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A history of Australia v Pakistan

Cricinfo staff25-Dec-20091956-57
The mighty Australians were on their way back from a tour of England when they made a stopover to play one Test in Karachi against the babies of cricket. Pakistan had been a Test nation for only four years but Fazal Mahmood and Khan Mohammad were almost unplayable on the Karachi track, dismissing the visitors for 80, after they chose to bat. The wicket did take vicious turn on the second day and captain Ian Johnson took four to bowl out the hosts for 199. Mahmood continued at his hostile best next up, to bowl out Australia for under 200 – finishing with 13 wickets in the match. The 69 runs required for a win, were scored at a snail’s pace. Pakistan should have wrapped things up on the fourth day but ended up needing six runs to win on the last.
Pakistan 1 Australia 0

1959-60
Australia put in more improved display on their second arrival in Pakistan. Heavy showers prior to the first Test in Dhaka rendered it impossible being played on grass and the spin of Richie Benaud and Ken McKay on the matting pitch handed them the series lead. In Lahore, Australia won by seven wickets, thanks to Lindsay Kline’s clever chinaman bowling, and clinched the series – the first country to win a Test rubber in Pakistan. A drab drawn third Test followed in Karachi, which marked the debut of Intikhab Alam. Dwight D Eisenhower became the first US president to see Test cricket, watching proceeedings on the fourth day.
Pakistan 0 Australia 2
1964-65
Australia were buoyed on their third visit by captain Bob Simpson, who hit a century in each innings, and Garth McKenzie’s fine bowling. Khalid Ibadulla became the first Pakistani to score a hundred on his Test debut. Pakistan introduced six new players to Test Cricket, while Hanif Mohammad captained his country for the first time. Having taken a 62-run lead, Pakistan declared on the final morning, leaving Australia 342 to win in ten minutes under five hours on a still plumb pitch. Simpson and Bill Lawry accepted the challenge in a brisk opening stand, but a stalemate was the eventual result.
Pakistan 0 Australia 0

1964-65
Pakistan recovered from early shocks after being sent into bat in their first Test in Australia. Hanif played two brilliant innings of 104 and 93, although taking the cautious route on the last day instead of setting a reasonable task. McKenzie and Hawke bowled well for Australia and with Sincock caused the last five Pakistan first-innings wickets to fall for 62. Australia once again showed their batting strength and the two middle-order left-handers, Bob Cowper and Tom Veivers, produced some sparkling strokes. Right-arm fast bowler Arif Butt persevered for Pakistan and did well in taking six wickets for 89.
Australia 0 Pakistan 0

1972-73
Pakistan were comprehensively beaten on their second trip to Australia and the inadequate preparation was clearly visible. The first match in Adelaide witnessed unfavourable publicity concerning umpire Norman Townsend standing in his first Test. But Ashley Mallett’s 8 for 59 proved decisive even as Pakistan opener Talat Ali took the match into the final day, batting one-handed due to a broken right thumb suffered in Lillee’s second over of the Test. In Melbourne, Pakistan missed out on a win after getting into a favourable position. On a wicket heavily sedated in favour of batsmen, Pakistan needed 293 runs in five and a half hours only to collapse for 200 runs in their second innings. Pakistan’s lack of Test inexperience showed in the final match in Sydney as well, as their batsmen were overwhelmed by the occasion. On a green and responsive wicket, the Pakistan quicks Saleem Altaf and Sarfraz Nawaz gave them a chance to regain prestige, but the batsmen fall to a remarkable piece of swing bowling by Max Walker who took six wickets to complete the clean sweep.
Australia 3 Pakistan 0

