Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Bowlers lead Pakistan to crushing win
08:16
Pakistan Cricket
Mushfiqur Rahim said before the match that it was time for Bangladesh to stop aiming for "respectable losses" and show they can compete against the best. By the interval, their spinners had laid the groundwork for a confidence-building win at the start of the series, but those hopes fizzled out as Pakistan's varied attack proved far superior. Barely seven overs into the chase, the result was a foregone conclusion.
Pakistan's ruthlessness wasn't surprising. Their bowlers, especially the spinners, downed Sri Lanka in all three formats in the UAE barely a few days before they landed in Bangladesh. That they conceded their first boundary only in the ninth over was an example of their discipline.
Pakistan had their anxious moments with the bat, struggling to post even 135 despite their brisk start, but with the ball in hand, they never gave the hosts an inch. There was an air of expectation from the packed, weekday crowd at the Shere Bangla Stadium when the Bangladesh openers walked out, but the chase had derailed once Pakistan had them struggling at 15 for 3 at the end of five overs.
Umar Gul started the slide when he trapped Naeem Islam in front in the second over. Mohammad Hafeez then had Alok Kapali chipping to midwicket for a duck, and confusion in the calling led to Imrul Kayes' run-out. Save for a drop at long-off by Umar Gul, Pakistan's fielding was sharp.
The more experienced duo of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim had a tougher task than they would have anticipated, but even they couldn't display any resilience to make the chase more competitive. They didn't have the luxury of time - the run-rate inched along at a rate comparable to modern Test cricket.
Shakib lost his offstump trying to cut Hafeez, and that increased the pressure on Mushfiqur, who struggled to combat Saeed Ajmal's parsimonious bowling from round the wicket. Mahmudullah nicked Aizaz Cheema's first ball of the match, and with the required rate crossing 11, Mushfiqur perished trying to be innovative - a reverse paddle landed just short of short third man, but Nasir wasn't interested in the single, leaving his captain stranded.
A flat-batted swat in the ninth over by Nasir off Cheema gave Bangladesh a release, but it was only momentary as Bangladesh had to wait till the 16th over for their next boundary. The result was inevitable, and the only positive for Bangladesh was the fact that they batted out 20 overs.
It wasn't the easiest outing for Pakistan's batsmen either. It was a tough initiation as Bangladesh played to their strength - spin - to restrict the tourists to 135. Pakistan started brightly after winning the toss, but the going got tough once the slower bowlers - five in all - began operating at either end on a typically dark Dhaka pitch.
The captain Mushfiqur Rahim didn't waste any time getting his spinners on, bringing in Abdur Razzak as early as the second over. The in-form Hafeez went on the attack and while he was around, Pakistan were motoring along at eight an over.
The ninth over was significant for Bangladesh as Shakib managed to keep the aggressive Hafeez quiet for five balls. Determined to break the shackles, Hafeez attempted a slog and lost his wicket. Bangladesh took control after that wicket-maiden.
Asad Shafiq and Shahid Afridi both perished in similar fashion, getting caught in the deep. The captain Misbah tried restoring some order but he kept running out of partners.
The procession of wickets continued when Bangladesh went out to bat. With spin expected to dominate this tour, Bangladesh will have to figure out how to tackle Pakistan's slower bowlers on pitches suited to their style.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Ajmal the biggest threat - Tamim
03:19
Pakistan Cricket
Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladesh batsman, has said the offspinner Saeed Ajmal will be the biggest threat to Bangladesh when Pakistan tour there in November-December 2011-12. Ajmal is the joint-leading wicket-taker in Tests this year, with 41 from 6 matches at an average of 23.41, and also features in the top ten wicket-takers in ODIs this year. Tamim recognised Ajmal was in form and said the Bangladesh batsmen would have to watch his variations carefully.
"I've only faced him [Ajmal] for one delivery and that was in county cricket when I was playing for Nottinghamshire and he was representing Worcestershire," he told Pakpassion.net. "I scored a single and was happy to be at the other end. He's a very good bowler and is in great form at the moment. It is going to be a real challenge to face the Pakistan bowlers in the upcoming series, especially Saeed Ajmal. He's a very experienced bowler who has a lot of varieties and he will certainly be someone that my colleagues and I will have to watch carefully."
Pakistan will play one Twenty20 international, three ODIs and two Tests in Bangladesh between November 29 and December 21. Bangladesh are coming off a disappointing summer, having lost one-day series against Australia, Zimbabwe and West Indies, and Tests against Zimbabwe and West Indies. Pakistan have enjoyed an impressive run, having had successful tours of the West Indies and Zimbabwe and winning both the Test and ODI series against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates.
"It's going to be a very tough and challenging series for us because Pakistan are playing some very good cricket and are in great form. Their batsmen and bowlers are in top form and it promises to be a difficult series for us."
After a tremendous 2010, in which he scored two swashbuckling Test centuries in England, Tamim has had a mediocre run in 2011, but showed a change in approach in the home Tests against West Indies, playing uncharacteristically patient knocks of 52 off 141 balls in Chittagong and 83 off 158 balls in Mirpur. Tamim said he was constantly learning and believed he was a better batsman now than he was when he first burst onto the scene.
"I'm still learning a lot of things and developing my batting. I really hope that I have a long career ahead of me and I'm sure I am a much better batsman than I was when I first came into international cricket. I believe I still have a lot of things to learn and I am confident that I will get better with more exposure in international cricket against the best opposition."
After Bangladesh's tour of Zimbabwe, the board removed Tamim from the post of vice-captain and also replaced Shakib Al Hasan with Mushfiqur Rahim as captain, with indiscipline cited as the reason for the decision. Tamim said he was happy to play under Mushfiqur but would have to wait before he judged him as a captain.
"I've played under Mushfiqur in the Under-19s and I know him very well. He knows what he needs to do as skipper and what he needs to bring to the team. He's started well and is doing a good job, but it's too early to say as he has just skippered in the one series. Let's see how it goes and I wish him all the very best for a successful stint as captain."
Bangladesh have struggled to build on the form they showed last year, when they won home ODI series against New Zealand and Zimbabwe easily. Tamim said the team had to play more international cricket to improve. He said he expected Bangladesh to be competitive in international cricket in a few years.
"We need to play more international cricket. If you are playing cricket at the highest level you are going to improve. The Bangladesh Cricket Board is working very hard and I'm sure that we will continue to produce good cricketers. I think in a few years we can become more competitive as the youngsters that are being developed forge their way into the international arena."
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Misbah, Cheema take Pakistan to five-wicket win
03:58
Pakistan Cricket
There was no respite for Sri Lanka. In one of the more closely-fought encounters on this tour, it was Pakistan who prevailed by five wickets after their opponents promised to deliver better, only to falter and give it away. First, with their batting, when they began aggressively and scored at around nine an over in the first ten overs before slowing down considerably and eventually capitulating in the second half. And then it happened with the ball, their spinners putting them in control through tight spells and wickets, not knowing Dilhara Fernando and some fielders would fail to hold their nerve at the death.
Misbah-ul-Haq stood tall for Pakistan, doing what Dinesh Chandimal, who made an enterprising half-century, failed to achieve after guiding the innings - seeing his team through to the end and finishing on a high. Pakistan's seamers did what their counterparts failed to do - Aizaz Cheema and Umar Gul cleaned up the innings, taking five wickets in the last two overs, to restrict the visitors to a chaseable score; on the other hand, Fernando doled out length deliveries that brought down the required-rate considerably.
Ajantha Mendis, returning from injury, and captain Tillakaratne Dilshan restrained Pakistan in their pursuit of 142 after Imran Farhat began brightly. He inaugurated the innings with three crisp boundaries off the first over of the innings but brought on to bowl in the sixth over, inside the Powerplay, Mendis struck, removing Farhat, who holed out. Umar Akmal's first-ball duck was crucial in reducing the tempo of the innings further when he adventurously made room to Dilshan and was bowled playing inside the line.
