What was Afridi thinking?

This weekend, I’ve seen some things on cricket fields which redefine stupidity. First cab off the rank - without even knowing what will become of the inevitable interview with the match referee, Shahid Afridi’s actions today rank right up there with Dumb & Dumber.

I write this post, barely ten minutes after the finish of a tense game in Perth, so I don’t even know if Afridi has been summoned to a “please explain” with Ranjan Madugalle or not, but I’d be hugely surprised if we see him at the MCG on Friday night. Goodness knows what he was thinking or what his excuse will be for seemingly gnawing away at the cricket ball, but as captain it really begs the question of whether he is true leadership material. He has always been accused of playing stupid shots while batting but that is also his charm and excitement. This latest incident has no up side.

I daresay there will be the usual protestations of wide-eyed innocence but I’m not sure if it will wash this time around. Umar Gul’s earnest conversation with him during a subsequent break in play seemed to be about anything but the next bowling change. Of course, that is only my guess but I reckon the dressing room would have been sending urgent messages to the captain, trying to find ways to put out fires that will burn long into the night. Actually, leading up to that incident, his leadership seemed pretty inspiring, in stark contrast to what Mohammad Yousuf's charisma looks like from afar, watching on TV. However, the TV coverage of the 'bitegate' was not pretty – as much as I love watching Afridi play, I just can’t imagine what excuse will save his skin this time.

Running a very close second to his stupidity was the (presumably inebriated) spectator who invaded the WACA ground and tackled Khalid Latif. In fact, in terms of player safety and the spirit of the game, that action deserves nothing short of contempt. It is to Latif’s credit that he scrambled to his feet with a smile on his face and did his best to make light of what was a very potentially serious incident. If he was an international footballer (soccer), Latif would have done four death rolls and writhed in pain for a few minutes until he got sufficient TV coverage and then sprung to his feet like a startled gazelle when the magic sponge was applied! Fortunately, these Pakistani cricketers are a tough bunch of lads.

On a far less public stage, I witnessed (again and again) an umpire in club cricket who persisted in dropping his lighted cigarette butts on the edge of the field as he walked out to start each new session. Apart from the litter and hygiene aspects, most of Australia is normally in the midst of some fire ban or the other. The horrors of the Victorian bushfires, barely a year ago, should still be vivid in our minds, especially considering some of those killer blazes were allegedly ignited through carelessness or murderous intent. And yet, grown adults, entrusted with some leadership roles, repeatedly do this sort of thing! My two-year old son, accustomed to coming down and playing on the fringes of the oval, picked up one of these butts and was about to suck on it in curiosity when I intervened just in time. When confronted on the issue, the umpire initially tried to deny it but soon realised that the evidence was overwhelming. Dumb, Dumber and now Butthead!

Final observation on less than clever things I’ve seen this weekend? Pakistan’s continued obsession with Younis Khan at the top of the order. With Imran Farhat waiting in the wings, a dead rubber and a batsman clearly out of his depth on Australian pitches (on this tour anyway), it seemed like a deliberate own goal to keep sending him out at No. 3. His inability to score off the short ball meant he was just pinned back in the crease, chewing up valuable balls in the Powerplay and then forced to play away from his body, nicking to keeper or slip. If it was essential that he played in all 5 games (I can’t think of why but….), why didn’t they allow him to ease into things gently at 5 or 6 when the field is usually spread and singles are more easily available?

Pakistan’s cricket this summer has been a series of inexplicable events. Unquestioned talent, missed opportunities, daft cricket at times and a real lack of sensing the moments when the game swung on a knife’s edge. It was a fitting end to the tour really, to see the game won with a lobbed catch off a waist high no-ball. I read just now that the chief selector has just resigned too. Another tour that promised so much and has so far delivered sweet nothing. Isn't that oh so Pakistan!

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Afridi banned for two T20s for ball-tampering

Shahid Afridi has been banned for two Twenty20 internationals after being found guilty of ball-tampering during Pakistan's two-wicket loss to Australia at the WACA in Perth.

Afridi, leading Pakistan for the second time in an ODI, in the absence of Mohammad Yousuf, was caught on TV cameras apparently biting the ball on a couple of occasions. The incident was reported to the on-field umpires by the TV umpire and after a chat with Afridi, the umpires changed the ball immediately.

Afridi was called into a hearing with the match referee Ranjan Madugalle immediately after the match. "Shahid Afridi has been banned for two T20Is after the incident," a team official told Cricinfo. "He pleaded guilty to the charge."

The punishment puts Pakistan into a quandary because Afridi is their Twenty20 captain and they end their tour of Australia with a Twenty20 in Melbourne on February 5. Yousuf, who captained Pakistan in Tests and ODIs, is not part of the Twenty20 squad and Younis Khan, who was captain before the tour of New Zealand which preceded this one, has retired from the format. Shoaib Malik, who was captain in all three formats this time last year, might be one of those in the running. Afridi will also now miss the first Twenty20 against England in Abu Dhabi in February.

"It's unacceptable," Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan coach, said. "It shouldn't have happened but it happened and I feel sorry for him. Being a captain you should be above everything but unfortunately it's happened."

Afridi's antics were part of a bizarre finale to the game, which sealed a 5-0 win for Australia. Opener Khalid Latif was tackled by a fan who broke through the security cordon and ran on to the field. Police have spoken to Latif, who is not thought to be seriously injured. But action is likely to be taken against the spectator and Pakistan's management will also look at the incident in further detail.

"I thought it was disgraceful," Australian seamer Clint McKay said. "Something you don't want to see ever. For someone to go out there and to touch one of their players is not on. Hopefully it all gets put to bed and he gets a right whack. It's probably the worst thing that can happen on a cricket field, so hopefully it gets stamped out and we don't see it again."

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Pitch invasion, ball biting mar Australia's bizarre clean sweep of tourists

AUSTRALIA secured a stunning 5-0 series sweep over Pakistan, but the result was hardly the chief topic of conversation at the WACA Ground last night. That was reserved for a series of startling developments, headlined by a disgraceful pitch invasion that saw a member of the Pakistan side tackled to the ground and an earlier incident in which Shahid Afridi, the touring captain, was filmed biting the ball.

The incidents will likely keep the International Cricket Council busy for some time yet. Afridi could face action from the match referee, Ranjan Madugalle, for changing the condition of the ball, while Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, told the Herald he would pursue further action over the pitch invasion which left Khalid Latif shaken.

The Afridi ball-biting incident occurred with Australia precariously placed at 7-178 and needing 35 more runs for victory off 30 balls to chase down Pakistan's 212. Umpires changed the ball straight away.

Then, in the 46th over, Latif was tackled to the ground in an incident that will do little to enhance the WACA Ground's reputation as among the most boorish venues in international cricket. Latif was unhurt by the tackle and attempted to make light of the matter but it cast a deep shadow over the match.

It was the second time in the match a spectator invaded the field of play and no less than 16 security guards lined the boundary after Latif was brought to the ground.

Mike Hussey (40 not out off 46 balls), Nathan Hauritz (18 off 20 balls) and Ryan Harris (two not out) ensured Australia got over the line with four balls and two wickets to spare after Ricky Ponting's 55 set up the innings.

But it was Afridi's bizarre biting incident that had everyone talking.

Afridi, who claimed 2-31 from his 10 overs, was banned for one Test and two one-dayers in 2005 for scraping his boots on the pitch in a Test against England and could now face a hefty suspension for ball tampering.

Set a modest 213 for victory, Australia were cruising at 3-122 in the 32nd over before a collapse of 3-28, which included the wicket of Ponting and Adam Voges (24), catapulted Pakistan back into the contest.

But Hussey, Mitchell Johnson (13) and Hauritz did enough to hold off Pakistan's charge.

Australia needed just one run off the last four balls and secured the win when Harris was caught off a no-ball from Rao Iftikhar.

Hussey's latest knock took his series aggregate to 220 runs at an average of 73.

