Younis’ advice to Pakistan: Don’t Panic

ABU DHABI: Experienced batsman Younis Khan hopes Pakistan do not panic and try their best to bounce back against a resurgent England in the second day-night international on Wednesday.

England on Monday took the first of four one-day matches by a convincing 130-run margin after Pakistan were bowled out for just 130, with paceman Steven Finn taking a career-best 4-34.

Skipper Alastair Cook had hit his highest one-day score of 137 to guide England to a challenging 260-7, a target Younis said Pakistan should have achieved.

“I hope there is no panic,” said Younis.

“We should not panic because we have not batted badly in the last four five matches, so we need to try our best and put Monday’s performance behind us.”

Pakistan never recovered after Finn claimed their top four batsmen in just 29 balls and Younis believes that lack of partnerships let the team down.

“England had a very good partnership between Cook and (Ravi) Bopara and that helped them,” he said of the 131-run third wicket stand.

“It wasn’t a difficult chase but we failed to put up a reasonable stand.”Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who took 24 wickets in the preceding 3-0 Test series win, grabbed a career-best 5-43 but England still managed a challenging total.

“We couldn’t cash on the two wickets by (Shahid) Afridi but still we should have got that total. England bowled the first 10 overs well, they outclassed us and Finn was very impressive,” said Younis, who made 15.

For Pakistan, Afridi top-scored with 38 as they were bowled out in 35 overs. Younis praised Cook’s knock.

“When the captain of the team plays like this the whole team is inspired and Cook’s knock lifted England so we have to match them in their body language and performance,” said Younis.

For his part, Cook said he hoped his side keeps their feet on the ground after securing the much-needed win.

“It’s only one game, so let’s not get carried away too much. It was a really good performance and we will enjoy the feeling and make sure we come back as a side on Wednesday,” he said.

England’s one-day captain was full of praise for Bopara and Finn.

“I thought the way Ravi played and handled the pressure when we lost those two quick wickets was a real key moment because if we’d lost another couple of wickets it would have been ‘here we go again’.

“Finn was outstanding. At 40 for four after 10 overs it’s never over – with Afridi coming in at eight – but that was outstanding bowling and we played close to our potential which was pleasing,” said Cook.

The remaining two matches will be played in Dubai on February 18 and 21. Both teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals.

Nicol century sets up overwhelming New Zealand win

WHANGAREI: Opener Rob Nicol plundered 146, the fifth highest one-day international score by a New Zealand batsman as they trounced Zimbabwe by 141 runs in the second one-day international here Monday.

The victory at Cobham Oval, following the 90-run win in the first ODI, gave New Zealand an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and follows the overwhelming innings and 301 run rout of Zimbabwe in their one-off Test.

Nicol’s man-of-the-match 146 off 134 balls was the rock upon which New Zealand built a comprehensive 372 for six before Jacob Oram led a bowling attack that restricted Zimbabwe to 231 for eight.

It was Nicol’s second century in only his fifth ODI and he was supported by 77 from fellow opener Martin Guptill, and boundary-bashing cameos from Oram (59 off 28 deliveries) and 19-year-old Tom Latham (48 off 28).

After rain delayed the start of play for 35 minutes, New Zealand made a cautious beginning with two maiden overs before Nicol opened the scoring with an unorthodox slog which resulted in a top edge over slips for four.

But from there his innings was near faultless as he stood in a 131-run partnership with Guptill then a 77-run stand with all-rounder Oram who was promoted up the order.

Nicol was particularly belligerent in the closing stages featuring in a 92-run partnership in eight overs with Latham for the fifth wicket before he was caught at deep midwicket by Shingi Masakadza off Prosper Utseya.

Utseya was the most successful of the Zimbabwe bowlers, taking three for 71 off his 10 overs in an innings where the tourists were made to pay dearly for fielding lapses.

Oram, Brendon McCullum (20 off 18) and Latham all survived catching chances and collectively added 64 runs before their eventual dismissals.

Faced with a daunting target, Zimbabwe were in early trouble with the wicket of Hamilton Masakadza in the second over starting a collapse that saw them at 62 for five in the 20th over.

Tatenda Taibu and Elton Chigumbura steadied the innings by putting on 80 runs for the sixth wicket before Nicol capped his stellar day by dismissing Taibu for 50.

Chigumbura followed soon after for 63, bowled by Oram leaving Utseya, unbeaten on 27, and Shingi Masakadza who made 38 off 31 deliveries, to show their was some fight in the Zimbabwe tail.

Oram was the most successful New Zealand bowler taking three for 29 off his 10 overs to go with his half century with the bat.

