I am one of you: Mourinho tells supporters,
 

LONDON: Jose Mourinho said he was returning to Chelsea with the passion of a supporter after being appointed manager of the Premier League heavyweights for the second time on Monday.

The 50-year-old Portuguese, who led the club to unprecedented success between 2004 and 2007, succeeds interim coach Rafael Benitez and has signed a four-year contract.

His Stamford Bridge comeback was one of the worst-kept secrets in European football, with weeks of media speculation culminating in his admission on Spanish television late on Sunday that he had agreed to move back to west London.

In an interview with Chelsea TV, the club's in-house television channel, Mourinho said his time at the club had left a deep impression that endured throughout his subsequent tenures at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

“It is exactly the same message, but now I can say I am one of you (supporters) and that makes a little bit of a difference,” he said.

“I never hide that in my career in football I had two great passions -- Inter and Chelsea, and Chelsea is more important for me.

“It was very hard to play against Chelsea. I did it twice, which was not so bad. Now I promise exactly the same things I promised in 2004, but with the difference we have (now), which is I am one of you.”

Announcing the news of Mourinho's reappointment, Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay heralded his “success, drive and ambition”, and said he was the “outstanding candidate”.

Mourinho arrives from Madrid, where an initially fruitful three-year spell ended in acrimony following an unsuccessful league title defence, a semi-final exit in the Champions League, and the alienation of senior players including goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Prior to joining Madrid, he enjoyed a stunning two-season stint at Inter that culminated in an unprecedented sweep of Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League trophies in 2010.

He is one of only four coaches to have won the European Cup with two different clubs, having first tasted glory in the competition with Porto in 2004.

His subsequent spell as Chelsea manager saw the club emerge as the dominant force in English football.

Backed by the investment of billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich, Mourinho won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, as well as two League Cups and the 2007 FA Cup.

He left in September 2007 after his relationship with Abramovich broke down, but the pair reconciled and he returns with the objective of turning Chelsea into title challengers once again.

“He's a great manager,” said midfielder Frank Lampard, a survivor of Mourinho's first spell at Stamford Bridge.

“He took my game on a million miles, and my personality in terms of football on a million miles. A lot of the reasons I moved on in the game are because of him."

Popularly referred to as 'the Special One', in reference to a brash remark from his very first Chelsea press conference, Mourinho is an outspoken figure who has became renowned for his clashes with officials and opposition coaches.

Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino said Mourinho's return would help fill the void created by the shock retirement of long-serving Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.

“We've lost one great manager in Fergie, but we've got another one coming back into the Premiership,” he told Sky Sports News.

Ron Harris, Chelsea's record appearance-maker, said: “I feel the supporters will be more than happy, so it's a pat on the back for Roman Abramovich for bringing him back to Chelsea Football Club.”

Mourinho succeeds Benitez, who led Chelsea to Europa League glory and a top-four finish this season after replacing sacked Champions League-winning coach Roberto Di Matteo last November. Benitez has already agreed to join Napoli next season.

Mourinho has brought coaches Rui Faria, Silvino Louro and Jose Morais with him from Madrid and will be officially presented to the media next Monday.

After a pre-season tour of Asia in July, Mourinho's first chance of major silverware will arrive when Chelsea tackle Bayern Munich, coached by his former Barcelona sparring partner Pep Guardiola, in the European Super Cup final in Prague on August 30.

Warne's Predictions about the Pakistani
 

LONDON: Shane Warne believes “heroic” and “courageous” Pakistani-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed can become an unlikely Ashes hero for Australia in England later this year.

Former refugee Ahmed, 31, will be eligible if minor changes to Australia's citizenship legislation pass through parliament in the next few weeks, having fled his native Pakistan in 2010.

Australia currently have only one spinner in their 16-man squad in Nathan Lyon but there are many who believe Ahmed could be of more use to Michael Clarke's men when they try to regain the Ashes from England in a series starting in July.

“I think for him the whole story of his is a very courageous one,” Australia great Warne told BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday.

“He's come to Australia for a better life. What he has done is an interesting story,” added legendary leg-spinner Warne, who took 708 Test wickets.

“I wish him all the best and I really hope all the documentation goes through because I think he could be a real surprise element for Australia.

“He's got that surprise element and he doesn't get flustered about anything. I think he could be very good for Australia.

Ahmed has only played three first-class matches for Victoria, Warne's home state, since arriving in Australia but has taken 16 wickets in that time.

“He's got a mature head on his shoulders,” said an admiring Warne.

“He's been through hell basically; he's been through a tough time,” he said.

“He has been a net bowler for the Victorian team and just bowled and bowled in the nets. He's an excellent bowler.

“On debut he got five-for. He can really bowl. His story is courageous and heroic actually.”

And Warne believes Ahmed could be the missing piece of the jigsaw when it comes to Australia's chances of regaining the Ashes urn.

“The quick bowling will be good but the spin is lacking. Any time you can get a good leg-spinner in it's good,” said Warne, speaking on the 20th anniversary of his 'ball of the century' with which he dismissed Mike Gatting in an Ashes Test at Manchester's Old Trafford and so made his reputation as an international bowler.

“I think if anyone under-estimates Australia in the Ashes they do at their own peril because I think they have the side there that could surprise England.”

I want to help Messi remain the best.
 

BARCELONA: Brilliant Brazil striker Neymar flew into Barcelona and signed a five-year contract amid great fanfare on Monday before announcing his priority was to help his idol Lionel Messi remain the world's best player.

The 21-year-old, who is just under five years younger than Messi, will line up with the Argentine in a fearsome Barca attack next season after the Spanish champions beat arch-rivals Real Madrid in the race to lure him from Santos.

After passing medical tests and penning a deal that ties him to Barca until June 2018, Neymar told the almost 60,000 fans who had turned up to welcome him at the Nou Camp stadium that playing for the club was a dream come true.

“Barca is more than a club and a great team and I want to contribute to Messi staying the best for many years,” he said.

At a later news conference, he told reporters jamming the press room he had struggled to fight back the tears when he had walked out on to the pitch.

“It is a great day for me and my family,” he said.

“Having the chance to play with so many important players whom I have admired since I was a child is something I have to thank god for.

“I have never been concerned about winning the Ballon d'Or or being the best player in the world.

“The best player is already here and that's Messi. And now I can see him from close up and help him.”

Neymar was accompanied by Barca vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta and Bartomeu revealed that Barca had paid 57 million euros ($74 million) to sign Neymar.

His contract included a buyout clause worth 190 million euros, he added.

Quizzed about the complex ownership structure of rights to the player, Bartomeu said there was a confidentiality agreement in place that prevented him revealing how much Barca paid to each of the four parties who held a stake to secure the rights.

Local media reported the four were Neymar's previous club Santos, investment firms DIS and Terceira Estrela Investimentos and an unidentified sports consultant.

Barca had not wanted to pay more than 40 million euros in total but the price had been forced up by the interest of Real and other clubs, Bartomeu said.

“He is one of the world's best talents of his generation and he could be a reference point,” Zubizarreta told reporters.

“We will enjoy some magical nights with him and his team mates,” added the former Barca and Spain goalkeeper.

“They will be delighted to share a dressing room with Neymar.”

Barca are hoping the addition of the Brazilian will help them maintain their edge over Real in La Liga next season and propel them to a third European crown in six years.

