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PCB likely to sent Hafeez to England for knee injury treatment

2016-05-27T12:02:00.002+05:00

The Pakistan Cricket Board is likely to send experienced batsman Muhammad Hafeez to England to seek treatment for a knee muscular problem, which threatens to keep him out of the Test series against England.

PCB’s medical panel is not satisfied with the progress made by Hafeez from his injury , he was injured during the Asia Cup and forced him to miss the last two matches of the World T20 in India. He also a domestic national one-day cup and the national boot camp in Kakul, which ends on Saturday.

Pakistan Cricket

2013-09-25T02:01:00.002+05:00

Whatmore confident of better show in UAE

Dav Whatmore, the Pakistan coach, has said the recent Test loss against Zimbabwe has been "embarrassing, upsetting and disappointing", but on the positive side, has provided the team with preparation ahead of the upcoming series in the UAE.

"All three adjectives (upsetting, disappointed and embarrassing) can be used to describe the way I feel after the defeat against Zimbabwe," Whatmore told ESPNcricinfo. "I understand you cannot win with these sort of performances but I don't want to blame. I rather look for reasons and try to see things in a perspective than being judgmental.

"I know things were not good as we were a bit naughty with both bat and ball. But in the end, we only lost one Test match. I know it's Zimbabwe and I am also not happy with the result at all. I would like to think and public should understand that Zimbabwe team gave us a better fight than what the whole public thought. It wasn't easy breaking them down as they were not a bad team in their home conditions."

Pakistan are yet to win a series under Whatmore, who has six months remaining in his two-year contract, and the team's next assignment - the two-Test series against South Africa in the UAE - is a tough one. But it was in the UAE that Pakistan earned a remarkable win against the then No. 1 side, England, and Whatmore understood that there would be expectations this time too.

"I have confidence in the Pakistan team," he said. "You can't just say (that we don't have a chance). The conditions will be entirely different.

"I feel we are in a better position than before. At least Zimbabwe gave us better preparation and they were bit stronger than what a lot of us thought."

The selectors are likely to consider Taufeeq Umar for the opening role, with Mohammad Hafeez's selection for the series in jeopardy. Whatmore said there was a need for a reshuffle in the XI as the series would be played in entirely different conditions from what were encountered in Zimbabwe.

"There is good ground for discussion on the change ahead of (South Africa series)," he said. "You are going from one competition to another in totally different conditions and against an opposition that has a different formation. So there are number of variations and I don't think we can fit the same set of eleven players to play the number one team. But yes, we need to be consistently looking towards strengthening the team combination."

Whatmore's coaching and Misbah-ul-Haq's captaincy came under severe criticism after the series in Zimbabwe, but ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB has no immediate plan to remove the head coach, although they are not intent on renewing his contract that expires in April 2014.

"Misbah has some wonderful leadership qualities and has been successful since he took over recently," Whatmore said. "My observations are that by nature he is a methodical person who thinks deeply before making decisions. This is reflected in his batting as well. He takes a little time at the beginning but at the end his contribution is effective. His consistency in contributions during 2013 has been second to none. It's easy for people to be critical."

Whatmore, 59, might not have had the positive results with the squad, but he insisted that he has been doing his job whole-heartedly. "I can not control what people think," he said. "I know what I am doing being a professional coach with 15 years of international experience and nobody has such experience. When you are about to conclude your contract, these questions do emerge. But the renewal depends on mutual willingness. I know what I do is done with the best of intention and at the end of the day I can sleep straight, comfortably.

When asked if the results haunted him, Whatmore replied, "I don't worry. Everyday I need to know what we are doing is correct. Like everybody, I also make mistakes and I admit them. I am doing the best possible job what I can do."

Pakistan news

2013-05-11T13:28:00.001+05:00

PCB election meets ICC requirements - Ashraf

Source By ESPNcricinfo

Zaka Ashraf was endorsed by ten elected members of the PCB's Board of Governors © ESPN

The PCB has admitted that the endorsement of Zaka Ashraf for next four years as chairman was processed through a "representation process" and not purely a democratic process, but said it complied with the ICC's recommendations. According to the amended constitution, the chairman is still a nominated candidate, though one who is "endorsed" by ten elected members in the Board of Governors.

In 2011, the ICC stipulated that its member boards become autonomous and free of interference from governments by June 2013. Removal of government interference had also been one of the Woolf report recommendations approved by the ICC.

The PCB's 2007 constitution was then amended to change the method of appointing the board's chairman and alter the structure of its governing board. However, the process is still complicated, and the president of Pakistan, who is the patron of the PCB, retains a central role in appointing the chairman. Ashraf defended the transition as "fair and transparent to prevent a malicious candidate to step up to take the office".

"The new constitution complies with the recommendations made by the ICC and has been accepted, appreciated and welcomed by the ICC," Ashraf told a press conference at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. "It has been a much-needed transition and a necessary step in ensuring the development and better administration of the game of cricket. The key features of the constitution were also discussed individually with the ICC president and CEO and it fulfills the requirements of parameters laid down by them. The PCB is fully compliant."

The PCB has been criticised in the past because its constitution allowed the chairman almost dictatorial powers. The amended constitution hasn't changed that. The chairman can control and oversee income and expenditure in accordance with the budget approved by the board of governors. The major shortcoming in the new constitution is that the chairman has ultimate power with no recourse to remove him from the post in any circumstances. Also, the incumbent can be nominated for more than one term.

"The new constitution entrusts the board of governors [BoG] with greater responsibility and the power to make regulations for the better governance of the PCB. Previously, most rules had to be approved by the federal government," said Ashraf who insisted that "the constitution has been followed in letter and spirit and the PCB chairman has been appointed through the process defined in the constitution."

The restructured 14-member body includes five elected regional representatives picked on a rotation basis and five elected representatives of service organisations and departments who have the power of endorsement to the nominated chairman. The regions whose representatives accepted Ashraf's nomination were: Peshawar, Islamabad, Larkana and Dera Murad Jamali while the fifth spot is yet to be filled. Punjab - which has 60% of Pakistan's population - doesn't have a representative in the BoG as Ashraf said the regions within Punjab hadn't completed their own elections yet.

The transition, however, was surprising and conducted secretly with the PCB revealing the appointment through a press release, citing it as an internal matter and not a public one. "This is a representative process, that's why the word nominated as per process has been used (in the constitution)," explained the PCB solicitor, Taffazul Rizvi. "There are certain criteria which are defined in the constitution and the word democracy has a wide range. The PCB election is different from the way general elections are conducted."

It is understood that with the general election due on Saturday, a new government could bring in a change in PCB hierarchy. With his future as chairman uncertain, Ashraf implemented the new constitution and was eventually elected for a new term.

"We had to implement the new constitution to meet the deadline given by ICC," said Ashraf, to justify the abrupt move 72 hours before the general election in the country. "It was expected and we were already working on it from last many months. We didn't want to delay it, we have to have the new constitution in place before June to satisfy the ICC requirement."

South Africa v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Cape Town, 4th day

2013-02-18T13:06:00.002+05:00

South Africa excellent, but not yet great

South Africa are undoubtedly the best Test side at present but they still have much to achieve to be considered among the all-time great teams

How does this South African team compare to the great Test sides of the past? © Associated Press

One way of judging how much a series victory means to a team is perhaps by the scale of their celebrations. South Africa's recent ones have involved singing the team song on the pitch. They sang it at Lord's, they did it in Perth and at Newlands, after beating Pakistan. They did not do it in Port Elizabeth, after their resounding triumph over New Zealand.

Success over Pakistan is highly valued, as was evident when the squad emerged two hours after the winning runs were scored, dodged the sprinklers that were watering the outfield and formed a huddle on the pitch. They did their thing and left to the sounds of the occupants in one of the hospitality suites chanting, "Happy Birthday," to AB de Villiers, who turned 29 today.

The result gave South Africa breathing room at the top of the Test rankings, a sixth consecutive series win, a 14th unbeaten Test match in as many months, and Graeme Smith a fifth consecutive Test win, the longest such streak in his captaincy. Those numbers make it sound like the start of a dynasty but to call it that would be premature.

South Africa are a worthy No.1 side and of the three teams to have had that honour recently - England and India being the other two - they seem to have the right mix of personnel and personality to stay on top for a period of time. South Africa's batting line-up has been described as among the best at the moment, but it is the bowling that has been the centerpiece of their success.

The pace pack of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, and the added value of Jacques Kallis, has been compared to the greats of old - the 1980s West Indians, although South Africa lack the same terrifying pace in every one of their bowlers, or the Australian attack of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, but South Africa don't have the equivalent of Shane Warne.

Their first-choice spinner at the moment, Robin Peterson, had a massive impact on this Newlands Test but by his own admission you had to "deal with what you have." He does not turn the ball prodigiously, and doesn't often get favourable conditions at home, and he has learned to work within these boundaries.

