Deciding Test Match Of Pak Nz Series !!!!! Teams aim for batting revival

Match facts

December 11-15
Start time 12pm (2300 GMT)

	Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal have scored nearly half of Pakistan's runs this series © Getty Images

Big Picture

If this series could be a template for all cricket contests over the next decade, we might be in for fun times; so cruel has been the bat's rule over the sport over the last decade. Bowler-dominated series have become increasingly rare, and though they are generally to be found in New Zealand, even that trend has been slowly giving in to the inevitability of the willow.

In any case, this series has been as much about the batting frailties of both sides as it has been about the sharpness of the bowling; it is inconceivable that stronger batting orders would not have scored more on surfaces which rewarded good batsmen and good bowlers equally. New Zealand's top order has come to resemble the best boy-bands; built around the talents of one man, Ross Taylor, the purpose of the others seems unclear, other than just hanging around making him look even better. Tim McIntosh, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn and Grant Elliott together have scored ten runs less than Taylor. Daniel Vettori has been his usual busy self lower down, but by then, mostly stuff has hit the fan.

Pakistan's hasn't been much better and they might, after the tour, name Muhammad Akmal Siddique and his wife as Players of the Series, for providing them their sons Kamran and Umar. Very nearly half of all the runs Pakistan has scored have come from the brothers. The pair nearly returned to Pakistan after the Wellington Test because their mother suffered a heart attack, but she insisted they stay on and Pakistan should be doubly grateful. The openers remain a concern, though the bigger concern might be with the thinking behind their continued selection. Surely some new, younger, fresher blood is worth trying, if only for the sake of change?

Traditionally in New Zealand, heading to Napier has meant conditions easing up for batsmen. McLean Park is the most batting-friendly venue and the last Test - against India earlier this year - produced five hundreds in all, including a double. It would be a shame for this series to end with a stalemate run-fest, even if you suspect strongly that neither side - unused to winning of late - will mind that too much.

Form Guide

Pakistan LLDLW New Zealand DLLWL

Watch out for

Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul have been a serious threat to New Zealand through the series, but they might also be a danger to each other. During the second Test the pair reportedly got into a heated verbal scuffle on the third day, and both were fined heavily as the team management tried to hush up the altercation. Keep an eye out for when they are next bowling in tandem, or batting together.

Ian O'Brien has been charging in all series, into the wind, with a dislocated finger. Now comes his last Test and he goes into it as the joint-highest wicket-taker, just off his highest Test score. There was another setback, after he went off early from fielding practice, presumably worried about his injured finger. But what odds he overlooks that all and turns all that determination and effort into a series-winning hand?

Team news

Daniel Vettori has said he'll be batting at No.6 to accommodate an extra bowler. He added it was a toss-up between four seamers, and three seamers and two spinners - so either Tim Southee, who has the edge with the grass cover on the track, or Jeetan Patel. BJ Watling, replacing Peter Fulton, is likely to make his Test debut. He comes in with good form, having made 90 and 136 in his last first-class game, but his career average is 30.

New Zealand: 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 BJ Watling, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Daniel Flynn, 6 Daniel Vettori (capt), 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Tim Southee/ Jeetan Patel, 9 Daryl Tuffey, 10 Ian O'Brien, 11 Chris Martin.

Pakistan are also likely to make one change; both Mohammad Yousuf and Intikhab Alam have said that Shoaib Malik, who has endured his worst Test series for a while, is unlikely to play. Faisal Iqbal thus has a chance to shift up from a perennial backbencher spot, maybe even at one-down.

Pakistan: 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Salman Butt, 3 Faisal Iqbal, 4 Mohammad Yousuf (capt), 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Mohammad Aamer, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Danish Kaneria, 11 Mohammad Asif.

Pitch and conditions McLean Park usually likes batsmen and only twice this decade has any side been bowled out for less than 250. But with the pitch preparations complete, a healthy amount of grass has been left on the surface and there is enough moisture around to keep fast bowlers happy. The sun might also shine through and if it remains warm and dry, then reverse swing might make a welcome appearance.

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan have come from behind to win a three-Test series only once before, against Zimbabwe in 1994-95.
  

• Danish Kaneria has become the highest wicket-taking spinner for Pakistan with 238 wickets, heading the illustrious trio of Abdul Qadir (236), Saqlain Mushtaq (208) and Mushtaq Ahmed (185). Kaneria is now fourth on Pakistan's list of highest Test wicket-takers.
  

• New Zealand haven't yet won a Test in Napier, but it's been their best batting venue at home. Since 2000, they've scored six centuries in five Tests, which includes one match when they didn't get to bat at all.

