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Friday, January 28, 2011

Eden Gardens loses India-England fixture

In a major embarrassment to the BCCI, the ICC has ruled out Eden Gardens as the host of the game between India and England on February 27. The ICC's inspection team, which included some of the leading experts in the field of stadium and ground preparation, felt that Eden Gardens would not be ready in time. No alternate venue for the match has yet been named. The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the three World Cup stadiums in Sri Lanka were all given the go-ahead by the ICC.
"Regrettably, Eden Gardens has not made sufficient progress to justify the level of confidence required to confirm that the venue would be ready in good time," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said. "This was no easy decision to take and while it is most unfortunate, it is absolutely necessary." The Cricket Association of Bengal is having an emergency meeting to discuss the development.
Kolkata was to host three other matches in the World Cup, but the status of those games is still unclear. "At this stage no decision has been taken on those matches," an ICC spokesperson said. The India-England clash was the only chance for fans in Kolkata to see the home side.
BCCI president Shashank Manohar said that there was no need for the BCCI to call any emergency meeting, but pointed out that he would consult his "office bearers" to finalise the venue for the match. It is learnt that Bangalore is tipped to be a favourite. "99 % it will be Bangalore," an ICC source said.
The news of switching the match from Kolkata comes just two days after the tournament director, Ratnakar Shetty, waved away worries over readiness of World Cup venues. Media personnel had been barred from a recent inspection of Eden Gardens.
The venue, one of the largest cricket stadiums in the world, has hosted some of the highest-profile matches of the previous two World Cups held in the subcontinent including the final in 1987 and the semi-final in 1996. No international matches have been held in Kolkata since the Test between India and South Africa in February as the stadium was being renovated.
"All venues had ample time in which to prepare for World Cup matches," Lorgat said. "We had been understanding and had provided extensions to the deadline dates but unfortunately we are now at a point where we must carefully manage our risks.
"The Central Organising Committee had provided venues with a deadline of 30 November 2010 to complete all construction work and then to be match-ready by 31 December 2010. An extension was granted by the ICC for five venues, which were again inspected over the past week. Sadly, Eden Gardens in Kolkata was unable to meet the final deadline date of 25 January 2011."
The ICC is still deciding on the new venue for the India-England match. "We will work with the new venue, the tour operators and the ticket distributors to manage the logistical challenges that will surely arise," Shetty said.

Will Pakistan's batsmen fight back?

Big Picture
The perception of this contest is simple: it is a case of two battling batting line-ups pitted against the conditions; whichever team can produce incisive bowling is likely to trigger the opposition's latent tendency to implode.
In the first ODI, Pakistan's batting crumbled like only it can. On their bad days, there is a dull sense of déjà-vu as the batsmen succumb meekly to their technical frailties. What excites the fan are Pakistan's good days: then you gasp at the audacious shot making of a Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi or Abdul Razzaq, or at the fluency of Younis Khan, or the nudge-dab-slog-sweep routine of Misbah-ul-Haq. If the bowlers are on song too, they look a dangerous outfit.
So far it's been a quintessentially Pakistani start to the series: announce a World Cup team without naming the captain and idly watch cliques develop within the team; have the batting implode in the first game; then explode, briefly as rain ruined in the second game when the conditions were supposed to be loaded against the batsmen, and leave the rest of the world wondering what will happen in the third.
While Pakistan sink-and-awe, New Zealand occupy an ecosystem where discipline and self-surrender seem to co-exist without contradiction. One day, they look like a highly disciplined unit, whose whole seems greater than the sum of its parts, but on another day their frailties seem too weak to hide and they just surrender. The new coach, John Wright, has made some changes: Brendon McCullum bats lower down to strengthen the middle order, Martin Guptill opens with the licence to hunt runs together with Jesse Ryder, and Daniel Vettori drops further down. The news is that Jamie How will open in the next game as New Zealand continue to experiment before the World Cup.

'Game Amir played in was unofficial' - PCB

The PCB believes the club match in which suspended fast bowler Mohammad Amir recently took part was not an official match, which would imply that the ICC's anti-corruption code of conduct was not breached by his appearance. But the board has stressed once again that all regional cricket bodies must remain in strict compliance of ICC directives.
In a statement, the board said that the match, which took place on Monday, was "an unofficial match between two club sides that are not registered with the Rawalpindi Cricket Association. It was also found that no PCB official was present at the venue when the player took part in the game."
According to one official, Amir "bowled only a few overs" in the game and did not stay for the duration of the match. It was not, according to the PCB statement, a pre-planned move. "The team sheets prepared prior to the match did not contain Mohammad Amir's name nor was his name listed with any team participating in the tournament. This game was not part of any official tournament. PCB has again advised all regional bodies to ensure strict compliance of the ICC directives regarding the status of the three suspended players."
Under article 6.5 of the ICC's anti-corruption code, any player who has been suspended or banned cannot thereafter "participate or be involved in any capacity in any international match or any other match, function, event or activity (other than authorised anti-corruption education or rehabilitation programmes) that is authorised, organised, sanctioned, recognised or supported in any way by the ICC, a National Cricket Federation or any member of a National Cricket Federation."
The ICC had asked the PCB for an explanation when reports first emerged earlier this week that the fast bowler had played in a match in Rawalpindi. The board, said the statement, has sent a report of the incident to the ICC.
Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who were provisionally suspended on charges of spot-fixing last year, are awaiting a verdict on their futures from an ICC tribunal, due February 5.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Marsh and Bollinger star in Australian victory

Shaun Marsh wasn't deemed good enough to be in Australia's World Cup squad, but in his first outing as Mike Hussey's injury replacement he cracked a brilliant hundred to lift his team from a hopeless position to 46-run victory at Hobart. Marsh's 110 rescued the hosts from two collapses, then England put together a poor run chase as Doug Bollinger completed a fine all-round match with four wickets.
Australia's top order slumped to 4 for 33 and, following a 100-run stand between Marsh and Cameron White, they slipped to 8 for 142, before Marsh turned the game on its head. But his matchwinning effort wouldn't have been possible without Bollinger, who showed previously unknown batting prowess to hit 30 in an Australia record ninth-wicket stand of 88.
Marsh was given a life on 61 when Ajmal Shahzad dropped a return chance and went from 84 to 101 in the space of one Michael Yardy over, the 45th of the innings, with two boundaries through midwicket followed by a six in the same direction to bring up his hundred from 101 balls. The run chase should still have been within England's grasp but they never formed a solid foundation.
Bollinger was key to that when he extracted Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen with consecutive balls. Strauss was struck on the back leg and was happy to take the umpire's lbw verdict, only to be talked into a wasted review by Jonathan Trott. Pietersen then got an inside into the stumps, although Bollinger missed a hat-trick when Ian Bell pulled wide of short fine-leg.
Bollinger later returned to snuff out any last-ditch charge from the lower order when he had Tim Bresnan, batting with a runner due to a calf strain, caught at third man and trapped James Tredwell lbw in a performance that has confirmed his World Cup credentials.
However, Australia's victory came at a cost. Nathan Hauritz suffered what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder when he dived in the outfield, and it was shocking luck for a player making his first appearance since the start of the Ashes. He left the field and went straight to hospital in serious pain. A short while later, Shaun Tait limped out of the attack five balls into his sixth over having pulled a muscle in his left thigh.
England's innings had made a poor start when Matt Prior marked his recall in opposite style to Marsh with a third-ball duck when he edged Brett Lee to first slip. There was no shortage of pace from the Australia attack and Trott had no clue about the bouncer from Tait which he gloved over the slips.
However, Trott and Bell began to settle the run chase only for it all to come unravelling as the evening closed in on Hobart's first floodlit one-day international. After the fire and brimstone from the quicks, the sight of Steve Smith would have been a signal to increase the tempo but instead Trott pulled his second ball straight to midwicket.
With Michael Clarke sensing a crucial moment he recalled Lee, who snaffled Bell with a wide delivery that was cut to point. It continued the trend in the early stages of this series of England handing Australia wickets on a plate. Yardy and Eoin Morgan suggested a fightback and their pair opted for the Powerplay in the 34th over only for Morgan to be superbly caught by Tait running towards the boundary and Yardy run out.
England will ask themselves some serious questions about how they twice let Australia off the hook. The pick of the attack was Chris Tremlett, another World Cup discard, who claimed 3 for 22 and Ajmal Shahzad also claimed three but the problem came in a lack of incisive support for the three main quick bowlers with the absence of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann.
This was the same England pace attack that played against Australia A here in November when they were classed as the reserve unit to the Test trio, but with Anderson and Broad still away from the squad they are currently the main men. Shahzad found early swing and took Watson's inside edge into the stumps with Brad Haddin following in similar fashion as he tried to drive.
That left the out-of-form Clarke under pressure to steady the innings. It was a situation made for Test-style batting and Clarke battled against the moving ball without ever threatening fluency except for one flick over midwicket off Shahzad. However, the manner of his dismissal won't have done him any favours when he slapped a wide ball straight cover to leave Australia 3 for 21.
David Hussey was then well caught in the gully when he fended at Tremlett. Without his brother to guide a rescue mission Australia needed someone else to bail them out of trouble. The innings was first revived by White, who escaped a top-edged pull on 2 that split three fielders, and Marsh as they negotiated the tough period before cashing in against the reduced threat of England's spinners. Marsh did an excellent impression of the man he has replaced, Mike Hussey, as he latched onto anything loose and showed good footwork.
White is more of a stand-and-deliver batsman and they formed a productive pair which also benefited from the left-right-hand combination that made life tougher for the bowlers. The momentum was just switching to Australia with White using his feet to elegantly drive Yardy through the covers, but next ball pushed back a return catch on 45.
That began Australia's second slide of the innings and when Lee missed a straight ball from Yardy the end was coming quickly, but confidence is slowly returning to this team and they hauled themselves off the floor in emphatic style.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Misbah, Younis set up drawn match and series win

