All posts by h716a5.icu

Nabeel Ahmed has expressed his intention of standing against Gladstone Dainty for USACA president in next March’s elections

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2010Nabeel Ahmed, who resigned as the senior vice president of the USA Cricket Association earlier this month, expressed his intention of standing against Gladstone Dainty for president in next March’s elections.”Nabeel was not happy the way USACA was being run by the president [Dainty] and CEO Don Lockerbie who was sacked with immediate effect hours before a board meeting in Florida last week,” a source close to Ahmed told AAP. The report claimed Ahmed enjoyed the support of a “majority of the important members of the USACA who [have] assured him their all out support if he comes forward and contest[s] the presidential elections of the body”.Ahmed’s resignation and Lockerbie’s dismissal have left USACA once again under the control of Dainty, a controversial figure under whose presidency the US board was described by erstwhile ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed as “dysfunctional”. Between 2005 and 2008 it was twice suspended by the ICC and earned a reputation for secrecy and mismanagement.Ahmed faces a tough battle to unseat Dainty, however, as previous attempts have failed, largely due to the way regions vote and the importance of their not backing the losing candidate which favours the incumbent.

Many Everton fans have been slamming the performance of Dominic Calvert-Lewin in their 1-0 loss at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

It was another disappointing defeat for the Goodison Park faithful, with Duncan Ferguson this time in the dugout following the departure of Rafael Benitez, as Emi Buendia flicked on the only goal of the match from a corner kick on the stroke of half-time.

Calvert-Lewin struggled to make any sort of impact on the game for his side, as he failed to record a single shot on target and only had a mere 36 touches of the ball in total, fewer than his own goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (SofaScore).

Villa’s defence seemed to routinely get the better of him, as he also lost out on no fewer than 17 of his duels, by far the most out of any player on the pitch.

Everton fans slam Calvert-Lewin

These Everton supporters slammed the England striker’s performance on Twitter, with one Toffees fan going as far as to claim that the 24-year-old was a ‘passenger’ against Villa:

“Calvert-Lewin gave it the big one the other day – stunk the yard out”

Credit: @tomosefc

“Calvert-Lewin was awful today as well”

Credit: @Kizzaefc

“Calvert-Lewin was an absolute passenger today.”

Credit: @rowloefc

“Dominic Calvert-Lewin is and always has been an overrated footballer. Couldn’t lace Rom’s shoelaces if he tried!!”

Credit: @saucyscouser

“Calvert-Lewin offers absolutely nothing, it’s like playing with 10!”

Credit: @Wazza23666

“1/10 performance from Calvert-Lewin here”

Credit: @IlGalkEFC

In other news, find out what club update has left these Blues fans buzzing

Crystal Palace have been credited with an interest in Derby County winger Malcolm Ebiowei, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Ebiowei profiled

Ebiowei has made 15 first-team appearances for the Rams after joining from Rangers last year, contributing to three goals under Wayne Rooney.

Described as a player who ‘gets people out of their seats’ by coach Justin Walker, the winger is out of contract next month and looks unlikely to extend his stay at Pride Park.

The 18-year-old can play anywhere across the front three, and it looks as if the Eagles are keeping tabs on Ebiowei’s situation.

The Latest: Palace interest

The Sun revealed on Sunday that Fulham, Leeds and Tottenham are all weighing up moves for Ebiowei before also name-checking Palace in the report.

They claimed that the Eagles and Bundesliga side RB Leipzig have been monitoring the teenager ahead of a possible swoop.

The Verdict: Another Plange?

It looks as if Dougie Freedman and Patrick Vieira have their eyes on a cut-price deal for Ebiowei, who could follow Luke Plange with a move to Selhurst Park.

Palace secured Plange’s services back in January before loaning the forward back to Derby, where he has contributed to six Championship goals in 25 appearances.

Ebiowei appears to be another bright talent on the books at Derby who looks set to move on, so it’ll be interesting to see if Palace firm up their interest over the coming months – would they consider loaning him back for first-team minutes in League One?

In other news, Palace eyeing a reunion with Eagles’ favourite. Read more here.

Manchester United have been dealt another huge injury blow to the team following the defeat at Anfield last night.

What’s the word?

Ralf Rangnick has revealed the extent of Paul Pogba’s calf muscle injury sustained in the first half of the club’s away defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday evening.