The final ODI is in Napier on Thursday to be followed by two Twenty20 fixtures to round off the Zimbabwe tour.

Team India ‘afraid’, says Zaka

DUBAI: Pakistan cricket chief Zaka Ashraf said Saturday that his side’s recent resurgence in form had left arch-rivals India afraid to take them on.

The neighbours have not played a Test series since 2007, with sporting ties frozen after the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in November 2008.

There were hopes of a thaw after the sides met in the World Cup semi-final last March and they are slated to play each other under the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme this year.

But they have struggled to find a slot because of India’s hectic schedule, prompting Ashraf, who took over as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman in October last year, to accuse India of running scared.

“Maybe the way our team is performing and the way their team is performing in Australia, they look like afraid, for them losing to Australia is not that much emotional, but its more emotional losing to Pakistan,” Ashraf told reporters.

India were routed 4-0 in their Test series in Australia last month —to record eight consecutive defeats away from home after their whitewash in England by the same margin last year.

In contrast, Pakistan under Misbah-ul Haq are on a roll, having not lost a series since August 2010 and enjoy an unassailable 2-0 lead over world number one England in their three-Test series in the United Arab Emirates.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said it needs government approval to revive the ties, but Ashraf said they were worried about how supporters would react to being beaten by Pakistan.

“Indian cricket fans will get after their cricket board, so I think the way we are performing they are afraid,” said Ashraf, whose request to meet his BCCI counterpart Narayan Srinivasan in December last year was also turned down.

Ashraf said all PCB’s requests to revive cricket relations had been unsuccessful. “I don’t know what’s in their heart, but we have requested them a lot of times,” he said.

He said both the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers —who attended the World Cup semifinal together —had asked for a resumption of games between the two countries, but nothing had happened.

“We are ready to play any time against them. If they say yes today we can play against them here in UAE after the England series… but the ball is in their court whether they want to play,” Ashraf said.

“When their prime minister is saying, when Srinivasan is saying he also wants to see India Pakistan play, maybe their selectors and those working in their team management are afraid of our team’s morale and preparation.”

Vitori, Sibanda set up Zimbabwe win

HARARE: Brian Vitori became the first Zimbabwean to take five wickets on his one-day international debut and Vusi Sibanda made a cultured 96 as the home side beat Bangladesh by four wickets in the first of five ODIs at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

The 21-year-old Vitori took five for 30 as Bangladesh were restricted to 184 all out, the captain Shakib Al Hassan and Mushfiqur Rahim both scoring half-centuries in the only partnership of any merit.

Sibanda then led the way with the bat for Zimbabwe, striking 96 from 102 balls and sharing a second wicket stand of 86 with Hamilton Mazakadza (41) as the home side reached their target with 8.2 overs to spare.

“It was great to have a youngster performing really well and two old hands showing what quality players they still are,” said Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor who had no hestitation in asking Bangladesh to bat first when he won the toss.

The tourists made just six in the first five overs before left-arm quick Vitori left a trail of wreckage at the top of the order, snatching four wickets for 21 in a spell of eight overs as he removed Tamim Iqbal for four, Imrul Kayes (11), Shahriar Nafeez (14) and Mohammad Ashraful (2).

At that point Bangladesh were reeling at 33 for four and things got even worse when Mahmudullah was dismissed by Elton Chigumbura for five with the score 43 for five in the 17th over.

Shakib and Rahim then began the fightback, both batting sensibly and securely as they added 105 in 23 overs.

The stand ended, though, when Shakib, who made 53 off 63 balls with just two boundaries, was superbly caught by Prosper Utseya off Mazakadza.

Rahim lasted another four overs, making 59 off 93 balls with five fours, before falling to Utseya, the 100th wicket of his ODI career.

Ray Price and Vitori made short work of the tail with the innings folding eight balls early when Rubel Hossain was run out. Sohrawardi Shuvo, brought into the team in place of Robiul Islam, was left unbeaten on 20.

“We surrendered wickets too easily but when I have taken the time to settle down with them I expect rapid improvement,” said Bangladesh coach Stuart Law.

“They are a quality 50-overs side and that will come through.”

Zimbabwe lost Taylor in the fifth over, bowled for 10 by left-arm spinner Shakib.

Any thoughts Bangladesh may have had, however, of slicing through the Zimbabwe top order were thwarted by an intelligent partnership between the experienced pair Sibanda and Mazakadza, who added 86 in 18 overs.

