Tahir And De Villiers Star In Seven Wicket Win

AB de Villiers showed his pedigree with his second World Cup hundred, his 10th in all one-day internationals, and the fastest by a South African in a World Cup as South Africa chased down 223 at a canter at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the result sealed in the 43rd over for the loss of only three wickets.

De Villiers, who was named ODI Player of the Year for 2010, barely put a foot wrong in his knock, ticking along at better than a-run-a-ball from the start and sounding an ominous warning for South Africa's opponents in this tournament. He shared in a decisive 119-run stand for the third wicket with Graeme Smith and shut down the game by adding a further 84 in JP Duminy's company.

South Africa's batsmen built upon the good work of their bowlers as Imran Tahir had a debut to remember, picking up four wickets and striking at crucial moments to peg West Indies back on a pitch that displayed none of the demons that led to the abandonment of the last international game at this ground in December 2009.

A new-look South African bowling unit kept a lid on a combustible West Indies, the spinners bowling a combined 29 overs for just 138 runs as West Indies imploded to be all out for 222 when, at one stage, 270 had seemed more likely. After the spinners had kept South Africa in control for much of the game, Dale Steyn returned at the death to ensure there would be no late fightback.

South Africa were in dire need of a counterpunch when de Villiers entered at the end of the fifth over with West Indies' new-ball bowlers in the midst of an inspired opening spell. Hashim Amla, whose 1,322 runs in the year leading up to this World Cup has made him one of the vital cogs in South Africa's one-day line-up, and Jacques Kallis both fell to sharp catches behind the wicket as Kemar Roach bowled with real pace and, continuing the trend already being set by other teams in this competition, left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn shared the new ball with success.

South Africa were 20 for 2 with that dismissal but, defying West Indies' attempts to keep the pressure on, de Villiers appeared totally in control from the start of his innings. Threading the gap between cover and point on multiple occasions, he sprinted into the 20s at better than a-run-a-ball and South Africa were soon trundling along at well above the asking rate.

West Indies desperately needed another breakthrough and the talismanic Dwayne Bravo might have been just the man to provide it but in his third over a painful knee injury put an end to his contribution to his team's defence. Attempting to change direction mid-follow through and cut off a drive from Smith, Bravo swivelled awkwardly and immediately fell to the ground, clutching his knee. The physiotherapist was called for and Bravo was helped from the field and taken to hospital for scans. The extent of the damage will not be known until the results of those tests are in.

South Africa marched confidently on in his absence, de Villiers bringing up a 54-ball fifty with a massive blow over wide long-on in the 22nd over and Smith providing steady support until he missed a straight one from Kieron Pollard and had his middle stump flattened five runs short of a half-century of his own. His departure sparked wild celebrations, and at 139 for 3 in the 29th over there was still a chance the chase could get tricky. There was barely a hint of nerves from Duminy and de Villiers, however, and after a short break for rain they eased South Africa home with minimum fuss, de Villiers reaching his ton from just 97 balls.

The chase might have been rather more challenging had West Indies' batsmen been able to make more of the solid platform laid by Darren Bravo and Dwayne Smith, who helped their team weather the early departure of Chris Gayle with a 111-run partnership. Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul showed some fight with a 58-run stand of their own but there was precious little support from the rest of the line-up.

Smart Stats After Darren Bravo fell for 73 off 82 balls with the score on 113 for 2, West Indies lost the next eight wickets for just 89 runs. AB de Villiers' century is his second consecutive hundred against West Indies in World Cups after his 146 in the World Cup 2007. It is also his tenth century overall in ODIs. In 39 matches since the beginning of 2009, de Villiers has scored 1947 runs at an average of 62.80 and strike rate of 97.88 with seven centuries and 11 fifties. The 119-run partnership between Graeme Smith and de Villiers is the second highest for the third wicket for South Africa in World Cup matches behind the 145-run stand between Daryll Cullinan and Gary Kirsten against UAE in 1996. Imran Tahir's spell of 4 for 41 is the third-best by a bowler making his ODI debut in a World Cup game. The best bowling performance belongs to Canada's Austin Codrington who picked up 5 for 27 against Kenya in 2003.

