I dont know if this has been brought up before or not but we should give a big applause to Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid and other Indian stars who decided to tour Pakistan despite the option of "opting out".
They in the end proved to be so very unlike NZ, SA and AUS chickens. Specually NZ team jis k barey main soch ker mujhey aab bhee ghussa aa jata hay. ullu k pathey!
This probably is my last “Indian appriciation" post before the series :)
Before we take our hats off… please note that politics has crept into this series so much that nething looks interesting any more.
As per ICC and National board rulz it is mandatory to give players a choice to opt out of a tour if needed ( on various reasons) or to take it.
This practice has always been there, but only recently being talked
about. There are no security threats to players only the media is hyping
this cry. Players and boards are re-acting to this hype. specially NZ who unfourtunatley witnessed the bombing in Karachi. Trust me ! A mob invading the pitch is more dangerous then the bombs going off in the city for other reasons. Or the fire crackers during the Macthes in India or burning bonfires at the end of matches.
Remember !!! Players & Referees have died in the past because of the mob attacks on the field. not the firing squad of some terrosits. (football)
Politics has crept in the sports arena and we are like pawns betting on our favourite jokeys. If a player dont want to play a match they can simply opt out without talking to the media ( That is not possible ofcourse) But, you and me are making such a big issue of this series that the end looks very nasty for some…
Let us all pratice our self respect and enjoy the games to its last thrilling moment.,Let us show the world what true Pakistanis are made of , Relay our best of manners,critics and respect for 1 and respect for all…rest can go to hell if they want to… ,
Controversy hits Pakistan team selection
The change in the schedule for India's tour of Pakistan has upset the hosts' plans.
Pakistan's Chairman of Selectors Wasim Bari admitted that with the one-dayers being played before the Tests, his selection committee has been forced to make some adjustments.
And these alterations are not without their share of controversy.
Bazid Khan, son of Pakistan legend Majid Khan, was released from the list of probables soon after the itinerary was reversed.
Majid Khan immediately cried foul, claiming that his son had been discriminated against.
But Bari, a former Test wicket-keeper in his second stint as chairman of the selectors after Aamir Sohail was sacked, told rediff.com that Majid Khan's allegations had no basis.
"I have repeated myself so many times over now that the squad to play India will not necessarily be picked from the probables alone. The Quaid-e-Azam [Pakistan's domestic cricket tournament] is on and anyone who gives a good performance will be included."
Bari pointed out that Bazid Khan had not been discarded, merely released so that he could play in the domestic tournament and prepare for the Tests that follow the one-day series.
Speaking from Lahore, Majid Khan told rediff.com, "Three years ago when my son was picked in the Pakistan team for a triangular tournament, General Zia (retired Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia, the former Pakistan Cricket Board chief) scratched his name off."
Khan says his son averaged 80 in limited-overs tournaments this year and 79 in four-day games.
"Haroon Rashid (the Pakistan team manager) admitted on a television channel in Pakistan that each time Bazad used to be picked, General Zia used to strike his name off. Wasim Bari is his man and he is still continuing his good work," Khan added.
"Bazid was hoping that with the general gone he might be considered again. But Bari has decided that Bazid will not play."
Majid Khan points out that he once refused the general's offer to join him on the Pakistan Cricket Board because his son was vying for a spot in the team.
"I guess the general does not take no for an answer and he took it out on my son," he alleged.
Bazid Khan is not the only omission from the Pakistan team.
The exclusion of all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, the only Pakistani bowler who has never been hit for more than five runs an over in 32 matches against India, is baffling. One former Pakistan batsman believes Mahmood has been kept out because he is not in Bari's good books.
"Selection is a thankless job," Bari said, reacting to this allegation. "We continue to choose teams based on the conditions and after consulting the captain and the coach."
Another surprise is the omission of leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who helped Sussex win their first English county championship last season.
With seven pace bowlers in the probables camp being held at Lahore, it is evident that the Pakistani strategy will be built around pace. "Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami are good professional cricketers and we are banking on them to do well," Bari said.
But unlike other former Pakistani players who think Akhtar will make the difference, Bari believes good catching and fielding will decide the winner. "There is not much to choose from between the two sides," he said. "India has a very balanced side and their young bowlers might not be express, but are dangerous.
"The team that holds its catches will win the one-dayers, while the team that bowls well will win the Test series," he said.
A year ago, Aamir Sohail, a former Pakistani skipper, felt that Shahid Afridi should never be allowed to play for the country again. "Afridi plays like a kid, trying to hit every ball out of the park," he told this correspondent during the 2003 World Cup. "That might work once in a while, but not often enough to be worthwhile. If you really want to have a kid in your team, why not pick up any kid from the streets and play him? Afridi, for me, is a waste of time."
