List of players prepared for Dhaka series

The Pakistan Cricket Board selection committee has prepared the list of 20 players for the three-nation series to be held in Dhaka.

The selection committee will hand over the list of 20 players to the PCB by May 20.

The triangular series will commence from June 8 and the teams from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh will participate in this tournament.

Chief operating officer PCB Shafqat Naghmi said that as most of the team’s players are busy in playing IPL in India, there is no need for holding training camp for the event.

Pakistan v Zimbabwe, 1st ODI, Karachi

Pakistan 347 for 5 (Younis 79, Yousuf 72, Price 2-61) beat
Zimbabwe 243 for 7 (Sibanda 59, Williams 52*, Malik 3-34) by 104 runs


KARACHI: A record five half-centuries in a single innings propelled Pakistan to a thumping 104-run win over Zimbabwe in the first one-day international here.

Skipper Shoaib Malik hit a 56-ball 63 in Pakistan's mammoth total of 347-5 in 50 overs before capturing 3-34 with his off-spin to restrict the tourists to 243-7.
Opener Nasir Jamshed smashed a 48-ball 61 on his debut, while Younis Khan (79), Mohammad Yousuf (72) and Misbah-ul Haq (55 not out) made significant contributions after Pakistan were put into bat at Karachi's National Stadium.

It is the first time in one-day international history that five half-centuries have been scored in an innings and eight in a match.

The total was always beyond Zimbabwe's reach despite a bright start for the tourists, with an opening stand of 47.

Vusi Sibanda (59) and Chamu Chibhabha (52) added 56 for the second wicket but the tourists lost their rhythm against Pakistan's spinners.

Sean Williams was also among the runs, hitting an unbeaten 51, but the asking rate continued to climb and the task proved too much.

Earlier, the foundations for Pakistan's big total were laid by the 18-year-old left-hander Jamshed, who hit six boundaries and three towering sixes during his swashbuckling knock.

Jamshed, who broke into the team on the back of a brilliant 182 against the tourists in a four-day match here last week, made his more experienced partner Salman Butt (four) a mere spectator in a brisk 45-run stand for the first wicket. Jamshed was finally caught off medium-pacer Chibhabha in the 15th over.

Younis and Yousuf then put on 113 for the third wicket to further punish the hapless tourists' attack. Younis hit seven boundaries and a six off 68 balls, while Yousuf's 74-ball knock included five boundaries and a six.

Left-arm spinner Ray Price, who finished with 2-61, dismissed both Younis and Yousuf before Malik and Misbah gave the innings fresh impetus.

Malik, who completed 4,000 one-day runs when he reached 16, put on a brisk 99 runs for the fifth wicket with Misbah. Malik hit two sixes and a four before he became Chibhabha's second wicket.

Misbah hit four boundaries and a six in his 38-ball knock as Pakistan totted up 52 in the last five overs.

Man of The Match: Nasir Jamshed

The second encounter in the five-match series will be played at Hyderabad on Thursday.

Zimbabwe to reach Pakistan on January 12

The touring Zimbabwe squad will arrive in Karachi on January 12 for a five-match ODI series as well as a four-day and a three-day match.

The tour will start with a four-day match from January 14 at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex followed by the three-day match from January 22 at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium. The ODI series starts on January 26 with the first match taking place in Hyderabad before matches at Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad and Sheikhupura.

The last time Pakistan and Zimbabwe met was at Kingston in a World Cup match where Imran Nazir's majestic 160 powered Pakistan to a mammoth win. Zimbabwe last toured Pakistan in September 2004 for a tri-nation ODI tournament, also involving Sri Lanka, when they failed to win a single match.

Fourth ODI, Pakistan Vs India, Gwalior

A glorious exhibition of strokeplay from Sachin Tendulkar put India in the ascendancy as Pakistan struggled to stay afloat in the five-match ODI series. On a pitch where most other batsmen were restricted in their shot-making, Tendulkar played with the fluency and confidence of old, finding gaps with effortless ease as India ate into the target of 256.

To compound Pakistan's problems, Shoaib Akhtar, who bowled with genuine menace for three overs, went off with what looked like a shin injury after completing his fourth. He returned only in the 25th over, by which time India were well past half-way. In his absence, Tendulkar unveiled some stunning drives, including a couple of pushes through the covers off the back foot that brought back memories of the halcyon years.

Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir didn't make much of an impression. Ganguly poked one into the slip cordon off Shoaib, and Gambhir pulled a poor delivery from Rao Iftikhar Anjum straight to Sohail Tanvir at midwicket. That brought Virender Sehwag to the crease, and though he was scratchy early on, Tendulkar's punched drives and measured clips off the pads gave him the time to play himself into form. A chop behind point set the tone, and a withering cover-drive then suggested that Redemption Road wasn't too far away.

And after Shahid Afridi had stemmed the tide for a couple of overs, it was Sehwag that once again unleashed mayhem with a huge six over midwicket. Tendulkar followed suit with three magnificent drives through cover, each timed better than the previous one. For the Pakistani bowlers who have taken a pounding in this series, respite didn't seem to be on the agenda.

50 overs
Pakistan 255 for 6 (Yousuf 99*, Younis 68, Zaheer 2-40)

On a sluggish pitch where unfettered strokeplay was rarely an option, Pakistan were indebted to the old firm of Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan for a competitive total that gave them some hope of squaring the series. Having elected to bat, Pakistan made sedate progress before Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq injected some much needed urgency in the final phase of the innings. Younis had dropped anchor initially with a doughty 68, and there was also a patchy innings from Shoaib Malik after he promoted himself to the opener's slot.

Yousuf's splendid unbeaten 99 - he needed three off the last ball, but could get only two to long-off - was anything but patchy though, with some glorious drives through the covers and a lofted six over midwicket off Harbhajan Singh. As ever, he was immensely strong off the pads, and with Misbah ticking along at a run a ball, the run-rate crept towards five.

India though rarely let things drift. The bowlers, both pace and spin, were fairly accurate, and the fielding a marked improvement on the previous games. Even Sourav Ganguly played his part, with the priceless wicket of Shahid Afridi, slightly unfortunate to be given leg before after being struck just outside the line of off stump.

At that stage, Pakistan were in disarray at 131 for 4, with Younis having looped a return catch to Yuvraj Singh off the leading edge. But Yousuf's ability to find the gaps made the difference as the sluggishness of the early overs was forgotten by the finish.

Malik surely wouldn't have bargained for Salman Butt lasting only two balls. RP Singh, taking the new ball, shaped the ball from leg to middle to trap him plumb in front, 129 short of what he had scored on Sunday. Left to consolidate, he and Younis did it mainly in singles, and even those didn't come along frequently.

It took 14 overs for the 50 to be raised, and there was a moment of controversy as the Indians claimed a catch behind off Younis. Amiesh Saheba made the right decision though, with the ball having bounced just before nestling in MS Dhoni's gloves. Pakistan were just beginning to shed the shackles when Zaheer Khan picked up his 200th ODI wicket. Malik's heave against the line was an ugly one, and it got what it deserved - an inside edge on to the stumps.

With the run-rate still below four after 20 overs, acceleration was required and, though Yousuf signalled his intent with a loft down to long-on off Yuvraj Singh, India refused to loosen the grip. Younis was given a reprieve on 48, when Dhoni missed a tough stumping chance off the pads, and it was left to him and Yousuf to ensure that India would have a tricky target to chase under lights.

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to face-off in tri-series

India's hectic international schedule just got busier, with the Indian board confirming the team's participation in a tri-series in Bangladesh in May 2008, also involving Pakistan. The series is scheduled shortly after the South Africans wind up their tour of India, set to take place after India return from Australia in March.

"We can confirm that India will participate in the series with Bangladesh and Pakistan,"

Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, told.

"The fixtures and dates will be announced in 10-15 days' time."

South Africa were originally set to participate in the series but pulled out, and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had invited Pakistan instead.

"Originally the South African team was to participate in the tri-nation series along with India and Bangladesh,"

Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the BCB's operations chief, told Cricket365.com.

"However, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has pulled out and we have invited the Pakistan Cricket Board to send the team and they have agreed."

The three sides last met in a tri-series in Bangladesh in 1998, with India edging out Pakistan in a best-of-three finals. This series will have the teams playing each other twice in the league stages before the final.

Third ODI, Pakistan Vs India, Kanpur, November 11, 2007

Led by Yuvraj Singh with bat, ball and in the field, India repelled a determined push from Salman Butt to pull off an ultimately comfortable 46-run win at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. Butt's fourth ODI hundred intermittently threatened India's 294 but it was built without solid support and ultimately wasn't enough to prevent them taking a 2-1 series lead.

