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The press conference of Pakistan Super League 2018 (PSL 3) artist was held yesterday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The backdrop for the opening ceremony of the third edition of the PSL took place where the artists who performed at the event talked about their performances that are expected to electrify the crowd at the stadium tomorrow.
The starry cast for the ceremony includes some world-class artists who have left their mark with their stimulating and memorable songs that have touched the hearts and minds of millions of fans. Following tradition, the opening ceremony of the third season should dazzle audiences in the stadium and the millions who watch on their television screens and in our LIVE broadcast around the world.
The ceremony is a wonderful reflection of the culture and heritage of Pakistan marvellously amalgamated with modernity, an internationally renowned artist as Jason Derulo will act this year following in the footsteps of Sean Paul and Shaggy who left their mark on the first two editions of the Pakistan Super League.
The artists who spoke at the press conference included Abida Parveen, Ali Zafar, Shehzad Roy, Sachal Orchestra, Emcees, Bilal Ashraf and Hareem Farooq. In addition to the wonderful line-up of performances, the opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League would include some other fascinating acts and attractions that will enthral the fans for the third year in a row.
The ceremony begins at 7pm UAE time, the ceremony will be followed by the first match of the tournament between defending champions Peshawar Zalmi and newcomers Multan Sultans, the match will start at 9:00 p.m.
The starry cast for the ceremony includes some world-class artists who have left their mark with their stimulating and memorable songs that have touched the hearts and minds of millions of fans. Following tradition, the opening ceremony of the third season should dazzle audiences in the stadium and the millions who watch on their television screens and in our LIVE broadcast around the world.
The ceremony is a wonderful reflection of the culture and heritage of Pakistan marvellously amalgamated with modernity, an internationally renowned artist as Jason Derulo will act this year following in the footsteps of Sean Paul and Shaggy who left their mark on the first two editions of the Pakistan Super League.
The artists who spoke at the press conference included Abida Parveen, Ali Zafar, Shehzad Roy, Sachal Orchestra, Emcees, Bilal Ashraf and Hareem Farooq. In addition to the wonderful line-up of performances, the opening ceremony of the Pakistan Super League would include some other fascinating acts and attractions that will enthral the fans for the third year in a row.
The ceremony begins at 7pm UAE time, the ceremony will be followed by the first match of the tournament between defending champions Peshawar Zalmi and newcomers Multan Sultans, the match will start at 9:00 p.m.
The Trophy for the Pakistan Super League 2018 (PSL 3) was presented yesterday at the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Before the unveiling of the trophy at the Stadium, a special 'Uber Trophy Transfer' was carried out.
The Trophy was collected from the Swarovski office in an Uber Chopper that took off from Atlantis Helipad, the helicopter landed in the Me'aisem City Center.
In the centre of the city of Me'aisem, league's trophy was received by the captain of the reigning champions, Peshawar Zalmi captain Daren Sammy, who was driven to the place in an Uber Limousine. The captains of the other five franchises Brendon McCullum (Lahore Qalandars), Shoaib Malik (Multan Sultans), Misbahul Haq (Islamabad United), Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) and Sarfraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) were also present in the car.
In addition to the Uber limousine, the car fleet also included two Teslas. Sammy and the rest of the captains were taken to the Dubai Cricket Stadium where the trophy was unveiled.
This year three new trophies of individual prizes have been added for the best performers in the Pakistan Super League this year. These include Player of the Tournament, The Best Batter, The Best Bowler, Safest Hands (Wicket-Keeper), the Best Player in the Field and Spirit of Cricket Award.
National Cricket Academy (NCA) will begin the U-16 Training and Development Camp from March 12 to April 7, 2018, at the Inzamam ul Haq High-Performance Center, Multan. In this regard, the National Junior Selection Committee has selected 28 players to form under the elite NCA coaches panel. The selection of players for this program is based on his performance in the Inter-Regional tournament recently concluded by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pepsi.
The 28 selected players with their respective regions are:
Saim Ayub, Mubashir Nawaz, Syed Nasim Ali Shah, Shahryar Rizvi, Aliyan Mehmood Saad bin Yousaf (Karachi), Muhammad Ahsan, Kh. Arham (Sialkot), Imad Afzal, Adil Naz (Abbottabad), Atif Khan, Hassan Abid Kiyani (Islamabad), Aurangzeb, Abdul Ghaffar (Quetta), Umer Eman, Khalil ur Rehman, Bilal Hussein Ali Munir, Kabir Khan (Lahore) usama Afridi (Rawalpindi), Amir Khan, Haris Khan (Peshawar), Izzatullah (FATA)), Sameer Saqib (Faisalabad), Zaman Khan (AJC), Rizwan Mehmood, Salman Khan (Hyderabad), Muhammad Ammar (Bahawalpur)
Players must show up March 11, 2018, at the High-Performance Center Inzamam ul Haq, Multan.
The wait for the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is almost over. But, before the cricket action begins on February 22, a ceremony will be held in Dubai tomorrow to unveil the trophy of PSL 3.
The Trophy for the tournament will be unveiled to the public at the Dubai International Stadium. Then, the trophy will be taken to the headquarters through from where it will be received by the captains of the PSL teams.
The Captain of defending champion, Peshawar Zalmi, Darren Sammy, will take the trophy to the ceremony.
In a video interview before the third edition of the Pakistan Super League, the former captain of the Windies praised the revival of international cricket in Pakistan and recalled his memories of PSL last year.
"We had to see bright scenes at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, everyone had the Zalmi flag," Sammy recalled PSL 2, as he expressed his gratitude to the Pakistani crowd. "It's time I gave them back their love." We lifted the trophy in Lahore last year, we will raise it again in Karachi on March 25."
The event will be attended by managers and owners of the PSL franchises, along with senior officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board. The defending champions Peshawar Zalmi play debutants Multan Sultans in the opening match of PSL 3 on February 22 in Dubai.
The chairman of the PCB, Mr. Najam Sethi, and Dr. Umar Saif, founder of the Vice Chancellor of Information Technology University of Punjab (ITU), signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to use “Insights” - a unique match analysis and scoring tool developed at no cost to the ITU for the coming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and other domestic series in Pakistan, including the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, the Pakistan Cup, etc.
