Domestic t20 super 8 league is going to start in Lahore

Lahore (AFP News) Pakistan domestic t20 super 8 cricket series is going to start from 26 March 2013 here in Qaddafi stadium Lahore.
here are details of the league

Nasir Jamshed gone JAIL

Dehli- Pakistani cricketer Nasir Jamshed arrested in Dehli from a Night Club with Indian model Tamannaah Bhatia.Both of them were found drunk.Dehli Police proclaiming that they both were found totally drunk and doing kissing.
On other hand Nasir said that he is totally innocent and proclaimed that he was definitely in club but not drunk.
Police said that they are investigating the case and if Nasir will found guilty the 'll charge heavy fine from him according to the law in India and than they 'll release Nasir.
Here are pictures of Nasir captured by Captain Corner's cameraman Babar Malik.

I am 100% fit & will be in form soon -Afridi

Karachi-(Routers) Former Pakistani skipper Sahabzada Shahid Khan Afridi stated that he is 100% ft & will pe in form soon in upcoming matches.He refuses the allegations of former cricketer that he is unfit and while in bowling is not giving stress to his back which is showing Afridi has some trouble in his back.He further said that its true he is not in form now a days but people should not forget t-20 world cup 2009 when he caught memorable catch of Styris in Pakistan Vs Newzealand running in opposite direction, after which whole Pakistan team came back in the tournament and World remember "Who won the World cup t20 in 2009".
Some former cricketers who has nothing to do but their work is to criticize every one always in search of points to criticize me.I will give them reply with my performance in the t20 cup.

Full advertisement 'Who will win PEPSI" Afridi Vs Misbah

The mystery Misbah Vs Afridi competition of PEPSI now came to end. Captain corner in association with PEPSI Co released full advertisement which will on air between 2nd ODI of Sri lanka Vs Pakistan on 9 June 2012.

Sachin century of 100 -A little player of Giant Character

A personal note: I was lucky to have watched cricket in Tendulkar’s era >

My love affair with cricket started in late 80s when Imran Khan used to be a household name. I bought my first cricket magazine ‘Akhbar-e-Watan’ in 1986 because it had Imran Khan on the cover page. In that scenario, a youngster named Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, took the cricket field and was tipped as the next big thing by none other than Sunil Gavaskar. I did not believe him.
India toured Pakistan in 1989 for a full tour. The Test series was a dull and boring affair but a little unknown kid forced every one to take notice of him. He did not sparkle with the bat at all, either in Tests or in ODIs. It was his four sixes in one over of Abdul Qadir at Peshawar in a 20-over exhibition match that announced his arrival. I watched that in amazement. At tender age of 16 years his hitting was unbelievable. His confidence was incredible.
Since Miandad’s famous Sharjah six, Pakistan had had a psychological edge over India who were merely pushovers against us. With the arrival of Tendulkar, that equation gradually changed. I still remember while playing against India, Pakistan used to have only one concern – Sachin Tendulkar. Only he was the man, we the cricket fanatics used to be wary of. His departure from the crease virtually meant Pakistan would win.
I became envious of Tendulkar’s rise because he posed constant threat against us. Inside I admired his batting, but in the open I used to find hundred reasons to believe he was not the best batsman in the world at that time. Essentially I was right as I believed, and still believe that there is no match to Viv Richards. Arrival of Brian Lara gave me immense relief. Lara was the best batsman in the world for me. It was final.
In the college, we used to conclude our discussions on best batsmen with the announcement that Brian Charles Lara was the best because of his flamboyance and unselfishness. We happily ignored Tendulkar’s contribution towards his team and the burden of expectations on his shoulders. In reality, Tendulkar continued to rise, continued to break records after records. He was ambitious for personal milestones, not for his team, we used to slam him.
Lara faded away, Ponting never reached that summit, Kallis lacked charisma, Inzamam under-achieved and Dravid had a lesser impact in ODIs, but Tendulkar carried on in a mind-boggling fashion. Just when every one thought he had finished, he took a new guard and scripted new milestones. He made us believe he was untiring like a superman. Nothing could quench his thirst for runs.
Whether he is better than Don Bradman or second best after him, I do not know, but he is a genius and a superstar who gave new meanings to the art of batting. Many years from now his achievements would look like a fairy tale and every thing regarding batting would be judged in the light of the standard Tendulkar has set.
He reached 99 international hundreds and took infinity to reach the ultimate milestone. Voices were raised again that he should retire on 99 not out. Now after scoring his hundredth international hundred, no one knows what is going on in his mind. Many would ask him to retire on a high, but his fans especially Indians who follow him frantically cannot think about cricket without him. In this dilemma, every thing rests on the shoulders of the man himself.  Let us leave him alone.
Just imagine how poor the cricketing world would be whenever he calls it quits. Have you felt shivers down your spine? If yes then you are a Sachin Tendulkar fan like me.

Bangladesh beat India after Sachin's 100th

The must-anticipated 100th international century by Sachin Tendulkar went in vain as India lost to Bangladesh by five wickets in their Asia Cup encounter on Friday.
Tendulkar's hundred (114), which came in 147 deliveries, took the Indian score to 289 and it looked a daunting total till a series of blitz by Shakib Al Hasan (49 off 31), Nasir Hossain (54 off 58) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (46 off 25) blew away the Indian challenge. Tamim Iqbal's knock of 70 and his 113-run partnership with Jahurul Islam (53 off 68) for the third wicket laid a solid foundation for Bangladesh.

