Saturday, 31 December 2011
Friday, 30 December 2011
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Ian Bell Predicts Controversy in UAE
12:45
Pakistan Cricket
Ian Bell, the England batsman, expects the occasional flashpoint in the series against Pakistan that starts next month, but knows both teams have a responsibility to compete in the right spirit.
Contests between England and Pakistan have a history of courting controversy and this tour takes place in the aftermath of the spot-fixing verdicts, with Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir given jail terms after being exposed by the News of the World in 2010.
Relations between the teams became increasingly strained during the one-day leg of that series but Andrew Strauss has previously spoken about how it is time to move on from spot-fixing. For their part Pakistan have a new-look team which has enjoyed a very successful 2011 although a number of players remain from the England tour.
"It's a slightly different Pakistan squad to last year. They are trying to prove lots of people wrong," Bell told the Daily Telegraph. "It will be a tough series and I am sure that at some point there will be an incident or two. But it's important we ensure that this series is remembered for the right reasons not for anything controversial."
Bell is also aware that England didn't cover themselves in glory during the one-day series against India in October when the team was criticised for their attitude in the field as they slumped to the 5-0 whitewash.
"We didn't put ourselves in a great light in the one-day series India with some of the stuff that was going on and we need to make sure that this series is played in the right way. Hopefully that will happen. It's important for both sides to be ambassadors for the game and we need to make sure that it is played in the right way."
Pakistan have finished 2011 as one of the in-form teams in the world, which bodes well for a tight tussle against England who start the series as the No. 1 Test team. Pakistan will have the advantage of greater knowledge of the conditions, having played 'home' Tests in UAE over the last two years, but Bell thinks inconsistency remains a real possibility.
"Pakistan have great individual players, they always have done, but they are unpredictable," he said. "On their day they can beat anyone but they can always lose to anyone. You never quite know what you are going to get with them.
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Wahab Riaz aiming to rattle England with pace
03:44
Pakistan Cricket
Wahab Riaz, the Pakistan left-arm fast bowler, has said he is relieved to be back with the Test side after a difficult time away, where he had to deal with off-field issues. He said he is focusing on building his speed and adding some variations to this bowling during the home series against England in the UAE starting next month.
"I am happy and relaxed to be selected again," Riaz told ESPNcricinfo. "I am esteemed that the PCB and the selectors have kept their faith in me and supported me all the way. It was a nagging situation for me when I was out and it's obviously difficult when you are not part of the national team despite having all the ability to represent them."
Riaz's selection ends his unexplained six-month break from cricket - his last Test was against West Indies in May this year. His name came up during the spot-fixing trial of Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Amir in a London court in October, as part of a written statement from Pakistan's security manager, Major Khwaja Najam Javed, which was read out by the prosecution.
He was last included in the squad to face Sri Lanka in October but was sent home after an undercover reporter told the jury at Southwark Crown Court in London that agent Mazhar Majeed had told him he had several cricketers working for him and mentioned Wahab's name.
During his isolation from the national squad, Riaz focused on domestic cricket. He had a good season with National Bank of Pakistan in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, taking 30 wickets in six games at 24.86 and a batting average of 35.50.
"It was tough not being the part of the squad for some time. But I had a firm belief that things will be cleared, I don't want to get into the details," Riaz said. "What I know is that I am ready for yet another stint. I have kept myself fit and in form while playing domestic cricket so I don't think I will face any difficulty."
Riaz, 26, said he is working on troubling the England batsmen with pace. He is among two left-arm seamers in the Test squad, the other being the relative newcomer Junaid Khan.
"I am fully fit and in good rhythm to carry on. I'm focusing on speed and some variation in my deliveries. I am bowling at a speed of 150 kph and useful with the bat down the order," Riaz said.
"Our team has done well through the year but the England series will be a tough one, but we've got a good combination of bowlers. I will do my best to live up to the expectations."
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Whatmore Likely to be Offered 18,000 USD Per Month
04:40
Pakistan Cricket
Well placed sources in Pakistan cricket confirmed to PakPassion.net that former Sri Lanka and Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore is likely to be offered 18,000 USD per month to take on the role of Head Coach after the Pakistan versus England series in the United Arab Emirates.
From 2003 to 2007, Whatmore had been coaching Bangladesh. Under his coaching, Bangladesh enjoyed relative success and he coached them to their first Test match victory early in 2005.
Sri Lankan born Whatmore also coached Sri Lanka in two separate spells, during the first of which he won the 1996 Cricket World Cup. In between those spells, he coached Lancashire where he won the National League in 1998 and 1999, and the NatWest Trophy in 1998.
Whatmore has been asked to meet with PCB officials with a view to finalising a deal for him to take up the Head Coach's role from the Asia Cup.
Whatmore has been the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders team since 2009. In 2009, they finished last in the group stage and were eliminated. In 2010, they finished 5th and were again eliminated in group stage. In 2011, they entered knockout stage as they were 4th in group stage, but lost to Mumbai Indians.
In comparison to Whatmore's proposed salary of 18,000 USD per month, Waqar Younus was reported to be on a salary of 10,000 USD per month.
From 2003 to 2007, Whatmore had been coaching Bangladesh. Under his coaching, Bangladesh enjoyed relative success and he coached them to their first Test match victory early in 2005.
Sri Lankan born Whatmore also coached Sri Lanka in two separate spells, during the first of which he won the 1996 Cricket World Cup. In between those spells, he coached Lancashire where he won the National League in 1998 and 1999, and the NatWest Trophy in 1998.
Whatmore has been asked to meet with PCB officials with a view to finalising a deal for him to take up the Head Coach's role from the Asia Cup.
Whatmore has been the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders team since 2009. In 2009, they finished last in the group stage and were eliminated. In 2010, they finished 5th and were again eliminated in group stage. In 2011, they entered knockout stage as they were 4th in group stage, but lost to Mumbai Indians.
In comparison to Whatmore's proposed salary of 18,000 USD per month, Waqar Younus was reported to be on a salary of 10,000 USD per month.
