INSHA ALLAH WE HOPE PAK WINS ASIA CUP 2010
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How they were out
Tamim Iqbal produced another fine batting performance to launch Bangladesh's innings © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Ian Bell | Ajmal Shahzad | Shakib Al Hasan | Tamim Iqbal
Matches: England v Bangladesh at Manchester
Series/Tournaments: Bangladesh tour of England, Ireland and Scotland
Teams: Bangladesh | England
England finished an incredible second day at Old Trafford in a commanding position, and could yet enforce the follow-on on Sunday morning after bundling Bangladesh out for 216, a deficit of 203. But not for the first time this summer, and presumably not for the last either, they discovered that their once meek opponents have developed a punch that can leave even the most Tyson-esque heavyweights stunned. That wallop's name is Tamim Iqbal, and for the second time in consecutive innings he produced an innings of rare audacity that swiped the headlines and stole the hearts of even the most partisan England supporters.
Tamim made 108 from 114 balls, with 11 fours and a straight six off Graeme Swann, to file away alongside his 100-ball 103 at Lord's last week. It was his sixth score of fifty or more in seven Test innings against England, and his third hundred in five internationals against them, after he announced himself to their bowlers with a wonderful 125 in the first ODI in Dhaka three months ago. And in keeping with each and every one of his performances to date, England were clueless against his onslaughts, and relied eventually on the hurricane blowing itself out, as it did in the 34th over of the innings with a anticlimactic snick to the keeper off James Anderson.
With Tamim, however, went Bangladesh's momentum and much of their spirit. No doubt it will return at an unexpected moment later in the game, but having hurtled along to 126 without loss while the doughty Imrul Kayes was at the crease, to lose 10 for 90 by the close was a dereliction of duty. Nevertheless with Swann rediscovering his form after a barren first Test (and another frustrating first spell prior to a switch to the Stretford End), and Ajmal Shahzad ripping through the lower-order in an exciting late spell of reverse-swing bowling, England did at least earn their overnight advantage with some pizzazz of their own.
All the same, it was hard to overlook the rise and rise of Tamim, who has now - in a measure of his own brilliance and the shortcomings of his team-mates - leapt into second-place on the list of Bangladesh all-time Test centurions, ahead of Habibul Bashar on three, and just behind Mohammad Ashraful, who never looked like adding to his current tally of five as he chopped a loose cut to gully to give Shahzad the first of his three scalps.
England's bowlers treated Tamim with caution from the very start of his innings, which is ironic seeing as he displayed next to none in return. With concerns about his prowess on the cut and pull, Anderson opted to cramp him for room from around the wicket, but the only real effect was to rule out the prospect of an early lbw. Steven Finn's extra height was of little concern either, and with Kayes all but strokeless alongside him, it wasn't until he reached the nervous nineties that Tamim ditched the see-ball-hit-ball method that had served him so well and resorted to out-and-out madness.
At Lord's last week, Tamim hurtled through the nineties in a single over against Tim Bresnan, and now it was clear to see why. With a series of ugly heaves and swats, he betrayed his nerves in a manner that Kevin Pietersen has tended to do in the past, and had he not under-edged a mow at Swann through fine leg, he might well have been stumped for 95. Instead, one ball later, he toe-ended a gleeful cut through point for four, and punched the air in triumph once again.
But slowly but surely, England overcame their reticence and responded with a furious volley of blows that, by the close, had left Bangladesh backed onto the ropes and awaiting their fate. The key to the turnaround was Swann, who claimed all five of his wickets in a 12-over spell following a frustrated first foray from the Brian Statham End, in which he failed to locate either the length or the right pace to trouble Bangladesh's batsmen, and was looking like being shown up by his Bangladeshi opposite number, Shakib Al Hasan, who had himself claimed 5 for 121 to wrap up England's first innings, including one of the balls of the year to dislodge Ian Bell for 128.
Swann's first wicket was that of Junaid Siddique, whom he had tormented from round the wicket and eventually removed via a thin edge to Prior, and he followed up three overs later by bowling Jahurul Islam through the gate for 5, a classic offspinner's dismissal. Tamim then fell with the score still on 169, and from that moment on, the innings was on its knees. Shakib never settled, and thrashed a sharp edge to Anderson at slip, whereupon Shahzad - whose initial foray had been six uneventful overs for 35 - claimed three in three overs to justify his selection and showcase his flat-wicket credentials.
Ashraful was Shahzad's first victim, as he flapped a cut at a zippy outswinger, before Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam were cleaned up by excellent full-length stump-rattlers. Swann then had Mushfiqur Rahim nicking off to Anderson at slip once again, before bagging the No. 11 Shahadat Hossain for a second-ball duck. As England left the field with their morale restored, Strauss was left to sleep on the follow-on decision. Judging by the state of the wicket, and the Tamim factor, he will probably be tempted to bat on.
