Kamran doesn't deserve another chance, Iqbal says

 "Kamran Akmal deserved to be dropped. He had been tested more than once and hence does not deserve to be given another chance," remarked former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal to Gulf News immediately after Pakistan Cricket Board announced their One-day and Twenty20 squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies.

Pakistan selectors appointed uncapped 29-year-old Mohammad Salman as the new wicketkeeper following Akmal's dismal show in the recent World Cup in which he had dropped many crucial catches.

Senior players Abdul Razzaq, Younus Khan and Umar Gul have been rested as uncapped Usman Salahuddin, Hammad Azam and Aizaz Cheema have been included in the team.

"It is nice to hear the selectors use the term rested while dropping some of the senior players. They have used the term rested taking into consideration their contribution in the past and their seniority. However, it is a fact that some of the senior players did not perform in the World Cup," said Iqbal.

"It is good to try out a new wicketkeeper. I haven't seen much of Salman but heard a lot about another young wicket keeper in Sarfraz Ahmad, who also deserved to be considered," said Iqbal, who captained Pakistan's first World Cup team in 1975.

"India deserved to win the World Cup because they were the best team. It was great of Pakistan, who were trailing in the sixth or seventh position in world ranking before the start of the World Cup, to finish among the top four. Unfortunately we had a bad day in Mohali and our fielding let us down," he said.

Shahid Afridi will lead the Twenty20 and One-day team in the West Indies.

"It is nice to hear that Afridi has agreed to lead the team to West Indies as he had stated that he might take a break. It is important for the team to be playing under Afridi," said Iqbal.

Tour starts on April 18

Pakistan's West Indies tour will commence from April 18 with a warm-up game and followed by a Twenty20 match on April 21 in St Lucia.

The five match One-day series will commence on April 23, while the Test matches will begin on May 12.

Pakistan selectors will meet soon to select the Test squad. It is likely that Kamran's younger brother Adnan may return as the wicketkeeper for the Test side. Though Younus Khan and Umar Gul may return to the Test team, Razzaq, who scored only 104 runs and took five wickets from all the World Cup matches, is likely to be ignored.

Squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmad Shehzad, Taufeeq Umar, Usman Salahuddin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Rahman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmad, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Salman (wk)

Reserves: Rameez Raja (Jr), Sadaf Hussain, Asif Zakir, Sohail Khan, Zulifqar Babar.

Razzaq questions basis for exclusion

Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has questioned the basis for his exclusion from the ODIs and Twenty20s on the tour of West Indies. Razzaq played a peripheral role in his team's World Cup campaign and claimed his exclusion was not justified given he hadn't had enough opportunities.

"I was told to bat at No. 8 and I hardly got a few overs in every match. So, where does the question of my non-performance arise?" Razzaq was quoted as saying by PTI. "How can one perform when he is batting at No. 8 and bowling just a few overs in every match?"

In eight games at the World Cup, Razzaq didn't complete his quota of ten overs even once and picked up five wickets at 32.20. He made 104 runs, batting in the lower order, at 26 and with a highest of 62 against New Zealand.

"One hardly gets time to settle in or build a proper innings. It was the same situation in bowling also," Razzaq said. "I had told the team management I was ready to bat at No. 3 because I have batted at that position before and have also done well. But as it was the World Cup and due to requirements of the team, the management didn't accept my point of view and I was kept at No. 8."

Razzaq, 31, said he was determined to make a return. "I want to come back. I think I can still continue playing for a couple of more years as I pay a lot of attention to my fitness."

Another player left out of the Pakistan squad was Kamran Akmal, following his wicketkeeping woes in the World Cup.

