Pakistan record 10-wkt win over England in first Test

DUBAI: Pakistan defeated number one ranked England by ten wickets within three days to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Pakistani opener Mohammad Hafeez alone scored the 15 runs in 3.4 overs to hand England their first defeat in 10 Tests, since losing to Australia at Perth in the 2010 Ashes.

Earlier, paceman Umar Gul took four for 63 to help Pakistan bowl out England for 160.

The 27-year-old fast bowler dismissed Andrew Strauss (six) before lunch and then accounted for Alastair Cook (five) and Kevin Pietersen (nought) in his hostile first spell.

Gul was ably supported by spinners Abdul Rehman (3-37) and Saeed Ajmal (3-42), his second 10-wicket haul in Tests.

England's batsmen, wrecked by Ajmal's career-best 7-55 in their first innings of 192, were again clueless against the spin and played some rash shots as they sought to score runs on the pace of Gul.

Jonathan Trott top-scored with 49, but fell to an irresponsible shot, trying to force a short delivery from Gul and being caught by wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, who finished the match with seven catches.

Trott, who passed the boundary of 2,000 runs when he reached 18 in his 24th Test, hit six boundaries during his 111-ball knock but became Gul's 150th wicket in his 41st Test.

England had another disastrous start as Strauss was adjudged caught behind, pushing Gul to the leg side and seeing the ensuing edge well taken by the wicket-keeper.

Soon after the lunch break, Gul produced a sharp rising delivery that caught Cook in two minds as the left-hander gloved it to Adnan, who had no trouble in gathering it.

Kevin Pietersen made it 25-3 when he hooked a Gul bouncer straight into the hands of deep square-leg fielder Abdul Rehman, leaving England in more trouble at 25-3.

Ajmal then got in on the act when he trapped Ian Bell plumb in front of the wicket for four.

Rehman ended a fifth-wicket partnership of 39 by dismissing Eoin Morgan (14) caught behind, while Ajmal trapped Matt Prior to leave England at 87-7.

Stuart Broad (17) and Graeme Swann (39) delayed the inevitable by putting on 48 for the eighth wicket before Rehman dismissed Broad and Chris Tremlett off successive balls. Ajmal took the last wicket by getting Swann caught.

The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi from January 25, while the third will again be played here on February 3-7.

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Afridi top prize in Bangladesh Twenty20 auction

DHAKA: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was the hottest property in an auction held for the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Twenty20 tournament on Thursday, but English spinner Monty Panesar and former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs failed to attract bids.

Afridi was sold to the Dhaka franchise for $700,000 after some intense bidding involving five of the six franchises for the Feb. 10-28 tournament, which is based on the successful Indian Premier League model.

The all-rounder, however, will only be available for the final two days of the opening BPL campaign as he is on national team duty against England in the United Arab Emirates.

Tournament organisers said the money would be given to the players proportionately for the matches they are available.

Quick-scoring West Indian batsman Chris Gayle, who is available from Feb. 14, was another to attract attention with Barisal paying $551,000 for him.

His compatriots Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard also created a stir as they were sold for $360,000 and $300,000 to Rajshahi and Dhaka franchises respectively.

A total of 111 overseas players and 80 local cricketers were put on auction with teams given a maximum budget of $2million and able to buy no more than eight overseas players.

Pakistan's Shoaib Malik (Chittagong $150,000) West Indies' Dwayne Bravo (Chittagong $150,000), Australia's Brad Hodge (Barisal $140,000), Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya (Rajshahi $110,000) and Muttiah Muralitharan (Chittagong $100,000) were among others to go for big money.

No Indian players were included in the auction.

Along with Panesar and Gibbs, New Zealand's Scott Styris and Lou Vincent failed to attract a buyer.

Ireland's wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O'Brien was the most expensive player from the associate nations with Khulna paying $80,000 for the batsman.

Bangladesh internationals Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Ashraful, Shahriar Nafees and Alok Kapali had been selected as icon players for six franchises and were excluded from auction.

All-rounder Nasir Hossain was the most-sought-after Bangladeshi in the auction with Khulna sealing his signature for $200,000.

India-based Game On Sports Management will run the tournament after winning the bid from the Bangladesh Cricket Board for six years for $44.33 million. (Reuters)
REUTERS

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