After his 64 against Pakistan, Shakib once again shone with the bat, taking charge of the Bangladesh chase when things were looking difficult for the hosts. Just like Shakib, Hossain, too, was extremely impressive, taking the attack to the Indian bowlers from the beginning.
Opening the innings for Bangladesh, Tamim hit his second consecutive half-century. Praveen Kumar gave India an early breakthrough, picking up the wicket of Nazimmudin (5 off 15). But Jahurul, playing his 8th match, mixed aggression with caution. He got to his maiden fifty, before being caught at mid-wicket by Rohit Sharma off Ravindra Jadeja.
Hossain picked up where Jahurul left, clobbering the Indian bowlers from the outset. The wicket of Tamim although gave India a chance to claw their way back, an onslaught by Shakib took the game away from them. His partnership of 68 off just 48 balls with Hossain turned the game in Bangladesh favour.
Huge blows (3 fours, 3 sixes) by skipper Rahim towards the end of the innings sealed the victory for the home side. Indian bowlers went for plenty in death overs, leaking 36 runs off the last 14 balls.
Earlier, Sachin reached the much-awaited 100th century. A sigh of relief was palpable on the face of the veteran batsman who kissed the India emblem on his helmet after waving his bat towards his teammates.
He and Virat Kohli, who came together after the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir (11), shared 147 runs for the second wicket before Kohli was bowled by Abdur Razzak for 66. Suresh Raina was sent ahead of Rohit and the left-handed wasted no time in displaying his array of attacking strokes. His 51 off 38 balls gave the much-needed impetus to the Indian innings, which seemed to have lost momentum as Tendulkar neared the milestone. Rohit was run out while stealing a two at death.
Skipper Dhoni remained unbeaten on 21, along with Jadeja who contributed with 4. Mashrafe Mortaza, who picked up the wickets of Raina and Tendulkar in consecutive deliveries, was the best bowler for Bangladesh.
India will play arch rival Pakistan, who have already reached the final, in a must-win game on Sunday.

We are ready for Asia Cup 2012 -Dev Whatmore

Karachi-Pakistan Cricket team's new coach Dev Whatmore said that he is ready for first challenge of Asia Cup 2012 as a coach of Pakistan team.He further stated that in presence of 2 top teams of World cup 2011, India & Srilanka its not easy game to win the title.Bangladesh has a home advantage & can beat any team in presence of its crowd.He loves to tangle challenges & he is ready to face it.Dev Whatmore said that the match between two rivals India & Pakistan always interesting for cricket lovers & in subcontinent people seems it as a war but he himself took it as only a match nothing more.On 18 March we have normal match like Srilanka & Bangladesh but we will try our most to win it.Pakistan has played wonderful cricket against English side but he don't believe how Pakistan lost ODI & t20 series.

In game one team lose & other win , we should not see our past & look forward to it what can we do better in future.We should probe our mistakes in the game & than make our team perfect in line of World Class teams.
Whatmore said that he has spent few days in Pakistan but he has jelled with Pakistan player very much.

Funny Indian media "India tv" attacks Dhoni on defeat against Srilanka

India tv is always famous for its funny reports on cricket.Indian media always criticizes their team in funny styles.They even took minor things and present it like a monster in the air.They also give too much hype to their team when it wins trophies like World cup but when Indian cricket team's performance falls, Indian media helps them in falling by hurtle their team from back with full force.

Pakistan vs England: ODI Statistics & Facts between the sides

As Pakistan sealed a historical 3-0 whitewash of the current No.1 ranked Test side, It was only hours later when England announced there ODI and T20 Squads which means there in business and are no way going to allow Pakistan on this tour to steal the headlines within the desrts of the UAE. 

England have won 38 out of the 68 matches they've played against Pakistan, Losing 28 and 2 ending up as no results. 
2010 was the last time Pakistan and England played an International one day game against each other, It was the 5th game in the five match natewst series at the Rose bowl, Southampton. England took the close fought series 3-2 after winning the game by 121 runs. Eion Morgan scored a magnificent 107* to take his side to 256 but 3 wickets each from Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann had Pakistan dismissed all out for 135 

18 Months later, Both sides have different captains are ranked 1 place further away from each other and would want to take momentum heading forward especially England as the No.6 ranked side have tours of Sri Lanka and India coming up where the conditions are relatively similar. On the other hand the Pakistan Cricket Board who are deciding on who to appoint as head coach must first think what more to ask for from there current one - Mohsin Khan who was actually appointed as a Interim coach since Waqar younis resigned after the 2011 Zimbabwe tour has helped them too Test ODI and T20 series win over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Dav whatmore is the man who seems likely to be appointed as head coach but Mohsin also made his claim of a full time job by adding a Test series whitewash victory over the No.1 test side onto his CV. Khan also stated his target is for Pakistan to be No.1 and gradullay in the top 3 for Tests and ODI's so another series win for the Pakistani's could possibly take them from 5th to 4th depnding on the outcome of the on-going tri series between Australia, Sri Lanka and India.

