England vs Pakistan in England, 2010

[Acim]

Really glad to see Fawad Alam back.

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Pak coach Waqar at loggerheads with selectors over team selection Trouble brews yet as Pakistani cricket team coach Waqar Younis is reportedly at loggerheads with ODI and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Khan over the omission of Shoaib Malik and Umar Amin from the squad for the one-day series to be played in England. More...

[Clarke]

Pakistan insist one-day series goes ahead http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/474952.html Seriously ???

[Ram]

Pakistan insist one-day series goes ahead http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/content/current/story/474952.html Seriously ???

They have no option. If they decide to not play, they'll probably have to pay ICC millions of dollars in fines, which they dont have.

[Clarke]

They have no option. If they decide to not play' date=' they'll probably have to pay ICC millions of dollars in fines, which they dont have.[/quote'] I'd expect the ICC/ECB/England team to hit the pause button. One cannot continue with cricket while the shoddy work of the major players involved is being revealed. How on earth did the Pakis put up a face to suggest that cricket continue despite not denying the allegations.

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England heap more misery on Pakistan with Twenty20 beating England once again proved backing them to win a Twenty20 international is anything but a gamble. More... England heap more misery on Pakistan with Twenty20 beating By Dean Wilson 6/09/2010 England once again proved backing them to win a Twenty20 international is anything but a gamble. Inspired by the same formula that brought them Caribbean glory in May, they cruised to a five-wicket win that put on-field matters to the fore instead of scandal. The world T20 champions ruthlessly dealt with a woeful pakistan team clearly struggling to get to grips with life amid the furore that has surrounded them for the past week. Unsurprisingly Eoin Morgan was the man to guide england home with an unbeaten 38, enjoying staunch support from Michael Yardy in a partnership of 67 although both men were dropped on 13. But don't worry, it should be safe to assume it was only pakistan's incompetence and england's brilliance that accounted for this result in Cardiff. Their total of 126-4 was never going to be enough to thwart england even though T20 hero Kevin pietersen was watching the game on the sofa rather than engineering the win. The mix of pace bowlers up front followed by canny spin twins Graeme Swann and man of the match Yardy in the middle overs is as tried and trusted as cheese on toast in Cardiff. The rare bit of boundaryhitting dried up as they conceded 35 runs between their eight overs, snaffling three wickets. Skipper paul Collingwood said: "The bowling was again fantastic. The spinners were brilliant and as a side we played very well. i'm absolutely delighted because our strategy seems to be working in the T20 form. "it was great to get all the guys together this week because there are some fond memories between us from the Caribbean. "it had been a tough week, but the boys came out and concentrated 100 percent on the cricket." it is sad pakistan's performances will be viewed with a hint of cynical suspicion for some time and inevitably when a catch went down there were plenty of rolling eyes. Before last week Fawad Alam's 29-ball 20 would have been passed off as a particularly poor T20 innings, but it left people scratching their heads especially since the big-hitting Abdul Razzaq was left in the dugout. But it appeared they wanted to put the mess created by at least three of their former team-mates behind them and perhaps that eagerness resulted in several lapses in the field. england were 62-5, and had Morgan or Yardy's catches been taken the game could have followed a very different path. As it was Shahid Afridi's side came up short, but the pakistan skipper said: "it was a relief just to get out there and i was very happy to see the way my boys played, although we didn't get the perfect total. "When england were struggling it looked like we might win but Morgan and Yardy took it away from us." Craig Kieswetter and Ravi Bopara learnt Shoaib Akhtar still has life left in him. Another minor collapse could have spelled trouble for england, but with Morgan so calm the outcome was hardly in doubt. He and Yardy finished things off with 17 balls to spare.

[Roshanrocks]

Unsurprisingly Eoin Morgan was the man to guide england home with an unbeaten 38, enjoying staunch support from Michael Yardy in a partnership of 67 although both men were dropped on 13. But don't worry, it should be safe to assume it was only pakistan's incompetence and england's brilliance that accounted for this result in Cardiff.

