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Wednesday, 20 June, 2012
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Need to start Test series afresh: Misbah LAHORE
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OOKING forward to the upcoming Test series, Pakistani skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq, wants his side to forget about the disappointment suffered during the recently concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka, where his side was defeated by a 3-1 margin. According to a website, the Men in Green have endured a patchy time on their travels to the Lankan Island where they came unstuck against a resolute host. While their record going into the tour was impressive, and the early signs depicted that, their inability to shore up their batting and fielding eventually cost them dearly. After losing the opening match of the tour, T20, the visitors fought back to draw the series, courtesy of an all-round performance by Shahid Afridi. The limited-overs series began promisingly, owing to the team’s bowlers, who kept the Lankans to a minimal score. However, their batting frailties flared up in the recent matches, which eventually saw the local side take a 2-1 lead after four matches (third ODI was a washed out affair). Going into the final onedayer, the tourist’s batters showed significant improvement but were undone by some lacklustre fielding display, which were duly capitalized upon by a resurgent Lankan side, headed by Mahela Jayawardene. With the focus now shifting on the Test series, which begins at Galle on June 22, Misbah was keen to move on from the ODI debacles. The Green Shirts have an impressive record in the longer version over the past 12 months, where they have defeated the likes of Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and most recently England, the no.1 ranked Test side in the world, whom they inflicted a 3-0 whitewash at UAE. Their last Test series’ defeat came
wasim ready to train young Pakistani fast bowlers LAHORE
ICC suspends Misbah from Galle Test on over-rate offence LAHORE sTaff reporT
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has been suspended from this week’s Galle Test after his side was found guilty of a serious over-rate offence during the fifth and last ODI against Sri Lanka at R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday. The Pakistan side was ruled to be three overs short of its target at the end of the match when time allowances were taken into consideration. As this was Pakistan’s first serious over-rate offence in the past 12 months, Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees handed Misbah two suspension points while each of his players received a 40-per-cent fine (10 per cent for each of the first two overs and 20 per cent for the additional over), as required by Appendix 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which deals with minimum over rate requirements, calculations, reporting, disciplinary process and sanctions. According to Articles 7.4.1 and 7.5.3 of the Code, the imposition of two suspension points means that Misbah will now miss Pakistan’s first Test against Sri Lanka which starts in Galle from Friday, since such suspension points are to be applied to the subsequent international matches in which Misbah is most likely to participate on a chronological basis immediately following the announcement of the decision. The offence is contrary to Article
2.5.2 of the Code which relates to serious over-rate offences only and reads: “where the actual over rate in any Test Match or any other International Match of at least four days in duration is more than five overs short of the Minimum Over Rate, or, in any One Day International Match, Twenty20 International Match or any
other International Match of fifty (50) or twenty (20) overs per side, is more than two overs short of the Minimum Over Rate, such an offence shall be considered a ‘Serious Over Rate Offence’.” The charge was laid by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and the home country umpire Ranmore Martinesz, both from
the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires, as well as third umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge and fourth umpire Nilan de Silva. Misbah pleaded guilty to the charge and the subsequent penalties were accepted without the need for a formal hearing.
back in 2010, where they lost away to England, suffering a 3-1 drubbing. Having squandered the opportunities so far,
the upcoming bouts will give the visitors a final chance to ensure that they don’t return home empty handed.
"We need to forget about the onedayers and start afresh. We have done well in Test matches in the last two years.
We need to recall those performances and start afresh," said the skipper after the final ODI game.
We handled pressure better in series: jayawardene
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Colombo
Legendary fast bowler, Wasim Akram, has expressed that he is always ready to help the young fast bowlers of his country, if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) invites him properly. The 46-year-old is considered to be one of the greatest left-arm fast bowlers to have played the game as he has more than nine hundred wickets at the ultimate level of the sport. Earlier this month, former Pakistan captain and PCB’s Director of International Cricket, Intikhab Alam, expressed in the media that the board is interested in acquiring the services of the great bowler for a camp for young and upcoming cricketers, which is scheduled to be held later this month in Lahore. "We hope Wasim will take out some time to mentor the talent as his experience will be very helpful," Alam had said. Akram, however, claims that he has not been contacted by anyone in the PCB as yet but said that he would love to help out the Pakistani youngsters. The former Pakistan captain works for an international sports channel and is also the bowling coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, which won the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This is the reason why Wasim wants PCB to cooperate with him while scheduling the event, so that his other commitments are not hurt. "I have no idea as no one has contacted me from the PCB yet. I’m ready if properly invited. I’d love to work with young talent. I think I can be really helpful but the PCB has to ask me first so that I can work around my schedule," the legendary fast bowler expressed.
