Azhar, Younis bat out first session without any trouble

SHARJAH : Younis Khan hit an unbeaten half-century and Azhar Ali was two short of his to steady Pakistan on the third day of the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka at Sharjah stadium on Saturday.Resuming at a precarious 35-2 after losing both the openers on Friday, Azhar (48) and Younis (51) have so far added 91 during their third wicket stand to take Pakistan to 126-2 in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 413.Sri Lanka, who swiftly dismissed both Pakistani openers Mohammad Hafeez (six) and Taufiq Umar (19), were a bowler short after frontline paceman Dhammika Prasad injured a muscle and was unable to bowl on the third morning.That helped Azhar, who scored his maiden hundred in the last match in Dubai, and Younis to bat out the first session without any trouble.Younis swept off-spinner Suraj Randiv for his eighth boundary to complete his 26th half-century in his 71st Test. Azhar has so far hit six boundaries.Resuming at 35-2, the Pakistani batsmen were cautious before Younis posted the 50 with a crisp boundary off left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara to raise the tempo, which also prompted Ali to play his shots freely.Younis, on 30, survived a close leg-before shout against left-arm spinner Rangana Herath who extracted some spin out of an otherwise batting-friendly pitch.Pakistan lead the three-Test series 1-0 after their crushing nine-wicket win in the second match in Dubai. The first Test in Abu Dhabi ended in draw

Read More

PCB plans internal inquiry into spot-fixing scandal

KARACHI : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) plans to launch its own inquiry into the spot-fixing scandal that led to jail terms for three former internationals in Britain this week, chairman Zaka Ashraf said on Saturday. Addressing reporters in Lahore, Ashraf said the board would first await a detailed report on the London Crown Court case before aiming to identify those whose negligence allowed the controversy to occur. "We will aim to discover the circumstances and negligence that led to the spot-fixing scandal that has badly hurt the image of Pakistan cricket," he said. "When the scandal happened, we had our anti-corruption officers present with the team and we want to know how this thing happened." Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were given sentences ranging from six to 30 months on Thursday for their role in a gambling-inspired plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in the fourth Test against England at Lord's last year. The three former internationals had already been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a minimum of five years when news of the plot was first made public last September. Ashraf, who took over as PCB chief last month, said he would also be sending a letter to the ICC reiterating Pakistan's support for the anti-corruption drive by the world governing body. "PCB will never support players who are found involved in corruption or fixing. We want to assure the ICC that we will cooperate in any investigation initiated by them," he added. Media reports suggested the ICC anti-corruption and security unit could launch a more detailed investigation into fixing allegations on basis of the evidence submitted to the Southwark Crown Court during the trial of the three players. Ashraf said the PCB would also be asking the government to legislate a parliamentary law that makes fixing or corruption in cricket a criminal offence. (Reuters)

Read More

Spot-fixing: ICC may investigate Akmal and Riaz

LONDON : A British newspaper is reporting that Kamran Akmal and Wahab Riaz may face an investigation following claims made in the spot fixing trial. The Telegraph reports that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will examine the evidence gathered by police officers in the spot-fixing trial. Akmal and Riaz were mentioned numerous times during the case and Akmal’s name also came up during correspondence between Mazhar Majeed and fixing agents. Majeed had also mentioned Akmal and Riaz’s names as players who were in on his fixing schemes.The now defunct News of the World also published photographs of Riaz wearing the white jacket containing money given provided by Mazhar Majeed.

Read More

My son was forced into corruption: Amirs mother

LAHORE: The mother of Mohammed Amir who was sentenced to 6 months at a young offender’s detention facility for his role in the spot-fixing case says her son was forced into cricket corruption,Amir’s mother and brother are certain that the fast bowler did nothing wrong. Amir’s mother added that her son was not running after money nor did he do anything wrong for it.Amir’s brother Mohammed Ijaz said his brother was pressured into corruption

Read More

Sri Lanka gain upper hand against Pakistan

SHARJAH: Sri Lanka removed Pakistan's openers early to gain an upper hand on the second day of the third and final cricket Test against Pakistan at Sharjah stadium here on Friday.Sri Lanka, seeking a series-levelling win after losing the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai, removed Mohammad Hafeez (six) and Taufiq Umar (19) as Pakistan closed on 35-2 in reply to their rivals' first innings total of 413.The first Test in Abu Dhabi ended as a draw.Pakistan looked shaky from the start as Hafeez was dismissed in the fifth over of the innings, edging an outgoing delivery from left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara to slip for Mahela Jayawardene to take a simple catch.Left-arm spinner Rangana then struck in his third over, inducing Umar to come out of the crease and had him stumped by wicket-keeper Kaushal Silva, much to the disappointment of a holiday crowd of near 8,000 made up of Pakistan expats.At close, Azhar was unbeaten on ten and Younis Khan yet to get off the mark, as Pakistan still trail by 378 runs.Earlier, Saeed Ajmal led Pakistan's fightback with 4-132 after Sri Lanka, well placed at 300-3, lost five wickets in the space of 59 runs before they were guided past 400 by a ninth wicket stand of 54 between Silva (39) and Herath 34 not out.Umar Gul ably supported Ajmal with 3-76, but late additions to the Sri Lankan total frustrated Pakistan who had the upper hand in the first two sessions.Pakistan knew they had to remove Sangakkara to make inroads into the Sri Lankan middle-order after they dismissed Angelo Mathews for 17 in the last over before lunch, caught behind off left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman.It was Ajmal who finally provided Pakistan with the prized wicket of the stylish left-hander when his delivery jumped on Sangakkara, who failed to keep a pull down and was caught in the slip by Younis Khan after making 144.Sangakkara hit 13 fours and two sixes during his 344-ball knock, which began in the first over of the match on Thursday. This was his second century of the series following an epic match-saving 211 in Abu Dhabi.Sangakkara put on 84 for the third wicket with Jayawardene (39) and another 39 with Mathews for the fourth after Sri Lanka resumed at 245-2.Jayawardene managed to add just seven to his overnight score of 32 before being given leg-before off paceman Khan. Jayawardene hit two boundaries during his highest score of the series.Sangakkara and Mathews negotiated Pakistan's pace-spin attack with confidence, taking Sri Lanka past the 300-mark in the penultimate over before lunch.But Pakistan struck in the last over before lunch as they got the second wicket in the session, with Sri Lanka managing 55 runs in two hours.Ajmal also dismissed debutant Kosala Kulasekara, leg-before wicket for 15, while Gul struck to remove Suraj Randiv for one.Ajmal finally broke the ninth wicket stand by dismissing Silva, while Gul wrapped up the innings when he bowled Welegedara for nought.

Read More

PCB dismisses Amir’s claim over fixing

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dismissed the claim by Mohammed Amir that he was not provided information regarding anti-corruption,According to the PCB, Amir had signed a central contract on March 2010 which contained articles pertaining to anti-corruption. An Urdu version of the anti-corruption code was also provided to players. Amir was also lectured on anti-corruption during the under-19 world cup.Following his sentencing in the spot-fixing case Mohammed Amir while speaking to Geo News had said that he was not provided information pertaining to anti-corruption by the PCB.

Read More