Pakistan Cricket Board announces squad for tour of West Indies

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the squad for the tour of West Indies which is scheduled to start later in April 2011.
Following Pakistan’s 29-run defeat to India in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011, the selection committee has decided to include youngsters for the tour to the Caribbean.
Shahid Afridi would lead the squad for the upcoming series as a captain while Misbah-ul-Haq, who was hugely criticised for his performance in the ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final against India, would serve as a vice captain.
On the other hand, Kamran Akmal, who displayed a dismal glove work throughout the World Cup, has been replaced by Muhammad Salman.
Senior batsman Younis Khan has also been dropped for the next series as he also could not perform up to the expectations in the recently concluded global event. In the semi-final against India, he not only batted poorly, but his fielding was also below par.
Pacer Umar Gul, who performed well throughout the ICC World Cup 2011 except for the game against India, has also been dropped.
In order to improve the batting of the Pakistan team, the PCB chief Ijaz Butt and skipper Shahid Afridi asked legendary cricketer Javed Miandad to take on the responsibilities as a batting coach ahead of the West Indies tour.
Miandad however, declined to take on the responsibility officially saying that now the time is not sufficient to train the team properly but he will keep on guiding them.
The tour to West Indies includes one Twenty20, five One Day Internationals and two Test matches. The tour will start with a warm-up game on 18 April, 2011 before it gets underway officially with the Twenty20 international on 21 April.
The squad comprises of Shahid Afridi, (captain) Misbah-ul-Haq, (vice-captain) Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Akmal, Usman Salahuddin, Asad Shafiq, Aizaz Cheema, Hammad Azam, Junaid Khan, Tanveer Ahmed, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz and wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman.
Rameez Raja, (junior) Sadaf Hussain, Asif Zakir, Sohail Khan and Zulfiqar Babar will be in the reserves pool.

Pakistan Cricket Board delays squad announcement

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has delayed the announcement of the national squad for the tour of theWest Indies. The selection committee was supposed to make the announcement yesterday but has now delayed their announcement by a day.

According to details the announcement was deferred as the players were called in by Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, for a ceremony in their honour after they succeeded in reaching the semi-finals of the recently concluded World Cup 2011, which was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Pakistan were ousted from the tournament by India in Mohali.

The minister has awarded Rs500,000 to every player of the national squad for their efforts in the mega event.

Earlier, the selection committee headed by Chief Selector, Mohsin Khan, met the PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt, and, Pakistan skipper, Shahid Afridi, to discuss the selection of the team for the upcoming tour, which consists of a Twenty20, two Test matches and five One Day Internationals (ODIs).

Although the team has not been announced, it is rumoured that all-rounder, Abdul Razzaq, pacer, Umar Gul, and, middle-order batsman, Younis Khan, will be rested for the tour in order to give young players a chance to show their talents in the Caribbean.

Skipper Afridi has confirmed the omission of Umar Gul, as the pacer made himself unavailable for the tour.

According to reports, four young players may join the national squad. The players include wicket-keeper, Mohammad Salman, Tanvir Ahmed, Azhar Ali and Hammad Azam.

Meanwhile, Afridi reiterated that the PCB needed to appoint a full time batting coach for the national team.  Favouring the appointment of Pakistan’s phenomenal former batsman, Javed Miandad, the Pakistan captain said, “Our biggest fear was our batting in the World Cup. So accepting there are batting problems we‘ve told Miandad that the country needs him”.

Pakistan’s batting form proved to be their Achilles heel as they failed to chase an achievable total of 260 runs against a mediocre Indian bowling attack in the ICC 2011 World Cup semi-final.

On the other hand, this is the first time since 1992, that the PCB has not fired the national coach and skipper along with senior players after a loss in the World Cup. In fact the Men in Green received a hero’s welcome on their return by fans and the cricket fraternity.

Earlier, Afridi stated that he would prefer missing the West Indies tour but later he agreed to lead the team.

Coach, Waqar Younis is not in favour of leaving out all the senior players. In an interview he suggested that the Pakistan team needs a balance of experience and youth to survive.

I AM ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO WORK WITH OUR PLAYERS: MIANDAD

I am always available to work with our players: Former Test Captain, Javed Miandad

After helping the Men in Green to prepare for the New Zealand 2010-11 tour, former Pakistan test captain Javed Miandad has been approached to assist the squad’s batting lineup.