1976-77
A dispute over pay hampered Pakistan’s preparations for the tour but they departed a much happier lot, recording their first Test win in Australia. An understrength squad was named, before political intervention and a new selection panel restored normality. The Australians suffered a major setback in the first Test in Adelaide when Jeff Thomson collided with Alan Turner and badly injured his bowling shoulder and that ruled him out of the series. After conceding a big first-innings lead, Pakistan managed a tight draw in Adelaide thanks to Asif Iqbal’s defiant century. However, Dennis Lillee vanquished them with a ten-wicket haul in Melbourne to give the hosts a 1-0 lead. But the third Test at the SCG was all about Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz. The pair shared 18 wickets between them with Imran taking 12 of those. Iqbal’s century gave Pakistan a sizeable first-innings lead before his strike seam bowlers set up an easy eight-wicket win. The tour was also a PR success for Pakistan, who won the respect of the Australian public for their showing in Sydney.
Australia 1 Pakistan 1The Miandad-Lillee scuffle at the WACA was one of the most undignified incidents in Test history•ESPNcricinfo Ltd1978-79
Pakistan arrived in the country following their tour of New Zealand, where they won the Tests 1-0. At the MCG, they were headed towards a series-opening defeat but Sarfraz Nawaz had other ideas. With Australia needing 77 on the final evening with seven wickets in hand, Sarfraz bowled one of the finest spells in Test history, taking seven wickets for one run in 33 balls, finishing with 9 for 86. At the WACA, Pakistan never really recovered from the loss of half the side for 90 runs in the opening session of play after being sent in to bat. Australia, on the other hand, were much encouraged by brilliant batting and fielding from the recalled Rick Darling, the Man of the Match, and achieved a comfortable win within the last hour of play. However, derogatory comments by Asif Iqbal on the eve of the Melbourne Test on the standards of the Australian and England teams in their series created ill-feeling that manifested itself in several incidents during the two Tests.
Australia 1 Pakistan 11979-80
The lead-up to the tour was hit by financial problems but eventually, the guarantee was improved from A$94,000 to A$150,000. However, the number of matches was reduced from eight to five, comprising three Tests and two three-day games. It was Javed Miandad’s first series as captain, following the retirement of Asif Iqbal. The series featured two boring draws after Pakistan took the first Test in Karachi by seven wickets. Iqbal Qasim and debutant Tauseef Ahmed shared 18 wickets between them in a match dominated by spinners – Australia’s Ray Bright took seven in one innings. The conditions were unforgiving for the bowlers in Faisalabad as only two innings were possible. Greg Chappell and Taslim Arif hit double-hundreds and for the first time in Tests, all 11 players (Australia) bowled. Pakistan nearly attempted that tactic in the third game in Lahore (10 bowled), another batsman-dominated match.
Pakistan 1 Australia 01981-82
The three-Test series was marred by what described as one of the most undignified incidents in Test history – the Lillee-Miandad mid-pitch scuffle at Perth. Lillee kicked the batsman after a collision and Miandad responded by threatening to hit him with his bat. It was not what the series opener needed, as for Pakistan too as this incident occurred when they were left to chase a daunting 543. Lillee and Greg Chappell combined to dominate the tourists in the second Test at the Gabba to take the series. However, the Australians failed to sweep the series in Melbourne, where they were rolled over by an innings. The Pakistan top order found form to post an imposing 500, which was enough to enforce the follow on. Iqbal Qasim had the best returns among the Pakistanis, and his 4 for 44 bundled out the hosts for 125. In the World Series Cup, Pakistan only narrowly missed reaching the final with West Indies.
Australia 2 Pakistan 11982-83
Australia’s tour of Pakistan in late 1982 was wobbly before it even started, with several big names opting to sit it out, and almost nothing went right from the moment Kim Hughes’ side landed, culminating in a 3-0 whitewash. Crowd trouble marred the first Test in Karachi, which Pakistan won by nine wickets. After two incidents, an angry Hughes threatened to scrap the tour then and there. There was worse to come in the ODI at the same venue, which was abandoned, which led to riots spilling into the streets. The Australians proved ill-equipped to cope with a Pakistan side beginning to exert its international authority under the leadership of Imran Khan. Australia lost the second Test by an innings and the third game in Lahore by nine wickets. Pakistan’s varied attack caused problems, with Abdul Qadir taking 22 wickets. The one-day series featured the first ever hat-trick in a ODI, by Pakistan’s Jalal-ud-Din in Hyderabad. Pakistan 3 Australia 0
1983-84
Pakistan’s acting captain Zaheer Abbas’ decision to field first on a Perth track that had enough grass on it to encourage the home side’s four fast bowlers proved the wrong one as Australia made 330 for 3 on day one. Wayne Phillips and Graham Yallop added 259 in 267 minutes, a record stand for Australia for any wicket against Pakistan. Australia were eventually contained on a curtailed second day, but Pakistan lost four wickets for 24 before stumps. Pakistan never recovered from their bad start and were forced to follow-on. Carl Rackemann finished with match figures of 11 for 118 and was named Man of the Match. Zaheer opted to bat in gloomy Brisbane, and Pakistan were all out for 156 on a first day which saw three interruptions that restricted play by 125 minutes. Eight wickets fell to edged catches. Centuries to Greg Chappell and Allan Border helped Australia to 7 for 509, after which heavy rain curtailed the match during Pakistan’s second innings.The match in Adelaide produced one of the more remarkable recoveries in modern Test cricket as Pakistan moved to within measurable distance of beating Australia on the last day. Kepler Wessels and Border formed the crux of Australia’s 465. Mohsin Khan, Qasim Umar and Javed Miandad struck centuries, Lillee took six out of a reply of 624. Pakistan’s total was their highest against Australia, and the most runs conceded by Australia since The Oval Test of 1938 Lillee was the best of the Australian bowlers, taking six for 171 on an easy paced pitch. Australia batted out a draw. Pakistan escaped with a draw in Melbourne, setting up the final match as a decider. It was a memorable one, which the hosts won by ten wickets on a day Australia bade farewell to Lillee, Greg Chappell and Rod Marsh.
Australia 2 Pakistan 0