None of what transpired could have been predicted while Bell and Matt Prior were adding 153 for England's sixth wicket in a serene morning session, to haul their side from a precarious overnight position of 275 for 5. After their spirited display on the first day, Bangladesh's grip on the contest was being loosened, it seemed, finger by finger. But then, with 15 minutes to go until lunch, Shakib bowled Bell with an absolute beauty that gripped and turned to ping the top of his off stump.
It was a delivery that brought to mind Shane Warne's nailing of Mike Gatting on this same ground 17 years ago. While the turn was nowhere near as prodigious, the ball nevertheless drifted from off to leg before biting the turf and beating a bamboozled outside edge. Shakib's reaction, however, was to stand stock-still and ponder. He doubtless recognised that his own men would have to take on the same conditions before long. Indeed they did, but not before Tamim had made a minefield look like a motorway.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo.
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LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board’s one-man appellate tribunal here Saturday has lifted an indefinite ban on former captain Younis Khan. It also quashed the fine on current captain Shahid Afridi and reduced the fine on Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal.
After hearing the appeal by Younis Khan against his indefinite ban here at the National Cricket Academy, Justice retired Irfan Qadir told media that accepting the appeal he has lifted the ban.
Younis was one of seven players who were banned or fined in March this year.
The penalties came after an inquiry committee investigated on and off-field problems during team's tours to the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and Australia between November and February.
Younis and another former captain Mohammad Yousuf were handed indefinite bans over "infighting in the team which let the team down."
Younis's lawyer Ahmed Malik Qayyum said he was delighted with the outcome of the appeal.
The former captain was named in a preliminary squad of 35, subject to his clearance from the arbitrator, but was not selected in the 15-man Asia Cup squad announced on Thursday.
He is, however, likely to be considered for team's tour of England to be announced later.
Pakistan take part in the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka from June 15-24. They will then play two Twenty20 and two Tests against Australia before playing hosts England in four Tests, five one-day and two Twenty20 -- all in England.
The arbitrator last week lifted Shoaib Malik's one-year ban and reduced his two million rupees fine to half.
The arbitrator also quashed the fine on current captain Shahid Afridi and reduced the fine on Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal.
Afridi was fined on charges of ball-tampering in a one-day match against Australia, while the Akmal brothers were punished for discipline violations.
Another former captain Yousuf, banned for an indefinite period, did not appeal, while all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan's appeal against a one-year ban and fine of 24,000 dollars will be heard on June 19.
Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt (vice-captain), Imran
Farhat, Shahzeb Hasan, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal,
Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Abdul Razzaq,
Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed
Ajmal, Abdul Rehman. Reserves: Mohammad Irfan, Fawad
Alam, Athar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar.
LAHORE :–
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and all-rounder Shoaib Malik refused to give fitness test in front of the probing eyes of media here on Wednesday raising questions about the level of their fitness.
The two players came to the National Cricket Academy to make their case for their selection in the team for the Asia Cup and the England tour but the presence of media irked the two and they refused to undergo fitness test raising doubts about their fitness.
Even the Pakistan Cricket Board was trying to justify the selection of the controversy-prone fast bowler and the all-rounder by supporting their stance.
Upon their refusal to give fitness test in front of media, the PCB also directed the media to leave the academy. The selection of both the players for the Asia Cup depends upon fitness test.
However, the fitness test of both the players was held later and reports said that Akhtar bowled 12 overs to show his rhythm while Malik also gave his test. The fitness test report will be revealed before the selection committee and the chairman will be the sole authority.
But reports said that the officials monitoring the fitness of the players were satisfied about their fitness and that means they have passed the first hurdle for their selection.
Chairman PCB Ijaz Butt, Chief Selector Mohsin Khan, Captain Shahid Afridi and Chief Coach Waqar Younis monitored the players performance.
The selection committee will be meeting today (Thursday) and after consultation with the captain and the coach, they will announce the team with the consent of the chairman. Talking to journalists, chief selector Mohsin Khan said that the selection committee members also watched the fitness test of the players and they will announce the team after discussing with the coach and the captain and the final list will be presented to the chairman for approval. He further said that the likely chance is that the team will be announced for the Asia Cup and the team for the England tour will be named later.
Lahore:
Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi wants three to four young players to be included in the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup starting in Sri Lanka from June 15.
"We should have three to four new players along with the seniors so that we can strike the right balance in the one-day side," Afridi said.
"I think the time is right to start grooming and giving exposure to some of our young lot because we also have to keep the 2011 World Cup in mind," Private Media Reports.
Reminded that the selectors have ignored young all-rounder Hammad Azam from the list of probables for the Asia Cup and the subsequent tour to England, Afridi said neither he nor coach Waqar had any hand in the selection of the T20 squad.
"The selectors had picked that squad but as a matter of policy myself and the coach want to give exposure to young players so that they can provide stable support and back up to the seniors in future," he said.
