Pakistan XI outplays World XI by 9 wickets in ICL

The ICL Pakistan XI outplayed the ICL World XI by nine wickets in their first match of the ICL triangular tournament here at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium on Thursday.

Set a rather easy target of 131, the Pakistani openers gave a sound start of 119 runs off 16.1 overs.

Imran Nazir departed after scoring a magnificent 69 off 62 balls with nine fours and one six, his team needed just 12 runs in 23 balls which Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat got in just eight balls.

Abdul Razzaq remained unbeaten at 55 which he made off 42 deliveries with three sixes and the same number of fours.

Imran Nazir was declared the man-of-the-match.

Earlier, the ICL World XI won the toss and elected to bat but could not make any big score and were restricted by Inzamam-ul-Haq’s men to 130 runs for nine wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Their main scorers were Lou Vincent(26), Russell Arnold (23 not out) and Ian Harvey (21).

From Pakistan XI, off-spinner Arshad Khan claimed three wickets for 24 runs while pace bowlers Shahid Nazir, Naved-ul-Hasan and Abdul Razzaq took two wickets each.

Pakistan beaten by South Africa in Women’s World Cup Qualifier final

Opening bowler Alicia Smith took five wickets for seven runs as South Africa outclassed Pakistan by eight wickets in the final of the Women's World Cup Qualifier tournament at the Stellenbosch University ground Sunday.

Pakistan were bowled out for 61 after winning the toss and batting in sunny weather. South Africa needed only 13.4 overs to secure victory.

Consolation for Pakistan was that they qualified for the Women's World Cup, to be held in Australia in March 2009 because the top two teams from the tournament went
through.

Smith struck with her first delivery when she trapped Bismah Maroof leg before wicket and she conceded only two runs off the bat in eight overs. She bowled five wides.

Extras were the highest contributor to the total with 26, including 15 wides.

Only opener Taskeen Qadeer, with 12, reached double figures for Pakistan - and she was dropped at second slip off Dinesha Devnarain off the third ball of the match before she had scored.

Pakistan's strength during the tournament was their bowling and Asmavia Iqbal struck twice with the new ball to reduce South Africa to 13 for two. But Claire Terblanche and Susanna Benade put on an unbeaten 48 for the third wicket.

South African captain Cri-Zelda Brits said her team had worked hard.

"Now we want to be a team that competes at the World Cup,"

she said. South Africa were forced to play in the qualifying event after finishing seventh of the eight teams that played in the 2005 World Cup played in South Africa.

Pakistan captain Urooj Mumtaz said she was disappointed with her team's batting but proud that they had qualified for the World Cup.

"We don't play that many international games but we know that we will be facing some good teams at the World Cup so we will have to step up as far as our batting is concerned,"

said Mumtaz.

"We will be playing in the Asia Cup soon against India and Sri Lanka, who are ranked second and fifth in the world, so it will be a good test for us."

Under-19 World Cup 2008, 1st day

Pakistan U-19s 76 for 2 (Amin 31*, Shehzad 27*) beat Malaysia U-19s 75 (Arifin 28, Raza 6-29) by eight wickets

Adil Raza, the 16-year-old seamer, scythed through hosts Malaysia, taking 6 for 29, before Pakistan knocked off the runs with eight wickets to spare to begin their World Cup title defence in perfect fashion.

Pakistan needed only 9.3 overs to chase down their target of 76, with Umar Amin and Ahmed Shehzad adding 69 of those runs for the second wicket. Amin, who scored 31, hit seven fours in his breezy knock, while Shehzad saw Pakistan through to the finish

Pakistan captain Imad Wasim's decision to field first reaped immediate reward as his seamers Raza and Mohammad Aamer claimed three wickets apiece to have Malaysia reeling at 35 for 6 after 10 overs. Nik Azril Arifin, who scored 28 off 43 balls, was the only Malaysian who showed enough application to stay at the crease, and it was only a matter of time before Raza returned to polish off the tail.

Australia Us-19s 312 (Hill 124) beat Namibia U-19s 163 (Botha 56) by 149 runs

Michael Hill, the captain of the Australian side, scored the first century of the Under-19 World Cup as their team cruised to a 149-run win in their tournament opener against Namibia. After being put in to bat, most of the Australian top order frittered away the opportunity to get some batting practice, but Hill blasted 124 from a mere 71 balls to lift Australia to an imposing 312. Namibia were never in the hunt, and folded for 163 in just 31 overs.

