PAKISTAN V SRI LANKA - ICC WORLD CUP 2011- PREVIEW

Pakistan v Sri Lanka - ICC World Cup 2011- preview 

The unpredictable Pakistan side is gearing up to take on strong Asian rivals and World Cup hot favourites, Sri Lanka, in their second World Cup clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday, 26 February.

The two former World Champions have so far played minnows, Canada and Kenya, in their World Cup openers sealing resounding 200-run margin victories in the southern town of Hambantota.

Sri Lanka crushed low-ranked, Canada, with a 210-run defeat after setting an astounding target of 321 runs to win while Pakistan thrashed tournament outsiders, Kenya, by 205 runs at Hambantota after compiling 317 runs from their allotted 50 overs.

On paper, the Pearl Island side has the stronger and more settled line-up and playing in home conditions in front of their own fans would be an added advantage to Sangakkara’s men.

But Pakistan can take heart from the statistics as the Men in Green have won all six previous World Cup games against the Lankans, though the sides have not met since the 1992 World Cup when Pakistan lifted their solitary trophy under Imran Khan’s captaincy.

Pakistan will be confident after Wednesday’s game against Kenya when its middle-order gave a solid performance after a long time with four of the middle-order batsmen scripting half-centuries.

The only cause of concern for Afridi, looking into the game against Kenya, will be the opening duo as both Hafeez and Shehzad flopped against the low-rated Kenyan attack.

"We shouldn't be 100 percent satisfied, but we are ready for the Sri Lanka match", Afridi said. "We will play with more energy", said the Pakistan skipper, who returned with 5 for 16 as Kenya were dismissed for 112.

Lasith Malinga, the spearhead Sri Lanka pacer is expected to start with the new ball after being rested for the tournament opener duo to a minor back pain.

Afridi said that since Malinga is coming back from an injury, his side is looking forward to see how he can adjust to the hot and humid conditions of Colombo.

The weather conditions in Sri Lanka’s capital would not only test the Lankan spearhead pacer but will also be a test for the fitness of Pakistan’s express pacer, Shoaib Akhtar, who is constantly being rated as half-fit by his team management including coach, captain and the team manager.

On a traditionally sticky R Premadasa wicket, spin bowling is expected to prove the deciding factor. As the spinners would have an advantage, the outcome of the match may likely come down to which side’s batsmen deal best with the onslaught of the turning ball.

Sri Lanka holds an edge in the spin department as the side have the likes of legendary spin wizard, Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket taker in both Test and One Day International (ODI) format of the game.

The Sri Lankan batting might also give the Pakistani captain a headache as Mahela Jayawardene scored his country’s fastest century in the World Cup consuming just 80 deliveries while Kumar Sangakkara and opener Tilakaratne Dilshan scored fine half centuries.

The Afridi-led side has the talent to post a descent score against Sri Lanka, but the question is, do they have the mental fortitude to play a calm innings in front of a hostile crowd of 35,000.

Pakistan (probable playing XI): Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Younus Khan,Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (capt), Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar.

Sri Lanka (probable playing XI): Kumar Sangakkara (capt and wkt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis/Rangana Herath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera/Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga.

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Fans say Pakistan’s campaign unlikely to go beyond quarters

