SHAHID AFRIDI live on geo super

ISLMABAD: Shahid Afidi is live on geo super's famous programme "Bolain Kya Bat Hai" he was invited by geo super team on their 4th anniversry. Geo Super was lauched on june 2006 becoming pakistan first and only sports channel and This episode of "Bolain Kya Bat Hai" is 565th and more than 1000 hours of live transmisson.

China to appear at Hong Kong Sixes this edition

China are to appear at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in November as they plot their rise to international prominence, organisers of the annual tournament announced on Wednesday.

The mainland’s Asian Games squad will play an exhibition match against a Hong Kong development team, to be screened live and broadcast worldwide.china are also going to participate in asian games which are going to be held in china this year. Khan, who has been with the china team with past two years , said he was hopeful that China would one day be able to take full part in the Hong Kong Sixes.
Australia, England, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and Hong Kong vie for total prize money of 150,000$ in the November 6-7 contest at Kowloon Cricket Club.

No problem with any senior player or selector: Waqar Younis

pakistan cricket team head coach said he has no problem with any senior player or any member of slection commete.
The former pakistani captain said that he has come sydney to his family after long time and would submit the report to the Pakistan Cricket Board on his team’s tour of England just after returning pakistan
He said that he could not do anything if the selection committee meets in his absence.reports emerged in last few days that selection commete will not invite waqar younas for selection of players for U.A.E tour
he said said that he wanted an improvement in Pakistan cricket team and he has no problem with anybody because he believes in working in a pleasant atmosphere.
waqar said the player how much senior he is has right to play if he is fit.

Altered Laws come into force

Batsmen will no longer be 'offered the light’ from tomorrow in one of eight amendments or clarifications to the Laws of Cricket.
Marylebone Cricket Club, the guardian of the Laws of Cricket, has produced a fourth edition of the 2000 code and has introduced changes aimed at providing more fairness to both sides and reducing the amount of playing time lost.
Umpires will now be the sole arbiters of whether play should continue in poor light. The batting side will no longer have any say in the decision, which was often made for tactical reasons.                                       
At least one umpire will also now be required to attend the toss and the winning captain must notify his counterpart of his decision to bat or field immediately.
Previously, captains could wait until 10 minutes before the start of the game, but in some cases this was being exploited to the losing side’s disadvantage – and therefore contravened the Spirit of Cricket.
Other Law changes are aimed at achieving more fairness between the teams. They include:
* Giving batsmen who damage the pitch just one warning before penalty runs are issued, rather than two – to mirror the punishment for fielders.
* Preventing bowlers from delivering the ball with their front foot having crossed an imaginary line between the middle stumps e.g. declaring they were bowling over the wicket but releasing the ball as if they were bowling round the wicket.

* Forbidding bowlers bowling the ball into the ground to a team-mate, which damages the ball and may waste time.
* Fielders will no longer be able to practise with a 12th man or coach outside the boundary during a game, as this affords them an opportunity to prepare that is not granted to the batsmen in the middle.
Twenty20 cricket has contributed to increasingly athletic fielding standards, and MCC has striven to ensure the Laws deal with the challenges posed by the modern game.
Now, a fielder’s first contact with the ball must be within the boundary or, if he is airborne, when his last contact with the ground was within the field of play.
He may subsequently step outside the rope, but a four or six will be scored if he makes further contact with the ball whilst grounded outside the boundary.
The two final Law changes deal with very rare forms of dismissal.
Law 28.1 has been amended so, if a batsman’s bat breaks in the act of playing a shot and the broken part of the bat hits the stumps, he will now be out.
A new sub-section has been added to Law 29.1 to protect a batsman who is well in his ground – for example a sprinting batsman who has run past his stumps – but whose feet and bat happen to be in the air as the bails are removed. He will now be deemed to be in.

Mohammad Talha promises a bright future - Pakistan cricket

The Pakistani cricket due the recent controversial match-fixing scandal might just lose key players for the near cricketing future. Four visiting Asian players were accused of spot-fixing during the test series against England, out of which 3 have been suspended namely test skipper Salman Butt, and pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. Losing Butt wouldn’t hurt the unpredictables as losing the newly-discovered talents of Amir and Asif would do.

As he might not be able to recover these allegations based on his past controversial experience with drugs, the small town boy Amir who is just 18 years of age just might have killed any chances of becoming an international superstar. Before the entire controversies had taken place, Amir’s bowling capabilities were being praised by senior and former captains such as Rameez Raja and Wasim Akram. The left-arm veteran Pakistani bowler Akram believed that young Amir had more developed cricketing sense than he had at 18 years of age.
Nevertheless, the recent remarks by senior players, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and billions of Pakistani cricket fans were to safeguard the talent of Amir, as he must have come under pair-pressure and gotten involved in this illegal fiasco pulled off by senior teammates. The fact that Amir’s talent couldn’t be replaced is undenialbe; the thought of it has had many voices going louder by the day.
The harsh reality is that the land of Pakistan is filled with outstanding, amazingly talented and untamed fast bowlers. And the fear that losing Amir would mean an unparalleled replacement to the likes of Akram and Waqar Younis, however, countering all odds you find someone like Mohammad Talha, who is yet another blooming talent discovered by domestic cricket.
Talha is a tall slim right-arm fast bowler, who was born on 15^th of October, 1988, in Faisalabad, Pakistan. And just at the age of 21 he has gained an increasing repute of being a quicker bowler, who will eventually make it to the national squad of Pakistan.
However, Talha is relatively inexperienced at the moment, he was first noticed in the 2005 Afro-Asia Cup for Pakistani Under 19 team, but several injuries limited his continuity in the next domestic cricket season. His performance in the 2008-9 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy helped him regain his repute, as he was able to extract extra bounce and bowl at a sharp bursting speed. In his recent domestic season, he had taken 34 wickets in just 6 matches.
For some time now, Talha has been working with former Pakistani fast bowler Aaqib Javed at the National Cricket Academy in Karachi. Aaqib has re-modified the youngster bowling action, and believes that Talha can be a future prospect for the national team.  After Shoaib Akhtar, he is definitely the fastest bowler present in the country. The youngster’s recent interview revealed his desire to become a world class bowler with genuine fast bowling capabilities.
Talha says, “I want to be a 145kp/h + bowler. I don’t want to get slower, I just want to get faster and faster.”
Based on his impressive first-class cricket record the young talent was selected in the home series against Sri Lanka in 2009, but was overlooked for pace men Sohail Khan and all-rounder Yasir Arafat in the first test, as the second test never happened because of the attacks that followed the Sri Lankan team.  
His first-class record up till now is an outstanding of 115 wickets from 29 domestic matches. With an average of 28.13, he has 8 five wickets haul and one 10 wickets in match haul to his name. Not to forget his best of 6 for 59.
While looking at Talha’s performance, the fear of losing young Amir somehow lessens for Pakistani cricket, as the undiscovered talent is so much in Pakistan that every now and then a gem of a bowler is discovered. In likes of young promising talent of Talha, Pakistani cricket is the last international full member of ICC, which should fear lacking talent and should look forward to a promising future.