1988-89
Pakistan crushed Australian by an innings in Karachi. Shoaib Mohammad and Miandad established the Pakistan innings with a fine third-wicket stand of 196 in 279 minutes, after which Miandad moved to his eighteenth Test hundred and then to his fifth Test-match double-hundred – all five made against different countries. Iqbal Qasim demolished Australia’s top order on a work track, claiming 4 for 14 in one spell; Australia followed-on, 304 runs behind, and slipped to 66 for 5. An hour and a half on the final morning was all the time Pakistan needed to record their largest victory in Tests. Given the circumstances in which it was gained, it was not necessarily the most meritorious. After a dull draw in Faisalabad, Australia nearly squared the series on a tense final day in Lahore. Border set Pakistan a target of 269 and left his bowlers five hours in which to dismiss them. Pakistan never accepted the challenge, but when they slipped to 131 for 7 with 16 overs remaining, it got close. Ijaz Ahmed, who batted almost two hours for his 15, and Iqbal kept the Australians at bay for another 11 overs, and Iqbal (77 minutes) and Tauseef Umar provided the final resistance.
Pakistan1 Australia 0

1989-90
The beginning of the nineties featured matches between the two teams that were more closely-contested than the decade prior. The three-match series in Australia in 1989-90 was played on competitive tracks with both bowlers and batsmen allowed their share of success. Australia’s bowlers won their team the game in the first Test at the MCG, with Terry Alderman, Carl Rackemann and Merv Hughes skittling Pakistan out for 107 in the first innings. Mark Taylor then cracked a century to extend Australia’s lead and set Pakistan 429 for victory. Ijaz Ahmed led the response and set the tone for a hugely successful career against Australia but his determined 121 was unable to stave off a 92-run defeat. However, as often in Australia, the umpiring was the subject of criticism with six lbw decisions going the home team’s way in the second innings.A see-saw encounter on a lively pitch in Adelaide continued the enthralling contest, as Pakistan, boosted by centuries from Imran Khan and Wasim Akram gained the upper hand going into the final day. But the game belonged to Dean Jones, who scored a century in each innings to thwart a comeback and retain Australia’s lead, which won them the series after a rain-affected draw in Sydney.
Australia 1 Pakistan 0Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist bask in a memorable victory•Getty Images1994-95
The series began with one of the great Test matches. Pakistan’s one-wicket win in Karachi would be recalled as much for the thriller it proved to be, as for the allegations of match-fixing against Pakistan captain Saleem Malik by Shane Warne. Pakistan were the underdogs after conceding an 81-run lead on the first innings but Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, not for the first time, triggered a collapse, taking nine wickets between them to leave their batsmen chasing a target of 315. Pakistan were comfortably placed at the end of the fourth day – and it was on this day that Malik allegedly made his infamous telephone call to Warne and Mark Waugh, offering them money to play badly – at 155 for 3.Warne hit back on a nerve-wracking final day, taking a five-for and at 258 for 9, with only Inzamam-ul-Haq to rely on, Pakistan were staring at defeat. But it was Ian Healy, the wicketkeeper, who made the ultimate difference, missing a stumping off Inzamam with three needed for victory.” I couldn’t believe it,” Healy said. “While my team-mates choked on appeals and held their heads, in total despair I kicked over the stumps.” Two high-scoring draws later, that lapse would cost his team the series.
Pakistan 1 Australia 01995-96
The gap between the teams began to widen in the middle of the decade, as Pakistan were demolished by Shane Warne in the first Test in Brisbane. Warne grabbed 11 wickets, including a seven-for in the first innings, to prevent any possibility of a fightback after Australia imposed the follow-on. Saleem Malik, this time, was the object of much abuse from fans and players alike in the aftermath of the allegations that surfaced after the Karachi Test. His dismissal to Warne for nought was as satisfying to the home team as the lop-sided result. Pakistan’s batting failed them again in the second Test in Hobart where, despite the absence of Warne, the batsmen were unable to cash in on impressive performances from their bowlers. The result was a 155-run defeat and the series lost. However, the rubber ended on a high for the visitors as Mushtaq Ahmed’s leg spin won them the third Test in Sydney by 74 runs.
Australa 2 Pakistan 11998-99
Australia continued to stamp their dominance, this time on Pakistan soil, inflicting the first series defeat on their opponents in their own backyard for the first time since 1986-87. Pakistan played as a loose group of individuals and Australia as a tight unit in the only outright result in the rubber, in the first Test in Rawalpindi. Australia cashed in on a turning track through Stuart MacGill, Pakistan didn’t. After bowling out the hosts for 269 in the first innings, centuries from Michael Slater and Steve Waugh boosted Australia to 513. Facing an intimidating lead, Pakistan’s batsmen failed to measure up to a collective bowling display, collapsing to 145 and losing by an innings and 99 runs.The next game, in Peshawar, was a high-scoring draw but one of great significance to Australia, as Mark Taylor chose to declare his team’s innings on an unbeaten 334, as a tribute to Don Bradman. Ijaz Ahmed notched up yet another century against his favourite opponents in the third Test, but only after a series victory for the visitors was the only result possible.
Pakistan 0 Australia 11999-00
Australia, by this time, were arguably the best team in the world and the 3-0 series win was a part of their record 16-match winning streak under the leadership for the inspirational Steve Waugh. Damien Fleming grabbed nine wickets in the opening Test in Brisbane, and backed by Michael Slater and Waugh’s centuries along with a blazing 81 from Adam Gilchrist, Australia won by 10 wickets.The best game of the entire summer came in Hobart, when Australia chased 369 in a thrilling contest. What made Australia’s chase so extraordinary was their method of recovery from a slippery 126 for 5. Justin Langer dropped a heavy, stabilising anchor which allowed Adam Gilchrist near-total freedom. He exploded to one of his most thrilling hundreds, carving 149 from just 163 balls. It was not without controversy, however. Wasim Akram was left spitting nails at Peter Parker’s decision to not give Langer out caught behind early on the fifth morning. The bowler was inconsolably incensed, and the disappointment rubbed off on Pakistan’s morale. Thereafter, their tactics were strangely negative, allowing easy runs for both Langer and Gilchrist. Waugh hailed it as one of Australia’s greatest wins, while a devastated Wasim refused to turn up for the post-match press-conference. The cherry on the cake for Australia was a win inside three days in the final game in Perth.
Australia 3 Pakistan 02002-03
A marvellous contest fell Australia’s way on the last day in Colombo after a feisty young Pakistan team almost conjured a miracle. The Australians had dominated until, in their second innings, a breathtaking spell of five wickets in 15 balls by Shoaib Akhtar turned the tide. Set a difficult 316 to win on the final two days, Pakistan were in striking distance at 187 for 3. But against unremitting bowling they fell short. Pakistan arrived in Sharjah comfortable with the familiar conditions and buoyed by their competitive performance in Colombo. But their mood would quickly darken as they slumped to a display that, even allowing for their reputation for spasmodic performances, could only be described as a shocker. In 125 years, Test cricket had produced only 16 two-day defeats; here, on a slow, flat pitch and against an Australian attack weakened by the absence of the injured Jason Gillespie, Pakistan subsided to the 17th. After Waqar Younis was granted his wish to bat first on one of world cricket’s most benign strips, the Pakistanis were rolled over for their lowest-ever score, a pathetic 59, three below their previous worst at Perth in 1981-82. They had lasted less than 32 overs. The final match, also in Sharjah, was a triumphant match for the Australians, collectively and individually. Pakistan were again comprehensively beaten, only just dragging the game into a fourth day; Glenn McGrath became the eighth man in Test history to reach 400 wickets; and Steve Waugh achieved redemption by hitting a thrilling century.
Australia 3 Pakistan 0

