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| Pakistan’s dream shattered by Aussies in U-19 World Cup final |
LINCOLN: Pakistan colts in a hard-fought final of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup were beaten by 25 runs against Australia boys with 20 balls remaining here on Saturday.
Both teams were running to win the title for the third time in the history of Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Chasing a moderate target of 208 runs, Pakistan batsmen found difficulty in playing against winds blowing hard and accurate Aussie bowling and could make182 runs in 46.4 overs.
Captain Azeem Ghumman was the top-scorer with 41. He batted with calm and caution hitting only one four in 90 balls.
Ahmed Shahzad (36) and Babar Azam (28) also batted well and added 54 runs for the second wicket stand.
However, Hammad Azam, who has been unbeaten throughout the tournament, could not maintain his record and was dismissed for a nought, caught behind by Triffitt off Hazlewood. His early ouster made a panic in the Pakistan team’s dressing room.
For Australia, Hazlewood was the most successful bowler with four for 30, supported by Luke Doran’s impressive three for 32 to stop Pakistan's unbeaten run in the tournament.
Earlier, Pakistan winning the toss decided to send Kangaroos first and kept their grip tight over the match.
Sarmad Bhatti grabbed three wickets and Fayyaz Butt claimed two as the Aussies were 207-9 in 50 overs in the final counter of tournament.
Though Pakistani pacers successfully claiming wickets on regular intervals but they failed in keeping run rate down while the Aussies persistently collected ones, twos, three and certain times boundaries and out of the park.
The leading run scorers from Australian side were JS Floros (35), TJ Armstrong (37) and KW Richardson (44). |
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| We were not lucky to win U-19 World Cup: Ghumman |
KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team returned home on Tuesday from New Zealand after participating in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Coach Ijaz Ahmed and captain Azeem Ghumman expressed satisfaction on performance of the team.
Officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board, families of the players and cricket lovers were present in a large number at the Jinnah International Airport to receive the national Under-19 team.
Fans raised warm slogans to welcome the players when they came out of the lounge.
Coach Ijaz Ahmed said on this occasion that Pakistan team displayed excellent performance throughout the tournament.
He said that he was sorry for losing the final but satisfied with the overall performance of the team.
Ijaz said that if Babar Azam was not given out wrongly then the team would have won the match.
Captain Azeem Ghumman said that the team played the final of the World Cup which was an honour for the country. However, we were not lucky enough to win the title. |
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| Marsh lauds U-19 team’s self belief |
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CHRISTCHURCH: Mitchell Marsh, the Australian captain, has singled out his team’s self-belief as the factor most responsible for its triumph in the Under-19 World Cup. Australia beat Pakistan by 25 runs to win their third Under-19 World Cup title, successfully defending 207.
“To tell you the truth it feels absolutely amazing; to defend 200 was a great effort from our bowlers with their batting line-up,” Marsh said. “To win the World Cup is just an amazing feeling and I’m just so happy for all the boys, and I’m just so happy for them; speechless really.”
Pakistan had begun their chase confidently, reaching 69 for 1, but the introduction of left-arm spinner Luke Doran, who took three wickets, swung the game Australia’s way. Josh Hazlewood, the Man of the Match, finished with 4 for 30.
“We knew if we took early wickets the pressure would be right back on them, unfortunately we didn’t get those early wickets today, but one of the things we had written up on the board in the rooms was belief and we never stopped believing today,” Marsh said.
Pakistan opted to bowl at a venue which had traditionally favoured the team chasing. But Marsh said he was happy batting first, especially in a final. “We knew that having runs on the board in these sorts of matches is pivotal and in the end the pressure might have got to the Pakistanis and credit to our bowlers, they bowled beautifully.”
Marsh lauded his team’s fielding which, though patchy on occasions, was devoid of any game-changing lapses. “In our first couple of warm-up games I think we were pretty sloppy in the field as a team but that was one of our goals to be one of the best fielding sides and to reach the final and have a good day is just amazing.”
Pakistan captain Azeem Ghumman said his side had felt confident after restricting Australia. “We were quite confident to chase 208 runs as the boys did well to restrict them to 207,” he said. “We got a good start and we should have chased it easily.
“Our opening stand was quite good but our middle-order didn’t click today. Everybody scored a bit but no-one was able to take us over the finish-line.
“Even though we lost the final, I’m confident that these guys have got great talent and a great future ahead of them. We have learnt a lot from this World Cup, and as a captain I have learnt a lot. Don’t forget we are only teenagers.”