Sacking of Aaqib Javed, Aijaz Ahmed likely

LAHORE: According to sources at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Assistant coaches Aijaz Ahmed and Aaqib Javed will not be part of the Pakistan cricket team to UAE on its next tour.
PCB Chairman will make a formal announcement in this regard on his return from England.
Meanwhile, it appears that the selection committee, just like senior cricketers, is also unhappy with the attitude of the team’s coach Waqar Younis.
Distance between senior cricketers and coach became visible during one-day series in England.
According to the sources close to Pakistan team management, the coach Waqar Younis deliberately dropped all-rounder Abdul Razzq during one-day matches against England.
On the other hand, the coach had aired reservations about the team selected for the one-day series.
In view this, the Selection Committee has now decided not to invite Waqar Younis to its meeting for selecting team for the upcoming series against South Africa and that only his opinion will be sought.

Latif picked as Pakistan captain for Asian Games Twenty20 cricket

ISLAMABAD — Khalid Latif will lead Pakistan's cricket team at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November.
Cricket will make its debut in the games from Nov. 12-27, when 10 teams will compete in Twenty20.
The second-string 15-man team announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday includes six — Sharjeel Khan, Azeem Ghumman, Usman Qadir, Sarmad Bhatti, Raza Hasan and Bilawal Bhatti — who were part of the Under-19 World Cup-winning squad.
Latif, 24, has played five one-day internationals and scored 147 runs. In five Twenty20 internationals, the batsman has made only 30 runs.
Pakistan: Khalid Latif (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Sheharyar Ghani, Azeem Ghumman, Akbarur Rehman, Naeem-ud-din, Naeem Anjum, Usman Qadir, Sarmad Bhatti, Aizaz Cheema, Lal Kumar, Muhammad Irshad, Raza Hassan, Bilawal Bhatti, Jalat Khan

Ijaz Butt withdraws fixing claims against England

LONDON: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt has withdrawn his statements linking England's team with throwing a one-day international earlier this month.
Butt had said he had heard from bookmakers that England's players were paid to lose the third one-day international to Pakistan on Sept. 17.
The England cricket board had threatened Butt with legal action if he didn't withdraw the accusation.
The board released a statement Wednesday quoting Butt as saying: ''I never intended to question the behavior and integrity of the England players nor the ECB nor to suggest that any of them were involved in any corrupt practices or in a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket.''
The board says it now regards the matter as closed.

Dances at drumbeat witnessed amid Asif’s Mehndi

SARGODHA: The wedding party of cricketer Mohammed Asif held here sans the star player however his close cricketing friends enjoyed the occasion by dancing at drumbeats, Geo News reported.
Cricketer Naveed Lateef hosted Asif’s wedding party (Mehndi) here in Mohafiz Town on Tuesday.
Pakistani cricket players Mohammed Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq and others danced at drumbeats but surprisingly Mohammed Asif, despite signaling okay for party, excused for his presence due to engagements back in Lahore

PCB plans to get Yawar Saeed's services again

 LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt has begun planning for giving an important position to former manager Yawar Saeed.
THE managerial tenure of Yawar Saeed, 75, has been full of controversies but he remained manager of the national cricket team being the close friend of Ijaz Butt.
Sources said that the PCB chairman intends to retain Yawar Saeed with him in the Board and he has began planning in this regard.
If Pakistan players are cleared in sport fixing charges then Yawar may be assigned an important position in the Board and he may be appointed chief operating officer in place of Wasim Bari or a member of the governing board or special assistant to the chairman.

Butt refuses to apologise upon arrival in England

LONDON: Pakistan cricket chief Ijaz Butt flew into England on Tuesday still steadfastly refusing to apologise for his role in a row over 'spot-fixing' that has been the talk of world cricket.
Pakistan's recent tour of England, where they also played Australia in a neutral series, was marred by spot-fixing allegations.
The tour ended in acrimony when Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Butt alleged England players were paid "enormous amounts of money" to lose the third one-day international at The Oval, sparking a furious row between the two countries' cricket officials.
England players and the England and Wales Cricket Board have threatened legal action unless they receive an unreserved apology from Butt who, at the time, said he was simply repeating something he'd heard from bookmakers.
Butt, due to meet with his London lawyers on Wednesday, gave little away when asked by reporters after getting off his plane Tuesday if he'd apologise.
"I will talk to you people once I am through with my visit here."
As to whether he was ready for legal action if he didn't apologise, Butt said: "It depends, we'll see what happens.
"There is a lot of confusion, once I am through (with this visit) most of this confusion will be overcome."
Butt is due to meet Elizabeth Robertson, the British lawyer representing Pakistani players and the PCB over the spot-fixing allegations.
He is also expected to meet Scotland Yard officers who have already interviewed Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Wahab Riaz.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has provisionally suspended Butt, Aamer and Asif following a newspaper report the trio were involved in a plot to bowl no-balls deliberately during a Test against England at Lord's.
The ICC has launched a separate inquiry into the September 17 one-dayer at The Oval after British tabloid The Sun said the scoring pattern of Pakistan's innings in the match was pre-arranged with bookmakers. Butt also met ICC officials last week in an unsuccessful attempt to get the provisional suspension on the three players lifted. However, it is understood the ICC are waiting to see if England and Pakistan can resolve the matter before taking any action themselves.

Cricket-Salman Butt appeals suspension from playing

Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt has appealed against his suspension from the game for alleged fixing, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Wednesday.
Lorgat told Sky Sports News Butt's appeal had been received on Tuesday but Pakistan team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had yet to follow suit.
The three have been suspended until allegations have been investigated that they fixed parts of games during the tour of England which finished earlier this month.
All three have denied wrongdoing and have been supported by Pakistan cricket chiefs.
Lorgat denied in the interview with Sky that corruption was rife in cricket.