Quotes

"All three seamers bring something different; the left-armer [Mohammad Aamer] who bangs it in, the line-length bowler [Asif] who bowls in outstanding areas and [Umar] Gul who mixes it up a bit, so it's important we counter these different factors."
Daniel Vettori on Pakistan's bowling attack.

ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10 fixtures confirmed

The ICC has confirmed the remaining fixtures in the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup, with everything leading towards next November's final, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates.

The next match will start on January 23 and sees defending champions Ireland facing improving newcomers Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. Two days later, second-placed Kenya will take on 2004 champions and current leaders Scotland in a top-of-the-table clash.

There is a total of US$250,000 in prize money for the Associate and Affiliate teams taking part in the ICC Intercontinental Cup with US$100,000 for the winners and US$40,000 for the runners-up.

Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event then evolved in 2006 to an eight-team round-robin and truly global tournament of four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the invaluable experience of the longer form of the game.

This year's format includes seven teams (Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland and Zimbabwe XI), while the new competition, the ICC Intercontinental Shield, involves the four teams below that, namely Bermuda, Namibia, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.

Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in all three events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider, Canada in the 2006-07 event and Namibia in 2007-08.

The remaining fixtures for the second-tier ICC Intercontinental Shield have also been announced.

ICC INTERCONTINENTAL CUP

23-26 Jan - Afghanistan v Ireland, Sri Lanka
25-28 Jan - Kenya v Scotland, Kenya
17-20 Feb - Afghanistan v Canada, UAE
10-13 Jun - Netherlands v Scotland, Netherlands
11-14 Aug - Scotland v Afghanistan, Scotland
11-14 Aug - Ireland v Netherlands, Ireland
21-24 Aug - Canada v Zimbabwe XI, Canada
1-4 Sep - Canada v Ireland, Canada
1-4 Sep - Netherlands v Zimbabwe XI, Netherlands
2-5 Oct - Kenya v Afghanistan, Kenya
6-9 Oct - Zimbabwe XI v Ireland, Africa
13-16 Oct - Zimbabwe XI v Scotland, Africa
25-29 Nov - FINAL (five days), UAE

ICC INTERCONTINENTAL SHIELD

20-23 Jan - UAE v Uganda, UAE
2-5 Apr - Namibia v Bermuda, Namibia
5-8 Jul - Bermuda v UAE, Bermuda
18-21 Sep - Uganda v Namibia, Uganda
25-28 Nov - FINAL, UAE

No home-and-away for new FTP

"Morgan was hopeful the relaxation of the home-and-away requirement would appease player unions, who have been outspoken in their criticism of the demands currently placed on elite cricketers"

New details of the proposed post-2012 Future Tours Programme have emerged, with David Morgan, the ICC president, stating the home-and-away component of the current model could be scrapped. All teams at present must play each other twice in Test and one-day series over a six-year cycle, but Morgan said the new FTP could reduce the mandatory requirement to one series.

Such a move would allow national boards greater flexibility in arranging bilateral "icon" series, and could lead to an over all reduction in scheduling depending on their manoeuvrings. Morgan was hopeful the relaxation of the home-and-away requirement would appease player unions, who have been outspoken in their criticism of the demands currently placed on elite cricketers.

"The process is similar but the results will be different," Morgan told Cricinfo of the draft FTP. "I can't elaborate, but at the moment it's a requirement that in any six-year cycle each full member has to play the other home and away in a minimum of two Tests and three one-day internationals. I believe there will be a relaxation of that. Perhaps not in the number of games, but there's the possibility of instead having to play everybody home and away in a fixed cycle, you may either play them away or home.

"The FTP essentially is a basket of bilateral agreements between the ten full members with some consideration given to the more proficient associate countries like Ireland and the Netherlands. That set of bilateral arrangements is continuing. I firmly believe that it is very important to consult with the players. Where FICA [Federation of International Cricketers' Associations] is recognised, which is in the majority of countries, we are very happy to liaise and discuss things with Tim May and his team. I find them a responsible body."

FICA last month called on the ICC to scrap the FTP in its current format and enlist the services of independent consultants to devise a new scheduling system. In a letter addressed to the chief executives of cricket's ten full-voting countries, which has been obtained by Cricinfo, May, the union's chief executive, proposed an annual Test and one-day championship he believed would add context and attract renewed interest in the game.

The notion of a Test championship model has been supported by a number of cricketing bodies, Cricket Australia and the Marylebone Cricket Club among them. FICA's proposal would see the top eight nations split into two four-team conferences, with semi-finals and finals to be played every three years. The fourth and final year of the proposed cycle would be referred to as an "icon year", and include the World Cup as well as high-profile bilateral series such as India-Pakistan and the Ashes.