Pakistan weathered a hostile opening spell that reduced them to 42 for 3 in the first hour, worked their way to safety in the second session, and made a half-hearted attempt to win the Test before settling for a draw that gave them the series 1-0. It was their first victory outside the subcontinent since the triumph in New Zealand in 2003-04, and their first anywhere since 2006-07. It was another impressive result for a team that has managed to hold its own on the field - with Test wins against England and Australia, and a drawn series against South Africa - despite facing a mountain of problems off it.
Pakistan's resistance was led by Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan for the second time in the match, after Chris Martin and Tim Southee had hustled out the top three. The action unraveled at a furious pace in the morning before settling into classic Test-match grind during the afternoon. New Zealand's woes were compounded by Daniel Vettori's disappointing show, on a pitch where even Mohammad Hafeez's part-time fare had turned viciously on day four. As things transpired, Pakistan adopted the path of complete caution, which ultimately left them short of time to push for a win against an attack that withered, despite a late surge from Vettori in his last Test as captain.
New Zealand's bowlers began in stark contrast to the manner in which they finished. Martin bounded in from wide of the crease and bent his inswingers into the right-handers, while Southee got his legcutters to straighten lethally. Their menacing rhythm crippled Pakistan's chase before they could find their bearings.
Taufeeq Umar succumbed first ball, as Southee got one to land on off stump, straighten and burst through the forward press to hit the back pad. Martin got the inswingers going, and mixed them cleverly to plant seeds of doubt in the batsmen's minds. Hafeez was conscious to push forward and negate the inward movement, but ended up groping for the ones that held their line. He played one off a thick outside edge through the covers, and survived a possible edge off Martin that umpire Rod Tucker did not spot.
Tempers frayed, and words were exchanged between Southee and Hafeez following a couple of pacy short balls that were dispatched to the boundary, but Martin plugged away without a fuss. Azhar Ali walked into a flick to be trapped by another inswinger, and Younis barely survived a couple of deliveries that whistled past his outside edge. Hafeez eventually ran out of luck, as Martin enticed him to edge one behind, and the dejected batsmen slapped his helmet with the bat in admonishment as he walked off.
Younis overcame the uncertain start to settle down with an assurance that justified his enviable fourth-innings record. With the ball losing its shine, Martin's inswing disappeared, allowing Younis to pick him for boundaries behind square, straight and through gully. Vettori held the key, but his ineffectiveness was epitomised by the fact that his only weapon was the quicker one that skidded through. Younis handled him with clear and decisive footwork, while Misbah resorted to playing inside the line with soft hands.
With the main bowlers failing in their opening spells after lunch, Vettori resorted to James Franklin who nearly produced the breakthrough. With the score on 108, Misbah carved him uppishly past the covers, his only major error on a day of immense resolve. On either side of that blemish, Misbah was so efficient that he was almost completely unnoticed. He only opened up with tea in sight, pulling and steering Southee off the back foot to take his side past 150.
Misbah's approach meant the spotlight was completely on Younis, and his trademark flourish shone through despite the dullness of the proceedings. His hallmark in the first innings was his shot selection, but today it was his judgment. Brent Arnel tested him with a slew of full deliveries, but Younis played him out before capitalising on a half-volley. When the spinners - Vettori and Martin Guptill - came back in search of turn, Younis pounced, stealing five boundaries to leave New Zealand worried. His dismissal at the stroke of tea, edging a harmless delivery behind, was completely out of character and against the run of play, and it decisively altered Pakistan's approach after the break.
The final session was an anti-climactic period of attrition, with both sides more anxious to avoid defeat than to push for a victory. With Younis gone, Misbah fastened the shutters he had already downed. Defending 114 in a minimum of 33.2 overs, New Zealand were not keen on a full frontal attack, either. Asad Shafiq was on a pair for 22 balls before opening his account with a six and a four through Vettori's open straight fields. He later unfurled a couple of pleasing hook shots when a tiring Southee pitched short. Misbah was not tempted so easily, scoring almost exclusively when he was fed on his pads, to move to his sixth successive half-century, three of them unbeaten.
Realising that Pakistan had shut shop, Vettori brought some fielders close in and removed Shafiq in the 84th over. It was the first time in the day that he had managed to look threatening, and it had come too late for his side. His loud appeals as the game sputtered to a close were in contrast to Misbah's unwavering calmness. The battle may have ended in stalemate, but Misbah had won the war for his side.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Michael Hussey undergoes hamstring surgery

Michael Hussey is in major doubt for the World Cup after having surgery on his left leg just hours after being named in Australia's 15-man squad. Hussey hurt his hamstring in Sunday's ODI victory in Melbourne and initially thought the problem was minor. But scans revealed one of the hamstring tendons had torn from the inner side of his knee.
"The recovery time and availability for the World Cup will be dependent on his progress with the rehabilitation programme in the coming weeks," Australia's physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. Hussey has been replaced for the next three games of the one-day series by Shaun Marsh, who is now a big chance of playing at his first World Cup.
Australia's first match of the global event is against Zimbabwe on February 21 in Ahmedabad, leaving Hussey racing to recover. The quarter-finals start a month later and Hussey is such an important player that he could be allowed to enter the tournament when the knockout games are approaching. Australia were in a similar situation four years ago when Andrew Symonds hurt his arm, but returned to help the side to the trophy.
"It's just happened at a bad time," Hilditch said before Hussey had surgery. "Obviously Mike's a key player of our squad so he's in this squad, but a final decision whether he's going to be fit or not will be made closer to our departure date."
Ricky Ponting hopes his little finger will be right for the start of the tournament. He broke it while fielding during the third Ashes Test in Perth and missed the Sydney match, with the surgery ruling him out of the England ODIs.
"I'm hoping to be right for the start of the World Cup," Ponting said. "My finger's coming along okay, I guess. I haven't been able to do anything for the last couple of weeks post-surgery, but I've got a bit more movement now."
The finger is still in a splint and Ponting said it would be looked at by a doctor once a week. "I'm pretty keen to get a bat back in my hands again and I'm going to be around the team, certainly this week down in Hobart for the second game," he said.
Ponting is 36 and heading to his fifth World Cup, but he said even a fourth consecutive victory would not hide the pain of the Ashes defeat. "I'm not sure if anything would erase what's just happened," he said. "Payback's going to be hard to get after losing the Ashes."
Australia's position in ODIs is much better than in Tests, where they sit fifth, and Ponting remains confident of his side's chances. "We're quite clearly the No.1-ranked one-day team in the world, and I think just little things like the great win that we had the other night shows that this one-day team is certainly on the right track," he said. "We've got a really proud record in the subcontinent and we'll be going there to do everything we can to win another World Cup."

