Asia Cup: Pak squad leaves today

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket team will leave for Bangladesh today to participate in Asia Cup beginning from March 11 (Sunday), Geo News reported.

Misbah-ul Haq will lead the squad despite calls for his axing after he failed to win the last Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi when he was bowled off the final delivery, leaving England victorious by five runs.

The four-nation event includes defending champions India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and will be held March 11-22.

New selection committee left out struggling all-rounder Shoaib Malik and opener Imran Farhat from the 15-man squad announced for Asia Cup.

Squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Hammad Azam, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afrid, Azhar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz.

Team management: Naveed Akram Cheema (Team Manager), Dave Whatmore (Head Coach), Julian Fountain (Fielding Coach), Faisal Hayat Khan (Physiotherapist), Saboor Ahmed (Trainer), Waseem Ahmed Shahid (Security Manager), Talha Butt (Analyst) and Malang Ali (Masseur).

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Bangladesh chief selector Akram Khan quits over 'interference'

DHAKA: Bangladesh's chief national selector Akram Khan resigned on Wednesday citing interference in the squad for the forthcoming Asia Cup by the country's cricket board.

Bangladesh board president AHM Mustafa Kamal omitted opener Tamim Iqbal, Akram's nephew, reducing the 15-man squad to 14.

Tamim, widely regarded as Bangladesh's best batsman, had been suffering from a groin injury.

Akram said he had selected Tamim after his fitness was cleared by the team's South African physiotherapist Bibhab Singh.

"This is not an isolated incident of interference," Akram told Reuters before submitting his resignation letter.

"He (Kamal) tried to interfere in our works many times in the past. We had to drop (Mohammad) Ashraful from the squad under his pressure," he said, referring to the middle-order batsman.

"Given these circumstances, it's very difficult to enjoy the work, so I decided to resign," he said.

Kamal, who is currently on a personal visit to England, could not be reached for comments.

Former captain Akram helped Bangladesh qualify for its first World Cup in 1999 following victory in the lower-tier ICC trophy in 1997.

He played eight tests and 44 one-day internationals, and has been a selector since 2007. He was made chief selector after the World Cup last year.

Bangladesh will host the biennial four-nation Asia Cup from March 11-22 with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka competing. AGENCIES

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South Africa 86-1 at tea in New Zealand Test

DUNEDIN: South Africa were 86/1 at tea on a rain-shortened opening day in the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday, as skipper Graeme Smith cruised to a half-century on a flat pitch.

Smith was 53 not out and Hashim Amla was with him on 22 after Trent Boult took New Zealand's only wicket in a session where the bowlers struggled, Doug Bracewell the best performer after conceding only nine runs off six overs.

With almost four hours of play lost to the weather, New Zealand captain Ross Taylor elected to bowl after winning the toss, hoping damp conditions would provide movement and produce early wickets for his four-pronged pace attack.

However, Chris Martin and Tim Southee failed to find any demons in the pitch with the new ball, with South African openers Smith and Alviro Petersen looking comfortable as they made a steady start.

The South Africans were content to take the shine off the ball and proceed cautiously, taking only nine runs in the first five overs before going after Boult and scoring 11 off his first over.

But the strategy of attacking Boult backfired when Petersen was dismissed lbw for 11, umpire Aleem Dar initially ruling not out but Taylor calling for a television review which confirmed the wicket.

Amla joined Smith in the middle and they brought up 50 runs for South Africa in the 13th over as New Zealand's bowlers failed to threaten on the placid pitch.

Taylor introduced Daniel Vettori to the attack in the 16th over in a bid to unsettle the batsmen, the spinner almost claiming a wicket when Amla shouldered arms against a ball that just missed the off stump.

New Zealand squandered two run-out opportunities in the session, one involving Smith, and the South African captain went on to reach his 31st Test 50 with a four off Tim Southee. AGENCIES

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Clarke, Pattinson out of series decider vs Sri Lanka

ADELAIDE: Australian captain Michael Clarke and young paceman James Pattinson were Wednesday ruled out of the tri-series decider against Sri Lanka, as coach Mickey Arthur demanded a new strategy.
  
Clarke scored a century in Australia's crushing loss to Sri Lanka as the visitors levelled the series 1-1 in Adelaide on Tuesday, but it came at a price.
  
He strained a hamstring which not only ruled him out of the final tri-series game on Thursday, but could also see him miss the start of this month's tour of the West Indies where Australia will play five one-dayers and three Tests.
  
"It doesn't look great for certainly the early part of the one-day series in the West Indies," Arthur told reporters of Clarke, who was due to have scans later Wednesday.
  
Clarke only returned to action last weekend from a strain to his right hamstring, which sidelined him for three games.
  
Pattinson will also miss the match with a buttock strain.
  
Sri Lanka blazed to an emphatic eight-wicket victory Tuesday with the World Cup finalists easily running down Australia's 271 for six to post 274-2 with 34 balls to spare.
  
Arthur was not happy with the scale of the defeat and said Australia needed to go back to the drawing board.
  
"It simply wasn't good enough. There was no excuse for it," he said.
  
"We need to play in a different way in these conditions which are totally different.
  
"We have had a couple of serious chats... we are looking at ways we can beat Sri Lanka in these conditions.
 
"We will have a couple of tricks up our sleeve tomorrow and hopefully they work for us. We have given a lot of thought to them."

Spinner Nathan Lyon is likely to replace Pattinson, with Peter Forrest tipped to take Clarke's place. AGENCIES

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Pakistan not to repeat England mistakes in Asia Cup: Younis

KARACHI: Experienced batsman Younis Khan said the mistakes committed in one-day series against England would not be repeated in Asia Cup.

Speaking to newsmen here on Tuesday, Khan said Pakistan-India contests are necessary for the development of cricket.

To a question on English language barrier with newly named coach Dev Whatmore, Khan said it does not make any difference, arguing
“All of us know the language of cricket.”

He said the upcoming match between Pakistan and India in the Asia Cup would be important. He said the match would be beneficial for players as well as cricket boards.

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