Hill came to the crease in the second over the match, after Kumar Sarna was trapped in front for 1, and quickly set about dominating the Namibian bowlers. He hit an astonishing 11 sixes and added 126 for the third wicket with Steven Smith, whose contribution was 39, in just 13.3 overs. Hill fell in the 24th over, with Australia having already rocketed to 195, but thereafter the team lost its way as they added only 117 more runs. Michael Cranmer (40) and James Faulkner (36) got starts, but Namibia fought back with wickets towards the end as Australia's innings ended two overs short of their quota.

Namibia's run-chase never got a start - they lost their first two wickets with only ten on the board, and from there it was only a matter of damage control. Dawid Botha, their captain, helped achieve that with a blistering 46-ball 56, while Louis van der Westhuizen creamed 48 from 35, but thereafter wickets fell in a heap - the last six went down for 34 - as Namibia's innings folded with 19 overs to spare. Steven Smith finished as Australia's most successful bowler, his legspinners fetching him 4 for 41 from seven overs.

England U-19s 110 for 0 (Taylor 52*) beat Ireland U-19s 109 (Dougherty 34, Finn 3-21, Harris 3-40) by ten wickets

England's new-ball bowlers were the stars as they helped crush Ireland by ten wickets with more than 34 overs to spare in their first game of the Under-19 World Cup at Bayuemas Oval. Steven Finn, James Harris and Chris Woakes, the three seamers for England, did the job after Ireland were put in to bat, sharing eight out of ten wickets to bundle them out for 109. England's opening batsmen then completed the formalities, knocking off the runs in less than 16 overs.

Ireland's woes began soon after they began batting: Finn struck in his second over, getting rid of Paul Stirling, one of the openers, for 2. Wickets then fell at regular intervals, with Christopher Dougherty, the other opener, the batsman to offer some resistance. He made 34, and was one of only three batsmen to get into double digits. Finn and Harris helped themselves to three wickets each, while Woakes and Tom Westley, an offspinner, took two each.

Billy Godleman and James Taylor, the England openers, then knocked off the runs in a hurry. Godleman scored at more than a run a ball for his unbeaten 38, but Taylor managed the bulk of the strike, scoring an unbeaten 52 from 63 balls as England sailed him with plenty to spare.

India U-19s 280 for 5 (Goswami 58, Srivastava 83*) beat Papua New Guinea U-19s 85 (Sangwan 2-18, Abdulla 3-2) by 195 runs

Australia series will not move to neutral venue - PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made it clear that the home series against Australia will not be shifted to a neutral venue if the tourists decide against visiting Pakistan due to safety concerns. The tour is scheduled for March-April 2008 and includes three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20.

"We are confident that the Australians will come and play here according to schedule,"

Shafqat Naghmi, PCB's chief operating officer, told The News.

"Either the series will be played in Pakistan or cancelled but there will be no neutral venue."

Australia's last tour of Pakistan in 2002-03 was shifted to Colombo and Sharjah due to security issues. Naghmi said that such a move will not be repeated, adding that Pakistan will provide foolproof security to the Australians. Even with that assurance, the Australian board will send a security delegation for a brief visit prior to the tour. Only after that is a final decision likely to be made.

Following months of political turmoil in Pakistan, Darren Lehmann, the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) president, said recently that the tour will go ahead only if the security reports deem the country safe.

"Security is paramount,"

Lehmann said.

"If there's any risk at all the tour might not go ahead, but I'm not saying it won't, it still could. If security say it's fine, we will be going. The players will be guided. [The ACA] are right behind the whole process that's in place. We go and pre-visit."

According to the ICC's Future Tour Programme (FTP), Pakistan are to pay a return visit to Australia in December 2008.

"We believe that the Australians will not be at any risk in Pakistan,"

Naghmi said.

"The Australian delegation will come here in January after the general elections and we are confident that they would agree to send their team for the series."

The itinerary of the series will be finalised following the security delegation's visit.

Taufiq Umar marries

LAHORE: Pakistan Test cricketer Taufiq Umar was married here today as a large number of guests including the players of the Pakistan cricket team attended the wedding ceremony.

The main feature of the colorful marriage ceremony, celebrated at a private hotel in Lahore, was Taufiq’s riding a horse-carriage while his friends were riding horses to take the barat which attracted the people.

The ceremony was attended by various political personalities and people from different walks of life besides the relatives and friends of Taufiq Umar.

Among the players, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal and former Test cricketer Aamir Sohail attended the wedding ceremony.

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.

Glamorgan refused permission to land Rao Iftikhar

Rao Iftikhar is part of Pakistan's plans for the coming season: Pakistan board


The Pakistan board has decided against allowing Iftikhar Anjum, the medium-fast bowler, to join Glamorgan after the county showed an interest in signing him up as their overseas player for 2008.

