Salman Butt likely to be Pakistan's next vice captain

Salman Butt likely to be Pakistan's next vice captain

Salman Butt, the Lahori-born opener from the Pakistan cricket team has emerged as the favourite to win the coveted position of the vice-captaincy for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka followed by the England tour as well. Ijaz Butt, who is the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board, along with Mohsin Hasan Khan, the chief selector for the team, recommended Salman Butt’s name for the position of vice-captain. Coach Waqar Younis and Captain Shahid Khan Afridi, who have been recently appointed by the PCB for the forth coming tournaments, have also agreed with the move.

According to sources, the final announcement will be made towards the end of this week along with the rest of the team for the Asia Cup by Ijaz Butt.

The left-handed opening batsman has served as a vice-captain of his team in the past as well. Initially in 2007, Salman Butt worked as the vice-captain of the Pakistan cricket team. However, he was removed within a short time period without clarifying the reasons for his dismissal.

The PCB decided to go for Salman Butt as it is still not confirmed that whether Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan will be able to take part in the upcoming series due to fines and bans imposed by the board. In the present scenario, Salman Butt was the best available option according to the Pakistan Cricket Board. According to media critics and experts, Salman’s appointment as the vice-captain of Pakistan is of immense importance. On the other hand, they are still uncertain of Afridi’s elevation as a Test captain. Shahid Afridi will really have to work hard in order to prove his critics wrong. The hard hitter has been appointed as the captain for all versions of the game in spite of the fact that he has not played a test match since 2006.

It seems as if the board as well as the PCB selectors are themselves confused about Afridi’s talent as a test captain so they have promoted Salman Butt onto the pedestal as well. The strategy seems quite clear that in case Afridi failed to justify his place in the Test squad, the team will have a back up captain in the form of Salman Butt.

The left handed batsman has played a total of 125 matches with 27 Tests, 76 ODI’S and 22 T20 matches. Salman Butt is one of the few players of his team who possess an excellent educational background.

After being appointed as the vice-captain, Salman will now have to play with a sense of responsibility, keeping his own form and fitness at a constant level. He will have to focus more on his batting technique as well as his strategy in order to avoid early dismissals in a match. There is no doubt that Salman Butt is growing as a mature professional with every passing day and his role will be of utmost significance for the entire nation in the upcoming series against Australia and England. The player has shown consistent performances in the recent past.

Salman Butt has been given a great opportunity by the PCB and he can surely learn a lot from serving under Shahid Afridi and the senior management. His performance in the T20 World Cup has changed every one’s perception about him. With his hard work and dedication, Butt has proved the critics wrong who had blamed him for being an unfit player for the shorter format of the game.

His tremendous knock in the T20 World Cup has surely helped him towards his promotion in the side. With an average run rate of 44.60, Butt was the third highest run scorer in the T20 Championship with 223 runs to his credit. Throughout the tournament, the left hander’s strike rate remained well above 131.07 runs per 100 balls.

Salman Butt has a lot of cricket left to play. The stylish left handed player has got ample time to learn and develop himself into a good leader in order to lead his team from the front in future.

Youngsters should be in Asia cup

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Captain Shahid Afridi was of the view that young players should be included in the squad for the Asia Cup to be held in Sri Lanka from June 15.

While talking to the media Afridi said that to win Asia cup is his main target and he added, we should have atleast three to four new players along with the seniors so that we can strike the right balance in the one-day side.

“It is right time to start grooming and giving exposure to some of our young lot because we also have to keep the 2011 World Cup in mind," Afridi said.

Replying to a question he said that he didn't want to comment on the inclusion of Shoaib Malik in the team because it is solely a matter of Pakistan Cricket Board. Selection of player should be completely on merit, he further said.

Tendulkar comes to aid of bed-ridden friend

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar arriving in Ahmedabad on Wednesday in the role of a Good Samaritan.

Ahmedabad: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has come to the rescue of his friend Dilbir Singh, who had been bed-ridden since a near fatal accident in 2002, by sponsoring his treatment.

He also came to the city to meet him today after his successful hip-replacement surgery at Shelby Hospital.

