All posts by h716a5.icu

N Srinivasan, the ICC chairman and sidelined BCCI president, is confident that the Mudgal report on the IPL 2013 spot-fixing saga has nothing incriminating against him

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2014N Srinivasan, the ICC chairman and sidelined BCCI president, is confident that the Mudgal report on the IPL 2013 spot-fixing saga has nothing incriminating against him. The Supreme Court of India had named Srinivasan and three others on Friday in connection with the report, which, the court observed, had suggested several “misdemeanours”.Srinivasan – along with IPL COO Sundar Raman, Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra – was given four days to raise objections with any of the findings of the report pertaining to him, as he thought necessary.”The honourable Supreme Court has not said anything against me. I also do not think there is any evidence against me. If there was anything against my report, the order would have been different,” Srinivasan told the . “You may see the report. Prima facie, there is not stricture or observation against me. I’ve nothing to worry.”When asked by the BCCI lawyer about whether Srinivasan could contest the BCCI election scheduled for November 20, one of the presiding judges, TS Thakur had said, “We cannot give clarity on whether you can contest or not until this matter is disposed of.”Srinivasan said if the Mudgal report had “found evidence” against him, the court would have reacted differently. “Even if there was 10% of evidence against me, the court would have pointed that out,” he said. “I am sure the investigators have not found anything against me.”He also reiterated that he cannot be blamed for what Gurunath – who is also his son-in-law – may or may not have done. “I am not responsible for anything that others do. If Gurunath has done something, you investigate and take action against him. I can’t be held responsible for others’ acts.”

A quicker surface is expected in Hambantota as South Africa chase a series win against a team in form

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Jul-2014Match factsSaturday, July 12, 2014
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)Dale Steyn, if fit, may enjoy the conditions in Hambantota•AFPBig PictureHambantota: Sri Lanka’s city of the future. Where beautiful four-lane highways and herds of water buffalo co-exist in strength. Where wild elephants rule the roads, and three-foot cobras are among the pedestrians. Where vast flocks of birds have, for thousands of years, thoughtlessly chosen to migrate right where the Sri Lankan authorities would build an international airport.But it is not just the impromptu safari opportunities in Sri Lanka’s untamed south-east that have South Africa feeling a little more at home. The pitch, they feel, has pace and bounce. Not your usual condescending subcontinent kind of pace and bounce, where the keeper might take the ball at waist-height occasionally. This is the proper stuff.Quicks have run through teams at the venue, and though South Africa have never played an ODI at Hambantota, they have won three out of four T20 internationals there. If there is one venue in the country that will make Dale Steyn’s bruised right hand heal up double-quick, this is it. The team management will make a call on whether Steyn will play on Saturday, but he has bowled at Friday’s training, so the signs are good.Sri Lanka are desperate to finish on a winning note, to seal a series they are expected to win. Their victory at Pallekele had all the ingredients of a classic Sri Lanka win; the batting collapse, the fight back, spinners ripping through the opposition and a few Lasith Malinga yorkers for good measure. They have not lost a series so far in 2014, and they will think the first series at home is a poor place to start.Beyond the cricket field, there are reports of a memo floating around SLC headquarters alleging the team is physically unfit and has attitude problems. At first glance, those claims seem discordant with reality. A fast bowler delivered over 104 overs in back-to-back Tests in England, and the batsmen who made big knocks did not seem to flag at any stage in the series. But the memo also claims the national side’s fielding is below par, and given the number of dropped catches over the past six weeks, the players will find it difficult to argue with that observation.Angelo Mathews and his men will hope to make the loss in Colombo a blip on their 2014 record. But if the South Africa pace attack comes out firing on a bouncy deck, the hosts will have bigger worries than just a disapproving report.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: WLWWL
South Africa:LWWWWIn the spotlightWhen Malinga was going through a hot-and-cold stage about a year ago, Nuwan Kulasekara held the attack together with his steady seam and sometimes extravagant inswing. Now that Malinga is back to near his best, Kulasekara has fallen away somewhat. Perhaps he goes looking for wickets instead of bowling line-and-length, or maybe he is struggling a little for rhythm. Whatever the case, Kulasekara has gone wicketless in each of his last five ODIs. A key component in Sri Lanka’s World Cup plans, Kulasekara will hope to rediscover his form soon. If he has the wind assisting him at Hambantota, his threat could be magnified.Tall, sharp, and accurate, Ryan McLaren has been the best of South Africa’s quicks this series, probing away in the channel with a modicum of movement off the pitch, and the odd ball kicking up off the surface. On a slightly bouncier Pallekele, McLaren had engineered the late collapse that reeled Sri Lanka in, and if conditions are even better for him at Hambantota, he has the style and form to be a handful. He is a capable hitter down the order as well, as was seen in the first ODI, when he struck up a fruitful stand with David Miller.Teams newsOffspinner Dilruwan Perera has been included in Sri Lanka’s squad, as Upul Tharanga has left it to train with the Sri Lanka A side, which he will shortly lead on a tour to England. Sri Lanka are unlikely to make changes to their XI, however, unless the pace in the pitch convinces them Thisara Perera is a better bet than Ashan Priyanjan.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene 5. Lahiru Thirimanne, 6. Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Ashan Priyanjan/Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Lasith MalingaOfficially South Africa wait on Steyn’s fitness, but news from the camp is that he is likely to play.South Africa (probable): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran TahirPitch and conditionsWeather forecasts for this part of the island are often hilariously inaccurate, but for what it is worth, meteorologists have predicted a warm, clear day. The sweeping winds that sometimes blow in during the afternoon may also factor into team’s tactics.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have won five out of eight completed ODIs at Hambantota. Eight of the top 10 bowling performances at the venue have been delivered by quick bowlers. Ryan McLaren is the leading wicket-taker in the series, with six scalps at an average of 13.5.Quotes”We have the chance to climb up the rankings if we win this series, so if we play the same way we did at Pallekele, we should be able to do that.”
“From past experiences it’s a lot more like South African conditions in Hambantota, which suits us really well. We’re hoping to see a green deck there for a change.”

