Cricket New Updates!!!!

[S@n@M]

Pakistan will tour Sri Lanka next month for three Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games, Sri Lanka Cricket said on Monday.

[BunnY]

for Starting a Good thread ...

---------- Post added at 10:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------

Karachi will be hosting two World XI vs Pakistan matches on the 25th and 26th of May. Contracts have been signed and signing-in payments have been made to the players of World XI.

The names of the players have not been revealed yet. The matches are being organised by Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah, the Sindh Minister of Sports. According to him, the players will comprise of the following:

6 Players from South Africa
3 Players from West Indies
1 Player from Afghanistan
1 American player (who actually plays for West Indies)
1 Player from Sri Lanka

Both the games will be T-20 games.

Good first step towards revival of international cricket within the country.

I believe the press conference will be held tomorrow and that's when they will reveal the players of World XI.!

[S@n@M]

Pakistan make Hafeez T20 captain

(AFP) / 10 May 2012

Pakistan on Thursday dropped captain Misbah-ul Haq from the Twenty20 squad and made all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez the new skipper after the series defeat to England.
The decision was widely expected after Misbah led Pakistan to a 2-1 loss in the three-match Twenty20 series against England in February.
Misbah, who turns 38 later this month, is regarded as too old for the fastest brand of the game, but will still lead Pakistan for one-dayers and Tests on next month’s Sri Lanka tour.
Pakistan play two Twenty20s, five one-days and three Tests on the tour. They open with a Twenty20 match in Hambantota on June 1.
Misbah said he was not retiring from Twenty20 cricket.
“I accept this decision and will continue to serve my country in the best possible manner,” he said. “I have not decided to retire from the Twenty20 and will play at domestic level to stage a comeback.”
The 31-year-old Hafeez, who will skipper Pakistan for the first time, will also be Misbah’s deputy in one-days and Tests.
A delighted Hafeez, who has played 29 Twenty20s for Pakistan, said: “I owe a big thanks to the PCB and Misbah for thinking that I am capable enough to lead Pakistan.
“I will do my best to lift the team.”
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf said: “Misbah has been a great leader and he will remain captain for the one-days and Tests, but after consulting Misbah, we have decided to appoint Hafeez as new captain for the Twenty20.”
Paceman Mohammad Sami, 31, was included in all three squads after a two-year break and middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal was back in the Test squad after being sidelined in 2009.
Uncapped left-arm paceman Rahat Ali, who has 107 wickets in 27 first-class matches, is in the one-day team, while batsmen Ayub Dogar and Afaq Raheem made the Test squad for the first time.
Shahid Afridi, a former captain who is in the Twenty20 and one-day squad, welcomed Hafeez’s appointment.
“Hafeez is captain of the whole nation and I urge the fans to back him. We must give him confidence before the all-important tour, then matches against Australia and then the World Twenty20,” the 32-year-old told AFP.
Afridi, who had been a popular choice of fans to lead the Twenty20 side, denied being disappointed at being passed over and said he was ready to play for Pakistan in any position.
Squad (Twenty20): Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Shakeel Ansar, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanveer, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Sami, Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed
One-day: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Sami, Asad Shafiq, Aizaz Cheema, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat
Test: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Ayub Dogar, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Mohammad Sami, Faisal Iqbal, Junaid Khan, Afaq Raheem, Mohammad Ayub, Aizaz Cheema
Tour itinerary:
June 1 : First Twenty20 international, Hambantota
June 3 : Second Twenty20 international, Hambantota
June 7 : First one-dayer, Pallekele
June 9 : Second one-dayer, Pallekele
June 13: Third one-dayer, Colombo
June 16: Fourth one-dayer, Colombo
June 18: Fifth one-dayer, Colombo
June 22-26: First Test, Galle
June 30-July 4: Second Test, Colombo
July 8-12: Third Test, Pallekele

[BunnY]