New Zealand marginally ahead after riveting day

The Basin Reserve Test sparked into life on a fourth day filled with twists, turns and momentum shifts, as one side inadvertently pushed the other to swap game-plans several times. Pakistan began with unimaginative bowling at unacceptable over-rates, spread-out fields, and sloppy fielding. New Zealand cashed in, with their openers adding 120 enterprising runs, before Pakistan's spinners rallied to reduce them to 208 for 5. For the second time in the match, though, Ross Taylor responded with a composed innings to help his side recover despite an inspired sortie from Umar Gul before stumps.
With 273 to defend, New Zealand will begin as favourites on the last day, but Pakistan can take heart from the fact that seven years ago, they successfully chased the same target at this very ground. If they fall short, they will have their lacklustre start to the day to blame, a period when Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill were allowed to dictate terms.
Pakistan's fast bowlers came out without intent, spraying the ball around and gifting easy boundaries as McCullum and Guptill settled in before Abdur Rehman came on. Rehman attacked the rough with a slip, silly point and short leg, with Adnan Akmal imploring him to bowl the 'magic ball'. One forceful shot from Guptill, a crunched back-foot cover drive, was enough for silly point to be removed. An over later, the magic ball came, stopping and turning sharply from leg stump to take Guptill's edge before landing in the now vacant silly-point region. Pakistan had paid for their lack of proactivity.
McCullum's eagerness to dominate was counterbalanced by the state of the match and New Zealand's recent batting woes. Rehman tossed them up, inviting the drive over mid-off, with men waiting close in for the edge. McCullum resisted, lunging forward to the flight, and working the odd arm-ball off the back foot to the leg side. Rehman almost broke through, getting McCullum to prod with hard hands, but Asad Shafiq dropped the chance, again at silly point. McCullum ran down the track to the next ball and clattered a flat six over long-off, before pulling a short ball for four more. Pakistan's best bowler had been negated, with some luck, but he was not done for the day.
Worried by the opening session, Pakistan came out with a plan in the second. Gul harried Guptill with bounce and movement, clunking his helmet with a bouncer in the first over after the break, and getting him to edge a legcutter in his second, but Adnan spilled the opportunity. Guptill altered his approach, hanging back in the crease, but resisting the impulse to pull.
Rehman eventually found a way past McCullum, luring him to miscue to long-off after beating him in the flight. The run-rate dropped and Pakistan finally found their voice as Guptill got into a tangle against some well-directed bouncers from Wahab Riaz, the biggest culprit in the day's no-ball stakes. Guptill barely survived the spell and then attacked Rehman, slicing an off-drive past a diving Tanvir Ahmed at mid-off, and teeing off down the ground for six. Rehman was not to be denied, though, and he eventually pinned Guptill in front with a skidder, an over after Kane Williamson had perished to an ungainly drive against Tanvir.
Jesse Ryder avoided a third successive first-ball duck but was bowled by Mohammad Hafeez off the first ball following a brief rain interruption. New Zealand suddenly were in strife, at what was effectively 172 for 4. For a brief while, Hafeez transformed into Muttiah Muralitharan, producing a few unplayable deliveries that had New Zealand befuddled and Pakistan worried. Taylor survived one that turned in a mile, and James Franklin wasn't good enough to edge another than turned across him and jumped over his stumps. He didn't last long, nicking Hafeez to Younis at slip before Shafiq dropped another crucial chance, lunging late from short leg as Reece Young poked nervously.
Having taken a close look at Hafeez's fare, Taylor dug deep to reverse the momentum once again. He negated the spinners with assured feet, late shots and soft hands, frustrating them into drifting onto his legs. When they did, he moved his front pad decisively across to flick and sweep into his favourite scoring areas. His first boundary came after 45 balls of caution, by which time his discipline had tired Rehman into errors. Hafeez also lost his sting, and Taylor asserted himself with a trademark slog-sweep over midwicket. Young held his own with a straight bat and a steady head for the second time in the game, and the 60-run stand turned the tide once again in New Zealand's favour, but the day had some more surprise in store.
Azhar Ali took a blinder close in to end Young's effort before Gul charged in with an 86-overs-old ball and resorted to his most loyal weapon - reverse swing. He struck Taylor in front with an inswinger before rearranging Daniel Vettori's stumps with a yorker. Brent Arnel came and went first ball, barely seeing a laser beam that pinged his toes. Chris Martin got the wildest applause of the day when he kept out the hat-trick ball, and Tim Southee connected with a couple of swings before becoming Gul's fourth scalp as New Zealand were bowled out.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Amir's lawyer says deferment is a 'silver lining'






Shahid Karim, Mohammad Amir's lawyer at the spot-fixing hearing in Doha, has said that the ICC tribunal's decision to defer their verdict gives his client renewed hope.
"The last day of the (six-day) hearing was very positive," Karim told AP on his return to Lahore. "It could be a silver lining for us. I hope Amir will be exonerated next month when the verdict will be announced."
Karim had earlier requested the three-man tribunal examining the charges to take more time to study the case before announcing its verdict, which was initially due on January 11. Following the six-day hearing, the tribunal deferred the verdict to February 5.
Karim hopes Amir's age and unblemished record will work in his favour. "I am happy with the procedure of the hearing," he had said in Doha. "The ICC code of conduct has a clause which points to looking at the player's age and past disciplinary record and Amir is young, so we hope the tribunal will keep this in mind."

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tribunal defers verdict till February 5

The verdict in the spot-fixing case has been delayed till February 5, until which time the three Pakistani players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - will remain provisionally suspended. The three-man tribunal hearing the case here in Doha wound up proceedings on Tuesday but have decided to defer the judgement and sentencing.
The hearings, which began last Thursday, saw the three accused Pakistani players - defend themselves against the ICC's charge that they were involved in spot-fixing on Pakistan's tour of England last year.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Rohit, Raina take India to 168

It was a slow, low surface and South Africa deployed three spinners, but Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina propelled India to a strong 168 in Durban.
The Moses Mabhida Stadium hosted its first cricket international and Makhaya Ntini's last. The slow pitch and the design of the stadium, with its short square-boundaries, dictated the style of play. The new ball and seamers leaked runs, the spinners pegged back the run-rate, and the batsmen heaved square to collect boundaries. India raced to 57 in six Powerplay overs, another 57 came in the next eight overs, bowled by the spinners, for the loss of three wickets before Suresh Raina pushed India ahead.
The openers, M Vijay and Virat Kohli, set the ball rolling with a few trademark hits: M Vijay unfurled a flamboyant lofted hit to long-on off Ntini and Kohli put his signature swat-flicks to great use, but it was Rohit Sharma who gave a solid foundation to the innings. He started with an edgy drive through the slips but almost immediately played a stylish pick-up shot for a six over midwicket off Ntini. He was dropped by AB de Villiers, the keeper, after being beaten in flight by Johan Botha, and celebrated that reprieve by looting 16 runs in the 12th over, also bowled by Botha. He heaved couple of boundaries to midwicket and hit a scorching inside-out cover drive. Rohit provided the crowd a moment to celebrate when he holed out to long-on, where Ntini caught the ball just inside the boundary to trigger huge cheers.
India slipped from 109 for 3 to 136 for 5 after Yuvraj Singh was run out and Yusuf Pathan edged an intended big hit on to his stumps but Raina ensued India reached a competitive score. He kept going for his slog-sweeps and swung Ntini and Rusty Theron for sixes and though the run-rate dipped a notch in the end overs, 168 is a good total on this surface.

Pakistan seal crushing win on dramatic day

What Pakistan inflicted on New Zealand on a dramatic third day in Hamilton was nothing short of an embarassment. On a still-placid track, the hosts were victims of some incisive Pakistan bowling but let themselves down through some equally inept batting, transforming a Test that had been closely-fought on the first two days into a hopelessly one-sided contest in just one session.
Pakistan's build-up to this Test had been hijacked by the spot-fixing hearings in Doha but they managed to infuse plenty of significance to a Test that otherwise appeared as a sideshow. Missing several of their first-choice players, for reasons ranging from allegations of corruption to indiscipline and fitness, Pakistan were propelled to victory on the back of strong performances from their inexperienced players under a fresh captain. Misbah-ul-Haq's team had held South Africa to two draws in the UAE, but this win, for all the distractions off the field and though against a less prominent opposition, would go miles in restoring some pride after a turbulent few months.
For New Zealand, who had challenged India in their Test series there, it marked another low, and a dispiriting start - discounting the Twenty20 series prior to this - to John Wright's tenure as coach.
Pakistan's lower order, including its bowlers, had played a crucial role in stretching the first-innings lead to 92 after the loss of two early wickets in the day. And the confidence with which they went about extending their team's advantage with the bat, showed in the way they attacked on the field in the session after tea.
While New Zealand dropped catches, Pakistan hardly gave anything away. While New Zealand's seamers often overpitched to the tailenders, the Pakistan bowlers backed their superior pace by varying their lengths. And while Daniel Vettori was negotiated safely, his left-arm spinning counterpart Abdur Rehman never seemed far from taking a wicket.
Rehman was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers in the first innings, strangling New Zealand's run-flow with a spate of maidens in the session after lunch on the first day. It was no surprise then that Misbah turned to him as early as the ninth over in New Zealand's second attempt.
Rehman doesn't rely too much on spin but plenty on alterations in place and length. He should have had Brendon McCullum out lbw almost immediately with a quick straighter one, but just an over later he fooled Tim McIntosh, who stepped out to a flighted delivery that was held back, played inside the line and was stumped. The psychological edge he had gained over Martin Guptill in the first innings, tying him down with five straight maidens, reaped rewards in the second, as the batsman top-edged an ill-planned slog-sweep. The icing on the cake was the wicket of Vettori, done in by a bit of turn from the footmarks and trapped plumb.
Rehman had been the beneficiary of three dropped catches during his stand of 72 with Adnan Akmal that took Pakistan in to the lead, but, barring an early lapse from Taufeeq Umar at slip, the visitors were ruthless on the field. Ross Taylor had begun his innings with a couple of confident drives but he was unable to beat a direct-hit from Misbah while attempting a risky single. And when Kane Williamson inside-edged Wahab Riaz onto his pads, the spontaneous appeal for an lbw did not distract Azhar Ali at slip from diving low to claim a catch that was later upheld.
In the interim, Riaz was fortunate to get a caught-behind decision against McCullum - the ball deflected off his thigh - and his extra pace accounted for Jesse Ryder first ball as he failed to bring his bat down in time against an inswinging yorker. Umar Gul wrapped up the innings, when he had debutant Reece Young caught at deep square leg off a short delivery, and then bounced Chris Martin not long after he had completed 100 runs in Test cricket. From 60 for 2, New Zealand collapsed to 110 all out, including losing four wickets for one run and the humiliation was only 19 runs away.
New Zealand had tried hard to even things out on the third morning, but as has been the trend throughout this Test, Pakistan pulled them back to surge ahead. Williamson and Southee's resistance in the first innings ended quickly on the second day, Misbah and Shafiq led the team's recovery after they had been reduced to 107 for 4, and Adnan's counterattack today compensated for the early departure of the overnight duo.
When the seamers strayed on the pads, Adnan flicked them elegantly to the fine-leg boundary; he cut powerfully when they dropped short and drove when they pitched up. His boundary-filled 66-ball stay not only gave Pakistan the lead but eased the burden off those who followed, and their carefree batting yielded more runs. His approach rubbed off on Rehman, who broke a 30-ball runless drought with two sixes off Vettori, while Gul and Tanvir Ahmed did their bit down the order, including smacking Brent Arnel for 15 in an over. The last four wickets added 111, and by the time Martin claimed Ahmed as his 500th first-class victim, the foundation for victory, as it turned out, had been firmly laid.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Determined Pakistan stifle hosts

