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A maiden T20I win over Afghanistan could boost morale for struggling side, while Afghanistan could look to test bench strength in dead rubber

The Preview by Mohammad Isam19-Sep-2019

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This game is the first of two dead rubbers in this tri-series, but try telling that to Hamilton Masakadza. This will be his last international match and, having contributed for so long to Zimbabwe cricket, a win over a side that has totally dominated them in T20Is will make for a sweet exit.Afghanistan, on the other hand, will once again rely on their heavy hitters and their spin attack to stop Zimbabwe, a formula that has worked on each of the eight occasions the teams have met in this format. In this series, Asghar Afghan, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi have scored most of the runs but Afghanistan will also hope to see Hazratullah Zazai recover from a batting slump. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who impressed on his debut earlier in the tri-series, would look to bounce back from the first-ball duck in the second game.Among their bowlers, Mujeeb Ur Rahman stopped Bangladesh in their tracks with his maiden four-wicket haul in the previous game, also his T20I best. Fareed Ahmad, the left-arm quick, also looked impressive, although medium-pacer Karim Janat hasn’t been among the wickets.Zimbabwe haven’t had as many impressive individual performances. Richmond Mutumbami did justice to his call-up against Bangladesh on Wednesday with a half-century but his efforts did not have an impact on the result. Ryan Burl, who made a quickfire fifty in the first game against Bangladesh, has struggled for consistency, as has Regis Chakabva. And the side’s senior batsmen, including Masakadza, haven’t scored enough to put pressure on the opposition.They have some variety in their bowling attack but apart from Kyle Jarvis, the others haven’t quite stepped up. Neville Madziva, Ainsley Ndlovu and Sean Williams will look to do a better job with the ball.

Form guide

Afghanistan WWWWW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLWL

In the spotlight

Like his team, Hamilton Masakadza, too, has had a rough time in the tournament, scoring only 62 in three innings so far. In his final match, a big knock from the Zimbabwe captain could well have a big impact on the morale of the side.Getty Images

With two matches to go before the final, this would be the right time for Hazratullah Zazai to get back among the runs. The opener hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 14 international innings, after his 67 against Ireland in March this year

Team news

Having played their first two matches in the series with an unchanged XI, Afghanistan now have the luxury of two matches to test out their bench strength. Fast bowlers Dawlat Zadran and Naveen-ul-Haq, seaming allrounder Fazal Niazai and wicketkeeper Shafiqullah and left-arm spinner Shahidullah and Sharafuddin Ashraf are their options should they rest a few key players.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 3 Najeeb Tarakai, 4 Asghar Afghan, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Karim Janat, 10 Fareed Ahmad, 11 Mujeeb Ur RahmanRichmond Mutumbami’s fifty should keep him in the side but Zimbabwe might consider recalling quick bowler Tendai Chatara and allrounder Tony Munyonga to bolster the bowling.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Brendan Taylor (wk), 2 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 3 Sean Williams, 4 Regis Chakabva, 5 Tinotenda Mutombodzi, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Richmond Mutumbami, 8 Neville Madziva, 9 Kyle Jarvis, 10 Ainsley Ndlovu, 11 Chris Mpofu

Pitch and conditions

In the match between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury pitch offered runs to batsmen, who were ready to take time to assess the situation. There’s chance of a late shower on Friday evening.

Stats and trivia

• Masakadza will retire having played the most T20Is for Zimbabwe. He has missed only four of Zimbabwe’s 69 T20Is, all in 2015. He is also their highest run-getter in the format, with the most 50-plus scores and the most boundaries.
• Mohammad Nabi’s unbeaten 84 in Afghanistan’s previous game against Bangladesh is the third-highest score by a No. 6 batsman in all T20Is.