"We have told them [Glamorgan] that Pakistan have a busy international season coming up and cannot afford to release any of their players from the core squad,"

Shafqat Naghmi, PCB's chief operating officer, told the News.

Pakistan are due to host Australia in March and April next year for a Test and ODI series before hosting the Asia Cup in June and according to Naghmi, Pakistan will be needing Iftikhar's services throughout.

The PCB is also reluctant to allow a fit fast bowler play for a county with most of the national team's bowling line-up on the injured list. Mohammad Asif has just undergone an elbow operation, Umar Gul is recovering from back spasm that ruled him out of the Test series against India while Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami were both below par due to illness during the tour to India.

There are reports, however, that Glamorgan have agreed terms with Iftikhar's agent and are prepared to wait until March for a final decision by the PCB before following up other potential targets.

If the deal goes through, Iftikhar will be the first Pakistan player to sign for the county since Waqar Younis over a decade ago. He has made 39 ODI appearances and taken 42 wickets with an economy-rate of under five an over. Iftikhar last featured for Pakistan in the ODI series against India before being surplus to requirements for the Test series. A spate of injuries and illness, however, prompted the PCB to send Iftikhar back to India as cover for the other fast bowlers ahead of the final Test in Bangalore, which he didn't play.

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, 10th round, 2nd day

Group A

Riding on a 77-run eight-wicket partnership, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) took a 26-run first-innings lead over Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium. Resuming on 63 for 3, after WAPDA had been dismissed for 200, SSGC lost the next three wickets for the addition of 24 runs as Sarfraz Ahmed (6 for 48) caused havoc. A 93-run partnership between Ahmed Zeeshan (51) and Haaris Ayaz (64) first got SSGC closer to the 200-mark and then, with assistance from the tail, allowed them to take the slender lead. By close , WAPDA had scored 43 for 2 in their second-innings - a lead of 17 - with Sohail Khan, after having taken seven wickets in the first-innings, adding two more to his tally that now stands at 58.

Table-leaders Habib Bank Limited (HBL) took a big leap towards confirming their place in the final after making a strong 195 for 3 in reply to the 297 National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) had earlier scored at the NBP Sports Complex. All of HBL's batsmen contributed and with Aftab Alam unbeaten on 55, HBL are on course for earning a big first-innings lead. Earlier, resuming at their overnight 207 for 6, NBP added 90 runs before Mohammad Aslam cleaned up the tail with a five-wicket haul. Qaiser Abbas, unbeaten on 54 overnight, took his score to 74 off 186 deliveries before being dismissed.

Sialkot recovered well to restrict Lahore Ravi to 165 in their first-innings, facing a deficit of only 77 runs, before putting on a much-improved batting performance to go at close on 211 for 5 at the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground. Bundled out for 88 in their first innings, Sialkot pace trio did well to limit the damage and shared all 10 wickets among themselves. Mohammad Ali was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 38 and it was left for Lahore's No. 9 Waqas Ahmed (45 off 23) to guide his team to respectability. Sialkot, in their second innings, owed much to an unbeaten 81 by Ayub Dogar and now have an overall lead of 134.

At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan first did well to restrict Hyderabad to 335 in their first-innings and then score 229 for 4 in reply by close. Hyderabad had resumed on 260 for 4 and looked set for a huge score before Rahat Ali (4 for 35) sparked a collapse that saw them lose their last five wickets for the addition of only one run. Usman Tariq was Multan's hero with the bat as he scored an unbeaten 118 to take his side within reach of a first-innings lead.

Centuries by Asif Iqbal and Zahoor Elahi allowed Pakistan Customs to compile 338 runs against Karachi Whites at the National Stadium. In reply, Karachi managed to reach 154 for 4 at close, still 184 runs in deficit. Iqbal scored his second first-class century and his highest individual score after batting for over five hours and hitting 13 fours. With Elahi, he added 159 runs for the fourth wicket. For Karachi, Khalid Latif continued his impressive form with the bat and scored 42 while Asim Kamal is still unbeaten on 47.

Group B

Mohammad Hafeez hit a century to help Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) take a first-innings lead of 135 runs over Lahore Shalimar at the Gaddafi Stadium. Hafeez shared a 164-run fourth-wicket partnership with Umar Akmal (65). Later, Khurram Shahzad scored 64 before Mohammad Naved rounded things off for Lahore with a six-wicket haul. By close, Lahore had scored 52 for 3, requiring another 83 to make SNGPL bat again, with Asad Ali taking two of those wickets.

