Pakistan vs SL : Test series, 2008-09

[Sachinism]

Karachi: In a bid to prepare its players for the forthcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is organising a conditioning camp where cricketers will undergo "mental therapy" sessions. This special camp is aimed at preparing players 'mentally' for the longer version of the game, as Pakistan has not featured in any Test match for more than a year. Pakistan’s last Test match was against India in Bangalore in December 2007. They didn't play a single five-day game in 2008 due to a series of tour cancellations, with teams like Australia and India refusing to visit the country over security concerns. It (camp) will be like a secret military exercise with no media or public allowed. All 22 probables will attend the camp. "It will be good from the players to be away from the media glare for a while. The idea is to ensure that the players gel together and form an efficient unit.The players will get mental therapy and we will ensure that they switch to the Test mode after having not played a single Test in the last 15 months," The News quoted coach Intikhab Alam, as saying. Alam said a special strategy will be chalked out for the forthcoming series during the camp. "During the camp we will hold extensive discussions in which we (team management) will talk about our expectations and the players will speak on goals which they think are achievable," he added. Alam expressed hope the team under the new captain, Younis Khan, will work cohesively for an improved show on the field after their humiliating 2-1 loss in the recently concluded one-day series against the islanders. http://cricketnext.in.com/news/pakistan-team-to-undergo-mental-therapy/38305-13.html :haha::haha::haha:

[Rajan]

it is a good move. their Players require such a session very badly. may be this would trigger the team to do well under younis. at least for one series u can expect the players not to create divisions in the team and stop dirty politics. Alam is trying his best but its up to the players to respond and lift themselves.

[Fontaine]

Mental therapy huh? This should be good. Expect to see Younis Khan, MoYo, Akhtar, Malik and co on the next Jerry Springer show.

[Ram]

Pakistan vs SL : test series, 2008-09 Afridi has been excused from attending this camp because common wisdom indicates you need a brain in the first place to condition it and Afridi has yet to prove that he has a brain.

[spectre]

Afridi has been excused from attending this camp because common wisdom indicates you need a brain in the first place to condition it and Afridi has yet to prove that he has a brain.

awesome :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

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15-member Sri Lanka squad arrives for two-Test series KARACHI: Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said on Sunday that victory over Pakistan in the two-Test series would be the perfect way for him to end his spell as captain. Jayawardene, 31, has already announced that he will step down ... More... Jayawardene eyes winning farewell KARACHI: Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene said on Sunday that victory over Pakistan in the two-Test series would be the perfect way for him to end his spell as captain. Jayawardene, 31, has already announced that he will step down from the captaincy after the second Test ends in Lahore on March 5. The first Test will be played at Karachi from February 21 to25 while a two-day warm-up game against the Patron’s XI will be held on February 17-18. “For us it would be brilliant and for me to leave on that note would be icing on the cake,” Jayawardene told reporters. Sri Lanka, which won the three-match One-Day series 2-1 against Pakistan last month before losing 4-1 to India at home, returned on Sunday to play two Tests. “I’m just going to enjoy the way I’ve enjoyed the last three years (as captain),” Jayawardene said. “We needed a fresh guy to lead us through the World Cup (in 2011) and for him to have adequate time to settle in and imprint his authority on how he wants to take us to the World Cup.” Great experience “It’s been a great experience leading my team,” Jayawardene said. “I felt it was right time to let it (captaincy) go and concentrate more on my cricket and take on another challenge which is to be a much better cricketer than who I am right now. Sri Lanka crushed Pakistan by 234 runs in the Lahore ODI last month to clinch the series, which led the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint middle-order batsman Younis Khan as the new captain. “Even though Younis has just taken over, he has done this in the past and at the same time he is a very experienced cricketer so I don’t think leading the team is going to be a problem for him,” Jayawardene said. “We have to wait and see how there approach is going to be.For us it’s going to be a great challenge to come back to Pakistan and play a Test series.” The squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt.), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Prasanna Jayawardene, Chamara Kapugedera, Suranga Lakmal, Farvez Maharoof, Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Thushara, Chaminda Vaas, Malinda Warnapura

