Pakistan topples Bangladesh to lift Asia Cup

Cricket

Thursday, 22 March 2012 22:00

Pakistan proved that it has what it takes to be an Asia Cup champion.

Team Green won the final match against Bangladesh on Thursday by two runs at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka.

After a nail-biting performance from both sides, Pakistan managed to bowl out the panicked Bangladeshi players in the last ten overs.

The wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim at short intervals gave Pakistan an advantage towards the end of the match.

A stellar bowling effort from Bangladesh in the first inning helped restrict Pakistan to 236.

Sarfraz Ahmed, who replaced Wahab Riaz, was the highest scorer for Pakistan at 46 runs. Shahid Afridi and Ahmed also put on a quick partnership of 45 runs to help stabilise the innings.

Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak and Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets each.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Nazimuddin, Jahurul Islam, Mushfiqur Rahim*†, Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Nazmul Hossain

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Umar Akmal, Hammad Azam, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema

Umpires: SJ Davis (Australia) and IJ Gould (England)

TV umpire: S Ravi (India)
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Web Desk | The Express Tribune

Aamir accuses Butt of entrapment

Cricket

Wednesday, 21 March 2012 09:17

LONDON - Fast bowler Mohammad Amir has accused former captain Salman Butt and agent Mazhar Majeed of tricking him into bowling deliberate no-balls in the 2010 Lord's test against England.

Amir, 19, returned home last month after serving three months in a young offenders institution in Britain for his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal. Butt, Majeed and pace bowler Mohammad Asif are still serving prison terms.

In an interview with Sky Sports screened on Monday, Amir, who has been banned from all cricket for five years, said he had sent his bank details to a businessman identified only as Ali during the 2010 tour. He had also sent text messages to Ali asking why he wanted the information.

Amir said on the day before the Lord's test that Mazhar had asked him to meet in his car. Butt later joined them.
He said Majeed had told him the International Cricket Council (ICC) was investigating the calls and texts to Ali but the case could be stopped if he bowled two no-balls in the forthcoming test. At practice subsequently, Butt had told him to practice bowling no-balls.

Amir said he had not been offered money at any stage but on the evening of the first day, after he had bowled the first no-ball, Majeed had come to his room and given him 1,500 pounds.

"He was happy...I knew why he was happy," he said. "No one is so stupid not to realise that if he was getting to deliver no-balls it must because of some sort of bet."

But Amir said he did not realise until the News of the World newspaper published details of a sting operation involving Majeed that it was the no-balls and not his relationship with Ali that were being investigated.

He said he knew nothing about a no-ball delivered by Asif and had not bowled his no-balls for money but because Majeed and Butt had told him he was in trouble over the texts to Ali.

"How was I manipulated? How was I made to do a thing like that? How was I trapped?," Amir said
"Why did those people do what they did to me? Up to now I have not been able to figure it out. However, I never did it for money."
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Reuters

Asia Cup 2012: Misbah, Akmal complete clinical win

Cricket

Friday, 16 March 2012 09:46

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Pakistan 189 for 3 (Misbah 72*, Akmal 77) beat Sri Lanka 188 (Sangakkara 71, Tharanga 57, Cheema 4-43) by six wickets

Pakistan put one foot in the final of the Asia Cup with a six-wicket win over a tired Sri Lankan outfit, which did not have enough steam to defend a modest 188. Pakistan's bowlers set up the win with a disciplined effort, and Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal compiled positive half-centuries to arrest a top-order wobble. Their eagerly anticipated clash with India on Sunday may not carry much context for them if India beat Bangladesh tomorrow, but Sri Lanka's second consecutive defeat makes an India-Pakistan final likely.

The defeat left a few important questions for Sri Lanka to answer after a long, strenuous season away from home, where they have had mixed results. Their shot-selection for one, starting from the seniors at the top, has been exposed, leaving plenty for the lower middle-order to do. With Upul Tharanga scoring another half-century at No.6, it strengthens his case for being reinstated as an opener, meaning that Mahela Jayawardene would have to move back down the order.

The presence of Dilshan and Jayawardene at the top was aimed at giving Sri Lanka a strong start in a must-win game. They started aggressively today, but in their quest lost quick wickets. It was an underwhelming performance from a team that bats deep but did not have the application to match their talent.

