Unfit Tanvir to miss Proteas Test series

Sohail Tanvir's return to international cricket got delayed as Pakistani selectors on Thursday pulled out the paceman from the national Test squad for the upcoming series against South Africa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Tanvir was named in the Test squad, announced last month but the selectors had made it clear that his trip would be subject to fitness as the left-arm pacer has only recently resumed playing competitive

"The medical advice on Tanvir is that he needs to be given more time to complete his rehabilitation process and he will not be joining the test squad," a selector said.

Tanvir missed the third match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy domestic tournament for his team, Zarai Taraqyati bank which started today.

Their was no official word on why he had missed it but sources said the pacer had suffered a painful blow to his knee in his last domestic match.

Tanvir has been in fine form in the Quaid Trophy taking 15 wickets in two matches and also scoring a half-century.

The Pakistan Cricket Board in a strange decision recalled batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq out of a six month wilderness last month and named him as the new Test captain after the suspension of Salman Butt who led the team in England.

Misbah unfortunately has failed to get going in the two T20 matches and first two one-day internationals against South Africa and was dropped for the third match.

Their will be five changes in the Pakistan squad for the two Test matches with senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, leg- spinner Danish Kaneria, pacer Muhammad Sami, batsman Azhar Ali and opener Taufeeq Umar leaving on Monday to join the team.

From the one-day squad, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam and Muhammad Hafeez will return home.cricket after a major knee operation in Australia.

Malik describes Arthur's claims as ridiculous

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has described as "ridiculous" the claims by the former South African cricket team coach Mickey Arthur that he and his players suspected that a One-day International played in 2007 against Pakistan was 'fixed'.

Malik was the Pakistan skipper in that match played at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore, which the home side lost from a winning position to everyone's surprised.

Arthur told South African website News24 that his team suspected match-fixing when Pakistan collapsed dramatically to lose the fifth and decisive ODI to South Africa in Lahore three years ago.

"There was a strong suspicion of match-fixing and it took some of the gloss off the series win," Arthur had said earlier this week.

Needing 234 to win the series, Pakistan went from 149-2 and 209-6 to 219 all out. No allegations were made against the Pakistani team at that time.

"We did not have any proof, but when you have been involved in the game long enough you know when something is not right," Arthur further claimed.

However, Malik said he was shocked at the claims made by Arthur.

"His claim is ridiculous and I don't understand why after all these years he suddenly remembered this now," Malik said.

"I am really disappointed with his statement because I remember we were shattered after losing that match as we were in a strong position," Malik said.

The Pakistan all-rounder said he wouldn't give much importance to what Arthur had said as everyone now wanted to sensationalise the atmosphere more, which is already created by the spot-fixing allegations.

"How seriously can you take such a statement after all these years? If they had suspicions, why did they keep quiet? He (Arthur) should have gone to the ICC anti-corruption unit.

Why try to defame Pakistan cricket now?," asked Malik before leaving for Hong Kong.

Pakistan cricket is presently entangled in a web of controversy as three of their top players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif were provisionally suspended by the ICC over allegations that they were involved in spot-fixing during Pakistan's summer tour of England.

They are now getting ready for a full hearing of the ICC that will decide if they were involved in alleged spot-fixing.

Malik, who was dropped from the national team since the one-day series in England, meanwhile, said that he was going to Hong Kong with high hopes of reminding the selectors that they should not forget him while finalising the 2011 World Cup probables.

Our batting, fielding need improvement: Afridi

Pakistan has suspended the contracts of three cricketers under investigation for spot-fixing during a recent tour of England in a scandal that has rocked the world game, officials said Thursday.

