Akmal, Malik likely to get WC ticket

Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik and wicket keeper batsman Kamran Akmal likely to make into the Pakistan World Cup squad to be announced later today.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expected to announce the squad on December 30 as they got extension in deadline for announcing the preliminary squad for World Cup from International Cricket Council (ICC) from December 19 to January 5 after seeking clearance on selection Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Danish Kaneria.

PCB had asked these players to submit the details of their properties and bank accounts to PCBintegrity committee headed by PCB Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed before December 30. The players have already submitted all the details to the PCB’s integrity committee.

Sources in PCB told The Sports Encounter (TSE) that integrity committee will give clearance to these players in their two-day meeting starting from today under the supervision of PCB chairman Ejaz Butt and they may also interview the three players.

Sources also confirmed that leg spinner Danish Kaneria is not in contention for the World Cup squad but Kaneria seeks clearance from PCB to sign contract with county in England in 2011.

“If these players are selected in World Cup squad then these players will also be selected for New Zealand ODIs,” source added.

Khawaja ready for Test debut but not to replace Ponting

SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja will have some very big boots to fill when he makes his debut for Australia in the fifth Ashes test next week but the 24-year-old is more concerned about making the most of his call up to the national side. 

The free-scoring, fast-quipping, guitar-playing, blog-savvy lefthander was named in Australia's 12-man squad for the Sydney Test on Thursday and is almost certain to replace injured captain Ricky Ponting in the top order. 

Ponting, the second most prolific batsman in test history, is being rested to allow his fractured finger to recuperate and Khawaja was not thinking any further than the five days next week when Australia hope to level the Ashes series at 2-2. 

"I'm not really here to fill Ricky Ponting's shoes, I'm there to go out and do as well as possible and put my team in the best place possible and that means score runs," he told reporters on Thursday. 

"Other than that, there's not really much more that I can do than just enjoy my cricket. To replace 12,000 runs, that's a big feat and I still haven't scored any so I'd better go out and score my first one first." 

"Ricky's a legendary cricketer and a legend of a bloke ... he's the kind of guy, if he told me to jump off a bridge, I probably would," Khawaja, who is normally an opener, added. 

"Me taking over Ricky's place? I highly doubt that. I'm just happy to get the opportunity while he's unfortunately injured and hopefully we can get out there and level the series." 

Born in Pakistan to a cricket-enthusiast father who subsequently took his family to Australia, Khawaja has been accumulating runs since making his debut for New South Wales two years ago and boasts a first class average of 51.7. 

He was called up to the Test squad for the series against Pakistan in England earlier this year, and again when Michael Clarke was an injury worry before the first Ashes Test, but failed to get a game. 

FIRST NAME 

Khawaja was still always the first name bandied about when replacements were being considered for injured or failing batsmen and has long said he was ready. 

"I guess you need that confidence, I've played first class cricket for a long time but I guess you're never really gonna know until you go out there and do your thing," he said. 

"There's been times when I've thought I wasn't good enough for club cricket, that's the great thing about cricket, everyone experiences highs and lows." 

Khawaja said he celebrated his elevation to the squad with a thrash on the guitar and a spell on the Playstation but had no time to consider the significance of becoming the first Muslim to represent Australia. 

"That's the first time I've thought about that all day," he said when asked about it. 

"It's been a childhood dream for me. Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to play for Australia. 

"The dream was a long way away when I was younger and it's a lot closer now and I'm just jumping out of my boots and hoping I get the opportunity. 

"That's all I can really think about right now, my mind's in 40 places and I just want to get out there." 

With Ponting vacating the number three spot in the batting line-up, Khawaja is likely to come in after the first wicket falls but he said it really did not matter to him where he batted. 

"I'd take anywhere in the top 11 to be honest," he quipped.

Razzaq hammers New Zealand in final T20

Abdul Razzaq produced a man-of-the-match performance with bat and ball to ensure Pakistan salvaged some credibility and embarrassed New Zealand by 103 runs in their third and final Twenty20 international in Christchurch.

Razzaq, who was dropped by Nathan McCullum while on two in the 19th over, proceeded to smash three sixes and three fours and finish 34 not out off 11 balls and help his side to a credible 183 for six in their 20 overs.

The 31-year-old medium fast bowler then destroyed New Zealand's batting lineup taking three wickets as the hosts, who had already wrapped up the series after wins in Auckland and Hamilton, crashed to 11-5 before limping to 80 all out.

The hosts had lost four wickets for three runs in the first 17 balls with Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and captain Ross Taylor all failing to score.

Razzaq finished with figures of 3-13 off four overs, though the return was only inflated when Scott Styris hit successive boundaries off his final two balls.

Styris was the only New Zealand batsmen to emerge with any credibility, top scoring with 45 to ensure they avoided achieving the lowest international Twenty20 score of 67, held by Kenya.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi finished with 4-14 off 2.5 overs, including two wickets in two balls in his second over.

Pakistan's openers Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez had given their side a superb start, racing along at more than 10 runs an over as they exploited the superb batting surface, short boundaries and fielding restrictions.

James Franklin finally broke the opening stand with the score on 81 when Hafeez was caught one handed by a leaping Taylor for 34.

Shehzad was then trapped lbw by Franklin for 54 to reduce Pakistan to 90 for two in the 11th over and while their middle order struggled, Razzaq turned the game in the final two overs.

The teams now embark on a two-test series, starting in Hamilton on Jan. 7, before playing six one-day internationals as they build-up to the 50-over World Cup, which starts on February 19.