:D :D

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Afridi determined to square the series CARDIFF – The stage is set for the second Twenty 20 fixture between Pakistan and England at Sophia Garden Cricket Ground, Cardiff, as hosts lead the two-match rubber 1-0. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is determined to level the series 1-1 while England skipper Paul Collingwood wants to sweep the tie 2-0 with comprehensive win. However, toss will play vital role as the weather of the venue may be cloudy, which may support, who will bowl first. More... Afridi determined to square the series By: Abdul Jabbar Faisal | Published: September 07, 2010 CARDIFF – The stage is set for the second Twenty 20 fixture between Pakistan and England at Sophia Garden Cricket Ground, Cardiff, as hosts lead the two-match rubber 1-0. Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is determined to level the series 1-1 while England skipper Paul Collingwood wants to sweep the tie 2-0 with comprehensive win. However, toss will play vital role as the weather of the venue may be cloudy, which may support, who will bowl first. All-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi will lead the green shirts while English cricket team will enter the ground under the captaincy of Paul Collingwood. Match will kick off at 2:30pm local time. England has got upper hand in the series 1-0 as they beat mentally disturbed Pakistani outfits by five wickets at the same venue a day earlier. However, Pakistan team held their nets at the venue on Monday to prepare for the second T20. All the players attended the training session and team spent special hours to improve fielding. Team manager, Yawar Saeed told TheNation that all the players were fit for the second T20 fixture. “Team will be finalised on the match-day before start of the game. Conditions are important before playing elevens is announced,” he viewed. “However, boys are fit and determined to square the series. Boys toiled hard in the session to produce remarkable results in the next game. Guys are mentally ready to face the challenge in the T20 fixture,” he said.

[b555]

can nay mod edit this one up ?

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Pakistan humiliated once more as England cruise to six-wicket Twenty20 victory This is as bad as it gets. Pakistan, discredited and utterly shambolic, plumbed new depths in front of a woeful crowd with one of the worst displays by an international side. Is there really much more of this?More... Somebody please put an end to this tragedy! Pakistan humiliated once more as England cruise to comfortable Twenty20 victory By Paul Newman Cricket Correspondent 8th September 2010 This is as bad as it gets. Pakistan, discredited and utterly shambolic, plumbed new depths in front of a woeful crowd with one of the worst displays by an international side. Is there really much more of this? The discerning cricket supporters of Cardiff who stayed away in their droves from this pathetic excuse for a Twenty20 international displayed impeccable judgment on a totally depressing night for the game. The sight of Kamran Akmal, under suspicion in a second ICC investigation into corruption, striding out to open the Pakistan batting in front of swathes of empty seats was the image of this miserable summer in microcosm. It has been forgettable in almost every way. What next? Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi (centre) stands with Umal Gul and Umal Akmal as they ponder another defeat No more than 6,000 attended this second match here in three days, the clearest warning yet to the ECB after a summer of poor attendances that they must review the volume of international cricket and the cost of it. Those who paid the top price of £55 will surely be reluctant to splash out so much again after a total mismatch that saw England win by six wickets as they cruised to their seventh successive Twenty20 victory, equalling the record in the short history of the format. It can only be viewed as a hollow triumph. The allegations surrounding the Pakistan team in the last 10 days must also be a big factor in the public turning their backs. If fans are not sure that what they are watching is real, why should they pay top dollar to see it? Habit: Eoin Morgan was once again the man to see England home Yorkshire, who were expecting a big crowd for Sunday’s second one-day international, report that a number of spectators have been trying to get their money back, so disillusioned have they been with allegations that three Pakistan players manipulated the Lord’s Test. The five-match NatWest Series that starts in Durham on Friday could be played out in an atmosphere of indifference. Where are all the fans? There were thousands of empty seats in Cardiff When Akmal, who as Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday is being investigated for alleged spot-fixing in the Asia Cup, hit 11 off Ryan Sidebottom’s first over it seemed Pakistan might put up a fight to try to level this mini-series. It did not last. Pakistan soon showed a total inability to combat the short ball as Tim Bresnan, who finished with three wickets for just 10 runs, and Stuart Broad bounced out the cream of their batting with embarrassing ease. Tumbling down: Pakistan's collapse was bad even by the standards set on the tour already Then they were just as hapless against spin as Mike Yardy proved impossible to get away, Pakistan failing to score off 18 of his 24 balls, and Graeme Swann, so integral to England now, taking two more wickets. At least Umar Akmal struck Swann for two straight sixes before spoiling it by naively heaving in an attempt for a third and falling to Swann’s flight and guile. Howzat: England's Steve Davies provided a safe pair of hands behind the stumps throughout Pakistan staggered past the lowest Twenty20 score by a Test nation, India’s 74, but again could not even reach three figures, their 89 all out with eight balls wasted being comfortably the worst in their 40 Twenty20 matches. At least Pakistan’s bowlers managed to claw back a semblance of pride by making England work hard as they stuttered to their tiny target. With so few runs to get England almost went into their shell, Ravi Bopara managing 12 runs from 24 balls and Paul Collingwood, despite smashing Shoaib Akhtar for six, missing the chance for a big score. It took Eoin Morgan and Mike Yardy, who rescued England from a perilous position in Sunday’s match, to usher them over the line with an unbroken stand of 27 as victory came with a thumping 36 balls to spare. There was no shout of triumph from the Irishman this time, Morgan and Yardy simply trotting off as Pakistan were forced to contemplate a performance that captain Shahid Afridi described as ‘immature and irresponsible’. The tourists must now limp on, remaining tight-lipped here about the latest accusation to hit their besieged side. Sportsmail understands that the allegations surrounding the older Akmal centre on Pakistan’s defeat by Sri Lanka in Dambulla in June in which both he and his younger brother Umar were run out. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth, in truth, that Akmal is still playing on but this whole tour is now dragging on longer than anyone could want it to. The end of this season, as summer becomes autumn, cannot come quickly enough.