Tendulkar had played under-17 cricket with Singh and both are close friends, Singh's sister Sukhbir Kaur said.

"Dilbir has been suffering since his accident in 2002. But now with the hip-replacement his life would be normal again. I am very thankful to Sachin for all his help and support throughout these years," she said.

Pakistan lawmakers direct PCB to lift cricketers ban

Pakistan's lawmakers on Monday asked cricket authorities to review the decision about banning top national players.

Lower house Sports Committee Chief Iqbal Muhammad Ali advised Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt to reconsider his decision of banning top national cricketers.

"There should be equal treatment for all, if you want to punish them than punish all otherwise forgive all of them," directed committee chairman while responding to former captain Younis Khan's complaint that he was discriminated to be banned for indefinite period.

The Pakistan Cricket Board banned two former captains Younis Khan and Muhammad Yousaf for indefinite period, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for one year and imposed a fine of two million rupees on Shoaib Malik and Rana Naveed, three million rupees on wicket keeper batsman Kamran Akmal, 2 million rupees on his brother Umer Akmal and 3 million rupees on Shahid Afridi for defeat against Australia earlier this year.

"This is totally unfair and not a way to correct the affairs. If you find a player indiscipline, punish him then and there instead of setting up inquiry after the series," the committee chief ruled while also ordering to waste the video records of the inquiry against the players.

PCB last week leaked the videos of this inquiry in a suspicious manner leading to speculations that the board management wanted to divert the criticism on selection of national T20 squad following its defeat from Australia in World Championship semi final.

Ijaz Butt disclosed during the meeting that he was under tremendous pressure to give serious punishment to Shoaib Malik and forgive others but he had refused to accept this pressure.

He said he would consult PCB board of governors and chairman of its appellate tribunal to forgive the players.

"I would act upon members of governing board and appellate tribunal advice in this regard," he said.

He also praised Younis Khan saying he was a true patriot and action against him was taken to beat the infighting in team.

Earlier, the Chief Operating Officer of PCB Wasim Bari briefed the legislators about inquiry report.

He said that team was gripped in grouping and seniors had serious differences among them while various juniors had been involved in clashes.

The committee also advised PCB for construction of a stadium in Islamabad and to resolve its land dispute with Capital Development Authority. By Mir Mohammad

Super Stars Pakistan all-time XI

Three fast bowlers have been picked unanimously in Cricinfo's all-time Pakistan Test XI. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan each received 10 votes from a jury that included Ramiz Raja and Intikhab Alam among others. The only other unanimous selection was Javed Miandad, in the middle order.

No current Pakistani player makes it to the side - unlike in five of the six all-time XIs named by Cricinfo so far. The most recent retiree was Inzamam-ul-Haq, who is at No. 5 in the order, with nine votes. Mohammad Yousuf, who received four votes, and Shoaib Akhtar (one) were among those who didn't make the cut.

Historically fast bowling has been Pakistan's strength, and it is a sign of how highly the fearsome and influential spearheads of the side's 1990s attack were rated that both were picked unanimously. While the two Ws made the XI purely as bowlers, Imran also serves as the side's allrounder. There was no consensus over the third quick bowler, though: Fazal Mahmood, who received three votes, edged out Sarfraz Nawaz and Shoaib Akhtar.

Wasim Bari and Rashid Latif were tied with four votes each for the wicketkeeper's place. Latif was picked for his superior batting.

The jury opted for an opening combination that would provide a mix of strokeplay and stoic defence: Saeed Anwar (six votes), who attacked no matter what the format or situation, and Hanif Mohammad (nine), who gave up his naturally aggressive style and dug in for several marathon innings to complement the stroke-making of his team-mates.

At one-down is Zaheer Abbas (six), the only Asian batsman to make over 100 first-class hundreds.

Only two members of the jury did not pick Abdul Qadir, who revolutionised legspin in the 80s and paved the way for the likes of Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, as the team's lone slow bowler.

Qadir also made it to the readers' XI, getting more than half the votes polled in the spin category, comfortably ahead of Saqlain Mushtaq. Latif narrowly missed getting the gloves in the readers' XI, losing out to Bari. The readers preferred Shoaib as the third fast bowler over Fazal. All their other choices matched those of the jury.