2004-05
Ooh aah Glenn McGrath: Unstoppable in Perth•Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesAustralia’s largest victory in terms of runs for over 70 years was achieved on the stroke of lunch on the fourth day in Perth after McGrath returned career-best figures of 8 for 24. Pakistan lost their last nine wickets in 21 overs for just 38 in a display their coach Bob Woolmer described as disgraceful. Australia’s ability to extricate themselves from a tight corner was well illustrated by a victory that clinched their fifth successive series win over Pakistan. When Michael Clarke was fifth out at 171 shortly before the end of the second day, they faced the likelihood of a first-innings deficit, possibly a large one, and the prospect of a difficult run-chase in the fourth innings. Barely five sessions later, they had won the series.Australia completed their third successive 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan, who had begun the match with their first century opening stand in this fixture for 22 years, before fading away yet again. From 193 for one they subsided to a below-par 304 all out on a slowish pitch, despite a fine maiden Test hundred from Salman Butt. After that they were always struggling to save the game. Stuart MacGill took a five-wicket haul in his first Test for nearly ten months, to take his record at Sydney to 40 wickets in six Tests, but no less decisive were outstanding innings by Ricky Ponting (who became only the third Australian, after Don Bradman and Greg Chappell, to score four Test double-hundreds) and Adam Gilchrist, whose 13th century passed Andy Flower’s Test record for a wicketkeeper.
Australia 3 Pakistan 0