So how close are South Africa to establishing their reign as an era? The mighty West Indies went 29 series without defeat. The closest anybody came to that was Australia, who did not lose for 16 series. South Africa just completed their 12th without losing. It puts into perspective how much more there is to achieve before they can consider themselves among the all-time greats.

They are, however, giants in their own country. This is their longest unbeaten streak, beating the 11 between 1998 and 2001. They are also close to completing seven years of being unbeaten away from home. They are part of an environment that is more competitive because the top teams are not far apart. This match was an example of that.

South Africa were made to work for their victory. Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq's twin centuries along with Saeed Ajmal's ten wickets gave South Africa's their first strenuous workout of the summer.

Ajmal really made them sweat. The world's premier spin bowler proved difficult to pick on a surface that suited him far more than the one at the Wanderers. It will give South Africa's batsmen something to think about, for the next Test in Centurion and for the test after that, in the UAE.

There is territory Smith's team has not conquered. They haven't won in India, Sri Lanka or the UAE. They have the opportunity of crossing the Emirates off the list later in the year. Until then, parties on the pitch will have to do.

South Africa v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Cape Town, 3rd day

2013-02-16T20:15:00.001+05:00

Peterson's career-best evens up match

Tea Pakistan 338 and 25 for 2 (Ali 19*, Younis 5*) lead South Africa 326 (Peterson 84, de Villiers 61, Ajmal 6-96) by 37 runs

Robin Peterson slammed 84 to hurt Pakistan © Getty Images

A fascinating Test in Cape Town provided its third day of unexpected twists as the man who was the weak link for South Africa on the first day made amends with his first Test half-century in almost a decade to even up the match. Robin Peterson hadn't been able to stem the runs when Pakistan were batting, but on the third day it was Pakistan who couldn't stop the runs when Peterson was batting. With AB de Villiers also scoring a half-century, South Africa showed their resilience as what could have been a game-deciding lead for Pakistan was trimmed to just 12.

De Villiers had survived another intense examination from the outstanding Saeed Ajmal in the morning in an innings that married classical drives and cuts with chutzpah, as shown by an inventive dink over the slips for four when the ball was banged in short. He reached his half-century off a rare poor ball down the leg side from Ajmal, and if he was beginning to feel comfortable in the middle, Ajmal followed up with a ripping delivery similar to the one that accounted for Faf du Plessis. He got the edge again but the keeper couldn't hold on to the catch.

Ajmal had begun the day by adding Dean Elgar's wicket to make it six out of six and briefly raised visions of him joining the elite club of Jim Laker and Anil Kumble as the only bowlers to take all ten wickets in an innings. Thoughts of that spectacular feat came to an end when the seven-footer Mohammad Irfan struck with the new ball to dismiss de Villiers for his first Test wicket. He then showed that even in the intense battle of Test cricket there is space for levity, as the towering fast bowler raised his arms in celebration after his team-mates huddled around him, forcing them to jump to high-five him.

Pakistan could have taken total control of the match once de Villiers was dismissed but Peterson again showed how much his batting has improved. He swept Ajmal when the ball was on the pads, cut powerfully when width was provided, and generally began to look more and more settled in the middle as with the help of Vernon Philander, he brought the deficit below 100 before lunch.

Peterson had just begun though, and opened out after lunch with a series of drives as 77 runs came off 13 overs. Besides the scorching drives, there was even a switch-hit off Ajmal as Peterson made his first Test half-century in nearly a decade. As the score went past 300, Peterson set his sights on a maiden hundred, going for his shots even as he lost his partners. The crowd was loving it, and when last man Morne Morkel solidly defended a few deliveries, the fans welcomed it with rousing cheers. Peterson finally perished on 84 as he looked to clear long-on, though he had already done enough to hurt Pakistan by then.

The turnaround continued when South Africa had the ball in hand as, yet again, they removed both openers cheaply. Pakistan's opening stands this series now read 0, 10, 7 and 9. Steyn struck in his first over, with an indipper that had Mohammad Hafeez lbw. Philander joined in with a wicket in his first over, sending back Nasir Jamshed lbw for a duck. Though South Africa's quicks kept asking questions around the off stump, Younis Khan and Azhar Ali negotiated the new ball till tea.

South Africa v Pakistan, 1st Test, Johannesburg, 4th day

2013-02-04T20:33:00.002+05:00

Steyn takes 11 in crushing victory

South Africa 253 (Kallis 50, Hafeez 4-16) and 275 for 3 dec (de Villiers 103*, Amla 75*, Smith 52) beat Pakistan 49 (Steyn 6-8) and 268 (Misbah 64, Shafiq 56, Steyn 5-52) by 211 runs

Dale Steyn finished with a career-best 11 wickets in the match © AFP

Like day turns to night, Dale Steyn broke the back of Pakistan's resistance with career-best match figures at the Wanderers as South Africa wrapped up a commanding 211-run victory and in the process AB de Villiers equalled the world record for dismissals by a wicketkeeper. Steyn, inevitably, produced another classy spell with the second new ball, and proceeded to bowl the rest of the morning, to end with 11 for 60 in the Test.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq carried their fifth-wicket stand to 127 but after that there was not much more defiance from Pakistan's lower order. Steyn bowled a 10.4-over spell, a herculean effort for a strike bowler, and his match figures placed him fifth on the list of cheapest 11-wicket hauls in Test cricket, the best since Sir Richard Hadlee in 1976.

Behind the stumps, de Villiers also had a morning to remember as he equalled Jack Russell's world record of dismissals in a Test match which had also come on this ground back in 1995. He also became the first wicketkeeper to take 10 catches and score a hundred in a Test. The dual role is starting to rest more easily on his shoulders, although his bowlers are helping by not keeping him in the field for too long.

Resuming on 183 for 4, Misbah and Shafiq had five overs to face with the old ball which offered a few scoring opportunities but they always knew the threat that was looming around the corner. It took Steyn into just his second over before he found Shafiq's edge as the batsman glanced the ball to second slip off an open face where Jacques Kallis took a low chance.

As the best strike bowlers do, Steyn continued to pick up the big wickets and in his next over produced another lovely outswinger which grazed Misbah's edge to end a stubborn innings from which team-mates should heed plenty of lessons.

Steyn's partner-in-crime, Vernon Philander, then nipped in with his second when Sarfraz Ahmed dragged a ball into his stumps when trying to withdraw the bat. Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal resisted briefly before Morne Morkel produced a rearing short delivery which took Ajmal's glove. Morkel's front foot was again very close to the front line and he was soon denied another scalp by over-stepping when Junaid Khan was bowled swinging to leg.

Steyn's long spell, a credit to his stamina and heart, brought his tenth wicket when Gul top-edged a leg-side slog, which also provided de Villiers with his record-equalling catch, although it needed the DRS to overturn the original decision. A new world record, though, just eluded him as the final wicket belonged solely to Steyn when he trapped Junaid lbw.

It completed another clinical display from South Africa, after an opening day when they had been put under some pressure by Pakistan's bowlers. Again it was the home side's own attack that has created daylight between them and the opposition. Pakistan bridged the gap a little second time around, but will be hoping for more placid conditions when they reach Newlands.

South Africa v Pakistan, 1st Test, Johannesburg, 1st day

2013-02-02T00:48:00.001+05:00

Pakistan take opening-day honours

Pakistan 6 for 0 (Hafeez 6*, Jamshed 0*) trail South Africa 253 (Kallis 50, Hafeez 4-16) by 247 runs

Umar Gul had Graeme Smith, in his 100th Test as captain, caught behind © Getty Images

Pakistan ended a fascinating opening day of the series with the advantage after chipping South Africa out for 253 at the Wanderers. Mohammad Hafeez bagged career-best figures of 4 for 16 to run through the lower order, building on a consistent performance from the visiting attack throughout the day, as the early exchanges lived up to the hope of a competitive series.

Only Jacques Kallis posted a half-century; sharp catching aided Pakistan's efforts while the bowlers shared the early wickets around, before Hafeez nipped in. Younis Khan, who before today had seven Test wickets, provided a huge bonus for Pakistan when he claimed Hashim Amla in his first over, and Hafeez struck first ball to remove AB de Villiers.

Junaid Khan, the left-arm quick, was the overall pick of the attack, maintaining his accuracy throughout the day, but it was Hafeez who ended with the biggest haul. Having been given the new ball mid over, he removed Robin Peterson, shouldering arms, and then had Dean Elgar caught down the leg side. South Africa lost their last five wickets for 21, including a poor run-out of Vernon Philander, to leave Pakistan with two overs to face before the close.

Misbah-ul-Haq deserves much praise for an excellent day as captain. There was an element of luck in Younis' surprise role, but it was smart use of Hafeez to keep him in the attack with left-hand batsmen at the crease, rather than opt for what would seem the more obvious choice of a quick with the new ball. Yet, it is a role Hafeez is used to performing.