Zimbabwe will remain hopeful that if all three of their departments click better than they have in recent times, they can cause upsets against Australia and South Africa in the forthcoming tri-series

The Preview by Firdose Moonda24-Aug-2014Match factsMonday, August 25, 2014
Start time 0930 local (0730GMT)Michael Clarke underwent a fitness test on his hamstring before being ruled out of the first match•AFPBig pictureAfter a week of playing a fourth-ranked ODI team that has subsequently been bumped up to third, what is the last thing the bottom-ranked side (at least as far as Full Members are concerned) want to do? Play the No.1s. But Zimbabwe know that international cricket is more about what they have to do rather than what they want to, and taking on both Australia and South Africa is what they will spend the next four matches doing.At least it will bring to 11 the number of ODIs they would have played in six weeks – a significant number to have a proper idea of where they stand as their preparations continue for next year’s World Cup. The harsh reality is that Zimbabwe may not like where that is unless their fortune changes in this series.Not only did they squander a series lead to share spoils with an Associate member – Afghanistan – but they were also thoroughly worked over by South Africa. For now, they do not show any signs of forcing their way into the final of the upcoming tri-series. They will remain hopeful that if all three of their departments click and click better than they have in recent times, they can cause upsets but will likely have to set mini targets, such as reaching scores over 250 or bowling sides out, as goals for the series.Australia will not play any similar games within games. Michael Clarke is after a trophy – despite being ruled out of the first game with injury* – and he is unlikely to allow matters to meander in the way South Africa sometimes do. Australia have not played ODIs since their January series against England, but one can expect ruthlessness and aggression from them, even though some of it may be cleverly disguised as experimentation. From the No.1 ranked side in the world, there can be nothing less.Form guideZimbabwe LLLLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
Australia WLWWWIn the spotlightA whitewash at the hands of South Africa was not entirely unexpected but the progressive regression of the Zimbabwe players will put the focus on their coach Stephen Mangongo to see how he handles their recovery. Mangongo was one of the driving forces behind the players being swapped around against South Africa, so much so, that Zimbabwe’s top-order has become unpredictable and unstable and the team lop-sided. The lower-order contributes more runs but lacks wicket-taking bite when it’s needed most. How Mangongo strategises around this will be key for Zimbabwe over the next two weeks.Mitchell Marsh has shown great potential ever since captaining Australia to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2009-10 but his opportunities in national colours have so far been limited. He will add to his tally of four ODIs during this series and with Shane Watson injured, it provides a terrific chance for Marsh to audition for a more long-term all-round role. He enters the series with some encouraging form behind him, including 211 in a first-class match against India A last month followed by 11 wickets at 20.00 in the quadrangular one-day tournament that followed.Team newsZimbabwe have named a 22-man squad for the series and it includes Brendan Taylor, who is expected to return to the No. 4 position after being dramatically dropped for the final ODI against South Africa last week. Sikandar Raza may return to open with Richmond Mutumbami with Hamilton Masakadza coming in at No.3. Test seamer Tinashe Panyangara made his return against South Africa after being rested following his Test workload and could be joined by Tendai Chatara which will leave Zimbabwe with a question over who to use as a lower-order allrounder. Teenager Luke Jongwe is one option, Shingi Masakadza is another. They may also bench Prosper Utseya as he awaits testing over his action and give legspinner Tafadzwa Kamungozi another chance.