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Saturday, November 20, 2010

‘ICC never imposed ban on Kamran’s selection’

Though the International Cricket Council (ICC) has reportedly cleared Pakistan’s Test wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal for selection, it is adamant that it had not imposed any ban on his selection in the national team, well-informed sources have told Dawn.
It has been reported that the ICC has allowed the PCB to consider Kamran for the World Cup probables’ list, which the board has to submit to the game’s governing body next week in order to seek initial clearance for any suspect player. Since the last tour of England, Kamran has been sidelined quietly by selectors as he was not named in any of the squads announced for the Twenty20, ODI and Test series against South Africa.
Kamran’s absence from the squad signals that he might be under the watchful eye of the ICC, which is currently investigating different fixing cases concerning Pakistan cricket.
However, a well-informed source revealed that the ICC had given a clarification to the PCB — while clearing Kamran recently — that it had never imposed any ban on Kamran’s selection.
Still, the selectors did not pick Kamran when Zulqarnain Haider left the national team in Dubai on the eve of the series-deciding One-day International, without informing the team management.
Instead of recalling Kamran, who has been playing for the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, the selectors opted for his younger brother Adnan Akmal for the two-Test rubber.
This astonishing decision by the selectors made the situation further difficult for Kamran as it seemed there was something very serious against him at the ICC level.
This impression also gained momentum due to the fact that Kamran’s name had been in the news in a few match-fixing stories in the past.
The PCB, sources added, might not have selected any ‘suspect’ player on its own and the decision of stopping leg-spinner Danish Kaneria from going to the UAE for the South Africa Test series at the eleventh hour was also taken by the PCB, and not by the ICC.
When all is said and done, the PCB’s precautionary steps of not selecting Kamran and stopping Kaneria from playing without any solid reason, indeed, have created bad impression of these players in the cricketing world.

Kallis, de Villiers tons put South Africa ahead

Contrasting hundreds from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers pulled South Africa out of strife and into a position of considerable comfort at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi. Debutant seamer Tanvir Ahmed had reduced South Africa to 33 for 3 but Kallis and de Villiers punched back with a 179-run stand that left South Africa handily placed on 311 for 5. For Pakistan, only Tanvir could look back on the day with similar pride.
The Kallis-de Villiers stand was the tenth century partnership in 32 innings between the pair and it was done with such aggression it suggested Pakistan were in trouble when they came together. Kallis's fight began the moment Graeme Smith became the third victim of a hectic morning and though his mien remained as expressionless as usual, his game was unusually expressive.
He had hooked an uncontrolled six by the time a swish of fortune sashayed in. Mohammad Sami's first over captured an entire career: one unplayable delivery, honest endeavour but batsman ultimately supreme. Having been beaten by a beauty, Kallis coolly cover drove the next two balls for four and the day's mood changed.
Sami was plundered repeatedly, everywhere and anywhere and even Umar Gul wasn't spared a fine pull and efficient drives. Either side of lunch two towering sixes off Abdur Rehman brought one message: 'I am Kallis, you are nothing'. Not a particularly attacking spinner on his best days, Rehman immediately retreated, the supremacy in the relationship established. By then a swift fifty had been notched up as casually as a snap of the fingers.
de Villiers was twitchier, a more impish presence and not just because he doesn't have Kallis' broad-chested appearance. Whereas Kallis imposed himself on matters, de Villiers took advantage of Pakistan's growing flakiness. When they pitched short, he gladly cut; when they got too full he happily drove; when they drifted to his pads, he politely clipped away.
Five overs after lunch a century partnership was registered and by this time, the surface had lost its early morning friskiness. Boundaries were mostly controlled, though with Sami around control remained a relative concept. In any case, runs were so readily available no risk needed to be taken. One flick brought up a fifty for de Villiers. As an afterthought Kallis brought up a fifth hundred in four Tests against Pakistan, in which his lowest score is 59; in his first 11 against them, he had only one. It was his fastest century as well.
When Kallis fell, de Villiers carried on, though with the sadness and restraint of someone who has lost a partner. He was comatose during the nineties, only waking up once four freebie overthrows from Gul took him to 99. It would've been impolite to not take a single next ball. Essentially the day ended there for him.
Pakistan were fitful, not stringing together any sustained pressure. Tanvir was responsible for the highs, further proof that whatever hole they find themselves in, there's always a fast bowler to get excited about.
A month shy of his 32nd birthday, he was an unlikely hero and not just because he is probably the best bowler ever born in Kuwait. The pitch at Test cricket's 103rd venue had enough moisture in it early on to tempt Misbah-ul-Haq to bowl. It was a second gesture of positivity; the first had been to revert back to Pakistan's traditional strengths by selecting a three-man pace attack.
Tanvir has long been a steady hand at the domestic level; sharp enough, always tight and if conditions are right, eminently capable of exploiting them. So in he ran as Pakistan's oldest debutant new-ball bowler, a heavy action and a grunt at release and did precisely that. Immediately he became the sixth Pakistani to take a wicket in the first over and a typical scalp too, full, searching for swing, finding an edge. It was his 400th first-class wicket. Five balls later he had another and Test cricket was looking an easy game, though admittedly Asoka de Silva had a greater hand in Hashim Amla returning to the pavilion.
Later, through a long afternoon Tanvir maintained a pleasant discipline and the wicket of Kallis after tea helped Pakistan slow down the scoring. But after the first hour the bluff had gone from the rest and the attack looked precisely what it was: quite weak. Gul looked good in patches, Sami a man condemned and Rehman the wrong choice.

