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An unpredictable pitch and disciplined Australian bowling limited Pakistan to 91 for 3 at the halfway mark of their innings in the penultimate Group A match at Centurion. Kamran Akmal led Pakistan’s charge with a patient innings of 44 but his dismissal off Shane Watson in the 19th over prompted a slowing of the run-rate as Pakistan struggled to contend with Australia’s medium-pacers.

Akmal and Shahid Afridi, promoted in place of Imran Nazir, began the innings on a positive footing, pouncing on the short-pitched offerings of Peter Siddle and weathering the early storm of Brett Lee. Lee exploited the variable bounce to good effect but much of the pressure generated at his end was undone by Siddle, who conceded 22 runs from three loose overs.

The introduction of Mitchell Johnson into the attack prompted a reversal of Australia’s fortunes. Johnson’s first delivery surprised Afridi for pace and bounce, resulting in a top-edge and a diving catch for James Hopes at backward-square. The Australians might have capitalised soon after but for Nathan Hauritz’s fumble of an Akmal mis-hit at deep cover, leaving Akmal and Younis Khan to reel off a methodical second-wicket partnership of 45.

With a half-century in sight, Akmal chopped a shorter delivery from Watson onto his stumps to signal the start of Australia’s counter-attack. Younis, in particular, struggled to adapt to the pace of the Centurion wicket and Australia’s slower seamers, and it came as little surprise when he fell attempting to push the pace off Hopes for 18 (from 49 deliveries).

Shoaib Malik appeared more assured than his captain at the crease and signalled his intent early with a sublime six over long-on off the bowling of Hopes. Yousuf, meanwhile, began his innings cautiously, requiring eight deliveries before contributing his first run to the Pakistani total.

Pakistan’s middle-over struggles appeared to justify Ricky Ponting’s decision to send the Group A front-runners in to bat on Wednesday. Australia generally fancy themselves as total defenders rather than pursuers but recent heavy rain convinced Ponting to allow his seamers first use of the pitch.

Afridi Takes Hot Seat After Younis Is Ruled Out Of Opener

Pakistan will be again hoping that Shahid Afridis maverick batting style does not extend to his man-management skills when the team takes on the latest minnows of world cricket on Wednesday. Following a prolonged and ugly contract dispute with the board, the West Indies have arrived here without any of their leading players making a mockery of their proud Champions Trophy record but that puts the onus on Pakistan to roll through with ease before the big game against India on Saturday.
Though all eyes are on Mohammad Asif and how he copes on his return, Afridi has suddenly found himself in the hot seat in the absence of regular ODI skipper Younis Khan, who has been ruled out of this Johannesburg encounter because of a hairline fracture on the little finger of his right hand. Younis is still hoping to recover before the big India game but in the meantime, Afridi has to shoulder the responsibility of transplanting his recent run of T20 luck into Pakistans Champions Trophy campaign and quickly whip an oddball outfit into battle-ready mode.
If Younis doesnt recover in time, Afridi will even need to carve out ways to better Pakistans record on South African soil, including leading from the front to avert those frustrating batting collapses which have plagued the team in a year in which they have lost eight out of 13 ODIs. The adrenaline rush of the World T20, though, remains an inspiration, but above all, Afridi is hoping his straightforward manner of functioning will have the intended effect. He is also at pains to point out that the Mad Max of the past has mellowed considerably.
Theres good and bad wins. Smiles and cries. More of the latter for me, he said on Tuesday, Its a struggle, similar to what life is like. Its an honour to be playing for Pakistan, and its a dream come true to become captain.
Responsibility has matured me. I still enjoy cricket , the reckless strokeplay I try and avoid now. We need 100% effort. We dont have time to experiment. I hope to come up to expectations, I already captained before.
The rush of blood, though, cant be contained for long, especially when the topic veers to India. India have been lucky to win against us in ICC events, he said, tongue firmly in cheek, before recapturing his new-found poise: They are a very balanced outfit, I enjoy playing them the most.
Anticipation is quietly building for that game and Afridi, who has appeared in four Champions Trophy events, the most by any player in the Pakistan squad, will be hoping to again inveil his unique blend of magic and madness come Saturday . In the meantime, Floyd Reifers accidental tourists better watch out.

