I can still bowl 150 km/h: Shoaib

HAMILTON: Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday said he had not cut down on his speed and could still bowl well above 90 miles.

Shoaib, who made a comeback to international cricket after a gap of two years, said he was feeling comfortable bowling longer spells and would love to play match-winning role for his country in the forthcoming World Cup.

He said modifying his run-up had been very helpful.

“I have shortened my run-up but it has not affected my pace. I can still bowl around 150 km/h. I wish I had modified my run-up 10 years back.

“I am bowling decently and picking up wickets as well. I hope to continue good work and help Pakistan win the World Cup.”

Pakistan lost first two Twenty20 matches against New Zealand. But Shoaib’s performance in the series has been commendable. He has so far taken four wickets.

The 35-year-old pacer said, “When it comes to my fitness, I am always confident. I want to make a difference and lead Pakistan to some good results. We are going to win matches and show the world that we are honourable people.”

Smith tight-lipped over Sreesanth incident

DURBAN: South Africa captain Graeme Smith was tight-lipped on Wednesday about his confrontation with Indian bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth during the second Test at Kingsmead.

“I’m not going to get into that. It’s between me and Sreesanth,” Smith said when asked what had happened on the field after he appeared to wave his bat at the bowler following an exchange of words while Smith was batting on Tuesday.

Smith insisted the incident did not lead to his dismissal soon afterwards.

“I’ve played enough Test cricket to know what I can handle and what I can’t handle. It was more a technical thing.”

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was more forthcoming about a bowler who has been labelled as a problem child of the game.

“There are guidelines that need to be followed. You need to be yourself but at the same time you shouldn’t get into others’ space, you shouldn’t cross the limit,” he said.

Dhoni did not say whether he thought Sreesanth had crossed that limit, but he did reveal that he had spoken to the bowler about the time he had taken to bowl his overs during the first Test in Centurion, where India had fallen behind the required bowling rate.

“One thing I told him is that if it takes six, seven minutes to bowl an over, it can be very difficult,” said Dhoni.

“In the last Test we were five or six overs down and we had to use the part-timers a lot. He did well in this game. The over rate was good. He bowled well.”

Dhoni added wryly: “You always need to have him under control. It’s good for everyone; for him, for us, for our side, the opposition and the umpires and the spectators.”

Pakistan’s blind cricket team win series against Nepal

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan blind cricket team white-washed the Nepali blind cricket team on Friday by winning last of the three one-day matches by nine wickets here at Shalimar cricket ground.

A hat-trick by all rounder Yasir Andleeb and a sparkling half century by captain Arslan were the highlights of the match.

A target of 198 by Nepal, who batted first, was overhauled by the hosts in only 15.1 overs. The Pakistan captain remained not out with 79 runs and Munawwar scored 60 runs.

Earlier the Nepal team was all out on 198 and Ram Parshad remained the top scorer with 51 runs followed by Carton who scored 37.

For Pakistan, Yasir claimed three wickets. It is worth mentioning that Pakistan won all the three one-days and two twenty-20 matches.

Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira was the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony. Managing Director Zummurd Khan and SPP Islamabad Police Moeen Masood and Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council Syed Sultan Shah and General Secretary Bilal Satti were also present on the occasion.

Zummurd Khan said that Pakistan’s Baitul Maal would sponsor a series of blind cricket every year and would present a gold medal to the blind cricket team.

Speaking on the occasion, Syed Sultan Shah said that blind cricket team has won two world cups and seven series out of eight. He also said that the team has 20 world records to its credit.

He said that despite all its achievements, the blind team has not been provided support like other sports. He said that Nepali team has proved that Pakistan is a peace loving nation and there is no security problem here, by coming to play here.

He also said that the South African blind cricket team would visit Pakistan next year.

The President of the Nepal blind cricket team Pawan Kumar said that Pakistan is a safe haven for all types of sports activities.