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Sikandar Raza, 2 Richmond Mutumbami (wk), 3 Hamilton Masakadza, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 7 Luke Jongwe/Shingi Masakadza 8 Prosper Utseya/Tafadzwa Kamungozi, 9 John Nyumbu, 10 Tendai Chatara,11 Tinashe PanyangaraWith David Warner out of the series on paternity leave and Clarke unable to overcome a hamstring problem, Phillip Hughes would have hoped for an opportunity to translate his A-team form into success on the international stage. However, he found himself named 12th man when Australia announced their team in advance*, with Darren Lehmann saying they had “opted to go with the spin option of Nathan Lyon along with the extra allrounder to add further depth to our batting”. Quite how they will line up, with only one genuine opener in Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh coming in to an experimental middle order, remains to be seen.Australia: 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 George Bailey (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Nathan Lyon.Pitch and conditionsThe action moves back to Harare Sports Club which has had almost two weeks rest after the Test between Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier in the month. The surfaces can be expected to be a little more lively than Bulawayo’s slow and sometimes turning strips, with a bit of juice for the quicks in the morning. Hot sunshine should flatten the pitch out later in the day when runs will be plentiful. Zimbabwe has leapfrogged spring and stepped straight into summer with temperatures approaching 30 degrees.Stats and triviaZimbabwe have only defeated Australia once in the 28 ODIs they have played against them. That was in their first match at the World Cup in June 1983 when Zimbabwe won a tense affair by 13 runs as Duncan Fletcher bowled them to a historic win. The last time these two teams met each other was at the 2011 World Cup. Before that, they had not played an ODI against each other since 2004. Brad Haddin made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2001, before any of the current Zimbabwe squad were playing international cricket. Quotes”It doesn’t intimidate me. Coaching does not intimidate me at all. Records are meant to be broken. It’s a new game, it’s a new day, it’s a new chapter. It’s XI versus XI and you have to respect your opposition.”

“Michael had a fitness test at training today and unfortunately hasn’t come through that well enough to be available for selection in game one. He will continue intensive treatment on his hamstring and we’ll monitor his progress ahead of game two on Wednesday.”
*August 24, 17.30 GMT: Story updated to reflect news of Michael Clarke’s failed fitness test

The BCB will shift Pakistan’s 2015 tour of Bangladesh to the second week of April, instead of January

Mohammad Isam22-Apr-2014The BCB is likely to push Pakistan’s 2015 tour of Bangladesh to the second week of April, instead of January. Bangladesh, in the meantime, are set to train in Australia for two extra weeks before the World Cup in a bid to acclimatize to conditions where they last played in January 2010.Though the BCB’s cricket operations committee headed a meeting on the scheduling of international and domestic cricket for the next 12 months on Tuesday, an official confirmation will only come after approval in the board meeting.Bangladesh are currently expecting a three-match ODI series against India in mid-June, after which their next international assignments include a tour of West Indies in August-September, a possible tri-series in October involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and up to three Tests against Zimbabwe in November-December.The Tests will be followed by the World Cup in February-March and home series against Pakistan, India and South Africa till July.”[The training camp in Australia] is almost confirmed,” Akram Khan, the chairman of BCB’s cricket operations committee, said. “We still haven’t decided the dates but we are trying to do a camp as the condition there is different from Bangladesh. If the cricketers can play a few one-day matches there during this camp, it can only benefit them.”The Pakistan tour will be held in April next year while India will come in June, and South Africa in July.”To keep the second string players busy, the BCB is trying to host an A team in July or August this year. This will be in addition to Bangladesh A’s tour of West Indies next month, and a home series against Zimbabwe in June.