The system has been developed by Talha Rehmani and his team with the opinion and guidance of cricket experts such as Inzamam ul Haq, a legendary cricketer of Pakistan and current head coach of the Pakistan cricket team, and Mushtaq Ahmed, coach of Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy.
Detailed assessment sessions were conducted with these mentors and PCB support staff such as analysts, qualifiers, coaches and other coaches.
About the Insights software
Insights is an expert player profile system developed by the Information Technology University research team, Lahore, Pakistan (ITU) for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The system contains a parallel scoring application, both on the web and on Android, where the scores of the matches with the smallest details are entered using only an Android tablet, which makes it very profitable.
The scorer can enter a lot of additional information along with scores such as the location in the field, the terrain and weather information, the ball launch point, the swing and height estimate, and information.
The system can be used simultaneously by two users to enter the details of the same party to cover it with greater precision, that is, a scorekeeper can add scores while an analyst can add field and field information, etc. The user can also enter details of each delivery event, for example, if a four-hit, the user can select, from a pre-populated list, the name of the shot, if the players timed it or if it was a mishit. Similarly, the details of a batter's dismissal, a career, a point or a six, all different types of scoring events can be recorded with just a few clicks. Below are some screens of the mobile interface.
The main landing screen, the field placement screen, the scoring screen with the scoring throws appear and the throwing screen to indicate where the ball was thrown and the height of the ball compared to the ball
The data collected, both from coincidences and individuals, are then used to obtain both concrete and soft analytical results.
This can be an important tool to track a player's performance from the root level to the top, identify weak and strong areas for hitters, identify trends and factors that affect the performance of each bowler, work on improving your defects and equipment selection. E.g. If the system identifies that a player is good against the turn, he may be selected to play in friendly spin conditions.
On the other hand, if a player is weak against the turn, the repair work can be started.
Pakistan won the first test against Zimbabwe due to an extra ordinary innings of Younis Khan. However, all other batsmen especially top order flopped. In first test Zimbabwe could not capitalise the momentum due to lack of experience but team Pakistan’s continuous poor performance provoked Zimbabwe to have a jubilant ending of the test. As I said earlier that Coach Whatmore should formulise, the strategy considering and tweaking the weaker aspects of the team otherwise these mistakes will haunt us again against South Africa and Sri lanka. But the players agreed upon bringing shame at the hands of Zimbabwe, this has created bigger trouble for Whatmore who is trying to console by saying that Pakistan equalised the series against Zimbabwe did not lose it.
Moin Khan who was a critique about the system and team when he was an expert on TV channels now when he has been appointed to a post in PCB he has declared grass as green. Former Wicket Keeper should have been worried about the defeats however, he is declaring the performance rather satisfactory saying Pakistan only played bad in two matches in the rest of the tour team played well. This indeed is another limit of naivety.
What are the reasons behind losing, who were the underperforming players, and which player has a falling performance graph? Our readers must have realised that very well as for past few days “experts” on TV are sobbing over the defeat and conducting autopsy of the team. The majority agrees that Pakistan lost due to the defensive approach of Captain Misbah who failed to act like a finisher in the second test mach. As a result Pakistan lost by 24 runs. If Misbah would have single handedly lead Pakistan to the victory he could avail the praises but now he is the only one facing the music and his critical 79 runs not out have been totally wasted. This is interesting that why experts fail to see that team is not all about Misbah only there were five other expert batsmen too who also failed completely.
It seems to be easy escape for the office holders in PCB to bring Captain down and cricket fans can be amused with the chants of new captain and new spirit. However, this will not be the solution of the real problem. There is need of changing the system not captain, system that is killing the capabilities of cricket in Pakistan. This is sheer helplessness that poor performers cannot be replaced as the options have either lesser experience or talent. Moreover, seniors like Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haq are still playing because board and system failed to produce their replacement, and those who were painted as the next big thing are also in line to be replaced.
Just because the backup does not have good players, therefore the poor performers from Zimbabwe series will still manage to hold their spot against South Africa for the series in UAE. Change in system is inevitable to turn things around and creating a consistency in the performance. PCB is not producing good players regularly for the international level and as a result; cricket is on the verge of devastation. Rather than emphasising over changing the captain the need of hour is to change is vision, mindset and setting up an effective system that PCB can operate with and produce good results with any captain.
What are the reasons behind losing, who were the underperforming players, and which player has a falling performance graph? Our readers must have realised that very well as for past few days “experts” on TV are sobbing over the defeat and conducting autopsy of the team. The majority agrees that Pakistan lost due to the defensive approach of Captain Misbah who failed to act like a finisher in the second test mach. As a result Pakistan lost by 24 runs. If Misbah would have single handedly lead Pakistan to the victory he could avail the praises but now he is the only one facing the music and his critical 79 runs not out have been totally wasted. This is interesting that why experts fail to see that team is not all about Misbah only there were five other expert batsmen too who also failed completely.
It seems to be easy escape for the office holders in PCB to bring Captain down and cricket fans can be amused with the chants of new captain and new spirit. However, this will not be the solution of the real problem. There is need of changing the system not captain, system that is killing the capabilities of cricket in Pakistan. This is sheer helplessness that poor performers cannot be replaced as the options have either lesser experience or talent. Moreover, seniors like Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haq are still playing because board and system failed to produce their replacement, and those who were painted as the next big thing are also in line to be replaced.
Just because the backup does not have good players, therefore the poor performers from Zimbabwe series will still manage to hold their spot against South Africa for the series in UAE. Change in system is inevitable to turn things around and creating a consistency in the performance. PCB is not producing good players regularly for the international level and as a result; cricket is on the verge of devastation. Rather than emphasising over changing the captain the need of hour is to change is vision, mindset and setting up an effective system that PCB can operate with and produce good results with any captain.
Dav Whatmore is unlikely to continue as Pakistan coach after the recent defeats against South Africa, and the team manager Moin Khan seems set to replace him.
Moin Khan is participating in the training sessions and working in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding – more actively than Whatmore.
It seems the ‘opportunist’ players know what is going to happen, therefore, they have ditched Whatmore and are trying to appease Moin.
