Shahid Afridi pleased with winning momentum ahead of the World Cup

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has described the series win against New Zealand as a timely win for the team. Pakistan defeated the Kiwis in the fifth One day International (ODI) of the six-match series to clinch the series by 3-1.

The visitors were down after they lost the first match at Wellington, but they bounced back in the series winning three back-to-back matches.

After the match, Afridi said that he expected this effort from his team and he was very much pleased with the combined effort of all the players. According to the Pakistan captain, this will give the team confidence ahead of the World Cup, which will be starting from the 19^th of February, 2011.

An extraordinary effort by the youngster Ahmed Shehzad, who scored his maiden century in today’s match, paved way for Pakistan to post a match winning total on the board. The youngster scored 115 runs off just 109 balls and laid a solid platform for the middle-order batsmen.

Afridi praised Ahmed and said, “Ahmed Shehzad, what a talent he is. But yes, given the way that we were playing, I expected us to reach 300, 300-plus but in the middle, the wicket became a bit slow, and they [New Zealand] bowled very well towards the end.”

Although Pakistan didn’t get what they expected at the end of their 50 overs, the bowlers did a very good job to bowl-out the Kiwis for just 227 runs.

Pakistan captain also praised the efforts of his bowlers; Afridi himself bowled exceptionally well. He had also scored 24 runs when he came out to bat.

Wahab Riaz took three wickets for Pakistan and he got good support from Umar Gul and Afridi, who took two wickets each. Fielding was also good for the visitors today as two of the Kiwi batsmen were run-out.

Although the hosts lost the match and the series, the stand-in captain of the team Ross Taylor praised the effort of his bowlers. He said, “I think we were very happy to restrict them to 268, the way that Kyle [Mills] and Jacob [Oram] brought us back into the game. They were looking to get a score well over 300 and to restrict them to 268 was a very good job.”

Taylor said that batting let the team down yet again. Although the team had a good platform after half-centuries from Taylor and Martin Guptill, the lower middle-order collapsed and the team lost their last 5 wickets for just 35 runs.

The Pakistan camp will be more than happy with their effort, and will be looking to end the series on a high by winning the last match as well. The team seems to be hitting form just at the right time and the series win will give their confidence a massive boost ahead of the ICC World Cup 2011.

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Beautiful Moments of PAkistan cricket team

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Pakistan-Sports-Minister-backs-Afridi-to-lead-Pak-in-World-Cup

KARACHI: Pakistan Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani believes that flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi is the best man to lead Pakistan in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup in the sub-continent.

Jakhrani threw his weight behind Afridi while speaking to the media here, insisting that the all-rounder had the capability to inspire the team to win the mega event.

"I would tell the Pakistan Cricket Board don't change the captain now and stick with Afridi. He is experienced and he is leading the team. There is no reason to change him now before the World Cup," Jakhrani said.

PCB is due to name the World Cup captain on February 4 when the team would be busy playing the one-day series in New Zealand.

Jakhrani said that the team had been performing well in New Zealand which was a good sign for the World Cup.

"I think Afridi now has the confidence and maturity to lead the team well in the World Cup," he added.

The minister also said that the cash awards announced for the medal winners in last year's Asian Games would be distributed tomorrow.

"The athletes who won the hockey gold medal and medals in snooker, wushu, squash and kabbadi will get their cash awards as the government had promised earlier," he said.

The distribution of the cash rewards among Asian Games athletes has been delayed although the announcement was made in late November.

The delay has caused resentment among the hockey players and other athletes who were apprehensive that the government would not fulfill its promise.

The cash awards range from 0.5 to five million rupees for the medal winning athletes.

The delay had also raised concerns that some of hockey players would eventually be forced to opt for the lucrative World Hockey Series being planned by Indian Hockey Federation later this year though the International Hockey Federation has refused to recognise it.

In a bid to promote hockey in the country, the Prime Minister recently announced a special grant of 12 million rupees for Pakistan Hockey Federation which would also be given tomorrow by Jakhrani.