Saturday, 24 December 2011
Mohsin to be interim coach for England series
18:13
Pakistan Cricket
Mohsin Khan will continue as interim coach of Pakistan for the series against England next month, Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman has said. The decision to continue with Mohsin, who is also the head of selectors, has been made because the PCB is yet to identify and hire a full-time coach.
"The current coaching team will continue to work for the England series as well," Ashraf said. "We have yet to take a decision on the appointment of the new coaching staff. It is not my call to name a coach as I have appointed an expert team of former Test cricketers to decide. I have told them to find the best candidate."
The England series will be Mohsin's third assignment as national coach. He was first appointed interim coach after Waqar Younis stepped down citing medical reasons in August.
The PCB had been expected to name their new coach following the Bangladesh series. Ashraf did not provide a reason for the delay. The search committee was formed in late August to find Waqar's successor and though it arrived at a shortlist of five candidates a month later, no full-time coach has yet been appointed. The committee was constituted by the previous PCB chairman Ijaz Butt but the process was delayed as Butt completed his three-year tenure and was replaced by Ashraf in October.
England will play three Tests, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s on their two-month tour of the UAE.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Misbah-ul-Haq sets sights on England
14:51
Pakistan Cricket
Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has already set his sights on the home series against England in the UAE, in January and February 2012, after completing a successful tour of Bangladesh. The Pakistan team returned home on Friday after winning all their matches in Bangladesh - two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 international - to end a successful year.
Their next assignment is against England, the No.1 ranked Test side. Pakistan are presently No. 5, above Sri Lanka, their best rating since March 2009. "The series against England is important, and very tough," Misbah said in Lahore. "England is the world's best Test team, but on current form we can beat any team."
Since taking over the captaincy from Salman Butt, following the spot-fixing scandal on the tour of England in 2010, Misbah led Pakistan in 13 Tests, of which they won six, drew six and lost one. Misbah, however, said there was scope for improvement. "Despite achieving some good results we still need to overcome some of the mistakes we committed. The management as well as the players are determined to overcome them because England will be really tough.
"Our targets on the Bangladesh tour were to keep consistency in our performance, overcome some of the mistakes and improve our rankings, and we achieved that."
The results in Bangladesh came soon after the success against Sri Lanka in the UAE, where Pakistan won the Tests 1-0 and the ODIs 4-1. "The best part about this team is that we have good coordination among the seniors and juniors," Misbah said. "The support staff is helping players, and each and every player realises his duty, and that will help us against England."
Pakistan retained the interim coach Mohsin Khan for the series against England, while they continue their search for a permanent replacement for Waqar Younis. Mohsin also said the team was already looking forward to 2012. " We played good cricket all year long and hence the year ends on a successful note. Now the wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are part of history," he said. "We have to start afresh against England and need to raise our game because the next opponents are very strong and ranked No. 1 in the world. We are coming through a successful winning record and I am confident that we can obtain very good results against them."
Pakistan selectors will meet next week to pick the squad against England. There will be a training camp in Lahore before the departure for the UAE, where the first Test begins on January 17.
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Shahid Afridi is straight as an arrow and replies: Its all about Money! Haha!
20:07
Pakistan Cricket
Rana Naveed 4 Wickets In KFC Big Bash Hobart Hurricanes Vs Sydney Sixers 2011-12
19:08
Pakistan Cricket
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Shane Warne tells TV viewers how he'll dismiss Brendon McCullum ... and then does it
18:47
Pakistan Cricket
Shane Warne tells TV viewers how he'll dismiss Brendon McCullum ... and then does it
Warne winds back clock as Stars beat Heat
Shane Warne claims his first wicket of the KFC T20 Big Bash League in style after Robert Quiney belts 97 off just 60 deliveries to help Melbourne Stars to a thrilling eight-run win over Brisbane Heat at the Gabba.
Warne Predict McCullum Wicket And Than Does Bowled Him
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Pakistan fight back on curtailed day
03:27
Pakistan Cricket
Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim frustrated Pakistan in a truncated morning session, but the visitors levelled the game over the next two sessions. Bangladesh's fragility was once again on display after lunch, as the final five wickets went down for 33 runs after which Pakistan's top order responded strongly.
Until the Bangladesh lower-order collapse in the afternoon, the only impediment to the home side's progress had been the fog in Mirpur, which wiped out an hour's play. Shakib and Mushfiqur crafted a slow-and-steady stand once it cleared, to give the small but vocal crowd something to cheer about on a chilly morning.
Shakib made his highest first-class score and was headed for Bangladesh's record individual Test effort when he was run-out. Mushfiqur took a few quick steps before stopping and sending Shakib back, but a direct hit from Taufeeq Umar, running in from mid-on, was enough to snap the partnership at 82. Shakib walked off, after several glares at his captain over the poor calling.
Whether that had an effect on Mushfiqur is hard to tell, but the very next delivery, he gloved a catch down the leg side to the wicketkeeper which left two new lower-order batsmen at the crease, and Pakistan sniffing a quick end to the innings. Elias Sunny and Shahadat Hossain rode their luck in a brief, entertaining stand - Sunny survived as an Umar Gul delivery kissed off stump without disturbing the bails, and Shahadat was put down by Abdur Rehman at deep midwicket.
The innings ended in a hurry, though, as Saeed Ajmal's doosra proved too much for the tailenders, and a run-out curtailed Nazmul Hossain's first Test knock in seven years to a single delivery.
In contrast, Pakistan had little to celebrate in the morning. There was little movement on offer for the quick bowlers and even with the second new ball Gul and Aizaz Cheema couldn't get any major deviation. With the old ball, Pakistan's dangerous spin pair of Ajmal and Rehman got some turn, but were blunted by Shakib and Mushfiqur.
Shakib hit only one boundary in the first session, and survived several lbw calls and an outside edge that landed short of slip. While he was circumspect, Mushfiqur was more enterprising. There was a powerful swipe over midwicket for six off Ajmal, and he picked up several boundaries with his favoured cut shot. They took Bangladesh past 300 in Tests for only the second time since May 2010, but their back-to-back dismissals restricted the innings to a far lower score than expected.
