After three mediocre performances with both bat and ball, Shahid Afridi finally came good — albeit against the minnows, the Netherlands — and carried Pakistan through to the Super Eights of the ICC World Twenty20.
His career-best four for 11, the fourth best bowling figures in international Twenty20, was labelled as the difference between the two sides by the Dutch captain, and spared Pakistan’s blushes of exiting yet another tournament in the group stages.
Showing no signs of complacency after a thumping victory, Afridi vowed to deliver an improved performance in the next three matches against Sri Lank, New Zealand and Ireland.
“Judging by the performance on Tuesday, I think a lot will depend on my performance in the next round,” Afridi told Dawn after a training session on Wednesday at The Oval. “The team needs me and I’m fully aware of that and that is why I will be focussing a lot on improving my individual performance in the next round.”
It was difficult, according to Afridi, for the team to adjust to the English conditions and the pitches, with a lot of squad members totally alien to these conditions. On the other hand, players from other team benefiting from the recent IPL trip, had a huge advantage as the pitches in South Africa were remarkably similar to what the ICC World Twenty20 is witnessing.
“I think the Pakistani players were unfortunate to miss out on the IPL as it would’ve benefited us greatly. It’s not easy to arrive in England and start playing our natural game
straight away. It took time for us to get acclimatised to the conditions and as we move into the business end of the tournament, we will be able to deliver what is expected of us.”
While his performance with the ball came as a huge relief for Pakistan, Afridi as a batsman has yet to shine for his team in the tournament so far. No wonder then, that he appears desperately keen to put things right. “I’ve not been able to bat to my ability as I’ve often arrived at the crease with only a few overs to go. I wanted to carry my UAE form and strategy into these matches where I would have a few overs to settle down before attacking. However, that has not been possible on the tour so far and that is why I’ve made it quite clear to my captain that I can be, and am well-prepared as always, to be utilised at the top of the order if the need arises.”
Of the three Super Eight matches Pakistan will be playing, two of them will be at The Oval, the ground where Pakistan was handed a nine-wicket loss against India in the second warm-up followed by a 45 run defeat at the hands of the hosts England. Despite the two results at the venue, keeping in mind the Oval debacle of 2006, Afridi shrugged aside notions of apprehension.
“No matter what the location is, we need to come good in all departments of the game. Super Eights is where the real challenge begins. We will now see how good our team really is,” Afridi concluded.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 12, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Take mind off Pakistan unrest to excel: Younus
An early exit loomed briefly before Pakistan laboured into the Super Eights. But the Super Eights may not be as forgiving as the orange threats as Pakistan take on the ferociousness and twirls of Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Friday.Pakistan captain Younus Khan has focussed on getting the basics right in order to go past the first hurdle while hoping his wish of playing India in the final comes true.
Speaking to the media on the eve of the match, Younus urged his team to focus on the job in hand, despite the law and order conditions back home, and do well in tournament for the nation’s sake.
‘They (Sri Lanka) are a very good side and we all are aware of this,’ Younus said. ‘We have played a lot against them recently and we know their team very well. However, we must ensure that we get things right at the right time and, providing that happens, we are capable of beating anyone.’
While backing his batsmen to counter the spin threat that Sri Lanka poses, Younus welcomed the inclusion of Abdul Razzaq – who is due to arrive in England late Friday afternoon – despite his past links with the ICL and termed it a relief after losing Yasir Arafat due to injury.
‘Although Razzaq will arrive here tomorrow [Friday] it will not be possible for him to play the match after spending seven to eight hours on the plane. However, being the fantastic allrounder that he is, especially in Twenty20 cricket, he can be in our playing eleven for the remainder of the tournament. His return will be good for Pakistan cricket,’ said Younus.
With the potential the Pakistani team possesses, it sometimes appears as though they lack focus thus resulting in being caught off-guard and being handed heavy losses.
‘It is hard for my team to focus at times, especially with the situation back home. That bomb blast in Peshawar, for example, which happens to be my hometown, did take our minds off cricket and it becomes difficult to concentrate on cricket. But this is what cricket’s about and we need to ensure we start this round well.’
In Sri Lanka they have an opposition which has endured tough times off the field. They have also dumped Australia out of the tournament before stopping West Indies well short of a healthy target of 192.