The German coach told MUTV in his post-match conference:

“He pulled his calf muscle and, as it seems right now, this will not be an injury like the one Fred has which will be gone in one week.

“I fear he will not be available for Arsenal or Chelsea.”

Huge setback in the season

Pogba joins a long list of first-team players that have sustained injuries over the last few weeks with Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Fred and Edinson Cavani all not fit to play in last night’s game and Cristiano Ronaldo on compassionate leave.

This amount of injuries and absence from first-team players could ultimately be a huge setback and season-ending for Manchester United in terms of their pursuit for a spot inside the top four to secure Champions League football next season.

The squad and the midfield, in particular, will be weakened further ahead of the difficult Chelsea and Arsenal fixtures if Rangnick’s assessment is right on the Frenchman’s recovery time however, Scott McTominay was on the bench at Anfield so is likely to be fit for the games ahead following a foot injury.

Pogba is set to leave Old Trafford this summer with the £49.5m-rated midfielder unable to reach an agreement with the club to extend his stay. The “machine” will be out of contract so if his injury is more serious it could have been the last time we see the 29-year-old in a Man United shirt last night, with just five games left to go.

The Red Devils remain sixth in the Premier League matching Arsenal for 54 points however, the Gunners have two games in hand on their top-four competitor, whilst fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur have one game on Man United, so Rangnick will have to hope that both London clubs drop points to stay in with a chance of a fourth-place finish.

AND in other news: Get rid: Ten Hag must brutally axe “terrible” MUFC flop who made just 11 passes v LFC

On the day Glamorgan announced a change to their traditional one-day name, they closed the season, and Robert Croft’s career, with a win to deny Kent promotion

Paul Edwards at Cardiff13-Sep-2012
ScorecardJim Allenby claimed three second-innings wickets as Glamorgan won in Robert Croft’s final game•PA PhotosAnyone with ambitions of foisting franchises on domestic cricket might profit by studying the experience of Glamorgan over the past twelve months. On the day when Mark Wallace and his team ended Kent’s hopes of promotion by inflicting a seven-wicket defeat on Rob Key’s team, the county announced that its limited-overs side was reverting to the name “Glamorgan” after a year in which it had been known as the “Welsh Dragons”.Explaining the change back to the old name, Glamorgan chief executive Alan Hamer said that an attempt to “stir up the passion” of supporters by rebranding the team hadn’t worked. People in Wales were not even sure what sport the renamed team played.”If you go anywhere in Wales the majority of people will say that Glamorgan is a cricket county,” said Hamer. “When you asked people who the Welsh Dragons were, they got confused as to whether that was a cricket team, a rugby union team, a rugby league team or a football team. We’ve got to be honest and go back to something which has worked and means a lot to our supporters. The decision we have now taken has been very well received.”The Glamorgan brand is well-established and is known throughout the cricket world,” continued Hamer. “It’s apt that we move back to key principles, so as well as simply calling ourselves Glamorgan, the logo will revert back to the daffodil and we are going to spend time and money developing more of our home-grown players.”I’ve been here six years but it’s in the last twelve months that I’ve realised more than ever before the feelings and passions that people have for the Glamorgan brand. If you try to introduce a franchise, it will be up against a very powerful beast and it’ll need to be very powerful if it’s going to work.”Glamorgan’s announcement was pleasantly complemented by events on the field on what turned out to be the last day of the season at Cardiff. For one thing, the county’s bowlers and fielders showed the sort of passion and persistence which are needed to win important cricket matches against teams chasing honours. Their defeat of Kent confirmed that Derbyshire and Yorkshire would be promoted from Division Two. More significantly for cricket followers in the principality, this third Championship win of the season means that Glamorgan will avoid the wooden spoon and should finish at least seventh in the second division.There were also personal reasons for joy, albeit mixed with some sadness. Most notably, these concerned Robert Croft who, after taking 2 for 76 from 22.4 overs, left the field as a Glamorgan cricketer for the last time. There was a standing ovation, a presentation and a raft of interviews, none of them less moving for being fairly predictable. Croft had the honour of dismissing the last Kent batsman, Charlie Shreck, and thus finishing his 24-year career with 1,175 first-class wickets against his name. Croft is a proud Welshman but he has been an equally proud Glamorgan cricketer. He has never needed rebranding.”I’m delighted we’re reverting back to the traditional name,” said Croft. “I’ve always known us as Glamorgan and I’m pleased with the decision that’s been made. The badge should be the biggest thing on your chest and I’m pleased it’s going to be Glamorgan’s badge again.”Yet Croft’s personal achievement had to take its place within the architecture of a game which saw Kent’s batsmen mount a courageous rearguard as they sought to make good the damage of the previous evening. Beginning the day needing 187 to make Glamorgan bat again, they eventually carved out a mere 60-run lead, although Mark Wallace’s side lost three wickets reaching their target in the evening gloom.Geraint Jones led Kent’s fight by batting over three hours for his 81 runs before he was ninth out, top-edging a pull off Jim Allenby straight to Nick James at deep square leg. Until Jones was dismissed it was never quite clear that Glamorgan had the game under control and Croft himself expressed relief that his side had not been chasing 150.Three wickets in eight balls for the impressive seamer John Glover in the second hour of the morning session had seemed to put Glamorgan in control of affairs. The loss of Sam Northeast for 40, Brendan Nash for a well-made 50 and Darren Stevens lbw first ball left Kent struggling on 96 for 5. But a 91-run stand between Jones and the former Glamorgan batsman Mike Powell restored Kent’s fortunes. It took Croft’s last vital contribution to remove his old mucker, taken by Allenby at slip for 41.Allenby then offered further evidence of his all-round skills which have been on view during almost every session of this game by claiming the decisive wickets of James Tredwell, Matt Coles and Jones to finish with 3 for 47. When Shreck lofted Croft to Nick James at long off, Kent had been dismissed for 280 and Glamorgan’s target seemed close to paltry.The loss of three cheap wickets and two breaks for bad light served to delay matters a little but at least they afforded David Lloyd the chance to make his first runs in first-class cricket by cutting Matt Coles to the backward point boundary. Lloyd had walked to the crease with three noughts to his credit but made 11 before Ben Wright punched Charlie Shreck through midwicket to complete a win that was as well-received in parts of Chelmsford and Derby as it was in Cardiff.

