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Pakistan on firm footing
Safina wins, Maria, Murray out
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Return of the ‘rebels’
Pellegrini new Real coach
Holders Punjab upset by Manipur
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Pakistan on firm footing
Denied cricket for a considerable period of time due to refusal by international teams to visit Pakistan in view of the prevailing security situation in the country, Pakistanis will obviously be itching to take the field and try to prove a point or two to their rivals. Given an opportunity against Australia at the neutral venue in Dubai in May, Pakistan proved that they had lost out neither on talent nor combativeness. Though Pakistan players lost the ODI series, they put it across Australia in the only T20 game quite comfortably. Maveric Shahid Afridi, of late, may not have lived up to his reputation an explosive batsman, but he has not ceased to spring surprises. His career-best 6-38 sent the Australians tumbling to 168 all out in the first international at Dubai last month. Australia were sitting pretty at 95 for one but lost their next eight wickets for 27 as Afridi ran amoke, cutting through the rival batting line-up to hand Pakistan a victory. Umar Gul bowled a dream spell (4-0-8-4) as Pakistan brushed aside Australia by seven wickets in the lone T20 game in Dubai on May 7.
Pakistan have the arsenal to last the distance. In Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir they have a potent new-ball combination. Rao Iftikhar, who replaced Shoaib, and Yassar Arafat are good back-up options to Gul and
Tanvir.
With a rich repertoire of strokes at his disposal, Salman Butt is capable of getting his side off to a brisk start. The presence of skipper Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul Haq makes middle order solid. All three are capable of turning the match. Followers of the game in Pakistan and the coach Intikhab Alam feel that Pakistan can go all the way. They base their arguement on the fact that the Pakistan players have been playing T20 in the domestic circuit longer than any other international team, making their players more confident in this format of the game. Unable to play in the IPL means that Pakistan team will be freasher as compared to holders India or South Africa. Alam feels that his wards are “mentally tough” and ready for the challenge. Pakistan are placed in Group C along with England and the Netherlands. Tough to predict, they look on firm footing as they open campaign against England at The Oval on June 7.
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Safina wins, Maria, Murray out
In another draw of the day, Maria Sharapova’s grand slam comeback ended after she was demolished 6-0, 6-2 by Slovak Dominika Cibulkova in the quarter-finals. Twelve months after competing in Paris as the world number one, Russian turned up ranked 102nd as she is on a comeback trail following a nine-month injury layoff. Sharapova had lost the first 11 games on a sunsoaked Suzanne Lenglen court when she saved a match point with a forehand winner. She then saved three more but bowed out on the fifth when she netted a forehand after 75 minutes. Cibulkova, the 20th seed, will face Russian world number oneDinara Safina for a place in Saturday’s final. Swede Robin Soderling built on the momentum that allowed him to beat Rafael Nadal and reached the the French Open semi-finals on Tuesday with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 drubbing of Russian 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko. Third seed Andy Murray was outclassed on his least favourite surface by Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the quarter-finals. The 12th seed broke in the eighth game before serving out the set and claiming it with a forehand winner on his fourth set point. The Scot, who has never won a title on clay, levelled the match when the Chilean sent a forehand long. Murray seemed to lose concentration as Gonzalez tormented him with dropshots and lobs in a 24-minute third set that ended when Murray slammed a routine smash into the net. In the semi-finals the Chilean will face Sweden’s Robin Soderling, the man who knocked out four-times champion and world number one Rafael Nadal. before thrashing 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko. — Reuters
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Return of the ‘rebels’
Mumbai, June 2 Apart from the 79 cricketers, 12 former Test players and 11 support staff returned to the BCCI fold, its statement said. According to the BCCI, all of them would be eligible for participating in the next season of the IPL. Those who opted for BCCI’s amnesty includes a Who’s Who of the past and present players of Indian cricket. Players like Rohan Gavaskar, Dinesh Mongia, Reetinder Singh Sodhi and Ambati Rayudu who played for the Indian side have returned to the official side. In its statement, the BCCI said it has written to various state associations to allow these players participate in domestic tournaments from this year onwards. They would also be eligible for selection in the IPL. BCCI said the amnesty scheme announced in April last ended on May 31. With this, ICL has just two prominent former cricketers from the Indian side - Kapil Dev and former wicket keeper and national selector Kiran More.
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Would have been easy to get carried away: Tendulkar
New Delhi, June 2 “Given the things that have happened in my life it would have been easy to get carried away,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by men's fashion magazine GQ which has the batting maestro on its cover in the latest issue. “There were times when I felt that, yeah, I should bunk practice and spend time with my friends and go out for a movie. But my coach would turn up and make me sit on his bike and take me all the way to practice,” he recollected. — PTI
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Madrid, June 2 Pellegrini is "an intelligent professional, a worker, well-balanced ... who always tries for elegant and tasteful football," said Perez in presenting him to the press at the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium. Pellegrini arrives in the Spanish capital after five years at Villareal, during which time he maintained the small club in the top flight of the Primera Liga and gained a reputation for encouraging fluid and attacking football. — AFP
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Holders Punjab upset by Manipur
Chennai, June 2 Punjab took the lead in the 27th minute when an unmarked Balwant Singh headed in a Boy Singh cross from the left. But former champions Manipur equalised within two minutes when a free-kick from M Raju was deflected into his own goal by Sarabjit Singh. The goal seemed to dampen Punjab's spirits who were playing their first match in the tournament.
— PTI |
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On the top one moment, down in the dumps the next. That’s the way Pakistan cricket has been over the years. Unpredictability has been a factor in the team which has some of the most talented contemporary cricketers in its ranks.
Paris, June 2
Madrid, June 2
Chandigarh, June 2
The team comprises a host of match-winners, capable of upsetting the applecart of any team. An array of explosive batsmen, a decent wicketkeeper who could be relied upon to come up with a big knock when needed, formidable bowling attack - though depleted somewhat due to the forced absence of tearaway Shoaib Akhtar at the eleventh hour on account of skin infection - means that Pakistan team is well equipped for the event.
Umar Gul is the among the most successful T20 bowlers. He built himself this reputation backed by some wonderful performances in Australian domestic T20 and even his form last year. In Akhtar’s absence he will be the man to watch out for.
Younus Khan is regarded as one of the best players of spin. Also according to a report by a cricket website in late 2005, since the 1999 WC, Younus had effected the third highest number of run-outs, one more reason to be wary of the man.
Paris, June 2
Lanka beat Bangladesh