17 ODI games against the No.1 ranked Test side, Younis Khan has 433 runs at 28.86 with 1 hundred and 3 half centuries and a best of 101. Younis who started of the test series on a low scored a wonderful 127 for his country in there 2nd innings of the 3rd test that set the platform for a Pakistani win. As always he is a vital part of the side and will be a man to look out for.

225 runs in 5 matches, No half centuries 1 century at a spectacular average of 56.25 against Pakistan he is an upcoming sensation and is one of best One day batsmen at the moment. Had nothing but an absolute horrendous 6 innings where he was terrorized by Pakistan's spinners and averaged 13.66 with 82 runs to his name in the test series. Surprisingly, Eion Morgan leads this side with the most runs against Pakistan. Should be considered extremely lucky if he isn't dropped from the test squad but his elegant strokes with a blend of nous and power makes him a natural ODI finisher and a good finish from England in the series is required and it would  be essential of him to perform.

Sometimes you think will Pakistan ever be complete without this man, But for now let's just admire his 31 wickets in 22 matches with a best of 5/40 he'll bring plenty of smiles, heart touching feelings and charisma to the field. England struggled with Off spin throughout the test series but they better figure out Shahid Afridi's leg spinners too as he is as always been in the limited overs side and England better watch out for Boom Boom.

James Anderson would want to add on to his 25 wickets in 14 matches against Pakistan, With a best of 4/27 England's spear head of the attack had an ordinary test series too claiming 9 scalps - As always he is one of the main performers with the ball for his team and he's spoken his desire of also returning to the T20 side, If he does have a great One day series it is likely he'll be included in the current T20 World champions squad too.

Pakistan's GREENWASH not complete yet

The 3-0 mission accomplished in the most significant format
was monumentally, pleasantly surprising jubilance which no one could have
seriously thought about in terms of a series score-line along those lines, but
the job is not completed yet by any stretch of the imagination and there is
more dominance to follow and many more victories although they won’t quite be
as resounding as the test ones, but ODI cricket is Pakistan’s forte which they
take equally as seriously. Generally the ODI format in this part of the world
has higher viewership, crowd attendances and genuine excitement. Going by how
pessimistic some of the England supporters are about their team’s chances in
the one day internationals which start next week over winning even a single one
day international let alone draw or win the 4 match series, there is almost
every chance for Captain Misbah’s Team Pakistan to whitewash the visitors in
ALL formats and end up with a 10-0 score line once the whole tour concludes on
Monday 27^th February in Abu Dhabi.

England have been woeful in sub continental conditions and
lost 5-0 in India last year whereas in the World Cup only managed 3 victories
in 7 encounters. They are below the men in green on the ICC ODI rankings by
some way. Last two ODI series they have played against the men in green away
from home have ended in defeats for them. Cook and Broad are inexperienced
captains and England is vulnerable to spin on the slow and low wickets.

For the hosts majority of the overs will be bowled by the
slower men who control the flow of runs, take wickets and are consistently
reliable performers. It’s a squeezing process to overcome for the batsmen and
each of the trio of spinners is different which never allows you to settle as a
batter. With anything even over 200 on the board batting first and Pakistan
will fancy their chances by turning to their spinners under lights, who get
through their overs quickly not allowing batsmen to think on their feet, build
pressure with dot deliveries, can come on early with the new ball to surprise
the top order and with varieties in repertoire can break partnerships and cause
panic in the dressing room at any moment. Lastly, they also have the skill,
experience and confidence of bowling in the batting power play and can be
extremely difficult to get hold of and subsequently trigger collapses courtesy
of Saeed Ajmal’s mesmerising mysteries.

 The off spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez are ranked at 1 and 2 on the ICC ODI bowling
rankings which just shows how impressively they have delivery in ODI colours
over the last year whereas the multi talented leg spinner Shahid Afridi was the
2^nd leading ODI wicket taker last year with 45 scalps in 27 outings
including 4 5 wicket hauls with his canny flattish sharp drifting leg spinners,
sliders and top spinners. The talismanic leg spinning all rounder has kept him
busy by playing for the Melbourne Renegades down under while the national test
team were up against Bangladesh and England and had a decent time of it over
there from a personal point of view. How well England can negotiate and tackle
these gifted, accurate and unorthodox spinners will be the deciding factor in
the brief ODI series. The Men in Green are firm favourites, looking forward to
the contests and the tourists will be up against it. We shouldn’t be surprised
to see Pakistan win this series 4-0.  It will be a challenging ride for Cook’s side and even harder than what they were
up against during the test series which they’ll want to put behind them as
quick as possible after suffering the humiliation of a clean sweep.

 The visitors will be taking on their Lions squad for a warm up fixture on Friday who have just
beaten the Sri Lankan A team 3-2 in a 5 match unofficial ODI series whereas
Misbah and company they will be heading to Sharjah for a one day international
against Afghanistan on the same day where they will be looking to dominate and
perhaps experiment.