The next four overs yielded just 19, but at one end was Misbah, building up for a flourish at a later stage. He warmed up by slogging a six off Dilruwan Perera over midwicket and triggered the turn in the tide when 43 were needed off four overs, Afridi just having joined him at the other end.
Fernando dropped slightly short to be pulled to the square boundary, and then overcompensated by bowling too full; Misbah unleashed a cracking drive through cover and whipped a full toss behind square to make it 14 in the over. Mendis still had an over left, but Dilshan gave Fernando another go, much to, presumably, his regret. Two length balls followed in the penultimate over - Cheema picked up three wickets at the same stage in the Sri Lankan innings while aiming at the blockhole - and Afridi dispatched them over long-on and deep midwicket. Though he fell off the final delivery, he'd brought down the equation to nine off the last over.
The win was hastened by a botched-up fielding attempt. The first ball of the final over, Misbah drove Malinga to long-off. What should have been a single became two as the fielder took time to get to the ball, and if that wasn't enough, his wayward throw, missed first by Kumar Sangakkara and then by the short fine leg backing up awkwardly, resulted in six runs in total. With two needed off four, Shoaib Malik edged one wide of third man to seal victory with Sri Lanka still appealing desperately, thinking it was a deflection off the pad.
Though Cheema was the star towards the end of Sri Lanka's innings, it was Saeed Ajmal who started the slide. Ajmal's variations have played a major role in his rise to the No.1 spot in the ODI rankings and with expert changes in flight, pace and his mastery over the doosra, he choked Sri Lanka. In a potentially risky move, he was brought on inside the Powerplay, like Mendis, and was launched over mid-off not long after. The next ball, though, was generously flighted and Dilshan was tempted into the slog-sweep which he top-edged to offer a comfortable catch. Ajmal was particularly effective round the wicket, the batsmen often caught confused about the direction of his turn.
Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez slowed down the innings further, making boundaries a rare commodity. Sangakkara, Sri Lanka's best batsman, chipped a catch back to Hafeez while Angelo Mathews and Chamara Silva, from whom the visitors would have expected a surge at the death, were run out. Racing to 91 for 3 at the end of 10 overs, Sri Lanka only managed 50 in the next ten. Cheema added the finishing touches by making up for his troubles early on. In the penultimate over, he trapped Chandimal in front, had Thisara Perera caught behind and bowled Malinga. Sri Lanka fell way short of the target they were on track for. They met with the same fate with the ball.
Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at ESPNcricinfo
Friday, 25 November 2011
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Junaid Khan to miss Bangladesh tour
17:04
Pakistan Cricket
Junaid Khan, the Pakistan fast bowler, will be out of cricket for six weeks after sustaining a partial tear in his abdominal muscle while bowling during the fifth ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi, Naushad Ali, the Pakistan associate manager, has told ESPNcricinfo. Junaid will have to undergo rest and then rehabilitation, and will miss Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh, which starts with a Twenty20 international on November 29. He will also miss the one-off Twenty20 against Sri Lanka that will be played in Abu Dhabi on November 25.
Junaid was in the Twenty20, ODI and Test squad for the Bangladesh tour. Naushad said the team would only decide on Junaid's replacement for the Bangladesh tour and the Twenty20 against Sri Lanka in the team meeting after the fifth ODI. Abdul Razzaq, the experienced allrounder, is also a doubt for the Bangladesh tour after he picked up a right shoulder injury in the third ODI against Sri Lanka.
"We have yet to decided about his replacement but he definitely will be heading home, where he will complete his rehabilitation process," Naushad said. "His replacement is obviously important as we have already lost Razzaq but will be decided in the team meeting after the ongoing match."
Pakistan's squad for the Tests in Bangladesh includes Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Talha, while the ODI squad has Sohail Tanvir in the pace department along with Gul and Cheema. Junaid impressed in the Test series against Sri Lanka in the UAE, taking 12 wickets over the three Tests. He was left out for the first four ODIs but replaced Cheema for the dead rubber in Abu Dhabi. He bowled just three overs before leaving the field after experiencing pain in his abdomen. He was taken to hospital for an MRI scan and it was discovered he had a partial tear in his right abdominal muscle that will need six-weeks recovery time.
Umar, Misbah make it 4-1
16:55
Pakistan Cricket
A four-wicket haul from Sohail Tanvir and a fluent stand between captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal were the stand-out features of Pakistan's convincing win - they took the series 4-1 - in the dead rubber played on a slow pitch. The pair didn't get bogged down at the fall of two wickets off successive deliveries and their positive approach kept their team on track, but the platform for a win was set up by a superior bowling attack that restricted Sri Lanka, whose batting let them down again, to a gettable total.
Plenty of talent and depth in their bowling reserves served Pakistan well again. In conditions that were aiding swing and movement initially, and not discounting the advantage of using new balls at each end, Pakistan's seamers stepped up, and were supported by their spinners later on. Tanvir didn't have the pace of the man he replaced, Aizaz Cheema, but made up with his prodigious swing - by Middle East standards - and wily, selective variations. He fooled opener Upul Tharanga with an away swinger after feeding him three deliveries on the trot that moved in through the air. He was more threatening when he pitched the ball short of a driving length, something he realised quickly after being driven down the ground by Dinesh Chandimal. He worked at him with a spate of away-going deliveries and held one back a little more, prompting an attempt at a steer from Chandimal that was snapped up by slip.
In the interim, Umar Gul forced a loose shot from Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was caught behind. Thirty two for 3 soon became 46 for 4 when Chamara Silva, replacing an injured Mahela Jayawardene, was sucked in by a length ball that he nicked straight to slip, giving Junaid Khan a wicket in his first over.
The only batsman unflustered by the travails around him was Kumar Sangakkara, once again charged with the responsibility of rebuilding his team's innings. Despite the early assistance for the seamers, he didn't hesitate lurching forward to execute his favourite drives past extra cover on one knee, and took Tanvir for three fours in an over. The spinners, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal, erred on occasion, and Sangakkara was quick to latch on. He found an able partner at No.6 in Angelo Mathews, who counterattacked by launching Gul for two straight sixes when that early support from the conditions had withered away, and ran superbly between wickets.
Sangakkara and Mathews did an admirable job, rotating the strike and not getting bogged down in a stand of 118. The field was spread out but a significant proportion of their runs were singles earned by just tapping the ball around the in-field, often in front of cover and point, and sprinting across. The boundaries, however, had dried up and when Sangakkara tried to break the 14-over drought with a drive over extra cover against Mohammad Hafeez, he was caught. Not long after, Jeevan Mendis was stumped off Afridi and Mathews, who'd survived a couple of close shaves while walking across to Ajmal, was eventually bowled round his legs. Sri Lanka only managed two fours and a six in the second half of their innings, struggling to push on as the track got increasingly slow and Tanvir returned to nip out a couple more.
Pakistan began their pursuit cautiously, going through a 24-ball runless phase at one stage, but Mohammad Hafeez and Asad Shafiq, in particular, were beginning to get set before losing their wickets. The experienced hands of Younis Khan and Misbah, however, guided them in typical, workmanlike fashion. Misbah was given a life at backward point by Jeevan Mendis, but consolidated well amid periodic bursts of aggression. Younis pulled Fernando past square leg and drove Prasanna inside-out over extra cover. Misbah warmed up by launching a length ball over Mathews' head, blazed Perera through the covers and reverse-swept a couple of boundaries past short third man.
In a little over ten overs together, the pair added a half-century stand and strengthened Pakistan's position. That was undermined when Younis and Shoaib Malik were trapped in front by Mendis off consecutive deliveries in the 26th over. The hat-trick ball was an early indication of the Pakistani response - Umar stepped out to a flighted delivery and drove it confidently to mid-off, seemingly unaffected by the pressure created by those two wickets. The final ball of the over was a long hop that was promptly dispatched, and the tone of his innings changed little after that.
