Miandad declines to become batting coach: Intikhab

Updated at: 1616 PST,  Tuesday, April 12, 2011

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team manager Intikhab Alam said the national team needs a batting coach and Javed Miandad was approached for this assignment but he refused.While talking with media during the training camp here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Intikhab Alam said that fitness level of the team has improved while no controversy was found in discipline. He said efforts would be made to maintain the same standard in the team.The manager said that like the people, the players were also disappointed on defeat in the World Cup semi-final.He said that he is grateful to the people and the government besides media for getting a favourable response after being defeated in the mega event and this is a good tradition.Intikhab expressed hope that there are good chances for Pakistan to win against the West Indies.He said that a batting coach is a necessity of the team.

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Pak team training camp for WI tour

Updated at: 1448 PST,  Tuesday, April 12, 2011

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team has been attending a two-day short training camp here at the Gaddafi stadium, for the series in West Indies later this month.The short training camp has been named the ‘conditioning camp’ The team management said the players will take part in two practice sessions today while tomorrow there will be a day-long session.Along with physical training, the players will also be practicing in the nets under the supervision of coach Waqar Younis. The national team will leave for West Indies on April 14 to play one T20I, five one-day internationals and two Test matches on the tour beginning April 18.

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IPL: Kolkata’s thrilling 9-run win over Deccan

Updated at: 1418 PST,  Tuesday, April 12, 2011

KOLKATA: Jacques Kallis hit his second half-century in a row to set up a nine-run win for Kolkata Knight Riders against Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Monday.Kallis, 35, hit seven fours and a six in his 45-ball 53 as Kolkata piled on 163-4 before restricting Deccan to 154-8 off 20 overs on a slow Eden Gardens track.This was the first victory for Kolkata in the Twenty20 tournament after having lost to Chennai by two runs in their opening match last week.Kallis also picked up four catches to cap a fine day in the middle.Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah gave Kolkata an early breakthrough, removing Ishank Jaggi in the third over before Rajat Bhatia grabbed the key wicket of skipper Kumar Sangakkara (16) to reduce Deccan to 53-3 in the ninth over.Deccan could never really recover from the early setbacks, succumbing to their second defeat in as many matches despite a fighting 48 by Bharat Chipli.Abdullah finished with 3-24 while Bhatia and Jaidev Unadkat took two wickets each.Kallis, opening the innings, gave a flying start to Kolkata after captain Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to bat. The all-rounder raced to the 50-run mark with a six off his South Africa teammate JP Duminy but was out the next ball as he attempted to clear midwicket again.Gambhir, who batted at an unusual number six against Chennai, promoted himself up the order and shared 43 runs off just 26 balls with Manoj Tiwary (30 not out) for the third wicket.Gambhir (29) was bowled by leg-spinner Amit Mishra, the most impressive among Deccan bowlers with two wickets for 19 runs off his fours overs.Big-hitting Yusuf Pathan hit a typically aggressive 22 off 15 balls in a late assault to prop up Kolkata's total.Brief scores Kolkata Knight Riders 163-4 in 20 overs (J. Kallis 53, M. Tiwary 30 not out, G. Gambhir 29; A. Mishra 2-19) beat Deccan Chargers 154-8 in 20 overs (B. Chipli 48; Iqbal Abdulla 3-24, R. Bhatia 2-29, J. Unadkat 2-36)

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More shame for the nameless

Tombs to unnamed soldiers are symbolic memorials to unidentifiable warriors who have died on the battlefield. Wisden’s withdrawn accolade to the unnamed Pakistan cricketer has heavy symbolism of its own: a memorial to the identified and unidentified cricketers who have brought dishonour to the game of cricket.Selection as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year is the ‘oldest honour in cricket,’ rarely awarded to Pakistanis. Englishmen, Australians, South Africans, West Indians, and Indians have all been more frequently honoured. Fazal Mahmood was the first Pakistani in 1955, and those who have followed include Asif Iqbal, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Hanif and Mushtaq Mohammad, and the two Ws.The editor, in this case Scyld Berry, takes the decision. There is no science to it, only a reasoned judgement, and to leave one of this year’s spots vacant is a measure of the impact the spot-fixing scandal had on last year’s international cricket. It is a moment of extreme frustration and deep shame.

