Indian tour of Pak

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Karachi dismayed over denial of Test in historic series](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)

KARACHI (AFP) - Former players and cricket officials from Karachi have voiced disappointment that the port city has been ignored for next month’s historic series with India and vowed to lodge a protest over the decision.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing a final itinerary of the five one-day internationals and three Tests on Saturday said only one-day games will be in Karachi and Peshawar for security reasons.

“The PCB had knelt down before India and by not including Karachi as the Test venue have taken dictation from the BCCI,” Sirajul Islam Bukhari, secretary Karachi City Cricket Association, told AFP on Sunday.

BCCI said the decision to drop Karachi and Peshawar over security fears was taken on an Indian government’s advice following a visit by its delegation which assessed security in Pakistan last week.

The southern port city of Karachi has a history of ethnic violence and bomb blasts while the northwestern city of Peshawar is termed dangerous due to its close proximity to Afghanistan.

A suicide bomb blast outside New Zealand team hotel in May 2002 which killed 12 people forced the tourists to abandon their tour.

Bangladesh played a Test and a one-day game in Karachi and one Test in Peshawar last year but South Africa and New Zealand refused to play at the two venues over security fears.

England was the last Western team to play a Test in Karachi in December 2000.

“Karachi is safe for Indian blind team which is due to play two matches here,” said Bukhari.

Bukhari said his association officials will meet the provincial governor to lodge a protest but he ruled out a boycott of the one-day game scheduled in Karachi on March 13.

“Boycott would be a drastic decision and in the best interest of the country we would not boycott the only match given to Karachi,” the KCCA official said.

Former Pakistan captain Hanif Mohammad said he was disappointed over India’s decision of rejecting Karachi.

“I am disappointed, Indians should have been bold enough to play in Karachi which is the premier centre of the country,” said Hanif, who featured in the first Indo-Pak series in 1952.

PCB chief executive Ramiz Raja defended the decision saying that “had we pressed for Karachi and Peshawar the tour might have been called off.”

The Indian team arrives in Lahore on March 10 for their first tour of Pakistan for 15 years and play the first of the five-game one-day series in Karachi on March 13.

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Cricket revival to spur Pakistan-India peace process: officials](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)

KARACHI (AFP) - The revival of cricket between Pakistan and India next month would play an vital role in normalizing relations between the neighbours, Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Ramiz Raja said.

“We feel that the revival of cricket brings both the countries to the threshold of many good things,” Raja told AFP on Sunday.

“With the ice broken … we would see multiplying effects of free travel between India and Pakistan, ease in visa restriction and trade regulations.”

Cricket is a passion in both countries, who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Bilateral matches remained suspended between the two countries since 2000 amid rising political tensions.

New Delhi revived sporting links in October last year, which paved the way for the Indian cricket team’s first tour to Pakistan in 15 years, after Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee initiated the peace process by offering a “hand of friendship” to Pakistan in April.

The ball was set rolling on Saturday with the announcement of the itinerary of five one-day internationals and three Tests between March 13- April 17.

“This is a great moment in the sporting history of Pakistan and India and its great that cricket is given a chance to promote peace and friendship,” said Raja, who led a Pakistan side in India’s Independence Cup in 1997.

But Raja also urged fans on both the sides to check their emotions, which run high when India and Pakistan play in cricket with players on the losing side face the wrath of the dejected fans.

Pakistani players received death threats following their defeat against India in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final at Bangalore while Indian authorities had to evacuate Eden Gardens in Calcutta due to crowd trouble when Pakistan came close to beating India in a Test match on their last tour in 1998-99.

Raja believed the PCB faces a gigantic task in organising the series with just 17 days left.

“We have been working round the clock and know the enormity of the task of hosting the matches, providing security to the tourists, tickets and other logistics but we are up to it and hope that it would be a successful series.”

India’s team arrives in Lahore on March 10 and plays a warm up one-day game the following day.

They play the first of five one-day games in Karachi on March 13. However, the authorities have dropped Karachi and Peshawar as venues for Test matches for security reasons.

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Indian request.

http://www.dawn.com/2004/02/22/spt1.htm

oooooo..the anxiety. No matter what we do, we can’t make the Indians feel secure in Pakistan. :rotfl:

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I think PCB deserve some applause for atleast staging an international in both Karachi and Peshawar. Reason? This will pave way for future internationsls including test matches for both the centers. Yes, we all agree that Karachi should have staged a test match but considering the stakeholders, i firmly beleive that PCB, Chairman and CEO have managed and negotiated whole issue quite well.

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no test in karachi :bummer:

346

Jio miandad....

As a coach, as he was as a player, Javed Miandad plans no respite for the Indians. For years India’s bogeyman with the bat, he’s now in the key position — key, that is, when it comes to playing the mindgames he loves — of national coach.

