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Monday, 10 september, 2012
murray blows away berdych to reach open final Page 17
PAKISTAN EYE CLEAN SWEEP DUBAI
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Agencies
ORMeR champions Pakistan would be looking to give their World Twenty20 preparations another shot in the arm on Monday (tomorrow) by whitewashing Australia in their three-match Twenty20 International series. Pakistan have already achieved an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with a thrilling victory in Super over on Friday night and now look set to complete the rout against the Aussies, who have slumped to tenth in the T20 International rankings following their back-toback losses. Captained by allrounder Mohammad hafeez, Pakistan are already regarded by many as one of the title favourites at the ICC World Twenty20 Championship which will be held in Sri Lanka from September 18. Their emphatic series triumph in Dubai has further consolidated Pakistan’s status as one of the main title contenders for the world T20 crown. And now hafeez and Co are looking to complete the job by conquering the
broad ponders england's net gains MANCHESTER AFP
england captain Stuart Broad admits there is no point in demanding his players take part in extra practice sessions after their crushing Twenty20 defeat against South Africa. Broad's side were beaten by seven wickets in Durham on Saturday and have litle time to recover before facing the South Africans again in the second game of the three-match T20 series in Manchester on Monday. With the end of a long, gruelling international campaign in sight, Broad doesn't believes there is any extra value to be gained from putting his players through their paces in compulsory net sessions before the Old Trafford clash. Instead, he believes it could be just as valuable to have time to recharge mentally and physically, especially since england will head off for the defence of their World Twenty20 crown less than 24 hours after Wednesday's final T20 showdown with the Proteas in Birmingham. "It's a tricky time of year," Broad said. "You don't want to be netting all the time, because we've had quite a long cricket season; you've got to actually manage your time well. "Whether going to the nets and doing certain things is the best thing to do, we'll have a discussion about; or whether getting away and actually having a think about what we do (is better)." Broad knows england's poor batting in their last two limited-overs matches, which both ended in defeat against South Africa, must improve. Ravi Bopara's struggles have been most notable, but a succession of his team-mates got out to poor shots, or poor judgement. Yet Board will leave it to individuals how best to turn things round. "The boys have hit a lot of balls this summer," he said. "Maybe this was a mental switch-on, to someone batting through and taking responsibility. "Whether hitting more balls is a good option, we'll have a look."
Aussies in the final game of the series. Pakistan’s series triumph has helped them jump to number four in the Twenty20 International rankings which hafeez believes is a good sign for them ahead of the T20 World Cup.
hafeez said the series victory will give his team more confidence. “It’s a great sign as captain. I am happy in the way players are responding to me as captain. everyone is confident and this is a great sign for the team
ahead of the World Twenty20,” said hafeez after Friday night’s win. “As captain I feel very proud of my team and I hope from here on they will continue also in the mega event,” said hafeez of the World Twenty20 in which Pakistan are in Group D along with New Zealand and Bangladesh. hafeez said allrounder Shahid Afridi was doubtful for the third and final match after injuring his left hand during Pakistan’s 2-1 defeat in the preceding one-day series. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal also hurt his shoulder on Friday but will be fit for Monday’s final match, said hafeez. The skipper was pleased with the way his team fought for victory in the second game. “It was an exciting finish,” said hafeez. “It was tense, but you know Twenty20 cricket can bring such tense moments. In the end I am happy that we won, even though it was in the Super over. I think we fought well in the 40 overs.” Australia captain George Bailey was disappointed at the loss. “It was exciting finish. I think our bowling was good but we couldn’t finish that game well,” said Bailey.
england star anderson slams former skipper Vaughan LONDON AFP
england pace bowler James Anderson has launched a scathing attack on the captaincy of Michael Vaughan, who led his country's successful bid to regain the Ashes in 2005. Vaughan was widely regarded as a fine leader after revitalising england in the run-up to their first Test series win over old rivals Australia in 18 years. But Anderson, who didn't feature in the 2005 Ashes after losing his place in the england team, claims Vaughan lacked the ability to talk to his players as individuals and left him feeling "alone and isolated" when he needed support. Writing in his autobiography, an excerpt of which was published in the Mail on Sunday, the 30-year-old, who is now a key member of the england bowling attack, talked about his relationships with Vaughan and Nasser hussain, another former national
team captain. "My relationship with Nasser was good on and off the field. The same could be said of my relationship with Michael Vaughan, captain during my early england years, since his retirement. Unfortunately, despite our cordiality now, I didn't enjoy Vaughan as a captain," Anderson said. "As a young fast bowler, you need to know that your captain has his arm around your shoulder, if not physically, then metaphorically. "Unfortunately, that is not something I ever felt playing under Vaughan. I actually felt alone and isolated when I most needed support. "Prime example of that was my recall for the fourth Test against South Africa at the Wanderers in 2005. "I had spent the first three Tests on tour out of favour. My tour was one big net, and because I had been so far removed from selection, I wasn't even thinking about playing. "When preferred to Simon Jones, I was underprepared. It was five
months since my last first-class action. I didn't bowl very well. "Although I started okay as first change, it wasn't long before I began dragging the ball down short and wide. I got clattered everywhere and was soon shot of confidence. "Vaughan asked: 'What's up, mate? Radar gone?' "'Yeah, I think it has,' I said, desperate for some backing. All I received was a pat between the shoulder blades and an instruction to 'keep going'." Anderson believes Vaughan's failure to communicate well was largely ignored because he was in charge of so many good players that the team's results kept the spotlight off the captain. "A good captain should know how to talk to his team as individuals. I don't think Vaughan ever had that in him - a major reason I've not held him in as high regard as others have," Anderson added. "he was not as good a captain as others made out. he was captain of a truly great team in 2005."