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‘Mendis needs to come up with new tricks’ Ajantha Mendis, who was taken to the cleaners by India in the one-dayers recently, needs to work on reading the batsmen’s mind to regain his lost spark, Sri Lanka’s outgoing skipper Mahela Jayawardene said. More... ‘Mendis needs to come up with new tricks’ Press Trust of India Posted: Feb 16, 2009 at 0015 hrs IST Karachi: Ajantha Mendis, who was taken to the cleaners by India in the one-dayers recently, needs to work on reading the batsmen’s mind to regain his lost spark, Sri Lanka’s outgoing skipper Mahela Jayawardene said. “India are one of the top sides today and they played very well against us. We have played them a lot in recent times and I think they played Mendis very capably,” said Jayawardene, after arriving here for a two-Test series against Pakistan. “Mendis now has to realise that the surprise element is out and he now has to become a much smarter bowler and come up with new tricks and learn to read the mind of the batsmen. He has got Muralitharan bowling with him who is a very good teacher,” he added. Jayawardene however sidestepped queries on who his successor would be when he steps down after the two-Test series against Pakistan.

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Sri Lanka focused on Jayawardene farewell: Samarveera Sri Lanka Test regular Thilan Samaraweera wants to use the tour to Pakistan as an opportunity to send outgoing captain Mahela Jayawardene off on a high note. More... Thilan Praises Outgoing Skipper February 17 2009 Sri Lanka Test regular Thilan Samaraweera wants to use the tour to Pakistan as an opportunity to send outgoing captain Mahela Jayawardene off on a high note. "Everyone knows his record as a captain which is brilliant in both Test cricket and ODI cricket," Samaraweera said on Monday. "I think we will give a good farewell to him as a captain." Jayawardene, 31, announced he will quit as captain at the end of the second Test at Lahore. The first Test will be played at Karachi. Jayawardene has struck 24 Test centuries - 11 as captain - and overall has scored 7,959 runs in 100 Tests at an average of 52.36. He has also led his country in 97 limited-overs internationals. Overall, in 299 one-dayers, Jayawardene has made 8,042 runs at an average of 32.03. Samaraweera, who has scored 2,800 runs in 47 Test matches, said it will be difficult to beat Pakistan in Pakistan. "They have a lot of good cricketers - especially fast bowlers and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria," Samaraweera said. "It's a big challenge ahead of us, but we are looking forward to it." Sri Lanka has not won a Test series against Pakistan since a two-one victory in 2000. Since then it has lost twice to Pakistan at home and drew the 2004 two-Test series in Pakistan. Pakistan will be playing their first Test match in 14 months since last competing against India in December 2007, primarily due to security concerns expressed by foreign teams. Australia and the West Indies skipped scheduled tours to Pakistan last year. The Sri Lankan team on Monday had a two-hour practice session at the National Stadium - the venue for the first Test. They being their preparations with a two-day warm-up match starting Tuesday against a Patron's XI led by hard-hitting batsman Shahid Afridi.

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Warm up match : Sri Lanka vs Patrons XI Openers Ahmed Shahzad and Azhar Ali hit contrasting centuries for Patron's XI in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka here Tuesday to press claims for a Test place. More... Shahzad, Ali stake Test claims as S.Lanka toil Tue 17 Feb, 04:56 PM KARACHI (AFP) - Openers Ahmed Shahzad and Azhar Ali hit contrasting centuries for Patron's XI in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka here Tuesday to press claims for a Test place. Shahzad, aged just 17, scored an aggressive 146 while Ali notched a sedate 100 as Sri Lanka's bowlers toiled hard on a placid Defense Stadium pitch -- their only warm-up match before the first of two Tests starting here on February 21. The pair helped Patron's XI reach 395-4 at close on the first day after home team captain Shahid Afridi won the toss and decided to bat. At close Asim Kamal was unbeaten on 18 and Sarfraz Ahmed on 13 not out. Shahzad, who represented Pakistan in the Junior World Cup last year, hit 22 boundaries and a six during his 174-ball knock and added 204 runs with Ali. Shahzad had to retire after he was hit in the groin by a delivery from paceman Thilan Thushara. Ali, who took 54 deliveries to open his account, hit nine boundaries and two sixes during his 208-ball innings, making a strong case for selection for Pakistan in near future. Afridi, who is pressing for a Test recall, hit eight boundaries and a six during his rapid-fire 29-ball 49. Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan went wicketless in 11 overs, while Ajantha Mendis took 1-69. Muralitharan was unlucky not to have dismissed Shahzad when skipper Mahela Jayawardene spilled a catch in the slips. Shahzad was then 74. Abbreviated Scores: Patron's XI first innings: 395-4 (Shahzad Butt 146, Azhar Ali 100, Shahid Afridi 49; C. Vaas 1-27)

[Shane]

Lankans getting pwned in their warm up game, may be saving best for the last !!!