The jury included Salahuddin Mulla, who played Test cricket for Pakistan in the 1960s, cricket writers Qamar Ahmed (who also played first-class cricket and coached Netherlands) and Kamran Abbasi, and former administrators Shaharyar Khan, Arif Abbasi and Chishty Mujahid.

The XI: Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Fazal Mahmood, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis

The readers' XI: Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Zaheer Abbas, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Wasim Bari, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis.

The nominees

Openers: Aamer Sohail, Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Majid Khan, Mudassar Nazar, Sadiq Mohammad, Mohsin Khan.

Middle order: Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saleem Malik, Mushtaq Mohammad, Younis Khan, Asif Iqbal, Saeed Ahmed.

Allrounder: AH Kardar, Imran Khan, Intikhab Alam, Mushtaq Mohammad, Wasim Akram.

Wicketkeepers: Wasim Bari, Imtiaz Ahmed, Rashid Latif, Moin Khan.

Fast bowlers: Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Waqar Younis, Fazal Mahmood, Sarfraz Nawaz, Shoaib Akhtar.

Spinners: Abdul Qadir, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Iqbal Qasim, Danish Kaneria

Twenty20 has oppartunity stroke-makers - Salman Butt

Salman Butt, the mainstay of Pakistan's batting in the recently concluded World Twenty20, believed that his success during the event was based on understanding that the youngest format of the game was not about just slogging.

"Twenty-over cricket has a place for what I would term "proper stroke-makers" - batsmen who play their shots on the merit of each delivery," Butt toldPakpassion.net. "Bowlers are fighting back when it comes to this form of the game and they are finding new ways to innovate and to restrict the batting side. As a batsman I think you have to play the high percentage shots, the shots that you know you can play, the shots that you feel you can score off effectively."

"If you think about it, get four or five singles in an over and one boundary in the same over, and you have accumulated eight or nine runs in that over, which if you can maintain and you will end up with 160-plus. It's not just about the fours and sixes". Butt was the third highest run-getter in the tournament, with 223 runs at 44.60, and a strike-rate of 131.17. Interestingly, he hit only four sixes during the tournament, fewer than anyone else in the top fifteen.

His top score came in the Super Eights match against New Zealand, which Pakistan contrived to lose by one run, when tail-ender Abdur Rehman spooned a catch into the deep off the last ball, with Butt stranded at the non-striker's end on 73. Butt had run a bye off the penultimate ball to relinquish the strike, and he backed his decision in hindsight.

"We needed 11 off the last over and then three off two deliveries after I managed to hit two boundaries. Rehman and I had a chat before the penultimate delivery and decided that we would go for a bye even if I did not connect with the ball. We scampered a bye and then had another chat before the final delivery. We decided that again we would run for anything and we were confident that if it went to the super over, in Mohammad Aamer we had a bowler who would see us to victory.

Rehman had not batted previously in the tournament as of course it was his first match, so I said to him to at least look for a single. However when the ball was bowled by [Ian] Butler, Rehman's eye's lit up at the leg-stump half volley. He went for a boundary and connected really well. If the ball had been a few yards either side of the fielder it would have gone for a boundary. Thinking back I thought the planning was satisfactory and it was really painful when we did not at least score a single on that final delivery," Butt said.

Despite that loss, their second in two Super Eights games, Pakistan roared back into the tournament with a fine victory against South Africa to enter the final four. They dominated their semi-final match against Australia from the outset and looked on course for their third consecutive World Twenty20 final before running into a rampaging Michael Hussey, who stole 18 off the final over to put it past them. Butt admitted there was little his side could have done to deny Hussey in that kind of form.

"Yes we can be satisfied with reaching the semi-finals, but the target is always to win trophies. We came back very well after the New Zealand defeat to beat the South Africans and I thought we were gaining enough momentum and on our way to the final. "We made the highest score any team made in the tournament against Australia, but it was one of those occasions where you have to credit Mike Hussey for his batting. I would say that rather than Pakistan losing the semi-final, it was more a case of Hussey winning the match for Australia," Butt said.