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| Australia set Pakistan 208-run target in WC U-19 final |
LINCOLN: Australia were 207-9 in 50 overs in the final counter of ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup here on Friday, thus setting Pakistan target of 208 runs to make history yet another time as two opponents are running for naming title for the third time in the history of Under-19 cricket.
Pakistan winning the toss decided to send Kangaroos first and kept their grip tight over match. Sarmad Bhatti grabbed 3 wickets while Fayyaz Butt claimed 2 victims from their side.
Though Pakistani pacers successfully claiming wickets on regular intervals but were failed in keeping the run rate down while Aussies persistently collected ones, twos, three and certain times boundaries and out of the park.
The leading run scorers from Australian side were JS Floros (35), TJ Armstrong (37) and KW Richardson (44). |
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| Former champions set for U-19 battle |
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CHRISTCHURCH: Former champions Australia and Pakistan go head to head in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010 final at Burt Sutcliffe Oval here on Saturday (tommorow).
Australia put its hands on the trophy in 1988 and in 2002 while Pakistan won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2006.
Australia’s victories came in its own backyard and in New Zealand while Pakistan won the events when they were staged in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The two sides have met six times in U19 Cricket World Cups with Pakistan winning four contests. It won the league games in 1988 and 1998 by 32 and 27 runs respectively before winning by 163 runs in the semifinal in 2006 and by six wickets in the quarter-final in 2008.
One of Australia’s two victories was in the inaugural final in 1988 when a Stuart Law-inspired team defeated Pakistan by five wickets in Adelaide.
Australia’s second and last victory over Pakistan in a World Cup was in 2000 in Sri Lanka where it won its group stage match by 27 runs.
Pakistan captain Azeem Ghumman said: “The team is feeling good and confident. We came into the tournament convinced that we could do well. We came here to win and we hope we can do that.
“We have been together as a team now for a long time and this is a big factor in the way we are playing. We get on well together, we are like a family and we play as a team not just as individuals.”
Azeem said he would like his boys to focus on their preparations rather than worry about Australia.
“I don’t think any one team is especially more challenging. We have not played Australia very much recently so we don’t know them so well but they are a good side. It doesn’t matter who we are playing, we have to get our own game right.”
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| Pakistan to take on Australia in U-19 final |
LINCOLN: Australia Under-19 cricket team has trounced Sri Lanka juniors by two wickets in the semifinal counter of the World Cup event, thus booking their appearance for the final counter of the event due to be played with already qualified Pakistan on January 30 this month.
Sri Lanka U-19, winning the toss, decided to bat first and could only accumulated 205 runs for the loss of all ten wickets in 48.2 overs.
Fernando and Vithanage were the two top scorers from Lankan side with 52 and 40 runs respectively while Hazel Wood from Australia bagged 4 wickets for 26 runs in 8.2 overs.
Replying to an easy ask, Aussies staggered throughout their innings but could successfully manage to achieve target in 48.2 overs with only two wickets in hands – thanks to two remarkable knocks.
Marsh missed out his century and was caught and bowled on 97 by Buddhika besides, another batsman Triffitt smashed quick 50 runs as major contributors from their sides to hand their team historical victory.
Pakistan and Australian Under-19 teams will meet in the final of the tournament to be played on January 30 here at Lincoln. |
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| Miandad praises U-19 team's performance in WC |
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KARACHI: Director General PCB, Javed Miandad on Monday said that cricket fans are very happy to see Pakistan U19 team reaching the final of U19 World Cup in New Zealand specially when the senior side is performing below par in the ongoing series in Australia.
“People are very happy that Pakistan U19 team has reached the final of the U19 World Cup and earlier beating arch-rival India in the quarter-finals,” Miandad said.
“The performance of the U19 team has reaped more gloss as their senior team were putting up a disappointing show in the ongoing series against Australia in which they lost the three Test matches and two ODIs.
“The U19 side has been performing well but they also have some flaws which need to be addressed.
“I hope they win the World Cup and comeback home with glory,” the former Pakistan skipper said.
“PCB Chairman has wrongly criticized him and added that he was not receiving 1 million rupees and the actual amount is 0.57 million, contrary to the chairman claims,” he added.
Ijaz Butt has earlier criticised Miandad of drawing big money from the board without doing any work.
“I am willing to work if they let me work. They just don’t let me work and criticise which is unfair,” Miandad said.
He added that he joined PCB again only at the request of PCB Patron in Chief Asif Ali Zardari and he has wrote a letter to the President of Pakistan explaining everything happening with him right now in the board.
