PCB has put Pak cricket at risk by revoking Malik's ban: Abdul Qadir

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector Abdul Qadir has criticised the board for taking a 'U'-turn by revoking the one-year ban on all-rounder Shoaib Malik. Qadir said the PCB has once again put Pakistan cricket at risk by lifting the ban on Malik, who was banned and fined two million rupees for his poor show and creating a rift among players during the winless tour of Australia.

"It is not a good omen for Pakistan cricket. By taking such decisions, the board is only encouraging the players to move out of line," The Daily Times quoted Qadir, as saying. "But by taking a U-turn apparently because of political pressure, the board has once again put Pakistan cricket at risk," he added.

According to PCB insiders, board chairman Ijaz Butt was under tremendous pressure to lift the ban on Malik and also to reduce the fine imposed on him following the recommendations of an inquiry commission, which was formed to look into the reasons behind Pakistan's deplorable performance during the tour DownUnder.

"PCB chief Ijaz Butt, who is behind all this circus going on, was directed by the son, who has a close relation with Malik, of that top political leader to lift the ban. And Ijaz, who had no choice, complied with the orders," sources said.

Pakistan cricket board lifts ban on Shoaib Malik

Pakistan Cricket Board’s appeal tribunal Saturday lifted the one-year ban on former captain Shoaib Malik. Malik’s lawyer told the media that the one-man tribunal partially accepted his client’s appeal.

And that Malik’s ban was lifted and his fine of Rs.2 million halved. The decision was taken by Irfan Qadir, a retired judge, during a hearing in Lahore Saturday.

Malik was banned for a year last March because of disciplinary issues following an inquiry into Pakistan’s catastrophic tour of Australia in 2009-10, where they lost all their matches.

Mailk was one of seven leading Pakistan players who were slapped with penalties by a PCB inquiry committee. Except for former captain Mohammad Yousuf, who retired in protest, all six players appealed against the punishments.

Afridi says won't tolerate politics in team

Captain Shahid Afridi said that politics in the team would not be tolerated and those making dressing room atmosphere dirty would be kicked out. In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Shahid Afridi said that he cannot forcibly bring Mohammad Yousuf into the cricket ground but the team badly needs him.

Regarding Younis Khan, the captain said that his presence on the tour of England may be useful. Replying to former cricketers’ criticism on him, Afridi said that the former cricketers are good persons and it would be better if they encourage the players rather than criticize them.

Former Pakistan players hail selection of Younis, Malik

The inclusion of banned Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik in the preliminary Pakistan squad for the summer's Asia Cup and England tour, pending their clearance by the arbitrator, has been hailed by former internationals.
However, the appointment of Shahid Afridi as the Test captain received mixed reaction. While ex-players Abdul Qadir, Iqbal Qasim and Shoaib Muhammad backed Afridi's appointment, Zaheer Abbas, has expressed reservation over the all-rounder's selection as captain.

'It's surprising that the player who has not played a Test since four years has been selected as captain', said Zaheer, the only batsman to score century of centuries in first-class cricket. He said the all-rounder is not familiar with Tests and it does not suit his style of batting. Abdul Qadir, another former Test player and chief selector hailed the appointment of Afridi.

'When I was chief selector I floated the idea to name Afridi skipper for all three versions, it is good to see that my idea has been implemented finally', Qadir said.

The former leg spinner also expressed satisfaction on inclusion of banned Younis and Malik in the team.

'Both are experienced players and the team will be boosted by their presence', he said.

In contrast, Iqbal Qasim who is also a former chief selector said Afridi's selection as captain for all three formats is a good decision by the selectors.

However, the former left-arm spinner said Afridi will have to put extra effort in the Test cricket to prove his mettle.

Qasim also lauded the selectors for including the banned duo of former captains - Younis and Malik.

He said the players have learnt their lessons from the humiliating tour of Australia and have also served punishment for indiscipline in the team.

Shoaib Muhammad, former Pakistan opener and ex-member of the selection committee, said the selectors took the right decision on the captain's appointment and also by including Younis and Malik in the initial squad.

Pakistan squad:

Openers: Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hassan, Azhar Ali, Azeem Ghumman.