Despite the openers falling in consecutive overs before lunch, a stand of 79 between Kallis and Amla was threatening to pull South Africa away in familiar style. However, moments after reaching a 74-ball fifty, Kallis failed to keep a sweetly struck pull shot down and Asad Shafiq made significant ground from deep square-leg to hold a fine catch.

Kallis' innings had shown the side of his game that has evolved in the latter part of his career; a counter-attacking ability to seize the initiative. Both he and Amla played Saeed Ajmal confidently, milking him for four an over in his first spell, although ironically it could have been the fact that Ajmal, who ended up wicketless from 23 overs, did not pose a huge threat that encouraged Misbah to give Younis his profitable trundle. With his third ball, Younis dropped one short outside off stump, Amla cut it but did not keep the shot down and Azhar Ali, at gully, clung onto a flying chance above his head.

What will frustrate Smith and Gary Kirsten is the number of wasted starts. South Africa had appeared to battle through the toughest conditions when Smith and Alviro Petersen, leaving as much as they could early, blunted Pakistan's early efforts. However, one of the factors that makes the Wanderers such a good Test venue is that the bowlers always have some encouragement.

Junaid, having return for a second spell, made the breakthrough when he found Petersen's edge by cramping him for room from round the wicket as he tried to play to leg. In the next over Smith, who had been the focus of so much attention in the build-up to the match, was also guilty of aiming across the line, and he edged a full delivery from Gul.

There had been plenty to distract Smith leading to this match, as he became the first man to lead in 100 Tests and on his birthday, but he seemingly managed to put those events to one side. He looked steeled for a typically tone-setting innings and was angry with himself at the mode of dismissal.

Amla and Kallis, the two pillars of South Africa's middle order, firstly consolidated either side of lunch, and then started to expand their strokeplay, including a period of four consecutive boundaries between them. By tea, however, both had been removed and, unlike the New Zealand attack of a few weeks ago, Pakistan kept applying pressure.

There was a hint of controversy early in the final session - not for the first time sparked by the DRS - when Pakistan were convinced that Faf du Plessis had edged debutant Rahat Ali to the keeper. They reviewed the not-out decision by Billy Bowden and the TV umpire concluded there was no conclusive evidence to overturn although there was a growing consensus a short while later that there was a mark on the edge.

Pakistan used up their second review eight overs later when they thought de Villiers was caught down the leg side off Ajmal, but did not have to wait much longer for success. Hafeez's first ball was floated wide of off stump, de Villiers pressed forward and Sarfraz Ahmed snapped up the outside edge.

Already in a young Test career, du Plessis has rescued South Africa more than once but this time, having reached 41, departed in curious style after playing a forward defensive which sent the ball rolling slowly back towards the stumps to knock off a bail. Du Plessis held his pose for so long that he could have had time to turn and kick the ball away. The rest departed in an unexpected hurry, but judgements on the total will need to be held until South Africa's attack has responded.

Pakistan in South Africa 2012-13

2013-01-29T23:41:00.000+05:00

SA bowlers pose tough challenge to Pakistan

Pakistan will be up against the strongest pace attack in the world ©

To beat South Africa, opposition teams need to hone in on one thing: the world No.1 side's bowlers.

"The big battle between any team coming up against the current South African one will be between their batsmen against the South African bowlers," Vincent Barnes, manager of the high performance centre, who was in charge of the South African Invitation side that played against the touring Pakistanis, told ESPNCricinfo. "If you can tame the bowlers, you can get close but if you can't, you will get a hiding."

On the evidence of the tour match, which few read into, Pakistan's batsmen have some work to do. Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez did well in both innings but of the middle order only Misbah-ul-Haq scored a half-century.

"It looked like they were just trying to occupy the crease and then some of them got good balls and got out," Barnes said. "We can't judge too much on that. Guys like Azhar Ali and Younis Khan have scored big runs in the past. Jamshed looks like a guy whose natural game is to play his shots and Hafeez is a quality player who scores both sides of the wicket."

While the batsmen will be the ones under scrutiny, some may see the real contest as a battle between bowling attacks as Pakistan's has a lot to offer. Barnes regards Umar Gul as their "best bowler who is very skilful" and Saeed Ajmal as the "key factor" to their chances of success.

He also saw first-hand the two bowlers who will be relatively unknown quantities to South Africa - Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan. Left-armer Junaid swings the ball both ways while Irfan, at more than two metres tall, is expected to extract steep bounce. "Junaid drifted in an out a bit. He had some good spells and some average ones," Barnes said. "Irfan is definitely a massive presence. Bounce will be his strength but he struggled with his lengths and didn't seem to swing the ball much."

Irfan's Test debut is the most widely talked about point in the lead up to the series. While Jacques Kallis joked that some of the South African bowlers will go to practice on stilts, he does not actually seem too fazed about the prospect of facing him.

"Morne Morkel is not too much shorter than that so we are used to facing quite a bit of bounce. It will be slightly different but nothing we haven't seen before," he said. "There is so much video analysis around. I suppose it takes a few balls to get used to facing them but once you've seen them on video, you get an idea." Morkel, at around 1.9 metres tall, has been known to prosper on the more lively pitches on the Highveld and Irfan will hope to do the same in the Tests at Johannesburg and Centurion.

But it is not bounce or swing that Hashim Amla thinks will make the difference in the series. Precision and discipline are the traits he rates highest in his home conditions. "I've always felt that in South African conditions, it's usually the guys that are not necessarily quick but quite accurate who do well. Vernon is an example of that," he said.

"I think they've got a good bowling attack and what helps the sub-continent teams is that they usually bowl on flat tracks. So when they do come to a wicket that does assist them they have the discipline."

Local conditions are also what Kallis hopes will give South Africa's bowlers the upperhand in the contest between the pace packs. "They've got some good quality batters that have been around a long time but what we have in our favour is that they are not used to our conditions. They will be tested with the short ball," he warned. Other sub-continent teams have been told the same but Pakistan are the team that have prospered most. They will hope to continue that run.

Pakistan in South Africa 2012-13

2013-01-29T01:48:00.003+05:00

Tanvir Ahmed, Rahat Ali added to Pakistan squad

Tanvir Ahmed has been added to Pakistan's Test squad for the South African tour © Associated Press

Fast bowlers Tanvir Ahmed and Rahat Ali have been added to Pakistan's squad for the three Tests against South Africa. Considering the conditions and duration of the tour, the team management had requested Pakistan's selection committee to reinforce the squad with two more fast bowlers.

Both Ahmed and Ali are expected to reach South Africa before the first Test begins on February 1 in Johannesburg. Currently, their squad includes four quicks: Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and uncapped players Mohammad Irfan and Ehsan Adil.

ESPNcricinfo understands that due to a difference in choice between the selection committee and the team management, the committee decided to send Ali along with Ahmed, who was part of the reserves for the tour.

Ali has been out the side since he played one ODI against Sri Lanka in June last year, while the 34-year old Ahmed last played a Test in May 2011, in West Indies, after which he was dropped because of fitness and performance.

The Pakistan squad is currently playing a four-day warm-up match against South African Invitation XI in East London. After the Test series, Pakistan will play two Twenty20s and five one-dayers in South Africa.

Women's World Cup 2013

2013-01-26T23:32:00.004+05:00

ICC confirms Cuttack switch

The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will host Pakistan's matches at the Women's World Cup © AFP

The ICC has confirmed that Pakistan Women and the rest of Group B will play their Women's World Cup matches in Cuttack. Originally the entire tournament had been due to be staged in Mumbai but threats by political activists against the Pakistan team's presence in the city lead to the change, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

All of Pakistan's matches will be held at the Barabati Stadium, while Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will play their other group matches at the DRIEMS Ground. Both stadiums are in Cuttack, which is situated in the eastern state of Odisha. Some Super Six matches will also be played in Cuttack but the final remains scheduled for the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

ICC chief executive, David Richardson, said: "I am grateful for all the support ICC has received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India during a difficult situation, which was not of cricket's making. We are also indebted to the Odisha Cricket Association for making excellent grounds available at such short notice.

"We also wish to thank the competing teams and member boards for their cooperation in allowing both the ICC and BCCI the opportunity to explore the complicated logistics so that we can ensure that this event takes place on the dates scheduled in India."

Protests by the Shiv Sena, a right-wing political party, had lead to negotiations to move Pakistan's matches from Mumbai. Similarly minded political groups such as the Bajrang Dal and Kalinga Sena have opposed Pakistan's presence in Odisha but Asirbad Behera, the Odisha Cricket Association secretary, did not envisage any problems. "Odisha is a peaceful state with strong brotherhood bonds, so we hope that there will be no trouble for any team to play in Odisha," he said last week. "Still, we are taking all sorts of precautions and are in touch with the state government who have offered their support to us."