David Warner inspired Sunrisers Hyderabad to a challenging total, but a Kieron Pollard blitz threatened to overhaul it but 20 off the final over proved a challenge too far

The Report by Alagappan Muthu30-Apr-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details7:23

Mumbai need to sort their batting order

Sunrisers Hyderabad gritted their teeth nearly 10 overs without a boundary. David Warner was muzzled so profoundly that he was striking under 100 as late as the 15th over. But then he woke up. He used the slow start as a foundation and collected a half-century that proved the difference. But his patience might have been a mere footnote had Irfan Pathan not delivered a brilliant final over. He had 20 to defend and the first ball of sneaked through Kieron Pollard’s defences and seeing the back of a man who hit 78 off 48 balls is usually enough to seal the game, and it was. Pathan only gave away four runs.Mumbai Indians were flummoxed by the pace and swing of Dale Steyn and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The asking rate rose north of 10 in the 5th over and at 31 for 3, recovery seemed a remote possibility. Only no one had bothered to clue Pollard in. After a jittery start, he remembered his penchant for brutality. Amit Mishra, a far cry from the one that turned up for India in the World T20, was razed for 27 in the 17th over. Rohit Sharma, who was confident today was the game Mumbai would pull off their much-needed turnaround, began contemplating an improbable victory. But much to the birthday boy’s chagrin, his side just ran out of juice.Sunrisers were conscious of their batsmen needing to provide better cover to their bowlers, and opted for Naman Ojha and Irfan to add depth. Ojha smashed the final two balls of the innings for fours and Irfan shouldered the burden of bowling the 16th and the 20th overs with consummate proficiency. Slower balls, yorkers and a refusal to hand width highlighted his two-over spell which ensured Steyn’s fearsome bursts and Bhuvneshwar’s control were not in vain.In between though, Mishra braced against a clobbering at the hands of Pollard. The 13th over was biffed for 19 runs and signalled the first challenge from Mumbai. A daunting 87 off 42 was being chipped away. It didn’t seem to matter whether Mishra gave the ball air or fired it in, Pollard revved up and mauled five of his six sixes off the legspinner, who ended with 0 for 54. At the other end, Ambati Rayudu ensured he wasn’t lost in the slipstream during a 77-run stand for the fourth wicket. The equation was diluted to 31 off the final three overs, but that was when Sunrisers dug deep. Steyn, as ever, delivered when it mattered, ceding only four runs in the 18th, and Bhuvneshwar just seven in the next, to put Sunrisers ahead going into Irfan’s final over.Sunrisers’ batting resources were lumped too tightly at the top and an early wicket prompted a change of tactic. KL Rahul’s technical correctness was banked on to minimise the damage. Mumbai were adamant on not giving the batsmen any room and their fielders were no shy of hurtling after the ball if it was anywhere near their vicinity. They were desperate.Rahul blunted the challenge, placing faith in his footwork against spin and nudges around the ground to keep the scoreboard ticking. He knew Warner was better equipped to lead the charge.Harbhajan Singh did his best to plant doubts, constantly foiling Warner’s attempts to blaze away in the early goings with a remarkable control of flight and line. Warner fronted 16 balls from the offspinner and could summon only nine runs. But as the death overs came, Warner found his touch. Batting both right- and left-handed, he inspired Sunrisers to crash 73 in the last six overs.Pragyan Ojha was carted repeatedly over midwicket and the partnership with Rahul blossomed to 101 – Sunrisers’ second hundred-plus stand of the season and that was the partnership that forced Mumbai into a position of having to win almost all of their matches in the India leg to progress in the tournament.

Karun Nair’s breakthrough season became even more luminous with his third successive century to guide Karnataka to a substantial lead

