Latest News: Asia Cup flop 'a warning bell'



KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricket greats said Sunday Pakistan's failure to reach the final of the Asia Cup was "a warning bell" for problems that needed urgent attention before next year's World Cup.

"Pakistan did play well in both the matches but the fact is that we are still number three, behind Sri Lanka and India, which is a warning bell for next year's World Cup," former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas told AFP.

The four-nation Asia Cup, being played in the Sri Lankan resort of Dambullah, is seen as a build-up for next year's World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Arch-rival India beat Pakistan by three wickets on Saturday, qualifying for the June 24 final against Sri Lanka and leaving runners-up Pakistan and Bangladesh to contest a league match on Monday.

Abbas said the results showed that Pakistan was performing poorly.

"Against India our batting did well, but bowling and fielding were not up to the mark," said Abbas.

Pakistan also failed to reach the final of the 2008 Asia Cup, when the tournament was held in their own country.

Abbas said there were "too many coaches" in the Pakistan camp, which he found "hard to understand," referring to head coach Waqar Younis, assistant coach Aqib Javed and batting-fielding coach Ijaz Ahmed.

"Too many coaches are spoiling the broth," Abbas said.

Former chief selector Iqbal Qasim, who resigned in February after Pakistan's winless tour of Australia, said Pakistan had to confront its problems before next year's World Cup.

"Fielding is our main problem, which again failed us on Saturday," said Qasim, a former left-arm spinner. "We also need to know when to utilise our batting powerplay, which is being spoiled every time."

Qasim said fast-rising batsman Umar Akmal and paceman Mohammad Amir needed guidance to turn their huge talent into better performances.

"Umar is creating panic when he comes on to bat," which led to run-outs for his batting partners which he survived, Qasim said.

"It's a big problem which needs to sorted out."

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi will lead the team on the tour of England starting next week.

Pakistan will play two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia and four Tests, two Twenty20 and five one-day matches against England.

Latest News: Hockey greats slam appointment of Dutch coach



KARACHI: The appointment of a Dutchman to revive Pakistan's dwindling field hockey fortunes is a waste of money and will not stop the alarming decline, former greats said on Sunday.

Pakistan Saturday named Michel van den Heuvel as coach of their national team in a bid to revive the game here, which hit its lowest ebb in New Delhi in March this year.

Pakistan, winner of three Olympic gold and four world titles, finished 12th and last -- their worst-ever finish -- in the World Cup.

Former Olympian and ex-coach Shahnaz Shaikh said hiring a foreign coach will prove a waste of money.

"Under economic problems, Pakistan government has already slashed sports budget by 60 percent and the hiring of a foreign coach will increase financial woes and will not produce desired results," Shaikh told AFP.

"I am told the Dutchman will be paid 1.6 million rupees (18,000 dollars) per month until 2012, which is huge and unacceptable in this poor country."

Shaikh said Van den Heuvel had failed to lift Dutch hockey.

"In the last ten years the Dutch hockey has failed to produce results and with Van den Heuvel involved, either as assistant coach or coach, this step is unwise and will fail," said Shaikh, a winner of the World Cup in 1971.


Van den Heuvel will be Pakistan's third foreign coach, succeeding fellow Dutchmen Hans Jorritsma, appointed in 1994, and Roelant Oltmans, in 2004.

Another former Olympian, Shahbaz Ahmed, was just as scathing.

"When I played in the Dutch league (1996-2000), Van den Heuvel was my team coach and I found him very ordinary, he failed to handle the team and I told club's president that until he is in charge, we cannot win," Ahmed said.

"By appointing a foreign coach they (officials) are trying to save themselves and when the team loses they will put the blame on the foreign coach," said Ahmed, a member of Pakistan's World Cup winning team in 1994.

Under the new coach Pakistan tour Spain next month before featuring in October's Commonwealth Games in India and November's Asian Games in China.

Latest News: Three matches in FIFA world cup today




JOHANNESBURG: Three matches will be played in FIFA World Cup today (Monday).

In the first match, two teams of Group G Portugal and North Korea will play against each other in Johannesburg. The match will begin at 4:30 pm Pakistan Time.

In Group H, Chile to face Switzerland in Port Elizabeth at 7: 00 pm Pakistan whereas last match of the day will be played between European champion Spain and Honduras at 11:30 PST. Spain should win today’s match to stay in the tournament.