[B][SIZE="6"][CENTER]West Indies hold nerve to beat Pakistan
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[B]LONDON: West Indies just did enough to see off Pakistan as they opened their Champions Trophy campaign with a thrilling two-wicket Group B win at The Oval on Friday.
[/B]
When man-of-the-match Kemar Roach took the first three wickets to fall, Pakistan were 15 for three.

In the end they were all out for 170 with only captain Misbah-ul-Haq, whose 96 not out was his highest score in 118 one-day internationals, and Nasir Jamshed (50) making it to double figures.

But the West Indies suffered a collapse of their own before tailender Roach hit the winning boundary with more than nine overs remaining.

On the ground where they won the 2004 Champions Trophy, West Indies slumped to 15 for two after giant left-arm quick Mohammad Irfan removed Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo.

Chris Gayle typically drove Irfan, world cricket's tallest player, for six, only to be bowled for 39 trying to slog off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

The match was in the balance at 81 for four after Ramnaresh Sarwan was caught behind off a rising delivery from left-arm quick Wahab Riaz.

Kieron Pollard, known as a big-hitter, took 18 balls to get off the mark as the West Indies crawled towards victory in front of a crowd of more than 20,000.

But when Pollard was caught behind off Riaz for a 58-ball 30, his side were still 34 runs short of victory.

West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo, who took 36 balls without a boundary in labouring to 19, was unable to see his side to victory, falling lbw to Ajmal.

Sunil Narine soothed West Indies' nerves with two fours.

But when he was caught behind off Irfan, West Indies were still six runs adrift before Roach slammed the clinching boundary off Junaid Khan.

Earlier, after Roach's initial burst, off-spinner Narine took three wickets for three runs in 10 balls.

Misbah survived two close calls off successive balls on nought that, had they gone against him, would have left Pakistan 19 for four.

But the 39-year-old went on to surpass his previous ODI best of 93 not out against New Zealand at Napier in 2011.

Dwayne Bravo won the toss and six balls later took a brilliant diving second slip catch to dismiss Imran Farhat off Roach.

Hafeez was clean bowled middle stump by Roach and when Asad Shafiq fell for nought, after an uppercut went straight to third man, the paceman had taken three for five in 14 balls.

Misbah, on nought, survived a West Indies reviewed appeal for lbw from Roach.

Next ball Roach thought he had Misbah caught behind with umpire Steve Davis giving him out.

But square leg umpire Nigel Llong told Misbah to wait while the catch was checked on replay and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin was ruled not to have had full control of the ball before fumbling it.

Jamshed, soon after reaching fifty, holed out off Narin, who then had Shoaib Malik (nought) chipping to Bravo at short mid-wicket and Akmal caught behind by Ramdin.

Misbah, on 67 when last man Irfan came in, drove Rampaul for a straight six and went into the nineties with a similar shot off Narine.

But he was denied a maiden century when Irfan mistimed a slower ball from Rampaul to Bravo at short mid-on. Misbah faced 127 balls including three sixes and five fours.

Pakistan and West Indies are in the same group as India and South Africa, with only the top two sides going through to the semi-finals.

India beat the Proteas by 26 runs in the tournament opener in Cardiff on Thursday.

Pakistan next play South Africa at Edgbaston on June 10 with the West Indies facing India at The Oval on June 11.

[url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-104262-Pakistan-lose-to-West-Indies-by-2-wickets[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="6"]Champions Trophy: Pakistan 'totally lost' after South Africa defeat
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[B]Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq admitted his side's batsmen were “totally lost” after mis-firing again on the way to a 67-run defeat by South Africa.
[/B]
Having lost their Champions Trophy opener to West Indies on the back of 170 all out, they were dismissed for 167 by the Proteas and are almost certainly facing an early exit from Group B.

Having bowled impressively to keep their opponents to 234 for 9, they seemingly mis-judged their chase completely, letting the run-rate spiral out of control before losing a flurry of wickets attempting to rectify the situation.

Misbah top-scored with 55, but even he was guilty of too much conservatism, only upping the scoring rate when it appeared to be too late. But he pulled no punches in a candid post-match assessment.

"The positive was the bowling, really we bowled very well, and the fielding is really improving, but as a batting unit you can say it's totally lost," Misbah said.

"It's the application of the batsmen. They are not applying themselves. It has been a really disappointing two games because the team could not score more than 170 on what looks like an Asian pitch. It is not working. The responsibility is with the players."

Pakistan enjoyed the raucous support of a one-sided 24,000 crowd at Edgbaston, but as they surrendered late in the day there was a smattering of boos to be heard. But Misbah was phlegmatic in the face of such criticism.

"Supporters are like that. This is how things are," he said. “When you perform well everybody appreciates you; when you do this sort of performance they have the right [to boo]."

Hashim Amla showed the kind of application Misbah craved in his side, top-scoring for South Africa with 81 and taking home the man-of-the-match award as a result.

He conceded that the Proteas came into the game under a cloud having been lost their opener against West Indies and suffered injuries to key men Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, but was heartened by the response.

"After that first defeat, in this kind of competition you are pretty much under pressure to win the next two," Amla said. "Fortunately we managed to get on the board today.

"That's the way the game goes, it's a fickle game. We didn't have Dale and Morne and any bowling attack without those guys would miss them. We know Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith are not here too but it's water under the bridge for us. We have new guys in the team and a new energy. A victory like this boosts everybody."

[url]http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/champions-trophy-pakistan-totally-lost-after-south-africa-defeat-8653000.html[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="6"]Champions Trophy: A humiliating end to a woeful campaign
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[B]BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan’s woeful campaign at the ICC Champions Trophy came to an end yesterday with a humiliating eight-wicket defeat against India summing up the team’s pathetic run in the event.[/B]
The highly-anticipated encounter in front of 22,000 boisterous flag-waving supporters from both sides who packed the Edgbaston stands, was interrupted several times by bad weather over Birmingham.
In a match that was initially reduced to 40-overs-a-side, Pakistan were shot out for 165 in 39.4 overs after India captain MS Dhoni elected to field in overcast conditions.
India were set a Duckworth-Lewis target of 168 in 40 overs, which was later revised to 157 off 36 overs, before another rain delay reduced it to 102 in 22.
India, who were 63 for one in 11.3 at that stage, scored the remaining runs with 17 balls to spare to end their Group B engagements with an all-win record.
Shikhar Dhawan, century-maker against both the West Indies and South Africa, hit a fluent 48 after sharing an opening stand of 58 with Rohit Sharma.
After both openers were dismissed, Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik saw India home in a match that held only academic interest for the tournament.
Pakistan, who had already been knocked out of the semi-final race after losing their previous two games against the West Indies and South Africa, will return home with three successive defeats.
Dhoni’s men await the second-placed team from Group A – to be determined after the last round of league matches today and tomorrow – in the semi-final in Cardiff on Thursday.
South Africa, runners-up to India in Group B, will play the champion side from Group A in the first semi-final at Oval, London, on Wednesday.
Pakistan batsmen fail again
Earlier, India put on a dazzling display in the field as Pakistan were shot out for less than 200 and failed to last their allotted quota of overs for the third successive time in the tournament. Four bowlers claimed two wickets each and the last two batsmen were run out.
Asad Shafiq top-scored with 41 and Umar Amin made 27 not out, but there was no respite for Pakistan’s batting woes.
Opener Nasir Jamshed, whose previous five innings against India included three centuries and a half-century, managed only two when he was snapped up in the slips off Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.
Pakistan plodded to seven for one in the first five overs, before a boundary by Mohammad Hafeez off Umesh Yadav, produced a flurry of fours from either end.
Pakistan moved to 50 for one in 12 overs when a 15-minute interruption due to light rain caused them further trouble.
Hafeez, who hit five boundaries in his 27, fell on the first ball after resumption, edging Kumar to a diving Dhoni behind the stumps.
Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq helped Shafiq put on 54 runs for the fourth wicket on either side of a second rain stoppage, before he was bowled by Ravindra Jadeja for 22.
Shafiq was dismissed with the help of a television review after umpire Richard Kettleborough initially rejected a catch down the leg-side by Dhoni off Ishant Sharma.
Misbah said the batting performance was again a disappointment. “It was a disappointing performance again with the bat,” said Misbah. “The weather also played a role and it was difficult to get in and out so many times. I think the bowling did okay for us and the way they are establishing themselves is really a plus for Pakistan.”
[I]
Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2013.[/I]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Najam Sethi appointed interim PCB chairman
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[B]Senior analyst and former caretaker chief minister of Punjab Najam Sethi was appointed as the interim chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday, reported Express News.[/B]
Earlier this week, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the government to appoint an interim head of the PCB after Zaka Ashraf was suspended from the post over a legal challenge to his election.
Ashraf was ordered to halt work last month amid a row over his election, which was criticised in some quarters as unfairly influenced by President Asif Ali Zardari, the board’s patron.
Ashraf, 60, became the first-ever elected chairman of the PCB last month under a new constitution demanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reduce political interference.
But for the vote Zardari nominated Ashraf – whom he had appointed as chairman in 2011 under the old system deemed unacceptable by the ICC – and only one other candidate, former Lahore Stock Exchange chairman Aftab Ahmad.
Ashraf’s nomination was widely criticised by former players and officials because it was seen as politically motivated, with the cricket head coming from the same party as the president, and former Pakistan Army cricket coach Ahmed Nadeem Sadal challenged it in the courts.