Soon after Sohail was appointed chairman of the selectors and Afridi lost his place in the side.
Afridi himself was disappointed with his performance and had confided in a friend that all through the World Cup and even before the tournament, no one ever told him what his role in the side was supposed to be. At times during the World Cup he was asked at the last minute to go out and bat.
The result was a string of poor scores and a ticket out of the team.
Now, after a season playing domestic cricket in South Africa and the sacking of Sohail, Afridi makes a comeback. Unlike Sohail, Bari believes Afridi is a useful one-day player. "He is a good fielder, can bowl fastish leg-spinners, and can bat as well," he said. "He is the utility player in the team who can fill any slot."
Afridi -- who scored 141 in his fourth Test in the famous Chennai game in 1998-99, which India lost despite Sachin Tendulkar's heroic 136 -- has expressed keenness to play the longer version of the game. But Bari dismissed the thought. "That (innings) was very long ago," he said. "Today he is only suited to the one-day format and that's where he will play."
India have arguably the best batting line-up in the world, but Bari seems confident of the ability of Pakistan's youngsters to take them on. "We don't have any big names," he admitted, "but our players give more than their 100 percent and that's what matters the most."
While India is still toying with the idea of a conditioning camp before the series, the Pakistani probables are already training hard at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, preparing for the battles ahead under the eagle eye of coach Javed Miandad.
Inzamam-ul Haq, Pakistan's sixth skipper in as many years, has billed the India series as the 'mother of all series.' Whoever loses may have to face the wrath of a passionate nation. This fear of defeat sometimes forces teams to play too defensively.
"I tend to agree with that accusation," Bari said. "But with the introduction of match referees and the changing trend of Tests being played at a good pace, we should be in for a good series."
Pakistan probables list:
Inzamam-ul Haq (captain)
Imran Farhat
Taufeeq Umar
Yasir Hameed
Yousuf Youhana
Shahid Afridi
Imran Nazir
Naved Latif
Saleem Elahi
Misbah-ul-Haq
Younis Khan
Abdul Razzaq
Shoaib Malik
Saqlain Mushtaq
Danish Kaneria
Moin Khan (wicket-keeper)
Shoaib Akhtar
Mohammad Sami
Shabbir Ahmed
Umar Gul
Rana Naveed-ul Hasan
Rao Iftikhar
Did anybody see the Geo cricket report where Miandad was batting and Inzi was bowling? he rapped Miandad on the pads and started jumping andappealing. In the meanwhile Miandad raised his bat and told him to go back and bowl.
It was quite entertaining to see a bearded Inzi jump up and down.
both of the teams using software tech, for the series…
Software analyst helps Pakistan team at camp
indian’s using e-Cricket Pro software produced by Bangalore-based Phoenix Global Solutions India (PGSI) Private Limited which was used to
train umpires for judging international games by the ICC…
Pakistan secures contracts worth 21 million dollars for Indian series](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/040228/323/en7pb.html)
KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan has secured sponsorship and television deals worth 21 million dollars for the next month’s historic cricket series against India, a top cricket official said.
“We have deals of around 1,200 million rupees with some seven million dollars coming from the Indian companies … the sum is more than what we expected,” Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan said in a press briefing on Saturday.
“Since the series has so much life in it we received a huge response,” said Khan, a former foreign secretary and an ambassador.
Another one million dollars is expected from ticket sales, Khan said.
Pakistan hosts India for five one-day games and three Tests between March 13 and April 17 – the first Indian series on its grounds in 15 years.
South Korean electronic giant Samsung, which has a huge share in India, won the title sponsorship of the series for four million dollars while Hero Honda will co-sponsor the series for 1.49 million dollars.
Dubai-based TEN Sports (Taj Entertainment Network) paid 13.3 million dollars for the television rights to the series.
The PCB appointed a bidding committee to finalize the deals and tried to strike a balance between Pakistani and Indian companies.
“Some of the offers were restricted for Pakistani companies so that the series does not look an Indian show and we are satisfied that we struck a balance,” said Khan, who managed Pakistan’s team on their last tour to India in 1998-99.
