Ajmal and Hafeez will be the key for Pakistan :Basit Ali

Former Pakistani Test cricketer and middle-order batsman, Basit Ali, has expressed his opinion that off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal and all-rounder, Mohammad Hafeez are going to be key players for Pakistan in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka.
The series between the two countries is going to start from October 18, 2011, with the first Test at Abu Dhabi.
The Sri Lankan team is going through a rebuilding phase at the moment as they no longer have the services of legendary bowlers, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas or Lasith Malinga, who has confined himself to limited overs cricket.
All these bowlers have played a big role for Sri Lanka’s Test victories in the last decade and it is surely going to be a huge challenge for the inexperienced Sri Lankan bowling attack to take 20 wickets in a match against a quality opposition like Pakistan.
On the other side of the coin, the former middle-order batsman believes that Saeed Ajmal is at the peak of his career at the moment and he is going to be a huge force in the future assignments. He also praised the performances of Mohammad Hafeez in the recent past and hopes that he is going to carry on with the same momentum.
He said, “For Pakistan, the key is Saeed Ajmal in bowling and Hafeez is in good form with bat and ball. These two players can play an important role in upcoming series.”
While talking about the new ruling of the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding two new balls at both ends in One Day International cricket, Basit said that this rule is going to favour the bowlers on green tracks and will be ideal for batsmen on flat pitches.
“It will be difficult to handle for batsman in seaming and bouncy condition but will help batsman in Asia. It would be very difficult for bowlers to bowl in Asia, which provides another advantage for batsman. The harder the ball the faster it will go and it will be easy pickings for batsman in batting friendly condition like we have in Asia,” Basit added.

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Misbah-ul-Haq delighted with his performance: Pakistan vs. West Indies

Pakistan middle-order batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq was delighted to shoulder the huge burden of the liability in the Pakistan’s series-sealing triumph over the West Indies at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Thursday.
Pakistan’s dependable right-hander made 62 runs and remained unbeaten athwart the visitor’s triumphant chase of 172 runs in the third One Day International (ODI), after a series of early wickets had left him to pick up the pieces.
Misbah came to the crease when Pakistan lost two early wickets, with just nine runs on the board, with Ahmed Shehzad and Asad Shafiq’s first-ball ducks. Misbah watched from the non-striker end as the Caribbean seamer Ravi Rampaul took four wickets for 32 runs and continued Pakistan’s decay with the wickets of Mohammad Hafeez who scored just five runs and Umar Akmal who made 30 runs.
At 49 runs for the loss of four wickets, the right-armer Rampaul was generating astounding bounce from the wicket. So Misbah, and middle to lower order, had a lot to do.
Hammad Azam, who was batting for the first time in the ODI series, scored a steady 36 runs and became a victim of Asoka de Silva’s ill decision. Misbah though, went on to pile up 78 runs and that's where the host’s leg-spinner, Devendra Bishoo, jolted the recovery work.
In quick succession, Bishoo took wickets of Azam, Shahid Afridi and the rookie wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Salman, to somewhat rattle the opposition.
Pakistan's Mr. dependable Misbah, however, dug deeper and deeper with every ball and with an aggressive tail-ender in Wahab Riaz, eventually secured victory with 4.5 overs to spare.
"The wicket wasn't easy for us as there was bit more bounce and pace. I thought I had to bat until the end for us to win. The ball got softer as it got older, so I could handle it easily eventually," said Misbah, who fetched the Man of the Match award for his 109-delivery effort. "With the new ball, Rampaul bowled really well and kept us under pressure."
Pakistan now sporting a dominant three nil lead in the five-match series, and uncapped left-armer Sadaf Hussain and right-handed batsman Usman Salahuddin waiting in the wings, Captain Afridi suggested Pakistan might feature young players in the remaining two matches on Monday and Thursday.
"The way the boys delivered in the series was good. There are still some problems. The coaches will come hard in the meetings. We all know we made mistakes. We will now look to give chances to youngsters in the batting area and we have a medium-pacer or two to come in as well," concluded the triumphant skipper.