[url]http://tribune.com.pk/story/567262/najam-sethi-appointed-interim-pcb-chairman/[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]India defeat England to lift Champions Trophy
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[B]BIRMINGHAM: India held their nerve to beat England by five runs in a tense finish to a rain-disrupted Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on Sunday. In a match reduced to 20 overs a side, a fifth-wicket partnership of 64 between Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara put England in sight of a victory target of 130 and their first major 50-over trophy. But the pair fell to successive deliveries by Ishant Sharma and England’s lower order crumbled as the hosts finished on 124 for eight.
[/B]
Miserly bowling by Bopara and James Tredwell helped England restrict India to 129 for seven after the start of play had been delayed by nearly six hours due to persistent rain. Virat Kohli top-scored with 43 and Shikhar Dhawan, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, made a breezy 31 but India were never able to dominate a disciplined England attack. Rohit Sharma was bowled by Stuart Broad for nine and Dhawan mis-timed a drive in Bopara’s first over and was caught by Tredwell at mid-off.

Dinesh Karthik skied a catch off Tredwell and Bopara struck twice in his third over, getting Suresh Raina caught by Alastair Cook at mid-on and dangerman MS Dhoni well taken by Tredwell on the third man boundary. Bopara completed excellent figures of three for 20 but Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja took 30 runs off the next three overs and Kohli, badly dropped by Jonathan Trott, launched Broad for a massive six over square leg. Kohli skied James Anderson to long off but Jadeja finished unbeaten on 33 after clouting Tim Bresnan for another six in the final over of the innings.

England lost wickets steadily at the start of their reply. Cook fell for two, edging a catch to first slip off Umesh Yadav, Trott made a fluent 20 off 17 balls before being stumped by Dhoni off Ravichandran Ashwin and Joe Root pulled the same bowler straight to long leg. Ian Bell’s laborious innings of 13 ended when he was controversially given out by the third umpire, stumped by Dhoni off Jadeja.

England were in deep trouble at 46 for four, bamboozled by the prodigious turn of Ashwin, Jadeja and Raina. Morgan and Bopara brought up their 50 partnership off 47 balls and at 110 for four with three overs left the hosts were scenting victory. But Morgan, on 33, spooned Sharma to mid-wicket and Bopara pulled his next ball straight to backward square leg. Jos Buttler was bowled by Jadeja’s first ball and Bresnan was run out in a mix-up with Broad. England needed 15 for victory from the final over and six off the last ball. Tredwell missed with a wild heave at Ashwin and the Indian players were left to celebrate a famous victory. reuters

[url]http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013\06\24\story_24-6-2013_pg2_1[/url]

Pakistan crush Windies by 126 runs
 

[CENTER][B][SIZE="5"]Pakistan crush Windies by 126 runs[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

Pakistan crushed West Indies by 126 runs in the first one-day international at Providence Stadium on Sunday.
West Indies, chasing 225 to win, were bowled out for 98 with nine overs remaining. The second match of the five-game series takes place at the same venue on Tuesday.
Returning to the team after being omitted from the Champions Trophy in England in June, the mercurial Afridi smashed a top score of 76 off 55 deliveries while Misbah redefined the role of the cautious captain, occupying 121 balls for his watchful innings of 42.
The pair put on 120 for the sixth wicket, a new record in one-day internationals for the ground and the best for Pakistan against the West Indies.

[url]http://e.thenews.com.pk/7-15-2013/page4.asp#;[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Bravo brothers, Narine help Windies level series against Pakistan
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[B]PROVIDENCE: Darren and Dwayne Bravo provided the foundation for success as West Indies beat Pakistan by 37 runs on Tuesday to win the second one-day international in Guyana and tie the five-match series.
[/B]
Darren Bravo proved the mainstay of a much improved batting performance for the home team with a top score of 54 with elder sibling Dwayne contributing a vital 43 not out to take West Indies to 232 for eight wickets from the opening 50 overs.

Pakistan were then tied down by an efficient bowling performance, ending well short of the target at the Providence Stadium.

Sunil Narine, who had not taken a wicket in West Indies' three previous one-day internationals, returned figures of 4-26 as Pakistan were bowled out for 195 in 47.5 overs.

Darren Bravo and wicketkeeper Johnson Charles put together a patient 79-run second wicket stand to steady the innings after talisman Chris Gayle has been caught behind in the first over, seeing off a threatened repeat of the 98 all out West Indies scored in the first ODI on Sunday.

Dwayne Bravo, captaining West Indies, partnered with the heavy hitting Kieron Pollard for a 70-run sixth wicket stand to pick up the scoring rate as Pakistan threatened to restrict the West Indies.

The tally over 200 was always going to be difficult for Pakistan to chase down as the early bounce on the wicket disappeared and it got markedly slower as the day wore on.

Pakistan, who did not hit a scoring shot off their first five overs, needed one of their big hitters to come off but saw wickets tumble regularly without any of their batsman able to settle at the crease.

Opener Nasir Jamshed offered four chances in his innings before departing on 54 and a 50 for Umar Akmal came too late to provoke a dramatic finish.

Shahid Afridi, the swashbuckling hero of Sunday's win, made just five runs and with his wicket the fate of the tourists was sealed.

The remaining three ODIs will be played at Gros Islet in St Lucia on Friday, Sunday and Wednesday next week.

Pakistan: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal†, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Asad Ali, Mohammad Irfan

West Indies: CH Gayle, J Charles†, DM Bravo, MN Samuels, LMP Simmons, DJ Bravo*, KA Pollard, DJG Sammy, KAJ Roach, SP Narine, JO Holder
[url]http://dawn.com/news/1029463/bravo-brothers-narine-help-windies-level-series-against-pakistan[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]West Indies pull off tie to stun Pakistan
[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]GROS ISLET: West Indies and Pakistan tied the third one-day international at Beausejour on Friday after the home side rallied in a thrilling final over.
[/B]
West Indies scored 14 runs off the last over bowled by seamer Wahab Riaz to finish level with the visitors on 229 off 50 overs.