The thoroughness of South Africa's gameplans and their willingness to utilise unorthodox tactics was in evidence first in their decision to include no less than three frontline spinners in Johan Botha, Tahir and Robin Peterson and then when, for the first time in his career, Botha opened the bowling and soon snared Gayle with an edge to slip.

Bravo set the early tone with a couple of deftly glanced boundaries off Steyn and brought up a 55-ball 50 in the 16th over, his third in ODIs, and celebrating the milestone with a remarkable one-handed smite over long-on off Tahir. The century stand was brought up off 117 deliveries in the 20th over, and with West Indies starting to seize the initiative Smith turned to Botha.

Again the offspinner provided the breakthrough, slipping one past an uncertain flick to pin Bravo in front of middle and dismiss him for 73 despite a slightly desperate referral from the batsman. Tahir then took centre stage, holding a a simple caught-and-bowled chance off Smith for his first international wicket and removing Ramnaresh Sarwan before he had time to settle

Just as the elder Bravo and Chanderpaul were starting to flow a brainless piece of running put paid to their fightback. A reverse-sweep from Chanderpaul went straight to the man at short third man but inexplicably a run was called for and Bravo was easily run out for 40, the score 178 for 5 in the 38th over.

West Indies unravelled with alarming speed thereafter, their innings sliding swiftly into mediocrity after Chanderpaul, who had upped the tempo with a couple of thumping strikes, chipped Tahir straight to Peterson at long-off. Kieron Pollard's arrival at the crease caused an immediate ripple of excitement among a decent crowd of spectators, but Steyn returned to dismiss him for a golden duck with a skidding inswinger that struck the pad in front of middle and leg. Tahir had his fourth wicket when a wild swipe from wicketkeeper Devon Thomas ended up in JP Duminy's hands, running back from extra cover, and the tail proved no match for Steyn's pace and accuracy as the innings was wrapped up soon afterwards.

Cricket Sri Lanka vs Pakistan

Although Pakistan's adopted home country for this tournament is Sri Lanka, they are unlikely to feel very loved when they taken on the real hosts in what promises to be a pulsating fixture. Both sides know the conditions well, both have a very strong batting line up with a good mix of accumulators and aggressors. Both too have a good combination of pace and spin attack and there is very little to choose between the sides but for Sri Lanka's genuine home advantage versus Pakistan's ability to blow hot and cold.

 Both teams stamped their authority in the World Cup opening fixtures. Pakistan (WLWWW) started slowly and shakily against Kenya, stabilised, built, accumulated and then assaulted the Kenyan bowling attack to end up 300+. Sri Lanka (WWWLW) started better than Pakistan but the rest of the innings followed a same pattern for a similar, slightly higher score against Canada.

 Each of the bowling attacks pulverised the opposition with the pace bowlers being profligate and breaching the top order, before the spinners finished the job clinically. In Pakistan's case, Shahid Afridi led the charge while for Sri Lanka, the wickets were shared around.

 Sri Lanka have never beaten Pakistan in a World Cup match, but to be fair to them, the last time they faced their Asian neighbours was in 1992. This was approximately the time when Pakistan cricket was at its peak under Imran Khan's leadership, after which there has rarely been an uneventful year for them. This was also when a much more combative, aggressive Sri Lanka team was coming together under Arjuna Ranatunga's leadership.

 At the Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are neck-to-neck with five wins apiece. However, Sri Lanka have lost their last three encounters to Pakistan at the ground. Colombo has a track record of favouring the team batting first (55 wins by teams batting first as opposed to 33 by the teams chasing).
 While both teams possess great top orders and attacking lower middle orders which play spin well, the match is likely to be decided by how well the senior professionals on both sides in the middle order bind the innings and put up or chase competitive totals. From a Pakistan standpoint, Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq would carry the burden of batting for a bulk of the innings at a good pace. The very experienced duo of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara will have to wear the same mantle, once again, for Sri Lanka.