KARACHI: Pakistan’s campaign in the on-going 2011 Cricket World Cup is most likely to end at the quarter-final stage or even before that according to a majority of the fans interviewed recently during a survey conducted by Dawn.
 Nearly one thousand cricket fans from all walks of life were asked to give their respective opinions on ‘where will Pakistan finish in the 2011 World Cup’ and to the dismay of the national team, as many as 52 per cent of them said the chances of survival for Shahid Afridi’s men beyond the quarter-final stage appeared quite grim due to lack of depth in the team’s bowling and fielding resources.
“Our batting has begun to click now but our bowling – after the sad ouster of Aamir and Asif in the fixing scam – lack penetration,” said Nadeem Butt who is employed with a foreign bank in Karachi. “Our fielding like always is less than satisfactory which could affect Pakistan’s chances and they may crash out at the quarters.”
Sara Naseem, studying International Relations at the Punjab University, said she did not see the Pakistan team going beyond quarter-finals since some of the other competing teams like England, India and Australia were much stronger in comparison. “We are still not playing as a unit and our bowling is also weak which may hamper our chances later on,” said Sara.
But it is not as if the team had no supporters at all. About 27 per cent of the fans were willing to keep faith with their team and were of the opinion that Pakistan can reach the semi-finals if they avoid unnecessary controversies.
Mohammad Mokarim, a young Pakistani advocate practising law in Denmark reckoned that Pakistan’s prospects in the World Cup could largely depended on a controversy-free campaign by Afridi’s men. “If we manage to avoid the nasty controversies, I think we can go upto the semis. But, of late, we have been so much bogged down by the unwanted rows that I doubt if we could carry on without indulging in anything damaging, both on and off the field,” he said candidly.
His views were endorsed by Abdur Rauf, a college teacher from Quetta, who said Pakistan could easily qualify for the quarter-finals as the Group ‘A’ was much easier compared to ‘ Group B’ which comprised strong teams such as like England, South Africa and India. “Once we qualify for the quarters, I am sure we can advance to the semis since Pakistan plays the crunch games quite well. But we need to be on guard in the first round games where we normally falter.”
He added that if mighty hitter Abdul Razzaq is utilised properly, Pakistan will be in a better position to produce positive results in the World Cup.
Pakistan were rated as one of the favourites to lift the Cup by only 9 percent of the fans that included Asif Ghouse, a businessman from Islamabad who said the team could reach the final now since the culprits of the infamous spot-fixing scandal in England were out of picture. “The current team members will give their 100 per cent to clinch the most prestigious title in world cricket, I am sure of that,” said Asif. “With Salman (Butt), (Shoaib) Malik and others sidelined, I think we can fire on all cylinders to lift the title.”
Karachi University’s BA Honours student Najm Faraz said Pakistan could lift the title since the biggest force in cricket, the Aussies, were now slipping up and were nowhere near their best. “When we are on song no team, except the Australians, could stop us but Ponting’s men are now clearly struggling and that gives us a good chance to win lift the World Cup once again after the Imran Khan days,” a charged-up Najm said.
The other 11 per cent comprised fans who either refrained from predicting Pakistan’s fate in the extravaganza or refused to show any interest whatsoever in the country’s campaign at the World Cup.

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Afridi’s tactics: Attack all the way

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka: Ricky Ponting says his Australian batsmen will take their time before accelerating during their innings at this World Cup but Pakistan counterpart Shahid Afridi on Tuesday indicated that it would be foot on the gas all the way for his team.
“We have planned well,” Afridi assured reporters in a news conference here ahead of their first Group A match against Kenya.
The captain said he had more than enough talent to make an impact here. That meant a constant emphasis on attack through the order.
“Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez will open the innings and if we lose the first wicket early, then we have Kamran Akmal, who has been an attacking batsman and has opened, so we will have the advantage with him in the circle,” he said.
“It will depend on how many overs we have so Umar Akmal can come after Younis (Khan).”
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Afridi was also questioned about his use of the all-important voluntarily powerplays when all but three of the fielders must be within an inner ring.
His answer was simple: wait and see. “It depends on the situation. You can use it after the ball change after 34 overs, we normally lose wickets in powerplay, but if we don’t we will take it after 45 overs,” said Afridi.
“We will play our normal game. We have got aggressive players like Shehzad, Hafeez and Kamran Akmal and they know how to use the circle. We will make it just simple,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kenya, beaten by New Zealand by 10 wickets in Sunday’s opening World Cup game after being shot out for 69, are confident of bouncing back in workmanlike fashion from that debacle.
“A top professional for me is if you are down it’s the way you pick yourself up,” said Kenya’s most experienced player Steve Tikolo who will be making his fifth appearance at a World Cup tournament.
“We lost the game against New Zealand and it wasn’t a good day for us. But the good thing that came out was that the boys were very disappointed.
“That shows the mark of good professionals. We can always pick ourselves up for tomorrow’s game,” he said.
Tikolo was pleased that the Pakistan captain had shown some respect for his team despite that defeat by New Zealand.
“We are here to play good cricket and be competitive. It’s good to hear that the opposing captain has respect for the Kenyan team,” said Tikolo.

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Not playing at home on our minds : AFRIDI

HAMBANTOTA: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi vowed Tuesday to win the World Cup for millions of weary fans back home who lost out on the showpiece when their country became a no-go zone.

