Gul's absence can hurt Pakistan ICC World Twenty20: Younus Khan
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under Gul's absence can hurt Pakistan ICC World Twenty20: Younus Khan
Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Younus Khan, who led Pakistan to a memorable title triumph in the ICC World Twenty20 in England last year, believes the absence of injured pace spearhead Umar Gul can affect the team in West Indies next month.
The third edition of ICC World Twenty20 begins in the Carribean April 30.
'It's a huge setback for us that Gul has been ruled out as he has proved to be very successful for us in T20. He was one of the key players in helping Pakistan reach the last two ICC World Twenty20 finals,' Younus told Pakpassion.net Monday.
However, Younis said Pakistan still has plenty of weapons in its arsenal. 'I still feel we can work our way through. We have good bowlers like Amer, Asif, Ajmal and Afridi. We are still capable of reaching the semis and after that you just need a bit of luck,' he said.
Younus said fast bowler Mohammad Sami and left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman, who were included in Pakistan's squad at the last minute, have the capability to do well in the West Indies.
'Sami and Rehman are good choices as both of them have done well in domestic matches,' he said but added 'although Sami has received many opportunities in the past without being successful, he did well in Australia and has also been giving a good showing in domestic cricket.'
Younus was also all praise for rookie fast bowler Mohammad Irfan who narrowly missed making his international debut in the ICC World Twenty20.
'I have batted against Mohammad Irfan and he is a good bowler.'
Irfan was initially selected as replacement for the injured Arafat before a backflip from the PCB robbed him of his spot on the plane to the West Indies.
Tendulkar's decision to play smelt of heroism
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under Tendulkar's decision to play smelt of heroism
Tendulkar's decision to play smelt of heroism
India: The Mumbai Indians were the people's choice. There was admiration behind the campaign Sachin Tendulkar managed for his team this year and how he battled injury.
The venue was buzzing with support for Tendulkar as the great man chose to disregard injury and make himself available. The cameras kept panning at him - it was meant to be his night. It could still have been his night. But his team fared poorly.
They were ordinary in the final eight overs - catches were dropped, as it turned out twice crucially in favour of Suresh Raina, who was Chennai's hero. The bowlers invariably followed up good balls with some loose stuff.
When the chase began, Tendulkar needed positive partners. Opener Shikhar Dhawan was all at sea and even though Abhishek Nayar hit two sixes, what these two did was to force Tendulkar to take risks and lose composure.
It was apparent Mumbai were beginning to lag behind in the chase. A couple of decisions in the run chase have caused heartburn among the Mumbai Indian fans.
Particularly, Harbhajan Singh and Jean Paul Duminy being sent ahead of Kieron Pollard. Tendulkar believed Pollard was best suited for the final dash rather than be confused with a mixed role in the middle overs where he would have had to defend and attack in equal measure.
The jury is still out on this judgment. A couple of more overs for Pollard might have done the trick.
Sticking to Saurabh Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu, his trusted youngsters up the order, would have helped. Tendulkar batted as bravely as he could under the circumstances.
After the final, Tendulkar greeted cricketers and officials with his left hand, protecting the injured right one. It conveyed how heroic his decision to play had been.
The champagne moment was of course reserved for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He played a critical hand when Chennai were floundering and his bowling changes were spot-on.
Dhoni was also his usual formidable self behind the stumps, picking up catches and effecting run outs. His positioning of Matthew Hayden to get rid of Pollard was a classic piece of captaincy.
Their catching too was in contrast to the Mumbai Indians. Chennai's campaign was all the more remarkable since Hayden didn't have a major role in it.
India's scam-ridden IPL is a national celebration
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under India's scam-ridden IPL is a national celebration
Never before has a scam been enjoyed and celebrated by such a massive proportion of Indian people. Apart from the very poor in remote rural areas who have no access to television, everyone seems to have relished the fast-pace Twenty-20 cricket matches of the India Premier League cricket, which has just finished its third season blighted by massive allegations of corruption.
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India is of course a country of scams. To many abroad it is seen sentimentally as Mahatma Gandhi's country of khadi cloth, good ethics, and care for the poor. To some it is an economic miracle and a future super power, while to others it is an unkind cruel place of caste, ethnic and rich-poor divisions and violence. Above all however, and not far below the surface, India is a maze of unethical, unlawful and illegal swindles that link most politicians, many bureaucrats, and a large number of businessmen.
It is scarcely surprising therefore that there is a scam surrounding the IPL, which has grown in just three years to a massive $4bn wealth-creating package of sponsorships, broadcasting and other franchises, fees and other takings.
Cricket is not just a national sport in India but also a passion, and people have watched in awe as the rupee and dollar figures have grown to such an extent that over $300m has recently been bid for new franchises, raising the total from eight to ten teams
A lot of the IPL activity has been alleged in the past week or so to be unethical, unlawful and sometimes illegal. Politicians and others are said to be laundering black money via Mauritius and other tax havens which, though officially recognised, hide investors' identities through shell companies and benami (false) names. There are suggestions that matches and bids for team franchises have been fixed, and that there have been bribes, tax evasion, illegal betting, and breaches of foreign investment rules.
