Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Misbah, Younis role model for youngsters, says Mohsin
"I don't think age is now a major issue as long as a player is fit and hungry. It is very difficult to hide a player who is not 100 per cent fit in international cricket and in every format of the game," Mohsin said while reacting to media reports that he had advised Mohammad Yousuf to play in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy that commenced at various centres in the country on Thursday.
Yousuf, however, didn't play in the premier domestic competition indicating a virtual end to his international career as he has not been considered for national selection since last year in November when he last played an ODI against South Africa in UAE.
Asked about his conversation with Yousuf, Mohsin said that he never spoke to the former skipper. "Look I have not spoken to Yousuf but I think it is wrong to say so or to say that this player can now no longer play for Pakistan," he said.
Mohsin noted that while a player who is not 100 per cent fit could manage things and hide himself on the field in domestic cricket, this was no longer possible in international cricket giving a clear indication as to the reason why the national selectors were not considering Yousuf for the national team since last year.
Mohsin said that Misbah and Younis were shining examples for other players to follow.
"Even at their age they are more fit than some of the younger players which is a tribute to them," he added.
"There is no doubt or question at all over Yousuf's greatness as a batsman and he is still great. If he decides to play in domestic cricket others can learn a lot from him and anything can happen," Mohsin was quoted as saying.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has made a member of the national selection committee, Mohammad Ilyas, acting chief selector until Mohsin is performing duties as head coach of the national team for the coming series against Sri Lanka in the UAE. Mohsin said he was looking forward to the coaching assignment as a big challenge.
"It will be a good experience watching these players up close and obviously our target is to try to win the series against Sri Lanka but for that we have to be very fit and more hungry for success," he added.
The former Test player conceded that the coming seven to eight months would be a real test for Pakistan cricket but was also a golden opportunity for the national team to improve its rankings and stature.
"You win against stronger or equally matched teams and everyone appreciates your performance more," he added.
Ijaz Butt still rules PCB as three-year term expires
The million dollar question in Pakistan cricket regarding the replacement or extension of the incumbent PCB chief Ijaz Butt remained unanswered on Friday — despite the expiry of his three-year term in office — since there was no word from the secretariat of the Board’s Patron, President Asif Ali Zardari, regarding the chairman’s fate.
“Constitutionally, Ijaz is no more the PCB chairman after midnight on Friday and he cannot sign any documents since his tenure expires on Oct 7,” former PCB legal adviser Shan Gul told Dawn.
When contacted, PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar confirmed to Dawn that till the closure of the office on Friday, he had no information whether Ijaz Butt’s tenure had been extended or not.
He, however, shied away from answering various constitutional questions relating to the situation.
Former legal adviser Shan added that technically, the PCB chairman’s tenure was over and a new order of extension from the patron was necessary after Friday to allow Ijaz Butt to continue his work.
Meanwhile, the PCB constitution is silent on who will act as acting PCB chairman from Saturday. Though the constitution says that whenever the chairman is out of Pakistan, he could appoint any official to exercise his powers during his absence. But as this is not the case of absence for Ijaz, the constitution is not saying anything clearly in this regard.
Previously, a similar situation also arose when former PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf quit the office soon after the then president Pervez Musharraf resigned from his post in August 2008. A makeshift arrangement was made at the time which saw then chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi taking over as acting chairman till Ijaz Butt assumed powers as the new PCB chief on Oct 8, 2008.
The three-year tenure of Ijaz Butt has been a roller-coaster ride for Pakistan cricket, replete with nasty controversies such as the harrowing terrorist attack on the touring Sri Lankans and the infamous spot-fixing scandal besides frequent changes in the captaincy which saw some half-a-dozen skippers taking turns to lead the national team.
Also, while many of the Pakistan’s front-ranking players such as Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and others were penalised with heavy fines for their indisciplinary acts and poor display on tours, they were soon restored with all ‘serious’ charges getting dropped against them which, indeed, made a mockery of the game in the country.
On the field, while Pakistan scaled a rare high by winning the World T20 in England besides reaching the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup in India, their rankings in both Tests and the ODIs continued to slip due to their ordinary show with both bat and ball — not to forget the fielding — and also because of the number of nasty rows which directly affected the performance of the players.
Ijaz also faced heavy criticism for repeatedly making changes in the team’s captaincy, coaches and team management as well as in the PCB set-up which saw more than one chief operating officers, chief selectors and other officials working for the Board in the three-year period.