Team sources say that in team meeting and training sessions Moin Khan is spending more time with players and senior player are co-operating with him as much as they can.
Although Najam Sethi is busy in dealing court issues, some team players know Moin is Sethi’s favourite and his vote would be a key to run team’s affairs in the near future.
Moin Khan is participating in the training sessions and working in all three departments – batting, bowling and fielding – more actively than Whatmore.
It seems the ‘opportunist’ players know what is going to happen, therefore, they have ditched Whatmore and are trying to appease Moin.
Team sources say that in team meeting and training sessions Moin Khan is spending more time with players and senior player are co-operating with him as much as they can.
Although Najam Sethi is busy in dealing court issues, some team players know Moin is Sethi’s favourite and his vote would be a key to run team’s affairs in the near future.
Chasing a 184-run target, can a team lose the match if they are on 165-4? Yes, if the chasers are Pakistan. Pakistan needed just 19 more runs to win against South Africa in the first ODI played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. But that meagre score proved to be a Himalayan task for Pakistan, who succumbed to the Proteas bowling prowess on 182, just one run behind their opponents’ total.
[caption id="attachment_2438" align="alignright" width="230"]
The 52-run partnership between Parnell and Tsotsobe in the ninth wicket proved decisive. (Photo: AFP)[/caption]
So where India chased 351 runs against Australia in Nagpur, their neighbours failed to chase 184 in Sharjah.
Two were the decisive reasons of Pakistan’s defeat: the 52-run partnership between Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, and Pakistani players losing wickets after batting powerplay.
The 71-run partnership between Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad, and later Misbahul Haq’s presence put Pakistan in good position. But Misbah’s dismissal in the first over of powerplay, and the loss back-to-back loss of Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz stifled Pakistan’s chase. From 165-4 in the 41st over, Pakistan were all-out in the 47th over for 182.
Pakistan’s excessively prudent behaviour in the chase was the actual reason of the fiasco. The team managed to make just 135 runs in 35 overs, and then lost wickets in an attempt to inch up the strike rate when the last powerplay began. Pakistan came under pressure from Misbah’s departure in the powerplay’s first over. Then there was successive loss of wickets as soon as the powerplay ended.
Shehzad and Misbah remained top-scorers with 58 and 31 runs.
South Africa’s Parnell and Imran Tahir took three wickets apiece, whereas Morne Morkel and Tsotsobe took two each.
The Proteas’ innings was also a chaos. The match remained in the grip of Pakistan’s bowlers from the Colin Ingram’s dismissal in the first over to more than half of the innings. When Ryan McLaren lost his wicket in the 27th over, South Africa’s one end became completely vulnerable. The team were 86-6 by then. But Miller’s 37 and Parnell’s 56 guided the Proteas to 183 – a huge total for Pakistan as it turned out.
Saeed Ajmal came back to his form after quite a long time, taking four wickets off 30. Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan took three, two and one wickets, respectively.
Parnell was given man-of-the-match award for his performance.
Pakistan’s decision to include Wahab Riaz for Junaid Khan and Sohail Tanvir for Asad Shafiq also proved wrong. Wahab failed both as a bowler and batsman. He succumbed to opponents’ bowling pressure when he was needed the most. Tanvir did better bowling, but he also failed to stick to the crease when wickets were falling.
South Africa are now leading 1-0 in the five-match series after the unbelievable victory. The second ODI will be played on Nov 1 in Dubai.
[caption id="attachment_2438" align="alignright" width="230"]
The 52-run partnership between Parnell and Tsotsobe in the ninth wicket proved decisive. (Photo: AFP)[/caption]So where India chased 351 runs against Australia in Nagpur, their neighbours failed to chase 184 in Sharjah.
Two were the decisive reasons of Pakistan’s defeat: the 52-run partnership between Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, and Pakistani players losing wickets after batting powerplay.
The 71-run partnership between Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad, and later Misbahul Haq’s presence put Pakistan in good position. But Misbah’s dismissal in the first over of powerplay, and the loss back-to-back loss of Umar Amin, Umar Akmal, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz stifled Pakistan’s chase. From 165-4 in the 41st over, Pakistan were all-out in the 47th over for 182.
Pakistan’s excessively prudent behaviour in the chase was the actual reason of the fiasco. The team managed to make just 135 runs in 35 overs, and then lost wickets in an attempt to inch up the strike rate when the last powerplay began. Pakistan came under pressure from Misbah’s departure in the powerplay’s first over. Then there was successive loss of wickets as soon as the powerplay ended.
Shehzad and Misbah remained top-scorers with 58 and 31 runs.
South Africa’s Parnell and Imran Tahir took three wickets apiece, whereas Morne Morkel and Tsotsobe took two each.
The Proteas’ innings was also a chaos. The match remained in the grip of Pakistan’s bowlers from the Colin Ingram’s dismissal in the first over to more than half of the innings. When Ryan McLaren lost his wicket in the 27th over, South Africa’s one end became completely vulnerable. The team were 86-6 by then. But Miller’s 37 and Parnell’s 56 guided the Proteas to 183 – a huge total for Pakistan as it turned out.
Saeed Ajmal came back to his form after quite a long time, taking four wickets off 30. Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Irfan took three, two and one wickets, respectively.
Parnell was given man-of-the-match award for his performance.
Pakistan’s decision to include Wahab Riaz for Junaid Khan and Sohail Tanvir for Asad Shafiq also proved wrong. Wahab failed both as a bowler and batsman. He succumbed to opponents’ bowling pressure when he was needed the most. Tanvir did better bowling, but he also failed to stick to the crease when wickets were falling.
South Africa are now leading 1-0 in the five-match series after the unbelievable victory. The second ODI will be played on Nov 1 in Dubai.
The loss in the first one-day was an eye opener for Pakistan. It was only because of the humiliating defeat that Pakistani team spent their time in ground instead of taking rest.
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Unbelievable defeat proved nightmarish for Pakistan (Photo: Cricnama)[/caption]
The second one-day will be played on Nov 1 in Dubai, and cricket experts, fans and the team itself are finding it difficult to digest the drama of the first ODI. This has compelled the boys to have some practice.