The Women's World Cup, which begins on January 31, will now be played across two cities and five stadiums. The venues in Mumbai will be the Brabourne Stadium, the MIG Club and MCA's Bandra-Kurla Complex, after the Wankhede Stadium was confirmed as the venue for the Ranji Trophy final.

Pakistan news

2013-01-24T23:52:00.000+05:00

Pakistan offer $2m life insurance deal

Players like Nasir Jamshed could earn over $100,000 tax free in the 10-day Pakistan Super League © BCCI

Pakistan have offered an insurance policy of $2 million and tax-free income for foreign cricketers who are thinking of participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Pakistan have not hosted international cricket since terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009. Since then they have had to play their "home" matches at offshore venues such as England and the UAE. The idea of having a PSL in the country is a strategic move by the PCB to win back the confidence of cricketing nations.

But the world professional cricketers' union FICA has raised its concerns over the security situation in Pakistan and warned players against taking part in the PSL, citing it an unmanageable risk. "We understand their concerns and we can't blame them," Zaka Ashraf, PCB chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. "It's the negative perception about Pakistan that has to be changed and people should understand that things are not so bad.

"But for their sense of security we are offering an optional insurance policy worth $2 million for the satisfaction of their families. They will be our special guests and we are ensuring every possible step to give them security at a higher level and if they think this isn't enough they can take the insurance option as well."

Cricket operations in Pakistan aren't tax exempted but the PCB is offering residential and non-residential players tax-free income from the PSL. Apart from the "emerging" players, they stand to earn between $25,000 and $100,000 for taking part in a 10-day tournament. The base price for the top category diamond player starts at $100,000.

"Government is ready to grant us the exemption on income of the PSL and it's an added advantage of our product for the players to earn tax free income," Ashraf said. "We are offering the most money compared to the other leagues in the world. In ten days you can get the most out of it before going to the IPL starting in April."

ICC Women's World Cup 2013

2013-01-20T13:32:00.001+05:00

Pakistan Women's matches shifted to Cuttack

Pakistan Women will play their World Cup matches in Cuttack © ICC/Getty

Pakistan Women will play their ICC Women's World Cup group matches in Cuttack, in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, following threats from political activists in Mumbai. The World Cup, which starts on January 31, will now be played across two cities, instead of just Mumbai as originally planned. However, there is no confirmation regarding the venues for the knockout stages yet.

Despite a BCCI official confirming to ESPNcricinfo on Friday that "Group B games will be played in Cuttack" and that Group A games will be played in Mumbai, and an ICC insider also revealing that the fixtures are "being reworked", keeping Cuttack in mind, there was no official word on the matter. On Saturday, though, the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Asirbad Behera confirmed the move.

"We were informed about it yesterday. The Group B games will be played at Barabati Stadium and DRIEMS Stadium in Tangi (on the outskits of Cuttack)," Behera told ESPNcricinfo.

Pakistan's matches had to be shifted out of Mumbai due to protests by the Shiv Sena, a right-wing political party, against Pakistan's participation in the event. With Orissa coming into the fray, the Bajrang Dal and Kalinga Sena, outfits with similar ideological views as the Shiv Sena, have issued statements opposing Pakistan's participation in the tournament. However, Behera said the event will be held smoothly.

"Orissa is a peaceful state with strong brotherhood bonds, so we hope that there will be no trouble for any team to play in Orissa. Still, we are taking all sorts of precautions and are in touch with the state government who have offered their support to us," Behera said.

The ICC, however, will not take any chances and will not make an official announcement till all the issues related to security of all teams, especially Pakistan, are resolved. It is expected that BCCI-appointed tournament director Suru Nayak will meet Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik along with the state police chief to chalk out the final security plan for the Pakistan team.

While England, India, West Indies and Sri Lanka will be based in Mumbai for their Group A games, Group B comprises Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa for the event that will run for just over two weeks, culminating in the final on February 17.

Australia v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, Brisbane

2013-01-18T13:15:00.000+05:00

Sri Lanka wobble but on target in tiny chase

14 overs Sri Lanka 4 for 48 (K Perera 8*, Tharanga 5*, Johnson 3-11) need another 27 runs to beatAustralia 74 (Starc 22*, Kulasekara 5-22, Malinga 3-14)

Nuwan Kulasekara destroyed Australia with lethal inswing © Getty Images

An astonishing spell of fearsome inswing bowling from Nuwan Kulasekara decimated Australia's top order, and sent the hosts to 74 all out inside 27 overs, but Sri Lanka encountered trouble of their own in what shaped as a straightforward chase, as they stumbled to 4 for 48 at the tea break.

Kulasekara finished with career-best figures of 5 for 22, with Lasith Malinga tearing down the tail with three scalps of his own, but Australia's pacemen were also lethal in their 14 overs so far. If chances off Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan had not been missed in the field, Australia may have won early the momentum to spark a heavier collapse, but they instead went to the break with six more wickets to get, but still with a chance, if wickets continue to tumble as they have so far.

Dilshan's innings of 22 was populated almost exclusively by booming drives, most of which failed to make contact - many by quite a distance. Faced with a small target and difficult conditions, Sri Lanka's batsmen appeared to have opted for a hyper-aggressive approach, reasoning that if just one of them came off, victory would come easy.

However at 4 for 37, that strategy had only delivered them jitters and handed the opposition momentum. Kushal Perera and Upul Tharanga chose then to reserve their belligerence only for the poor deliveries, and two wicket-free overs before the break calmed the visitors' dressing room somewhat and reinstated Sri Lanka as favourites, with only 27 more to win.

Having rested several key players for the first two matches, Australia returned to near-full strength at Brisbane, with Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade arriving to bolster the batting, but none of them could make it to double figures. In fact, only the last pair of Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty did.

Clarke had chosen to bat first on a pitch he believed to be full of runs - an assessment he shared with Mahela Jayawardene, who also would have batted - but although there was not much live grass on the surface, both men seem to have underestimated the effect of Brisbane's humidity. It was in the air that Kulasekara won the battle, not off the pitch. Few batsmen are equipped to negate the amount of movement he achieved, particularly in the middle of his spell, but the lateness of Kulasekara's inswing made him almost unplayable.

The deliveries that bowled Michael Clarke and Moises Henriques began about a metre outside off stump, and only began to move around halfway down the pitch, when the batsman had already committed himself to a stroke. Both men played for big inswing, but as the ball swerved hard at the stumps like a snake suddenly smelling prey, they still had their inside edges beaten, and their woodwork rattled. George Bailey had made a similar mistake first ball, only he had offered no stroke to a delivery he believed to be passing safely outside off stump, and it struck him flush on the front pad and would have hit middle and off.

Sri Lanka's bowlers only mustered modest swing to begin with, but Angelo Mathews used a little extra bounce to dismiss Warner, who holed out to mid on playing a cross-batted stroke that was ill-judged in any case. Warner had been among the runs during the Test leg of the tour, and the manner of his dismissal in Brisbane may add heat to the debate about Australia's rotation policy, and whether batsmen are being done a disservice by being rested, when they are in form.

Kulasekara worked himself into a honeyed rhythm after that dismissal, and by the 12th over, had embarrassed Australia's first-choice team. His first two scalps were the result of fine catching as well as great bowling, as Jayawardene held on to a tough chance off Phillip Hughes' bat at third slip, before wicketkeeper Kushal Perera dove to his left to snaffle David Hussey's inside edge.

Malinga also found movement in the air when he came into the attack at 6 for 30, and removed Mitchell Johnson with an outswinging yorker in his second over, before taking a wicket each in of his two next overs.

Doherty was circumspect at the crease to begin with, leaving the strokemaking to Starc, who was intent on making the best of a bad situation, and the pair rode their luck for eight overs, before Shaminda Eranga ended the innings with a slower ball.

Bangladesh Premier League 2012-13

2013-01-17T09:59:00.000+05:00

No Pakistan players in BPL

Khulna Royal Bengals will have to go without the services of Ahmed Shehzad, one of their seven Pakistan players © BPL T20

None of the 26 Pakistan players auctioned in this season's Bangladesh Premier League will take part in the Twenty20 competition after the PCB refused to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs).

The seven franchises will now have to hastily replace the cricketers in less than two days as the tournament begins on January 18. But the PCB's stance is seen here as a backhanded victory for the BCB who now have a justification not to tour Pakistan, a tour they originally cancelled on December 31 due to security concerns, as this was used as the main cause of disagreement between the two boards.

"A little while ago, we received a phone call from their COO Subhan Ahmed saying that if we don't send the Bangladesh team on tour to Pakistan, they won't give NOCs to their players to participate in the BPL," the BCB's media committee chairman Jalal Yunus said. "We will hold the tournament without their participation and it will start as per schedule, the opening ceremony on January 17 and the matches beginning on January 18."

The BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that the PCB knowingly waited till the last minute to inform them of the decision. "I couldn't imagine that they could deliberately wait for so long, a day before the opening ceremony, to inform us that they won't give the NOCs.

"There are many Pakistani cricketers who were bought in the auction so to have all of them pull out at the last minute is a problem for us."

Hassan said that the action by the PCB has given the BCB free reign on deciding to tour Pakistan, which they will not do without a second trip by a security team.

"We are no longer in a hurry. We were under tremendous pressure, so now we have some breathing space. Just before the start of a tournament, they have taken such a tough stance without any prior notice knowing that it would throw the organisation into jeopardy.

"We will now decide on the sort of response regarding Bangladesh's tour to Pakistan. It is not possible for us to commit to a tour without an inspection, and we will not be cowed down by any preconditions."

The franchises were informed on Tuesday evening of the situation, but the official word on the matter was only confirmed late on Wednesday afternoon after a final phone call from the PCB. Khulna will be the most severely hit as they have to replace Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Awais Zia, Umar Amin, Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail and Bilawal Bhatti and they have already begun the process. The other six franchises have also been hit with Dhaka Gladiators being the least affected as they only lost Shahid Afridi.

Yunus explained that each team will put forward names to replace their Pakistan players and will be helped by the BPL governing council to contact them and seek NOCs. In the event of a dispute if a player is sought by more than one franchise, it will be decided on a first-come-first-serve basis.

"The teams are giving us names and we are giving approvals," he said. "Clause 4.4 says that if a player doesn't get an NOC he can be replaced. This replacement can be from within the list of unsold players from the auction or even from outside, for example we are talking to Kieron Pollard. We are trying to bring players from four or five other countries.

"Except for one or two players, most of the replacements are at a par with the Pakistan players. It is troublesome for the franchises, but we are taking it as a challenge. We are ready to face it."

Pakistan news

2013-01-14T00:59:00.001+05:00

Down to PCB to convince other nations - Richardson

Richardson said the recent "revival of ties with India" is a step in the right direction ©

Dave Richardson, the ICC CEO, has said the ICC has a limited role to play in the resumption of international cricket in Pakistan and it will be down to the PCB to convince other nations that it is safe to play cricket in the country.

"Security is not something that is taken lightly by anybody," Richardson, who was in Pakistan for the PCB awards ceremony, said. "Making a decision as to whether it's safe or not involves a serious assessment of the risk. The ICC is not in a position to do [security assessment]. It's up to the member countries to decide. They have to take advice from their own security advisors and make decisions themselves.

"The bottom line is that the ICC views Pakistan as a very important part of international cricket," he said. "Pakistan is going through difficult times through no fault of the PCB. It's our role to support Pakistan in its efforts to make sure that international cricket returns to Pakistan. As soon as possible is what everyone would like, but it's difficult to say exactly when and I think that's about as much as far as we can go at this stage."

Pakistan has remained a no-go country for international teams since the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009. In the past three years, Pakistan have played their 'home' series mostly in the UAE but reciprocal series at the junior level are on hold.Though the PCB has been desperate to revive international cricket, the efforts so far haven't yielded any positive results.

The PCB relies heavily on the government to arrange security for the visiting teams, but last year it sanctioned the purchase of bulletproof buses. Apart from working on security protocols, the PCB has been working on identifying potential new venues across the country and upgrading them to international standards. The board is also lobbying hard to win back the confidence of the teams.

"Coming from a country [South Africa] which was out of international cricket for a very large period of my career, I know that if you concentrate on your domestic cricket and you make sure you encourage people to play the game even if it's at first-class level you can reap tremendous rewards and in fact negative can turn into a positive and at the end of it all you might find that Pakistan cricket is much stronger than it was even before these difficult times."

Richardson also visited the National Cricket Academy where he was briefed about the developments in Pakistan cricket and PCB's plans with regards to promotion and management of the game in the country.

"The initiatives that PCB has put in place over the last 12 months or so I think it's the correct way to go," Richardson said and added that the recent "revival of ties with India" is a step in the right direction as the ties between the two countries are critical for world cricket.

"The announcement of the Twenty20 competition [PSL] where foreign players will be entitled to come and play if available, again that is, I think, an initiative on the right path because what you've got to do is to regain the confidence of cricketing world and I think that's a very sensible step in the right direction."

Pakistan in South Africa 2013

2013-01-11T22:46:00.001+05:00

Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil in Test squad

Ehsan Adil was part of Pakistan's squad for the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia © ICC

Fast bowlers Mohammad Irfan and Ehsan Adil are among five players who have been called up to the Pakistan Test squad for the tour of South Africa, which begins at the end of the month. Batsmen Nasir Jamshed and Haris Sohail, and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed were the other inclusions who were not on the Test tour of Sri Lanka in June and July 2012.

The players left out were wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, fast bowlers Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Sami, batsman Mohammad Ayub and Afaq Raheem.

Asad Shafiq, who had missed the limited-overs tour to India due to a finger injury, has recovered and is back in the national team. Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who was banned by the ECB during last year's county season for failing a dope Test, also returns to the squad.

Irfan and Jamshed performed impressively in the ODI series in India. Irfan made an impact because of his height, using his seven-foot frame to generate pace and bounce, Jamshed scored two hundreds in three matches and was the Player of the Series. Haris Sohail was part of the ODI squad to India but did not get a game.

Adnan, who has been Pakistan's specialist wicketkeeper and has played 16 Test matches between 2010 and 2012, was reportedly dropped for being unfit. However, Adnan is currently playing the ongoing first-class tournament and has scored 243 runs at 121.50. Interestingly, none of the Akmal brothers - Kamran, Umar and Adnan - feature in the squad.

Adil was part of Pakistan's Under-19 team at the 2012 World Cup Australia, where they made the quarterfinals. Sarfraz last played a Test for Pakistan in 2010, in Hobart. His last ODI was in Colombo in June 2012. He was out of action due to finger injury, but in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy he is the leading wicketkeeper with 13 dismissals.

Pakistan play three Tests in South Africa, in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Centurion. The first Test begins on February 1.

Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Azhar Ali, Umar Gul, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil, Saeed Ajmal, Adbur Rehman, Haris Sohail, Faisal Iqbal, Taufeeq Umar, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk).

India v Pakistan, 3rd ODI, Delhi

2013-01-06T20:40:00.004+05:00

India's bowlers prevent whitewash

India 167 (Dhoni 36, Ajmal 5-24) beat Pakistan 157 (Misbah 39, Ishant 3-36) by ten runs

MS Dhoni was Man of the Match in the third ODI against Pakistan in Delhi ©

Not since the winter of 1983, when Clive Lloyd's West Indies avenged their loss in the World Cup final, had India been whitewashed in an ODI series at home. Following their third poor batting performance against Pakistan, India were hurtling towards a 0-3 score line in the cold of Delhi, until their bowlers rallied in conditions that offered seam and spin, applying relentless pressure until Misbah-ul-Haq's team cracked in the dead rubber.

As Yuvraj Singh, pursued by team-mates, went off on a celebratory run and slide after catching Mohammad Hafeez in the penultimate over to secure a hard-fought victory, the exuberant celebrations on the field and in the stands at the Kotla were a release of emotion from a country that has had precious little to celebrate in cricket in recent times.

An Indian victory, however, had appeared unlikely after their batsmen had crumbled against Pakistan's versatile attack. A raw seam attack, spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the debutant Shami Ahmed, had only 167 to defend and they went about it manfully. Ahmed began his spell with two maiden overs and continued to bowl with economy. Bhuvneshwar nipped out two early wickets with inswingers and bowled his ten overs on the trot, leaving Pakistan 55 for 2 after 19 overs.

During that period, India's fielding was at its best, with Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja throwing their bodies around on a chilly evening to cut off fluent flicks and drives. The only easy runs Pakistan got were two leg-side wides from the offspinner R Ashwin that beat MS Dhoni and sped to the boundary.

Pakistan rebuilt through Misbah, who batted doggedly for 39 off 82 balls, first with Nasir Jamshed and then with Umar Akmal. Both those stands were ended by Ashwin, and at 113 for 4 in difficult batting conditions, India were gaining ground. They received a lucky break, when Shoaib Malik was adjudged lbw to Ishant Sharma though he was hit outside the line, and Akmal charged Ravindra Jadeja too early and was stumped.

Only Hafeez, batting at No. 7 because of an injury while bowling, stood between India and victory and he was dropped by Rahane in the 42nd over, a straightforward chance at leg slip. He dragged his team towards the target and had to refuse singles with the No. 11 Mohammad Irfan, after Pakistan had lost three wickets in eight balls. With 23 runs needed in the last two overs, Hafeez hit two boundaries before holing out to off Ishant.

