England seal 2-0 series victory

Pakistan's batsmen floundered against a pumped-up England bowling attack, as they crashed to their lowest Twenty20 total of all time in front of one of the smallest crowds of the summer. After winning the toss on a showery evening in Cardiff, they chose to bat first and were made to regret it, as they were skittled for 89 with eight deliveries of their innings to spare.

Although Pakistan this time batted first of their own volition, their innings started in an uncannily familiar fashion to Sunday's first fixture. A loose first over from Ryan Sidebottom was swatted for 11 useful runs (one fewer than had been the case two days earlier), before Tim Bresnan dismissed Kamran Akmal via a rash pull for the second game running. He struck with his second ball on Sunday, and his fourth today, but at 11 for 1, Pakistan's innings had once again been robbed of its early momentum.
The situation got steadily worse for Pakistan, even though Mohammad Yousuf was given an early let-off on 1 as Eoin Morgan spilled a scything cut at point. He couldn't make the most of his good fortune, however, as Bresnan claimed his second wicket in five balls with a well-directed bouncer that was flapped loosely to Ravi Bopara at deep square leg.
Six balls later, Shahzaib Hasan was also suckered by the short ball, this time courtesy of Stuart Broad, who beat him for pace as he swished airily and snicked the thinnest of edges through to the keeper, Steven Davies. And Broad then made it two in an over, as an anxious Shahid Afridi poked nervously at his first ball before wiping his fourth to Morgan at midwicket. At 22 for 4 after five overs, Pakistan were already dealing with damage limitation.
Mohammad Hafeez's response was to drop anchor as if he was battling to save a Test match. He faced 19 of the next 21 deliveries of the innings, picking off five singles while Umar Akmal ticked impatiently at the other end of the pitch, and it came as little surprise when Umar beat that tally in one blow by mowing Graeme Swann straight back over his head for the first six of the series. He produced an identical blow in Swann's next over, only to fall one delivery later, as Swann gave the ball extra air outside off stump, and a clueless Umar threw back his head to be bowled through the gate for 17.
Abdul Razzaq survived a tight stumping chance on 3 as he corkscrewed his boot back into the crease, but Hafeez's torturous innings was ended by a sharp run-out as Sidebottom shied at the non-striker's end from short fine leg. Two balls and a single later, Fawad Alam's grim series was concluded by a first-ball duck, as he attempted to cut Swann off the back foot and edged instead to the keeper.
Umar Gul produced the shot of the innings when he lifted a Broad slower ball over the fine leg boundary for six, but Razzaq was unable to find his range in a fitful performance. He finally struck his first boundary from his 19th delivery, as Sidebottom offered too much width from a low-toss, only for both men to fall from his next two deliveries. First to go was Razzaq, who top-edged a slower-ball bouncer to Yardy at slip, before Gul pumped a similar delivery to Bopara, running in from deep square leg.
Shoaib Akhtar creamed Bresnan through the covers for a handsome four, but before the over was out, Bresnan had been rewarded for an impressive performance with his third and final wicket of the innings. A well-directed yorker took out the base of middle stump to complete the fine figures of 3.4-0-10-3, and leave England chasing a meagre 90 for victory.
England 1 Craig Kieswetter, 2 Steve Davies (wk), 3 Ravi Bopara, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Michael Yardy, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Ryan Sidebottom
Pakistan 1 Shahzaib Hasan, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Fawad Alam, 5 Mohammad Yousuf, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib Akhtar

Former ICC boss slams PCB

Former ICC President Ehsan Mani blasted the PCB for taking a "stubborn" stance when the 'spot-fixing' allegations first came out.

Mani said the Pakistani Board should have promptly suspended the tainted players.

Mani said that International Cricket Council had to take the decision of suspending Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir after the PCB insisted on playing them in the one-day series in England.

"The PCB was stubborn after the spot-fixing and betting allegations came to surface and were adamant the players will play the one-day series even after they were named as suspects. The ICC could not tolerate this and suspended them," Mani said.

"It is unfortunate that the PCB did not realise the graveness of the situation when the allegations first came out. The PCB itself should have first suspended the players.
but they did not. ICC had no choice but to step in," Mani told Radio Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) in an interview in Lahore.
"To keep the inquiry within its ambit and save itself from further embarrassment the PCB should have suspended the players and taken up its own investigation. Now because of its unprofessional and careless attitude the spot-fixing scandal is out of its control and neither does it have any control over players it pays handsomely," he added.
Mani pointed out that the PCB knew the ICC had the authority to suspend the players and also noted that the world body had got directly involved because of the poor track record of the PCB in disciplining and penalising its cricketers.
The former ICC chief said he feared that the careers of the three suspended players could end prematurely.
He said the ICC had been asking and reminding its member boards constantly to keep a watch on their players and to educate them on how to avoid corruption in the game.
"Unfortunately here also the PCB failed to do anything and the result is that Pakistan cricket might lose a outstanding young talent like Aamir," he said.

Afridi says Morgan blighting Pakistan's T20 vision

CARDIFF — Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi said his side had to see the back of Eoin Morgan here on Tuesday if they were to level their two-match series against World Twenty20 champions England.