How good is Azhar Ali?

I must admit amongst the myriad of heart aches for the great citizens of Pakistan.From the internal strife at home with the tragic floods and abhorrent terrorist activity going on.To on the cricket field with the scandal involving their trio of players and the frustration and anger caused by the truly incompetent dealings of the PCB.There hasn’t been a lot to be cheerful about.
Though amongst the turmoil and pain a young player made his debut in England and has slowly since established himself.This being the young top order batsman in Azhar Ali.In England though he didn’t dominate amongst the carnage. That so symbolised the Pakistani batting due mainly to their technical and temperament deficiencies.He definitely stood out due to the fact that his technique was very sound,temperament very assured and shot play very measured and assured.His very fine 92 unbeaten against the English at the Oval. In which Pakistan won was definitely a sign of his class and belonging at test level.
In truth you couldn’t have created a more perfect top order batsman if you tried!
Though strangely as the series against South Africa was to start his name wasn’t slatted as being part of the probable first test team.Strangely the wafty Umar Akmal being preferred. Which to me truly defied belief for his technique is as loose as a weight watchers girdle and he had all the heart of the Tin Man out of the Wizard of Oz.
For any who haven’t seen that film,that means 0 heart.
Though the fickle hand of fate steps in with the great Pakistani Mohammad Youssuf getting injured pre game and Ahzar gets a place in the side.Duly he didn’t disappoint with him getting very mature half centuries in both the innings and being a huge key in the Draw that Pakistan earned

Sania dedicates her victory to Shoaib

GUANGZHOU: Indian tennis star and wife of star Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik, Sania Mirza has started her gold medal campaign in style as she won her first round match in Asian Games 2010.
Sania, who is currently world no. 166, dedicated her victory to husband Shoaib Malik and praised the support she received from Malik in playing tennis. Sania beat Hong Kong’s Chan Wing Yau convincingly by 6-1, 6-0 in just one hour.
“I didn’t feel well in the last two weeks. I was absent from the team event, but now I feel much better. My husband came here today, that made me very confident and I felt good,” said by Sania.Sania Mirza will now face Chinese tennis star sixth seed and world no. 91 Zhang Shuai in the next round match. “Sania is a very strong opponent and we respect her,” said by Zhang.

Never took match-fixing allegations seriously: Kamran Akmal

Even as uncertainty prevails over his selection for the forthcoming tour of New Zealand and the 2011 World Cup, Pakistan's discarded wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal, says he was never bothered by allegations of spot fixing and match fixing against him.

"I have never taken these allegations seriously or to heart, but yes they have affected my family and our family life," Akmal said on Thursday.