Any immediate anguish Pakistan felt, however, quickly dissipated as their players, heavily jacketed in the misty evening, celebrated a 2-1 series victory.

That India had at least 167 to defend was largely down to Dhoni, who was Man of the Match for his captaincy and his 36 off 55 balls, and Jadeja. Having left out Virender Sehwag to give Rahane a run, India lost three early wickets to the pace and swing of Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan. And they continued to struggle against Saeed Ajmal, who dismissed Suresh Raina and Ashwin off successive deliveries on his way to a five-wicket haul. India were 111 for 6 in the 29th over. Dhoni immediately carted Hafeez for his third six over deep midwicket and in a later over he inflicted the blow - a flat smash - that forced the Pakistan opener down the order.

Dhoni fell in the 35th over and Jadeja, because he was running out of partners, began to attack and score what he could. He hit a towering straight six off Umar Gul, and another off Ajmal over cow corner, but his riposte ended on 27. India were dismissed in the 44th over, but the wasted resources did not cost them the game.

India v Pakistan, 3rd ODI, Delhi

2013-01-05T21:14:00.002+05:00

Dhoni doubtful for third Pakistan ODI

The back trouble is back for MS Dhoni ©

MS Dhoni's participation in the final ODI against Pakistan is in doubt after he complained of soreness in his back during practice at the Kotla in Delhi. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been called up as back-up for the Indian captain.

"If at all somebody is doubtful, it's me," Dhoni said when asked about the absence of Yuvraj Singh at the practice session. "Since it was an optional practice session, Yuvraj did not come."

The issue of who will take over the captaincy will come to the fore if Dhoni misses out on Sunday. Over the last year, India have had three alternatives: Virender Sehwag when Dhoni was out with over-rate bans in Australia, Virat Kohli was vice-captain in Asia Cup, Gautam Gambhir in Sri Lanka, and now there is no official vice-captain. When asked, Dhoni said, "Let's hope that I play. We'll see tomorrow."

The final decision on Dhoni's fitness will be taken on the morning of the match.

The news will be a setback for the Indian side who have already lost the series to Pakistan, and are looking to avoid their first home ODI series whitewash since 1983-84.

Dhoni was the only India batsman who showed form in the previous two matches. He has scored 167 runs - 106 more than Suresh Raina, who is second - in the series without being dismissed.

Only twice in his career before he has been ruled out due to injury. Both times, it was the back problem that kept him out - once against New Zealand in Napier and against Bangladesh in Chittagong. In 2012, Dhoni missed two matches because of over-rate penalties, but played every other series, including the IPL and Champion League Twenty20.

Karthik, who has 1008 ODI runs against his name, last played for India in August 2010.

India v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Kolkata

2013-01-03T20:46:00.000+05:00

Pakistan take series as India batting fails again

Pakistan 250 (Jamshed 106, Hafeez 76, Ishant 3-34, Jadeja 3-41) beat India 165 (Dhoni 54*, Ajmal 3-20, Junaid 3-39) by 85 runs

Nasir Jamshed continued his golden run against India, scoring his third successive century ©

They lost eight successive overseas Tests. They lost a home Test series. And now the ODI world champions have lost a home bilateral series for the first time in more than three years. They are in free fall, and continue to touch a newer nadir each time. The failure of the batsmen has been a common factor in all these reversals, and it was no different at Eden Gardens. Despite the bowlers taking ten wickets for 109 to keep Pakistan to 250, India crumbled without any fight, losing their top five batsmen before they had reached 100. The tail had collapsed before MS Dhoni could even think about improbables such as miracles.

Pakistan added to their record of being the only side, other than Australia, to inflict home ODI series defeats on India in the previous ten years. They also continued their impressive record at Eden Gardens, and have now won all their four ODIs against India at the ground. Nasir Jamshed, one of the finest young batsmen around, made his third successive ODI century against India, whose batsmen carried their struggles from Chennai to Kolkata.

Junaid Khan bowled his heart out in an opening spell of 7-1-18-2, taking out Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. Umar Gul came in to remove a subdued and edgy Virender Sehwag, and followed it up with the dismissal of Yuvraj Singh. Suresh Raina was peppered with short balls before falling to Mohammad Hafeez's offspin. India went from 42 for 0 to 95 for 5. Dhoni was left battling alone, and again, he battled till the very end, refusing several singles with the last man Ishant Sharma and hitting the odd boundary, despite knowing that all of it was in vain, despite knowing that he was the only man in this line-up prepared to fight.

Sehwag and Gambhir may have put on 42, but their partnership was full of plays-and-misses and inside edges eluding the stumps. And eight of those 42 runs came off two overthrows to the boundary, courtesy Hafeez.

The tall Mohammad Irfan continued to test India with his bounce, but Junaid's was the standout spell. Displaying superb control, Junaid beat the outside edge on numerous occasions, and also hit Sehwag on the pads a few times. It wasn't unusually good deliveries that got him his wickets, though it could be said he had persevered enough to earn some luck. Gambhir tried to drive a widish length ball, which moved in slightly for the batsman to play on. Kohli fell to an outstanding, leaping take by Kamran Akmal down the leg side.

There was nothing fortuitous about Sehwag's fall, Gul bending one back in sharply to strike the leaden-footed batsman in front of middle. The senior opener had had another poor outing, after averaging 21.70 in ODIs in 2012.

Yuvraj had a nervy stay as well, eventually edging an attempted pull off a Gul bouncer to the wicketkeeper. Raina had already been tested by the inevitable short balls, had escaped a run-out chance, and went stumped as he lunged to drive a Hafeez delivery.

The batsmen's meek capitulation meant the fightback from the bowlers, kickstarted by Ravindra Jadeja, was in vain. Pakistan had zoomed to 141 for 0 inside 24 overs before Jadeja, playing because Dhoni wanted an allrounder bowling instead of part-timers, broke the opening partnership by removing Hafeez, and later dismissed the centurion Nasir Jamshed and Kamran Akmal within three deliveries. Pakistan sputtered on a slightly uneven pitch, which seemed to get somewhat difficult for batting as the balls got older.

It all started with an ungainly sweep from Hafeez, who till then, had timed the ball beautifully in his fourth century stand with Jamshed in nine ODI innings. Suddenly, all momentum seemed to drain from the innings. Ishant gave nothing away, bowling a tight line from the other end. And things began to work for India.

In Jadeja's next over, Azhar Ali trotted out of his crease even as the bowler was appealing for lbw. MS Dhoni was alert enough to reach the ball and lob it back before Azhar could return. In the 35th over, just before the batting Powerplay was to be taken, fortune, and the sweep, struck for India. Younis Khan inside-edged Suresh Raina on to his pad, and was given leg-before. Pakistan were still strongly placed at 177 for 3, but after Misbah-ul-Haq departed lbw to R Ashwin in the first over of the batting Powerplay, they took just 26 off it.

Jamshed, struggling to time the ball now, still kept going. Jadeja was not done yet, though. First ball on his return in the 42nd over, he had Jamshed stranded way down the pitch for Dhoni to complete the stumping on the second attempt. Two balls later, he spun one away from Kamran Akmal for the thick-edged drive to fly to slip, a position Dhoni stuck to even at that late stage. Pakistan had soon lost ten wickets for 109 in 24.4 overs, scarcely believable numbers after their start.

Overcast Kolkata skies and his batsmen's capitulation in swinging Chennai conditions had made Dhoni ask Pakistan to bat. To his dismay, the promised, prodigious swing didn't show up. Dhoni's bowlers still managed to restrict Pakistan, but his batsmen proved thoroughly unreliable, for the umpteenth occasion in recent times.

India v Pakistan, 2nd ODI, Kolkata

2013-01-02T23:30:00.000+05:00

Kolkata offers more hope for India

Match facts

January 3, 2012
Start time 1200 (0630 GMT)

Big Picture

India are again left needing to come from behind, third time in their last four series. A superb display of swing bowling by Junaid Khan crippled India's batting line-up on an overcast Chennai morning before MS Dhoni rescued his team with a fighting century. Such a procession of batsmen to the pavilion appears unlikely in Kolkata, where overhead conditions haven't been as bowler-friendly and the curator Prabir Mukherjee has promised a "typical one-day wicket with lots of runs" with the side batting first having an early advantage. But the visitors have been practicing hard to seal their team's first bilateral ODI series win over India since 2005.

Pakistan's seamers bowled extended spells at the nets on Tuesday, with Umar Gul, Junaid and Mohammad Irfan aiming at one stump. India, on the other hand, missed a session on Tuesday and have an optional one on the eve of the game. They may be short of adequate preparation for a game they cannot afford to lose.