"It is a good sign that the cash awards are being given because this would only serve as incentive to the players to do better in other international events," Pakistan hockey captain Zeeshan Ashraf said.

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Afridi with slight edge as fans join captaincy debate

Fans remain divided over the issue of captaincy but so far it seems Shahid Afridi has a slight edge over Misbah-ul-haq

ISLAMABAD: The die-hard cricket lovers of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have also joined the debate of who will lead Pakistan at this years World Cup and it seems dazzling all-rounder so far has an edge over Misbah-ul-Haq.

Pakistan squad for the mega event includes Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir and Ahmad Shahzad.
In a causal chat with APP, a local taxi driver, Jahan Sher said, “I just cannot understand why the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has delayed to announce the captain on February 4. By not announcing the captain, the board has split the players into Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul Haq groups. In such circumstances I believe Afridi is the best possible choice to lead the team for the world cup.”
“If PCB chairman Ijaz Butt is waiting till February 4 to see how Afridi performs as captain in the one-day series in New Zealand then I don’t think that it is a wise move because this is not the time to change the captain. For the World Cup they should continue with Afridi,” Rahim Khan, a local passenger at a bus stop, said.
A government employee, Mir Shah said, “The team selected is good but I am bemused about the fact that naming a captain for such a big event has been delayed so much. No team in the world of cricket is named without a captain.”
Support for the now axed Mohammad Yousuf was also split as some fans believed the decision to drop the veteran batsmen would deal a severe blow to Pakistan chances. Others, however, were of the view the Yousuf was a spent force for ODIs.
“I don’t know about who will be the captain but Pakistan will surely miss Mohammad Yousuf. Our team’s chances of reaching even the quarter-finals are dull,” a private telecom company employee, Yasir Ali Khan said.
A government employee, Faisal Shah said, “I am happy they did not include Mohammad Yousuf this time. We need young blood. You can’t bet on the same horse to win your races for 20 years.”
Wishing good luck to the team, he said, “even if they lose, I hope they will put a fight until the end because you cannot win every match but you can put up a fight and at least try to win. I think the team is quite capable of giving a tough time to any opponent.”
There was also some support for the suspended fast bowler Mohammad Amir
“Pakistan cricket’s team is over confident and they lack respect towards the opponents’ abilities. I just wish that a miracle happens and Mohammed Amir get clears on February 5 from the International Cricket Council and gets included in the squad,” an optics shopkeeper at Aabpara, Salman Hadyat, said.
The captaincy issue it seemed had created doubts not only within the Pakistan setup but also the fans who were judging Afridi and Misbah on their current performances during the series in New Zealand.
An employee in a marketing company, Khurram Qasim told said, “I think Afridi should be kept as captain for this event. This is a mega event and we all know that he is the best possible choice for the event.”
A commuter at the zero point bus stop, Ali Zahid said, “I support the squad, as it is the best possible we can have in the given circumstances. No doubt Misbah’s recent form makes him contender for the captaincy.”

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Black Caps keen to replicate Misbah

New Zealand coach John Wright has made in-form Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq the focal point for his side on the eve of the crucial fifth ODI.

New Zealand trail Pakistan 1-2 after four matches and need to win in Hamilton on Thursday to keep the series alive going into Saturday's final match in Auckland.

Misbah has been the key difference between the two sides and Wright has told his batsmen to study and analyse the master strokemaker's unbeaten 93, which set up Pakistan's two-wicket win in the fourth match in Napier on Tuesday.

"His was exactly the type of innings we need," Wright said.

"I think throughout this series he's been their glue, and we probably need some glue."

In six innings so far in the Test and one-day series, Misbah has passed 50 five times, with an average of 115.50 in the Tests (62, 99, 70 not out) and 89 in the one-dayers (50, 35, 93 not out).

Wright said New Zealand would need at least two of their top-order batsmen to produce an innings of substance.

"The answer is clearly that we have to start generating some runs and the boys are aware of that. They're trying real hard and they can play."

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Misbah believes he is in the best form of his career.