Thanking the skipper, Shahid Afridi and the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt, a generous Miandad responded that his services are always available for the Pakistan team in times of need. 

"I am always available to work with our players. I will be able to focus full-time on this job in a few months time," maintained Miandad.

Even thought the cricket veteran has not given his final word for the upcoming West Indies tour, but is expected to inform the board of his decision soon.

After much deliberation between the team selectors, and the management regarding the squad’s preparations for the West Indies tour, scheduled to begin on 18^th April, 2011, Miandad was offered the role of batting coach by Ijaz Butt and Shahid Afridi, in a bid to liberate the team of the irregularities that tainted the team’s World Cup performances.

"We are trying to persuade Miandad to help the batsmen…We realize there are batting problems so we have told Miandad that the country needs him, so hopefully he will accept that role," said Afridi.

Citing concerns over the inconsistencies observed in the batting order, Afridi confessed that the team desperately needed guidance from a batting guru. 

"Our batting inconsistency has been a source of concern for us since last year and when you have a problem with a particular subject you go to the best teacher of that subject," Afridi explained.

The Captain claimed that Miandad, who is also the PCB Director General, is the best choice for the position.

The cricket maverick has previously coached the Pakistan squad on three occasions. Unfortunately, each time the involvement ended bitterly due to Miandad’s differences with the management and the board. Even last year, he was involved in an argument with PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on issues regarding his remuneration.

Miandad, who holds the record of being Pakistan’s leading test run scorer with a tally of 8832 runs, has performed in 233 One Day Internationals’ and 124 test matches.

WAHAB RIAZ REVEALS HIS PLAN TO DISMISS YUVRAJ SINGH WORKED TO PERFECTION

Wahab Riaz reveals his plan to dismiss Yuvraj Singh in ICC World Cup 2011 worked to perfection

Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has said that his plan to dismiss India’s Yuvraj Singh off the first ball worked to perfection on the day.

Riaz bowled India’s premier left hander with a fine late swinging yorker off the first ball he faced in the semi-final of the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011.

The left-arm fast bowler added that he and his coaches had been working hard to accomplish the target since it was confirmed that they would play their archrivals in the semis.

“It was a dismissal that I had played out in my mind several times after it was confirmed that we would play India in the semi-final,” said the young left-arm pacer. “I worked hard on that particular delivery in the nets with the coaches, Waqar Younis and Aaqib Javed. We all felt that the only way to stop Yuvraj's golden form was to get him in the first few balls.”

Wahab was the most successful Pakistan bowler against India as he returned with career best figures of 5 for 46 from his spell of 10 overs. It was also Wahab’s first five-for in One Day International cricket.

The 25-year-old pacer further revealed that he not only had plans for Yuvraj, but also for the complete batting line-up of India.

Reminiscing their clash with the archrivals, Riaz said that opener Virender Sehwag’s wicket was sensational but Singh’s wicket was special for him.

“The wicket of Virender Sehwag set my adrenalin flowing because he is such a dangerous player,” said the young pacer who was given a chance in the high-pressure game ahead of speedster Shoaib Akhtar. “But Yuvraj's wicket was special as he was out first ball and his dismissal really shocked and stunned the spectators.”

The Lahore-born bowler, who made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2008, admitted that he had been under pressure ahead of the semi-final game against India. He also told that he could not sleep for three days before the match.

However, Wahab was dejected that despite his five-wicket haul, the team failed to win the match. He said that the defeat was very disappointing and frustrating. He said that it hurt them more since they restricted the mighty batting line-up of India to a manageable total.

Wahab reckoned they could have easily won the game with their batting depth and a few partnerships could have seen them home, but it was not the case.

Sangakkara steps down as ODI and T20 captain

Kumar Sangakkara has stepped down as captain of Sri Lanka’s ODI and T20 teams but has offered to continue as the Test captain on an interim basis for the forthcoming series against England and Australia “if this is considered helpful for the new captain”. He will continue as a player in all formats of the game.