Team yet to decide on Asif

Disgraced pace bowler Mohammad Asif on Tuesday completed a 12-month ban, which was imposed on him for failing a dope-test during the inaugural Indian Premier League, but the Pakistan team management is yet to decide about playing him in the Champions Trophy. That decision will be taken by the team management. We have to be absolutely sure that he is ready both mentally as well as physically for a comeback to international cricket, team manager Yawar Saeed said from Johannesburg.
It has been hard 12 months for me, but I have learnt from my mistakes Asif said. I dont think I could get a better platform than the Champions Trophy to make my comeback. And I have always liked bowling on the South African pitches, Asif said

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has been ruled out of the team’s opening match of the Champions Trophy, against West Indies in Johannesburg on Wednesday, after suffering a hairline fracture on the little finger of his right hand. He picked up the injury while fielding in Pakistan’s first warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Friday in Benoni, when he and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal went for a catch in the slips.

Shahid Afridi will lead the side in his absence and Younis will start batting from tomorrow in the hope of being fit for Pakistan’s next game, against India in Centurion on Saturday.

Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed, who had initially played down the seriousness of the injury, had a different version to give after Younis went for a fresh X-ray on Monday. “Younis will decide himself on Tuesday after having nets whether he can play the first match,” Yawar said. “But even if he does not play against West Indies he will be fit in time for the big game against India on the 26.”

Younis, 31, had earlier suffered a minor fracture on his little finger during a training session on Friday, but had downplayed the injury. “It’s a little fracture. Nothing serious,” he had said. “We will assess it on Monday. Hopefully it should be alright.”

Umar Akmal’s maiden international hundred, a rousing unbeaten 102 from 72 balls, and Younis Khan’s first half-century as captain took Pakistan to a large total and set up their first win on tour. Batting first has been distinctly advantageous at the Premadasa and so it proved as Pakistan put up a mammoth score and then pressured the Sri Lankan batsmen into self-destruction. Iftikhar Anjum played a major hand, claiming career-best figures as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 175, losing their last seven wickets for 45 runs in 12.3 overs.

The pace was set early by Umar’s elder brother Kamran, who ensured the tempo did not flag despite Imran Nazir’s early dismissal, but Sri Lanka’s spinners struck thrice in less than six overs. Young Umar walked to the crease when Pakistan were 130 for 4, with a struggling captain searching for a partner and only Shahid Afridi to follow. He took the opportunity to prove that not all is as made to believe about Pakistan’s domestic set-up. His effervescence complimented Younis’ solidity and their 176-run stand paved the way.

Where Nazir, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq struggled against a combination of tidy bowling and a slow track, Umar appeared comfortable from the get-go. He showed he wasn’t going to get bogged down, swinging his seventh delivery – from Ajantha Mendis, no less – over long-on for a six and flicked almost effortlessly. His was a sensible approach, poaching the odd boundary and turning ones into twos while also dominating the perceived weaker bowlers. Finding the narrowest of gaps in the field and always sprinting hard between the wickets, he began rebuilding.

Credit is due to the man at the other end. Younis’ innings contained crisp drives and wristy flicks and stolen runs but most importantly it was an effort that allowed Umar to flourish. Around his captain, Umar could play his own game and Pakistan didn’t feel the pinch. Pakistan had been hurt in the series by Younis’ indifferent form. Today they realised just what a difference runs from him can mean.

Importantly, he quickly assessed conditions and played with a welcome smoothness. Younis’ innings was controlled, he ran hard between the wickets, and Pakistan’s run-rate lifted to nearly five-and-a-half an over. With Umar rattling along Younis too changed his game. Soon defence turned to single hunting, gliding and efficiently flicking in the gaps.

