Sohail Khan the big surprise in World Cup 2015 squad

Pakistan announced their 15-man World Cup squad on Wednesday, leaving out Fawad Alam and Umar Gul and including pace bowler Sohail Khan who last played international cricket in 2011.

Veteran batsman Younis Khan, who hit a purple patch in Test cricket but was mediocre in the recent ODIs against New Zealand, was also included in the squad.

Left-hand middle-order batsman Fawad Alam, who has been Pakistan’s most reliable ODI batsman of late, will feel unlucky to have missed out, the selectors instead preferring another player in similar mould, Haris Sohail.
“We did consider both of them [Fawad and Malik], but in the end we believe Haris Sohail bowled well in the series against New Zealand with his left-arm bowling,” chief selector Moin Khan said.

“He also gives us an added advantage of being a left-handed batsman.”

Fast bowler Junaid Khan also returned from a knee injury after missing the series against New Zealand, and will lead Pakistan’s pace attack with Mohammad Irfan.

“We selected the squad after thorough consultation… and although no one can give assurancesof results, we are hopeful that the team will do well,” said Khan, a member of Pakistan’s only World Cup winning side in Australia in1992.

Squad:

Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz ahmed, Younis Khan, Harris Sohail, Misbah ul Haq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz

Legendary Miandad among ICC’s expert columnists for World Cup

Karachi: Pakistan’s legendary former batsman Javed Miandad is among International Cricket Council (ICC)’s expert columnists for World Cup 2015.  

" Miandad The Legend "

Javed Miandad, who played for Pakistan in six world cups from 1975 and 1996, is perhaps unarguably the best batsman Pakistan has ever produced. He scored six fifties and played key role in Pakistan’s World Cup triumph in 1992.

Other ICC’s expert columnists include Aminul Islam (Bangladesh), Andy Bichel (Australia), AlistairCampbell (Zimbabwe), Paul Collingwood (England), Stephen Fleming (New Zealand), Trent Johnston (Ireland), Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka), Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies), Graeme Smith (South Africa) and Javagal Srinath (India).

Courtesy:- AryNews

Pakistani Boxer Amir Khan on Pakistani Visit

Only Mohammad Hafeez to go to India for unofficial testing

LAHORE – December 27, 2014: A meeting was held here today at the Gaddafi Stadium between Chairman PCB Mr. Shaharyar Khan, Chairman Executive Committee Mr. Najam Sethi , COO PCB Mr. Subhan Ahmad, Chief Selector Mr. Moin Khan, Mohammad Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Ajmal.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided on Saturday to send only one of its two suspended off-spinners, Mohammad Hafeez, to India next week for unofficial testing of his bowling action, while Saeed Ajmal will stay in Pakistan.

Former Test spinners Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed, who have worked with Hafeez, agreed that the off-spinner should now be tested at an ICC-accredited laboratory in Chennai, before going to the world's governing body for official testing.

Ajmal will continue to work on his remodelled bowling action with Saqlain and a bio-mechanist at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

Ajmal was suspended in September by the ICC while Hafeez was banned from bowling in international cricket earlier this month after his action was found to be illegal during the first Test against New Zealand.

Time is fast running out for Ajmal to get into Pakistan's World Cup squad which is due to be named by January 7. The PCB believes the off-spinner needs more time to bowl within the allowed elbow extension of 15 degrees.

Ajmal has been unofficially tested three times at the ICC-accredited laboratory at Loughborough University in England since being suspended, but is yet to bowl within the allowed parameters.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said on Friday that if the 37-year-old Ajmal undergoes official ICC testing - and his bowling action is found illegal - the off-spinner faces a ban of two years, which means the end of his international career.

"The PCB fully supports Ajmal in his attempt to regularise his action and to return to cricket as Pakistan's top performer in the future," the board said in a statement on Saturday.

Ajmal withdrawn from World Cup 2015 Squad

Ajmal withdrawn from World Cup 2015 Squad

KARACHI: Suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was withdrawn from Pakistan’s World Cup squad on Saturday after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided he needed more time to remodel his bowling action.

