Pakistan Information & News

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday lashed out at Cricket Australia for saying yes to India tour despite Saturday’s bomb blasts in New Delhi and accused them of adopting ‘double standard’ on security issues.

Paul Marsh, the Chief Executive of the Australian Cricketers Association, had earlier expected some countries, apparently Pakistan, to come up with such statement.

Australia had postponed their tour to Pakistan early this year and also refused to play in the Champions Trophy because of security concerns.

“I think if Australia tour India it will only highlight their double standards on security issues,” Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer of the PCB told reporters in Lahore.

“Pakistan is as safe a country as India and we had even promised state level security for the Australians and other teams. This incident only shows the double standards of Australian cricket,” Naghmi fumed.

Cricket Australia has said they were postponing or cancelling the India tour due to the Delhi blasts unless they were advised by their government otherwise.

Naghmi said the PCB was disappointed with the statement of the ACA as even the ICC and other countries had acknowledged the great efforts made by Pakistan to provide a safe environment for the Champions Trophy.

“Terrorist attacks can take place anywhere we have said constantly. No country is safer than the other and this point was highlighted after the unfortunate and sad incident in Delhi,” he said.

“We find it hard to comprehend that when Australian cricketers can tour a country which has had a succession of bomb attacks what is so different about coming to Pakistan,” Naghmi added.

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 Pakistan Cricket Board PCB chairman Dr. Nasim Ashraf resigned on Monday just one month before his country hosts the Champions Trophy his decision to step down, announced by the PCB, came an hour after the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistan president directly appoints the PCB chairman.

Musharraf appointed Ashraf in 2006 after Pakistan forfeited the fourth test against England at the Oval. England were declared winners after Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq refused to lead his team back on to the pitch when they were docked five runs for ball-tampering. Last month the International Cricket Council amended the result to a draw. I have sent my resignation to the president’s secretariat and told them I can’t continue performing my duties after the president resigned I didn’t think it would be ethically right to continue former chairman PCB told a foreign news agency. Ashraf said his resignation would not have any effect on the Champions Trophy one-day tournament which would be held on schedule from Sept 12. The tournament will go on because the board is an institution and it will continue working. I will continue performing my duties till the resignation is accepted he added. 

 Dr Nasim Ashraf told the Geo News on telephone that he would present the details of his resignation on Wednesday at a news conference. PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi, while talking with Geo News said that Dr Nasim Ashraf would continue to work at his position until a new chairman is appointed.

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Australia will visit Pakistan twice in the next two years, Cricket Australia (CA) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have confirmed. The sides will contest five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match in April and May 2009 and a three-Test series in August and September 2010. The world champions had planned to tour Pakistan in March and April this year but cancelled over security concerns. PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said in a statement: “Although disappointed that the tour couldn’t be completed as originally scheduled, the PCB is very pleased that the Australian team will come to play in Pakistan twice, in 2009 and again in 2010. Pakistan will also tour Australia for three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 contest in 2009-2010.

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The England and Wales Cricket Board also announced yesterday that the tour to India, which begins in November, would comprise two Tests and seven one-day internationals, the preferred schedule of the Board of Control for Cricket in India With the growth of Twenty20 cricket on top of one-day internationals, ECB chief executive David Collier said it was important that Test matches formed a strong part of the home series against India. I’m delighted that India will play four Test matches on their tour of England and Wales in 2011,” he said in a statement. The ECB has been strong and consistent in its insistence that Test cricket is still the predominant form of the game. The Tests in 2011 will be played at Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and the Oval, while Cardiff, Durham, the Rose Bowl, Lord’s and the Oval have been awarded the one-day internationals. India face a busy autumn, with September’s ICC Trophy in Pakistan followed by a four-Test series with Australia, before England’s arrival. The BCCI decided they could not fit in a three-Test series against England as well as seven one-day internationals. England had wanted to play a third Test but have an agreement with their players to end the tour by Christmas

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Pakistan crushed Bangladesh by 152 runs in a shortened one-day cricket international twice disrupted by power outages on Tuesday. Mohammad Yousuf posted an unbeaten 108 off 103 balls for his 15th ODI century in Pakistan’s total of 322 for five off its 50 overs. Bangladesh - in pursuit of a revised target of 282 in 39 overs - was shot out for 129 in 29.5. Play was twice suspended due to power breakdowns at Gaddafi Stadium that kept players off the field for 48 minutes. Before the light towers went off, left-arm paceman Sohail Tanvir (3-29) rattled Bangladesh’s top order when he clean bowled Tamim Iqbal (5) and then had Shahariar Nafees (24) and Aftab Ahmed (14) caught behind. After the play resumed, paceman Rao Iftikhar (2-16) got rid off captain Mohammad Ashraful (9) and Sakib Al Hasan off successive deliveries. Legspinner Shahid Afridi chipped in with three late wickets for 41, including No. 10 batsman Mashrafe Mortaza, who topscored with 25. Earlier, Yousuf hit 10 fours in his flawless century and featured in a record partnership with captain Shoaib Malik, who scored a better than run-a-ball 85. They shared 145 runs for the fourth wicket, surpassing the 112 for the fourth against Bangladesh by former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in 2003. Hard-hitting batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq (38 off 27 balls) and Afridi (27 not out) also contributed late in the innings as Pakistan made 102 runs in the last 10 overs. Malik won the toss and elected to bat first and Bangladesh new-ball bowlers Farhad Reza (2-41) and Mortaza (2-52) struck early. Wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh, who dropped a regulation catch from Salman Butt in Mortaza’s second over, made amends when he held onto four catches. Medium fast Reza bowled an unchanged spell of 10 overs and was duly rewarded with the wickets of openers Butt (33) and Nasir Jamshed (20) while Younis Khan chased a wide delivery from Mortaza and got a faint edge to Ghosh. Mortaza achieved a landmark when he became only the second Bangladesh bowler after left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique to complete 100 wickets in ODIs when he had Misbah caught behind in his return spell.
Bangladesh lost its way after restricting Pakistan to 70-3 in the 18th over. Yousuf and Malik accelerated the runscoring against part-time bowlers. Spinner Mahmudullah Riad conceded 59 off five overs while Ashraful was hammered for 26 off two. Malik completed his half century off 45 balls but holed out at long off from the bowling of spinner Shakib Al Hasan in an attempt to hit a six. Yousuf completed his century when he flicked left-arm spinner Abdur Razzaq and ran a single in the 48th over.
The second game of the five-match series will be at Faisalabad on Friday.

