World Twenty20 champions Pakistan on Monday unveiled the 15-man squad to tour Sri Lanka next week, including in the line-up pardoned rebel
Indian league players Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq. Both Razzaq and Yousuf risked their international careers when they played in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is not recognised by the International Cricket Council or the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The Pakistan Cricket Board
(PCB) banned all 23 players who joined the ICL, but in February this year the Sindh high court suspended the bans on all but two ICL players, paving their way to return to Pakistan's squad. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saqlain Mushtaq, who are now retired, did not appeal against the ban. "Yousuf and Razzaq snapped their ties with the ICL so we have cleared them to play for Pakistan and have included in the squad," a PCB release said. Razzaq was the first ICL player to return to international cricket after he replaced injured all-rounder Yasir Arafat and appeared in the World Twenty20, which ended Sunday with Pakistan lifting the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup. They beat Sri Lanka at Lord's in London, and will now play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 match on the Sri Lanka tour. Yousuf, 34, was declared the best Test batsman in 2007 after scoring a world record 1,788 runs in the previous calendar year. Yousuf and Razzaq joined the ICL after being left out of the team which finished runners-up in the inaugural World Twenty20 held in South Africa two years ago. "I am happy to be named in the squad," Yousuf said. "I have not played a Test since December 2007 (against India at Bangalore) so it will be tough to stage a comeback but I will try to do my best." All-rounder Shahid Afridi, declared man-of-the-match in Pakistan's semi-final and final win in the World Twenty20, will skip the Test leg of the Sri Lanka tour but will be available for the limited over matches. Injury-prone paceman Shoaib Akhtar, who missed the World Twenty20 due to groin problems, was also not considered for selection for the Sri Lanka tour. Also axed from the squad was paceman Sohail Tanvir, part of Pakistan's winning team on Sunday. Rookie 17-year-old paceman Mohammad Aamir, easily the find for Pakistan in their World Twenty20 win, will supplement the attack along with the more experienced Umar Gul and Razzaq. Also returning to the squad is paceman Abdur Rauf, who played four One-day matches last year but was never selected for the Tests. Pakistan starts the current tour on June 29 with a three-day side match in Colombo. The first Test starts at Galle from July 4. The other two Tests will be played in Colombo (12-16 July and 20-24 July) followed by One-day series and the Twenty20 match. Squad: Younus Khan (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Aamir, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rauf, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam.
Showing posts with label Younis Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Younis Khan. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Imran Khan on Pakistan
Former Great Imran Khan Spoke on Pakistan Team few days back.
Pakistan has made an impressive entry into the Super Eights, where they will start their campaign with a game against Sri Lanka. Fans must have noticed how rusty they were against England the other day, but they were an improved lot against Holland.
If they can shake off the rustiness that has set in due to the lack of international cricket, Pakistan has the tools to do well in this tournament. T20 cricket is still at a work-in-progress stage, and teams are coming to grips with its frantic pace. However, one thing I have figured out is that bowlers who bowl to take wickets and slow bowlers who can vary their pace have a very good chance in this format.
Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi have been very successful in both games because of the variety they possess. The former was bowling his doosras really well, and this made him very hard to face, especially for an inexperienced team like Holland. Umer Gul has also been one of the few pace bowlers to do well, and that’s because he bowls intelligently, with the aim of taking wickets and not merely to restrict runs.
It is imperative to have variety from a bowler's point of view. I do not subscribe to the view that bowlers are going to suffer at the hands of marauding batsmen. The fact of the matter is that you need to bowl only four overs, and if you prevent the batsman from settling down against you, it will be hard for him to hit you out of the ground. Most of the time, bowlers bowl like they do in the longer versions of the game, which allows batsmen to play predetermined shots. A lot of batsmen just line the bowler up for their next shot, and if you can surprise him, chances are you will restrict his scoring options. This is where Gul has succeeded so far, when even the likes of Brett Lee have been going for lots of runs.
