Cold welcome to international cricket in Karachi

By Ehsan Qureshi at National Stadium, Karachi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The functionaries of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were baffled with extremely low turnout of spectators and the obvious lack of interest in the T20 series between Pakistan and the West Indies which got underway at the National Stadium, Karachi, on December 13. 

Despite massive security arrangements as international cricket resumed in Pakistan, there were hardly a few dozens of cricket enthusiasts to have reached the stadium to watch the first T20I which began after office hours, at 6 pm. 

One major reason of the ongoing series failing to attract the masses could be the absence of top players of West Indies specially power hitters like Keiron Pollard and André Russell besides other top performers. 

The most expensive tickets were being offered at Rs 4,000 for the VIP enclosure while the lowest ticket of Rs 200 was being sold for Rs 200. 

The PCB must have expected bigger turnouts for the white-ball series against the West Indies as the Pakistan team was on a high after sterling performances in the last T20 World Cup followed by an extremely successful tour of Bangladesh. The only consolation for the PCB, however, was the resumption of international cricket after New Zealand and England had refuse to fulfill their obligations earlier this season.

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Pakistan keen to sustain momentum to crush West Indies in white-ball series

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The rampant Pakistan side, under the dynamic leadership of the prolific Babar Azam, will be looking to sustain the momentum of recent weeks to overwhelm the visiting West Indians who open their campaign with their first T20 International of the new series at the National Stadium, Karachi, on December 13. 

In a virtual press conference, held on December 12, the triumphant Pakistan skipper felt hopeful on extending the brilliant form of his team which began in the T20 World Cup and continued on the recent tour of Bangladesh where they floored the hosts across formats. 

Babar did not mince words in stating that the national should be having batting and bowling coaches, along with the head coach, explaining that when full number of players was present in the squad then all coaches should also be there for every series, home or away. 

He complimented the West Indian team for undertaking the tour of Pakistan at a time when a few other outfits (New Zealand and England) had pulled out at the eleventh hour. 

Babar ruled out taking the visitors lightly even though they will be taking the field in the absence of many of their seasoned campaigners who will be missing the action due to injuries and illness. 

With high expectations of clean sweep in the T20I as well as the ODI series, the home side is not expected to make many mistakes and they have a fully charged team which is eager and hungry for more success on the field. 

They have rested paceman Hasan Ali and dropped Imad Wasim while veteran all-rounders, Muhammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, opted to take a break. 

The West Indians, who had previously toured Pakistan in 2018, will now be play three T20 Internationals and as many One-day Internationals against the hosts during their current tour. Led by power-hitter Nicholas Pooran, after regular captain Kieran Pollard pulled out of the team due to injury, the West Indies will aim to be competitive in the T20I series while Sai Hope will be captaining the visitors during the ODI series. 

Despite heavy odds, the two-time T20 world champions, West Indies possess a number of talented youngsters like Rovman Powell, Romario Sherpherd, Odean Smith and Dominic Drakes besides left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in their folds, who seem capable of coming up with freak performances in the shortest format of the time.

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Shoaib, Imad, Sarfaraz axed for West Indian series

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The vastly experienced trio of Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim and Sarfaraz Ahmed has been dropped while fast bowler Hasan Ali is being rested for the upcoming home series against the West Indies starting at National Stadium Karachi from December 13. 

The Pakistan cricket selectors' panel, headed by Mohammad Wasim, has surprised many with some of the choices for the T20I and ODI squads which will be taking on the West Indies later this month. 

From the 18 players who were part of the recently-concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik have been left out while fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain has been added to the 15-man squad for the T20Is. 

Likewise, from the 17 players who were available for selection for the England ODIs in July, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Wasim Junior have replaced Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the 17-member side, while Abdullah Shafique has been named as a traveling reserve.

“As we have been playing T20Is since October and now have a pretty settled and balanced side, we have decided to reduce the number of players to 15. As such, we have not included Imad Wasim, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik,” chief selector Wasim explained. 

“For the ODIs, which we last played in July, we have accepted the team management’s request and provided them two additional resources,” he added. 

Pakistan’s T20I squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir. 

Pakistan’s ODI squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Hasnain, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir. Traveling reserve: Abdullah Shafique.

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Top WI players to skip Pakistan tour

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Some of the top West Indian players will miss next month's tour of Pakistan to play a series of three T20 Internationals and as many One-day Internationals. 

All-rounder Kieron Pollard will lead the team and all the six white-ball matches will be played at the picturesque National Stadium in Karachi from December 13 to 22. 

Former captain Jason Holder alongwith explosive all-rounder Andre Russell and hard-hitting batters Lendl Simmons, Evin Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer will not be touring Pakistan due to different reasons. Another power-hitter Fabian Allen and fast bowler Ebed McCoy have been ruled out due to injuries. 