Only 2 of 8 KP writers had The Asian Side definitely claiming the series in the preview which was published on the 3^rd of
January titled: “England will be put through a tough Pakistan test”and that too
by only a 1 match margin with a 1-0 scoreline. 1 of our writers hesitatingly
sat on the fence at 1-0 either way, 2 said 1-1 including myself, 2 said 0-0
whereas one thought England would bag the series 1-0. Few of us expected
Pakistan to win the series, compete and draw respectably perhaps yes, but
winning it was not what we expected in all honesty. None of us said we would
win the series by a 2 match margin, but it turned out to be by a 3 match
margin. In the preview I also mentioned that 2 results was pushing it and 3
results was close to impossible, but as it stands the Greens have won all 3
tests with all 3 tests having results. We expected docile tracks, high scoring
draws and uneventful action, but it was nothing but fast paced test cricket with
wickets falling in clusters and tests continuously progressing forward towards
an outcome with every session and none of the 3 tests went into day 5 believe
it or not. 110 wickets fell in 11 days with over 3 wickets falling per session.


There were several reasons for this –

a)      Highquality bowling, both teams bowled exceptionally and it was refreshing to see
some top class spin bowling in particular from both of the sides because as
Nasser mentioned we had seen some ordinary, average, mediocre spinners for some
time in world cricket, but here we had talented finger spinners from both sides
and a mystery bowler from Pakistan in the form of Ajmal who injected fear in
batsmen and posed some serious questions

b)      DRS and batsmen being paranoid as a result of getting struck on the pad with a
record number of LBWs falling for a 3 match series in this tour

c)      Out of form batsmen who were short of runs and confidence

d)      England’s batsmen struggling to adapt to the slow paced nature of scoring rates in this
part of the world and lacking patience and application to play long old
fashioned dogged test match innings

e)      Ajmal’spre series talk  really playing in theminds of England’s batters

f)       England’s preparation not being up to scratch while Pakistan were playing the Sri Lankans
and Bangladeshis as I incidentally said in my preview for why they had a slight
advantage over England coming into this series


g)      England Not being able to lift themselves after losing 5 wickets in the opening session
of the series of their top 5 batsmen without 60 on the board at the lunch
interval with Ajmal bagging 3 wickets in his first 10 deliveries he sent down.
Starting a series well is so often so important for what goes to happen at the
end of it all


h)      Underestimating the Pakistan team after the spot fixing scandal and how far they had come under
Misbah ul Haq and talking of underestimating they also did so for the Pakistani
bowler Rehman and Gul whereas they were taken a bit by suprirse by Hafeez who
got 5 left handers dismissed at just 16 as all the talk was surrounding Saeed
Ajmal

Combined Series 11

1) Mohammad Hafeez
2) Alastair Cook
3) Azhar Ali
4) Younis Khan
5) Misbah ul Haq (C)
6) Asad Shafiq
7) Matt Prior (WK)
8) Stuart Broad
9) Abdur Rehman
10) Saeed Ajmal
11) James Anderson

Pakistan’s ODI Squad

Batsmen

Misbah ul Haq (C)
Younis Khan
Azhar Ali
Asad Shafiq
Imran Farhat
Shoaib Malik (added on the request of Misbah ul Haq)

Wicket Keepers

Umar Akmal

Adnan Akmal

All Rounders

Mohammad Hafeez
Shahid Afridi
Hammad Azam

Fast Bowlers

Umar Gul
Wahab Riaz
Aizaz Cheema
Junaid Khan

Specialist Spinners

Saeed Ajmal
Abdur Rehman


Sessions WON

Pak 21
Eng 12

1st test: 6-3 Pak
2nd test: 6-6

3rd test: 9-3 Pak

Pakistan's cricket captain Misbah-ul Haq gestures as he holds
the trophy after victory in the third and final Test match between Pakistan and
England - AFP

Pakistan team road to glory for no.1 side

Pakistan’s love affair with the Arabian venues continued when they yet again returned victorious on their new hunting ground:The Ring of Fire. When Pakistan took the field on 4^th day at the DSC, there was skepticism amid an air of positivism that has engulfed this Pakistan outfit.

Helped by some inauspicious shot selection by England’s batsmen but with conditions not as conducive as expected, the bowlers put in a Herculean effort for Pakistan to make history.

Pakistan’s first series whitewash against England is not just a whitewash. What it meant to a nation stricken by innumerable problems was evident when people took it to the streets, dancing in mirth, exchanging sweets, overwhelmed by the fact that their heroes had beaten an adversary ranked much higher than them, not to mention the No.1 Test side in the world.

The momentous victory has come at, hopefully, an end of a turbulent period for Pakistan cricket. A torment that started in 2010 ended in the most incredible of manner for Pakistan, who have now stretched their unbeaten series run to six.The most perplexing aspect of their upward curve has been their consistency, a rarity in preceding Pakistan outfits.

With this lustrous performance, not only have they exceeded the most optimistic of predictions but have re-enchanted many erstwhile fans. Though, how much this victory serves in bringing cricket back to Pakistan remains to be seen. With the Bangladesh series just around the corner, Pakistan can well afford to dream of a seventh consecutive series without facing a defeat.

Since the team’s inception, it has been classified as unpredictable. Misbah’s men, however, seem to have altered that impression with a string of persistent performances.The spellbinding sight of Pakistani bowlers banging it in short, turning it miles, bamboozling the batsmen with doosras, reversing the ball mercurially, the batsmen grinding in for runs, show glimpses of the past, a past which was erratic yet better in many ways than the horrors of 2010.