Bloemfontein likes to claim Colin Ingram as its own. He was born in, schooled in and discovered cricket in the Eastern Cape but he actually became a cricketer in the City of Roses. Ingram moved up country to the Free State academy when he was starting uni

Firdose Moonda at Bloemfontein15-Oct-2010Bloemfontein likes to claim Colin Ingram as its own. He was born in, schooled in and discovered cricket in the Eastern Cape but he actually became a cricketer in the City of Roses. Ingram moved up country to the Free State academy when he was starting university, six years ago. He stayed in Bloemfontein to complete his studies and blossomed as a young cricketer.”It’s my second home,” said Ingram with a nostalgic smile. Many cricket-lovers in this part of the world were wishing he would make it his permanent home after the abundant promise he showcased in his academy days, but Ingram returned to his roots. After graduating, he went back to Port Elizabeth to play for the Warriors.He knew that there would always be the occasional trip back to the Free State. One of those visits was Ingram’s twenty-over debut. He was out for a third-ball duck. Subsequent journeys have been more successful, such as the 80 not out he hammered off 65 balls in the MTN40 in January this year. In fact, the whole of the 2009-10 season was a success for Ingram, who was the highest run-scorer in the MTN40 with 600 runs at 60.00 and the Standard Bank Pro20 with 282 at 47.16.Ingram is not a numbers man though and admits he “wasn’t aware of any of the statistics” involved in his performance in the opening ODI of the series against Zimbabwe. His eyes grew wider as he was told of the landmarks he had passed in this match. First, he surpassed Shaun Pollock’s 66 as the highest ODI score by a South African on debut, then, he became just the sixth player in history to score a century on ODI debut and the only South African.What he was concerned about was making an impression. “I haven’t does as well as I would have liked in the recent months, especially coming off the back of the Champions League,” he said. Ingram scored 122 runs in six matches in that competition. He started off trying to rectify that scratchily and only 16 runs came from his first 28 balls. “I was actually a bit nervous when I was on about 20 and started thinking that I should score quicker.”Who better than to help him get his confidence back than a man who is overflowing with it? “Batting with Hashim Amla was absolutely wonderful. He is one of the guys that I have basically grown my game around. He told me to just bat with him, get my feet moving and enjoy my time at the crease.” While following the instructions of a man who had raced to his third ODI century of the year, Ingram found that he got his groove back and was able to maintain it even after Amla departed.He shared a 76-run fifth-wicket stand with David Miller, a sign that the new-look South African middle order is developing into a formidable force and answering the captain’s calls for the younger team members to take on major roles. Graeme Smith said he hoped performances like these would allow the players to “answer the question themselves” about who will be picked in the next year’s World Cup squad.Ingram will face an enormous challenge for the No. 3 spot from Jacques Kallis but he is happy for it to remain that way for now. “I am still a relative junior and if the situation demands that Jacques comes straight back in, I am happy with that. I am here to learn, grow my game and take any opportunities I get with both hands.”In this match, he grabbed full hold of that opportunity and throttled it for all it was worth. “He remained calm and stuck to his game plan throughout, he had a good training week and a lot of belief in himself,” said Smith. There won’t be the luxury of that much time for preparation before Sunday’s match in Potchefstroom. But he’ll have happy memories of the place having made an unbeaten 125 in the MTN40 the last time he was there.