Yuvraj foiled Pakistan at key moments, first with an intelligent, elegant 77, then with a shining run out amid a gloomy fielding performance and finally with a vital wicket. The interventions were necessary for when Pakistan began the chase, their target appeared a stroll.

Perhaps it is the Kanpur air, but Pakistan's openers prosper here. Two years ago, Shahid Afridi terrorised India; today Butt gave them a fright. It had rained boundaries when India's openers were at the crease earlier, but with Butt, Afridi and Younis Khan there came a monsoon. Afridi set the tone from his first ball and though an ugly swish was his end - Irfan Pathan is on top in this battle of Pathans - the boundaries continued.

It wasn't surprising that Butt was in the mix, for against India, he generally is. He averages 45 against them, as compared to 33 overall and all his hundreds have been against them.

Of his initial strokes, not one would be out of place in a Test and if we're familiar with the wristy flourishes through off, his leg-side play was surprisingly prominent. An early pull wide of mid-on was an appetiser, a punch through midwicket in Zaheer Khan's first over, a grand main course and a clip between the two to bring up his fifty a zesty dessert.

But India soon wised up: Zaheer switched to round the wicket, the off side was tightened and Butt's cover drives made redundant. Boundaries vanished, runs slowed and wickets fell. For all their fielding comedy, India - or rather Yuvraj - managed to pull off a spectacular run out when it mattered, with Mohammad Yousuf being the lazy, familiar victim.

Spinners took over in the 20th over and a wily choke slowly fell into view: spin, bounce, little flight, gaps not easy to pierce, hurried play. Butt struggled against Harbhajan Singh in particular: he hit ten fours in his first fifty, but didn't hit another for 56 balls. Yuvraj bogged Shoaib Malik down first, before dismissing him and in this passage the result was written, though not without another nearly-there innings by Misbah-ul-Haq.

Yuvraj's earlier intervention was as decisive, with a familiar partner in crime. Yuvraj and Dhoni spell trouble for Pakistan for today they put on their fourth century stand against them in seven innings (average 99.8), and like the others, this came when it mattered most and at terrifying pace.

Pakistan had just clawed some momentum back after a poor start. Old men might struggle with early mornings, but Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were as sprightly as a pair of teens after being put in. Ganguly was blessed with a life off the first ball of the match when Kamran Akmal dropped him and it was just the boost he needed.

Duly, the pair punished Pakistan with boundaries. And just when another century stand awaited ODI cricket's greatest opening pair, Pakistan cut their losses along with their pace and brought in Sohail Tanvir. He responded with a wonderful, controlled spell, immediately finding the edge off Tendulkar, who thus fell, for the second match running, to cricket's unluckiest dismissal: caught Akmal.

A few run-light overs later, Ganguly too was gone and suddenly as Gautam Gambhir went, Pakistan strutted with collars upturned. But not for long. Yuvraj was dropped when still nervy, ironically by Butt. Dhoni and Yuvraj then took drinks, took stock and took control. Yuvraj made the first move, a spell of two runs in three overs broken by two sixes, swept and driven off Abdur Rehman. And when fun is to be had, Dhoni doesn't miss out. He matched his deputy next over, though where Yuvraj caressed balls with love, Dhoni fairly bludgeoned two sixes.

Shoaib Akhtar and Afridi were treated as one, clubbed for three boundaries in two overs. Yuvraj was choosier, sweeping Afridi for four to reach fifty and celebrating the next ball with six. Afridi the legspinner is at his peak, but Indian batsmen don't care: two wickets in three games at nearly six an over in this series is in line with a career bowling average of nearly 58 against India.

The pair brought up their century partnership in the 43rd over, and even though Dhoni went immediately after, India were set. Tanvir excelled again at the death, but was alone. Abdur Rehman was hidden for as long as possible, and when he couldn't be hidden any longer, India prospered. His last three overs went for 41, the misery of miseries for Malik being that they were the 45th, 47th and 49th of the innings. Yuvraj and the lower order picked him for sixes as a sniper might a sitting duck. In the final calculation, that period sealed it.