They say the night is darkest just before the dawn. Misbah and Co. have proved that an obdurate draw against South Africa wasn’t a false dawn. It has only gotten brighter since then for Pakistan cricket. Moreover, they’ve clung to their title of being the ‘cornered tigers’ of world cricket. Every time an adversity has hit them, they’ve come out roaring.

For people unfamiliar with Pakistan cricket’s peculiar history, this whole scenario is nothing short of madness. Success of this Pakistan team surely supports the notion that Pakistan is back into international cricket as a force to reckon with. They might rise to fall again and fall to rise again but this victory will go down in history as one of cricket’s most epic battles for honor.

India beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in CB series

4

Perth: India have beaten Sri Lanka by four wickets with the help of important inning of Virat Kohli in the second match of the Common Wealth Series here on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka set a 234-runs target for India. Young Dinesh Chandimal was the highest scorer who made 64 runs while former captain Tillakaratne Dilshan also chipped in with 48 runs.

But India chased the score in the 46^th over. Virat Kohli scored 77-runs and run out due to cramp. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin made a partnership of 55 for the seventh wicket and played a vital role in the win.

Yuvraj Singh misguided by advisers, says devastated father

Filial ingratitude! He would not utter that in as many words but somewhere in his heart, Yograj Singh is devastated that his son trusts everyone else, but not his father.
‘’I’ve endured all kinds of pains,” he blurts out. “My family got divided. I withstood the pain, my mother died in my hands, I withstood the pain. My son walked out on me. I withstood the pain. I can’t bear this pain.” His eyes are moist. “Ask a father what it is like to have a grown up son laid low by a dreaded disease.” He can’t control further; he breaks down.
Here in the city on a private visit Yuvraj Singh’s father Yograj reveals that he often experiences these bouts of existential dilemma — why him, why not others, why his son, why not others’…
“It has happened to my son. Why only to him?” he would think aloud and then recover. “This fate should not befall on any father. No cricketer should suffer this.”
Gradually, he regains the composure. “The county has progressed in every field but not in the medical sphere,” he laments. That sweeping statement fails to hide the disappointment of having to stay apart from his son at the time of his need.
“There are people to take care of him. But who takes care of a father who is shaken for his son’s sickness,” he says during an emotional conversation with DNA.
Yograj is angry that Yuvraj’s illness was not informed to him. He finds fault with the cricketer’s close circle. “They have been saying all is well. He was not allowed to undergo a certain things by his gurus. That Dr Jatin Chaudhry has been stating that he will be fine. In the end, a BCCI doctor suggested that he should be cured. Keeping a son’s health problems away from his father is not just bad, it is a crime.”
Yograj thinks his son is misguided by his advisors. “He trusted them more than me. I don’t know why. I’ve got a son every father would be proud of. All I want is few words from my son.”
Yograj, however, is in touch with Yuvraj, currently convalescing in the United States. “He is not supposed to be speaking. I’m told he has started jogging. He would not require a third round of chemo. God willing, he will be back soon. My birthday is next month. His return will be my birthday gift.”
Never ask him if his son would every play cricket again. “What sort of a question is that,” he shots back. He will be fine. He will lead India. Mark my words.”
Would Yuvraj have made difference to India’s fate Down Under? Again he says, “What sort of a question is that? He made difference to the team for 12 years. Have you forgotten the World Cup?”

Graeme Swann rubbishes Andy Flower's claim England lost to Pakistan due to taking too long a winter break

Graeme Swann refuses to accept England coach Andy Flower's claim that the whitewash defeat to Pakistan was in large part due to the fact the side arrived in the UAE underprepared after taking an extended two month winter break.

In a spin: Graeme Swann says England's failure against spin rather than complacency or being underprepared cost England against Pakistan  Photo: ACTION IMAGES

Sachin Tendulkar only Indian in top-10 ICC Test Rankings

Dubai: Sachin Tendulkar rose three places to be the only Indian cricketer in the list of top-ten batsmen in the ICC Player Rankings for Test released here on Tuesday.

Sachin is placed at 10th position along with Pakistan's Azhar Ali, who scored a match-winning 157 during the second innings of the third and final Test against England in Dubai earlier this week.

India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan remained static at the 10th spot with an aggregate of 697 points.

The bowling chart continued to be dominated by South Africa's Dale Steyn while Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal consolidated his second position, achieving a career-best rating of 835 points.

Ajmal, who won the player of the series award for claiming 24 wickets in the 3-0 drubbing of England, now trails Steyn by just 69 points.

The other Pakistani bowler to have made an upward leap is left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who gained two more places to sit in seventh position.

England's Monty Panesar is the other left-arm spinner to head in the right direction. Panesar's two for 25 and five for 125 in the last Test enabled him to gain four places to be placed at 30th spot.

Meanwhile, veteran Pakistan batsman Younis Khan, who recorded his 20th Test century and shared a 216-run stand with Azhar Ali for the third wicket during the second innings of the concluding Test against England rose five places to be at fifth place.

England captain Andrew Strauss and Pakistan's other youngster Asad Shafiq have also made gains.