Umar often left his crease to get to the pitch of the ball and comfortably kept the runs flowing. Misbah, on the other hand, opted to play from the crease, sweeping, reverse-sweeping, shuffling from one side to the other restlessly but effectively and keeping the required-rate under control throughout. The boundaries came from the other end: Umar muscled Thisara Perera through the covers, guided Malinga past third man, swatted Dilhara Fernando through midwicket and creamed Seekkuge Prasanna past mid-off. There was a slight hiccup when Misbah and Afridi fell in quick succession, but Pakistan were secure with Umar at the other end; the pressure was off with a couple of crunched boundaries off Malinga and Fernando, and the win followed shortly after.
Sohail Tanveer 4/34 Wickets Against Sri Lanka Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka 5th ODI Abu Dhabi
11:49
Pakistan Cricket
Injured Razzaq returns home | Razzaq doubtful for Bangladesh tour
02:05
Pakistan Cricket
Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, is in doubt for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh after sustaining a right shoulder injury during the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Dubai on November 18.
He will be returning home and will take no further part in the rest of the series, which includes the fifth and final ODI on Wednesday and the Twenty20 on Friday. He has been advised ten days' rest, followed by rehabilitation. No replacement has been named.
"Considering his injury, the doctor has adviced him 10 days' rest," Naushad Ali told ESPNcricinfo. "He will be departing for Lahore on Wednesday where he will undergo further treatment. He is not available for the remaining matches to be played here against Sri Lanka. I don't know about his availability for the Bangladesh series but we aren't calling up any replacement while we are here."
Razzaq batted at No.3 on Friday but struggled to justify his promotion, making 6 off 16 balls. He bowled four overs for 18 runs and didn't take a wicket during Pakistan's win, and was replaced by Shoaib Malik for the next ODI in Sharjah. Razzaq's injury came to light during that match, which was also won by Pakistan, giving them the series 3-1 with a game to play.
Pakistan begin their tour of Bangladesh with a Twenty20 international on November 29, followed by three ODIs and two Tests.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Butt and Amir set to appeal sentences
09:59
Pakistan Cricket
Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir will appear at the Court of Appeal in London on Wednesday to contest the sentences imposed on them at the spot-fixing trial in Southwark earlier this month.
Butt was given a two-and-a-half year jail term after being found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments based on orchestrating no-balls against England, at Lord's, in 2010.
Amir was given two six-month sentences under the same charges, to run concurrently, and is currently in detention at a young offenders' institute. The Lord Chief Justice will hear their cases on Wednesday.
Mohammad Asif and agent Mazhar Majeed were jailed for a year and 32 months respectively. The three cricketers and Majeed were caught after a News of the World sting operation which produced evidence of Majeed setting up the deliberate no-balls that were delivered during England's first innings at Lord's. Majeed claimed to have paid Asif £65,000, Butt £10,000 and Amir £2,500.
The convictions were the first criminal charges ever to have been brought to bear for match-fixing in the sport, although Lord Condon, the former head of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit, stated in an interview with the London Evening Standard that "every international team, at some stage, had someone doing funny stuff".
Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, hit back at Condon's claims. "Player associations are getting sick and tired of people coming out making these general accusations, the effect of which casts doubts over the entire player base. If people are going to make these types of accusations, make sure that they are specific and make sure that you have the proof to back up such claims."
Monday, 21 November 2011
Afridi single-handedly delivers unassailable lead
04:44
Pakistan Cricket
Sharjah's die-hard cricket tragics waited eight years to see their favourite team in one-day action. They got their fill on Sunday, treated to five unforgettable vistas of Shahid Afridi's trademark arms-aloft celebration, as he single-handedly pipped Sri Lanka in a dramatic finish. Chasing 201 to level the series, Sri Lanka were on course with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara reducing the equation to 46 needed off 74 balls. Afridi was, however, reading from a script no-one else had access to. He derailed the lower order with a mix of legbreaks, googlies and fastish offspinners, as Sri Lanka floundered hopelessly to lose their last seven wickets for just 19 runs, and with it the series.
That Pakistan even had 200 to defend was down to Afridi again, after they had disintegrated to 97 for 6. The situation was dire enough to force Afridi to change his normally aggressive approach and play within himself. Not only did Afridi manage the feat, he also managed to accelerate and finish with a (by his standards) modestly paced 75 off 65 balls, setting up the first instance of a player making a fifty and taking five wickets in an innings, twice.
Afridi scarcely put a foot wrong today, except when a sliding stop went awry early in the chase. His knee got stuck in the turf, wrenching out a massive divot as he landed in agony. Afridi was helped off the field, but even that wasn't enough to keep him out of the action for long.
By the time Afridi and Saeed Ajmal came on, Sangakkara and Jayawardene had settled in after Aizaz Cheema's opening spell had accounted for the openers. Ajmal started off with a maiden to Sangakkara, before Afridi - limping, but buzzing with energy nevertheless - made him look ordinary in his first over. He beat Sangakkara with a googly, and got him to inside-edge a legbreak past the stumps. Ajmal then slipped a doosra past Jayawardene's outside edge for the umpteenth time in the series, and Afridi dipped a legbreak menacingly close to his off stump.
With the run-rate under control, Sangakkara and Jayawardene buckled down and focused on playing time. Only three boundaries came in the 17-over phase starting with the 18th over, but Sri Lanka were within touching distance at the end of that grind. Jayawardene and Sangakkara passed their 50s, and ten Pakistani shoulders dropped in unison. One man was not finished, though.
After troubling Sangakkara endlessly, Afridi slipped a quick fizzer through his gate in his sixth over. Angelo Mathews was beaten by an Afridi legbreak and two Ajmal doosras before feathering his fourth ball down the leg side. The Sri Lankan dressing room began to look uneasy once Afridi ripped Jeevan Mendis out with an offbreak that angled in from round the stumps and straightened at 84 kph.
With 34 needed off 7 overs, Jayawardene held the key, but Afridi lulled him into driving low to Mohammad Hafeez who held well at cover. Seekkuge Prasanna scudded his first ball low to the left of the pitch, but the ease with which Afridi swooped and plucked it made for as telling viewing as the X-man celebration that followed. Within the space of three overs, he had flipped the game open. It was only fitting that he got the last wicket, when Thisara Perera slogged into the sky with the game already out of Sri Lanka's grasp.
Afridi's impact was just as telling with the bat, if not as dramatic. Dilhara Fernando did the early damage before Sri Lanka's young spinners found their voice for the first time since Muttiah Muralitharan's retirement, exposing Pakistan's inability to read the variations. Hafeez holed out recklessly, while Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal were clueless against Mendis' googlies.
Afridi's methods were perfect for the situation, though. He picked the spinners from the hand more often than not, but when he didn't he gave himself enough time to read them off the track. When Sri Lanka landed it in his zone, he pummelled them. Lasith Malinga was crashed through the covers, Mendis was bombarded over long-on, but Pakistan's mess was about to become messier.
Misbah ran himself out for the second time in two games, and Sarfraz Ahmed fell by the wayside, leaving Afridi shepherding the tail. Like he would later in the evening, Afridi found a willing partner in Ajmal. Their stand featured some feverish calling and smart running in the batting Powerplay, as Pakistan's tally ticked over from the abject to the realms of the defendable.
With ten overs to go, Afridi targeted Prasanna, backing away and lashing him with the spin for a six over extra cover to bring up his first fifty in 16 innings. He then thumped him straight and hacked through the covers for fours, before launching another six down the ground. Fernando dropped him off the next ball, but Afridi could not extend the carnage as he perished in the 44th over. Perhaps, the man knew right then that he already had enough to play with.
ESPNcricinfo
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Spinners and Gul give Pakistan 2-1 lead
03:00
Pakistan Cricket
For the second time in five days, a game was won and lost in the batting Powerplay. This time, however, Sri Lanka were at the receiving end as they fluffed the phase, picking up just 19 for the loss of two huge wickets, leaving their tail needing 72 off the last 10 overs. In conditions aiding spin, especially of Pakistan's varied vintage, that was a bridge too far for Angelo Mathews to cross.
