Afridi wants to lead Pakistan to World Cup glory
LONDON: Former Pakistan Test captain Shahid Afridi vowed to return to England on Sunday, saying the limited over series starting next month will be the launch pad for his ambitions to win the 2011 World Cup.
The 30-year-old announced he would retire from Test cricket after the second and final Test against Australia at Leeds starting Wednesday, citing a lack of temperament for the five-day game.
His announcement came minutes after he led Pakistan to a 150-run defeat against Australia in the first Test on Friday, where Afridi slogged 31 in the first innings and hold out for two in the second.
But a side strain meant the batsman was ruled out of the second Test and he was released from the Pakistan squad which, after the Australia series, will stay on to play four Tests against England.
However, Afridi – who led Pakistan to the 2009 World Twenty20 title – is determined to return for the subsequent limited over series against England.
“I took a decision which I felt was right and now all my concentration is on the limited overs series against England which will be our first step towards winning next year”s World Cup,” Afridi said.
“I have won the World Twenty20, beaten England and India in Tests at home and have achieved some other milestones as well, but before I leave the game I want to win the World Cup,” he added ahead of next year”s tournament in Asia, where Pakistan will try to add to their lone World Cup title won in 1992.
Opener Salman Butt will lead Pakistan at Leeds and in the Tests against England.
“Butt must take coach Waqar Younis and others with him because this team will be tested against England,” said Afridi who may join English county side Hampshire if they qualify for the domestic Twenty20 quarter-finals.
“I had to abandon the contract with Hampshire because I was here for the Test series but now they want me to play the last three matches of the Twenty20, provided they qualify,” said Afridi, known as a Twenty20 specialist.
Afridi rubbished speculation his Test retirement came after differences with Pakistan team-mates.
“This team was unified and there were no problems, nothing. I took the decision in the best interest of the team and hope a youngster with a Test temperament takes my position.
“I also feel that there are other players who are not fit for the longer version of the game and my advice to them is to concentrate on the shorter forms,” said Afridi, without naming names.
Afridi hopes a month”s break will revive him for the two Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against World Twenty20 champions England which follow the Test series.
“I will be fresh for the limited over series which will be very tough because England have been doing very well in both ODIs and T20s, so if we could beat them it would be good for the progress of the team,” said Afridi.
Pakistan”s one-day squad is due to announced next month.
North happy to head to Headingley after Lord”s haul
LONDON: Australia”s Marcus North is looking forward to returning to the scene of one of his greatest triumphs with the bat after turning in a stunning bowling display during the first Test against Pakistan.
Part-time bowler North took a career-best six wickets for 55 runs with his off-spin, after failing in his primary function as a batsman, as Australia beat Pakistan by 150 runs in the first of a two-Test series at Lord”s on Friday.
The second and final Test starts at Headingley, Yorkshire”s headquarters in Leeds, northern England, on Wednesday.
It was at Headingley where the 30-year-old North scored one of his four Test hundreds as Australia levelled last year”s Ashes, only to lose the subsequent series finale against England at The Oval.
“I have got good memories of batting up at Headingley and hopefully I can contribute there with the bat instead of the ball,” said the Western Australia left-handed middle-order batsman.
“I played at Leeds once and had that one hit,” said North as he reflected on an innings of 110. “I have some nice memories up at Leeds and I am hoping to build on that this week.”
Meanwhile North is still struggling to come to terms with his bowling display at Lord”s, where he took a wicket with his first ball on Friday to have in-form Pakistan opener Salman Butt stumped for 92 and then didn”t look back.
His figures surpassed the best Lord”s innings returns of such legendary Australia spinners as Clarrie Grimmett (six for 167), Arthur Mailey (four for 55), Shane Warne (four for 57) and Bill O”Reilly (four for 93).
“I probably don”t feel like I deserve that,” said North, who doubled his tally of Test wickets in the one innings on Friday.
“There have been some amazing bowlers over the years to have had some great bowling performances at Lord”s.
