TAUNTON: Pakistan cricket team management present in England stopped three players – Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and Salman Butt – from taking part in practice and they are being sent to London. Sources said that Pakistan high commissioner in England Wajid Shamsul Hasan has summoned these three players to London where they are also expected to meet with wellknown lawyer Elizabeth Robert. All three players have been charged for match-fixing. As per sources, replacements of these three players may be announced but the accused players cannot go outside England until the investigations are completed. Meanwhile, an important meeting is going on between Waqar Younis, Shafqat Rana and Ijaz Ahmed.
SYDNEY: Former coach of Pakistan cricket team, Geoff Lawson, has come to the defence of tainted Pakistani players being accused of match fixing during the ongoing Test series in England. Geoff Lawson has made some startling revelations from times when he used to coach the embattled side. Lawson feels that even if match fixing happened, it might have nothing to do with money. He claimed that during his tenure as the Pak coach, he came across fixing which was actually based on threats issued by bookies. He is adamant that family members can be kidnapped or harmed if Pakistani players don”t co operate with bookmakers. The former Australian cricketer said that the players and their families were threatened with dire consequences if they did not play a particular way. As the ICC considers standing down players at the centre of the spot fixing scandal, Lawson believes there’’s much more at stake than just money. Lawson recalls one situation where he was being forced to pick a player because a selector’’s daughter was in danger. He says he was told unless he included the player, the girl would be kidnapped and never seen again. Lawson says the tense situation was only sorted once the Pakistan President called in his security forces to track down the kidnappers.
Written on August 31, 2010 | Posted in
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Just as we thought that we had enough with national disasters and miseries, another blow struck us this fateful morning. Our national cricket team was caught red handed for match fixing. According to reports the Pakistan cricket team were given 1,50,000 pounds through a middle man, who in return confided the match fixer by predicting
KARACHI: Former captain Mohammad Yousuf this morning left here for England after obtaining sports visa. He refused to talk with media, present at the airport, saying that he is responding to directives of the board. The experienced middle-order batsman departed from the Jinnah International Airport for England to strengthen the Pakistan cricket team’s batting. The second Test match between England and Pakistan will begin tomorrow. Manager Yawar Saeed said in an interview that Yousuf is not an automatic choice for the second Test. He said that first the form and fitness of Yousuf would be reviewed in nets and then his inclusion in the team would be decided. Regarding young spinner Raza Hasan, Yawar Saeed said that he can represent the country only after changing his visa.
Written on August 5, 2010 | Posted in
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Pakistan cricket team . One minute they are up, the next – more often than not these days – they are down. One week they are beating Australia, the next they are being given such a shellacking by …
LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has contacted British High Commission (BHC) for issuance of visa for Test cricketer Mohammed Yusuf, Geo News reported Monday. However, despite all this, Yusuf’s chances of inclusion in playing 11 before second Test match seem bleak. PCB has resolved to immediately send Mohammed Yusuf to England after historic defeat of Pakistan cricket team but owing to incomplete traveling documents, Yusuf may not make his come back before second Test. Sources said Yusuf possesses UK’s visit visa, which disallows him to play cricket there. PCB is hopeful for issuance of Yusuf’s sports visa by Tuesday while he will fly England on first available flight.
Written on August 3, 2010 | Posted in
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LEEDS: Pakistan cricket team’s assistant coach Ijaz Ahmed indicated that Mohammad Yousuf may be included in the team for the Test series against England. While talking with media here at Headingley on Monday, Ijaz revealed that the team management is considering Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan for replacing Shahid Afridi, who has retired from Test cricket. However, he said that final decision in this regard would be made after two days. Ijaz Ahmed said that Yousuf is likely to be included soon in the team but he did not give his final comment regarding Younis’s inclusion. He said that the player who joins the team would be included in the series against England but this is not possible to include Yousuf or Younis in the team for the final Test against Australia. Replying to a question, Ijaz expressed hope that Salman Butt as captain would discharge his duties very well.