Eng-Pak relation will be normalised soon, hopes Afridi

Pakistan ODI skipper Shahid Afridi has expressed hope that relations between the Pakistan and England cricket boards would soon be normalised. "The Pakistan board should try to take steps to normalise relations with the ECB because Pakistan cricket needs the support of other nations at this stage,"

Afridi told Geo Super channel.

He pointed out that the options of playing at neutral venues for Pakistan were limited and England was a viable neutral venue for the Pakistan cricket team.
His comments came on the day PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt and legal advisor, Tafazzul Rizvi left for London on a visit which is being seen as significant by many people.
Butt and Rizvi are due to meet with the law firm appointed by the board in London to discuss the reply to be sent to the ECB and English players who have demanded an unconditional apology and compensation from Butt for making a statement in which he indirectly said English players were involved in fixing matches.
The duo are also due to meet with Scotland Yard officials investigating into spot fixing allegations against three Pakistani players, Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Aamir.
Afridi said he hoped the dispute between the PCB and ECB would be resolved amicably soon.
"If our relations with ECB don't improve the options available to us to play at neutral venues would be reduced and this is not good for us," Afridi said.
"I think in existing circumstances when Pakistan cricket is going through tough times we should make the best use of the best available neutral venues available to us," he stated.
Afridi, however, said the players were happy that the PCB had taken a strong stand for them and was keen to protect their interests.
"But at the same time we would also like to see the PCB have good relations with ECB," he said.
Ijaz Butt has largely come under fire for his comments on English players with many former test captains questioning the timing of Butt's remarks and the wisdom behind making such allegations.
"If at all Butt has evidence of English players wrong doing he should have gone to the ICC and ECB and shared the information with them instead of directly making such a statement," former captain, Asif Iqbal said.

Yousuf may lead Pakistan in Dubai

Stylish middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf is likely to captain Pakistan in the test matches once again in the upcoming series against South Africa.

 Veteran batsman called on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ejaz Butt in Qaddafi Stadium on Monday and discussed the board’s plans of the upcoming series. The meeting lasted for about an hour.

 Sources told The Sports Encounter that Ejaz Butt believed that Mohammad Yousuf was the best available option to lead Pakistan cricket team in the test matches while Shahid Afridi is likely to remain first choice for captaincy in One Day Internationals and Twenty20s.

 Mohammad Yousuf has started training to improve his physical fitness with PCB trainer Saboor Ahmed. Yousuf had captained Pakistan team in the controversial tour of Australia last year where Pakistan failed to win even a single match in any format.

 Yousuf was widely criticised for his defensive approach and poor tactics during the tour of Australia and was banned by the PCB for indefinite period on the recommendations of inquiry committee.

 Yousuf announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year but was recalled for third and fourth Npower test matches against England last month due to poor performance of Pakistan batting line up.

"I Should Have done Better in England" : Azhar Ali

25 year old Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali was ever-present during the Test series versus Australia and England during a difficult and at times controversial summer in England. Ali scored a total of 291 runs, at an average of 26.45, with a highest score of 92 not out, but he feels that he could have done a lot better during the summer in England.
"It would be wrong for me to say that I am entirely satisfied with my overall performance in the six tests in England. I could and should have done better. I tried my best, but some of the wickets and conditions were very difficult for batting", stated Azhar Ali in an exclusive conversation with PakPassion.net.
Ali's excellent 92 not out at the Oval laid the foundations for Pakistan's four wicket victory over the hosts. In an innings that lasted more than four hours and in which he faced 176 deliveries, Ali showed the kind of application and patience that have made him one of the most highly rated batsmen in Pakistani domestic cricket. Conditions at the Oval suited the Pakistani batting line-up, but in all other instances they found life difficult at the crease when facing accomplished bowling line-ups. As a result, most Pakistani batsmen struggled to master or even negotiate the bowling most of the time.
"Conditions were very tough, the overhead conditions and cloud cover made life hard for the batsmen. The pitches tended to be very bowler friendly and it was hard work for all of the batsmen out there in the middle" stated Ali.
The KRL right hander kept his place in the Test side throughout the tour and stated that he was delighted to have been given a chance to represent his country and that his senior colleagues in the squad made him very welcome and offered him useful advice as he made his debut at Lord's.
"It was great to be making my debut at Lord's and all of the experienced boys in the squad were there to guide me and offer me advice. The guys around me told me to treat it like it was a first class match, to try to play my natural game, not to get too uptight and nervous and not to try anything too extravagant and to look at it as if it's just another game of cricket".
Ali's 92 at the Oval was the joint highest score by a Pakistani during the tour of England and his partnerships at the South London stadium with Mohammad Yousuf and Umar Akmal of 69 and 57 respectively were amongst the batting high points for Pakistani fans, in a summer where the bowlers tended to dominate. Ali praised Yousuf for his guidance and advice in their partnership and he felt that Yousuf's words were the key to his solid innings.
"It wasn't just Yousuf's advice in the middle that helped me, but it was his praise off the pitch that also boosted my confidence. When he (Yousuf) met up with the squad, he said to me that I was batting well, that conditions were tough and that as a batsman in these conditions it was imperative that you battle hard and don't give the bowlers any easy wickets. Yousuf has an air of confidence and calmness about him that rubs off on all those in the middle with him".
Whilst Pakistan earned their solitary Test victory over England at the Oval, Azhar missed out on his first century by 8 runs when Pakistan had a middle order collapse losing 4 wickets for 34 runs, before Azhar and Asif shared in a crucial last wicket partnership of 38 runs.
"Yes there will always be a small degree of disappointment at not making a century, but I was more than happy with scoring 92 and especially given that Pakistan won the match. The way I look at it is that we built a lead of 75 runs in the first innings and then when we were all out, we managed to take the wicket of Strauss in the short time that was available on day 2. Who knows how things may have turned out if we hadn't picked up that important wicket towards the end of the second day."
In an extremely difficult tour for the Pakistani batsmen, Azhar showed some glimpses of promise. Both half centuries that he made were in the the course of Pakistan victories and he feels that the tour of England will do him no harm regarding his learning curve and development as a batsman.
"I have made some mistakes and it's up to me to learn from those mistakes, take notice of the errors that I made when batting and to ensure that those errors don't reoccur. Concentration and patience are two key lessons for me from both series. I've realised how important it is at this level to concentrate on every single moment out there, one lapse in concentration and your innings can be over. Patience is another aspect of my game that I can address after this summer, as I realise the importance of playing long innings in test cricket. The advantage for me is that I have debuted on tough wickets and hopefully going forward when I get the chance to bat on more batsmen friendly wickets, I can utilise my experience in England to ensure that I score heavily on the batting friendly tracks."
Highs and lows for the Pakistan team have been in abundance throughout the tour of England but from a personal perspective Ali felt that the two Test victories were a fantastic achievement for a young team and he was delighted to have contributed towards the wins.
"Both victories at Headingley and the Oval were fantastic. The results were superb and scoring half centuries in both matches was very satisfying. I was really pleased that I contributed in a way to both victories. The low point of the summer for me was the second test at Edgbaston against England. The second innings dismissal where I went to drive a delivery from Swann. It was a shot that I shouldn't have played and wasn't necessary at the time, especially given that I had laid the foundations for a big innings."
Ali whilst being a member of the squad, did not get the call-up for the one day internationals and Twenty20 matches against England; however he will have a keen eye on the upcoming series against South Africa in the UAE, where he will hope that the selectors continue to show faith in him.