With the team scoring runs, taking wickets and holding onto their catches, complacency can easily be a bigger threat than Pakistan’s unpredictability but the Sri Lankan captain chose to label it confidence.
‘Yes, we have a lot of confidence going into tomorrow’s match, especially after beating two good teams, but this is Twenty20 cricket and a bad five-minute spell on the field can bring about your downfall,’ Kumar Sangakkara said at Lord’s on Thursday.
‘We played against Pakistan recently and we know the team inside out but these are different conditions and a different game altogether. It all depends on tomorrow’s performance, whichever team wants it more will come out on top basically.’
The biggest threat to Pakistan will arguably be that almost-40 maestro at the top of the order, Sanath Jayasuriya, especially following a blistering 47-ball 81 against Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Co on Wednesday. But Sangakkara is refusing to put much pressure on Jayasuriya.
‘As a side we’ve never had any doubts over what he [Jayasuriya] can do. It added to his and the team’s confidence that he got those runs [against West Indies] and the manner he got them in. However, we have a strong batting line-up that follows so despite the opening partnership being crucial, it won’t be the end of the world if he fails to click.’
Not wanting his bowlers to take a back seat, despite Pakistan’s potentially-explosive batting line-up, Sangakkara also laid much emphasis in his spinners, namely Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Five wickets in the tournament for Mendis so far while Murali only has a solitary scalp against West Indies to bring into the match, Sangakkara is keen for the duo to form yet another great partnership.
‘Spin has been our strength for years and it won’t change tomorrow. If you’re a good bowler, batsmen will find it difficult to play you no matter what format of the game it is in. Hopefully, our spinners will keep performing and adding to their strengths and win us games like they have done in the past.’
With forecast of overcast and windy conditions, it is perhaps time for Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Aamir, to show why they are considered among the best in the country. And while Sangakkara plans one match at a time, Younus is already hoping for a Pakistan-India final at Lord’s.
‘I have good memories of Lord’s having managed good scores everytime I have turned up,’ Younus said. ‘Therefore, although we have hurdles to cross before that, I hope I lift the trophy at Lord’s at the end of the tournament.’
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 12, 2009
ICC yet to receive PCB request about replacement
While the Pakistan team management in London confirmed that a replacement for the injured Yasir Arafat has been sought in the form of Abdul Razzaq, the ICC technical committee has yet to receive any formal requests from the PCB.
“There have been reports of the PCB seeking a replacement for the injured Arafat but we’ve had no official word from them as yet,” Steve Elworthy, the ICC World Twenty20 tournament director and member of the ICC technical committee, confirmed to Dawn.
“The process can be started as soon as a request is received and, if done electronically, can take up to 12 hours.”
Considering Pakistan play their first Super Eights match on Friday, the delay comes as a surprise, puzzling especially given that Pakistan’s coach Intikhab Alam confirmed that a request has already been sent to the PCB.
“Arafat is definitely out of the tournament and we have asked the PCB to send Razzaq as replacement,” Intikhab had told Dawn.
“Losing Arafat is obviously a big blow to us as his attitude towards training and performing for Pakistan was terrific but it’s an unfortunate thing that can happen to anyone, and at any time.”
Arafat will be leaving the squad today and will rejoin his county Sussex that he is representing in the on-going county season as their overseas player.
Razzaq, an ex-ICL player, was originally named by the PCB in the 30-man squad for the tournament in May but his name was quickly scratched off due to ICC’s objections to ICL-linked players at that time.
Given the fact that he terminated his contract with the ICL recently, and was part of the recently-concluded domestic Twenty20 tournament in Pakistan, Razzaq seemed an obvious like-for-like replacement given Arafat’s withdrawal despite having not played international cricket for just over two years.
“Razzaq is a talented and professional cricketer who shone in ICL as well as Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20,” Intikhab said.
“I’m sure his performance will not be hampered by the fact that he hasn’t played international cricket for a long time and we look forward to having him in the squad.”
Razzaq, given the PCB sends in the replacement request in time, can feature for Pakistan against Sri Lanka as early as Friday, and can become the first ex-ICL player to return to international cricket.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper June 11, 2009
“There have been reports of the PCB seeking a replacement for the injured Arafat but we’ve had no official word from them as yet,” Steve Elworthy, the ICC World Twenty20 tournament director and member of the ICC technical committee, confirmed to Dawn.