Afridi, however, refused to comment on al-rounder Shoaib Malik`s availability for the Asia Cup and England tour after the PCB appeals tribunal had lifted the one-year ban imposed on the former skipper.
"It is something that concerns the board. As far as I am concerned whoever is eligible for selection is an important player for me," he said.
KARACHI:
Iqbal Mohammad Ali, chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Sports, on Tuesday slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for lifting a one-year ban on former captain Shoaib Malik, warning the Board to end double standards.
“The board should follow the same guidelines when dealing with the players. The same criteria should be followed with all the players and having separate policy with different players is not acceptable. PCB has relaxed the ban on Malik but Younis Khan and Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan have been treated harshly, which is very unfair,” Iqbal told reporters here. He said that former skipper Younis Khan is an asset of the country and they would try to get him into the team for the Asia Cup.
“I don’t know why they are delaying Younis’ case. They would be announcing squad for Asia Cup on June 3 and the camp would be starting on June 5, so there is little time. However, we will try our best to have Younis included in the squad for Asia Cup,” he added.
He further said that he is expecting big changes in the PCB top brass. “I am hoping that the PCB Patron in Chief President Asif Ali Zardari must have taken the notice of the absurd way the board has been managed. So I expect PCB would go through drastic changes soon.”
Former PCB CEO Arif Abbasi said that Pakistan found a capable skipper in Younis, however the board wasted him. “I don’t see anything inAfridi and there is nothing in him for which he may be appointed as a skipper. Younis was a good captain but the board failed to recognize his potential and wasted him,” Arif said.
Arif also criticised the board for lifting the ban on former skipper Shoaib Malik. He further said that the Standing committee on boards has no right to interfere in the board’s internal affairs since it is not even a PCB stakeholder.
Lalit Modi's reply to the second show-cause notice served on him by the BCCI - which was prompted by a letter from Giles Clarke, the ECB president - has said that Clarke's allegations were "motivated", given their "history of run-ins", and "not worthy of credence". His reply - a copy of which is with Cricinfo - also said that the board, knowing this background, should have backed him and sought his comment before issuing the notice.
The notice was issued to Modi on May 6, ten days after he was suspended from his position as IPL chairman. It followed an email sent by Clarke to BCCI president Shashank Manohar alleging activities by Modi that were "detrimental to Indian cricket, English cricket and world cricket at large." Both communications referred to a meeting Modi held on March 31 in Delhi with representatives of three English counties in which he is alleged to have discussed a parallel IPL in England and Wales.
In his reply, which runs to 24 pages and has five supporting documents, Modi has cited specific examples of his differences with Clarke which, he claims, began during the inaugural season of the IPL. "It is well known in informed cricketing circles that Mr. Clarke holds a personal grudge against me. This started as far back as 2008. Mr. Clarke came to India at the time of the IPL Season 1 and noticed that the IPL was a resounding success."
He has mentioned the ECB's brief relationship under Clarke with Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire, which ended in early 2009 when the latter was charged with fraud. The contrast between that scenario and the IPL, which was "going from strength to strength", is offered as a reason for the animus.
Other examples cited include the ECB's decision to not accept the stakeholding offered to it for the Champions League; the IPL's decision to stage the second season in South Africa instead of England; the general scheduling of the IPL, whose later games clashed with the English domestic season and the scheduling of the 2010 Champions League; the IPL's insistence that its franchises be given the preference by players taking part in the Champions League; and the status of English players with the unofficial ICL.
Part of his reply dealt with the way the issue has been handled by the BCCI and he has some strong words for N Srinivasan, the board secretary, who sent him the notice. "The manner in which, on completely flimsy and frivolous grounds, a Show Cause Notice has been issued shows the prejudged, premeditated and biased mind set with which the Hon Secretary is working. The fact that Hon. Secretary had chosen to act on the basis of an email which was merely a perception of the sender with no confirmation or acknowledgement at any stage by me itself shows that the 2nd Show Cause Notice has been issued on flimsy and/or non-existent grounds."
He also repeated his request to Manohar and Srinivasan for them to step down from the probe against him and instead appoint an independent panel to adjudicate the matter.
Source:cricinfo
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the schedule of Pakistan’s home series against South Africa which will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this year.
The Pakistan-South Africa series will be consisted of a Twenty20 International, five One-day Internationals and two Test matches.
Both countries will play two ODIs at Abu Dhabi on October 27 and 29 and the remaining three ODIs of the series will be held at Dubai on November 2, 5 and 8.
First Test between the two countries will be played from November 12 at the Dubai Sports City Stadium in Dubai and second Test will begin on November 20 at the Sheikh Zaid Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The T20 International will be played at Abu Dhabi on November 27.
COLOMBO: The governing body for cricket in Sri Lanka is the island nation's third-most dishonest institution, the country's new sports minister said on Monday.