The apex court ruled that the domestic T20 tournament could proceed as scheduled with players registered under the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association alone

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2018The Tamil Nadu Premier League will progress as scheduled, but without any players from outside the state, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, the day the domestic T20 league will be starting.The has reported that a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra said the tournament could proceed as per the schedule originally drawn up, but players registered to associations other than the TNCA could take part, as per the rules laid down the CoA. While Ranjit Kumar, the advocate for TNCA, argued that players had obtained NoCs from their respective state associations, Parag Tripathi, the CoA’s advocate, held that outstation players weren’t allowed as per the BCCI’s constitution.The TNPL organisers had mooted allowing each of the franchises to have up to two outstation players, which would have made for a total of 16 outstation players at most. The BCCI had held an SGM – which was later ruled invalid by the CoA – in which the members proposed allowing outstation players to take part in domestic T20 leagues with certain restrictions (capped players and those who had taken part in the previous edition of the IPL wouldn’t be allowed, and each player could only take part in two leagues).However, in an advisory sent to all state associations, the CoA nixed the idea. The TNCA then challenged that order, which is how the matter went before the Supreme Court.

The real Guyana pitch finally stood up today after going missing for the first ODI, even though Pakistan managed to reach 282 off the back of a century from Babar Azam

The Report by Danyal Rasool09-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA career-best unbeaten 125 by Babar Azam, followed by a clinical bowling performance, ensured Pakistan eased to a 74-run win to level the three-match series. Set 283 to win, West Indies wilted early despite beginning the chase with attacking intent. That purposefulness came at the cost of early wickets, with both openers back in the pavilion by the fifth over.

Momentum shifted in last 10 Pak overs – Radford

Toby Radford, West Indies’ batting coach, admitted that a momentum shift in the last 10 overs of Pakistan’s innings left his side with “50 runs” more than what they had aimed to chase. West Indies were beaten by 74 runs in the second ODI, collapsing for 208 in a chase of 283.
“There was a momentum shift in the last 10 overs of our bowling and fielding effort. I thought we bowled particularly well, specially the spinners in the middle,” Radford said. “Jason Holder was excellent upfront today. Babar Azam, a top-quality player, struck the ball at the back-end of the innings. And from thinking about chasing 230-240, we suddenly ended up having to chase 280. Probably, 50 more runs than we really wanted.”
Pakistan, led by an unbeaten 125 from Babar Azam and a quick cameo from Imad Wasim piled up 94 runs in the last 10 overs to surge to 282. By the 18th over of the chase, West Indies were 75 for 6, a result, Radford said, of not keeping to the plan of playing straight down the ground and keeping wickets in hand in a chase.
“We didn’t get the start we had been getting,” he said. “We were getting some really get good Powerplays in the first few games and also in the T20s recently but we lost early wickets, a few soft dismissals but a few guys got into the teens – tens, 12s and 15s – but didn’t go on and had soft ways of getting out. And I think what we did really well the other day was kept to a simple plan of playing straight up and down the ground, keep wickets in hand and then hit at the end.”

In a bizarre departure from the approach that had been so successful for the home side in the first game, West Indies continued to press on rather than ensure they had enough wickets in hand for the closing stages. Inevitably, they kept losing wickets playing shots that weren’t so much attacking as they were rash, and before you knew it, they had slipped to 56 for 5, and the game was effectively over as a contest.After that, it was left to Pakistan’s spinners to asphyxiate what remained of the West Indies’ batting line-up. Jason Holder and Ashley Nurse gave the crowd – a large, expectant turnout in the wake of the first game’s heroics – some light entertainment with a breezy 58-run partnership, but even as the clouds gathered in the distance, lightning was never going to strike twice, as Hasan Ali finished with 5 for 38.Even as the game drifted off to its inevitable conclusion, captain Holder displayed his competitive spirit with a fighting half-century, his combination of sweet timing and incredible power making batting look a lot easier than it had seemed when those higher up the order had been in the middle. He gave Shadab Khan the respect he has indisputably earned with his performances over the last fortnight, but was at times disdainful of Pakistan’s storied pace bowling attack, never more so than when he dispatched Mohammad Amir for 16 in an over, smashing one six and two fours.Hasan – who bowled only five overs in the first game – was the pick of Pakistan’s pace trio, extracting nippy movement off a good length that particularly ruffled the right-handers. He was the one who ripped the heart out of the West Indies top-order, dismissing Shai Hope and Kieran Powell in quick succession; the one who ended Nurse’s spirited resistance, and the one who killed off the last vestige of West Indian hope when he got rid of Alzarri Joseph to end a 52-run ninth-wicket partnership. Fittingly, he was the one who accounted for Holder to seal the win, and a fully deserved five-wicket haul.Pakistan had earlier posted 282 despite looking horribly unconvincing with the bat for much of the first innings, a late surge ensuring they reached a total they would have gladly accepted just seven overs earlier, thanks largely to Babar. Batting again at No.3 after a head-scratching demotion last game, Babar formed the spine of the innings as batsmen around him struggled to build on starts. He held the innings together when it threatened to disintegrate, and provided the late fireworks when it looked like it might stagnate. A two-paced surface made batting challenging, as did a much-improved bowling performance from the hosts.Babar Azam carves the ball away during his century•AFP