His decision, revealed on Tuesday, comes days after he led Sri Lanka to the World Cup final. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Angelo Mathews are among those tipped to take charge of the limited-overs’ sides, while Thilan Samaraweera is being discussed as an option to lead the Test team.

Sangakkara was the third highest scorer in the 2011 World Cup and scored 48 in their defeat to India in the final.

“I would like to announce that after careful consideration I have concluded that it is in the best long-term interests of the team that I step down now as national captain so that a new leader can be properly groomed for the 2015 World Cup in Australia”, a statement from Sangakkara said.

“This was a decision I made prior to the 2011 World Cup. I will be 37 by the next World Cup and I cannot therefore be sure of my place in the team. It is better that Sri Lanka is led now by a player who will be at the peak of their career during that tournament.

“It has been a true honour and a great privilege to serve my country as captain during the past two years and, although bitterly disappointed that we could not win the final, I am very proud of the performances of the team.

“I met with the selectors on Monday and I explained my reasons for my decision and I assured them of my fullest support in helping our new captain settle into the leadership.

“In this regard, I have offered to continue as the Test captain for the forthcoming series with England and possibly Australia if the selectors believe this would help the new captain and aid the transition.

“I have no plans of retirement from international cricket at this stage and subject to form and fitness I would like to be considered for selection in all three formats of the game for the foreseeable future. “

PCB fails to name squad for West Indies tour

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee on Tuesday failed to select team for West Indies tour, Geo News reported.

The meeting of PCB selection committee, under the chair of Chief Selector Mohsin Hassan Khan, was held in Gaddafi Stadium here. The meeting was attended among others by selector Muhammad Ilyas, Azhar Khan, Farrukh Zaman, Asif Baloch and captain Shahid Khan Afridi.

The 15-member squad for WI tour was finalized in the meeting but owing to unknown reasons the decision to name the squad was deferred till tomorrow (Wednesday). Although Itikhab Alam and Waqar Younis would retain as manager and coach respectively.

 

Afridi says anti-India comments ‘out of context’

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said on Tuesday his derogatory remarks about Indians and the Indian media had been taken out of context as he sought to counter anger over the comments.
The World Cup skipper had praised Pakistan’s media for being “100 times better” than India’s in a Pakistani TV show aired on Sunday, and said that Indians did not have “big and clean hearts” like Pakistani Muslims.
The comments shocked fans in India, who had praised his efforts during the World Cup to promote harmony between two estranged neighbours whose diplomatic relations are fraught with tension.
Pakistan lost to India in the competition’s semi-final in a much-hyped game that was attended by the leaders of both countries, in an event hailed as “cricket diplomacy”. India then beat Sri Lanka in Saturday’s final.
“I have enjoyed my cricket in India and I love Indian people,” Afridi told India’s NDTV channel in an interview aired on Tuesday.
“Don’t take my comments negatively. I have always got a lot of love and affection from Indian fans.
“And I request the media to play a more positive role and not waste time on such trivial issues.
“The media makes a big deal of small issues. It is shameful. I have always done my bit to improve Indo-Pak ties but sometimes you say something and it is interpreted the other way.
“I have been quoted out of context.”
In his TV comments on Sunday, which were aired at length and uninterrupted by Pakistani private channel Samaa, Afridi had said the approach of the Indian media was “very negative”.
“I believe their role has also been very dirty especially in terms of worsening ties between our two countries,” he said.
“If I have to tell the truth, Indians cannot have the kind of hearts that Pakistani Muslims have. They cannot have the big and clean hearts that Allah has given to Pakistanis.”
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series on each other’s soil since the Mumbai attacks in 2008 which derailed their peace process.

