Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by seven wickets for rare victory

Harare: Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by seven wickets on Tuesday as Sean Williams launched a six over long-on to secure the lowly-ranked African team's first one-day international win in a bilateral series against the Pakistanis in 15 years.
Williams capped a solid all-around performance by the Zimbabweans, who restricted Pakistan to a below-par 244-7 at Harare Sports Club and then batted confidently and with composure to reach 246-3 and beat their opposition for the first time since 1998.
Hamilton Masakadza made 85 and fellow opener Vusi Sibanda 54 to anchor the chase, and captain Brendan Taylor was 43 not out alongside Williams (39 not out) to guide their team home with 10 balls to spare. "It's a pretty awesome feeling," Taylor said. "To beat the quality team that they've got, it shows we're doing the right thing." Zimbabwe not only overcame poor form where it had only won three ODI games since late 2011 before Tuesday, but also significant off-field problems having only just avoided a strike by players ahead of this tour after they complained of being underpaid and poorly treated in the struggling country. Zimbabwe cricket has battled for years.

Score Card

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketne...417706-78.html

2nd ODI: Pakistan thrash Zimbabwe to draw level

Harare: Mohammad Hafeez hit an unbeaten century and Junaid Khan took 4 for 15 as Pakistan claimed a 90-run victory over Zimbabwe on Thursday in the second one-day international, taking the three-match series to a decider.
Hafeez anchored Pakistan to 299 for 4 by hitting 136 off 130 balls with nine fours and five sixes. Brendan Taylor's 79 off 95 balls gave Zimbabwe some hope before the hosts were bowled out for 209 in 42.4 overs, losing their last six wickets for only nine runs.
Zimbabwe claimed a surprise seven-wicket victory on Tuesday - the African nation's first win in a bilateral series against the Pakistanis in 15 years. The third and final match of the series will be played at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Taylor, who hit six fours and a six, kept Zimbabwe in the hunt with his first ODI half century in 2013 and added 70 runs for the fourth wicket with Sean Williams (37) and a further 65 runs with Malcolm Waller (40) before Pakistan came back hard.


Score Card

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketne...418240-78.html

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3rd ODI: Pakistan thrash Zimbabwe by 108 runs, win series 2-1

Harare: Captain Misbah-ul-Haq led from the front with a half century and two brilliant run outs as Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 108 runs in the final one-day international to clinch the series 2-1.
Misbah made a resolute 67 off 85 balls which lifted Pakistan to 260 for 6 and then ignited the Zimbabwe collapse by running out Taylor (26) and Sean Williams (2) before Pakistan spinners eventually dismissed the home team for 152 runs in 40 overs. Malcolm Waller fought a lone battle with 48 off 71 balls before he was the last man to be dismissed.
Spinners Saeed Ajmal (2 for 15), Abdul Rehman (2 for 23) and Mohammad Hafeez (2 for 40) all were among wickets.

Score Card


http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketne...418752-78.html

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Hockey Asia Cup: South Korea win title, India settle for silver

New Delhi: The official announcement of India's entry to the 2014 World Cup was put on hold when they lost an evenly-contested 9th Asia Cup final to South Korea thanks to a 68th-minute strike by Kang Moon Kweon, which landed the Koreans their fourth Asia Cup crown with a 4-3 scoreline.
India, who were looking for a win to earn a direct entry to the World Cup, will now wait for either Australia or New Zealand to win the Oceania title to sneak through. With Fiji and Samoa being the other two teams in Oceania, India are virtually through as second reserves, but it will become official only in November.


http://ibnlive.in.com/news/hockey-as...946-5-136.html

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Pakistan beat Malaysia 3-1 to win bronze in Asia Cup hockey

Ipoh: Already out of next year's World Cup, Pakistan had something to cheer about as the three-time champions defeated hosts Malaysia 3-1 to win the bronze medal at the ninth Asia Cup hockey tournament on Sunday.
Pakistan, who needed to win the Asia Cup to qualify for next year's World Cup at The Hague, Netherlands, dished out a spirited performance to prevail over the erring Malaysians.
Pakistan, who will miss the World Cup for the first time since the introduction of the event in 1971, scored through a brace from Abdul Haseem Khan (35th, 56th) and skipper Muhammad Imran (54th) to register the victory in the third-fourth place play-off match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pakistan-...930-5-136.html

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1st Test: Pakistan rout Zimbabwe by 221 runs

Harare: Pakistan removed nine Zimbabwe batsmen on the final morning to convincingly win the first Test by 221 runs as the host crumbled to 120 all out at Harare Sports Club on Saturday. Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman had four wickets each to rip the heart out of Zimbabwe's batting lineup, which came nowhere near the 342 they needed to win on the final day.
Ajmal had 4 for 23 and Rehman took 4 for 36 to complete the dramatic fightback for Pakistan, which had surrendered a 78-run first-innings deficit before completely turning the match around. Younis Khan's 200 not out was the game-changing contribution as the tourists made 419 for 9 declared in their second innings to set the Zimbabweans an improbable target.
Zimbabwe lasted just 46.4 overs in their second innings and lost 9 for 107 on the last day to slump to a heavy defeat after holding the upper hand in the early part of the match following their first-innings score of 327.