Former captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer face charges of alleged spot-fixing during the tour and have been excluded from Pakistan's current fixtures against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.
"The central contracts of Salman, Asif and Aamer have been suspended because the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) only gives contracts to players who can play for Pakistan," PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi told AFP.
"Until their cases are decided, they can't get any benefits from the Board," Rizvi told AFP.
The scandal broke after a report by British tabloid The News of the World prompted Scotland Yard to launch an investigation into allegations of spot-fixing during the Lord's Test against England in August.
Police raided the team's hotel in London and questioned Salman, Aamer, Asif and bowler Wahab Riaz, but they have yet to level any charges.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the trio and late last month rejected appeals from Salman and Aamer. Asif withdrew his appeal.
ICC code of conduct commissioner Michael Beloff announced the decision after a two-day hearing, saying the players would have to appear before another tribunal to further their cases.
The ICC said: "As such, the players remain provisionally suspended from all cricket pending the outcome of the independent anti-corruption tribunal which will hear their disciplinary case in due course."
"As Asif chose not to challenge his provisional suspension, he also remains suspended. The ICC will make no further comments."
The ICC code of conduct carries a minimum of five-year punishment if corruption charges are proved. The maximum punishment is a life ban.
The PCB gave annual contracts to its top 18 players in March.
Salman and Asif were contracted to receive 250,000 rupees (2,900 dollars) monthly, while Aamer was placed in a lower category which earned him a monthly salary of 175,000 rupees.
The PCB last month barred the suspended players from using practice facilities at the national cricket academy in Lahore.
Rizvi said the PCB had acted within the rules.
"The ICC's anti-corruption unit code says that no player subject to provisional suspension from the ICC can play, coach or take part in any activity other than attending anti-corruption lectures or rehabilitation programmes," said Rizvi.
"Central contracts are service contracts, so until they can serve their country their contracts will remain suspended," said Rizvi.
Shahid Karim, lawyer for Aamer, said he would comment only after reading the letter from the PCB suspending the players' contracts.
Both Salman and Aamer -- who refused to comment on contracts' suspension late Wednesday -- have lashed out at the ICC.
"It felt as if their (the ICC's) decision had already been made," said Butt on Monday, a day after the appeals were dismissed in Dubai.
"It was not based on a single piece of evidence... After a 12-hour hearing the only so-called evidence they had was the same News of the World article and the same video everyone has seen," said Butt.
Aamer called the appeal dismissal a "victimisation" of Pakistani players.
The ICC has ordered Pakistan to curb alleged corruption and other problems, warning failure to clean up its act could result in sanctions.
No international teams have toured Pakistan since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team in March last year, meaning huge financial losses and fears that interest in the sport will start to wane among youth.
In Dubai on Tuesday the former president of the ICC, Ehsan Mani, who is Pakistani, blamed the country's own cricket authorities for the state of the game there and rebuffed suggestions that the ICC was picking on Pakistan

Hong Kong Cricket Sixes Schedule

 

Hong Kong Cricket Sixes Schedule...Live on Ten Sports in Pakistan & Zee Cafe in UK.

Pakistan Squad: Shoaib Malik, Imran Nazir, Shoaib Khan, Sohail Khan, Shabbir Ahmed, Ahmed Shahzad and Asad Ali.

6 November 2010 (6:05 AM PST) Pakistan v New Zealand
...6 November 2010 (10:35 AM PST) Sri Lanka v Pakistan
6 November 2010 (12:05 PM PST) India v Pakistan

 

 

After wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, it’s brother Umar Akmal who sustains injury

After Kamran Akmal (first-choice wicketkeeper of the Pakistan cricket team), now the younger brother Umar Akmal has also sustained an injury. According to reports coming from Dubai, the young charismatic middle-order batsman has hurt his ankle while playing volleyball in a practice session. This comes when Pakistan was all set to put Akmal in the squad for the fourth One-day international in Dubai against South Africa on November 5^th.

South Africa lead the series 2-1, but Pakistan have shown immense fighting spirit in the last two ODIs, winning the second one (mainly due to the heroics of Abdul Razzaq) and fighting till the end in the 3^rd – eventually succumbing to a 2-run defeat. An injury to a Pakistani player was the last thing Pakistan wanted at this time. Pakistan is hoping to level the series in the fourth match, and for that they are planning to go into the field with the best available players.

Akmal made his International debut in 2009 and ever since has managed to amaze the cricket world with his hard-hitting batting style. It is this batting style that has made him an integral part of the Pakistani Twenty20 squad, but the young lad has been showing poor form in his recent international outings, which probably cost him his place in the recent One-Day squad.

However, the team management was ready to give the youngster another shot in the fourth One-Day International in Dubai against the South Africans. However, after he sustained his injury, the management decided to drop him from the upcoming match.

The Pakistan Cricket Board spokesperson said, “To avoid an aggravation of his injury, the team management decided to leave him out, he was sent for an MRI scan on his ankle and we are still waiting for the reports. His future will be decided after we receive the reports.”

An injury to Umar Akmal is definitely a big blow to the middle order of the Pakistani batting line-up. Now with no backup, the responsibility lies on Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez even more than before to score well and bring depth in the middle order. These three players now have all the opportunity in the world to make the best out of this series.

Right now, the extent of his injury is unknown but if it’s something serious, this ankle injury will surely put Akmal out of the remaining matches of the series and most probably out of the Test series as well that will begin in the deserts of Arabia right after the One-Day series ends.

ICC has no proof against me: Aamir

KARACHI: Criticism by the Pakistani duo of Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamir continued against the decision taken by the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) tribunal led by Michael Beloff on Wednesday.

The duo which recently returned from Dubai after attending the hearing of their appeals against their suspension are of the view that the decision is nothing but a discriminatory attempt or attitude by the ICC to defame Pakistan cricket team as well as put an end to the future career of the Pakistani players.

 It must be noted that Pakistan’s iconic players and individuals in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are continuously making them understand that their current attitudes will not bring anything except bitter harm to their own selves. 

The main complaint that the duo has is that if the suspension were to be maintained we must have been shown proofs of our guilt. But this did not happen and they just kept relying on the news that was telecasted in those days, as a proof.

The duo was of the view that ICC didn’t have ample proof for continuing their suspension.

 Both the young players were so much disappointed by the ICC decision that they even denoted the judgment to be preplanned and totally biased.