"We believe that the model of bi lateral ad hoc series that have been cricket's structure for the past century (and again from 2012-2020) is fast becoming an outdated model, and will be unable to cater for the changing cricket landscape," May wrote. "It is unusual for FICA to request the ICC and its member boards to review a decision of the ICC board, however, we are of the firm opinion that there are serious flaws in the proposed 2012-2020 FTP that will severely threaten the primacy of international cricket in future years."

The likelihood of such a model being adopted appears remote, however, with chief executives gravitating toward an FTP similar to that currently in operation, with the exception of the home-and-away requirement. Following a two-day board meeting in Johannesburg in October, the ICC issued a release stating an in principle agreement had been reached on the draft FTP.

Restructure the game around Twenty20

Club cricket could well be the wave of the future © Global Cricket Ventures-BCCI

Much has been made in recent weeks of the need to rejuvenate the traditional forms of cricket. In the case of Test cricket, there have been suggestions of Test championships, night-time games with coloured balls, and reducing the number of days from five to four. In the one- day arena, there have been an even greater number of “innovative” ideas, such as split-innings of 25 overs each, reducing innings to 40 overs a side, more Powerplays, less Powerplays, and removal of bowling and fielding restrictions.

To get to the heart of the matter, the force behind this drive for change - as so often is the way - is money. Every sport needs to grow to survive. The ICC’s route to growth has been to significantly increase the overall number of international matches played, particularly in recent times with seven-match one day series becoming more common.

It is a continuation of a trend, however. In the last ten years there have been on average around 140 games of one-day cricket played per year, an almost 50% increase in matches per year when compared to the ten years from 1989-99. Unfortunately for the ICC, the size of the traditional supporter’s wallet has not grown at the same rate, and perhaps neither has their enthusiasm. Hence, to fill the stadium twice as often, and retain the same number of TV viewers per game, probably requires a market comprising twice as many cricket enthusiasts.

So, how to broaden the appeal of cricket? The rejuvenation suggestions mooted above have all been made in the name of increasing the interest of the game to the masses. The goal has been to try and introduce more excitement into what has always been a purist’s sport - one complete with its own set of complicated rules, statistics, and jargon.

Looking at other sporting codes, some have done it well, others not so well. Baseball is an example where teams can now play more than 160 games per year, any night of the week. Matches are typically played in packed stadiums even though games can be long, boring, the outcomes predictable, and with a number of dead rubbers.

Football is the same. In the UK, the big premiership clubs play 60-odd games per season, and every year the same teams inevitably dominate. Still each game is passionately supported by thousands of fans. A third example, rugby league, also prospered in Australia well beyond its original “working class” fan base.

The formats and rules for these sports have not changed significantly in recent history, yet the crowds still show up, every week. The three examples above all have one major thing in common: simplicity. You can explain the sport and its basic rules to someone who knows next to nothing about it in around 60 seconds.

Cricket is not simple - say the words “dead ball”, “reverse-sweep”, “LBW”, “silly mid-on” and “batting Powerplay” to the average American and their eyes glaze over. That’s before you tell them games can last five days and be declared a draw at the end.

In its present form rugby union is not simple either. Like cricket, it has been dogged by dwindling support in recent years. Both codes have made repeated attempts to improve their respective spectacles, and whenever this has resulted in increasing the complexity of the game, they have failed. An easy lesson for cricket’s administrators is therefore if you must do anything, then simpler is better.

Realistically, simplification of one-day cricket and “commercialising” Test cricket (a euphemism for day-night excursions) will not be enough to allow cricket to grow to meet the escalating financial demands of the game’s administrators. Stadiums need to be filled, and games that last a minimum of seven hours simply won’t cut it - even in the most simplified form imaginable.

This is where Twenty20 comes in. Twenty20 is the only true vehicle to grow the appeal of the game beyond the niche market that is one-day and Test cricket. Administrators have made no secret of their efforts to be “careful” to not saturate the market with Twenty20 matches. Too much Twenty20, they believe, will result in a failure to preserve the sanctity of the traditional forms of the game.

I would argue that limiting Twenty20 puts unsustainable pressure on the traditional formats to meet growth targets. The only option available is to tamper with the traditional form of the game, pushing it further away from its roots. How do you cater to the marked demand?

Increase the number of Twenty20 matches. This is the money spinner that will effectively fund Test and one-day cricket for the purists.

Play less “meaningless” one-day cricket, with shorter bilateral series and points systems that contribute to tournament seedings.

Continue to play Test cricket as it is today, but ensure a spread of games where the top teams don’t only play each other as often, and the likes of Sri Lanka, West Indies and New Zealand play more games.

Done this way, the masses would get to see the games they are interested in, and the purists can still enjoy the traditional formats the way they are.

