Pakistan beat Bangladesh in warm-up match

Tribune

Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 88 runs in the World Cup warm-up match on Tuesday.

Bangladesh, chasing the 286-run target set by Pakistan, were bowled out for 196 in the 42nd over at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Teenage opener Ahmed Shehzad and Test skipper Misbahul Haq both smashed centuries as Pakistan piled up 285-9 in the first innings to set up the win.

All-rounder Abdul Razzaq was the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan with three wickets for 31 runs while Mohammad Hafeez took two wickets for 41 runs and left arm spinner Abdur Rehman took two for 21.

Captain Shahid Afridi and Wahab Riaz also took one wicket each.

Shehzad, just 19, top-scored with 103 off 122 balls with nine fours and one six while Misbah cracked a run-a-ball century with eight boundaries and four giant sixes.

Despite the pair’s pyrotechnics, Pakistan’s other batsmen failed to fire with the next best score being a modest 21 from opener Mohammad Hafeez.

Bangladesh used nine bowlers with skipper and slow left-armer Shakib Al Hasan taking 3-49 off his 10 overs.

Seamer Rubel Hossain also claimed three wickets, but his 10 overs cost 73 runs.

Don't take us lightly, warns Afridi

GEO
DHAKA: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Saturday warned World Cup rivals not to underestimate his team, saying the players had turned a new leaf after the match-fixing scandal.

Afridi admitted Pakistan had been blown away by the scandal, which saw former captain Salman Butt and two leading pacemen, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, punished for their alleged involvement.

All three were banned for a minimum of five years by the International Cricket Council, which ruled them out of the World Cup, and also face criminal proceedings in England.

"I think we're really going through a very tough situation," Afridi told reporters in the Bangladeshi capital ahead of the marquee tournament opening on February 19.

"But I am very happy because we are trying to rebuild the team and keep the morale high. I am confident the team is in very good shape now.

Afridi's team will play practice matches against Bangladesh and England in Dhaka over the next few days, before their first Cup match against Kenya in the Sri Lankan town of Hambantota on February 23.

The Pakistan captain said his team was "focussed and united" under his leadership.

"They feel hungry to win a big event and want to play good cricket," he said, adding recent wins in New Zealand had bolstered the team's morale.

Afridi said fans would see a vastly improved Pakistan in the World Cup. "Inshallah (God willing), we will achieve our goal," he said.

Afridi paid tribute to manager Intikhab Alam and coach Waqar Younis for keeping the team in good spirits amid the controversy.

Pakistan was initially due to co-host the tournament with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but were stripped of hosting rights after gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team in March, 2009.

Pakistan, World Cup winners in 1992, have been drawn with reigning champions Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Canada in group A of the preliminary league.

Four teams from the group will advance to the quarter-finals.

Afridi said he wanted Pakistan to meet India in the April 2 final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

"That would be the perfect final for the cricket-loving people in both countries," he said.

Afridi to lead Pakistan in WC

THE Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) late on Thursday night announced that Shahid Afridi will lead the Pakistan side in the cricket World Cup, to be held from February 19 – April 2 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, reported a private TV channel.
The cricket board (PCB) had announced their 15-man squad for the showpiece event on January 18 but did not announce a skipper until today (Friday).
Pakistan’s current limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi and the Test skipper Misbahul Haq were the two contenders for leading the team in the World Cup.
They downplayed the ongoing row but former players lashed out saying the decision was likely to harm team unity.
Afridi had earlier said: “It would not be an issue for me if I’m removed as captain.”
“It doesn’t make a difference whether Misbah leads the side or I because we both are playing for our country.”

Bangladeshi beggars to stay off streets during World Cup

SAMAA
DHAKA: Around 300 physically disabled beggars in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second largest city, agreed on Wednesday to refrain from begging during the Cricket World Cup.
Chittagong is the venue for two Group B matches on March 11 and March 14 when hosts Bangladesh play England and the Netherlands.
"There is no need to beg and vex people when the city authority has pledged to pay us daily sustenance," said beggar Nur Mohammad.
"We beg because physical disabilities keep us away from doing labour for earning."
He was speaking over a loudspeaker before the mayor of Chittagong, the main port city, 300 km (188 miles) southeast of the capital Dhaka.
The beggars gathered at the office of the city Corporation as requested by the mayor, who asked them to accept a daily allowance of 150 taka ($2) each for the next three months in exchange for stopping begging on the streets.
Some 40 percent of Bangladesh's 150 million people live below the poverty line, earning little more than a dollar per day.
The Feb. 19-April 2 World Cup is being co-hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh are in Group B along with England, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa and West Indies. They begin their campaign against India in the tournament opener in Dhaka on Feb. 19.

Pakistan name’s preliminary WC squad, no captain announced

Shahid Afridi is expected to retain the one-day captaincy for the World Cup but PCB has made no official announcement. - Dawn

LAHORE: Pakistan selectors Tuesday included spot-fixing suspect Kamran Akmal in a preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup but left out former captain Shoaib Malik and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

The selection committee twice deferred the announcement of the squad as they sought clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on players who were reportedly under suspicion of match-fixing during Pakistan’s tour of England last year.

PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt said the observation of his board’s Integrity Committee were brought into consideration before naming the squad.

“The Integrity Committee has given its views on some players to the selectors, who have taken into consideration that input and has selected the best 30 players for the World Cup,” Butt said in a statement released by the board.

Teams now have until January 19 to announce a 15-man squad.

“We are satisfied that we have selected the best squad from amongst the available players,” said chief selector Mohsin Khan.

“I request the whole nation to back the selected players who need all the encouragement to win the World Cup,” said Khan, a former Pakistan opener.

Shahid Afridi is expected to retain the one-day captaincy for the 10th World Cup which will be hosted jointly by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2, with 14 teams competing.

A Pakistan squad for six one-dayers against New Zealand will be announced next week.

Pakistan currently gearing up for a two-test series against New Zealand which begin on January 7 at Hamilton have already lost the three-match Twenty20 series 2-1 last week. The Tests will be followed by the six ODIs.

World Cup 2011 preliminary squad: Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umer, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Naved Yasin, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Salman Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanveer, Tanveer Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Ali.