Batsmen from both sides survived prodigious seam bowling but came unstuck against spin. The similarities didn't end there - Pakistan made an almighty hash of their own batting Powerplay, to subside from a dominant 150 for 0 in 29 overs to 257 for 8, which in itself was a strong recovery. In the end, it proved sufficient to sneak home by 21 runs.
Having gone past 10,000 ODI runs, Mahela Jayawardene looked set to launch a sortie similar to the one he had purveyed in the previous game, when the fielders came in with 91 needed off 15 overs. Saeed Ajmal ensured there was no reprisal, though, as he slipped a straighter one past Jayawardene's forward press. Sarfraz Ahmed collected the ball and zipped the bails out at electric speed, with Jayawardene's back foot hovering inches away from safety. Pakistan sensed the kill and choked Mathews - with the single unavailable, he played out ten dot balls before opening his account as the required-rate crossed seven.
Mathews broke free in the 39th over against Sohail Tanvir, prompting Misbah-ul-Haq to revert to spin. Ajmal slipped another floater across the well-set Dinesh Chandimal, who scythed an outer edge to point. Lasith Malinga, who was among the runs in the Champions League T20, was promoted to No. 7, but Shahid Afridi pinned him with a quicker one. With Mathews out of sorts, Jeevan Mendis kept Sri Lanka alive, but Mohammad Hafeez ended his cameo. Mathews showed little intent to guard the tail - he took singles off the first balls of the last three overs of the game. Umar Gul needed no second invitation to finish the job.
The pitch was neither the feather-bed that Pakistan's 151-run opening stand - the biggest for any wicket in Dubai - suggested, nor the snake pit that their phase of 42 for 5 in the middle overs made it out to be. There was seam movement, sluggish bounce as well as real carry. Hafeez struggled against the first two, while Imran Farhat was clunked on the helmet when Dilhara Fernando thudded one in short.
With the mischief in the pitch making itself apparent, Hafeez chose to be sedate. He survived a close lbw shout against Seekkuge Prasanna, and went on to prosper on width. Hafeez had meandered to 24 off 55 balls at one stage, before taking Fernando for four fours in one over. Sri Lanka's slackening discipline was epitomised when Prasanna clanged Hafeez in the covers. Pakistan underlined their dominance with each opener slugging a six against the spinners, but the tide was about to turn.
Smart stats
Pakistan, who have now played 68 matches against Sri Lanka in neutral venues have won 44 times. Overall, in the UAE, Pakistan have won 86 and lost 44 matches.
The 151-run stand between Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat is eighth on the list of highest opening stands for Pakistan against Sri Lanka. It is also the second-highest stand for this opening pair after their 228 against Zimbabwe earlier this year.
Hafeez scored his 12th half-century in ODIs to go with three centuries. In his last ten innings, he has scored 508 runs at an average of 56.44 with two centuries and three fifties.
Mahela Jayawardene became the ninth batsman overall and the second Sri Lankan batsman to reach the 10,000-run mark in ODIs. He now has 10,004 runs at an average of 33.45 with 15 centuries and 61 fifties.
The 106-run stand between Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan is the 12th century stand for the second wicket for Sri Lanka against Pakistan. It is also the seventh second-wicket century stand for Sri Lanka against Pakistan in neutral venues.
Hafeez fell playing a tired pull, Farhat holed out, and suddenly Sri Lanka's spinners found an extra gear. Tillakaratne Dilshan hid the fast bowlers against Abdul Razzaq, promoted to No. 3, and he promptly hauled Prasanna straight to long-on. When Umar Akmal walked too far past a Malinga yorker to lose leg stump, Pakistan found themselves in an extraordinary rut; the Powerplay had just come on, and they had their two most obdurate batsmen - Misbah and Younis Khan - fresh at the crease. When Pakistan made 22 for 2 in their five-over block, Sri Lanka wouldn't have gambled on doing worse when their turn came. Younis shepherded Pakistan through the end overs to give them a reasonable score.
The chase was set up by a feverish 106-run stand between Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, after Gul produced a corker to flatten Upul Tharanga's off stump. Gul's legcutters and Sohail Tanvir's innate curve made scoring difficult, but Dilshan and Sangakkara had the shots to find a way out. Plays-and-misses were interspersed with gorgeous strokes - Dilshan's cover drives and Sangakkara's glides standing out - and a lot of madcap running. Pakistan missed at least two direct-hits, before Sangakkara escaped the ignominy of becoming the first batsmen given out for obstructing the field under the new rules.
Dilshan refused a single in the 19th over after pushing to Afridi at cover and setting off. Both batsmen were haring towards the keeper's end when Afridi hurled the ball to him. Sarfraz, however, flicked one bail off before collecting the ball even as Dilshan ran into him. Sarfraz regrouped and shied at the other end, but this time Sangakkara, making a questionably circuitous turn, came in the way of the throw. Pakistan's appeal was only for the miss at Dilshan's end, which was rightly over-ruled by the third umpire.
They didn't have to wait long for redemption. In the 23rd over, Sangakkara pushed straight to mid-on and took off. The throw this time did not go to the keeper, but smashed out the stumps at the striker's end with Sangakkara well short. The cameras panned to the trademark celebration of the fielder, the only man in the Pakistan team who puts his arms out and soaks in the adulation. He repeated the celebration five overs later, when Dilshan somehow contrived to guide him from a foot outside leg onto the stumps via his arm. In a game of many heroes for Pakistan, Afridi had once again made the biggest moves.
Friday, 18 November 2011
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Sri Lanka seek to build on fightback
18:32
Pakistan Cricket
Big Picture
Sri Lanka's first victory on this tour of the UAE would come as a relief for them not merely for the fact that they broke a winless run. The win also marked a return to form for Mahela Jayawardene, whose struggles with the bat this tour have been a setback for a team that is heavily reliant on a core group of experienced batsmen that includes him.
Equally encouraging was the performance of their bowlers, who've collectively fallen short of matching a superior Pakistan attack but have been able to improve their chances with the return of Lasith Malinga for the limited-overs games. The series level 1-1, Sri Lanka have the confidence and the players in form they need to press ahead and put behind them the defeat in the Tests and the capitulation in the first ODI.
Pakistan will be disappointed they were bowled out in 46.3 overs in a chase they could have sealed, thanks to Umar Akmal's own return to form. He made 91 and was looking good in the company of the middle-order batsmen who chipped in with useful contributions, but didn't do enough to secure a win. Abdul Razzaq, Sarfraz Ahmed and Shahid Afridi were set, yet failed to see their team through. Pakistan are still favourites to take this series but Sri Lanka's renewed confidence could make that task significantly tougher.
Form guide
Pakistan: LWWWW
Sri Lanka: WLWLW
Watch out for…
He was once a batting allrounder but the role has reversed for Thisara Perera, who opens the bowling and bats at No.8. His onslaught against Zaheer Khan in the World Cup 2011 final is a reminder that he has much to offer with the bat. He's useful with the ball with his variations in pace. He was included in this series as a replacement for the injured Dhammika Prasad, and will want to seize this opportunity to keep his place. He hasn't started too badly, with an economical 2 for 30 in nine overs in Sri Lanka's win.
Abdul Razzaq has been around for a while, but he's still only 31 and a big all-round asset for Pakistan. In a strong bowling line-up, his role has been limited - his last 10-over spell came in November 2009 and as far as opportunities with the bat are concerned, even more so. Though no one would question his ability, a strong all-round performance remains due. With Shoaib Malik also in the squad, he does face competition.
Team news
Pakistan don't have any compelling reasons to make changes to their side but perhaps they could give Junaid Khan a go, following his impressive show in the Tests.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema/Junaid Khan.
Chanaka Welegedera has been drafted into the Sri Lankan squad in place of an injured Suranga Lakmal, who didn't play the previous game. However, it remains to be seen if Welegedara plays tomorrow.
Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Seekkuge Prasanna, 11 Dilhara Fernando.
