South Africa become group champions by thrashing England; fiery spell from Jansen

By Ehsan Qureshi at National Stadium, Karachi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

South Africa stormed into the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 when they thrashed England by seven wickets at National Stadium, Karachi, on March 1 in what turned out to be a one-sided encounter. 

Playing excellent cricket, the South Africans also became the Group B champions with their tally of five points, relegating Australia to the runners-up slot who aggregated four points. 

England ended pointless after suffering their third successive defeat. Overall, it was their seventh defeat in a row in One Day Internationals, already leading to the resignation of their captain, Jos Butler, a day before the third and final league fixture. 

For the rampaging South Africans, batters Heinrich Klassen and Rassie van Der Dussen scored enterprising half-centuries after their lanky left-arm speedster Marco Jansen picked up top three wickets in a fiery spell. 

Chasing a modest victory target of 180, they romped home with more than 20 overs remaining. They lost openers Tristan Stubbs for duck and Ryan Rickelton for 27, both of them to the giant fast bowler, Jofra Archer. 

But der Dussen and Klassen repaired early damage and later charged with brutal power-hitting. The pair put on 127 runs for third wicket to lay the foundation for another comfortable victory. 

Klassen went after making a fluent 64 off 56 balls laced with 11 sizzling boundaries under dazzling lights in the 29th over. Dussen finished undefeated on 72 and his 87-ball knock was studded with six fours and three sixes. 

Electing to bat first, England were jolted by southpaw Jansen, who delivered a sensational opening spell, claiming three wickets in rapid succession. His lethal bouncers proved too hot to handle for the English batters. Later, Wiaan Mulder, a medium-pacer, caused the middle-order wobble with the figures of 3 for 25 and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets for 35 runs as England disappointingly got bowled out for 179 in the 39th over. 

Opener Phil Salt hit a couple of boundaries in Jansen’s first over. But on the last ball, he topedged his shot to be neatly caught Dussen for eight. Jamie Smith went for duck after facing just three balls caught by Aiden Markaram off Jansen.

Before England could recover from the setback, in-form opener Ben Duckett also topedged a bouncer. It was a big blow to their chances of compiling a decent score as they crashed to 37 for three in the 17th over. 

Trying to put England innings on track, Joe Root and Harry Brook added 50 runs for the fourth wicket off 52 balls. But Brook’s indifferent form continued as he was brilliantly caught by Jansen for 24. He hit four boundaries in his 21-ball knock. 

Root, when looking good, was bowled by Mulder 37. He clubbed five fours and a six in his 44-ball 37. Liam Livingstone followed him quickly stumped by Dussen. He made only nine. Archer showed flashes of brilliance while making 25 but England’s final total of 179 was below par on a pitch which had plenty of runs. 

Butler’s last outing as captain of England turned out to be a nightmarish one. His job was on the line after the dismal results under his command and he chose to quit voluntarily when his team was knocked out of the event after losing to Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan, aided by Zaradan’s record score, oust England from Champions Trophy

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Opener Ibrahim Zadran smashed a record-breaking 177 and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai bagged five wickets, besides scoring 41, as Afghanistan knocked out England from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after a tense and dramatic eight-run victory at Gaddafi Stadium on February 26. 

Chasing a challenging 326 for victory, England were bowled out for 317 in thrilling finale with one ball to spare despite a defiant century by Joe Root (120). He played sheet-anchor role but his departure in the 48th over proved decisive in the end. 

Omarzai, with his lively medium-pace, bowled intelligently in the crunch situation to snare five wickets for 58 runs in 9.5 overs as the Afghanistan players were not overawed by the magnitude of the event, unlike in the past when they used to falter near the closing stages after competing bravely earlier in the game. 

For a change, it was England’s turn to be at the receiving end in this particular match. After suffering their second defeat in as many outings, they have been eliminated from the semifinal race. Afghanistan, however, kept their chances alive as they take on Australia in the final league Group B fixture to decide their fate in the tournament. 

England, like Afghanistan, also made poor start to their innings with loss of wickets upfront. After the early departure of opener Phil Salt (12) and Jamie Smith (9) in seventh over, it was the vastly experienced Root who held the innings together with yet another classy knock. 

Opener Ben Duckett, who had posted a record score of 165 in the previous game against Australia, was unable to reproduce the same kind of heroics but he stood in the middle long enough to revive England’s hope after losing early wickets. 

Skipper Jos Butler, under fire for not delivering the goods, was in the process of taking England close to the target in the company of Root. 

But his departure opened up the game again and Afghanistan sustained the pressure by bowling in good areas which didn’t allow the much needed acceleration in the final overs. It was anybody’s game when England needed 90 off the last 10 overs to stay afloat in the tournament. 

Runs kept coming but wickets also tumbled at regular intervals to keep the contest alive until the very end. Afghanistan did not choke under pressure to complete one of their most famous victories. 

Earlier in the day, Afghanistan elected to bat first after winning the toss. They found themselves reeling at 37 for three in 8.5 overs with fiery speedster Jofra Archer taking all wickets. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was bowled by Archer for 6 while Sediqullah Atal (4) was trapped leg before and Rahmat Shah (4) was caught by Adil Rashid. 

