India vs Pakistan: Afridi and co needs 261 runs to win Mohali battle

MOHALI: Pakistan’s young left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz recorded the best day in his brief cricket career in the semi-final clash of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 against India at Mohali on Wednesday when he stunned India with five wickets, who failed to take full advantage of Sehwag and Sachin’s heroics.

Star of the Show: Wahab Riaz. Courtesy: Getty Images

Virender Sehwag gave India a flying start and Sachin Tendulkar kept the momentum after losing his opening partner and it all looked one way traffic at the halfway stage of the innings with India comfortably placed at 141 runs for two wickets from 25 overs.

Indian fans stunned. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

Umar Gul had went for too many while Abdul Razzaq never looked impressive with the ball, leaving skipper Shahid Afridi to turn to young Wahab, who got rid of Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh on successive deliveries leaving India rocked at 141 for four.

Indian and Pakistani Premiers. Courtesy: Getty Images

Wahab hadn’t finished it as yet as he continued to bowl at probing areas and got rid of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India looked down the battle.

That’s where Suresh Raina took things under his control and battled it out till the final over as India managed to reach 260 runs for the loss of nine wickets from 50 overs.

Pakistan team celebrate Sachin's dismissal. Courtesy: Getty Images

Star of the show was of course Wahab Riaz who recorded his first ODI career five-wicket haul as he captured five wickets for just46 runs from his 1o overs. Umar Gul was totally out of sorts today as he went for 69 runs from eight overs. Saeed Ajmal grabbed two wickets for 44 runs. Skipper Afridi remained wicketless but two catches of Sachin Tendulkar were dropped off his bowling.

Pakistan Cricket Fans. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

As 253 runs is the average first innings total in the day and night matches at Punjab Cricket Stadium at Mohali and India have scored 260 runs. Now it’s up to Pakistan top order batsmen to get these runs which is not a stiff target by any means.

ICC cricket world cup 2011: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe live score preview

Pakistan is a very difficult team to write about at the moment when they get ready to face Zimbabwe in Sri Lanka on Monday in the ICC World Cup.

Pakistan would be almost certain to get inot the last four of the tournament but it has not only beat Zimbabwe today but their own controveries and problems too.

Pakistan came in the World Cup with a lot of controversies; both within the team and outside of it. Then three successive win helped by tremendous performance by Shahid Afridi made it look quite promising. Then came the match against New Zealand and all its prestige was blown away by the super fast Ross Taylor.

Zimbabwe should not be a tough nut to crack but think of Pakistan's own 'naughty nuts'. Since Kamran Akmal is in the news more for dropping chances than grabbing those, it was reported than Shahid Afridi is mulling to play Kamran's brother Umar Akmal as wicketkeeper batsman. Then the younger brother Umar came up with some sort of pain reportedly to force the team management to keep Kamran back in team.

Truly sub continental example of 'bhai bhateejawad' or nepotism.

Now, the Pakistani team management is said to have taken this problem seriously and would not succumb under such tactics.

One may think why it is so important to discuss this 'Akmal syndrome'. Because Ian Chappell says even if Kamran would have been batting better than Sir Donald Bradman, his performance behind the stump should keep him away of the ground.

Back to Pakistan's main team. It has still to resolve the problem of openers, which have failed to provide even a single partnership nearing fifty. The batting is heavily dependent on the middle order and particulalry Younis Khan and Misbahul Haque. Not playing Kamran at the top would also require some thinking by Pakistani team management whether to replace him with a batsman or bowler. Pakistan two other explosive all round batting star Shahid Afridi and Abdurrazaq are not firing.

In the bowling department Pakistan need a lot of improvement as except for Shahid Afridi no other bowler seems to be penetrative enough. The beating Shoaib Akhtar got against Ross Taylor must have forced him to think about variations.

Zimbabwe started badly but its performance is getting better. Fielding is one department in which Zimbabwe is surely superior to Pakistan. But its bowling and batting might not be enough.

Cricket World Cup: Pakistan storm into knockouts after 12 years

Asad Shafiq scored his maiden world cup fifty as Pakistan cruised into the quarter-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 after beating Zimbabwe by seven wickets on Duckworth/Lewis Method in their crucial Group A match at Pallekele Stadium here Monday.

Asad Shafiq. Courtesy: Getty Images

Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura, who was celebrating his 25^th birthday, won the toss and decided to bat first on a pitch which had the juice to assist fast bowlers especially under overcast conditions.

Pakistani new ball bowlers pitched the ball in the right areas as Abdul Razzaq got rid of the danger man Brenden Taylor in the first over of the match and then Umar Gul started dictating terms as he sent back Chakabva and Sibanda for a duck and five runs respectively as Zimbabwe looked down the battle quite early in the match.