“The process can be started as soon as a request is received and, if done electronically, can take up to 12 hours.”
Considering Pakistan play their first Super Eights match on Friday, the delay comes as a surprise, puzzling especially given that Pakistan’s coach Intikhab Alam confirmed that a request has already been sent to the PCB.
“Arafat is definitely out of the tournament and we have asked the PCB to send Razzaq as replacement,” Intikhab had told Dawn.
“Losing Arafat is obviously a big blow to us as his attitude towards training and performing for Pakistan was terrific but it’s an unfortunate thing that can happen to anyone, and at any time.”
Arafat will be leaving the squad today and will rejoin his county Sussex that he is representing in the on-going county season as their overseas player.
Razzaq, an ex-ICL player, was originally named by the PCB in the 30-man squad for the tournament in May but his name was quickly scratched off due to ICC’s objections to ICL-linked players at that time.
Given the fact that he terminated his contract with the ICL recently, and was part of the recently-concluded domestic Twenty20 tournament in Pakistan, Razzaq seemed an obvious like-for-like replacement given Arafat’s withdrawal despite having not played international cricket for just over two years.
“Razzaq is a talented and professional cricketer who shone in ICL as well as Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20,” Intikhab said.
“I’m sure his performance will not be hampered by the fact that he hasn’t played international cricket for a long time and we look forward to having him in the squad.”
Razzaq, given the PCB sends in the replacement request in time, can feature for Pakistan against Sri Lanka as early as Friday, and can become the first ex-ICL player to return to international cricket.”
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Younus keen to see his men go all the way
Missing the hysterical laughter from the previous press conference, Pakistan skipper Younus Khan did not shy away from labelling Twenty20 as entertainment yet again as he faced the media in a post match conference, even comparing the event to WWE.
However, with a comprehensive win under his belt, a win made possible by his senior players delivering what was asked by him, Younus has now set his sights on taking the cup home. ‘We’ve always been slow starters, the whole world knows that,’ Younis said. ‘Now that we are through to the Super Eights, showing fighting spirit at just the right time, we must now ensure we win the tournament.’
While Pakistan’s batting and bowling showed signs of considerable improvement, albeit against a weaker team that their previous opponents, the fielding still left much to be desired.
Salman Butt, who faced his captain’s wrath after a dreadful time in the field against England, was guilty of dropping another catch today before managing to hang onto a top-edged sweep. Apart from Butt’s drop, a few half chances went begging but luckily for Pakistan, they did not prove fatal.
‘We formed good partnerships, both with the bat and with the ball. However, for those achievements to matter in the end, we need to improve our ground fielding and hold onto the catches,’ emphasized Younus.
‘The simple plan is go out, bat well, bowl well and play the role that you’re been assigned in the team. We have a good momentum going into the Super Eights and we will need to ensure that we carry it forward and put it to good use.’
Pakistan went into the must-win match with two changes: Fawad Alam coming in place of Ahmed Shehzad and Sohail Tanvir replacing the injured Yasir Arafat. While Fawad’s contribution to the team was three runs and a few stops in the field, Sohail’s miserly figures of 13 runs in his three overs impressed Younus.
‘He (Sohail) has been out of form and it was essential for him to come forward and have a good match, especially considering it had become such an important match for Pakistan,’ said the captain.
‘The pitch and the conditions were suitable for him and he gave it his all and a repeat of such performance is simply what we need in order to make it through the next round.’
The destroyer-in-chief, however, was Shahid Afridi, who briefly entertained with the bat (a towering six over long-on in his 7-ball 13) but returned to haunt the Dutch batsmen.
He took three wickets in ten deliveries at one stage and his return of 4 for 11 — the fourth best figures in International Twenty20 history — was labelled by the opposing captain as the difference between a win against England and a thrashing against Pakistan.
‘We were simply unable to play him [Afridi],’ Smits said after the match. ‘Although we played Adil Rashid, the legspinner, in the previous match, it proved really difficult to bat against Afridi today and his bowling was what made the difference.’
