Pakistan scent victory over west indies

Saint Kitts and Nevis: Hundreds from Taufeeq Umar and Misbah-ul-Haq followed by purposeful bowling led by Abdur Rehman had Pakistan on the verge of victory over West Indies in the second Test on Monday.

Rehman captured three for 26 from 14 overs, as West Indies, in pursuit of 427 for victory, slumped to 130 for six in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day at Warner Park.

Left-hander Darren Bravo has been the only West Indies batsman that has come to terms with the Pakistani bowlers, hitting the top score so far of 50.

Taufeeq had equalled his career-best of 135 and Misbah, the Pakistan captain, was undefeated on 102, as the visitors reached 377 for six in their second innings before they declared about 45 minutes after lunch.

Taufeeq struck 13 fours from 315 balls in close to seven hours batting, and Misbah stroked 10 fours and two sixes from 141 deliveries in close to four hours.

Devendra Bishoo was the most successful West Indies bowler with two for 149 from 38 overs.

“It is really, really good to score a Test hundred as a captain because the team is always looking towards you for something special,” said Misbah.

“For your own confidence, and the sake of the team, it is really important that you chip in and perform at all stages of the game.

“But we have not won the Test match yet. Until we have taken the final wicket, we have not won it yet.

“It’s still a game of cricket, and we have to finish the game, unless it’s half the job done.”Tanvir Ahmed made an early breakthrough for the Pakistanis, leaving West Indies 54 for one at tea, when he bowled West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck in the third over of the innings.

After tea, the visitors made a huge charge for victory, with Rehman playing a leading role, with the wickets of Lendl Simmons and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the space of five deliveries.

The Pakistan left-arm spinner had Simmons caught at second slip for 24, and Sarwan, the most experienced batsman in the West Indies line-up, was lbw playing back and across for a duck, a decision from New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden, which was changed after it was reviewed.

Rehman added the scalp of Marlon Samuels caught behind for six to leave West Indies 77 for four, but the Pakistanis met defiance from the left-handed pair of Bravo and West Indies vice captain Brendan Nash.

The visitors spent over an hour working away on the West Indies pair before Bravo cracked under the pressure, and was lbw to left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz. He struck two fours and two sixes from 144 balls in close to three hours of batting.

Earlier, Pakistan jammed their foot down on the accelerator, anticipating the declaration after they reached 202 for three at lunch.

Misbah reached his hundred from 141 balls, with a thick edge to third man off Ravi Rampaul for his last boundary to prompt the declaration.

Umar Akmal shared 62 with him for the sixth wicket before Bishoo bowled him for 30, and Mohammad Salman was caught at deep fine leg off Rampaul for eight before the declaration came.

Pakistan trail 0-1 in the two-Test series, following a 40-run defeat inside four days in the first Test, which ended last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium, crushing their dreams of a maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean

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Wasim akram takes aim at waqar, PCB

Legendary pace bowler Wasim Akram on Saturday joined the growing list of former Pakistani players criticising the removal of Shahid Afridi as ODI skipper, saying the decision defied logic.

He also took a shot at Waqar Younis by saying, “In Pakistan, the coach wants all the power and when it doesn’t happen, the fight begins.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) discarded the the flamboyant Afridi as Pakistan’s ODI captain after reports of a tussle with coach Waqar Younis became public.

“Arguments between captains and coaches are not new in Pakistan cricket. Afridi was hailed as a national hero after the World Cup, and came back from the West Indies after winning the ODI series only to find out he has been sacked. What is the PCB upto?” Akram told ‘Mobile ESPN’

Akram also thought the decision to appoint 36-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq as Afridi’s replacement was “at best a stop-gap arrangement.”

“The present Test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq is on the wrong side of 30 and I don’t see him leading the side beyond 6 to 8 months”, said Akram.

“It is a wrong step taken by PCB, and only (chairman) Ijaz Butt is to be blamed for this,” he added.

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Tanvir shines with bat and ball to leave pakistan on top

St Kitts: Tanvir Ahmed scored a maiden 50 and then took a wicket in his first over as Pakistan wrested back the initiative from West Indies on the second day of the second test on Saturday.

Resuming on their overnight first innings total of 180 for six, Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 272 with tailender Tanvir hammering 10 fours in a 96-ball 57.

The 32-year-old then struck with the second delivery of the West Indies reply when Lendl Simmons, on the drive, was caught at second slip by Taufeeq Umar for no score.

Although Marlon Samuels, batting at number five, compiled a patient 57, the home side lost wickets at regular intervals before ending the day at 184-8, still 88 runs behind.

West Indies, who lead Pakistan 1-0 in the two-match series, were in control overnight and tightened their grip before lunch as they reduced the visitors to 194-9.

However, Tanvir and Saeed Ajmal (23) shared in a dogged 10th-wicket stand of 78 to guide Pakistan beyond the 250-mark before Tanvir was trapped in front by leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo for a test best of 57.

After the early dismissal of Simmons, teenage test debutant Kraigg Brathwaite (15), Darren Bravo (24) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (20) each established themselves at the crease for West Indies without going on to register a big score.

Samuels was the only batsman to provide sustained resistance before he was removed in the 56th over.

After hitting two sixes and seven fours in 123 balls, Samuels attempted another huge blow over the boundary off Saeed Ajmal’s off-spin but he was caught by a diving Taufeeq Umar at long-off.

Kemar Roach, 10 not out, and Ravi Rampaul, unbeaten on 15, then guided West Indies to the close.