Umar Gul wins Man of the Match award. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

Craig Ervine and Tatenda Taibu then joined hands and looked good for some time before Wahab Riaz was introduced into the attack by skipper Shahid Khan Afridi and the left-arm bowler never disappointed as he captured the prized scalp of Taibu.

However, Ervine kept hold of one end and completed his fifty before Mohammad Hafeez clean-bowled him for 52 runs.

Mohammad Hafeez. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

With the rains coming down heavily, umpires and players went back into the pavilion and later came back with match shortened to 43 overs. A second rain break further cut the number of overs to 38 as Zimbabwe batsmen took long handle to score maximum runs.

In the end, the African side managed to score 151 runs from their 39.4 overs, giving Pakistan a target of 162 runs from 38 overs.

Umar Gul once again led the Pakistani bowling attack with style as the right-arm fast bowler grabbed three wickets for 36 runs.

Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal. Courtesy: AP PHOTO

A lot was expected from the openers but Ahmad Shehzad once again failed to cash in on the given opportunity and tried to play too many shots thus losing his wicket to Raymond Price after scoring only eight runs, yet another failure for the young batsman.

On the other hand, Mohammad Hafeez showed some application and commitment to spend some time at the crease which rewarded him with some crucial runs under his belt ahead of the bigger games of the tournament. Hafeez along with Asad Shafiq, who replaced injured Umar Akmal, built the match-winning partnership of 82 runs which is the highest second wicket partnership for Pakistan in the current edition of the ICC World Cup.

Hafeez failed to complete his well-deserved fifty and had to return to the pavilion after Utseya got him out at 49 runs, but till then Pakistan were on course to the required victory.

Younus Khan (13 from 28) then joined forces with Asad Shafiq, who after a slow start capitalized in the later stage and scored an impressive fifty on his world cup debut.

Asad Shafiq remained not out at 78 from 97 balls with the help of seven boundaries.

Umar Gul was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant spell of fast bowling getting rid of three Zimbabwean batsmen.

Pakistan vs Zimbabwe: Stats show no contest

KARACHI: Pakistan are taking on Zimbabwe in an important Group A match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at Pallekele Stadium in Kandy on Monday but Men in Green have a clear advantage on the African side as far as statistics are concerned.

The two teams have played so far played 40 One Day International matches where Pakistan have won 36, Zimbabwe only two, one match ended in a tie, while another one ended with no result.

Pakistan Vs Zimbabwe - ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

In the World Cup competitions, the two teams have so far played three matches, all of which, have been comfortably won by Pakistan while in the sub-continent Pakistan have won 15 out of their 16 meetings thus far.

Pakistan would be looking to come out of their dismal performance against New Zealand and show a champion display against Zimbabwe whose top order batsmen have started to find their feet and form.

As far as the recent form of both teams is concerned, Pakistan have lost four out of their last five matches while Zimbabwe have won only one game from their last five.

The concerning point for Zimbabwe is their middle order batting that has failed to fire in this tournament and despite their openers regained the lost touch in the match against Sri Lanka they will have play out of their skins to challenge Pakistan’s bowling attack that has a great depth.

On the flip side, Pakistan’s top order batting is in dismal shape but middle order batting has been doing all the scoring as Misbah-ul-Haq has scored 192 runs while Umar Akmal has scored 167 runs so far in the tournament. Younus Khan and Kamran Akmal have shown promise but have failed to capitalize on their good starts and one may think Zimbabwe would be the team they would like to gain their form and confidence against.

Brendan Taylor, Tatenda Taibu and Craig Ervine have done bulk of the run-scoring for Zimbabwe so far with 140, 117, and 113 runs respectively.

Pakistan’s skipper Shahid Khan Afridi has been the one bowler who has performed so far in the tournament as he leads the tournament with 15 wickets at an economy rate of only 3.36 while Chris Mpofu (6 wkts) and Ray Price (5 wkts) are leading the Zimbabwean bowling attack.

Cricket World Cup: England vs South Africa – Poms bat first

CHENNAI: In one of the crackers of the Group B matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, England are taking on South Africa at Chennai after a shock defeat against Ireland here Sunday.

England win toss against South Africa. Courtesy: Getty Images

English skipper Andrew Strauss has won the toss and elected to bat first. He made one change in the squad, bringing Ravi Bopara in place of an out-of-form and sorts Paul Collingwood.

Andrew Strauss. Courtesy: Getty Images

On the other hand, South African captain Graeme Smith has decided to go with an unchanged squad in a bid to keep the winning combination play in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

The England team consists of skipper Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior (wk), Tim Bresnan, Michael Yardy, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, and James Anderson.

South African squad includes captain Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Morne van Wyk, Francois du Plessis, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, and Imran Tahir.

