Sialkot Stallions lose after five undefeated years

Rawalpindi Rams accomplished what no team has managed since April 2005 - win a Twenty20 match against Sialkot Stallions - as they overcame the local giants by 13 runs in a high-scoring clash in Lahore.

Stallions came into the game on the back of a five-year unbeaten streak, but it was clear from the outset that today was going to be no walk in the park. Naved Malik and Awais Zia came out throwing punches in all directions, spanking quick 40s in an opening stand that raised 88 in 6.2 overs. Sarfraz Ahmed and Abdur Rehman bore the brunt of the assault, bleeding 101 runs in their eight combined overs.

The innings failed to build on the frenetic start, but the middle-order ensured that they did not throw it away either. Adeel Malik pulled things back with 3 for 25 in the middle overs, but Naved Ashraf and Hammad Azam ensured the Stallions would need to chase close to 200 to qualify for the semis.

Imran Nazir launched the pursuit in typical fashion, lashing 45 runs in just 15 balls, suggesting that even a target of 198 could not rein in the champion side. He smote five sixes and three fours, and raised 72 in 32 balls with Tahir Mughal to set the tone for a tight finish. Azam was larruped for 50 runs in his four overs, but also managed to strike four crucial blows. His dismissal of Nazir prompted an inevitable drop in the scoring rate, but Shoaib Malik and Haris Sohail kept their side in the hunt with a 41-run stand in 31 balls. Shoaib's exit, with 42 needed off 31, gave the Rams an opening and they barged in with a flurry of late wickets. Sohail kept trying, but Rana Naved-ul-Hasan's inability to rotate the strike or reach the boundary towards the end cost the Stallions a spot in the final four as the innings closed at 184 for 7.

Islamabad Leopards charged into the semis with a commanding nine-wicket victory against Faisalabad Wolves in the winner-takes-all Group C clash at the Gaddafi Stadium.

The spin of the coin was the only thing that went the Wolves' way as their batting came unstuck in spectacular fashion against Shoiab Akhtar. Asif Hussain, Mohammad Hafeez and Ali Waqaz were all back in the pavilion for ducks by the end of the first over, and the Wolves' eventual score of 141 for 8 was a major improvement after that shambolic start. Misbah-ul-Haq, recently appointed as the captain for the Test series against South Africa, gave a reminder of his Twenty20 skills with 47 off 32 balls. Khurram Shehzad and Naved Latif offered support to set the Leopards a tricky chase.

The reply was just as dominant as the bowling performance earlier in the day as Raheel Majeed stroked 69 off 58 balls with nine fours and a six to lead the way. Umair Khan and Fayyaz Ahmed offered support to ensure that the Leopards got home with plenty to spare.

Karachi Dolphins surged to the highest domestic Twenty20 score in Pakistan - 243 for 2 - on the back of a majestic 101 off 61 balls from Shahzaib Hasan, to defeat Lahore Eagles and qualify to the semis from Group D. The Eagles were left to rue their decision to field as the Dolphins openers took off in spectacular fashion. Khalid Latif's 55 off 37 balls was completely over-shadowed by Shahzaib, who capitalised after being put down on 11 by Ali Azmat. Shahzaib has been in fine form during this event, adding a century to his 76 against Hyderabad Hawks on Monday. His displays showed the national selectors, who announced the Twenty20 squad for the South Africa series ahead of this tournament and left him out of it, in poor light.

Following the 138-run opening stand, Shahid Afridi blitzed 48 off 18 balls, before Tariq Haroon tonked four of his six balls for sixes to take the Dolphins to a towering total. The Eagles made a fist of the chase, with Imran Farhat hitting 53 off 36 balls to launch the reply. Azmat tried to make up for his drop with five sixes and five fours in his 69 off 38 balls, but Tanvir Ahmed and Afridi bowled tight spells to ensure that the Eagles fell 35 runs short. 

Younis Khan to meet PCB chief over future

Younis Khan, the former Pakistan captain, has acknowledged receiving a notice from the PCB, asking him to meet the board chief Ijaz Butt to discuss his continued exclusion from the national team.