Now here is where the radical ideas begin. I would propose that the way to rejuvenate the game is to completely restructure it around Twenty20, where games are played once or twice a week (like football) for six months across a nine to ten-month season every year. This would allow for specific windows for Test and one-day cricket to then be created, and there would be additional rest periods for players as seasons overlap. Tests would count towards a Test championship, with a final to be played perhaps every 2-3 years, and one-day matches would all count towards seedings for World Cup and Champions Trophy style events that alternate every two years.

The club-based format, that has worked for most other sports, including football, rugby league, rugby union, baseball, NFL, AFL, ice hockey and basketball, would be the logical platform to do this. Additionally, a club-based format will enhance the relevance of international fixtures between countries, again in the same way as it does in football. The increased number of short Twenty20 games, coupled with a lower number of ODIs and shorter Test series spread across the year will relieve pressure on players complaining of burnout (though again, the baseballers playing 160 games a year don’t tend to complain about burnout, neither do the midfielders playing premiership football who run up to 15km per game, 60 times a year. But that’s an issue to be dealt with another time).

A model for the new system might look something like this:

Three Twenty20 premier leagues operate across different seasons around the world. These might be in India, Australia, and England (as examples)

Players play primarily for their Twenty20 club, and there are clubs from each of the eight major nations in every league. (For instance, New Zealand has a few teams in the Australian competition; Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have teams in the Indian competition; and the West Indies and South Africa teams in the English competition)

Each club has a number of feeder “first-class” teams who play local Twenty20, first-class and one-day cricket throughout the season in an attempt to earn a place in both the club’s premier Twenty20 team and their national one-day and Test team.

Matches will be scheduled such that the top players are not always playing Twenty20 and there is time for some domestic first-class cricket.

International windows lasting three to four weeks (enough time for two-three Tests and three ODIs), occur at four points in the year, perhaps December/January, March/April, July/August, and October/November - whatever suits the seasons of the most international teams best. In between, the club Twenty20 and feeder matches are played.

There would be no requirement for a player to represent a club from his country, in the same way Europeans and South Americans play in the English Football leagues. Granted, this is quite a radical idea, and it is hard to see the ICC agreeing to its format and implementation, let alone the cricket boards and players of each of the major nations. There would be multiple obstacles to work out, including how to share revenues, player allegiances, salary issues, club v country debates and all the other things that sports such as football deal with today. But in football there is evidence that the idea can work, and work well.

ICC Awards 2009

Its that part of the year when the Cricket players are honored. And they have something to brag about officially!! This year the awards had a very good Indian presence. Hope it gets better with years

ICC World Player of the Year – Mitchell Johnson [Australia]

Test Player of the Year – Gautham Gambir [India]

ODI Player of the Year – MS Dhoni [India]

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year – Tillakaratne Dilshan [Sri Lanka]

Emerging Player of the Year – Peter Siddle [Australia]

Spirit of Cricket – New Zealand

Umpire of the Year – Aleem Dar [Pakistan]

World Test Team of the Year – Led by Dhoni [India]

Gautam Gambhir (India), Andrew Strauss (England), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Sachin Tendulkar (India), Thilan Samaraweera (Sri Lanka), Michael Clarke (Australia), MS Dhoni (India, capt & wk), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Mitchell Johnson (Australia), Stuart Broad (England), Dale Steyn (South Africa), Harbhajan Singh (India, 12th man)

World ODI team – Led by Dhoni [India]

Virender Sehwag (Ind), Chris Gayle (WI), Kevin Pietersen (Eng), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL), Yuvraj Singh (Ind), Martin Guptill (NZ), MS Dhoni (Ind, captain, WK), Andrew Flintoff (Eng), Nuwan Kulasekara (SL), Ajantha Mendis (SL), Umar Gul (Pak), 12th man: Thilan Thushara (SL)

Women’s Player of the Year – Clare Taylor [England]

Associate Player of the Year – Will Porterfield [Ireland]

Thanks Cricinfo, from where the content was heavily borrowed

Indian Premier League

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is an annual franchise-based Twenty20 competition organised by the Indian board. First held in 2008, it features many of the world's best cricketers playing for eight city-based franchises, owned by a host of businessmen and celebrity consortiums. The tournament's initial success stemmed from India's winning the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 but the IPL has itself spawned several competitions, current and planned, including the Champions League.

Apart from the franchise concept - cricket's traditional region-based team composition has been replaced by an auction and transfer system - what marks out the IPL is the money involved. The Indian board netted US$ 1.75 billion from the tournament even before a ball had been bowled - from the sale of TV and other rights. The players are making money too: There are now ten players on contracts worth more than $1 million annually, for what is effectively five weeks' work. The big money involved, and its appeal to cricketers, has upset the sport's traditionalists but it is clearly part of cricket's future.