"The first and second are education and police. Sri Lanka Cricket is the third-most corrupt institution in the country," minister Chandrasiri Bandara Ratnayake told reporters in Colombo.
Currently run by an interim committee, Sri Lanka Cricket has been dogged by financial scandals. The minister said he will disclose the financial misdeeds in the coming weeks.
Ratnayake has promised to clean up Sri Lanka Cricket which has grown rich through lucrative television and sponsorship deals for the country's most popular sport.
The minister also added he would replace the current interim committee headed by former spinner Somchandra de Silva next week. There was no immediate comment from the committee members.
Ratnayake said he would appoint a new set of administrators to prepare for the cricket World Cup that Sri Lanka will co-host with India and Bangladesh in February-April.
SRC:- Geo.Tv
Hashim Amla continued in his rich vein of form, and struck his third One-day International hundred to help South Africa shake off 'dead-rubber syndrome', and win the fourth ODI against West Indies by seven wickets on Sunday.
Amla collected nine fours and two sixes in another sublime innings of 129 from 115 balls, as the South Africans, chasing 304 for victory from their allocation of 50 overs, reached their target from the very last ball in a thrilling finish at Windsor Park.
Amla reached his second hundred from 94 balls, when he guided a delivery from West Indies captain Chris Gayle, bowling his uncomplicated off-spin, to third man for three in the 30th over.
He shared 59 for the first wicket with the Proteas' captain Graeme Smith, 178 for the second wicket with Jacques Kallis, and 46 for the third wicket with A.B. deVilliers that anchored the visitors to victory.
"It was a great effort from us to chase over 300 runs, and we have to look at the positives from this performance," said Smith.
"Hashim's knock was an incredible innings, and the rest of the guys batted around him very, very well. But I think he must take the credit for a great run chase.
"We would have loved to have finished the game more comfortably in the last over, and maybe we got a bit conservative there in the end. But we successfully chased over 300 on a second game pitch, and we are happy."
When Amla was dismissed, South Africa needed 80 from 76 balls, and J.P.
Duminy joined deVilliers to carry them the rest of the way in an unbroken stand of 80 for the fourth wicket.
In a dramatic finish however, the South Africans needed one run from the last delivery, following a sensational final over from Dwayne Bravo in which he conceded a single to deVilliers off the first ball, a leg bye to Duminy from the next, and then bowled three dot-balls.
DeVilliers however, formalised the result, when he swung the final delivery through mid-wicket, where Darren Sammy fumbled it, and then missed a throw at the bowler's end, as the batsman scrambled to make his ground.
The victory handed the Proteas a 4-0 lead in the five-match series, after they won the rain-marred opening match by 66 runs, under the Duckworth-Lewis Method, two Saturdays ago at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua, where they also won the second ODI by 17 runs last Monday, and the third ODI by 67 runs last Friday at this venue.
The series concludes this coming Thursday at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad & Tobago, where the visitors will be chasing a second successive ODI series sweep in the Caribbean.
Gayle was obviously, very disappointed by the result, although it came down to the very last ball of the match.
"Credit must go to Bravo for the way he bowled the final over," he said.
"But to get 300 runs, and lose was not good.
"We should have scored at least 30 or 40 more runs based on the start that Dale [Richards] and I gave the team, but we were very disappointing in the middle overs again, too many dot balls."
He added: "But South Africa are in good batting form right now, and they took the game away from us. We also missed a few catches, and this is the inconsistency. At times, we do well with the bat, and then turn up and do something completely different with the ball.
"I am very disappointed, and feel heartbroken for our fans, who turned up in their numbers for this match."
Src:-Geo.tv
KARACHI: After taking over the reins of the Pakistan team in all the three formats, Shahid Afridi indicated that he is determined to root out politics from the side and will not shy away from sacking the spoilers.
“I am not going to tolerate any politics in the team and anyone who tries to spoil the dressing room environment will find himself out of the team,” Afridi said. “As captain my task is simple; I want every player to contribute positively to the team and I am not going to tolerate any negative vibes in the team.”
The spin all-rounder will lead Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup and the full England tour. They will play six Tests in the English summer against Australia and England between July and September.
A recent PCB enquiry committee’s probe into the team’s poor show in Australia highlighted the differences and ego problems among senior players and the politics in the team.
Afridi said the team, if united, had the potential to do well in all formats of the game.
After making it clear that he wants Mohammad Yousuf to shun retirement and re-join the Test team, Afridi also felt that the team would also need Younis in England.
“Younis’ presence is important for us because of the tough conditions in England. We need a senior person like him around to guide the youngsters as well. I hope he is selected for the England tour,” he said.
Afridi, who has come out of a self-imposed exile from Test cricket to make himself available for Pakistan said, he had accepted the challenge of captaincy because he wanted to the team to leave controversies behind and do well.
