Pakistan lodged a protest with cricket’s governing body Monday over the exclusion of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist of an annual award, saying they hope his name will be included after a review.
The 34-year-old’s name did not feature among the four nominees for the coveted ‘Test Cricketer of the Year’ award, despite being Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker in the period under consideration.
South Africa’s Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Australia’s Michael Clarke all made the list.
The International Cricket Council holds the annual awards ceremony to recognise the best players and umpire in international cricket.
The names are chosen by a 30-member jury comprising of former players, officials and journalists. This year’s ceremony will be held in Colombo on September 15.
Ajmal took 72 wickets in the 12 month period, including 24 in Pakistan’s 3-0 rout of then world number one Test team England earlier this year.
Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said they have written to the ICC on Ajmal’s omission.
‘Yes, we have shown our concerns on Ajmal’s name not shortlisted for Test player of the year award despite his excellent performance in Tests during that stipulated period,’ Sarwar told AFP.
‘We hope that the ICC will reconsider this and include Ajmal’s name,’ he added.
Graeme Swann was omitted from a shortlist in 2010 but was later included after England put up his case. South Africa also objected to the omission of their players and boycotted the 2009 ceremony held in Johannesburg.
Despite his omission from the award shortlist, Ajmal’s name has been included in ICC’s best Test team of the year.
http://www.newagebd.com/detail.php?date=2012-09-05&nid=22584#.UEaFNrLiaUE
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, November 8, 2010
where is Zulqarnain Haider?
Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has reportedly gone missing and did not arrive with the team at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the deciding ODI against South Africa.
PCB officials refused to comment on the matter or talk about the reasons for his non-arrival. But a cryptic message left as a status update on the player's Facebook page said: "leaving pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game." A TV reporter for Geo, a leading Pakistani news channel, said that he had received a similar text message from Zulqarnain earlier on Monday.
Zulqarnain had hit the winning runs for Pakistan in the fourth ODI, which levelled the series against South Africa 2-2.
http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/486103.html
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Pakistan make Yousuf U-turn
Four months after being banned for damaging team morale, Mohammad Yousuf was recalled to a Pakistan side simply desperate for his experience and batting prowess.
Without Yousuf or Younis Khan in their line-up, the Pakistanis were bowled out for 80 by England to slump to a crushing 354-run defeat on Sunday in the first Test of a four-match series.
It exposed the inability of Pakistan's raw batting line-up to cope with the swinging ball in overcast English conditions and hours after the match ended Yousuf was recalled from the international wilderness.
Yousuf and Younis, Pakistan's two most experienced batsmen, were each given indefinite bans this year for their part in alleged infighting within the team.
Younis had his ban overturned on appeal and made himself available for the tour but was overlooked.
Yousuf, who has scored 7,431 runs in 88 Tests including 24 centuries, did not challenge his ban and retired, but he has since changed his mind.
CHASTENING DEFEAT
New Pakistan captain Salman Butt could do little more than reiterate his faith in the young players after the chastening defeat by England but he must be delighted by the recall of Yousuf.
"Under my captaincy we have won one, lost one," Butt said.
"I can't be that impatient. What do you expect from (the youngsters) - win every game? That will not happen.
"This is the time when you back your players. It is just a matter of putting up a performance, whether it is bowling, fielding, batting. I know they can make a comeback."
Coach Waqar Younis offered a similar upbeat assessment.
"What I have seen over the last two or three months is a big improvement (in the team) Waqar told reporters.
"I want to make a good unit out of them. It might take a few more losses, though."
Matches against South Africa later this year on the featherbed pitches of Abu Dhabi would be better venues for the development of the youngsters.
For now, Pakistan are crying out for Yousuf, who showed on the 2006 England tour that the swinging ball was not to be feared but could be countered through hard work and application.
Butt pointed out that in 2006 Pakistan did not win a Test when Yousuf and Younis were in the team along with the great Inzamam-ul-Haq but they did not then possess such a strong bowling attack.
Mohammad Asif, 18-year-old Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul form a formidable seam unit and with Yousuf back to provide backbone for the batting order, England should face a much sterner test in the next match in Birmingham starting on Friday.
Without Yousuf or Younis Khan in their line-up, the Pakistanis were bowled out for 80 by England to slump to a crushing 354-run defeat on Sunday in the first Test of a four-match series.
