Cricket Corner

281 from 79 Overs

2018-12-07T12:07:00.001+05:00

Pakistan must win this test match. They should try to chase the target.

India Vs Aus

2018-12-07T11:05:00.001+05:00

Australia is playing defensive cricket at the moment. I have never seen this defensive mindset from Australia in their early home summer. India have the advantage right now.

PSL Draft 2018

2018-11-15T18:24:00.000+05:00

Afridi Is Called' To Face PCB Commitee

2011-06-03T06:21:00.000+05:00

The PCB has cranked up the pressure in its dispute with Shahid Afridi by beginning formal disciplinary procedures against the former captain, even as political pressure is brought to bear on the board to resolve the dispute. The board has, as expected, set up a three-member disciplinary committee and directed Afridi to appear before it on June 8, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.The committee will be chaired by Sultan Rana, director of domestic cricket, and will include Shafiq Ahmed, general manager of domestic cricket, and Usman Wahla, manager of international cricket. Taffazul Rizvi, the board's legal advisor, will assist the committee.An unusually detailed board press release on Thursday evening spelt out the formal process. A statement from a senior board official also sought to make clear precisely what the issue was, an indication of the fairly high stakes of a very high-profile dispute and the subsequent need to

be as transparent as possible.The board said it had responded to Afridi's defense, in which he had admitted to violating the PCB's code of conduct by announcing his retirement to the media. "It is painful for us to get involved in a dispute with a cricketer who has been the national team captain until the West Indies series," PCB COO Subhan Ahmed said in the release. "There are numerous contributions by Shahid Afridi to Pakistan cricket. But I think people need to understand that this is purely a disciplinary issue.

"As the body managing cricket in the country we are duty-bound to maintain discipline at all levels. We will ensure that Shahid is given every opportunity to express and defend himself and as such the disciplinary process has been clearly spelt out to avoid any ambiguities".
This administration has sought at every opportunity to strangle what it sees as burgeoning player power; last year they banned or fined seven top players after the Australia tour. Two of them, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, spent protracted periods out of the side thereafter. But Afridi is a different kettle of fish, not only because he was a captain with some positive results to show, but because of his immense popularity across most of the land; no other player in the side comes close.
For this reason, the dispute has become politicised. The day began with Rehman Malik, the country's interior minister, pledging to get involved in the matter, "I will do whatever I can to resolve this issue, as I am equally a fan of Afridi," Malik tweeted. Media understands that pressure has been put on the board from his side but that it has so far been resisted.

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, is also politically well-covered - he is appointed directly by the President of the country and board patron Asif Ali Zardari. But the board believes its case, in this matter, to be strong enough to not warrant political intervention from their side, for now at least. Malik has success in such matters in the past, having mediated a peace between former chairman Nasim Ashraf and Shoaib Akhtar in 2008.As part of the disciplinary proceedings, the committee will frame charges, record evidence and hear arguments before announcing its order. Afridi will be allowed to file an appeal against the order, through an appellate tribunal comprising an independent panel of arbitrators maintained by the PCB, and their ruling on the matter would be final.While announcing his 'conditional' retirement, Afridi lashed out at the current board and has brewed up a number of storms; he has hit out at former Test opener and current selector Mohammad Ilyas, as well as playing up the regionalism card by attacking a "Lahore lobby" behind his removal. In some reports he has also criticised Intikhab Alam, the team manager. These comments, it is understood, have hardened the board's stance and resolve in ensuring the disciplinary process is followed through to a logical and legal end.The developments further reduce the chances of Afridi playing for Hampshire in the Friends Life t20; the PCB suspended Afridi's contract, slapped him with a showcause notice, and revoked the No-Objection Certificate that would have allowed him to turn out for Hampshire. Afridi, keen to get the Hampshire situation resolved quickly, admitted to violating the code and stated his willingness to participate in further disciplinary action. Hampshire have urged the PCB to reconsider the withdrawal of the NOC, but at this stage it looks unlikely.

Problems B/W Couch And Captain.!

2011-05-09T00:59:00.000+05:00

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's limited overs captain, has hinted at differences with his coach Waqar Younis after arriving in Karachi from the West Indies where he led the side to a victorious, but ultimately deflating 3-2 series win.Speculation has grown in the last two days about problems between the pair, specifically over issues of team selection. Both, along with team manager Intikhab Alam, are members of the on-tour selection committee which decides on a playing XI. It has been reported that Afridi was unhappy with what he has seen as Waqar's interference in selection; ahead of the fourth ODI against West Indies, one report claimed Afridi almost walked out of a selection meeting and had to be persuaded by Intikhab to come back.

"Although the differences in team management are not such which could not be solved, I feel everyone should do his job and need not interfere in other's work," Afridi told reporters on arrival. He also said he would be meeting

the board chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore next week to discuss the issue.Board officials have downplayed the matter; one source telling Media that "no such incident as described in those reports [Afridi walking away from a meeting] occurred during the series." He did concede, however, that there may have been "long-standing issues" over selection matters.Another senior official confirmed to Media, however, that differences between the pair had widened during the Caribbean trip. "They did have issues. Afridi believes he should have final say in the XI as he takes the heat when he goes out on the field and Waqar feels strongly that a coach should have input."The official also confirmed that Intikhab did try to mediate between the two and stressed the need to keep matters within the team rather than leak them to the media as ultimately happened.Afridi and Waqar went through the World Cup without huge problems but there are longer-term issues. For example, it is widely believed that before the World Cup, before a decision had been made on who would captain Pakistan in the tournament, Waqar was in favour of Misbah-ul-Haq ahead of Afridi as captain.The matter is complicated by the recent threat to resign by chief selector Mohsin Khan. Although he eventually relented after resolving the matter with Butt and never publicly disclosed who he was having problems with, some reports suggested that he was also unhappy with Waqar's role in selection, especially of the Test squad for the current tour.

The board official believes though that the problems are not something that cannot be resolved. "It is something that has happened before and does crop up every now and again. I don't feel they are irreconcilable differences between the two. Afridi has requested time with the chairman so let's see what happens beyond that."Pakistan lost the last two games of the series, the last one by ten wickets, having given chances to a number of untried young players such as Hammad Azam, Usman Salahuddin and Junaid Khan through the matches. Afridi regretted his team lost a good chance to win all the matches, calling once again for the involvement of a batting coach with the side.

