For the first time since the Multan Test of 2004, or 38 Tests, Pakistan started a Test without Danish Kaneria. They were always going to play three fast bowlers, and going to field first if they won the toss. And they did win it.
Two of those fast bowlers were debutants - the 17-year-old Mohammad Aaamer and the 30-year-old Abdur Rauf. So was Kaneria's replacement, Saeed Ajmal, perhaps getting the nod by the virtue of being an offspinner against Sri Lanka's ready supply of left-hand batsmen.
Amid the debutants, Mohammad Yousuf made a comeback, becoming the first ICL player to play a Test again. Yousuf took Faisal Iqbal's place.
Sri Lanka didn't want to hold back bold moves either, going in without a specialist wicketkeeper. Instead they gave a Test cap to Angelo Mathews, which meant either Kumar Sangakkara or Tillakaratne Dilshan would have to keep. The 31-year-old left-arm spinner Rangana Herath replaced Muttiah Muralitharan who injured his knee during practice. Unlike Pakistan, Sri Lanka went in with only two medium-pacers, Nuwan Kulasekara and the left-armer Thilan Thushara. Mathews provided them the fifth-bowler option.
Pakistan: 1 Salman Butt, 2 Khurram Manzoor, 3 Younis Khan (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Saeed Ajmal, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Mohammad Aamer, 11 Abdur Rauf
Sri Lanka: 1 Malinda Warnapura, 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Rangana Herath
Showing posts with label ICL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ICL. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Razzaq Returns in National Colors
The ICC has approved the PCB's request to add Abdul Razzaq to replace one of its two injured players in the ongoing ICC World Twenty20. This makes Razzaq the first former ICL player returning to international cricket after being banned.
Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, had told Cricinfo that a request had been sent to the ICC's technical committee. "He is an allrounder and we've requested he replace Arafat, who is also an allrounder." A source close to the player also confirmed that Razzaq had been contacted by the board and apprised of the situation.
On the same day ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed the decision. "The PCB has advised the ICC it has imposed a sanction on Abdul Razzaq in accordance with the ICC Board resolution," he said.
While both Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir are carrying injuries, Arafat's hamstring strain seems the more serious and Razzaq represented a like-for-like change in that he is an allrounder.
The Pakistan team manager, Yawar Saeed, said Arafat had been diagnosed with a lateral hamstring tear and would not play any further role in the tournament. News of Tanvir, who played with a back strain in the victory against Netherland yesterday, was better - he was back training with the rest of the squad at The Oval today.
Razzaq was one of several ex-ICL players granted amnesty by the PCB a few weeks back, shortly after the Indian board set the ball rolling for players to come in from the unofficial league. Other boards followed suit; some set a 'cooling off' period in place, while others like the PCB said they would handle each player on a case-by-case basis.
Ironically, Razzaq's name was on the original list of 30 probables the PCB had sent to the ICC in early April - before the BCCI announced the amnesty - but the board u-turned and scratched his name off because the ICC objected to his ICL status. And with more irony, the comeback completes a full circle of sorts for Razzaq: it was only after being overlooked for the 2007 World Twenty20 squad that he decided to turn his back on Pakistan cricket. He lambasted the team's set-up at the time, claiming he had been treated badly and then retired from international cricket, before taking back his announcement.
Pakistan will welcome back Razzaq's skills. He was one of the ICL's most valuable players, leading his franchise Hyderabad Heroes to the title in the first season and a runners-up spot the second time round. His form in the recently-concluded domestic Twenty20 was outstanding as well and limited-overs competitions in England hold special memories. It was in the 1999 World Cup that Razzaq first announced himself as a major talent, picking up a bundle of wickets and scoring some crucial runs, often at one down.
Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, had told Cricinfo that a request had been sent to the ICC's technical committee. "He is an allrounder and we've requested he replace Arafat, who is also an allrounder." A source close to the player also confirmed that Razzaq had been contacted by the board and apprised of the situation.
On the same day ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed the decision. "The PCB has advised the ICC it has imposed a sanction on Abdul Razzaq in accordance with the ICC Board resolution," he said.
While both Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir are carrying injuries, Arafat's hamstring strain seems the more serious and Razzaq represented a like-for-like change in that he is an allrounder.
The Pakistan team manager, Yawar Saeed, said Arafat had been diagnosed with a lateral hamstring tear and would not play any further role in the tournament. News of Tanvir, who played with a back strain in the victory against Netherland yesterday, was better - he was back training with the rest of the squad at The Oval today.
Razzaq was one of several ex-ICL players granted amnesty by the PCB a few weeks back, shortly after the Indian board set the ball rolling for players to come in from the unofficial league. Other boards followed suit; some set a 'cooling off' period in place, while others like the PCB said they would handle each player on a case-by-case basis.
Ironically, Razzaq's name was on the original list of 30 probables the PCB had sent to the ICC in early April - before the BCCI announced the amnesty - but the board u-turned and scratched his name off because the ICC objected to his ICL status. And with more irony, the comeback completes a full circle of sorts for Razzaq: it was only after being overlooked for the 2007 World Twenty20 squad that he decided to turn his back on Pakistan cricket. He lambasted the team's set-up at the time, claiming he had been treated badly and then retired from international cricket, before taking back his announcement.
Pakistan will welcome back Razzaq's skills. He was one of the ICL's most valuable players, leading his franchise Hyderabad Heroes to the title in the first season and a runners-up spot the second time round. His form in the recently-concluded domestic Twenty20 was outstanding as well and limited-overs competitions in England hold special memories. It was in the 1999 World Cup that Razzaq first announced himself as a major talent, picking up a bundle of wickets and scoring some crucial runs, often at one down.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
IMRAN NAZIR
The most dangerous player of T20 format refuses the board demand of Resigning from ICL as he told me that he cannot ruin his professional cricketing career as he do not see his chance in Pakistan National Team.the player scored massive rapid runs in Domestic T20.Onceagain proving the Point of his merit selection
ICL
Plz post your comment on ICL players.Is ban on these players Justifiable just because of One board which is suipposingly generating revenue for ICC.Many of the young players have signed ICL due to huge money attraction
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