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| Hammad Azam to join Pakistan T20 squad in Australia |
AUCKLAND: Hammad Azam, who emerged as the match winning hero of Pakistan in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup semifinal against the West Indies on Monday, has been included in the national team for playing Twenty20 International against Australia.
Pakistan Under-19 team coach Ijaz Ahmed told while talking with Geo News that Hammad batted brilliantly throughout the tournament and remained unbeaten in every innings of the event.
His magnificent batting form has placed him in the Pakistan Twenty20 squad.
Born on March 16, 1991 in Attock, Hammad was only one-year-old when Pakistan under the captaincy of Imran Khan had won the Cricket World Cup in 1992. Then, nobody knew that one day he would represent Pakistan in international cricket.
Hammad Azam has so far played all the five matches in the Under-19 World Cup and scored 173 runs. He remained not out throughout as no bowler could get him out in any match.
Smashing an unbeaten 21 off 13 balls against India in the quarter-final, Hammad hammered 92 not out from 93 balls against the West Indies in the semi-final and was adjudged the man-of-the-match. |
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| Hammad steers Pakistan into U-19 World Cup final |
LINCOLN: Allrounder Hammad Azam batted magnificently to help Pakistan beat West Indies to qualify for the final of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup here at Bert Sutcliffe on Monday.
Chasing the target of 213 runs to win, Pakistan achieved victory by four wickets with nine balls remaining in the first semi-final against the West Indies and now they will play the final on Saturday against the winners of the second semi-final to be held on Wednesday between Australia and Sri Lanka.
Hammad came at the crease when Pakistan were reeling at 49 for four in 19.1 overs and then he anchored the innings to take his team towards victory.
He was involved in two big successive partnerships, adding 90 runs with middle-order batsman Rameez Aziz for the fifth wicket and 64 with wicketkeeper Mohammad Waqas for the sixth wicket.
Hammad remained unbeaten on 92, missing his century by only eight runs. His 93-ball innings was laced with ten boundaries.
Rameez batted very cautiously to make 39 from 81 balls while left-handed Waqas batted aggressively for 29 off 23 balls.
Fast bowler Jason Holder was the most successful bowler the West Indies, taking two for 28 from ten overs.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Azeem Ghumman won the toss and put West Indies into bat who made 212 for eight in the allotted 50 overs.
Opener Kraigg Clairmonte Brathwaite top-scored with 85 from 116 balls with six fours. He along with his captain Andre Creary made great recovery after West Indies lost two quick wickets for only seven runs on the board. They added 101 runs for the third wicket stand.
Creary made 41 while Shane Dowrich scored 55 as all other batsmen failed to make any significant score against the accurate bowling by Pakistani bowlers.
Pace bowler Sarmad Bhatti and spinner Raza Hassan claimed two wickets each while spinners Usman Qadir and Babar Azam took one wicket each. |
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| W.Indies set Pakistan 213-run target |
AUCKLAND: West Indies Under-19 were 212 for 8 in allotted 50 overs quota in semifinal of ICC Under-19 World Cup cricket against Pakistan Under-19 cricket team here on Monday.
Pakistan juniors after winning the toss decided to bowl first and maintained a good line and length and also succeeded to keep opponents under immense pressure right from the beginning of the innings as two of the West Indian batsmen got out early in the innings.
Two Pakistani bowlers Sarmad Bhatti and Raza Hassan took 2 wickets each conceding 37 and 40 runs respectively while Usman Qadir and Babar Azam grabbed 1 wicket each.
KC Brathwaite scored watchful 85 While wicket keeper SO Dowrich knocked hefty 55 and captain AS Creary played innings of 41 runs from West Indies U-19. |
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| Sri Lanka and Australia complete U19 semifinalists |
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Lincoln, New Zealand: An aggressive 79 from rising Sri Lankan star Banuka Rajapaksa carried his side to an overwhelming 146-run victory over South Africa in their ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup quarter-final here on Sunday.
Sri Lanka now play Australia in the second semifinal on Wednesday with giant-killers Pakistan playing the West Indies in the first semifinal on Monday.
Australia qualified with a 62-run win over New Zealand on Sunday, a day after Pakistan knocked out defending champions India with a two-wicket victory and the West Indies beat England by 18 runs.