"We should have clean-swept West Indies but the defeat in the last two matches left a bad taste in the mouth; we flopped in batting and that's why I must say we need a batting coach," said Afridi, who also admitted he was below par in the series.

"I played average cricket because I was tired after the World Cup and only played the series on the advice of some friends and former players."

A Detailed Picture Victory Of Paksitan Against West Indies

2011-04-24T16:17:00.000+05:00

Pakistan strolled to victory in the first one-day international against West Indies at the Beausejour Stadium in St Lucia, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq all contributing half-centuries as West Indies' score of 221 for 6 was overhauled with more than eight overs to spare.It appeared West Indies had a fighting chance of continuing the success of the opening Twenty20 of the tour after Darren Bravo's 67 helped them to a workable total and legspinner Devendra Bishoo struck twice in quick succession to reduce Pakistan to 88 for 2. Bishoo had precious little support from the rest of the bowling attack, however, and Misbah and Shafiq put together an unbroken partnership of 134 for the third wicket to steer Pakistan home.This match had been billed as a chance for West Indies to get revenge for their World Cup humiliation by Pakistan, but in the end it was more like a replay. Even the Man of the Match, Hafeez, was the same and West Indies' greatest errors stemmed from their misreading of the pitch for today's game - an unforgivable error as they should have known what to expect after the Twenty20, which was also played at Gros Islet.It had been thought the pitch would be slow, and it

was, but it also offered turn and bounce to the spinners. Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Hafeez bowled a combined 30 overs for just 100 runs, picking up two wickets, but Bishoo was the only slow bowler in an unbalanced seam-heavy attack as Devon Smith bowled two ineffectual overs of offspin and Marlon Samuel's respectable offerings weren't called upon.West Indies were left chasing the game almost from the start as, reprising his World Cup role, Hafeez was brought on early and soon dealt with Smith while Ajmal toyed with Lendl Simmons before sending down adoosra that the batsman feathered through to the keeper to give a sluggish start an even more sombre tone.Samuels maintained his trademark ice cool composure and exhibited his best poker face but fell to some indecisive running and it was left to Darren Bravo and Kirk Edwards to get an increasingly rudderless innings back on track. They gritted out a fourth-wicket partnership worth 59, replete with snappy singles and dinks into the outfield, that carried West Indies to 135 before Edwards tried to break the shackles with a heave into the deep that could only get as far as Junaid Khan at deep midwicket.That brought Darren's half-brother Dwayne to the crease, and it was in his company that he reached a boundary-free half-century from 97 balls. The brothers Bravo continued to push the ones and twos wherever possible, and when the Batting Powerplay was called for at the start of the 43rd over Darren took it as his cue to take the attack to Pakistan's seamers.

With much of the boundary unprotected, Dwayne Bravo attempted to follow Darren's lead but his charge came to a premature end when he chipped a Riaz full toss towards mid-off, where Afridi skipped to his right and bent low to hold the catch inches from the turf.Sammy's walk to the crease was accompanied by a warm reception from a middling crowd - St Lucia being his home island - but they were soon hushed into silence by another piece of inept running. Bravo dug a free hit towards deep mid-off and Sammy cajoled him into a second run that was never there, the result being that the set batsman was run out for 67 just as he began to accelerate and West Indies faced the final five overs of the innings with two brand new batsmen at the crease.While Ajmal continued to weave mysteries around the batsmen until the very end, Sammy took the dismissal in his stride and responded with a flurry of boundaries - including a memorably monstrous six that landed on the roof of the stands on the western side of the ground - and together with an energetic Carlton Baugh boosted West Indies' total at the death.It was soon made to look nowhere near enough, however, as Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad put on an untroubled 68 for the first wicket at close to a-run-a-ball before Bishoo's intervention. Hafeez had set about Pakistan's chase with alacrity from the start, displacing a silken touch on both sides of the wicket as he raced to 20 from just 10 balls without a slog in sight and taking full advantage as a swirling top-edge evaded Kemar Roach, running in from long leg.

After a slow start his opening partner, Shehzad, started to catch up with three classy boundaries from one Roach over and with Pakistan soon racing along at better than a-run-a-ball West Indies began to wilt visibly in the field.Bishoo's introduction quickly changed that, however, as he gave away just one run from his first nine deliveries and then lured Shehzad forward with a looping, dipping legbreak that fizzed past the outside edge for wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh to complete a smart stumping with the batsman's back foot in the air. Hafeez went to his fifty with a slog sweep over deep backward square off Bishoo, but was then undone by what appeared to be a wrong 'un as, cramped for room, he clipped straight to a diving short midwicket.The wickets reduced Pakistan to 88 for 2 and brought West Indies back into the game, but with the seam attack unable to contain the batsmen and spin support for Bishoo unavailable Misbah and Shafiq soon settled. Both played with increasingly imperious confidence, Misbah raising a 63-ball fifty in the 35th over and Shafiq following suit four overs later. West Indies' demise thereafter was swift, and they will have to improve in all areas if they are to square the series in the second match at the same ground on Monday.

Both Teams Have Tried To Give Chance To Fresh Blood

2011-04-23T00:01:00.000+05:00

Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kieron Pollard, Umar Gul, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal. The list of players missing from West Indies' home ODI series against Pakistan, for all manner of reasons, is long. It's been a somewhat incongruent start to the tour for Pakistan, who have enjoyed the far smoother preparation, having planned to rest Gul and Younis ahead of the subsequent Test series, while also cutting ties with the iron-gloved Kamran. The only kind of disquiet was created by the captain Shahid Afridi's change of heart over making the trip to the Caribbean.Gayle has of course been at the centre of a perfect storm surrounding his non-selection and subsequent flight to the IPL, where the in-demand Pollard had already chosen to play ahead of national duties. Dwayne Bravo will join them when the Test matches start, painting
an altogether unhealthy picture of West Indies unity, or lack thereof.

However, a strong victory in the opening Twenty20 match suggested that Darren Sammy's side is not entirely without hope, and will fancy their chances of overturning an ugly World Cup quarter-final loss to Pakistan in Mirpur, 31 days ago. Notable too is the return of Marlon Samuels for his first ODI since being banned for inappropriate dealings with an illegal bookmaker. It is nearly a year since Samuels became eligible to return.