Pakistan collapsed to 3-16 in the ninth order after winning the toss and electing to bat before face-saving half-centuries from Umar Akmal (67 off 102 balls) and Fawad Alam (63 off 70) helped lift the visitors to somewhat of a respectable total, with Alam last man out in the 50th over.

In-form speedster Harris, buoyed by consecutive man-of-the-match awards, again haunted Pakistan with figures of 3-44 while Clint McKay (4-35) was also clinical.

Recalled speedster Johnson, playing his first game of the series, bowled with great pace and gusto to claim 2-42, striking tail-ender Iftikhar in the head with a vicious bouncer in the process.

Johnson, who regularly bowled in excess of 150km/h, added a run-out to his name in an impressive return to action. Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke and paceman Peter Siddle were ruled out of the match due to back complaints, with Johnson and Voges called in.

Meanwhile, legendary fast bowler Imran Khan said yesterday that Pakistani players had suffered ''insulting treatment'' at the hands of the Indian Premier League, and no player should take part in the tournament, reports AFP. Eleven top Pakistani cricketers were up for grabs at the Indian Premier League auction in mid-January but none were picked, sparking outrage in Pakistan and accusations against arch-rival India of political meddling.

''IPL did injustice to Pakistani players - in fact it was insulting treatment meted out to players who are world champions, and we should never send our players to the league,'' said Khan, a former captain turned politician. ''Pakistani cricketers are the best in the world and the PCB should protest this with the Indian Board and boycott the IPL. They totally disrespected the Pakistani players.''

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Pakistan chief selector puts in papers

Iqbal Qasim has tendered his resignation as Pakistan's chief selector following the side's disastrous results in Australia, where the team was whitewashed in both the Test and ODI series, in what turned out to be one of Pakistan's most dispiriting campaigns in recent years.

"We made this team and it was the best possible team, but their performance has been really poor, unbelievably poor," Qasim told Cricinfo. "I had two options after this. One was to stick on, evaluate and analyse the performance or step down. Anyone would do a post-mortem so I thought it my moral responsibility to do this."

The move came within minutes of Pakistan's two-wicket loss in Perth, sealing only their second-ever 5-0 blanking in ODI cricket. The statistic, in particular, hurt Qasim. "I have been very disturbed by it and it has really hurt. Everyone has a conscience and so with that in mind, I have stepped down. Clearly major surgery is required on the side," he said.

If and when the resignation is accepted it will bring to an end a very short tenure for Qasim and likely bring in a third head of the selection committee within a year. Qasim took over in July last year, after Abdul Qadir had left the post claiming interference in his duties from external influences. His only assignments were the Champions Trophy, in which Pakistan reached the semi-final, and the the Test and ODI challenges against New Zealand and Australia.

During this tour, on a couple of occasions disagreements with Mohammad Yousuf, the captain, cropped up, notably over the call-up of Misbah-ul-Haq in New Zealand and the request for Younis Khan for the Tests in Australia. That is not believed to be a factor behind the decision, however.

Qasim was a member of the selection committee until the 2007 World Cup and had been appointed in an honorary post, continuing as a senior employee with the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP). As such, his honorary post was a break from recent practice, where the chief selectors were full-time, paid employees of the board. It is believed that at least one other member of the seven-man committee - who are paid selectors - is considering his future as well.

The move is likely to spark an escalation in the tumult permanently surrounding the country's cricket. Changes in the coaching set-up are expected after the series, as well as a change in the captaincy. Shahid Afridi led the side in the fifth ODI in Perth, after Mohammad Yousuf pulled out with what team officials said was a "stiff knee." But reports in the local press claim that Yousuf chose not to play after disagreements with the team management over the final playing XI.

Yousuf had reportedly been asked to rest from the side by the team management the night before the match, but initially refused. Ultimately disagreements over the team XI - Pakistan brought in Khalid Latif, Shoaib Malik and Sarfraz Ahmed - led Yousuf to sitting out, apparently in protest.

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Imran Khan slams 'insulting' IPL snub

KARACHI — Legendary fast bowler Imran Khan said Sunday that Pakistani players had suffered "insulting treatment" at the hands of the Indian Premier League, and no player should take part in the tournament.

Eleven top Pakistani cricketers were up for grabs at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction in mid-January but none were picked, sparking outrage in Pakistan and accusations against arch-rival India of political meddling.

"IPL did injustice to Pakistani players -- in fact it was insulting treatment meted out to players who are world champions, and we should never send our players to the league," said Khan, a former captain turned politician.

"Pakistani cricketers are the best in the world and the PCB should protest this with the Indian Board and boycott the IPL," he told reporters.

"They totally disrespected the Pakistani players. If they had security problems they should have dealt with them before the auction."

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already revoked permission for players to feature in the third edition of the IPL in March-April, while PCB chief Ijaz Butt has also said the nation's cricketers are banned from the tournament.

Former players have demanded that the national hockey team boycott the upcoming World Cup in New Delhi in protest, while Pakistan's sports minister complained to his Indian counterpart.

Former players and politicians have also called for a boycott of the 2011 cricket World Cup, jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"We should play in the World Cup, even if we have to play in India, because the World Cup is a global event and if we don't play, our cricket will suffer badly," said Khan, one of the top four all-rounders to play the game.

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Pak seeks post-mortem after Australia debacle

Karachi: Pakistan's chief selector Iqbal Qasim has admitted that raising a strong team for next year's World Cup would be tough, considering the team's continuing downslide in one-day internationals.

"It will certainly need a lot of effort, lot of hard work for us to put our team on right track for the World Cup," Iqbal told The News in an interview on Saturday.

"Preparing for the World Cup is definitely our biggest task and hopefully with a combined effort, we will send a strong team for the tournament," he said.

Pakistan suffered huge blows in their ongoing one-day series against Australia. They have lost all four games so far with the latest defeat coming in Perth where Pakistan crashed to a 135-run defeat.

Before the series against the Aussies, Pakistan suffered a disappointing 1-2 series defeat against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last November. That shock came after the Kiwis stunned Pakistan in the Champions Trophy semi-finals in South Africa.

This losing streak is quite surprising for Iqbal, who believes that he and fellow selectors had picked quite a formidable one-day squad.

"I still believe that we have a very good one-day team," said Iqbal, a former Pakistan Test spinner. "It seems that the problem is that they haven't played to their potential."

Iqbal stressed that Pakistan will need to carry out a comprehensive post-mortem soon after the conclusion of the tour of Australia before resuming what he described as a "rebuilding stage" ahead of the World Cup.

"We have to find out the causes behind such a pathetic performance of our team in Australia," said Iqbal.

"The reports from the team manager and coach will be very important. Then we will have to sit down with the captain and listen to his views. That will help us find out what really went wrong in Australia."

Pakistan's immediate task is to get ready for defending their title in the ICC World Twenty20 championship in the Caribbean this May. Iqbal is confident about the team's potential in the format.

"Our Twenty20 team is pretty much in order," he said adding that he and fellow selectors will sit down with Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's Twenty20 captain, to decide the line-up for the tournament.

"But the World Cup (2011) is a different matter. It won't be that easy to prepare a good team for it
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Cricket tsunami

Hey what’s the fuss about? Were we not supposed to get pinned by Australia? Everything went according to script, so why are people sulking now. Soon, we will get over this whitewash also. The repeated failures have killed our sense of self. We have reached summit of cricket insanity where we now actually look forward to Australia thrashing!

The Pakistan team’s frequent abrupt shifts are zombifying its fans. Poor souls! Just as they begin to be sure to understand everything that is going on, they end up hopelessly confused. You would be if you were reading for a happy ending in ‘The Ballade of Suicide.’

Collecting data to map the sequence and range of destruction is not easy. We are dealing with a cricket tsunami and the debris is widespread. There is massive deterioration in fitness and technique of players and a question mark over their commitment too. This team’s out cricket is poor and the cricket intellect is non-existent. The captaincy is flat and uninspiring. Mohammad Yousuf’s lackadaisical leadership has earned him well-deserved flak. The poor fellow is simply not cut out for the job. Its quite baffling though, that a batsman, who has managed to outwit the opposition all these years can’t seem to reproduce the craft in his leadership. The coaches appear as tactless as the captain. To assemble three bowlers as coaches for a tour where batting gets neutralised is a seriously flawed effort.