After the disappointing draw in the Test series, the team managed to restrict South Africa to 184 runs in the first ODI, but the way the match ended was a nightmare. Pakistan lost six wickets within the space of just 17 runs and the Proteas won unbelievably by one run.
During the today’s practice session, players had to do tough exercises on the directions of team manager and coach Dav Whatmore. It seems Moin Khan would be the next coach as chances are bleak for Whatmore to continue his job in the wake of back-to-back defeats.
Pakistani batsmen specially focused on spin bowling during the practice session to counter South Africa’s Imran Tahir, who has played a vital role in Pakistan’s defeats in Sharjah Test and Dubai ODI.
[caption id="attachment_2442" align="alignright" width="293"]
Unbelievable defeat proved nightmarish for Pakistan (Photo: Cricnama)[/caption]The second one-day will be played on Nov 1 in Dubai, and cricket experts, fans and the team itself are finding it difficult to digest the drama of the first ODI. This has compelled the boys to have some practice.
After the disappointing draw in the Test series, the team managed to restrict South Africa to 184 runs in the first ODI, but the way the match ended was a nightmare. Pakistan lost six wickets within the space of just 17 runs and the Proteas won unbelievably by one run.
During the today’s practice session, players had to do tough exercises on the directions of team manager and coach Dav Whatmore. It seems Moin Khan would be the next coach as chances are bleak for Whatmore to continue his job in the wake of back-to-back defeats.
Pakistani batsmen specially focused on spin bowling during the practice session to counter South Africa’s Imran Tahir, who has played a vital role in Pakistan’s defeats in Sharjah Test and Dubai ODI.
As the Islamabad High Court directed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to hold elections, former spin bowler Abdul Qadir says he is willing to contest for the post of board’s chairman.
Talking to newsmen in Lahore, Qadir said it’s the first time the PCB wais going to hold elections and things are going in the right direction after the court’s order.
The IHC has barred Najam Sethi from working as PCB chairman and also suspended the Interim Management Committee (IMC), formed by the prime minister.
The court has set up an election committee headed by retired Justice Munir A. Sheikh that will hold the board’s elections by the third week of next month. Until then, board’s secretary will look after the PCB’s affairs.
Qadir said he would work for the betterment of the PCB and would do everything necessary to restore the image of Pakistan cricket within the country and abroad. He said he had his say across the world as a cricketer and he would try his best for the return of international cricket in Pakistan.
The former spinner has worked for the PCB, including his job as chairman selectors. He was also one of the candidates when Pakistan was looking for team’s head coach before Dav Whatmore’s appointment.
Talking to newsmen in Lahore, Qadir said it’s the first time the PCB wais going to hold elections and things are going in the right direction after the court’s order.
The IHC has barred Najam Sethi from working as PCB chairman and also suspended the Interim Management Committee (IMC), formed by the prime minister.
The court has set up an election committee headed by retired Justice Munir A. Sheikh that will hold the board’s elections by the third week of next month. Until then, board’s secretary will look after the PCB’s affairs.
Qadir said he would work for the betterment of the PCB and would do everything necessary to restore the image of Pakistan cricket within the country and abroad. He said he had his say across the world as a cricketer and he would try his best for the return of international cricket in Pakistan.
The former spinner has worked for the PCB, including his job as chairman selectors. He was also one of the candidates when Pakistan was looking for team’s head coach before Dav Whatmore’s appointment.
Pakistan have been bowled out on just 99 runs against South Africa in the first innings of the second Test. It’s the same score Pakistan made one and a half year ago on the same ground against England. But back then, Pakistan defeated England, clinching a historic 3-0 victory in the series. Can Pakistan repeat the history in the ongoing Test against the Proteas?
[caption id="attachment_2418" align="alignright" width="223"]
England batting line-up imploded against Pakistan. (Photo: AFP)[/caption]
Pakistan’s start was quite disappointing as they opted to bat after winning the toss. From the dismissal of Khurram Manzoor in the first over, the team lost back-to-back wickets, and most batsmen became victims of their poor shot selection.
Pakistan were 52/2 when Imran Tahir came to turn Pakistan batting line-up upside down. He first dismissed Shan Madood and then claimed key wickets of Misbahul Haq and Asad Shafiq. The 23-run partnership in the last wicket between Zulfiqar Babar and Junaid Khan helped Pakistan reach 99.
Tahir did the best bowling of his career, taking 5 wickets off 32 runs.
In February 2012, Pakistan started their third Test against England on the same ground with a 2-0 lead. Pakistan won the toss and made 99 runs in the first innings. After such a bad start, Pakistan rose from the ashes and stunned England with their bowling and batting heroics. England could only make 141 runs, thanks to Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman who didn’t let the opponents take a big lead. The centuries by Azhar Ali and Younis Khan in the second innings guided Pakistan to a respectable total of 365. Chasing a 324-run target, English batting line-up succumbed after making 252 runs. Pakistan had whitewashed the then world’s best Test team 3-0. It was first time in the past 100 years that a team won a match after being dismissed below 100 in the first innings.
Will history repeat itself? Maybe. Or maybe not.
[caption id="attachment_2418" align="alignright" width="223"]
England batting line-up imploded against Pakistan. (Photo: AFP)[/caption]Pakistan’s start was quite disappointing as they opted to bat after winning the toss. From the dismissal of Khurram Manzoor in the first over, the team lost back-to-back wickets, and most batsmen became victims of their poor shot selection.
Pakistan were 52/2 when Imran Tahir came to turn Pakistan batting line-up upside down. He first dismissed Shan Madood and then claimed key wickets of Misbahul Haq and Asad Shafiq. The 23-run partnership in the last wicket between Zulfiqar Babar and Junaid Khan helped Pakistan reach 99.
Tahir did the best bowling of his career, taking 5 wickets off 32 runs.
In February 2012, Pakistan started their third Test against England on the same ground with a 2-0 lead. Pakistan won the toss and made 99 runs in the first innings. After such a bad start, Pakistan rose from the ashes and stunned England with their bowling and batting heroics. England could only make 141 runs, thanks to Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman who didn’t let the opponents take a big lead. The centuries by Azhar Ali and Younis Khan in the second innings guided Pakistan to a respectable total of 365. Chasing a 324-run target, English batting line-up succumbed after making 252 runs. Pakistan had whitewashed the then world’s best Test team 3-0. It was first time in the past 100 years that a team won a match after being dismissed below 100 in the first innings.
