Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

yaasir · January 13, 2008, 1:07am

Shahid Afridi to lead Patron’s XI

Sunday, January 13, 2008
KARACHI: Pakistan Test star Shahid Afridi has been named to lead the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Patron’s XI in the four-day game against the touring Zimbabweans, getting underway here at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Stadium from Monday (tomorrow).

The team decided by the national selection committee also includes a couple of players — Fawad Alam and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed — who have played internationally for Pakistan.

But apart from that, almost the entire 14-man squad announced by the PCB is formed by players who performed well in the domestic season.

Among the domestic high performers are medium-pacer Sohail Khan, the highest wicket-taker of the domestic season, and opening batsman Khalid Latif, who is likely to make his one-day debut during the one-day series against Zimbabwe scheduled to begin from January 21 at the National Stadium in Karachi.

PCB Patron’s XI: Shahid Afridi (captain), Khalid Latif, Nasir Jamshed, Afaq Rahim, Naumanullah, Fawad Alam, Kamran Hussain, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan, Rizwan Ahmed, Rauf Akbar and Khurram Manzoor.

Link - The News International: Latest News Breaking, World, Entertainment, Royal News

Good move I think. Maybe they are testing Afridi’s captaincy skills against an international team to maybe make him VC. Also, good to see all the younger players getting a chance to prove themselves instead of the same old recycled garbage we always see…such as…Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umer, Mohammad Sami, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal.

So far so good!

Ali_R · January 13, 2008, 4:08pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

Dont call them garbage they are Pakistanis after all.
I like that move too, but what is that Parton XI all about?

a1kashur · January 13, 2008, 8:05pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron’s X1 against Zimbabwe

Shoaib and Gul dropped for Zimbabwe ODIs
January 13, 2008

Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul have been left out of Pakistan’s 21-man shortlist for the ODI series against Zimbabwe which starts later this month. Shahid Afridi wasn’t named either, but might yet make it to the squad if he does well for Patron’s XI - which he will lead - against the Zimbabweans in a four-day game starting on Monday.

Shoaib and Gul broke down with fitness worries on the tour to India in 2007, which chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed said was the reason for not including them in the squad. “Akhtar and Gul will have to prove their fitness and that’s why we did not consider them for selection in this probable list of 21,” Ahmed was quoted by AFP.

Shoaib played all three Tests against India, but only in the first one was he fully fit. An illness before the Kolkata Test severely hampered his effectiveness, while he was troubled by back pain in Bangalore. Gul played the ODI series but was sent home before the Tests due to a back injury.

A number of new faces have been included in the squad as part of Pakistan’s plans to test bench-strength against Zimbabwe before a challenging summer ahead. Anwar Ali, Pakistan’s hero from the Under-19 World Cup in 2006, is included as well as Mansoor Amjad, the leg-spinning all rounder with two seasons for Leicestershire behind him. Shadab Kabir, who last played an ODI for Pakistan over ten years ago, also makes the squad after scoring 791 runs in the recently-concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Afridi, meanwhile, has been left out of the provisional squad due to poor form. He played four ODIs on the tour to India, but only scored 73 runs and took two wickets, and was omitted from the Test team. However, Ahmed told Cricinfo that Afridi might make it into the final 16-member squad for the first three ODIs. The 21 players named here and 15 from the Patron’s XI will be in the reckoning for the final squad.

Zimbabwe start their tour with the game against Patron’s XI, while the first of five ODIs will be played in Karachi on January 21.

Squad
Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Shadab Kabir, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Naveed Latif, Kamran Akmal (wk), Salman Ahmed, Rao Iftikhar, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Mansoor Amjad, Abdur Rauf, Rauf Akbar, Junaid Zia, Wahab Riaz, Anwar Ali, Tahir Khan, Saeed Ajmal.

Akmal is still there, dang. Oh well, may be one last chance for him. Hopefully Afridi will perform well and get a place in playing XI.
Good to see new guys getting a chance to play. I wanna see if Anwar Ali is up to the task. He got potential. I heard Rauf Akbar is good. Junaid Zia is back,crap.

Go Pak!

Man_with_a_Plan · January 14, 2008, 1:34pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron’s X1 against Zimbabwe

Junaid Zia is back!!!

Ali_R · January 14, 2008, 2:32pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

^OMG Army rule every where. Will that ever end?!

Great to see a squad with newbies all over. Anwar Ali a must watch.

Rock_Express · January 14, 2008, 4:58pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron’s X1 against Zimbabwe

Are you excited about Junaid Zia being included in the squad???

armughal · January 15, 2008, 6:06am

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

afridi picked up 4 wkts....

and now nasir jamshed got his 100....

Ali_R · January 15, 2008, 10:37am

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

^Match is on? Any links?

armughal · January 15, 2008, 12:37pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron’s X1 against Zimbabwe

Stumps Day 2
PCB Pat XI 361/3 (111.0 ov)

Nasir Jamshed 182
Khalid Latif 18
Afaq Raheem 77
Naumanullah 46*
Fawad Alam *28 **

= S o U r C e = -](http://content-gulf.cricinfo.com/pakvzim/engine/current/match/325798.html)

a1kashur · January 15, 2008, 4:25pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

Bomb blast after bomb blast in Pakistan these days. Won't be surprised if all tours to Pakistan are canceled.