	India v Pakistan
Venue	Modi Stadium, Kanpur on 11th November 2007 (50-over match)
Toss	Pakistan won the toss and decided to field
Result	India won by 46 runs
Umpires	IJ Gould (England), AM Saheba
Third umpire	SL Shastri
Referee	RS Mahanama (Sri Lanka)
Man of the Match	Yuvraj Singh

---

India innings		Runs	Balls	4s	6s
SC Ganguly	b Sohail Tanvir	39	46	4	1
SR Tendulkar	c Kamran Akmal b Sohail Tanvir	29	27	5	-
G Gambhir	b Abdur Rehman	25	49	1	-
Yuvraj Singh	c Misbah-ul-Haq b Abdur Rehman	78	95	4	3
*+MS Dhoni	b Shoaib Akhtar	49	52	4	2
RV Uthappa	b Umar Gul	19	17	1	1
IK Pathan	not out	17	7	-	2
Harbhajan Singh	not out	10	10	-	-
M Kartik	did not bat
Z Khan	did not bat
RP Singh	did not bat
xtras	(6 b, 2 lb, 3 nb, 17 w)	28
Total	(6 wickets, innings closed, 50 overs)	294
Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Tendulkar, 10.4 ov), 2-82 (Ganguly, 14.1 ov), 3-129 (Gambhir, 27.6 ov), 4-229 (Dhoni, 43.1 ov), 5-260 (Yuvraj Singh, 46.3 ov), 6-265 (Uthappa, 47.2 ov)

Pakistan bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
Shoaib Akhtar	10	1	41	1	4	2
Umar Gul	10	0	70	1	2	1
Sohail Tanvir	10	1	26	2	1	-
Shahid Afridi	7	0	57	0	2	-
Shoaib Malik	6	1	34	0	2	-
Abdur Rehman	7	0	58	2	2	-

---

Pakistan innings		Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Salman Butt	lbw b Harbhajan Singh	129	142	17	-
Shahid Afridi	b Pathan	12	7	2	-
Younis Khan	b RP Singh	21	21	4	-
Mohammad Yousuf	run out (Yuvraj Singh)	16	24	2	-
*Shoaib Malik	lbw b Yuvraj Singh	12	32	2	-
Misbah-ul-Haq	b Kartik	38	47	2	-
+Kamran Akmal	c Harbhajan Singh b RP Singh	2	2	-	-
Sohail Tanvir	run out (RP Singh)	0	0	-	-
Abdur Rehman	b RP Singh	2	5	-	-
Shoaib Akhtar	c sub (RG Sharma) b Khan	1	2	-	-
Umar Gul	not out	2	2	-	-
Extras	(1 lb, 12 w)	13
Total	(all out, 47.2 overs)	248
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Shahid Afridi, 3.2 ov), 2-72 (Younis Khan, 8.6 ov), 3-104 (Mohammad Yousuf, 17.4 ov), 4-134 (Shoaib Malik, 27.3 ov), 5-214 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 41.6 ov), 6-226 (Kamran Akmal, 43.4 ov), 7-231 (Sohail Tanvir, 43.6 ov), 8-244 (Abdur Rehman, 45.6 ov), 9-246 (Salman Butt, 46.5 ov), 10-248 (Shoaib Akhtar, 47.2 ov)

India bowling	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	Wides	No-Balls
RP Singh	8	1	62	3	1	-
Pathan	10	0	61	1	1	-
Khan	7.2	2	25	1	1	-
Harbhajan Singh	10	0	32	1	3	-
Kartik	6	0	38	1	1	-
Yuvraj Singh	5	0	18	1	1	-
Tendulkar	1	0	11	0	-	-

Second ODI, Pakistan Vs India, in Photo Index

2nd ODI, Pakistan Vs India, Mohali, November 8, 2007.
Pakistan won by 4 wickets, leveling the series 1-1

Pakistan v South Africa, 5th ODI, Lahore

Protease snatch victory from jaws of defeat to win series against Pakistan

LAHORE: South Africa defeated Pakistan by 14 runs in a thrilling finish when Pakistan collapsed from 199 for five to 219 all out in 46.3 overs in the in the fifth and the final One-day International here at the Gaddafi Stadium today.

They also won the five-match series against Pakistan 3-2.

Winning the toss, South Africa made 233 runs for nine wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Their most in-form batsman Jacques Kallis was the top-scorer with 86 while Herschelle Gibbs scored 54 and Jean-Paul Duminy made 44.

The most successful bowler from Pakistan was pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who is playing an international match after 14 months. The fast bowler captured four wickets while pacer Rao Iftikhar Anjum claimed three wickets. Sohail Tanveer and Shoaib Malik took one wicket each.

In reply, Pakistan’s top and middle order batsmen played well, particularly, Younus Khan and Muhammad Yousuf through their 106-run third wicket stand put Pakistan on the path of victory. They scored 58 and 53, respectively.