 The day when the decision was announced, Butt was the one who spoke much about the disappointing decision of the ICC. But later on Aamir also joined his compatriot and started accusing the ICC tribunal on issuing a decision that was at least unexpected by the duo.

 While talking to national media, Aamir denied once again the allegations and thus the suspension being imposed on him by taking the stance that any bowler can deliver a no-ball during the game adding that I am totally innocent and there was no proof at all that was put forth us during the hearing.

 In addition to the above denial Aamir, 18, when asked about the purchase of costly property in Lahore, in a very hard manner said that these are baseless accusations the only property I have in Lahore is my house that I bought for Rs12.5 million and the money for it is purely my own earnings which I have secured by playing cricket for Pakistan.

Critics analyzing the duo’s stiff and highly loud stance against the apex body’s decision are saying that it’s not good for themselves and it will bring with it serious aftereffects and in their lives defining aftershocks. Instead of giving respect to the body they are accusing it of being biased which is not right.

 Analysts and critics are saying that if the duo had any problem or if they had faced any such situation or felt the way they are feeling now they must have spoken and put forth the tribunal that these are the grievances that they have during this hearing but unfortunately this did not happen at all.

 Tafazzul Rizvi, PCB’s legal advisor, while commenting on the duo’s aggressive behavior said that I don’t think their attitude is apropos at all adding that if they had any reservations about the trial they must have raised the matter in front of the tribunal.

 Rizvi was of the view that its not right and fair to at first admit the authority of the tribunal and then deny and even question its decision adding that I think they should now respect the decision and at least must not show such behavior as it will create problems for their own selves in the final hearing.

Afridi not savouring six-hitting record

Urges Pakistan's top order batsmen to take a cue from South African opener Hashim Amla's positive approach
Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi seems to be more comfortable when his bat does the talking than fielding questions from the media who hounded him during a chaotic post-match press conference after the third one-day international against South Africa in Dubai on Tuesday night.
Making a rare appearance in front of a coterie of journalists after South Africa’s tense two-run victory at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Afridi was in a belligerent mood giving crisp replies to a wide array of questions from a media hungry for answers to Pakistan’s woes on the field.
Contrary to some reports that Afridi seemed flustered by the intense barrage of questions which sometimes bordered on the absurd, the champion all-rounder kept his cool although he did not pull any punches just like his approach to batting. With his own performance with the bat under scrutiny despite making 49 during the victory in the second one-day game in Abu Dhabi, perhaps he feels a bit of pressure.
However, the holder of many records, including the fastest one-day century, added another to his name when he surpassed Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya in the all-time list of players who have hit the most number of sixes. It came when he smashed the second ball he faced from off spinner Johan Botha with an audacious shot over extra cover for the 343rd six of his career. However, he departed in the next over holing out in the deep and ruing another missed opportunity after the tailenders rallied around left hander Fawad Alam who brought them to the brink of victory with a fighting unbeaten knock of 59.
When 'Emirates 24|7' asked for his reaction on what he feels about owning the record for having hit the most number of sixes in a career, apparently it was not something to savour when his team had suffered another defeat. “I’m not worried about my sixes. My performance is more important to the team at the moment,” he said but he is unlikely to abandon his cavalier approach. “Definitely I’m going with a positive mind and trying my best. But sometimes you can’t do it,” said Afridi who blamed his top order for batting with negative mind set. “If you look at (Hashim) Amla’s batting, wickets were falling around him but he was going ahead with his shots. Our batsmen went out to bat with a negative approach,” said Afridi referring to the South Africa’s unbeaten century of 119 on a tricky surface.
“They are much better than us. We have been able deliver only in the bowling segment but not in batting and fielding. The reason is they are a more professional team. They work harder; we are also working hard but not probably at the same level as they (South Africans) are performing,” he said.
Afridi said they gave away about 30 runs extra because of their poor fielding. “I’m not satisfied with the fielding standard. If our standard is similar to South Africa, then it would be great since our bowling lineup is strong,” he said.
He also dismissed speculation that the spot-fixing allegations, involving three Pakistani cricketers, have anything to do with team’s poor performance in the ongoing series. “I don’t think so that the spot fixing issue has anything to do with our performance. If you take your past to the ground then you won’t be able to play. The boys are now focusing on their cricket. It’s just we are not seizing upon good opportunities to put South Africa out of the game,” he said.
He was not happy with the bowling of off spinner Saeed Ajmal and hinted left arm spinner Abdul Rehman could replace him in the next match. “Pakistan have to improve in all areas of the game because South Africa is a tough side. We have to be mentally tough to beat them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan team manager Intikhab Alam revealed they had not included exciting young batsman Umar Akmal in the team as he was struggling with an ankle injury that could put him out of the series. Pakistan manager, Intikhab Alam told the media that Akmal sustained the injury during a practice session before the third one-dayer.
“He twisted his ankle while playing volleyball and was lined up to replace Misbah-ul-Haq in the third match. To avoid an aggravation of his injury, the team management decided to leave him out,” Alam said