Appoint Younus as Pakistan Test captain: Zaheer

 Former captain Zaheer Abbas has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to immediately appoint senior batsman Younus Khan as the captain of the Test team for the forthcoming series against South Africa. MORE....

Afridi, Faisal to lead Karachi teams in T20 Cup

Karachi—Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi and Test batsman Faisal Iqbal have been named to lead the two Karachi teams in Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cricket Championship being played at Lahore from October 10.
Teams were named after a meeting of KCCA Selection Committee held former Test paceman Jalaluddin with ex-Test batsman Basit Ali and first class cricketer Zafar Ahmed as members at KCCA Office on Monday.
Shahid Afridi will lead the star-studded Karachi Dolphins and Faisl Iqbal will be the Captain of Karachi Zebras.
Sadiq Muhammad(coach) Muhammad Ahmed Naqvi (manager) are officials of the team.—APP

Mohammed Asif hoping for luck

Suspended Pak bowler Mohammad Asif is hoping that his marriage with Sana Hilal on Thursday will change his life and bring him luck and success. asif, who is one of the three Pakistani cricketers suspended by the International Cricket Council for alleged spot fixing during the Lord's Test against England, will marry Sana, a girl chosen by his parents on Thursday.

The pacer and Sana had entered into Nikah few months back but the formal marriage ceremony (Rukhsati) could not take place due to Asif's commitments with the Pakistan team.
"I had postponed the marriage because of the busy schedule of the team but now I am formally going to bring my wife home and I a confident this new phase of my life will be for the best," Asif told Geo News channel.
Asif had entered into Nikah with Sana soon after ending a long affair with actress and model Veena Malik, who has now accused him of match-fixing and claimed he has links with an Indian bookmaker.
Asif said he had invited fellow cricketers, many former greats and leading personalities for his Valima on Friday in Lahore. The pace bowler has been dogged by controversies since the last four years.
In 2006 he was suspended for testing positive in a dope test before the Champions Trophy in India. In 2007 he got into a brawl with fellow pacer Shoaib Akhtar in South Africa and in 2008 he was banned for one year for again failing a dope test in the Indian Premier League.
In 2008, he also spent 19-days in detention in Dubai while returning from India for possession of small quantity of marijuana but was released without charge.
"He has had a hectic lifestyle and hopefully he will now settle down in life after his marriage," Zahid, his close friend, said. Zahid played a big role in mediating a settlement between Asif and Veena Malik last year after the latter filed a case for recovery of over 13 million rupees from the pace bowler

PCB chief Butt to return to London to consult lawyers

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will arrive in London on Tuesday to consult his legal advisers about replying to English demands that he apologise over allegations about match-fixing.

Butt would also meet Scotland Yard officials to discuss the spot-fixing accusations against three Pakistan players which overshadowed the team's recent tour, official sources in the PCB said on Monday.

Butt and PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi would attend meetings in London this week, the sources said.
"They will meet with the legal firm they have hired in London to finalise the reply to be sent to the English players and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)," one source said.
England's players, through the ECB, have demanded an apology from Butt after he told a television station he had heard from bookmakers that English players were involved in fixing matches.
The ECB threatened legal action unless Butt apologised.
Butt's comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistan's scoring pattern in the third one-day international against England at the Oval.
Pakistan's test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had already been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered during the fourth test at Lord's in late August.
The PCB source said Butt and Rizvi would meet British police to find out what was happening.   Continued...

Botham is biased, stupid, foolish: Mohsin

  Pakistan's chief selector Mohsin Khan has lashed out at former England captain Ian Botham, describing him as a "biased, stupid, foolish" person who has an axe to grind with Pakistan cricket.     MORE.......

Amir: Salman Butt lured me into spot-fixing

Barely five days after the end of their scandal-hit tour of England, fresh turmoil gripped the Pakistan cricket team with suspended pacer Mohammad Amir’s shocking revelation that he was lured into spot-fixing by Test skipper Salman Butt.

The 18-year-old pacer was suspended by the ICC for his alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the fourth Test against England at Lord’s last month, along with Butt and Mohammad Asif.

Sources in the PCB said Amir had told chairman Ijaz Butt that he never wanted to be part of this “business” (spot-fixing) but was forced into it by Butt and Asif.

“Amir had gone to Butt and claimed he was innocent and a victim of the “seniors power lobby” in the team,” a source told PTI.

But the PCB refuted the reports with legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi saying that the implicated players continue to claim innocence.

“All three boys have been saying all along that they did not do anything wrong and they stand by it. They claim innocence and complete innocence and nothing but innocence. We are holding our investigations back at the moment and we are waiting for the Scotland Yard’s investigation report,” he said.

3 suspended Pakistan cricketers selected as reserves for T20 event

ISLAMABAD — The three Pakistan cricketers suspended and charged by the ICC over fixing allegations have been selected as reserves for their regional Pakistani teams for a domestic Twenty20 tournament next month.
Test captain Salman Butt and opening bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were charged after allegations they received money to bowl no-balls at predetermined times in a test against England last month.
Rawalpindi chief Naeem Akhtar says Amir was included in his team, and Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar says Butt and Asif are reserves for Lahore and defending champion Sialkot. All three players will need clearance from the ICC to play.
The PCB has not yet announced when the event will be held.

Pak team manager Yawar Saeed quits

The manager of Pakistan's cricket tour of England resigned on Monday, just days after the players flew home following controversies over spot fixing.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt relieved Yawar Saeed of his duties at Saeed's own request, the board said.

The 75-year-old Saeed had hinted about stepping down before the tour began in June and denied that his decision to go was connected to the allegations that marred the team's tour of England.