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Pakistan drop Tanvir and Afridi for Sri Lanka Test Pakistani selectors on Wednesday included five uncapped players in a new-look 15-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. More... Pakistan drop Tanvir and Afridi for Sri Lanka Test © Shahid Hashmi Wednesday, February 18, 2009 6:47:44 PM Karachi: Pakistani selectors on Wednesday included five uncapped players in a new-look 15-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. Chief selector Abdul Qadir said opener Ahmed Shahzad was picked after batting a brilliant 100 in the two-day tour match against Sri Lanka. "Shahzad was not selected in the initial squad of 22 but I said last week that we can pick a player from outside the first list, so after hitting a 100 against Sri Lanka we could not ignore Shahzad," Qadir told reporters. Pacemen Mohammad Talha and Sohail Khan, opener Khurram Manzoor and all-rounder Fawad Alam were selected after domestic match performances. The 20-year-old Talha, who hails from Faisalabad, has impressed with his quick pace and wicket-taking ability in domestic matches. Left-handed middle-order batsman Asim Kamal was also included in the team after breaking into the initial list. The 32-year-old left-hander played the last of his 12 Tests against England in 2005 before losing his place due to poor form. All-rounder Shahid Afridi and paceman Sohail Tanveer were omitted. With frontline paceman Shoaib Akhtar ruled out of the series because of an injured knee, Umar Gul will lead the fast bowling attack with Sohail, Talha and Yasir Arafat as back-up. Arafat played his only Test against India at Bangalore in December 2007, picking up five wickets in the innings. Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is the only regular spinner in the squad. Squad: Younis Khan (captain), Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Sohail Khan

[cowboysfan]

5 uncapped players in the test squad?-this would never happen in any other country.

[Shane]

Paki bowling looks thin !!!

[Cricketics]

No Way they were pwned @ Shane. They were having batting practice. The result doesn't matter in this 2 day game and hence they decided to just play and play rather then go for the chase. btw, can we haev a new fresh thread where all we Indian Cricket Fans can pray for sri lanka players so that they remain safe and sound in country which is jointly being run by terrorists from both taliban and pakistan. We all should be bestowing our wishes to them and their fans.

[Shane]

No Way they were pwned @ Shane. They were having batting practice. The result doesn't matter in this 2 day game and hence they decided to just play and play rather then go for the chase. btw, can we haev a new fresh thread where all we Indian Cricket Fans can pray for sri lanka players so that they remain safe and sound in country which is jointly being run by terrorists from both taliban and pakistan. We all should be bestowing our wishes to them and their fans.

tics, i was referring to the first day scorecard, where Mendis and co. were tonked around for 4.38 rpo, batting ka scorecard toh abhi dekha, still worried thou abt Mendis's form, he needs to get it back for this series esp !!!

[Cricketics]

tics' date=' i was referring to the first day scorecard, where Mendis and co. were tonked around for 4.38 rpo, batting ka scorecard toh abhi dekha, still worried thou abt Mendis's form, he needs to get it back for this series esp !!![/quote'] i believe in mendis. and also Murali. they both will hit back hard and would stun the kurta pajama waalein log sitting in crowd with big beards.

[Guest Hiten.]

Mohammad Talha has been back by Aaqib Javed. Padosee's are very excited about this lad's prospects, all eyes will be on him. Oh, I must say PCB selectors finally found their balls and decided to drop waste-of-space Afridi out of the TEST team (was that hard now ?). Not all five uncapped players will make their debuts in this series unless their front line batsmen and bowlers get injured.

[Cricketics]

They have dropped afridi from tests before too. Thats not the first time. It's just they have this brainfart after every couple of series when pakistan starts playing some pathetic cricket and thats when they bring afridi back to the national side. They gutless fans of pakistan continue to bash their PCB members that they have done poor selection etc and they forget that they are the biggest joke in the whole world who keep praising the retard. I am actually disappointed to see afridi not in the squad. Mendis and Murali would have made him look likea toddler out there. and i wanted to see that happen. sucks it won't be happening.

[Macj]

SL vs Patrons , what sort of match is this? http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakvsl/engine/match/389871.html 2 day 90 overs? Now can individual boards slice and dice , mish and mash test, first class and ODI sort of formats and spit out bastards everyday till Sunday. Please can someone explain this match.

[Guest Hiten.]

Yeah it does not make sense. How can you declare winner in a practice game based on one innings ? But it is interesting to know that Mendis got his ars3 handed over by some rookies.