Afghanistan upset Pakistan to reach final

Afghanistan stunned a second-string Pakistan in the semi-finals of the Asian Games in Guangzhou to continue their fairytale run in cricket over the past two years. This victory assures them of at least a silver, boosting the medals tally of a nation which has only two medals - both in taekwondo - in the Asian Games.

It's been a low-scoring tournament so far, and Afghanistan's 125, after being sent in, was a competitive total. Eighteen-year-old Shabir Noori top scored with 35 to revive Afghanistan after they had slid to 55 for 4, but another bunch of wickets towards the end prevented a big final push.

Pakistan's opening pair, Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, began the chase in a hurry, racing to 30 off three overs, seemingly setting the platform for a straightforward victory. Sharjeel then fell lbw to Mirwaiz Ashraf for 23, but Latif guided Pakistan to 60 for 1. There was a heated exchange between Latif and Afghanistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad, which needed the umpires to intervene. Latif was then dismissed lbw, and Naeemuddin Qazi was run out soon after, and two wickets in an over from offspinner Karim Sadiq left Pakistan at 68 for 5.

With the asking-rate mounting, the Pakistan lower-order was unable to find the boundary and Afghanistan completed a famous upset.

"It's a big win for Afghanistan," their captain Mohammad Nabi said. "Every person there is watching the match and everybody is happy about this win. I'm very satisfied because we have fantastic fitness levels and the boys have worked very hard in every position, whether it's fielding, bowling or batting. "

The vice-captain, Karim Sadeq, said the whole the country was behind the team. "On TV last night in Afghanistan, they told people to pray that we would win," he said. "Tonight they will be celebrating all over the country. It's a dream for us."

On Friday, Afghanistan will take on the winner of the other semi-final between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the clash for the gold medal.

Zidane and Ronaldo to play for Pakistan, Haiti in annual UN charity football

UNITEDNATIONS, Nov 24 (APP): World champion footballers and UN Goodwill Ambassadors Ronaldo and Zindine Zidane Tuesday announced that the 8th Annual Match Against Poverty will raise funds for the nearly 25 million people affected by the Pakistan floods and Haiti earthquake. The two men, who use their celebrity status to promote the anti poverty work of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), will mobilize their all-star team to challenge Greek-side Olympiacos in a friendly game on 15 December. 

The match, which will be played at Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece, is part of the global campaign to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the targets to slash poverty, hunger, disease and other social ills, all by 2015. 
“With five years left to accomplish the set of eight goals,” said Zidane, “I hope this 8th Annual Match Against Poverty will help communicate a sense of urgency that we all need to join the team to end poverty now.” 
UNDP will receive half of the match’s proceeds, which will go to ongoing relief efforts in Haiti and Pakistan. “Our goal with this 8th Match Against Poverty is to support the people and Governments of Pakistan and Haiti to recover from the devastating natural disasters which affected them so terribly in 2010,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, expressing gratitude to Zidane and Ronaldo for raising awareness for those who are often too quickly forgotten. 
Olympiacos Football Club owner Evangelos Marinakis also voiced hope that the match would bring people around the globe together and break down barriers. “Using football’s magic driving force, Olympiacos F.C. is on the pitch to raise an appeal against poverty and mobilize action towards achieving the MDGs,” he said. 
Olympiacos will donate its share of the proceeds to parents of  children with special needs, as well as to homeless and disadvantaged communities in Piraeus. Earlier this year, the 7th Annual Match took place in Lisbon, Portugal, where Zidane, Ronaldo and the UNDP Goodwill team played Benfica and raised more than a half million Euro for the people of Haiti. 
Proceeds from previous matches have benefited anti-poverty initiatives ranging from support to female entrepreneurs to the construction of sports centres for street children and the disadvantaged throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

‘Afghanistan will play Tests in three years’

Afghanistan coach Rashid Latif said on Wednesday that the war-ravaged nation needed Test status for its cricket team to fully develop and it could be ready in three years.
The former Pakistan Test player, speaking after his side crushed Hong Kong in the Asian Games quarter-finals to set up a mouth-watering first ever match with Pakistan, said Afghanistan had many talented players.