The allegations surfaced after British newspaper News of the World claimed that alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed paid several Pakistani players to deliberately bowl no-balls during last month's Lord's Test against England.
Scotland Yard raided the team's hotel in London, and interrogated Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir and Wahab Riaz.
So far no charges have been brought against Pakistani players.
The International Cricket Council has provisionally suspended Salman, Asif and Aamir.
"I had requested the PCB chairman to relieve me of the duties before the England tour... nor it is linked to the tour of England," Saeed told reporters.

Saeed is the son of Mian Mohammad Saeed, who led Pakistan in their first unofficial Test in 1948, and brother-in-law to the late fast bowler Fazal Mahmood.

Pakistan's next assignment is a neutral venue series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates, starting next month.

Saeed is likely to be replaced by Shafqat Rana, assistant manager on the England tou

Does Pakistan cricket need Shahid Afridi in Test cricket?

They say that Test cricket is a real test of a test cricketer. Test cricket is s test of skills, nerves, strength and character. The real legendary status is announced when a player has a great test career. A great career includes legendary performances, mental strength, and player’s ability to perform in different conditions, and all these traits are backed by patience and concentration. They say, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. The same is true for the test cricket.

Pakistan cricket has been struggling in all forms of the game, especially in test match cricket. One of the main reasons of their struggle has been the ever-changing team captains. They have changed captains like a bus would change its route. The past one and a half year has seen them change about 5 captains.

The other big reason for their wavering scores in test cricket is lack of quality batsman. After the disastrous tour of Australia, top batsman Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were handed indefinite bans. Consequently, the two Y’s were not considered for the England tour. Nobody was there to fill this huge vacuum, and then Umar Amin and Azhar Ali were made scapegoats. Imran Farhat and Shoaib Malik are yet to make a mark in test cricket. So they have a pretty fragile batting line-up in conditions, where the best have struggled.

 Shahid Afridi who has been absent from test cricket was made the test captain. Previously, he had refused to play test cricket because he thought this type of cricket does not suit his style. Shahid was handed over the captaincy role in the ICC world T20, 2010. He has proved himself in the shortest format. His phenomenal performance in the last ICC World T20 finals and semi-finals earned Pakistan the title. He struggled for form in the world cup, but he proved his mettle in the Asia cup. Afridi gathered 2 centuries and 3 wickets. His success as an individual player answered many critics that he is good enough a batsman in ODI cricket.

The England tour started with a whitewash against Australia in T20 series. He was all set to make a comeback in Test matches against Australia. Previously, he played his last test in England four years ago. Lord’s Test marked his return to Test cricket. Pakistan started off well, restricting Australia to 253 in the first innings, conceding a lead of 104 runs. Shahid Afridi after getting a start played a poor short. Pakistan was chasing 440 runs to win. Shahid Afridi again, played a rash short, and was caught on the deep when his score was just 2.

He announced his retirement and was immediately replaced by Salman Butt.  Somehow Pakistan team managed to beat Australia and England in test matches. It was looking like a good start. However, soon spot-fixing scandal clouded them in the final test at Lord’s. As a result, three Pakistan players were suspended, including the skipper, Salman Butt.

This matter is currently being reviewed by the ICC. However, the ICC has taken quite some time in resolving the matter. Pakistan will be playing the next series against South Africa, which includes 2 test matches. If Salman doesn’t get cleared by the ICC to play, then there will be a need for a new Test captain.

Nonetheless, it seems like Shahid Afridi is interested in reigning the beleaguered Pakistan team, as he has been seen hinting his comeback in test matches. He has already indicated that if his country and team requires him, he will be ready to lead the side. If Afridi takes over, this would be his 3^rd comeback in Test cricket.
All in all, the talismanic all-rounder has played 27 test matches and has scored 1716 runs at an average of 36. He has a tally of 48 test wickets, amassed at an average of 35. His last 4 test score lines are, 31, 2,17,15,17 and 14.
Critics have talked about Shahid Afridi as more of a leader than a player. If he features in Test 11 then he might be negating a batsman or a bowler. He mainly plays at number 6, so he will be negating a batsman, while the team still struggles with a poor batting-line.
However, before arriving at any decision, PCB needs to answer the question that does a struggling batting line-up need a wicket thrower, or they need a solid Younis Khan back as a Test captain.

Pakistan cricket team: Does lack of education instigate controversies?

Waqar Younis, the former strike bowler and current coach of the Pakistan cricket team has stressed that education at a very early age is extremely necessary as it would keep the cricket players away from allegations and controversies.

“Players should be trained and given proper education from the age of 16,” said Younis on his arrival in Lahore following the completion of the tour. “It’s very difficult to coach them at the international level if they are not trained. But if they are brought up with a proper education, it will definitely help them to stay away from controversies.”

But the question really is then, where should they be trained? There are hardly any institutions or academies that educate players. The National Academy, which was opened by General Tauqir Zia in Lahore, had courses which would groom the players, but not really educate them. By the end of the day, it all depends on the sort of background they come from and upbringing they have had.

Most of the cricket players that make it to the Pakistan cricket team come from very impoverished backgrounds, where their families are trying to survive and make ends meet. Therefore, education is not one of their priorities. In addition, most of the players belong to either villages or far-flung slums which do not have schools or proper educational institutions. It is just their passion for the game that gets them to the cricket team.

Once they reach the cricket team, they are suddenly exposed to a lot of money, innumerable social contacts, fame and popularity. The cricket players try to make the most of it, by making as much money as they can, and as quickly as possible and because of that the line between right and wrong becomes very fuzzy. If the players had gone through a rigorous education routine, they would have been able to stay away from the menace of match-fixing, spot-fixing and other such immoralities. They would have stayed in the right company.

But sometimes even this logic doesn’t hold true. If the allegations on the three cricket players are proved to be true, then even attainment of education cannot be of any help for a cricketer to get corrupt. The biggest example of this is that of the captain Salman Butt, who is relatively well-educated compared to his team mates. He is a graduate of Beaconhouse, Garden Town, Lahore. He comes from a very good background as well, where both his parents are educated and polished. If the allegations were true, then it would leave one in utter bewilderment as to why players coming from such solid background indulge in such activities.

Looking at the history of the match-fixing allegations on Pakistan, one would come across the names of some of the greatest players who have come from very educated backgrounds. For instance, Wasim Akram from Islamia College, Lahore, Waqar Younis who was educated in Sadiq Public School in Bahawalpur, the Pakistani College in Sharjah and the Government College in Vehari, and most shockingly, Saeed Anwar, who was a NED graduate and was planning to go to the United States for graduate studies before he joined international cricket.