This total had seemed well out of Pakistan’s reach until the last seven overs – in which 84 runs were scored. It was telling that West Indies’ worst spell of bowling came about just as Babar and Imad Wasim finally began to swing freely, to the extent that the crucial last over of the innings was left to medium pacer Jonathan Carter – no one’s first choice as a death bowler, or any bowler for that matter. Five of Pakistan’s six sixes came off the last three overs – two off the hapless Carter in a 50th over that cost 19.After an uncharacteristically brisk opening Powerplay during the first ODI, Pakistan quickly reverted to type today, their approach circumspect and their progress sedate. They continued their somewhat retrograde approach in the middle overs, the run rate hovering around 4.50 and, although their failure to accelerate could partly be attributed to the bowlers, it wasn’t as if Babar and Mohammad Hafeez broke their backs trying either. Hafeez, who found himself in the slightly unfortunate position of gaining more detractors than supporters after an 88-ball 92 during the first game, can certainly expect more criticism his way today after being stumped down the leg-side for a laboured 32 off 50 deliveries.Pakistan’s innings never seemed to move out of the third gear it had begun in, and just when an almost run-a-ball partnership between Babar and Sarfraz looked like getting them ready for the final push, the captain’s leading edge found mid-on. It was after that that Imad and Babar combined, and even they took a while before the innings took off, just as it felt the collective patience of Pakistan’s fans worldwide was beginning to creak. The momentum from those late overs continued into the second innings, and Sarfraz certainly wouldn’t mind it continuing for two more come the decisive game on Tuesday.

Saurashtra pacers trigger batting meltdown even as Amit Verma’s unbeaten 74 adds some substance to Assam’s total of 193 for 7 at stumps on Day 1

Arun Venugopal in Vadodara13-Feb-2016
ScorecardAmit Verma’s unbeaten 74 helped Assam stay afloat, but by only just, on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Vadodara•Fotocorp

Saurashtra’s seam bowling has been an underrated virtue this season largely because of the havoc created by the Jadejas – Ravindra and Dharmendrasinh – on the raging turners of Rajkot. But their claim to early bragging rights in the semi-final was engineered by some first-rate seam bowling from the left-arm pair of Jaydev Unadkat and Hardik Rathod.Assam, after being asked to bat, struggled with yet another batting meltdown, with only Amit Verma, unbeaten on 74 after a nagging day-long examination, and KB Arun Karthik attempting to wear the opposition down. But Arun Karthik’s wicket in the 62nd over, brought about because of misjudgment in length to an indipper from Rathod, opened the floodgates; Assam lost three more wickets in the space of 11 overs, eventually ending the day on 193 for 7.While a whiff of the early-morning nip might have aided swing bowling, pronounced movement off the seam on a sturdy, grass-speckled surface was the defining aspect of Saurashtra’s bowling. There was pressure applied on both ends, with a chatty slip cordon making it harder for the batsmen.Not surprisingly, Rathod landed the first blow in the fourth over as Rahul Hazarika, hassled by a succession of prickly, good-length deliveries, poked one to first slip where Cheteshwar Pujara bent forward to hold a fine, low catch. His opening partner, Pallavkumar Das, was luckier as Pujara put down a similar chance, off Unadkat. Assam’s next casualty was Gokul Sharma, the captain, who was bowled by Unadkat.With Unadkat and Rathod mostly persisting with just short-to-good length, Sharma’s dismissal was an exception: it was full and snaked through Sharma’s feeble front-foot offering. Having received a reprieve early on, Pallavkumar couldn’t encash his luck for much longer as Rathod got one to cut back into his pads and the batsman was trapped in front of the stumps.Assam coach Sanath Kumar had said on Friday that his team’s wobbly batting had virtually made it non-negotiable for one of the three professionals to score heavily, and in Verma and Arun Karthik they had two willing volunteers. Having weathered the last few overs of Rathod and Unadkat’s extended first spells, they found a little respite in the third and fourth seam-bowling partnership of Deepak Punia and Chirag Jani, but it wasn’t much more. Punia was miserly all day, conceding only 36 runs from 21 overs.For Verma and Arun Karthik, the square cut and the flick were the go-to strokes, and once the surface calmed down a bit, they ventured to drive through cover more often. Whenever Saurashtra’s bowlers went for the bouncers – they even had a leg trap complete with a leg gully and a short leg standing deeper than usual – both batsmen rode them down or left them alone. While they managed only 54 runs in the second session, they had importantly deprived Saurashtra of a wicket.They would return after tea to build on those small gains, and the intent came through in the accelerated rate of scoring. But Arun Karthik’s wicket left the door ajar for Unadkat, who dismissed Syed Mohammad, the quarter-final centurion, and Swarupam Purkayastha in successive overs. Mohammad’s wild slash was a response to being tied down by some sharp seam bowling, and he was duly caught behind.Verma, though, didn’t flinch; the last ball of the day that had him squared up and beaten without getting him out summed up his toil.