Strauss has jumped five places to 28th position while Shafiq has moved up four places to 43rd spot.

Sri Lanka's Kumara Sangakkara continued to top the batting chart with 850 rating points followed closely by South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

England must not be fooled into papering over the cracks

ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss was totally accurate when he greeted the 3-0 Test series defeat against Pakistan by saying: “You don’t become a bad side overnight.”
He is spot on because overnight all you can have achieved is a poor day’s play – ‘a bad day at the office’ as the favoured cliche goes.
No you become a bad side over a longer period of time – in this case three weeks.
England went to the Emirates as the No1Test side – a mantle they have only just managed to retain – and as runaway favourites to win the series after their successes in India.

So to lose the series has to be construed as an abject failure, but to be whitewashed? As Janice from television’s Friends would say: ‘OH MY GOD!’
Sadly what Strauss was trying to say was that things are not as bad as they might seem.
This to me is a dangerous approach as, while England might still be the world’s best Test outfit in terms of rankings, the series against Pakistan revealed some cracks that really do not want to be papered over.
It was the first time that Pakistan had managed a series whitewash against England, it was the first time in over 100 years that a team won a Test after scoring fewer than 100 runs in their first innings, and no England batsman scored a century in the three-match series.
And it is with the batsmen that the major problems appear to rest.

Muhammad Amir deserves a second chance

A gem must not be wasted
So, Mohammad Amir has been released from jail.
Last year, Mohammad Amir along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif were jailed for spot-fixing and this incident simply brought a nation and its fans down who are in troubled waters. Though Asif and Butt received no sympathy but Amir did draw a lot of sympathy from many corners simply due to his age and his lawyers are expected to appeal for his ban being shortened so that he again play for Pakistan.  
If the ICC reconsiders his ban and shorten his ban then? I wonder will he again play for Pakistan or will the PCB consider his selection for the national team?
Perhaps yes, perhaps no! 
Many fans, whose passion was hurt in 2010, feel that Amir should never be considered for the selection for his act and must not play for Pakistan again. Yes, no doubt Amir has done a shameful act and has let his country down and thus hurting the passion of millions of Pakistani fans who watch the men in green in action to forget the pathetic situation of their country. But can we really go ahead ignoring Amir if he's really available to play for Pakistan? Can we really think about the green army without a boy as gifted as Wasim Akram?
I can't think that. Amir's act is shameful and it fumes me with anger when I close my eyes and think of August 2010. But I also turn in to think that forgiveness is a great virtue and forgiveness is a beautiful trait that cannot be practiced by all. It is one such character which is easier to preach than to practice. It requires a great magnanimity to forgive whether it is a friend or an enemy and the weak can never forgive but it’s the act of strong personalities. I rate Pakistani cricket fans as strong characters. 
Although many Pakistani fans feel that Amir doesn't even deserve forgiveness but dear men in green fans forgiving Amir can be as good and healthy for you and for the team. And obviously practicing forgiveness is the most important contribution to the healing of the past wounds. By forgiving Amir we can heal the wounds which he gave us and let him give a chance to correct his mistakes. He did commit an error but that doesn’t mean that we just ditch him and let him sink in oblivion.
I'm against Asif and Butt to be considered for the team if they ever get a chance as because they had the maturity to think which is right or wrong but if we think about Amir then we must have to consider his age. He was 18 then and at this age unknowingly big mistakes may happen. I think Amir was the victim of a putrid environment and obviously he didn't have safe hands on his young shoulders to convey good advises.
I read an article written by a respected writer in a website saying, ‘I personally do not think he or the other two should ever be allowed to wear the Pakistan shirt again. He was given a chance but blew it, there are hundreds of thousands of boys who dream of playing for their country and do not get even ONE chance, who are talented but have no-one to put a word in for them, who can play but can't afford a kit, who have the talent but have to go to work to survive because their parents are too old. What gives this guy the right to get 2 chances?’
With due respect to the writer's opinion, the boy, Amir, should be given a second chance again only because he's a gifted cricketer and a bowler which you get once in a generation. And in life there is always a second chance. If we can vote the corrupted politicians again and again and give them chances zillion of times to run a country, then why not give a teenage boy a second chance who deserve to correct his mistakes by performing well again for Pakistan.
The writer also wrote, ‘Now they want him to have ANOTHER chance. Why? Are they putting a player before the country, is the honour of the country not as important anymore?’
Well if Amir is given another chance then it will only ensure benefits for Pakistan and no harm in playing a Pakistani gem for Pakistan's finest benefits. Don't forget that by putting a player before the country is only ensuring the greater benefits of the country. 
The writer said again, ‘If someone disrespected your mother, would you give them another chance? If your mother chose them over millions of others and had her faith in them and they threw it back in her face would you allow that to happen again?’
Well, to speak the truth forgiveness is the divine quality of the mothers and no mother can ever be angry with her dearest child. Mohammad Amir is Pakistan's dearest child. The young lad's mistakes, I believe has been forgiven by her motherland and I just feel his motherland want his son to deliver the best for her to make her proud. And dear writer don’t forget that your politicians are disrespecting your motherland a thousand times and if your motherland can forgive them then why not Amir?
Then the writer says again, ‘We must make a stance and start afresh, we must sacrifice potential short term success for the future. Sport should be sport and winning should not be everything. Losing with dignity is better than winning with disrespect.’
Yes, Pakistan should start afresh but that freshness will give a beautiful fragrance by allowing once in-a-life-time package another chance to serve his country to ensure the best of the results. Definitely sports should be sports and wining is not everything but no harm in ensuring the victory by the addition of a gem. And by addition of a person who is believed to correct his mistakes will never give victories tagged ‘disrespectful.’
‘I want only the best for my country, role models we can be proud of, ones that our children can emulate. Parents will always love their children no matter what they do wrong. I will always have a love for Amir, but please give another kid a chance who deserves it,’ the writer said in his piece.
I agree that a country need to cement those players who can be role models for our young generation and what Amir did is hazardous for the next generation but in the name of saving-the-best-talent-of-the-land Amir deserves another wind in his cricketing career and surely it will be an example for the children to follow the code 'To err is human and forgiving is divine' and no harm in giving another player chance but not for the sake of a diamond. 
Mohammad Amir deserves forgiveness and a second chance and if you fans don't forgive him then I must say, ‘He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone has need to be forgiven.’ (George Herber)