A side looking much relaxed that the one that left The Oval on Sunday, Pakistan now have two days off before taking on Sri Lanka at the same venue on Friday afternoon in the first of three Super Eights matches.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper June 10, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
Sana Mir aims to lead by example
If success was achieved by words, Sana Mir would right now be the best captain in the world and Pakistan would be holding many trophies. To be showing the level of confidence in her team that she has, with an implausible self-placed favourites tag on her team, does not come as a complete surprise given the team’s recent ascent.
Pakistan play their opening match of the tournament on Monday against the West Indies, fresh from six back-to-back matches in Ireland and against English Academy.
Speaking exclusively to Dawn at the captains’ photocall at Lord’s on Friday, Sana confirmed that preparations for the tournament could not have been better despite the alien conditions the team has found itself in.
“Prior to our arrival in Ireland, we had a training camp in Muridke’s sizzling conditions,” Sana said. “Upon arrival, we were greeted by freezing conditions for the first match against Ireland. However, the girls adjusted well to the weather, the conditions and the pitch and came back strongly in the following matches.”
Sana, who replaced Urooj Mumtaz as Pakistan’s captain for the tournament, was quite satisfied with her own performance as well, having taken a career-best 4 for 13 against Ireland last month followed by a 2 for 5. “Although I’m in good form with the ball, I would like to contribute more with the bat as well. As captain, I would like to lead from the front and ensure players, who have the potential, bring out their best when turning up for Pakistan.”
Her elevation as captain came as a surprise given Pakistan’s performance at the World Cup under Urooj Mumtaz where they defied all odds to make it past the group stages. Not much has changed due to a change at the helm, according to Sana, who assured that the decision has not affected Mumtaz’s performance either.
“I don’t think there is an issue [with Urooj being replaced as captain]. I’ve carried about in the same manner in the team as before, taking suggestions from everyone including Urooj who is, as always, more than willing to help the team. It’s a team effort once we step onto the field and we’ve improved as professionals, we don’t seek positions in the team any more. Captaincy, however, has come naturally to me. I’ve always thought it was my team.”
Hoping to replicate Pakistan’s performance in Australia, Sana remained adamant that her side has progressed well from their achievements down-under and is capable to causing more upsets. The morale, despite the blistery conditions at times, was high and their job was to exceed everyone’s expectations yet again. “Not many people expected us to go past the group stages in Australia. In fact we were handed our return tickets to Pakistan for the day straight after our last group match. But playing as we did, and going past the group stages, giving those tickets back to the organisers was one of the happiest moments.”
“However, now that we have achieved much and changed people’s mentality, a lot of the same is expected from us. We have a massive following back home and I’m backing my players, who have realised the importance of each and every game, to gather momentum at the right time.”
Although having beaten Ireland, Nottinghamshire and the English Academy, stronger teams like West Indies, Sri Lanka, India and England — who won the ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia — lie in wait. The job on hand, as Sana and her team have realised, is difficult and making it to the semi-final is an uphill task.
Much emphasis will be put on good starts following Pakistan’s mediocre performance with the bat in the matches preceding the tournament. But, due to conditions, Sana predicted low-scoring encounters, placing her faith in Pakistan’s bowlers to defend any total and is confident that another good show on the road will further aid the improving image of women’s cricket in Pakistan.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 7, 2009
Pakistan play their opening match of the tournament on Monday against the West Indies, fresh from six back-to-back matches in Ireland and against English Academy.
Speaking exclusively to Dawn at the captains’ photocall at Lord’s on Friday, Sana confirmed that preparations for the tournament could not have been better despite the alien conditions the team has found itself in.
“Prior to our arrival in Ireland, we had a training camp in Muridke’s sizzling conditions,” Sana said. “Upon arrival, we were greeted by freezing conditions for the first match against Ireland. However, the girls adjusted well to the weather, the conditions and the pitch and came back strongly in the following matches.”
Sana, who replaced Urooj Mumtaz as Pakistan’s captain for the tournament, was quite satisfied with her own performance as well, having taken a career-best 4 for 13 against Ireland last month followed by a 2 for 5. “Although I’m in good form with the ball, I would like to contribute more with the bat as well. As captain, I would like to lead from the front and ensure players, who have the potential, bring out their best when turning up for Pakistan.”