Derbyshire kept themselves in contention for a place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 after pulling off a 16-run victory over Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

23-Jul-2013
ScorecardWes Durston helped set up an imposing total•Getty Images

Derbyshire kept themselves in contention for a place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 after pulling off a 16-run victory over Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.Openers Chesney Hughes and Wes Durston set up the win by putting on 98 together as the visitors totalled 108 for 1, after being put in, after thunderstorms had reduced the contest to just nine overs per side. Notts, who went into the match knowing that victory would be enough to see them through to the last eight, lost wickets at regular intervals before ending on 92 for 7.Hughes’ was the only wicket to fall in the Derbyshire innings but he had plundered a hard-hitting 46 from just 25 deliveries by that stage. He hit two sixes, both pulled over the leg side fence off Samit Patel, and six powerful fours, before top-edging Ian Butler to short fine leg in the penultimate over.Durston, whose only T20 century came on the same ground in 2010, also cleared the ropes on two occasions as he ended the innings with an unbeaten 50 to his name, having also faced 25 balls.Alex Hales was bowled by the first ball that he faced, from Tim Groenewald, as Notts began their pursuit but whilst his opening partner, Michael Lumb, was at the crease the home side remained optimistic. Lumb scored the first 43 runs of Nottinghamshire’s innings, with five fours and three sixes in a 15-ball knock but once he had been caught in the deep by a diving Mark Turner the remaining wickets fell steadily in pursuit of quick runs.Patel also failed to score and David Hussey was caught at long on, having been sent on his way by the umpires after believing the delivery from Dan Redfern had been bowled above waist height. Although Ian Butler and Chris Read both hit sixes in the closing stages, the target proved to be beyond reach as Derbyshire celebrated only their second victory in the last 15 matches against their local rivals.Notts still head the North Group with two matches remaining and have it within their own destiny to finish as group leaders and earn a home quarter-final tie.

South Africa, dominant since the start of the second day, secured an innings and 12-run victory at The Oval

The Report by Andrew McGlashan23-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDale Steyn celebrates his fifth wicket as South Africa closed in on victory•Getty Images