Thanksgiving, the Pakistan cricket team, and Greek chicken for ferocity and prettiness

Live well, eat well, play well, and look devastatingly good while you're at it
That’s right, it’s Thanksgiving in Canada today, a day to reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for.  Good friends, good family, and good food.  But that’s not all, people; for all of us cricket fans there’s a great test series coming up.  You got it, the lovely lads of Pakistan are back for a three test match series against my second-favourites Sri Lanka starting on October 18 in Abu Dhabi. 
 
His Handsomeness Wahab Riaz
Goodness gracious it’s exciting and goodness gracious I’m thankful to finally get to see his Handsomeness Wahab Riaz back in action.  I’m also thankful that Umar Gul-zilla is back after being rested and I want him to develop a ferocious appetite for Sri Lanka scalps!  Heavens, one can get aggressive just thinking about him unleashing the bowling beast and breaking some Sri Lanka furniture!  Go  Gulzilla!  Go Handsomeness!

Will Gulzilla unleash the scalp-taking beast?
Now as much as I’d like to think that Pakistan can win this one with their hands tied behind their backs, the truth is that Sri Lanka are rather good.  As  mentioned earlier,  the ridiculously handsome Riaz and wicket-hungry Gulzilla were rested during the tour of Zimbabwe, but were they well-fed?  A poor diet can have atrocious consequences, such as poor sporting performances and a loss of one’s looks.  We simply cannot have Gulzilla bowling feebly nor Wahab Riaz losing his pretty face ( I would die.  I would simply DIE). 
Therefore, to make sure our super sporting gents of Pakistan do well, in case they’ve been eating poorly, let’s influence them to make this lovely Greek roasted chicken for their dinner.  Reap the benefits of eating well, macho men!   Go tear Sri Lanka to shreds, and look fabulous while you do it, lads!  Now go get your hair nets and aprons, gents, and let’s get to the kitchen pronto.
Kairene’s Greek Chicken to Take Scalps and Inflict Sporting Pain
1 whole chicken, skin on, about 1.5 kgs
¼ pound butter
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt (use less if you wish)
Crushed black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon or more of finely chopped fresh oregano
A couple of pinches of finely chopped fresh dill
Juice of two lemons
Pre-heat the oven to 190 C or 375 F.
Heat the butter and oil, and pour half into a baking pan to cover the bottom.
Put the chicken in the pan, and sprinkle on the salt, pepper, oregano and dill.
Mix the remaining butter and oil with the lemon juice and spread it evenly on the chicken.
Bake at 375 F or  190 C for about an hour and a half, less time if you’ve got a smaller chicken, more time if you’ve got a larger one.
Baste the chicken 3 or 4 times while cooking to keep it moist.
Now if you like, it’s possible to make some gravy to go with the chicken.  When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan.  Add some boiling water to the drippings in the pan.  In a separate bowl, add about two tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to half a cup of water, and stir it until there are no bumps.  Add this mix to the pan, and stir it.  Then put the pan back in the oven and bake for five minutes at 450 F or 220 C .
Serve with rice, potatoes, or salad, or all three for a great big dinner.
And there’s a Greek chicken that will spell doom for Sri Lanka but sporting success and prettiness for you.   That’s right Pakistan, look alive and look good!

Happy cooking, happy cricket, and Happy Thanksgiving and happy handsomeness.

Pakistan vs England: ODI Statistics & Facts between the sides

As Pakistan sealed a historical 3-0 whitewash of the current No.1 ranked Test side, It was only hours later when England announced there ODI and T20 Squads which means there in business and are no way going to allow Pakistan on this tour to steal the headlines within the desrts of the UAE. 

