PCB pledges aid for flood victims

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket on Tuesday pledged more than $133,000 for flood victims and said it was working to drum up further funds through an international exhibition match in England.

Pakistan has been devastated by massive flooding that has affected 20 million people in the country’s worst ever natural disaster.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it felt duty-bound to support the victims and pledged 11.42 million rupees, or $133,440, to the prime minister’s flood relief fund.

The donations were made by PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, PCB staff and players in the national team, who are currently on tour in England.

The PCB said it was in talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board about holding an exhibition match in England with international stars to raise further funds.

Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi has also launched a campaign and is touring flood-affected areas to distribute funds and food. Running a separate campaign is Pakistan’s international cricket umpire Alem Dar.

No need for seniors on the England tour: Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan One Day International and Twenty20 captain, Shahid Afridi has asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to continue to rely on the current team’s youngsters for the remaining England tour saying that they have shown satisfactory performance on the sojourn so far.

The former Test captain, who retired after Pakistan lost the first Test against Australia, feels that the inclusion of the senior players would not do any wonders but instead disturb the winning combination.

“Youngsters should be given preference as they have managed to impress us all with their performance. There is no need for the seniors in the remaining England tour,” said Afridi after his return to Karachi on Tuesday night.

He believed the youngsters, especially Azhar Ali have proved that they have a bright future and that dropping them will dismantle their confidence.

Retirement decision taken  for the team

Salman says captaincy no ‘hassle’

LEEDS: Salman Butt has insisted captaining a young Pakistan side shouldn’t be “that much of a hassle” when he leads the team in the second Test against Australia at Headingley.

Salman was thrust in to what is widely regarded as one of the most difficult jobs in world cricket after former captain Shahid Afridi quit the five-day format after the team’s 150-run loss in the first Test at Lord’s last week.

Former vice-captain Salman, a 25-year-old opener who scored Pakistan’s only two fifties at Lord’s, will become his country’s seventh Test captain in three years when the Australia finale starts today.

However, he takes over a team without former captains and senior batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, both suspended following the team’s 3-0 series loss in Australia earlier this year.

However, Salman, said that he is not overwhelmed leading a side that has less experience.

Team is comfortable under my captaincy: Afridi

Shahid Afridi has said that he respects all the players in his team and they too feel comfortable to play under his captaincy.

“It is difficult, especially due to players from the different cultures, different cities, but the thing is that I respect these guys. Whatever their problems, I listen, and I’m talking to the management and the coach as well. But they’re feeling good playing in my captaincy,” website theage.com.au quoted Afridi, as saying.

Afridi said he had inherited a team of young players. “The guys are united. As a captain, I’m trying to keep the guys as close as I can . Normally I take them for dinners together,” he said. “The communications problem is not there any more. We are all sitting together, talking to each other. Whatever problems (they may have), they’re coming to me and the coach and they’re sharing their problems.”

Australia dismissed for 253 as Aamer strikes

LONDON: Mohammad Aamer struck for Pakistan in the seventh over on the second day as Australia were dismissed for 253 runs in their first innings.Hussey, on 39 overnight, again showed his ability to marshal the tail as he took his score to 56 not out, reaching his 42nd test half-century with an inside edge for four off Umar Gul. He faced 100 deliveries.

Doug Bollinger was the last man out, bowled by a Mohammad Aamer yorker for four, made in 56 minutes. Aamer finished with 4-72.

Simon Katich top scored in the innings with 80. He was one of three wickets in a crucial seven-ball spell from Mohammad Asif (3-63) that turned the match in Pakistan’s favour on day one.

‘Shoaib Akhtar needs to do more to impress’

DAMBULLA: Pakistan coach Waqar Younis says fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is still a shadow of himself and must prove he can be consistent after his three-wicket performance against Sri Lanka on his return to international cricket.Despite being 34, Akhtar showed on Tuesday that he retains his customary long run up and much of his pace during the Asia Cup opener against Sri Lanka a Rangiri Dambulla Stadium.

Younis says Akhtar’s match figures 3-41 should only be the start and that he must consistently perform well to prove himself.

“Still he’s got a long way to go. He has picked up three wickets which is good for us but I think he’s not where we want to see him,” Younis told reporters after Tuesday’s match.

U-Turns please, we’re Pakistani!

From lofty and very lonely heights, the foreign writer tries to decipher what went wrong with the game of cricket after the glorious days when the Imperial Sun used to shine all day from East to West. As the westerner purposefully sips on his mild cup of Twining’s Earl Gray tea with spice and cinnamon extract at a small cafe overlooking the grandiose Lord’s Cricket Ground, he racks his head as he struggles to understand the Pakistan Cricket board (PCB). How it is that the PCB could go ahead and ban all of their talented – albeit scoundrel – cricketers, then go ahead and completely reverse that decision, unbanning all previously banned cricketers along with their tainted reputations?

Of course, at some level he realises that the complexity of the issue is far beyond what his pasty-white civilised mind is capable of. And then all of a sudden – SNAP! He gets a great idea for a cricket satire piece (because everything we can’t understand we tend to satirise), and he diligently begins typing his piece for CricInfo. Originally titled ‘U-Turns Please, we’re Pakistani,’ the title was shortly thereafter changed to ‘U-Turns Please, we’re the PCB,’ after a couple of upset Pakistani commentators expressed how hurt they were at being stereotyped and how that might borderline at racism.

Younus set to miss out due to bitter relations with PCB

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Younus Khan may not find a place in the squad for the tour of England due to bitter relations with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the aftermath of his battle against the board for the indefinite ban.

According to sources in the board, PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt will force Younus’ omission when chief selector Mohsin Khan, captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis meet to finalise the squad on June 20 in Dambulla.

Butt, according to sources, is not happy with the statements given by Younus’ lawyer Ahmed Qayyum against the PCB after the former captain’s indefinite ban was lifted earlier this month. The chairman has also questioned Younus’ recent performance for Pakistan which, according to him, may not make him an automatic selection for the tour of England.

Akhtar, Malik included in Asia Cup squad

LAHORE: Pakistan’s controversial fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar is set to make his international comeback after he, and former captain Shoaib Malik who had his year-long ban lifted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), were named in the 15-man squad for the Asia Cup announced yesterday.

Also included in the squad was opener Imran Farhat while fast-bowler Umar Gul, who missed the 2010 World Twenty20, opted out of the tournament due to lack of fitness and former captain Younus Khan was overlooked.

“Akhtar and Malik passed their fitness tests have been included in the 15-man squad,” said PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt.