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Miandad gets wider role in PCB

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain, Javed Miandad, has been entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the domestic cricket and national team’s affairs, a role he has been asking for since his inception in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2008. The veteran cricketer, however, will have no role in the administrative affairs of the Board. “Miandad has been given the task of looking after the domestic cricket and Pakistan team affairs. The task of dealing with the ICC and member boards and finalising tours and series remains with the chief operating officer,” a source was quoted as saying.

“He has been given what he has been asking for since he came into the Board in 2008 - the responsibility of looking after domestic cricket and Pakistan team issues,” he added. He said under the new set-up Zakir Khan, who looked after domestic cricket, and Intikhab Alam, who was incharge of the national cricket academy and international cricket, would now be reporting to Miandad who will in turn report to the Chairman and COO. The source said that Miandad was delighted with the change in the Board’s attitude and had already started giving his inputs on many cricketing matters including reorganising the domestic cricket.

Miandad was recently asked by the Board to work with the Pakistan senior and under-19 batsmen while they were training in Lahore. The veteran of 124 tests has been in the PCB since the time of former chairman, Ijaz Butt, but always complained about not being given enough responsibilities and his expertise not being utilised properly. The source said Miandad would also have say in the selection of the national one-day squad for the series against Australia that is expected to be announced next week.

Pakistan cricket, soaring through the ranks

It wasn’t a very long time ago that words such as ‘stability’, ‘consistency’ and ‘Pakistan’ were never used in the same sentence. However, since the spot-fixing trial, it seems that the Pakistan players and the incumbents at the board have finally grown out of their primitive mind set and realised what needs to be done. The emphasis displayed on consistency in selection and backing of players has been crucial to Pakistan’s success in the one dayers and Test matches. And, of course, the fear of real jail time and extended bans seems to have worked in favour of Pakistan.

Pakistan now sits comfortably at the number five position on the ICC Test rankings. It’s hard to make much of the ICC team rankings, mainly because Pakistan played against some easy teams in the process of climbing the ladder. A free falling Sri Lankan team was the only legitimate challenge we faced and we successfully managed to hand them a comprehensive defeat. Yet, it would be unfair to not highlight the other remarkable performances Pakistan has put up. Misbah has finally moulded the team and it is now far more technical in its approach to the game than ever before. The stability factor, for which cricket pundits in Pakistan cried rivers for, is at last bearing its fruit.

In the process of pulling Pakistan cricket out of its perpetual state of chaos, captain Misbahul Haq has also managed to silence his critics. Misbah’s work-ethics and fitness have always been lauded by past coaches and it is exactly this attitude that has allowed him to set a bench mark for other players on the squad too. Our batsmen were not used to playing long innings and displaying Zen like temperaments; sitting with their legs stretched on the balcony was more their forte than duelling in the middle. But all this has changed now. Our batsmen are playing longer innings and are putting a genuine price on their wickets. They have successfully managed to put up a number of big scores in Test cricket during the past year and all this is happening because they are now concentrating on their fitness and most importantly, their game. In the past half the team used be neck deep in locker room politics, wondering whether they will be selected for the next tournament or not and it proved to be hard, even for the most talented players, to perform under such external pressures. But currently, the opener’s are in great form with Taufeeq scoring a brilliant double ton in a marathon 12 hour stint at the pitch in the always humid Abu Dhabi, while Hafeez, who is enjoying success with both the bat and the ball, opened the 21st consecutive match in Chittagong where they put on an opening stand of 164 runs to mark the blessed occasion. Their marriage in the middle has now lasted longer than that of Saeed Anwar and Amir Sohail.

The technical aspect and team spirit of the Pakistan Test squad has taken a dimension of its own. It leaves no holes for the selfish or the erratic to sneak through and disrupt the fine equilibrium of the team. As Umar Akmal scrambles to regain the old magic that made him an automatic selection, he too, has been humbled by the system that he finds himself out of.

Needless to say, Pakistan’s armoury boasts the best bowling attack in the world despite missing two brilliant bowlers. Gul is at the peak of his bowling career, backed by the steady work horse Aizaz Cheema and the rising Junaid Khan. The spin department is just as proud of the ever improving Abdur Rehman and the budding Saeed Ajmal who is currently the world number one bowler in ICC one-day bowlers rankings. Words of praise don’t do justice to Ajmal’s spirit; with his craft and attitude towards the game, he really is one in a million and is definitely not smug about it. Pakistan’s endless reserve of fast bowlers is pushing the bar higher every year. Imran Khan, a 24-year-old prospect from Peshawar has been the pick of the bowlers in this year’s Q&A tournament, picking up 58 wickets in 10 matches.The competition is stiff at the top with Ali Imran and Sadaf Hussain all running neck to neck.