Stats and trivia
Mahela Jayawardene is 13 runs short of 10,000 runs in ODIs and 46 runs short of reaching the same landmark in Tests. He'll become the ninth batsman to reach that landmark in ODIs.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Match-fixing rampant in 1980s-90s - Condon
17:01
Pakistan Cricket
Cricket's former anti-corruption chief, Lord Paul Condon, has said match-fixing was rife during the 1980s and 1990s, and involved all the major nations. He also said spot-fixing began around the time of the 2003 World Cup and has now become "the name of the game".
"In the late 1990s, Test and World Cup matches were being routinely fixed," Condon, who was the first head of the ICC's ACSU, told the Evening Standard. "There were a number of teams involved in fixing, and certainly more than the Indian sub-continent teams were involved. Every international team, at some stage, had someone doing some funny stuff."
There had been plenty of rumour and speculation during the 1980s and 1990s, but it was only when the revelations involving Hansie Cronje emerged in early 2000 that significant action was taken. Condon, though, explained that match-fixing had roots away from the international scene in competitions such as the English County Championship and Sunday League, but not for sums of money.
"If you're Team A and have a higher position in the Sunday league and I'm captain of Team B and my team have no chance in the Sunday League, I might do a deal to ensure you got maximum points in your Sunday league match," he said. "You would reciprocate in the County Championship. These friendly fixes quickly became more sinister, probably in the Eighties."
After the unmasking of Cronje and match-fixing, he said, "the game was in meltdown, sponsors were walking away, demanding their money back." Condon's first major tournament with the ICC was the 2003 World Cup and, though he said it was the event helped eradicate wholesale fixing of matches, he said it may have marked the moment when spot-fixing arrived.
"In one group match during a couple of overs two guys suddenly went from scoring runs in double-figures to just ones and twos. For spot-fixing, that's all you need." The footage was shown to a panel of former Test players, who could not agree if it was corruption. Spot-fixing has been in the news of late with three Pakistan cricketers - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - jailed for their parts in deliberately bowling no-balls against England, at Lord's, in 2010. Butt was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, Asif was handed a year and Amir got six months.
They were caught with evidence provided by a News of the World undercover sting operation, a process that the ACSU hasn't been able to use to root out corruption although Condon said it was considered when he was in charge.
"We considered it and a policy decision was taken that, firstly, it would be highly unlikely the police would prosecute," he said. "They would say, 'This is entrapment, the cricket authorities setting up their own people.' The laws of entrapment are pretty clear. And, secondly, in our early education programmes, cricketers were told, 'If you're approached for a fix, this is not some scare by cricket trying to set you up and then giving you a b********g. This will be for real either by fixers or journalists. So, if you get involved, you must take the consequences.'"
Condon added that it was vital that an example was made of the three Pakistan players to show that corruption came with serious punishments, but did have a modicum of sympathy for 19-year-old Amir.
"Amir is an unsophisticated young man," he said. "If you're put in an environment where you think your future career is threatened if you don't do what your captain's asking you to do, and there's no one in the team management you feel you can go to, in that sense you feel sorry for that young man. But that's not to say he doesn't deserve a symbolic punishment. He's the only one I have even a moderate amount of sympathy for. To keep cricket clean sentences have to be exemplary."
Monday, 14 November 2011
Resilient Sri Lanka level series
11:38
Pakistan Cricket
The ICC's latest fiddle with the rules was primarily responsible for the intrigue in Dubai, where the tale of two batting Powerplays decided the course of the second ODI; Sri Lanka stole 48 off theirs, to poke a slumbering innings to life and propel a surge that yielded 136 runs off their last 20 overs. Chasing 236, Pakistan were rocked early by seam before a dazzling counter-attack from Umar Akmal left them needing 93 off the last 15 overs, when their batting Powerplay came into force. A hat-trick of blazing boundaries from Umar reduced the equation to 72 at under run-a-ball, but he holed out attempting a needless fourth four on the trot. Sri Lanka roared back into the game with two quick strikes, pegging the Powerplay damages at 26 for 3, and steadily closed the game out thereafter.
Umar had been watchful in the lead-up to the Powerplay, and his approach changed markedly once the restrictions came on. If the match was played before October 1, Pakistan may have waited for the very end to call the field in, and Umar may have continued in a cautious vein until then. As it transpired, Umar heaved Dilhara Fernando over mid-on, before backing away and scything him through point and blazing him through the covers. He looked to scythe the next one over mid-on, but Dinesh Chandimal intercepted well to give Sri Lanka an opening.
Umar's exit ended a 62-run stand, and Pakistan were in much murkier waters when Lasith Malinga removed the set Sarfraz Ahmed to a questionable lbw call when the batting side was out of reviews. Thisara Perera then removed Umar Gul to put Sri Lanka on the brink, but Shahid Afridi kept fighting. Tillakaratne Dilshan, however sealed the deal with a direct-hit from point that ended Afridi's blitz at 29 off 14 balls.
Dilshan's athleticism at the end of the evening was in stark contrast to his sluggish footwork while at the crease. Sri Lanka weathered an exemplary new-ball spell from Umar Gul through gumption and fortune - mostly the latter in the captain's case. Nine times in that phase, Dilshan groped at away seamers that buzzed away as he felt for them without moving his feet. Just when Dilshan seemed to be getting a hang of things, Gul slipped in one that held its line, leaving Dilshan non-plussed as he shouldered arms. Just when it seemed like he could get away with anything, Afridi slipped a patent faster one past a lazy cut to wreck his stumps.
Upul Tharanga had two escapes, dropped at cover by Imran Farhat and the keeper Sarfraz Ahmed, but fought along gamely, though Kumar Sangakkara fell by the wayside. Suddenly, Sri Lanka were reading from a script similar to the first game: the pitch was losing pace drastically, and Pakistan's all-sorts middle-overs specialists were tying them down. Two maidens were played out, Dinesh Chandimal combusted, and Jayawardene conceded another maiden as Sri Lanka's outlook worsened by the moment. But the Powerplay was about to change the course of the match.
In the 36th over, Jayawardene sensed release and launched the hitherto unhittable Afridi over extra-cover and the straight field for fours. Tharanga too cashed in, taking Saeed Ajmal for a raft of boundaries as Pakistan's spin gambit in the Powerplay backfired. Jayawardene pounded Gul for two more fours through the off side, and Sri Lanka had finally found their voice in the Middle East. The innings gradually decelerated thereafter, with Tharanga and Angelo Mathews falling at inopportune moments, but the Powerplay had provided enough momentum to haul Sri Lanka to a respectable total. A 17-run final over from Ajmal helped the cause too.
With runs to back him up, Malinga bowled with a freedom that was conspicuously absent in the first ODI. His first ball was sprayed on the pads, and Mohammad Hafeez duly whipped it for four, but the radar came on immediately. Two balls later Malinga zipped one away off the seam, and Hafeez nicked behind as he tried to cover the line without getting across. Younis Khan then fiddled at the sort of ball he had avoided so assiduously in the Tests, and Kumar Sangakkara veritably flew to his right, to grab the edge in front of first slip. Thisara Perera backed up Malinga with equally felicitous seam-work, and pinned Imran Farhat on the crease with one that nipped in from off stump. Farhat left Pakistan in more trouble than they needed at 11 for 3, using up their only review on his way out.
Misbah-ul-Haq guided Umar through the troubled waters, blunting the new balls and saving resources for late. Umar interspersed Misbah's defiance with a streak of breath-taking strokes, starting with a flick and a drive off Malinga. Dilhara Fernando hurried him into a pull against an effort ball, but the chance slipped past Angelo Mathews' lunge at short extra cover. Pakistan seemed to have restored parity when Umar hit back with two punchy fours, before heaving the first ball of Fernando's sixth over for a six. But Sri Lanka reclaimed control when Misbah walked into an inswinger in the same over to be struck in front. Abdul Razzaq's run-out gave Sri Lanka a firmer grip, but Sarfraz and Umar gave Pakistan the ascendancy with 15 overs left. The Powerplay had plans of its own, though.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
High-flying Pakistan plot another win
13:54
Pakistan Cricket
Big Picture
With every passing match, the stock of Misbah-ul-Haq continues to rise. A dysfunctional board, the loss of world-class fast bowlers to the spot-fixing crisis, a fall-out between captain and coach earlier in the year leading to the brief retirement of the talismanic Shahid Afridi - none of that has stopped Misbah from steering Pakistan to an almost six-month unbeaten run. Some of the opposition along the way might have been the lightweights, but the thumping win in the first one-dayer came against one of the top limited-overs sides in the world. For a man whose international career seemed well and truly over a little more than a year ago, it's been quite a ride since taking over as captain.
