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It’s no secret that I like having seasoned players freshened up with a sprinkling of youth.– Phil Simmons
IN Icc RaNkING
lAhoRe: Somerset have signed Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat as their second overseas player for this season’s Twenty20 campaign. The 31-year-old all-rounder has had similar spells with Lancashire, Sussex, Kent and Surrey. In T20, Arafat has a batting average of 14.70 from his 150 matches and has claimed 183 wickets at 22.03. “He’s a front line bowler with specific T20 skills and has proven results in all parts of the world,” said director of cricket Dave Nosworthy. “It has been a long process to find an ideal and available player who could remain with us for the entire competition and create the right impact.” Alviro Petersen became Somerset’s first overseas signing in April and the South African is available in all formats. The Taunton outfit begin their FL t20 campaign with a home match against Gloucestershire on Friday, 5 July. STAFF REPORT
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Tuesday, 25 June, 2013
LAHORE STAFF REPORT
lAhoRe: Pakistan maintained its sixth spot in the latest One-Day International ranking of International Cricket Council (ICC) released on Monday despite their dismal showing in the Champions Trophy. India’s triumphant run in the Champions Trophy 2013 has helped it strengthen its position as the numberone ranked team in the ODI Championship table. India entered the tournament on 119 ratings points and has moved to 123 thanks to its victories over South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan in the group stage, followed by wins over Sri Lanka in the semi-final and host England in the final. India now has a lead of 10 ratings points over its nearest rival, England, which is currently on 113, level with third-placed Australia. But Alastair Cook’s side is ranked above Michael Clarke’s team by a fraction of a point. South Africa continues to be ranked fourth with a loss of one ratings points (111) following its loss in the semi-final to England. Sri Lanka is still at fifth but has also lost one ratings point to finish at 108. India’s Ravindra Jadeja made all-round gains in the latest ODI Player Rankings, a day after India beat England by five runs in the final of Champions Trophy. Jadeja, who made an unbeaten 33 and picked two for 24 in the final, was named Man of the Match. His haul of 12 wickets in the tournament also made him the highest wicket-taker, fetching him the Golden Ball trophy. Jadeja’s efforts helped him move up a place to a career-best third in the latest ODI Player Rankings for Bowlers. Jadeja also moved up three places to 52nd in the batting table. His combined effort with the bat and ball helped him move up a place to a best-ever third in the latest all-rounders’ rankings. STAFF REPORT
someRseT foR T20
SPoRTS
PCB prepares for cricket series on neutral soil
PaKiSTan MainTain 6TH SPoT
aRaFaT JoinS
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HE Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday announced the holding of the next two cricket series at neutral venues and invited bids to host South Africa and Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates. Officials had been reluctant to announce their next two series from October-January, instead hoping they could convince visiting teams to tour Pakistan, a country hard hit by Taliban and AlQaeda-linked violence. Pakistan has been forced to play at neutral venues since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in March 2009, suspending international cricket in the country. On Saturday, 10 foreign climbers were killed by gunmen
AMIR’S ISSUE TO BE RAISED AT ICC MEETING lAhoRe: The Pakistan Cricket Board will ask the International Cricket Council to reconsider the five-year ban on young fast bowler Mohammad Amir for spot-fixing. The interim chairman of the PCB is scheduled to attend the ICC board meeting in England later this week where he plans to raise the issue of Amir’s ban. He said: “Amir is a great star ... I will try to make the ICC understand that Amir is a young cricketer, he has already served two, two-and-a-half years of his ban.” Amir is banned until September 2015 for bowling deliberate no-balls during a test match against England in 2010. The leftarm fast bowler pleaded guilty and did not appeal against the ban. Appeals by his teammates Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt were rejected by Court of Arbitration for Sport. STAF F REPO RT
in the Himalayas, the worst attack on foreigners for a decade and an incident that has further inflamed the country’s
CouRT ConvICTS PoA
reputation for insecurity. The Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday took out an advertisement in a local
newspaper, inviting bids to sponsor two series, now confirmed for the UAE. “The two series will be played in the UAE as we have started our preparations,” a PCB official confirmed, refusing to be named. Pakistan play two Tests, five one-day and three Twenty20 internationals against South Africa in October-November before returning to play three Tests, five one-day and two T20s against Sri Lanka in DecemberJanuary. Pakistan was already a “no go” area for many international teams even before the Sri Lankan attacks as security fears grew after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Those attacks paved the way to the US-led invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan, a subsequent Taliban insurgency, a series of backlash attacks in Pakistan and since 2007, Pakistan’s own domestic Taliban insurgency. Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998, citing serious threats to their players.