Opener Zadran, however, made this match the most memorable of his career with his highest-ever score in Champions Trophy. He made a wonderful 177 off 146 balls, having clubbed a dozen boundaries and hoisting half a dozen sixes against the powerful pace-cum-spin attack. His heroics eventually won the day for his team. 

Zardan, batting with enormous confidence, shared two century stands to change the complexion of the game. He added 103 for fourth wickets with Omarzai, who hit a breezy 41 off 31 balls with three sixes and a four. 

Later, he and veteran all-rounder Muhammad Nabi put on fiery 111 runs in rapid time and their sixth wicket partnership helped Afghanistan reach a very competitive score which could have been higher.

Afghanistan, after hammering more than 100 runs inside nine overs of the final powerplay, appeared poised to extend their total in the vicinity of 340 but, rather surprising, they were undone by part-time spinner Liam Livingstone in the last over of the innings which yielded only a couple of runs and they had to settle with a score 325 for seven in their quota of 50 overs. 

The unexpected debacle in the final over during which they lost two wickets, including that of the well-set Zardan, could have cost Afghanistan the game which they narrowly won in the end after probably the closest finish yet in the tournament.

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Controversial ball change spoils Ashes finale: Is this cricket?

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Ashes 2023 produced high quality entertainment for the cricket fans as all five Test matches between England and Australia witnessed fierce battles for supremacy and probably it was in the fitness of things that the series was drawn in the end although the home fans were left to rue the rain-affected fourth Test in which the visitors were fighting hard to avoid a crushing defeat. 

There were a lot of headliners in the decisive fifth and final Test at the Kia Oval but the on-field umpires Joel Wilson of the West Indies and Kumar Dharmasena became the centre of controversy for their decision of changing the ball in the 37th over of Australia’s second innings. 

The replacement ball brought about a dramatic change in England’s fortunes and the struggling bowlers soon became lethal to alter complexion of the game. It became obvious that the changed ball was significantly harder and newer than the ball that had been used previously. The vastly experienced English bowlers, hungry for success, fully exploited the situation and Australia, until then firmly in control, lost their 10 wickets in 58.3 overs after the ball change. England managed to win the game after being in serious danger of losing it for all money. 

Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, who was watching the action from the commentators’ box, could not hide his displeasure and shock even on camera. "The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace the one that had gone out of shape. There's no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable,” he complained in a live television interview. 

"At the end of the day, if you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so you make it as close as you possibly can to the one that you're changing it from. Now if you have a look in that box, there weren't too many older-condition balls in there. There were some older ones that were picked up, the umpires looked at that and threw them back,” he pointed out. 

"I just cannot fathom how two international umpires that have done that a lot of times before can get that so wrong. That is a huge moment in this game, potentially a huge moment in the Test match, and something I think actually has to be investigated: whether there was the right condition of balls in the box, or the umpires have just, blasé, picked one out of there that they think will be okay to use," Ponting lashed out.

"The conditions were perfect for bowling this morning, let's say that. The conditions were better for bowling this morning. But what I saw last night, that ball there, I'll put my hand up and say I've got absolutely no doubt at all that that ball would not have done anywhere near as much as what that one did this morning. Double the amount of movement this morning from yesterday afternoon, seam movement and swing. I think it's a huge blunder that needs to be investigated," he elaborated.

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New Zealand storm into T20 World Cup final

By Ehsan Qureshi in UAE 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The trio of Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway and Jimmy Neesham powered New Zealand to the ICC T20 World Cup final when they outsmarted England by five wickets at the Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 10. 

It was a night to remember for the New Zealanders who quietly came from behind to break the shackles in the final overs to script one of their famous wins in white ball cricket. They needed 57 from the last four overs and completed the job with full one over to spare. 

It was a sweet revenge by Blackcaps to their defeat at the hands of England in the 50 overs final at Lord’s London in 2019 which was decided on super over. 

Playing the innings of his lifetime, Mitchell smashed an unconquered 72 off 47 balls to be declared Man of the Match. The hard-hitting Neesham banged 27 in mere 11 balls with three towering sixes and one four while Conway laid the platform a solid 46 off 38 balls. 

New Zealand looked in dire straits while chasing the target of 167 when they lost their prolific duo of opener Mark Guptill and captain Kane Williamson very early. But the manner in which the relatively inexperienced campaigners reconstructed the innings was truly commendable. 

England appeared to have gained decisive control over the game when occasional leg-spinner Liam Livingstone delivered a sensational four-over spell in which he not only picked a couple of wickets but also gave away only 22 runs. Eion Morgan could not asked for better performance with the ball from his fifth bowler.

Incredibly, New Zealand chose to take the experienced bowlers to be put to sword. Chris Jordan, who bowled a probing opening spell of two overs, was hammered for 23 runs in the 17th over and his new-ball partner Chris Woakes was hammered for 20 in the 19th over to settle the issue without going into the final over. 

Put into bat, England seemed to have done well to post a total of 166 for four in the allotted overs with left-handed Moeen Ali scoring a brilliant unbeaten 51 off 37 balls. David Malan also scored an enterprising 41 off 30 balls while Livingstone sparkled briefly for his 17 off 10 balls.

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The Butler blast in desert

By Ehsan Qureshi in UAE 

  (Pakistan News & Features Services)

The pitches in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly in Sharjah, have not been conducive to free flowing batsmen and they have had to exercise greater caution in taking the bowlers to the cleaners. 