Pakistan continued to punch above their weight in Tests under a new captain, earning the opening-day honours by stifling New Zealand on a pitch that has plenty of runs. Their advantage was a result of their perseverance as well as New Zealand's failure to build on a strong foundation laid by Brendon McCullum. Kane Williamson and Tim Southee, however, revived their team with a fighting stand, promising another tilt in the scales heading into the second day.
Pakistan's decision to bowl on a dry pitch appeared to be a mistake, and for good reason. There was virtually no swing, only slight movement off the track, and with the sun breaking out of an overcast sky, the prospects didn't seem bright for the three-pronged seam attack. McCullum's dominating approach, particularly after lunch, as he drove and pulled Umar Gul for sixes, temporarily served a chilling reminder of Pakistan's apparent misjudgment. But his dismissal, the subsequent stagnation against Abdur Rehman's left-arm spin and a stroke of luck vindicated Misbah-ul-Haq's decision at the toss.
New Zealand had themselves to blame for the slide. The batsmen didn't take advantage of the opportunities given, through umpiring errors and lapses in the field, and slipped during a shift in momentum brought about by Martin Guptill's self-imposed grind. Following the lunch break, Guptill played out five consecutive maidens against Rehman, who kept a tight line around middle and off. Despite the lack of turn, he was played respectfully with a straight bat that seemed devoid of intention to force the pace.
McCullum's wicket was the trigger. Since giving up wicketkeeping in Tests, he has enjoyed his role as opener and was on track for a big score this morning. He went after Gul in the first over, driving him over cover, and was particularly ruthless against the over-pitched deliveries, cracking Younis Khan and Wahab Riaz to the extra-cover boundary. He showed no inhibitions when attacking, even though Pakistan had plugged his favourite areas. They had a deep point for the cut, as well as two fielders square for the pull, and he beat both. He should have been out caught behind when he gloved Riaz in the 19th over but this carefree approach cost him his wicket after the break. He mowed Gul over midwicket and then slashed him straight to deep point the next ball.
It was then that Rehman stepped in. Attacking with a slip and two close-in catchers on either side of the pitch, he bowled quicker through the air, and only managed to extract spin when he flighted the ball. He didn't threaten but the nagging line sent Guptill into a shell that led to his dismissal.
Guptill had looked assured against pace, leaving deliveries in the channel outside off when there was a bit of nip, and kicked things off with a couple of straight drives. But his misery against Rehman - he scored 4 off 44 balls against him - ended when the bowler gave him his best possible chance to score; the full toss, however, was gifted as a catch to cover.
In the interim Taylor, who had a poor series in India, feathered one to the keeper as he tried to cut Rehman. Ryder, though, batted enterprisingly. Deliveries bowled on the pads were deftly glanced to the fine-leg boundary and when the opportunity came, Rehman was slog-swept for six. But a moment of ill luck robbed Ryder of his wicket; he was run-out backing up too far as Riaz deflected a straight drive onto the stumps. Despite his half-century, it was a day to forget for the man who played that drive, Guptill.
Williamson, playing his first Test at home, batted with the composure that guided him to a century on debut against India and rescued his team from 177 for 7. Barring a dropped catch at slip, Williamson was solid and seized any chance to play his favoured back-foot punch through cover and point. While watchful against Rehman, Williamson freed up against pace, the standout shot being a straight drive off Gul bowling with the new ball.
Williamson's assured presence was complemented by a determined innings from Southee, who seemed gifted with timing. Several of his boundaries were firm pushes in front of square, or were guided the ball behind point. His second half-century, which included three consecutive fours off Gul, underlined what was possible on the pitch and what the frontline batsmen had missed out on. The unbeaten 83-run stand prevented Pakistan's complete domination on a placid track.

England complete crushing Ashes victory

England ended 24 years of hurt in crushing style at the SCG as they secured an innings-and-83-run victory to take the Ashes series 3-1. The crowning moment came shortly before noon when Chris Tremlett found Michael Beer's inside edge to bowl him leg stump. It was the first time in their history that Australia have suffered three innings defeats in a series and left nobody in any doubt where the balance of power now lies.
The England players immediately embraced at the striker's end and savoured their moment in a tight team huddle. This has been a victory fashioned by exemplary planning and hard work where no stone has been left unturned. The defeat in Perth, by 267 runs, which levelled the series for Australia, only inspired the visitors to hit new heights and they proceeded to crush the hosts in Melbourne and Sydney.
England were frustrated for a while as showers scudded across the ground to cause a 45-minute suspension and then by an 86-run stand between Steve Smith and Peter Siddle. However, Graeme Swann broke through shortly before the new ball and a short time later Tremlett removed the last obstacle.
Smith and Siddle at least showed some fight as they came out and played their shots. Siddle's batting improvement since his return from injury is one of few bonuses to emerge from a terrible series for the hosts, and it highlights their problems that his run-scoring record is not far off that of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke.
The England bowlers couldn't quite recapture the intensity of the fourth evening when they claimed the extra half hour to try and wrap up victory. Tremlett appeared a little down on pace after his roaring burst the previous day, but England knew all they had to do was remain patient and their moment would arrive.
Swann had bowled well in the innings without reward so when he had Siddle taken at deep midwicket it was deserved success for giving Andrew Strauss control at vital stages. That was Swann's final bowl, though, as the new ball was taken straight away and Anderson, who will head home for ten days' rest, found Ben Hilfenhaus' edge to give the impressive Matt Prior another catch.
By now the Barmy Army were in full voice. Smith had time to bash his way to a second Test fifty, but he knew the end was close as he swung from the hip. A single exposed Beer to three balls of Tremlett's over and he only needed one delivery. England will party the day and night away in Sydney, yet knowing the focus of Strauss and Andy Flower they will soon be back preparing for the next challenge. Next stop: the best team in the world.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Amir optimistic ahead of hearing

As the Doha hearing into the spot-fixing case against three Pakistani players finally got underway on Thursday, Mohammad Amir, the youngest, most potent symbol of the trio expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of a hearing that could effectively end his career.
Along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, Amir was charged by the ICC for allegedly bowling pre-planned deliberate no-balls in the Lord's Test against England in August last year. The charges were the result of a sting operation by the English tabloid News of the World and the ICC acted immediately, suspending the three from international cricket.
As time has passed, much attention has fallen on Amir, who until then had swiftly taken his place among the brightest, most charismatic young talents in the game; until the scandal emerged, Amir was favourite to win the ICC's emerging player of the year award having just become the youngest bowler to complete 50 Test wickets.
The last few months, including a failed appeal to lift his provisional suspension, have been difficult, however. His future, as he admitted, is now on the line. "Those early days were good for me and these last few months have been tough," Amir told ESPNcricinfo before leaving for the hearing.
"This is a question of my career and I've been through some tough days. I've overcome them and I will hopefully overcome more in the future. We've prepared well for the case and put in our effort."
Both Amir and his lawyer Shahid Karim remain confident that their preparations are complete. Much has been made of Amir's youth and the ensuing leeway in any sanctions he may receive if found guilty because of that. Indications suggest that the defence may play on his unblemished disciplinary track record and his 18 years.
"If you look at the ICC code there could be some advantage with that," Karim said. "He is very important to the future of Pakistan and the response we have gotten from people so far, I am very hopeful. You can call our case strong or whatever but I am hopeful."
The players are staying in separate hotels with their lawyers and speculation has grown in recent weeks over the potential interplay between the three as the hearings begin. A leaked report of the testimony of Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, recently suggested that Amir's no-ball was bowled at the behest of Butt, who was captain at the time. The suggestion that he acted under duress might gain importance in Amir's defence, though it is understood that so far, the issue has not cropped up. Karim was understandably unwilling to expand.
"I cannot say much about this right now but we will see in the case how we use that. There are many perspectives which we feel are our in our favour and we will use that to our advantage."
Amir was the first to arrive at the Qatar Financial Centre civil and commercial courts, well before the scheduled 9.30am start. He was followed by Asif and his lawyer Alex Cameron though in keeping with Asif's approach throughout, they didn't speak to the media.
Apart from a couple of media appearances unrelated to the case, Asif has maintained a steady silence, possibly at the behest of advice from his British-based defence. He was the only one of the three who didn't appeal against the provisional suspension. Butt was the last to arrive with his legal team and though he has been the most voluble in his defence over the last few months, he also refused to speak.
The members of the independent tribunal, headed by Michael Beloff QC, were the first to arrive. "I cannot comment very much on it because we haven't even started the hearings," Sharad Rao, one of the members, said. Asked about the impact of the hearing on the future of the game, he said, "The future of cricket is good because that is what the whole exercise is about, so that it should be very clean game that we can rely on the results."

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Suspended trio head to Qatar for hearings

Suspended Pakistan trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have flown out to Qatar to attend a hearing of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Tribunal. The three-member tribunal headed by Michael Beloff QC will hold a six-day long session starting Thursday before delivering its verdict on the three players.
The players were suspended by the ICC in September following spot-fixing allegations against them during the Lord's Test against England a month earlier. The allegations were raised after a sting operation by Britain's News of the World tabloid claiming that several Pakistani players took money from a bookmaker to bowl deliberate no-balls.
"My lawyer has prepared the case extensively and I hope that I will be cleared," Amir told reporters at Lahore airport. "This is the toughest period of my life but I am confident that it will be over and I will be playing for Pakistan soon."
Salman is being represented by British-based lawyer Yasin Patel, Asif by Allan Cameron, brother of British Prime Minister David Cameron, while Aamer's lawyer is Shahid Karim from Pakistan.
The ICC's three-man tribunal includes Beloff, Justice Albie Sachs of South Africa and Sharad Rao of Kenya. Beloff, the ICC's code of conduct commissioner, had chaired the hearings into the appeals of Amir and Butt against their suspensions in Dubai, and had upheld the ICC's decision

Cook takes England close to lead

Alastair Cook struck his third hundred of an epic series as England closed in on a first-innings lead at the SCG to reach lunch on 5 for 277. Cook dominated the morning's scoring as he lost the nightwatchman, James Anderson, and the out-of-form Paul Collingwood, who became Michael Beer's first Test wicket, leaving Ian Bell to join for what could be a match-defining partnership.
Cook's ton took him past 700 runs for the series and made him the eighth England batsman to hit three in an Ashes series, but he had a nervous moment on 99. He flicked a delivery from Beer towards short leg where Phil Hughes claimed the catch and the Australians began celebrating. Cook, though, stood his ground and TV replays showed the ball clearly bounced and Hughes was unsure before joining in with the appeal.
It was the second time Beer had been denied Cook's wicket after yesterday's no-ball and in the spinner's next over, Cook worked a single into the leg side to reach his hundred to join the three figure scores he made in Brisbane and Adelaide. He had a few other nervous moments, when he edged Shane Watson short of second slip on 87 then after passing his hundred nearly chipped Beer to midwicket, but it was a commanding display.
James Anderson fell in the sixth over of the morning having managed a flowing cover drive before Peter Siddle struck the off stump. That brought in the struggling Collingwood who admitted earlier this week that he would have to consider his Test future after a barren series.
It was another painful innings from Collingwood who largely found the middle of his bat elusive and Mitchell Johnson's first ball of the day reared to take the glove but looped fine of short leg. He wanted to be positive which brought his downfall when he advanced at Beer and miscued his lofted drive towards mid-on where Ben Hilfenhaus took a back-peddling catch.
Beer gave the umpire a quick look, just to make sure, but this time could celebrate his first Test wicket and it was a blow that kept the match fascinatingly poised. Bell took time to play himself in, knowing this was the chance to make his good form count, and collected his first boundary when he clashed Siddle over the slips.
The new ball was taken immediately and the batsmen enjoyed the extra pace off the bat as Hilfenhaus's first over cost eight then Bell played two perfect straight drives off Siddle. However, with the pitch starting to take turn England will need a healthy lead to avoid a tough final-innings chase.

England hold the edge despite Johnson's efforts

Mitchell Johnson did his best to keep Australia alive in the final Ashes Test with a vital half-century and two key wickets on an absorbing day, but England were handily placed on 3 for 167 in reply to 280. Andrew Strauss hit a sparkling 58-ball 60 to launch England's reply following Johnson's counterattacking 53, then Alastair Cook maintained his prolific form only to lose Kevin Pietersen shortly before the close.
Strauss and Jonathan Trott fell in quick succession to leave England 2 for 99 and memories of Perth, where Johnson had sparked a dramatic England collapse, were not far away. Cook should have become Michael Beer's first Test wicket on 46, but the delivery was called no-ball after Billy Bowden asked to check the front line when Cook lofted to mid-on. However, to Beer's huge credit he remained focused on the game and was able to steady himself under Pietersen's hook shot at fine leg in what could prove a pivotal wicket.
Australia were struggling to make 200 before Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus combined to add 76 for the ninth wicket but their momentum was eroded as Strauss raced out of the blocks against some shoddy bowling. Hilfenhaus was especially disappointing, dropping short at a friendly pace to allow Strauss free pull shots one of which cleared deep square-leg for six
Michael Clarke made an early mark as captain when he handed Johnson the new ball for the first time since the Lord's Test in 2009, but his opening spell lasted three overs, during which he was cut by both batsmen, and Strauss was motoring along at more than a run-a-ball in a perfect tone-setting display. The England captain also drove with authority, a sign his game is in top order, as Clarke began to realise the challenges of captaincy in the current Australian era.
Strauss went to fifty shortly after tea when he scythed a cut over the slips but Hilfenhaus provided relief for Australia when he went round the wicket and took off stump with one that shaped away from the left hander. That breakthrough sparked a lift in Australia's bowling and Trott fell for his first Test duck when he dragged Johnson into his stumps.
Cook had trailed in Strauss's wake during the opening partnership but oozed the confidence that over 600 runs in the series has brought him. His fifty came from 113 balls and when he'd made 59 reached 5000 for his career with the promise of plenty more to come.
Beer's first ball in Test cricket was dispatched by Pietersen, but despite the sickening disappointing of seeing a wicket denied he held himself together well. Pietersen had taken a blow on the arm early in his innings, yet was desperate to impose himself and couldn't resist taking on Johnson despite the close being four overs away which left James Anderson to survive a late bombardment.



Despite the two periods where runs flowed from Australia's tail and England's openers it wasn't easy when bowlers maintained consistency which is what the visitors did superbly for the first two hours. Brad Haddin set a poor tone for the home side in the fourth over of the day when he played a flat-footed waft outside off against Anderson, which wasn't the best way to start his stint at No.6. There was still life on offer in the pitch for the pacemen and both Mike Hussey and Steve Smith had to concentrate on defence.
After his double failure in Melbourne, Hussey was again looking solid but at no point did he get away from England as he had in Brisbane and Perth. Even taking into account bowler-friendly conditions and a sluggish outfield which kept boundaries to a minimum it was tough going by Australia. Paul Collingwood then claimed one of the biggest wickets of his Test career when a tight over to Hussey was rewarded with an inside edge into the pads and onto the stumps.
More galling for Hussey was that the strike came with the last delivery before the new ball and Collingwood was promptly removed from the attack. Smith had played against his natural instincts but couldn't resist flashing a drive at Anderson which went straight to third slip and it took just four balls to work over Peter Siddle who edged low to Strauss.
Johnson drove the ball as sweetly as anyone and Strauss was too quick to set his men back which conceded the advantage to a No. 8 in favourable bowling conditions. Hilfenhaus played his part, flicking Tim Bresnan over midwicket for six, and Johnson was happy to milk the deep-set field to give his partner the strike.
Johnson cut loose early in the afternoon as he launched Graeme Swann over midwicket for four followed by six then brought up his fifty with a nudge into the leg side which was greeted by huge roars. Bresnan broke through when Johnson missed an expansive drive and Anderson removed Hilfenhaus for his fourth wicket and 21st scalp of the series. However, those late-order runs could yet prove a vital factor in the final outcome.