“To be honest I was not mentally prepared for a comeback to Test matches but I changed my mind after giving it much thought. I know going back to Test cricket after nearly four years is going to be difficult but I have always enjoyed such challenges in my career,” he stated.
Meanwhile, sources said on Friday that Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is not too keen to have Shoaib Malik back in the side as he fears that the all-rounder would create disharmony in the side.
”There are others as well including some selectors and board officials who feel that it would be better for the team if Malik is kept out for the moment,” one source close to PCB disclosed on Friday.
He said Afridi did not push for Malik’s inclusion like he did for Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan. “Afridi’s reaction is natural considering that he knows well that Malik can be a very negative influence on the team,” the source said.
Malik emerged as the main villain during the probe by the Pakistan Cricket Board into the troubled Australian tour last year with former coach, Intikhab Alam, Afridi, Younis, Yousuf and others blaming him for spoiling the team atmosphere.
Former manager Abdul Raquib, Intikhab and Yousuf openly blamed him for creating disharmony in the team.
During the inquiry committee hearings, the team officials also confirmed that they wanted to send Malik back from New Zealand but the then skipper Yousuf let him stay as the team needed his experience.
Malik, who recently got married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, was banned for 12-months and fined Rs two million by the inquiry committee but he has appealed against the punishment.
In his defence, Malik has said that he had no cause to create disharmony in the team as he was no longer interested in the captaincy and only wanted to represent the country as a player.—Agencies
Ban on Malik lifted, fine reduced to Rs1 million LAHORE: The appellate tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) while lifting one-year ban on former captain Shoaib Malik has reduced the fine from Rs2 million to Rs1 million while hearing on Younis Khan’s appeal was adjourned until June 5.
The one-man PCB tribunal of Justice retired Irfan Qadir heard the appeal by Shoaib Malik here at the National Cricket Academy.
Later, Justice ( R ) Irfan Qadir told media that ban imposed by the PCB on Shoaib Malik on March 16 has been lifted while his fine has also been reduced from Rs2 million to Rs1 million.
Now, Shoaib Malik is available to play in next month's Asia Cup and tour of England.
Earlier this year, the PCB banned Malik from the national squad for one year and fined him two million rupees for breaches of discipline while on tour.
The PCB also punished six other players who took part in the tours of the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and Australia, particularly after Pakistan lost all three Tests and five one-day games in Australia in December-January.
The punishments were referred to a retired judge for review, with PCB chairman Ijaz Butt telling a parliamentary committee last week that his board would accept any of the judge's findings.
Along with Malik, allrounder Rana Naved-ul was also banned for one year and fined two million rupees. Former captains Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were banned for indefinite periods, while Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal were fined heavily.
Younis's appeal was also heard on Saturday but after arguments between the tribunal and Younis's lawyer Ahmed Malik Qayyum, the hearing was adjourned until June 9.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of Younis Khan blamed that the hearing was not allowed before media and severe punishment is being made to his client.
PCB legal adviser told that the appellate tribunal has adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period on request from Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal.
Src:- Geo.Tv
Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's captain for the Asia Cup and the tour of England, has stepped up efforts to convince Mohammad Yousuf to come out of retirement and bolster the side's potentially tough Test assignment in England, where they face off against the hosts and Australia.
"I've talked to Yousuf and I've also talked to a few elders, who can influence him to come out of retirement for the sake of Pakistan," Afridi told the News. "I am sure that he would listen to them and change his mind about retiring from international cricket. We will certainly need his services in England."
Yousuf announced his retirement from the game following the ban issued by the PCB after Pakistan's unsuccessful tour of Australia. Of the seven punished players, he was the only one to not file a formal appeal against the punishments imposed. On Tuesday, Pakistan announced the 35-member list of probables for the two upcoming tours. Five of the punished players, including Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik who are currently serving bans that are due to be reviewed, were included in the long list, but Yousuf was not considered.
The England tour begins in end-June, and Afridi is confident that there is enough time for Yousuf to prepare for the tour even if he is included in the eleventh hour. "Yousuf is a great batsman and I'm sure that even if he just plays in a couple of warm-up matches before the Test series, he will be ready for the tough assignment. He won't need much time to get ready for the tour."
Yousuf confirmed that Afridi has been in discussions with him over a possible comeback. "Yes Afridi called me up and we spoke at length about the cricket scenario. I told him I took the decision to retire after seeking advice from my elders and I can only take back the retirement decision if my elders give me permission to do this," Yousuf said.
Since embracing Islam, Yousuf has sought out religious elders during his trips to Raiwind and on preaching missions. He is known to follow their advice before making important decisions.
Umar Gul is unlikely to be part of Pakistan's Asia Cup campaign in Sri Lanka as a result of a lingering shoulder injury. He should, however, be fit in time for the tour to England later this summer. Gul injured his right shoulder when he fell awkwardly during a training camp for the World Twenty20 and subsequently missed the tournament.