Things haven't been as smooth for the man who became Sri Lanka's leader after the World Cup. There's been some scattered Twenty20 success, but Tillakaratne Dilshan's side has lost all their major Test and ODI assignments over the past six months. After the abysmal batting collapse in the first one-dayer, Dilshan was critical of the shot-selection, especially from a hugely experienced top order. His own one-day form hasn't been great, and Sri Lanka have the added worry of Mahela Jayawardene struggling with a knee injury, which could put him out of Monday's match.
Form guide
Pakistan WWWWW
Sri Lanka LWLWL
Watch out for…
The solidity of Pakistan's openers in recent matches have reduced the opportunities for Umar Akmal, but a substantial performance from him will deter the team management from being tempted to replace him with Shoaib Malik. Umar was Man of the Match when Pakistan halted Australia's 34-match World Cup unbeaten streak, but he hasn't made a half-century against Test opposition in more than a year. The talent has never been in doubt, and he's still only 21, but the results need more consistency.
Another highly rated 21-year-old batsman looking to make an impression is Dinesh Chandimal. After the highs of a Lord's century, his form has nosedived - three low scores against Australia led to him losing his spot. He regained his place in the XI on Friday and top scored with 28 but his position in the order is a source of debate. Jayawardene usually prefers to bat as high as possible, but Chandimal's presence at No. 4 pushes Jayawardene down to three-down. "I want Chandimal to bat between Sanga and Mahela," Dilshan said. "Sanga comes in at three and Mahela at five, and if Chandimal can bat around the two of them it would be good."
Team news
After their comprehensive victory on Friday, Pakistan are unlikely to want to tinker with their combination.
Pakistan (probable) 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Aizaz Cheema
Though it was the batting that was abject in their defeat in the previous game, Sri Lanka's top six is more or less set in stone, unless if Jayawardene fails to recover from his knee problem. In that case, Dimuth Karunaratne, the 23-year-old top-order batsman from SSC, will likely take his place. Changes are likely to come lower down in the order, with Thisara Perera and Jeevan Mendis as possible replacements for the new boys, Kosala Kulasekara and Seekkuge Prasanna. Perera could even be brought in at the expense of Dilhara Fernando, who was erratic on Friday though he touched express speeds of 145kph.
Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Kosala Kulasekara 8 Thisara Perera 9 Seekkuge Prasanna/Jeevan Mendis 10 Lasith Malinga 11 Suranga Lakmal
Stats and trivia
Shahid Afridi's Man-of-the-Match award on Friday was his 25th, one more than Inzamam-ul-Haq has received. Saeed Anwar (28) is the only Pakistan player with more such honours.
Tillakaratne Dilshan's batting form has deserted him in ODIs since he took over as captain after the World Cup. In 12 matches, he has only one half-century and averages a paltry 13.66.
Quotes
"He handles things well and is somewhat like Arjuna Ranatunga and he has the patience to wait until he achieves what he wants to."
Marvan Atapattu, Sri Lanka's batting coach, is impressed with the calmness Misbah brings to the Pakistan side
"I've got experienced guys in the team and they're really doing very well, especially Younis Khan, who's always contributing to the team, now Shahid Afridi has come in and performed very well and Abdul Razzaq also bowled very well (on Friday)."
Misbah says the presence of old hands in the side makes his job easy
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Friday, 11 November 2011
Afridi proved he is a matchwinner - Misbah
16:30
Pakistan Cricket
Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said Shahid Afridi proved he was a matchwinner in his first match since coming out of a conditional international retirement. Afridi took 3 for 27 in 9.3 overs in Dubai, helping bowl Sri Lanka out for 130 and set up an easy Pakistan victory. Misbah said he was impressed with the way Afridi had come on at an important time and managed to both choke the runs and take wickets.
"Shahid Afridi is a matchwinner and he proved that today," Misbah said. "He came on when we needed wickets and also needed to keep the runs down. He bowled a wicket-to-wicket line, didn't give away runs and also made key breakthroughs. He's started his comeback well and I hope he continues to perform."
Afridi's wickets came after Pakistan's seamers had got a couple of early breakthroughs and Misbah said it had been the constant pressure his bowlers asserted that had been Sri Lanka's undoing. "The pitch played well and was the same across both innings. Credit goes to out bowlers. We pressurised them right from the start by being disciplined with the ball. The seamers were disciplined early and then the spinners came on and did really well."
Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, said it was once again poor shot selection that was behind Sri Lanka's batting failure. Sri Lanka struggled with the bat in the preceding Test series too, and were bowled out for first-innings totals of 197 in Abu Dhabi and 239 in Dubai. Dilshan said it had nothing to do with any technical failings the batsmen had but was down simply to making bad choices.
"Our mistake again was shot selection," Dilshan said. "It's not the technique of the batsmen because they are all getting starts but throwing it away with poor shots. There were one or two good balls today, the rest were all bad shots. We knew this was not a 250-280 pitch but felt that with four seamers we could defend something around 220-230. But 130 was obviously too low."
Dilshan had won the toss and elected to bat, as he had in the Test at the same venue. There was a little help for Pakistan's seamers early but Dilshan said it wasn't the pitch that got Sri Lanka's batsmen out. The next ODI is at the same venue, on November 14, and Dilshan said if the game was played on the same pitch he would not hesitate to bat first again.
"The track was not bad. If we are playing on the same track in the next match I think batting first will still be the right option."
Dilshan also said Mahela Jayawardene was a doubt for the next game as he had hurt his knee. He said Jayawardene would have a scan on his knee on Saturday after which the team would take a call on whether he would be fit for the second ODI.
Shocking Sri Lanka hammered in first ODI
10:47
Pakistan Cricket
Sri Lanka's batsmen betrayed a shocking lack of stomach in moderately helpful conditions for the bowlers, to crash to an eight-wicket humbling in the first ODI in Dubai. After losing the toss, Pakistan rolled the years back with a vintage bowling display - their fast bowlers softened the prey, before the allrounders and spinners came on to make incisions. Sri Lanka responded with indecisive prods, and a rash of strokes each uglier than the previous. They were bowled out for 131 with 57 balls to spare, and Pakistan strolled home in the 22nd over of their chase to put an early end to the weekend crowd's evening.
Sri Lanka's train-wreck of an innings featured only five fours, all of which were hit within the first 20 overs, and three sixes. The last of those - a heave against hope hopen from Lasith Malinga - broke a boundary drought that had lasted nearly 20 overs. Such was the stranglehold Pakistan wielded in the middle overs, and their spin spearhead Saeed Ajmal had almost no role to play in it.
Only one man stood between Pakistan and the paltry chase, but Lasith Malinga wasn't at his best on his return to action. He overstepped twice in his first over, and went on to send down two more no-balls - one of them for height. His lines were inconsistent, and his famed yorker did not make an appearance at all. Suranga Lakmal's dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez gave Sri Lanka some hope, but Imran Farhat's free-scoring more than made up for the loss. Younis Khan too purred along smoothly with a series of typical whips and glances as Pakistan bolted to a 1-0 lead.
The felicity with which Pakistan made their runs put the conditions, and the earlier efforts of their bowling colleagues, in perspective. The strip had a wee bit in it for every kind of quick - Umar Gul's seam, Aizaz Cheema's swing and Abdul Razzaq's legcutters - and the Pakistan trio exploited it right from the get-go. Gul lay down the marker in the first over of the game, with a big swinging wide down the leg side, and an away seamer that bounced explosively past Tillakaratne Dilshan's attempted slash. Dilshan perfected the shot in first ball of the the next over, but perished four balls later when Cheema got one to buzz in sharply onto the stumps off the inside edge.
