pakistan had to host earlier, to the other three host nations India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Pakistan revelled in its World Twenty20 triumph recently, as former cricket greats voiced hopes that the victory could help restore the strife-torn nation's place in international cricket.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan eyeing victory in Sri Lanka World Twenty20 champions Pakistan are going to Sri Lanka after winning the World Twenty20 Cup in England. The 15-man squad, including pardoned rebel Indian league players Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq, starts the current tour on June 29 with a three-day side match in Colombo. The first Test starts at Galle from July 4. The other two Tests will be played in Colombo (July 12-16 and July 20-24) followed by one-day series and the Twenty20 match. All-rounder Shahid Afridi, declared man-of-the-match in Pakistan’s semifinal and final win in the World Twenty20, will skip the Test leg of the Sri Lanka tour but will be available for the limited over matches. Injury-prone paceman Shoaib Akhtar, who missed the World Twenty20 due to groin problems, was also not considered for selection for the Sri Lanka tour. Also axed from the squad was paceman Sohail Tanvir, part of Pakistan’s winning team in the World Cup. Rookie 17-year-old paceman Mohammad Aamir, the find for Pakistan in their World Twenty20 win, will supplement the attack along with the more experienced Umar Gul and Razzaq. Also returning to the squad is paceman Abdur Rauf, who played four one-day matches last year but was never selected for the Tests. What do you expect from Pakistan team in this series? Your views in this regard will be welcomed.     [41] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan are the Champions now! June 21 has always been the longest day of the year and today this is also the biggest day for Pakistan as they took the biggest cricket spectacle by storm at Lord’s, the home of cricket. This is indeed a great achievement for Pakistan who are deprived of playing international cricket at home as no country wants to come here for security concerns. Pakistan began the mega event on a bad note, losing the opener to England, but they gradually got the tempo by moving into Super Eights where they outclassed Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa to march into the final. In the final today, they thrashed the in-form Sri Lanka to snatch the coveted trophy. Now, they have become the world champions of Twenty20 cricket. Younus Khan led his boys remarkably well to follow the footsteps of Imran Khan by lifting the World Cup trophy. This is a wonderful gift to his people who are facing terror at home. This will boost his nation’s morale back home. This will bring a wave of happiness in the country which is dogged by suicide bombing, political uncertainties and economic downslide. You are invited to share your feelings with us.     [134] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan will rule the cricket world? LONDON: Pakistan have succeeded in reaching the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 Cup 2009 as they won two of the three games in the Super Eights stage. After losing to Sri Lanka, they defeated New Zealand and Ireland to book their place in the semi-finals. Pakistan captain Younus Khan believes that Pakistan will be crowned World Twenty20 champions. He says that they now have the right mixture of experience and youth to see them through. Pakistan were runners-up to their bitter rivals India at the 2007 World Twenty20 tournament. This time, cricket lovers cannot see them contest again for the title as Indians have been knocked out of the tournament after being defeated by the West Indies and England in their Super Eights matches. What do you think? Will Pakistan be the new champions of Twenty20 cricket?     [253] Comments               Post Your Commets   India knocked out of World Twenty20 cricket India, who were taking part in the World Twenty20 Cup 2009 as defending champions and were being considered hot favourites for retaining the title, bowed out of this mega event after they lost to England by three runs on Sunday to record consecutive losses in the Super 8 stage of the tournament in England. Pakistan were runners-up to their bitter rivals India at the 2007 World Twenty20 tournament. This time, cricket lovers cannot see them contest again for the title as Indians have been knocked out of the tournament. How do you see India’s fall and what will be the impact on Indian cricket?     [39] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan in World Twenty20 Super Eights Cricket lovers must be happy over Pakistan’s marching into Super Eights. Despite losing their opening match against England, Pakistan however managed to reach the second phase of the ICC World Twenty20 – Super Eights – by recording a 82-run impressive victory over the Netherlands. They have joined Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Ireland in Group F of the tournament. Pakistan will begin their campaign for a place in the semifinals of the ICC World Twenty20 championship against Sri Lanka at Lord's on June 12. Later, they will meet New Zealand at The Oval on June 13 followed by their final Super Eights game against Ireland on June 15 at the same venue. They have to work hard and play under a well planned strategy for qualifying to play in the semi-final of the mega event. Your suggestions, views and comments in this regard will be most welcomed.     [160] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s prospects in World Twenty20 The ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2009 is being played in England from June 5 and it will continue till June 21. Twelve cricket playing nations are participating in this 16-day mega event. All the participating teams have been grouped in four pools of three each, with the top two qualifying for two groups of four each in the Super Eight stage from which the top two teams will qualify for the final. The teams taking part in the tournament are: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies. Pakistan did not play sufficient international cricket for the last one and a half year. Now, they have made it back in a big international event. In your opinion, what are chances of Pakistan winning in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament? Will they be able to grab the prestigious trophy, or make it to the final, or just reach the Super Eights?     [104] Comments               Post Your Commets   World Cup woes The ICC decision is made: Pakistan has lost hosting rights for the 2011 World Cup matches, which will now be distributed between India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The ICC has judged the security situation in Pakistan is not conducive to the hosting of international cricket. Our years of isolation have begun in earnest. Predictably enough, voices within the country have loudly condemned the ICC verdict, insisting it is unfair. The loss of the most prestigious event in cricket is a huge blow, both in terms of sport and revenue. But perhaps we should accept that, following the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers earlier this year; such a decision was more or less inevitable. It is true 2011 is still two years away, but clearly the international community is unconvinced there will by then be any major change in the situation in Pakistan. Events that take place beyond the playing fields also have an impact on this perception. Sadly, Pakistan today is seen as a country that lives under the dark shadow of militancy. It is only when this image changes that we can have any hope of returning to normalcy. The ICC decision will not change. We may say it is unjust, but we have no real choice but to live with its grim consequences. Your comments are welcome on the ICC decision and now what Pakistan should do to seize it back as quickly as possible!     [22] Comments               Post Your Commets   Javed Miandad resigns as PCB Director General Unhappy over Shoaib Malik's unceremonious sacking and disagreement as regards his contract, Javed Miandad resigned as Director-General of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Miandad said that he no longer wanted to be mere symbolic director general and he was not able to discharge his duties as per his job responsibilities - Sources in the PCB have confirmed that Miandad has resigned but it was not clear if his resignation has been accepted by the Board as PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt is in Perth to attend ICC's Executive Board Meeting. Miandad's resignation comes less than 24 hours after emergency meetings with PCB officials and former and current players resulted in Younis Khan taking over the Pakistan captaincy from Malik. Malik's ouster came after Pakistan's recent ODI series defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka. Miandad, who served as Pakistan coach thrice in the past, took over the position of PCB Director-General in November last year. What would you say on this important development – would his resignation have any adverse effect on Pakistani cricket? And are there any grey areas in the affairs of PCB which need to be addressed so that the future of Pakistan cricket be saved?     [22] Comments               Post Your Commets   Younis Khan replaces Malik as captain Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed star batsman Younis Khan as captain of the national cricket team after Shoaib Malik stepped down from the captaincy after the debacle of the Pakistan team in the recent home series against Sri Lanka. Malik led Pakistan to their worst one-day defeat -- by 234 runs -- in the third and final one-day international in Lahore helping Sri Lanka register an easy win over the host side. The one-sided defeat sparked a furious reaction in the cricket-mad country and the PCB asked the team management to present a report on the reasons of defeat. The sports committee of the Senate also summoned Malik, coach Intikhab Alam and chief selector Abdul Qadir on February 9 to explain the defeat. The 26-year-old Malik was appointed skipper after Pakistan's first round exit from the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. Younis Khan is one of the most experienced cricketers in Pakistan, having scored 4816 runs from 58 Tests at 49.14 with 15 hundreds. He has also played 181 One-day Internationals, scoring 5306 runs. Younis, who has already captained Pakistan in two Test matches and six ODIs, will take up the role in the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka next month. Dear readers, do you think that Younus Khan is the right choice as captain? Will this change bring about any improvement in the performance of the team? You comments are welcome!     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Yousuf holds on to second spot in ICC Test rankings Pakistan’s star batsman Muhammad Yousuf has clinched second place in the latest Test ranking of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The other Pakistani batsman included in the top-ten is Younis Khan who has been dropped from the seventh to the eighth position. Besides Test cricket, Mohammad Yousuf has also been placed in the ICC ranking of the top ten batsmen in One-day International cricket. He secured ninth position. However, it is interesting that despite being rated among the top-ten by the ICC, Mohammad Yousuf is not being considered for the selection in the national team to play any form of cricket – Test, ODI and Twenty20. Your comments in this regard are welcome.     [21] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shoaib Akhtar can play outside Pakistan Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was cleared Wednesday to resume his career outside the country. Chairman appellate committee Justice (Rtd) Aftab Farrukh told a news conference that Shoaib could not play cricket for five years within Pakistan and for the national team. The fast bowler however has not been banned to play cricket outside Pakistan and he could play in the IPL. He said the disciplinary committee has only imposed ban on him over playing in Pakistan. The committee chairman further said that the fast bowler would not be selected for the national team for five years. The paceman made an unconditional apology to the tribunal and pledged to mend his ways. Will the ban end cricket career of Shoaib? What do you think about the verdict of the appellate committee?     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   IPL: Clash of cricket greats The game of cricket was introduced in South Asia by Englishmen and it was a gentlemen’s game which was played here only by the rajas and the nawabs. Today, cricketers have become so rich that the Rajas and the Nawabs are getting their autographs. After Kerry Packer, now the league cricket has attracted the attention of commercial organizations all over the world. Kerry Packer had organized his circus in Australia but Lalith Modi’s cricket festival is going to be launched in India. There is not one but eight companies buying franchise and coming in their own ways and styles. Stage is now set for the Indian Premier League, financed through billions of rupees. In all, 75 cricket stars from all over the world will display performances in the IPL and sensational contests are expected to be seen in 59 Twenty20 matches between eight teams during 45 days due to which this event is being termed as a revolution in the cricket world. This is why the Bollywood stars – Shahrukh Khan and Preity Zenta – and billionaires like Mukesh Ambani and Vijay Malia have purchased the franchise of the Indian Premier League. The players will get millions of rupees yearly through this tournament while the bank balance of the Indian Cricket Board will be doubled. The idea of the Indian Premier League is the brainchild of Lalith Modi, vice president of the Indian board. He is himself a businessman who has observed sports marketing in the United States for a long period and he has now accepted the challenge of running the cricket series on the lines of the English Premier League. The importance of the tournament can be considered by the fact that its telecast rights have been bought for Rs.66 billions by the local companies and Geo has obtained rights from them. Do you think that cricket would be promoted through this tournament.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Five-year ban on Shoaib Akhtar The Disciplinary Committee of Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to impose five-year ban on Shoaib Akhtar. A ban for 13 matches was already in place on the fast bowler. PCB Chairman, Dr. Nasim Ashraf made the announcement of the fresh ban during a press conference. Please, share your view on the latest ban.     [39] Comments               Post Your Commets

Make Us your HomePage   |

Copyright © GEO SUPER, All rights reserved