SPORTS 15
Saturday, 30 May, 2015
azhar ton seals First series win in two years
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SPORTS DESK
ZHAR ALI began his captaincy career with three straight defeats to Bangladesh, but it couldn't be out down to his batting. Now needing a win in each of the ODIs against Zimbabwe to maintain their ICC ranking, Azhar followed up a 79 in the first ODI with his second ODI hundred - both as captain - to seal only their third successful chase of 250 or more in the last four years. This was Pakistan's first series win in two years. A target of 269 on such a flat pitch with an innocuous attack might look an underwhelming one, but Sikandar Raza with his unbeaten 100 and Chamu Chibhabha with 99 would have thought they had got Zimbabwe into competitive territory given Pakistan's chasing record. However, there was nothing in the pitch for the bowlers, nor any genius in the Zimbabwe attack to rise above the conditions. Azhar anchored the chase patiently, with support from almost every other batsman: all batsmen reached double figures, and Zimbabwe could never manage a double breakthrough.
SCOREBOaRD ZiMBaBwE 13 V Sibanda b Mohammad Hafeez 99 CJ Chibhabha c †Sarfraz ahmed b Shoaib Malik 18 H Masakadza c Mohammad Hafeez b Yasir Shah 5 SC williams c & b Yasir Shah 100 Sikandar Raza not out 7 R Mutumbami† c asad Shafiq b anwar ali 10 CK Coventry c †Sarfraz ahmed b wahab Riaz aG Cremer c sub (ahmed Shehzad) b wahab Riaz 2 T Panyangara not out 4 ExTRaS: (lb 5, w 4, nb 1) 10 TOTaL: (7 wickets; 50 overs) 268 DiD NOT BaT: T Mupariwa, BV Vitori FaLL OF wiCKETS: 1-83 (Sibanda, 18.3 ov), 2-114 (Masakadza, 24.2 ov), 3-122 (williams, 26.4 ov), 4-156 (Chibhabha, 34.3 ov), 5-209 (Mutumbami, 43.6 ov), 6-238 (Coventry, 46.5 ov), 7-258 (Cremer, 48.4 ov) BOwLiNG: Mohammad Sami 9-1-53-0, anwar ali 9-0-55-1, wahab Riaz 10-0-55-2, Yasir Shah 10-0-40-2, Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-
Pakistan's chase began on an undesirable note: Mohammad Hafeez had injured himself in the field, thus breaking the opening partnership that added 170 in the first ODI. Sarfraz Ahmed joined Azhar at the top, and the two got off to a swift start. Azhar kept dropping the ball into the gaps, and Sarfaraz began to sweep the new-ball bowlers, a shot that consumed him with the score 46 in the ninth over. Despite Mohammad Hafeez's fall at the score of 68, Azhar kept scoring at
close to a run a ball, walking down the wicket to chip the ball every time he needed to score quick runs. A key moment came in the 23rd over when Chibhabha dropped him at short cover. Azhar had reached 53 off 54 already, but losing him with the score just 109 would have put Pakistan under severe pressure. Instead Zimbabwe had to wait close to 10 overs for their next wicket, with the same bowler Graeme Cremer producing a leading edge to get Asad Shafiq at short cover.