Umar’s half-century came up from 46 balls, after which he upped his strike-rate. Always keen to get back and across and then mow the ball over the on-side, he took consecutive fours off Mendis and then clubbed Lasith Malinga for 13 in the 46th over. Another effortless six off Malinga followed in the 48th over, the back leg once more lifted to gain power. Younis departed for 89 in the 49th over trying to get six but Umar reached three figures with two balls to spare. You can argue the pressure of winning the series wasn’t there, but maiden ODI centuries don’t come cleaner than this.

To chase 322 under lights in Sri Lanka a team needs something near a batting miracle. Upul Tharanga (80) played a cool hand to try and keep the required run-rate in check but there was little support. Pakistan’s bowlers began by bowling too short – in particular Naved-ul-Hasan – and Tharanga and Sangakkara added 65 in good time. Sangakkara sped away to 39 from 33 balls before he was early into a drive against a slower ball from Anjum and scooped a catch to point.

From here the attack tidied up, Anjum sticking to a decent length and the spinners taking as much pace off the ball as possible. Thilina Kandamby went next, slashing Saeed Ajmal to slip, and a one-handed effort from Naved in the deep took out Chamara Kapugedera. Anjum bowled a lot of deliveries on an awkward length, too short to drive but too full to pull, and was rewarded with 5 for 30. Ajmal tossed the ball up into the rough with good control to take two wickets.

Tharanga played an extension of his half-century in the previous game, accumulating most of his runs by soft-handed steers through the arc between cover and gully. Third man proved a productive area for Tharanga, who didn’t take the aerial route much. With his dismissal, feathering Anjum to Kamran, went Sri Lanka’s chances. From here on it was a steady procession of wickets and Sri Lanka fell way short of the target.
Pakistan 321 for 5 (Umar 102*, Younis 89, Kamran 57) beat Sri Lanka 175 (Tharanga 80, Anjum 5-31) by 146 runs

Sanath Jayasuriya blazed away briefly as only he can, but the loss of two wickets in an over, one of them to a silly run-out, pushed Sri Lanka back as they sought to chase down 169 for victory. There was another fine spell from the 17-year-old Mohammad Aamer, who had earlier top-scored with the bat, and when Mahela Jayawardene slapped a long hop from Shahid Afridi to short midwicket, Pakistan were beginning to scent an unlikely success.

sangkara

Jayasuriya had flayed Abdul Razzaq over cover to get going, and two short deliveries were summarily dismissed with short-arm pulls. Upul Tharanga was far from comfortable again though, and when Aamer tempted him into a half-hearted drive, Nasir Jamshed held on at slip.

 Jayasuriya then survived a strong shout for leg-before from Aamer, before Umar Gul was greeted with a miscued pull for four. With Kumar Sangakkara struggling though, the run rate dropped, and a moment of madness between two experienced pros gave Pakistan a route back into the game. Jayasuriya pushed one to mid-off, but half-set off, but when he stopped, Sangakkara was still haring down without looking.

 Two balls later, Jayasuriya carved one to deep point, where Umar Akmal held his nerve to hold a difficult catch. Chamara Kapugedera eased the pressure somewhat with two lovely strokes through the covers, but Jayawardene’s exit left the game beautifully poised going into the final stretch. 

 Sri Lanka made best use of winning the toss, routing a remodelled Pakistani batting line-up on a blustery and overcast morning in Dambulla. Once again, the pace bowlers were to the fore, with Thilan Thushara taking 3 for 33, and but for a 38-run stand between Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul, even a three-figure total might have been beyond Pakistan. Muttiah Muralitharan chipped in later in the innings, but a fighting last-wicket partnership of 40 stretched the innings to 47 overs.

 Pakistan had made two changes from the side that lost by 36 runs two days earlier, but they started disastrously. Nasir Jamshed, who had come in along with Umar Akmal at the expense of Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq, sparred at a Nuwan Kulasekara delivery that was moving away from him, and Mahela Jayawardene took a smart catch over his head at second slip.

 Kamran Akmal eased a couple of lovely drives in front of the wicket, but any thought of consolidation disappeared as two wickets fell with the score on 21. First, Akmal edged one that slanted across him for Thilan Samaraweera to take an excellent tumbling catch at first slip, and then Shoaib Malik was unfortunate to be given out leg-before after being struck high on the pad. Two wickets for Thushara, and Sri Lanka right on top.