England, having won their previous three matches, had their backs to the wall at the halfway stage of their innings against Sri Lanka on November 2 and they were expected to be contained to below par total. 

But there was a man in the middle by the name of Jos Butler who thought otherwise. Butler is known for playing big shots but the manner he constructed and finished his knock was well and truly spectacular to say the least. 

Yes he went on to complete the most incredible of centuries on the final of the innings and it was a maximum. His unbeaten century provided England enough runs to bowl out the Sri Lankans despite the dew factor. 

Although the England bowlers also played their role in taking their side to fourth successive win, the night belonged to Butler. Quite deservedly he was adjudged as Man of the Match for his sparkling century. 

Butler remained undefeated on 101 off 67 balls which didn’t look all that amazing but the fact that he enabled England to add 116 in the last 10 overs after collecting only 47 in the first 10 was more significant in turning the game around. 

He showed once more how to trust one's own abilities. He refrained from taking risks when the situation demanded of him to show restraint. Once his eyes were set and he had measured the bowling, there was no stopping him. It was one of the best T20 knocks to have been played under pressure. 

Butler’s terrific batting made amends for the ordinary performances of other power hitters in the England ranks and he will indeed be considered one of the major threats for the opponents in the upcoming knockout games.

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Pakistan cricket may be further jolted if England don’t tour

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It will be a double jolt for Pakistan cricket if England don't fulfill their commitment of touring for a couple Twenty20 Internationals, following New Zealand’s sudden departure for yet to be undisclosed security threat. 

Along with the millions of lovers in the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also eagerly awaiting the decision of England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in this regard which is expected any moment now. 

England’s brief tour to Pakistan is of vital importance considering next year's visits to be undertaken by Australia and the West Indies. 

This will be a big test of the ECB as Pakistan have given a lot of sacrifices by touring England during Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and staying there for quite few months. 

The PCB and the Pakistani cricketers showed great character by touring England a time when the pandemic was peaking and their families back home had to keep praying for their safety. The players endured tough life inside the bubble, away from family and friends, without complaining. 

Former England cricketers, including captains, have expressed their solidarity with the PCB and cricket-loving public of Pakistan and millions of their supporters across the world. 

Different stories are doing the rounds on social media on Blackcaps abandoning Pakistan’s tour minutes before start of first One-Day International at the Pindi Stadiun Rawalpindi on fateful September 17 afternoon. 

It had shocked the world, PCB, Babar Azam Team Pakistan and in particular general public. 

Pakistan cricket has suffered greatly after the terrorists attack on the Sri Lankan bus in 2009 just outside Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Since then the PCB has had to work really hard to convince foreign teams to play on the Pakistan soil.

Teams from Zimbabwe, West Indies and South Africa have toured Pakistan and praised highest level security arrangements in the recent past. By successfully organizing the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2020 and 2021, the security apprehensions about Pakistan were dispelled as the dozens of foreign participants in the PSL highly appreciated the efficiency of Pakistan’s security agencies. 

The iconic West Indies batsman, Chris Gayle, warmed the hearts of Pakistanis with his tweet that he was going to Pakistan. Who was coming with him was to be seen! 

The T20 World Cup West Indies winning captain, Darren Sammy, complimented Pakistan’s security agencies besides praising excellent hospitality of people and franchise owner. Sammy led Peshawar Zalmi to the PSL crown as their head coach.

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Legendary teammates meet ailing cricketer on deathbed

Pakistan News & Features Services

Mike Hendrick, former England and Derbyshire bowler, died at the age of 72 a few days ago as he was suffering from bowel cancer and was in his last stage. 

This reunion took place in Derbyshire just a week or so before his eventual demise. John Lever, Ian Botham, Bob Taylor, Geoff Miller, Derek Randall, John Emburey and Geoff Boycott, all of them his contemporaries and mates for decades, gathered to bid their farewell to their beloved ‘Hendo’ being aware that his days were numbered. 

It was a noble and praiseworthy gesture on part of Hendrick’s illustrious teammates, quite a few of them living legends, to have taken the time out of their busy schedules during summer to attend to one of their buddies who was literally on deathbed.

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India make amends for toss losses by winning series across formats

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Everyone knows and understands the importance of winning tosses in sub-continental conditions where pitches in Tests tend to get slower as the match progresses while it’s much easier to set targets rather than set one in limited overs games where dew makes it difficult for bowlers and fielders. 

It’s really incredible that India, under the leadership of Virat Kohli, managed to win the series in all three formats recently at home against England despite lost 10 of the 12 tosses. The hosts pocketed the Test series 3-1 while they emerged triumphant 2-1 in both ODI as well as T20I series. 

By doing so, the Indians proved themselves as the top team not only in Tests but also in white ball segments. India’s rotten luck with the coin allowed England to win the first Test at Chennai against all odds. 

Skipper Joe Root extended his brilliant form of Sri Lankan series with yet another double hundred as England piled up the runs and agony for the home side who eventually succumbed to the scoreboard pressure to suffer an unexpected defeat after a memorable tour of Australia where they had come from behind to clinch the Test series despite losing key players to injury. 

The Indians were frustrated by injuries in the home series against England too. Ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was unable to take part in any game while his replacement Axar Patel was also sidelined from the first Test. 