By then the two had added 86 for the third wicket, and Pakistan now needed just 116 off 18.2 overs. It is a walk in the park in modern cricket, but with Pakistan you never know. Against this Zimbabwe attack, though, they continued batting without panic. If there were any nerves, some excellent chips over extra cover by Haris Sohail settled them. Sohail's urgency allowed Azhar the inconspicuousness you love when you are nearing a hundred. By
33-1, Hammad azam 3-0-14-0, Shoaib Malik 3-0-13-1 PaKiSTaN 102 azhar ali* c williams b Mupariwa 22 Sarfraz ahmed† lbw b Chibhabha 15 Mohammad Hafeez c Coventry b Cremer 39 asad Shafiq c Sikandar Raza b Cremer 52 Haris Sohail not out 36 Shoaib Malik not out ExTRaS: (lb 2, w 1) 3 TOTaL: (4 wickets; 47.2 overs) 269 DiD NOT BaT: Hammad azam, wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, anwar ali, Mohammad Sami Fall of wickets 1-46 (Sarfraz ahmed, 8.4 ov), 2-68 (Mohammad Hafeez, 14.3 ov), 3-153 (asad Shafiq, 31.4 ov), 4-209 (azhar ali, 40.1 ov) BOwLiNG: T Panyangara 8.2-0-42-0, T Mupariwa 7-0-48-1, BV Vitori 8-0-52-0, CJ Chibhabha 2-0-10-1, aG Cremer 10-052-2, SC williams 10-0-53-0, H Masakadza 1-0-5-0, Sikandar Raza 1-0-5-0
the time Azhar fell - a soft square cut straight down backward point's lap, which should annoy him - the equation had come down to 60 required off 59. Out come Shoaib Malik - once upon a time a cool finisher - to join Sohail, who Pakistan hope will become a cool finisher to make sure Pakistan cruised through without any dramas. It was an un-Pakistani chase in that it was neither a quick burst nor nervous. It was calm and achieved just what was required.
DE LANGE, UMEED NAMED IN SCOTLAND SQUAD SPORTS DESK
SEPP BLATTER RE-ELECTED AS FIFA PRESIDENT FOR FIFTH TERM SPORTS DESK Despite the chaos and controversy engulfing world football’s governing body, Fifa president Sepp Blatter has secured a fifth term in charge. The 79year-old defeated his rival, the Jordanian Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein, to whoops and cheers from his supporters. Blatter polled 133 votes to Prince Ali’s 73, which would have been enough to take the contest to a potential second round but his 39-year-old challenger withdrew. It could yet prove a pyrrhic victory. Blatter has weathered the storm in the short term but the result leaves him presiding over a split Fifa as he faces the biggest self-inflicted crisis in its 111-year history. “For the next four years I will be in command of this boat called Fifa and we will bring it back ashore, we will bring it back to the beach,” he said, again promising to make this four year term his last. “The age is no problem. You have people that are 50 who look old.” Sepp Blatter gained 133 votes to Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein’s 73 in the first round of voting, not enough to secure a two-thirds majority, but the challenger conceded defeat Prince Ali will claim a moral victory but could only land a glancing blow on the incumbent, who appeared giddy after winning his fifth term as president. “I like you, I like my job and I like to be with you. I’m not perfect, nobody’s perfect,” he said. “Trust and confidence, together we go.” FiFA congress hiT by bomb scAre, buT show goes on: The FIFA congress was hit by a bomb scare with Zurich police confirming that a threat had been made. FIFA is meeting in Zurich to elect its next president, with Sepp Blatter being challenged by Prince Ali of Jordan. Authorities were informed of the threat at around 11am local time, 10am in the UK. Police with dogs searched the area but the congress was permitted to continue. FIFA generalsecretary Jerome Valcke said: "In consultation with FIFA, the local authorities decided as a precaution to search the premises during the lunch break.” Earlier, two pro-Palestinian protestors were ejected from the Congress hall after making their way inside, while a demonstration calling for Israel to be ejected from FIFA continued outside.
All-rounder Con de Lange and 19-year-old batsman Andrew Umeed have been named in Scotland's 13man squad for their Intercontinental Cup fixture against Afghanistan on June 2 in Stirling, which will host its maiden first-class match. De Lange, the 34-year old left-arm spinner, played most of his first-class cricket in South Africa, but is eligible for his first Scotland cap after completing a four-year residency. Umeed's inclusion comes on the heels of his twin half-centuries for Scotland XI in their crushing defeat of UAE. Scotland's squad also features the Durham duo of Calum MacLeod and Gavin Main, while Preston
Mommsen, who scored a hundred against UAE, will lead the side. They will, however, be without the services of Kyle Coetzer, Josh Davey, Matt Machan, Ruaidhri Smith and Rob Taylor. "This is the first step in an exciting opportunity to push our case for Test status," head coach Grant Bradburn said. "We've got an exciting mix of youth and experience in our side and we will be looking to put the opposition under pressure in our home conditions at Stirling, which we know well." Scotland squad: Preston Mommsen (capt), Richie Berrington, Matthew Cross, Freddie Coleman, Con de Lange, Alasdair Evans, Hamish Gardiner, Michael Leask, Calum MacLeod, Gavin Main, Safyaan Sharif, Andrew Umeed, Mark Watt.
