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Friday, February 10, 2012

Pakistan-Afghainstan first-ever ODI today



SHARJAH: Pakistan and Afghanistan play a historic first-ever one-day international between the two countries here on Friday with both captains vowing to make the game a memorable one.

"It is a very important game for both countries and we will try to make the occasion memorable with some quality cricket," Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said.

"It is important for countries like Afghanistan to play a top team which will help them improve and we are going to play with our full strength team as they have some good players."

Friday's match in Sharjah Stadium -- which holds the world record of staging the most one-day internationals with 201 -- is fitting because most of the Afghan players learnt the game in Pakistan while staying as refugees after the Soviet invasion of their country in 1979.

Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal thanked Pakistan for giving them chances.

"We thank Pakistan for allowing us to play this one-day and also giving us opportunity to play in their domestic competitions which raised our confidence," said Mangal, who led Afghanistan to one-day status.

"It is a history making match against a top team like Pakistan and we will try our best to put up a good fight in a contest which is a big challenge for us," said the 27-year-old Mangal, an off-spin bowler.

Mangal said his team had prepared well for Pakistan's spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman who were behind the 3-0 destruction of England in their three-Test series: Ajmal finished with 24 wickets while Rehman took 19.

"We have prepped well for Pakistan's spin duo and I am confident my batsmen will do their best," said Mangal, adding that paceman Hamid Hassan, who has 24 wickets in 14 one-day internationals, will miss the match through knee injury.

They still have Mohammad Nabi, an off-spinner who took five wickets while playing for an ICC Combined XI against England last month and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Shahzad who scored 51 and 74 in the same match.

Pakistan will be further boosted by the return of allrounder Shahid Afridi who will add variety to team's spin attack.

Mangal hoped a sell-out crowd of 15,000 largely Afghan and Pakistan expatriates, enjoying the weekly holiday here, will show their support.

"We want the public to share this historic moment with both the teams," said Mangal.

War-ravaged Afghanistan gained a notable foot up on the world cricket stage by finishing fifth in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers which earned them the right to play one-day internationals.

They also won the right to play the third edition of World Twenty20, held in the Caribbean in 2010, by winning the qualifying tournament and then finished with a silver medal in the Asian Games in China in November that same year.

Afghanistan, one of the 59 associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), are also the title holders of the Inter-Continental Cup meant for the Associate nations.

The ICC, which contributes approximately 700,000 dollars a year to help Afghanistan's development in cricket, has shown great delight in their progress, terming it as "a success story in cricket"

Sri Lanka win toss and field in ODI



PERTH: Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and chose to field against Australia in the third tri-series one-day international at Perth's WACA ground on Friday.

The home side named an unchanged side after beating India in the rain-shortened series opener in Melbourne on Sunday.

Sri Lanka made one change from the side beaten by four wickets by India in Perth on Wednesday, promoting spinner Sachithra Senanayake.

Australia named Peter Forrest as 12th man, while Thisara Perera will carry the drinks for Sri Lanka.

Teams:
Australia - David Warner, Matthew Wade, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Mike Hussey, David Hussey, Dan Christian, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty. Peter Forrest (12th man)

Sri Lanka - Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Dhammika Prasad, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sachithra Senanayake. Thisara Perera (12th man)

Indian maestro Gavaskar inducted in Hall of Fame



SHARJAH: Former India captain and batting legnd Sunil Gavaskar was formally inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame, the ICC said Thursday.

The 62-year-old former opener was presented the Hall of Fame cap by former Indian captain Kapil Dev in the presence of Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive at a function held on Wednesday night, ICC said.

Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman in Test cricket to get 10,000 runs and 30 centuries, finishing with 10,122 and 34 hundreds during an illustrious career which spanned from 1971-87.

"It is a huge honour because it is the peers in the game who decide who is going to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. It has taken some time to co-ordinate the presentation but finally it is there and I am delighted that I have been inducted," said Gavaskar.

"This (award) means that you are in select company and, therefore, it becomes all the more special. To be an original inductee is an even bigger honour."

Gavaskar is one of the initial 55 inductees in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame which was launched in January 2009 in association with the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) as part of the ICC's Centenary Year.

Gavaskar now joins a Hall of Fame that includes 72 male and female cricketers.

He was also a member of the India squad that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1983 in England, defeating the West Indies by 43 runs.

Gavaskar showed delight on getting the cap from his former captain.

"Dev and I have had some wonderful times. Being part of the World Cup-winning squad is a memory that will always stay with me. Dev lifting the Cup at Lord's is something that I will always treasure and, therefore, to receive the cap from him makes this occasion even more special."

Dev also acknowledged Gavaskar's contributions for India.

"It is a proud moment to be in the same group where Gavaskar is. In our time, we used to think and even till today we think he is one of the best-ever opening batsman and the greatest player in my era," said Dev.