[Roshanrocks]

again all out less than 100 :P

[Sachinism]

Pakistan are in a terrible state. We should organise a tour against them. It'd be more one-sided than gang rape

[Clarke]

Pakistan are in a terrible state. We should organise a tour against them. It'd be more one-sided than gang rape

or leave them alone in their misery .. they've earned it.

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1st ODI : England and Pakistan try to keep focus England captain Andrew Strauss today reflected on 11 days which have rocked cricket. He will lead England tonight (NZ time) at the start of a one-day series against Pakistan but he is not misguided enough to assume that form and... More... Cricket: England and Pakistan try to keep focus Sep 10, 2010 England cricket captain Andrew Strauss He will lead England tonight (NZ time) at the start of a one-day series against Pakistan but he is not misguided enough to assume that form and fitness are the only subjects of attention. Indeed, they may not be on the agenda at all. "I think every cricketer in the world has received a short, sharp slap in the face about where this game is at the moment and where it needs to be going in the future," he said as England prepared for the first match of the NatWest series. Strauss has been as perplexed as everybody else by the revelations of corruption which were first published in the News of the World and have led to feverish speculation about the probity of the game around the world. Although there is nothing to suggest that match-fixing is rife, the looming presence of unregulated betting markets overseas has cast a dark shadow. Three players who would have been in Pakistan's team for this series have been suspended, while a fourth, it was revealed today, will be questioned by Scotland Yard detectives next week. Against this backdrop, Strauss, who has played a Championship match for Middlesex since the astonishing end of the Test series at Lord's, has to try to persuade his players that the game is worth playing. "Despite whatever allegations have been out there I still maintain that cricket generally is a very clean sport and two teams are playing to beat the other 100 per cent," said Strauss. "If I can allay fears I think there is no chance in my mind that these games coming up will be played in that spirit." But Strauss knows that suspicion and allegations are likely to continue. This is due to the allegation that the fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer bowled no-balls to order in the Lord's Test against England with the collusion of their captain, Salman Butt, and at the behest of a fixer with connections to subcontinental betting markets. It's open season for bribery allegations. The fast bowler Wahab Riaz will meet police in London next week. England's glorious triumph in the World Twenty20 last May has now been put under a cloud, though without any evidence. Proof, in the unlikely event of it existing or being found, would tarnish the achievement. "If things are proven, then it clearly does to a certain extent - whether games that you thought you played really well in were actually strictly as you saw them," said Strauss. "These allegations hurt the game of cricket. Every one of them that comes to light hurts the game. "As players all we can do is recognise our responsibility and do everything we can to paint the game in a positive light and help people reconnect with the game for the right reasons. I don't worry for the future of the game of cricket. It has survived many controversies over the years and will continue to do so. I do recognise the importance of ironing out any of these allegations because ultimately they are a bit of a cancer that can spread and devalue the game." This series is undoubtedly already devalued both by the furore and the absences. Yet for both sides it is important in terms of the World Cup next year. England will have only seven matches, against Australia, after this series, so the five matches in the next 12 days are crucial to honing the developments which Strauss and coach Andy Flower have made in England's limited-overs cricket. Of the World Cup, Strauss said: "I'm very confident. The fact that we've won an ICC event recently gives us confidence, the fact that we've been playing a lot of good one-day cricket recently gives us confidence. Things are shaping up reasonably well. But we're not the finished article yet, we've got a hell of a lot of work still to do and we've only got 12 games or so before the World Cup. So every game we've got between now and then we need to be pushing in the right direction and not letting our standards slip." The latest improvement to the side is Tim Bresnan's laser surgery, which has cured his short-sightedness. Bresnan was previously at a disadvantage having sported neither glasses, which he felt was too dangerous, nor contact lenses, with which he felt uncomfortable. Otherwise there will be little experimentation from now on. England have been bitten like that before World Cups previously. "That's something we're keen to avoid as much as possible," said Strauss. "You need a settled side in the World Cup, you need people who know what their roles are, you need a confident bunch of individuals who are used to winning together." said Strauss. Starting today.