de Villiers says Proteas on course for world t20 CHESTER-LE-STREET AFP
South Africa captain AB de Villiers said his side's three-wicket win over reigning champions england was an encouraging sign ahead of this month's World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. On a generally slow Chester-le-Street pitch taking turn -- the kind of surface that may well confront them in the global tournament -- South Africa restricted england to 118 for seven. Spinners Johan Botha and Robin Peterson took four wickets between them, as South Africa provided the latest evidence they are no longer solely reliant on pace bowling. But Dale Steyn, arguably the world's best fast bowler, was named man-of-thematch for a return of one for 13 in four overs -- all bowled in one-over spells. Saturday's win saw South Africa, the world's top-ranked Twenty20 side, take a 1-0 lead in a three-match series ahead of Monday's clash in Manchester. De Villiers, asked if victory boded well for the team's World Twenty20 chances, replied: "Definitely, it's very similar to what we are expecting. "There was a little bit of turn, it was quite slowish. It was really good preparation. The bowlers had really clear plans and I'm proud of the way they came out. They made my job really easy out there." South Africa, who failed to make the semi-finals when england won the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean two years ago, then suffered a top order collapse as they slumped to 29 for three. But an unbroken stand of 90 in 91 deliveries between veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis (48 not out) and JP Duminy (47 not out) saw the Proteas home with an over to spare. Kallis was returning after being rested from the preceding drawn one-day series between the two countries and an admiring de Villiers said of the world-class allrounder: "Jacques, coming back from a bit of a break, made it look really easy, with JP obviously really playing well at the other end. "It's great to have Jacques back -- he obviously offers something with the ball and I think he bowled really well today again." Steyn, explaining his approach to bowling in 'micro spells, said: "I spoke to AB briefly about how he wanted to use me. "The thing is it's only six balls, you've got to be sure what lines and lengths you are going to bowl to, what fields you are going to bowl to and then you've just got to make sure you hit your straps. "Just straight lines today was the key thing. It was quite difficult for batters to hit over the top," Steyn explained. "There weren't a lot of big hits that went for six or one-bounce four.
Whatmore happy with Pakistan's Twenty20 progress DUBAI AFP
Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Sunday said he was happy with the team's progress in the shortest format of the game ahead of this month's World Twenty20, saying the team was responding well. Pakistan pulled off a sensational super over win against Australia in the second Twenty20 here on Friday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with the final match also in Dubai on Monday. Whatmore said it was good to have wins on the board. "I am very much delighted," Whatmore told reporters. "We can't do any more than to win two out of two, it was an exciting finish but it's good to have the experience of the super over leading up to the World Twenty20." The 58-year-old former Australian
batsman said his team responded well after losing the preceding one-day series 2-1. "We played consistent cricket and the players have responded well after the ODIs because there was just one day in between the change of the format," said Whatmore, who took over in March this year. "There is a very strong bond between the players, that's very good and they support each other and are ready to play for each other and for the country," said Whatmore, who also coached Sri Lanka to the 1996 World Cup title. Whatmore said he was sure of the team's combination for the World Twenty20, where Pakistan is in Group D along with Bangladesh and New Zealand. "I am sure of the combination. We certainly need to know the conditions in Kandy where our first two matches are to pick the best combination. We don't have easy opponents because we think all the teams
are tough," said Whatmore. Whatmore hinted Pakistan might not risk Shahid Afridi on Monday after the allrounder injured his left hand in the third one-day but was confident off-spinner Saeed Ajmal will recover from a shoulder problem. Australian batsman Cameron White said his team was preparing well for the World Twenty20 despite dropping in the rankings below Ireland. "The bigger picture from the preparation point of view is that we are experiencing tough conditions and similar conditions to what we are going to experience in Sri Lanka," said White, former Twenty20 captain. "Obviously we have not been winning, but we have made great steps from the first game to the second and I think we are heading in the right direction. From a prepration point of view it is fantastic," said White.