West Indies Won The First T20 Against Pakistan

2011-04-22T03:13:00.000+05:00

It's just one match, that will fade into obscurity by the end of the next, but West Indies began their latest New Era impressively, beating Pakistan by seven runs in the first ever Twenty20 match between the teams.Lendl Simmons made 65 to help West Indies set something competitive before Devendra Bishoo's four wickets brought them victory.Such has been Ottis Gibson's desperation for renewal after a disappointing World Cup campaign that five debutants were fielded. Critics, though, could point to a desire for greater control as much as freshness after a clutch of senior players were jettisoned from the squad.That certainly seemed to be the view held by Chris Gayle, the former captain, who vented his frustration with Gibson and the WICB by joining Royal Challengers Bangalore and issuing a withering assessment of both in a radio interview. The off-field wranglings dominated the build-up to the match and are

likely to rumble on for some time to come but West Indies fans could at least enjoy a moment of on-field catharsis.Such drama is familiar to Pakistan but of late they have been alarmingly stable. Their last game was a passionate spectacle against India in the World Cup semi-final against in Mohali, so they could be forgiven for looking a little underwhelmed by St Lucia.

Barely a smattering of spectators showed up but those who did were treated to an entertaining opening from Simmons. Filling the immense hole left by Gayle's absence he cracked 65 from 44 balls and shared a 99-run stand for the second wicket with a fluent Darren Bravo, who made 42. The pair struck 15 boundaries between them which proved crucial as West Indies collapsed in familiar fashion after they were separated.

Luckily for them the bowlers, led by legspinner Bishoo, masked the errors in an energetic display. The six no-balls and pointed to performance lacking polish but the attack used a tiring pitch to good effect.

Darren Sammy ensured Pakistan's chase got off on the wrong foot as he had Mohammad Hafeez caught at fine leg for 3 before Ahmed Shehzad spooned Ravi Rampaul to mid-on for 12. Asad Shafiq threatened a revival with Umar Akmal before Bishoo intervened with two wickets in his first over. Shafiq was brilliantly caught for 25 by Danza Hyatt diving forward from midwicket after looping a leading edge before Misbah-ul-Haq was dismissed for a duck treading on his stumps a ball later.Even modest legspinners have proved potent in 20-over cricket and Bishoo, who impressed on international debut in the World Cup, is better than that. Mixing his pace and flight nicely he got his third wicket when Shahid Afridi scythed a cut to point for 12 to leave Pakistan's hopes entirely with Umar.Having reached a run-a-ball 41 Umar fell victim to his own misunderstanding. The previous delivery he had alerted the umpires to a no-ball caused by West Indies not having the required three men in the ring but, thinking the following ball was a free-hit, swung Rampaul to Marlon Samuels on the square-leg rope. Umar lingered but the umpires this time knew better.

What should have been a doddle from there became fought with tension as Rampaul's no-ball-ridden penultimate over cost 15 but Andre Russell held his nerve in the final over to sealed victory.

The lacklustre showing from Pakistan's batsmen was in sharp contrast to Simmons and Bravo. Happy to use their feet, both were proficient against the pace and spin and used the small boundaries to good effect. The 100 was crossed in the 13th over and at that stage West Indies looked set to post something really significant but a trademark collapse punctured the optimism.

Bravo holed out long-on off Abdur Rehman before Simmons was run out by Samuels two overs later. Samuels, on his comeback after serving a two-match ban for alleged involvement with illegal bookmakers, endured a torrid return as he laboured to 4 from 11 balls before running past a Saeed Ajmal doosra. Sammy followed quickly for 1 and it needed a last-over boundary to take the total past 150. Pakistan looked to have the edge but Bishoo ensured otherwise.

The Money Found In My Room Was Legitimate - Salman Butt

2010-12-15T21:23:00.000+05:00

Salman Butt, one of the three Pakistan players suspended following accusations of spot-fixing, has denied the allegations and said the money found in his room was legitimate - including payment for opening an ice-cream parlour - and accounted for."I have not done anything such as this in all my life or cricketing career," he said in an interview with Sky television, broadcast in the UK on Monday night.Butt was made captain of Pakistan's Test side after Shahid Afridi's retirement midway through the England tour. During the fourth Test against England at Lord's, Butt, along with seamers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, was implicated in a News of the World sting video that alleged that the trio was involved in bowling deliberate, planned no-balls. The ICC has since suspended the three players from the international game and will decide their fate at an independent tribunal from January 6-11 in Doha.Butt has now

claimed that since he was newly in charge of the side, he could not have exerted the kind of influence required to convince bowlers to deliberately overstep. "I became captain as a result of an accident where the previous captain suddenly decided he couldn't play Test cricket anymore, so to have this kind of influence by three or four games, I think any kind of captain would like that," Butt said. "These kinds of people [Asif and Amir] do not let others decide their roles. The team knows, the opponents know who is going to open the bowling. They just have to decide their ends which they always do, so there is nothing more I would like to say."

Butt did not elaborate on the video evidence since he was bound by the ICC's code of conduct to remain silent on the issue. When asked about the currency notes found in his hotel room in London during a raid following the release of the video, Butt said the money was legitimate and accounted for.

"People can have their opinions but I actually know where the money came from," Butt said. "Everybody knows the Pakistan Cricket Board pays us daily allowances on tours and it was a long tour, so about £11,000 of this money was from my daily allowances. Being captain, I had extra entertainment allowance which amounts to around £4500 from the tour.

"The rest of the money was advance payment for my bat stickers for which I was under contract with Capital Cricket, which shows on the back of my bat. I was given £2500 for the opening of an ice-cream parlour in Tooting [in south London]. I believe the name [of the parlour] is Afters and the manager, or the people working over there, will tell you that I had to do the opening of the ice-cream parlour along with Mohammad Amir. That's what we were paid for."