Will history repeat itself? Maybe. Or maybe not.
The interim management of the Pakistan Cricket Board has did everything it could to save it from court’s order but court seems to be committed in resolving this issue. That’s why the Islamabad High Court has ordered that PCB chairman should be appointed by Nov 2, otherwise the caretaker set-up will be declared void.
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The court has warned that the ad hoc committee will no more be functional after Nov 2 deadline (Photo: Dawn)[/caption]
During the hearing in Islamabad, the court asked PCB’s lawyer to justify the defeat against a team like Zimbabwe. Further, Justice Shaukat Siddiqui ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue the schedule for PCB elections today and asked the board to cooperate with the ECP.
The court said that the elections were critically important under the laws of International Cricket Council (ICC). If held, the elections would be the first to appoint PCB chairman under ICC rules.
A few days back Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued a notification to form a five-member interim committee, dismissing PCB caretaker set-up
It consists of interim chairman Najam Sethi, former chairman Shehriyar Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Haroon Rasheed and Naveed Akram Cheema. Sethi was elected PCB chairman the same day the notification was announced.
According to the notification, the chairman is to be selected within 90 days but it seems that Sethi wants to delay it. Keeping this in mind, the IHC has ordered to hold fresh elections by Nov 2, and after that the committee will no more be functional.
[caption id="attachment_2415" align="alignright" width="300"]
The court has warned that the ad hoc committee will no more be functional after Nov 2 deadline (Photo: Dawn)[/caption]During the hearing in Islamabad, the court asked PCB’s lawyer to justify the defeat against a team like Zimbabwe. Further, Justice Shaukat Siddiqui ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue the schedule for PCB elections today and asked the board to cooperate with the ECP.
The court said that the elections were critically important under the laws of International Cricket Council (ICC). If held, the elections would be the first to appoint PCB chairman under ICC rules.
A few days back Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued a notification to form a five-member interim committee, dismissing PCB caretaker set-up
It consists of interim chairman Najam Sethi, former chairman Shehriyar Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Haroon Rasheed and Naveed Akram Cheema. Sethi was elected PCB chairman the same day the notification was announced.
According to the notification, the chairman is to be selected within 90 days but it seems that Sethi wants to delay it. Keeping this in mind, the IHC has ordered to hold fresh elections by Nov 2, and after that the committee will no more be functional.
It is said that fast bowlers are aggressive not only in playgrounds, but also in their private lives. That’s why they often break sports rules and resort to sledging. There are gazillions of examples of it. The latest such incident happened in the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa when Dale Steyn threw ball to Khurram Manzoor which missed him only by a few inches.
However, Manzoor not only remained patient on the next two deliveries but responded Steyn’s throwing of ball by blowing kisses.
Watch yourself, and tell us when another such incident happened in past. Hint is that it was also between Pakistan and South Africa in a T20 match.
[video width="600" height="360" flv="http://cricnama.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Khurram-Manzoor-Kisses-Dale-Steyn-Sledging.flv"][/video]
However, Manzoor not only remained patient on the next two deliveries but responded Steyn’s throwing of ball by blowing kisses.
Watch yourself, and tell us when another such incident happened in past. Hint is that it was also between Pakistan and South Africa in a T20 match.
[video width="600" height="360" flv="http://cricnama.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Khurram-Manzoor-Kisses-Dale-Steyn-Sledging.flv"][/video]
The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 16-man squad for the upcoming one-day series against South Africa.
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The uncertainty looming over Umar Akmal’s career is now gone. (Photo: AFP)[/caption]
The selectors have once again recalled Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz, and now there are no doubts about Umar. He was sent back to Pakistan during a series against West Indies last month and there were reports that he was suffering from epilepsy.
However, his medical reports proved he doesn’t have the condition and he is declared clear. But he was not included for Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe which followed tour of West Indies.
Now, as test reports have declared him medically fit, he has been selected for the ODI series against South Africa.
Riaz, who was failed to perform in West Indies tour and was axed for Zimbabwe tour, has also been recalled for the upcoming ODI series.
His selection shows that selectors want to make Pakistan bowling attack more balanced as it is inclined towards spinners in the ongoing Tests series.
Moreover, Sohaib Maqsood, who belonged to Multan, has replaced Haris Sohail. Maqsood represented Pakistan in two Twenty20s during Zimbabwe tour.
Currently, Pakistan and South Africa are playing Test series. Pakistan clinched the first Test, played in Abu Dhabi. The second and the last Test will start from Oct 23 in Dubai, after which both teams will play five ODIs from Oct 30 to Nov 11.
ODI Squad:
Misbahul Haq (captain), Ahmed Shahzad, Asad Shafiq, Junaid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood, Abdur Rehman, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed and Wahab Riaz.
[caption id="attachment_2408" align="alignright" width="294"]
The uncertainty looming over Umar Akmal’s career is now gone. (Photo: AFP)[/caption]The selectors have once again recalled Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz, and now there are no doubts about Umar. He was sent back to Pakistan during a series against West Indies last month and there were reports that he was suffering from epilepsy.
However, his medical reports proved he doesn’t have the condition and he is declared clear. But he was not included for Pakistan’s tour of Zimbabwe which followed tour of West Indies.
Now, as test reports have declared him medically fit, he has been selected for the ODI series against South Africa.
Riaz, who was failed to perform in West Indies tour and was axed for Zimbabwe tour, has also been recalled for the upcoming ODI series.
His selection shows that selectors want to make Pakistan bowling attack more balanced as it is inclined towards spinners in the ongoing Tests series.
Moreover, Sohaib Maqsood, who belonged to Multan, has replaced Haris Sohail. Maqsood represented Pakistan in two Twenty20s during Zimbabwe tour.
Currently, Pakistan and South Africa are playing Test series. Pakistan clinched the first Test, played in Abu Dhabi. The second and the last Test will start from Oct 23 in Dubai, after which both teams will play five ODIs from Oct 30 to Nov 11.
ODI Squad:
Misbahul Haq (captain), Ahmed Shahzad, Asad Shafiq, Junaid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood, Abdur Rehman, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed and Wahab Riaz.
Everybody knows Pakistan are the most unpredictable team. And they have only strengthened the impression in the first Test against South Africa. The team, which failed to chase a target of 264 runs against minnows Zimbabwe a month ago, has now defeated the world number one side by 7 wickets.
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Khurram Manzoor, who scored record 146 against South Africa, was declared man of the match (Photo: AFP)[/caption]
It seems that any team on the top spot should play against Pakistan in the UAE to check its worth. England failed in the acid test in 2011-12. And now the Proteas have suffered the same fate in the first Test.
From the day one in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, everything seemed in the favour of Pakistan. Having bowled out South Africa on 249 runs in the first innings, Pakistani openers made a partnership of over 100. Then centuries by debutant Khurram Manzoor and captain Misbahul Haq and a team total of 442 runs against one of the best bowling attacks. And then once again let the opponents to take a lead of only 39 runs. This was the performance of the team which had recently been defeated by the world’s weakest team.
The victory has helped Pakistan take an assailable lead of 1-0 in the two-match series. Moreover, Pakistan have jumped to fourth position from sixth in the Test rankings.
On the other hand, it was the first defeat for South Africa after 15 Tests, and it can only level the series at best.
South Africa decided to bat after winning the toss. The visitors were 245 for 8 after the first day, thanks to excellent performance by Pakistan bowlers. South Africa’s position could have been much worse had Hashim Amla not scored hundred. The only other batsman with respectable runs was JP Duminy, who scored 57. In fact, no other player except Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Dales Steyn could hit double-figures.
The 20th century of Amla’s career did help South Africa to remain in the match. But came next day, the end of South Africa’s innings on 249 and a 135-run opening stand by Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood stifled the Proteas’ hopes.
It was the first 100-run partnership by Pakistan openers in one and a half years. Though Masood (75) could not complete his century, he did help Manzoor clinch his hundred. He scored 146.
Pakistan were in a leading position after the 2nd day and lost only three wickets. On the third day, a hundred by Misbah took Pakistan’s lead to 193, making situation more difficult for South Africa.
Misbah scored exact 100 runs off 187 balls, with the help of 8 fours. When Pakistan’s innings ended on 442, it was necessary for Pakistan to take a wicket or two of South Africa before the third day ended. And bowlers lived up to expectations. Especially, Zulfiqar Babar, who took the day’s most important wicket of Hashim Amla.
The other visiting batsmen who lost their wickets on the third day were Alviro Petersen (17), Graeme Smith (32) and Jacques Kallis (0).
AB de Villers was South Africa’s last hope on the fourth day. He had to find a way out with the help of Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy and by utilising tail-enders. But both batsmen failed to do so. Duminy fell prey to Junaid Khan on duck while du Plessis was dismissed by Saeed Ajmal before Plessis could touch double-digits.
De Villiers made 90 runs and a 57-run partnership with Robin Peterson. But all he could was to delay the defeat, which was becoming more and more inevitable. The last two wickets added 42 runs to South Africa’s total, preventing the team from defeat – for a few hours.
As Pakistan started chasing a 40-run target, the first innings star openers Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor departed on just 0 and 4. When Pakistan lost their third wicket on 7, it seemed that Pakistan were going to be unpredictable. But, fortunately, they didn’t. The experienced hands of Misbah and Younis led Pakistan to victory. Misbah hit the winning shot – a six to Peterson.
The second and last Test of the series will be played in Dubai International Cricket Stadium from Oct 23-27.
[caption id="attachment_2389" align="alignright" width="244"]
Khurram Manzoor, who scored record 146 against South Africa, was declared man of the match (Photo: AFP)[/caption]It seems that any team on the top spot should play against Pakistan in the UAE to check its worth. England failed in the acid test in 2011-12. And now the Proteas have suffered the same fate in the first Test.
From the day one in Sheikh Zayed Stadium, everything seemed in the favour of Pakistan. Having bowled out South Africa on 249 runs in the first innings, Pakistani openers made a partnership of over 100. Then centuries by debutant Khurram Manzoor and captain Misbahul Haq and a team total of 442 runs against one of the best bowling attacks. And then once again let the opponents to take a lead of only 39 runs. This was the performance of the team which had recently been defeated by the world’s weakest team.
The victory has helped Pakistan take an assailable lead of 1-0 in the two-match series. Moreover, Pakistan have jumped to fourth position from sixth in the Test rankings.
On the other hand, it was the first defeat for South Africa after 15 Tests, and it can only level the series at best.
South Africa decided to bat after winning the toss. The visitors were 245 for 8 after the first day, thanks to excellent performance by Pakistan bowlers. South Africa’s position could have been much worse had Hashim Amla not scored hundred. The only other batsman with respectable runs was JP Duminy, who scored 57. In fact, no other player except Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers and Dales Steyn could hit double-figures.
The 20th century of Amla’s career did help South Africa to remain in the match. But came next day, the end of South Africa’s innings on 249 and a 135-run opening stand by Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood stifled the Proteas’ hopes.
It was the first 100-run partnership by Pakistan openers in one and a half years. Though Masood (75) could not complete his century, he did help Manzoor clinch his hundred. He scored 146.
Pakistan were in a leading position after the 2nd day and lost only three wickets. On the third day, a hundred by Misbah took Pakistan’s lead to 193, making situation more difficult for South Africa.
Misbah scored exact 100 runs off 187 balls, with the help of 8 fours. When Pakistan’s innings ended on 442, it was necessary for Pakistan to take a wicket or two of South Africa before the third day ended. And bowlers lived up to expectations. Especially, Zulfiqar Babar, who took the day’s most important wicket of Hashim Amla.
The other visiting batsmen who lost their wickets on the third day were Alviro Petersen (17), Graeme Smith (32) and Jacques Kallis (0).
AB de Villers was South Africa’s last hope on the fourth day. He had to find a way out with the help of Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy and by utilising tail-enders. But both batsmen failed to do so. Duminy fell prey to Junaid Khan on duck while du Plessis was dismissed by Saeed Ajmal before Plessis could touch double-digits.