Pakistan is soaring to new heights as they look forward to hosting England in UAE. England will be wary of their opponents. The last time Pakistan played a Test series against England, away from Britain ,was in 2006. England thought they had it easy after defeating the Australians in what is probably the greatest Test series ever played, but they were dealt with a harsh blow by an Inzamam side that sent them packing with a 2-0 defeat to show for. Will another ‘ul Haq’ re-write history and bring the mighty English back to earth after their summer of joy? The real test of Pakistan’s progress is set to begin next month in what looks like a grueling contest between the two sides.

What do you think?

Cricket overhaul 10 years overdue: Ponting

The radical policies adopted by Cricket Australia in a bid to reclaim the world No.1 ranking were demanded 10 years ago by John Buchanan, Ricky Ponting says.

However, Australian captain Michael Clarke believes they have already taken the first step towards being the world's best with their dramatic second Test win in South Africa.

Former skipper Ponting, 36, is under even more pressure to perform after new selection chief John Inverarity earmarked a change in direction with youth and rotation policies applied to the Test team.
But Ponting fully backed the new stance, saying cricket should have adopted it years ago.

"I think it's the way the game should have gone a long, long time ago," Ponting said on Monday.

"I think the way things have turned out at the moment is what (former coach) John Buchanan was asking for 10 years ago.

"It's a much more professional approach."

Preparing for his 157th Test this week against New Zealand in Brisbane, Ponting also supported Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur's appointment as selectors - a dual role he also wanted when he replaced Steve Waugh as captain.

He felt Clarke was in a better position as a selector as he would have more control of the team to go along with the amount of responsibility that captaincy brought.

The new CA stance is the blueprint for getting Test No.4-ranked Australia back on top in all formats.

Clarke said the two-wicket win in Johannesburg showed Australia had all the hallmarks of a No.1 team.

"What I did take out of South Africa was the courage and the character of the blokes in this team," Clarke said.

"It shows the group the hard work is starting to pay off.

"We know we have a lot of work to do get back to being the No.1 team in the world but I think we have started that."

Clarke did not believe the youth policy put any extra pressure on the likes of Ponting, despite speculation he could retire after the second and final Test against the Black Caps in Hobart.

"I don't think you can look at a number (age) and say, if you are above this, you shouldn't be playing cricket for Australia - that's not fair at all," he said.

"It's about performance and the combination of youth and experience (in the team)."

Arthur said he would consider any player if their form warranted selection - even outcast Simon Katich.

Asked if the youth policy spelt the end for Katich, he said: "I don't think the door is closed on anybody - it is what you need at one given time.

Meanwhile, Arthur said variation would be the key when the rookie pace attack was finalised - but wouldn't be picking NSW youngster Mitchell Starc "just for the sake of having a left armer".

A look at the Gabba deck on Tuesday will help selectors decide whether Starc, James Pattinson or Ben Cutting will carry the drinks.

Those who heckled Ravi Rampaul shamed Mumbai and India

Ravi Rampaul (C) is elated after dismissing Sachin Tendulkar on 94 on the fourth day of the third and final Test match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

“When I went back to the boundary it was not all that nice,” Ravi Rampaul said about being heckled by the Mumbai fans. That statement was more saddening than the fact that the widely-anticipated Tendulkar hundred didn’t materialise.

The hype and the expectations built around the much-awaited 100th international hundred was given a further boost as Tendulkar started majestically. There was nothing uncertain as he drove, flicked and cut boundaries with supreme authority. That he was stopped in his tracks by Rampaul, if anything, should have been applauded by the crowd. Getting your star batsman who is in such wonderful nick takes effort and intelligent cricket, which exactly was what happened at Wankhede Stadium.

Boorish behavior by a small section of the crowd is a sad commentary not only on the spectators present or even Mumbai but a shame on the entire nation. One recalls the standing ovation given by the spectators at Chennai in 1999 after arch-rivals Pakistan defeated India in a tense game where Tendulkar played a valiant innings of 136. We once had the situation of the Indian captain recalling a batsman who had been declared out in a Test match, since he held the spirit in which the game was played as more important. Recalling some of these landmark instances, one could take some comfort that we are not an unsporting cricketing nation, be it the spectators or the players.

There have been instances galore of games being disrupted by crowd behavior but for the most part this has been owing to some situation of the game. There have also been instances where players have been taunted as it happened with Andrew Symonds copping abuse again, unfortunately, at Wankhede Stadium.

Where damage is done, the best course is to engage in acts that could redeem the situation to the extent possible. One wishes that the Indian team, or even better Tendulkar himself, conveys a message to Rampaul expressing regret over the behavior exhibited by some mindless morons - clearly not true blue cricketing fans. That may assuage any ill feelings that the abused player suffered, who incidentally is of Indian origin.