The only area of concern for the Pakistanis is their fielding. They dropped Kevin Pietersen and he made them pay for it in the game against England. Good players do not keep giving you chances and it’s important to minimize mistakes on the field in T20 cricket because there is no time to make amends. The batting looks to be in good touch now, with every batsman getting some time in the middle. It's heartening to see Younis Khan, who has not been doing well in T20, getting a good knock in the last game.
I have often been asked whether I would have enjoyed T20 cricket. With all humility I would say that I would have excelled in this form. Even in my time, I used to love hitting sixes, and I always backed myself to clear the ground. As far as bowling is concerned, the challenge of keeping batsmen in check would have been a tremendous one for me, and since I always bowled to take wickets, I not have done too badly in that aspect of the game. All-rounders have an edge in this format, so I think I would have fitted in rather well. I always enjoyed playing under pressure, and T20 cricket does put a lot of pressure on players - it's a curious mix of pressure and fun which the players seem to be getting used to now.
That said, I would never have considered this format as the true test of my skill and calibre as a cricketer. The true test of a cricketer is whether he has talent, technique and temperament. Only success in Test cricket can prove that you possess all these three in ample measure.
Pakistan has made an impressive entry into the Super Eights, where they will start their campaign with a game against Sri Lanka. Fans must have noticed how rusty they were against England the other day, but they were an improved lot against Holland.
If they can shake off the rustiness that has set in due to the lack of international cricket, Pakistan has the tools to do well in this tournament. T20 cricket is still at a work-in-progress stage, and teams are coming to grips with its frantic pace. However, one thing I have figured out is that bowlers who bowl to take wickets and slow bowlers who can vary their pace have a very good chance in this format.
Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi have been very successful in both games because of the variety they possess. The former was bowling his doosras really well, and this made him very hard to face, especially for an inexperienced team like Holland. Umer Gul has also been one of the few pace bowlers to do well, and that’s because he bowls intelligently, with the aim of taking wickets and not merely to restrict runs.
It is imperative to have variety from a bowler's point of view. I do not subscribe to the view that bowlers are going to suffer at the hands of marauding batsmen. The fact of the matter is that you need to bowl only four overs, and if you prevent the batsman from settling down against you, it will be hard for him to hit you out of the ground. Most of the time, bowlers bowl like they do in the longer versions of the game, which allows batsmen to play predetermined shots. A lot of batsmen just line the bowler up for their next shot, and if you can surprise him, chances are you will restrict his scoring options. This is where Gul has succeeded so far, when even the likes of Brett Lee have been going for lots of runs.
The only area of concern for the Pakistanis is their fielding. They dropped Kevin Pietersen and he made them pay for it in the game against England. Good players do not keep giving you chances and it’s important to minimize mistakes on the field in T20 cricket because there is no time to make amends. The batting looks to be in good touch now, with every batsman getting some time in the middle. It's heartening to see Younis Khan, who has not been doing well in T20, getting a good knock in the last game.
I have often been asked whether I would have enjoyed T20 cricket. With all humility I would say that I would have excelled in this form. Even in my time, I used to love hitting sixes, and I always backed myself to clear the ground. As far as bowling is concerned, the challenge of keeping batsmen in check would have been a tremendous one for me, and since I always bowled to take wickets, I not have done too badly in that aspect of the game. All-rounders have an edge in this format, so I think I would have fitted in rather well. I always enjoyed playing under pressure, and T20 cricket does put a lot of pressure on players - it's a curious mix of pressure and fun which the players seem to be getting used to now.
That said, I would never have considered this format as the true test of my skill and calibre as a cricketer. The true test of a cricketer is whether he has talent, technique and temperament. Only success in Test cricket can prove that you possess all these three in ample measure.
Younis 11 Agaisnt Sri Lanka
Speaking at a press conference here at Lord's ahead of his team's Super Eights match against Sri Lanka, Younis said he has great expectations from his team.
'Sri Lanka are a good side. But it's also a good chance for us because I believe that if we make the right things at the right time, we can beat them easily.'