Is This The Only Format In Which Pakistanis Are Champ

London, 21 June 2009

There were so many things to admire in Pakistan's run to the World Twenty20 title. Foremost there were players excelling - Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer - in a way that you would not find anywhere else.

But there was also this beautiful sense of watching something quite special being put together, of random, disparate pieces coming together at just the right moment, doing just the right thing and moving on. It's a very Pakistani kind of momentum: they might not do all three disciplines well enough all the time, but sometimes, for periods, they excel in everything.

Just watching them build it was fascinating enough. At every moment it was doomed to failure as well: Afridi saying that he played every match as if it was his last was fitting, for the whole thing was always on edge, horrific, thrilling, fragile and solid at once.

Afridi's catch to dismiss Scott Styris - in itself a supremely primal and athletic feat - was the moment where it all turned; inconsistent before, Pakistan sniffed something. Afridi, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, the old heads who had been on such rides before, took hold of the beast as best they could and rode it to the end. Of course in the broader context of what was happening in Pakistan, and also to its cricket, and that it came only a few months after the Lahore attacks, gave the win a worldlier meaning. This wasn't just a sporting victory.

Now, in hindsight, it feels like we were all watching one of those human-pyramid record attempts, where men climb up slowly and carefully, always in peril. They make it, but it's a fleeting image, to be snapped quickly to capture forever one pure moment of joy and elation, before it all inevitably comes apart again. Afridi standing at the Lord's non-striker's end, having completed the leg-bye to seal it, helmet in hand, sheathed in sweat, arms aloft and legs wide: here was that one image.

Is This Pakistan's Best ?????

	Why wasn't Shahid Afridi made the one-day captain? © AFP

Like Dr Who in a few weeks time, Ricky Ponting's team is regenerating. Unfortunately for Australians the regeneration process to the next all-conquering form is taking longer than the few seconds that the Time Lord requires and much longer than previous cricketing regenerations. You might even begin to regard it as a decline.

Inevitably Australia will bounce back but until that happens there is a window of opportunity to defeat the best cricketing nation of the last two decades. Australia are now third in the Test rankings, a drop that isn’t caused simply by a freak defeat. Moreover, Australia are struggling to despatch an experimental West Indian team. In their pomp the result would have been a 3-0 whitewash.

Have Pakistan wasted an opportunity with the selection of their touring party? Here are ten questions for the PCB. You might want to add some of your own.

1 What’s happened to the PCB’s relationship with Younis Khan? What an outcome that within six months of delivering a World Cup for his country, Younis does not even have a relationship to speak of with his cricket board. “We haven’t heard from him so we aren’t selecting him,” is the hapless verdict of the PCB. These are the symptoms of a shattered relationship, the two parties aren’t even speaking. While the PCB will blame Younis, it’s hard to imagine that the Australian, English, Indian, or South African cricket boards would have allowed such a situation to arise however truculent their captain.

2 What’s happened to Younis Khan? Are we really supposed to believe that the Pakistan captain has gone underground and nobody knows his whereabouts?

3 What is the logic in selecting Mohammad Yousuf as captain of the one-day team? It was an ideal opportunity to further test Shahid Afridi’s leadership skills.

4 Why haven’t Pakistan drafted in a senior batsman to replace Younis Khan? Younis is experienced in Australian conditions and has succeeded there. He has a Test average of over 50, acquired in a decade of international cricket. Without him, Yousuf is Pakistan’s only established top-level batsman. That’s too much pressure on Yousuf, and too much pressure on Umar Akmal in his first year of international cricket.

5 What’s being done about Pakistan’s top order problems? It’s hard to imagine that Khurram Manzoor and Imran Farhat are likely to flourish in Australia. If many thousands of fans can see it why can’t Pakistan’s selectors? These are not fine judgments, are they?

6 Can Yousuf be persuaded to bat number 3? It’s the key batting position. His country needs him. To his credit, he played it well in Wellington. Will he do it in Australia?

7 What is Intikhab Alam’s role? Is the coach doing his job? Is the coach doing anything? Two Pakistan captains, both great players, have said that they liked to have Inti as coach because they could do exactly as they wished in training. In other words, Inti doesn’t do any coaching in the modern sense. He umpires the practice sessions but little more. Is this the way to make Pakistan compete with the best? Pakistan have many young players with limited experience of cricket of any kind. They need guidance. Waqar Younis' appointment is welcome but what is Inti's role?

8 What’s the purpose of Shoaib Malik? He began life as an off-spinner, a Saqlain Mushtaq clone. He was also an incredible fielder. He now bowls little after problems with his action, and his catching was depressing at Wellington. Shoaib made himself into an international batsman but he isn’t a natural batsman and will never be world class. Pakistan cricket has invested a great deal of its ambitions in Shoaib but where is the return on that investment?