South Africa, dominant since the start of the second day, secured an innings and 12-run victory at The Oval as they broke the back of some stubborn England resistance either side of the new ball on the final afternoon. Ian Bell and Matt Prior had given the home side hope, but Imran Tahir broke the stand and Dale Steyn then steamed in to finish with 5 for 56.The result was nothing less than South Africa deserved for a performance that confirmed what a formidable team they are and they achieved it on a ground where they had not won in 13 previous attempts. Indifferent on the first day, they barely put a foot wrong from the moment they rattled England on Friday morning. Showing the benefit of a finely balanced attack including pace, swing, seam, accuracy and spin, they did not fret when resistance was being put up.It was England’s first home defeat since losing to Pakistan, on the same ground, in 2010 and their first innings loss since facing South Africa, at Johannesburg, earlier that same year. For South Africa, it continues their run of taking the series lead each time in England since readmission although it is the first time they have won the opening Test since 1994.As in England’s first innings, when Kevin Pietersen was dismissed, it was wicket moments before the second new ball that undid much of the good work. Prior, having shown impressive judgement, swept Tahir who was bowling around the wicket into the rough and a top edge went to Jacques Kallis at slip. The sweep, which caused England so many problems in the UAE and in Galle, was back to haunt them.Bell, having reached his slowest Test fifty and resisted for 220 deliveries, then played his worst shot for some time when he guided the ball straight to Kallis at second slip as though giving morning catching practice. As in Cape Town in 2010 it was another defiant display from Bell but the weakness of the shot that ended his stay was symptomatic of why England came off second best. You cannot let down your guard for a moment against this South Africa team.A tail, even with England’s pedigree, against a new ball is gift-wrapped for a pumped-up Steyn and it did not take him long. Stuart Broad was given out through the DRS to a glove down the leg side and Graeme Swann drove to cover. Tim Bresnan and James Anderson resisted for 10 overs, delayed tea, and threatened to make South Africa bat again, but Tahir ended the match with a grubber to trap Anderson lbw.Although England had hope shortly after lunch, the major damage had been done the previous evening with the loss of four top-order wickets. Bell and Ravi Bopara resumed with the deficit still 150 and the odds stacked against them.Initially Bopara suggested solidity with a tight defence and a couple of confident shots into the leg side, although he came within a millimetre of losing his off stump when he left a delivery from Steyn which shaped back. Then, in Steyn’s next, his eyes lit up at the offer of some width but instead of the ball finding the cover boundary it took a bottom edge into middle stump. The days between this Test and Headingley will be filled with further debate over his Test place.After the early spells from the quicks, Tahir, who created plenty of problems on the fourth evening especially for Andrew Strauss, was introduced and should have removed Bell for 20 in his first over but AB de Villiers could not take a regulation outside edge. It was de Villiers’ first mistake of the match and ultimately would not prove costly.For the second time in the match, Prior and Bell were nearly involved in a run out when Prior played a ball square to cover and Bell was a little slow responding for the run, but de Villiers could not quite gather JP Duminy’s throw. When Bell elegantly drove the last ball of the session down the ground there was just a thought that a Cardiff-style escape was within England’s grasp. South Africa soon dashed that notion.

Maybe it is Warwickshire, not Lancashire, who are the team most likely to foil Durham’s bid to reclaim the County Championship title

Jon Culley at Aigburth01-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Neil Carter had a day to remember with a career-best 6 for 30 against Lancashire•PA Photos