No clear motives behind Haider flight - report

A fact-finding committee set-up by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to look into the flight of Zulqarnain Haider to the UK from Dubai has failed to find any clear motives behind his actions.

The three-member committee of Subhan Ahmed (COO, PCB), manager Intikhab Alam and security manager Khawaja Najam has ultimately recommended that the board "should write to Haider seeking complete written details of the entire episode and in light of those details [if received], may decide on whether to proceed with taking disciplinary action against him".

The board has already suspended the now retired wicketkeeper's central contract.

The committee's report, seen by ESPNcricinfo, is based on conversations the three members had with Haider and others from the squad. "It is difficult to say with complete confidence at this stage as to what were the motives [behind the departure]," it concludes. But one of its observations seemingly offers a hint: "Some close associates of Haider, when contacted in UK, advised that during his last visit to UK with Pakistan team this summer, he had made enquiries on settling down in UK."

Further light is also shed on events leading to his departure after claiming he was threatened by bookies during Pakistan's one-day series against South Africa last month.

For example, the night before he left, seamer Wahab Riaz had been in Haider's room till midnight. "His view was that Haider was normal and did not look worried," the report says. "He did not discuss anything with Wahab with whom he was quite friendly."

The report also confirms that Haider asked the team management for his passport on the pretext of buying a mobile SIM card on the eve of the fourth ODI, a game in which he subsequently played a late, key role in securing a win.

The last members of the squad to see Haider before his flight were the assistant manager Shahid Aslam and Younis Khan, who saw him walking out of his hotel room with a backpack on the morning of the fifth ODI. He told them he was going to visit relatives in the city.

According to the report, Haider told the committee that he received the first threat two days before the fourth ODI. "When he was walking in the parking area of the hotel, he met a person who said to him he must do what he is told to do in cricket else he and his family would be killed.

"He didn't recognize the person who had met him 2 days before the fourth ODI. He didn't see the person or hear from him afterwards."

What appears to have been the tipping point in convincing him to leave, however, came after that. "Later (he did not mention the date) he saw a note in his room which was on the hotel notepad on which some amounts and female names were mentioned." He has since handed over the note to Scotland Yard.

Though the investigation was mostly an exercise in fact-finding, certain questions are raised, echoing earlier concerns by the PCB. "It [his departure] was quite strange because Dubai is as safe a place as UK (perhaps safer), but Haider decided to travel to the UK rather than staying in Dubai or travelling to homeland Pakistan.

"It is also quite strange that in the presence of a full-time security manager of the team and the other PCB officials, Haider deemed it appropriate to approach the media rather than the PCB which is his employer."

Several ex-players and officials questioned Haider's state of mind immediately after he fled, a point the report touches on. "It may be noted that the views of some of the support staff about Haider were that he is a complex personality. He is a person who is easily convinced into believing whatever is said to him. He is also stated to be a weak nerves person."

Haider is still in the UK and is due to appear for another interview with asylum authorities on January 5, before reporting to the police on January 10th.

Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal given World Cup deadline

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal have until December 30 to provide the PCB with the necessary documents to clear their names for World Cup selection.

"The PCB has asked them to submit the documents about their assets and bank accounts by December 30 to be considered in the list of probables for the World Cup," Subhan Ahmad, the board's COO, told APP.

The ICC had extended Pakistan's deadline for the submission of its preliminary 30-member squad for the tournament to January 5, after receiving a request from the board. Kamran and Malik have not played for Pakistan since their controversial tour of England in August and were left out of the tour to the United Arab Emirates. They have also been denied permission to play league cricket in Bangladesh. The PCB has remained fairly tight-lipped about the reasons for their exclusion.

Kamran and Malik had both questioned the board's decision to not clear them for the New Zealand tour. Kamran had written to the ICC asking if he was under investigation and got a clean chit from them. The ICC had sent him and Salman Butt notices during Pakistan's tour of England in August, seeking information about events related to the 2010 World Twenty20 held in May.