Butt Starts New Innings As Cricket Expert On TV Channel

 

Banned Pakistani player Salman Butt on Wednesday made his debut as a cricket pundit during the World Cup match against Kenya despite the International Cricket Council (ICC) having reservations over his new job. Butt though asserted that he was doing nothing to violate the terms of his ban by the ICC

anti-corruption tribunal announced on February 5 on spot-fixing charges.

"I am not violating the terms of my ban. I am not playing cricket neither am I working for anybody affiliated to the ICC or the Pakistan Cricket Board," Butt said after giving his expert comments before the start of Pakistan's first match in the World Cup.

Butt said he enjoyed his opening stint as cricket expert and was looking forward to more such assignments.

The ICC had said after its executive board meeting in Dubai last week that it was not happy with Butt signing on with a Pakistani channel to work as an expert and would ask the anti-corruption tribunal to see if this violated the terms of his ban.

Butt was banned for 10-years with five-year suspension period and his teammates Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Aamir for seven and five years respectively during Pakistan's tour to England last year.

The ban does not allow the trio to take part in any cricket activity or event that is organized by the ICC or any of its affiliated units.

Butt said his lawyer Yasin Patel had given him the go ahead to work as an expert for the Channel Five during the World Cup after getting clarification from the anti-corruption tribunal head, Michael Beloff.

"I am doing nothing wrong, just working as an expert. Cricket remains my bread and butter and I have to do something to earn my living," Butt said.

Butt and the two other banned players have already been sacked by their employers -- National Bank -- after the anti-corruption tribunal delivered its verdict in Doha.

PCB sources said while they were also aware of the reservations expressed by the ICC over Butt's new role but they could do nothing since he was not violating any terms of his ban.

"The channel is a private one and has nothing to do with the ICC or PCB. Neither does it have holding rights to the World Cup. So, technically we cannot stop them from hiring anyone," one source added.

Kenya Sink Without Trace In Massive Chase

Kenya again appeared totally out of their depth and posed no challenge to Pakistan at Hambantota, Collins Obuya's death-or-glory 47 being the only highlight for them as Shahid Afridi helped himself to 5 for 16 in a massive 205-run win, Pakistan's biggest win in World Cups and the eighth largest overall.

Four of Pakistan's batsmen cashed in to raise half-centuries and set up a total of 317 for 7 after a brief wobble against the new ball and Kenya made little effort to mount a serious challenge in their pursuit, rather looking to a lay a solid platform in the hope of batting out their full quota of overs. That ultimately proved a futile effort, too, although their innings did at least last until the 34th over - longer than their entire match against New Zealand three days ago.

Kenya's slide began in earnest when Afridi brought himself on and, in his third over, tempted Steve Tikolo down the pitch only for the ball to rush straight on to rattle the stumps. Kenya were 73 for 3 in the 23rd over when Tikolo was dismissed, without any real hope of chasing more than 300 but at least looking steady enough to last the full 50 after the top order had showed at least a little grit. There was no such offering from the middle, however, as the remaining seven wickets fell for just 39 runs in just over ten overs.

Afridi was the chief wrecking ball, quickly ending a bustling innings from Tanmay Mishra and making short work of Rakep Patel, Jimmy Kamande and Thomas Odoyo as he unfurled a mixed bag of legbreaks, sliders and quicker ones as the ball began to bite and spit off the surface. Amid the carnage, Obuya opened up to smite through enormous sixes but was caught on the boundary attempting a fourth to give Afridi the best figures by a Pakistan bowler in a World Cup, beating Wasim Akram's 5 for 28 against Namibia in Kimberley at the 2003 tournament. Once he went, the end was mercifully quick in coming.

Ultimately they flattered to deceive, but against expectations Kenya had actually bossed the opening exchanges of the match, Thomas Odoyo and Elijah Otieno showing admirable control with the new ball. Otieno provided the first breakthrough when Hafeez tried to force a length delivery into the leg side but hit it uppishly and Seren Waters, at straight midwicket, leapt to his left and managed to cling onto a juggled catch mere inches from the turf. In the very next over Shehzad, who had scratched around for 17 balls that yielded just a single run, chipped a leading edge to give Jimmy Kamande a simple catch at mid-off and Pakistan were in some serious strife.