Maybe it is Warwickshire, not Lancashire, who are the team most likely to foil Durham’s bid to reclaim the County Championship title. An argument along those lines could probably be built purely on the basis of three straight wins coming into this match but there are other factors to provide encouragement.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who flew into Birmingham on Sunday, will give some substance to their batting on the run-in and Neil Carter, who took 51 Championship wickets last season, is at last back in the four-day side and, on this evidence, in fine fettle.Carter, who missed the early part of the season because of a pelvic injury, returned to play Twenty20 matches at the beginning of June and has four 40-over matches under his belt but this was his first taste of first-class cricket in 11 months. As Lancashire were bowled out for 189, it could hardly have gone better for the 36-year-old from Cape Town.Exploiting humid, overcast conditions that encouraged the ball to swing, Carter began with a slightly fortunate wicket with a delivery that was no better than a loosener but ended with a career-best 6 for 30 from 8.5 overs.”It has been frustrating to be out for a long period at this stage of my career and while I had no problems bowling four overs in T20 matches I did not know until I had a second eleven game how I would be bowling longer spells,” he said. “But I pulled up pretty well after that and it is great to be back in the side now.”I wasn’t really in rhythm today. It was a difficult wicket to bowl on because the ground was a bit soft and it was hard to get purchase when you land your front foot. But the ball swung and if that’s what happens on a non-rhythm day I can’t wait for when I am in rhythm.”The ‘lucky’ wicket was Stephen Moore, who had for the most part batted impressively to reach 76 in what had been a struggle for the home side against a moving ball.He had been dropped on 43, Rikki Clarke shelling what should have been a routine take at second slip off Keith Barker, but was making sure-footed progress until he was dismissed, hitting the unfortunate Barker for three fours off the reel to raise his boundary count to 14 after completing his 50 from 66 balls.But as Carter’s first delivery began to drift harmlessly away to leg, Moore was tempted into an attempted glance and paid the price, wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose diving to his left to take the catch.The wicket sparked a Lancashire collapse, all of it brought about by Carter, as they collapsed from 131 for 4. The Moore wicket put Carter on what would have been among the more unusual hat-tricks — it had been his dismissal of Matt Coles that had completed a win over Kent in his last game of 2010.He did not pull it off, but in the same over swooped in his follow-through to take a return catch as Gareth Cross fell without scoring, giving Carter two wickets from his first four balls. Then Will Porterfield held a catch at gully when Glen Chapple drove at an away swinger and Carter was on a hat-trick again after bringing one back to have Saj Mahmood leg before, offering no stroke.Smith survived this hat-trick ball, at the start of his next over, but it was not long before Kyle Hogg nicked another ball slanted across him and Porterfield reacted superbly to take his second catch, at third slip. Smith became victim number six when he skied one to mid-off.Earlier, as Boyd Rankin struggled to get his lines right, conceding 20 runs off the bat in his first two overs, as well as four byes, Lancashire had made a brisk start. But ultimately they came up short against the swinging ball, Paul Horton and Karl Brown both edging Chris Woakes to second slip, Mark Chilton falling to an ankle-height catch at first slip off the same bowler, before Barker had Steven Croft leg before.There was some consolation for Lancashire when Chapple had Varun Chopra, driving, caught at third slip before rain brought an early end to a day, already interrupted by stoppages, that was limited to 58 overs.

Pakistan’s long, long wait for a Test victory over Australia finally came to an end amid scenes of excruciating tension on the fourth morning at Headingley

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller24-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe moment of victory: Umar Gul and Mohammad Aamer scamper through for the winning run•Getty Images

Pakistan’s long, long wait for a Test victory over Australia finally came to an end amid scenes of excruciating tension on the fourth morning at Headingley, as a simple equation of 40 runs for victory with seven wickets still standing was made to look as complex as the proof to Fermat’s Last Theorem. They eventually crept home with three men still standing, but their collective nerves in tatters, as Umar Gul launched the winning shot through the covers with the scores already level.The margin of victory looked more comfortable than it felt, and that’s putting it mildly. The eventual difference between the sides was the wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal, whose 13 from 26 balls was as close as Pakistan came to a composed fourth-day performance. That said, had Akmal been given out caught in the gully with five runs still required, who knows what miracles might have transpired. Mike Hussey’s low scoop was turned down by the TV umpire, but after Mohammad Aamer had edged another four to balance the books, Akmal slammed another chance which Hussey this time plucked to his left.The morning had begun amid scenes of raucous optimism from the noisy knots of Pakistan fans in the Western Stand – lured by five pound tickets and the prospect of a chance to witness history – and there was an early moment of poignancy as well, as Rudi Koertzen was given a guard of honour to commemorate the final day of his 108-Test umpiring career.

Pakistan’s chasing traumas

Sydney 2010 – An Australian collapse for 127 in the first innings had left Pakistan with a target of 176 in the fourth innings – their best opportunity to end a winless run against Australia since Sydney 1995. The openers added a brisk 34 but wickets fell in clusters thereafter and Pakistan were shot out for 139.
Dunedin 2009 – Umar Akmal’s debut Test. After making a hundred in the first innings, Akmal was once again the lynchpin, scoring 75, as Pakistan attempted to chase 251. They had a fair chance at 95 for 3 and 161 for 4, but lost their last six wickets for 57.
Galle 2009 – Pakistan were 36 for 0 and then 71 for 2, only 97 runs away from victory. Then followed a collapse to rival all other collapses during which eight wickets fell for only 46 runs. Salman Butt was the only one to make it past 20.
Port Elizabeth 2007 – The last time Pakistan successfully chased a target of less than 200. Set a target of 191, Pakistan were facing defeat after Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini had reduced them to 92 for 5. Younis Khan, who batted steadily, and Kamran Akmal led a revival that grew into a match-winning partnership of 99, securing a five-wicket victory.