Ali_R · January 15, 2008, 5:26pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

Thanks Armughal.

yaasir · January 17, 2008, 8:56am

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

Patron's XI v Zimbabweans, Karachi, 4th day

Maruma delays Patron's XI charge

The Bulletin by Faras Ghani in Karachi

January 17, 2008

Lunch Zimbabweans 209 and 193 for 7 (Maruma 59*, Masakadza 44, Sami 4-35) trail Patron's XI 479 for 6d by 77 runs
Scorecard

Timycen Maruma flayed the Patron's XI attack with an entertaining 59 as the Zimbabweans survived the morning session to go into lunch on 193 for 7, now needing another 77 to make the home side bat again.

At 111 for 6 with Sohail Khan and Samiullah Niazi fired up by last night's heroics, the match was expected to come to a swift conclusion. As Elton Chigumbura (2 off 39 balls) was adjudged leg-before to Samiullah, the stage looked set. Maruma, however, not only defied the fiery pace of Sohail and the movement of Samiullah, but also managed to keep the scorecard moving at a lively pace.

Dropped twice by Sarfraz Ahmed - both edges off the bowling of the unlucky Sohail - Maruma played his shots without fear. An overpitching and off-colour Kamran Hussain was edged between the slips and gully for four before Yasir Shah, the leg spinner, was hit over mid-off for a four. Although streaky at times, Maruma, who was ably supported by Gary Brent's defensive tactics at the other end, then attacked Sohail as he returned for a second spell with the new ball.

Following the drop, Sohail was driven past mid-on before being blasted past extra cover by Maruma to reach his first first-class 50. The next over saw another drive over extra-cover before a wild slash brought about the second drop. Riding on his luck, and Pakistan's poor fielding as a few overthrows complemented the dropped catches, Maruma took his side within touching distance of the 200-mark, a psychological achievement if nothing else before the ODI series.

For the home side, Samiullah bowled well and had a few leg-before appeals turned down while Sohail, not as fast as he was towards close yesterday, did manage to beat the edge on a number of occasions. Developing a deadly, swinging yorker, Sohail almost had Maruma and Brent lbw but edges saved both batsmen at the last minute.

Faras Ghani is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo

Kamran Akmal must be all smiles...get ready to see Akmal spill catches left right and centre for 5 more years without getting dropped :( only hope was Sarfraz, but with selectors keenly watching this match, those 2 dropped catches must have put a doubt in their mind of Sarfraz's abilties...but he is a much much better keeper than Akmal anyday! Sarfraz must have been having a bad day :( common selectors please drop Akmal!

a1kashur · January 17, 2008, 2:21pm

Re: Shahid Afridi to lead Patron's X1 against Zimbabwe

Samiullah haul seals innings victory
January 17, 2008

         Samiullah Khan captured five wickets - including his 200th first-class scalp - to send the Zimbabweans crashing to an innings-and-34-run defeat. Although Timycen Maruma scored an entertaining 71 off 101 deliveries while sharing a 96-run eighth-wicket partnership with Gary Brent, it was always a huge task for the Zimbabwean tail to make the Patron's XI bat again on a slowing pitch.

After capturing three wickets yesterday, Samiullah was on target straight away as he dismissed Elton Chigumbura leg-before in only his second over of the day. Dropped twice by Sarfraz Ahmed off Sohail Khan, Maruma played his shots without fear. An overpitching and off-colour Kamran Hussain was edged between the slips and gully for four before Yasir Shah, the legspinner, was hit over mid-off for four. Although streaky at times, Maruma, who was ably supported by Brent's solid defence, then attacked Sohail as he returned for a second spell with the new ball.

Sohail was driven past mid-on before being blasted past extra cover by Maruma to reach his first first-class half-century. The next over saw another drive over extracover before a wild slash brought about the second drop. Riding his luck, and taking advantage of Pakistan's poor fielding as a few overthrows complemented the dropped catches, Maruma took his side past the 200-mark, a psychological achievement if nothing else before the ODI series.

Shahid Afridi, bringing himself on after the lunch interval, produced a flighted delivery that spun and took the outside edge of Maruma's bat to end a fine partnership. Striking eight fours in all, Maruma, not only managed to make the home side pay for some sloppy fielding, but also get a bit of confidence under his belt prior to the one-dayers.

Afridi managed to deceive Brent with a slower delivery - bowled off his glove - before being hammered by Ray Price for a six that landed outside the ground. Samiullah returned to pick the final wicket and inflict the innings defeat. Bowling with pace and troubling the right-hand batsmen with his in-swing, four of Samiullah's dismissals were leg-before and with six wickets in the match, his claims for a place in the ODI squad are stronger than ever.