Saeed Ajmal set for second Worcestershire stint



LONDON: Worcestershire have re-signed Saeed Ajmal following the off-spinner's clutch of wickets for Pakistan in their Test series whitewash of England.

Ajmal will join the Midlands county as their second overseas player for the domestic Twenty20 competition, along with Australia batsman Phil Hughes who will be at New Road for the whole of the 2012 English county season.

The in-form Ajmal took 24 wickets in Pakistan's 3-0 rout of England in the United Arab Emirates, including a Test-best seven for 55 in the series opener.

He spent the second half of last term with Worcestershire and helped them avoid relegation from the First Division of the County Championship.

Ajmal also collected up 16 Twenty20 wickets for the county at an average of just over 11 apiece.

"Saeed showed last summer when playing for us what a quality bowler he is," said Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes.

"His recent performances against England only serve to back this up," the former England wicket-keeper added.

"We are delighted that he has agreed to return to New Road for a second time."

The 34-year-old Ajmal, in a Worcestershire statement, said: "I really enjoyed my time at New Road in 2011 and look forward to returning this summer to help inspire the club to Twenty20 success."

BPL begins with colourful ceremony



DHAKA: The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) was opened with a grand colourful ceremony here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.

Bangladesh president was the chief guest at the ceremony who declared the event open.

All the six participating teams paraded before a large crowd in the stadium.

Famous Bangladeshi and Indian singers and artists performed at the stage amidst great applause.

Prominent among the players present on the occasion were West Indians Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard, Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq, Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal besides Bangladeshi international cricketers.

The six-team league is to be played in Dhaka and Chittagong from February 10, with the final on February 29.

In all, 33 matches will be played during the 20-day tournament. Two matches will be played on the opening day in Mirpur, Dhaka: First between Barisal Burners and Sylhet Royals, and the second between Chittagong Kings and Duronto Rajshahi.

All the matches of the BPL will be telecast live on Geo Super.

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi, the most expensive foreign player at last month's auction after being sold to the Dhaka Gladiators franchise for $700,000, is not taking part due to international commitments.

Pakistan begin a one-day series against England in the United Arab Emirates this week.

Fixing claim hits Bangladesh's IPL-style event



DHAKA: Bangladesh's inaugural Twenty20 league opened on a sour note on Thursday when a leading player revealed he had received a spot-fixing proposition.

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said he had been approached by an unnamed player regarding potential spot-fixing when he turns out as skipper of the Dhaka Gladiators in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

"I have told my team management about the approach and I'm sure they will do the right thing," Mortaza told the Cricinfo website. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) confirmed the report.

Dhaka newspapers reported that Mortaza said he would step down from the team captaincy if he suspected any irregularities once the tournament -- styled along the lines of the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) -- got going.

Mortaza was asked to provide information on whether he would play certain matches and even whether he would be wearing his sunglasses or a cap when he takes the field.

In exchange, he was told, he would be paid 15-20 percent of the earnings from the spot-betting.

BCB officials said Mortaza has been asked to reveal the name of the player who made the approach.

"This is a very serious offence," BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus told AFP. "We have zero tolerance towards these things and will do whatever is needed to nail it down quickly.

"Mortaza has to disclose the name of the player. It needs to be addressed very seriously."

Mortaza will be speaking to officials of the International Cricket Council's Anti-orruption Security Unit before the matches get under way on Friday, Yunus said. (

New Zealand cap Zimbabwe whitewash



NAPIER: New Zealand crushed Zimbabwe by 202 runs in the final one-day international in Napier on Thursday to complete a 3-0 series whitewash over the out-classed tourists.

Zimbabwe again failed to fire as New Zealand, inspired by a man-of-the-match century from skipper Brendon McCullum, plundered 373-8 in their 50 overs and then routed the Africans for 171 with six overs to spare.

Captain Brendan Taylor, whose brisk 65 off 62 balls was the high point of the Zimbabwe innings, was left looking for positives from a series in which the gulf between the teams progressively widened.

"We've got to just keep trying to climb that ladder and become better players," he said.

"We've got a lot to learn and we'll be better for it after this tour."

Returning to the ground where they suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 301 runs in a one-off Test last month, Zimbabwe let themselves down with loose bowling and shoddy fielding on a flat wicket.

New Zealand capitalised after winning the toss and electing to bat, with a 153-run opening partnership from Martin Guptill (85) and Rob Nicol (61) laying the foundation for their side's third-highest one-day international total.

McCullum piled on the agony with a swashbuckling 119 from 88 balls, including five sixes, as Zimbabwe's Brian Vitori suffered the indignity of becoming only the fifth player to concede more than 100 runs in an ODI.

Vitori haemorrhaged 105 runs in nine overs for just one wicket, at one point conceding three sixes in three balls to Nathan McCullum, the New Zealand skipper's brother, in a horror over that yielded 26 runs.

Zimbabwe have two Twenty20 matches remaining on the tour, the first in Auckland on Saturday, in which to salvage some pride.