There was something to buoy the home side as they went in for tea. They removed Mohammad Hafeez, who has had a great run in 2011, including a big century in the previous Test. He had begun ominously, swatting consecutive boundaries in the third over, but nicked Nazmul's first ball in Tests in seven years, to be dismissed for 14.
Bangladesh's bowlers gifted easy runs till late in the final session, when the spinners Shakib and Mahmudullah kept the batsmen in check. There was an early close call for Azhar Ali, who unwisely shouldered arms to a delivery that nipped in from Robiul, narrowly avoiding a supremely confident shout for lbw. He wasn't at his most assured against the spinners either, beaten several times by the big turn Shakib was extracting, and once edging just wide of the slips.
Taufeeq Umar was more confident, initially capitalising on the loose deliveries on offer. There were plenty of cuts and drives as he picked up eight boundaries on his way to 44, before bad light expectedly ended play an hour early. There's still plenty of work to do for the Pakistan batting but with their increasingly reliable middle order, they will fancy their chances of overhauling Bangladesh's total.
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Melbourne Renegades Matches
07:45
Pakistan Cricket
Sun Dec 18 Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Renegades Adelaide Oval
07:00 GMT | 17:30 local | 02:00 EST | 01:00 CST | 23:00 PST -1d
Thu Dec 22 Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Fri Dec 30 Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Stadium Australia, Sydney
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Mon Jan 2 Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Sixers Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Sat Jan 7 Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades Melbourne Cricket Ground
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Thu Jan 12 Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Wed Jan 18 Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades Bellerive Oval, Hobart
05:00 GMT | 16:00 local | 00:00 EST | 23:00 CST -1d | 21:00 PST -1d
Fri Jan 20 1st semi-final - TBC v TBC (1 v 4) Venue TBC
Sat Jan 21 2nd semi-final - TBC v TBC (2 v 3) Venue TBC
Sat Jan 28 Final - TBC v TBC Venue TBC
07:00 GMT | 17:30 local | 02:00 EST | 01:00 CST | 23:00 PST -1d
Thu Dec 22 Melbourne Renegades v Perth Scorchers Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Fri Dec 30 Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades Stadium Australia, Sydney
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Mon Jan 2 Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Sixers Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Sat Jan 7 Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades Melbourne Cricket Ground
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Thu Jan 12 Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat Docklands Stadium, Melbourne
08:00 GMT | 19:00 local | 03:00 EST | 02:00 CST | 00:00 PST
Wed Jan 18 Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades Bellerive Oval, Hobart
05:00 GMT | 16:00 local | 00:00 EST | 23:00 CST -1d | 21:00 PST -1d
Fri Jan 20 1st semi-final - TBC v TBC (1 v 4) Venue TBC
Sat Jan 21 2nd semi-final - TBC v TBC (2 v 3) Venue TBC
Sat Jan 28 Final - TBC v TBC Venue TBC
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Pakistan is 2011's team of the year - Rob Steen
05:44
Pakistan Cricket
Cricket in 2011 found its twin symbols in the movies that moved me the most - Lars von Trier's Melancholia and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. While the former is as depressing as middlebrow entertainment gets, the latter is profoundly uplifting - dissatisfaction begets nostalgia and thence our reluctance to appreciate the present. Whether, for lovers of flannelled tomfoolery, the pleasure was worth the pain is a question only history can answer.
This, after all, will go down as the year that saw the game plumb fresh depths in courtroom and committee room. Never before had cricketers been jailed for their activities on an international field. Never before had a purportedly reputable official alleged that Tests were "routinely fixed" (that Lord Condon submitted not a grain of evidence has only aggravated the potential for finger-pointing ructions). Never again will those running the game postpone a worthwhile new event to please the almighty broadcasters (sentiments typed with vastly more hope than conviction).
Not that the scars stop there. There was too much cricket, and too little of consequence. TV viewers and sponsors played Spot-The-Spectator. One national board refused to pay players for months on end; the chief executive of another was persistently accused of misappropriating more than a quarter of a million dollars; one of our foremost entertainers, Chris Gayle, spent as much time in the blue of Matabeleland Tuskers as the maroon of West Indies; squabbles over technological aids maintained a two-tier system of justice. Even in Thailand, rum doings were reported in the name of bat and ball.
Yet to those inclined to see their glass as half-full, there was certainly oodles to savour, not least in the subversion of traditional norms. Ravichandran Ashwin, Darren Bravo, Pat Cummins, Virat Kohli and James Pattinson all strode into the spotlight and lapped up the rays; New Zealand unveiled the Three Bs - Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Dean Brownlie; Mohammad Hafeez and Chris Tremlett were reborn. Jacques, Rahul, Ricky and Sachin duelled with age and, to varying degrees, prevailed. Alastair Cook completed his journey from precipice to throne. Dale Steyn widened the gulf between himself and the bowling pack to Persian proportions. David Warner roared out of his pigeonhole. Shane Watson looked poised to persuade even the hardiest sceptic that he may one day inspire the chorus "Keith who?"
MS Dhoni led India from front and rear to claim a mostly dull World Cup. Australia lost a World Cup fixture at last but even amid a period of upheaval still led the one-day rankings. In the space of six days, Mumbai and Johannesburg staged two of the most gripping climaxes in Test annals. England attained the No. 1 Test ranking through deep pace resources and flat-track bullying, but overall, the team of the year are Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan, who racked up 33 victories and a winning record, uniquely, in all formats, while never once enjoying home advantage. Sure, they did it by massacring the mediocre and marmalising the modest, but still. If ever a nation's cricket needed to unhinge itself from its past, Pakistan's does now.
The most endearing and enduring soundbite came courtesy Virender Sehwag. In Indore, fresh from the biggest of the year's most brutal assaults (those by Watson and Essex's Graham Napier, against Bangladesh and Surrey, were even nastier in strike-rate terms), having not so much broken Sachin Tendulkar's ODI peak as torn it limb from limb, he proffered a priceless postcript: "I am very happy with myself." And why ever not? We all know there's no "I" in "team", or "country" for that matter (though there is one in "side" and, come to think of it, "collective"), but if anyone has a right to toot his own horn it is assuredly the game's principal soloist. Besides, media training has scaled such heights of efficiency it's a wonder Bob Dylan has yet to deliver that belated follow-up to Blonde on Blonde - Bland On Bland. What joy to hear gut reaction rather than pre-packed line.