[Desi Cartman]

day game :woot: I can watch it .. starts at 7pm for me :aha: Go Pakistan .. Cheat-ay Cheat-ay Pakistan

[Zap_Brannigan]

day game :woot: I can watch it .. starts at 7pm for me :aha: Go Pakistan .. Cheat-ay Cheat-ay Pakistan

Sri lankan players are called Sri lankan lions..Bangladesh players are called bengal tigers, maybe its about time pakistan players are called Paki cheat--uhs!!

[Sachinism]

day game :woot: I can watch it .. starts at 7pm for me :aha: Go Pakistan .. Cheat-ay Cheat-ay Pakistan

:haha::haha::haha:

[ravishingravi]

The tour should have been cancelled. This will only increase the misery.

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England triumph at Chester-Le-Street England held their nerve to eke out a 24-run win against a spirited Pakistan at Chester-le-Street and go 1-0 up in the NatWest Series. More... Steve Davies seizes his chance to shine and multiply England's options • Andrew Strauss hails wicketkeeper's 'outstanding' innings • Pakistan confident Mohammad Irfan will improve David Hopps at Chester-le-Street guardian.co.uk, Friday 10 September 2010 Steve Davies, the Surrey wicketkeeper batsman, made an impressive 87 off 67 balls in his first ODI as an opening batsman. Andrew Strauss is too much of a diplomat not to say exactly the right things when he is asked to consider the bigger picture. "It was a good day for cricket," he asserted after a competitive match in front of a decent crowd began to lift the game from the depths of despondency. However, the bigger picture that most concerns Strauss is the one that he can actively influence not the future of the game – although you could lay bets that one day he will end up as the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board and be able to have a dabble at that – but the state of England's World Cup preparations. Eleven games to go to the World Cup and England's side have made what could prove to be a decisive shift. Steve Davies's 87 from 67 balls won the man-of-the-match award and served notice that Craig Kieswetter will not easily regain his place as a wicketkeeper-cum-opening batsman. Davies is that rare thing this summer: something good coming out of Surrey. "This is my time," he said, his deadpan delivery not quite disguising the level of his ambition. "I'm very happy, to be honest. The pressure was on, opening the batting. It was just nice to score. As the innings went on I seemed to find a better rhythm." With Kieswetter dropped, Ian Bell injured and Kevin Pietersen searching for form elsewhere, England suddenly face an embarrassment of options, not that Strauss is overly concerned. "There are a lot of things that give me headaches but a guy getting 87 off 67 balls isn't one of them," he said. "Steve Davies played an outstanding innings. He has been chomping at the bit to get a chance to play in this side and he took his chance with both hands. I don't want to put too much pressure on him because he still has a lot to learn at this level but he has taken a big step forward today. We just felt the change was needed. Steve has been in outstanding form for Surrey and Craig Kieswetter will tell you himself that he did not bat as well as he would have liked in the one-day series against Australia and Bangladesh. "There's a lot of confidence in our group at the moment, we've strung together quite a few one-day wins recently. The key is to not take our foot off the gas – just keep working hard and keep improving." Strauss recognised Pakistan's achievement in keeping the contest alive. "There is a bigger responsibility for us as cricketers at this stage," the England captain said. "Nobody likes to see the game battered and bruised. It must have been a tough time for Pakistan over the last few weeks, so for them to come out and put in a spirited performance is important for the game." So many bad vibes now cling to Pakistan's tour of England that it was asking a lot for them to summon a wonderful cricketing story from nowhere. Mohammad Irfan, the 7ft fast bowler who Pakistan hoped would begin to restore their pride, proved at first sight to be a bit of a letdown. And a letdown from that height is quite a way to fall. Irfan was gainly enough for someone so tall but he has played first-class cricket for only a year and his anticipated steep bounce never materialised. He was wicketless, in his sixth over, when he was stricken by cramp and fell in a heap. When a Pakistan team‑mate pushed his leg back to alleviate his suffering, he might have been leaning against a flagpole. Waqar Younis, Pakistan's coach, expects Irfan to improve as the series goes on. "He is something unique but there were a few nerves out there for him," he said. "One expects this for somebody like him, making his debut in a country where he had never played before. He has just arrived from Sri Lanka and he was a little jetlagged also. He just needs a little more time in England." Considering recent events, there are not many Pakistan players about whom you could confidently say that.