Pakistan lose fifth ODI and series against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Angelo Mathews hammered a brisk 80 not out as Sri Lanka posted a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fifth and final one-day international in Colombo on Monday to clinch the series 3-1. Mathews smashed two sixes and four boundaries in his 76-ball knock to help his team achieve a 248-run target with two balls to spare in the day-night match. Sri Lanka needed 15 runs to win in the last over bowled by paceman Mohammad Sami before Mathews completed the win with a four. Dinesh Chandimal was the other main scorer for Sri Lanka with 54. Paceman Sohail Tanvir bagged three wickets and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi two to reduce Sri Lanka to 138-6 before Mathews received valuable support from Jeevan Mendis (19) and Nuwan Kulasekara (10 not out) to steer his team home. Afridi removed well-set Kumar Sangakkara (40) and skipper Mahela Jayawardene off successive balls to put pressure on Sri Lanka. Sangakkara, who was dropped on 25 by wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed off Sami, failed to capitalise on the chance as he could add 15 more runs. Ahmed made amends when he smartly stumped Sangakkara off Afridi, who then held a return catch off his next ball to dismiss Jayawardene. Tanvir jolted Sri Lanka when he removed openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga, but Sangakkara and Chandimal put on 78 for the third wicket. Pakistan's opener Imran Farhat, playing his first one-dayer in four months, earlier cracked an impressive 56 and Umar Akmal an unbeaten 55. Pakistan batted steadily after losing out-of-form opener Mohammad Hafeez (six), with Azhar Ali (30) and Farhat adding 60 for the second wicket and then Akmal putting on 61 for the fifth wicket with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (32). Akmal smashed two sixes and five fours in a 61-ball knock for his 15th half-century in one-dayers. Hafeez, who was bowled by paceman Kulasekara, scored just 20 runs in his last four one-dayers. Farhat dominated the Sri Lankan attack in the initial overs, twice hitting Kulasekara for three fours in an over. He fell pulling seamer Thisara Perera to deep mid-wicket where he was caught by Chandimal after smashing nine fours in his 12th half-century in one-day internationals. Leg-spinner Mendis, playing his first match of the series, was the most impressive bowler with 2-30 while Kulasekara finished with 2-53. Sri Lanka made one change from the team which won the last match by 44 runs on Saturday, replacing Sajeewa Weerakoon with Mendis. Pakistan brought in Farhat and Sami in place of Younis Khan and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. Sri Lanka and Pakistan will now play a three-Test series, starting in Galle on Friday. (AFP)

[BunnY]

Banned Aamer wants to return: psychologist Updated 17 hours ago

ShareThis4 3 1 Email0 KARACHI: Pakistan's disgraced paceman Mohammed Aamer is looking forward to returning to cricket "as and when possible", the psychologist helping to rehabilitate his career said Monday. In the first of several counselling sessions Maqbool Sabri, who was hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to counsel Aamer, said his client appeared "positive and relaxed" despite his five-year ban from the game for cheating. The 20-year-old was found guilty of spot-fixing during a Test at Lord's in 2010, spent three months in a British jail and was banned from the game by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The ICC also banned pace partner Mohammad Asif and ex-captain Salman Butt, ordering the trio to undergo rehabilitation. Sabri said Aamer was upbeat in the first of eight to 10 sessions. "I am very surprised that he was very positive and relaxed during the first session with me on Saturday," Sabri told AFP. "I think that Aamer's lawyer was a positive influence on him and has guided him well." Before the scandal, Aamer was regarded as the hottest new international talent due to the lethal left-arm pace bowling which likened him to Pakistan former great Wasim Akram. Sabri said Aamer believes he belongs in the cricketing world. "Aamer realises that cricket is his profession and he wants to return to the game as and when possible, and during the session we moved towards enlightment," he said. "I think he realises that he made a mistake... and since he is very passionate about his cricket I have to make him ready for that," Sabri added. Aamer has decided not to appeal his ICC ban. He was released from prison in February. Asif was freed last month and Butt is still serving his 30-month sentence. (AFP)

[BunnY]

Disgraced former Pakistann captain Salman Butt released from jail

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