Her elevation as captain came as a surprise given Pakistan’s performance at the World Cup under Urooj Mumtaz where they defied all odds to make it past the group stages. Not much has changed due to a change at the helm, according to Sana, who assured that the decision has not affected Mumtaz’s performance either.
“I don’t think there is an issue [with Urooj being replaced as captain]. I’ve carried about in the same manner in the team as before, taking suggestions from everyone including Urooj who is, as always, more than willing to help the team. It’s a team effort once we step onto the field and we’ve improved as professionals, we don’t seek positions in the team any more. Captaincy, however, has come naturally to me. I’ve always thought it was my team.”
Hoping to replicate Pakistan’s performance in Australia, Sana remained adamant that her side has progressed well from their achievements down-under and is capable to causing more upsets. The morale, despite the blistery conditions at times, was high and their job was to exceed everyone’s expectations yet again. “Not many people expected us to go past the group stages in Australia. In fact we were handed our return tickets to Pakistan for the day straight after our last group match. But playing as we did, and going past the group stages, giving those tickets back to the organisers was one of the happiest moments.”
“However, now that we have achieved much and changed people’s mentality, a lot of the same is expected from us. We have a massive following back home and I’m backing my players, who have realised the importance of each and every game, to gather momentum at the right time.”
Although having beaten Ireland, Nottinghamshire and the English Academy, stronger teams like West Indies, Sri Lanka, India and England — who won the ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia — lie in wait. The job on hand, as Sana and her team have realised, is difficult and making it to the semi-final is an uphill task.
Much emphasis will be put on good starts following Pakistan’s mediocre performance with the bat in the matches preceding the tournament. But, due to conditions, Sana predicted low-scoring encounters, placing her faith in Pakistan’s bowlers to defend any total and is confident that another good show on the road will further aid the improving image of women’s cricket in Pakistan.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 7, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Flintoff’s absence huge advantage for us: S Malik
Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan all-rounder, has termed the absence of Andrew Flintoff as a ‘psychological advantage’ for his side and urged his team-mates to utilise the opportunity and start the tournament with a win.Malik, speaking after Pakistan’s training session at Southgate on Friday, was confident of Pakistan’s victory when they take on England at The Oval on Sunday despite back-to-back losses against South Africa and India during the warm-up matches.
‘We arrived in England quite late and need some time to adjust ourselves,’ Malik said. ‘We played poor cricket in the two matches that we lost but we’re growing in confidence gradually while getting accustomed to the conditions and I’m sure we can start with a win on Sunday.’
‘Although England have a slight advantage over us due to home conditions, the absence of Flintoff has surely tilted the balance in our favour. He’s a great all-rounder and his absence is a huge psychological advantage for Pakistan, something we’ll utilise and ensure we win the match and carry the points into the next round.’
Refusing to pick his favourites for the tournament, Malik termed India, Australia and South Africa as strong teams but stressed that Pakistan must not be counted out on the basis of their poor show in the warm-ups.
‘It’s near impossible to pick out favourites in this type of cricket. You only need a couple of batsmen to score fifties or a couple of bowlers to take two or three wickets and the balance suddenly shifts in your favour.’
‘Obviously you don’t get as many chances as in ODIs or Test matches, but strong teams cling on to whatever chances they get and that is exactly what makes them strong in Twenty20.’
Mohammad Aamir, meanwhile, was cherishing his wicket of Rohit Sharma at The Oval on Wednesday and was confident he would be able to carry the his good performance upon the team’s return to the same venue on Sunday.
He, too, pointed at Pakistan’s late arrival into England as his side’s sluggish performance but promised a much-improved performance.
‘We were basically short on match practice but have had several training sessions since that loss and we’ll enter the ground [on Sunday] with a positive frame of mind,’ Aamir told Dawn.
‘Although winning or losing doesn’t matter when you give your 100 per cent, we are quite weary of expectations back home and will hope to win the tournament this time round.’
Coming into the tournaments shouldering huge individual expectations after being spoken highly of by Wasim Akram, Aamir shrugged off any notions of nervousness that he might have had prior to taking on the field against India.
‘It has been a great honour being spoken to highly of by Akram but despite it being a Pakistan-India match, I was confident of my abilities, gave it my 100 per cent and was very happy with the fact that I took a wicket in the match. Despite the loss, we remain confident of a good show against England as a lot of our players are used to the conditions and we posses an array of Twenty20 specialists and no wonder we sit on top of the Twenty20 rankings.’