Butt credited his coaches, Ijaz Ahmed and Waqar Younis, for his fine run of form in the West Indies. "They really backed me during the tournament and gave me a lot of self-belief and confidence. As a batsman once you receive the backing and you have the self confidence, then that is half the battle," Butt said.

Butt hopes to feature in Pakistan's next assignment, the Asia Cup one-day tournament which will be held on the bowler-friendly wickets at Dambulla in Sri Lanka. "Hopefully I will get selected. The conditions in Dambulla are very tricky for top order batsmen as the ball seams around a lot in the first hour or so. Winning the toss could be pivotal in the result of the matches in Sri Lanka," he said.

After the Asia Cup, Pakistan embark on a tour of England where they will face the hosts and Australia in six Tests, and Butt is up for the potentially tough examination. "Facing the Australian and English bowling attacks will be a tough test. They are amongst the best bowling attacks in the world at the moment and they will thoroughly test me and the other Pakistani batsmen. However when you face tough opponents, it helps you to develop your game and to work harder at improvements in your game and technique," Butt said.

Butt's name has done the rounds as a potential captain for Pakistan in Test matches, following the retirement of Mohammad Yousuf, but he has not dwelled much on the possibility. "I have read a few articles in the press and I know that a few ex-players have suggested that I should be given the opportunity. Of course it would be an honour to lead my country, but it is not something I have been thinking about. I would much rather concentrate on my batting in the upcoming Asia Cup and tour of England," he said.

Collingwood's team feel a sense of destiny

As Hussey was launching one of cricket’s great fightbacks against Pakistan, England were relaxing in more tranquil settings. Paul Collingwood, the England captain, was standing over a putt on the 18th hole at Barbados’s Apes Hill golf course, protected from a stunning reminder of the dangers Australia will pose today at the Kensington Oval.

Michael Clarke, Collingwood’s opposite number, described Hussey’s barrage against Pakistan as a great display of Australian endeavour and grit.

Collingwood, perhaps sensing some old Aussie mind games, was refusing to let it dent Sunday’s sense of optimism as England bid for a first World Cup title.

“Whatever form of the game you play Australia in, it is the old enemy and obviously the Ashes is the ultimate, but playing in a World Cup final can’t be too far off that,” Collingwood said.

“We’ve never won an ICC trophy, but if we were to do it against Australia it would feel very, very sweet.

“We’ve been talking about it between ourselves and getting into the finals of World Cups doesn’t happen too often in the history of English sport, let alone cricket.

“If you look at the footballers in 1966 and then the rugby guys who’ve had a couple of finals, it is not something that comes around everyday so we feel like we’re in a privileged position right now.”

Ever since England dodged a bullet in Guyana, when Ireland were one break in the clouds away from a close Duckworth-Lewis run chase, there has been a sense of destiny around the team.

“There have been a couple of good omens for me out here, the other day in the semi-final I walked out on to the pitch for the anthems with the young girl mascot I had to hold hands with,” Collingwood said. “I said: ‘Hi my darling, what’s your name then?’ and she turned and said: ‘My name’s Lucky.’ So as soon as she said it I had a big smile on my face and thought what a great sign that is.

“I love those sort of things that happen along the way and it put a really good feel factor into my mind as soon as I heard that.

“I’m a little bit superstitious about things so I was supposed to get my hair cut out here, and I know it looks atrocious, but once we got on a roll I thought I can’t get it cut until we’ve got home and hopefully that will be with the trophy.

Australia Vs Pakistan. T20 World Cup Semi Final

Australia Vs Pakistan (Aus Vs Pak) T20 World Cup Semi Final Highlights. Australia won the Icc T20 World Cup Semi Final by 3 wickets and will face England in the Final. Australia has won the match and elect to field first, in twenty overs Pakistan scored 191 runs with losing 6 wickets. Catch all the action live score on ESPN, Geo Super, Super Sports along with live streaming(telecast), interative scorecards, player profiles, wagon wheels, manhattans, video highlights, etc. SuperSport will bring exclusive live cricket streaming and live cricket scores of the world cup match.