John Ward at Trent Bridge07-May-2009Somerset 138 and 137 for 3 (Trescothick 66*) lead Nottinghamshire 261 (Brown 63, Voges 63, Willoughby 5-81) by 14 runs
– ScorecardA fifth-wicket partnership of 119 between Adam Voges and Ali Brown, who both scored 63, enabled Nottinghamshire to continue their domination over Somerset on the second day at Trent Bridge. However, a better batting performance by Somerset in their second innings means that they are by no means out of this match, and the fortunes of their two undefeated batsmen at close, Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer, will probably be crucial to the result.Nottinghamshire resumed this morning at 55 for 3, and almost immediately lost their opening batsman, Bilal Shafayat, who nudged a short ball from Charl Willoughby to the keeper for a simple catch for 19. This brought Brown in to join Voges, and they ensured that no more wickets fell before lunch.Voges launched Notts on their way with a handsome cover drive for four, while the sunny conditions meant that batting was an easier task than it had been on the first morning. Willoughby bowled well though without further reward, but lacked adequate support from the other end. David Stiff again failed to get his direction right and bowled several off-side wides, while Ben Phillips generally bowled too short and Peter Trego was expensive.Somerset did have one difficult chance, when wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter did well to get a hand to a nudge down the leg side from Voges when he had 18, but with the ball failing to swing they rarely had the batsmen in trouble. Brown settled in and played some thumping drives, in particular enjoying the bowling of Trego. Just before lunch Voges reached a quality fifty with one of his regular shots, a steer backward of point to the boundary. It took him 106 balls, and just after the interval Brown also passed the landmark, his taking 93 balls. Brown is no longer the explosive destroyer of his youth, but he remains a powerful batsman of real quality at county level, this being his first major score for his new team.Eventually Voges fell lbw to a full-length delivery from Willoughby, while Trego enjoyed his revenge against Brown when the latter drove a low catch into the covers. Chris Read took over their mantle, and had useful support from Andre Adams (24) and Ryan Sidebottom (13). When he was last out for 41, skying a ball to mid-on to give Willoughby a thoroughly deserved five-wicket haul, his team had made 261 and almost doubled the Somerset total.In better batting conditions, though, Somerset made a better fist of their second innings. Luke Fletcher was the bowler who had begun their slide the previous day, but Trescothick quickly made it his business to put the youngster in his place by taking ten runs off his first over, including fours from a drive and a square cut. His fluency was such that the opening partnership realized 50 runs in less than ten overs, before Aril Suppiah pushed at a ball from Andre Adams, who had just replaced Fletcher, and was caught at the wicket for 14.For reasons not known, Langer held himself back to No. 5, but his replacement at three, Omari Banks, made only 4 before Sidebottom bowled a good ball that moved in and trapped him lbw. James Hildreth made 18 before he drove at Mark Ealham and was bowled through the gate, bringing Langer to the wicket at 92 for 3. Trescothick reached an apparently effortless 50 off 73 balls, including 10 fours, and after that put his shots away and played for the close. Langer, by way of contrast, batted busily and finished the day unbeaten on 26.These two batsmen may well carry the destiny of the match in their hands, now that Somerset have a slight lead – but bowling conditions on the third day will also be important.

Younis Khan’s statements and light-hearted approach to Twenty20 somewhat describe Pakistan’s attitude in the tournament – they are reluctant winners

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's09-Jun-2009Two days ago at The Oval, Younis Khan made a bizarre comment in the context of what had just happened: Pakistan had lost to England by 48 runs. Their fielders, especially Salman Butt, had put on one of the worst fielding displays in an international game. Most of his frontline bowlers failed to rise to the occasion. Minutes later, Younis walked up to the media briefing to say he did not attach much meaning to the result. “Twenty20 cricket is entertainment,” he said with a smile – it was difficult to understand if Younis was being serious.After today’s smooth and expected victory against Netherlands, Younis stood by that opinion. “In this form it is better to take it easy and have fun. It is like WWF,” he said with an open smile. His statement somewhat describes Pakistan’s attitude in the tournament – they are reluctant winners.Their win today marked a return to normal service. Even if certain punters had forecast an upset, Pakistan never looked in danger at Lord’s on a grey and cloudy afternoon. Shahid Afridi’s record figures were sharp enough to counter the steely determination of the Dutch, who probably got distracted by the target of 151 that would take them to the Super Eights.There was a perceptible difference between the Pakistan that lost in shambolic manner to England and the more focused team today, and the difference lay in the actions of their players. Younis said the solution was in the hands of senior batsmen like Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal and himself. Today, each one of them played a hand, cobbling together valuable partnerships that were missing two days ago.The team strategy this time around was different as well. Sohail Tanvir, dropped from the England game after losing his form, returned today as the strike bowler and made an impact with his economical bowling. Younis’s captaincy was more purposeful too, as he got his best bowlers firing straightaway. His most important move was to bowl the spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik and Afridi after the first five overs.”I was watching them [Netherlands]. They were struggling against spin against England,” Younis said. “England just had one spinner, but we have three good spinners so I thought why not use bowl Ajmal and Afridi up front. Also, Netherlands are still new to playing against bigger nations, so I was confident.”The Dutch skipper Jeroen Smits agreed with his counterpart. “[Adil] Rashid was easy compared to Afridi, who was the difference today.”Younis said Pakistan have always been slow off the blocks but difficult to stop once up and running. “When we lost back-to-back warm-up games, we lost our way and there was pressure,” he said. The only way to get out of the rut was for his senior players to perform. “What we need is for our senior batsmen to defend well. Today Malik was good at No. 3, followed by myself and Misbah, hence we could muster up 175.”Having crossed he first hurdle, the challenge becomes more difficult in the Super Eights where Pakistan are grouped with Ireland, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Yet for Pakistan, deprived of international cricket for little fault of their own, winning this tournament would be extra special. “We are slow starters but we have managed to reach the semifinals or even finals once we are through the initial roadblocks in the past,” Younis said.Last time around Pakistan reached the final with confident victories against every opponent except the two losses to India. Under the persistent Geoff Lawson, who was making his debut as an international coach, Pakistan appeared to have a plan. This time Pakistan are under the caring eye of veteran Inthikab Alam, who belongs more to the old school. It becomes more important then that each player understands his responsibility.”The planning is simple: play your role and have fun,” Younis said, outlining the strategy for Pakistan’s road ahead.