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Allow Pakistan players back into IPL - Afridi

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, has said called on the IPL to include Pakistan players with relations between the two countries steadily improving. Pakistan played India in the World Cup semi-final in Mohali, a game watched by Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani on the invitation of his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, who was also present."It is high time the Pakistani cricketers also get a place in the IPL. For three seasons, including the current one, we haven't been a part of the IPL. We have no problems playing in India as we have just played a World Cup semi-final there," Afridi told PTI.Players from Pakistan featured in the inaugural version of the IPL but, following the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008 and its diplomatic fallout, they weren't picked by any of the franchises for the subsequent two editions, and will also not be part of the tournament that starts on Friday."I am not saying I want to play the IPL but it could be a great platform for youngsters. They could make a mark for themselves," Afridi said.Afridi added the inclusion of Pakistan players in the IPL was an opportunity for both countries to improve relations. "Our PM responded positively to that invitation. Now IPL can be a platform to further ease the tension," he said. "We should play more against each other. This will not only ease the pressure but will also reduce the unwanted media hype surrounded with Indo-Pak matches."

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Miandad to assist Pakistan batsmen again

Javed Miandad is again expected to work with the Pakistan team on their batting skills, after having earlier helped them prepare for the tour of New Zealand and the World Cup. Shahid Afridi and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt have approached Miandad with a request to help a batting line-up that were largely inconsistent in the World Cup, and he has expressed his willingness to do so"We are trying to persuade Miandad to help the batsmen," Afridi said, according to AFP. "We realise there are batting problems so we have told Miandad that the country needs him, so hopefully he will accept that role."Miandad responded by saying that he was always ready to assist the players whenever the need arose. "I thank PCB chairman and Afridi for calling me and requesting help," Miandad told a private television channel.Miandad, the PCB director-general, has coached Pakistan three times in the past, each association ending in acrimonious circumstances. He was involved in a war of words last year with Ijaz Butt relating to the salary he drew as director-general. Though he worked with the side before the tour of New Zealand he declined to travel with the team, saying that he had full confidence in the abilities of coach Waqar Younis.Pakistan's batsmen mostly struggled in the World Cup, failing to chase stiff targets against New Zealand and India, and wobbling in their chase of 177 against Australia before prevailing by four wickets. No Pakistan batsman was among the top-20 run-getters in the World Cup, and their strong bowling attack was largely responsible for their run to the semi-final.Pakistan are to tour West Indies to play a Twenty20 international, five one-dayers and two Tests later this month.

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Law To Lead Sri Lanka On Tour Of England

Former Australian international Stuart Law is to assume head coach responsibilities for Sri Lanka's upcoming tour of England as the board begins its search for Trevor Bayliss's successor.Bayliss stood down following the World Cup, in which Sri Lanka reached the final before losing out to India, and he is now set to take over at New South Wales.Law has been assistant coach with Sri Lanka, who are 5/1 to win the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, since November 2009 having enjoyed a prolific career with Queensland, Essex and Lancashire.He played 54 One-Day Internationals and one Test match for Australia.The move comes after the board saw captain Kumar Sangakkara, vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene and the selection panel all resign following the World Cup.Sri Lanka's tour of England begins on 26th May when they play the first Test in Cardiff, before which they take on Middlesex and England Lions in tour games.

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West Indies Name New-Look Twenty20 Squad