More importantly the ground authorities now need to have in place security people who watch the crowd and not the game, and eject anyone disrupting the game or bringing disrepute to the county by their behavior.

Imran Khan 10 wickets vs England 3rd test 1987

Smallest SIX in cricket

Saeed Ajmal ranked number-one ODI bowler in the world

Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal has rocketed to the top of the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers following an impressive series performance against Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates.

Ajmal took 11 wickets at an average of just 16.27 and an economy-rate of less than 4.00 to help his side to a 4-1 series win. That effort won him five places on the latest rankings and puts him at the top, just ahead of two other spinner, Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and England’s Graeme Swann.

In what has proven to be a very successful series for members of the Pakistan attack, two other bowlers – Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez – have shot into the top 10 with Afridi now occupying seventh position and Hafeez one place further back.

And it’s not just the Pakistan bowlers who are making moves up the rankings. With an average of 53.66 for the series, Umar Akmal has gained six places on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen and now sits in 11th spot. There is no change, however, in the top 10 of the batting chart with South Africa’s Hashim Amla still leading the way followed by his team-mate AB de Villiers in second.

Jayasuriya praises Pakistan`s spirit

ABU DHABI: Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya was in awe of Pakistan`s show on the field that saw them clinch the Test and One-Day International series against the opposition at a time when three of the country`s players were found guilty of spot-fixing last year.
While the trio met their fate, Pakistan players kept their focus on the field against Sri Lanka.

“Pakistan played brilliantly under the circumstances,” said Jayasuriya. “Their youngsters have been impressive in all departments and have shown good team spirit.”

Jayasuriya added that the verdicts should be a lesson for players all over the world. “It’s a lesson for everyone, not only for Pakistan.”

End.

Top 10 fast bowlers of 2010-2011

Some Funny Comedy Run-outs In Cricket.

Shahid Afridi 75 From 65 Ball Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka 4th ODI 2011 Full Inning

Westbourne House boys are good cricketers - and great ambassadors

Westbourne House cricketers with their hosts in Treverton

YOUNG cricketers from Westbourne House School enjoyed a successful cricket tour to Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.

In a series of seven games, all the squad were given the opportunity to contribute. Results were good against strong opposition, with most teams including state players.

The boys were hosted by their various opponents and this became one of the highlights of the tour.

Friendships were formed and the boys remain in touch through Facebook and Xbox Live.

Westbourne House head of sport Kevin Smith said: “One highlight was a visit to a township school where the children had very little. A high percentage of the students are affected by HIV and live in poverty.

“Every boy took with them a number of football shirts and after an impromptu match the mementoes were handed over – to the delight of the youngsters. Their smiles will live long in our memories.”

The boys also spent two days on a game reserve, seeing most of the big five. A visit to a crocodile farm gave everyone the opportunity to hold a four-year-old croc and all the squad were called into action to support a 15ft python.

“Spending a day and night in a Zulu camp was another highlight, learning their culture and even how to fight and dance like Zulus,” added Mr Smith. “A boat trip on Lake St Lucia introduced the boys to hippos while at the Sharks Board we learned about the predators and saw a large ragged tooth shark dissected.

“The boys enjoyed a tour of the Moses Mohiba stadium – the new national venue following the football World Cup. To let off steam we visited Ushaka, a wet and wild theme park, and the boys were also given the chance to learn to surf.

“The trip was a huge success and importantly the boys were great ambassadors for the school and country. The tour company, Bundu Bashers, have never had so much praise for a touring group.

“The boys so impressed a traveller on one flight, he offered all the boys a free lunch at a Nandos restaurant.”

Tours don’t happen without much hard work and the school thanked Mr Smith and his wife for their efforts.

Enabling the group to look the part was Paul Heber and his company Savoy Management Investments.

Shahid Afridi 5 Wickets Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2011 Sharjah

Second Test slips from Australia's grasp

Australia snatched at the second Test one last time at the Wanderers yesterday, then watched it slip forever from its grasp.
Just before lunch, South Africa was 3/90 in its second innings, a lead of merely 60. This was because of a combination of the sort of impetuous batting that has characterised the series - as if both teams were trying to fit three matches into two - and inspired mini-spells from Australia's two least experienced bowlers, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.