I have a strong feeling that India would have whitewashed their opponents in the Tests if Jadeja or Patel were available in the series opener. 

England’s poor selection strategy cost them dearly and the outrageous decision to send back Moeen Ali after just one Test was bewildering to say the least. 

Picking up three fast bowlers for the pink ball Test, dominated by spinners from the outset, was as strange as their so-called rotation policy which didn’t let them field a settled eleven. Batting or bowling on turning track is an art. 

As we witnessed in the first Test, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, due to lack of expertise and experience, was hit all over the place by the England batsmen. He clearly didn't have an idea where  to bowl on a pitch offering purchase. 

Ravinchandra Ashwin was brilliant but India badly missed Jadeja and Patel in the first Test because they have the desired skills set for such strips. Patel, as we saw in the next three Tests, was spot on as he was proficient in exploiting the conditions. 

Jadeja is an even better exponent of that art and England would have been clueless facing him on these pitches while the ball turned square. As a matter of fact England’s batsmen panicked with the amount of turn which was on offer and it played on their minds leading to their downfall. 

Among the Indian batsman, their wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was outstanding. He has shown incredible promise and if he continues batting like this for a few more years, I fancy him toppling the records held by his illustrious predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni. 

India’s batting, jolted occasionally, continued to have embarrassment of riches. It’s really hard to believe that world class batters like Shikar Dhawan and K L Rahul could not be slotted in the Test line-ups and the selectors cannot be faulted for this. 

If you have the quintet of champion batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane in your folds it’s not possible to fit someone else there. India’s batting has the potential to come good in all conditions and they continued delivering in the toughest of circumstances during the last season. 

The Indian fast bowlers were not tested in the home series against England but they had done enough in Australia to remain trump cards. The emergence of Mohammad Siraj has boosted them further with the tried and tested quartet of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav all of whom are expected to fire in the coming summer where India, besides tackling New Zealand in the final of World Test Championship, will also be taking on England in five-Test series.

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Pakistan hard pressed to save Test series despite Stokes’ absence

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Having lost the first Test, after dominating it for quite some time, Pakistan find themselves in a tight corner going into the second Test against England at Southampton which starts on August 13. 

Hosts England will be forced to take the field in the absence of their star all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has reportedly left for New Zealand due to family reasons. 

Although Stokes didn’t contribute much with the bat in the first Test, his larger than life presence had meant a lot for his team. 

It could be an opportunity, however, for the hitherto underrated all-rounder Chris Woakes to steal limelight in the non-presence of Stokes. 

Declared Man of the Match in the closely contested Old Trafford Test, Woakes seems to have come of age both as a batsman as well as a bowler and he could enhance his reputation to become a regular member of England team in future. 

With typical ‘English’ conditions forecast for the second Test, the home team will be more than happy to hand over the new ball to the tried and trusted duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both of them having more than 500 wickets to their credit now.

Jofra Archer’s raw pace didn’t yield the desired results in the first Test and he may be replaced by Mark Wood, who also has the ability to bowl with tremendous speed.

With Woakes raring to go as the fourth seamer, England may not even need their lone spinner Dom Bess to bowl for longer spells.

Batting is one area which will remain a cause of concern for the home side. They will be depending heavily on skipper Joe Root, who is due for some big runs. Jos Butler will be expected to deliver once more after his match winning knock at Old Trafford.

Pakistan don’t have much options to bolster their batting which let them down in the second innings of the opening Test. Opener Shan Masood’s magnificent century in the first innings was a delight to watch but the failures of other top order batsmen didn’t gladden hearts of the Pakistani supporters. 

Shadab Khan was played as a bowling all-rounder but he was under-utilized by captain Azhar Ali, whose unimaginative captaincy cost Pakistan the match on the fourth afternoon. There’s a possibility that Shadab may be replaced by left-handed Fawad Alam.

Many experts and I do strongly believe that Pakistan should opt for Sarfraz Ahmed at number six on the basis of his past record in the challenging English conditions. But it seems unlikely in the ongoing politicking and the mindset of the present team management.

It’s really strange that time and again everybody in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) down to the members of the support staff are seen mentioning Muhammad Rizwan as the first choice wicketkeeper. It’s not needed. The team could live without petty politics. The biased commentators will also be advised not to emit poison.

Instead Pakistan’s coaches and captain should be more proactive in guiding their bowlers to deliver the goods. It’s a pity that the young speed merchants like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Muhammad Naseem were not directed to test the pair of Butler and Woakes with short-pitched balls when they turned the match around by hitting the length balls with ease.

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Another Ashes Test turns out to be cliff-hanger

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The first Investec Test between England and Australia at Trent Bridge had nearly all the ingredients of another epic Ashes battle which was sold out for all five days. The 2013 series could have started in a more appropriate manner.

The absorbing contest on all five days proved the point once more that Test cricket in alive and kicking. No matter how much greater money could be earned in lesser time by staging limited overs games or tournaments the fact remains that a high profile Test series has his own significance. 

The Trent Bridge Test which England have won by 14 runs in the end remained a fascinating game all along. It was the faintest of tickle, not even spotted by the umpire, which finally sealed the fate of the match in the home side’s favour. 