“I certainly would like to have that six-for against England but it was a great occasion and to play at the home of cricket was fantastic,” said North, who now has 12 wickets from 16 Tests.
He added: “I am probably as surprised as anyone. I didn”t wake up expecting to get a bag of wickets but I have always enjoyed having the ball thrown to me and think I can play a role.”
North”s haul included Shahid Afridi, out slogging for two. Afterwards the dashing batsman announced his retirement from the five-day game and he has since been replaced as Pakistan”s Test captain by Salman Butt.
“He has that X-factor about him,” North said of Afridi. “I suppose I thought I was always in with a chance because he was going to counter-attack.
Fortunately enough for me, it went straight to a fielder.”
This series is being played in England because of security concerns in Pakistan caused by last year”s armed attack on Sri Lanka”s team bus in Lahore and North said: “I think it”s great for world cricket to come over here.
“To have Pakistan playing Test cricket makes the game stronger. And what better place to play in the world than at Lord”s?”
Pakistan were well supported when winning the two preceding Twenty20s against Australia at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, a city which, like Leeds, has a large Asian population.
North, asked if England could be a temporary home for Pakistan, replied: “It could well be. We saw a lot of support for them in the Twenty20s and there was some support for them at Lord”s. No doubt some of the English wanted to see us lose as well.
“Wherever we can play Pakistan, in Australia or in a neutral venue, it is great for cricket.”
Afridi wants Pak to replicate T20 form in Tests
July 8, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
BIRMINGHAM, England: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has rallied his players to carry forward their consistency in the Twenty20s against Australia to the two-Test series that begins at Lord’s on July 13.
The rest is here:
Afridi wants Pak to replicate T20 form in Tests
Pakistan Vs New Zealand in first T20 Today
DUBAI: Pakistan Vs New Zealand in first T20 Today, After a riveting end to the ODI series, which New Zealand won 2-1, the focus turns to the Twenty20s, which Pakistan will feel they are better placed to trump. They will be disappointed by a fifth consecutive ODI series defeat, especially one they were well poised to win, but the Twenty20 games in Dubai present an opportunity to redress that.
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Imran Nazir, Fawad Alam and Sohail Tanvir have joined the squad for the Twenty20 series. Mohammad Yousuf, who stands in for Younis Khan as captain for the Test series, sits out along with Salman Butt and Wahab Riaz.
New Zealand will be without Kyle Mills and James Franklin, nursing shoulder and back injuries respectively. Jacob Oram is also unavailable – he’s flown back home to attend the birth of his child. With only 12 players to choose from, they are likely to draft in Ian Butler and Nathan McCullum.
Both the Twenty20 games will begin at 9pm PST on November 12 and 13.
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Pakistan Vs New Zealand in first T20 Today was first posted on November 12, 2009 at 3:22 pm.
India, Sri Lanka test tour 2009
NEW DELHI, India: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the itinerary for Sri Lanka’s test and one-day tour starting next month.
Sri Lanka will play three tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches over two months.
According to the schedule released on Friday, Sri Lanka will arrive in India on Nov. 8 and play tests in Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Mumbai.
Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Cuttack, Kolkata and Delhi will each host a one-day international, while the Twenty20s will be played in Nagpur and Mohali.
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Nov. 8: Arrival in Mumbai
Nov. 11-13: Three-day tour match – Mumbai
Nov. 16-20: First test – Ahmedabad
Nov. 24-28: Second test – Kanpur
Dec. 2-6: Third test – Mumbai
Dec. 9: First Twenty20 international – Nagpur (d/n)
Dec. 12: Second Twenty20 international – Mohali (d/n)
Dec. 15: First one-day international – Rajkot
Dec. 18: Second one-day international – Vishakhapatnam (d/n)
Dec. 21: Third one-day international – Cuttack (d/n)
Dec. 24: Fourth one-day international – Kolkata (d/n)
Dec. 27: Fifth one-day international – Delhi (d/n)
India, Sri Lanka test tour 2009 was first posted on October 24, 2009 at 7:29 am.