The Pakistan captain is hoping that his players will be able to counter the threat posed by Sri Lanka's spin duo of Muttiah Muralidaran and Ajantha Mendis.
'We are used to the Sri Lankan spinners now,' said Younis, whose team bounced back from a crushing 48-run against England to beat the Dutch by 82 runs and qualify for the Super Eights.
'I hope the batsmen will play well against them (spinners). Because of cold conditions the ball might not break here at Lord's. But that said, if you play your shots against a bowler like Mendis, there is always a chance that you might give away your wicket.'
Younis ruled out the inclusion of seasoned all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, saying that it would be difficult for the player to take the field against Sri Lanka after arriving here just before the Super Eights match.
'I don't think it's possible for him to come here after 16 or 17 hours of travel and then take part in the match right away.'
The Pakistan captain termed the inclusion of Razzaq as a great sign for his team and said he would include the all-rounder in the playing line-up as soon as he is ready.
'Sri Lanka are a good side. But it's also a good chance for us because I believe that if we make the right things at the right time, we can beat them easily.'
The Pakistan captain is hoping that his players will be able to counter the threat posed by Sri Lanka's spin duo of Muttiah Muralidaran and Ajantha Mendis.
'We are used to the Sri Lankan spinners now,' said Younis, whose team bounced back from a crushing 48-run against England to beat the Dutch by 82 runs and qualify for the Super Eights.
'I hope the batsmen will play well against them (spinners). Because of cold conditions the ball might not break here at Lord's. But that said, if you play your shots against a bowler like Mendis, there is always a chance that you might give away your wicket.'
Younis ruled out the inclusion of seasoned all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, saying that it would be difficult for the player to take the field against Sri Lanka after arriving here just before the Super Eights match.
'I don't think it's possible for him to come here after 16 or 17 hours of travel and then take part in the match right away.'
The Pakistan captain termed the inclusion of Razzaq as a great sign for his team and said he would include the all-rounder in the playing line-up as soon as he is ready.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Younis khan speaks
Pakistan skipper Younis Khan said nation is waiting for huge victory and he is confident his team would deliver impressive performance in coming matches to fulfill cricket fans expectations."Twenty20 cricket always good fun," said Younis. "We lost to England and now we are in the Super Eights so we must take it easy about this cricket. It's good entertainment,” said Younis in a post match press conference."Everybody follows Twenty20 these days and the good thing about it is it is changing every single over. If you lose a couple of wickets in an over you could lose quite easily. But if you get 20-25 runs from an over you can be on your way quite easily. You need energy whether you are batting, bowling or fielding.""We wanted to be positive and so we batted first," said Younis. "The spinners Afridi and Ajmal bowled really well and they were given excellent support by Kamran Akmal behind the stumps.""Everybody knows we are slow starters," explained Younis "we are always like that and I hope we have performances like that in every game
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Pak Saves Honour
Yesterday hopefully it was a better day for Pakistan Cricket as they eventually Qualified for t20 Super Eights where they would meet the other Much More Competent Teams they already played in there Own Group.
Pakistan batted quite well where all the Top order Batsman contributed in team total of 175.However again the lapses in the Field was clearly seen by Pakistanis where they drop simple catches and runouts.They have bowled wonderfully specially the spinners Afridi and Ajmal.They just flattened the Dutch Batsman by sharing 7 wickets in there attack
Pakistan batted quite well where all the Top order Batsman contributed in team total of 175.However again the lapses in the Field was clearly seen by Pakistanis where they drop simple catches and runouts.They have bowled wonderfully specially the spinners Afridi and Ajmal.They just flattened the Dutch Batsman by sharing 7 wickets in there attack
Younis Khan after losing against England
"It would be sad if we don't make it, but I have never attached too much importance to Twenty20 cricket, as it is fun cricket. I mean it is more for entertainment, even if it is international cricket. It is all for the crowd."Younis Khan, Pakistan's captain, after the England loss."
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