9 How long can Pakistan’s excellent bowling be expected to save the team from humiliation? The pressure does eventually tell on all cricketers. And if one of the frontline pace bowlers is injured or loses form are we really expecting Abdur Rauf to step up to the mark?

10 Is this a squad that properly represents the best talents of Pakistan? Some fans will instinctively and patriotically jump to the defence of the cricket board and the current squad. But we should be asking ourselves whether or not this is acceptable management of Pakistan cricket?

Soon Pakistan will enter the fray with a superior bowling attack to the West Indies but worse fielding. Like Pakistan, West Indies depend on a few key batsmen to carry less accomplished Test performers. But Australia’s team looks beatable after many years and this opportunity may not return in a hurry, not even as soon as next summer.

The victory at Wellington was a joy, and won mainly by the bowlers. But the danger was that it would create a façade that all is well with the current selection strategy. That danger has materialised. The facts are that Pakistan bowled excellently in Wellington, as they have done all tour. They fielded abysmally, as they have done all tour. And the batting was mostly poor, as it has been all tour, with the exception of the vigour of the Akmals and some application by Yousuf.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have generally been poor, with the exception of Shane Bond and some heroics from Ian O’Brien. Their batting has been even worse than Pakistan’s. Ian Smith advocated at least 5 changes in the batting line up after the dismal performance of his countrymen in Wellington.

Australia, of course, will never be so generous. They will punish Pakistan for any fielding lapses, and particularly exploit any top order flakiness. They will also target Pakistan’s best bowlers to shatter their confidence. New Zealand, by comparison, is a carefree stroll.

Is the PCB really serious about the development of Pakistan as a major cricketing force?

History Of Cricket !!!!

1550 (approx) Evidence of cricket being played in Guildford, Surrey.
1598 Cricket mentioned in Florio's Italian-English dictionary.
1610 Reference to "cricketing" between Weald and Upland near Chevening, Kent. 1611 Randle Cotgrave's French-English dictionary translates the French word "crosse" as a cricket staff.
Two youths fined for playing cricket at Sidlesham, Sussex.

1624 Jasper Vinall becomes first man known to be killed playing cricket: hit by a bat while trying to catch the ball - at Horsted Green, Sussex.
1676 First reference to cricket being played abroad, by British residents in Aleppo, Syria.
1694 Two shillings and sixpence paid for a "wagger" (wager) about a cricket match at Lewes.
1697 First reference to "a great match" with 11 players a side for fifty guineas, in Sussex.
1700 Cricket match announced on Clapham Common.

1709 First recorded inter-county match: Kent v Surrey.
1710 First reference to cricket at Cambridge University.
1727 Articles of Agreement written governing the conduct of matches between the teams of the Duke of Richmond and Mr Brodrick of Peperharow, Surrey.
1729 Date of earliest surviving bat, belonging to John Chitty, now in the pavilion at The Oval.
1730 First recorded match at the Artillery Ground, off City Road, central London, still the cricketing home of the Honourable Artillery Company.

