Afridi is not a leader

LAHORE: Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has come under heavy fire from the country’s former players who questioned his leadership ability in the wake of the team’s recent Twenty20 series-loss in New Zealand.
Following Pakistan’s 2-1 loss – the final-game win halting a series of six consecutive Twenty20 defeats – former players have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rethink their decision of making him the captain for the World Cup that starts next month.
“He was given enough time to prove his ability as captain,” former captain Aamir Sohail told The Express Tribune. “What I see is that he’s not a leader as the captain must have sense of the game and know how to improvise. Every time Pakistan lose, he comes up with a different story.”
Since Afridi’s appointment, Pakistan’s performance has remained poor despite having beaten Australia in a two-match Twenty20 series in England. Pakistan failed to make it to the final of the Asia Cup, lost the Twenty20 and One-Day International (ODI) series against England and South Africa before losing to New Zealand as well.
Sohail also lashed out at Afridi’s retirement from Test cricket after just one game into his comeback. “He was even tested in the longer format of the game earlier but it was a disastrous experiment for the board. They should understand his role in the side as he doesn’t even have a guaranteed spot ion the side as a batsman and isn’t a useful bowler any more.
“The PCB has ample time to change ahead of the World Cup and I see Younus Khan and Misbahul Haq as good options to replace Afridi in the ODIs.”
Advice for the captain
Former wicket-keeper Moin Khan has urged Afridi to stop criticising his own players in public.
“A captain should refrain from criticising his players in public because it can affect the team spirit,” said Moin. “Afridi is a very experienced player and should be aware of it.”
Despite his indifferent form, Afridi has not been short of excuses for his team’s poor performance, lashing out at team members in public.
Another former captain Wasim Akram felt that Afridi’s leadership in the ongoing New Zealand tour has not been up to the mark.
“One saw a lack of leadership in the team and the players also did not play to their ability and if they continue playing this way then they will also lose the Test and ODI series in New Zealand,” said Akram.
Tour match today
Pakistan will go into their only warm-up match before the first Test hoping for an improved performance after a 2-1 Twenty20 series loss in which batsmen failed to live up to expectations except in the inconsequential last match.
The three-day match against New Zealand XI will also allow Pakistan to field players from the Test squad – including captain Misbahul Haq – who arrived on the eve of the final Twenty20. Adnan Akmal, Taufeeq Umar, Khurram Manzoor and Azhar Ali will also get a chance to make their first appearance on the tour and press for places in the playing eleven for the first Test.
The first Test of the two-match series starts in Hamilton from Friday. Pakistan come on the back of drawing a two-match series against number two-ranked South Africa in the UAE.

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Pakistan battle out a draw

The touring Pakistanis were made to look second best in their only warm-up match before the first Test as they conceded a 97-run first-innings lead but managed to draw against the New Zealand Cricket XI.
The tourists looked on-course for a poor total before Test captain Misbahul Haq rescued his side with an unbeaten 126 while other batsmen fell around him. The captain, who has scored three half-centuries in his last three Tests, owed much to the tail as well, which wagged when the team needed it to as the last four wickets added 139. The last-wicket stand between Misbah and fast-bowler Tanvir Ahmed yielded 51 runs as Pakistan aimed for damage control following its top-order failure.
The Pakistanis got early breakthroughs in the second-innings as they reduced the hosts to 25 for two, with first-innings’ double centurion Brendon McCullum falling for a 15-ball 18.

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Ajmal to miss opening New Zealand Test

KARACHI: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will miss the first Test against New Zealand after returning home to attend the funeral of his father.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that necessary arrangements had been made to facilitate Ajmal’s return after his father died on Tuesday.
“He is devastated by the sudden death of his father who expired after being taken to hospital complaining of fever in the cold weather,” said a board official.
PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt and Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad offered their condolences, while the board’s spokesman said, “The entire PCB family express their deepest sympathies to Ajmal on this sad occasion. May the soul of the departed rest in eternal peace.”
Ajmal, one of Pakistan’s main spinners in the last two years, was a certain selection for the first Test tomorrow. The PCB also said it would announce the squad for the one-day series next week.

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Afridi rejects criticism, wants support ahead of World Cup

KARACHI: Pakistan Twenty20 and One-Day International (ODI) captain Shahid Afridi has asked for support ahead of the World Cup and said that criticism before the global event will discourage the young team. Following the recent Twenty20 series loss to New Zealand – the third consecutive series defeat after England and South Africa won 2-0 – former players lashed out at Afridi and questioned his leadership skills.