So, is a change of guard the answer to lift the nation out of depression? Not really. It may give a temporary high and a cosmetic relief, but the problem is lot serious than a face makeover. The system needs a serious operation to induce a meaningful change. Putting band-aid on cancer is not a remedy. Like in economics, there are economic indicators that throw light on the condition of an economy. In cricket, it is the quality of first-class system that is responsible for the health of its Test cricket. Ask any one and he will tell you that our first-class engine is a hotch-potch of sorts, lacking in clarity and thought. It has many tiers and shapes and churn out players with many colours. When some of the gifted ones are exposed to the mix, they end up under achieving. What we have today is a bloated structure, infected by politics, selection biases and compromises. Even its huge volume this year, 22 first-class teams, 122 first-class matches and a pool of almost 250 plus players could not stop the Test team’s fall from grace. It is languishing at the bottom of the Test ranking pile.

The only recognised tier that has stood out and weathered the storm is the Under-19 set up. And not surprisingly, it is non first-class. Its innocence may have spared it from the clutches of politics. But sad part of the story is that when these young champions are exported to the first-class system, they get infected by insalubrious environment. The young minds absorb the imperfections of the system and drown in the sea of mediocrity.

So here is a short blue print. To invigorate school cricket, that suffers because of lack of infrastructure, tie a school cricket team with a cricket club of its area. The local school may be permitted to use the facilities of that club for two days a week and to back the effort, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may send its coaches to coach the kids. Teach them young and mold them young is the way to move forward. Chalk out a club cricket calendar to get rid of sleeping clubs, who wake up only for a vote buy out. Make first-class cricket city based, lean and competitive, clean of politics and pure in selection. Install a network of talent scouts to spot players in areas that are not on cricket selections radar. A good system will separate the valuable matter from the dross. Not only will it throw up quality players but good captains and able administrators too. We will have a real team then, one that the fans would be proud of!
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Greatbatch steps into New Zealand coaching role

Mark Greatbatch's first duties as coach of New Zealand will come against Bangladesh next week after his appointment ended the side's four-month search. Greatbatch will have a strong focus on the squad's batting and will work with the assistants Mark O'Donnell and Shane Jurgensen, while the captain Daniel Vettori remains involved in team selection and strategy.

The reshuffle comes after Andy Moles resigned in October and since then Vettori has been in charge of guiding the team. Originally New Zealand had hoped for a big-name signing, but they have been forced to appoint from within. Greatbatch, who played 41 Tests, has been on the selection panel and was with the team during their series against Pakistan in Dubai.

"There is a real desire for success within this current unit and there are some very talented individuals," Greatbatch said. "I believe that I can make a very positive contribution to the team and to the batting unit in particular."

Vettori said Greatbatch had a lot of respect from within the side and had made a strong impression during his work with the squad. "The team will respond very well to Mark's influence and collectively we can become a better and even more successful cricket team," he said. "Ultimately though, we will be judged on our results on the field, and it is up to us players to step up to the mark and perform."

Justin Vaughan, New Zealand's chief executive, believes the new combination will work well together. "Mark will maintain his selectorial responsibilities, as well as providing specialist batting coaching and acting as a sounding board to the captain over game tactics," he said. "It is really a continuation of the role he played successfully during the team's tour to the UAE." The first game of Bangladesh's tour is a Twenty20 international in Hamilton on Wednesday
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PCB shuts door on Pakistanis in IPL

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has ruled out the participation of its players in IPL 2010 and has revoked the no-objection certificates (NOCs) granted to its players.

"No Pakistani player will go to the IPL this time," Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo. "Why should we allow them to go? They didn't pick any of the players and it was an insult to us. Why should we let one or two players go? We will not take this lying down."

Butt's statement seems to have shut the door on the issue, though a PCB release issued minutes earlier held out some hope.

"All NOCs issued to Pakistani players for their participation in IPL 3 stand revoked," the PCB statement said. "In the future if any player receives an invitation for participation in IPL events, PCB will decide the matter on a case-to-case basis after consulting the relevant government authorities."

The decision came after Pakistani players were ignored at the player auction for the third edition held in Mumbai. Of the 11 players in the IPL's final auction list of 66, none were bought by any franchise.

That sparked outrage in Pakistan and led to statements on both sides - including one from India's home minister - regretting the blackout of Pakistani players at the auction. There has also been a warning issued by a regional party in Mumbai warning against Pakistanis being hired by the franchises, but recent reports indicated that Pakistani players could play a role in the next IPL season.

One player, allrounder Abdul Razzaq, has also been linked to two franchises though officials of both franchises deny any specific deal has been concluded.

The participation of Pakistani players in the third IPL season has been a subject of much controversy for the past three months, with some element of confusion over rules and eligibility. It was thought, when their names were included on the auction shortlist earlier this month, that the issue had been resolved but events at the January 19 auction suggest they are taking a new turn.

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‘Yousuf should be given extended run as captain’

LAHORE: While former Test captain Inzamam-ul-Haq came forward on Thursday in support of embattled Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf, suggesting a captain should be given at least one year to produce favourable results, the former batting maestro also tendered himself to act as the national team’s batting coach.

“Frequent changes in captaincy due to defeats can put any captain under pressure, ultimately. Therefore, a skipper should be given at least one year before any decision is taken about his captaincy future,” Inzamam told reporters here on Thursday.

“A swift change in [the national] captaincy also proves that the earlier decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint anyone as skipper was wrong,” he added.

Inzamam openly supported Yousuf for the captaincy slot when Younis Khan decided to take a break after the ODI series loss against New Zealand in the UAE last November.

However, under Yousuf Pakistan, after drawing the three-Test match series against New Zealand in New Zealand 1-1, had to suffer a clean sweep at the hands of Australia in the three-Test rubber.

Furthermore, the national team is set to taste another whitewash in the five-game ODI series after losing the first three encounters against Ricky Ponting’s brigade.

Inzamam, who played 120 Tests to score 8830 — just two runs less than Javed Miandad’s aggregate of 8832, and 11,739 runs, the highest by any Pakistani in ODIs, offered his services to cope with the batting woes faced by the national team.

“A batting coach is the need of the national team and I am ready to transfer my experience to the boys, after deciding the terms with the PCB,” Inzamam said.

Indirectly, he also criticised Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s head coach. “Only that coach can serve the [team’s] cause, who has played modern cricket, as South Africa’s Gary Kirsten [presently coaching India],” Inzamam, a veteran of 378 One-day Internationals, noted.

He said while Yousuf was a new captain, in the past even the experienced captains underwent defeats in Australia. Therefore, he reckoned, another change in captaincy would not be beneficial.

Citing serious lack of discipline within the team currently in Australia, the 1992 World Cup hero suggested strict action should be taken by the PCB and the team management against those who were giving statements in the media without proper permission.

To a question about groupings within the team, Inzamam said if that factor was there it was also a weakness of the team management.

He considered Shoaib Malik as the best all-rounder in one-day cricket, adding if he was not getting chance it was unjust.
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Abdul Razzaq linked to Kolkata Knight Riders

LAHORE: Abdul Razzaq could become the first Pakistani to appear in this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL), with the player saying he had been approached by Kolkata Knight Riders. While a team official said they had not approached the player following last week’s auction, Razzaq said he had been offered a contract by the franchise and Sourav Ganguly, the team captain, was quoted by NDTV as saying they had been in touch with him. “A one-year contract with KKR is ready, I have been told, but the IPL’s clearance is needed first,” Razzaq was quaoted as saying on a website on Thursday.