Despite being in prime form, Kumar Sangakkara could barely lay bat on ball. A rare couple of boundaries suggested a release, but they were promptly followed by a string of 19 successive dots. The returning Razzaq put Sangakkara out of his misery in his first over, coaxing an outside edge with a ball that angled across.
Hafeez then settled into a typically asphyxiating rhythm, mixing up arm balls with darts that straightened. Dinesh Chandimal counterpunched by launching Razzaq over long-on for six, before scything him through cover for four. The aggression wore off on Upul Tharanga, who had pottered around to 21 off 52 balls before slicing Hafeez for a boundary over the off side. He perished three balls later, hoicking rashly to mid-on, and sadly for Sri Lanka, the poor shot selection set in like an epidemic.
Shahid Afridi came on, his appetite for the limelight undiminished by his brief retirement. He tossed up four balls, the fourth of which Chandimal clattered over long-on for six. Afridi removed him with the next ball - the patent quicker one catching the batsman on the crease, followed by the trademark arms-aloft celebration. He then rapped Mahela Jayawardene on the pads, and had his vociferous appeal turned down. When he was captain, Afridi would have signalled the referral immediately, almost as an extension of the appeal. This time, he turned to Misbah-ul-Haq in the covers, nodding his head vigorously to convince him, before asking for a review. The referral went Sri Lanka's way, but little else did.
Angelo Mathews spent 31 balls at the crease without adjusting to Hafeez's lack of turn before running himself out. Kosala Kulaseakara, yet to open his account in his debut innings, chose to chip a full ball straight to mid-off. Jayawardene watched aghast as he kept losing partners, before contributing his bit to the madness by lapping Ajmal from outside off stump to short fine-leg. Sri Lanka's misery was complete soon after, with Afridi and Ajmal producing enough variety to brush aside the tail. Dilshan's men will need a drastic change in approach before the second game on November 14.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Afridi's return sets up appetising opener
15:00
Pakistan Cricket
Big Picture
The leadership of a national side has probably never changed hands between characters as contrasting as Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq. When impassive replaces expressive, when calm replaces frenetic, chaos is a likely outcome. It could have happened only in Pakistan, and only Pakistan could have moved on as if nothing had happened. It helped that when Misbah was appointed limited-overs captain, he had been in charge of the Test side for some time. It helped that Pakistan had low-profile series against Ireland and Zimbabwe that eased him into the role. What also helped, probably the most, was that Afridi went into one of his retirements so that the heat generated by his removal did not singe the team.
Afridi is back now. Sri Lanka are no Ireland or Zimbabwe. Don't go by the listless unit that turned up for the Test series. They are World Cup finalists and a proud limited-overs side. This five-match series will be a dual test for Misbah the leader. His approach in Tests has been to let things happen while retaining control and pushing matters only when absolutely needed, a bit like his batting style. How will he handle a mercurial, and immensely popular, former captain and key ODI bowler? How will he control the flow against world-class opposition in a format short on time?
What Misbah has inherited from Afridi is a solid group that retained its sanity amid all the drama unfolding off the field over the past 15 months. It is a side that made the semi-final of the World Cup 2011 and has won its previous four bilateral ODI series. Misbah has the side to continue his captaincy run of being unbeaten in a series. What he makes of the additional baggage will determine whether that run continues against an opposition that has stalled in ODIs of late.
Sri Lanka have regressed in Tests but the impact of losing Muttiah Muralitharan has been softer in the shorter format. They have recently lost 2-3 to both England away and Australia at home. While the absence of Muralitharan continues to hurt them in Tests, the batting has crumbled too often of late, with their three losses against Australia coming after the batsmen managed 191, 208 and 132.
The Test series loss to Pakistan has brought a stern outburst from the chairman of selectors, Duleep Mendis, who said that the repeated batting failures had something to do with the mental approach. "Something is not right there and it is the coaches who have to address it," he said. Geoff Marsh has barely settled into the job of head coach. How soon can he rectify the batting, which will have to come good to set up games on the flat pitches in the UAE. Even a 3-2 series win will not be enough for Sri Lanka to hold on to the No. 2 ICC one-day ranking. To add another shade of interest, both sides will be playing under the new rules for the first time.
Form guide (completed games, most recent first)
Pakistan: WWWWW
Sri Lanka: WLWLL
In the spotlight
This is Shahid Afridi's format. This was Afridi's team. With his dozen-a-minute expressions and frenzied hand-waving on the field, he had successfully managed to hold together a team that many expected to fall apart. And then, the leadership was rudely yanked from under his feet after a series win in the West Indies, sending him into bitterness and temporary retirement. He has said that he has no problems playing under Misbah, having "played under a lot of captains, like around 11 or 12." But he is no ordinary player; he is the dethroned captain and was the heartbeat of his side during the World Cup. To say that his performance - and his interaction with Misbah - will be watched, is to state the obvious.
Sri Lanka would not have missed Muralitharan so much had Lasith Malinga been available all the time. He isn't, but whenever he is, they become a different side, capable of stunning turnarounds. Malinga was nearly unplayable during the recent Champions League T20, and played a major role in both their wins against Australia. Pakistan have played him much better though. He averages 47.66 against them against a career average of 25.03. The last time he played them, he took five wickets. Pakistan will be on guard against the yorkers. Will they be able to avoid them?
Team news
Pakistan have gone for Sarfraz Ahmed as the wicketkeeper in place of Adnan Akmal. Sarfraz's last game for Pakistan was in February 2010 but his domestic batting performances have led to his inclusion. The keeping is another issue, but Pakistan are certainly missing Kamran Akmal the batsman. What will Sarfraz make of this opportunity? Also returning is allrounder Abdul Razzaq whose last match was the World Cup 2011 semi-final against India.
Pakistan: (possible) 1 Imran Farhat 2 Mohammad Hafeez 3 Younis Khan 4 Asad Shafiq/Umar Akmal 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.) 6 Abdul Razzaq 7 Shahid Afridi 8 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk) 9 Umar Gul 10 Saeed Ajmal 11 Junaid Khan
Sri Lanka will be happy to go back to their prolific ODI opening combination of Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan after the indifferent starts during the Tests. Promising wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Chandimal played the first three ODIs against Australia as a specialist batsman before being dropped. He is back in the squad now but will Sangakkara continue to don the keeping gloves?
Sri Lanka: (possible) 1 Upul Tharanga 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt) 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk) 4 Dinesh Chandimal 5 Mahela Jayawardene 6 Angelo Mathews 7 Thisara Perera / Kosala Kulasekara 8 Jeevan Mendis 9 Suraj Randiv 10 Lasith Malinga 11 Suranga Lakmal / Dilhara Fernando
Stats & Trivia
Sri Lanka have beaten Pakistan in their previous two bilateral ODI series, both in 2009
Misbah-ul-Haq averaged 51.69 in 21 games under Shahid Afridi. He averages 94.50 in his short stint of six matches so far
Quotes
"It is time for our younger players to stand up and be counted and become those great players, Kumar [Sangakkara] had a fantastic series but we really need to get a couple of our younger players to really stand up and play well for us and to be the next Sangakkara or Jayawardene."
Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh wants his side to move beyond relying on their two great batsmen
"Sri Lanka have got an edge on us in the fielding department, we really have to work hard on that, especially in the shorter forms."
Pakistan interim coach Mohsin Khan knows where Pakistan could fall behind
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Salman Butt appeals against spot-fixing sentence
12:14
Pakistan Cricket
Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, has filed an appeal against his 30-month prison sentence for spot-fixing. Butt's sentence was handed down in Southwark Crown Court in London by Justice Cooke on November 3. A day earlier, a 12-person jury had found him guilty of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat with regard to the Lord's Test against England in August 2010.
Butt's lawyer, Yasin Patel, confirmed to the Associated Press that an appeal had been filed. The appeal is understood to be against the sentence and not the conviction.