And so to this column's Five Cricketers of the Year, in reverse order of distinction. To those who feel that Dhoni's absence is akin to leaving Josef Stalin out of the Top Five Most Dastardly Dictators, let's just say his mantelpiece is creaking already.
Devendra Bishoo
This has been a year of small, cherishable miracles: Zimbabwe's resurgence under Alan Butcher and Brendan Taylor; Dhoni recalling Ian Bell in the cause of decency; Ponting walking - for an lbw; Australia careering to 21 for 9; MCC inviting Tony Greig to give the next "Spirit of Cricket" lecture. It's still fiendishly hard to see past the fact that the international circuit's No. 2 wicket-hunter, with 65 all told, should be a legspinner from Berbice - let alone one who looks as if a gentle sneeze might blow him over. The younger of the bravura Bravo brothers may be shaping up as the brightest star in the Caribbean firmament but runs are not the priority. With Ravi Rampaul coming on in leaps and bounds, Fidel Edwards round-arming his way back to unpickupability, and Kemar Roach emerging as a second enforcer, the revival may have begun in earnest.
Ian Bell
Warwickshire supporters can congratulate themselves on their prescience and faith but few others would have guessed that the shy young thing Shane Warne derided as the "Shermanator" would grow into the most watchable batsman in the business. That 2011 Test average of 118.75 doesn't lie. Nor do those five hundreds in 11 innings. What was once an endearingly fragile walk to the crease is now the epitome of breezy sturdiness. Yet if muscle and reliability are now assets, neither has come at the expense of aesthetics. With VVS fading, however gracefully, and Mahela Jayawardene out of sorts, connoisseurs of style have a new poster boy.
Misbah-ul-Haq
Saeed "Mr Doosra" Ajmal's 85 international wickets to date headed the rest by a street; Younis Khan has averaged 80 in nine Tests since being recalled; Shahid Afridi unretired to transformative effect; Mohammad Hafeez came of all-round age; Umar Gul and Junaid Khan made it possible to pretend Mohammads Asif and Amir had never been considered their superior; Zaka Ashraf has almost made it possible to pretend that Ijaz Butt had never existed. Kudos for the current Pakistani resurgence, though, goes primarily to Misbah, whose calm leadership and even calmer batting have lent stability to the most storm-tossed vessel on the high seas. The contrast to his disgraced predecessor could hardly have been starker. Among the new, true allrounders - i.e. those picked across all three formats - none averaged more than his 57.20. The first 40-year-old national skipper since Imran Khan? Don't put it past him.
Stephen Davies
Seldom glimpsed inside an international boundary, his most conspicuous onfield acts did little more than haul Surrey up from where they had no right being and back to where they once belonged - winners at Lord's and promoted to the top tier of the County Championship. Only in the shortest form did he not regress. Three regular stumpers posted more impressive first-class averages than the one unfortunate enough to be his country's designated Test No. 2 at a time when the top dog is as prolific in that department as any to tend timber while sporting the three lions. Then again, it's not exactly every year that you become the first cricketer of renown to make his homosexuality public.
On February 27, regardless of whether the tabloids forced his hand, Davies trod where few active sportsmen have ever dared to tread. Whether others feel liberated to follow, we can only wait and see; much will depend on whether he can translate that admirable resolve into a substantial career, but will almost certainly rely even more on the maturity of those tempted to test that resolve and the punishment meted out to any who fail to resist. Wherever this leads, his courage and determination should never be underestimated or forgotten.
Kumar Sangakkara
Nobody has scored more international runs in 2011 than his 2156. Nobody manned a burning bridge more defiantly than he did during the Test series against Pakistan - 516 runs at 86, when Sri Lanka's next most manful contribution was Tharanga Paranavitana's 195 at 39. Yet it was as an orator, with his "Spirit of Cricket" lecture at Lord's, that he dazzled. Greig has some act to follow.
Sangakkara began by expressing sentiments that ought to echo throughout every cranny of cricketkind: "I strongly believe that we have reached a critical juncture in the game's history and that unless we better sustain Test cricket, embrace technology enthusiastically, protect the game's global governance from narrow self-interest, and more aggressively root out corruption then cricket will face an uncertain future." In proudly tracing the inspirational history of Sri Lankan cricket he also denounced those who threaten to ruin it. Describing the club structure as "archaic" and the administrators as unstable, he marvelled that so many world-beaters had somehow been produced.
What lingered longest, nonetheless, was his closing musings: "Fans of different races, castes, ethnicities and religions who together celebrate their diversity by uniting for a common national cause. They are my foundation, they are my family. I will play my cricket for them. Their spirit is the true spirit of cricket. With me are all my people. I am Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Burgher. I am a Buddhist, a Hindu, a follower of Islam and Christianity." Good thing he didn't insert "Judaism": I'd have felt obliged to have his babies.
This, after all, will go down as the year that saw the game plumb fresh depths in courtroom and committee room. Never before had cricketers been jailed for their activities on an international field. Never before had a purportedly reputable official alleged that Tests were "routinely fixed" (that Lord Condon submitted not a grain of evidence has only aggravated the potential for finger-pointing ructions). Never again will those running the game postpone a worthwhile new event to please the almighty broadcasters (sentiments typed with vastly more hope than conviction).
Not that the scars stop there. There was too much cricket, and too little of consequence. TV viewers and sponsors played Spot-The-Spectator. One national board refused to pay players for months on end; the chief executive of another was persistently accused of misappropriating more than a quarter of a million dollars; one of our foremost entertainers, Chris Gayle, spent as much time in the blue of Matabeleland Tuskers as the maroon of West Indies; squabbles over technological aids maintained a two-tier system of justice. Even in Thailand, rum doings were reported in the name of bat and ball.