"I'm really enjoying this form and I'm really enjoying New Zealand, I'm happy that my performances are doing a good job for the team," he said.

"Cricket is all about confidence and at the moment the confidence is high, that's why the form is good and I'm scoring runs."

Misbah's golden form is not the only problem facing New Zealand as there are concerns over captain Daniel Vettori, who tweaked a hamstring in Tuesday's fourth match in Napier.

However, Jesse Ryder is expected to start after being a later withdrawal in Napier because of a finger injury.

"We'd be pretty hopeful about Jesse," Wright said.

"I'm not quite so sure about Dan, I think it's just general stiffness but we'll have to have a look. He's probably more uncertain but we've got a physio who is very experienced so we'll act on the expert's advice."

Wright is also keen to end the player rotation system New Zealand have used in the Pakistan series, saying the time for experimentation is over if New Zealand are to have a chance of taking the series.

"I think we need to go with our frontline side," injuries permitting, Wright said.

"I've always believed at this level you pick your best side, that tends to solve a lot of problems because you have your best chance of winning and getting some momentum going.

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Zaheer Abbas reiterates his support for Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy

Pakistan’s former batting great Zaheer Abbas has again come out in support of Misbah-ul-Haq, after Pakistan’s second consecutive victory against New Zealand in the National Bank one-day international (ODI) series.

Ever since rumours of ditching Afridi as skipper of Pakistan spread, Zaheer has been the most vocal supporter of Misbah to replace Afridi.

Last month when the heat was on, Abbas suggested to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to immediately appoint the cool-headed Misbah as the new ODI skipper of Pakistan for this month’s World Cup, which is set to begin from the 19^th in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

After Pakistan’s win in the fourth ODI of a six-match series at McLean Park, Napier, Zaheer said, “Everyone can see his (Misbah’s) performance with the bat which is very remarkable and adds to the team's confidence. The PCB has yet to announce a captain for the World Cup and the way Misbah is performing I believe there are chances that PCB could choose him as ODI skipper.”

Misah played a match-winning innings in the fourth ODI with an unbeaten knock of 93 runs while chasing a formidable total of 262 runs posted by New Zealand. The win gave Pakistan a 2-1 lead in the series with two games to play.

Zaheer was particularly impressed by the way Misbah had led the Test side in the series against South Africa and New Zealand. The series against South Africa ended in a draw. However, Pakistan won the two-match Test series against New Zealand after winning the first Test by 10 wickets in Hamilton.

"Misbah has impressed everyone with his captaincy during the Test and ODI matches and has made important contributions with the bat." Abbas reiterated.

Last month the PCB announced the 15-member squad for the 2011 World Cup but did not name a captain for the mega event. This sparked another debate in Pakistan as to who would lead the team.

According to reports, PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt wants Afridi to be sacked because he is not happy with the hard-hitting batsman for giving interviews to the media, without taking the Board into confidence. Butt is also not happy with the way Afridi led the team in the UAE against South Africa.

The captaincy issue has virtually divided the country into two groups. One wants Afridi to retain his captaincy and the others are backing Misbah. Zaheer Abbas has been a staunch supporter of Misbah-ul-Haq from the start and he is still vocal in his support for Pakistan’s middle-order batsman.

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Misbah turns on the heat on Afridi after match winning innings at the McLean Park

Misbah turns on the heat on Afridi after match winning innings at the McLean Park

Pakistan’s test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who is the front runner along with ODI captain Shahid Afridi for leading the team in the World Cup, did his chances no harm by slamming his career best knock at a crucial juncture as the men in green edged out New Zealand in a nail-biter at the McLean park in Napier.

Misbah, who has been having the tour of his life, carried on from where he left in the test matches to post his sixth half century of the tour. His tally includes four on the trot in as many innings of the test series; he scored 99 in the first innings of the second test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Misbah was at his best again and helped his team get past the 100-run mark by scoring a fifty as the tourists collapsed to 124 all out in the first ODI, at the Westpac in Wellington. He again made a significant contribution helping his team recover from 50 odd for 3 in the third ODI at Christchurch, before sealing a win at Napier today.