Meanwhile, Aftab Gul, the lawyer who will be representing Butt at January's hearings, has claimed he has evidence of corruption in the game and the names of the people involved "will make your hair stand on end". Gul said spot-fixing was the biggest form of cricket corruption since it was easy to pull off

Family May Keep Kirsten From Renewing His Contract - MS Dhoni

2010-12-15T21:17:00.000+05:00

MS Dhoni has said that the distance from his family might prevent Gary Kirsten, India's coach, from renewing his contract once it runs out after the 2011 World Cup. "Of course," Dhoni said when asked if India were trying to do everything within their powers to make Kirsten stay. "But what you also need to see is he has been part of the Indian cricket team for the last three years. His family - Joshua is a growing kid right now and James is a young kid too [both Kirsten's sons] - which means Gary wants to spend time with his family. That will be the most crucial thing apart from the money aspect."He has given [the Indian team] whatever he could, the best he could, and of course it was a pleasure to have him in the side, but then again it is a decision he will have to take. More than the cricketing part, it will be his family that will have a real impact on the decision."Dhoni said there haven't yet been discussions with Kirsten about extending his contract because the team is focused on the South Africa tour and the World Cup. "It's a discussion that will take place. We will wait for the right time. After this series we have the World Cup coming, which means he still has close to two, two-and-a-half months with us. We will try to get the most out of him, but at the same time, as I always say, it will be a

pleasure to have him for another three years."Dhoni reiterated Kirsten's value to the team over the course of his tenure as coach. "I have always said that he is one of the greatest things to have happened to Indian cricket apart from the talented cricketers we have got. Throughout he has been away from the media, he just concentrates on the work he needs to do. We have had a great time under him. It is an advantage to have him in the side."

Kirsten joined India after the acrimonious tour of Australia in 2007-08, and under him India have completed their ascent to No. 1 Test ranking, lost just one Test series, and are going into the World Cup as one of the favourites. His behind-the-scenes-yet-hands-on style has been appreciated by the Indian players, who have taken every opportunity to thank him.

World Cup Or Bust - Jacob Oram

2010-12-05T20:46:00.000+05:00

Jacob Oram, the New Zealand allrounder, has said that the hope of participating in the 2011 World Cup is motivating him to continue his injury-ridden career but failure to make the squad for the tournament could prompt him to retire. Oram is presently recovering from a knee surgery he had in September."I remember talking to Shane Bond prior to his retirement, when he had that abdominal strain, and he told me that, for him, that was the one injury too many," Oram told the Sunday Star Times. "I think I'm at that point and in that mindset right now."I'm very highly motivated to go to the World Cup and if it wasn't on I may have already hung the boots up by now. It's a very big carrot for me and it may also be the swan song of my career. If that's to be the case, I'd like to give it everything to try and make it."Oram's career has been interrupted by injuries to his knee, back, calf and Achilles tendon. In August, he suffered a recurrence of a patella-tendon injury during the tri-series in Sri Lanka and had

surgery for it on September 2. He will not be fully fit in time for New Zealand's Twenty20 matches against Pakistan before the year ends though he hoped to ease back into action around Christmas for Central Districts during the HRV Cup, New Zealand's domestic Twenty20 competition.

A Three-Man Tribunal To Look Into The Spot-Fixing Allegations

2010-11-12T20:32:00.000+05:00

The ICC has set up a three-man tribunal to look into the spot-fixing allegations against three Pakistani players. The hearing will be held between January 6 and 11 in Doha, Qatar.The panel that will look into charges against Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir is made up of Michael Beloff QC, Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Sharad Rao of Kenya.The three players were provisionally suspended by the ICC in September for their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy during the Lord's Test. In aNews of the World sting, Mazhar Majeed, a player agent, claimed to have paid Amir and Asif to bowl no-balls to order with the collaboration of Butt. The players lodged appeals against their suspensions, though Asif eventually withdrew his, and they were heard in Dubai in October. Michael Beloff, the ICC code of conduct commissioner who chaired the hearing, rejected their appeals, following which the PCB

proceeded to revoke their central contracts.The hearing of the appeals was only meant to establish whether or not the ICC followed the correct procedures in provisionally suspending the players, and not their innocence or guilt. A criminal case has been filed against the players in the UK, and evidence gathered by Scotland Yard has been passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Apart from Beloff, the two other members of the tribunal have shared a long association with the ICC. Sachs, who was a senior judge on the constitutional court of South Africa, is Cricket South Africa's representative on the ICC's Code of Conduct Commission. Rao is Kenya's representative on the same commission with wide experience in international legal and sports panels, including the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Ntini Was A Great Servant To Game - Brian McMillan

2010-11-04T12:00:00.000+05:00

Brian McMillan, the former South Africa allrounder, has hailed his ex team-mate Makhaya Ntini as a "great servant to the game" after the fast bowler announced his international retirement. McMillan was Ntini's mentor during the 1998 tour to England when Ntini was playing in just his third series, and the two formed a strong bond.For McMillan it was Ntini's fitness levels that stood out, a trait the fast bowler said he modelled on McMillan. Ntini became well known as the work horse of the South African attack, which he credited the allrounder for teaching him. "He had a lot of dedication which not all the guys have now," McMillan told Media. "Whenever you would throw him the ball, he would bowl. In some ways he was a lot like Shaun Pollock, in that he got through a lot of overs."The connection between the two started from an early stage. "He was still very much a junior and one of the first development players in our side," McMillan said. "He used to babysit my son Joshua on the sidelines,

and Joshua is 17 now. It is things like that which make Makhaya not just special to me but also to my family."However, there is still one bone of contention as far as McMillan is concerned. "There's one thing I will have to talk to him about. He promised me he would invite me to his wedding and he didn't," he joked.

McMillan believed that Ntini had made his own decision about quitting the international game and that it was not for him or anyone else to judge whether he had retired at the right time. "He must've known it was time."

Meanwhile, the current Test and one-day captain, Graeme Smith, gave his own tribute to Ntini after the third one-day international against Pakistan in Dubai which Smith missed due to injury. "Makhaya epitomised what the Proteas stood for and has been a great servant to the game both on and off the field," said Smith. "I am most grateful to have been part of his career and successes and wish him all of the best with his life after international cricket."

"He brought so much energy and laughter to the team, not forgetting that he is one of the fittest players I know, and as a captain it was always a pleasure to be able to call on him. I am so proud of his achievements, his records speak for themselves, and he leaves behind a lasting legacy for many to aspire to.

