Tuesday, April 17, 2012
PCB to launch Pakistan Premier League T20
Hussey, Pattinson keep Australia in control at Trinidad
Hussey (73) and Pattinson (32) helped push the tourists, who are 1-0 up in the three-match series, to 311 all out as the West Indies finished the day on 49 for three, still trailing by 262 runs at Queen's Park Oval.
But Kemar Roach insisted the West Indies were still very much in the match.
"We're big boys. We're big men," said the seamer.
"So we're a bit behind, but so it goes in cricket. We can come back. We will come back tomorrow and play cricket the way we want to play cricket."
Hussey top-scored for Australia before falling to Narsingh Deonarine.
Rain arrived shortly before lunch, just after Hussey had brought up his fifty, and Australia added 59 runs for the loss of one wicket before lunch to take the score to 267 for six.
The showers became heavier and another 100 minutes were lost which will mean early starts for the remainder of the Test.
Hussey admitted the wicket was hard to bat on.
"The odd one is spinning a lot. The odd one is staying low. The odd one is bouncing a bit. So, again, you can't trust the conditions, you can't trust the pitch to go through with your shots," he said.
After the extended break, the West Indian team appeared to be getting more and more frustrated as Hussey and Pattinson were batting with confidence although deliveries were still regularly passing the edge.
"I think the times I got most angry with him was when he started to chase the ball and went for those big wild ones outside off stump," said Hussey of what it was like watching Pattinson battle at the other end.
"But while he was playing nice and straight and not deviating from his line I was more than happy with the way he was playing. I thought he did a fantastic job."
With the score on 297 the breakthrough finally came. It surprised everyone when Hussey didn't move his feet to a Deonarine delivery and simply slapped it to short extra cover where Kraigg Brathwaite held the chance.
Like Deonarine's other victim, Michael Clarke, Hussey couldn't believe the shot he had played. He had batted for over four hours in another fine innings.
His seventh wicket partnership with Pattinson had been worth 89 runs but the fall of the wicket opened up the tail.
As so often seems to happen, when one falls the other batsmen goes too. Just five balls later, without further addition to the score, Pattinson got a top-edge to a ball from Shane Shillingford. Despite confusion between the fielders, Darren Bravo took the skied chance.
Ben Hilfenhaus had survived a DRS lbw decision when Shillingford struck his pads. In the next over he played a lovely cut shot off Roach to the boundary but next ball his stumps were knocked back. The ball rebounded off his legs and Australia had lost their ninth wicket.
Roach hit Michael Beer on the pads and two balls later he was given out by South African umpire Marais Erasmus. The decision stood despite the batsman using the review system.
The West Indies seamer had taken a five-wicket haul for the third time in his career.
Clarke pulled a surprise move at the start of the West Indies innings by opening the bowling with left-arm off-spinner Beer.
Hilfenhaus was operating from the other end. The new ball and humid conditions allowed him to find prodigious swing.
To try and combat the movement Brathwaite was moving across his crease.
In his second over, Hilfenhaus got one to miss the inside edge and strike him on the pad. Umpire Ian Gould raised his finger and, despite Brathwaite's review, replays supported the umpire's decision.
It was consecutive ducks for Brathwaite who had failed to score for the fifth time in his fifteen Test innings.
Adrian Barath received ironic cheers from the crowd when he finally got off the mark from the 25th ball that he faced.
He never settled and Clarke's bold move to open with spin paid off in Beer's seventh over. Barath didn't pick the arm ball and was caught in front of the stumps for seven.
West Indies had lost both of their openers with only 26 on the board.
Surprisingly, Pattinson was the fourth bowler to be used by Clarke. He then struck with his very first ball.
He trapped Kieran Powell in front and it was the third lbw dismissal of the innings. He was out for 19 but replays showed that the ball had pitched just outside the line of leg stump.
Bravo (16) and Shivranine Chanderpaul (1) saw out the day.
Pakistan prepares for cricket revival
Foreign teams have shunned Pakistan since the deadly militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during the third Test in Lahore in March 2009, but on Sunday Bangladesh agreed to a two-match tour.
"The preparation work is fast and we are ready to host Bangladesh," said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Nadeem Sarwar. "We have had a physical inspection of the Stadium today and are gearing up for Bangladesh matches."
Work has begun to clean the stands and replace broken seating, but with the security situation still volatile, measures to ensure player safety have taken precedence.
PCB security manager Waseem Shahid said a complete plan for the arrangements will be submitted to the government for their approval.
"We will send a security plan to the federal government and as per the ICC (International Cricket Council) standards will put in place the best possible arrangements for the Bangladesh team," said Shahid.
When Bangladesh and Pakistan line up for their 50-over match at the Gaddafi Stadium on April 29, it will be the end of a 37-month gap in international cricket in Pakistan.
Groundsman Haji Bashir, who has worked at the stadium since its inception 53 years ago, said he was thrilled at Bangladesh's visit.
"I am delighted at the prospect of preparing pitches for the matches and it's great news for the nation that we will host international games again," the 73-year-old said.
The Gaddafi Stadium, named after the former Libyan leader in 1974 -- has been the focus of the cricketing world on numerous occasions.
It was here that Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga lifted the trophy after their shock World Cup triumph in 1996, sparking wild celebrations on the island.
But 13 years later, the Sri Lankan cricketers had to be airlifted in a helicopter after the horrifying terror attacks.
Last year, the Pakistan government resisted calls from the world community to change the name of the Stadium after the autocratic rule of Libya's leader ended in a bloody revolution.
Bangladesh coach concerned over Pakistan tour
Bangladesh are set to be the first team to visit Pakistan since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus during the Lahore Test in 2009, when eight people died and seven visiting players and an assistant coach were injured.