The new look West Indian squad contains a quite a few raw youngsters. The quartet of Justin Greaves, Shamarh Brooks, Gudakesh Motie and Odean Smith has earned their maiden call-ups for the ODIs while Dominic Drakes and Motie have been included for the T20Is. 

As far as the home team is concerned two of their veterans and former captains, Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Hafeez, have announced their unavailability for the West Indian series due to personal commitments. Both of them also skipped Pakistan’s tour to Bangladesh but their absence wasn't felt much as the Babar Azam-led green shirts swept the T20I series 3-0. 

The islanders from the Caribbean, who dominated the cricket world in the 1980s, haven’t performed consistently against Pakistan during the last couple of decades and they are not being expected to stretch the hosts, on a high in the T20s since the beginning of the recently held ICC World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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Sports journalist Khalid Khan passes away

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

One of Pakistan's senior sports journalists, Khalid Hasan Khan, who was working at Dawn, the country’s premier English-language newspaper, breathed his last at Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital on November 23. 

According to the family sources, he was hospitalized after suffering a brain hemorrhage a couple of weeks of ago. He was 58, having left behind a widow and four daughters to mourn his death. 

He was a member of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) as well as the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) for the last many years. 

He extensively covered domestic and international cricket at home. His last international assignment was in Rawalpindi where he had flown to cover the Pakistan-New Zealand ODI series which was cancelled at the eleventh hour due mysterious security concerns of the visitors. 

Khalid Khan was considered an authority on domestic first-class cricket which he covered comprehensively with dedication and commitment for many decades. 

He had started his career by contributing to the famous monthly cricket magazine ‘The Cricketer Pakistan’ in 1980s and later switched to daily journalism by joining ‘The News’ soon after its launch in early 1990s. After working there for about a decade, he joined Dawn for whom he continued working until the time of his death. 

A quiet person by temperament, he was popular among the media corps which used to assemble at the National Stadium Karachi Press Box to cover various matches. His death is a great loss to sports journalism in Pakistan and it will leave a kind of vacuum in the cricket reporting arena.

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Marsh, Warner power Australia to ICC T20 World Cup crown

By Ehsan Qureshi in Dubai 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Australia, at last, clinched maiden ICC T20 World Cup crown when they thrashed New Zealand by eight wickets in what eventually turned out be a one-sided final at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on November 14. 

The mighty Aussies lived upto their reputation of coming good in crunch matches. They also maintained the tradition of chasing and winning at this ground. 

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh was instrumental in his team's triumph in the final as he toyed with the Blackcaps bowling attack with superb hitting. 

The Man of the Tournament award was presented to the prolific Australian opener, David Warner, for his crucial runs in trying circumstances. The explosive left-hander succeeded in turning it around after a lean patch in the IPL on the eve of the T20 World Cup. 

Marsh cracked an unbeaten 77 off 50 balls laced with half a dozen boundaries and four sixes in the final to drive Australia to a famous victory. Fellow all-rounder Glenn Maxwell finished unbeaten on 28 off 18 balls with the help of four fours and a six. They added 66 runs stand for third wicket without being separated as Australia chased down the target of 173 with seven balls to spare. 

Coming in at number three, Marsh trumped Kane Williamson's spectacular knock of 85 off 48 balls with ten fours and three sixes. Sent to bat first, the Blackcaps recovered from a sluggish start to post a competitive total of 172 for four in their 20 overs. 

They were struggling against the pace and swing of Josh Hazelwood and they could muster just 32 runs in six overs of power play. Williamson was well supported by opener Martin Guptill who scored 28 off 35 deliveries with three boundaries. 

Hazelwood snapped up three wickets for 16 runs in an amazing spell of bowling but the star left-arm spearhead Mitchell Starc conceded as many as 60 runs in his four overs. 

The Australian captain, Aaron Finch, received the trophy and cash purse of US$1.6 million while his counterpart, Williamson, collected a sum of US$0.8 million for being the runners-up. 

The Australian head coach, Justin Langer, who himself was a part and parcel of the all-conquering outfit of his country in the past, did not mince words in declaring that winning T20 World Cup was among great moments in their cricket history. 

"My boys enjoyed the game and have fun which was the key in winning the title,” Langer, who played 105 Tests and eight ODIs for Australia, remarked after Finch had brought home the trophy.

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New T20 world champs to emerge as Aussie clash with Blackcaps

From Ehsan Qureshi in Dubai 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A new champion is set to Emerge on the horizon as Australia clash with New Zealand in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup at Dubai Cricket Stadium on November 14. 

It’s for the first time when the two neighbor countries, bisected by Tasman Sea, are up against each other in the final of the World Cup in the shortest format of the game. 

Australia, having annexed the 50 overs World Cup a record four times, reached T20 World Cup final once where they lost to England in West Indies in 2010. 