Ijaz’s tenure saw captaincy stints from Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf, Salman Butt and now Misbah-ul-Haq while among the coaches, former Australian fast bowler Geoff Lawson, Intikhab Alam, Waqar Younis and Mohsin Khan got their turns as chief coaches of the sides.
The burly chairman also tried Saleem Altaf, Wasim Bari and Subhan Ahmad as chief operating officers during the various periods of his tenure besides appointing former googly bowler Abdul Qadir, leg-spinner Iqbal Qasim, Mohsin Khan and now Mohammad Ilyas as chief selectors on different occasions.
Ijaz received a stern warning for such chop-and-change policy from the the ICC Task Team which warned the chairman to put the PCB affairs in order for the sake of the game’s future in the country.
Ijaz himself often boasted of how he had curbed the player-power in the team. “I have eliminated the player-power and that is my great success,” Ijaz had said in an interview to Dawn some four months back.
However, even that was not an entirely correct assessment of things from the former wicketkeeper-batsman since the team-wranglings and groupings continued to harm Pakistan cricket on tours.
During his tenure, the PCB relationship with ICC also remained disturbed, especially after the game’s governing body removed Pakistan as one of the co-hosts of the World Cup-2011 soon after Sri Lankan cricket team attack in Lahore.
Ijaz, however, fought against the ICC decision of removing Pakistan as hosts and even served a legal notice on the governing body, but later on both the organizations settled the issue amicably.
Ijaz served as the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for two years but could not play an active role in the body, mainly because BCCI did not extend due cooperation to him.
The bilateral series between Pakistan and India also could not be restored during this tenure.
Though Ijaz had succeeded in reducing the expenditure of the PCB by taking various steps and no major financial corruption case surfaced, his decision of constructing a stadium in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, a small town, with a huge allocation of funds of Rs250 million raised many an eye-brow since many believed the stadium is only being built to serve the political purposes of the leading political party.
The construction work on the Pindi Stadium as well as the Gaddafi Stadium could not be completed despite huge expenses.
Moreover, the bio-mechanics laboratory which was imported by Dr Nasim Ashraf could not become functional at all.
Dean Jones is not the man PCB should look at to coach Pakistan cricket team
Former Australian batsman Dean Jones has thrown the hat in the ring for the post of Pakistan’s cricket coach – one of the five men shortlisted for the job, along with former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve and Aaqib Javed.
Jones has courted controversy all through his cricketing career; diplomacy has not been his forte. And it does give one the jitters that such a man should be in the running to coach a team that has been embroiled in chaos and controversies.
Having said that, Pakistan has seen relative calm and stability, besides success, in the past year under Waqar Younis. It’s important that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) opts for a coach who will continue that legacy left by Waqar and consolidate on their recent gains. And that means appointing a coach with similar temperament and coaching methodologies.
Someone like Mudassar Nazar or Aaqib Javib are closer to Waqar in demeanor, besides having a deeper and meaningful knowledge of the players and Pakistani culture. Pakistan cricketers can be volatile and the key is as much in handling the players as much as their playing skills.
Mudassar has been known not to take any nonsense from any player in his role of Chief of the Youth Academy, where he famously threw out Umar Akmal for not living up to his expectations. It’s much easier for a local to clamp that kind of discipline than an outsider like Dean Jones. In Jones, you would have a man that would in essence invite the termites back in the house.
For example, he told The Age newspaper that there was no shortage of talent in Pakistan and if successful in getting the job of the coach, he would try to and get back Shahid Afridi out of retirement after the flamboyant former captain quit over differences with Waqar.
Comments like the one above indicate his ignorance of Pakistan cricket and what has contributed to the smooth functioning of the team.
Jones is also known for shooting his mouth off before thinking and landing in a mess. And there is no better example than him dubbing South African Hashim Amla a “terrorist” in the commentary box. Though it was said in a lighter vein, the comments did not go down well - with the Muslim community in particular. Certainly, that insensitive remark would not be forgotten by the fundamentalists in Pakistan.
Clearly, Jones is not the man Pakistan should be looking at to replace Waqar Younis. They cannot afford to fritter away the good done by the outgoing coach.