Written on July 19, 2010 | Posted in
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LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ejaz Butt, accepting retirement of Test captain Pakistan cricket team Shahid Khan Afridi, has said the new captain will be decided after meeting to be held between players and PCB officials, Geo news reported. After the dismal performance of Pakistan cricket team, which ended in 150-run defeat against Australia on Friday, the Test captain Shahid Afridi announced his retirement saying that 5-day format of cricket was not his game type. Besides, he was also carrying side strain injury, said Afridi, “So, I do not want to play Test cricket.” “I may not play second Test”, he feared adding that, if fit, the second Test of this series will be my last one. Later, taking to Geo news, Chairman PCB Ejaz Butt rebuffing Salman Butt being automatic choice of captainship following Afridi’s retirement, said new captain will be decided in board meeting.
Written on July 17, 2010 | Posted in
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LONDON: Following the 13th consecutive defeat of Pakistan from Australia in Test cricket, chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt has called Mohammad Yousuf for the tour of England. Sources said that the PCB chairman has asked former captain Yousuf to take back retirement on which the veteran batsman agreed in the interest of the country and the nation. It may be recalled that Yousuf was banned for an indefinite period after the tour of Australia after which he announced to retire from all forms of cricket. After the two-Test series against Australia in England, Pakistan cricket team will play a four-Test series against England.
Written on July 16, 2010 | Posted in
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LONDON: On one hand, the Pakistan cricket team is facing the cruel facts of history while on the other, loom the formidable Aussies. Pakistan plan to field a young side in the opening match of their two-match ‘home’ series at Lord’s on Tuesday (today) as they look for their first Test win against their opponents in fifteen years. It was in 1995 when Pakistan last defeated Australia at the Sydney cricket ground (SCG) and since then, lady luck has eluded them. Moreover, the Australians have continuously beaten Pakistan since 1999, winning 12 Tests on the trot. The best chance coming Pakistan way to halt the Australian winning streak was in January 2010 when they failed to chase a 176-run target on a batting track, also at the SCG. Since then, though, things have changed. Pakistan have got a new captain and a young team which geared up with an exciting 2-0 win in the Twenty20 series. However, at the same time they are missing the services of top Test cricketers — a weakness pointed out by Australian skipper Ricky Ponting when asked about the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. “I think they would miss Mohammad Yousuf badly here as he is a Test specialist. He is the only one who has the quality to stay long at the crease and has scored heavily against Australia in the past,” Ponting said. He admitted, though, that Pakistan continued to carry the tag of unpredictability. “You cannot guess on how they would play. They have a young side and a new captain. They have had their problems in the past. How much they are prepared to get out of that would remain to be seen,” he added. The short series here against Australia would be a real Test for Pakistan’s fragile batting lineup. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is interested in fielding two youngsters in the batting lineup. Apart from Umar Amin, who is set to make Test debut, Azhar Ali also has good chances of playing his first Test at Lord’s. “Both are really good and I want to include both in the first Test against Australia at Lord’s. However, the final team would be named after the meeting late in the evening,” Afridi said when asked about the squad for the first Test. In case Pakistan induct Azhar, which looks almost a certainty now, Shoaib Malik will have to sit out. Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif would form Pakistan’s pace attack while Danish Kaneria would be the only specialist spinner in the team. For Australia, Time Paine (wicketkeeper) and Steven Smith (leg-spinner) are all set to get their first Test cap. Australia would rely on their pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson. The wicket at Lord’s gives a dull look and is likely be batsmen-friendly. “It is a good track and batsmen would have their opportunities. It is a good Test track,” Afridi said. Around 12 thousand spectators are expected to see the opening day’s play on Tuesday as ticket sales picked up momentum here on Monday. According to organisers, they had sold 12000 tickets for the opening day, 11500 for the second day, 10000 for the third and another eight thousand for the fourth day. “Majority of the earning would be given to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who are hosting the series,” one of the organisers when contacted said. Pakistan (likely): Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Umar Amin, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Aamer, Umer Gul, Danish Keneria and Mohammad Asif. Australia (likely): Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus.
Written on July 13, 2010 | Posted in
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