While having high hopes for his side, Aamir has set high standards for himself as well, wanting to be a ‘top-ranking bowler’ in the next five years. ‘Everyone knows the things Wasim has said about me and it is purely because of that I don’t want to disappoint him.
He’s a great bowler, has appreciated me and I feel really lucky not only to have such comments from him, but also being able to spend time working with and learning from him.
He is my sole idol in world cricket and I want to come up to his expectations and, in five year, hope to become a top-ranking bowler.’
Following the match against England, Pakistan will take on Netherlands on Tuesday and are scheduled to play back-to-back Super Eights matches on Thursday and Friday if they qualify for the second round.
© Faras Ghani 2009.
Published in DAWN newspaper June 6, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Experiments backfire on Pakistan as India win
It was a day of experiments. Experiments the team management vowed to stay clear of during the build-up to the warm-up match against India at The Oval on Wednesday.
While skipper Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam reposed much confidence in Salman Butt’s ability at the top of the order, it was the 19-year-old Shazaib Ahmed who was drafted in the team in place of the former vice-captain.
Shahid Afridi was promoted up the order — a move cleverly off-set by MS Dhoni as he brought on Irfan Pathan — and Umar Gul was assigned new-ball duties as India set off chasing a defendable 158. Mohammad Aamer, too, was provided a much-awaited outing. From the performance on the field, the experiments clearly failed to produce the required results.
While the danger signs were obvious from Pakistan’s inability to pose any serious threat against a formidable Indian line-up, Intikhab refused to be concerned. “We were off to a good start and I thought 158 wasn’t a bad score,”’ Intikhab said while representing his side at a press conference for the third time running.
“However, we failed to perform with the ball, especially our spinners. Despite the loss, I see no reason to be concerned. It’s still early days and with the talented individuals we have in the side, I’m sure they will come good when it really matters.”
Contradicting his comments after the side’s loss to South Africa on Monday at Trent Bridge where Intikhab made it clear that “we are not keen on experimenting”, the match against India was an experiment without excuses with the hope that the team performs when it matters the most.
Pakistan take on England on Sunday in their first match of the tournament proper and Intikhab wants his team to put the two defeats behind them and learn from their mistakes. “Our batsmen got out to wrong shot-selection and our bowlers failed to deliver, for which they will be given a pep-talk to. We have enough talent in our bowling line-up to ensure a repeat of today doesn’t happen and although things can go wrong, it is my job to ensure mistakes are rectified.”
Intikhab was full of praise for young pacer Aamer — though he kept referring to the left-handed bowler as “the new youngster” — and predicted a bright future for him. However, he also gave credit to the India team for the way Aamer, as well as the rest of the Pakistani bowlers, were handled.
“India has become a very good side, a side that has gelled well under Dhoni’s captaincy who himself is doing a very good job. You need to give them credit for the way they played, especially Rohit Sharma [who was opening in place of the injured Virendar Sehwag].”
Despite the coach’s reassurances, it remains to be seen how Pakistan will regroup following back-to-back losses after arriving in England with high expectations. Heads looked to have dropped early during India’s reply and the bowlers, including Afridi who is a key to a rather inexperienced bowling line-up, seemed to have resigned to the inevitable after failing to achieve early breakthroughs.
Intikhab, however, seemed to have the playing eleven finalised and has vowed to work towards ensuring an improved performance at the same venue on Sunday.
Meanwhile, M S Dhoni, India’s captain, was truly delighted with India’s nine-wicket win over Pakistan at The Oval, labelling it “one of the best performances despite the match being a warm-up.”
“Although this was a warm-up match, a victory is a victory,” Dhoni said after the win. ‘Since we lost the last game it was important for us to win this one because we wanted to go into the tournament high on confidence.
“It really was one of the best wins we’ve had so far and although it will a difficult performance to replicate, it was a brilliant performance by the team on the whole.”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 5, 2009
While skipper Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam reposed much confidence in Salman Butt’s ability at the top of the order, it was the 19-year-old Shazaib Ahmed who was drafted in the team in place of the former vice-captain.