Friday, October 7, 2011
RASHID LATIF IS THE BEST WICKETKEEPER PRODUCED BY PAKISTAN, SAYS MOHAMMAD SALMAN
Rashid Latif is the best wicketkeeper produced by Pakistan, says Mohammad Salman – Cricket News Update
Out of favour Test wicketkeeper/batsman, Mohammad Salman, believes that Rashid Latif is without doubt the best wicketkeeper produced by Pakistan and said that the key for a good wicketkeeper is to have soft hands.
Salman made his International debut in Pakistan’s recent tour of West Indies, but failed to make a big impression in the series and as a result, he failed to maintain his position in the squad while Adnan Akmal made a comeback for the series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
The wicketkeeper/batsman plays his domestic cricket for Faisalabad and has been performing brilliantly for his region over the years. Apart from being an effective batsman, Salman is more than useful with the bat. He has come through the ranks of junior cricket in the country and is one of the few Pakistani cricketers, who had to play a number of domestic seasons before getting the Test cap.
The cricketer from Faisalabad believes that Pakistan has produced a number of world-class wicketkeepers but there was none better than Rashid Latif. However, Salman has been idealising Salim Yousuf and the legendary Aussie wicketkeeper/batsman, Adam Gilchrist, who is considered to be one of the best in the history of the game.
Salman said, “I always followed and watched a bit of Salim Yousuf. Then for most of my career I've watched and played with Rashid Latif who had a great influence on me and then obviously the great Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist. Rashid Latif was Pakistan's best wicketkeeper - without any doubts.”
While talking about the technical aspects of keeping wickets, Salman said that things get most difficult when a quality spin bowler is in action on a track which is assisting him. In his opinion, this is the reason why all the world class keepers struggle when they have to keep wickets on scuffed up tracks of Pakistan, India or Sri Lanka.
“I'd say that the hardest part of wicket-keeping is being behind the stumps when a good spinner is bowling on a turning track. You often see great wicket-keepers struggle in the sub-continent when the ball is turning. It's extremely tough when the ball is turning on a deteriorating track,” he added.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Boom-boom is back in South African domestic cricket.
The Highveld Lions revealed their hand in terms of their foreign Twenty20 quota by announcing that they had signed Pakistani internationals Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq for the tournament.
Afridi, arguably the most mercurial cricketer to grace the international stage, has previous experience of the domestic circuit when he turned out for Griqualand West in 2003/04.
Generally, his impact wasn’t overly pronounced but lit up the then 45-overs competition with two explosive knocks – a 91 off 63 balls against KwaZulu-Natal and 72 off 32 against Boland.
Ironically that season was the last time Gauteng – the Lions’ incarnation before the franchise system – won the limited overs title.
“I’m looking forward to my time in South Africa and helping the Lions qualify for next year’s Champions League,” said Afridi.
“I had a few offers in SA but have chosen to play in Johannesburg.”
It’s little wonder there was so much interest in him after he completed a fine English campaign with Hampshire this season, where he took 17 scalps at 11,17 while only conceding 5,5 to the over.
Those brisk leg-spinners of his will be a massive asset for the perennially underpowered Lions bowling attack.
Razzaq was a crucial cog in Leicestershire’s title-winning campaign, combining his 263 runs at a strike-rate of 138 with 18 wickets.
South Africans need no reminding of his dynamism after he single-handedly won the second one-dayer against the Proteas in Abu Dhabi last year with a magnificent unbeaten 109 off 72 balls.
That innings featured no less than ten maximums.
“My manager received several offers to play in South Africa,” he admitted.
“We made a decision on the Lions due to the fact that I have many friends in Johannesburg and have always enjoyed my time there. I am very much looking forward to giving my all for their cause.”
Lions mentor Dave Nosworthy was chuffed with his signings, particularly since he’s previously admitted his finickiness in that regard.
“It has been a long road to source the right players but I’m finally confident that we have secured two world-class cricketers,” he quipped.
“I have no doubt that they are a perfect fit for the Lions’ style of play – plus they definitely match our team chemistry.”
The local Twenty20 starts on February 15.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Cook rubbishes Gul's ball-tampering charge against Anderson, Broad
Gul had claimed that Anderson tampered with the ball during Pakistan's tour of England last year and Broad did it too in the Ashes series in Australia.
Cook, before leaving with the team for the ODI series in India, asserted that Anderson and Broad have not tampered with the ball.
"We certainly have not tampered with the ball and if he did have any complaints, he should have gone to the ICC (International Cricket Council) over that," Cook was quoted as saying by the daily Telegraph.