TanviR SignS uP a
InTERIM CoMMITTEE HEAd
one-game deal
lAhoRe: the honourable District Judge, West, islamabad has upheld the orders of the honourable civil Judge, islamabad, denying the so-called illegal interim committee any relief, declaring that the committee had no legal standing whatsoever. the verdict, delivered on June 11, 2013, has been issued on the appeal of one Asif Bajwa, who is impersonating himself as the chairman of the socalled interim committee. the excerpts of the last paragraph (8) of the verdict (copy attached) clearly state: “i am of the opinion that the impugned order, judgment of the learned trial court are eminently reasonable and proceeds on cogent grounds to which no exception can be taken. STAFF REPORT
peteRBoRouGh: Peterborough Town are trying to sign Pakistani Test bowler Tanvir Ahmed ahead of Saturday’s (June 29) big Northants Premier Division clash with league leaders Finedon at Bretton Gate. The city side are without regular professional Paul McMahon who is on best man duties at a wedding so they’ve turned their attention to Tanvir, who fulfilled a month of a season-long contract at Bretton Gate in 2010 before leaving after winning his first call-up to the Pakistan Test squad. Tanvir has subsequently made five Test appearances for Pakistan and taken 17 wickets. He took 6-120 on debut in South Africa when his victims included Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis. His last Test appearance took place in February of this year, again against South Africa when he dismissed AB De Villiers. AGEnCiES
THE INVESTEC ASHES 2013
loPSided auSTRalia in SeaRCh oF balanCe SPORTS DESK Were Australia’s selectors to be required to choose their XI for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge today, and be compelled to do so purely on accomplishment and current form, they would include at least six bowlers, one wicketkeeper and, at most, four batsmen. As the tour proper begins in Taunton after the abortive Champions Trophy campaign and the shadow-boxing of Australia A, the imbalance in the visitors’ resources is that stark. John Inverarity and his panel do have the good fortune of another two weeks and two four-day matches to assess the suitability of their players for the task to confront them in Nottingham. But it cannot be ignored that at the same time they are thinking about narrowing down their pace bowling options, there is an equally urgent need to expand the number of batsmen in a confident mood. So it is that the training and tour matches to come against Somerset and Worcestershire are eagerly awaited, for the clarity they should provide in addition to match practice. In the case of the bowlers, it will be a question of who stands tallest in their chosen fixtures. Regarding the
FINAL CHOKE WON’T AFFECT ASHES: COOK BiRMiNGhAM: England captain Alastair Cook voiced confidence that his side can banish the pain of their Champions Trophy final loss to India by the time they begin the defence of the Ashes. England, still to win a global one-day international title after what was their fifth defeat in a final, were 110 for four come the 18th over at Edgbaston on Sunday chasing 130 after World Cup holders India made 129 for seven in a match reduced by rain from 50 to 20 overs per side. But Ishant Sharma took two wickets
batsmen it is likely to be more a matter of who is left standing, either through solid form or perhaps, in the case of the captain Michael Clarke, merely the appearance of stability after another episode in a painful and damaging saga of back complaints. Inverarity has revealed something of his plan for running the squad through the county matches. Of the six available pace bowlers, three will play at Taunton and the
in two balls to remove Eoin Morgan (33) and Ravi Bopara (30) after they had rescued England from the depths of 46 for four with a stand of 64. That started a collapse that saw four wickets lost for three runs in eight balls, with tailender James Tredwell unable to hit the six off the final delivery of the match that would have given England victory. However, while Cook – who said Sunday’s match was his worst day as England captain, is set to feature in the Ashes the likes of Morgan and Bopara are not Test
rest will charge in at Worcester. Among seven available batsmen, five will play in each fixture, and two will have a match each. This leaves the sixth place in the order open to most conjecture, and it may yet be filled by any one of Usman Khawaja, Shane Watson, David Warner, Steve Smith, or even Brad Haddin, should the bold option of four bowlers plus Faulkner be entertained. “Plenty of runs and plenty of wickets
regulars. Meanwhile star batsman Kevin Pietersen, who missed the Champions Trophy with a knee injury, was on course to return in the first Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on July 10 after marking his comeback Sunday with 177 not out for Surrey in a County Championship match away to Yorkshire. Before the Ashes start, England also have a warm-up fixture against Essex – Cook’s county – and the captain said: “Yeah, I think, clearly it will take a couple of days. AGEnCiES
in regards to the four-dayers, and then plenty of training and the guys getting accustomed to being in England,” Clarke said of his priorities for the two warm-up weeks. “A lot of the guys haven’t been in England, especially some playing in the Champions Trophy, so I’m really excited, I’m looking forward to the guys getting together on Monday and we start our preparation for that first Test match.”
Having played against Gloucestershire for Australia A, Ryan Harris has expressed his desire to don the creams against Somerset, and then rest up ahead of Nottingham. James Pattinson and Peter Siddle may join him after sitting out in Bristol, leaving Jackson Bird, Mitchell Starc and Faulkner to swing into the final lead-up match. The variables of their preparations, bowling styles and levels of maturity will all be considered carefully. For Harris, the thought of another match to regather his rhythm after an Achilles problem is welcome indeed, even if his body creaked with the soreness of most 33-year-old athletes after a sound five-wicket match haul was banked in Bristol. There was the admission of a few indifferent spells in among the incisive ones, especially at the start of Gloucestershire’s second innings after Australia A were razed for 111. Bowling again so soon, Harris admitted he had attempted to fight fire with fire when, as Gideon Haigh once noted, it is generally best to fight it with water. “I don’t know if it was warming up well enough or not ... but I think the other thing was we bowled well in the first innings with patience,” Harris said.