At the centre of the growth, and the controversy, is Lalit Modi, creator of the IPL and vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who is facing calls for his resignation. "Overlord of a national passion" was the headline on a Financial Times profile of Modi two years ago. More details of his business career appeared in the India's Mail Today newspaper a few days ago headlined "Modi and controversy go a long way back".
The national celebration of the lucky few getting rich in a poor country is one of India's many curious contradictions. This probably partly explains why the workings of the IPL were not looked at earlier by the government's financial and criminal investigations agencies, nor the media, even though rumours of illicit deals and links between politicians and investors have been around for some time. It was just too big a tamasha (party), with too powerful hosts, to be interrupted.
John Elliott is a former FT South Asia Correspondent (1983-88) and now writes from India
Daley bowls West Indies to victory
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under Daley bowls West Indies to victory
St. Kitts: West Indies Women continued its winning ways with a thrilling four-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first twenty-over warm-up match played in St. Kitts on Monday.
Bowling first, the hosts dominated the batters with left-arm medium pacer Shanel Daley returning with excellent figures of 4-6 to clean out the middle order. She was well-supported by Cordel Jack (2-10) and Tremayne Smartt (2-17) as they restricted the opposition to 84 all out with four balls to spare.
West Indies' reply suffered early on when left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf scalped the opening three wickets for just 35 on the board. Deandra Dottin (28) and Stacy-Ann King (25 not out) put on a 29-run partnership to steady the ship even as Pakistan bowlers continued to trouble the batsmen, before King pushed towards victory with just two balls to spare.
The second match of the three-match series will be played at the same venue on Tuesday while the third will be played on Thursday.
Lee dreams of forming 'fearsome foursome' pace attack
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under Lee dreams of forming 'fearsome foursome' pace attack
Lee dreams of forming 'fearsome foursome' pace attack
Sydney: Australian fast bowler Brett Lee believes he can form part of a fearsome four-man pace attack for the first game against defending ICC World Twenty20 champions Pakistan on Sunday.
"I'm not here to carry the drinks, I'm here to play cricket. We've got four guys who can bowl over 150 [km/h], which is a bit like the 1980s West Indies set-up," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lee, as saying.
"We're hoping to use that to our advantage. Even being stopped in the street now, hearing the locals saying that you've got four blokes who can bowl over 150 clicks. The word's travelling about 'look at this cartel of fast bowlers'," he added.
Lee will be hoping to make his international comeback after being sidelined for six months due to an elbow injury.
He was earlier part of the Indian premier League (IPL), but he went wicketless in the tournament and conceded 149 runs in 14.3 overs.
"I was happy with the way the pace was coming through (in the IPL)," he said.
However, his dreams may be shattered as the turning St Lucian pitch is expected to offer minimal assistance to fast bowlers, while spinners Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith will be strongly considered for the opener.
Yuvraj key player for team in ICC World Twenty20: Dhoni
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under Yuvraj key player for team in ICC World Twenty20: Dhoni
Yuvraj key player for team in ICC World Twenty20: Dhoni
Mumbai, April 27 (IANS) As the Indian cricket team left for the West Indies for the ICC World Twenty20 starting Friday, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday made light of Yuvraj Singh's poor form, saying he was a key player and loves to perfrom on the big stage.
Dhoni was positive about the team's chances in the tournament and said he has a much bigger and talented pool of players compared to the IPL franchise, which would make his job easier.
'The IPL is over and now we shift to international cricket which is much bigger than playing for a franchise. We have got the best of talented cricketers and I see no reason why we cannnot be the winners. We have to plan well because it is a kind of format where the strongest team can be beaten by the weakest side. Most of the teams have the potential to do well so it is difficult to talk about favourites,' Dhoni said.
'Now we play throughout the year. We are together almost the whole year so gelling together is not a concern,' said Dhoni.
The Indian captain also said the players are injury free and it is a good sign for the team.
'We have got the potential in the side. Everybody will have to play with responsibility. We do not have injuries to any player and that should help us. If the players are injured then it becomes difficult to execute your plans,' said Dhoni, who was in the spotlight in last year's IIC World Twenty20 in England because of Virender Sehwag's injury.
Sehwag, who pulled out midway through the tournament due to his shoulder injury, will miss the action this year also because of a troubling shoulder.
Asked if they have got enough time to practise as only four days are left for their first match against Afghanistan Saturday, Dhoni said they will have to make the best use of whatever little time they have.
'The schedule is the same for all the teams. The other teams are also in a similar situation. We will certainly do what we can. It is our responsibility to make sure that we are well planned and well prepared.'
Dhoni appeared confident about Yuvraj's form.
'Yuvraj is a great player. He is one of the biggest hitters of the ball and can contribute with the ball. He has not scored too many runs in IPL but it is not a worrying factor. In T20, you can get back to form in a matter of a few balls. He is hitting the ball well, it's just that sometimes things do not go your way. He is a kind of player who loves to perform on the big stage.'
Talking about the strengths of the team, Dhoni said: 'The bowlers have perfromed well. We have five bowlers and part timers. They are tried and tested and have the experience. They know how to bowl in a situation. Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan bowled with the new ball in IPL so that is also an option for us, depending on the wicket. Fielding will also play a key role in the tournament.'
Highest individual score
by Naveed on Nov.22, 2009, under Highest individual score
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