Last year the country rose to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Division One, narrowly missing out on a place in the World Cup to be held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh next year.

They qualified for the World Twenty20 held in the West Indies earlier this year by winning qualifying rounds in Dubai.

But Latif said only Test status could give the game the boost it needed.

“I’m not interested in Twenty20 cricket or 50-overs cricket. We need to compete in Test cricket. If a country has Test cricket you can improve your cricket at the grassroots level.

“Bangladesh had Test cricket (from 2001) and after that they greatly improved but I think this Afghanistan side is better than their current team.

“Afghanistan have a lot of talent at youth level and national level but very limited facilities. There is no good ground in Afghanistan.”

But he said despite these drawbacks “in two or three years we should be ready to apply for Test status”.

Afghanistan currently falls far short of the requirements for Test status, including a lack of suitable grounds and facilities and an absence of first-class domestic cricket.

The team have also played the vast majority of their cricket outside the country.

But work on the country’s first international cricket stadium started this week, with the government hoping the game can contribute to peace and stability.

The renovated stadium will serve as the main hub for hosting both domestic and international events and will accommodate more than 6,000 fans, officials said.

Afghanistan, who have one-day international status, are in danger of being frozen out by an International Cricket Council’s proposal to limit the number of teams that participate in the 50-over World Cup to 10 teams.

This would likely shut out countries such as Afghanistan from the four-yearly showpiece.

Bowler Merwais Ashraf said he was disappointed about the proposed move, because it would shut off the only route for Afghanistan to qualify for the tournament.

“We want to play for Afghanistan in Asian Cricket Council and ICC tournaments. Our dream is to qualify for the 50-over World Cup,” he said.

Kamran, Malik may return

Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal are expected to return to the Pakistan squad for the forthcoming New Zealand tour.

According to sources close to the national selectors, both the players have impressed with their recent commitment to domestic cricket and also with their form.

Both the players were dropped for the ongoing series against South Africa with fingers also pointed on Kamran's alleged involvement in spot-fixing.

"But now the International Cricket Council has given the Pakistan Cricket Board clearance to consider Kamran for the coming events," one source said.

Malik has been in prolific form in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, where he scored a fifty, a double hundred and a hundred while Kamran also notched up a century in the ongoing round of matches.

The national selectors are also said to have got clearance from PCB chairman Ijaz Butt.

"The selectors will announce squad for the tour to New Zealand later this week while they have to announce the preliminary World Cup squad by December 19," the source said.

The source said that the selectors had also been told by Butt that Shahid Afridi will continue to lead the Twenty20 and ODI teams while Misbah-ul-Haq will be retained as captain for the Test matches in New Zealand.

"The selectors have now asked the Board for clearance on leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and all-rounder Rana Naved," the source said.

He said both players will be required to be given a green signal by the integrity committee of PCB for selection.

Kaneria was due to join the national team for the ongoing Test series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi and Dubai but was held back at the last moment by the Board.

Sources said the decision to hold him back came after ICC indicated that Kaneria was still part of an ongoing spot-fixing investigation in England.

Kaneria and his fellow Essex player Mervyn Westfield are presently under investigation for trying to defraud bookmakers during a pro-40 overs match involving Essex and Durham.

However, the police did not charge Kaneria for lack of evidence but Westfield is now under trial.

Pakistan Hockey Makes it to Asian Games Finals After 20 Years

Pakistan hockey team made it to the finals of the Asian Games after a lapse of 20 years – the last time they did so was also in China in 1990 – with goalkeeper Salman Akbar the hero of the day for saving the last South Korean strike in the semi-finals shootout.
Pakistan will now play Malaysia in the Finals.This was a major upset for the South Koreans who won the Asian gold in both the last two games. It was also a meaningful victory for Pakistan because for many observers the ‘fall’ of Pakistan hockey had become visible at around the same time that the rise of the South Koreans had become evident – at the Seoul Asian Games on 1986, where favorites Pakistan had lost and underdogs South Korea had emerged triumphant. Pakistan had then regained the title in the 1990 Beijing Olympics – twenty years ago.
Pakistan will now face Malaysia in the Finals – another upset since India was considered the favorites but lost to Malaysia in their semi-finals game.