The pressure soon began to lift, however, Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan quickly settling and Nehemiah Odhiambo suffering a shambolic start to his spell as 16 runs came from a first over that included three no-balls. Kamran proved the more fluent of the two early in his innings but Younis provided sensible support and, as the spinners came on, plenty of ones and twos were taken to keep the score ticking over.

Smart Stats There were four fifty-plus scores in Pakistan's innings, which is the joint highest for the number of fifty-plus scores in a team innings in World Cups. Pakistan's 317 is their highest score in ODIs against Kenya, surpassing their previous best of 286 in Sharjah in 2003. It is also their fourth-highest total in World Cups. Kenya conceded 44 extras, which is the fifth-highest on the list of most extras conceded by a team in a World Cup match. Misbah-ul-Haq scored his fourth half-century in 11 innings since August 2009. In the same period, he has scored 428 runs at an average of 47.55, which is much higher than his career average of 40.48. Pakistan scored 112 runs in the last ten overs of their innings, including 70 runs in the batting powerplay. South Africa hold the record for most runs in the last ten overs in ODIs since 2000, with 146 runs against Pakistan at Centurion in 2007. The 205-run win is Pakistan's largest margin of victory in World Cup matches and also Kenya's worst defeat in World Cups. The 112 is Kenya's third-lowest score in World Cup matches. Their lowest is the 69 against New Zealand in the opening match of the 2011 World Cup.

Kamran eased past 50, from 62 balls, and looked set for plenty more before he charged down the wicket to left-arm spinner Shem Ngoche and was easily stumped. Kenya were buzzing once more with the breakthrough, but despite giving a far a far better account of themselves than they had against New Zealand at Chennai they lacked the necessary firepower to land the killer blow.

Misbah-ul-Haq opened his World Cup account with a massive six off Tikolo and rushed into the 20s at better than a-run-a-ball to complement the more circumspect Younis, who showed the value of steady accumulation before he was dismissed lbw for exactly 50 despite an optimistic review.

Misbah and Umar Akmal were barely troubled as they set about compiling a 118 runs for the fifth wicket, their partnership exploding into life as the Batting Powerplay was called for in the 44th over immediately after Misbah had reached fifty on his World Cup debut. Umar thrashed 20 off a weary Otieno's seventh over and soon sprinted to the fourth fifty of the innings as the score passed 250 in the 46th over. With Pakistan now swinging from the hip at just about everything, Kenya picked up regular wickets but threatened to unravel completely in the face of an all-out assault.

Odoyo removed Umar and Afridi from consecutive deliveries to find himself on a hat-trick in the 49th over but speared the next ball acres down the leg side and repeated the blunder later in the same over as battle fatigue set in. Extras, with 46, very nearly became the fifth half-century maker of the innings as Kenya had the ignominious honour of equalling the record for most wides in a one-day international, and there was a visible sense of relief as they finally completed their stint in the field.

Their efforts with the bat quickly put their failures with the ball in the shade, however, and Kenya will need a complete overhaul if they are to challenge anyone in this tournament. At the other end of the spectrum, Pakistan will be pleased with a generally slick and professional performance that has set their campaign off on an overwhelmingly positive note.

Shahid Afridi Stars In Pakistan Win

 

Captain Shahid Afridi took five wickets as Pakistan completed a resounding 205-run World Cup Group A win over Kenya.

 

Afridi claimed 5-16 - the best figures in a World Cup by a Pakistan bowler - as his team dismissed their Group A opponents for 112 in Hambantota.

Earlier, Umar Akmal's 71 from 52 balls was complemented by Kamran Akmal (55), Younus Khan (50) and Misbah-ul-Haq (65), in a total of 317-7.

Kenya conceded 37 wides, a joint world record for one-day internationals.

