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THE ONLY BI-LINGUAL AND BI-WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
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| Volume 10 Issue 265 Ramadhan 2, 1431 AH / August 27, 2010 |
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| :: Sports |
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Butt dedicates victory to flood victims |
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 Pakistan captain Salman Butt dedicated his team's victory at The Oval to the thousands of victims of the raging floods which have submerged vast swathes of the country. Calling it a "national disaster", Butt believed the best he and his team-mates could do was provide some sense of joy with their efforts. Pakistan overcame a severe attack of nerves after lunch to edge home by four wickets as Umar Akmal and Mohammad Amir steered them across the line. Butt revealed the Pakistan team had already donated a percentage of their match fee to the relief fund - England have repeated the gesture - and would be participating in various events during the rest of the tour to raise more money. It was a sentiment supported by Andrew Strauss. "We're donating a proportion of our match fee to the fund," he said. "It's a massive humanitarian catastrophe out there and we're trying to help as much as we can and the more people who do that the better." On the field, Saturday morning started full of hope for Pakistan as England lost their final wicket to the fourth ball of the day. A target of 148 in conditions that did not support swing and on an easy-paced pitch that did not take much turn didn't appear a big ask. Though Yasir Hameed fell immediately for a duck, Pakistan marched confidently towards the target as Butt and Imran Farhat dominating the bowlers. But things are never simple with Pakistan. At lunch they needed 33 with seven wickets in hand, but things turned upside down for the tourists on resumption as they lost three quick wickets. Pakistan's chronic weakness of folding while chasing small totals threatened to return once again. A sense of gloom descended in the Pakistan dressing room with some members of the management seen with head in hands. However, Butt had enough confidence in his youngest pair of batsmen - Umar (20) and Amir (18), who pushed Pakistan past the victory line. Butt admitted the situation was no different to the drama-filled morning against Australia, at Headingley, where Pakistan had stuttered to a narrow three-wicket win in overcast conditions. At the outset of the series Butt said England were the better team in home conditions and they would be a tougher ask than Australia and easy wins for Strauss's men in the first two Tests backed up Butt's fears. Therefore this victory at one of the home side's most successful venues, where they hadn't lost since 2001, was hugely significant. Butt had particular praise for Mohammad Yusuf who had been recalled by the PCB immediately after the thumping 354-run defeat at Trent Bridge. "The presence of Mohammad Yusuf, a class act, has really helped as the guys have chipped in with his experience," Butt said. "But it was a team game. Everybody put up his hand: Kamran Akmal took all his catches, the boys fielded well, Amir took wickets, and Saeed Ajmal took wickets, Asif bowled really well. The debutant [Wahab Riaz] took wickets and scored runs, Azhar Ali's 92 was crucial. So I am a very happy captain right now." While the players will take the credit for the victory, Butt also praised the contribution of the coaching staff led by Waqar Younis which is slowly managing to bring a young team together.
Source: Cricinfo
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India enters final in emphatic fashion |
The pace pack, led by Praveen Kumar, was destructive after Virender Sehwag's astonishing counter-attacking 93-ball 110 orchestrated a timely Indian recovery at the Rangiri Stadium here on Wednesday. Pursuing 224, New Zealand was bundled out for 118 in the last league match of the Micromax ODI tri-series. India will meet Sri Lanka for the title on Saturday. The turning point of the contest was the 107-run fifth-wicket partnership between a rampant Sehwag and a determined Mahindra Singh Dhoni (38) after the side was reeling at 66 for four. Then, the Indian pacemen were on the ball under the lights on a new track. The Kiwi chase was rocked early. With the breeze assisting him, Praveen Kumar got his deliveries to swing. The New Zealand batsmen were unable to pick Praveen's snappy release. Martin Guptill played for swing but the delivery straightened. Key-man Ross Taylor nicked a lovely outswinger and 'keeper Dhoni held a smart diving catch. Scott Styris attempted a loose drive through the off-side and dragged the ball on to his stumps. The pacemen — India selected an additional seamer in Munaf Patel — were buzzing from both the ends. There was no respite for the Kiwis. Left-armer Ashish Nehra swung one into Bradley Watling to consume the opener. Ishant Sharma's off-cutter terminated Kane Williamson's innings. And Munaf, seaming the ball in sharply, enjoyed his first outing in the series. Despite a brave 35-ball 52 from Kyle Mills – he unleashed some stunning flat-batted hits — there was no comeback for the Kiwis. In the first half of the contest, Sehwag held centre-stage with his 13th ODI hundred. The ease, with which Sehwag executed his strokes, even as wickets fell at the other end, underlined his exceptional ability. There were two duels in the middle, New Zealand versus Sehwag and New Zealand against the other Indian batsmen. The intrepid right-hander displayed his complete repertoire. For someone with limited footwork, Sehwag is remarkably balanced. While Sehwag played besides the line to thump the ball between point and cover, he also moved across to the off-stump to whip the ball through the leg-side field. He innovated and created. He was rightly adjudged Man-of-the Match. The Kiwi attack suffered. Kyle Mills was cut and slammed through covers for boundaries. Andy McKay and Tim Southee were bludgeoned on both sides. Sehwag's straight six off off-spinner Nathan McCullum was much about poise and timing. His inside-out cover-drives off McCullum screamed for attention. McCullum, however, held his nerve and continued flighting at Sehwag. The off-spinner struck again when he got a delivery to straighten around off-stump, forcing an edge from Dhoni, 'keeper Hopkins held on to a sharp catch on second attempt. Punching through covers and working the ball to the on-side in typical fashion, Dhoni batted well for his 38. India came apart in a rather spectacular fashion after the departure of the two senior cricketers. The left-handed Ravindra Jadeja — awkward in his response — was undone by a short-pitched delivery by Southee and soon India was 207 for nine. Once again, India failed to last 50 overs.
Source: The Hindu
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