The five-match series remains tied at 1-1 with the remaining two games to be played at the same venue on Sunday and Wednesday.

Earlier, Pakistan were again indebted to captain Misbah-ul-Haq and the late aggression of Umar Akmal in totalling 229 for six against the hosts at the Beausejour Stadium on Friday.

In his usual calm, unruffled manner, Misbah compiled a topscore of 75 to steady the innings after the early loss of both openers while Akmal swatted an unbeaten 40 off 31 deliveries, dominating an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 52 with Wahab Riaz (19 not out) to give the tourists a fighting chance on a pitch offering considerably more pace and bounce than for the first two ODIs in Guyana.

Fast-medium bowlers Jason Holder and Dwayne Bravo took two wickets apiece but skipper Bravo's decision to persist with himself over the final overs proved costly.

It was a bewildering decision given that Marlon Samuels was only allowed three overs, which cost four runs.

Playing in front of his home fans, former captain Darren Sammy completed his 10-over spell for a cost of 30 runs while claiming the wicket of opening batsman Nasir Jamshed.

Misbah's effort was ended in the 45th over via a Bravo yorker, leaving him still short of that elusive first ODI hundred.

He has now extended his record for the most half-centuries in this form of the game, 27, without getting to three figures.

During the course of his innings the 39-year-old became the most prolific run-scorer so far this year in the 50-over-a-side format.

Energised by the assistance from the Beausejour pitch, the West Indies bowlers claimed the first three wickets via miscued pulls and hooks, Kemar Roach displaying impressive presence of mind to snare Ahmed Shazad on the fine-leg boundary as he tossed the ball upwards before momentum took him over the rope and returned onto the field to complete the catch to give fellow-Barbadian Holder the first wicket of the match.

Debutant Haris Sohail took some time to get going but contributed a useful 26 in a 60-run fourth-wicket partnership with his captain that was essential that Pakistan managed some sort of platform that allowed for the late assault by Akmal and Wahab, especially given the swift demise of Shahid Afridi to Holder.

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles (wk), Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo (capt), Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder

Pakistan: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan
[url]http://dawn.com/news/1030355/west-indies-pull-off-tie-to-stun-pakistan[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Pakistan's lightning assault sees off Windies
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[B]ST LUCIA: Inclement weather, the Duckworth/Lewis method and a lightning assault by Pakistan’s middle-order batsmen stole the thunder from the West Indies as the visitors snatched the rain-affected fourth one-day international by six wickets on Sunday.
[/B]In a match already reduced to 49 overs-per-side and after Marlon Samuels blazed an unbeaten 106 in the home team’s total of 261 for seven, Pakistan were set a revised target of 189 off 31 overs as a second shower of the day interrupted play when they were 68 for two off 17 overs.
Needing a further 121 off 14 overs, half-centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and skipper Misbahul Haq sped the visitors to the target with one over to spare.
“It was like a T20 game when we came back out,” said a delighted Misbah after his key role in the victory.
“Mohammad Hafeez and I realised that we just had to play normal cricketing shots and look for the odd boundary. It was a case of not panicking and just staying focussed on the target.”
Following a tie in the third match two days earlier, Pakistan now have an unbeatable 2-1 lead going into the fifth and final match at the same Beausejour Stadium venue on Wednesday.
West Indies seemed a dejected bunch when they took the field after being told by the umpires of the revised target, and Pakistan capitalised, Hafeez and Misbah crashing 54 runs off five overs before home captain Dwayne Bravo tried to get his team back into the match.
Hafeez fell to Kemar Roach for 59, an innings decorated by five fours and two hooked sixes off fast-medium bowler Jason Holder, while Bravo himself accounted for Shahid Afridi who was promoted up the order to accelerate the Pakistani scoring.
However, new batsman Umar Akmal (29 not out) maintained the required scoring tempo and with Misbah showing his remarkable versatility in speeding along to 53 off 43 balls at the other end to keep his team well on course, it was left to Akmal to finish off the match with three consecutive boundaries off the disheartened West Indies captain.
“When we came back on the field after the recalculation, two of our main bowlers (Roach and Sunil Narine) had already bowled five overs so we were virtually without their services at this crucial stage,” said Bravo, who conceded 49 runs off six overs.
Samuels returned to something like his sumptuous best, stroking four sixes and nine fours off 104 balls in a feast of batsmanship in the midday sunshine.
He put on 95 for the fifth wicket with Lendl Simmons, who supported Samuels’ classy assault with a belligerent 46 off 44 balls.
West Indies made two significant decisions before a ball was bowled in replacing hard-hitting Kieron Pollard with Devon Smith and demoting Chris Gayle to number five in the batting order in light of his continuing struggle for runs against the new ball.
He was back in the middle at 63 for two after Smith fell cheaply to Mohammad Irfan and Johnson Charles was trapped leg-before by Wahab Riaz, benefiting from a huge slice of luck almost instantly when put down by Hafeez off Wahab before he had scored.
Although far from his destructive best, Gayle contributed 30 to a 57-run third-wicket stand with Samuels before failing to clear long-on off the bowling of Shahid Afridi.
[url]http://tribune.com.pk/story/579982/west-indies-score-124-for-4-at-the-end-of-30-overs/[/url]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="5"]Pakistan won the last one day against West Indies and won the series by 3-1 [/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

Pakistan scrambled a four-wicket victory off the penultimate ball in the fifth and final one-day international against the West Indies at the Beausejour Stadium on Wednesday.

Replying to the hosts' total of 242 for seven, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq's innings of 63 again piloted the visitors to their target although they made heavy weather of it at the end, Kieron Pollard missing the stumps at the non-striker's end and Saeed Ajmal dashing home for the winning run to the relief of his teammates.

Pakistan take the five-match series 3-1 with one tied and now both teams shift focus to the two Twenty20 internationals to be played on Saturday and Sunday in St Vincent.

Misbah, who was dismissed at the start of the final over with the scores level, took both the man of the match and the man of the series awards.

Not for the first time over the five matches, the fate of the match hinged on his contribution with the bat.

But from the West Indies standpoint, they were left to lament a controversial moment when they were convinced that the Pakistani captain was caught off the glove by stand-in wicketkeeper Lendl Simmons off a fiery Tino Best.

On 49 at the time, and with the score standing at 190 for four in the 43rd over, his dismissal then with 53 runs still needed could have been pivotal.

Umpire Paul Reiffel's not out decision was challenged by West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo but the Decision Review System (DRS) upheld the on-field verdict, much to the dismay of the Caribbean players on the field.

"A key decision went against us and that was the turning point in the game," said Bravo at the end of the match in a less-than-veiled reference to the Misbah incident.

"I don't think 3-1 for Pakistan was a fair reflection of the balance of power in the series."

Ahmed Shehzad contributed a top score of 64 at the top of the order, but after being becalmed in the middle of the innings by some determined bowling from the West Indies, Misbah found an able ally in Umar Akmal, the same pair who had taken Pakistan to victory in the rain-shortened fourth match three days earlier.

They put on 66 for the fifth wicket and tilted the balance of the match decisively Pakistan's way only for Akmal to fall to a persevering Best for 37 just as an unexpected light shower swept across the ground.