Pakistan lost the first Twenty20 international by five wickets after being held to just 126 at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens ground here on Sunday.

But England collapsed from 42 for one to 62 for five, with leg-spinning all-rounder Afridi taking two wickets.

Pakistan should have had a sixth wicket when Morgan, on 13, reverse-swept Afridi only for Shoaib Akhtar to drop the simple chance at short third man.

Former Ireland left-hander Morgan went on to make 38 not out and shared a stand of 67 with Michael Yardy, unbeaten on 35, that saw England to victory with 17 balls to spare.
Afridi, speaking to reporters here on Monday, said Morgan was the main man in England's batting order
the absence of the dropped Kevin Pietersen.
"Morgan is a key player at the moment and I told my boys that we just need one wicket Morgan and we will definitely win this (Sunday's) game."
Pakistan's tour has been overshadowed by the 'spot-fixing scandal that has seen Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif all suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after allegedly conspiring to deliberately bowl no-balls during last month's fourth Test at Lord's.
That Akhtar's reprieve of Morgan did not invite a more cynical reaction says everything about the low-grade fielding that has long plagued Pakistan.
"It's nothing new with Pakistan," said Afridi. "We have always struggled with fielding."
Asked what Akhtar had said after the fast bowler dropped Morgan, Afridi replied: "'Sorry'."
"My answer was okay no problem."
But Afridi insisted his team could both square the Twenty20 series and finish their tour with a strong showing in five subsequent one-day internationals against England.
"The mood is getting better, and I hope it will be fine for the rest of the games. My boys are all determined to try to level the series.
"I'm very focused on this series, because I know how important it is for me, my team and my country. It's my goal to win a few games at least with this team. I would love that."
It was Afridi's shock resignation as Test captain after Pakistan's 150-run loss to Australia at Lord's in July that saw Butt promoted to lead the team in the five-day format.
Afridi reiterated Monday he was standing by the decision, announced after that thumping defeat, to retire from Test cricket but said former captain and top-order batsman Younus Khan should be recalled.
Younus is still in dispute with the Pakistan Cricket Board even though a life ban, imposed after a winless and contentious tour of Australia concluded earlier this year, has since been rescinded.
"I don't think I'll be available for Test cricket now, and we need some experience - like Mohammad Yousuf, and Younus Khan as well," Afridi said.
"Younus Khan had some discipline problems with PCB so let's see if the PCB and Younus can sit down together, talk and sort it out."

Pakistan, England second T20 today

Pakistan playing their second Twenty20 international against England at Cardiff today as Captain Shahid Afridi has vowed to secure a win to equalize the series. Pakistan lost the first Twenty20 international by five wickets after being held to just 126 at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens ground here on Sunday. Afridi has said the team would have to show best performance against England in batting, bowling and fielding to secure a win. Pakistan likely to replace middle order batsman Fawad Alam with Mohammed Hafeez.

Players Warned Against Match-Fixing, Afridi Says

Cardiff, Wales. Pakistan’s one-day captain, Shahid Afridi, insisted on Monday that his players had been educated by officials over the dangers of corruption as the “spot-fixing” row engulfing his side rumbled on.

Critics and pundits have questioned whether Pakistan’s players had been made properly aware of the risks of possible corruption.
But Afridi told reporters at Sophia Gardens on Monday that the players had been warned.
“The people are coming from the ICC [International Cricket Council] and they are always talking about these things.,” he said ahead of Tuesday’s second Twenty20 international at the Gardens.
“If you have any problems, you definitely go straight to the [team] manager and talk to him.”
Salman Butt, the Pakistan test captain, and bowlers Mohammad Aamer, who is just 18, and Mohammad Asif have been suspended from the international game after Britain’s News of the World tabloid allegedly caught Mazhar Majeed, a London-based businessman, organizing no-balls to order during last month’s Lord’s Test against England.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has been among those, including former England captain Michael Atherton, who have suggested that Aamer’s age should be taken into consideration if the allegations against him proved to be true.
But Pakistan’s associate manager, Shafqat Rana, ruled out youth as a defense.
“I think it should be the same with everybody, if he breaks the law,” Rana said.
Asif, Aamer’s fellow seamer, once played alongside Stuart Broad at English county side Leicestershire. Broad said on Monday that he was such an admirer of Asif that he had planned to speak to him ahead of England’s defense of the Ashes later this year.
But when asked if he sympathized with the situation the Pakistan team found itself in as a result of the allegations, Broad was uncharitable.
“Sympathy? No. At the end of the day, as cricketers, you’ve got one job, and that’s to perform on the pitch,” he said.
Turning to Asif, Broad added that the allegations had possibly put their relationship in jeopardy. “It’s a difficult position and hard to comment on,” he said.
“Throughout this series I was saying to him, ‘At the end of this series I would like to have a chat with you about Australia.’ But with him being left out of the squad now, it’s probably not going to happen.”
Broad, 24, said players were well informed about the dangers of match-fixing.
“I don’t think any player could ever have an excuse — ‘I didn’t know,’ or ‘We weren’t educated,’ ” he said.