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Strauss shines to secure thrilling victory for England – and cricket Andrew Strauss proved his doubters wrong again today as his hundred helped England go 2-0 up on Pakistan in the NatWest Series. More... Strauss shines to secure thrilling victory for England – and cricket Pakistan 294-8 England 295-6 By Stephen Brenkley at Headingley Monday, 13 September 2010 The England captain Andrew Strauss acknowledges the crowd after making a century at Headingley yesterday This tour is in serious danger of giving cricket a good name. On a gorgeous late summer's day and a perfect pitch, a combination achieving the not inconsiderable feat of making Headingley look a picture, England and Pakistan shared 589 runs in the second one-day international yesterday. England won by four wickets with three balls to spare, a reckless scrambled single finally putting them 2-0 up in the NatWest Series. There are three matches left, the first of which is at The Oval on Friday and suddenly everybody is feeling much better about proceedings. For a few relaxing hours it was possible to forget the allegations of match rigging that have besmirched the game in the past fortnight. A full house, whose loyalties were evenly divided, wallowed in good, old-fashioned, high scoring one-day cricket. The result demonstrated two important points. First, Pakistan, for all that has bedevilled them these past few days, have not given up the ghost. They might be left wondering now what they have to do to win but, despite having three players suspended and a fourth about to be questioned by police as part of their inquiries into match-fixing, they played a rousing part in a redemptive match. Unfortunately, their bowling lacks any depth and their 7ft 1ins seamer, Mohammad Irfan, stunningly awful in the field, is in danger of becoming a novelty act. Secondly, England, who fielded as sloppily as they have done for more than a year, are now an extremely tough team to beat. They have moved up to second in the world one-day rankings and their aspiration to be number one, once a pipe dream as crazy as breaking the bank at Monte Carlo, looks to be based on sober reality. The essential component in England's successful pursuit of the 295 runs they needed to win was provided by their captain, Andrew Strauss, who made his fifth one-day international century. It is the height of fashion to question Strauss's place in the one-day side and indeed a panel of former internationals, during a televised discussion during the break between innings yesterday, dropped him from their projected XI for the World Cup next year. Presumably, Strauss has more things to do while preparing to bat than listen to this kind of fanciful claptrap (it is not going to happen and nor should it) but he supplied the perfect riposte. Not that the innings itself was quite impeccable, for he was dropped on 23, had a lucky escape on 38 when replays showed that he had gloved a ball behind from which wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal took a stunning catch down the leg side, and might easily have played on when he was 71. Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's captain who remains surprisingly optimistic, agreed that it was time for the decision review system in one-day cricket. But Strauss's greatest asset as a batsman is his unflappability (well, that and his lethal cut stroke). He merely continued along the course he had plotted, sharing a crucial partnership of 146 from 159 balls with Jonathan Trott for the second wicket. It seemed that they might well see England home after the loss of Steve Davies who played a bristling innings. But Trott, who was beginning to play a little more assertively after a stodgy beginning was run out rather gormlessly leaving his crease contemplating a single that was never there. Pakistan were suddenly lifted. Paul Collingwood, lacking rhythm again towards the end of the season, gifted his wicket and when Strauss was out for 126 scored from 134 balls, lbw sweeping at Saeed Ajmal, 47 runs were still needed from 34 deliveries. However, England had enough left because they bat a long way down. Numbers five, six, seven and eight all reached double figures and at the end both Mike Yardy and Tim Bresnan struck boundaries when they were most needed. On this sort of surface, custom designed for one-day cricket, England were always likely to be chasing around 300. Pakistan might have appeared in disarray but they were not about to miss out on the chance of batting on a surface where the ball came on to the bat and hardly moved off the straight. If there was a defect it was that none of the batsmen went on to play the substantial innings that might have taken their total into unassailable realms. However, Kamran Akmal delighted the supporters with 74 from 72 balls, his hitting clean and decisive. The ground fielding was far from the standard England have set. "We were a shambles," said Strauss. "It was one of those days when a couple were missed early and everyone started getting a bit edgy." Jimmy Anderson bowled with admirable cleverness and control, Graeme Swann matched him, and although Stuart Broad had the most expensive four-wicket haul in one-day history those wickets at the end were probably significant. The most important part of the day by far was that spectators departed with a smile.