Each in his own way worked over a senior and vastly more seasoned opponent. Cummins softened Jacques Kallis in the course of two maiden overs, after which Kallis played a most un-Kallis-like dash and was caught at slip. Previously, Cummins had disposed of Jacques Rudolph, who top-edged an ambitous pull.
Meantime, Lyon tethered South African captain Graeme Smith with two maiden overs. Impatiently, Smith made room to cut Lyon for four, but when he tried to repeat the shot, he succeeded only in sending a gentle catch to backward point. So did five Tests worth of bowling put it over 238 worth of batting. Test cricketers around the world have forgotten the art of hastening slowly; it is either one thing or the other.
Visions of victory danced before Australia's eyes. But over the next three hours, Hashan Amla and AB deVilliers brought them back down to earth, sharing a partnership of 139, halted only when the light dimmed and a thunderstorm swept in, ending the day's play. 3/229 overnight, South Africa leads by 199. No team has made more than 294 to win in the fourth innings on this ground.
Quickly, the truth about Australia's attack was exposed. Without Ryan Harris and Shane Watson, it is threadbare. On Thursday, 18-year-old Pat Cummins joined it for the first time. Today, he led it. For the future, that is exciting. For now, it imposed an impossible burden.
There is pace and there is pace. Mostly, Cummins bowled at the same speed as Mitch Johnson and Peter Siddle, hovering at 140kmh. But Cummins looked threatening in a way the other two did not. Johnson bowled this day off an experimental shortened run, an unusual manoeuvre in the middle of a Test match, puzzling the South Africans, but not imperilling them.
He lost no pace, and gained a little control, but still scarcely moved the ball. Nor did Siddle. For both, there are implications when the team for the first Test against New Zealand in a fortnight is picked. It is uncertain that hamstrung Watson will be available. ''I am going to get a scan done after this Test to see the extent but hopefully it wont be a real significant one that (will) put me out for a little while,'' he said. ''When I've done hamstrings in the past, its taken a little bit of time to build up my work before I can begin bowling again. So, hopefully, it wont be too long.''
Yesterday, Cummins caused the ball to tail in and away, not as lavishly as did Dale Steyn, but enough to concentrate the batsmen's minds. Unlike in the first innings, he used the short ball as an effective deterrent. Admirably, he sustained his effort, not something for which 18-year-olds generally are known, physically or mentally, unless it is at schoolies'. The day was breathlessly hot, and captain Michael Clarke, mindful not to ruin in the long term him, bowled him in short spells.
Clarke's next best hope was his imagination in trying to mock up the illusion of a replete attack. He made whirlwind changes, using himself, Mike Hussey and as failing light became an issue, even Ricky Ponting. He experimented with field settings, some meant to seduce, others to harass. He remained spirited.
But Amla and deVilliers are not the type to be budged by mere subterfuge. Amla is not a batsman who depends on presence. Rather he carries himself as if he hopes no-one has noticed he is in, so that he can just get on with making runs. Australia could not help but know: he has 223 runs alread in this micro-series, with power to add tomorrow.
deVilliers is orthodox, busy and assertive. Between them, they won this day not feats of derring-do, but through qualities rarely displayed in this series: concentration, patience and restraint. It made for even-paced cricket and fewer fireworks than a Saturday crowd with a boisterous disposition not unlike the MCG's in the 1980s might have liked, but they were also glad of the absence of wickets. Siddle and Johnson were, of course, re-baptised as wankers.
Australia had only half chances. Cummins might have caught and bowled deVilliers from a thumping drive immediately after lunch. Later, deVilliers was almost run out. Cummins also had Amla technically lbw. His appeal was rejected, Clarke referred it and technology showed that the ball notionally was clipping the stumps, but by such a fine margin that it made no determination. Thus, the standing umpire's decision stood.
''Hopefully we can get a few early wickets in the morning to be able to try and keep the run chase down as low as we possibly can,'' said Watson. ''There's no doubt it's going to be a big challenge no matter what.''

Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka Highlights Of 3rd ODI Pakistan Batting 2011

Pak blind team beat India in first T20

LAHORE - Pakistan blind cricket team scored thumping 71-run victory over visiting Indian side in the first Twenty20 match here at the Bagh-e-Jinnah cricket ground on Friday to go one up in the series.
The second match will be played at the same venue today (Saturday).
Put into bat first, Pakistan side scored 202 runs for the loss of nine wickets but the target was revised to 214 as the Indian team faced a penalty of 12 runs for slow over rate. The highlight of Pak innings was a superb knock of 89 runs from man of the match M Jamil including four fours for the entertainment of a big gathering which generously praised the performance and skills of blind cricketers. Masood Jan (46) and M Zafar (16) also played well.
Indian captain Shakhar took three wickets while four of Pak players were run out.
Indian team could manage to score just 142 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the allotted quota of overs with major contribution from Parkash 75 as four of their batsmen were run out due to superb fielding display on part of Pakistan blind cricketers.
Muhammad Jamil was declared man of the match. Manager PCB Domestic Shafiq Papa gave away the prizes to the players.

Wasim Akram Career's Best Bowling