 On a green-tinged pitch where the ball darted around, Younis Khan was in all sorts of strife against Lasith Malinga and it was left to Umar to highlight his potential with a couple of fluent drives on either side of the wicket. But soon after drinks, Sri Lanka struck again, with Umar flailing at a wide one from Angelo Mathews. Kumar Sangakkara held on to that chance, and when Thushara came back for a sixth over and had Fawad Alam top-edging a cut behind, Pakistan were once again facing acute batting embarrassment.

 Younis found it tough to turn the strike over, facing 73 balls for his 23, and his dismissal was as tame as the innings itself, chipping Murali to midwicket. Shahid Afridi had been held back, but it didn’t prove a successful gambit as a big heave off Murali went only as far as deep square leg.

 Razzaq and Gul kept the bowlers at bay for 10 overs without making a big dent on the scoreboard, but again, Sri Lanka shut off the escape route. This time, it was brilliant fielding, with Malinga Bandara, the substitute fielder, catching Gul short with a direct hit from gully. Razzaq then slapped Sanath Jayasuriya to long-on, and it was left to Mohammad Aamer, who showed impressive commitment once again, and Saeed Ajmal to steer the side past 150. On a bowler-friendly surface, it gave them a glimmer of a chance.

On a green-tinged pitch that was slow as well, Pakistan made best use of winning the toss, but doughty tailend resistance led by Angelo Mathews took Sri Lanka to a competitive total on a blustery day in Dambulla. Mathews made 43 from 50 balls, and added 42 with Nuwan Kulasekara before a typically entertaining cameo from Muttiah Muralitharan, back after missing the Test series, took Sri Lanka past 200. Sri Lanka took the batting Powerplay only in the 45th over, but 54 came from it as Murali whirled his bat like a dervish.

 Umar Gul was top-edged for four and then straight-driven for six in an over that cost 15, and Shahid Afridi was clobbered through the off side for fours before Mohammad Aamer put the sheen on a superb debut display by bowling him for 32. By then though, on a surface where run-making was nothing like as easy as Murali made it seem, Sri Lanka had enough of a total to defend.

 They had stuttered badly in mid-innings, with only Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene showing signs of coming to grips with the conditions. They had limped to 105 for 3 by the halfway stage, and when Chamara Kapugedera edged Afridi behind soon after, the onus was on Jayawardene to up the ante. Thilan Samaraweera couldn’t do much on his return to the side, miscuing a pull to mid-on, and when Jayawardene was caught short going for a non-existent second run by Younis Khan’s flat throw from midwicket, the wheels were off and the axle nearly broken.

 But Mathews and Kulasekara didn’t panic, scoring in singles and twos before the Powerplay was taken. The final flourish did the rest, as the previously economical Afridi and Gul were taken apart. Pakistan would have been encouraged though by Abdul Razzaq’s performance. On his return after two years out of the side, he bowled with great control and canniness for 2 for 33.

 Sangakkara and Jayawardene had added 48 in quick time after a sedate start to the innings. As in the Test series, Sangakkara seldom failed to cash in on the bad ball, stroking Gul through mid-on and cover, and clipping Younis’ part-time medium-pace through midwicket for fours. But just as it seemed that the time was ripe to accelerate, he was undone by a Saeed Ajmal delivery that dipped and turned, and the attempt to cut merely looped to point.

 Pakistan hadn’t started well, with Kamran Akmal putting down a sharp chance off Sanath Jayasuriya in the second over. It was down the leg side, and it denied Razzaq a fairytale return. Razzaq could have had him again a couple of overs later as well, but a terrible miscue straight back down the pitch was embarrassingly dropped right in front of the batsman’s face.

 At the other end, Upul Tharanga was in poor touch, beaten repeatedly outside his off stump with feet scarcely moving. It was Jayasuriya who went first though, slashing the second ball he faced from Gul down to Aamer at third man. Aamer had impressed with the new ball, bowling with pace and beating the bat often.