“We have spoken to Razzaq for a very long time, we wanted him in the team but will wait for the IPL rules,” Ganguly told NDTV. “The issue of Pakistani players is between the IPL and government. We shall have to wait for the rules.” However, a Kolkata official offered a contrary point of view. “We had talks with him pre-auction and we had some paperwork subject to IPL rules and conditions,” the official said. “The IPL included the Pakistani players in the auction list but our first priority then (during the auction) was to go for a fast bowler, so we went for Bond. Razzaq had, during this time, suffered a wrist injury and we are not so sure whether he has completely recovered from that. We have not approached him post-auction.”

The news is also yet to be confirmed by the IPL and Razzaq’s participation in this year’s tournament will be subject to the league’s rules on replacements. Since Kolkata have no free overseas spot, they can only sign up Razzaq as a replacement for an existing player on grounds of injury, and that will have to be cleared by the IPL board. Kolkata’s owner Shah Rukh Khan has openly expressed an interest in the allrounder but franchise officials say their slots are also filled up, though there is lingering concern over the fitness of Mashrafe Mortaza and, in particular, the knee problems that have kept him out of cricket since July last year.

That might not, however, preclude possible discussions between the franchise owner and Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner. Modi denied knowledge of the development. “He (Razzaq) remains on the list of players available in case of replacements required,” Modi said. “No one has approached me yet.” None of the 11 Pakistani players put up for the auction last week were bought by a franchise, sparking outrage in Pakistan over the perceived humiliation of its star players. The issue blew up into a broader concern, with both governments getting involved and Pakistan canceling a trip across the border by a parliamentary delegation in protest.

Over the last few days, however, pressure has seemingly built within India over the matter; the home minister P Chidambaram criticised the move to not include any Pakistan players even after they were put up for auction and the sports minister MS Gill distanced the government from the matter. Shah Rukh Khan also expressed his dissatisfaction, although he said it was something about which little could be done. Initial reports suggested Razzaq had been approached by the Deccan Chargers. “Verbal contact has been made by Deccan Chargers to Razzaq,” Ijaz Butt, chairman PCB, told media. “Razzaq has spoken to me and I have said only when something comes from them officially, in writing, will I seek government advice on this. We will consult with the government on this before taking any decision as they have supported us well after what happened last week. It can’t be just one player either. We have to see about the others.” Fidel Edwards, at the Deccan Chargers, is reportedly injured but the franchise emphatically denied making any approach to Razzaq, saying they have no slots left to take on another foreign player. “We don’t have a slot to take on any player,” Venkat Reddy, Deccan’s chief executive, told NDTV. “We have already filled our slot and not approached any player. We already have Ryan Harris (as a replacement).”
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Yousuf keen to stay on as captain

Mohammad Yousuf wants to keep leading Pakistan despite speculation over his role. Yousuf's position was placed in doubt when Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said the captain would change after the tour of Australia, but has since back-tracked.

The tourists have only two games left in Perth to register a win on the trip, having lost the Test series 3-0 and being behind 3-0 in the one-day series. Despite the results and the controversy, Yousuf is determined to stay in charge.

"After this series I want to [lead] because I'm honoured to have the Pakistan captaincy," Yousuf said in the aftermath of the 40-run loss in Adelaide. "I try my level best but I think this is the best team in the world to play against. I think we play good cricket, not bad cricket, apart from last game [in Sydney]."

Yousuf has been told Butt did not say he would be replaced. "The manager and the chairman had a chat, and the manager told me the chairman did not say anything," Yousuf said. "But I don't know." Yousuf took over the leadership when Younis Khan resigned, but the batsman has since returned to the side for the one-day series.

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Australia push to keep up momentum

The Big Picture

Australia's victory in Adelaide decided the series and consigned the two matches in Perth to dead-rubber status. But like most dead rubbers, there remain several individual storylines to keep the fans interested. Can Australia make it a 5-0 whitewash? Is there anything Mohammad Yousuf can do to save his captaincy? Can Ricky Ponting find form after yet another missed pull brought him a duck in Adelaide? Will Ryan Harris make himself a permanent ODI player or was his five-for a one-off? And will the Perth fans turn up to two games in three days, neither of which has any bearing on the series result?

Pakistan could be forgiven for feeling browbeaten after losing all three Tests and all three one-dayers so far. But this could be their best chance of getting a win on the board on this trip. Australia have taken the opportunity to rest Shane Watson, who over the past six months has been so important to Australia that he has been not only their leading ODI run scorer but also their top wicket taker. Doug Bollinger is also taking a break but Mitchell Johnson returns to the squad having sat out of the first three games. Australia will be keen to keep up their winning form with five ODIs against West Indies just around the corner.

Ponting will be hoping for a big personal effort after his misjudged-pull-lbw on Tuesday. He has come under fire for getting his cross-bat strokes wrong this summer but he said he was not worried about the trend. "Not at all. I'm not worried about getting a short ball from Rana, that's for sure," Ponting said. "The first couple that I faced I actually felt the ball bounced quite normally. The one I got out on I felt it didn't bounce ... as much. "I felt it was pretty much the same length as the last two. The last couple of games I've felt I haven't scored quickly enough. I wanted to be a bit more positive and put it back on the bowlers a little bit more and as it turned out I made a zero."

Form guide (most recent first)

Australia WWWNW
Pakistan LLLLL

Watch out for...

Shaun Marsh has made plenty of runs at his home ground, the WACA, over the past few years. But at international level, his only two appearances there have brought scores of 5 and 15. Marsh is in promising touch, having scored 41 and 83 in the past two games and without his opening partner Watson the Australians will be looking to him for a strong start.

Salman Butt has been Pakistan's most consistent batsman over the past month. He was on the way to another anchoring innings in Adelaide when he was sent packing for 34 thanks to an atrocious lbw decision. A good start from Butt will be one of the keys if Pakistan are to get a victory on the board.

Team news

Australia will make at least two changes, with Bollinger and Watson to be rested from the remaining two ODIs. Johnson will take Bollinger's position and James Hopes is the logical replacement for Watson, as a fellow medium-pace allrounder, which means Adam Voges is unlikely to break into the team unless a middle-order man like Michael Hussey or Michael Clarke is rotated out. There are several options as to who could open with Shaun Marsh in Watson's absence but the most likely is Brad Haddin, who has done the job 13 times in the past year for an average of 46.58. The success of Harris in Adelaide could encourage the selectors to be cautious with Peter Siddle's back soreness and give him extra time to recuperate.

Australia (possible) 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Cameron White, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Ryan Harris, 11 Clint McKay.

Mohammad Aamer is likely to be left out of the final two games with a groin problem that also kept him on the sidelines in Adelaide. Fawad Alam showed enough fight to keep his place ahead of Shoaib Malik and with the series lost, there is no reason not to give Rao Iftikhar and Khalid Latif a run, neither having played yet on this tour. But trying to predict what the Pakistan selectors will do is an unrewarding task.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Salman Butt, 2 Kamran Akmal (wk), 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf (capt), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

Pitch and conditions

The WACA usually provides runs in abundance and in three of the past five one-day internationals there, the team batting first has posted 280-plus. The players will need plenty of drinks breaks: the forecast for Friday is very hot and sunny with a maximum temperature of 37C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have won 54% of their ODIs at the WACA, which is their second-lowest winning percentage of any ground in Australia. Their only worse venue is the Gabba, where they have won 46%
• Australia are enjoying a purple patch and have won 21 of their past 26 ODIs. By contrast, Pakistan have won 11 of their past 26

  Quotes

  "We are trying to make the opposition feel as uncomfortable as we possibly can and win all the games we play."
  Brad Haddin
  

  "I try my level best but I think this is the best team in the world to play against. I think we play good cricket, not bad cricket."
  Mohammad Yousuf

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Akhtar eyeing T20 World Cup to prove critics wrong

ISLAMABAD: Temperamental Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar is aiming to play in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in May in the Caribbean, to prove his critics wrong.

Akhtar’s close friends and his domestic teammates told PakPassion.net that he is training hard, and is likely to take part in a 50-over tournament, starting next month, to prove his fitness for the T20 World Cup.

The 'Rawalpindi Express' believes that he still has some cricket left in him, and is eager to make a comeback in the national squad, they said.

“Akhtar believes he has been written off too soon and by too many, and he wants to make a comeback to the national team. He wants to work hard on his fitness and play regularly for KRL (domestic team) in the coming weeks, and to take part in the training camp. He feels that he still has something to offer to the Pakistan team,” Akhtar’s teammates said.

With young pace sensation Mohammed Aamir performing well, and bowlers like Mohammed Sami and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan making a comeback in the team, it would be a tough task for Akhtar to regain his spot.

However, Umar Gul’s lacklustre performance in the recent past could open the gates for Akhtar, who last represented Pakistan in a T20 match against Australia in Dubai in May 2009.

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Yousuf not our problem: Aussies

SO MUCH for solidarity. As Mohammad Yousuf waits to find out if his tenure as Pakistan captain extends beyond this weekend, his Australian rivals, whose dominant form has put Yousuf under intense scrutiny, say they are ambivalent to his plight.

After officially losing the one-day series on Tuesday night, the 35-year-old said he had been told by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt — through team manager Abdul Raqeeb — no decision had been made on the captaincy.

"The [team] manager and the chairman had a chat, and [the] manager told me ... chairman said he didn't say anything [about sacking me]," Yousuf said. "He told [the] manager, manager told me."

Butt's sentiments, if correct, are in contrast to comments last week when he reportedly declared the board had already agreed Yousuf would be sacked as captain — controversial because the team had only just begun its five-match one-day series against Australia. The chairman did, however, tell smh.com.au the reports he had prematurely ended Yousuf's captaincy were "rubbish talk".

Irrespective of the conjecture, Yousuf's immediate captaincy in Australia will not extend beyond the double-header in Perth. Shahid Afridi took over the national Twenty20 captaincy late last year, after the resignation of Younus Khan, and will lead the team in its sole Twenty20 match of the tour, against Australia at the MCG next Friday.

Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin yesterday said he and his teammates were not sympathetic to Yousuf's situation.

"It's not something I give too much thought to. We're there to win every game we play, and if that puts pressure on the captain then so be it. That's not something for me or the team to worry about," he said. "We're trying to make the opposition feel as uncomfortable as we possibly can and win all the games we're out there for, so I'm not too worried about his future."

Haddin believed the Australian team's success against Pakistan this summer — six victories in a row since last month's Test series — was because it had been able to nullify the positive aspects of the visitors' reputation for being unpredictable.

"I think what we've done this summer is not allow them to get into the rhythm of their cricket, which has been good from our point of view. So there's been some glimmers of very good performances [from Pakistan] but we've played very well as a unit and not allowed them to get into rhythm with their cricket."

Exciting teenage paceman Mohammad Aamer's only chance of featuring again this summer is seemingly the MCG Twenty20 match, with the recurrence of a groin injury that forced him out of Tuesday night's match set to keep him sidelined for the Perth matches as well.

"I think he's not playing the next two games. I don't know about [whole] summer but not the next two games," Yousuf said.

Australia will rest Shane Watson and Doug Bollinger for at least the two Perth ODI matches. Mitchell Johnson is the only new addition to the squad, in which late call-up Ryan Harris has been retained following his five-wicket haul in the last match against Pakistan.

Peter Siddle's back injury will be tested today at training. Captain Ricky Ponting was optimistic the Victorian paceman would be available for the match at the WACA Ground, insisting he had only been withdrawn from the Adelaide Oval match as a precaution.

"It's not as if it's going to be a week's injury," Ponting said. "He [physiotherapist Alex Kountouris] was going to bring him [Siddle] down for a bowl early ... but Alex gave me a call and asked what I thought, and I said if there's any doubt about him at all, just give him [Tuesday] off and we'll put him in cotton wool for a couple of days, and just hope that he comes up and is ready to play in Perth."

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We need match-winners: Waqar Younis

SYDNEY: When Waqar Younis was appointed as Pakistan’s bowling coach for the tough tour of Australia, there were hopes that the former great would help the tourists with his vast experience and knowledge of playing conditions here.

But the Pakistanis flopped miserably in the three-match Test series losing it by a 0-3 margin following defeats in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart. The visitors then went on to lose the opening One-day International in Brisbane last Friday by five wickets — a performance that has left the team’s captain Mohammad Yousuf and the coaching staff in the firing line.

Waqar, however, believes that the poor results were not entirely unexpected as he told ‘The News’ in an interview here that Pakistan are facing a serious dearth of match-winners.

“You have to consider the fact that you are playing against the world’s best team in its own backyard,” said Waqar, a former Pakistan captain who was regarded as one of the national team’s match-winners during his peak years.

“You can only beat a team like Australia at its home by playing top quality cricket with the help of some match-winning players. Unfortunately we don’t have many match-winners in this squad,” he lamented.

Pakistan came agonisingly close to winning the second Test in Sydney early this month only to throw it away because of some poor captaincy and brittle batting.

Waqar, 40, is of the view that another reason why Pakistan have done poorly in Australia is their lack of self-belief.

“It has been a big problem, our lack of self-belief,” said Waqar who took 373 wickets from 87 Tests at an average of 23.56. “The boys played good cricket at times but it seemed that they never really believed that they could beat Australia,” he added.

Waqar, who now lives in Sydney with his family, said that Pakistan can no more afford to live on talent alone.

“I’m actually surprised that for so many years we have done pretty well in international cricket on the basis of individual talent alone,” he stressed. “I mean we never had a proper system in place that could produce world class cricketers. We were just lucky that we always got some gifted cricketers, who would help us do well.

“But I don’t think that we can continue to bank on talent alone. We have to learn from countries like Australia. They have a fantastic cricketing structure in place. They know that with such a system they will keep getting sound cricketers. Sadly, we don’t have any such luxury.”

Waqar, who took 416 wickets from 262 One-day Internationals at 23.84, stressed that Pakistan’s cricket chiefs will have to start investing in a comprehensive system to ensure that the sport has a good future in the country.

“We can’t rely on short-term measures because the only way to move forward is by setting long-term goals.”
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Afridi emerges as favourite to take over as new captain

SYDNEY: Shahid Afridi has emerged as the favourite to become Pakistan’s new one-day captain and might even take over the reins of the national team for Tests next month.

The experienced all-rounder has proved himself as a reliable and aggressive captain in Twenty20 Internationals and when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will sit down next month to take a decision on a new skipper, he will certainly be on the top of the list.

‘The News’ has learnt through well-placed sources in the Pakistan team that Afridi has the support of most of his teammates, who are not really pleased with the captaincy of Mohammad Yousuf on the ongoing tour of Australia. Those players are also averse to the idea of Younis Khan staging a comeback as the captain and would push for the case of Afridi if taken into confidence by senior PCB officials.

“Afridi bhai is the most suitable person for captaincy,” a member of the Pakistan team told this correspondent. “He is widely respected as a senior player and is admired for his aggressive style,” the player added.

His fellow teammates are not the only ones throwing their weight behind Afridi. Some of the team officials are also of the view that he should succeed Yousuf as the next Pakistan captain, preferably for all three formats.

“The problem with Yousuf is that he lacks leadership qualities,” said a team official who spoke to this correspondent on the condition of anonymity. “Afridi, in contrast, is the sort of player who can get the best out of his players. He knows how to command and guide them on the field. I’m sure he can be a good captain,” added the official.

Afridi, 29, is currently one of the most experienced players in the team with solid one-day credentials. He has scored 5878 runs besides taking 270 wickets from 289 ODIs. The flamboyant Pakistan vice-captain has also scored 1683 runs at 37.40 from 26 Tests but is on a semi-retirement from Test cricket.

However, Afridi has changed his mind about the longest format of the game and wants to make his Test comeback. In recent years, he has improved as a legspinner which is why many of his supporters believe Afridi can be a valuable player in Tests as well.

Afridi is Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain and will be at the helm of their title defence in the ICC World Twenty20 championship to be held in the Caribbean this May.