"I think he (Gul) has almost said himself that it has been a bit of a mountain out of a molehill."
Gul had said: "During our series against England last year I saw Anderson was doing it (ball tampering). Against Australia, when they (England) won the Ashes, everyone saw Broad use his shoe to scratch the ball."
Meanwhile, Cook reckoned that it will be "incredibly tough" to beat India in the five-match away series, beginning October 14 in Hyderabad.
"I certainly think we can beat India," Cook said.
"It will be incredibly tough. We need everyone to be playing very well. We all know what the one-day crowds are like over there. They love their cricket."
"Delivering our skills when 50,000 or 60,000 people are screaming and when balls are flying all over the place will also be a key factor, but certainly with this squad I think we can do something really special."
SHOAIB MALIK WORKING HARD TO IMPROVE HIS BOWLING
Former Pakistan captain and current all-rounder, Shoaib Malik, has said that he is working really hard to improve his bowling as it could prove to be handy for Pakistan in limited overs cricket in the future.
Malik was out of the national team for almost a year as he was unable to get his name cleared from the match-fixing controversy. However, he got cleared by the integrity committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board recently and was included in the team.
The all-rounder has been an influential cricketer for Pakistan over the years, especially in limited overs cricket. He has played a number of match-winning knocks for Pakistan, and at times, he has been very useful with his off-spin.
Mohammad Hafeez is another batsman in the national team, who can turn his arm over in an effective manner. Malik feels that if both of them play together, they will prove to be great assets for the Green Shirts and the Pakistan team would be able to play an extra batsman.
“The fact is, if Hafeez and I play together as all-rounders we can even play with one less regular bowler and provide that option to the selectors. I have worked hard on this and am hoping that both my batting and bowling will be good,” said Malik.
The former Pakistan captain recently led his domestic team, Sialkot Stallions, to the sixth title victory in the Faysal Bank T20 Tournament 2011, at the National Stadium Karachi. Malik looked in brilliant touch throughout the tournament and turned out to be the difference between the Stallions and the other teams.
Malik claimed that he has dismissed almost all the top players of the world and said that when he goes out to bat, he considers himself a regular batsman, and when he has the ball in his hand, the all-rounder thinks like a bowler.
He added, “As you know, there aren’t too many players in international cricket that I haven’t dismissed. I have almost 150 wickets in the limited over formats. So I am hoping that when I bat, I bat like a regular batsman and when I bowl, I bowl like a regular bowler.”
Mohsin Khan named interim coach
The series will begin on October 18 and will feature three Tests, five ODIs and one T20 match. Pakistan has been forced to play their home series on foreign soil following a 2008 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.
Razzaq leads Pakistan in Hong Kong Super Sixes cricket
All-rounder Abdul Razzaq will lead Pakistan at this month's Super Sixes in Hong Kong as he attempts to resurrect his career at international level.The 31-year-old, dropped from the national side since the World Cup in April, will lead a second-string Pakistan team for the Hong Kong event, which will be held from October 28 to 30.
Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanveer -- two more discarded players from the Test squad which faces Sri Lanka later this month -- were also among the seven-member squad.
Ramiz Raja, Hammad Azam, Yasir Shah and Sharjeel Khan are the others.
Pakistan, who finished runners-up to Australia in the Super Sixes last year, are placed in Group C with South Africa, India and Hong Kong.
Australia, England, Bangladesh and Ireland comprise Group B while an All Star team, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Scotland form Group A.
The Hong Kong Sixes was first held in 1992 and is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. Pakistan won the inaugural event, then again in 1997, 2001 and 2002.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Didn't question Tendulkar's greatness: Afridi
I have said. I have seen that Tendulkar was not at all comfortable against Shoaib in Kolkata Test in 1999. It was Shoaib's first tour of India and he bowled out Sachin without giving him a chance to open his account. He also claimed (Rahul) Dravid's wicket in both the innings," Afridi told 'PTI-Bhasha' from Karachi.
"Shoaib was in full form on that tour and had tremendous speed. He terrorised almost all the batsmen in the world at that time. I have seen Sachin trembling as I was fielding at square leg. I am still saying that.
"But this was only one incident. He never spared Shoaib after that. We all have seen what happened in 2003 World Cup," he added.
Afridi went on to state that the Indian batsman does not need his certificate.