A washout at that stage with the score at 226 for five off 47.4 overs would have given the tourists victory anyway for they were ahead on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

However, the skies cleared and when they resumed after 20 minutes, Pakistan just managed to get across the line despite Misbah's dismissal, the key blow being delivered by Shahid Afridi when he hoisted Bravo over square-leg for six in the penultimate over.

"We really wanted this victory to finish the series off strong after all the disappointments earlier this year," reflected a delighted Misbah.

"This was just my turn to have a really good time with the bat but it was the bowlers who kept us in these matches throughout. That really is our strength."

The loss was especially hard on Bravo who had belted 48 off just 27 balls to give his team's innings a late surge with 62 runs coming off the final five overs.

His effort, together with a quickfire 29 from Darren Sammy, was essential to get a competitive total on the board despite earlier contributions from middle-order batsman Marlon Samuels (45) and opener Johnson Charles (43).

Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan shared five wickets in underlining their excellent performances during the series.

[url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-110878-Cricket:-Pakistan-crush-West-Indies-by-4-wickets-to-win-ODI-series[/url]

FINAL Tri-Nation U-19s Tounament
 

[SIZE="6"][B]Pakistan U-19 Won the Final of Tri-Nation U-19s Tournament[/B][/SIZE]

Aslam, Gohar secure trophy for Pakistan :vic:pipe:pipe

Pakistan Under-19s 343 for 6 (Aslam 110, Jahangir 85) beat England Under-19s 151 (Higgins 70*, Gohar 4-25) by 192 runs

A century from opener Sami Aslam, followed by an incisive spell of 4 for 25 from left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar, helped Pakistan Under-19s lift the tri-nation tourmanent trophy with a comprehensive 192-run win over England Under-19s in the final at Trent Bridge.

Aslam, the Man of the Match, struck 10 fours during his 121-ball 110, and put up a mammoth 163 runs for the third wicket with Shayan Jahangir, who scored 85 off 70 balls. The pair were dismissed in consecutive overs towards the end of the innings, but Kamran Ghulam smashed eight fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 32-ball 61 to take the visitors to 343 for 6 in 50 overs.
England, chasing nearly seven-an-over, stumbled to 31 for 2 after the first 10 as openers Jonathan Tattersall and Harry Finch fell to left-arm seamer Mohammad Aftab.

A 42-run stand between Higgins and Will Rhodes sought to restore the chase but Gohar snuck through the latter's defences to wrest the advantage back. He also accounted for Lewis McManus and Miles Hammond in the 26th over as England slipped to 116 for 6. Hussain Talat, with 3 for 18, was an able deputy, polishing off the lower order as he and Gohar set up a comfortable win that gave Pakistan the trophy.

[url]http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/593711.html[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, 1st T20: Pakistan start tour with a win[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]Harare: Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 25 runs in the first Twenty20 international on Friday as Shahid Afridi ripped through a home batting line-up that never got close to the tourists' 161 for 5.[/B]

Afridi took 3 for 25 and Zimbabwe struggled to 136 for 5 in their reply. Afridi also earlier made 23 not out with the bat, while opener Ahmed Shehzad top-scored for Pakistan with 70 from just 50 balls.
[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/zimbabwe-vs-pakistan-1st-t20-pakistan-start-tour-with-a-win/416647-78.html[/url]

[SIZE="5"] [B][CENTER] 2nd T20: Shehzad, Hafeez guide Pakistan to 2-0 sweep[/CENTER][/B][/SIZE]

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez shared a 143-run partnership with Ahmed Shehzad and then took three crucial wickets to set up a 19-run win over Zimbabwe in the second Twenty20 international on Saturday, clinching a 2-0 series win for the tourists.
Zimbabwe finished on 160 for 6 in 20 overs chasing Pakistan's 179 for 1. Shehzad hit 98 not out and Hafeez an unbeaten 54 for the bulk of Pakistan's total, with their 143-run stand for the second wicket coming off just 86 balls as Zimbabwe's bowlers were battered for the 14 overs the pair were together. :vic:clap

[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/2nd-t20-shehzad-hafeez-guide-pakistan-to-20-sweep/416922-78.html[/url]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="5"]Emerging Teams Cup All-round India outplay Pakistan for title[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

KARACHI: Pakistan U23 appeared a mismatch against the India U23 side as they received a nine-wicket thrashing from their arch-rivals in the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup final in Singapore yesterday.
India U23 outclassed their counterparts in both batting and bowling after Pakistan U23 chose to bat first — the latter lost seven wickets within a span of 19 runs.
Spinner Baba Aparajith was the chief tormentor against Pakistan’s batting line-up, claiming three wickets for 28 runs in seven overs as Pakistan skittled out for just 159 with three overs to spare.
At one point, the Hammad Azam-led side had lost nine wickets with just 107 runs on board before Usman Qadir and Ehsan Adil put up a 52-run stand for the last wicket.

Adil made an unbeaten 20 while Qadir scored 33 off 32.
Earlier, Umar Waheed chipped in with 41 runs before wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed for 21. However, the middle-order failed to capitalise, reducing the side from 88 for three to 107 for nine as Hammad went out for a duck.
Meanwhile, a confident India, having defeated Pakistan during the group stages, allowed no hiccups as they achieved the target in only 33.4 overs. Opener Lukesh Rahul played a commendable knock of 93 while Manprit Juneja also remained unbeaten on 51. Unmukt Chand (15) who was dismissed by Raza Hasan, was the only Indian wicket to fall.
PCB selector satisfied with performance
A senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selector expressed satisfaction regarding the team’s overall performance in the tournament.
“It was a satisfying performance overall,” Salim Jaffer, who is supervising the selection committee in the absence of the chief selector, told The Express Tribune. “Winning the title would’ve been great, but we’re still pleased about reaching the final.”
He said the selectors had taken positives from the tournament.
“Players like Hammad, Raza, Rizwan and Umar Waheed proved themselves. We are happy with their performances as they are the key to Pakistan’s future.”

[url]http://tribune.com.pk/story/595160/emerging-teams-cup-all-round-india-outplay-pakistan-for-title/[/url]

The Ashes
 

[CENTER][SIZE="6"][B]Ashes finale ends in thrilling draw[/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]

LONDON: England and Australia drew the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval on Sunday as the hosts wrapped up a 3-0 series win.
England, set a target of 227 for victory in a minimum of 44 overs, after Australia declared their second innings, needed just 21 more runs to win off 24 balls on the final day when the umpires, controversially, took the players off the field for bad light at 7.35pm local time (1835GMT).
As play had gone beyond the scheduled close, a restart was impossible and England finished on 206 for five off 40 overs with Chris Woakes 17 not out.
This draw meant Australia had failed to win a single Test in an Ashes series for the first time since a 3-0 loss in England in 1977 and left them winless in their last nine Tests against all opponents.