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran20-Jan-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Karun Nair’s century topped off a day of solid partnerships for Karnataka as they took the lead•ESPNcricinfo LtdOn Sunday evening, Punjab’s trio of quicks had the ball swerving around and handcuffed Karnataka’s usually adventurous batsmen. They struggled to pose similar threat on Monday, as Karnataka took charge of the game, leaving Punjab needing something special to progress to the final.Karun Nair’s breakthrough season became even more luminous with his third successive century to lead a day of substantial partnerships. Not once did Punjab strike twice quickly as Karnataka put on stands on 71, 64, 83 and an unbroken 110, again showcasing the team effort that has underlined their run to the semifinals.The day began with Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, Karnataka’s two senior-most batsmen, needing to lay the platform for a lengthy batting line-up to build on. Barely 10 minutes after the start, the 24-over-old ball was replaced as one side was frayed and the replacement ball didn’t jag around as much. The pair played the pace bowlers confidently on a pitch that had few demons in it, and after the first few overs they started to reel off boundaries.It was the spin of Harbhajan Singh that caused them problems. Harbhajan nearly had Uthappa dismissed in his first full over of the day, but the umpire failed to spot that a catch to short leg came off the glove. much to the bowler’s chagrin. Harbhajan didn’t have to wait long though, as in the first ball of the next over he trapped Uthappa lbw.There were other decisions which went against Punjab as well, and they cost the team plenty. Pandey was lbw off Harbhajan on 48 but lived on, and a struggling Amit Verma was clearly lbw on 6 but wasn’t given. All three decisions were made by umpire Subrat Das, who seems to be a batsman’s umpire, having turned down two certain lbws when Karnataka were bowling yesterday.Pandey played a few loose shots, but with a stylish innings he blunted Punjab’s bowling in the morning session. He kicked off a run-spree with an audacious front-foot pull, and despite losing Uthappa, Karnataka were well on top as the session drew to a close. In the final over before the break, though, Punjab were back in it as Pandey tickled a Sandeep Sharma delivery to the keeper.At 158 for 4, it was still even but CM Gautam put Karnataka back on top with a typically enterprising innings. Nair was more cautious, but Gautam again showed off how good he is on the sweep – both conventional and reverse – to tackle Harbhajan. As the shots flowed, he scored at nearly a run-a-ball to eat into Punjab’s lead. By the time he was dismissed by Harbhajan for a 54-ball 48, Karnataka were only 29 behind.Nair could have been run-out on 1 itself, just getting home before the stumps were broken. He was also troubled by a short ball from Jaskaran Singh, but he showcased a solid defensive technique and cleverly picked off boundaries at the vacant third-man region. When Gautam was scoring freely, he too joined in, as Punjab had to turn to weak links like Taruwar Kohli’s medium-pace.The only sustained period of pressure came when Verma, playing his first game of the season, looked like a walking wicket early on, beaten plenty of times as he staggered to 6 off 59 deliveries – including an outside edge for four to third man. The arrival of the new ball though changed his approach, as he stroked five boundaries in eight balls and began to looked far more composed.Nair cashed in as Punjab’s back-up bowlers posed little threat and towards the end of the day, after Karnataka had taken the lead and the home side seemed to be going through the motions. The partnership between Nair and Verma swelled past a hundred, and Punjab rarely looked like taking a wicket as their final chances began fading.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is willing to allow the top order batsmen to take their time in the middle in T20s, as long as they push harder after getting set

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur15-Mar-2014Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim is willing to allow the top order batsmen to take their time in the middle in T20s, as long as they push harder after getting set. Mushfiqur had factored in the slow pitches in Bangladesh which do not always allow batsmen to go for their shots early.”The top three batsmen usually set up the game in T20s,” Mushfiqur said ahead of Bangladesh’s opening qualifier against Afghanistan in Mirpur. “The No.4 also has to join in. I think these batsmen have a lot of responsibilities. The wicket wasn’t easy in the practice game against Ireland, making us to start slowly. We targeted 140-150, though Shakib [Al Hasan] and I took it further. If the openers give us a good start, the pressure lessens on the middle order. We would hope for such a start tomorrow, and then from the middle, we will finish it well.”It was difficult to play shots from the word go in Fatullah, as the wicket was slow. We are willing to give batsmen time in the middle as long as they recover the scoring rate after getting set. The middle and lower order can do that recovery work but the top order can also do it after making a slow start.”Either of Anamul Haque and Shamsur Rahman will be vying to open with Tamim Iqbal, with the former ahead due to a recent ODI century against Pakistan and a half-century against India. However, Shamsur has opened for Bangladesh in their last six T20s.Shakib and Mushfiqur usually bat at three and four, but there has been talk of slotting in either Mominul Haque or Sabbir Rahman in the top order too. “If either of Sabbir and Mominul plays, we will try to accommodate them in the top order,” Mushfiqur said.”We have enough batsmen and allrounders so we will take a decision on the team after taking a final look at the wicket. The decision will also depend on what balances our team, and in addition, we have a flexible batting line-up so we will be sending batsmen according to the situation.”Putting Shakib and Mushfiqur just after the openers has worked for Bangladesh, but if there has to be a choice between Mominul and Sabbir, it should be the latter. Sabbir has played just one T20 international, against Sri Lanka in Chittagong, but has been successful in domestic cricket in the last 12 months. He also played a match-winning innings for the Bangladesh side against Afghanistan in the 2010 Asian Games gold medal match, and has played similar sort of innings throughout his career. Although Mominul’s overall strike-rate is higher than most in the Bangladesh team, he has only played four T20s.Bangladesh’s line-up will become slightly more streamlined as Mushfiqur returns as wicketkeeper, having recovered from a finger injury. He kept against Ireland, and says that he missed captaining from behind the stumps.”I was feeling great yesterday (in Fatullah against Ireland). I can manage the pain that I am playing with. I can see the team very well from my favoured position. I hope to keep tomorrow as well,” he said.Mushfiqur firmly believes that Bangladesh has earned the amount of expectation that lies on their shoulders. They could be thrown out of the tournament if they lose to Afghanistan but he will take inspiration from home conditions and support.”I don’t think there is a lot of pressure on us. There is always going to be pressure at the international level. The Bangladesh team has earned this expectation and pressure for playing well in the last two years.”We hope to perform up to expectations. Along with pressure, we have the home ground and support. I hope that with all these advantages, we can start off with a win,” Mushfiqur said.