A fresh Newcastle United transfer claim has been made on the club’s efforts to sign a centre-back before the end of the January transfer window, with Dan Burn on the verge of a move to Tyneside.

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has revealed names of three other defenders the Magpies are interested in, whilst teasing that they may not be the only ones on Eddie Howe’s wishlist.

He Tweeted: “Once #nufc announce #BrunoGuimaraes signing they’ll push ahead with the centre back. Three under serious consideration! Two bids rejected so far Dan Burn. Others they’ve tracked are Carlos, Botman, Badiashile. Or might another emerge?”

Delight

Howe will surely be delighted with this news for several reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the club are looking to bring in a central defender and he will be buzzing with this as the Magpies have been dreadful defensively this season. They have let in 43 goals in 21 games in the Premier League, with Norwich (45) the only side who can boast a worse record in the division.

Howe’s men have only kept two clean sheets so far this season and they both cam in the club’s only two wins – against Leeds and Burnley. This shows that the defensive is in dire need of improvement, which is why he will be buzzing to see that it is set to be looked at.

The ex-Bournemouth coach will also be happy with the calibre of players being targeted. Dan Burn is a proven Premier League performer, with an average SofaScore rating of 6.96 this term, and could be able to hit the ground running as he knows what it takes to perform in the English top-flight, which is why his arrival could be a great start to solving the problem.

However, they could look to add another player into the mix. Sven Botman and Diego Carlos have been excelling in Ligue 1 and La Liga respectively. The former has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.15 for Lille, whilst the Brazilian has managed a score of 7.13 for Sevilla in Spain – highlighting their individual quality at the top level.

Badiashile, meanwhile, is only 20 and has been playing regularly for Monaco in France. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.78 this season, suggesting that he may not be as good of an option in the short term as the other players on Newcastle’s list, but his age means that he has the potential to improve further.

Therefore, Howe will be delighted with the centre-backs PIF are attempting to bring in as they have all been solid for their respective clubs this season and/or have scope for improvement down the line. He will be buzzing to receive additional pieces to work with to stop the rot and put an end to their defensive issues.

AND in other news, “Rejected”: Journo reveals fresh Jan transfer setback, NUFC fans will be fuming at PIF…