Though the shoulder has gotten better, doctors have advised him not to risk it so soon and instead aim to be back for the longer, arguably more important England tour later, where Pakistan meet Australia as well. "I had an MRI done on it a few days back and compared to the first one I had immediately after the injury, the shoulder has 80-90% healed," Gul told Cricinfo.
"But the doctor has advised me not to take a chance at the Asia Cup because I might aggravate a healing injury," he said. "I have been resting completely since the injury and haven't bowled, so getting match fit and then bowling will take some time to get back to my full sharpness."
The Asia Cup is due to begin from June 15 in Dambulla. The PCB have announced a list of 35 probables for the two assignments of the summer in which Gul's name has been included. A short training camp will be held in Karachi in the first week of June after which a 15-man squad will be announced for the Asia Cup. Gul might still be a part of the training camp so he can start working with the team trainer David Dwyer and the team's physiotherapist again.
"I am trying to find out whether it is ok for me to attend the camp because I can at least start training with David and other members of the fitness team," Gul said.
Though his form has dipped in the last year, Gul remains a key part of Pakistan's pace attack in all three formats of the game. He remains at his most lethal in the shorter forms of the game, but it was his comeback on the England tour in 2006 that sparked the most productive phase of his Test career. And in a summer where Pakistan will be heavily reliant on their pace attack, Gul's presence and experience will be vital alongside Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif.
Shahid Afridi, Pakistan's new Test captain, knows how important it is for Gul to be right in time for a tour which takes in six Tests, five ODIs and four T20Is. "Gul is one of our key players and we want him to get fit as soon as possible," Afridi told the News. "It's unfortunate that he is unlikely to play in the Asia Cup but I'm sure that he will be fully fit for the tour of England. I've told him that he should take his time to recover from the injury because we want him to be fully fit for the matches against Australia and England."
The England tour begins on June 28.
Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo
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MUMBAI: Indian actress Dia Mirza has vehemently denied a report that the ex-beauty queen and actress would tie the knot with Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. The actress said that the news, carried by Pakistani news channels, is utter rubbish and baseless. In a chat with an Indian TV channel, she said, “The news of my wedding with Shoaib Akhtar is absolutely rubbish. It’s a figment of imagination.” Dia requested the media to make it known that she had nothing to do with Akhtar and she doesn’t even know him. When asked about her marriage plans, the actress said, “I would like to get married and everybody will know it. As of now, I am not getting married to anyone.”
LAHORE: Cricketer Mohammed Asif and Actress Veen Malik had tied the knot in London last year, citing the sources ARY News reported on Tuesday. According to sources, a Bengali Nikahkhwan had performed Nikah of the couple in East London last year in May and their common friend Zahid Saif was one of the witnesses of Nikah. It is recalled that Zahid Saif had mediated to settle financial dispute betwen them recently. Asif and Veena had agreed to keep their nikah secret. According to reports, the nikah of the couple was not registered in Pakistan and Veena wanted registration of nikah here but Asif has been against it. Meanwhile, Zahid Saif has also confirmed that they were living as a couple. Mohammed Asif in a statement has denied the report, while Veena Malik has refused to confirm or reject the report.
ISLAMABAD: Shahid Afridi was selected as Pakistan captain on Tuesday for the Asia Cup and test series against Australia and England.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt made the announcement in Lahore confirming Afridi as the country's third test captain in 15 months after Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were indefinitely suspended by the PCB due to alleged infighting.
However, the selection committee also included Younis in a list of 35 probable players, subject to his pending appeal against the suspension.
After his indefinite ban, Yousuf retired from international cricket. Afridi said he tried unsuccessfully to persuade Yousuf to come out of retirement.
''I talked to him on telephone yesterday and requested him to reconsider his retirement, but he refused to do so,'' said Afridi, who added that Yousuf was now coaching in Canada. ''I still believe Yousuf can play international cricket for two to three more years.''
Afridi has not played a test since taking on England at Manchester in 2006, and is looking forward to making a contribution.
''I have taken up this as a challenge because I feel Pakistan is going through some tough times now and it needs the guidance of senior players,'' he said. ''If we play as a unit, I am hopeful of good results.
''Definitely, there will be the pressure of captaincy on me, but a player can only be judged when he competes under pressure.''
Pakistan is scheduled to play the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in June before playing two tests against Australia in England in July and four tests against England.
Former captain Shoaib Malik, who was also suspended for one year and fined two million rupees ($23,500) for ill discipline during the series in Australia, was included in the 35 players.
''Both Younis and Malik's inclusions are subject to their outcome of the appeals,'' Butt said.
Selectors picked injury-prone fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar among the 35, but chief selector Mohsin Khan said the players will all have to pass fitness tests before they are picked in the final squads.
The 15-member squad for the Asia Cup will be announcd in the first week of next month after a short training camp at Karachi.