Jayawardene fell trying to drive past extra cover. Dilshan, after some crunching drives through the off side, fell off a miscued pull. The wicket was nicely set up by Aizaz Cheema, who peppered him with short deliveries and challenged him to target the on side, with a fielder in the deep. Two more soft dismissals, those of the young Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne, put a lot of pressure on Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga.

They suffered in the bowling Powerplay, scoring only 11 runs. Their stand of 96 featured several singles, 61 of them, and five boundaries. Tharanga was comfortable against the spinners, picking up boundaries through the off side via deft cuts. Sangakkara, who began with a clipped boundary past midwicket, pounced on a short delivery from Mohammad Hafeez to bring up the fifty stand.

Sri Lanka once again succumbed to a familiar weakness - the batting Powerplay. As it happened against India, they lost their foothold in the first over of the field restrictions. Saeed Ajmal was taken off after the bowling Powerplay but Misbah brought him back at the start of the 36th over. He struck by bowling Tharanga with the doosra, before inducing a poor shot from Farveez Maharoof. Sangakkara tried to force the pace by charging Cheema but ended up dragging the ball onto the stumps. His reaction after being dismissed, swishing the air with his bat, summed up Sri Lanka's problems.

Pakistan picked up the last six wickets for just 27 runs and it was largely due to Sri Lanka's inability to read Ajmal's doosra. Cheema went on to take four wickets while Ajmal took three. It was an especially satisfying display by Cheema, who got a pasting early on but backed himself to bowl fast and attack the batsmen.

A timid start by Pakistan, which included the loss of three wickets, gave Sri Lanka hope of defending a modest 188. Jayawardene, maintaining a stony expression, had plenty to expect from his beefed-up bowling attack, and they responded by trying to make life tough for the top order by bowling tight lines. Some committed ground fielding, especially by Dilshan, and catching lifted the spirits of the bowlers.

Jayawardene stuck to his tactic of constantly shuffling fielders in various close catching positions to create chances. The openers, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez, started watchfully but succumbed to tame dismissals, not very different in character to their counterparts. Jamshed holed out to mid-on before Hafeez scooped the legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna to point.

Younis Khan gifted Suranga Lakmal his second wicket with an exaggerated whip to Farveez Maharoof at mid-on, who timed his dive and caught the ball inches off the ground. At 33 for 3, Sri Lanka were in the game but three boundaries by Akmal off a Lasith Malinga over in the bowling Powerplay - all risk-free - calmed the nerves for Pakistan. Misbah was prepared to wait for the bad deliveries, driving Prasanna past the covers before launching him for a six over long-on.

The calmness of Misbah and exuberance of Akmal combined well to ensure that Pakistan crossed the finish line before the 40th over, which gained them a bonus point. Akmal was strong behind square on the on side, sweeping the spinners and paddling them away with the fine leg up. As the target shrunk, Sri Lanka appeared to throw in the towel. The fast bowlers failed to control the scoring, as Pakistan found the gaps with ease during the batting Powerplay.

Sri Lanka have a very slim chance of making the final, provided they beat Bangladesh convincingly, and India lose both their remaining games. A back-door entry, however, would not leave them satisfied.
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Kanishkaa Balachandran, ESPNcricinfo

Pakistan Army bags 4 Gold Medal in SAARC Armies Sports

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Thursday, 15 March 2012 00:04

Rawalpindi - In a six day long championship played between armies of the SAARC countries Pakistan Army athletes shine with four gold, four Silver and four Bronze medals. Final of Volleyball is being played between Pakistan and India at Kathmandu, Nepal today.

Pakistan Army athletes contested in athletics, Boxing, Taekwondo and Volleyball. In athletics Havildar Basharat Ali won gold medal in discus throw. Sepoy Shakeel Ahmed won gold in Hammer throw, Naik Riaz Ahmed won Silver in long jump while Sepoy Muhammad Maqsood won Bronze medal in high jump event.

Pakistan Army Boxers also won four medals, one Bronze and three Silver. In Taekwondo Sepoy Afnan Shah and Sepoy Muhammad Umer won gold in their respective categories, while Sepoy Syed Adeel Shah and Sepoy Muhammad Ashfaq won Bronze medals in 74 Kg & 68 Kg categories.

To reach final of Volleyball, Pakistan Army team defeated Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka in their pool matches.