Australia, not England, could have emerged triumphant if no DRS was in place. It was the third umpire who made the ultimate decision to settle the issue after five days of intense drama. There was something special on all five days and the cricket enthusiasts could not have desired a closer Test match than this.

Chasing an improbable 311 in the fourth innings of the game, Australia seemed to be out of the contest when their ninth wicket fell on the fifth and final morning with 80 still needed. Brad Haddin and James Pattinson counter-attacked with purpose and remained unseparated until lunch which was extended by half an hour as the last pair was in. 

Haddin and Pattinson had brought Australia right back into the game with their steady partnership and there was every reason for Alastair Cook to feel worried even though it was just a matter of one more wicket. That wicket took long time coming. 

Even James Anderson, whose inspired spell of fast bowling had brought England at the brink of victory, had lost steam against the stubborn last pair. Cook was running out of options and runs. He must have had an uneasy lunch. It was a matter of just a few more lusty blows and Australia would have been home. 

They were only 15 runs away from the target when Haddin, well set on 71, seemed to have nicked Anderson.

Aleem Dar, the on-field umpire, was unsure as the England fielders appealed for caught behind. Since he did not spot an inside edge about which only the wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, seemed convinced, the benefit was doubt was given to the batsman which was perfectly in the spirit of the game. 

England, sensing it as their last opportunity, went for the review more in hope than anticipation and they had the decision reversed in their favour and the party began. But it brought to an end one of the most dramatic Test matches of the recent times. 

Anderson's skill and stamina proved decisive in the end as he returned the match winning figures of 10 for 158 off 55.5 overs. He overshadowed the heroics of teenaged debutant Ashton Agar, who created a world record by scoring 98 while batting at number 11 in the first innings.

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Foreign spinners continue to wreak havoc in India

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The 30-year-old off-spinner, James Tredwell, had taken 11 wickets in nine One-day Internationals prior to his selection for the ODI leg of the tour to India. Given his ordinary track record, he might not have expected to be the most successful bowler from either side in the five-match series.

Little did he know about the generosity of the Indians! Their batsmen are understood to be the best batsmen of spin bowling but the fact and figures present an entirely different picture. 

Tredwell has emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series between India and England which concluded at Dharamsala on January 27. 

He captured more wickets than any other bowler from either side that included the home spinners who were also overshadowed by him. He was chiefly responsible for earning both the unlikely wins for England in five outings. 

The Indians won the other three games despite being unable to come to terms to him. He was considered the main threat for the batsmen, having grown up playing spinners of different kinds from childhood. 

Tredwell not only claimed 11 wickets but also mesmerized the batsmen. His bowling average of 18.18 and economy rate of 4.25 on the flat sub-continental pitches would make any spin wizard proud.

Yuvraj Singh, who has a knack of belting the fastest of bowlers to the farthest corners of the ground, looked like a schoolboy while confronting the off-spinner. 

No wonder he was dismissed by him four times in as many matches. It could have been five out of five if he batted long enough to face him in the fifth ODI. 

In the earlier part of the tour England came back to win the Test series after losing the first Test primarily because their spin duo of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar made a mockery of the Indian batsmen in their own backyard. 

Swann and Panesar returned dream figures on the same pitches where the Indian spinners failed to get the desired results while bowling at the English batsmen, less exposed to such tracks or slow bowling at home. 

In between the Test and ODI series against England, India hosted arch-rivals Pakistan and their batsmen struggled against the spinners as much, if not more.

Saeed Ajmal was able to return his career-best figures on a Feroz Kotla pitch which was more conducive to seam and swing bowling while Mohammad Hafeez was no less a terror in almost every outing. 

The Indian batsmen are having a miserable time against the visiting spinners and it’s not the first time when such thing has happened. 

A closer look at the matches held in India would bring to light the fact that their batsmen have allowed the spinners, many of them not having the desired class or caliber, to get on top more often than not. 

It seems to have become a tradition. Even the below-average or ordinary spin bowlers have been obliged with dream-come-true figures by the Indian batsmen, who are supposed to play slow bowling in the most assured manner.

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England cricket dead and buried in UAE

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

This is probably the most astonishing of all results in the recent times. The top ranked Test team, England, has been whitewashed by an outfit, Pakistan, under the command of an ‘interim’ coach (Mohsin Khan) and a ‘compromise’ captain (Misbah-ul-Haq).

For second time in the series England let the game slip away from them after being in total control of the situation. They had lost the second Test at Abu Dhabi after being set a modest target of 145 for victory as they were bowled out for 72 in the most stunning fashion.

The story was not much different in the third and final Test at Dubai where Pakistan had been reduced to 44 for seven in the first session of the game. England could have easily settled the issue by forcing a decisive first innings lead after routing their opponents for 99. England dug their own grave by not managing more than 141 in their first outing.

I don’t know what Andy Flower, under whose coaching England became world-beaters, would be thinking at the outcome of the series. The former Zimbabwean batting great must be wondering how they lost two Tests in a row after being in the driving seat. England could have won the series 2-1 instead of losing it 0-3 on any other occasion.

I think England have worse cricket than this and have achieved much better results. I reckon science will fail if we look at the finer points. England were blown away just at the time they were close to closing the deal.