Read this on cric info. :)
After several big releases in January and February, Bollywood - the Mumbai film industry to the uninitiated - is poised to take a breather in March, clearly intimidated by competition from cricket. Ram Gopal Varma's "Ab Tak Chhappan" this week would be the last major release for now,** with every man and his dog then turning to the five-match one-day series between India and Pakistan. **
Its funny how Miandad can hit the Indian nerve right where it matters. :hehe:
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by lyallpur larka: *
Bazid Khan, son of Pakistan legend Majid Khan, was released from the list of probables soon after the itinerary was reversed.
Majid Khan immediately cried foul, claiming that his son had been discriminated against.
But Bari, a former Test wicket-keeper in his second stint as chairman of the selectors after Aamir Sohail was sacked, told rediff.com that Majid Khan's allegations had no basis.
[/QUOTE]
I watched an interview with Mushtaq Muhammaed yesterday and he said Bazid Khan has potential and that he should be considered for Pakistan team. This, despite the fact that the Muhammad and Khan families seem to have some problems with each other. Anyone seen Bazid play? Is he any good?
I haven't seen Bazid but he's been on the scene for some time now and he was never really touted as an outstanding talent say like Imran Nazir or Salman Butt. Even now guys like Asim Kamal, Saeed Bin Nasir, Misbah probably deserve a chance ahead of him.
I wonder though where all this propaganda is coming from for Bazid's case.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ChthonicPowers: *
Anyone seen Bazid play? Is he any good?
[/QUOTE]
I have played with Bazid khan, and he is very stylish and talented. He was struggling for form those days and i dont know if he has improved or not but even then ppl were calling him a batsman of international frame.
I LIKE TO WATCH NANNI DANI,INZAMAM AMND YOUSI.....
Be aggressive against India, Imran tells Pakistan players](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - Former Pakistan cricket great Imran Khan told Pakistani cricketers to be aggressive and keep up the mental pressure in next month’s historic series against India.
“It’s the power of the mind which will decide who wins the series,” Imran told AFP Sunday after visiting the training camp at Gaddafi stadium here.
“With an aggressive and positive approach you can win anything and with a defensive mold, like Pakistan had in last year’s World Cup, even the best of teams can flop.”
With 362 Tests and 175 one-day wickets Imran, who is known as one of the four best allrounders, hoped his advice would help spur on the home players in their show against rivals India, who are touring Pakistan after 15 years.
“You can make a weak team look strong with the power of the mind and that’s what I tried to impress upon the players,” said the cricket hero-turned politician who won a seat at country’s parliament last year.
On paper Indian team looks stronger but that doesn’t mean they can walk away with the series, he said.
“For me, if Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami remain fit, the home team can win the Tests,” said Imran, who himself took 40 wickets and scored over 400 runs to help Pakistan win a home series against India in 1982-83.
Imran spent three hours with 26 camp probables and spent one hour exclusively with Akhtar and Sami.
“Akhtar and Sami are the two most destructive bowlers in modern day cricket and if they come up to expectations they can win the series for Pakistan because bowlers win Tests and batsmen win one-day games,” said Imran, who led Pakistan to the World Cup glory in Australia 12 years ago.
“I have told Sami and Akhtar how to bowl death overs in one-day games and in Tests you need to attack all the time to get wickets and it would be a test of Inzamam-ul Haq’s captaincy how he uses these two bowlers,” he said.
India arrives in Lahore on March 10 and plays a warm-up match there the following day before playing the first of five one-day games in Karachi on March 13.
The remaining one-day games are scheduled at Rawalpindi (March 16) Peshawar (March 19) and at Lahore (March 21 and 23).
The three Tests are scheduled at Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Imran played down security fears in the Indian camp, calling it propaganda.
“Security is a propaganda because terrorists are not linked to cricket and when the tour is taking place after agreement at the government level there should be no worries,” he said.