Tendulkar and Steyn leave Test in the balance

Dale Steyn bowled only 13 overs in the first two sessions of the third day, but to India's batsmen it was an eternity. Rarely in the modern era does a fast bowler threaten with every ball, like Steyn did at Newlands. He charged in at full pelt off a long run on the hottest day of the Test, his sinewy body straining to the limit, and subjected hapless batsmen to a barrage of outswingers that curved in towards middle stump before searing away off the pitch. His spells in the first session were among the finest unrewarded efforts and India, with luck and application, survived them to claw forward in the deciding Test. After lunch, however, Steyn's luck changed with the second new ball, and his sustained hostility during a spell, that was unbelievably more aggressive than the first, yielded two wickets, and set India back considerably.
For India, there was Sachin Tendulkar. He dragged the innings along when all others apart from Gautam Gambhir failed, relying on the strength of his mind, faith in his technique and a little bit of luck to reach his 51st century. It will rank among his finest because of the rigorous examinations he passed. Tendulkar was beaten innumerable times by Steyn's outswingers, beaten several times by Lonwabo Tsotsobe extra bounce outside off stump, and cut in half repeatedly by Morne Morkel's jagging in-cutters. But Tendulkar survived, and attacked when he could. His 176-run stand with Gambhir gave India the edge, which vanished once four wickets fell for 43 runs. In Harbhajan Singh, Tendulkar had a fighting partner, and their unbroken partnership of 69 once again helped India claw forward by reducing the deficit to 46.
The first over from Steyn was an example of how to begin a day. His first ball sped into Tendulkar, landed on good length, reared up, seamed away late and beat the bat. The second was fuller, swung away and took the edge as Tendulkar lunged forward. Mark Boucher caught it too, diving forward, but his appeal had little support from Steyn. The third fell short of gully, again off Tendulkar's edge, and he brought up his half-century, having resumed overnight on 49. The fourth beat the bat as well. For the fifth, Tendulkar stood out of his crease to counter the swing and drove to the extra-cover boundary. He defended the sixth, and had survived the best over of the Test.
For 53 minutes, the spectators at the Calvin Grove only got to see Tendulkar's batting from behind, while those at the Wynberg End had the same view of Gambhir. Tendulkar faced all five overs of Steyn's first spell, while Gambhir negotiated Morkel. The runs came only in twos and fours, a lot of them through edges, and 42 out of the first 50 balls were dots.
Steyn did not start at top speed because he was focusing on swing but he soon revved it up. Tendulkar defended several outswingers confidently, but there were uncertain moments. Morkel began his spell by testing Gambhir's patience with a succession of short-of-a-length deliveries that bounced steeply outside off stump. Only in the eighth over of the day did Gambhir's discipline in leaving deliveries outside off waver, and he was beaten often.
Tsotsobe replaced Steyn for the 61st over and continued the trend of beating Tendulkar's bat. Tendulkar responded with a powerful pull to the midwicket boundary and a carve over gully. In Tsotsobe's next over, the 13th of the morning, Tendulkar flicked through midwicket for the day's first single.
Soon Paul Harris' deliveries were jumping at Gambhir for he was bowling wider, aiming for the rough. One ball in the 72nd over leapt at Gambhir and kissed the glove but Boucher failed to take a tough chance. The next ball was straighter and took the edge, this time Boucher held it. Harris could have had Tendulkar as well, had he been quick enough to catch a ball that was travelling at scary speed. Instead, he got Laxman out as the ball hurt his fingers as it brushed them and broke the stumps at the non-striker's end.
India resumed after lunch on 237 for 4 and Steyn was back at his best. After five dot balls, he produced an outswinger to rival the one that bowled Michael Vaughan. This time, Cheteshwar Pujara's pad was in the way. MS Dhoni lasted three balls, wafting at one that swerved away to slip. Harbhajan looked like he would get out every ball, so hapless was he against Steyn. One outswinger even clipped his off stump, but the bails stayed on.
Tendulkar tried to take strike as Steyn approached his five-overs-per-spell limit and shield Harbhajan. He had brought up his century by top-edging a hook off Morkel for six over the wicketkeeper. He had been cut in half by the previous ball.
Both Tendulkar and Harbhajan scored more freely against the other bowlers. Harbhajan mowed Tsotsobe for six over the leg side, and when Steyn returned for a fiery burst just before tea, Harbhajan lofted him over the long-on boundary to bring the deficit below fifty. Through it all, was Tendulkar, cutting, uppercutting and driving India forward.

Pakistani Governor Murdered by His Own Security for Opposing Blasphemy Laws

Salmaan Taseer, governor of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, was shot and killed by a member of his own security detail yesterday at a strip mall in one of Islamabad's poshest, foreigner-friendly neighborhoods. His attacker turned himself into the police, confessing that he shot Taseer because he sought to remove Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Taseer, a member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party, recently defended a Christian woman sentenced to death according to the country's relatively recent blasphemy laws, which were put in place during the dictatorship of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s. Islamist parties disapproved of Taseer's calling for the law to be repealed as well as his attempts to organize a public demonstration using Twitter. Taseer was appointed governor in 2008 after the fall of Pervez Musharraf's military government when the PPP came into power. Not that it's social media's fault, but his death is probably not going to make the top of the list for ways that Twitter is helping organize progressive uprisings in the Middle East.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Gilani scrambles for new alliances to save Govt

In a desperate move to shore up support, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Monday met top leaders of the opposition PML-N and PLM-Q, but got no firm assurance from them on saving his tottering government.
Beleaguered Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani emerging from the crisis talks, however, claimed that the two main opposition parties had said they would not back any move “that derails democracy“.
Mr. Gilani took the step to reach out to the PML-N and the PML-Q, as clamour mounted for his resignation following the withdrawal of support from the 25-member strong Muttahida Qaumi Movement, a development that reduced his government to a minority left with only 160 members in a 342 strong National Assembly.
First he met PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif and then drove to the Lahore residence of former premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the chief of PML-Q, once described by President Asif Ali Zardari as the “qatil (killer) league” for its government’s alleged failure to provide protection to his wife Benazir Bhutto at the time of her assassination in 2007.
The desperate moves by Mr. Gilani came as leaders of his erstwhile ally Jamiet Ulema-e-Islam called for his stepping down, saying he had lost support in parliament, triggering horse trading in search of new alliances.
Following separate meetings with Mr. Gilani, a day after the MQM pulled out of the ruling coalition, leaders of the PML-N and PML-Q said they would not take any step that derails democracy or amounted to “blackmailing” the government.
Emerging from a meeting with PML-Q chief Hussain, Mr. Gilani told reporters: “He has said that no step will be taken (by the PML-Q) that derails democracy“.
The top leadership of the PML-Q will hold further consultations tomorrow on the question of supporting the PPP-led government, Mr. Gilani said.
Former premier Hussain said the PML-Q had given unconditional support to Mr. Gilani so far but had now set the condition that the government should address the people’s problems to get its backing in future.
At an earlier meeting with Mr. Gilani, senior PML-N leader and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said “democracy had become a reality after a long struggle against dictatorial regimes” and his party “would not let it be derailed“.
The PML-N’s top leadership will discuss the issue of backing the government at a meeting to be chaired on Tuesday by party chief Nawaz Sharif.
The PPP-led government is currently facing its worst crisis since it came to power after the 2008 general election.
The MQM, which draws its power from the Urdu-speaking people of Karachi, played a key role in propping up the government with its 25 parliamentarians.
The MQM said it decided to leave the ruling coalition because the government had failed to tackle the people’s problems, including price rise and corruption, though observers contended the move could be part of a greater effort to weaken the PPP’s grip on power.
The PPP has 126 members in the National Assembly or lower house of parliament, and enjoys the support of about 160 lawmakers.
It is at least 12 seats short of a simple majority and PPP leaders have begun a desperate scramble to shore up support for the government’s survival.
Observers said the PML-N’s decision not to back any move against the government was influenced by the fact that it had only 91 lawmakers in parliament.
Party spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said: “The PML-N is evaluating the situation. For bringing about a change in the country, we need 172 lawmakers but the PML-N has only 91“.
During his meeting with the PML-N and PML-Q leaders, Mr. Gilani noted that he had unanimously been elected Leader of the House in the National Assembly and the opposition parties had always backed the government on issues that strengthened institutions and democracy.
This tradition should be continued by extending support to his government at this juncture, he said.
The 2008 election had thrown up a split mandate and no party has majority in parliament, Mr. Gilani said.
The PPP has banked on support from its allies and the opposition on key issues, he added.
“I never had majority support but it was unprecedented in Pakistan’s history that I got unanimous support (during the election as Leader of the House),” he said.
Asked by reporters about the possibility of a no-confidence move against him, Gilani said this could happen in only two ways - the President could ask him to seek a confidence vote or a motion could be introduced in parliament by any party.
He did not comment further on the issue.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, which too pulled out of the PPP-led government last month, sent a delegation of senior leaders led by Abdul Ghafoor Haideri to meet PML-Q chief Hussain to ask him not to support the ruling coalition.
Haideri said the JUI would introduce a no-confidence motion in parliament if Gilani and his cabinet did not resign.
However, observers said such a move by the JUI would fail as the party has only eight lawmakers and virtually no backing from bigger parties like PML-Q or PML-N.
Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, president of the PPP’s Punjab chapter, too said the JUI would not move any no-confidence motion and the crisis would soon be over.
PPP central information secretary Fauzia Wahab told PTI that her party had no plans to remove Gilani from the premier’s slot.
“The PPP is sure that it will not change Prime Minister Gilani. We will foil any move in this regard,” she said.