But as soon as the focus returned to the centre of the field, Australia resumed their attack with the same vigour that had hauled them back into contention in the final moments of the third evening’s play. Doug Bollinger, who had jolted Pakistan with two wickets in seven balls, made it three in 17 as the overnight anchor, Azhar Ali, feathered a length delivery through to Tim Paine, only moments after spanking a full toss through the covers to bring up his maiden Test half-century.At 146 for 4, with a tantalising 34 still needed for victory and Australia’s fielders cranking up the chatter, the stage could hardly have been less ideal for the impetuous Umar Akmal, a man who likes nothing better than to blaze away with impunity. He edged Ben Hilfenhaus for a streaky four through third slip, a shot accompanied by a roar of relief from the stands, but one over later, he was gone as well, via a flat-footed poke to a regulation outswinger.With Bollinger bounding in with the unstoppable intent of a latter-day Merv Hughes, appeals and alarms were two-a-penny. Kamran Akmal survived consecutive appeals for caught behind and lbw – both rightly turned down by Koertzen – before Shoaib Malik was dropped one over later by a diving Michael Clarke at second slip. He couldn’t make his luck count, however, as Marcus North at extra cover clung onto a full-blooded drive off Hilfenhaus, to leave Pakistan on the ropes at 161 for 6, with Aamer’s appearance at No. 8 scarcely helping to settle the nerves.Akmal’s response was two priceless fours in five balls – the first a touch streaky as he snicked an outswinger away through third man, the second more emphatic as he got up onto his toes to punch a drive through extra cover. With 13 consecutive Test victories over Pakistan, including their corker at Sydney in January, Australia’s belief did not waver at any stage of the morning, but in the final analysis, they were unable to make amends for their 88-all-out debacle on the first day.

The interim white-ball coach said they want to keep a “settled team” in ODIs but there will be “changes” in T20Is

Danyal Rasool20-Nov-2024Newly appointed Pakistan white-ball coach Aaqib Javed’s primary focus during his interim stint will be ODI cricket and the Champions Trophy, and he wants to test the bench strength in the shortest format. Aaqib, who will serve in the role until the end of the Champions Trophy next year, will fly out to Zimbabwe for his first assignment later this week – three ODIs and three T20Is starting November 24.”Our main focus at the moment is on ODI cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy,” Aaqib said. “You’ll see a settled team in this format. You’ll see changes in the T20I format. We plan to give new players chances in the Zimbabwe series. It is a message and opportunity to the new players to take the chances they’ve been given. If you don’t give new players chances, you’ll never get the opportunity to improve your bench strength.”Australia has never been an easy tour. When the team went, if we had said we were going to win the series, people would have thought it impossible. Under the new captain [Mohammad Rizwan], they showed the world they could do it after 22 years [by winning 2-1]. They also had chances in the three T20Is, but if you don’t avail your chances, you won’t win.”Related