**Permanent member, following players will be in both ODI & Test Squad
Yasir Hameed
Abdul Razzaq
Yousuf Youhana
Inzamam-ul Haq (captain)
Moin Khan (wicket-keeper)
Shoaib Akhtar
Mohammad Sami**
Select your player for ODI & TEST
Imran Farhat
Taufeeq Umar
Shahid Afridi
Imran Nazir
Naved Latif
Saleem Elahi
Misbah-ul-Haq
Younis Khan
Shoaib Malik
Saqlain Mushtaq
Danish Kaneria
Shabbir Ahmed
Umar Gul
Rana Naveed-ul Hasan
Rao Iftikhar
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by earthquake: *
**Permanent member, following players will be in both ODI & Test Squad
Yasir Hameed
Abdul Razzaq
Yousuf Youhana
Inzamam-ul Haq (captain)
Moin Khan (wicket-keeper)
Shoaib Akhtar
Mohammad Sami**
Select your player for ODI & TEST
Imran Farhat
Taufeeq Umar
Shahid Afridi
Imran Nazir
Naved Latif
Saleem Elahi
Misbah-ul-Haq
Younis Khan
Shoaib Malik
Saqlain Mushtaq
Danish Kaneria
Shabbir Ahmed
Umar Gul
Rana Naveed-ul Hasan
Rao Iftikhar
[/QUOTE]
** My ODI team **
1} Imran Nazir
2} Yasir Hameed
3} Yousef Youhana
4} Inzamam-ul-Haq {c}
5} Abdul Razzaq
6} Shahid Afridi
7} Moin Khan {wk}
8} Saqlain Mushtaq
9} Shoaib Akhtar
10} Shabbir Ahmed
11} Mohammed Sami
** My TEST team **
1} Taufeeq Umar
2} Yasir Hameed
3} Yousef Youhana
4} Inzamam-ul-Haq {c}
5} Misbah-ul-Haq
6} Abdul Razzaq
7} Moin Khan {wk}
8} Saqlain Mushtaq / Danish Kaneria
9} Shoaib Akhtar
10} Shabbir Ahmed
11} Mohammed Sami
Originally posted by #let uz chat#as ameneded by bao bihari, in italics.. ;
** My ODI team **
1} Imran Nazir
2} Yasir Hameed
3} Yousef Youhana
4} Inzamam-ul-Haq {c}
5} Abdul Razzaq
6} Shahid Afridi
7} Moin Khan {wk}
8} Saqlain Mushtaq
9} Shoaib Akhtar
10} umer gul/azhar mehmood
11} Mohammed Sami
** My TEST team **
1} Taufeeq Umar
2} Yasir Hameed
3} Yousef Youhana
4} Inzamam-ul-Haq {c}
5} Misbah-ul-Haq
6} Abdul Razzaq
7} Moin Khan {wk}
8} Saqlain Mushtaq / Danish Kaneria
9} Shoaib Akhtar
10} Shabbir Ahmed...* if cleared by ICC*
11} Mohammed Sami
Can't Wait for 13th march
So excited !
Can't wait ... 1st march today ..
Only 12 dyas to go
What will the teams be ..?
Who'll be more prepared ?
Let the games begin !!
A
:) PAKISTAN WILL WIN :)
INSHALLAH
Indian Squad for the ODIs
Indian Squad for the ODIs against Pak has been announced..
Sourav Ganguly (Captain)
Rahul Dravid (vice-captain)
Sachin Tendulkar
Virender Sehwag
Yuvraj Singh
VVS Laxman
Mohammad Kaif
Zaheer Khan
Irfan Pathan
L Balaji
Hemang Badani
Murali Kartik
Ramesh Powar
Ashish Nehra
Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper).
Surprise omissions - Rohan Gavaskar!! I think they should have included him..Also missing are Kumble and Agarkar due to injuries..With Harbhajan Singh also not there tthink they would miss a decent spinner...
Ashish Nehra??? Cant have a clue about his inclusion..
Kaif is back which is a good sign.
:flower1: Kaif back and Powar in, but no place for Gavaskar :flower1:](http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/MAR/082495_PAKIND2003-04_01MAR2004.html)
Mohammad Kaif has been recalled by the Indian selectors for the five-match one-day series in Pakistan, which starts on March 13. Ramesh Powar, the Mumbai offspinner, was called up for the first time, but surprisingly there was no place for Rohan Gavaskar, who made a reasonable start to his one-day career in the recent VB Series in Australia.
After a four-hour meeting in Mumbai, the selectors eventually emerged to reveal the names of the 15-man party. The team for the Tests will be uinveiled on March 22.
[thumb=E]moh18114_2955174.JPG[/thumb]
Mohammad Kaif: back in the squad
Powar, 25, replaces Anil Kumble, who has not fully recovered from a shoulder injury sustained in Australia. Ajit Agarkar, too, misses out after his shin injury was slow responding to treatment. But there is a return for Zaheer Khan, who missed the latter part of the Australian tour.
Kulamani Parida and Sarandeep Singh were reportedly also considered for the spare spinner’s spot, but Powar’s superior batting - he has four first-class centuries under his belt - swung the issue.
India one-day squad
Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid (vice-capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Hemang Badani, Parthiv Patel (wk), Ramesh Powar, Irfan Pathan, Murali Kartik, L Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra. *
^^ **i think that’s a gr8 pick, mo’ is a gr8 player very spontaneous , he has a sound technique, i’m glad monkey ears isn’t fit as he is a damn good odi bowler… **