New Zealand players involved in the ICL have received an e-mail from the tournament’s organisers stating that they will be released from their contracts if they request for a termination

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2009
Will Shane Bond be back in New Zealand colours? © Getty Images
The New Zealand players involved in the ICL have received an e-mail from the tournament’s organisers stating that they will be released from their contracts if they request for a termination, New Zealand’s has reported.Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), told the paper that if these players end their association with the unofficial league, they will be immediately available for selection to the New Zealand national side. Besides fast bowlers Shane Bond and Daryll Tuffey, the other active New Zealand players who are part of the ICL are allrounder Andre Adams and batsman Lou Vincent.”We wouldn’t stand in the way of any players returning to the Black Caps if they aren’t tied to the ICL,” Vaughan said. “We’ve made it pretty clear from the start that while we can’t select players for New Zealand who are contracted to the ICL, if they end their ties with the league they would be immediately reconsidered for the national side.”Senior ICL officials were not available for comment when contacted by Cricinfo.The ICL had cancelled its March-April international programme due to the deepening economic recession and non-availability of Pakistan players. The unauthorised league has also placed on hold its payments to several players pending a performance appraisal. Besides, recent reports have suggested that several Pakistan cricketers who are a part of the Lahore Badshahs, the biggest drawcard of the ICL, want to sever their links with the league and return to international cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar, who has toured New Zealand six times, has said the toughest task for India will be to adjust to the harsh local conditions

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Feb-2009
Sachin Tendulkar does not want to disrupt a winning Twenty20 unit during India’s tour of New Zealand © AFP
Sachin Tendulkar, who has toured New Zealand six times, has said the toughest task for India will be to adjust to the harsh local conditions. Tendulkar was confident that the seniors in the squad would help the younger players adjust, but he has ruled himself out of contention for the two Twenty20 internationals in New Zealand.”It is a fairly new team and the challenge is definitely there. Playing in New Zealand, where the conditions are going to be tough, is a completely different experience,” Tendulkar said in Mumbai.Tendulkar said the wind plays an important role in venues like Wellington and one has to be wary of the changing conditions. “In places like Wellington from one end a bowler comes at with the breeze behind him and then suddenly you are facing someone else who is very slow and there is no wind. With the wind behind the bowler it affects the batsman as he can’t keep his eyes open long. So it becomes tough as one needs to change the bat swing, balance and the rest.”India’s tour of New Zealand was extended to include a third Test and a second Twenty20 international. The extra fixtures were included at the expense of the tour match which means India will have no practice games during their visit that includes two Twenty20 matches, five ODIs and three Tests. India will arrive in New Zealand on February 20, eight days earlier than originally scheduled, and will begin the tour with a Twenty20 match in Christchurch on February 25.Napier will host the additional Test, the second of the three-match series, from March 26 to 30. The reworked schedule resulted in the dates for the second Twenty20 game and the first three ODIs being brought forward. The three-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Lincoln between the ODIs and Tests has also been scrapped.The axed practice match drew flak from former players but Tendulkar played it down. “International calendar is such that we need to adjust to such situations but it should not be a worry,” he said.Tendulkar pointed out that even if there were many rookies on the New Zealand trip the seniors in the management could guide them. “It is going to be a learning experience for the first-timers,” he said. “We have a good balance of experience and youth and the seniors and coaches will guide the newcomers.”Asked if he would make himself available for the two Twenty20 clashes on February 25 and 27, Tendulkar said he did not want to “disturb” the balance of the Indian squad. Tendulkar hasn’t played a Twenty20 international after featuring in India’s maiden Twenty20 match, against South Africa in 2006, and said he had no intention to do so now.In 2007 he took his name out of contention for the Twenty20 World Cup, opting to take a break. “I was tired and wanted to take a break after the England trip in 2007,” said Tendulkar. “It was a conscious decision not to play then and I did not want to have feeling of not being able to give my best. I do not want to disturb the present winning combination. The team is doing well and I do not want to be part of the Twenty20 set-up.”India last toured New Zealand in 2002-03 and were beaten 0-2 in the Tests and 2-5 in the ODIs.