International cricket has been suspended in Pakistan ever since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore two years ago which left eight people dead and injured seven visiting players and their assistant coach.
Pakistan was among the four co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup but the International Cricket Council was forced to move the matches in the wake of attacks.
“Not playing in our country is on our minds,” Afridi said, ahead of his team’s first match against Kenya on Wednesday.
“We feel for our nation, our people who are missing the World Cup.
“I think this is the main thing for us, so definitely we will try our level best to win, which is very important for us, and if we do that I hope some cricket returns to our country sooner than later.”
Besides the suspension of international cricket, Pakistan has also been hit by the spot-fixing scandal, which ended in lengthy bans on Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, and other disciplinary problems.
Afridi admitted it was hard to keep the team in the right frame of mind against a background of such problems.
“It was difficult to keep the team settled in the beginning when we had all those issues,” said Afridi, himself banned for two matches on charges of ball-tampering during a one-day match in Australia in 2010.
“We had to rebuild the team again but now a situation has come that our team is settled. We now have such a combination that people have hopes that this team can do something,” said Afridi, who took over as captain in July last year.
The Pakistan Cricket Board delayed in retaining him for the World Cup until he won his first one-day series in New Zealand earlier this month.
“It’s difficult to be the captain in India or Pakistan with all that’s happening, you have to make sacrifices. But my effort is always that I do well as captain or as player,” said Afridi, who made his ODI debut against Kenya in 1996.
In only his second one-day match, he hit a world record 37-ball hundred – which still stands – against Sri Lanka in Nairobi.
“I love Kenya and Kenyans,” said Afridi, when asked about his team’s opponents.
“I don’t think we will be relaxed when we face them and I would like to be playing at our full strength.”
That meant express paceman Shoaib Akhtar will share the new ball with Umar Gul or Abdul Razzaq, with Wahab Riaz as fourth seamer.
Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez will lead the spin department.

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EVEN A HALF FIT AKHTAR CAN LIFT PAKISTAN TO GLORY – INTIKHAB ALAM

Pakistan team manager, Intikhab Alam feels the 'half-fit' express pacer, Shoaib Akhtar still has the potential to lead the Men in Green to its second World Cup victory.  Adding that a lot would depend upon how the injury prone speedster is used in the ICC show piece event.

"Shoaib's not fully fit, but even a half fit Akhtar can lift Pakistan to glory”, said the team manager. “He needs to be utilised carefully during the World Cup to get the best out of him. A lot could depend on the weather, the heat, the humidity as to how Shoaib is utilised by the skipper", he added further.

Pakistan’s team is currently in Bangladesh to play two warm-up games, against World Cup co-hosts Bangladesh and England, before heading to Sri Lanka to start their league stage in Group A against Kenya on 23 February.

The former captain of Pakistan was happy with team’s training sessions in Bangladesh and was hopeful the team will perform well in the mega event.

"We've had a couple of good training sessions since we arrived in Bangladesh. Everything is going well. The boys are in good spirits and the fitness levels are okay”.

Alam, who was the coach of Pakistan when the side lifted the World Cup trophy in 1992 and again in 2009 when the side became World Twenty20 Champions, said that both the warm-up matches are crucial for the team bearing in mind the build-up and planning, and hoped Pakistan would win both practice matches.

Intikhab brushed off talks that Pakistan will be going into the World Cup with a depleted pace attack, following bans imposed on Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, and that the side would be over dependent on the spin department.

The former Test cricketer of Pakistan hinted that Pakistan would start in most of the matches with only two spinners and an all-rounder Hafeez might be played as an opening batsman only.

 The team is playing its first preparatory game against the Bengali Tigers in Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur and have set a competitive 50-overs target of 286 for the hosts to win.

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Win over Bangaldesh launches Pakistan’s WC mission in style

DHAKA: Pakistan completed a well-rounded win over Bangladesh in their first warm-up match of the World Cup when they beat the hosts by 88 runs at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