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Misbah-ul-Haq proves his worth in the ODI series against West Indies

After the World Cup semi-final loss to India at Mohali, there were many who stressed on axing Misbah-ul-Haq from the squad. Despite the odds, Pakistan’s middle-order batsman has gone a long way to redeem himself with his match-winning performances in the One Day International series against West Indies so far.
His slow style of batting was the reason many had turned against Misbah after the semi-final defeat, but the batsman seems more at home in the ongoing ODI series.
Pakistan’s batting is prone to collapsing and Misbah’s style, although criticized has helped the side in winning matches in the current series. Though he may not play a big inning, his ability to stay on the crease has helped his side out of a tight spot on more than the one occasion.
Against India in the inaugural T20 World Championship final, Misbah was the one batsman who gave his side any hope of winning the fixture. The fact is that Misbah has taken responsibility for his side many a time and that means that if Pakistan loses, Misbah is often the scapegoat.
In the ongoing ODI series against West Indies, Misbah is proving his worth for the Pakistan side. Currently the squad’s highest run scorer in the series, Misbah has hit 178 runs in three matches. His average of 59.33 goes a long way in showing his consistency with the bat.
While the ‘Man of the Match’ award went to opening batsman Muhammad Hafeez in the first ODI for his half century, it was Misbah-ul-Haq’s well-constructed unbeaten 73 runs, which eventually helped Pakistan achieve the target. While not as exciting as Hafeez’s innings, it was far more crucial in keeping the game in reach for the visitors.
The second ODI belonged to Ahmed Shehzad, who rightfully stole all the headlines for his mature and well-composed century. The veteran batsman guided the youngster through the innings, before ultimately lifting Pakistan to a victory himself, with an unbeaten 43-run knock. The fact that surprised everyone was that Misbah managed to maintain a strike rate of 100.00 during his innings.
It would not come as a surprise if reports of Misbah-ul-Haq’s fans, who could not cope after witnessing the match-winning innings, had to be rushed to hospital.
It was in third ODI in which the batsman proved his worth in the Pakistani squad. Men in Green did well to bowl West Indies out for a small total of 171 runs. Chasing the target, Pakistan were in deep trouble at one stage during the match.
After an early collapse from the top-order, Misbah-ul-Haq began the rebuilding process and steadied the ship for Pakistan. Linking up with Umar Akmal and Hammad Azam, the batsman led his side to a more stable position.
Misbah had a total of six batting partnerships in the match and his unbeaten 62-run knock, was the backbone of the Pakistan innings.
Misbah-ul-Haq has not lost his wicket in the three matches of the series so far. The Pakistan batsman seems at home in the ODI version of the game. One can expect more of the same from the backbone of the Pakistan innings in future. With the current form the team is in, Pakistan should be able to continue their winning run and secure the series in style.

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Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammed Hafeez: West Indies vs. Pakistan - Batsmen to watch out for - 3rd ODI