The West Indies have named a new-look squad for the one-off Twenty20 International with Pakistan on 21st April with a number of uncapped players called up.Christopher Barnwell, Danza Hyatt, Ashley Nurse and Krishmar Santokie are the uncapped members of the 13-man squad while there are recalls for Lendl Simmons and Marlon Samuels.Samuels, who was considered as a replacement during the World Cup for Dwayne Bravo, has recently returned from a two-year ban from the sport and last played an international in 2008.The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) decided to only pick players who had participated in the recent Caribbean T20 competition, which meant Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were ineligible.Clyde Butts, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chairman Clyde Butts said: "The squad includes players who have performed well in the Caribbean T20. We are looking to expose players as he build towards the next ICC World T20 Tournament next year. Samuels and Simmons have both played at this level before and performed consistently in the Caribbean T20. We believe they will be key members of this team“Hyatt, Santokie and Nurse played in the West Indies ‘A’ Team against Pakistan ‘A’ and they did well. We have decided to give them the opportunity in the senior West Indies team and we believe they will make the transition to the higher level. Barnwell also did well in the Caribbean T20 and he also had exposure for Guyana in the Champions League last year. He is a lively and enthusiastic cricketer and we expect good things from him as well.”“Hyatt is a hard-hitting batsman who has demonstrated his ability to be a match-winner when he played against Pakistan ‘A”. Santokie has been exceptional in the Caribbean T20 using the new ball for Jamaica. Nurse is a clever bowler, a hard worker and has the ability to make vital runs in the lower order as well.”West Indies Twenty20 International squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Danza Hyatt, Ashley Nurse, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Lendl Simmons

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Afridi upbeat ahead of WI tour

KARACHI: Shahid Afridi is confident that his team will put aside the bitter memories of its World Cup semifinal defeat against old rivals India to give its best on the tour of West Indies which will get underway later this week.“The World Cup is history now and we need to focus on the future,” Afridi told ‘The News’ in an interview on Monday. “We have to rebuild our team and for that it’s important that we do well in the series against West Indies and I’m confident that our team is perfectly capable of doing that,” added the flamboyant allrounder.Pakistan will leave for the Caribbean on April 14 after a brief, two-day camp in Lahore which begins from Tuesday (today). They will begin the series with a Twenty20 International against West Indies in St Lucia on April 21 that will be followed by five One-day Internationals and two Tests.Pakistan have included several rookies in their 16-man touring party and Afridi is sure that the youngsters will shine on the tour.“The youngsters we have on our team are really talented and I have great expectations from them,” he said.But in the absence of Umar Gul, Pakistan’s pace attack seems pretty raw with Wahab Riaz being its most experienced member.“The pace attack isn’t that bad considering that Wahab is in good form while others like Tanveer Ahmed, Junaid Khan and Sadaf Hussain have ample experience at the domestic level. It’s a perfect chance for these boys to prove their worth in international cricket.Afridi has been pushing for the appointment of a batting coach. He even tried roping in Javed Miandad for the job but the former Pakistan captain decided against it.“I personally believe that the only thing our team presently needs is a good batting coach,” said Afridi, who is himself going through a lean patch with the bat.“We need an expert who can help our batsmen in dealing with difficult situations. We don’t need a batting coach to just give us tips or show us how to bat in the nets. The idea is to have somebody who can train the batsmen to deal with pressure situations especially when playing in big games against the top sides,” he said.Meanwhile, Afridi and his teammates were honoured at a reception hosted by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on Monday. The premier awarded Rs1 million to each of the 15 players who represented Pakistan in World Cup 2011. Each member of the coaching staff was give Rs500,000.PM boosts team morale ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday feted the national cricket team which reached the semifinals of the World Cup, honouring them with cash awards and praise.“I praise the team’s manners, and although Pakistan lost the semifinal they won hearts,” Gilani said in his speech.“Because of this match, both the countries have been able to start the process of bringing our relationship onto the right track.“Despite a lot of problems faced by the team I think they performed very well and have made us proud. I hope they will keep doing that in future,” he said.

[Courtesy The News International]

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PM announces Rs 1 m each for Pak cricketers

Updated at: 1820 PST,  Monday, April 11, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has announced a cash award of rupees one million for each player of the national team for displaying good performance in the World Cup 2011 here on Monday.He announced this at a reception he hosted in the honour of the Pakistan team, the World Cup semi-finalists.Speaking on this occasion, the prime minister said that the team reached the semi-final this time and Insha Allah it will play the final in the next World Cup.He also announced a cash prize of Rs0.5 million each for the officials of the team.It may be recalled that prior to the prime minister’s reception, chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Syed Qaim Ali Shah, respectively, had also hosted separate receptions in which they announced cash prizes for the players of the team.