Legspinner Danish Kaneria, who has not figured in Pakistan's one-day plans in recent times, was also earlier given until the end of the year to submit his replies to the board's integrity committee's queries, in order to gain clearance to play for the country. 

Imran Khan's reviews and opinions about worldcup

Imran Khan is one of the most eminent cricketers of all times  whose views on cricket fans all across the globe are regarded and honored very highly. He was recently asked about Pakistan’s chances of winning of conquering worldcup in the upcoming event. He alleged that Pakistan’s chances would depend heavily on the key bowlers like Mohammad Asif And Mohammad Amir as they always have played vital role in the success of any match.

According to Imran, Aamir and Asif make the best opening bowling pairs of the world and Aamir is streets ahead of Wasim Akram.

Imran called Asif as the bowler of the generation very early in his career when he emerged on the scene by demolishing India’s much-hyped batting lineup boasting of names like Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag and Laxman in Karachi Test in 2006.

Imran further said that Afridi is a suitable person to lead Pakistani team in the World Cup and if he hits a purple patch, he can lead the team to triumph in the World Cup.

On the other end, Shoaib Akhtar, the man popularly known as ‘Rawalpindi Express’ is on the fag end of his career but still manages to bowl around 150 kilometers per hour.

His first spell these days is as good as it used to be when he was in his peak years but he struggles in his second and third spells and chaps find him easier to hit him with the old ball now-a-days. Perhaps, he will certainly be looking to end his career on a high note and have a last laugh in the World Cup but if the two As are available I think he will struggle to find a place as will Umar Gul who is renowned for his death bowling because picking wickets with the new ball is far more crucial than death bowling as you are looking to minimize the damage at the death whereas you look to attack with the new ball and put the opposition on the back foot early on in the game.

As far as spin options are concerned, Pakistan is well served with Afridi, Rehman and Ajmal backed up by Hafeez or Shoaib Malik whoever plays in the final lineup.

There is a competition for a slot between Ajmal and Rehman in the final playing eleven. Rehman is economical in the middle overs whereas with Ajmal you have the luxury of using him at the death and in power plays for his doosra.

For Pakistan it is important that they go with experienced players and don’t experiment too much something that Shahid Afridi asked for in his recent interview.

Players like Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal who are the top guns in limited overs cricket have been missing in recent times which baffle logic.

Fawad Alam, who is not a natural batsman when it comes to limited overs cricket yet he somehow produces results, I don’t really think he should be part of limited overs squad. In my view, he is a quality test player and should be given a run in test matches. After all, he got 168 against Sri Lanka in conditions in which everyone else failed and has an habit of staying long at crease in any format of the game and scoring runs consistently.

I talked about Shoaib Akhtar being at the end of his career. Another player that we probably going to see for the last time is classy Mohammad Yousuf, who is all about grace, timing and perfection. I really think for Pakistan to have a good chance in the World Cup we must stick with experienced, tried and tested hands rather than going with rookies.

Younus Khan and Yousuf in the middle order followed by enterprising and entertaining Umar Akmal is the way to go. Razzaq has been the star for Pakistan in recent times and his hitting in the closing overs will be similar to what Klusener used to produce during 1999 WC.

Hafeez has been a much-improved performer in recent times and has made handy contributions with both bat and ball but he will face competition from Shoaib Malik for a place if Malik gets a clearance from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

For Pakistan’s sake, it is imperative that the trio accused of spot fixing including Aamir, Asif and Salman Butt is cleared. If they are cleared I see Pakistan able to stage a triumph.

People might say I am over optimistic but I really have hope especially from Shahid Afridi’s ability to inspire others and the world’s most talented new ball pair in Aamir and Asif.

We have all the talent in the world. It’s just about execution and having the right man available at a time!

I will name a squad and playing 11 here which I think would be best equipped to win the World Cup for the Men in Green.