Yet to those inclined to see their glass as half-full, there was certainly oodles to savour, not least in the subversion of traditional norms. Ravichandran Ashwin, Darren Bravo, Pat Cummins, Virat Kohli and James Pattinson all strode into the spotlight and lapped up the rays; New Zealand unveiled the Three Bs - Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Dean Brownlie; Mohammad Hafeez and Chris Tremlett were reborn. Jacques, Rahul, Ricky and Sachin duelled with age and, to varying degrees, prevailed. Alastair Cook completed his journey from precipice to throne. Dale Steyn widened the gulf between himself and the bowling pack to Persian proportions. David Warner roared out of his pigeonhole. Shane Watson looked poised to persuade even the hardiest sceptic that he may one day inspire the chorus "Keith who?"
MS Dhoni led India from front and rear to claim a mostly dull World Cup. Australia lost a World Cup fixture at last but even amid a period of upheaval still led the one-day rankings. In the space of six days, Mumbai and Johannesburg staged two of the most gripping climaxes in Test annals. England attained the No. 1 Test ranking through deep pace resources and flat-track bullying, but overall, the team of the year are Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan, who racked up 33 victories and a winning record, uniquely, in all formats, while never once enjoying home advantage. Sure, they did it by massacring the mediocre and marmalising the modest, but still. If ever a nation's cricket needed to unhinge itself from its past, Pakistan's does now.
The most endearing and enduring soundbite came courtesy Virender Sehwag. In Indore, fresh from the biggest of the year's most brutal assaults (those by Watson and Essex's Graham Napier, against Bangladesh and Surrey, were even nastier in strike-rate terms), having not so much broken Sachin Tendulkar's ODI peak as torn it limb from limb, he proffered a priceless postcript: "I am very happy with myself." And why ever not? We all know there's no "I" in "team", or "country" for that matter (though there is one in "side" and, come to think of it, "collective"), but if anyone has a right to toot his own horn it is assuredly the game's principal soloist. Besides, media training has scaled such heights of efficiency it's a wonder Bob Dylan has yet to deliver that belated follow-up to Blonde on Blonde - Bland On Bland. What joy to hear gut reaction rather than pre-packed line.
And so to this column's Five Cricketers of the Year, in reverse order of distinction. To those who feel that Dhoni's absence is akin to leaving Josef Stalin out of the Top Five Most Dastardly Dictators, let's just say his mantelpiece is creaking already.
Devendra Bishoo
This has been a year of small, cherishable miracles: Zimbabwe's resurgence under Alan Butcher and Brendan Taylor; Dhoni recalling Ian Bell in the cause of decency; Ponting walking - for an lbw; Australia careering to 21 for 9; MCC inviting Tony Greig to give the next "Spirit of Cricket" lecture. It's still fiendishly hard to see past the fact that the international circuit's No. 2 wicket-hunter, with 65 all told, should be a legspinner from Berbice - let alone one who looks as if a gentle sneeze might blow him over. The younger of the bravura Bravo brothers may be shaping up as the brightest star in the Caribbean firmament but runs are not the priority. With Ravi Rampaul coming on in leaps and bounds, Fidel Edwards round-arming his way back to unpickupability, and Kemar Roach emerging as a second enforcer, the revival may have begun in earnest.
Ian Bell
Warwickshire supporters can congratulate themselves on their prescience and faith but few others would have guessed that the shy young thing Shane Warne derided as the "Shermanator" would grow into the most watchable batsman in the business. That 2011 Test average of 118.75 doesn't lie. Nor do those five hundreds in 11 innings. What was once an endearingly fragile walk to the crease is now the epitome of breezy sturdiness. Yet if muscle and reliability are now assets, neither has come at the expense of aesthetics. With VVS fading, however gracefully, and Mahela Jayawardene out of sorts, connoisseurs of style have a new poster boy.
Misbah-ul-Haq
Saeed "Mr Doosra" Ajmal's 85 international wickets to date headed the rest by a street; Younis Khan has averaged 80 in nine Tests since being recalled; Shahid Afridi unretired to transformative effect; Mohammad Hafeez came of all-round age; Umar Gul and Junaid Khan made it possible to pretend Mohammads Asif and Amir had never been considered their superior; Zaka Ashraf has almost made it possible to pretend that Ijaz Butt had never existed. Kudos for the current Pakistani resurgence, though, goes primarily to Misbah, whose calm leadership and even calmer batting have lent stability to the most storm-tossed vessel on the high seas. The contrast to his disgraced predecessor could hardly have been starker. Among the new, true allrounders - i.e. those picked across all three formats - none averaged more than his 57.20. The first 40-year-old national skipper since Imran Khan? Don't put it past him.
Stephen Davies
Seldom glimpsed inside an international boundary, his most conspicuous onfield acts did little more than haul Surrey up from where they had no right being and back to where they once belonged - winners at Lord's and promoted to the top tier of the County Championship. Only in the shortest form did he not regress. Three regular stumpers posted more impressive first-class averages than the one unfortunate enough to be his country's designated Test No. 2 at a time when the top dog is as prolific in that department as any to tend timber while sporting the three lions. Then again, it's not exactly every year that you become the first cricketer of renown to make his homosexuality public.
On February 27, regardless of whether the tabloids forced his hand, Davies trod where few active sportsmen have ever dared to tread. Whether others feel liberated to follow, we can only wait and see; much will depend on whether he can translate that admirable resolve into a substantial career, but will almost certainly rely even more on the maturity of those tempted to test that resolve and the punishment meted out to any who fail to resist. Wherever this leads, his courage and determination should never be underestimated or forgotten.
Kumar Sangakkara
Nobody has scored more international runs in 2011 than his 2156. Nobody manned a burning bridge more defiantly than he did during the Test series against Pakistan - 516 runs at 86, when Sri Lanka's next most manful contribution was Tharanga Paranavitana's 195 at 39. Yet it was as an orator, with his "Spirit of Cricket" lecture at Lord's, that he dazzled. Greig has some act to follow.
Sangakkara began by expressing sentiments that ought to echo throughout every cranny of cricketkind: "I strongly believe that we have reached a critical juncture in the game's history and that unless we better sustain Test cricket, embrace technology enthusiastically, protect the game's global governance from narrow self-interest, and more aggressively root out corruption then cricket will face an uncertain future." In proudly tracing the inspirational history of Sri Lankan cricket he also denounced those who threaten to ruin it. Describing the club structure as "archaic" and the administrators as unstable, he marvelled that so many world-beaters had somehow been produced.