A round-up of the Presidents Trophy matches that ended on December 8, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2013A captain’s performance from Taufeeq Umar, and a five-wicket haul by Imran Ali, helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) to their fourth win, beating Pakistan Television (PTV) by 188 runs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Put in to bat, SNGPL were led by half-centuries by Taufeeq, Mohammad Rizwan and Adnan Akmal. Taufeeq top-scored with 63 off 187 balls while Akmal’s 53 came off 110. Yasim Murtaza and Zohaib Ahmed shared nine wickets between them with the former taking a five-for. The PTV innings failed to get going in response to 258 and they were rolled over for only 158, with Samiullah Khan taking 6 for 34.SNGPL strengthened their hold on the game with an opening stand of 199 between Taufeeq and Azeem Ghumman. Ghumman scored 70 while Taufeeq remained unbeaten on 128 before declaring, setting PTV a target of 326. PTV ended the third day at a rocky 48 for 3. There was no resistance from the middle and lower order as the seamer Imran took 5 for 38 to bundle out PTV for 137 in just 40.3 overs.Khan Research Laboratories took first-innings points in a draw against Pakistan International Airlines in Rawalpindi. After being put in to bat, KRL declared at 419 for 9 on the second day, driven by the captain Saeed Anwar jnr’s 197. Anwar nearly carried his bat, falling shortly before the declaration, hitting 20 fours and four sixes in his 362-ball knock. Anwar was involved in two century stands, for the third and fifth wickets with Usman Salahuddin and Ali Khan respectively. Khan was the second-highest scorer in the innings with 71. Anwar registered his highest first-class score and it was his 25th ton.Rahat Ali’s early spell jolted PIA, who were struggling at 29 for 3. Two half-century stands, for the fourth and fifth wickets, brought stability to the innings. Faisal Iqbal top-scored with 94 with 15 fours before he was dismissed by Rahat. Faisal was the fifth man out and PIA were only halfway from equaling KRL’s score. Tahir Khan battled with an unbeaten 55 but PIA could only score 310. Rahat, Umaid Asif and Nayyar Abbas took three wickets each. With only two innings yet to be completed at the start of the fourth day, a draw loomed. KRL had a lead of 109 and they stretched it to 275, after they were bowled out for 166. Salahuddin was the top-scorer with 67 and the offspinner Tahir took his second four-wicket haul of the match. PIA batted out two overs before the match ended in a draw.A ten-wicket haul by the seamer Mohammad Talha helped set up Port Qasim Authority’s (PQA) seven-wicket win over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in Sialkot. Talha took 6 for 69 in the first innings and 5 for 106 in the second to leave PQA chasing a modest 144.Talha ran through the top order after his side lost the toss, as ZTBL finished on 230. Luqman Butt was the only batsman to pass fifty and was the top scorer with a quick 65 off 69 balls. The PQA batsmen took firm control of the match by posting 424, taking a commanding lead of 194. The captain Khalid Latif established the platform with 86 while Asim Kamal remained unbeaten on 100. Talha tormented ZTBL with the bat as well, scoring 56 off 67 balls and adding 100 for the eighth wicket with Kamal to help the team inch towards 400. Kamal’s knock came off 164 balls with 12 fours and a six. ZTBL put on a better performance in the second innings by posting 337. Haseeb-ur-Rehman fell four short of his century while Butt continued his good form, scoring 67. Talha dismissed Butt and ran through the lower order to take his second five-wicket haul of the match and fourth ten-for in first-class cricket. Chasing 144, PQA lost their top three for 49 but Mohammad Salman and Daniyal Ahsan (63*) sealed the win in just under 25 overs.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) bagged three points for taking a first-innings lead but were in danger of squandering it in a tense draw against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in Islamabad. Set 146, WAPDA were wobbling at 56 for 7 but managed to survive.SBP struggled after being put in to bat and were bowled out for 172. Azhar Attari took 5 for 56 while Mohammad Haseeb took 4 for 41. Half-centuries by Rafatullah Mohmand and captain Aamer Sajjad helped WAPDA to 300, giving them a first-innings lead of 128. Seamers Rizwan Haider and Tabish Khan took seven wickets between them. Rameez Raja led SBP’s charge in the second innings with 68 but they were in a spot of bother at 132 for 5 with only a slender lead of four. Mohammad Saad scored 57 to help stretch the lead to 145 before they were bowled out. Tabish and Haider’s opening spells then reduced a shaky WAPDA to 15 for 4. They lost three more wickets but hung on to save the game, batting out 28 overs. Tabish took 4 for 30 in the second innings.