Misbah shines but Pakistanis stumble

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who was rested for the Twenty20 series against Pakistan, picked up three wickets on the second day of the tour game against the Pakistanis, who were struggling in Whangarei despite captain Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 99. New Zealand, who ended the first day on a comfortable 342 for 4, collapsed to 384 all out on the second morning. Fast bowlers Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir, who shared seven wickets between them, ran through the New Zealand middle and lower order as New Zealand lost 6 for 42.
The Pakistani innings got off to a disastrous start as Chris Martin's early burst left them reeling at 22 for 3 after seven overs. Mohammad Hafeez was the first to go, caught behind off Martin in the first over before Taufeeq Umar was dismissed similarly in Martin's next over. Younis Khan soon followed, also caught behind for 7.
At 39 for 4, when Azhar Ali was trapped lbw by Trent Boult, a familiar Pakistani batting collapse looked imminent but it was avoided through Misbah's efforts. He had a solid first Test series as captain, scoring three-half-centuries in two matches against South Africa and he continued to be in good touch. He and Asad Shafiq steadied the innings with a 52-run fourth-wicket partnership before Shafiq was dismissed by Vettori.
That brought wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal to the crease, who played positively, hitting seven boundaries in his 31-ball 35. His partnership of 57 with Misbah carried Pakistan to 148 before he was dismissed by James Franklin. Misbah also received good support from Abdur Rehman (20) and Umar Gul (24), as the Pakistani lower order showed some fight. Vettori dismissed both Rehman and Gul and Pakistan ended the day on 234 for 8, still trailing New Zealand by 150 runs with Misbah unbeaten on 99.
The first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand begins in Hamilton on January 7 and while the visitors will be pleased at how their bowlers bounced back on the second day, the indifferent form of their batting will be a worry.

England chip away on rain-hit day

The hard work of Australia's top order was beginning to unravel at the SCG as both sides sparred for the ascendency on a truncated opening day of the final Ashes Test. The hosts had slipped to 4 for 134 when further rain ended play, with Usman Khawaja falling to the final ball before the weather closed in having made 37 in a promising start to his Test career.
England couldn't quite match the intensity of their opening day in Melbourne, but chipped away once the opening partnership was broken in the final over before lunch when Phil Hughes edged to third slip. Shane Watson went for another unfulfilled innings when he nicked Tim Bresnan and Michael Clarke's first innings as Australia's 43rd Test captain continued his poor run when he cut to gully.
Clarke had been greeted by a heady mixture of boos and cheers, the former in the majority, and for a short while there was a glimpse into Australia's likely future with the captain alongside the new No. 3. Khawaja began his Test career by racing to 15 off eight balls as he rode on the emotion of the occasion before reigning himself in with some solid defence. However, with another shower moments away, he top edged a sweep against Graeme Swann which looped to square leg.
It was clear from the start that Clarke was feeling the nerves of his first real day in the top job. He watched pensively from the dressing room as Australia got off the mark and he may secretly have wished not to have needed to make a decision at the toss. Batting first is usually the way forward in Sydney, but a muggy, overcast morning and a tinge of green on the pitch meant England's quicks weren't disappointed to have first crack at a top order they have largely dominated during the series.
However, whereas they regularly found the edge in Melbourne here the ball beat the bat frequently, especially in the first hour, without getting reward. Chris Tremlett caused the most problems during a probing first spell where he troubled Watson and Hughes with extra bounce.
James Anderson also found swing to have a couple of stifled lbw shouts although he was troubled by his take-off area, almost turning his ankle with his second ball, and also gained a warning for his follow through from Billy Bowden. His first spell ended with figures of 5-0-5-0 and after 12 overs Australia had 17 runs, but the value of not losing early wickets was far greater than what the scoreboard showed.
The determination started to pay off as Hughes tucked into Bresnan's second over with consecutive boundaries then cut Swann's second ball to bring up Australia's fifty. Watson gave a good lesson in leaving on length as Tremlett's deliveries kept sailing over the stumps, but Hughes wasn't equal to the challenge when he pushed outside off and offered a simple chance to third slip.
It meant Khawaja had 40 minutes to ponder his first ball in Tests, but he calmly clipped his opening delivery from Tremlett through the leg side for two then cracked away a bristling pull next ball. He was later given another gift on leg stump which was flicked away and had the skill to play with soft hands so when he twice edged the ball it fell short of second slip.
Either side of a needless stoppage for bad light - the floodlights hadn't been turned on - Khawaja appeared to have plenty of time to play his shots, guiding Tremlett down to third man, and was confident to come onto the front foot in defence. Watson, after hitting his first boundary from his 89th ball, was also starting to find rhythm.
However, with another half-century looming Watson played forward to Bresnan and the ball shaped away a touch to find the edge and was well taken at first slip. He slammed his bat in frustration before dragging himself off the pitch.
Clarke began with a sweet cover drive first ball, but rain then forced an early tea and when play resumed he tried to cut a ball that cramped him for room and gave Anderson a catch at gully. A captain's job is much tougher when he isn't making runs and it has been Clarke's poor return in this series which has clouded his future as the long-term leader.
Mike Hussey's early scoring shots were mainly down to third man as he kept the slips interested on a surface juiced up after being covered. But it wasn't seam or swing that ended Khawaja's two-hour stay when he went to sweep the final ball of Swann's first over back. However, given the problems facing Australia, the first sight of Khawaja in a baggy green was a rare piece of promising news.