Latest News:Award-winning Swann feared England chance had gone

LONDON: Graeme Swann, England's newly crowned cricketer of the year, had resigned himself to accepting his time in the international arena had long since been and gone.

The 31-year-old off-spinner, who has taken 99 wickets in 45 matches across all formats for England during the past 12 months, was named as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Brit Men's Cricketer of the Year during a ceremony at Lord's here on Monday.

He first toured with England as a 20-year-old in South Africa in 1999/2000.

But Swann's distinctive sense of humour failed to impress then England coach Duncan Fletcher.

It was not until eight years later and a change of both coaching regime and county - the bowler joined Nottinghamshire, with whom he won the County Championship in 2005, from his native Northamptonshire, that Swann was back in Test contention.

By then Swann had more or less accepted his England career might be limited to a lone one-day international in Bloemfontein in January 2000.

"Maybe you don't exactly give up, but you accept you're not going to play," Swann, set to be in the England team that plays in the first Test against Bangladesh starting at Lord's on Thursday, said.

"You get to a point when, no matter how well you do, you see other people being picked ahead of you, that you assume you've missed your chance."

Swann has become one of the mainstays of England's attack and played an important role both in last year's Ashes series win and the recent World Twenty20 triumph in the Caribbean.

He explained the realisation he'd been granted a second chance had led to a small but important change in his attitude.

"What it did mean was that when I did get the chance to play again it all seemed a bigger deal," he said.

"The first time round it was a bit of a joke, a bit of a laugh, on tour with my heroes.

"Second time round, you think, 'Well, how am I going to make sure I stick with this?'.

"I found the only way to really enjoy it was to play with a massive smile on my face, so that's what I've tried to do."

Asked what the turning point had been, Swann replied: "Pretty obviously, leaving Northampton and going to Trent Bridge was probably the kick up the backside my career needed," Swann said.

"It wasn't so much that it improved me overnight, but it taught me to bowl on wickets that were more akin to Test cricket."

Meanwhile Swann, who took 54 Test wickets in 2009, said his international success owed much to the fact that off-spin had come back into fashion.

"Cricket has a strange way of going round in big circles, and I'm sure within two or three years off-spinners will be back out of vogue.

"Certain things have gone in our favour - the referral system, a lot of left-handed players at the minute, fairly slow wickets and a lot that have turned

"It all adds up to this being the time for off-spinners."

Swann won the award - voted for by members of the British cricket media - ahead of fellow nominees, Test captain Andrew Strauss, Twenty20 skipper Paul Collingwood and pace bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

"If you'd told me this three years ago, I'd have laughed at you and said 'there's no chance'. It's a nice bit of cherry on the cake," Swann said.

Swann, along with the rest of the World Twenty20 squad, enjoyed a reception at 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister David Cameron's official residence, earlier on Monday.

"One of the perks of playing for England, doing well - especially winning World Cups - I expect the ticker-tape parade and meeting the Prime Minister," Swann joked.

"I'm waiting for my audience with The Queen, but I'm not sure that one's going to come just yet."

Latest News:South Africa hold nerve to deny West Indies unlikely victory

NORTH SOUND: South Africa withstood a late West Indies fight-back led by Darren Sammy to prevail by 17 runs in the second One-day International on Monday and take a 2-0 lead in the five match series.

The South Africans appeared to be coasting to victory, when West Indies, chasing 301 for victory from their 50 overs, slumped to 236 for eight in the 45th over.

But the Proteas came under attack from Sammy, whose unbeaten 58 from 24 balls contained two fours and six sixes, as he dominated a ninth-wicket stand of 47 with Ravi Rampaul.

South Africa were fortunate however, when fast-medium bowler Ryan McLaren skillfully fielded a drive from Sammy on his follow-through, and Rampaul was run out off the last ball of the 48th over backing up too far.

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, had the privilege of finishing the match, when Kieron Pollard, running for Nikita Miller, was run out off the first ball of the next over, with a direct hit by Smith at the bowler's end from short cover.

"We weren't at our best, and we let a few key chances go earlier, which probably could have gone on to cost us the game," said a relieved Smith.

"Outside of our fielding, I think we controlled the game very, very well, and up to Sammy's 58, we were in control, but our fielding, our catching in particular, we need to take another look."

The third and fourth ODIs will be contested this coming Friday and Sunday at Windsor Park in the Dominica capital of Roseau.

South Africa conceded three half-centuries to West Indies, with Dwayne Bravo hitting the top score of 74 from 70 balls, and the newly-arrived opener Dale Richards 51 from 85 balls.