[url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-115279-Ashes-finale-ends-in-thrilling-draw[/url]

Hockey - Asia Cup
 

[B][SIZE="6"][CENTER]Pakistan beat Malaysia 4-1, enter semis of Asia Cup[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]

Ipoh: Three-time champions Pakistan became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the Asia Cup hockey tournament after defeating Malaysia 4-1 in their second Pool A match, here on Sunday.
After this victory, Pakistan are atop Pool A with six points from two games ahead of Malaysia who have three points from as many games. Pakistan next play Chinese Taipei on Tuesday, while Malaysia will be up against Japan on the same day.
For the winners, all the four goals came through field efforts from the sticks of Muhammad Zubair (32nd), Muhammad Dilber (46th), Muhammad Waqas (60th) and Shafqat Rasool (67th). Malaysia's lone goal was scored by Muhammad Razie Abd Rahim in the 26th minute.
The clash between Pakistan and Malaysia was an absorbing contest with both teams playing aggressively. The two teams produced entertaining, fast hockey much to the delight of the crowd gathered at the Sultan Azlan Shah stadium.
Pakistan got the first scoring chance in the 16th minute when they earned their first penalty corner, only to waste it. Another scoring opportunity went begging for Pakistan soon when an unmarked Muhammad Dilber missed an open chance, hitting the ball wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
But Malaysia were quick to capitalise on their chances and shocked Pakistan in the 26th minute when Muhammad Razie Abd Rahim broke the deadlock with a powerful low dragflick to the left of experienced Pakistan goalkeeper Salman Akbar from the hosts first penalty corner.
Malaysia had a great chance of doubling their lead a few minutes later but an Mohd Fitri Sari shot wide with only Pakistan goalkeeper Akbar to beat.
Pakistan cashed in on Malaysia's missed opportunities and eqaulised in the 32nd minute through Zubair who was beautifully set up by veteran Shakeel Abbasis fine run from the right flank.
Pakistan came out with more purpose in the second half and surged ahead in the 46th minute through a field goal from Dilber after he was set up by a Rasools brilliant solo run from the right flank.
Pakistan kept up the tempo and mounted continuous raids into the Malaysian citadel and their efforts paid dividends when Waqas made the scoreline 3-1.
Rasool then joined the party and registered his name in the scoresheet just three minutes from the hooter to take the match beyond the reach of the home team. Malaysia did get two back-to-back penalty corners in the final minute of the match but failed to utilise both.

[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pakistan-beat-malaysia-41-enter-semis-of-asia-cup/417126-5-136.html[/url]

HOCKEY - Asia Cup
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="6"]Malaysia join Pakistan in semis of Asia Cup from Pool A[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

Ipoh: Hosts Malaysia recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat a fighting Japan 4-2 [B][SIZE="5"]while Pakistan mauled debutants Chinese Taipei 13-0 in final round matches of Pool A at the ninth Asia Cup hockey tournament here .[/SIZE][/B] By virtue of this win, Malaysia became the second team to qualify for the semi-finals from Pool A. Pakistan had already sealed their place in the last-four stage ahead of today's inconsequential encounter.
With three wins from as many matches, Pakistan have topped Pool A with nine points, while Malaysia finished second with six. In all likelihood, Pakistan will take on defending champions South Korea in the first semi-final on Friday, while Malaysia will face India in the other last-four match.
India are presently at the top of Pool B with two wins from as many games, while Korea are in the second place. The Indians play minnows Bangladesh in their final pool match tomorrow, while Korea will be up against debutant Oman. With both the teams in the fray for a semifinal berth, the second match of the day between Malaysia and Japan was expected to be an exciting encounter. It turned out to be one.

[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/malaysia-join-pakistan-in-semis-of-asia-cup-from-pool-a/417708-5-136.html[/url]

ZIM vs PAK (1ST ODI)
 

[B][SIZE="6"][CENTER]Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by seven wickets for rare victory[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]

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.

[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/cricketnext/live-score/full/pakistan-in-zimbabwe-3-odi-series/zimbabwe-vs-pakistan/zmpk2708.html]Score Card[/url]

[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/zimbabwe-beat-pakistan-by-seven-wickets-for-rare-victory/417706-78.html[/url]

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan (2nd ODI)
 

[B][SIZE="6"][B]2nd ODI: Pakistan thrash Zimbabwe to draw level[/B][/SIZE][/B]

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.


[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/cricketnext/live-score/full/pakistan-in-zimbabwe-3-odi-series/zimbabwe-vs-pakistan/zmpk2908.html]Score Card[/url]

[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/2nd-odi-pakistan-thrash-zimbabwe-to-draw-level/418240-78.html[/url]

ZIM vs PAK (3rd ODI)
 

[B][SIZE="6"][B][CENTER]3rd ODI: Pakistan thrash Zimbabwe by 108 runs, win series 2-1[/CENTER][/B][/SIZE][/B]

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.:clap:pipe:pipe

[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/cricketnext/live-score/full/pakistan-in-zimbabwe-3-odi-series/zimbabwe-vs-pakistan/zmpk3108.html]Score Card[/url]


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/3rd-odi-pakistan-thrash-zimbabwe-by-108-runs-win-series-21/418752-78.html[/url]

Hockey- Asia Cup ' Final '
 

[B][SIZE="5"][CENTER]Hockey Asia Cup: South Korea win title, India settle for silver[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]

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 [B][SIZE="3"][SIZE="4"]4-3 scoreline.[/SIZE][/SIZE][/B]
[B]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.[/B]


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/hockey-asia-cup-south-korea-win-title-india-settle-for-silver/418946-5-136.html[/url]

Hockey - Asia Cup
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="6"]Pakistan beat Malaysia 3-1 to win bronze in Asia Cup hockey[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

Ipoh: Already out of next year's World Cup, Pakistan had something to cheer about as the three-time champions defeated hosts Malaysia [B]3-1 [/B]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.

[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/pakistan-beat-malaysia-31-to-win-bronze-in-asia-cup-hockey/418930-5-136.html[/url]

Zim vs Pak (1st Test)
 

[B][SIZE="6"][CENTER]1st Test: Pakistan rout Zimbabwe by 221 runs[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]

[B]Harare:[/B] [B]Pakistan removed nine Zimbabwe batsmen on the final morning to convincingly win the first Test by 221 runs[/B] :pipe:pipeas 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.


[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/cricketnext/live-score/full/pakistan-in-zimbabwe-2-test-series/zimbabwe-vs-pakistan/zmpkt1932013.html]Score Card[/url]


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/1st-test-pakistan-rout-zimbabwe-by-221-runs/420296-78.html[/url]

Tennis - US Open 2013
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Rafael Nadal wins US Open, his 13th Grand Slam trophy[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

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."



[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rafael-nadal-wins-us-open-his-13th-grand-slam-trophy/420723-5-22.html[/url]

Younis reached 7000 Test Runs
 

[B][SIZE="5"][CENTER]:clap:clap Younis Khan fourth Pakistani to reach 7000 Test runs :clap:clap
[/CENTER][/SIZE][/B]

Harare: Khurram Manzoor and [B]Younis Khan[/B] 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. :vic


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/younis-khan-fourth-pakistani-to-reach-7000-test-runs/421317-78.html[/url]

[B]14.09.2013 [/B][B][CENTER][SIZE="6"]Zimbabwe record historic 24-run win over Pakistan[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]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.[/B]

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.