That unenviable total is shared with the West Indies, who originally set the record against Pakistan in Brisbane 22 years ago.

The performance compounded yet another miserable day in the field for Jimmy Kamande's team, three days after their 10-wicket thrashing by New Zealand.

They lost their final seven wickets for only 39 runs as Afridi ran through the tail, with four Kenyan batsmen dismissed for ducks.

Only all-rounder Collins Obuya provided any resistance with a 58-ball innings of 47, one of only four batsmen to reach double figures.

The match ended in complete contrast to how it began after Afridi won the toss and elected to field first on a slow track at the brand new Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium on the south coast of Sri Lanka.



The 1992 champions were reduced to 12-2 after seven overs after losing openers Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad.

But Kamran and Younus steadied the innings with a 98-run stand, with former skipper Younus scoring his first World Cup half-century in three tournaments.

The innings was given fresh impetus courtesy of World Cup debutants Misbah, who struck a six from his first delivery, and Umar, the pair adding 118 from only 80 deliveries as Pakistan's fifth-wicket duo flayed Kenya's attack around the ground.

Umar was particularly brutal in the powerplay overs as Pakistan added 72 runs and lost only one wicket.
Kenya's mammoth run chase began steadily as openers Maurice Ouma and Seren Waters reached 37-1 before the latter was run out by a smart piece of fielding by Umar.

Ouma fell soon after and when Steve Tikolo, Kenya's most experienced player with over 3,000 one-day runs from 130 matches, was bowled by Afridi, any hopes of an unlikely upset evaporated as the leg-spinner tore through the lower order.

He trapped Tanmay Mishra, Kamanda and Thomas Odoyo leg before, before Umar Gul bowled Shem Ngoche to wrap up a confidence-boosting victory.

"We gave away a lot of extras, maybe because the guys were trying too hard," said Kamande, who saw seamer Thomas Odoyo concede 20 runs in wides in an embarrassing total of 46 extras.

"We didn't go for the score. We will try to encourage the boys: it doesn't matter, go for the score."
Pakistan face Sri Lanka in Colombo on Saturday while Kenya are next in action against the same opponents on 1 March.

Winning World Cup Will Revive Cricket In Pakistan

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi today said his team is desperate to lift the World Cup so that international cricket can finally return to his country, which has become a pariah due to the volatile security situation.

Pakistan was one of the co-hosts of the ongoing World Cup but a terror attack on the visiting Sri Lankan team in 2009 prompted the ICC to take away its hosting right of the mega event.

Afridi said if his team wins the World Cup, international cricket could get revived in the country.

"Not playing in our country is on our minds," Afridi said on the eve of Pakistan's first match against Kenya tomorrow.

"We feel for our nation, our people who are missing the World Cup. I think this is the main thing for us, so definitely we will try our level best to win, which is very important for us, and if we do that I hope some cricket returns to our country sooner than later," he added.

Pakistan's cricket team has more often than not found itself at the centre of weird controversies, with Afridi himself serving a two-match ban for biting a ball during a Test match. But the flamboyant all-rounder said the team has gotten over the turmoil and is now a solid line-up.

"Pakistan will be a dangerous side in this World Cup. I take this World Cup campaign as a challenge. No one is considering us to make the semi-finals. It's a big challenge for us and I want to see my team making the semi-finals," Afridi said.

The last World Cup was a disaster for Pakistan as they made a first-round exit following their defeat to Ireland, and the next morning, their coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica.

A few weeks back three Pakistani cricketers, including former captain Salman Butt were banned from international cricket for their involvement in the spot-fixing controversy.

But Afridi insisted that controversies are a thing of past now.

"It was difficult in the beginning when we had all those issues. We had to rebuild and we had to lift the team again, but now a situation has come that our team is now settled and we have a good combination that people now have hopes that this team can do something," he said.

Kenya started their campaign on Saturday in disastrous fashion when they were bowled out for 69 runs against New Zealand and lost by 10 wickets.