Centuries from opener Ahmed Shehzad and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq ensured a formidable total for Pakistan, who ended their innings at 286-9. The bowlers, led by all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, then completed the job for the visitors by bowling Bangladesh out for 196 inside 42 overs.
Shehzad and Misbah began Pakistan’s recovery in the 15th over, after the Bangladesh bowlers reduced the visitors to 58-3. Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan were the main tormentors as the spinners removed Kamran Akmal(1) and Younis Khan (5) cheaply.
Despite building their innings at a slow pace initially, Shehzad and Misbah later took the attack to the Bangladesh bowlers. The teenage opener hit nine fours and a six in his 103-run innings, while Misbah hit eight fours and four sixes – two of which took him to his century.
Umar Akmal (19) and Shahid Afridi (14) also tried to propel the total towards the 300-run mark towards the end but Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Bangladesh used nine bowlers with skipper and slow left-armer Shakib Al Hasan taking 3-49 off his 10 overs.
Seamer Rubel Hossain also claimed three wickets, but his 10 overs cost 73 runs.
Bangladesh were put on the back foot from the start as they lost opener Tamim Iqbal when Abdul Razzaq knocked over his bails with the very first delivery.
While Imrul Kayes and Junaid Siddique resurrected the Bangladeshi innings to some extent, with their departure diminished any hopes of a fight-back from the Tigers.
Pakistan played their first warm-up match, while their second is scheduled against England on Friday. The 1992 champions open their campaign against Kenya in Sri Lanka on February 23.
The game is co-hosts Bangladesh’s final practice before their World Cup opener on February 19 in Dhaka against hot favourites India.
Each team named 15 players, but with only 11 entitled to bat or field, enabling them to maximize practice opportunities.
Bangladesh’s batting line-up was unchanged from the XI that trounced Canada last week.
Pakistan: (from) Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (captain), Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Ajmal, Muhammad Junaid Khan, Asad Shafiq.
Bangladesh: (from) Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hassan (captain), Mohammad Ashraful, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Roqibul Hassan, Shahriar Nafees, Md Sohrawardi
Umpires: Steve Davis, Australia, and Billy Doctrove, West Indies.
Third Umpire: Bruce Oxenford, Australia.
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand

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Shoaib Akhtar looks forward to his last World Cup

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Waqar Younis wants to break his World Cup jinx

COLOMBO: As a player, Waqar Younis had nothing but bad memories of the World Cup.
Now as a coach, he has the challenge of turning around Pakistan’s talented yet unpredictable team.
“Well, it’s true that the World Cup hasn’t been too kind to me, but that is motivation and challenge enough to fight on and take another chance as coach of a talented team which can win the tournament,” Waqar told AFP.
Waqar, now 39, was regarded as one of the most potent fast bowlers in his prime, producing wicket-taking deliveries on any surface, the most notable being his toe-crushing yorker.
Together with compatriot Wasim Akram, one of the best left-arm pacemen ever to have played cricket, Waqar formed a destructive new-ball pairing, fondly remembered as “two Ws”, wrecking the best of batting line-ups on their day.
Waqar was considered Pakistan’s main weapon in the 1992 World Cup in Australia, but a week before the event started he had to return home in tears without playing a match due to injury.
“It was a nightmare to return with an injury,” remembers Waqar.
“Yes, it does hurt sometimes that I wasn’t part of it but I still remember going to Lahore airport to receive the winning team when they returned.
“It will always stay with me, the moment they arrived and I always cherish that great triumph of Pakistan.
“I had watched the World Cup at home in Lahore. Every single game was fun to watch and as we got into the later stages of the tournament it got very thrilling and that was the time when I missed it the most.”
But soon after Pakistan’s win in the World Cup, Waqar recovered from injury and along with Wasim wreaked havoc in England, leading Pakistan to a 2-1 win in a Test series marred by allegations of ball-tampering.
By 1996, Waqar had matured into a world class bowler, but his World Cup jinx continued.
Pakistan, again title favourites in the event jointly hosted by them, India and Sri Lanka, crashed out in the quarter-finals.
Up against their arch-rivals India in front of a vociferous Bangalore crowd, Waqar ran into free-stroking Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja who clobbered him for 22 runs in one of the death overs.
Pakistan lost by 39 runs.
“That was one of those days when I couldn’t control the aggression, but we could still have won the game had the batsmen capitalised on a good start,”recalled Waqar.
By 1999, he and Wasim developed some serious differences.
Wasim preferred express paceman Shoaib Akhtar over Waqar, who managed to play just one match in the event held in England — that too in an embarrassing defeat to minnows Bangladesh.
“Again, it was another forgetable event,” said Waqar.
“I could play only one match, against Bangladesh, and we lost that match,”said Waqar of the defeat, which was investigated for allegations of fixing.
In 2001, the roll of the dice fell in Waqar’s favour as he was appointed captain after his career was revived through notable performances ahead of the 2003 World Cup held in South Africa.
But things didn’t change as Pakistan crashed out in the first round after defeats against Australia, India and England.
“It was unfortunate that we couldn’t manage to win any of these World Cups because we had the best teams from 1996-2003,” said Waqar, who retired in 2004 after claiming 373 Test and 416 one-day wickets.
During the 2007 World Cup, where Pakistan again crashed out in the first round, Waqar was busy changing his base from Lahore to Sydney and took over as coach in 2010.
This time around, Waqar is very confident the World Cup jinx will be broken.
“In 1992, nobody thought that Pakistan would win the World Cup. This time the event is in our part of the world and we stand a very good chance.
“I would love to deliver the best I can as a coach this time and have ever-lasting memories of the event.”