ANDRE FLETCHER ARRESTED IN DOMINICA: REPORTS SPORTS DESK West Indies and Windward Islands wicketkeeperbatsman Andre Fletcher has reportedly been arrested at the Douglas Charles airport in Dominica on possession of ammunition, Dominica News Online (DNO) reported on Thursday. According to the news report Fletcher, 27, had been in Dominica practicing with the Windward Islands team and was leaving the country when he was arrested. DNO reported he would appear in court on Friday. Lockhart Sebastian, the Windward Islands manager, said he was aware of the arrest, according to the report. "I will support him, I will not abandon him … that is the job of a manager," he was quoted as saying by DNO. Fletcher, a national of Grenada, has played 15 ODIs and 22 Twenty20 internationals for West Indies; his most recent appearance being in a T20 game against South Africa in Durban in January this year. He has played 60 firstclass matches and was a regular in the Windwards Islands side during the 2014-15 season.
WASIM HOPES PAKISTAN GETS MORE CRICKET SPORTS DESK Legendary paceman Wasim Akram on Friday declared cricket cannot be kept away from Pakistan after watching the passion and successful staging of a limited over series against Zimbabwe – the country's first in six years. The 49-year-old former captain said watching the passion of the fans at Gaddafi Stadium reminded him of his playing days. "It's unbelievable (to watch international cricket here)," said Wasim on the sidelines of second daynight match in Lahore. "That's something which brought back the memories of my playing days," said Wasim who played 104 tests and 356 one-day internationals for Pakistan between 1984-2003. "You can't keep cricket away from Pakistan because the amount of passion and the amount of talent here." Wasim praised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for making the series possible – the first in Pakistan since terrorists attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.
Foreign teams refused to tour Pakistan over security fears and Zimbabwe only agreed to tour the terror-hit country after being promised security arrangements normally reserved for state heads. "It's a great achievement by the PCB and I must thank the Zimbabwe cricket team that they are here and the passion is great with 40 plus degree heat in the middle of the summer and fans had to battle massive security to create this great atmosphere," said Wasim. Cricket starved fans packed the 27 000 capacity stadium in the preceding
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two Twenty20 matches which Pakistan won 2-0 and in the two one-day internationals. Wasim hoped perceptions of other cricket playing countries will change gradually. "This is the first step and slowly and gradually more teams will come. I hope that perceptions will change and I also hope that the cricketing world will take notice who have been lukewarm in praising this series," said Wasim. Wasim hoped the International Cricket Council – who did not not send their officials for this series on security fears – will be positive.
"ICC should have sent their officials but I can imagine that this is the first series and they were worried about the security of their officials, so hopefully when the second team comes here they will be more positive," said Wasim. Wasim said Pakistan cricket suffered badly in the wake of no international cricket for six years. "When I was young I got motivated by watching Allan Border, Malcolm Marshall, Imran Khan and Javed Miandad on these grounds. I used to take the whole round when they used to practice so you get more motivation when you watch them in front of your own eyes. "That was not available to fans and players so they suffered badly." Wasim hoped India revive cricketing ties with Pakistan. "India versus Pakistan should happen, wherever it happens because the beauty of Indo-Pak cricket is unmatchable, no series can match that. "People are starved of Indo-Pak cricket so they are desperately waiting for that." Pakistan are due to host India in the United Arab Emirates in December this year pending New Delhi's clearance.