Shahid Afridi was promoted up the order — a move cleverly off-set by MS Dhoni as he brought on Irfan Pathan — and Umar Gul was assigned new-ball duties as India set off chasing a defendable 158. Mohammad Aamer, too, was provided a much-awaited outing. From the performance on the field, the experiments clearly failed to produce the required results.
While the danger signs were obvious from Pakistan’s inability to pose any serious threat against a formidable Indian line-up, Intikhab refused to be concerned. “We were off to a good start and I thought 158 wasn’t a bad score,”’ Intikhab said while representing his side at a press conference for the third time running.
“However, we failed to perform with the ball, especially our spinners. Despite the loss, I see no reason to be concerned. It’s still early days and with the talented individuals we have in the side, I’m sure they will come good when it really matters.”
Contradicting his comments after the side’s loss to South Africa on Monday at Trent Bridge where Intikhab made it clear that “we are not keen on experimenting”, the match against India was an experiment without excuses with the hope that the team performs when it matters the most.
Pakistan take on England on Sunday in their first match of the tournament proper and Intikhab wants his team to put the two defeats behind them and learn from their mistakes. “Our batsmen got out to wrong shot-selection and our bowlers failed to deliver, for which they will be given a pep-talk to. We have enough talent in our bowling line-up to ensure a repeat of today doesn’t happen and although things can go wrong, it is my job to ensure mistakes are rectified.”
Intikhab was full of praise for young pacer Aamer — though he kept referring to the left-handed bowler as “the new youngster” — and predicted a bright future for him. However, he also gave credit to the India team for the way Aamer, as well as the rest of the Pakistani bowlers, were handled.
“India has become a very good side, a side that has gelled well under Dhoni’s captaincy who himself is doing a very good job. You need to give them credit for the way they played, especially Rohit Sharma [who was opening in place of the injured Virendar Sehwag].”
Despite the coach’s reassurances, it remains to be seen how Pakistan will regroup following back-to-back losses after arriving in England with high expectations. Heads looked to have dropped early during India’s reply and the bowlers, including Afridi who is a key to a rather inexperienced bowling line-up, seemed to have resigned to the inevitable after failing to achieve early breakthroughs.
Intikhab, however, seemed to have the playing eleven finalised and has vowed to work towards ensuring an improved performance at the same venue on Sunday.
Meanwhile, M S Dhoni, India’s captain, was truly delighted with India’s nine-wicket win over Pakistan at The Oval, labelling it “one of the best performances despite the match being a warm-up.”
“Although this was a warm-up match, a victory is a victory,” Dhoni said after the win. ‘Since we lost the last game it was important for us to win this one because we wanted to go into the tournament high on confidence.
“It really was one of the best wins we’ve had so far and although it will a difficult performance to replicate, it was a brilliant performance by the team on the whole.”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 5, 2009
Fans divided over Shoaib’s future
As maverick fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar sits out the ICC World Twenty20, omitted due to ‘skin conditions’ which have been elaborated upon in great detail in the press, majority of fans present at The Oval to witness the India game felt that sting will be missing from the Pakistan attack.
Many had thought Shoaib was on his way back into the team after featuring against Australia in the UAE series as he was also named in the 15-man England-bound squad, before being omitted on medical conditions.
Despite his off-field antics, regular injury problems, and at titude towards cricket — thought to be unprofessional by many — Shoaib still remains a favourite for a lot of fans. “He’s by far our best and fastest bowler and we need him back in the team as soon as possible,” Adil, a student covered in green, shouted across in excitement before adding “old is gold, you know, and there is no way you can replace Shoaib in the team.”
“We love Shoaib despite the reasons that he has been making the headlines for recently,” another fan added. “Without him, our attack is useless as we need the aggression and fear that he gathers in his approach to the wicket,” he said after the loss of the warm-up game on Wednesday. “He’s Pakistan’s x-factor,” another supporter dynamically put it. “Bring him back.”
The views were echoed by a few Indian supporters present at The Oval as well. “It’s not about Pakistan or India, it’s about cricket,” said Ajay, who described the warm-up as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”. “He’s a great bowler, and a human. He has made mistakes but for the sake of cricket, he should be given another chance as I would love to see him play again.”