The England cricket stands dead and buried in the desert of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It has hit the lowest ebb with the current lot who had passion and skills to rule the world. They had done exceptionally well against all teams in the recent past, only to be laid low by a Pakistan outfit which itself had clouds of uncertainty.

In normal circumstances the analysis tells you a lot of stories. But in certain cases like this one you are clueless because you don’t know how you finished as the second best team even after having dominated the duel.

England’s middle-order, with the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, must be double-minded whether they were out of form or out of luck throughout the series. Openers Andrew Strauss and Aliastar Cook also performed below par. How often would you see all the top six batsmen flop so miserably in every outing?

Somebody said the Pakistan spin duo of Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rahman was too good for them. But that’s half the story. The English batsmen also struggled and gifted wickets to Umar Gul, a fast bowler, and Mohammad Hafeez, a part-time spinner, at regular intervals. I am sure even wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal would have chipped in with a few wickets, had skipper Misbah asked him to bowl.

You can’t recall so many soft dismissals during the course of a single series. The half-trackers, meant to be hit at will, produced wickets. The England batsmen, who should not have been short of confidence with loads of runs under their belt in the past few seasons, self-destructed themselves one after another.

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Pakistan spoil England’s party once more

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

England must have realized it now, if they didn’t do it earlier, that coming to terms with Pakistan present a much different kind of challenge than taking on any other outfit anywhere in the world. They dominated the second Test of the ongoing three-match series at Abu Dhabi only to lose it in the unlikeliest of circumstances at the fag end.

After having succumbed to a three-day drubbing in the first Test at Dubai, England held all cards in their pocket right from the outset in the second Test until a dramatic collapse saw them routed for 72 while chasing a modest 145.

It was a game in which England held the upper hand in every session barring the last one which proved decisive in the end. The series has already been decided and Andrew Strauss must be wondering if he has any tricks left up his sleeves to avoid being whitewashed.

Strauss and company had come to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the number one ranked Test team of the world, a status they achieved by humbling India at home last summer. Little did they know that they would be mauled by a Pakistan outfit that had a compromise captain in Misbah-ul-Haq and an interim coach in Mohsin Khan!

People often have short memory hence they tend to forget the past instances little too quickly. Well the treatment meted out to England by Pakistan is nothing new. It had happened in 2005-06 as well when Michael Vaughan’s men had descended in this part of the world after having regained ‘The Ashes’ by overpowering the all-conquering Australia.

England were brought down to earth by Pakistan at a time when Vaughan’s hopes and confidence level was sky high. The same has happened again. Now it’s time for Strauss for bite the dust.

From Pakistan’s point of view they had nothing to lose going into the series. And they have shocked their most ardent of supporters by taming the top ranked side of the world as if they were toying with the minnows.

England collapsed against Pakistan in their second innings at Abu Dhabi on January 28 not much differently than Zimbabwe had done earlier in the day in their first innings against New Zealand at Napier.

In fact, had England scored as much as the Zimbabweans did in their second innings, after following on, they would have emerged triumphant in the Abu Dhabi Test.

It’s time for Misbah and Mohsin to celebrate again. They are being lifted on the shoulders by their teammates. I don’t know what Chaudhary Zaka Ashraf, the newly appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), now thinks about Mohsin, whom he tried to ridicule in a bid to accommodate Dav Whatmore.

He might be thinking differently now. He must be wondering if Pakistan do need a ‘qualified ‘coach or a ‘natural’ captain if Misbah and Mohsin continue producing stunning results as they have done during the past few months in which the lady luck has been with them all along.

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Dhoni’s exemplary leadership helps India whitewash England in payback ODI series

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

With his brilliant batting, agile wicket-keeping and shrewd captaincy, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played the decisive role in guiding India to 5-0 victory over England in the series of One-day Internationals that concluded at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on October 25.

He was the deserved winner of the Man of the Series award which was presented to him by Jagmohan Dalmiya, a former President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), who also headed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and still leads the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

Obviously Dhoni was under immense pressure from all quarters after having returned empty handed from England on a tour where nothing seemed going right for his team. The injuries to key players still haunted him but he knew things won’t be as bad at home in what was being billed as the payback series.

As expected there were quite a few changes in the line-up and the emphasis was on youth when the squad was selected for the first couple of games. The youngsters were given an extended run as the team regained its winning habit.

The ice melted in the first ODI when India finally defeated England at Hyderabad, apparently after ages. Mind you India, the eventual winners of the trophy, were not able to beat England even after having posted a huge total in their World Cup encounter which ended in a tie.

India didn’t look back after hammering England in the series opener. They chased down substantial totals successfully in the next three games with only the one at Mohali giving them a run for their money.

Although Dhoni never talked big and didn’t ever make a mention of whitewash in any of his interviews the whole of India urged him to go for the kill. The Captain Cool that he is, he just believed in taking every game seriously and concentrating wholly to get the result in his team’s favour.

He was the driving force behind the rejuvenated side that showed true grit under pressure. The home conditions certainly suited his boys but in the past hardly any Indian team, having so many big names, succeeded in registering a whitewash.

England were on a high when they landed in India. They would have certainly expected tougher cricket in India but I don’t think they would have ever imagined getting blanked by more or less the same combination whom they had crushed whole summer.

Dhoni’s acts showed that he was focused on winning each and every match of the series. There was not a single unnecessary change in the team on one pretext or the other. He had a definite plan in his mind and he executed it to perfection.