The partnership ended when Mazakadza was run out by Mahmudullah for 41 from 58 balls. That was the start of a mid-innings wobble which also saw Tatendu Taibu and Craig Ervine both removed by Rubel Hussain for ducks – Ervine first ball.

At 124 for four, there was a danger that the innings might stumble to a halt by Sibanda found another good partner in Forster Mutizwa.

They were 10 runs from victory when Sibanda, closing in on a second ODI century, was caught off the splice by Mahmudullah off Hossain for 96. It was his 14th half-century and included two sixes and eight fours.

Hossain also removed Chigumbura to finish with four for 26 but Mutizwa’s unbeaten 27 was enough to drag Zimbabwe across the line with 8.4 overs remaining.

It marked a second success for Zimbabwe this week, having won the one-off Test between the two sides by 130 runs on Monday after a six-year self-imposed exile from the five-day game.

“We will surely keep on improving after beating Bangladesh twice this week,” said Taylor. “But we know they will come back at us strongly.”

The second ODI takes place in Harare on Sunday.

Cook helps England pile misery on India

BIRMINGHAM: Alastair Cook’s career-high score of 294 left England on the verge of claiming the No. 1 test ranking and a demoralized India facing a heavy defeat in the third test at Edgbaston.

Cook fell just short of a rare triple century, but he helped England pile on 710-7 before James Anderson’s dismissal of Virender Sehwag for a king pair meant India finished day three on 35-1, still trailing by 451 runs.

The four-match series between England and India was billed as a clash between the world’s two leading test teams, but by Friday had turned into a complete mismatch as the hosts posted their third highest test total.

England already leads the series 2-0 and only needs to avoid defeat in the final two tests to replace India as the world’s No. 1 test team.

The only disappointment of the day from the home side’s point of view was Cook’s failure to join a list of five England players to have scored triple centuries.

After 13 hours and 545 balls, he drove straight to Suresh Raina at square leg off the bowling of Ishant Sharma.

”It’s mad isn’t it, how you can still be disappointed when you’ve scored 290-odd,” Cook said. ”I suppose only cricket can do that to you, there’s a tinge of disappointment, but in reality I’m thrilled.”

It was a typically steady innings from Cook, who at one point faced 137 balls without scoring a boundary.

Cook and Eoin Morgan (104) put on 222 for the fourth wicket, while Tim Bresnan hit an unbeaten 53. Amit Mishra took 3-150 for India, but the tourists again contributed to their downfall by bowling 63 extras.

After Sehwag was out first ball for the second time in the match, Rahul Dravid reached 18 not out and Gautam Gambhir was unbeaten on 14 at stumps.

”We’ve put ourselves in a very good position in this game,” Cook said. ”There’s a lot of hard work to do tomorrow, but if we’re patient like we have been and bowl like we can do we can put India under a lot of pressure.”

Despite England’s dominance, Mishra struck a note of defiance. ”I’m very confident and positive that our batting line up will definitely get a draw here,” he said. ”The wicket is conducive to batting.”

England began the day on 456-2 and Morgan reached his half-century with a single from Praveen Kumar before rain caused a brief delay.

The hosts were on 503-3 when an early lunch was called due to further rain and scoring was slow when play resumed before the afternoon session briefly degenerated into a farce after an hour.

An electrical failure had cut the power in the 32 million pound ($52 million) New Stand at lunch, but when this was restored the floodlights then failed.

That led to the umpires taking the teams off when the natural light faded on the contentious grounds that Sharma, who was about to bowl, represented a danger to the batsmen.

When the players returned after a short delay, neither batsman had any trouble picking up the ball.

Cook passed his previous highest score of 235 with three off Mishra, while Morgan completed his second test century with a single through square leg from Mishra.

Morgan finally fell to Raina, caught by Sehwag at cover. Ravi Bopara, who replaced the injured Jonathan Trott in the team, managed to take England past 600 before he was out lbw for seven and Matt Prior was caught by Sachin Tendulkar on five —both wickets off the bowling of Mishra.

Bresnan then joined Cook but their progress was again held up by an 11-minute delay for bad light. Bresnan made a mockery of the decision to go off when he hit the first ball after the resumption for four through the covers.

Bresnan hit the same bowler for six an over later and England finally declared when Cook fell.

Gambhir hit the first ball of India’s innings for three, but Anderson’s next delivery to Sehwag was edged to Strauss.

Gambhir was lucky to survive an lbw shout against Graeme Swann in the 11th over and even part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen —brought on with the light fading —got the ball to turn impressively before stumps.