Middle order: Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hassan Raza, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Aamir Sajjad, Muhammad Hafeez.

All rounders: Shahid Afridi (captain), Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat.

Fast bowlers: Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Aamir, Muhammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Muhammad irfan, Tanveer Ahmed, Aizaz Cheema.

Pakistan cricket cannot afford more controversies, says Kamran Akmal

Wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has said that Pakistan cricket is passing through a difficult phase and it cannot afford more controversies. In an exclusive interview with Deutsche Welle Radio Urdu Service on Tuesday, he reminded that a difficult tour of England was on the cards and Pakistan had to participate in the World Cup next year. “I believe that in such a difficult situation when foreign teams are reluctant to visit Pakistan we should abstain from creating controversies in the larger interest of the game and the country,” he said.

For the last two weeks Kamran is in the news amid allegations of match-fixing levelled against him by former team coach Intikhab Alam and assistant coach Aaqib Javed. Kamran, known for his swashbuckling batting in the limited version of the game, said he would not comment on allegations of two former team officials. “I am astonished by such allegations but I am under a contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and I hope that the board would take care of these allegations.

Kamran, who has played 48 Tests, 115 ODIs and 34 T20s, praised the captaincy of all-rounder Shahid Afridi saying that he had united the team and under him the boys looked keen to perform according to their true potential. “Afridi is an aggressive captain who always keeps the boys motivated in the middle and I have fully enjoyed playing under him,” Kamran remarked. He said the team members were fully behind Afridi. Kamran is amongst a few selective players who are part of the Pakistan team in all forms of cricket and have served the team with their excellent performance. Unlike other performers, Kamran has never showed any interest in captaincy as he is more focused to improve his batting and keeping skills. “I am not interested in leading the side as I feel that representing the country itself is a huge honour. I am more keen to give my full support to that player whom the PCB appoints to lead the team,” he said.

Like many humble cricketers, Kamran is also not shy of taking the finer tips of the game. He was criticised for his poor keeping in the Sydney Test but his performance behind the stumps was excellent in the recently concluded World Twenty20 in the West Indies. Kamran argues that the critics only remember and discuss one odd poor performance and forget his feat – 181 dismissals in Test cricket. He, however, admits that a poor show always invites criticism and he takes it positively. “I am a learner and I am always keen to learn from every one. After every tour I go to the National Cricket Academy regularly to take tips from Mohtisham Rasheed, my own coach Dr Jamil and Wasim Bari. Recently, Umar, my younger brother, and I were invited by former Test batsman Zaheer Abbas at his residence in Karachi which was a memorable meeting. We spent almost five hours with the Asian Bradman during which he gave us very useful tips to improve our batting. I must say that it was a wonderful meeting.”

Kamran is also a fan of famous Waugh brothers of Australia who played almost 100 Tests together and brought laurels for their country. Along with his younger brother Umar Akmal, he wants to be like them. “I desire that we too be remembered like Mohammed brothers, Chappell brothers and Waugh brothers when we quit the game.” Kamran concluded.

Afridi to push for return of senior trio

If seasoned allrounder Shahid Afridi gets Pakistan’s captaincy for all three formats, his biggest task will be to add a few much-needed ingredients to the country’s under-achieving Test squad.

Though he is yet to be formally named Pakistan’s captain, Afridi is already making efforts to ensure that he is at the helm of a balanced team that is capable of achieving ‘respectable results’.

Sources close to him revealed to ‘The News’ on Monday that after getting ‘positive signals’ from the cricket board, Afridi has chalked out his priority list and wants to ensure that a few ‘match-winning players’, currently out of the team, are included in the touring party for the challenging tour of England. According to the sources, Afridi will be pushing for the return of experienced batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan and also wants pacer Shoaib Akhtar to make his Test return.

Afridi’s first effort, however, failed to yield the desired results. Sources said that he rang up Yousuf the other day and asked him whether he would be interested to come out of retirement and play for Pakistan on the tour of England.

“Yousuf told Afridi that he has retired and has no plans to return to international cricket,” said a source. Yousuf, 35, announced his retirement earlier this year to protest against an indefinite ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He captained Pakistan during the disastrous tour of Australia in which the tourists lost all their matches. Later, a probe committee investigating into Pakistan’s poor showing in Australia banned or fined seven of the country’s leading players including Yousuf for charges ranging from indiscipline to infighting.

