Qureshi-Rojer ease into second round at Melbourne


KARACHI: Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer eased into the second round of the men’s doubles competition in Melbourne at the Australian Open on Wednesday with a straight-set win.

The sixth seeds overpowered the German-Belgian duo of Simon Stadler and David Goffin 6-3, 6-1 in less than an hour.

The Pak-Dutch pair will meet either Nicholas Monroe of USA and Grega Zemlja of Slovenia or Belgian duo of Xavier Malisse and Dick Norman.

Before departing for Melbourne, Qureshi had asserted that he intended to bring Grand Slam glory to Pakistan and hoped he could go beyond the quarter-finals at this year’s Australian Open, a feat which he has not been able to achieve before.

“I hope I can make this happen this year. I want to make my presence felt,” he told a local newspaper.

“I will try my best to reach at least the quarters of the Australian Open this year, though my aim is to win the title,” he added.

http://dawn.com/2013/01/16/qureshi-r...stralian-open/

With the BCCI being skeptical about hosting the Women’s World Cup in Mumbai due to simmering tension on the Indo-Pak border, Pakistan Cricket Board chief, Zaka Ashraf, on Wednesday suggested that the quadrennial extravaganza be shifted to South Africa.
Anticipating trouble due to Pakistani players’ participation in the event, to be held in Mumbai, the BCCI had sought the ICC’s help in taking a final call on whether to stick to the original venue or change it for the team from across the border in order to avoid security hassles.
“Women’s World Cup is an ICC event and if the security is not good enough in India, then the world governing body should consider shifting it to a neutral venue like South Africa or somewhere,” he said.
“I would want to leave it on ICC to decide. The entire tournament has to go to a neutral venue and a few matches cannot be shifted to another country and rest play somewhere else.
“It has to be in a peaceful manner. If it happens in India then there should be proper security arrangement, otherwise it could be shifted to a neutral venue,” Ashraf said.
He insisted that South Africa could be a good alternative. “ICC is still considering options and trying to look for venues where cricket can be played. South Africa could be a good option because of the weather, good infrastructure and strong cricket at the domestic level.”
Asked if he is keen on the tournament be shifted to South Africa, Ashraf said, “I am not saying that. The first option should be India but if the BCCI is unable to host it then I am saying the second option could be South Africa.”
Ashraf, however, said that he was open to the idea of Pakistan’s matches being held in cities other than Mumbai where the state is willing to give security.
“There is no problem. As far as arrangements and security are concerned, if BCCI can provide those it is fine.”
Reacting to reports that the ICC might decide to go ahead with the tournament in India without the Pakistan team, Ashraf said “it is an international event and I don’t think ICC can say that”.
“Definitely, Women’s World Cup cannot take place without Pakistan. We haven’t heard anything like that. They (ICC) cannot say that without Pakistan the event will go on. I think that looks a bit strange because Pakistan is a full member and we have a very good women’s team.

PCB decides not to send players in BPL

پاکستان کرکٹ بورڈ (پی سی بی) نے بنگلہ دیش پریمیئر لیگ (بی پی ایل) میں کھلاڑی نہ بھیجنے کا فیصلہ کیا ہے
پی سی بی کے چیئرمین ذکا اشرف کا کہنا ہے کہ بنگلہ دیش کرکٹ بورڈ نے 2 مرتبہ اپنی ٹیم پاکستان بھیجنے کا فیصلہ کیا لیکن دونوں مرتبہ وعدہ خلافی کی لہٰذا جب تک بنگلہ دیشی کرکٹ ٹیم پاکستان کا دورہ کرنے کا وعدہ پورا نہیں کرتی تب تک پی سی بی بھی کھلاڑی بھیجنے پر آمادہ نہیں، اگر بی سی بی اپنا وعدہ پورا کرے تو کھلاڑیوں کو بھیجنے کے بارے میں کوئی فیصلہ کیا جاسکتا ہے۔
دوسری جانب پاکستانی کھلاڑیوں کی عدم موجودگی سے بی پی ایل کو شدید دھچکہ پہنچنے کا خدشہ ہے۔ واضح رہے کہ بنگلہ دیش پریمیئر لیگ میں پاکستان کے 22 کھلاڑیوں نے شرکت کرنی تھی جن میں سعید اجمل، محمد حفیظ اور مصباح الحق بھی شامل تھے۔

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

International Cricket Council’s (ICC) One-day Internationals (ODI) batting rankings still dominated by South Africa while Pakistan dominates the bowling rankings released by ICC on Monday.
Hashim Amla and A.B De Villiers of South Africa have been ranked number 1 and 2 respectively, while V.Kohli and M.S Dhoni from India were placed at number 3 and 4 respectively in the latest ODI rankings. Indian batsman S.Raina has made it to the top ten of the ODI rankings for the first time in his career after he was declared the player of the series with 277 runs at an average of 92.33 in the recently concluded ODI series between India and England. None of the Pakistani batsmen were able to get a place in the top ten.