"He has been a pioneer for youngsters out there and has represented every South African while he has donned the Protea jersey."

PCB Dismiss The Central Contracts Of Amir, Butt And Asif

2010-11-04T11:50:00.001+05:00

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended the central contracts of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who are being investigated for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the tour of England in 2010. The decision was taken after Butt and Amir's appeals against their provisional suspensions were dismissed by the ICC in Dubai on Sunday. Asif, who withdrew his appeal ahead of the hearings, also remained provisionally suspended.We only give contracts to players who can play for Pakistan. Until their cases are decided ... they can't get any benefits from the board in terms of contracts," PCB legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi said.Board official Zakir Khan also said the contracts had to be revoked following the ICC's latest decision. "Their contracts were active until the appeal hearing, but once their

initial appeals were rejected, under the ICC code we can't keep them on contracts."The board pays a monthly salary of about Rs. 250,000 ($2916) to players in the top grade, which the three suspended players are now ineligible for. Butt, Amir and Asif will appear before an independent anti-corruption tribunal that will look into the actual charges and give a verdict on whether they are innocent or guilty. Amir's lawyer Shahid Karim told Reuters that under the ICC code of conduct, the sport's governing body had to decide by December 2 whether to remove or retain the suspensions on the players.

No Team Can Tour Pakistan Before World Cup - Ijaz Butt

2010-11-03T23:49:00.000+05:00

Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has said the current spot-fixing investigation has diverted resources away from organising tours to Pakistan, and that there is now no space left in the calendar to accommodate a visiting team."The ICC Task Force was well on its way to bringing a MCC XI team to Pakistan in which two players of each cricket board were to be included," Butt said. "Moreover, Zimbabwe were also interested in sending their national team to Pakistan. The current spot-fixing scam, however, has diverted attention to other issues as work of inviting some teams to Pakistan could not be materialised, and there is no appropriate time left for such activities due to hectic schedule of Pakistan till the World Cup."Giles Clarke, chairman of the ICC's Pakistan Task Force, had called for Pakistan to resume hosting international matches back in August and suggested that an ICC World XI would tour the country "in due course".

Following the floods that devastated the country earlier this year, Zimbabwe offered to tour Pakistan to help raise money for the relief effort, and their visit was tentatively scheduled for November and early December. No international cricket has been played in Pakistan since the March 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team.

Last month the ICC decided to closely monitor the running of the game in Pakistan. After a two-day board meeting in Dubai, the message of the world governing body to one of its leading members was clear: sort out the game's administration or face the consequences, potentially in the form of sanctions. The PCB was told "it must act and be seen to be acting to uphold the zero-tolerance attitude to corruption in sport.

An Interesting Report About Jonty Rhodes

2010-10-31T11:58:00.000+05:00

On a steamy, glowering Brisbane Sunday afternoon, South Africa's hopes of daring to dream of a World Cup semi-final place, or making the final, were faltering. Jonty Rhodes, a blue-eyed bundle of 22-year-old energy, was lurking at point as an anxious Inzamam-ul-Haq and his captain, Imran Khan, worked the ball around, searching for runs; sweating with resolve, giving Pakistan the edge.It is March 8, 1992: a buzzing Gabba crowd and television audiences both sides of the Indian Ocean are trying to understand the mathematical minefield of playing conditions with sneaky rain-interruption clauses. If you think Duckworth-Lewis is a conundrum, regulations employed for the 1992 World Cup gave a bigger sarcastic middle finger with its dirty imprint to the question of run-rate equation.It was a game South Africa needed to win. An euphoric tournament-opening success over Australiain Sydney was followed with defeats by New Zealandand Sri Lanka before they beat West Indies in Christchurch.In Brisbane rain had halted the Pakistan innings after South Africa scored a stodgy 211 for 7 in 50 overs. Imran Khan, on winning the toss, had gambled with the conditions. Rain and

the absurd "best overs" run rate had Pakistan - 74 for 2 in the 22nd over at the interruption - facing a revised target of 194 in 36 overs.As a prologue, months earlier a curious sports community had embraced cricket's prodigal child, South Africa, after a politically forced absence of 21 years, when they embarked on a historic tour of India. However, the side, led by Clive Rice, also received a grim lesson in strategy during that remarkable eight-day journey.

It became all too evident their gameplans were sadly festooned with outdated thinking. For the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, fresh ideas were needed and Kepler Wessels knew the conditions better than anyone. He had taken the tougher route to achieve a Test cap: Australia in preference to England, and learnt what was needed to survive in such a competitive environment. From this experience he knew how to compete on the big fields of Australia. It would demand fit, quick-thinking, streetwise players.

Rhodes had already established a template for fielding expertise before the tournament. Some of it adapted from hockey, where he was a dynamic player, teaching him alertness and anticipation. Having seen him close up in both sports, the run-out of Inzamam at the Gabba was not surprising.

The scoreboard reads 135 for 2. Inzamam misses a heave and seeks a quick leg-bye. A prowling Rhodes at backward point swoops on the ball, a panicking Imran has Inzamam scooting back too late.

Memory recalls it in slow motion: Rhodes analytically processing the moment; in the next eight seconds he charges in, ball in hand, arm outstretched, dismantling the stumps to perform the most celebrated run-out and fielding act of the decade, creating an international reputation and establishing a legacy.

Pressure On Pakistani Batsman

2010-10-31T11:51:00.000+05:00

Pakistan's batting is going through one of its worst phases, not far behind the shambolic Sharjah Test in 2002 against Australia when their 20 wickets scrounged a total of 112 runs. For 30 overs of Friday's game, Pakistan seemed to have overcome their woes: Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez resorted to the old-school formula of conserving wickets and setting up a late surge, a method that has been the cornerstone of Pakistan's many memorable one-day successes. However, the middle order imploded once again; Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq exited to strokes whose replays should have made them cringe, while Abdul Razzaq fell fending lethargically at one that angled in. The fact that some of their most accomplished players were at the forefront of the collapse suggests the current phase is a crisis of confidence and attitude, more than a question of talent.