[url]http://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/second-test-zimbabwe-record-historic-24-run-win-over-pakistan/20130914.htm[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Sethi holds court responsible for Pakistan loss [/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

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.
[url]http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/sports/16-Sep-2013/sethi-holds-court-responsible-for-pakistan-loss[/url]

Otago Volts beat Faisalabad Wolves
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]CLT20, 1st Qualifier: Otago Volts beat Faisalabad Wolves by 8 wickets
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Mohali: Skipper Brendon McCullum led from the front smashing an unbeaten 83 as Otago Volts from New Zealand comfortably beat Pakistan's Faisalabad Wolves by eight wickets in qualifying round match of the Champions League Twenty20 on Tuesday. Opting to bat, the Misbah-ul Haq led side could manage only 139 for eight in the wake of some controlled bowling from the Otago bowlers. Pacers Ian Butler (2 for 23), James McMillan (2 for 24) and James Neesham (2 for 26) all bowled well with only Misbah making a significant contribution with 46 off 34 balls.
Brendon McCullum receives the Man of the Match for his aggressive and match-winning knock. That's it from the first game of this year's Champions League T20. The second game is just a snack away. So get back for the clash between Hyderabad and Kandurata Maroons. It has been a pretty strong outing for Otago Volts, one must admit. They restricted Faisalabad Wolves to just 139 on a decent batting track and then chased the target down with 13 balls to spare. They lost one of their openers early but Rutherford slammed a quick-fire 25 and after his dismissal Brendon McCullum took over to score 83 out of 142 to take his side home.



[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/cricketnext/live-score/full/champions-league-twenty20-qualifiers-2013/otago-volts-vs-faisalabad-wolves/ovfw1709.html]Score Card[/url]


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/clt20-brendon-mccullum-powers-otago-volts-to-eightwicket-win-over-faisalabad-wolves/422797-78.html[/url]

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Faisalabad Wolves
 

[B][SIZE="5"][CENTER]Clinical Sunrisers Hyderabad qualify for CLT20 main event
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Mohali: Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the main event of the Champions League T20 tournament after beating Faisalabad Wolves by seven wickets at the PCA Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing a moderate total of 128, Shikhar Dhawan (59) and Parthiv Patel (23) shared 68-run stand for the opening stand and although they lost a couple of wickets towards the end, they were well on their way by that time. With two wins in two matches, both Sunrisers and Otago Wolves, who beat Kandurata Maroons by six in an earlier match, qualified for the main event, which will begin on Saturday.


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/clinical-sunrisers-hyderabad-qualify-for-clt20-main-event/423075-78.html[/url]

Moin asks Misbah to change his approach to captaincy
 

[B][FONT="Arial"][B][SIZE="6"]Moin asks Misbah to change his approach to captaincy[/SIZE][/B][/FONT][/B]

Karachi: Insisting that stripping him of the captaincy won't do any good, Pakistan cricket team manager Moin Khan instead said the Test and one-day skipper Misbah-ul-Haq should change his approach. Former Test captain Moin met the caretaker chairman of the PCB, Najam Sethi in Lahore and submitted his report of Pakistan's recent tour to Zimbabwe. "I don't think making changes all the time is good for our cricket. What needs to be done is to change Misbah's approach," Moin said. Misbah and head coach Dav Whatmore came under fire after Pakistan lost the second Test to a lowly-ranked Zimbabwe to level the two-match series 1-1. Pakistan had also lost a game in the three-match ODI series earlier on the tour. Moin, however, indicated that there were no intentions of changing Misbah or Whatmore for the forthcoming series against South Africa despite the hue and cry raised after the national team's disastrous performance in Zimbabwe.
Moin said Misbah was ready to made amends. "I've spoken to Misbah and he is positive about bringing an improvement," Moin, who captained Pakistan in 13 Tests and 34 ODIs, said. Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and two T20 games against South Africa in October-November. Misbah has so far maintained silence on his future as captain and is scheduled to return home from India as his side Faisalabad Wolves failed to qualify for the main round of the Champions League T20 tournament. Misbah had flown straight to India from Harare after Pakistan had lost the second Test.


[url]http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/moin-asks-misbah-to-change-his-approach-to-captaincy/423371-78.html[/url]

Faisalabad Wolves beat Kandurata Maroons
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Misbah rescues Faisalabad yet again with aggressive 93[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

Misbah hit a quickfire[B] 93 from 60 deliveries[/B], to help his team finish off with a consolation victory:vic. They had lost their first two matches in the qualifying round to be knocked out of the running for a place in the main round, while Sri Lankan side Maroons went home after three straight losses.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Otago Volts have already made it to the main round from the qualifying group.

[img][URL=http://s771.photobucket.com/user/fad1i/media/20cl1_zpsea1ec38e.jpg.html][IMG]http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx357/fad1i/20cl1_zpsea1ec38e.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/img]


[url=http://ibnlive.in.com/cricketnext/live-score/full/champions-league-twenty20-qualifiers-2013/faisalabad-wolves-vs-kandurata-maroons/fwkm2009.html]Score Card[/url]

[url]http://www.rediff.com/cricket/slide-show/slide-show-1-clt20-photos-scorecard-faisalabad-wolves-vs-kandurata-maroons-misbah-salman-lokuhettige-adil/20130920.htm[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Misfiring Hafeez axed for South Africa Tests
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[B][SIZE="2"]LAHORE: As expected vice-captain Mohammad Hafeez was on Saturday axed from the 12-man squad to play a Test series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates.
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The series starts in Abu Dhabi on October 14, with the second Test in Dubai from October 23.

The 32-year-old Hafeez has scored just 102 in his last five Tests. He managed 43 in a 3-0 Test defeat in South Africa in February and scored only 59 in the two-Test series against Zimbabwe last month.

Misbah-ul Haq was last week retained as Test and one-day captain.

Three players will be added to the squad after a three-day practice match between Pakistan ‘A’ and South Africa in Sharjah starting from October 8.

Pakistan and South Africa will also play five one-day and two Twenty20 internationals, for which squads will be named later, the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.

Pakistan, who are without a chief selector, left out batsmen Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Ahmed Shahzad and Shan Masood, but they still have a chance of making the larger squad, which so far only has one opener in Khurram Manzoor.

Paceman Mohammad Irfan, at 7ft 1in the tallest cricketer to play at international level, earned a Test recall despite an unimpressive two-match stint in South Africa earlier this year when he took just one wicket.

Pakistan looked set to ploy a spin-dominated attack against South Africa with the inclusion of 34-year-old left-armer Zulfiqar Babar, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rehman.

Umar Amin, 24, was also recalled after failing to impress in four Tests in 2010. He will lead Pakistan ‘A’ in the practice match.

Hafeez was expected to miss out, given his poor form in Test cricket his year. He was particularly exposed against the moving ball by Dale Steyn on Pakistan’s tour to South Africa in February. Pakistan have not played top-level opposition in Test cricket since, but Hafeez’s struggles in the long format continued against Zimbabwe in September.

Pacer Wahab Riaz also misses out from the squad that played the Zimbabwe Tests. Pakistan had drawn that series 1-1, with Zimbabwe recording their first win against Pakistan in 15 years in the second Test. Against South Africa in February, Pakistan had lost the Tests 0-3.

The team management is mulling playing three spinners in the line-up, and so Babar could fit in alongside Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.

Fast bowler Umar Gul, who was targetting a comeback against South Africa after being sidelined by a knee injury since March, is yet to return.

Squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Khurram Manzoor, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Umar Amin, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali.