What lingered longest, nonetheless, was his closing musings: "Fans of different races, castes, ethnicities and religions who together celebrate their diversity by uniting for a common national cause. They are my foundation, they are my family. I will play my cricket for them. Their spirit is the true spirit of cricket. With me are all my people. I am Tamil, Sinhalese, Muslim and Burgher. I am a Buddhist, a Hindu, a follower of Islam and Christianity." Good thing he didn't insert "Judaism": I'd have felt obliged to have his babies.
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Youngsters must be carefully chosen - Abdul Razzaq
08:53
Pakistan Cricket
Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has said Pakistan must be cautious in their policy of picking young players and should ensure only those cricketers with real talent are given a chance. In the last two years, Pakistan have handed 11 different players Test debuts, while another five players have earned their first ODI cap. Razzaq said that rebuilding was necessary, but the selectors should be sure the players they back can be successful at international level.
"Bringing in young players is a good move and that is an ongoing process," Razzaq told ESPNcricinfo. "But only talented players, who are tough and have superb class, should be called up."
Pakistan experimented on their recent tour of Zimbabwe and have a couple of young, untested fast bowlers - Mohammad Talha and Mohammad Khalil - in their squad for the Tests in Bangladesh. Razzaq, though, said players should not only be tried against low-profile opposition. "I remember when I debuted in 1996 my seniors gave me a benchmark, and said I had to prove my ability by performing against teams like Australia, South Africa and England. All the newcomers should be tough enough to face that kind of opposition in order to be prosperous and play at least ten years of cricket."
Razzaq, who is set to depart for Australia to play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, said his next aim in international cricket was to play in the 2012 World Twenty20.
He said he would concentrate on the shorter formats of the game. "I still have some cricket left in me and the upcoming World Twenty20 is what I am focussing on. Test cricket is behind me; it's too late for a comeback. I want to make a final call on that but it's a decision that needs to be taken with the PCB in the loop."
Friday, 9 December 2011
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Monday, 5 December 2011
Pakistan coach to be named after Bangladesh tour
10:17
Pakistan Cricket
The PCB coach hunt committee has decided on its choice for head coach and specialised coaches, but will make a formal announcement after the Bangladesh tour, with the incumbent in place for next January's series against England. Dav Whatmore is seen as the front-runner for the top job with Mohsin Khan, Aaqib Javed and Julien Fountain tipped to get the batting, bowling and fielding roles.
Col Naushad Ali, a member of the committee and currently assistant manager of the national team, said the committee had made its decision. "The person we have picked as head coach is very well suited to Pakistan," Ali said. "He is the one who suits the temperament of Pakistan cricket and [that] of its team."
Whatmore, currently coach of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, was linked with the post on an earlier occasion, when the PCB eventually picked Geoff Lawson. This time, his name is believed to be favoured by the committee members - Ali, Intikhab Alam, Zaheer Abbas and Ramiz Raja (though the last-named has been out of loop while on tour as a commentator).
When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, Whatmore refused to shed any light on the issue. "I can't say anything," he said. "I am in no position to say anything."
The committee - which is believed to favour home-grown batting and bowling coaches, given Pakistan's traditional strengths in those disciplines - is yet to conduct a formal interview with any of the candidates, but is understood to have been in touch through mail and phone. It is believed the PCB had set up a meeting between Alam and Whatmore under the Ijaz Butt regime but it was cancelled following the change in administration.
The appointment of a coach will fill a slot that's been lying vacant for the past five months, since Waqar Younis stepped down on health grounds. Mohsin Khan was named interim coach and it's understood he wants to continue in some coaching capacity rather than return to a selectorial role.
"I think I have done fairly a good job," Khan told ESPNcricinfo last month. "I haven't applied for the coaching job but if they [the PCB] ask me to carry on, I'd love to do so."
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent
Feeds: Umar Farooq
Col Naushad Ali, a member of the committee and currently assistant manager of the national team, said the committee had made its decision. "The person we have picked as head coach is very well suited to Pakistan," Ali said. "He is the one who suits the temperament of Pakistan cricket and [that] of its team."
Whatmore, currently coach of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, was linked with the post on an earlier occasion, when the PCB eventually picked Geoff Lawson. This time, his name is believed to be favoured by the committee members - Ali, Intikhab Alam, Zaheer Abbas and Ramiz Raja (though the last-named has been out of loop while on tour as a commentator).
When contacted by ESPNcricinfo, Whatmore refused to shed any light on the issue. "I can't say anything," he said. "I am in no position to say anything."
The committee - which is believed to favour home-grown batting and bowling coaches, given Pakistan's traditional strengths in those disciplines - is yet to conduct a formal interview with any of the candidates, but is understood to have been in touch through mail and phone. It is believed the PCB had set up a meeting between Alam and Whatmore under the Ijaz Butt regime but it was cancelled following the change in administration.
The appointment of a coach will fill a slot that's been lying vacant for the past five months, since Waqar Younis stepped down on health grounds. Mohsin Khan was named interim coach and it's understood he wants to continue in some coaching capacity rather than return to a selectorial role.
"I think I have done fairly a good job," Khan told ESPNcricinfo last month. "I haven't applied for the coaching job but if they [the PCB] ask me to carry on, I'd love to do so."