It exposed the inability of Pakistan's raw batting line-up to cope with the swinging ball in overcast English conditions and hours after the match ended Yousuf was recalled from the international wilderness.
Yousuf and Younis, Pakistan's two most experienced batsmen, were each given indefinite bans this year for their part in alleged infighting within the team.
Younis had his ban overturned on appeal and made himself available for the tour but was overlooked.
Yousuf, who has scored 7,431 runs in 88 Tests including 24 centuries, did not challenge his ban and retired, but he has since changed his mind.
CHASTENING DEFEAT
New Pakistan captain Salman Butt could do little more than reiterate his faith in the young players after the chastening defeat by England but he must be delighted by the recall of Yousuf.
"Under my captaincy we have won one, lost one," Butt said.
"I can't be that impatient. What do you expect from (the youngsters) - win every game? That will not happen.
"This is the time when you back your players. It is just a matter of putting up a performance, whether it is bowling, fielding, batting. I know they can make a comeback."
Coach Waqar Younis offered a similar upbeat assessment.
"What I have seen over the last two or three months is a big improvement (in the team) Waqar told reporters.
"I want to make a good unit out of them. It might take a few more losses, though."
Matches against South Africa later this year on the featherbed pitches of Abu Dhabi would be better venues for the development of the youngsters.
For now, Pakistan are crying out for Yousuf, who showed on the 2006 England tour that the swinging ball was not to be feared but could be countered through hard work and application.
Butt pointed out that in 2006 Pakistan did not win a Test when Yousuf and Younis were in the team along with the great Inzamam-ul-Haq but they did not then possess such a strong bowling attack.
Mohammad Asif, 18-year-old Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul form a formidable seam unit and with Yousuf back to provide backbone for the batting order, England should face a much sterner test in the next match in Birmingham starting on Friday.
England unchanged for second Pakistan Test
England named an unchanged 12-man squad on Monday for the second Test against Pakistan following their emphatic 354-run victory in the series opener that concluded on Sunday.
Seamer Tim Bresnan is again included having been called up for the first Test to replace Yorkshire team mate Ajmal Shahzad after he suffered an ankle injury but the same 11 are likely to play at Edgbaston in the match starting on Friday.
Both men bowled eight overs for their County in Sunday's 40-over match against Netherlands but Bresnan retained his place.
"Clearly we were delighted with the performance in the first Test but the key to consistency is building on that success throughout the rest of the series," national selector Geoff Miller said in a statement.
"We saw a number of outstanding performances at Trent Bridge not only with bat and ball but also in the field and the challenge is to maintain those standards over the next three Test matches."
Seamer Tim Bresnan is again included having been called up for the first Test to replace Yorkshire team mate Ajmal Shahzad after he suffered an ankle injury but the same 11 are likely to play at Edgbaston in the match starting on Friday.
Both men bowled eight overs for their County in Sunday's 40-over match against Netherlands but Bresnan retained his place.
"Clearly we were delighted with the performance in the first Test but the key to consistency is building on that success throughout the rest of the series," national selector Geoff Miller said in a statement.
"We saw a number of outstanding performances at Trent Bridge not only with bat and ball but also in the field and the challenge is to maintain those standards over the next three Test matches."
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Shahid Afridi Pakistan captain named
The Pakistan Cricket Board ended weeks of uncertainty, by appointing Shahid Afridi to lead the country's campaign to defend the World Twenty20 title in the Caribbean from the end of next month. Afridi will once again take up the role he was given last year, after Younis Khan stepped away from the format, though he has for now only been handed the role for the duration of the tournament.
"It's a challenge for me and I accept it," Afridi said. "We are going to the West Indies with only one aim and that is to defend our title."
The limit on the tenure appears to be a result of the disciplinary action Afridi has faced since he was found guilty of ball-tampering - biting the ball repeatedly - in an ODI in Perth where he was captain. Until then, Pakistan had settled on Afridi as the Twenty20 captain till the World Cup and potentially as an ODI leader as well. But after that incident Afridi's stock fell considerably.
He was banned by the ICC for two T20Is, which led to Shoaib Malik taking over, albeit reluctantly. Then, the board slapped him with a Rs 3 million ($35,000) fine for the same incident, as well as placing him under probation for six months. Any further breaches, the message is clear, and punishment could be harsher.