So this reaffirms the notion that education is not the only factor that plays a role in moulding the character of a cricket player. There are quite a few aspects that need to be considered, the upbringing of the player, being the most pivotal. The personal values and ethics that the player has been taught by his parents, the moral grounds of the player, his integrity, making the important distinction between right and wrong, are some of the factors that play a role in the cricketer’s character building.

One can only hope that such values are also thoroughly taught in the schools, colleges and universities, and the players are able to attain this sort of education. The Pakistan Cricket Board should finance the education of the players as it would prove to be an asset later on for the team.

Banned players can still appeal to courts: expert

 LONDON: Any player banned for life under the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-corruption code can still attempt to have the sanction overturned by a civil court, according to a leading British sports lawyer.
Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been suspended by the ICC following an investigation into corruption allegations. The charges carry a maximum sanction of a life ban if upheld by an independent tribunal.
Adam Morallee, a partner in the London law firm Mishcon de Reya, said there were still several options open to any player faced with an ICC ban.
In an interview, Morallee said the first non-ICC avenue of appeal for any cricketer charged with an anti-corruption offence was the independent Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
He could also attempt to appeal to a court in the country in which the alleged offence was committed, or to a court in his home country.
"These governing bodies are subject to the laws of the various countries. They are just the same as any company or organisation, subject to the same rules and regulations as everyone else," Morallee said.
"Other entities try their best to close their world in and tell everyone only we can make decisions about us. That's just not the case."

LEGAL BATTLES
In 1997 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was forced to cut its four-year doping ban for first offenders in half after a series of costly legal battles in European courts which took the view that the longer ban constituted restraint of trade. Two German track and field athletes successfully applied for reinstatement halfway through four-year bans.
The ICC's anti-corruption code stipulates that players must submit to the authority of the world governing body, its judicial commission and to CAS. Furthermore, it says players cannot initiate proceedings "in any court or other forum that are inconsistent with the foregoing submissions to the jurisdiction of the anti-corruption Tribunal and the CAS".
However, Morallee said that in practice players could appeal to whomever they liked.
"The ICC will have some very good defences in proceedings if a player tries to challenge their decision in the courts. They will say a player has effectively signed away his life to this tribunal, and therefore is barred from bringing proceedings in another court. In effect, he has lost and he can't do anything about it," he said.
"But a national court could theoretically grant jurisdiction and then, if the punishment was grave, rule that a life ban was an unjustifiable restraint of trade, the punishment was far too harsh and, therefore, disproportionate."
Under this scenario, Morallee said, any national cricket board would be "between a rock and a hard place".
"The ICC will say he is banned from international cricket and a court will say he should be allowed to play," he said.
"It will not be easy for a national association to reconcile those differences."

UDRS in ODIs is a must: Shahid Afridi

Pakistan's One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 [ Images ] captain Shahid Afridi [ Images ] has called for the introduction of the referral system in ODIs, pointing out that one wrong decision by an umpire could change the outcome of the match.

"I think the referral system is a must in one-day matches," The News quoted Afridi, as saying to a TV channel, after his team's 121-run loss against England [ Images ] in the fifth and final one-day at Southampton in England

During that match, opener Kamran Akmal's controversial leg-before wicket (lbw) decision by the English umpire- Ian Gould- derailed Pakistan's chase of 257 runs, but the television replays clearly showed that Kamran had edged the ball onto his pads. "One decision can change the whole match, some leg-befores... and I am not talking of this match only, also in previous matches; and if such things (wrong umpiring decisions) happen then it changes the whole match," said Afridi.
In the second match of the Pakistan-England ODI series, West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove [ Images ], in spite of a strong appeal by bowler Umar Gul and wicketkeeper Kamran, declared England captain Andrew Strauss [ Images ] not out when on 38 runs, who then went on to make 126, and England, chasing Pakistan's 294 for eight, won the match by scoring 295 for six.
The International Cricket Council [ Images ] (ICC [ Images ]) introduced the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) on a trial basis in Test matches in June 2008, giving teams two opportunities per innings, to challenge on-field umpire decisions and refer them to a television umpire.
The most contentious issue with the UDRS seems to be that the technology costs have to be paid by hosts, a condition which is unacceptable to several countries.

Darrell Hair calls Pakistan's tour players 'cheats, frauds and liars'

 

               

Darrell Hair, the former Test umpire, has branded the Pakistan cricket team "cheats, frauds and liars" and criticised the International Cricket Council, the world governing body, for refusing to act despite apparent evidence that Shoaib Akhtar tampered with the ball during the one-day international between Pakistan and England at the Rose Bowl last Wednesday.

Hair, who stood in 78 Tests and 135 one-day internationals, also told Observer Sport he feels vindicated following Pakistan's troubled tour of England, which was overshadowed by the "spot fixing" scandal when players were accused of deliberately bowling no-balls. Pakistan's Test captain, Salman Butt, and his team-mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were suspended and returned home early.
The Australian's career was ruined by his stance in the controversial Oval Test in August 2006 during Pakistan's last tour of England, when a Test match was forfeited for the first time, following accusations that Inzamam ul-Haq's team had tampered with the ball. Hair retired in 2008 because of the fall-out from the incident.
The Pakistan players returned home late last week after the most troubled tour in modern cricket history. Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, reiterated his refusal to apologise for smearing England players' reputations. Butt said there had been "loud and clear talk in bookies' circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose [the third one-day international]." He made the allegations after the ICC said they were investigating the third ODI for suspicious scoring patterns by Pakistan. Nadeem Sarwar, the PCB media manager, told the Jang newspaper that there was no question of Butt apologising.
Hair said of the tour: "The fans, viewers and crowds have been watching cheats and liars. How long will they continue to part with their money to watch manipulated matches and players cheating? The ICC should be ashamed to allow these matches to take place."
Shoaib was apparently caught on camera interfering with the ball and Hair said: "Regardless of irrefutable evidence of ball tampering the ICC still choose not to take action, which is unsurprising given their record and inability to control their own game. 'The game must always go on' seems to be their motto.
"Unfortunately the Pakistan cricketers show no respect for the game and continually attempt to cheat. The game as currently being played by Pakistan is a hoax and a fraud to the public."
On the fourth day of the Oval Test in 2006 Hair and Billy Doctrove ruled that Pakistan had tampered with the ball and awarded England five penalty runs and offered the batsmen a replacement ball. When Pakistan refused to resume play after tea in protest at the decision the umpires left the field, informed Pakistan they must return, then walked back out to the middle.
When Pakistan did not do so Hair removed the bails and England were declared winners by forfeiture. Pakistan did retake the field 25 minutes later but while England were also willing to resume, Hair and Doctrove refused. Hair's career was effectively ruined when a few days later the ICC made public his offer to resign in exchange for $500,000 for what he considered his projected lost earnings.
The following year Hair took the ICC to an employment tribunal, claiming racial discrimination, after the governing body had banned him from officiating in November 2006. While that case was settled out of court and Hair did umpire two more Tests, he then retired.
Asked if he now felt vindicated Hair said: "Yes. Maybe now more and more people will understand why I acted like I did in 2006."
When contacted the ICC declined to comment