According to the PCB chairman Shahryar Khan, Ajmal took the decision to pull out from World Cup contention himself.
The 37-year-old was suspended from all international cricket after his bowling action was found illegal in a bio-mechanical test in September.Under the ICC rules all bowlers are allowed to flex their elbow by 15 degrees but Ajmal’s tests revealed his elbow flexed by 43 degree.

Pakistan also faces race against time to get all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez cleared after his action was reported as suspect last month.
He was subsequently suspended earlier this month.
A PCB meeting on Saturday decided Hafeez will proceed to Chennai, India to have an unofficial test while Ajmal will do more remodelling work in Lahore.
“The PCB committee discussed the future course of action to be adopted with regard to Ajmal and Hafeez and agreed that in the case of Ajmal, further remedial work should continue in collaboration with Saqlain and a bio mechanist in Lahore,” a PCB release said.

All 14 teams have to announce their final 15-man squad by January 7 next year.

“The group was informed that significant progress had been made by Ajmal who is now working on completing his ‘mileage’ with the remodelled action which shall soon be accomplished,” said PCB.
The PCB fully supports Ajmal in his attempt to regularize his action and to return to cricket as Pakistan’s top performer in the future, the release added.
“It was noted that Saqlain and Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistan’s spin bowling coach) have both worked with Hafeez and his action should now be unofficially tested in Chennai next week,” said the PCB.
Hafeez's action was found to be illegal earlier this month. He played as a specialist batsman in the ODI series against New Zealand in the UAE. 

Pietersen, Cook relish one-day win

 Openers Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook showed great delight in England clinching the one-day series against Pakistan, saying a win in sub-continent like conditions was amazing.

Pietersen hit his first one-day century since November 2008, finishing with an unbeaten 111 while Cook scored 80 - narrowly missing a third successive hundred - to help England win the third match by nine wickets on Saturday.

Pietersen hit his first one-day century since November 2008, finishing with an unbeaten 111.

Pakistan were restricted to 222 after batting first. England now enjoy an unassailable 3-0 lead with the fourth match here on Tuesday left as dead.

Pietersen said England's win was brilliant besides his hundred.

"It's nice to get a hundred after a long time and three nil up also is a brilliant, brilliant result for us," said Pietersen on Saturday.

"We got hammered in India," said Pietersen of a 5-0 defeat in India last year. "Sub-continent tours are not very easy for us and to be three nil up makes everyone happy."

Pietersen, who flopped as batsman in the preceding 3-0 Test defeat with only 67 runs, said his opening the innings with Cook has worked well.

"Look we sat down in a team meeting and talked about opening and we said that when we play in the sub-continent we are generally two three down very early and in order to be successful in ODIs you can't afford to lose early wickets.

"Cook is turning out to be a very good one-day cricketer. His technique in Test cricket is sensational and he is doing well in one-day cricket as well so the partnership is good."

Pietersen denied he has to prove his critics wrong.

"No I don't have to prove a point, I just want to enjoy my career. I understand criticism. If I am not playing well, criticise me. I don't mind. I have become very thick skinned I don't have to prove any points.

"I want to enjoy myself and enjoy cricket and I want us to win. I told a press conference nearly 18 months ago when we won the World Twenty20 and went to Australia and won the Ashes that was the most important and I don't need to prove any more points."

Cook, who took over as one-day captain last year, said a one-day win was great after being crushed in the Tests.

"We talked about our disappointment from the Test series. It shows a lot of character from our sides to turn that around. When we lose three Tests in a row it is tough. You could feel right to be feeling down on yourself.

"The lads have shown tremendous character in picking themselves up to face the challenge and delivering out in the middle. I think everyone has played a crucial part at some stage in the three games. It is very satisfying victory for us.

"That doesn't mean we have achieved everything, but we have certainly made the right step forward in playing in these conditions."

Both teams also play three Twenty20 after one-day.

Coutesy by Cricketnext