"Sachin is one of the best batsmen and the whole world knows this. He does not need mine or anybody else's certificate. His records speak for him," Afridi said.
The controversy-prone former captain yesterday backed his Akhtar's claim that Tendulkar was uncomfortable against his pace, saying that he had once witnessed the Indian batsman "trembling" while facing the pacer.
Afridi, who retired after revolting against his own board and has a history of making controversial remarks, said Tendulkar was uneasy against Akhtar, a claim which the pacer made in his recently-launched autobiography 'Controversially Yours'.
Afridi said his remarks should not be construed as demeaning to Tendulkar.
"I am not raising any question on Sachin's greatness. Everyone knows that how many sixes Sachin has smashed on Shoaib's bowling after that. But sometimes it happens. I got out on a duck against a weak opponent like Zimbabwe in Peshawar when I was at the peak of my career," he said.
"Any batsman can go through this on a good wicket and opposite a good bowler. That was Shoaib's day and Sachin was nervous that day. Media should not read much into it as it can happen to Don Bradman as well," added the all-rounder.
Afridi said he is a huge fan of Tendulkar both on and off the field.
"I am a huge fan of Sachin. He is not only a great cricketer but a humble human being as well. I have only one photograph on the wall of my drawing room and that is of Sachin. It has Sachin's autograph on it, do I need to say more," said Afridi.
When asked if he will talk to Tendulkar to clarify his position on this issue, he said that there is no need for it.
"The whole matter is blown out of proportion by Indian media. Sachin is a great cricketer and he will understand what I am saying. I have not said anything wrong," he said.
"Media should play a positive role to reduce tension between the two neighbours. When we went to play the World Cup in India earlier this year, We saw all the negative reporting against Pakistani team. Indians love and respect us but not their media," he said.
On the possibility of his comeback in international Cricket, he said that he wants to play for another two-three years.
"Inshah Allah, I will be back in national team. I think I can play for 2-3 years. I am not going to beg for it but I know that I will represent Pakistan again," said Afridi.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Afridi to decide on comeback after a month
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who announced his retirement from international cricket soon after the World Cup to protest against the working of the Pakistan Cricket Board, says he will decide on his comeback after a month.
"There is a lot of pressure from fans and friends to come out of retirement, but I will wait for things to improve. I will take at least a month to reconsider my decision."
Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in a full series in the United Arab Emirates, starting October 18.
Afridi, leading Karachi Dolphins in the ongoing National Twenty20 Cup, said he was not compromising on his form and fitness.
"I am training hard and focusing on improvement with both the bat as well as ball."
بھارتیوں کوسچ برداشت نہیں،آفریدی
کراچی : پاکستان کرکٹ ٹیم کے سابق کپتان شاہد خان آفریدی نے سابق بھارتی کپتان ساروگنگولی کے بیان پر ردعمل کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ بھارتی کھلاڑی سچ برداشت نہیں کرتے۔
’سارو گنگولی نے ہفتہ کو میڈیا کے نمائندوں سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے کہا تھا کہ شاہد خان آفریدی کاماتھا خراب ہے‘
پاکستانی ٹی وی چینل جیو نیوز سے بات کرتے ہو ئے شاہد آفریدی کا کہنا تھا کہ مجھے یاد ہے کہ چندی گڑھ میں گنگولی کے سینے پربال لگی تھی اور وہ میدان سے باہرچلاگیاتھا،اس میں کوئی شک نہیں کہ سچین ٹنڈولکر دنیا کے مانے ہوئے بیٹسمین ہیں لیکن شعیب اختر کی تیز گیندوں سے ٹنڈولکر گھبراہٹ کا شکار تھے نہ صرف وہ بلکہ راولپندی ایکسپریس نے اپنے کچھ اسپیل سے تو آسٹریلین بلے بازوں کوبھی ہلاکر رکھ دیا تھا۔
شاہدآفریدی نے مزید کہا کہ ممکن ہے کہ میں بھی کرکٹ سے ریٹائرمنٹ کے بعد کوئی کتاب تحریری کروں۔
ایک سوال کے جواب میں ان کا جواب تھاکہ آف دی فیلڈبھارتی کھلاڑیوں سے تعلقات ہمیشہ اچھے رہے ہیں،جارحانہ کرکٹ عادت ہے لیکن گراوٴنڈکی حدتک ایساہے۔