He desired an express fast bowler to complement the duo of Praveen Kumar and Vinay Kumar. Umesh Yadav filled that role and delivered in the first three games. Varun Aaron replaced Yadav only when the latter was injured in the third match. Parthiv Patel was played in first four games and was dropped for not doing well with Manoj Tiwary coming into the eleven in the final ODI.

He displayed great faith in the combination of left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and off-spinner Ravichandaran Ashwin, both of whom rose to the occasion every time the skipper tossed the ball to them. Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina got the runs with Dhoni himself controlling the innings without getting dismissed even once.

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India’s ill-fated tour of England finally over

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

It was one tour which every member of the Indian team, originally in the squad or summoned there as a replacement, would like to forget quickly. It was the most nightmarish of all their outings in the recent past. It was the summer, not much different in terms of results, to the ones of 1959 and 1974 when they had been whitewashed in England.

It would certainly be unfair to hold the Indian Premier League (IPL) wholly and solely responsible to the recent debacle. There were a few other factors as well, beyond the much-criticized Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which contributed to the downfall of the Indians on a tour where literally each and every thing went against them right from the first day of the tour to the very last day.

India’s solitary warm-up match before the first Test at Lord’s was hit by weather, limiting their practicing opportunity. Rains kept chasing them at the wrong time throughout the ill-fated tour. Even in their final outing where they posted a massive total, rains intervened to ensure England didn’t need an arduous task of overhauling 300-plus target at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

This could lead one to believe that it was a very wet summer. If that was the case how did India lose all the four Test matches?

It’s not often that the spin of the coin follows the same trajectory on successive days. India lost all the tosses in the limited overs games and batted first on all occasions. Almost every time their batsmen put runs on the board in bowler-friendly conditions. Yet that side was blanked in all games quite extraordinary to say the least.

Whenever and wherever India scored heavily and then stuck early blows the rains arrived to rescue England. The Indian bowlers and fielders put up brave show in conditions when the late evening dew made it exceedingly hard to grip the ball. They could have only tried their level best which they did. But they didn’t possess the awesome power to win a game.

England must be wondering if their side was good enough to win all eight matches that produced results. Their fringe players, having struggled in the past and likely to do the same in future, came up with performance of lifetime. The ordinary mortals became champions, outshining the seasoned campaigners in the opposing team.

Injuries are part and parcel of modern day game but you can never expect the top eight players getting sidelined. The Indian team has had the tendency of falling apart whenever their heavyweights are missing. They were severely jolted by the absence of the star performers and they didn’t have the luck to escape punishment.

Who would have imagined India, having been crowned as the world champions only a few months ago, would return from England empty-handed? Who could have thought of the top-ranked Test side for the last three years getting whacked in every game?

Probably the only saving grace for India was the ‘safe’ return of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who braved everything with a smile on his face until the final day. He may not have scored the quantum of runs expected of his blade but there was hardly anything to complain about his captaincy with the limited arsenal at his disposal. That he kept himself fit, physically and mentally, throughout the tour spoke volumes of his mental toughness.

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Razzaq stars in Hampshire’s thrilling T20 triumph

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Discarded Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq turned out to be Hampshire’s hero in the thrilling win over Somerset in the final of the Friends Provident T20 Championship at Rose Bowl on August 14.

Former South African batsman Neil McKenzie was the calming influence in the big chase, compiling a solid half century, but Razzaq’s all-round excellence was probably more significant in the outcome of the match in which the scores were tied and Hampshire were declared the winners for having lost fewer wickets.

Cricket is very much a team game and the contribution of every player counts to the success but the adjudicators have to take into account the most influential performance while declaring a Man of the Match. To cut the long story short, Razzaq deserved the award which was handed over to McKenzie.

What a thrilling climax it turned out to be and the result of the 151 matches depended entirely to the last ball. Hampshire needed a couple of runs with Dan Christian, batting with a runner, to win the game and just a single was needed for a tie that would have secured the title for them.

Christian had pulled his hamstring on the previous ball while coming back for a second run and Jimmy Adams arrived as his runner for the last ball for which Marcus Trescothick brought all but one of his fielders close to pitch to prevent the single.

Christian missed the last ball and there was a huge appeal for lbw which was turned down. It looked very close to the naked but the replays confirmed that it was just sliding down leg side and it was yet another great umpiring decision.

The leg bye was stolen in dramatic circumstances with Christian also running the length of pitch with his runner. I think there was an opportunity for Somerset to run him out but their fielders also choked under pressure.

There was a little pause before the Hampshire cricketers ran into the field to celebrate their win. The 39-year-old former England all-rounder, Dominic Cork, at last, had a big trophy in his kitty.

Cork himself played a pivotal role in limiting the Somerset total as his final over was a class act and it reflected what difference experience can make. Something around 15 or 20 runs were expected to be taken when he came on to bowl the last over of the innings with the West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard in full cry.

Pollard, who had blasted the other bowlers in his little cameo, was undone by a bouncer from Cork and landed in hospital a few moments later. Cork then produced a few more unplayable deliveries to restrict Somerset to 173 in 20 overs.

Pollard’s injury not only denied Somerset of a few crucial runs but they were also robbed of his quota of overs that meant additional burden on Trescothick who had to fill the vacuum with part-timers.