Pakistan to play Street Child Football World Cup

Pakistan will feature in the Street Child Football World Cup, which will be held in Rio (Brazil) in March 2014, it was revealed here on Thursday in a joint press briefing by Azad Foundation and Sindh department of human rights.
The Chief Executive Officer of Azad Foundation Naveed Hasan Khan said that although the event was being held for the second time, it was for the first time that Pakistan had been given a slot. He said players from all the four provinces would be part of the outfit.
He revealed that by October this year, the eight-member team would be finalized, and the selected players, who fulfilled the criteria of street children, would be trained in their respective centres.
He said that one month ahead of the slots, the players would be brought to Karachi for a month-long combined training.
He said that the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had already been consulted and that they were also in touch with the world football governing body, FIFA.
Also present were the Sindh minister for human rights Nadia Gabol, director Azad Foundation Farah Iqbal and Programme Manager Azad Foundation Syed Ali Bilgrami.
Bilgrami said that the foundation was being supported by Zesh Rehman Foundation, footballpakistan.com and Pak British Foundation.
Nadia said that the Sindh government would fully support the cause.
She also announced that in near future a cricket team of street children would also be formed which would one day represent Pakistan internationally.

South Africa beat Pakistan by 211 runs in first test

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan lost the first Sunfoil test by 211 runs at the New Wanderers Ground.

Starting the day at 183/4, Pakistan was depending on the overnight pair of Asad Shafiq and Misbah ul Haq to see off the second new ball to postpone the inevitable, but it was not to be.

Steyn struck immediately with the new ball and dismissed Asad Shafiq and Misbah in consecutive overs ending all hopes for Pakistan.

The rest was a formality as the tail tried to wag with few aerial shots but the S.African pace attack proved too much for them.

Asad Shafiq (58) and Misbah (64) were the only notable scores in pakistan’s second outing.

DW Steyn took 5/52 in the second innings finishing with match figures of 11/60. As expected he was declared the player of the match.

Wicketkeeper AB de Villiers held five catches to add to the six he took in the first innings equalling the world record set by Jack Russell for England against South Africa on the same ground in 1995/96. He also became the first player in Test history to make a century and claim ten or more dismissals in a match after hitting an unbeaten 103 in the second innings.

Score:

Pakistan: 49 & 268 (Misbah-ul-Haq 64, Asad Shafiq 56; D. Steyn 5-52) v South Africa 253 & 275-3d.

S.Africa leads the 3-match series 1-0.

Pakistan play the second test of the series from February 14 at Cape Town.

http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=86696

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

Afghanistan overcome local team by 9 wickets

HYDERABAD: The Afghanistan cricket team got off to a flying start in the first one-day match of its Pakistan tour as they beat Karachi-Hyderabad Regional XI by nine wickets.
Paceman Hamza Hatok was the standout performer for the tourists taking five wickets, while batsman Mohammad Shahzad scored 58 runs to help the Afghan team romp to victory.
The match was played at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad, which hosted the first foreign cricket team on the ground after Zimbabwe’s match against Pakistan in 2007.
The host team, captained by star cricketer Shahid Afridi, won the toss and opted to bat. But the team failed to perform against the Afghan bowlers and crumbled at 112 runs in 37.5 overs as Hatok cut through the batting line-up by claiming five wickets for only 15 runs.
No batsman was able to hold on their wicket. Afridi was a disappointment for all the spectators who had come to watch him bat, hitting only a single boundary and scoring 16 runs on 29 balls before he was caught mid-wicket by Dollat Zadran.
Meanwhile, Mohtashim Ali and Mohamamd Sami were the highest scorers with 21 runs each. Ali was bowled out by Hatok while Sami was caught at long-off by Afsar Zazai on Izatullah Dawlatzai’s delivery. Aqeel Anjum scored 18 runs and Zafar Ali 15 to take the team’s total to 112 runs.
The Afghan batting side got off well right from the start, taking the first-wicket partnership to 84 runs. Mohammad Shahzad’s half century from 32 balls propelled the tourists to a dominating position. He scored 58 runs off 35 balls with two sixes and eight boundaries before he was given leg before in Atif Maqbool’s over.
Opening batsman Karim Sadiq remained not out with 36 runs, while Mohammad Javed contributed 15 runs to complete the target of 113 runs in 18.4 overs.
Afghanistan are on a month long visit to neigbours Pakistan. They will play eight one-day matches with regional teams and the Pakistan A side.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2013.