A round-up of matches from the second day of the BCCI Corporate Trophy

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2010Group A
A combined bowling effort from State Bank of Hyderabad inflicted a second consecutive defeat on All India Electricity Board in Visakhapatnam. Vinay Dandekar picked up three wickets and was supported by Abhishek Jhunjhunwala and Rana Chowdhary who picked up two each. The problem for SBH was the failure of their batsmen to convert starts. T Suman made a fluent 32, P Srihari Rao chipped in with 37 while wicketkeeper M Srinivas contributed an unbeaten 33. They were not helped by the appalling lack of support from the other end, as the AIEB bowlers kept chipping away.AIEB would have backed themselves to chase down 172 but they didn’t have to go that far. Rain intervened when they were on 99 for 2 in 20.3 overs, well past what they required at that stage in the event of an interruption.Group B
In a thrilling contest in Chennai, Tata Sports Club survived a spirited chase by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and prevailed by one run to open their mark in the BCCI Corporate trophy.The chase of 265 was dealt a major setback when Abhishek Nayar’s fluent knock of 85 was terminated by Gaurav Jathar. At 138 for 4, it seemed TSC were in control but captain VA Indulkar and wicketkeeper Uday Kaul struck half-centuries to surge BPCL back in the game. Indulkar was more measured while Kaul stepped up with four fours and a couple of sixes. Just as it seemed BPCL would upstage their opponents, Wilkin Mota struck twice, ending the threatening stand and then dismissing Sairaj Bahutule. Mota bowled the final over and Bahutule fell first ball but BPCL were still favourites, requiring 4 off 5 balls with Kaul still batting. However, they managed just two more, failing to dispatch Mota, and slipped to an agonising defeat.The star with the bat for TSC was Dhruv Singh, who led his team’s recovery from 109 for 5 with an attacking 115. He was supported down the order by Mota, who chipped in with 30 – part of a decisive all-round effort – and Ajit Agarkar, who blasted 31 off 19 to stretch his team’s score to one they barely managed to defend.Group C
Air India eased to their second straight win in the tournament, beating Chemplast by six wickets in Hyderabad. Even a century from Napoleon Einstein and a score of 278 wasn’t enough in the wake of a solid reply from AI’s batsmen. Captain Mohammad Kaif took the lead in steering his team home, making an unbeaten 82 in 88 balls including four fours and two sixes. And there was ample support from the rest. Hrishikesh Kanitkar scored a run-a-ball 53 in a 118-run stand with Kaif, while Sushant Marathe and Chandan Madan put the chase on track with a 70-run stand. Victory was secured without much fuss with 14 balls to spare.Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited edged State Bank of Mysore by five runs in a fascinating encounter in Hyderabad. Both teams were bowled out, there were no half-centuries in the match and yet there were 575 runs scored in all.BSNL opted to bat and seemed to be on track for a more challenging score with a series of consistent contributions from the batsmen in the top and middle orders. Monish Mishra made 39, NS Negi made 41 and Niranjan Behera chipped in with 36 but what was missing was a more substantial innings. Chethan William grabbed three wickets while every other bowler chipped in with at least a wicket to keep BSNL in check and restrict them to a score of 240.SBM were in a good position to secure a win at 152 for 3 but offspinner Kamlesh Makvana broke a 76-run stand between William and B Akhil. He dismissed both batsmen and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Diwan stepped in to trigger a collapse where the last five wickets fell for 31 runs to deprive SBM of a win.Group D
State Bank of Patiala and Income Tax (India) served up the third closely-fought game of the day, with the former prevailing by 17 runs in Bangalore. SBP batted first and squandered an excellent start provided by their openers, R Rehni and Ravi Inder Singh, who added 101. Inder Singh made 75 but there were no major contributions from the rest. Spinners Ankit Sharma and Parag Khanapurkar grabbed seven wickets between them to help skittle out SBP for 218. SBP held the edge in the chase, limiting IT for 104 for 6 at one stage. But wicketkeeper Amol Ubarhande and Rohit Dahiya tried to revive the innings with a 57-run stand for the seventh wicket, but SBP fought back. Mukesh Sharma chipped away at the rest of the line-up, finishing with 5 for 26, and ending IT’s innings with more than three overs to spare.Oil and Natural Gas Corporation raced to victory against Madras Rubber Factory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Despite good starts, the MRF top-order batsmen fell in pairs. The openers Thalavan Sargunam and S Anirudha fell with the score on 87, Sridharan Sriram and Y Gnaneswara Rao then fell in a space of three runs. Venugopal Rao remained unbeaten on 83 but MRF had been in a position to post more than 242 for 6. The score proved inadequate. Praveen Kumar, who opens the bowling for India, shone in his role as a batsman at the top of the order, giving the ONGC innings a boost with a quickfire 54. His opening partner Sandeep Sharma made 75 while Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten to steer their team to victory with 73 balls to spare.

Michael Hussey and Marcus North have known each other since their childhood days in Perth playing for Wanneroo, but now they’re fighting to hold on to their membership of a far more elite club