Waqar Younis plays down ICC World Cup 2011 trophy controversy

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis plays down ICC World Cup 2011 trophy controversy
Pakistan cricket team coach Waqar Younis has downplayed the debate over the ICC World Cup trophy given to India cricket team saying that it does not matter whether the trophy was original or a replica.
Waqar stressed that the most important thing was that India were crowned as the World Champions.
“I don’t think it really matters whether it was a replica trophy or the original one since the main thing is the feeling of becoming world champions once you win the final,” Waqar was quoted as saying by a leading Pakistan newspaper.
Waqar also added that he did not think it was such a big issue since the Indian team would be feeling on top of the world after they won the final against Sri Lanka on Saturday, 2 April, 2011.
The trophy issue raised after Indian media reported that a replica of World Cup trophy was given to Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team while the original trophy was held up by the Mumbai customs over non-payment of duties.
The controversy forced the International Cricket Council to issue a clarification that the trophy given to India was the original one which was always intended to be awarded to the victor of the mega cricketing event.
“The trophy seized by Mumbai customs is the promotional, perpetual trophy which remains in the keeping of ICC at its headquarters in Dubai,” read an ICC media release. “It carries the generic ICC corporate logo rather than the logo specific to the 2011 event.”
The media release further read that the confiscated cup would be reclaimed and would go back to the ICC headquarters in Dubai adding that was how it was originally intended.
In the meantime, the former pace bowling great made it clear that he does not intend to step down from his job as Pakistan coach after losing to nemesis India in the ICC World Cup 2011 semi-finals. He said that he has one year remaining on his contract and he would like to complete it.

PCB looking to make Javed Miandad batting coach

Pakistan Cricket Board looking to rope in Javed Miandad as batting coach for national side
The Pakistan Cricket Board is currently in talks with former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad for the empty slot of a batting coach for the national team.
The Men in Green have been criticised for their poor batting display in the all-important semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2011 against India.
After a meeting with the Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt, Pakistan’s limited overs captain Shahid Afridi revealed while talking to the media that the cricket Board is in negotiations with the legendary batsman.
Miandad has previously served as the head coach of the national team three times in the past before he had to leave the job because of differences with senior players and Board officials.
Afridi said that Pakistan’s major problem is the batting department and he has requested the PCB Chairman for a batting coach. He feels that Miandad is the best option for this job and can do wonders for the side. He said that a big disease requires a specialist doctor and Miandad is surely one.
The Pakistan captain said, “I have suggested having a batting coach with the team to work with the players and Miandad is one of the people the board is in touch with.”
Miandad is one of the best batsmen Pakistan has ever produced and his ability of nurturing young batsmen is acknowledged all around the world. He has the ability to solve Pakistan’s problems in the batting department but only if the legend is given a longer run to work with the team.
Afridi also added that this is the best time for Pakistan to try out the younger talent and the players who have been performing well in the domestic cricket since last couple of seasons.
He advised the PCB to rest some of the senior players for the tour of West Indies as this will give an opportunity to the team management to see the mettle of the younger players.
“I think this tour is the best chance for us to give exposure to those players who have done well in domestic cricket. The tour will allow the management to assess and groom them,” Afridi added.

Waqar urges national selectors to look for a new keeper

Pakistan cricket team coach Waqar Younis has urged the national selection committee to look for a new wicketkeeper, who can replace Kamran Akmal, in the national team. "This debate over the wicketkeeper's performance is a difficult one but I think the Pakistan team now needs a younger wicketkeeper who can carry the load for the next few years," Waqar told the media in Lahore where he held a meeting with the Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ijaz Butt.

Waqar's remarks about having a new wicketkeeper is a clear indication that the experienced Kamran Akmal may have played his last match for Pakistan in the World Cup as even the selectors are now said to be keen to induct a new keeper in the Test and One-day sides.

Adnan Akmal, the younger brother of Kamran, and Sarfaraz Ahmed are said to be the front runners for the position as both have played for Pakistan in the past.

Waqar, meanwhile, made it clear that he would complete his coaching contract with the Pakistan, despite their semi-final loss against arch-rivals India in the World Cup.

The former Test captain said he had one year remaining as Pakistan coach and would continue to do the job as he was satisfied with the performance of the team in the World Cup.

"Losing the semi-final to India was disappointing but the team did well to reach the last four stage even though we were considered under-dogs when the competition started.