A round-up of all the games played in Group A of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers on November 18, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Gareth Berg’s 67 was in vain as Uganda squeaked through by one wicket•ICC/GettyUganda pulled off a surprise victory over Italy to register their first win of the qualifiers in Abu Dhabi. Italy batted first, with the openers putting on a decent stand of 35. Wicketkeeper Andy Northcote was the first to go in the fifth over when he was trapped in front by offspinner Frank Nsubuga. Peter Petricola joined opener Gareth Berg to put on a further 39 runs by the 11th over. A couple of more small partnerships later, Italy were able to reach 148 for 4, with Berg top-scoring with 62 off 34 balls, which included seven fours and two sixes. This continued his good run of form, where he had scored 90 off 47 balls in the previous match against USA.In reply, Uganda started rather abjectly, with opener Roger Mukasa falling off just the second ball of the innings. Abram Mutyagaba and Hamza Saleh then put on 33, before Saleh was bowled by Vince Pennazza. Arthur Kyobe came in next and smashed a 15-ball 36, which comprised five sixes, to help Uganda stay on par with the required rate.But they also lost wickets at regular intervals. At 97 for 8 in the 14th over, there was still another 52 required for victory, with about six overs to go. Cameos from Richard Okia (33*) and Charles Waiswa (21) took them close, and Uganda were able to hold their nerve and score the winning runs with just one wicket in hand, and one ball to spare.
ScorecardAn Irfan Ahmed century, combined with Munir Dar’s 4 for 17, helped Hong Kong make it three out of three as they defeated Canada by 53 runs in Abu Dhabi. Canada won the toss and put Hong Kong in to bat, which proved a significant miscalculation as Ahmed and Waqas Barkat flayed Canada’s rather insipid bowling attack to the tune of 102 runs inside of 12 overs. After Barkat fell for 31, wickets began to fall more regularly, with Irfan plundering on to reach a maiden century in any format, finishing with 100 off 53 balls which included four fours and eight sixes. Hong King finished their quota of overs on 168 for 5.Canada’s innings did not start promisingly as their top three were gone with just 44 on the board in the 10th over. None of the batsmen were able to capitalise on their starts, with Jimmy Hansra (26) and Raza-ur-Rehman (23) being the only ones to cross into the twenties. Dar put on a splendid show with the ball, taking 4 for 17, as Canada stumbled to 115 for 8. This now means that Canada has lost both their opening matches, making qualification an uphill battle from here on.