While his fans were present in huge numbers, the doubters ensured their voices, and reasons, were heard clearly. “He is a selfish, ungrateful person and not a team player at all,” said Asad, a student from Karachi who is here on vacation. “’He’s unfit more often than not and his return, which is mostly brief, only destabilises the squad, especially the deserving, younger bowlers.”
While some harsh words were attributed to Shoaib, some justified and some out of sheer frustration, the fans also thought he was way past his prime and he should consider retirement right away. “It’s quite obvious his preference lies somewhere else, notably Bollywood,” a fan said. “He’s finished.”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 5, 2009
Many had thought Shoaib was on his way back into the team after featuring against Australia in the UAE series as he was also named in the 15-man England-bound squad, before being omitted on medical conditions.
Despite his off-field antics, regular injury problems, and at titude towards cricket — thought to be unprofessional by many — Shoaib still remains a favourite for a lot of fans. “He’s by far our best and fastest bowler and we need him back in the team as soon as possible,” Adil, a student covered in green, shouted across in excitement before adding “old is gold, you know, and there is no way you can replace Shoaib in the team.”
“We love Shoaib despite the reasons that he has been making the headlines for recently,” another fan added. “Without him, our attack is useless as we need the aggression and fear that he gathers in his approach to the wicket,” he said after the loss of the warm-up game on Wednesday. “He’s Pakistan’s x-factor,” another supporter dynamically put it. “Bring him back.”
The views were echoed by a few Indian supporters present at The Oval as well. “It’s not about Pakistan or India, it’s about cricket,” said Ajay, who described the warm-up as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”. “He’s a great bowler, and a human. He has made mistakes but for the sake of cricket, he should be given another chance as I would love to see him play again.”
While his fans were present in huge numbers, the doubters ensured their voices, and reasons, were heard clearly. “He is a selfish, ungrateful person and not a team player at all,” said Asad, a student from Karachi who is here on vacation. “’He’s unfit more often than not and his return, which is mostly brief, only destabilises the squad, especially the deserving, younger bowlers.”
While some harsh words were attributed to Shoaib, some justified and some out of sheer frustration, the fans also thought he was way past his prime and he should consider retirement right away. “It’s quite obvious his preference lies somewhere else, notably Bollywood,” a fan said. “He’s finished.”
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Top World T20 official expects exciting Pak-India match
The Oval prepares for the battle between Pakistan and India today.
While adrenaline often takes its place as the 12th man for such encounters, there might even be a 13th today, in the form of ill-memories that some Pakistan players, and fans likewise, will carry on to the field.
Little under three years ago, Pakistan’s then-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq forfeited their fourth and final Test against England after being accused, but later cleared, of ball tampering. While the PCB wrangles on, refusing to bury the past and contest MCC-endorsed result against them, Steve Elworthy, ICC World Twenty20 2009 tournament director, hopes the showdown will live up to its hype with no sour feelings on display.
‘Obviously, it’s a fantastic match and sets off the tournament really well,’ Elworthy told Dawn on the eve of the repeat of the 2007 Twenty20 final. ‘From a planning point of view, this is what we were aiming for; reliving national rivalry and attracting a huge following, unique to any world event.
‘What happened in 2006 was very unfortunate from the fans’ point of view but we need to look ahead to what will be an incredibly good match. They are both playing incredible Twenty20 cricket and who knows they could meet again as the tournament progresses.’
While both teams lost their opening warm-up matches on Monday, with a poor turnout at Lord’s and Trent Bridge, this particular warm-up has witnessed the biggest demand for tickets. With an expected full-house this afternoon, security – for fans and players – remains a talking point, especially with recent matches involving either team in England culminating in pitch invasions.
‘Well, you plan to expect the worst,’ Elworthy, who was also tournament director for the inaugural World Twenty20, said. ‘Security is always a concern and something we take very seriously. We have a very experienced security team and have measures in place to ensure it’s a safe and secure event. We are fully aware of what has happened in the past and we are not going into it with our eyes closed.’
The Oval, with its recently-installed floodlights and pulled-in boundary ropes, will witness close to 24,000 spectators providing India a last chance to regroup before commencing their title defence. For Pakistan, however, it will be a first shot at avenging the defeat in the 2007 final and doing well in a tournament that will, according to Younis Khan, bring hope and cheer for their fans.
© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 2, 2009
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