Younis, who has agreed to the meeting, was punished by the PCB for disciplinary reasons in the aftermath of a winless tour of Australia in 2009-10; the board decided that he would not be selected for an indefinite period. The sanction seemed to have beenlifted in June this year, when an appeals tribunal referred the case back to the board and Younis was included in the list of probables for the Asia Cup.

But he has not been cleared for selection since then by Butt. The chairman, it is believed, is expecting an apology from Younis - the other players who were punished and have now been taken back into the fold have all apologised to the chairman - while Younis has refused to issue one, believing he has done nothing to apologise for.

"I was expecting a lot more in the letter but it just asks me to meet the chairman and I have no problems doing that. I think in the next two or three days the chairman will give me time and I will meet him," Younis told reporters in Lahore, where he is leading Peshawar Panthers in the domestic Twenty20 Cup. Had he refused to contact the board, Younis could have been issued a show-cause notice, asking him to address the charges laid against him again.

Younis said he was eager to play for Pakistan but did not want to speculate over his future. "Who doesn't want to play for his country? But I cannot say anything about my future at this stage, until I have my meeting with the board chairman," he said.

Afridi, Waqar pleased with verdict on Oval ODI

Pakistan's limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis have welcomed the ICC's decision to give a clean chit to last month's ODI against England at The Oval. The ICC had launched an investigation into the match after receiving information from the Sun newspaper before the game began alleging that bookies were aware of certain scoring patterns during the game. On Wednesday, they said their investigation was complete and "there was no compelling evidence to suspect individual players or support staff" of wrongdoing.

"I am very happy after hearing the news," Afridi, who led Pakistan to victory in that match, told AFP. "I had and will always have full confidence in my team that they will not do anything like that. I have told the players to always remain focused on cricket and forget anything else, and that's what they were doing in the one-day series in England."

Afridi's views were echoed by Waqar, who also hoped for a quick end to the controversies surrounding the England tour. Prior to the the ODI series, a News of the World expose had alleged that three players from the Pakistan side - Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif - were involved in spot-fixing during the Lord's Test. The trio has been suspended by the ICC pending investigations.

"It's [the ruling on The Oval ODI] very good news for Pakistan cricket," Waqar told AFP. "I sincerely hope that all spot-fixing cases are solved soon because they have tarnished Pakistan's reputation."

Taffazul Rizvi, legal adviser to the Pakistan Cricket Board, also welcomed the ruling, and added that any decision on following legal recourse against the British newspapers would wait for the outcome of the spot-fixing inquiry.

PCB cautions Afridi for criticising selection

Shahid Afridi has been cautioned by the PCB after expressing his unhappiness with the selection of the squad he will lead against South Africa in Abu Dhabi and Dubai later this month. The board announced a15-man squad to play two Twenty20s and five ODIs last week, but didn't initially name a captain. Afridi was named captain a day later, but not before fuelling speculation that he and the board were unhappy with each other.

"The team was announced without my input and advice," Afridi told Express News. "I wanted 2-3 players other than Sohail Tanvir in the side." Afridi, currently in Lahore leading the Karachi Dolphins in the domestic Twenty20 Cup, said he would speak to the chairman Ijaz Butt about the squad. Butt is, however, currently in Dubai for an ICC meeting.

But the statements have earned him an official rebuke from the board. "He has been sent a letter today [Tuesday] telling him to avoid giving such interviews," a board official told ESPNcricinfo. The official clarified, however, that the communication was not a show-cause notice.

Afridi's comments strengthen suspicions of Butt's growing influence in selection matters and the shaping of squads. ESPNcricinfo has been told, by reliable sources, that coach Waqar Younis was also not consulted over the selection. Waqar arrived in Lahore early Monday from Sydney and the source said he was "quite upset" about it. Last Friday, when Misbah-ul-Haq was appointed Test captain, chief selector Mohsin Khan had distanced himself from the decision and said that Younis Khan was the preferred choice of his committee.

Traditionally, the PCB chief has only signed off on final squads and appointed a captain, not involving himself to any extent in the composition of the squad itself. That has been left to the chief selector, captain and coach. Butt's two years as chairman, however, have seen six different captains, five chief selectors and three coaches; the constant state of flux, according to one ex-selector, has concentrated power in the chairman's hands.

"This has gotten particularly worse since Mohsin Khan became chief selector," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Until Iqbal Qasim [predecessor to Mohsin] was there the chairman would never attend selection meetings. Now Mohsin doesn't consult with his own committee and only gets instructions from the chairman and essentially says yes to whatever the chairman has said." Earlier this year, in June, the same criticism was levelled at Mohsin and Butt during the announcement of the squad for the series against Australia in England.

Misbah the best cricket brain in Pakistan - Lawson

Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson believes Misbah-ul-Haq has the "best cricket brain" in Pakistan and is well-placed to handle the Test captaincy, surprisingly handed to the 36-year-old last week.
Misbah was thought to be out of national reckoning when he wasn't picked for the Asia Cup or the tour to England earlier this year. But a disastrous sequence of captaincy appointments left the board, in their own words, with little choice.

Lawson is well-placed having been coach during Misbah's return to international cricket three years ago during the 2007 World T20, a tournament which he nearly won for Pakistan. That sparked the most productive phase of his career and it was in Lawson's time, between 2007 and 2008, that he established himself in the middle order; in five Tests under Lawson, he averaged 78 with two hundreds and a fifty; he averaged 41 in 28 ODIs, and over 67 in the ten Twenty20s Pakistan played with Lawson in charge.

Misbah was vice-captain to Shoaib Malik during that time and took over on one occasion, leading Pakistan to an ODI win over India in the 2008 Asia Cup in Karachi. "He definitely has the best cricket brain and intellect in Pakistan cricket," Lawson told ESPNcricinfo. "He has a statesman-like demeanour which so many Pakistan captains have lacked and he handles adversity analytically not emotionally. He knows how to get the best out of players and he is a winner, note his outstanding domestic record as a leader."

Several former players, including Wasim Akram have expressed their surprise at the appointment. Mostly it stems from Misbah's age - even though he is, for now, captain for only two Tests against South Africa - but also from his batting form.

His comeback ended initially in September 2009, when he was dropped for poor form. He returned, however, during the subsequent tour of New Zealand and Australia at the insistence of Mohammad Yousuf, who was captain at the time.

More disappointing returns on that tour formed part of a broader decline since Lawson's departure. He averages 24 in nine Tests since Lawson left in October 2008, and 21 in 19 T20Is. An average of nearly 40 in 16 ODIs since then is not enough to assuage the concerns of some that he doesn't command an automatic place in the XI.

"He works very hard on his fitness and his cricket skills so physically he will be in good shape," Lawson said. "The question is simply one of age and reactions. Has he got the sharpness to be productive at international level at 36? The captain leading or failing by example can have a significant effect on any team but especially Pakistan. He deserves this but Ideally he should have been captain six years ago."

Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq Khan Niazi
Birth date: 28th May 1974, Mianwali, Punjab

Teams: Pakistan (Test: 2000/01-2009/10); Pakistan (ODI: 2002-2009/10); Pakistan (Int Twenty20: 2007/08-2010); Pakistan(Twenty20 World Cup: 2007/08-2009); Sargodha (Main FC: 1998/99-2001/02); Khan Research Laboratories (Main FC: 2000/01-2002/03); Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (Main FC: 2003/04-2009/10); Faisalabad (Main FC: 2003/04-2006/07);Baluchistan (Main FC: 2008/09); Sargodha (Main ListA: 1998/99-2000/01); Khan Research Laboratories (Main ListA: 2000/01-2002/03); Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (Main ListA: 2003/04-2009/10); Faisalabad (Main ListA: 2003/04);Faisalabad Wolves (Main ListA: 2004/05-2006/07);Baluchistan Bears (Main ListA: 2008/09); Faisalabad Wolves(Main Twenty20: 2005/06-2009/10)

Test debut:  New Zealand v Pakistan at Auckland, Mar 8-12, 2001

ODI debut:  Pakistan v New Zealand at Lahore, Apr 27, 2002

T20I debut:  Bangladesh v Pakistan at Nairobi (Gym), Sep 2, 2007

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Legbreak

An orthodox batsman with reasonable technique, Misbah-ul-Haq caught the eye with his unflappable temperament. Misbah made his debut in 2001 against New Zealand but he wasn’t a regular feature in the Pakistan Team.
 