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Watson hits record 15 sixes against Bangladesh

Updated at: 1534 PST,  Monday, April 11, 2011

DHAKA: Australia opener Shane Watson hit a world record 15 sixes in his innings of 185 not out in the second one-day international against Bangladesh here on Monday.The previous record of 12 sixes was set by West Indian Xavier Marshall against Canada in 2008. DHAKA: Shane Watson smashed a record 15 sixes in a career-best 185 not out as Australia clinched a three-match series against Bangladesh with a nine-wicket win in the second one-dayer on Monday.The explosive opener gave a superb display of power-hitting as he also cracked 15 fours in his 96-ball knock to help Australia achieve a 230-run target with 24 overs to spare for an unbeatable 2-0 lead.West Indies' Xavier Marshall was the previous record-holder with 12 sixes against Canada in 2008.Watson's knock was also the highest by an Australian in one-day internationals, the previous best being 181 not out by Matthew Hayden.
He completed his sixth one-day hundred off just 69 balls, the third-fastest by an Australia after Hayden (66 balls) and Gilchrist (67 balls).The final one-dayer will be played in Dhaka on Wednesday.Watson looked in excellent touch from the eginning, hammering three fours in the opening over bowled by Shafiul Islam. He raced to his half-century off just 26 balls with the help of four sixes and five boundaries.He then reduced Bangladesh's bowlers and fielders to a state of helplessness with his onslaught, once hitting four sixes in an over from left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo.Watson dominated an unfinished 170-run stand for the second wicket with former captain Ricky Ponting, who contributed an unbeaten 37.Bangladesh were earlier struggling at 88-5 before crossing the 200 mark, thanks to wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 81 off 80 balls which contained one six and nine fours.Rahim's best came in the closing stages of the innings when he smashed two fours and a six off successive deliveries from paceman Brett Lee before hitting two boundaries in seamer Mitchell Johnson's last over.He played a major role in steadying the innings after Johnson (3-54) and leg-spinner Steven Smith (2-34) had put the hosts in trouble, adding 79 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Mahmudullah (38).Shahriar Nafees was the only top-order batsman to offer resistance, scoring 56 off 73 balls with six fours. He fell after completing his 12th half-century in one-dayers, offering a simple return catch to Smith.Johnson did the early damage when he removed openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes before paceman John Hastings accounted for Raqibul Hasan to reduce the hosts to 28-3 in the opening 12 overs.Smith bowled skipper Shakib Al Hasan for nine runs and then dismissed well-set Nafees to send the hosts reeling at 88-5.

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Rahim helps BD reach 229-7 against Aussies

Updated at: 1455 PST,  Monday, April 11, 2011

DHAKA: Mushfiqur Rahim and Shahriar Nafees scored half centuries to help Bangladesh reach 229 for seven in the second one-day international against Australia here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Monday.
Rahim led the scoring with an unbeaten 81 from 80 balls, containing nine boundaries and a six. He came to the crease when Bangladesh were in serious trouble at 65-4 after winning the toss and batting.Nafees contributed 56 from 68 balls before he was caught-and-bowled by Steve Smith.Mitchell Johnson took 3-54 to lead the Australian attack, with Smith claiming 2-34.Bangladesh's openers were dismissed cheaply. Tamim Iqbal (5) was caught at slip by Shane Watson off Johnson. The same Australian pair combined to remove Imrul Kayes. Johnson also claimed Sohrawardy Shuvo (16), caught by Smith.Rahim and Mahmudullah steadied the Bangladesh innings by adding 79 runs for the sixth wicket before Mahmuduallah was trapped lbw by Watson for 38.Bangladesh made one change to the line up which lost the series-opening match by 60 runs, bringing in Rubel Hossain for fast bowler Mashrafe bin Mortaza.Australia replaced Cameron White with Callum Ferguson for the second game of the three-match series.The series is the first for both countries since their disappointing World Cup campaigns.Bangladesh lost to the West Indies and South Africa and failed to advance out of the group stage.Australia, the three-time defending champions, crashed out in the quarterfinals for their worst tournament result in 19 years.Ricky Ponting resigned as test and ODI skipper following the World Cup, but agreed to continue to playing under new captain Michael Clarke

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