Yousuf is one of Pakistan’s most successful batters with 7431 runs from 88 Tests at a healthy average of 53.07. He has also piled up 9624 runs from 282 ODIs.Apart from Yousuf, Afridi is hoping that Younis will also be cleared to play for Pakistan during the tour of England. Like Yousuf, Younis was also banned indefinitely by the PCB. The former Pakistan captain has appealed against the punishment.

“Afridi is aware that Pakistan will need their best batsmen against Australia and England and will throw his weight behind Younis’s inclusion,” said the source. Pakistan are to play two Tests against Australia followed by four more against England besides several one-day and Twenty20 games against the two sides during the tour of England that will begin end of next month and will conclude in September.

Younis, 32, is one of Pakistan’s most prolific Test batsmen with 5260 runs from 63 Tests at 50.09. His last Test appearance was in Colombo last July after which he pulled out of the Test tours of New Zealand and Australia in a bid to take a rest from international cricket.

The most controversial player on Afridi’s wish list is the enigmatic Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib, 34, hasn’t played a Test since the Bangalore match against India in 2007. He has been plagued by injuries and disciplinary problems but Afridi believes that if Shoaib is fit and in form, he can still be a match-winner for Pakistan in England later this summer.

Shoaib, who has 178 wickets from 46 Tests, is trying his best to earn a Test recall and made his presence felt at the Pentangular Cup one-day tournament in Karachi this season. But it remains to be seen whether he is fit enough to go through the rigours of Test cricket.

Butt dismisses allegations of match-fixing

Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ejaz Butt on Sunday dismissed allegations of match-fixing against his national team players. Talking to reporter after chairing a meeting of PCB governing body at Gaddafi stadium, Butt claimed Senator Haroon Akhtar wanted the PCB to oblige a contractor. Butt said the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit has instigated strict security measures for all international matches.

South Africa beat West Indies by 1 run to sweep both Twenty20s cricket

South Africa held off a spirited late challenge by West Indies to defend a modest total of 120-7 and win the second Twenty20 international by one run at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Thursday.

South Africa clinched the two-match series following its victory by 13 runs in the first match on Wednesday, and gave the Proteas momentum going into the first of five one-day internationals at the same venue on Saturday.

West Indies was set back off the last ball of the first over when captain Chris Gayle was leg before wicket to Dale Steyn without scoring.

Gayle's opening partner Andre Fletcher followed for 4 and it took a careful partnership of 68 off 11.5 overs between Dwayne Bravo and left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul to steady the innings. But it heightened the pressure and led to a cluster of wickets to deep field catches as West Indies went for boundaries to boost the scoring rate.

Bravo lofted a catch to Johan Botha off Morne Morkel for 40 from 42 balls. Offspinner Botha, later named player of the match for his bowling and his run-a-ball 23 in the South Africa innings, removed Chanderpaul for 29, Kieron Pollard for 29 and Ramnaesh Sarwan for 6.

Frantic running between the wickets by Darren Sammy and nervous fielding by the South Africans gave West Indies a sniff of victory and brought a crowd of around 4,000 to the edge of their seats.

But the target proved just too much and West Indies could manage only two singles off the last two balls of the innings from Ryan McLaren when it needed four to win.

Earlier, South Africa struggled on a pitch of uneven bounce against steady bowling.

Sent in after Gayle won the toss for the second successive match, its batsmen never came to terms with the conditions.

As he did in the first match, opening batsman Loots Bosman fell for 0 to a tumbling catch by wicketkeeper Fletcher off Jerome Taylor in the first over and, without leading batsman Jacques Kallis, out with a minor injury, South Africa could find no momentum.

It took a sixth-wicket partnership of 57 from 7.5 overs between David Miller and Botha to boost the total.

Miller, a 20-year-old left-hander making his international debut, topscored with 33 off 26 balls with two sixes before he was run out off the last ball of the innings.

Botha scored 23 off 22 balls, hitting two consecutive sixes off fast bowler Kemar Roach in the 19th over. Taylor was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, claiming 3-14 from his four overs. Sammy took 2-16 from his four.