Pakistan had sprung a few surprises in the team selection, with neither Nasir Jamshed or Imran Nazir picked to open. Sri Lanka had gone back to Jayasuriya and Tharanga, who played no part in the Test series, but it was the return of Murali and Lasith Malinga that promised to have the biggest bearing on a sluggish surface.

As had been widely expected for some time, Shahid Afridi has been named Pakistan captain for the Twenty20 game against Sri Lanka next month. He takes over from Younis Khan, who retired from the format after leading Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title last month.

Afridi was instrumental in that triumph, turning in Man-of-the-Match performances in both the semi-final and the final. Since Younis’s retirement Afridi has been the leading candidate to take over, even as chairman Ijaz Butt initially said he would try and convince Younis to reconsider. Presently, he has only been appointed for the one game against Sri Lanka, but a more permanent decision is expected sooner rather than later.

It will be the first time Afridi will lead the national team in any format of the game, getting his chance nearly 13 years after making his Pakistan debut. The last five years have been the most productive of Afridi’s career, where despite brief patches of indifference, he has established himself as a fixture in Pakistan’s limited-overs set-up. His form has been particularly good this year, with impressive performances in the ODI series and Twenty20 against Australia in Dubai in May. That culminated with his critical role in leading Pakistan to the World Twenty20 title. Allied to his player-of-the-tournament contributions in the 2007 version, another indicator of his suitability to this format, his ascension became inevitable.

Whenever there has been a captaincy change over the last couple of years, Afridi’s name has figured prominently among the contenders. He has plenty of captaincy experience at the domestic level, having been at the helm of Habib Bank Limited, Sind and Karachi Dolphins over the past few years.

The Tests delivered the promise of riveting cricket, at a time when the game’s traditional format was under threat. Now save your appetite for the one-dayers. The selling point of the series comes from the visitor’s camp. It marks the return of two exciting players from the ICL, who have been in heavy demand from loyal Pakistan followers to give the team a facelift – Imran Nazir and Naved-ul-Hasan. The other player from the ICL, Abdul Razzaq, had already started his rebirth as an international player in the World Twenty20 but was kept out of the Tests and Mohammad Yousuf too made a stirring comeback in the Tests.

Both teams are at a rebuilding stage, with the 2011 World Cup in mind. The Sri Lankan captain, Kumar Sangakkara, highlighted that on the eve of the opening ODI in Dambulla, as it gives a chance for his team to experiment before arriving at the right combination. Instead of trying out new blood, both teams have handed comebacks to old faces, Thilan Samaraweera being a prime example from the home team. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s temporary absence may come as a blessing in disguise for them as it’s an opportunity for another attacking opener to fill the breach. After all, Sri Lanka cannot depend on Sanath Jayasuriya forever.

They will be up against the team which thumped them fairly convincingly the last time they met in the limited-overs format – the ICC World Twenty20. Where will the pendulum swing this time?

Watch out for…

Upul Tharanga: With Dilshan bandaged and ruled out for the first couple of ODIs at least, Tharanga’s spot at the top is more or less guaranteed. Holding his place once Dilshan returns will be his challenge. He last played an ODI during the tour of Bangladesh earlier this year but was overlooked for the series against Pakistan and India. His performance in the warm-up game in Kurunegala on Monday was inauspicious – he was out for a first-ball duck. Tharanga is a tried and tested player who’s had success in the past and if he backs himself, he should manage some substantial scores, focus on building an innings and leave the power hitting to Jayasuriya.

Imran Nazir: He was the people’s favourite not too long ago and still is. Trawl through the comments from readers in Cricinfo’s recent stories and blogs on Pakistan and Nazir features almost everywhere. He was the most-wanted player from the ICL and for a good reason too. He smacked an unbeaten 111 off 44 balls to guide Lahore Badshahs to the ICL title last November and fans realised just how much they missed him. Pakistan can look forward to the exciting opening duo of Nazir and Kamran Akmal.

Sri Lanka’s new one-day kit: Hopefully the dawn of a new era, after three consecutive series defeats at home.