Mithali Raj, one of the senior batsmen in the Indian women’s team, has demanded an improved batting performance during the upcoming World Cup in Australia

Cricinfo staff26-Feb-2009
The Indian batting needs to put up a better show © Getty Images
Mithali Raj, one of the senior batsmen in the Indian women’s team, has demanded an improved batting performance during the upcoming World Cup in Australia. India have lost their previous nine completed ODIs – defeated 4-0 by England and going down 5-0 to Australia – in which the batsmen struggled to put up competitive scores.”A score of 200-plus is a bare minimum. Gone are the days in women’s cricket where a team scored 170 and defended it,” Mithali was quoted as saying in the . “Our openers haven’t done well and that means the middle order was exposed to the new ball almost every time. That was the problem in Australia and England.”She was pleased with the team’s effort during training, when they scored in excess of 200 in both their practice games.The team, she said, had also prepared for faster pitches by batting against bowling machines at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra-Kurla Complex ground.Though India had a demoralising tour of Australia late last year, Mithali was confident of a better show next month. “It’s the end of the season and the wickets won’t be too bouncy. If anything they will keep low.”India were runners-up in the previous edition in South Africa in 2005, losing in the final to Australia. They are placed in Group A with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England, and will face Pakistan in the tournament opener at the Bradman Oval in Bowral on March 7.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri produced a superb display at the weekend as Spain thrashed Georgia 4-0 in World Cup qualifying.

The former Atletico Madrid man is likely to be a regular in Pep Guardiola’s side again this season and should Fernandinho depart at the end of the season, his importance for the Citizens will only grow further.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old has been City’s best performer in the Premier League so far with an impressive 8.0/10 rating across his two appearances thus far and he continued his fine form with a dominant display for Luis Enrique’s side.

As per SofaScore, the Manchester City man would earn an impressive 7.5/10 rating for his display, with only goalscorers Paulo Sarabia (8.2), Carlos Soler (8.0) and Jose Gaya (7.9) rated higher on the evening.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

During the 90 minutes, Rodri would have 136 touches and completed a remarkable 123/128 passes, resulting in a superb pass accuracy of 96%.

Not only was this the most passes completed of any player on the pitch, but it was also almost as many as the entire starting team of Georgia would manage (147), which emphasises how he completely ran the game.

Rodri also completed eight out of his nine attempted long balls and would win four out of seven of his duels, suggesting that he barely put a foot wrong during his time on the pitch.

Spain and Manchester City are a good match in that they both love to dominate possession and, if Guardiola saw any of the game, he will surely have been delighted with the way his defensive midfielder performed.

Despite dubbing him “incredible” in 2019, the Spanish manager opted to leave Rodri out of the crunch Champions League games last season but if he continues to impress he will surely be considered a big-game player, and considering City’s upcoming fixtures include games against Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool, it will be interesting to see if the Spain international keeps his starting place.

And, in other news… Man City set for huge boost with “incredibly talented” gem

With Ange Postecoglou knowing that his Celtic side simply must pick up all three points on Thursday evening if they were to keep the pace in the Premiership title race, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss will have undoubtedly been delighted with the 1-0 win at Parkhead.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes, Celtic dominated Robbie Neilson’s third-placed Hearts side, enjoying 69% possession of the ball, taking a total of 25 shots at goal compared to the visitor’s nine, creating three big chances and completing 363 more passes than the Jambos.

And, while a great many of the Hoops starting XI deserve high praise for their own respective performances in the match, there is one player in particular who stood out against Hearts – in the shape of centre-back Carl Starfelt.

95 passes completed

Having not featured for Celtic since October due to a hamstring injury, Starfelt was something of a surprise inclusion in Postecoglou’s starting XI on Thursday evening, however, the defender’s commanding display against the Jambos proved that his manager was right to throw him right back into the thick of the action.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £2.7m-rated centre-back made one interception, two tackles, five clearances, blocked one shot and won seven of his nine duels – a success rate of 78%.

The £17k-per-week Sweden international also enjoyed a whopping 117 touches of the ball, completed 95 passes, found his target with eight of his nine attempted long balls and made one key pass.

These returns saw the man who 67hailhail’s John McGinley dubbed a “colossus” earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.8 for his efforts, with no player from either side receiving a higher rating than the 26-year-old defender.

As such, with Starfelt very much running the show against Hearts, the centre-back more than proved that his manager’s decision to throw him straight back into the side was the correct call, while the defender’s impressive return to action is undoubtedly something that would appear to bode extremely well for Celtic over the upcoming hectic Christmas period.