Pakistan's senior batsmen have to do some serious introspection, and they don't need to search too hard to find inspiration. After nine months of upheaval, when he possibly visited tribunals and disciplinary committees more often than the batting nets, Younis walked into the middle overs with the assurance of someone completely at ease with his methods. Inevitably, there was some rust - he survived a palpable lbw shout, and managed only two boundaries in the sapping conditions -

but unlike his colleagues, the rust was restricted to the physical aspect of Younis' game, while his mind remained uncluttered. Can Afridi rally his team-mates to follow Younis' example?

Having sealed three easy wins on the trot, South Africa's main concern will be that they are not being stretched enough in subcontinental conditions, ahead of the World Cup. Their batsmen were challenged more by the elements than by Pakistan's attack in the opening ODI, and the question mark over Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis' availability for Sunday could even things a bit. Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been the star of the tour so far, but even he will be a little surprised by the success his honest off-cutters and in-duckers have courted. The conditions, and a look at the schedule, may prompt South Africa to consider rotating their players, but they won't want to give Pakistan an opportunity to draw level either.

Apeal Of Amir, Butt Heard In Dubai.!!

2010-10-31T11:47:00.001+05:00

The appeals of Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir against the provisional suspensions imposed on them by the ICC for alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy were heard in Dubai on Saturday. The hearings, chaired by Michael Beloff, the chairman of the ICC's code of conduct commission, will continue tomorrow when a verdict is expected. The proceedings were long and neither the players nor the ICC addressed the media. Fast bowler Mohammad Asif had also been provisionally suspended but he withdrew his appeal earlier this month.

The three players, prior to the suspensions, were charged with various offences under Article 2 of the ICC's anti-corruption code. The suspensions came after the News of the World tabloid claimed to haveexposed a scam in which deliberate, planned no-balls would be bowled by Amir and Asif during the Lord's Test against

England, with the involvement of Butt, who was then captain.

The hearings will only concern themselves with the matter of the provisional suspensions and whether or not the ICC followed the correct procedures in taking that action. The matter of the players' innocence or guilt and the actual charges against them will not be heard. Thus, even if the suspensions are lifted and the players allowed to return to cricket, a full hearing into the case will still take place later to determine their innocence or guilt in the matter.

Butt is represented in Dubai by his lawyer Aftab Gul, a former Test cricketer, and Khalid Ranjha, a former law minister. Butt has spoken to the press, saying he is determined to prove his innocence and questioning the reliability of the sting conducted by News of the World. Amir, who has not made a statement throughout this time, said on departure that he hoped he could return to the side. He will be represented by Shahid Karim, the lawyer who defended Asif in a doping case in October 2006.

Chennai Police Registered A Case Against Lalit Modi

2010-10-14T19:27:00.001+05:00

The Chennai police have registered a case against Lalit Modi, the former IPL chairman, and six others on allegations of criminal conspiracy, cheating and falsification of accounts, according to a report in theHindu. The case is based on a complaint filed by the BCCI on Wednesday.Four of the six others named in the case are from the World Sport Group: its chairman Seamus O'Brian, its chief operating officer, Andrew Georgio, and the president and vice-president of its South Asia operations, Venu Nair and Haris Krishnamachari. The other two are Ajay Varma, representative of software and security firm Visual Impact and Kunal Dasgupta, the former head of Multi-Screen Media, the broadcast rights holder for the IPL.The case has been registered under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 477 A (falsification of accounts) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.This is the first step of a police investigation under Indian law; the allegations will now be probed by police and legal experts, who will press charges if they find evidence and eventually take the case to court.The allegations revolve around three issues - the facilitation fee payment to WSG for the India media rights to the IPL,

the sale of mid-over ads and the hiring of security vans for the tournament. The board has argued that the fee paid to WSG was an "improper payment" and the matter is currently under arbitration in Singapore.

A WSG spokesperson told Media they had not seen the complaint and therefore had no comment.

The rights to sell mid-over ads was given to Pioneer Diagsys, an ad-sales agency run by Dasgupta, without acontract and the BCCI claim that since Modi did not issue a tender for the contract, he has cost the board money

The board also claimed that Visual Impact, the company Modi contracted to provide security vans does not exist, and that the money paid to them was misappropriated.

ICC Approved Test Championship

2010-10-14T00:44:00.000+05:00

The ICC has approved the creation of a league-style Test Championship and redrawn the lines of one-day cricket as part of an extensive restructuring of the international game that also includes a reduced 50-over World Cup and an enlarged World Twenty20 event. The proposals - laid out by the ICC's chief executive committee last month - were approved by the board at its meeting in Dubai on Wednesday.The Future Tours Programme (FTP) will now comprise a Test league running over four years with the top four teams at the end of each period qualifying for a play-off event. The first play-off is scheduled for 2013, the same year England are due to host the Ashes, and Lord's is the favoured venue for the final.A one-day cricket league - mirroring the existing team rankings - will also be part of the FTP, starting in April 2011 and running over four years to culminate in the crowning of the first ODI league champion in April 2014.The

league will run separately from the World Cup, the ICC's flagship event, which has been reduced to 10 teams for the 2015 tournament. The 2011 World Cup, to be held in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, will include 14 countries and run from February 19 to April 2. The lengthy tournament is itself a smaller version than the 2007 event, which was widely criticised for including 16 sides and taking too long.

A 10-team tournament effectively makes it much harder for any of the Associate countries to qualify (the 2011 event has four Associate teams), and the ICC has asked its governing council to examine the issue of qualification for ICC global events, as well as opportunities for Associate members to play ODIs, and make recommendations to the board.

The World Twenty20 event will be expanded to 16 teams from the 2012 tournament, due to be staged in Sri Lanka. The success of smaller nations like Netherlands and Afghanistan in Twenty20 cricket prompted the expansion of the tournament, which will continue to have the women's event played alongside it

"Restructuring international cricket is a significant strategic challenge and one that must be dealt with," Haroon Lorgat, ICC chief executive, said. "We have now agreed in principle to exciting and far reaching proposals to tackle this important issue."

No Match Fixing Was Done In Oval Test Match - ICC Confirmed That..!!