The board took the unusual step of announcing a 15-man squad for the tournament without naming a captain earlier this month. Since then, and despite his punishments, Afridi was the clear frontrunner among a limited pool of alternatives. He met the chairman Ijaz Butt once in that period. He is flying in to Lahore today, having collected a presidential award during the day in Karachi.
Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq and Salman Butt were thought to be in the running as well, but Afridi's record in the format - he is among the most influential all-round players in the world - and a naturally aggressive streak has made the choice an easier one.
Afridi has already led his country in three T20Is and won all of them, with little outward detriment to his own individual impact. The decision to announce the captain so late does leave open the charge, however, that neither captain nor coach - the recently-appointed Waqar Younis - had any say in the team they will be in charge of in the Caribbean.
Pakistan will be without the services of Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, both banned by the PCB, as well as the injured Sohail Tanvir. Afridi said their absences from the Caribbean campaign were unfortunate. "Rana, Malik and Tanvir could have been in my playing eleven because they had performed well in the past," he said.
http://www.cricinfo.com/wt202010/content/current/story/453170.html
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Pakistan recall Alam and Rauf from Australia
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recalled players Fawad Alam and Abdul Rauf from Australia to reduce the size of the touring squad, officials said in a statement on Thursday.
Chief selector Iqbal Qasim told Reuters that a request by the team management to send senior batsman Younus Khan to Australia before the second Test in Sydney starting on Sunday had been put on hold.
"The team management had asked us to rush Younus to reinforce the team but after discussing the matter with the board chairman we have decided that a final decision would be taken after the second Test," Qasim said.
Pakistan lost the first Test.
Chief selector Iqbal Qasim told Reuters that a request by the team management to send senior batsman Younus Khan to Australia before the second Test in Sydney starting on Sunday had been put on hold.
"The team management had asked us to rush Younus to reinforce the team but after discussing the matter with the board chairman we have decided that a final decision would be taken after the second Test," Qasim said.
Pakistan lost the first Test.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Latif admits cheating at Multan
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif admitted that he faked the catch of Bangladesh batsman Alok Kapali during the third and final Test at Multan six years ago that the visitors lost by one wicket.
His confessional statement was aired on Desh TV, a local private television channel, on Saturday night where the former Pakistan wicketkeeper also explained what prompted him to resort to an act of cheating.
The 41-year-old Pakistani said that he did it intentionally keeping in mind that a defeat against Bangladesh would not be taken sportingly at home especially after the bitter memories of the 1999 loss in the World Cup.
He said that their one-day international loss against Bangladesh during the 1999 World Cup in England raised questions of match fixing and he feared that the defeat at Multan, which was always on the cards, might fuel that allegation again.
Now in Dhaka to attend the Level III coaches education course conducted by the Asian Cricket Council and Cricket Australia in collaboration with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Latif also recalled the incident, which was widely criticised.
“I dived to my right to take a Kapali nick (off an Yasir Ali delivery). The ball dropped from my gloves as I rolled over but quickly picked it up from the ground before claiming it as a clean catch,” said the stumper.
In that Test, Bangladesh were in a strong position to pull off a historic win. After scoring 281 in the first innings they bowled Pakistan out for 175. In their second knock Bangladesh wobbled after Kapali's dismissal on a difficult track. In their second innings, Pakistan rode on an unbeaten 138 from Inzamamul Haq to save the blushes. It was also alleged that the groundsmen cut the outfield grass the night before the start of the fourth day, a clear violation of the game rules, so that the ball could move faster towards the boundary.
An uneasy Latif however did not say anything about other incidents.
Latif was subsequently suspended for next five matches for bringing the game into disrepute. He also stepped down as captain after that three-Test series.
In that series, Bangladesh also played very well in the second Test at Peshawar. But a second innings debacle saw Bangladesh eventually lose the game by nine wickets.
Latif is currently the wicket keeping coach of the Pakistan youth team.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=113299
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Inzy Proposes Lahore Badshahs vs Pakistan
Pakistan’s cricketers have been complaining of lack of cricket throughout 2008 and are of the view that their preparations for the important home series against India early next year would remain incomplete without proper match practice.With international teams preferring to stay away from Pakistan because of security fears, it seems that the national cricketers have no option but to wait for the home series against India early 2009.
But ask former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and he will tell you that the issue can be resolved without much effort.