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World Cup defining moment for Pakistan - Shoaib

Shoaib Akhter has called the upcoming world cup his last, claiming it to be the "defining moment" of Pakistan cricket and perhaps of his own career. In a characteristically free-wheeling chat, Shoaib reaffirmed that he wanted to stay fit throughout, and end the tournament with the trophy in hand.

"Is this the twilight of my career? Yes. It is very special, playing in the sub-continent's World Cup," Shoaib said in Dhaka. "I am not sure about how long I'm going to be playing, but I will try to make sure it is full of memories".

"My personal target is to play every match and to leave 45-50 days after winning the World Cup," Shoaib said. "Obviously there's a huge difference between being 26 and 36. I have experience now but at the same time, I'm still bowling very quick, touching 145-150 kph easily." Shoaib used several adjectives to describe the Pakistan team ranging from "dangerous", "the most balanced" and the one having the cause it needs, but what stood out was him using the word "hurt" to describe the side.

"Obviously we are a very hurt side, whatever has happened in the last year or so. Pakistan needs a situation to gather themselves, and playing in India and Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals, that is going to really motivate us. I think the crowds, the situation, what happened to us, whatever the team has been through for the last six-seven months, that will inspire us. We are a very dangerous side but a very hurt side."

"We need to win at any cost, the team needs a situation, and what better situation than the World Cup. I think this is a defining moment for Pakistani cricket.

Shoaib's personal motivation for this tournament comes from proving people wrong, not just about himself, but the team too. "I wish Mohammad Amir was playing right now, I would have retired easily but it is not happening. That's what motivates me to come and play my last World Cup. I want people to realize that still, very honourable people play for our country."

On the field, Shoaib said that Pakistan's ability to swing the new and old ball both ways is their strong point. "The main advantage for us is reverse swing, that's where I think Pakistan team's strength lies. We have the best combination of reverse swing and new-ball fast bowlers. I think we can manage to put it out right," Shoaib said, adding that the slow nature of the wickets might yet hamper the fast bowlers but will assist the batsmen.

Of his possible duel with his old nemesis Sachin Tendulkar, Shoaib confirmed that he hasn't lost sight of the rivalry or of taking the important wickets.

The 2009 World Twenty20 triumph was perfect for the situation at the time in Pakistan, but Shoaib firmly believed that if they can do the job again this time, it could provide the people back home with more than just heroes or a trophy. "Pakistan needs to win this World Cup to bring back cricket to Pakistan, the charm back to the country. People of Pakistan are missing cricket, they are dying to watch players from all over the world playing against Pakistan."

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PCB DENIES REPORTS OF FILING APPEAL FOR MOHAMMAD AMIR

The Pakistan Cricket Board has dismissed reports of filing an appeal against the 5-year ban imposed on Mohammad Amir by the International Cricket Council.

Recently, some reports emerged which stated that the PCB was not happy with the ban on Amir and had decided to support the youngster in the higher courts.

A PCB official clarified, “We have filed no formal appeal as such. Yes we have written to the ICC about the case in light of the observations made by the ICC anti-corruption tribunal regarding the existing anti-corruption code of conduct laws under which Butt, Asif and Amir have been penalized.”

On the other hand, the ICC has also stated that the PCB has nothing to do with the process of filing any appeal for Amir or any other banned player.

On 5 February, 2011, the ICC handed over lengthy bans to Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt due to their involvement in spot-fixing during Pakistan’s tour to England in August 2010.