Apart from him, other candidates for captaincy in the Pakistan team are former skipper Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal. The three are very close to each other and have the support of a couple of more players, especially Umar Akmal — Kamran’s younger brother.

Younis Khan, who stepped down as captain last November after declaring that he had lost the command of his team, is unwilling to take over the captaincy again. In any case, the senior batsman is not being considered for the job because of his failure to handle the team during his nine-month stint that began last February with the home series against Sri Lanka.
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SRK feels Pak players should have been picked up for IPL-3

As a perceived snub to Pakistani players by the Indian Premier League spark a spat between the neighbouring countries, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, an IPL franchisee himself, believes they should have been picked.

"I truly believe they (Pakistan playeers) should have been chosen," Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR),
said.

Khan however said that since "some issues" were involved the matter could have been handled by the IPL "respectfully".

No Pakistani player was bought by the eight Indian clubs during an auction on Tuesday for the third edition of the
glitzy IPL despite the Pakistan team being the reigning world champions in the Twenty20 format of the cricket tournament.

Rooting for the Pakistani players, Khan said they are the best T20 players in the world. "They are the champions, they
are wonderful but somewhere down the line there is an issue and we can't deny it," he told NDTV.

Khan said it was humiliating to him as a KKR owner that no one bid for the Pakistani players despite them being put up
for auction.

"We are known to invite everyone. We should have. If there were any issues, they should have been put on board earlier. Everything can happen respectfully," he said.

"Everyday we blame Pakistan, everyday Pakistan blames us. It is an issue," Khan, who had five players from Pakistan
playing for KKR in IPL's first edition, said.

Khan felt that the youth should circumvent all that is said about India and Pakistan by the politicians and say,
"It(Pakistan) is a great neighbour to have. We are great neighbours, They are good neighbours. Let us love each other."

"Let me be honest. My family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and his family is from there," he said.

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Australia aims for one-day clean sweep

Australia have allowed themselves the thought of sweeping all 10 limited overs games this summer as they prepare to seal the series against Pakistan at Adelaide Oval on Australia Day.

It has not taken the Australians long to demonstrate their pre-eminence in the shortened format of the game, winning comfortably in Brisbane before dealing out a fearful hiding to the Pakistanis in sporting conditions at the SCG.

Another victory in Adelaide would make it 3-0, and the in-form batsman Cameron White said the prospect of scooping all 10 matches - another five are scheduled against West Indies in February - loomed on the horizon.

"It's not out of the question," White said on Monday.

"But 10 games in a row is pretty hard to do against any opposition, especially two quality opponents.

"So that would be a great achievement but ... it's going to be hard work to do."

White said the Australians' task was being made easier by dissension in the ranks of their opponents, after Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf was apparently told by board chairman Ijaz Butt that he would lose the captaincy at the conclusion of the series.

Butt's comments have since been described by the Pakistan board as "quotes out of context", but there is little doubt the touring team is not the happiest of squads.

"I don't think it makes it harder, that's for sure," said White.

"If there's turmoil in the camp ... or there's that sort of talk I think it can only be a distraction for them so it probably makes our job, if they're not thinking about the right things, a little easier if anything."

A century in game one and 55 in game two have White in the best touch of his life, and he hoped for more runs at Adelaide.

"It's just been nice to get the opportunity again," he said.

"I guess starting back a couple of series ago in England when Ricky was rested, to get another opportunity to bat up the order was great and I've just enjoyed it since then, so it's going well at the moment."

Pakistan have the benefit of considerable local knowledge for the Adelaide match, given recent stints by both Younus Khan and Shahid Afridi with South Australia.

Afridi said he had spoken to teammates about the oval, which has had its capacity reduced to around 17,500 by the construction of new stands on the western side of the ground.

"I have told the guys it is very similar to our sub-continent wickets and the ground is very small," Afridi told reporters in Adelaide.

"The next game we play is very crucial for us. From there we can decide the series. We have to win.

"We need to win one game first and morale will be higher. Then we will think about the fourth and fifth game."

Swing bowler Ryan Harris has been added to the Australian squad as cover for sore paceman Peter Siddle.

Selectors chose to add Harris to the squad after Siddle complained of back soreness following game two.

Squads:

Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Mike Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White (two to be omitted, 12th man tba).

Pakistan: Pakistan: Mohammad Yousuf (capt), Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Sarfraz Ahmed (four to be omitted, 12th man tba).

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Hammad Azam to join Pakistan T20 squad in Australia

AUCKLAND: Hammad Azam, who emerged as the match winning hero of Pakistan in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup semifinal against the West Indies on Monday, has been included in the national team for playing Twenty20 International against Australia.

Pakistan Under-19 team coach Ijaz Ahmed told while talking with Geo News that Hammad batted brilliantly throughout the tournament and remained unbeaten in every innings of the event.

His magnificent batting form has placed him in the Pakistan Twenty20 squad.

Born on March 16, 1991 in Attock, Hammad was only one-year-old when Pakistan under the captaincy of Imran Khan had won the Cricket World Cup in 1992. Then, nobody knew that one day he would represent Pakistan in international cricket.

Hammad Azam has so far played all the five matches in the Under-19 World Cup and scored 173 runs. He remained not out throughout as no bowler could get him out in any match.

Smashing an unbeaten 21 off 13 balls against India in the quarter-final, Hammad hammered 92 not out from 93 balls against the West Indies in the semi-final and was adjudged the man-of-the-match.
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Dominant Australia cruise to 2-0 lead

Australia produced a commanding all-round performance to take a 2-0 lead with a 140-run demolition of Pakistan at the SCG. After being led by Shane Watson and Cameron White in their 6 for 267, the hosts delivered a stinging bowling display to knock over the tourists for 127 in 37.3 overs.

Pakistan lost their first five wickets for 42 in an awful opening and the result added further to the troubles of the captain Mohammad Yousuf, who is being replaced after the series. Yousuf had mistakenly chosen to bowl first in the hope of getting an advantage from the overcast conditions in the afternoon, but all the support came for the fast men as the sun started to go down. The ball seamed and bounced dangerously for Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle and Clint McKay and the tourists could not cope.

Salman Butt (2) went in the fifth over nicking a shorter one from Bollinger and was taken at second slip by White. Three balls later the combination repeated the dismissal, dropping Pakistan to 2 for 7, when White dived to his left to catch the edge of Younis Khan.

Kamran Akmal was soon run out for 16 after chasing a quick single, having been sent back eventually by Yousuf and then beaten by McKay's direct hit in his follow through. Akmal's brother Umar joined him in the dressing room two deliveries later after his off stump was clipped by Siddle.

The hosts would not allow a recovery and lost their fifth man when Ricky Ponting leaped to his left at point for the superb one-handed take of Shoaib Malik (2). Yousuf was watching all the damage from the other end but was ultimately helpless, although he struck a strong six to long-on off Watson and was committed in his 58 off 94.

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan kept him company for an explosive 27 before being stumped off Nathan Hauritz, who caught Yousuf at short fine leg. There were few highlights for Pakistan on a night dominated by the hosts. Bollinger had 2 for 19 off nine, Siddle and McKay (3 for 15) also gave up less than three runs an over, and Hauritz collected 2 for 45.

Australia were challenged in Brisbane on Friday but they controlled most of match from the moment Watson struck the opening ball for four through point. While Watson lit up the innings with 69 off 71 balls and dominated a 100-run stand in 19.5 overs with Shaun Marsh, the chances of a massive total were upset by the frugal Afridi. In the end it didn't matter.

Afridi removed both openers and it was difficult for the hosts to increase the pace until White led the final thrust. White followed his century at the Gabba with 55 off 58 and benefited from delaying the batting Powerplay until the last five overs.

White belted a six and a four in an over from Naved-ul-Hasan and scrambled to the finish, bringing up his fifty with a drive over point. He departed on the fourth-last ball - the wicket went to Mohammad Aamer, who returned 3 for 53 - and Brad Haddin helped out with an unbeaten 27 off 14.