Pakistan, who have never won a series in the Caribbean in six previous visits, lost the opening test in the two-match series.

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October trial date set for pakistan cricketers

The trial of three Pakistan cricketers accused of spot-fixing is set to start Oct. 4 in London.
Justice John Saunders set the date at the latest hearing on Friday into the allegations that predetermined no-balls were bowled during a test match against England last year.

Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir as well as their agent, Mazhar Majeed, have been charged with conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments. They weren’t at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

The case centers on allegations first uncovered in a British tabloid investigation that the players received money for deliberately bowling no-balls during the fourth test against England in August.

Prosecutors disclosed at Friday’s hearing that they are trying to obtain transcripts from part of the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption tribunal that led to the three players each being banned from the sport for at least five years.

Butt, the captain during last year’s series, received a further suspended five-year ban and Asif, a fast bowler like Amir, was handed a further two-year suspended sanction.

Majeed is accused of accepting 150,000 pounds during a sting by undercover newspaper reporters to arrange for the players to bowl no-balls.

Accepting corrupt payments is an offense under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

Cheating is an offense under the Gambling Act 2005 and carries a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment and an unlimited fine

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Pakistan target damage limitation against windies

Pakistan will look to salvage the remainder of a tour that started with great promise when they face West Indies in the second and final Test starting on Friday at Warner Park.

The Pakistanis trail 1-0 in the two-Test series following a stunning, 40-run victory for West Indies last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium.

The result meant that the visitors’ dreams of a maiden Test series victory on Caribbean soil were crushed again.

They will now have to focus solely on leaving the Caribbean with their heads held high with a series-levelling victory.

“We will be ready, and we will be motivated for the final Test,” said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

“There were a lot of positive things for us from the (first) match, and we showed a lot of fighting spirit.”

After restricting West Indies to 226 in the first innings, the Pakistani batting then flopped as they were conceded a first innings lead of 66.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal led the fightback with a career-best six wickets in the West Indies second innings that gave him 11 scalps in the match, and had the home team on the ropes.

But Pakistan allowed West Indies to wriggle free from the despair of 104 for nine, as the last wicket pair of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Devendra Bishoo beefed-up their side’s total with an eventual, match-winning partnership of 48.

Some may question the role the pitch played in the defeat, but Misbah was also willing to admit that the West Indies clearly dealt with the conditions better in Guyana.

“After we gave up a first innings lead, the bowlers bowled really well, and fought very hard hard to bring us back into the game,” said Misbah.

“When we lost three wickets very early in the second innings, it was really difficult for us because of the way West Indies were bowling, but we fought hard.”

“But we must give credit to West Indies. They bowled very well in the game, and most of our guys got out to good balls.”

West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has signalled his side’s intention of trying to earn a rare series victory, let alone a series sweep.

He said his side had talked long and hard about winning the series and West Indies captain Darren Sammy, whose five wickets in the visitors second innings ushered his side to victory in Guyana, agreed with Gibson.

“We have only won one match,” said Sammy. “We will take a lot of confidence from this result, but we still have to continue working hard, and look to improve our performance in the second Test.

“We did not bat very well (in the first Test), so we need to put decent totals on the board because we know the way our bowlers have been bowling over the last year, we believe we are capable of getting 20 wickets. We just need to keep improving in all disciplines, and we can come out victorious in the second Test.”

Only two Tests have been played at Warner Park, since it was redeveloped ahead of the 2007 World Cup.

They have both ended in high-scoring draws for which Pakistan have little desire, and West Indies would require to formalise a series victory.

Squads:

West Indies (from): Darren Sammy (captain), Brendan Nash (vice captain), Devendra Bishoo, Carlton Baugh Jr, Darren Bravo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith

Pakistan (from): Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Abdur Rehman, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Hammad Azam , Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Salman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Taufiq Umar, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz

Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL), Asoka De Silva (SRI)

TV umpire: Tony Hill (NZL)

Match referee: Allan Hurst (AUS)

Reserve umpire: Peter Nero (WIS)

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Pakistan-Afghanistan fixture relocated to islamabad

Pakistan cricket authorities on Thursday pulled a one-day match against Afghanistan which had been scheduled to take place in Abbottabad, the town where US forces shot dead Osama bin Laden.

The match, the third in a series between Afghanistan and Pakistan’s second team, attracted media attention for being hosted in Abbottabad and has been relocated to Islamabad.

Afghanistan, the first international team to tour Pakistan in more than two years after militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in March 2009, will now play matches in Islamabad on May 25, Rawalpindi on May 27 and Faisalabad on May 29.

“The itinerary… has been revised and now the Abbottabad match will be played in Islamabad on May 25,” said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

No official reason was given for the decision which was taken at a meeting on Thursday between PCB chairman Ijaz Butt and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Sohail Tanveer will lead Pakistan’s ‘A’ team, comprising of young players who have either been left out of the first team or are being nurtured as future talent.

The Afghan team, coached by former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, will arrive in Islamabad on May 24.

The war-ravaged nation has made rapid strides in international cricket, progressing in 2009 from ICC (International Cricket Council) division one to five, and securing one-day status the same year.

Afghanistan qualified for last year’s World Twenty20 in the West Indies and also won the ICC Inter-Continental Cup in 2010, meant for countries who are not full ICC members.

They beat Pakistan in the semi-final of last year’s Asian Games in China and went on to win a silver medal after losing to Bangladesh in the final.

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