The Proteas put West Indies under early pressure, but Richards and Chris Gayle still gave the home team a steady start of 40.

South Africa tightened their grip, when they reduced West Indies to 119 for three, but Bravo added 63 for the fourth wicket with Pollard, as the hosts ran into deep trouble, and Sammy nearly carried them over the threshold.

"I have to commend the guys for the effort of chasing 300 runs, and in particular, Darren for giving us a bit of hope at the end," said Gayle.

"The middle overs continue to cause our downfall because there are too many dot-balls in that period of our innings, and the run rate creeps up on us, and makes it difficult for the batsmen towards the end."

Earlier, Hashim Amla continued his rich vein of form with 92, and Jacques Kallis supported with 85 to lead South Africa to 300 for five from their 50 overs.

Amla struck seven boundaries from 95 balls, and Kallis - playing his 300th ODI - hit four fours from 89 balls in a stand of 79 for the second wicket, after the South Africans chose to bat.

The Proteas benefitted from an opening stand of 89 between Amla and Smith before left-arm spinner Miller bowled the South African captain behind his legs for 37 in the 16th over.

Amla continued to grind away, and reached his 50 from 45 balls with a dab to third man off Bravo before he was caught at mid-wicket off Jerome Taylor in the 32nd over.

Kallis, who became only the second South African behind Shaun Pollock to appear in 300 ODIs, and the 15th player overall, turned Rampaul through square leg for a single to reach his half century from 59 balls.

A.B. de Villiers joined him to consolidate South Africa's position with a stand of 71 for the third wicket with Kallis before he was caught inside the long-off boundary for 41 off Kieron Pollard in the 43rd over.

In the closing overs, Kallis was caught at point off Pollard in the 47th over, and Alviro Petersen was lbw playing across Taylor for one, as South Africa hunted quick runs.

Latest News:35 probables named for Asia cup, tour of England



LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee has announced here on Tuesday 35 probable players for the forthcoming Asia Cup and the tour of England.

Allrounder Shahid Afridi will lead the national team in all three formats of cricket whereas former captains Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik were conditionally included in the probables list. They will be selected only after the ban on them is lifted.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has also been named for the probable squad.

The names were announced by chief selector Mohsin Khan at a press conference along with chairman PCB Ijaz Butt and captain Shahid Afridi.

Other probable players are: Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Yasir Arafat, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza, Azeem Ghumman, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Yasir Hameed, Shah Zeb Hasan, Zulfiqar, Zulqarnain Haider, Khurram Manzoor, Asad Shafiq, Tanveer Ahmed, Aizaz Cheema, Aamir Sajjad, Azhar Ali, Umar Amin.

Chairman PCB said that the 17 players for the tour of England would also be selected from these players and the final team would be announced next month.

Replying to a question, he told that Mohammad Yousuf has not been considered as he retired and he may be included in the team if he comes out of his retirement.

Ijaz Butt said that the camp would probably be held in Karachi.

Shahid Afridi said that the tour of England is a difficult task and there should not be much expectations.

To a question, he replied that he has pressure but a complete player can be made after bearing pressure.

Mohsin Khan said that all the players would go through a fitness test before the final selection.

Latest News:Australia, Pakistan qualify for Super Eights



BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Australia moved into the second round Super Eights defeating Bangladesh by 27 runs with eight balls to spare here at the Kensington Oval.

Pakistan also qualified for the next stage as Bangladesh collapsed for 114 runs against Australia.

Chasing 142, Bangladesh were in difficult situation right through their innings as their top order failed to make runs.

However, captain Shakib Al Hasan (28) and wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim (24) added 48 runs to take their team out of trouble but after both were out wickets fell regular intervals and the whole team is out for 141 runs in 18.4 overs.

Left-arm fast bowler Dirk Nannes captured four for 18 while Steven Smith and David Hussey claimed two wickets each.

Earlier, Michael Hussey revived Australia's innings after they collapsed against Bangladesh.

Australia, who slumped to 65 for six inside 13 overs, finished on 141 for six here on Wednesday after a stand of 74 between Hussey, unbeaten on 47 and Steven Smith (27). Hussey faced 29 balls with a six and four fours

They were the only two Australia batsmen to make more than 16 as their side collapsed in the face of disciplined bowling by a Bangladesh side coached by Jamie Siddons, a former South Australia team-mate of Aussie coach Tim Nielsen.
 
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