Brydon Coverdale15-Nov-2010Michael Hussey and Marcus North have known each other since their childhood days in Perth playing for Wanneroo, but now they’re fighting to hold on to their membership of a far more elite club. When the Australian players step out on to the Gabba in ten days to battle for the Ashes, few in the team will be under more pressure than Hussey and North. That’s assuming they’re in the side.The presence of the prolific New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja and the South Australian Callum Ferguson in the 17-man squad for the first Test has intensified the questions over whether Australia’s established batting group will survive the summer. At 35, and with only one century to his name in the past year, Hussey has the most to lose. Not that he’s showing any signs of panic.”I don’t think you can really worry about anyone else,” Hussey said after arriving in Melbourne for Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield match, starting at the MCG on Wednesday. “The most important thing is for me to try to concentrate on my preparation. Playing well in this Shield game against Victoria is the first thing to concentrate on, and help WA have a win. And then just to prepare as though I’m going to play in the Test match.”If you start clouding your mind worrying about other guys, or if they’re going to get picked, or if you’re not going to get picked, you’re taking your mind off what’s important. For me, the focus is on preparing to play and preparing to be part of that first Test match and not worrying about anyone else.”It’s a method that sounds good, but is easier said than done. Hussey failed in his most recent first-class outing, for the Warriors a fortnight ago, and while he’s facing up to the Victorians in Melbourne, Ferguson and Khawaja will be trying to feast on England’s second-string attack for Australia A at Bellerive Oval.North is in a similar situation. His century in Bangalore last month, and his hundred for Western Australia upon returning home have given him some breathing space, but he has less credits in the bank than the more experienced Hussey. Both men will be seriously vulnerable if they record a couple of failures, which makes it all the more important to succeed in this week’s Shield game and enter the Gabba Test with some confidence.”Not at all,” North said when asked if he was worried about the selection of Khawaja and Ferguson. “These guys have been performing well this season and the back end of last season. It’s a reflection of the domestic cricket. There’s always been good young players playing and scoring a lot of runs.”The fact that they’re in the squad is credit to their performances and it’s always an honour to be named in any squad, so it’s good to see those guys in. It is a big series and it is five Test matches. I’m more concerned about my preparation this week, going into this Shield game and, mentally and training-wise going into the first Test match.”At 31, North could feasibly fight his way back into the side if he lost his place this summer. The same cannot be said of Hussey, who will be doing well if he is able to leave Test cricket at a time of his own choosing. He entered the 2006-07 Ashes with an average of 75.93; he begins this campaign averaging 33.19 over the past two years, during which time he has managed only two centuries.”I’m actually pretty philosophical about it,” Hussey said of his extended lean period. “I understand how the game works. My first couple of years, you can’t keep those performances going forever, so you’ve got to expect there’s going to be a time when things don’t quite go your way. That’s the game of cricket – it’s a great leveller.”Hussey had better hope that great leveller doesn’t raze him to the ground.

Wahab Riaz, who received his maiden call-up to Pakistan’s Test squad for tour of England, and opening batsman Yasir Hameed are eager to translate their domestic form into success at the international level

Cricinfo staff21-Jun-2010Left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who received his maiden call-up to Pakistan’s Test squad for tour of England, and opening batsman Yasir Hameed, who was given a recall, are eager to translate their domestic form into success at the international level.Riaz was at home watching television when the news of his selection came through and he was overjoyed. “I just couldn’t believe my eyes when my name came up,” Riaz told the website . “I see this selection as a show of faith from the PCB and the selectors in my ability as a bowler. I’m in good form with the ball and I can only hope that I will carry this form onto the international stage with me.”Riaz made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 2008 and played five one-dayers and a Twenty20. He picked up two wickets on debut but, after a promising start, struggled in the Kitply Cup in Bangladesh in 2008, where he was taken out of the attack for bowling two beamers against India. Riaz last played an ODI for Pakistan in June 2008 but strong performances for the A team against England Lions in Abu Dhabi, and against Australia A and Sri Lanka A, brought him back into the reckoning. In six games during last season’s Qaid-e-Azam Trophy, Riaz picked up 14 wickets.Opening batsman Yasir Hameed was returning to the Test squad after a gap of nearly three years. Hameed’s last Test appearance was against India at Bangalore in 2007 where he made 19 and 39. Hameed made 513 runs at an average of 42.75 in the Qaid-e-Azam Trophy and he said he had ironed out the technical deficiencies in his batting.”You have to understand that the hardest part for a professional sportsman is to admit that he does have weaknesses and that there are flaws in his technique which need to be addressed,” Hameed told . “I’ve worked really hard on the problems I had against spin and I’ve done a lot of homework on this specific problem. As for my off-stump weakness, I’ve been using a tape ball to learn when to leave the ball and when to go for it. It’s all about patience and application and I’ve been working hard on both those things.”Pakistan play their first T20 game against Australia in Birmingham on July 5, and the first Test against Australia at Lord’s begins on July 13.