Pakistan need just one more win from the remaining three One Day Internationals (ODI) against the West Indies, to secure a series win against the hosts. Let us take a look at the Pakistani batsmen, who have put up a good show in the tournament so far.
The team has shown an uncharacteristic depth in their batting on an individual level, with three batsmen reaching their half-centuries and one scoring a match-winning hundred.
One has to wonder that which Pakistani batsman the West Indian bowlers need to target.
Mohammed Hafeez
After plenty of experimentation to determine an opening batsman for Pakistan, the Men in Green seem to have at least half of the problem sorted out, with Mohammed Hafeez having earned himself a permanent spot as the side’s permanent opener.
Hafeez has been a revelation for the team, putting in consistent performances. While he does not go on to score big hundreds as often as he should, Hafeez has put an end to the early wicket collapse that had plagued Pakistan over the years.
His performance in the ODI series has been impressive so far, as he has helped his side to get-off to strong starts in both matches in the series.
Scoring a solid 54 runs off a relatively quick pace having faced just 45 deliveries, Hafeez gave the Men in Green the start they needed in the first ODI at Beausejor Stadium. The performance set-up the platform for Pakistan, as it allowed other batsmen to play their natural game.
Hafeez scored 32 runs in the second match, lifting the opening partnership to 66 runs. His confident starts have helped the team to build on a platform, which helps their middle-order batsmen later in the innings.
Hafeez is a solid opening batsman and a worry for the West Indies bowlers. His bowling ability adds advantage to his natural game, as he is also a very useful off-spinner.
Ahmed Shehzad
After a torrid World Cup campaign, Ahmed Shehzad has put in the kind of composed performance that could make him a regular in the Pakistani squad.
Shehzad struggled slightly in the first ODI, when he was not able to get his innings going and lost his wicket after scoring 22 runs. The important thing though, was that he stood along with Hafeez for a 68-run opening partnership.
The batsman truly came into his own when he scored a match-winning 102 runs, in the second ODI. Shehzad remained composed and never looked to rush his innings, as he led his side to a comfortable second win against West Indies.
West Indies bowlers will be wary of Shehzad, as he looks to be the man-in-form who has the capability to come up with another match-winning performance.

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Mohsin Khan cites West Indies tour as an opportunity for Pakistan youngsters

Pakistan team chief selector, Mohsin Khan, cited the West Indies tour as an opportunity for the young players on the team to display their cricketing prowess and prove their mettle. He advised the youngsters to fully avail the chance as they are the future assets of Pakistan cricket.

“I hope every youngster whether he is a batsman or a bowler will get full advantage of the chance he is given as it will be very useful for the future of Pakistan cricket,” Mohsin maintained.

Lauding the squad’s performance against the West Indies in the ongoing One Day International series, he said that the boys are expected to perform brilliantly throughout the series. The former cricketer however said that the Caribbean side should not be taken lightly as they have the potential for a comeback in the series.

Praising the middle-order batsman, Asad Shafiq, he said that the youngs batsman’s performance curve has shown significant improvement. He further went on to appreciate opener Ahmed Shehzad who failed to make an impact on the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011 but sealed a scintillating century in the second One Day International match.

“Asad is showing improvement every passing day as far as maturity is concerned, and Ahmed, after his failure in the World Cup, got another chance and his century in the second ODI was a responsible knock. He will be very useful for the team if he continues his good performance,” Mohsin Khan claimed.

The chief selector noted a positive development in the team’s progress as far as unity amongst the players is concerned. He also showered praise on the captain and the team’s management.

He acknowledged the team’s efforts of playing strictly according to a game plan in the first two One-Dayers. He cited significant improvement in the side’s batting, bowling and fielding line ups. Mohsin maintained that the fast bowlers are having a tough time on the slow Gros Islet wicket which does not have much to offer to the pacers.

Admiring the senior members, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez, he said that the cricket champions are fulfilling their responsibilities. The cricket veteran hopes that they will continue to display a promising performance throughout the series.

Pakistan is leading the five-match ODI series 2-0 after winning the first two fixtures by considerable margins. The tourists won the first One-Day by eight wickets with 51 balls remaining and prevailed in the second ODI by seven wickets, with 12 balls remaining.

Mohsin informed that the roster for the first two games of the three-match Test series will be announced during the next week.

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AFRIDI IS THE MAN TO FOLLOW BELIEVES AHMED SHEHZAD

Pakistan's young gun, Ahmed Shehzad scored a ton and led his side to victory in the 2^nd One Day International between Pakistan and West Indies in St Lucia on 25 April, 2011.

Speaking at the match presentation after being named the Player of the Match, Shehzad stated that the skipper, Afridi was the man to follow.

Describing Afridi as an astonishing captain, the right-hand batsman expressed his faith in the skipper’s ability to lead the Men in Green through turbulent times.

Shehzad has been retained in the national side despite his unimpressive performance throughout the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. He also acknowledged the support of his captain and the team management in this regard.