Score Card


http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketne...420296-78.html

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Rafael Nadal wins US Open, his 13th Grand Slam trophy

New York Hard to believe this is the same Rafael Nadal who was home during the US Open a year ago, nursing a bad left knee. Hard to believe this is the guy sent packing in the first round of Wimbledon in June, losing against someone ranked 135th. Looking fit as can be and maybe even better than ever, the No. 2-ranked Nadal pulled away from No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 on Monday in a taut, tense US Open final for his 13th Grand Slam title. "This is probably the most emotional one in my career," Nadal said. "I know I had to be almost perfect to win."



http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rafael-na...0723-5-22.html

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Younis Khan fourth Pakistani to reach 7000 Test runs

Harare: Khurram Manzoor and Younis Khan scored half-centuries on Wednesday in a solid Pakistan reply to Zimbabwe's 294 all out on the second day of the second Test at the Harare Sports Club. At the close, Pakistan were 163 for 3 with Younis unbeaten on 52 accompanied by captain Misbah-ul-Haq on 27. Younis, who scored an unbeaten double century in the first Test to set up Pakistan's 221-run victory, became the fourth Pakistan batsman to pass 7,000 runs in Tests.


http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketne...421317-78.html

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14.09.2013

Zimbabwe record historic 24-run win over Pakistan

Zimbabwe completed only their 11th Test victory with a dramatic 24-run win over Pakistan at Harare Sports club on Saturday to draw the series 1-1.

t was Zimbabwe's first Test win over any team except Bangladesh since 2001.

The visitors started the final day on 158 for five wickets, still requiring 106 runs for victory, and were kept in the game by captain Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 79.

Zimbabwe kept chipping away at the wickets, however, with seam bowler Tendai Chatara claiming his first five-wicket haul in Tests and finishing with career best figures of five for 61.

Pakistan whittled the victory target down to just 26 with eight wickets down before the arrival of the new ball just after lunch sealed the win for Zimbabwe with two wickets in three balls.

Chatara found extra bounce from the placid track to have Junaid Khan (1) caught in the gully by Malcolm Waller, and the calamitous run out of Rahat Ali (1) ended Pakistan's hopes.

"Finally beating a world-class team is a wonderful feeling, especially for our bowlers. We haven't had a bowling coach in six months, so massive credit must go to them. Everyone contributed, but there is still room for improvement," an elated Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said a TV interview after the game.

Misbah was full of praise for the home side.

"Zimbabwe deserved the victory, they played excellent cricket in the first Test and this one. Even from the start they were positive, they had us under pressure throughout the game," Misbah said.

"The positives for us is the bowlers, but batting is a little bit of a worry, the batsmen have to learn from their mistakes. You can't win Test matches scoring 20s and 30s."

The victory was Zimbabwe's third against Pakistan in Tests, but first since 1998.

Their last win over one of the world's top Test-playing nations was against India in 2001, though they have beaten Bangladesh on four occasions since, the last a crushing 335-run victory in April.

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/report...n/20130914.htm

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Sethi holds court responsible for Pakistan loss

KARACHI - Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) caretaker chairman Najam Sethi feels a part of the blame for the country's cricket problems and the recent poor results lies with the courts, which have come in the way of cleaning the system. His comments came after Pakistan were beaten by lowly ranked Zimbabwe in the second Test in Harare leading to calls for changes in the team and set-up.
The Islamabad High Court in its judgement in July restrained Sethi from exercising full authorities of the PCB chairman and directed him to hold fresh elections in 90-day time. "Why only blame the board or team. Aren't the courts also responsible for this defeat? Ask them also. I want to do things but I can't. I can't appoint a chief selector, I can't take major decisions. So what am I supposed to do? But if I get a chance I aim to set things right," he said.
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said Pakistan cricket had hit rock bottom while former captain Rameez Raja said the defeat was frustrating, shameful and embarrassing. But Sethi lashed out at former players and the media for hounding the Pakistan team and players.
"I don't want to get into this issue of former players but some of them only criticise for their own interests. Once they get plush jobs in the board they will keep quiet but let me say this is not going to happen. The media also plays down our team's victories and blows up a defeat. Let them say what they want," Sethi said.
The PCB chief made it clear he was not going to press the panic button for the coming South Africa series. "These things happen in cricket you win and lose. But yes they are some problems in our cricket set up and I want to clean up things and also bring about improvement. But how can I do this when my hands are tied by the courts," he said.
He pointed out that Pakistan cricket for the last few years had been facing many problems due to the situation at home and because of the spot-fixing scandal. "...the internal problems in the team I don't want to talk about them but they are there. I wanted to go to the West Indies to see things for myself but the media made an issue of it so I said fine I will not go," he said.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-ne...-pakistan-loss

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"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)