After having bowled out Karachi Blues for 188, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) finished day two on 251 for 3 at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex. The highlight of the day for ZTBL was an unbeaten 107 by Afaq Rahim, their 22-year-old opener. Adnan Raza (62) added 103 for the third-wicket as ZTBL crossed the 200-mark and ended the day in a commanding position.

At the Diamond Club Ground, Rauf Akbar finished with figures of 6 for 66 as Quetta could only add a solitary run to their overnight score before being dismissed for 244 against Islamabad. However, its bowlers did well to restrict the home side to 229 for 7 in reply with Imad Wasim, the Pakistan Under-19 captain, making a valuable 41 in a 101-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ameer Khan (58*).

Sajjad Ahmed's unbeaten 83 allowed Peshawar to reach a competitive 256 after resuming on 134 for 6 overnight at Arbab Niaz Stadium. Ahmed added 144 with the last four batsmen to allow respectability to his side's total before Rawalpindi replied strongly with 140 for 3 by close. Awais Zia (27*) and Naved Ashraf (34*) have put on 57 for the fourth wicket and will look to carry on the good work into the third day.

After the first day's play at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium was washed out , both Abbottabad and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) forfeited their first-innings in order to procure a result. However, only 13.5 overs were possible on the second day, in which KRL, after having been put in, reached 26 for no loss.

Pakistan board backs Shoaib Malik

The Pakistan board has reiterated its faith in Shoaib Malik as captain and insist he will remain in the post as originally planned till December 2008.

Malik's position has come under intense scrutiny following Test and ODI series defeat to India, a second successive reverse in both formats following the loss to South Africa at home. His cause wasn't helped by an ankle injury which kept him out of the final two Tests against India, both of which were drawn. A number of ex-players, including Imran Khan and Javed Miandad, have questioned the wisdom of Malik as Test captain when he has yet to establish himself fully as a Test batsman.

The backing for Malik came in the wake of a board meeting constituted specifically to review Pakistan's poor performances in India. The board also decided to prevent players from writing articles during series and concentrate solely on the cricket while on tour. There was criticism of the surge in Pakistani players' extra-curricular media activities: many were writing for newspapers and a number had separate TV commitments as well. One column by Younis Khan, in particular, seems to have caught the board's attention. As stand-in captain for the second Test in Kolkata, Younis distanced himself from the team selection, hinting that he might not have been happy with the composition, in a column for Hindustan Times.

Though the board has yet to read fully the tour reports handed in by the team management, immediate changes are not expected. The participation of national players in domestic tournaments was again stressed, and three camps, for bowlers, wicketkeepers and openers, have also been arranged for after the domestic Twenty20 tournament.

Umar Gul hoping for a January comeback

Umar Gul is confident of making a comeback to bowling in the first week of January after injuring his back on the tour of India. Gul, who took part in the ODI series, complained of a back problem and was sent home before the Tests after being diagnosed with muscle spasm.

"I have rested a lot and I feel OK now. But I have not bowled for a while and the board has asked me to appear for a fitness check-up before the PCB medical panel in Lahore,"

Gul said. The check-up was due to be held sometime on Thursday.

"I am looking forward to resuming bowling by the first week of next month, provided everything goes well. It is not a serious injury nor a recurrence of the back stress fracture I had two years ago."

Shafqat Naghmi,

the PCB's chief operating officer, said it was premature to comment on Gul's fitness but he confirmed that the bowler had been told to take a week's rest before his check-up.

"We are confident it is nothing serious but we are prepared for any eventuality. We are facing frequent fitness problems with our main bowlers and we want to ensure they don't suffer long-term injuries,"

Naghmi said.

Pakistan were struggling in the fast-bowling department during the Test series. While Gul missed the Tests, Mohammad Asif was forced to miss the entire tour of India and underwent keyhole surgery on his troubling elbow earlier this week. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami were unable to deliver 100 percent due to illness.

Gul blamed the current crammed international calender for niggling injuries to pace bowlers.

"You can't escape from them [injuries] despite the improved fitness programmes we follow these days and the training regimen we go through."

Pakistan now take on Zimbabwe for a five-match ODI series at home before hosting Australia in February and March 2008.

PCB Constitution published in Gazette of Pakistan

Constitution of Pakistan Cricket Board was notified in the Gazette of Pakistan on Thursday, October 18, 2007. The Constitution may be viewed or downloaded (in pdf format) from the link given below:

PCB Constitution Document [ Click Here to Download ]

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, 9th round, 1st day

Group A

Sohail Khan, the tournament's highest wicket-taker so far, threatened to run through the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) batting line-up for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), but Hasan Raza came to his team's rescue with an unbeaten 158 as HBL totalled 334 for 8 at close at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex. Put into bat, HBL lost opener Rafatullah Mohmand for a duck to Sohail, and the bowler grabbed two more wickets to have HBL reeling at 23 for 3. Raza, joined by Shahid Afridi, who took over the captaincy in his first domestic match of the season, put on 64 runs for the fourth wicket, with Afridi's 33 coming off 27 balls. Hasan, during the course of his 32nd first-class century, faced 212 balls and hit 13 fours and a six. His unbeaten 158 helped the lower order batsmen take Habib Bank to a respectable position by the day's end. Sohail finished the day with four wickets for 80 runs to take his tally for the season to 47 wickets in only eight matches.

Opting to bat first, Karachi Whites did well to reach 279 for 7 against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at the National Stadium after losing the first six wickets for only 177 runs. Wajihuddin (73) shared a 51-run second-wicket partnership with opener Asad Shafiq (22), and a 55-run stand with Asim Kamal whose poor form with the bat continued as he was dismissed for 22. However, Afsar Nawaz continued his good run with an unbeaten 85 and shared an 87-run seventh-wicket partnership with Tanvir Ahmed (38) to take Karachi past the 200-mark.

Fawad Alam returned to his century-making ways as he hit an unbeaten 104 and helped National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) compile 328 for 5 against Hyderabad at Niaz Stadium. In a state of bother at 66 for 3, NBP were rescued by Alam who joined the tournament's top-scorer Naumanullah - who had 772 runs prior to this match - and posted 100 runs for the fourth wicket before Naumanullah was dismissed for 89. Alam then joined hands with Qaiser Abbas, who contributed 70 in a fifth-wicket partnership of 126 runs as NBP look for another huge first-innings total.

At the Gaddafi Stadium, centuries by Ali Haider and Ashraf Ali enabled Lahore Ravi to score 295 for 4 against Multan. Lahore collapsed to 60 for 4, before Haider rescued them with his maiden first-class hundred. He faced 196 balls for his unbeaten 121 while Ashraf's unbeaten 111 took 195 balls. The unbeaten 235-run partnership allowed Lahore to look for a big total on a batsmen-friendly pitch.

Faisalabad were bowled out for a modest 193 by Sialkot after being put in to bat at the Sheikhupura Stadium. In reply, Sialkot lost three wickets before reaching 63. Faisalabad were undone by the pace of Mohammad Imran, who took 6 for 42 runs in under 15 overs. From 91 for 6 at one stage, Faisalabad managed to reach 193 thanks to a 99-run seventh-wicket partnership between Mohammad Salman (63) and Ahmed Hayat (38) before losing the last four wickets for only three runs. Asad Zarar picked up all three wickets in Sialkot's innings but Faisalabad will have to bowl exceptionally well to avoid a first-innings deficit.

Group B

The Asghar Ali Shah Stadium witnessed a run-glut as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) hammered 427 for 2 against Karachi Blues. Umar Akmal, younger brother of Pakistan wicket keeper Kamran Akmal, scored an unbeaten 215 off only 187 deliveries and shared a 311-run second-wicket partnership with Mohammad Hafeez (145) after SNGPL won he toss and decided to bat.

Azhar Ali scored his fourth century of the season and Saeed Anwar his third as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) put on 345 for 3 against Islamabad at the Diamond Cricket Club Ground. Azhar and Anwar put on 259 runs for the second wicket before Anwar was dismissed for 144, his 12th century, that came off 173 deliveries with 15 fours and two sixes. Azhar remained unbeaten on 123 as KRL recovered well after losing their captain Mohammad Wasim for only 17.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were given an opening stand of 109 against Abbottabad at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium through Agha Sabir (89) and captain Khurram Manzoor (52). Kamran Sajid contributed exactly 50 later to enable PIA to reach a healthy 223 for 4 at close on the opening day.

Bottom-placed Quetta were bowled out for a poor 173 against Rawalpindi at the KRL Stadium. With half the side back in the pavillion for 55, it was left to a 57-run partnership between Shoaib Khan (60) and Jalat Khan (59*) to take Quetta past 100. Jalat then put on 61 with the last four batsmen to take his side to a respectable total. Rawalpindi's openers knocked off 41 runs without being separated by close of play.

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) lost only two wickets in the 59.4 overs possible at Arbab Niaz Stadium against Peshawar, scoring 205 for 2. Inam-ul-Haq scored an unbeaten 87 while Adnan Raza retired hurt just before close for 51.