Afridi was central in regaining control for Pakistan after the opening burst and gave up only 35 from 10, including a crucial eight-over spell of 2 for 25 after coming on in the bowling Powerplay. He picked up Watson and Marsh while Saeed Ajmal and Malik were also tight, going at slightly more than four an over.

Watson muscled nine boundaries and a six off Naved-ul-Hasan that landed not far from the dressing room at midwicket. After five overs he was 34 off 22 - Australia were soon speeding at 65 off 10 - and brought up his fifty from 42 deliveries before accepting a standing ovation.

Yousuf called for the bowling Powerplay as soon as possible and Watson was held back by the spin as Afridi arrived. Afridi struck when Watson tried for another clearance and was well taken by Malik at deep midwicket.

Marsh (41) also fell to Afridi when he attempted to hit to the leg side and got a leading edge to long-on in a troubling period for the home side. Ponting (13) lacked fluency for the second match in a row and Australia were 4 for 166 when Michael Clarke fell on 25. White rallied and the bowlers backed up his charge, giving Australia the chance to claim the five-match series in Adelaide on Tuesday.

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Why announce Yousuf removal now: Ex-players

Former Pakistan cricketers have questioned the timing of PCB chairman Ejaz Butt's statement that Mohammad Yousuf would be removed from captaincy after the Australia series.

Aamer Sohail, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Moin Khan argued that even if the cricket board felt that Yousuf is not good enough to captain the side, they should have waited for the team to return home from Australia.

"Why announce this in the middle of the Australia tour? What's the urgency?" Sohail said.

"Even if the board thought that Yousuf is not good enough to captain the team, they should have waited till their return," said Inzamam.

PCB chairman Ejaz Butt had announced on Friday that the board would change the captain and also appoint a batting and fielding coach with the team after the Australian tour.

"We appointed Yousuf only for the New Zealand and Australian tours and we will look at a new captain now," Butt said.

Sohail, a former opener, pointed out that the team is already struggling to get out of its losing streak in Australia and this announcement would further leave Yousuf incapable of motivating the team in the ongoing one-day series.

Former captain Inzamam added that board should have refrained from making such a decision public and it would only add to the chaos and confusion in the team.

"Ever since, the team had gone to New Zealand and Australia, there is total chaos and lack of communication between the team management, selectors and board. This is another example of that lack of communication, which will only contribute to the team's poor show," Inzamam said.

Former wicket-keeper batsman Moin said that while Yousuf had shown himself to be a docile captain on the field, the announcement at this stage would leave the team further disjointed.

"He accepted the captaincy at a time when no one was willing to do it and he has given his best, but it is also true that he lacked the aggression required in Australia to win matches," Moin said.

"But this does not mean that the board should announce that they will change the captain after the Australian tour. It will leave the team further disjointed and dispirited," he added.

With former skipper Younus Khan also making it clear that he is no longer interested in captaining the team, many others pointed out that PCB would face a tough time finding a new captain to replace Yousuf atleast for the Test matches.

"Pakistan is scheduled to play nine Tests this year against top teams like Australia, England and South Africa. While they can opt for Shahid Afridi to captain the one-day side if Younus does not want the captaincy again, the board would find it difficult to find Yousuf's replacement," a former player noted.
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Clobberers united

Tillakaratne Dilshan 96* v West Indies
World Twenty20 semi-final, The Oval
Dilshan powered Sri Lanka to the final of the World Twenty20, smashing 96 off 57 balls, the tournament's highest score. Despite his opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya struggling to 24 off 37, Dilshan led his team to 73 in 10.3 overs. None of the others made more than 12 and Dilshan was responsible for nearly 61% of Sri Lanka's 158.

David Warner 89 v South Africa
first Twenty20, Melbourne
Warner, a 22-year-old left-hander, was the first player since John Hodges and Tom Kendall, in the first-ever Test in 1877, to play for Australia without having any first-class experience. That didn't matter a jot in Twenty20, though: Warner exploded against the South Africans, clearing the MCG's formidable boundaries six times with immense power in this innings, which came off 43 balls.

Tom de Grooth 49 v England
World Twenty20, Lord's
The damp-squib opening fixture of the World Twenty20 eventually was the match of the tournament. Set a target of 163, de Grooth was the rock of the Dutch chase, with 49 off 30 balls. Far from losing steam like everyone expected them to, Netherlands were fired to 116 by de Grooth by the 13th over, before he was dismissed. From there on, it was only a matter of his team-mates keeping their nerve.

Chris Gayle 88 v Australia
World Twenty20, The Oval
Those who were at The Oval on June 6 are unlikely to ever forget Gayle's assault. He ransacked the Australian attack, clobbering 88 off 50 balls, to make short work of the target of 170. He picked out Brett Lee for special treatment, and the two sixes - onto Harleyford Road and the top of the Bedser Stand - in the space of three deliveries were among the most monstrous hits you're likely to see.

Shahid Afridi 51 v South Africa
World Twenty20, Nottingham
Pakistan needed an extraordinary performance to prevent 11 fit, in-form and clinical South Africans from realising their goal of a first major tournament final. And Afridi provided it. His innings was a deadly blend of aggression and maturity, kept a hostile attack at bay, and gave Pakistan 149 to defend. He then took 2 for 16, dismissing Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers, to help secure a final berth by seven runs.

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We missed a great opportunity in Sydney: Kaneria

KARACHI: Wily leg-spinner Danish Kaneria said on Friday Pakistan batsmen failed to avail a great win opportunity in the second Test in Sydney, adding otherwise it would have been a great tour of Australia.

“The whole team was greatly disappointed and dejected on the loss as it changed the entire scenario of the Test series,” Kaneria said in an interview here on his return from Australia.

“Bowlers gave an outstanding performance [in Sydney] but unfortunately our batsmen failed to perform while chasing 176,” he said. “We needed maturity in batting.

“Had we levelled the series in Sydney it would have been a great contest in Hobart [venue for the third and final Test],” Kaneria, who took 22 wickets in four Test matches against New Zealand and Australia, commented.

He however, said victory and defeat are part and parcel of the game.

He did not comment when asked about the captaincy of Mohammad Yousuf who replaced Younis Khan after he took a break from international cricket following the ODI series loss to New Zealand in the UAE.

The veteran leg-spinner said the team had learnt from their mistakes and was looking ahead to the tour to England where Pakistan will feature in six Tests against Australia and England from late June.

Kaneria, who became Pakistan’s highest wicket-taking spinner, surpassing Abdul Qadir during the Australian tour, said fielding, batting and developing partnership were his team’s main problems.

He called for creating more competitive domestic structure with emphasis on quality than quantity.

“We must create competitive atmosphere for the batsmen to make them mentally strong when playing under pressure against top teams in Test matches,” he stressed.

Kaneria, 29, said he was keen to represent Pakistan in One-day Internationals as well as in Twenty20 games. “I have cut down my weight and considerably improved my fielding,” he claimed.

Commenting on Pakistan players’ snub in the IPL, he said like anybody else, he was also surprised and disappointed with the decision of the franchises not going for any Pakistani.—APP
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PCB set to dump Yousuf from captaincy

Mohammad Yousuf's captaincy is attracting criticism at every turn and now the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has added to Yousuf's woes by saying he'll be dethroned after the team's heartbreaking Australian tour.

Yousuf's puzzling field settings to Australian batting pair Mike Hussey and Peter Siddle in the Sydney Test in January helped Australia score a remarkable comeback win and later claim a 3-0 series sweep in Hobart.

Australian Test great Shane Warne questioned Yousuf's bizarre tactic of having eight fielders on the SCG fence.

And Pakistan haven't exactly hit the ground running in the five-match one-day series against Australia either, losing the opening game by five wickets in Brisbane on Friday night after a combination of errors with bat and ball.

Former Australian batsman Michael Slater laid the blame at the skipper's feet, saying Yousuf had struggled to use his bowling attack effectively.