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Australian dream of making world record became shattered when courageous Indians beat Aussies in the third cricket test match played at Perth. This defeat will become permanent memory in the heads of Australian cricketers especially Ricky Ponting.

The home side, chasing 413 were bowled out for 340. This incidentally, is the first-ever win for any team from the sub-continent at Perth.

Twice now, India have denied Australia the record of 17 straight wins, following up on that sensational victory in Kolkata in 2001.

India scripted this fairytale comeback ‘Down Under’ with some sensational bowling by their pace trio of Irfan Pathan, R.P. Singh and Ishant Sharma, which was supported well by the batsmen, all the way down the order.

Michael Clarke top scored with an elegant 81 before Anil Kumble foxed him to take India on the brink of a super win. But the Indians had to wait to attain the victory as the Aussie tail launched a counter-attack.

Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark came out with all guns blazing to share a belligerent 73-run stand. The duo gave the fielding side a scare with some lusty hits. The partnership was finally broken by Man of the Match Irfan Pathan when the left-arm seamer dismissed Clark for 32.

RP Singh dealt the final blow, cleaning up number eleven Shaun Tait for four to take India to their first ever Test win at Perth and the fifth in Australia.

Earlier, the visitors had done most of the damage in the post-lunch session as Australia lost four key wickets.

Michael Hussey, who came up with a gritty knock, was the first Aussie to fall in the post-lunch session for 46. RP Singh grabbed his first wicket in the Australian second essay when he trapped Hussey leg before.

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Christchurch: Former India coach John Wright suspects there was an Australian provocation behind Harbhajan Singh’s on-field outburst during the Sydney Test and said the outrage against the three-Test ban on the off spinner stems from a sense of injustice.

“I don’t believe Harbhajan was talking in a vacuum out there, knowing how the Australians play the game in the middle,” he said. Wright said he knew both Harbhajan and Symonds from his time as the Kent coach and he said both are lively players but “good boys”.

“But it’s not a church out there and I can’t believe there was silence,” he said. “Things are said in the heat of the moment, but it’s important players from both sides take a deep breath and step back,” Wright suggested.

On the tumultuous reaction cerated by the ban on Harbhajan, Wright said, “I think India believes justice has not been seen to be done.”
Wright, who had a fruitful five-year stint with the Indian team, felt it was not the defeat, but the circumstances that led to the result, that has upset the Indians.

India have no problem in accepting a defeat but the series of umpiring howlers and the racism row have left them with a sense of injustice, said Wright.

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Mohammad sami is a wicket less good bowler. He proved many times despite his good bowling he hardly went through the opposition batting line up. There must be some technical error in his approach.

His speed is fantastic, he can move the ball both sides but why he is not able to be productive. Pakistan coach should think about this and he can make him wicket taking bowler with some effort. Last time he got tips from great bowlers like Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz but still he could not manage to become lethargic or at least get few wickets.

He is among one who can really bowl fast but not in those whose luck works. I really feel pity on him. A luckless good bowler.

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Inzamamulhaq the ex pakistan skipper going to be retire after Lahore test against South africa. I think this is a good decision from Haq and also applauding behaviour of PCB.

Atleast he can say good bye to cricket in a good way not like the great cricketers waseem Akram, Waqar Younis and Saeed Anwar. The people will love to see him in action the last time. All the sympathies with Inzammam.

It is my wish to see the players like Inzamam in Pakistani squad in the future.

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I am watching the Indian series against Australia. I feel no winning gesture in top ranks of Indian side. The enthusiasm which were seen during T20 was missing but why?

I think inclusion of big names is the factor. The body language of Indian team says that they are down. They should try the same combinations as they did in T20 without the cricket bosses.

Hopefully the results will be different.

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Darrel Hair will sue ICC soon but Asian bloc is ready to block him once again. Hair is due to start giving evidence this afternoon and the hearing is expected to last a fortnight. David Morgan, the ICC’s vice-president, is not due to give his testimony until the end of next week.

What he wants now?

He will sue ICC on racial discrimination. Because Billy another West Indian umpire who is black skin still conducting the matches while Heir is sidelined by ICC.

Lets see what will happen?

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A beautiful end of T20 cricket. It was a successful tournament organised by ICC. Even i would like to say much better than 50 overs world cup.

It seems that there will be  a bright future of t20 style cricket. The sponsors  are interested in this kind of event. Few countries like Australia, west Indies are againt this game. Beside this many old cricketers are not feeling comfortable with such kinda game.

India have won the T20 championship, it is good for the future of this format game because most of the sponsors are from India.

Hopefully these sponsors will continue to sponsor and the cricket lovers will have more chnace of enjoying this game.

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