England have won 38 out of the 68 matches they've played against Pakistan, Losing 28 and 2 ending up as no results. 
2010 was the last time Pakistan and England played an International one day game against each other, It was the 5th game in the five match natewst series at the Rose bowl, Southampton. England took the close fought series 3-2 after winning the game by 121 runs. Eion Morgan scored a magnificent 107* to take his side to 256 but 3 wickets each from Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann had Pakistan dismissed all out for 135 

18 Months later, Both sides have different captains are ranked 1 place further away from each other and would want to take momentum heading forward especially England as the No.6 ranked side have tours of Sri Lanka and India coming up where the conditions are relatively similar. On the other hand the Pakistan Cricket Board who are deciding on who to appoint as head coach must first think what more to ask for from there current one - Mohsin Khan who was actually appointed as a Interim coach since Waqar younis resigned after the 2011 Zimbabwe tour has helped them too Test ODI and T20 series win over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Dav whatmore is the man who seems likely to be appointed as head coach but Mohsin also made his claim of a full time job by adding a Test series whitewash victory over the No.1 test side onto his CV. Khan also stated his target is for Pakistan to be No.1 and gradullay in the top 3 for Tests and ODI's so another series win for the Pakistani's could possibly take them from 5th to 4th depnding on the outcome of the on-going tri series between Australia, Sri Lanka and India.

17 ODI games against the No.1 ranked Test side, Younis Khan has 433 runs at 28.86 with 1 hundred and 3 half centuries and a best of 101. Younis who started of the test series on a low scored a wonderful 127 for his country in there 2nd innings of the 3rd test that set the platform for a Pakistani win. As always he is a vital part of the side and will be a man to look out for.

225 runs in 5 matches, No half centuries 1 century at a spectacular average of 56.25 against Pakistan he is an upcoming sensation and is one of best One day batsmen at the moment. Had nothing but an absolute horrendous 6 innings where he was terrorized by Pakistan's spinners and averaged 13.66 with 82 runs to his name in the test series. Surprisingly, Eion Morgan leads this side with the most runs against Pakistan. Should be considered extremely lucky if he isn't dropped from the test squad but his elegant strokes with a blend of nous and power makes him a natural ODI finisher and a good finish from England in the series is required and it would  be essential of him to perform.

Sometimes you think will Pakistan ever be complete without this man, But for now let's just admire his 31 wickets in 22 matches with a best of 5/40 he'll bring plenty of smiles, heart touching feelings and charisma to the field. England struggled with Off spin throughout the test series but they better figure out Shahid Afridi's leg spinners too as he is as always been in the limited overs side and England better watch out for Boom Boom.

James Anderson would want to add on to his 25 wickets in 14 matches against Pakistan, With a best of 4/27 England's spear head of the attack had an ordinary test series too claiming 9 scalps - As always he is one of the main performers with the ball for his team and he's spoken his desire of also returning to the T20 side, If he does have a great One day series it is likely he'll be included in the current T20 World champions squad too.

A glorious win to cherish for ever

The win in Dubai against England has turned a new page in Pakistan cricket  >

I am sure I am not the only one who never writes Pakistan off, even when they are on the edges of extinction. The most unpredictable yet most dangerous cricket team never fails to surprise. After a tumultuous 2010 and a dreadful time since the attack on Sri Lankan team bus when Pakistan was declared zona non grata, few would have thought they would put world’s best Test side on the mat.
England had never lost a match in almost two years, yet they capitulated against a spirited Pakistan side inside three days. Yes three days on a flat deck! Although Pakistan was on the rise ever since Misbah-ul-Haq took over, this win was almost unthinkable before the tour started. At best they were given good odds to surprise the world’s best side.
This is a very delicate time for Pakistan cricket. I am still not convinced that Pakistan cricket is in safe hands, but a quick flash back to Ijaz Butt’s era gives immense consolation. So far the new PCB management under Zaka Ashraf has shown signs of maturity. They are not jumping on things like their predecessors. Their decision making has been sensible. Their choice of appointing Dav Whatmore despite Mohsin Khan’s apparently good performance is praiseworthy.
The role played by Waqar Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq cannot be overestimated. The good work done by Waqar is still paying off but we need to take off from here. And a qualified foreign coach is what the team needs now. Misbah has transformed this team from an incoherent bunch of cricketers to a well-gelled unit of professional sportsmen. Can he take the team to next level is another big question which only time will tell.
The most satisfying thing about Dubai win is that it came against England, the team with which we had unmemorable rapport of late. Bitter memories from the infamous 2010 tour must have been felt by players on both sides as this tour began. But this win should erase those because both teams now have immediate other issues – cricketing issues – to sort out. The attention should now divert to cricket not credibility.
The spot-fixing saga had shaken our cricket set up as well as the players, but over time they had become battle hardened. The victory in Dubai has sealed that fact. This win is at par with many of our glorious Test victories. It will be cherished much like Delhi 1952, Oval 1954, Sydney 1976, Lords 1982, Faisalabad 1986, Bangalore 1987, Leads 1987, Georgetown 1988, Lords 1992, Lords 1996, Durban 1998, Chennai 1999, Multan 2005, Bangalore 2005 and Oval 2010.
At one point on the second evening, the pitch was being criticized for not being ideal for Test cricket and Nasser Hossain and Waqar Younis were talking about possibility of a tame draw, but quite remarkably the match ended on the third day. Saeed Ajmal’s performance and the way Pakistan batting contributed as a unit signal an exciting new era for Pakistan.
Pakistan should absorb this moment and grab the opportunity. We should make this win a turning point from where we should aim for a new beginning – a beginning of a journey to become best in the world once again.