Afridi, however, said that he wouldn't let intensity levels drop against the Kenyans, who created a massive upset in the 2003 World Cup by reaching the semi-finals.

"I love Kenya and Kenyans," said Afridi.

"I don't think we will be relaxed in any way. The first match in any tournament is important. There are a number of examples when big teams have lost. So the first match is very important and I want to play with full strength," he added.

The Kenyans had a scare this afternoon when their skipper Jimmy Kamande got hit on the cheek while batting in the nets, but he's expected to take part in tomorrow's game.

"We are here to play good cricket and be competitive.

It's good to hear that the opposing captain has respect for the Kenyan team. I'll pass that message to the boys so obviously tomorrow the guys will be pumped up," all-rounder Steve Tikolo said.

Tikolo was disappointed with Kenya's display against New Zealand, but expected his side to raise its game against Pakistan.

"A top professional for me is if you are down it's the way you pick yourself up. We lost the game against New Zealand and it wasn't a good day for us," he said.

"But the good thing that came out was that the boys were very disappointed, that shows the mark of good professionals.

World Cup Could Cement Afridi's Captaincy

Until 2009, the words Shahid Afridi and captaincy were used only in the lingo of left-field cranks in Pakistan. Captaincy, they said, would settle down an intrinsically hyper man; the rest, in generally exasperated tones, asked how such a personality could bring any stability to ten others?

Those leftists won when he took over first as T20 captain in 2009 and then again when he became ODI leader last year (he had captained two ODIs as stand-in before). But they lost when he chewed on a ball in Perth and did so again when he abruptly walked away from the Test captaincy after losing to Australia last year at Lord's.

Even the PCB isn't sure about Afridi's captaincy credentials, though that is about par for the course for them. They've only ever appointed him captain on a series-by-series basis. Until two weeks before the tournament began they still weren't sure. It probably suits him, the uncertainty of it, given how he plays every game potentially as his first and last: lose and be gone, win and there won't be a hero like you.

And yet, here he is, as captain in a World Cup, the biggest platform of them all, and one on which he has been a miserable presence: 125 runs and seven wickets in 12 games. Over the next many weeks, one side will claim victory.

For what little its worth, this scribe has come round to the idea of Afridi, the captain. Nine wins and 11 losses say little, but he hasn't done a bad job really. He's consultative but strong-minded enough to ignore advice he doesn't like. He has an involved presence in the field, though it might not be a bad option for the bowlers to carry around earplugs. This is Afridi, so nuanced understanding of strategy and tactic need not take up too much time here. In any case, barring two, possibly three, the great Pakistani tactician-leader does not exist: personality and the ability to create and seize a collective vibe are far more important.

And it's not as if he has had the greatest luck with the personnel available, or that he has led in particularly settled times, or that alternatives are overflowing. In fact, you'd be right to question the mind of any man who does take on the captaincy. Like the Presidency of Pakistan, if it brings rewards, arguably it brings greater tension and pitfalls, as Afridi noted a day ahead of his side's opener against Kenya in Hambantota.

"It's difficult to be the captain, in India or Pakistan it's difficult to handle it," he said with an old, worn smile. "Situations are tough at times but you have to come out of that, you have to give sacrifice at times, but my effort is always that I do well as captain. It was difficult in the beginning, when we had all those issues, we had to rebuild, we had to lift the team again and that was affecting my performances but now our team is settled and we have a good combination. I think in my 13-14 year career, we haven't done as much hard work as we are doing now."

Publicly he has said that the delay in appointing him and the criticism from various ex-players doesn't affect him. Here, he said it again. "My chairman had already announced me captain for the World Cup but I never felt worried about whether I am the captain or not. I am enjoying my cricket both as captain and player. That is the main thing."

But inside, it has bothered him as, naturally, it would anyone. He is quick to tell anyone who questions his position and place, for example, that he was Pakistan's top ODI run-scorer and joint leading wicket-taker in 2010. Lead by deed in Pakistan and half the job is often done.

A semi-final spot is a realistic target he believes. Any further, and not for the first time in Pakistan, left-field cranks will have won the day.