Aaron Finch’s Australians team, which pulled off a stunning five-wicket win over favourites Pakistan in the semifinals, remains in the happier frame of mind entering the final. 

Middle-order Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis snatched the game from jaws of defeat after the middle-order had tumbled against Pakistan in their previous outing at the same ground.  

Hasan Ali’s dropped catch of Wade, who hammered spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi for three consecutive sixes to seal the fate of the closely fought encounter is still being echoed on the social media across the globe. 

But I firmly believe that T20 is a lottery and a solitary freak performance can change the course of the game in blink of an eye as Wade demonstrated by blasting Pakistan’s speedster Shaheen, who had starred in the opening game against India. 

On the other hand, Blackcaps, led by Kane Williamson, shocked Eoin Morgan's higher-ranked England in the other semifinal at Abu Dhabi. Like Wade and Stoinis, Jimmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchell were the heroes as they came from difficult position to turn the game with brutal hitting against top death bowlers Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes. 

New Zealand, after losing to Pakistan in the league rounds, have come back strongly to qualify for the final. They may not be having too many mega stars in their line-up but they have continued to be a major force in every format of the game in the recent past. 

The brand of cricket, Australia and New Zealand play, and the kind of fighting qualities these two neighbouring countries, it would be difficult to predict the outcome. 

The experienced duo of Williamson and Martin Guptill has the firepower to muscle any bowling attack while Tim Southee and Trent Boult are the two seasoned fast bowlers in their line-up who make New Zealand a most formidable outfit. How do they fare against the Australians in the final remains to be seen! 

Apart from skipper Finch and David Warner, the Australian batting revolves around Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell with Stonis and Wade to follow in the middle-order. The pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh By Hazelwood, backed by leg-spinner Adam Zampa, has the potential to unsettle any batting side.

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Wade shatters Pakistan’s dream to cruise into T20 World Cup final

By Ehsan Qureshi in Dubai

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Incredible batting display by left-handed Matthew Wade spearheaded Australia into the final of the 6th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup when they overpowered Pakistan by five wickets in a tensely fought semifinal under dazzling lights at the Dubai International Stadium on November 11. 

Wicketkeeper-batter Wade hammered an unbeaten 41 off just 17 balls with fours sixed and two fours to richly deserve Man of the Match award. At the other end Marcus Stoinis remained unconquered on an invaluable 40 off 31 balls with brace of sixes and fours to take Australia home with an over to spare. 

They shared a dramatic match winning 81-run sixth wicket partnership after half of their team was back in the hut before raising 100 of the innings. The vastly experienced left-handed opener, David Warner, led the charge initially with 49 off 30 balls with two sixes and as many fours before they lost flurry of wickets which restored parity in the game. 

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan’s four-wicket haul broke the back of Australian batting as they needed 67 runs in last five overs. But it was brilliance of Wade which changed the complexion of the game decisively. 

It may be recalled that it was another left-handed Aussie, Mike Hussey, who had snatched the semifinal from Pakistan in the Caribbean in 2010 in similar conditions. Australia had scored 57 runs in last three overs to storm into the final where they lost to England.

Pakistan’s defeat in the pre-final sent hundreds of their supporters in tears and they dominated the crowd of nearly 20,000 in Dubai. They had expected Pakistan to win the game but they returned home heartbroken. 

Hasan Ali dropped a catch off Shaheen Afridi in the deep which cost Pakistan a place in the final. Afterwards Wade hoisted Shaheen for three successive sixes to snatch the game away from Pakistan. Shadab nearly emerged as the unlikely hero with four wickets for 26 runs before Wade and Stoinis took control. Shadab’s figures were the best ever to be recorded in the semifinals of T20 World Cup. 

Star batter Muhammad Rizwan, who was doubtful for the match due to fever and flu, and the 2017 Champions Trophy hero Fakhar Zaman hit form at the perfect time as they were instrumental in help Pakistan post a competitive total of 176-4 in 20 overs.

Rizwan continued his dream run in the event with a spectacular 67 off 52 balls studded with four sixes and three fours. Opening the innings with skipper Babar Azam, he gave Pakistan another fantastic start of 70 runs in 10 overs after Aaron Finch won the toss and inserted them to bat first.

Babar made a compact 39 off 34 balls laced with five boundaries. But it was left-handed Fakhar who took Pakistan towards a commanding total. After a steady start, he tore apart the Australian attack with his typical powerful hitting. He hoisted four sixes and three fours in his 55 off 34 deliveries. 

The aggression of Rizwan and Fakhar allowed Pakistan to put 106 runs on the board in the last 10 overs as the Australians seemed to have lost the plot for a while with Steve Smith dropping a sitter in the deep and their fancied speedsters misfiring occasionally. The unusually untidy cricket from the Aussies in the field could have cost them the game but they were bailed out by Wade and Stonis in the end.

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