Later, captain Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq carried the score to 199 but then the wickets began to fall and within 20 runs they were all out to give the Protease an unbelievable win in the match and the series.

From South Africa, pacers Albie Morkeel and Makhaya Ntini grabbed four wickets each.

Ntini was adjudged the man-of-the-match while Muhammad Yousuf of Pakistan was declared the-man-of-the-series.

Pakistan v South Africa, 4th ODI, Multan

A clinical South Africa levelled the five-match series 2-2 with a seven-wicket win over Pakistan in Multan. The visitors boosted their chances of a comeback by restricting Pakistan to 230 after the hosts decided to bat on a flat surface.

Following that, Shaun Pollock and Graeme Smith effortlessly outclassed the opposition with a match-winning 159-run stand after Herschelle Gibbs got the ball rolling. Pakistan failed to really fire with the bat and they completely fizzled in the field, putting all the pressure on themselves going into the final ODI in Lahore.

The home side was put under the kosh by Gibbs, who exploited the Powerplays by using his feet against the pace bowlers to get width and elevation. Inside six overs the field was scattered - fine leg was in, mid-on up, a man square out on the off-side boundary - but Gibbs continued to make it look easy in the middle with 39 from 35 balls. A flustered Shoaib Malik called Shahid Afridi in the second Powerplay and the in-form man - enjoying an exceptional 2007 with bat and ball - - got Gibbs first ball courtesy Billy Bowden's error in judgment. The ball, fast and sliding down leg stump, caught Gibbs on the knee roll as he hopped up. Replays showed it would have missed leg stump.

If Pakistan thought they had made a breakthrough, they were to be sorely disappointed. As Mickey Arthur, South Africa's coach, suggested the day before, Pollock was promoted because of his ability to play spin well and score quickly. And that's what he did, cutting Afridi for repeated fours and sweeping Abdur Rehman's left-arm spin to minimise the spinners' effect. It didn't help Pakistan's cause that the ball didn't turn much, but Pollock rose to the occasion, hitting his 13th ODI half-century without any fuss.

There was simply no pressure on him. He found the gaps almost every time he played a shot but what stood out was his ability to pick up boundaries. Mohammad Asif returned for a second spell and was whipped off the pads before being driven through cover; then Pollock pulled him for four more. After dropping Smith and giving him his umpteenth life of the series, Umar Gul returned just to be slapped for four and six in successive balls by Pollock. With 12 to win and 14 for a hundred, Pollock holed out to long-off for 90 from 84 balls but there was little remorse as he walked off.

Smith, meanwhile, had been confident pushing off the front foot into the gaps as Pakistan's body language slumped. He struggled to sweep but was fluent when offered width. Smith only had seven boundaries in his 81 but it hardly mattered as he supported Pollock and held up one end.

Like he has all series, Smith grafted but with South Africa only chasing a moderate total his approach worked like a charm on an easy batting track. He fell with just three to win and fiercely admonished himself with his choice of shot, but South Africa wouldn't have complained. In a see-saw first half, a watchful partnership of 91 between Younis Khan and Malik lifted Pakistan from a precarious 38 for 3 before Andre Nel's double-strike brought the visitors back into the game.

Younis was forced to buckle down right from the start, after Afridi miscued his first delivery against Makhaya Ntini to a back-pedalling Andre Nel at mid-on for 0. Yasir Hameed's first aggressive shot, in the ninth over, was intercepted by a diving Gibbs at midwicket and Mohammad Yousuf's slowness resulted in his first failure of the series, as he was run out for the 35th time in his career.

Younis mostly waited, watched, nudged and steered, and at times preferred walking across and flicking the pace bowlers across the line as he chugged along to his first fifty of the series. While Younis used his feet and hit Johan Botha for six over long-on, Malik also ticked along to raise the run-rate to four an over. After inside-edging Botha onto his boot early in his innings, Malik settled down, dropping the wrists or tucking off his pads for singles. When Jacques Kallis was thrown the ball in the 32nd over Malik checked a drive to mid-off, falling for a 54-ball 45.

South Africa kicked down that window of opportunity, with Nel picking up Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq in the 38th over, both to loose shots. Kamran Akmal and Rehman then pushed Pakistan over 200 with some aggressive but chancy strokes in a 60-run seventh-wicket stand. South Africa aren't ranked No. 2 in the world for nothing, and they came out in ruthless fashion. Their aspirations of maintaining their record of never having lost a bilateral ODI series against Pakistan just got a whole lot easier.