"India played better than us and went on to win the World Cup," he noted.

Waqar also pointed out that 260 runs was an attainable score in the semi-final but the real difference between the two teams was the catches dropped by Pakistan.

"Those catches cost us heavily because you can't allow so much levy to a strong batting line up that India has."

Waqar said he wanted to be part of the process where new players were being inducted into the team, which was being given a new look.

"I am in support of making changes in the team but they should not be total changes and it should be a sensible and a gradual process to groom new players."

The Pakistan coach played down the controversy over the World Cup trophy after a furore in the Indian media about the Indian team being given a replica as the original one was confiscated by Indian custom authorities.

The issue raised so much storm that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had to issue a clarification that the trophy given to the Indian team was the original one and the replica was with the custom authorities.

"I don't think it really matters whether it was a replica trophy or the original one since the main thing is the feeling of becoming world champions once you win the final," he said.

"This is not an issue to me because the Indian team must now be feeling at the top of the world having won the final. They are the champions and for Indian cricket it is a big achievement," he added.

Karachi City Cricket Association drops Kamran Akmal from team for poor show in ICC World Cup 2011

Karachi City Cricket Association drops Kamran Akmal from team for poor show in ICC World Cup 2011
The President of the Karachi City Cricket Association, Syed Siraj-ul-Islam Bukhari has come down hard on the Pakistan wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal for giving a disappointing performance in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011.
Bukhari suggested the removal of the struggling wicketkeeper from the team in order to inject fresh talent behind the stumps. He insisted that Akmal had been given enough chances to prove himself, but the wicketkeeper let everyone down every time and now he should be shown the door.
“We cannot afford wasting our time with Kamran Akmal who has led down the Pakistan team poorly by his inept wicket keeping during the whole World Cup,” said Bukhari.
The KCCA president backed Sarfraz Ahmed to replace Akmal. Ahmed has been performing tremendously well in the domestic circuit and many former cricketers believe it is the right time to give the cricketer a permanent slot in the national team.
In the recently concluded Pakistan’s domestic Pentangular Cup, Sarfraz scored 493 runs and grabbed 21 victims. He was awarded the title of best wicketkeeper for the second consecutive time in the competition.
Stressing Ahmed’s return, Bukhari said, “It is a high time to bring back Sarfraz Ahmed in the wicket keeping slot, a place he had to give up due to his absences in West Indies with the Pakistan A team last year.”
Ahmed made his One Day International debut in 2007 but failed to become a regular member of the national team. He played his last ODI in 2008. He was then called for the third Test in Hobart during Pakistan’s tour to Australia in 2010 as a replacement for Kamran Akmal who had slumped in his performance during the second Test.
Bukhari also suggested resting the out of form all-rounder Abdul Razzaq who also was highly unimpressive throughout the ICC World Cup 2011. Razzaq struggled while bowling and was equally disappointing with his batting. It is believed that because of his poor form, skipper Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis decided to send him lower down the order.
The KCCA president did not favour the exclusion of veteran middle order batsmen Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan from national team and suggested that the two batsmen had the ability to come in handy in the five-day version of the game.
He praised the leadership qualities of Pakistan’s flamboyant captain Shahid Afridi and welcomed his apology to the nation for failing to win the World Cup. He insisted that Afridi had done a great job with the team and carried a written-off team in the final four where they lost to India.