The banned trio was alleged over bowling pre-planned no-balls in the Test match against England at Lord’s and was suspended provisionally by the ICC following the incident. A six-day trial of the three players was held in Doha in January 2011 where they were proven guilty and were handed over the punishments in February.

Butt was banned for 10 years with 5 years as suspended while Asif was banned from cricket for 7 years with 2 years as suspended. On the other hand, Amir will effectively stay out of cricket until the next ICC World Cup in 2015.

The bans on the trio have damaged the image of Pakistan cricket to a large extent. Their absence from the ICC World Cup 2011 will surely hamper Pakistan’s chances in cricket’s flagship tournament.

There were expectations that Amir may not be banned for a longer time considering his young age and inexperience in the game. However, the three-man ICC tribunal showed no leniency for the youngster.

There have been mixed reactions following the ban on Amir. Many former cricketers said that his ban was too harsh.

Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Qadir stated that the 5-year ban for bowling just one no-ball was not justified and he was shocked at the ICC decision.

On the other hand, former England captain Michael Vaughan claimed that the ICC should have banned the trio for life in order to eliminate corruption from the game.

Vaughan further added that Amir will return to cricket at the age of 23 and will still have at least 10-12 years left in his cricketing career. The former England captain was of the opinion that it would not be a good message for the youngsters as it will encourage them to commit wrongdoings in the hopes of getting away with it.

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PAKISTAN CRICKET IMPLODES AND RE-BUILDS IN 2010

The year that went by was a very eventful one, even by Pakistan’s standards. For most parts the cricket team’s performance took a back seat to its off-pitch antics. It was a period when the state of affairs went from bad to worse and it seemed as if the drama would never end. It was a time when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) failed to fulfill its duties and players made senseless decisions. 2010 was a year where controversies made headlines and got the better of Pakistan cricket.

Pakistan started the year with all rounder Shoib Malik as the captain of the one day side. It was clear that he would not last in his role because he wasn’t able to lead his team to victory or elevate his own performances. The inevitable change came when Shahid Afridi was announced as the new captain. ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi led the Cornered Tigers in a winning streak at the ICC T20 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals before losing out to Australia. The Asia Cup followed where below par performances against India and Sri Lanka saw them eliminated before the finals. After that the team went to England to play a series against Australia and Afridi was confirmed as the captain in all formats of the game. Pakistan won both the T20’s under his leadership. However, his Test captaincy was short lived and he resigned after the team’s heavy defeat in the first Test match. Salman Butt was thereafter named the Test captain for the next match that Pakistan won convincingly to draw the series.  

Pakistan then faced England in a Test series, two T20s and five One Day matches. The tour ended with Pakistan loosing on all fronts. Pakistan’s poor performance was overshadowed by the spot fixing scandal. The British tabloid, News of the World, leaked a controversial story that claimed that Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and the Pakistan skipper Salman Butt were allegedly involved with bookmakers in fixing some parts of the fourth Test match. The charges levied against them resulted in their immediate suspension. They were not to take part in any form of cricket until the court’s decision came out. The Pakistan team suffered as it lost three of its key players at once. The spot fixing scandal triggered a series of investigations and the drama finally came to an end on fifth Feburary, when the trio was banned for a minimum five year period.

The One Day series against South Africa further plunged Pakistan cricket into a crises when their wicket keeper Zulqarnain Haider disappeared mysteriously from Abu Dhabi. The young keeper soon arrived in England where he held a press conference to disclose his reasons for leaving. He declared that he was retiring from cricket because he was facing threats from bookies, who had earlier approached him for help in fixing outcomes of matches. The focus had once again shifted from cricket. The team meanwhile lost a well fought five match series against the Proteas.

For the New Zealand tour, Pakistan called in the services of Misbah-ul-Haq, since Salman Butt was no longer available to lead the Test team. The decision to name Misbah the captain came as a surprise but he soon proved his worth by scoring runs on a consistent basis and giving match winning performances.  Pakistan won the Test series against the Black Caps and the win was considered a major coup for Misbah and his men.

The Men in Green had just tasted success but with this came a mind-numbing announcement from the PCB. The PCB announced the team for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2011 without a captain. From what followed it became clear that the board was completely clueless and they had no idea who they wanted as captain. It took a string of good performances from Afridi and a One Day series win against New Zealand to convince the selectors to go with Afridi as the captain for the mega event.