1744 Kent beat All England by one wicket at the Artillery Ground.
First known version of the Laws of Cricket, issued by the London Club, formalising the pitch as 22 yards long.
1767 (approx) Foundation of the Hambledon Club in Hampshire, the leading club in England for the next 30 years.
1769 First recorded century, by John Minshull for Duke of Dorset's XI v Wrotham.
1771 Width of bat limited to 4 1/4 inches, where it has remained ever since.
1774 LBW law devised.
1776 Earliest known scorecards, at the Vine Club, Sevenoaks, Kent.
1780 The first six-seamed cricket ball, manufactured by Dukes of Penshurst, Kent.
1787 First match at Thomas Lord's first ground, Dorset Square, Marylebone - White Conduit Club v Middlesex.
Formation of Marylebone Cricket Club by members of the White Conduit Club.
1788 First revision of the Laws of Cricket by MCC.
1794 First recorded inter-schools match: Charterhouse v Westminster.
1795 First recorded case of a dismissal "leg before wicket".
1806 First Gentlemen v Players match at Lord's.
1807 First mention of "straight-armed" (i.e. round-arm) bowling: by John Willes of Kent.
1809 Thomas Lord's second ground opened at North Bank, St John's Wood.
1811 First recorded women's county match: Surrey v Hampshire at Ball's Pond, London.
1814 Lord's third ground opened on its present site, also in St John's Wood.
1827 First Oxford v Cambridge match, at Lord's. A draw.
1828 MCC authorise the bowler to raise his hand level with the elbow.
1833 John Nyren publishes his classic Young Cricketer's Tutor and The Cricketers of My Time.
1836 First North v South match, for many years regarded as the principal fixture of the season.
1836 (approx) Batting pads invented.
1841 General Lord Hill, commander-in-chief of the British Army, orders that a cricket ground be made an adjunct of every military barracks.
1844 First official international match: Canada v United States.
1845 First match played at The Oval.
1846 The All-England XI, organised by William Clarke, begins playing matches, often against odds, throughout the country.
1849 First Yorkshire v Lancashire match.
1850 Wicket-keeping gloves first used.
1850 John Wisden bowls all ten batsmen in an innings for North v South.
1853 First mention of a champion county: Nottinghamshire.
1858 First recorded instance of a hat being awarded to a bowler taking three wickets with consecutive balls.
1859 First touring team to leave England, captained by George Parr, draws enthusiastic crowds in the US and Canada.
1864 Overhand bowling authorised by MCC.
John Wisden's The Cricketer's Almanack first published.
1868 Team of Australian aborigines tour England.
1873 WG Grace becomes the first player to record 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season.
First regulations restricting county qualifications, often regarded as the official start of the County Championship.
1877 First Test match: Australia beat England by 45 runs in Melbourne.
1880 First Test in England: a five-wicket win against Australia at The Oval.
1882 Following England's first defeat by Australia in England, an "obituary notice" to English cricket in the Sporting Times leads to the tradition of The Ashes.
1889 South Africa's first Test match.
Declarations first authorised, but only on the third day, or in a one-day match.
1890 County Championship officially constituted.
Present Lord's pavilion opened.
1895 WG Grace scores 1,000 runs in May, and reaches his 100th hundred.
1899 AEJ Collins scores 628 not out in a junior house match at Clifton College, the highest individual score in any match.
Selectors choose England team for home Tests, instead of host club issuing invitations.
1900 Six-ball over becomes the norm, instead of five.
1909 Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC - now the International Cricket Council) set up, with England, Australia and South Africa the original members.
1910 Six runs given for any hit over the boundary, instead of only for a hit out of the ground.
1912 First and only triangular Test series played in England, involving England, Australia and South Africa.
1915 WG Grace dies, aged 67.
1926 Victoria score 1,107 v New South Wales at Melbourne, the record total for a first-class innings.
1928 West Indies' first Test match.
AP "Tich" Freeman of Kent and England becomes the only player to take more than 300 first-class wickets in a season: 304.
1930 New Zealand's first Test match.
Donald Bradman's first tour of England: he scores 974 runs in the five Ashes Tests, still a record for any Test series.
1931 Stumps made higher (28 inches not 27) and wider (nine inches not eight - this was optional until 1947).
1932 India's first Test match.
Hedley Verity of Yorkshire takes ten wickets for ten runs v Nottinghamshire, the best innings analysis in first-class cricket.
1932-33 The Bodyline tour of Australia in which England bowl at batsmen's bodies with a packed leg-side field to neutralise Bradman's scoring.
1934 Jack Hobbs retires, with 197 centuries and 61,237 runs, both records. First women's Test: Australia v England at Brisbane.
1935 MCC condemn and outlaw Bodyline.
1947 Denis Compton of Middlesex and England scores a record 3,816 runs in an English season.
1948 First five-day Tests in England.
Bradman concludes Test career with a second-ball duck at The Oval and a batting average of 99.94 - four runs short of 100.
1952 Pakistan's first Test match.
1953 England regain the Ashes after a 19-year gap, the longest ever.
1956 Jim Laker of England takes 19 wickets for 90 v Australia at Manchester, the best match analysis in first-class cricket.
1957 Declarations authorised at any time.
1960 First tied Test, Australia v West Indies at Brisbane.
1963 Distinction between amateur and professional cricketers abolished in English cricket.
The first major one-day tournament begins in England: the Gillette Cup.
1969 Limited-over Sunday league inaugurated for first-class counties.
1970 Proposed South African tour of England cancelled: South Africa excluded from international cricket because of their government's apartheid policies.
1971 First one-day international: Australia v England at Melbourne.
1975 First World Cup: West Indies beat Australia in final at Lord's.
1976 First women's match at Lord's, England v Australia.
1977 Centenary Test at Melbourne, with identical result to the first match: Australia beat England by 45 runs.
Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer, signs 51 of the world's leading players in defiance of the cricketing authorities.
1978 Graham Yallop of Australia wears a protective helmet to bat in a Test match, the first player to do so.
1979 Packer and official cricket agree peace deal.
1980 Eight-ball over abolished in Australia, making the six-ball over universal.
1981 England beat Australia in Leeds Test, after following on with bookmakers offering odds of 500 to 1 against them winning.
1982 Sri Lanka's first Test match.
1991 South Africa return, with a one-day international in India.
1992 Zimbabwe's first Test match.
Durham become the first county since Glamorgan in 1921 to attain firstclass status.
1993 The ICC ceases to be administered by MCC, becoming an independent organisation with its own chief executive.
1994 Brian Lara of Warwickshire becomes the only player to pass 500 in a firstclass innings: 501 not out v Durham.
2000 South Africa's captain Hansie Cronje banned from cricket for life after admitting receiving bribes from bookmakers in match-fixing scandal.
Bangladesh's first Test match.
County Championship split into two divisions, with promotion and relegation.
The Laws of Cricket revised and rewritten.
2001 Sir Donald Bradman dies, aged 92.
2003 Twenty20 Cup, a 20-over-per-side evening tournament, inaugurated in England.
2004 Lara becomes the first man to score 400 in a Test innings, against England.
2005 The ICC introduces Powerplays and Supersubs in ODIs, and hosts the inaugural Superseries.
2006 Pakistan forfeit a Test at The Oval after being accused of ball tampering

