TEAM AFRIDI: 02/04/11

AFRIDI IS THE BEST HITTER IN POWER PLAYS

Skipper of Pakistan one day team and dashing all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi has the best strike rate in the batting power-plays overs since it was introduced by International Cricket Council (ICC).

ICC had introduced the batting power play in the 50-over match where the batting team has the choice to take the batting-power-play of five overs. Normally, batting team opts to take the power-plays in the last 10 overs depending upon the situation.

Since January 2009, Afridi has scored 206 runs from 119 balls with strike rate of 10.4 per over which clearly shows his ability to use the long-handle in the last 10 overs. Afridi has hit 23 boundaries and 10 sixes.

Pakistan’s hard hitting all rounder Abdul Razzaq is second in the list as he scored 297 runs from 194 balls with strike rate of 9.18 runs per over and hit 26 boundaries and 16 sixes.

South African all-rounder Albie Morkal scored 251 runs from 170 balls with strike rate of 8.8 runs per over while Elton Chigumbura of Zimbabwe scored 441 runs at strike rate of 8.6 per over.

The others in the list are Eoin Morgan of England with 332 runs with strike rate of 8.6, while Shakib scored 218 runs at a strike rate of 8.27 runs per over.

PCB applies for cricketers india visa's

As Pakistan’s cricket team is back on winning ways, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has applied for their visas to Indian High Commission for this month’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Sources told The Sports Encounter on Thursday that the PCB doesn’t want any hassles later in the tournament therefore it has applied for the visas in advance.
Pakistan are not scheduled to play any of their group stages matches in India but in case of qualifying for Quarterfinals and semifinals, they will have to travel to India.
Acting wisely, for a change though, the top PCB officials have already completed the documentation process and sent them to Indian High Commission located in Islamabad, sources said.

They further stated that the Indian embassy officials have also been told that the PCB requires visas of Pakistani cricketers before their departure to Bangladesh on February 10

Sources stated that the steps were also taken in the wake of a recent visa issues with three Canadian players of Pakistani-origin. PCB is not ready to take any chances in this regard, they added

One of the four quarterfinals is scheduled in Ahmedabad where the second placed team in Group A would compete and there may be a chance that Pakistan qualify for the next stage as the number two in their group.visas of Pakistani players would be sent to Indian High Commission as soon as the Men in Green return from New Zealand on February 7, 2011.

Malik, Yousuf's B'desh venture irks selectors

Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf's decision to play in the Bangladesh Cricket League has irked the Pakistani selectors, who feel instead of venturing abroad the former captains' focus should have been on the ongoing domestic season to earn their place back in the national team.

Sources close to the selectors said they were surprised by the players' move at a time when they should have been fighting hard to regain their place in the Pakistan team after being ignored for the upcoming World Cup.

Malik was not cleared for selection by the integrity committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board while Yousuf was ignored for the ongoing New Zealand tour and for the World Cup because of suspected fitness problems.

"Why think about going to Bangladesh in the first place when the domestic season is on and any performance will count for both the players in their bid to make a comeback in the national team," one source closed to the selectors said.

The source said that the selectors would speak to PCB about Malik's decision to play in Bangladesh when the domestic one-day championship was in progress.

Interestingly, after rejecting Malik's application initially, the PCB later gave permission to the cricketer to go and play in Bangladesh.

The source also noted that Yousuf had gone to play in Bangladesh even before Pakistan's World Cup was finalised.

"His (Yousuf) preference to play in Bangladesh over domestic cricket may have gone against him during the World Cup team selection," he said.

"Yousuf's decision to play in Bangladesh at that time left the selectors feeling he was giving more preference to money rather than the country," he added.

Yousuf, one of Pakistan's most celebrated and senior cricketers, was also banned and fined during a domestic one-day match recently for leaving the venue early and violating the PCB dress code.

But sources close to both the players claim that they had lost faith in the selectors.

"Look Malik played diligently in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy for PIA and also in the final and was a top performer in the competition yet he was overlooked because the board didn't give him clearance.

"So why shouldn't he go now and make some extra money in the Bangladesh league," one source said.

Similarly, another source close to Yousuf said that the former captain felt dejected after being snubbed from the World Cup-bound Pakistan team despite scoring runs in the national one-day championship.

Australia can be a surprise in World Cup

The 1987 World Cup marked the start of the sub-continent hosting big-ticket cricket events. On the field, though, it started an era which continued for the next 20 years. In a tournament which promised a dream India-Pakistan final, a little-fancied Australia, struggling till then, led by a relatively new skipper in Allan Border, upset everyone's calculations and went on to win their maiden title.

Given a sound platform by the reliable pair of Geoff Marsh and David Boon, the team had Dean Jones, Border and a youngster in Steve Waugh manning the middle-order. The bowling was seam-based, with Craig McDermott, Bruce Reid and Simon O'Donnell hurling the cherry.

The spin department was in such a shape that Border himself had to push in 10 overs of part-time left-arm spin: hardly a combo that could threaten the best in sub-continent conditions. However, new heroes emerged, with the biggest of them being the 'Iceman' Steve Waugh, who provided quick runs and wicket-to-wicket, variation-filled seamers. The high point was beating Pakistan at Lahore in the semis. The triumph was perhaps the big spurt that Australian cricket needed to climb bigger heights. They lost out to a rampaging Pakistan in 1992 at home, and to an inspired Sri Lanka in the final in 1996, but from 1999 they played so well that they are yet to lose a World Cup game since then!

The captainship baton passed on from Border to Steve Waugh to Ricky Ponting, but the ruthlessness remained.

The closest they came to looking like they were past their prime was just before the 2007 World Cup, when they lost an ODI series to the Kiwis 3-0, but their subsequent performance in the mega event erased all such doubts. This time, though, the demise of the 'Aussie era' seems for real. They lost two Test series in India on the trot. They lost an ODI series at home to Sri Lanka and more painfully, they lost the Ashes twice in a row. Much of it had to do with the fact that most of their greats, who contributed significantly in their success, had retired.

The bowling lost almost all of its teeth with the departure of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

The batting, weakened after the farewells of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, became extremely fragile as Ponting and Michael Clarke lost form to the extent that their presence in the side was questioned. The less said about the spin angle the better. Spinners were tried and dumped like dust, with the joke being that anyone who could bowl slow could play for Australia. So, is it the end of the 'Awesome Aussies' as we knew them? Yes, to a certain extent. Will it reflect in the World Cup? Probably no. And that is primarily because there are a few factors still going for them.

After all, they are still the No. 1 ranked ODI side! Which means, they are still a very good unit in ODIs. Accounting for all this, though, doesn't take away from the fact that the Aussies are entering into the World Cup with their weakest side ever.

That may be good news not just for the opponents, but for the Cup itself, which, thanks to the yellow brigade's downslide, looks as open and as exciting as ever!