 A run-filled domestic season, followed by club cricket in England, and Inzamam's retirement from ODIs prompted the board to award Misbah a central contract in July 2007. A month later, at the age of 33 years he was surprisingly picked, ahead of Mohammad Yousuf, for the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa in 2008. He appears unfazed and unflappable out in the middle – reminiscent of the man he has replaced in the squad, and this temperament has seen him establish himself as one of Pakistan’s premier batsman.

One of the sensations of tournament – a super-cool individual, who virtually single-handedly guided Pakistan to the final with some truly amazing innings. He finishing the tournament as Pakistan's best player and nearly taking them to victory in the final. The final will be remembered for ‘that shot’ at the end of the game, Misbah was 1 shot away from taking Pakistan to World T20 glory.

Since making his Test debut in 2001, he has played only 19 Tests and the majority of those came after 2007, when he returned to the international stage after a four-year gap. Over the next year or so, Misbah enjoyed his most productive period, scoring two Test hundreds on a successful tour of India. The renaissance of Misbah ul Haq has been extraordinary – He is ‘Mr Dependable’ and is making the best use of his new found opportunity. But a run of just three half-centuries in his last 15 Test innings - despite decent returns in the limited-overs formats - resulted in his exclusion in favour of younger options.

He now boasts an impressive Test and ODI record, with 2 scintillating test centuries against India in 2007, and was rewarded with the Pakistani Vice-Captaincy. His form deserted him again in 2009, and he dropped from all three squads for the series against New Zealand - but made yet another return to the side in October 2010, this time as captain for the Tests against South Africa. An educated man, he is widely respected amongst his peers for calming influence within a team.

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	19	33	3	1008	161*	33.60	2600	38.76	2	4	106	9	24	0
ODIs	56	50	11	1523	79*	39.05	1875	81.22	0	9	112	24	32	0
T20Is	29	25	9	577	87*	36.06	491	117.51	0	3	32	22	9	0
First-class	155	250	27	11229	284	50.35			32	53			158	0
List A	164	149	32	5708	129*	48.78			10	34			85	0
Twenty20	57	49	15	1210	107*	35.58	964	125.51	1	5	77	49	22	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	19	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ODIs	56	1	24	30	0	-	-	-	7.50	-	0	0	0
T20Is	29	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
First-class	155		318	242	3	1/2		80.66	4.56	106.0		0	0
List A	164		144	179	1	1/10	1/10	179.00	7.45	144.0	0	0	0
Twenty20	57	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Misbah becomes Pakistan Test Captain- Mohsin

Pakistan recalled Misbah-ul-Haq to the Test side and installed him as captain primarily because Younis Khan was not cleared for selection by the PCB, the chief selector Mohsin Khan has said. 

 "We needed a senior player to strengthen our batting line-up," Mohsin told the News. "Our first choice was Younis Khan but we didn't get any clearance [from the PCB], after which we discussed the option of recalling Misbah and decided to go for it."

Another factor that went in Misbah's favour was his non-controversial record and fitness, despite being 36. "In a team where many of the players have had serious disciplinary problems, Misbah is one guy who has a neat and clean background," Mohsin said. "He is a thorough professional and one of the fittest players in our country, which is another big plus point.

"I know that Misbah has just managed to score runs on and off in his international career but he is the kind of player who can click anytime. He has done well in the Pentangular Cup and the National One-Day Cup which is a good sign."

Misbah will lead Pakistan in the two-Test series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in November. He becomes the fourth man, after Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Salman Butt, to captain Pakistan in Tests in 2010 alone.

Test squad: Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah ul Haq (capt), Umar Akmal. Azhar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Zulqarnain Haider, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir (subject to fitness).