IPL Auction

Chennai Super kings bought England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff while Bangalore Royal Challengers captured Kevin Pietersen. JP Duminy of South Africa as expected became a surprise pack and was bought by Mumbai Indians. Both Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are now most expensive players in IPL. They have overthrown Indian Captain MS Dhoni as the most expensive players.

Indian Premier League auction was held today in Goa and 8 franchisees are participating in the auction for the 17 slots. England players are getting lot of attention due to their vast experience in the Twenty20 cricket. All these contracts are valid for 2 years.

South African all-rounder Tyron Henderson surprised everyone by getting Rs 3.18 crore in the auction. Rajasthan Royals won the bid facing stiff competition from Hyderabad Deccan Chargers.

Bangladesh fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza is another surprise pack. Mortaza was picked by Kolkata IPL after intense bidding war with Mohali IPL for 2.9 crore. Kolkata and Mohali fought intensely during auction for this lower order hitter and strike bowler. 12 times his base price - Unbelievable!


IPL auction 2 results:

1. Kevin Pietersen: Bangalore Royal Challengers for $1.55 million (Rs 7.35 crore).

2. Andrew Flintoff: Chennai Superkings for $1.55 million.

3. JP Duminy (South Africa): Mumbai Indians picked him for $9,50,000 (Rs 4.5 crore).

4. Shaun Tait: Rajasthan Royals bought him for for $3,75,000.

5. Owais Shah (England): Delhi Daredevils bought for $2,75,000.

6. Paul Collingwood (England): Delhi Daredevils bought for $2,75,000 (Rs 1.34 crore).

7. Fidel Edwards: Hyderabad IPL bought him for $1,50,000. Hyderaabd needs a strike bowler desperately.
Stay tuned for more updates.

8. Tyron Henderson: South African all-rounder was bought by Rajasthan Royals for $6,50,000. Another surprise pack in the auction. Will he justify his huge price tag on Indian pitches?

9. Ravi Bopara (England): He was bought Punjab Kings Eleven for $4,50,000.

10. Thulan Thushara (Sri Lanka): Chennai Super Kings bought him for $1,40,000. Chennai may play some matches in Colombo. It is bidding aggressively for Sri Lankan players.

11. Jesse Ryder (New Zealand): Bangalore bought him for $1,60,000.

12. Kylie Mills (New Zealand): Mumbai Indians bought him for $1,50,000.

13. Dwayne Smith (West Indies): Hyderabad IPL bought him for $1,00,000.

14. Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh): Kolkata Knight Riders bought Bangladesh pace bowler for $6,00,000. Kolkata may play some games in Dhaka in IPL 2009 and 2010. Unbelievable price! auction time: 20 minutes. Base price for Mortaza is just $50,000. Is there any method in this madness?

15. George Bialey (Australia): Chennai bought him for $50,000.

16. Jerome Taylor (West Indies): Punjab Kings Eleven bought him for $1,50,000.

17. Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh): Mumbai picked him for just $75,000.


Unsold players in the auction:

Stuart Clark, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dilshan, Kupugdera,Brad Haddin, Phil Jacques, Luke Wright, Kulasekara, Ashwell Prince, McGain, Andre nel, Samit Patel, Sakib-Al-Hasan, Van Wyk, Dominic Thornley, Noffke, Darren Powell,James Franklin, Prasanna Jayawardene, Klinger, Ghulam Bodi, Daniel Harris, Michael Dighton, Brett Greeves, Michael Hill, Tamim Iqbal, Roach, Abdullah and Michael Clarke.

Franchisees have shown little interest in Australian players due to their non-availability for most of the tournament. Franchisees will pick 8 players of their choice after the auction as replacements for Pakistan players.