"It's got to be made sure by the two associating boards that everyone is 100 percent safe to go," he said in comments reported in Tuesday's Dhaka-based New Age newspaper.
"I cannot speak on behalf of the players. I have spent time with the players and everyone is a bit concerned. Not just Bangladesh, but the other teams as well," he said.
"The first initial response from the players around the world is: 'I don't want to go.'"
Bangladesh will play one 50-over game and a Twenty20 international on April 29 and 30 in Lahore, a move hailed by Pakistani political leaders, players and fans.
But newspapers in Bangladesh criticised Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Mustafa Kamal for agreeing to the tour.
Law, from Australia, declined to confirm if he would go on the tour, while Bangladesh's cricket authorities said they were seeking clearance from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Foreign teams shunned Pakistan after the 2009 attacks, forcing them to play their home series on neutral venues, mostly in the United Arab Emirates. (
Kamran set for return to Pakistan team
While he was dropped after the World Cup because of poor form, the PCB also had suspicions about his integrity after the spot-fixing scandal saw three Pakistan players – Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir – first banned and then jailed for their role in it. “Kamran has now also been cleared on the integrity form, and given that he has regularly been playing domestic cricket and performing pretty consistently, he is now in line to be considered for the one ODI and one Twenty20 against Bangladesh later this month in Lahore,” the source confirmed. The source said the move to get Kamran cleared and bring him back to the Pakistan team had begun when Pakistan were playing the one-day series against England in the UAE. “Even former coach Mohsin Khan, in a meeting with the PCB chairman and captain Misbahul Haq, had pleaded that the national team could still make a lot of use of the experience and skills of Kamran,” the source said. Kamran recently also played in the Bangladesh Premier League and performed well for the Sylhet team. He also captained the team in the last few matches.
End.
Hussey, Pattinson keep Aussies in control
Hussey (73) and Pattinson (32) helped push the tourists, who are 1-0 up in the three-match series, to 311 all out as the West Indies finished the day on 49 for three still trailing by 262 runs.
Hussey top-scored for Australia before falling to Narsingh Deonarine.
Rain arrived shortly before lunch, just after Hussey had brought up his fifty, and Australia added 59 runs for the loss of one wicket before lunch to take the score to 267 for six.
Unfortunately, the showers became heavier and another 100 minutes were lost which will mean early starts for the remainder of the Test.
After the extended break, the West Indian team appeared to be getting more and more frustrated. Hussey and Pattinson were batting with as much confidence as had been seen but still deliveries were regularly passing the edge.
With the score on 297 the breakthrough finally came. It surprised everyone when Hussey didn't move his feet to a Deonarine delivery and simply slapped it to short extra cover where Kraigg Brathwaite held the chance.
Like Deonarine's other victim, Michael Clarke, Hussey couldn't believe the shot he had played. He had batted for over four hours in another fine innings.
His seventh wicket partnership with Pattinson had been worth 89 runs but the fall of the wicket opened up the tail.
As so often seems to happen, when one falls the other batsmen goes too. Just five balls later, without further addition to the score, Pattinson got a top-edge to a ball from Shane Shillingford. Despite confusion between the fielders, Darren Bravo took the skied chance.
Ben Hilfenhaus had survived a DRS lbw decision when Shillingford struck his pads. In the next over he played a lovely cut shot off Roach to the boundary but next ball his stumps were knocked back. The ball rebounded off his legs and Australia had lost their ninth wicket.
When West Indies seamer Kemar Roach hit Michael Beer on the pads two balls later he was given out by South African umpire Marais Erasmus. The decision stood despite the batsman using the review system.
Clarke pulled a surprise move at the start of the West Indies innings by opening the bowling with left-arm off-spinner Beer.
Hilfenhaus was operating from the other end. The new ball and humid conditions allowed him to find prodigious swing.
To try and combat the movement, Brathwaite was moving across his crease.
In his second over, Hilfenhaus got one to miss the inside edge and strike him on the pad. Umpire Ian Gould raised his finger and, despite Brathwaite's review, replays supported the umpire's decision.
It was consecutive ducks for Brathwaite who had failed to score for the fifth time in his fifteen Test innings.
Adrian Barath received ironic cheers from the crowd when he finally got off the mark from the 25th ball that he faced.
He never settled and Clarke's bold move to open with spin paid off in Beer's seventh over. Barath didn't pick the arm ball and was caught in front of the stumps for 7.
West Indies had lost both of their openers with only 26 on the board.
Surprisingly, Pattinson was the fourth bowler to be used by Clarke. He then struck with his very first ball.
He trapped Kieran Powell in front and it was the third lbw dismissal of the innings. He was out for 19 but replays showed that the ball had pitched just outside the line of leg stump.
Bravo (16) and Shivranine Chanderpaul (1) saw out the day but the seventh wicket parntership between Hussey and Pattinson had given Australia the base for the bowlers to then put them in control.
Delhi win after bowling out Mumbai for 92
After Delhi captain Virender Sehwag won the toss and put Mumbai into bat, his bowlers destroyed the rivals’ batting line up as only two batsmen could get into double figures.
They were captain Harbhajan Singh (33) and Rohit Sharma (29 as Mumbai Indians were bowled out for 92, the lowest total scored so far by any team in the tournament.
For Delhi, fast-medium bowler Umesh Yadav, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, Sout African fast bowler Morne Morkel and India’s fast-medium bowler Ajit Agarkar claimed two wickets each.
Later, Delhi achieved the easy target of 93 in just 14.5 overs.
Sehwag top scored with 32 while Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and new Zealand’s Ross Taylor remained not out on 17 and 10, respectively.
For Mumbai, RP Singh took two for 24.
Geo Super, Pakistan’s premier sports tv channel, televised the match live from Mumbai.