World Cup Live: Australia vs Sri Lanka – Hosts win toss, bat first

After a huge hype by Darrell Hair over Murali’s bowling action, teams of Sri Lanka and Australia are finally in the middle to speak language of cricket in one of the most anticipated matches of the ICC Cricket World Cup at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Shaun Tait. Courtesy: Getty Images

Sri Lankan skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, won the toss and elected to bat first. Sri Lanka are relying heavily on their spinners as they have included three spinners, i.e. Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, and Rangana Herath, in the final eleven leaving out Nuwan Kulasekara. Australia are fielding an unchanged side.

As far as the pitch is concerned, it is quite a dry surface and will broadly help the spinners in both innings.

Australia v Sri Lanka: Group A - 2011 ICC World Cup

The inclusion of the three spinners means Angelo Mathews will opening the bowling with lethal Lasith Malinga. Sangakkara also has the option of attacking Aussies with spin bowling early in the innings.

Sangakkara said after winning the toss, “We are playing three spinners. We have left out Kulasekara. No reflection on his record over the years. He is a champion but it is just for this game. We will have to go out and build a good total.”

Well aware of the batting capabilities of his opponents, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said, “We will have to do a good job with the new ball. We are going with the same side. Hopefully there will be some reverse swing as the game goes on. Looks fairly dry this surface.”

Sri Lanka team includes Upul Tharanga, Tillikaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara (C), Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Ajantha Mendis

Australia squad consists of Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (WK), Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Clarke, David Hussey, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, and Shaun Tait.

WC Preview: B'desh vs Ireland, Aus vs NZ Live Score Card

Where: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Bangladesh

When: Friday February 25, 14:30 local, 08:30 GMT, 19:30 AEDT, 21:30 NZDT

ODI Head to Head: Played: 6, Wins: Bangladesh 4, Ireland 2

Last meeting: : July 16, 2010 Ireland 9-189 (46 ov) lost to Bangladesh 4-191 (37.4 ov) by six wickets in Belfast

World Cup Head to Head: : Played: 1, Wins: Bangladesh: 0, Ireland 1

Selection Table: :
Likely Bangladesh team: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shakib Al Hasan Mushfiqur Rahim, Raqibul Hasan, Mahmudullah, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain

With part-time off spinner Naeem Islam being carted for 54 off his seven overs - and being dismissed for just two - in the opening match against India, Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons could be tempted to replace him with Suhrawadi Shuvo. With his bowling attack giving up 370 runs in their 87-run loss to the Indians, Siddons will be hoping for a more controlled display.

Likely Ireland team: William Porterfield, Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien, Andre Botha, Kevin O'Brien, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Andrew White, George Dockrell, Boyd Rankin

Former England player Ed Joyce had made the number three spot his own in recent weeks, and adds some flair to the batting order while quick Boyd Rankin will provide an injection of much-needed pace into the Irish bowling stocks.

X-Factor: :
Bangladesh: Imrul Kayes - the 24-year-old opener is usually something of an anchor in the Bangladesh top order, but his quick fire 34 against India suggested he can be a potent attacking weapon.

Ireland: Boyd Rankin - The six foot eight inch Rankin's express pace and bounce have drawn comparisons with West Indian great Curtly Ambrose.

Summary: :
Bangladesh will be keen to put the insipid performance of their bowlers in their first-up loss to India out of their minds when they take on Ireland, who have been World Cup giant killers in recent years.
In 2007, the Irish defeated Pakistan to progress to the Super 8 stage of the tournament, where they then accounted for Bangladesh - so far the only World Cup meeting between the two nations.
Bangladesh are no strangers to the big stage themselves, having shocked India at the 2007 event in the Caribbean.
The Irish enjoyed a four-wicket win over Zimbabwe in their last lead-up game before the tournament - aided by a polished 79 from Andre Botha - and they will be hoping for more good touch from the South African-born all-rounder on Friday, who also claimed two wickets in the match.
But Bangladesh must head into the game as warm favourites in front of their home crowd, and will be disappointed with anything less than victory as they look to post their first win in the 2011 World Cup.

Aus vs NZ: World Cup Live Score

25th Feb, 2011: The ICC World Cup 2011 match for today, the seventh one, featuring Australia vs New Zealand (NZ vs AUS), is happening at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium at Nagpur.
Australia won the toss against New Zealand and chose to field.
New Zealand: 12/0 (3.0 overs)
MJ Guptill (not out) 0 (11b 0x4 0x6)
BB McCullum (not out) 8 (8b 1x4 0x6)
Extras: 4
To bat: JD Ryder, LRPL Taylor, JEC Franklin, SB Styris, JM How, DL Vettori, NL McCullum, TG Southee, HK Bennett