And he’s already delivered his first verbal — with a shrewdly picked target. ‘‘Your Irfan Pathans are in every galli and mohalla of Pakistan — we don’t even bother to look at them’’, Miandad said soon after returning to Pakistan after a short break in England. Bowlers like Pathan, he says, are faced by batsmen at club level in Pakistan.

It is, as always, a carefully calculated statement, aimed at the bowler who is going to be the spearhead of the Indian attack. And Pathan, perhaps the most aggressive of the Indian bowlers, will meet the guru of such tactics in Pakistan. Not that Miandad focused on the rookie alone. ‘‘I’m also quite bemused by the reaction to India’s performance in Australia. If I remember correctly, they only drew the Test series in Australia and were thrashed in the finals. It isn’t as if they won anything there’’, remarks Miandad, sliding his verbal knife deep into the heart of India’s pride of recent months.

‘‘I’ve read recent reports that Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were not too keen to tour Pakistan, fearing security and hostilities. The only hostility and issue of security they would face is from our fast bowlers. If they can handle bowlers excess in pace of 90kmph, the rest shouldn’t be much of a problem’’, Miandad says.

‘‘Indians should have no doubts they would be most welcomed in Pakistan. People would meet them with open hearts, there will be tremendous warmth and hospitality’’, Miandad says in softer vein. Before adding the punch line: ‘‘But they shouldn’t expect any such thing at the ground. We not only would have Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami and Abdur Razzak but there would be a couple of new guys we would be planning to throw at the Indians.’’

Miandad praises India’s batting in recent times but believes their real test would be standing up to the scrutiny of an Indo-Pakistan encounter. But for Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian player has played a Test in Pakistan. ‘‘The batting is good but I don’t think they have an edge over us in this area. We have good openers and our middle order is well served by experienced players such as Inzamam, Yousuf Yohanna and Younis Khan’’, the coach says.

Remind him about Ijaz Ahmed’s remark — that India now have five or six Tendulkars in their ranks — and he bristles. ‘‘Yes, I have heard about it and agree they are good batsmen. But we have better bowlers. It’s a tough road ahead for them. They really need to be at their best against our bowlers.’’

(Cricket News)

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^ The master tactian at his best.

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ODI 1st option

01 Yasir Hameed
02 Imran Farhat
03 Yousuf Youhana
04 Inzamam-ul-Haq
05 Shahid Afridi
06 Abdul Razzaq
07 Naveed-ul-Hasan
08 Moin Khan (wk)
09 Saqlain Mushtaq
10 Shoaib Akhtar
11 Mohammad Sami

01 Yasir Hameed
02 Imran Nazir
03 Yousuf Youhana
04 Inzamam-ul-Haq
05 Shoaib Malik
06 Abdul Razzaq
07 Naveed-ul-Hasan
08 Moin Khan (wk)
09 Shoaib Akhtar
10 Mohammad Sami
11 Danish Kaneria

01 Yasir Hameed
02 Imran Farhat
03 Yousuf Youhana
04 Inzamam-ul-Haq
05 Shahid Afridi
06 Abdul Razzaq
07 Moin Khan (wk)
08 Rao Iftikhar
09 Saqlain Mushtaq
10 Shoaib Akhtar
11 Mohammad Sami

TEST Squad
01 Taufeeq Umar
02 Yasir Hameed
03 Younis Khan
04 Yousuf Youhana
05 Inzamam-ul-Haq
06 Abdul Razzaq
07 Moin Khan (wk)
08 Saqlain Mushtaq
09 Shoaib Akhtar
10 Mohammad Sami
11 Danish Kaneria

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Re: Jio miandad…

AND

:rotfl: seriusly, Miandad is tryign to employ aussie tricks :hehe: but these comments are funny, specially the ‘sliding knife one’ :smiley: though its from the write who quoted him.

350

I don't know guys...

If Miandad was still playing or was captain it would make more sense for him to fire these salvos. But the captain is Inzi and India are definitely not the underdogs. I would much rather have quitely confident team rather than a brash flamboyant one.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by sambrialian: *
I don't know guys...

If Miandad was still playing or was captain it would make more sense for him to fire these salvos. But the captain is Inzi and India are definitely not the underdogs. I would much rather have quitely confident team rather than a brash flamboyant one.
[/QUOTE]

I agree...with Inzi leading the side as he did against NZ...its more like Pakistan would be the underdogs rather than the indians...

352

Man, I hope Ganguly or Wright don’t retaliate and say something stupid like ‘Even my dhobi has a better cover drive than Inzi…’

I want them to be MUM like they were before they went to Australia. Let their bats do the talking, to use a cliche. Even on this board we Indians are mantaining a dignified silence.:snooty:

353

^I for one think that even Shoaib will not be too much of a problem for the Indian batsmen. What worries me however is the spineless Indian bowling attack. I feel this series will be a contest between India's bowling AND Pakistan's batting.
India's batting and Pak's bowling sort of cancel each other out.