Younus Khan, who has returned to the side after missing the Test series against New Zealand and Australia due to a self-imposed exile, is playing in the one-day series against Australia and appears set to soon recover his role as national skipper.

"This captain (Mohammad Yousuf) was for this series only and we will decide after the tour of Australia about the captain, we will change," PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told Pakistan television.

"We did not change Younus. Unfortunately the sports committee of the parliament made him run away after they levelled match fixing allegations against him."

Younus quit after the standing committee on sports alleged the Pakistan team had thrown a match against Australia in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September.

"Younus was a good captain but he was hurt on the allegations and quit. Now we will soon decide about the change," Butt said.

Pakistan will play Test series in England later in 2010 against Australia and England.

Coach Intikhab Alam strongly defended Yousuf on Saturday as the tourists headed to Sydney for Sunday's second one-day international against Australia.

"He's doing his best," Intikhab told AAP from Brisbane airport.

"When the team loses, people start criticising. We take no notice of that."

Pakistan will be looking for another big innings from fiery allrounder Shahid Afridi, fresh from a successful stint as guest player for South Australia in the Twenty20 competition.

Leg-spinner Afridi smashed 48 from 32 deliveries in Brisbane.

Younus also comes to Sydney in a confident mood after starting his tour with 46 from 74 balls at the Gabba.

While there are some good signs for Pakistan, Intikhab has continued the friendly fire on opening batsman Salman Butt, who was so heavily criticised by Yousuf following the pair's batting mix-up which led to the skipper's run out in the third Test in Hobart.

The opener's 72 was Pakistan's top score on Friday, but it wasn't enough for the coach.

"We should never have lost," Intikhab said.

"If Salman Butt had stayed on and got 40 more, we would have got a lot more."

Intikhab said Australia's Cameron White took the game away from Pakistan's grasp by turning a half-century into a big score (105).

"Anybody who gets 50 or 60 and gets out, that is not acceptable," Intikhab said.

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India and Pakistan in high-pressure knockout

Azeem Ghumman and Ashok Menaria were not yet in their teens when Sachin Tendulkar blitzed Pakistan at Centurion in the 2003 World Cup. They were merely 17 when Misbah-ul-Haq came agonisingly close to snatching the inaugural World Twenty20 from India in 2007. The pressure an India-Pakistan match in a World Cup brings is storied and, on Saturday, these two teenage leaders will experience it for the first time - when their teams clash in the quarter-final of the Under-19 World Cup in Lincoln.

Indian and Pakistani sides have traditionally been the form teams at U-19 World Cups. They enter the tournaments as favourites and rarely fall out of contention before the semi-finals. One will tomorrow. Few expected them to come up against each other so early in the competition. Pakistan won all their league games and topped their group. India won the first two but dropped their last against England. If they hadn't, they would be playing West Indies.

"We are seething after the loss [to England], and we'll take it out against Pakistan," Meenaria told the Hindustan Times. "The world comes to a standstill when an India-Pakistan match is on."

Pakistan perhaps hold the edge. They scored big against West Indies, bowled Papua New Guinea out cheaply, and held their nerve to win a thriller against Bangladesh. They have the tournament's highest run-scorer, Babar Azam - 260 runs at an average of 130, and the joint highest wicket-taker, Usman Qadir - eight at 15 apiece.

The victories India scored were against Afghanistan and Hong Kong and they ensured India's qualification even before the loss to England. Unlike the 2008 campaign, when Tanmay Srivastava and Virat Kohli led the batting charts, this time India's highest runscorer - Rahul Kannaur with 117 in three innings - is 15th on the list. Saurabh Netravalkar, their left-arm fast bowler, could prove to be key. He was exceptional against England, rattling the top order and finishing with figures of 3 for 25.

There is an external factor - and a significant one - in India's favour. They are familiar with conditions at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, having played two group matches there. Pakistan only got to Christchurch a few days ago - their group matches were on North Island. The pitch at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval aids seam bowling, and is good for batting when the sun shines. Scoring runs, however, requires a disciplined approach as India found out the hard way against England. They must learn quickly from their errors; Pakistan, however, have no second chances.

Another external factor, an uncontrollable one, favours Pakistan. It rained all day in Christchurch on the eve of the match and although Saturday's forecast is brighter one can never be certain. Should the match end in a washout, Pakistan will go through to the semi-final because of their better group position. There is no reserve day.

Pakistan's manager, Shafqat Rana, says this side is the best U-19 Pakistan side he has seen but he's aware of the gravity of the contest. "These children have never played India, forget in a World Cup game, but have grown up watching the high-intensity clashes between the two countries," he told the Indian Express. "They are aware of the expectations back home. Be it an U-13 India-Pakistan game or a veterans' contest, it will always remain special."

And then there's the raging controversy in the subcontinent over the Pakistan players being ignored by the IPL, and maybe it would provide the contest added edge. Rana didn't think so. "They are kids, they have very little idea about IPL auction and other issues," he said. The absence of intense media coverage could also help them focus better.

Ghumman, Menaria and their team-mates will say they're approaching the contest like they would any other. They can try, but all will not succeed. Even the wealth of Tendulkar's experience in pressure situations couldn't prevent him from living the Centurion match a year in advance. And even he slept poorly for 12 nights before d-day.

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Pak players to avoid IPL, outrage continue

Karachi: Hurt Pakistani cricketers have decided to avoid the IPL till Indo-Pak ties normalise even as the auction snub continued to evoke angry reactions from the sports fraternity with some former players calling for a boycott of the hockey World Cup in India.

The players, who did not find a buyer in the third IPL auction on Tuesday, held a meeting in Brisbane, where the team will play an ODI series against Australia. They decided it was best to ignore the event at least for the time being.

"The players unanimously decided to avoid playing in the IPL in future and until at least relations between the two countries normalised," one source said.

"The players were pretty upset that no franchise was willing to bid for them and they all felt this was a planned move by the IPL and franchises to humiliate them publicly," the source said.

The outrage over Pakistani players being ignored at the auction threatened to snowball into a major diplomatic row and there were reports that angry cricket fans burnt effigies of IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi in Lahore.

Some former players made a scathing attack against the IPL organisers and the franchisees for humiliating the Pakistani players.

Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas suggested that the national hockey team should be withdrawn from the World Cup in India to protest the "humiliating" treatment meted out to the country's cricketers.

Abbas said he would talk to sports minister Ejaz Jakhrani on the matter. The World Cup is due to be held from last week of February in Delhi with Pakistan facing India in their opening match of a tournament they have not won since 1994.

"We need to make some sort of strong statement conveying our feelings over the way the IPL organisers and franchises deliberately insulted our cricketers at the auction," Abbas said.

The former Test batsman said Pakistan must be clear about its sports policy with India and act accordingly.

"We must be clear about how we should have sporting relations with India because for the last one year they have been doing everything possible to hurt our image and isolate us internationally," he said.

Sports Minister Jakhrani, however, made it clear that Pakistan will not withdraw from the hockey World Cup in India despite the outrage in the country.

Jakhrani said it would not be possible for Pakistan to boycott the World Cup as it was an International Hockey Federation event and not related to India.

"I would tell the players to go there and play their hearts out and try to win the World Cup for Pakistan. It would be a befitting answer to the Indians that we don't mix politics with sports," Jakhrani said.

But Jakhrani said he would be discussing sporting ties with India during a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Olympic Association officials in Lahore tomorrow.

Jakhrani called on the Indian government to at least look into the reasons behind franchises decision to not buy any of the 11 Pakistani players at the auction.

"I think if the Indian government says it can't interfere in IPL affairs as it is a private organization then it should at least find out why our players were humiliated in this fashion," he said.

Jamshed Dasti, the Chairman of the National Assembly standing committee on sports blamed the PCB leadership for the humiliation the players had to face at the IPL auction.

"This is not the first time the board and Chairman, Ejaz Butt have failed miserably to handle things properly and read the situation correctly," he said.

"That is why the NA standing committee has urged the chief patron to immediately change the Chairman of the board and make other changes in the cricket set-up," he said.

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