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

PCB postpones Twenty20 Pakistan Super League

LAHORE: As expected, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday postponed Twenty20 Pakistan Super League (PSL) over security fears and refusal of star foreign players to participate in the event. But the PCB said it wanted to give investors interested in buying the five franchises more time to submit bids, and also wanted to avoid scheduling conflicts with other cricket tournaments. The board did not announce fresh dates for the competition but said it would do so soon. The decision was taken after PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf met with interior minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad. Though the postponement wasn't revealed in the press conference after the meeting, a detailed press release was issued subsequently. The PCB has formed a committee to look for a slot more feasible to the investors to reschedule the PSL.

The PCB had planned to stage the PSL from March 26 as the first step towards reviving international cricket in the country. No international cricket has been played in Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team bus during a Test match in Lahore in 2009. The PCB said around 80 foreign players had already signed for the league but a warning from the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) to international players not to tour had also prompted Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa to hint their players would not feature in the PSL.

Despite the warnings, the PCB said the reason for rescheduling the event was that they needed more time to tackle the overwhelming response.

"PSL got an overwhelming response from sponsors, broadcasters and players.

However, there are several other investors who would like us to give them more time for our various rights," PSL managing director Salman Sarwar Butt said.

The model of PSL was unveiled on January 10 and was to include five teams, 23 matches and the PCB expected the league to fetch "in excess of $100 million over the years". The matches were to be played at a single venue, which hadn't been decided on. The PCB had also announced the base prices of players at a proposed auction though they didn't reveal the pool of players who had signed up for the tournament.

The PCB will be hard pressed to find another time slot soon as the sixth edition of the more lucrative and attractive Indian Premier League will be held April 3-May 26. Reports in national media suggested that the PSL could also be hit by general elections due in May, with the pre-poll preparations starting next month. PCB chairman Ashraf said the extra breathing space would give his board a better opportunity to prepare.

"We envisage that as suggested, the shift in our timelines will drive more interested stakeholders towards the PSL and make this one of the most sought after leagues in the cricketing world," Ashraf said. The delay is unlikely to instill any confidence in the PSL already blighted by safety concerns and a warning from the FICA not to take part in the event because of the "unmanageable" security risk. Launching the PSL wasn't a straightforward business as no international cricket has been played in Pakistan since a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team and the country is still struggling to improve its law and order situation.

The PCB itself has been hosting their home series away from home, mostly in United Arab Emirates.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...9-2-2013_pg2_2

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

PCB blames women's flop on security fears

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan's cricket chief on Friday blamed the women's flop in the World Cup on security fears in host India, claiming the players were "overwhelmed".

Pakistan finished last in the eight-team event after losing all four matches, which were moved to the eastern city of Cuttack when the right-wing nationalist Shiv Sena party threatened to disrupt Pakistan's matches in Mumbai.

The International Cricket Council decided to house Pakistan at the club house of the Barabati stadium instead of a hotel for security reasons.

"The situation was uncertain for the women's team and players were overwhelmed by fears as no hotel was willing to give them security," said Zaka Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after talks with Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Pakistan team manager Ayesha Ashar said at the time that the squad was happy with the arrangements made at the Barabati stadium.

But Malik said he would raise the issue with India.

"Not giving security to our women's team is a concern and I will raise this issue with the Indian government," Malik said.

Nine Pakistani players were also withdrawn from the Hockey India League over threats from Shiv Sena last month, after clashes killed five soldiers along the de facto border between India and Pakistan in the disputed region of Kashmir.

The two nuclear powers are bitter rivals who have fought three wars since independence in 1947.(AFP)

http://www.geo.tv/GeoDetail.aspx?ID=87265

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

Pakistan lose second test by four wickets

CAPE TOWN: Pakistan lost the three-Test series after South Africa recorded their second consecutive win by four wickets here at the New Lands on Sunday.

Chasing 182, South Africa completed their victory before the end of the fourth day, losing six wickets.

For South Africa, Hashim Amla was the top scorer with 58 while AB de Villiers made 36 and captain Graeme Smith scored 36.

Off-break bowler Saeed Ajmal bagged four wickets for 51 runs finishing the match figures of ten for 147. This was his third ten-wicket haul in Test cricket.

However, South African Robin Peterson was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for his allround performance as he made a valuable 84 in the first innings and five wickets in the match.

South Africa, who had won the first Test by a huge margin of 211 runs at Johannesburg last week, lead the series 2-0 with the third and final Test to be played at Centurion from February 22.

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