De Villiers made 90 runs and a 57-run partnership with Robin Peterson. But all he could was to delay the defeat, which was becoming more and more inevitable. The last two wickets added 42 runs to South Africa’s total, preventing the team from defeat – for a few hours.
As Pakistan started chasing a 40-run target, the first innings star openers Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor departed on just 0 and 4. When Pakistan lost their third wicket on 7, it seemed that Pakistan were going to be unpredictable. But, fortunately, they didn’t. The experienced hands of Misbah and Younis led Pakistan to victory. Misbah hit the winning shot – a six to Peterson.
The second and last Test of the series will be played in Dubai International Cricket Stadium from Oct 23-27.
In the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan have given a chance to two players to start their Test careers. One is left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and other is opener Shan Masood. So, the number of players who have represented Pakistan in the longest format of the game has become 215.
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Zulfiqar Babar, 34, is the third oldest Pakistani Test debutant after Miran Bux, 47, and Amir Elahi, 45. (Photo: WICB)[/caption]
There are two interesting things about both debuts. A player of Habib Bank in domestic cricket, Masood has started his Test career on his birthday. He was born today in 1989 in Kuwait. He has given a chance for Tests due to his batting average of around 35 in 56 first-class matches and scoring half-century in the practice math between Pakistan ‘A ‘ and South Africa.
On the other hand, ‘Zulfi’ has become the third oldest debutant for Pakistan in Tests; he is 34 years and 308 days old.
Miran Bux was the first oldest Test debutant for the national team. He was 47 years and 275 days when he was included in the side against India at Lahore in February 1955. The second match in Peshawar of the same series was the last Test of his career.
Amir Elahi was the second oldest to play his debut for Pakistan at the age of 45 years and 44 days. Although he had played his first Test for India at the age of 39 before the Partition, he debuted for Pakistan only after his 45th birthday.
Babar, who has played 63 first-class matches taking 309 wickets with an excellent average of 20.36, recently played three Twenty20 International matches for Pakistan.
[caption id="attachment_2384" align="alignright" width="248"]
Zulfiqar Babar, 34, is the third oldest Pakistani Test debutant after Miran Bux, 47, and Amir Elahi, 45. (Photo: WICB)[/caption]There are two interesting things about both debuts. A player of Habib Bank in domestic cricket, Masood has started his Test career on his birthday. He was born today in 1989 in Kuwait. He has given a chance for Tests due to his batting average of around 35 in 56 first-class matches and scoring half-century in the practice math between Pakistan ‘A ‘ and South Africa.
On the other hand, ‘Zulfi’ has become the third oldest debutant for Pakistan in Tests; he is 34 years and 308 days old.
Miran Bux was the first oldest Test debutant for the national team. He was 47 years and 275 days when he was included in the side against India at Lahore in February 1955. The second match in Peshawar of the same series was the last Test of his career.
Amir Elahi was the second oldest to play his debut for Pakistan at the age of 45 years and 44 days. Although he had played his first Test for India at the age of 39 before the Partition, he debuted for Pakistan only after his 45th birthday.
Babar, who has played 63 first-class matches taking 309 wickets with an excellent average of 20.36, recently played three Twenty20 International matches for Pakistan.
Just like every topic has two extreme opinions in Pakistan, the same goes with cricket. Fans of Shahid Afridi do not like the batting style of Misbah, and people who like Misbah’s style criticize Afridi. That is the reason why social media has become a battlefield for cricket lovers. Even some private TV channels are following the same trend.
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Afridi thinks that apart from changing his batting style, Misbah should also change attitude towards irresponsible players (Photo: AFP)[/caption]
But in reality, both cricketers respect each other and always try to share helpful tips for the national team. For instance, Afridi has recently given some suggestions to Misbah for the upcoming series against South Africa.
In an interview with Dawn, Afridi said that Misbah needed to be more aggressive with those batsmen who lose their wickets on crucial moments.
Admiring Misbah’s captaincy, Afridi said the way he was leading the team from the front should be appreciated. Besides, he should be strict with those batsmen who took the game for granted.
Afridi, who has played 362 ODIs, is keen to be a part of the World Cup 2015. However, the decision of his retirement depended on his fitness, he added.
[caption id="attachment_2350" align="alignright" width="300"]
Afridi thinks that apart from changing his batting style, Misbah should also change attitude towards irresponsible players (Photo: AFP)[/caption]But in reality, both cricketers respect each other and always try to share helpful tips for the national team. For instance, Afridi has recently given some suggestions to Misbah for the upcoming series against South Africa.
In an interview with Dawn, Afridi said that Misbah needed to be more aggressive with those batsmen who lose their wickets on crucial moments.
Admiring Misbah’s captaincy, Afridi said the way he was leading the team from the front should be appreciated. Besides, he should be strict with those batsmen who took the game for granted.
Afridi, who has played 362 ODIs, is keen to be a part of the World Cup 2015. However, the decision of his retirement depended on his fitness, he added.
Pakistan have included three more batsmen to their 12-man squad for Test series against South Africa. Openers Ahmed Shahzad and Shan Masood, and Asad Shafiq have been selected to fill the three vacant positions.
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The trio was selected after the match between Pakistan A and South Africa (Photo: PCB)[/caption]
Youngsters Shehzad and Masood have never played a Test for the national team, and at least one of them will get the chance to play against the Proteas in the first Test.
The 12-man squad was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board before leaving for the UAE, leaving three places to be fulfilled later based on players’ performances in the side match.
Shehzad, Masood and Azhar Ali scored half-centuries each in the only innings of Pakistan A in the side match played in Sharjah. Shafiq made 42 in the match.
Pakistan A scored 311 runs in the first innings in response to South Africa’s 354.
Shehzad has represented Pakistan in 27 one-day and 15 T20 international matches, whereas Masood has never played an international match for the national team. However, both players have never played a Test for Pakistan.
The first match of the Test series between Pakistan and South Africa will start from Oct 14 in Abu Dhabi. The 15-man squad for the series includes:
Misbahul Haq (captain), Ahmed Shazad, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Junaid Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Zulfiqar Babar, Rahat Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Shan Masood, Abdur Rehman, Adnan Akmal, Umar Amin, Mohammad Irfan and Yunus Khan.