South Africa strike after Kallis masterclass

Jacques Kallis was the only batsman to survive the difficult phase against the second new ball and his solidity ensured South Africa reached a formidable total despite losing four wickets in quick time on the second morning at Newlands. Sreesanth had threatened to end South Africa's innings for less than 300 but he and the rest of the Indian bowlers failed to dislodge Kallis, who drew level with Ricky Ponting on 39 Test centuries and added 79 runs with the last two batsmen, prolonging India's wait to bat.
When India's openers finally began their reply, South Africa's bowlers were at them from the start even though the pitch seemed to have eased out. Dale Steyn found movement with the new ball, while his partner Morne Morkel extracted steep bounce, their extra pace hurrying India's batsmen for time. South Africa prised out two wickets and had reduced India to 45 for 2 when the players went in for tea.
The second day began in contrast to the first, with an azure sky replacing the grey of the opening day, and burst into life as soon as MS Dhoni handed the second new ball to Sreesanth when it was three overs old. He struck consecutive blows in his first over and South Africa were soon reduced to 283 for 8, after having begun play on 232 for 4. Kallis was tested too, and beaten often, but he combined tight technique with aggression and resisted India.
Having bowled Ashwell Prince through the bat-pad gap and got Mark Boucher caught behind first ball with an outswinger, Sreesanth was good enough to trouble Kallis as well with away seamers. Kallis countered, punching powerfully to the long-on boundary and whipping through midwicket when the lengths were too full. He had begun the day on 81 and those boundaries took him to 99, but he watched Dale Steyn fend a short ball from Zaheer into the slips before he had the strike again. And when he did, Kallis flicked Sreesanth to fine leg to bring up an invaluable century in trying conditions.
Morne Morkel also fell cheaply, wafting Sreesanth to Dhoni, reducing South Africa to 283 for 8. The responsibility of prolonging the innings was now Kallis' and his task got harder when an attempted pull against Sreesanth strained his side. He winced as he held his rib cage with a hand that was already bruised, and got on with the job.
Kallis had support from Paul Harris and did not feel the need to farm the strike during a 27-run partnership for the ninth wicket, which took South Africa past 300. That association ended when Ishant bounced Harris from round the wicket and the defensive fend ended in leg slip's hands. With only Lonwabo Tsotsobe remaining, Kallis took most of the strike and attacked. He pulled and off-drove Zaheer in an over which cost India ten runs, and when he edged Ishant through a one-man slip cordon for four, South Africa brought up 100 runs for the first session.
Kallis resumed after lunch by pulling a 116-kph short ball from Sreesanth to the boundary. He would often block the first few balls of an over and then slam boundaries off the last deliveries when the field came in to try and deny him singles. Consecutive square-driven fours off the last two balls of a Sreesanth over took Kallis past 150, and India's frustration grew when Sachin Tendulkar fumbled the first ball of the next to let Tsotsobe off strike. This routine played out a couple of times before Kallis chased and edged Zaheer, falling for 161. The Cape Town crowd gave its hero a rousing ovation as he walked off after a job supremely well done.
Kallis did not take the field when India began their response. He was nursing his strained side when Virender Sehwag, having driven Dale Steyn to the cover boundary the previous ball, mis-timed a drive towards extra cover, where Graeme Smith dived forward to take a low catch.
Rahul Dravid could have been dismissed on 4, when Gautam Gambhir called him for a single and sent him back, but he watched Kallis' substitute JP Duminy miss the stumps at the non-striker's end. Gambhir could have been dismissed on 10 but he watched his edge get dropped by Alviro Petersen at gully. South Africa were soon celebrating, though, for Dravid had risked a single on the dropped catch. AB de Villiers pounced on the stray ball, slid, turned quickly and threw down the stumps at the batsman's end. Dravid did not sprint, he did not run in a straight line, he did not dive and he did not wait for the third umpire's decision.
Gambhir and Tendulkar took India through to tea, with South Africa steadily taking control of the Test that will decide the series.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Afridi, Younis to appear before ICC tribunal

Shahid Afridi and Waqar Younis have been asked to appear before the ICC's Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing the case of the three Pakistan players who have been accused of spot-fixing.
"Both of them will appear before the ICC Tribunal either in person or through teleconference depending on their convenience and subject to their professional commitments," the PCB said in a statement.
Afridi, Pakistan's limited overs captain, will not be involved in the Test matches in New Zealand, which coincide with the January 6-11 hearings. Younis, the Pakistan coach, will be in New Zealand.
Though there was no further comment from the PCB or ICC, ESPNcricinfo understands the players' lawyers had been informed of the development. The pair will appear, effectively, as witnesses for the prosecution.
It is likely the pair will be asked about statements they had made to the ICC's Code of Conduct Commission during Pakistan's series with South Africa in the UAE recently . Those comments appeared in Pakistani press last week; Younis is quoted as saying that Mohammad Amir's infamous no-ball during the Lord's Test had surprised him "greatly" because it was very different from his normal delivery stride. He said he'd taken up the issue with the bowler, only for the then captain, Salman Butt, to intervene before Amir could reply.
Afridi was also questioned and subsequently quoted in the report on his thoughts about the three players.
The hearing, which will be held in Doha from January 6 to 11, will determine the fate of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. All three have denied their involvement in any spot-fixing.

Ashes in the bag, but series still at stake

The Ashes have been retained, but there's still so much at stake as the series moves on to the New Year Test in Sydney. Another performance as crushing as either Adelaide or Melbourne proved to be, and England will have triumphed 3-1 - a margin of victory befitting a campaign that has been as meticulously crafted as any in the long history of Anglo-Australian rivalry. Another slip-up of the sort that threatened to derail them in Perth, however, and the series will be squared at 2-2, the first such scoreline since 1972, but one that would leave the Aussies feeling decidedly chipper after one of their most exacting home summers since the mid-1980s.
All the signs point to England. They are settled, confident and - despite a few justified hangovers on the morning after the Ashes were retained - supremely focused on a speck in the middle distance which reads "World No. 1". They've got a long way to go yet, but seeing as they have not lost a series of any description since September 2009, they are well on their way to that aim. Australia, by contrast, have just succumbed to their fifth Test defeat in seven matches, and are reeling not only from the sheer destructiveness of England's performance at the MCG, but the implications of the collateral damage as well, with Ricky Ponting sidelined for the first time in six years.
Nevertheless, we've been here before in Ashes cricket. Twenty-four years ago at this very ground, the seeds of Australia's renaissance were sown at the precise moment that England believed they had laid them out for the rest of the decade. When the unheralded offspinner Peter Taylor claimed eight wickets on debut to secure a consolation 55-run victory in the fifth Test of the 1986-87 series, it was assumed it was a case of dead cat bounce for an out-muscled outfit. On the contrary, that victory would be the first of 12 Aussie wins without reply in Ashes cricket, with their run finally ending at The Oval in 1993.
The lesson is simple. When Australia are down, they need to be kept there at all costs, because no side is more adept at improbable regeneration. The odds may be stacked against them, but if England dare to turn up without their fullest focus, the scope for an upset still exists.

Amla's fifty lights up gloomy day

A stop-start day dominated by drizzle, murky light, and a Table Mountain shrouded in cloud perked up during an action-filled period between the second rain interruption and the tea break, with Hashim Amla playing the protagonist. He laid into the Indian attack with an array of drives and pulls, reviving an innings that had stood still after South Africa lost their openers, before falling for 59. His dismissal lifted an Indian attack that had created chances but leaked runs and left the fight for the series in the balance.
MS Dhoni had terrible luck with the toss in recent months - he won only one out of the previous 14 - but he called correctly today, winning his first toss of the New Year in conditions that were unusual for Newlands. Gary Kirsten, the India coach, said that normally one wouldn't think twice about batting here, but the overcast conditions and a grassy pitch could suit the bowlers. Graeme Smith expected the first session on his home ground to provide his batsmen a stern test. He didn't survive it.
In the seventh over, Zaheer Khan angled the first ball into the left-hander after pitching pretty straight, and Smith defended confidently. The second ball landed wider outside off and seamed away, allowing Smith to leave comfortably. The third ball also pitched outside off, but moved into Smith instead of leaving him. He played outside the line, leaving a gap between bat and front pad, and Zaheer found it, striking the back leg plumb in front. South Africa were 17 for 1, and after nine overs it began to rain, like it had in Centurion and Durban.
The umpires took an early lunch but play only resumed at 1.20 pm, and even then the conditions were passable for only 12 overs, during which South Africa lost Petersen. Ishant Sharma had operated on a tight line just outside off stump, seaming balls both away and into the right-handers. Petersen drove at one that moved away after pitching around off and was caught behind, leaving South Africa 34 for 2.
Amla took on the testing conditions with discipline, leaving majority of the deliveries outside off stump, especially when Zaheer seamed them across him from over the wicket. Zaheer then went around the stumps and caused problems, beating Amla with a blockhole delivery outside off, inducing an inside edge past the stumps and a leading edge that lobbed dangerously towards cover - all in one over.
The pitch at Newlands wasn't as quick and bouncy as the one in Kingsmead, where batsmen could leave the ball on length. India's bowlers had not attempted a single bouncer by the time bad light and rain stopped play for a second time, with South Africa 61 for 2 after the 21st over. It was not that sort of pitch. It was a pitch on which the bowlers needed to pitch fuller, and the Indians did. It was a pitch on which the batsmen needed to be made to drive, and the South Africans did. Jacques Kallis had driven Sreesanth with power through cover just before the rain break, but Amla took charge after the resumption.
He drove the first ball from Zaheer after the break through point, the next wide of mid-on, where Sachin Tendulkar dived over the ball, and the another between midwicket and mid-on - all for boundaries. Sreesanth also urged Amla to drive by delivering half-volleys outside off, two of which disappeared across the moist turf towards the cover boundary. In 4.1 overs after the second rain break, South Africa had scored 30.
Sreesanth then tried a different line of attack, placing men at long leg and deep square and bouncing Amla, who hooked the first for six to reach 50 off 69 balls. Amla continued to attack, but not all his forcing shots came off and he edged Sreesanth twice, first over gully and then wide of second slip. Zaheer also produced two crackers that pitched straight and seamed across the outside edge of Amla's forward pushes. On 59, Amla pulled Sreesanth again, but this time he spliced the short ball to Cheteshwar Pujara on the deep square boundary.
It was the only wicket that India took during the second session and AB de Villiers, who joined Kallis, had begun his innings confidently, playing one arrow-straight drive against an inswinger from Zaheer.