World Cup 2015 to have 10 participants, Ireland outraged at ICC decision

After a month of deliberations the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided that the number of participants for the 2015 edition of the World Cup would be 10.
That leaves as many as four teams, who took part in the 2011 edition, out of the plans for the tournament to be staged in Australia and New Zealand.
The announcement was made by the Central Executives Committee (CEC) of the sport’s governing body that met in Mumbai and discussed the 2011 World Cup and outlined plans for the upcoming five year period that coincides with the 2015 tournament.
The CEC declared that the World Cup was a roaring success with matches between Australia and India and Australia and Pakistan, besides India’s games against England, and, the final against Sri Lanka smashing records for most watched cricket games in the history of televised cricket.
He added that based on the success of this year’s edition, the ICC wants to ensure the momentum is sustained for the event set to be held four years down the line and all efforts would be made to deliver another successful tournament.
The Chief Executive of the body, Haroon Lorgat, addressed a press conference where all the decisions made in the meeting were highlighted. He stated that the format for the event has not been finalized yet. He added that in due course the CEC would chalk out a schedule that is most suited to the game and will ensure that competitive games are held.
With the number reduced to 10 there is a good chance that the event would be staged on the round robin format meaning that each team would play the other once and the top four would make it to the semi-final round.
"We haven't quite started on designing the format", Lorgat said. "I seem to recall that in 1992 it was a 10-team event [nine, in fact], so there is a chance that we might replicate that. That is work that will commence perhaps not long from today [Monday]”.
Meanwhile, the leading associate member of the ICC, Ireland, is seething at the decision made by the ICC. The Chief of Irish cricket, Warren Deutrom, has stated that the decision is a black day for members like Ireland, who had progressed leaps and bounds in recent years and more than held their own in the 2011 World Cup.
"The conclusion can only be reached that the decisions made today were based purely on the protection of the existing membership entitlements for Full Members and the commercial imperative that a ten-team event delivers nine guaranteed matches for India and England", Deutrom told media.
He claimed that the decision defied common sense, especially considering the performance of the Irish team that defeated England, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the last two editions of the World Cup and were rarely outplayed in the competitions.
Warren was clearly perturbed by the announcement and added that the decision was nothing short of outrageous.
On the other hand, the ICC announced that as many as 16 teams would take part in next year’s T20 World Championship set to take place in Sri Lanka.

I could not sleep for 3 days before semi-final against India: Wahab Riaz

Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz has said that he could not sleep for three days before their ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final against archrivals India in order to devise a plan to counter the mighty batting line-up of the Men in Blue.
The left-arm pacer put up a remarkable bowling performance as he gave his career-best figures of 5 wickets for 46 runs in the match.
“I was planning how and where to bowl to each particular batsman. The planning and the confidence shown in me by the team-management was the key to my success in the all-important game,” said Wahab.
In a losing cause, he dismissed Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Zaheer Khan restricting India to 260.
Wahab, who became the star of Pakistan team in the semi-final, was included in the ICC World Cup 2011 squad in place of pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were banned by the International Cricket Council just before the start of the quadrennial event for their involvement in spot-fixing.
Wahab said that defeat against the archrivals was a big disappointment but no one ever imagined that Pakistan will reach the semi-final. While talking about the flaws of their team’s performance against India, he said that his side could not get many partnerships going which were crucial in their run chase.
However, Wahab lauded the unity shown by his team in the tournament which he thought was the main reason they finished in the top four.
In the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011, Wahab was included in the playing eleven after Pakistan’s 110-run loss to New Zealand in which Shoaib Akhtar took a bashing from Ross Taylor.
Wahab’s inclusion in the semi-final again became doubtful as many of the former cricketers favoured Akhtar to play against India. Former Pakistan left-arm pacer Wasim Akram also stressed on including Akhtar in the clash against archrivals saying that he always performed well against them. Legendry cricketers Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Moin Akhtar and Rashid Latif also voiced similar sentiments.
On the other hand, skipper Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis were not willing to include Akhtar. They thought that the pacer did not show any interest in playing cricket after announcing his retirement during the World Cup.
Riaz giving his views on the role played by the Indian media said that they did not pay any heed to their reports which eventually put pressure on the opponents. He added that they had confidence in their abilities and proved themselves at various occasions. He stressed that it was now time to look up to the future.
“I think we should now look ahead to the future, rather than keep focusing on the defeat. Constantly lamenting the loss will be detrimental for us. We should now start working for the future success of the team,” said Riaz.

