Ireland embarrass Pakistan by five wickets

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Cricket minnows Ireland in a major upset gave unpredictable Pakistan a three-wicket embarrassment in a thrilling group ‘D’ World Cup encounter here today.Through an amazing extra-ordinary performance, Ireland first skittle out Pakistan for a paltry 132 in 45.4overs and then achieved the target in 41.4 overs for the loss of seven wickets when captain Trent Johnston hit a huge six off Azhar Mahmood. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O’Brien top scored with 72 off 197 deliveries. He struck six fours and one six during his innings and was later declared the man-of-the-match.From Pakistan, fast bowler Mohammad Sami took three wickets for 29 and Iftikhar Anjum got two for 29 while off-break bowlers Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez claimed one wicket each.Earlier, Ireland captain won the toss and chose bowling against Pakistan to take advantage of the moisturous green-top Sabina Park pitch. His bowlers, fully supported by their fielders, utilized the conditions to make Pakistan collapsed. None of the Pakistani batsmen could make any significant score except Kamran Akmal who made 27 but the top-scorer was Mr. Extras with 29 runs. Only four players could reach double figures.From Ireland side, medium-fast bowler Boyd Rankin captured three for 32 while medium-pacer Andre Botha and off-spinner Kyle McCallan claimed two wickets each for 12 and five runs, respectively.

Inzi attracting negative publicity

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The World Cup has just got underway but the Pakistan team is already attracting plenty of negative publicity. The team’s captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, however, says he is not really bothered.“It doesn’t surprise me much,” Inzamam told reporters on Friday afternoon here at the Sabina Park following a practice session. “I would have been surprised had there been no negative reports about my team,” the veteran batsman added satirically. In recent days, there have been reports of a serious rift between Inzamam and some of the team officials. There have also been rumours that some of the players, too, were not getting along with each other. Inzamam rubbished all such reports as baseless, asking the media to ‘leave his team alone’.“I’ve been playing for 17 years and am used to such criticism which comes up each time we lose,” he said. “But I would still say that the media should stop speculating and leave my team alone.” Inzamam spoke on several issues ahead of the match against Ireland. He was impressed at the way Ireland played in their thrilling tie against Zimbabwe pointing out that ‘there is no team in the World Cup that could be taken lightly’. “Ireland have proved that they are no push-overs,” said Inzamam. The skipper said that his team has regrouped after losing the opening match to the West Indies and is now looking forward to winning its next two games against Ireland and Zimbabwe. He praised his medium pacers especially Umar Gul for helping his bowling attack in the absence of top strike bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif. “Umar Gul has proved to be our best pacer,” he said.

Bob Woolmer may have ‘overstayed’ as Pakistan coach

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Officially you might hear something different, but whispers coming out of the Pakistani camp here strongly indicate that the national cricket bosses are already searching for the successor of coach Bob Woolmer, writes Khalid Hussain.Sources in the Pakistan squad have confirmed to ‘The News’ here that some of the team players and officials have developed serious differences with Woolmer and are urging the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to bring in a new coach after the World Cup. Woolmer’s contract with the Pakistan team is supposed to run till June this year and the PCB chief Dr Nasim Ashraf recently said that the Board was considering the option to carry on with him even after the World Cup. However, things are far from smooth in the Pakistani camp and some of the team members and officials believe Woolmer has been playing a bit of a role in it. Sources said that there is a feeling in a segment of the Pakistani camp that Woolmer might be leaking information of discord within the team and its officials to the media. They are also unhappy with the fact that the Englishman has opted to write regular columns for a web portal during the all-important World Cup during which he should have been concentrating on his team’s performance in the event. Sources said that Woolmer’s strained relations with a top PCB official are also not helping his cause. There were indications that Woolmer could have been told by the Board that his contract would end after the World Cup before the Pakistani squad left for the Caribbean as the coach is said to have sent his belongings back to South Africa where he is based. Reports coming from Lahore, where Woolmer stays during his visits to Pakistan, suggested that the PCB has already given his room at the National Cricket Academy to a CARICOM official who was in Lahore in connection with special World Cup visas.However, Woolmer said he hasn’t been informed about any such development. “I don’t know if somebody has been put in my room, I’ve no such information,” said Woolmer. “If somebody is staying there then it is without my permission,” he added. Woolmer, 58, also denied that he sent all his stuff back to his home in South Africa from Lahore before coming here. “I did send some stuff that I did not need but all the important stuff is with me right here.”The former England batsman who is regarded as one of the most accomplished coaches in the cricket world is believed to be in the run to replace England coach Duncan Fletcher after the World Cup.