In addition to Butt, fast bowler Mohammad Asif was also found guilty on the same two charges, while fellow fast bowler Mohammad Amir pleaded guilty before the trial began. Asif was sent to prison for one year while the 19-year-old Amir will spend six months behind bars for agreeing to bowl no-balls at prearranged times.
The trio will serve half the time in custody and then be released on licence, with conditions which, if broken, would see them back in detention for the remainder of their term. However, Asif's lawyers had said they were considering an appeal against his conviction, which would mean he would walk free from prison should such an appeal be successful.
The agent Mazhar Majeed, who was filmed accepting £150,000 from a reporter from the now defunct News of the World to to arrange the spot-fixing, was given the longest sentence - two years and eight months.
Earlier this year, the ICC banned all three players for at least five years for their roles in the tainted Lord's Test.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Pakistan v Sri Lanka ODI Schedule
08:00
Pakistan Cricket
1st ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 11, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
2nd ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 14, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
3rd ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 18, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
4th ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Sharjah
Nov 20, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
5th ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi
Nov 23, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
Nov 11, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
2nd ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 14, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
3rd ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dubai (DSC)
Nov 18, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
4th ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Sharjah
Nov 20, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
5th ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Abu Dhabi
Nov 23, 2011 (15:00 local | 11:00 GMT)
Afridi 'strong, fit and in good shape'
05:05
Pakistan Cricket
Shahid Afridi has said he is "strong, fit and in good shape" to come back from the "wild period" he spent out of the Pakistan limited-overs sides due to his conditional retirement.
Afridi had made himself available for selection after Zaka Ashraf succeeded Ijaz Butt as PCB chairman and was named on Wednesday in the ODI and Twenty20 squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. His selection came hours after he met with Ashraf in Lahore.
"I found Zaka a very cooperative person," Afridi said. "Though he is not a cricketer, I feel he can understand cricketers' problems and is good at managing things. I feel he will do the best for the interests of cricket in the country."
Afridi last played for Pakistan in the West Indies in May, when he had a public falling-out with the coach Waqar Younis. He was replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq as captain in the limited-overs formats, after which he announced his retirement, saying that he would not play for Pakistan under that administration. Waqar subsequently resigned as coach after the tour of Zimbabwe and Butt ended his term as PCB chairman in October, clearing the way for Afridi's comeback. Afridi said he still had "a lot to offer".
"It's obviously very tough to be out in such a manner. It indeed was a very difficult time and I am happy that I am back," Afridi said. "I am strong, fit and in good shape to cover the wild period I had lost during the time of retirement.
"I was well supported by the seniors in the team and also by Misbah, which is really good. Now I am ready to contribute in the team as a senior player."
Afridi had wasted no time in pushing his case, requesting a meeting with Zaka on the day the new PCB chairman took office. The selectors, too, wasted little time in picking the allrounder.
"I met with Afridi before his selection and we had a positive meeting," interim chief selector Mohammad Ilyas said. "He is like a son to me and I believe his selection isn't unfair."
Though he hasn't played international cricket for five months, Afridi has not been short of match practice. He played for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20 in England. "I am not rusty at all as I kept myself busy playing cricket," he said. "I am focusing on maintaining my all-round abilities. I had a successful county stint, which gave me ample confidence of doing well in both departments."
Monday, 7 November 2011
Shareef Show - Abdul Razaq _ Miss Pakistan ( Asma Zarnab ) Part 1 - 28th October 2011
17:36
Pakistan Cricket
Pakistan take series after rain-hit draw
07:26
Pakistan Cricket
Pakistan extended their impressive run in Test cricket since the spot-fixing scandal deprived them of three first-choice players, securing a series win over Sri Lanka on a rare rain-hit day in Sharjah. Fittingly, Misbah-ul Haq, the man who took over as captain and provided a backbone to a team that was in disarray last year, remained unbeaten to ensure there were no implosions and confirm the draw.
The result extends Sri Lanka's winless streak to 14 Tests, again highlighting their struggle to come to terms with the loss of Muttiah Muralitharan. They betrayed a lack of killer instinct by batting on the final day of this must-win Test, despite a three-hour rain delay. They were 237 ahead by stumps on the fourth day, a sufficiently large lead in a match where the run-rate had been around two-and-a-half over the first four days, but they weren't confident enough to declare at the start of play when 67.2 overs remained. Instead of going all out for a victory, they inexplicably batted out four overs before calling an end to their innings.
Pakistan needed a high-octane start if they were to make a serious tilt at the target of 255 in 61 overs. Their openers began briskly, with Mohammad Hafeez slashing a couple of fours past point early on. Pakistan were 20 for 0 midway through the fifth over, but their momentum was taken away by a direct hit from substitute Lahiru Thirimanne at midwicket, which caught Hafeez short.
Taufeeq Umar and the usually watchful Azhar Ali decided to shut shop, and Pakistan focused on playing out the overs for a draw. With the Sri Lanka spinners getting some turn, Pakistan scratched out six runs in an 11-over spell. Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv kept the batsmen on a leash, and Sri Lanka employed a clutch of close-in fielders as they hunted for quick wickets.
Sri Lanka's strikes came from contrasting deliveries. A ripper from Herath accounted for Azhar, trapped lbw after the ball drifted in before curling sharply away, while Younis Khan was dismissed by a pedestrian length delivery that he punched to the mid-on fielder.
Still, Taufeeq firmly resisted and Misbah showed off his defensive mastery once again to drain Sri Lanka's hopes. Their 15-over blockade nearly put the match to bed, but Sri Lanka perked up when Taufeeq irresponsibly slapped a short Randiv ball to Kumar Sangakkara at point. The spinners persevered and should have had another breakthrough when Asad Shafiq nicked to the keeper but the umpire failed to spot it.
It was comfortable for Pakistan in the end, with Shafiq and Misbah stonewalling 16 overs in the fading light. Misbah even shared a light-hearted moment with Sangakkara as the match wound down, jokingly imitating a left-hand batsman. With Pakistan winning their first series over a better-ranked team since they beat India at home in 2005-06, Misbah could well afford to smile.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Team management failed Amir, says mentor
02:31
Pakistan Cricket
Mohamamd Amir was a victim of Pakistan's cricketing culture and, specifically, the team management that failed to protect him, his mentor Asif Bajwa has said. Bajwa runs an academy in Rawalpindi that became Amir's second home from the age of 11, where he would live for long stretches with Bajwa looking after him.
"It was the team management's responsibility to take care of him," Bajwa told ESPNcricinfo. "They should have taken a strict stance but the culture is very lenient and unprofessional. Why couldn't they shut out those elements that tempted our cricketers?
"I brought up him up but he was distracted only after entering the international arena, where he didn't find the right people around him. They [the PCB] wanted a cricketer to represent Pakistan - we gave them one. But now who is responsible? Who is to be blame? He was a player with extraordinary cricketing skills but he was very naïve ... the board should have taken care of the other elements."
Bajwa said he had been in contact with Amir during the spot-fixing trial. "My interaction with Amir until Wednesday was very emotional, he sounded helpless and insisted that he wanted one more chance - everyone deserves a second chance. He apologised to me, and I promised him that I'd help him to eventually return to the game. It's a challenge for me to rebuild his reputation, but I will be doing that. It's a challenge to remove a stigma, as our society is very cruel, but I believe he will be back."
On Thursday, Amir was sentenced to six months in a young offenders' detention centre for his role in the spot-fixing case; the rules suggest he can be out in three months' time on good behaviour. His former team-mates Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, and their agent Mazhar Majeed, were sent to jail for terms ranging from a year to 32 months.
In his remarks while handing out the sentence, Justice Cooke noted Amir's background - he comes from a village near Islamabad where his father was a watchman in a government school. Compared to his fellow convicts, he was found to be unsophisticated, uneducated and impressionable.
"An 18-year-old from a poverty-stricken village background, very different to your own privileged one, who, whilst a very talented bowler, would be inclined to do what his senior players and particularly his captain told him, especially when told there was money in it for him and this was part of the common culture. For an impressionable youngster, not long in the team to stand out against the blandishments of his captain would have been hard," the judge said.