Kamran Akmal the “Hen Catcher”

There were some players who spent a lot of time in planning to deliver their best in the ICC 2011 World Cup and went through rigorous “training” for making their dreams come true.
Kamran Akmal, is one individual, who gives his best in all fields of life and doesn’t fall behind. His commitment level can be judged from the fact that he brushes his teeth 5 times in the morning just to give himself a bright smile before a big match.
But like all other mere mortals he is also quite vulnerable and can get into trouble with his “wicket keeping” skills.
On March 22^nd, Akmal missed 4 chances in Pakistan’s losing cause against New Zealand and what made matters worse was the fact that he dropped centurion, Ross Taylor, twice.
Not many people know the real reason behind these dropped catches, but one thing is for certain that there was a secret “ingredient”, which was missing from his wicket keeping skills against New Zealand in Pallekele.
Kamran Akmal is a professional hen catcher and knows the art of catching hens in a perfect manner.  Kamran Akmal hails from Lahore, Punjab and has been following his favourite sport since his childhood.
Kamran along with Umar Akmal loves to catch hens and they love this game so much that even in their busy cricket schedule they take time out to catch hens in their native village of “Chawalpur”.
What both brothers do is that they try to catch a fully gown jungle rooster and when they manage to catch it they throw it to each other for some catching practice. They have also have approval from the wildlife department.
When Umar AKA “pinto” throws a ball to Kamran, Kamran opens both his hands like a child and catches the rooster with both hands.
This practice guarantees good catching skills for wicket keepers. It’s a delicate procedure and it must not be tried with “farm chickens”. Only a jungle hen, or, rooster should be chosen for this procedure.
Though, Kamran indulges in full catching sessions before every match and spends a number of hours catching the ball from every angle, his hen catching is his true source of skill.
He has also been advised by his village chief that it is quite necessary that he must get plenty of hen catching practice at least twice a month.
Sadly, he was not able to get any jungle roosters in Pallekele, and all he found were some small “chicks” from the personal chicken farm of Muttiah Muralitharan.

Poor planning behind defeat against India: Aleem Dar

Seasoned Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar has said that our cricket team has the potential and ability to defeat any big team but poor planning and guidance led to the defeat in Mohali, semi-final of the cricket world cup.
Talking to media persons at Allama Iqbal International Airport here on Monday on return from India after supervising the World Cup Matches, Aleem Dar said that there was no question of match fixing or difference in Pakisan’s cricket team. It was lack of appropriate plan how to respond in ground in certain situation which cost the match against India.
Earlier upon his return Aleem Dar was accorded warm welcome by citizens and cricket board officials.
The most successful umpire of the World Cup commenting on Pakistan-India semi-final match said that Pakistan should have taken the batting power play around 35 overs and the situation would have been quite different if power play had been taken earlier.
He said that the Pakistani team played well in the mega event but players needed to work hard to overcome their deficiencies. He said that youngsters should be inducted in the squad.
Dar was immaculate during the World Cup as 57 reviews were taken against his decisions but none of them proved wrong by the technology.

‘World Cup semi-finalist’ Pak team richer by over a million dollars

Islamabad, Apr 4(ANI): Members of the 15-man Pakistan cricket team have become richer by over a million dollars due to their stupendous show in the World Cup, where they were knocked out in the semi-finals stage by eventual champions India. 

According to the Daily Times, the Pakistani team scooped up net prize money of 1.05 million dollars.

The prize money includes rewards for Pakistan's five wins in the group matches for each of which they won 60,000 dollars, and 750,000 dollars for reaching the semi-final of the tournament. 

The International Cricket Council will pay the prize money to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which will distribute it among the players and officials. 

The six-week tournament, which was held on the Indian sub-continent, also promises a financial boost for the PCB, which had lost the hosting rights in 2009, shortly after militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. 

The PCB will also be richer by around eight million dollars, which was assured to them for being the co-hosts. 

"The money from the World Cup will definitely improve our financial health as we have already lost out on a lot of estimated revenue due to India's refusal to tour Pakistan in early 2009 for a bilateral series. We have also been forced to play our last few "home" series abroad at neutral venues," a PCB official said.