The 19-year old cricketer said, “I would like to thank team management for supporting me, Vicky bhai (Waqar Younis), Aaqib Javed, and Shahid bhai. He (Afridi) is the man to follow, he has been astonishing, if we follow him he will take us through. The wicket was on the slower side, I knew if we kept the wickets, we will do it.”

Shehzad put forth a redeeming 102 run knock off 148 deliveries which included seven fours and one six. The ton was his second One Day International century.

Afridi in return, also complimented Shehzad on his performance. The skipper acknowledged Shehzad’s poor record in the past but praised his comeback.

“Shehzad is a very talented guy who performed well in New Zealand tour. He didn't do well in World cup, he took some time, its ok he took time but he finished the game. The management has been supporting him,” said Afridi.

The skipper further expressed his satisfaction with how the team was following the game plan and performing as expected.

After losing the first Twenty20 match against the Windies, the Green Shirts bounced back with two consecutive wins.

The Men in Green have been on a roll, performing well in One Day Internationals. They reached the Semi-Finals of 2011 ICC World Cup and prior to that, had won the ODI series in New Zealand.

Spinners have been Pakistan’s weapon of choice against the young West Indian side. The 2^nd ODI saw the spin trio of Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal share six wickets between them.

The West Indian skipper Darren Sammy had asserted earlier that his side needed to work hard in the nets to face the Pakistani spinners.

The third match of the series will be played on Thursday, 28 April, 2011 at Bridgetown. If Pakistan wins the match they will have an unassailable lead in the series.

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PAKISTAN V WEST INDIES - SECOND INNINGS REPORT

Pakistan has defeated West Indies in the first One Day International (ODI) of five ODIs series by a huge margin of eight wickets with 51 balls to spare. The match was played at Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia on 23 April 2011.

Pakistan after winning the first ODI against the Caribbean, lead the series by 1-0.

West Indies after winning the toss opted to bat first and posted a mere target of 222 runs for Pakistan to chase.

Pakistan, in pursuit of the target, started their innings with their openers Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad.

Both the openers played exceptionally well and responsibly. They played shots all around the wicket and pushed the ball into the gaps, punishing the loose ones to the boundary.

They provided Pakistan with a blistering start of 68 runs for the first wicket partnership.

The blazing partnership came to an end when Shehzad was stumped by CS Baugh off the bowling of D Bishoo. He made only 22 runs off 39 balls hitting four boundaries.

On the other hand the second opener Hafeez completed his half century and scored 54 runs off 45 balls hitting seven boundaries and a six.

Hafeez was caught at short mid-wicket by the opposition Skipper Darren Sammy off the bowling of D Bishoo.

After the openers fell, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq played a remarkable innings and built a solid partnership.

Asad Shafiq proved that he is fully capable of playing Test as well as one day cricket, he only supported his senior partner Misbah but also played strokes by himself and reached the half century milestone.

Similarly Misbah also responsibly, completed his half century and took Pakistan to their first triumph in the five match series by eight wickets.

Misbah and Asad Shafiq both reached their fifties and remained unbeaten during the successful chase.

Mohammad Hafeez was declared Man of the Mach for his fifty with the bat and one wicket with the ball.

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SHAHID AFRIDI SATISFIED WITH HIS TEAM’S PERFORMANCE IN THE FIRST ODI AGAINST WEST INDIES

Talking about Pakistan’s superb eight-wicket win over West Indies in the first game of the five match One-Day series on Saturday, 23 April, 2011, the skipper, Shahid Afridi said that the team played superb cricket.

"I was very happy when West Indies won the toss and chose to bat because I thought the pitch would help our spinners," said Afridi.

The spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez broke through early by dismissing the openers in quick succession.

Devon Smith was the first batsman who fell lbw to Hafeez after just scoring 17 runs off 31 balls, while Lendl Simmons fell victim to Ajmal’s after scoring 24 runs off 44 balls.

The skipper, Afridi, seemed quite happy with the spinners’ show and complimented them on performing remarkably in the past few months.

On the other hand, the pacer Wahab Riaz, who came into the limelight after his five wicket haul in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011 semi-final against India, picked two important wickets of Kirk Edwards and Dwayne Bravo.

Windies while batting first, set a target of 222 runs for Pakistan at the loss of six wickets. Bravo was the top scorer of his side, making 67 runs off 109 balls and was run out by Ahmed Shehzad.

Green Shirts took a stable batting start with the openers – Hafeez and Shehzad. Both set a partnership of 68 runs before Shehzad was sent to the pavilion by Devendra Bishoo.

Hafeez scored 54 runs off 45 balls including seven boundaries and one six, he was caught by Darren Sammy off the bowling of Bishoo.

Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq set a splendid stand of 134 runs, leading their side to an easy win in 41.3 overs.

Asad scored an unbeaten 61 runs off 76 balls including seven fours. On the other side, the vice-captain scored 73 runs off 90 balls including five boundaries and one six.

Afridi highly praised the openers, Hafiz and Shehzad for their efforts and also appreciated Misbah and Asad Shafiq for staying at the crese till the end of their innings.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said: "We put ourselves in a hole when we were batting, and the spinners were bowling, so we really have to come better in the next game."

Sammy also added that he was surprised to see the turn and bounce of the pitch and he appreciated the Pakistani cricketers. The skipper vowed that for the next match they will put in more hard work at practice and will come back stronger.

Pakistan started their tour with a Twenty20, which they lost by seven runs.

Both the teams will now face each other on 25 April, 2011, in the second match of the series, at the same venue.

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I am satisfied with his team’s performance :Shahid Afridi

Talking about Pakistan’s superb eight-wicket win over West Indies in the first game of the five match One-Day series on Saturday, 23 April, 2011, the skipper, Shahid Afridi said that the team played superb cricket.

"I was very happy when West Indies won the toss and chose to bat because I thought the pitch would help our spinners," said Afridi.

The spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez broke through early by dismissing the openers in quick succession.

Devon Smith was the first batsman who fell lbw to Hafeez after just scoring 17 runs off 31 balls, while Lendl Simmons fell victim to Ajmal’s after scoring 24 runs off 44 balls.

The skipper, Afridi, seemed quite happy with the spinners’ show and complimented them on performing remarkably in the past few months.

On the other hand, the pacer Wahab Riaz, who came into the limelight after his five wicket haul in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2011 semi-final against India, picked two important wickets of Kirk Edwards and Dwayne Bravo.

Windies while batting first, set a target of 222 runs for Pakistan at the loss of six wickets. Bravo was the top scorer of his side, making 67 runs off 109 balls and was run out by Ahmed Shehzad.

Green Shirts took a stable batting start with the openers – Hafeez and Shehzad. Both set a partnership of 68 runs before Shehzad was sent to the pavilion by Devendra Bishoo.

Hafeez scored 54 runs off 45 balls including seven boundaries and one six, he was caught by Darren Sammy off the bowling of Bishoo.

Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq set a splendid stand of 134 runs, leading their side to an easy win in 41.3 overs.

Asad scored an unbeaten 61 runs off 76 balls including seven fours. On the other side, the vice-captain scored 73 runs off 90 balls including five boundaries and one six.

Afridi highly praised the openers, Hafiz and Shehzad for their efforts and also appreciated Misbah and Asad Shafiq for staying at the crese till the end of their innings.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy said: "We put ourselves in a hole when we were batting, and the spinners were bowling, so we really have to come better in the next game."

Sammy also added that he was surprised to see the turn and bounce of the pitch and he appreciated the Pakistani cricketers. The skipper vowed that for the next match they will put in more hard work at practice and will come back stronger.

Pakistan started their tour with a Twenty20, which they lost by seven runs.

Both the teams will now face each other on 25 April, 2011, in the second match of the series, at the same venue.

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