2010-10-14T00:38:00.001+05:00

The ICC has confirmed there is 'no compelling evidence' of wrongdoing in last month's one-dayer between England and Pakistan at The Oval. Media understands, however, that though the ODI has been cleared, a number of useful leads have emerged from the investigation and it is believed that these may assist in other investigations the ACSU may be carrying out.The match, which Pakistan won by 22 runs, had been the subject of speculation when the ICC announced "a full investigation is warranted" after it received information from The Sun newspaper before the game began alleging that bookies were aware of certain scoring patterns that occurred during the match."Following extensive investigations into allegations about the one-day international between England and Pakistan at The Oval in London on 17 September, the ACSU has verified all the

available information and concluded that there was no compelling evidence to suspect individual players or support staff," the ICC statement read."The investigation is now complete but if new and corroborating evidence comes to light then clearly the ACSU will re-open the matter."

The allegations of spot-fixing drew angry reactions from the Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, who described them as "rubbish", and the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, who suggested it was "a conspiracy to defraud Pakistan and Pakistan cricket". Butt went on to accuse England players of malpractice, allegations he later withdrew after the ECB demanded a full apology.

Though suggestions of conspiracy against Pakistan appeared farfetched the PCB can draw some relief from the ICC's confirmation that no evidence of malpractice in the game had been found.

The ICC was criticised for its handling of the issue at the time because nobody in the Pakistan board was informed by the ICC that an official investigation was being launched. Instead the PCB chairman, the Pakistan team manager and team captain had to learn of it through media reports.

India Won The Series By 2-0 Against Australia..!!!

2010-10-14T00:34:00.000+05:00

Cheteshwar Pujara has not been part of India's rise to the No. 1 Test ranking but he could help determine how long they stay there, after his outstanding 72 on debut set up a seven-wicket win. Guided in the end by Sachin Tendulkar, the hosts cruised to their target of 207 to confirm the 2-0 series triumph, while Australia slid to fifth of the ICC rankings for the first time, courtesy of another toothless bowling display.When Virender Sehwag fell early in the chase, the match seemed to be heading for similar drama to the final day in Mohali, where the wounded 114-Test veteran VVS Laxman dragged his side over the line. That there was no similarly tense finish was due to the work of Pujara, who was in his first Test but showed the kind of confidence expected from an old hand.Unexpectedly promoted to No. 3 following a first-innings effort that lasted three balls, Pujara betrayed no nerves and drove his third delivery handsomely to the cover boundary off Mitchell Johnson. The introduction of Nathan Hauritz brought

out the best in Pujara, who used his feet brilliantly to the spinner and drove him through the gaps in a field that an apoplectic Shane Warne felt the need to tweet aboutfrom the opposite hemisphere.

There were some strange decisions from Ricky Ponting, not the least of which was the early elimination of all slips fielders for the fast men when Australia needed to put the pressure on India by taking wickets. And after Ben Hilfenhaus had Sehwag caught behind in the third over with a terrific ball that bounced sharply and jagged away, Pujara and M Vijay settled in for a lengthy partnership.

Their 72-run stand ended when Vijay was trapped lbw by Shane Watson for 37, the victim of a good delivery that angled in and seamed away. All that did was bring the first-innings double-centurion Tendulkar to the crease, and by the time Hauritz had his revenge on Pujara with a delivery that drifted past the edge and took off stump, India were only 61 runs from their goal.

Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who was demoted to No. 5 to accommodate Pujara, had little trouble completing the task and Tendulkar's 53 not out - which included the winning runs paddle-swept fine against Hauritz - was a fitting finale to his magical series. The challenge for India's selectors now is to work out how to reward Pujara, who won his opportunity only because of Laxman's back injury.

It's a happy problem to have; Australia's issues are not so pleasant. Apart from losing all the Tests in a series for the first time in nearly 30 years, they will now enter the Ashes on the back of three consecutive defeats, a run that no Australian side has endured since West Indies were at their peak in 1988-89.

They have also dropped below England in the Test rankings, which is an abstract concept but one that will frustrate Ponting's men as they aim to regain the urn. A more concrete measure of the side's current state could be seen in the disappointing form of several key players.

Australia must also be concerned by the performances of several key players. It has been a difficult tour for Hauritz and that continued on the final day, when he was caressed out of the attack by Pujara before wincing at consecutive sixes slog-swept over long-on by Tendulkar. The Ashes will be a different challenge, but England's batsmen will certainly have taken note of his lack of penetration.

Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey have had a tour they'd rather forget, while Marcus North's ongoing pattern suggests he'll be due for a century by about the third Ashes Test in Perth. And then there was Johnson, who worked hard at times on the trip but by the last day was sending Tim Paine diving on both sides of the wicket.

That Johnson and his fast-bowling colleagues did not trouble the Indians with swing was not exactly surprising, but Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth had proven earlier in the morning that movement was available. They mastered reverse-swing to collect the final three Australian wickets while limiting the tailenders to 21 runs in the morning.

Johnson lost his off stump leaving a Zaheer ball that jagged sharply back in, Hilfenhaus was mesmerised by the swing and was bowled for a duck, and Peter George fended a catch behind to end Australia's innings on 223. The total was always going to be tough to defend, and so it proved.

So, India have confirmed their status as No. 1 - not that they were in danger of losing it. Now for Pujara to lock in his place at No. 3.

PCB Has Sent A Notice To Younus Khan To Come Back..!!

2010-10-11T19:03:00.000+05:00

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has moved to resolve their current impasse with former captain Younis Khan by sending him a notice a few days ago asking him to contact it.Media understands the Pakistan board is keen that Younis approach it now. It believes that to be the next logical step after his appeal against a punishment imposed on him after the Australia tour earlier this year was referred back to the board. The situation has meant that Younis, statistically one of Pakistan's most successful Test No. 3 batsmen, has not played a Test since July last year and no ODIs since January this year.Typically, however, it is not clear whether Younis has received any such notice. "As far as we are aware, nothing has been received by Younis or myself," Ahmed Qayyum, Younis' lawyer, told Media. Younis is currently in Lahore, and will be at the Gaddafi Stadium - which is where the PCB is headquartered - to play for his regional side in the domestic Twenty20 tournament, which starts on Sunday.It is not yet clear if this latest action indicates the board's willingness to try and bring Younis back into the national side. If he doesn't contact the board, he is likely to be served a fresh show-cause notice, asking him to address the charges laid against him. Qayyum insisted the whole process has already been

undertaken once and that his appeal had been successful.