Form guide (Completed games, most recent first)

India: LWWWL
Pakistan: WLWLL

Players to watch

Shoaib Malik was initially picked only for the T20s but has been retained for the ODIs and played a good supporting hand in Chennai. He's had a good tour so far, guiding Pakistan to victory in the first T20 before giving Nasir Jamshed company in his team's successful chase on Sunday. A former Pakistan captain, Malik has struggled to keep his place in the side for a while but his experience has come in handy in this limited-overs series.

After his century in the first Test against England in Ahmedabad, Virender Sehwag has failed to fire. He was not picked in March last year for the Asia Cup, and could be under pressure to perform, given he's had just one half-century in his last 10 innings in ODI cricket.

Team news

Rohit Sharma's poor run of scores in ODIs continued in Chennai and India could consider replacing him with Ajinkya Rahane. However, there is uncertainty over Virat Kohli's availability, as he limped off the field after slipping while bowling in Chennai. MRI scans revealed no serious damage, but his condition continues to be monitored.

India (possible): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Rohit Sharma/Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 MS Dhoni (capt and wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashok Dinda.

It seems unlikely Pakistan will make changes, even though Mohammad Irfan proved expensive in Chennai.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Nasir Jamshed, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Junaid Khan, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Mohammad Irfan.

Stats and Trivia

Rohit Sharma is 22 short of reaching 2000 runs in ODIs.
Kamran Akmal is 70 short of scoring 3000 in ODIs.

Quotes

"If he keeps on doing that then we will find another great left arm fast-bowler of Wasim Akram's type."
Younis Khan on Junaid Khan

"We are used to playing with part-timers. Now it's difficult for them to bowl 10 overs with five players inside the circle. So you've to assess whether six batsmen are enough or seven [are needed]."
MS Dhoni says the new ODI rule, which permits only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the non-Powerplay overs, creates problems for teams that lack genuine allrounders

India v Pakistan, 1st ODI, Chennai

2012-12-30T18:12:00.000+05:00

Jamshed, Junaid set up Pakistan win

Pakistan 228 for 4 (Younis 58, Jamshed 101*) beat India 227 for 6 (Raina 53, Dhoni 113*, Junaid 4-43) by six wickets

Fortunes swung in an absorbing opening one-dayer, but it was Pakistan who held their nerve to record a six-wicket win and go one-up in Chennai. Junaid Khan had India reeling with a remarkable spell of swing bowling, MS Dhoni bailed India out with a tenacious, unbeaten century but the target of 228 wasn't enough to test Pakistan. Nasir Jamshed played a composed, yet chancy century, but nevertheless took the responsibility of finishing the job he had started.

The difference was in the way the teams batted against the new ball. India were put in and ended up losing 5 for 29 by the tenth over. Dhoni toiled masterfully, fighting off cramps to take India to a respectable total, but not quite a winning one. Pakistan too looked shaky when they came out against the moving ball, but ensured they didn't lose wickets in a clump early, unlike India.

Full report to follow

25 overs Pakistan 99 for 2 (Younis 42*, Jamshed 43*) need a further 129 runs to beat India 227 for 6 (Raina 53, Dhoni 113*, Junaid 4-43)

There was no procession of wickets, unlike the first innings, as Pakistan made slow and steady progress towards the target of 228 in Chennai. After losing a wicket off the first ball in spectacular fashion and that of a struggling Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Nasir Jamshed put their heads down with a half-century stand to put Pakistan on course.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck with his first ball in one-day internationals when Mohammad Hafeez completely misread the viscious inswing and shouldered arms, only to see his off stump land a few yards back. Bhuvneshwar showed what he was capable of during his dream spell of 3 for 9 in the T20 in Bangalore, and today his spell was just as probing. He beat the bat on several occasions, especially the left-hander Jamshed, and worked up good pace as well.

Azhar Ali struggled to push the scoring and even tried stepping out of his crease to disturb the bowler's rhythm, which never worked. He dropped the ball to the on side off an inside edge to the pads and Jamshed at the other end set off and had to scamper back. The bowler Bhuvneshwar ran across and gathered but failed to knock down the stumps. The following ball, Azhar miscued a pull and was caught at fine leg, giving Bhuvneshwar his second wicket.

It took Pakistan nearly 12 overs to score their first boundary, proving the control the bowlers had over them in the early part of the innings. Jamshed, who kept finding the fielders initially, broke free with a pull off Bhuvneshwar, before driving Ishant past the covers. The spinners failed to trouble them, as Younis took on Yuvraj Singh with boundaries through the leg side. Jamshed was lucky when on 24 he was let off by the umpire who did not spot an inside edge to the pads before the ball lobbed to first slip. While India couldn't blame themselves for that, they could regret the missed run-out against Jamshed.

50 overs India 227 for 6 (Raina 53, Dhoni 113*, Junaid 4-43) v Pakistan

It was an innings of two unequal parts. The first was over in a flash when a wobbly India lost half their side by the tenth over in the face of some incredible swing bowling by Junaid Khan. The second lasted the remainder of the innings, an exhibition of tenacious batting by MS Dhoni who battled the humidity to score an unbeaten 113, helped along the way by Suresh Raina and R Ashwin. It was a tremendous recovery from 29 for 5 when India had lost their last recognised pair at the crease.

Dhoni's innings too was of two contrasting parts. He nudged and poked his way to fifty off 86 balls, hitting just two boundaries and a six. His next 61 came off just 39 balls. As the innings closed, Dhoni could barely stand. In a bid to conserve energy, Dhoni focused on hitting out and it was a blessing in disguise for India as he regularly found the gaps, helping India ransack an unlikely 81 off the last ten overs.

The morning had ingredients you wouldn't normally associate with one-day cricket in India - morning start, overcast conditions, a green pitch, moisture. The left-arm seam duo of Junaid and Mohammad Irfan hit the timber with such regularity that they might well have come out wielding axes rather than cricket balls. It reignited the familiar criticism of Indian batsmen struggling to cope with movement, irrespective of where they play.

Play was delayed by an hour due to overnight rain and the lack of sunshine had further spiced up a damp pitch, which meant that the Indian batsmen had to adopt a wait-and-watch approach against the seamers. Reputations counted for nothing as India's top order was exposed for their lack of technique against the moving ball against two seamers with a combined experience of 15 ODIs.

Virender Sehwag drove away from the body and lost his off stump. Irfan beat Gautam Gambhir's drive; Virat Kohli played down the wrong line to Junaid who pitched it up and swung the ball in to knock the off stump; Yuvraj Singh was beaten for pace. Junaid picked up a fourth wicket in his spell when he had Rohit Sharma pushing at one that moved away, with Mohammad Hafeez taking a sharp reflex catch at third slip.

Dhoni and Raina came together at 29 for 5 and focused on picking up singles rather than counterattacking their way to a recovery. There was a loud cheer when Raina sliced Saeed Ajmal past cover to bring up the fifty stand, breaking a boundary drought that lasted nearly 14 overs.

The innings could have finished earlier had Misbah not put down Dhoni at midwicket on 16. The drop was to cost Pakistan a massive 97 runs. Dhoni was watchful against the spinners after that let-off, pushing the ball down the ground for singles. India hadn't scored a boundary for close to 15 overs following that Raina boundary. Pakistan had an opening when Raina played back to Hafeez and lost his leg stump, but what they weren't prepared for was the resistance shown by Ashwin and Dhoni.

The batting Powerplay, taken in the 34th over, produced 23 runs but the most productive phase of the innings was to follow. When Ashwin edged Ajmal past slip in the 37th over, it broke a boundary drought that lasted another 15 overs. India went on to smash 11 more boundaries, including three sixes. Junaid, returning for a new spell, overstepped the crease and Dhoni bashed the free hit over wide long-on for the first six of the innings.

Dhoni launched Ajmal out of the ground over long-on and brought up his century with a six over extra cover. His stand of 125 with Ashwin was India's highest for the seventh wicket. Dhoni's march towards his century featured an array of shots on both sides of the wicket, including the helicopter shot, the pull and the squirt past gully.

The average first-innings score in this ground in the last five matches is 204. India bettered that by 23 runs, giving Pakistan something to chase in testing conditions.

India v Pakistan, 1st T20, Bangalore

2012-12-26T15:58:00.003+05:00

Hafeez happy with Ashwin omission

Mohammad Hafeez: "Our plan was that if we play out the new ball, then their spinners are not world-class"

Mohammad Hafeez has suggested that the decision to leave out R Ashwin, India's leading limited-overs spinner, for the first Twenty20 helped Pakistan. India opted to go in with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Ashwin for the match in Bangalore, which Pakistan won by six wickets.

"This is the combination, they knew very well what they (wanted), Ashwin was not there in this team," Hafeez said. "So our plan was that if we play out the new ball, then their spinners are not world-class; I know Yuvraj is in great form, but when you don't have a world-class spinner then we can dominate."

