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.”