Team news

Dilhara Fernando was added at the last minute as cover for the injury-prone Lasith Malinga. Sangakkara didn’t reveal the exact combination and said that Samaraweera and Thilina Kandamby were in the mix.

Sri Lanka: (likely)  Upul Tharanga,  Sanath Jayasuriya,Kumar Sangakkara (capt and wk), Mahela Jayawardene,  Thilina Kandamdy/Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera,  Thilan Thushara,  Nuwan Kulasekara,  Lasith Malinga/Dilhara Fernando,  Muttiah Muralitharan

Pakistan have an embarrassment of riches and the competition for places has shot up. Will Yousuf walk in, and if he does, at whose expense? There was no word on a possible debut for Umar Akmal, who smashed an unbeaten 103 off 76 balls in Kurunegala.

Pakistan: (likely)  Kamran Akmal (wk) Imran Nazir,  Younis Khan,  Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik,  Misbah-ul-Haq/ Mohammad Yousuf,  Abdul Razzaq,  Umar Gul,  Naved-ul-Hasan,  Saeed Ajmal/ Mohammad Aamer

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan is the only team with a positive win-loss record against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka: in 21 ODIs they have won ten and lost nine. Since 2000, though, they have lost five and won three against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
• Teams batting first have won only five out of 13 day games in Dambula. The last four day matches here have all been won by the team batting second.
• Sri Lanka’s main batsmen have had a tough time in Dambulla. Sangakkara averages less than 29 in 20 innings, while Jayasuriya has only two 50-plus scores in 18 innings.
• Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene haven’t managed a half-century at home against Pakistan in 15 ODI innings. Sangakkara’s highest in eight innings is an unbeaten 36, while Jayawardene’s best in seven innings is 49.
• Muralitharan has enjoyed the conditions in Dambulla, taking 33 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 15.36 at an economy rate of 3.46 runs per over.

Quotes

“You are never sure as to whether they will be explosive or be destructive. Sometimes they are a hard side to play, all the more so we should be thinking about our game a lot more that we should about theirs.”
Kumar Sangakkara on Pakistan

“We are aware of Sri Lanka’s strength we must stick to our basics every day and in every game. Sri Lanka’s fielding is fantastic and they have the upper hand in fielding. If we field like we did in the Twenty20 we can provide good competition.”

Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi’s match winning knock in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in Lord’s last month has earned him a reward that he would cherish for the rest of his life.

The Lord’s cricket museum has decided to preserve the shirt worn by him in the T20 final against Sri Lanka, The News reports.

Afridi scored 54 of just 40 balls and then took 1for 20 to help his side register a historic win in the final by six wickets.

He is the first Pakistani cricketer to receive such an honour.

The museum has some of the rarest articles used by some famous cricketers of the world. A sparrow which was killed by a stroke of the bat from Jahangir Khan, father of former Pakistan captain Majid Khan, has also been preserved in the museum.

The Lord’s cricket museum, commonly known as MCC Museum, is the world’s oldest sporting museum. While it contains a wide range of exhibits, it is best-known for being the home of The Ashes.

Pakistan star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has criticised the ICC for holding the next Twenty20 World Cup just nine months later and ignoring him for the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.

shahid afridi

Afridi, who was instrumental in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup triumph in England, said the ICC’s decision to hold third edition of the tournament in 2010 has left the team with very little time to celebrate their victory.

“There is just no proper gap between the two tournaments for us to enjoy our victory. I don’t know why the ICC has done this, but to me it seems cricket on Wednesday is more like a business than a sport,” Afridi, who won the man-of-the-match award in both the semifinal and final, said on his return home on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old all-rounder also admitted that inspite of his stellar performances in the T20 World Cup, he was little disappointed at not winning the player of the tournament award.

Although Afridi was the star for Pakistan in both the semifinal and final against South Africa and Sri Lanka with back-to-back half centuries and wickets, Tillekaratne Dilshan bagged the award with his commendable show with the bat.

“I was not expecting them (ICC) to ignore me for the player of the tournament award. I had scored over 160 runs and taken 11 wickets. My fielding was also top class and I was surprised when I didn’t win this award,” he said.