"In my eight years of playing for Pakistan , I have never ever seen any fellow player try to lose a match or do something deliberately," he said.

Akmal's selection for the New Zealand tour and the World Cup preliminary squad will depend on whether the
International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption unit gives clearance to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his selection.

The
PCB has also formed its own integrity committee after the spot-fixing allegations against Pakistani players to assess the background of all players before they are allowed to play for the national team.

The national selection committee called a meeting this week in which they finalised the list of 40 probables for the New Zealand tour and the World Cup.

Sources said the list included Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria (who was stopped by the PCB from joining the Test team in UAE for the series against South Africa ) and Rana Naved, all of whom will require clearance not only from the PCB committee but also from the
ICC ACU.

Sources said that initially the ICC told the PCB not to consider
Kamran Akmal and Kaneria but had now given clearance.

Akmal, who was dropped for the series against South Africa, said it was a great lesson for him and he now valued the national cap much more.

"The downside is obviously I have missed playing for my country, but on the positive side, I have spent Eid for the first time with my family after so many years because normally we have always been on tours during Eid," he added.

The wicketkeeper-batsman insisted that, although there were allegations against him, he had always played for Pakistan honestly and tried to give his best.

"It is a fact that my family gets disturbed by these allegations because they are not true. But I guess one has to live with that," he stated.

He also vowed to give his best whenever he gets an opportunity to play for Pakistan again.

"The World Cup is very important for us, specially after the disappointment of the last edition. Given the fact that it is being played in our region is also a big advantage for us. But yes it is terribly disappointing for all of us that the matches are not being held in Pakistan."

Chief selector
Mohsin Khan has also confirmed that there were some players on the list of 40 who would require clearance from the ICC and PCB.

The list does not feature the three suspended players - Salman Butt,
Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamer.

Pakistan is entering transformation phase: Younis

ABU DHABI, Nov 19 (APP): Abdul Razzaq’s stunning knock in the second one-day international against South Africa has turned the fortunes of Pakistan cricket and given them self-belief, according to Younis Khan.Pakistan had lost three games on the trot two Twenty20 Internationals and an ODI when Razzaq’s came up with what many have described as one of the best innings played in limited overs cricket in Abu Dhabi.He scored 63 of the final 65 runs to lead Pakistan to a stunning one-wicket win and his innings changed the complete makeover of the team, giving them a new lease of life and lifting their spirits to new heights.
Razzaq returned home after the ODIs, but Pakistan’s performances continued to climb and evidence of their new-found self-belief was could be seen in the first Test, where Younis played a stellar knock, along side captain Misbah ul-Haq, on the final day to stall South Africa’s bid for a win.
“Its always make a difference when senior players are performing and juniors are supporting them,” he told Sports Correspondent Ehsan Qureshi in an exclusive interview here at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Friday. Pakistan is now entering transformation phase,” he added.
“Razzaq’s amazing ton in the second ODI here made the difference. It boosted the confidence of the guys and showed them that they could perform well against a formidable team like South Africa,” he pointed out.
He said Muhammad Hafeez missed a few opportunities for big scores, but he remained quite consistent while the younger players supported the seniors. “Pakistan fought well before going down 2-3 in the ODI series,” he said.
Commenting on drawn first Test at Sports City International Cricket Stadium Dubai, he said it was Morne Morkel’s five-wicket haul with the second new ball that made the difference.
“Had we reduced the South African first innings lead,  it could  have made a big difference to the outcome of the first Test. “Our performance against South Africa was great considering the fact that Pakistan were without bowlers like Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir,” he maintained.
Responding to a question about his match-saving, unbeaten century on his return to Test cricket and the pressures he faced, Younis said: “To be frank I was bit under pressure after the dismissal of Azhar Ali.
“Being a senior I always like to perform under pressure and I am happy that my knock benefited the team, and I with Misbah was able to save the game for a Pakistan. I have been  under such  situations in the past and know how to handle the pressure,” he added. “Azhar was shaping up well, but his dismissal on the second new ball before lunch on the fifth day was a setback for us,” Younis Khan remarked. “I had to slow down and concentrate on defending because fall of another wicket could have proven dangerous for us,” he recalled.
“After Azhar departed, my plan of scoring a 100 runs in the first session evaporated and we went on the back foot,”  he reminded.  He complimented his skipper Misbah-ul-Haq for his solid batting. “Being senior men, we realized the situation needed a big partnership from us and thankfully we succeeded in our objective of saving the game.
“We had not given up on a win and we were planning to launch a bid for the target. I did try to do that after reaching my century, but [Graeme] Smith used his spinners well, particularly Paul Harris, who bowled very tightly at times to slow down  the run rate,” he said.
Younis opinioned that Graeme Smith’s current team is very solid and experienced with the presence of great players Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Mark Boucher, Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, and forcing a draw against them was a victory for Pakistan.
“We could have gone for the win, but it was quite a difficult task. South Africa is a very good bowling side,” he said.
To another question about the performance of off-break bowler Saeed Ajmal, he said he is a good bowler, but  needed to  add new weapons to his armory and become a bit more innovative.  “We missed [Danish] Kaneria because he is an experienced bowler. Our bowlers did a good job, despite the side-strain injury to Wahab Riaz on the first day. “South Africans are great tacticians and they keeping working against you all the time. “We will be entering the Abu Dhabi match in a much better frame of mind because the draw has boosted our confidence.”
 