And , before I forget, another important factor will be how many catches/stumpings Parthiv Patel/Deep Dasgupta will let go.

354

Kaif fit for Pakistan tour](BBC SPORT | Cricket | Kaif fit for Pakistan tour)

Kaif has scored 1,170 runs in 59 one-day appearances for India
Indian batsman Mohammad Kaif has declared himself fit for next month’s tour to Pakistan.
Kaif has been out of international cricket since damaging a thumb during an A team competition against Pakistan and Sri Lanka last December.

“I started batting in the nets two days ago. There are no problems and I feel no discomfort,” he said.

Kaif has been a regular member of India’s one-day side, although he has only made four Test appearances.

His best performance came at Lord’s in 2002 when he made 87 as India successfully chased a target of 326 to win the NatWest Series final against England.

Let-armer seamer Zaheer Khan, meanwhile, is taking a cautious view of his chances of being fit for the tour following hamstring problems.

“There is a question mark,” he admitted.

“Only when I’ll be able to consistently bowl flat-out from a full run-up, will I reach any decision.”

India will play five limited overs internationals in Pakistan, the first on 13 March, to be followed by three Tests.

It is their first full tour to Pakistan for 14 years.

355

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *

Let-armer seamer Zaheer Khan, meanwhile, is taking a cautious view of his chances of being fit for the tour following hamstring problems.

"There is a question mark," he admitted.

"Only when I'll be able to consistently bowl flat-out from a full run-up, will I reach any decision."

[/QUOTE]

Oh hell! I can't take it anymore. This guy is out coz of injuires like 3/4th of the time. Wish he plays in this tour.

356

i heard that afridi and saleem elahi are back..

they really are???

357

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Some1: *
^I for one think that even Shoaib will not be too much of a problem for the Indian batsmen. What worries me however is the spineless Indian bowling attack.
[/QUOTE]

I can't understand why Irfan can't bowl yorkers anymore. HE bowled a few at the start but by the time the odi's rolled around he was only trying to swing it. But if we can go with fully fit bowlers (mentally and physically) I would only worry about the batting. Guys like sachin, ganguly and shewag were not scoring at all in the finals. Maybe the heat and dust will revive them.

358

Re: Jio miandad....

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by phoenixdesi: *
As a coach, as he was as a player, Javed Miandad plans no respite for the Indians. For years India’s bogeyman with the bat, he’s now in the key position — key, that is, when it comes to playing the mindgames he loves — of national coach.

And he’s already delivered his first verbal — with a shrewdly picked target. ‘‘Your Irfan Pathans are in every galli and mohalla of Pakistan — we don’t even bother to look at them’’, Miandad said soon after returning to Pakistan after a short break in England. Bowlers like Pathan, he says, are faced by batsmen at club level in Pakistan.

It is, as always, a carefully calculated statement, aimed at the bowler who is going to be the spearhead of the Indian attack. And Pathan, perhaps the most aggressive of the Indian bowlers, will meet the guru of such tactics in Pakistan. Not that Miandad focused on the rookie alone. ‘‘I’m also quite bemused by the reaction to India’s performance in Australia. If I remember correctly, they only drew the Test series in Australia and were thrashed in the finals. It isn’t as if they won anything there’’, remarks Miandad, sliding his verbal knife deep into the heart of India’s pride of recent months.

‘‘I’ve read recent reports that Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were not too keen to tour Pakistan, fearing security and hostilities. The only hostility and issue of security they would face is from our fast bowlers. If they can handle bowlers excess in pace of 90kmph, the rest shouldn’t be much of a problem’’, Miandad says.

‘‘Indians should have no doubts they would be most welcomed in Pakistan. People would meet them with open hearts, there will be tremendous warmth and hospitality’’, Miandad says in softer vein. Before adding the punch line: ‘‘But they shouldn’t expect any such thing at the ground. We not only would have Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami and Abdur Razzak but there would be a couple of new guys we would be planning to throw at the Indians.’’

Miandad praises India’s batting in recent times but believes their real test would be standing up to the scrutiny of an Indo-Pakistan encounter. But for Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian player has played a Test in Pakistan. ‘‘The batting is good but I don’t think they have an edge over us in this area. We have good openers and our middle order is well served by experienced players such as Inzamam, Yousuf Yohanna and Younis Khan’’, the coach says.

Remind him about Ijaz Ahmed’s remark — that India now have five or six Tendulkars in their ranks — and he bristles. ‘‘Yes, I have heard about it and agree they are good batsmen. But we have better bowlers. It’s a tough road ahead for them. They really need to be at their best against our bowlers.’’

(Cricket News)
[/QUOTE]

way to miandad :biggthumb

359

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by BrokenSky: *
i heard that afridi and saleem elahi are back..

they really are???
[/QUOTE]

yes, afridi, imran nazir, elahi and naved latif have been included in the 22 probables

360

:hula:

afridi will make it inshAllah :k: