Zaheer Khan likely to be rested for limited-over series against West Indies

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated  that India 's left-arm fast bowler, Zaheer Khan, has requested the board to rest him for the limited overs part of the West Indies tour.
Zaheer is considered the spearhead of the Indian bowling line-up and has performed exceptionally well for the last couple of years in all formats of the game. He was also the joint top wicket-taker of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 with Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and had claimed 21 scalps.
However, he has been playing regularly for India for the last couple of years and has asked for a well deserved rest. Since the Men in Blue leave for West Indies right after the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League, Khan will not have the time to rest and recover. His below-par performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore also reflects how thinly worn the player is right now.

Indian Pacer has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India about his concern and will write to it officially on May 10, 2011. It is learnt that the BCCI will not force him to play the ODIs and T20 game against West Indies.
A BCCI official said that India have important tours to England and Australia coming up, so if any player asks for rest, there was no harm in giving it to them.
The BCCI spokesperson also said, “He has informed the Board informally. And before the selection committee meets on May 10 he will be writing to the BCCI secretary. The Board will not force him to play the ODIs and T20 game. India has a bunch of tours lined up and we need a fit Zaheer in England and Australia. If any player asks for rest then there is no harm in it, as earlier too we have given rest to players who have asked for it.”
Zaheer Khan is one of the fastest bowlers of the Indian cricket team. He started his International cricket career in 2000 against Kenya. In his remarkable 191 One Dayers he has taken 273 wickets at an average of 28.84.

Read More

PCB CHIEF SELECTOR MOHSIN KHAN PRAISES TEAM PERFORMANCE IN WEST INDIES

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector, Mohsin Khan, has praised the way the national team is performing during its ongoing tour to West Indies.

After 2 matches, the Men in Green are leading the series 2-0 and look set to clinch the five-match One Day International (ODI) series by winning the third one on April 28, 2011.

The former cricketer said that Pakistan has been performing exceptionally well in the ongoing West Indies tour.

He said that Pakistan has shown great confidence and momentum, even after their defeat in the semi-final of the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011. He is hopeful that the entire team will play consistently in the remainder of the series.

While addressing the media, Mohsin stated, “It is great pleasure to see that the team played the first two ODIs with a game-plan, showing improvement in batting, bowling and fielding departments”.

The PCB Chief Selector is of the view that the current Windies series has given a platform to the young players to prove themselves in the field of cricket. It will also benefit them in their future career, he added.

While talking about the players, Mohsin appreciated the young middle-order batsman, Asad Shafiq, and opening batsman, Ahmad Shehzad, for their performances in the first two One Day Internationals (ODI).

Mohsin exclaimed, “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”.

Former batsman also praised senior players such as captain, Shahid Afridi, vice captain Misbah ul Haq and opener, Mohammad Hafeez, for their performances in the series. He hoped that the same work would continue until the end.

Meanwhile, Mohsin also praised the spinners of the team and said they were doing a fantastic job on the slow wickets of West Indies.

The third and fourth matches of the series will be played on April 28 and May 2 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. The last and final match of the series will be played on May 5 at the Guyana National Stadium.

Read More