In other news: Celtic handed big transfer boost ahead of January, fans will be elated

Vusi Sibanda’s 77 and a brutal 38-ball 79 from Elton Chigumbura led Zimbabwe to a 109-run thrashing of Kenya in the first of five one-dayers in Mombasa

Cricinfo staff27-Jan-2009Zimbabwe 306 for 7 (Chigumbura 79, Sibanda 77, Masakadza 71) beat Kenya 197 (Kamande 74, Rainsford 2-19, Chigumbura 2-23) by 109 runs
Scorecard
Elton Chigumbura cracked seven sixes in his brutal 79 © Getty Images
Vusi Sibanda’s 77 and a brutal 38-ball 79 from Elton Chigumbura led Zimbabwe to a 109-run thrashing of Kenya in the first of five one-dayers, in Mombasa. Set a towering 307 to win, Kenya lost four early wickets inside the first sixteen overs and, despite Jimmy Kamande’s best efforts with 74, he was given little support.Zimbabwe have dominated Kenya over the years, winning 15 times out of 22, but they’ve struggled in recent meetings, losing three of the last four. Today, however, their batsmen asserted their authority on Kenya’s wayward bowling attack as Sibanada and Hamilton Masakadza got them off to a brisk start, putting on 111 for the first wicket.Masakadza, who cracked a scorching 77 in November to push Sri Lanka close, was at his aggressive best: Nehemiah Odhiambo was carved for consecutive fours before he opened his shoulders against Lameck Onyango, and such was his clean-hitting that Hiren Varaiya couldn’t cling onto a trick chance at mid-on. Sibanda, less aggressive than his partner, was content to nurdle ones and twos, but nevertheless took advantage of any leg-side deliveries – of which there were plenty from Peter Ongondo. A sublime back-foot drive shot through the covers and, shortly after reaching fifty, he smacked Varaiya over long-on for six.Soon after the pair’s hundred partnership, Varaiya had Masakadza well-caught by Onyango at mid-on, and Steve Tikolo took two quick wickets to slow Zimbabwe’s momentum at 188 for 4. That, however, merely paved the way for Chigumbura’s breathless assault. Kamande was smashed over midwicket; Tikolo, likewise, was heaved over the same region.Thomas Obuya was also guilty of a leg-stump line and suffered the same consequences, as Chigumbura lifted two more sixes, and another straight-swatted slog off Odhiambo brought him fifty from just 28 balls. Two more boundaries saw him pass his previous highest of 77 against Bangladesh in February 2007 as Kenya, who used eight bowlers in all, struggled to contain the run-rate.It was a welcome return to form for Chigumbura after an inconsistent last few months. He made an immediate impact with the ball, too, when he bowled Maurice Ouma for 3. A needless slog across the line from Alex Obanda handed him his second wicket before Kenya looked to their rising star, 18-year-old Seren Waters, for some stability. Cautious at first, Waters began to find his timing with a sweet glance off his hip for four before cutting Ray Price firmly through point. Two more cuts in succession off Masakadza brought up Kenya’s fifty, but Price bowled Waters with a lovely, flighted delivery.Collins Obuya was stumped by Forster Mutizwa off Graeme Cremer who also grabbed the key wicket of Steve Tikolo for 37. With the score tottering on 93 for 6, and having never reached more than 286 in an ODI run-chase, Kenya’s hopes were dashed. Kamande and Varaiya put on 90 in 21 overs, only occasionally able to lift the scoring rate with a bludgeoned four, though Kamande did lift Dabengwa for two consecutive sixes to please the local crowd. Ed Rainsford cleaned up Kamande for an 86-ball 74, and Kenya’s tail offered little resistance.

The Celtic Way journalist Anthony Haggerty claims that Ryan Christie has the talent to play in the Premier League, after leaving Celtic for AFC Bournemouth in the Championship.

The winger has moved to the second-tier club for a bargain fee of around £2.5m, per Sky Sports.

Christie had been with Celtic since 2015, spending a total of six years with the Scottish giants.

A Scotland international with 21 caps under his belt, the 26-year-old made 151 appearances for the club, scoring 41 goals, registering 44 assists and winning the Scottish Premiership three times.

Haggerty believes he has all the talent to make the step up to the Premier League even if he was booed at times last season, and Bournemouth will be hoping that he can lead the club back to the top-flight.

He said: “I think there’s talent there, no doubt about it, he’s a talented, talented boy. He was another one who suffered with the malaise at Celtic last season, setting in of the rot, and he became a bit of a fan’s boo boy because he was trying stuff and it wasn’t coming off, and it’s easy to shout at guys who are possessed with talent and ability, they’re the ones who cop it the most.

“Christie was one of the targets for Celtic fans’ anger and ire and he got it really badly so he maybe didn’t forget that.

“I think he could do well. Stuart Armstrong’s made a decent fist of it at Southampton and thrived and I think Ryan Christie’s another player there.”

Bournemouth have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season but they have won just two of those games, drawing three; they are currently sixth in the table.