Probables:
Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hasan, Azhar Ali, Azeem Ghumman, Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza, Azhar Shafiq, Umar Amin, Aamir Sajjad, Mohammad Hafeez, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Tanveer Ahmed, Ejaz Cheema, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Zulqarnain Haider.
It is expected that Yousuf will take back his decision regarding retirement.
According to sources, Afridi a day earlier contacted Yousuf and talked to his friends as well.
Shahid Afridi said Yousuf’s elders assured that Yousuf would review his decision on retirement.
The new captain Afridi said he wanted Muhammed Yousuf to be part of the Pak squad during England series.
Meantime, middle order batsman Muhammed Yousuf said he made up his mind on retirement at the behest of his elders, adding, ‘If they want me to withdraw the decision, I may make a comeback in the cricket world.’
Src:Geo.Tv
Facebook and YouTube Banned in Pakistan For Promoting “Draw Mohammad Day” !!
Never expected a leading social networking website like Facebook and a video casting blog like YouTube will take such immature steps in promoting anti-religion activities. Just few days ago a group at Facebook was formed called "Draw Mohammed Day" (i.e 20th May). The group encouraged a "contest" of drawing caricatures of Prophet Mohammed(PBUH). This group again outraged the Muslims worldwide and countries Like Pakistan have temporarily banned both Facebook and YouTube till 31st May. Upon the orders of Lahore High court the Pakistani Telecom Authority (PTA) immediately put a ban on these two websites. They have also banned browsing in in cell phones like black berry. On the other hand both Facebook and YouTube are facing major threats in terms of revenue, traffic and security. Servers of Facebook are continuously under threat by hackers from every corner of the world. Reports from several sources have proven that some Turkish hackers have badly damaged the Facebook servers and especially the page “Draw Mohammad Day”
What’s New?
Today I have chosen such a topic because it is relevant to the category “Social Media” There are many important things that we will learn today. I am writing this post not because I am a Muslim who is outraged but as a Blogger who always promises to discuss what is important. In today’s tutorial we will learn many things that will help you in taking good decisions when dealing a crowd in millions. For you as bloggers understanding your readers and their behavior must be among your first priorities.
How will “Draw Mohammad Day” effect Facebook’s reputation?
Just imagine a website with PageRank 10, Alexa Rank 2.0 and with millions of unique visitors per day has lost its reputation in the eyes of approximately 47% of its traffic. There are 1.57 billion Followers of the religion ISLAM worldwide. The second largest religion in the world. If we assume that only 50% of this population use social networks like Facebook then the traffic that Facebook receives from countries like Middle East, USA, North Africa, Asia will mount up to 785, 000, 000 visitors per day!!
I received many text messages and emails where Facebook’s revenue statistics were shared but most of them were almost difficult to be trusted when put to logic. I decided to do a simple calculation and tried my best to come as closer as possible to the daily, monthly and yearly revenue that Facebook generates from its Muslim visitors. Below I have shared a table where all data is my mere deduction and observation and slight research. Hope it will clarify many things.
FaceBook’s Estimated Revenue Chart 2010
(Earning through Muslim Visitors Only)
REGION MUSLIM POPULATION INTERNET USERS DAILY REVENUE ($) MONTHLY REVENUE($) YEARLY REVENUE ($)
Worldwide 1.57 Billion 785 Million (estd.) 7.85 Million 235.5 Million 2.826 Billion!!!!
Pakistan 180 Million 47 Million 47,000 1.41 Million 16.92 Million!!
Lets analyze the above table now:
World Wide Facebook Revenue Analysis
I found it through Wikipedia that the over all population of Muslims in the world is 1.57 billion. Then I estimated that what will be the daily revenue earned by Facebook from Muslim visitors if suppose just 50% of this population use Internet (i.e 785 Million). For this I took 0.01$ as average cost received by Facebook for Pay Per Click(PPC) and Page Impressions. This has logic like advertisements in Facebook that are based on Life Insurance, Technology, Cell phones, Digital Camera’s by Sony and Canon, College and University and renown services and goods can pay up to 7-$25 for each click made by the user.
Note:- I took all amounts as minimum as possible while in fact Pay per click can mount up to $7-$75. Adword Keyword Tool by Google can be used to compare Adsense Paying scheme to that of Facebook’s
And of course not every visitor will click the ads so surely Facebook is not earning $7 or $25 from each and every visitor. Some ads can be as cheap as 0.001$ (PPC). So if we take $0.01 as an average for PPC then it is not a bad approximate. I multiplied 785 Million visitors by 0.001 to derive 7.85 Million US Dollars and this is the amount Facebook earns daily from all Muslim Visitors put together. Then Monthly and yearly amounts in the table were calculated by multiplying the daily income by 30 and 12 respectively. The yearly amount that come up is 2.826 Billion US Dollars! And this is what I approximated as annual income earned by FaceBook from the Muslim Nation.