Pakistan 191/6 (20/20 ov)
Australia 197/7 (19.5/20 ov)
Australia won by 3 wickets (with 1 ball remaining)
Man of the Match – Michael Hussey 60 (24)

Umar and Ajmal choke South Africa

A rejuvenated Pakistan put their recent dismal form aside to successfully choke a formidable South Africa and revive hopes for a semi-final place of the 2010 World Twenty20.

In a repeat of the semi-final last year, Pakistan saved their best for the Proteas, restricting them to 137 for seven and claiming the all-important win by 11 runs. The modest 148-run total never looked enough, especially after yet another poor start restricted Pakistan to 18 for three in five overs. However, Umar Akmal and captain Shahid Afridi, both of them under fire for consistent poor performance, showed their skill with the bat and in the field to lead the shock win.

Umar first top-scored for Pakistan with a 33-ball 51 and then took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss danger-man Jacques Kallis and the defending champions’ feeble work in the field during the past matches hit new heights in the crunch encounter. Umar launched into Roelof van der Merwe and slogged him over midwicket before lofting him over long-off for another maximum. The teenager continued his assault against the South Africans by flicking Kallis over square-leg for his third six before completing the rout with a slog-swept maximum. Afridi, too, played a typically aggressive innings in reminiscence of his match-winnings half-century at Trent Bridge last year as he drove and pulled Kallis for successive boundaries.

Rash stroke-play did accompany him as soon as he entered the field but a brutal six off a low Albie Morkel full-toss sent out a harsh warning to the opposition. Pakistan managed 38 runs in the last five overs as Umar and Afridi perished in the same over, trying to slog their team past 150. The total, however, proved enough against the South Africans who yet again underlined their inability to counter spin bowling. Abdur Rehman and Saeed Ajmal shared six of the seven wickets to fall, including three wickets in three overs from Ajmal, as no batsman bar AB de Villiers provided able resistance.

Pakistan, surprisingly, held onto every catch thrown at them by the South Africans, with Misbahul Haq’s sharp take at midwicket aptly complementing Umar’s delight. Ajmal continued to flux batsmen with his spin, as South Africa lost regular wickets without having a positive effect on the asking rate. With 17 needed off the last over, Ajmal’s accuracy and adjusted pace ensured the batsmen were left dazed and unable to strike the much-needed boundaries as Pakistan rounded off their otherwise-poor Super Eight campaign with a convincing win, leaving England to help their cause on the way.

Fortune took Pakistan in Semi Finals

Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, courtesy an England win over New Zealand by three wickets in their Super Eight match.

In a close finish that put Pakistan fans on the edge of their seat, England chased down the 150-run target with just five balls to spare to stay undefeated in the second round. Earlier, New Zealand were restricted to 149 for six courtesy an impressive performance by the England bowlers. Swann finished with two wickets for 31 runs while Broad picked up a couple for 33, including the important scalp of Styris (33).

Taylor (44) added 62 runs in just 41 balls for the fourth wicket with Styris before Broad broke the partnership to halt the New Zealand charge towards a higher total.

Pakistan Cricket Crices

Pakistan cricket coach and the current director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Intikhab Alam has initiated a social welfare program meafter a leaked inquiry report stated that cricketers were uncivilised.

Alam was sacked as the coach after Pakistan lost all their matches against Australia and then appointed director of the NCA. He lashed out against players calling them ‘mentally retarted’ and ‘uncivilised, who do not realise that they are representing the country’ in front of the inquiry committee. Alam, as a result, wants to instil discipline in the players. “We want to induce a civilised character in the players,” he told The Express Tribune. “They need to learn how to represent the country, which only is possible when player has good manners and ethics.”

Alam realised that this was the actual problem with the players so he decided to add social welfare as part of players’ training with his coaching program. “We decided to go to the grass-root level. We emphasise all the departments of the game but go in and also include discipline among other things that make a complete player. Our club cricket training and coaching plan will help players get groomed in all spheres of life. I want the players to become proper professionals and well disciplined and not just be good cricketers.”