I don’t want to react to the criticism,” Afridi told The Express Tribune. All I expect is support for my team which is going through a tough phase with the World Cup not very far away.The former cricketers are well aware of the current crisis in the team and should avoid comments that would leave a negative impact before the tournament.Afridi said that times had changed and with the team facing various issues, the attack was uncalled for.It is not the same time as it was when Imran Khan and Javed Miandad were playing. The situation now is totally different.“Some [ex-cricketers] just wait for a bad performance to launch an attack on the team or on certain players. It happens. The same people praise you when the team does well.”Afridi optimistic on best squad for World CupThe captain, however, was confident of forming the best line-up for the World Cup in which Pakistan may miss the experienced trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. The three players will appear in the International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing on the spot-fixing case later this week.

“There is no doubt we are missing the three players but we still have good players who will form the team for the World Cup.”

Afridi, who was also criticised for team selection in the Twenty20s against New Zealand, said he tried different combinations keeping the World Cup in mind.“Many of our World Cup probables were tested in the T20s because we want to give them maximum appearances.“The clear picture for our World Cup line-up will come after the ODI series against New Zealand which is very important for us.”Pakistan, following the two Test matches against New Zealand, will play a six-match ODI series that would be the team’s last assignment before the World Cup starts on February 19.Afridi to give inputShahid Afridi will meet the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt in Lahore today where his input on the World Cup squad will be taken into account.According to a PCB official, Butt will discuss team selection with the captain before giving a go-ahead for the 30-man squad finalised by the selection committee.“The PCB chairman wants input from Afridi on team selection while performance in the T20 series will also be discussed in the meeting,” said the official.The World Cup preliminary squad is expected to be announced tomorrow, a day before the deadline which the ICC extended following a request by the PCB.

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LAHORE: Out-of-favour wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal breathed a sigh of relief as he was included in Pakistan’s 30-man squad for the World Cup.

Mohammad Yousuf, who retired earlier this year only to make his comeback in the summer, was also included in the squad while former captain Shoaib Malik and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria were left out. Akmal was one of three players awaiting clearance by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) but remained confident of being included in the squad that takes part in the tournament. “I’m a true country man,” Akmal told The Express Tribune. “This is what I’ve been trying to prove and I knew I’ll return because I was determined.”
The PCB had delayed naming the squad due to the clearance issue before the International Cricket Council (ICC) extended the deadline to January 5. The board’s Integrity Committee sat through a series of meetings to discuss the three players’ issue who were reportedly under the ICC’s scanner.
“There’s a lot of speculation regarding the clearance of the players,” said the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt. “The Integrity Committee gave its views on some players to the selection committee which was taken into consideration before the 30 players were selected for the World Cup.”
Chief selector Mohsin Khan, meanwhile, requested the nation to back the selected players who needed encouragement to win the World Cup.
“We’re satisfied with the squad and confident that we’ve selected the best squad from among the players available,” said Mohsin. “The selection committee met on multiple occasions before finalising the preliminary squad.”
Yousuf included
Apart from Akmal, Yousuf was also recalled after being left out of the New Zealand tour because of fitness problems. Another notable inclusion was of all-rounder Rana Navedul Hasan who makes it to his national squad for the first time after getting his year-long ban overturned.
Akmal has missed action since the England tour, which was marred by spot-fixing allegations. The 28-year-old wicket-keeper was left out for the South Africa series in the UAE and was later overlooked from the Twenty20 and Test squad for the New Zealand tour despite recovering from an appendix operation.
On the other hand, Malik has been out of favour since the Twenty20 series against Australia in England and played in the second Test against Australia following Afridi’s retirement at Lord’s. Akmal, Malik and Kaneria had appeared before the PCB’s Integrity Committee and submitted details of their assets and accounts last week.
Kamran Akmal
“This is what I’ve been trying to prove and I knew I’ll return because I was determined. Despite being heavily criticised throughout my bad patch, I was motivated to make a return.”
Nasir Jamshed
“I never gave up the idea of making a return to the Pakistan team. In the past, I was left out due to constant injuries. However, now I’m ready to serve my country again.”
Squad
Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan, Misbahul Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Naved Yasin, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Salman Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Rana Navedul Hasan, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Ali.

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