ICC promises leniency for suspended trio

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has entered into a constructive deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) which will allow the three suspended cricketers freedom to resume their international careers if no evidence is found against them shortly, according to details received by The Express Tribune.
The PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt confirmed that the Pakistan board and the ICC have agreed to halt the war of words relating to spot-fixing allegations following reconciliation between the two parties. Butt earlier termed the ICC’s investigation into the allegations as “terrible” and also called for the removal of ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.
“The ICC has promised to show leniency and has shown willingness to close this matter soon which forms part of the reconciliation between the two parties,” a PCB official told The Express Tribune. “Scotland Yard has failed to gather any evidence against our players despite weeks of investigation and the ICC, in the meeting with the PCB chairman, assured him that they will not stretch the matter unnecessarily.”
Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were provisionally suspended by the ICC earlier this month after the News of The World placed spot-fixing allegations on them during Lord’s Test. The three players were questioned by Scotland Yard but were allowed to travel back to Pakistan after assuring their availability if needed.
“The ICC has given the punishment without getting any proof which is concerning them [the ICC] now as well. Due to this, they have changed their stance towards the players. It now seems likely that the players will be cleared and allowed to resume their careers.”
The three players have already sent their replies to the governing body through their UK-based lawyer Elizabeth Robertson in which they pleaded not guilty and asked the suspensions to be lifted. The ICC, according to its rules, will have to form a tribunal which will look into the replies.
“We have been told that the tribunal would be formed soon which, if something substantial can’t be found against them, will not extend the case.”
PCB consults lawyer after ECB’s notice
The PCB has also decided to involve Robertson in the ongoing tussle with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) following the latest allegations against the Pakistan team after the third One-Day International (ODI) at The Oval.
Following the chairman’s remarks linking the England players with match-fixing, the ECB sent a letter to the PCB demanding an apology from the chairman with a legal case to follow if that was not to happen.
A PCB official confirmed to The Express Tribune that the board had received the letter from the ECB.
“We have received a letter from the ECB and will reply to it shortly, probably in a day or two,” said the official. “Butt had a conversation with Robertson to discuss the repercussions of the PCB’s possible steps on the issue.”
The PCB official, however, said that the chairman was reluctant to apologise for his comments.
“Butt is likely to maintain his stance as to why the Pakistan players were accused of fixing without any evidence and may not send an apology for his comments.”
Butt claimed he was informed by gamblers that English players took bribes for throwing the third ODI at The Oval which Pakistan won after making a comeback.
The chairman’s remarks came after a newspaper report claimed that the “scoring
partern” of the match was pre-determined and the ICC was informed of this beforehand.

Tainted Pakistan trio seek legal help

Suspended Pakistan players have consulted their lawyers to file a reply to a notice sent to them by the ICC.

Test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were suspended by the ICC earlier this month after British tabloid 'News of the World' broke a story saying they had taken money to bowl no-balls during the fourth Test at Lord's.
The trio who have returned home from England were given 14-days' notice to respond to the charges against them but they got an extension on time from the ICC.
"Now they are busy preparing their detailed reply to the notices sent to them by the ICC as they feel the suspensions on them are not justified," PCB's legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi said.
He said that once the players sent their individual replies to the ICC the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit would then convene a preliminary hearing to hear evidences against the players and decide if the suspensions were justified.
"If the matter goes beyond the preliminary hearing then it would be heard by the commissioner of the code of conduct commission of the ICC in 40 days time," he said.
Sources in the Board said that the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt had told his legal team to start pushing for the preliminary hearing so that selectors could be clear on the availability of the three players who are key members of the national team.
" Pakistan is next up against South Africa in the UAE from next month and then tour New Zealand, the selectors want to know which of the players would be available for selection for these tours," the source said. The source said Butt had instructed the legal team to get the ICC to either give a preliminary hearing date or have the suspensions revoked.
"The Board is also anxiously waiting for the report of the prosecutor's office on the Scotland Yard investigations into the allegations against the three players.
"If the prosecutor's office clears them then ICC would also not be in a position to continue the suspension for long," the source added.
The source said with the 2011 World Cup now few months away the selectors were anxious to know the status of the suspended trio and coach Waqar Younis had also told the Board Chairman this issue should be cleared up as soon as possible.

'I am better than my stats suggest' - Sami

Mohammad Sami, the Pakistan fast bowler, is targeting a return to the national team for the series against South Africa in the UAE in October, and the World Cup early next year. Sami last made an international appearance in May, during the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, and has been out of reckoning since. However, with the uncertainty over the availability of fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif following the spot-fixing controversy, Sami could be in the frame for a comeback.

"I've not taken much time off during the off season and have been working hard on my game at the Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, as well as training on my own," Sami told PakPassion.net. "I want to ensure that I am 100% ready when the new season starts. I am hopeful that the hard work will pay off and I can be given another chance for Pakistan."

Sami began his international career on a high, grabbing eight wickets on Test debut in 2001, against New Zealand in Auckland, and a hat-trick against Sri Lanka in Lahore in his third game. He formed a promising opening bowling combination with Shoaib Akhtar, and was tipped for a bright future, but failed to meet expectations, averaging 50.73 in 34 Tests to date.

"Sometimes statistics don't always tell the full story," Sami said. "I don't want to offer excuses, but those that have followed my career will appreciate that I have not had the best of luck. I am a better bowler than my statistics suggest and I will prove that in the coming months and years if given the opportunity.

Sami was dropped from the national team in 2007 and he went on to participate in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League before returning to the official fold. Since his return, he has played just one Test, the controversial defeat against Australia in Sydney in January. "I was given one opportunity in Australia and took three wickets in the first innings. I removed the top three Australian batsmen and felt in good shape, but then I never played in the next match. I'm desperate to be given another chance and to show what I can do, if given a decent run in the side."

