Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2009

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Fixtures

[Sadaf Gondal]

Debutant Fawad’s century brings Pakistan back in game

COLOMBO: Debutant Fawad Alam scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan produced a remarkable turnaround to claw their way back in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

The tourists, who were bowled out for 90 in their first innings, hit back to dismiss Sri Lanka for 240 and then cruised to 178-1 in their second knock by stumps on the second day.

Left-handed Alam led the way with a determined 102 not out to give Pakistan a lead of 28 runs with nine wickets in hand on a dry pitch that appeared to have eased out under the hot sun.

The fearless 23-year-old from Karachi moved to 98 by lofting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a six over mid-wicket and then flicked the next ball for two runs to reach the coveted century.

Alam put on 85 for the first wicket with Khurram Manzoor, who made 38 before he was caught behind by wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan off Herath.

Skipper Younus Khan, who was dismissed for zero in the first innings, was unbeaten on 35 at stumps after adding 93 for the unbroken second wicket with Alam.

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara rotated his seam and spin attack in short bursts to gain quick breakthroughs, but Pakistan's batsmen were not found wanting a second time.

Pakistan's fightback was launched by seamer Umar Gul and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who took four wickets each to keep Sri Lanka's first innings in check.

The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 63 runs after starting the day at a comfortable 164-3.

Gul extracted reverse swing with the old ball on the dry wicket to rip through the innings, including the wickets of Nuwan Kulasekera and Herath off successive deliveries.

Thilan Thushara denied Gul a hat-trick and Angelo Mathews hit a defiant 27 towards the end to boost Sri Lanka's total from 220-8 before the innings ended 20 minutes after lunch.

The hosts lost the overnight pair of Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera within the first hour for the addition of 24 runs.

Samaraweera, who made 21 in a fourth-wicket stand of 44 with his captain, was run out by a direct throw from Mohammad Aamer at mid-off while trying to attempt a cheeky single.

Sangakkara plodded from his overnight score of 81 to 87 but was denied a 19th Test century when Gul pegged back his off-stump with a reverse-swinging delivery that came in sharply.

Ajmal, who had claimed two wickets on Sunday, earned another crucial break when umpire Daryl Harper ruled Dilshan caught at the wicket by Kamran Akmal for 20 to make Sri Lanka 203-6.

The hosts tripped to 220-8 soon after, when Gul had Kulasekera edging a wild heave to Misbah-ul Haq at first slip before taking a return catch off Herath with the next delivery.

Thushara was leg-before to Abdur Rauf in the first over after lunch before Ajmal terminated the innings by having Mathews caught in the covers by Mohammad Yousuf.

Sri Lanka won the first Test in Galle by 50 runs last week to take the lead in the three-match series.

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Younis Khan congratulates Fawad Alam onYounis Khan congratulates Fawad Alam on getting to his century getting to his century

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Fawad Alam kneels down on the pitch after getting to fifty

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Younis Khan drives through the off side, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Colombo, 2nd day, July 13, 2009

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Fawad Alam ne MashAllah bht zabardast khela

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No more batsman being sent to SLanka: Bari

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official Waseem Bari Tuesday said no more batsmen are being sent to Sri Lanka; however, if the Tour Selection Committee asks for the substitute, then this decision may be taken.

Talking to Geo News, he said he cannot on his own send substitute batsmen to Sri Lanka on being defeated in the consecutive second test match and losing the test series to the hosts.

If the Tour Selection Committee comprising captain, vice-captain and coach recommend so, then a decision will be made to this effect with mutual consultation.

Bari said the team for ODIs will be announced during the third test.

Shoaib Akhtar is in Islamabad to tend his ailing mother; therefore, his fitness test could not be taken, he added.

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Team victim of grouping: Sarfraz

KARACHI: Former Test cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz severely criticized Pakistan cricket team for its humiliating series defeat from Sri Lanka.

Pakistan lost the second Test match by seven wickets on the third of the match at Colombo conceding the series 2-0 to the home side.

"There is grouping in the team. The team displayed completely irresponsible in both the innings. These are professional players and they shouldn''t play like amateurs. See how youngster Fawad Alam played. If he hadn''t knocked 168 runs then Sri Lanka would have beaten Pakistan on the second day - which most of the players intended to do," Sarfraz said while talking to Geo News.

He said that the board should be disbanded and it should be brought under the power of the ministry.

"They forced honest selectors to resign and brought in people who are pleasing to them. I have never seen a seven-member committee in the past anywhere in the world," Sarfraz said.

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Pakistan team’s meeting on strategy against Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Pakistan cricket team, after being defeated by Sri Lanka in a Test series for the first time on hosts’s soil, held a four-hour long meeting here on Thursday.

Pakistan are facing severe criticism after the seven-wicket loss against Sri Lanka at Colombo.

Former players say that the national team is victimized by grouping and some senior players deliberately do not perform well but captain Younis Khan and chairman PCB Ijaz Butt dismissed these charges.

Meanwhile, a four-hour long meeting of the Pakistan cricket team was held in Colombo on Thursday and factors behind defeat and the future strategy were discussed there. However, team combination for the third Test was not discussed in the meeting.

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Captain for T20 match against SL to be announced soon: Ijaz Butt

LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt said that if Younis Khan remains firm on his decision for not playing Twenty20 cricket then a new captain would soon be announced for T20 match against Sri Lanka.

Talking with Syed Yahya Hussaini of Geo News, Ijaz Butt said that Wasim Bari has gone to Sri Lanka for consulting only for one-day team and he would meet there with the team management.

When asked who would lead Pakistan in the only Twenty20 match on the tour Ijaz Butt said that he himself would decide it and not Wasim Bari.

It may be recalled that Younis Khan after winning the World Twenty20 Cup announced to retire from this form of cricket.

Allrounder Shahid Afridi is a strong candidate for captaincy of Pakistan’s T20 team.

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Shoaib Akhtar won’t be selected for ODI series in SL

LAHORE: Chairman interim selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Wasim Bari said that Shoaib Akhtar is not being considered for inclusion in the national team for One-day International series against Sri Lanka as he could not prove his match fitness.

While talking with Geo News before leaving for Sri Lanka, Wasim Bari said that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar went through physical fitness and he did no give the match fitness.

He said that Shoaib Akhtar was invited to National Cricket Academy on his own request He gave physical fitness test but his match fitness cannot be assessed as he did not play any match.

Bari said that he would consult with the team management and captain during the third Test after which the list of 30 probable cricketers for the Champions Trophy would be provided to the ICC.

He said that Shoaib Akhtar would be considered for the Champions Trophy.