“If the Pakistan team thinks it is short on match practice, then it can play a series of matches against Lahore Badshahs,” said Inzamam, who led the team to an impressive title-winning triumph in the recent season of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Inzamam pointed out that Badshahs have a number of quality players and can provide tough competition to Shoaib Malik-led Pakistan.
“Playing for Pakistan is the biggest honour because nothing can match it,” said Inzamam. “But people in Pakistan also love Lahore Badshahs which is why I believe matches between Pakistan and Badshahs will been keenly followed by cricket fans all over the country,” he said.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to consider this idea because it doesn’t recognise the rebel ICL. In fact it has banned all players linked to ICL.
Inzamam also said that Malik is taking Pakistan cricket towards destruction by failing to take along the team’s senior players. Supporting star batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s claim that Malik is disrespectful towards seniors, Inzamam said that no team can do well without complete unity.
Pakistan’s cricketers have been complaining of lack of cricket throughout 2008 and are of the view that their preparations for the important home series against India early next year would remain incomplete without proper match practice.With international teams preferring to stay away from Pakistan because of security fears, it seems that the national cricketers have no option but to wait for the home series against India early 2009.
But ask former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and he will tell you that the issue can be resolved without much effort.
“If the Pakistan team thinks it is short on match practice, then it can play a series of matches against Lahore Badshahs,” said Inzamam, who led the team to an impressive title-winning triumph in the recent season of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Inzamam pointed out that Badshahs have a number of quality players and can provide tough competition to Shoaib Malik-led Pakistan.
“Playing for Pakistan is the biggest honour because nothing can match it,” said Inzamam. “But people in Pakistan also love Lahore Badshahs which is why I believe matches between Pakistan and Badshahs will been keenly followed by cricket fans all over the country,” he said.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to consider this idea because it doesn’t recognise the rebel ICL. In fact it has banned all players linked to ICL.
Inzamam also said that Malik is taking Pakistan cricket towards destruction by failing to take along the team’s senior players. Supporting star batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s claim that Malik is disrespectful towards seniors, Inzamam said that no team can do well without complete unity.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/lahore-badshah-inzamam-challenges-pakistan-cricket-team_100120429.html
But ask former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and he will tell you that the issue can be resolved without much effort.
“If the Pakistan team thinks it is short on match practice, then it can play a series of matches against Lahore Badshahs,” said Inzamam, who led the team to an impressive title-winning triumph in the recent season of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Inzamam pointed out that Badshahs have a number of quality players and can provide tough competition to Shoaib Malik-led Pakistan.
“Playing for Pakistan is the biggest honour because nothing can match it,” said Inzamam. “But people in Pakistan also love Lahore Badshahs which is why I believe matches between Pakistan and Badshahs will been keenly followed by cricket fans all over the country,” he said.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to consider this idea because it doesn’t recognise the rebel ICL. In fact it has banned all players linked to ICL.
Inzamam also said that Malik is taking Pakistan cricket towards destruction by failing to take along the team’s senior players. Supporting star batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s claim that Malik is disrespectful towards seniors, Inzamam said that no team can do well without complete unity.
Pakistan’s cricketers have been complaining of lack of cricket throughout 2008 and are of the view that their preparations for the important home series against India early next year would remain incomplete without proper match practice.With international teams preferring to stay away from Pakistan because of security fears, it seems that the national cricketers have no option but to wait for the home series against India early 2009.
But ask former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and he will tell you that the issue can be resolved without much effort.
“If the Pakistan team thinks it is short on match practice, then it can play a series of matches against Lahore Badshahs,” said Inzamam, who led the team to an impressive title-winning triumph in the recent season of the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Inzamam pointed out that Badshahs have a number of quality players and can provide tough competition to Shoaib Malik-led Pakistan.
“Playing for Pakistan is the biggest honour because nothing can match it,” said Inzamam. “But people in Pakistan also love Lahore Badshahs which is why I believe matches between Pakistan and Badshahs will been keenly followed by cricket fans all over the country,” he said.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is unlikely to consider this idea because it doesn’t recognise the rebel ICL. In fact it has banned all players linked to ICL.
Inzamam also said that Malik is taking Pakistan cricket towards destruction by failing to take along the team’s senior players. Supporting star batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s claim that Malik is disrespectful towards seniors, Inzamam said that no team can do well without complete unity.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sports/lahore-badshah-inzamam-challenges-pakistan-cricket-team_100120429.html
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