Sami, currently the captain of the domestic team Karachi Blues, has a significantly better ODI record, averaging 28.44 for his 118 wickets. Selection to the 2011 World Cup squad means more to him than just making an international comeback. "The memory of the 2007 World Cup still haunts all of the squad," he said. The tournament itself was a disaster for Pakistan cricket and of course Bob Woolmer's death was heart-breaking for all of us. I want to put that terrible tournament behind me and to make the 2011 World Cup a success for Pakistan."

Can Pakistan team produce a consistent cricket captain?

Pakistan cricket changes captains like T-shirts. In the last one and a half year, Pakistan has changed 4 captains. The latest casualty has been Salman Butt.

It all started after the retirement of the former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq. Shoaib Malik was named the captain of the team after Inzamams retirement. His reign includes an ODI series win against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. A runner-up trophy in ICC World T20 answered some of the unresolved cricketing questions regarding the future of Pakistan team. Later, Pakistan greeted South Africa at home. South Africa has been the best test side in the world, and Pakistan lost a 2 match test series 1-0. The ODI series was exciting and both the teams crafted a good show. It was 2-2 going into the 5^th ODI. Shoaib Akhtar coming back from the ban, ended up with the excellent figures of 4/43, and restricted South Africa to a modest total of 233. Pakistan, in chase of a meagre target started off quite well. The team needed to score 25 runs in 40 balls with 5 wickets in hand. However, the team couldn’t perform up to the mark, making certain shots that were questionable. It was not soon that the players seemed relentless to remove Shoaib Malik from the captaincy.

Following the players demands and lowly performances, he was exited afterwards, when Pakistan lost ODI series against Sri Lanka in 2009. Some of the team members went to the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman in order to file a complaint against Shoaib Malik. They did not want to play in his captaincy. Amir Sohail suggested to the cricket board not to support the rebels in this matter. He was of the view that if the board supported the rebellion, similar patterns would be observed again.
Cricket Board named Younis Khan, the next captain. It seemed as if things were settled, but a hurricane could be sensed. Younis led the side well. A smart captain with a brilliant brain, was tactically well-equipped to lead the side. Younis certainly looked the ultimate solution for the troubled team. He started well in the test series against Sri Lanka, scoring a triple hundred. Younis led the side to their first World T20 title. Pakistan, once again started to look like a giant force, gain back its vigour and gleam.
The victorious Pakistan went to Sri Lanka on a high. But alas! Players again started lobbying against Younis Khan. They again, never wanted to play under their aggressive captain. Many senior cricketers started to cook conspiracy against the Younis Khan. The adversaries played their tolls and Pakistan was hammered by Sri Lanka in the test series 2-0. Pakistan lost both the test matches that could have been won easily. Once again, some of the rough shots played were to be questioned.
Senior team players, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and some others took oath on Quran that they will be united against Younis Khan. Finally, they had their wish granted. The victorious, world T20 captain resigned from the job, refusing to tour down under.
Mohammad Yousuf, the senior pro was given this tedious job in New Zealand. Pakistan again lost from the position of strength. Chasing down a modest total of 251 runs, Pakistan was able to score 5/195, but then again they lost 5 wickets for 24 runs.
New Zealand tour then followed a disastrous Australian tour, where Pakistan lost every single game they played. Sydney test still is considered the biggest nightmare in the history of Pakistan cricket. Pakistan snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Kamran Akmal dropped five sitters and missed the simplest run-out.

An inquiry committee looked into the matter, and Captain Mohammad Yousuf was handed an indefinite ban. However, the players who pleaded guilty are still playing. Shahid Afridi was handed over the captaincy duties in all formats, despite of concerns about his test comeback. He stared nicely and took his team to World T20 semi- finals, however, Pakistan failed to qualify for the Asia cup finals.

Recently, Pakistan was to take on Australia in England. They posted a whitewash in T20 matches against Australia. It was a good start. Shahid Afridi then announced his retirement from test cricket after a thumping loss to Australia at Lord’s.
Salman Butt, the vice captain on that tour was handed over the captaincy. A 15-year-old jinx was ended at Leeds with Pakistan finally beating Australia. Afterwards, a victory at the Oval against England after two dismal performances was pleasing.
Spot-fixing allegations chased Pakistan’s three top cricketers at the centre of Lord’s. Salman Butt, the captain alongside his fellow members Asif and Amir were suspended from further cricket.

Now Shahid Afridi is hinting a Test comeback in a series against South Africa. It is to be kept in mind by the Pakistan cricket officials that the frequent switching of captains is having adverse affects on the team’s unity and its performance. It is yet to be seen who takes over the crown of Pakistan cricket team.

Afridi warns players to be cautious in future

KARACHI: Pakistan’s one-day captain Shahid Afridi may have dismissed the match-fixing charges as being baseless, but he has warned his players to be more cautious in the future as now they have been closely observed by the world.
“All these allegation are baseless and there is no truth in the match-fixing reports. Nobody is involved in match-fixing. However, I have warned all the team players to be more cautious so as to avoid scandals in future. The team is being closely observed so it would be good to Pakistan cricket that our players avoid any activity which might be wrongly perceived and subsequently scandalised,” Afridi told reporters after he returned from England on Friday morning.
He said he would have been very happy if they had won the ODI series and it would have been a great achievement for the beleaguered team.
Afridi praised the players for playing well under pressure in the recently concluded England ODI series. “I am happy that the team played well in the ODI series especially after the allegations. It is difficult to play with all the controversies but I am glad the players played well under pressure,” he said.
He added that it was a difficult tour, however, the unity in the team helped them cope up with all the controversies.
“It was a difficult tour, however, the team was united and that was something very important,” Afridi said.
He further said that he may consider return to Test cricket if the team needs him in the Test series against South Africa next month.
Pakistan are scheduled to play a Twenty20 International, five ODIs and two Tests against South Africa during their tour of the UAE which starts on October 27 and ends on November 24.
He said that they would finalise a preliminary squad of around 22 players during the he tour of UAE, which would be retained till the 2011 ICC World Cup.
“I would try to bring in new players. The players would feel secure after knowing that they would be retained till World Cup and they would prepare themselves accordingly to put a brilliant show in the spectacle,” Afridi said.
Afridi further said that he had asked the players to improve their fielding along with other departments. “To perform and give good results, players also have to field well.”
The skipper refrained from commenting on the ball tampering charges against pacer Shoaib Akhtar.