With his fourth half-century in five games this series, Misbah-ul-Haq, the world’s leading ODI run-getter of 2013 shepherded his volatile band of batsmen home in another tricky chase

The Report by Abhishek Purohit24-Jul-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAhmed Shehzad made his first substantial score of the series•AFPWith his fourth half-century in five games this series, the world’s leading ODI run-getter of 2013 shepherded his volatile band of batsmen home in another tricky chase. Misbah-ul-Haq battled falling wickets at the other end, a charged up Tino Best, and a rain interruption as late as the 98th over of the game to take Pakistan to their third successive away bilateral series win over West Indies. Yet again this series, Umar Akmal was called upon to overcome the asking-rate towards the end, and once more, he did not disappoint, delivering the series to Pakistan with a 3-1 margin.Misbah formed partnerships with Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail and Akmal before falling in the last over trying to slog the winning hit, with the scores tied. He had already ensured Pakistan had won the series; a tie would have meant the margin would have been 2-1.When Sohail became the latest profligate Pakistan batsman to fall, chasing a wide Best delivery, Pakistan needed 83 from 12 overs. Best, having conceded 25 off his first three overs, was in the mood for a furious comeback. Pinging down bouncers in the mid-140s, he smacked one into Misbah’s fingers. While the storm was being weathered by the captain, Akmal did his act at the other end.The inexperienced Jason Holder was taken for three successive fours in the next over, the 41st, the second of those coming off a poor effort at fine leg from Marlon Samuels. It wasn’t the first time West Indies had messed up in the field today, and it wasn’t to be the last. Akmal steered a short ball to the fine third man rope next ball. Holder cracked further under pressure, four leg-byes resulting off Misbah’s pad down the leg side off the last ball of the over.Misbah managed a four off an inside edge to Sunil Narine next over and held his nerve to reverse-sweep the offspinner for four more. Then arrived the moment which once again highlighted what a farce a watered-down DRS has been in this series, in the absence of HotSpot. West Indies were sure Misbah had gloved a Best bouncer to the keeper down leg, the on-field umpire did not agree, and the third umpire had too much guesswork to do with only replays and sound as tools. Misbah was on 49 then, and Pakistan would have needed 53 of 46 had he been given. Darren Bravo had been given caught-behind on referral on the basis of sound earlier and West Indies had a right to expect consistency.Though Best predictably lost his temper, West Indies were not giving in. Dwayne Bravo, who often disappears for plenty at the death, delivered two tight overs. But Akmal found the big stroke when Pakistan sorely needed it. Narine was cut for four, Best was carted over mid-off for six. A top-edge flew over the keeper for four more, but even as clouds swept in over the stadium, Akmal holed out to mid-off for 37 off 28.A 20-minute break followed but Pakistan were ahead on D/L by five runs, and safe in the knowledge that the series was theirs, in case no further play was possible. Sunshine followed soon, though, and Shahid Afridi weighed in at the hit end of the hit-or-miss scale. Bravo was pulled for six over deep midwicket and punched past point for four. Game over? Not yet.Misbah hit Holder to short midwicket second ball of the final over, and Saeed Ajmal took three deliveries to get bat on ball. Had the throw from mid-on hit, it would have gone down to the final ball. It didn’t, and Afridi and Ajmal hugged, as did their team-mates in the Pakistan dressing room.Credit for the win also went to Shehzad, who made his first substantial score of the series, and guided Pakistan’s chase amid tight bowling from Narine and Darren Sammy. The pitch eased out further in the second innings. Cutting and pulling without trouble, Nasir Jamshed and Shehzad brought up Pakistan’s first 50-run opening stand in 17 innings, excluding a game against Scotland.Trust Pakistan to blow such a rare promising start. Jamshed was stranded for the second game running, Shehzad taking a few steps and stopping this time, after Mohammad Hafeez in the previous game. Hafeez himself got a start and then had a heave at Sammy. However, Shehzad had Misbah to steady things.The opposing captain’s cameo had earlier taken his side to to 242 for 7 from 170 for 6. Dwayne Bravo, with 48 off 27, was assisted by his predecessor, Darren Sammy, who made an unbeaten 29 off 18.The West Indies top six never managed any sort of sustained partnership. Two of them, Johnson Charles and Samuels, got forties, but were also the ones who struggled to score the most. Devon Smith fell early yet again. Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons were unable to convert starts.Junaid Khan was outstanding, barring the last over when Sammy went after him, making a case for him to have played through the series. Mohammad Irfan was unlucky not to break through in his opening spell, but came back even stronger to remove Charles and Samuels. West Indies took 64 from the last five overs, but Misbah’s calm and Akmal’s aggression were enough to overhaul that.