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Aaqib’s rise within Pakistan cricket has been meteoric. Earlier this summer, he was Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach with no involvement at the PCB. Just five weeks ago, he was nominated to Pakistan’s selection committee after its latest revamp. With the PCB’s top brass viewing him as the mastermind behind Pakistan’s Test series turnaround in England, his stock has soared.Shortly after his appointment, the PCB also confirmed he would keep his place on the selection committee during his stint as coach, something that full-time Test coach Jason Gillespie no longer has, and was partly the reason why Aaqib’s predecessor, Gary Kirsten, quit the role.Aaqib, though, sought to portray his selection responsibilities as a collaborative rather than top-down arrangement. “We always consult the coach and captain, and then the selection committee announces the team,” he said. “From Multan until now, there has been consistency in selection. Asad Shafiq was on the Australia tour. His role was to discuss selection with the coach and captain, and present a final team, which would be discussed by the selection committee, who make the final decision. Now, instead of Asad, it’ll be me, but the final XI will still be decided by the committee. The selection committee is not just me; it is a panel of five people.”I’ve been coaching for 20 years. The coach’s role does have a limit. You can create an environment and give out loud, clear messages about the type of cricket you expect them to play, and help prepare them. But in the end, the players and captain provide the results.”Aaqib is aware of the scrutiny and criticism a coaching job entails; indeed, he was a critic of a number of his predecessors, taking particular aim at what he saw as Misbah-ul-Haq’s dual role, when he was the chief selector as well as the head coach. With Aaqib in an uncomfortably similar position; now, though, he believed the cases could not be directly compared.”My case is slightly different from the cases you mentioned,” he said. “I am not the chief selector, but part of a panel. I do not view it as a problem because we all want to select players who do the best for Pakistan.”Criticism is inevitable and can be healthy. It is within a player’s control whether people praise or criticise him. That also goes for the team. Criticism and praise all depends on your performance. I’ll be the first one to accept criticism if merited.”Pakistan’s Zimbabwe tour will starts with the ODIs on November 24, 26 and 28 followed by the T20Is on December 1, 3 and 5. All games will be played in Bulawayo.

The wicketkeeper-batter has had more opportunity in South Africa but will likely be sidelined when the World Cup starts

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2023Josh Inglis knows that his chance to feature in the ODI World Cup might come with a last-minute tap on the shoulder. It’s a situation he’s getting used to as a regular back-up player in Australian squads.The ongoing tour of South Africa has seen him offered more opportunity than has often been the case: the three T20Is and the first two ODIs before being rotated out for the third. There should be more chances to come over the next couple of weeks with two games left in South Africa and then three in India – and it’s likely he will get at least one outing with the wicketkeeping gloves – but come the World Cup, if everyone is fit for Australia, he probably doesn’t start.On the previous tour of India in March, he was called into the side in Mumbai when Alex Carey fell ill, while his versatility with the bat will also see him provide back-up for almost any position in the order.Related

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“I feel like it’s been the story of my international career,” he said. “A lot of the games I’ve been involved in have sort of been at the last minute. Think that comes with being a spare batter or replacement player in the squad that when those situations arise you are the next one in.”Preparation-wise, you’ve just got to stay mentally ready the whole time and prepare as if you are going to play because these things just seem to happen more and more now with concussions, Covid etc, so just got to stay ready then hope for the best when you get a crack.”Since making his international debut in early 2022, Inglis has appeared in 12 T20Is and five ODIs – the two games in Bloemfontein were his first consecutive outings in that format.He was part of the 2021 T20 World Cup squad in the UAE and also initially selected for the 2022 edition in Australia before being ruled out with a hand injury caused when playing golf.Inglis has racked up plenty of hours on tour, including for part of this year’s Ashes either side of flying home for the birth of his child, and particularly during Covid when larger squads and bubbles were required, it meant lengthy periods not playing much cricket.Josh Inglis is a versatile batter who will cover various positions•Gallo Images/Getty Images

“I mean, I’d rather be playing,” he said. “I’m very lucky to be doing what I’m doing, being involved in a lot of tours and a lot of cricket is really exciting…but obviously at times I’ve gone long spells without playing much and it can be quite tough when you are just coming in for the odd game with no real rhythm and match practice. Obviously, it’s not ideal but I’m doing everything I can, I’m working my socks off and will try and cement a spot in all three forms.”At 28, he has time on his side to become a more regular part of Australia’s line-ups and there are just a few questions starting to be raised about Carey’s form with the bat ahead of the World Cup although it’s unlikely initial plans will change at this stage.But if Inglis is required, he has given a glimpse of his batting prowess in South Africa, firstly with 42 off 22 balls in the third T20I in Durban and then a maiden international fifty in Bloemfontein where he overcame a sluggish start of 13 off 19 balls to explode through the gears.”I was pretty satisfied at the end,” he said. “I haven’t played a hell of a lot of cricket lately and seeing the boys get off to an absolute flyer and seeing the names coming be, I thought I probably had to get on with it. But at that stage the wicket had slowed up and the ball was a bit older. I just had to be a little bit patient, probably didn’t get off to the start I wanted but got away a bit towards the end of my innings.”