Wasim Akram should get his facts right before making statements: Mohsin

LAHORE: Chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan on Tuesday said that former captain Wasim Akram had no business to make half-baked statements about matters like national team selection, and advised him to spare some time to know more about the policies of the selectors instead of criticising them without much sense and knowledge.


Replying to Wasim’s recent criticism of the selectors’ decision to rest Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, Mohsin said: “I was surprised and disappointed over Wasim’s criticism of the selectors over resting some players.


I know that Wasim is very busy with his commitments abroad, but it is very unfair that he comes back to the country after three or four months and without knowing the facts, give statements about the team, about the players and the policy, which can be very damaging.”


“A player of his calibre should realise that such statements can spoil the team spirit and create misunderstanding between the players and the management,” said Mohsin while talking to Dawn on Tuesday.


Mohsin, obviously miffed at Wasim’s comments about the need of consistency in the matters of selection, added: “As far as Wasim’s comments on the consistency in selection are concerned, let me tell him that selection committee knows its job much better than what he thinks.”


“I treat Wasim like my younger brother and undoubtedly he is one of the finest cricketers Pakistan has produced, but if he is so much concerned for Pakistan cricket, then he should be serving our cricket rather than other countries in different capacities,” said Mohsin, a veteran of 48 Tests and 75 ODIs.


“I know he has been approached by the PCB in the past to come and serve Pakistan cricket, but he could not spare time for this national cause,” he recalled.


“I think Wasim does not understand that we have adopted a certain policy to form a solid combination of senior and younger players for the future and this tour of Zimbabwe is the best opportunity for us to try out this combination.”


The chief selector pointed out that Wasim was quite off the mark when insisting on the inclusion of Umar Gul and Wahab and said that the two pacers along with left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman had been involved in all forms of cricket since last one-and-a-half years and, therefore, it was the appropriate time to give them some rest.


“This is an ideal series to rest them and test some budding youngsters since there will be much tougher assignments against Sri Lanka and England ahead and the selectors feel that they will not have any better chance to groom the back up players than against Zimbabwe,” reasoned Mohsin, known as the Lord’s hero for his dazzling double hundred in the 1982 series.


“In order to build a nice, balanced combination with a back up for the future, we are trying to utilise this tour of Zimbabwe because after this tour there are two very tough series ahead,” he said.


“I have no fear or reservations in trying out any young or talented player because I have full support of the PCB on this policy,” emphasised Mohsin.


“I am trying my level best to serve Pakistan cricket because Allah has given me a lot of honour and respect by playing for Pakistan,” said the former opener.


“I played my cricket for Pakistan with courage and honour and strongly believe that for every big achievement, you have to be brave enough to take a calculated risk,” said Mohsin.


When reminded that both Umar and Wahab were still playing county cricket and not exactly taking rest, Mohsin said that the PCB had instructed them not to play the longer version in the county championship and, secondly, there was a huge difference between the demands of county and international cricket.


Mohsin insisted that as chief selector he was constantly in touch with his cricketers, both at home and abroad, and he and his entire selection committee knew it fully well where and when the players could play or rest.

India block Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja’s visa

SYDNEY: Pakistan-born Australian batsman Usman Khawaja on Tuesday said he was being refused a visa into India for next month’s Champions League Twenty20 tournament because of his country of birth.

Khawaja vented his anger on social media site Twitter, saying India’s visa department “need to sort their issues out”.

“Refusing to let me travel to India as an Australian, because I wasn’t born here. Wow,” wrote the 24-year-old.

In an exchange with his Portuguese-born New South Wales team-mate Moises Henriques, Khawaja said it “wasn’t that I wasn’t born here but where I was, brother”.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed that Khawaja’s visa had been held up by officials at the Indian High Commission (embassy) but said they were confident of resolving the issue before the tournament.

“There has been a stoppage in the system at the Indian High Commission in Australia with Usman’s application,” CA spokesman Philip Pope told AFP.

“Cricket NSW and Cricket Australia are seeking to understand the detail behind the stoppage with our colleagues at the Indian High Commission.”

Pope said the cricketing body had a long-standing relationship with the Indian mission and “we generally find that we resolve our issues mutually, so we’ll work through this once we’ve understood the detail”.

“I can’t give you a timeline of when it will be resolved, but I’m confident given our history and our relationship that we will resolve this as soon as possible,” he said.

Khawaja, the first Muslim to wear the baggy green for Australia and also a qualified pilot, is on the 20-man long list for the NSW Twenty20 side, of which 15 will ultimately be sent.

The promising young left-hander made his Test debut for Australia in the fifth match of the Ashes series in Sydney in January, signing with Derbyshire later that month for the English domestic season.