Umar Farooq is ESPNcricinfo's Pakistan correspondent
Feeds: Umar Farooq
جب شعیب اختر غربت کیوجہ سے لاهور میں فٹ پاتهه پر سویا
05:10
Pakistan Cricket
شیعب اختر نے اپنی متنازعہ کتاب Controversially Yours میں ایک بہت هی زبردست واقعہ بیان کیا هوا هے جو لاہور کے ایک ٹانگے والے سے منسلک ہے کہ کیسے اس نے ایک رات خالی جیب شیعب اختر کو نہ صرف اپنی مزدوری سے کھانا کھلایا تھا بلکہ اپنے ساتھ فٹ پاتھ پر سلایا تھا اور اگلی صبح ماڈل ٹاؤں سٹیڈیم بھی چھوڑنے گیا تھا جہاں پی آئی اے کی ٹیم کے لیے ظہیر عباس ٹرائل لے رہے تھے۔ شیعب اس واقعہ کے بارے میں لکھتا ہے کہ وہ ایک اچھا طالبعلم تھا اس لیے اس کا خاندان چاہتا تھا کہ وہ اپیی تعلیم جاری رکھے لیکن اس کے یوتھ ٹیسٹ اور ون ڈے انٹرنیشنل ڈیبو نے اسے یہ احساس دلا دیا تھا کہ کرکٹ اب اس کی واحد دلچسپی تھی۔ شیعب لکھتا ہے کہ:
’مجھے پتہ تھا کہ میں اب پروفیشنل گیم کھلینا چاہتا تھا اس لیے میری کالج میں حاضریاں کم ہوتی چلی گئیں۔ میرے لیے اپنے گھروالوں کو منانا آسان کام نہیں تھا۔ مجھے یہ بھی علم تھا کہ مجھے اب ایک نوکری کی ضرورت بھی تھی تاہم ابھی تک کوئی ایسی نوکری نہیں ملی تھی جس میں مجھے دلچپسی محسوس ہوتی۔ ایک دن میرے دوست اعجاز ارشد نے مجھے بتایا کہ پاکستان ائر لائنز لاہور میں ٹرائل منعقد کر رہی تھی تاکہ وہ اپنی کراچی ڈویزن ٹیم کے لیے کھلاڑی چن سکیں۔ یہ میرے لے بہترین حل تھا۔ ایک ایسی نوکری جو میں واقعی کرنا چاہتا تھا۔ یوں میں نے اپنی قسمت آزمائی کا فیصلہ کر لیا۔ میں نے ایک بیگ پکڑا اور اعجاز کو قائل کر لیا کہ وہ میرے ساتھ لاہور چلے اور ہم لاہور کی بس پکڑنے کے لیے چل پڑے۔
ہم نے بس کی ٹکٹ نہیں خریدنی تھی کیونکہ ہم دونوں کے پاس اتنے پیسے نہیں تھے۔ اس لیے ہم نے بس کے چلنے کا انتطار کیا اور جونہی اس کی رفتار تیز ہوئی ہم دونوں دوڑ کر اس کے پیچھے لٹک کر اس کی چھت پر چڑھ گئے۔ کنڈیکٹر بہت سیانا تھا اور وہ مسلسل یہ چیک کر رہا تھا کہ کوئی کمپنی کے خرچے پر مفت کا سفر تو نہیں کررہا۔ سات گھنٹے کا وہ سارا سفر ہمارا اس بس کنڈکڑ کو ڈاج کرانے میں گزرا۔ وہ ایک سائیڈ سے اوپر اپنا سر باہر کی جانب نکال لیتا اور ہم دوسری طرف جھک جاتے۔ ہر بس سٹاپ سے پہلے ہم اتر جاتے اور جونہی بس دوبارہ چلنے لگتی ہم دوڑ کر اس پر چڑھ جاتے۔ مجھے یہ سفر اچھی طرح یاد ہے کیونکہ کنڈیکڑ نے اس طرح تہیہ کیا ہواتھا کہ اس نے ہم سے کرایہ وصول کرنا ہے جیسے ہم نے سوچا ہوا تھا کہ ہم دونوں نے نہیں دینا اورہم نے مفت سفر کرنا ہے۔
اس طرح ہم شام تک لاہور پہنچ گئے۔ لیٹ پہنچے پر ایک اور مسئلہ کھڑا ہو گیا کہ اب ہم کہاں رات بسر کریں گے۔ ٹرائل اگلی صبح ہونے تھے اس لیے ہمیں رات گزارنے کے لیے کسی چھت کی ضرورت تھی۔ میری جیب میں بارہ روپے جب کہ اعجاز کے پاس تیرہ روپے تھے۔ یوں دونوں کے ملا کر پچیس روپے بنتے تھے اور ہمیں پتہ چلا کہ ایک رات کسی سستے ہوٹل میں اتنے روپوں کی ضرورت تھی۔ تاہم اگر ہم رات بسر کرنے کے لیے یہ پیسے خرچ کر دیتے تو پھر ہمیں اپنا رات کا کھانا قربان کرنا پڑتا جو ہم دونوں نوجوان لڑکوں کے لیے ممکن نہ تھا۔ اعجاز اس صورت حال سے بہت پریشان ہو گیا تاہم میں بڑے سکون میں تھا۔ میں نے اسے بتایا کہ میں رات گزارنے کے لیے کسی ٹانگے والے کے ساتھ جگہ ڈھونڈ لوں گا۔
میں نے ٹانگہ دیکھا جو کہ نیا لگ رہا تھا اور اس کے کوچوان کے پاس گیا اور سلام کہا۔ میں چاہتا ہوں کہ اپ مجھے اج رات کا کھاناکھلائیں۔ اس نے پوچھا تم کون ہو۔ میں نے اسے بتایا کہ میں پنڈی کا ایک کرکٹر ہوں۔ کیا تم پاکستان کرکٹ کے لے کھلیتے ہو۔ اس نے فورا پوچھا۔ میں نے کہا اللہ کرے کہ یہ بھی ایک دن ہوگا لیکن اس وقت میں تمہارے سامنے کھڑا ہوں۔ مجھے آج تک یاد ہے کہ وہ میری بات سن کر مسکرا پڑا تھا اور پوچھنے لگا کہ وہ میرے اوپر کیوں یہ مہربانی کرے۔ میں نے اسے جواب دیا کہ جب میں پاکستان کرکٹ ٹیم میں کھلیوں گا تو اس سے ملنے کے لیے آؤں گا۔ اس نے مجھ سے پوچھا کہ واقعی تم اس بات پر یقین رکھتے ہو کہ ایک دن تم پاکستانی کرکٹ ٹیم کے لیے کھیلو گے۔ میں نے کہا بالکل اور اسے کہا کہ میری آنکھوں میں دیکھو، تمیں سب کچھ نظر اجائے گا۔ ٹانگے والا بولا تو پھر ٹھیک ہے کہ یہ ڈیل ہے۔ اس طرح میں نے عزیز خان کو اس بات پر بھی راضی کیا کہ کہ وہ ہمیں اپنے ساتھ سونے کی جگہ بھی دے۔ اس رات میں سکون سے لاہور کے فٹ پاتھ پر ٹانگے والے کے ساتھ سویا۔