[caption id="attachment_2341" align="alignright" width="300"]
The trio was selected after the match between Pakistan A and South Africa (Photo: PCB)[/caption]Youngsters Shehzad and Masood have never played a Test for the national team, and at least one of them will get the chance to play against the Proteas in the first Test.
The 12-man squad was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board before leaving for the UAE, leaving three places to be fulfilled later based on players’ performances in the side match.
Shehzad, Masood and Azhar Ali scored half-centuries each in the only innings of Pakistan A in the side match played in Sharjah. Shafiq made 42 in the match.
Pakistan A scored 311 runs in the first innings in response to South Africa’s 354.
Shehzad has represented Pakistan in 27 one-day and 15 T20 international matches, whereas Masood has never played an international match for the national team. However, both players have never played a Test for Pakistan.
The first match of the Test series between Pakistan and South Africa will start from Oct 14 in Abu Dhabi. The 15-man squad for the series includes:
Misbahul Haq (captain), Ahmed Shazad, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Junaid Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Zulfiqar Babar, Rahat Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Shan Masood, Abdur Rehman, Adnan Akmal, Umar Amin, Mohammad Irfan and Yunus Khan.
I still remember that in a side match during the South Africa’s tour of Pakistan in 1997-98, a not-so-famous youngster Ali Naqvi was given a chance to play in the captaincy of Amir Sohail.
Naqvi made the most of the chance by scoring a century in the second innings. His hundred earned him a chance to play a Test against the Proteas.
Luck continued to smile on him in Rawalpindi stadium where he played a triple-figure innings in his debut against the bowlers like Alan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Brett Schultz and Pat Symcox.
In the past when the national team needed a batsman to open with Saeed Anwar, the Pakistan Cricket Board arranged a side match for it. Ali Naqvi and Mohammad Ramzan were trialed in that match.
Now, after 16 years, the history is repeating itself as the Ahmed Shahzad and Shan Masood will try to perform in the side match against South Africa to earn a place in the Test squad.
Shehzad is undoubtedly talented. Masood too performed well at the domestic level which gave him the opportunity to tour Zimbabwe. Both are skilled. And this very equality has become a double-edged sword for them as they have to deliver in the three-day practice match to get a place in the final squad.
Pakistan A team captain Umar Amin has decided to field first in the side match. Both openers might have only single innings to prove themselves for the selection. It would not be easy for them to play under pressure against the team like South Africa. And whoever of them will get a chance he must be prepared for more pressure in the five-day match, without the support of a senior opener.
Shehzad or Masoood, whoever succeeds in performing well in the debut will be playing in the next series. Otherwise their future will be in doubt because if they failed to perform, Tufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat, Nasir Jamshed or Mohammad Hafeez will be recalled against Sri Lanka.
Though it’s a good decision by the selection committee to try young openers, but the timing is not good. The right time for trials was the tour of Zimbabwe when newcomers could be tested in place of Hafeez Even in Lahore’s three-day match selectors could have taken the trial for three positions but they missed that chance too.
If it was decided to exclude Hafeez then it would be much better to announce the squad before the practice match. It is wrong to think that Zulfiqar Babar was selected due to his performance. Even if he did not claim six wickets in the match, he had to be selected as a left-spinner who was struggling to get a place in Test after proving himself in ODIs and T20s.
So, Masood and Shehzad must be assured before the match that they would be included in the final 15-man squad. By doing that both guys had a chance to play in comfortable conditions and whoever delivered will be playing in Sharjah for three-day match much comfortably.
But now, both openers are not sure whether they would play in Tests against South Africa. And interestingly, if both performed well then they had to wait for their luck. And if Shehzad and Masood failed to play well in the side match then will the team management give them a chance to play or give chance to Umar Amin and Ali once again?
Luck continued to smile on him in Rawalpindi stadium where he played a triple-figure innings in his debut against the bowlers like Alan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Brett Schultz and Pat Symcox.
In the past when the national team needed a batsman to open with Saeed Anwar, the Pakistan Cricket Board arranged a side match for it. Ali Naqvi and Mohammad Ramzan were trialed in that match.
Now, after 16 years, the history is repeating itself as the Ahmed Shahzad and Shan Masood will try to perform in the side match against South Africa to earn a place in the Test squad.
Shehzad is undoubtedly talented. Masood too performed well at the domestic level which gave him the opportunity to tour Zimbabwe. Both are skilled. And this very equality has become a double-edged sword for them as they have to deliver in the three-day practice match to get a place in the final squad.
Pakistan A team captain Umar Amin has decided to field first in the side match. Both openers might have only single innings to prove themselves for the selection. It would not be easy for them to play under pressure against the team like South Africa. And whoever of them will get a chance he must be prepared for more pressure in the five-day match, without the support of a senior opener.
Shehzad or Masoood, whoever succeeds in performing well in the debut will be playing in the next series. Otherwise their future will be in doubt because if they failed to perform, Tufeeq Umar, Imran Farhat, Nasir Jamshed or Mohammad Hafeez will be recalled against Sri Lanka.
Though it’s a good decision by the selection committee to try young openers, but the timing is not good. The right time for trials was the tour of Zimbabwe when newcomers could be tested in place of Hafeez Even in Lahore’s three-day match selectors could have taken the trial for three positions but they missed that chance too.
If it was decided to exclude Hafeez then it would be much better to announce the squad before the practice match. It is wrong to think that Zulfiqar Babar was selected due to his performance. Even if he did not claim six wickets in the match, he had to be selected as a left-spinner who was struggling to get a place in Test after proving himself in ODIs and T20s.
So, Masood and Shehzad must be assured before the match that they would be included in the final 15-man squad. By doing that both guys had a chance to play in comfortable conditions and whoever delivered will be playing in Sharjah for three-day match much comfortably.
But now, both openers are not sure whether they would play in Tests against South Africa. And interestingly, if both performed well then they had to wait for their luck. And if Shehzad and Masood failed to play well in the side match then will the team management give them a chance to play or give chance to Umar Amin and Ali once again?
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