 
 

Pakistan’s Women Cricket Team earns first Gold for the Country

When Pakistan women cricket team left for China to participate in the Asian Games nobody predicted that they will go onto clinch the tournament but they have defied the odds by claiming gold after defeating Bangladesh in the final of the event.
 Women’s cricket has never been popular in Pakistan and as they have faced difficulties to play the game openly due to the discrimination. However, they have made the country proud despite all these problems which is an inspirational achievement for all those who bow down in front of the difficulties.
What is even more exciting is the fact that this is the first gold that Pakistan has won in Guangzhou and it has come from a very unlikely source. The whole nation is ecstatic by the victory and the celebrations will continue to go on for several days.
Pakistan's first gold medal in the tournament has been welcomed by their supporters because it has come up at a time when the gentlemen’s game is going through controversies and the country is suffering from price hikes and floods.
It was Nida Dar’s all-round display which powered Pakistan to a thumping ten-wicket win over their neighbours Bangladesh in the final which was first ever women's cricket tournament in the history of Asian Games.   
Pakistan’s skipper Sana Mir was overjoyed by the victory and said that the whole country must take pride in what we have achieved. She was full of praise for her teammates and added that it is pleasing the way they have carried themselves both on and off the field. This triumph is a sign of promising things to come in the future and it will boost the morale of the players giving them belief that they can mount a challenge against the likes of England, New Zealand etc.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari has appreciated the team's win. He further said that it is a present for a nation which has been surrounded by problems.
The grand match of all turned out to be a one-sided affair as Pakistan’s bowlers ripped apart Bangladesh’s batting line up. After winning the toss Pakistan chose to field first and the decision paid off as Pakistan’s bowling attack led by Dar's off-spinners sent their opponents packing at a paltry score of 92. For Bangladesh only Rumana Ahmed and Salma Khatun managed to reach double figures scoring 16 and 24 respectively as Bangladesh, bundled out for 92 off their allotted twenty overs. Dar picked up three wickets by giving away just sixteen runs.
Pakistan made short work of the chase with openers, Dar and Javeria Khan leading the charge as they raced to the target in just over fifteen overs. Dar who was superb with the ball was equally good with the bat as well. She went onto score a fine half-century (51) which came off forty three deliveries. Her innings was laced with seven boundaries while Javeria supported her partner ably making thirty nine runs in the process with the help of three fours.
Bangladesh’s Coach Dipu Rai Choudhury, though was disappointed with the loss but was optimistic for the country’s prospect in future citing that the team will produce better results with the passage of time. The bronze medal was won by Japan, who beat China by seven wickets. In that match China were caught stumbling for a lowly 65 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs. In response to that Japan met their objective and doing so with 4 balls still to play.
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