But can you just guess how much is Facebook earning yearly from all traffic put together? The answer is 15 Billion US dollars!! (Source –> Times Online ) So 2.826 Billion US Dollars from 1/3rd majority of the world is again not a bad approximation. In fact the earning from Muslim Nation can be far far greater than $2.826 Billion but this is calculated as minimum as possible for better assumption of FB’s revenue.
Pakistan’s Facebook Revenue Analysis
For Pakistan I adopted a more correct approach. From many sources I found out the 47 Million people in this country use Internet. Since most of the visitors here are usually normal surfers and browse more for fun so I estimated the average Pay Per Click to be as less as $0.001 i.e Ten times less than the International Muslim Internet Users. By doing the same calculation I came to an annual amount of 16.92 Million US Dollars! which again is a big amount but not as big as 15 Billion US Dollars! Since Pakistan has banned Facebook till May 31st, we can easily calculate that the average revenue loss to Facebook can go up to 564,000 US Dollars and of course this amount is no less than a peanut to Facebook’s Overall Daily revenue!
In what Possible ways can Facebook badly suffer?
If a developing country like Pakistan is causing just a loss of 664,000 US Dollars to Facebook which is almost negligible loss in the eyes of the Mega Social Media Giant then how come this bring a nightmare to Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook's 23-year-old chief executive). Well the story doesn’t just end here. Below I have shared some of the points which can badly effect Facebook’s reputation in Internet if you see them in long term and with a more broader approach.
Advertisement on any website depends on many factors like Number of Daily Unique visitors, Pageviews, PageRank and Alexa Rank.
There are a lot of Muslim Web masters and if they all start a campaign of removing the Facebook links from their websites or tagging them as nofollow then this can turn out to be a disaster for FB’s Search Engine Optimization(SEO) department. The PageRank 10 that Facebook has achieved after shedding a lot of sweat and tears can decrease to 7-8 with-in a month or two if web owners do start such a campaign.
Pakistani Nation Banned FaceBook till 31st May only and authorities at Pakistan have promised that they will discuss this act of FB in OIC and UNO too and if other Muslim Nations do agree to ban Facebook in their respective countries then advertisements from these Muslim countries will seize up!
If Facebook is banned in Middle East then this can cause a lose of approximately 1.1 Billion US dollars to Facebook because most of the ongoing world investment is done in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf.
Muslim visitors can remove their Alexa toolbar which can dramatically reduce FB’s Alexa ranking which is the second most significant ranking in terms of attracting advertisers after Google PageRank.
Further The company’s security can highly be threatened from Muslim hackers all over the world. Since past records have shown that Facebook has been abused and attacked several times and today under such crucial period the risk of hack attacks are even larger. If Chinese Hackers can hack Pentagon’s highly secure computers then why not Facebook?
In a nutshell if Facebook does not make quick and mature decisions in the coming days then from what we have deduced so far it can clearly be seen that it wont take long for this Giant Social Media Website to crumble to its knees and loose all advertisements, loyal visitors and customers.
Moral:-
“If Mark has read this post then I am sure his mind would have blown off!”
What are your views?
The publication of satirical cartoons of Mohammad (PBUH) has always hurt the sentiments of the 1.57 billion Muslims all over the world. Muslims believe in Prophet Mohammad as the last and final Prophet after the decent of Prophet Adam, Solomon, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (Peace Be Upon Them All). Depiction of the images of a Prophet is strictly prohibited in Islam and is considered as blasphemy. In Islam After Allah (God) Mohammad (PBUH) is considered as the highest authority and they consider him as a master, guider, preacher and love them more than their family. Do you think freedom of speech and expression means that you can humiliate even such scholars and personalities of highest eminent?
I request all my loyal readers and visitors to post their views and comments about this latest happening and about the stats and info shared in today’s article. Kindly also cast your votes below and let us all know what you think. God bless you all!
Pakistani Protesters Rally Against Facebook
Members of hardline Islamic parties held rallies throughout Pakistan on Friday to protest caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on the social networking website Facebook
Demonstrators shouted anti-American slogans and burned U.S., Danish and Swedish flags as they took to the streets in the eastern city of Lahore and the southern port city of Karachi.
The Pakistani Telecommunications Authority has banned access to Facebook, Youtube and more than 450 links containing “sacrilegious” content and derogatory material.
Facebook is blocked until May 31 because it carries a controversial page that encourages users to draw the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
The social networking site says it is considering whether to make the offending page inaccessible in Pakistan.
Most Muslims consider any image of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) to be blasphemous.
The CEO of Pakistani Internet service provider Nayatel, Wahaj-us-Siraj, told VOA on Thursday that the government will reopen access to the sites once Facebook and YouTube remove the controversial material.
Pakistan temporarily blocked YouTube in 2008 because a movie trailer on the site portrayed the Muslim holy text, the Koran, as a fascist book.
Angry protests swept across Muslim countries in 2005 and 2006 after a Danish newspaper printed several caricatures of Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
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