Younis was one of seven players punished by the board in the aftermath of a tour among the most disastrous in Pakistan's history. The board decided that Younis would not play for Pakistan for an indefinite period, though officials have insisted the decision did not amount to a ban.

The reasons behind the punishment were never fully explained, resting only on vague references to "in-fighting" and general "indiscipline." It is likely, however, that walking away from the captaincy twice within a couple of months in the run-up to the Australia tour contributed to the punishment.

Alongside five others, Younis appealed against the punishment to the one-man tribunal of retired judge Irfan Qadir. Shoaib Malik, the Akmal brothers and Shahid Afridi had their fines reduced and bans lifted soon after; Rana Naved ul Hasan had his one-year ban lifted on Saturday. Mohammad Yousuf didn't appeal and announced his retirement, though he was asked by the board to return for the England tour, his punishment apparently waived away.

Younis' case, however, has stalled. The tribunal "set aside his order" and referred it back to the board, as it did with the others. The other players then apologised to the board and accepted their mistakes, clearing the way for their return.

Younis has refused to do so, insisting through his lawyer that he has done nothing to apologise for and has instead maintained that he wants to clear his name fully of the charges laid against him.

This, sources confirm, lies at the heart of the battle with Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman. Butt has steadfastly refused to clear Younis for selection, despite the selectors being keen on utilising his experience in the middle order. Publicly the chairman has expressed his unhappiness only with "inappropriate statements" that Younis' lawyer has made since the appeal.

Pressure has since been put on Butt by a horde of ex-players, selectors and the national assembly's standing committee on sports to bring Younis back into the side. The standing committee has called Butt to a hearing on October 12 in which he is expected to be grilled on the Younis issue. Butt, however, is unlikely to attend as he will be in Dubai to attend an ICC meeting at the same time.

IPL Terminates Punjab XI And Rajastan Royals..!!

2010-10-10T14:03:00.000+05:00

The IPL has terminated its franchise agreements with Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals and has also issued a notice to the Kochi consortium, asking it to resolve disputes between the owners and form a joint venture company to hold the rights within ten days. The decisions were taken at an emergency meeting of the league's governing council in Mumbai on Sunday.

The decision to terminate the agreements was taken five days before the deadline given to the franchises to reply to the show cause notices issued on October 1. In the notices, both the franchises were accused of transgressions in relations to shareholding and ownership issues that would "shake the very foundation of the tender process."

One of the co-owners of the Rajasthan franchise, Raj Kundra, responded to the development by saying that they would explore legal options. "We have no idea [why the agreement was terminated]," Kundra told NDTV. "We need to see a copy of the termination notice and study it. I don't see IPL 4 happening if the BCCI treats other teams

like this."The BCCI president Shashank Manohar said after Sunday's meeting that Rajasthan and Punjab needed to be scrapped for "violation of the franchise agreement" and that there was no process to replace the two franchises at the moment. "With regards to Rajasthan, the bid was given by a different bidder and the agreement was entered into with a different company," Manohar said. "The shareholding pattern were different. The shares were transferred into with different people without the permission of the governing council."

When asked about Kochi, Manohar said the franchise hadn't been scrapped because it hadn't violated the agreement, but was only suffering from internal disputes. He said Kochi had ten days to resolve all problems otherwise it also ran the risk of being scrapped.

"It was unanimously decided that the franchise agreements with KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited (Punjab) and Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited (Rajasthan) be terminated forthwith based on the legal opinions obtained by BCCI in the matters," the IPL's governing council said in a release after the meeting.

"It was further unanimously decided to issue a notice to the unincorporated joint venture holding the Kochi franchise, calling upon them to resolve all their disputes and form a joint venture company which will hold the IPL franchise rights."

Manohar had criticised the three franchises after the board's annual general meeting and was especially hard on Kochi. It was difficult, he had said, to communicate with Kochi as the franchise owners had split into two factions after winning the bid to become the tenth IPL franchise at the auction in March.

Sunday's meeting was the first for the reconstituted governing council, which had its membership reduced from 14 to eight, and its tenure and powers cut. Chirayu Amin was appointed the chairman of body, replacing ousted chairman Lalit Modi, and the rest of the council comprises five other members - Arun Jaitley, Ranjib Biswal, Anurag Thakur, Ajay Shirke and Rajiv Shukla - and two former cricketers, Ravi Shastri and Mohinder Amarnath, as honorary members.

Our First Choice Was Younus Khan - Mohsin Khan

2010-10-10T14:01:00.000+05:00

Pakistan recalled Misbah-ul-Haq to the Test side andinstalled him as captain primarily because Younis Khan was not cleared for selection by the PCB, the chief selector Mohsin Khan has said.

"We needed a senior player to strengthen our batting line-up," Mohsin told the News. "Our first choice was Younis Khan but we didn't get any clearance [from the PCB], after which we discussed the option of recalling Misbah and decided to go for it."

Another factor that went in Misbah's favour was his non-controversial record and fitness, despite being 36. "In a team where many of the players have had serious disciplinary problems, Misbah is one guy who has a neat and clean background," Mohsin said. "He is a thorough professional and one of the fittest players in our country, which is another big plus point."I know that Misbah has just managed to score runs on and off in his international

career but he is the kind of player who can click anytime. He has done well in the Pentangular Cup and the National One-Day Cup which is a good sign."

Pakistan had dropped both Misbah and Younis following the winless tour of Australia in 2009-10. While Misbah was cast aside because of poor form, Younis was banned along with several other Pakistan players on disciplinary grounds. Younis appealed against his punishment, like the others did, and was cleared as well, but the PCB have not picked him in the squad since.

Misbah's appointment and Younis' omission was criticised by some former Pakistan players. "Younis' omission is a case of ego problem," former selector Iqbal Qasim told AFP. "Not selecting him despite his ban (being) overturned is (an) injustice and is definitely a loss to the team. This can only happen in Pakistan that a player who was not in the team is given the captaincy besides being recalled after a gap."

"Why did they drop Misbah if he was able enough to lead the team," former legspinner Abdul Qadir said. "But since there are previous examples of players appointed captains from nowhere, we will have to accept it."

Misbah will lead Pakistan in the two-Test series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in November. He becomes the fourth man, after Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Salman Butt, to captain Pakistan in Tests in 2010 alone.