India’s left-arm spinner Murali Kartik was the trump card for the Somerset skipper but the dampness in the ground kept the ball wet and it became next to impossible to turn the ball. Kartik still bowled very accurately, not giving away any boundary in his first three overs.

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Cricket will never be same without Vaughan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The game of cricket will never be the same with the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, who announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket on June 30.

Vaughan's poise and grace both on and off the field were legendary and he has won more friends by quitting the game in the larger interest of England cricket. The timing of his decision showed once more that he’s a team man to the core. He has been hailed for making the decision before the start of the Ashes series.

England's most successful Test captain was not selected for the upcoming Ashes squad due to the loss of form and he could have taken a chance of reviving his fortunes by playing for the England Lions against the visiting Australians in the game starting at Worcester on July 1.

The 34-year-old Vaughan resisted the temptation of extending his international career and chose to hang his boots instead because he didn’t wish to increase the pressure on England's current Ashes squad gearing up for the big occasion.

 "It was always going to be a long shot to get me back in. There's some excellent players and, the likes of Ravi Bopara, the last thing that they needed in an Ashes series that is going to be so high profile is someone like myself getting a hundred and the media building up my chances of getting in the team,” a very sporting Vaughan said.

"Those guys need the confidence to go out and play. I had great opportunities and all the younger players and the guys in and around the team need that confidence to go out and express themselves now. I could have had the opportunity to play for the England Lions but it would have been based purely on the past and you have to move forward,” he added.

"I hope by me moving on now it gives a great opportunity for the guys to go and recreate history. The Ashes win of 2005 will be irrelevant over the next few weeks. Hopefully the team can move on and create their own piece of history," the man who led England to an Ashes victory after ages observed.

"I always like us on our home shore; I like the job Andy Flower and Andy Strauss are doing in building this unit. I'm enjoying the fact we've got bowling options that look like wicket-taking options. Yes they bat deep, but I do think we've got 20 wickets in the tank in the Test series. That's why I'm optimistic,” Vaughan reckoned.

"I haven't strategically looked at the Australian players because I haven't had to, but Straussy knows that we're good friends and if any time during the series he wants to ring me up and have a yarn, my phone will always be on. I want England to be successful. I want to be at the Oval in August with everyone celebrating a great Ashes victory,” he wished.

With the retirement of Vaughan the career of one of the most technically correct England batsmen of all time has come to an end. He remained a class act ever since making an impressive Test debut against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1999. Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock were firing on all cylinders but the debutant showed remarkable composure while contribute 33.

He made an even bigger impression in the role of a captain having been compared to the likes of Peter May and Mike Brearley. He commanded respect and was accorded respect from every other opposition captain and player. 

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Dhoni’s boys rewrite history at Chennai

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

History was rewritten at M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on December 15 when India successfully chased down a target of 387 in the last session of the fifth and final day of the first Test against England.

It was a day to remember for everyone watching the action. Sachin Tendulkar probably played the innings of his lifetime and Yuvraj Singh kept his company until the end as their 163-run unbroken fifth wicket stand allowed India to win the game very comfortably in the end.

The foundation for the successful chase was, however, laid by Virender Sehwag. His whirlwind knock of 83 on the fourth evening forced England in a defensive mindset. His onslaught from the outset did not allow the bowlers to settle down and with the century of the opening partnership raised in a jiffy there was all the time in the world to knock off the remaining runs.

The contribution of Sehwag’s partner, Gautam Gambhir, was equally important. His brilliant knock of 66 allowed India to recover from the losses of the belligerent Sehwag and the struggling Rahul Dravid.

By the time Gambhir lost his wicket, Tendulkar was well set and he took the responsibility of rebuilding the innings on his shoulders. VVS Laxman looked in sublime form before perishing early in the afternoon session.

The game was wide open when Yuvraj, making a comeback in the team, joining Tendulkar with 163 still needed in nearly two sessions. With quite a few balls misbehaving and the spinners extracting appreciable turn, batting was a tricky proposition if not a nightmare on the wearing fifth day pitch.

History was not on the Indian side either. They had made better starts while chasing larger totals only to fall short at the fag end quite a few times in the past. The big chase at The Oval in 1979 came into mind when India finished nine runs short while chasing a target of 438 after being 366 for one at one stage with the duo of Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar in complete command of the situation.

Vengsarkar had spearheaded another memorable chase, against Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground, New Delhi in 1979, but the Indians couldn’t finish it off and settled for a draw. India had squandered golden opportunities at Chennai’s M A Chidambaram Stadium as well. Set a challenging target of 348 by Allan Border on the final day of the first Test in the 1986-87 series, the Indians appeared coasting towards a comfortable win after the good work of their top-order batsmen. But they lost their way against the unfancied Australian spinners and the end result was a tie.

Then in the first Test of the 1998-99 series against Pakistan, it was Sachin Tendulkar’s fighting hundred that brought India at a striking distance towards their target on the fifth and final day. But in one of the most dramatic turnarounds of all time India lost the match from a winning position.

Nothing of this sort happened at the M A Chidambaram Stadium on December 15, 2008 with the Indians finally able to press home the advantage. It was the fourth highest successful run chase in Test history and the highest ever on the Indian soil.

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