اگلی صبح عزیز خان نے مہربانی کی اور ہمیں ٹانگے پر ماڈل ٹاؤن کے گراونڈ تک چھوڑ آیا جہاں ٹرائل ہونے تھے۔ ٹانگے صرف مال روڈ تک جا سکتے تھے اور ہم وہیں اتر گئے۔ میں نے ٹانگے والے عزیز خان سے اپنا وعدہ دہرایا کہ میں جب بھی پاکستانی کرکٹ ٹیم کا ممبر بنوں گا اس سے ملنے آؤں گا اور اگر اس نے کبھی یہ سنا کہ کوئی کھلاڑی اسے ڈھونڈ رہا تھا تو وہ سمجھ جائے کہ یہ میں تھا۔ نام یاد رکھنا، میں نے اسے بتایا۔ وہاں سے دوگھنٹے پیدل چلنے کے بعد ماڈل ٹاؤن کے گراؤنڈ پہنچ گیا۔
اور جب مجهه پر ہر طرف سے پیسوں کی بارش ہونے لگی اور میں اشتہاروں کی مدد سے اپنا پنڈی کا گھر بنانے میں کامیاب ہو گیا۔ تو میں نے ابھی ایک وعدہ پورا کرنا تھا۔
پهر ایک دن میں بهیس بدل کر لاهور پہنچا ایک وہگ اور عینک پہن کر میں داتا دربار گیا اور وہاں شکرانے کے نفل ادا کیے اور اس کے بعد ریلوے اسٹیشن کی طرف نکل گیا تاکہ اسی ٹانگے والے عزیز خان کو تلاش کروں جس نے چھ سال قبل مجھے فٹ پاتھ پر سونے کے لیے اپنے ساتھ جگہ دی تھی۔
مجھے اسے تلاش کرنے میں خاصا وقت لگ گیا۔ تاہم آخر میں نے اسے ڈھونڈ لیا۔ وہ ایک کونے میں سو رہا تھا۔ جب میں نے اسے اٹھایا تو وہ ڈر سا گیا۔ جب اس نے پوری طرح اپنی آنکھیں کھول لیں تو میں نے اس کی آنکھوں میں دیکھ کر کہا میں تینوں کہیا سی جدوں میں پاکستان کرکٹ ٹیم دا کھلاڑی بنا ں گا تے میں اواں گا۔ اس نے ایک جمپ لگایا اور ایک بچے کی طرح میرے بازوں میں آگیا اور مجھے گلے سے لگا لیا اور منہ میں میرے لیے دعائیں کرتا رہا۔
وہ بڑی دیر تک ایک ہی بات کرتا رہا کہ اسے یقین نہیں آرہا کہ یہ میں شیعب اختر ہی تھا۔ کچھ دیر کے بعد ہم چائے پینے کے لیے قریبی دوکان پر گئے۔ ا س دوران وہ خدا کی شان پر حیران ہوتا رہا اور کہتا رہا کہ معجزے اس طرح ہوتے ہیں اور آپ بھی ان معجزوں میں سے ایک ہو۔ اس نے بتایا کہ یہ بات اس کے لیے ایک خواب کی طرح تھی کہ جو بندہ اس کے ساتھ فٹ پاتھ پر سویا تھا وہ آج پاکستان کا سب سے زیادہ چاہا جانے والا شخص تھا۔
اتنی دیر میں ہجوم اکھٹا ہونا شروع ہو گیا تھا اور ریلوے اسٹیشن کو واقعتا بند کرنا پڑا۔ اس نے ان کی طرف اشارہ کیا اور کہا کہ آپ کو کتنے لوگ جانتے ہیں اور وہ آپ کو اپنے گھر لے جانے کے لیے بے چین ہیں۔ میں نے کہا، ہاں لیکن تم وہ شخص تھے جس نے مجھے اس وقت پناہ دی جب مجھے کوئی نہیں جانتا تھا اس لیے تم واحد شخص ہو جسے میں جانتا ہون اور میں یہاں صرف تم سے ملنے آیا ہوں۔ میں نے بڑی کوشش کی کہ اس کی جیب میں کچھ روپے ڈال دوں لیکن اس نے وہ رقم مجھ سے نہیں لی۔ عزیز خان دنیا کی آنکھوں میں ایک غریب آدمی تھا لیکن میرے لیے وہ عزت نفس اور عظمت کا شاہکار تھا۔ اسی رات ہم دونوں نے دوبارہ کھانا کھایا اور اس نے کھانے کے پیسے خود دیے۔ وہ بولا کہ اس دن بھی میں نے تجھے کھانا کھلایا تھا اور آج بھی میں ہی کھلاؤں گا۔ اس دن بھی تو میرے لیے شیعب تھا اور میں چاہتا ہوں کہ تو ہمیشہ شیعب ہی رہے کبھی بھی نہ بدلنا۔
اس نے مجھ سے پوچھا کہ کیا میں اس کے ٹانگے کی سواری کروں گا۔ میں نے کہا کیوں نہیں۔ یوں ہم دونوں نے وہی روٹ لیا جو چھ سال قبل استعمال کیا تھا جب میں پی آئی اے کے لیے ٹرائل دینے کے لیے آیا تھا۔ عزیز خان میرے ساتھ رابطے میں رہا جب تک وہ چار سال قبل فوت ہوگیا
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Saturday, 3 December 2011
Friday, 2 December 2011
Shahid Afridi hits Stuart Broad out of the Ground For A Huge Six vs England 2006
05:19
Pakistan Cricket
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Shahid Afridi 5 For 23 Against Bangladesh 1st ODI Pakistan Vs Bangladesh 2011
08:37
Pakistan Cricket