Man-of-the-match Rajapaksa belted 10 fours as he top-scored for Sri Lanka with 79 off 78 balls and put on 91 in 16 overs for the third wicket with fellow left-hander Rumesh Buddika at Lincoln Green. Danishka Gunathillike added an unbeaten 24 from 16 balls at the tail of the innings as Sri Lanka posted 293 for eight from their 50 overs.
South Africa were two wickets down by the seventh over, when rain stopped play and a revised target of 292 in 49 overs was set.
After play resumed Josh Richards (46) and Colin Ackerman (21) put on 50 in 56 balls for the third wicket. But the fall of Ackerman in the 16th over triggered a collapse from which South Africa never recovered and they were all out for 145 after 36.4 overs with medium-fast Charith Jayampathi taking 4-31.
At Rangiora, Australia batted first against New Zealand and scored 232 for eight with skipper Mitchell Marsh top scoring with 53. New Zealand launched a cautious reply, reaching 26 without loss in 10 overs before Jason Floras made the breakthrough when he bowled Harry Boam who had made just six from 27 balls faced. New Zealand were eventually all out for 170 in the 44th over, 62 runs short of their target.
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| Pak U-19 send WIndies U-19 in for batting |
AUCKLAND: Pakistan Under-19 cricket team has won the toss and decided to bowl first against West Indies U-19 cricket team in the semi-final of ongoing ICC World Cup Under-19
The semi-final match is being telecast live from Auckland city of New Zealand.
Earlier, in a thrilling quarterfinal match against Pakistan U-19 defeated their arch rivals India juniors in a close contest.
While, West Indies U-19 beat England U-19 by 18 runs in other quarterfinal match in the events. |
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| Sri Lanka, Australia reach U-19 World Cup semis |
WELLINGTON: Sri Lanka defeating South Africa and Australia beating New Zealand have qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup on Sunday.
In the third quarter-finals, Sri Lanka batted first and amassed 293 runs of eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs against South Africa.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa played a magnificent innings of 79 runs for Sri Lanka.
South Africa were asked to chase a target of 292 runs in 49 overs under D/L method but they could not achieve the difficult target and were bundled out for 145.
Thus, Sri Lanka with a 146-run victory entered into the semi-final of the tournament.
In the other quarter-final played the same day, Australia ousted hosts New Zealand by 62 runs to reach the semi-final.
The first semi-final will be played tomorrow between Pakistan and West Indies. |
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| Australia demolish New Zealand to reach U-19 World Cup semis |
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RANGIORA: Australia knocked aside New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup here at the Mainpower Oval on Sunday.
Chasing a tough target of 233, New Zealand were all out for 170 runs sin 43.2 overs giving Australia a 62-run victory.
Winning the toss and elected to bat first, Australia made 232 for eight in the allotted 50 overs.
Their main scorers were Mitchell Marsh (53) and Nic Maddinson (39) off 45 balls, Tim Armstrong (39) and Alex Keath (32).
For New Zealand, captain Craig Cachopa was the top scorer with 34 runs while Hazlewood claimed two wickets for 24 runs for Australia.
Australia will now meet Sri Lanka, who crushed South Africa in the other quarter-final, on Wednesday. |
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| Pak under-19 team awarded winning bonus |
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KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a wining bonus of Rs100,000 for each player and Rs50,000 for each team official of the Pakistan Under19 team after they defeated India by two wickets in the quarter-final of their ICC Under 19 World Cup match held at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln in New Zealand on Saturday.
The Board chairman Ijaz Butt and Chief Operating Officer Wasim Bari also congratulated the team for its wonderful showing.
In a message the PCB chief said, “It was a great team effort and has raised the morale of the entire nation.
All the players of the team deserve our heartiest felicitations on this outstanding achievement. I wish them every success in future.” |
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| Pak U-19 beat India; qualify for semis |
AUCKLAND: Following the IPL row between two rivals also cricket playing nations Pakistan and India, the young Pakistan Under-19 cricket team has trounced their arch rivals by 2 wickets in the rain-delayed quarter-final counter, thus qualifying for the semifinal of the ICC Under-19 World Cup here on Saturday.
The match had been restricted to 23 over in an innings due to torrential overnight rain.
This is the befitting reply to Indian discrimination rendered with Pakistan players in India over the non-selection of Pakistani players in Indian Premier League (IPL), some experts claimed.
India U-19 having been put into bat first could only manage to score 114 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted 23 overs.
India shone brilliantly by pressurizing Pakistan in the beginning of their innings, taking three quick wickets on 16 runs in 5 overs.