The team has gone through a lot this past year but there is hope. They have had their share of problems but this is perhaps the first time in months the team has started looking like a unit. They are also playing under a captain who seems determined to guide them to the Promised Land.

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WCup win could return cricket to Pakistan: Younis

 Pakistan winning the World Cup would help convince other teams to again play cricket in the country following a deadly attack in 2008, according to coach Waqar Younis.
Pakistan has had to play all of its home series at neutral venues after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus and a vehicle carrying match officials at Lahore almost three years ago, killing several policemen and a driver.
The incident also led to Pakistan being stripped of co-hosting the World Cup, which starts Feb. 19 and will be staged in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
”It’s very important for us because our people want to see international matches,” Younis said. ”I’m sure if we win the World Cup it will open a new chapter in the cricketing world.”
Three Pakistan players were banned for a mininum of five years by the ICC last week on corruption charges, and Younis has praised his team for staying focused to beat New Zealand in test and one-day cricket and only narrowly lose an ODI series to South Africa.
”Despite so many controversies, the team had done well in the last year with series against South Africa and New Zealand,” the coach said.
”Fielding is the very big issue. We have a quite good bowling attack and the batting is gaining maturity,” said Younis, who added that ”even a half-fit (Shoaib) Akhtar will still be a terror.”
Younis has bitter memories of the World Cup, flying home injured before Imran Khan led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 tournament and then captaining a team in 2003 that failed to advance beyond the first round.
”The God has given me another chance,” he said. ”Seriously, this team has the potential to win the World Cup, it just needs to click and gain momentum at the right time.”

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We will manage without Amir and Asif: Shoaib Akhtar

DHAKA: Pakistan’s experienced Shoaib Akthar on Sunday brushed aside the suspension of two of his partners in the Pakistan pace attack, predicting they still had more than enough variety to succeed in the World Cup.
Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, were banned for at least five years along with batsman Salman Butt earlier this month after they were found guilty of corruption by an International Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal in Doha.
“Obviously, we are unfortunate that they are not there. But still whatever the pace attack we have is good enough to win matches,” Shoaib told a news conference in Dhaka ahead of next Saturday’s World Cup opening in the sub-continent.
He said Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and himself along with Junaid Khan could still restrict any side in the world.
“We have the best combination for the new ball and reverse with the older. I think we can manage to put it right.”
Shoaib said the strength of his team lay in swing bowling, especially reverse swing with the more battered, older ball.
The 35-year old pace bowler hinted this was going to be his last World Cup and he was ready to take whatever came his way.
“This is the third (World Cup) in my career and it is very special, obviously. But my plan is to play for a longer period. I am not sure about it,” he said.
“To make this World Cup full of memories, you know, every moment, every ball, every run is going to be memorable for me and I want to take it all in,” he said.
Shoaib, who has claimed 244 wickets in 160 one-day internationals, said winning this World Cup would be a perfect gift for his cricket-mad country.
“It (winning World Cup) will bring the charm back to Pakistan. People in Pakistan are missing cricket.”
The country has been denied home test and one-day international series since March 2009 and a chance to help host the World Cup (Feb 19-April 2) because of a gun attack on the touring Sri Lankan team.
At the last World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007, Pakistan were knocked out in the first round and their coach Bob Woolmer was found dead during the tournament in his Jamaican hotel room.

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I will crank it up for the World Cup: Akhtar

Pakistan’s superstar fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said he was confident of rattling up a good pace at this year’s World Cup despite conditions not being ideal for fast bowlers.
“I still bowl 150 kph (93 mph). Obviously when you are 26 and 36, it’s a bit different. I will try to do as well as I can with whatever ability I have. I am going to push my limits and give it all to the team.”
Akhtar, who missed the last World Cup in the wake of a doping ban and fitness problems, also said he was looking forward to a likely duel with India’s Sachin Tendulkar.
“We all know he is a great player. Every bowler gets hit. Even Brett Lee gets hit a long way, so I am now worried about being hit for sixes by Tendulkar. I have got him off the first ball too.
“Not only Sachin, we will try to get other key players early because they can single-handedly win matches. Put them under pressure, and get them out early — that’s what I will like to do.”
India and Pakistan have been placed in different groups for the tournament, beginning in Dhaka on February 19.
The 14 teams have been divided into two groups for the initial round-robin league, with the top four from each half advancing to the quarter-finals.

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