He came to bat with his team in trouble chasing a stiff victory target of 263 runs. Pakistan were 84/3 with the openers and Kamran Akmal back in the hutch, leaving Misbah and another seasoned campaigner Younis Khan in the middle with the task of taking the team through the innings. Younis was run out after making 42 runs, yet Misbah was the glue once again remaining unbeaten on 93; his best ODI score.

Along with Sohail Tanvir, he took the hosts home when 13 were needed of the last two overs. At the post match press conference Misbah offered his support to Afirdi and praised his role as the leader of the team. He also lauded the effort put in by the veteran Younis Khan.

"Things have worked well for me in recent times. The wicket was really good today, I enjoyed batting here. I enjoy playing with Younis, even during the Tests and other ODIs in the past. The teamwork is coming through - the skipper is doing very well, the team is gelling well. We have a good vibe leading to the World Cup."

Meanwhile Afridi reiterated that there was a great spirit in the camp and the team is gelling well, he stated that he was not concerned about captaincy as, at the end of the day, the team plays for their country and not for any particular individual.

He heaped praise on Misbah after he himself had given his wicket away in a typically irresponsible manner.

"Credit to the bowlers who kept things quiet with the new ball on this great batting track. 265 is still not an easy total, but Shehzad started off well. The way Misbah and Younis took on the responsibility in the middle overs was crucial. Great knock from Misbah."

The captaincy debate is set to end in the next three days, the Pakistani Cricket Board is planning to announce the Captain for the World Cup on the 4^th of February. The announcement would come after the two teams play the fifth match of the series at Hamilton.

While Misbah is batting as well as he ever has, the cricketing pundits in the country are raving for Afridi as the leader, as he has led the team well in recent games especially in the wake of the spot and match fixing scandal that rocked the team in England last August.

The dust is set to settle on the 4^th with both Misbah and Afridi stating that they are willing to fight all the way for the team regardless of who amongst them captains the team at the premier ODI tournament next month.

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Afridi credits Misbah,s batting for win agains newzeland

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistani skipper credited Test captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, for his innings that helped his side pull off a nail-biting victory in the fourth One Day International (ODI) against New Zealand.

“Misbah-ul-Haq (innings) in the end especially, it was a great knock”, Afridi exclaimed during a post-match interview.

The Test captain’s innings served as the backbone for Pakistan’s successful run chase at Napier. He smashed an unbeaten 93 off 91 balls. The match-winning knock saw seven boundaries and a six.

His innings came at a time when the visitors were losing wickets at regular intervals and the required run-rate was creeping up.

Earlier, New Zealand steadily recovered from a top-half collapse once again and managed to put up a competitive target of 263. The Black Caps seemed all set to take the game away from the visitors, but Pakistan proved once again that they are the comeback experts.

“263 is not an easy total especially when you are chasing”, Afridi conceded before adding that the stage was set up by opener Ahmed Shehzad.

But as Pakistan was expecting Mohammad Hafeez to hit score another ton, he slashed at a Hamish Bennett delivery and was caught by Ross Taylor brilliantly for 12 runs.

Shehzad was in fine form as he hit six boundaries and one six to post 42 runs off 42 balls. But the Black Caps’ cashed in on the combination of Scott Styris and Ross Taylor as they took two wickets in quick succession.

However, Misbah and veteran, Younis Khan, played risk-free cricket at a time when wickets were needed on a flat track. The two batsmen guided their side with a host of hard-hitting boundaries and the Kiwis were left struggling.

The pair added 89 runs while Misbah reached his half century, but Younis left stranded while running between the wickets after tipping the ball to point.

But the Pakistani captain hailed the risk-averse technique of the two players saying that they took great “responsibility” to create a good partnership.

Misbah, along with tail-ender Sohail Tanvir handled the pressure well and eventually finished with three boundaries in the 48^th over.