Jadeja bowled 2.4 overs, including the final one of the game, and was taken for 29 runs, and he contributed only two runs with the bat. "It was a surprise for us that they didn't play [Ashwin], at the end we are happy that we won the game."

Dhoni, though, defended the decision saying Ashwin was more of a threat with the new ball. "Ashwin has been one of our main bowlers, he had to bowl in the first six overs a lot," Dhoni said. "Once we had three seamers, we wanted to give Jadeja a chance also, and once the field has opened up in the last two games Ashwin has also gone for runs, [though] he has bowled beautifully in the first six overs."

Only one of Pakistan's top seven batsmen was a left-hander, another reason Dhoni provided for the decision to leave out the offspinner Ashwin. "They had lots of right-hand batsmen, and if we needed an offspinner, we had Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. If we needed an option of a left-arm spinner in case Yuvi had a bad day, we wouldn't have any option in the XI [if Jadeja was left out]."

This was only the second Twenty20 match Ashwin has missed since his debut against Zimbabwe in 2010; the other one was the meaningless fixture against England in the World Twenty20.

Pakistan news

2012-12-16T15:19:00.000+05:00

Pakistan must play aggressively against India - Inzamam

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Pakistan's former captain and newly-appointed batting consultant, has advised his batsmen to be 'aggressive' against India. The team that handles pressure better, he said, could control how the matches go in the upcoming limited-overs series'.

Pakistan are preparing for the India series with a conditioning camp at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Inzamam will spend the week with the batsmen to assist them. Since his retirement in 2007, Inzamam had not been associated with Pakistan cricket in any form, running a business instead; this is the first in five years that he has taken up a role with the team.

"My job will be to pass on my playing experience to the players, rather than working on batsmen's techniques," Inzamam told reporters at the end of the day's training. "I will be discussing with them how to chase, how to set a target and what's required while batting."

Pakistan will kick-off their tour of India with a two-match T20 series, followed by three ODIs. Inzamam, who led Pakistan in 22 ODIs against India and has a win-loss ratio of 12-10, said Pakistan have plenty of matchwinners in the squad but they need 'collective' effort.

"Pakistan have a lot of players who could individually win matches for us, it's a good sign,'' he said. "But cricket is a team game, we lack in collective effort from the batsmen. Our bowling is very strong and we have to have confidence in ourselves. We have to make up our minds that we can win.

"Playing in Indian conditions isn't different; we have been winning [there] and can win again. It's only about pressure and how to handle it. What we need is to play aggressively and whoever copes with it [pressure] well, will play better."

Pakistan have played 16 completed ODIs in 2012, losing four out of eight while chasing and failing to defend their target on six instances out of eight. Batting first this year, they have crossed the 200-run mark seven times, winning only twice. When chasing a target of more than 200, they have won only on one occasion out of five.

"It's not a new problem, it's been going on for a long time now," Inzamam said of their batting issues, citing the lack of quality cricket in Pakistan, which has been a no-go zone for major international cricket teams. "For the last two years we have not played a lot of cricket and the batsmen are lacking in temperament due to T20 cricket.

"Flaws in our players are down to us not playing on a regular basis. If we start playing 10-12 Test matches every year, you will obviously see an improvement in our batting. As more we play cricket, the more players will learn from it."

Inzamam said it will be important for the players to put aside distractions in India and focus on the cricket: "Against India, one should be focused on the game instead of other activities. We have to focus on our game and don't worry about what others are doing. If we keep focus on ourselves, we will perform better.

"India will play with passion, so must Pakistan. I think the way this Pakistan team lines-up, we can put pressure on India. But they're a big team too and could make a comeback [after faltering in the Test series against England], so we have to focus ourselves."

Pakistan News

2012-12-10T21:02:00.001+05:00

Shahid Afridi out from ODI squad

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan allrounder, has been dropped from the one-day squad for the tour of India in December, one of six changes made to the team that lost 1-2 to Australia in the UAE in August and September. Afridi retained his spot in Pakistan's Twenty20 squad, which also had six changes made to the outfit that went to Sri Lanka for the World Twenty20.

Apart from Afridi, the players cut from the ODI squad that went to the UAE were: left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, fast bowlers Aizaz Cheema and Sohail Tanvir, and allrounder Shoaib Malik. Asad Shafiq was also left out because of injury.

They were replaced by Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, and Zulfiqar Babar. Younis and Gul were making comebacks after being axed for the series against Australia. Fast bowler Wahab Riaz was returning to the squad after last playing in the Asia Cup in March, while batsman Sohail and left-arm spinner Babar received their maiden call-ups to the one-day squad.

ODI squad: Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar.

Twenty20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Asad Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Ahmed Shehzad.

India v England, 3rd Test, Kolkata, 3rd day

2012-12-08T01:17:00.000+05:00

England batsmen tighten grip on game

England 509 for 6 (Cook 190, Trott 87, Compton 57, Pietersen 54) lead India 316 by 193 runs

Jonathan Trott made his first substantial score of the series

The feeling of helplessness that enveloped much of India's horrendous tours of England and Australia descended again on MS Dhoni's side on the third day at Eden Gardens, as two of the most bloody-minded batsmen in world cricket, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, set about grinding down toothless bowling in the morning. After lunch, India managed to dismiss both of them, but that didn't alter England's dominance of the match as Kevin Pietersen and the lower order stacked up some quick runs to stretch the lead towards a comfortable 200.

The moment typifying India's ineptness was Ishant Sharma putting down an absolute dolly off his own bowling when Cook was on 156. A rare Cook mistake sent the ball looping towards Ishant at waist height and at slow pace, but Ishant contrived to fluff that chance, the ball missing his palm and hitting the wrist. Ishant was left scratching his head in disappointment, while MS Dhoni maintained his famously expressionless demeanour.

Neither the old ball nor the new one swung, and though there was some uneven bounce - Cook was once surprised by a lifter from Ishant that struck the bat handle - the batsmen weren't tested much by the quicks as they wiped out the deficit.

India's spinners turned in a much-improved effort after Thursday's disappointing show, bowling accurately with the old ball in the first hour before getting some bounce and turn with the shiny one. In the second session, they got some help from the pitch as well, spinning the ball past the outside edge several times, and asking questions of the well-set Cook and Trott.

Nothing took the shine off Cook's golden tour, though, as he completed 26 hours of batting in the series, the longest day for India's bowlers. As usual there was no extravagance from him; he patiently blocked or left countless deliveries, before cashing in on those that were over pitched or on his pads.

Trott had missed out in the first two Tests, but not this time. He was cautious early in the morning, but soon helped himself to the gifts offered by India's bowlers, especially Zaheer Khan and Ishant. Zaheer gave him several deliveries on the pads to put away, while Ishant bowled plenty short and wide. Before long, Trott was calmly dispatching R Ashwin's variation, the carrom ball, for four, and walking out of the crease before driving.

When England's tailenders were out in the middle practising their batting during the lunch break, one wondered why they bothered, given how bleak India's chances of prising apart the Cook-Trott combination looked. The stand finally came to an end on 173 when Pragyan Ojha managed to get a flat delivery to spin away and take Trott's outside edge to Dhoni.

Trott fell 13 short of a hundred, but Cook seemed set for a double, given his massive powers of concentration, and unquenchable thirst for runs. However, Cook too fell short of the milestone, run-out on 190 after a brain-fade. After Pietersen clipped a ball to square leg, Cook took a few strides before turning back. The ball went to India's best fielder, Virat Kohli, who scored a direct hit after Cook jumped back and lifted his bat to avoid the throw. Cook hadn't grounded his bat, so there was no question of him escaping on account of evasive action, and he was run-out for the first time in his Test career.

Though India had removed both of England's accumulators, they still had to deal with the more aggressive threat provided by Pietersen. The Barmy Army, which had boisterously cheered the dogged-but-effective scoring of Cook and Trott, was treated to some flamboyant shots from Pietersen, who nonchalantly whipped balls from outside off to the leg-side boundary. With less than 10 minutes to tea, he launched Ojha for a straight six, and began the final session with three successive boundaries.

He was toying with the attack, dispatching the ball where he liked and galloped to yet another half-century. However, he missed a sweep soon after was trapped lbw for 54. Even that didn't lead to a slowdown as Samit Patel capitalised on a tiring attack, and crashed a brisk 33. His chance of making it into a sizeable innings ended when he nicked a catch to slip, where Virender Sehwag juggled before holding on.

On what was a depressing day for India fans, one of the most disappointing phases was the hour before stumps. After Samit Patel was dismissed, India needed just one more wicket to get into England's bonafide tailenders. Instead, Matt Prior and Graeme Swann pummelled 56 runs in the final 13 overs, the highlight of which was a majestic pull for six by Prior off Ishant.

India have not lost two home Tests in a row since early 2000, a streak that looks set to come to an end over the next couple of days, unless their faltering batting order finds someone to replicate Cook's marathon efforts of this series.