But later on, the middle order shone character and succeeded to beat defending champions in the final over of the match. |
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| India U-19 set Pak 115-run target in rain-hit quarter |
AUCKLAND: India were 114 for 9 against Pakistan in first quarterfinal of ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, setting Pakistan target of 115 runs in a rain-hit match which had been reduced to 23 overs in an innings.
Earlier, Pakistan winning the toss, decided to bowl first to take advantage from the moisturizer off the pitch and cloudy overcast while their bowler proved exactly what job they were assigned and kept taking Indian wickets in quick successions. |
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| India put into bat first in U-19 quarter |
AUCKLAND: Pakistan won the toss and invited India to bat first in first quarterfinal of Under-19 Cricket World Cup here on Saturday, Geo news reported.
Pakistan took a glorious start by taking two quick wickets into first over of the match.
India were 31 for 2 into 7th over of the match, sources said. |
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| England top group, Pakistan to face India |
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LINCOLN, New Zealand: England came back strongly to beat India in the last league match of the Under-19 World Cup in Lincoln to move to the top of Group A, here on Thursday.
Put in to bat, England ran into trouble against Saurabh Netravalkar, losing both openers early to catches behind the stumps. James Vince and Jack Manuel temporarily resisted, but could not break the shackles imposed by India’s sharp new-ball pair.
By the 20th over of the innings the top four had all perished, nicking to wicketkeeper Sufiyan Shaikh, three off them to Netravalkar, with just 60 runs on the board. India held the advantage but England turned the tide slowly but surely through the fifth-wicket pair of Ateeq Javid and Ben Stokes.
The pair put on 100 in 21.5 overs as the Indian attack flagged, with Harshal Patel and Harmeet Singh unable to keep up the intensity of the opening bowlers.
Javid stroked four fours in his 42 before Harmeet breached his defences in the 40th over — the first of the batting Powerplay.
Stokes had been sedate up to this point, getting his eye in and quietly reaching 50 off 61 balls. But with the field coming in and India bowling their lesser bowlers, he went berserk in the company of Michael Bates.
The pair added 62 in 41 balls, with Bates turning the strike over efficiently to the set batsman. Stokes scored his second fifty in just 26 balls, thirty of those coming in five balls that sailed over the ropes.
In spite of the dismissal of both batsmen in the closing stages, Adam Ball took England to a challenging 246.
With bragging rights for the group at stake, the defending champions launched their chase in frenetic fashion: 36 had come in under six overs when Rahul Kannaur fell to David Payne.
Mayank Agarwal continued to punish the new ball, slamming two sixes and three fours in his 32, before man-of-the-moment Stokes broke through.
Agarwal’s dismissal was the first in a decisive passage of play where India lost three wickets for the addition of one run, with Ashok Menaria and Harpreet Singh succumbing to David Payne for no score.
Stokes struck again to remove Mandeep Singh and, at 87 for 5, England were on top. Manan Sharma and Shaikh tried to consolidate but, having lost too many wickets, India needed big scores from at least one of them to have a realistic chance of winning the match.
Sharma’s dismissal for 36, with India still 129 runs away, was a crippling blow from which they never recovered. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and in spite of a composed 42 from Shaikh and a buccaneering 28 from Netravalkar, India were bowled out 31 runs short of the target.
The result means England will face West Indies in the quarter-finals in Rangiora on January 23, while India will play sub-continental rivals Pakistan on the same day in Lincoln.
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| Pakistan, India to face each other in Under-19 World Cup |
WELLINGTON: Pakistan and India will face each other in the quarter-finals of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup on Saturday.
England allrounder Ben Stokes scored a century to set up a 31-run win over defending champions India at Lincoln Thursday in the final pool match of the tournament.
The group A victory means England will play the West Indies in their quarter-final on Saturday, while India will play Pakistan, the winner of group D.
England scored 246-8 in their 50 overs and a middle order Indian slump put the 2008 champions on the back foot and they were finally dismissed for 215 from 46.4 overs.
English left-arm pace bowler David Payne (3-40) and Stokes rocked the Indian middle order with three quick wickets as they slipped from 62-1 to 62-4 after getting off to a solid start.
Number 10 batsman Saurav Netrawalkar provided some hope for India scoring 28 from 30 balls until his dismissal brought the match to an end.
Man of the match Stokes finished with two wickets for England and had earlier provided the backbone of the English innings, scoring 100 off 88 balls.
Group B winners South Africa will play the Group C runner-up Sri Lanka in a quarter-final on Sunday, while hosts New Zealand will take on Australia. |
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