Afridi also credited the fast bowlers for restricting Daniel Vettori’s top order in the first 25 overs. Wahab Riaz led Pakistan’s bowling attack, claiming three wickets for 51 runs. Afridi, himself took the wicket of the Kiwis leading scorer James Franklin.

“The way the boys bowled with the new ball, especially on this track which is like heaven for batsmen, it was really well and full credit goes to them”, Afridi added.

Pakistan leads the six-match series 2-1 with the last match scheduled to be played on Saturday in Auckland.

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Shahid Afridi praised the effort of bowlers

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi praised the efforts of his bowlers after the team won the fourth match of the six-match One Day International series against New Zealand at Napier.

The Kiwi team batted first after winning the toss but Pakistani bowlers started superbly. They did not allow the Blackcaps to score runs freely in the opening overs and took five quick wickets to put the hosts on the back foot.

Although New Zealand managed to post a decent total courtesy their middle-order batsmen, Pakistan chased down the target with 2 wickets and Shahid Afridi lauds bowlers after Napier win

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi praised the efforts of his bowlers after the team won the fourth match of the six-match One Day International series against New Zealand at Napier.

The Kiwi team batted first after winning the toss but Pakistani bowlers started superbly. They did not allow the Blackcaps to score runs freely in the opening overs and took five quick wickets to put the hosts on the back foot.

Although New Zealand managed to post a decent total courtesy their middle-order batsmen, Pakistan chased down the target with 2 wickets and 6 balls to spare.

Afridi said that the wicket was good for batting and he expected more runs from the Kiwi team after they batted first.

The flamboyant all-rounder stated, “I think the way the boys bowled with the new ball, especially on this track which is like heaven for batsmen, it was really well and full credit goes to them.”

The Pakistan captain praised the efforts of pacer Wahab Riaz in particular and said that he has been working hard to do well for the team. He further said that Wahab was mentally very tough and has been a great addition to the team in all three formats of the game.

Moreover, Afridi did not hesitate at all in praising the efforts of the veteran middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq, who played a brilliant innings in the match.

Misbah has been performing consistently well for his team recently. He is also a likely candidate for the World Cup captaincy of Pakistan but has been completely focused on his job as a senior member of the team.

Pakistan were struggling at one stage in the match on Tuesday when three of their top-order batsmen were back in the pavilion for 84 runs. Misbah joined the dependable Younis Khan at the crease and the pair took the team out of trouble with an 89-run partnership.

Pakistan collapsed in the later stages of the innings but Misbah guided his team to victory with a splendid innings of 93 runs off 91 balls. The victory was special for the visitors as it was their first ODI win at Napier.

The victory gave Pakistan a 2-1 lead in the series with two more matches still to be played. The home team has to win the next match on 3 February, 2011 in order to stay alive in the series6 balls to spare.

Afridi said that the wicket was good for batting and he expected more runs from the Kiwi team after they batted first.

The flamboyant all-rounder stated, “I think the way the boys bowled with the new ball, especially on this track which is like heaven for batsmen, it was really well and full credit goes to them.”

The Pakistan captain praised the efforts of pacer Wahab Riaz in particular and said that he has been working hard to do well for the team. He further said that Wahab was mentally very tough and has been a great addition to the team in all three formats of the game.

Moreover, Afridi did not hesitate at all in praising the efforts of the veteran middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq, who played a brilliant innings in the match.

Misbah has been performing consistently well for his team recently. He is also a likely candidate for the World Cup captaincy of Pakistan but has been completely focused on his job as a senior member of the team.

Pakistan were struggling at one stage in the match on Tuesday when three of their top-order batsmen were back in the pavilion for 84 runs. Misbah joined the dependable Younis Khan at the crease and the pair took the team out of trouble with an 89-run partnership.

Pakistan collapsed in the later stages of the innings but Misbah guided his team to victory with a splendid innings of 93 runs off 91 balls. The victory was special for the visitors as it was their first ODI win at Napier.

The victory gave Pakistan a 2-1 lead in the series with two more matches still to be played. The home team has to win the next match on 3 February, 2011 in order to stay alive in the series.

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