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Sri Lanka's first series triumph in 15 months was a credit to its ability to handle pressure against Pakistan, said captain Mahela Jayawardene. Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by two wickets on Monday to wrap up the five-match one-day international series 3-1 with one game abandoned due to rain. The series win was Sri Lanka's first win since beating West Indies at home in February 2011. Sri Lanka came from behind to win this series, which seemed sure to be Pakistan's in the final game at Premadasa Stadium where the home side was 138-6 and requiring 110 runs to win off 94 deliveries. That's when Angelo Mathews showed composure to lead Sri Lanka over the line. Continue reading below In the fourth ODI on Saturday, Pakistan was 166-2 and required 78 runs from 75 balls, but collapsed losing seven wickets for 13 runs to concede a 2-1 series lead to Sri Lanka. Man of the series Thisara Perera starred with a hat trick. "We knew we would be put under pressure and I thought throughout the series, all the guys showed a lot of composure in handling situations. That probably was the difference in the series. The way we handled tough situations than Pakistan was better. Our fielding standards were much
Sri lanka include mendis in test squad COLOMBO aGenCies
Sri Lanka's cricket selectors included uncapped all-rounder Jeevan Mendis in the 15-man squad to play the first Test against Pakistan starting this weekend. The 29-year-old Mendis has appeared in 20 ODIs and Twenty20 games but is unlikely to make the final XI as the spin department appears to be firmly booked by Rangana Herath and Suraj Randiv. Thisara Perera, after his heroics in the one-day series where he became the fourth Sri Lankan bowler to achieve an ODI hat-trick, may still find himself left out of the final XI . The first Test starts in the southern port town of Galle on June 22. SquAD: Mahela Jayawardene (c), Angelo Mathews (v-c), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Parnavithana, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Chanaka Welagedara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Thisara Perera, Jeevan Mendis. better as well and I am proud about that," Jayawardene said. In contrast, Pakistan was sloppy in the field in the fifth ODI, dropping two catches, and missing two run outs, plus there were numerous misfields. "Again there were too many fielding lapses and in my opinion this was the difference. Throughout the series our fielding has hurt us," Pakistan captain Misbah-ulHaq said. Jayawardene was pleased to end Sri Lanka's dismal run over a 15-month period in which the team suffered four bilateral ODI series losses, lost in the World Cup final, failed to qualify for the
Asia Cup final, and lost the finals of the Australian tri-series. In that period, Sri Lanka also lost four straight test series. "We had a big challenge against a good side. We worked hard in winning this series," Jayawardene said. "As a captain I am very pleased and we need to move forward from what we have learned. This win means a lot for the team and the country. We have played good cricket and there has been a lot of hard work put in and hopefully we will keep improving and be consistent in all forms of the game," added the captain. The first of three tests with Pakistan starts on Friday in Galle.
damien duff becomes centurion S.PERVEZ QAISER Damien Duff became Ireland's fifth and 234th player overall to complete a century of international soccer matches. The European Cup match between Ireland and Italy at Municipal Sradium. Poznan, Poland on Monday (June 18) was 100th international match for the Fulham winger. Damien Anthony Duff who made his international debut against the Czech Republic on March 25,1998 took 14 years and 86 days to complete the century of international football matches. The 33-year old winger also led Ireland for the first time in his 100th international match. Ireland Manager Giovanni Trapattoni said that usual skipper Robbie Keane has asked for the wide midfielder to lead out the side against Italy. The Fulham FC player has scored eight goals in his 100 games for Ireland, who finish their EURO 2012 campaign with a 0-2 defeat. Damien Duff – a hurler, a jockey and a rugby player. Then again, the Fulham FC winger has done so throughout his career. The winner of two Premier League titles and as many League Cups, his consistent standards reflect the fact that he has appeared in the English top flight for all bar one of his seasons as a professional. Shay Given (125 matches), Robbie Keane (120 matches), Kevin Kilbane (110 matches), Steve Staunton (102 matches) are the other Ireland players to complete a century of international football matches before Damien Duff who was born on March 2,1979 at Ballyboden, Ireland 100 or More MaTCHes for irelanD player period Matches Goals Shay given 1996-2012 125 robbie Keane 1998-2012 120 53 Kevin Kilbane 1997-2012 110 8 Steve Staunton 1988-2002 102 8 damien duff 1998-2012 100 8