[url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-10-206547-Misfiring-Hafeez-axed-for-South-Africa-Tests[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="4"]Pakistan beat No. 1 South Africa by 7 wickets in first Test at Abu Dhabi
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[B]South Africa were bowled out for 232 in their second innings after conceding a big 193-run lead in the first. AB de Villiers top-scored with 90 in an innings rocked by Pakistani bowlers Saeed Ajmal (4-74) and Junaid Khan (3-57).
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[url]http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/215694-1st-test-pakistan-vs-south-africa-day-4[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]South Africa beat Pakistan in Dubai to tie Test series 1-1
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South Africa completed victory by an innings and 92 runs in the second Test against Pakistan to tie the series 1-1.
The win preserved the tourists' seven-year unbeaten away record in series.
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/24686084[/url]

De Villiers’ ton gives South Africa big win
 

[CENTER][B][SIZE="5"]De Villiers’ ton gives South Africa big win[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

Captain AB de Villiers hit a robust century to lead South Africa to a thumping 117-run victory over Pakistan in the fifth and final one-day international and [COLOR="Blue"]wrap up the series 4-1.[/COLOR]

Pakistan’s batting woes continued in the series as it was bowled out for 151 in 35.3 overs after de Villiers 115 off 102 balls had powered the Proteas to a strong total of[COLOR="Blue"] 268-7[/COLOR].”Having clinched the series already, it is always difficult to get going,” de Villiers said.

“But when you wear this shirt (South Africa) and are playing at this level, then you have to play your best with the same intensity. “Having already won the series, South Africa rested three of its frontline bowlers — Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir.

Replacement bowler Wayne Parnell took 3-36 while fast bowler Vernon Philander (2-23) polished off the top order as only Sohaib Maqsood showed some grit with the top score of 53 — his second successive half century. Philander perfectly filled in the shoes of Steyn when he clean bowled Mohammad Hafeez, had Ahmad Shehzad caught at fine leg and then made it 17-3 by having Umar Amin leg before wicket inside the first 10 overs.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq resisted for a while and added 39 runs before he mistimed a pull off Ryan McLaren. Umar Akmal (30) was twice dropped on 19 and 27 but could not cash in on as JP Duminy had him lbw in his first over before Shahid Afridi (9) skied a return catch to Parnell as Pakistan went on to lose four wickets in space of three runs. Sohail Tanvir and Junaid Khan added 20 runs for the last wicket before McLaren had Tanvir caught behind to end Pakistan woeful batting display with more than 14 overs to spare. “We had no answers ... they outplayed us,” Misbah said. “Its an old story now (batting collapses) ... we really have to think about that. “Earlier, De Villiers won his fourth toss of the series and made a splendid unbeaten century, hitting 10 fours and three sixes.
De Villiers upped the scoring tempo late in the innings when he added 83 runs off just 56 balls for the sixth wicket with McLaren (27) as the Proteas scored 114 in the last 10 overs against some wayward bowling.De Villiers also became the fastest South African batsman to complete 6,000 runs in 153 ODIs and surpassed Gary Kirsten and Graeme Smith, who both took 160 matches to achieve the feat.Pakistan did well through spinners Saeed Ajmal (3-45) and Afridi (1-37) in the middle of the innings despite Faf du Plessis (46) adding 62 off 96 balls with de Villiers.
Pakistan got a lucky breakthrough when Hashim Amla did not take a review after he was adjudged leg before wicket off tall fast bowler Mohammad Irfan as the television replays showed the ball had pitched outside the leg stump. Quinton de Kock (34) hit the giant Irfan for four successive boundaries before Ajmal had him lbw and Duminy (2) was caught well close to the wicket by Shehzad.Ajmal had David Miller caught off his own bowling in the powerplay to put South Africa on 150-5 before Pakistan lost the plot badly and surprisingly Hafeez (1-10) was not recalled after bowling three decent overs early in the innings.De Villiers raised his half century off 70 balls when he pulled Ajmals short delivery to midwicket for a six but needed just further 32 balls to score his remaining 65 runs with nine fours and two more sixes. “Dont know what happened in the last 10-15 overs, but it shows that if you hang in there in international sport, you can get through a bad patch, so really enjoyed it at the end,” de Villiers said.
After the two Twenty20s, both teams will meet in South Africa for two Twenty20s and three one-day internationals later this month


[url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-26613-De-Villiers-ton-gives-South-Africa-big-win[/url]

South Africa beat Pakistan in first Twenty20
 

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]South Africa beat Pakistan in first Twenty20[/SIZE][/CENTER][/B]

[B]DUBAI: South Africa beat Pakistan by nine wickets in the first Twenty20 international here on Wednesday, to go [SIZE="3"]1-0[/SIZE] up in the two-match series.[/B]

Paceman Dale Steyn took 3-15 as Pakistan were restricted to 98-9 — their lowest total in this form of cricket against the South Africans — in their 20 overs after they won the toss and decided to bat.

Umar Akmal top-scored with a 41-ball 49 but none of the other batsmen could give him proper support. Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Imran Tahir took two wickets. South Africa reached the target for the loss of one wicket in 14.3 overs with Quinton de Kock unbeaten on 48 and Faf du Plessis 37 not out..


[url]http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-13-26654-South-Africa-beat-Pakistan-in-first-Twenty20[/url]

[B][CENTER][SIZE="5"]South Africa beat Pakistan to take Twenty20 series 2-0
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[B]South Africa sparked another Pakistan batting collapse to win the second Twenty20 international by six runs in Dubai on Friday, taking the two-match series 2-0.
[/B]It was another batting failure for Pakistan, who, chasing 151, were cruising along nicely at 101-3 in the 14th over before being restricted to 144-9 in their 20 overs.
Paceman Wayne Parnell took 3-25 while leg-spinner Imran Tahir claimed 2-21 and spearhead Dale Steyn finished with 2-20 to rock Pakistan who lost seven wickets in the space of 43 runs.
Sohaib Maqsood top-scored with 37 while Shahid Afridi (14) tried valiantly but failed in the end.
Pakistan lost Ahmed Shehzad (21) and Mohammad Hafeez (nought) in quick succession but Maqsood carried on in style, hitting two boundaries and a six off 26 balls before Pakistan lost three wickets at 112.
Tahir bowled Shoaib Malik (15)and Abdul Razzaq (nought) off successive deliveries while Quinton de Kock held a smart catch off Parnell to dismiss Maqsood as Pakistan slump from 112-4 to 112-7.
South Africa won the first match by nine wickets on Wednesday.
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis hailed his team's comeback.
"It's a great achievement by the team. We played really well under pressure and Pakistan were in a position to win but we pulled it back remarkably," said Du Plessis.
"We said we wanted to come here and win 2-0 and we did that. As a bowling unit we have certainly grown a lot over the last couple of months. Credit to them for the time and effort they have put into it. There is always room for improvement.
"Nice to be back in South Africa and looking forward to another series against Pakistan. We will try to beat them again 2-0," said Du Plessis of the coming two T20 and three one-day series in South Africa between November 20-30.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez bemoaned his team's inability to see out matches.
"I think this is the sequence of the (one-day) series," said Hafeez of Pakistan's 4-1 loss.
"Not finishing games very well. When we needed to play normal cricket, we didn't handle the pressure. Credit goes to South Africa for bowling in the right areas. Every time we thought we were there, we couldn't finish it."
South Africa rode on Du Plessis's 48-ball 58 not out and a sedate 41-ball 48 by Hashim Amla, who lifted the innings during their 78-run second wicket stand after they won the toss and batted.
De Kock chipped in with a quickfire 19-ball 30, studded with six boundaries to give his team a rapid start.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal pulled things back for Pakistan by dismissing De Kock and Amla.
Amla hit two sixes and three boundaries before he holed out on Ajmal.
Du Plessis held one end intact, hitting three sixes and one boundary to lift South Africa to their highest Twenty20 total against Pakistan, beating the 142-9 they made at Nottingham in 2009.

South Africa tied the two-Test series 1-1 on the tour.

[url]http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/sports/16-Nov-2013/south-africa-beat-pakistan-to-take-twenty20-series-2-0[/url]